Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our AFC Game of the Month. The Titans remain the most disrespected team in the league over the last couple years as all they do is win and cover and yet the public refuses to buy in and the lines have reflected that which has led to that great spread record which now sits on an 8-0 run and while these are streaks we like to go against, there is one on the other we are going against and taking the value play. The Titans have had extra rest in this game after beating Green Bay on the road last Thursday for its seventh win in eight games following a 0-2 start. The lone loss came in Kansas City in overtime and the titans have held eight straight teams to fewer than 100 yards rushing. Tennessee is 6-0 ATS in its last six home games against teams averaging 260 or more yards passing per game. The Bengals also started the season 0-2 but have won six of their last eight games to get right back into the mix in the AFC North as they trail Baltimore by a game. Cincinnati is dealing with some major injuries as receiver Ja'Marr Chase remains on the shelf with a hip injury and now running back Joe Mixon is out with a concussion so the offense will be in a very tough spot against the tough Tennessee stop unit. Their defense has been solid as they are No. 11 overall but just No. 18 against the run so queue up Derrick Henry for another big game to go along with Ryan Tannehill who was unstoppable against Green Bay. The Bengals have been outgained in four of their six road games. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems after allowing 99 or less rushing yards in three straight games. This situation is 59-26 ATS (69.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (260) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the ATLANTA FALCONS for our NFL Sunday Ultimate Underdog. The Commanders have hit an extra gear as they have won five of their last six games to move a game over .500 and have climbed into the NFC playoff mix, a half-game behind Seattle for the final spot. Washington has relied on a strong and opportunistic defense that has allowed 21 points or less in seven straight games but the improved rushing defense will be put to the test here. Taylor Heinicke has turned into the fan favorite and while he has shown flashes, he is not very good as he has the highest quarterback turnover rate in the league albeit with limited starts. He gives them a spark but puts them in bad spots. Washington is 0-7 ATS in its last seven home games after gaining 150 or more rushing yards in two straight games. Atlanta snapped a two-game slide with a win over Chicago at home last week and it too remains in the playoff picture, trailing the Seahawks by a game and a half. The Falcons have struggled on the road as they have dropped three straight games away from home but only one of those was a bad performance which was at Cincinnati. Atlanta possesses the No. 3 ranked rushing offense in the NFL and have put up 138 or more yards on the ground in seven of their last eight games and nine of 11 on the season with that latest exception being against the Bengals where they had to abandon the run. Here, we play on road underdogs or pickems after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games going up against an opponent after covering the spread in two out of their last three games. This situation is 37-11 ATS (77.1 percent) over the last five seasons.10* (255) Atlanta Falcons

This is a play on the NEW YORK JETS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. With the Jets firmly entrenched in the AFC playoff picture, the last thing they needed was a divided locker room and that is what quarterback Zach Wilson was about to do with his postgame comments after leading the offense to 103 yards on 77 yards passing that included six first downs which led to three points. Head coach Robert Saleh has benched Wilson and will turn to Mike White who has limited experience from last season but can provide a spark to a listless offense that has averaged 14 ppg over their last four games. They will be facing a Bears defense that is fifth worst in pressure rate, second to last in pressures and fourth worst in sacks. On the flip side, the Jets defense is ranked No. 8 in pressure rate, number of pressures and sack percentage. The Bears is unlikely to have Justin Fields behind center as he has a separated non-throwing shoulder along with torn ligaments which is similar to what Baker Mayfield had last season and it is a production limiting injury and Chicago cannot sacrifice his long-term health so it will most likely be Trevor Siemian at quarterback and he limits this offense that is No. 1 in rushing offense with Fields being the main cog of that. There are weapons around him but he does not have the big play capability that Fields possesses and the solid Jets defense will be over the place. Chicago is 10-26 ATS in its last 36 games after two straight games where 50 total points or more were scored. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 after going over the total by 35 or more points total in their last three games. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (264) New York Jets

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Oklahoma City and Houston are both coming off underdog wins at home last night and we have to go with the more trustworthy team in the second of a back-to-back despite the travel aspect. The Thunder took care of Chicago in overtime which snapped a three-game losing streak and while they are 0-2 in their two previous games in the second leg of consecutive games in consecutive nights, those were against Minnesota and Boston. Oklahoma City is 3-6 on the road and those losses include games against Minnesota, Denver, Milwaukee, Boston and Memphis and overall, it has played the No. 8 ranked schedule in the NBA. The Thunder are 5-1 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a losing home record. Houston is probably coming off the more impressive win last night as it defeated then 11-6 Atlanta and this is a situation that we want to avoid involving a very young team. The Rockets have lost their three previous games following a victory with those defeats coming by eight, seven and eight points. Houston is now 2-4 against the Eastern Conference while going just 2-10 against the Western Conference. The Rockets have a huge disadvantage down low as they are facing the No. 1 team in points in the paint and overall, Houston is ranked No. 26 in offensive efficiency. The Rockets are 8-21 ATS in their last 29 games as a home underdog of six points or less. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are between +3 and - 3 in ppg scoring differential going up against teams that are -7 or worse in ppg scoring differential. This situation is 49-22 ATS (69 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (555) Oklahoma City Thunder

This is a play on the APPALACHIAN ST. MOUNTAINEERS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. This is the lone game on Saturday that features a matchup of both teams needing to win to become bowl eligible. Appalachian St. had a promising start to the season as it opened 5-3 but it has lost two of its last three games and is now in must win mode. The Mountaineers do have six wins but they need seven victories to become bowl eligible since two of their wins have come against FCS teams and they are out to extend their streak of seven straight seasons of being bowl eligible. They are coming off a dominating performance last week against Old Dominion as they amassed 498 total yards, the most against a conference opponent this season and their 207 rushing yards made it five times this year they have gone over 200 yards rushing and that is bad news for a Georgia Southern defense that is ranked No. 130 in rushing defense. Georgia Southern was looking like a bowl shoe in as it was 5-3 with three home games over its final four contests but it has dropped its last three games and now it is do or die for the Eagles. There is plenty of motivation on this side as well however this team has been fraudulent for most of the season. An early season over Nebraska looked good at the time but that is no longer the case and Georgia Southern has now been outgained in eight straight games as the defense continues to be an issue. In addition to the poor rushing defense, the Eagles are ranked No. 129 overall and No. 108 in points allowed and while the offense has shown good flashes, they will be facing a tough Mountaineers defense that is ranked No. 28 overall and No. 49 in scoring. They have been led by quarterback Kyle Vantrease who leads the No. 8 ranked passing offense but he has completed just 61 percent of his passes while throwing 13 interceptions. 10* (173) Appalachian St. Mountaineers

This is a play on the BOISE ST. BRONCOS for our CBB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Boise St. opens a two-game homestand on Saturday as the schedule takes a break after a lot of travel the last couple weeks. Boise St. owns a pair of quality wins over Pac 12 teams as it defeated Washington St. and Colorado by double-digits on neutral floors and the Broncos are back home for the first time since their season opener on November 9th which resulted in a two-point loss against South Dakota St. The Broncos have a lock down defense as they come in ranked No. 21 in defensive efficiency while allowing only 57.2 ppg which is No. 24 in the nation. This has led to some easy opportunities going the other way as the Broncos have led or finished tied with all five opponents in fastbreak points this season. Utah Valley is off to a 3-3 start, going undefeated at home but coming in 0-2 on the road and while one of those was an overtime loss at Wake Forest, the other came by 17 points at Utah St., another MWC team. The Wolverines have been average on both sides of the ball and have been a poor shooting team, hitting only 42 percent from the floor including 25.5 percent from long range which is No. 352 in the nation out of 363 Division I teams. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points that are allowing 63 or fewer ppg and after allowing 65 points or less in three straight games going up against teams allowing between 67 and 74. This situation is 45-15 ATS (75 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (634) Boise St. Broncos

This is a play on the UTEP MINERS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. With 15 starters returning this season, the Miners were out for a big season after going 7-6 last year as they were out to put together consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 17 years. It has come down to the final game of the regular season for the Miners as they are 5-6 and need a victory to become bowl eligible. The bad news is they are massive underdogs which does not give them much of a chance but the matchup could be on their side here against what we think is an overvalued UTSA team. UTEP took out FIU last week which snapped a two-game losing streak and it looks to win consecutive games for the second time this season. The strength of the offense is the running game as the Miners are ranked No. 58 and have added another dimension in backup quarterback Calvin Brownholtz who was part of a season high 335 yards rushing last week. That will be the key here as a big underdog is always appealing when controlling the running game and eating clock. UTSA enters its final regular season game with a 9-2 record including a perfect 7-0 record in C-USA and is gearing up for the championship game and a second straight double-digit win season. The two losses this season have come against Houston and Texas so there have been no bad losses and while the Roadrunners are riding an eight-game winning streak, the last three games have come against teams playing their backup quarterback so the last two games that were combined victories of 92-14 are slightly skewed because of that. They are solid on offense, ranked No. 13 overall and No. 14 in scoring and while taking nothing away from that, playing a schedule ranked No. 114 in the country has helped. This will be the second straight season the Roadrunners will be hosting the C-USA Championship after clinching that feat last week so there is definitely the letdown factor as well. 10* (223) UTEP Miners

This is play on the BUFFALO BULLS for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Unfortunately, Buffalo is a team that got a tough break due to the winter storm last weekend as its game against 1-9 Akron was cancelled and it originally forced Buffalo to win this game against Kent St. to become bowl eligible. The good news is that it was announced on Wednesday that the game has been rescheduled for Friday, December 2 so they now have two shots once again and as we all know with the MAC, anything can happen and if Buffalo had played and won, this game would not be as important but now it is and the Bulls do not want to wait for a week to capture a bowl bid. It was not that long ago that the Bulls sat atop the MAC East Division but they have lost their last two games including a 45-24 loss at first place Ohio that sealed their fate. Kent St. lost at home against Eastern Michigan last week which pushed the Golden Flashes to 4-7 and their season ends on Saturday and the chance to play in back-to-back bowl games for the first time in program history is gone. Kent St. has outgained only two FBS opponents this season and now it has to close out the season with nothing to play for and might have to do so without quarterback Collin Schlee as he left the last game against the Eagles with an injuries and will be a gametime decision. It is likely he does not go so he does not get worse with nothing on the line. This will deter the offense that is ranked No. 41 overall and Devin Kargman showed he is not ready for primetime as he went just 7-19 for 91 yards last week in relief. Whichever quarterback goes, it will not matter with the motivated Bulls getting back to the postseason after missing out last season after a run of three straight bowl games under then head coach Lance Leipold. 10* (172) Buffalo Bulls

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our College Football Game of the Year. South Carolina is coming off its most complete game of the season as it pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season, rolling over Tennessee 63-38 as it outgained the Volunteers 606-507 but that defensive effort is a little concerning heading into the season finale against rival Clemson. The Gamecocks improved to 7-4 on the season and while this is a big rivalry, there is little chance that they are going to replicate that game from this past Saturday. The previous six wins were all garbage victories as they defeated 4-7 Georgia St., 3-9 Charlotte and South Carolina St. of the FCS in nonconference action while the three SEC wins were against fading Kentucky, 5-6 Vanderbilt and 4-7 Texas A&M. South Carolina has been a road underdog of a touchdown or more twice this season and failed to cover both of those games, losing at Florida and Arkansas by a combined 36 points. Clemson dominated Miami last week 40-10 as it outgained the Hurricanes 447-98 and held Miami to only six first downs in a dominating victory for its second straight following that debacle at Notre Dame. This is the third straight home game for the Tigers where they are 6-0 and have outgained opponents by 134 ypg and could not be catching their rival at a better time. Clemson can actually thank South Carolina with that win over Tennessee as the Tigers will make a move up in the CFP rankings and keep its outside shot to making it into the playoffs alive and now it comes down to style points as a blowout win here and one against North Carolina in the ACC Championship will now look a whole lot better. They obviously need help but losses by TCU and USC over the next two weeks could put them in prime position as they are currently tied with the Trojans at No. 5 at +2000 so they are far from done. The 40-game home winning streak is extended with what looks like a great blowout spot. Here, we play against road teams off an upset win as a home underdog of seven points or more, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 53-22 ATS (70.7 percent) since 1992. 10* (158) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the DENVER NUGGETS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The depleted Clippers return home following a 17-point loss at Golden St. on Wednesday which snapped a three-game winning streak and they are again without Kawhi Leonard who is back on the pine with his ankle injury. He made it back for three games and was barely an influence as he scored 25 points and grabbed seven boards in those games combined as he again joins Paul George on the bench. They have somehow stayed afloat with an 11-8 record and Los Angeles comes in at just 5-4 at home where it is middle of the league in defensive efficiency and overall, it is No. 26 in offensive efficiency. The Clippers are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 home games against teams with a winning road record. Denver survived overtime on Wednesday in Oklahoma City as it came in with losses in three of its previous four games but two of those losses were without Nikola Jokic in the lineup but he is back and the Nuggets will get Jamal Murray back tonight with the possibility of also having Michael Porter, Jr. return after missing the last game. They are a half-game ahead of Los Angeles in the overall standings in the crowded Western Conference where two games separates the top 10 teams. Denver has played 12 of 18 games on the highway and has been a successful 7-5 in those games and the Nuggets are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning percentage above .600. Here, we play on road favorites after a win by six points or less going up against an opponent after a loss by 10 points or more. This situation is 67-34 ATS (66.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (551) Denver Nuggets

This is a play on the MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. The Grizzlies have lost two straight games and four of their last five and they are now a game out of first place in the Southwest Division with a chance to get back into a tie tonight. Memphis avoided a big absence in its lineup as Ja Morant missed just one game with a Grade 1 sprain in his left ankle after he had been considered week-to-week with the injury. That would have been a massive loss with Desmond Bane already out for at least a few weeks and while the Grizzlies lost in his return Tuesday, the backcourt is in much better shape. One of those losses came in New Orleans by 11 points so revenge is on the table tonight as well. Memphis is 6-2 at home and while known for the offense, the Grizzlies have the No. 5 defensive efficiency at home in the league. New Orleans has won its last two games by 45 and 19 points and going back, it has won five of its last six games and it is tied for second place with the Nuggets and Jazz in the Western Conference, a half-game behind the Suns. Four of those wins have come at home and the Pelicans are 5-4 on the road and they will again be without a big piece of the lineup as C.J. McCollum has landed in the health and safety protocols of the league which is surprisingly still a thing. They won without him against the Spurs but that is a bad team in a current freefall. New Orleans is 11-27 ATS in its last 38 road games off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival. Here, we play on favorites revenging a loss where opponent scored 100 or more points, off a home loss. This situation is 198-131 ATS (60.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (532) Memphis Grizzlies

This is a play on the BROOKLYN NETS as part of our NBA Friday Three-Pack. Brooklyn is back to full strength and has won two of three games since the return of Kyrie Irving to the lineup after missing eight games which includes a 14-point win at Toronto on Wednesday. More importantly, the Nets have seen a spike in the production of Ben Simmons as he is averaging 14.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg and 6.4 apg over his last five games after being pretty much a no-show to start the season when he got back into the lineup. Obviously, there was a lot of rust involved and his presence will make this team better going forward. They are a game under .500 but well within the thick of the Eastern Conference and the Nets are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a winning straight up record. The Pacers have been a pleasant surprise as they are 10-7 on the season and had won nine of their previous 11 games before a 14-point loss at home against Minnesota on Wednesday. Their previous two home wins were against 5-13 Orlando and they are still well down in the rankings however as they are No. 24 in the Sagarin Ratings, the lowest mark of any team with a winning record as Indiana has played a schedule ranked No. 28 in the league. The offense has been solid but they are No. 17 in defensive efficiency and could have issues against a healthy Nets lineup. Indiana is 9-19 ATS in its last 28 games after scoring 105 points or less. Here, we play on road favorites off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, playing their 3rd road game in five days. This situation is 33-7 ATS (82.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (533) Brooklyn Nets

This is a play on the FLORIDA GATORS for our CFB Friday Star Attraction. Florida and Florida St. enter this rivalry game the opposite of what many thought they would be before the season started. The Gators opened the season with a very impressive win over Utah which has looked better and better as the season has progressed based on the Utes success. They followed that up with a bad loss at Kentucky while the next three defeats against Tennessee, LSU and Georgia were no surprise but many will be eyeing what happened last week as Vanderbilt took out Florida by a touchdown as a 13.5-point underdog. The public sees that and will avoid the Gators and the books have made the adjustments to the line based on that but Florida outgained the Commodores by 162 total yards as it was hurt by two turnovers, one of which was a fumble that was recovered in the endzone for a Vanderbilt touchdown and they were just 4-15 on third down. In a rivalry like this, they will come to play to improve their bowl position. Florida St. meanwhile had low expectations and after a 4-0 start, heads started turning but then the Seminoles lost three straight games and the here we go again rumblings surfaced. But Florida St. recovered and has won four straight games to build some great momentum going forward to end the season and going into next year. However, those wins came against a bad Georgia Tech teams, an even worse Miami team, a Syracuse team that has fallen off the planet and last week a 5-6 Louisiana team from the Sun Belt Conference, not exactly a solid stretch of victories. The numbers are great as Florida St. is ranked No. 16 in total offense, No. 23 in scoring offense, No. 11 in total defense and No. 13 in scoring defense but this has come against a schedule ranked ahead of only Michigan and Washington of teams ranked in the Top 20. Here, we play against home teams in the second half of the season averaging between 230 and 275 passing ypg and after allowing 4.5 or less passing yards per attempt last game going up against teams allowing between 230 and 275 passing ypg. This situation is 41-17 ATS (70.7 percent) since 1992. 10* (135) Florida Gators

