Saturday Service Plays 8/30/08

[kozski61]

Larry Ness' Las Vegas Insider-CFB (1st of '08!)-TV game
My Las Vegas Insider is on USC at 3:30 ET. The Ohio State showdown is still two weeks away (with an off week up next), so expect a very crisp effort by USC in this one. Las Vegas Insider on USC.

Good Luck...Larry

Larry Ness' Weekend Wipeout Winner (12-2 finish LY)-Early game
My Weekend Wipeout Winner is on the Yes, the Gators have Miami up next but the 'Canes are hardly the rivals they once were. . Meyer is happy with his RB depth (he claims it's four-deep) and the offense, which was third nationally with 42.5 PPG, will score easily against a severely overworked Warrior defense. Weekend Wipeout Winner of Florida.

Good Luck




Elite Sports Circle Guaranteed Selections
Date: Saturday, August 30, 2008
$49.00 Guaranteed: We are currently on a 101-61 run with all of our guaranteed selections! Today in COLLEGE FOOTBALL we are featuring our 5000* ELITE NON CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR you can get this GUARANTEED WINNER for just $49 and you will pay only after you win! We were 33-11 last year in College Football so make sure you POUND THIS WINNER!! 8/29/2008

5000* ELITE NON CONFERENCE GAME OF THE YEAR
178 Florida -34 12:30 EST





Robert Ferringo

SATURDAY'S SELECTIONS

3-Unit Play. Take #171 Oklahoma St. (-7) over Washington St. (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)

2-Unit Play. Take #185 Southern California (-19.5) over Virginia (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)

2-Unit Play. Take #164 UAB (+13.5) over Tulsa (4 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)

2-Unit Play. Take #165 TCU (-6.5) over New Mexico (6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)

(I WOULD WAIT TO PLAY THESE NEXT TWO PICKS BECAUSE I THINK THE LINES MAY REACH +2Cool

1.5-Unit Play. #195 Louisiana-Monroe (+26) over Auburn (7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)

2-Unit Play. Take #189 Idaho (+27) over Arizona (10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)





Sat, 08/30/08 - 3:30 Tommy Rider | CFB Side
triple-dime bet185 Southern Cal -20.0 (-110) Bodog vs 186 Virginia
Analysis:
There is no reason for me to wait on this one. I've already bet it big. Some may look at this as being a square play. Well, you can call me Sponge Bob Square Pants because I'm all over the Trojans in this game. Everyone knows about USC and their amazing defense so I'm not going to waste your time talking about the obvious. But let's take a look at the Cavs. This offseason, the Virginia coaching staff visited Texas Tech so they could employ elements of the Red Raiders high flying spread offense. That's great. There's only one problem: Virginia has no quarterback. There is a chance that three different quarterbacks could play in this game for Virginia. It's like me saying I want to date a Supermodel. That's a great idea in theory but in reality, no good looking girl would even talk to my ugly ass.

So, Virginia is going to throw the ball a lot more this year and its first test with its new offensive system just happens to be against the fastest, nastiest defense in the country. Good luck with that. By the way, did I mention that the Cavs must replace virtually everyone on both their offensive and defensive lines? The Trojans believe they are the best team in the country and they have a chip on their shoulder after falling short of the National Title game last year. So what does this all mean? It means that Virginia is going to get hammered and that's why I'm releasing this as my WEEK 1 CFB TRIPLE PLAY





Ted Sevransky / teddy covers

3:30PM ET CFB 4* Best USC (-19.0 / -110) vs Virginia
3:30PM ET CFB 5* Top Oklahoma State (-7.0 / -110) vs Washington State
7:00PM ET CFB 3* Action Auburn vs Louisiana Monroe OVER 49.0 (-110)





LT Profits

6:45PM ET CFB 2* Action Louisiana Tech (7.5 / -110) vs Mississippi State
7:00PM ET CFB 2* Action Northern Illinois (8.0 / -110) vs Minnesota
8:00PM ET CFB 2* Action Michigan State (4.5 / -110) vs California





Alex Smart

8:00PM ET CFB 3* Action Michigan State (5.0 / -110) vs California





Ben Burns

12:00PM ET CFB 4* Best Northwestern (-11.0 / -110) vs Syracuse
8:00PM ET CFB 4* Best California (-4.5 / -110) vs Michigan State





Gamebreaker College Football Saturday

Power Triple Play

Virginia Tech
Boston College
Clemson



ATS Weekly Review Football Selections

***Best Bets***

Utah (+3) over Michigan
Washington (+ 13 1/2) over Oregon


***Preferred***

Virginia (+19) over USC
Memphis (+ 7 1/2) over Ole Miss





Dr Bob Opinions

Pitt
KSt
Cal
UAB
Utah
La Mon
Wyo under





Gold Sheet

Gold Sheet Top-Memphis
Reg-La Tech, E Car




Colin Cowherd:

USC
Tennessee
Missouri
Utah
Cal
Oregon




Norm Hitzges

NCAA 2-0

Double Play--Utah +3 vs Michigan
Double Play--Wyoming -11 vs Ohio
Double Play--Colorado -11 vs Colorado St
Double Play--Michigan St +4.5 vs California
Utah/Michigan Under
Memphis +7.5 vs Mississippi
Wisconsin -26.5 vs Akron
W. Michigan +14.5 vs Nebraska
Oregon -13.5 vs Washington
New Mexico +6.5 vs TCU
Oklahoma St -7 vs Washington St
Florida -34.5 vs Hawaii
USC -19.5 vs Virginia
ULaLa +10.5 vs So. Mississippi
South Carolina -14 vs NC State (Win)
Wake Forest -12 vs Baylor (Win)





yourwinningpicks full NCAA card:

Best Bets:
Wake Forest (-12)
Troy State (-6)
Clemson (-5)
Kansas State (-24.5)
Cal (-4.5)
Pittsburgh (-12.5)

Strong Opinions
USC (-19.5)
Fresno State (+5.5)
Western Kentucky (+20.5)
Colorado State (+11)
UAB (+14)
Mississippi (-7.5)





ace-ace / allen eastman


4-Unit Play. Take ?UNDER? 40.5 Utah at Michigan (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)-105

6-Unit Play. #171 Take Oklahoma State (-7) over Washington State (3:30 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)-108

3-Unit Play. #203 Arkansas State (+19) over Texas A&M (7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)-105

4-Unit Play. #162 Take Oregon (-13.5) over Washington (10 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 30)-108

3-Unit Play. #209 Colorado (-10.5) over Colorado State (7:30 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 31)-105

3-Unit Play. #211 Fresno State (+5) over Rutgers (4 p.m., Monday, Aug. 1)-107





GOLDSHEET

COLLEGE KEY RELEASES

Utah-Michigan UNDER the total

OHIO by 1 over Wyoming

KANSAS by 48 over Florida International

UCLA by 3 over Tennessee




WILD BILL CFB

Memphis + 9 (5 units)
Nebraska -14 (5 units)
Washington State + 6 (5 units)
Florida -33 1/2 (5 units)
Kansas -37 (5 units)
Illinois +8 (5 units)
Virginia +21 (5 units)
Rutgers -5 1/2 (5 units)
Ucla +6 (5 units)
Over Rice-Smu 69 (5 units)
Under 70 1/2 Florida-Hawaii (5 units)
Arizona St-Idaho Over 62 (5 units)





SCOTT FERRALL

CFB
8/30:

Michigan -4 --I keep wanting to take the Wolverines, but the UTES are tough as hell and have everyone back from a team that could go to a BCS bowl this yr...tough call, but I figure to get laid more as a Michigan fan.

Northwestern -12 to Syracuse--the Orange are awful and will finish last in the Big East

Ol Miss -9 to Memphis

Wyoming -10 to Ohio--The Game is in the Mountains and good luck with the distance traveled and the calls you aren't going to get in this one

Nebraska -14 to Western Michigan--The Huskers aren't going to be great, but they are better than this easy one to start the season in Lincoln

Tulsa -14.5 to UAB--it doesn't matter that the game is in Birmingham

New Mexico +6.5 from TCU--what the hell, go for it ! They are at home at least !

