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April 3rd, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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And then there were two… The Butler Bulldogs and the Connecticut Huskies are the only two teams that are left standing here in the NCAA Tournament, and after 66 previous games and eliminations, only one team can be left standing at the end of the day. On Monday, the 2011 National Championship will be award, and we here at Cappers Info have all of our March Madness final picks available for the big game.

Matchup: #3 Connecticut Huskies vs. #8 Butler Bulldogs
Date: Monday, April 4th, 9:20 ET
Location: Final Four, Houston, TX
NCAA Basketball Odds: Connecticut -3.5
Over/Under 129.5

The road to the Final Four has been long and arduous for both the Huskies and the Bulldogs. Butler needed to survive a pair of de facto road games against the Cleveland State Vikings and Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers, both of which could have easily been NCAA Tournament teams this season. After that, they eliminated the Old Dominion Monarchs, Pittsburgh Panthers, Wisconsin Badgers, Florida Gators, and VCU Rams to reach the finale. Connecticut was never really in serious doubt about making the NCAA Tournament, but it definitely could have been in a lot worse spot in terms of its seeding had it not gone on that great run in the Big East Tournament. Save the win against the DePaul Blue Demons in Round 1 at Madison Square Garden, the Huskies have beaten nine straight NCAA Tournament teams. Five of these games, they were underdogs, and they have shined through with flying colors in all of them. The Bucknell Bison, Cincinnati Bearcats, San Diego State Aztecs, Arizona Wildcats, and Kentucky Wildcats have all fallen to the mighty Huskies in this tournament.

Connecticut Huskies Notes: It’s getting pretty clear that Head Coach Jim Calhoun is making his bench awfully short in this one. There are only six players that played more than nine minutes in the 56-55 escape from the Wildcats on Saturday, and the big time stats were once again put up by the big time players. Kemba Walker led the way with a very complete effort, as he scored 18 points to lead all scorers on the night. He also had seven assists and six boards. Jeremy Lamb continued his shot scoring streak with 12 points, marking his 10th straight game with at least 11 points after averaging below double digits in scoring per game coming in. Alex Oriakhi had eight points and 10 crucial boards, while Roscoe Smith stepped up and had six points and eight rebounds. The team did shoot 46.9 percent, but Calhoun cannot be happy that his team allowed 13 more shots than it took. The good news though, was that it did have 16 assists on 23 made baskets, a sign that the ball was really moving around for UConn.

Butler Bulldogs Notes: It’s truly amazing that Butler is back in this one, and perhaps the Bulldogs are just a tad fortunate to be in this spot. VCU ended up going cold down the stretch, which allowed them to come up with this 70-62 win to advance to the National Championship Game. Give the perimeter players a lot of credit, as holding VCU to just 8-of-22 from downtown was its worst percentage of the tournament. Matt Howard and company really didn’t do a great job keeping Jamie Skeen off of the scoreboard, but he the scrapper in the middle had himself a heck of a game. He only shot 3-of-10 from the floor, including 0-for-5 from downtown, but he also had 11 free throws made on 12 attempts to total 17 points with eight boards. Shelvin Mack knocked down three triples, but he continued his struggles from the line, going just 3-of-6 in very uncharacteristic form. Mack scored 24 points and had six rebounds. The impressive part of this game for the Bulldogs was the fact that they absolutely dominated the glass, proving that they can really play like a big conference team. The Dogs had 46 total boards, 15 of which were on the offensive glass. They had a +16 margin on the boards when the day was said and done.

The Final Word: This is the final word for the whole season, and with as screwy as this entire season has been, why shouldn’t we expect to see the upset once again. Butler has proven that it is good enough to beat virtually every big time school that it has run across this season, and it has some big time unfinished business to contend with. The Bulldogs will get the job done this year, and Head Coach Brad Stevens and company will arguably become the least likely champion in the history of the sport.

March Madness Free Pick: Butler Bulldogs +3.5

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March 30th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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The Kentucky Wildcats and the Connecticut Huskies have totally defied logic in the 2011 NCAA Tournament. They’re both on the verge of reaching the finale of the dance, and they both have absolutely captured the hearts of all of the fans of the little guys of college basketball across the country. Check out our March Madness picks for this national semifinal in Houston!

Matchup: #3 Connecticut Huskies vs. #4 Kentucky Wildcats
Date: Saturday, April 2nd, 8:50 ET
Location: Final Four, Houston, TX
NCAA Basketball Odds: Kentucky -2
Over/Under 140

The Kentucky Wildcats and the Connecticut Huskies followed completely opposite roads at the start of the season. Everyone was high on the Kentucky rotation to the point that it was one of the Top 10 teams in the land for quite some time until the SEC season started. Connecticut found itself in the dumps at the start of the year off of the NIT campaign last season. The two teams met at the Maui Invitational, and UConn’s triumph was a bit of a shock. Kentucky didn’t play so well at the beginning of the SEC season, but it came through at the end of the year, winning some big time games down the stretch and then taking the SEC crown. Connecticut started off well in the Big East and flipped the other direction just a bit. However, it came back and won the Big East title as well. Both teams have had great runs here to the Final Four, and now, one will survive to make it to the NCAA Tournament finale on Monday.

