Thursday 9/17/15 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Post your request, Comments or concerns here.
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[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Bordeaux

v

Liverpool

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		17/10	12/5	9/5	More markets

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RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT BORDEAUX	RECENT FORM
ADHWADALHWAD​ Most recent​	0 - 1	ALAWHWADHLAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Bordeaux have won only two of their last seven matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Much will depend on what team Brendan Rodgers selects, but his squad should have enough depth to collect a positive result from a Bordeaux side who struggled past Kairat in the playoff. The French club drew 2-2 with Paris St-Germain on Friday, although both goals came after horrendous howlers from home goalkeeper Kevin Trapp.

RECOMMENDATION: Liverpool
1


REFEREE: Alberto Undiano Mallenco STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 18:00

Ajax

v

Celtic

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BT2		4/5	11/4	4	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT AJAX	RECENT FORM
HWHWAWADHWAD​ Most recent​	1 - 0 1 - 3 1 - 2 3 - 0	HWHWAWALHWAL​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Ajax have won four of their last five European home games

EXPERT VERDICT: Celtic’s new-look defence came up short against ten-man Aberdeen on Saturday and the Bhoys could once again struggle without last season’s departed rocks Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer. The Bhoys tend to struggle on the road in Europe anyway with only two wins in their last 15 away trips and both of those were in Iceland.

RECOMMENDATION: Ajax
1


REFEREE: Luca Banti STADIUM:

 

[superbeets]

Europa League TODAY 20:05

Tottenham

v

FK Qarabag

	HOME	DRAW	AWAY
BTEU		1/3	4	12	More markets

​

RECENT FORM	LAST HEAD-TO-HEADSAT TOTTENHAM	RECENT FORM
AWALHDADHDAW​ Most recent​	Unknown	ADAWAWAWHWHW​ Most recent​

KEY STAT: Tottenham have conceded once in their last three matches

EXPERT VERDICT: Qarabag will have to make a trek of nearly 4,000km from Baku and it doesn’t look like their supporters who make the trip will have much to cheer about. Tottenham are likely to make changes to their starting 11, but Mauricio Pochettino’s team have lost only one of their last 17 European home matches.

RECOMMENDATION: Tottenham to win 2-0
1


REFEREE: Adrien Jaccottet STADIUM:

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

BMW Championship Preview

Tournament: BMW Championship
Date: Sept. 17 - Sept. 20
Venue: Conway Farms GC
Location: Lake Forest, Illinois

The PGA Tour is heading to Conway Farms Golf Club, which will be hosting the BMW Championship beginning on Thursday. This event was introduced in 2007 and will be played on a course that is 7,149 yards in total. Only the top 70 PGA Tour golfers will be in attendance and that field includes Billy Horschel, who beat Bubba Watson by two strokes just a year ago.

Tiger Woods, who will not be playing in this year’s tournament, has won the BMW Championship twice and his score of -22 in 2007 is the best anybody has ever shot at this event. Rory McIlroy is the only other player to shoot -20 or better and he did so when he won in 2012.

Conway Farms Golf Club has hosted this tournament just once since it was introduced and that was back in 2013, when Zach Johnson was victorious with a score of -16. The group of other players that have won this event and will be playing on Thursday includes Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson.

Let’s now take a look at some guys that could be coming away with a victory when all is settled on Sunday:

Golfers to Watch:

Henrik Stenson (11/1) - Stenson enters this tournament in ridiculous form, finishing in second place at each of the past two tournaments. He is a combined -27 in his past 146 holes and will be looking to break through for a victory at the BMW Championship. Stenson’s strength is in his ability to hit the irons and that should really help him on this course. His 74.25% greens in regulation percentage is the best on tour and he’s not too shabby when he gets there either, as his .445 strokes gained putting average is 21st on the tour. At 11/1, Stenson is a very good pick to win his first tournament of the year this weekend.

Rickie Fowler (14/1) - The knock on Fowler is that he has never won a major, but he’s done pretty well at other big tournaments in his career. Fowler won the Players Championship this season and is the guy that beat Stenson at the Deutsche Bank Championship just over a week ago. He has not been very consistent this season, but two tournament victories and two other top-five finishes show that Fowler is a force when he’s on. At 27/2, it’s a good time to back Fowler with the way he looked in the most recent playoff event.

Zach Johnson (19/1) - As mentioned earlier, Johnson won this tournament the last time it was played at Conway Farms. He is going to be quite comfortable when he tees off on Thursday and has been playing very well as of late too. Johnson won the Open Championship on Jul. 16 and has another three top-10 finishes in his past 10 tournaments played. To be getting 19/1 odds on somebody who has had the success that Johnson has had recently is rare. Putting a unit or two on him is definitely something that should be considered.

Nick Watney (150/1) - Watney has had a very underwhelming year and has struggled mightily as of late. He has finished outside of the top-30 in 10 straight tournaments, but he does have one thing going for him. Watney was right there with Zach Johnson in 2013, shooting a -14 and finishing two strokes behind in his quest to come up with a victory in this tournament. This hasn’t been a completely lost year for the golfer either, finishing second at Pebble Beach in February and tying for 10th at the Byron Nelson tournament on May 28. At 150/1, it may be worth placing a unit on somebody who has played well at this course in the past.

Brian Harman (210/1) - Harman has put together a nice run recently, finishing tied for 30th at The Barclays and tied for 12th at the Deutsche Bank Championship last tournament. Harman isn’t great at any one thing, but he’s solid off the tee and on the green. He has a driving accuracy percentage of 64.04%, which ranks 62nd on the Tour. He also gains .301 strokes putting, which is good for 44th on the Tour. Harman also has a knack for coming up with big shots, as evidenced by his eight eagles on the year. At 210/1, he’s worth throwing a unit on.

