Sports Picks & Predictions

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Iowa State Cyclones minus the points over Oklahoma State.  The Cyclones are 4-2 on the season, as they lost to Iowa in Week 2, and Baylor in Week 4.  But they also outyarded Iowa, 339-173, and outyarded Baylor 479-282.  Unfortunately, the Cyclones committed 5 turnovers in those two game combined, which sealed their fate.  The good news for Matt Campbell's men is that they've not turned it over in any of their last two games.  And if that disciplined play holds on Saturday, then they should hand the 6-0 Cowboys their first loss of the season.  We'll lay the points with Iowa State, as it falls into a 97-52 ATS system of mine which plays on certain teams, favored by more than 4 points on home or neutral fields against a .500 (or better) conference foe, that own an inferior record than their opponent.  Additionally, the Cowboys fall into negative 25-64, 62-126 and 28-78 systems following their upset win at Texas last week.  Take Iowa State minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Oregon Ducks over UCLA.  The Bruins return home off a successful stint of road games, as they won at Arizona, 34-16, and also won at Washington, 24-17, to move to 3-1 SU/ATS in Pac-12 play.  Oregon sits a half-game back, as the Ducks are 2-1 SU (but 0-3 ATS) in conference games after downing California, 24-17, in Eugene last Friday.  We'll take the Ducks, as they're 17-6 ATS in Conference road games, if they owned a worse SU/ATS conference record than their opponent.  Additionally, the Bruins are 33% ATS since 1980 in Pac-12 games off back to back SU/ATS conference road wins.  And Oregon also falls into a 258-164 ATS system of mine which plays on certain .800 (or better) teams against foes off a win.  Take the Ducks to blow out UCLA.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Toledo Rockets plus the points over Western Michigan.  The Rockets are 3-4 after dropping back to back MAC Conference games to Northern Illinois and Central Michigan.  And Toledo was favored by 13.5 and 5 points, respectively, in those games.  The good news, though, for the Rockets is that they're 17-2 SU and 12-4 ATS off back to back losses, if they weren't an underdog of more than 5 points.  Even better:  Toledo falls into a 65.4% ATS MAC angle, which plays on Mid-American Conference home dogs off back-to-back ATS losses, if they also lost their previous game SU, while their opponent was off a SU win.  Take the Rockets to bounce back on Saturday afternoon.  Grab the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Ole Miss Rebels minus the points over LSU.  The Rebels won last week at Tennessee, 31-26, but their QB, Matt Corral, got banged-up in the process.  It's unclear whether Corral will line up under center this afternoon.  But, regardless, we will lay the points with Lane Kiffin's men.  The Tigers stunned Florida, 49-42, as a double-digit home underdog last week.  Unfortunately, underdogs have only covered 37% over the past 42 years off an upset win as a double-digit home dog the previous week, if matched up against foes off a SU/ATS win.  Take Mississippi minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3 pm, our selection is on the Wisconsin Badgers minus the points over Purdue.  The Badgers come into this game off back to back wins over Illinois and Army, while the Boilermakers upset the then-undefeated Hawkeyes in their previous game.  We'll fade Purdue off that upset win, as they fall into a negative 28-99 ATS system of mine which fades certain teams off big upsets.  Even better:  the Badgers have won 14 straight games vs. Purdue, and have covered their last 8 here in West Lafayette, and have also covered 7 straight when not favored by 17+ points.  Take Wisconsin to blow out the Boilers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons minus the points over Army.  The Demon Deacons are 6-0 following their 40-37 victory at Syracuse two weeks ago.  They'll now take on a Black Knights squad which lost to Wisconsin, 20-14, last Saturday.  The extra week of rest will no doubt have served Dave Clawson's men well, given that they utilized that time to prepare for Army's flexbone triple option run game.  We'll lay the points with the rested Demon Deacons against the unrested Black Knights.  For technical support, consider that undefeated, rested teams have gone 130-93 ATS vs. unrested, non-conference foes, if our rested team wasn't getting more than 3 points.  Also, Wake Forest is 9-1 ATS off a win, when playing with rest, while Army is a poor 4-12 ATS when priced as an underdog of +3 to +14 points vs. rested foes.  Take the Demon Deacons.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9:30 pm, our selection is on the Utah State Aggies + the points over Colorado State.  The Rams come into this game off back to back blowout wins over San Jose (32-14) and New Mexico (36-7), while the Aggies are on an 0-3 ATS losing streak.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the Rams minus the short number.  But NCAA home dogs, with a .666 (or better) record, have covered 60.4% of conference games over the past 42 years off 3 point spread defeats.  Take Utah State + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Nevada Wolf Pack minus the points over Hawaii.  The Rainbow Warriors had last weekend off following their 27-24 upset home win on October 2nd vs. Fresno, while Nevada won by 27 here, in Reno, vs. New Mexico State.  This will be Hawaii's 3rd trip to the mainland this season, and they were smashed in the first two:  44-10 by UCLA, and 45-27 by Oregon State.  Over the years, I've loved playing against Hawaii on the mainland in certain situations, and this Saturday's game in Reno fits many of Hawaii's worst point spread roles, including this 100% perfect angle.  Since 1980, Hawaii is 0-16 ATS on the road, when rested, and installed as an underdog of +20 or less points.  Even better:  double-digit underdogs with a .363 (or better) record are a poor 35-73 ATS off an upset win as a double-digit dog, if their opponent was off back to back wins.  Lay the points with Nevada.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 10 pm, our selection is on the Utah Utes over Arizona State.  We had a huge play on the Sun Devils last Friday, and won big in a 28-10 blowout win over Stanford.  That was ASU's third straight win and cover.  But this hot streak sets them up in a negative 28.4% system of mine which goes against certain teams that are off 3 SU/ATS wins.  Utah also had an impressive breakout performance last Saturday, as it went into Los Angeles, and upset Southern Cal, 42-26, as a 2.5-point road underdog.  And that moved Utah's conference record to 2-0 this season.  So this "battle of unbeatens" will be a key game in the race for the conference championship.  We'll go against the Sun Devils on the road, as Pac-12 Conference teams, with a 3-0 (or better) conference record, have cashed just 17 of 53 road games vs. .500 (or better) conference foes off a win.  Take Utah.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Air Force Falcons + the points over Boise State.  Air Force is a solid 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS after winning (and covering) at home vs. Wyoming last Saturday.  They'll now travel to Boise to take on a 3-3 Broncos squad.  Last week, the Broncos stunned the then-undefeated BYU Cougars, 26-17, as a 6.5-point road underdog.  But off that upset win, we will look for a letdown by the Broncos on Saturday.  Indeed, that upset win was somewhat fortunate, given that BYU outyarded Boise, 413-312, but were doomed by four turnovers.  Last season, the Broncos went into Colorado Springs, and blew out the Falcons, 49-30.  Unfortunately, since 1980, .500 (or worse) teams are a soft 41% ATS off an upset win, when matched up against a revenge-minded foe off a double-digit win.  Additionally, teams off upset wins, as 6-point (or greater) dogs, over unbeaten teams that were 5-0 (or better) have cashed just 42% over the last 40 years vs. .500 (or better) teams.  Take the points with the Air Force.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Texas El Paso Miners + the points over Louisiana Tech.  We played on the Miners two weeks ago, and were rewarded with a 28-21 win and cover vs. Old Dominion.  The Miners are putting a nice season together, as they're 5-1 straight-up.  But they continue to be undervalued by the oddsmakers.  They're a home underdog on this Saturday vs. the 2-3 Bulldogs.  And we will happily grab the points with UTEP, as it falls into a 311-208 'momentum' angle of mine which plays on certain home teams with a win percentage greater than .750.  Moreover, home dogs have cashed 60.4% since 1990 if they owned a better record than their opponent, and were off back to back wins.  Take Texas El Paso + the number.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Tennessee Volunteers + the points over Mississippi.  The Volunteers come into this game vs. Mississippi off back to back blowout wins.  They destroyed Missouri, 62-24, in Columbia, and then smashed South Carolina, 45-20, last week, as a 10.5-point home favorite.  Tennessee is now a small home underdog.  And I love playing on home dogs that can score.  Dating back to 1983, underdogs of more than 2 points have cashed 57% at home if they averaged more than 41 points per game.  Ole Miss can also score, as evidenced by its 52-51 victory last week against Arkansas.  But Ole miss is also 1-8-1 ATS its last 10 after scoring 49+ points, if its current opponent was off a SU/ATS win.  Take the Volunteers + the points.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the New Mexico Lobos + the points over Colorado State.  It's impossible to be worse than the Lobos have been "in Vegas" this season, as they're 0-6 ATS.  But faithful followers know that I've never shied away from playing on bad teams.  And I won't here, as New Mexico falls into a system which has cashed 58% since 1984, which plays on winless ATS teams, with an 0-5 (or worse) ATS record, against foes that didn't fail to cover the spread by 10+ points in their previous game.   And New Mexico also falls into a 59-18 ATS system of mine which plays on certain home teams off 3+ ATS losses, as well as an 81-37 ATS angle of mine which takes certain teams off 5+ ATS losses.  