With 2010 just around the corner there will be plenty of Top 10 lists covering the decade’s most memorable moments in sports. Some will focus on big games, others on individual players. But no matter the theme, you can be sure the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts will be on those lists. More specifically, Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.
One of the year’s most anticipated Mixed Martial Arts fights takes place Saturday when Randy Couture faces Brandon Vera in the main event at UFC 105 in Manchester, England.
The legendary Couture will likely get a title shot with a win over Vera in Saturday’s light heavyweight bout (2 pm ET, SPIKE TV).
After all of the weekly games are finished be sure to check our waiver wire column, studs and duds, a who’s hot, and who’s not report plus more in our fantasy football guide.
Week 9 of the NFL schedule promises to be yet another superb one, both for the average fans and for the Fantasy Football world. There are plenty of story lines that I will be watching this week with great interest. There are teams returning from byes, teams looking to rebound from bad losses last week, undefeated teams, and players looking to build on good season debuts. Of course there are injury concerns as well – one’s that will undoubtedly impact Fantasy decisions for the upcoming Week.
Date: Saturday November 14, 7:00 EST
Site: Berkeley, CA
BetUS LINE: Cal -3
Preview:
Surprisingly, the Wildcats are in the thick of the race for conference supremacy. Sophomore transfer QB Nick Foles has been doing everything right for Arizona to this point. He had a tall order taking over for career passing leader Willie Tuitama, but the offense has clicked all season to this point.
Date: Saturday November 14, 3:30 EST
Site: Los Angeles, CA
BetUS LINE: USC -10.5
Preview:
These two teams have enjoyed opposite emotions in the past couple weeks. Southern Cal was crestfallen after losing handily to Oregon two weeks ago, while Stanford is ecstatic after topping that very same Oregon team just last week.
Date: Saturday November 14, 8:00 PM EST
Site: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
BetUS LINE: -6.5
Preview:
A lot of people thought one of the teams this weekend would have a record of 8-1 and ranked ninth in the country. Just no one thought that team would be Pitt. The Panthers have had a stellar season thus far and are on their way to a possible Big East championship.
Date: Saturday, November 14 NOON EST
Venue:Madison, WI
BetUS.com Line: Wisconsin -9
Team Stats: Total Offense: Michigan 44th
Wisconsin 45th
Total Defense: Michigan 89th
Wisconsin 22nd
Date: Saturday, November 14 3:00 EST
Venue:Columbus, Ohio
BetUS.com Line: Ohio State -17
Team Stats: Total Offense: Iowa 82nd
Ohio St. 62nd
Total Defense: Iowa 14th
Ohio St. 6th
If you can’t run with the big dogs, the expression goes, then stay on the porch.
In Cincinnati, the Bengals have shown through the first half of the NFL season that they are capable of keeping up with the big guns of the NFL. They stand at 6-2 and share the AFC North lead with the Steelers. Every one of their opponents this season, with the exception of the Browns, is now at .500 or better.
Welcome to the CappersPicks.com college football weekly predictions pages! We KNOW you will find our FREE weekly college football picks, tips, betting advice, strategies, CFB gambling articles and more to help you become the best College football bettor on your block!!
Temple Owls (7-2) v Akron Zips (2-7)
Temple: 6-2 ATS / Akron: 3-5 ATS
Welcome to the CappersPicks.com college football weekly predictions pages! We KNOW you will find our FREE weekly college football picks, tips, betting advice, strategies, CFB gambling articles and more to help you become the best College football bettor on your block!!
West Virginia Mountaineers (7-2) v Cincinnati Bearcats (9-0)
West Virginia: 2-6 ATS / Cincinnati: 5-3 ATS
In NFL betting, the Colts finally get a chance to back up their hot rep this Sunday night. On the college side, No. 4 TCU can do the same on Saturday night. There’s no denying that 2009 is the biggest season in Horned Frogs history to date. Still undefeated, TCU is pushing its way into the BCS title discussion, as crazy as that sounds. A win over Utah would move them one step closer to improbable glory. If Utah pulls off the upset, it still has a chance to steal the Mountain West.
(16) Utah Utes @ (4) TCU Horned Frogs
Saturday, November 14, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook favorite: TCU -19.5
Team records:
Utah: 8-1 SU, 3-6 ATS
TCU: 9-0 SU, 6-2 ATS
Most bettors are pretty confident in TCU’s chances to win this week. The big question is whether or not it can cover the 19.5-point spread. Of the many factors to consider, we should first and foremost examine TCU’s offense. It’s sizzling at the moment, ranking eighth in the nation. The Horned Frogs’ running game is their bread and butter; they’ve hit the 300-yard mark in back-to-back games and eight different TCU players have rushed for touchdowns. Joseph Turner is the big scorer, having found pay dirt nine times, but the Frogs have had four different guys carry the ball 75-plus times.
Utah hasn’t allowed more than 17 points in a game this year and in theory poses a better threat than most to TCU’s powerful running game, but it’s hard to put stock into Utah’s schedule so far. Arguably, TCU is the first legit offense the Utes are battling this season. They do play good “D” but they shouldn’t be mistaken for the shutdown group from last year’s undefeated squad.
Another factor that should play a major role in TCU covering the spread: Jordan Wynn. The freshman quarterback impressed last week in his Utah debut but he has an entirely new challenge on his hands this week. The only defenses ranked higher than TCU’s in the entire nation: Florida and Texas. The Horned Frogs may eat Wynn for breakfast like Pac-Man will feast in boxing’s Pacquiao Cotto odds this weekend.
TCU has major momentum playing at home and the conditions are right for them to win big. Go with the Horned Frogs.
A few trends to consider:
Utah is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Utah is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Utah’s last 6 games
Utah is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing TCU
TCU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
TCU is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
TCU is 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
TCU is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Utah
Sports bet online pick: TCU -19.5
In a potential preview of this year’s AFC Championship game, the New England Patriots travel to Indianapolis to play the Colts on Sunday night. This game over the past several years has become one of the biggest rivalries in the NFL. After completely dominating the Colts over the first half of the decade, New England has now lost four of last five meetings between these two teams. Some other big games include Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, Seattle at Arizona, and Philadelphia at San Diego.
Youth vs. Experience will be on glorious display in this week’s UFC 105 event. Randy “The Natural” Couture is 46 years old, 14 years older than his opponent, Brandon “The Truth” Vera is 32.
The concept of the pointspread began over a half century ago and really raised the interest in sports betting. It leveled the playing field; the pointspread became the equalizer. In the 1970s, Bob Martin of the Union Plaza Race and Sportsbook in downtown Las Vegas was the most respected oddsmaker in the gaming industry. A lot of oddsmaking tools used today are credited to Martin.
This Thursday night, two of the most exciting teams in the NBA will square off when the Cleveland Cavaliers take on the Miami Heat. Anytime you combine as many big NBA stars as you will have in this game, it will be very exciting. The Cavs are hoping to get things going, while the Heat have been on a roll and hope to continue that in the early part of the season.
