Sports Picks & Predictions

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Grand Canyon Antelopes + the points over New Mexico.  Dan Majerle's men are 4-8 this season, but they've had to deal with the fact that two projected starters were in street clothes.  One of those -- 6'2" point guard Mikey Dixon -- will make his season debut tonight, while the other -- 6'7" forward Oscar Frayer -- also may play if his eligibility is approved by the NCAA.  Dixon was the former MAA Conference Freshman of the Year, while Frayer has started for Grand Canyon each of the previous three years, and is among the school's career statistical leaders in several categories.  In its last game, New Mexico got a huge, emotional win over its rival, New Mexico State.  But the Lobos are a soft 3-7 ATS at home off a SU/ATS win over New Mexico State, and 2-8 ATS off a point spread win, if they're matched up against non-conference foes.  And they also fall into a negative 224-414 ATS system of mine which goes against certain double-digit favorites.  Take Grand Canyon + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Houston Rockets minus the points over San Antonio.  The Spurs defeated the Houston Rockets in double-overtime earlier this month, 135-133, behind 28 points from Lonnie Walker IV.  That game -- one in which Houston held a 22-point, 3rd quarter lead -- was made even more frustrating because the referees blew a call on a 4th quarter James Harden dunk, which was erroneously ruled as an invalid basket.  The Rockets protested the loss afterward, but did the league denied the Rockets' appeal.  Tonight, Houston will have an opportunity to avenge that loss.  And the Spurs likely will be without their star from that game, as Walker has been sidelined with a bruised knee.  San Antonio is a dreadful 4-38 straight-up, and 12-29-1 ATS as an underdog of +4 (or more) points vs. Western Conference rivals.  Even better:  it's 0-9 ATS this season off a straight-up win (and 3-16 ATS since March 20 off a win).  Meanwhile, the Rockets are 13-2 ATS when playing with revenge from an upset loss in which they were favored by 3+ points.  Lay the points with Houston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Houston Texans + the points over Tennessee.  We had our biggest NFL play of the year-to-date two weeks ago when the Texans met the Patriots, and pulled off a 28-22 upset.  We then, not surprisingly, went against the Texans last week vs. Denver, as a letdown was in order, and they certainly had one, as they lost outright to the Broncos, as an 8-point favorite.  But I love Houston to bounce back this afternoon vs. the Titans.  Indeed, since 1980, divisional road underdogs, off an upset loss by more than 10 points the previous week, are 86-49-4 ATS.  It's absolutely true that Tennessee is red-hot, and on a 4-game SU/ATS win streak.  But unrested teams off 4 SU/ATS wins are a soft 107-138 ATS vs. winning opponents.  Finally, the Texans are 15-6 ATS their last 21 vs. Tennessee, including a perfect 8-0 ATS if the Texans failed to cover their previous game by more than 3 points.  Take Houston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Sacramento Kings minus the points over New York.  Sacramento's first road win of this season was against these Knicks back on November 3, when it blew them out, 113-92.  That was the 4th straight win by the Kings in this series.  And it continued a long-term run of success vs. the Eastern Conference, as Sacramento's 40-14-2 ATS its last 56 vs. the East.  So, we'll back them tonight at home vs. a Knicks team off a rare win.  New York upset Golden State on Wednesday, 124-122, as a 4.5-point road underdog.  That win snapped its 10-game losing streak, and earned interim coach Mike Miller his first win.  Still, New York's yet to win back-to-back games this season (0-4 SU; 1-3 ATS), and is 25-38-1 ATS off a win, including 8-20-1 ATS vs. a foe off a point spread loss.  Take the Kings.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Colorado Buffaloes minus the points over Northern Iowa.  This is a great match-up tonight between the 24th-ranked, and 7-1 Buffs vs. the 8-1 Panthers.  We'll lay the points with the home team, as Colorado is a fantastic 89-50-4 ATS when playing at home, and not favored by 17+ points (including 8-0-1 ATS its last nine), while the Panthers are a horrid 0-11 ATS away from home vs. foes off a SU/ATS loss that didn't have a winning ATS record.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Toronto Raptors minus the points over Chicago.  We played on Toronto yesterday, but lost when they fell to defeat for the 3rd straight game.  But we will get right back on the Raptors, as .562 (or better) NBA teams have cashed 66.3% ATS in the regular season since 1990 off 3 or more losses, if they were favored by more than 2 points on the road.  Additionally, the Raptors have won the last 10 games in this series, including a perfect 5-0 SU/ATS here in Chicago.  Lay the points.  NBA Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:25 pm, our selection is on the New England Patriots minus the points over Kansas City.  Last week, we had our strongest NFL play of the season-to-date on the Houston Texans + over New England.  And we easily got the $$$ in an outright right by DeShaun Watson & Co.  But we'll switch gears this Sunday, and take the Patriots off that defeat.  Indeed, there's no better coach in the business than Bill Belichick when it comes to readying his troops to rebound off a loss.  To wit:  the Patriots are 49-9 straight-up, and 42-16 ATS (72.4%) when coming off a loss (compared to 175-56 SU and 131-94 ATS (58.2%)) when coming off a win.  It's true that the Chiefs will be playing this game with revenge from last year's playoff defeat.  But New England is 5-1-1 ATS when priced from -3 to -6.5 against a foe which has revenge from a playoff loss.  Meanwhile, the Chiefs are 3-7 SU/ATS when playing with Playoff revenge.  Lay the points with New England.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Georgia Bulldogs + the points over LSU.  The Bulldogs have lost just once this season.  And that was a 20-17 setback vs. South Carolina, in a game where the Bulldogs committed four turnovers (against 0 for the Gamecocks).  The calling card for this Georgia team is its defense, as the only time it has given up 20 points in a game was that loss to South Carolina.  For the season, Georgia's given up just 10.4 ppg, while LSU's defense rates 11.66 ppg worse, at 22.1.  We'll take the points with the Bulldogs, as underdogs with a defense which gives up, at least, 7.9 less points than its opponent, have gone 35-14-1 ATS in the post-season.  Additionally, the Bulldogs are an awesome 24-7 ATS their last 31 away from home.  Take the Bulldogs + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Louisville Cardinals minus the points over Michigan.  This is the best match-up of the season-to-date, and the final non-conference game for each team before they each have their conference home opener on Friday.  The #1 Louisville Cardinals are now 7-0 after a blowout win over Western Kentucky on Friday, while Juwan Howard's Wolverines are also 7-0, and ranked #4 in the country following back to back upsets of Gonzaga and North Carolina last week.  We'll play against Michigan, as .833 (or better) teams, off back to back upset wins, have gone 15-40-2 ATS vs. non-conference foes off a SU win, including 4-20 ATS if their opponent was playing with at least 3 days of rest.  Take Louisville.  College Hoops Game of the Week.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Seattle Seahawks minus the points over Minnesota.  This is a great match-up tonight between two teams that still have an opportunity to get the #1 seed in the NFC.  These teams have met five times this decade, and the Seahawks have won each of those games, and covered all but one.  I look for them to extend their win streak in this series to 6 straight, as the Seahawks are 67-25 SU and 53-36-3 ATS at home their last 92, including 33-17-2 ATS when not favored by 7+ points.  Even better:  Monday Night home teams off back to back road wins have gone 26-9 ATS, while the Vikings have gone 0-8 ATS their last eight Monday Night road games. Take the Seahawks...Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2 pm, our selection is on the Liberty Flames minus the points over New Mexico State.  The Aggies are 2-9 on the season, while Liberty is 6-5.  So, this will be the final game of the season for the Aggies.  Interestingly, this will be the 2nd time this season that these two teams have played each other, as they met in Las Cruces back in October.  The Flames won that game, 20-13, as a 4-point favorite.  And I look for them to sweep the season series with a blowout win, on Saturday.  It will be Liberty's final home game of the season, of course.  And New Mexico State is an awful 5-15 ATS on the road against a foe playing its final home game.  Even worse:  it's 4-44 straight-up and 16-35 ATS on the road when not favored by 4+ points.  Finally, Liberty falls into my favorite College Football system, which is 91-41 ATS, and plays on certain teams off a loss when matched up against an opponent off a win.  Take the Flames.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the Missouri Tigers minus the points over Arkansas.  Both of these teams are mired in long losing streaks.  The Tigers are 0-5 SU/ATS their last five games, while Arkansas has lost its last eight games (2-6 ATS).  But in November, the Tigers have been much more competitive than Arkansas, as Missouri's failed to cover the spread by just 8.3 ppg, while Arkansas has failed to cover the spread by an average of 15.16 ppg.  It's somewhat counter-intuitive, but since 1981, losing teams, off ATS losses in each of their last four games, have actually covered 67.7% as big, double-digit favorites.  And Missouri also falls into an 83-31 ATS system of mine which plays on certain teams off ATS losses.  