Service Plays Wednesday 10/23/13

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GL!

Oct. 23, 8:07 PM ET

• Cardinals-
• Red Sox-

• Tickets »
• Conversation »

• 
  A. Wainwright
  • W-L: 19-9
    ERA: 2.94 K: 219
• 
  J. Lester
  • W-L: 15-8
    ERA: 3.75 K: 177

Today's MLB Picks

St. Louis at Boston

The Red Sox open the World Series at home and look to build on their 8-3 record in their last 11 games when the total is set at 7 runs or less. Boston is the pick (-125) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Sox favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Boston (-125). Here are all of today's picks.

Beltran, Pedroia, Holliday headline World Series MVP odds

The World Series opens in Boston Wednesday night. On top of the Game 1 odds, series prices and World Series props, baseball bettors can also wager on which player will win World Series MVP.

Adam Wainwright +1200
Allen Craig +1500
Carlos Beltran +800
Clay Buchholz +1800
David Ortiz +1200
David Freese +1500
Dustin Pedroia +800
Jacoby Ellsbury +1200
Jarrod Saltalamacchia +1800
Jon Jay +2000
Jon Lester +1200
Koji Uehara +1500
Matt Adams +1800
Matt Carpenter +1200
Matt Holliday +800
Michael Wacha +1200
Mike Napoli +1200
Shane Victorino +1500
Stephen Drew +2000
Trevor Rosenthal +1500
Xander Bogaerts +2000
Yadier Molina +1200
Field +800

World Series betting: Red Sox Game 1, series faves

The Boston Red Sox head into the 2013 World Series as -145 (Bet365) favorites over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Sox will play for their first World Series trophy since 2007 when they swept the Colorado Rockies.

The Cardinals, priced at +125, were the 2011 champions after outlasting the Texas Rangers in seven games.

The two clubs did not face one another this season - and haven't since 2008 - but the Sox have the edge in Interleague matchups this season.

Boston posted a 14-6 record against National League opponents and outscored them at a 118-54 clip.

St. Louis was 10-10 against American League teams and had the upper hand in runs as well, outscoring AL opponents 100-75.

It looks as if the series will open with staff aces toeing the rubber at Fenway Park Wednesday evening.

Adam Wainwright is probable to get the call for St. Louis and Jon Lester is the probable starter for the Red Sox.

The Red Sox are Game 1 faves at -125 and the total is currently 7.

MLB
Long Sheet

Wednesday, October 23

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


ST LOUIS (104 - 69) at BOSTON (104 - 68) - 8:05 PM
ADAM WAINWRIGHT (R) vs. JON LESTER (L)
Top Trends for this game.
ST LOUIS is 22-25 (-10.6 Units) against the money line against left-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 55-47 (-8.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season.
BOSTON is 104-68 (+22.4 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
BOSTON is 57-29 (+15.1 Units) against the money line in home games this season.
BOSTON is 92-60 (+17.3 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 73-53 (+10.5 Units) against the money line in night games this season.
BOSTON is 69-46 (+14.4 Units) against the money line against right-handed starters this season.
ST LOUIS is 104-69 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in all games this season.
ST LOUIS is 28-15 (+11.8 Units) against the money line when the total is 7 or less this season.
ST LOUIS is 104-69 (+14.5 Units) against the money line in games played on a grass field this season.
BOSTON is 187-180 (-45.0 Units) against the money line in home games when playing against a team with a winning record in the second half of the season since 1997.
LESTER is 51-50 (-19.2 Units) against the money line in all games over the last 3 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 21-27 (-14.8 Units) against the money line in night games over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 7-13 (-9.3 Units) against the money line after a win this season. (Team's Record)
LESTER is 18-25 (-12.8 Units) against the money line when playing against a team with a winning record over the last 2 seasons. (Team's Record)

Head-to-Head Series History
There were no past matchups in this series during this time period.

ADAM WAINWRIGHT vs. BOSTON since 1997
No recent starts.

