Cappers Sports Picks

The New Orleans Saints (9-3 S/U, 8-4 ATS) can increase their lead over the Falcons to three games with a win tonight. The Falcons 7-5 S/U) will hurt their post season chances if they lose tonight. Atlanta coming off a home loss to the Vikings, 9-14. Sure, the Vikings are one of the best defensive teams in the NFL. However, the offensive woes go much deeper than that for Atlanta and fall squarely on the shoulders of OC Steve Sarkisian. Sarkisian was brought in from San Francisco this year and pretty much derailed the best offense from last year. The offense is scoring 12 fewer points per game and ranks 11th in both passing and rushing yards. The Saints can win their 10th in their last 11 tonight. They are off a win over the Pathers, 31-21. The Saints are 13-3 ATS their last 16 road games and 12-2 ATS their last 14 vs the NFC South. The dog has covered 13 of the last 16 in this series and the road team is 4-1 last 5 meetings. Take the points tonight with the Saints. Line is moving in my direction as I look for a +3 here on the Saints. Play New Orleans.

Excellent matchup here on Thursday as UT Arlington (7-1 S/U, 4-3 ATS) takes on Northern Iowa (6-2 S/U, 3-1 ATS). UTA has won five straight after their only loss of the season coming at the hands of Alabama, 76-77. The covered against the Tide as a 11-point dog. The UTA defense has held its last three opponents to 60, 49 and 49. Meanwhile, Northern Iowa is coming off a OT win over UNLV, 77-68. NI lost the last game of their recent tournament to Villanova, 50-64. Difficult to pass on the points here sine UTA has played so well in the role of a dog. I'm taking Texas Arlington tonight.

Middle Tennessee State (5-1 S/U, 2-1 ATS) takes on Vanderbilt (3-5 S/U, 0-7 ATS) in an instrastate battle. MTSU off a home and home doubleheader with Florida Gulf Coast, winning both games by nearly identical scores, 85-72 and 81-76. The Blue Knights look to continue their momentum tonight against the Commodores. MTSU is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 non-conference games and 24-9 ATS their last 33 overall. Vandy just 5-16 ATS in their last 21 vs non-conf teams and 0-9 ATS their last nine overall. Vandy still looking for that first cover of the year won't find it tonight. I'm take Middle Tennessee State.

The Bulls are having a horrible season at 3-19 S/U and 9-12-1 ATS on the year. The offense is almost non-existent, averaging just 95.6 ppg and shooting just 41.3% from the field. The Bulls have scored less than 100 points in six of their last eight games (all losses). Meanwhile, Indiana is having a decent season, posting a 13-11 S/U and 15-9-0 ATS mark. The Pacers average 108.9 ppg this season. The Bulls are just 3-9-1 ATS their last 13 games overall and 3-8-1 ATS their last 12 following a S/U loss. Indiana is 8-2 ATS their last 10 games and 20-7 their last 27 vs the East. The Pacers have covered nine of the last 13 in this series and seven of the last eight in Indiana. Play the Pacers.

The Wisconsin Badgers (4-5 S/U, 3-5 ATS) take on the Temple Owls (4-2 S/U, 4-2 ATS) tonight. Wisconsin had won just one of the last five games before their upset win at Penn State last time out, 64-63. The Badgers still not playing up to recent history standards though, losing by 35 at home to Ohio State and scoring just 37 against Virginia. Temple has been busy playing in pre-season tournaments, in fact five of their six games have been tournaments. This will be the Owls first home game of the season and begins a four game home stand. Temple does well against non-conference teams, going 13-5 ATS their last 18 attempts. Badgers have not been a good road team, going 3-9-1 ATS their last 13 away contests. This kind of game means more to Temple than it does to Wisconsin, plus my number makes the Owls at least 3 points higher favorite than then the oddsmaker made them. Take Temple

William & Mary Tribe (5-2 S/U, 3-0 ATS) takes on George Mason Patriots (4-4 S/U, 3-3 ATS) tonight. The road team has dominated this series, going 9-1-2 ATS the last 12 meetings. In addition, the Tribe is 5-0-1 ATS in the last six visits to George Mason. Mason has lost three of their last four games, all against decent competition. Oddsmakers have GM as a 6.5 point favorite here, my numbers have this game closer to 3! W&M has been a very good covering team against their Virginia rivals. This game always has some recruiting implications involved since the teams are just 145 miles apart. I'm taking the Tribe here tonight. Play William & Mary.

 The East and West meet tonight in the great Northwest as Portland hosts Washington. Both teams are equally matched, with the Wizards at 12-11 on the season and the Blazers at 13-10. The difference comes in covering games, as the Wizards are 12-11 and Portland is just 8-12-3 on the year. Both clubs evenly matched in scoring and defense with slight edges to the Wizards. Washington needs a big rebound after the egg they laid in Utah the other night, losing 69-116. It was the teams worst defeat in years. The Blazers are coming off a pair of losses at home to New Orleans and to Milwaukee. But what I like most about the Wizards is that bad beating they took at the hands of the Jazz. Teams usually respond after that kind of an outing with a very good effort. That's just what I'm looking for tonight. The Wizards have too much talent and will send a message tonight. Take Washington.

Texas A&M will try to run its undefeated record to 8-0 tonight at Arizona (5-3). A&M has covered four of their six lines this season, narrowly missing the cover against Cal Santa Barabara and Pepperdine. IN those two contests the Aggies were over 20 point favorites. A&M has quality wins over West Virginia, Oklahoma State, Penn State and USC. Arizona needed overtime to beat UNLV last time out, 91-88. Though they failed to cover the 4.5 point spread. I called that game even and that's just what it was, even at the end of regulation. Arizona is not good against the spread, covering just twice in their eight attempts. I believe that's the oddsmaker valuing this club too much. Tonight A&M is a 1.5 point favorite and while that's a move in the right direction, it's still not enough. This game being played on a friendly Arizona court in Phoenix, but still not the home court for the Sun Devils. I'm taking A&M here tonight.

Road Warrior Game of the Month: Nevada puts its perfect 8-0 record on the line tonight at Texas Tech (6-1). Not only are the Wolfpack perfect S/U, but they have covered all eight games. I have been on Nevada more than once this season. Texas Tech is a good team, losing its first game last time out on a neutral court to Seton Hall, 79-89. Still, to make Tech a 5.5 point favorite here is way too high. I had this one closer to a pick game. Play Nevada

Michigan State (7-1 S/U, 6-2 ATS) takes on Rutgers (6-2 S/U, 2-2 ATS) today. The Spartans have won six straight games and covered five straight. The only loss for Michigan was against top ranked Duke, 81-88. MSU has played many quality games, including a big win over Notre Dame, 81-63 and North Carolina, 63-45. Meanwhile, Rutgers started the season 6-0, but have lost two straight to Florida State and Minnesota. Their six wins were all against inferior competition. Now they face their biggest task against this MSU club. Spartans favored by 13.5 points, but I have them even higher at 17.5 points. Take Michigan State today.

This is the marquee matchup on the board today from the Jimmy V Classic in New York. The 8-0 Wildcats of Villanova take on the Bulldogs of Gonzaga (7-1). Villanova really hasn't had many tests thus far, beating St Joe's by 41 and Tennessee by nine. The rest of the schedule has been push overs. Can't say the same for Gonzaga. The Zags have already played Ohio State, Florida, Texas and Creighton. Their lone loss came in OT to Florida, 105-111. This is the kind of game where I really rely on my own numbers and I have Gonzaga a 1-point favorite. The oddsmakers have Villanova as a 5-point chalk. Way off on this line tonight for the oddsmaker, but good news for you. Take Gonzaga plus the points.

