Vegas Experts
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
These teams meet for the 3rd time this season on Sunday, with Pittsburgh winning both of the first two meetings, 23-20 at home and 13-9 in Baltimore. While the Steelers covered the spread in each of first two meetings, the Total split, paying on one "Under" and on the "Over" at Pittsburgh. That "Over" marked the 3rd straight game in this series played in Pitt that has gone "Over" the Total, improving the "Over" to 9-4 (Over-Under) during the last 13 games hosted by the Steelers. With the cold and winter-like weather conditions combined with the Ravens stingy defensive play this year. Oddsmakers have posted a very low Total for an NFL Playoff game. Pittsburgh has now gone "Over" in 15 of their last 20 games hosting AFC teams and these Division rivals know each other well to score points on the board in this AFC Championship battle
Play on: OVER
Miami Heat at Oklahoma City Thunder
Milwaukee has covered 26 of 40 games this year, including 15 of 22 on the road, and tonight get a terrible LA Cliipers team that has been beseiged by injuries. When these teams met in late December, the Bucks dropped a humiliating 119-85 beatdown on the visitors. The game wasn't even that close as Milwaukee led by 40+ for most of the 4th quarter. The Clippers are a hidious 0-10 ATS when seeking revenge for a road loss of 20 points or more.
Play on: Miami
Big Al McMordie
Miami Heat vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
Play: Miami Heat -1.5
At 7:05 pm, our complimentary selection is on the Miami Heat minus the points over Oklahoma City. Scott Brooks' Thunder are playing impressive basketball, and have covered 26 of 40 games this season, including five straight, nine of 10, and 13 of 15. But in each of those pointspread wins over the last 15 games, the line was NEVER this low, and I believe the value has finally caught up to Oklahoma City. Before losing last night at Houston, Miami had won four in a row ATS, and fall into an 88-55 ATS system of mine which plays on certain road teams off a loss, which are matched up against a home team off an upset win (Okie City won as a 4-point dog vs. Detroit on Friday). Take Miami minus the small number tonight.
John Ryan
Fordham vs. Rhode Island
Play:Rhode Island -19.5
Ai Simulator 3* graded play on Rhode Island as they host Fordham slated to start at 2:00 EST. Fordham is just not a good squad and they are facing and up and rising Rhode Island team that is off two tough losses. These losses at St. Joes by 6 points and ranked Xavier by just 2 points serve to reinforce that this team can compete at the highest level of Division-1 basketball. By comparison, Fordham lost to Xavier by 26 points. They did give Dayton quite a scare in their last game, but that game has been the center piece of the RI coaches serving to not allow a complacent attitude for a game they need to win and win big. Fordham is 2-12 ATS (-11.2 Units) after one or more consecutive overs over the last 2 seasons; 1-8 ATS (-7.8 Units) after 2 straight games where they had 5 or less steals over the last 3 seasons. AiS shows an 64% probability that Rhode Island will score 81 or more points. Fordham is 0-4 ATS this season and 0-8 ATS over the past 3 seasons and 9-33 ATS since 1997 in games where they have allowed 81 or more points. Take Rhode Island.
Craig Trapp
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals
Play: Over 47
In the playoffs the Eagles are averaging 24 and the Cardinals are averaging 31. On the other side of the ball in the playoffs points against Eagles are 12 and the Cardinals are giving up 19. Obviously if you average out all of these you get an average of 42 which would lead us to the under. This does not agree with the early game of the year so now we have to go to the handicapping breakdown. Handicapping this total is a little easier than most have tried to make it. This game comes down to Arizona's improved playoff defense verse the Philly offense that destroyed them earlier this year. McNabb and Westbrook had a field day on thanksgiving day and getting Westbrook off early will be a huge part of the game plan today. Arizona will not be able to shut down the offense completely but they will slow them down but in the end Arizona offense will hae to come from behind by there high powered offense. This one get over the listed total of 47 my prediction is a total of 55.
LT Profits
NC Charlotte +7.0
This contest has correction written all over it, as the NC Charlotte 49ers have underperformed while losing four straight games while the St. Josephs Hawks are not as good as they have looked during their current three-game winning streak.
Granted, Charlotte has bee very streaky so far, as their current four-game losing streak was preceded by a four-game winning streak, which was preceded by a six-game losing streak. This team did beat Mississippi State during its winning streak though, and the 49ers also lost to Maryland by just 10 points. A repeat of either of those performances would be good enough to pull the upset here.