Finally, the Tigers are 9-0 ATS since 1986 off 5 straight losses.  Take Missouri.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:30 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Cowboys minus the points over Buffalo.  The Bills are 8-3 on the season, yet have been installed as a big underdog at Dallas this afternoon.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to grab the points with Buffalo given that it's lost by more than six points just once this season.  But consider that .700 (or better) road underdogs of 5+ points, off back-to-back wins, have cashed just 22.5% in the regular season since 1986, at Game 12 forward.  That doesn't bode well for the Bills today.  Nor does the fact that they're 0-16-1 ATS off back-to-back point spread wins when matched up against a .666 (or worse) foe not off back to back SU/ATS losses.  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6 pm, our selection is on the Ball State Cardinals minus the points over Western Illinois.  This will be the Leathernecks' 2nd road game of the season.  And the first didn't go so well, as they were blown out by 33-points in Bloomington by the Indiana Hoosiers.  Western Illinois is now 29-53-1 ATS as a road underdog, including 0-12 ATS as an underdog priced from +11 to +18 points vs. non-conference foes.  And the Leathernecks also fall into a negative 58-136 ATS system of mine which goes against certain double-digit road underdogs.  Take Ball State minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 11:30 pm, our selection is on the UCLA Bruins over BYU.  Both of these teams come into tonight's game off upset losses.  The Bruins fell at home, 88-78, to Hofstra, while BYU lost at Boise State, 72-68.  We'll take Mick Cronin's men tonight, and go against BYU, which is an awful 21-53-3 ATS at home, or on neutral courts, when not laying more than 3 points.   Meanwhile, Pac-12 Conference teams have cashed 66.0% off an upset loss as an 8-point (or greater) favorite, if their current game was at home, or on a neutral court.  Take UCLA.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Lions minus the points over Washington.  After a promising 2-0-1 start, which included wins over the Chargers and Eagles, Detroit has dropped six of seven games.  Of course, it also must be noted that Detroit's one win in this stretch was against the Giants, who have a losing record, at 2-8.  And, for the season, Detroit's gone 3-1-1 in its five games against teams that currently have a .500 (or worse) record (Cardinals, Chargers, Eagles, Bears, Giants).  In contrast, Detroit's 0-5 vs. teams that currently have a winning record (Chiefs, Packers, Raiders, Cowboys, Vikings).  That bodes well for the Lions in this game on Sunday afternoon, against the 1-9 Redskins.  As does the fact that losing NFL teams, off back to back losses, have gone 40-15 ATS as road favorites of more than 3 points.  Finally, Washington's 15-31 ATS at home vs. teams that didn't own a winning record.  Take Detroit.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Utah State Aggies + the points over Boise State.  Both teams come into this game with issues at the quarterback position.  Utah State's Jordan Love suffered an undisclosed injury last Saturday vs. Wyoming, and is questionable for this week.  Likewise, Boise State used its 3rd string quarterback, Jaylon Henderson, vs. New Mexico last week.  Henderson did pass for 3 touchdowns and 292 yards in that game -- a 42-9 win, as a 24.5-point favorite -- to earn Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honors.  But it must be said that Henderson's performance came against a Lobos team which is the worst Division I (FBS) team on Boise's schedule this season.  The Aggies, at 5-1 in Mountain West games this year, will be a much more difficult test. Even worse for Boise:  its top defensive player -- Curtis Weaver -- hurt his right leg last week, and also might be in street clothes for this game.  We'll grab the points with Utah State on Saturday night, in its final home game of the season, as the Aggies fall into a strong conference system.  What we want to do is play on Mountain West home teams with a winning record -- both within the conference and overall -- if they're not favored by 6+ points.  Such teams have covered 67 percent, including a perfect 10-0 ATS when getting more than 3 points in their final home game of the season.  And Mountain West conference teams, regardless of their record, have also gone 41-24 ATS as underdogs in their final home game of the season.  Take the Aggies.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Golden Gophers minus the points over Central Michigan.  The Chippewas come into this game with a spotless 4-0 record.  Of course, that's to be expected as their games were against Michigan-Dearborn, Mississippi Valley St., Sam Houston St. and Siena Heights.  Minnesota, meanwhile, is 1-3, but its last three games were against Oklahoma, Butler and Utah, all of whom rate better than the Gophers.  In its lone game this season against an inferior opponent (Cleveland St.), the Gophers walloped them, 85-50, as a 22-point favorite.  Minnesota is also favored by double-digits tonight.  And the Gophers fall into an 62.2% ATS system of mine which plays on certain big favorites with inferior records.  Minnesota's also 34-19 ATS as a non-conference favorite, priced from -3 to -21, while Central Michigan is a wallet-busting 17-35-1 ATS vs. non-conference foes off a loss, including 0-8-1 ATS when priced from +6.5 to +16.5 points.  Take Minnesota.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Indiana Hoosiers minus the points over Princeton.  The Tigers enter tonight's game on an 0-3 SU/ATS run to start the season, while Indiana is 4-0 straight-up, and 3-1 ATS.  I look for Archie Miller's men to register another blowout win tonight, as Indiana is a spectacular 73-43 ATS at home vs. non-conference foes when favored by 10+ points.  Meanwhile, Princeton is a wallet-busting 4-29 straight-up and 8-24-1 ATS as an underdog, including 0-15 ATS in the regular season when the Tigers weren't off a win!  Take the Hoosiers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Northern Illinois Huskies minus the points over Eastern Michigan.  We played on Northern Illinois last Wednesday, at Toledo, and got the $$$ with it in a 31-28 victory, as a road underdog.  That moved the Huskies' record to 4-6 on the season.  So, if it wins its final two games, then it will become bowl-eligible.  We'll play on Northern Illinois tonight as a home favorite, as losing teams (at Game 9 forward) have cashed 65.1% since 1980 if they were off a win, and favored at home by 3 (or more) points over a conference foe off a SU/ATS win.  Even better:  Northern Illinois has gone 15-2 ATS off an upset win over a conference foe, including a perfect 11-0 when favored by 3+ points.  And Eastern Michigan is a woeful 12-30 ATS on the road off a straight-up win.  Take the Huskies.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Iowa Hawkeyes minus the points over Minnesota.  Last week, we played on the Gophers + the points over Penn State, and were rewarded with a 31-26 upset victory over the then-undefeated Nittany Lions.  But off that upset win over Penn State, we'll fade Minnesota on Saturday.  For technical support, consider that teams off upset wins over undefeated opponents (that hadn't lost through at least their first 7 games) have had letdowns the following week, and especially on the road where they've covered just 38.0%.  But that's not the best part.  If our 'play-against' team (here, Minnesota) is now playing an opponent with a .666 (or better) record, then our road teams have covered just 13.3% since 1983.  Take Iowa minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Marshall Thundering Herd minus the points over Louisiana Tech.  The Bulldogs come into this game on an 8-game win streak, and are one game ahead of Southern Miss in the West division race.  Marshall also is in prime contention to make the Conference USA Title game, as it's 4-1 in conference play, and is a half-game behind Florida Atlantic in the East division standings.  We'll take the home team tonight, and go against Louisiana Tech, as unrested underdogs of +3 (or more) points, on a 6-game (or better) win streak, have covered the spread in just 33.9% of their conference games since 1980.  Even worse for the Bulldogs:  they're an awful 4-25 straight-up, and 8-21 ATS as road underdogs of +5 (or more) points off a win.  Take Marshall.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:05 pm, our selection is on the Dallas Mavericks minus the points over New York.  This is a big revenge game for the Mavericks, who lost at home to New York last Friday, 106-102, as an 11-point favorite.  Since that game, the Mavs have gone 1-1, including a loss at Boston on Monday.  But I love Dallas to rebound tonight, as it's 20-8 ATS on the road off a loss, including 5-0 ATS as a favorite.  And it's 24-12 ATS its last 36 as a road favorite off a defeat.  Meanwhile, New York is an awful 17-39-2 ATS at home when not favored by more than 3 points.  Take Dallas.  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Northern Illinois Huskies + the points over Toledo.  The Huskies come into this game off a 48-10 upset loss at Central Michigan.  But off that poor performance, we'll look for Northern Illinois to bounce back tonight.  Indeed, road underdogs off a 37-point (or worse) upset loss, have cashed 75% in Conference games since 1990 vs. opponents off a straight-up win.  Also, Northern Illinois is a super 42-24 ATS their last 66 as road underdogs, including 3-1 ATS off an upset loss.  Take the Huskies + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Browns minus the points over Buffalo.  The Browns are 2-6 on the season, and lost as a road favorite last week in Denver.  Meanwhile, Buffalo is 6-2, and won and covered its last game -- at home -- vs. the Redskins.