Colorado State vs Alabama College Football Handicapping
Coming off the a statement victory that the program needed to make, The Alabama Crimson Tide shift their focus over to the 1-2 Colorado State Rams, who they will face as 39.5-point favorites.
Auburn vs. LSU NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
Two of the best of what the SEC has to offer will square off against each other this weekend as No. 8 LSU host the Auburn Tigers in Baton Rouge.
Auburn (3-0) vs. No. 8 LSU (3-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013
Time: 7:45 p.m. EST
Venue: Tiger Stadium
City: Baton Rouge
O/U Odds: 56
Spread: LSU -17 1/2
Both teams arrive at Saturday’s contest undefeated, with the Tigers as a 17.5-point favorite over an Auburn team off to a solid start under first-year coach Gus Malzahn.
The Tigers rallied behind quarterback Nick Marshall to knock off Mississippi State last week and improved to 3-0, but a trip to Death Valley will be by far their toughest test so far.
Marshall has completed 61.4 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 102 yards this season.
Defensively, the Tigers have three interceptions, a fumble recovery and four sacks, but they are allowing 433.7 yards per game.
LSU meanwhile, will play their first SEC opponent of the year, just one week after improving to 3-0 following a 45-13 winner at home against Kent State.
Offensively, the Tigers are ranked No. 12, scoring 46 PPG and will run up against an Auburn defense that ranks No. 32 at 17.7 PPG. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
LSU quarterback Zach Mettenberger has completed 65.2 percent of his passes with nine touchdowns without throwing an interception to lead the Tigers passing attack, which has averaged 269.3 yards per game.
But the Tigers aren’t just good at passing the ball, they’re good at running it too, as Jeremy Hill put on a clinic as he ran straight through the Kent State defense for 117 yards last time out.
He will be assisted in the backfield by Terrence Magee, who is averaging 8.1 yards per carry with three touchdowns.
In the meantime, the defense has one interception, six sacks and two fumble recoveries and is allowing less than 268 yards of offense per game.
One important factor to take into consideration here is that LSU has won five of six over Auburn, squeaking out a 12-10 win at Auburn last season as an 18-point favorite.
Matt’s Prediction
Auburn is 1-9 within the conference are while LSU is 7-3.
LSU is the better team here but not by much.
Auburn isn’t going to be a pushover and can stand up physically along the defensive line which should keep it closer than the spread dd makers have set.
I expect this one to be close with the home team coming away with their perfect record still intact.
LSU 31, Auburn 28
Michigan vs. Connecticut NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The Wolverines looked winded after one of their worst performances at the Big House, and will aim to solidify their No. 11 ranking when the travel to East Hartford to take on a struggling Connecticut Huskies team that is still searching for their first win of the 2013 season.
Mizzou vs Indiana NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
Indiana will aim to keep their momentum up after winning its last outing, a 42-10 result against Bowling Green on September 14.
Missouri (2-0) vs. Indiana (2-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013
Time: 8 p.m. EST
Venue: Memorial Stadium
City: Bloomington
O/U Odds: 70 1/2
Spread: Missouri -2
The Hoosiers have really started to turn things around with Kevin Wilson at the helm, and now will face their toughest challenge the year at home against a Missouri Tigers team that arrives at Memorial Stadium with a perfect record after beating Toledo 38-23, last weekend at home.
Mizzou had a week off to prepare for Indiana’s up-tempo offense, which ranks No. 6 in the country, averaging 50 PPG.
It will be team’s biggest challenge thus far, especially guarding against a Hoosiers aerial attack, which is averaging 339 yards per game.
Freshman quarterback Nate Sudfeld throttled the Falcons defense in his team’s most recent action, throwing for 335 yards and two scores.
The ground game for Indiana is also solid, as the Hoosiers picked up 266 yards on the ground versus Bowling Green.
However, the defense has had its share of problems, giving up 28.7 per game. The Falcons rolled up 400 yards against the Hoosiers last weekend. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Not good news if you’re facing a Tigers’ offense that is also lighting up the scoreboard, as Missouri is averaging 48 points per game this season, ranking the Tigers No. 10 in the nation in scoring offense.
