JOHN FINA
Bears/49ers Over
BOB BALFE
Ball State +17.5 over Northern Illinois
It would be a challenge to find one person who bet on Ball State tonight. Northern Illinois is getting close to 90% of the money. This Ball State team has players on it from last year when they were ranked #12 in the nation coming into the season. Ball State is at 1-8 on the year and I don’t want to state that they are a good 1-8 team because 1-8 is horrible, but they have been in a lot of close games and I think they deserve a little bit more respect with this number considering they have owned NUI in the past few meetings. Northern Illinois has some QB issues which should be too much of a concern however its hard to get on an offense roll when players don’t know who will start and when a QB doesn’t get all his reps in practice. I am not calling an upset, but I do think Ball State plays it closer than the line is set. Take Ball State.
Rutgers -2 over South Florida
Rutgers has win the past few meetings when South Florida had Matt Grothe at QB now today they have a backup freshman who can run the ball well, but they will be missing their top receiver this season. Rutgers is good at stopping the run and if they can contain B.J Daniels they should win this game. Rutgers has struggled on offense a bit this season, but I like what they have done the last two weeks on the road. Look for the Rutgers defense to force Daniels into mistake situations. Take Rutgers.
Bears +3 over 49ers
Alex Smith was a former #1 pick in the NFL and is getting his second shot to prove he is a winner. So far to date he has not proven that. He has been better, but you first have to get the feeling of being a winner before you can be favorites in a game. Look for Jay Cutler to have a field day against a bad 49ers pass defense that will be even worst with Nate Clements sidelined for this game. The 49ers have offensive weapons, but without their starting Left Tackle and a QB who has proved nothing the edge clearly goes to the Bears. Look for TE Greg Olsen to have a big day. Take the Bears.
NBA Basketball
Cavs -2 over Heat
WAYNE ROOT
2009 Football Upset Club
4* Rutgers (-2½) over So Florida
Dominic Fazzini
15 Dime 49ers
5 Dime Lakers
Karl Garrett
30 DIMER - RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
10 DIMER - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
30 DIMER - RUTGERS SCARLET KNIGHTS
I just feel like this is such a "trap line", as I don't have any faith at all in this South Florida team on the road.
The Bulls are one of the most undisciplined teams I have seen this season. They like racking up the penalties, and they also have a tendency to turn the ball over just when you least expect it.
That is a bad combination against anybody, but when you are playing a conference rival you turned it over 6 times against last season at home in a 49-16 loss as the 8-point chalk, it is a deadly combo.
Rutgers has been rolling, coming up with road wins and covers at Army, and Connecticut their last 2 games.
The Knights are also 6-1 straight up their last 7 games, and have won the last 3 series meetings, covering the last pair. Freshman QB Savage has gotten better each week, and while his counterpart QB Daniels is electric at time, he is prone to the big mistake that will kill this Bulls team tonight.
With this being the only home game for Rutgers until their season-finale on December 5th, I will side with the host to take it.
10 DIMER - SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
At the start of the season this Thursday night game looked like a winner, but with both teams on a downswing, it doesn't exactly smack of "must see" tv!
Still, I love the chance to make some loot on the home team, as Chicago is struggling in so many areas - offensive line, defensive line, injured players, QB throwing his usual array of interceptions - not to mention a 1-3 mark this year away from home that I just cannot take the Bears plus the points.
I know San Francisco has lost 4 straight, but there is an upside to the Niners in my mind, as I am sure former Bears player Mike Singletary is chomping at the bit to go against his former team, and the Niners do have a healthy Frank Gore along with rookie Michael Crabtree getting more experience under his belt. That doesn't even include TE Vernon Davis having a Pro Bowl type of season to date!
The time is right for the 49ers to snap their 4-game skid, as San Fran is a TD better than Chicago tonight.
Take the Niners minus the points.