JON LESTER vs. ST LOUIS since 1997
LESTER is 0-0 when starting against ST LOUIS with an ERA of 2.46 and a WHIP of 1.364.
His team's record is 1-0 (+1.0 units) in these starts. The OVER is 0-1. (-1.0 units)

MLB

Wednesday, October 23

Trend Report

8:07 PM
ST. LOUIS vs. BOSTON
St. Louis is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games on the road
St. Louis is 13-4 SU in its last 17 games
Boston is 2-4 SU in its last 6 games when playing St. Louis
Boston is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games

MLB

Wednesday, October 23

Cardinals at Red Sox: What bettors need to know

St. Louis Cardinals at Boston Red Sox (-119, 7)

The St. Louis Cardinals have won a pair of World Series since falling to the Boston Red Sox in 2004 and will make their fourth trip to the Fall Classic in 10 years looking for revenge. The Red Sox completed a remarkable turnaround from last place in 2012 and will try to take down the Cardinals again when they host Game 1 of the World Series on Wednesday. David Ortiz is the only player left from Boston’s sweep in 2004 and is still piling up key postseason hits.

St. Louis’ lone holdovers from that 2004 showdown are Mike Matheny, who went from starting catcher to manager, and Yadier Molina, who went from Matheny’s backup to one of the best catchers in the game. One of Boston’s big advantages in the American League playoffs was on the base paths - an area Molina regularly controls. The Cardinals and Red Sox are stacked up and down the roster and tied for the most wins in the majors during the regular season with 97.

TV: 8:07 p.m. ET, FOX

WEATHER: Temperatures in the high 40s with partly cloudy skies and a 52 percent chance of rain early Wesnesday. Winds blowing west at 7 mph.

PITCHING MATCHUP: Cardinals RH Adam Wainwright (2-1, 1.57 ERA) vs. Red Sox LH Jon Lester (2-1, 2.33)

Wainwright served as the closer on St. Louis’ 2006 World Champion squad and was forced to watch the 2011 team win from the bench while recovering from Tommy John surgery. The 32-year-old led the National League with 19 wins during the regular season and was spectacular during the NL playoffs, striking out 20 batters while issuing one walk in 23 total innings. Wainwright’s lone road playoff start was his only loss, allowing two runs on six hits in seven innings at Los Angeles.

Lester allowed two or fewer runs in each of his three postseason starts and 10 of the last 13 going back to the regular season. The 29-year-old won the clinching game of the 2007 World Series in Colorado, allowing three hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Lester is 4-4 with a 2.49 ERA in 11 career postseason games - nine starts.

TRENDS:

* Under is 6-2-1 in the last nine meetings.
* Over is 5-2-1 in the last eight meetings in Boston.
* Cardinals are 7-3 in their last 10 World Series games.
* Red Sox are 8-0 in their last eight World Series games.

WALK-OFFS:

1. Cardinals 1B Allen Craig (foot) missed the first two rounds of the playoffs but is expected to be activated for the World Series.

2. Boston rookie 3B Xander Bogaerts reached base in eight of his 11 postseason plate appearances and is likely to stay in the lineup.

3. St. Louis RF Carlos Beltran owns a .337 batting average and .449 on-base percentage with 16 homers and 37 RBIs in 45 career playoff games, but will be making his World Series debut.

Cardinals, Red Sox open World Series Wednesday
by Robert Livingston

World Series - Game 1
First pitch: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Boston -115, St. Louis +105, Total: 7

The Cardinals begin their quest for their second World Series title in three years on Wednesday night against a Red Sox team looking for a repeat of 2004 when they swept the Redbirds in the Fall Classic.

Adam Wainwright (21-10, 2.82 ERA) will take the mound for underdog St. Louis in this one with a 2-1 record and 1.57 ERA this postseason, adding to his career-long playoff success (4-1, 2.10 ERA). Opposing him will be Boston southpaw Jon Lester (17-9, 3.64 ERA) who has been way better at home this year, where he is 8-2 (team is 12-30 with a 2.93 ERA and 1.13 WHIP. The Cardinals have generally struggled against lefties this season, going 22-25 (.468). Overall, St. Louis is 45-41 (.523) away from Busch Stadium in 2013, while the Boston is a dominant 57-29 (.663) at Fenway Park. The Cardinals have struggled at the plate this postseason with a .210 BA and 3.8 runs per game, but their pitching has been outstanding, limiting opponents to a .207 BA and 2.5 runs per game. The Red Sox lineup has been up-and-down during the playoffs, batting .236 with 4.5 runs per game, but their pitching has also been strong with a 3.05 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.

