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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[superbeets]

Championship Fr 18Nov 19:45

Brighton

v

Aston Villa

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
SS1		17/20	5/2	4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BRIGHTON	RECENT FORM
A WH DH WA WH WA W​ Most recent​	0 - 0 0 - 1 1 - 0 1 - 1	A LH DA WH WA DH W​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Villa have drawn nine of their 16 league matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Brighton are in the promotion mix again but they may have to settle for a point against Aston Villa. The visitors have shown signs of improvement under new boss Steve Bruce but Brighton have lost only one of their last 19 matches at the Amex and will prove a tough side to break down.

RECOMMENDATION: Draw
2


REFEREE: Stephen Martin STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

PGA Tour Picks: The RSM Classic Odds and Expert Betting Predictions
by Alan Matthews

For the second week in a row, we saw a veteran PGA Tour player who had largely been forgotten about get his first Tour win in years. Two Sundays ago in Las Vegas, it was 47-year-old Rod Pampling taking home the title. And this past Sunday at the OHL Classic at Mayakoba in Mexico, Pat Perez got his first Tour win since 2009.

The 40-year-old Perez, in just his third start since major shoulder surgery, shot a final-round 4-under 67 to finish at 21-under 263 at El Camaleon and win by two shots over third-round leader and fellow American Gary Woodland. Perez had surgery on a torn labrum in February. While he was rehabbing he made a major equipment change and claims to hit it 30 yards further off the tee now. His first tournament back was a tie for 33rd in Malaysia, and he tied for seventh in Las Vegas.

Perez, who also won the 2009 Bob Hope Classic, shot a 62 on Saturday to pull within a stroke of Woodland. It was the fifth time in six lifetime occasions that Woodland has failed to convert a 54-hole lead or co-lead. Woodland started Sunday slowly and was down four shots to Perez after just four holes when Woodland made two bogeys and Perez had three early birdies. Russell Knox finished at 18-under for the second straight year in Mexico; he lost in a playoff in 2015 and was third on Sunday. Defending champion Graeme McDowell T24, the second-best showing by a champion the following year in tournament history.

While I knew Perez was at least still playing I didn't even consider him last week. I took a shot on former champion Harris English at +2800 to win, and he missed the cut after rounds of 72-69. I did get Knox at +120 for a Top 10 as well as at +225 as the top European finisher. Also hit on Chris Kirk at +250 for a Top 10, while hitting on both Knox and Kirk on head-to-head props as well.

This week the PGA Tour concludes its fall portion of the new season at the RSM Classic at the Sea Island Resort in Sea Island, Ga. It won't be my last PGA Tour story of the season as there are some other events, but none are officially sanctioned. Players will compete in one of their first two rounds at the revamped Plantation course, otherwise the action is on the Seaside course. U.S. Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III is the tournament host and it benefits his foundation. A handful of PGA Tour players call this area home. Just five of the world's Top 35 are entered.

This tournament has only been around since 2010, and each had been decided by one shot or in a playoff until last year. Kevin Kisner won his first PGA Tour event by shooting a final-round 6-under 64 to beat second-place Kevin Chappell by six. Kisner blew away the tournament scoring record at 22-under 260 and led the field with 22 birdies and just two bogeys. This will be the last chance for players not already qualified to do so for the Tournament of Champions in Hawaii in the New Year.

Golf Odds: The RSM Classic Favorites

Kirk is the +1400. He has three Top 10s on the fall schedule following last week's seventh in Mexico. Kirk won this tournament in 2013 at 14-under 266 by a shot over Briny Baird and Tim Clark. He also was fourth in 2014 and then 18th last year.

U.S. Ryder Cup players Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar are each +1800. Snedeker hasn't played a PGA Tour event since the Tour Championship (he did win in Fiji after that) and he missed the cut here last year. Kuchar lives in this area. His best result was seventh in 2013.

Chappell (+2000), Bill Haas, Jim Furyk and Russell Henley (all +2500) round out the favorites. Haas was a runner-up here in 2010. Chappell was last year and eighth the year before. Furyk was third in 2012 but missed the cut last week. Henley has Top 10s here the past two years.

Golf Odds: The RSM Classic Picks

Not a lot of props offered as of now -- frankly, the European Tour season finale is the big event this week. I'll take Kirk (+130), Kuchar (+167), Chappell (+205) and Charles Howell III (+300) for a Top 10. No prices listed yet, but take Chappell over Snedeker, Haas over Furyk, Henley over Kisner, and Zach Johnson over Lucas Glover.

I'm going with Howell III at +3300 to win. He was a solid seventh last week and 15th the week before. He has played this event every year with three Top 10s, including last year.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

10 Players to Watch: RSM Classic
By Tom LaMarre, The Sports Xchange

1. Matt Kuchar, United States -- Kuchar has won seven times on the PGA Tour, but not since the 2014 RBC Heritage, so he certainly is overdue because you usually can find his name near the top of the leaderboard. He finished in the top-10 on 10 occasions last year and has 65 such results since 2010, the most on the circuit during that time. Kuchar, who is playing a home game this week since he lives right near Sea Island Resort, will tee it up in the tournament for the sixth time and has never finished outside the top 25, posting an aggregate score of 39-under-par. However, his best result is only a tie for seventh in 2014, but if he can avoid the distractions of playing at home, he might be able to find his way back to the winner's circle.

2. Chris Kirk, United States -- With three top-10 finishes in four starts since the start of the 2016-17 season, Kirk also is playing at home in a tournament that he won in 2013 for the second of his four victories on the PGA Tour. He was tied for the lead with Briny Baird on the final hole and Kirk made a par to win with a 4-under-par 66, claiming a one-stroke victory over Tim Clark of South Africa and Baird, who hit his approach into the water and made a bogey. Kirk is playing in the tournament for the seventh time and he also tied for fourth in his title defense, two shots behind winner Robert Streb, one of his three other results in the top 10. He has tied for eighth in the Safeway Classic, tied for second in the Sanderson Farms Classic and tied for seventh in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba this season.

3. Webb Simpson, United States -- At times, Simpson shows signs that he is getting closer to the form that took him to victory in the 2012 U.S. Open and three other tournaments, the last in the 2014 Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which he won by six strokes. Last week, he was tied for fifth entering the final round of the OHL Classic at Mayakoba with scores of 65-65-69, but he closed with a 74 and skidded to a tie for 24th. Webb struggled with the transition after his anchored putter was banned, but has had some success with a putter he holds against his forearm, a bit like Kuchar. He is playing at Sea Island Resort for the fifth time and in 2011 he was in or near the lead all the way after opening with a 63, but lost to Ben Crane by missing a short par putt on the second playoff hole.

4. Bill Haas, United States -- Haas is back in Georgia, where he claimed the biggest of his six PGA Tour victories in the 2011 Tour Championship at East Lake it Atlanta, which gave him the FedExCup. He almost won again in the Peach State six years ago when he closed with 65-66 at Sea Island only to finish solo second, one stroke behind winner Heath Slocum. This will be Haas' fourth appearance in the tournament, but he didn't play as well in his other two starts, tying for 22nd in 2015 and tying for 33rd last year. He missed out on his seventh victory on the circuit last year when he lost to Charl Schwartzel of South Africa on the first hole of a playoff in the Valspar Championship, but continues to play well. Haas tied for 20th in the Safeway Open and tied for fourth in the WGC-HSBC Champions in his only two starts of the new season.

5. Kevin Streelman, United States -- If not for a second-round hiccup when he shot 2-over-par 73 in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba, Streelman might have wound up with the third victory of his PGA Tour career last week. He had bookend 65s and also shot 64 in the third round on his way to finishing in a tie for fourth, four strokes behind champion Pat Perez. Streelman, whose victories came in the 2013 Tampa Bay Classic and the 2014 Travelers Championship, this week will make his third appearance in what is now the RSM Classic, having finished in a tie for sixth in 2011, when he missed posting four rounds in the 60s by shooting 70 in the second round. Last year at Sea Island, Streelman shot 69-74 -- 143 to miss the cut by two strokes, and that turned out to be a theme in his disappointing season, as he missed the weekend 11 times in 26 starts.

6. Kevin Kisner, United States -- The defending champion of the RSM Classic, Kisner was in the midst of an early-season hot streak when he blitzed the Seaside Course at Sea Island Resort with scores of 65-67-64-64 to win by six strokes over Kevin Chappell. He finally broke through for his first victory after finishing second four times in 2015 -- in the RBC Heritage, the Players Championship, the Greenbrier Classic and the WGC-HSBC Champions two weeks earlier. Kisner kept his surge going when he finished ninth in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and the Sony Open in Hawaii, both in January. Even though he had only two other top-10 finishes the rest of the season, the early surge carried him all the way through the season and he qualified for the Tour Championship for the second straight year. Kisner was a popular winner at Sea Island, since he played college golf at Georgia, and he also tied for fourth in the tournament in 2014.