Nick "BookieKiller" Parsons
South Florida vs. Rutgers
Play: South Florida -1.5
For a number of different reasons I feel the value in this matchup is on visitors: The Scarlet Knights forced six turnovers in a 49-16 win in Tampa last season—the Bulls’ widest margin of defeat since joining the Big East and their third straight loss overall; suffice to say, I expect South Florida to play with "revenge" on its mind this evening.
Last time out the Bulls opened up the playbook for QB B.J. Daniels against West Virginia and the result was his third 100-yard rushing game of the season and also passed for three TD's.
South Florida possesses a couple of the best pass-rushing duo's in the leauge in DEs George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul and I expect them to keep Rutgers QB Tom Savage on his toes all evening.
Remember, the Bulls are 7-2 SU their last nine and dating back to last season 8-4 SU their last 12 on the road.
On the other side of the field: With four games left in the regular season, the Scarlet Knights are officially out of the Big East title race.
Savage has grown into his starting roll, but is still very raw; this time last year he was a high-school senior.
The Scarlet Knights have struggled to generate a consistent ground attack, particularly in short-yardage spots around the goal line.
Keep in mind that Rutgers is 0-4 ATS at home this season.
Bottom line: “Rutgers was definitely a game that we marked on our calendars after how they beat us last year,” Daniels said. “We are doing the things that we need to do to get ready and we just have to execute come game time.”
Look for South Florida to play with a concerted effort on both sides of the ball tonight as they look to erase their three game losing streak to the Scarlet Knights and improve to 3-2 ATS its last five as an underdog as Rutgers falls to 1-4 ATS as a favorite! 9* South Florida
Ron Raymond
Nashville vs. St. Louis
Play: Nashville +135
The Preds played the Sharks tough and they are in a good spot to play a Blues team who’s very inconsistent and could get caught in a letdown spot.
Ron’s Prediction: Nashville 3 St.Louis 2
Tony George
Chicago vs. San Francisco
Play: San Francisco -3
The Bear defense is deplorable right now and even Alex Smith at QB can pick apart this secondary. Da Bears are allowing 4.9 yards per carry, and that is what San Fran is rushing for per carry! Expect to see San Fran pound the rock and move the chains, and open up the middle seas mfr passing lanes to expose. San Fran at home as well, long road trip for the Bears, who are off a very bad game where they were shredded on defense. The Bears lost their last road game by 35 points.
Play 1 Unit on San Fran
Marc Lawrence
Bowling Green vs. Miami-Ohio
Play: Miami Ohio +3.5
When the RedHawks host the Falcons in MAC play Thursday night at Fred C. Yager Stadium they will do so knowing they are 8-1 SU and ATS in this series, including 4-0 SU and ATS as a dog. From our powerful database we find that college football home dogs playing off one loss exact as a road dog of more than 14 points in which they covered the spread are 11-4-1 ATS (7-0-1 ATS last eight) if they won their previous game SU as a home dog, including 5-0 ATS from Game Ten out. With Bowling Green off an 'inside-out-win' in which they were outstatted by 50 yards, and Miami off an inside-out-loss' in which they won the stats by 111 yards, we'll grab the points here tonight. We recommend a 3-unit play on Miami Ohio.
Rocketman
Dallas vs. San Jose
Play: Dallas +165
Dallas always seems to step it up a notch against teams with a winning record. Dallas is 25-18 SU and ATS at San Jose since 1996 including 6-4 SU and ATS at San Jose last 3 years. Dallas won the last meeting in San Jose 4-1 back in March of this year. Sharks are 7-23 in their last 30 when their opponent scores 2 goals or less in their previous game. Sharks are 1-7 in their last 8 Thursday games. Stars are 9-4 in the last 13 meetings in San Jose. Road team is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings. We'll play Dallas for 4 units tonight!