As for the Hawks, they are still just 8-7, and outside of a win over number 53 Rhode Island, they have yet to beat a team that is ranked in the top 100 in the Pomeroy Ratings. The Hawks are also a poor rebounding tam that allows too many second chance points for our liking, which is a disturbing trait for a decided favorite like this.
Take the points in this spot as Charlotte just might duplicate their 70-66 upset win over the Hawks last season.
Pick: NC Charlotte +7
Matt Fargo
Kentucky at Georgia
Prediction: Kentucky
The home points look tempting but these two teams are going in opposite directions right now. Kentucky has been rock solid and it is making its claim for the best team in the SEC. After starting the season with an unheard of home loss to VMI and a road loss at North Carolina, the Wildcats have been on a tear as they have won 13 of their last 15 games with both setbacks coming against solid teams in Miami Florida and Louisville. Kentucky is coming off a huge road win on Tuesday at Tennessee. Some will argue that there will be a letdown here however, that game was five days ago and any celebration or ?hangover? from that game is long gone. The Wildcats need this win to keep pace with Florida in the SEC East and this is the second game of a five-game stretch that includes four road games. This one is considered the easiest of the bunch (although the win over Tennessee came rather easily). The Bulldogs are struggling with four straight losses and this is just not a good team. Some of those setbacks were competitive but this team simply does not have what it takes to compete against the big boys on a nightly basis. Georgia has played a schedule ranked 268th in the nation yet is only 9-8. Losses to teams such as Texas A&M-C.C., Western Kentucky and Loyola-Chicago will do that. The Bulldogs have rolled in some of their games but those came against teams ranked 331st, 285th, 316th, 211th and 325th. They are 0-2 in the SEC with losses against Tennessee and Vanderbilt by nine and ten points respectively. Do you think Kentucky is looking for a little payback here? The Wildcats won both regular season meetings against Georgia, only to come into the SEC Tournament and have its game postponed until early the next morning because of a tornado and play in front of 1,500 fans and lose in overtime. Kentucky had 1,000 of those 1,500 fans in attendance but considering 15,000 made the trip, it was definitely hurt by the venue change. Kentucky has played a schedule ranked nearly 100 spots higher than the Bulldogs yet it has edges in several key statistical categories. The wildcats are +8.5 percent in offensive shooting margin, +3.6 percent in defensive shooting margin, +6.7 rpg in rebounding margin, +16.7 percent in free throw shooting and +0.18 in assist/turnover ratio. Possibly the biggest discrepancy is in offensive efficiency as the Wildcats have a 111.3 efficiency rating, which is 3rd in the SEC and 35th in the nation, while Georgia posses just a 92.4 rating, which is dead last in the SEC by a wide margin and 286th in the country. Any variance of six or more is usually a strong advantage but when pushing 20, it is enormous. Kentucky falls into a solid situation based on the last game results. Play against home teams that are coming off a road loss by 10 points or more going up against an opponent coming off a road win scoring 85 or more points. This situation is 42-16 ATS (72.4 percent) over the last five seasons. The road team has covered seven of the last nine meetings and we will see that continue on Sunday. 3* Kentucky Wildcats
Larry Ness
Bradley @ Southern Illinois
PICK: Southern Illinois
Bradley made it all the way to the three-game championship series of LY's inaugural CBI tourney but couldn't win at Tulsa, losing in the decisive third game. Crouch (15.8), Ruffin (14.1) and Warren (13.20 are all gone from LY's team but the Braves have been surprisingly good TY, posting an 11-6 overall mark, including a 5-1 start in MVC play. Swingman Wilson (13.8-6.9) leads the team in scoring and while Bradley lost a trio of terrific backcourt players from LY, the Braves are solid in the backcourt TY, if not spectacular. Maniscalco (11.1-3.1 APG), Roberts (9.1-4.6) and McCain (6.1-2.4-3.6) start with Dunson (10.6) providing points off the bench. Helping out Wilson in the frontcourt are the 6-9 Singh (4.1-3.6), the 7-0 Collins (4.1-3.6) and 6-7 freshman Brown (4.0-3.1). SIU saw its six-year NCAA streak end LY and the team has really struggled TY. The team's 6-7 duo of Falker 913.0-7.2) and Shaw (12.5-6.9) graduated and Fay (11.5-4.6) and Boyle (8.7-5.8) have not filled the void inside. A real disappointment has been local Carbondale freshman, the 6-11 Evans, who has averaged a pathetic 2.9 PPG and 2.2 RPG. Freshman guards Dillard (12.7-4.2 APG) and Hare (6.5-3.2) have joined vets Mullins (9.7-5.9 APG) and Clemmons (4.9-2.6) for a solid perimeter game but Chris Lowery's team continues to struggle on the offensive end of the court. Still, SIU Arena is a very tough venue and I'm taking the home team in this one, after the Salukis lost 79-63 in Peoria to the Braves on Dec 28. Bradley may be the better team (but not by much) and I expect the revenge motive and some home cookin' will be enough to get SIU the win and cover. Lay the points.
