Gasparilla Bowl: Marshall Thundering Herd vs South Florida Bulls

First Ever Matchup for Marshall and South Florida

The Marshall Thundering Herd and the South Florida Bulls meet for the first time ever on Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium. They will be participants in the 2018 Bad Boy Motors Gasparilla Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Marshall -4; O/U: 51.

South Florida hopes to lose the sting of a five-game losing streak that ended the regular season. The Bulls started the season with seven consecutive victories and had visions of a major bowl game. Then injury issues set in along with a leaky defense. A defense that allowed 39.6 points per game led to five double-digit setbacks. Marshall won three straight games to seal its fifth bowl appearance in six years. They ended the regular season with a 41-20 loss at Virginia Tech.

The Bulls go for its sixth win in seven bowl games. They beat Texas Tech and South Carolina in the Birmingham Bowl the last two years. The Thundering Herd have won six bowl games in a row, including a 31-28 triumph against Colorado State in the 2017 New Mexico Bowl. The Bulls, who are 6-3 overall in bowls, started that run with a 41-14 victory over Memphis in the St. Petersburg Bowl in 2008. Marshall won the Beef O'Brady's Bowl in 2011 and the St. Petersburg Bowl in 2015.

South Florida hopes to have a healthier offense after a four-week break. They needed it following the 38-10 loss to No. 7 Central Florida on Nov. 23. The Bulls averaged 35.6 points during their 7-0 start, will face a defense that allowed 22 points per game. The Herd D tied for sixth in the nation with 39 sacks. South Florida did't have No. 1 quarterback Blake Barnett in two of its last three games because of a shoulder injury. He may return, but the Bulls will have a new play caller after offensive coordinator Sterlin Gilbert was hired as McNeese State's new coach. Marshall is permitting 103.9 rushing yards per game. Senior linebacker Chase Hancock leads the way with 98 tackles. Lineman Ty Tyler boasts a team-best eight sacks and 11 players have an interception.

This, That and a Prediction

Marshall was 8-4 and 6-2 in Conference USA. Quarterback Isaiah Green had a solid first year at the helm. He threw for 2,238 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He only completed 55.7 percent of his passes. Tyler King rushed for 655 yards in the first seven games, but has been out the last five with an undisclosed injury. Brenden Knox picked up the slack with 485 in the last four games. He had 204 against Virginia Tech. Wide receiver Tyre Brady is a Conference USA first-team pick and is the top target for Green He hauled in 66 passes for 914 yards and nine touchdowns this year.

South Florida was 7-5 on the season and 3-5 in the American Athletic Conference. Barnett threw for 2,498 yards in 10 games. He had 11 interceptions to go along with 11 touchdown passes. Chris Oladokun or Brett Kean would step in if the former Alabama quarterback can't go. Jordan Cronkrite has rushed for 1,095 yards. That is sixth most in a season at South Florida. The top receiving targets are wideout Tyre McCants. He had 58 catches for 612 yards, and three TD's. Tight end Mitchell Wilcox had 40 receptions for 506 yards, and two TD's. Linebacker Khalid McGee leads the beleaguered Bulls' defense with 104 tackles.

PREDICTION: Marshall 31, South Florida 21

Bad Boy Motors Gasparilla Bowl Betting Odds & Trends

Marshall Thundering Herd
Marshall is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games
Marshall is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Marshall's last 5 games
Marshall is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Marshall is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Marshall's last 7 games on the road

USF Bulls
South Florida is 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
South Florida is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games
South Florida is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
South Florida is 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games at home
South Florida is 14-3 SU in its last 17 games at home

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Kings Host Improving Thunder Wednesday Night

Kings Look to Halt Thunder Streak

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Sacramento Kings will meet on Wednesday night at Golden 1 Center. The Thunder are marching up the win column lately. They have no trouble shoving some opponents out of the way on the way up - literally and figuratively.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, NBATV, FS Oklahoma, NBCS California (Sacramento).

LINE: Thunder -5; O/U: 232.5.