Connecticut Huskies Notes: We could sit here and just list off all of Kemba Walker’s stats this year and in this tournament, but we all know that this young man is a human highlight reel. Walker inevitably will score somewhere between 20 and 35 points in this one, and if he doesn’t, the Huskies are dead in the water regardless of what it is that they do. However, what is underappreciated about Head Coach Jim Calhoun’s team is how well the rest of the youngsters, the future of this franchise, are really playing. Jeremy Lamb is Exhibit A. This frosh has put up nine straight games with double digits in scoring, including posting 24 and 19 points in the two games played in Anaheim to wrap up the West Bracket. Lamb is becoming a bona fide sharpshooter, and he is really shooting the ball well from all over the court. Keep a close eye on another first year player, Shabazz Napier. Napier might only be scoring 8.0 points per game this year, but he came up with 10 big points for the Huskies against the San Diego State Aztecs in the Elite 8 to reach this point in the season. Don’t underestimate how strong this team is defensively as well. UConn has held five straight foes, dating back to the finale in the Big East Tournament, to 67 points or fewer, and it is conceding just 65.7 points per game on the season.

Kentucky Wildcats Notes: We’ve heard about this all season long. Head Coach John Calipari was convinced that his team in the form that it has been in for most of the year, was never going to be able to come together to do anything when all of the marbles were in the center of the table in the dance. Now, it very well could be true that this team probably isn’t as talented as last year’s team was that was bounced in the Elite 8. However, there is no doubt that this is a fantastic team as a whole, and most importantly, it is a group of six players that is really playing like a team at the best possible time. Sure, this is still a sloppy bunch that takes too many iffy shots and commits too many turnovers, but there isn’t a man in this six pack of stars that doesn’t bring everything he’s got every single night. Josh Harrellson and Terrence Jones have gone up against some of the best big men in the country en route to the Final Four, including John Henson, Tyler Zeller, Harrison Barnes, and Jared Sullinger… and that’s just talking about the regional semifinals and finals in Newark. Brandon Knight was the top freshman scorer in the land this year, but he has been wildly bipolar for the entire NCAA Tournament.

The Final Word: We’re just not all that sure that the Huskies can keep this up. We know that we keep saying that, but there is a point that it has to come true… right? Kentucky is significantly better than your average No. 4 seed, and it will prove it in this one by coming out and crushing UConn.

March Madness Free Pick: Kentucky Wildcats -2

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March 12th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Two teams that are in dire need of a big time victory to get some momentum going towards the NCAA Tournament meet up on Monday night in the City of Brotherly Love, as the Connecticut Huskies duke it out with the Louisville Cardinals.

Matchup: Louisville Cardinals vs. Connecticut Huskies
Date: Saturday, March 12th, 9:00 ET
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
NCAA Basketball Odds: OTB
Over/Under OTB

Cardinals Notes: Does Head Coach Rick Pitino really have a side that has the ability to capture a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament? The possibility has to at least be considered even though it hasn’t been the most horrifying road into the Big East Tournament finale in the world. Every challenge that looked daunting seems to have been passed. Of course, something must be said about the fact that both wins in this tournament came after teams thought that their missions were accomplished. The Marquette Golden Eagles probably locked up their slot in the NCAA Tournament the day before getting bounced by the ‘Ville, while the Notre Dame Fighting Irish had to think they had that ever so coveted No. 1 seed in hand before giving up the huge comeback to the Cardinals on Friday night. Preston Knowles, a man that has a history of doing just about everything for his team, came up with one of his biggest games of the season against the Irish, scoring 20 points. He now has 35 total points, 11 assists, and 12 boards on the tournament in just two games, and he is clearly going to be the man of the hour to try to stop for the Huskies. The question out there is whether too much energy was expended to try to come back from a huge halftime hole against the Fighting Irish to be able to fight off the Huskies in the finale on Saturday.

Huskies Notes: The truth of the matter is that this game really doesn’t mean all that much to the Huskies in terms of seeding for the NCAA Tournament. They’re probably going to be somewhere around a No. 4 seed one way or the other, and they have already proven their point that they are a team to beat for certain in the upcoming dance. However, this is a chance for Kemba Walker to finish what he started five days ago, and that’s etching his name, and this season’s team, into UConn lore, as a Big East Tournament championship, especially in this circumstance, would be absolutely stunning. Walker never really leaves the court, and he just continues to get better and better and better as games go on. He hit the game winning shot at the buzzer against the Pittsburgh Panthers after being on the floor for all 40 minutes, while the very next night, he played into OT and finished off a tremendous 33 point, 12 rebound performance against the Syracuse Orange. Walker’s numbers are just off the chart in this tournament, and there is no doubt that he is the tourney’s MVP to date. The question is whether a man like Jeremy Lamb or Alex Oriakhi is going to step up to be able to help this team out, or whether Walker is going to have to put the whole team on his back for a fifth straight day.

The Final Word: This isn’t a series with a great history to it if you’re a Connecticut fan. The Huskies only have two outright wins and just one cover since the end of the 2007 season. Still, teams that have to play on Tuesday typically have a terrible history in the Big East Tournament as well, especially this late. Every now and again, a special player puts on a special performance that you just have to stop and stare with, and you know that you have witnessed something truly special. Walker is that special, and he’ll prove it on Saturday night with a fifth straight amazing victory.

