Oklahoma State vs Texas A&M Predictions, Pick & Odds
In most years, an Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M match wouldn’t be one of the premiere Big-12 games of the season. But entering week 4 of the 2011 season, the Oklahoma State Cowboys sit at number 7, and the Aggies are at number 8, and both are sporting undefeated records and are maintaining their hopes of a Big-12 title if Oklahoma loses unexpectedly, perhaps to one of them firsthand.
These two teams met last season in a very exciting match, and Oklahoma State needed a last second field goal to win at home over the Aggies, defeating them 38-35. This time Texas A&M will be at home, and both teams want to make a statement. It’s also the first time in over 35 years since Texas A&M hosted a game between two top-10 schools.
Oklahoma State has one of the best offenses in the country. They have won big in all three of their games so far, and they simply pile up the points behind quarterback Brandon Weeden. Weeden has already thrown for 1,154 yards on the season, thanks in large part to receiver Justin Blackmon, one of the best wide receivers in the country.
Blackmon’s long and impressive 100-yard game streak finally came to a close last week, so he’ll be especially hungry for the ball this week against Texas A&M. But the Cowboys also have a good running game with Joseph Randle, who has run for more than 120 yards in all three games so far this season.
Texas A&M has their own impressive offensive group. Ryan Tannehill is the quarterback and he’s been looking good so far this season, and also has been getting some help from Cyrus Gray at running back, who went for two TDS and 100 yards in their last game, his 9th straight at 100 or more yards on the ground.
Looking at the point spread, Texas A&M is the 4 point favorite at home. The over/under for the match is a very high 69 points, and that could easily be eclipsed the way these two teams can score, especially the Cowboys. Last year they combined for 73 points, and there’s no reason to think that the action would be much different this year. Both teams getting up into the high 30s or 40s is certainly a possibility, so take the over and enjoy the shootout.
While both schools come into this showdown undefeated and with top 10 rankings, Oklahoma State is a much better team right now. Texas A&M hasn’t been tested yet this season and have only played twice, but the Cowboys have strung off three straight big wins. Taking them as the underdog here seems like the smart move. Yes, the two teams have plenty of history and last season’s game was very close with the home team winning late, but this year the Cowboys will show they’re a class above and will get a nice top 10 road win on their resume.
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Georgia vs Ole Miss Predictions, Pick & Odds
The Georgia vs. Ole Miss game this Saturday afternoon will be a match between two 1-2 SEC teams fighting to stay afloat. Shared record they might have, but shared circumstances and talent they don’t. Ole Miss has been a bottom dweller in the SEC, and even as Georgia has struggled by their own standards, they have been a middle of the pack team that brings in strong recruiting classes.
Part of the mess that Georgia is in right now can be blamed on their ambitious schedule. They played number 5 Boise State in an out of conference match in the first week of the season, and they lost. Then they got their SEC agenda going early, playing number 12 South Carolina and also losing. Both of those games were at home, but both were against highly ranked teams, and they couldn’t grab a win.
Last week, the played the kind of patsy that most teams begin their seasons with, Coastal Carolina, and they whipped them 59-0. If they started off at 1-0, played Ole Miss, and then played Boise State and South Carolina, feelings would be much different in Athens. But as it is, coach Mark Richt knows he’s on one of the hottest seats in the nation, and he’s going to need to keep winning for the rest of the year to survive in his position.
The Rebels were hoping to begin making a move back to respectability this season. In week 1, losing by 1 point to BYU, it looked like they would be a very competitive squad. However, last week’s 30-7 drubbing by Vanderbilt was not a very good sign for the program. All of the sudden you look at the rest of that SEC schedule and you wonder if this team is going to get up to 3 wins on the season.
Georgia is a 9.5 point favorite on the road, and the over/under for the game is at 54.5 points. That’s a fairly wide spread for a road team to be favored by, however, things have to be kept in perspective. Yes, they are both 1-2 teams in the SEC, and Ole Miss will be playing at home. But it’s not an even match in any way. Georgia is still a far superior team even with an equal record, and they still have the kind of powerhouse talent that Ole Miss has in very short supply.