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to take the 6-2 Bills as an underdog, especially given that the Browns have lost their last four games.  But consider that NFL underdogs have covered 0 of 9 games in the 2nd half of the season if they owned a win percentage at least .400 greater than their opponent.  That doesn't bode well for the Bills on Sunday.  Nor does the fact that teams off 4+ losses, including an upset defeat in their previous game, have cashed 70% since 2001 when not getting more than 3 points.  Take Cleveland to blow out Buffalo.  Lay the points. NFL Favorite of the Month!  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Miami-Fla Hurricanes minus the points over Louisville.  Last week, we played on the Cardinals as a home underdog vs. Virginia, and got the $$$ in a 28-21 upset victory.  But we will switch gears, and go against Louisville on the road this week.  They'll travel to south Florida to take on a 5-4 Miami squad playing their final home game of the season.  And the Hurricanes are returning home after upset road wins at Pittsburgh, and at Florida State.  And I love them to extend their win streak on Saturday, as they've cashed 91% over the last 40 seasons off an upset conference win the previous week.  Additionally, winning teams playing their final home game of the season have cashed 58% over the last 40 years off back to back road wins, if matched up against a conference foe.  And, finally, Miami also falls into 191-95 and 125-51 ATS systems of mine that play on certain home favorites off wins vs. foes off an upset win.  Take the Hurricanes.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Oregon State Beavers + the points over Washington.  The Beavers have been installed as a double-digit home underdog notwithstanding the fact that they come into this game off back to back upset ROAD wins (at California and Arizona).  Meanwhile, the Huskies enter tonight's fray off back to back HOME losses to Oregon and Utah.  We'll take the points with Oregon State, as home underdogs of more than 7 points, off back to back wins, have covered 78% since 1980 vs. foes off back to back losses.  Take the Beavers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Temple Owls minus the points over South Florida.  Temple dropped its last two games -- both SU and ATS -- which lowered its record to 5-3 on the season.  But .600 (or better) teams have gone 71-49 ATS as a road favorite off back to back losses.  And the Owls are an awesome 73-44-1 ATS its last 118 on the road, while the Bulls are a horrid 12-24-1 ATS at home vs. conference rivals, including 0-7 ATS their last seven.  Take Temple.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Ohio U. Bobcats minus the points over Miami-Ohio.  In their last game, the Bobcats went into Muncie, Indiana, and upset Ball State, 34-21, as a 2-point underdog.  Off that win, we'll play on Ohio, as it's gone 8-0 ATS at home off an upset win.  Meanwhile, the Red Hawks come into Athens off back to back upset wins over Northern Illinois and Kent State.  Unfortunately, they're not likely to make it 3 upset wins in a row.  Indeed, since 1980, road underdogs off an upset road win have cashed just 36% vs. conference foes off a win, if our road dog also won as an underdog two games back.  The Bobcats are also a super 11-2 straight-up, and 8-4-1 ATS in their last 13 vs. the Red Hawks.  Take Ohio to blow out Miami.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:20 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Ravens + the points over New England.  The Patriots are one of two undefeated teams in the NFL.  And they're 6-2 ATS.  But they've benefited from a ridiculously easy schedule.  Only one of New England's previous eight opponents currently has a winning record.  That would be the Buffalo Bills.  And New England didn't cover the point spread in that game, and was actually out-gained in yardage, 375-224, but was able to win because the Bills committed three more turnovers than did New England.  Baltimore will thus be the 2nd winning opponent which the Patriots will face this season.  The Ravens are 5-2, and come into this game off a bye week following their upset win, at Seattle.  That bodes well for them, as rested teams have gone 11-4 ATS as an underdog vs. New England if the Patriots were unrested.  Also, .700 (or better) teams have gone 17-8 ATS vs. New England as a home underdog.  Those team trends are nice.  But I also have many league-wide NFL systems against New England.  For example, .666 (or better) NFL home underdogs of +1.5 (or more) points have cashed 73% since 1980 off a road win, if they're playing an opponent off a home win.  And .666 (or better) home underdogs have cashed 60% of the time (at Week 7 forward) vs. non-division foes.  Admittedly, it's true that the Patriots have won and covered each of their last four games by wide margins (33-7, 35-14, 33-0, 27-13).  Unfortunately, .500 (or better) NFL teams, off 4 straight wins and covers, in which they scored 24+ points in each game, have covered just 30% of the time vs. .666 (or better) foes.   The Patriots win streak will end on Sunday night.  Take the Ravens + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Tigers minus the points over SMU.  In this battle for American Athletic Conference West division supremacy, we'll side with the homestanding Tigers.  Memphis comes into this game with a 3-1 record in the AAC, one game behind SMU, which is 4-0, and a half-game behind Navy, which is 4-1.  So, this game is a "must-win" for the Tigers if they want to get back to the AAC Championship game in December.  And the Tigers have been a juggernaut at home vs. conference foes, as they've won 10 of the last 11.  Even more impressive is the fact that they've covered 9 straight home conference games -- by an average of 10.04 points per game!  Meanwhile, SMU is a dreadful 2-8 ATS its last 10 road games vs. conference foes, including 0-5 ATS vs. foes with a .400 (or better) win percentage.  And it's also 2-12 ATS in conference road games off back to back conference wins, and 12-34 ATS as road underdogs of +10 or less points (or PK).  Finally, Memphis falls into 82-46, 364-266, 123-73, 184-104 and 66-28 ATS systems of mine that play on certain teams with strong offenses (Memphis averages 39.5 ppg).  Lay the points with the Tigers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the Miami Dolphins + the points over Pittsburgh.  The Dolphins are 0-6 on the season, but they've covered the point spread in their last two games.  We stayed away from playing on or against Miami for its first five contests, but stepped in last Sunday and took the points with it against Buffalo (and cashed).  We'll take the Dolphins once again tonight, as winless NFL underdogs of +7 (or more) points have gone 44-16-2 ATS (at Game 6 forward) on the road vs. non-division opponents.  Also, Monday Night Football underdogs of more than 9 points have gone 22-6-1 ATS.  Take the Dolphins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:05 pm, our selection is on the Indiana Pacers minus the points over Detroit.  Tonight, the Pistons will play the 3rd game of a 3-game home stand.  And they'll try to snap their 2-game SU/ATS losing streak, as they fell here, at home, vs. Atlanta and Philadelphia to start the home stand.  This is a revenge game for Indiana, which lost on Opening Night, at home, to these Pistons.  Overall, the Pacers are 0-2 on the young season, as they also lost to Cleveland, 110-99, on Saturday.  We'll lay the points with Indiana, as it's 123-83-4 ATS as a favorite off a loss, when playing with revenge, including 43-22-1 ATS vs. division rivals -- and, then, 6-1 ATS as a road favorite vs. division rivals.  Meanwhile, Detroit is a horrid 10-25 ATS at home off a point spread defeat, including 0-6 ATS its last six.  Finally, the Pacers fall into 70-28 and 127-56 ATS systems of mine that play on certain teams off losses.  Lay the points with Indy.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Denver Broncos + the points over Indianapolis.  The Broncos were blown out, 30-6, as a 3-point home underdog last week.  But I love them to rebound on Sunday at Indianpolis.  The Colts come into this game off two huge victories:  a 19-13 win at Kansas City, who knocked them out of last year's playoffs, and a 30-23 win over division rival, Houston.  Last week's win moved Indy to 4-2 on the season -- and into first place in the AFC South -- a half-game ahead of the Texans, who fell to 4-3.  But NFL home teams have covered just 32% (at Game 5 forward) over the last 40 years if they were off back to back wins over .666 (or better) opponents.  That doesn't bode well for Indianapolis.  Nor does the fact that favorites off a division win have covered just 42 of 118 games vs. foes off a home loss in which they failed to cover the spread by more than 18 points.  Take the Broncos + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:15 pm, our selection is on the Air Force minus the points over Utah State.  Last year, the Aggies downed Air Force, 42-32, which snapped Air Force's 3-game SU/ATS win streak in this series.  But I love Air Force to avenge that defeat, as it's 9-3-1 ATS at home when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss.  And this is a huge game for Air Force, as it currently sits one game behind Utah State in the Mountain West's division standings.  And the Aggies fall into a negative 72-123 ATS system of mine which goes against certain teams that sit atop their Conference standings.  Last week, Air Force had a nice tune-up for this game when it pasted Hawaii, 56-26.  That was the Falcons' 2nd straight double-digit win, which has triggered a great 69.7% ATS 'momentum' system of mine.  What we want to do is play on any unrested NCAA team off back to back double-digit wins, and back to back double-digit covers, if it was playing at home vs. a conference rival, and not favored by 6+ points.  