1: Alabama Crimson Tide (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – The Tide rolled to an easy win over SJSU last week, but things will get significantly harder this week against the Nittany Lions in primetime.

2: Ohio State Buckeyes (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – College football betting expert picks on OSU were easy last week against Marshall, but Miami wants to make a statement come Saturday.

3: Boise State Broncos (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – Boise is for real and is probably 11 wins away from heading to Glendale for the National Championship game.

4: TCU Horned Frogs (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – Didn’t cover against Oregon State, but had an impressive victory nonetheless.

5: Texas Longhorns (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – Garrett Gilbert isn’t off to a great start, but the Horns at least are 1-0.

6: Iowa Hawkeyes (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – A second straight romp this week over the Cyclones should set up a good game with Arizona in two weeks.

7: Oklahoma Sooners (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – OU nearly fell victim to the Aggies last week. Now it has to contend with an up and coming FSU squad.

8: Florida Gators (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – Learn how to snap the football! Eight fumbles won’t cut it against USF like it did against the Redhawks.

9: Nebraska Cornhuskers (1-0 SU, 0-0-1 ATS) – Huskers still might have a month until their first challenge of the year.

10: Oregon Ducks (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – Might’ve been the most impressive team in Week 1, blowing out Lobos 72-0.

11: Miami Hurricanes (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – If they can beat the Buckeyes, the Canes will be popular football betting expert picks in the coming weeks.

12: Utah Utes (1-0 SU, 0-0-1 ATS) – Hard not to like Jordan Wynn after beating PITT in the home opener.

13: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – The Josh Nesbitt for Heisman campaign is off and running… literally.

14: Wisconsin Badgers (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – We would’ve preferred to see a little more offense against a poor UNLV defense.

15: Penn State Nittany Lions (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – Struggled early with Youngstown State, but rolled in the end.

16: Michigan Wolverines (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – Big jump for a team that might not be that great, but if Denard Robinson is the real deal, Big Blue could be something special.

17: Florida State Seminoles (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – Noles pounded Samford on Saturday, and will now search for real glory in Norman.

18: Arkansas Razorbacks (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – Hogs should run wild for the second week in a row this week against the Warhawks.

19: LSU Tigers (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – We love the way that LSU came out and took it to the Tar Heels, but what was up with that 4th quarter?

20: Virginia Tech Hokies (0-1 SU, 0-1 ATS) – The only one loss team worthy of Top 25 status. Loss to Boise was still an admirable one.

21: USC Trojans (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – There are a lot of questions for USC’s defense after getting torched by Hawaii.

22: South Carolina Gamecocks (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – Crushed Southern Miss on national TV and might be poised to make a big move in the SEC East.

23: West Virginia Mountaineers (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – WVU needs to get a lot more offense together in a hurry to keep up with the best of the Big East.

24: Georgia Bulldogs (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) – Winning 55-7 Between the Hedges this week was impressive, but wake us up when the opponent has a pulse – battle with Cocks has our attention.

25: Stanford Cardinal (1-0 SU, 0-1 ATS) – Andrew Luck’s first real test without Toby Gerhart comes this Saturday.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. College Football Betting: How Will The Best And Worst ATS Teams Perform In 2010?
2. 2010 NCAA Football Betting Futures: Longshots To Win The BCS Championship
3. Week 3 AFL QB Power Rankings – April 14th 2010

Season Standings
1: Arizona Diamondbacks (80-54-3) – Look at that! Arizona can indeed get its team ERA down under 5.00 for the year! The D’Backs finally reached that elusive mark this past week, as they are down to a not so svelte 4.95 for the season. Holding five of their six foes to four or fewer runs on this six game home stand helped a ton.

2: Milwaukee Brewers (72-57-7) – We wouldn’t be shocked to see the Brew Crew fall off this list in weeks to come, as they clearly aren’t going to keep up their average runs per game total of 4.70. This is a team that is just going through the motions right now and isn’t going to end up making an impact on anything except for potentially the race between fourth and fifth place teams in the NL Central.

3: Florida Marlins (70-59-6) – The bats are clearly still humming for the Marlins, as they have scored at least six runs in six of their L/10 games overall to at least keep their faint hopes for the playoffs alive. Florida has a lot of work to do, and keeping that ‘O’ rolling into this week’s series with the Phils is important, as only a sweep will probably do.

Who’s Hot?
1: Toronto Blue Jays (4-1) – We can all thank Jose Bautista for blowing up the Triple Crown race in the American League. He has 43 homers on the season and is leading the league by a country mile in that category. The Jays have still blasted the most dongs in the league at 208, and the threat is there to reach at least 250 on the season.

2: New York Yankees (4-2) – The Bronx Bombers are still bashing the cover off the ball. They have scored 46 runs in the first seven games of this ten game home stand, which is an average of 6.57 runs per game. It’s no wonder why New York went on an eight game run of wins which might have ultimately nailed down the best record in baseball in the regular season.

