Sports Picks & Predictions

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES RAMS for our NFL Sunday Primetime Punisher. The Rams have been catching a lot of heat for their 5-4 record after going 13-3 last season and making it to the Super Bowl. They have been one of the unluckiest teams in the NFL however as they have 16 giveaways to just 14 takeaways compared to a +11 turnover margin last season. Los Angeles has outgained eight of nine opponents this season which shows they are playing better than their record shows. The fell short at Pittsburgh last week 17-12 and they are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game. Chicago is in the same situation as they already have one more loss than all of last season but its 4-5 record is s true indication of how it has played. The Bears have been outgained in six of nine games thanks to an anemic offense that is fourth worst in the NFL with 262.2 ypg. Additionally, they are allowing close to 30 more ypg than in 2018. The Bears are 0-5 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Here, we play on home favorites with a winning percentage between .450 and .550 after having lost four or five out of their last six games. This situation is 23-5 (82.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (474) Los Angeles Rams

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Underdog Game of the Month. Baltimore remains the talk of the NFL, namely Lamar Jackson, and because of all of the positive pub, the lines are remaining inflated. Coming off a divisional win and a winner over the Patriots prior to that, this could be the letdown finally especially with a Monday night game with the Rams on deck. Baltimore has outgained six of nine opponents, the same as Houston, so they may have overachieved slightly based on their 7-2 record that consists of wins over the Bengals twice, the Cardinals and the Dolphins. The Ravens are 5-12-2 ATS in their last 19 games following a straight up win of more than 14 points. Houston is coming off its bye week with a chance for extra preparation for Jackson. The Texans are 6-3 with all three losses coming by one possession and they were tied or had the lead going into the fourth quarter in two of those. Not much respect in this line with a strong Houston team. The Texans are 4-1 ATS in their last five games following a bye week. Here, we play against home teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better off a road win against a division rival, playing a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. This situation is 24-5 ATS (82.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (465) Houston Texans

This is a play on the UAB BLAZERS for our CFB Game of the Year. This is a clear mismatch on paper and UAB will come into this game seething. The Blazers are coming off a pair of losses, one against Tennessee and last week against 6-3 Southern Mississippi. The offense was shut down both times, scoring a total of nine points. In addition to that, UAB allowed its two highest points totals, 30 and 37 points respectively. That increased the defensive numbers slightly on a defense that is stout. The Blazers are allowing 263 ypg which is 6th in the nation and are giving up just 19.7 ppg which is 22nd in the country. They have absolutely dominated the Miners over the last two seasons, allowing an average of 164 ypg and yielding only seven points total. We should see another domination this week as UTEP is averaging just 19.3 ppg on offense, 115th in the nation while racking up just 307.7 ypg, 120th in the country. The Miners have lost eight straight games and have been outgained in every one of those. Their only victory came against Houston Baptist, which is 4-6 in the FCS, by just two points. This is a bad team and catches UAB at the wrong time. Here, we play against underdogs with a winning percentage of .250 or less of 10.5 to 21 points after six or more consecutive straight up losses, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 30-7 ATS (81.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (368) UAB Blazers

This is a play on the INDIANA HOOSIERS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. This is a great spot for Indiana. Playing against teams that were previously undefeated and lost in their previous game has always been a great situation. Reason being those teams tend to come out flat following their first loss of late into the season. Penn St. fell at Minnesota last week following wins in its first eight games and it has dropped its last six games against number coming off a straight up loss as a favorite. The Nittany Lions played three tough opponents prior to Minnesota - Pittsburgh, Iowa and Michigan - and they won those games by seven, five and seven points so this line is severely inflated. Indiana has won four straight games and is 7-2 on the season, garnering the Hoosiers their first trip inside the top 25 since 1994. Granted, they have not beaten anyone of note but past Hoosiers teams would have lost at least a few of those. Indiana has outgained six of nine opponents and are outgaining opponents by 136.4 ypg. Here, we play on road underdogs excellent offensive team averaging 440 or more ypg going up against teams averaging between 390 and 440 ypg, after outgaining its last opponent by 225 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 34-10 ATS (77.3 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (325) Indiana Hoosiers

This is a play on the SAN DIEGO ST. AZTECS for our CFB Friday Star Attraction. Both Fresno St. and San Diego St. are coming off losses in their last game as underdogs and we think it is the home team that has the edge to bounce back. The Aztecs were favored by 2.5 points early in the week, but as of Thursday evening the Bulldogs were a 1-point chalk. The Aztecs need to beat Fresno St. this week and Hawaii in Honolulu next week in order to secure the MWC West Division. The Bulldogs are in the interesting position of being in control of the division with a victory and out of the race with a loss. The Fresno St. defense is allowing 32.4 ppg (103rd in the nation), which opens up the possibility for success for the Aztecs offense that has struggled with inconsistencies all season. The inability to slow down opposing offenses in 2019 is a big reason why the Bulldogs have fallen back to the pack in the MWC. On the other side, the Aztecs are allowing just 277.2 ypg and 14.4 ppg which are both 8th in the country so they have a clear edge in that department. The Aztecs have not allowed more than 23 points (in a 23-17 loss to Utah State) to an opponent all season. Here, we play against road favorites with a scoring defense allowing 31 or more ppg, after allowing 31 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 70-35 ATS (66.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (318) San Diego St. Aztecs

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Punisher. We played on Cleveland last Sunday and it resulted in a push for most and we are backing the Browns again this week in their back-to-back home spot. It was a must win then and it is a must win again this week and the Browns catch Pittsburgh coming off an upset win as a home underdog and now has to travel. With Mason Rudolph failing to exceed 200 passing yards in four of his seven starts, the Steelers will likely feature a run-heavy offensive attack. The key is whether Cleveland will be able to limit Pittsburgh on the ground on a short week. The money is coming in on the Steelers which is because of their recent success but they have played only one road game over the past seven weeks and they have been outgained in seven of nine games on the season. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 off an upset win as a home underdog, playing a losing team in the second half of the season. This situation is 22-3 (88 percent) since 1983. 10* (310) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the NORTH CAROLINA TAR HEELS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. North Carolina has been one of the unluckiest teams in college football this season. The Tar Heels are 4-5 with all five losses coming by just one possession. This includes three losses by a field goal or less highlighted by the one-point loss to Clemson. The Pittsburgh defense is no joke but this is one matchup that the Panthers can get burned. North Carolina is 14th nationally with 20 passing plays of more than 30 yards and 8th with 13 completions for more than 40 yards. The Panthers are 76th in the country with 10 passes of 30 or more yards allowed and 110th with 10 completions of more than 40 yards allowed. Running the ball is key as well. With the exception of Week Two against Miami, North Carolina has rushed for at least 144 yards in every game and racked up 186 yards against a good Virginia defense in their most recent contest. Here, we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .600 and .800 after having won 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .400 and .499. This situation is 30-7 ATS (81.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (313) North Carolina Tar Heels

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CFB Wednesday Star Attraction. This is a big game for both sides and we like the home team which has a lot more on the line. Toledo is tied with Ball St. at 3-2 in the conference and is a half-game behind Central Michigan and a game behind Western Michigan. The Rockets would need help from Ball St. but would hold the tiebreaker over Western Michigan because of a 31-24 win over the Broncos. Quarterback Mitchell Guadagni is again questionable and is probably another no go. Starting in his place has been Eli Peters, who is no stranger to starting. Peters played in 11 games last season where he threw for 1,837 yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Huskies have to win out to become bowl eligible and it will not be easy with all three games coming against teams .500 or better. For Northern Illinois, quarterback Ross Bowers has given them a boost to their passing offense, throwing for 1947 yards and six touchdowns but he has also been forced into a lot of tough situations which has led to bad throws, resulting in eight interceptions. The Rockets are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a losing road record while the Huskies are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game. 10* (308) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the OHIO BOBCATS for our CFB Tuesday Star Attraction. We played against Ohio last week as it lost outright to Miami as a touchdown favorite but the value has shifted to the Bobcats this week as they are only short favorites now despite facing a team that is actually lower vin the power rankings than the RedHawks. There is not much room left for Ohio to make it to the postseason as it has to win two of its last three games and while the last two should be win, nothing can be taken for granted. Both of those games are on the road so this is the final home game of the season for the Bobcats which gives it some extra meaning as well as looking to break their 0-5 ATS record at Peden Stadium. For Western Michigan, it is simple. The Broncos are bowl eligible following a pair of wins at home where they are 6-0 on the season. Conversely, they are 0-4 on the road where they have to play their final two games as the last game against Ball St. was their final home game of the season. Here, we play against teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 where the line is +3 to -3 that are coming off a home win against a conference rival. This situation is 34-7 ATS (82.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (304) Ohio Bobcats

This is a play on the SEATTLE SEAHAWKS for our NFL Monday Night Primetime Punisher. A once heated rivalry is restored with a lot on the line in the NFC West. It is hard to believe but this is the first time since Thanksgiving night in 2014 where both teams have a winning record. Seattle has won two straight games including a thrilling overtime win last week against Tampa Bay. The Seahawks rushed for 145 yards against the Buccaneers which has the top raked rushing defense in the NFL and while the San Francisco defense is highly praised, it is just No. 14 against the run while allowing 4.7 ypc which is near the bottom of the league. The Seahawks are 7-2 and going back, they are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games against teams with a winning home record. The 49ers are the lone remaining undefeated team in the NFL at 8-0 but they have played the third easiest schedule in the league. The 49ers suffered a big loss last week when linebacker Kwon Alexander went down with a season-ending torn left pectoral muscle. Additionally, standout tight end George Kittle likely will not see the field as he is listed as doubtful. Here, we play against home teams with a winning percentage of .750 or higher off a road win against a division rival, playing a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (273) Seattle Seahawks

This is a play on the MINNESOTA VIKINGS for our Sunday Night Primetime Punisher. Minnesota had a four-game winning streak snapped with a loss in Kansas City last week as it allowed two field goals over the last 2:30 including one with no time remaining to lose by three. This is a very solid team with one of the best rosters in the NFL and the Vikings come in as the No. 6 ranked team in the latest power ratings which is three spots higher than the Cowboys making this line off by two points. The Vikings trail Green Bay by a game in the NFC North and currently hold the last playoff spot in the conference. The Cowboys are coming off a pair of divisional wins over the Eagles and Giants. Four of their five wins have come against teams with two or fewer wins so it is hard to gage how good this team really is. Dallas is playing on a short week coming off a Monday night game and the Cowboys are 1-4 ATS in their last five games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game. Here, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off a road loss, in November games. This situation is 64-32 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1983. 10* (271) Minnesota Vikings

This is a play on the CINCINNATI BENGALS for our AFC North Game of the Year. We won with Baltimore last week as it won as a home underdog over previously undefeated New England. Now hitting the road and facing a winless team, this presents the perfect letdown spot. Additionally, the Ravens next three games are against the Texans, Rams and 49ers. It has been an ugly season for the Bengals which are 0-8 and finally decided to make a change at quarterback as Andy Dalton has likely played his last game as a Bengal. Ryan Finley will get the start and while some will think this is a bad idea against an elite Baltimore defense, the defense is not elite like it used to be. Baltimore allows 348.3 ypg which is middle of the pack and its 22 ppg allowed is also right in the middle. Look for the Bengals to play an inspired game for Finley. Here, we play against favorites coming off an upset win as a home underdog, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team. This situation is 62-28 ATS (68.9 percent) since 1983. 10* (262) Cincinnati Bengals

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA SOONERS for our CFB Blowout Game of the Year. This is a bad time for Iowa St. to have to face Oklahoma. The Sooners will rediscover a fifth gear after a bye week spent stewing over the Kansas St. loss. It was a game it never should have lost as Oklahoma outgained the Wildcats but it lost the turnover battle and allowed Kansas St. to run off 24 consecutive points in the third and fourth quarter. This team will be out for blood. Overall, the Iowa St. defense is having a solid season, ranking 17th nationally in Defensive SP+ and 29th in the ESPN defensive efficiency metric. That should not stop the Sooners from exploiting a handful of matchup advantages on Saturday. Despite the Cyclones success stopping the run this season, Oklahoma may have an advantage on the ground. Playing so many hybrid defenders on the back end involves trading size for versatility. Here, we play on home favorites that are averaging 440 or more ypg going up against a team allowing between 330 and 390 ypg, after gaining 7.25 or more yppl in two consecutive games. This situation is 64-22 ATS (74.4 percent) since 1992. 10* (174) Oklahoma Sooners

