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The 2023-24 college basketball season is set to begin this weekend as teams will begin to play real games. Illinois and Kansas gave us a nice warmup this weekend as they played in a charity event for Maui.



Speaking of Maui, the 2023 field has been set, and it’s another loaded field with great teams. Not only can you now begin to play to watch this great event, but you can also bet on the eventual winner.&nbsp;



Here is a look at the Maui Invitational field, and the team that is going to win it.



<a href="/s/betdsi/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Click here to claim the Exclusive 125% Bonus at BetDSI for College Hoops Season! </a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-top-five-teams">Two Top Five Teams</h2>



Nearly every program in the country wants to get into the Maui Invitational, and this tournament is very selective about choosing teams. Once again, this tournament has delivered as there will be two top-five teams set to play in November.&nbsp;



The Kansas Jayhawks are the top-ranked team in the country in the first preseason poll, and they are the betting favorite to win this event at +200. Kansas has a loaded group of returners from last season, and they also brought in Hunter Dickinson.&nbsp;



Purdue is the other top-five team in the preseason poll, and the Boilermakers should be another great team this season. Zach Edey has returned for Purdue for another year, and he should be one of the best players in the country this season.&nbsp;



The Boilermakers have odds set at +400 (<a href="/s/betdsi/">at BetDSI</a>) to win the Maui Invitational this season, and they should be able to beat anyone in the country this season. There is no guarantee that either of these teams will win the Maui Invitational, but they are both going to be loaded. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rest-of-the-field">Rest of the Field</h2>



The entire 2023 field at the Maui Invitational is terrific, and you should expect to see some great games all weekend long. None of the teams will be scared of Kansas or Purdue either as there are some legendary programs.&nbsp;



If you look at the betting odds for the rest of the team in this field you are going to see that all of them are pretty well respected. You are also going to get some value if you back some of the other teams in this field, but there is a reason that they are a bit of an underdog.&nbsp;



Here are the odds for the other five teams that are set to compete in Maui:



<ul>
<li>Tennessee +500</li>



<li>Marquette +500</li>



<li>Gonzaga +700</li>



<li>UCLA +1200</li>



<li>Syracuse +2800</li>
</ul>



<a href="/s/betdsi">All odds listed are courtesy of BetDSI</a>



Tennessee and Marquette are the next two teams on the list, and both of those teams are talented enough to win the NCAA Tournament this season. The Volunteers and Golden Eagles have some veteran talent, and they will be ready to battle with Kansas and Purdue.&nbsp;



The Gonzaga Bulldogs are the 11th ranked team in the country heading into the year, and their odds to win this event are at +700. Gonzaga is a program that has had success in Maui before, and you can get a nice payout for believing they can do it again.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-all-kansas-does-is-win">All Kansas Does is Win</h2>



Upsets can certainly happen in college basketball, especially early in the year. There are going to be multiple great teams in this event, but none are at the level of the Kansas Jayhawks.&nbsp;



There aren’t going to be many times this year in which you want to back the Jayhawks, and this program always seems to be ready to win the big games. This Jayhawks team is loaded with talent, and that is going to matter over the three days in Maui.



Even though it’s sort of boring to bet on the favorite, <a href="/s/betdsi">taking the Jayhawks at +200</a> to win the Maui Invitational is the way to go.

Betting on the 2023 Maui Invitational

Looking to win big? The Golden Griffins and Lakers face off at 7:00 ET on NEC. The Lakers are hosting the game at Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie, PA. In this non-conference matchup, Canisius is favored by -2 against Mercyhurst. The over/under for the game is 143.5 points.<h3>CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS VS MERCYHURST LAKERS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Canisius Golden Griffins -2This game will be played at Mercyhurst Athletic Center at 7:00 ET on Wednesday, November 13th.<h3>WHY BET THE CANISIUS GOLDEN GRIFFINS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 83-66 in favor of the Golden Griffins.</li><li>Not only will Canisius pick up the win, but look for them to cover at -2.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 143.5 points, and we like the over with a projected 149 points.</li></ul><h3>Is It the Golden Griffins Game to Lose on the Road?</h3><h3>Canisius Golden Griffins Recent Game/Games</h3> 

Canisius fell to St. Bonaventure 87-78 on Saturday, November 9th, in a home game where they were +8 point underdogs. The Golden Griffins didn’t cover the spread, and the game’s total points of 165 exceeded the O/U line of 140. 

After trailing 40-34 at halftime, Canisius scored 44 points in the 2nd half but allowed 47, leading to the loss.In their latest game, Canisius put up 78 points, shooting 48.2% from the field with an effective field goal percentage of 60.7%. They connected on 43.8% of their three-point attempts, hitting 14 of 32 from deep, and were solid at the free-throw line, going 10 for 12 (83.3%). Paul McMillan IV led the way with 31 points, shooting 73.3% overall and 75% from three-point range. Chance Moore added 27 points, hitting 69.2% of his shots, while Tana Kopa contributed 19 points, making 5 of 9 from beyond the arc.Canisius struggled defensively, giving up 87 points on 48% shooting from the field. Their opponent shot 54% inside the arc, connecting on 13 of 24 two-point attempts. From beyond the arc, Canisius allowed 14 threes on 32 attempts, a 43% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the line 12 times, where they made 10 free throws, shooting 83%. Canisius gave up 8 offensive rebounds.<h3>Is A Home Victory Likely for Underdog Mercyhurst?</h3>Mercyhurst pulled off a 78-73 win over Morgan State on Wednesday, November 6th. The Lakers were +8.5 point underdogs going into the game, but not only did they cover the spread, they also came away with the win. The total points for the game hit 151, going over the pre-game O/U line of 147.5. Mercyhurst led 33-31 at halftime and scored 45 points in the 2nd half while allowing 42. Their ability to maintain a slim lead and outscore Morgan State in the 2nd half was key to their victory.Mercyhurst put up 78 points in their last game, shooting 44.4% from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 48.1%, with a 51.4% success rate on two-point attempts (19/37) and 29.4% from beyond the arc (5/17). At the free-throw line, they were impressive, hitting 87.5% of their shots (21/24). Mykolas Ivanauskas led the way with 16 points, shooting 72.7% (8/11) and grabbing 7 rebounds. Wynston Tabbs and Aidan Reichert each added 15 points, with Reichert shooting 60% (6/10). The Lakers also pulled down 15 offensive rebounds and dished out 13 assists in the win.Despite Mercyhurst's defensive efforts, they allowed 73 points on 49% shooting from the field. The opposing team connected on 26 of their 53 field goal attempts. From two-point range, the Lakers gave up 23 baskets on 45 attempts, a 51% success rate. They also sent the other team to the free-throw line 24 times, where they made 18 shots, shooting 75%.

Canisius Golden Griffins vs Mercyhurst Lakers NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/13/24

The Rays and Brewers are set to face off in an interleague matchup at 1:10 PM ET on Wednesday. This one is being played at American Family Field in Milwaukee and features a Rays club that is 14-17 vs. the Brewers at 18-11. Tampa Bay is sending Zach Eflin to the mound vs. Colin Rea for the Brewers.

Right now, the over/under line is at 8.5 runs, and the Rays are the favorite on the money line at -128. If you're looking to watch this game on TV, it is being carried by BSWI.<h3>MILWAUKEE BREWERS VS TAMPA BAY RAYS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Milwaukee Brewers Moneyline +107This game will be played at American Family Field at 1:10 ET on Wednesday, May 1st.<h3>HOW TO BET THE RAYS VS BREWERS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Brewers winning by a score of 5 to 4</li><li>If you're looking for a run line pick, we also like the Brewers to cover</li><li>As for an over/under pick, we have this game finishing with 9 runs and like the over</li></ul>It was all Milwaukee in the last game of this series, as the Brewers took down the Rays by a score of 8-2. The Brewers offense only had two more hits than the Rays and struck out 13 times, but still picked up a convincing win. Heading into the game, they were favored at -182 on the money line.

This game featured a starting pitching matchup between Freddy Peralta for the Brewers and Tyler Alexander for the Rays. Peralta only went 5 1/3 innings but gave up just one hit and two earned runs. On the other side, Alexander was tagged for three homers and six runs in four innings of work.

Milwaukee's two homers came from Willy Adames and Brice Turang. Adames, Tyler Black, and Joey Wiemer each had two RBIs for the Brewers' offense.<h3>Rays Records & Stats</h3>Tampa Bay is on the road today vs. the Brewers, and they trail the Blue Jays by one game for 4th place in the AL East. Overall, the Rays are 14-17, putting them six games behind the Orioles for the AL East lead. The Rays dropped the first game of this series vs. the Brewers after taking the final game of their series vs. the White Sox.

So far, the Rays are just under .500 at home, going 8-9. On the road, they are 6-8 this season. As the favorite, the Rays are 10-13 this season and 4-4 as the underdog. Tampa Bay's overall series record is 3-4-2, and they have dropped three straight series.When the Tampa Bay Rays are on the road, they are a good bet to cover the run line, as they are 6-8 against the run line. They have an average run margin of -1.1 on the road, and their average run margin in losing games is -4.1.The Tampa Bay Rays have played 31 games this season, and the over has hit in 18 of them. Their games have averaged 8.9 runs per game, and the over/under line for their games this season has been set at an average of 9 runs. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, the over has gone 6-7 in those games. The over has hit in five of the 31 games they've played this season when the line was set at 8.5 runs.Zach Eflin gets the start for the Rays today as he faces the Brewers on the road. So far this season, he has made six starts and has a record of 1-3 with an ERA of 4.08. Eflin's WHIP for the season is currently 1.19. Looking back at his last outing, Eflin took the loss, giving up four earned runs in six innings of work to the White Sox. He has allowed at least one home run in three of his last four outings. One positive note is that Eflin has turned in three quality starts this year. His ERA on the road is 5.0 compared to 3.65 at home.For the season, the Rays are averaging just 3.8 runs per game, which is 23rd in the league. They have been even worse at home, also averaging 3.8 runs per game. As a team, they are batting .241, which is 11th in the league, and their team on-base percentage is just 15th in the league.

Isaac Paredes comes into the game on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .291 for the season. He has gone 12/34 in his last eight games, including two home runs. Paredes' seven homers this season is 4th in the league and leads the Rays. Randy Arozarena is also among the league leaders in homers but is batting just .143 for the season and .103 in his last eight games.<h3>Brewers Records & Stats</h3>Milwaukee is hosting the Rays today with an overall record of 18-11, good for 1st place in the NL Central. The Brewers hold a half-game lead over the Cubs for the division lead. So far, they have gone 7-3 in divisional matchups. The Brewers closed out April with a win over the Rays and are looking to keep it going today.

At home, the Brewers are just 6-7 this year, but they have been excellent on the road at 12-4. Milwaukee has been really good in day games this year, going 11-4. As the underdog, the Brewers are 9-6 this year and 9-5 as the favorite. The team's overall series record is 5-2-2 and they have dropped two straight series at home.The Brewers have been a better bet on the run line on the road this season, going 10-6 compared to 3-10 at home. Their average run margin is -1.4 at home and +2.3 on the road. They've been a better bet on the run line as an underdog, going 9-6 compared to 4-10 as the favorite.The Milwaukee Brewers have played 29 games this season, and the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs in 16.9% of them. Their games have averaged 9.7 runs per game, and their over/under record is 18-11. When the over/under line has been set at 8.5 runs, their record is 12-4.Colin Rea is getting the start for the Brewers at home against the Rays. He has started 3 games so far this season, and in his last outing, he went 6 innings and gave up 5 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks. Rea has yet to pick up a loss, as he has a win and 2 no-decisions.William Contreras has been a huge part of the Brewers' offense so far this season, as he is batting .345 and has driven in 23 runs, which is 6th in the league. He is also on a three-game hitting streak and has gone 7/24 in his last six games. Rhys Hoskins and Christian Yelich have also been big power threats for the Brewers, as they both have five homers this season.

