The Stanford Cardinal needed a bounce-back performance last week against the UCLA Bruins, and needless to say, they had just that. They took down the then-No. 9 Bruins by two touchdowns, and they held a dominant offense to just 10 points in the process.
UFC 166 Preview and Picks
The UFC stars will be on display once again this Saturday when UFC 166 takes place in Houston, Texas. A trilogy bout for the Heavyweight title between Cain Velazquez and Junior dos Santos headlines one of the best cards of the year – let’s take a look.
UFC 166: Velasquez vs. Dos Santos 3
Date: October 19, 2013
Time: 10pm ET/7pm PT
Location: Toyota Center, Houston, Texas
Broadcast: Pay-per-viewMain Card (on Pay-Per-View):
Cain Velasquez (12-1): -200
Junior dos Santos (16-2): +160UFC Odds From Bovada
Cain Velazquez and Junior dos Santos are in a class by themselves when it comes to Heavyweights in mixed martial arts – there are simply the best on the planet. They will fight for the third time in two years to determine the absolute top dog in the sport. Each brings an unmatched set of strengths to the Octagon Saturday – the trick will be to lure their opponent into their type of fight.
The Champ Cain Velazquez is the best wrestler in the Heavyweight Division – his takedowns, takedown defense and ground control are like no other. He also has arguably the best cardio of any fighter on the UFC roster today and an ever-emerging striking game as demonstrated in his last fight with dos Santos.
Junior dos Santos will be looking to reclaim what he thinks is his – the Heavyweight belt Saturday. He is the most dominant boxer in the division – technically sound on his feet with power to spare. Apparently he has a jiu-jitsu game as well but we have never seen that aspect of his game. Like Velazquez, dos Santos is supremely conditioned and ready to go five rounds Saturday.
This bout is pretty tough to call but looking at the last fight, I have to lean Velazquez’s way. He beat dos Santos in absolutely every aspect of that fight and even had the edge in the standup. Velazquez proved that he was a terrific student in that fight and is leaps-and-bounds ahead of the fighter that lost to dos Santos in their first fight. Constant pressure, elite wrestling and adequate striking earns Cain Velazquez the decision win Saturday.
Pick: Cain Velazquez -200
Daniel Cormier (12-0): -600
Roy Nelson (19-8): +400
Undefeated Daniel Cormier puts his streak on the line against the guy that gives fat guys reason to get up in the morning – Roy Nelson. This fight has all the makings of Fight of the Night for sure – two huge grappling practitioners with lethal standup. It could be a classic.
Cormier was an elite college wrestler who added submissions and a terrific standup game to his repertoire. He holds wins over Josh Barnett, Antonio Silva and most recently Frank Mir and looks poised to take that next step toward heavyweight superstardom.
Roy Nelson is a jiu-jitsu Black Belt with and absolutely insane chin and an ability to stand and bang with anyone. He is a tough out for anyone and a good test for a fighter trying to climb the ladder in the UFC.
Cormier is a huge favorite here – he is a B+ fighter while Nelson is a C+/B- fighter. I have to take the all around game of Cormier in this one but make this pick with some reservations. All Nelson needs is one clean shot!
Pick: Daniel Cormier -600
Gilbert Melendez (21-3): -700
Diego Sanchez (24-5): +450
Gilbert Melendez will step into the UFC Octagon for just the second time Saturday – the first being a split decision loss to Ben Henderson. His opponent Saturday is Diego Sanchez – a recent controversial winner against Takanori Gomi at UFC on FUEL 8.
Melendez is an absolutely elite level Lightweight – speed, cardio, wrestling and striking are all solid parts of his game. Melendez has no holes! Sanchez is a tough guy but is a tier or two below Melendez in absolutely every aspect of this fight. [ad-3573245]
Melendez fancies himself a title contender and proves that he is worthy for a shot Saturday!
Pick: Gilbert Melendez -700
Gabriel Gonzaga (15-7): +160
Shawn Jordan (15-4): -200
Another Heavyweight scrap is on tap for the Main Card at UFC 166 when Gabriel Gonzaga takes on striker Shawn Jordan. Gonzaga has had his issues in the UFC in the past but is 3-1 in his recent stint here.
Gonzaga is head-and shoulders above Jordan in terms of ground game and I think that is precisely where this fight ends up – on the mat. Jordan is an OK striker as is Gonzaga but ultimately this fight will be determined by work on the ground. Jordan is a fish out of water in this one!