Quarterback James Franklin has remained healthy, becoming the Tigers main offensive weapon i 2013. The senior threw for 212 yards and a touchdown against the Rockets, while also rushing for 77 yards on the day.
Meanwhile defensively, Missouri is much better than the Hoosiers, giving up an average of just 18.5 points per game.
Indiana leads the series 6-2-2, but the teams have not met since 1992.
Matt’s Prediction
Both offenses are fairly balanced, though the Tigers tend to be a better running team while the Hoosiers lean heavily on the arm of Sudfeld.
The Tigers are much better defensively too, but with an offense like the Hoosiers have, they can afford to be giving up a few more points than other teams. But not too many, as playing catch up against Missouri will not likely play to their favor.
Indiana will get theirs, but in the end I expect Missouri’s talent to come out on top as the Tigers spoil the party on Saturday, winning this one by a touchdown.
Missouri 45, Indiana 38
KSU vs Texas NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
A surging Kansas State Wildcats will look to upend their hosts on Saturday, as they arrive in Austin to face a Texas Longhorns side that has dropped two straight.
Kansas State (2-1) vs. Texas (1-2)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013
Time: 8 p.m. EST
Venue: Darrell K. Royal Texas Memorial Stadium
City: Austin
O/U Odds: 58
Spread: Texas -5 1/2
Things are starting to appear bleak in Austin as the Longhorns allowed Ole Miss to score 30 unanswered points, to overcome a half-time deficit for a 44-23 romp last Saturday.
Kansas State, meanwhile, cruised to 37-7 victory over UMass Saturday night and continue to improve every week after their season-opening loss to North Dakota State.
That’s mainly due to an increasingly explosive offense that received a 118-yard performance from senior running back John Hubert in its win over Massachusetts. The Wildcats posted 456 total yards of offense against UMass, 329 coming on the ground.
Junior quarterback Jake Waters also pitched in, finishing 5-of-10 for 115 yards and two touchdowns.
On the defensive side, K-State surrendered 309 total yards, 186 passing and 123 rushing, and held UMass to 7-of-17 third down conversions.
That will come in handy against t talented Texas offense that has a ton of returnes and is loaded with talent. Its my guess that the team will eventually snap out of its funk, and maybe it will be this weekend. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
However, a thin defense is another concern. The one that gave up nearly 700 total yards to BYU and 449 total yards to Ole Miss, and ranks No. 53, surrendering 33.3 PPG.
The Wildcats defense ranks No. 39 at 19.3 PPG.
K-State has won five in a row against Texas, including a 42-24 victory in December that clinched the conference title. Nevertheless, the Horns are 13-2 in Big 12 openers under coach Mack Brown, with the two losses coming to Kansas State on the road in 1998 and at home in 2007.
Matt’s Prediction
This is my upset pick of the week.
The line for this matchup opened at -7 for Texas and that’s a bit of a shocker, especially as it tightened to -5 1/2.
K-State appears to be getting better every week, particularly at the skill positions. In the meantime, the Longhorns will be without two offensive starters – receiver Daje Johnson and tight end Greg Daniels, as well as a long list of key players who are questionable for Saturday.
The only plus the Longhorns will have here is the home crowd advantage, but I don’t see that being enough to carry them to victory in this one.
Kansas State 41, Texas 38
North Texas vs Georgia NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
After losing a close one in Week 1 at Clemson, quarterback Aaron Murray took care of business by leading No. 9 Georgia to a big win in Week 2 to pull the Bulldogs even on the year.
The senior turned in one of his best performances of his career throwing from for 309 yards and four touchdowns as Georgia defeated the Gamecocks, 41-30.
Murray and Co. will continue their two-game home stand this weekend against the North Texas Mean Green who improved to 2-1 after a come-from-behind victory over Ball State 34-27 on Saturday.
North Texas (2-1) vs. No. 9 Georgia (1-1)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013
Time: 12:21 p.m. EST
Venue: Sanford Stadium
City: Athens
O/U Odds: 67
Spread: Georgia -32 1/2
Mean Green quarterback Derek Thompson threw for 274 yards and rushed 72 yards to lead North Texas, after the team fell behind 20-3 in the first quarter.