Overall, the Brewers are 6th in the league in scoring at 5.2 runs per game. They have been even better on the road, averaging 5.8 runs per contest. As a team, Milwaukee is batting .257, which is 4th in the league, and they have the 4th best on-base percentage in the league.

Tampa Bay Rays vs Milwaukee Brewers Betting Pick & Prediction 5/1/24

For Pat Narduzzi, the Quick Lane Bowl in Detroit will be something of a homecoming. The longtime Michigan State defensive coordinator will bring his Pitt Panthers to Ford Field to take on the Eastern Michigan Eagles, with Pitt a clear favorite into double digits and a total just shy of 50. Openers ranged from 8.5 to 9.5 and Pitt has taken money to get as high as -11.5 for this one.

Narduzzi is actually five years removed from his time in East Lansing, where things have not been going particularly well. The Panthers have not done better than 8-5 on Narduzzi’s watch as of yet, but he can get to that number with a win in this one for the first time since 2016.

Eastern Michigan has the unfortunate placement of being in the MAC and that conference has been absolutely cursed in the bowl season over the last several years. Head coach Chris Creighton did a masterful job taking a doormat EMU program and turning it into a solid and consistent squad. Eastern Michigan’s bowl appearance in 2016 was the first in 29 years. EMU’s 2019 bowl appearance will be the third in four years.

There is a sharp contrast in the strength of schedules of these two teams. Eastern Michigan went 6-6 and barely qualified for a bowl game against the 112th-ranked schedule in the country. Pitt, a member of the ACC, played the 53rd-ranked schedule en route to this point. You absolutely have to factor that into the equation when you consider the statistical profiles of these two teams.

The schedule cannot be used as a full-on crutch for Pitt’s putrid offensive performance, as the ACC is not viewed as a dynamic defensive conference. Pitt managed only 5.07 yards per play in the regular season, which ranked 111th. Eastern Michigan, meanwhile, had over six yards per play for the first time in program history and finished the regular season 51st with 6.07.

As you would expect, EMU feasted on the bad Mid-American Conference with 6.35 YPP in conference action. However, EMU still had 5.74 YPP against the two Power Five teams (Illinois and Kentucky) that they faced. The Eagles hit their stride in November with over seven yards per play in games against Kent State, Northern Illinois, Akron, and Buffalo.

Pitt’s pathetic offense managed just 4.77 yards per play in ACC action. First-year offensive coordinator Mark Whipple was supposed to turn some things around with the help of quarterback Kenny Pickett, but it didn’t really work.

How is Pitt in a bowl game with an offense that bad? The defense. The Panthers allowed just 4.44 yards per play on the season, including just 4.33 YPP against in ACC action. Pitt was tied for third in the country with 49 sacks. Their average of 4.08 sacks per game finished second to SMU. Eastern Michigan only registered 20 sacks for the season.

To Creighton’s credit, Eastern Michigan only allowed 21 sacks. The Panthers need to disrupt the Eastern Michigan offense in order to win this game by margin because the offense is unlikely to be able to do it, even against an EMU defense that allowed over six yards per play.

The line move suggests a lot of respect for Pitt’s defense and a lot of respect for Pitt having played a much tougher schedule. Furthermore, the MAC has largely been an auto-fade in the bowls. That perception is actually backed up by results and not just narrative, but we are seeing a lot of bowl game lines move against the MAC teams that qualified.

Dual-threat QB Mike Glass III is the most important player in this handicap. Glass only took 12 sacks in his action. True freshman Preston Hutchinson got 56 pass attempts in the middle of the season and took eight sacks. Glass is mobile enough to evade the rush and he did have 97 rushing attempts on the season, including seven touchdowns. If Glass, who completed nearly 68% of his passes, can buy some time and throw on the run, Eastern Michigan can keep this close. If EMU’s offensive line gets mauled and Glass doesn’t have time, this game can get out of hand fairly quickly.

My personal power ratings line here shows Pitt -12.5, so the line is moving towards my number and I do agree with it, but it is very hard to lay a big number with Pitt. Eastern Michigan could attempt to do some creative things with Glass and Hutchinson in hopes of slowing down that Pittsburgh pass rush. We also have to wonder how excited Pitt is to go play in Detroit the day after Christmas. At least the sun shines in El Paso from time to time, which is where the Panthers were last season.

Still, even with a point of HFA to Eastern Michigan for the shorter trip and the crowd edge, Pitt -11 has to be the pick here. The ACC is just better than the MAC and even the handicap isn’t enough to take EMU in this one.

The stronger play here is the under 49. Eastern Michigan’s defense isn’t great, but neither is Pitt’s offense. The worry would be short fields and turnovers both ways, but EMU only had 12 takeaways in eight MAC games. Pitt, for all the pressure they generated, was -8 in turnover margin with only 13 takeaways.

Pick: Under 49

Lean: Pitt -11

Quick Lane Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: Pitt vs. Eastern Michigan

Those poor souls that have to go into the office on December 23 before the holidays will at least have a welcomed distraction on Monday afternoon. The Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl is a 2:30 p.m. ET kickoff from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, FL featuring the UCF Knights and the Marshall Thundering Herd. At its current number of 17.5, this game is tied for the second-highest spread in a bowl game. Nothing will ever match FAU vs. Akron in 2017, but this one could wind up second on the list.

You really do have to wonder about UCF’s motivation here, though. The Knights get to stay in the state and could be well-represented in Tampa, but 10 wins might be about the only thing the Knights have to play for. They went 9-3, losing to Pitt, Cincinnati, and Tulsa. All three of those games were on the road, but this is a team that wanted to win the AAC and have a shot at the Group of Five New Year’s Six bowl berth. Playing Marshall an hour and a half away from campus is not the same thing.

Remember, this is a UCF team that played LSU in the Fiesta Bowl last season and beat Auburn in the Peach Bowl two years ago. The bar is a lot higher than the Gasparilla Bowl. While UCF is the better team, motivation can often be an equalizer at this time of year and it sure seems like UCF won’t have a lot of it. Marshall didn’t even play in the Conference USA Championship Game.

Of course, motivation is an intangible. You can’t quantify it. On stats alone, this game is a huge mismatch. UCF was ninth in yards per play with 6.86. Marshall tied for 69th with 5.82. The UCF defense ranked seventh in yards per play allowed with 4.52. A YPP differential of 2.34 yards is among the highest in the country. Marshall’s defense allowed 5.35 yards per play. A difference of 0.47 YPP is roughly average.

Statistically, this is every bit of a mismatch. UCF QB Dillon Gabriel threw his seven interceptions at really key times, but the freshman had 27 touchdown passes and completed 59.4% of his throws. UCF had a balanced ground game that managed 5.1 yards per carry. Gabriel Davis led the Knights with 1,241 receiving yards and Tre Nixon was also a big play threat with 16.5 yards per reception.

The biggest difference for UCF this season was regression in the turnover department. The Knights were +31 in turnover margin over the previous two seasons. They were +2 this season with only 16 takeaways.

Marshall brings an unbalanced offense to the Gasparilla Bowl. Brenden Knox led the team with 1,284 yards on 244 carries. The second-leading rusher, Sheldon Evans, had 375 yards. Isaiah Green had 313 of the 330 pass attempts and only threw for 2,265 yards with a 14/9 TD/INT ratio. Tight end Armani Levias had 43 catches, 19 more than anybody else on the team. The second-leading receiver was fellow tight end Xavier Gaines.

When you look at Marshall, it’s hard to see how this team won eight games. The Herd were 5-0 in games decided by five or fewer points. They played well at Boise State in Week 2, but weren’t really tested a ton aside from that, as the Herd played the 107th-ranked schedule. UCF, meanwhile, played the 79th-ranked schedule.

You have to give Marshall head coach Doc Holliday a lot of credit, though. This is his niche. His MO. Marshall is never the most talented team, but more often than not, Marshall goes to a bowl game and has a solid record. He is a potential X-factor in this game. His kids will be coached up and ready. It’s not often that Marshall draws a higher-profile bowl game opponent. As a program, Marshall is 12-2 in bowl games and Holliday is 6-0 straight up. This is the second straight Gasparilla Bowl appearance for Marshall, which may be a downer, but getting a crack at a team like UCF should push those feelings aside.

Despite the statistical mismatch, Marshall is the side in this one. We have a true outlier of a bowl game line and we have a head coach that always gets the most out of his team. I have real questions as to whether or not Josh Heupel can get the same from his team. This is not where the Knights wanted to be, not who they wanted to play, and they surely didn’t want a pre-Christmas bowl game.

As far as the total of 61.5 in this one, the lean would be to the over. Marshall has played some higher-scoring bowl games on Holliday’s watch and UCF plays with a lot of tempo. Typically unmotivated teams struggle on the defensive side because they aren’t as focused on film study and preparation.

Pick: Marshall +17.5

Lean: Over 61.5

Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: Marshall vs. UCF

It seems like for much of the season, the Miami Hurricanes played like they didn't even want to be on the field. So at this juncture, you have to wonder whether they are all that enthused about taking a trip to Shreveport for the Independence Bowl, where they will face off against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs on the day after Christmas (December 26). Game time is 4 PM ET, and BetAnySports customers will have the opportunity to watch this game and place wagers on it while it is happening, accessing the state-of-the-art software from Sports Betting Ultra.

Miami kind of backed into this situation, as Manny Diaz's first year at the helm resulted in a disappointing 6-6 record (both straight-up and against the spread). And if you want to talk about an underachieving bunch, you found one: Miami is the only team in the last 40 years to lose three games straight-up where they were favored by 14 points or more. One of those defeats came against crosstown rival Florida International, and it was so shameful to the program that they actually lost a few of their recruits for 2021 immediately afterward. Diaz admitted that he was not properly prepared for the game, which might leave one to ask, "What else was there to do?"

Louisiana Tech is coached by Skip Holtz, whose father Lou had a skirmish or two with the Miami program when he was head coach at Notre Dame. The younger Holtz is in his eleventh bowl game as a head coach, and when he was the head man at the University of South Florida, he registered his first victory there over Miami.

There was something of a controversy with the Bulldogs this season. Quarterback J'Mar Smith, along with two others, was suspended, but there was a lag time between the suspension itself and the announcement of it, with some sharp money coming in against Louisiana Tech in the interim. Just thought we might make a note of that, along with the fact that Smith is off his suspension.

In the college football betting odds for this Independence Bowl, as they are posted by the people at <a href="http://betanysports.eu/btb50/">BetAnySports</a>, Miami is favored by just under a touchdown:

Miami Hurricanes -6 (-110)
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs +6 (-110)

Over 50 points -110
Under 50 points -110

Louisiana Tech (9-3 straight-up, 7-5 ATS) registered its best wins against FIU and Southern Miss this season. The aforementioned Smith ranked 32nd nationally in passing efficiency, with 2814 yards and a ratio of 17 touchdowns to only four interceptions. And he was much more accurate this season, completing 66% of his passes (as opposed to 57% in 2018). This team moved the ball pretty well, averaging 34 points per game. Defensively, it bears mentioning that the Bulldogs led the nation this year with FIVE interceptions returned for touchdowns.

We don't know how excited the Miami players are going to be in this particular situation, but we can tell you that there is a strong connection between their coaching staff and the Louisiana Tech program. Diaz, in fact, served as defensive coordinator there in 2014, and his unit led the nation in takeaways that season. His current defensive coordinator, Blake Baker, succeeded him in that post under Holtz, and was there for four seasons before coming to Miami this year. In other words, Baker is pretty familiar with the personnel.

Surely it's useful to know that for handicapping purposes, but mindful of the fact that coaches don't make many tackles, how much of a difference will it really make?

There's not much question that the defense Baker supervises is the strength of this Miami squad; they surrendered only three yards per carry and ranked 13th in Total Defense. Penetration was a key, as Miami was fourth in the nation in Tackles For Loss and racked up 43 sacks.