7. Billy Horschel, Unites States -- Still trying to find the game that took him to victories in the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to capture the FedExCup in 2014, Horschel is making his third start of the new season but all he's been able to manage were a tie for 41st in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Classic and a missed cut in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba. He opened with a promising 64 at TPC Summerlin in Las Vegas, but has not broken 70 in any of his last five rounds. He did have a strong run in August and September, when he tied for fifth in the Wyndham Championship, tied for 13th in the Barclays and tied for 10th in the BMW Championship. Horschel is making his third start in what started out as the McGladrey Classic, finishing in a tie for 20th in 2011 and a tie for 43rd the following year.
8. Zach Johnson, United States -- The 2007 Masters and 2015 Open champion is another player who lives near Sea Island Resort, but he has not found the Seaside Course to his liking in six appearances. His best result was a tie for 12th in 2010, and he also tied for 16th in 2014, as he opened with a 70 and then recorded three straight rounds in the 60s both times. Zach missed the 36-hole cut in 2011 and 2015, and last year missed the 54-hole cut after carding three straight 70s. Johnson, who helped the United State regain the Ryder Cup in October with a 2-1 record, is playing for the first time in the new season. His best golf in 2015-16 came on four consecutive weeks during the summer when he tied for 17th in the Dean & DeLuca Invitational, tied for eighth in the U.S. Open, tied for 10th in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and tied for 12th in his title defense at the Open Championship.

9. Anirban Lahiri, India -- Starting what will be his second full season on the PGA Tour, Lahiri has shown he can compete on the best tour in the world in his first two starts of the new season. He took the lead into the final round of the CIMB Classic in Malaysia after starting 66-66-65, but could not hang on and his closing 72 left him in a tie for third, four strokes behind winner Justin Thomas. Last week, Lahiri was in position for another top-10 result after again starting with three scores in the 60s, but another closing 72 dropped him 14 spots down the leaderboard to a tie for 28th. With 18 victories in Asia, he has shown he knows how to win, but probably his best performance was a tie for fifth in the 2015 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits. Lahiri will be playing for the first time this week in the RSM Classic.

10. Davis Love III, United States -- The tournament host of the RSM Classic is making his second start of the 2016-17 season after having hip surgery in July and then captaining the United States to victory in the Ryder Cup in October. He tied for 41st in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open two weeks ago, but is only 15 months removed from becoming the third-oldest winner in PGA Tour history when he captured the Wyndham Championship at the age of 51. Love is making his seventh start on his home course at Sea Island Resort, and he was tied for the lead with his old pal Jim Furyk in 2012 after starting 65-66-66, but closed with a 71 and wound up in a tie for fourth, four strokes behind champion Tommy Gainey. Love, who recently was elected to the World Golf Hall of Fame, finished 69-66 last year to equal his second-best result in the tournament, a tie for 33rd in 2010.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NHL roundup: Caps pummel Pens
By The Sports Xchange

WASHINGTON -- Nicklas Backstrom had two goals and three assists, T.J. Oshie added two goals and two assists, and the Washington Capitals routed the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1 Wednesday night at Verizon Center.
Braden Holtby made 25 saves and Justin Williams, Dmitry Orlov and Alex Ovechkin also scored for Washington (10-4-2), which had lost three of its last four.
Oshie has five goals in his last seven games and the four points tied his career high. With his eighth goal of the season to close out the scoring, Ovechkin picked up his first point in five games.
Pittsburgh averted the shutout when Phil Kessel scored with 3:32 left.
Penguins starting goalie Matthew Murray stopped 12 of 14 shots before leaving the game late in the first period after getting hit in the face with a stick. Marc-Andre Fleury relieved Murray and made 20 saves.
Murray had won 11 straight regular season games going back to last season.

Flames 2, Coyotes 1
CALGARY, Alberta -- Michael Frolik scored 49 seconds into overtime to lead Calgary over Arizona at the Scotiabank Saddledome.
Frolik snapped a perfect shot to the top corner behind Coyotes goalie Mike Smith, helping the Flames to their second win in as many nights.
Matthew Tkachuk also scored for the Flames, who trailed 1-0 after two periods.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Sharks (9-7) at Blues (8-6)

Date: November 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS -- The St. Louis Blues know one of the biggest things missing in their games so far this season has been the ugly goals, the rebounds and deflections that come from putting a lot of traffic in front of the net.

They finally were able to score some of those goals in a 4-1 win over Buffalo on Tuesday, and they hope they can do it again on Thursday night when they host the San Jose Sharks.

It will be the first contest between the two teams since the Sharks eliminated the Blues in six games in the Western Conference final in May.

"That's always the goal," left winger Jaden Schwartz said of scoring ugly goals. "I think we needed to be better with the puck everywhere, especially through the neutral zone and tighten up defensively a little bit and check for our chances a little more. I thought we did a good job, I thought we created a lot of turnovers on the forecheck that allowed us to get a lot of O-zone time."

Neither right winger Alexander Steen nor right winger Vladimir Tarasenko participated in the Blues' practice on Wednesday. Steen had to leave Tuesday night's game after a hard check into the boards, and Tarasenko also was banged up in the contest.

Coach Ken Hitchcock called it a "maintenance" day for both players.

"Hopefully we'll have both of them in the lineup fresh and ready to go," Hitchcock said. "(Tarasenko) needed a maintenance day. Both guys needed it. We decided to switch it up and have a full practice today and it wouldn't have done them any good so, we'll get them ready for tomorrow. Both guys."

The Sharks suffered a 1-0 loss at Carolina on Tuesday night, with coach Peter DeBoer saying the team did not generate enough scoring chances.

"You have to put pucks in good places and then you have to win battles, and we didn't do enough of either," DeBoer said.

DeBoer tried to shake up his forward lines in the third period and it is possible they could go with different combinations against the Blues.

"I don't think anyone up front was generating much," center Logan Couture told the San Jose Mercury-News. "When that's the case, coach usually tries to get a spark somehow and he certainly has the right to do that."

The Blues have made a lot of changes since they lost played the Sharks, with captain David Backes signing with Boston as a free agent, Troy Brouwer joining Calgary and Brian Elliott shuffled to the Flames, but the players who remain will be motivated for the game.

"They're still one of the teams we have to worry about in this conference," defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk said. "They didn't lose many guys from last year and have a very solid forward group. I'm sure there's going to be a little bit of a bad taste in our mouth from last year."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Curry, KD lift Warriors past Raptors
By The Sports Xchange

TORONTO -- Stephen Curry scored 35 points, including 14 in the third quarter, and added seven assists as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Toronto Raptors 127-121 Wednesday for their fifth win in a row.
The Warriors led by 18 points in the fourth quarter before the Raptors chipped away to reduce the lead to six with a minute to play.
Kevin Durant had 30 points, nine rebounds and six assists for the Warriors, who gave the Raptors their second straight loss.
DeMar DeRozan led the Raptors with 34 points, the ninth time in 11 games that he scored at least 30.

Thunder 105, Rockets 103
OKLAHOMA CITY -- Russell Westbrook scored 30 points to lead Oklahoma City past Houston.
Westbrook shot 9 of 20 from the field to go with nine assists and seven rebounds. Thunder guard Victor Oladipo posted 29 points and 10 rebounds. No other player from Oklahoma City scored in double figures as the Thunder broke a four-game losing streak.
The Rockets had seven players score at least 10 points. Ryan Anderson led the charge with 14 points. James Harden added 13 points and 13 assists. Eric Gordon and Clint Capela also scored 13 points in the loss.

Pacers 103, Cavaliers 93
INDIANAPOLIS -- Paul George had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Jeff Teague added 20 as Indiana defeated short-handed Cleveland.
The Cavaliers played without LeBron James, who was resting, and J.R. Smith, who has a right ankle sprain.
Cleveland got 27 points from Kevin Love and 24 from Kyrie Irving, but it lacked a third option to keep pace with the Pacers, who placed five in double figures.

Knicks 102, Pistons 102
NEW YORK -- Kristaps Porzingis scored a career-high 35 points as New York held on to beat Detroit.
Porzingis had his eighth career game with at least 25 points. He shot 13 of 22 from the floor, tying a career high for field goals made.
Carmelo Anthony added 22 for the Knicks, who have won three of their last five games. Joakim Noah bounced back from not playing the second half Monday with an active performance of 15 rebounds while Derrick Rose contributed 16 points.