Detroit is having an excellent season at 14-8 S/U and 14-7-1 ATS. Tonight they face San Antonio (15-7 S/U, 11-10-1 ATS) which had to play last night at Oklahoma City. This makes the Spurs in the 2nd of a back-to-back spot here while Detroit had a day off. The Pistons have lost two straight, both on the road. The Spurs have covered the last five in this series. San Antonio came into last night's contest with a four-game win streak. In addition, they have won six of their last seven games. The Spurs have been a good cover team at home, going 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games. Despite playing last night, I'm going to take the Spurs here on Monday

The Steelers have a 1.5 game lead going into tonight's contest over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC North. A loss tonight would put the Ravens just one game back. The Bengals are done at 5-6, though they could still have an outside shot at a Wildcard but it will take some help from other teams. Pittsburgh has won six straight games, but could be without star receiver Antonio Brown (Toe) who was downgraded to "?" tonight. The Bengals have won two straight, but that was against winless Cleveland and a terrible Denver team. The last two decent teams they played they lost, against Jacksonville and Tennessee. The offense has been terrible, ranked 26th in passing and 32nd in rushing. Though, rookie RB Joe Mixon is coming off his best game as a pro and may be ready to lead this ground game for the Bengals. The Steelers have the 4th best scoring defense, allowing just 17.5 yards per game. The Steelers have pretty much owned the Bengals, going 16-3-2 ATS their last 21 visits to Cincinnati and 20-7-2 ATS their last 29 meetings overall. I'm taking Pittsburgh tonight with or without Brown.

The Celtics saw their 16-game win streak come to an end on Nov 22nd. Since then, they are 4-1, bringing their season record to 20-4 S/U and 18-5-1 ATS. Boston has been very good at home, posting a 8-2-1 ATS mark in their last 11 games. Moreover, when installed as the favorite, the Celtics are 8-1 ATS. Milwaukee is 12-9 on the season and 9-10-2 ATS. The Bucks have won three straight games and four of the last five. The Celtics have also done well against the East, going 23-9-1 their last 33 games. I'm going to play Boston here on Monday.

Big 10 Conference play game today as Wisconsin (3-5 S/U, 2-5 ATS) takes on Penn State (7-2 S/U, 4-2 ATS). Wisconsin off to one of their worst starts ever. The Badgers have lost two straight including at home last game to Ohio State, 58-83. The game before, they scored just 39 points at Virginia. They have also covered just one of their last six games and that was against Wisconsin Milwaukee. On the other hand, Penn State enjoying some early season success. The Nittany Lions are coming off a road win at Iowa, 77-73. The club is also 4-2-1 ATS in their seven posted games. My personal ratings have them about three points higher than the oddsmakers does. That combined with how poorly Wisconsin has played this year will have me on the Lions. Play Penn State.

Ok everyone, we all know who has the better record and who has been the hottest team in the NFL. But folks we all know nothing is as simple as that. Right? Did you know the Eagles have faced the 29th rated defense in the league? Seattle is a tough place to play. We all know that and we all know they are hurting this year. But a wounded Seahawk is dangerous and that will be the story today. Take the Hawks in an upset

 Both of these teams in need of a win today as Stanford (4-5 S/U, 2-7 ATS) takes on Long Beach State (3-6 S/U, 3-4 ATS). I had a big play on Fresno last night over Long Beach and the 49ers in a rare back-to-back spot here on Sunday. Long Beach was never in their game against Fresno, losing 70-106. The 49ers have now been outscored 196 to 126 in their last two games. Stanford is coming off a win over Montana last Wednesday. The Cardinal have had three days off while Long Beach has had no rest. For me that's a big reason I'm backing Stanford here tonight. Play Stanford.

Probably the squarest play on the board, but even the squares win occasionally. Actually, there are fundamental reasons for this play. Oakland is in dire straights to win the AFC West. Serious question marks exist if they may not be able to make it as a Wild Card. The Chargers and the Chiefs are their main competition. They must keep winning to stay alive. Well publicized the Eli Manning debacle has split the locker room for the Giants. Blow out city here with the Oakland Raiders.

How the Mighty have fallen. The Kansas City Chiefs are very fortunate to be playing in arguably the weakest division in football. Because otherwise, their playoff hopes would be fading quickly. Instead, they still remain in fist place in the AFC West with a 6-5 record after losing three straight and five of six games. The Chiefs lost to the Bills last week, a team that has been riddled with problems, 10-16. The Chiefs have company thought. The last three years there have been three teams that have started the season 5-0 and then lost their next five of six (Falcons 2015, Vikings 2016 and now Chiefs 2017). The Jets have played well, just keep coming up short week after week. Last week the team lost to the Panthers 27-35 and the week before to the Bucs, 10-15. The Jets playoff hopes are done, so why shouldn't they just pack it in for the year? Well, it's simple, they like their head coach and they will keep playing strong for Bowles. Remember, even though the Jets have lost five of their last six, each loss was by eight points or less. Right now we have two teams that have lost five of six. But I look at the Jets as a team that wants to compete right now and the Chiefs as a team that is looking for answers. Play the Jets.

It appears that Tampa Bay QB Jameis Winston will return today after suffering shoulder problems off and on for a majority of the season. There were high hopes at the start of the season for this Bucs team, loaded with talent on both sides of the ball. Now, they are just 4-7 and looking toward next season. The Bucs haven't been good to bettors either, going just 2-7-1 ATS their last 10 games. Tampa lost last week at Atlanta, 20-34, snapping their modest two-game win streak. Meanwhile, have to give credit to QB Hundley and the Packers for a great effort last week at Pittsburgh. The Pack lost 28-31, but hung around the entire game as a 14-point dog. The Packers are a small home favorite here. At this juncture of the season the Packers look to still be fighting hard. Play Green Bay.

UNLV had just gotten some top-25 votes and then went out and lost their first game of the season to Northern Iowa in OT, 68-77. It was their first true road game of the year and their first loss against six wins. Now they return home for their most difficult task of the season thus far against Arizona. Arizona didn't have a good time in their recent tournament, losing all three games to NC State, SMU and Purdue. They did rebound with a win at home over Long Beach, 91-56. Oddsmakers have Arizona as a 5 point favorite on the road tonight. Strange for a team that has lost three games to quality clubs. UNLV has yet to lose at the Thomas and Mack or the T-Mobile Arena. I have UNLV as a 7 point favorite so one of us is way off and I don't thinks it's me. Take UNLV.

Nevada puts its perfect 7-0 record on the line as they travel to Irvine to take on the 4-5 Anteaters. Nevada has had some impressive wins, covering the spread in all six games they have had a line. The offense can score too, getting at least 81 points in six of their seven wins. Cal Irvine is just 4-5 on the season and has covered just one of seven lines. They have been a double-digit dog in three games and failed to cover any of those. Nevada just a 10-point favorite here. My line has the Wolfpack -20. Play Nevada.

Big 10 Championship on line here today as Ohio State Buckeyes take on the Wisconsin Badgers. Ohio State has not really played well against top competition this year, losing to Oklahoma by 13 and having to make a miracle comeback at home to beat Penn State. Wisconsin has great offensive and defensive lines and that will make a big difference here today. The defense will give OHio State signal-caller JT Barrett all kinds of problems today. Barrett did hurt his knee against Michigan so be sure to check his status. I'm not thrilled that OSU has trailed every good opponent they have played this year. That will catch up to them and I believe that's today. Take Wisconsin.

North Texas (4-4 S/U, 2-1 ATS) takes on intrastate rival Texas Arlington (6-1 S/U, 4-2 ATS). NTU has lost two of their last three games, but played Oklahoma closer than many thought they would, losing 72-82 ast a 29 point dog. They did get beat badly at Nebraska, 67-86 as a 15-point dog. In the three games with lines, NTU has been at least a 15-point dog each time. Today, they get 18.5 from Arlington. UTA is a top notch team, winning four straight and six of seven. Their only loss coming at Alabama, 76-77 as a 11-point dog. They are coming off a 69-49 win over Rice as a 17.5 point favorite. The defense is good, holding the last two opponents to just 49 points. I have them as 22.5 point chalks today and don't see any reason they can't cover this big line. Play Texas Arlington.

Fresno (5-7 S/U, 3-3 ATS) travels South to play Long Beach State (3-5 S/U, 3-3 ATS). Fresno has three straight wins over George Mason, Montana State and Weber State. The Bulldogs have lost to Arkansas and Evansville. Long Beach started out the season with a pair of wins, but have since gone 1-6 S/U. The 49ers are coming off a lopsided loss at Arizona, 56-91. Oddsmakers have Fresno as a 5-point favorite. My personal numbers make Fresno a 8.5 point favorite and that makes this a play for me. Play Fresno State.

