Thursday's Top Action

We’ll start Thursday with top notch System is college hoops that is 25-5 ATS. The Top Trend is nearly perfect in the SEC tonight. Good Luck

What I thought today - Last night in a busy college basketball Wednesday, home underdogs were 6-9-1 ATS. Home favorites of 10 or more were pedestrian 5-5 ATS on the college hardwood. In the NBA last evening, the OVER was 8-3.

Check the internet for Lane Kiffin’s press conferences, one leaving Tennessee and the other taking the USC job. Make sure to have the shower running, you’ll need one after listening to him.

On Twitter at: www.twitter.com/3Dailywinners

Free Basketball System -1) Play Against road teams like the Citadel when the line is +3 to -3, who shoot 42 or less percent on the season, against opponent after three straight games allowing a shooting pct. or 40 percent or less. This system pops in at 83.3 percent over 13 years.

Free Basketball Trend-2) Mississippi State is 11-1 ATS after four straight games forcing opponent to commit 14 or less turnovers over the last two seasons.

Free Basketball Pick -3) LCC consensus play on St. Mary's.

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College Football Saturday Betting Options

It’s been jam-packed season of crazy occurrences in college football and we’re getting down to the nitty-gritty. With what the schedule looks like, this is the last chance for TCU to be knocked off facing quality Utah club. The Big Ten title is on the line in Columbus, but sports bettors believe it will be one-sided. Florida and Alabama look to keep matching towards what appears to be BCS semi-final tilt. Oregon’s slip last week left them no room for error if they expect to be Pac-10 champions. What about ABC promoting potential Notre Dame train-wreck, instead of just how good this Pittsburgh team is and that they will have real chance to knock off unbeaten Cincinnati in the coming weeks. Jimmy Football is even more fired up than usual about Saturday’s action. Odds courtesy of Bookmaker.com.

Iowa (+16.5, 37.5) at Ohio State 3:30E ABC/GP

Ohio State (8-2 SU&ATS) understands their Big Ten fate after winning impressively at Penn State 24-7. The Buckeyes offense has never found a comfort zone and in recent weeks and has dipped into coach Jim Tressel’s bag of tricks to score or setup better field position to score points. Though quarterback Terrelle Pryor has made improvements this season, he’s not taken the big stride forward. Part is dissonant offensive line, barely average running backs and receivers lacking experience. The defense has been at usual Buckeye standards, holding eight opponents to 18 or fewer points, including three shutouts. Ohio State is 11-0 ATS the week after battle with Nittany Lions.

While Iowa (9-1, 6-3 ATS) had drawn comparisons to 2002 Ohio State national championship team by winning a large number of close games, they are not in the same class, which home loss to Northwestern proved. If anything, that Buckeyes team underachieved, winning half their games by seven or fewer points and having 19 players drafted over a two-year period. The Hawkeyes talent level is not anywhere close to that benchmark and has achieved success by playing hard and never giving up.

Iowa has trailed on the scoreboard in eight of nine wins this season and that was with Ricky Stanzi at quarterback. Now QB James Vandenberg gets his chance. Last week he had a lot of pressure on his, especially after the Hawkeyes fell behind. This week, nobody is giving the Hawkeyes a chance, as bettors have pounded Ohio State. Mental resolve goes a long way as Iowa has outscored the opposition 148-57 in the second half, including 107-44 in the final 15 minutes. Iowa will be a conference road underdog for the fourth time this season and they are 3-0 SU and ATS and 9-1 ATS on the road the last two seasons. Since 2000 the Hawkeyes are 17-10-1 ATS in this exact role.

Ohio State is 12-2 SU and 11-3 ATS since 1989 against Iowa including five straight SU and ATS beat-downs with average margin 20 points per game. If Iowa doesn’t turn the ball over, they’ll have a great chance to cover, if they do, the Buckeyes build on aforementioned numbers over the Hawkeyes.

3DW Line – Ohio State by 17

Florida (-17.5, 42) at South Carolina 3:30E CBS

This is Florida’s last SEC game already, having peculiar schedule that ends with two non-conference tilts. Scheduling Florida International next is a wise move before annual confrontation with Florida State. The Gators (9-0, 4-4 ATS) haven’t always looked like the best team in the country, but has shown signs of putting everything together with last two wins over Georgia and Vanderbilt. The red zone issues are being answered and Tim Tebow has been more in sync with his receivers, like Riley Cooper. The defense is as good as there is ranked second in the country (232.4 YPG), led by team leader and linebacker Brandon Spikes. Wide receiver Brandon James and TE Aaron Hernandez have dropped more passes than necessary this season and a game might be coming in which that could haunt Florida. The Gators are 8-1 ATS as SEC road chalk.