Take the Lobos as a big home underdog.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Missouri Tigers + the points over Texas A&M.  Last week, we played on the Aggies as an 18-point underdog vs. Alabama, and easily got the $$$ with an outright win vs. the defending national champions.  But off that big victory, we will fade the Aggies today away from home.  Indeed, Texas A&M is a horrid 11-26 ATS on the road vs. a .500 (or better) foe following a home victory at College Station.  And it's 1-4 ATS its last five vs. Missouri.  Meanwhile, the Tigers are 14-3 ATS as a home underdog, priced from +7 to +15 points vs. a foe off a SU win.  And, finally, NCAA teams are an ugly 0-8 ATS away from home following a home win over the defending national champions, if they're priced from -8 to -18 points.  Take the home underdog Tigers + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Indiana Hoosiers + the points over Michigan State.  Mel Tucker's Spartans are a spotless 6-0 on the season, and they're 5-0-1 ATS.  But we will fade Michigan State as a road favorite in Bloomington against a rested Hoosiers squad.  Indiana last took the field against the then-undefeated Penn State Nittany Lions, and was shut out, 24-0 (coincidentally, the same score by which Indiana defeated Michigan State in East Lansing last season).  But over the last 42 years, underdogs of +3 (or more) points off shutout home losses have cashed 63.3% vs. foes off back to back SU/ATS wins.  Indeed, Michigan State was in this exact same situation last season following its 24-0 home loss to Indiana, and rebounded to upset Northwestern, 29-20, as a 13.5-point underdog (when Northwestern was 5-0 SU and 4-0 ATS).  Take Indiana to pull off the mild upset.  Grab the points with the Hoosiers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the San Jose State Spartans + the points over San Diego State.  The Aztecs are 5-0 on the season, with ATS wins in each of their last four games.  In contrast, the Spartans are scuffling, with a 3-3 record, but five straight ATS losses in their last five.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the red-hot Aztecs.  Unfortunately, NCAA teams playing conference games away from home are a soft 67-97 ATS if they're off a win, and 3+ ATS wins, while their foe is off 3+ ATS losses.  That doesn't bode well for San Diego State as a huge road favorite tonight.  Nor does the fact that undefeated teams, with a 5-0 (or better) record, are a wallet-busting 29-59 ATS away from home, if they're off back to back ATS wins, and favored by 7+ points against an opponent with a .444 (or better) record.  Take the Spartans + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Thursday, our selection is on the Memphis Tigers minus the points over Navy.  The Tigers enter tonight's game off 3 SU/ATS losses, while Navy has covered the point spread in each of its last three games.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the underdog Midshipmen here, especially given Navy's vaunted road ATS mark over the last 33 seasons.  But consider that NCAA favorites of 3+ points have covered the spread 64% since 1980 off 3+ losses, if they're playing an opponent off 3 ATS wins.  Additionally, Memphis is a terrific 11-1 SU and 10-2 ATS as a favorite of 7+ points off back to back losses, including a perfect 6-0 ATS vs. conference foes.  Take the Tigers to blow out Navy.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Louisiana-Lafayette Rajin' Cajuns + the points over Appalachian State.  The Cajuns are 4-1, and off back to back road wins over Georgia Southern and South Alabama.  They're also a home underdog tonight.  We'll grab the points with Louisiana, as .800 (or better) teams (at Game 6 forward), off back to back wins, have cashed 57.3% since 1980, including a solid 68.5% if their opponent was off a double-digit win, and a double-digit cover.  With Appalachian State, indeed, off a 45-16 blowout of Georgia State (as a 10-point favorite), our 68.5% tightener is satisfied.  Lafayette is also a solid 19-5 ATS since 2010 in Sun Belt Conference games, priced from -1.5 to +9 points, including a perfect 6-0 ATS at home.  Grab the points with the Cajuns.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the New Mexico State Aggies + the points over Nevada.  This will be the 4th time the Aggies have been an underdog of more than points this season.  And they covered the spread in the first three games.  Last week, the Wolf Pack stunned Boise, 41-31, as a road underdog.  Unfortunately, Mountain West home favorites (or PK) have covered just 8 of 36 after an upset road win.  Also, Nevada's covered just 28% since 1980 as favorites off an upset road win.  Grab the points with New Mexico State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Tigers + the points over Tulsa.  Tulsa was smashed here, at home, by Houston, 45-10, as a 3-point favorite last Friday.  And the Golden Hurricane are once against installed as a home favorite.  Unfortunately, home teams without a winning record have generally not bounced back off double-digit SU (and double-digit ATS) losses, as they've cashed just 38% of conference games over the last 42 years.  That doesn't bode well for the Golden Hurricane on Saturday.  Nor does the fact that Tulsa is 11-44 ATS as a home favorite, priced from -15 to +10 points, if they lost their previous game by more than 5 points.  Grab the points with the Tigers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Texas A&M Aggies + the points over Alabama.  We played against the Aggies last Saturday, and got the $$$ with Mississippi State, which upset A&M as a 7-point underdog.  That was the 2nd straight loss for the Aggies, whose impressive 3-0 start is now largely forgotten.  The Aggies, though, are a super 13-1 ATS as home dogs of more than 2 points when playing a .900 (or better) foe.  Meanwhile, defending national champs (like Alabama) are a soft 12-29 ATS when playing on the road without rest, if they covered the spread in each of their two previous games.  Take the Aggies + the points over the Crimson Tide.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the TCU Horned Frogs minus the points over Texas Tech.  The Red Raiders went into Morgantown last week, and upset the Mountaineers, 23-20, as an 8-point underdog.  But off that big win, we'll fade the Red Raiders tonight against a TCU team looking to get back into the win column off back to back SU/ATS losses.  Indeed, NCAA road favorites of 8 or less points, off exactly 2 SU/ATS losses, have cashed 58% of conference games over the past 42 years.  And the Red Raiders are an ugly 2-16 ATS at home, or on neutral fields, off an upset Big 12 Conference win.  Take TCU minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers minus the points over Texas-San Antonio.  The Roadrunners have sprinted out to a 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS record, after defeating UNLV in San Antonio last Saturday.  But the Roadrunners have been installed as an underdog vs. a 1-3 Western Kentucky squad.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to take the points with the undefeated Roadrunners.  But consider that, at Game 5 forward, NCAA road underdogs of more than 3 points off a home win, with a .750 (or better) SU/ATS record, have covered just 15 of 56 vs. conference foes off a point spread loss.  The reality is that Texas-San Antonio's schedule has been a lot softer than that of Western Kentucky, as the Hilltoppers were saddled with games against Army, Indiana and Michigan State.  When Western Kentucky faced an opponent of equal (or lesser) talent this season, it won in blowout fashion (59-21 vs Tennessee-Martin).  Lay the points.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Wisconsin Badgers minus the points over Illinois.  The Illini snapped a 4-game losing streak with a 24-14 win over Charlotte last weekend.  Meanwhile, the Badgers have taken it on the chin the past two weeks, with back to back upset losses by 28 and 21 points.  But I love them to bounce back this Saturday afternoon, as NCAA road favorites off a loss by more than 18 points, have cashed 71.6% since 1981, when favored by more than 2 points against a foe off a double-digit win.  Likewise, road favorites priced from -9 to -16 points are 16-0 ATS off back to back losses, if their opponent is off a win by more than 8 points.  Take Wisky to roll on Saturday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Eastern Michigan Eagles over Miami-Ohio.  Last Saturday, the RedHawks upset Central Michigan, 28-17, in Oxford.  But off that home upset win, we'll fade Miami in Ypsilanti this weekend.  For technical support, consider that Mid-American Conference teams have covered just 2 of their last 21 (and 21 of their last 65) on the road off a home upset win the previous week, if they covered the spread in that victory by 10+ points.  Take Eastern Michigan.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Western Michigan Broncos over Ball State.  Last year, the Cardinals upset Western Michigan, 30-27.  We'll take the Broncos in this revenge role, as Ball State has covered just 31% over the last 21 years when playing a revenge-minded foe, if the Cardinals were not a winning team.  And Western Michigan is 8-3 ATS its last 11 home games, including a perfect 4-0 ATS vs. foes off a win.  The Broncos have been quite impressive this season in rolling out to a 4-1 SU and 3-1-1 ATS record.  Their only loss was a road game at #8-ranked Michigan, while they went into Pittsburgh, and upset a very good Panthers team, 44-41, as a 14-point underdog.  Lay the points.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Liberty Flames minus the points over Middle Tennessee.  Very few teams have played as well "in Vegas" as Liberty over the past couple seasons.  The Flames are 13-2 ATS their last 15, and have covered the spread by an average of 7.12 ppg.  Meanwhile, the Blue Raiders have long under-achieved, and have been particularly bad away from home, when not laying 3 points, against an opponent with a winning ATS record, as they've covered just 12 of 41.  Take the Flames to blow out Middle Tenn.