NFL Week 18 Top Picks on the Total Line

 This week's Top 5 picks for Sunday's NFL games has been reprinted by permission of ScoresandStats.com

Five OVER/UNDER Picks for NFL Week 18

This past Sunday’s NFL schedule in Week 17 of the regular season featured a full 15 games. After the smoke cleared in Sunday night’s key NFC North showdown between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers, the total stayed UNDER in nine of those 15 contests.

Here are my five “best bet” picks on the NFL total line for the final week of the regular season.

Sunday, Jan. 9

New England Patriots at Miami Dolphins: OVER 39.5

The Patriots still have a slim chance to win the AFC East with a win in Week 18 coupled with a Buffalo loss to the New York Jets. Miami just gave up 34 points in a loss to Tennessee. With New England still playing at full speed, the points could add up.

The total has gone OVER in eight of the Patriots’ last 12 games overall and it has gone OVER in seven of their last nine AFC games. Against a low total line, both trends should hold up this Sunday.

Chicago Bears at Minnesota Vikings: UNDER 45

With each of these NFC North foes eliminated from postseason play, there is little incentive to win this last final game. The total stayed well UNDER the 47.5-point total line just four weeks ago in Minnesota’s 17-9 win.

The total has stayed UNDER in 10 of Chicago’s last 15 games it has stayed UNDER in four of the Bears’ last five division matchups. The total has also stayed UNDER in 14 of the last 20 meetings between these two teams.

Seattle Seahawks at Arizona Cardinals: OVER 48

Seattle has been riding out the string for the past few weeks, so playing the role of spoiler is the only incentive in this game. Arizona is in the playoffs and it can still win the NFC West with a win and some help.

The first game this season stayed UNDER 45 points with Arizona winning 23-13. Points might be easier to come by both teams this time around. The total has gone OVER in four of Seattle’s last five games. The Seahawks have scored at least 30 points in three of their last five games.

San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams: UNDER 44

The 49ers need to win this game to guarantee a spot in the playoffs. The Rams need to win late Sunday afternoon to clinch the NFC West division title. With so much on the line for each of these teams, they will both need to bring their A Game.

San Francisco beat Los Angeles 31-10 on Nov. 15 with the total staying UNDER 50 points. The total has stayed UNDER in five of the 49er’s last seven games on the road. It has also stayed UNDER in 12 of the Rams’ last 15 home games.

Los Angeles Chargers at Las Vegas Raiders: OVER 48.5

The NFL saved the biggest game of Week 18 for last in what amounts to a playoff showdown in this AFC West clash. The winner clinches a wild card spot and the loser is eliminated from postseason play.

The Chargers drew first blood this season with a 28-14 win against the Raiders that stayed UNDER 55 points. Against a more manageable total line this time around, the trends favor the OVER in this game. The total has gone OVER in 13 of LA’s last 19 road games.

 

 

BettingLiveDogs.com NFL Pick of the Day: San Francisco 49ers at Los Angeles Rams

 The final week of the NFL regular season is mere formality for quite a few teams as the extra 17th game on the schedule. However, the outcome of a few of this Sunday's divisional showdowns will have major implications for the upcoming playoffs.

One of those key matchups is a NFC West tilt between the San Francisco 49ers and the Los Angeles Rams. The 49ers need to win or have the New Orleans Saints lose to Atlanta to secure a wild card spot. The Rams would lay claim to the division title with a win or with an Arizona Cardinals' loss to Seattle.

My lean is towards San Francisco with a straight-up victory. The 49ers are currently listed as four-point road underdogs with +180 money line odds. Given that New Orleans is favored by 3.5 points on the road against Atlanta, it appears that San Francisco will need a SU win to advance into the postseason.

You also have to take into consideration the recent betting trends between these two NFC West rivals. San Francisco has won the last five meetings SU, including a 31-10 pasting of the Rams in the first meeting this season. The 49ers closed as 3.5-point underdogs at home in that game. 

My top-valued pick in this game is San Francisco SU given the highly favorable +180 return on the money line. You could also bet San Francisco plus the four points as a value play. The 49ers are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 games against LA.

VI College Basketball Pick of the Week

 The college basketball season is in full swing with the New Year and the start of conference play. This is the time of the year when the best teams in the nation continue to jockey for position in both the national polls and the eventual seeding for the 2022 NCAA Tournament.

As part of my weekly college basketball coverage for the highly popular sports betting site Vegas Insider, I am dialed into play in the Big 12 and the Big East as two of the most popular betting conferences in Division I ball.