Odds to win BMW Championship

Jason Day 7/1
Rory McIlroy 8/1
Henrik Stenson 11/1
Jordan Spieth 19/2
Rickie Fowler 14/1
Jim Furyk 16/1
Zach Johnson 18/1
Bubba Watson 20/1
Justin Rose 20/1
Dustin Johnson 21/1
Matt Kuchar 28/1
Hideki Matsuyama 30/1
Patrick Reed 35/1
Kevin Kisner 45/1
Louis Oosthuizen 45/1
Sergio Garcia 45/1
Hunter Mahan 50/1
Brandt Snedeker 55/1
Brooks Koepka 55/1
Danny Lee 55/1
Matt Jones 60/1
Robert Streb 70/1
Paul Casey 75/1
Justin Thomas 85/1
Phil Mickelson 85/1
Charley Hoffman 95/1
Bill Haas 100/1
Jason Bohn 100/1
Chris Kirk 110/1
Daniel Summerhays 110/1
Russell Knox 110/1
Harris English 120/1
Keegan Bradley 120/1
Tony Finau 120/1
Webb Simpson 120/1
Billy Horschel 130/1
Kevin Chappell 130/1
Kevin Na 140/1
Ryan Palmer 140/1
Jimmy Walker 150/1
David Lingmerth 160/1
Russell Henley 160/1
Ryan Moore 160/1
Sean OHair 160/1
J.B. Holmes 170/1
Ian Poulter 180/1
Nick Watney 180/1
Sangmoon Bae 180/1
Brian Harman 210/1
Rory Sabbatini 210/1
Gary Woodland 220/1
Brendon de Jonge 230/1
Ben Martin 240/1
Jerry Kelly 240/1
Brendan Steele 250/1
Brendon Todd 250/1
Cameron Tringale 250/1
Daniel Berger 250/1
Pat Perez 250/1
Steven Bowditch 250/1
David Hearn 300/1
Troy Merritt 300/1
Zac Blair 300/1
Scott Piercy 350/1
Shawn Stefani 350/1
William Mcgirt 350/1
Bryce Molder 450/1
Fabian Gomez 500/1
George Mcneill 500/1
James Hahn 500/1

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NCAAF
Long Sheet

Thursday, September 17

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CLEMSON (2 - 0) at LOUISVILLE (0 - 2) - 9/17/2015, 7:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
LOUISVILLE is 18-33 ATS (-18.3 Units) in home games in games played on turf since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
LOUISVILLE is 1-0 against the spread versus CLEMSON over the last 3 seasons
CLEMSON is 1-0 straight up against LOUISVILLE over the last 3 seasons
1 of 1 games in this series have gone UNDER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tech Trends - Week 3


THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

Matchup Skinny Tech Edge

CLEMSON at LOUISVILLE

Note that Dabo was 0-3 as road chalk LY. Tigers just 3-7 vs. line as visitor since 2013.

Slight to Louisville, based on Clemson road trends.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Tech Trends - Week 2

THURSDAY, SEPT. 17

DENVER at KANSAS CITY (NBC, 8:30 p.m. ET)

Manning 6-0 SU and 4-2 vs. line against Chiefs since 2012. Broncos 14-8 vs. spread last 22 as regular season visitor. Eight of last nine also "under" in this series despite Denver's "over" trends in recent years.

Tech Trend: Broncos and "under," based on series trends.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Clemson at Louisville (Thursday - ESPN, 7:30 p.m. ET)

The line on this game started at five and quickly jumped to seven. The Clemson Tigers roll into Papa John's looking to hang an 0-3 record on Louisville, who has suddenly gone from ACC contender to has-been in the matter of two disappointing games. A loss to Auburn in their kickoff game was nothing to be ashamed of, but last week in their home opener they were dropped 34-31 by Houston with their defense getting trampled in the process. Louisville might be starting a third different quarterback in as many games with Kyle Bolin likely to get the nod. Reggie Bonnafon started the first game, Lamar Jackson was in there last week. Clemson has no such issues with DeShaun Watson, and the stability of the Tigers will be why they win this one and send Louisville to their first 0-3 start since 1984.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Thursday's Top Action


CLEMSON TIGERS (2-0) at LOUISVILLE CARDINALS (0-2)

Papa John's Cardinal Stadium - Louisville, KY
Kickoff: Thursday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sportsbook.ag Line: Clemson -5.5

No. 11 Clemson looks to stay unbeaten when it travels to winless Louisville on Thursday night.

The Tigers have rolled over a pair of weaker opponents (SU and ATS) to start the season, beating FCS Wofford and 18.5-point underdog Appalachian State by a combined score of 90 to 20.

The Cardinals have played a much tougher schedule than their Thursday opponent, losing (but covering) in a neutral-site game with Auburn to open the season before falling at home to 13-point underdog Houston last week.

These teams played a tight contest last season in South Carolina when host Clemson held on for a 23-17 victory over Louisville in a game where both schools combined for a mere 124 rushing yards on 70 carries (1.8 YPC).

Road favorites coming off two straight games of allowing 14 points or less facing a team that allowed 31+ points in two straight contests are a whopping 27-5 ATS (84%) in the past 10 seasons.

However, bettors on the Cardinals can point to the fact that road favorites of 3.5 to 10 points, in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with 3+ straight wins are just 15-48 ATS (34%) since 1992.

While the Tigers have a few injuries of concern with WR Mike Williams (neck) and K Ammon Lakip (suspension) out, and OL Ryan Norton (leg) questionable, the Cardinals are really hurting, especially on offense. QB Will Gardner (ribs), TE Cole Hikutini (shoulder) and WRs James Quick (ankle), Jamari Staples (knee), Alphonso Carter (hamstring) and Emonee Spence (hamstring) are all questionable for Thursday. Quick had 101 receiving yards in last year's loss to Clemson.