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights + the points over Michigan State.  After starting the 2021 campaign with four straight ATS wins, the Knights were blown out last week here, at home, by Ohio State, 52-13, as a 15-point underdog.  But there's not much shame in that.  Off that point spread loss, we'll take Rutgers to rebound on Saturday, as its defense has been stellar outside of last week's game.  Indeed, Rutgers gave up just 275 yards to #8-ranked Michigan, and just 261, 258 and 260 in its three games prior to that.  The 5-0 Spartans, on the other hand, have given up 440, 442, and 560 in their last three games.  Michigan State has covered just 9 of 28 Big 10 conference games vs. foes off a loss by 25+ points.  And it's 8-20 ATS as a favorite of more than 4 points, away from home, vs. Big 10 foes.  Take Rutgers + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:30 pm, our selection is on the Arizona State Sun Devils minus the points over Stanford.  The Sun Devils and Cardinal both pulled off big upsets last weekend.  Arizona State stunned the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl, 42-23, while Stanford shocked #3-ranked Oregon, 31-24, in overtime.  We'll lay the points with Arizona State, as it's 12-0 ATS as a home favorite vs. a conference opponent off an upset win the previous week.  Additionally, the Cardinal fall into negative 85-157, 41-111, and 61-140 ATS systems of mine based on their upset victory over the Ducks.  Take the Sun Devils.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Tulane Green Wave + the points over Houston.  The Green Wave come into this game off a 23-point upset loss at the hands of East Carolina last Saturday, while Houston pulled off a 35-point upset at Tulsa.  But off those two disparate results, we'll step in and take the home dog Green Wave.  Indeed, teams off 20-point upset losses have cashed 10 straight vs foes off 20-point upset wins!  That bodes well for Tulane here, tonight.  As does the fact that home underdogs off 14 or less points, off upset conference losses, have cashed 70% over the last 42 years vs. conference foes off upset wins.  Finally, Tulane is 9-1 ATS off a conference defeat, while Houston is an awful 0-10 ATS off a win, if it's matched up against a conference foe off an upset loss.  Take the Green Wave + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 9 pm, our selection is on the Texas El Paso Miners minus the points over Old Dominion.  UTEP fell behind early last week here, at home, to New Mexico, but stormed back for a 20-13 upset victory.  They'll now welcome Conference USA rival, Old Dominion, to El Paso.  And Conference USA teams are a fantastic 76-41 ATS at home off an upset win, if they're playing an opponent not off back to back wins.  Moreover, the Miners fall into a super 69% ATS system of mine which plays on certain home favorites off upset wins.  Take UTEP minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Clemson Tigers minus the points over Boston College.  The Tigers are 0-4 ATS, while Boston College is 4-0 straight-up.  Clearly, the two teams are going in opposite directions.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the Eagles, especially after their impressive win over Missouri last week.  But Boston College falls into a negative 47-74 ATS system of mine which goes against certain undefeated teams against winless ATS foes.  And even though I greatly respect the job that Jeff Hafley is doing in Chestnut Hill, this will be the first time his team is an underdog this season.  For technical support, consider that undefeated underdogs of more than 3 points, with a 4-0 (or better) record, are a woeful 31.5% ATS since 1985 when matched up against .500 (or worse) opponents.  Take Clemson minus the points.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Oklahoma State Cowboys minus the points over Baylor.  We played on the Bears as a home underdog last Saturday vs. Iowa State, and were rewarded with a 31-29 win, as a 7-point dog.  Baylor is undefeated at 4-0, and once again installed as an underdog - this time in Stillwater vs. the similarly-unbeaten Cowboys.  Unfortunately for the Bears, single-digit Big 12 Conference underdogs have covered just 31% of conference games off an upset win.  Even worse:  undefeated teams are a nasty 12-24 ATS at Oklahoma State.  And, finally, undefeated teams have cashed 69% at home vs. foes off upset home wins where they were at least a touchdown underdog.  Lay the points with Oklahoma State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Mississippi State Bulldogs + the points over Texas A&M.  Both of these teams enter Saturday's game in College Station off losses.  Miss State fell at home, 28-25, to LSU, while A&M lost in Arlington to the Arkansas Razorbacks, 20-10.  The Aggies' offense has left a lot to be desired this season.  After losing starter Haynes King to a broken leg earlier this season, the Aggies are trying to make do with backup Zach Calzada.  But he was just 20-for-36 for 151 passing yards vs. Arkansas.  That won't cut it in the rugged SEC Conference.  Miss State is 2-2, but could easily be 4-0 this season.  It lost 31-29 at Memphis, in part due to a blown call by the officials which allowed a Tigers punt return touchdown to stand.  The Bulldogs outyarded Memphis, 468-246 (!), and didn't lose the turnover battle, but somehow lost.  Then last week, Miss State outyarded LSU 486-343, but came away empty.  Texas A&M has covered just 7 of 24 SEC Conference games when favored by 7+ points.  We'll take the Bulldogs as a big road underdog on Saturday night.

At 6 pm, our selection is on the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs + the points over North Carolina State.  The Wolfpack snapped an 8-game losing streak to Clemson, with a 27-21 overtime win as a double-digit underdog.  But off that huge upset win, we will fade NC State in this non-conference game.  Indeed, since 1980, home teams have covered just 33.8% vs. non-conference foes, if they won outright as a double-digit underdog in their previous game.  And if they were off back-to-back SU/ATS wins, then our home teams have only covered 21% (NC State fits this 21% ATS tightener, as well).  Louisiana Tech's QB, Austin Kendall (63-for-104, 837 yds, 7 TDs, 144 QB rating) has been upgraded to 'probable,' and that's all we need to pull the trigger on the Bulldogs.  Take LA Tech + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the SMU Mustangs minus the points over South Florida.  SMU stunned its metroplex rival, TCU, last Saturday, in Fort Worth, as the Mustangs won by 8, as a 9.5-point underdog.  That moved the record of Sonny Dykes' troops to 4-0 this season.  They're now healthy home favorites against the Bulls, who are 2-2 on the season.   We'll take the homestanding Mustangs, as home favorites of 17+ points, off an upset road win, have cashed 64% since 1980 vs. .500 (or worse) conference foes.  Take SMU.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Alabama Crimson Tide minus the points over Ole Miss.  Alabama comes into this game off a 63-14 pasting of Southern Mississippi.  I won't step in front of Nick Saban's men here, as his teams are 77-44 ATS when laying between 10 and 29 points.  Even better:  defending National Champs have gone 24-7 ATS in conference games after scoring more than 56 points in their previous game.  Finally, SEC Conference road underdogs of +7 (or more) points are an awful 61-93 ATS against foes off 33+ point victories.  Take Alabama to roll over Ole Miss.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Troy Trojans + the points over South Carolina.  Troy was upset last week, 29-16, by Louisiana-Monroe, and will look to bounce back on the road in Columbia against the 2-2 Gamecocks.  Prior to surrendering those 29 points to Monroe, the Trojans had allowed their three previous foes to score just 33 combined.  And that bodes well for Troy here, as .500 (or better) underdogs that allow less than 17.3 ppg have gone 138-92 ATS off an upset loss.  Also, the Trojans are an awesome 7-0 ATS as an underdog off an upset loss, when matched up against .666 (or worse) foes, while South Carolina is 0-8 ATS vs. .666 (or worse) foes off an upset road loss.  And, finally, Troy falls into 220-119 and 91-37 ATS systems of mine that play on certain teams to rebound off SU defeats.  Grab the points with the Trojans.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Florida International Panthers + the points over Florida Atlantic.  The Owls are favored by double-digits over the 0-3 Panthers, but fall into an ugly 0-13-1 ATS situation.  Since 2004, Florida Atlantic is 0-13-1 ATS at home vs. losing teams, when favored by less than 12 points.  Even worse:  the Owls come into this game off a blowout, 31-7, loss to Air Force.  But Conference USA favorites of 11 or less points have gone 49-89-4 ATS vs. revenge-minded conference foes.  With the Panthers, indeed, playing with revenge from a 19-point loss last season, we'll grab the double-digits with Florida International.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Oklahoma Sooners minus the points over Kansas State. Lincoln Riley's men will enter Manhattan this afternoon with major revenge, as Kansas State has won the last two years. And the Sooners were favored by 28 and 23.5 points in those two defeats. Never before in the history of my database -- which dates back to 1980 -- has a team lost back to back meetings where it was favored by more than 20 points. We'll step in and play on Oklahoma here, as double-revengers have cashed 55.5 percent if they were upset at home in the previous season. Lay the points. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers minus the points over Louisiana-Monroe.  Dating back to last season, Coastal Carolina has quietly gone 6-0-2 ATS here, at home, in Conway.  Meanwhile, the Warhawks are a wallet-busting 8-15 ATS their last 23 on the road.  Last week, Monroe was at home, and pulled off a stunning upset, 29-16, over Troy, as a 23.5-point dog.  But off that win, we will fade Monroe here, as double-digit underdogs have cashed just 40.2% over the last 42 years vs. winning conference foes, if they were off an upset win the previous week as a two-touchdown underdog.  Take the Chanticleers minus the points.

