R.A.W. FOOTBALL
3* - Navy
3* - Air Force
3* - Stanford
3* - Iowa State
3* - Tennessee
Larry Ness
26* Oklahoma
Wayne Root
Vegas Legend - Navy
Millionaires - Tennessee
Billionaires - Air Force
No Limit - Oklahoma
Mark Franco
Tennessee vs. Virginia Tech
Pick: Virginia Tech -5
Too many edges for me here with Virginia Tech and Coach Frank Beamer over the young Vols team with a first year head coach. Tennessee is just 1-6 ATS as an underdog of 3.5 to 10 points while Virginia Tech is 32-14 ATS as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. Special teams have always helped Tech and that will continue here. Back Virginia Tech minus the points.
SAMMY JANKUS
Always play the OTHER SIDE of my game writeups.
Stanford vs Oklahoma
3* Oklahoma -7.5
Just the fact that the Sooners are such a TERRIBLE play in postseason is enough to look at Stanford here. Throw in the fact that Cardinal RB Toby Gerhart will probably run for 200 yards today and I’ll gladly take the points – so your play is on OKLAHOMA.
Tennessee vs Virginia Tech
4* Tennessee +4.5
I’ve watched the ACC all season long and even though Clemson and Georgia Tech reached the conference championship game, the Hokies are clearly the CLASS of the league. Frank Beamer versus Lane Kiffin is a coaching mismatch of Biblical proportions! I think Tech makes a wreck out of the Vols here – so your play is on TENNESSEE.
NorthCoast Phones
Triple Marque - Mizz/Navy Over 52
Alatex
Superplay - Air Force
Stanford
Anthony Redd
75-Dime - Stanford
40-Dime - Stanford (1st Half)
20-Dime - Iowa State
MR EAST
NCAAB THURSDAY BLAST
SOUTH ALABAMA @ FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL
3 UNITS: FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL +4
Golden Panthers have just 4 wins to show for 15 games on the season, but have played 11 on the road, including the last 7. The win column remains thin, but closer look shows they are playing better than the oddsmakers expect, as theyhave covered each of their last 5. They finally get a team at home they can matchup with. Jags off of impressive road win at Florida, likely to be flat as a pancake for this one, and despite of it, are just 3-8 ATS on the season, and have not worn the favorite hat well, at just 6-20 ATS, and also 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs a tam with a losing record. I'll go with Florida International here.
Dave Cokin
Take: AIR FORCE
I was hoping these two teams would match up in a bowl game, as I was looking for one more chance to fade Houston in the right spot and I believe this is it. The Cougars are an exciting team and there's no doubt they have an imposing aerial attack that can score on anyone. But Houston is still a badly flawed squad as they are absolutely porous defensively and their total inability to stop any decent running game has caused them big problems down the stretch this season. That sets Air Force and its option game up for a big day, and that also likely means less time on the field for the Houston offense as the Falcons should be able to put together time consuming and productive drives against Houston. That's just the fundamental setup for this game. There are several other variables worth mentioning. You'll rarely see a bowl team that allows in excess of 200 rushing yards per game as Houston does. Those teams make poor bowl favorites, and it gets even more lopsided when the opponent rushes for better than 200 ypg as Air Force does. It's a revenge game for the Falcons as they lost a close decision to Houston in a 2008 bowl game. Plus, Houston is now favored in a bowl after losing their conference title game as chalk, and teams in that scenario have definitely been worth fading. I see this as a great spot for the underdog, and I'm eagerly grabbing the points with Air Force for my Bowl Game of the Year!
TONY GEORGE
Mizzou -6.5
Big number but Missouri after early season setbacks, came on strong and have not lost since QB Gabberts ankle healed. Not sold on Navy or a weak Schedule or season ending wins against Notre Dame and or Army. Navy is one dimensional with running the ball and Mizzou a…nd LB Witherspoon adept at stopping the run allowing less than 3 yards per carry in the tough Big 12. Mizzou gets up early with quick strike offense, and a decent running game with a well oiled spread attack unlike any Navy has seen all year, and Navy cannot play from behind with just 75 yards passing through the air. Mizzou better than their record shows, and QB Gabbert 23 TDs against 7 picks through the air…Mizzou pulls away late, 10-13 point winner. Mizzou is up for this game. Play 1 Unit on Mizzou.
Houston -4.5
Have to go with a… team who averages 14 ppg more than Air Force. QB Keenum is the real deal with 5400 yds passing , 43 TDs and only p picks all year. Resp[ect Air Force attack but Houston playing in Ft. Worth in this game, lots of fans there, and Air Force has not seen an offense resembling this all year. Neither defense very good so you look at the offenses and the QB and see which one is better, and that is all Houston, who is not happy losing to East Carolina in the Conf. USA Championship and want to make a showing here. They are 7-10 points better..line under a TD, I am taking it. Play 1 Unit on Houston.
Iowa State / Minnesota Under 48.5
Both teams in their last 5 games allowed just 16 ppg on defense. Minnys deep threat WR Decker out with injury, a huge blow for them stretching the field vertically. ISU can play defense and both teams will eat clock with their controlled and balances offense’s. I do not see a shootou…t here at all. 20-16 type ballgame. Neither team allows much on the ground and Minny cannot run it so expect ISU to tee off on the QB..lots of 3 and outs on both sides of the ball. Play 1 Unit on the Under.
