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Archive for November 25th, 2010

November 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Louisville Cardinals at Rutgers Scarlett Knights
Date: Friday, November 26th, 11:00 ET
Location: Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
Game Line: Louisville -3.5
Over/Under 48

Two teams fighting for bowl eligibility square off Friday morning in Piscataway when the 5-6 Louisville Cardinals take on the 4-6 Scarlett Knights. First-year HC Charlie Strong has rejuvenated a Louisville program that was moribund under Steve Kragthorpe, although the record may not not say as much. Of Louisville's six losses, only one has been by more than one score and the Cardinals have been giving teams a game effort. On Saturday, the Cardinals played a slugfest of a game against Big East Rival West Virginia, giving the Mountaineers all they could handle in a 17-10 loss. Louisville's defense held West Virginia to just 261 total yards and sensational RB Noel Devine to only manage 58 yards on the day. QB Justin Burke got the start in place of the injured Adam Froman and had trouble moving the ball, completing just 50% of his passes 145 yards and an interception on the afternoon. Froman looks like he will get the start on Friday, but don't be surprised if Burke is the quarterback. Meanwhile, Rutgers continues to struggle, having lost four straight with only one conference win on their resume. Against Cincinnati, the story was the Scarlett Knights' inability to stop Cincinnati's offense through the duration of game. The Bearcats racked up an incredible 661 total yards on HQ Greg Schiano's squad in their 68-39 route of the Scarlett Knights. QB Chas Dodd had one of his best days on offense for the Scarlett Knights, completing 19 of 20 passes for 335 yards with four touchdowns and two interceptions in the loss. WR Mark Harrison was the primary target of Dodd and had the game of a lifetime for Rutgers, catching 10 passes for 240 yards and four touchdowns on the afternoon.

Free College Football Picks: Louisville -3
Prediction: Louisville 21 – Rutgers 13

Matchup: West Virginia Mountaineers @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Friday, November 26th, 12:00 ET
Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: Pittsburgh -3
Over/Under 39

The Backyard Brawl will go a long way in determining the Big East title on Friday afternoon when 6-4 Pittsburgh Panthers host the 7-3 West Virginia Mountaineers. On Saturday, Pittsburgh gutted out a tough 17-10 road win over the South Florida Bulls. QB Tino Sunseri didn't put up dazzling numbers for the Panthers, but was good enough to get Pitt the win. Sunseri completed 11 of 16 passes for 142 yards and a touchdown in the Panthers' victory. RB Dion Louis also helped contribute to the win by carrying the ball 22 times for 105 yards and a touchdown. PItt's defense was once again stout, holding USF to less than 300 yards. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers scored a close victory themselves, a much needed 17-10 win over Louisville that stops WVU's recent skid. West Virginia's offense was held in check throughout the game by Louisville with QB Geno Smith only completing 9 of 20 passes for 133 yards rushing for just 20 yards on 11 carries without notching a touchdown. RB Noel Devine struggled as well, rushing for only 58 yards and touchdown on 23 carries. West Virginia's defense won them the game this afternoon, holding Louisville's offense to a scant 171 total yards.

Free College Football Picks: Pittsburgh -3
Prediction: Pittsburgh 20 – West Virginia 14

Matchup: Auburn Tigers @ Alabama Crimson Tide
Date: Friday, November 26th, 2:30 ET
Location: Bryant Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
Game Line: Alabama -4.5
Over/Under 58

The most anticipated regular season game of the year will take place Friday afternoon in the great state of Alabama when the 9-2 Alabama Crimson Tide take on the 11-0 Auburn Tigers. Although there is a whirlwind swirling around the possible ineligibility of Tigers' QB Cameron Newton, the Tigers are poised to make their first ever BCS Title Game if they can defeat arch-rival Alabama on Friday. Under the tutelage of OC Gus Malzahn, Newton has established himself as the best player in all of college football and would be the overwhelming favorite to win the Heisman Trophy if not for the eligibility concern. The last time college football betting enthusiasts saw Auburn was two weeks ago when the Tigers defeated the Georgia Bulldogs 49-31. Georgia gave Auburn all they could handle for three quarters before the tigers put them away in the fourth. Newton once again put together a fantastic game, completing 12 of 15 passes for 148 yards with two touchdowns and an interception while also carrying the ball 30 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. Defensive guru Nick Saban will look to do what no other team has done this season in shutting down Newton. Alabama has had virtually two weeks to prepare for Auburn after walking through the motions in a 63-7 win over FCS Georgia State last Thursday night. Alabama's starters only played the first half and put up the numbers you'd expect in scoring 42 first half points. QB Greg McElroy completed 12 of 13 passes for 159 yards and two touchdowns. RB Mark Ingram carried the ball 12 times for 86 yards and a score and WR Julio Jones caught seven passes for 86 yards and two TDs in the blowout win.