(opens in a new tab)">Oklahoma City rolled past the Chicago Bulls 121-96 on Monday. The game was more notable for a multi-player scuffle that erupted in the third quarter. Thunder star Russell Westbrook was shoved in the chest by Chicago point guard Kris Dunn. That set off a chain of events that led to a pair of technical fouls for each team.

The Thunder have improved to 19-10 on the season. Westbrook led Oklahoma City with 13 points, 16 rebounds, 11 assists and five steals on Monday. It was his fourth straight game with at least four steals. Westbrook posted a triple-double in four of eight games this month. He is only shooting 36.4 percent from the floor in December.

C Steven Adams is averaging 20 points in December, raising his season average to 16.1.

The Kings are 16-14 on the season. Shooting guard Buddy Hield was the lone starter to log more than 10 minutes on Monday. He finished with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 18 minutes. Hield is averaging 24 points on 52.9 percent shooting over the last four games. He is 18-of-40 from 3-point range in that span.

PREDICTION: Thunder 115, Kings 110

NBA Betting Odds & Trends

Oklahoma City Thunder
The Thunder are 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games
Oklahoma City is 19-6 SU in its last 25 games
The Thunder are 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Oklahoma City's last 15 games on the road
The Thunder are 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Sacramento
Oklahoma City is 18-7 SU in its last 25 games when playing Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Oklahoma City's last 12 games when playing Sacramento
The Thunder are 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The Thunder are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Sacramento
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Oklahoma City's last 7 games when playing on the road against Sacramento

Sacramento Kings
The Kings are 4-1 ATS in its last 5 games
Sacramento is 6-3 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone OVER in 13 of Sacramento's last 16 games
The Kings are 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Sacramento's last 6 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 17 of Sacramento's last 25 games at home
The Kings are 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Oklahoma City
Sacramento is 7-18 SU in its last 25 games when playing Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 8 of Sacramento's last 12 games when playing Oklahoma City
The Kings are 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The Kings are 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Sacramento's last 7 games when playing at home against Oklahoma City

Next up:
Oklahoma City at Utah Saturday, December 22
Sacramento home to Memphis Friday, December 21

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Penguins and Capitals in NHL Action

Caps and Pens Tangle for Third Time

The fans at Capital One Arena will see the rubber-match betweenthe Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals when they take their seats on Wednesday. The bitter Metropolitan Division rivals split their first two contests this season. Obviously, after the Capitals brushed aside the Penguins in the spring while capturing their first franchise Stanley Cup title.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, TVAS

Line: (opens in a new tab)" href="https://record.commission.bz/_tflZyz2q5Blyi6yi6t2SVmNd7ZgqdRLk/165/" target="_blank">Caps -128; O/U: (opens in a new tab)" href="https://record.commission.bz/_tflZyz2q5Blyi6yi6t2SVmNd7ZgqdRLk/165/" target="_blank">6.5U +111; Puckline: (opens in a new tab)" href="https://record.commission.bz/_tflZyz2q5Blyi6yi6t2SVmNd7ZgqdRLk/165/" target="_blank">Caps -1.5 +185; (opens in a new tab)">Pens +1.5 -215.

Alex Ovechkin has seen his career-high 14-game point streak result in 12 victories for the Washington Capitals. He has amassed 17 goals and six assists during the streak.

Ovechkin scored a goal in Washington's 7-6 overtime loss at Pittsburgh on Oct. 4 and again in a 2-1 win on Nov. 7. The three-time Hart Trophy winner pushed his goal-scoring streak to six games. He followed up back-to-back hat tricks with his NHL-best 29th goal in Saturday's 4-3 shootout victory versus Buffalo. The Capitals have won five straight.

The (opens in a new tab)">Penguins were on a 5-1-1 surge before squandering an early two-goal lead in Monday's 4-2 loss against Anaheim. Evgeni Malkin opened the scoring with a power-play goal versus the Ducks. He has recorded 21 points in his last 14 games versus the Capitals. He has 10 goals and 11 assists.

The Penguins are 15-12-6 on the season. Sidney Crosby (four assists), Malkin (one goal, two assists) and Phil Kessel (two goals, one assist) carry three-game point streaks into Wednesday's matchup. They share top honors with a team leading 36 points.

