8-29-13

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Nothcoast

Power Plays Newsletter

2* #135 UNLV
4* #137 Tulsa
1* #143 Ole Miss
3* #147 USC

2* #149 Western Mich.
4* #151 FAU

4* #159 Buffalo
4* #168 Notre Dame
4* #172 Va Tech
2* #177 Kentucky
2* #180 Marshall
3* #182 Ok.St
3* #184 OU
4* #186 Southern Miss
3* #188 Texas
4* #191 Toledo
4* #194 Arkansas
4.5* #198 North Texas
4.5* #210 Washington
4* #214 California

4.5* #219 Florida St

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Today's NFL Picks

NY Giants at New England

The Giants look to bounce back from last week's 24-21 OT loss to the Jets as they finish the preseason in New England on Thursday. New York is the pick (+2) according to Dunkel, which has the Giants favored by 1. Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+2). Here are all of this week's picks.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 29 Time Posted: 12:00 p.m. EST (8/27)

Game 101-102: Philadelphia at NY Jets (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Philadelphia 122.678; NY Jets 116.701 Dunkel Line: Philadelphia by 6; 37 Vegas Line: Philadelphia by 3; 40 Dunkel Pick: Philadelphia (-3); Under

Game 103-104: Indianapolis at Cincinnati (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Indianapolis 110.056; Cincinnati 127.555 Dunkel Line: Cincinnati by 17 1/2; 42 Vegas Line: Cincinnati by 3 1/2; 38 Dunkel Pick: Cincinnati (-3 1/2); Over

Game 105-106: Detroit at Buffalo (7:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 119.425; Buffalo 123.287 Dunkel Line: Buffalo by 4; 36 Vegas Line: Detroit by 4 1/2; 39 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Buffalo (+4 1/2); Under

Game 107-108: Jacksonville at Atlanta (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Jacksonville 115.644; Atlanta 110.509 Dunkel Line: Jacksonville by 5; 44 Vegas Line: Jacksonville by 2 1/2; 39 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Jacksonville (-2 1/2); Over

Game 109-110: Pittsburgh at Carolina (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 121.420; Carolina 121.650 Dunkel Line: Even; 33 Vegas Line: Carolina by 3 1/2; 36 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+3 1/2); Under

Game 111-112: Washington at Tampa Bay (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Washington 125.770; Tampa Bay 125.607 Dunkel Line: Even; 43 Vegas Line: Washington by 2 1/2; 37 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Tampa Bay (+2 1/2); Over

Game 113-114: New Orleans at Miami (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: New Orleans 117.220; Miami 125.322 Dunkel Line: Miami by 8; 39 Vegas Line: Miami by 6; 36 Dunkel Pick: Miami (-6); Over

Game 115-116: NY Giants at New England (7:30 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: NY Giants 121.403; New England 120.330 Dunkel Line: NY Giants by 1; 36 Vegas Line: New England by 2; 39 1/2 Dunkel Pick: NY Giants (+2); Under

Game 117-118: Tennessee at Minnesota (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Tennessee 125.515; Minnesota 119.048 Dunkel Line: Tennessee by 6 1/2; 42 Vegas Line: Tennessee by 4 1/2; 39 Dunkel Pick: Tennessee (-4 1/2); Over

Game 119-120: Baltimore at St. Louis (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 117.616; St. Louis 126.509 Dunkel Line: St. Louis by 9; 35 Vegas Line: St. Louis by 7; 38 1/2 Dunkel Pick: St. Louis (-7); Under

Game 121-122: Cleveland at Chicago (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 125.965; Chicago 119.515 Dunkel Line: Cleveland by 6 1/2; 43 Vegas Line: Cleveland by 2; 39 Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (-2); Over

Game 123-124: Green Bay at Kansas City (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Green Bay 113.837; Kansas City 121.285 Dunkel Line: Kansas City by 7 1/2; 33 Vegas Line: Kansas City by 3; 36 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Kansas City (-3); Under

Game 125-126: Houston at Dallas (8:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Houston 123.435; Dallas 124.226 Dunkel Line: Dallas by 1; 35 Vegas Line: Houston by 2 1/2; 37 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Dallas (+2 1/2); Under