Lenny Del Genio
Ball State vs. Northern Illinois
Play: Ball State +17.5
Northern Illinois has posted some big wins this season, including 50-6 over Eastern Michigan last week, but this line is inflated. The Huskies have a very one dimensional offense (230 RYPG, 135 PYPG) making them not likely to consistently cover spreads such as this one. Ball State has gone 8-1 ATS as a road underdog the past three seasons (3-0 ATS this year) and while perhaps no team in the country has fallen farther from last year, it is worth noting that the Cardinals have won their last two trips to DeKalb and LY totally dominated NIU 45-14 while forcing seven three and outs and holding a 529-275 edge in total yards. Note that Ball State has played much better the last two weeks, recording their first win of the season, 29-27 over Eastern Michigan and then sticking with MAC East contender Ohio in a 20-17 loss. Five of their eight losses this year have come by a touchdown or less and only one has been by more than two touchdowns. Ball State is our 15* MAC Oddsmaker Mismatch.
Unlocked Sports
2* Flyers -1.5 +183
Larry Ness
20* Bowling Green - 3
When Bowling Green lost 44-37 at home to Ohio U on Oct 3, the Falcons stood at just 1-4. However, they have rebounded by playing well on the road (more on that later). The Falcons folowed the loss to Ohio by winning 36-35 at Kent St and then 37-17 at Ball St. BGSU lost at home to Central Michigan on Oct 24 but then won a week ago Tuesday at Buffalo, 30-29. The Falcons are back on the road Thursday night (4th road game in 34 days), visiting Miami-Ohio in Oxford. The RedHawks opened the 2009 season by losing their first eight games but ended a two-year 13-game losing streak with a 31-24 home win over Toledo on Oct 31. The winning didn't last long, as Miami lost 34-32 last Thursday night at Temple, when the Owls kicked an 18-yard FG with just three seconds remaining. Losing MAC games is something Miami has grown accustomed these last two years, as since the beginning of the 2008 season the RedHawks have dropped 12 of their last 14 conference games. However, the Redhawks are a more respectable 6-8 ATS in those games, including three straight 'covers' in MAC play. In fact, Miami's covered FIVE of its last six games overall in 2009, due in no small part to the ever-improving play of redshirt freshman QB Zac Dysert, who has completed 64.0 percent of his passes while averaging 372.7 YPG with seven TDs and just one INT over his last three games. However, while Miami has covered five of six, the Redhawks have one just ONE of those games and let me remind all that the RedHawks trailed Temple 31-13 last Thursday into the fourth quarter, before their furious rally. As well as Dysart has played, he'll only be the second-best QB on the field on Thursday night. Despite working with the nation's most pathetic rushing attack (60.1 YPG / 2.2 YPC), Tyler Sheehan is completing 64.1 percent of his passes while averaging over 330 yards YPG through the air with 16 TDs and just six INTs. Freddie Barnes is not the team's only talented WR but he is the best. He's the nation's leading receiver with 107 catches for 1,176 yards, and 10 TDs. He has a chance to set an NCAA record for receptions in a season. Manny Hazard had 142 receptions for Houston in 1989 and with three games remaining, Barnes has 107, which means he needs to average 12 catches per game to pass Hazard (he's averaging 11.9 through nine games). Sheehan has had little trouble vs MAC opponents in 2009, averaging almost 400 YPG through the air (385) in five games, while throwing 11 TDs with just three INTs. The Falcons won't forget that last year in Bowling Green the Redhawks scored the game's final 13 points in a 27-20 Miami win. Bowling Green avenged a similar such loss in its last outing, rallying from a 13-point, fourth-quarter deficit at Buffalo (BG led Buff 27-7 LY in the 4th quarter but lost 40-34 in 2 OTs!), as Sheehan threw two TD passes in the fourth quarter, the last coming with 39 seconds to go. Capping this play is Bowling Green's near-perfect ATS play away from home going back to mid-2007. The Falcons are 13-2 or 86.7% ATS over their last 15 road games.
Kiki Sports
3* Rutgers
1* 49ers
1* Phx Suns
CollegeBettor
Bowling Green -3
South Florida +3 (Bought Hook)