Bryan Rust has found his offensive prowess since snapping a 21-game goal drought. He turned a hat trick at Chicago last Wednesday. He has scored five goals and set up another in his past four games. Rust also prevented a sure tally by making like Matt Murray and putting his legs together for a "two-pad" save on Anaheim's Jakob Silfverberg.

Murray has permitted at least three goals in nine of his 12 appearances in 2018-19.

The Capitals are 20-9-3 on the season. Nicklas Backstrom has set up six goals in his last three contests. He has matched defenseman John Carlson with a club-best 30 assists this season.

Carlson also set up six goals in a three-game stretch before being held off the scoresheet versus the Sabres. He has collected consecutive two-point performances versus Pittsburgh this season. That gives him 21 points (six goals, 15 assists) in 33 career meetings.

PREDICTION: Penguins 4, Capitals 2

NHL Betting Odds & Trends

Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins are 1-5 ATS in its last 6 games
Pittsburgh is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
The Penguins are 2-8 SU in its last 10 games on the road
The Penguins are 2-5 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Washington
Pittsburgh is 2-5 SU in its last 7 games when playing Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Pittsburgh's last 13 games when playing Washington
The Penguins are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing on the road against Washington
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Pittsburgh's last 7 games when playing on the road against Washington

Washington Capitals
The Capitals are 10-4 ATS in its last 14 games
Washington is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Washington's last 8 games
The Capitals are 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games at home
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Washington's last 5 games at home
The Capitals are 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
Washington is 5-2 SU in its last 7 games when playing Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Washington's last 13 games when playing Pittsburgh
The Capitals are 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh
The total has gone UNDER in 6 of Washington's last 7 games when playing at home against Pittsburgh

Next up:
Pittsburgh home to Minnesota Thursday, December 20
Washington home to Buffalo Friday, December 21

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NC State Wolfpack vs Auburn Tigers

Tigers and Wolfpack Playing Well

The fans at PNC Arena will see the seventh-ranked Auburn Tigers and the NC State Wolfpack when they take their seats on Wednesday night. NC State will put its undefeated home record on the line. The Tigers come in winners of five in a row, while the Wolfpack have won three straight.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN2 LINE: Auburn -1.5; O/U: 158.

Auburn faced a stiff in-state battle against UAB on Saturday. They prevailed in large part to Jared Harper, as they got a 75-71 overtime win. The guard scored a career-high 31, including 23 of his team's last 30 points. The Tigers escaped Birmingham, Ala., with the win. NC State took over late on Saturday against Penn State in Atlantic City. They used a 25-8 run to turn a one-point deficit into a 16-point lead late in the second half. Guard Braxton Beverly led the Wolfpack with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He also added three rebounds and five assists.

Jared Harper has led the 9-1 Tigers this season. He is averaging 16.9 points per game. His 6.4 assists per game rank second in the SEC. Forward Chuma Okeke was the only other Auburn player to reach double figures against UAB. He scored 11 points to go along with six rebounds. Harper went 15-of-16 from the free-throw line against UAB. He is shooting 92.3 percent from the stripe for the season.

The Wolfpack are also 9-1 on the season. Beverly led a balanced attack against Penn State. Five Wolfpack players hit double figures. C.J. Bryce added an efficient 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting from the field. Torin Dorn chipped in with 15 points. Markell Johnson and DJ Funderburk scored 13 and 12 off the bench. NC State will be looking to take better care of the ball against Auburn. They gave it away 17 times on Saturday while only forcing 14 turnovers.

NC State leads the ACC and ranks fourth in the nation in shooting percentage at 51.5.