Game 127-128: Arizona at Denver (9:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 123.452; Denver 121.506 Dunkel Line: Arizona by 2; 42 Vegas Line: Pick; 38 Dunkel Pick: Arizona; Over

Game 129-130: San Francisco at San Diego (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: San Francisco 123.859; San Diego 120.509 Dunkel Line: San Francisco by 3 1/2; 35 Vegas Line: Pick; 38 1/2 Dunkel Pick: San Francisco; Under

Game 131-132: Oakland at Seattle (10:00 p.m. EST) Dunkel Ratings: Oakland 116.708; Seattle 137.779 Dunkel Line: Seattle by 21; 42 Vegas Line: Seattle by 6 1/2; 36 1/2 Dunkel Pick: Seattle (-6 1/2); Over

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Chicago Syndicate

XNFL Game of the Year - Bears/Browns Under 39.5

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LA Syndicate

XNFL Top Plays

Seahawks -6.5
Broncos PK

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StatFox

From This Week's PLATINUM SHEET
DALLAS COWBOYS
Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 8.5 (-115) / Under 8.5 (-115)
OFFENSE: Jason Garrett will give up his play-calling duties to new offensive coordinator Bill Callahan this year. That should mean more action for the run- ning game with RB DeMarco Murray taking a full workload. Garrett runs an aggressive Air Coryell passing game with WR Dez Bryant now the clear-cut No. 1 option. QB Tony Romo often comes back to TE Jason Witten for shorter targets, and WR Miles Austin does more catch-and-run work over the middle.

Defense: Dallas will switch to a 4-3 under new defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin and D-Line coach Rod Marinelli, the DC for Chicago's amazing 44-turn- over defense last year. This will hopefully increase the team's paltry 16 takeaways as DeMarcus Ware (111 career sacks) shifts to DE, Sean Lee mans the MLB spot and Bruce Carter explodes from the WLB position. The Cowboys also inked two new starters via free agency, SLB Justin Durant and FS Will Allen.

Bottom line: The ultra-talented Cowboys have a pretty manageable schedule (ranked 21st) with just one road game versus a 2012 playoff team (at Washington). They should be favored in at least six home games, with the exception of Denver and Green Bay, and win the tight NFC East.

PLAY ON: OVER 8.5

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BookiesHunter

55-27 run

3* U57.5 SC/NC
3* Utah St. +2.5

2* U54.5 Rutgers/Fresno St.
2* U54 USC/Hawaii

1* Ole Miss -3

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Beyond the BCS: Capping college football's small conferences

Some of the best betting value in college football is hiding beyond the BCS, in the small conferences. Each week, Covers Experts’ Doc’s Sports will look at the little programs that could help you make big cash this college season.

Team to beware: Bowling Green Falcons

Week 1 odds: -3.5 vs. Tulsa

Bowling Green returns 17 starters from a 2012 squad that compiled a respectable 8-5. Some of the personnel losses, however, are key. Defensive tackle Chris Jones (12.5 sacks) and linebacker Dwayne Woods graduated. On the other side of the ball, running back Anthon Samuel transferred to Florida International and offensive lineman Fahn Cooper also left in unexpected fashion.

Tulsa is a team that could capitalize on the absences of Jones and Woods in the middle of the Falcons’ defense. The Golden Hurricane finished ninth in the nation with 245.7 rushing yards per game last season while averaging 34.7 points per contest. Tulsa was 5-1 ATS in its last six games of 2012. Bowling Green, meanwhile, is 2-5 in its last seven contests out of conference.

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Steve Fezzik

Utah/Utah State Under
Vanderbilt/Mississippi Under

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Nover
137 Tulsa / 138 Bowling Green OVER 48 Double

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Harry Bondi

College Football
UTAH (-2.5) over Utan State
8 p.m. EST
College football begins Thursday night and there will be more than 30 games played this weekend. Today, we look at a game from Thursday's card where we will back the revenge minded Utah Utes in an early season in-state battle. Utah usually hammers State annually winning the last 12 games by an average of 22 points! But last year the Aggies stunned Utah in overtime 27-20. Utah is not going to get many wins this year playing their second year in the tough Pac-12 but they will win this one easily. Take the Utes to get REVENGE.

