Free Picks: Service Plays for Thursday, December 29

DUNKEL INDEX

NCAAB

Vanderbilt at Marquette
The Golden Eagles look to take advantage of a Vanderbilt team that is coming off am 89-58 win over Lafayette and is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games following a SU victory. Marquette is the pick (-8 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the Golden Eagles favored by 10. Dunkel Pick: Marquette (-8 1/2)

Game 541-542: VCU at Akron (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: VCU 66.626; Akron 67.691
Dunkel Line: Akron by 1; 141
Vegas Line: VCU by 1 1/2; 137 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Akron (+1 1/2); Over

Game 543-544: Florida at Rutgers (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida 73.260; Rutgers 60.466
Dunkel Line: Florida by 13; 148
Vegas Line: Florida by 10 1/2; 143
Dunkel Pick: Florida (-10 1/2); Over

Game 545-546: William & Mary at Miami (OH) (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: William & Mary 40.313; Miami (OH) 56.066
Dunkel Line: Miami (OH) by 16; 127
Vegas Line: Miami (OH) by 13 1/2; 123 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Miami (OH) (-13 1/2); Over

Game 547-548: WI-Green Bay at Butler (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: WI-Green Bay 54.358; Butler 58.349
Dunkel Line: Butler by 4; 118
Vegas Line: Butler by 8 1/2; 123
Dunkel Pick: WI-Green Bay (+8 1/2); Under

Game 549-550: Yale at Wake Forest (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Yale 52.452; Wake Forest 54.170
Dunkel Line: Wake Forest by 1 1/2; 146
Vegas Line: Wake Forest by 4; 141
Dunkel Pick: Yale (+1 1/2); Over

Game 551-552: Harvard at Boston College (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Harvard 64.919; Boston College 50.916
Dunkel Line: Harvard by 14; 118
Vegas Line: Harvard by 11 1/2; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Harvard (-11 1/2); Under

Game 553-554: Penn State at Michigan (7:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Penn State 54.671; Michigan 68.471
Dunkel Line: Michigan by 14; 121
Vegas Line: Michigan by 12 1/2; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Michigan (-12 1/2); Under

Game 555-556: Georgia Tech at Fordham (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Georgia Tech 56.343; Fordham 52.531
Dunkel Line: Georgia Tech by 4; 127
Vegas Line: Georgia Tech by 8; 126
Dunkel Pick: Fordham (+8); Over

Game 557-558: Detroit at Illinois-Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 55.082; Illinois-Chicago 46.310
Dunkel Line: Detroit by 9; 142
Vegas Line: Detroit by 6 1/2; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-6 1/2); Over

Game 559-560: WI-Milwaukee at Valparaiso (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: WI-Milwaukee 59.170; Valparaiso 58.295
Dunkel Line: WI-Milwaukee by 1; 130
Vegas Line: Valparaiso by 1 1/2; 133 1/2
Dunkel Pick: WI-Milwaukee (+1); Under

Game 561-562: Wright State at Loyola-Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wright State 47.590; Loyola-Chicago 52.360
Dunkel Line: Loyola-Chicago by 5; 106
Vegas Line: Loyola-Chicago by 2; 109
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-Chicago (-2); Under

Game 563-564: Southern Illinois at Evansville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Southern Illinois 48.947; Evansville 51.222
Dunkel Line: Evansville by 2 1/2; 130
Vegas Line: Evansville by 6; 133 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Southern Illinois (+6); Under

Game 565-566: Northern Iowa at Illinois State (8:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Iowa 62.802; Illinois State 58.566
Dunkel Line: Northern Iowa by 4; 117
Vegas Line: Northern Iowa by 1 1/2; 119 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Iowa (-1 1/2); Under

Game 567-568: Arkansas-Little Rock at North Texas (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arkansas-Little Rock 48.498; North Texas 52.759
Dunkel Line: North Texas by 4 1/2; 126
Vegas Line: North Texas by 6; 130
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas-Little Rock (+6); Under

Game 569-570: Florida International at Middle Tennessee State (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Florida International 47.838; Middle Tennessee State 63.307
Dunkel Line: Middle Tennessee State by 15 1/2; 135
Vegas Line: Middle Tennessee State by 19; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Florida International (+19); Over