Pick: Gabriel Gonzaga +160
John Dodson (15-6): -350
Darrell Montague (13-2): +250
Flyweights kick off the Main Card at UFC 166 when one of the best in the world Darrell Montague finally makes his long-awaited Octagon debut. His opponent – another top tier Flyweight John Dodson who has already fought and lost to Demetrious Johnson for the UFC title.
Dodson is one tough dude, able to make anyone’s debut in the UFC less-than-hospitable. Dodson is too fast, too powerful and too hungry to get another title shot to be denied in this one.
Pick: John Dodson -350
Tim Boetsch (16-6): -170 vs. CB Dolloway (13-4): +140
Pick: Tim Boetsch -170
Nate Marquardt (32-12-2): +145 vs. Hector Lombard (32-4-1): -175
Pick: Nate Marquardt +145
Sarah Kaufman (15-2): -220 vs. Jessica Eye (10-1): +175
Pick: Sarah Kaufman -220
George Sotiropoulos (14-5): +135 vs. KJ Noons (11-7): -165
Pick: KJ Noons -165
TJ Waldburger (16-7): +135 vs. Adlan Amagov (12-2-1): -165
Pick: TJ Waldburger +135
Tony Ferguson (13-3): -400 vs. Mike Rio (9-2): +300
Pick: Tony Ferguson -400
Jeremy Larsen (8-4): +160 vs. Andre Fili (12-1): -200
Pick: Andre Fili -200
Dustin Pague (11-8): +130 vs. Kyoji Horiguchi (11-1): -160
Pick: Kyoji Horiguchi -160
The San Diego Chargers showed very well last week in limiting Andrew Luck and the Colts – it was an impressive win. This week they find themselves playing the league’s weakest team in Jacksonville but they are travelling all the way across the country to do so, a situation which is usually a play against, at least in terms of the number.
Intriguing Original Six Matchup Highlights Full Day of NHL Action Saturday
Two of the early frontrunners of their respective divisions meet in a marquee matchup Saturday when the Toronto Maple Leafs head to the Windy City to take on the Chicago Blackhawks.
Two teams heading in opposite directions will met in Kansas City on Sunday, as the Chiefs look to remain undefeated with a win over the visiting Houston Texans.
The San Francisco 49ers arrive in Nashville riding a three-game winning stream to take on the Tennessee Titans who are just game back from taking over the top spot in the AFC South when the two square off on Sunday.
The Packers are coming off their fourth-straight game with more than 100 rushing yards, and will look to continue their abbreviated two-game win streak when they host the Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon at Lambeau Field.
Coming off their first win of the 2013 campaign, the Pittsburgh Steelers will host the Baltimore Ravens in an NFL AFC North rivalry game on Sunday at Heinz Field.
The Rams caused a stir last week when they dominated the Houston Texans. All offseason long they have been saying they were a team on the come but prior to that we really hadn’t seen it and I am still not sure this team has the potential to be good.
The Miami Dolphins were rolling along before dropping consecutive games leading into their break, and nearly got past Baltimore for a 4-1 start, but instead they’ve had a week to think about that disappointing loss, and will look to take their frustrations out on a banged up Buffalo Bills squad.
A pair of 4-2 teams will meet at Ford Field on Sunday when the Detroit Lions host the Cincinnati Bengals. The winner of the game will take a big step towards a lead in their divisional race, while the loser will have some work to do.
Not many would have expected a Week 7 meeting between the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be between teams with one win combined.
Peyton Returns to the House He Built
If you have been living under a rock – welcome back to civilization. This week Peyton Manning guides his Denver Broncos into Indianapolis to take on a Colts team that he returned to prominence in what is the marquee game on the NFL Week 7 calendar.
Vikings Visit Giants in Battle of the Basement Monday Night
The NFL schedule makers can’t predict the future and if they could they likely wouldn’t have two teams with a combined 1 win on the season battling on Monday Night Football. That’s why they play the games (I hate that saying!!!).
These are the top two teams in a beleaguered NFC East. They both enter Sunday with a 3-3 record so this is a huge game that will influence the division race from here on out. Both of these teams have proven to be very good on offense so we should be treated a fun back and forth affair.
This is kind of an interesting matchup. I am not a big fan of Chicago but with a 4-2 record they are tied for first place in the NFC North at the moment. They seem to be the same old Bears and be wary of their poor ATS record of 1-4-1, they are the only team with a losing ATS mark that actually is on the positive side of things straight up which tells you something.