Quarterback Jarren Williams, a redshirt freshman, deserves some credit, as he finished among the nation's top 30 in passing efficiency, despite being under siege for much of the time he was in there. Only three teams in the nation gave up more sacks than Miami's offensive line, and the 'Canes were dead last in third-down efficiency, converting only 26.4% of the time.

Stuff like that is not good news as you are coming into a minor bowl game during a holiday season against what amounts to an opponent playing a semi-home game. Make no mistake about the fact that Louisiana Tech will have support, and there is little doubt that Holtz places a lot of importance on these post-season contests, as he has emerged victorious his last six bowl games, five of them at his current post.

One of the interesting things about Miami is that they seemed to reach low points coming off rest periods, going 0-3 ATS after a bye week. They have even acknowledged this, but we're not sure they have figured it out. And this program has only one bowl victory since the 2006 season. There is so much about these circumstances where outcomes involve who wants to "be there" more, and in this particular situation we don't think there's any question about it. Undoubtedly Miami is the team with more talent. But we are more than happy to grab the points.

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Walk On's Independence Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: Miami (FL) vs. Louisiana Tech

Making on a bet on this NCAA game featuring the Ospreys versus the Bulldogs? Tip off is at at 7:00 ET, and you can watch it all unfold on SEC. The game will be played at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, GA. The over/under for this game is set at 158.5 points, and Georgia is favored by -11.5 against North Florida in a non-conference matchup.<h3>NORTH FLORIDA OSPREYS VS GEORGIA BULLDOGS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: North Florida Ospreys +11.5This game will be played at Stegeman Coliseum at 7:00 ET on Tuesday, November 12th.<h3>WHY BET THE NORTH FLORIDA OSPREYS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 74-73 in favor of the Ospreys.</li><li>Not only will North Florida pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +11.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 158.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 147 points.</li></ul><h3>Can the Ospreys Grab a Win in Athens?</h3>North Florida pulled off a surprising 105-93 win over Georgia Tech on Sunday. The Ospreys, who were +14 underdogs, not only won but also covered the spread. The game’s total points reached 198, well over the 154.5 O/U line. North Florida led 53-49 at halftime and continued their strong play in the 2nd half, scoring 52 points while holding Georgia Tech to 44.North Florida's offense was firing on all cylinders, putting up 105 points with a 53.6% shooting performance from the field. Their effective field goal percentage was 60.9%, thanks in large part to their dominance inside, where they shot 73.7% on two-point attempts. From beyond the arc, they connected on just 29%, hitting 9 of 31 three-point attempts. Josh Harris led the way with 22 points, shooting 8 of 10 from the field, while Baye Ndongo added 20 points and 10 rebounds. Jasai Miles and Nate Lliteras each contributed 18 points, with Lliteras hitting 2 of 4 from deep. Javian McCollum dished out 6 assists, and Jaylen Smith added 5 assists to go along with his 15 points.North Florida's defense had a tough outing, giving up 93 points while allowing their opponent to shoot 46% from the field. They struggled to contain both inside and outside, as the opposing team shot 48% on two-point attempts, going 24/50. From beyond the arc, North Florida allowed 13 threes on 29 attempts, a 44% shooting performance. They also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 12 times, where they made 6. The Ospreys gave up 13 offensive rebounds in the game.<h3>Can the Bulldogs Deliver Being Favored at Home?</h3><h3>Georgia Bulldogs Recent Game/Games</h3> 

Georgia improved to 2-0 on the season with a 92-64 win over Texas Southern on Sunday. The Bulldogs, who were -17.5 favorites, covered the spread, and the total points of 156 exceeded the O/U line of 147.5. 

Georgia took control early, leading 47-29 at halftime. They added 45 points in the 2nd half while holding Texas Southern to 35 points.Georgia's offense put up 92 points in their last game, shooting 42.4% from the field and 35.3% from beyond the arc, hitting 12 threes. They were strong at the free-throw line, making 30 of 39 attempts for 76.9%. Dakota Leffew led the way with 23 points, hitting 5 threes at a 50% rate. Silas Demary Jr. added 17 points and 6 rebounds, while Kenny Hunter contributed 16 points, shooting 66.7% from the field. Blue Cain also grabbed 11 rebounds to go with his 12 points.Georgia's defense gave up 64 points in their last game, with the opposing team shooting 42% from the field, hitting 25 of their 59 attempts. Inside the arc, they went 13/25, shooting 52%. From three-point range, Georgia allowed 12 threes on 34 attempts, a 35% rate. The opposing team also got to the free-throw line 39 times, making 30 for a 76% clip. Georgia gave up 18 offensive rebounds.

North Florida Ospreys vs Georgia Bulldogs NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/12/24

It seems like a holiday tradition that the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors will be hosting a post-season game in their own stadium, doesn't it? Actually, they don't qualify for a bowl every year, but nine of the last ten times they have done so, they have been in Aloha Stadium at some time around Christmas. This season, Hawaii will play host to the BYU Cougars on Christmas Eve (December 24) at 8 PM ET in Honolulu.

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Hawaii (9-5 straight-up, 7-7 ATS) is not that difficult a team to analyze, because they are about offense, and specifically the passing attack, as head coach Nick Rolovich employs a variation of the Red Gun offense that was used for years by June Jones. And they definitely know how to move it; the' Bows were 13th in Total Offense, sixth nationally in passing yards and averaged 33.6 points per game. Only four quarterbacks in the country threw for more yardage than Cole McDonald, yet there were times where he was inconsistent enough that Rolovich pulled him out of the lineup and inserted Chevan Cordeiro, more of a dual threat, and that often supplied a useful change of pace. Cordeiro, however, injured his ankle in the regular-season finale against Army and, after sitting out the Mountain West title game against Boise State (a 31-10 defeat), his status would be uncertain for this one.

Speaking of a quarterback situation, BYU has started three different players in that position. After Zach Wilson went out with an injury, Jaren Hall, a true dual threat, was inserted, but then he went down and Baylor Romney (yes, Mitt's nephew) became the starter, sometimes throwing to his brother, Gunner. Now Wilson, a 63% passer, is back in the lineup.Romney is available and Hall is questionable because of concussion problems.

In the NCAA football betting odds posted on this game by the folks at <a href="http://betanysports.eu/btb50/">BetAnySports</a>, BYU – which is officially listed as the home team here – is favored in what is actually a road game:

BYU Cougars -2
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors +2

Over 62.5 points -110
Under 62.5 points -110

In the last two seasons, McDonald has thrown for 65 touchdowns, but the flip side is that he's thrown 14 interceptions as well. Hawaii is error-prone, having committed more turnovers than any team in the country (30), and they are also one of the most penalized teams in the nation.

BYU, which currently operates as an independent, has overtime wins over USC and Tennessee, defeated geographic rival Utah State in what was a very satisfying outcome, and also dealt Boise State its only defeat, although it must be noted that the Broncos were without quarterback Hank Bachmeier in that one. In terms of offense, there was nothing they did that was all that jaw-dropping, and notably they were 123rd in the nation in red zone offense. Hawaii has had problems all season long stopping the run, allowing 5.8 yards per carry, and it remains to be seen how well BYU can exploit that, as the Cougars are missing the guy who is by far their most explosive running back, Sione Finau (6.1 ypc), who is out with an ACL injury.

The Cougars didn't let things get out of hand too often, as they allowed just 24.4 points per game, and four of their five losses came against quality teams (Utah, Washington, Texas and San Diego State), with the only clunker a defeat suffered at the hands of South Florida. But they only had twelve sacks, and this has to be a big concern on the part of head coach Kelani Sitake, who was known for having a ferocious pass rush when he was defensive coordinator at Utah. If they can't get significant pressure on McDonald, things become more problematic. And let's take note of the fact that Hawaii also has some diversion, with a ground game that averaged better than five yards an attempt, featuring tailback Miles Reed (891 yards). BYU's depth in the secondary wil be severely tested, as Hawaii has four different wide receivers with over 800 yards. And there were some pretty decent results for the Warriors on this home field, as they beat Arizona, Oregon State, San Jose State, San Diego State and Army.

It's not as if we expect that BYU is going to feel like strangers in a strange land out on the island – in fact, they actually have a sister campus in Hawaii – but the fundamentals of this matchup suggest that the 'Bows are going to be in this all the way to the end and will be able to do many the things they want to do on offense. So we're moving with the home underdog.

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Sofi Hawaii Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: BYU vs. Hawaii

Michigan State is the heavy favorite in this week 13 matchup against Purdue, set to kick off at 8:00 ET from Spartan Stadium in East Lansing (MI). The game will be broadcast on FOX, and the over/under line is currently at 48.5 points. The Spartans are -13.5 point favorites, and the money line odds have them at -547. Purdue comes in with a 1-9 record, while Michigan State is 4-6 on the season.<h3>PURDUE BOILERMAKERS VS MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Purdue Boilermakers +13.5This game will be played at Spartan Stadium (MI) at 8:00 ET on Friday, November 22nd.<h3>WHY BET THE PURDUE BOILERMAKERS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Michigan State Spartans winning this one by a score of 25 to 22</li><li>Even though we like the Michigan State Spartans to win, our ATS pick is to take the Purdue Boilermakers at +13.5</li><li>We see this game finishing below the line of 48.5 points</li></ul><h3>Will The Purdue Boilermakers Pull Off An Upset As Road Underdogs</h3>Purdue enters Week 13 against Michigan State with a 1-9 record and no chance of bowl eligibility. They are ranked 114th in our power rankings and have gone winless on the road (0-3) and at home (0-4) this season. The Boilermakers have not been favored in any games this year and have an average scoring margin of -21.7 points per game. Against the spread, they are 0-7. Purdue’s over/under record is 4-3, with their games averaging 56.1 points. This week’s line is set at 48.5 points, compared to their average line of 49.8 points.Heading into week 13, Purdue’s offense ranks 104th in our power rankings, averaging 17.2 points per game. They are 111th in third-down conversions, converting just 33.3% of their attempts. On the ground, they average 138.2 rushing yards per game. Devin Mockobee leads the rushing attack with 652 yards, averaging 5 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. Quarterback Hudson Card has thrown for 1,264 yards, with eight touchdowns and five interceptions, and has a passer rating of 82.Purdue's defense has struggled this season, allowing an average of 38.9 points per game. In their recent matchup against Penn State, they gave up 49 points, including four passing touchdowns and 305 passing yards. They also allowed 234 rushing yards in the game. Opponents have averaged 204.3 rushing yards per game against Purdue, while quarterbacks have posted a 108.8 passer rating and completed 65.8% of their passes, averaging 251.1 passing yards per game.<h3>Are The Michigan State Spartans Going To Defend Home Field Advantage?</h3>Michigan State enters Week 13 with a 4-6 record, facing Purdue at home. They rank 74th in our power rankings and have a 35.9% chance of becoming bowl-eligible. The Spartans are 2-2 at home this season. They’ve been favored in just one game this season, going 1-0 as the favorite. Their average scoring margin is -6.1 points, and they are 4-5 against the spread. The over/under line for this week is 48.5 points. Michigan State’s games have averaged a 46-point line, with their over/under record at 5-4 and an average total of 44.9 points per game.Heading into week 13, Michigan State’s offense ranks 87th in scoring, averaging 19.4 points per game. They are 75th in our offensive power rankings. Their third-down conversion rate is 38.2%, and they are 104th in rushing, with 117.1 yards per game. Aidan Chiles has thrown for 2,106 yards, leading the passing game. Michigan State is 51st in passing attempts, averaging 29.9 per game. Chiles has 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, with a passer rating of 79. Nick Marsh has 611 receiving yards and three touchdowns.Michigan State's defense has allowed an average of 25.5 points per game this season, including 38 points in their recent 38-16 loss to Illinois. In that game, they gave up 370 total yards, with 231 yards coming through the air and 139 on the ground, while allowing five touchdowns, including three rushing scores.Opponents have averaged 132.2 rushing yards per game on 32.7 attempts against Michigan State, while quarterbacks have posted a 92 passer rating, completing 61.1% of their passes for an average of 198.4 yards per game.

