Free Picks: Service Plays for Saturday, December 14

DUNKEL INDEX

NCAAB

New Mexico vs. Kansas
The 6-3 Jayhawks head to Kansas City looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses to Colorado and Florida as they play a New Mexico team that is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games against a team with a winning SU record. Kansas is the pick (-5 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Jayhawks favored by 8 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Kansas (-5 1/2)

Game 517-518: VCU at Northern Iowa (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 65.409; Northern Iowa 63.844
Dunkel Line: VCU by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: VCU by 6
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (+6)

Game 519-520: Youngstown State at Pittsburgh (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Youngstown State 48.714; Pittsburgh 75.573
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 27
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 20
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-20)

Game 521-522: Arizona at Michigan (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 72.127; Michigan 70.725
Dunkel Line: Arizona by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Michigan by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+1 1/2)

Game 523-524: Western Kentucky at Louisville (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Kentucky 51.252; Louisville 82.080
Dunkel Line: Louisville by 31
Vegas Line: Louisville by 22
Dunkel Pick: Louisville (-22)

Game 525-526: Loyola Marymount at Valparaiso (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Loyola Marymount 53.506; Valparaiso 59.549
Dunkel Line: Valparaiso by 6
Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 10 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Loyola Marymount (+10 1/2)

Game 527-528: Central Michigan at Dayton (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Central Michigan 48.214; Dayton 71.783
Dunkel Line: Dayton by 23 1/2
Vegas Line: Dayton by 18
Dunkel Pick: Dayton (-18)

Game 529-530: Princeton at Penn State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Princeton 59.096; Penn State 62.131
Dunkel Line: Penn State by 3
Vegas Line: Penn State by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Princeton (+5 1/2)

Game 531-532: Old Dominion at Georgia State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Old Dominion 51.968; Georgia State 61.877
Dunkel Line: Georgia State by 10
Vegas Line: Georgia State by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Georgia State (-7 1/2)

Game 533-534: Florida Atlantic at Maryland (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida Atlantic 51.407; Maryland 66.401
Dunkel Line: Maryland by 15
Vegas Line: Maryland by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida Atlantic (+18 1/2)

Game 535-536: Tennessee at Wichita State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee 61.168; Wichita State 76.644
Dunkel Line: Wichita State by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Wichita State by 6
Dunkel Pick: Wichita State (-6)

Game 537-538: Louisiana Tech at Oklahoma State (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Louisiana Tech 63.399; Oklahoma State 73.406
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma State by 10
Vegas Line: Oklahoma State by 13
Dunkel Pick: Louisiana Tech (+13)

Game 539-540: Northern Illinois at Massachusetts (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Illinois 41.825; Massachusetts 71.994
Dunkel Line: Massachusetts by 30
Vegas Line: Massachusetts by 22 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Massachusetts (-22 1/2)

Game 541-542: Notre Dame vs. Indiana (3:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Notre Dame 63.395; Indiana 73.498
Dunkel Line: Indiana by 10
Vegas Line: Indiana by 4
Dunkel Pick: Indiana (-4)

Game 543-544: Arkansas State at Nebraska (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas State 53.810; Nebraska 59.687
Dunkel Line: Nebraska by 6
Vegas Line: Nebraska by 9
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (+9)

Game 545-546: Michigan State at Oakland (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Michigan State 72.648; Oakland 52.116
Dunkel Line: Michigan State by 20 1/2
Vegas Line: Michigan State by 16
Dunkel Pick: Michigan State (-16)

Game 547-548: UC-Riverside at Air Force (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Riverside 45.907; Air Force 48.856
Dunkel Line: Air Force by 3
Vegas Line: Air Force by 7
Dunkel Pick: UC-Riverside (+7)

Game 549-550: Middle Tennessee State at Mississippi (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Middle Tennessee State 59.790; Mississippi 71.387
Dunkel Line: Mississippi by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Mississippi by 9
Dunkel Pick: Mississippi (-9)

Game 551-552: Tulsa at Oklahoma (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tulsa 55.681; Oklahoma 64.886
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma by 9
Vegas Line: Oklahoma by 12
Dunkel Pick: Tulsa (+12)

Game 553-554: Kentucky at North Carolina (5:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kentucky 69.404; North Carolina 70.305
Dunkel Line: North Carolina by 1
Vegas Line: North Carolina by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (+3 1/2)