That bodes well for the Falcons on Saturday.  As does the fact that it's 10-0 ATS the past five years off a 20-point (or greater) win.  Take Air Force.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Los Angeles Lakers minus the points over Utah.  The Jazz have been installed as a road underdog at Los Angeles.  Unfortunately, they've covered just 49 of 135 in the regular season when priced as an underdog from +3 to +8.5 points against a rested foe.  The Lakers, meanwhile, stumbled in their season opener on Tuesday, as they were upset by the rival Clippers.  But home favorites have cashed 71% since 1991 off an upset loss on the road to start the season.  Lay the points with Los Angeles.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 10:35 pm, our selection is on the Golden State Warriors + the points over the L.A. Clippers.  Kawhi Leonard & Co. opened the 2019-20 season with an upset win at home over the Lakers.  But off that emotional win, we'll step in and go against the Clippers as a road favorite vs. the defending Western Conference champs.  Since 1991, teams that lost the NBA Finals the previous season have opened up the next year by going 18-10 ATS in Game 1.  Also, the Warriors have dominated at home vs. foes off a win, as they're 53-32 ATS their last 85.  Finally, NBA teams have cashed 61.9% as underdogs in their home opener over the past 29 years, provided they were not a losing team the previous season.  Grab the points with Golden State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:20 pm, our selection is on the Washington Redskins + the points over Minnesota. These two teams are obviously heading in opposite directions.  Washington is 1-6 this season, and lost 9-0 at home to the 49ers last week (though it covered the 10-point spread), while the Vikes have won (and covered) each of their last three games.  And over its last two games, Minnesota has had its best offensive outputs (38, 42 points) of the season.  But before one walks to the window and plunks down some $$$ on Minnesota, consider that teams off a shutout defeat at home (like Washington) have gone 69.7% ATS since 2001.  And NFL teams off a win (like Minnesota), who have scored more than 60 points more than their opponent over their two previous games (Minnesota scored 80, Washington just 17), have gone 7-28 ATS if their opponent was off a loss.  Washington also falls into 153-69, 21-3 and 218-130 ATS systems of mine.  Grab the points with the Redskins.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Houston Cougars + the points over SMU.  Last week, we played on SMU as a 9-point favorite, and got the $$$ in a 45-21 blowout win over Temple, which entered the game with a 5-1 record.  That was a huge win for the Mustangs, as it moved their record to 7-0, and dropped Temple to 5-2.  But off that big win, we'll look for a letdown by SMU on the road on Thursday.  Indeed, over the last 40 seasons, undefeated NCAA teams, with a record of 7-0 (or better), have cashed just 28% on the road following a win (and 14-point cover) over a once-beaten or undefeated team.  Even worse for SMU:  it's an awful 12-33 ATS off a double-digit conference win, including 0-11 ATS when priced from -6.5 to -20 points!  Take Houston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:05 pm, our selection is on the Denver Nuggets over the Portland Trail Blazers.  Certainly, this will be a tough game for the Nuggets to win.  After all, Portland has won its last 18 home openers.  But I'm still going to take Denver in an underdog role, as it no doubt would love to avenge its playoffs ouster by the Blazers last May.  That Western Conference semi-finals series went 7 games, and the Nuggets lost Games 6 + 7 to fall to Portland.  However, Denver falls into a super 81.08% revenge system of mine.  Additionally, the Nuggets are a solid 28-16 ATS when playing with double-revenge, including 14-6 ATS on the road, and they're 13-4 ATS their last 17 as an underdog vs. a division rival.  Meanwhile, Portland's a poor 4-9 ATS at home vs. foes playing with double-revenge.  Finally, underdogs have cashed 60% since 1991 in their season opener, if they were playing a division foe, and were a .500 (or better) team the previous season.  Take Denver.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, our selection is on the New York Jets + the points over New England.  Yesterday, we played on the Washington Redskins as a double-digit home underdog vs. San Francisco, and got the $$$$ in a 9-point loss.  Here, the Jets have also been installed as a large home underdog -- currently ranging from +9.5 to +10.5, depending on one's sports book, as of this writing.  We'll grab the points with the Flyboys, as home underdogs of more than 9 points have gone 83-47-2 ATS vs. foes off a home win, including 35-13-1 ATS if their opponent was also off back to back SU/ATS wins.  Even better:  the Jets enter this contest off an upset win over Dallas last week, 24-22, as a 7.5-point home underdog.  And Monday Night home dogs of +2 (or more) points have gone 20-4 ATS off an upset win, including a perfect 6-0 SU/ATS since 2011!  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6 pm, our selection is on the Utah Utes minus the points over Arizona State.  After being upset on the road by USC, 30-23, as a 3.5-point favorite, the Utes have righted their ship with back-to-back blowout wins over Washington State (38-13) and Oregon State (52-7).  We played on the Utes last week in their 45-point win over the Beavers.  And we'll come right back with them here, at home, vs. Arizona State, which upset Washington State last week.  Indeed, the Utes fall into a great 'momentum' system of mine.  What we want to do is play on any team which scored 87+ points, combined, in their two previous games, while giving up less than 24 points, combined, in those two games, and is now matched up against an opponent playing away from home off an upset win.  That angle's cashed 77.1% over the past 40 seasons.  The Utes currently have the nation's 2nd-ranked rush defense (2.4 yards per rush; 52.8 yards per game), and 8th-ranked scoring defense (13.1 ppg).  I look for them to shut down Arizona State.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Fresno State Bulldogs minus the points over UNLV.  Last week, the Rebels pulled off a huge upset, when they went into Nashville, and defeated Vanderbilt, 34-10, as a 16-point underdog.  But before one gets too excited about that victory, it also must be noted that Vandy is now 1-5 straight-up, and 0-6 ATS on the season.  UNLV has to stay on the road for this game, and travel to Fresno for this Friday night contest.  Once again, UNLV is a double-digit underdog.  Unfortunately, conference underdogs priced from +3.5 to +18.5 points, off a non-conference win as an underdog of more than 14 points, are a horrid 0-14 SU/ATS since 1990!  Even worse for UNLV:  it generally doesn't put back-to-back good games together, as it's a wallet-busting 27-56 ATS off a point spread win.  Meanwhile, Fresno's 26-10-1 ATS its last 37.  Lay the points with the Bulldogs.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Arkansas State Red Wolves + the points over Louisiana Lafayette.  Arkansas State returns home tonight after playing its last two games on the road, while Lafayette comes into Jonesboro off a home game last week.  That bodes well for the Red Wolves, as Sun Belt Conference home underdogs have cashed 65.3% off back to back road games, if they were off a SU/ATS loss.  Additionally, La-Lafayette has covered just 30% over the last 19 seasons as favorites vs. Conference foes off upset losses, while Arkansas State has gone 42-29 ATS at home vs. Conference foes, including 10-0 straight-up and 9-1 ATS their last 10 with revenge.  And the Red Wolves do, in fact, have revenge, as they lost 47-43 last season to the Cajuns.  Finally, the Rajin' Cajuns fall into negative 84-162 and 40-111 ATS systems of mine after losing, 17-7, at home last week to Appalachian State.  Take Arkansas State + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Houston Cougars + the points over Cincinnati.  We played on the Bearcats last week in their 27-24 upset win over Central Florida.  Although we certainly won't bemoan the result, it's also true that Cincinnati greatly benefited from the four Central Florida turnovers, as Cincy was outgained by 82 yards.  The Bearcats now have to travel to Houston, and have been installed as a road favorite.  Houston also comes into this game off a win, 46-25, at North Texas.  And the Cougars are 30-11 ATS at home off a road win, including 7-0 ATS their last seven.  More ammunition for taking the points with the home underdog:  Houston's won 25 of its last 28 games at TDECU Stadium.  And two of its three defeats were by just 3 and 4 points.  Finally, American Athletic home underdogs, priced from +4 to +12.5 points, have gone 20-5 ATS off a win.  Take the Cougars.  AAC Game of the Month.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:20 pm, our selection is on the New York Giants + the points over New England.  Last week, the defending Super Bowl champion Patriots blew out Washington, 33-7.  And that moved New England to 5-0 on the season.  On Thursday night, they will face the injury-riddled Giants, and have been installed as a favorite of more than two touchdowns.  It's always dangerous to lay this many points in the NFL, as double-digit favorites fail to cover the spread more often than not.  And we will happily take New York with the points in this game.  Indeed, defending Super Bowl champs have only covered 29% over the past 40 seasons if they were off a 20-point (or greater) road win, and matched up against an opponent off a loss.  And New England's 1-6 ATS when laying more than 17 points.  None of this bodes well for New England here.  