3: Baltimore Orioles (4-2) – First it was the pitching. Now it is the bats that are starting to ring. Yes, manager Buck Showalter has got it going on right now in Baltimore, and his team has won six out of nine games against the Angels, Red Sox, and Rays, teams that are all annual playoff contenders. In that stretch, the Orioles scored at least four runs in six of the nine games. Play like that is going to have this team playing with some momentum going into 2011.

Some of the worst teams in baseball have cashed in some of the most ‘under’ tickets on the season. Check out BetUS Sportsbook’s MLB odds analysis of the best ‘under’ teams in the bigs.
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Season Standings
1: Seattle Mariners (74-54-9) – The M’s rank 30th in baseball in runs per game (3.21), batting average (.236), OPS (.640), and home runs (85). Numbers like that make teams like the Yankees want to laugh, as that is what they average for run production and home runs… in the first four innings of games. Clearly, Seattle has given up on the season, and the next destination might be 100 losses.

2: Houston Astros (75-55-6) – The ‘Stros have been pitching tremendously of late, which is why they have really righted the ship and might threaten the .500 mark on the year. The last time this team allowed more than five runs in a game was way back on August 21st. Those two bad games against the Marlins that day and the day before were the only times five runs were exceeded since August 11th.

3: Baltimore Orioles (75-56-6) – Baltimore’s pitching staff is getting better by the day, so a 4.81 ERA for the season doesn’t seem so bad considering the fact that it was well over 5.00 not that long ago. The O’s are clearly responding well to their new manager, Buck Showalter, and the end result is going to be a lot of good feelings going into the offseason.

Who’s Hot?
1: St. Louis Cardinals (4-0-1) – This might be too little, too late for the Cardinals. They went on a horrifying losing streak in which the Reds opened up a lead that got as big as nine games, and though it is down to just six in the loss column, the offense still isn’t awake enough to really make the big move. The Redbirds are going to be relegated to Wild Card duty if they can get into the postseason.

2: Seattle Mariners (5-1) – Give the pitching staff for Seattle some credit for pitching two shutouts in the L/3 days and holding five of its L/9 foes to one run or less. The problem is the offense, which has now gone 14 straight games without scoring more than five runs. What’s even worse is that all but one of those games ended with no more than three runs.

3: San Francisco Giants (4-1) – The oddsmakers are clearly underestimating the ability of the pitching staff for the Giants. They have kept six straight foes to four runs or less, averaging just 2.17 runs per game allowed. With the Padres slumping, this could be San Fran’s last chance to really make a move in the NL West. After all, this might be the last gasp to make the playoffs for the first time in a number of seasons.

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. MLB Baseball Betting: Best Teams To Bet The “Over”: May 31st 2010
2. MLB Baseball Betting: Best Teams to Bet the “Over”
3. MLB Betting: Best Baseball Teams To Bet The “Under” – June 8th 2010

SMU Mustangs vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders
Game Date/Time: Sunday, September 5th, 3:30 ET
Game Location: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX
TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN Mobile TV, Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: SMU Mustangs (+14) -110 vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (-14) -110: Over/Under 60.5

One thing is always for certain when June Jones is on the sidelines. His team is going to throw the heck out of the football.

Last year’s starting quarterback Bo Levi Mitchell transferred to Eastern Washington this season to go play on the newest craze of the red field in the Apple State. That leaves the door wide open once and for all for Kyle Padron, who is in his first full season of calling the shots for the Mustangs.

Padron came on in the middle of last year and looked great, completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,922 yards with ten scores against just four picks. It is fully expected that this sophomore is going to throw for up near 4,000 yards this year with at least 25-30 TDs if the Mustangs are going to find success. This could be a huge spot for Padron to make a big time name for himself on national television.

Whereas reading Jones is easy, it is difficult to know exactly what Tommy Tuberville is going to do in his first season on the Lubbock sidelines.

Many assume that he is going to try to at least incorporate tailback Baron Batch a bit more into the lineup. Batch knows that he is going to be asked to be a 1,000 yard rusher this year if he stays healthy, and that could start with a big game against SMU on Sunday.

However, there is still a big time quarterback problem at Texas Tech. Taylor Potts is going to start a year after throwing for 3,440 yards and 22 scores, but he is probably going to be looking over his shoulder all season long. Steven Sheffield replaced Potts quite a bit last season, as he threw for 1,219 yards and 14 TDs.

NCAA Football Betting Insider Tip: The Mustangs are just 3-13-1 ATS in their L/17 tries at beating the football game line against Big XII teams.

That doesn’t mean anything anymore, though. The Jones era in SMU is only just beginning, and there are clearly good things on the horizon for this program. The Mustangs could be looking at a big upset here, as this would be the biggest win the team would have secured in a number of years.