At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish + the points over Cincinnati.  Jack Coan is now listed as 'probable' to play in this match-up between top 10-ranked squads, and we'll grab the points with the homestanding Irish.  Notre Dame has been a very reliable home underdog here, in South Bend, over the years.  And especially when the Irish didn't own a losing record, as they're 13-3-1 ATS their last 17 in that situation.  Even better:  undefeated teams, with a 3-0 (or better) record, have cashed 62 of 100 as home dogs vs. opponents that are also unbeaten, including a perfect 6-0 ATS since Sept 29, 2018.  Take Notre Dame + the points.

At 12:30 pm, our selection is on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons minus the points over Louisville.  Wake Forest comes into this game off four straight blowout wins (by 20+ points each).  And they've covered the spread by 23.5 and 16.5 their past two games.  I won't step in front of this freight train here, in Winston-Salem, as home teams have covered 60% over the last 42 years in conference games, if they were off back to back 20-point wins, covered the spread by 10+ points in each, and weren't favored by more than 7 points.  Lay the points with Wake Forest.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Georgia Bulldogs minus the points over the Arkansas Razorbacks, as the Bulldogs fall into several of my best systems, including ones with records of 281-195, 124-59, 96-34 and 93-24 ATS.  Sam Pittman's Razorbacks upset Texas A&M last Saturday in Arlington (for their 4th straight win and cover), but will face a much stiffer test on Saturday in Athens.  The #2-ranked Bulldogs have given up just 23 points and 278 rushing yards (2.29 ypr) in their four games this season, including a total of 2 yards rushing vs. #25-ranked Clemson.  That doesn't bode well for an Arkansas offense which wants to run the football 70% of the time.  The Razorbacks are averaging just 21 pass attempts per game (compared to 47 runs).  Georgia, on the other hand, has a more balanced offense, and throws the ball 43% of the time.  The Bulldogs whitewashed Vanderbilt, 62-0, in Nashville, last week.  And NCAA teams off 50-point road wins have covered 74% of conference games over the last 42 years.  Meanwhile, NCAA teams (like Arkansas) off back-to-back wins, and 4 ATS wins have covered just 33% as underdogs of 14+ points since 1980.  Arkansas is also 1-13 SU and 4-10 ATS as a .500 (or better) team getting 17+ points.  This will be a rout.  Lay the points with Georgia.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the North Carolina Tar Heels minus the points over Duke.  North Carolina began its season as the 10th-ranked team in the country, but has stumbled to a 2-2 record.  Its only wins have com at home, where it defeated Georgia State, 59-17, and Virginia, 59-39.  On the road, the Heels are 0-2, with losses at Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech.  So, the good news for UNC fans is that the Tar Heels are back in Chapel Hill on Saturday to take on the Duke Blue Devils, who are riding a 3-game SU/ATS win streak.  Unfortunately for Duke, over the last 35 years, underdogs of more than 19 points, off 3 ATS wins, have covered just 40.9% of the time.  Additionally, North Carolina is 20-6 ATS at home off a road loss by 17+ points.  Lay the points with the Tar Heels.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Oklahoma Sooners minus the points over West Virginia.  The #4-ranked Sooners have sandwiched two point spread losses around a 76-0 blowout of Western Carolina.  They'll look to play much better in this -- their Big 12 opener -- than they did last week against Nebraska.  The Sooners were favored by 23 in that game, yet won by just seven, 23-16.  But .500 (or better) Big 12 home favorites of more than 5 points have cashed 64% over the last 42 seasons after failing to cover by more than 14 points in their previous game.  And Oklahoma also falls into a 63% ATS system of mine which plays on certain undefeated teams off ATS defeats.  This will be a rout.  Lay the points with Oklahoma.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Tennessee Volunteers + the points over Florida.  Last week, the Gators came within two points of upsetting #1-ranked Alabama.  Now, they're favored by a bunch against Tennessee -- a team they've defeated 15 of the last 16 meetings -- but it's a classic letdown spot.  We'll grab the points with the Volunteers, as Florida tends to not bounce back at home vs. SEC foes if Florida lost its previous game.  The Gators are a horrid 9-24-1 ATS in this situation.  Moreover, this is Tennessee's conference opener.  And SEC road underdogs have gone 65-37-1 ATS in their conference opener, provided their opponent wasn't playing with revenge from a loss the previous season.  Take Tennessee + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Michigan Wolverines minus the points over Rutgers.  Jim Harbaugh has his troops off to a 3-0 SU/ATS start after crushing Northern Illinois, 63-10, last Saturday.  That was the 2nd highest point total by a Wolverines team in the coach Harbaugh era, bettered only by a 78-0 win over these Scarlet Knights in 2016.  Like Michigan, Rutgers is also off to a 3-0 start this season, and is also undefeated ATS.  Unfortunately, NCAA teams that are undefeated -- both SU and ATS -- with a 2-0 (or better) SU/ATS record have burned money as underdogs of +11 (or more) points, as they've covered just 41.2% over the last 42 seasons.  And undefeated teams, off 35-point (or greater) home wins the previous week, have cashed 60% of conference home games since 1980.  Take Michigan to rout Rutgers.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Baylor Bears + the points over Iowa State.  Baylor comes into this game with an undefeated, 3-0 record, after blowing out Kansas last week, 45-7.  For the season, Baylor's outscoring its foes by 35.33 ppg, and that bodes well for it as a home dog on Saturday.  Indeed, over the last 42 seasons, home dogs of +2 (or more) points have covered 67.9% vs. unrested foes, if our home dog's scoring margin was 32+ points per game!  Even better:  Big 12 home underdogs off back to back wins have gone 31-10 ATS in the regular season vs. unrested conference foes not off an ATS loss.  Take Baylor.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Iowa Hawkeyes minus the points over Colorado State.  The Hawkeyes are 3-0 SU/ATS to start the season, and will welcome the Rams to Iowa City on Saturday afternoon.  Colorado State did upset Toledo, 22-6, as a 14.5-point underdog last week, but I don't expect lightning to strike twice in successive weeks.  Indeed, NCAA teams are 0-27 SU and 9-17-1 ATS as road dogs of more than 13 points, if they won outright as a road dog of more than 13 points the previous week (including 1-10 ATS vs. foes off back to back wins).  And Iowa is a reliable 21-1 SU and 17-5 ATS when favored by more than 21 points vs. non-conference foes.  Lay it.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Florida State Seminoles over Louisville.  The Seminoles have gotten off to an 0-3 start after succumbing, 35-14, at Wake Forest last Saturday.  But we'll take FSU in this match-up against a Louisville team coming into Tallahassee off an upset home win over UCF.  Indeed, NCAA teams are 1-22-1 ATS away from home vs. the Seminoles after winning ATS at home in their previous game, if Florida State was off an ATS loss.  Take Mike Norvell's Seminoles to get into the win column.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2 pm, our selection is on the San Jose State Spartans + the points over Western Michigan.  Both of these teams enter Saturday's game off road wins.  The Spartans went out to Honolulu, and dispatched the Rainbow Warriors, 17-13, while Western Michigan shocked Pittsburgh, 44-41, as a two touchdown underdog.  Each team now stands at 2-1 on the season.  Dating back to November 2017, the Spartans are a fantastic 21-11-2 ATS, while the Broncos are 12-20 ATS.  And Western Michigan is also an awful 1-12 ATS off a point spread cover by 10+ points.  Finally, over the last 42 years, home teams have covered just 32.7% off an upset non-conference win as a road dog of +7 (or more) points, if they were matched up against another non-conference opponent in their current game.  Take the Spartans.