Look for Georgia to roll in this game. They’ll defeat Ole Miss and they’ll cover the spread with ease in the process. Georgia may not compete for the SEC championship this season, but they are better than their early season record, and they are worlds better than Ole Miss. Of course, a loss for Richt and the Bulldogs would be sayonara for him and his tenure at Georgia. He’ll have his team ready and Georgia will get back to 2-2 and look to start fresh with the rest of their schedule.
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Week 3 NFL Predictions Against The Spread (Top 3 Picks)
With week 3 of the NFL season coming up this weekend, there are a lot of intriguing games on the docket. The list includes a number of high profile divisional matchups, as the majority of the team is locked up with one of their division foes this week That leaves room for a number of upsets, as well as some very hard to call games. Here are your top 3 picks against the spread for week 3 in the NFL.
Tampa Bay -1.5 vs. Atlanta
These are two AFC South teams who had big plans to make a run to the playoffs this season. Both are at 1-1, and a loss would leave them reeling in a tough and competitive division where there are no gimme games or opponents. The Falcons though are coming off a huge win over the Philadelphia Eagles and their former QB Michael Vick, so they have to be feeling on top of the world right now.
Instead of a letdown game following that, they are going to build off that success and keep winning. Look for the Falcons to win here on the road over Tampa in a close, tough game, and try to assert themselves as the best team in the division, still.
Green Bay -3.5 at Chicago
The Green Bay Packers are the defending Super Bowl champions, and this is a rematch of last year’s NFC Championship game. These two are rivals down to their bones, and this is an important early season game. The Bears are playing at home and that is going to count for a lot in this matchup.
Also important is that at 1-1, they don’t want to slip to 1-2 and let the Packers remain undefeated. The Bears have more to play for right now, and also want revenge for the championship game. They and the crowd will be nice and fired up, and the Bears will pull off the upset win over the champs.
Pittsburgh -10.5 at Indianapolis
The Indianapolis Colts have to be pretty fed up right now. They are sitting at an ugly 0-2, and haven’t looked good so far at all. Everyone is completely writing them off without Peyton Manning, and who could blame them really. But this is a proud team that won a Super Bowl a few seasons ago, and this is a Sunday night, prime time game against a big opponent.
The Steelers are favored to win with good reason. And at the end of the day, they probably will win. But the Colts are going to rally in this game and put up a good fight. They will keep this one close and beat the spread, earning some respect in the process even if they can’t actually pull out the W.
There you have it, your top 3 picks against the spread for the upcoming NFL weekend. There are a lot of tough calls this week, and a lot of good games, so keep your eyes glued to the television and enjoy the action all weekend long.
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Jon Jones vs Rampage Jackson Predictions, Picks & UFC 135 Odds
The headline fight of UFC 135 is Jon “Bones” Jones vs. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson in a light heavyweight title showdown. Jones is the current champ, having gotten the title by defeating Mauricio Rua, and Jackson is a former champion looking to get that title back. It should be a very exciting match and it’s a showcase of two very different styles, and it’s a fight that you’ll want to tune into for sure. Will Jones continue his otherworldly ascent and entrench himself as champion even more, or will Rampage grab the title once again for a last hurrah?
Jones has freakish athletic ability and off the charts mixed martial arts skills. He’s amazingly well rounded, and he pulls off moves in the Octagon that other people can’t do, and moves that other people haven’t even thought about before. He is tall with a huge reach, he breaks his opponents down with his Muay Thai attack, and he’s a very solid wrestler, grappler and jiu-jitsu guy as well. In other words, his weakness is very hard to find, and Jackson is going to find that out for himself first hand.
Jackson is of course a fighter with a brawling and boxing style. He’s a powerful guy and he is aggressive, and he throws bombs. When he connects, he has a great chance at scoring the KO win, and if you’re not careful, he’ll pick you up and slam you down to the cage as well. He’s hungry to score the upset here and defeat Jones, and he has a lot to prove.
This match has gotten a lot of prefight hype in terms of some rumors floating out there. Team Jackson thinks that Jones and his team sent a spy into Rampage’s camp to help fill them in. Jones has called that ridiculous, and Jackson is fired up by what he believes happened. Meanwhile, there has been plenty said between the two guys, with Jones saying he’d never lose to a movie star, and Jackson saying that Jones is just a kid who’s beneath him.