The Red Raiders had better be on upset alert as the Mustangs look to be a Rabid Dawg!

My NCAA Football Predictions: SMU Mustangs (+14) -110
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Week 1 NCAA Football Picks: Pittsburgh vs. Utah Prediction & Odds: September 2nd 2010
2. Texas Longhorns vs. Rice Owls Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010
3. Kansas State vs. Texas Tech Betting Odds, Pick & Trends: February 23rd 2010

San Jose State Spartans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 4th, 7:00 ET
Game Location: Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL
TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN3.com, ESPN Game Plan Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: San Jose State Spartans (+37.5) -110 vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (-37.5) -110: Over/Under 51.5

Poor San Jose State is going to be in a world of hurt in this game. This is a team that is annually paid off to come and get its butt kicked by some of the best foes that the country has to offer, and this inevitably won’t be the exception.

The Spartans are going to deploy senior Jordan La Secla to try to stand in the face of this ferocious, yet strangely incredibly young defense. La Secla completed 59.9 percent of his passes last year for 1,926 yards and ten scores against 11 INTs.

Alabama is the far more interesting team in this battle. The defending national champions are going to be without Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, who is going to miss the game due to injury. Ingram might be out for an extended period of time, which is going to open the door for super sophomore Trent Richardson, who many in Tuscaloosa think is going to be a better running back than Ingram.

The offense returns ten of its 11 starters, which is going to put a lot of pressure on the likes of Greg McElroy and Julio Jones to step up and put up big numbers. McElroy did a great job of taking care of the football last year, throwing for 2,508 yards and 17 scores against just four INTs. He has also never lost as a starter in his collegiate career.

The key is going to be the defense, which as we have already noted, is very young. Nick Saban only returns one starter from the nation’s second ranked defense from a year ago, but there is inevitably a crop of incredibly talented youngsters waiting to be molded into stars. They’ll get their first chance to shine against a weak SJSU squad on Saturday.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: The Spartans haven’t covered the football game lines in a duel against an FBS team since September 12th of last season (0-9).

There’s just no way to back San Jose State here. If this team lost games by 35 points to Louisiana Tech, 55 to Nevada, 38 to Boise State, 25 to Stanford, and 53 to Southern Cal, what is Alabama going to do to it? The Spartans are just going to cling for dear life to this number. If you like SJSU, just play the ‘under’ since Barring a fluke play, the visitors aren’t going to tally a score in this one!

My NCAA Football Predictions: Alabama Crimson Tide (-37.5) -110
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Oregon State Beavers vs. TCU Horned Frogs Odds & Prediction: September 4th 2010
2. Texas Longhorns vs. Rice Owls Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010
3. New Mexico Lobos vs. Oregon Ducks Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010

New Mexico Lobos vs. Oregon Ducks
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 4th, 3:30 ET
Game Location: Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR
TV/Radio Broadcast: Local TV, Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: New Mexico Lobos (+35) -110 vs. Oregon Ducks (-35) -110: Over/Under 55

For New Mexico, just erasing the memories of a god awful 1-11 season would be a welcome experience. The team only scored more than 20 points only twice last year, and when it was faced with a quality foe with a chance at a legitimate bowl game, it only really put up a fight against BYU.

The Lobos have covered three straight spreads coming into this one, but barely covering as a 44.5 point underdog at TCU is nothing to write home about.

On the other side of the field is where our attention should be. The Ducks had one of the best offenses in the entire country last year, and Chip Kelly clearly would’ve had one of the Top 5 teams in the land this year had Jeremiah Masoli not been suspended and then booted off the team and out of school for some off the field troubles.

To make matters worse in this one, starting tailback LaMichael James and a host of others are also suspended for similar off the field issues.

Still, the Ducks are incredibly deep. Hopes are high this year for redshirt sophomore Darron Thomas, who beat out Nathan Costa in a very surprising decision by Kelly. Thomas went 16-of-33 for 268 yards with three scores in his only collegiate action in 2008.

Now, he has the keys to one of the most high flying offenses in the land. Just because Masoli and James aren’t in the fold doesn’t mean that Kelly won’t be trying to abuse the New Mexico defense with a high octane and full speed ahead mentality.

The Ducks averaged allowing 34.4 points per game in their L/5 games played a year ago, something that needs to be reversed and reversed immediately. This could be a good spot against a poor offense to build some confidence.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: The Quack Attack is 15-7 against the football game line in their L/22 tilts played in the month of September.

New Mexico is probably getting trampled in this game one way or the other. If we learned nothing else on the first day of college football on Thursday night, it’s that teams that think they can legitimately contend for National Championships are coming out and really smoking lousy foes.

Add Oregon to the list of big winners on Saturday; lay the chalk!