Wainwright (1.05 WHIP) has led the Cardinals to victory in 25 of his 37 starts (.676) this year, including a 7-1 mark in his past eight starts where he has not allowed more than three runs in any outing, tallying a 1.71 ERA and 0.88 WHIP with 52 K's and just seven walks in 58 IP during this span. He has been slightly worse on the road this season with a 3.31 ERA and 1.18 WHIP, but he still amassed a 10-4 record (team 12-6) away from Busch Stadium. And he lives for October, now with a 2.10 ERA and 0.92 WHIP in 16 career postseason outings, seven of which were starts. He has 62 strikeouts and only seven walks in those 55.2 postseason innings. That mirrors his dominance this year where he has 239 strikeouts and a pithy 36 walks in 264.2 innings. He has never pitched against the Red Sox in his career, though has some experience pitching well against some of their current hitters, holding them to a combined .162 BA in 68 career at-bats. SS Stephen Drew is 2-for-19 with five strikeouts, C David Ross is 2-for-11 with 4 K's, OF Jonny Gomes is 2-for-10 with 4 K's while ALCS Game 6 grand slam hero OF Shane Victorino is just 5-for-22 (.227 BA) against Wainwright in his career. Despite the struggles, Ross, Gomes and Victorino have a homer and 3 RBI off the right-hander. Wainwright doesn’t usually need much bullpen help with 7.2 innings per start this year, but the Cardinals bullpen is usually pretty solid with a 3.35 ERA and 1.22 WHIP. On the road they’re even better with a 3.11 ERA, but have a slightly worse 1.23 WHIP. But during the postseason, the St. Louis bullpen has been lights-out with a 1.80 ERA and 0.83 WHIP over 30 innings, which includes a 1.42 ERA and 0.74 WHIP in the NLCS win over the Dodgers.

Lester (1.28 WHIP in 2013) has also been great in the postseason so far with a 2-1 record and 2.33 ERA this October. That echoes his historical postseason dominance, as he has a 2.49 ERA and 1.14 WHIP in 11 career postseason appearances, nine of which were starts. He has 191 strikeouts in 232.2 innings this year, though he sometimes struggles with his control with 74 walks. He has one career start against the Cardinals, earning the win against them while giving up two earned runs on nine hits in 7.1 innings in 2008. Only three current Cardinals have ever faced Lester, as OF Matt Holliday is 2-for-6 with 1 RBI and 1 K, OF Carlos Beltran is 1-for-1 with two walks and C Yadier Molina is 0-for-3. The important thing to watch out with the St. Louis hitters will be monitoring the health of 1B/OF Allen Craig, whose status for the series is questionable with a foot injury. Craig batted .315 with 13 HR and 97 RBI during the regular season, but has not played since Sept. 4 because of his injury. Despite some injuries of its own, Boston’s bullpen has been extremely reliable this year with a 33-23 record, 3.53 ERA and 1.30 WHIP. At Fenway Park, the unit is 18-9 with a 3.45 ERA and 1.32 WHIP. During the 2013 postseason, Red Sox relievers have been outstanding with a collective 3-1 record, 0.84 ERA, 1.06 WHIP and five saves, all by Koji Uehara.

World Series Games Leaning Toward 'Under' since 2000

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals send their respective aces to the mound for Game 1 of the World Series Wednesday, but don’t jump on the Under just yet.

Since 2000, the Over/Under in Game 1 of the World Series has bounced around on both sides of the number, with contending teams posting a 7-6 O/U record in that span.

Boston gives the ball to Jon Lester (2-1, 2.33 ERA) while St. Louis goes with Adam Wainwright (2-1, 1.57 ERA), keeping the Game 1 total at a low 7 runs.

While Game 1 of the World Series hasn’t produced a solid lean to either side of the total, looking back at the entire series has shown the Under is the smart play. World Series contenders are 28-37 O/U since 2000 – a winning percentage of 57 percent for Under bettors.

Looking back at World Series involving either the Red Sox or Cardinals, and the under is 8-12 O/U in those games, including a 1-3 O/U record when these clubs collided in the 2004 World Series in which Boston swept 4-0.

The Red Sox and Cardinals have been fairly split on the Over/Under this postseason with a collective 11-8-2 O/U mark heading into Game 1. However, in their league championship series, Boston and St. Louis were a combined 4-6-2 O/U.

Heading into Wednesday’s series opener, Boston and St. Louis have gone 2-6-1 O/U in their last nine meetings but are 5-2-1 O/U in their last eight head-to-head contests at Fenway Park. The Over is also 3-1-1 in each of Wainwright’s and Lester’s last five starts.

Wednesday's Champions League Betting Cheat Sheet

Wednesday's Champions League action features matches from Groups A, B, C and D. A pair of European giants - Man United and Juventus - are off to slow starts and will look to build a little momentum with positive results.