Louisiana Tech +9 from Mississippi St--another upset in the making, so the points will help you

Kent +10 from BC--they won't upset the Eagles, but they'll be in it--The Eagles lost Matt Ryan to the NFL, so they aren't going to be the same without him at QB

Oklahoma St -6 to Washington St--The Cougars are going to finish last in the Pac 10

Minnesota -8.5 to Northern Illinois--The Gophers have to show up for their opener in Minney

East Carolina +10 from Virginia Tech--The Pirates are going to play hard, as usual, and the Hokies won't respect them

Illinois +8.5 from Missouri--The Illini will be in this game at Columbia, count on it--Don't believe the hype on the Tigers--they are good, but not great

Cal -5 to Michigan St--The Spartans will figure out how to screw up this road trip out West

Western Kentucky +21 from Indiana--The Hoosiers don't beat anyone by that much--EVER

Southern Miss -10 to La. Lafayette

Kansas St -24.5 to North Texas--The Wildcats get it done in Manhattan

MLB
BOLD ARE BEST

White Sox -105 Buerhle at Boston (Pauley)

Toronto +140 Parrish over Rasner

Cleveland -160 over Seattle Reyes over Washburn

Haren -135 and D'Backs over Billingsley (Dodgers)

Cincinnati -140 over SF

Washington -115 over Atlanta





PlayByPlayInc. CFB

8/30/2008 SYRACUSE 12.5





MJP sports CFB

8/30/2008 MEMPHIS 8.5





Armvin Sports Cfb

8/30/2008 Nebraska -14






Value-Champ Sports CFB

8/30/2008
Best Bet! BOSTON COLLEGE -9.5





Sharp Sports Advisors CFB

8/30/2008 WYOMING -11

 

[kozski61]

The Fall Miracle CFB

8/30/2008 KENT STATE 10





USA Sports Consulting - Earl Morgan CFB

8/30/2008 FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL 36





Lvsa Plays For Saturday
1. Oklahoma St -7

2 .USC -19.5

3. Nebraska -14




Spreitzer 25* is UNLV





Dominic Brando

Teaser

NFL/NCAA Teaser Club Top Rated 100 Unit Golden Star Lock 4 Team Teaser Release:
1) #132 SOUTH CAROLINA GAMECOCKS PICK over NC State Wolfpack (Win)
2) #160 NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS PICK over Western Michigan Broncos (Saturday 7:00 PM ET)
3) #162 OREGON DUCKS PICK over Washington Huskies (Saturday 10:00 PM ET)
4) #163 TULSA GOLDEN HURRICANE PICK over UAB Blazers (Saturday 4:00 PM ET




BIG AL's #1 COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAME OF THE MONTH
Memphis


BIG AL's 93% (14-1) EARLY SATURDAY NCAA ROUT
Gators





Winners Edge

Mississippi - 7.5 , 2 units

Western Michigan 14.5 1 unit

Michigan - 3 , 1 unit






kelso 100 unit

florida - 34

1230 est




Players of America

Today's Selections

TCU vs. N MEX
Sport: NCAA Football
Game: TCU Horned Frogs vs. New Mexico Lobos
The Play: New Mexico Lobos +7.0
Play Description:
Star Value: 3* (30 Units)
Writeup:
And we're off! Six total plays to kick off the college football season this Saturday. Keep in mind it is important to get a nice, solid feel for all of these teams before placing any wagers over our heads. Welcome to the 2008-2009 NCAA football season, brought to you by your very own Players of America.

Our first release comes to us live from the state of New Mexico. At 7:00PM EST, the Lobos of New Mexico will play host to the TCU Horned Frogs. We'll be all over the home dog here, and this is why. The Lobos are not a bad team. It is almost a slap in the face for Vegas to smack seven points on these fella's backs right off the get go. This team WON a bowl game last year and piled up an overall 9-4 record. Don't get us wrong, TCU is a solid overall team, but come on. The Lobo's absolutely laid it on Nevada opening week last year 23 to zip. After that they smacked UNLV 27-6. They went on through the season and beat Colorado State, San Diego State, Wyoming, Sacramento State, Arizona, New Mexico State along with a very talented Air Force team. These guys can play football. That is one thing their good at. Now, let's rewind a bit. Last season NM went into Fort Worth, Texas and got their rear ends handed to them by this same TCU group. Don't think that a little revenge isn't lingering in these player's minds.

Donovan Porterie is back assuming the starting role at QB for the Lobos. This guy makes it all happen. He's over looked, under-hyped and gets little credit more of less because of that Mountain West Conference out west. He threw just eight picks last season behind 3060 passing yards. In addition, he completed 59% of his passes. He had the absolute worst day of his career last season against this TCU team and now is the time to go out and regain that composure.

The Frogs are legit all the way around. "Legit" enough to come in and lay a TD on the line to this team? Not really. They are good when their good and bad when their bad. Their inconsistency cost them some decisions last year as they played dead against Utah and couldn't handle the passing attack of the Air Force Falcons (something the Lobos will be sure to exploit). Wyoming also played TCU's game as they squeaked out a win last season against the Frogs.

All in all, this one comes down to value. There is absolutely, positively no reason that this New Mexico team doesn't start this fresh season out at 1-0. Vegas is begging for action on a short line with a highly touted and hyped TCU team from the past. Don't fall into trap they've set. Porterie, the Lobos and home field advantage plus the underdog status for a 3* / 30 unit wager Saturday evening.

New Mexico 28, TCU 17


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

UTAH vs. MICH
Sport: NCAA Football
Game: Utah Utes vs. Michigan Wolverines
The Play: Michigan Wolverines -3.0
Play Description:
Star Value: 1* (10 Units)
Writeup:
You have got to be kidding. All the sharps think they're on to something here, right? Utah, the talk of the town...upset central to the "big time" Michigan Wolverines. "They lost to Appy State to open last year, they aren't that good!" "They've got all kinds of drama in the head coach position, question marks in the roster, and more!" SAVE IT...please. Utah is out classed, out coached, over matched in virtually every position and WILL be out played today in The Big House. You may laugh and say this one is a trap, but so be it...we'll dive in head first for the bait.

The Wolverines have a lot, and we mean A LOT, of eyeballs on them this Saturday. They may have question marks all over the place, but Sunday morning those turn into exclamation points. The Utes come in with that lethal passing attack, and more than likely a clear frame of mind. People are forgetting, Michigan went out with a bang last season. They went out how a major-conference team is suppose to. They went out Bowl Champions of a supposed sub par league. They went out knocking a "BCS Contender" back to where they came from. They showed life. They showed pride. Adapting to changes in Michigan may have been difficult for many of these young players, but that is part of the collegiate process...changes.

Digging up stats, figures and trends won't be necessary here. Michigan is Michigan. They are a powerhouse, smash mouth football team and on Saturday, August 30th they take hold of those reigns again by, making a big time statement. The blue and yellow, the Big M, the Wolves minus the small margin for a 1* / 10 unit wager.

Michigan 30, Utah 17


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

VT vs. ECU
Sport: NCAA Football
Game: Virginia Tech Hokies vs. East Carolina Pirates
The Play: East Carolina Pirates +10.0
Play Description:
Star Value: 1* (10 Units)
Writeup:
Our next release will be a doozy. Coming live from Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, the Virginia Tech Hokies meet the East Carolina Pirates for an opening show down. Both of these teams are looking to take their program to the next level. Both are capable of big things this year with Tech probably getting a little more notoriety than the Pirates.

There is quite a contest at the quarterback position for Va Tech. Red shirt senior Sean Glennon has recently been tabbed the starting QB for the Hokies. He'll make his debut this afternoon. The highly talked about Tyrod Taylor will be sidelined as a red shirt this season, his sophomore. On September first last season, the East Carolina Pirates waltzed into Virginia and faced this very team. They came out behind at the end of the day, 17-7. They lost to the #9 ranked team in the country, the Hokies, by ten points in Blacksburg. If that alone doesn't tell you something, or give you some sort of idea the type of energy and intensity this team plays with, then you don't know football very well. Blacksburg, VA has been one of the toughest locations for a football team to travel to and play in.

ECU went a respectable 8-5 overall last season. They topped things off on December 23 by beating a very good Boise State team 41-38 in an absolute thriller. Other big wins for this squad included UNC, Tulane, Houston, Central Florida and more. They play with heart, they play with passion and to be, in essence, at home in front of family and friends this afternoon, it's a great spot.

Flip on ESPN at Noon EST Saturday for this one. Expect adrenaline to be pumping with this nationally televised dual, and the underdog East Carolina Pirates to put up a fight to the very end. These fellas plus double digits is well worthy of a 1* / 10 unit early day wager.

East Carolina 24, VA Tech 22


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

OK ST vs. WASH ST
Sport: NCAA Football
Game: Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Washington State Cougars
The Play: Oklahoma State Cowboys -7.0
Play Description:
Star Value: 1* (10 Units)
Writeup: N/A


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

MISS ST vs. LA TECH
Sport: NCAA Football
Game: Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs
The Play: Louisiana Tech Bulldogs +7.0
Play Description:
Star Value: 1* (10 Units)
Writeup: N/A


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ILL vs. MIZZ
Sport: NCAA Football
Game: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Missouri Tigers
The Play: Over 58.0
Play Description:
Star Value: 1* (10 Units)
Writeup: N/A






The Rainman (John Rainey)

tulsa
mich st
Pitt






HONDO

August 30, 2008
Hondo, who had won five straight, re-routed big time last night as he went triple-draino with the White Sox, Orioles and Giants to lower his earnings to 480 ozarks.

Today, he'll try to regain his golden touch with the Phillies - 10 units on Myers to slow the Chicago ex press.