My NCAA Football Predictions: Oregon Ducks (-35) -110
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Oregon State Beavers vs. TCU Horned Frogs Odds & Prediction: September 4th 2010
2. Texas Longhorns vs. Rice Owls Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010
3. San Jose State Spartans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010

Texas Longhorns vs. Rice Owls
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 4th, 3:30 ET
Game Location: Reliant Stadium, Houston, TX
TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN Mobile TV, Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: Texas Longhorns (-31) -110 vs. Rice Owls (+31) -110: Over/Under 57

Garrett Gilbert is going to be thrilled that this isn’t the Alabama defense that he is about to run up against. No one should have to be thrown into the fire like Gilbert was last season, as he was given the task of replacing Colt McCoy in the BCS Championship Game against one of the most vaunted defenses that has ever stepped on the field in college football.

Gilbert at least led the Horns on two TD drives, but he also threw four picks and really didn’t leave Texas with much of a chance to claim glory.

Now, the sophomore moves forward, knowing that this team is his for the next three seasons now that McCoy has departed and is playing for the Cleveland Browns.

The question this year will be the defense, and whether names like Sam Acho can figure out how to step up and replace departures such as Earl Thomas and Sergio Kindle, both of which were first round selections in the NFL Draft this year.

For Rice, the good news is that 18 starters return. The bad news is that it only went 2-10 on the season. The Owls have three quarterbacks to choose from, and all three might see time at Reliant Stadium on Saturday. The only scary prospect for the Longhorns is that a starting quarterback has not been named yet for the Owls.

The Owls are still going to need to work on their defense in a big way. They allowed at least 40 points seven times last season, including allowing 63 to Navy and 73 to Houston. Obviously, a number like that being hung by the Longhorns won’t lead to a cover of any sort for an offense that didn’t crack 24 points for the first time last year until November 7th.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: The Longhorns are a stellar 8-2 ATS in their L/10 games against Conference USA foes, while Rice is just 1-7 ATS in its L/8 against the Big XII.

Much of that history between these teams has been one way traffic. Dating back to 2003, the Longhorns have stomped the Owls by the aggregate score of 296-61, or an average final of 49-10. That sounds about right for this one.

Hook ‘em Horns snag the impressive win against the football game line on Saturday.

My NCAA Football Predictions: Texas Longhorns (-31) -110
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. NCAA Football Odds: SMU vs. Texas Tech Prediction: September 5th 2010
2. San Jose State Spartans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010
3. New Mexico Lobos vs. Oregon Ducks Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010

Oregon State Beavers vs. TCU Horned Frogs
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 4th, 7:45 ET
Game Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX
TV/Radio Broadcast: ESPN, ESPN3.com, ESPN Mobile TV, Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: Oregon State Beavers (+13.5) -110 vs. TCU Horned Frogs (-13.5) -110: Over/Under 50

TCU is going to have the unenviable task of trying to stop the two Rodgers brothers this week, as both James and Jacquizz are back to make life a living hell on the opposition.

These two are simply fantastic, and while Jacquizz is doing all of the flashy work and scoring most of the touchdowns, James does the grunt work of going over the middle for receptions and returning kicks. These two will inevitably come up with at least 300 combined all-purpose yards in this game, as they averaged 330.0 per game a year ago.

Sophomore Ryan Katz is going to be thrown into the mix as the team’s starting quarterback this year, which has to leave the purple and black ‘D’ licking its chops. Katz only went 14-of-27 for 232 yards with a TD in limited work as Sean Canfield’s backup last season.

As for TCU, this is the year that the face of college football can change. The Horned Frogs think they can run the table and not just play in the BCS, but in the BCS Championship Game as well.

The defense is going to be missing two key cogs though, as both Daryl Washington and Jerry Hughes have departed. This is still a unit that isn’t afraid to smack you in the mouth and come after your quarterback on every single play.

On the other side of the ball, the only notable casualty was leading rusher Joseph Tucker. Still, TCU deployed three running backs last year, and Andy Dalton can take off from the pocket as well. It will be up to Dalton to distribute the ball for this offense, which has the potential to put 40+ points up on anyone in the nation whenever it feels like it.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: Oregon State is 23-9 ATS in its L/32 games overall.

Betting against Mike Riley is a tough thing to do, especially when he has the entire summer to prepare for just one game. The Beavers deserve a lot of credit for essentially playing a road game here against one of the best mid-major schools in the country.

Still, we tend to believe that Oregon State is going to get rewarded. It won’t win, but our football odds prediction calls for a closer game than this line suggests. TCU will be in for a fight.