Mike Anthony
Bradley vs. So Illinois
Play:Bradley +5.5
Can I get anyone to come on talk about Braves basketball...? I immediately fell in love with the Braves basketball as they are off to a great start. Coach Jim Les made some nice pickups and there is a lot of buzz about the development of the top returning players in Maniscalco, Collins, Wilson, and Warren. Les told the PJ Star that this is the "quickest, fastest" team he's had since he's been here. That's pretty high praise when you look at some of the great athletes that have come through the program. Bradley wins outright on Sunday night!
Tom Freese
Phoenix Coyotes at Edmonton Oilers
Prediction: Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton is 10-4 their last 14 games vs. Pacific Division teams and they are 5-1 their last 6 home games vs. a teams with a road winning percentage of less than 40% and they are 5-0 their last 5 meetings with the Coyotes. Phoenix is 31-65-7 when playing their third game in four nights and they are 9-20 their last 29 road games. The Coyotes are 1-6 when playing with no rest and they are 2-8 their last 10 games vs. a team with a losing home record. PLAY ON EDMONTON -
Michael Cannon
Philadelphia -3' at ARIZONA
I’m on a 4-1 run with my last five free plays.
Take the Eagles as the road chalk this afternoon over the Cardinals in the NFC Championship.
There’s a reason the Eagles are listed as the road favorite today and if you believe in teams getting on a roll than Philadelphia is definitely the hotter team here.
The Eagles just match up well with the Cardinals and I don’t see Kurt Warner passing all over them today. Philadelphia has an excellent secondary led by Asante Samuel, and they can bring all kinds of pressure on the quarterback with defensive coordinator Jim Johnson’s blitz schemes.
On offense, Donovan McNabb is playing arguably the best football of his career. He has the Eagles on the cusp of the Super Bowl and he’s going to be able to find the weak spots in the Cardinals secondary today.
Arizona may have made Jake Delhomme look like a clown last week, but the Panthers aren’t comfortable playing from behind, but McNabb and the Eagles would rather pass first anyhow, so don’t expect another five interceptions from the Cardinals defense.
The Eagles are on numerous ATS hot streaks, including 12-4 on the highway, 6-1 in the playoffs, 5-0 in road playoff games, 5-0 against winning teams, 5-0 on grass., 4-1 after a SU win, 4-1 laying points and 5-2 in January. Philly has also gone 8-3 ATS this year in its 11 games against non-division foes.
The Cardinals are on a 3-7 ATS slide as an underdog.
Take the Eagles minus the points as they win the NFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XLIII.
4♦ PHILADELPHIA
Missouri State at ILLINOIS STATE -12'
Take Illinois State as the big home chalk over Missouri State.
Missouri State is not a good shooting team. They rely on the 3-pointer for a majority of their scoring, but with the line moved back this year they have struggled.
Illinois State beat them in the first meeting on the road by 13 back in December.
Missouri State has not improved since then.
Take Illinois State as the big home chalk as they grab the home win and cover.
3♦ ILLINOIS STATE
Drew Gordon
Miami at OKLAHOMA CITY +1'
Said it once and I'll say it again: Do not underestimate this Thunder squad, as they've been a cash cow for their backers of late, going 22-6 ATS over their L28 games, including a perfect 9-0 ATS in their last 9 home games! Not only that, but Oklahoma City was extremely impressive in their last two games at the Ford Center - beating Utah by 21 points and Detroit by 10 - in two of their best performaces of the season!
