Bryan Power
Colorado @ Washington
PICK: Washington -15.5
Off three consecutive SU/ATS losses, I simply don't believe Colorado can be trusted, particularly on the road where they have not won since 2007. Washington is a team currently 'flying under the radar' and off 4 straight ATS wins, including BB outright dog victories, I like the Huskies to really roll the Buffaloes here. Sure enough, the Buffs are now 0-8 ATS their last eight road games and they were a dog in seven of those. In every game but one (Ohio St TY), they have missed covering the spread by double digits. Looking back further, they are 4-17 ATS outside Boulder if they allowed 37 or more points to their previous opponent, which they did LW against Stanford, which was an admittedly bad call by me to take CU plus the huge number. Look for UW to keep the good times rolling. 5* on Washington.
Dave Price
1 Unit on Texas +8
Motivated by last week's embarrassing loss to Oklahoma and out to avenge last season's defeat to Oklahoma State, expect Texas to give the Cowboys a game Saturday afternoon. There is a system in favor of the Longhorns that has been too profitable to ignore. Plays on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (Texas in this case) after 1 or more consecutive straight up losses when matched up against an opponent off 4 or more consecutive straight up wins are 81-39 ATS the last 10 seasons. Teams fitting into this situation have been 7-point underdogs on average but have only lost by an average of 3.8 points. Look for Texas to take Oklahoma State down to the wire.
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Michigan State -2
The Spartans have won the last 3 in this series, and I like them to make it 4 straight Saturday. They have had a bye week to gear up for this one so I expect them to be the more prepared team. Michigan's secondary was among the worst in the nation last season, and it is still a weakness. Look for a Michigan State passing attack that is among the best in the Big Ten to exploit Michigan's pass defense in this one. The Wolverines have been able to put up some good offensive numbers, but nothing will come easy Saturday against a Spartan defense that ranks No. 1 in the country with 173.4 yards allowed per game. The Wolverines are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 road games and a lousy 5-23 ATS in their last 28 conference games. Take Michigan State.
James Patrick Sports
Arizona State vs. Oregon
The excitement level is high in Tempe as ASU returns (17) starters from last year’s club. Junior QB Brock Osweiler (62-109, 797 yds, 5 TD, 0 INT) in charge of the passing offense that ranked 15th in the nation (286 YPG). Osweiler benefits from an O-Line returning all its starters. He also has talented skill players in RBs Cameron Marshall (783 rush yds, 9 TD) and Deantre Lewis (539 rush yds, 5.9 YPC), as well as spring-ball standout WR Gerell Robinson (387 rec yds, 5 TD) and four other receivers who had between (25) and (36) receptions. This is a Veteran Sun Devil Offense that returns (9) starters in total. The ASU defense held six opponents to (20) points or less last year, and returns eight starters. The Sun Devils are (6-1-1) ATS in their last (8) conference games and (8-2) ATS in their last (10) games as an underdog of (10.5) or greater. The Ducks have their webs full in a Saturday Night Special from Eugene as Big Game James Patrick's complimentary selection in Saturday Pac XII action is on Arizona State Sun Devils
EZWINNERS
Oklahoma State Cowboys -8
The OSU Cowboys fresh off of their 70-28 blowout of Kansas bring their guns to Austin where they will try to further bury a Longhorns team that was massacred in the Red River Shootout last week. Texas showed their youth in last weeks game which was the first time they had faced elite competition this year. Well I think the Horns are in for another long day against another elite team from Oklahoma. Mike Gundy's Cowboys are averaging 51 points per game which is number one in the FBS and their questionable defense has been playing much better as of late. The young Texas defense is going to have their hands full trying to slow down the OSU offense and once the Horns offense has to start playing from behind the young quarterbacks from Texas will once again be prone to making costly mistakes. The road team has covered four straight games in this series, Texas is on a 5-15-1 slide against the spread in their last twenty one home games and Oklahoma State is 21-5-2 against the spread in their last eight games as a favorite of 3.5 to 10 points. Lay the points!