PREDICTION: Auburn 80, North Carolina State 75

College Basketball Betting Odds & Trends

Auburn Tigers
Auburn is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games
Auburn is 2-4-1 ATS in its last 7 games on the road
Auburn is 11-5 SU in its last 16 games on the road

North Carolina State Wolfpack
NC State is 5-1 ATS in its last 6 games
NC State is 9-1 SU in its last 10 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of North Carolina State's last 5 games
NC State is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
NC State is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of North Carolina State's last 6 games at home

Next up:
Auburn home to Murray State Saturday, December 22
NC State home to USC-Upstate Saturday, December 22

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DXL Frisco Bowl: San Diego State Aztecs vs Ohio Bobcats

Frisco Bowl Has Chance to be Quality Matchup

The fans at Toyota Stadium the San Diego State Aztecs and the Ohio Bobcats when they take their seats on Wednesday. They are the participants in the 2018 DXL Frisco Bowl.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Ohio -2.5; O/U: 49.5

These schools that finished their seasons going in opposite directions. The injury-plagued Aztecs sputtered to the finish line in Mountain West Conference play. They lost their final three games and four of their last five. They lost a 31-30 overtime heart-breaker to visiting Hawaii in their season finale. Ohio won five of its final six games to finish in a tie for second place in the Mid-American Conference's East Division. They had back-to-back blowout wins over East champion Buffalo (52-17) and Akron (49-28) to end conference play.

The game should be nicknamed the AARP Bowl. Ohio coach Frank Solich is 74 years old, while San Diego State's Rocky Long turns 69 on Jan. 27.

In a era where wide open passing attacks dominate college football, this will be an old fashioned "three yards and a cloud of dust" battle. Ohio ranks eighth nationally in rushing offense with an average of 262.2 yards per game. They rolled up 38 rushing touchdowns. The Bobcats will be going up against a San Diego State defense that ranks fourth nationally in rush defense. They are behind only Michigan State, Texas A&M and Clemson. The squad is allowing an average of 94.5 yards per game and 2.75 yards per attempt. They have allowed only 14 rushing TDs.

This & That and a Prediction

The Aztecs were 7-5 on the season and 4-4 in the Mountain West Conference. They haven't scored more than 31 points in a game this season. The offense hit the 30-point mark twice while ranking 109th nationally in total offense with an average of 354 yards per game. A big reason for that is that starting quarterback Christian Chapman. He was 50-of-87 in the air with 774 yards and four touchdowns on the season. He missed six games after suffering an MCL injury in the second game of the season. Star running back Juwan Washington had 870 yards and 10 TD's on 180 carries this season despite missed four games with a broken clavicle suffered in a 23-20 overtime win over Eastern Michigan. Both are back now with Washington rushing for 158 yards and two touchdowns on 31 carries in the season-ending overtime loss to Hawaii. Chapman and has split time with junior Ryan Agnew and has completed 104-of-199 passes for 1,525 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions.

The Bobcats were 8-4 overall and 6-2 in the MAC. Running back A.J. Ouellette earned first team all-MAC honors. He also was named the MAC Player of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Columbus after rushing for 1,142 yards and 12 touchdowns. That included a career-high 196 yards in the win over Buffalo. Running back Maleek Irons had 831 yards and eight TD's on 126 carries. Quarterback Nathan Rourke had 816 yards on 125 carries and 13 TD's. He also topped the 800-yard rushing mark with Rourke, a second team all-MAC pick. He also passing for 2,228 yards and a career-high 22 touchdowns. Wide receiver Papi White had 58 receptions, 897 yards and nine TD's. He was also was a first team all-MAC selection. Linebacker Evan Croutch had a team-high 79 tackles and four sacks. He leads the Bobcats' defense and was a second-team choice.

PREDICTION: San Diego State 21, Ohio 17

DXL Frisco Bowl Odds & Trends

San Diego State:
Team record: 7-5 SU,3-9 ATS
Current Streak: lost 3 straight games.
San Diego State is 1-6 ATS in its last 7 games
San Diego State is 17-8 SU in its last 25 games
San Diego State is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games

Ohio:
Team record: 8-4 SU,7-5 ATS
Ohio is 5-2 ATS in its last 7 games
Ohio is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Ohio's last 5 games

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Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl: UAB Blazers vs NIU Huskies

MAC and C-USA Champs Square Off

A pair of conference champions who barely survived their title games square off tonight. Conference USA champion, the UAB Blazers, take on the UNI Huskies of the Mid American Conference. They will battle in the Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl FAU Stadium.