My NCAA Football Predictions: Oregon State Beavers (+13.5) -110

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. New Mexico Lobos vs. Oregon Ducks Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010
2. San Jose State Spartans vs. Alabama Crimson Tide Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010
3. Texas Longhorns vs. Rice Owls Prediction & Odds: September 4th 2010

LSU Tigers vs. North Carolina Tar Heels
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 4th, 8:00 ET
Game Location: Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA
TV/Radio Broadcast: ABC, Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: LSU Tigers (-7.5) -110 vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (+7.5) -110: Over/Under 43

At least one of these two teams really knows what’s going on this year. The Bayou Bengals probably aren’t a legitimate Top 25 team this year, as they have reached this status of being the 16th ranked team in the country on name recognition alone.

Don’t let that fool you. Head coach Les Miles is on one of the hottest seats in the country right now.

The Tigers are going to be relying heavily once again on Jordon Jefferson to run the offense. This unit ranked in the bottom 20 in the nation last year in total offense and averaged less than 24 points per game. Though the LSU defense is solid, it just isn’t going to cut it to average that type of scoring production in the SEC or in games like this against fellow big time schools.

Unfortunately for Butch Davis, he really still has no clue what he can and cannot count on for this Saturday’s critical clash in the Peach State. We already know that Marvin Austin, one of the nation’s best defensive linemen has been suspended indefinitely. Three other starters, Quan Sturdivant, Bruce Carter, and Deunta Williams, all of which were preseason first team All-ACC players, have reportedly been suspended as well. A total of 15 Tar Heels are expected to miss this game and potentially several more in the future. Agent benefits and academic misconduct are being quoted for all of the suspensions that the Tar Heels are going to have to cope with beginning Saturday night.

Now, the Tar Heels are going to have to pick up the pieces and rely once again on the arm of TJ Yates, who is under the scrutiny of all of the fans clad in Carolina Blue after having a subpar 2009 campaign.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: The Tigers have covered the spread in four straight games against the ACC and are 15-7 ATS in their L/22 non-conference games overall.

We wish that the threes and fours that were on the board earlier in the week were still existing, as it is becoming more and more clear that UNC is in a boatload of trouble. Depending on how many suspensions really end up getting handed out between now and Saturday night, the Tar Heels could find themselves getting blown out of the water. LSU is our college football odds prediction of the day night!

My NCAA Football Predictions: LSU Tigers (-7.5) -110
Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. North Carolina vs. Mississippi State Prediction: 2010 NCAA Tournament: March 20th
2. Free Pick: North Carolina vs. Virginia Tech: February 4th 2010
3. Week 1 NCAA Football Picks: Pittsburgh vs. Utah Prediction & Odds: September 2nd 2010

Baltimore Ravens vs. New Orleans Saints (+2800) – Consider this a relatively potential possibility that could have a huge payday at the end of the season for you! The Ravens have looked incredibly sharp in the preseason, cashing in on three straight games both SU and ATS. When healthy, this could be one of the best teams in the NFL. We already know what the Saints can do. Just ask Peyton Manning and the Colts what happened last year when New Orleans found itself in a Super Bowl betting scenario for the very first time!

Houston Texans vs. Dallas Cowboys (+7500) – Good ol’ boys from the great state of Texas would love this Super Bowl betting showdown. The price is a bit out there, as we are pretty certain that it would take a great run on the road in the playoffs for the Texans to reach the Super Bowl, and we are taking a chance on a team that has never made the postseason before. The Cowboys seem like a realistic possibility to get to the big game though, as they are the class of the NFC East and might be able to run to the Super Bowl without having to leave their Taj Mahal of a stadium.

Green Bay Packers vs. New York Jets (+2500) – Which team will Brett Favre suddenly want to come and play for if this matchup of his former teams is what ends up happening in the Super Bowl? Both of these teams are basically in a toss up to win their respective divisions, as Green Bay will be battling Favre and the Vikings, while the Jets are going to be taking Tom Brady and the Pats head on. However, we’ve already seen what the Jets can do in the playoffs when their defense gets going, and we know that Aaron Rodgers is one of the best young QBs in the game. The potential is certainly there.

Oakland Raiders vs. Detroit Lions (+150000) – What a payday this would be! Ok, we don’t really believe that the Raiders and Lions are Super Bowl material this year, but both of these teams are clearly improved from a year ago. The Raiders are playing in the worst division in their conference and only have the San Diego Chargers to worry about. The Lions could be a real sleeper in the NFC North if they can find a way to win a few road contests. We can dream, right? Just imagine you having a $150,000 bankroll to work with for Super Bowl betting action this year and placed a $100 bet on this sucker!

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Cowboys vs. Texans: NFL Pre-Season Betting Odds & Pick: August 28th 2010
2. Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Preseason Odds & Prediction: August 21st 2010
3. NFL Betting: 2010 Odds To Win The NFC South

Pittsburgh Panthers vs. Utah Utes
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 8:30 ET
Game Location: Rice-Eccles Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT
TV/Radio Broadcast: Versus, Sirius

NCAA Football Odds: Pittsburgh Panthers (+3) -110 vs. Utah Utes (+3) -110: Over/Under 49.5

The Panthers have two critical things going for them in this game. The first is that they clearly have one of the, if not the best running backs in the game in Dion Lewis. He rushed for 1,799 yards last year as just a freshman, and there is no reason to believe that he will be slowed down in the opener either.