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH for our CBB Friday Enforcer. Notre Dame is off to a 5-0 start and after missing the cover in its first four games, the Irish covered against Bowling Green last time out and now head out of South Bend for the first time this season. Notre Dame had an unexpectedly great season a year ago and this is a dynamic offense with a starting lineup that features a shooting big man in Nate Laszewski, who is averaging a team high 19.6 ppg and 8.8 rpg surrounded by four perimeter scorers and playmakers as the Irish possess one of the best backcourts in the ACC with J.J. Starling, Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Trey Wertz which have averaged a combined 52.8 ppg. They are No. 8 in the country in offensive efficiency. The Bonnies check in at 3-2 and have covered three straight games and are 4-1 ATS on the season but face their toughest opponent of the season. This is a surprise but have been coached up by Mark Schmidt once again despite a myriad of losses as they lost over 99 percent of their scoring and like a lot of teams, they are relying on transfer help but their situation is a lot different as the top three newcomers are all from lower level programs and do not have the roster to keep up here. St. Bonaventure is No. 137 in the nation in offensive efficiency and will have to go well above that to compete today. Here, we play against neutral court teams as an underdog in a game involving two teams allowing between 67 and 74 ppg, after two straight wins by 10 points or more. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (843) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the BAYLOR BEARS for our CFB Friday Afternoon Dominator. We won with Baylor last week against TCU even though it lost on a last second field goal and while that could typically provide a letdown going forward, not in this matchup. Texas always has a bullseye on its back and the Bears will be out to snap a two-game slide before heading into their bowl game. Baylor had won three straight games prior to last week where it put up a clunker against Kansas St. with its worst offensive performance of the season with just 306 yards and three points and some will argue that the Wildcats are a more complete team than TCU. The Baylor defense has struggled against the more finesse teams as it is a physical unit which matches up well against the Longhorns. Based on the line last week, Baylor would have roughly been a touchdown underdog had the game been at TCU and now the Bears are getting a bigger number at Texas? Sorry, that is plain wrong and it is based on name and name alone. The Bears are 4-1 ATS as underdogs this season and this is the biggest line they have seen all season. Texas is coming off one of its most complete efforts of the season as it rolled over Kansas, whose season has taken a downward spiral over the second half of the season, and the Longhorns are now 2-2 over their last four games following a three-game winning streak. Prior to the Kansas game, Texas was outgained in four straight games and have been outgained in six of their last 10 games. All four of their losses this season have been by one possession so they have been competitive throughout and have avoided the big blowout that seems to hit them at least once over the last few seasons. That being said, a season that could have been has turned into another average one and they are looking forward to another fresh start next year with Arch Manning coming to Austin. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points averaging between 5.6 and 6.2 yppl and after gaining 6.25 or more yppl in their previous game going up against teams allowing between 4.8 and 5.6 yppl. This situation is 42-19 ATS (68.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (115) Baylor Bears

This is a play on the CINCINNATI BEARCATS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. One thing that both Tulane and Cincinnati have in common is both of their losses came against Central Florida so should the Knights defeat South Florida as close to a three-touchdown favorite on Saturday, they are in the AAC Championship as they own the tiebreaker meaning the loser of this game is out. Tulane has had a very special season that no one saw coming as it is 9-2 with both losses coming at home and the Green Wave bring in a 4-0 road record so something has to give with Cincinnati being 5-0 at home. Tulane defeated Kansas St. on the highway early in the season and that has turned into a very impressive win but two of the other two wins came at South Florida and Tulsa, both of which are staying home for the postseason, with the fourth coming at Houston in overtime where they were outgained by 110 total yards. The Green Wave will have a challenge here and the first road loss of the season seems inevitable for a team that has not been in a situation like this in a long time. The Bearcats other loss came at Arkansas in their season opener so they have won nine of ten games with the four-point loss against the Knights being the only blemish. The season has not been as good as last season but it is better than expected with so much lost from that special year and they are on another mission with a New Year's Six bowl berth at stake. The five home wins have extended the Cincinnati home winning streak to 32 games and with a short line, a win likely means a cover. They have dominated here by outscoring opponents by 20 ppg with a couple close calls involved and overall, the defense has once again led the way as the Bearcats are No. 22 in both total defense and scoring defense and with quarterback Ben Bryant questionable, the defense will really have to step up which we totally expect. Here, we play on home teams with a winning percentage of .800 or better coming off a double digit road win, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 63-30 ATS (67.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (164) Cincinnati Bearcats

This is a play on the MINNESOTA VIKINGS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Dominator. New England has won three straight games following an improbable win last week against the Jets as it returned a punt for a touchdown in the final seconds to produce a 10-3 victory. The three wins were typical Bill Belichick productions as his defenses were able to shut down young quarterbacks, Zach Wilson twice and San Ehlinger and of their six wins, the best quarterback they have defeated was Jared Goff, although an argument can be made for Justin Fields but he was not particularly well in the passing game, and now they face a savvy veteran ready for a bounce back. The offense has not been doing much at all as over the last four games, the Patriots have not surpassed 300 yards, averaging only 262 ypg and have been outgained in two of those. New England is 6-17 ATS in its last 23 road games against teams allowing a completion percentage of 64 percent or higher in the second half of the season. We played against Minnesota last week as it got shellacked by the Cowboys after a previous poor effort against the Packers and we are moving in on the Vikings for a similar reason. While we expected Minnesota to come back down to earth following that huge overtime win over the Bills to extend its winning streak to seven games, but we did not expect the awful effort it put forth last Sunday afternoon. They remain home on a short week which is a big bonus and even more so after an absolute stinker in front of their home fans. The Vikings defense has been below average all season and last week was one of the worst efforts as they allowed a season high 40 points and gave up 458 yards but face a nonlethal offense this week with the Patriots coming in at No. 25 overall. Offensively, we are going to see a much better effort and while many will fade the Vikings because of the Kirk Cousins primetime aspect, that is a played narrative. Minnesota is 12-2 ATS in its last 14 home games after a loss by 21 or more points. 10* (110) Minnesota Vikings

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. The Egg Bowl takes center stage on Thanksgiving night but the teams are not in the forefront as we head into the game but it is the coaches. The rumor mill, albeit from very substantial sources, have indicated that Mississippi head coach Lane Kiffin will be taking the head coaching job at Auburn as early as Friday and while he dismissed it and even addressed the team squashing the hearsay, his terminology was vague as he said he has not accepted any job and even Auburn said they have not hired a coach. Maybe not officially, but either way, this is a big distraction for a team that has gone in the wrong direction after a 7-0 start and a top seven ranking as the Rebels have lost three of their last four games including a blowout at Arkansas last week where the final score does not show the Razorbacks dominance. This was one of the most overrated teams in the country as the Rebels best win is arguably in their season opener against Troy and their four SEC wins came against three fraud teams in Kentucky, Auburn and Texas A&M that looked good coming into the season but clearly are not, and Vanderbilt. Mississippi St. is coming off a blowout win over East Tennessee St. which is a stupid scheduling spot but that is here nor there. The Bulldogs became bowl eligible well before that and of their four losses, three came on the road against Alabama, LSU and Kentucky with the loss against the Wildcats admittedly a bad one, and the home loss came against Georgia and while a game worse than the Rebels, they are arguably the better team as they possess the lone top 30 win of these two teams and have played a schedule ranked No. 17 compared to No. 43 for the Rebels. The stats are very close overall and going back to the coaching angle, there is a rumor on this side that Mike Leach is going to retire so there is a huge coach motivation advantage on the Mississippi St. side. Here, we play against teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 6.25 or more yppl in their previous game going up against an opponent after outgaining opponent by 175 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 77-36 ATS (68.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (111) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the VILLANOVA WILDCATS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. Iowa St. went 2-22 in 2021 in one of the worst regressions in the country but the Cyclones did a 180 and finished 22-13 last season with one of the best turnarounds as they made it back to the Big Dance and won two games against LSU and Wisconsin before losing to Miami in the Sweet 16. Now it is an unknown group as the Cyclones lost a ton from last season, most notably their two best backcourt players and leading scorers Izaiah Brockington and Tyrese Hunter who averaged a combined 28.3 ppg, 10.6 rpg and 6.6 apg. Iowa St. has been picked to finish No. 8 in the 10-team Big 12 and while it is off to a 3-0 start, it has played no one. The Cyclones have three home blowout victories but they were not tested as their schedule comes into Thursday ranked No. 362 out of 363 teams. Now comes a real test. Villanova is expected to take a small step back but this is still a loaded team that took Michigan St. to the very end, a Spartans team that lost to Gonzaga and defeated Kentucky so this team has been tested. The loss to Michigan St. was disheartening as it really could have put that loss to Temple behind them but the Wildcats will build off that in a big game to get it back before facing some much bigger competition in this loaded tournament. The numbers have not been overly impressive but being tested in big this early in the season especially the comeback that almost happened against the Spartans. 10* (806) Villanova Wildcats

This is a play on the BUFFALO BILLS for our NFL Thursday Enforcer. Detroit is coming off an impressive road win over the Giants last week to move to 4-6 to get back into the playoff talk and the Lions have won three straight games for the first time since November of 2017. While impressive for the win column, Detroit was outgained in all three of those games so those victories do come with an asterisk. The Lions have been outgained in seven straight games and eight of ten games on the season and in the two games they won the yardage battle, it was by only 29 and 43 yards. The problem is the defense as they remain dead last overall and in points allowed while sitting No. 31 in rushing defense and No. 28 in passing defense and are in a tough spot here against one of the best offenses and during that winning streak, those were against teams all ranked in the bottom half of the league in offense. Buffalo snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over Cleveland that was played in Detroit and while it was outgained, that was due to the Browns putting up numbers in garbage time. The Bills do have the advantage of playing away from home in the same stadium two games in a row as they are used to the surroundings that most teams would not and while that seems small, it really is not. Buffalo remains No. 2 in total offense and scoring offense and while they have been in a bit of a lull, they can go off here as they need a get right game to get back to their early season dominance with three straight division games on deck. The three losses on the season were by a combined eight points and all against teams currently sitting in playoff spots. Buffalo is 8-0 ATS in its last eight games in the second half of the season when playing against a team with a losing record, winning those games by an average of 18.0 ppg. Here, we play on road teams after being beaten by the spread by 21 or more points total in their last three games, in weeks 10 through 13. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (105) Buffalo Bills

This is a play on the MIAMI HEAT with our NBA Eastern Conference Game of the Month. Miami was able to get back to .500 following three straight home wins but it hit the road for a four-game roadtrip and lost all four of those games that included an overtime loss at Washington by a point so now back home, the Heat will get back on track with some motivation to boot. That trek dropped Miami to 1-7 on the road but they are a decent 6-4 at home that includes wins in five of their last six games. The absence of Jimmy Butler is obviously a big one as the injury list is a big one but the spot is too good and too important with four more road games on deck against three likely playoff teams in Atlanta, Boston (twice) and Memphis. While the offense has been inconsistent, the defense remains strong as Miami is No. 9 in scoring and No. 12 in defensive efficiency. Washington comes in on a two-game winning streak and has won six of its last seven games to move three games over .500 and are tied with Atlanta for first place in the Southeast Division. The Wizards are 7-4 at home and just 3-3 on the road and have injuries issues of their own with Bradley Beal questionable as well as point guard Monte Morris. Washington also brings in a strong defense but the offense has been one of the worst in the league as the Wizards are ranked No. 24 in offensive efficiency as well as No. 24 in floor percentage. The Wizards are 2-7 ATS in their last nine road games against teams with a winning home record. Here, we play on favorites after four or more consecutive unders, averaging between 108 and 114 ppg going up against teams allowing between 108 and 114 ppg. This situation is 61-29 ATS (67.8 percent) since 1996. 10* (510) Miami Heat

This is a play on the ATLANTA HAWKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Sacramento is coming off a win at Memphis on Tuesday for its seventh straight win and of all of the surprise teams in the Western Conference, this has to rank right at the top. The Kings got off to the start many expected as they opened 0-4 but have won 10 of their last 12 games and are just a game and a half out of first place in the Western Conference. They possess the top ranked offense in the NBA in both scoring and shooting which has translated into the No. 1 ranked offensive efficiency team after finishing sixth worst in the league last season. The Tuesday win moved them to 4-3 on the road but are now playing the second of a back-to-back for only the second time this season and the first that involves two road games. Atlanta had won five of seven games but has lost two of its last three games including a 12-point loss at Cleveland on Monday but the Hawks are back home where they are 6-3 and it has been a mixed bag of quality wins and quality losses and at this point, we cannot put Sacramento into the elite category. The backcourt duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray have carried the load to become one of the best backcourts in the Eastern Conference as they are averaging 47.7 ppg and 16.8 apg and will no doubt be able to run with this Kings team. The efficiency has not been there but has a good matchup tonight. Here, we play against road teams covering eight or more of their last 10 against the spread, playing six or less games in 14 days. This situation is 39-17 ATS (69.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (514) Atlanta Hawks

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS for our CBB Wednesday Enforcer. The Battle 4 Atlantis tips off on Wednesday with a great group of teams all ranked within the top 71 (Sagarin) and the final game of the day pits No. 23 Tennessee against No. 31 Butler and we are grabbing the Bulldogs in a very inflated line. Butler is off to a 3-1 start with the lone loss coming against Penn St. and the gameplan in that game was executed perfectly to slow it down against the up tempo and solid shooting Nittany Lions but the Bulldogs had a horrible shooting night as they hit only 34 percent from the floor including 22 percent from long range. It will be a similar gameplan here for Butler which is loaded with talent with an experienced backcourt and help down low via the transfer portal. Guards Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, and Simas Lukosius have combined for 44.9 ppg and 8.6 apg while NC State transfer center Manny Bates is averaging 13.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg and 3.5 bpg. Tennessee rolled in its two wins over Tennessee Tech and Florida Gulf Coast as 36 and 21-point favorites respectively but were blown out against Colorado by 12 points as a 15-point favorite in its only game away from home. Out of 363 Division I teams, the Volunteers are No. 356 in shooting at 37.3 percent and they have put up a decent scoring average because of pace which Butler plans on limiting. Based on the power rankings, this is roughly a one-point line so there is a ton of value on the Bulldogs in a very winnable game. 10* (746) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the MARQUETTE GOLDEN EAGLES for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. Georgia Tech and Marquette square off in the consolation game of the Fort Myers Tipoff as both are coming off close losses to open the tournament. The Golden Eagles fell to 3-2 following a three-point loss against Mississippi St. which is ranked slightly ahead of them (No. 29 vs. No. 26) with their first loss coming against Purdue on the road by five points as an eight-point underdog and has rolled in its three wins are favorites, all by double-digits. This is a big game for Marquette in building a resume that lacks major conference teams on its remaining schedule and even though this is one of the worst ACC teams, it is still an ACC team. The Golden Eagles could be undefeated if they could have closed out the game in those two losses and should not have an issue in doing so here. Georgia Tech is coming off a disappointing 12-20 season last year including a 5-15 record in the ACC and not much returned with its leading scorer coming back with just 7.6 ppg. This is a bad shooting team as the Yellow Jackets are currently No. 344 in the country in effective field goal percentage, as they are hitting just 26.5 percent of their three-pointers and only 41.6 percent of their two-point attempts. Offensive rebounding will be key for Marquette as Georgia Tech is one of the 20 worst defensive rebounding teams in the country and the worst of any major conference team. These are all fair comparisons as they have played a very similar strength of schedule (No. 177 vs. No. 175). 10* (736) Marquette Golden Eagles