At 7:00 pm, our selection is on the Virginia Cavaliers minus the points over Wake Forest.  Last week, the Cavaliers were blown out, 59-39, by the North Carolina Tar Heels, while Wake Forest thrashed Florida State, 35-14.  But off those results, we'll take the Cavaliers to rebound on Friday, as they fall into a 99-49 ATS system of mine which plays on certain teams in conference games off double-digit conference losses the previous week.  Moreover, the Cavaliers are 19-2 SU and 11-5-1 ATS their last 21 home games.  And they're 8-0 ATS their last eight at home (and 20-6-1 ATS their last 27 home games) when not favored by 7+ points.  Take Virginia to rout the Demon Deacons.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Marshall Thundering Herd + the points over Appalachian State.  Last week, Marshall was stunned, 42-38, as a 10.5-point home favorite by East Carolina.  But I love Marshall to rebound tonight in Boone, as Conference USA teams have cashed 57% in non-conference road games off an upset home loss.  These two schools met last season in Huntington, and the Herd upset the Mountaineers, 17-7, as a 6.5-point home underdog.  They are once again installed as an underdog, and we'll grab the points with Marshall on Thursday.  Indeed, Sun Belt conference teams are a horrible 32-67 ATS when favored against a non-conference foe, if that foe didn't own a losing record (including 0-11 ATS their last 11 as a home favorite, priced from -2.5 to -12.5).  That doesn't bode well for Appalachian State on Thursday night.  Nor does the fact that Marshall is a fantastic 11-1-1 ATS its last 13, and 16-5-1 ATS its last 21 in non-conference games when off a straight-up loss, and not favored by more than 3 points.  Finally, App State is a wallet-busting 3-14 ATS at home off a win, when playing an opponent which doesn't own a winning ATS record.  Take Marshall + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 10:15 pm, our selection is on the Arizona State Sun Devils minus the points over Brigham Young.  BYU notched a huge, emotional win last Saturday, when it defeated its Beehive State rival, Utah, 26-17, as a 7-point underdog.  That moved BYU's record to 2-0 on the season.  But .800 (or better) NCAA home underdogs (or PK) have covered just 16% over the past 42 years off an upset, non-conference home win.  And the Cougars have covered just 6 of 22 off an upset win, when they were matched up against an opponent off a SU win.  Take Arizona State minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Vanderbilt Commodores + the points over Stanford.  David Shaw's Cardinal pulled off a massive upset last weekend, as they went into the Coliseum, and upset USC, 42-28, as an 18-point underdog.  And they did more than just win the game.  They also got USC head coach Clay Helton fired!  Stanford will now travel east to Nashville to play the Vanderbilt Commodores, who also pulled off a road upset win last week, when they went into Fort Collins, and upended the Colorado State Rams, 24-21.  This is a big letdown spot for Stanford, as this non-conference road game is sandwiched in between conference games vs. USC and UCLA.  For technical support, consider that Pac-12 teams have covered just 15.3% since 1980 as a non-conference road favorite after a SU/ATS conference win, if they also have a Pac-12 conference game on deck.  Take Vanderbilt as a big home underdog.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Memphis Tigers + the points over Mississippi State.  We played on the Bulldogs last Saturday as a home underdog vs. NC State.  And Mike Leach's men got the $$$ vs. NC State.  But off that home upset win, we will fade Miss State on Saturday.  Indeed, since 1980, SEC Conference teams are a horrible 30.4% ATS in their first road game of the season, if they're off back to back home wins.  Take the home dog Memphis Tigers + the points.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Ohio State Buckeyes minus the points over Tulsa.  We played against the Buckeyes last Saturday, and easily got the $$$ with Oregon, which upset Ohio State, 35-28, as a 14.5-point road underdog.  This Saturday, we'll switch gears, and lay the points with Ohio State, which is 28-12 ATS off a SU loss  Take Ohio State.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the USC Trojans minus the points over Washington State.  The Trojans lost more than a conference game last Saturday.  They also lost their head coach, Clay Helton, as he was summarily fired on Tuesday by Mike Bohn, the school's athletic director.  So, USC's cornerbacks coach, Donte Williams, will assume the head role for the remainder of the season.  And Williams' first game will be this week at Washington State.  The Trojans are a superb 39-19-1 ATS off a straight-up loss, including 15-3-1 ATS on the Pac-12 road.  Lay the points.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the West Virginia Mountaineers minus the points over Virginia Tech.  The Mountaineers had a breather last Saturday, as Long Island visited Morgantown, and were annihilated by WVU, 66-0.  The Hokies will now pay a visit to Morgantown, after going 2-0 SU/ATS at home to start their 2021 season.  Unfortunately for Virginia Tech, NCAA teams off back-to-back SU/ATS home wins to start their seasons, are a horrible 30.7% ATS since 1980 in Game 3 when not getting more than 4 points, and also matched up against an opponent off a win.  Moreover, NCAA teams have cashed 79% at home since 1992 off a win by more than 56 points, when matched up against a winning, non-conference foe.  Take the Mountaineers.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Indiana Hoosiers + the points over Cincinnati.  Indiana lost its season opener, but bounced back last Saturday with a blowout win over Idaho, 56-14.  The Hoosiers have been installed as a home underdog in this game against the #8-ranked Bearcats, which bodes well for Tom Allen's men.  Indeed, since 1980, .500 (or worse) underdogs off a 40+ point win have covered 63.3% vs. opponents also off a win.  Moreover, dating back to Sept 28, 2019, Indiana is now 8-2 ATS its last 10 as an underdog.  And it's 23-11 ATS off a straight-up win, when priced from +10 to -27 points.  Finally, Cincinnati is a wallet-breaking 15-27 ATS as a road favorite priced from -2.5 to -12 points.  Take the Hoosiers as a home dog.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Oklahoma Sooners minus the points over Nebraska.  The Cornhuskers come into this road game off back to back home wins over Fordham and Buffalo.  But in their lone road game this season, they were soundly beaten by Illinois, 30-22, as a 7-point favorite.  They'll now be tasked with going into Norman to take on a juggernaut Oklahoma team coming off a 76-0 whitewash of Western Carolina.  We'll lay the points with the Sooners, as the 'Huskers have covered just 20 of 57 games away from home off a double-digit home win.  Even better:  NCAA home favorites of 35 points or less (or PK) have cashed 70.2% of non-conference games since 1980 off a win by 60+ points.  Lay the points with the Sooners.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Mississippi State Bulldogs + the points over North Carolina State.  Both of these teams come into this game in Starkville off season-opening wins last week.  But how they reached those wins was vastly different.  NC State blew out South Florida, 45-0, as a 20-point home favorite.  In contrast, Mississippi State had to storm back from a 20 point, 4th quarter deficit to eke out a 35-34 win against Louisiana Tech.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to go against the Bulldogs as a short home underdog on Saturday night.  But the Wolfpack are a wallet-busting 13-33 ATS on the road in competitively-priced games with point spreads less than 8 points.  And Game 2 road favorites, off a double-digit home win the previous week, have cashed just 34.4% of non-conference games vs. winning opposition, dating back 32 seasons.  Finally, Mississippi State is a perfect 7-0 ATS in non-conference games at home, off a win, when not favored by 7+ points.  Grab the points with Mike Leach's Bulldogs on this Saturday.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Troy Trojans + the points over Liberty.  Troy smashed Southern U., 55-3, last Saturday, and has been installed as a home underdog vs. Liberty in this game.  The Flames went 10-1 last season, but this is their road opener for 2021.  And NCAA teams have cashed just 32.5% in their road openers if they won 87+ percent of their games the previous season, and were not favored by 7 or more points in the current game.  Take Troy + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Ball State Cardinals + the points over Penn State.  The Cardinals have been extremely profitable over the last 16 seasons when installed as an underdog of +3 (or more) points in regular season non-conference games, as they're 23-6 ATS.  And I love this situation on Saturday, as it's a potential scheduling "flat spot" for the Nittany Lions, as Penn State defeated then-No. 12-ranked Wisconsin last week, and has #25-ranked Auburn on deck.  Grab the points with Ball State.

At 2 pm, our selection is on the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders + the points over Virginia Tech.  Rick Stockstill's Blue Raiders blew out Monmouth last Saturday, 50-15, as an 8.5-point home favorite.  And they've now been installed as a big road underdog in Blacksburg against the Hokies.  We'll grab the points with Middle Tennessee, as underdogs of +14 (or more) points have gone 108-67 ATS in non-conference games off a win by more than 30 points in their previous game.