The second item of note for U-Pitt is the fact that it always seems to generate pressure on opposing quarterbacks with just the use of its front four. Blitzing isn’t really in the cards most of the time for Dave Wannstedt, but in the event that he does call for the heat, it is unlikely that most quarterbacks will find the time to make the throws to beat the ‘D’.

On the other side of the ball, it isn’t going to help the Utes any that their quarterback, Jordan Wynn is just a sophomore and has still yet to reach double digits in terms of games played at this level. Wynn did come on strong against the California Golden Bears in Utah’s bowl game last year, going 26-of-36 for 338 yards with three TDs, but he was sacked a handful of times and couldn’t get away from the pass rush when it came.

Wynn is going to need a lot of help from his defense in this game to contain Lewis and the Panthers. This is a unit which ranked in the Top 25 last year in total defense (313.8 yards per game), pass defense (176.2 yards per game), and scoring (20.2 points per game). The better news is that Pittsburgh might be a one dimensional team, as it is breaking in a new quarterback in Tino Sunseri, who replaces a veteran of the team, Bill Stull.

NCAA Football Insider Tip: The Utes are generally slow starters, at least in terms of the spread, as they are just 1-4 ATS in their L/5 games played in the month of September.

Though this is a tough game to call, the Panthers are our choice. The defensive front and the consistency of the rushing game with Lewis will be too much to handle. Our football expert line choice is on U-Pitt in this college football betting battle.

My NCAA Football Predictions: Pittsburgh Panthers (+3) -110

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010
2. NCAA Football Picks: LSU vs. North Carolina Odds & Prediction: September 4th 2010
3. NCAA Football Odds: SMU vs. Texas Tech Prediction: September 5th 2010

Miami Dolphins vs. Dallas Cowboys
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 8:00 ET
Game Location: Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Dallas, TX
TV/Radio Broadcast: Local TV, Westwood One, Sirius

NFL Football Odds: Miami Dolphins (-1.5) -110 vs. Dallas Cowboys (+1.5) -110: Over/Under 37

It is fairly clear that Tony Sparano isn’t a very happy man right now. After last week’s 16-6 loss to the Atlanta Falcons at home in which the team failed to reach the end zone, Sparano announced that he will indeed use his starters against the Cowboys in the preseason finale.

This immediately jolted the football game odds down to make Miami a short favorite instead of a three point underdog at the opening of lines.

How long the Miami starters will play is still anyone’s guess. We know that Chad Henne is probably going to need to do a better job of hooking up with his receivers that are going to be in the rotation starting next weekend. Brandon Marshall and Anthony Fasano, the team’s best receiver and tight end respectively, only have a combined 11 catches in three games.

Wade Phillips was fairly irate after Dallas was dumped by the Houston Texans 23-7 at Reliant Stadium last week. He promptly came out the next day in the media and said that he would be utilizing his starters as well in spite of the fact that this is the fifth preseason game for the Cowboys.

On Wednesday though, he changed his mind. Stephen McGee will get the starting nod in what will be the most important game of his career.

McGee is still trying to prove that he is worthy of a spot in the NFL, and this preseason has been a mixed bag that hasn’t helped that cause any. The former Texas A&M Aggie has gone 26-of-45 for 220 yards and he has yet to either throw a touchdown pass or a pick.

The worse news for McGee is that he probably won’t get much help from his ground game. The Cowboys rank dead last in the league in rushing and have yet to score a rushing TD in the preseason.

NFL Insider Tip: Neither one of these teams has been particularly proficient on offense in the preseason, and the end result has been a combined six ‘unders’ against just one ‘over’ contest.

How could we not play the ‘under’ once again? This would be a bunch of points for the Dolphins and Cowboys to reach if this were a regular season game, let alone one in the preseason. This should once again be a relatively sloppy contest, and the end result should be an easy win for players of the ‘under’ on the football game odds.

My NFL Predictions: Miami Dolphins/Dallas Cowboys Under 37

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Week 4 Preseason NFL Picks: Bet On This 10 Point Super Teaser: September 2nd 2010
2. Week 4 NFL Preseason Predictions: Redskins vs. Cardinals Odds: September 2nd 2010
3. NFL Preseason Week 2 Underdog Parlay Picks: August 20th 2010

Washington Redskins vs. Arizona Cardinals
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 10:00 ET
Game Location: University of Phoenix Stadium, Phoenix, AZ
TV/Radio Broadcast: Local TV, NFL Network, Westwood One, Sirius

NFL Odds: Washington Redskins (+5.5) -110 vs. Arizona Cardinals (-5.5) -110: Over/Under 37

Thanks to injuries to both Donovan McNabb and Rex Grossman, the only two quarterbacks that are probably going to suit it up for the Redskins on Thursday night are John Beck and Richard Bartel.