Defensively, the Mean Green regained its composure holding Ball State to just seven points for the remainder of the game.
In the meantime, the Gamecocks and Bulldogs traded touchdowns in the two minutes of Saturday’s game with Todd Gurley powering in from the two-yard line and South Carolina evening the score again on Conner Shaw’s 30-yard TD pass with just 13 seconds remaining.
Georgia’s struggling defense came up with a big stop late in the game preventing the Gamecocks from powering into the end zone on fourth down.
The teams combined for 990 yards , not good for a team like Georgia’s, which cannot afford another defeat this season if it wants to remain a serious contender for a national title. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Bulldogs did make it for the defense’s lapses with a dazzling offensive display though, with Murray and Gurley putting on a clinic.
Gurley finished the day rushing for 136 yards on 30 carries and scoring two touchdowns, while Murray completed 17-of-23 passes for 309 yards and a whopping four touchdowns including the go-ahead score on an 8-yard toss to Gurley late in the third.
Receiver Justin Scott Wesley led the receiving corps, hauling in three passes from 116 yards, including an 85-yarder in the fourth to ice the game.
Matt’s Prediction
As far as I am concerned this one is not as lopsided as the odds makers have projected.
While the Georgia offense has proven it can put up points, the defense has had too many lapses to make me fill confident that they can maintain a nearly five-touchdown spread for an entire game, not to mention that the Mean Green have proven they can score as well, averaging nearly 32 PPG.
Georgia 45, North Texas 31
Florida A&M vs Ohio State NCAA Football Spread/Handicapping
The No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes will complete their non-conference portion of their 2013 campaign with a home game against FCS cupcake, Florida A&M.
Florida A&M (1-2) vs. No. 4 Ohio State (3-0)
Date: Saturday, Sept. 21, 2013
Time: 12 p.m. EST
Venue: Ohio Stadium,
City: Columbus
O/U Odds: 51
Spread: N/A
Ohio State will hope to have quarterback Braxton Miller back under center after he missed Saturday’s win at the Cal Golden Bears with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, A&M were edged out by a visiting Samford that used a big first quarter to beat the Rattlers 27-20, their last time out.
A&M (1-2) could only muster 219 yards of total offense, and if it weren’t for two interception returns for touchdowns, the Rattlers may have been shut out completely.
Patrick Aiken had a 93-yard return for a score in the second quarter for Florida A&M and Devonte Johnson then scored on a 28-yard interception return in the third.
Defensively, the Rattlers gave up 341 yards, including 199 on the ground.
Meanwhile, fifth-year senior quarterback Kenny Guiton got his first start as a Buckeye in place of injured Miller — and made it count.
It took just two plays for him to notch his name in the Ohio State record book, throwing three touchdown passes in the first six minutes of the game, including a school-record 90-yarder to Devin Smith — the longest from scrimmage in school history.
Guiton finished completing 21-of-32 passes for 276 yards and added 92 yards rushing to lead the Buckeyes to their 15th straight victory — the longest winning streak in major college football — 52-34 over California on Saturday night.
On defense, the Buckeyes looked shaky against Cals’s no-huddle offense, surrendering up 503 yards, which included nearly 375 through the air. They also allowed the Golden Bears to convert two of three fourth down conversions and forced two turnovers. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
After a an opening quarter that produced 38 points, three turnovers and 445 yards of offense between the two teams, the Ohio State defenders settled down and was able to control Cal’s offense, allowing just 14 points for the entire second half.
Matt’s Prediction
On paper, this one just doesn’t seem to pop out as being anywhere close when the final whistle blows
The only hope that the Rattlers had was that Miller would be miss this game, but it appears that won’t make a difference in this one, after Guiton’s performance at Cal.
I expect Ohio State to grab an easy win here, covering the spread and the over.
Ohio State 60, Florida A&M 6
Boise State vs Fresno State College Football Handicapping
A rivalry that has been fairly one-sided in recent years takes on a different form this season, with the Fresno State Bulldogs favored over the Boise State Broncos for the first time in the last seven meetings.