Game 555-556: Fresno State at California (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 53.697; California 69.992
Dunkel Line: California by 16 1/2
Vegas Line: California by 14
Dunkel Pick: California (-14)

Game 557-558: St. Mary's vs. Boise State (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Mary's 64.044; Boise State 69.043
Dunkel Line: Boise State by 5
Vegas Line: Boise State by 3
Dunkel Pick: Boise State (-3)

Game 559-560: Purdue vs. Butler (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Purdue 62.246; Butler 63.954
Dunkel Line: Butler by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: Butler by 3 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Purdue (+3 1/2)

Game 561-562: Detroit at NC State (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 56.797; NC State 65.594
Dunkel Line: NC State by 9
Vegas Line: NC State by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (+12 1/2)

Game 563-564: New Mexico vs. Kansas (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Mexico 64.721; Kansas 73.087
Dunkel Line: Kansas by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Kansas by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kansas (-5 1/2)

Game 565-566: West Virginia vs. Marshall (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: West Virginia 65.858; Marshall 51.212
Dunkel Line: West Virginia by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: West Virginia by 12
Dunkel Pick: West Virginia (-12)

Game 567-568: Houston at UL-Lafayette (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Houston 55.455; UL-Lafayette 57.119
Dunkel Line: UL-Lafayette by 1 1/2
Vegas Line: UL-Lafayette by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Houston (+9 1/2)

Game 569-570: Xavier vs. Cincinnati (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Xavier 61.090; Cincinnati 69.295
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 8
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-4 1/2)

Game 571-572: UL-Monroe at LSU (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UL-Monroe 48.287; LSU 62.052
Dunkel Line: LSU by 14
Vegas Line: LSU by 16 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UL-Monroe (+16)

Game 573-574: Texas State at Texas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Texas State 51.210; Texas 61.827
Dunkel Line: Texas by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Texas by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Texas State (+14 1/2)

Game 575-576: UC Davis at Stanford (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC Davis 41.315; Stanford 70.109
Dunkel Line: Stanford by 29
Vegas Line: Stanford by 22
Dunkel Pick: Stanford (-22)

Game 577-578: Illinois at Oregon (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois 63.787; Oregon 75.412
Dunkel Line: Oregon by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Oregon by 6 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oregon (-6 1/2)

Game 579-580: South Alabama vs. Gonzaga (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: South Alabama 55.558; Gonzaga 70.109
Dunkel Line: Gonzaga by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: Gonzaga by 16 1/2
Dunkel Pick: South Alabama (+16 1/2)

Game 581-582: BYU at Utah (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BYU 70.025; Utah 66.046
Dunkel Line: BYU by 4
Vegas Line: BYU by 1 1/2
Dunkel Pick: BYU (-1 1/2)

Game 583-584: St. Peter's at Seton Hall (12:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Peter's 45.082; Seton Hall 53.601
Dunkel Line: Seton Hall by 8 1/2
Vegas Line: Seton Hall by 11
Dunkel Pick: St. Peter's (+11)

Game 585-586: Eastern Kentucky at Wisconsin (1:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Kentucky 52.786; Wisconsin 76.001
Dunkel Line: Wisconsin by 23
Vegas Line: Wisconsin by 15 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wisconsin (-15 1/2)

Game 587-588: St. Bonaventure at Iona (2:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: St. Bonaventure 58.508; Iona 62.256
Dunkel Line: Iona by 4
Vegas Line: Iona by 8 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Bonaventure (+8 1/2)

Game 589-590: IUPUI at Marquette (3:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: IUPUI 40.203; Marquette 69.958
Dunkel Line: Marquette by 30
Vegas Line: Marquette by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Marquette (-18 1/2)

Game 591-592: NC Greensboro at Rutgers (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NC Greensboro 46.925; Rutgers 52.412
Dunkel Line: Rutgers by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: Rutgers by 14
Dunkel Pick: NC Greensboro (+14)

Game 593-594: Jacksonville State at Dartmouth (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville State 42.628: Dartmouth 48.775
Dunkel Line: Dartmouth by 6
Vegas Line: Dartmouth by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville State (+7 1/2)

Game 595-596: Idaho State at Washington (4:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 42.245; Washington 59.677
Dunkel Line: Washington by 17 1/2
Vegas Line: Washington by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-12 1/2)