Let’s remember that Beck was competing to be the starting QB for the Miami Dolphins as recently as two years ago, so he clearly has some skills. Beck is only completing 50.0 percent of his passes for 103 yards in the preseason.

Bartel came on last week and threw for 44 yards and a TD in his debut in ’09 for the Redskins.

Washington has made it to 2-1 on the preseason thanks to the fact that its defense has been fantastic at times. Allowing a total of just 51 points in three games ranks Washington Redskins at 12th in the league in scoring.

On the other side of the field, the Cardinals are clearly in some disarray. Though it is unknown whether either Derek Anderson or Matt Leinart is going to play in this game, it is clear that Anderson is playing in Week 1, while Leinart, barring injury, will not. Ken Whisenhunt announced on Wednesday that the former Cleveland Browns starter is his man for the beginning of the season, which has really thrown the entire team for a whirl. Leinart, once upon a time considered the future of the franchise, is reportedly on the trade block.

Beck’s successor at BYU, Max Hall should be used quite a bit for the Cards on Thursday night. Both he and fellow rookie John Skelton have looked good in the preseason, and both are going to be fighting for what could be just one roster spot should Leinart not get moved by the start of the year.

NFL Insider Tip : The Redskins are unbeaten in their L/5 road games dating back to last season, going 4-0-1 against the football game lines.

Are Beck and Bartel the second coming of Joe Theismann and Mark Rypien? Of course not. However, they are both probably going to find a way to play inspired football once again. There is a lot of controversy right now in Arizona Cardinals, and we don’t love the idea of laying six points in the preseason with a team that doesn’t have a fantastic direction of where it is going.

The ‘Skins should top the Cards on the football game lines on Thursday.

My NFL Predictions: Washington Redskins (+5.5) -110

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Week 4 NFL Preseason Odds: Dolphins vs. Cowboys Prediction: September 2nd 2010
2. Week 4 Preseason NFL Picks: Bet On This 10 Point Super Teaser: September 2nd 2010
3. Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010

Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 8:00 ET
Game Location: Mall of America Field, Minneapolis, MN
TV/Radio Broadcast: Local TV, Westwood One, Sirius

NFL Football Odds: Denver Broncos (+4.5) -110 vs. Minnesota Vikings (-4.5) -110: Over/Under 35

The key to figuring out the winner of the football game line in this one is going to be quarterback play.

Quite simply, for the visiting Broncos, their QBs just aren’t quite there yet. Neither Brady Quinn nor Tim Tebow is completing more than 57 percent of their passes, and neither has even reached 200 passing yards yet in the preseason. The two have also combined to throw just one touchdown against two INTs.

Denver is clearly also not being helped by its defense, which is allowing 385.3 yards per game, the second worst total in the NFL. Will the ‘D’ that picked off three passes and made life a living hell for the quarterbacks of the Pittsburgh Steelers show up? Or will the one that seemingly tanked its first two games of the year rear its ugly head?

If it is the latter, the backup QBs for the Vikings are going to make Denver pay. The Vikes, without a doubt, have the strong trio of quarterbacks right now in the league, and even if Brett Favre doesn’t play (or doesn’t play much), there is no reason not to believe in the combination of Tarvaris Jackson and Sage Rosenfels.

Look for Rosenfels to get the majority of the reps once again for the men in purple and gold, as this will probably be the last time that he ever steps foot on the turf for his current team. Rosenfels has looked sharp all preseason long, completing 63.8 percent of his passes for 392 yards with four scores and no picks.

Even the fourth man on the depth chart, rookie Joe Webb has looked great, throwing for 91 yards and two TDs and rushing for another 78 yards and a score.

NFL Insider Tip: These two teams are clearly in different mindsets right now in terms of recent form. Denver is just 2-5 ATS and 1-6 SU in its L/7 games overall, while Minnesota has beaten the football game line in five of its L/6.

That being said, we tend to believe that the backups for the Vikings are just all around better than they are for the Broncos. Yes, we understand that Tebow generally refuses to lose as a starter, but this is a game that isn’t exactly for keeps. Go with Minnesota, and you’ll be a winner against the football game line on Thursday night.