Game 571-572: Western Kentucky at UL-Monroe (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Western Kentucky 46.671; UL-Monroe 42.428
Dunkel Line: Western Kentucky by 4; 122
Vegas Line: Western Kentucky by 1; 126
Dunkel Pick: Western Kentucky (-1); Under

Game 573-574: Kent State at Arkansas State (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Kent State 60.764; Arkansas State 59.505
Dunkel Line: Kent State by 1 1/2; 120
Vegas Line: Kent State by 3 1/2; 127 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Arkansas State (+3 1/2); Under

Game 575-576: Vanderbilt at Marquette (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Vanderbilt 64.269; Marquette 74.786
Dunkel Line: Marquette by 10 1/2; 153
Vegas Line: Marquette by 8 1/2; 148 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Marquette (-8 1/2); Over

Game 577-578: USC at California (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: USC 58.003; California 68.521
Dunkel Line: California by 10 1/2; 110
Vegas Line: California by 12; 113 1/2
Dunkel Pick: USC (+12); Under

Game 579-580: Oklahoma at Cincinnati (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oklahoma 64.570; Cincinnati 70.092
Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 5 1/2; 139
Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 4 1/2; 136 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-4 1/2); Over

Game 581-582: Oregon State at Washington (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon State 62.227; Washington 69.260
Dunkel Line: Washington by 7; 161
Vegas Line: Washington by 5 1/2; 158 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington (-5 1/2); Over

Game 583-584: Troy at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Troy 51.492; Denver 64.005
Dunkel Line: Denver by 12 1/2; 126
Vegas Line: Denver by 14 1/2; 134
Dunkel Pick: Troy (+14 1/2); Under

Game 585-586: UC-Irvine at CS-Northridge (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Irvine 49.079; CS-Northridge 48.636
Dunkel Line: Even; 149
Vegas Line: CS-Northridge by 2 1/2; 145 1/2
Dunkel Pick: UC-Irvine (+2 1/2); Over

Game 587-588: Oregon at Washington State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Oregon 59.014; Washington State 66.936
Dunkel Line: Washington State by 8; 132
Vegas Line: Washington State by 6; 137 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Washington State (-6); Under

Game 589-590: San Francisco at Pepperdine (10:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 56.591; Pepperdine 52.117
Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 4 1/2; 130
Vegas Line: San Francisco by 2; 131 1/2
Dunkel Pick: San Francisco (-2); Under

Game 591-592: UC-Davis at CS-Fullerton (10:05 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UC-Davis 38.298; CS-Fullerton 53.135
Dunkel Line: CS-Fullerton by 15; 154
Vegas Line: CS-Fullerton by 19; 148
Dunkel Pick: UC-Davis (+19); Over

Game 593-594: Fresno State at Pacific (10:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Fresno State 55.334; Pacific 50.698
Dunkel Line: Fresno State by 4 1/2; 135
Vegas Line: Fresno State by 2 1/2; 128
Dunkel Pick: Fresno State (-2 1/2); Over

Game 595-596: UCLA at Stanford (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: UCLA 63.125; Stanford 67.366
Dunkel Line: Stanford by 4; 124
Vegas Line: Stanford by 6 1/2; 127
Dunkel Pick: UCLA (+6 1/2); Under

Game 597-598: BYU at St. Mary's (11:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: BYU 70.785; St. Mary's 70.424
Dunkel Line: Even; 148
Vegas Line: St. Mary's by 3 1/2; 145
Dunkel Pick: BYU (+3 1/2); Over

Game 599-600: Stetson at Central Florida (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Stetson 44.361; Central Florida 62.583
Dunkel Line: Central Florida by 18; 130
Vegas Line: Central Florida by 16 1/2; 135 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Central Florida (-16 1/2); Under

Game 601-602: James Madison at Rhode Island (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: James Madison 55.066; Rhode Island 50.639
Dunkel Line: James Madison by 4 1/2; 140
Vegas Line: James Madison by 10; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Rhode Island (+10); Over

Game 603-604: Wagner at Air Force (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Wagner 58.133; Air Force 49.703
Dunkel Line: Wagner by 8 1/2; 118
Vegas Line: Wagner by 7; 125 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Wagner (-7); Under

