Bob Balfe
Texas Rangers +109
The Red Sox lost a tough one last night and now the Yankees are just a ½ game back of the AL East. I think Boston is going to start feeling the pressure. Derrick Holland has been a good pitcher on the road while Andrew Miller has been horrible at home this season. Lets go with the Rangers who are in a tight division race of their own. Take Texas.
Bob Valentino
60 Dime Giants
Mike Jacobs
5000* Baylor +3.5
Northcoast
Marquee - TCU
Jeff Benton
30 Dime Indians
Marc Lawrence
TCU at Baylor
Pick: TCU -3.5
The Frogs suffered a major hit with the graduation of QB Andy Dalton and four starters on the offensive line, but we feel superb head coach Gary Patterson has elevated this program to the ‘reload instead of rebuild’ level. That’s particularly true on the defensive side where Patterson’s charges have limited foes to an average of just 12 PPG over the past three seasons (held 17 of their 39 opponents to single digits while pitching three shutouts). Thus, we’re not about to go messing with the Fort Worth Frogs against a team they ripped apart last year (beat the Bears 45-10, outyarding Baylor 558-263). First of all, TCU has some business to take care of before heading off to the Big East in 2012. The seniors on this squad are the winningest in school history at 36-3 SU, with the losses coming against the likes of Boise State, Oklahoma and Utah. Second, 30 of their 36 wins have been by 16 or more points, substantially more than tonight’s TD spread. And finally, the Frogs tend to hop right out of the gate when playing away from Amon G. Carter Stadium, posting a highly profitable 10-2 ATS record on the road in season openers. Those numbers look even better when stacked alongside Baylor’s horrendous 17-42-2 mark as a home underdog since 1990. While we do feel the Bears will become a ‘Play On’ team this year (provided Robert Griffin III stays healthy), we simply can’t backed a single-digit home dog whose defense was 200 yards worse than its opponents’ last season. Best of all our database reminds us that college football road favorites in Game One of the season that were bowlers last year are 6-0 SU and ATS since 1980 if they've won 21 or more of their previous 22 games straight-up. With the Frogs having won and covered 4 straight games as favorites versus Big 12 opponents, we recommend a 3-unit play on TCU.
Seabass
100* Baylor
Wayne Root
Millionaire - TCU
Larry Ness
Las Vegas Insider - SF Giants