WILD BILL MLB

Saturday, Aug 30

Athletics +155 (5 units)
Phillies +145 (5 units)
Mariners +155 (5 units)
Rays -170 (5 units)
Pirates +130 (5 units)
Astros +125 (5 units)
Royals +190 (5 units)
Mets +105 (5 units)
Giants +125 (5 units)
D-backs -135 (5 units)
Twins-175 (5 units)
Rangers +170 (5 units)
Rockies -155 (5 units)
Florida-Mets Over 8 1/2 (5 units)
Nationals-Braves Over 9 (5 units)
Dbacks-Dodgers Over 7 1/2 (5 units)
A's-Twins Over 7 1/2 (5 units)
Rockies-Padres Over 8 (5 units)





JEFFERSONSPORTS 2-1 yest

33-22 last 52 plays (60%)

MLB +28.37 units (+2837.00$ playing 100.00 a game)

NCAA FOOTBALL EARLY RELEASE
FLORIDA-34.5

1-0 so far this year.




Erin Rynning

20* UL Lafayette +10.5




Gamblers Alley


Saturday 5* East Carolina






LARRY COOK

3* on Wisconsin Badgers -26.5

The Wisconsin Badgers return 17 starters this season and are picked to finish second in the Big Ten conference because of it. Akron?s entire defensive backfield will have a new look, considering they lost four of five starters in the secondary from their 3-3-5 scheme last year. Reggie Corner and John Mackey combined for 10 interceptions last year, and both are gone from the Akron secondary this season. That means Wisconsin will be able to move the ball through the air whenever they decide to. Senior Allan Evridge, a Kansas State transfer, is expected to be taking the snaps under center. Evridge will be working behind an offensive line that returns four starters. These four horses up front have combined to make 85 starts between them. P.J. Hill is back at running back after rushing for 2,805 yards and 29 touchdowns in his first two seasons as the Badgers? starter in the backfield. Now that?s a solid foundation to work with. Wisconsin is 53-34 ATS in their last 87 Saturday home games. The Badgers are 16-6 ATS in their last 22 home games overall. Wisconsin is 11-3 ATS in their last 14 non-conference games. Meanwhile, Akron is just 3-9 ATS in their last 12 road contests. Bet Wisconsin at home.






Las Vegas Sports Advisors

NCAA football
8/30/2008 at 7:00:00 PM
Florida International at Kansas


Kansas




ATS LOCKCLUB

7 units Wyoming -12.5
7 units Idaho +27
2 unit parlay on above
5 units TCU -6.5
5 units UAB +13
4 units LaTech +8





BLACK WIDOW

1* on New York Mets +103
(List Pelfrey only)

The Mets are finding ways to win the close games, hitting a grand slam in the top of the 9th last night to beat the Marlins. This comes after the Mets beat the Phillies in the late innings the game before. The great thing about tonight?s meeting with the Marlins is the fact that New York won?t need another come-from-behind victory because they are throwing Mike Pelfrey at Florida Saturday. Pelfrey has been on fire, going 3-0 with a miniscule 1.44 ERA over his last 3 starts. Pelfrey has allowed only 16 hits in 25 innings during this span. The Mets are now 17-8 in their last 25 meetings at Florida. Take the Mets on the Money Line as they lead from start to finish tonight.





Rocky Atkinson

Boston College @ Kent State 7:30 PM EST
Play On: 1* Kent State +10

Boston College is 0-6 ATS last 3 years as a road favorite. Boston College is 1-4 ATS last 5 non-conference games. Boston College is 1-5 ATS last 6 games overall. Boston College is 0-5 ATS last 5 games in August. ROCKETMAN Ratings has Kent State to surprisingly win this game straight up by 5.07 points giving us great value in getting double digits. We'll recommend a small play on Kent State as our FREE pick on Saturday! Thanks and good luck, Rocky




DAVE MALINSKY

GAME: USC @ Virginia Aug 30, 2008 3:30PM
SPORT: College Football Picks
PICK: USC

REASON FOR PICK: 4* SOUTHERN CAL (#185) over VIRGINIA

What happens when you put great talent and great coaching together? USC?s program happens, that is what. And what happens when you give that combination time to fully prepare for an opponent? Routs happen, even when the opponent is capable of matching up. Virginia is not that class of opponent, so now that our sources tell us that Mark Sanchez is looking comfortable again in practice, we can step in here.

Let?s look at some Pete Carroll history with major preparation time since the end of his second year with the program, when he had a chance to put his full playbook into action. First, the bowl games ?

2002 Orange ? USC 38 Iowa 17 as -4.5

2003 Rose ? USC 28 Michigan 14 as -7

2004 Orange ? USC 55 Oklahoma 19 as -1

2005 Rose ? USC 38 Texas 41 as -6.5

2006 Rose ? USC 32 Michigan 18 as -1

2007 Rose ? USC 49 Illinois 17 as -14

That is an outstanding 5-1 SU and ATS, beating the pointspread by a significant 80 points. And remember that even in the Texas loss in the 2005 Championship Game the Trojans led by 10 in the 4th quarter, but could not hold off Vince Young. Now on to openers ?

2003 ? USC 23 Auburn 0 as +3.5

2004 ? USC 24 Virginia Tech 13 as -17

2005 ? USC 63 Hawaii 17 as -36

2006 ? USC 50 Arkansas 14 as -8

2007 ? USC 38 Idaho 10 as -47

A most impressive run there also, and we can excuse the margin against Idaho LY, as Carroll was holding his team under wraps for what was perceived as a showdown game at Nebraska the following week (which his Trojans then went out and completely dominated). And the Idaho contest was the only one played at home, which made it even easier for him to back off.

So what do we see here? First, a complete dominance by the Southern Cal defense, which not only should be the nation?s best this season, but has a chance to be among the best in recent memory. We could see five Trojan starters on that side of the ball draft in the NFL first round next April. That creates a huge headache for a Virginia OL that is breaking in far too many new faces, with only 48 returning starts for the entire group. It means not only a challenge in terms of talent, but also tactics as well, as the Trojan blitzes and complex schemes take a toll. And exacerbating the issue is the lack of experience at QB for the Cavaliers, which creates the real chance of the Southern Cal defense directly scoring points.

The Trojans will also dominate the line of scrimmage when they have the ball, mashing through a Virginia defensive front that does not return a single starter, and will have depth issues on a hot afternoon. The physical presence and leadership of Chris Long will badly be missed in that huddle, as the younger players drag their heads when forced to be on the field far too long.

Yes, Virginia is coming off of a bowl season, but put an * next to that ? the Cavaliers set an all-time NCAA record by going a prefect 5-0 in games that were decided by two points or less. And these were not escapes against major powers, with North Carolina, Middle Tennessee, Connecticut, Maryland and Wake Forest on the list. They are in way over their heads here in terms of talent, and with 14 starters that combined for 378 career starts missing from 2007, the experience is also not there to handle the negative situations that this game will provide. There will be plenty of such situations ? in the only dress rehearsal before having two weeks to prepare for Ohio State, Carroll can go for the jugular here, knowing that it is the only chance to get the timing down for both units. And with only the travel roster on hand there are few options for letting up anyway ? that is an awfully talented plane.





Carlo Campanella

Game: Michigan St. at California Aug 30 2008 8:00PM
Prediction: Michigan St.
Reason: Michigan State opens the NCAA season on Saturday with a tough trip to the west coast to face the Cal Bears, but must "take" the points here as they?ve been a money machine during Head Coach Mark Dantonio?s rookie season while owning a 5-1 ATS on the road and 5-0 ATS as Dogs, while never losing by more than 7 points last season! Cal opened last year with 4 straight wins, however, they won just 2 of their final 8 games while posting a 1-7 ATS record. Tough spot to rebound against an aggressive unit from the Big 10.

7* Play On Michigan State





The Gold Medal Club

Ohio vs Wyoming 2:00pm
PLAY ON WYOMING -11

These teams met last year in Ohio with the Cowboys coming out on top 34-33 despite turning the ball over 7 times! Whats changed?
Well, Ohio has lost QB Brad Bower and 1st team ALL MAC running back Kalvin Mcrae.
For Wyoming who managed to cover 2 games ats last season, we have the entire offensive line back to open the holes for standout running back Wynel Seldon.
We see one team on the rise and the other in decline. A home opener, with a sleeper team , we will lay the chalk here as the Cowboys will dominate from start to finish.
Note Ohio 11-1 ats in there last 12 on grass, while Wyoming 1-12-1 in there last 14 on grass..we're not biting!





Insider Sports Report

N.Y. Mets/Florida (MLB) UNDER 8.5




WUNDERDOG

Game: Akron at Wisconsin (Saturday 8/30 12:00 PM Eastern)
Pick: Wisconsin -26.5 (-110)

Coach Bielema has taken this Wisconsin team to January Bowl games his first two years. But this may in fact be his best team yet. The offensive line is one of the best in the country and they have several backs that can do damage running the ball. They return 17 starters from a 9-win team a year ago. The Zips finished 3-5 in the MAC last season and return only 13 starters which is tied for fewest in the conference. They were outgained by MAC opponents last year by 70+ yards per game, and have just five defensive players returning. The defensive line struggled against MAC opponents so how will they fare versus one of the top offensive lines in the country? You get the picture. This is a lot of points but we see a Wisconsin rout here, and will lay the heavy points.