Clemson vs N.C. State College Football Spread/Handicapping
This is Clemson’s ACC opener and a chance to remind everyone that they are still alive because we all kind of forgot about them after their big win against Georgia to open the season and every thing that has happened since.
PGA Betting Predictions
The final event of the 2013 PGA TOUR season is here, as the top 30 in the FedEx Cup standings head to East Lake for the TOUR Championship.
UFC 165 Jones vs. Gustafsson Handicapping
The UFC returns to Canada Saturday for UFC 165 – a card that features one of the most dominant champions in the organization. Jon Jones will defend his Light Heavyweight title for the sixth time against Alexander Gustafsson.
The odds are certainly stacked against the Swedish challenger but it wasn’t that long ago that another of the UFCs untouchables fell at the hands of an upstart challenger (cough, cough – Anderson Silva). It’s a pretty explosive card with excitement promised as always.
Let’s break it down.
UFC 165: Jones vs. Gustafsson
Date: September 21, 2013
Time: 10pm ET/7pm PT
Location: Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada
Broadcast: Pay-per-view
UFC Odds From Bovada
MAIN CARD
Jon Jones (18-1): -900
Alexander Gustafsson (15-1): +550
Jon Jones and Alexander Gustafsson each have one loss in their careers but in Jones’ case it was a DQ loss in a fight he was totally dominating. In other word, he hasn’t “lost” so far in his career. The reason? Athleticism, size, length and an imagination unlike any other in the UFC.
Jones is perhaps the most athletic fighter in the UFC. He is long, he is lanky, he is quick, he is unorthodox and he is simply top notch anywhere a fight happens to go. Taking a look at whom he’s defeated is a who’s who of MMA legendry – Shogun Rua, Lyoto Machida, Rashad Evans, Rampage Jackson and Vitor Belfort to name a few.
Alexander Gustafsson is one of the few in the world that will actually have a size advantage over Jones – he may surprisingly have the striking advantages as well! At 6’5”, Gustafsson has been able to use his insane boxing skills to inflict damage and to stay out of the way of potential danger zones. He is an ideal “stick and move” fighter with devastating kicks and surprisingly good defense. Beyond that, there isn’t a whole lot that stands out.
Gustafsson has been working on his wrestling ahead of this fight and it is a good thing – his only real chance however is if this fight remains upright. The Swede has a good gas tank, a good striking pedigree and seemingly a good knowledge of what his opponents wants to do in the Octagon.
The problem is that Jones himself enters with a multitude of ways he can beat you.
This fight is only happening because there is nobody left! Jones is on his way to history – Gustafsson is just another speed bump.
Pick: Jon Jones -900
Renan Barao (30-1): -650
Eddie Wineland (20-8-1): +425
The interim bantamweight title is on the line Saturday when Renan Barao takes on Eddie Wineland. Wineland has been knocking on the door recently but every time he steps up he is knocked down again. Recent losses to Urijah Faber and Joseph Benavidez seem to prove that he is not quite ready for prime time just yet.
Renan Barao has won 31 fights in a row for a reason – he is a beast that could be the best all-around fighter in the game right now. His strikes are superb and his submission game is second to none in the bantamweight division.
Wineland is a tough guy and a decent all-around fighter but Barao is on a different level along with Dominick Cruz in the bantamweight division. The Brazilian has the advantage anywhere this fight happens to end up. It should be exciting but it will be predictable.
Pick: Renan Barao -650
Matt Mitrione (6-2): -120
Brendan Schaub (9-3): -110
Two former UFC prospects and TUF alums in the midst of mini-slumps look to right their ships in Toronto Saturday. Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub will look to change their fortunes around after losing two of their last three fights. A loss Saturday for either fighter may be their last with the organization.
Mitrione brings terrific athleticism to the Octagon. He is a former NFLer with terrific power – five of his six wins have come by KO while Schaub has a similar stat-line – 7 of nine wins by KO.
In a matchup of evenly-skilled fighters with similar experience, I will take the more athletic of the two.