Clemson has had no trouble moving the football last season with a great balance of run (181 YPG, 4.2 YPC) and pass (281 YPG, 8.3 YPA). QB Deshaun Watson has completed a whopping 77% of his passes for 442 yards (9.2 YPA), 5 TD and only 1 INT this season.

A dozen different players have already recorded a reception this season, led by sophomore WR Artavis Scott, who has nearly identical catch-yards-TD numbers in both games (6-75-1 and 6-73-1). Scott also caught 10 passes against Louisville last year, but gained only 66 yards on those double-digit grabs. Senior WR Charone Peake is coming off a huge game against Appalachian State with four catches for 86 yards and 2 TD.

On the ground, it has been sophomore RB Wayne Gallman rumbling for more than 75 yards in both contests, totaling 171 yards on 5.9 YPC and three touchdowns. With Louisville's defense allowing more than 200 rushing YPG this season, Gallman could be in for a big afternoon. The Tigers have also been fierce on defense, holding opponents to 256 total YPG on 3.8 yards per play.

Opposing quarterbacks have a dreadful 32.6% completion rate (15-of-46) against Clemson, while opposing rushers are gaining only 3.6 yards per carry. The unit was also very opportunistic last week with four forced turnovers.

Louisville's offense has been decent so far this season with 27.5 PPG and 400 YPG, but there are major questions at the quarterback position. Assumed starting QB Will Gardner is still not 100 percent, so head coach Bobby Petrino isn't sure who his starter should be between freshman QB Lamar Jackson (26-47, 268 yds, 1 TD, 3 INT) or sophomore QBs Reggie Bonnafon (8-13, 67 yds, 0 TD, 0 INT) and Kyle Bolin (10-18, 157 yds, 1 TD, 0 INT).

The Cardinals have already committed six turnovers and are one of just three FBS teams to have three quarterbacks with double-digit pass attempts this season.

The Louisville ground game hasn't done much either with 154 rushing YPG on 4.2 YPC. Jackson is the team's leading rusher with 122 yards on 4.4 YPC and 2 TD, while senior RB Brandon Radcliff is close behind at 119 rushing yards on 4.4 YPC and 2 TD. Radcliff had no running room last year against Clemson with only 23 yards on 11 carries (2.1 YPC) in that defeat.

Defensively, the Cardinals have been a mess, surrendering 32.5 PPG, 23.0 first downs per game and a 61% completion percentage. Four takeaways in the two games have certainly helped, but they were out-rushed 226 to 70 in last week's loss to Houston.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

No. 11 Clemson (minus 6) at Louisville

Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino has never had a college team start 0-3 ... CLEMSON 28-24.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

MLB

National League
Cubs @ Pirates
Hendricks is 1-0, 3.09 in his last two starts (over 3-0 last three).

Morton is 1-1, 3.00 in his last two starts (under 4-1 last five).

Cubs are 7-4 in last 11 games with Pittsburgh; five of last seven series games stayed under total. Chicago games; over is 7-3-1 in their last 11. Pirates won six of their last nine games (over 7-2).

Marlins @ Nationals
Cosart is 0-0, 0.93 in two starts since coming off the DL (under 2-0).

Roark is 0-2, 5.68 in his last three starts (over 5-2 in last seven).

Washington is 5-3 in its last eight games with Miami (under 4-1 in last five). Marlins won six of their last eight games (under 8-3 in last 11). Nationals won last four games, scoring 29 runs (under 4-2 in last six).

Cardinals @ Brewers
Lackey is 1-1, 2.63 in his last four starts (over 5-2 last seven).

Nelson is 1-3, 6.64 in his last four starts (over 5-0 last five).

St Louis won six of last seven games with Milwaukee; under is 5-3 last eight series games. Cardinals won last three games (over 6-3-1 in last ten). Brewers lost eight of last nine games (over 11-2 in last thirteen).

American League
A's @ White Sox
Nolin is 1-1, 3.09 in his first two starts for Oakland (under 2-0).

Quintana is 2-0, 1.38 in his last two starts (over 8-1 in his last nine).

Oakland lost seven of its last eight games with Chicago; over is 9-4 in last 13 series games. A's lost five of last seven games (over 9-4 in last 13). White Sox are 8-5 in last thirteen games; over is 6-1-1 in their last eight games.

Royals @ Indians
Ventura is 4-1, 3.00 in his last five starts; over is 2-0-1 in his last three.

Kluber is 0-1, 4.58 in his last three starts (over 5-2 last seven).

Indians are 7-6 in last 13 games with KC (under 5-3-1). Royals lost nine of last 12 games- four of their last six went over. Cleveland won seven of last ten games; six of last eight Indian games went over the total.

Orioles @ Rays
Tillamn is 0-4, 8.42 in his last five starts (over 3-0 last three).

Moore is 0-4, 10.07 in his last five starts.

Rays are 5-3 in last eight games with Baltimore; last three series games went over the total; Tampa Bay lost nine of last 13 games; under is 3-1 in last four. Orioles are 3-1 in last four games; five of their last six went over the total.

Astros @ Rangers
McCullers is 0-1, 2.88 in his last four starts (under 3-1).

Lewis is 1-3, 6.57 in his last four starts (under 3-1-1).

Rangers won ten of last 12 games with Houston (over 5-2-1 last eight); Texas is 10-5 in last fifteen games overall-- under is 8-4-1 in their last 13 games. Astros lost seven of last nine games; over is 2-0-2 in their last four.

Angels @ Twins
Santiago is 1-0, 1.38 in his last two starts (under 3-1 last four).

Milone is 2-2, 5.48 in his last four starts (under 5-2-1 last eight).