Biggest problem for Miami may be fatigue, as this is their final game of their road trip, playing their 6th game in the last 10 days. Heat showed signs of fatigue (mental and physical) in their 93-86 loss at Houston yesterday, and playing in the tail end of a back-to-back won't do much to help them with that tonight. Miami shot just 40% from the field yesterday, and got absolutely dominated by Yao, who went 12 of 12 from the field for 26 points!
Granted Krstic is no Yao Ming, but rest-assured, the Thunder's center has been key to their success since he got back into lineup January 7th. He gives the Thunder a true post presence, and coupled with Durant and Green, OKC has a HUGE edge in the frontcourt tonight. Also, while we all expect Wade to get his points, the ultra-athletic rookie, Russell Westbrook, will make him work hard for every basket.
Finally, its hard to ignore the fact the Thunder have covered 9 of their last 10 games! Oddsmakers have been wrong about this team all season, and they continue to make that same mistake tonight. Heat are a good team, but in the final game of a long road trip, against a suddenly surging Thunder team, they'll be hard-pressed to match Oklahoma City's energy levels in this one.
Take Oklahoma City plus the points over Miami in this NBA match up.
3♦ OKLAHOMA CITY
DUNKEL
Conference Championships
Baltimore at Pittsburgh
The Ravens come in with an 8-2 ATS record on the road this season and 7-3 ATS as an underdog. Baltimore is the underdog pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has the Steelers favored by just 3. Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+3).
Game 313-314: Philadelphia at Arizona
Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 141.578; Arizona 139.069
Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 2 1/2; 51 1/2
Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 4; 47
Dunkel Pick: Arizona (+4); Over
Game 315-316: Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 143.463; Pittsburgh 146.477
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 3; 31
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 6; 34
Dunkel Pick: Baltimore (+6); Under
NBA
Phoenix at Toronto
The Raptors look to take advantage of a Phoenix team that is just 1-6 ATS in January. Toronto is the underdog pick (+3 1/2) according to Dunkel, which has the game even. Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+3 1/2).
Game 801-802: Phoenix at Toronto
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 119.710; Toronto 119.456
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 205
Vegas Line & Total: Phoenix by 3 1/2; 209 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Toronto (+3 1/2); Under
Game 803-804: Miami at Oklahoma City
Dunkel Ratings: Miami 116.111; Oklahoma City 118.624
Dunkel Line & Total: Oklahoma City by 2 1/2; 193 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Miami by 2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma City (+2); Under
NCAAB
Minnesota at Northwestern
The Wildcats have been stingy on defense (53.6 points per game allowed at home), but run into a Minnesota team that is 5-0 ATS against good defensive teams (<=64 points per game allowed). The Golden Gophers are the underdog pick (+1) according to Dunkel, which has Minnesota favored straight up by 4. Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+1).
Game 805-806: St. John's at Villanova
Dunkel Ratings: St. John's 59.582; Villanova 72.491
Dunkel Line: Villanova by 13
Vegas Line: Villanova by 14 1/2
Dunkel Pick: St. John's (+14 1/2)
Game 807-808: Iowa at Purdue
Dunkel Ratings: Iowa 59.675; Purdue 75.236
Dunkel Line: Purdue by 15 1/2
Vegas Line: Purdue by 13 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Purdue (-13 1/2)
Game 809-810: Kentucky at Georgia
Dunkel Ratings: Kentucky 71.661; Georgia 61.809
Dunkel Line: Kentucky by 10
Vegas Line: Kentucky by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Kentucky (-7 1/2)
Game 811-812: LaSalle at Xavier
Dunkel Ratings: LaSalle 58.684; Xavier 73.222
Dunkel Line: Xavier by 14 1/2
Vegas Line: Xavier by 12 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Xavier (-12 1/2)
Game 813-814: Seton Hall at Connecticut
Dunkel Ratings: Seton Hall 57.843; Connecticut 78.258
Dunkel Line: Connecticut by 20 1/2
Vegas Line: Connecticut by 18 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Connecticut (-18 1/2)
Game 815-816: Fordham at Rhode Island
Dunkel Ratings: Fordham 45.687; Rhode Island 64.904
Dunkel Line: Rhode Island by 19
Vegas Line: Rhode Island by 20
Dunkel Pick: Fordham (+20)
Game 817-818: Minnesota at Northwestern
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 68.423; Northwestern 64.353
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 4
Vegas Line: Northwestern by 1
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+1)