Manchester United vs. Real Sociedad (-200, +333, +550)

Why bet Man United: Because this is a club that needs something good to happen. United sits in top position in Group A with four points and a serious push in Champions League will soften the blow of a terrible start (in United standards) to the Premier League campaign. The Red Devils were on the verge of a solid 1-0 victory over Southampton, but the plucky Saints managed an 89' goal from Adam Lallana to force a tie. These are things that didn't happen to United under Fergie.

Why bet Real Sociedad: Coming off a very successful campaign in La Liga last season, a lot of expectation was heaped upon Real Sociedad. It hasn't been a good start in either Champions League and in Spain, however. Sociedad has yet to record a point in a tough Group A with losses versus Shakhtar and at Leverkusen. The side is talented and better then the start we've seen, so potentially picking up points at Old Trafford could turn their season around, and prove to skeptics that they belong in Europe.

Key betting note: Sociedad has played under the 2.5 goal total in three of its four Champions League matches (including qualifiers) this season.

Real Madrid vs. Juventus (-188, +333, +500)

Why bet Real Madrid: Madrid is off to an incredible start in Group B after thrashing both Galatasaray and Copenhagen. Juventus will be the first real test, however, but Madrid is already sitting pretty in the group after the Italian side drew both of its matches against the same opponents. The top of the table in La Liga is log jammed as Madrid sits third, but the squad is so deep and so talented that a good run in Europe is surely in the cards.

Why bet Juventus: Juve ran away with the Serie A crown last season, but has gotten off to a rough start domestically this time around. The Old Lady was thrashed by a game Fiorentina side 4-2 at the weekend and a slow start in Champions League won't help. Juventus drew both Galatasaray and Copenhagen and must find its form against Madrid or else could be on the outside looking in.

Key betting note: Juventus has won its last four matches versus Madrid in all competitions.

Wednesday's other matches with odds:

CSKA Moscow v Manchester City (+400, +290, -133)

Anderlecht v PSG (+600, +350, -222)

Bayer Leverkusen v Shakhtar Donetsk (-120, +275, +320)

Bayern Munich v Viktoria Plzen (-1400, +1400, +4000)

Benfica v Olympiakos (-138, +275, +375)

Galatasaray v FC Copenhagen (-250, +375, +700)

NHL

Hot teams
-- Bruins won three of their last four games, are 3-0 on road.

Cold teams
-- Sabres lost nine of their first ten games, are 0-6 at home.
-- Senators lost five of their last seven games. Detroit lost its last two games.

Series records
-- Sabres are 5-4 in last nine games against Boston.
-- Detroit won last four games with Ottawa, outscoring them 19-11.

Totals
-- Under is 5-0-2 in Boston games this season.
-- Over is 4-2-1 in last seven Detroit games.

Football lines that make you go hmmm...
By JASON LOGAN

The New Orleans Saints aren’t the type of team to let things slide.

The Saints, fueled by last year’s “Bounty Gate”-bogged season and suspension of head coach Sean Payton, seem destined to make a run at the Super Bowl – throwing it in the face of the NFL.

The next step in their revenge plot is a home win over the Buffalo Bills, who unfortunately walk into a buzz saw in Week 8. New Orleans has been fuming for two weeks after letting a win slip away against New England in Week 6 and has had a bye week to make sure it never, ever happens again.

Despite this motivation, oddsmakers are only giving the visiting Bills 12.5 points Sunday, keeping the high-powered Saints below two-touchdown favorites.

Sure, Buffalo has shown some fight in recent weeks and is coming off a win over Miami, but New Orleans is the class of the NFC and has the firepower and new-founded defensive prowess to turn this non-conference clash into a blowout.

The Saints aren’t taking it easy on the Bills in the “Big Easy” this weekend.

NCAAF

Texas Longhorns at TCU Horned Frogs (-1.5)

Big 12 bettors aren't the only ones going "hmmm..." when it comes to the spread for Texas at TCU Saturday.

“I heard we were picked to lose,” Texas QB Case McCoy told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, questioning Saturday’s spread, which has come down from TCU -3 to -1.5.

The Longhorns are picking up steam after a huge victory over Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry two weeks ago and bring a three-game winning streak into Fort Worth. Texas is still going with McCoy under center. He's doing a good job managing the passing game while allowing the Horns rushing attack to set the pace. Texas stampeded over OU for 255 yards and is averaging just over 200 yards on the ground since McCoy took over for the injured David Ash.