 SEC Championship and National Championship implications on line here Saturday as the Georgia Bulldogs play the Auburn Tigers. Georgia has some revenge here today with the beating they took at the hands of the Tigers earlier this season, 41-17. Georgia HC Kirby Smart attributed that lopsided loss to his team's high penalties and key special team mistakes. I look for a well coached Georgia team to clean up their act this week and make this more of the contest we expect from these two teams. I'm taking the few points here with Georgia.

Virginia Tech (6-1 S/U, 5-1 ATS) takes on Mississippi (4-2 S/U, 1-5 ATS) today. Tech's only loss this season coming at the hands of St Louis, 71-77. Every other game they have won and covered. That includes a nice win last time out over Iowa, 79-55 and a win over Washington, 103-79. Ole Miss has struggled, losing two of their last three games after opening the season 3-0. They are coming off a loss at home to South Dakota State, 97-99 as 10.5 point favorites. Big difference in the line (Va Tech -2.5) and my own line which makes Teach closer to a 10-point chalk. Play Virginia Tech.

 Georgia Southern has to be road weary by now as they play their second in a row away here at Coastal Carolina. Still they play at a Carolina club that has been juggling QB's in the number of three at the position. That hasn't led to much success at 2-9 and averaging just 23.3 ppg and even lower in Sun Belt at just 21.0 ppg. Carolina will be without QB Tyler Keane (Thumb) and will start Kilton Anderson. Doesn't really matter which QB they start, I'm taking Georgia Southern here on Saturday.

Battle for the Conference USA Championship here on Saturday. This is a game North Texas would like to forget from early this season. The FAU offense scored on their first 11 drives en route to a 69-31 pummeling of NT. The FAU defense was second in the nation in interceptions (18)with two being brought back for TD's. The Owls have a very good QB in Jason Driskel, but he's helped immensely by the rushing game that ranks No 6 in the country. This game will be another monster high scoring affair with North Texas coming out on the short end. Take Florida Atlantic

The PAC-12 Championship is being played in Stanford's backyard, so expect a pro-Cardinal group of fans for this one. The Cardinal are 9-3 S/U and 5-6-1 ATS and coming off that big win over Notre Dame, 38-20. USC (10-2 S/U, 3-8-1 ATS) is just 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight vs the PAC-12. Stanford is 7-1 ATS in December and looks to avenge their September 9th loss to the Trojans, 24-42. USC has just two covers in its last 10 games, both coming against Arizona schools. Stanford a four point dog here and I have to look at this game as basically a Stanford home game. I'm taking the points here with Stanford as they can win this one outright.

Towson (6-1 S/U, 4-0 ATS) takes on LaSalle (4-3 S/U, 3-3 ATS) tonight. The Towson Tigers have not only covered all four games this year, but they are a very nice 15-5-2 ATS their last 22 games. The LaSalle Explorers are just 8-20 ATS in their last 28 games against a team with a win percentage over 60%. Towson can score points as it has at least 70 point in the last six games. LaSalle has had three decent opponents and lost all three boht S/U and ATS. That was to Northwestern, Boston College and Miami-Florida. My personal line has Towson about a 9-point favorite, while the oddsmakers have them at two. That's a big difference for me and there fore I'm on Towson tonight.

If either of these two teams hope to keep their slim Wild Card chances alive, they must win this game. Both the Redskins and the Cowboys are 5-6 heading into this contest. Dallas has lost three straight games since they lost Ezekiel Elliot to his suspension. But most glaringly, is the fact that the offense just doesn't work without him. The Cowboys have scored 7, 9 and 6 points in the three games since his departure. The Redskins will have revenge on their minds here after being beaten by the Cowboys at home 33-19. Washington snapped its two game losing streak last week with a win over the Giants, 20-10. Both these teams had the extra rest after playing on Thanksgiving day. Hard for me to believe the oddsmakers made this game a 1 point favorite on Dallas. With Dallas not scoring more than a TD the last three games I don't know where they will get any scoring from here. I'm taking the Redskins to get their revenge. Play Washington.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have won nine straight games after their win over Miami, 108-97. The win over the Heat was a rare home cover for the Cavs, in fact their first of the year. The Cavaliers have been a strange team this year, can't cover at home and can't lose on the road vs the East. Meanwhile, the Atlanta Hawks have lost nine of their last 11 games. The Hawks are dead last in the Southeast Division with just four wins. The Hawks are now 4-9-1 ATS their last 14 vs the East. The Cavs have been a very good bet at road, going 15-5-1 their last 21 away games. The Cavs have covered five of the last seven in Atlanta and I look for that to continue here on Thursday. Play Cleveland.

North Dakota State Bison (3-3 S/U, 2-1 ATS) takes on Mississippi State Bulldogs (5-0 S/U, 0-2 ATS) tonight. The Bison saw their three game win streak snapped on Tuesday at Stephen Austin, 50-54. The Bison played USC early in the season and hung around the Trojans, easily covering the 23.5 point spread in their loss, 65-75. They also had an impressive win over a very good Missouri State team, winning outright 57-54 as a 9.5 point dog. Mississippi State one of those teams to skip on all the holiday tournaments. The Bulldogs have yet to play a opponent that is equal to them, except maybe Jacksonville State. Jax St was a 7.5 point dog and lost by just three, 56-59. I have to rely on my on unique Fast Ratings for a lot of these early games and tonight I have the Bison as 4-point dog. The oddsmakers disagree, making the Bison a 9.5-point dog. I'll take double my own number here. Play North Dakota State as they keep this game a lot closer then the Bulldogs will like.

Top ranked Duke 8-0 S/U, 5-1 ATS takes on Indiana (4-2, S/U, 3-3 ATS) tonight on national tv. Duke just finished up their tourney play, sweeping Portland State, Texas and Florida for the title. They also have beaten Michigan State on the road this season, 88-81. Their only spread loss came as a 24.5 point favorite over Portland State where they won by just 18 points. Indiana has won three straight after starting the season just 1-2. The Hoosiers had a home loss to Indiana State, 69-90 and a road loss to Seton Hall, 68-84. The best team they have played thus far was Seton Hall and they lost by 26 points. Duke has a ton of size this year and overwhelms teams with that size. They have the top offensive rebounding team in the nation (43.2%). Now they play a poor defensive Indiana team that ranks 193rd. This game does not bode well for the Hoosiers. They don't match up well and they give up lots of points. Take Duke in a blowout win. 

 The Memphis Grizzlies are in the midst of a horrible losing streak. The Grizzlies are 7-12 on the season, but have lost eight straight games both S/U and ATS. Five of those six losses have just come off a home stand too. Now they have to face a decent Spurs team. Maybe this edition of the Spurs isn't as great as recent years, bu they are still very good. The Spurs have covered six of their last eight home games. They are also 8-2 ATS their last 10 vs a team with a losing record. There just isn't many positive things to say about the Grizzlies right now. They are just 2-5 in their last seven trips to San Antonio and the home team has covered five of the last six in this series. I'm taking the Spurs here tonight against a struggling Memphis squad.

The 8-11 Charlotte Hornets travel to Canada today to play the 12-7 Toronto Raptors. The Raptors are 6-1 S/U at home this year. Bad news for the Hornets here as they will be without Kemba Walker. Walker averages 22 ppg this year. The Hornets looked very tired in their last game at home vs San Antonio, losing 86-106. They get some rest here tonight with the last 3 days off. Toronto finally gets a home game, they are tied with Chicago for the fewest home games thus far this season. The Raptors just finished a three game road swing with a nice win at Atlanta, 112-78. The Hornets are just 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 road games and 3-7 ATS their last 10 games playing on 3 or more days rest. Conversely, the Raptors are 10-4 ATS their last 14 games when having 3 days or more rest. Despite being tied for the fewest home games played, the Raptors having a very good start to the season. I like Toronto here tonight, especially with Walker out for the Hornets.