This is also South Carolina’s last conference clash and has just in-state rival Clemson left. Since scoring 28 points against Kentucky, the offense has not been able to turn digits on the scoreboard, averaging 12.2 points per game. Facing a hungry Gators defense is not the easiest way to find a way to manufacture points. Quarterback Stephen Garcia has to keep wits about him in the passing game with the pressure he will face and be on target when the Gamecocks (6-4, 5-5 ATS) are in position to put up points. This will be a touchdown game, not field goal fest. Senior linebacker Eric Norwood and defensive mates have to throw off the timing of Florida offense and force turnovers that can lead to points. They haven’t lately and are 3-12 ATS in home games after two consecutive games where they forced one or less turnovers.

South Carolina is 4-7-1 ATS as home underdogs under coach Steve Spurrier. The former Gators head man is 1-3 and 2-2 ATS vs. his alma mater.

3DWLine – Florida by 15

Alabama (-12.5, 43.5) at Mississippi State 7:00E ESPN

Alabama (9-0, 6-3 ATS) has won six of last eight against Mississippi State; however that doesn’t tell the whole story. From 1996 to 2000, the Crimson Tide lost four of five to the Bulldogs, with a matching spread record. In the last two decades, Mississippi State has covered the spread 14 of 20 times and been a real nuisance to Bama. Other than Ole Miss, Alabama is the next biggest rival on the Bulldogs menu and for the most part aren’t even given consideration by Alabama, which irks the folks from Starksville to no end.

Part of the Crimson Tide’s lack of focus comes from having LSU just after or before the Bulldogs, just like this season. No team can be emotionally ready week after week and this is a plausible explanation for Alabama’s problems with Mississippi State. Alabama has had to make adjustments offensively. In the first part of the 2009 campaign, opponents made a concerted effort to take away WR Julio Jones. This took a player out of the box and running back Mark Ingram has had big year. More recently, Ingram has been the focus of attention and QB Greg McElroy’s inability to complete passes has prevented the Tide from taking advantage until last week. Bama is 13-7-1 ATS since 1999 as SEC road faves and is perfect 6-0 ATS as visiting team the last two seasons.

The Bulldogs (4-5, 5-3 ATS) have played every ranked team they have faced tough, losing by 10 or less points. New coach Dan Mullen is seeking a first year signature win to help attract better recruits and an upset of Alabama has them on the front page or home page of every sports news outlet. Mississippi State has one of the premier running games in the country (12th) at 219.2 yards per game, with Anthony Dixon toting the pigskin. The Bulldogs are 6-6 ATS as home dogs vs Top 10 teams in last dozen tries. Seven of last 11 conflicts have been UNDER the total.

3DWLine – Alabama by 12

Notre Dame (+6.5, 58.5) at Pittsburgh 8:00E ABC/GP

Notre Dame saw their BCS bowl aspirations drown in upset loss to Navy 23-21. What looked like a 10-2 season, could easily turn into 7-5, starting with Pittsburgh next. The not always Fighting Irish (6-3, 2-7 ATS) welcomed back receiver Michael Floyd last week, giving quarterback Jimmy Clausen his full complement of weapons, like he had in the first 2 ½ games of the season. With Golden Tate having All-American season, the offense will be as dangerous as it has been all season. The offensive line will be tested against top quality Pittsburgh defensive front that is among the top 10 in the country. Notre Dame’s defense is always a concern and they will have to play above proven ability to stop one of the balanced attacks in the country. The Irish are 2-11 ATS in road games after gaining 6.75 or more yards per play in previous game.

Once beaten Pittsburgh (8-1, 6-2 ATS) scheduled wisely for this brawl. The Panthers have yet to lose in the Big East and have closing games with West Virginia and Cincinnati to determine who wins the conference and the BCS berth. However, they can give Notre Dame their full attention with a bye next week. Arguably the most improved quarterback in the country is Bill Stull, who’s blossomed under new offensive coordinator Frank Cignetti Jr. A more harmonious offense line has kept Stull’s jersey clean and freshman RB Dion Lewis has made a big splash, as the nation’s first 1,000 yard rusher. Pitt stopped Syracuse 37-10 last week and is 16-5 ATS in home games off a win against Big East rival.