Magic 89, Pelicans 82
ORLANDO, Fla. -- Serge Ibaka and Evan Fournier each scored 16 points to lead Orlando over New Orleans.
The Pelicans struggled to find any rhythm without leading scorer and rebounder Anthony Davis, who missed the game with a strained quad muscle.
Terrence Jones, who started in place of Davis, led the Pelicans with 26 points. Langston Galloway had 15 points and guard E'Twaun Moore scored 14.

76ers 109, Wizards 102
PHILADELPHIA -- Jahlil Okafor scored a season-high 19 points and reserve Richaun Holmes made a critical 3-pointer in the closing minutes as Philadelphia beat Washington.
The Sixers rested rookie center Joel Embiid, their leading scorer and rebounder, who missed the last two seasons following a pair of foot surgeries. Philadelphia still shot 54.5 percent from the floor and recorded 30 assists, both season highs.
Ersan Ilyasova, making his first start in eight games with the Sixers, added 16 points. Nik Stauskas contributed 15, and Dario Saric had 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Celtics 90, Mavericks 83
BOSTON -- Isaiah Thomas, taking advantage of injuries to Dallas backcourt, put on a one-man show down the stretch to spark Boston to the win.
With Deron Williams, J.J. Barea and Devin Harris out with injuries by game's end, Thomas, who had been quiet most of the night, exploded for 20 points and a dynamic assist in the final 6:01.
Thomas, who hasn't scored fewer than 23 points in a game this season, was 3-for-13 from the floor through three quarters and then erupted, finishing with 30 points (22 in the fourth quarter), six assists and four rebounds.

Hawks 107, Bucks 100
ATLANTA -- Atlanta was without Dwight Howard, as well as veteran reserve Thabo Sefolosha, and it didn't matter.
The Atlanta second unit sparked a 19-0 run over the first six minutes of the second quarter and the Hawks, up by 24 points shortly after halftime, held on to run their winning streak to six games.
Paul Millsap scored 21, including the clinching basket with 22.8 seconds left, to lead six Hawks double-figure scorers and also had eight rebounds.

Nuggets 120, Suns 104
DENVER -- Wilson Chandler posted season highs of 28 points and 11 rebounds, and Denver beat Phoenix for its first home victory.
Kenneth Faried also had season highs in points (20) and rebounds (15) for Denver. The Nuggets had lost their first three games at home and four straight overall before Wednesday. They started fast against the Suns and never relinquished the lead.
Brandon Knight came off the bench to lead Phoenix with a season-high 32 points, and Devin Booker scored 24 before picking up his second technical in the final minute.

Grizzlies 111, Clippers 107
LOS ANGELES -- Mike Conley had 30 points and eight assists, leading Memphis to a victory that snapped Los Angeles' seven-game winning streak end.
Marc Gasol added 26 points, including the go-ahead bucket, for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph came off the bench to score 18 points.
J.J. Redick scored 29 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, for the Clippers, who gave up 100 points for the first time at home. Blake Griffin had 25 points and eight rebounds, while Jamal Crawford chipped in 15 points.

Spurs 110, Kings 105
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Pau Gasol scored 24 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 21, and San Antonio stayed perfect on the road with a victory over Sacramento.
The Spurs led by as much as 107-89 in the second half in rolling to their sixth consecutive road victory. San Antonio didn't lead by fewer than 10 points until Sacramento made a futile 16-3 run over the game's final three minutes.
Kawhi Leonard finished with 20 points, and Tony Parker scored 14 points with seven assists for the Spurs. DeMarcus Cousins led the Kings with 17 rebounds and six assists.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA betting road map: Extremely rough week ahead for the Raptors
By BIG AL MCMORDIE

Al McMordie is back with the latest edition of his weekly betting roadmap series, to take a look at the betting landscape in the upcoming week in the NBA.

So far, this season, there hasn't been much difference between home and road teams (home teams are 76-74-2 ATS), or favorites and underdogs (favorites are 79-71-2 ATS) - but 'overs' are significantly outpacing 'unders' (162-140). And another trend to keep an eye on is that teams playing with same-season revenge are 13-5 ATS, including 11-1 ATS off a loss.

Spread Watch

We are three weeks into the NBA season, and many would not have guessed before the season that the two best teams - at least from the metrics - would be the Los Angeles Clippers and Atlanta Hawks. But that's exactly what's happened.

The Clippers are 10-1 straight-up and 9-2 ATS, while the Hawks are 7-2, both straight-up and ATS. And they're the only two teams with a Net (Efficiency) Rating and a Margin of Victory over 10.0. This week, both teams have relatively soft schedules. Atlanta will play road games at Miami (Tuesday), Charlotte (Friday) and New York (Sunday), wrapped around a home game on Wednesday vs. Milwaukee. The Clippers, meanwhile, will host Memphis (Wednesday) and Chicago (Saturday), sandwiched around a road trip on Friday to the spanking-new Golden 1 Center to play Sacramento.

Of these games, I really want to fade Atlanta as a big road favorite, on Tuesday, in Miami. The Hawks are riding a 4-game SU/ATS win streak, including a 117-96 blowout of Philly in their last game. Unfortunately for Atlanta, teams that are off back-to-back wins have covered just 12 of their last 54 games, if they scored 117+ points in their last game, and their opponent is off a straight-up loss. Take Miami on Tuesday.

Total Watch

The Phoenix Suns are playing at the fastest Pace Factor in the NBA, as they are averaging 102.7 possessions per game. Not surprisingly, the Suns have gone 'over' the total in nine of 11 contests, including their last nine in a row. And their last game - a 133-120 loss at Golden State - was their highest-scoring game (253 points) of the season yet, and it went 'over' the total by a whopping 27 points.

This week, the Suns will play road games against three other teams ranked high in Pace Factor. On Wednesday, Phoenix will travel to Denver (6th in Pace), before playing Indiana (9th in Pace) on Friday, and Philly (11th in Pace) on Saturday. That game vs. Philly has all the earmarks of a high-scoring contest. Both meetings last season between the 76ers and Suns went 'over' the total, and the 76ers have played six of their last eight 'over' as well.

Injury Watch

The Minnesota Timberwolves' starting point guard, Ricky Rubio, returned from injury on Saturday to play 24 minutes against the Clippers (and then 34 minutes the next night vs. the Lakers). Rubio, who was out five games with a sprained right elbow, reached double-digits in points and assists, and added three steals in Sunday's 125-99 win, and that's great news for the young T-Wolves, who were 2-3 in his absence.

Currently, Minnesota is 3-6, and two games behind the Lakers, who occupy the eighth (and final) playoff spot in the Western Conference. But if their 26-point win over the Lakers is any indication, then we could be looking at a playoff team come April, if its players can stay healthy. Certainly, Andrew Wiggins is playing at an All-Star level. After scoring 47 points on Sunday, he's now averaging 26.3 ppg on 48% FG shooting, and has a 21.85 PER.

This week, Minnesota will host Charlotte and Philly, before traveling to Memphis for a Saturday night game. That game against Memphis should be a very good spot to step in and take Minnesota, as I feel they match-up well vs. Memphis. The two teams have already met twice this season. Minnesota coughed up a 20-3 lead, and lost 102-98 at Memphis in the season-opener for both squads. Then, six days later, the T-Wolves blew out the Grizzlies, 116-80, in a game Rubio did not play. Minnesota is 7-3 ATS its last 10 games vs. Memphis, and I would take the points with the T-Wolves in the upcoming match-up.

Schedule Watch

Sports handicappers have many tools in their arsenal, and one is the schedule. There are all sorts of factors at which to look. For example, teams often play each other with different amounts of rest. Or, perhaps, a team may be playing its third game in four nights, or fifth game in seven nights.

And, then, sometimes, it's important to consider a particular opponent which a team just played. On Friday, the Toronto Raptors will be at Denver and, on the surface, it looks like an awful spot for the Raptors. That's because it will be Toronto's third game in four nights, and it also will be coming into that game off back-to-back games vs. the league's two premier teams (Wednesday vs. the Golden State Warriors; Tuesday vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers).