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. This game is reminiscent of the meeting two years ago when Clemson came into escaped with a seven-point win and now the Tigers are being asked to lay well over four touchdowns. Clemson entered at No. 5 in the CFP Rankings but there is nothing to fear as if it wins out, it will be in the playoff. Both offense and defense have been playing at a high level since that scare against North Carolina so NC State will have to play a perfect game to pull off the upset. We are not asking for that though. NC State has had a rough go of it of late but their struggles have come on the road. The Wolfpack are 0-4 on the road but 4-0 at home and a night game in Raleigh will have Carter-Finley Stadium jacked up. The Wolfpack are 21-10-1 ATS in their last 32 home games against teams with a winning road record. Here, we play against favorites of 31.5 or more points coming off a home win, with a winning record on the season. This situation is 32-9 ATS (78 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (118) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the OREGON ST. BEAVERS for our CFB Friday Star Attraction. After getting annihilated by Utah, Oregon St. has reeled off two straight wins to move to .500 on the season with a very good possibility to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2013. This team can score in multiple ways and in a hurry which is what you want playing underdogs. Their two talented running backs have them 2nd in the conference in ypc, and while they are only 8th in ypa, Jake Luton has led them to a 21/2 TD/INT ratio. Meanwhile, Washington has lost two straight games, a pair of heartbreaking home underdog defeats and this team has to be shot at this point. The Huskies blew a 14-point lead against Oregon to lose by four points and then last week, they blew a 14-3 lead against Utah and lost by five points. Two great situations are in play here. First, we play against road teams that are outscoring opponents by seven or more ppg, after allowing 31 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 84-43 ATS (66.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Second, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points averaging between 5.6 and 6.2 yppl going up against teams allowing between 4.8 and 5.6 yppl, after gaining 6.75 or more yppl in their previous game. This situation is 44-14 ATS (75.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (116) Oregon St. Beavers

This is a play on the OAKLAND RAIDERS for our NFL Thursday Primetime Punisher. The Raiders are only half a game ahead of the Chargers, but they have shown all season that they are a better team. The Raiders schedule was incredibly tough in the first half of the season as they have played the second toughest slate behind Tampa Bay. They are 0-4 against the top 10 but 4-0 against everyone else. One big factor here will be the rushing game. For Oakland, Josh Jacobs has been great all season and is coming off an awesome game against the Lions where he rushed for 120 yards and scored two touchdowns. He goes up against a Chargers run defense that allows 114.1 ypg on 4.2 ypc. On the other side, the Chargers averaging just 79.4 rushing ypg on 3.6 ypc, both of which are fifth worst in the NFL. Meanwhile, Oakland is allowing only 92.5 ypg on 3.7ypc, seventh and fifth respectively in the league. The Raiders have plenty of revenge to play for as they have been swept by the Chargers in each of the last two seasons. The Chargers are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing less than 250 total yards in their previous game while the Raiders have covered six of their last seven home games. Here, we play against road teams where the line is +3 to -3 off an upset win by 14 or more points as a home underdog, after the first month of the season. This situation is 27-7 ATS (79.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (108) Oakland Raiders

This is a play on the SOUTH FLORIDA BULLS for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. With wins in the three of their last four, including a 27-23 win against BYU in their last home game, the Bulls have righted the ship. Going back further, since losing by a combined 63-10 margin in their first two games, the Bulls have won four of six with both losses coming to currently ranked teams. They are 4-4 and this is a massive game as they need two wins to become bowl eligible and their final three games are against Cincinnati, Memphis and UCF which are a combined 22-4. South Florida is a run heavy offense led by Senior Jordan Cronkrite leads the team with 587 yards rushing on 5.4 ypc. Temple is a good pass-rushing team but that will be limited against the Bulls in this matchup. The Owls allow 167.5 ypg on the ground which is just 75th in the country. Statistically, South Florida is a middle-of-the-pack defensive team in the AAC, but the Bulls have forced 20 turnovers through eight games which is second most in the country. While the contest will be played under the lights, the game-time temperature is still expected to be in the low-to-mid 80s with high humidity. Those conditions favor the Bulls as Temple is not used to it and will wear down late in the game. The Owls are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games while the Bulls are 5-2 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win of more than 20 points. Here, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 after outrushing opponent by 150 or more yards last game against opponent after being outrushed by 125 or more yards last game. This situation is 27-6 ATS (81.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (112) South Florida Bulls

This is a play on the MIAMI OHIO REDHAWKS for our CFB Wednesday Enforcer. Both Miami and Ohio come in riding two-game winning streaks and both are tied for first place in the MAC East with 3-1 records. The Redhawks lone loss in the conference came at Western Michigan despite outgaining the Broncos by 55 total yards. A look at the stats overall shows Miami in a hole but it took on a challenging nonconference slate, losing games at Iowa, Cincinnati, and Ohio St. so the numbers are skewed. The RedHawks defense ranks 5th in the MAC giving up just 395.3 ypg on average, a number which drops down dramatically to 349.0 ypg if only MAC games are figured in. Ohio is just 2-2 at home yet is favored by what a dominant home team should be favored by. The Ohio defense ranks 10th in the MAC giving up 446.4 ypg. That stat also ranks them towards the bottom of the total defense chart nationally at 111th and this unit is on track to be the worst defense ever in the Frank Solich era. In conference play, the Miami offense has fared better, averaging 364 ypg, including a season-best 467 yards in its last game against Kent St. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after covering the spread in three out of their last four games, in weeks 10 through 13. This situation is 65-29 ATS (69.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (105) Miami Ohio RedHawks

This is a play on the KENT ST. GOLDEN FLASHES for our CFB Tuesday Enforcer. Every game is big at this point in the MAC as 11 of the conference's 12 teams sit between 3-6 and 6-4 overall and 10 teams are within 1.5 games of each other in conference play. Kent St. is 2-2 in MAC play with both defeats (Ohio and Miami) coming by seven points or less. The Golden Flashes are near the bottom of the MAC in scoring offense at 23.9 ppg but if you eliminate a brutal non-conference slate that featured Auburn, Wisconsin, and Arizona St., Kent St. leads the MAC in scoring at 35.5 ppg in conference-only matchups. Toledo quarterback Mitchell Guadagni was downgraded to doubtful last night so Carter Bradley and Eli Peters occupy the top spots on the depth chart this week. That is great news for the Kent St. defense as neither has shown the ability to stretch the field. Here, we play against teams in the second half of the season averaging 440 or more ypg going up against teams averaging between 330 and 390 ypg, after allowing 6.25 or more yppl in two consecutive games. This situation is 39-13 ATS (75 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (101) Kent St. Golden Flashes

This is a play on the NEW YORK GIANTS for our NFL Monday Night Primetime Punisher. The debut of Daniel Jones was a resounding success in a win over Tampa Bay, the first of two straight victories but the Giants have now lost four straight games. He is coming off a great game last week however against the Lions where he threw for 322 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions and now he heads back home where New York has outgained two of its three opponents. Dallas is coming off a win over the Eagles, which snapped a three-game losing streak, and then had its bye week last week. The Cowboys have owned the Giants in recent seasons, winning five straight, including a 35-17 victory in Dallas in the season opener so that brings the revenge angle into play for tonight. The Giants are 17-3 ATS after allowing 17 points or more in the first half in two straight games while the Cowboys are 1-5-1 ATS in their last seven games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game. Here, we play on home underdogs or pickems with a winning percentage of .250 or below after failing to cover the spread in two out of their last three games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 133-77 ATS (63.3 percent) since 1983. 10* (476) New York Giants

This is a play on the BALTIMORE RAVENS for our NFL Sunday Primetime Punisher. New England is off to an 8-0 start but we are still not completely sold. The Patriots have played the easiest schedule in the NFL as they have played only one team with a winning record and that resulted in a six-point win over Buffalo where they were outgained by 151 total yards. The defense is putting up record numbers but again, we are still not completely sure how good they are. The Patriots have struggled against versatile quarterbacks and Lamar Jackson fits the bill. He has passed for 1,650 yards and rushed for 576 yards and has led Baltimore to a 5-2 record. The Ravens are coming off a bye following a big win in Seattle to increase their winning streak to three games. The extra time off is key here in facing the Patriots and the Ravens have won 10 straight primetime games. Here we play against road favorites outscoring opponents by 10 or more ppg, after a win by 10 or more points. This situation is 52-18 ATS (74.3 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (474) Baltimore Ravens

This is a play on the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS for our NFL Underdog Game of the Month. The Seahawks have won four of their last five games to improve to 6-2 overall but this team has its flaws. They have been outgained in three of their wins, two of which were against Cincinnati and Atlanta which are a combined 1-15. Seattle lost starting center Justin Britt for the season last week and that is huge for an offensive line that was bad to begin with. The Seahawks are 0-5 ATS in their last five home games. The Buccaneers have lost three straight games including a loss against Tennessee last week that was misleading. They outgained the Titans by 143 total yards but lost the turnover battle 4-1. The week before, they lost to Carolina despite outgaining the Panthers by 139 total yards but lost that turnover battle 7-1. Keep the mistakes in check and they will be fine here. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points in a game involving two teams with a +/- 3 ppg differential., after allowing three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 46-19 ATS (70.8 percent) since 1983. 10* (467) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is a play on the WASHINGTON HUSKIES for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Utah will be a very popular pick here by laying a short number as a top ten team. The Utes have won and covered four straight games thanks to a defense that has allowed an average of 5.8 ppg over that stretch. Those four straight covers is a reason for the public backing but this is the ideal situation to go against that. The Utes are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games after accumulating more than 450 total yards in their previous game. It has not been an ideal season for the Huskies but we feel they break out here coming off a loss followed by a bye. Chris Peterson is 18-0 in his last 18 games coming off a bye. Per the Bear from ESPN, since October 2016, there have been eight top-10 teams that were less than a 5-point favorite on the road against an unranked team. Those eight teams went 1-7 straight up. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .800 or better after beating the spread by 42 or more points total in their last five games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .600 and .800. This situation is 28-9 ATS (75.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (392) Washington Huskies

This is a play on the ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS for our CFB Game of the Month. Army has lost four straight games to fall to 3-5 on the season and the last three losses were as favorites. The Black Knights have dropped five straight games against the number and that puts them in a positive spot here as the line is inflated because of that. All five losses have come by single digits so the record could be a lot better than what it is and there will be plenty of motivation to take the first step toward the Commander-In-Chief Trophy. Air Force has won three straight games, all by double digits as a small favorite. Now the Falcons are laying over two touchdowns for the second time this season after failing to cover the first time as 19.5-point favorites against San Jose St. The Falcons are 9-20 ATS in their last 29 games as double-digit favorites. Meanwhile, Army is 7-0 ATS in its last seven road games after gaining 275 or more rushing yards last game. Here, we play on teams after five or more consecutive losses against the spread going up against an opponent after one or more consecutive wins against the spread. This situation is 42-15 ATS (73.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (363) Army Black Knights

This is a play on the ARIZONA CARDINALS for our NFL Thursday Star Attraction. San Francisco has been favored by six or more points this season and has failed to cover both times. The latest came in Washington and while the weather played a big role in that game, the 49ers were favored by 10 points and now they are favored by that same amount. Against a team that is much better and playing much better of late sans last week against New Orleans. Taking nothing away from the 7-0 start but San Francisco has played the fifth easiest schedule in the NFL so that has skewed some of its outstanding defensive numbers. That goes along the same line as some of the quarterbacks they have faced. While Kyler Murray is having an average season, he has improved immensely over his last four games compared to his first four games. The 49ers are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game while the Cardinals are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points averaging 27 or more ppg, after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 25-7 ATS (78.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (302) Arizona Cardinals

