Free Picks: Service Plays for Monday December, 31

DUNKEL INDEX

NCAAB

New Mexico at St. Louis
The Billikens look to follow up their 68-41 win over SIU-Edwardsville and build on their 8-3 ATS record in their last 11 games following a SU victory of more than 20 points. St. Louis is the pick (-3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Billikens favored by 5 1/2. Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-3 1/2)

Game 713-714: Cincinnati at Pittsburgh (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Cincinnati 70.783; Pittsburgh 79.462
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 8 1/2; 130
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 6; 125
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-6); Over

Game 715-716: Michigan State at Minnesota (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Michigan State 68.569; Minnesota 75.889
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 7 1/2; 124
Vegas Line: Minnesota by 5 1/2; 128
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (-5 1/2); Under

Game 717-718: Dartmouth at Boston College (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Dartmouth 40.729; Boston College 58.423
Dunkel Line: Boston College by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Boston College by 12
Dunkel Pick: Boston College (-12)

Game 719-720: Bowling Green at Temple (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Bowling Green 51.058; Temple 66.855
Dunkel Line: Temple by 16
Vegas Line: Temple by 14
Dunkel Pick: Temple (-14)

Game 721-722: Denver at TX-Arlington (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Denver 59.259; TX-Arlington 64.165
Dunkel Line: TX-Arlington by 5
Vegas Line: TX-Arlington by 3
Dunkel Pick: TX-Arlington (-3)

Game 723-724: San Jose State at TX-San Antonio (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Jose State 49.489; TX-San Antonio 52.876
Dunkel Line: TX-San Antonio by 3 1/2
Vegas Line: TX-San Antonio by 2
Dunkel Pick: TX-San Antonio (-2)

Game 725-726: Indiana at Iowa (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Indiana 78.032; Iowa 72.751
Dunkel Line: Indiana by 5 1/2; 155
Vegas Line: Indiana by 7; 150
Dunkel Pick: Iowa (+7); Over

Game 727-728: St. Joseph's at Drexel (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Joseph's 60.367; Drexel 57.366
Dunkel Line: St. Joseph's by 3
Vegas Line: St. Joseph's by 1
Dunkel Pick: St. Joseph's (-1)

Game 729-730: Utah State at Texas State (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Utah State 57.704; Texas State 48.348
Dunkel Line: Utah State by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Utah State by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Utah State (-5 1/2)

Game 731-732: Gonzaga at Oklahoma State (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Gonzaga 70.645; Oklahoma State 69.794
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 1; 140
Vegas Line: Oklahoma State by 1 1/2; 136
Dunkel Pick: Gonzaga (+1 1/2); Over

Game 733-734: Nevada at Oregon (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Nevada 57.747; Oregon 73.196
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Oregon by 12
Dunkel Pick: Oregon (-12)

Game 735-736: New Mexico at St. Louis (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Mexico 64.238; St. Louis 69.531
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 5 1/2; 118
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 3 1/2; 123
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-3 1/2); Under

Game 737-738: North Texas at Middle Tennessee State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Texas 52.022; Middle Tennessee State 64.638
Dunkel Line: Middle Tennessee State by 12 1/2; 137
Vegas Line: Middle Tennessee State by 14; 132
Dunkel Pick: North Texas (+14); Over

Game 739-740: New Mexico State at Louisiana Tech (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Mexico State 56.642; Louisiana Tech 63.139
Dunkel Line: Louisiana Tech by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Louisiana Tech by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Louisiana Tech (-5 1/2)

Game 741-742: Harvard at St. Mary's (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 60.307; St. Mary's 70.030
Dunkel Line: St. Mary's by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A

Game 743-744: NC-Greensboro at NC State (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC-Greensboro 45.100; NC State 68.692
Dunkel Line: NC State by 23 1/2; 170
Vegas Line: NC State by 25; 166
Dunkel Pick: NC-Greensboro (+25); Over