Free College Football Picks: Alabama -4.5
Prediction: Alabama 38 – Auburn 28

Matchup: Colorado Buffaloes @ Nebraska Cornhuskers
Date: Friday, November 26th, 3:30 ET
Location: Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, NE
Game Line: Nebraska -16.5
Over/Under 50.5

The 9-2 Nebraska Cornhuskers will look to keep their hopes for a BCS at-large bid alive on Friday afternoon when they host the 5-6 Colorado Buffaloes for possibly the last time. The meeting will be bittersweet as there are no plans for the two to continue to play each other after Nebraska moves to the Big 10 next season. Nebraska will look to score a win in their last regular season Big 12 game after falling 9-6 to Texas A&M last week. The Cornhuskers have been the center of controversy during the week after reports that QB Taylor Martinez had quit the team and that DC Carl Pelini had shoved a photographer on the field after the game was over. The hopes of Nebraska's offense rest on Martinez and the status of his ankle as the offense doesn't click unless Martinez is under center. Against the Aggies last week, Martinez was banged up most of the game and put up one of his worst games of the season, completing just 11 of 17 passes for 107 yards and an interception and only managing 17 yards rushing on 11 carries. As for Colorado, the Buffaloes have won back-to-back games since the firing of former HC Dan Hawkins. Colorado got big gains from QB Cody Hawkins and RB Rodney Stewart to top Kansas State 44-36. Hawkins completed 14 or 25 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns while Stewart rushed for 195 yards and two touchdowns while also throwing a 23 yard touchdown pass.

Free College Football Picks: Colorado +16.5
Prediction: Nebraska 24 – Colorado 14

Matchup: Arizona Wildcats @ Oregon Ducks
Date: Friday, November 26th, 7:00 ET
Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
Game Line: Oregon -19
Over/Under 62

The 10-0 Oregon Ducks will aim to keep their undefeated season and BCS Title Game berth alive Friday night when they host the 7-3 Arizona Wildcats. College football bettors last saw Oregon two weeks ago when the Ducks squeaked out a narrow 15-13 win over the California Golden Bears. Oregon's offense had their least effective performance of the season in Berkeley, managing just 317 total yards against Cal. QB Darrin Thomas completed 15 of 29 passes for 155 yards and a score in the win, while Heisman Trophy contender LaMichael James could only muster 102 yards on 31 touches. Oregon's previously maligned defense came up huge for the Ducks in the victory, holding Cal to just 193 total yards of offense and completely shutting down the Cal passing attack, with Cal QB Brock Mansion mustering just 69 yards passing on 10 of 28 completions. An Oregon win against Arizona also clinches the Ducks at least the Pac-10 Title and an appearance in the Rose Bowl.

Free College Football Picks: Oregon -19
Prediction: Oregon 51 – Arizona 20

Matchup: Boise State Broncos @ Nevada Wolf Pack
Date: Friday, November 26th, 10:15 ET
Location: Mackay Stadium, Reno, NV
Game Line: Boise State -14
Over/Under 67.5

With a win against the 10-1 Nevada Wolfpack on Friday night, the 10-0 Boise State Broncos will clinch the WAC Title and be one step closer to a potential BCS Title Game bid. QB Kellen Moore is a darkhorse to win the Heisman, but has put up some of the best numbers in the country despite being pulled early in many of his conference games. Last week in their 51-0 drubbing of Fresno State, Moore completed 27 of 38 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns against one interception. Moore's favorite two target's were again the dynamic duo of WR Austin Pettis and WR Titus Young. Pettis hauled in 10 passes 93 yards and two scores on the evening while Young caught eight balls for 164 yards and two touchdowns. As for Nevada, the Wolfpack has given Boise State all it can handle in their games over the past few seasons. Nevada is led by QB Colin Kaepernick who completed 15 of 27 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns last week against New Mexico State. Kaepernick also added 35 yards rushing and a touchdown on the day. RB Vai Taua carried the ball 22 times for 111 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 79 yard touchdown pass in the 52-6 victory over the Aggies.

Free College Football Picks: Nevada +14
Prediction: Boise State 38 – Nevada 34

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November 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The New England Patriots will be putting the best record in the NFL on the line on Thanksgiving Day this week, as they pay a visit to the stingy Detroit Lions in their annual Thanksgiving Day NFL betting battle.