This is a play on the PHOENIX SUNS for our NBA Tuesday Enforcer. The Lakers have won three straight games after a 3-10 start to the season and they have won all three of these with LeBron James sitting on the bench so that is a storyline within itself and one of course that the talking heads are not talking about. Those games were all at home and now Los Angeles hits the road where it is 0-5 and getting outscored by 14 ppg and all of those have come by at least nine points. Overall, the Lakers have played the No. 23 ranked schedule in the NBA so it is not like they have been getting beat against an elite schedule and they step into elite tonight despite the Suns still being without Chris Paul. The Lakers are 5-16 ATS in their last 21 games off a home win by 10 points or more. With Paul being out and the Suns still winning shows how good this roster is as Cameron Payne has filled in great and has not missed a beat. Phoenix has struggled somewhat of late by going just 4-5 over its last nine games but four of those losses were on the road and the one home loss came against Portland by a bucket and the Suns come into tonight with an 8-1 record at home. Despite those recent hiccups, Phoenix is still ranked No. 2 in the latest Sagarin ratings and it is No. 3 in offensive efficiency and No. 7 in defensive efficiency so they are playing at that elite level mentioned earlier. The Suns are 4-0 ATS in their last four home games against teams with a losing road record. Here, we play against underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 off a home win by 20 points or more, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 52-21 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1996. 10* (578) Phoenix Suns

This is a play on the BRADLEY BRAVES for our CBB Tuesday Enforcer. It was an incredible season for Auburn last year, at least through the regular season, as it went 27-4 including a 15-3 SEC record and a regular season conference championship, but the Tigers were ousted in their first SEC Tournament game and then after a win over Jacksonville St. in the opening round of the Big Dance, they fell to Miami, Fla. in the second round. Their two best players from that team, top three NBA draft pick Jabari Smith and the top block leader in the country Walker Kessler, are gone which present two big gaps. The Tigers were top 25 in scoring but inefficient on offense and that has carried over into this season as they are shooting only 41.3 percent, No. 290 in the nation, including 25 percent from long range despite playing an easy schedule with all four games taking place at home. Bradley missed the postseason last year but it had a solid season at 17-14 including 11-7 in the MVC and the Braves are picked to finish second in the conference this season. They are off to a 3-1 start despite some early injuries and they are getting excellent value here as a huge underdog with a defense that can keep this lower scoring. Five of the Braves six players averaging double-digits in scoring will be making the trip to the Cancun Challenge so their depth is also an asset. After struggling at Utah St., they have looked more efficient the last two games as the chemistry is coming together. Here, we play against teams that averaged 62 or more shots per game last season, after three straight games allowing 37 percent shooting or less. This situation is 24-6 ATS (80 percent) since 1997. 10* (665) Bradley Braves

This is a play on the LOUISVILLE CARDINALS for our CBB Tuesday Afternoon Dominator. Texas Tech is coming off a season where it reached the NCAA Sweet 16 for the sixth time in program history and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight time. The Red Raiders are tabbed for a fourth place finish in the Big 12 and they entered the week ranked No. 20 in the country but that will be short lived after losing to Creighton on Monday where the defense allowed the Bluejays to shoot 55 percent from the floor and they were not aggressive on offense as Texas Tech went to the free throw line only seven times. They come in as big favorites Tuesday because of the struggles of their opposition and they are definitely overvalued on a neutral floor going from an underdog yesterday to a double-digit favorite today but will be a publicly backed team here. Louisville fell to 0-4 on the season as it got run out of the gym in the second half against Arkansas. After trailing by eight points at halftime, the Cardinals pulled within five points at 43-38 with 14:26 left to play but the Razorbacks used a 17-0 run to pull away for the 26-point victory. They shot just 36 percent from the floor including a 4-12 effort from long range while committing 22 turnovers against the pressing defense of Arkansas. Prior to the trip out to Hawaii, Louisville became the first team since 1980-81 to lose their first three games of the season by one point and the Cardinals 0-3 start at home was the first time since 1940-41 that have accomplished this dubious feat of opening the season with three consecutive home losses. 10* (654) Louisville Cardinals

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. Utah continues to roll along as it has won two straight games following a three-game losing streak to improve to 12-6 and have moved into the top spot in the Western Conference, not bad for a team coming into the season with the word tank linked to their name. The Jazz are No. 4 scoring offense in the league but are just No. 13 in shooting percentage and defensively, Utah is No. 18 in points allowed and No. 22 in shooting percentage allowed so they are doing nothing spectacular. As mentioned prior to the last game, the Jazz have a 2.7 Luck Rating according to Team Rankings so while they have played well, they have been the most fortunate team in the league early in the season. The Clippers have won two straight games to move three games over .500 and while sitting in No. 7 in the Western Conference, they are just 2.5 games out of first place in the very competitive conference. They have won four of their last five home games and bring in the No. 2 ranked scoring defense and No. 1 ranked shooting defense and will be out for revenge following a 110-102 lost to Utah here earlier in the month. Here, we play against road teams averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 41-13 ATS (75.9 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, we play against underdogs off two or more consecutive upset wins as an underdog, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 142-88 ATS (61.7 percent) since 1996. 10* (570) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CBB Monday Supreme Annihilator. The Aztecs, the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Conference, have opened the season 3-0 and it has been good and bad for the No. 17 team in the nation. The good is that they are averaging 78.7 ppg through the first three games after putting up just 65.4 ppg last season and in this case, the bad will eventually turn into a good. The best offensive threat on the team, senior guard Matt Bradley, is averaging 7.0 ppg on 8-33 shooting 5-23 (24.2 percent) with all of his buckets but one being from around the rim. Once he gets going, this team will be a force on offense. On the other side, San Diego St. combines size and physicality with an outstanding defensive scheme and one of the most best defenders in the country in Nathan Mensah. Ohio St. is also 3-0 but has played no one as the Buckeyes have been favored by at least 21 points in all three games, going 1-2 against the number. Ohio St. went 20-12 last season and was ousted by Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament and this season, they have only one starter back and could struggle early against quality teams and this is certainly one of those. The Buckeyes are picked to finish No. 6 in the Big Ten Conference and while they possess a solid backcourt, they will be at a huge disadvantage down low. Here, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points in a game involving two teams that had a winning percentage between .600 and .800 from last season, with three or more starters returning from last year than opponent. This situation is 30-9 ATS (76.9 percent) since 1997. 10* (796) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. This is a lot of points to be laying on the road but this is not a true road game for the 49ers with this game being played in Mexico City and they have edges all over the field in this matchup. The Cardinals were able to take out the Rams on the road last week without Kyler Murray but that ended up being an advantage in the fact Los Angeles had little to no time to prepare for Colt McCoy but San Francisco has had a full week to prepare for both quarterbacks. As of Monday morning, Murray is still questionable and looking like he will not go but if he does, he will not be 100 percent. Last week, the Cardinals faced the No. 31 pressure rate defense and this week, they will go against the No. 7 pressure rate unit that is only getting better with health. Overall, Arizona is No. 20 in total offense and No. 19 in both passing and rushing so it has no strength either way and could be in for a long night especially with all of the injuries along the offensive line. The 49ers come in off a win over the Chargers to make it two straight wins sandwiched around their bye week so they are in a good position for another big win and tie the Seahawks for first place in the NFC West. San Francisco is No. 1 in the NFL in total defense and No. 6 in scoring defense and has rebounded nicely following the disaster of an effort against Kansas City but the Chiefs are the Chiefs so no big fault there. The injury list is short which cannot come at a better time and they are also getting healthy on offense as they are near full strength along with a healthy Christian McCaffrey to add another element to the offense that is a solid No. 9 in total offense and facing a very below average defense. One hidden advantage for San Francisco is time of possession as it is No. 7 and that is important here with this game being played at extremely high altitude so keeping the defenses fresh is of utmost importance. 10* (475) San Francisco 49ers

This is a play on the AKRON ZIPS for our CBB Monday Afternoon Dominator. Akron is off to a 2-1 start to the season that included an overtime win over South Dakota St. with the one loss coming against Mississippi St. in Philadelphia and we are catching value here based on the Zips 0-3 record against the number. Enrique Freeman and Xavier Castaneda led Akron to the 2022 MAC Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament a year ago and they have been selected to the All-Mac First and Second Team respectively. The Zips went 24-10 overall and 14-6 in the MAC and have been tabbed to finish No. 3 in the conference this season. Western Kentucky is 3-0 following a pair of non-Division I wins in its last two games and the numbers are inflated with a 127-point performance against Kentucky St. and this can be argued the Hilltoppers are a false favorite in this matchup and this should be closer to a pickem. This is a solid team as well that has four starters back including three players added to the All-C-USA First and Second Teams but the Hilltoppers will be facing their toughest test of the young season. The big, skewed stat is that they are holding their opponents to 29.8 percent shooting, which is No. 4 in the country but against a schedule that has been watered down. Here, we play against neutral court teams as a favorite or pickem averaging 78 or more ppg and after allowing 55 points or less going up against teams averaging between 63 and 67 ppg. This situation is 35-11 ATS (76.1 percent) since 1997. 10* (773) Akron Zips

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS for our NFL Sunday Primetime Dominator. Kansas City has won three straight games to improve to 7-2 on the season and has taken over the top seed in the AFC but has a tough assignment Sunday night on the road for the first time in a month following a bye week and a pair of home games. The Chiefs are clearly one of the top three teams in the NFL but they have lost any sort of value here even though the line has come down. This is one team Kansas city always has fits against as over the last nine meetings, it has lost three of those outright and in the six wins, only one has been by more than one possession. The offense is still one of the best in the league at No. 2 overall and No. 1 in scoring but will be facing an improved defense. As for its own defense, Kansas City is No. 16 overall and No. 19 in points allowed with the Chargers always being dangerous. Los Angeles is coming off a Sunday night loss against San Francisco last week on the road and it is back home following two straight road games and its bye week, so it is in the exact opposite spot of the Chiefs playing their first home game in a month. Granted, the home field has not been great that includes blowout losses to Seattle and Jacksonville and close wins against Las Vegas and Denver and based on power rankings, the Chargers should be 4-0 in those games. Injuries have played a big part but they could get Keenan Allen back at receiver to help Justin Herbert who had his worst game of the season last week against the 49ers but that is one of, if not the best overall defenses in the league. Los Angeles has still put together a 5-4 record playing with a lot of adversity and a win here goes a long way. 10* (470) Los Angeles Chargers

This is a play on the HOUSTON ROCKETS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. Golden St. took care of the Knicks Friday night to improve to 7-1 at home but the Warriors are now back on the road where they are 0-8 and while this is a game they should and likely will win, they are laying too big of a number here. Three of those outright losses came when laying 7.5 or more points so it is not like they have been losing to just good teams as Charlotte, Detroit and Orlando are far from that. Putting it more into perspective as only one of those eight losses has been by fewer than seven points while getting outscored by over 10 ppg. Golden St. is 7-17 ATS in its last 24 road games when playing against a team with a losing record. Houston is not a very good team but it has not gotten a break early in the season as 11 of its 16 games have been on the road and overall, the Rockets have played the toughest schedule in the NBA, not only playing those road games but 11 of the games have come against the top half of the league. Yes, Golden St. is part of that group but this line is out of control simply because of the name and not the Warriors product that has been on the floor. Only one of the four home losses has been by double-digits and the Rockets are 9-4 ATS in their last 13 games when their opponent scores 100 points or more in their previous game. Here, we play against road teams averaging 114 or more ppg on the season going up against an opponent after allowing 100 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 40-13 ATS (75.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (550) Houston Rockets

This is a play on the TEXAS A&M AGGIES for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. The athletic program at Texas A&M is in a sad state right now with the football team playing out the season after national championship aspirations and now the basketball program which came into the season ranked in the top 25 has lost the first two games of the Myrtle Beach Invitational and both were ugly. The Aggies lost to Murray St. by nine points as a 13.5-point favorite and then dropped the last game against Colorado by 28 points as a 6.5-point favorite and most troubling was the 103 points allowed for a team known for its stifling defense. This is inexcusable for a loaded team that only lost one key player from last season and after a day off, this team will be laser focused. Texas A&M is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games when playing their 3rd game in seven days. Loyola-Chicago has been much worse even though the record is a similar 2-2 on the season. The Ramblers opened the season with an overtime win over Fairleigh Dickinson as a 25.5-point favorite and then escaped at rival Illinois-Chicago by seven points as a 10.5-point favorite. The first two games of this tournament resulted in losses by losses by 19 and 22 points, both with the Ramblers being favored, and this is a team going in reverse. Loyola-Chicago was picked fourth in its first season in the Atlantic 10 and should be okay once conference season starts and the chemistry is not there yet after losing six scholarship players from the 25-win team from last season. The Ramblers are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games away from home off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a favorite. 10* (707) Texas A&M Aggies

This is a play on the DALLAS COWBOYS for our NFC Game of the Month. We played against Dallas last week as it failed to win and cover against Green Bay and as mentioned in the Thursday night game, the Cowboys snapped a streak of being 195-0 coming into that game when holding a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. Now they hit the road again against a much better team than the Packers but really how much better? More on that. Dallas is in a great position here coming off that loss and it is laying a smaller than anticipated line based on that loss and what the Vikings have been up to. The one key here for the Cowboys will be their defense as getting pressure on Kirk Cousins will be a big advantage and they should do just that. Dallas leads the NFL in sacks with 33 and can cause havoc here. Minnesota and Buffalo is coming off the game of the year as the Vikings prevailed in overtime and it was fortunate to win with all of the breaks going their way. That has been the case all season for the 8-1 Vikings as their last seven wins have all come by one possession, four by four points or less. According to Team Rankings, Minnesota leads the NFL in Luck Ratings at 2.8 with the Giants second at 2.5 and everyone else way down the list. The Vikings are no doubt a very good team but are not an 8-1 teams, especially considering they have been outgained on the season by over 25 ypg and this luck factor will eventually come back down to a more level plane. 10* (471) Dallas Cowboys

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH STEELERS for our NFL Sunday Ultimate Underdog. The Steelers came through last week with a home win over the Saints to move to 3-6 on the season and have some momentum. They are 2-2 at home with the other win coming against Tampa Bay and the two losses coming against the Patriots and Jets by just three and four points respectively. Overall, Pittsburgh has played the toughest schedule in the league with four of their games coming against the top ten and five of nine coming against the top 16. Quarterback Kenny Pickett has been put into a tough situation with limited weapons around him and he has not been horrible with the exception of his eight interceptions and the defense got a boost with T.J. Watt coming back as his presence is felt with the pass rush that has struggled since he went down early in the season. Cincinnati is coming off its bye week after destroying Carolina and has won three of four games to move to 5-4 on the season and now it is in a tough spot facing a defense that looks like its old self. The bye week helped the Bengals get a little healthier but they are still without receiver Ja'Marr Chase who is always a big presence in the offense as he was in the first meeting with 10 catches for 129 yards and his absence is big in this matchup. Joe Mixon went off against Carolina but the Steelers can shut him down as they are ranked No. 6 in rushing defense and while Joe Burrow does have other weapons, the offense is not close to as dynamic with Chase around. The schedule has been easy as the Bengals have played the No. 27 ranked slate and their record does not matchup with that. 10* (474) Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. This is another classic example of a team pulling off a big upset in the spotlight and the public lining up on them the following week but in this case, we have not seen a line move. Washington handed Philadelphia its first loss of the season on Monday night to improve to 5-5 on the season and the Commanders have now won four of their last five games to remain in the hunt in the in the NFC Wild Card picture but this is a team not made up to make that move. This is a game that could come down to the quarterbacks and while most will think Washington has the advantage, that is not the case. Taylor Heinicke has turned into the fan favorite and while he has shown flashes, he is not very good as he has the highest quarterback turnover rate in the league albeit with limited starts. He gives them a spark but puts them in bad spots. We played on Houston last week and it had so many opportunities to pull out the win, or at least the cover, as it has six trips into the redzone and managed to score only one touchdown. The Texans fell to 1-7-1 on the season and has lost four straight games, the last three coming against playoff teams. Houston did outgain two of those opponents while getting outgained against Philadelphia by just 57 total yards so it has not played horrible. The Texans are getting a little more healthy and the return of Brandin Cooks is a bonus for quarterback Davis Mills. He is one of the lower rated quarterbacks in the league but as we mentioned in Game One of the season, his home/road splits are an advantage at home. In 11 road starts, he has a 71.3 passer rating with an 8:13 TD:INT ratio and in 11 home starts, he has a 100.5 rating with a 19:6 ratio. 10* (458) Houston Texans