THE VEGAS STEAMLINE

Saturday: Take KANSAS ST -26 over North Texas




CAPPERS ACCESS

Sat (CFB) Nothwestern
Sat (CFB) Virginia
Sat (CFB) Missouri
Sat (CFB) California





Power Sweep Week 1

4* Wyoming over Ohio 38-13
3* USC over Virginia 35-7
3* W Michigan (+) over Nebraska 27-30
2* Louisiana Tech (+) over Miss State 20-23
2* Missouri over Illinois 34-21
2* Arkansas State (+) over Texas A&M 17-27





CKO
Confidential Kick-Off

11* Fresno State
10* Syracuse
10* Florida
10* Michigan State
10 * Kentucky


Utah,Pitt New Mexico,Colorado




Pointwise

1-Mississippi State (-8 1/2) over Louisiana Tech 33-13
1-Tulsa (-14) over UAB 45-24
2-Michigan State (+4) over California 27-24
3-Memphis (+8 1/2) over Ole Miss 27-26
4-Fresno State (+5 1/2) over Rutgers 27-24
4-Wyoming (-11) over Ohio U. 37-17
5-Colorado State (+11 1/2) over Colorado (in Denver) 24-32
5-Temple (-7) over Army 33-13





Red Sheet

89--Western Michigan (+14) over Nebraska 27-31
89--Pittsburgh (-12 1/2) over Bowling Green 34-10
88--Kansas (-36 1/2) over Florida Int'l 66-13
88--Fresno State (+5 1/2) over Rutgers 27-24
88--Memphis (+7 1/2) over Mississippi 30-27
88--UCLA (+7) over Tennessee 25-22

87s (Near Choices)--Mississippi State, Tulsa, Oregon, Southern Cal,
Utah State, Wisconsin




Westcoast Sports Member's Plays:
Oregon -13.5
USC -19.5
Lafayette +10.5




WINNING POINTS

****BEST BET
MEMPHIS over MISSISSIPPI* by 6
MEMPHIS 33-27.

***BEST BET
ALABAMA over CLEMSON by 7 (Atlanta)
ALABAMA 27-20.

 

[quanjin]

Does anyone have John Ryan's college football plays for today?

Does anyone have John Ryan's college football plays for today?

Ryan's 3-pack of NCAA 5* Monster DOGS

and

Ryan's 7* Monster Play of the Week in the ALA/CLM game

Thanks in advance.

 

[quanjin]

Does anyone have Marc Lawrence's college football plays for today?

Does anyone have Marc Lawrence's college football plays for today?

Never Lost CFB Opening Week Game Of The Year!

100% Perfect Saturday Night CFB Super Pick Play!

10-0 ATS CFB Fan Appreciation Game Of The Week!


Thanks in advance.

 

[quanjin]

Ben Burns recent post question...

Ben Burns recent post question...

It was posted near the top of the page:

Ben Burns

12:00PM ET CFB 4* Best Northwestern (-11.0 / -110) vs Syracuse
Is this the "Early Rout" game?

8:00PM ET CFB 4* Best California (-4.5 / -110) vs Michigan State
Is this the "Nationally Televised Blowout" game?


Does anyone have his other big play?
**HUGE** UNDERDOG GAME OF THE MONTH *NATIONAL TV*

Thanks.

 

[kozski61]

Purelock:

Passing on College Football for Saturday and Sunday. Will have a play for Monday in College Football. Not posted yet.

Saturday: TOP MLB play,

5 Unit MLB

PHILADELPHIA @ CHICAGO CUBS 3:55 PM EST
PLAY ON: PHILADELPHIA (MYERS/LILLY) LISTED



Lance's Lock
Overall record: 656-550-23
Current streak: 1 win
Todays play: UTAH +3' bought






BOB BALFE

College Football
Oklahoma State/Washington State Under 66
Oklahoma State has a good QB in Zac Robinson, but he will be without his best RB and WR from a year ago. Washington State starts this season with a new coach and a QB with minimal experience. The Huskies were horrible on defense last year, but have a solid LB core this season and should be much improved. This game is at a neutral site in Seattle. 66 points will be a lot to score in an opening game. Take the Under.

"Diamond in the ruff play"
Louisiana Tech +8 over Mississippi State
This is a huge game for Tech as it is a primetime ESPN Game hosting a SEC team for this first time. This team has a bigtime ability QB Taylor Bennett and coach Derek Dooley is determined to put this school on the map. Mississippi State has some injuries at O-Line and will be without first-team All-SEC free safety Derek Pegues. The State offense has never been that good so if Bennett can get on a roll this team has a chance at winning outright. This line opened at 9.5 and now is dropping even with the public betting heavy on Miss State. Take Tech with an option small play on the Moneyline.

Alabama +4.5 over Clemson
Alabama lost all of their games last year by a touchdown or less. Playing in close games builds a strong team and they will be more experienced this year. Clemson has two great RB's which some think will be the top duo in the nation. I have to disagree with that due to the fact last year their numbers decreased in productivity from 2006 and this season they will have a brand new offensive line. Alabama is going to put up points with a offense from last year still in tact and a good QB. Clemson has lost their top four linebackers from last year which should allow Bama to air it out on run the ball with ease. Take Alabama.

Memphis/Mississippi Over 54
Memphis should return a good squad this year with 16 returning starters. The Tigers would love nothing more than too beat Ole Miss as there are many seniors who are 0-3 against them in their careers. Memphis runs a spread offense which is pretty good and has a lot of work to do on defense as last year they were pretty bad. Ole Miss is excited about their new head coach Houston Nutt and excited about Texas transfer Jevan Snead at quarterback. This offense has experience and will play well this year. Mississippi has a few injuries on the D-Line which should allow Memphis to run the ball well. Both teams should move the ball at will today on offense. Look for this game to go Over the total.

Arizona/Idaho Over 62
Arizona returns ten offensive starters from a pass happy offense which played great last year. Their first test of the year is Idaho whom may be the worst defense I have ever seen. When Idaho is on offense they will have the luxury of returning all eleven starters against a AZ team with only three starters back and a brand new offensive line. Arizona is going to score at will, but I do think Idaho puts up a good number of points sending this way over the total. Take the Over.

Major League Baseball
Phillies +130 over Cubs
Myers/Lilly



Special K Sports

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From Website

20 Star - Northern Illinios +8

20 Star - Florida Atlantic +24

20 Star - Arkansas State +19.5

 

[rogeydogg]

Anyone with Roots picks for today? Thanks in advance.

 

[kozski61]

Anyone with Roots picks for today? Thanks in advance.

Nothing yet. I'll post them as soon as I get it. -Koz:SIB

 

[kozski61]

scott Delaneys 80 Dime Pick

Illinois / Missouri

Pick: Illinois +9



Larry Ness Las Vegas Insider-USC.

Larry Ness Weekend Wipeout Winner- Florida.

 

[the duke]

Scott Spreitzer

25* Unlv

 

[the duke]

Ethan Law

3% Oregon/washington Under 63
2% Idaho +27
2% Louisiana Tech +7.5
2% Memphis +7.5
2% Texas -23.5
1% Ul-lafayette +10.5
1% Usc/virginia Under 43

 

[the duke]

Northcoast Totals

3 Star Florida Under 67
3 Star Kansas Under 57
4 Star Western Michigan+14-
3 Star Arkansas St+18-
3 Star U.l.laf+10-

 

[the duke]

Scott Delaney

80 Dimes Illinois +9

 

[the duke]

Big AL McMordie

At 7 pm (time change), our selection is on the Memphis Tigers plus the points over the Ole Miss Rebels.

This will be the fifth straight year that these two rivals have opened up their seasons against each other. Last year, Tommy West's Tigers lost by 2-points, 23-21, at home vs. Mississippi, and that game was representative of this series, which has seen the last four years' games all decided by seven points or less. There will be one change on the Mississippi sideline for this game, however, and that will be new coach Houston Nutt, who replaces Ed Orgeron, who compiled a 10-25 record for the Rebels. Last year, Mississippi's offense was dreadful, and ranked 104th in scoring, 107th in turnover margin, and 84th in rushing. Given its lackluster performance in 2007, this pointspread is too high, especially for the opening game of the season, and one that is against a foe that made a Bowl game last year. Memphis is a solid 22-10 ATS since 1980 as revenging road dogs of more than 3 points vs. non-conference opposition, and the Tigers also fall into a revenge system of mine that's 38-13 ATS since 1980. College Football Game of the Month on Memphis.


At 12:30 pm, on Saturday, our selection is on the Florida Gators minus the points over Hawaii.