This is a play on the CAROLINA PANTHERS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. Another surprise in the first half of the season in San Francisco which is one of just two undefeated teams in the league. The 49ers are coming off a 9-0 win at Washington where the weather played a role in the outcome of that although it likely would have resulted in a bigger win had the weather been good. A win over the Rams was nice but the other five wins came against teams a combined 7-19 and overall, the schedule is ranked No 27 in the league. The defense has allowed only 10 points over the last three games but should get tested here. Carolina is ranked No. 5 in scoring offense in the NFL and has won four straight games, averaging 31.3 ppg over that stretch. The Panthers have not been as good defensively as in years past but it is still a strong unit. When above .500, Carolina 7-1 ATS coming off a bye and coming off back-to-back wins. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points averaging 370 or more ypg going up against teams allowing between 335 and 370 ypg. This situation is 64-29 ATS (68.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (269) Carolina Panthers

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES for our NFL Non-Conference Game of the Year. The surprise of the first half in the NFL has to include Buffalo which is off to a 5-1 start thanks to a strong defensive presence. The Bills are third in the NFL in total defense and scoring defense but have not played any team with a strong offense and that even includes New England which is a middle of the pack offense. This is a tough spot this week coming off a hard fought divisional win and going up a team that is desperate for a win to turn its season around. Buffalo is 14-28 ATS in its last 42 games coming off a home win against a division rival. The Eagles were embarrassed on national TV last Sunday night and nobody wants a part of this team at the betting window right now. Philadelphia has dropped two straight games and sits a game behind Dallas in the NFC East. The season is far from lost and this is their fifth road game of the season including this being their third straight. Philadelphia is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games when playing against a l team with a winning percentage of .750 or better. 10* (261) Philadelphia Eagles

This is a play on the WASHINGTON ST. COUGARS for our Pac 12 Game of the Year. Washington St. bounced back from three straight losses with a resounding win over Colorado last week to improve to 4-3 on the season. The Cougars were likely hungover from that UCLA loss in their games against Utah and Arizona St. but their season will be completely turned around here with a win here which is not as unlikely as it may seem based off this line. Washington St. is 7-0 ATS when the total is between 63.5 and 70 over the last three seasons. Oregon has won six straight games after suffering a season opening loss against Auburn and has taken control of the Pac 12 North with a two-game lead over Oregon St. This has not been a good matchup for the Ducks as they have lost four straight in this series while going 0-9 ATS in the last nine meetings. Going back, the Ducks are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 games following an ATS win. Here, we play on teams averaging 4.8 or more ypc going up against teams averaging between 4.3 and 4.8 ypc, after gaining 6.0 or more ypc last game. This situation is 92-45 ATS (67.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (153) Washington St. Cougars

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Oklahoma St. came up small last week as it lost at Baylor which was its second straight setback. Two games back, they were a nine-point favorite on the road at Texas Tech and now they are double-digit road underdogs and there is no chance Iowa St. is nearly 20 points better than Texas Tech. The Cowboys can light it up on offense and they face a Cyclones defense that allows a 66.5 percent completion rate which is No. 118 in the nation. Oklahoma St. is on a 7-3 SU/9-1 ATS run as an underdog with an average cover of 13.4 ppg. Additionally, the Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after allowing more than 200 yards rushing in their previous game. Iowa St. is riding a three-game winning streak and it has covered all of those games as well. The Cyclones are now 5-2 on the season with the two losses coming by just three points combined. This is no doubt a good football team but they cannot be trusted laying double digits as they are 2-5-1 in their last eight games and also 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win. Here, we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 off a home loss by 14 or more points, playing a winning team. This situation is 41-15 ATS (73.2 percent) since 1992. 10* (169) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the USC TROJANS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. Colorado has dropped three straight games after a 3-1 start to the season. The three wins have been suspect as the Buffaloes defeated both Colorado St. and Nebraska despite getting outgained and snuck by Arizona St., hitting a game-winning field goal with two minutes remaining. The offense has stalled under quarterback Steven Montez who through seven games, he's thrown for 1,723 yards with a 63.8 completion percentage and 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He is going through a bad slump with six interceptions and one touchdown in his last two games. Colorado is 0-8 ATS in its last eight games after allowing 450 or more total yards in two consecutive games. USC snapped a two-game slide with a blowout win over Arizona. The Trojans are now 4-3 and they could be a lot better than that as two of those losses were by a field goal and in the 14-point loss against Washington, they actually outgained the Huskies but three turnovers did them in. USC has not lost to Colorado since the Buffaloes entered the Pac 12, going 8-0 with six of those wins coming by more than what it is favored by here. The Trojans are 11-2 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams who give up 34 or more. Here, we play on road favorites of 10.5 to 21 points after covering the spread in three out of their last four games, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team. This situation is 63-24 ATS (72.4 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (105) USC Trojans

This is a play on the DETROIT LIONS for our NFL Game of the Month. Detroit got hosed on Monday night as a couple late penalties cost them a chance at winning at Green Bay and improving to 3-1-1. The Lions could be 5-0 as they had Kansas City on the ropes and let Arizona back late in the game in their opener. Now they are catching points at home because of recency bias. The other part of that is how good Minnesota looked against the Eagles last week but the Vikings outgained Philadelphia by just 47 yards and were fortunate in facing a ravaged Eagles secondary. They been able to take advantage of suspect offensive lines but that will not be the case here as the Lions possess an under the radar solid offensive line. The Vikings are 2-6 ATS in their last eight games following a straight up win of more than 14 points while the Lions are 5-1 ATS in their last six games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. 10* (458) Detroit Lions

This is a play on the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. We lost playing against the Texans last week and this is another situation of recency bias. Houston is coming off a pair of big wins over Atlanta and Kansas City so this line had to be placed where it is knowing the public would be all over the Texans side. While they have been playing well, it was not that long ago that Houston put up 10 and 13 points against Carolina and Jacksonville respectively and that has been forgotten. The Colts are coming off that win over the Chiefs and had a bye last week so they have a solid scheduling edge this week as well. While Jacoby Brissett is no Andrew Luck, he lines up behind arguably the best offensive line in the NFL so the solid Houston pass rush will be limited here. Houston is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 road games off an upset win as an underdog while the Colts are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (454) Indianapolis Colts

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS for our CFB Saturday Last Chance For Cash. Hawaii got roughed up last week at Boise St. and that was with the Broncos losing their starting quarterback. The Warriors are 3-0 at home but playing against the Warriors in Hawaii has been a mixed bag and while it is widely thought of that they are profitable at home, they are a below average 31-38 ATS since 2012. The Warriors are 1-8 ATS in their last nine home games against teams with a winning road record. Air Force is coming off a win last week against Fresno St. as the defense came up strong again. The triple option rushing game is averaging 296.5 ypg which is good for second best in the country and Hawaii has not had any extra time to prepare for this unique attack. The Falcons are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing less than 275 total yards in their previous game. Here, we play on teams averaging 4.8 or more rushing ypc going up against teams averaging between 4.3 to 4.8 ypc), after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game. This situation is 80-36 ATS (69 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (423) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA ST. COWBOYS for our CFB Big 12 Game of the Year. We played against Baylor last week as it failed to cover the number but it still won in overtime to improve to 6-0 on the season. Three of the last four games have been decided by one possession however so the undefeated record is a bit skewed. This will be the biggest test on the road as the first two road wins came against Rice and Kansas St. The Bears are 7-16-1 ATS in their last 24 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game. Oklahoma St. is coming off a loss at Texas Tech two weeks ago so it has the benefit of facing the Bears coming off their bye week. The offense is again off the charts as the Cowboys are averaging 528.3 ypg which is good for No. 8 in the country. The home team has won eight of the last nine meetings in the series including last year so revenge is in play this week. The Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games against teams with a winning record while going 5-0 ATS in their last five games following a straight up loss. 10* (390) Oklahoma St. Cowboys

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our CFB Friday Enforcer. Syracuse is playing its second straight weeknight game, losing last Thursday at NC State. The Orange could not get out of their own way in the first half with six straight punts to open the game but ended up in NC State territory four of the next five drives but managed only 10 points as a missed field goal and a missed fourth down killed them. Syracuse is back home where it is 2-1, the lone loss coming against Clemson and going back, the Orange are 17-4 ATS in their last 21 home games against teams averaging 120 or fewer rushing ypg. Pittsburgh has won three straight games after a 1-2 start and the Panthers have been cashing, winning four of their last five against the number. That is a big reason they are favored on the road in this one. Pittsburgh is coming off an impressive win over Duke two weeks ago as a road underdog and now the roles switch despite Syracuse and Duke being fairly even in the power rankings. The Panthers are 4-15 ATS in their last 19 road games after gaining 75 or less rushing yards last game. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points with a defense allowing 100 or less rushing ypg, after gaining 75 or less rushing yards last game. This situation is 55-21 ATS (72.4 percent) since 1992. 10* (312) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the DENVER BRONCOS for our NFL Thursday Star Attraction. After opening the season 0-4, the Broncos have won their last two games as the defense has really stepped up, allowing just one touchdown over that span and recording their first shutout since 2017 last week. Part of the reason for this recent success on defense is that the Broncos have five takeaways the last two weeks after having none in their first four games. New head coach Vic Fangio a defensive guy so his system looks to be finally taking hold. Denver has been a bit unlucky along the way as it has outgained four of six opponents and three of the four losses were by one possession including as pair by just two points. Denver is +31.5 ypg in yardage differential while the Chiefs are -15.8 ypg and both have played similar ranked schedules. Kansas City has dropped two straight games as it has on the negative side of time of possession by a combined 77:03-42:57 so the secret could be out. Denver has the ability to smash it and can keep control of the ball. The public is all over Kansas City which comes as no surprise being a high profile team that has dropped two straight games yet the line has come down, going from as much as -5.5 down to -3. Here, we play against road teams off two or more consecutive upset losses as a favorite, with a winning record on the season playing a losing team. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) since 1983. 10* (304) Denver Broncos

This is a play on the LOUISIANA RAGIN CAJUNS for our CFB Thursday High Roller. Louisiana is coming off a tough loss against Appalachian St. last week but all is not lost in the conference. The Cajuns are in the West Division where they are 1-1 and trail UL-Monroe by just a half-game so they can control their own destiny for a rematch with the Mountaineers in the Sun Belt Conference Championship. Arkansas St. is 3-3 following a loss against Georgia St. by 14 points that was actually worse than that as the Red Wolves were outgained by 301 total yards. Louisiana has huge advantages on both sides of the ball in this matchup. The Cajuns are outgaining opponents by 147.5 ypg while Arkansas St. is getting outgained by 106.5 ypg. The Red Wolves have an atrocious defense as they are allowing 537.3 ypg which is second to last in all of college football. Louisiana is 12-3 ATS in its last 15 games off an upset loss to a conference rival as a home favorite while the Red Wolves are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing more than 450 total yards in their previous game. Here, we play against home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a scoring defense allowing 35 or more ppg, after two straight games where 60 total points or more were scored. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (305) Louisiana Ragin Cajuns

This is a play on the GREEN BAY PACKERS for our NFL Monday Enforcer. First place is on the line tonight in the best division in football which is the only one in the NFL that boasts four winning teams. Detroit suffered its first loss of the season two weeks ago against Kansas City and that defeat is looking worse now with the Chiefs having lost their last two games, both coming at home. We think the Lions are a little overrated at this point as they are ranked No. 21 in the current power rankings. After sweeping the season series the last two years, Detroit has won four in a row against Green Bay for the first time since the 1982 and 1983 seasons and that certainly has the attention of the Packers. Green Bay is coming off a big win over Dallas last Sunday to remain in first place in the NFC North. The lone loss came here against the Eagles in a game where it actually outgained the Eagles by 155 total yards. Here, we play against underdogs or pickems that are averaging 5.8 or more yppl going up against teams allowing 5.8 or more yppl, after allowing 400 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 36-13 ATS (73.5 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (276) Green Bay Packers