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CBB Sunday Supreme Annihilator. Even though North Carolina is off to a 3-0 start, it has not been pretty as the Tar Heels have been unable to put away teams like a like a No. 1 team in the country should. They are 0-3 against the number and while the first two wins were by double-digits, there were moments that they could have ran away with the game but let UNC-Wilmington and Charleston hang around for a while and then there was a six point win over Gardner Webb as a 22.5-point favorite last time out. It is time to buckle down and now they face a worthy opponent that they need to lock down from the start. We are getting some great value here based on the winless cover record and the struggles in that last game and with the Phil Knight Invitational on deck, this is a pretty important game. James Madison has gotten off to a 4-0 start and has absolutely obliterated every team faced. The Dukes opened with a non-lined win over Valley Forge and then rolled over Hampton, Buffalo and Howard, the latter two on the road, and they covered those games by a combined 77 points. Impressive indeed but the schedule has been a cakewalk as it is ranked No. 314 out of 363 Division I teams and now they finally get tested and it could not be a worse spot facing a team that desperate to get its expected A game going. James Madison has been picked to finish No. 4 in its first year in the Sun Belt Conference so this is no doubt a very good team but not on the North Carolina level. 10* (668) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. We lost with Oregon last week as it blew a great chance to take charge in the Pac 12 and a possible spot in the playoffs but still controls its own destiny to make a trip to the Pac 12 Championship. The winner here will face USC if the Trojans do not implode so there will be no letdown from that loss last week with what is still on the line. The Ducks outgained the Huskies by 70 yards but gave the game away on a questionable fourth down call in their own territory that led to the game-winning Washington field goal. Oregon piled up 592 yards of offense and while facing a strong defense here, it should have no issues once again with this spread attack that is ranked No. 2 in total offense and No. 4 in scoring offense and the running game got back on track with 312 yards last week. Quarterback Bo Nix had another solid game and has been outstanding with 2,775 yards passing with 24 touchdowns and five interceptions and two of his worst games came against Arizona and California of all teams but those were on the road. Utah has won four straight games that started win a huge one-point win over USC and three of those four wins came at home. The Utes are 2-2 on the road with the best win coming at Washington St. which is just 3-4 in the conference while the other came against Arizona St. which is staying home this bowl season. This is no doubt a very solid team but not on the same level from the Rose Bowl team from last season. Utah is No. 22 or better in total offense and defense and scoring offense and defense but are heading into a tough spot. The Utes defeated Oregon twice last season by a combined score of 76-17 and the Ducks have not forgotten those losses. 10* (394) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. The surprising Jazz opened the season 10-3 but suffered through a three-game losing streak before a solid win last night at home against Phoenix although the Suns were once again without Chris Paul so Utah caught a break in that regard. The Jazz have a 3.2 Luck Rating according to Team Rankings so while they have played well, they have been the most fortunate team in the league early in the season. Utah is now 11-6 and sitting in second place in the NBA Northwest Division, one game behind the opponent for tonight. They are ranked No. 3 in scoring but are just No. 14 in shooting percentage and defensively, Utah is No. 18 in points allowed and No. 22 in shooting percentage allowed so they are doing nothing spectacular. Utah is 4-14 ATS in its last 18 road games when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750. Portland lost to Brooklyn on Thursday and has lost two of its last three games following a three-game winning streak. The Blazers are definitely another surprise team and they have had their good fortunes as well but are in a good spot here with a team playing a back-to-back. This is one of the better defenses in the NBA and on offense, after missing a ton of last season, Damian Lillard has played like the Damian Lillard of old and he is an integral part of that defense as well. The Blazers are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against underdogs off an upset win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a home loss. This situation is 127-77 ATS (62.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (536) Portland Trail Blazers

This is a play on the ARKANSAS RAZORBACKS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. It has been an up and down season for Arkansas as it opened the season with three straight win, then lost three straight, bounced back with a pair of win and has since lost its last two games, both coming at home. This is a rare three-game homestand late in the season and the Razorbacks have to take advantage after a pair of tough losses against Liberty and LSU by a combined five points. Three of their five losses have come by a field goal or less and were in a bad spot last week against the Tigers as they had a season low 249 yards and 10 points having to play a hot team without their quarterback but KJ Jefferson will be back this week to knock off a Mississippi team that beat them by a point last season in triple overtime on a missed two-point conversion. The Razorbacks offense is a lot better that was on display last week in atypical cold temps without their leader and over, they are ranked No. 23 in total offense and face a defense that has regressed a lot over the second half of the season. Mississippi is coming off a tough home loss against Alabama and it was very capable of winning that game and it will be tough to recover from that. This was one of the most overrated teams in the country before it was eventually hammered at LSU 45-20 three games back and one look at the resume will show that. The Rebels best win is arguably in their season opener against Troy and that is a legit argument and their four SEC wins came against three fraud teams in Kentucky, Auburn and Texas A&M that looked good coming into the season but clearly are not, and Vanderbilt. The wins and stats are skewed and their schedule rank of No. 53 is second lowest in the SEC, only ahead of South Carolina by four spots. The fraud comes out again here. 10* (400) Arkansas Razorbacks

This is a play on the IOWA ST. CYCLONES for our CFB Big 12 Game of the Month. Raise your hand if you saw this one coming because we certainly did not. With two games left in the season, Iowa St. is sitting in last place in the Big 12 Conference at 1-6 after a 3-0 nonconference start so the Cyclones have to win out to become bowl eligible and with TCU on deck on the road, it is not looking good. First things first, they have to take care of business in their final home game of the season and it is a great spot to get right with a very favorable line. Iowa St. has outgained its opponent in four of its six losses and five of those losses have come by one possession so while losing, there has been some bad luck involved as opposed to bad play. The Cyclones defense is still one of the best in the country as they are ranked No. 10 overall and No. 10 in scoring and this includes No. 11 in passing defense and No. 12 in rushing defense so they are solid all around and can sloe down this Texas Tech offense. Iowa St. is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after a game where they committed three or more turnovers. We won with Texas Tech last week as it defeated Kansas 43-28 to move to 5-5 so it has to win one of its final two games, the finale coming against Oklahoma at home, to make it to a bowl game. The Red Raiders improved to 5-1 at home with the win over the Jayhawks but they hit the road where they are 0-4 with all four losses by double-digits and while those were all against winning teams, they were all against teams ranked No. 45 or better in the Sagarin ratings and Iowa St. is well within that group despite the losing record. The offense has led the way this season as it is No. 18 overall and No. 31 in scoring and will not be efficient here. The defense has been the big letdown at No. 81 in total defense and the No. 83 ranked Iowa St. offense will have a solid opportunity as the last time it faced a defense this bad, it hung 34 points on West Virginia. Texas Tech is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 games after one or more consecutive wins against the spread. 10* (320) Iowa St. Cyclones

This is a play on the SOUTH DAKOTA ST. JACKRABBITS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. This is an interesting scheduling spot for both teams. South Dakota St. is playing its first true home game of the season after a 2-2 split on the highway. The Jackrabbits split at Akron and Boise St. then defeated St. Bonaventure on a neutral floor and in a tough spot, they had to travel to Arkansas the next night and were trounced against the Razorbacks by 15 points in a game that really was not that close. South Dakota St. is once again going to be a tough out in the Summit League after being the first team ever in the conference to go undefeated in the regular season and has been picked to finish No. 2 behind Oral Roberts. The Jackrabbits are the only team with a pair of players named to the All-Summit First Team in forward Luke Appel and guard Zeke Mayo. Stephen F. Austin went 14-4 in the WAC last season and 22-8 overall and will be another top team in the conference this season but will try to succeed without First Team All-WAC big man Gavin Kensmil, and Second Team All-WAC guard David Kachelries while losing four other players in the transfer portal. The Lumberjacks did receive transfer help to replenish the roster but will take some time to get the correct rotations and that was evident in their last game which resulted in a nine-point loss against Alcorn St. as 11-point favorites. This typically brings in a good bounce back spot but this is the first road game of the season and not an easy one. 10* (640) South Dakota Jackrabbits

This is a play on the NORTH TEXAS MEAN GREEN as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. We will preface with the fact North Texas finished with 16-2 record in C-USA last season and made a trip to the NIT. The Mean Green rode its stout defensive play to a program-record 25 wins and finished with the No. 1 ranked scoring defense in the country at 55.7 ppg. They opened the season with an uninspiring win over Southern Nazarene by six points and used that defense when it travelled to St. Mary's and allowed 63 points but the offense stayed on the bus as they scored 33 points but the roster was hit by the flu bug. That should produce an inspiring bounce back effort from a team picked to finish No. 2 or No. 3 in the conference. Fresno St. finished 18-12 last season which was middle of the pack in the MWC and not much is expected this season as the Bulldogs have been tabbed to finish in the bottom third of the conference this season. That mediocrity was on display in the last two games against Santa Barbara on a neutral floor and at home against San Francisco where they lost the covers by a combined 13 points. The loss of center Orlando Robinson is evident after being the best player on both ends of the floor last season, averaging 19.2 ppg 8.2 rpg and 1.3 bpg. They were expecting the backcourt to carry the team this season, notably Isaiah Hill and Jemarl Baker but they have underwhelmed with those two averaging 12.3 ppg and having 13 turnovers to just 10 assists combined. 10* (626) North Texas Mean Green

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS as part of our CBB Saturday Three Pack. Florida Atlantic has gotten off to a 3-1 start that included a huge upset win at Florida by a bucket as a 12.5-point underdog and avoided a letdown with a win over Bryant but the defensive end was once again vulnerable as the Owls allowed 74 points and on the season they 76 ppg in their three games against non-Division 1 teams and that side could be a problem all season which brings a lot of teams into play, especially when laying numbers this big. Florida Atlantic has preseason All C-USA First Team guard Alijah Martin in its backcourt after leading the Owls with 13.9 ppg on 45.8 percent shooting to go with 5.3 rpg to lead the Owls. He has regressed somewhat so far and is in a tough matchup here. Detroit is 2-1 to start the season and should be 3-0 at it had Boston College on the ropes on the road but ended up losing by four points as an 8.5-point underdog. The Titans followed that up with a solid 14-point win over Ohio as a slight home underdog. While the Owls have an All-Conference player in the backcourt, Detroit possesses the best backcourt player on the floor Antoine Davis, a fifth year senior, has averaged at least 23 points in each of his first four seasons and has averaged 24.8 ppg overall after putting up 23.7 ppg through three games this season even though his percentages have been down. Detroit is picked to finish No. 6 in the Horizon League which is not lofty but this is a team that will make noise. 10* (629) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the BAYLOR BEARS for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. TCU remains No. 4 in the latest CFP rankings sitting at 10-0 and hit the road for the final time and are only laying a field goal or less to Baylor. The line opened at -2 and has been bet up which is no surprise with close to 70 percent of tickets and money on the Horned Frogs and come gameday, the public will be all over them. TCU has outgained all but one opponent this season but of late, it has been hardly dominant, outgaining the last three by 84 yards or less. This is a great story for a team that came into the season with a win total set at 6.5 and since playing Colorado and Tarleton St. to open the season, the Horned Frogs have not been favored by more than nine points and that is a telling sign compared to the other top ranked teams that are laying over two touchdowns and much more on a weekly basis. The offense has been great but will be facing a very formidable defense here and its own defense is below with its best category being rushing where it is a pedestrian No. 44 in the country. This is the ripe spot for that small upset. Baylor had won three straight games prior to last week where it put up a clunker against Kansas St. with its worst offensive performance of the season with just 306 yards and three points and some will argue that the Wildcats are a more complete team than TCU. The Bears will be seething after that and will no doubt want to put an end to this Cinderella story especially in their final home game of the season. The defense will be the focal point in performing well and it needs to be noted that last week against Texas, a defense that is right in line with Baylor, held the Horned Frogs to season lows in points and yards. As for the offense, the Bears are No. 34 overall and No. 25 in scoring and can no doubt get back on track here. 10* (398) Baylor Bears

This is a play on the ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. Michigan has rolled through its schedule with nine of ten wins coming by double-digits but has not played anyone with the exception of Penn St. which played the Wolverines tough for a half before getting rolled in the second half. The nonconference schedule of games against Colorado St., Hawaii and Connecticut was an absolute joke and think that is going to come back to haunt them at some point. They were favored by only a touchdown in that game and are now well over that here which is based on the Illinois recent run. One big factor in this game is the total which is currently 41.5 as of Wednesday and that suggests a low scoring game which always favors the underdog, let alone one getting this many points. The Michigan rushing offense is ranked No. 4 in the country as it has run over everyone but this is a very tough spot as the lowest total yardage output of the season came against Iowa, one of the best defenses in the country and now faces an even better one here. Illinois is coming off a pair of disappointing losses against Michigan St. and Purdue and the loss against the Spartans was especially disheartening as they outgained by 147 total yards and it felt the sting as it could not recover last week. While the Wolverines have the top ranked defense in the country, both overall and in scoring, Illinois is ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the nation respectively in those categories and will bank on that to keep this game close. We can see that happening as an ugly game is just what the Illini want and keep this close. Michigan has the Ohio St. game on deck and escaping with a win is all it needs as it is comfortably in a CFP spot where style points will not matter. 10* (343) Illinois Fighting Illini

This is a play on the GOLDEN ST. WARRIORS for our NBA Friday Supreme Annihilator. The championship hangover has turned into a real thing for Golden St. as it dropped to 6-9 after a loss at Phoenix and it sitting in the No. 12 spot in the Western Conference. The good news is that they are back home but just for one game and that is important because it makes this a near early season must win as they head back on the road Sunday where the Warriors are 0-8 on the season and grouped with Detroit and Orlando as the only winless road teams. No one would have predicted that but they are 6-1 at home with the lone loss coming against Denver by five points. Golden St. is outscoring opponents by over 10 ppg on its home floor and catches New York in a great spot. Golden St. is 23-9 ATS in its last 33 home games when playing against a team with a winning record. The Knicks have won two straight games to get back over .500 and both of those victories came on the road against Utah and Denver as underdogs which is a great play against spot. Obviously, New York will be fired up playing the reigning champions but every team does and six so far have not succeeded. The Knicks have succeeded this season against winning teams on the road but this is a different situation playing against a team searching for answers that still possesses one of the best rotations in the league despite the early struggles. The Knicks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games following a straight up win. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off two or more consecutive upset wins as a road underdog. This situation is 64-30 ATS (68.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (526) Golden St. Warriors

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES for our CBB Friday Star Attraction. With its loss to Troy, Florida St. has lost its first three games of the season for the first time since the 2001-02 season and for the first time under head coach Leonard Hamilton. It was an ugly game that the Seminoles should have controlled from the start but instead, they took their first and only lead of the second half at 50-48 with just over 14 minutes left but Troy responded with a 12-2 run to pull away. Florida St. committed 19 turnovers and because of the short bench, it was forced to play more zone defense which was not a good matchup against Troy and that perimeter defense has to shore up against the Gators. Florida is off to a 2-1 start following a loss against Florida Atlantic on Monday and it now hits the road for the first time in what is a tough spot and laying a ton of points on top of it. This is obviously due to the early struggles of the Seminoles which have been favored in all three of those losses. Florida forward Colin Castleton is the best player on the floor after coming off consecutive 30-point efforts so this is where the Seminoles have to step up defensively but after Castleton, there are a lot of unknowns. This is a transition year for Florida as it is picked to finish between No. 6 and No. 8 in most preseason publications and the Gators have a new head coach in Todd Golden and will be relying on transfers and freshmen and that certainly showed in the last game against the Owls. Here, we play against road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points team that had a winning record last season, with just two starters returning from last year in the first 10 games of the season. This situation is 27-8 ATS (77.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (830) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the SAN ANTONIO SPURS for our NBA Thursday Enforcer. Sacramento is coming off its second best offensive performance in regulation in franchise history and the Kings are now overinflated tonight because of that. They scored 153 points against Brooklyn in the 32-point beatdown as they shot an improbable 60 percent for the game including 49 percent from long range but the defense still stunk as it has all season. Sacramento allowed the Nets to shoot 49 percent which is right around the season average allowed as it is ranked No. 29 in shooting defense and No. 27 in points allowed and overall, the Kings are No. 27 in defensive efficiency. The Kings are 8-25 ATS in their last 33 games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. San Antonio started the season red hot and we expected a regression sooner rather than later and it has come quick as the Spurs have lost seven of their last eight games but to their credit, they have kept most games within reason and as of late, they have covered four of their last five games. Defensively, they are just as bad as the Kings which does not bode well but their offense does make up for it as they are a top half team in most offensive categories. Sacramento has been a favorite five times this season and this is easily the biggest number they have laid and the Spurs are the beneficiaries. San Antonio is 24-11 ATS in its last 35 road games against teams shooting 46 percent or better on the season and the Spurs are 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a winning straight up record. Here, we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after beating the spread by more than 24 points in their previous game, playing a team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1996. 10* (503) San Antonio Spurs

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO TOREROS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Utah St. is off to a 3-0 start with wins over Utah Valley, Bradley and Santa Clara while covering all three as favorites between seven and nine points but all of those games were at home. The Aggies hit the road for the first time and are still favored in that price range and they are getting too much respect here based on their early success at home. Utah St. lost nine games by seven points or fewer while 15 of its 18 wins came by double digits which gave the Aggies the designation of the unlikeliest team in the country according to KenPom. The Aggies are picked No. 7 in the Mountain West Conference and while they have won each game going away, we will see how they perform on the road with their best player Justin Bean gone from last season. San Diego is also off to a 3-0 start and while the Toreros have not dominated as big as Utah St. has, they have played a stronger slate and they do possess one quality win already. They defeated Florida Gulf Coast which had already defeated USC by 13 points on the road and while that could be considered a letdown for the Eagles, it was impressive, nonetheless. San Diego is a bottom half team in the West Coast Conference but that is the case every year in the top heavy league. The Toreros have four players averaging double figures, and they are all guards and they are led by Weber St. transfer guard Sigu Sisoho Jawara who missed the last game because of an illness, but is expected to play and he has averaged 19.5 ppg and 5.0 apg. 10* (758) San Diego Toreros