TV: 7 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: UAB -1.5; O/U: 41.5

UAB shut down its football program for two years starting in 2015, but revived it two years later. They set a school record for wins with 10. That  includes a 27-25 victory over Middle Tennessee to qualify for its third-ever bowl appearance. Northern Illinois rallied from a 19-point, third-quarter deficit and defeated Buffalo 30-29 to qualify. Marcus Childers threw his fourth touchdown of the game 35 yards to D.J. Brown with 1:09 left to win its fifth conference title overall.

Blazers sophomore Spencer Brown ran for 156 yards and a touchdown in the title game. He gained 1,149 yards for the season with a school-record 16 touchdowns,  that was seventh most in the FBS. The Alabama native has 2,481 yards in his two-year career and needs 340 yards to become UAB's all-time leading rusher.

Huskies running back Tre Harbison gained 985 yards for an offense that averaged 171 yards per game. He is followed by Marcus Jones (523 yards, 5.6 per carry) and Childers (496 yards, 6 TDs).

The game will pair elite defenses. Northern Illinois yields 21.5 points per game, which is 26th in FBS,  and only 2.7 yards per carry. UAB ranks 10th in points allowed at 17.3 per game, and total defense at 300.2 ypg. The Huskies lead the country in sacks with 50 and rank sixth in tackles for loss at 8.0 per game. Defensive end Sutton Smith is tied for the national lead in both categories (15 sacks, 24 TFL). The Blazers rank fourth in sacks (43) and fifth in tackles for loss (8.1) while setting the league record with three shutouts.

The UAB Blazers were 10-3 overall and 9-1 in the conference. Senior A.J. Erdely has a 56.1 percent completion rate with 1,539 yards, seven TDs, seven interceptions. He is the starting quarterback but has played just once since late October due to shoulder problems. Backup Tyler Johnston III has a 56.8 percent, 950 yards, seven TDs, eight interceptions and  threw for 306 yards and two touchdowns in a loss to Texas A&M on Nov. 17. He was 9-of-15 for 140 yards with a TD in the conference title game. Defensive lineman Jamell Garcia-Williams led the team in both sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (15.5), which ranked him third and sixth, respectively, in Conference USA, while linebacker Chris Woolbright was the team's leading tackler with 74 - 13.5 of which went for a loss.

The (opens in a new tab)" href="http://handicappershideaway.com/?s=NIU+Huskies" target="_blank">NIU Huskies were 8-5 overall and 6-2 in the conference. Childers completed 21-of-33 passes for 300 yards with four TDs in the conference title game. He also led the team with 58 yards rushing. Childers completed 57.6 percent of his passes for 1,996 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, and his favorite receiver was Brown, who caught 55 passes for 484 yards and a team-high five touchdowns. Linebacker Antonio Jones-Davis led the team with 119 tackles and added four sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss.

PREDICTION: UAB 24, Northern Illinois 17

Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl Stats and Odds

NIU Huskies:
Team record: 8-5 SU,7-6 ATS
Northern Illinois is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
Northern Illinois is 7-2 SU in its last 9 games
The total has gone UNDER in 9 of Northern Illinois's last 13 games

UAB:
Team record: 10-3 SU,9-4 ATS
Alabama-Birmingham is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games
Alabama-Birmingham is 9-2 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone OVER in 4 of Alabama-Birmingham's last 5 games

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Rockets Host Jazz in NBA Monday Action

Rockets Starting to Play to Potential

The fans at Toyota Center will see the Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets when they take their seats on Monday. The Rockets are hitting their stride during a three-game winning streak with James Harden in triple-double, MVP form.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBATV, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), AT&T SportsNet Southwest (Houston)

LINE: (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.gtbets.eu/?refer=579" target="_blank">Rockets -5; O/U: (opens in a new tab)" href="http://www.gtbets.eu/?refer=579" target="_blank">212.

Harden scored 29 points in a win over Portland on Tuesday to begin the winning streak. He then kicked it up a notch on Thursday against the Los Angeles Lakers. He collected 50 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds in a 126-111 triumph. The reigning MVP was at it again on Saturday at Memphis as well. He filled up the stat sheet with 32 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists. The Rockets fought off the Grizzlies 105-97 to move back to .500 at 14-14.