Angels won nine of last ten games with Minnesota; over is 6-1-2 in last nine series games; Halos lost three of last four overall- under is 5-1-1 in their last seven. Twins are 2-3 in last five games; under is 4-2-2 in their last eight.

Interleague
Blue Jays @ Braves
Estrada is 1-1, 3.52 in his last four starts (under 6-3 in last nine).

Wisler is 0-5, 8.44 in his last five starts (over 6-2 in last eight).

Toronto lost four of last six games with Atlanta (over 7-3 in last ten). Blue Jays won four of last six games overall (over 7-3 in last ten). Braves lost five of last six games; over is 7-3-1 in their last eleven games.

Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
Chi-Pitt-- Hendricks 16-12; Morton 13-7
Mia-Wsh-- Cosart 4-6; Roark 4-4
StL-Mil-- Lackey 15-14; Nelson 14-15

A's-Chi-- Nolin 1-1; Quintana 14-15 (5-0 last 5)
KC-Clev-- Ventura 13-11 (8-2 last 10); Kluber 11-18
Balt-TB-- Tillman 12-15 (1-6 last 7); Moore 2-6
Hst-Tex-- McCullers 8-10; Lewis 14-15
LA-Minn-- Santiago 14-14; Milone 11-9

Tor-Atl-- Estrada 14-10; Wisler 6-9 (0-6 last 6)

Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
Chi-Pitt-- Hendricks 7-28; Morton 9-20
Mia-Wsh-- Cosart 2-10; Roark 2-8
StL-Mil-- Lackey 8-29; Nelson 9-29

A's-Chi-- Nolin 0-2; Quintana 16-29
KC-Clev-- Ventura 6-24; Kluber 11-29
Balt-TB-- Tillman 5-27; Moore 4-8
Hst-Tex-- McCullers 5-18; Lewis 6-29
LA-Minn-- Santiago 8-28; Milone 4-20

Tor-Atl-- Estrada 11-24; Wisler 8-15

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

10 Players to Watch: BMW Championship
By The Sports Xchange

1. Jason Day, Australia -- Admittedly running on empty when he tied for 12th in the Deutsche Bank Championship after winning three of his previous four tournaments, Day might have benefited most from the one-week break in the FedEx Cup points. He leads the point standings after winning the playoff opener, The Barclays, and is a lock to be in the magic top five heading into the Tour Championship next week. The Aussie is playing in the BMW Championship for the fifth time, with his best result a tie for fourth two years ago at Conway Farms, where the event is being played this week. He closed with a 66, but wound up five strokes behind winner Zach Johnson. Last year, he withdrew during the second round because of a back injury at Cherry Hills after opening with a 70.

2. Rory McIlroy, Northern Ireland -- Having regained his No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings from Jordan Spieth this week, McIlroy should be ready to start playing like the best player in the world again after missing six weeks during the summer because of a left ankle injury. His game seemed to be returning when he shot 66 in the final round of the Deutsche Bank Championship to tie for 29th and he needs a high finish in the BMW Championship to move up from 17th in the FedEx Cup standings. Rory won the BMW three years ago at Crooked Stick, where he was in or near the lead all the way after opening with a 64. However, he tied for 59th in his title defense two years ago at Conway Farms, where the tournament will be played this week.

3. Jordan Spieth, United States -- Taking the one-week break to regroup after missing the cut in the first two events of the FedEx Cup playoffs, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship, Spieth hopes to regain his form from earlier in the season at the BMW Championship. The Masters and U.S. Open champion led the point standings by a wide margin for much of the season and still is second, in addition to being No. 2 in the World Golf Rankings after trading the top spot recently with Rory McIlroy. Spieth, who has won four times this year, is playing for the third time in the BMW, having tied for 16th two years ago at Conway Farms as a rookie before tying for eighth last year at Cherry Hills.

4. Henrik Stenson, Sweden -- The 2013 FedEx Cup champion has finished second in each of the first two events of the playoffs, The Barclays and the Deutsche Bank Championship, and his first victory of 2015 would go a long way toward helping him win the year-long race for the second time. The big Swede has been close, finishing second four times this season, which has helped push him to fourth in the point standings. Stenson is playing in the BMW Championship for the fourth time and posted his best result last year, a tie for 23rd at Cherry Hills. When the tournament was played in 2013 at Conway Farms, this week's venue, he broke 70 only when he carded a 67 in the third round, on his way to a tie for 33rd.

5. Zach Johnson, United States -- After a mini-slump following his victory in the Open Championship at St. Andrews, Zach made a strong start to the FedEx Cup playoffs when he tie for fourth in The Barclays and tied for 22nd in the Deutsche Bank Championship. He has climbed to seventh in the FedEx Cup standings and needs another strong result this week in the BMW Championship to climb into the magic top five going to the Tour Championship next week at East Lake in Atlanta. Johnson won the BMW two years ago at Conway Farms, where it is being played this week, by two strokes over Nick Watney. He opened with a 64 and closed with a 65 to register his second top-10 finish in the event, having finished fifth in 2009 at Cog Hill.

6. Jim Furyk, United States -- The 2010 FedEx Cup champion climbed to No. 9 in the FedEx Cup standings by tying for 11th in the Barclays and tying for fourth in the Deutsche Bank Championship, and he can jump into the magic top five heading to the Tour Championship with another high finish this week in the BMW Championship. That hasn't been a problem for him, as he has 12 top-10 results in 16 appearances in the tournament that started out as the Western Open, including a two-stroke victory over Tiger Woods in 2005. Furyk has finished in the top 10 in each of the last three years, including third two years ago at Conway Farms, where he posted a 59 in the second round, and eventually wound up two shots behind winner Zach Johnson.