Game 605-606: Eastern Michigan at Santa Clara (11:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Eastern Michigan 44.851; Santa Clara 58.169
Dunkel Line: Santa Clara by 13 1/2; 121
Vegas Line: Santa Clara by 11 1/2; 127 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Santa Clara (-11 1/2); Under

Game 607-608: Arkansas-Pine Bluff vs. UTEP (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:
Dunkel Line:
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick:

Game 609-610: Jacksonville State vs. Colorado State (9:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings:
Dunkel Line:
Vegas Line:
Dunkel Pick:

Game 611-612: Austin Peay at Eastern Kentucky (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Austin Peay 48.263; Eastern Kentucky 48.641
Dunkel Line: Even; 138
Vegas Line: Eastern Kentucky by 2 1/2; 132 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Austin Peay (+2 1/2); Over

Game 613-614: The Citadel at Tennessee (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: The Citadel 41.020; Tennessee 61.997
Dunkel Line: Tennessee by 21; 136
Vegas Line: Tennessee by 20; 141 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee (-20); Under

Game 615-616: Iona at Hofstra (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Iona 63.658; Hofstra 56.633
Dunkel Line: Iona by 7; 158
Vegas Line: Iona by 9; 153 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Hofstra (+9); Over

Game 617-618: Pennsylvania at Davidson (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Pennsylvania 53.445; Davidson 62.892
Dunkel Line: Davidson by 9 1/2; 138
Vegas Line: Davidson by 11; 141 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Pennsylvania (+11); Under

Game 619-620: Elon at North Carolina (7:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Elon 47.641; North Carolina 81.021
Dunkel Line: North Carolina by 33 1/2; 158
Vegas Line: North Carolina by 29 1/2; 154 1/2
Dunkel Pick: North Carolina (-29 1/2); Over

Game 621-622: Tennessee Tech at SIU-Edwardsville (8:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee Tech 51.876; SIU-Edwardsville 38.641
Dunkel Line: Tennessee Tech by 13; 139
Vegas Line: Tennessee Tech by 11; 138 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee Tech (-11); Over

Game 623-624: Tennessee-Martin at Tennessee State (8:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee-Martin 41.748; Tennessee State 52.258
Dunkel Line: Tennessee State by 10 1/2; 131
Vegas Line: Tennessee State by 11 1/2; 134
Dunkel Pick: Tennessee-Martin (+11 1/2); Under

Game 625-626: Sacramento State at Northern Arizona (8:35 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento State 45.409; Northern Arizona 47.910
Dunkel Line: Northern Arizona by 2 1/2; 123
Vegas Line: Northern Arizona by 5; 128 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento State (+5); Under

Game 627-628: Idaho State at Weber State (9:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Idaho State 43.161; Weber State 61.290
Dunkel Line: Weber State by 18; 143
Vegas Line: Weber State by 14 1/2; 139 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Weber State (-14 1/2); Over

Rob Vinciletti

Wisc Milwaukee vs. Valparaiso
Play: Valparaiso -1

Valpo is an excellent 16-1 ats with 5 or 6 days rest and has won 5 of 6 at home by an average 17 points per game. They are also 5-0 after allowing 80 or more as they bounce back nicely. When they play winning teams they have won 4 of 6 and 7 of 10 at home when the total is 130 to 134.5. Wisconsin Milwaukee is 1-4 as a dog and 1-3 vs winning teams. Guard JaRob McCallum is doubtful for this one as well. Look for Valparaiso to exact some tournament Knockout revenge from last season with a win here tonight.

David Chan

Canucks @ Mighty Ducks
PICK: Under .55

The 23-12-2 Vancouver Canucks storm into Anaheim to take on the 10-19-6 Ducks.

Corey Schneider is set to duel Jonas Hiller between the pipes.

Schneider is 1-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA in two starts vs. the Ducks; Roberto Luongo was in net in last night's 3-2 win at San Jose.

Note that Anaheim is 4-1-1 in its last six vs. the Canucks in front of the home town crowd.

The Ducks have been struggling all year, but are coming off a 3-2 win over the Sharks on Monday.

Hiller was in net for that victory, making 36-saves; he's 6-1-1 in his last eight appearances vs. Vancouver.