 George Mason 3-3 S/U, 2-2 ATS, takes on James Madison (2-5 S/U, 1-4 ATS) tonight. Madison really hasn't played any quality opponents, yet they have just two wins in seven games. Their top competition came from Old Dominion and they lost that game at home, 53-69. G.Mason just lost all two games in their tournament covering their last against Fresno State. My personal ratings make George Mason about a 3 point favorite. But I also like the way this team is playing compared to Madison. Both those factors have me on George Mason tonight.

Iowa (4-2 S/U, 1-2, ATS) takes on Virginia Tech (5-1 S/U, 4-1 ATS) tonight. Iowa just finished up play in a tournament in which they went 1-2 both S/U and ATS. They lost to teams they really shouldn't have,inclduing UL Lafayette (71-80) and South Dakota State (72-80). They did finish the tourney with a win over UAB (95-85). Virginia Tech has been beating up on some lower level teams, but does have a nice win in their tourney over Washington, 103-79. This Tech team has scored 96 or more points in five of their six games. Despite some big lines in their games, VA Tech has covered games of 19.5, 26 and 22.5. Tonight they lay just 9.5 points to a Iowa team that gives up a lot of points. My personal Rating has Tech as nearly double the favorite they have been instilled as. I like Tech a lot tonight. Play Virginia Tech.

Utah State (4-3 S/U, 3-2 ATS) takes on an unbeaten Valparaiso (7-0 S/U, 3-1 ATS) squad tonight. Utah State really has just one quality team they have played thus far and that was Gonzaga, a 66-79 loss to the Zags. They really haven't played any team of consequence other than that. Valpo has beaten up on some low level teams too, but has a nice win over Kent, 75-69, who was evenly matched in the power ratings. I have to rely on my own power ratings early in the season until these teams get some quality opposition. My rating has a line of 13 on Valpo tonight, well above the posted 7.5 that the oddsmakers put on the contest. My numbers have over 35 years of experience behind them and I will go with mine over theres any day. Play Valpo.

It seems very much so that the oddsmakers are daring us to play on the Cavaliers. WHy? When is the last time you have seen the Cavs a 3.5 home favorite when the opponent hasn't been Golden State? And, they are playing a Miami Heat team with Dwayne Wade playing on the Cavs now. Ok, yes the Cavs have yet to cover a home game, going 0-9-1 in their 10 tries and they are a paltry 6-12-1 ATS overall on the season. That is pretty pathetic. The Cavs defense has gotten much better of late though. So the books, who have cleaned-up on the public betting the Cavs at home, are daring us to take the 3 1/2 points. Miami has won three straight games, including two straight on the raod. Their defense has held three of the last four opponents to under 100 points. The Cavs have won seven straight games (covering three). Miami has beaten Cleveland in three straight and five of the last six. I'm not falling into the oddsmakers trap. I'm taking Miami here in what should be a very good game.

Surprisingly, the Lakers 8-11 have better record than the Clippers do right now at 7-11. The Clips started the season 4-0, since then they are 3-11 though they have won two straight. The Lakers could get Larry Nance Jr back tonight after missing 11 games with a broken hand. PG Lonzo Ball is averaging just 9 ppg this season, but has a team leading 7.1 assists per game. Kyle Kuzma leads the team with 16.8 ppg. The Clippers have done well in this series, covering 13 of the last 17 when the home team. Neither team covering very well this season. However, that being said, I like the way the Clippers have been playing the last few games. I'm taking the Clippers here and laying the small number.

 The 4-6 Houston Texans take on the 5-5 Baltimore Ravens tonight on Monday Night Football. The Texans are 6-4 ATS on the season while the Ravens are 5-4-1. Houston also plays well on the fieldturf, going 6-2 ATS in their last eight. Baltimore doesn't seem to do well against bad teams, evidenced by their 6-13-1 ATS mark the last 20 times against a team with a losing record. The loss of QB Watson was death blow to this Houston team. Savage has stepped in and thrown four TD's against three IND's, but his 71 QB rating is well below that of Watson's 103. Joe Flacco is also having a poor year, with nine TD's and 11 INT's and a QB rating of just 74.4. The twilight might be in the sky for the Raven's veteran signal caller. Houston did snap it's three game losing streak last week with a 31-21 win over Arizona. The Ravens shutout the Packers, 23-0 last week. I think this 7.5 point line is just too much for the Ravens to lay here on Monday. I'm taking the Texans and the points.

Detroit quietly having a good season at 12-6 S/U and 12-5-1 ATS. The Pistons have covered seven of their last nine road games. They are averaging 103.7 ppg and allowing 101.8 ppg. The Pistons are coming off a road win at Oklahoma City, 99-98. The Pistons trail the Celtics for the best record in the East by 4.5 games. Boston, leads the East with 18-3 record. The Celtics have the best scoring defense in the league, allowing 95.8 ppg. The Celtics saw their 16 game win streak snapped by the Heat. Since then they have won two in a row. I like defense in the NBA. The Pistons are playing very good, but not as good as the Celtics. Play Boston.

Texas A&M (5-0 S/U, 3-2 ATS) takes on USC (4-0 S/U, 3-1 ATS) in a late Sunday contest. Early in the season I like to look at the quality of the wins by a team. A&M has beaten some decent squads. They have a 23pt win at West Virginia, 17pt win over Oklahoma State, 11pt win over Penn State and then wins over Pepperdine and Santa Barabara. USC has one win which I would consider quality and that's over Vanderbilt, 93-89 in OT. Their other wins came against Fullerton, North Dakota State and Lehigh. USC is a 2.5 point favorite here tonight. My personal Game rating backs up my quality of wins and has A&M as the 3 pt favorite. I agree with that number and will take the Aggies here tonight. Play Texas A&M

Such high expectations from both of these teams at the start of the season. Now, both are looking toward next year. Denver (3-7) has lost six straight games and has the look of a team that has thrown in the towel. Oakland (4-6) has gone 2-2 their last four weeks and did show some promise when they beat KC 31-30 back in October. But we know how the Chiefs have played lately, so that win looks a bit tarnished. Still, this is the Raiders and the Broncos and both teams do get excited for this storied rivalry. The problem with the Broncos is that they have no QB, with rotations going on and neither signal called looking good. At least the Raiders have Derek Carr, who has under performed this year, but is still a very good QB. I'm backing the Raiders here, mainly because they are home and they have Carr. Take Oakland.

This game has a lot of importance to Seattle both for the division and for the Wild Card playoff spots. The Seahawks lucked out getting San Francisco here today, because this is just the softball the team needed. The 49ers are just 4-12-1 ATS their last 17 against a team with a winning record. Home field hasn't meant much to the Niners either, going 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games. Seattle's defense needs a bit of a rest game against a team like the 49ers that have score 10 points in three of their last four games. Of course the Seahawks have to move forward without CB Richard Sherman (Achilles) and S Kam Chancellor (neck) who are both out for the season. The 49ers will start QB C.J Beathard today. He was upgraded after injuring his thumb. Still, this is a game Seattle can't look past. I like the Seahawks defense to buckle down and get business done. Play Seattle.

The 6-4 Titans play the 3-7 Colts here today. Both these clubs have been good over plays. The Titans are 7-3 O/U on the season while the Colts are 6-4. In addition, the Titans are 10-2 O/U last 12 vs the AFC South. Neither team has much defense, with Tennessee allowing 25.3 points per game and the Colts 28 ppg. The Titans have not played well against losing teams, going just 15-34-3 ATS their last 57 tries. They are also just a plain poor covering team, with a 17-42-4 ATS mark their last 63 overall games. On the road, how about 7-21 ATS and it goes on and on. The Colts had last week off, so they at least get to rest some players and prepare for this game. Coming off their bye, the Colts are 8-2 ATS the last 10 years. They are also 16-5 their last 21 games in November. The home team has covered four of the last five in this series and the Colts are 10-2 ATS the last 12 meetings. I'm taking the Colts on Sunday.

Great Alaska Shootout action tonight has 3-3 Cal Poly vs 3-2 Idaho. Cal Poly opened this tournament with a win over College of Charleston, 73-68 and then lost last ngith to Central Michigan, 53-56. Poly has already played some tough games with losses at Stanford (62-78) and at Cal (82-85). Idaho opened tourny play with a win over Santa Clara, 69-59, and loss last night to Cal Bakersfield, 62-64. I'm taking the points here with a Cal Poly as they have played tougher competition and can easily win this game as a dog. Take Cal Poly.