Purdue Boilermakers vs Michigan State Spartans Betting Pick & Prediction 11/22/24

Let’s go ahead and get this out of the way early. The bowl officials did Chris Petersen dirty. The Washington Huskies head coach will face the Boise State Broncos in his final game on the sidelines in the Las Vegas Bowl. The storylines write themselves and the intrigue will draw a lot of ratings, but Petersen’s career, at least for the time being, will end with a win or a loss against the team that he took to new levels in the mid-to-late 2000s.

Petersen was fortunate to inherit a talent-rich program from Dan Hawkins and Dirk Koetter, but Boise State had that epic Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma in his first bowl appearance with the Broncos. Continued success followed with wins over major programs like TCU, Utah, Arizona State, and, ironically, Washington in bowl games.

This was already going to be a difficult and emotional game for Petersen irrespective of the opponent. It just so happens to be the he got his head coaching start with after five seasons as an offensive coordinator.

The Boise State players are far enough removed from the situation for it not to bother them a whole lot. Obviously they know the history of what Petersen did for Boise State football, but none of those guys are his recruits, though some of them may very well have gone to Boise State because of what Petersen accomplished to put the program on a pedestal that few Group of Five teams can live up to.

Washington is -3.5 with a total of 49.5 in the Las Vegas Bowl. The line opened -3 and has been bet up as a result of some early Washington support. Defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake has already assumed most of the head coaching duties and will officially get the job when the final horn sounds in the December 21 bowl game.

From a handicapping standpoint, Washington was going to be a play-on team in the bowl game without question....until the answer to “Who is Washington playing?” became Boise State. The Huskies players are sure to want to send their coach off with a win, but the task at hand certainly got tougher drawing a highly motivated Boise State team. The recruiting grounds in Washington are sought after by both programs, among other reasons to be amped for this one.

While an unfair pairing, Washington has only itself to blame in a lot of respects. This should not have been a 7-5 football team in the regular season. Washington lost five conference games for the first time since 2015 when Petersen was still trying to build up the program. The Huskies don’t belong in the Las Vegas Bowl. Not after playing in the Rose, Fiesta, and Peach the last three years. This is a team that won 32 games from 2016-18, including two conference championships. It ends with something of a whimper with this bowl placement.

Jacob Eason has been good, but not great, since transferring from Georgia. He completed about 64% of his tosses with a 22/8 TD/INT ratio. Eason isn’t the problem. Neither is leading rusher Salvon Ahmed, who has exactly 1,000 yards. Hunter Bryant and Aaron Fuller have had fine seasons.

It has been Lake’s defense. Enormous losses, particularly in the secondary, over the last two seasons took Washington’s defense down to levels we haven’t seen in quite some time. Normally, 30th in yards per play allowed wouldn’t sound bad. Allowing 5.15 YPP wouldn’t sound bad. But this is Washington. The Huskies were 11th last season at 4.67, tied for third at 4.42 in 2017, fourth at 4.61 in 2016, and 23rd in 2015 at 4.90. The Huskies have allowed over five yards per play for the first time since 2014. Coming in 61st in YPP didn’t help matters either.

The Broncos managed 6.15 yards per play, which was good for 42nd, but, as we know, the Mountain West is not known for defense. Boise State played the 86th-ranked schedule. Washington played the 42nd-ranked schedule. Boise State’s defense bounced back from allowing 5.6 yards per play last season to allow 5.23 this season, but it was also kind of a down year for offense in the Mountain West. In Boise State’s only Power Five test of the season, the Broncos allowed 6.87 YPP to Florida State. That was a late August game in the sauna that is Tallahassee in the summertime.

This is a hard handicap. There are so many layers to this game. Washington has the Power Five pedigree and has played a better schedule. Boise State recruits so well that the talent gap isn’t overwhelming and Bryan Harsin has been a good bowl coach. Boise State also missed out on last year’s bowl game appearance because the First Responder Bowl was cancelled due to unsafe conditions.

Washington was +0.75 YPP against a tougher schedule than Boise, who was +0.92 in the YPP diff department. Factor in Petersen’s last game and it’s hard to see Washington losing this one. Now that the line has gone to 3.5, it is tough, especially if you have a take on the total. The total is fairly low at 49.5 for a college game. If you think it will be a low-scoring environment, that hook could matter. If you think it will be a higher-scoring game, you have to decide which team that helps more.

Ultimately, Washington -3.5 is the lean here and the lean on the total is the over, as Lake will be a bit distracted with the recruiting process and Boise State’s defense has been facing patsies most of the year.

Lean: Washington -3.5

Lean: Over 49.5

Las Vegas Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: Washington vs. Boise State

All is quiet in the major sports world on Christmas Eve except for one game. There is no NBA, no college basketball, and no NFL. Even in the hockey world, all is mostly quiet, as the World Junior Hockey Championships begin in Edmonton on Friday.

The only game in town is the New Mexico Bowl between Hawaii and Houston. Usually the game is played in Albuquerque, but due to COVID-19 restrictions in the Land of Enchantment, the game will be played at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.

Houston is -9.5 with a total of 59.5 for the game at <a href="http://bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/betonline">BetOnline Sportsbook</a>. This line opened around 13, but Houston has had some players ruled ineligible due to academics, COVID-19 protocols, injuries, and opt-outs. The list is long and not everybody is known, but top receiver Marquez Stevenson is one of the players out.

With a lot of unknowns on the Houston side, let’s handicap the game and see how things stand:
<h3>Hawaii Rainbow Warriors</h3>
The Rainbow Warriors are in a bit of a tough spot here. This will be Hawaii’s first game in the continental United States since November 14. It just so happened to work out that way, as they hosted Boise State, Nevada, San Jose State, and UNLV. At least Hawaii is in a decent rhythm, having last played 12 days ago and each of the seven weeks prior to that.

The first season under head coach Todd Graham has been an up-and-down one. Hawaii’s defense allowed nearly six yards per play across the eight conference games. Offensively, Hawaii struggled, going from the run-and-shoot of Nick Rolovich to the more traditional Graham offense. Hawaii did manage 6.44 yards per play in four wins, but only had 4.42 yards per play in for losses.

Pass protection has been a problem. With time to throw, Chevan Cordeiro has been a reliable player. The problem is that he’s been sacked 26 times in eight games. Cordeiro has an 11/6 TD/INT ratio and is also the team’s leading rusher with 450 yards on 108 carries. He’s scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Therein lies another problem for Hawaii, though. Running back Miles Reed has only made one house call and has 82 carries for just 346 yards. It all starts with the offensive linemen and Hawaii’s have not played well thus far.
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<h3>Houston Cougars</h3>
This will be a different Cougars bunch this week with so many players missing. It is really difficult to know how Dana Holgorsen’s team will play. Houston played Memphis 12 days ago and lost outright as a road favorite of nearly a touchdown. It was the first game in nearly a month for the team and they hadn’t played overly well in losses to UCF and Cincinnati prior to that.

The Cougars took a ton of money in the betting markets to drive that line up against Memphis and then fell flat. They were a much larger favorite here of -13 before the announcement that a lot of players would be missing. Perhaps somebody was tipped off early, but it did seem like this line was trending downward anyway.

Clayton Tune has a 13/7 TD/INT ratio and has been sacked half the times that Cordeiro has in one fewer game. We’ll have to wait and see how many weapons Tune actually has in the game with Stevenson out, though he only caught 20 passes over the seven games played for the Cougars. Kyle Porter is the leading rusher for Houston with 394 yards and 4.1 yards per carry. The Cougars have not been a very efficient offense in the running game and haven’t had many explosive plays.

Defensively, Houston allowed 5.9 yards per play. They finished the regular season just one spot ahead of Hawaii in that department. The Cougars allowed 8.1 yards per play to BYU in their one non-conference game and 5.6 yards per play in conference action, though the better teams did move the football mostly at will against Houston.
<h3>Pick &amp; Analysis</h3>
It is always interesting when a team has a lot of players or at least some key personnel that opts out of a bowl game. It gives younger players looking for playing time the opportunity to get some game reps. Those players are motivated, albeit less experienced and maybe not as good as what was already in place.

It’s always fair to speculate about the effort we’ll see from a team in a bowl game. I think it’s fair with Houston. Hawaii should be sufficiently up for another chance to play, as the island has mostly been protected from COVID and the team hasn’t had as many slowdowns or stoppages as other programs. They are likely happy to get another game in.

With the line dropping so far on this one, it would be hard to justify taking Hawaii now, but Houston’s interest level in this game just might not be there. Usually that shows up on the defensive side, but wind will be a factor today with some gusty conditions.

For lack of a better option, it looks like Hawaii is the play.
<h4>Pick: Hawaii +9.5</h4>
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New Mexico Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: Hawaii vs. Houston

While the bowl itself isn’t exactly a marquee one, the matchup is. That seems like a good way to describe this year’s San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl. This is usually a pretty good game, but USC and Iowa are two teams that expect to be playing on New Year’s Day or thereabouts. Instead, they’ll draw each other here in San Diego, so USC has a much shorter travel and that is something to consider with the handicap of this one.

Going to one of those pre-NYE bowl games can make motivation a big question mark when you talk about perennially-successful programs like USC and Iowa. Playing each other in a battle of ranked teams should give each side a little bit more incentive to show up in this one. Iowa is a two-point favorite at time of writing with a total of 52.

We have seen this line come down a touch, as USC was +2.5 across most of the market. It makes sense that this game would be in a little bit of a holding pattern. USC has some athletes, particularly at wide receiver, that wouldn’t have a whole lot to prove before going into the NFL Draft. Iowa doesn’t really have that problem, but USC is the type of team that can dictate a bowl game line movement.

The Trojans were also in a state of uncertainty regarding head coach Clay Helton. That picture cleared up a little more than two weeks in advance of the game when USC decided to stick with Helton rather than pay his buyout plus a new head coach. The recruiting rankings have taken a hit at USC, but credit should go to offensive coordinator Graham Harrell for really elevating the offensive players already within the program this season.

USC lost four games during the season, but none of those can be considered a bad loss. Losing on the road at BYU in double overtime in Kedon Slovis’s first college football start was a matter of circumstance. Losing to Washington and Notre Dame on the road in consecutive games carries no shame. The score looks bad for the Oregon game with a 56-24 final, but the Ducks won the Pac-12, dominated Utah in the Pac-12 Championship Game, and USC was -4 in turnovers in that contest.

All in all, if USC shows up for the bowl game, it makes sense that there would be some hidden value. This is still a program loaded with talent at the skill positions on both sides of the ball. The Trojans finished the regular season 15th in yards per play on offense and sixth in total passing yards. The problem is that the USC defense never found its footing. Finishing 77th in the regular season in yards per play allowed is embarrassing for a program of this stature.

That, however, has been an ongoing problem in LA. USC was 47th last season in YPP allowed, 66th in 2017, 44th in 2016, and 79th in 2015. That is inexcusable in the Pac-12 and with the recruiting riches of California.

We have to call it what it is. Kedon Slovis was awesome in his freshman season. Late in the year, he threw for 432, 406, and 515 against Arizona State, Cal, and UCLA with a 12/1 TD/INT ratio. Harrell has the Trojans going to a West Coast style offense and Slovis seems to be a great fit for it. Fortunately Amon-Ra St. Brown and Bru McCoy will be back, but Michael Pittman will be playing on Sundays next season and junior Tyler Vaughns could decide to declare early. Still, this is a dynamic WR corps that Iowa will be tasked to defend in the Holiday Bowl.