Game 597-598: Belmont at South Dakota State (5:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Belmont 63.564; South Dakota State 53.904
Dunkel Line: Belmont by 9 1/2
Vegas Line: Belmont by 4
Dunkel Pick: Belmont (-4)

Game 599-600: NE-Omaha at Nevada (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: NE-Omaha 51.663; Nevada 53.983
Dunkel Line: Nevada by 2 1/2
Vegas Line: Nevada by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: NE-Omaha (+5 1/2)

Game 601-602: SIU-Edwardsville at IPFW (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: SIU-Edwardsville 43.215; IPFW 54.805
Dunkel Line: IPFW by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: IPFW by 14
Dunkel Pick: SIU-Edwardsville (+14)

Game 603-604: Furman at Clemson (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Furman 37.464; Clemson 69.849
Dunkel Line: Clemson by 32 1/2
Vegas Line: Clemson by 20
Dunkel Pick: Clemson (-20)

Game 605-606: UNLV at Southern Utah (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UNLV 57.823; Southern Utah 44.709
Dunkel Line: UNLV by 13
Vegas Line: UNLV by 16
Dunkel Pick: Southern Utah (+16)

Game 607-608: Wofford at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wofford 44.816; St. Louis 72.974
Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 28
Vegas Line: St. Louis by 17 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-17 1/2)

Game 609-610: Illinois-Chicago at SE Missouri State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois-Chicago 50.079; SE Missouri State 55.954
Dunkel Line: SE Missouri State by 6
Vegas Line: SE Missouri State by 11
Dunkel Pick: Illinois-Chicago (+11)

Game 611-612: WI-Green Bay at South Dakota (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: WI-Green Bay 58.106; South Dakota 50.740
Dunkel Line: WI-Green Bay by 7 1/2
Vegas Line: WI-Green Bay by 5
Dunkel Pick: WI-Green Bay (-5)

Game 613-614: North Dakota State at Ohio State (8:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: North Dakota State 60.075; Ohio State 72.225
Dunkel Line: Ohio State by 12
Vegas Line: Ohio State by 14
Dunkel Pick: North Dakota State (+14)

Game 621-622: New Mexico State at Drake (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: New Mexico State 60.651; Drake 65.492
Dunkel Line: Drake by 5
Vegas Line: Drake by 1
Dunkel Pick: Drake (-1)

AC Dinero

Army vs. Navy
Play: Army +13

Arguably the greatest rivalry in sports, this is the one game where you truly can throw out the records, mainly because of the expectations. When they say records don't matter in the other rivalries, that is a joke. If a team with expectations is having a terrible season, there won't be much difference in their motivation, even against their rival. Big number here. Close to 2 TD's. Army has had a disappointing season, and is on the short end in every stat, particularly the passing game. But the weather will be an issue, so that may not be as big a disadvantage as both teams will run more. Army has played tough in recent years, and I expect no different here.

Carlos Salazar

Army vs Navy
Play: Under 54

Carlos says the Army/Navy game goes under the total once again as the additional week to prepare and familiarity of both teams will lead to a game in the high 30s (maybe low 40s). Play the under with confidence on Saturday.

Carlos Salazar's Featured Package

Prediction Machine

NAVY vs ARMY ♦ -13 ♦ 13.5 ♦ 50.6%

ARMY vs. NAVY ♦ 54.5 ♦ 59.9 ♦ Over 57.0%

The 2013 college football regular season will conclude this Saturday when Army faces Navy in Philadelphia for its traditional rivalry game. Though many games have been close, including last season's 17-13 contest, Navy has dominated the series as of late. The Midshipmen have won eleven straight contests over the Army Knights. Expect something similar this weekend as the two teams square off in what could be a fun shootout in the snow that is ultimately won by about two touchdowns by the favored team.

Having faced the nation's 69th ranked schedule, Navy is 7-4 straight-up and 7-3 against-the-spread. The Midshipmen have qualified for a bowl and are already headed to the Armed Forces Bowl to take on Middle Tennessee State on December 30th. In our final regular season College Football Power Rankings, Navy ranks 63rd overall. Not only does the team run the ball more than 83% of the time, the Midshipmen rank among the top 25 nationally in running efficiency. Led by sophomore quarterback Keenan Reynolds' 1,124 rushing yards on 250 carries, Navy averaged 5.4 yards-per-carry this season. Reynolds also threw for 1,028 yards on 9.0 yards-per-pass, eight touchdowns and two interceptions. In the team's seven wins, Navy averaged 40.9 points-per-game and seven of the Navy's 11 games featured more than 54 points (a defense that ranks 88th against the pass and 79th against the run contributed to the shootouts).