Notre Dame can ill afford a loss here tonight if they want to get back into the top 4. They visit No 20 Stanford and that would go a big way toward getting them there. Notre Dame bounced back from their loss to Miami, 41-8 with a win over Navy last week, 24-10. Meanwhile, Stanford has a chance at the PAC 12 Title and the conference Championship. Notre Dame has lost three straight vs the number. Lots of pressure here on the Irish as they are in a must win spot. I am going to play against that position and go with the home dog in Stanford.

These two intrastate rivals both enter this contest with 9-2 S/U records. The WSU Cougars are a tad better against the number at 7-4 with Washington at 6-5. These teams are very compatible on offense, with the Cougars averaging 33 points and the Huskies 36.5. The Huskies have the better scoring defense at 14.5 ppg, while WSU allows 22.9 ppg. Washington State can make the PAC-12 Championship game with a win here tonight. The Cougars are one of the best in the nation at takeaways, with 27 (3rd in country). Turnovers could play a big part in this contest. I think the line here on the home team is way too high. I'm taking Washington State plus the 10 points in what I think will be a close game.

Big rivalry game here as 10-1 Clemson faces their intrastate rivals South Carolina (8-3). The Tigers have won four straight after that big loss to Syracuse on October 13th, 24-27. South Carolina has strung together a pair of wins with a 28-20 win over Florida and then a tuneup for this week with a 31-10 win over Wofford. The Tigers haven't done too well in November, going 5-11 ATS their last 16. Meanwhile, the gamecocks are 8-2 ATS their last 10 vs the ACC. The home team has covered the last four in this series and South Carolina is 5-0 ATS the last five at home. I like the gamecocks to cover here today. Play South Carolina

The Savannah Invitational has NC Wilmington and Valparaiso matching up here tonight. UNCW is 2-2 S/U and 0-2 ATS. They lost at Davidson 81-108 and then in the opening game of this tournament to Loyola Chicago 78-102. In their four games, UNCW has allowed at least 81 points. Valpo already at 6-0 S/U and 2-1 ATS on the season. Valpo opened play last night with a win over Kent, 75-69. Last night's 75 point were the fewest this team has scored yet. Valpo should easily score big points here against a terrible UNCW defense. The eight points that Valpo is laying looks very slim to me. I'm taking Valparaiso.

 Penn State is now 15-4-2 ATS in their last 21 games overall and 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games. Ever since this Penn State team got back their full allotment of scholarships, they have taken off. Maryland has lost three straight games, getting outscored 83-41. Their lone win in the last seven games was at home over Indiana, 42-39. Maryland is also 3-9 ATS their last 12 against winning teams. Big difference in talent here and Penn State can't afford any more lapses. They will play the full game here and put this Maryland team away. Play Penn State.

This is the marquee game on the schedule this week as the top ranked Alabama Crimson Tide takes on No 6 Auburn Tigers. We'll see just how great the heralded Auburn Defense. Jordan-Hare Stadium will be rocking today I look for a upset here for Auburn. Alabama is a 4.5 point favorite heading in here. A win here and the Tigers are in the SEC Championship game and then into the Playoff four. It's all in their hands. Look for Kerryon Johnson to hit hard against a banged-up Alabama defense. Of course we are talking about Alabama, the top team in the nation. But I like Auburn here. They control their own destiny and it start today.

Florida Atlantic looks to secure a decent bowl game by running their record to 9-3 here on Saturday. Big discrepancy in scoring here as FAU averages 40.5 ppg and Charlotte just 14.4 ppg. Defensively, Charlotte is allowing 32.9 compared to FAU's 26. FAU has covered six of their last seven games and has scored more than 42 points in five of those six. Don't like laying 21 points on the road, but it should be a problem with a high scoring team like Florida Atlantic.

Boston College (6-5 S/U, 7-3-1 ATS) takes on Syracuse (4-7 S/U, 6-4-1 ATS). The BC Eagles have been hot for bettors, going 7-0-1 ATS their last eight games. They have won four of their last five game straight up. The Eagles have scored 39, 14, 35, 41 and 45 their last five games. Syracuse has lost four straight games, allowing 147 points over their last three games. BC laying just 3.5 here on Saturday. Take Boston College.

East Carolina is only 3-8 on the season and now they take on a very good Memphis team that is 9-1. So you might wonder why I'm backing such a bad team in East Carolina? Well, that's because this game has zero meaning to the Memphis Tigers. The game they have their eye on is next week against No 13 East Carolina. The Tigers are laying 28.5 points here and that is a mountain considering they will try to just get out of here without any major injuries. Throw the numbers away in this game and just look ahead for Memphis, that's all you need to know. Play East Carolina.

Excellent early season matchup on tap late this evening as the 4-0 Florida Gators play the 4-0 Gonzaga Bulldogs. A regional home court goes to the Bulldogs here as they play in the Northwest and Florida has to make the East Coast to West Coast trip. Didn't hurt Florida much last night, beating Stanford 108-87. It's the third time in four games the Bulldogs have scored more than 100 points this season. Gonzaga is 1-1 ATS, beating Ohio State last night, 86-59 and failing to cover vs Utah State in a 79-66 win. So how will Gonzaga keep this high octane Florida team from running up the score? They will have to take Florida out of its game plan. The Zags will have to slow down this tempo and force Florida to play a half court type game. Gonzaga also has a big size advantage they must use wisely. Gonzaga as a dog doesn't happen all that often and I am going to take the points here with the Zag. Play Gonzaga.

 The Miami Heat are the slayers of the Beasts from the East, aka Boston. The Celtics had their long winning streak snapped on Wednesday by Miami. That's why I'm playing against Miami here on Friday. The Heat will definitely be in a let down mode after that big win. Minnesota is coming off a home win over Orlando 124-118. The Wolves have also beaten the Spurs and Jazz recently. Sometimes you just have to throw out the numbers and this is one of those cases. Play Minnesota.

The 4-0 Georgia Bulldogs meet the 4-1 San Diego State Aztecs tonight in the Wooden Classic. Georgia had to make the trip west for this tournament, while San Diego State had the very short trip to the LA area. Georgia beat Cal Fullerton in the opening round a few nights ago, 64-57. It was their first spread game and they lost. San Diego State got out to a 14-0 least last night and cruised to a 89-52 win over Sacramento State. The Aztecs are now 2-1 ATS. Both teams get their real first test of the season here tonight. I'm taking the Aztecs mainly because they are the better defensive team and have some offense to go with it this year. Play San Diego State.

 Great game on tap today as the 9-1 South Florida Bulls take on the 10-0 Central Florida Knights. The Bulls are 4-6 ATS while the Knights are 6-3-1 ATS on the season. South Florida has won two straight games, with their only loss coming at home to Houston, 24-28. They have lost four straight against the number. This game is for a berth in the AAC Championship game and quite possibly a big New Year's day bowl. Usually when we think of big nationally ranked intrastate Florida rivals playing, the Florida Gators and Florida State Seminoles come to mind. Now it's South Florida vs Central Florida, both in the top 22. I'm taking the home team here though with Central Florida.

The NY Giants (2-8 S/U 4-6 ATS) play at the Washington Redskins (4-6 S/U, 4-6 ATS). The Giants maybe a terrible team, but they do come up with some big upsets. First it was the Broncos back in week 6 and last week they beat the Chiefs. Maybe the Giants need to join the AFC West? The offense still struggles, scoring 12 points last week and not over 24 in any game this season. The Giants average just 16.2 ppg this season and 308 yards of offense. Somehow the Redskins have a knack for snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. They led the Saints by double digits late last week only to allow the Saints to score twice late in the game and then win in OT. Washington can score, averaging 23.8 ppg behind QB Kirk Cousins. The passing offense is 7th in the NFL and the club is 9th in total yards. The defense isn't all that good, ranking 31st in points allowed (26.6 ppg). I'm going to take the Redskins here, mainly because they are at home and will want a win for the home crowd on Thanksgiving. Take Washington.