This will be a tough season for the Rainbows. Not only did star quarterback Colt Brennan graduate (he was drafted by the Washington Redskins), but head coach June Jones took his run-and-shoot offense, and bolted for SMU (perhaps Jones knew this would be a difficult year). So the Rainbows will be led by new head coach Greg McMackin and hand the quarterback duties over to sophomore Brent Rausch, who has no playing experience at Hawaii. The Rainbows last game was also against an SEC opponent -- Georgia in the Sugar Bowl -- and the Rainbows were completely outclassed in a 41-10 drubbing. And that was with Brennan and Jones! I don't think they'll be any better in "The Swamp" on Saturday afternoon. Florida has won 18 straight openers, and 38 of its last 39 openers at Florida Field. With reigning Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow at quarterback, the 5th-ranked Gators will no doubt be explosive on offense. Last season, Florida averaged 42.5 ppg (third best in NCAA), as Tebow threw for 3,286 yards and 32 touchdowns while running for 895 yards and 23 touchdowns! So coach Urban Meyer knows his offense will be there, but Florida will also be improved this season on defense, as it returns eight starters, including Brandon Spikes, a first-team All-SEC linebacker last year (2nd in SEC with 131 tackles). Finally, no coach is better against the spread vs. non-conference foes than Meyer. In his tenures at Bowling Green, Utah and Florida, Meyer's teams are 24-4 ATS vs. non-conference opposition, including 18-0 SU and 14-1, 93% ATS at home (with three non-lined games). And the only ATS loss was by just five points! Lay the wood with the Gators!


At 7:10pm our selection is on the Washington Nationals over the Atlanta Braves.

If the Nationals could play the entire season against the Braves, they might just win the NL East Division and be headed for the postseason. As bad as Washington is this season (50-85 and the worst team in the National League), with its victory in the first game of this series on Friday it is now 8-4 in 2008 against this Braves team. The Nats seem to have Atlanta's number this season, as does just about every team that plays them at home.Atlanta has a 23-44 record away from Turner Field after Friday's 7-3 pasting at the hands of this Washington squad. Although the Nats are not going anywhere this season, they are getting healthy and finally getting some decent offensive production from the likes of Elijah Dukes, Lastings Milledge, and Ryan Zimmerman. Incredibly, the Nats have now won four straight games, including a three-game sweep at home over the NL West-contending Dodgers. A lot of people scratched their head when the Nats dealt Jon Rauch to the Diamondbacks for an unknown 2B prospect right before the All-Star Break, but that move does not seem to have hurt the Nats' bullpen one bit. 26-year-old Joel Hanrahan has moved right into the closer's position and has not missed a beat, and the rest of the Nationals' relief squad has performed much better than average. Atlanta is now 4-14 in their last 18 games. NL East Game of the Month on the Nationals.

 

[the duke]

Larry Ness write ups

Las Vegas Insider-CFB (1st of '08!)-TV game

My Las Vegas Insider is on USC at 3:30 ET. Al Groh's Virginia team won nine games last year but SIX were by five points or less with FIVE coming by two points or less (an NCAA record). Let's see what USC has been up to lately. In the last six years, there have been at least a share of six consecutive Pac-10 titles, six straight BCS bowls, three Heisman Trophy winners and two national championps. Pete Carroll was hired in December 2000 and after a 2-5 start, has gone 74-9! He's coached 30 first-team All-Americans and 11 first-round draft choices (four in 2007 alone). He has the best winning percentage (.844) among active coaches with at least five years of experience and if USC wins at least 11 games this season, it will be the first school to ever accomplish that it six consecutive seasons. Let's not forget the school's 34-game winning streak (tied for sixth-longest ever) that started after a triple-overtime loss to Cal and ended with the BCS title game loss to Texas. That was in the 2006 Rose Bowl when Carroll came within 19 seconds of becoming the first coach to win three consecutive major-poll national championships. Not bad stuff! The Cavs were merely average offensively in 2007 and won't be much better (if at all) in '08. QB Jameel Sewell is gone, leaving Peter Lalich (a true frosh LY, who had 61 attempts), senior Scott Deke and sophomore Marc Verica vying for time. It will help greatly if WR Kevin Ogletree (who missed 2007 due to injury) can contribute as he did in '06. The RB situation should be decent with the return to health of Cedric Peerman (585 YR / 5.2 YPC) plus Mikell Simpson, who played well down the stretch and finished the year averaging 5.0 yards per carry (570 YR). However, the Trojans had a devastating defensive unit last season and despite some huge losses, big things are expected from USC's defense once again in 2008. QB Mark Sanchez dislocated his left kneecap during warm-ups on August 8th but he is listed as the starter for this game. Even if he doesn't play all that much, I'm not worried. The Trojans are very deep at RB and any one of a number of players could step up this year. Virginia's D will be physically overmatched and while Al Groh is 34-10 SU at home with the Cavs (including 14-4 as a home dog), I expect Pete Carroll to want to blow out more opponents out this year. That wasn't the case in '07 and it cost USC in the final BCS standings. The Ohio State showdown is still two weeks away (with an off week up next), so expect a very crisp effort by USC in this one. Las Vegas Insider on USC.


Larry Ness' Weekend Wipeout Winner (12-2 finish LY)-Early game

My Weekend Wipeout Winner is on the Yes, the Gators have Miami up next but the 'Canes are hardly the rivals they once were. Hawaii was last year's non-BCS 'darlings,' going 12-0 in the regular season with Colt Brennan running Junes Jones' offense to perfection. However, Brennan is off to the NFL and Jones is now at SMU. Taking over on the sidelines for Hawaii is last year's DC, Greg McMackin, in his first head coaching job. Senior QB Tyler Graunke is still dealing with academic issues and Brent Rausch, a third-year sophomore from College of the Desert, was announced as the team's No. 1 quarterback two weeks ago. However, he has been bothered the past week with tenderness in the right forearm and biceps of his throwing arm and is now listed as questionable for this game. The team's top-four receivers are gone from last year (three had topped 1,000 yards) and Hawaii's running game, which ranked 116th of 119 team's in '08 with 77.6 YPG (3.4 YPC), cannot be expected to "carry the load." The Hawaii defense did a solid job last year but only four starters return in '08. The real strength of the defense is the linebacking corps but the secondary loses both CBs and a starting safety from last year. Hawaii must make this long trek to Florida and then deal with the weather (especially the humidity) in "The Swamp." Florida is the AP's No. 5-ranked team but many SEC observers feel as if the Gators and not preseason No. 1 Georgia, is the favorite to take CFB's toughest conference. Speaking of Georgia, last year's Hawaii team (the best in school history) was totally outclassed by the Bulldogs in last year's Sugar Bowl, losing 41-10. The game wasn't as close as the score, as Brennan had almost "no chance" against Georgia's blitzes. The Gator D was young last year but this year returns eight starters. It will be way too athletic and fast for the Rainbows and even the backups will be able to control the line of scrimmage in the latter stages of the game. Heisman-winner Tebow became the first sophomore to ever win that award last year, becoming the first player in NCAA history to pass for more than 20 TDs (32) and rush for more than 20 (23) in the same season. WR Percy Harvin is expected to miss but Florida has plenty of talent in its receiving corps. Meyer is happy with his RB depth (he claims it's four-deep) and the offense, which was third nationally with 42.5 PPG, will score easily against a severely overworked Warrior defense. Weekend Wipeout Winner of Florida.

 

[the duke]

Ace-Ace write ups

4-Unit Play. #136 Take Stanford (+3) over Oregon State

We?re going to take a shot with Jim Harbaugh and the home dogs of Stanford. The Cardinal welcomes back a host of experience, including 16 starters, and should be roaring to go for this home opener. Harbaugh has this team and this program revitalized, and they?ll look to use that energy to overtake an Oregon State team in transition. The Beavers have to replace their entire front seven and will be without safety Al Afalava. Also, OSU All-Pac-10 guard Jeremy Perry will not even make the trip. The Cardinal upset OSU in 2005 and played them tough on the road last year before falling. I?m looking for an outright win here.


3-Unit Play. #145 Temple (-7) over Army

This is a revenge game for the Owls, who lost 37-21 at home against the Black Knights last season. But Temple actually ?won? the stats in that game, and bring back 21 starters (11 on from the MAC?s No. 1 defense) from the club that took the field that day. Army is one of the most inexperienced teams in the country, with just eight returning starters. Al Golden has his Temple program headed in the right direction and I think they step off with a big win to open the season. The Owls are 6-2 ATS in their last eight against Independants and are 4-1 ATS in their last five games on turf.


4-Unit Play. Take ?UNDER? 40.5 Utah at Michigan

Neither one of these clubs boast what can be called an ?explosive? offense, and I think two big, physical lines will control this contest. The Wolverines are playing their first game in Rich Rodriquez?s spread offense attack and this will be the first start for many of the skill players for UM. Michigan does return seven starters from a powerful defense and 11 of their top 15 tacklers from 2007. The teams combined to allow just 38 points last year and I think it will take at least a quarter for both clubs to work the jitters out. The ?under? is 7-1 in Utah?s last eight road games and 9-3 in Michigan?s last 12 home contests.