Free College Basketball Picks: Connecticut Huskies

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March 4th, 2011 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Missouri Tigers @ Kansas Jayhawks
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 12:00 ET
Location: Mizzou Arena, Columbia, MO
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

If the Jayhawks think that they are going to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, they badly need to collect this win on the road. That would take a lot of pressure off for winning the Big XII Tournament, as there are a ton of teams that are going to be gunning for that crown that need wins in big time ways over teams like these. Mizzou really hasn’t played spectacular ball of late, and it really could use a boost just to get some momentum going and to avoid falling into that seemingly inevitably dreaded 8/9 matchup in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas is a far superior team in terms of talent, and it really showed the first time around when these two met at Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, the intensity really kicks up a notch when you’re playing on the road, especially in a game that is this big, but the Jayhawks should be able to handle themselves. The oddsmakers will give too much respect to the Tigers, and KU will get the job done and lock up the regular season conference crown and the No. 1 seed in the Big 12 Tournament.

Free College Basketball Picks: Kansas Jayhawks

Matchup: Notre Dame Fighting Irish @ Connecticut Huskies
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 2:00 ET
Location: XL Center, Storrs, CT
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

The Fighting Irish have to feel like they have a legitimate chance of being a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but they are going to need to win the Big East and probably beat the Pitt Panthers to do it. There’s a chance to draw level for the Big East regular season crown as well, and that’s a coveted thing for any team to have on its resume for a top seed in the dance. Connecticut really just needs to feel like it has to ability to win it all in what will be the last home game for Kemba Walker before he heads to the NBA. Walker can take this game over like none other, and though the Irish will inevitably throw everything they can at him including the kitchen sink, it isn’t going to be enough. Notre Dame will get rocked on the that day is designed for Walker to shine.

Free NCAA Basketball Picks: Connecticut Huskies

Matchup: Villanova Wildcats @ Pittsburgh Panthers
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 4:00 ET
Location: Petersen Events Center, Pittsburgh, PA
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

Villanova is in a world of hurt right now, as it is really playing poor ball at a poor time of year to be doing so. The Cats have dropped three in a row going into this, the final, and arguably most difficult game of the entire season. They’ve also lost seven out of 11 and don’t look anything like a team that even belongs in March Madness, let alone belongs there as a respectable seed. Pittsburgh’s defense is just downright nasty, as it hasn’t allowed more than 66 points in a game in almost two full months, including a 57-54 win over Nova in the City of Brotherly Love four weeks ago. Ashton Gibbs, Brad Wanamaker, Gilbert Brown… it’s all just too much for the Wildcats to handle right now. They just don’t stand a chance of going into the Steel City and doing any damage, and it’ll show in another lopsided defeat.

College Basketball Free Picks: Pittsburgh Panthers

Matchup: Florida Gators @ Vanderbilt Commodores
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 6:00 ET
Location: Memorial Gym, Nashville, TN
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

This is a tough one, because both the Gators and the Dores are fantastic at what they do. Believe it or not, Florida already has eight wins on the road this season, which is a ton for a team that really didn’t do much in the way of scheduling out of conference on the road this year (though there are wins against Xavier and Florida State to speak of). Vandy has those 14 wins at home though, and they’re going to be hard to overlook. Chandler Parsons and the crew are very thin, yet they are very talented as well. UF is really hoping to get up onto the No. 3 line or so for the NCAA Tournament, and a win like this would go a long way to ensuring that. We just don’t buy into Vandy though, as there are a lot of fluff wins that just don’t look all that great when push comes to shove. The 21 wins for the regular season is nice, but knowing that the oddsmakers are going to treat this home court advantage worth a whole slew of points, we have to back the blue and orange.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Florida Gators

Matchup: Duke Blue Devils @ North Carolina Tar Heels
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 8:00 ET
Location: Dean E. Smith Center, Chapel Hill, NC
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB


First place in the ACC and the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament are on the line in Chapel Hill on Saturday, and the oddsmakers are really going to have to take a close look at just how good they think that UNC really is. The Tar Heels are certainly flying through everyone in the ACC right now, and they were able to do something this past week that Duke wasn’t able to do: Beat Florida State on the road. Granted, the Noles didn’t have Chris Singleton, but it was UNC’s second win against the garnet and gold this year, and the first time around, Singleton was playing, and the game was a blowout from the get go. This challenge against the Dookies the first time around was a solid one, as North Carolina challenged the whole way and blew a huge lead. This time, it will make amends and make things right. The Carolina Blue clad nation will be out and in full force in a game that is going to feel like the Super Bowl on Tobacco Road. Coach K knows that there are bigger and more important battles to fight than this one, and though the Blue Devils will end up losing this battle, their goal is to win the war and to defend their NCAA Championship.

