JB's Computer Picks
Tampa Bay Rays -155
Houston Astros -130
Colorado Rockies -135
Mr A
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
St. Louis' Joel Pineiro is 1-1 with a 8.40 ERA in his last three starts. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts versus Chicago.
Chicago's Ted Lilly is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in his last three starts. The southpaw is 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts versus St. Louis, 2-0 in four starts this year.
The Cubs are 6-1 in their last 7 games, while the Cardinals have taken a tumble, just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. Take the Cubs at home with Ted Lilly on the mound. Chicago is 9-3 in Lilly’s last 12 home starts and have won 15 of the last 21 meetings versus St. Louis in the Windy City.
Chicago Cubs -175
East Carolina at North Carolina State
East Carolina's offense led by quarterback Pat Pinkney should post the points against the Wolfpack’s vulnerable defense that is allowing an average 366.7 total yards per games and 28.5 points thus far this season.
East Carolina Pirates -7
Rice at Texas
Take the Texas Longhorns to whack the Owls in a brutal ground assault. Texas has won the last nine meetings against Rice, 5-0 at home.
Texas Longhorns -29
Gina
Philadelphia Phillies at Florida Marlins
The hot Florida Marlins have won their last nine games overall and have beaten the Phillies in six of their last eight contests, seven of the last nine at home. Florida will send Anibal Sanchez to the hill. The right-hander has not been successful versus the Phillies, 0-3 with a 10.69 ERA in four career starts against Philadelphia, but pitched well in his last start and is 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA in his last five starts at Dolphin Stadium. The Marlins are 10-2 in the right-hander's last 12 home starts.
Go with the surging Marlins. Florida ended the Phillies seven game winning streak with a 14-8 victory on Saturday for their seventh win over Philadelphia in the last 9 meetings in Florida.
Florida Marlins +120
Johnny Guild
Texas Christian at Southern Methodist
SMU was hammered last week by Texas Tech, a 43-7 defeat. Anticipate a similar result when they face off with TCU. The Horned Frogs are superior on both sides of the ball and the final score will confirm it. The Mustangs are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 home games.
Texas Christian Horned Frogs -24
Oregon Ducks -10
South Florida Bulls -28.5
Georgia Bulldogs -7
Jeff Scott Sports
4 UNIT PLAY
Akron -10 over ARMY
Dating back to last year Army has lost 4 in a row at home and have been outscored by 22.8 ppg in the process. Army's offense has been pitiful this year as they are averaging just 8.5 ppg and just 274.5 ypg so far. Army's defense has been half good, as they are allowing just 286 ypg, but 31.5 ppg on the year so far. Akron's offense has been very good this year averaging 27.7 ppg and 397 ypg so fo far. Their defense hasn't been great this year, but they won't have to be herer vs this sad army offense. The Black Knight's have lost their last 8 games overall and have been outscored by double digits in all 8 games. The Akron offense is just too strong here and should have no problems winning by 2 TD's or more.
3 UNIT PLAYS
Ohio +11.5 over NORTHWESTERN
The Bobcats have been in every game played thus far sd they lost by 1 to Wyoming, 12 to Ohio State and 3 to Central Michigan and I believe their offense is good enough to hang with the surprising Cats in this one. Northwestern may be 3-0 on the year, but they should have lost the Duke game, as they were outgained by 144 yards in the contest. I see the Bobcats keeping this one close.
3 Team 6 Point Teaser of the Week
I have gone 1-1 with my teaser plays so far and I absolutely love this one. Missouri -25.5, Florida -1.5 and Utah -3.5.
2 UNIT PLAYS
East Carolina/ NC State Under 44
The Under is 4-1-1 in Pirates last 6 vs. a team with a losing record, while the Under is 7-1-2 in Wolfpack last 10 non-conference games and 23-9-1 in their last 33 games following a S.U. loss. NC State has yet to score an Offensive TD vs an FBS team this year and I don't see them getting many points vs this tough ECU defense that's allowing just 16.3 ppg. ECU has been playing very well this year so far on both sides of the ball, but this could be a flat offensive spot vs a NC State defense that isn't as bad as some of the numbers may suggest. Both D's will come to play in this one and that will keep the score in the miod 30's.
Upset Special
Florida Atlantic +7 over MINNESOTA: Minnesota is 3-0 but really only played 1 good game and that was a 42-17 drubbing of Bowling Green. The Goiphers struggle to get by Northern Illinois, beating them by only 4 points and then last week they were outgained by 4 yards vs an FCS team in Montana State, even though they won by 12. FAU is just 1-2 on the year, with their two losses comeing on the road vs Michigan State and Texas. FAU returns 18 starters from a team that went 8-5 last year and they should be able to come up with enough big plays to shock an overachieving Gophers squad on their own field.