This is a play on the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS for our AFC Game of the Year. All week, the media has been crushing Kansas City and Patrick Mahomes following the poor performance against the Colts and when elite teams are coming off games like that, bounce back efforts happen more often than not. The Chiefs were outgained by just seven yards against Indianapolis so there is no reason to take the loss from last week too serious. The Chiefs are 4-1 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. Houston put up 53 points last week against Atlanta which was 43 more points than what they put up in their previous game against Carolina. The feedback is the opposite of Kansas City as everyone is gushing about Houston now. The Texans hit the road and going back, they are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 road games against teams with a winning home record. Remember, no team is as good as it looked or as bad as it looked in its previous game. 10* (258) Kansas City Chiefs

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. Seattle is coming off a big divisional win over the Rams last Thursday and while they have had extra time to prepare, this presents a letdown opportunity. Even more so, west coast teams traveling east for an early game. The Seahawks are 4-1 on the season despite getting outgained in two of their wins including a one-point win over lowly Cincinnati. The Seahawks are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win. Cleveland will be an unpopular play this week based on its awful performance Monday night as well as the fact it will have had for less days than Seattle to get ready. The Browns outgained three of their first four opponents so the game against the 49ers is an aberration and a dropped to touchdown pass by Antonio Calloway, who was rusty following a four-game suspension, impacted the game completely. The Browns are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a straight up loss. 10* (256) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our AAC Game of the Year. Since suffering a 42-0 loss against Ohio St., Cincinnati has won three straight games and has climbed into the AP Top 25 for the first time this season. The Bearcats are coming off an upset win over UCF but were outgained by 82 total yards and we are finding out that this Knights team is overrated when being compared from the last two years. The Bearcats are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game. Houston snapped a two-game losing streak with a 46-25 win over North Texas two weeks ago so it has the advantage here of having an extra week of preparation. The Cougars were outgained as they scored touchdowns on both punt and kickoff returns. The Cougars are 19-9 ATS in their last 28 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game while going 6-0 ATS in their last six games coming off a road win. 10* (172) Houston Cougars

This is a play on the TEMPLE OWLS for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Memphis heads into Philadelphia with a perfect 5-0 record but it has not been as dominant as the scoreboard has shown. The Tigers are coming off double-digit wins over Navy and UL-Monroe but they were outgained in both of those. Memphis is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games after scoring 50 points or more last game. Temple has won two straight games to improve to 4-1 on the season with the lone loss coming at Buffalo where turnovers were the difference. Temple has outgained all five opponents so it I playing at a very high level. The Owls are 40-17-1 ATS in their last 58 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points off a win by 10 points or more over a conference rival going up against an opponent after a road game where both teams scored 31 points or more. This situation is 51-20 (71.8 percent) since 1992. 10* (128) Temple Owls

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. We lost with Oregon last Saturday as it won but failed to cover against California as the Ducks shot themselves in the foot too many times. They turned the ball over in Golden Bears territory in their first three possessions and then missed a field goal late in the second quarter to get shut out in the first half. Give credit to the California defense as it stepped up when needed to keep the game close but Oregon does not have to worry about that on Friday and it is not laying many more points than last week. Colorado is coming off a loss against Arizona as it led for much of the game but gave up the winning touchdown with just over six minutes left. The Buffaloes are 1-2 following a 2-0 start and both of those losses came at home. They did upset Arizona St. in their lone road game on the season but they will be facing a much more difficult task here. Colorado is 4-18 ATS in its last 22 games after allowing 375 or more passing yards in their last game while Oregon is 19-5 ATS in its last 24 games against teams allowing 275 or more passing ypg. 10* (114) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the NEW YORK GIANTS for our NFL Thursday Star Attraction. This is the ultimate contrarian play as the Giants are now up to a 17-point underdog against New England as they looks to bounce back from a poor effort against the Vikings following a two-game winning streak. Many are pointing to injuries for New York as it will be without Saquon Barkley once again and will also be missing wide receiver Sterling Shephard and tight end Evan Engram. With the struggles of the Giants defense, Tom Brady is going to put up some points and Daniel Jones is going to have to hang with him. This is the fourth time already this season New England has been favored by more than two touchdowns which tells us one of two things. The Patriots are exceptionally good or the schedule has been exceptionally soft. We can all it a mix of both as New England has covered two of the three big spreads but those were against awful teams and taking out the game against the 4-1 Bills which they easily could have lost, the Patriots four other opponents are a combined 1-17. Here, we play against teams averaging 27 or more ppg going up against teams allowing between 23-27 ppg, after allowing 14 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 33-11 ATS (75 percent) since 1983. 10* (103) New York Giants

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our CFB Thursday Supreme Annihilator. After suffering two straight blowout losses, the Orange have record a pair of blowout wins to get back on track and move back over .500 on the season. Granted, the most recent came against Holy Cross of the FCS to close out September but it was a needed win for momentum and now Syracuse looks to jump out of a 0-2 hole in the ACC. The Orange are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 games following a straight up win. NC State is coming off a loss at Florida St. and it has not been in good form after opening with a pair of blowout wins against East Carolina and Nicholas St. The Wolfpack were dominated by West Virginia and then were outgained at home against Ball St. despite pulling out the win. The Wolfpack are 0-5 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game. Here, we plat against home favorites allowing between 16-21 ppg going up against teams allowing between 21-28 ppg, after scoring 14 points or less last game. This situation is 25-5 ATS (83.3 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (107) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the LAFAYETTE RAGIN CAJUNS for our CFB Wednesday High Roller. This has been one of the crazy line moves of the week as Lafayette opened as a one-point favorite on Sunday night, got bet up to as high as -3 -108 the next day only to go to +1 -106 early Tuesday. It once again shifted at the Cajuns were laying small chalk and again this morning, it shifted the other way in what is a big revenge game on National TV. Wednesday is a rematch of the first-ever Sun Belt championship game, which Appalachian St. won 30-19 at home. The Ragin Cajuns feature a powerful ground-oriented offense that poses plenty of problems for a Mountaineers defense that has allowed an average of 29 ppg. Lafayette leads the Sun Belt, averaging 314 rushing ypg while only surrendering five sacks all season, which also tops in the conference. While this is not considered a rivalry, it does pair the two best teams in the conference from the last few years and the Cajuns have never been on top, losing all six meetings and all coming by at least 10 points. So it comes as no surprise the public is feasting on the road team tonight. Lafayette is 17-3 ATS in its last 20 games after gaining 475 or more total ypg over their last three games. Here, we play against road teams that are outscoring opponents by 7.0 or more ppg, after allowing 31 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 80-39 ATS (67.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (102) Lafayette Ragin Cajuns

This is a play on the CLEVELAND BROWNS for our NFL Monday Star Attraction. San Francisco is off to a 3-0 start it is not overly impressive. The 49ers have defeated a poor Tampa Bay team, a winless Cincinnati team and a Pittsburgh team without its starting quarterback. Overall, those teams are a combined 3-12 and the strength of schedule is ranked No. 24. Even coming off a bye week, they are banged up. The 49ers suffered a significant loss in their latest win with a foot injury that will sideline cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon for at least a month. The other major injury the 49ers are dealing with is at left tackle, where veteran Joe Staley will miss at least six weeks with a broken leg. Cleveland is now 2-2 following its big win in Baltimore last Sunday and a win here is necessary to remain in first place in the AFC North which is now just a two-team race with Cincinnati and Pittsburgh out of it. This line opened at -3 and has steadily increased throughout the week so we are getting some great value. Here, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points that are averaging 370 or more ypg on offense going up against a team with a defense allowing between 335 and 370 ypg. This situation is 61-28 ATS (68.5 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (477) Cleveland Browns

This is a play on the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. Kansas City is rolling along again as it is off to a 4-0 start although it did fail to cover for the first time last Sunday against the Lions. The Chiefs have now scored 25 points in all 23 games he has been under center which is pretty extraordinary when you think about it. The problem is, Kansas City has not had a defense for him. That is the case again this season. Over the last two games, the Chiefs had Baltimore subdued but allowed a couple late scores to make things more interesting and needed a last minute touchdown last week after giving up 30 points to the Lions. Over the last two seasons, the Chiefs have been double-digit favorites only twice, both last year, going 1-1 ATS but those were against Arizona and Oakland, two of the worst teams in the league at the time. Indianapolis is not a bad team and this line is simply too high. In the playoff game last year, the line was -4 so this line is saying Andrew Luck is worth seven points and that is a bit inflated. 10* (475) Indianapolis Colts

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH STEELERS for our AFC North Game of the Year. Why is everybody so high on Baltimore? The Ravens opened the season with a 59-10 win over the Dolphins and we know what they are made of. They then struggled to beat the Cardinals, fell down big against Kansas City before a couple late scores and were blasted by Cleveland. The defense has been awful as they have allowed 500 yards in two straight games for the first time in franchise history and the 40 points allowed last week were the second most under head coach John Harbaugh. Offensively, Lamar Jackson has digressed since the first two games as last week, a 50-yard touchdown in the final minute skewed his numbers. The Steelers picked up their first win of the season over the Bengals as quarterback Mason Rudolph led a very efficient offense. There have been critics about how much he checked down but he got the job done and he will air it out more downfield against a banged up secondary. Pittsburgh has had trouble running the ball but Baltimore cannot stop the run, allowing 4.9 ypc which is fifth worst in the NFL. 10* (452) Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a play on the STANFORD CARDINAL for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Stanford snapped a three-game slide with a win at Oregon St. last week and the Cardinal hope to build off that as they head home. The Cardinal amassed four sacks and pitched a first-half shutout against Oregon St., but the final four drives of the game for the Beavers ended in touchdowns, making what was a comfortable affair in Corvallis a 31-28 nail-biter for the Cardinal. Stanford's defense isn't quite as stingy as it has been in the past. They're currently 92nd in total defense and 127th in third-down percentage defense but that is a big reason they are getting over two touchdowns at home. Additionally, Stanford has played the toughest schedule in the country. Washington took care of USC last week and it has now won three straight games following its lone loss of the season, a one-point setback at home. In their only other road game, the Huskies were favored by 6.5 points at BYU and this line is telling us the Cougars are 10 points better than Stanford? No way. The defense is looking excellent and always, and the offense is doing fine but this is a tough environment in a night games. 10* (352) Stanford Cardinal

This is a play on the ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI for our Big Ten Game of the Year. Minnesota has been getting it done but it has been far from dominant. The Golden Gophers are just two games short of bowl eligibility at 4-0 despite the fact they are 1-2-1 ATS, with their first cover coming last week in a 38-31 win at Purdue. They have won those games by an average of 5.0 ppg, have won all four by seven points or less and now are being asked to lay two touchdowns. Purdue ran it pretty well on Minnesota last week, and the Boilermakers had not previously been able to run it all on anyone and this is good news for Illinois which averages 182 ypg and 4.6 ypc. The Illini are 2-2 and while the wins were against two poor teams, the losses were against decent teams and by a combined seven points. Illinois has scored 30 or more points in each of the first four games this season, and Brandon Peters is the best quarterback Lovie Smith has had in Champaign. The Illini are coming off their bye week and while Smith did not get into too many specifics about what Illinois focused on most during its off week last week, the team earned a few extra practices to gameplan for the Gophers. 10* (357) Illinois Fighting Illini

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES RAMS for our NFL Thursday Star Attraction. This line opened at a pickem and has been driven up a couple points as everyone is down on the Rams now after their pathetic defensive performance against the Buccaneers last Sunday. Los Angeles still outgained Tampa Bay by 54 total yards but they were undone by four turnovers that included three interceptions by Jared Goff. The Rams are now 3-1 on the season as they have outgained all four opponents. The Rams are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. A lot of people are sold on Seattle but we are not one of those. The Seahawks beat a bad Cincinnati team by one point, beat a Pittsburgh team that lost Ben Roethlisberger, lost to New Orleans and beat a bad Arizona team. Many will talk about how Seattle has the distinct rushing advantage here but that is not the case based upon the ypc model. Based on ypc averages, the Rams have a better ypc average on offense, allow fewer ypc on defense and have a positive differential between its offense and defense. The Seahawks are 1-5 ATS in their last six games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game. Here, we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 after scoring 25 points or more in two straight games going up against an opponent after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored. This situation is 49-20 ATS (71 percent) since 1983. 10* (301) Los Angeles Rams