My NFL Predictions: Minnesota Vikings -4.5

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Vikings vs. 49ers: NFL Preseason Odds & Prediction: August 22nd 2010
2. Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010
3. NFL Preseason Picks: Patriots vs. Giants Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010

Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 7:30 ET
Game Location: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
TV/Radio Broadcast: Local TV, Westwood One, Sirius

NFL Odds: Carolina Panthers (+6) -110 vs. Pittsburgh Steelers (-6) -110: Over/Under 37

The Panthers have been an absolute train wreck so far in the preseason. They have yet to score an offensive touchdown and have only found pay dirt a grand total of one time; on a kickoff return.

None of their quarterbacks have played well either, as Matt Moore, Jimmy Clausen, Hunter Cantwell, and Tony Pike have all completed 50 percent or fewer of their passes. Simply put, that isn’t going to cut it in the NFL at any level, even in the preseason.

The far more interesting story here is the play of the Steelers. Mike Tomlin still doesn’t know whether he is going with Byron Leftwich or Dennis Dixon to start the regular season under center. We don’t expect to see all that much from the soon to be suspended Ben Roethlisberger because of this, as these two prospective starters for the first month of the season are still locked in a crucial duel.

Dixon has looked the better of the two QBs so far in the summer, as he has completed 70.9 percent of his passes for 304 yards with a score and two picks, while Leftwich is only completing 45.0 percent of his passes for 138 yards and a TD. Dixon also has a ton of mobility and can get himself out of trouble if need be, while Leftwich looks like a statue in the pocket.

The problem that the former Oregon Duck has is that he looked terrible at times last week while playing against the Denver Broncos first team defense. He won’t see Carolina’s best effort this week, which might not give Tomlin the best gauge for which man he should use some next Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons.

NFL Insider Tip: For whatever reason, whether in the preseason or in the regular season, the Steelers have dominated this series. They hold a 5-1 ATS and 4-2 SU advantage over Carolina since 2005.

Let’s not mistake the fact that this is an incredibly hefty set of football lines in this game. Asking anyone to cover six-points in the preseason is a tall task. We saw that last week when the St. Louis Rams upset the New England Patriots as 7.5-point pups.

Still, Pittsburgh has too much to play for against a team that has looked this bad to not win by at least a touchdown – Expect a double digit victory!

My NFL Predictions: Pittsburgh Steelers (-6) -110

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Week 4 Preseason NFL Picks: Bet On This 10 Point Super Teaser: September 2nd 2010
2. Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings Preseason Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010
3. Week 4 NFL Preseason Predictions: Redskins vs. Cardinals Odds: September 2nd 2010

New England Patriots vs. New York Giants
Game Date/Time: Thursday, September 2nd, 7:00 ET
Game Location: New Meadowlands Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ
TV/Radio Broadcast: Local TV, Westwood One, Sirius

NFL Football Odds: New England Patriots (+3) -105 vs. New York Giants (+3) -115: Over/Under 37.5

Even though the Patriots have scored the third most points in the NFL this preseason, don’t expect them to be going all out to improve upon those numbers this weekend. Tom Brady played into the fourth quarter of last week’s mildly surprising 36-35 loss to the St. Louis Rams, and Bill Belichick has to be thrilled about the fact that his offense is operating so well.

That being said, expect to see some more out of backup Brian Hoyer. Hoyer has only completed 54.8 percent of his passes for 205 yards in the preseason, but he has thrown two TD passes without chucking a pick.

He would be helped out dramatically by his defense if the unit could hold the Giants to less than its averages so far in the summer. New England is allowing 344.3 yards and 23.3 points per game thus far through three bouts against the football game line.

No team has done a worse job defensively this preseason though, than the Giants. New York is allowing a whopping 387.3 yards per game, a league worst 281 of which have come through the air. This is terrible news for both the front four, which is getting minimal pressure on opposing QBs, and the secondary, which is clearly just getting abused.

The offense might see Eli Manning for a bit more than the average starting quarterback in the fourth game of the preseason, as he has only thrown 26 passes thus far, completing just 13 of them. It will be interesting to see whether Victor Cruz gets more reps after his stellar exhibition campaign in which he has accounted for a dozen catches, 251 yards, and all four of the team’s receiving touchdowns.

The Giants have only forced three turnovers in as many games in the preseason, which is why their defensive stats look so dismal.

NFL Insider Tip: Dating back to last year, the G-Men are only 3-6 SU and ATS in their L/9 games overall.

New York is probably just a wee too inconsistent to back in this game. Grabbing points in the preseason is always a good idea, especially when you really don’t have much of a clue about what either head coach is thinking in terms of quarterback rotation.

Odds have it, New England is going to lead you to victory on the football game line.

My NFL Predictions: New England Patriots (+3) -105

Source: BetUS Locker Room Featured on: Handicapperspicks.com

Related posts:

1. Denver Broncos vs. Minnesota Vikings Preseason Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010
2. Carolina Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Steelers Preseason Odds & Prediction: September 2nd 2010
3. Week 4 NFL Preseason Odds: Dolphins vs. Cowboys Prediction: September 2nd 2010