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Brian Edwards

CFB
South Carolina

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Chris Justice

CFB
Fresno state -9
Army-32
UCF -21
South Carolina -12
OVER 59 - SMU
OVER 44 - Michigan State

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NFL Preseason Primer Week 4 Betting Breakdown
by Sean Murphy

Detroit Lions at Buffalo Bills (+4.5, 39.5)

Off a decisive 40-9 victory over the Patriots last week, the Lions should be content to simply go through the motions and stay healthy in Buffalo Thursday. They've saved their best football for the home faithful in the preseason under Jim Schwarz and that hasn't changed this year, going 2-0 SU and ATS at Ford Field but 0-1 on the road. Expect only cameo appearances from QB Matt Stafford, WR Calvin Johnson and the rest of the first-string offense.

Buffalo can ill-afford another injury under center with both E.J. Manuel and Kevin Kolb already sidelined. Jeff Tuel is expected to start in Week 1 and will see about a quarter of action on Thursday night. From there, we could see newcomers Matt Leinart and Thaddeus Lewis. Leinart was signed, while the team traded for Lewis in a deal with the Lions Sunday. C.J. Spiller left the team last week following a death in his family but did return Sunday. He's unlikely to play more than a series, if at all Thursday.

Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals (-3, 38)

Colts DE Robert Mathis says Thursday's game is all about making final decisions on who makes the team and who goes home. "Ah, yes, the infamous Cincinnati fourth preseason game. It's make or break if you are going to make the squad or not. It means a lot. If you want to make the squad, you have to put a good showing together." Head coach Chuck Pagano likes his team's depth heading in. "We've created so much competition. We're deeper across the board at all positions, so we're going to have to let some really good football players go. They'll end up on other teams like everybody else's guys. It's going to be tough."

Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis summed up his game plan for Thursday night pretty well earlier this week. "The mindset is it's a great night for our fans. It's another home game. It's a fun thing and we'll have our guys get out there and let them play a little bit, get them out, and let the other guys finish the game up that are fighting for spots. And there are guys who haven't played much who'll be on the 53-man roster that need experience." In other words, don't count on seeing much more than a brief glimpse of the projected starters on either side of the football.

Philadelphia Eagles at New York Jets (+3, 40)

The quarterback competition has already been settled in Philadelphia. Michael Vick will be the starter in next week's season opener. So what can we expect from the Eagles Thursday? A lot of Nick Foles and Matt Barkley under center. Foles will get the start and likely see at least a quarter of action. Of the projected regular season starters, Kelly has indicated that only a few players in the secondary are likely to see any action at all against the Jets.

The big news out of Jets camp last weekend was the needless injury to QB Mark Sanchez in the second half of their game against the Giants. He won't play Thursday. Rex Ryan has yet to name a starter at quarterback for Thursday's game and likely won't until Thursday. There's a good chance that rookie Geno Smith will sit out as Ryan feels he's seen enough of his rookie QB in game action this month. That would leave the bulk of the action to Greg McElroy and Matt Simms, although McElroy is banged up as well.

New Orleans Saints at Miami Dolphins (-6, 36)

The Saints will be playing on a short week after defeating the Texans in Houston Sunday. Not surprisingly, Sean Payton is expected to give his regular starters the night off, just as he has in previous Week 4 preseason contests. We have seen better production from the Saints’ backup quarterbacks this year, however, with Luke McCown and rookie Ryan Griffin taking turns carrying the load. Expect to see a lot of Griffin Thursday night.

Ryan Tannehill and the rest of the Dolphins first-string offense could see a series or two of action Thursday, but that's it. After Pat Devlin took over for Tannehill last week, we can expect veteran Matt Moore to shoulder much of the load this week. The Dolphins haven't had a great deal of preseason success under head coach Joe Philbin and are off to a 1-3 start this year.