The Prez
Purdue at Penn St
Play: Over 41
Everyone that watches college football saw what the Boilermakers did last Saturday to an undermanned Gophers team winning 45-17. It was Purdue's largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since a 62-10 win over Indiana on Nov. 22, 2008. The week before the Irish actually scored 38 against them in Purdue, too. This week the oddsmakers opened a low total in the contest between Purdue and Penn State despite the Boilermakers' numbers coming into this Saturday's contest at Happy Valley.
The Lions are coming off a 13-3 home win over Iowa last week as -4 point favs. Silas Redd ran for 142 yards and Penn State forced three turnovers in the win. Matt McGloin completed 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter for Penn State (5-1), and the Nittany Lions defense intercepted Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg twice in the final seven minutes to preserve the win. State won't scare too many defensive coordinators throwing the football but they did close out their fifth win with 231 yards rushing and 385 overall. Penn State held Iowa to just 84 yards rushing, and won the time of possession battle by nearly 12 minutes.
Note that Purdue is only 2-7-1 ATS the last 10 meetings with PSU and 8-23-1 ATS in October; and while the Nittany Lions are only 4-11 ATS as a home favorite, they do come in 19-7-2 ATS in October games.
The focus here is on the OVER / UNDER. Backing an OVER the total that opens at 42 or less is dependent on two factors, especially when one of the two teams in playing (Purdue) has covered the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games, with a winning record on the season, playing another winning team (Penn State). The trend is a simple one but very successful over the last five college campaigns cashing at a 38-9 (81%) clip. The situational bias is 2-1 this season.
Sharp money has already moved the current number to 41... get a play in on the OVER before the hook shows up.
The Wiseguys
Indiana at Wisconsin
Play: Indiana +40½
While the Hoosiers have not been good at stopping the run the Badgers are offering far too many points against team that is capable of scoring, as is Indiana. The 1-5 Hoosiers travel to undefeated Wisconsin in a game that will present a tough test for the Badgers - tough to get up for that is - and cover the big number (-39). Wisconsin is coming off a bye week after hammering Nebraska two weeks ago in a 48-17 home win as -9 point favs. The Badgers, who won their 13th straight home game, have outscored its opponents by a combined 191 points and has yet to win by fewer than 30 points. The plus-191 point differential is better than any of the last five BCS National Champions through their first 5 games, and has a large impact on the opening pointspread in this affair.
The Badgers demolished Indiana last season in an 83-20 shellacking as -22½ point home favorites, the most points scored by any team in a Big Ten game since Ohio State scored 83 against Iowa in 1950. While it won't matter too much to Whiskey you know that Indiana not only remembers this beat down they won't allow it to happen again.
The "over" is 9-1 in the last 10 meetings between the two clubs but playing against the home chalk here is the only valued angle in this game. Playing against a home team (Wisconsin) that rushes for 4.8 yards or more per carry against a team (Indiana) that has allowed 4.3 to 4.8 yards per carry on the season after gaining 225 or more rushing yards in 3 straight games has been a cash cow. The trend is 30-5 (85.7%) over the last 20 college campaigns and is 1-0 this season.
Wisconsin has a huge road game next week in Lansing against the Spartans and won't be interested in pouring it on late in what should be a conference cake walk. Take Indiana and the near 40 points on Saturday. If the Hoosiers can put up 14-20 points against Whiskey it should be enough to cover the number
Purdue at Penn State
Play: Over 41
Everyone that watches college football saw what the Boilermakers did last Saturday to an undermanned Gophers team winning 45-17. It was Purdue's largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since a 62-10 win over Indiana on Nov. 22, 2008. The week before the Irish actually scored 38 against them in Purdue, too. This week the oddsmakers opened a low total in the contest between Purdue and Penn State despite the Boilermakers' numbers coming into this Saturday's contest at Happy Valley.
The Lions are coming off a 13-3 home win over Iowa last week as -4 point favs. Silas Redd ran for 142 yards and Penn State forced three turnovers in the win. Matt McGloin completed 12-of-19 passes for 133 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter for Penn State (5-1), and the Nittany Lions defense intercepted Iowa quarterback James Vandenberg twice in the final seven minutes to preserve the win. State won't scare too many defensive coordinators throwing the football but they did close out their fifth win with 231 yards rushing and 385 overall. Penn State held Iowa to just 84 yards rushing, and won the time of possession battle by nearly 12 minutes.