Denver not only will be playing that game with revenge from a 105-102 loss to Toronto on Halloween, but the Nuggets are also 50-22 ATS at home since 1990 when well-rested, and playing a rested opponent on its third game in four nights. Denver is also 28-13 ATS its last 41 vs. the Raptors.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

StatFox Super Situations

NBA*|*PORTLAND*at*HOUSTON
Play Against - Home favorites (HOUSTON) good 3PT shooting team (>=36.5%) against an average 3PT shooting team (33-36.5%), average rebounding team (+/-3 reb/game) against a horrible rebounding team (<=-5.5 reb/game)
46-18*since 1997.**(*71.9%*|*26.2 units*)

NBA*|*PHILADELPHIA*at*MINNESOTA
Play On - Any team vs the money line (MINNESOTA) after going over the total by more than 6 points in four consecutive games, in non-conference games
118-91*since 1997.**(*56.5%*|*52.5 units*)
1-1*this year.**(*50.0%*|*0.7 units*)

NBA*|*PORTLAND*at*HOUSTON
Play Over - All teams where the first half total is greater than 105 after beating the spread by 18 or more points total in their last three games against opponent after being beaten by the spread by 54 or more points total in their last ten games
38-14*since 1997.**(*73.1%*|*22.6 units*)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Western Michigan Broncos (1-1) at Villanova Wildcats (2-0)

Date: November 17, 2016 11:30 AM EDT

The No. 3-ranked and defending national champion Villanova Wildcats look to stay undefeated when they open play in the Gildan Charleston Classic beginning Thursday.

Villanova -- which opened the season with a 40-point home win against Lafayette and a clutch three-point road win at No. 15 Purdue on Monday - will face Western Michigan at 11:30 a.m. ET (ESPN2). The winner of that game will advance to Friday's semifinal round against either UTEP or Wake Forest.

Preseason All-America candidate Josh Hart paced the Wildcats with 24 points in the win against the Boilermakers. Hart has scored 37 points in the two victories.

Like last season, the Wildcats are receiving contributions up and down the roster anchored by Hart. In addition, guard Jalen Brunson (13.5 points per game), Kris Jenkins (12 ppg), and Mikal Bridges (11.5 ppg) have all been solid. Bridges and Darryl Reynolds have combined to pull down 27 rebounds.

"It's November -- we've got to get a lot better," Villanova head coach Jay Wright said after the win at Purdue. "We really had trouble stopping them on the interior. You just can't simulate that kind of size and skill in practice."

Bridges has really stepped forward as a key sixth man thus far.

"Kris and Josh did it. Kyle Lowry did it," Wright said. "We have had a lot of guys in that position. They have had a lot of success. Mikal has watched it all even before he came here and he's really smart. As soon as I told him that he's playing starter minutes, he gets it. He's really humble. I need to look at minutes, but he's going to be in the game a lot. When the game is on the line, as well."

Western Michigan will enter this tournament with a 1-1 record. It recorded a 90-74 win over Marygrove College and then most recently fell 77-60 at Oakland Monday night.

Guard-forward Tucker Haymond scored 20 points against Marygrove and added 12 more against Oakland.

"They were getting rebounds and getting out on fast breaks off of our missed shots and they got some really good looks on those fast breaks," Western Michigan head coach Steve Hawkins said after the loss at Oakland. "We are going to have some bumps and bruises along with the way with the team that we have this season, but it's the response those that I am really looking at."

Next up is a matchup against the No. 3 team in the country.

"We're going to look towards the next possession and get ready to take on Villanova, the national champions, on Thursday," Hawkins said.

Western Michigan 7-foot sophomore center Seth Dugan swept a career-best 15 rebounds against Oakland. Junior Thomas Wilder led the way with 13 points while freshman Brandon Johnson contributed 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting.

The Broncos were picked to finish fifth in the West Division in the preseason voting. The poll was put together by the league's 12 head coaches and a 24-member Mid-American Conference panel.

Western Michigan finished 13-19 last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Xavier Musketeers (2-0) at Missouri Tigers (1-0)

Date: November 17, 2016 1:00 PM EDT

CINCINNATI -- Xavier coach Chris Mack saw quite a bit of growth from his team in just two days between a narrow season-opening win over Lehigh to a more decisive 33-point victory over Buffalo on Monday.

"It's November 14, so we have a lot of room for growth," Mack said. "It was by far the best (performance) for our newcomers, which is a really good sign."

On Thursday, the 11th-ranked Musketeers begin play in the Tire Pros Invitational at HP Fieldhouse in Orlando, Fla., the site of one of last season's signature moments when they captured the Advocare Invitational with victories over Alabama, USC and Dayton.

Xavier (2-0) will face the Missouri Tigers (1-0), a team they have beaten three straight times. The Musketeers topped Mizzou 78-66 last year at Cintas Center in Cincinnati.

"We haven't really talked about the competition we're going to face in Orlando," Xavier senior forward Rashid Gaston said. "We're going to play some pretty good teams."

Joining the Musketeers and Tigers in Orlando are Oklahoma, Tulane, Northern Iowa, Arizona State, Clemson and Davidson.

Like Xavier, Missouri showed significant improvement in recent days.

After a seven-point win over Central Missouri in an exhibition game, the Tigers were impressive in routing Alabama A&M 99-44 Sunday in their home opener.

"We weren't very good eight days ago (against Central Missouri)," Tigers coach Kim Anderson told the Kansas City Star. "and we knew we weren't very good."

Frankie Hughes scored 23 points against Alabama A&M, tying a school record for points scored in a freshman debut. Missouri is a young team, with three sophomores and two freshmen among the starters.

The Tigers will look to extend Xavier's perimeter defense on Thursday. After shooting 31 percent from 3-point range last season, Mizzou drained 8 of 16 attempts from beyond the arc on Sunday.

"We need outside shooting, because that was a struggle for us last year, obviously," Anderson said.

Defense is where Xavier is looking to make its biggest strides. After allowing 81 points to Lehigh, the Musketeers held Buffalo to just 53 on Monday, limiting the Bulls to 31 percent shooting and forcing 21 turnovers.

"Some of the things we emphasized (in practice) -- taking care of the ball, playing a little bit longer into the shot clock, defensive intensity, crowding the floor a little bit more, I think we took a step forward," Mack said.

The Musketeers continue to deal with depth issues. Senior guard Myles Davis is still suspended due to an incident involving his ex-girlfriend's property, and sophomore forward Kaiser Gates is working his way back from a knee injury. On Monday, Xavier had four players in double figures, led by Trevon Bluiett with 18 points.

Xavier and Missouri have only played six times previously, but there is plenty of history between the two programs.

One of the most significant victories in Xavier's program history came against the Tigers in the first round of the 1987 NCAA Tournament. The 70-69 upset win was the first-ever NCAA Tournament victory for the Musketeers. Byron Larkin, now the color analyst on Xavier's radio broadcasts, scored 29 points in that game to lead all scorers.

Missouri hasn't beaten the Musketeers since 2001, a 72-60 victory in the Wooden Tradition Classic in Indianapolis.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Eastern Washington Eagles (1-1) at Texas Longhorns (2-0)

Date: November 17, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

Competition for playing time and a meaningful spot in the Texas rotation will be up for grabs on Thursday when the 23rd-ranked Longhorns host Eastern Washington at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Tex.

The contest is the second game of the regional round of the Legends Classic.

Texas' first two games have featured a balanced attack as six Longhorns are averaging double figures in scoring. During Monday's win over Louisiana-Monroe, seven Texas players recorded at least seven points. No Longhorns player saw more than 24 minutes of action against Louisiana-Monroe and nine Texas players were on the court for at least 17 minutes in the easy 80-59 victory.

"On this team we do have some interchangeable parts," Texas coach Shaka Smart said after the win Monday night. "We have some length and athleticism. There are a variety of guys who are playing better on the break. We're running the floor and pushing the ball. Our guys made pretty good decisions tonight."

After missing the season opener because of a suspension for a violation of team rules in the offseason, Texas sophomore guard/forward Tevin Mack and sophomore guard Kerwin Roach Jr. had solid performances against Louisiana-Monroe.

Mack posted a team-high 14 points (including 4 for 6 on his 3-point shots) in 23 minutes, while Roach added 11 points, four rebounds and two assists without a turnover in 22 minutes for Texas (2-0).

Freshman guard Andrew Jones reached double figures in scoring (12 points) for the second straight game to start his collegiate career.

"Coach Smart is still teaching me as I go and I'm emerging as a point guard," Jones said. "And this game is only a step for me and learning how to run this team at a young age and still be able to lead and get my players in the position to score."

Senior guard Kendal Yancy leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game and steals (five) and is tied for the team lead in minutes (30.0 mpg) through the first two contests. He has converted 52.6 percent (10 of 19) from the floor and 81.8 percent (9 of 11) from the free throw line.

Texas freshman forward Jarrett Allen was named to the John R. Wooden Award watch list on Tuesday. He previously was named to the watch lists for the Naismith Trophy Men's 50 preseason and for the 2017 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Center of the Year Award.