1 UNIT PLAY
3 Team 6 Point Teaser: Rutgers Over 55, Oregon-4, Marshall +13.5
John Fina
Selection: Michigan State -9
Reason: Put us down on Michigan State -9 for our Free College Football Selection on Saturday. Today Notre Same will be on the road as they take on Michigan State. We will lay the points with Michigan State! Notre Dame’s victory last week can be chalked up to pure chance-talk about the luck of the Irish! Despite the media’s delusional praise, Notre Dame hasn’t stepped up their defense nor did they make any notable plays. Their fortune was the result of Michigan’s 6 turnovers, 3 of which directly led to Fighting Irish touchdowns on drives of 11 and 14 yards. One of them was directly returned by the defense to the end zone and the other 2 came inside Notre Dame’s 10 yard line. One of the fumbles that led to touchdowns was the result of a Michigan ball handler being touched by the Irish Defense. The defensive touchdown was a fluke snap that was accidentally kicked to the Irish defense that ran with it. Notre Dame’s genuine plays were nil, trailing behind 21-14 in 1st downs, 387-260 in total defense and an average of 3.3 yards per rush without completing half of all pass attempts. The Irish didn’t put on much of a show, but last week’s opponent who came close to defeating the Irish sheds a little light on the situation at hand. San Diego State who nearly beat Notre Dame went on to lose 35-10 against San Jose with 22-7 in 1st downs and 476-146 in total offense. Notre Dame has not given any legitimate reason to be getting only single digits against a team of this quality. In the last two weeks, Michigan State games went Under. We had expected Coach Mark Dantonio to manage the flow nicely against anemic opponents and that was what happened. The Spartans had 110 running plays against 31 passes in both wins. The scoreboard could have been higher if that was the route that Dantonio wanted to go, but it works well for us this week as they are an under valued side as a result. This week, Javon Ringer will blow away the Irish defense with a ground attack that they have yet to confront which will set up excellent advantages for Bryan Hoer through the air. This is a well rehearsed scheme that was very successful last year for the Spartans with their 31-14 victory in South Bend. This was a genuine score reflecting dominance that was reinforced by the 354-203 in total offense. As for the misconstrued lines; the Spartans were favored by -10.5 at game time which translates to -17 or -18 this game. The current line has been cut in half due to the misguided notions about Notre Dames capabilities along with the fact that Michigan State hasn’t put their best out there yet. Expect the Spartans to show their true colors this week while the Irish futilely struggle to stay afloat. Lay the points! Take Michigan State -9!
The Gold Sheet
OHIO +10.5
SO MISSISSIPPI -9.5
MINNESOTA -7
The Sports Reporter
MIAMI (OH) +12
ARIZONA ST +7
NOTRE DAME +8.5
CENTRAL FLORIDA +10.5
Winning Points
MICHIGAN ST -8.5
RUTGERS -5
The Red Sheet
89* MINNESOTA -7
89* MIAMI (OH) +12
88* MICHIGAN ST -8.5
88* SO MISSISSIPPI -9.5
88* RUTGERS -5
HQ
FLORIDA -7
PURDUE OVER
TULSA -10
BALL STATE +4
IOWA STATE +3
SAN JOSE STATE +10
Nelly Sportsline
5* TULSA -10½
4* MIAMI (FL) -3½
3* TOLEDO +6½
2* INDIANA -3½
2* SAN JOSE ST +9½
1* COLORADO ST +6½
1* ALABAMA -9½
Totals 4 U
Notre Dame +8½
The road team has won the last 7 consecutive battles for “The Megaphone Trophy” and Charlie Weis – even with torn medial and anterior knee ligaments – is one heck of a game planner. Michigan State is no longer a laughing stock in the Big 10 but we’re not eager to lay better than a touchdown in a rivalry (72nd meeting) situation. Take Notre Dame + 8½.
Dave Cokin
San Jose State
Stanford has made some impressive strides in Jim Harbaugh's short tenure as their head coach. But they're still a long way from being a powerhouse, and the Cardinal could actually be worn down a shade off three big games to open the season. They could easily relax here as they return to Palo Alto for their annual duel with San Jose State. The Cardinal have dominated this series, winning the last six with five covers since a huge upset loss to the Spartans back in 2000. But this San Jose squad can play a little bit, and they look pretty good on defense. Make no mistake, this is a much bigger rivalry game to the Spartans than it is to Stanford. I believe the scheduling dynamics clearly point to San Jose, so I'll go for the Spartans plus the points.
Power Index
East Carolina -7 over North Carolina State*
We went against ECU last weekend and were rewarded with a cover. The Pirates were in a perfect position to play less than their best against Tulane. The Green Wave put a scare into the Pirates and let them know that winning cannot be taken for granted. We expect East Carolina to come out and destroy a rather pitiful NC State squad that looks pretty hopeless on offense.
Iowa/Pittsburgh* UNDER 41.5
Here are two teams that depend on their defenses to win games. While the offenses in this game should struggle, both stop units should have success keeping the score down. Always nice to find a totals play where neither offense has shown much punch and both defenses have been reliable.