Note that Purdue is only 2-7-1 ATS the last 10 meetings with PSU and 8-23-1 ATS in October; and while the Nittany Lions are only 4-11 ATS as a home favorite, they do come in 19-7-2 ATS in October games.
The focus here is on the OVER / UNDER. Backing an OVER the total that opens at 42 or less is dependent on two factors, especially when one of the two teams in playing (Purdue) has covered the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games, with a winning record on the season, playing another winning team (Penn State). The trend is a simple one but very successful over the last five college campaigns cashing at a 38-9 (81%) clip. The situational bias is 2-1 this season.
Sharp money has already moved the current number to 41... get a play in on the OVER before the hook shows up.
Tom Stryker
Western Michigan vs. No Illinois
Play: No Illinois +1½
If you plan on fading Northern Illinois in its own backyard, you better have a darn good reason. The Huskies are a spotless 12-0 SU and 9-1 ATS in their last 12 in DeKalb and have won by an average of 23.7 points per game! Now that is home dominance!
Overall, MAC home teams have been good investments in conference play provided they’re matched up against an opponent that checks in off two or more straight up wins – now 94-63 ATS. Equally impressive, since 1980, college football home dogs are a reliable 116-77 ATS provided they arrive off a pair of strong offensive performances in which they scored 35 points or more each time. If our “play on” host scoots in off a SU and ATS victory, this college system tightens up to a spectacular 74-42 ATS! NIU applies to both parts of that profitable technical puzzle.
Behind the arm of quarterback Alex Carder and the hands of wide receiver Jordan White, Western Michigan has assembled an offense that ranks first in the conference in passing averaging 310.6 yards per game. Matched up against a Northern Illinois defense that surrenders an average of 34.6 points and 428.2 yards per game, there is some concern that the Huskies won’t be able to stop the Broncos. Fortunately, the Huskies own one of the top offensive lines in the country and QB Chandler Harish has enough talent and skill to keep NIU competitive in this game. Northern Illinois is averaging 37.7 points and 447.0 yards offensively this season and head coach Dave Doeren’s troops will have no trouble finding the endzone.
Technically speaking, this isn’t the greatest spot for WMU. Since October 27th, 2001, the Broncos are a jaw-dropping 7-29 SU and 7-26-3 ATS matched up against an opponent that enters off a blowout victory of seven points or more including a terrible 0-9-1 ATS in this set coming off a straight up win of six points or more of their own.
Coach Doeren’s surging “D” limited Kent to 64 yards in last week’s 40-10 home win over the Golden Flashes and recorded eight quarterback sacks. In this encore performance, the Huskies stop unit will key this important MAC West victory. Take Northern Illinois!
Accuwager
Michigan vs. Michigan State
Play: Michigan +3
The 11th-ranked Michigan Wolverines (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS) remained undefeated by routing Northwestern 42-24 in Week 6 and will look to snap a three-game losing streak against the Michigan State Spartans (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) in Week 7 when the two in-state rivals meet at Spartan Stadium at noon in what has long been one of the most heated rivalries in all of college football. The Spartans are coming off a narrow 10-7 upset win over Ohio State on Saturday in which they managed to cash in as a 3-point road underdog and move to 3-1 ATS in their last quartet of contests. Michigan cashed in for the third straight game by covering the spread as a 7-point road favorite at Northwestern and bring a formidable offense led by athletic quarterback Denard Robinson, into East Lansing. Michigan owns the seventh-ranked rushing attack in the nation, averaging a whopping 257.0 yards on the ground per game. The Wolverines also average a whopping 38.0 points per contest (21st) and just a shade over 200 passing yards per contest (90th). Michigan State's No. 1 overall defense allows just 109.4 passing yards per game (2nd), 64.0 rushing per contest, (third) and just 10.2 points per contest (third). Nevertheless, I genuinely believe the Michigan Wolverines are going to find a way to get the rare road win for their seniors that have never beaten the Spartans. The Road team in this rivalry is 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings while Michigan State has gone 0-5 ATS in their last five games as a home favorite of three (3.0 points or less. The only time the Wolverines have failed to cover the spread was in their 31-3 Week 3 win over Eastern Michigan – and they only failed to do so by a half-point. I like them to get the job done in a thriller as the nearly unstoppable Denard Robinson leads the new-look Wolverines further into their new era under Brady Hoke by snapping their three-year skid against the Spartans!