College Basketball Expert Picks: Duke Blue Devils

Matchup: Texas Longhorns @ Baylor Bears
Date: Saturday, March 5th, 9:00 ET
Location: Ferrell Center, Waco, TX
Game Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB

We know that this isn’t a Top 25 battle, but this is arguably the most meaningful game of the entire day. For the Longhorns, they’re hoping to snap out of this two game funk and to get back on track for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Winning this one and winning the Big XII would still inevitably get the job done. However, a loss and an early exit from the Big XII Tourney could result in a disastrous No. 4 seed, which could make the first round of the dance very, very interesting. Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson and company have the talent to beat anyone in America, but thanks to how inexperienced this club really is, nothing is a guarantee. For Baylor, it really needs this signature win to pad its resume for the NCAA Tournament. A loss will likely leave it with a lot of work to do to get into March Madness. A win will almost certainly get the job done with just one win in the Big XII Tournament (and even that might not be necessary). There’s too much on the line here for Baylor to get beaten, and we tend to believe that it will get the job done once and for all and make its case to go dancing.

NCAA Basketball Free Picks: Baylor Bears

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December 31st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Each and every year, the Fiesta Bowl is one of the best bowl games in the country, and this year should be no exception. It'll be a real David vs. Goliath situation in college football betting action here in Glendale, AZ, as the Big XII champs, the Oklahoma Sooners, battle it out with the Big East champs, the Connecticut Huskies.

Fiesta Bowl Matchup: Oklahoma Sooners vs. Connecticut Huskies
Date: Saturday, January 1st, 8:30 ET
Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Fiesta Bowl Line: Oklahoma -16.5
Over/Under 55

Sooners Notes: Oklahoma is going to have to shake the demons from horrifying Fiesta Bowls of the past. It was shocked by the Boise State Broncos a few years ago in the game that really shook the very nature of college football betting action and gave a lot of credence to some of these mid major clubs. The Sooners were also beaten by the West Virginia Mountaineers just days after losing Head Coach Rich Rodriguez to the Michigan Wolverines. They do have a dynamic offense this year, as the trio of QB Landry Jones, WR Ryan Broyles and RB DeMarco Murray might be the best in America. This unit combined for 482.4 yards and 36.4 points per game this year. Jones, whom we have to remember is just a sophomore, threw for 4,289 yards and 35 TDs on the year, and he put the ball in the air a whopping 568 times. Broyles had 118 receptions, the most in the nation, accounting for 1,452 yards and 13 TDs. Murray does a little bit of everything. He rushed for 1,121 yards, caught 69 passes for 595 yards, and had 249 kick return yards on the year, accounting for a total of 19 trips to the end zone. The reason that the Sooners aren't playing for a National Championship though, is their defense. This unit just wasn't all that good this year, allowing 364.6 yards per game, something that was really unheard of by Head Coach Bob Stoops' standards.

Huskies Notes: Head Coach Randy Edsall is being rumored to go to virtually every single high end job in the country, but the tycoon that he is in the process of building here at Connecticut might be the start of something tremendous. The Huskies were once 2.5 games back in the Big East race, but the season really changed with a 16-13 OT win over the West Virginia Mountaineers. From that point forward, they went 5-0 SU and ATS, including winning four games outright as underdogs. The man that is going to be controlling this offense is RB Jordan Todman, who legitimately could have been a Heisman Trophy finalist this year. Todman carried the ball a whopping 302 times on the season, and he turned those carries into 1,574 rushing yards and 14 scores. The problem that he has is that there really isn't a passing game to speak of. Edsall has deployed three different signal callers this year, and none of the three have really been able to get the job done. QB Zach Frazer is going to be calling the shots, but completing 52.7 percent of his passes for just 1,202 yards and five TDs isn't anything that we are overly excited about. Defensively, the Huskies held teams to just 19.8 points per game this year, and only the Temple Owls put 30 points up on this squad.

The Final Word: Many think that the Huskies are going to pull off the upset here in Glendale, but the third time is the charm for the Sooners. If UConn falls behind in this game, it is dead, and this wasn't the case in Fiesta Bowls of the past against these guys. OU is going to get up early and put this one away from the get go, and even if the defense does end up getting plastered, the offense should always stay one step ahead. The Sooners are tired of hearing about the potential choke job. They flex their muscles on New Year's Day.

Fiesta Bowl Free Pick: Oklahoma -16.5
Fiesta Bowl Prediction: Oklahoma 37 – Connecticut 17

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November 10th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Pittsburgh Panthers @ Connecticut Huskies
Date: Thursday, November 11th, 7:30 ET
Location: Rentschler Field, Storrs, CT
Game Line: Pittsburgh -5.5
Over/Under 46.5

The 5-3 Pittsburgh Panthers will look to increase their Big East conference lead on Thursday night when they travel to Storrs to take on the 4-4 Connecticut Huskies. The last time college football bettors saw Pittsburgh, the Panthers cruised to a 20-3 over the Louisville Cardinals on the back of one of the best defenses in the country. The Panthers held the Cardinals to just 185 total yards of offense and forced two turnovers en route to the 17 point victory. QB Tino Sunseri was efficient in the win, completing 13 of 24 passes for 123 yards, while the RB duo of Dion Lewis and Ray Graham combined to carry the rock for 105 yards and two touchdowns. As for Connecticut, the Huskies scored a huge 16-13 overtime win against West Virginia two weeks ago to move them a little closer to bowl eligibility. The Huskies were the beneficiaries of four West Virginia turnovers and were able to hold the Mountaineers to just 13 points despite giving up over 400 yards of offense. RB Jordan Todman was effective on the ground, carrying the ball for 113 yards and a touchdown. QB Zach Frazer completed 18 of 29 passes for 166 yards in the winning effort.