New York Giants at New England Patriots (Pick, 38.5)

Syracuse University product Ryan Nassib will get an extended look for the Giants against the Patriots, entering in relief of Eli Manning after he sees a series or two of action. Head coach Tom Coughlin has indicated that he would like to see all four of his quarterbacks play Thursday. The Giants have dropped back-to-back games after opening the preseason with a win in Pittsburgh.

Patriots QB Tom Brady says he expects to play in Thursday's preseason finale against the Giants. Brady believes he needs additional work with his new receivers in advance of next week's season opener in Buffalo. “I think there’s always something to be gained from the competition. I think you have to go out there and always be prepared, and whatever Belichick wants to do for however long he wants to play us, that’s what we’re going to do. So we’re ready to go.”

Washington Redskins at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2, 37.5)

With RGIII and Kirk Cousins both sidelined and veteran Rex Grossman not needing any more game reps prior to the regular season, Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan has indicated that Pat White will start and play the entire game Thursday. Most of the Redskins starters are expected to sit out Thursday's contest.

Bucs head coach Greg Schiano has indicated that backup QB Mike Glennon will see the majority of the snaps Thursday night. "The plan is, Mike’s going to play a lot. Is he the starter? Proabably. We want Mike to keep getting repetitions. Dan is a multi-year vet who has had a lot of repitions. They’ll both play.'' The Dan he referred to was veteran QB Dan Orlovsky.

Pittsburgh Steelers at Carolina Panthers (-3.5, 36.5)

The Steelers backup QB competition is over, with Bruce Gradkowski winning the job. He and Landry Jones will split duty in Carolina with Ben Roethlisberger remaining on the sidelines. Pittsburgh has yet to win a game this preseason but Mike Tomlin isn't putting much emphasis on picking up a win Thursday.

Just like last year, the Panthers are likely to sit Cam Newton with Derek Anderson and Jimmy Clausen each playing a half. Former Giants WR Domenik Hixon is expected to make his Panthers debut. LB Jon Beason says he would like to play, but could be held out in preparation for next week's season opener.

Jacksonville Jaguars at Atlanta Falcons (+3, 40)

Jaguars head coach Gus Bradley has indicated that RB Maurice Jones-Drew will be held out of Thursday's game after seeing limited action against the Jets and Eagles. Starting QB Blaine Gabbert is unlikely to see much more than a series or two before giving way to veteran backup Chad Henne.

Falcons head coach Mike Smith doesn't put much stock in wins and losses in the preseason and it's shown in the Falcons play so far this month, going 0-3 SU and 1-2 ATS. With WR Roddy White already hurt, Smith won't take any chances in Thursday night's meaningless preseason finale. Don't count on even catching a glimpse of Matt Ryan or Julio Jones on the field.

Cleveland Browns at Chicago Bears (+2, 39)

Bears head coach Marc Trestman is keeping it simple on Thursday night. “I wouldn’t say all, but it’ll be close to all of the starters that sit. There’s always going to be things that happen later in the week because of injuries and things like that that we may have to play some guys but our hope is most if not all will be held out of the game.”

Browns rookie head coach Rob Chudzinksi is taking a different approach. He's leaning toward playing his starters for up to a quarter. "We’re going to approach this next game that those guys are going to play, and then I’ll make that determination later in the week as it goes on.” Cleveland had impressed in its first two preseason tilts before falling flat in Indianapolis last week.

Tennessee Titans at Minnesota Vikings (+4.5, 39)

Titans WR Kenny Britt will not play Thursday night after sitting out back-to-back practices due to knee soreness. No fewer than three Titans linebackers are hurt, including Akeem Ayers and Zach Brown, and none of them will suit up Thursday. As for the offensive starters, they could see a series or two but that's it.

Vikings head coach Leslie Frazier has always treated his team with kid gloves in the preseason, and that won't change this week as they take the field on a short week following Sunday's loss in San Francisco. In other words, don't expect to see much from QB Christian Ponder and the rest of the starting offense.