Ohio State vs. Illinois
Play: Illinois -4
The Ohio State Buckeyes (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) have lost two straight games, including their 34-27 Week 6 loss to Nebraska. The Buckeyes fell apart in the second half, getting outscored 28-7, though they did manage to cash in for gridiron gamblers as a 10-point road dog. The Illinois Fighting Illini (6-0 SU, 3-3 ATS) remained unbeaten by spanking Indiana 41-20 the last time out to cash in as a huge, 14-point home favorite and snap a two-game ATS losing streak. Both teams are allowing an identical 17.8 points per game defensively, but Illinois is averaging 34.7 points per contest on offense, which is 10.4 more per game than Ohio State, which is why I'm surprised the Fighting Illini' are only 4-point home favorites. Ohio State is 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings against Illinois and 1-4 ATS in their last five road games against the Fighting Illini. The Home team is 5-2 ATS in the L/7 meetings and Illinois is just too good for the rebuilding Buckeyes this year, particularly with quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase having an outstanding season through six games. The sophomore has thrown 10 TD passes this season and just three picks. Play the Illinois Fighting Illini' as the easy pick in this one college football bettors.
Oklahoma St vs. Texas
Play: Oklahoma St -7
The explosive sixth-ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys (5-0 SU, 4-1 ATS) are ranked first in the nation in scoring, averaging a whopping 51.4 points per game this season. The Cowboys are also ranked second in passing as senior quarterback Brandon Weeden has thrown a stellar 15 TD passes and just six interceptions through a half-dozen games. Oklahoma State pounded the snot out of Kansas in Week 6 to easily cash in as a huge 31-point home favorite to move to a perfect 4-0 ATS over its L/4 games. The 22nd-ranled Texas Longhorns (4-1 SU, 3-2 ATS) are coming off a humbling 55-17 loss against No. 2 Oklahoma on Saturday in which they failed to cover the spread as 11-point home underdogs. The Longhorns fumbled five times while losing three of them in the loss while also throwing two interceptions and allowing a whopping 42 points over the second and third quarters. The quarterback combination of David Ash and Case McCoy combined to complete just 20 of 36 passes with Ash throwing both picks. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Texas Longhorns could be looking at an even bigger defeat than the one they absorbed last week. Oklahoma is 13-3 ATS in its L/16 games while Texas has gone 6-114 ATS over their L/20. The Longhorns are also just 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 home games while Oklahoma State has compiled an impressive 6-1 ATS mark in their L/7 conference games. With the Favorite going 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings in this Big 12 rivalry and the Road team going a perfect 4-0 ATS in the last four meetings, not to mention the fact that Oklahoma State's offense is absurdly explosive this season – this pick is as easy as pie. Play the Oklahoma State Cowboys to roll people!
LSU vs. Tennessee
Play: LSU -16.5
Ho-hum. The LSU Tigers (6-0 SU, 4-2 ATS, 3-3 O/U) cruised to another emphatic win by spanking the Florida Gators 41-11 to easily cash in for betting backers as a 14-point home favorite. The Tennessee Volunteers (3-2 SU, 2-1-2 ATS, 3-2 O/U) took a tough 20-12 loss on the chin in their SEC showdown against Georgia the last time out while failing to cash in as a 2.5-point home underdog. The Vols fell to 1-2 SU over its last three games and now gets the big prize of hosting the nation's top ranked team. The good news for Touthouse college football bettors that are looking to cash in is that this pick is like taking candy from a baby – really! While the Vols apparently have a real gem in sophomore quarterback Tyler Bray (14 TDs, 2 Ints) the young Volunteers are clearly not in the same caliber of ballclubs as the Tigers, mostly on the defensive side of the ball. While Tennessee averages just under six points per game fewer than LSU, the Tigers' overpowering defense is giving up just 12.5 points per game defensively, almost eight points per game less than Tennessee. The key to this contest however, is as simple as looking at Tennessee's two SEC losses this season. Basically, I'm saying that if the Vols fell to Georgia by eight points and Florida by 10 points, then losing to the Tigers by two touchdowns sounds like more of a certainty than anything. Tennessee is 0-4 ATS in their last four games as a home underdog while LSU has gone 4-1 ATS in their L/5 games against a team with a winning record. The road team in this SEC rivalry has gone 4-0-2 ATS in the L/6 meetings, so keep it simple and play the deeper and more experienced Tigers to get 'er done SU and ATS style in this one.