Free College Football Picks: Pittsburgh -5.5
Prediction: Pittsburgh 27 Connecticut 17


Matchup: East Carolina Pirates @ UAB Blazers
Date: Thursday, November 11th, 8:00 ET
Location: Legion Field, Birmingham, AL
Game Line: UAB -2
Over/Under 67

Conference USA rivals face off on Thursday night when the 5-4 East Carolina Pirates travel to Birmingham to take on the 3-6 UAB Blazers. East Carolina could not have played a worse game defensively than they did last Saturday. The Pirates defense allowed Navy to put up a mind-boggling 76 points and gave up over 500 yards of rushing to the Midshipmen in their 76-35 loss. East Carolina was able to move the ball on offense pretty well, racking up 567 total yards on Navy, but four turnovers were simply too much for the Pirates to overcome. QB Dominique Davis had an amazing day against the Midshipmen defense, completing 43 of 65 passes for 413 yards and five touchdowns. His favorite target was WR Lance Lewis, who reeled in nine passes for 118 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Blazers have struggled to find their way after losing QB Joe Webb to the NFL Draft this spring. QB Bryan Ellis hasn’t been terrible this season, completing 55.3% of his passes for 1910 yards with 14 touchdowns and 9 interceptions, but he hasn’t been able to match the production the Blazers saw under Webb last season. Last week, the Blazers put themselves on the brink of missing bowl season when they fell 31-17 to Marshall. In the loss, Ellis completed 20 of 44 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. RB Pat Shed struggled though, mustering only 45 yards on 16 carries. With the damage Navy did to ECU’s rushing defense last game, expect a healthy dose of Shed on the ground this game.

Free College Football Picks: East Carolina +2
Prediction: East Carolina 38 UAB 34

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October 26th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: West Virginia Mountaineers @ Connecticut Huskies
Date: Friday, October 29th, 8:00 ET
Location: Rentschler Field, Storrs, CT
Game Line: West Virginia -6.5
Over/Under 46

Big East rivals clash on Friday night when the 5-2 West Virginia Mountaineers take on the 3-4 Connecticut Huskies. Last Saturday, Syracuse pulled off a huge upset and knocked off West Virginia 19-14 on the Mountaineers’ home turf. QB Geno Smith couldn’t get the job done on offense, mustering just 178 passing yards on 20 of 37 passing and threw three interceptions compared to one touchdown. RB Noel Devine did a good job on the ground, carrying the ball 24 times for 122 yards, but it was not enough to get Bill Stewart and the Mountaineers the win. On the defensive side of the ball, the Mountaineers held Cuse to just 246 total yards of offense but could not pull out the victory. As for Connecticut, the Huskies will look to Mike Box to lead the way instead of Zach Frazer. Frazer has received the lion’s share of the snaps, while Box is relatively inexperienced. However, HC Randy Edsall likes what Box brings to the table and will give the redshirt freshman his second straight start. Against Louisville last week, Box completed four of 12 passes for 35 yards and an interception while carrying the ball five times for 22 yards. RB Jordan Todman will receive a steady dose of carries to try to ease the pressure off of Box, but must improve on his 80 yard performance from last weekend. UConn will also need to muster more than 200 yards of offense and limit their turnovers against a game WVU squad.

Free College Football Picks: West Virginia -6.5
Prediction: West Virginia 27 Connecticut 14

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October 7th, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Matchup: Connecticut Huskies @ Rutgers Scarlet Knights
Date: Friday, October 8th, 7:30 ET
Location: Rutgers Stadium, Piscataway, NJ
Game Line: Connecticut -5.5
Over/Under 41.5

The 3-2 UConn Huskies and the 2-2 Rutgers Scarlet Knights both kick off their conference schedule Friday night in this battle between Big East opponents. Connecticut has had some major problems away from Storrs this year, getting trounced by 20 in the Big House against Michigan and falling to lowly Temple by two touchdowns in front of a sparse Philadelphia crowd. To stave off more road woes, they will need a big game from RB Jordan Todman. Todman is currently the fourth leading rusher in the nation with almost 160 yards per game on the ground and the Scarlet Knights will see a big dose of him on Friday night. Last week against Vanderbilt, Todman carried the ball on almost half the team’s plays, rushing for 190 yards and two touchdowns on 37 carries. Rutgers comes into this game struggling mightily with their two wins being against FCS Norfolk State and Sun Belt bottom-dweller Florida International. Last week was perhaps the biggest indicator of HC Greg Schiano’s current struggles with the team, as they suffered a humiliating 17-14 defeat at home against Tulane despite being a 17 point favorite per the college football betting line. In the game, QB Tom Savage got hurt during the second quarter and was replaced by Chas Dodd at halftime. Schiano has been vague regarding the specifics of Savage’s injury and it remains a game-time decision whether Savage or Dodd will start against the Huskies. No matter who starts, the Scarlet Knights must get some productivity from their quarterback position rather than the benign play they have been getting for the first four games.