This is a play on the TEMPLE OWLS for our CFB Thursday High Roller. Temple enters Thursday with a 3-1 record which includes a pair of win over ACC teams in Georgia Tech and Maryland. The Owls have outgained all four opponents thanks to a stingy defense once again as Temple is ranked No. 19 in total defense. The Owls are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after accumulating less than 170 yards passing in their previous game while going 11-4 ATS in their last 15 games following a straight up win of more than 20 points. East Carolina has won two straight games and it is 3-2 on the season. The problem is two of those wins came against teams from the FCS while the third win came against 1-3 Old Dominion last week by just three points. Do not be fooled by the winning record as the Pirates strength of schedule is No. 150 in the country. East Carolina is 4-16 ATS in its last 20 home games after playing two straight non-conference games while going 0-8 ATS in its last eight games when playing against a team with a winning record. Here, we play on road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after allowing 5.5 or less passing ypa in three straight games, with an experienced quarterback returning as starter. This situation is 41-15 ATS (73.2 percent) since 1992. 10* (305) Temple Owls

This is a play on the CINCINNATI BENGALS for our NFL Monday Enforcer. A few years ago this would have been a marquee Monday night game but now last place is on the line. Ben Roethlisberger's season-ending right-elbow injury and a defense that's been unable to get critical stops has Pittsburgh facing just its second 0-4 start in 1968. Not much was expected of Cincinnati this season and that has proven to be correct as the Bengals are also 0-3 but they have been more consistent of the two teams. Cincinnati had a chance last week against Buffalo but allowed a late touchdown to remain winless. It also could have won the season opener against Seattle but lost by a point despite outgaining the Seahawks by 197 total yards. The Bengals have lost eight straight and 11 of 12 against the Steelers but of course there is no Roethlisberger this time around. The Bengals are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games while the Steelers are 1-5 ATS in their last six games after allowing more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game. Here, we play on road teams that are getting outrushed by their opponents by 40 or more ypg on the season, after being outrushed by 100 or more yards last game. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (277) Cincinnati Bengals

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. Dallas looks like one of the top teams in the league right now after starting the season 3-0 straight up and against the number. Digging deeper however shows this might not be the case. The Cowboys are ranked No. 8 in the Sagarin power rankings and this is due to the schedule they have seen as they have played the easiest schedule in the NFL as they have faced teams that are a combined 1-8. Certainly, this is not their fault but because of the record, they are being overvalued and that is the case here being listed as road favorites in one of the toughest environments in the league. New Orleans is 2-1 on the season which includes an impressive win over Seattle last week to conclude a two-game roadtrip. The stats were not pretty but things will get better. The Saints are entering their second full game with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater taking first-team snaps in place of the injured Drew Brees and expect to see progress from a unit that gained 265 yards and accounted for three of the Saints' five touchdowns. In those same Sagarin power rankings, New Orleans is actually one spot higher than Dallas which again proves the wrong team is favored. Here, we play against road favorites averaging 5.7 or more yppl, after gaining 450 or more total yards in two consecutive games. This situation is 31-9 ATS (77.5 percent) since 1983. 10* (276) New Orleans Saints

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Game of the Month. The world got a taste of Kyle Allen last week in place of Cam Newton and he was great by going 19-26 for 261 yards and four touchdowns but that came against one of the projected worst defenses in the NFL. Additionally, there was not much tape on Allen so Arizona was prepared for what was coming but Houston has the luxury of a pair of game tapes. The Panthers put up a season-high 38 points last week and that output is keeping this line in check as the Texans are giving just a point and a half more than the Cardinals laid and there is no way those two teams are a difference of a point and a half. The Panthers are 1-8 ATS in their last nine games after allowing less than 250 total yards in their previous game. Houston is off to a 2-1 start following an upset win at Los Angeles last week over the Chargers. They could and should be 3-0 but allowed the Saints to drive downfield in under a minute to kick the game winning field goal. This is the first of two straight home games and Houston could take early charge in the AFC South with a sweep. Here, we play against road underdogs or pickems coming off an upset win by 14 points or more as an underdog. This situation is 141-87 ATS (61.8 percent) since 1983. 10* (252) Houston Texans

This is a play on the NEW MEXICO LOBOS for our CFB Revenge Game of the Year. New Mexico is coming off a win over rival New Mexico St. 55-52 in a game that should not have been that close. The Lobos outgained the Aggies by 109 total yards to improve to 2-1 with the lone loss coming at Notre Dame which is no surprise. They now hit the road as significant road underdogs against a team that should not be laying a number this big in just its second year in the FBS. Liberty is 2-2 coming off a pair of home wins against Buffalo and Hampton. The Flames were actually getting six points against the Bulls and Buffalo is a comparable team to New Mexico yet there is over a two-touchdown line differential. Additionally, they only outgained the Bulls by 31 total yards. The revenge factor comes into play, even on the road in this situation, after Liberty won in Albuquerque by nine points despite the Lobos winning the yardage battle. Four interceptions did them in and that was the ultimate difference. Here, we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are allowing 6.1 or more yppl, after gaining 525 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 29-6 ATS (82.9 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (181) New Mexico Lobos

This is a play on the GEORGIA SOUTHERN EAGLES for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. We played against Louisiana last week but the rushing game was too much for Ohio as the Bobcats surrendered 285 yards on the ground in a 45-25 loss. The Cajuns hit the road for the second straight week and it happens to be their conference opener and against a team that has proven to be able to stop the run. It also helps that Louisiana has played the No. 92 ranked schedule in the country. Georgia Southern is coming off a bye week which gives it the situational edge here. Prior to that, the Eagles lost a tough one in Minnesota by just three points. They have played the No. 19 ranked schedule in the nation which also includes a game at LSU. Back to the rushing defense, in the two games against Power Five teams, Georgia Southern has allowed a total of 215 rushing yards on 81 carries (2.7 ypc)\. The Eagles are 7-2 ATS in their last nine home games while going 6-0 ATS after playing a non-conference game. Here, we play against road favorites averaging 230 or more rushing ypg after outrushing opponent by 125 or more yards in two straight games going up against a team allowing 100 or less rushing ypg. This situation is 26-7 ATS (78.8 percent) since 1992. 10* (140) Georgia Southern Eagles

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS for our CFB Friday High Roller. We played on Air Force two weeks ago as it won in Colorado in overtime but it failed to follow up with a win as lost in Boise by 11 points to the Broncos. The Falcons actually outgained Boise St. but a costly interception midway through the fourth quarter set up the Broncos for a short 27-yard touchdown drive. The Falcons are 9-1 ATS in home games under Troy Calhoun in games after allowing 100 or less rushing yards last game. San Jose St. is coming off a massive upset as it defeated Arkansas on the road by a touchdown as a 20-point underdog. The Spartans should not have won that game as they benefited from five turnovers that took a lot of yards and long drives away from the Razorbacks. San Jose St. got thumped by Tulsa by 18 points and it was outgained by 191 yards in its previous game when it was heading to a bye week prior to playing Arkansas. The Spartans are 4-14-1 ATS in their last 19 games after accumulating more than 280 yards passing in their previous game while the Falcons are 16-5 ATS in their last 21 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game. 10* (110) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES for our NFL Thursday Star Attraction. We love this spot for the Eagles on Thursday night. They have dropped two straight games by a combined seven points including a loss at home against Detroit this past Sunday despite outgaining the Lions by 86 total yards. Dropping to 1-3 will not completely kill their season, but it will not help matters as it is still a sizeable hole to climb out of. Only 27 teams that started the season 1-3 have made the playoffs so it is a challenge. The Eagles are 4-0 ATS in their last four games against teams with a winning record. Green Bay is off to a perfect 3-0 start and it is being led by the defense that is allowing just 11.7 ppg which is second best in the NFL. The issue is the Packers have been fortunate to keep the points off the board as they are No. 13 in total defense, allowing 328.3 ypg. A big reason for this variance is that Green Bay is +6 in turnover differential and this positive uptake will not last throughout the season. The Packers are getting outgained by 41.7 ypg which is not a good sign but the fact they are 3-0 straight up and ATS is putting the public behind them and in a big way. 10* (101) Philadelphia Eagles

This is a play on the WASHINGTON REDSKINS for our NFL Monday Enforcer. The Bears go into Monday night's matchup with the third-worst offense in the NFL through the first two weeks of the season. Chicago's offense has produced just one touchdown through two games, a one-yard-run by David Montgomery last week, and Mitch Trubisky is a combined 42 of 72 for 348 yards and an interception. They do get to face the third worst defense in the NFL and while some of that can be attributed to bad play, facing the Eagles and Cowboys the first two weeks did not help. On the other side, we know all about the stout Bears defense but the Washington offense has been pretty solid as Case Keenum has done his part, throwing for 601 yards and five touchdown passes with no interceptions. The Redskins have been solid in these spots are they are 8-0 ATS in their last eight games against winning teams when coming off a pair of losses. The Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games against teams with a losing home record. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems that allowed 335 or more total ypg, after allowing 450 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 34-13 ATS (72.3 percent) since 1983. 10* (490) Washington Redskins

This is a play on the DENVER BRONCOS for our NFL Game of the Week. Denver is 0-2 for the first time since 1999 but it has played better than that 0-2 record indicates. The Broncos lost by eight points at Oakland in the season opener but outgained the Raiders and last week, they lost at home by two points against Chicago yet still outgained the Bears. Joe Flacco has been criticized but he has been very good with 280 ypg while tossing two touchdowns and just one pick. Green Bay is off to the opposite start with a 2-0 record but it has also been opposite in the stats. The Packers were outgained by both Chicago and Minnesota and coming of a pair of divisional wins, they are in for a letdown as well as a lookahead to the Eagles on a short week as they face Philadelphia next Thursday night. The line is way too big as records alone cannot dictate a line. Here, we play against favorites off a home win, in the first month of the season. This situation is 78-37 ATS (67.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (461) Denver Broncos

This is a play on the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. The Chiefs head back to Kansas City for their home opener after posting a pair of double-digit wins on the road. Playing Jacksonville and Oakland helps but those are not horrible teams. Patrick Mahomes has been sensational with 821 passing yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. They have looked very impressive as expected and this has been a very odd line move as the number has come down from initial opening. The Chiefs are 17-8-1 ATS in their last 26 games following a straight up win. The line movement is due to the start of the Baltimore Ravens which are also off to a 2-0 start. Their level of opposition has been much worse though that has definitely played into the record. Lamar Jackson has been a pleasant early surprise but the jury is still out as facing the Dolphins, with the worse roster in the league, and the Cardinals, with the worst passing defense in the league last season, has played a role. Here we play on home favorites off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival, team that had a winning record last season. This situation is 37-12 (75.5 percent) since 1983. 9* (466) Kansas City Chiefs