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Dominator. Green Bay is coming off a much needed win as it defeated Dallas in overtime on Sunday to snap a five-game losing streak and keep its season somewhat alive and also snapped an incredible streak of the Cowboys being 195-0 coming into that game when holding a two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter. The Packers are now playing on a short week coming off that big emotional win and playing against the most physical team they have seen all season and the fact they played in the spotlight in a game that everyone saw, the line reflects that and they will be publicly backed in this one. Green Bay was able to run all over Dallas as it had 208 yards on the ground but the Cowboys are No. 29 in rushing defense and that was the fourth time the Packers have gone over 200 yards rushing with three of those against teams ranked No. 19 or worse in rushing defense. That is far from the case here. Everyone will also remember the three touchdown passes from Aaron Rodgers to Christian Watson but take those out and he threw for 104 yards the rest of the game. The offense that struggled prior to that game will be on display once again. Tennessee opened the season 0-2 but has gone 6-1 over its last seven games with the lone blemish being a three-point overtime loss at Kansas City. The Titans have covered seven straight games which is typically a no play on situation but the game situation makes up for that here, especially with this line that is in their favor as if this game was played last week, it would be close to a pickem and any lines that were released prior to last Sunday were in the one-point range and shot up right after. The Titans have decisive advantages in the rushing game on both sides of the ball and that is where that physicality comes into play as they are ranked No. 2 in rushing defense going up against the No. 12 rushing offense and on the other side, the Tennessee offense is ranked No. 8 in rushing and the Packers are No. 26 against the run. Enough said. Here, we play on road underdogs or pickems after allowing 99 or less rushing yards in three straight games. This situation is 40-16 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (311) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the TEXAS ST. BOBCATS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. Two teams with completely opposite expectations heading into the season square off with identical 2-1 records. UTSA has two wins on its home floor but both were against non-Division I teams Trinity and St. Mary's-Texas and were throttled at Texas A&M-CC by 20 points as a seven-point underdog. This is not a good team and have been picked to finish dead last in what is a very weak bottom half C-USA so the fact it is tabbed No. 11 is telling. The Roadrunners have had a lot of new faces leading the way, having lost four of its top five scorers from last season with the lone holdover being center Jacob Germany who is averaging 12.7 ppg and 4.0 rpg and he is the only double-digit scorer despite the easy schedule they have faced. Overall, the Roadrunners are shooting a mere 40.1 percent as a team from the floor while averaging just 65 ppg. Texas St. opened the season with a loss at Washington St. but has rebounded with a pair of wins including a road victory at Rhode Island as a 7.5-point underdog. The Bobcats are picked anywhere from first to third in the Sun Belt Conference and they are led by guard Mason Harrell who is a first team All-Sun Belt Conference player and will compete for Player of the Year honors. This team is obviously road tested and this is their shortest trip of the season in the I-35 rivalry and they should have no problem here as the talent level alone is worst a boatload of points and even though it is on the road, the rivalry is important. 10* (733) Texas St. Bobcats

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our AAC Game of the Month. Tulane had its five-game losing streak snapped with a 38-81 loss at home against Central Florida and it is now tied atop the AAC at 5-1 with the Knights and Cincinnati so this is a must win to get a chance to go to the AAC Championship with their season finale next week at the Bearcats. The only other loss this season came against Southern Mississippi at home by three points despite outgaining the Golden Eagles by 198 total yards as it was done in by an interception returned for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. The Green Wave have those two losses at home and with this being the last home game of the season on Senior Night on national TV, they will be out to get it done. This is an excellent matchup as while they face a top ranked offense, the defense has led the way as they are No. 20 overall and No. 18 in scoring and the effort last week will be fresh in their head. The Tulane offense is slightly behind at No. 49 overall and No. 37 in scoring and can get the job done here against a porous defense. SMU has won three straight games and the Mustangs have covered four in a row which is an auto play against given the right situation and this is definitely it. The offense has had two of its top three season performances over their last two games but this is the best defense it has seen over that stretch and the only other top ranked defense it has faced was against Cincinnati and was held to 24 points. The Mustangs have been outgained is five of their last seven games and that is due to the defense that has been a sieve. SMU is ranked No. 120 in total defense and No. 117 is scoring defense and Tulane can have its way here. Revenge is a factor after Tulane lost at SMU last season 55-26 and was outgained by close to 200 yards. Here, we play against road underdogs after going over the total by 49 or more points total in their last five games, in weeks 10 through 13. This situation is 38-11 ATS (77.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (314) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the RICHMOND SPIDERS as part of our CBB Thursday Three Pack. We played against Richmond in its last game as it travelled to Charleston and blew a massive lead and fell in overtime but we will be backing the Spiders in their return back home. The Spiders struggled to put away VMI early but did eventually pull away for a season-opening victory and then defeated Northern Iowa by 13 points and while the Panthers won the MVC regular season championship last season, they are not good this season. Now they face another program with a rich recent history but is in a down year and the Spiders should be ready to bounce back here. They play a Princeton style offense which is tough to prepare for and Richmond will pick apart defenders with back-cuts all game long. Wichita St. opened the season with an easy victory against Central Arkansas but followed that up with a horrible nine-point loss to Alcorn St. as a 16-point favorite and that really come as no surprise. Seven players transferred out in what was a mass exodus in Wichita as head coach Isaac Brown is already feeling the heat after losing his four best players, including AAC Defensive Player of the Year Dexter Dennis. To their credit, the Shockers brought in some solid transfers to try and turn thigs around but they have yet to gel and that could take a while and now the group hits the road for the first time. The offense is still a work in progress, which has shot just 22.2 percent from long range and currently ranks No. 232 nationally in effective field goal percentage. 10* (724) Richmond Spiders

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. One look at the early season results seems to favor Southern Indiana here but we are going totally against that here in a great spot for Notre Dame. We won with the Screaming Eagles on Sunday in a big upset against Southern Illinois as a 10-point home underdog which was an ideal spot as this is the first season at the Division I level and that game was there first ever home game and it was an electric environment and this presents a big letdown spot even though this is a big name program they will be facing. A new look team coming over from the Great Lake Valley Conference where they finished 18-8 including 12-6 in the conference has relied on transfers and so far so good which included an eight-point loss at Missouri where that line was 19 points and are now getting fewer points against a team ranked higher than the Tigers. A typical fear in a game like this is looking past an inferior opponent but that will not be the case for Notre Dame which has not looked good in its first two games of the season. The Irish snuck past Radford by three points in their season opener as 18-point favorites and then were pushed again by Youngstown St. before eventually pulling away by seven points. Notre Dame had an unexpectedly great season a year ago and this is a dynamic offense with a starting lineup that features a shooting big man in Nate Laszewski surrounded by four perimeter scores and playmakers. They possess one of the best backcourts in the ACC with Cormac Ryan, Dane Goodwin and Trey Wertz which have averaged a combined 42 ppg. 10* (694) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the SETON HALL PIRATES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Iowa is coming off another solid season where it went 22-9 overall including a 12-8 record in the Big Ten and won the Big Ten Tournament Championship but are expected to take a step backward this season as it is picked No. 7 in the preseason poll. The Hawkeyes opened the season by blasting a pair of cupcakes and now hits the road for the first time and against a quality opponent. The loss of Keegan Murray is a big one to overcome and the backcourt will be tested with on-ball pressure which they have not seen yet and turnover will be a big key in this game which is basically a pickem. According to KenPom, Iowa has an adjusted offensive efficiency rating of 114.2, which is the fifth-highest rating in the nation but have not faced a team that can stop anyone. Seton Hall is also coming off a pair of cupcake wins Monmouth and St. Peter's and it remains home looking for a quality resume-building victory. The Pirates worked the transfer portal well and nabbed a pair of power five players with Clemson transfer Al-Amir Dawes and Louisville transfer Dre Davis and both have already made their presence felt. It is a short sample size but through two games, new head coach Shaheen Holloway has shown his defensive coaching ability that he instilled while at St. Peter's which were a top 25 defense as St. Peter's as the Pirates are ranked No. 23 nationally in adjusted defensive efficiency, No. 3 in defensive shooting at 31.7 percent from the field and also have a defensive turnover rate of 29.9 which is No. 9 nationally. 10* (686) Seton Hall Pirates

This is a play on the MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES for our NBA Nonconference Game of the Month. Minnesota snapped a three-game losing streak with a win at Cleveland on Sunday and it is in a good spot here for another win before a pair of tough games on deck. The Timberwolves had lost six of seven games prior to that but four of those losses came against Phoenix twice, Milwaukee when it was healthy and Memphis so it was a tough stretch against some very good teams. It has been a very disappointing start for Minnesota that added pieces that should have it make a run in the Western Conference but at 6-8, it is sitting 3.5 games behind Portland in the Northwest Division. They are 2-3 on the road with the only bad loss coming at San Antonio. Orlando had won two straight games in big upsets over Dallas and Phoenix but lost to Charlotte on Monday and is likely for another regression that saw it start 2-9 in its first 11 games. This team should improve somewhat as the season goes on once they start getting healthy as they are a banged up bunch. There is no veteran leadership on this team the Magic still have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season and No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero is still on the injury list after averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.3 rpg through the first 11 games but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points after having lost two of their last three games going up against an opponent after having won two of their last three games. This situation is 42-18 ATS (70 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (559) Minnesota Timberwolves

This is a play on the OAKLAND GOLDEN GRIZZLIES as part of our CBB Wednesday Three Pack. Oakland is off to a disappointing 1-2 start as it opened by rolling of Defiance but then lost at home as a favorite against Bowling Green and remained home where it was blasted by Oklahoma St. by 29 points in a horrible spot as it welcomed the Cowboys that were coming off a one-point home upset loss to Southern Illinois. The Golden Grizzlies are much better than that and this line is telling us that Oklahoma St. and Toledo would be favored the same on a neutral floor and that is not the case. Oakland was picked a close fourth in the Horizon League preseason poll as it received a pair of first place votes after a fifth place finish last season where it went 19-11. The Golden Grizzlies return Preseason All-League First Team selection Jalen Moore who finished second in the country in assists last season with 7.8 per game after leading the country the prior season with 8.4 per game and he is 6.5 through the first three games this season. Toledo is coming off a pair of wins to open the season defeating Valparaiso at home 85-70 as a 13-point favorite and then taking out UAB by eight points on a neutral floor last Friday. The Rockets are a very solid team that are coming off a MAC Regular Season Championship last season and have been tabbed to finish second this season mostly due to the loss of guard Ryan Rollins. The offense has hummed through two games but the defense has struggled which makes this big underdog line, that has gone up since the opening, even more appealing. 10* (681) Oakland Golden Grizzlies

This is a play on the KENT ST. GOLDEN FLASHES for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. It has been a disappointing season for Kent St. even though it started very similar to last season but the recent results have not been the same. In 2021, after a 1-3 nonconference start, the losses against Texas A&M, Iowa and Maryland, the Golden Flashes righted the ship, going 6-2 in the conference and went to the MAC Championship for the first time since 2012. They started this season 1-3 1-3 in nonconference action with losses against Washington, Oklahoma and Georgia but the MAC results have seen them go just 3-3 with two of those losses coming by just one possession and while they have no chance in the MAC East Division, they have a lot to play for as they have to win their final two games to become bowl eligible. They are coming off a big 40-6 win at Bowling Green last week and now Kent St. hosts its final home game of the season before travelling to Buffalo to close out the regular season. Comparing the offenses and defenses in this matchup, the Golden Flashes have one significant edge which is in the running game as they are ranked No. 19 in the nation, averaging 210.3 ypg and face a poor rushing defense here. Kent St. is 7-0 ATS in its last seven home games after allowing nine points or less last game. Eastern Michigan defeated Akron in its last game to become bowl eligible but it was just a six-point victory over the worst team in the conference and one of the worse in the country. The Eagles nonconference was unlike that of Kent St. and while it includes a win over Arizona St., that was when the Sun Devils has quit on their coach while another came against Eastern Kentucky of the FCS by one possession and the third came against 1-9 Massachusetts by one possession as well. Two of their three conference losses were by 19 and 29 points and while they played Toledo tough in a 27-24 loss, they were outgained by 157 total yards. Eastern Michigan is ranked No. 104 in total offense and while the defense is better, it is not by much and that rushing defense is ranked No. 89 in the nation. Eastern Michigan is 4-20 ATS in its last 24 games after scoring 24 points or more in the first half last game. Here, we play on teams averaging 4.8 or more ypc and after outrushing opponent by 125 or more yards last game going up against teams allowing between 4.3 and 4.8 ypc. This situation is 33-8 ATS (80.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (306) Kent St. Golden Flashes

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. The Aztecs, the preseason favorite in the Mountain West Conference, have opened the season 2-0 and it has been good and bad for the No. 17 team in the nation. The good is that they are averaging 81 ppg through the first two games after putting up just 65.4 ppg last season and in this case, the bad will eventually turn into a good. The best offensive threat on the team, senior guard Matt Bradley, is averaging 7.0 ppg on shooting 5-23 (21.7 percent) with all of his buckets made being from around the rim. Once he gets going, which should happen tonight, this team will be a force on offense. On the other side, San Diego St. combines size and physicality with an outstanding defensive scheme and one of the most best defenders in the country in Nathan Mensah. Stanford is coming off an opening win against Pacific by just 10 points and then travelled to Milwaukee where it lost by 10 points against Wisconsin so the Cardinal are in the midst of a tough travel situation. There remain questions for the Cardinal on offense following a 36 percent shooting performance against the Badgers that included a 1-16 effort from long range. The one player that Stanford needs to get heavily involved in the offense is Harrison Ingram who was the Pac 12 Rookie of the Year but was very inconsistent and is off to a rough start this year, averaging just 6.5 ppg on a dismal 28.6 percent shooting from the floor. Do not expect anything of a rebound here against a stifling defense. 10* (645) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO LOBOS as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. New Mexico is coming off a pair of home wins to open the season and while this is the first road game for the Lobos, it is not a far journey out of Albuquerque. The first two games finished close to right on the number against Southern Utah and South Alabama but they were two big wins for a team that went 13-19 last season and has been picked fourth in the MWC. New Mexico, like so many other non-power five teams, have benefitted from the transfer portal and it shored up the interior with the additions of Morris Udeze and Josiah Allick and they have already made their presence felt. The return of playmakers Jaelen House and Jamal Mashburn, Jr., both Preseason MWC All-Conference nominees, thrived in the up-and-down offense and New Mexico has a solid roster to become a sleeper in the conference. It was not too long ago that SMU was a national player but times have changed as the Mustangs have a new head coach in Rob Lanier and he inherits a roster that had heavy turnover and unlike their counterpart tonight, they have a lack of shot creators. SMU defeated Texas A&M-Commerce in its opener but failed against Dayton in its last game as it was that lack of offense that did the Mustangs in as they shot just 34 percent from the floor including 26 percent from long range. This is a rebuild in progress and SMU is at a big disadvantage in roster talent here. 10* (637) New Mexico Lobos

This is a play on the EASTERN MICHIGAN EAGLES as part of our CBB Tuesday Three Pack. Eastern Michigan opened the season with a non-inspiring win over Wayne St. but came back and gave Michigan all it could handle in a five-point loss on Friday as its roster got to full strength. The Eagles have one of the best prospects in the country in Emoni Bates who committed to Michigan St. when he was 16, transferred to Memphis where he played 16 games last season and is now at Eastern Michigan for one season before he heads to the NBA. He missed the opener because of a stemming felony charge but it was dropped and he was in the lineup against the Wolverines where he dropped 30 points on 12-19 shooting and should have another field day on Tuesday. Bradley cruised to a season opening win over Wisconsin Parkside but got blown out at Utah St. on Friday by 22 points in what was supposed to be a much closer game. The Braves are expected to be one of the top teams in the MVC this season as they have been picked as high as No. 2 in some preseason polls but that was prior to big loss. First Team All-MVC center Rienk Mast suffered a knee injury that could keep him out 4-8 weeks and his absence was on full display against the Aggies as the Braves were outrebounded 44-28. Bradley should be back to full strength once conference play starts barring any setback for Mast but right now, this is a team in transition and is laying too big of a number here. 10* (639) Eastern Michigan Eagles