The Panthers are just 3-9 ATS versus Notre Dame including 1-4 ATS at home. The visitor has won and covered four in a row.

3DWLine – Pittsburgh by 13

Utah (+20, 47) at TCU 7:30E CBSC

This is potentially the last big game in the Mountain West Conference if Utah can’t pull the upset of highly-ranked TCU. The Utes (8-1, 3-6 ATS) have just one blemish in the loss column, which occurred at Oregon, a 31-24 loss as four-point road dogs. Utah’s defense allowed the Ducks just 312 yards on that mid-September afternoon and has only allowed 14.3 points per game since. The Utes have reputation for being effective when it counts most and they have won eight of their last nine games decided by a touchdown or less. Coach Kyle Whittingham made the tough choice, going with talented true freshman QB Jordan Wynn, who’s provided a lift, particularly in the red zone. Utah is celebrated 41-20 ATS as an underdog, including 12-1 ATS as a Mountain West road dog of three or more.

Since the decade began, TCU (6-3 ATS) has won 92 games and been a continual contender in the Mountain West, now in its fifth season. The Horned Frogs have higher expectations this year sporting 9-0 record. With a victory over Utah, only at Wyoming and New Mexico stand in the way of perfect season and possible BCS berth. Just how good has TCU been, take away the snow and wind contest at Air Force (20-17 win), they have conquered all other teams by average score of 39-10. The Horned Frogs have domineering defensive front and quickness throughout the defensive two-deep. After years of being an efficient game manager and good runner, QB Andy Dalton has become more accurate thrower, making TCU much more alarming on offense. The Frogs are 11-3 ATS as a home favorite over the last three seasons, winning by 26.3 points per game.

Utah is 5-1 and 4-2 ATS and has won three in a row in this confrontation. TCU is 17-1 and 15-3 ATS in November battles in Fort Worth.

3DW Line - TCU by 18

Arizona State (+18.5, 50.5) at Oregon 10:15E ESPN

The Oregon Ducks (7-2, 6-3 ATS) look to continue their march towards a Pac-10 title and have home game against the Sun Devils. Oregon’s seven game winning streak ended at Stanford with foul defensive performance. The offense is hardly a duck out of water, averaging over 40 points a game in conference action, including the 24 against UCLA when quarterback Jeremiah Masoli was out with knee injury. Opposing teams have much to fear, as one Pac-10 coach said about Ducks offense after watching USC massacre. “The execution was at the highest level I’ve ever seen someone run the spread option attack,”

Another aspect is the athleticism of the Oregon defense, which is evident watching them play (when motivated) and fly around to the ball. It’s no wonder they are 28-11 ATS when they allow 15 to 21 points.

Folks in Tempe are showing signs of restlessness after three straight Pac-10 losses and 2-5 record since starting 2-0. Injuries have been a big factor for a squad lacking any real depth. Rumors are circulating that Dennis Erickson has a coaching staff littered with too many cronies and not enough younger energetic types that can recruit and keep the players fired up. Erickson is also calling the offense and questionable clock management has surfaced in different games, with many believing the head coach’s plate is too full. The defense is well above average (15th in total defense); however they will have to be uncommonly extraordinary to slow Oregon. The Sun Devils are a pale 8-18-2 ATS as a conference club catching points.

Oregon has oppressed Arizona State (4-3 ATS) in last four meetings, winning and covering each time, with average differential 24 points a contest. These two schools have averaged 64 points per game the last three years.

3DWLine –Oregon by 18.5

What’s up with the SEC in College Hoops?

For much of the 1980’s and a good part of the 1990’s, SEC basketball was a kindly distraction after the Southeastern Conference football season was completed and spring football began. Oh sure, Kentucky was always in the mix of top teams in the country, but they were a basketball school compared to the rest of the league. That’s not to say they didn’t play good basketball in the SEC, every now and again an Alabama or Vanderbilt would rise into the higher stratosphere of the Top 10 and have exceptional years and then the coach would leave for a better paying job someplace else.