Army is 3-8 straight-up and 4-6 against-the-spread despite playing just the 113th ranked schedule in FBS. The Black Knights rank 107th overall in our College Football Power Rankings. Like Navy, Army runs the ball a lot (82% of the time), is efficient running the ball (40th ranked running team on a per play basis in our calculations, 5.5 yards-per-carry) and is terrible at defense (#123 against the pass and #112 against the run nationally). The Black Knights averaged 30.6 points-per-game in seven contests that they played against below average FBS run defenses. Four of Army's 11 games featured more than 54 points, while two more featured exactly 54 points scored.

Weather may be a factor in this game, yet that could actually help the offenses, especially with their lean towards running the ball. As was illustrated in the NFL last week, it's not tough to put up points in the snow when running the ball or getting players open in space on special teams plays. The current forecast from our phenomenal weather prognosticator, Charlie Schlott, calls for temperatures right around freezing and some rain/sleet/snow mix. Snow will likely fall throughout the first half and one to two inches of accumulation during the game is possible. The wind should not be a factor (and would not really be anyway with two teams that don't throw the ball).

In the conditions, with two bad defensive teams and two efficient running teams, high scores are likely. According to 50,000 games played by the Predictalator, Navy wins on average just 69.9% of the time and by an average score of 36.7-23.2. As 13 point favorites winning by just 13.5 points, Navy does not cover the spread at a high enough percentage to warrant a wager (52.4% accuracy is needed to be profitable when betting 110 to win 100) The OVER (54.5) is playable in this game and covers 57.0% of the time, enough to justify a $48 play from a normal $50 player.

Jim Feist

Los Angeles Clippers vs. Washington Wizards
Play: Los Angeles Clippers -5

This is a tough spot for the home team, the second of a back to back spot, playing at Atlanta last night. They also start a 4-game road trip after this. Washington is still struggling to score, 18th in the NBA in points scored. Their last home game they scored 74 points in a loss to uptempo Denver, missing Bradley Beal and forward Al Harrington. Washington also is without Nene (foot tendinitis) and Martel Webster (ankle sprain). The talented LA Clippers are in town, rested, and the Clippers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 road games. And when these teams meet the road team is 5-2-1 ATS in the last 8 meetings. Play the LA Clippers.

Brandon Shively

Clippers vs. Wizards
Play: Under 194

I released my 10* LINESMAKERS ERROR on Thursday night on the Brooklyn Nets when the Clippers were laying 2.5 points. Tonight they are the last leg of a long 7 game road trip and the feeling here is that the Clippers just want to get back on the plane to sunny California. The Wizards have been a solid money maker on Saturday night's going 11-2 ATS their last 13 on Saturday's. The Wizards have also been great vs. the NBA Pacific with a 8-3-1 ATS mark their last 12 games. The Wizards did just play last night and went into overtime with the Hawks and the starters played significant minutes. Washington has been playing defense as well over their last 5 games only giving up 91 ppg. The Clippers have also slowed the pace of their play down the last 5 games as their games have only been averaging a total score of 181 points. While I want to give the lean on the Wizards in this game, I think there is more value on the UNDER. Washington will not be in a hurry to push the pace in this one, and the Clippers like to run but their offense is not clicking with the loss of JJ Redick. I will use the TREND as my FRIEND tonight guys and advise a solid wager on the UNDER as this one should finish with a final score in the 94-89 range and stay under the total by 8-10 points.

Trends:

Under is 5-0 in Clippers last 5 overall.
Under is 11-1 in Clippers last 12 road games
Under is 6-1 in Clippers last 7 games playing on 1 days rest.
Under is 4-1 in Wizards last 5 vs. Western Conference.
Play on : L.A. Clippers/ Washington Wizards UNDER the TOTAL

Brandon Shively's Featured Package

Ben Burns

Dallas Stars at Winnipeg Jets
Prediction: Winnipeg Jets

Both these teams should be hungry this afternoon. The Stars are looking to get back on track on the road. The Jets are looking to snap an extended skid at home.

