Big Al
3* Middle Tennessee St
At 7:30 pm, our selection is on the Middle Tennesee St. Blue Raiders minus the points over W. Kentucky, as MTSU falls into 80-46, 125-64, 110-48 and 274-170 ATS systems, based on Western Kentucky's loss to Arkansas St. this past Saturday. That 26-22 defeat dropped the Hilltoppers to 0-4 this season, and it was their 18th straight loss at home (the worst active streak in the country). In that loss, Western Kentucky allowed Arkansas St. QB Ryan Aplin to complete 37 of 49 passes for 396 yards and a TD. And that doesn't bode well against a Middle Tennessee squad which ranks 19th in passing yards, and is averaging 38 ppg this year. Given that W. Kentucky is allowing 31 ppg, I fully expect Middle Tennessee's offense to be very productive on Thursday. The Blue Raiders have cashed 73% against Sun Belt Conference since 2009, and are also 8-2 ATS their last 10 as double-digit favorites. Finally, the Hilltoppers fall into a negative system that's 26-50 ATS which goes against winless teams, as conference road dogs of +7 or more points, at Game 5 forward, who have given up 30+ points a game and are not off an ATS defeat. Lay the points with the Blue Raiders.
Apple Handicappers
3* California +24
3* Yankees/Detroit Over 9
Fantasy Sports Gametime
Play New York Yankees (-160) over Detroit (Top MLB Play)
Doug Fister has lost 23 of the last 30 road games and he has also lost 9 of the last 12 games when playing on a Thursday. Doug Fister has lost 20 of the last 26 road games as an underdog of +100 or higher and he has also lost 29 of the last 44 games coming off a team loss.
NHL
Play Montreal (+100) over Toronto (Top NHL Play)
Play Vancouver (-155) over Pittsburgh
Adam Meyers
4 Units Detroit Tigers +1.5
3 Units Middle Tenn -11
Wunderdog
Philadelphia at Boston
Pick: Philadelphia +120
It was a long time coming for the Boston Bruins who won their first Stanley Cup since 1972. It will be an emotion-packed evening for the Bruins, and I'm not sure how much they will have left for the ice, as their attention may be elsewhere. The Flyers addressed a key issue by signing Bryzgalov to man the pipes, and his nine-year deal should ensure that they are secure behind the net for years to come. The Bruins certainly lost a lot of pieces from their championship team a year ago with the retirement of certain Hall of Famer Mark Recchi, and Michael Ryder now wearing a Dallas Stars uniform. They have also lost the services of Marc Sevard who will sit out the season after his second concussion. It may take some time for the emotional theatrics to calm down, and the new faces to blend in, providing an opening for a competent Flyers team to steal the opener. Take Philadelphia in this one.
Paul Leiner
100* Yanks -155
Chip Chirimbes
California at Oregon
Pick: California+24.5
This one might be a tough sell as the Ducks have rebounded nicely since their opening week loss to now #1 LSU 40-27 a game where they out-gained the Tigers by almost a hundred yards. California like the Ducks had last week off and they are itching to play after a pounding in Washington, the Bears have covered 4 of the last 5 in this series and lead it overall 39-32 with two ties. Oregon was held to season lows in first downs and total yards in this match-up last year and Cal can keep it close.
The Duke's Sports
California (+24) for 1.5 Units
California's been very competitive in this series covering 4 of the last 5; as a matter of fact, 8 of the last 11 in this series has been decided by 10 or less. Sure, Oregon's offense has
heated up since their loss to LSU in week 1; however, we believe California will once again be very competitive. Their defense, ranked 9th nationally, plays the run well and has good closing speed and depth in the secondary -- a requisite in controlling the Oregon offense. In addition, Cal QB Zach Maynard is doing a nice job running the 'Bears offense (39' ppg). California is a sweet 20-6-1 as a dog of 10'+ and 16-5 ATS as a road dog of 10'+. California the call.
Ben Burns
10* California
10* Middle Tennessee St
10* NY Yankees
9* California / Oregon Under
9* Flyers / Bruins Under 5.5
Info Plays
7* New York Yankees -158
Crown City Sports Consultant
5* New York Yankees -158
Kelso
25 Units California +24
10 Units Detroit Tigers +150
Sean Murphy
6* Flyers / Bruins Under 5.5
Sports Unlimited
Mid Tenn / W Kent Under 54
Northcoast
Top Marquee - M Tenn St
Reg Marquee - Cal / Ore Over