Through his first two collegiate contests, Allen is tied for the team lead in rebounding (7.5 rpg) and ranks third on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) while hitting 11 of 16 field goals (.688) and adding four blocked shots in 30 minutes per game.

Eastern Washington (1-1) heads to Austin off an 86-72 loss at Northwestern on Monday. The Eagles were within six points on four occasions in the defeat, two of those instances midway through the second half, but then went four minutes without a field goal.

Junior forward Bogdan Bliznyuk scored 25 points for Eastern Washington in the loss while senior forward Jacob Wiley finished with 19 before fouling out, scoring 14 of his points in the second half.

"There are a lot of pieces there for us, but Northwestern's balance was too much to overcome," Eastern Washington coach Jim Hayford said after Monday's loss. "We needed to either find a way to hold them to 10 less points, or we needed to find some more scoring to keep up with them. Right now we are trying to find strengths, roles and cohesion, and we are playing very quality opponents to help figure that out."

The Eagles opened the season with a 70-47 victory over Linfield on Nov. 11. They were picked to finish fifth in the Big Sky Conference's preseason poll.

"We're fighting up a weight class or two this week but it's only going to make us better," Hayford said. "We need to shake off the travel and figure out how we're going to play Texas. Every coach at this time of year is looking at what his team has, how it's playing and what they need to do to improve."

Thursday's contest marks the first meeting between the Longhorns and Eastern Washington.

Eight teams from across the nation are competing in the 10th annual Legends Classic. Texas, Notre Dame, Northwestern and Colorado are serving as regional hosts and those four squads automatically advance to the event's championship rounds on Nov. 21-22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Free NBA Picks: Thursday, Nov. 17, 2016, Opening Line Report and Handicapping
by Alan Matthews

Great news regarding the NBA owners and NBA Players' Association on the new collective bargaining agreement as we will avoid any potential lockout. Apparently the sides have agreed on all the major details of a new deal, and it could be announced within a couple of weeks. Either side can opt out of the current deal by Dec. 15, and if that happened we might be headed for labor trouble next summer. But the NBA is wading in cash with the new TV deals and a surge in popularity. So neither side wants to mess with that.

Really no major changes are expected that will affect a betting perspective. The preseason will be likely a week or two shorter going forward (games are being cut) and the regular season could start a bit earlier to help alleviate those back-to-backs and three-games-in-four-nights schedules for teams. There will also be two-way contracts allowed with the D-League like the NHL has with the AHL. What there won't be: a change to the college basketball one-and-done rule. NBA commissioner Adam Silver was hoping to make it two years, but he won't put up a fight over that. That's a blow to college hoops, but it's not the NBA's job to improve that product.

Knicks at Wizards (TBA)

Washington was at Philadelphia on Wednesday with Bradley Beal out. John Wall was going to play Wednesday but hasn't been doing back-to-backs yet this season. However, Coach Scott Brooks hinted that Wall might be ready to starting here. If Beal were to play Thursday, Brooks said he would definitely have a minutes restriction. New York hosted Detroit on Wednesday, and I don't think the Knicks have any back-to-back worries but you never know with Derrick Rose or Carmelo Anthony. Washington won two of three meetings last season with the Knicks, going 1-1 at home.

Key trends: The Knicks are 2-7-1 against the spread in the past 10 meetings. The "over/under" has gone over in 13 of Washington's past 18 in the second of a back-to-back.

Early lean: Wait and see on Wall and Beal.

Bucks at Heat (TBA)

Milwaukee was in Atlanta on Wednesday. Miami lost a sixth in a row Tuesday at home vs. Atlanta, 93-90. The Heat haven't scored in triple digits in that streak. Hassan Whiteside scored 19 points and grabbed an NBA season-high 25 rebounds for Miami. As expected, point guard Goran Dragic sat out again with his sprained ankle, and now it appears the Heat are going to be without second-year forward Justise Winslow a while as he has been dealing with a sprained wrist for weeks. Tuesday night's game was the first Winslow has missed this season. He is averaging 11.6 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 35.9 minutes per game. Milwaukee won the season series last year 2-1 vs. Miami and has won the past three meetings in South Florida.

Key trends: The Bucks are 6-1 ATS in the past seven meetings. The under is 5-1 in Miami's past six.

Early lean: Love the under here (!!) and Bucks regardless.

Trail Blazers at Rockets (-3.5, 221.5)

Houston visited Oklahoma City on Wednesday. Portland played probably its worst game of the season on Tuesday, losing 113-88 at home to Chicago. Damian Lillard, who made just two shots from the field in the first half, finished with 19 points. Forward Al-Farouq Aminu missed a third game in a row with a sore left calf and is expected to be re-evaluated next week. Portland and Houston split the 2015-16 season series, 2-2, with each team winning one game on the other team's home court. Portland has won a game in Houston in four of the past six seasons. Lillard averaged 24.5 points vs. the Rockets last year and James Harden 39.5 points vs. the Blazers, the highest scoring average by any player against Portland last season.

Key trends: The Blazers are 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The over is 10-3 in Houston's past 13 in the second of a back-to-back.

Early lean: Blazers and over.

76ers at Timberwolves (TBA)

If you go by last year's records, this might be the worst TNT Thursday night matchup in NBA history. But both of these clubs are loaded with promising young talent, although neither team is playing very well yet. Philadelphia hosted Washington on Wednesday, so that means it's likely Joel Embiid sits this one out. Minnesota lost 115-108 at home to Charlotte on Tuesday. The Wolves turned it over 18 times, leading to 20 Hornets points. Andrew Wiggins had 29 in a losing effort. The Sixers and Wolves split last year. Minnesota has won eight of the past 10 home meetings.

Key trends: The Sixers are 4-0 ATS in the past four meetings. The under is 6-0 in the previous six in Minnesota.

Early lean: Wolves and under regardless.

Bulls at Jazz (TBA)

The TNT nightcap. Chicago started its six-game Circus Trip with an impressive 25-point win in Portland on Tuesday, the Bulls' third win in a row. Jimmy Butler had 27 points and 12 rebounds. Rajon Rondo sat out with a left ankle sprain. Jerian Grant got the start for him and had 18 points. Utah has been off since a 102-96 home loss to Memphis on Monday. Rodney Hood (illness) and George Hill (thumb) did not play. Derrick Favors left in the fourth quarter with knee soreness, and that bothered him all preseason so he might be out a while. Boris Diaw returned from a right leg contusion after missing eight games. Chicago and Utah split last year, each winning at home. Gordon Hayward averaged 18.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists vs. the Bulls.

Key trends: The home team is 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings. The under is 5-1 in those.

Early lean: Wait on all those Jazz guys (not so much Rondo), but go under here no matter the number.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: San Diego Toreros (0-2) at UCLA Bruins (2-0)

Date: November 17, 2016 11:00 PM EDT

UCLA has talented freshmen, experienced returners and a veteran coach, but what might set the 16th-ranked Bruins apart this season is their versatility.

They went from making 18 3-pointers in a 119-80 win over Pacific in the opener last week to attacking the basket when perimeter shots weren't falling in a 102-87 victory over Cal State Northridge in their second game Sunday.

UCLA (2-0) hosts San Diego (0-2) at 11 p.m. ET Thursday night. The Toreros, who have lost to San Diego State and Samford, don't know how UCLA will attack them, but they know the Bruins will likely be potent.

When the Bruins struggled in the first half against Northridge, trailing 42-40 at halftime, UCLA coach Steve Alford urged his team to attack the basket more instead of settle for 3-point attempts. The tactic resulted in a 62-point second half in which the Bruins shot 58.8 percent and scored 30 points in the paint.

"At halftime, it's what coach was drilling us about, just being able to take the ball hard to the basket and being aggressive," said UCLA junior center Thomas Welsh, who had 10 points and 13 rebounds.

UCLA made 5 of 16 3-pointers and took just six shots from beyond the arc in the second half, a contrasting style to when it attempted 30 3-pointers and made the school-record 18 against Pacific.

Two different styles. Two games with more than 100 points.

UCLA's starting backcourt of Isaac Hamilton (22 points against Northridge) and Bryce Alford (15 of his 20 points in the second half) is an experienced complement to freshman standouts Lonzo Ball (13 points, eight rebounds and six assists) and T.J. Leaf (22 points and 15 rebounds against Pacific).

San Diego is coming off an 83-65 loss at home against Samford on Sunday. The Toreros gave UCLA a scare last year, losing 75-68 at Pauley Pavilion. They will be hard-pressed to make that kind of threat to the Bruins again.