7. Bubba Watson, United States -- Holding down the No. 5 spot in the FedEx Cup standings, Bubba needs another good finish this week in the BMW Championship to stay there heading to the Tour Championship, where any player in the top five who wins is guaranteed to take home all the marbles. He finished solo third in The Barclays and tied for 29th in the Deutsche Bank Championship and could be a factor at Conway Farms, where he tied for 24th two years ago. Last year, Watson finished with three consecutive 66s at Cherry Hills near Denver and wound up solo second, two strokes behind Billy Horschel. Bubba has placed in the top three in three of his last five events, also finishing second in both the RBC Canadian Open and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

8. Justin Rose, England -- Another player who should benefit from the one-week break in the middle of the FedEx Cup playoffs, Rose had finished in the top six in five of his previous six tournaments before he tied for 16th in the Barclays before missing the cut in the Deutsche Bank Championship to start the post-season. The Englishman won the BMW Championship in 2011 at Cog Hill, opening with a 63 and leading all the way to claim a two-stroke victory over John Senden of Australia. Rose, who won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April, needs a high finish this week at Conway Farms, where he tied for 33rd two years ago, because he is 13th in the point standings and needs to improve his position going into the Tour Championship next week.

9. Billy Horschel, United States -- The reigning FedEx Cup champion is in danger of not even making it back to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta to defend the double crown he claimed in Atlanta. Horschel is 67th in the point standings and needs a very high result this week in the BMW Championship to climb into the top 30 and make it to the finale. Something like his performance last year at Cherry Hills would do, as he took the lead in the third event of the playoffs with a 63 in round three and closed with a 69 to beat Bubba Watson by two strokes. In 2013, he tied for 18th in the BMW by closing with a 66 at Conway Farms, where the tournament is being played this week.

10. Phil Mickelson, United States -- Lefty ranks 61st in the FedEx Cup standings and needs a big effort this week in the BMW Championship, perhaps even a victory, to climb into the top 30 to qualify for the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta. There is little in his recent play to suggest that might happen, other than a tie for 18th in the PGA Championship, but he has made something out of nothing many times during his career. Mickelson will be making his 13th appearance in the BMW and has only two top-10 finishes in the event, including a tie for second in 2012 at Crooked Stick, where he held the lead heading to the final round but closed with a 70 to tie for second, two strokes behind Rory McIlroy. Two years ago at Conway Farms, he tied for 33rd.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Clemson at Louisville
By Joe Nelson

The ACC may be the forgotten Power Five conference at times but the league will be on center stage this week with Georgia Tech and Notre Dame being one of the biggest games of the weekend plus several ACC/B1G clashes taking place on Saturday. While Wake Forest and Syracuse technically opened up league play last week the first big game of the ACC conference season is the Atlantic showdown Thursday night between Clemson and Louisville, here is a look at that key matchup.

Matchup: Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals
Venue: Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium in Louisville, Kentucky
Time/TV: Thursday, Sep. 17, 7:30 PM ET – ESPN
Line: Clemson -6, Over/Under 50½
Last Meeting: 2014, at Clemson (-9½) 23, Louisville 17

While Florida State remains the premier team and favorite in the ACC Atlantic and the conference as a whole, the Atlantic division race is expected to be a closer race in the 2015 season with Clemson and Louisville as chief threats to the Seminoles. Both teams gave Florida State very tough games last season and both were considered ACC title and national playoff sleepers before the season started.

Hopes for making national noise are over for Louisville as the Cardinals are off to a stunning 0-2 start in the second season back in Louisville for Bobby Petrino. After falling behind early against Auburn in the opening week, Louisville nearly rallied back in that game before ultimately losing by seven despite a substantial production edge. After that big national game the Cardinals were perhaps a bit flat last week in the home opener as they were upset by Houston. A 0-3 start would be a tough pill to swallow for a team that has just seven total losses in the past three seasons combined and will still have to play in Tallahassee in the first half of the season.

In two games Louisville has allowed 65 points after allowing just over 21 points per game last season and featuring an elite defense that allowed only 309 yards per game. Louisville has already surrendered 416 rushing yards after allowing just 109 yards per game on the ground last season on 3.3 yards per carry. While the defense has not been as strong as last season the biggest issues through two weeks have been on offense with seven turnovers and difficulty running the ball.

It was a wide opener quarterback competition for the Cardinals and so far freshman Lamar Jackson has seen most of the snaps with Reggie Bonnafon playing a few series against Auburn and Kyle Bolin playing a few series in the Houston game. Jackson has made some dynamic plays on the ground but he has completed just 55 percent of his passes and has been responsible for four turnovers. Will Gardner was the primary quarterback last season and it is not clear when or if he will be ready to return to action after tearing his ACL last season.

Brandon Radcliff has rushed reasonably well for the Cardinals through two weeks but e has seen limited action in part because of the passing situations Louisville has often been in playing from behind. The ball has been well spread around a young receiving corps and the offensive line that had to replace three starters from last season has shown some growing pains.

Clemson has lost to Florida State each of the last three seasons and as a result has finished second in the ACC Atlantic in three straight seasons since winning the conference title in 2011. It has been four straight double-digit win seasons and three straight bowl game wins for the Tigers, beating national forces LSU, Ohio State, and Oklahoma in succession for a great run led by Dabo Swinney. With at least two regular season losses each year Clemson has never really been seriously in the national title hunt however and the next three games figure to make or break the season for Clemson with this tough road test followed by home games with Notre Dame and Georgia Tech to open October after a bye week.

Through two weeks Clemson has delivered back-to-back convincing wins outscoring Wofford and Appalachian State by a combined score of 89-10. While Wofford is a FCS school it is a regional rival and Appalachian State is expected to be one of the top Sun Belt teams this year yet Clemson led 31-0 at the half. The Tigers did catch some breaks with turnovers in that game as they only outgained the Mountaineers by 94 yards but it has been a promising start considering that Clemson lost two of its first three games last season.