Defense was Iowa’s strength over the course of the season, as the Hawkeyes limited the opposition to 4.75 yards per play. That ranked 14th nationally during the regular season. They allowed 5.6 yards per play in the non-conference against Iowa State, Miami of Ohio, and Middle Tennessee State. Iowa State had 419 yards on just 54 plays in the rivalry game earlier this season that was delayed twice because of lightning. It was a weird game.

The Iowa offense only managed 5.54 yards per play on the season. There wasn’t a lot of explosiveness from QB Nathan Stanley and the Hawkeyes. Stanley only had 14 TD against seven interceptions. The Hawkeyes managed four yards per carry and 12.3 yards per reception.

This game basically comes down to the Iowa offensive line. If the Hawkeyes can control the line of scrimmage and play keep away, the task at hand will be much easier. If they cannot, the Hawkeyes secondary will be tested by a lot of athleticism and a big-armed quarterback. That is not something Iowa saw every week in the Big Ten. In fact, Indiana led the Big Ten in passing yards. Iowa did not play them.

USC was 15th in yards per pass attempt. Ohio State was 10th, but Iowa avoided the Buckeyes this season. Wisconsin was 27th, which was the highest team Iowa played, but Wisconsin only threw the ball 316 times on the season. Aside from Iowa State, who was 22nd, Iowa’s next opponent on that list is Michigan at 33rd. In other words, this is a new type of test for Iowa.

As a result, USC is the play for me. The total here is 51.5 or 52. That would suggest that USC has some offensive success. This is the highest total in an Iowa game this season. USC played five straight overs to end the season and Slovis was firing on all cylinders. I just don’t think Iowa can match the athleticism of USC in this one.

In fact, my personal power ratings have USC -2 here with a pure power rating and I gave USC a point for the lack of travel and maybe a mild crowd edge. My number here is USC -3, so the wrong team is favored in my estimation.

Pick: USC +2

SDCCU Holiday Bowl Odds, Pick, & Prediction: USC vs. Iowa

Can the total on a baseball game tell us anything about which team will win? That's not really an easy question to answer, but there are a few indications that it does, especially when we get to games with high totals.

We'll use the last three seasons as our sample for this article and while that doesn't sound like much, remember it's twice as long as the NBA season and 10 times longer than the NFL season, so the number of games contained in that span is pretty significant.

For starters, let's look at the record and winning percentage of the favorite for each total, beginning with 5.5 and ending with 13.

5.5	2-0 (100%)
6.0	32-16 (66.7%)
6.5	125-98 (56.1%)
7.0	384-277 (58.1%)
7.5	687-459 (59.9%)
8.0	684-474 (59.1%)
8.5 	828-624 (57%)
9.0	624-469 (57.1%)
9.5	388-242 (61.6%)
10.0	165-103 (61.6%)
10.5	92-65 (58.6%)
11.0	52-44 (54.2%)
11.5	26-26 (50%)
12.0	19-12 (61.3)
12.5	11-12 (47.8%)
13	1-1 (50%)

If we were to break that down into two separate groupings, such as totals of 10 and under and totals of 10.5 and over, we'd see that in games with totals of 10 or less, favorites are 3919-2762, which is 58.7%.

In games where the total is 10.5 or higher, favorites are 201-160, which is 55.7%, or 3% less than games with lower totals. Blindly playing the underdogs in these games would have yielded a small flat-bet profit of $402 and an ROI of 1.1%, so we can use that as our foundation, but have a little bit of work to do to get it to a worthwhile winning percentage and return on our risk.

It's pretty simple in this case, as away underdogs with a total of 10.5 or higher have posted a 106-130 record, good for a profit of $1,210 and an ROI of 5%. Home underdogs are 54-71, but at a lower take price and would have resulted in a loss of $800 and a -6.5% ROI.

Now, if you read the <a href="http://bangthebook.com/rested-underdog-baseball-betting-system/">Rested Underdog Baseball Betting System</a> that was just posted, you saw how rested underdogs have performed poorly, so if we look at away underdogs with no rest, our record would improve to 100-115 and have yielded a profit of $1925 and an ROI of 8.9% and if they are dogs of +120 or greater, our winning percentage drops slightly, but our return is greater, as these teams have gone 65-81 for a profit of $1,648 and an ROI of 11.2%.

Underdogs of less than +120 have actually posted a winning record, going 35-34, but show a small profit of $277 and an ROI of 4%, which isn't bad, but not quite as good as larger underdogs have fared.

To sum up, take unrested away underdogs of +120 or more in games where the total is at least 10.5.

High Total Baseball Betting System

The Blue Jays (82-67, 40-34 home) host the Red Sox (74-75, 36-37 away) in game three of this AL East series. Getting the start for the Blue Jays is Hyun Jin Ryu while the Red Sox are turning to Nick Pivetta. Read on to get my best bet for this Toronto Blue Jays vs. Boston Red Sox matchup.<h3>BOSTON RED SOX VS TORONTO BLUE JAYS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Boston Red Sox +117This game will be played at Rogers Centre at 1:37 ET on Sunday, September 17th.<h3>WHY BET THE BOSTON RED SOX:</h3><ul><li>The Red Sox will be taking on a Blue Jays club that is just 2-3 over their last five games.</li><li>Over their last five games as the favorite, the Blue Jays are just 2-3 (straight-up).</li><li>The Red Sox have gone 1-2 in Hyun Jin Ryu's last three starts.</li></ul><h3>BOSTON RED SOX HAVE STRUGGLED AGAINST THE AL EAST</h3>Entering with a record of 74-75, the Red Sox are in 5th place in the AL East and are losers of three straight games. So far, they have a road win percentage of 49.3% compared to 50.0% at home. Boston's overall series record stands at 22-21-4.Boston Red Sox pitcher Nick Pivetta has an overall record of 9-9 and an ERA of 4.56 this season. On the road, his ERA is 3.35 while it is 4.98 when he pitches at home. His WHIP for the year stands at 1.22, with opposing teams batting .214 against him and a slugging percentage of .419.Nick Pivetta's most recent outing resulted in a 3-2 loss to the Yankees, with the right-hander lasting 5 1/3 innings and surrendering four hits that led to three earned runs.So far this season, the Red Sox's has gone deep 175 times, placing them 15th in the league. Over Boston's previous five games, they are 17th in runs scored, with their season average of 4.9 runs per game putting them 8th in the league. The Red Sox's overall team batting average stands at .261 along with an OBP of .327.The Red Sox's offensive leader, Rafael Devers, has accumulated a .274 batting average this season. He boasts a .514 slugging percentage and an impressive .350 on-base percentage.<h3>WILL THE TORONTO BLUE JAYS TAKE CARE OF BUSINESS AT HOME?</h3>Winners of two straight games, the Blue Jays are in 3rd place in the AL East. So far, they have a series win percentage of 61% (27-17-2). Toronto has gone 42-33 on the road this season compared to 40-34 at home.Hyun Jin Ryu brings a 3-3 record and 2.92 ERA into the game. On the road, he has earned a 1-1 record and 1.80 ERA in four appearances. At home, Ryu has gone 2-2 with a 3.82 ERA. His season-long WHIP is 1.05, along with a .214 batting average allowed by opposing teams who have slugged .383 against him.Hyun Jin Ryu will look to build on his most recent outing, in which he pitched six innings and gave up three earned runs on five hits. Unfortunately, the Toronto Blue Jays were unable to come away with a win, losing 6-3 to the Texas Rangers.As a team, Toronto has scuffled at the plate of late, with a combined batting average of just .198 over their last ten games. Compared to other teams, this is just 28th in that span. When looking at the team's power numbers, they have a season-long slugging percentage of .415% while going deep a total of 171 times (17th). Overall, the Blue Jays are 15th in the MLB at 4.5 runs per contest.The Toronto Blue Jays have seen Vladimir Guerrero Jr. hit three home runs in their last five games, leading the team in that category. The slugger has racked up 24 dingers this season, with a .267 batting average to boot.

Boston Red Sox vs Toronto Blue Jays Betting Pick & Prediction 9/17/23

At 8:00 ET, the Toronto Raptors (2-11) will travel to take on the Boston Celtics (10-3) in an Eastern Atlantic divisional matchup. The Celtics are currently favored by 16.5 points, and the over/under line is set at 228.5.

This game will be played at TD Garden in Boston, and can be seen on NBCS. The Raptors have lost six straight games and are 15th in the Eastern Conference, while the Celtics are 2nd in the East and have won three in a row.<h3>TORONTO RAPTORS VS BOSTON CELTICS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Toronto Raptors +16.5This game will be played at TD Garden at 8:00 ET on Saturday, November 16th.<h3>WHY BET THE TORONTO RAPTORS:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 123-107 in favor of the Celtics.</li><li>Our projections have Jayson Tatum finishing with Jayson Tatum points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.</li><li>From the field, we have the Celtics finishing with a field goal percentage of 47.4% and knocking down 18 threes.</li></ul><h3>Does Toronto Have What it Takes on the Road?</h3>The Raptors fell to 2-11 on the season after a 99-95 loss to the Pistons on Friday. Toronto, who were +2.5 point underdogs, failed to cover the spread. The game’s total score of 194 points was well below the O/U line of 224.5. Detroit went on a 13-0 run early, but the Raptors battled back, outscoring the Pistons 26-18 in the 3rd quarter to take a 78-73 lead into the 4th. However, the Pistons responded by outscoring Toronto 26-17 in the final quarter to seal the win.In their 99-95 loss to the Pistons, the Raptors struggled offensively, shooting just 36.1% from the field and 25.8% from three-point range, making only 8 threes. Jakob Poeltl led the way with 25 points and 18 rebounds, shooting 60% from the field. RJ Barrett added 22 points, despite shooting 33.3% overall and from beyond the arc. Gradey Dick contributed 16 points, but shot only 23.5% in the game.Despite a strong defensive effort, the Raptors fell to the Pistons, giving up 99 points. Toronto tightened up after a rough 1st quarter, where they allowed 32 points, holding Detroit to 23 in the 2nd and just 18 in the 3rd. The Pistons managed 26 points in the 4th to seal the win. Toronto limited Detroit to 41% shooting, including just 21% from three-point range, with the Pistons hitting only 8 threes. The Raptors sent Detroit to the line 20 times, where they made 13 free throws. Toronto grabbed 36 defensive rebounds but allowed 14 offensive boards, while also recording 7 steals and 6 blocks.<h3>Will Boston Find a Way to Win at Home?</h3>Boston improved to 10-3 on the season with a 139-114 win over the Nets on Wednesday. The Celtics, who were -10 point favorites, covered the spread with a dominant +25 point victory. The game’s total points of 253 exceeded the O/U line of 219 by 34 points. After trailing 34-32 at the end of the 1st quarter, the Celtics took control by winning the 2nd quarter 33-26 and the 3rd quarter 38-29. They entered the 4th quarter with a 103-89 lead and finished strong, outscoring the Nets 36-25 in the final period.Jayson Tatum's 36-point, 10-assist performance, including 15 points in the 3rd quarter, led the Celtics to a 139-114 win over the Nets. Tatum shot 63.2% from the field and hit 5 threes at an 83.3% clip. Boston connected on 22 threes, shooting 47.8% from deep and 53.8% overall. Payton Pritchard added 5 threes, finishing with 23 points, 9 of which came in the 4th quarter.Despite a rough 1st quarter where they gave up 34 points, the Celtics tightened up defensively in the 4th, allowing just 25 points to help secure the win over the Nets. Boston allowed 114 points on 50% shooting from the field. The Celtics struggled to defend the three, with Brooklyn hitting 19 threes at a 44% clip. Boston sent the Nets to the line 18 times, where they made 15 free throws. The Celtics also recorded 7 steals and 6 blocks.

Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics Betting Pick & Prediction 11/16/24

The Jaguars are favored at -152 on the money line as they face off against the Colts at 1:00 ET on Sunday, October 6th. The Colts and Jaguars are both looking to even out their records in this week five AFC South matchup. The Jaguars are -3 point favorites on the point spread, and the over/under line is set at 46 points. CBS is handling the television coverage of this one.<h3>INDIANAPOLIS COLTS VS JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Indianapolis Colts +3This game will be played at EverBank Stadium at 1:00 ET on Sunday, October 6th.<h3>WHY BET THE INDIANAPOLIS COLTS:</h3><ul><li>We have the Colts winning this one by a score of 25 to 20</li><li>Not only do we have the Colts winning straight-up, we have them covering the spread at +3</li><li>We see this game finishing below the line of 46 points</li></ul><h3>Will The Colts Pick Up A Win On The Road?</h3>The Colts picked up a 27-24 win over the Steelers in their most recent game, bringing their record to 2-2 for the season. Despite falling behind 14-0 early, Indianapolis fought back to take a 27-24 victory. They were +2.5 point underdogs heading into the game, and their comeback win was capped off by a touchdown from Joe Flacco to Drew Ogletree at the start of the 4th quarter and a late defensive stand to secure the win.The Colts initially took a 14-0 lead after the 1st quarter, but the Steelers fought back to take a 17-3 lead going into halftime. However, the Colts scored 10 points in the 4th quarter, and their defense held strong to pull off the comeback. Justin Fields and Najee Harris connected for a touchdown for the Steelers, giving them a 24-10 lead in the 4th, but Indianapolis responded with two touchdowns to pull ahead.
Indianapolis' offense picked up 22 first downs in their 27-24 win over the Steelers, as they put up 225 yards through the air on 30 passing attempts. Joe Flacco, who threw for 168 yards and two touchdowns, led the passing game. The Colts' running game saw Jonathan Taylor rush for 88 yards on 21 attempts, including a long run of 21 yards and one touchdown.Michael Pittman Jr. was the leading receiver in the game, with 113 yards on six catches. The Colts converted on 53.3% of their third down attempts and allowed two sacks in the game.In the Colts' 27-24 win over the Steelers, their defense allowed 404 yards, with Pittsburgh converting on 46.2% of their third down attempts. Despite giving up 122 rushing yards on 30 attempts, Indianapolis' defense came away with four sacks and held the Steelers to 3.7 yards per carry. They also limited Pittsburgh to 64.7% completions and forced a +1 advantage in both tackles for loss and quarterback hits.The Colts' secondary gave up 282 passing yards, including one touchdown. Indianapolis will look to improve their overall defensive performance in the upcoming weeks, as they allowed the Steelers to move the ball effectively for most of the game.<h3>Will The Jaguars Win At Home Over The Colts?</h3>Jacksonville's 24-20 loss to the Texans dropped them to 0-4 for the season. The Jaguars were looking for their first win of the season but blew a 20-17 4th quarter lead in their latest game. They were +5.5 point underdogs heading into the game and ended up losing by 4 points, as the Texans outscored them 7-0 in the final quarter.Despite the tough loss, the Jaguars got off to a good start, leading 10-7 after the 1st quarter and adding a late touchdown in the 3rd quarter to take the lead. However, the Texans took the lead for good with 19 seconds left in the 2nd quarter, and the Jaguars couldn't capitalize on their 3rd quarter momentum. Jacksonville's Trevor Lawrence connected with Brian Thomas Jr. for two touchdowns in the 3rd quarter to briefly give them the lead.The Jaguars' offense put up 155 yards through the air in their 24-20 loss to the Texans, with 169 yards coming from quarterback Trevor Lawrence. Lawrence completed 18 of 33 passes and threw two touchdowns. The Jaguars finished with 17 first downs and 158 yards on the ground, averaging 6.6 yards per attempt.Brian Thomas Jr. led Jacksonville with 86 yards receiving and one touchdown. Tank Bigsby was the top rusher with 90 yards on just seven attempts, including a 58-yard run. The Jaguars struggled on third down, converting only 33.3% of their chances.In their 24-20 loss to the Texans, the Jaguars allowed 27 completions for 334 yards through the air. The defense struggled on third downs, allowing the Texans to convert 53.8% of their third down attempts. Despite this, Jacksonville's defense did come up with two sacks and had more QB hits and tackles for loss than Houston.The Jaguars' run defense allowed 101 yards on 26 attempts (3.9 yards per attempt) and gave up two passing touchdowns while allowing the Texans to complete 67.5% of their passes. Jacksonville's offense put up 435 yards in the game.

Indianapolis Colts vs Jacksonville Jaguars Betting Pick & Prediction 10/6/24

Betting on today's Devils and Coyotes game? Catch the action at Mullett Arena in Tempe, AZ, as the Coyotes hosts this showdown at 5:00 ET on ESPN+. The Devils are the -1.5 goal favorites in this non-conference matchup against Coyotes. The over/under for the game is set at 6.5 goals.<h3>NEW JERSEY DEVILS VS ARIZONA COYOTES BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Arizona Coyotes +1.5This game will be played at Mullett Arena at 5:00 ET on Saturday, March 16th.<h3>WHY BET THE ARIZONA COYOTES:</h3><ul><li>With the Devils being favored by 1.5, our NHL analytics models has this one playing out 4-3 in favor of the Devils.</li><li>Take the Devils on the moneyline</li><li>On the puck line, we like Coyotes (+1.5)</li></ul><h3>Taking a Look at the Devils Chances on the Road</h3>On the season, the Devils have a record of 32-30-4, which puts them in 12th place in the Eastern Conference and 6th place in the Metropolitan Division. In games against other Eastern Conference teams, New Jersey has gone 18-20, and when playing on the road, the Devils have a record of 17-13-2.

Over their last ten games, the Devils have gone 4-6, and in their last five games, they have gone 2-3. When playing as the favorite this season, New Jersey has gone 26-17-2, and they have been favored in 45 of their 66 games.On the road this season, the Devils have a puck line record of 17-15 and an average scoring differential of +.1 goals per game. So far, New Jersey has 19 wins by multiple goals and 13 wins by just one goal.

Overall, the team's puck line record is 23-43, and their average scoring margin is -.2 goals per game. In their last ten games, the team has gone just 3-7 vs. the puck line. On average, New Jersey's games have finished with 6.8 goals per game. The season's average over/under line stands at 6.5. In total, the Devils come in with an over/under record of 37-28-1.When looking at their past three road matchups, New Jersey has an puck line record of 1-2 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.On offense, the Devils are averaging 3.3 goals per game which is 11th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 12th in the league. New Jersey's offense comes into the game ranked 15th in power play goals. And in terms of shorthanded goals, they are 28th in the NHL.New Jersey's current leading scorer is Jesper Bratt. This season, he has 22 goals, which puts him 57th in the NHL. Along with his scoring, he has come up with 43 assists so far.In terms of defense, the Coyotes head into the game ranked 10th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are taking 31.6 shots per game against Arizona. So far, they are 2nd in shutouts, achieving 7 shutouts.Goalie Kaapo Kahkonen comes into the game having made 28 starts this season. So far, his record is 6-21 and he has a save percentage of 0.761%.<h3>Can the Arizona Offense Score Enough at Home?</h3>At 27-35-5, the Coyotes sit in 7th place in the Central Division and 13th place in the Western Conference. In their last ten games, Arizona has gone 4-6, and they have lost three straight games as the favorite.

Heading into tonight's game, the Coyotes have been the underdog in 52 of their 67 games, and they have gone 17-31-4 in those games. At home this season, Arizona has a record of 16-16-0.So far this season, the Coyotes have an average scoring margin of -.4 goals per game, and they have gone 33-34 against the puck line. Overall, Arizona has had 27 losses by multiple goals and 13 losses by just one goal.

As the underdog, the Coyotes have gone 28-24 against the puck line, and they have an average scoring margin of -.8 goals per game in those contests. In their last ten games at home, Arizona has gone 4-6 against the puck line. For the season, the average number of goals per game in matchups featuring Arizona is 6.3. The season's average over/under line is currently at 6.2. The Coyotes come in with an over/under record of 36-27-4.In their last three games away from home, the Devils have a straight up record of 1-2 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team's offense averaged 2 goals per game in these contests.On offense, the Coyotes are averaging 2.9 goals per game which is 22nd in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 28th in the league. The Coyotes went 10-7 in games where they had more shots than their opponents. However, in games with fewer shots on goal, their record was 17-25.Arizona will be looking for a good game from Clayton Keller who leads the team in scoring with 26 goals, ranking 36th in the NHL. In addition to his goal scoring, Keller has 31 assists this season.Defensively, the Coyotes come into the season ranked 10th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 31.6 shots per game against Arizona. For the season, they are ranked 2nd in shutouts, coming in with 7 shutouts.Goalie Connor Ingram comes into the game having made 40 starts this season. So far, his record is 19-17 and he has a save percentage of 0.881%.

New Jersey Devils vs Arizona Coyotes Betting Pick & Prediction 3/16/24

The National Basketball Association (NBA) was first founded all the way back in 1946 as that is when the first season was played. There were only a handful of teams in the NBA at that time, but it has continued to grow throughout the years.

The NBA is no longer just a league that is made up of the best basketball players in the United States as it is a league that has grown internationally as well. This league is now full of players from other countries as it is the best professional basketball league in the world.

Every NBA team plays 82 games during the regular season and the top 16 teams make up the NBA Playoffs. The league is split up into conferences and divisions, and there are eight teams from each conference in the postseason.

NBA basketball begins in October, and the NBA Finals take place every single June. This is a league that attracts plenty of attention, and NBA betting is extremely popular as well.

This article will not only introduce you to the best NBA betting sites &amp; sportsbooks, but it will also give you some NBA betting tips.
<h2 id="h-where-to-bet-on-the-nba" class="wp-block-heading">WHERE TO BET ON THE NBA</h2>
If you are wanting to do some NBA betting then you need to know where the best NBA sportsbooks are located. The sports betting industry just continues to get bigger and bigger, especially when it comes to online wagering.

It used to be that betting on the NBA was done either in-person or through a local bookie, but that is no longer the case. You are going to find some great options online, and here is a look at four of the best NBA sportsbooks that you are going to find online.

Best NBA Betting Sites & Sportsbooks

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The 2022 Stanley Cup First Round goes on Thursday, May 12, with the Eastern Conference showdown from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, so we bring you the best Maple Leafs vs. Lightning betting pick and odds.&nbsp;



Toronto meets Tampa Bay for Game 6 of the best-of-seven series. The Maple Leafs are one win away from the conference semifinals following a 4-3 victory in Game 5 at home. Toronto is a +105 road underdog for Thursday’s clash, while Tampa Bay is a -125 moneyline fave with a total of 6.5 goals on <a href="https://www.bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/mybookie/">MyBookie Sportsbook</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Maple Leafs overcame an early deficit in Game 5&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



After just 6:11 of play in the first period of Game 5, the Toronto Maple Leafs trailed the Lightning by a couple of goals. John Tavares converted a power-play opportunity in the second period to cut the deficit, while Morgan Rielly and William Nylander scored early in the third period to make it 3-2. The Maple Leafs allowed the Bolts to tie the game at 3-3, while Auston Matthews netted the winner with 6:06 left on the clock.&nbsp;



It was Matthews’ third goal of the series, and the 24-year-old superstar also has four assists on his postseason tally. Matthews was outstanding this past regular season, accounting for 60 goals and 46 assists.&nbsp;



Jack Campbell posted 32 saves last Tuesday, bouncing back from a rough outing in Game 4 when he surrendered five goals on just 16 shots. The 30-year-old netminder went 31-9-6 in the regular season, tallying a 2.64 GAA, .914 save percentage, and five shutouts.&nbsp;



The Lightning need more from Andrei Vasilevskiy&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the brink of elimination following a tough loss in Game 5 in Toronto this past Tuesday. They blew a 2-0 lead and a great opportunity to take the lead in the first-round series for the first time.&nbsp;



The reigning champions outshot Toronto 35-25 and took ten hits more than their rivals, but it wasn’t enough. Andrei Vasilevskiy put on another poor performance, surrendering four goals on just 25 shots, and the 27-year-old goalie yielded three goals on 25 shots in a 7-3 victory in Game 4 at home.&nbsp;