The (opens in a new tab)">Jazz are trying to get their own winning streak off the ground, but can't seem to get there. They dropped three of their last four games, including a 96-89 setback to the Orlando Magic in Mexico City on Saturday. They are struggling to find consistency on offense. That has led to a 14-16 record.

Utah was even further above sea level than usual while playing in Mexico City and shot 31.5 percent from the floor. They were an abysmal 7-of-29 from 3-point range in the loss. Center Rudy Gobert was held to six points on 2-of-6 shooting on Saturday. He has been held below his season average of 14.3 points per game in each of the last five games.

Houston is more than just Harden, though. They got a big boost on the inside Saturday from center Clint Capela. He scored 26 points on 10-of-14 shooting and added 10 rebounds. Capela's production on the inside is helping the Rockets overcome some shooting woes on the outside from shooting guard Eric Gordon. Gordon is battling through knee soreness and is 1-of-17 from 3-point range over the last three games. Gordon was held to a season-low four points on 2-of-11 shooting in 31 minutes during Saturday's victory.

Gerald Green is 9-of-11 from 3-point range over the last three contests.

PREDICTION: Rockets 106, Jazz 97

NBA Betting Odds & Trends

Utah Jazz
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games
The Jazz are 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games on the road
Utah is 1-4 SU in its last 5 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 6 games on the road
The Jazz are 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Houston
The Jazz are 3-8 SU in its last 11 games when playing Houston
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Utah's last 5 games when playing Houston
The Jazz are 4-11 SU in its last 15 games when playing on the road against Houston
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Utah's last 8 games when playing on the road against Houston

Houston Rockets
The total has gone OVER in 10 of Houston's last 14 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 6 games
The Rockets are 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games at home
Houston is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Houston's last 6 games at home
The Rockets are 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Utah
Houston is 8-3 SU in its last 11 games when playing Utah
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of Houston's last 5 games when playing Utah
The Rockets are 11-4 SU in its last 15 games when playing at home against Utah
The total has gone OVER in 6 of Houston's last 8 games when playing at home against Utah

Next up:
Utah home to Golden State Wednesday, December 19
Houston home to Washington Wednesday, December 19

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MNF Preview: Saints vs Panthers

Panthers in Must Win Mode Against Saints

Monday Night Football will have a choice matchup to end Week 15 of the NFL season. The New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers meet at Bank of America Stadium in what should be a barn burner.

TV: 8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN. LINE: Saints -7 O/U: 50.

The Carolina Panthers reached the midway point of the season riding a three-game winning streak. They were hot on the heels of the first-place New Orleans Saints in the (opens in a new tab)">NFC South. The Panthers have not won since. The team now faces the prospect of having to beat the NFC-leading Saints twice in the final three weeks to make the playoffs

The Panthers' five-game slide included four losses on the road. The streak has them sitting among three teams that are one-half game behind Minnesota for the second wild card in the NFC.

New Orleans appeared on the verge of a second straight defeat before scoring 25 unanswered points in last week's 28-14 win at Tampa Bay. They were able to maintain its hold on the top overall seed in the NFC.

The Saints, who swept three meetings with the Panthers last season. That included a 31-26 playoff victory. The Saints can clinch a first-round bye with a win on Monday and a loss by Chicago to Green Bay.

The Saints are 11-2 on the season. One reason is Drew Brees and the offense understandably receive the bulk of the publicity. The D should be getting some love as the unit has limited its last five opponents to 17 points or fewer. It ranks No. 1 in the NFL against the run, allowing an average of 77.6 yards.

Brees has one touchdown pass and one interception in each of the last two games. He still leads the league in passer rating at 120.8 and a completion percentage at 75.7%. Brees has thrown 31 TD passes with only four interceptions. Brees has thrown for 1,521 yards with 13 TD's, with only three picks in his last five meetings with Carolina.

He has an elite receiver in Michael Thomas. He ranks second in the NFL with 102 catches. Thomas has 298 career receptions, the most by any player in his first three seasons.

Alvin Kamara is a two-way threat out of the backfield with 1,384 yards from scrimmage and 15 touchdowns. Mark Ingram has rushed for 519 yards and five scores.