Alabama -9.5 over Arkansas*
Arkansas has won two unimpressive games so far. Slipping past the likes of Western Illinois and UL-Monroe by a combined total of 5 points hardly suggests that the Razorbacks are ready for SEC competition. Coach Petrino will need great success through the air in this one, as the Alabama run defense is very strong. We expect Alabama to win convincingly and cover here, as Arkansas appears to have a long way to go.
Tulane* -6 over UL-Monroe
We suspect that Tulane is sneaky good. This is a team that is 0-2, but has given a good accounting of themselves against two ranked opponents. The Green Wave defense has been the main reason for keeping Tulane in both games. The obvious drop in competition this week suggests to us that Tulane is ready to bust into the win column with enthusiasm. ULM has problems on defense and should give Tulane an opportunity to score plenty of points this week.
Boise State +10.5 over Oregon*
This is an injury play. The Ducks are down to third string QB Masoli for this game. Boise State has a decent defense and should make this game very competitive. The Ducks were magnificent offensively in their first two games but started slowly last week at Purdue. An OT injury to backup QB Roper has left Oregon inexperienced at the position and in danger of actually dropping this game outright.
LSU -2.5 over Auburn*
Hard to believe that Auburn beat Mississippi State by a 3-2 score last week. The oddball result gave us the feeling that Auburn's mistake-prone offensive unit will be in trouble this week against an opponent that is far more capable than MSU on offense. Unless Auburn can learn to hang onto the ball (8 fumbles in their first two outings), they will have a hard time matching the offensive output of LSU.
Charlie Scott
Central Florida vs. Boston College
Play: Central Florida
Play against a Boston College team that struggles on offense laying 10 points. BC QB 5th yr Senior Crane struggled with passing accuracy vs Georgia Tech and expect the same today. Central Florida Head Coach George O'leary has his team buying into the "No Respect" attitude and if they want respect they need to beat this ACC team.(BC) The Boston College name is a well known by the general public, but QB Matt Ryan is playing for the Falcons in the NFL. In real life Central Florida has just as many skilled players and a winning coach in O'leary.
Mississippi St vs. Georgia Tech
Play: Mississippi St
This will be an ugly game, but when you cash the ticket the money spends the same. I like Georgia Tech Coach Paul Johnson and they will be good, but not yet. This team isn't ready to be a - 7 plus favorite. Georgia Tech players are still learning the new system. They go from being a 7 point dog at BC to a 7 + point favorite vs a team that plays good defense,and went to a bowl last year. Take the SEC team getting points from the ACC team.
Vegas Experts
Wake Forest at Florida State
Everyone is pointing to the fact that the once-proud Seminoles are playing with double-revenge, including for a 30-0 loss here in Talahassee two years ago (Bowden's one and only home shutout loss), but we'd rather point to the fact that FSU's only two wins this year have come against FCS schools and that Wake is a very solid 17-9 ATS as a road underdog on Jim Grobe. If this game comes down to the kicking game, it's a big edge for the Deacons.
Play on: Wake Forest
Indiancowboy
Temple +29
I hate betting more than 3 games in a day as the more times you but your head against the Vegas the worst. But, this is a great public fade on Penn State. I understand that this is an in-state rivalry but Temple is much better than last year. Remember, this team is returning I think somewhere around 18 starters, their offense is nearly all returning starters, this team opened the season with a big win on the road at Army. What you might not know about Temple, is that they are the best covering team over the past 10 games out of any team in the country if I am not mistaken. They have covered each of their ballgames this year and 8 out of their last 10 dating back to last year. Over 70% are riding Penn State here, but I would not be surprised at all to see Temple lose by 2 touchdowns. In fact, this is my free pick for today. I understand Penn State won big against Syracuse and Oregon State, but I like Temple as the 2 games they have lost this year was by a total of 5 points and that includes an overtime game. I think Temple will cover their 6th straight ballgame going back to last year and go 4-0 ATS thus far this year after this cover. It's as good as any dog out there possibly imo.
Bob Balfe
Colorado State +6.5 over Houston
Houston has dropped two straight games and has been away from home preparing for this game for two weeks due to the Hurricane Ike. Picture yourself not sleeping in your own bed or having a home cooked meal for two weeks. Now picture yourself playing in one of the highest altitudes you can play at in College Football (5000 ft). The Houston offense is great, but the defense is pretty bad. Look for the Rams to get the running game going and to wear down this Houston squad. Take Colorado State
Wunderdog
WUNDERDOG
Alabama at Arkansas
Pick: Arkansas +9.5
The SEC has now gone into the record books with five teams in the top 10. Top to bottom this is the best conference in football right now. It is very very difficult to play anywhere on the road in this conference, no matter which teams are playing. Laying two scores on the road is just too much. That especially rings true given the fact that Alabama is not a big play, quick-strike offense. In fact, their scoring drives have averaged over eight plays per drive. That Tide philosophy has kept them from winning big on the road in the SEC where they own just one win by more than a TD since 2005. That makes the TD+ here look very valuable. Bobby Petrino is 17-6 ATS in home games and he'll have his team ready. Arkansas had it's game last week postponed vs Texas, so they have had ample time to gameplan here for the Tide. I look for them to hang close here.