Sophomore quarterback DeShaun Watson has played well through two weeks with nearly 450 yards passing and five touchdowns and the Tigers were clearly a better offensive team last season when Watson was healthy. Watson could emerge in the Heisman race and the offense has a lot of potential this season but there are concerns about the defense even with strong numbers through two weeks. Clemson had one of the nation’s top defenses last season, allowing just over 16 points per game and only 261 yards per game. The defense lost seven of the top nine leading tacklers from last season however with the front seven particularly impacted. Through two weeks the new group has looked effective but the real tests are about to begin.

Last season Clemson won 23-17 in this matchup in a game where both teams had very limited production. Watson was injured early in the game as Cole Stoudt led Clemson most of the game and the Tigers amassed just 229 total yards and 12 first downs. Louisville only had 10 first downs as incredibly the teams combined to go 3-36 on 3rd and 4th down attempts. Clemson grabbed the lead early with touchdowns on a punt return and a fumble recovery but Louisville tied the game late in the third quarter before Clemson kicker Ammon Lakip hit two field goals and the defense delivered some big stops, including holding the Cardinals from inside the two-yard line at the end of the game.

While the hopes for Louisville as a national sleeper are over the ACC race is still alive and the Cardinals could at the very least play spoiler. The 0-2 start has featured close losses against quality teams and if the Cardinals can clean up the turnovers they could still have a very successful season. Clemson has a daunting schedule ahead as Florida State is likely still in the driver’s seat but Watson and the Tigers still have the potential for another great season and momentum can build with each win starting with this first big road test.

Historical Trends: Clemson is just 3-7 ATS on the road the past two seasons including going 0-3 ATS as a road favorite last season. Going further back Clemson is on a 24-38-2 ATS run as a road favorite since 1990 and Swinney is 14-15 S/U and 15-14 ATS on the road since he took over in 2009. Bobby Petrino’s Louisville teams are 19-11 ATS at home and 6-5 ATS as an underdog in his five-plus seasons from 2003 to 2006 and since taking over last season. The home underdog track record has not been impressive for Louisville going 9-16 ATS as a home underdog since 1994, including covering in just two of the last 10 instances but last season’s game with Florida State was the only time Petrino has been on the sidelines with Louisville getting points at home and Louisville will be a bigger home underdog Thursday night than they were last season against a defending national title champion Seminoles team that had won 23 games in a row.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Clemson cashing wagers in September games
Andrew Avery

The Clemson Tigers have jumped out to a 2-0 record both straight up and against the spread, but that's not surprising to faithful Tigers' backers who know their team is money in September. The ACC program is now 6-0 ATS in their last six football games in the month.

The Tigers were thumped 45-21 to open the season at Georgia last season on Aug. 30, falling well short as 10-point road dogs, but went on to cash their next three games which were all in September.

Clemson backers will look for more success when the Tigers visit Louisville Thursday evening.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Game of the Day: Clemson at Louisville

Clemson Tigers at Louisville Cardinals (+6.5, 51)

Ninth-ranked Clemson begins its pursuit of a spot in the ACC title game when it visits winless Louisville on Thursday in the conference opener for both schools. The Tigers have rolled over two lesser opponents to begin the slate while Louisville lost to Auburn and Houston and is looking to avoid its first 0-3 start since 1984.

Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson suffered a broken hand early in an October contest against the Cardinals last season and the injury caused him to miss the following three games. "I wouldn't say this game matters more," Watson, a sophomore, said at a press conference. "Each game is the biggest game for me." Louisville hasn't announced a starting quarterback but is expected to turn to sophomore Kyle Bolin, who would represent the team's third starting quarterback in three games. "He hit hands and he executed what we were asking him to do in that part of the (Houston) game and I think he's had a good week of practice," Cardinals coach Bobby Petrino told reporters.

TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE HISTORY: Books opened the Cardinals as 5-point home dogs but that is now up to +6.5. The total opened at 54 and is down to 51.

INJURY REPORT: Clemson - OL Ryan Norton (Out, leg), WR Mike Williams (Out indefinitely, neck). Louisville - TE Cole Hikutini (Questionable, shoulder), WR Emonee Spence (Questionable, hamstring), QB Will Gardner (Questionable, ribs), DE Johnny Richardson (Questionable, knee), WR Alphonso Carter (Questionable, hamstring), WR Jamari Staples (Out, undisclosed), WR James Quick (Out, ankle).

WEATHER: Temperatures expected to be in the high-70s with wind blowing toward the north endzone at around five miles per hour.

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Deshaun Watson threw for 248 yards and three TDs in a win over Appalachian State on Saturday. The Tigers will look to move to 3-0 as they face a struggling Louisville team on Thursday." Jesse Schule.

WHAT BOOKS SAY: "We opened Clemson as 4.5 point faves over Louisville and was quickly bet up to our current number of Clemson -7 with the Tigers seeing 76 percent of the action and the OVER 52 point total getting all the early action." Michael Stewart.

ABOUT CLEMSON (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS, 1-1 O/U): Watson has completed 77.1 percent of his passes for five touchdowns in two games while displaying no lingering signs of the major knee injury he suffered last November. Sophomore receiver Artavis Scott has a team-best 12 catches -- he had 10 receptions versus Louisville last season -- as the Tigers deal with the loss of standout junior Mike Williams (fractured neck), who had 1,030 receiving yards in 2014. A strong defense is receiving stellar play from junior free safety T.J. Green (23 tackles), junior defensive end Shaq Lawson (4.5 tackles for losses) and junior strong safety Jayron Kearse (seven career interceptions).