This is a play on the BUTLER BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. Butler opened the season with a 36-point win over New Orleans under new head coach Thad Matta who is in his second stint with the Bulldogs. They had a rough season a year ago as they dealt with numerous injuries on their way to a 14-19 record including 6-14 record in the Big East Conference and they are pegged for a lower-tiered finish this upcoming season but this is a team loaded with talent with an experienced backcourt and help down low via the transfer portal. Guards Chuck Harris, Jayden Taylor, and Simas Lukosius combined for 40 points in the opener but it was NC State transfer center Manny Bates that led the way with 25 points and 11 boards. Penn St. is off to 2-0 start with a pair of 25-point blowout wins over Winthrop and Loyola-Maryland and now it takes a step up in competition on Monday. Penn St. has lived off the three-point shot in the first two games as it shot 53 percent from long range against the Greyhounds with 16 makes which came after the Nittany Lions made 18 from deep in the opener and are shooting 50 percent on the season from behind the arc which is unsustainable. After finishing 7-13 in the Big Ten and 14-17 overall, Penn St. has been picked to finish No. 11 in the conference this season behind a good backcourt but very little down low so the small lineup will have trouble getting second chance points. 10* (877) Butler Bulldogs

This is a play on the WASHINGTON COMMANDERS for our NFL Monday Primetime Dominator. Washington has rallied from a 1-4 start to win three of its last four games to get to 4-5 which is not horrible but in this division, there is a lot of work to be done against the three teams ahead of it in the division. Those recent wins for the Commanders have not come against very good teams but give this defense credit as they have held all but one opponent to 24 points or fewer and that includes games against Dallas, Philadelphia and Minnesota and unfortunately, those all resulted in losses as the offense was not able to capitalize on its own side. Overall, the schedule is ranked No. 18 in the league but that compared nothing to the Eagles which have played the easiest schedule thus far at No. 32. The Commanders are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game. The schedule ranking aside, you cannot take anything away from the Eagles and their 8-0 start but laying this much in a division game, especially in the second meeting where adjustments can be made by the opposition, it simply way too much. Philadelphia does have the benefit of having extra rest after playing Houston last Thursday in a tougher than expected game but that does not necessarily help a team that is undefeated as the momentum can be hit in a negative way. The Eagles are ranked in the top ten in all major stat categories, with the schedule skewing that some, with the exception of rushing defense where they are No. 21 and this is where Washington should and will take advantage to shorten the game but the passing game still needs to step up as the Eagles are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game. Here, we play against home teams outgaining their opponents by 1.25 or more passing ypa, after gaining 7.0 or more passing ypa in two straight games. this situation is 44-12 ATS (78.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (265) Washington Commanders

This is a play on the FLORIDA ST. SEMINOLES as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. It is only the third game in but this calls for desperate times in Tallahassee as the Seminoles have opened the season 0-2 with a home loss against Stetson by nine points and then travelled to Central Florida and lost by 14 points against a very good Knights team. The Florida St. home loss against the Hatters was shocking as a 17-point favorite and added to the fact was that it came in riding an 88-8 record at home going back to 2015. The Seminoles trailed by only three points with 4:40 remaining, but Stetson outscored Florida St. 15-9 to close the game and they will be out to get back on track here. This is a roster that has only five players back from last season but should start to gel after playing two games and this is a tall and athletic team with no scholarship player under 6'5". Troy is coming off a pair of wins to open the season by 20 and 54 points but both of those were non-lined game against non-D1 teams so those can be excluded in showing what the Trojans are made of. This is a roster short of experience so playing a pair of cupcakes was definitely good to get some sort of semblance of what they have as they bring back just one starter from the 20-win team from a season ago. This would have been a tough spot for Troy under normal circumstances but facing a red-faced Seminoles team that is not going to let up makes it that much worse. 10* (852) Florida St. Seminoles

This is a play on the BOSTON CELTICS for our NBA Monday Supreme Annihilator. Boston is rolling along as it has won six straight games to improve to 10-3 on the season and has a 3.5-game lead over Toronto in the Atlantic Division and has moved to within a half-game of the Bucks in the Eastern Conference for first place. The Celtics are 5-1 at home with the only loss coming against Cleveland in overtime, one of two losses against the Cavaliers this season, and the offense has not skipped a beat with the new coaching staff in place. Boston leads the league in scoring with 119.5 ppg and they are also No. 1 in offensive efficiency. They have not been as strong on defense but have been good enough and are in a good spot here against a tired team playing their second game in two days. The Celtics are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a losing straight up record. Oklahoma City snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto on Friday and followed that up with a 10-point win over the Knicks on Sunday. This will be the second back-to-back for them this season, losing the second game of the first one by 10 points at home against Minnesota. The Thunder has not been as horrible as expected as they are 6-7 but only one of those wins have come against a team that was at least close to 100 percent healthy which was a surprising win at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog in October. The offense has been putting up a ton of points based on pace but it is just No. 21 in shooting including No. 25 from behind the arc and Oklahoma City is ranked No. 18 in overall offensive efficiency. The Thunder are 2-5-2 ATS in their last nine games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play against underdogs coming off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. this situation is 34-16 ATS (68 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (538) Boston Celtics

This is a play on the COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON COUGARS as part of our CBB Monday Three Pack. Charleston coming off a game against North Carolina in which they led the Tar Heels in the second half before North Carolina pulled away for the 16-point win. The Cougars opened the season with a home win against UT-Chattanooga and are back home catching points which should not be the case. The Cougars are picked to finish fourth in the CAA and received one first place vote and this is a deep and experienced team that plays at a rapid pace with a 10-player rotation, nine of which have logged at least 15 minutes per game. Richmond has opened the season with a pair of wins at home and hits the road for the first time. The Spiders struggled to put away VMI early but did eventually pull away for a season-opening victory and while a 13-point win against Northern Iowa which won the MVC regular season championship last season to follow that up may look impressive, the Panthers are not the same team from last year. Richmond has top scorer Tyler Burton back from last season but the other top four scorers for the Spiders are gone and they have been tabbed to finish No. 7 in the Atlantic Ten Conference. Richmond won the A-10 Conference Tournament last season and then defeated Iowa in the first round of the Big Dance and that showing is sticking with them which is a big reason they come in as the favored team tonight. 10* (862) College of Charleston Cougars

This is a play on the GREEN BAY PACKERS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. We played against Green Bay last week and it lost at home against Detroit as Aaron Rodgers had his worst game of the season as he came in with a 14:4 TD:INT ratio but tossed three interceptions. The Packers have now lost five straight games with the last three on the road and four of those have come away from home. The lone loss at Lambeau Field came against the Jets in what was an even game on the stat sheet but a blocked punt return for a touchdown for New York changed the game late in the third quarter. Everyone is sour on this team and rightfully so but this is a great spot after playing three straight road games and if ever there is a spot for a team to reach deep, this is it. These are the situations we love especially against a public team that drives up the line. Green Bay is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 home games against teams who give up 17 or fewer ppg. Dallas is coming off its bye week after coming off a pair of home wins against Chicago and Detroit and this will be the third game of a four-game stretch against teams from the NFC North. The Cowboys are 6-2 which is impressive considering all of the injuries they have withstood but they have been fortunate as they have outgained only five of eight opponents and on they season, they are outgained opponents by just over eight ypg. Dallas is +6 in turnover margin which has been the biggest benefit as both units have underwhelmed at times. While we expect Rodgers to have a big bounce back game, the running game benefits Green Bay also as the Cowboys are just No. 24 against the run and that is even more disturbing considering a lot of teams were playing from behind and needing to throw. Dallas is 5-15 ATS in its last 20 games after covering the spread in six or seven out of their last eight games. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games going up against an opponent after covering the spread in three out of their last four games. This situation is 40-12 ATS (76.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (262) Green Bay Packers

This is a play on the SOUTHERN INDIANA SCREAMING EAGLES for our CBB Sunday Enforcer. This is a sneaky good spot for Southern Indiana which enters its first season at the D-1 level and after travelling to Missouri in their first ever game at this level and losing by just eight points as a 19-point underdog, the Screaming Eagles are home for their first ever D-1 game. Coming over from the Great Lake Valley Conference where they finished 18-8 including 12-6 in the conference, they have enter the Ohio Valley Conference and have been pegged to finish seventh in the 10-team conference. This is not a D-2 roster as Southern Indiana added some key transfers that can help right way in Jeremiah Hernandez (Kent State), Nick Hittle (Indiana State), Trevor Lakes (Nebraska), Sam Mevis (Indiana State) and Peter Nwoke (Michigan State) with the first three combining for 34 points in the opener and it was Jelani Simmons, an All-GLVC Second Team selection last season, who poured in a team high 23 points. Southern Illinois opened the season by annihilating Arkansas-Little Rock by 31 points and then went to Oklahoma St. and defeated the Cowboys by a bucket and an eight-point underdog. The Cowboys did not hit a field goal in the last 4:10 of the game which was the obvious difference and the Salukis are going to be a problem for other MVC teams this season as they are picked to finish third in the conference and we just saw what they can do. This is a horrible letdown spot though and being favored by this many points in what is going to be a raucous environment is way too much. 10* (822) Southern Indiana Screaming Eagles

This is a play on the DETROIT LIONS for our NFC North Game of the Month. Chicago won a big Monday night game in the spotlight against New England but has since lost two straight games as it was blown out at Dallas two games back and were able to stay within cover range in a loss to Miami last week. The running game has been off the charts the last four games as the Bears are averaging 243 ypg and have surpassed 237 yards in each of those so it is no secret what the Lions will be going after. Rushing numbers like that should translate into wins but the Bears are just 1-3 in those games so there are issues all over. One constant for Chicago is that it has succeeded when winning the turnover battle, which is the case for many teams, as it is +4 in its three wins and -3 in its four losses and has not won the turnover battle in any of its five losses. Chicago is 12-26 ATS in its last 38 games after scoring 25 points or more in two straight games. Detroit is off to a worst start at 2-6 but it is the higher ranked team across most power ranking boards and its issue has been unable to solve the elite teams as the Lions are 0-4 against the top ten so playing .500 football against the other 22 teams is more respectable. They snapped a five-game losing streak with a win over Green Bay last week as they benefitted from Packers turnovers but three of those five losses came by four points or less against teams with a winning record and a loss at Dallas should have been closer as a fumble at the one-yard line completely changed that outcome. Detroit is ranked No. 7 in total offense and No. 12 in scoring offense and face an awful defense that has gotten worse after the trades of their two best defenders and their first game last week without both of them showed how weak it is. Detroit is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games against teams allowing a completion percentage of 61 percent or worse in the second half of the season. Here, we play on road underdogs or pickems after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games going up against an opponent after covering the spread in two out of their last three games. This situation is 36-10 ATS (78.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (249) Detroit Lions

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. The Giants went 6-2 before their bye week, arguably one of the worst 6-2 teams we have seen in a while, and they lost at Seattle by 14 points before their week off. They have been underdogs in six of eight games and in the games they were favored, it was by one and three points so this has been the most they have been favored by due to playing a poor team. They have relied on Saquon Barkley who looks like he did a couple years ago as he is fully healthy and he will be the key target for the Houston defense. The Giants are ranked No. 24 in total offense and No. 17 in total defense and this against a schedule ranked No. 20 in the league. The quarterback play has hindered the offense as Daniel Jones has been okay but not above average and he has been able to use his scrambling ability to keep drives alive. The Giants are 8-19 ATS in their last 27 home games after covering the spread in four out of their last five games. Yes, Houston is a poor team but the linesmakers take that into consideration and the Texans are 4-3-1 ATS which includes a 2-1-1 ATS record on the road. The lone ATS came at the Raiders but that was a game they actually outgained Las Vegas but the game was sealed on a 73-yard interception that was returned for a touchdown so that was a 10-14 point swing. The offense is not the worst but it is near the bottom in most categories and Houston will once again rely on the strength of its running game which can have success against a poor rushing defense. Quarterback Davis Mills has not been great but has not had any blowup games so as long as he can manage with minimal mistakes. Receiver Brandon Cooks has shown frustration and did not play last game for personal reasons, aka he weas benched, but is back this week. The Texans are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Here, we play against favorites in a game involving two defensive teams allowing between 18 and 23 ppg, after a loss by 10 or more points. This situation is 29-8 ATS (78.4 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (245) Houston Texans

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Sunday Ultimate Underdog. Miami could be the biggest fraud in the NFL and the analytics could be proving that. Despite six wins, 10 teams are ranked ahead of the Dolphins that have fewer wins. To their credit, the quarterback carousel that occurred in the middle of their nine games because of the injuries definitely held them back and Miami is still the No. 2 ranked passing team in the league thanks to big plays and it is middle of the pack in third down conversions. The major problem for the Dolphins has been the defense as they are No. 23 overall and No. 25 in scoring defense as they have allowed 27 or more points in five of their eight games including four of the last six games and all of this is a problem against an underrated Cleveland offense. The short line is going the public lined up on the home side here but sharp money has dropped this line and while we would love the opener, this is more than good. Miami 0-7 ATS in its last seven games after gaining 6.5 or more yppl in two consecutive games. Cleveland is coming off a big win over Cincinnati two weeks ago which snapped a four-game losing streak and the Browns have been part of some bad fortunes this season. They are 3-5 and four of those losses have been by three points or less and two of those have come on the road where they actually outgained the opposition and the only time they were outgained in those four games was against the Chargers by only 22 total yards. Point being, Cleveland has hung around in every game but one which was against New England where turnovers did them in. The Browns are again abusing defenses with their running game as they are No. 3 in the league in rushing offense and have amassed 171 yards or more in six games. The Browns are 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games against teams with a winning home record. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after allowing 5.5 or less passing ypa last game going up against an opponent after gaining 7.0 or more passing ypa in two straight games. This situation is 37-9 ATS (80.4 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (251) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the NEW YORK KNICKS for our NBA Game of the Week. New York is coming off a win over Detroit on Friday to get to .500 once again and it improved to 4-2 at home. The four wins have comes against some bad teams in the Pistons twice, the Magic and the Hornets while the two losses came against solid teams in Boston and Atlanta and the Knicks will be facing another team from that former group. Overall, the Knicks are 1-5 against the top ten teams and 5-1 against teams outside that top ten with the one defeat coming against Brooklyn. Their defense has been one of the best in the league as they are ranked No. 3 in shooting defense including No. 8 in three-point shooting defense and face a below average offense. New York is 28-14 ATS in its last 42 games when playing six or more games in 10 days. Oklahoma City snapped a four-game losing streak with a win over Toronto on Friday but the Raptors were again shorthanded playing without Pascal Siakam. The Thunder has not been as horrible as expected as they are 5-7 but only one of those wins have come against a team that was at least close to 100 percent healthy which was a surprising win at Dallas as a 10.5-point underdog in October. As mentioned, the offense, despite scoring points because of pace, is just No. 22 in shooting including No. 28 from behind the arc and Oklahoma City is ranked No. 28 in overall offensive efficiency. The Thunder are 1-5-2 ATS in their last eight games after scoring more than 125 points in their previous game. Here, we play against underdogs coming off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. this situation is 34-14 ATS (70.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (518) New York Knicks

