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Stephen Nover |
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| I have had only two losing season in pro football in my handicapping career. I have the best sources in the business thanks to more than 25 years as a sportswriter, handicapper and analyst. |
| YESTERDAY'S PLAYS | ||
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NHL | Oct 15, 2021 Blackhawks vs Devils |
OVER 6 -121 |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
| Even with the addition of Seth Jones and Marc-Andre Fleury, the Blackhawks are going to have problems on defense. Chicago gave up four goals and 36 shots on net to the Avalanche in its opening game despite Colorado missing superstar scorer Nathan MacKinnon. This is the Devils' first game. They went 4-1 during preseason averaging 4.5 goals. They have a lot of young, promising goal scorers. | ||
| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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MLB | Oct 15, 2021 Red Sox vs Astros |
OVER 8½ -100 |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
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The combination of two of the best offenses in baseball facing starting pitchers not in good form puts me on the Over. The Astros led the majors in runs and batting average. The Red Sox had the third highest batting average and ranked fifth in runs. Boston is starting Chris Sale, who was last seen giving up five runs on four hits in just one inning against the Rays. Sale didn't pitch well either during his final regular season start against the Nationals pulled in the third inning. He's not backed by a strong bullpen either. The Astros are swinging hot bats averaging 7.7 runs in their last seven games. They have scored at least six runs in each of these games. Framber Valdez gets the start for Houston. He wasn't impressive in his last playoff start surrendering four runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings against the White Sox. Valdez has allowed eight runs this month in only 9 1/3 innings. The Red Sox have scored five or more runs in six of their last seven games. |
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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WNBA | Oct 15, 2021 Mercury vs Sky |
UNDER 167 -110 |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Top Premium | ||
| This total may look short based on Phoenix's 91-86 victory over Chicago two days ago, but it isn't. There were 158 points scored during regulation. It took an overtime for that total to go Over. This is a physical series with a lot of wear and tear that is taking a toll. Sky guard Allie Quigley, for instance, is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league. But she's missed 18 of 24 from beyond the range in this series. Chicago has played its best defense of the season during the playoffs. The Sky has the Mercury out of their rhythm. Phoenix is relying on its superstar center Brittney Griner to bail them out with second chance points and inside scoring. Griner is playing well, but she is looking at a fatigue factor not to mention the Sky's strong defense inside the paint. The Mercury is playing for the fifth time in 10 days, which is a lot for a WNBA team. Griner has logged big minutes. She played 41:29 minutes on Wednesday. That has to take a toll. | ||
| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NCAA-F | Oct 15, 2021 San Diego State vs San Jose State |
San Diego State -9 -110 at SC Consensus |
Lost $110.0 |
| Play Type: Top Premium | ||
| This isn't 2020 when San Jose State had a magical season winning all seven of their regular season games. The Spartans are way down this year because their offense has gone into the tank. QB Nick Starkel has missed the last two games and is questionable for this matchup. Starkel hasn't played well. Spartans backup QB Nick Nash did not look good in losing to Colorado State, 32-14, last week. The Spartans rank 114th in scoring at 20.5 points a game and are 113th in total yards. They have scored fewer than 18 points in four of their five games versus Division I teams. San Jose has yet to cover against any of the five Division I opponents they've played. San Diego State is 5-0, winning with a strong running game and solid defense. Greg Bell is one of the best running backs in the Mountain West. The Spartans are minus 13 in turnover ratio. The Aztecs have 18 sacks and seven interceptions. | ||
| PICKS IN PROGRESS | ||
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NCAA-F | Oct 16, 2021 Vanderbilt vs South Carolina |
UNDER 51½ -110 | |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
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These teams don't have strong defenses, but their offenses are terrible. Vanderbilt is last in the nation in scoring averaging 13.3 points in its six games. The Commodores are 121st in yards per game at 310.7. South Carolina ranks 108th in scoring at 22 points and is 112th in yards at 335. The Gamecocks also play at a very slow tempo. Vanderbilt passes more than South Carolina. However, the Gamecocks' defense strength is their secondary. They rank 12th in pass defense. Weather could factor, too, as there is a wind and a chance of rain. |
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| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NCAA-F | Oct 16, 2021 Rutgers vs Northwestern |
Rutgers -130 at William Hill |
Lost $130.0 |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
| These two teams sit at the bottom of their respective divisions in the Big Ten. But there's a class difference here. Rutgers is much the better team. Greg Schiano has the Scarlet Knights on the path to respectability. Rutgers opened 3-0, but then had to play a gauntlet of Michigan, Ohio State and Michigan State. Rutgers has played a much tougher schedule than Northwestern. The Wildcats have just one win against an FBS team - and that was against Ohio, which is 1-5. The Wildcats have been outscored, 94-28, in their two Big Ten games losing to Michigan State and Nebraska. Rutgers has covered in its last seven road contests. That says something about the job Schiano is doing. | ||
| Matchup | Selection | W/L |
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NCAA-F | Oct 16, 2021 Ohio vs Buffalo |
UNDER 57½ -116 |
Won $100 |
| Play Type: Premium | ||
| Ohio has one of the worst offenses in the country. The Bobcats average just 19.3 points. They rank 119th in passing yards. The Bobcats are a running team, which eats clock. Buffalo ranks 95th in passing. The Bulls also like to run a lot. The Bulls' offense numbers are skewed because they opened the season scoring 69 points against Wagner, a non-Division I school. Another big key to the Under is weather. The forecast in Buffalo is for rain and heavy wind in the 20-to-35 mph range. | ||
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SERVICE BIO |
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Sports gaming writer for Las Vegas Review-Journal 1984-1997. Professional handicapper since 1999. Author of three books - Las Vegas Sportsbeat, Sportsgaming Beat, Winning Fantasy Football. Taught sports betting at UNLV. Former co-host of the Sunday Night Stardust Line sports gaming radio show. Was part-time oddsmaker and analyst for Roxy Roxborough. Recognized NFL expert with 21 of 23 winning seasons. |