Vasilevskiy will have to improve if the Bolts want to stay alive in this series. The 2019 Vezina Trophy winner went 39-18-5 with a 2.49 GAA, .916 save percentage, and a couple of shutouts last regular season.&nbsp;



Trends:



Toronto:&nbsp;



<ul><li>N/A&nbsp;</li></ul>



Tampa Bay:



<ul><li>5-2 in the last seven outings as favorites&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</li></ul>



Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Pick&nbsp;



Tampa Bay trounced Toronto 7-3 in their previous duel at Amalie Arena. The Lightning had a 5-0 lead after just 5:25 of play in the second period, and I’m expecting the reigning champs to put on another strong performance in front of the home fans.&nbsp;



The Maple Leafs own plenty of dangerous offensive weapons, but their defense is questionable. The Lightning are a top-notch offensive team as well, and they’ll come out on top if Andrei Vasilevskiy finally makes some stops.&nbsp;



Pick: Take Tampa Bay Lightning at -125&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Total:



The Maple Leafs blanked the Lightning 5-0 in Game 1. Since then, we have seen four high-scoring affairs with seven or more goals in the total. I would ride this betting trend and take the over on the totals, as Toronto loves to play at a high tempo.&nbsp;



Seven of the last eight encounters between the Maple Leafs and Lightning have gone over the total. The over is 7-1 in Tampa Bay’s last eight games at home, and it is 16-2-2 in Toronto’s previous 20 showings on the road.&nbsp;



Pick: Go over 6.5 goals at -120&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Odds, Pick, Prediction 5/12/22

Betting on today's Tigers and Dukes game? Catch the action at CURE Insurance Arena in Trenton, NJ, as the Dukes hosts this showdown at 8:30 ET on None. Princeton is favored by -5.5 in this non-conference showdown. The game's over/under is currently at 146.5 points.<h3>PRINCETON TIGERS VS DUQUESNE DUKES BETTING PICK</h3>The Pick: Duquesne Dukes +5.5This game will be played at CURE Insurance Arena at 8:30 ET on Friday, November 8th.<h3>WHY BET THE DUQUESNE DUKES:</h3><ul><li>We have this one finishing with a projected score of 77-68 in favor of the Dukes.</li><li>Not only will Duquesne pick up the win, but look for them to cover at +5.5.</li><li>The over/under is currently sitting at 146.5 points, and we like the under with a projected 145 points.</li></ul><h3>Can the Tigers Pull Out the Win as Road Favorites?</h3><h3>Princeton Tigers Recent Game/Games</h3> Princeton narrowly edged out Iona 81-80 on Monday, November 4th, in a home game. The Tigers were -12 favorites going into the game but didn’t cover the spread. The total points for the game were 161, surpassing the O/U line of 144.5. After trailing 49-37 at halftime, Princeton turned things around in the 2nd half, outscoring Iona 44-31 to secure the win.Princeton's offense was firing on all cylinders in their last game, scoring 81 points with a field goal percentage of 55.4%. Their effective field goal percentage was 62.5%, thanks in large part to their dominant two-point shooting, where they hit 76.7% (23/30) of their attempts. From beyond the arc, they connected on 8 of 26 threes, shooting 30.8%. Free-throw shooting was a struggle, as they hit just 50% (11/22) from the line. Xaivian Lee led the way with 27 points and 6 assists, shooting 64.3% overall and 42.9% from three. Adam Njie added 19 points, hitting 3 of 4 threes, while Caden Pierce contributed 18 points and 9 rebounds, shooting 70% from the field.Princeton's defense struggled in their last game, giving up 80 points on 55% shooting from the field. They had particular trouble inside, where they allowed 76% shooting on two-point attempts, with the opposing team hitting 23 of 30 shots. From beyond the arc, Princeton's defense held their opponent to 30% shooting, as they made 8 of 26 three-point attempts. The opposing team also shot 50% from the free-throw line, converting 11 of 22 attempts. Princeton gave up 9 offensive rebounds.<h3>Will Duquesne Win at Home?</h3><h3>Duquesne Dukes Recent Game/Games</h3> 

Duquesne dropped their season opener at home, losing 77-72 to Lipscomb on Monday. The Dukes were -3.5 point favorites but failed to cover the spread. The total points for the game hit 149, just over the pre-game O/U line of 148.5. 

After trailing 41-34 at halftime, Duquesne outscored Lipscomb 38-36 in the second half but couldn’t complete the comeback.Jacob Ognacevic led Duquesne with 30 points and 10 rebounds, shooting 55.6% from the field and 33.3% from three in their last game. Tre Dinkins added 16 points, hitting 3 of 6 from beyond the arc, while Will Pruitt contributed 15 points and 6 rebounds. As a team, the Dukes shot 45.9% from the field, with an effective field goal percentage of 50.8%. They connected on 30% of their threes (6/20) and struggled at the free-throw line, hitting just 52.6% (10/19). Duquesne recorded 10 assists and 8 offensive rebounds in the game.Defensively, Duquesne allowed 77 points while their opponent shot 45% from the field, connecting on 28 of 62 attempts. Inside the arc, the Dukes gave up 22 two-point baskets on 42 attempts, a 52% shooting rate. From three-point range, Duquesne's defense held their opponent to 6 made threes on 20 attempts, a 30% shooting performance. The Dukes also sent their opponent to the free-throw line 19 times, where they hit 10 free throws, shooting 52%. Duquesne allowed 9 offensive rebounds in the game.

Princeton Tigers vs Duquesne Dukes NCAA Basketball Betting Pick & Prediction 11/8/24

The start of the NFL season is a big deal, but so is UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi. Khabib Nurmagomedov will look to defend his title against interim champion Dustin Poirier in a tremendous lightweight matchup at The Arena on Yas Island. That is one of 13 fights set for this strong pay-per-view card.

We’ll be taking a look at the fights on the slate, paying extra attention to the main card matchups. Four of those matchups come from the lightweight division, so it is a big night for champions and contenders in that division.

Be advised that this one has an early 10:15 a.m. ET start time on Saturday thanks to the time difference. The main card is expected to begin around 2 p.m. ET for those that want to watch something other than college football.

Don Madge and Fares Ziam start us off in the lightweight division on UFC Fight Pass. Madge is the -160 favorite with +140 on the takeback for Ziam. Ziam has a bit of a reach advantage and Madge has not fought since October 27, 2018. This is a step up in class for Ziam, hence the line. Madge beat Te Edwards in his UFC debut 11 months ago, while Ziam is making his UFC debut after fighting in much smaller promotions.

A couple more familiar names are next in Omari Akhmedov and Zak Cummings. The 35-year-old Cummings is having something of a career resurgence with four wins in his last five fights, including a finish over Trevon Giles last time out. Akhmedov, however, is the -120 favorite here with a 3-0-1 record in his last four fights. He returned from a long layoff to beat Tim Boetsch last time out. This fight looks too close to call, as Akhmedov probably has the higher ceiling, but Cummings has been fighting regularly.

Nordine Taleb and Muslim Salikhov are next up. Taleb has been bet into a small favorite at -120. Taleb is surely the more experienced fighter, at this level, anyway, with UFC fights dating back to 2014. Salikhov is fighting in UFC for just the third time. Taleb is the longer fighter and the better takedown artist. He’s also been stronger at landing significant strikes in UFC. He’s a good bet at a low favorite price.

Belal Muhammad is a big favorite over Takashi Sato to finish up the UFC Fight Pass portion of the card. Muhammad is -360 and appears to be the much better all around fighter. This is a money line parlay piece.

Undefeated UFC debutant Ottman Azaitar is a clear-cut favorite against Teemu Packalen at 155 pounds to improve to 12-0. Azaitar has been fighting on much smaller circuits, with his most recent stint coming in Brave. Packalen is 1-2 in three UFC fights, but we haven’t seen him since March 18, 2017 against Marc Diakiese. Azaitar is another money line parlay piece at -235.

This is a big fight for Sarah Moras. Moras, who was on TUF 18 and then TUF 19 has lost her last three fights. UFC contracts typically go in sets of three fights and she’s got five under her belt with a 1-4 record. She is an underdog to Liana Jojua, who won the Fight Nights Global title back in February 2018. She hasn’t fought since, but she is fighting here and will be fighting against a wounded animal hoping to stay alive. The -145 price on Jojua is a tad heavy under the circumstances, but Moras also isn’t up to UFC standards.

Another perfect record is on the line as Lerone Murphy takes on Zubaira Tukhugov at 145 pounds. This is the only featherweight fight on the card, as Murphy faces long odds to improve to 9-0. He is a +325 underdog, with -400 on the more experienced, more polished Tukhugov.

One more fight appears on the prelims before we get to the really good stuff. Andrea Lee is a -225 favorite against Joanne Calderwood in the only women’s fight on the card. Lee has done nothing wrong since joining UFC. She’s won all three fights after winning the LFA flyweight title in her final match there. Calderwood, meanwhile, has dropped three of her last five fights and struggled in a unanimous decision loss to Katlyn Chookagian last time out. This is a springboard type of match for Lee, as she should keep moving up in the division.

Diego Ferreira (+230) vs. Mairbek Taisumov (-270)

Round props aren’t out yet at time of writing, but we wanted to get this card up nice and early for you. This should be a pretty good opening fight. Taisumov had a string of five straight KO wins snapped last time out, but he won handily over Desmond Green. Unfortunately, that win was about a year ago and he went nearly a year between fights before that. The 31-year-old was five pounds overweight in that win over Green and tested positive for stanozolol back in April.

Ferreira has gone a little while between fights. He bested Rustam Khabilov back in February and then had a match with Francisco Trinaldo cancelled because he had issues with the weight cut. He missed weight against Khabilov. Both of these guys seem to have issues following the rules.

In any event, Taisumov may be the rustier fighter based on the lack of reps, but he’s had a better resume than Ferreira, whose career hit some snags going two years between fights after going up against guys like Dustin Poirier and Olivier Aubin-Mercier.

Pick: Mairbek Taisumov

Shamil Abdurahimov (+400) vs. Curtis Blaydes (-500)

The only non-lightweight fight on the main card is actually the polar opposite. It is a heavyweight fight between Shamil Abdurahimov and Curtis Blaydes. Blaydes is just the better all-around fighter, as the line indicates. He’s got 30 pounds and some reach on Abdurahimov. He’s the harder hitter and better takedown artist. He’s only lost twice in his career, with both losses to Francis Ngannou.

The -500 price tag could very well be a bargain. You can cut down on the juice a bit by trying Blaydes by stoppage, but he has gone to the scorecards three times in his last six fights and Abdurahimov has only lost by KO twice in his UFC career and that was in the main event rounds against Derrick Lewis and then against Timothy Johnson in his debut.

Blaydes is a money line parlay piece.

Pick: Curtis Blaydes

Davi Ramos (+285) vs. Islam Makhachev (-345)

If you just look at the records, this looks like an even fight. Unfortunately, if you dig deeper, we’ve got a big line on the favorite for a reason. Islam Makhachev is just better than Davi Ramos in all areas. The only worry here is that Ramos is an aggressive spark plug of a fighter at 5-foot-6 and he will keep coming. Makhachev lands a better percentage of significant strikes and is the better fighter on the ground.

Ramos does have three sub wins in his last four fights, but he has fought a lower caliber of opponent. Makhachev has a really high fight IQ, which will likely carry him through this fight. If he avoids any big hits from Ramos, he should cruise to victory, but we’ll see. I like to try the underdog in fights like this, but Makhachev is just better all around and Ramos will have a hard time getting inside, as the favorite stands four inches taller.

Pick: Islam Makhachev

Paul Felder (+130) vs. Edson Barboza (-150)

These are two extremely familiar names for fight fans. Paul Felder is coming off of a really solid win over James Vick in what was one of the better fights of that February card. It was a big bounce back effort for Felder, who had lost to Mike Perry by split decision at UFC 226.