The Panthers are 6-7 on the season and have to win tonight's matchup. Cam Newton is battling a sore throwing shoulder. He failed to throw a touchdown pass for the first time since the season opener in last week's 26-20 loss at Cleveland. He did join Peyton Manning as the only players with 3,000 yards passing in each of their first eight seasons.

Christian McCaffrey continues to carry the offense. He rushed for two touchdowns and caught six passes last week. It gave him 1,627 yards from scrimmage and 13 scores on the season. Rookie wide receivers D.J. Moore and Curtis Samuel have emerged as Newton's top targets. Ian Thomas made nine catches for 77 yards in place of injured tight end Greg Olsen last week. Carolina ranks seventh in run defense (97.8 yards).

PREDICTION: Saints 34, Panthers 28

NFL Betting Odds & Trends

New Orleans Saints
The Saints are 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games
New Orleans is 11-1 SU in its last 12 games
The total has gone UNDER in 4 of New Orleans's last 5 games
The Saints are 7-1 ATS in its last 8 games on the road
New Orleans is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games on the road
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of New Orleans's last 6 games on the road
The Saints are 5-1-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Carolina
New Orleans is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games when playing Carolina
The total has gone OVER in 7 of New Orleans's last 8 games when playing Carolina
The Saints are 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing on the road against Carolina
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of New Orleans's last 15 games when playing on the road against Carolina

Carolina Panthers
The Panthers are 0-5 ATS in its last 5 games
Carolina is 0-5 SU in its last 5 games
The Panthers are 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games at home
Carolina is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Carolina's last 5 games at home
Carolina is 1-5-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing New Orleans
The Panthers are 1-4 SU in its last 5 games when playing New Orleans
The total has gone OVER in 7 of Carolina's last 8 games when playing New Orleans
The Panthers are 1-3-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing at home against New Orleans
Carolina is 4-2 SU in its last 6 games when playing at home against New Orleans
The total has gone UNDER in 11 of Carolina's last 15 games when playing at home against New Orleans

Next up:
New Orleans home to Pittsburgh Sunday, December 23
Carolina home to Atlanta Sunday, December 23

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2018 Las Vegas Bowl: Arizona State vs Fresno State

Plenty of Story-lines In 2018 Las Vegas Bowl

The Fresno State Bulldogs and the Arizona State Sun Devils will both
be gunning for a victory on Saturday when they meet at Sam Boyd Stadium.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: (opens in a new tab)" href="http://affiliateservice.hrwager.ag/AF?trk=6711_2305_L" target="_blank">Fresno State -6: O/U: (opens in a new tab)">53.5.

Fresno State was 11-2 overall and 7-1 in the Mountain West Conference. Quarterback Marcus McMaryion is familiar with the Pac-12 after playing his first two college years at Oregon State. The Beavers didn't play Arizona State those seasons. He was a big reason the Bulldogs went from a one-win team in 2016 to a 10-win team in 2017. The Bulldogs were the only West Coast team to win a bowl game last season. McMaryion took his play to another level this season. The gunslinger completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, throwing 25 touchdowns and getting intercepted just three times. He had none in the past four games.

Arizona State was 7-5 overall and 5-4 (opens in a new tab)">Pac-12 Conference. The Sun Devils also have an experienced senior quarterback.  He has fought through battles to maintain his starting job and continued to flourish. Manny Wilkins has completed 63 percent of his passes. He threw 19 touchdowns with only four interceptions. His calm demeanor under pressure has allowed Arizona State to go 4-1 this season in games decided by three points or Less. Wilkins won't have his favorite receiver, N'Keal Harry, so look for junior wide receivers Kyle Williams and Brandon Aiyuk to get extra targets. Harry, who had 73 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns this season, has decided to skip the bowl game and begin preparing for the NFL Draft.

This and That and a Shot in the Dark Prediction

Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin should receive ample opportunities to break the single-season school rushing record.  Benjamin is 42 yards short of breaking the 46-year-old record. The 1,565 single season total was set by Woody Green. The Sun Devils will be without No. 1 receiver N'Keal Harry, which should allow even more carries for Benjamin.