A "tired" visiting team, and two hot goaltenders going head to head; all signs point to a low-scoring affair!

Jim Feist

Knicks vs. Lakers
Play: Under 198

In the last this would be perceived as an uptempo, run and gun game. The Knicks still play that way, but the Lakers don't under new coach Mike Brown allowing 86 ppg. The under is 20-7-2 in the Lakers last 29 vs. NBA Atlantic division and 44-21 under the total in the Lakers last 65 games playing on one days rest. And the under is 5-1 in the Knicks last six road games. Look for a slower pace than oddsmakers expect; Play the Knicks/Lakers Under the total.

Dave Cokin

Detroit vs Illinois Chicago
Pick: Detroit

Detroit disappointed early, but they're a more well rounded team now that Eli Holman is back to do damage in the paint. The Titans have a real shot to win the Horizon and get to the NCAA Tournament this season, and I don't see much resistance from a mediocre UIC entry tonight. Lay the points with Detroit.

Vegas Experts

Calgary Flames at NY Islanders
Play: NY Islanders

Calgary takes on the New York Islanders tonight and New York seems to hold some value as a small +105 underdog. Calgary has won four straight while the Islanders are due for a win as they are back at home tonight after getting shutout by the New York Rangers 3-0. Taking a look back to last season, the Islanders had a huge win over Calgary 5-2 as +175 road underdogs and should have another underdog win tonight.

SPORTS WAGERS

N.Y. ISLANDERS +105 over Calgary

The Flames have won four in a row and they haven’t allowed more than two goals against in any of those games. They’ve won two straight on the road and this will be their third road game of a season long six-game trip. Thing is, very average teams rarely go on prolonged winning streaks in this league and that’s exactly what Calgary is. The Flames rarely play on the Island, with just two games here since ’06 and with upcoming games against Nashville, Washington and Boston to close out this trip, they could certainly be flat here. Even at their best, Calgary probably shouldn’t be favored in Long Island. Reports out of Long Island are that the team has had some very spirited practices over the past two days. They’ve lost three in a row and they’ll be more urgency on this bench than on Calgary’s. Make no mistake about it, the Islanders have more talent than Calgary and all things being equal, we expect the host to get off the mattress here. Play: N.Y. Islanders +105 (Risking 2 units).

CAROLINA +102 over Toronto

The Hurricanes are playing much better since the firing of Paul Maurice with points in five of their last seven games. One of those losses came against Phoenix when they blew a 3-1 lead, outshot the Coyotes 37-19 and completely dominated play. The other loss came in Pittsburgh. During that span they have wins over both Vancouver and New Jersey, two of the hottest teams in the game. Carolina outshot Vancouver 41-36 and outshot the Devils 33-25. The ‘Canes always brings intensity when playing Toronto, as these two have developed a nice rivalry over the years and it’s also worth noting that the ‘Canes have a big edge in net with Cam Ward. The Maple Leafs have lost four of six. James Reimer, the supposed saviour of this franchise, has been wildly inconsistent. He was yanked in his last game and his confidence level has to be questioned. The Hurricanes are in better form and they’re wrongly being billed as the pup in this contest. Play: Carolina +102 (Risking 2 units).

DALLAS -½ -110 over Columbus

You wouldn’t think that the Stars would be jacked up to play the Blue Jackets and in normal circumstances they wouldn’t. However, tonight is a different story as Kari Lehtonen, out since Nov. 26, makes his return. Dallas has watched its goalies go 7-5-0 with a 3.08 goals-against average since losing Lehtonen, who is 13-4-1 with a 2.34 GAA. The players love this guy and they’re thrilled he’s back. Meanwhile, the Jackets haven’t won in regulation on the road all year and that’s not a typo. They blew a 4-1 lead against Nashville just before the break and followed that up with a home loss in OT to Calgary. Losing takes its toll and the Jackets have to be a mentally drained team. The defense is weak and the goaltending is weaker. Curtis Sanford is nursing an injury and that forces the team to go with Steve Mason tonight. He’s 0-8-0 with a 4.80 GAA on the road this season. Can this one turn out any other way? We think not. Play: Dallas -½ -110 (Risking 2.2 units to win 2).