It's a big rivalry game here on Thanksgiving as the 5-6 Ole Miss Rebels play at their rivals, 8-3 Mississippi State. The home team has really dominated this series, going 11-5-1 ATS the last 17 meetings. Both teams offenses are pretty equal as they both score right at 33 ppg. Ole Miss tallies more yards at 472 to 412 with Miss State the better rushing team. It's defensively where the line is drawn. Ole Miss allows 35.2 ppg while MSU allows just 19.5 ppg. MSU also allows just 297 yards per game compared to Ole Miss allowing 455 yards. This reflects in the spread as MSU is 7-4 ATS and Ole Miss is 3-7-1 ATS on the season. This may be a rivalry, but it won't be close on Thursday as Mississippi State should win it easily.

Harvard made the long West trip to play in today's Wooden Classic in Fullerton, CA. Harvard has lost two straight games, to Holy Cross 73-69 and Manhattan, 73-69. St Mary's is 4-0 S/U, but 0-2 ATS this young season. The Gaels have scored at least 76 points in each of their four games. The two non covers had point spreads of 28 and 23.5. Today we get St Mary's as a much more manageable 12 point chalk. The Gaels have won by 27, 18, 19 and 38 points. I don't see them having any trouble covering this 12 point line against a Ivy team that made a long, Western trip just for this tournament. Play St Marys

St Johns has started 4-0 on the season and 2-0 ATS. The Red Storm beat New Orleans and Nebraska quite easily. Oregon State is 2-1 S/U and 0-3 ATS. The Ducks beat Southern Utah and Long Beach, but lost at home to Wyoming, 75-66. The club has yet to cover a spread in three tries. Oregon State had the long Eastern trip here to play this Advocare Tournament in Orlando, FL. St John's had a much short trip South. I always like to play against these Northwest teams that have to travel all the way to the East Coast. The Beavers don't play well in non-conf games either, going just 3-12 ATS in their last 15. I'm going to lay the points here with St John's as I think this Oregon State team isn't very good and has the long trip.

Short week for both clubs coming off Sunday wins. The Vikings had their showdown with another first place team, the LA Rams. It was tied at half, but Minnesota pulled away in the second half for the win, 24-7. It was the club's six win in a row S/U and fifth ATS. The Lions also won at Chicago, 27-24, their third win in a row. However, their rush defense continues to give up way too many yards, about 114 per game compared to just 77 by the Vikings. QB Mathew Stafford is the highest paid player in the NFL, but Case Keenum continues to shine for Minnesota with 12 TD's and just five INT's. The public has moved this line from Detroit -1 to Minnesota minus three as of this writing. That has put me on Detroit here on Thursday. I like getting a field goal at home with Detroit that is always tough on their home court. Minnesota may also have a bit of a hangover from their LA win. Detroit is the play here on Thursday.

The Beast of the East is no longer the Cleveland Cavaliers, at least for now. That title goes to the amazing Boston Celtics who have now won 16-straight games. And you have to remember, they have done this without Gordon Hayward who was lost in the opening game of the season to that horrific ankle injury. You would think the oddsmakers would adjust the line and make it more difficult to play the Celtics. Not really, Boston is 20-5-1 ATS in their last 26 games and 8-1-1 ATS their last 10. Miami gets the task of taking on the Celtics tonight. Miami has lost three of its last four games including a shellacking last time out at home at the hands of Indiana, 120-95. The Heat have now scored less than 100 points in three straight and four of the last five. I don't expect Miami to break that century mark again here tonight as Boston allows just 94.8 ppg this season. If it ani't broke, don't fix it. Play Boston.

We hit out Situation Game of the Month with Cleveland at Detroit on Monday evening in an easy win, 116-88. The issue with the Cavs is to know when to play them and when to fold them. The Cavs like to rest players, but I believe they see the Celtics pulling away and have had to step it up, evidenced by their five straight wins. If they aren't careful the Celtics will run away with the East. Both teams have bad defenses, allowing 113.9 for the Nets and 114 for the Cavs. However, during this last five game streak, Cleveland has allowed just 102.6 ppg, a drastic downturn. Brooklyn has lost three of its last four games and hits the road here tonight. This isn't a very good team, especially on the road. With Cleveland having last night off, I look for them to run up the score tonight. Play Cleveland.

NHL Game of the Month : The NY Rangers are 10-9-1 after winning 11 of their last 15 games and seven of their last nine games. However, this is still not a good road team, evidenced by their 2-8 mark in their last 10 away contest. The Hurricanes are 9-6-2-2- and having a decent season. But what really stands out is the favorites record in this series, how about 23-4 the last 27 games, that's 85% winning clip. The Canes are favored tonight, plus they catch the Rangers on the road where they are not good. The Rangers defense allows a hefty 4.14 goals per game this year. I like Carolina so much, I'm making them my NHL Game of the Month.

The Chicago Bulls off to one of their worst starts at just 3-11 on the season. They are a bit better against the number, going 7-7. The Bulls have been a good road over team, posting a 8-3 O/U mark their last 11 away games. The Lakers are 7-10 SU on the season and 8-9 ATS. The Bulls have allowed over 113 points in three of their last four games. The Lakers have been scoring, averaging over 110 in their last three games. Problem is the defense, which has allowed 107.5 ppg on the season (22nd in NBA). Lorenzo Ball has finally been finding his groove, delivering his 2nd Triple-Double in just 17 NBA games in the team's 127-109 win over the Nuggets last Sunday. The Bulls are one of those teams this year averaging under 100 points. In fact, they average just 95.5 ppg (29th in the NBA). The defense is poor, allowing 104.9 ppg (13th). Question tonight is whether the Bulls sluggish offense will be able to keep up with the Lakers. I like the confidence Ball is finally showing on the court and this is a game the Lakers should be able to win easily. Play the Lakers.

Davidson (2-0) travels west to play the 4-0 Nevada Wolfpack. The Pack have been tough at home, posting a 27-7-1 ATS mark their last 35 games. In addition, they are 42-16-2 in their last 60 games overall. This year is no different, off to a perfect 4-0 ATS mark. They have wins over Idaho (88-64), Rhode Island (88-81), Santa Clara (93-63) and Pacific (89-74). They have scored at least 88 points in each game. Davidson has really put up points, winning at home over Charleston Southern, 110-62, and over UNC Wilmington, 108-81. Now they hit the road for three straight games with tonight's likely the toughest of the bunch. This should be an exciting game with two of the country's best three-point shooting teams. This game promises to be very high scoring. I give a big edge to the Nevada defense though. I'm siding with Nevada in what should be end to end action.

Niagara plays its fourth road game in a row to start the season. The Purple Eagles are just 2-5 in their last seven games ATS. They are also just 5-11-1 ATS in their last 17 non conference games. BYU is 2-1 S/U and 1-1 on the season. The Cougars lost at home to a decent Texas Arlington team, 75-89. HC Dave Rose looks at that UTA loss as a big learning lesson for his club. BYU had issues with the size of UTA. That won't be the issue here against the Purple Eagles, though they will face a faster team. No way Rose lets his team lose two in a row at home. Niagara will be the team he lets his team beat up after that last loss. Play BYU.

Final round action of the Legends Classic finds 3-1 Montana taking on 2-2 Cal Santa Barbara. Montana has a quality win at Pittsbugh, 83-78. The Grizzlies won their first game of this tournament over Oral Roberts, 69-64, but failed to cover the 9.5 point spread. Now they are laying three to CSB. The Gauchos also played Pitt, but lost 70-62 as a 5.5 dog. The Gauchos are 3-1 ATS though with their lone loss coming in that Pitt contest. My fast ratings has this game about even or slight favorite to CSB. Now that the line has moved to Montana three, I can play the dog here. Play Cal Santa Barbara.

Mismatch here on the hardcourt today as 1-3 Samford takes on 4-0 Valpo. Samford is 0-3 ATS, losing by 39 to Arkansas, 19 to LSU and 21 to Loyola Chicago. Their lone win came at home over Alabama A&M. Valpo started off with a pair of non-board teams, winning by 41 and 37. Then they played at Southern Illinois and won by 25 and then returned home with an easy 33 point win over SE Louisiana. I really can't believe the line is just 10 points on Valpo. My personal fast ratings has Valpo at least double that number. Take Valpo in what should be an easy win.