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Saturday Enforcer. Dallas has been a non-cover disaster for bettors as it has failed to cover the number in seven straight games, going 4-3 straight up over that stretch. The Mavericks are coming off a mini two-game roadtrip to Orlando and Washington and lost those games by seven and eight points respectively as favorites to fall to 1-4 on the road. They head back home for the start of a five-game homestand to try and break that two-game slide and improve their 5-1 record in Dallas that includes four straight wins and we are getting value here based on the recent ATS skid. The Mavericks have played solid defense as they are No. 8 in defensive efficiency and while scoring has been down, this is mostly due to pace as the come in ranked No. 11 in offensive efficiency. Dallas is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 games off an upset loss as a road favorite over the last 3 seasons. Portland opened its six-game roadtrip with a split in Phoenix but has won its last three games including a solid win on Thursday at New Orleans by 11 points as a nine-point underdog. The Blazers have been one of the bigger surprises in the Western Conference as they are 9-3 and are currently in second place in the conference behind the more surprising Utah Jazz. They have gotten it done on the road with a 6-1 record which is also keeping this number down and Portland has been the best cover teams in the league at 10-2 ATS and this is a good spot to go against them in the final game of this trip that has had them on the road for the last 12 days. Portland is 2-11 ATS in its last 13 road games after allowing 100 points or less. Here, we play on favorites off an upset loss as a favorite going up against an opponent off an upset win as a road underdog. This situation is 102-59 ATS (63.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (516) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our CFB Saturday Supreme Annihilator. Washington defeated Oregon St. on a late field goal to improve to 4-2 in the Pac Ten and 7-2 overall but now finds itself in a tough spot facing one of the hottest teams in the country. The Huskies are just 1-2 on the road and those losses both came when favored and this is the first time this season that they have gotten points which shows the slate they have faced. The passing attack is the best in the country but it is a very unbalanced offense as Washington is ranked No. 99 in rushing offense. The defense allows 26.9 ppg which is just No. 75 in the country and the one offense it has faced that is potent was UCLA and they allowed 500 yards. Oregon has reeled off eight straight wins following its loss against Georgia in the season opener where it could muster only three points and 313 yards of offense. Since then, the Ducks have scored at least 41 points in every game and has gone over 500 yards six times. The run has put the Ducks at No. 6 in the CFP rankings with the loss against the Bulldogs obviously not being a bad one as they are the top ranked of the three 8-1 teams from the Pac 12. Quarterback Bo Nix has been outstanding with 2,495 yards passing and 22 touchdowns and just five interceptions while rushing for 457 yards and 13 touchdowns. There is one key stat that is skewed as Oregon is ranked No. 117 in passing defense but a lot of those yards have come because of teams needing to play catch up and yards piled up in garbage time. Ony a backdoor cover by Washington St. back in September has prevented Oregon from being on a perfect 8-0 ATS run which shows the dominance it has put forth. Here, we play on home favorites averaging 440 or more ypg and after gaining 7.25 or more yppl in two consecutive games going up against teams allowing between 330 and 390 ypg. This situation is 71-27 ATS (72.4 percent) since 1992. 10* (194) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the TEXAS TECH RED RAIDERS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Kansas has been the story on the Big 12 Conference and it made it into the AP Poll for the first time since 2009 and became bowl eligible with a win over Oklahoma St. last week for the first time since 2008. With that demon having left the building, we can see a letdown this week. The offense has led the way as the Jayhawks are No. 36 overall and No. 15 in scoring with quarterback Jalon Daniels being a big part of that but he remains out after missing the last four games but Jason Bean has performed well in relief yet he has been on the wrong side of their three losses. The defense was the big problem in those games and has been all season as Kansas is No. 113 in total defense including No. 121 in passing defense which falls right into the Texas Tech wheelhouse. Kansas is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games after gaining 350 or more rushing yards last game. Texas Tech has lost two straight games and four of its last five following a 3-1 so it needs to more wins to make it to a bowl game and this is essentially a must win with remaining games at Iowa St. and at home against Oklahoma. The Red Raiders held their own against TCU last week as they lost by just 10 points on the road and was outgained by only 83 yards. The home team has dominated their games this season, going 8-1 including Texas Tech going 4-1 at home. The Red Raiders are ranked No. 11 in passing offense and while quarterback Behren Morton was forced to leave last week against TCU and is questionable this week but this is not as there is experience behind him that has seen plenty of time. Texas Tech is 6-0 ATS in its last six games coming off a road loss. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points off a home win against a conference rival going up against an opponent off two consecutive losses by 10 points or more to conference rivals. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) since 1992. 10* (158) Texas Tech Red Raiders

This is a play on the MISSISSIPPI ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Saturday Star Attraction. Georgia is coming off a comminating performance against then CFP No. 1 Tennessee as it allowed fewer than 300 total yards against one of the best offenses in the country but its own offense was not very good as the Bulldogs had a season low 387 yards and a second lowest 27 points. That was against a pretty average defense at home, granted in some wet weather, and now it hits the highway for only its third road game against a much better defense. Georgia has not played a true game since October 1st and narrowly escaped at Missouri and is now a heavy favorite in a very tough spot. Add to the fact this is a night game in the SEC that Georgia has yet to encounter and we all know how these home field edges can make a huge difference. While they stifled the Tennessee offense, they will be seeing a different Air Raid attack here and will be unlikely to even come close to the seven sacks registered last week. Mississippi St. had a scare last week but was able to take out Auburn in overtime to avoid a third straight loss and moved to 3-3 in the SEC and 6-3 overall. The home team is a perfect 6-0 in the Bulldogs six conference games this season and while we cannot call the outright upset here to keep that undefeated run alive, this is just too many points in a situation like this. Known for its offense, Mississippi St. has not been great but the passing game is on point as it is ranked No. 9 in the country behind Will Rogers who has thrown for 2,544 yards with 23 touchdowns and just four interceptions. As mentioned though, the other side will play a pivotal role as Mississippi St. is ranked No. 46 in total defense and No. 49 in scoring defense and it is going to apply a kind of pressure to Stetson Bennett that he has yet to see so another below average effort from the Bulldogs offense is in the cards. Maybe not the upset but a close one is expected. 10* (214) Mississippi St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the SOUTH ALABAMA JAGUARS for our Sun Belt Game of the Year. South Alabama is coming off a pair of road wins including against Georgia Southern last week as it rallied from a two-touchdown third quarter deficit to improve to 7-2 overall including 4-1 in the Sun Belt Conference but is not in the best shape to make it to the championship game as it trails Troy by a half-game and that one conference loss came against the Trojans. The Jaguars lost that game by only four points as they were stifled by a strong defense and the other loss was by only one point at UCLA. Both sides of the ball have played above average and should name the score here and there is some added incentive as this is a big revenge game for South Alabama as it lost at Texas St. last season by two points in four overtimes as a road favorite. The Jaguars are 5-1 ATS in their last six games against teams with a losing record. Texas St. has lost three straight games to fall to 3-6 so it needs to win out to be considered for a bowl game which is very unlikely at this point even though those final two games are at home but the Bobcats will have a tough time competing here. A lot of that is due to their horrible road play as they are 0-5 while getting outgained by an average of 114 ypg in those games. They are coming off a tough loss last week against UL-Monroe as they opened up a 21-0 lead but gave all of that back and had a chance to win but missed a 38-yard field goal to end the game that would have won it. The offense has been up and down, mostly the latter, as the Bobcats are No. 121 overall and No. 104 in scoring and this is not a good matchup against a very strong defense that has dominated lesser opponents. Texas St. has been outgained in seven of eight games against FBS teams. The Bobcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game. 10* (176) South Alabama Jaguars

This is a play on the NAVY MIDSHIPMEN for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Navy is coming off a 10-point loss at Cincinnati, the first of four games away from home to close the season which is not ideal as it needs three wins to become bowl eligible. The running game is not the best it has been but it is still very dependable as it is ranked No. 9 in rushing offense and while facing a solid rushing defense here, Notre Dame has struggled at times. The Midshipmen possess an above average defense, ranked No. 49 overall which shortens the games and keeps the offense on the field. Navy is 6-0 ATS in its last six games when playing against teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 and it makes logical sense because it is so good at ball possession while being a sizable underdog against those top teams which is the case here. Additionally it has covered all four games this season as a double-digit underdog for the same reasoning. The Irish are coming off a big upset as they exposed Clemson last week in a 35-14 victory. It has been three straight wins for Notre Dame thanks to some solid defense that has depended on turnovers but the offense has averaged just 359.8 ypg over its last four games. Notre Dame has been a mystery all season as many are aware of already and there is one pattern that cannot be overlooked. The Irish have taken points four times this season and covered all of those, winning three of those outright over North Carolina, Syracuse and Clemson and in the five games they have laid points, they have covered only once as a 3.5-point favorite against BYU while losing two of those outright against Marshall and Stanford at home no less. Here, we play on neutral field underdogs that are an excellent ball control team averaging 32 or more minutes in time of possession. This situation is 72-34 ATS (67.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (134) Navy Midshipmen

This is a play on the FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS for our MWC Game of the Month. This could very well have been a contrarian play with Fresno St. having won four straight games and UNLV losing four straight games but we are going with the current momentum in this one as the Bulldogs are finally playing to their potential. They went 10-3 last season and returned 15 starters but got off to a horrible start as following a win over Cal Poly of the FCS, the Bulldogs lost to Oregon St. by three points and then got blown out by USC prior to their bye week. Fresno St. then went to Connecticut and lost as a 22.5-point favorite and then got destroyed at Boise St. before starting its current four-game winning streak. The Bulldogs are a win away from bowl eligibility but more importantly, they control their own destiny at 4-1 in the MWC West Division and have two wins over the only remaining contenders so win out and they are in the championship game. They welcomed back quarterback Jake Haener two games back and all he has done is throw for 722 yards with seven touchdowns and only two interceptions. The defense can dominate here as Fresno St. is ranked No. 49 overall and No. 43 in points allowed and will be facing a below average offense. UNLV opened the season 4-1 but the biggest win came against North Texas and it has been downhill since as mentioned with its four consecutive defeats. There as been a consistency with the Rebels are the favorite has won all nine games involving UNLV so the Rebels have won the games they were supposed to and lost the games they were supposed to as well. Their offense has been pretty bad as they are ranked No. 101 overall and No. 82 in scoring and they have averaged only 11.3 ppg over the last four games. The defense has played better than expected but it is still not very good, ranking No. 67 overall and No. 84 in points allowed and they should get scorched here. Here, we play on road teams averaging between 5.6 to 6.2 yppl and after gaining 525 or more total yards in their previous game going up against teams allowing between 4.8 to 5.6 yppl. This situation is 56-22 ATS (71.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (123) Fresno St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the WISCONSIN BADGERS for our CBB Friday Enforcer. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. Stanford heads east to take part in the Brew City Battle and while this is a neutral site game, it is in Milwaukee and the Badgers will have the crowd on their side. The Cardinal defeated Pacific by only 10 points despite shooting 60 percent from the floor as it dominated down low but will not have that same luxury here. Forward Spencer Jones who averaged 11 ppg and 4.3 rpg missed the last game and is questionable and his defense will be missed if he cannot go. Wisconsin is coming off a 26-point win over South Dakota at home and while not playing at home, this is an easier trip. Combatting the Stanford size is forward Tyler Wahl who scored 19 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and he is ready for a breakout season. This is a completely different environment for both teams playing on a baseball field and the Badgers should be better prepared as they embarked on a summer tour into France so not only do they have more experience playing together as a team in actual games, but they also have the edge of playing in non-typical arenas which should help with the shooting eyes. 10* (678) Wisconsin Badgers

This is a play on the GONZAGA BULLDOGS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. This might be perceived as a sucker line by some as it is rare to see a Michigan St. team getting this many points but it is more a reason. Gonzaga rolled to a 41-point win over North Florida in its opening game as All-American Drew Timme led the way with 22 points on 10-19 shooting and behind him, this team is loaded with athleticism and depth in the backcourt with Rasir Bolton, Nolan Hickman, Malachi Smith and Hunter Sallis. Overall, this team is deep with an eight-man rotation that can rival any team in the nation and the relentless pace will be too much. The Spartans are sill very good but not on pace with some of the more recent editions and it may take a while to get the chemistry right. Michigan St. is coming off a relatively easy win over Northern Arizona by 18 points in its season opener and this is the beginning of a brutal seven-game stretch that will likely give the Spartans the No. 1 toughest ranked schedule in the country when all said and done. Gonzaga is too deep and talented for the Spartans this early in the season. 10* (640) Gonzaga Bulldogs

This is a play on the UAB BLAZERS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. This is a neutral site game in Philadelphia, part of the Barstool Invitational, and the Blazers are between a four and five-point favorite which does not seem close to enough. This is arguably one of the best UAB rosters in a very long time and it showed why it comes into the season as one of the top mid-major teams in the country as the Blazers hung 111 points on Alabama St. in their 44-point, season opening victory. UAB pushes the ball relentlessly and has one of the top backcourts in the country in Jelly Walker and Eric Gaines which we already knew would be a lethal combo but now they add in SE Missouri and ETSU transfer wing Ledarrius Brewer who put in 14 points in the opener after averaging just over that in his first four seasons. Toledo will be a top team in the MAC and also likes to run but there are some questions following the loss of Ryan Rollins. The frontcourt is solid but the Rockets will be tested much more than they were against Valparaiso in their opener. 10* (634) UAB Blazers

This is a play on the DETROIT TITANS as part of our CBB Friday Early Three Pack. College hoops writeups limited due to time constraints. Both Detroit and Boston College are coming off wins in their season openers although the Titans are coming off the must easier route. They defeated Rochester College by 28 points and while they take a step up in competition, they are the better team here getting points with one of the top scorers in the country. Antoine Davis, a fifth year senior, has averaged at least 23 points in each of his first four seasons and has averaged 25.8 ppg overall. Detroit is picked to finish No. 6 in the Horizon League which is not lofty but this is a team that will make noise. Boston College won its opener on a buzzer beater against Cornell and this is a very raw team and could be without two key pieces again on Friday as forward Quinten Post, 8.9 ppg and 5.4 rpg last season and guard Demarr Langford, Jr., 11.1 ppg and 4.7 rpg, are both questionable which made the rotations hard to figure out against Cornell and will likely be the case again. 10* (631) Detroit Titans

This is a play on the UC RIVERSIDE HIGHLANDERS for our CBB Thursday Enforcer. UC Riverside is coming off a loss against Colorado on Monday by 16 points but after a very slow start, the Highlanders outscored the Buffaloes by a bucket in the second half in a very tough environment. The home team had several advantages coming into that game and it showed as Colorado went to the free throw line 26 times compared to only 10 times for Riverside and the Highlanders could not buy a long range bucket as they went 4-21 from behind the arc and had only seven assists. They take a big step down in competition here and while the line is certainly much lower, it can be argued the wrong team is favored here. UC Riverside has never made the NCAA Tournament and this could be a team to watch out for coming out of the Big West Conference as it is picked in the top half and is the third ranked team in the country to make the Big Dance among teams that never have. Loyola-Marymount opened the season with a 50-point win over Life Pacific but that was no indication of how this Lions team is and they are not expected to be very good. They have been tabbed to finish ninth in the 10-team West Coast Conference following a 10-18 season including a 3-12 conference record. This is not a very deep team with no true player that can take a game over as the Lions top returners are seniors Dameane Douglas (10.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg in 13 games) and Keli Leaupepe (9.2 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and will be relying on a lot of transfers and while that did not affect the play on the court against the Warriors, that glorified exhibition win is driving this line with the public backing Loyola-Marymount which has steamed the number even more and again, this line does not seem right. 10* (621) UC Riverside Highlanders

This is a play on the CAROLINA PANTHERS for our NFL Thursday Game of the Month. Carolina is back home following a pair of road losses where it is now 0-4 on the season but a much more respectable 2-3 at home. The Panthers were blown out in Cincinnati this past Sunday, the same way Atlanta was three weeks ago, and the home slate includes an impressive win over Tampa Bay and while their season has not been anything close to consistent, they find themselves only two games out of first place in the NFC South. They are considered the worst of the four teams by a big margin but as we have seen, anything can happen in this league especially what we have seen this season and Carolina is tied with Tampa Bay with a 2-1 record within the conference with that game at hand. The quarterback play has been the problem on offense and P.J. Walker will get another shot after getting benched last week but he was solid in his last home game against the Buccaneers and was decent after that on the road at Atlanta. Carolina had that game won on two separate occasions but the kicking game blew it so there is revenge in play Thursday night. Carolina is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games after allowing 40 points or more last game. It has been a strange season for Atlanta as it has overachieved with its 4-5 record which puts it tied for first place with Tampa Bay in the division but the numbers show it should not be 4-5. The Falcons outgained New Orleans in their first game of the season but they have been outgained in all eight games since then and this is a great historical spot of playing against favorites that have been outgained at a percentage like that. The running game has kept the Falcons afloat but that can only go so far as in the eight games they have outrushed their opponent, they are 3-5. The one game that Atlanta was outrushed happened to be the game against the Panthers so their strength was taken away and now they take that matchup on the road where they are just 1-3. The Falcons are 0-3-1 ATS in their last four games following an ATS loss. 10* (114) Carolina Panthers

This is a play on the UL-LAFAYETTE RAGIN' CAJUNS for our CFB Thursday Enforcer. This is the classic matchup of strength against strength and weakness against weakness. Louisiana is coming off a brutal loss and an even more brutal bad beat for bettors as the Cajuns had a 17-0 lead heading into the final play of the third quarter but allowed Troy to tie it up with 2:41 left and then instead of kicking a game-winning field goal with 10 seconds left, the Trojans scored on a 22-yard touchdown run for the win and cover. It was the second straight loss for Louisiana as it fell to 4-5 so it needs to win two of its final three games to become bowl eligible and this is a must win as it has Florida St. on deck on the road. The final two games are on the road so this is the final home game of the season so Senior Night takes place in Lafayette. The strength of the Cajuns is their defense as they are ranked No. 33 overall and No. 36 in points allowed and on the season, they have given up 23 points or less in seven of their nine games. The offense has been the letdown as they are just No. 94 overall and No. 85 in scoring but face a very bad defense. Louisiana is 20-8 ATS in its last 28 games off a home loss against a conference opponent. Georgia Southern is also coming off a loss as it fell at home against South Alabama and it dropped to 2-3 in the Sun Belt Conference East Division which eliminated it from a chance at the championship game. The Eagles have now been outgained in six straight games and while the offense has done its job, the defense has not. They are ranked No. 18 in total offense but faces the strength of their opponent while the defense is No. 129 overall so that is where the Cajuns will have success. Georgia Southern needs just one more win to become bowl eligible and will likely get one of those over its last two games which take place at home. Here, we play against teams averaging 400 or more total ypg on offense, after allowing 6.25 or more yards per play in four consecutive games. This situation is 67-32 ATS (67.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (118) UL-Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns

This is a play on the WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS for our CFB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. The season is on the line for Western Michigan after losing to Bowling Green last week as while we played against the Broncos in that game, they covered by a point no thanks to a meaningless field goal and that was a bad matchup for their offense as seen by their nine points scored but they have a much better one here. Sitting at 3-6, Western Michigan has to win out to become bowl eligible which it can do with two of its last three games at home and the one road game at 3-6 Central Michigan. Granted, it is just 1-3 at home and has yet to defeat a team from the FBS but one loss came against the SEC and the other two losses occurred despite getting outgained by only 164 total yards as turnovers did them in at a -4 margin. The offense has been pretty offensive as the Broncos are ranked No. 120 overall and No. 118 in scoring but catch a good matchup against a bad defense. The Broncos are 4-1 ATS in their last five games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game. Unlike the Broncos, the Northern Illinois season is done as it has dropped two straight games to fall to 2-7 so there will be no bowl game for the Huskies. A lot was expected after going 9-5 last season and having 18 starters back while being ranked No. 8 in returning production but it has been a disaster although it could have been better as four of their losses have been by one possession but the defense has been a massive letdown. Northern Illinois is ranked No. 85 in total defense and No. 118 in scoring defense. Making matter worse, the Huskies were down to their third string quarterback last game in freshman Nevan Cremascoli and he was not good. They could get one of the top two guys back here but it should not matter and this line is not indicative of the situations at hand as it basically comes down to the Broncos just having to win to cover. The Huskies are 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall. 10* (108) Western Michigan Broncos

This is a play on the DAVIDSON WILDCATS for our CBB Wednesday Supreme Annihilator. This will be the second game for Davidson after defeating Guilford College by 23 points on Monday which was not a spectacular win considering the Quakers are from Division III but for a team that lost some talent from last season, that first game is always big no matter the opponent. There is a new coach in place as longtime leader Bob McKillop retired and his son takes over who has been the lead assistant for a while and in the program for 14 years so there is no drop off. The Wildcats lost three starters but two great ones are back in guard Foster Loyer who is a preseason A-10 First Team selection and is coming off a 30-pojnt game in the opener and forward Sam Mennenga is a force down low. There is depth and transfer help and they are in much better shape than their Wednesday counterpart. Wright St. head coach Scott Nagy is in his 28th season as the head coach and he is entering a season of unknowns and he has rightly admitted it. "We're starting Wednesday against a good team. I don't know what that'll look like. There's still a lot of stuff for us to work on." Going into the season opener, the starting five is not set as the frontcourt is a big shortcoming while depth is an issue as the Raiders took a hit with the transfers of stars Tanner Holden and Grant Basile. They have been pegged to finish fourth in the Horizon League which is not saying much and they are underdogs here for a reason as there is potential but it will be a rough start especially with the early nonconference schedule that is a difficult one. Chemistry is always tough early in the season in college hoops with all of the turnover and that will be very evident here, especially playing against a team with a game under their belt. 10* (763) Davidson Wildcats

This is a play on the DALLAS MAVERICKS for our NBA Wednesday Enforcer. Dallas is coming off a 4-1 homestand which is solid but it did not play particularly well as three of the wins were by three points or less and the Mavericks ended up 0-4-1 ATS and that is a streak we like to go against as they are due for a maximum effort especially against one of the worst teams in the league. Their schedule has been home heavy where they have played six of nine games and they come into Wednesday with a 1-2 road record with the two losses coming at New Orleans and Phoenix by a bucket apiece. While they have mostly won close games, the three losses could have gone eight way with two of those by two points and the other in overtime. Dallas is 20-5 ATS in its last 25 games after scoring 100 points or less. Orlando is off to a miserable start as it is 2-9 and while that includes a 0-6 record on the road, the Magic are just 2-3 at home and while that includes a win over Golden St., the Warriors have been playing awful everywhere. This team should improve somewhat as the season goes on once they start getting healthy as they are a banged up. There is no veteran leadership on this team the Magic still have some key players out on Wednesday with Moritz Wagner, Markelle Fultz and Gary Harris unavailable along with Jonathan Isaac who is still out after missing all of last season and now No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero has been added to the injury list after averaging 23.5 ppg and 8.3 rpg through the first 11 games but he is questionable with an ankle injury. Orlando is 9-20 ATS in its last 29 home games after having lost four or five of their last six games. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points after a game where they failed to cover the spread going up against an opponent after failing to cover the spread in three or more consecutive games. This situation is 40-15 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (535) Dallas Mavericks

This is a play on the MIAMI REDHAWKS for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Ohio defeated Buffalo last week, which came into the game first place in the MAC East Division, but the Bobcats victory put them into a tie with the Bulls and Falcons at 4-1 and they hold one of the tiebreakers and have a meeting with Bowling Green in their season finale. Ohio has won four straight games and has covered five straight but four of those outright wins were at home and it enters Tuesday just 1-3 on the road and while two came against power five teams, the other was against 3-6 Kent St. where it was outgained by 286 total yards and allowed a whopping 736 yards to the Golden Flashes. The defense has shown promise of late but the Bobcats are still ranked No. 127 in total defense and No. 115 in scoring defense and that should give Miami life here. The Bobcats are 9-21 ATS in their last 30 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points. While Miami is likely out of the chase in the MAC East, it kept its season alive with a win over Akron last Saturday which gives it a little extra time for this home matchup. The RedHawks improved to 4-5 overall so they avoided having to win out over their last three games to become bowl eligible even though they have two winnable games to close out the season. Six of their nine games have been away from home and they have gone 2-4 in those games but two of those losses were against Kentucky and Cincinnati and the other two were against first place Buffalo and Bowling Green by four points apiece so this team has played a lot better than its record shows. The defense is good enough to win games as they are No. 36 overall and No. 31 in points allowed and will be a factor here. The RedHawks are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game. 10* (104) Miami RedHawks

This is a play on the MERCER BEARS for our CBB Tuesday Supreme Annihilator. East Carolina checks in as a home underdog for its season opener so it will likely be a popular play here based on playing in a better conference with what should be better players but this is depleted. The Pirates lost their top seven players that returned last season to either graduation or transfers so this is going to be a complete rebuild for new head coach Mike Schwartz who has a good pedigree and is coming off six years as an assistant at Tennessee so he has solid experience from a top level program but it is not going to happen overnight. He has a pair of transfers from Tennessee and Iowa St. that are expected to contribute right away but this is all about chemistry early on in the season which there will be a lack of. They return center Ludgy Debaut, guards Javon Small and RJ Felton, and forward Brandon Johnson which combined for 14.2 ppg with Felton leading the way with 5.1 ppg. Not ideal. Mercer presents a fairly significant challenge right out of the gate as it is coming off a 16-17 season including an 8-10 record in the SoCon. Head coach Greg Gary has compiled a 51-43 record during his tenure with the Bears and they bring back a good amount of experience which helps on the offensive end and defensively, they will be strong again and will utilize pressure against a team lacking in experience everywhere. The Bears were picked No. 6 in the preseason SoCon poll and actually received one first place vote so are a top half team in the conference that can start the season off with a solid win against a team from a better conference even though one of the worst as the Pirates were tabbed to finish No. 11 in the 11-team ACC. 10* (757) Mercer Bears

This is a play on the BALTIMORE RAVENS for our NFL Monday Star Attraction. Baltimore has won two straight games following a win at Tampa Bay last Thursday so they have had some extra rest heading into their second straight road game. The Ravens have a good advantage against this Saints defense with Lamar Jackson being a running quarterback as they have struggled against mobile quarterbacks and Jackson can go off here while the overall running game has been important throughout the years as Baltimore is 37-8 with Jackson under center and it runs the ball 30 or more times. After getting outgained in its first four games, Baltimore has won the yardage battle in three of its last four games and the road has been no issue as they are 3-1 away from home with one bad fourth quarter against the Giants preventing a 4-0 road record. New Orleans is coming off a 24-0 win over Las Vegas last week which was its best overall effort of the season and coming off that game does not bode well next time out as NFL teams playing at home after coming off a home shutout are 1-4 straight up and ATS over the last five occurrences. The offense has been surprisingly good as New Orleans is ranked No. 3 overall and No. 9 in scoring and it has averaged 29.6 ppg in its last five games, all with Andy Dalton under center which makes it more surprising but the Baltimore defense got an upgrade with the addition of linebacker Roquan Smith. The Saints used to possess one of the best home fields in the league but they are just 3-6 straight up and against the number over their last nine home games. Here, we play against home teams averaging 385 or more total ypg, after gaining 400 or more total ypg over their last three games. this situation is 80-42 ATS (65.6 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (473) Baltimore Ravens

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS PELICANS for our NBA Monday Enforcer. New Orleans fell to 5-4 on the season following a loss in Atlanta on Saturday in overtime. In fact, three of its four losses have come in overtime by a combined seven points and the Pelicans have followed up their three previous losses with wins next time out and this is another get well game before a trip to Chicago for their next game. The offense remains potent as they are No. 2 in scoring and No. 4 in shooting percentage and they have been strong down low, being ranked No. 2 in points in the paint. New Orleans should see little resistance from the Indiana defense. The Pelicans are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games following a straight up loss. The Pacers are coming off an upset win over Miami at home on Friday to make it three wins over their last four games, covering all four of those after a 1-4 straight up and ATS start. Indiana has won two straight games at home with the other victory coming against hapless Detroit and this is a tough spot to keep it going. The aforementioned defense is ranked No. 27 in points allowed and No. 21 in shooting percentage allowed and overall, the Pacers are No. 24 in defensive efficiency. Indiana has been better on offense but not enough to compensate as it is No. 9 in scoring thanks to pace but just No. 24 in shooting. Indiana is 8-18 ATS in its last 26 games after scoring 105 points or less. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 9.5 points off a close home win by three points or less, in November games. this situation is 32-5 ATS (86.5 percent) since 1996. 10* (507) New Orleans Pelicans

This is a play on the QUINNIPIAC BOBCATS for our CBB Opening Night Enforcer. The Rams open the season in rebuilding mode as they have a new head coach in Archie Miller who replaces Jamion Christian after he was fired following finishes of No. 10 and No. 11 in the Atlantic Ten Conference the last two seasons and the cupboard is pretty bare. The Rams have only five players returning on the roster with just a combined 37 starts last season between Abdou Samb, Sebastian Thomas, Jalen Carey, Ishmael Leggett and Malik Martin with Leggett accounting for 30 of those so there is very little experience to work with. Rhode Island was pegged No. 9 in the preseason conference poll so clearly there are not many expectations heading into the new season. Quinnipiac is coming off a 12-16 season including a 7-13 record in the MAAC during the regular season but made a solid run in the conference tournament and things are looking up this year thanks to a combination of experienced veterans and newcomers to the program. The frontcourt does have some question marks but that is usually not a big issue early in the season, especially in this matchup, a they have a clear advantage up top. With the frontcourt consisting of mostly transfers and newcomers, the backcourt is the opposite as the Bobcats return six guards from last season, all of which have the ability to contribute. Five of the six returning guards averaged at least eight points per game last season and are led by senior Matt Balanc who was named to the Preseason All-MAAC First Team. While this line will seem low to many, it is low for a reason and has actually gone up based mostly on name and not rosters. 10* (635) Quinnipiac Bobcats

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS for our NBA Sunday Enforcer. We played against Utah on Friday and while looking good for a while, the Jazz were up by just two points late in the third quarter but outscored the Lakers 33-21 the rest of the way to win their third game over their last four. Utah is currently in third place in the Western Conference with its 7-3 record and it is the biggest surprise team in the Western Conference in the early going after what seemed to be a rebuilding or tanking year but that is definitely still in the cards. They play at a fast pace as they are No. 3 in scoring but only No. 17 in shooting and that is coming off a plus 50 percent shooting performance against the Lakers where they made a season-high 52 field goals. Utah is 6-20 ATS in its last 26 games after playing two consecutive road games. After a rough stretch of four straight losses, the Clippers have rebounded with three straight wins to get back over .500 at 5-4 and have some good momentum with a favorable line. The Clippers play at a slower pace that Utah as they are ranked near the bottom in scoring but make up for it with a solid shooting effort by hitting 46.8 percent from the floor. The absence of Kawhi Leonard is obviously a big loss but have made up for it with great balance down low and Paul George has picked is up after a slow start by averaging 31.7 ppg and 6.3 apg over his last three games. The Clippers are 24-10 ATS in their last 34 games after failing to cover five or six of their last seven games against the spread. Here, we play against underdogs off a win by 10 points or more as an underdog, in November games. This situation is 33-13 ATS (71.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (574) Los Angeles Clippers

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES CHARGERS for our NFL Nonconference Game of the Month. The Falcons blew the cover last week against Carolina as they allowed a 62-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds remaining yet were bailed out by an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and kicking failures from the Panthers. Atlanta sits at 4-4 at leads the NFC South by a game over the Panthers and Buccaneers but they are a fraud as it is the worst .500 or better team in the league as after outgaining the Saints in its season opener, the Falcons have been outgained in their last seven games and by an average of 113 ypg. The offense has been held together by a strong running game and should have some success here but the passing game is non-existent. Defensively, the Falcons are in a tough spot here as they are ranked second to last in DVOA. Atlanta is 8-20 ATS in its last 20 games after a divisional win by three points or less. This is a great spot for the Chargers as they are coming off their bye week which gives quarterback Justin Herbert extra time to rest his ribs and the time off also gave receiver Keenan Allen more time to rest as he will return after leaving the last game with a hamstring injury. He can have a field day against the Falcons defense that is ranked No. 31 in total defense and No. 32 in passing defense and the secondary is banged up with cornerback Casey Hayword out with two other starters, cornerback A.J. Terrell and safely Jaylinn Hawkins highly questionable with a concussion and hamstring injuries respectively. The Falcons have the worst pressure rate in the NFL, so Herbert will have all the time he needs and we saw what Joe Burrow did to them two weeks ago. The Chargers are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 road games off an upset loss by 10 points or more as a home favorite. Here, we play against home teams averaging 7.3 or more ypa and after gaining 8.0 or more ypa last game going up against teams allowing between 5.9 and 6.7 ypa. This situation is 34-9 ATS (79.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (461) Los Angeles Chargers

This is a play on the DETROIT LIONS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. We were on the Lions last week and they blew a few double-digit leads and ended up not covering by a half-point but we are back on them here in what is a stupid line. Detroit was getting 3.5 points against the Dolphins and now it is getting an identical number against a listless Packers team. While the overall schedule for the Lions has not been the toughest, every team they have played is .500 or better on the season and four of their six losses have been by four points or less. The defense has been one of the worst in the league but facing this offense neutralizes that and their own offense should thrive, especially with the running game. Jared Goff has had success against blitz-heavy teams which is what the Packers do and Amon St. Brown is back to normal and coming off a solid game. The Lions are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. The Packers have lost four straight games and while they may have looked decent against the Bills last week, that is more of Buffalo playing vanilla in the second half after building a big lead. The other three losses came against the Commanders, Jets and Giants and while all three are .500 or better, all three are overrated. Green Bay is ranked No. 24 in the league in EPA over the last six weeks as Aaron Rodgers has looked pedestrian all season with his lack of weapons and the fact they did nothing at the trade deadline is telling. Defensively, the Packers are ranked No. 29 against the rush and is at a big disadvantage in this matchup with a healthy D'Andre Swift, who is on the injured list again but is just fine. The Packers are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after failing to cover the spread in three out of their last four games, in November games. this situation is 24-3 ATS (88.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (460) Detroit Lions

This is a play on the LAS VEGAS RAIDERS for our NFL Sunday Supreme Annihilator. The Raiders were embarrassed last week as they were shutout at New Orleans 24-0, managing only 183 yards of total offense, and teams coming off shutout losses tend to bounce back if they are good and this is still a good team. NFL teams coming off a shutout loss and facing teams off consecutive losses are 15-3 ATS over the last 29 years. Las Vegas was hit hard last week with an injury bug that decimated the roster with 15 players affected but that is gone and at 2-5, it is easily the best two-win or less team in the NFL. The other four losses have come by one possession and the Raiders were outgained by an average of only 19.8 ypg. The Raiders are making their second straight trip out east but that is not a disadvantage here with Jacksonville coming off their annual game in London. The offense is ready for a bounce back. The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Jacksonville has lost five straight games and while all have been by just one possession, the last four have been against the Broncos, Giants, Colts and Texans, all of which are ranked in the bottom half of the league in the latest power rankings. They face an equally bad team record-wise but not in talent and while the offensive numbers have been above average, the quarterback play is still not where it should be. Trevor Lawrence showed some promise early in the season with two great games against the Chargers and Colts but has regressed since then and his 84.8 passer rating is No. 22 in the NFL. Defensively, the Jaguars are No. 18 overall which is not horrible but there is little pass rush and they have been one of the worst teams on third down over the last month. Jacksonville is 5-14 ATS in its last 19 games against teams allowing 350 or more ypg. Here, we play on road favorites with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 off an upset loss as a favorite, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 40-12 ATS (76.9 percent) since 1983. 10* (465) Las Vegas Raiders