The odds reflect just how talented “Bones” Jones is, and how supremely gifted and capable he is. He’s a very large favorite, currently coming in at -700, with Rampage being a +450 underdog. As amazing as Jones is, those odds are probably wider than they should be.
If you believe in Rampage, then you have to like him at +450. Even if you don’t, with the power he has in his fists, you still have to like him at those odds, because the home run could always land in a fight like this, and few people hit harder than Jackson does.
Now, Jones is the favorite for the reason, and he should be skilled enough to deal with the aggressive and powerful assault of Rampage. But those odds may be too good to pass on, and you might have to take a flier on Rampage with a small bet to try to win big.
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Week 4 CFB Picks: LSU vs West Virginia Predictions, Pick & Odds
It’s a battle of top 20 teams when LSU heads to West Virginia on Saturday evening. Both teams are at 3-0, but while West Virginia is hoping to win the Big East, LSU is hoping to win it all. They are ranked number 2 in the nation right now, already have a landmark win over a top 5 program to enter the year, and look to continue knocking back ranked foes.
It’s incredible for a team in the SEC to have the out of conference schedule that the Bayou Bengals have, as they played Oregon and now West Virginia in the first four weeks. But chalk it up to the mad hatter himself, Les Miles, who once again has his team winning. The strength of the team is definitely the defense.
They are fast, athletic and powerful, and they rank 9th in yards surrendered, 7th in rushing yards, and 15th in points. Many teams have impressive stats after three weeks in college football, but it comes from overmatched competition. LSU has wins over Oregon and Mississippi State though in their first three games, so their defense is legit.
All they need from Jarrett Lee is more consistent, turnover free football. He has been accurate and steady, and has completed 30 of 37 passes in the past two games. When he does that, the defense can continue shutting people down, creating turnovers and giving him the ball back in good position to put up some points. He of course wasn’t the starter in the offseason until off the field troubles took Jordan Jefferson out of the equation, but he has more than lived up to the billing.
West Virginia meanwhile is at 3-0 after wins over Marshall, Norfolk State and Maryland. The Maryland game was a close victory on the road, and a good win to get the season going. If LSU is all about defense, WVU is about offense. They have put up the 5th most passing yards in the nation so far with Geno Smith pulling the trigger. He is completing nearly 70% of his passes this season, with 7 TDs against 1 INT and 1,008 yards through the air.
LSU is a 6 point favorite on the road to beat the Mountaineers. The over/under for the game is 50.5 points. Many would think that those numbers are a bit off, the point spread should be higher, and the over/under should be lower given LSU’s defense.
The Tigers are favored to win for a reason, and yes, that point spread seems low. So take Les Miles and company to win and cover the spread, and look for them to shut down that high powered WVU offense enough to keep the points on the underside of that level as well. LSU still has a vicious schedule after this, with Florida, Alabama and Arkansas all looming, not to mention Auburn. So they could run into some hiccups with their title plans, but they won’t stumble here in week 4 against a solid West Virginia team, but one that is not near as complete as they are.
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UFC 135 Fight Card
UFC 135 is coming this weekend and will be live on pay-per-view on Saturday, September 24th. The event will be held in Denver, Colorado, and it’s headlined by a very intriguing title showdown at light heavyweight. There are other notable matches though too, and right here you can find the full slate and see what you can expect.
The headline bout of the evening is Jon Jones vs. Quinton Jackson. Jones is the new superstar in the sport, and he seems unbeatable right now. He’s big, athletic, strong and highly skilled, and nobody has ever brought his unique attributes and skills into the ring before.
Jackson of course is a former champion and he’s one of best MMA fighters in the history of the game, with tons of big fights and big wins. He’s all about connecting on vicious, hard punches and strikes, and certainly will have chance to pull off the upset. He’ll be in against it tough though and he may learn the hard way just how good this kid really is.
The co-feature for the evening is at welterweight, with Matt Hughes taking on Josh Koscheck. This was supposed to be a fight between Hughes and Diego Sanchez, but Sanchez is out with an injury. So Koscheck comes in and he will look to get another nice win as he tries to climb that ladder in this deep division once again. For his part, Hughes is already a Hall of Fame guy, he is competing because he loves to do it. He’s still extremely strong and he’s more well rounded than he used to be, so he’s a stern test for any of the top welters.