This week, one of my top plays is Friday night's Xavier Musketeers at Butler Bulldogs tilt at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Game time is set for 8:30 p.m. (ET) on FS1.

Xavier goes on the road as a 5.5-point favorite with the total line set at 130 points. The Musketeers are 11-2 straight-up with a profitable 9-4 record against the spread. Two very important betting trends to keep in mind for this matchup starts with Xavier's 9-3 record ATS in its last 12 games as a favorite. You can couple this with Butler going 1-5 ATS in its last six games as an underdog.

Below is a link to my complete game preview at Vegas Insider along with my 'Best Bet' pick.

Xavier Musketeers at Butler Bulldogs

NFL Week 17 Top Picks on the Total Line

 My Top 5 picks on this Sunday's NFL total line are reprinted below through permission of ScoresandStats.com

Five OVER/UNDER Picks for NFL Week 17

The Sunday after Christmas was good to bettors going with the OVER on the total line. If you had bet the OVER in all 12 games, you would have cashed nine winning tickets against just three games staying UNDER. These results were a dramatic shift from the season-long lean towards lower scoring games.

Here is a look at my Top 5 NFL plays on the total line for this Sunday’s games in Week 17.

Sunday, Jan. 2

New York Giants at Chicago Bears: UNDER 38

The Giants have lost their last four games while scoring a combined 46 points. Chicago is coming off a 25-24 upset over Seattle with Nick Foles as the starting quarterback. That sparked some life on the offensive end of the field.

The total has stayed UNDER in seven of New York’s last nine games. It has also stayed UNDER in five of its last seven games against the Bears. Look for another low-scoring battle this Sunday between two teams riding out the string.

Kansas City Chiefs at Cincinnati Bengals: OVER 49

The Chiefs extended their current winning streak to eight games by routing Pittsburgh by 26 points. Cincinnati is coming off a big win against Baltimore while scoring 41 points. This could set the stage for a shootout this Sunday.

The total has gone OVER in six of the Chiefs’ last eight games against an AFC team. The total has gone OVER in six of Cincinnati’s last nine games overall. It has also gone OVER in four of the Bengals’ last five home games.

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Football Team: OVER 44

The Eagles have scored a combined 94 points in their last three games. This includes 27 points against Washington just two weeks ago. The Football Team just gave up 56 points in a lopsided loss against Dallas.

The total has gone OVER in four of Philadelphia’s last five games overall and in four of its last six division games. The total has gone OVER in four of the last five meetings between these NFC East foes.

Denver Broncos at Los Angeles Chargers: UNDER 45.5

Denver has lost three of its last four games while scoring a combined 32 points in those three losses. The Chargers lost to the Broncos 28-13 on Nov. 28 in a game that stayed UNDER the 47-point total line.

The total has stayed UNDER in the last eight meetings in Los Angeles. It has also stayed UNDER in seven of Denver’s last eight road games. Look for both of these trends to hold up in this Sunday’s matchup.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers: OVER 48.5

The Vikings need a win and some help to stay in the wild card playoff race after losing to the Los Angeles Rams at home this past Sunday. Green Bay needs a win to maintain its top seed in the NFC.

With both of these NFC North foes playing with something on the line, the points should add up on the scoreboard. The total has gone OVER in eight of the Vikings’ last 10 road games. It has also gone OVER in eight of Green Bay’s last 10 games against a division rival.

 

 

NFL Week 16 Top Picks on the Total Line

 My NFL total line picks for Week 16 are reprinted through permission of ScoresandStats.com.

Five OVER/UNDER Picks for NFL Week 16

Week 15 game delays thinned the number of actual NFL betting matchups on this past Sunday’s slate. With just 10 games on the adjusted schedule, the total stayed UNDER in seven of those games with scoring at a premium. When Tampa Bay gets shutout, you know it was a strange day for NFL bettors.

Going with the games set for this Sunday’s NFL betting board, here are five more top plays betting the total line.

Sunday, Dec. 26

Detroit Lions at Atlanta Falcons: UNDER 44

Detroit is coming off its best game of the season after stunning Arizona 30-12. What stood out in this win was an excellent defensive effort. Atlanta only managed to score 13 points in a loss to San Francisco.

Neither of these teams should light up the scoreboard this Sunday in a series where the total has stayed UNDER in seven of the last 10 meetings. The total has also stayed UNDER in nine of Detroit’s last 12 games overall.

Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals: UNDER 44

This is a huge showdown in the AFC North with both teams tied at 8-6. The winner takes sole possession of first place and the loser risks missing the playoffs altogether. The Bengals won the first meeting on the road 41-17.