Boise State vs. Colorado State
Play: Colorado State +32
The fifth-ranked Boise State Broncos (5-0 SU, 3-2 ATS, 2-3 O/U) may be one of the top teams in the nation, with their explosive 13th-ranked offense (40.6 ppg) and stellar 10th-ranked defense (14.8 ppg) but I'm going on record to say that the Broncos will narrowly miss out on covering the spread at mediocre Colorado State(3-2 SU, 1-4 ATS, 3-2 O/U) when the two battle on Saturday. The Rams are coming off a heartbreaking 38-31 home loss against San Jose State as a 3.5-point home favorite in Week 6, but I think they've got just enough juice to cover the spread in this contest. Yes, I know the Broncos blew Fresno State out of the water in its 57-7 Week 6 win as a 21-point road favorite, but Colorado State's defense is a bit better than Fresno State's and I believe they'll improve on their stellar 4-0 ATS mark in their last four home games against a team with a winning record and 9-3 ATS mark in their last dozen games as a home underdog. Boise State is 17-4 ATS in their L/21 games as a road favorite, but I'm backing the Colorado State Rams and the huge 32 points they're getting in Mountain West Conference matchup this week.
Freddy Wills
Central Florida vs. SMU
Play: Central Florida +3½
Too much hype over SMU's victory over an over rated TCU team. TCU is not the same defense or offense as years past. Now UCF which has never lost to SMU will continue their conference dominance 16-5 ATS in their last 21 conf games while SMU is 8-17 ATS in their last 25 home games and 6-15-1 ATS in their last 22 conference games. Central Florida's defense is the real deal they've allowed the 2nd fewest yards on defense in the NATION, and are allowing just 10 ppg. They held SMU to 7 points in the conference championship last year and even more importantly this year SMU can't get off the field on 3rd down allowing opponents to convert 50% of the time while Central Florida is allowing just 24%. That'll be the difference!
Jack Clayton
UAB at Tulsa
Pick: Tulsa
Alabama Birmingham (0-5 SU/3-2 ATS) hasn’t played much defense (35 ppg allowed) for coach Neil Callaway (15-38 record with them). Tulsa has a wide open offense (28 ppg) and returns senior QB G.J. Kinne (9 TDs, 6 INTs). Play Tulsa.
Jimmy Boyd
1 Unit on Northwestern +6.5
This Iowa team isn't as good as the three teams that have been upset by Northwestern the last three years. The Wildcats have won five of the last six meetings in this series, and they will have an opportunity to continue their dominance of the Hawkeyes Saturday evening. If you've followed Iowa very long, you've witnessed the struggles it has had against spread offenses and versatile quarterbacks. These struggles were apparent in losses last season to Ohio State and Northwestern when Iowa had one of the best defensive lines in the country. Iowa no longer has a dominant defensive front. The Hawkeyes couldn't even muster one sack against Penn State last week. Without a pass rush, Dan Persa, who led the country in completion percentage last year, will pick the Hawkeyes apart. Iowa plays a bend but don't break defense with few blitzes and its cornerbacks give opposing wideouts plenty of space. Look for Persa to march the Wildcats right down the field by taking advantage of all the underneath throws Iowa allows. Northwestern's defense has issues, again, but Iowa hasn't been able to take advantage. The Hawkeyes haven't scored more than 17 points in any of their last three meetings with Northwestern. This is partly due to the conservative nature of Kirk Ferentz. Conservative offensive play cost the Hawkeyes against Penn State, and I wouldn't be surprised if it cost them again Saturday. Iowa will be motivated to end its run of bad luck against NW, but the Wildcats will be equally hungry after blowing double-digit leads the last two weeks. The underdog has covered the spread in each of the last six meetings in this series. The Wildcats are a terrific 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games as a road underdog and 17-4 ATS in their last 21 games as a road underdog of 3.5 to 10 points. We'll take the points.