Everything started to change when Nolan Richardson came to Arkansas and he led the Razorbacks to national championship in 1995. Two years later the SEC had two teams in the Final Four and Rick Pitino led Kentucky to a national title. After taking the Wildcats to the championship the following year, Pitino felt compelled (money) to test his skills in the NBA and Tubby Smith moved into the Kentucky hot seat and won the NCAA championship with Pitino’s players.

The conference transformed into a hotbed of talent, arenas were filling up and excitement was on the rise. Hot coaching prospects were brought in to compete with Kentucky and almost every year the SEC had four teams in the Sweet 16. Billy Donovan, a Pitino protégé lit a fire under Florida’s basketball, culminating with back-to-back national titles in 2006-07. So what happened?

For the second week in a row, the SEC does not have a team ranked in the Top 25 which has become a topic of discussion on college basketball telecasts and halftime shows. If you include the ESPN/USA Today Top 25, the last time this conference did have a team in the Top 25 two weeks in a row was the 1997-98 season. How can the SEC not have a ranked team is the question?

Let’s start with the computer guys, Ken Pomeroy and Jeff Sagarin. Pomeroy has KenPom.com college basketball ratings that are very sophisticated and he at least sees Kentucky at No. 20, with Florida at No. 38. Sagarin has the bigger brand name with his USA Today affiliation and he has the Wildcats 31st and the Gators 33rd.

Part of the problem with SEC is shooting. This league has Kentucky and Florida both shooting over 49 percent and South Carolina isn’t bad at 47.4 percent. However, only the Gamecocks and LSU shoot over 38 percent from beyond the arc. Skeptics will point towards the basketball numbers being similar to what happens in football, defense rules in the South.

The SEC has six teams that allow under 40 percent of shots to be made. Sounds impressive, until you realize the Big East has five teams and the ACC has an astonishing eight teams that also play stellar defense.

The truth is the SEC doesn’t even belong in the same conversation as the other two conferences just mentioned and here’s why.

Reviewing the Sagarin ratings by conference, the Southeastern has 10 teams with a schedule difficulty of 193rd or worse. Consider the ACC and the Big East has only one team each (N.C. State and Rutgers respectively) that have played a schedule worse than a 193rd and the Pac-10 team with the easiest slate is UCLA at 136th.

In addition, it’s not like the SEC has routed all these pushover opponents. Where do we start? Georgia lost to Loyola-Chic by 21 and somebody named Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Arkansas beats top Big 12 teams Oklahoma and Texas at home and shows its multiple personalities in starting 0-3 in conference along with losing to Missouri State. Ole Miss has had more then their share of injuries, yet losing to Southern Miss by 19 and by 33 at New Mexico as four point underdogs, ranks right up their with Alabama and Auburn losing to Mercer, who is a middle of the road club in the mighty Atlantic Sun Conference. Kentucky was the one who started this whole mess, losing season and home opener to VMI 111-103.

Nothing is really to be learned from studying numbers against the spread and too few conference games have been played to really make an astute judgment otherwise.

This is a league largely devoid of senior talent, with its best player’s juniors and sophomores. Jodie Meeks and Patrick Patterson at Kentucky, Tyler Smith at Tennessee, Nick Calathes at Florida and O.J. Ogilvy at Vanderbilt could compete with any five all-conference performers in the country, but going to the bench for almost as good second team would expose this league.

Most of the freshmen with high expectations have not shined as brightly as expected, and have been up and down, like you would expect a freshman to play.

The coaching carousel has spun, which hasn’t helped and others that have shorter service have not stepped up. South Carolina and LSU are presumed to improve with talented coaches like Darrin Horn and Trent Johnson, but guaranteed success, not likely. Patience in running thin at Auburn and Georgia, where Jeff Lebo and Dennis Felton have not met, let alone exceeded fans expectations. Coaches at Arkansas, Mississippi and even Billy Gillispie to a lesser degree at Lexington are still trying to feel comfortable.

Can the SEC improve before the NCAA tournament, without a doubt. A few wins can gel a club and they go on a tear. However, they will have to do so playing primarily each other, which could be good or like the Big Ten in football, create false pretense, which is later exposed.

Betting the SEC is a tricky proposition until we have a better read on the teams, which might not ever happen this season.

How Real Sports Bettors Spend Black Friday

While watching television this week and starting Brooke Burke withdrawal on Dancing with the Stars, I saw some ridiculous store is opening at 4:00 am Friday morning to get my business. The only retail business I’m doing at that time of the day is at a 24-hour Denny’s or Micky D’s after carousing the night before. My only goal is to wake up in time to place a few bets on football and basketball before the first game starts.