Free College Football Picks: Rutgers +5.5
Prediction: Connecticut 21 Rutgers 20


Matchup: #21 Oklahoma St Cowboys @ Louisiana-Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns
Date: Friday, October 8th, 9:00 ET
Location: Cajun Field, Lafayette, LA
Game Line: Oklahoma St -24
Over/Under 61.5

#21 Oklahoma St puts their undefeated record on the line Friday night when they travel to Cajun Country to take on 2-2 UL-Lafayette. Last Thursday night, the Cowboys played in one of the most exciting games of the young NCAA football betting season against Big XII South rival Texas A&M. Oklahoma St went from down 14 to up 14 to needing a last second FG off a Jerrod Johnson interception to beat the Aggies 38-35 and propel the Cowboys into the Top 25. The Cowboys struggled mightily on offense in the first half, but QB Brandon Weeden and RB Kendall Hunter both came out strong in the second half and finished the game with respectable numbers. Oklahoma St must improve on the defensive side of the ball though. The Aggies put up pinball numbers against the Cowboys’ defense, amassing 535 total yards on the night, and would have put up even better numbers if they didn’t turn the ball over five times. The Ragin’ Cajuns are currently 2-1 in conference play, with their only game against a BCS opponent so far this year being a 55-7 trouncing at the hands of 1-4 Georgia. Last week against North Texas, UL Lafayette got a magnificent stroke of luck when the Mean Green kicker missed a game-tying extra point with less than a minute to go to give the Ragin’ Cajuns a 28-27 victory. QB Chris Masson had a very good game last week, completing 18 of 32 passes for 310 yards and two touchdowns while not turning the ball over in the victory. UL-Lafayette must get better at running the ball though, after carrying the ball 25 times for only 41 yards as a team against the Mean Green last Saturday.

Free College Football Picks: UL Lafayette +24
Prediction: Oklahoma State 45 UL Lafayette 27

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September 3rd, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor

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Miami (OH) Redhawks @ Florida Gators (-37.5)
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, Gainesville, FL

The Gators are probably going to end up dominating this game. They are out to make a real statement now that QB Tim Tebow is gone. QB John Brantley is going to be getting a good test to begin his career as a starter. Many feel as though he might be better than Tebow as a passer, though he clearly doesn't have the mobility or the inherent leadership abilities of the departed No. 15. Still, this is going to be one of the best rushing games in the country still with RBs Jeff Demps and Chris Rainey. As for the Redhawks, they are coming off of an absolutely terrible season in which they only won one game. It is fairly clear that they aren't going to win this game, but they did a decent job last year sticking inside of college football betting lines. Unfortunately for Miami, this probably won't be a day in which it does that. If the Gators have a desire to win by at least six scores, they will. Brantley might cover the Redhawks all by himself.

Prediction: Florida 59 – Miami 7
Western Michigan Broncos (+23.5) @ Michigan State Spartans
Saturday, September 2nd
12:00 ET, Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, MI

Michigan State seems to start every single season with unrealistic expectations. This year is probably no exception even though HC Mark Dantonio is clearly on the hot seat and is probably going to have to win at least seven or eight games to save his job. The good news is that QB Kirk Cousins is back after having a very respectable first season as a starter. He threw for 2,680 yards and 19 TDs against just nine picks, and there are high hopes for him this season. Unfortunately for the Broncos, they can't say the same thing. QB Tim Hiller was one of the best that this program has ever seen. With him gone, QB Alex Carder is going to take over. Carder only threw seven passes last year backing up Hiller, but he is going to be thrown into the fire right away in East Lansing as a sophomore. Still, this is a hefty point total for Sparty to be laying against a team that could reasonably still be one of the best in the MAC if Carder can keep his head on straight. Expect WMU to beat the college football odds in this one.

Prediction: Michigan State 34 – Western Michigan 21
Texas Longhorns (-31) vs. Rice Owls
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX

The QB Garrett Gilbert is going to get the first start of his career this week in Houston against the Owls, which should be a nice little warm up for the real big boys coming up in the weeks to come for the Longhorns. There are a number of returners for this team even though there were a number of players that were drafted in the first two days of the NFL Draft this year off of the squad in burnt orange. The Owls are playing this close to the vest, as they haven't even announced a starting quarterback yet. The good news for the Longhorns is that they are 8-2 ATS in their L/10 games against Conference USA opponents. The bad news for Rice is that they are just 1-7 ATS in their L/8 against the Big XII. The even better news for Texas and worse news for Rice is that the Horns have outscored the Owls by an average score of 49-10 since 2003. That sounds about right for Saturday afternoon.

