When the New England Patriots landed a couple of big name free agents to an already talented roster back in 2007, big things were expected, and they went on to win more games than any other team in a single season and fell just minutes short of a Super Bowl victory.
Mike London is in his second year as coach of the Virginia Cavaliers. Kevin Wilson is in his first year at Indiana University.
Even with some key offseason departures to the NFL, the Virginia Tech Hokies started their 2011 season in style, routing hapless Appalachian State 66-13. The challenge will increase slightly against East Carolina this week.
This was billed by some as a big early season matchup, but Oregon State’s inexplicable loss to Sacramento State last weekend definitely took some of the luster away from this game.
With the NFL Fantasy football nearing the home stretch we encourage you to be checking out our FANTASY FOOTBALL WEEKLY ARTICLES for all your rankings and analysis for the upcoming week.
Luke Fickell started his Ohio State coaching career off with a big 42-0 win over Akron last week. The entire Ohio State program was thrilled to get back on the field and have the talk be about the team and its ability rather than off-the-field issues.
Date: Thursday, September 8, 2011
Venue: Miller Park, Milwaukee, WI
Broadcast: CSN, FSWI
Philadelphia Phillies at Milwaukee Brewers Betting Lines from Sportsbook.com
Money Line: OFF
Over/Under: 8
Philadelphia Phillies (90-48 through September 6)
Cole Hamels (13-7, 2.63)
There wasn’t much to say about the Phillies’ chances at the National League East when the season started; the team was so stacked that it was almost a foregone conclusion. Now, a week into September, nothing’s changed. Through Tuesday, the Phils had widened their lead over Atlanta to 9.5 games and gone 7-2 over their last nine.
Thursday will mark Cole Hamels’ second start since returning from the 15-day DL last week. Most people around the game agree that 2011 has been his finest season yet. He’s maintained his outstanding control and strikeout rate but has cut his homer rate in half. Last week, he did serve up two taters, however, so the Phillies only hope it was a blip on the radar.
Hamels is 4-2 against the Brewers in his career but he’s had some trouble at Miller Park, where the Brewers happen to be 50-19 this season. Hamels has a 5.00 ERA with six homers allowed over 27 innings there.
Milwaukee Brewers (85-58 through September 6)
Chris Narveson (10-6, 4.26)
The only other team in baseball with a division lead as comfortable as Philadelphia’s is Milwaukee. The Brewers are in cruise control. The Cardinals swept them last week but they bounced back to take three of four from lowly Houston.
Is Chris Narveson up to the task of stopping the Phillies? The innings eater has lost once in his last 10 starts. He’s 6-2 with a 3.76 ERA at home this season.
Though Narveson turned in a quality start his last time out against the Phillies (6 IP, 3 ER), they rocked him the time before that, so he’s somewhat of a wild card.
The pick:
Hamels is twice as talented as Narveson but his two homers allowed in his last start are troubling. The Brewers have a proven track record of power-hitting success against him. Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder have four homers in 39 combined at-bats versus Hamels. Narveson seems comfortable at home, just like the whole Brewer team, and the Phillies didn’t faze him the last time out.
Take the Brewers and you may even get home dog value because Hamels is pitching.
Phillies vs Brewers prediction: Brewers 6, Phillies 5
Mizzou is a ranked team coming from the Big 12, but they are underdogs in this game against a ASU team that is ranked in the USA top 25 (#23), has a solid team on both sides of the ball, and is a good dark horse pick to win the new Pac 12.
The Florida Atlantic Owls gave Michigan State a pretty good game last year before losing 30-17. Howard Schnellenberger’s Owls are much weaker than they were last year, but the Spartans are still a very powerful team.
Can Florida Atlantic hang in there this year or will it be a complete mismatch?