Montreal +115 over TAMPA BAY Pinnacle

The best part about wagering on the Canadiens is that when Carey Price plays, you always have a chance to win. The Canadiens got their first win for their new coach and it was an impressive 6-2 victory over the Senators on Tuesday. They got production from many different sources and that’s a good sign indeed. The Lightning are too risky as a favorite. They’ve lost nine of their past 13 games. Two of four wins came against Columbus and Calgary. They’re coming off a misleading win over Philly in which they were clearly dominated and outshot by a 32-16 count. The Bolts have unsteady goaltending and a weak group of defenseman. In a game that is fairly evenly matched, the goaltending of Carey Price tilts the edge in our favor and the tag seals it. Play: Montreal +115 (Risking 2 units).

Sean Murphy

Los Angeles at Winnipeg
PICK: Under 5.5

We cashed with the Kings 'under' last night in Chicago, and we'll go right back to the well when they travel to Winnipeg on Thursday.

Los Angeles has been one of the strongest 'under' bets in the league this season, posting a 9-20-8 o/u mark. The Kings have recorded a 2-7 o/u ledger over their last nine contests.

While the Kings defense continues to excel, having allowed just nine goals over their last five games (four of those victories), their offense is still sputtering. They've been held to two goals or less in regulation time in 15 of their last 16 games.

The Jets have tightened things up defensively in recent games as well. They've given up two goals or less in regulation time in three of their last four contests.

Note that Winnipeg has been a much stronger defensive team at home this season, where it allows just under 2.4 goals per game.

Offensively, the Jets have been hit-or-miss lately, scoring at least four goals in three of their last five games, but a grand total of three in the other two. Against a strong defensive team like the Kings, I don't expect them to bust out.

These two teams met only once last season (when the Jets were the Thrashers), and the result was a 3-1 Kings victory. I won't be surprised if we see another tightly-contested, low-scoring affair tonight.

Lenny Del Genio

Georgia Tech at Fordham
Prediction: Georgia Tech

This game was actually supposed to be played last season, but was cancelled due to a snowstorm. This clearly works to the visitors' benefit. Fordham is a lousy 8-19 ATS its L27 lined games and have won just one of those games straight up this year (at Siena). They are only 4-2 SU in non-lined games, so they're not very good to begin with. Factor in how lousy the Rams are from the charity stripe (59%) and beyond the three-point arc (25%) and one can pretty much assume the hosts are in "over their heads" tonight. Georgia Tech is off a poor loss to Mercer last time out, a clear case of looking ahead to the Holidays. They should rebound nicely here for 1st year HC Brian Gregory, whose Dayton team crushed Fordham last season 91-59. Take Georgia Tech.

MTi Sports

Denver Nuggets at Portland Trail Blazers
Prediction: Denver Nuggets

Denver is 9-0-2 ATS after a win in which Arron Afflalo played fewer than 30 minutes and 4-0 ATS when Al Harrington had more turnovers than assists the last two covering by an average of 15.4 ppg. The Blazers are 0-6 ATS (-8.8 ppg) with at least a day of rest after a win in which Lamarcus Aldridge was not the Trailblazers' high scorer and 0-4 ATS (-15.4 ppg) when they won their last two games and both were at home. Grab the points.

WUNDERDOG

Edmonton at Minnesota
Pick: Minnesota -135

The Edmonton Oilers have pretty much held serve at home, but have been a road disaster at 5-11-1 on the season. Lately it doesn't matter where they are playing as the Oilers have now gone 3-10 in their last 13, which includes five straight losses on the road, where they have been outscored by a 20-9 count, losing by over 2 goals per contest. Minnesota was a victim of one of those three Edmonton wins losing on the road 4-1, so they will be primed and ready for revenge tonight at home. The Wild has dropped eight straight games themselves, but have been cash cows at home vs. a team with a road mark of less than .400 where they have gone 51-21 in their last 72. The Oilers are a pathetic 12-51 in their last 63 on the road vs. a team with a winning home record. Play on Minnesota.