The Toreros like to shoot the 3-pointer, like UCLA, but they made only 9 of 29 attempts against Samford. They tried seven fewer field goals within the arc, failing to solve Samford's 2-3 zone.

"We settled for way too many threes," said guard Olin Carter III, who led San Diego with 15 points.

San Diego coach Lamont Smith, in his second year as head coach at his alma mater, is taking responsibility for how the Toreros struggled to score against Samford.

"We just didn't execute," he said. "And that's on me. I didn't do a good enough (job) of communicating how we should attack their defense."

Rebounding is another concern for San Diego, which was beat on the glass 43-29 against Samford. UCLA beat Northridge on the boards 44-31 on Sunday.

San Diego point guard Nassir Barrino (14 points) was the only other Torero in double-figure scoring against Samford. He led the Toreros as well with seven rebounds.

UCLA had seven players in double figures against Northridge.

Two of the best players on San Diego's roster are sitting out this season after transferring. Isaiah Wright is a 6-foot-2 guard out of Utah and Isaiah Pineiro is a 6-6 wing from Portland State.

While San Diego is struggling to find itself, the greatest concern for Steve Alford is finding a definitive leader among his array of talent at UCLA.

"Some of the guys aren't fully there, fully following what we've got to do," said Alford, who expects Hamilton and his son Bryce Alford to eventually fill that leadership role. "I just need them to be more vocal, whether it's in their personality or not, because we're a fairly quiet team.

"We're great guys. We're just quiet. And I need somebody to rile them up a little bit."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Valparaiso Crusaders (3-0) at Oregon Ducks (1-1)

Date: November 17, 2016 9:00 PM EDT

Oregon earned its highest ranking ever in the Associated Press poll on Monday but then started to drop on Tuesday when the fourth-ranked Ducks fell to 1-1 with a 66-49 loss at Baylor.

The Ducks are back on the court at home Thursday night against Valparaiso, which went 30-7 last year, including a 73-67 loss at Oregon.

"Valpo won 30 games last year and I said they would do that before the season," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "I said they were going to win 30 and I hoped we were not one of them. And they are going to win 30 games again, and I hope we are not one of them."

Valparaiso is 3-0 after wins over Southern Utah, Trinity Christian and Coppin State, but Oregon will present a bigger challenge.

The Ducks are expected to once again be without all-conference forward Dillon Brooks, who had foot surgery in July. The Ducks are hopeful he can return next week when Oregon plays in the Maui Invitational.

"We did not have him in the summer or for preseason practices, so it is no excuse at all," Oregon junior forward Jordan Bell said. "When he comes back, he will help us."

Oregon had a lackluster start to the season. After a 91-77 win over Army, the Ducks lost by 17 at Baylor. Point guard Dylan Ennis scored 16 points as the Ducks shot just 32.8 percent against the Bears.

"We have a lot of work to do, and I've been really telling the guys that for the last two or three weeks," Altman said. "I liked our first couple weeks of practice and then we got stuck in gear. We had a hard time getting out of that, but I hope we can figure out a way to get it in another gear."

Oregon has a veteran team, with four returning starters, and Altman said he hopes they hear his message soon.

"That comes from leadership within the team," he said. "They have not been doing a good job listening to my warnings. I hope the guys talk about it, because it is their team. They are going to make a decision on the identity for their team. We give them some suggestions, but they are going to have to change the way they approach it."

Oregon has a difficult schedule. After Valparaiso, the Ducks head next week to the Maui Invitational, where they will open against Georgetown. The Ducks are one of three teams currently ranked in the eight-team field.

"This is as tough of a start to the schedule as we have had here," said Altman, who is beginning his seventh season at the school.

Senior forward Alec Peters is averaging 26.3 points per game for Valparaiso while senior guard Shane Hammink is scoring 18.7 per game for the Crusaders, who are averaging 82 points per game.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Long Beach State 49ers (1-2) at Louisville Cardinals (2-0)

Date: November 17, 2016 4:00 PM EDT

Louisville starts its four-game stint in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament on Thursday afternoon against Long Beach State (1-2) at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville, Ky.

The 12th-ranked Cardinals (2-0), will play Long Beach on Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. before flying to Paradise Island, Bahamas, for the rest of the three games in the tournament.

The Cardinals will play Old Dominion in the Bahamas on Nov. 23, either LSU or Wichita State on Nov. 24 and probably Michigan State on Nov. 25.

The Cardinals might have to play without star sophomore guard Donovan Mitchell, who came down with a fever on Wednesday.

"I wouldn't say he's doubtful, but he's not going to be 100 percent," coach Rick Pitino said.

Pitino said sophomore Deng Adel and freshman V.J. King are preparing to play together as interchangeable players at the 2 and 3 spots in Louisville's system.

"If Donovan's not capable of playing, we have to go with different people," Pitino said. "I don't know if we'd start that way because you don't want them to get in foul trouble and not have a backup (at small forward)."

Despite Mitchell's fever, Louisville is a heavy favorite vs. Long Beach as the 49ers are coming off back-to-back blowout losses at Wichita State (92-55) and at North Carolina (93-67).

"This game will help us get better," coach Dan Monson of Long Beach State said after the loss to North Carolina. "Hopefully Thursday (vs. Louisville) will, too."

Long Beach State's schedule has ranked in the top three nationally in each of the last four years, including leading the nation both in 2012-13 and last season.

The 49ers could be among the nation's leaders this season as well with early-season games vs. Wichita State, North Carolina, Louisville, UCLA, Washington, Florida Gulf Coast and Kansas.

Long Beach State, the favorite to win the Big West Conference in a preseason media vote, returns two preseason All-Big West players, 5-foot-8 junior guard Justin Bibbins and 6-7 junior forward Gabe Levin.

The 49ers added 6-1 junior guard Evan Payne, a transfer from Loyola Marymount who averaged 18.0 points per game as a sophomore for the Lions.

So far, not so good for that new 49er lineup.

Long Beach State is shooting only 21.2 percent so far this season from three-point range and getting out-scored by an average of 9.0 points per game.

Louisville, on the other hand, has an average margin of victory of 32 points and is shooting 46.7 percent from the field while out-rebounding its first two opponents by 15.0 rebounds per game.

The Cardinals and 49ers have played twice before, with Louisville winning both meetings, 79-66 on Nov. 28, 2011, and 63-48 on Dec. 30, 2014.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

ACC Report - Week 12
By Joe Williams

2016 ACC STANDINGS
Team SU Conference ATS Over/Under
Boston College 4-6 1-6 3-6-1 4-6
Clemson 9-1 6-1 5-5 4-6
Duke 4-6 1-5 7-3 2-8
Florida State 7-3 4-3 5-4 5-4
Georgia Tech 6-4 3-4 4-4-1 5-3-1
Louisville 9-1 7-1 5-4-1 7-3
Miami (Fla.) 6-4 3-3 6-4 5-5
North Carolina 7-3 5-2 6-4 4-6
North Carolina State 5-5 2-4 7-3 4-5-1
Pittsburgh 6-4 3-3 4-6 9-1
Syracuse 4-6 2-4 4-6 2-8
Virginia 2-8 1-5 4-5-1 3-6-1
Virginia Tech 7-3 5-2 4-6 5-5
Wake Forest 6-4 3-3 6-4 4-6


Louisville at Houston (Thurs. - ESPN, 8:00 p.m. ET)
Louisville, newly ranked No. 6 in the College Football Playoff rankings, steps out of conference to face Houston. Remember earlier in the season many figured this would be a huge game for Louisville, as Houston was expected to be ranked and perhaps unbeaten by this point? Well, Houston failed to live up to their end of the bargain with losses at Navy and at SMU. The Cougars have failed to cover in five straight entering this contest, and this game could get away from them if they play like they did in their past two wins against UCF and Tulane. Louisville might have been caught looking ahead last week against Wake Forest, as they looked very sluggish until the fourth quarter when they came alive and outscored Wake 34-0 to win 44-12. But the score is certainly not indicative of how close the game was for about 45-50 minutes. Louisville is 1-2-1 ATS in their past four road outings, and 2-4 ATS in their past six games overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Louisville at Houston
By Joe Nelson

Early in the season many thought this late season non-conference matchup between Houston and Louisville would have huge national implications.

Louisville fell short against Clemson to sit outside of the ACC’s championship picture and Houston’s season has unraveled after grabbing headlines in the first month of the season.

Both teams still have a lot at stake in this intriguing Thursday night ESPN battle to kick off a big college football weekend.