2-9 Bowling Green takes on 4-7 Eastern Michigan here on Tuesday night. Neither club will be playing in any bowls this year. BG has been a poor bet, going just 6-18 ATS their last 24. EM has been a wiser play for bettors, covering 19 of their last 26 games and 11 of their last 16 in the MAC. While both teams are comparable offensively, EM has a big edge on defense. BG allows an average of 519 yards per game and 38.4 ppg. Meanwhile, EM allows just 22.6 ppg and 355 yards. BG has allowed 66, 38, 16, 48 and 48 their last five games. EM has to cover 13.5 here, but that shouldn't be a problem against this horrible defense. Play Eastern Michigan.

Baylor comes in 3-0 and faces their first real competition of the season. The Bears had easy wins over Central Arkansas, Texas A&M CC and Alcorn State. Now they play Wisconsin on a neutral court. The Badgers lost their first game to nationally ranked Xavier last game, 70-80. That makes them 2-1 S/U and 1-1 ATS. The Badgers have historically done well vs the Big 12, going 10-2 ATS their last 12. They also rebound well, going 7-3 ATS their last 10 after a double digit home loss. Baylor is just 3-7 ATS their last 10 and 2-6 ATS their last eight vs teams with a winning record. Early in the season, but I like Wisconsin to rebound after their loss with a convincing win here over Baylor.

The Seahawks got some extra rest with four days off after playing early last week. The bad news is they lost corner Richard Sherman for the season with a ruptured Achilles. In addition, the Seahawks may be without safety Earl Thomas too. That is not good against a high powered Falcons throwing attack. Yes, the Falcons are not scoring near their 32 point average of last year. Part of that problem lies in the OC of Steve Sarkisian, who just hasn't gelled with the offense yet. The 6-3 Seahawks have scored more than 24 points just one time in their last five games. With Sherman out and possibly Thomas too, they may have to ramp that up a bit. The Seahawks are just 3-8 ATS their last 11 following a straight up win. I have to wait and see how these Seahawks play without key components of their defense. I'll take the points here tonight with Atlanta.

The 7-10 Utah Jazz travel East to play the 8-7 Philadelphia 76ers. Always tougher on the West coast teams having to travel East. Philadelphia has been a very good play for bettors, going 45-21 ATS their last 66 games overall. Utah is playing its fourth road game on this East coast swing. The Jazz have lost two of the three games with a win last time out at Orlando, 185-85. Philly lost last game out, at 124-116 home loss to Golden State. However they did cover their third straight game as they got nine points. The Jazz have not been a good team to bet, they are just 2-7 ATS their last nine, 3-8-1 ATS their last 12 vs the East conference and 0-6 ATS their last six on a days rest. Philly seems to be the team playing with much more enthusiasm these days. I'm taking the Sixers here tonight.

Sometimes its a bit difficult to handicap these Cavaliers, mainly because they don't always have their hearts in the game. They take rest periods and let players have some time off without really being on any injury reports. It's a long season and this teams has some aging stars, so they need all the rest they can get. This is kind of reflected in their record, 9-7. They are also just 5-10-1 ATS because they won't put forth the effort to cover those big spreads. At least tonight with a small number, they just need to win. The Pistons have been putting forth effort, at 11-5 S/U and 11-4-1 ATS. The Pistons have lost two of their last three though. But why am I backing the Cavs here? This team has won four straight games. They are just 2-2 ATS, but that was with spreads closer to six points. The Cavs still score a lot of points, averaging 110.6 (4th in NBA) per game this year and they hit 47% of their shots (both better than Detroit). I also don't like the fact that the Pistons are playing the second of a back-to-back spot here, always a tough scheduling spot. Cleveland has had two days off, so I don't expect them to rest any players. They also have momentum and face a fatigued Detroit squad. I'm taking the Cavs here on Monday.

Charleston Classic final round action as Temple takes on Clemson here today. Temple has played both its games from this year on the neutral sites, winning over Old Dominion, 76-65 and Auburn, 88-74, covering both. Clemson is 4-0 S/U on the season and 2-1 ATS. They have wins at home over West Carolina and North Carolina A&T. Neutral site wins over Ohio U and Hofstra. This will be their toughest contest to date. What impresses me most with these early season wins is that Temple beat a decent Auburn team by double digits. Clemson has yet to face a team of this caliber and are still in a rebuilding year. I like Temple to win this one here today.

Boise State has been impressive thus far with their 4-0 record. They quality wins over UTEP, 58-56 and Illinois State, 82-64. They did fail to cover 21.5 points over Southern Utah in a 90-69 win, missing by one point. They also missed the cover by two points over UTEP, winning by two with a three point line. So, for a few points, the club would be 3-0 ATS instead of 1-2. Iowa State lost its first two games out of the shoot. They lost at Missour, 59-74 and then at Wisconsin Milwaukee, 56-74. They just got by Appalachian State, 1-4-98 and Tulsa, 80-78. The club is 0-4 ATS to start the season and could also easily be 0-4 S/U. Boise's offense has been hot, averaging 84 ppg and 48.9% shooting. Boise State has one of the best players in the conference in Chandler Hutchinson and this club is solid both on offense and defense. Iowa State just not at the same level right now as the Broncos. I'm taking Boise State here on Sunday.

Detroit struggled for much of the first half last week against winless Cleveland before Mathew Stafford took over in the second half. Tough to back a road Lions team that plays some strange football at times. They allowed 413 yards to the Browns of all teams, with 201 on the ground. Now they have to face the Bears predominant ground and pound. The Bears are no pushover at Soldiers field, beating the Steelers and the Panthers, with narrow misses to the Vikings and Falcons. I'm backing the Bears here on Sunday.

Long Beach State enters tonight's game at Oregon State 2-0 after wins over San Francisco State at home and San Francisco on the road. Oregon State had a somewhat easy win over Southern Utah at home, winning 99-82, though failing to cover the 23.5 spread. The Beavers then lost their second game, a 75-66 setback at home to Wyoming. The OSU defense allowed three different Wyoming players to score more than 16 points. I can't understand how Oregon State is a 12 point favorite here when Long Beach has a legitimate chance of winning outright. But, don't look a gift horse in the mouth. I'll take the points here with Long Beach State.

Surprisingly the Air Force Falcons have won the last three games in this series, all as the dog. In fact, the Falcons are 5-0 ATS the last five vs the Broncos. In addition, in those five covers the Falcons have scored at least 26 points each time. So, here we go again. The Broncos are again a big favorite, 17 1/2 points. Yes, they are perfect at 6-0 in the Mountain West and sit atop the conference. However, this team has always been their Achilles's heal and the 17.5 points is just too much to pass on. Take Air Force.

Nevada travels to Pacific today for their second road contest in a row. The Wolfpack is 3-0 both S/U and ATS after beating Santa Clara, 93-63. Pacific is still looking for its first win of the young season. The Tigers opened with a road loss to Stanford, 89-80 and then lost at home to UC-Davis, 62-58. The Tigers have not been a good bettors team, going just 1-5 ATS in their last six non-conf games, 2-10 ATS in their last 12 home games and 4-10 ATS in their last 14 against a winning team. Conversely, the Wolfpack are 41-16-2 ATS their last 59 overall and 15-7 ATS their last 22 vs the West Coast Conf. Nevada just too good for this overmanned Pacific squad. Take Nevada.

Vandy still looking for its first win in the SEC as they sit at 0-6. Meanwhile, Missouri has a four game win streak and they have won those four by an average margin of 37 ppg. Missouri is also 9-4 ATS in their last 13 away games. I have to give Missouri a lot of credit after a dismal start that saw the club go 1-5. With four straight wins they can become bowl eligible now. Vandy will just be playing out the schedule at this point. Not much fight left in these Commodores. Take Missouri.