Green Bay Packers at Kansas City Chiefs (-3, 36.5)

Aaron Rodgers barely broke a sweat during the preseason and while Mike McCarthy has yet to rule him out for Thursday night, there's a good chance he'll be left holding his helmet on the sidelines. Graham Harrell will get the bulk of the snaps regardless whether Rodgers sees the field against the Chiefs. The Packers have been banged up throughout the preseason and should take a cautious approach here.

Andy Reid was mum as to his team's playing rotation Thursday night. “I’ve sat the ones, I’ve played the ones for a series, I’ve played them for a quarter, I’ve done it all. The main thing you want to do is to make sure with the guys who are remaining on this team you get a good evaluation on the players.

Houston Texans at Dallas Cowboys (+2.5, 37.5)

With starting QB Matt Schaub and the majority of the offensive starters sitting, the Texans will split the snaps between T.J. Yates and Case Keenum in Dallas. Rookie WR DeAndre Hopkins could return to the field after missing last week's game due to a head injury suffered on August 17th against Miami.

Cowboys head coach Jason Garrett hasn't revealed his gameplan for Thursday night, but chances are he'll sit his regular starters, just as he did against Miami last year. Keep in mind, Dallas still won its 2012 preseason finale by a 30-13 score. After a strong showing against the Bengals last Saturday, there's little reason for the Cowboys to push the envelope here.

Baltimore Ravens at St. Louis Rams (-7, 38.5)

There's a reason why the Rams are the biggest favorite on the board this week. Baltimore will rest the majority of its starters, including QB Joe Flacco and WR Torrey Smith, head coach John Harbaugh revealed earlier this week. The Ravens will open the regular season in Denver exactly one week from Thursday.

Jeff Fisher takes an old school approach when it comes to playing to win in the preseason. “The philosophy has been to build reps throughout camp. That has been the way we’ve done it in the past. We may adjust that ever so slightly this week.” In other words, Rams starters will see some playing time Thursday night. Exactly how much remains to be seen.

Arizona Cardinals at Denver Broncos (Pick, 38)

The Cardinals will play their starters Thursday night, but not for more than a quarter. QB Carson Palmer may not be among those suiting up, however. RB Ryan Williams is expected to get extended work out of the backfield.

After seeing extended action in last week's dress rehearsal against St. Louis, don't expect to see much of Peyton Manning or the rest of the Broncos’ first-team offense. Head coach John Fox has yet to outline his gameplan but based on past history, is likely to treat this game as little more than a walk-through.

San Francisco 49ers at San Diego Chargers (Pick, 38.5)

John Harbaugh has limited QB Colin Kaepernick's workload all preseason and that isn't going to change in Week 4. The 49ers have a wealth of options at quarterback, with four different possible backups seeing time against Minnesota last Sunday night. Count on another mixed bag from San Francisco Thursday.

With a number of key injuries on both sides of the football, the Chargers will take a cautious approach to Thursday's game. Philip Rivers won't play more than a series or two, with veteran backup Charlie Whitehurst likely getting the majority of the snaps. After getting embarrassed in their preseason opener, the Chargers second and third-string defense has held up well over the last two games.

Oakland Raiders at Seattle Seahawks (-6.5, 36.5)

QB Terrelle Pryor will start for the Raiders in Seattle Thursday. Matt Flynn will sit out as he continues to recover from a minor arm injury, possibly watching his starting job slip away for the second straight year. Pryor saw the bulk of the action in last year's preseason finale in Seattle as well.

Unlike last year, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson will only get a cameo appearance against the Raiders. While Seattle always gets fired up in front of its home faithful, it certainly has little to prove this week after winning its first three preseason contests. Pete Carroll has indicated that his young players will not surprisingly get extended work in this game.

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Thursday's NCAAF action: What bettors need to know

North Carolina Tar Heels at South Carolina Gamecocks (-12.5, 57.5)

South Carolina has never received the amount of preseason publicity that's flooded its way this summer, putting the No.7 Gamecocks in the national conversation heading into their season opener Thursday against visiting North Carolina. South Carolina is at an all-time high in the preseason polls thanks to one of the country's premier players in junior Jadeveon Clowney, who was voted the nation’s top defensive end last season and finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting. South Carolina also returns starting quarterback Connor Shaw, who has never lost at home as a starter for the Gamecocks.