Game 819-820: Missouri State at Illinois State
Dunkel Ratings: Missouri State 55.106; Illinois State 65.346
Dunkel Line: Illinois State by 10
Vegas Line: Illinois State by 12
Dunkel Pick: Missouri State (+12)
Game 821-822: Charlotte at St. Joseph's
Dunkel Ratings: Charlotte 57.707; St. Joseph's 63.088
Dunkel Line: St. Joseph's by 5 1/2
Vegas Line: St. Joseph's by 7 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+7 1/2)
Game 823-824: Bradley at Southern Illinois
Dunkel Ratings: Bradley 57.928; Southern Illinois 60.991
Dunkel Line: Southern Illinois by 3
Vegas Line: Southern Illinois by 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Bradley (+5 1/2)
Game 825-826: Marist at Loyola-MD
Dunkel Ratings: Marist 49.002; Loyola-MD 55.736
Dunkel Line: Loyola-MD by 6 1/2
Vegas Line: Loyola-MD by 5
Dunkel Pick: Loyola-MD (-5)
Game 827-828: Portland State at Northern Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Portland State 57.427; Northern Colorado 51.255
Dunkel Line: Portland State by 6
Vegas Line: Portland State by 4 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Portland State (-4 1/2)
Game 829-830: Northern Arizona at Sacramento State
Dunkel Ratings: Northern Arizona 52.488; Sacramento State 40.788
Dunkel Line: Northern Arizona by 11 1/2
Vegas Line: Northern Arizona by 9 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Northern Arizona (-9 1/2)
NHL
Phoenix at Edmonton
The Oilers look to build on their 4-1 record against the Coyotes over the last three seasons. Edmonton is the pick (-145) according to Dunkel, which has the Oilers favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (-145).
Game 1-2: NY Rangers at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: NY Rangers 11.021; Pittsburgh 10.253
Dunkel Line & Total: NY Rangers by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 3-4: Columbus at Vancouver
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 12.090; Vancouver 10.710
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 1 1/2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 5-6: Phoenix at Edmonton
Dunkel Ratings: Phoenix 11.465; Edmonton 12.400
Dunkel Line & Total: Edmonton by 1; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Edmonton (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Edmonton (-145); Under
Game 7-8: Calgary at Colorado
Dunkel Ratings: Calgary 11.455; Colorado 12.025
Dunkel Line & Total: Colorado by 1/2; 4 1/2
Vegas Line & Total: Calgary (-140); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Colorado (+120); Under
Steve Merril
Iowa @ Purdue
PICK: Iowa
Iowa has struggled in their past two games as they were battling numerous injuries and fatigue. The Hawkeyes have now had a full week of rest and practice time and they should respond with a solid effort today.
Iowa is a still a solid offensive team that shoots 46.6% from the field (versus opponents that allow just 43.0%) and the Hawkeyes play excellent defense, allowing just 56.1 points per game and just 40.9% FG (versus opponents that average 68.6 ppg and 43.5%). Iowa also qualifies in a solid 36-11 ATS double-digit underdog situation today.
The Hawkeyes are starting to get healthy as forward Cyrus Tate practiced on Thursday and will try to return today. Iowa’s leading scorer, Anthony Tucker is also nearly 100% healthy after limited playing time over the past month.
DWAYNE BRYANT
Philadelphia Eagles at Arizona Cardinals
I'm Betting On: Arizona Cardinals +3.5
The Eagles are the "sexy" pick in this game. The Eagles are getting a lot of press for their road wins at Minnesota and New York. But for some reason, not too many people are talking about the Cardinals going into Carolina and absolutely destroying the #2-seeded 12-4 Panthers, 33-13. The first thing many people point to is the Eagles' 48-20 pounding of these Cards in Philly on Thanksgiving night. It should be noted that the Cards had control of the NFC West at that point and were traveling east on a very short week. Since the games started to "count" again for the Cards, they have shown what they can do. Carolina still doesn't know what hit them.
The Cards have shown a renewed emphasis on the running game with the duo of Tim Hightower and a fresh-legged Edgerrin James giving the team a huge boost. And when it comes to the passing game, there's not much that needs to be said. Kurt Warner is a league MVP, Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl MVP. And he's one of the best passers when blitzed. Larry Fitzgerald is amazing at WR and if Anquan Boldin can play, which I fully expect, the Eagles won't be able to double Fitzy. The Eagles haven't faced a single top-tier WR in these playoffs. The Giants were without Plaxico Burress and the Vikings don't have an elite WR (sorry, Bernard Berrian). Now they'll have to deal with two.