The Sun Devils lured Herm Edwards out of the ESPN studios and onto the sidelines as their head coach in early December of last year. Many people doubted whether he was to be successful. Edwards not coached at the college level in nearly 30 years. He also hadn't coached anywhere since 2008, and that was at the NFL level. Edwards had his ups and downs this season. The roller coaster ride started with a win over then-No. 13 Michigan State in his second game. Then it bottomed out with a loss to Colorado on Oct. 6. Herm did lead Arizona State to a second-place finish in the Pac-12 South Division after they were predicted to finish last.

Fresno State should be plenty motivated in its first meeting against Arizona State since 1941. The Bulldogs earned this bowl bid with a dramatic 19-16 overtime win at Boise State on Dec. 1. The win put themselves in position to win 12 games in a season for the first time in program history. Fresno State finished the regular season ranked No. 21 in the coaches' poll. They will also be looking to win bowl games in back-to-back seasons for the first time since winning three in a row from 2002-04.

PREDICTION: Fresno State 30, Arizona State 24.  I think the absence of Harry for the Sun Devils will be the difference.

Las Vegas Bowl Betting Odds & Trends

Fresno State Bulldogs
Fresno State is 14-4 ATS in its last 18 games
Fresno State is 10-1 SU in its last 11 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Fresno State's last 5 games

Arizona State Sun Devils
Arizona State is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

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NFL Week 15 Free Betting Pick- Browns at Broncos

Broncos and Browns are Intriguing Matchup

The Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos wrap up this Saturday’s doubleheader of betting action on NFL Network. Game time from Sports Authority Field at Mile High is set for 8:20 p.m. The Broncos are favored by 2.5 points and the total set at 46 points.

VietBet closed Cleveland as a slight one-point home underdog against Carolina. They pulled off a straight-up 26-20 upset. Cleveland is now 3-1 both SU and against the spread in its last four games. The total stayed UNDER 48 points in Sunday’s win. The total has stayed UNDER in three of the Browns’ last four games. They are 5-7-1 SU overall with an 8-5 record ATS.

Baker Mayfield kept himself in the discussion for rookie of the year honors with 238 yards passing and one touchdown throw against Carolina. He completed 18 of his 22 pass attempts. He moved the ball around with at least one pass to eight different players.

Nick Chubb led a foursome of players running the ball with 66 yards rushing and one score on 13 carries. Overall this season, the Browns are averaging 22.5 points per game.

Denver was on the road against San Francisco on Sunday as a three-point favorite on the VietBet closing line. They came up short in a 20-14 loss that put a serious dent in any postseason plans. The Broncos slipped to 6-7 SU with an even 6-6-1 record ATS. The total stayed UNDER 45.5 points in the game and it has stayed UNDER in each of their last six contests. Denver is 2-3-1 ATS at home this season.

Any momentum from the Broncos’ three-game winning streak (SU and ATS) was left on the field in San Francisco. Case Keenum struggled all day long with 24 pass completions on 42 attempts for 186 yards. He had one score.

Denver’s ground game averaged 3.8 yards a carry with a total of 103 rushing yards. The biggest issue was the play on defense against a team that had won just two previous games all season long.

Cleveland is the type of team that nobody wants to play this time of the year. I like the points and the Browns’ favor in a game they are more than capable of winning SU.

PREDICTION: Browns 23, Broncos 17

NFL Betting Odds & Trends

Cleveland Browns
The Browns are 5-19-1 SU in its last 25 games
The Browns are 5-12-1 ATS in its last 18 games on the road
Cleveland is 1-24 SU in its last 25 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 14 of Cleveland's last 21 games on the road
The Browns are 0-4-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Denver
The Browns are 0-5 SU in its last 5 games when playing Denver
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Cleveland's last 7 games when playing Denver

Denver Broncos
The Broncos are 6-2 ATS in its last 8 games
Denver is 8-16-1 ATS in its last 25 games
The Broncos are 8-17 SU in its last 25 games
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games
The Broncos are 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 games at home
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of Denver's last 5 games at home
The Broncos are 4-0-1 ATS in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
Denver is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games when playing Cleveland
The total has gone OVER in 5 of Denver's last 7 games when playing Cleveland

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