Matchup: New England Patriots @ Detroit Lions
Date: Thursday, November 25th, 12:30 ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
Game Line: Detroit +6.5
Over/Under 50.5

Patriots Notes: The Patriots have struggled at times this season on the road, as they were defeated by the Cleveland Browns two weeks ago. They also tend to play to the level of their opponent, something that championship teams tend to not do. Still, New England is at 8-2 after ten games and has to feel like a playoff spot really has been locked down, especially if it can win this one. QB Tom Brady is coming off of a pedestrian game against the Indianapolis Colts in which he didn't even make it to 200 yards passing, but his numbers this year still suggest him being an MVP candidate. Brady has thrown for 2,362 yards and 19 scores against just four picks in 2010. His running game might get a boost this week as well, as RB Fred Taylor might be returning from a toe injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the last two months. In the interim, RB Danny Woodhead and RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis have done their job, combining to rush for 879 yards and ten scores. Keep a close eye on the two rookie tight ends that Brady has to work with as well. TE Aaron Hernandez is second on the team in receptions with 35 and yards with 444, and he has found pay dirt three times. No one has scored more through the air this year than TE Rob Gronkowski though, as he has six scores on his 20 receptions. Defensively, New England is struggling, allowing 398.4 yards and 24.2 points per game. The first number is the third worst mark in the NFL, but is countered by an offense that is scoring a league best 28.9 points per game.

Lions Notes: Detroit may have had a lot of fight in its tank early in the season, but back to back failed attempts at covering the NFL odds have really hampered its progress. Playing without QB Matt Stafford has really hurt, and though backup QB Shaun Hill has potentially proven that he can earn back a starting job with another team next year, he just isn't good enough to lead a very young offense to wins on a regular basis. Hill has 1,921 passing yards and a dozen scores against nine INTs on the campaign. His biggest problem is going to be figuring out who to turn around and hand the ball to. RB Jahvid Best is out of the lineup with turf toe, and there isn't another player on this team that has more than 21 carries for the season. RB Maurice Morris is likely to get the nod, but he only has 41 yards on 21 carries this season. The Lions only have five rushing touchdowns this year, and Best and Stafford have accounted for all five. Though this is a defense that is improving, there are still some major problems to be worked out. The Lions have allowed at least 24 points six times this year and have given up at least 35 twice. Unless that really improves dramatically, the men from the Motor City are going to continue losing games.

The Final Word: It's kind of cool looking at how polar opposite these teams really have been over the years since their last meeting here in Detroit on Thanksgiving Day in 2002. The Pats have a pair of Super Bowl rings and an undefeated regular season, while the Lions haven't even sniffed the playoffs and have an 0-16 campaign under their belts. Though we know that Detroit isn't as bad as its 2-8 record and that New England isn't as good as its 8-2 record, we also know that the Lions are 0-6 SU and ATS over the last six years on Thanksgiving Day, and with such a great team coming to town, there is no way that they are going to be able to fend off a near certain defeat that will probably come by at least two scores, if not more.

Free Pro Football Picks: New England -6.5
Prediction: New England 34 – Detroit 18

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November 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Dallas Cowboys have hit their stride in recent weeks and have finally started playing some great ball just in time for the holidays. However, the New Orleans Saints are still in search of a playoff spot in the tightly contested NFC and would love to pick up this NFL betting 'W' on Thursday afternoon.

Matchup: New Orleans Saints @ Dallas Cowboys
Date: Thursday, November 25th, 4:15 ET
Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
Game Line: Dallas +3.5
Over/Under 51.5

Saints Notes: The biggest concern that the Saints have right now is whether or not RB Reggie Bush is going to be back in the lineup. Many thought that he would be back last week against the Seattle Seahawks, but HC Sean Peyton elected to hold him back for a few more days to get ready for the bigger test against Dallas. RB Pierre Thomas has been back at practice as well, and though he isn't quite ready to come back to the team as of yet, getting back either one will help out a squad that only has four rushing TDs for the entire season. Needless to say, this has piled a ton of pressure on the right arm of QB Drew Brees, as he has had to carry this entire offense at times by himself. Brees will become the fourth quarterback in the NFL to reach the 3,000 yard barrier on Thursday afternoon, as he already has 2,969 yards and 22 TDs. New Orleans is averaging 286.8 yards per game through the air and 382.3 yards per game in total, both marks of which leave it in the Top 5 in the NFL. Defensively, things are significantly better than they appear. Statistically, this is already a great team, as the Saints rank No. 4 in the league in total defense and scoring defense and No. 2 in pass defense. However, they have had a number of scores against them either directly or indirectly courtesy of the offense and special teams, and if you take those scores away, New Orleans is allowing less than 13 points per game. Brees has thrown for more touchdowns than teams have scored against the Saints defense this year.