Matchup: Louisville Cardinals at Houston Cougars
Venue: TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, Nov. 17, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Louisville -14, Over/Under 68
Last Meeting: 2015, Houston (+13½) 34, at Louisville 31

Coming off a 13-1 campaign with an AAC championship and a Peach Bowl win over Florida State expectations were very high for a Houston squad that was almost universally projected to be the top ‘Group of 5’ squad nationally looking for a Cotton Bowl spot and they were considered an outside threat at even making the College Football Playoff. The Cougars lived up to that billing early in the season with a big win over Oklahoma in the opening weekend and then won at Cincinnati in primetime to open the conference season in what looked like one of the most important games of the AAC season.

With a 5-0 start Houston was already ranked #6 in the AP Poll and it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the Cougars would run away with the AAC title meaning this November non-conference game with Louisville would determine whether or not Houston could potentially get the call to an even bigger stage in the bowl season.

The Cougars were stunned with a turnover-filled performance at Navy in early October with a 46-40 result and in an instant almost all of the season goals went up in smoke as Navy was now the team to beat in the AAC West. Houston would go on to lose again at SMU with a shocking 38-16 result to effectively end any hopes of winning the division title. At 8-2 the Cougars are still having a fine season but two difficult games remain with this non-conference test vs. Louisville and next week’s finale at Memphis.

Senior quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. opened the season as a potential Heisman Trophy sleeper and his great game vs. Oklahoma made that look like a serious possibility. He missed the game with Lamar with a shoulder injury and that injury was aggravated in last week’s win over Tulane for Houston’s homecoming. Ward has been cleared to play this week but his back-up Kyle Postma was also injured last week and has been ruled out for the season as freshman D’Eriq King will be next in line if Ward has any setbacks.

The other big storyline for Houston is head coach Tom Herman, who early in the season was universally acclaimed as the top major conference head coaching candidate with last season’s success in his first season in Houston and the great start to this season. Herman certainly feels like a long shot to be back with the Cougars next season and rumors of taking over at Texas this off-season seem to have some traction. That has possibly been a distraction for the team in what has been a disappointing run in the middle of the season with the Cougars riding a 0-5 ATS run in the last five games.

Houston is 5-0 S/U at home this season not counting the opener vs. Oklahoma that was played in Houston but at NRG Stadium. The Cougars went 8-0 S/U at home last season but that run will be put to a major test Thursday night. Last season Houston faced Louisville in the second week of the season and got the upset posting 462 yards with great balance and taking advantage of four Louisville turnovers while also getting a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter. That game also came off a very tough opening loss for the Cardinals who played tight with then #6 ranked Auburn with Louisville also looking at a huge ACC opener with Clemson coming up the following Thursday night as the scheduling situation may have helped spark the upset in what clearly was a huge game for Houston.

This season Louisville opened ranked #19 in the preseason AP poll but was considered to be a clear step behind Florida State and Clemson in the ACC Atlantic picture. The Cardinals scored 132 point in the first two games of the season vs. marginal competition and then made a loud statement in the ACC opener crushing then #2 ranked Florida State 63-20. That win propelled the Cardinals to #3 in the AP Poll and Lamar Jackson jumped onto the Heisman Trophy shortlist.

Louisville used three different quarterbacks last season and through some ups-and-downs Jackson emerged as the best option, providing a great threat on the ground to offset inconsistent results in the air. After starting last season 0-3 Louisville wound up 8-5 closing the season with a Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M. Few saw the huge 2016 season from Jackson coming as he was once a 100/1 candidate and now 1/50 is a common price in what is likely to be one of the least surprising Heisman votes in several years. Jackson has rushed for over 1,300 yards with 19 touchdowns while throwing for 27 more though he is completing just 58 percent of his passes and has had some inconsistent stretches.

Louisville’s schedule has been very weak overall and as such the 9-1 Cardinals find themselves on the outside looking in for the current College Football Playoff rankings that were released Tuesday night. Many projected Louisville would move into the top four after all the upsets last week but Louisville is sitting at #5 and the Clemson team that handed the Cardinals their only loss is ahead of them. The Clemson/Louisville game was one of the best games of the season that could have gone either way but Clemson ultimately won that game and they will get to play in the ACC Championship unless they lose to Wake Forest this week.

Louisville can assume Alabama will stay in the top four and the Big Ten will sort itself out with one candidate emerging as moving into the top four is still a realistic possibility even though two teams making the field from the same division will be a new precedent in the short history of the playoff. The Cardinals would be at risk to potentially be passed in the final rankings if a clear Big XII or Pac-12 champion emerges and the Big Ten has some scenarios where two teams would be considered as well. This game with Houston will be the last opportunity for Louisville to make its case to the committee as next week’s game with Kentucky won’t carry as much weight and Louisville will most likely be idle on championship weekend while other candidates will have an opportunity to make a case.

For both Houston and Louisville this game carries a great deal of importance and this is certainly one of the more intriguing Thursday night college football games of the season. While Houston has much less at stake than they hoped, Herman and the Cougars have proven themselves in big games the past two seasons and Houston has an elite run defense that has allowed just 93 yards per game on 2.8 yards per carry to counter the impressive rushing attack for the Cardinals. As dominant has Louisville’s season numbers are they have had several close calls this season with narrow escapes vs. Duke and Virginia in ACC play and they even trailed last week in the 4th quarter despite pulling away for a 44-12 final vs. Wake Forest.

Historical Trends:

-- Louisville is 7-5 S/U but 5-7 ATS in this series going back to 1984, failing to cover in both recent meetings with a 20-13 home win in 2013 and a 34-31 home loss early last season.

-- Louisville is just 15-29-1 ATS as a double-digit favorite going back to 2007 including going 4-8-1 ATS on the road, though 2-1-1 in four instances this season.

-- Houston is 14-1 ATS as an underdog going back to November of 2012 posting eight S/U upsets in that span including going 5-0 S/U and ATS as an underdog since winning the Armed Forces Bowl after the 2014 season.

-- This line is poised to be the highest underdog spread for Houston since the 2013 meeting at Louisville and the biggest home underdog spread since hosting Louisville in 2004.

-- Houston has won S/U in 14 consecutive home games though they are just 5-9 ATS in that run though often playing as a heavy favorite.

-- Louisville is on a 25-15-2 ATS run in road games though going just 3-5-1 ATS in the last nine instances and covering in just one of the past four road games this season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Louisville Cardinals (9-1) at Houston Cougars (8-2)
By Brett Nault
Thursday, November 17, 2016 at 8:00 pm (TDECU Stadium)
The Line: Louisville Cardinals -14 - Over/Under:
TV: ESPN

The 6th ranked Louisville Cardinals will travel to TDECU Stadium to take on the Houston Cougars this Thursday night in College Football action.

The 6th ranked Louisville Cardinals won their 5th straight game and improved to 9-1 (7-1 AAC) on the season after defeating the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, 44-12, this past Saturday. Louisville was down by a 12-3 margin at halftime however, scored 34 points in the 4th quarter to help pull away from Wake Forest. Louisville outgained Wake Forest by a 491-214 margin and rushed from an incredible 346 yards. Leading the way for the Cardinals was RB Brandon Radcliff who had 3 TD’s and 141 rushing yards on 11 carries. On the season, Louisville is averaging 49.6 ppg on 583.2 yards per game (313.2 passing, 270.0 rushing). Offensively, Louisville is led by Heisman Trophy favorite, Lamar Jackson who has accounted for a remarkable 46 TD’s (27 passing; 19 rushing). Jackson is averaging 289.8 passing yds/g and is the Cardinals leading rushing at 133.4 rushing yds/g. RB Brandon Radcliff (10.7 att/g, 76.8 yds/g, 6 TD) and RB Jeremy Smith (4.4 att/g, 30.8 yds/g, 7 TD) have been major contributors in the Cardinals backfield. James Quick (3.6 rec/g, 60.8 yds/g, 6 TD), Jamari Staples (3.4 rec/g, 52.6 yds/g, 2 TD), Cole Hikutini (3.8 rec/g, 52.6 yds/g, 6 TD), and Jaylen Smith (2.2 rec/g, 48.7 yds/g, 6 TD) are the leading receivers for Louisville. Defensively, Louisville is holding their opponents to an average of 21.3 ppg on 303.3 total yards per game (210.5 passing, 92.8 rushing).