The second meeting should be a grinder that remains a low scoring affair. The total has stayed UNDER in four of the Ravens’ last six games. It has also stayed UNDER in five of their last six games on the road. Cincinnati just held Denver to 10 points while winning with 15.

Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots: OVER 44

New England’s stunning loss to Indianapolis to slip to 9-5 opened the door for Buffalo (8-6) in the AFC East Division title race. Two weeks ago, New England beat Buffalo 14-10. However, I still see this Sunday’s rematch turning into a higher scoring game than expected.

The total has gone OVER in four of the Bills’ last six games. It has gone OVER in 11 of their last 16 games on the road. The total has also gone OVER in four of the Patriots’ last five home games.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers: OVER 47.5

Tampa Bay getting shutout against the rival New Orleans Saints sets the stage for a big turn around this Sunday against another NFC South foe. The only question is how many points will Carolina be able to add to that total?

The trends favor a higher scoring game than the current total line. The total has gone OVER in five of Carolina’s last six games overall and in eight of its last 11 December games. The total has also gone OVER in four of the last six meetings between the two.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Kansas City Chiefs: UNDER 46.5

Pittsburgh continues to find ways to win games it appeared destined to lose. Kansas City is finding its form at the right time of the year with a SU seven-game winning streak. The total has gone OVER in three of the Chiefs’ last five wins.

While the Chiefs should find a way to keep their winning streak going, I have their defense stepping up at home. The total has stayed UNDER in six of the last seven meetings overall and it has stayed UNDER in four of the last five meetings in Kansas City.

 

 

 

BettingLiveDogs.com NFL Pick of the Day: San Francisco at Tennessee

 Its Week 16 of the NFL regular season and all the action gets started on Thursday night with the NFC's San Francisco 49ers on the road as three-point favorites against the AFC's Tennessee Titans. Each of these teams is in the thick of their conference's playoff race and a win on Thursday night would go a long way towards helping the cause.

San Francisco has moved to 8-6 straight-up with five victories in its last six games. Capturing the NFC West Division title would be a stretch behind both the Arizona Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams with each team at 10-4. Yet, the 49ers are in solid position to earn a wild card spot in the conference and the current No. 5 seed.

The 9-6 Titans' hold a very tenuous one-game lead over the Indianapolis Colts for first place in the AFC South. Thursday night's game is not a must-win situation. However, after losing three of its last four games, Tennessee's margin for error has become rather tight. 

There is no doubt that the 49ers come in hot given their current playing form. However, Tennessee comes in desperate for a win. This is still a solid team on both sides of the ball that gains a significant edge playing this game at home in Nashville.

When it comes to releasing my BettingLiveDogs.com pick of the day, I normally look for the best value in a home dog straight-up on the money line. 

Getting Tennessee at -145 on the current money line is just too tempting to pass up. The Titans are 3-1 SU against the NFC this season, including a win on the road against the Rams. Look for them to improve on that record following Thursday night's SU victory.

NFL Pick of the Day: Tennessee +145

Saturday's College Basketball "Best Bet"

 This Saturday's NCAAB betting board is filled with a number of great matchups. As part of my weekly coverage for Vegas Insider, my "best bet" pick of the day is a Big East battle between the Providence Friars and the No. 20 Connecticut Huskies.

Tip-off from the XL Center in Harford is set for 5 p.m. on FOX. This will be the conference opener for both teams with Providence boasting a straight-up 10-1 start while the Huskies bring a SU record of 9-2 into this game.

The Friars are averaging 70.9 points per game led by Nate Watson's team-high 15.3-point scoring average. They are holding opposing teams to 62.3 points a game. The Huskies dial things up a bit with 81.8 PPG. RJ Cole is the team's leader in scoring with 16.0 points a game. Connecticut has a points-allowed average of 62.1 through its first 11 games.

The Huskies are favored by 6.5 points at home with the total set at 137.

Notable Betting Trends:

The Friars are 4-1 against the spread in their last five games with the total staying UNDER in six of their last nine outings.

The Huskies have failed to cover in four of their last six games. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five games.

Head-to-head, the series is dead-even over the last 10 meetings at 5-5 both SU and ATS. The home team has won eight of the last nine matchups both SU and ATS. The total has gone OVER in three of the last five meetings.

"Best Bet" Pick:

My value play in this game is the OVER on the total line. Both teams should be able to get close to their scoring average on year to combine for more than 137 points.

Below is my complete game preview and betting pick as posted on Vegas Insider:

Providence Friars at Connecticut Huskies