The Stars have had success in this series over the years. The Jets won the most recent meeting though, earning a 2-1 (shootout) win at Dallas. Ondrej Pavelec made 35 saves. I expect them to have the advantage here.

The Stars have now given up a power-play goal in six straight games away from Dallas. Meanwhile, the Jets are 8 for 23 (34.8%) on the power-play their last six games here at Winnipeg.

The Jets, 6-3 (+4) the last nine times that they gave up four or more goals in their previous game, haven't lost six straight home games since the team moved from Atlanta. They're still outshooting teams by an average of 35.6 to 30.5 here, while the Stars are being outshot on the road.

Knowing they hit the road after this, I expect a determined effort from the Jets and feel that they have a solid shot at picking up a "W." At roughly a pick'em price, I also believe the line is reasonable. Consider Winnipeg.

Rob Vinciletti

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Charlotte Bobcats
Play: Los Angeles Lakers +3

Both Charlotte and LA come into this game with no rest after both were road dogs of 10 or more last night. This triggers a nice system which plays against Non divisional home teams with no rest and a total that is 190 or higher if they scored 90 or more and covered the spread last night as a road dog of 10 or more, vs an opponent, like the Lakers here tonight that were also road dogs. These home teams are 5-20 straight up and to the spread since 1995. All road dogs at Charlotte are 9-0 ats when coming off a road game. The Bobcats are 0-3 ats as a home favorite with no rest and 4-10 ats as a home favorite of 3 or less. The Lakers were blown out last night in Kobe Bryants third game back and this is an excellent opportunity for them to get their first win with him back in the lineup. The Lakers have covered 5 of 6 vs non conference teams and have won 9 of the last 10 vs teams that average less than 91 points per game.

Rob Vinciletti's Featured Package

Joe Gavazzi

Oregon -6½

Do not be overly impressed by the Illini defense allowing just 59/38/33. Their lack of aggressiveness has forced an average of only 11 TOs per game. Playing a limited slate, where UNLV has been their toughest opponent, they have gone 9-1 SU, but 4-5 ATS. If the 72-65 home win vs. Dartmouth is an indication, we definitely are not scared. There are few better than molding a team in the early season. Going back to his days at Creighton, HC Altman is 54-32 ATS following a victory in the 1st 10 games of the season (5-1 TY). And there have been plenty of those wins this season, 8 straight to be exact. Altman has done a phenomenal job in molding no fewer than 7 transfers with his returning minions to show a roster that has 6 players averaging double digits. Already, there is a neutral court victory vs. Georgetown and the pulsating 115-105 OT victory at Ole Miss last Sunday. Though it may not be the Ducks fir lined home court, there is ample fan support in nearby Portland to run past an Illini team who is making a big step up in class for this early season contest.

Larry Ness

Notre Dame at Indiana
Pick: Indiana

Indiana lost Oladipo (NBA’s No. 2 pick) and Zeller (NBA’s No. 4 pick) plus Watford, Elston and Hulls from LY’s team. That’s 73.6% of LY’s points and 66.7% of its rebounds. However, the Hoosiers have opened 8-2, scoring 82.7 PPG. The Fighting Irish come in 7-3 and fresh off getting upset 73-69 (OT)at home by North Dakota St this past Wednesday. These two Indiana schools meet in Indianapolis, both looking to establish some chops. Notre Dame is about to begin its first season in the ACC, with little chance of competing against Duke and Syracuse at the top but with hopes that the Irish can be a top-five team in this 15-team league (we’ll see about that).

Indiana won the Big Ten last year but like Notre Dame in the ACC, is more like a top-five team in this year’s Big Ten (just 12 teams). Sophomore PG Yogi Ferrell (16.4-3.2-3.3) and 6-10 freshman Noah Vonleh (12.8-10.0) are Indian’s lone double digit scorers so far, although the 6-8 Hollowell (9.3-4.4), freshman guard Williams (9.1-5.4), key returnee the 6-7 Sheehy (9.0-4.4) and ASU transfer guard Gordon (8.6), all contribute.

Notre Dame has the best (surely the deepest) backcourt in the ACC, as the Irish basically go with a four-guard lineup with the 6-11 Sherman (14.1-7.7) ably stepping into the role filled by Cooley (13.1-10.1) last year. That quartet of guards includes Grant (18.7-6.1 APG), Connaughton (13.9-7.1), Atkins (12.4-3.5-4.8) and Jackson (8.1). Notre Dame’s only other significant contributor is the 6-10 Auguste (6.3-3.6). Notre Dame is an experienced team but like Indiana (a much younger team), is still looking to find an identity.