Nor does the fact that the Giants are an awesome 25-9 ATS their last 34 when getting more than 9 points, including a perfect 11-0 ATS since December 18, 2004!  Finally, the Giants fall into 71-34, 231-140 and 76-32 ATS systems of mine based on the two teams' statistical profiles.  Take New York.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the NC State Wolfpack minus the points over Syracuse.  The Wolfpack come into this game off an 18-point blowout loss at Florida State twelve days ago.  And they've failed to cover the point spread in each of their last three games.  But we will take NC State here, at home, as it falls into a 96-33 ATS system of mine which plays on certain teams off blowout losses.  Additionally, the Wolfpack are a perfect 10-0-1 ATS at home off a 14-point (or worse) defeat when matched up against a .500 (or better) conference foe off a home win.  Finally, ACC teams on a 3-game (or worse) point spread losing streak are 59-37 ATS in home conference games, if their opponent isn't also on a 3-game ATS losing streak, including a perfect 7-0 ATS when playing with a week of rest.  Take NC State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Louisiana Lafayette Rajin' Cajuns over Appalachian State.  These two teams met twice last season, with the Mountaineers taking both games by similar scored.  They won in the regular season, 27-17, and then prevailed in the inaugural Sun Belt Conference Title game, 30-19.  But both of those games last season were played at home, in Boone, North Carolina.  Tonight's game will be at "The Swamp," in Lafayette, Louisiana, where the Rajin' Cajuns have won six straight games.  Even better:  the Cajuns are a perfect 5-0 ATS this season, and Billy Napier's men also fall into 36-16 and 20-1 ATS revenge systems of mine.  Finally, Lafayette has scored 77, 45 and 37 points in its three previous games.  And rested NCAA teams on a 3-game (or better) win streak, that have scored more than 150 points over their three previous games, have cashed 81.1 percent since 1980 at home.  Take Louisiana-Lafayette.  SUN BELT GAME OF THE WEEK.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Baltimore Ravens minus the points over Pittsburgh.  Last week, the Steelers blew out division rival, Cincinnati, 27-3, for their first win of the season.  Meanwhile, the Ravens also played a division rival, Cleveland, but were upset, 40-25, as a 7.5-point favorite.  That was Baltimore's 2nd straight defeat, as it also narrowly lost, 33-28, to Kansas City, which is one of the AFC's top two teams.  I love Baltimore to bounce back off those 2 losses, as NFL teams off an upset loss by more than 14 points have cashed 67% since 1980 vs. opponents off a win by 20+ points.  Also, the Ravens are outscoring foes by an impressive 8.75 points per game.  And the Steelers are 0-7 ATS their last seven at home vs. foes that owned a scoring margin of 5.5 (or better).  Finally, Baltimore is a solid 21-11-3 ATS on the road off a home upset defeat, including a perfect 4-0-1 ATS if it was favored by more than 7 points in its previous game.  Take Baltimore minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Florida Gators + the points over Auburn.  The Gators come into this match-up of Top 10-rated SEC teams off back-to-back stellar defensive efforts.  Two weeks ago, the Gators held Tennessee to 3 points in a 31-point victory.  Then, last Saturday, Florida shut out the Towson Tigers, 38-0.  The 5-0 Gators are giving up just 8.8 points per game, yet have been installed as a home underdog in this contest.  We'll take the points with Florida, as home underdogs have gone 67.7% ATS, at Game 5 forward, if their defense was surrendering 13.5 (or less) points per game, and they were matched up against a conference foe with a winning SU and ATS record.  Even better:  Florida's an awesome 65-38-2 ATS in SEC Conference games off back to back double-digit wins, while Auburn's 12-25 ATS vs. Conference foes off back-to-back double-digit wins (including 1-6 ATS if Auburn was favored).  Take Florida + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Friday, our selection is on the Cincinnati Bearcats + the points over Central Florida.  The Bearcats are 3-1 SU/ATS on the season, with their only SU/ATS defeat to Ohio State.  Of course, a 42-0 loss to Ohio State is not all that bad, given it was the lowest amount of points the Buckeyes scored all season.  Last week, the Bearcats went into Marshall, and blew out the Thundering Herd, 52-14, as a 4-point road favorite.  Off that 38-point blowout win, we'll grab the points with Cincy in this American Athletic Conference opener for the Bearcats.  Since 1980, .500 (or better) teams have cashed 58.1% in home Conference games off a blowout win the previous week by more than 35 points.  That bodes well for the Bearcats on Friday.  As does the fact that Cincy's 27-15 ATS its last 42 as underdogs priced from +3 to +7.5 points, while Central Florida's 4-12 ATS its last 16 as a road favorite of -3 to -7.5 points.  Take the Bearcats.  NCAA Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:15 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Cincinnati Bengals + the points over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Both of these teams come into this Monday Night Football game with an 0-3 record.  And each team lost road games in Weeks 1 + 3, and a home game in Week 2.  But even though the profile of these two teams is similar, the Bengals have been the better team as far as the point spread is concerned.  Cincy is 2-1 ATS, while Pittsburgh is 1-2 ATS.  And the Bengals' point spread differential is 4.5 ppg better than that of the Steelers, while its margin of victory is 2.33 ppg better.  We'll grab the points with the Bengals, as winless home favorites have gone 10-20 ATS in Week 4 since 1983, while winless road underdogs have cashed 25 of their last 36 in Week 4.  Even better:  Monday Night Football favorites of 6 points or less have covered just 22% of the time since 1982, provided their win percentage was less than .300.  Take the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the Buffalo Bills.  (Analysis to follow.)

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Washington State Cougars + the points over Utah.  Both of these teams were upset last week.  Wazzu blew a 32-point lead in a 67-63 loss to the UCLA Bruins, while Utah fell to USC, 30-23, as a 3.5-point road favorite.  The silver lining for Mike Leach's Cougars is that QB Anthony Gordon established a school record with nine touchdown passes, and he also threw for 570 yards.  Unfortunately, the Cougars committed six turnovers to aid the Bruins' comeback, which was the 3rd largest deficit overcome in NCAA Football Division 1 history.  I love Washington State to rebound on the road as an underdog at Utah.  After all, since 1981, single digit underdogs off a loss as a double-digit conference home favorite, have covered 66% the following week vs. conference foes.  And Washington State is a solid 16-5 ATS its last 21 as a road underdog, while Utah is a dreadful 18-37 ATS in the regular season as a favorite of less than 12 points (or PK) vs. winning foes.  The Cougars have covered the last four meetings vs. Utah, by an average of 8.9 ppg.  Take Washington State + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Arizona State Sun Devils + the points over California.  The Golden Bears are 4-0 and ranked among the Top 20 teams in the country after last week's upset win at Mississippi.  And that was the 2nd upset win on the road this year for Justin Wilcox's men.  Unfortunately, California has not had the same success in front of their home faithful.  In Berkeley this season, the Bears are 0-2 ATS.  And they're a wallet-busting 5-16 ATS their last 21 when favored by less than 7 points (or PK).  Even worse for California:  since 1980, Pac-12 (or Pac-10) Conference teams have cashed just 13.3% at home off an upset road win, if they were matched up against a .666 (or better) foe off a loss.  Last week, Arizona State fell to 3-1 on the season with a 34-31 upset loss to Colorado, so it qualifies in my 86.7% ATS angle.  And the Sun Devils are also a super 16-3-1 ATS off a loss if their opponent is a Pac-12 Conference rival off a SU win, including 9-0 ATS their last nine as an underdog.  Off last weekend's defeat, we'll grab the points with the Sun Devils to bounce back on this Friday.  Take ASU + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Panthers + the points over Arizona.  The Cardinals have been installed as a home favorite, notwithstanding the fact that they're winless on the season, and have covered just five of their last 18 games as a home favorite.  Yes, it's true that Carolina's #1 QB, Cam Newton, is sidelined with a foot injury.  But I don't view this entirely as a negative, as Newton was hampering his team with his horrible play.  In the first two games, he was 50-for-89 for 572 yards, but 0 touchdowns, and one interception.  On the ground, Newton was even worse, as he had 5 carries for minus-2 yards, and two fumbles.  His QB rating is 26.9, which ranks #29 in the league!  So, Ron Rivera's club will turn to Kyle Allen, a second-year QB out of the University of Houston.  Allen made one start last season, and was impressive in a 33-14 road victory over New Orleans.  Allen completed 16 of 27 passes for 228 yards, and accounted for three touchdowns (2 passing, 1 rushing).  That experience in front of a hostile crowd will stand him in good stead on Sunday, and I expect him to play extremely well.  The Panthers fall into several of my favorite NFL systems, with records of 135-63, 156-70, 107-43, 153-74, 63-25 and 40-19 ATS since 1980.  And the Panthers are also 39-18 ATS as a road underdog vs. foes that don't have a winning record, including 26-9 ATS vs. non-division opponents.  Take Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Alabama Crimson Tide minus the points over Southern Mississippi.  