North Carolina also returns a talented quarterback in senior Bryn Renner, who has thrown for more than 3,000 yards each of the last two seasons. Renner also welcomes back his No. 1 target in wide receiver Quinshad Davis, a South Carolina native who set freshman school records last season for receptions (61) and receiving yardage (776). Protecting Renner’s blind side will be 6-7, 305-pound left tackle James Hurst, while redshirt freshman Jon Heck won the starting job at right tackle. Both figure to be tested all night against Clowney, who recorded 13 sacks last season.

Key betting stat: Tar Heels are 1-5 ATS in their last six road games.

UNLV Runnin' Rebels at Minnesota Golden Gophers (-14, 51)

Minnesota, coming off its first bowl appearance since 2009, hosts UNLV on Thursday in the season opener for both teams. The Gophers doubled their win total from three to six last season, including a 30-27, triple-overtime win at UNLV in their 2012 opener. This matchup should have a similar feel as the teams combine to return 34 of their 44 starters from last season.

Highlighting the Gophers’ 16 returning starters is defensive tackle Ra’Shede Hageman, who had a breakout season as a junior in 2012. However, Hageman and the Minnesota defense will have their hands full with UNLV’s rushing attack, especially senior running back Tim Cornett. The Rebels enter this season with new coordinators on offense and defense, including Tim Hauck – the younger brother of coach Bobby Hauck – running the defense.

Key betting stat: Under is 8-2 in Golden Gophers' last 10 home games.

Utah State Aggies at Utah Utes (-2.5, 51)

Utah will look for its 13th win in its last 14 games against visiting Utah State as the longtime in-state rivalry continues on Thursday. The Battle of the Brothers is the 12th-longest standing rivalry in college football and heads toward its 111th installment. The Utes are 77-29-4 all-time against the Aggies and had won 12 straight before Utah State won 27-20 in overtime last season.

Utah sophomore quarterback Travis Wilson will look to turn the program around this season after starting seven games last season and throwing for seven touchdowns and 1,311 yards. The Aggies, led by junior signal caller Chuckie Keeton, are trying to build off one of the best seasons in school history.

Key betting stat: Road team is 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven meetings.

Mississippi Rebels at Vanderbilt Commodores (+3.5, 53)

Vanderbilt looks to build on the most successful two-year stretch in school history when it hosts Ole Miss on Thursday in the season opener for both teams. Senior Austyn Carta-Samuels takes over at quarterback for the Commodores, who were picked to finish fourth in the SEC East preseason media poll after a tumultuous offseason. Expectations are also high at Ole Miss, which aims to end a nine-game losing streak in SEC openers.

The Rebels signed one of the top recruiting classes in the country last spring, and several freshmen figure to play in the opener, including highly touted defensive end Robert Nkemdiche. The game features two of the top wide receivers in the conference in Vanderbilt senior Jordan Matthews and Ole Miss junior Donte Moncrief, who caught 10 touchdown passes last season. Matthews had a season-high 153 receiving yards against the Rebels last year, when Vanderbilt won its third straight game in the series.

Key betting stat: Rebels are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 meetings.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Fresno State Bulldogs (-10.5, 54.5)

Thursday’s season opener against Rutgers can’t come soon enough for Fresno State, which has been eager to get back on the field since its embarrassing loss to SMU in the Hawaii Bowl. Rutgers is looking to build on coach Kyle Flood’s successful first year, when the Scarlet Knights claimed a share of the Big East title. The teams are meeting for the second time ever, with Fresno State winning 24-7 in Rutgers nearly five years ago to the day.

The Bulldogs feature the Mountain West preseason offensive and defensive players of the year in quarterback Derek Carr and safety Derron Smith, and they were a near-unanimous pick to win the West Division of the Mountain West in the preseason media poll. Expectations are also high at Rutgers, which is playing one year in the new American Athletic Conference before joining the Big Ten next season. The Scarlett Knights will be tested at Bulldog Stadium, where Fresno State went 6-0 last season and outscored opponents by a total of 190 points.