ABOUT LOUISVILLE (0-2 SU, 1-1 ATS, 1-0-1 O/U): The Cardinals have dropped their first two games for the first time since 1998 and settling on a starting quarterback is becoming a necessity. Sophomore Reggie Bonnafon started the opener against Auburn and freshman Lamar Jackson started the second game before Bolin entered and passed for 157 yards and one touchdown in the final quarter against Houston to likely draw his starting opportunity. Defensively, junior strong safety Josh Harvey-Clemons leads the squad with 24 tackles and two interceptions, junior outside linebacker Keith Kelsey has 23 tackles and team's only two sacks and senior outside linebacker James Burgess has 18 tackles.

TRENDS:

* Tigers are 6-0 ATS in their last six games in September.
* Tigers are 0-5 ATS in their last five conference games.
* Cardinals are 0-6 ATS in their last six home games.
* Over is 5-1-2 in Cardinals' last eight games overall.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-eight percent are backing Clemson.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Week 2 Essentials
By Tony Mejia

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Among the vast array of visuals available in Week 1, we’ve found out J.J. Watt is still great even though his team isn’t, Tony Romo operates behind the best offensive line in football and Aaron Rodgers can make you look like an elite receiver with his ball placement. Let’s look ahead to Week 2:

Thursday, Sept. 17

Denver at Kansas City: The Broncos next offensive touchdown will be their first, so you know Peyton Manning is going to welcome a national stage to prove once again that he’s not done. Considering they held serve against an elite Baltimore defense and it was his first game in a new system where he’s not being asked to do as much, dismissing him as done may be a mistake. Still, this challenge won’t be easy. Manning is 11-1 in his career against the Chiefs, but considering how the defense swarmed Houston’s Brian Hoyer in the season opener, Denver’s offense will be up against it on a short week of preparation.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Line Watch: Window closing on Chiefs' Thursday night spread
By AAA SPORTS

Each week during the pro football season, Art Aronson of AAA Sports looks at the NFL odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later and and which total to watch as the week plays out.

Spread to bet now

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-3)

It wasn’t exactly Willie Mays falling down in the outfield during his final season, but Bronco bettors have to be a little concerned about what they saw out of Peyton Manning in the opener – 24 for 40, no TDs, 1 INT. At home.

Eerily similar to the numbers PM put up in Denver’s playoff loss to the Colts last season. And now Manning is getting only a few days of rest before a road game against the pumped-up Chiefs.

Does KC actually have a QB advantage in this one? This one opened at KC -2.5 and is now at 3. If you like K.C., it might be a good idea to jump now before oddsmakers pile on another half-point.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

TNF - Broncos at Chiefs
By Tony Mejia

You've heard this one before, but keep reading anyway.

Peyton Manning is done. It’s over.

The future Hall of Famer is already making more appearances in Papa John’s commercials than he does in highlight reels, unless you count the ones where his recent struggles are being documented. Let’s go ahead and hit the pause button on that narrative right there.

On Thursday night, all eyes will be on Manning as he takes the field in Kansas City for a key early AFC West showdown. Most will be looking to see another indication that the NFL’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes has lost it. The Chiefs are three-point favorites. Denver has only been an underdog six times since he joined the franchise in 2012, going 2-4 straight up in those contests. One of those wins as an underdog came in last year's visit to Kansas City, where the Broncos held serve 29-16 in a game that went under the posted total. Both of last season's meetings failed to eclipse the number, as the under is 4-1-1 since Manning joined the Broncos.

Manning, who failed to lead his offense into the end zone in Denver’s 19-13 win over Baltimore, has been saddled with the lowest projected total (42.5) for a game involving his Broncos since 2012, when the regular-season finale against these Chiefs closed at 41. Over the past two seasons, the lowest total involving Denver and their hurry-up offense closed at 47. Including the playoffs, 20 Broncos games have had a projected total of 50 or higher. Welcome to 2015, Peyton.

Prevailing sentiment is that he can no longer run a productive offense. The fact the Broncos defense look like world-beaters also factors in, but respect for the five-time MVP is unquestionably at an all-time low. The over was actually a healthy 10-6 last season despite hovering at an average of nearly 49, almost a full touchdown above what it will be set at here. The under went 11-5 in Chiefs games last season, but lost in Week 1 as turnovers were turned into points in a 27-20 win over Houston.

Over the last seven games, a stretch which began with last year’s trip to Arrowhead (Nov. 30) and includes a 24-13 home playoff loss to Indianapolis, the 39-year-old Manning has thrown just six touchdowns against seven interceptions as Denver games have come in under the posted total in five of seven. He’s completed 160 of 241 passes for 1455 yards in that span, so his yards per attempt is barely over 6.00, which ranks among the bottom 20 percent of starting quarterbacks with at least 100 passing attempts.

He’s only topped more than 10 yards per attempt once in the last seven games (Dec. 14 at SD), and his QBR has been over 90 only once (same game). Even if you scoff at the numbers and point out that the Broncos are 5-2 in those starts, it’s obvious Manning’s days of being the driving force within an offense appear over.

To say he’s done, in my opinion, is a massive overreaction. It’s downright disrespectful. People have been looking to sprinkle dirt on Manning’s open coffin for the past few seasons. Remember when he came back from neck fusion surgery after missing the entire 2011 season? Remember reading about the journey of his comeback, from teaching himself how to throw again to building back up strength? Parts of his upper body atrophied. There were people imploring for him to retire.

Manning hasn’t missed a game since. He’s played in four playoff contests. He’s delivered nearly 1,500 passes. He led the league in passing yardage and passing touchdowns in 2013. He’s made two more Pro Bowls and won another MVP.