The Crimson Tide come into this Saturday game off 3 wins, but back to back point spread defeats in their last two games.  However, the good news for Alabama fans is that it is 13-1 ATS in the regular season since 1996 off back to back wins, if they lost against the point spread in each game.  And their only ATS loss over this 14-game stretch was by a mere point (65-31 vs. Arkansas, as a 35-point favorite, in 2018).  Additionally, the Golden Eagles are an awful 1-7 ATS as an underdog of 28+ points.  And Alabama also falls into a super 63-21 ATS system of mine which plays on certain big favorites to blow out their opponent.  Lay the points with Alabama.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Tulane Green Wave minus the points over Houston.  Tulane is off to its best start since 2013 (when it also began the season with a 2-1 record).  And the Green Wave's lone defeat this season was on the road, at #8 Auburn, 24-6.  In its other two games -- both at home -- the Green Wave thrashed Florida International, 42-14, as a 3-point favorite, and also demolished Missouri St., 58-6.  This game will also be played in New Orleans, at Yulman Stadium, where Tulane has won 10 of its last 14 games (7-4 ATS).  Faithful followers know I love playing on teams that can score, and especially when they're matched up against woeful defensive clubs.  Tulane is averaging 35.3 ppg, while Houston is surrendering 32.3 ppg, so I fully expect Willie Fritz's men to light up the scoreboard tonight.  Tulane is a super 7-0-1 ATS at home off a win by 28+ points.  And it's 25-12 ATS when priced between -3 and -7.5 points at home, or on a neutral field.  The favorite in this rivalry has gone 16-2 straight-up, and 14-4 ATS when priced at -3 or higher.  Lay the points with Tulane.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, our selection is on the Oakland Raiders + the points over Kansas City.  The Chiefs opened up their season with a 40-26 win at Jacksonville, while Oakland upset Denver this past Monday night.  One of the things I love to do is go against teams that scored a lot of points in Week 1.  Indeed, since 1980, the majority of NFL teams that scored more than 38 points in Week 1 have scored less than 23 in Week 2.  So, it's not really a surprise that NFL teams have cashed just 28% in Week 2 as favorites of more than 4 points, if they scored more than 38 points in Week 1.  Last season, for example, the Saints scored 40 in Week 1, and were favored by 10 points vs. Cleveland in Week 2, but scored just 21, in a 3-point win, and failed to cover the point spread.  I look for KC's offense to be held in check by Jon Gruden's men.  Take Oakland + the points.  NFL High Roller Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Minnesota Vikings + the points over Green Bay.  The Packers opened their 2019 campaign with an impressive 10-3 upset win at defending NFC North division champ, Chicago.  On Sunday, the Packers will try to move to 2-0 within the division, as it tackles its other big rival, Minnesota.  Unfortunately, the Packers have gone 0-6 with one Tie after a straight-up win since Dec. 17, 2017.  And they're 0-6-1 ATS off their last seven point spread victories.  Yikes!  Green Bay also has gone 0-5-1 straight-up, and 1-5 ATS vs. the Vikings since 2016 when not favored by 6+ points.  And single-digit home favorites have covered just 41% in Week 2 off an upset victory in Week 1.  Take Minnesota.  NFL Division Game of the Month.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Nebraska Cornhuskers minus the points over Northern Illinois.  The Cornhuskers have yet to break into the point spread win column this year, as they're 0-2 ATS with losses to Colorado and South Alabama, while the Huskies are 2-0 ATS with point spread victories vs. Illinois State and Utah.  Last week, Nebraska was favored by 4 points on the road, but fell to the Buffaloes in overtime, 34-31.  It actually played a great first half, and broke out to a 17-0 lead.  QB Adrian Martinez was key in that first stanza, as he was 9-of-9 for 180 yards, and also ran for 45 yards on six carries.  Unfortunately, he fumbled the ball three times in that game -- and lost two of them -- which was a big part of the Cornhuskers' undoing.  I like Nebraska to rebound this evening, as in Game 3 of the season, College Football home favorites have covered 65% of the time off an upset loss, if they were winless ATS on the season, and their foe was perfect ATS.  That bodes well for Nebraska tonight.  As does the fact that it has covered 69.7% since 1980 off a SU/ATS loss the previous week, if its opponent was off a point spread win (including a perfect 8-0 ATS when priced from -9 to -18.5 points).  Lay the points with Nebraska.  NCAA GAME OF THE WEEK!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Louisville Cardinals minus the points over Western Kentucky. This game will be played at a neutral site -- Nissan Stadium, in Nashville, Tennessee. Last week, we played on Western Kentucky as a touchdown underdog at Florida International, and were rewarded with a 20-14 upset victory. The Hilltoppers will now try to make it two-upsets-in-a-row tonight, and snap a 10-game losing streak to Louisville in the process. Last year, it started off well enough for WKU, as it broke out to a 14-0 lead. But it couldn't finish the job, and fell 20-17, as a 23.5-point underdog. The point spread is much lower in this game, so there's much less margin for error for the Hilltoppers. The Cardinals are 1-1 on the season, including a 35-17 defeat in Week 1 vs. Notre Dame. But Louisville was only outgained by 40 yards (423-383) in that game, and the Irish are ranked #7 in the country. Louisville did bounce back last Saturday with a 42-0 whitewash of Eastern Kentucky. And NCAA teams are 335-252-6 ATS away from home in the regular season off a shutout win, if matched up against an unrested foe. Lay the points with Scott Satterfield's Cardinals. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6 pm, our selection is on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons minus the points over North Carolina.  Interestingly, these two ACC Carolina rivals have not played since 2015.  The Tar Heels won (and covered) that game, which was the fourth straight meeting won, and fifth straight meeting covered, by the home team.  The Tar Heels are 2-0 after upsetting Miami-Fla last week, and South Carolina in Week 1.  Mack Brown's men will now play their first true road game of the season.  Unfortunately, NCAA teams off back to back upset wins to start a season have cashed just 37% since 1980.  Even worse:  undefeated teams have cashed just 28% since 2001 in Game 3 of the season, if they are off an upset win, and now playing their first road game of the year.  With North Carolina entering this game on a 7-game road losing streak, we'll lay the small number with Wake Forest.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8:20 pm, our selection is on the New England Patriots minus the points over Pittsburgh.  These two teams met last season, and we had a huge play on the Steelers as a 3-point home underdog.  Pittsburgh played without Le'Veon Bell but still won that game, 17-10.  But that game was in the Steel City.  This Sunday night's game is in Foxborough, where the Patriots have never lost to Pittsburgh with Tom Brady at QB (Pittsburgh did win in 2008, but Matt Cassel was New England's QB that day).  With Brady under center, New England has gone 5-0 SU and 4-0-1 ATS vs. the Steelers.  Even better:  Bill Belichick's Patriots have cashed 76.4% ATS when playing with revenge from an upset defeat, including a perfect 7-0 ATS when priced from -4.5 to -8.5 points.  And defending Super Bowl champs have cashed 85% since 1983 in Week 1 when they opened the season at home, and weren't favored by 6.5 (or more) points.  Take New England.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4:05 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the Los Angeles Chargers minus the points over Indianapolis.  The Chargers were a darling among bettors last season, and were widely touted, at the end of the regular season, to reach the Super Bowl from the AFC.  I wasn't as optimistic, as it's virtually impossible to win an NFL Championship as a Wild Card team.  Indeed, I had a big play against the Chargers when they went into New England in the quarter-finals, and was rewarded with an easy 41-28 win.  This season, I believe the Chargers will be one of the league's top teams again.  Unfortunately, they reside in a division with the equally-talented Kansas City Chiefs, so they might be a Wild Card entry once again.  Here, though, in the opening game of the season, they are a decided favorite vs. an Andrew Luck-less Colts team which will now be hard-pressed to earn a 2nd consecutive AFC South division title.  The Chargers have run roughshod over AFC South division foes over the years, as they're 29-5-1 ATS since 2002, including 7-2 ATS vs. the Colts.  And, going back further, one finds that the Chargers are 19-7 ATS vs. the Colts since 1981.  It's true that Los Angeles has stumbled out of the gate with losses in Week 1 each of the previous three seasons.  But they were road underdogs in two of those three games.  For this contest, they're a touchdown favorite.  And NFL teams favored between 6 and 7 points in Week 1, that won a Playoff game the previous season, have gone 12-0 straight-up since 2006, and 30-4 straight-up since 1981.  The Chargers also fall into several of my best Week 1 angles that are 57-28, 75-36 and 72-44 ATS since 1980.  Lay the points with Philip Rivers & Co.  NFL Elite Info Winner!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the Cleveland Browns minus the points over Tennessee.  The Cleveland Browns enter 2019 on an 11-season losing streak.  Since 2008, they've gone 45-130-1 straight-up, and 76-95-5 ATS!  The good news, though, for those on Lake Erie is that head coach Hue Jackson was fired midway through last season.  Freddie Kitchens was promoted to offensive coordinator for the season's final eight games.  And then he was named head coach 13 days after the season ended (ex-Tampa Bay offensive coordinator, Todd Monken, will take over as OC for the Browns).  This season, most observers believe the Browns will battle it out with Pittsburgh for the AFC Central division title (both teams are projected to win nine games), and I actually would give the edge to Cleveland in that race.  Notwithstanding Cleveland's poor history since 2008, it's still hard to make a case for Tennessee away from home.  Indeed, the Titans have routinely burned money on the road since 2013, as they're 15-29-1 ATS outside The Volunteer State, including 0-2 ATS vs. these Browns.  Meanwhile, Cleveland falls into several strong angles of mine, with records of 66-33, 61-21, 83-47, 81-47 and 65-26 ATS.  A lot of folks are still in a "wait-and-see" mode with Cleveland, after it added Odell Beckham, Jr. in the offseason to a young, and talented corps of offensive players (e.g., Baker Mayfield, Nick Chubb).  I'm not waiting.  I'm "all in" right now.  Lay the points with Cleveland.  NFL Game of the Week!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.       