This is a play on the TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE for our CFB Game of the Month. While this is a play on Tulsa, it is also a play against Wyoming. The Cowboys are arguably the worst 3-0 team in the country as their three wins have come by a combined 20 points and those wins were against Missouri, Texas St. and Idaho. Making matters worse, they were outgained in all three games two of which were by 148 and 151 yards. Tulsa is 1-2 but its losses came against Michigan St. and Oklahoma St. The loss to the Cowboys last week came by 19 points but the game was a lot closer than that as the Golden Hurricane actually led at halftime but were done in by a 90-yard touchdown pass. The Cowboys are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games following an ATS loss while the Golden Hurricane are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (370) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Coming off a pair of big losses, expect Syracuse to come out with fire Saturday and the fact it is an early kickoff, it helps the Orange as taking the field as early as possible benefits them emotionally. The loss to Maryland was a surprise, more so by the final score while the loss to Clemson was expected and now is the time to rise to the challenge. The Orange are 16-3-1 ATS in their last 20 games against the MAC. Western Michigan is off to a 2-1 start but the two wins came against Monmouth and Georgia St.. The only real team they faced was Michigan St. who has shown to be offensively challenged but put up 51 points on the Broncos. The Broncos are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games following a straight up win. 10* (340) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our NFL Thursday Enforcer. We would normally take a look at the home underdog in a primetime game but not in this case as the Jaguars are a mess right now. They are down to their second string quarterback and last week, Jalen Ramsey got into a sideline fight with Doug Marrone and has now demanded a trade. From a matchup standpoint, the defenses should decide this game. Jacksonville is allowing 119.5 rushing ypg through two weeks, and with the Titans being a team that relies heavily on their running game, that is good news for Tennessee. On the other side, the Titans ranked eighth in the league in defense last year, and through two games in 2019, they have allowed just 32 points, and they have played some potent offenses. Offensively, look for Marcus Mariota to target tight end Delanie Walker and wide receiver Adam Humphries more than last week, especially on third down. Here, we play on road teams against division opponents, first month of the season, non-playoff team from last season who won four or more of their last five games. This situation is 30-9 ATS (76.9 percent) since 1983. 10* (301) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the TULANE GREEN WAVE for our CFB Thursday Star Attraction. We won with Houston last week as it covered against Washington St. but the Cougars are in a brutal spot here. They go from playing against a prolific passing team to facing a spread option team so getting ready for this game is a challenge, especially on a short week. Tulane is 2-1 with the lone loss coming against Auburn which was a one possession game late in the third quarter. Since making a quarterback change last season, the Green Wave are 7-2 with Justin McMillan under center. they are coming off a big win over Missouri St. and going back, Tulane is 8-0 ATS in its last eight home games following a win by 28 or more points. This is the third time in four games that Houston has played on a non-Saturday and that really messes up the preparation schedule. Here, we play on teams after gaining 7.25 or more yppl in their previous game, with eight defensive starters returning, in the first month of the season. This situation is 45-18 ATS (71.4 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (304) Tulane Green Wave

This is a play on the LOS ANGELES RAMS for our NFL Sunday Star Attraction. This is the rematch of that controversial NFC Championship Game and while the word revenge will be tossed around leading up to the game, we are not a fan of road revenge in this spot. The Rams are coming off a win in Carolina last Sunday by three points and while the offense did not look very good, we can expect a bounce back this week against a Saints defense that allowed 414 total yards against the Texans. New Orleans defeated Houston on Monday Night Football but we still cashed on the Texans and the Saints are now on a 1-10 ATS run in the first two weeks of the season the last six years. The Saints now hit the road for the first time where they were excellent last season but going back, they have failed to cover four straight games against teams with a winning record. Here, we play on home favorites that outscored opponents by 4.0 or more ppg last season, after scoring 30 points or more last game. This situation is 45-18 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (284) Los Angeles Rams

This is a play on the PITTSBURGH STEELERS for our NFL Game of the Week. Pittsburgh got hammered in New England last week by 30 points as the offense managed a mere field goal on 15 first downs. Playing that New England defense can do that to a team and we expect the Steelers to come out with a lot more fire than they showed last week. Returning home certainly helps where the Steelers are 23-9 over the last four seasons. Seattle is coming off a one-point win over Cincinnati at home and it did not look good in doing so. The Seahawks were outgained by 196 total yards and Ben Roethlisberger is licking his chops after Andy Dalton threw for a career high 418 yards. The public is down on the Steelers and is rushing to grab the points with Seattle as fast as they can. However, we have actually seen the line move to -4 in some places even though 75 percent of the bets are backing Seattle. Here, we play on teams that lost their opening game on the road and are back home in Week Two. This situation is 41-25-1 ATS (62.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (276) Pittsburgh Steelers

This is a play on the AIR FORCE FALCONS for our CFB Non-Conference Game of the Year. Colorado is off to a 2-0 start following a dramatic win in overtime over Nebraska where it tied the game in regulation with less than a minute left after rallying from a 17-0 deficit. The Buffaloes may be a little inflated however as they were outgained in both games. The defense remains suspect and Colorado will be challenged facing the Air Force option. The Falcons rolled over Colgate in their opener and had a bye last week. Air Force brings back 14 starters from a disappointing 5-7 team from last season and the Falcons are expected to be a sleeper in the MWC. Here, we play on road underdogs that averaged 400 or more total ypg last season, after outgaining opponent by 125 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 49-24 ATS (67.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (125) Air Force Falcons

This is a play on the HOUSTON COUGARS for our CFB Friday Star Attraction. This line opened at under the key number of seven and is now well over a touchdown. This is considered a neutral site game but it is being played at NRG Stadium so it is basically a home game for the Cougars. They bounced back from a season opening loss against Oklahoma with a blowout win over Prairie View A&M. Washington St. is coming off a pair of wins over patsies New Mexico St. and Northern Colorado and both of those were at home so now the Cougars are playing their first game on the road. While they have played no one, they have still benefitted from a +6 turnover advantage. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that allowed 425 or more total ypg, with eight or more offensive starters including the quarterback returning, in the first month of the season. This situation is 52-21 ATS since 1992. 10* (108) Houston Cougars

This is a play on the CAROLINA PANTHERS for our NFL Thursday Enforcer. It was a disappointing opening week for both Carolina and Tampa Bay as both lost at home in Week One. The Buccaneers were the bigger disappointment however as they lost to San Francisco in a bad way, committing four turnovers in the two-touchdown loss. The Panthers rallied from a 13-0 deficit to within three points on two different occasions but fell short against the Rams. After a sloe start, the offense moved the ball great in the second half under the new Norv Turner offense and we expect that to carry over into Thursday on a short turnaround that favors the home team. Carolina is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 home games after allowing 30 points or more last game and it falls into a great situation as we play on NFL division home teams on Thursdays coming off a home loss. This situation is 12-4 ATS (75 percent) since 1980. 10* (102) Carolina Panthers

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Monday Enforcer. A lot of talk is about how New Orleans will be extremely motivated following the controversial playoff loss from last season against the Rams. That shows the short memory these people have considering the Saints lost on a last play against the Vikings in the playoffs two years ago and opened last season with a home loss against Tampa Bay. Houston is no less motivated to get the season off to a positive start as it is also coming off a playoff loss following an 11-2 end to the regular season. This line is severely overinflated for the Saints against a team that has one of the best overall rosters in the league. Here, we play against home teams that allowed 7.0 or more passing ypa last season, in non-conference games. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (479) Houston Texans

This is a play on the CAROLINA PANTHERS for our NFL Game of the Week. The public are victims of recency bias and are inclined to back the Rams because of their Super Bowl trip. They opened as three-point road favorites and despite nearly 80 percent of bets backing Los Angeles, the line remained frozen. Late this week, the line has actually come down which makes this the perfect case of reverse line movement. Cam Newton is healthy and feels better than ever. Here, we play against the defending Super Bowl loser if on the road in the season opener in non-conference games. This situation is 14-1 ATS (93.3 percent) since 1990. 10* (468) Carolina Panthers

This is a play on the MIAMI DOLPHINS for our NFL Sunday Enforcer. The Miami fire sale continued this past week and the betting markets are making their adjustments. The Ravens opened as 3.5-point road favorites and they are receiving nearly 90 percent of bets, making them the top public play of Week One. This massive backing pushed Baltimore all the way to -7 midweek. As bad as Miami is considered to be, Baltimore is not a touchdown better, especially on the road. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems that allowed 385 or more total ypg last season. This situation is 30-8 ATS (78.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (460) Miami Dolphins

This is a play on the FRESNO ST. BULLDOGS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. Minnesota survived a scare last week against South Dakota St. as the Jackrabbits had 23-17 first down and 367-308 yard edges including 174-132 on the ground. Minnesota benefited from a 43-yard interception return for a touchdown to start the second half and had to rally to score the winning touchdown with just over five minutes left. We played against Fresno St. last week and got hit with the loss as the Bulldogs were able to backdoor the cover by scoring the final ten points of the game. Now they are back home where they went 7-0 last season and have won nine straight games. 10* (390) Fresno St. Bulldogs

This is a play on the RICE OWLS for our CFB Friday Enforcer. We played on Wake Forest last week as it pulled off a miracle win against Utah St. as it scored on a fourth and two with a minute remaining to win by three points. The Demon Deacons now hit the road where they won their final three games but not at this price. They have not been a road favorite this big since 1997 and it is not because Wake Forest is suddenly a powerhouse. It is implied Rice is going to be bad again as it has gone 3-22 over the last two seasons but this is an improving team. The Owls played very well in a seven-point loss against Army and while they bring back a lot of experience, they also brought in seven graduate transfers from winning programs. 10* (302) Rice Owls

This is a play on the OKLAHOMA SOONERS for our CFB Sunday Star Attraction. This line opened at -26 and has settled in at -23 across most places which is big under the key number 24. Oklahoma is again in the National Championship discussion even after losing No. 1 draft pick Kyler Murray to the NFL. The Sooners new quarterback is Alabama transfer Jalen Hurts, who started the 2016 and 2017 seasons and led Alabama to a 26-2 overall record. He lost the starting job to Tua Tagovailoa in 2018 but still played in 13 games. He adds to a rushing offense as well that should be one of the best in the country. Houston lost its best defender in Ed Oliver from a unit that was already bad in the first place. The Cougars collapsed down the stretch, allowing 37.2 ppg last season. They gave up 45, 59, 52, and 70 points in four of their final five games of the year and in the bowl game against Army, they allowed 507 yards on the ground. The Houston offense is legit and in years past, that would give Oklahoma fits but we expect things to be better this season as new defensive coordinator Alex Grinch is unleashing what promises to be an attacking defense. The Sooners bring back eight starters on defense which makes the learning curve of a new scheme a lot easier to translate. Houston has a new head coach in Dana Holgorsen who comes over from West Virginia and he never could solve Oklahoma, going 0-7 straight up while failing to cover five straight. The Cougars are 4-12 ATS in their last 16 road games while the Sooners are 15-7 ATS in their last 22 home games. 10* (216) Oklahoma Sooners

This is a play on the VIRGINIA CAVALIERS for our CFB Game of the Month. The Cavaliers are starting to take big steps under head coach Bronco Mendenhall as they finished 8-5 to make it to their second straight bowl game, culminating with a blowout shutout over South Carolina 28-0. Virginia returns 14 starters, which is tied for No. 34, and this includes eight starters on a defense that finished in the top 20 in the nation last season. Also back is quarterback Bryce Perkins who is a duel threat as he finished with 2,680 yards through the air and 923 rushing yards. Last season could have been even better as three of the five losses came by four points or less including two in overtime. One of the other losses came at home against Pittsburgh by 10 points so payback will be in play. The Panthers won the ACC Coastal last season which was a surprise to many especially after getting outgained and outscored on the season. Pittsburgh should take a big step back this season as it returns just 11 starters which is tied for No. 90. The Panthers do bring back quarterback Kenny Pickett but he was far from efficient last season with a 58.1 percent completion rate while tossing only 12 touchdowns and throwing three picks. The offense especially bogged down late in the season, averaging a mere 8.7 ppg over their final three games. The experience factor and revenge factor are big time in play which is why we are not shying away from the road chalk. 10* (203) Virginia Cavaliers