Eagles RB Brian Westbrook killed the Cards earlier this season with 130 total yards and four (yes, 4) touchdowns. As Westbrook goes, so goes the Philly offense. But it was clear in watching the Eagles-Giants game last weekend that Westbrook is nowhere near 100%. And that makes things a bit easier for an improving Cardinals defense. Arizona is stopping the run, rushing the passer, and getting turnovers. They were -3 in turnovers on Thanksgiving night in Philly. That won't happen in this one.
Take the Arizona Cardinals +3.5
Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers
I'm Betting On: Pittsburgh Steelers -6
The Ravens have become the public's team of choice, but I think it's time to jump off the bandwagon. The Ravens look like an exhausted bunch. Last weekend, the Titans marched deep into Baltimore territory drive after drive after drive. But turnovers and a key first-half injury to RB Chris Johnson, who was having a monster first half, cost the Titans a chance to be playing today. The Titans actually outgained the Ravens, 391-211, and had 21 first downs to just nine for Baltimore. The fact that Tennessee was able to hang 391 yards on the Ravens defense tells me that they are definitely worn out. Remember, the Ravens haven't had a week off since Week 2 of the regular season. That's 18 straight weeks of action! The Ravens defense is also beat up. Samari Rolle and Terrell Suggs, two key cogs on the defense, will not be 100% if they suit up.
Offensively, the Ravens managed just 50 rushing yards against the Titans. Willis McGahee had 32 yards on 11 carries and LeRon McClain had 12 yards on 12 carries. You can expect the same against Pittsburgh's stout run stopping unit. That leaves the game on the arm of rookie QB Joe Flacco and he will not be able to go into Pittsburgh and put this offense on his back. Flacco was just 9-for-23 in the Ravens' first-round win at Miami and he was just 11-for-22 last weekend in Nashville. It goes without saying that Flacco will see A LOT more pressure from Pittsburgh's blitz-happy defense. As if being a rookie QB on the road in the AFC Championship game isn't pressure enough!
As I said earlier, the Ravens defense is tired and banged up. They were on the field for 37 minutes against the Titans and I already mentioned that they haven't had a bye since mid-September. Kerry Collins was able to hang 281 passing yards on this Ravens D, so I expect "Big Ben" should have success as well. The Titans averaged over four yards per carry on the ground against the Ravens, so I also expect a solid game from Fast Willie Parker. His success should open things up downfield (watch Nate Washington).
Pittsburgh has beaten the Ravens seven of the last eight times they've squared off at Heinz Field. And with the Ravens seemingly "running out of gas," the Steelers should roll. The Ravens are going from one brutal, physical battle right into another. This could get ugly, especially if the Steelers get the lead and start "pinning their ears back" and really harassing Flacco.
Take the Pittsburgh Steelers -6
Scott Rickenbach
UNC Charlotte 49'ers (+) @ St Joseph's
We must move quickly here due to how early this game goes but we see great line value with the underdog in this match-up. DaJuan Wilderness is back for the 49ers and, even with all the injuries that UNC Charlotte has endured this season, theyve been quite the competitive team! Theyve really only suffered two blowout losses and this is why their 5-10 record is a bit deceiving. Their other eight losses have come by an average margin of just five points per defeat! Charlotte will absolutely compete in this game Sunday. They got totally dominated on the boards by LaSalle in their last game and yet they still only lost the game by seven points! They did force 18 turnovers in that game but the 49ers were outrebounded 50 to 25 in that game. That type of stat will not be repeated here and we look for UNC Charlotte to keep this game very close and possibly spring the upset. They do have some guys who can rebound well and, after getting embarrassed on their home floor, the focus will absolutely be there today for the 49ers.
UNC Charlotte is facing a St Josephs team that could get caught looking right past them and their 5-10 record as the Hawks have a big game with a 12-5 Duquesne team on deck! Keep in mind the Hawks recently went through a 4-7 stretch. Also, their last three wins had come by an average margin of just six points per victory before they won by 11 points at St Bonaventure on Wednesday. The point is that there is simply no value with the Hawks in this price range as we see UNC Charlotte giving them all they can handle and that means we may end up not even needing the points here but, if we do, it provides for a very nice cushion! The 49ers came into this season expected to have one of the top front-courts in the Atlantic Ten Conference. They will bounce back here. Play UNC Charlotte plus the points as a regular selection.