Florida Atlantic vs. Michigan State
Spartan Stadium
Saturday September 10, 12:00 PM EST
NCAA Football Odds from JustBet
Moneyline: Off
College Football Spread: Michigan State -32 (-110) Florida Atlantic +32 (-110)
Over/Under: 50.5
FAU vs. MSU ATS Gambling Stats –>
A few years ago Florida Atlantic appeared to be a program that was destined to become a perennial leader in the Sun Belt Conference. The team won a bowl game in both 2007 and 2008, but since then the program has turned south in a hurry.
Last year’s team went 4-8, and most of the top players from that team graduated. The Owls were thrashed 41-3 by Florida in their season opener last weekend. Graham Wilbert is the team’s starting quarterback, but he is very inexperienced.
Alfred Morris is a talented runner that the team must get involved as often as possible, but the offensive line is a real problem area. Rob Housler and Lester Jean were both stars in the passing game last year, but both are in the NFL now. The defensive side of the football doesn’t look any better for this squad.
The team is stacked at the linebacker position, but everywhere else on the field they have question marks. The defense moved to a 3-4 over the offseason primarily because they were struggling badly to find quality defensive linemen. Florida picked up six yards per carry last week, and this run defense will be tested by the Spartans this weekend.
Expect it to be a long season for the Owls.
Michigan State wasn’t particularly impressive in their 28-6 victory over Youngstown State last weekend. The Spartans led just 7-6 late in the second quarter, but they did play better in the second half.
Kirk Cousins was extremely efficient last week in the season opener. Cousins went 18 for 22 passing while throwing for 222 yards. B.J. Cunningham caught nine passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Edwin Baker, Le’Veon Bell, and Larry Caper are all very talented running backs for Michigan State. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Spartans have as much talent in the backfield as any team in the Big Ten this year. Look for Michigan State to try to pound the football consistently this week.
The Michigan State defense employed the bend but don’t break philosophy last week against Youngstown State. Greg Jones was the unit’s leader last year, and it wouldn’t surprise me a bit to see a big drop in production from the linebacker position this season.
Jerrell Worthy is a defensive tackle that all the NFL scouts have their eyes on. Worthy can take over a game at any time, and he does a great job of both rushing the passer and stuffing the run.
Michigan State is looking to prove that last year’s run was no fluke. Florida Atlantic will likely be at the bottom of the Sun Belt this year.
I think this one could get ugly pretty quickly.
I don’t like laying this many points, but I think the Spartans dominate here.
NCAA Gambling Trends:
Under is 10-1 in FLATL last 11 games on grass.
FLATL are 1-10 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
FLATL are 1-8 ATS in their last 9 games on grass.
Over is 7-1 in MCHST last 8 non-conference games.
Free College Football Pick: Michigan State -32
Score Prediction: Michigan State 45 Florida Atlantic 7
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It may not get the national coverage that some other rivalries do, but the Iowa/Iowa State intrastate rivalry is definitely important in the Hawkeye state.
The New York Giants and the Washington Redskins kick-off the 2011 NFL regular season this Sunday afternoon in a classic NFC East showdown. Game time from FedEx Field is slated for 4:15 p.m. (ET) and its will be broadcast nationally on FOX.
The 2011 NFL regular season gets underway this Thursday night as all 32 teams begin another quest for a Super Bowl title. While championships are not won in September, there are a number of intriguing matchups on the opening day schedule as well as some solid value to be found in the current point spreads and total lines.
A crucial NFC West game in Week 1? You bet! The Seattle Seahawks visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon with the aim of getting a leg up in their own weak division.
Could it be that a Panthers vs. Cardinals game may be interesting? It’s true, two highly sought after quarterbacks will make their debut with their new teams.
The Cincinnati Bearcats travel to Neyland Stadium to take on the SEC’s Tennessee Volunteers this Saturday afternoon in a non-conference showdown between the Big East and the SEC.
Even with some key offseason departures to the NFL, the Virginia Tech Hokies started their 2011 season in style, routing hapless Appalachian State 66-13. The challenge will increase slightly against East Carolina this week.
