Frank Sawyer
South Carolina vs. NC State
Play: South Carolina +7
South Carolina returns sixteen starters from the team that finished 6-7 last year. The Gamecocks were very young last year with 75% of their passing yards, 97% of their receiving yards and 85% of their rushing yards coming from freshman or sophomores. But led by sophomore QB Jake Bentley, this offense is a year older and should be ready to take the next step. South Carolina has covered the point spread in 4 straight games when played on a neutral field. The Gamecocks have also played 7 of their last 9 games against ACC opponents. NC State has failed to cover the point spread in 5 of their last 6 games against teams from the SEC. The Wolfpack should much improved this season — but asking them to cover the 5 or so points they are currently laying with this game being played on the neutral field of Bank of America Stadium is too much. Take South Carolina.
Jeff Benton
Saturday freebie is the Phillies-Marlins Under the total.
Both games this long weekend have already held Under the total between the clubs, as have 3 of the last 4 played between the teams here at the end of August into September.
Overall, the Phillies are 5-2-1 Under the posted price in their last 8 games, while the Marlins have played 5 of their last 7 overall Under the total.
It will be Aaron Nola and Dan Straily, and Nola returned to form his last time out with 7 innings of 1 run ball pitched to make it 7-3-1 Under the total his last 11 starts this season.
Straily has allowed 3 runs or less in each of his last 6 starts, including 3 runs to Philly on August 22nd in a game that saw him fan 10 batters.
Look for the runs to be limited tonight.
Phillies-Marlins Under.
3* PHILADELPHIA-MIAMI UNDER
Carmine Bianco
Orlando City SC at New England
Play: New England -0.5 -148
Tough not to go against a Orlando City SC side that haven't won since 8 games back 1-0 at Real Salt Lake and this season have only picked up 9 of a possible 36 on the road. They face a Revs side who much like themselves are hanging on to a slim hope of making the playoffs but have played well at home where they've picked up 26 of their 29 points this season and have won 3 straight and back to back clean sheets. Against an OCSC with some bodies missing today we'll take the Rev to win.
OC Dooley
UMass -2.5
Massachusetts has won 3-or-less games with their current head coach each of the past three seasons so the fact that they have gone from an underdog (on the opening offshore line) to favored status speaks volumes. The Minutemen do have the advantage of playing an "extra" game in what resulted in a 38-35 loss at home last week where they also were favored. Coastal Carolina has enjoyed much success in Division I-AA but the jury is still out as to how they will perform at the I-A level
Wunderdog
Oakland @ Seattle
Pick: Seattle -130
Seattle defeated the Athletics 3-2 Friday night as Mike Leake got his first win since coming over to the Mariners. Yovani Gallardo goes tonight and he is 2-0 against Oakland this season while allowing seven runs in 21 1/3 innings and a .192 batting against average. Jharel Cotton is 7-10 with a 5.40 ERA and the right-hander is 1-7 with a 7.40 ERA in night games this year. Cotton has faced the Mariners twice and gave up eight runs on 14 hits in 12 innings and Seattle hitters are batting .292 against him this season. Last-place Oakland has lost four in a row and 43 of its last 61 road games. Also, the Athletics have lost 59 of their last 87 division games and their last four against Seattle. The Mariners have won seven of their last nine versus teams with losing records.
Bruce Marshall
Reds at Pirates
Pick: Reds
Based upon recent performances, not sure why the Reds are such an underdog tonight at Pittsburgh. The Bucs are reeling and looking as if they have thrown in the towel this season, and unlikely to get much relief from starter Jameson Taillon, who has walked 12 batters and allowed 17 hits and ten runs over just 14 IP in his last three starts. Meanwhile, Tyler Mahle showed promise in his first start for the Reds last Sunday vs. these same Bucs.
Brian Edwards
Appalachian State is 27-5 in its past 32 games and has lost by more than 14 points only twice in its past 33. Georgia, a 14½-point home favorite Saturday against the Mountaineers, hasn’t won by more than 14 points in 17 consecutive games.
Kirby Smart’s team went 0-4 against the spread as a home favorite last season. Going back further, Georgia is 3-10 ATS in its past 13 games as a double-digit home favorite.
Scott Satterfield’s squad returns 14 of 22 starters from a 10-3 team that lost on the road against Tennessee and Troy and at home vs. Miami. Appalachian State should have won outright at Neyland Stadium in last year’s opener, but a missed extra point and fourth-quarter field goal allowed the Volunteers to rally from a double-digit halftime deficit and win in overtime.
Mountaineers senior quarterback Taylor Lamb has made 36 career starts, throwing 63 touchdown passes and only 26 interceptions. He rushed for 505 yards and nine touchdowns last season. Lamb leads a balanced offense that brings back Jalin Moore, the Sun Belt’s offensive player of the year in 2016 with 1,402 yards rushing and 10 TDs.
Appalachian State’s offensive line features three players with NFL futures in Colby Gossett, Beau Nunn and Victor Johnson. The Mountaineers also return their leading receiver in Shaedon Meadors, who will face a Bulldogs secondary that probably will be missing one of its best players in injured senior safety Malkom Parrish.
Appalachian State returns seven starters from a salty defense that allowed only 17.8 points per game last season. The unit is led by senior linebacker Eric Boggs, who has started 32 straight games. He had a team-best 98 tackles, three sacks and three interceptions last season.
Look for the Mountaineers to give Georgia fits for four quarters and cover the number as a 14½-point underdog.
Georgia Southern (+34) over AUBURN — Georgia Southern has compiled a 7-1 spread record against Atlantic Coast Conference and Southeastern Conference foes since 2011. Auburn is 1-9 ATS in its past 10 as a favorite of 19 points or more. With Clemson on deck next week, Gus Malzahn will try to get his best players out of harm’s way as early as possible. The Eagles’ run-oriented offense that eats clock also will help the cause.
South Carolina (+5) over North Carolina State — This is a toss-up game in terms of which team wins outright, so I’ll gladly take the points. The Gamecocks return 16 starters from a six-win team that unexpectedly earned a bowl bid. Will Muschamp has finally found a quality quarterback in sophomore Jake Bentley, who led the team to four wins in seven starts. South Carolina’s defense gets linebacker Skai Moore back after a redshirt season. Moore led the Gamecocks in tackles in 2013, ’14 and ’15.
Alabama (-7) over Florida State — The crucial matchup of Alabama’s defensive line versus Florida State’s offensive line will be one-sided in favor of the Crimson Tide, especially in the second half. Look for Nick Saban’s team to win by 10 to 17 points thanks to big plays from his defense that’s led by junior safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.
South Alabama (+24) over MISSISSIPPI — Joey Jones’ team went into Starkville and beat Mississippi State as a 28-point underdog in last year’s opener. South Alabama also dealt previously unbeaten and 19th-ranked San Diego State a 42-24 loss en route to earning the second postseason berth in school history. Ole Miss, which will be without two suspended defensive starters, has limped to a 2-6 spread record with three outright defeats in its past eight games as double-digit chalk.