Key betting stat: Bulldogs are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games overall.

USC Trojans at Hawaii Warriors (+23, 53.5)

The Matt Barkley era is over at Southern California and his replacement as quarterback is still in flux as the No. 24 Trojans visit Hawaii in Thursday’s season-opening contest. Coach Lane Kiffin said that sophomores Max Wittek and Cody Kessler will share the duties against the Warriors and that he won’t name a starter until after the squad arrives in Honolulu. Former USC offensive coordinator Norm Chow is head coach of Hawaii and is also running the offense.

The Warriors also feature a new quarterback as Ohio State transfer Taylor Graham – son of former NFL signal caller Kent Graham – beat out incumbent Sean Schroeder (11 touchdowns, 12 interceptions in 2012) for the starting job and is being counted on to rev up an attack that ranked 118th out of 120 FBS teams in total offense (297.4 yards) and scored only 21.2 points per game last season. While the Trojans are sorting out the quarterbacking situation, there are no issues with junior Marqise Lee, who finished fourth in Heisman Trophy voting and won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver after setting a school record with 118 receptions. USC senior running back Silas Redd (905 rushing yards, nine TDs in 2012) will miss the contest after undergoing knee surgery five months ago to repair a meniscus tear.

Key betting stat: Trojans are 0-7 ATS in their last seven road games.

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Thursday's MLB American League betting cheat sheet

Check out our quick-hitting betting notes on Thursday's American League games:

Oakland Athletics at Detroit Tigers (-166, 7.5)

Hot pitching stat: Tigers right-hander Max Scherzer has thrown seven consecutive quality starts, and has given up two or fewer runs in 15 of his last 18 outings.

Hot batting stat: Detroit sluggers Miguel Cabrera and Prince Fielder are a combined 9-for-18 lifetime against Athletics starter Bartolo Colon.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow from left to right field at 5 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 7-1 in Oakland's last eight games with umpire Paul Emmel behind home plate.

Kansas City Royals at Minnesota Twins (+107, 8.5)

Hot pitching stat: Twins right-hander Samuel Deduno is 3-1 with a 2.16 ERA in 25 career innings against the Royals.

Hot batting stat: Twins 3B Trevor Plouffe has three home runs in 20 career at-bats against Royals starter Bruce Chen.

Weather: There will be a 30 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms at gametime. Temperatures will be in the mid-80s with the wind blowing in from right field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 8-2-1 in Chen's last 11 starts.

Los Angeles Angels at Tampa Bay Rays (-148, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Angels lefty Jason Vargas is just 2-4 with a 4.37 ERA in eight road starts.

Cold batting stat: Rays 3B Evan Longoria is hitting .242/.326/.478 in 157 day-game at-bats.

Weather: Dome.

Key betting note: Los Angeles has won its last eight Thursday games.

Baltimore Orioles at Boston Red Sox (-154, 9)

Hot pitching stat: Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman tossed two-hit ball over seven shutout innings in a 6-0 victory over the Red Sox on July 26.

Hot batting stat: Baltimore C Matt Wieters has had the upper hand on Red Sox starter Jon Lester, hitting .359 with seven RBIs in 39 career at-bats against him.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the low-70s with a 45 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms. Wind will blow in from right field at 6 mph.

Key betting note: Baltimore is 9-2 in Tillman's last 11 road starts.

Seattle Mariners at Houston Astros (+124, 8.5)

Cold pitching stat: Houston right-hander Jordan Lyles had his worst start of the season in his last encounter with Seattle, lasting just four innings after surrendering 10 runs on eight hits.

Hot batting stat: Astros OF Brandon Barnes is batting .400 with three doubles, a triple and a homer in 35 at-bats against Seattle in 2013.

Weather: Temperatures will be in the high-80s under partly cloudy skies. Wind will blow out to right-center field at 7 mph.

Key betting note: The over is 6-0 in Houston's last six series openers.

** Odds, probable starting pitchers, weather forecast and stats as of 12:55 p.m. ET Wednesday.