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Carolina Panthers + the points over the Los Angeles Rams.  Last year, the Rams were my preseason pick (at 10-1 odds) to win the Super Bowl.  I also had the New England Patriots at 5-2 odds to win the AFC.  So, I came very close to being perfect on my preseason predictions.  This year, I went with the Saints (at 10-1 odds) as my preseason Super Bowl pick.  One reason I ultimately decided to not go with the Rams this season is that the loser of the Super Bowl has often struggled the following season.  We saw that last season with Atlanta, which had a losing record the year after it lost the Super Bowl, in overtime, to New England.  Another reason is that the Rams have a somewhat difficult non-division schedule this season, as they have to play road games at Cleveland, Pittsburgh, Dallas, Atlanta and this game vs. the Panthers.  Last season, they had a relatively easy non-division road schedule, including games against the Raiders, Lions and Broncos.  The Panthers are 23-11 ATS at home vs. non-division foes (including 12-2 ATS when not favored by 3+ points), and they're also 6-2 ATS their last eight as a home underdog.  And they're 8-3 SU and 8-2-1 ATS their last 11 meetings vs. the Rams.  Finally, the Rams fall into negative 2-22 and 6-30 ATS systems of mine that fade certain teams in competitively-priced games.  Take Carolina.  NFL High Roller! Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 1 pm, our selection is on the Jacksonville Jaguars + the points over Kansas City.  Two years ago, the Jaguars reached the AFC Championship game, and led New England with less than 3 minutes to go before succumbing to defeat, 24-20.  Last season, RB Leonard Fournette went down early with an injury, and the Jaguars' season unraveled from there.  This season, Fournette is healthy, and the Jaguars will also have a better signal caller, as Nick Foles has taken over the reins at QB.  The defense ranked #4 last season in scoring defense, and will once again be fierce, as most of last year's starters are returning.  And the Jaguars also drafted Josh Allen, who was the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year in College Football.  These two teams met last season at Arrowhead Stadium.  Yes, Kansas City won that home game, 30-14.  But it was not a good day for QB Patrick Mahomes.  He was 22 of 38 for 313 yards, and failed to complete a touchdown pass.  He also threw two interceptions, and had the lowest passer rating of his career in that game.  Jacksonville allowed an average of just 195 passing yards per game last season, and I expect it to once again have success vs. Mahomes.  Meanwhile, with Foles and Fournette on the field, Jacksonville should be able to move the ball very well vs. KC's lackluster defense.  Take the home underdog Jaguars.  NFL Roadkill Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Fresno State Bulldogs + the points over Minnesota.  These two teams met last season in Minneapolis, and the Gophers survived to win 21-14, after a trick play went awry in the game's final moments.  The Bulldogs were on Minnesota's 4-yard line and attempted to tie the score with a halfback pass to their tight end, who was stationed in the back of the end zone. Unfortunately, Josh Hokit didn't get enough on his throw, and it was intercepted by Minny's Antoine Winfield, Jr.  We will play on the Bulldogs as a home underdog in this revenge game, as Big 10 teams have been dreadful as non-conference single-digit road favorites vs. revenge-minded foes.  Since 1984 they've covered just 36% of the time.  Take Fresno + the points.  NCAA Payback Payday!  Good luck, as always....Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Oregon Ducks minus the points over Nevada.  Last week, Oregon lost, 27-21, to Auburn, while Nevada upset Purdue, 34-31, as an 11-point underdog.  I love the Ducks to bounce back on Saturday, as College Football teams favored by more than 15 points have covered 66.1% of non-conference games since 1980, if they were off a loss to a non-conference foe, and their current opponent was off a SU/ATS win.  Take the Ducks.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Texas Longhorns + the points over LSU.  This is the first match-up of this College Football season which features two teams ranked among the Top 10.  LSU is ranked #6, while Texas is #9 in both the AP and the Coaches Poll.  This will be just the 6th time since 1994 that the Longhorns have been installed as a home underdog vs. a non-conference foe.  And Texas was a perfect 5-0 ATS in those five other games.  The Longhorns opened their season with a 45-14 blowout win over Louisiana Tech, as a 19-point favorite.  That also bodes well for Texas on Saturday night, as home underdogs have cashed 61% since 1980 off a SU/ATS win by 20+ points to open the season.  Finally, Longhorns head coach Tom Herman has gone 13-2-1 ATS as an underdog in his stints with Houston and Texas, including 6-0-1 ATS when priced as an underdog of +7 or less points.  Take Texas.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Texas State Bobcats + the points over Wyoming.  Last week, the Cowboys shocked Missouri, 37-31, as a 15.5-point home underdog.  Unfortunately, that sets them up for a big letdown on the road this week.  Indeed, since 1984, teams off an upset win to kick off a season have covered just 19.04% in Week 2, if they were matched up against a non-conference foe off a SU/ATS loss.  That doesn't bode well for Wyoming in San Marcos on Saturday night.  Nor does the fact that Wyoming has covered just 23% as a non-conference road favorite (or PK) over the last 35 seasons.  Take Texas State + the points.  NCAA Game of the Week.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers + the points over Florida International.  Both of these teams lost their season openers.  The Panthers were trounced, 42-14, at Tulane, as a 3-point underdog.  In contrast, the Hilltoppers were favored by 10 points last week against Central Arkansas.  But they were upset, 35-28.  And that continued a long-term trend in Western Kentucky games where the underdog has cashed 72 of 112 games (64.2% ATS).  Even better:  if the underdog was playing an opponent which wasn't off a win, then our 72-40 stat improves to 35-9 ATS, including a perfect 11-0 ATS when priced from +7 to +11.5 points.  Take the Hilltoppers + the points.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Vanderbilt Commodores + the points over Purdue.  We played against Vanderbilt last week, and were rewarded with a 30-6 Georgia win (and cover).  But this Saturday, we'll take the points with Derek Mason's men.  Purdue also lost last Saturday.  But unlike Vandy, which was a 23-point underdog, Purdue was favored by double-digits.  Yet, it was upset, 34-31, by a Nevada team which only returned 11 starters from last season.  Turnovers were Purdue's major problem last week, as it coughed up the ball five times!  But even though that's unlikely to happen again this week, I still don't believe the Boilermakers will bounce back.  Indeed, dating back to 2005, College teams off an upset loss, as a favorite of -6 (or more) points in Week 1, have covered just 27.5 percent in Week 2 (including 21.8% vs. non-conference foes).  Meanwhile, SEC teams, off a loss to a conference rival, have covered 62% since 1983 as underdogs of +3 (or more) points in non-conference games.  Take the points with Vandy.  NCAA High Noon Hanging!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, on Saturday, our selection is on the Akron Zips + the points over UAB.  Akron was blown out, 42-3, at Illinois last weekend, while UAB hung on to defeat Alabama State, 24-19.  The Zips look to bounce back off that loss and the good news is that they're back at InfoCision Stadium to play their home opener.  Since 1980, home underdogs of less than 14 points have cashed 65 percent if they scored less than 7 points in their season opener!  Also, UAB has been awful as a single-digit road favorite, as it's cashed just 4 of 19 games.  I look for Akron to pull the upset in new head coach Tom Arth's first game at home.  Take the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Georgia Bulldogs minus the points over Vanderbilt.  The Commodores have been an SEC doormat for much of their existence, and have lost each of their last five seasons.  They've gone 0-5 ATS their last five as a home underdog, and I look for them to get blown out tonight by a Georgia team which surely will want to redeem itself following its poor showing in the NCAA Football Playoffs last year against Texas.  The Bulldogs are 20-8 ATS their last 28, while College Football teams have cashed 64% in Game 1 of the season (including 8-0 ATS their last eight) when favored away from home by more than seven points vs. conference foes.  