Game 745-746: Iona at St. Bonaventure (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 57.617; St. Bonaventure 65.344
Dunkel Line: St. Bonaventure by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Bonaventure by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Bonaventure (-4 1/2)

Game 747-748: Rider at Delaware (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Rider 48.906; Delaware 57.803
Dunkel Line: Delaware by 9
Vegas Line: Delaware by 7
Dunkel Pick: Delaware (-7)

Game 749-750: College of Charleston at Marist (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: College of Charleston 55.565; Marist 51.511
Dunkel Line: College of Charleston by 4
Vegas Line: College of Charleston by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Marist (+5 1/2)

Game 751-752: UMKC at NE-Omaha (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UMKC 42.637; Omaha 38.880
Dunkel Line: UMKC by 4
Vegas Line: UMKC by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NE-Omaha (+5 1/2)

Game 753-754: South Dakota at Kansas State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Dakota 48.680; Kansas State 68.561
Dunkel Line: Kansas State by 20
Vegas Line: Kansas State by 22 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Dakota (+22 1/2)

Game 755-756: Jacksonville State at Tennessee-Martin (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville State 48.829; Tennessee-Martin 44.400
Dunkel Line: Jacksonville State by 4 1/2
Vegas Line: Jacksonville State by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee-Martin (+6 1/2)

Game 761-762: Central Connecticut State at Syracuse (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Connecticut State 47.955; Syracuse 73.881
Dunkel Line: Syracuse by 26; 156
Vegas Line: Syracuse by 28; 151 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Central Connecticut State (+28); Over

Jimmy BoydFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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NC State vs. VanderbiltFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
Play: NC StateFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Vanderbilt has been on a run to end the year with six straight wins, but taking a closer look that run isn't nearly as impressive as it sounds. It all started with a win against Auburn, followed by UMass, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Tennessee, and Wake Forest. That lineup isn't exactly murderer's row and it showed, the only time the team was an underdog was against Ole Miss, a game they won despite being out gained by nearly 100 yards. NC State had a disappointing loss back on 11/3 against Virginia, but bounced back with a 37-6 win over Wake Forest, played tough against Clemson while covering the 15 point spread, then finishing the year off with a 17 point win over Boston College. Again, not exactly a stretch that will knock your socks off, but it's not terrible either. Not many people are going to want to back the Wolfpack, even getting a touchdown here. You have to look at the Commodores being seven-point favorites and shake your head a little. The three teams they laid this much wood against was Presbyterian, Umass, and Wake Forest. I think NC State is a few steps up in class than those three teams.

David ChanFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Brooklyn vs. San Antonio
Pick: BrooklynFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Brooklyn is 16-14 SU and 13-15-2 ATS; it's coming off back to back victories, including a 103-100 win over Cleveland as an 8.5 point favorite on the 29th. The Nets are now 2-0 under coach PJ Carlesimo. Brook Lopez had 35 points and 11 boards.
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Joe Johnson and Deron Williams each had 15 points.
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Note that the Nets are in fact 6-5 ATS this year vs. good offensive teams that score 99 plus points per contest.
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The Spurs are coming off a 111-86 win at Dallas last night, easily covering the 5.5 point spread.
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Tony Parker had 21 points and nine assists; Manu Ginobili had 20 points; Tim Duncan had 18 points, 10 boards and three blocks.
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Note though that San Antonio is in fact just 5-7 ATS in its last 12 when playing against a team with a winning record.
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The Spurs are playing at a very high level now, but come into this contest as almost double digit favorites, a night after winning big on the road and facing a Nets team which has definitely turned a corner.
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I won't call for an outright upset, but believe this one ends much closer than what the oddsmakers are leading us to believe; consider a second look at Brooklyn in this matchup.