6-Unit Play. #171 Take Oklahoma State (-7) over Washington State

This is my Game of the Month and I think we?ve found a great spot to attack the books early in the year! Oklahoma State brought back several key weapons from the No. 22 scoring team in the nation last year, including Zac Robinson to quarterback the Cowboys? no-huddle spread option attack. Wazzou, on the other hand, is trying to replace the program?s all-time leading passer, Alex Brink, while learning a new system under new coach Paul Wulff. On top of that, the Cougars will be starting a freshman at left tackle, as starter Vaugh Lesuma is likely out with a bad back, and starting DT Andy Roof was just expelled from school this week. This game is being played on the turf of Qwest Field, which negates some of the home-field advantage for WSU. We?re going with a team that has more overall experience and more familiarity in its system, and we?re looking for a double-digit win by the talented team from the Big 12.


3-Unit Play. #203 Arkansas State (+19) over Texas A&M

Here we are going to play against another coach making his debut in the college ranks. Mike Sherman comes to A&M from the NFL and is implementing a completely new offensive scheme, going against the classic option-based attack the Aggies have run for years. Texas A&M is 3-0 against Arkansas State, but its average margin of victory is just 18 points. While I think the Aggies win this one, I think this number is too high and that the Red Wolves offense will be able to move the ball well enough to keep us under it.


4-Unit Play. #162 Take Oregon (-13.5) over Washington

The Ducks have dominated this Pac-10 rivalry over the past several years, earning a 4-0 record both straight-up and against the spread. Oregon?s average margin of victory in those games has been 22.5 points and per game and it?s been since 2000 that this series has been decided by less than 20 points. Oregon welcomes back a load of talent on both sides of the ball from a team that rushed for nearly 500 yards against the Huskies last year! Mix in the fact that the Huskies will be relying on a bunch of rookie starters ? playing their first game in one of the toughest venues in the country ? and I?m looking for a blowout. The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings, the home team is 4-1 ATS, and the Ducks are 4-1 ATS in their last five at home against the Huskies.


3-Unit Play. #209 Colorado (-10.5) over Colorado State

We?re siding with the road chalk in this rivalry game out west. Dan Hawkins is in his third year at CU and his son, Cody, leads an offense that should be much stronger with outstanding freshman running back Darrell Scott leading the way. CSU coach Steve Fairchild is making his first start as a head coach at any level and simply doesn?t have the talent to keep up with a rugged Big 12 team.


3-Unit Play. #211 Fresno State (+5) over Rutgers

Are you ready for some Monday afternoon football? The Bulldogs of Fresno State have a chance to be a BCS sleeper in the mold of Boise State and Hawaii over the last two years. Fresno returns 10 starters from an offense that finished No. 38 in the country last year. I think they can win this game outright and we?re getting good value on a team that started the season in the Top 25.

 

[the duke]

SPORTS ADVISORS

Utah at Michigan

Michigan kicks off the Rich Rodriguez era in Ann Arbor with a non-conference tussle against always pesky Utah from the Mountain West Conference.

After leading West Virginia to the brink of the BCS Championship Game last year, Rodriguez agreed to take over for long-time Wolverines coach Lloyd Carr. He inherits a squad that went 9-4 SU and 7-5 ATS in Carr?s final season, but only 5-3 SU and 4-3 ATS in the Big House, including a stunning Week 1 loss to Division I-AA Appalachian State.

Utah went 9-4 SU and 7-6 ATS in coach Kyle Whittingham?s third season, finishing in a tie for third in the Mountain West standings. The Utes did cash in six of their last eight games after going 1-4 ATS to start the year; however, they finished just 3-4 SU and ATS away from home, including failing to cover in a bowl game victory over Navy.

Rodriquez has installed a spread offense at Michigan, but he won?t have many experienced players to run it as the Wolverines lost their top two quarterbacks, their leading rusher and their top two wide receivers from last year, when the team averaged 27.8 points per game.

Utah returns nine of 11 starters on offense, including oft-injured senior quarterback Brian Johnson (66.5 percent completion rate, 1,847 yards, 11 TDs, 10 INTs), who helped the Utes put up 26.2 ppg in 2007. Defense was the team?s strength in 2007, though, yielding just 16.8 ppg, best in the Mountain West.

While at West Virginia, Rodriguez was just 9-14-1 ATS as a home favorite. Also, the Wolverines have failed to cash in seven of their last 10 lined non-conference games. Meanwhile, the Utes are 7-4 ATS as an underdog since Whittingham took over and 22-8-1 ATS in their last 31 non-league contests.

The under is 11-2 in Michigan?s last 13 games before October 1 and 9-3 in the Wolverines? last 12 at home. Also, the under is 9-5 in Utah?s last 14 outings and 7-1 in its last eight on the highway.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UTAH and UNDER


Memphis at Ole Miss

Ole Miss looks to open the season with a victory over Memphis for the fourth consecutive year when these cross-state rivals hook up in Oxford, Miss.

Houston Nutt moves from Arkansas to Ole Miss hoping to turn around a Rebels program that went 10-25 in three straight losing seasons under former coach Ed Orgeron, averaging just 15 ppg in the process. Ole Miss, which hasn?t had a winning season or been to a bowl game since 2003, returns 16 starters to a squad that went 3-9 SU and 6-6 ATS last year, including 2-5 at home (4-2 ATS).

Memphis rode a strong offense (29 points, 444 yards per game) to a 7-6 record last year (7-5 ATS). The Tigers won five of their last six regular-season games (all in Conference USA) to earn a bid to the New Orleans Bowl, their fourth postseason appearance in the last five years. Memphis returns 14 starters, but one key loss was standout QB Martin Hankins (3,220 yards, 25 TDs, 12 INTs)

Mississippi jumped out to a 23-0 lead against Memphis last year and had to hold on for a 23-21 win, coming up just short as a 2?-point road favorite. Although the Rebels have won the last three series meetings, the underdog is 5-0 ATS in the last five battles between these rivals. In fact, the last four clashes have been decided by a touchdown or less, with the last two by a combined five points.

Going back to the end of the 2006 season, Memphis has cashed in 10 of its last 15 lined contests, including four straight as a visitor. Also, the Tigers are 13-6-1 ATS as a road underdog under coach Tommy West, including 8-4-1 ATS in that spot since 2005.

The Rebels are mired in ATS slumps of 1-6-1 as a favorite, 1-6 when hosting non-conference foes and 1-4 against Conference USA. They?re also 13-25-2 ATS in their last 40 games as a home chalk. Additionally, Nutt was as mediocre as you could possibly get during his final six seasons at Arkansas, going 36-36-1 ATS overall.

The under is 15-6 in Ole Miss? last 21 games overall (4-1 last five in non-conference), but the over is 7-3 in Memphis? last 10 on the road.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MEMPHIS


Washington at (21) Oregon

Oregon and Washington jump right into the Pac-10 Conference season when they battle at Autzen Stadium, with the Ducks hoping to pummel the Huskies for the fifth straight time.

Behind Heisman Trophy candidate Dennis Dixon, Oregon (9-4 SU and ATS in 2007) won and covered eight of its first nine games last year to climb into national title contention. However, Dixon suffered a season-ending knee injury in an upset loss at Arizona and the Ducks? season went south, as they ended 0-3 SU and ATS before bouncing back with an impressive 56-21 upset victory over South Florida in the Sun Bowl.

Oregon, which averaged a Pac-10-best 38.2 points per game last year, lost its top two players in Dixon and RB Jonathan Stewart, but coach Mike Bellotti has 13 starters back (seven on defense) as he guns for his fourth straight winning season and bowl bid.

Washington (4-9 SU, 6-7 ATS) has endured four straight losing seasons, the last three under coach Ty Willingham. Last year, the Huskies finished dead last in the Pac-10 (2-7, 3-6 ATS), thanks mostly to a defense that yielded 31.6 ppg overall and 35.7 ppg in conference. One bright spot for Washington is the return of quarterback Jake Locker, who had 2,062 passing yards, 986 rushing yards and 27 total TDs (but 15 INTs) as a redshirt freshman last season.

Oregon not only has won and covered each of the last four meetings against the Huskies, but all four games were 20-plus-point blowouts. That includes last year?s 55-34 rout by the Ducks, who cashed as a 12?-point road underdog.

Going back to 2005, Oregon is on a 12-5 ATS spurt at home, including 7-1 ATS as a double-digit home chalk. Also, the Ducks have cashed in five of their last six season-openers, including the last three in a row, and they?re 11-3 SU (9-5 ATS) in Pac-10 openers the last 14 years, winning by an average of 18.6 ppg.

Washington is mired in a 7-10 ATS slump since the middle of the 2006 season, including 2-5 ATS versus conference foes and 2-4 ATS in Pac-10 road games . The Huskies are also 3-10-1 ATS over the last 14 years in league openers.

The under is 4-1 in Oregon?s last five home games, and the under is 7-2 in the last nine series meetings. However, Washington is on a 10-4 ?over? streak since the final game of the 2006 season.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OREGON


Oklahoma State vs. Washington State, at Seattle

Paul Wulff makes his debut as Washington State?s head coach when he leads the Cougars against Oklahoma State in an intriguing Big 12 vs. Pac-10 battle at Qwest Field in Seattle.