Prediction: Texas 49 – Rice 10
Purdue Boilermakers (+10.5) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

For HC Brian Kelly, this will be his debut in South Bend and could be the most important game of his coaching career. Coaches that get off to a bad start at Notre Dame generally don't end up lasting very long, and Kelly is going to want to make sure that he doesn't blow this in a year of high expectations, especially against a team that is probably not going bowling this year. The Boilers were destroyed by RB Ralph Bolden's knee injury that is going to keep him out for the season. Meanwhile, Notre Dame is going to be breaking in a new quarterback in the form of QB Dayne Crist. TE Kyle Rudolph is questionable with a hamstring injury, and if he doesn't end up playing, Crist is going to be relying heavily on WR Michael Floyd, who could be one of the best receivers in the nation. Still, Purdue hung last year with the Irish, losing 24-21 at home. With QB Robert Marve eager to make a good debut for the black and gold, the Boilers have the potential to hang in this game, though the Boilermakers probably won't win it.

Prediction: Notre Dame 31 – Purdue 28
Kentucky Wildcats (-3) @ Louisville Cardinals
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Papa John's Stadium, Louisville, KY

It's the battle to determine whether the Bluegrass State will be blue or red on Saturday, and the annual Kentucky/Louisville battle has even higher stakes this season. Both teams will be entering this game with new head coaches, as Joker Phillips (Kentucky) and Charlie Strong (Louisville) are both making their head coaching debuts. QB Mike Hartline is going to have a lot of experience under his belt in this one even though he is a much maligned signal caller. Louisville is changing its offense to a spread attack, which is a drastic change from the offense that Steve Kragthorpe tried running over the last few years. The winning mentality isn't quite there yet for the Cardinals, which have fallen a long way in a short period of time. Kentucky is hoping to head to another bowl game this year, and it is the significantly better team, at least this early in the year. Take the Blue State in this NCAA football betting affair.

Prediction: Kentucky 27 – Louisville 20
Connecticut Huskies (+3) @ Michigan Wolverines
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, MI

If the maize and blue don't win this game to start off the 2010 season, the Big House might be burning. HC Rich Rodriguez knows that this is his last chance to try to impress the Ann Arbor faithful before he ends up on the unemployment lines, and this game against Connecticut is a very important one to start the season. Unfortunately for Big Blue, this won't be their day. The Huskies are one of the best teams in a conference that is relatively strong this season, and RB Jordan Todman might have a field day against a defense which struggled against the rush last season. Rodriguez still hasn't settled on a quarterback either, though QB Tate Forcier sounds like he is getting the nod. We are puzzled as to why the Wolverines are favored in this one, as we aren't buying into their hype as a team that is that much improved from the one that went 5-7 last year. The Huskies are going to be dogs that are barking very, very loudly.

Prediction: Connecticut 28 – Michigan 24
UCLA Bruins @ Kansas State Wildcats (-2)
Saturday, September 2nd
3:30 ET, Bill Snyder Family Field, Manhattan, KS

The biggest question that we have in this game is whether or not QB Kevin Prince is really going to be able to play for the full 60 minutes with his back injury or not. If he can't go, UCLA is in a heck of a lot of trouble in this one. Trying to stop RB Daniel Thomas is going to be virtually impossible for a defensive line that has been beat up all offseason long for the second straight year with injuries. HC Rick Neuheisel has his work cut out for him this year. The Bruins only made the Eagle Bank Bowl on the back of their non-conference slate, as a 3-6 record in conference left little to the imagination. This year is going to be a tough grind for the blue and gold, and it is going to start with K-State getting some big time payback for last season's 23-9 loss in LA.

Prediction: Kansas State 30 – UCLA 10
Oregon State Beavers (+13) vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Saturday, September 2nd
7:45 ET, Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX

Though this is technically a neutral site game, we know that Oregon State is going to clearly be the road team in this duel. The Horned Frogs are going to try to make a huge statement for the rest of college football, proving that they deserve to be considered for the BCS Championship, not just for a regular BCS bowl game like last year in the Fiesta Bowl. A slew of returning starters on both sides of the ball are going to help that cause out dramatically. QB Andy Dalton is going to have to lead the way against a very talented Oregon State defense. The offense for the Beavers is going to once again feature both the Rodgers brothers, as Jacquizz and James are virtually impossible to stop. Though the secondary is entirely intact from last year for TCU, the front seven has two major holes to fill in the form of DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington. We give Oregon State a lot of credit for scheduling this game, and though the ultimate reward of an upset won't be the end result, we wouldn't be surprised to see HC Mike Riley's club hang around and make things quite uncomfortable for the de facto hosts.

Prediction: TCU 33 – Oregon State 28
LSU Tigers (-7.5) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Saturday, September 2nd
8:00 ET, Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA

Suspensions have absolutely destroyed North Carolina's chances of accomplishing just about anything this year. Their offseason probe is going to end up seeing 13 players suspended for this opening game against the Bayou Bengals, including four of which were all projected NFL stars and were first team All-ACC members in the preseason. HC Les Miles now knows that this has gone from a game that would be a huge boost to win, to one that might ultimately decide whether he gets to stay in Baton Rouge or not next year. LSU needs to pick it up in a big way in order to make it back to the big time in the SEC, and winning a game like this against a quality ACC opponent would go a long way. Speaking of going a long way, if QB TJ Yates can find a way to pull this one off, he would suddenly go from being a zero in Chapel Hill to a hero. QB Jordon Jefferson hopes to just not see his name as a gigantic screw up in his '10 debut with the purple and gold. It's hard to see how North Carolina is doing enough damage on either side of the ball, and in spite of the fact that this is a hefty line that is only rising, we don't see how LSU can do anything but smash it.