He has no feeling in his fingertips. His passes often wobble like the 10-year-old who is learning to throw a spiral.

He’s won 30 of 43 NFL games in that span, including the first one of this season, defeating a Ravens team considered a co-favorite in a loaded AFC North. Sportsbooks still have the Broncos (5-to-1) behind only New England (3-to-1) to win the conference. If Manning were really done, you would think Denver would be getting better odds.

This seven-game stretch we’re trying to bury Manning for has featured an intrusive quad injury that caused last season’s dramatic dip and an adjustment to a brand new system while facing an elite Baltimore defense in the 2015 opener.

That brings us back to Thursday and the opening game of Week 2. The stage is all Manning’s to thrive or fail on, but we should get used to the reality that putting an entire team on his shoulders is no longer in his job description. He’ll share the spotlight with his impressive defense and a running game expected to be fortified by new head coach Gary Kubiak’s zone-blocking scheme that has moved Manning into more of game manager role. Once he grows accustomed to what he’s doing, he’ll probably excel in it.

Kubiak heeded Broncos Executive vice president and GM John Elway’s call to return home in part to help Manning navigate the final years of his career while attempting to take full advantage of a defense that is going to be the driving force these next few years, hopefully resulting in one more Super Bowl run. To try and write Manning off because he didn’t look comfortable in the season opener reeks of Tim Duncan syndrome. Just because he’s never going to throw 55 touchdowns again doesn’t mean he can’t get back to throwing 26, a number he’s hit three separate times as a tremendous career-low. It doesn’t mean he can’t will a strong team to a championship the way the Spurs star has on multiple occasions despite being past his prime.

We’re watching Manning begin the process of his final manifestation. Barring injury, you won’t see backup Brock Osweiler taking the field to replace an ineffective Manning. He’s too valuable recognizing coverages and making the right calls and reads to deliver wins like the 19-13 result Denver escaped with in Week 1.

Andy Reid is authoring a similar blue print in Kansas City, building an offense around an elite back in Jamaal Charles while trusting Alex Smith to make the right decisions at the controls. Defensive stars like Justin Houston, Tamba Hali and Dontari Poe up front are going to help win a lot of football games, as they managed to in wreaking havoc in the Houston Texans backfield last Sunday. Can they effectively get to Manning, who was uncharacteristically sacked four times by Baltimore?

Reid is coaching in just his third home opener since taking over the Chiefs and is 1-1 SU and 0-2 ATS, losing last season's first game at Arrowhead 26-10 to a Titans team that won just two games all season. Reid wasn't strong in home openers in Philadelphia, going just 5-9 there before departing after the 2012 season.

Certainly, if you’re looking to fade Manning, the circumstances appear to be in your favor. Arrowhead Stadium provides one of the loudest atmospheres in the league, one that is capable of helping swallow an unstable offense. The Chiefs went 1-2 in primetime games last season, but crushed the Patriots 41-14 at home on a Monday night, ironically beating them so badly that some were looking to write New England off on Sept. 29. Kansas City's defense is fierce and should benefit from Broncos playmakers C.J. Anderson (foot) and Demariyus Thomas (hand) both operating at less than 100 percent. The Chiefs are the much healthier team, though projecting starting corner Sean Smith will miss this game, serving the second of a three-game suspension.

Manning is 11-1 in his career against the Chiefs, including a 6-0 mark (4-2 ATS) with Denver, but the quarterback that amassed those figures isn’t the same guy you’ve grown accustomed to seeing. Do you still believe in this new version’s ability to go on the road and intelligently lead his team through obstacles? Your wager will largely hinge on that answer, so be careful underestimating a quarterback who has spent most of this decade beating the odds.

Greatness tends to manifest itself in different ways. Manning may find a way to do it as a game manager. This also may be far too great a challenge to overcome this early in his new endeavor. All eyes are squarely on him.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Manning tabbed with 24 completions at Chiefs

The Westgate LV Superbook has released props for the Denver Broncos' visit to the Kansas City Chiefs in the Week 2 Thursday night clash and have posted 24.0 completions for Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning.

Manning registered exactly that number as he completed 24-of-40 attempts for 175 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception in his team's 19-13 win versus the Baltimore Ravens.

In two meetings with the Chiefs last season, Manning recorded 17 and 21 completions in the first and second matchups respectively.

Here's a look at the Westgate LV Superbook is offering on their prop board for Thursday Night Football.

FIRST SCORE OF THE GAME WILL BE:

TOUCHDOWN (-155)
ANY OTHER SCORE (+135)

TOTAL COMPLETIONS BY: PEYTON MANNING (DEN)

OVER 24.0 ( -110)
UNDER 24.0 (-110)

TOTAL TOUCHDOWN PASSES BY: PEYTON MANNING (DEN)

OVER 1.5 (-110)
UNDER 1.5 ( -110)

TOTAL RECEIVING YARDS BY: DEMARYIUS THOMAS (DEN)

OVER 80.5 (-110)
UNDER 80.5 (-110)

TOTAL GROSS PASSING YARDS BY: ALEX SMITH (KC)

OVER 226.5 (-110)
UNDER 226.5 (-110)

TOTAL TOUCHDOWN PASSES BY: ALEX SMITH (KC)

OVER 1.5 (+110)
UNDER 1.5 (-130)

TOTAL RUSHING YARDS BY: JAMAL CHARLES (KC)

OVER 75.5 (-110)
UNDER 75.5 (-110)

TOTAL QB SACKS BY: BOTH TEAMS

OVER 4.5 (-130)
UNDER 4.5 (+110)

TOTAL POINTS BY: BRONCOS

OVER 19.5 (-110)
UNDER 19.5 (-110)

TOTAL POINTS BY: CHIEFS

OVER 23.0 (-110)
UNDER 23.0 (-110)