This is a play on the TOLEDO ROCKETS for our CFB Saturday Afternoon Dominator. Kentucky is coming off one of its best seasons in recent memory but the Wildcats are expected to take a step back this season. They were 10-3 last season that included a win over then No. 12 Penn St. in the Citrus Bowl but they lost a lot of key pieces to that team as no longer around are all-time leading rusher Benny Snell and top 5 NFL Draft pick defensive end Josh Allen. They lost a lot more as well as they come in as the No. 103 ranked team in experience. That makes this number pretty large given the fact Kentucky is 0-10 ATS in its last 10 games as a home favorite. Toledo had an average season last year where it went 7-6 but the offense is expected to be better. The Rockets averaged 40.4 ppg and went over 50 points six times and while none of those came against powerful teams, they have an explosive offense that can take advantage of the short-handed Kentucky defense. The Wildcats offense was bad so they were fortunate the defense was so strong and that offense only returns for starters, the same as the defense. That helps out of porous Toledo defense that should be better or at the very least equivalent. Here, we play on road teams that allowed 400 or more total ypg last season, with five defensive starters returning, in the first two weeks of the season. This situation is 61-27 ATS (69.3 percent) since 1992. The fact this is a 12 PM ET start helps the road team also as it takes away the rowdy SEC crowd. 10* (171) Toledo Rockets

This is a play on the WAKE FOREST DEMON DEACONS for our CFB Friday Supreme Annihilator. Head coach Dave Clawson has done a great job at Wake Forest as he has taken the Demon Deacons to three straight bowl games, all resulting in wins which is the first time that has happened in program history. They were forced to use three different quarterbacks last season and the quarterback that led them to two underdog wins in the final two games, Jamie Newman, won the job this season. Overall, this is a pretty experienced teams, ranked No. 47 in the country, and this is a big factor early on as mentioned in prior analysis. Utah St. is coming off a very successful 11-2 campaign that included a 10-game winning streak as well as a 9-1 ATS run. That could be playing into this number and while it is as low as it is. Another reason could be the return of quarterback Jordan Love who was responsible for 39 touchdowns last season. The only problem with that is that he gets just other starter back in his offense so it could be rough early on. Overall, the Aggies are ranked No. 123 in experience and looking at the ever important offensive line, Utah St. is ranked dead last in the nation with only 15 starts along the line compared to 82 for Wake Forest which is No. 31. Wake Forest lost 120 player-game because of injury so Clawson led a total upheaval in training techniques that forced them to rebuild the Fall Camp process from the ground up which resulted in a significant reduction in injuries. 10* (148) Wake Forest Demon Deacons

This is a play on the BYU COUGARS for our CFB Thursday Enforcer. We have a quick turnaround revenge game in play on Thursday night and this is not simply a revenge play but how it happened. In the regular season finale , BYU and Utah met in the 93rd edition of the Holy War and the Cougars led 27-7 but allowed 28 unanswered points to lose 35-27 so they will be out for some serious payback. Additionally, the Utes have won eight straight meetings in this series but only one of those have come by more than one possession. BYU returns 17 starters including quarterback Zach Wilson who was questionable for this game but has been upgraded to probable. The Cougars have an experience offensive line as they are ranked No. 45 in the country in offensive linemen starts. On the other side, Utah is ranked No. 98 in this category, as they bring back only 35 starts across the offensive line. This is a huge factor early in the season which gives BYU a solid edge as both defenses on nearly the same with just over 51 percent of their tackles returning. The Cougars know that to beat Utah they have to play at a high level without costly lapses which they have experienced during this series. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that had a completion percentage of 62 percent or better last season, in non-conference games. This situation is 31-7 ATS (81.6 percent) since 1992. 10* (144) BYU Cougars

This is a play on the HAWAII WARRIORS for our CFB Saturday Enforcer. The Warriors were a great turnaround team last season as they went 8-6 after going 3-9 the previous season. Hawaii returns 18 starters, nine on each side of the ball including five on the offensive line and three on the defensive line. Last year, with the move back to the true run-and-shoot, the air show went up by almost 1,500 yards as it finished ninth in the nation averaging over 300 ypg. Cole McDonald most notably returns for the Warriors, as the redshirt junior quarterback threw for over 3,800 yards with 36 touchdowns to just 10 interceptions last season. Additionally, the Warriors return a majority of their offensive production last season, as guys like Cedric Byrd and JoJo Ward are going to challenge the Arizona defense immensely. This is good news come Saturday as the Arizona scoring defense finished 10th in the Pac-12, allowing 32.6 ppg. Arizona brings back just six starters on defense. Offensively, the Wildcats hope that quarterback Khalil Tate can remain healthy as he was not near 100 percent for most of last season. Hawaii brings back a lot of talent and experience on defense and that has to translate into production for a defense that could not come up with enough third down stops, getting hit for 40 points or more over a rough mid-season run of five games in six. 10* (294) Hawaii Warriors

This is a play on the NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS for our Super Bowl LIII Winner. A ton of sharp money came in on New England as soon as the line was posted, which caused it to move 2 whole points in just nine minutes. It has gone up another half-point since then and settled in at 2.5 for most of this week despite a majority of later action coming in on the Rams. There are some spots where -2 is available at a little added juice but laying the 2.5 points is more than fine as it comes in under the key number of three. When it first came out, we had a lean on the Rams but based on the sharp money reports and matchup analysis, we have shifted to New England. Covers writer Patrick Everson spoke with Aaron Kessler at the Golden Nugget about what has been happening and what is to be predicted. "We were getting one-sided action early on the Patriots," Kessler said of what prompted the move to 3, and oddly enough, the first wager that came in at that number was a low-five-figure bet on the Patriots. But that course quickly changed. "We're back to 2.5 flat, plenty of Rams money flowing in. If I had to guess, I'd say it closes 2.5." The shift to the Patriots is mostly based on how its offensive line is playing and how it has protected Tom Brady. The majority of the talking heads and gasbags claim that the Rams have the talent up front to disrupt that offense line and make Brady move but we do not think that will be the case even though the defensive line is very talented. Running the ball behind that offensive line will be key as well. Since the Belichick-Brady era began in 2000, they are 11-0 in the postseason when a player rushes for 100 yards, and 51-1 in the regular season. The Rams allow a below average 4.8 ypc. Even though they are favored, New England is still acting like the underdog and that is a big motivational factor. New England is 17-4 ATS against teams allowing 350 or more ypg while the Rams are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game. 10* (101) New England Patriots

This is a play on the KANSAS CITY CHIEFS for our NFL Playoff Game of the Year. This line is holding strong at -3 and will likely stay on this number before kickoff. Some demons were removed last week with Kansas City as it defeated the Colts and essentially removed any pressure going forward. The Chiefs have had one of their best seasons in years and appear to have finally found their franchise quarterback in Patrick Mahomes. But in order to complete their ascension, they will need to beat the very best the NFL has to offer in Bill Belichick and the Patriots. New England has had a dynasty going for a while now yet they are only 3-4 in the postseason on the road under Belichick, which opens the door for a team as well-coached and dangerous as the Chiefs to perhaps negate that advantage. Additionally, the Patriots went 3-5 on the road this season with all five of those losses coming against non-playoff teams. w England played a near flawless game last week against the Chargers but it did catch Los Angeles in a tough spot having to play its second straight road game on the east coast in an early game. Much is being said about how cold it is going to be in Kansas City and how good of a cold-weather quarterback Tom Brady is. Those claims are pretty false however as he is not great in real cold weather (20 and under). He has completed 125 of 223 passes (56.1 percent) for 1,307 yards, 10 touchdowns, and four interceptions while posting a QB rating of 80.7. here, we play on home favorites in the second half of the season that are outgaining opponents by 0.4 to 1 yppl going up against a team with a +/- 0.4 yppl differential, after gaining 400 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 72-37 ATS (66.1 percent) since 1983. 10* (314) Kansas City Chiefs

This is a play on the NEW ORLEANS SAINTS for our Sunday NFL Eagles/Saints Winner. This is the first time since 2009 that the Saints have had a first round bye and with this being one of the best home fields in the NFL, this is big for New Orleans. Since the beginning of the Drew Brees/Sean Payton era in 2006 the team has a 7-5 postseason record. Payton and Brees are 5-0 in home playoff games, including 2-0 at home in the divisional round. In those five home games, Brees threw for 1,529 yards with 12 touchdown passes against one interception and his career playoff passer rating in New Orleans is 116.8. Another big reason that New Orleans got a bye was for rest purposes as the offense started to look tired down the stretch. It was actually a two-week layoff for most starters as they rested Week 17. What Nick Foles has done has been incredible the last two seasons but this is where we feel the magic ends. Philadelphia was 6-7 and outside of the playoff picture when it turned to Foles. Including the playoffs, he has now started 12 games for Philadelphia the last two seasons, and the Eagles have won 10 of them. The Saints dominated Wentz in the first meeting this season and they should do the same to Foles this week. Philadelphia is 4-13 ATS revenging a road loss by 14 points while the Saints are 25-6 ATS in their last 31 home games against teams with a winning road record. Here, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are coming off two consecutive road wins, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 25-5 ATS (83.3 percent) since 1983 with the average margin of victory being +14.1 ppg. 10* (308) New Orleans Saints

This is a play on the DALLAS COWBOYS for our Saturday NFL Cowboys/Rams Winner. The Rams stormed out of the gate with an 8-0 record but they became pretty average the rest of the season as they went 5-3 over the final eight games. With the exception of an early season win over the Chargers, Los Angeles struggled against playoff teams as it went 3-3 in six games with the three wins coming by a combined 10 points. Jared Goff was outstanding to start the season but over the last six weeks of the season, he has dealt with much more pressure, and as the pressure came, so did his mistakes. While the regression of Goff played a big part in the second half, the defense performed pretty bad as well. In those final six games against playoff teams, the Rams allowed 33.8 ppg and on the season, the Rams allowed a higher ypc average than any other team in the league. This means Ezekiel Elliott could go off again after gaining 137 yards against the Seahawks last week. Additionally, Dak Prescott kept the Seattle defense off balance with quarterback draws and sweeps and he will utilize that again in keeping the ultra-aggressive Rams front seven on their toes which will slow the pass rush down. On the other side, if the Cowboys defense plays a similar game that they did against the Saints, they can win this game outright. This is a home game for the Rams but the stadium will not be fully Los Angeles fans. A 50/50 split that some say is coming seems unlikely as the Rams' success the past two years has strengthened their hold on the bulk of locals but 60/40 or 65/35 isn't out of the question. Dallas is 9-1 ATS in its last 10 games against teams allowing 350 ypg. 10* (303) Dallas Cowboys

This is a play on the CLEMSON TIGERS for our CFP Championship Winner. In what is becoming an annual tradition, Clemson and Alabama will meet in the College Football Playoff for the fourth consecutive year, the third time in the championship game. Early money came in on the Tigers, dropping this number a point to a point and a half depending on the opening number. Alabama beat Clemson 24-6 in a semifinal last season, and the teams split their two meetings in the Championship game in 2016 and 2017. Turnovers were the difference last season as a pair of interceptions hurt Clemson and it has to avoid that this year. Alabama is talked about as being the most dominant team in the country, winning just one game by fewer than 24 points. However, since winning 28-26 at Texas A&M and 27-23 against Syracuse in the first month of the season, Clemson has won its last nine games by an average margin of 37 points. The closest game in that stretch was a 20-point win at then-No. 17 Boston College. the Tigers offense will want to keep the Tide offense off the field and they can definitely do that. The Clemson running game goes through Travis Etienne (1,572 yards and 22 touchdowns) and he averages 8.3 ypc while and the offense overall averages 6.7 ypc. On the other side, Tua Tagovailoa is currently not 100 percent healthy. He does not want to run the ball, he wants to sit in the pocket and throw the ball like he did against Oklahoma. The Tigers need to get pressure and try to make him uncomfortable. Clemson is 6-0 ATS in its last six games away from home after outgaining opponent by 175 or more total yards in two consecutive games while Alabama 0-6 ATS in its last six games away from home against teams averaging 230 or more rushing ypg. Here, we play on neutral field underdogs that are outrushing their opponents by 100 or more ypg on the season. This situation is 35-10 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (151) Clemson Tigers