Miami cracked the top 4 in the country with their convincing win over ranked Notre Dame last week, 41-8. The Hurricanes have covered two straight but only two of the last five. Miami will be laying big wood here today with the line currently at 19.5. I'm going to take those points here today with Virginia. One big reason, letdown! I look for Miami to have a major letdown after last week's clobbering of Notre Dame. Also, this is a Miami team that needs a break, having played nine weeks now without a bye. So I look for HC Mark Richt to pull back on the reigns with his Hurricanes. Virginia, unlike Notre Dame, has a good passing game and can play from behind. Look for Virginia to keep this one closer than the oddsmakers think. Play Virginia as your ACC Game of the Month.

American Athletic Conference Game of the Year : SMU has lost its last two games, a wild 43-40 loss last week to Navy and hten a 31-24 setback two weeks ago vs Central Florida. Now they face a Memphis team that has won it's last five games, scoring over 41 in four of those wins and 30 in the other. In fact, the Tigers have outscored their last five opponents by a 239-136 margin. The Tigers are 8-1 on the season with their only loss coming at the hands of Central Florida. Memphis averages over 500 yards a games with 329 coming via the air and 173 on the ground. This Tigers club is just rolling right now and I don't see that changing here on Saturday before the home crowd. Take Memphis.

Late game on the Friday schedule has the 5-10 Suns playing in LA against the 6-9 Lakers. Phoenix hits the road after a five game home stand which saw the club go 1-4 both S/U and ATS. The Lakers returned home last game after a four game road trip, only to lose to the Sixers, 115-109. The Suns defense has allowed 115.1 ppg this season compared to just 106.5 for the Lakers. The Suns are 1-6 ATS their last seven and 3-14 ATS their last 17 vs a team with a losing record. This is the kind of game the Lakers should dominate as they progress. Take LA and enjoy the show.

The 10-4 Detroit Pistons travel to Indiana to play the 7-9 Pacers. The Pistons have been one of the surprise teams thus far in the season with their 10 wins. In addition, Detroit has been very good to the bettors, going 10-3-1 ATS. The Pistons lost their last game to Milwaukee, snapping a five game wins streak for Detroit. The Pistons did cover their game, their third in the last four games. Indiana is coming off a road win at Memphis, 116-113. It was just the second cover for the Pacers in their last seven games. Defense has been a problem for the Pacers, allowing an average of 109.3 ppg this season. The Pistons have covered their last four games after a straight up loss and I fully expect them to rebound here tonight. Play Detroit.

Both these clubs come into this big matchup at 2-0 with Xavier also 2-0 ATS and Wisconsin at 1-0 ATS. NO 15. Xavier has big wins over Morehead, 101-49, and Rider, 101-75. The Musketeers play nine of their first 10 games at home with just Wisconsin as their long road game. Wisconsin has wins over South Carolina State 85-50 and Yale 89-61. This is the first of a stretch of top teams the Badgers will play with their next game at No 25 Baylor. This should be a good one, but I like Xavier to win this one pretty easy. Play Xavier.

 We fully expected a flat Steelers team last week laying double digits at the Colts and played on the Colts as our hi-roller Platinum Play. Now both clubs have just the four days off between games to prepare for this contest. The Titans are now 6-3 S/U and 3-5-1 ATS on the season while the Steelers are 7-2 S/U and 5-4 ATS on the year. The Titans have covered the last three in this series, winning two straight up. In addition, the Titans are on a four game win streak and have held all four opponents to 22 or less points. The Steelers are also on a four game win streak and have held their four opponents to 17 points or less. I expect a lower scoring contest here and with the Steelers lay at or on 7 points, I don't see them being able to cover this large a number. Play Tennessee

The 7-6 Philadelphia 76ers travel west to play the 6-8 Lakers in LA. Philly has been doing well against the spread, covering nine of their 13 games. In addition, they have done well against the NBA Pacific, going 8-2 ATS their last 10 vs the division and 37-14 their last 51 against the West. The Sixers snapped their two game losing streak here in LA against the Clippers with a nice 109-105 win as a six-point dog. Philly had won five straight prior to their two-game losing streak. The Lakers also snapped their three game losing streak with a win at Phoenix, 100-93. The road team has been like gold in this series, covering 13 of the last 17 in the series. Take the Sixers here on Wednesday.

The Detroit Pistons are one of the surprising teams this season as they are off to a 10-3 start. Tonight they make the trip to Milwaukee to play the 7-6 Bucks. The Pistons have also been good to bettors this season, covering nine of their games. Detroit brings a five game win streak into tonight's contest. They have scored at least 105 points in each of those contests and over 110 in the last three games. The Bucks have a three game win streak and rely more on defense, holding two of their last three opponents to 90 points or less. The Bucks are just 5-12 ATS in their last 17 games after scoring 100 points or more in their previous game. Both teams playing decent, but the Pistons just the hotter team right now. Take the points with Detroit on Wednesday.

Kentucky plays its third game of the season tonight after tuneup wins over Vermont and Utah Valley. Vermont put a bit of a scare into the Cats, losing by just four points, 73-69. Kansas plays just its second game of the season after a blowout win over Tennessee State, 92-56. This Champions Classic is being played in Chicago Illinois. This game pits the No 4 Jayhawks against the No 5 Wildcats in an early season marquee matchup. The Jayhawks lost Frank Mason and Josh Jackson to the pros and that means Sr Devonte Graham will be the leader of this team. Kentucky should have easily won it's first two games, but had surprisingly tough competition. Kentucky has five new starters on this team but has lots of talented freshmen. This early the big nod here goes to a more experienced Kansas team against a newly formed Kentucky squad. The Cats have already shown they aren't exactly at peak condition here. Take Kansas and enjoy the show.

Marquette hosts No 19 Purdue here on Tuesday evening. Marquette has one game under its belt, a 80-59 win over Mount St Marys. Purdue has two wins and both easy victories with a 111-42 win over Chicago State and a 105-74 win over Southern Illinois-Edwardsville. This will be the first meeting between these clubs in almost 50 years, despite being less than 100 miles apart. Marquette will have to improve on their interior defense. They allowed Mt St Mary's to hit on 69.6% of their two-point field goals. Marquette also doesn't matchup well against Purdue here tonight. Both clubs will finally be tested, but I like the Boilermakers on the road here tonight. Play Purdue.

After a dismal start, the Spurs have things on track with four wins in their last five games. The Spurs coming off a 39 point victory over the Bulls. Dallas has just one win in their last nine games and have lost two straight. The Mavs are also just 1-8 ATS their last nine games and 5-16-1 ATS the last 22 overall. The Spurs have been without Tony Parker and Leonard. Parker could return at the end of November with Leonard's return unknown. This used to be a good rivalry, but now it's just an easy win for the Spurs. Play San Antonio.

The Atlanta Hawks (2-11) play their 10th game on the road as they head to the Big Easy to take on the Pelicans (7-6). Atlanta has lost three straight games, but is 3-1 ATS their last four. The Hawks are led by Dennis Schroder who is averaging 20.6 ppg. The Pelicans will try and snap a three game losing streak. New Orleans is also 3-1 ATS their last four game. DeMarcus Cousins leads the team in scoring at 28.7 ppg with Anthony Davis a close second at 27.2 ppg. The Hawks are 2-5-1 ATS their last eight games and 1-5 ATS their last six when having one day rest. The Pelicans do well against losing teams, postings a 7-0 ATS record their last seven in that spot. Hawks well overmatched here tonight. Take the Pelicans and enjoy the easy win.

The 3-9 Sacramento Kings travel to Washington to take on the 7-5 Wizards. Sacramento is led by Zach Randolph (12.8 ppg) and Buddy Hield (12.3 ppg). The Kings are coming off a loss at New York, 118-91. Washington plays its fourth straight at home and is on a 2 game win streak with 19 point win over Atlanta and 16 point win over the Lakers. Bradley Beal leads the club with a 24.6 ppg average and John Wall is next at 20.3 ppg. The Kings are 2-7-1 ATS their last 10 while Washington is 5-2 ATS playing on one day rest. The home team is 7-1-1 the last nine in this series and Washington is 4-0 ATS the last four at home vs the Kings. Kings just don't have the firepower to stay with the Wizards. Play Washington.