A very exciting lightweight fight is on the card as well. This is Nate Diaz vs. Takanori Gomi, and these are two very talented fighters. Not only are they very talented, but they love to get in there and put on a show. Diaz vs. Gomi could definitely steal the show and win Fight of the Night honors, and the winner will once again be in a good place in the division.
There are a few other intriguing bouts for the evening, including two heavyweight showdowns. The first is between Ben Rothwell and Mark Hunt, two super-heavies, with Rothwell being expected to easily win and the second is a showdown between Travis Browne and Rob Broughton, two more very big guys. Browne is 11-0-1 and stands at 6’7″, and he has a lot of hype behind him, so it will be interesting to see him perform once again.
There are also some preliminary matches of note as well, such as Ultimate Fighter winner Tony Ferguson staying busy and facing veteran Aaron Riley, plus a middleweight fight between undefeated Nick Ring and Tim The Barbarian Boetsch.
So there’s a lot of fights to pay attention to and watch, and the main event is a very solid one. UFC 135 should provide some meaningful fights and some fights with some great back and forth action, and watching Jon “Bones” Jones alone is usually worth the price of admission, or in this case, the pay-per-view.
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Week 3 NFL: Detroit vs Minnesota Predictions, Picks & Odds
Not many people were expecting the Detroit Lions to be 2-0 after two weeks of the 2011 season. Not only are they undefeated so far, but they have also looked phenomenal. They aren’t just winning, they are winning big and are looking like a team ready to make a real run to the postseason. The Vikings meanwhile have not been so lucky to begin their campaign, and are in an 0-2 hole and looking to begin climbing out of it.
The Vikings came up short at home last weekend, playing the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. But signs were more positive for the team than they were in week 1. Donovan McNabb played much better than he did in the first week of the season, and Adrian Peterson was firing on all cylinders. The team just needs to put everything together and make some big plays at the end of a game on either side of the ball to help secure a victory. They have weapons on offense and they have talent on defense that can shut another team down, but they need to do both when it counts.
The Lions are coming off a huge win over the Kansas City Chiefs, and they absolutely crushed them. They have a fierce defense led by all-world defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, and they are a team that expects to win, which is a change for them. They have some confidence and swagger to them now, and they also have a healthy quarterback in Matthew Stafford.
Stafford has always been talented but he hasn’t been able to stay on the field for the Lions. For Detroit to have a real chance this year he has to stay healthy and in the game, and so far at least, that has been going just fine for them. His job is made much easier not only from the help that the defense provides, but also by having a target like Calvin Johnson to throw the ball to.
The Detroit Lions are 3.5 point favorites to go on the road and defeat the Minnesota Vikings. The over/under for the game is at 45 points. This game and how it plays out depends on a few major factors, and one that you have to consider is not the talent of the teams or how they have played so far, but rather that hard to define quality of who needs it more.
A loss by the Vikings here buries them at 0-3 and they will be right on their way to another dismal season like last year was. That’s certainly a possibility for them, but with veteran Donovan McNabb pulling the trigger, and Adrian Peterson providing a heavy dose of rushing up the middle, the Vikings should be able to squeak out the home win, to avoid an 0-3 start and back to back home losses. The Lions are for real though, and they don’t look like the team to go down easy anymore, so it will be a battle of a game.
Week 3 NFL Picks Alert: Vernon Croy’s NFL Oddsmaker Error of the Year has now been released for Week 3 of the NFL season.
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Notre Dame vs Pittsburgh Predictions, Pick & Odds
If you saw the Notre Dame vs. Pittsburgh match-up in the fourth weekend of the college football season on the schedule before the year began, it probably seemed like a much more intriguing or high profile game than it is. That’s thanks in large part to the struggles of Notre Dame, who is sitting at a 1-2 record and coming off their first win of the year, a far cry from their preseason top 25 ranking and BCS dreams.