Take Georgia.  NCAA Football Elite Info.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Toledo Rockets + the points over Kentucky.  The Rockets have won every single season this decade.  They're 79-37 straight-up since 2010, and will go for their 10th straight winning year in 2019.  One of Toledo's best point spread categories over this time is on the road, where it's gone 31-20 ATS.  That bodes well this afternoon vs. a Kentucky team, which has tallied just three winning seasons among its last nine.  And the Wildcats have gone just 23-32 ATS at home in this stretch, including 0-7 ATS as a home favorite since 2017, and also 0-7 ATS its last seven vs. non-conference foes, dating back to November 28, 2015.  The Mid-American Conference has cashed 37 of 65 on the road vs. SEC Conference foes, and the Wildcats are ripe for an upset, as they graduated all-SEC running back Benny Snell, who was drafted in the 4th round by the Pittsburgh Steelers, as well as linebacker Josh Allen, who was the National Defensive Player of the Year last season, and drafted in the 1st round by Jacksonville.  Take the points with Toledo as a big underdog.  NCAA Football High Noon Hanging!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Colorado State Rams + the points over Colorado.  This rivalry has been controlled by Colorado over the last four years, as it's gone 4-0 straight-up, and 3-0-1 ATS, including a 45-13 win to open its season last year.  But I love Colorado State to avenge that defeat, as it falls into 127-61, 35-13 and 80-48 ATS revenge systems of mine.  Even better:  the underdog is 19-11-1 ATS in this series, including 7-0 ATS priced from +7.5 to +17.5 when playing with revenge from a double-digit loss.  Also, the Rams are 25-13-1 ATS as a non-conference underdog of +12 or more points.  Take the points in this rivalry game.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Houston Texans minus the points over the Los Angeles Rams.  Houston was shutout, 34-0, last week by its Lone Star state rival, Dallas.  I love the Texans to bounce back off that blowout loss, as teams have covered 70.8% in the preseason after failing to cover the point spread by more than 32 points in their previous game (including 89% off a shutout loss).  Take Houston.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Tennessee Titans + the points over Chicago.  The Titans were embarrassed at home last week, 18-6, by the Pittsburgh Steelers.  But off that awful offensive performance, we'll grab the points with the road team on Thursday.  For technical support, consider that road underdogs off a home loss where they scored less than 7 points have covered 71% since 1983 in the preseason when matched up against a foe off a straight-up win.  Take Tennessee.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the New York Giants over New England.  Both of these teams come into this game with 3-0 records.  But we'll take the road underdog in this final preseason game, as underdogs have cashed 64.2% since 1997 in the preseason if they won their three previous games straight-up (including 79% if their opponent was also off back to back wins).  Take New York.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the UCLA Bruins + the points over Cincinnati.  This is a big revenge game for the Bruins, who were walloped, 26-17, as a two-touchdown favorite by the Bearcats last season.  That was Chip Kelly's debut as the UCLA coach, following the departure of Jim Mora.  And it was a harbinger of things to come, as UCLA finished the 2018 campaign with just three victories.  The reality last season was that Kelly was missing a lot of pieces on offense.  UCLA's star quarterback, Josh Rosen, had just been drafted into the NFL.  And the Bruins also had graduated their top two receivers, and three all-conference linemen.  More important to me than its 3-9 record last season was the fact that UCLA improved toward the end of the year, as it gained experience playing under Kelly.  Indeed, the Bruins went 2-0-1 ATS in their last three games, including a 34-27 upset win over rival Southern Cal.  This season, however, most of UCLA's key personnel will be back, as it returns 19 starters (9 offense; 10 defense).  In contrast, the Bearcats are returning just 14 players (7 offense, 7 defense).  That bodes well for UCLA.  As does the fact that the Bruins are an awesome 70-45 ATS in regular season non-conference games.  Take UCLA + the points.  NCAA Football Game of the Month!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Jacksonville Jaguars + the points over the Miami Dolphins.  The Jaguars come into this game with the worst offense, thus far, in the Preseason.  The Jaguars have only mustered 10 points thru two games, while they have given up 53.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play against Jacksonville tonight as a small underdog vs. Miami, especially given that the Dolphins are 2-0 ATS.  But consider that, since 1992, NFL teams that have scored less than 14 points in their two previous preseason games have covered the spread 69% of the time (and 80.7% if their opponent wasn't undefeated in the preseason).  And 0-2 teams have covered 70% since 1983 as an underdog (or PK) vs. teams that were undefeated ATS.  Take Jacksonville. NFL Preseason Game of the Year.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Washington Redskins over the Atlanta Falcons.  The Atlanta Falcons are 0-3 SU/ATS this preseason, and come into tonight's game installed as a home underdog vs. Washington, which is 0-2 SU/ATS.  We'll lay the points with the Redskins, as NFL teams (like Atlanta) have been poor in their fourth preseason game, if they were 0-3 SU/ATS in their first three games.  Indeed, since 1993, they've covered just 29.7% of the time, including just 13% ATS if their opponent was off back-to-back losses itself.  Take Washington. NFL Elite Info Winner. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Monday, our selection is on the Denver Broncos minus the points over the San Francisco 49ers.  The 49ers opened their preseason last weekend with a 17-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, while Denver was upset, 22-14, as a 2-point favorite at Seattle.  Unfortunately for San Francisco, since 1983, teams that opened the Preseason with a win have gone 0-8-1 ATS in their next game if they played on Monday Night Football away from home, and were matched up against an opponent off a straight-up loss.  Meanwhile, the Broncos are a stupendous 12-0 SU/ATS in the Preseason off an upset loss since 2002 (and 19-2-1 ATS since 1983).  Lay the points with Denver.  NFL Preseason Monday Night Football Game of the Year!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, on Sunday, our selection is on the New Orleans Saints + the points over the Los Angeles Chargers.  This is a rematch of last year's Preseason contest which was won, in convincing fashion, 36-7, by New Orleans.  We used the Saints in last year's game as our #1 Play of last year's Preseason, and we will take the Saints once again.  It's true that the Saints opened the Preseason with a 34-25 home loss to the Vikings.  But the Vikings have put an emphasis on Week 1 Preseason games under coach Mike Zimmer, as they're 6-0 SU/ATS since he became head coach, so there's no great shame in losing last week to Minnesota.  The Chargers, in contrast, have not fared well in the Preseason under coach Anthony Lynn, as they're 3-6 SU/ATS, including a 17-13 defeat at Arizona last week.  Since 1985, road underdogs have cashed 61% off a loss in which they gave up more than 31 points.  That bodes well for New Orleans.  As does the fact that the Saints are a fantastic 44-20-2 ATS on the road in the Preseason.  Take New Orleans + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Indianapolis Colts minus the points over the Cleveland Browns.  The Browns won their Preseason home opener last week in blowout fashion, 30-10, over Washington.  Meanwhile, the Colts were upset on the road, 24-16, by the Buffalo Bills.  But I love Indianapolis to bounce back at home on this Saturday.  Indeed, teams have covered 70% since 1983 in their Preseason home openers off an upset loss, if they're matched up against an opponent off a SU/ATS win in their home opener.   Additionally, the Browns are a horrid 1-8 ATS in the Preseason off a double-digit win, while the Colts are 7-2-1 ATS vs. foes off a 20+ point victory.  Take Indianapolis.  NFL Elite Info Winner.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Friday, our selection is on the Chicago Bears over the New York Giants.  The Giants opened their Preseason with a nice 31-22 home win over their cross-town rivals, the Jets.  The Giants will now welcome the Bears into the Meadowlands.  And Chicago should be in an ornery mood after losing its home opener, 23-13, to Carolina.  We will fade the Giants, as they've covered just 17 of their last 54 as a Preseason favorite/PK, including 0 of 7 since 2016.  Moreover, NFL teams have cashed just 39% in the Preseason as a home favorite off a win in their home opener, if they're matched up against a foe off a SU loss.  Take the Bears.  NFL Game of the Week.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Atlanta Falcons + the points over Miami.  The Falcons were winning last Thursday for much of the 2nd half, but lost, 14-10, in the waning moments on a deflected 15-yard touchdown pass.  The silver lining for Atlanta was that it out-yarded Denver, 261-188.  And I love the Falcons to bounce back as a road underdog in this week's game, at Miami.  The Falcons have a big advantage just by playing in last week's Hall of Fame Game.  Indeed, since 1983, underdogs off a preseason loss have covered 68% vs. foes playing their first preseason game.  Take the Falcons.  NFL Game of the Week.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.