My vote (bet) says Indiana, which has a stronger inside game and comes in 6-3 ATS compared to Notre Dame’s 2-5-1 ATS mark.

Bruce Marshall

Kings at Senators
Pick: Under

As we have been usually doing with the Kings in recent weeks, we again look "under" for L.A., tonight at Ottawa. Superb defense and goaltending is making it an almost automatic assumption that the Kings are not going to allow more than 2 goals in any game. n their latest string of stinginess, the Kings have allowed five goals in five games, and it's been rookie Martin Jones starting in net over Ben Scrivens for the last four. Jones made his NHL debut Dec. 3 in a 3-2 shootout victory at Anaheim and improved to 4-0-0 with Wednesday's 3-1 win at Toronto. Jones stopped 38 Toronto shots and now has a 0.74 GAA and .974 save percentage to start his career. Meanwhile, Scrivens has had an extended layoff after starting 10 straight games when Quick went down with a groin injury on Nov. 12. In 15 games, he has a 1.56 GAA and league-leading .943 save percentage. Meanwhile, Sens GK Craig Anderson is off of his best effort in a while in Thursday's 2-1 win over Buffalo.

Eddie J

Notre Dame at Indiana
Pick: Indiana

Indiana hosts instate rival Notre Dame. Indiana is 7-2 SU L9 vs ND. Notre Dame has struggled in their L3 against Delaware,Bryant,and North Dakota State. Indiana is a juggernaut at home and will force the Irish to shoot a high percentage to stay in the game.ND are 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall.Indiana is 6-2 L8 ATS.

DAVE COKIN

SAINT MARYS CA VS BOISE STATE
PLAY: BOISE STATE -3

It might pale in comparison to some of the big name duels on the college card today, but don’t overlook Saint Mary’s at Boise State as one of the better matchups on the Saturday board.

The Gaels and Broncos are very close on the numbers, so from that standpoint there’s little to choose here. But the situation is a big factor in my analysis, and that’s where the scales tilt toward the Boise State side from my vantage point.

This will be the first game away from cozy little Moraga for the Gaels. They have one of the stronger home courts around, and it’s not surprising at all that Saint Mary’s is perfect at 7-0, and have really only had one remotely difficult game. Traveling to Boise represents a very different challenge for this team.

Boise State returns home from a nasty one-game road trip to Kentucky. Everything went wrong for the Broncos on this journey. The back end of their flight got grounded due to weather, resulting in the team having to endure a lengthy bus ride to Lexington. Once they arrived, it got much worse. Boise State is a pretty good shooting team, but they couldn’t put it in the ocean against the Wildcats.

When a team has a game that’s completely in contrast with what they usually do, I will often look for a bounce in the other direction next time out. The Broncos are hitting 52% on their twos and 36% on their threes this season. At Kentucky, they bottomed out with a miserable 33% on the deuces and a meager 29% on the treys. Expect a correction to the norm today.

My one concern with Boise State is their lack of depth. I suspect this could be an issue moving forward in conference play. But it’s not really an issue for me here, and it’s not like the Gaels are the deepest squad in the world. The situation is favorable, and the line is certainly reasonable. Put me down for a play on Boise State to garner the win and cover today.

Mid-Major Matt

Illinois Chicago vs SE Missouri State
Pick: SE Missouri State -10.5

The Redhawks are off to a 7-2 start as they host Illinois Chicago on Saturday. SEMO has five players putting up over 10 points per game with a sixth player scoring over nine. Tyler Stone leads the way with 19.3 points per game and 9.6 rebounds. They have won five straight games and are doing so with a potent offense putting up over 70 points in each win. UIC is 3-6 out of the Horizon league having lost three of their last four. Some of their losses have been ugly falling to Eastern Illinois by 20, Northwestern by 35 and Louisiana Tech by 25. This is a team that struggles to score points having put up under 70 in four games this season with a fifth hitting the 70 mark. SEMO has covered in five of their six lined games and 17 of their last 28 games as a favorite. The Flames have failed to cover in five of their last seven games against good offensive teams. I think the Redhawks run away with this one.