Prediction: LSU 24 – North Carolina 13
Cincinnati Bearcats (+3) @ Fresno State Bulldogs
Saturday, September 2nd
10:00 ET, Bulldog Stadium, Fresno, CA

Is the wrong team really favored in this game? The Bearcats are getting absolutely no respect this year after going undefeated in the regular season in 2009. Yes, it's true that HC Brian Kelly has jumped to Notre Dame and both QB Tony Pike and WR Mardy Gilyard have moved on to the NFL, but there are a number of quality replacements set to step up. The oddsmakers were burned last year when QB Zach Collaros stepped into the starting lineup in place of Pike and looked like Joe Montana. Collaros is only a sophomore now, but he clearly has the tools to bring Cincinnati back to the BCS. Fresno State still has a lot of questions, none bigger than who is going to replace the departed RB Ryan Mathews, who at times last year, single handedly carried it to victory. Remember that Cincinnati traveled up to Reser Stadium last year and knocked off Oregon State in a very similar position. Expect the same on Saturday night.

Prediction: Cincinnati 41 – Fresno State 28
Wisconsin Badgers (-19.5) @ UNLV Runnin' Rebels
Saturday, September 2nd
11:00 ET, Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, NV

New Rebs HC Bobby Hauck made the first huge decision of his head coaching career when he named QB Mike Clausen his starter for this crucial, potentially program changing duel with the Badgers. Unfortunately for Hauck and UNLV, this is still a team that doesn't have the horses defensively to stop Wisky. Most years, the Badgers have a subpar offense and a stellar defense, but QB Scott Tolzien might be the best signal caller this team has had in well over a decade. This is also the first game of the potential Heisman Trophy campaign for RB John Clay. With Alabama's Mark Ingram sidelined, Clay might be the best running back in the nation that no one is talking about. This is a bunch of Badgers that might be severely underrated. This game is going to be the first of a slew of huge wins for a team that we think could be a big time sleeper in the Big Ten. The Badgers will round out Saturday night's slate with a monstrous victory over a hapless and unsuspecting foe.

Prediction: Wisconsin 51 – UNLV 20

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August 31st, 2010 By Andrew "Mr. Multi-Task" Ryan - Cappersinfo Contributor
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Here at Cappers Info, we are taking a weekly look at the teams that could be ones ripe to pull off some major upsets! Check out the potentially ugly dogs that could come up and bite you in the butt in you aren't careful for the first week of college football betting action!

Pittsburgh Panthers (+135 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Utah Utes, Thursday, 8:30 ET: The Panthers are lined at +3 in a rematch of the 2005 Fiesta Bowl in which the Utes beat them down 35-7. With RB Dion Lewis ready to rock and roll, the Panthers could be a scary pick not only to win this game, but to capture the Big East crown and potentially even the BCS National Championship as well. The Utes don't know what is about to hit them in this one. There's more on this game coming later this week…

Toledo Rockets (+500 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Arizona Wildcats, Friday, 8:00 ET: QB Austin Dantin is ready to prove himself as a legitimate threat to be one of the best players in the MAC in this, his sophomore season, and there would be no better way to go about that than in the opening game of the year at home against the Cats. This is a long, long road trip for HC Mike Stoops' men, and traveling across the country heading into the Glass Bowl is never a fun task. Though several key pieces are gone from last year's team, this is still an offense that averaged 437.9 yards per game last year, the 13th best mark in the land. Ask Colorado how easy it is for a West Coast school to come over to Toledo and walk out with a win in a nationally televised game… The Buffs were blown out 54-38 here last year. We'll take our chances at +500 that the Rockets can strike twice.

Connecticut Huskies (+130 at Diamond Sportsbook) @ Michigan Wolverines, Saturday, 3:30 ET: Prepare for the Big House to burn! The Huskies are out to make a name for themselves and for the Big East, and they can do so by making Big Blue and their head coach Rich Rodriguez very uncomfortable with the start of their season. It appears as though Rodriguez is going to try to use both QB Tate Forcier and QB Denard Robinson to lead the Wolverines to victory in this one, but he should probably be focused in on trying to stop UConn RB Jordan Todman instead. This is a prospective 1,500+ yard rusher in the making, and Michigan's defense ranked 92nd in the land last year on the ground. Don't be shocked to find the Huskies winning this one and potentially winning it in big, big fashion.

Virginia Tech Hokies (+115 at Diamond Sportsbook) vs. Boise State Broncos, Monday, 8:00 ET: There will be plenty of discussion about this game from now until Monday night when these two behemoths kick it off at FedEx Field, but here at Cappers Info, we are promptly going to call for the upset of the boys from the Smurf Turf. Boise State has had no history whatsoever succeeding when on the East Coast, as their most recent visit against a BCS team here was at Georgia, where the Bulldogs absolutely smacked the Broncos down Between the Hedges. Virginia Tech is a big time defensive team, and with QB Tyrod Taylor playing in his senior season, this would be the biggest triumph in quite a few years for HC Frank Beamer.

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