Felder is a brawler. He’s a good underdog bet because he keeps going until he can’t anymore. Doctors stepped in against Francisco Trinaldo, but he has not been stopped at any other point in his career.

Thirteen of 20 wins for Edson Barboza have been by stoppage. Barboza did take Nurmagomedov the distance at UFC 219, but that fight may have taken a lot out of him, as he’s lost two of his last three fights since. The 33-year-old only made it 150 seconds against Justin Gaethje back in March. Let’s see how he bounces back here.

Barboza has the better resume of opponents, but he has struggled with the better fighters. Felder isn’t in that category. Felder fights forever, so this looks like Barboza by decision, which can help cut down that -150 juice.

Pick: Edson Barboza

Dustin Poirier (+360) vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov (-450)

Dustin Poirier is the interim champion, but make no mistake who the champ is in this division. It is the overwhelming favorite Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov is 27-0 after his win over Conor McGregor at UFC 229. Up until he fought Edson Barboza at UFC 219, Khabib had some questions. He still hasn’t fought the level of opponents that Poirier has, but his talent is unquestioned.

You really do have to hand it to Poirier. He’s getting better as he ages, with wins over Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje, Eddie Alvarez, and then Max Holloway for the title. How will Poirier handle the pressure? How will he handle Khabib’s tremendous wrestling? If Poirier can keep the fight upright, he very much has a chance, but it is hard to keep defending takedown after takedown from Khabib.

Eventually, Khabib should wear Poirier down, but it wouldn’t be a total stunner if Poirier caught him early in the fight. Khabib hasn’t fought many guys with this kind of striking power and Poirier does have a modest reach advantage.

The favorite should win, but Poirier may be a more alive dog than people think.

Pick: Khabib Nurmagomedov

UFC 242: Khabib vs. Poirier Betting Odds, Picks & Preview

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The National Hockey League (NHL) is one of the four biggest professional sports in the United States, and it’s usually fourth in terms of popularity. That doesn’t mean that this sport doesn’t have a massive following though, and it’s a sport that leads to some great betting options.

The NHL was founded all the way back in 1917, and the league has seen plenty of growth since that first year. There were only six teams when the league first began playing, but that number has now grown all the way up to 32.

25 of the teams are from the United States while there are also seven teams from Canada. The NHL season typically runs from October through April, with the NHL Stanley Cup Finals taking place during the month of June.

NHL teams play 82 regular season games, and that leads to plenty of NHL betting opportunities. Here is a look at some of the best NHL sportsbooks as well as how to bet on NHL.
<h2 id="h-where-to-bet-on-the-nhl" class="wp-block-heading">WHERE TO BET ON THE NHL</h2>
Knowing where to bet on the NHL is going to be extremely important if you are planning on betting on this league. With that in mind, here are six of the best NHL sportsbooks that you can find.

Best NHL Betting Sites & Sportsbooks

New York Rangers vs Edmonton Oilers Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Buffalo Sabres vs San Jose Sharks Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

St. Louis Blues vs New York Islanders Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Carolina Hurricanes vs Columbus Blue Jackets Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Winnipeg Jets vs Nashville Predators Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

New Jersey Devils vs Washington Capitals Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Dallas Stars vs Tampa Bay Lightning Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Vancouver Canucks vs Ottawa Senators Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Vegas Golden Knights vs Montreal Canadiens Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

Boston Bruins vs Detroit Red Wings Betting Pick & Prediction 11/23/24

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The UFC makes its first visit to Denmark this week for UFC Fight Night 160. If you want to refer to it as UFC on ESPN+ 18, that’s fine, too, as the main event will feature Jack Hermansson and Jared Cannonier in the middleweight division. This is a loaded card with 13 fights and a lot of variety.

We’ll take a look at the odds from 5Dimes and also consider the main card and the prelim card, with some more emphasis and analysis on the six main card fights. The entire card is on ESPN+, so you’ll have to be ready to start this one early on Saturday September 28 with the time change.

Bantamweights Nohelin Hernandez and Jack Shore start off the card. Hernandez lost his debut fight at UFC 239 to Marlon Vera in the second round, but was 10-2 in smaller promotions, including Bellator and LFA before getting to the big stage. Shore will be making his UFC debut as an 11-0 fighting coming from Cage Warriors, where he was the champ. Shore is -160 and deserving of that big favorite role given the body of work so far.

Lando Vannata is +135 to Marc Diakiese in the lightweight division in the second fight of the night. The -155 favorite just got back in the win column with a decision triumph over Joe Duffy. That ended a string of three straight losses. This is a pretty important fight for Diakiese, as Vannata just scored his first win in nearly two years at UFC 234. This may not be an elimination match as far contracts go, but it could be used down the line. It is hard to lay a number with Diakiese, but Vannata has one win in five fights. It’s a stay away.

The line for Macy Chiasson looks light, even at -390, against Lisa Lansberg. Chiasson is 6-0 with five finishes and she’s in line for a sixth finish and a seventh win here. Lansberg has been good enough in her UFC career, but there aren’t many strikers like Chiasson in this division or in women’s MMA in general. Chiasson is a future title contender.

Giga Chikadze and Brandon Davis meet in the lone featherweight fight on the card. This is a very quick turnaround for Davis, who just went 15 minutes with Kyung Ho Kang at UFC 241 on August 17. Davis is a scrapper and a fighter. He’s just not blessed with a lot of power. This is a step up in class for Chikadze, who did fight in front of Dana White in June 2018, but then went back to Gladiator Challenge. With Chikadze’s finishing ability and Davis on a quick turnaround, the dog is attractive here at +125.

Siyur Bahadurzada is +155 against Ismail Naurdiev at -175 in the welterweight division. This is the third fight in UFC for Naurdiev, who is 1-1 thus far, with both fights going the distance. Bahardurzada is 2-2 in his four most recent UFC fights and has had some long layoffs throughout his career. SB lost to Curtis Millender last time out by decision at UFC 232, so it has been a little while. The fact that Naurdiev has been done nothing flashy in his two fights and is still a big favorite is pretty telling.

This is a big moment for Makhmud Muradov as he makes his UFC debut against Alessio Di Chirico. Muradov has been bet into a clear -155 favorite for this middleweight matchup. He is a knockout artist with 15 of his wins coming via KO or TKO. Di Chirico’s last two fights have gone the distance against guys that aren’t thought to be high-end fighters within the division. Muradov slots in for Peter Sobotta and seems to get a good first matchup. There is some unknown, so -155 is a little rich, but it’s worth considering.

Alen Amedovski gets another try after losing in a tough first match to Krzysztof Jotko in his debut back on 4/20. He gets John Phillips, who has lost three straight fights, which makes up all of his UFC fights. He came close last time with a split decision against Jack Marshman last time out, but it was not to be. Amedovski is only -120, but he had eight knockout wins in smaller promotions, including two in Bellator. Amedovski took almost three years off from 2015-18 and didn’t miss a beat when he got back. At -120, this line seems light.

Nicolas Dalby (+130) vs. Alex Oliveira (-150)

What a return to UFC for Nicolas Dalby. This will be his first UFC fight since September 3, 2016 and he will do it in his homeland. Dalby went to Cage Warriors and went 3-1 with a no contest in his five fights. Dalby did beat Alex Lohore for the welterweight title and then had the no contest in his defense.

Oliveira is a hard handicap here. Losses to Gunnar Nelson and Mike Perry are certainly understandable. On the other hand, the 31-year-old beat what’s left of Carlos Condit and also scored a first-round knockout of Carlo Pedersoli about two years ago. This is a step down in class for Oliveira to a degree, as Dalby was 1-2-1 in his UFC career and then had to find himself in CW after a long hiatus.

On one hand, it feels like this fight is set up for Dalby to beat a fighter trending in the wrong direction, but he still has to do it.

Pick: Alex Oliveira

Ovince Saint Preux (+190) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (-230)

With three losses in his last four fights, we may be seeing the end of an outstanding MMA career for Ovince Saint Preux. The 36-year-old OSP just seems slower and it seems like his takedown defense is waning. He tapped for the second time in four fights last time out and also has a unanimous decision loss to Dominick Reyes in there. Reyes is undefeated and a great fighter, but OSP mounted very little in that fight and certainly took some punishment.

That’s why Michal Oleksiejczuk is a -230 favorite here. He is coming off of consecutive first-round knockouts. Physical freak Khalil Rountree, who is also on this card, took him the distance. Oleksiejczuk won, but had the win overturned for a banned substance in post-fight testing. OSP isn’t the physical talent he once was and that was Oleksiejczuk’s first UFC fight.

Pick: Michal Oleksiejczuk

Ion Cutelaba (+110) vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. (-130)

This has Fight of the Night potential as the physically gifted Khalil Rountree takes on a real good wrestler and striker in Ion Cutelaba. Cutelaba can get himself caught at times, as he has with a couple of UFC losses in his last five fights, but he’s also capable of some spectacular knockouts. He’s also had issues when stepping up in class. While Rountree may not be exactly the prospect Dana White thought he was getting, he’s been an exciting fighter overall.

This is a tough handicap. Rountree should have the better gas tank and may look the part a bit better if it goes to the judges. On the other hand, we saw Rountree get caught by Johnny Walker two fights ago and Cutelaba has 11 career knockouts. This is a high-variance fight. It could end with a highlight reel knockout or could be a long war of attrition that ends with the judges. Because Cutelaba has struggled against comparable or better fighters, the nod goes to Rountree.

Pick: Khalil Rountree Jr.

Gunnar Nelson (+120) vs. Gilbert Burns (-140)

Gunnar Nelson was preparing for Thiago Alves, but now the Iceland native has been forced to get ready for Gilbert Burns. Nelson, who has an exceptional ground game, is coming off of a tough loss to Leon Edwards that featured split outcomes from the judges. It was a particularly tough setback for Nelson, who inexplicably got caught by Santiago Ponzinibbio for a knockout loss on 7/16/17.

Burns is taking the fight on short notice after a win over Alexey Kunchenko on August 10, 2019. Burns went 15 minutes in that fight, but didn’t take a ton of punishment. As a result, he’s willing and able to take this fight and is also a favorite in it. Burns hasn’t fought a great crop of fighters in UFC and Nelson is a guy that seems to have a ceiling, so this is a fight he clearly wanted and will get.

Pick: Gilbert Burns

Danilo Belluardo (+440) vs. Mark Madsen (-580)

What an opportunity for Mark Madsen. The 35-year-old will make his UFC debut in his home country of Denmark. Madsen was a medal-winning wrestler up until he decided to switch over to MMA. He won his first fight, but missed weight. Danilo Belluardo lost his UFC debut and looks like a lamb being led to slaughter per the odds for this fight.

Pick: Mark Madsen

Jared Cannonier (+190) vs. Jack Hermansson (-230)

Give credit to Jared Cannonier. After losses to Jan Blachowicz and Dominick Reyes, the now 35-year-old could have folded a little bit. He didn’t. He’ll go into a hostile environment here against Jack Hermansson. Cannonier isn’t exactly a fan favorite and Hermansson is from nearby Norway, so he’ll get the crowd’s support. Cannonier scored a nice win over David Branch and then beat what’s left of Anderson Silva last time out.

The win over Silva didn’t go how most people expected, as Silva got hurt again and that was about it. Hermansson has ripped off four straight wins, including an easy win over Branch and a 25-minute decision against Jacare Souza. That was a turnaround of less than a month for Hermansson and he showed a lot of heart and a lot of gas tank.

Hermansson’s stock does seem to be on the rise and he’ll have the crowd support here as well. This just looks like a chalky main card, which isn’t a big surprise for a first visit to Denmark for the UFC.

Pick: Jack Hermansson

UFC Fight Night 160: Hermansson vs. Cannonier Betting Odds, Picks & Preview

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