At 1:30 pm, our selection is on the Wyoming Cowboys minus the points over Northern Illinois.  The Huskies shocked Georgia Tech in Atlanta last week, as they won, 22-21, as a 19-point road underdog.  But when you look through the final score to the stats, you'll notice that Georgia Tech actually out-yarded Northern Illinois 429 to 301.  The Huskies have been installed as a home underdog in this non-conference tilt vs. Wyoming.  Unfortunately for Thomas Hammock's Huskies, home dogs have covered just 29.4% over the last 32 seasons off an upset win as a 14-point (or greater) underdog, when matched up against a non-conference opponent off a SU win.  And Wyoming is 7-2-1 ATS its last 10 vs. foes off an upset win.  Lay the points with the Cowboys.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, on Saturday, our selection is on the Oregon Ducks + the points over Ohio State.  Both of these teams come into Columbus off wins to start the 2021 season.  Oregon downed Fresno St., 31-24, while Ohio State went into Minneapolis and defeated the Golden Gophers, 45-31.  The fact that Oregon struggled last week in its 7-point win will keep many bettors away from the Ducks this week.  It shouldn't.  Indeed, Game 2 non-conference underdogs of +20 or less points (or PK) have covered 66.1% over the last 32 seasons after failing to cover the spread in their opener against a non-conference foe, if they were now matched up against an opponent off a double-digit win.  Even better:  the Ducks are 44-31-2 ATS their last 77 off a point spread loss, including 19-11-1 ATS on the road.  And, finally, Pac-12 teams with a winning record have gone 45-19-1 ATS as an underdog vs. Big 10 foes.  Take Oregon + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Texas San Antonio Roadrunners + the points over Illinois.  The Illini kicked off the Bret Bielema era with a 30-22 upset win over Nebraska, and will look to make it 2-in-a-row for their new head coach.  On Saturday night, Texas-San Antonio will come into Champaign, and it will look to continue the success it had last season (7-5 SU and 7-4 ATS).  Even better, the Roadrunners are 10-3 ATS their last 13 in the underdog role, while Illinois is a nasty 27-46 ATS its last 73 as a favorite (compared to 11-7 its last 18 as an underdog).  And since 1980, Big 10 Conference teams have covered just 31% of their non-conference games off an upset conference win.  Take Texas San Antonio + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, on Monday, January 11, our selection is on the Ohio State Buckeyes + the points over Alabama.  This selection certainly won't come as a surprise to anyone who joined us for our huge play on the Buckeyes + over Clemson.  In my discussion of that game, I highlighted that Ohio State was 13-0 ATS its last 13 as underdogs of more than 3 points.  Well, after its 49-28 blowout of Clemson, that mark is now 14-0 ATS its last 14.  Ohio State just destroyed Trevor Lawrence & Co., so why not Mac Jones, DeVonta Smith, et al?  It's true that Alabama didn't play its best game vs. Notre Dame.  The Tide went up 28-7 on a Jones-to-Smith TD pass, with 4:58 left in the 3rd quarter, but never scored another TD.  They did tack on a 4th quarter field goal, but a late touchdown by Notre Dame rewarded Irish bettors.  I was one of those bettors, as I took Notre Dame + the large number.  And we'll grab the points here, as well.  For technical support, consider that .928 (or better) teams are 0-9 ATS in the post-season as a favorite of less than 13 points vs. foes off a momentum-building upset win.  Additionally, I love playing on bowl underdogs with good defenses, and strong rushing attacks.  This season, Ohio State's offensive YPR is 6.0, while Bama's is 5.1, and each gives up 3.2 YPR on defense.  The Buckeyes' relative Total YPR is +0.927.  With this as a backdrop, consider that Bowl underdogs of more than 4 points, with a powerful rushing attack that garners 6+ yards per rush, have cashed 89% in the bowls since 1993, while single-digit bowl underdogs have gone 123-83-3 ATS if their defense gave up 22 or less ppg, and their relative YPR (yards per rush) was better than their opponent's.  Take Ohio State + the points in the Championship game on Monday, Jan. 11.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12:30 pm, our selection is on the Mississippi Rebels + the points over Indiana.  The 4-5 Rebels have been installed as a huge underdog vs. Indiana, which finished #11 in the final CFP rankings, and #7 in the AP Poll.  And, by my numbers, it's an overlay.  It's true that Lane Kiffin's Rebels were upset at LSU to end their regular season.  And that may keep a number of bettors away from the Ole Miss side.  But teams off upset defeats have gone 65.8% ATS in the Bowls since 1981 if they were playing at a home or neutral site, and their opponent wasn't off an upset loss.  That bodes well for Ole Miss on Saturday.  As does the fact that SEC Conference underdogs of +3 (or more) points are a perfect 11-0 ATS in the post-season if they lost their previous game, and their opponent was off back to back SU/ATS wins.  Grab the points with Ole Miss!  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Kentucky Wildcats minus the points over North Carolina State.  The Wildcats were 4-6 on the season, while NC State was 8-3.  Yet Kentucky played the MUCH MORE difficult schedule (comprised wholly of SEC Conference foes), which is why it is favored by a small amount this afternoon.  Indeed, Kentucky's six losses were to such powers as Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Ole Miss and Missouri.  We'll take the team from the stronger conference, as SEC Conference teams are 73-47 ATS in the bowls when not laying 3+ points, or off back to back SU/ATS wins.  Meanwhile, the Wolfpack are 3-12 ATS their last 15 away from home, including 0-6 ATS when the line was less than 7 points.  Take Kentucky to blow out NC State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Ohio State Buckeyes + the points over Clemson.  The Buckeyes were provided a lot of bulletin board material from the words of Clemson coach, Dabo Swinney.  And I'm sure the Ohio State team wasn't happy to hear Swinney's thoughts.  But, at the end of the day, when the players take the field, those words stay behind on the bulletin board, and a team's success (or failure) will largely come down to execution.  And over the last decade, it's hard to find a team which is better at execution than three of the four teams in this NCAA Football semi-final (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State).  Those three programs have been heads-and-shoulders above their brethren for years.  And one of the lessons gleaned over the years is that you don't want to give ANY of these team points -- regardless of the talent on the other side.  To wit:  the Buckeyes are 15-3 ATS their last 18 as underdogs, including 13-0 ATS when getting more than 3 points!  (Likewise, Alabama is 12-7-1 ATS its last 20 as an underdog, and Clemson is 33-13 its last 46 as a dog.)  Last year, of course, when these two teams met in the semifinal round, Ohio State did suffer a rare ATS defeat as an underdog (one of the Buckeyes' three ATS losses of their last 18 as underdogs).  But Ohio State was only getting 2.5 in that game.  And it only lost by six.  So, if it was getting the number of points as it is in tonight's game, then it would have covered.  So, yes, Clemson has the much better quarterback, and the better overall team.  But so did most of the last 13 opponents the Buckeyes faced when they were installed as an underdog greater than 3 points.  And Ohio State still managed to cover the spread in each of them.  The bottom line is that there's too much success on the side of the Buckeyes as an underdog (or with any of the NCAA blue bloods) to lay a significant amount of points to them.  Now, it's also true that Ohio State struggled in the Big 10 Championship game vs. Northwestern, and mustered just 22 points in a 12-point win (as a 16.5-point favorite).  But the Buckeyes are a fantastic 53-25 ATS after scoring 24 or less points in their previous game.  Take Ohio State + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish + the points over Alabama.  The Irish come into this game off a blowout loss at the hands of Clemson, 34-10.  That was Notre Dame's first loss of the season.  And one of the things I love to do in the Bowls is take teams that haven't lost more than 1 time on the season, if they're an underdog, and off an ATS defeat.  Since 1980, these teams have covered 61.2% in the Bowls.  Additionally, big Bowl underdogs of +16 (or more) points have covered 70% over the past 41 years.  And Bowl teams with defenses that give up 21 or less points have gone 64-37 ATS off a SU loss, if their opponent was off a SU win.  Take the Irish + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Cincinnati Bearcats + the points over Georgia.  The Bearcats are giving up just 16 points per game, and have yet to taste defeat on the season.  And that bodes well for the Bearcats as, in the Bowls, .680 (or better) teams have covered 65.3% over the last 41 years, if they surrendered, on average, less points than their opponent, and were getting 7+ points in the game.  Moreover,  SEC Conference teams have covered just five of 19 Bowls when installed as a favorite, if they won their previous game before the Bowl season.  And American Athletic Conference teams off a SU win have gone 43-22 ATS vs. non-conference foes with a scoring margin of +13 (or better), including 8-1 ATS when priced from +7.5 to +13.5 points.  Take Cincy + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2 pm, our selection is on the Ball State Cardinals + the points over San Jose State.  Both teams come into this game off big upset wins in their respective conference championship game.  Ball State claimed the Mid-American Conference title with a 38-28 upset of Buffalo, as 12-point underdogs.  And that was Ball State's sixth straight win, and fourth straight ATS win.  Likewise, the undefeated (7-0) Spartans won the Mountain West Conference for the first time in their history when they upset Boise State, 34-20, as a 6.5-point underdog in the title game.  Unfortunately, .500 (or better) Mountain West favorites have been dreadful vs. .500 (or better) non-conference foes when both teams entered the game off a SU win, as the Mountain West has cashed just 25 of 80 games.  That doesn't bode well for San Jose today.  Nor does the fact that bowl favorites of more than 6 points have gone 0-6 ATS off an upset win in their conference title game.  Or that .850 (or better) bowl underdogs of +7 (or more) points have cashed 69% in the bowls since 1980 against foes off SU/ATS wins.  But the clincher is that .800 (or better) bowl teams off an upset win (like Ball State) have gone 12-0 ATS their last 12 when not favored by more than 4 points.  Take the Cardinals.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 12 Noon, on Thursday, our selection is on the Mississippi State Bulldogs + the points over Tulsa.  Mike Leach has always been one of my favorite football coaches, with his Air Raid offenses at Texas Tech and Washington State.  This was his first year in Starkville and, although his 3-7 season was his worst since Washington State's 3-9 record in 2014, he was able to lead the Bulldogs to their 11th straight Bowl appearance.  Miss State will face the 6-2 Golden Hurricane, which bookended two losses against Oklahoma State (in their season opener) and Cincinnati (in the AAC Championship game) with a six-game win streak in the middle.  