Lenny Del Genio
Navy +6.5
The Midshipmen are always a safe bet in the underdog role, going 71-44 ATS when taking points dating all the way back to 1992. If you remember back, we played the Middies in the season opener, a near upset of Ohio State as 22-point pups. They were unable to cover an eight-point spread at Pittsburgh two weeks later, the best opponent they faced all year, but the next two times they were taking points, they won outright both times, taking out Wake Forest and Notre Dame. Navy has been very competitive in bowl games of late, going 4-1 ATS. This will be their sixth straight bowl appearance overall and as we always note many of the service academies are comprised of players from the Lone Star State, making this setting ideal. In fact, 29 players on the Navy roster hail from Texas. QB Ricky Dobbs and the Navy offense should be able to gain yards here, almost at will, against a Mizzou defense that is nothing special and did not see anything even remotely approaching the triple option during the regular season. Dobbs, who ran for 1,037 yards during the regular season, set the NCAA record for rushing TD's by a QB during the regular season with 24. As mentioned before, the Tigers defense is nothing special having allowed 40 points to Baylor and 39 points to Kansas. The team covered only four games all season (underdog or favorite of -3 or less in three of those games) and were absolutely waxed by the big boys of the Big 12 this season, losing by a combined 65 points to Texas, Nebraska and Oklahoma State. Remember that the Big 12 was in a down year. This line does not properly reflect the minimal talent disparity between these schools. Navy is our CFB Afternoon **UNDERDOG** Winner.
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
Navy +6.5
The nation’s fourth-best rushing offense has guided Navy to its most victories in three seasons.
Navy averages 272.5 yards on the ground via an option offense led by talented junior quarterback Ricky Dobbs; Dobbs, who’s rushed for 1,037 yards, set an NCAA single-season record for rushing TD's by a quarterback with 24 after scoring once in a 17-3 win over rival Army on Dec. 12.
The Midshipmen are 8-2 SU their last ten overall.
On the other side of the field: Trying for a third consecutive bowl victory, the Tigers hoped to be headed to a more prestigious postseason destination after starting 4-0. Three straight defeats to ranked teams Nebraska, Oklahoma State and Texas during a stretch of four losses in five games, however, ended their chances of a Big 12 North Division title and BCS bowl bid.
With the nation’s 13th-ranked passing offense (285.0 yards per game), Missouri averaged 36.2 points while winning four of five after being held to 36 total points during its three-game losing streak.
Remember though, Missouri is a poor 2-6 ATS its last eight overall.
Bottom line: Despite his individual record-breaking season, Dobbs is more concerned with the success of the Midshipman, who haven’t had a 10-win season since 2004.
“Team success is the most important record,” said Dobbs, who’s averaging 110.5 rushing yards in his last four games. “This record belongs to the offensive line and the fullbacks that block.”
With a "mind set" like that, and behind a big running game, look for NAVY to improve to 4-1 ATS this season when playing the roll of underdog and for Missouri to fall to 3-5 ATS when playing the roll of favorite!
8* NAVY
Evan Altemus
Iowa State +2.5
Minnesota will be without star wide receiver Eric Decker for this game, which is a huge blow to the Gophers offense. They struggled late in the season without him in the line-up, as they don’t have many weapons on offense. The motivational edge in this game is clearly on the side of Iowa State in this game. They haven’t been to a bowl game in several years, so they will be very fired up to play against Minnesota. Meanwhile, the Gophers have been to a few bowls recently, so they won’t be as motivated to play in this game. Iowa State had to deal with injuries throughout the season, including to their starting quarterback, which effected how well the offense could have performed. Therefore, I feel that the Cyclones are slightly undervalued here. Minnesota’s offense has been fairly anemic at times this season, but their defensive statistics have been fairly decent. However, those good statistics came against some very weak offenses in the Big 10 Conference. Iowa State’s poor defensive statistics are slightly misleading because of the potent offenses they have had to face this season. Iowa State will win this game comfortably with their edges in motivation and match-ups.
5 UNIT SELECTION IOWA STATE
Marc Lawrence
Tennessee +5.5
Under controversial first year head coach Lane Kiffin, the Vols bring the nation’s No. 3 ranked defense in this fray, having gone 7-1 SU against teams that owned at least one loss on the season. Tennessee allowed more than 28 points in only one contest, an important number considering it’s 12-3 SU and 15-1 ATS mark as a dog in non-conference games in which it surrenders 28 or fewer points. Meanwhile, Frank Beamer will attempt to improve on his 1-8-1 SU career mark against .500 or greater SEC opposition knowing he has NEVER won or covered a bowl game off a bowl win the previous season, going 0-6 SU and ATS with the Hokies. In addition, Beamer’s bunch is a pre-New Year’s day favorite riding a 3-0 SU and ATS win streak. These bad boys are just 8-23 ATS, including 4-20 versus an opponent that allows 25 or fewer PPG on the season. That doesn’t bode well against SEC bowl dogs that are taking on an opponent off a win, as these puppies are riding a 9-1 SU and ATS win skein. Tie that into the fact that pre-New Year’s Day SEC bowl dogs of three or more points going 23-5 ATS, including 10-0 ATS when facing an opponent off back-to-back wins, and suddenly this looks like an old fashioned Peach Bowl, made-to-order. We recommend a 3-unit play on Tennessee.