FREE PICKS NOW 130-70-1

FREE NCAAF PLAY FOR 12/29/2011: We're going to make a small play on the OVER 46 points in the Champs Sports Bowl. With both Notre Dame and FSU entering this game on strong under trends, we feel this total is set just a tad low. Both of these teams stayed hot in the 2nd half of the regular season. Florida State will be looking to close the year with a big win over the Fighting Irish to set the tone for 2012 season where expectations will be high yet again. When healthy, as they are now, FSU is capable of putting up decent numbers. When Manuel has time to spread the ball around, Florida State offense is normally difficult to defend considering the way their receiving core matches up against opposing defenses. The key for Notre Dame will be getting Manuel to release the ball quickly and not sit in the pocket for long periods of time. But Notre Dame has not had much of a pass rush all year as they average just 1.6 sacks/game. We suspect that the Fighting Irish may have problems stopping FSU tonight.

On the other side of the ball. Notre Dame's success relies heavily on the arm of Rees considering the offense averages 258 yards per game through the air. Rees has been solid all year completing 66% passing for 2,708 yards with 19 touchdowns and 12 picks on the year. Wide receiver Michael Floyd and TE Tyler Eifert are well known big targets for the air attack. Senior WR Michael Floyd has caught 95 passes for 1,106 yards and 8 scores this season and is Notre Dame's all-time receiving leader. Eifert has put up very respectable numbers from the tight end position with 713 receiving yards as well. Sure FSU has the 6th ranked overall defense this season. But they are a little more susceptible away from home where they allow over 300 yards/game and 20+ points/game. The OVER is 5-2 in FSUs last 7 bowl games, and we expect that trend to continue tonight in the Champs Sports Bowl.

Larry Ness

Georgia Tech -8

A snowstorm canceled this non-conference game last season but I'm not sure the Rams will as lucky this time around. They are coming off a 7-21 season (1-15 in the A-10). The team has a trio of solid guards in Frazier, McMillan and Smith (combine to average 29.3 PPG) but the 6-7 Gaston (16.1-10.7) is the lone big man of note. Ga Tech is a modest 7-5 to open the season but "the faithful" have to like the fact that Hewitt is gone on the bench with Brian Gregory as the team's new head coach. The Yellow Jackets are no more than a six-man rotation but that shouldn't present any issues here. Glen Rice Jr (14.7-7.4) can score and rebound, joined by Udofia (10.9), Morris (8.7) and Reed (7.5) on the perimeter. Inside, the 6-8 Holsey (11.3-4.5) will have his hands full with Gaston but the 6-11 Miller (9.0-7.6) is a tough matchup for the Rams. Fordham is "the gang that can't shoot straight," converting only 37.7% from the floor, including a dreadful 24.9% on threes. Fordham has trouble making free throws as well, entering this game at 59.6% from the charity stripe. Ga Tech needs more opponents like this. Lay the points with the road team.

Jeff Scott Sports

4 UNIT PLAY

Washington +9.5 over Baylor: This is a bowl game so when you face a team on the other side they are usually a good team. Now Im not sure but can't really remember the last time i saw a team with a defense ranked 114th overall and 109th in points allowed be favored by 9.5 over anyone and with an OU line of 79.5 Vegas is clearly expecting both teams to score. Washington is 116th vs the pass, while Baylor is 5th in passing, but with the extra prep time you can bet that the Washington Staff has come up with something to neutralize RG3. The Washington offense isn't as strong as that of Baylor's but they still have averaged 31.5 ppg on the year and should find the going easy enough, vs this weak defense. Baylor was rolling down the stretch, but the layoff should hurt the momentum they had, plus we know how Heisman winners have struggled in bowl games. Look for this game to be close from start to finish.

3 UNIT PLAY

Notre Dame/ FSU Under 46: Stanford, Mich State, Pitt and BC all play pretty good or very good defense and in those games not one of them hit more than 44 points. The Noles certainly fall into the category of have a good defense as they come in ranked 6th overall, 19th vs the pass, 2nd vs the run and they have allowed just 15.2 ppg (4th), This is a complete defense. The Irish have played good defense as well this year an they come in ranked 34th overall and have allowed just 20.9 ppg (29th). Both teams have been able to put up points, but this is really a big game for both squads so I just don't see either coach taking many chances in this one. I expect both teams to play the field position game and rely on their defenses to win it. I look for a game in the mid 30s at best.