And Tulsa was 7-1 ATS, and covered by an average of 10.5 ppg.  But Leach has been at his best when matched up against opponents with much better records, as he's gone 16-4-1 ATS vs. foes that owned a win percentage at least 40% better than his team, including a perfect 9-0-1 ATS if that foe covered the spread for the season by at least 10 ppg.  Even worse for Tulsa:  teams that lost their conference title game have gone 10-25 ATS in their next game against foes that did not lose a title game, including 1-10 ATS when priced as a favorite of 7 or less points!  Finally, the American Athletic Conference has not had great success vs. the SEC, as its teams have gone 1-5 ATS in the Bowls, and 1-9 ATS their last 10 away from home (including a 23-0 loss by Tulsa at Arkansas two seasons ago).  Meanwhile, the SEC has gone 8-1 ATS its last nine as Bowl underdogs.  Take Mississippi State.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons + the points over Wisconsin.  Wake Forest ended its season with back to back losses to North Carolina and Louisville.  But both of those were road games; the Demon Deacons were 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS at home, or on neutral fields this season.  And NCAA teams have gone 34-20 ATS in the Bowls if they lost their last two games away from home to end their season.  Meanwhile, the Badgers ended on an 0-4 ATS run, and they lost three of their last four straight-up.  It's hard to make a case for laying points with Wisconsin, as .666 (or worse) teams have been historically poor in the Bowls when laying more than 7 points (33-61-2 ATS).  And Bowl teams off 4 ATS losses have gone 13-26-1 ATS when priced from +3 to -13 points.  Take Wake Forest + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 5:30 pm, on Tuesday, our selection is on the Miami Hurricanes over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.  Miami was annihilated in its last game, an embarrassing 36-point upset loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels.  Meanwhile, the Cowboys blew out Baylor, 42-3.  On the surface, it may look easy to play on Okie State given the results of the two teams' most recent games.  But consider that teams off a loss by 23+ points have actually covered 71% in the post-season over the past 41 years when matched up against an opponent off a 23+ point victory, including 7-0 ATS their last seven when the game was competitively-priced with a point spread less than 3 points.  Moreover, Miami's an awesome 12-0 ATS away from home off a loss when it was an underdog of +10 or less points , and its opponent was off a SU win.  Take the Hurricanes in the Cheez-It Bowl.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, in the LendingTree Bowl, our selection is on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers + the points over Georgia State.  This is another "offense vs defense" matchup in the Bowls.  The Panthers are the offensive-minded team, as they score 32.7 ppg (against foes that give up 27.7), while the Hilltoppers are the defensive-minded squad, as they give up just 18 ppg (against foes that score 24.1 ppg).  And, as faithful followers know, in College Football, I will take the points with the better defensive team more often than not.  Indeed, post-season favorites of 5 or less points, with defenses that give up more than 3 points than their opponent's defense, have gone 6-29 ATS.  The Hilltoppers come into this game off back to back double-digit blowout wins against Florida International and Charlotte.  And the Hilltoppers are 24-11 ATS off back to back wins, including 6-0 ATS when priced from +3 to +6 points.  Take Western Kentucky.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners + the points over Louisiana-Lafayette.  The Cajuns come into this game off an upset road win at Appalachian State, and have been installed as a two-touchdown favorite vs. the Roadrunners in this First Responder Bowl game in Dallas, Texas.  But off that upset victory, we will fade the Cajuns on Saturday afternoon.  Indeed, favorites of more than 9 points off a road win have gone 2-16 ATS away from home in a bowl game.  That doesn't bode well for Louisiana on Saturday.  Nor does the fact that it's covered just 2 of 8 (and just 9 of 25) as favorites of more than 13 points.  Finally, Sun Belt Conference teams are a horrid 15-38 ATS as favorites of -3 (or more) points vs. non-conference foes.  Take the Roadrunners + the points.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the Marshall Thundering Herd + the points over Buffalo.  Both of these teams come into this Christmas Day game off upset losses.  Marshall was defeated, 22-13, by UAB, as a 4.5-point favorite.  Meanwhile, the Bulls were 5-0, and favored by double-digits in the Mid-American Conference championship game last weekend, but fell by 10 points to Ball State, 38-28.  Unfortunately for the Bulls, NCAA Bowl favorites generally don't bounce back from Conference Championship game blowout losses, as they're 12-28 ATS off a double-digit loss in their Conference Title game.  Even worse:  Buffalo's favored in this game, even though its defense rates poorer than Marshall's.  The Bulls have given up 23.8 ppg (against foes that average 27.7).  And while that's really good, Marshall's has been much better, as it's only given up 12.6 ppg (against foes that average 21 ppg).  We'll grab the points with the Herd, as NCAA Bowl teams -- not favored by more than 10 points -- have cashed 65 of 95 if their defense gave up less than 14.7 ppg, and their defense also gave up at least 5.83 ppg less than their opponent's.  Even better:  if our 'play-on' team (here, Marshall) failed to cover its previous game by more than 8 points, then our 65-30 ATS angle zooms to 14-1 ATS!  Finally, dating back 15 years, Mid-American Conference teams have gone 3-15 SU and 5-12-1 ATS vs. Conference USA foes in the Bowls, including 0-7 ATS vs. foes off a straight-up loss.  Take Marshall + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors + the points over Houston.  For the season, the Cougars had a losing record (3-4), a negative scoring margin (-0.28), a negative ATS record (3-4 ATS), and a negative point spread differential (-4.14).  Yet they find themselves hefty favorites this afternoon vs. the Rainbow Warriors.  We will fade Houston, as Bowl favorites (or PK), with a negative scoring margin, and a point spread differential of -1.75 (or worse) have covered a paltry 26.3% over the last 41 seasons.  Even worse:  Houston's defense surrenders north of 32.5 ppg.  Unfortunately, Bowl favorites (or PK) with a defense that gives up more than 31.5 ppg have gone 0-17 ATS their last 17.  Take Hawaii + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 7 pm, our selection is on the Florida Atlantic Owls + the points over Memphis.  The Owls are giving up just 16.5 points per game (against oppoents that average 22.8), and have a much better defense than do the Tigers.  Memphis surrenders 29.7 ppg (against foes that average 29.4).  Last week, we played on Northwestern against Ohio State, and what I wrote then in my analysis also applies here.  Basically, when wagering on post-season games, it's dangerous to give the much better defensive team a lot of points, as underdogs of 7+ points that surrender at least 7 less points than their opponent have covered 73% over the last 41 years.  Florida Atlantic is 6-0 SU/ATS its last six post-season games, while Memphis is 1-7 straight-up and 0-8 ATS its last eight post-season games.  Take the Owls as a big underdog this evening.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2 pm, our selection is on the the North Texas Mean Green + the points over Appalachian State.  This match-up pits Conference USA against the Sun Belt Conference.  The 8-3 Mountaineers (from the Sun Belt) have been installed as a huge favorite over 4-5 North Texas in this Myrtle Beach Bowl game.  But, as I've often written, it's treacherous to lay a lot of points in the Bowls.  Indeed, underdogs of +16 or more points are now 14-4 ATS their last 18.  Even worse for Appalachian State:  .500 (or better) Sun Belt Conference teams are 2-18-1 ATS when favored against a non-conference foe, if its opponent is off a SU win.  And, dating back to last season, Appalachian State is now 0-6 ATS its last six games played away from home.  Take North Texas + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Cincinnati Bearcats minus the points over Tulsa.  The Golden Hurricane have been a point spread powerhouse this season, as they're 6-1 ATS.  And we've benefited greatly, as we played on Tulsa in each of its last three games (3-0 ATS), while never going against it this season.  But the Golden Hurricane are in a horrible spot here, as they have to play the AAC Title game on Cincinnati's home field.  They also played here last season, and lost 24-13. which was their fourth straight loss here in Cincinnati (and 2nd straight since each team joined the AAC).  Of course, the fact that Tulsa hasn't won here shouldn't come as a surprise, as the Bearcats have dominated opponents at home.  Cincy's currently riding a 19-game home win streak, and has gone 11-4 ATS its last 15, including a perfect 6-0 ATS vs. foes off a double-digit win.  Even better for Cincy:  it's 10-0 ATS its last 10 at home when priced from -10 to -21 points against an opponent off a win, and it's 46-24-1 ATS at home since 1990 vs. foes off a win.  But the clincher is that road teams that were on a 4-game (or better) win streak are a horrid 0-8 SU/ATS when playing with revenge in the post-season!  Take the Bearcats to blow out Tulsa.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Florida Gators + the points over Alabama.  The Gators suffered a huge upset loss last week when they fell, 37-34, at home vs. LSU.  And Florida was favored by 24 points in that game!  The knee-jerk reaction might be to go against Florida, and lay the points with Alabama.  After all, the Crimson Tide currently have the best ATS (net profit) record in the country (tied with Coastal Carolina), at 8-2 ATS.  But great point spread records don't equate with success in Title games, as teams with a .750 (or better) ATS record have only covered 40% of Conference Championship games.  Additionally, .666 (or better) college football underdogs of more than 7 points, off an upset conference loss at home, have gone 41-15 ATS.  And NCAA teams that gave up more than 31 points in defeat in their previous game, have covered the spread in 71% of Conference title games.  Take Florida + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Wisconsin Badgers minus the points over Minnesota.  The Golden Gophers went into Lincoln, Nebraska last week, and upset the Cornhuskers, 24-17, as an 8-point road underdog.  But this is a horrible situation for the Gophers, as the Badgers come into this Saturday afternoon game on a rare 3-game losing streak.  Even worse for the Badgers:  they were favored in each of those games, and scored just 7, 6 and 7 points in those defeats.  But we'll take Wisky to bounce back here, at home, as double-digit home favorites, off back to back SU/ATS losses, have cashed 71% over the last 41 years vs. foes off a SU/ATS win, if our home team was off an upset defeat in its previous game.  Additionally, this will be Wisconsin's final home game of the season.  And it's 24-13 ATS in its final game at home when matched up against a Big 10 foe, including 8-4 ATS off a SU loss.  Meanwhile, Minnesota is a wallet-busting 0-8 SU and 1-7 ATS on the road when getting 11+ points against an opponent off an upset loss.  Take Wisconsin minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie. 