Tony GeorgeFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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USC vs. Georgia Tech
Play: Georgia TechFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Monte Kiffen and his son Lane have their hands full with the GT triple option attack. I have seen enough of USC this year to know Monte Kiffen has issues with explosive offenses, as Oregon and others ran all over them, and this is a tough attack to stop. I would put the ACC about the same level as the PAC 12 in terms of strength of conference but it is the defenses of USC that will yeild points in this game and keep Georgia Techs potent attack in this game. QB Barkely is out and the frosh takes the helm again for USC in a bowl game, and while talented, he will be under pressure to perform. GT not a powetrhouse on defense either so the Over 62 worth a look, but this sets up to be a track meet, and I have no doubt WR Lee will have a big day but I like tight one here. Lane Kiffen the most over rated coach in football right now in my opinion, cannot trust him in a big game like this, he has failed in every big game he played this year. Should be a good game, but got to take the points.

Jeff AlexanderFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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NC State/Vanderbilt UNDER 52FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Monday's free pick goes on the Under of the NC State/Vanderbilt Music City Bowl matchup behind a proven system. Plays Under on neutral field teams when the total is between 49.5 and 56 (Vandy in this case) that have won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games, provided it is a non-conference game between teams from major FBS conferences, are 44-15 since 1992. We've seen an average over/under line of 52.9 points in this situation and the teams have combined to score just 48.3 points on average. Bet the Under.

Dave PriceFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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NC State +7.5FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Vanderbilt is being overvalued here. Make no mistake about it, Vandy benefited from playing a soft schedule down the stretch. The Commodores played South Carolina tough in their opener but were then defeated by double digits by Northwestern, Georgia and Florida. Vandy's best win is a 27-26 victory at 6-6 Ole Miss. NC State, meanwhile, showed what it is capable of by defeated 12th-ranked, 11-2 Florida State 17-16. The fact the Wolfpack were able to come back from 16 down against an elite team tells me no lead will be safe for Vandy in this contest. The Wolfpack are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 bowl games and 5-1-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games. Take the points.

Timothy BlackFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Iowa State vs. Tulsa
Play: TulsaFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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These two teams opened their seasons with Tulsa losing to Iowa State in Ames on September 1st. Tulsa lost just one other time this year, and besides being able to play the revenge card, I think Tulsa has simply shown more improvement than the Cyclones throughout the season. Tulsa is just outside the top 10 in the NCAA ranks by rushing for over 240 ypg! Also, the Tulsa defense is a top 20 squad against the rush, allowing just over 120 ypg. These are the key areas of my focus that get Tulsa the win Monday afternoon. The Golden Hurricanes are looking for their 11th win of the season, a mark just one other team in school history has reached. Look for that motivation to help drive them to a close, low scoring win against Iowa State.

Jack JonesFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Tulsa +2FOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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The Tulsa Golden Hurricane won Conference-USA by beating a very good Central Florida team twice, including a 33-27 overtime victory in the conference championship game. This is a team that certainly got better as the season progressed, and it has managed to win 10 games, which is a bar only achieved by very good football programs.
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A closer look at the numbers shows how solid this team really is. Tulsa is scoring 35.0 points per game while ranking 25th in the country in total offense at 460.8 yards per game. It is allowing 24.2 points per game while ranking 34th in the land in total defense at 353.9 yards per game. As you can see, it is outgaining opponents by an average of 106.9 yards per game. To compare, Iowa State is getting outgained by 72.6 yards per game on the season.
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There’s no question that the Golden Hurricane want revenge from their earlier loss to the Cyclones, which came on the road. On a neutral field this time around, they will certainly put up a much better fight. Iowa State has to be disappointed in the fact that it will play an opponent that it has already beaten, so it really has nothing to prove. Tulsa will have no problem getting motivated to play a team that it lost to earlier this season.
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Iowa State is 3-13 ATS in road games off a close loss by 7 points or less to a conference rival since 1992. Tulsa is 7-0 ATS in road games vs. poor passing defenses – allowing a completion percentage of 58% or worse over the last 3 seasons. It is winning in this spot by an average of 13.4 points per game. Bet Tulsa in the Liberty Bowl Monday.