This is a play on the PHILADELPHIA EAGLES for our Sunday NFL Eagles/Bears Winner. The Eagles are back in the playoffs behind the arm of Nick Foles, who has made three starts, and a defense that has played well down the stretch. The defense has given up only 4.8 yppl in his starts (for reference, the Bears and Ravens tied for best in the NFL in the regular season, allowing 4.8 yppl), and a lot of this can be attributed to Foles and the offense in his ability to slow down the game. Facing the Bears defense will be a challenge but he was able to defeat the No. 8 pass defense of the Rams in his first start this year. We are catching an inflated number due to the Bears cover success of late as they are 9-1 ATS over their last 10 games. Chicago has impressed for sure and that defense is obviously the strength. The offense averaged just 5.6 yppl on the season and the Bears are not going to change much based on the somewhat limited Mitchell Trubisky. He has not exactly impressed since returning from his shoulder as they are averaging just 19.3 ppg and he has only four touchdowns compared to three interceptions in those four games. The Eagles are 8-1 ATS in their last nine games against defenses allowing 90 or fewer ypg rushing while Chicago is 7-18 ATS in its last 25 games off an upset win over a division rival as an underdog. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after a game where they forced no turnovers going up against an opponent after a game where they committed one or less turnovers. This situation is 55-25 ATS (68.8 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (107) Philadelphia Eagles

This is a play on the DALLAS COWBOYS for our Saturday NFL Seahawks/Cowboys Winner. We expect to see a good deal of running the football in this matchup and the edge goes to Dallas in a strength against strength on one side and strength against weakness on the other. Seattle finished the regular season first in rushing yards per game and fifth in yards per carry so it will continue to try and pound the ball. However, this will be an excellent test against a Dallas defense ranked fifth in yards per carry allowed, led by linebackers Jaylon Smith and Leighton Vander Esch. On the other side, Dallas was ranked 10th in rushing offense led by Ezekiel Elliott who gashed the Seahawks defense with 127 yards on 16 carries (7.9 ypc) in the first meeting and this was a problem for the Seahawks all season. They finished dead last in the NFL in yards per carry average at 4.9 so Elliot should have another big game. The Cowboys are 16-4 in 20 games when he rushes for 100 yards and while one of those losses was against the Seahawks, that game was in Seattle and Dallas has only lost to Green Bay at home in those 100-yard games. The Cowboys are 7-0 ATS in their last seven games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game and they fall into a successful situation where we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 averaging between 18 and 23 ppg going up against a team averaging between 23 and 27, after a playing a game where 60 total points or more were scored. This situation is 38-13 ATS (74.5 percent) since 1983. 10* (104) Dallas Cowboys

This is a play on the TEXAS LONGHORNS for our CFB Sugar Bowl Winner. Texas is looking for its first 10-win season since 2009 and if anyone can get it done, it is head coach Tom Herman who is 12-2 as an underdog going back to his days at Houston. It was a highly successful season for the Longhorns despite losing their opener to Maryland as the other losses came against Oklahoma, Oklahoma St. by a field goal and West Virginia by a point. That is what makes this line perplexing and a lot of that is on the other side as well. Even though this was a while ago, it looks like the Georgia players and coaches may not have recovered from the Alabama fourth-quarter rally in the SEC Championship. The Bulldogs led Alabama 28-14 in the third quarter but failed to score again in a 35-28 loss. While the Sugar Bowl is a nice reward for most teams, the way Georgia lost, and the double-digit line attached makes this a very difficult situation for the Bulldogs and we all know that double-digit spreads and disappointment do not go well together. Here, we play against teams in the second half of the season allowing between 16 and 21 ppg going up against teams allowing between 21 and 28 ppg, after two straight games where 60 total points or more were scored. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (277) Texas Longhorns

This is a play on the NC STATE WOLFPACK for our CFB Gator Bowl Winner. We are backing another top ranked quarterback who has a chance to show off against one of the worst pass defenses around. Ryan Finley is one of the best quarterbacks in the country and squares off against the No. 111 ranked Texas A&M pass defense. He finished the season with 3,789 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 68 percent of his passes. The Wolfpack were No. 6 in the nation in passing offense and Finley was selected to the 2018 All-ACC First Team. Bowl games are big for some teams and that is the case here for NC State which can reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2002. The Wolfpack defense put up a solid season as well and it goes up against the best running back in the SEC in Trayveon Williams who rushed for 1,524 yards, which led the conference. NC State has allowed just 109.1 ypg on 3.5 ypc on the season so they can slow him down. As mentioned, the Aggies pass defense is putrid as they allow 8.5 ypa and the Wolfpack are 6-0 ATS in their last six games against teams allowing 8.0 ypa or more. Here, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points in a game involving two teams averaging 440 or more ypg, after gaining 525 or more total ypg over their last two games. This situation is 44-18 ATS (71 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (267) NC State Wolfpack

This is a play on the OREGON DUCKS for our CFB Redbox Bowl Winner. The fact that Justin Herbert is not sitting out a bowl game to get ready for the NFL Draft like other quarterbacks is one thing but the fact he is coming back next season tells a lot and Oregon can jumpstart its 2019 season right here. Oregon opened the season 5-1 and then a pair of double-digit losses at Washington St. and Arizona could have defined their season but instead the Ducks closed on a 3-1 run under first year head coach Mario Cristobal and throughout the season, Oregon to become a more balanced attack out of the pistol formation, averaging 191.3 ypg rushing to go with 254.7 ypg through the air. Scoring seven points against Michigan and six points against Ohio St. is one thing but the Spartans closed the season by scoring six points against Nebraska and 14 points against Rutgers so there is little chance to keep up here. Michigan St. is solid on defense as typical but the passing defense ranked No. 63 in the nation and they will be without the second-highest graded Big Ten corner by Pro Football Focus in Justin Layne who is sitting out to get NFL Draft ready. Here, we play on teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .800 where the line is +3 to -3 off a double digit road win, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 27-10 ATS (73 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (262) Oregon Ducks

This is a play on the TENNESSEE TITANS for our NFL Sunday Night Primetime Winner. The Titans have won four in row, and their strength is their defense. Tennessee is second in the NFL in scoring defense, allowing just 18.0 ppg, and they have not yielded more than 16 points in any of their past three games. Some will scoff at that four-game winning streak considering the wins came against the Jets, Jaguars, Giants and Redskins but many will forget the two-game winning streak prior to that against the Patriots and Cowboys. Indianapolis has won eight of its last nine games but half of those wins came by a field goal or less, three coming at home and while blowout wins over Dallas and Tennessee look impressive, they were at home and the one against the Titans, Mariota left the game in the second quarter. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has owned the Titans since he entered the league. He is 10-0 against Tennessee, but Luck noted this week that the past doesn't have any impact on this game and he is 100 percent correct. Here, we play against road teams in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after one or more consecutive wins, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 79-40 ATS (66.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (322) Tennessee Titans

This is a play on the HOUSTON TEXANS for our NFL Game of the Month. By way of CBS Sports, the Texas have four chances to secure a first round bye but only two are realistic. First, if they win Sunday against the Jaguars and have the Patriots lose or tie, they are the No. 2 seed. Second, the Texans can also win, have the Chiefs lose, the Chargers lose and get the strength of victory tiebreaker over the Chiefs. Houston lost to Philadelphia last week but became the sixth team since 1980 to reach the playoffs after a 0-3 start on Sunday evening when Pittsburgh lost to New Orleans. The Texans will rely on Deshaun Watson who has played clean football over the past five games, throwing eight touchdown passes with no interceptions and running for three more scores. The Jaguars defense played well again against Miami but they have a bigger challenge this week and the offense continues to sputter. Jacksonville is 4-18 ATS in its last 22 games after allowing 200 or less total yards in their previous game. Here, we play on teams in the second half of the season averaging fewer than 1.25 turnovers per game going up against teams forcing fewer than 1.25 tpg, after four consecutive games where they committed one or less turnovers. This situation is 52-27 ATS (65.8 percent) since 1983. 10* (314) Houston Texans

This is a play on the NOTRE DAME FIGHTING IRISH for our Cotton Bowl Winner. It is hard to overlook an undefeated team getting this many points and we are going to back Notre Dame in what is not only a good matchup but it has history on its side based on the fact that undefeated teams in bowl games that are getting at least a touchdowns are 12-4 ATS. As far as the matchup, Clemson is sitting at #2 in the S&P+ overall rankings and #3 in the ESPN.com overall efficiency rankings, while Notre Dame is #6 in both. The key is the underrated Notre Dame defense which is #4 in S&P+, #11 in defensive efficiency, #9 in scoring, and that it has the unit to not necessarily shut down the Clemson high-powered offense, but to slow it down, limit its time of possession, and force it to rely less on its running game. On the other side, Clemson will be tested by the Notre Dame passing game as its secondary has struggled at times. Getting to quarterback Ian Book will be more difficult as the NCAA suspensions of Clemson DT Dexter Lawrence is big as he is a key member of the teams fearsome defensive line and has 36 tackles and seven tackles for loss. The Fighting Irish are 4-0-1 ATS in their last five games against team with a winning record while the Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last five non-conference games. 10* (255) Notre Dame Fighting Irish

This is a play on the SYRACUSE ORANGE for our CFB Game of the Year. This line shot down considerably once West Virginia quarterback Will Grier announced he was skipping the Camping World Bowl to prepare for the NFL Draft and of course to avoid injury. The Mountaineers will turn to sophomore Jack Allison to run their offense. Allison is 6-10 on the year for 75 yards with one touchdown and one interception and he will be facing a Syracuse defense which is 8th in the country in sacks with 38. What makes that even tougher for West Virginia is that All-Big 12 starting left tackle Yodny Cajuste is also skipping for the same reasons as Grier so the offense that produced 520.4 ypg will be down two key players. This is a big game for Syracuse as it will be playing its first bowl game since 2013 and this is a great opportunity to jumpstart the program heading into next season. The Orange will be out to get double-digit wins for the first time since 2001 so this is an important game for various reasons. In any other season, the Orange would be going to the Orange Bowl since they are the second highest ranked team in the ACC but the CFP has the Orange Bowl this year so they are taking a step down in a bowl game but the line is not reflecting that. The Mountaineers are 5-11-2 ATS in their last 18 games following a straight up loss while the Orange are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up win. Additionally, we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 with a winning percentage between .600 and .800 that are coming off a double digit road win, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 26-9 ATS (74.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (243) Syracuse Orange

This is a play on the MIAMI HURRICANES for our Pinstripe Bowl Winner. Wisconsin looks like a live dog here based on this game being played in a cold weather environment but that is often an underrated factor if there is no wind or precipitation which is the case tonight. The Badgers were one of the biggest disappointments in the country this season as they came into the season ranked No. 5 in the nation but they lost early to BYU and fell by double-digits against Michigan, Northwestern and Penn St. the regular season culminated with a 22-point loss against rival Minnesota, the first time they lost to the Gophers since 2003 and the first time they lost at home to Minnesota since 1994. Miami also had a disappointing season but closed with a pair of wins against Virginia Tech and Pittsburgh which came a four-game losing streak. The Hurricanes will force Wisconsin to throw the ball which will be tough for the Badgers and sophomore Jack Coan as regular starter Alex Hornibrook is out with a concussion. Miami will also be playing with revenge from the Orange Bowl last season. Miami is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games after allowing 14 points or less last game. 10* (237) Miami Hurricanes

This is a play on the CALIFORNIA GOLDEN BEARS for our Cheez-It Bowl Winner. California is coming off a loss against rival Stanford in its regular season finale as it outgained the Cardinal but lost the turnover battle 3-1. The Golden Bears can win their first bowl game since 2015, when they beat Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl in what was Jared Goff's last college game. This is just their second bowl game over the last seven years so there is a lot on the line here. TCU lost its starting quarterback and backup quarterback to injuries during the season and is now playing with its third-string quarterback Grayson Muehlstein. The fifth-year senior was never higher than third-string at any point in his TCU career. That is only a part of it however as the Horned Frogs lost 26 players to season-ending injuries. He goes up against a California defense that is ranked in the top 25 nationally in total, passing and scoring defense. The Horned Frogs did close the season with wins in their final two games to become bowl eligible but it was a disappointing season overall as they came in ranked No. 16. The Golden Bears are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game while the Horned Frogs are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games against teams with a winning record. 10* (234) California Golden Bears