While the few remaining people that actually have a couple hundred dollars in their saving accounts and about the same left on credit card limits, goes out to spends the rest, with the knowledge the new year could bring unemployment, you like me don’t have a care in the world other than making sure the TV works, there’s beer in the fridge and three pounds of turkey your mom or relative sent home for the weekend is still cold.

Their might not be a more appropriately termed expression than playing in “the losers bracket”, on the day after Thanksgiving at 10:30 am Eastern in Orlando, in the Old Spice Basketball Classic. This follows from playing basketball ON Thanksgiving. (I wonder if you get the Old Spice gift pack swag for showing up) I’ll probably pass on that and get ready for West Virginia and Pitt in the backyard brawl and take West Virginia in big revenge game.

At 12:30 Eastern on Game Plan or if you live in the South somewhere, the Egg Bowl will be played. For those unfamiliar, this is Mississippi State vs Mississippi. In case you haven’t read or heard this, how they came up with the name Egg Bowl was from a trophy they came up that was egg-shaped to present after the game to stop fighting between the fans of each team, that’s nuts. Nothing nuts about Houston Nutt taking Ole Miss to first bowl game since some quarterback named Eli followed his old man there in Oxford. I like that the Rebels have won four in a row (3-1 ATS) and are 6-0 ATS in November the last few years.

At 2:30 Eastern, CBS turns on the way-back machine and has Don Criqui and Dan Fouts do the LSU at Arkansas contest. Both announcers are well past their prime, which this year is true of the Tigers and Hogs. Remember how were told all the speed the SEC has and this is the best conference known to mankind. If it’s so special, how come a team supposedly as powerful as LSU has only held Appalachian State, North Texas and Tulane to less than two touchdowns? I talked to a SEC scout about two weeks ago and he said Arkansas definitely doesn’t have the same talent as the last few years, but in his eyes, the Razorback players don’t play nearly as hard for Bobby (vagabond) Petrino. I know Sportsbook.com has LSU as 4.5-point favorites and I like the fact Miles minions are 12-3 ATS in road games off an upset loss as a favorite.

At about 3:30E on ABC, two Big 12 teams who used to sit at the big table for the holidays, will meet when Colorado travels Lincoln to take on Nebraska. Once the Big 12 was formulated, this became the marquee matchup in the Big 12 North, with these two schools having battled for Big 8 titles in the late 1980’s and early 90’s. Both are trying to make a comeback bigger than the Sex Pistols. Nebraska is 18-point favorite in this meaningless game and I’ll bite with the Children of the Corn 18-6 ATS in home games off two straight wins against conference rivals. I’ll also back the Huskers since the defense, though still bad by Blackshirt standards, had 65 painted on them in Boulder last year on this day.

Did you know they are playing they are playing the preseason NIT championship at 4 Eastern on Friday? Can’t figure that out, but will have to keep flipping channels while opening more adult beverages and stuffing face with leftovers. (Is it me or is turkey like chips the day after Thanksgiving)

I have to admit it, I can not stand Fresno State coach Pat Hill and I’m looking forward to Boise State blasting them into the next universe commencing at 6 Eastern on ESPN also (2). Seriously, have you ever heard or seen a coach who puts more emphasis on big non-conference games than winning a league title! This is his 12th year in Raisin Country and he tied for first in the WAC twice in his tenure and nothing since 1999. Yet he gets all these accolades for beating the occasional BCS team or coming oh so close. When Hill first took over at Fresno State, he said he wanted to build a program like Florida State’s. In the end he has, mediocre. The Wussdogs have been outscored by 87 total points in their last three trips into Boise. With the Broncos 9-1 and 8-2 against the spread in their last home game and gorgeous 20-4 ATS as conference home favorite of 28 or less, I’ll back Boise.

By 9:30E, I’ll be really bloated, looking more like Micky Rourke and catch a little of the UCLA and Arizona State game. I’ll probably be asleep before the first quarter is over, but I’ll rest comfortably knowing UCLA is 10-2 UNDER after playing three straight Pac-10 games.

This whole Black Friday thing is way overrated; I’ve got a great day planned.


Writer Red Wydley made this holiday contribution.