RICH SPORTS

New Mexico + 4

Play New Mexico plus the points versus St Louis. St Louis has faced only 2 decent teams this year and lost both of those games. New Mexico has faced 2 top 50 teams and has won both of those games including an upset at then undefeated Cincinnati. The Lobo’s are well coached and have won games at Cincy, New Mexico State, and Indiana State. I think they stay within the spread in this one.

LSU - 6

Play LSU minus the points versus Clemson. The Clemson Tigers have not seen a defense that is even close to these Tigers. The only team they faced that was even close was South Carolina in their season finale which they scored a season low 17 points and lost by 10. LSU finished the season strong winning 5 of 6 games, losing only a game late to the Tide. The last time I remember LSU playing in the Georgia Dome was against the Hurricanes in a bowl game and they blew them out.

Bob Balfe

LSU -6 over Clemson

I love the skill players on Clemson, but this game is going to come down to the big boys one the line. LSU has much more talent on both sides of the ball and will just wear down the line with their physical play. I don’t think Clemson will be able to stop the run and on defense this years LSU team has been nothing but lights out. This spread seems high but by the 4th quarter if this game is close the Tigers will run away with it just due to pure size, speed and strength. Its great to have skilled players, but if you don’t have time to get them the ball it really does you no good. Take LSU.

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Charlotte vs. Chicago
Pick: UnderFOR FREE SERVICE PLAYS VISIT THESPREAD.COM
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Chicago ranks among the best in the NBA defensively, allowing an average of just 91.5 points per game. They are coming off another stellar performance in their last game, limiting the lowly Washington Wizards to just 77 points in an 87-77 home win on Saturday.
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The Wizards are one of the poorest teams in the league, and they only average 88 points per game, but the Bobcats aren't much better.
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The Bulls will host Charlotte on Monday, and the Bobcats haven't won a game since November 24, when they beat the Wizards in Washington. Since then the Bobcats have averaged just 90 points per game, and have only hit 39 percent of their shots from the field.
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Chicago hasn't been that strong offensively either, only averaging just 86.3 points over their last three games, but considering the opposition, they may not need to score a lot to win this game.
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The two teams have faced each other three times in 2012, and each of those meetings failed to combine for over 185 points. The total in this game is higher than each of those previous meetings, and it appears the value lies with a play on the UNDER.

Red Dog Sports

Harvard vs. Saint Mary's California
Play: Harvard

Take Harvard +13 as the Crimson just won at Cal by 67-62. They won at Boston College by 16 about a month ago and only lost at UConn by 8 points in a low scoring contest. St. Mary's is a very good team and should win this game but Harvard should be adjusted to west coast time. I think Harvard stays within 8 to 12 points.

Rob Vinciletti

GONZAGA vs. OKLAHOMA STATE
PLAY: GONZAGA

Gonzaga has won all 4 meetings in the series and has played a tougher schedule than Ok. St. The 23 rd toughest in the country to be exact. Gonzaga has been playing tough non conference teams while Oklahoma St has been beating up on the cream puff they put on their schedule of late. Gonzaga has won 6 of 7 vs winning teams and the last 4 vs the Big 12 conference. Ok. St has dropped 10 of the last 15 vs teams who can scored and average 77 or more points per game. Look for Gonzaga to get the win here tonight as a small dog.

Jim Feist

Bobcats at Bulls
Pick: Over

The Charlotte Bobcats are one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA. In fact, they are 30th in the NBA in points allowed (104.5). Charlotte brings a 18 game losing streak into tonight's contest. Even a 21-point lead against the Hornets on Saturday evaporated into another loss, 98-85. The Bulls haven't put a lot of points on the board this season, in fact they have over 100 in just six games. However, this is their first game of the year against the Cats and that might be just what the doctor ordered for this club. Don't expect the Bulls to have much trouble with the Bobcats, the only question for this game going OVER is if the Bulls don't sit a lot of starters down the stretch. Still, I'm taking the over in what should be an easy Bulls win.