Cowboys Notes: The Cowboys have put forth their two best efforts of the entire season since getting Interim HC Jason Garrett in command of the troops. HC Wade Phillips had watched his team give up at least 34 points in four of his last five games before getting fired, and Garrett has come in and kept the New York Giants and Detroit Lions to a total of just 39 points in two games. Things are looking great this year for WR Miles Austin, TE Jason Witten, and WR Dez Bryant. Those three already all have over 500 yards this year, and all three could threaten the 1,000 yard barrier when the season is said and done. QB Jon Kitna is doing a nice job taking care of this offense in the absence of QB Tony Romo. Kitna has thrown for 1,223 yards and ten scores against seven picks in numbers that looks awfully comparable to those of his injured predecessor. The problem that Dallas has right now is that it cannot run the football. We're still puzzled as to why as well, as all three of RB Marion Barber, RB Felix Jones, and RB Tashard Choice are all still in the lineup on a regular basis and none have been injured. Over his career, LB DeMarcus Ware has accounted for 73 sacks. If he can get 1.5 more on Thursday against a New Orleans team that he ripped to shreds last year, he'll be at double digits for the fifth straight campaign. Stopping Ware is going to be paramount for the Saints to be able to win on Thanksgiving Day.

The Final Word: The Saints might be on the verge of missing out on the playoffs, but they are a lot better than a 7-3 record would suggest, particularly defensively. If that defense can get the job done against a relatively one dimensional Dallas offense and can get some good things going on the ground with a healthy combination of Bush and/or Thomas, Brees should be able to pick apart a questionable secondary for a ton of yards and a ton of points. New Orleans should rock and roll and get some real revenge for last season's loss to the boys from Big D.

Free Pro Football Picks: New Orleans -3.5
Prediction: New Orleans 41 – Dallas 27

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November 25th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets are really polar opposites of one another. Cincinnati just keeps finding ways to lose games, while the Jets just keep finding ways to win them. Though these two squads have exactly opposite records, there is no telling what could happen when the two meet in the Meadowlands in the first Thanksgiving Day home game ever played in the state of New Jersey.

Matchup: Cincinnati Bengals @ New York Jets
Date: Thursday, November 25th, 8:20 ET
Location: New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
Game Line: New York -9
Over/Under 43

Bengals Notes: Before last week's collapse against the Buffalo Bills, we really thought that the Bengals were going to keep control of their emotions this year and continue to compete in games. However, 35 second half points scored by one of the more embarrassing offenses in the NFL, and we beg to differ. One man that clearly isn't giving up is WR Terrell Owens. The future Hall of Famer has had a heck of a season off the streets for the Bengals, as he has caught 62 passes for 897 yards and eight TDs on the campaign. QB Carson Palmer has been up and down the whole year, and his numbers sort of reflect that. The good news is that he has completed 240 passes for 2,625 yards. Eighteen scores is excellent as well. The problem comes with a shaky 60.9 completion percentage and 13 INTs. Getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks is a hassle for the Bengals, which is shocking considering how good they were at it last year. No one on the team has more than two sacks, and they rank dead last in the conference in total sacks for the season. The numbers for this team are awfully mediocre, but they don't really indicate that they are a 2-8 team. Cincinnati is No. 14 in the NFL in total offense at 346.2 yards per game and No. 18 in total defense at 341.3 yards per game. The problem is that opponents are consistently putting points on the board. Only two have been held below 22 points for the entire year, and three teams have gotten to at least 38.

Jets Notes: New York has to feel good about the way that it has played this year, as it has eight wins, a lot of which have come against some solid clubs, especially in the AFC. If you take out those two losses at home, New York has scored at least 23 points in all of its games this year. As a result, the offense is averaging 364.6 yards per game and 23.8 points per game. QB Mark Sanchez really isn't completing a high enough percentage of his passes at just 55.1 percent, but his 2,293 yards and 15/7 TD/INT ratio are both good enough to suggest that he could be a Pro Bowler in the AFC. The ground game is always good for the Jets, but they have had some pressure taken off of them this year with the emergence of Sanchez as a great passer. RB LaDainian Tomlinson has resurrected his career, as he has rumbled for 684 yards and five scores. Though RB Shonn Greene has only found pay dirt once, his 505 yards have been critical for the success that the team has had. Surprisingly, this isn't a team that intercepts a ton of passes. DB Darrelle Revis hasn't had an INT this season, and DB Antonio Cromartie only has two picks. Ranking No. 7 in total defense at 310.3 yards per game and No. 5 in scoring at 17.7 points per game almost seems to be a downer for a team that was just so dominating at times on that side of the ball over the course of last season.

The Final Word: Had this game been played last week, we'd be all over Cincinnati in a heartbeat, as we know that the Jets haven't always found ways to blow out teams, picking up its last four victories by a total of 16 points. However, the Bengals looked absolutely lost in the second half at home against the Bills, and after watching New York pound them into submission last year both in Week 17 and in the first round of the playoffs, we have no doubts that it is going to be another mess at the Meadowlands for the visitors.

Free Pro Football Picks: New York -9
Prediction: New York 30 – Cincinnati 13

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