Jim Feist
East Carolina at Memphis
Pick: East Carolina
East Carolina has a talented offense, but has had a brutal schedule, losing to North Carolina, South Carolina and 17-10 to Virginia Tech, plus a loss to mighty Houston. East Carolina runs a no-huddle spread offense and returns senior QB Dominique Davis (10 TDs, 9 INTs).Memphis (1-5 SU/1-4 ATS) was awful under first year Coach Larry Porter, and looks just as bad allowing 36 ppg. They lost 59-14 to Mississippi State, 47-3 at Arkansas State and 42-0 at home to SMU. The Memphis offense has no ground game and Porter has decided to change the team’s offensive scheme from a pro-style attack to a spread-oriented one. Freshman Taylor Reed (5 TDs, 1 INT) is getting the bulk of the time, though Junior-college transfer sophomore QB Andy Summerlin is seeing some time. And they can’t stop the run, which was a problem last year. Memphis had a 38-31 loss at Middle Tennessee, covering as a +23 dog, but allowing 477 yards (200 rushing) and come off a 28-6 loss at Rice with just 70 yards rushing while turning it over 3 times. The Tigers won only 1 game last season and are 9-21-1 ATS in their last 31 games overall. Play East Carolina!
Tradeline Sports
UNLV at Wyoming
Play: Wyoming -10.5
There may not be a more disappointing team in College Football than the UNLV Running Rebels. They once again failed to show up losing last week 37-0 at rival Nevada as +21 point road 'dogs. While they are not expected to compete on a weekly basis the one part of their game that has been the ugliest is their lack of effort, lack of pride let's say, when they do face a deficit. This team has no leadership and very little character, at least through the first two months of the season.
UNLV quarterback Caleb Herring was sacked five times and didn't complete a pass until 4:17 was left in the game - this my friends is telling. He finished a dismal 1-of-14 for 8 yards and one interception, while Dionz Bradford provided most of the offense for the Rebels with 79 rushing yards on 18 carries.
UNLV was totally dominated - outgained 699-110 in total offense - and had just seven first downs in the game. Had Nevada protected the ball offensively the Rebels would have lost by 50-plus.
Wyoming wasn't very good last Saturday, either, losing 63-19 at Utah State as +10½ point underdogs. Wyoming, which was coming off a 38-14 home loss to nationally-ranked Nebraska the previous week, trailed 42-19 at the half and got outscored 21-0 in the second half. Wyoming is playing with revenge in this one after losing 42-16 in Vegas last year as -4 point road favorites.
There is very little reason to believe that Nevada will change their stripes while Wyoming actually has the ability to put points on the board. Lay the 10 points and know that you have every chance to cover this by the end of the first quarter and never look back.
David Chan
Vancouver Canucks @ Edmonton Oilers
PICK: Vancouver Canucks
I bet value where I see it and look for the 1-2-1 Canucks to hand the 1-0-1 Oilers a loss in their own barn tonight.
Vancouver comes into this contest having had the exact same record at this point last season, and we all know how that turned out in the end:
“Right now, we’re making mistakes,” Henrik Sedin said. “Last year, we waited for the other teams to make mistakes.”
A trip to Edmonton is just what the doctor ordered to get the Canucks stalled power-play untracked; Vancouver had the leagues top power-play unit a year ago, converting on 24.3 % of its chances; compare that to just 16.7 % so far after going 0 for 4 in the 2-0 loss in Detroit on Thursday.
The Oilers are coming off a disheartening 2-1 shootout loss at Minnesota on Thursday.
The Canucks were 4-2-0 vs. the Oilers last year, with Edmonton winning the last two meetings; just more incentive for Vancouver to get into gear here (note that Henrick Sedin had one goal and seven assists while brother Daniel had three goals and three assists in the series).
The door is open for backup goaltender Cory Schneider to get more playing time this year, and he's been the better of the two goaltenders so far, but expect Roberto Luongo in net tonight as he'll also look to return to form against a team he's enjoyed plenty of success against.
I'm laying the price on this Western Conference powerhouse!