After four straight non-winning seasons under Bill Doba ? including last year?s 5-7 (6-6 ATS) campaign ? Washington State recruited Wulff from nearby Eastern Washington. Wulff inherits a team that put up 25.7 ppg overall, but gave up 32.4 and got outscored by nearly two touchdowns per game (35-22) in conference play. Wulff has 14 starters back from last year, but the coach?s biggest task is finding a replacement for four-year starting QB Alex Brink (3,818 yards, 26 TDs last year).

The Cowboys are coming off consecutive 7-6 seasons under coach Mike Gundy, and they?re an equally mediocre 12-11-1 ATS during this stretch. However, Gundy has led OSU to back-to-back postseason victories, including a 49-33 rout of Indiana in last year?s Insight Bowl. Six starters return on both sides of the ball, including versatile QB Zac Robinson (2,824 passing yards, 847 rushing yards, 32 total TDs in 2007), who leads a Cowboys offense that averaged nearly 35 ppg last year.

Oklahoma State is 7-4 ATS as a favorite going back to 2006, and it did cash in four of its last five away from Stillwater last year. But the Cowboys have lost 19 of their last 24 road games overall, falling by an average of 18 ppg.

Washington State has played one game a year at Qwest Field in Seattle since 2003, going 1-4 ATS in that span, including 0-2 ATS against the Big 12. However, the Cougars went 4-1 ATS as a true home underdog the past two seasons, and they closed last season on a 5-2 ATS tear (3-1 ATS at home).

The over is on streaks of 11-5-1 for Washington State overall, 7-1 for Washington State in non-conference action and 9-4 for Oklahoma State on artificial turf.

ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER


(17) Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina, at Charlotte, N.C.

Virginia Tech opens up against East Carolina for the second consecutive season as the Hokies begin their quest for their 16th straight winning season and their fifth consecutive year with double-digit victories.

The Hokies (11-3, 7-5-1 ATS) went on a 5-0 SU and ATS tear to cap the 2007 regular season and win the ACC Championship. However, they ended with a bowl-game loss for the fourth time in the last five years, a 24-21 setback against Kansas in the Orange Bowl. Coach Frank Beamer, now in his 21st year, gets back just nine starters from a team that averaged 28.7 ppg and gave up 15.5 ppg, second-best in the nation. Senior QB Sean Glennon (61 percent completion rate, 1,796 yards, 12 TDs, 5 INTs) returns, but without his top four wide receivers.

East Carolina (8-5 SU and ATS) continued its steady improvement under coach Skip Holtz, posting its second straight winning season, including a 41-38 upset victory over Boise State in the Hawaii Bowl. The Pirates have 12 returning starters, including top two QBs Patrick Pinkney and Rob Kass, both of whom passed for more than 1,000 yards last year. Pinkney has been named the starter for this game. However, star RB Chris Johnson (1,423 yards, 17 TDs) is now in the NFL, leaving a hole in an offense that rang up 31 ppg a year ago.

In last year?s season opener, the Hokies went off as a 27?-point home favorite against East Carolina, but never threatened to cover in a hard-fought 17-7 victory.

Virginia Tech went 7-2 SU and ATS down the stretch last year, with the winner cashing in each contest. In fact, the Hokies are an impressive 36-12-2 ATS over the last four seasons, going 15-3 ATS on the highway during this stretch. However, they have failed to cover in six straight non-league games.

Since Holtz took over at East Carolina in 2005, the Pirates are 26-11 ATS, including 20-8 ATS over the past two-plus seasons. Additionally, with Holtz at the helm, East Carolina is 5-2 ATS against the ACC, 17-6 ATS as an underdog and 13-3 ATS as a road pup, and the team has cashed in three straight season openers.

ATS ADVANTAGE: EAST CAROLINA


(20) Illinois vs. (6) Missouri, at St. Louis

Following a breakthrough 2007 season, expectations are high for Missouri, which opens up for the second straight year with a neutral-site game against Illinois at the Edward Jones Dome.

Behind record-setting senior QB Chase Daniel, the Tigers (12-2, 10-3 ATS in 2007) finished ranked fourth in the nation last year and are the odds-on favorite to repeat as Big 12 North champs. Daniel completed 68.2 percent of his passes as a junior for 4,306 yards, 33 TDs and 11 INTs, pacing an offense that averaged 40 points and 483 yards per game. Missouri, which has its highest preseason ranking in school history, returns a total of 17 starters, including 10 to a defense that held five opponents to 17 points or less a season ago.

Illinois rebounded from the loss to Missouri and went on to a 9-4 record (7-5 ATS) and a second-place finish in the Big Ten standings, a major turnaround for a program that had won just two games in each of coach Ron Zook?s first two seasons. The Illini capped their improbable year with a trip to the Rose Bowl, where they lost 49-17 to USC.

Illinois, which averaged nearly 28 points and 430 yards per game last year, lost star RB Rashard Mendenhall to the NFL, but QB Juice Williams (1,743 passing yards, 755 rushing yards, 20 total TDs) is one of 13 starters returning, six of them to a defense that held nine opponents to 22 points or fewer last year.

Missouri is on a 3-0 SU and ATS roll in this rivalry since 2002, including last year?s thrilling 40-34 victory as a five-point favorite in St. Louis. The Tigers led 37-13 in the third quarter before fending off a furious Illini comeback.

The Tigers are on pointspread streaks of 17-8-1 overall (12-3 in the last 15 games), 9-2 as a favorite, 6-0 in non-conference play, 5-1 versus the Big Ten and 6-1 at neutral sites. Meanwhile, Illinois has cashed in seven of its last 10 as an underdog, but is 1-6 ATS in its last seven non-Big Ten battles.

The over was 8-4 for the Illini last year, with the last four games all easily hurdling the posted price. Also, the over is 9-4 in Illinois? last 13 non-conference games. Meanwhile, eight of Missouri?s first 10 games last season went over the total ? including the shootout against Illinois ? but the last three stayed low.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MISSOURI


Michigan State at California

Cal looks to bounce back from a disappointing finish to the 2007 season, starting with this clash with Michigan State in a Pac-10 vs. Big Ten showdown.

The Bears (7-6, 4-9 ATS in 2007) started out 5-0 and were on the brink of reaching the top of the national rankings when they suffered a heartbreaking 31-28 upset home loss to Oregon State. Including that setback, Cal finished the regular season in a 1-6 SU and 0-7 ATS slump before righting things with a 42-36 win over Air Force in the Armed Forces Bowl.

Michigan State?s first season under coach Mark Dantonio was full of near-misses, as the Spartans (7-6, 8-5 ATS) lost six games by a touchdown or less. They did finish the regular season with consecutive upset wins over Purdue (48-31) and Penn State (35-31), but came up short against Boston College in the Champs Sports Bowl, losing 24-21 but cashing as a five-point underdog.

Cal lost its leading rusher and top five pass-catchers from last year?s squad, which averaged 29.3 ppg. Although QB Nate Longshore (60 percent, 2,580 yards, 16 TDs, 13 INTs) returns after starting most of last year, he?s been supplanted by Kevin Riley, who went 16-for-19 for 269 yards, three TDs and no picks in the bowl win over Air Force. Defensively, the Bears get seven starters back on a unit that allowed more than 26 ppg in 2007.

The Spartans return starting QB Brian Hoyer (59 percent, 2,275 yards, 20 TDs, 11 INTs) and leading rusher Javon Ringer (1,447 yards, 6 TDs) to an explosive offense that put up 33 ppg last year. However, Michigan State is looking for marked improvement on defense after giving up nearly 27 ppg a season ago. In all, 12 starters are back on both sides of the ball.

Going back to his final year at Cincinnati in 2006, Dantonio-coached teams are 15-7-1 ATS on the road (5-1 ATS last year) and 9-2-1 ATS as an underdog (5-0-1 ATS last year). Also, Michigan State has won three consecutive road openers, including two outright upsets, all against BCS teams. However, the school is 0-5 ATS in its last five versus the Pac-10.

Cal has been a pointspread disaster in recent years, going 14-26-1 ATS in its last 41 lined games. Also, the Bears are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 when laying points.

The over cashed in eight of Michigan State?s last 10 games in 2007. Also, the over is 11-4 in Cal?s last 15 at Memorial Stadium, 6-1-1 in its last eight against non-league foes and 4-1 in the last five versus the Big Ten.

ATS ADVANTAGE: MICHIGAN STATE and OVER


(3) USC at Virginia

USC?s quest for a third national championship in the Pete Carroll era begins in Charlottesville, Va., where the Trojans are a prohibitive favorite to take down Virginia.

The Trojans (11-2, 6-7 ATS in 2007) enter this contest on a five-game winning streak (4-1 ATS) after routing Illinois 49-17 in the Rose Bowl. USC has posted an NCAA-record six straight 11-win seasons under Carroll, going 70-8 SU during this stretch. Last year, the Trojans dominated on both sides of the ball, outscoring opponents by an average of 17 ppg (33-16) and winning eight games by double digits.