The Houston Cougars won their 2nd straight game and improved to 8-2 (5-2 AAC) on the season after defeating the Tulane Green Wave, 30-18, this past Saturday. Houston used a big 1st half to take a 28-10 lead at halftime and was able to hold on for the victory without scoring any offensive points in the 2nd half. Houston was outgained by Tulane by a 341-287 margin and lost the turnover battle by a 2-1 margin. Leading the way for the Cougars was QB Greg Ward Jr. who completed 18 of 30 passes for 189 yards and 2 TD’s while also adding a rushing TD. On the season, Houston is averaging 37.6 ppg on 452.4 total yards per game (283.8 passing, 168.6 rushing). Offensively, Houston has been led by QB Greg Ward Jr. who has accounted for 25 TD’s (16 passing, 9 rushing). Ward Jr. is averaging 289.8 passing yds/g and 47.7 rushing yds/g. Duke Catalon has been the main threat in the backfield for the Cougars and has 2 TD’s while averaging 68.5 rushing yds/g. Linell Bonner (7.6 rec/g, 86.0 yds/g, 2 TD), Chance Allen (4.4 rec/g, 63.7 yds/g, 3 TD), and Steven Dunbar (4.3 rec/g, 58.5 yds/g, 5 TD) are biggest threats at the receiver position for Houston. Defensively, Houston is holding their opponents to an average of 21.3 ppg on 303.3 total yards per game (210.5 passing, 92.8 rushing).

The Cardinals are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 non-conference games and 29-13-1 ATS in their last43 road games. The Cougars are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games vs. ACC opponents however, just 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games.

Louisville surprisingly couldn’t get their explosive offense going until the 4th quarter against Wake Forest however, the Cardinals did show how dangerous this team can be with Lamar Jackson leading the way. Houston enters this game with a solid 8-2 record however, the Cougars just don’t seem to have the same energy as they did at the beginning of the season and has struggle getting convincing wins against some of bottom teams of the AAC. This line has yet to be released but I’m currently leaning towards taking Louisville to cover a reasonable spread here as I think Cardinals will come out playing hard in this one knowing that their right back in the CFF Playoff picture once again.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Louisville at Houston
By Joe Nelson

Early in the season many thought this late season non-conference matchup between Houston and Louisville would have huge national implications.

Louisville fell short against Clemson to sit outside of the ACC’s championship picture and Houston’s season has unraveled after grabbing headlines in the first month of the season.

Both teams still have a lot at stake in this intriguing Thursday night ESPN battle to kick off a big college football weekend.

Matchup: Louisville Cardinals at Houston Cougars
Venue: TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas
Time/TV: Thursday, Nov. 17, 8:00 PM ET
Line: Louisville -14, Over/Under 68
Last Meeting: 2015, Houston (+13½) 34, at Louisville 31

Coming off a 13-1 campaign with an AAC championship and a Peach Bowl win over Florida State expectations were very high for a Houston squad that was almost universally projected to be the top ‘Group of 5’ squad nationally looking for a Cotton Bowl spot and they were considered an outside threat at even making the College Football Playoff. The Cougars lived up to that billing early in the season with a big win over Oklahoma in the opening weekend and then won at Cincinnati in primetime to open the conference season in what looked like one of the most important games of the AAC season.

With a 5-0 start Houston was already ranked #6 in the AP Poll and it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the Cougars would run away with the AAC title meaning this November non-conference game with Louisville would determine whether or not Houston could potentially get the call to an even bigger stage in the bowl season.

The Cougars were stunned with a turnover-filled performance at Navy in early October with a 46-40 result and in an instant almost all of the season goals went up in smoke as Navy was now the team to beat in the AAC West. Houston would go on to lose again at SMU with a shocking 38-16 result to effectively end any hopes of winning the division title. At 8-2 the Cougars are still having a fine season but two difficult games remain with this non-conference test vs. Louisville and next week’s finale at Memphis.

Senior quarterback Greg Ward, Jr. opened the season as a potential Heisman Trophy sleeper and his great game vs. Oklahoma made that look like a serious possibility. He missed the game with Lamar with a shoulder injury and that injury was aggravated in last week’s win over Tulane for Houston’s homecoming. Ward has been cleared to play this week but his back-up Kyle Postma was also injured last week and has been ruled out for the season as freshman D’Eriq King will be next in line if Ward has any setbacks.

The other big storyline for Houston is head coach Tom Herman, who early in the season was universally acclaimed as the top major conference head coaching candidate with last season’s success in his first season in Houston and the great start to this season. Herman certainly feels like a long shot to be back with the Cougars next season and rumors of taking over at Texas this off-season seem to have some traction. That has possibly been a distraction for the team in what has been a disappointing run in the middle of the season with the Cougars riding a 0-5 ATS run in the last five games.

Houston is 5-0 S/U at home this season not counting the opener vs. Oklahoma that was played in Houston but at NRG Stadium. The Cougars went 8-0 S/U at home last season but that run will be put to a major test Thursday night. Last season Houston faced Louisville in the second week of the season and got the upset posting 462 yards with great balance and taking advantage of four Louisville turnovers while also getting a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the third quarter. That game also came off a very tough opening loss for the Cardinals who played tight with then #6 ranked Auburn with Louisville also looking at a huge ACC opener with Clemson coming up the following Thursday night as the scheduling situation may have helped spark the upset in what clearly was a huge game for Houston.

This season Louisville opened ranked #19 in the preseason AP poll but was considered to be a clear step behind Florida State and Clemson in the ACC Atlantic picture. The Cardinals scored 132 point in the first two games of the season vs. marginal competition and then made a loud statement in the ACC opener crushing then #2 ranked Florida State 63-20. That win propelled the Cardinals to #3 in the AP Poll and Lamar Jackson jumped onto the Heisman Trophy shortlist.

Louisville used three different quarterbacks last season and through some ups-and-downs Jackson emerged as the best option, providing a great threat on the ground to offset inconsistent results in the air. After starting last season 0-3 Louisville wound up 8-5 closing the season with a Music City Bowl win over Texas A&M. Few saw the huge 2016 season from Jackson coming as he was once a 100/1 candidate and now 1/50 is a common price in what is likely to be one of the least surprising Heisman votes in several years. Jackson has rushed for over 1,300 yards with 19 touchdowns while throwing for 27 more though he is completing just 58 percent of his passes and has had some inconsistent stretches.

Louisville’s schedule has been very weak overall and as such the 9-1 Cardinals find themselves on the outside looking in for the current College Football Playoff rankings that were released Tuesday night. Many projected Louisville would move into the top four after all the upsets last week but Louisville is sitting at #5 and the Clemson team that handed the Cardinals their only loss is ahead of them. The Clemson/Louisville game was one of the best games of the season that could have gone either way but Clemson ultimately won that game and they will get to play in the ACC Championship unless they lose to Wake Forest this week.

Louisville can assume Alabama will stay in the top four and the Big Ten will sort itself out with one candidate emerging as moving into the top four is still a realistic possibility even though two teams making the field from the same division will be a new precedent in the short history of the playoff. The Cardinals would be at risk to potentially be passed in the final rankings if a clear Big XII or Pac-12 champion emerges and the Big Ten has some scenarios where two teams would be considered as well. This game with Houston will be the last opportunity for Louisville to make its case to the committee as next week’s game with Kentucky won’t carry as much weight and Louisville will most likely be idle on championship weekend while other candidates will have an opportunity to make a case.

For both Houston and Louisville this game carries a great deal of importance and this is certainly one of the more intriguing Thursday night college football games of the season. While Houston has much less at stake than they hoped, Herman and the Cougars have proven themselves in big games the past two seasons and Houston has an elite run defense that has allowed just 93 yards per game on 2.8 yards per carry to counter the impressive rushing attack for the Cardinals. As dominant has Louisville’s season numbers are they have had several close calls this season with narrow escapes vs. Duke and Virginia in ACC play and they even trailed last week in the 4th quarter despite pulling away for a 44-12 final vs. Wake Forest.

Historical Trends:

-- Louisville is 7-5 S/U but 5-7 ATS in this series going back to 1984, failing to cover in both recent meetings with a 20-13 home win in 2013 and a 34-31 home loss early last season.

-- Louisville is just 15-29-1 ATS as a double-digit favorite going back to 2007 including going 4-8-1 ATS on the road, though 2-1-1 in four instances this season.

-- Houston is 14-1 ATS as an underdog going back to November of 2012 posting eight S/U upsets in that span including going 5-0 S/U and ATS as an underdog since winning the Armed Forces Bowl after the 2014 season.

-- This line is poised to be the highest underdog spread for Houston since the 2013 meeting at Louisville and the biggest home underdog spread since hosting Louisville in 2004.

-- Houston has won S/U in 14 consecutive home games though they are just 5-9 ATS in that run though often playing as a heavy favorite.

-- Louisville is on a 25-15-2 ATS run in road games though going just 3-5-1 ATS in the last nine instances and covering in just one of the past four road games this season.