Another loss for Notre Dame here would be crushing to them, as they’ll be relegated to 1-3 and will have to scratch and claw just to get back to .500. But a win and suddenly they are back to 2-2, can forget about the bad start, and simply start playing good football week in and week out. That’s something that 2nd year head coach Brian Kelly desperately needs, because he’s been coming under fire already for the team’s performance as well as some of his own actions on the sideline.
Notre Dame lost to South Florida and Michigan in weeks 1 and 2, and both of those are good teams, and both of those games were close and came down to the wire. The Michigan game in particular of course was very exciting and featured a crazy finish. What you have to like though, at least, is that with their backs against the wall last weekend, the Fighting Irish pulled out a win over number 15 Michigan State for their first win of the season.
Meanwhile, Pittsburgh is sitting at 2-1, having defeated Buffalo and Maine but coming off a loss to Iowa last week. That was a close game they lost by 4 points and could have easily won. In the up and down Big East, a few big wins is all you need to really soar to the top of the group. For Pittsburgh, beating Notre Dame and sitting at 3-1 would be a major plus for the program
Pittsburgh is playing at home and will have the home field advantage, however the powers that be don’t believe that’s enough to make them the favorites. The Fighting Irish are favored by 6.5 points over the Panthers, and the over/under for the game is set at 53.5 points. If you like the desperate team, then yes, you have to like Notre Dame. Notre Dame is simply a hard team to predict right now.
They are talented and have some experience, but they are also flawed and have a knack for blowing games late. They really need another win, but can they pull it out in back to back weeks? Pitt meanwhile probably feels disrespected that a 1-2 team is coming onto their turf and is favored over them, and they want to match their conference rival USF’s win over the Fighting Irish.
If you think Notre Dame will play up to their talent, take them to win and cover, but if you think they simply were overrated from the start and that Pitt is a sturdy squad in their own right, then take the Panthers to beat the spread and potentially score the upset win.
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NCST vs Cincinnati Predictions, Pick & Odds
The biggest Thursday night game of the college football weekend will be North Carolina State vs. Cincinnati. It’s not exactly a premiere match as both teams are unranked and both sit at 2-1, having loss to mediocre teams and taken care of overmatched opposition for the wins. Nonetheless, the winner will move to 3-1 with some momentum under their belts, so it’s a big game for both teams, and the pressure will be on.
The North Carolina State Wolfpack have defeated Liberty and South Alabama this season, sandwiched around a close loss to ACC foe Wake Forest. They can put up points on the board, but they also give up a lot of points as well, and they rely more heavily on their passing game than their rushing attack. Senior quarterback Mike Glennon has the reins this year and is off to a good start on the season, completing over 64% of his passes and throwing 8 TDs against just 1 interception.
The Cincinnati Bearcats have two very large wins over Austin Peay and Akron, and they lost to Tennessee in between those. It’s not a loss they have to feel bad about, going on the road to an SEC team looking to make its own progress, but they were blown out by 22 points and could have made their own statement. Cincinnati has been putting up a ton of points through three games, including 72 over Austin Peay.
While the Wolfpack is a passing first time, the Bearcats are definitely a running first team, and they are 15th in the nation right now in rushing yards per game. Their lead back is senior Isaiah Pead, and he’s averaging an absurd 9.5 yards per carry through three games, racking up 257 yards on just 27 carries and scoring 4 TDs. That number will drop down back to earth, but in all three of his previous seasons he averaged between 6.5 and 6.7 YPC, so he knows how to gain yards in big chunks and break big plays.
Cincinnati is favored by 7.5 points over North Carolina State, thanks in large part to home field advantage. The over/under for the match is at 60 points. Both of these teams can score and both have somewhat porous defenses. It’s almost a lock they go on the over side of those 60 points, and this could turn into a thrilling 48-45 style seesaw encounter.
These teams should be evenly matched, and the winner will be the team who restricts the other team’s best attacking option. If Pead runs wild so will the Bearcats, and the Wolfpack won’t be able to keep up. On the other hand, if NC State can stuff Pead a bit and get their passing game going, they’ll have a fighting chance. The outcome could potentially swing in either direction with a lot of points being scored no matter what, and the winner will wake up happy on Friday morning with a 3-1 record and some nice momentum.
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