Carroll replaces departed QB John David Booty with junior Mark Sanchez, who is slated to play today despite having knee surgery earlier in the month. Sanchez started three games in place of the injured Booty last year and finished with a 60.5 percent completion rate, 695 passing yards, seven TDs and five INTs.

Virginia went 9-4 last year (6-6-1 ATS), winning an NCAA-record five games by two points or less as the team finished second to Virginia Tech in the ACC Coastal Division. The Cavaliers, who put up 24.4 ppg in 2007, lost their starting quarterback, but return their top two rushers and their No. 1 receiver. Meanwhile, only five starters are back on a defense that allowed only 19.7 ppg last year.

USC has cashed in five straight non-conference road games and is 20-7 ATS in the last 27 outside the Pac-10, but Pete Carroll?s squad is just 5-11 ATS in its last 16 as a double-digit favorite. The Trojans have won their last 10 openers by an average of 25 points (36-11), going 3-2 ATS.

Virginia has been a beast at Scott Stadium recently, cashing in 24 of its last 34 in front of the home fans. Additionally, the Cavaliers are 14-6 ATS as a home underdog since 1998, including 12-2 ATS in the last 14 as a home pup. But they?ve failed to cover in seven of their last nine outside the ACC.

For USC, the under is on streaks of 18-7-1 the last two seasons (10-3 in 2007), 4-1 on the road and 5-0 in August. The under is also 13-6 in Virginia?s last 19 home games and 4-1 in its last five in August.

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


(24) Alabama vs. (9) Clemson, at Atlanta

The game of the day takes place at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, where Clemson battles Alabama in an ACC-SEC clash between ranked teams.

Clemson (9-5, 6-6 ATS in 2007) is a heavy favorite to win this year?s ACC crown and secure its ninth straight winning season under coach Tommy Bowden. The Tigers cashed in six of their first nine games in 2007 before failing at the window in their final three, including a 23-20 overtime loss to Auburn as a 2?-point chalk in the Chick-fil-a- Bowl at the Georgia Dome. In fact, Clemson?s last thee games wee decided by a total of eight points.

Alabama (7-6, 3-7-2 ATS) is looking to make a significant leap in coach Nick Saban?s second season. Saban?s troops stumbled to the finish line last year with three consecutive SU and ATS losses before beating Colorado 30-24 as a 3?-point favorite in the Independence Bowl. None of the Crimson Tide?s six defeats were by more than a touchdown.

The Tigers return 15 starters, including eight to a defense that yielded just 18.7 ppg. On offense, QB Cullen Harper (65 percent, 2,991 yards, 27 TDs, 6 INTs) is back, along with Clemson?s top six rushers and its top seven wideouts.

The Crimson Tide, who put up 27 ppg and allowed 22 ppg a season ago, have a bunch of returning weapons on offense, including QB John Parker Wilson (55.2 percent, 2846 yards, 18 TDs, 12 INTs) and leading rushers Terry Grant (891 rush yards, 8 TDs) and Glen Coffee (545 rush yards, 4 TDs).

Alabama has been a risky bet the last three seasons, going 12-22-3 ATS dating to 2005, including 1-4 ATS in the last five non-league tussles. On the bright side, the Crimson Tide are on a 9-0-1 ATS roll against Top 10 teams.

Clemson has gotten off to fast starts the last three years, going 3-0 SU and ATS in season openers, but all three of those were home games in Death Valley. Also, the Tigers have failed to cash in five of their last six non-ACC games and four straight against the SEC.

For Clemson, the under is on streaks of 3-0 overall, 4-1 away from home, 12-5 in non-league play and 6-1 against the SEC. Meanwhile, the Tide stayed low in three of their final four contests in 2007, and the under is 13-6 in their last 19 non-conference affairs

ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER


NATIONAL LEAGUE

L.A. Dodgers (65-70) at Arizona (69-65)

Runs figure to be at a premium tonight at Chase Field, where Diamondbacks co-ace Dan Haren (14-6, 3.10) battles the Dodgers and Chad Billingsley (12-10, 3.15) in the middle game of a crucial three-game set between the top teams in the N.L. West.

Arizona snapped a four-game losing skid with Friday?s 9-3 victory over Los Angeles, moving 4? games in front of the slumping Dodgers in the N.L. West race. The DBacks are on positive streaks of 6-2 at home, 5-2 on Saturday, 7-2 behind Haren overall and 10-4 with Haren working at home.

Los Angeles has now dropped eight straight games, all on the road, and the teams is 3-14 in its last 17 away from Dodger Stadium. Additionally, Joe Torre?s team is mired in funks of 1-10 overall, 1-5 within the division, 2-6 on Saturdays, 1-4 with Billingsley pitching, 0-4 behind Billingsley on the road and 1-7 when Billingsley faces the N.L. West.

Arizona has won eight of 13 clashes in this rivalry this season, including five of seven meetings at Chase Field.

Billingsley has delivered a quality start six times in his last seven trips to the mound, including the last four in a row. However, L.A. has lost four of his last five, including a 5-0 setback at Philadelphia on Monday as the right-hander allowed three runs in six innings. Billingsley is 4-6 on the road despite a decent 3.02 ERA, and L.A. is 4-9 when he pitches as a visitor.

Haren gave up two runs on nine hits while striking out 11 in seven innings at San Diego on Monday, but wasn?t involved in the decision as the DBacks lost, 4-2. The right-hander has surrendered two earned runs or fewer in 11 of his last 15 outings. However, he?s gotten rocked in his last two home starts against the Padres and Braves, yielding 11 runs (all earned) on 21 hits in 11 1/3 innings, raising his home ERA from 2.49 to 3.26, but he?s 10-3 in 14 starts at Chase Field.

Billingsley is 0-3 with an ugly 7.71 ERA in three starts against the DBacks this year, including 0-2 with a 7.88 ERA at Chase Field. On the other hand, Haren is 2-1 with a 3.06 ERA versus L.A. this season, with both wins coming at home, where he allowed a combined three runs (one earned) in 13 innings (0.69 ERA) with 12 strikeouts and two walks.

For the Dodgers, the under is on runs of 9-4 against the N.L. West, 4-1 against a right-handed starter, 5-1 on Saturdays, 13-6 overall when Billingsley starts, 7-2 when Billingsley works on the road and 5-0 when Billingsley pitches on Saturday. Conversely, the over is 5-2 in Haren?s last seven starts.

ATS ADVANTAGE: ARIZONA

 

[the duke]

Jeff Scott Sports

3 UNIT PLAY

Utah +3 over MICHIGAN

The Wolverines had a nice season last year, going 9-4, but they only return 10 starters this year and they have a new HC as well. Rich Rodriguez will have his hands full, especially with an offense that returns just 10 starters, including only one on the offensive line. In all they lost 4 NFL draftees on offense and will be hard pressed to come close to last years 27 ppg they up. The Utah offense put up a solid 26 ppg last year and with 8 starters back, on that side of the ball, including 5th yr SR QB Brian Johnson and 4 on the OL, I see them topping 30 ppg this year. The defense was very good last year, allowing just 329 ypg and 17 ppg and with 6 starters back they should be even stronger this year. The Utes are deeper and more experienced and they should be able to walk into the Big House and come away with a solid opening week win.


2 UNIT PLAY

NORTHWESTERN -11 over Syracuse

The Orange return 13 starters from a team that went just 2-10 last year and the outlook isn't that bright for this team to eclipse last years 2 win total. The Orange offense was just pathetic last year as they put up just 16 ppg and even though they will be taking on a defense that allowed 31 ppg last year, I just don't see them getting much more than last years average. The Wildcat offense put 26 ppg on the board last year and with 8 starters back on that side of the ball I see them putting over 30 ppg on the board this year. The Orange has been outscored by 30 ppg in their last 4 lid-lifters and I just don't see them scoring enough points in this one to keep it from being a blowout is well. The Cats should be headed to a decent bowl this year, while the Orange will reside in the Big east basement all year. This one is easy.

I ALSO LIKE

WYOMING -12 over Ohio

 

[the duke]

FRANK ROSENTHAL

MLB
956 PIRATES+115 SB
958 ASTROS+120 SB
960 FISH-110 SB
966 DBACKS-135 SB
980 ANGELS-170 SB

COLLEGE FOOTBALL
149 UTAH+3.5 SB
UNDER 41.5 SB
152 NW UNDER 57 SB+
160 NEBRASKA-14 SB
163 TULSA-13 SB
166 NEX MEX+7 SB
169 BC-9.5 SB
178 FLORIDA-34 SB
UNDER 67.5 SB
179 VA TECH UNDER 46 SB
184 CAL-4 SB
185 USC-19 SB
OVER 42 SB
187 BAMA+4.5 SB
191 UTAH ST+13 SB+
200 TEXAS-23 SB
206 K ST-26 SB

 

[the duke]

CHARLIE SPORTS

500* Virginia Tech / East Carolina Over