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Mississippi Rebels + the points over LSU.  Last week, the Tigers upset then-No. 6-ranked Florida, 37-34.  And LSU was a 24-point underdog in that game!  Can Ed Orgeron's men make it two-upsets-in-a-row?  I wouldn't bet on it, as defending National Champions are a soft 96-126-2 ATS off a SU/ATS win.  Even worse, if our defending champs pulled off an upset in their previous game, then those teams are a woeful 4-12 ATS, including 0-5 SU/ATS if they weren't favored by 3+ points in the current game.  That doesn't bode well for LSU on Saturday afternoon.  Nor does the fact that College football home teams have covered just 10 of 35 games off an upset win, if they were an underdog of 20+ points in their previous game.  And LSU is a wallet-busting 2-11 ATS off a road upset win.  It's true that LSU has won the last four meetings by 21, 29, 16 and 17 points.  But Ole Miss is a solid 31-17-1 ATS when playing on the road with revenge vs. an opponent off a win.  And revenge-minded SEC Conference teams, with a .500 (or better) record, are 30-13 ATS as a favorite away from home, including a perfect 10-0 ATS when priced from -2 to -4.5 points.  Take Lane Kiffin's Rebels to blow out LSU.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Oregon Ducks + the points over Southern Cal.  There's a saying that it's "better to be lucky than good."  And that might end up applying to the Oregon Ducks, if they can take advantage of their good fortune to be playing in this Pac-12 Championship game.  After all, Oregon finished 2nd to Washington in the Pac-12 North division.  But COVID-19 issues scuttled Washington's plans, so Oregon was tabbed to replace Washington as USC's opponent.  It's true the Ducks have dropped their last two games, while USC is 5-0 straight-up, and has covered each of their last three.  But single-digit underdogs off a straight-up loss are 9-1 ATS their last 10 in Conference Title game.  And the Ducks are 5-2 SU/ATS their last seven vs. the Trojans.  Take Oregon + the points.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Virginia Tech Hokies minus the points over Virginia.  The Cavaliers are 5-4 on the season, and enter this Commonwealth rivalry game on a 4-game win streak (and 5-game ATS win streak), while the Hokies have lost their last four games SU/ATS.  The knee-jerk reaction might be to play on the red-hot underdog Cavaliers.  But consider that road teams off a SU win, that were also on a 3-game ATS win streak, have covered just 50 of 124 conference games against foes off a SU loss, that were on a 3-game ATS losing streak.  And if our road team owned a winning record, and was an underdog of 7 or less points, then our road teams have gone 0-12 SU and 1-11 ATS.  Take Virginia Tech minus the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6 pm, our selection is on the Wyoming Cowboys + the points over Boise State.  The Cowboys were upset at home, 17-16, by New Mexico in their last game.  And Wyoming was favored by more than two touchdowns!  But off that horrible game, we'll take the Cowboys to bounce back on Saturday as a big home underdog.  Indeed, over the last 30 seasons, NCAA home underdogs of more than 7 points, off an upset loss as a favorite of more than 12, have cashed 73%.  And Wyoming's also cashed 75% since 1980 as a conference home underdog off an upset loss.  Take the points with Wyoming.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 4 pm, our selection is on the Duke Blue Devils + the points over Florida State.  The Blue Devils were shut out, 48-0, at home by Miami last weekend, which was their 3rd straight loss (both SU and ATS).  But conference road underdogs off home shutout defeats have bounced back to cover 57% over the last 41 years.  Likewise, Florida State comes into this game on a 3-game SU/ATS losing streak.  However, that's not too surprising, as it's been several years since the Seminoles have been a good point spread team.  And they've been especially poor when matched up against an ACC conference rival which wasn't off a SU/ATS win.  Now, if Florida State was playing a conference foe which DID win and cover its previous game, Florida State has actually had a winning ATS ledger in those games, as those opponents tended to suffer letdowns.  But when its ACC opponent DIDN'T win and cover its previous game, then Florida State is a horrid 29-59-4 ATS.  But that's not the worst part.  If the Seminoles were favored by 17 points or less (or PK), then they've gone 10-40-3 ATS.  Yikes!  Take Duke + the points.

At 3:30 pm, our selection is on the Miami-Fla Hurricanes minus the points over North Carolina.  Last week, Miami went into Durham, and shut out Duke, 48-0, as a 13.5-point road favorite.  Suffice it to say, when a college football team shuts out its opponent on the road, then it's playing really well.  And one of the last things I will ever do is step in front of a team which just pitched a road shutout.  Indeed, these teams have gone 192-128-9 ATS in the regular season since 1980 (60%), including 18-1 ATS their last 19 when favored by 11 points or less, and off a win by 34+ points.  Take Miami to blow out North Carolina.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 3 pm, our selection is on the Troy Trojans + the points over Coastal Carolina.  Last week, the 9-0 Chanticleers faced off with the 9-0 BYU Cougars.  The Chanticleers were double-digit underdogs, but pulled off the upset, 22-17.  However, teams that win "Battles of Unbeatens" -- at Game 8 forward -- tend to have letdowns in their following game, and have done especially poor when favored by double-digits off an upset win, as they've gone 0-7 ATS their last seven.  Even worse for Coastal:  the Trojans are 15-5-1 ATS vs. foes off an upset win, including 7-1-1 ATS at home, and 6-1 ATS as an underdog.  Take the Trojans + the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 2:30 pm, our selection is on the Buffalo Bulls minus the points over Akron.  The Bulls slaughtered Kent St, 70-41, in their last game, as a 7.5-point favorite.  And Buffalo is averaging 50.75 points on the season.  Faithful followers know I love playing on college football teams that can score.  And, over the last 41 years, home teams that average more than 50 points per game on offense, have covered 63.5% vs. losing teams, if our home team was favored by less than 45 points (and 75% if our team scored 65+ in its previous game).  That bodes well for the Bulls on Saturday.  As does the fact that Akron has covered just four of its last 19 games as an underdog, while Buffalo is 14-0 ATS its last 14 home games vs. Mid-American conference rivals.  Take Buffalo minus the points.

At 12 Noon, our selection is on the Penn State Nittany Lions minus the points over Michigan State.  We played on the Nitts last week as our biggest play of the season-to-date, and were rewarded with an easy win over Rutgers.  After starting the season 0-5, Penn State's won its last two games, and I look for it to make it three-in-a-row on this Saturday.  And it's a perfect situational spot for the Nitts, as Michigan State will be playing its final road game of the season off three straight home games!  Since 1980, teams playing their final game of the season on the road have covered just 28% of the time, if they played their three previous games at home, and their opponent was off a point spread win.  Even better for Penn State:  it's 11-2 ATS in its final home game of the season when priced from -9 to -23 points.  The Nittany Lions were a better team than reflected in their 0-5 start, and that was evident last weekend.  We'll take Penn State to close out the season strong in Happy Valley.  Lay the points.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.

At 6:30 pm, our selection is on the Florida Atlantic Owls minus the points over Southern Miss.  Last week, Willie Taggart's Owls were upset by Georgia Southern, 20-3, as a 2.5-point road favorite.  But off that loss, we'll step in and lay the points with Florida Atlantic tonight, as Taggart's teams in his coaching career (Western Kentucky, South Florida, Oregon, Florida State and Florida Atlantic) have gone 45-31 ATS in conference games, and have also cashed 75% in his career off an upset loss.  Even better:  Conference USA teams have gone 13-0 ATS as road favorites priced from -8.5 to -24 points off an upset defeat.  Finally, Southern Miss is a woeful 4-18 ATS at home vs. a foe off a point spread loss.  Take Florida Atlantic minus the points.  Good luck as always...Al McMordie.

At 8 pm, our selection is on the Duke Blue Devils + the points over Miami (Fla).  Miami enters tonight's game on a 4-game win streak, after upsetting Virginia Tech, 25-24, in Blacksburg back on November 14.  Duke's also played just one game over the previous three weekends, but its game came last Saturday when it lost at Georgia Tech, 56-33, as a 2.5-point road favorite.  Overall, the Blue Devils are 2-7 this season, and have dropped their last two games (both SU and ATS).  We'll grab the double-digits with the Blue Devils, as ACC teams are 29-8 ATS off back to back losses when playing a conference foe at home, or on a neutral field, if that foe was off 4+ wins.  Even better:  the Hurricanes are a wallet-busting 11-32 ATS when not playing the previous week, including 0-9 ATS their last nine.  Take the points with Duke.  Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.