Pick: Matt Mitrione -120
Francis Carmont (21-7): +155
Costa Philippou (12-2): -190
A battle of the five fight win streaks takes place when striking machine Costa Philippou takes on French MMA star Francis Carmont in Middleweight action. Both fighters, on paper have been tremendous lately and both have six KOs on their résumés. Philippou will definitely have the stand-up and power edge while Carmont will look to stifle his opponent in typical style.
Carmont has a knack of dumbing down a fight like nobody in the Middleweight Division. He will look to smother Philippou and will have success doing so. I see a justified frustrated Philippou being dragged the full three rounds and be outpointed in typical boring, grinding Carmont style. [ad-3573245]
Pick: Francis Carmont +155
Pat Healy (29-16): +200
Khabib Nurmagomedov (20-0): -260
Pat Healy will look to build on an impressive win over Jim Miller (before his positive drug test!!!) when he takes on undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov – one of the most impressive emerging grapplers in the Lightweight division. With a possible title shot on the line, this fight has potential to be best of the night.
Khabib Nurmagomedov has had his way with the lower tiers of the Lightweight division but gets his biggest test Saturday. Healy is a tough guy – well rounded with a terrific chin and a ton of experience. Healy also has a stellar wrestling background that should be able to somewhat minimize what Nurmagomedov hopes to do – Healy is a takedown machine that may have met his grappling match!
That said Nurmagomedov looks to be that guy being groomed for bigger things in the UFC.
Healy is a stepping stone (a tough one at that) along the way to bigger things for Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Pick: Khabib Nurmagomedov -260
UFC PRELIMS LIVE ON FOX SPORTS 1
Myles Jury (12-0): -400 vs. Mike Ricci (8-3): +300
Pick: Myles Jury -400
Ivan Menjivar (25-10): -190 vs. Wilson Reis (16-4): +155
Pick: Ivan Menjivar -190
Chris Clements (11-4): +220 vs. Stephen Thompson (7-1): -300
Pick: Chris Clements +220
Mitch Gagnon (9-2): +175 vs. Dustin Kimura (10-0): -220
Pick: Mitch Gagnon +175
UFC PRELIMS LIVE STREAM ON FACEBOOK
Renee Forte (8-2): +165 vs. John Makdessi (11-2): -210
Pick: -210
Michel Prazeres (16-1): +140 vs. Jesse Ronson (13-2): -170
Pick: Michel Prazeres +140
‘Bruce Leeroy’ Alex Caceres (8-5): -155 vs. Roland Delorme (9-1): +125
Pick: Roland Delorme +125
Nandor Guelmino (11-4-1): +220 vs. Daniel Omielanczuk (15-3-1): -300
Pick: Daniel Omielanczuk -300
CLICK HERE NOW to place a bet on UFC 164 At Bovada!
New Hampshire – Sylvania 300 Predictions
The Chase to this year’s NASCAR Sprint Cup title is underway and the second of this 10-race playoff takes the series back to New Hampshire Motor Speedway this week for the running of the Sylvania 300.
Sunday’s race is set to start at 2 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
Dave B’s NFL Power Rankings – Week 3
NFL Power Rankings – Where Every Team Sits After Week 2
Week 2 of the NFL season is in the books and as per usual, the weekend brought about some surprises that resulted in a reshaping of the Power Rankings landscape.
Week 4 AP Top 25
The Week 4 AP Top 25 college football rankings were released on Sunday. No movement in the top 5, and Texas A&M were able to stay inside the top 10 despite losing on Saturday.
Washington vs Green Bay NFL Football Spread/Handicapping
Both of these teams were in the playoffs a year ago but both are 0-1 heading into week 2 and in trouble. Whichever team exits 0-2 is going to be really behind the eightball to make it back to the playoffs and both play in competitive divisions.
Minnesota vs Chicago NFL Football Spread/Handicapping
Minnesota is on the road for yet another divisional game. Last week they lost at Detroit and a loss this week would be especially damaging because it would drop them to 0-2 and two games behind at least Chicago in the NFC North.