Texas Christian fell to Oklahoma State last weekend and hasn’t been able to hang with the conference elite this season, losing to OSU, OU, and Texas Tech. Yet, books are setting the Horned Frogs as slight home favorites Saturday night.

“People are always doubting us,” Texas CB Quandre Diggs told reporters. “It motivates me a lot. We were the underdog against OU. We’ll be the underdog against TCU. That’s even better. We just need to go out with the same energy. If we do, it should be a good one.”

Who said teams don't pay attention at the pointspread?

Oklahoma State Cowboys at Iowa State Cyclones (+13)

Oklahoma State’s offense isn’t living up to stats of past seasons. After ranking among the most powerful scoring attacks in the land, the Pokes are mustering only 35.7 points per game this fall – a bleak average compared to last season’s production of 44.7 points per game.

However, the Cowboys have a real chance to open up the playbook against Iowa State, which just got rolled for 71 points versus Baylor last Saturday. The Cyclones rank 111th in points against, giving up 36.7 per game and have lost three straight, dropping to 1-5 on the year.

Oklahoma State is coming off a big win over TCU, defeating the Horned Frogs 24-10 as a 6-point home favorite, and is just under two-touchdown road chalk in Week 9.

The Cowboys could roll with two QBs again Saturday, splitting snaps between J.W. Walsh and Clint Chelf. Whoever is throwing the ball should have plenty of space to operate against an ISU defense that is last in the Big 12 with only 10 sacks and just two interceptions.

NFL line watch: Keep tabs on Skins-Broncos spread, total
By ART ARONSON

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

Spread to bet now

Washington Redskins (+14) at Denver Broncos

This line opened at +14, but is dropping. There are some 13.5s on the board and 13s as well. If you're planning on getting down on Washington in this matchup, you may want to jump on board right now.

The reason this line is moving is obvious: The public finally saw the Broncos lose and that Peyton Manning is in fact a human. Denver's prolific offense has clearly helped in masking a suspect defense, but that veil has now unquestionably been lifted.

After dropping 45 on the Bears, bettors are likely to continue to hammer the visitors as the week wares on.

Spread to wait on

San Francisco 49ers (-17.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars

The 49ers arrived in England for their game with the Jaguars Monday. This lined opened at -17.5, but has already started to drop, with 17s and 16.5s making an appearance now as well. If you're planning on wagering on San Francisco this Sunday, you may want to wait a bit closer to kickoff.

The one area were the Jaguars have actually been decent is on the road, going 1-3 ATS away from friendly confines compared to 0-3 ATS in front of the home town crowd. Jacksonville has totaled 39 points in its last two road contests, at St. Louis and Denver respectively.

Travel across the pond is a factor that must always be taken into account. The bottom line though is that it's a detriment for both teams. If you're a situational handicapper, it's pretty obvious why both the public and the sharps are jumping on this sky-high number for the Jags.

This sets up as a classic lookahead/let down spot for the 49ers, who will enjoy their bye after lowly Jacksonville.

Total to watch

Washington Redskins at Denver Broncos (56.5)

If you're planning on playing the Under, consider grabbing the line now. As of writing, there are still some 56.5s on the board, but 55.5 predominates. At some point in the season, the Broncos will need their defense to step up and win a game for them. Here's the perfect opponent.

The Redskins are coming off a 45-41 shootout over the Bears last week but have gone 1-2 O/U on the road this year. Both the sharps and the public saw Manning struggle at times last week and must now finally believe the veteran is slowing down after his manic start to the season.

Exposing the Top 25: Where the polls went wrong
By JESSE SCHULE

Each week throughout the college football season, Covers Expert Jesse Schule will dissect the new Top 25 rankings, looking for betting value. He'll showcase the most overrated team, along with the most underrated ranked team, and an unranked squad that he feels should be in the Top 25.

Most underrated Top 25 team: Auburn Tigers (6-1 SU, 5-2 ATS)

The Tigers won outright at College Station Saturday, defeating Texas A&M and moving to 6-1. Their only loss came on the road to LSU and they covered the points as 17-point underdogs in that game.

Auburn ran for 379 yards versus the Aggies last week and rank eighth in the country, averaging over 300 yards rushing per game. Auburn will have four very winnable games against unranked teams before finishing the season versus Alabama at home.

Most overrated Top 25 team: Fresno State Bulldogs (6-0 SU, 1-5 ATS)

The Bulldogs are undefeated and they continue to climb their way up the rankings, despite the fact that they haven't really played anybody. Not only have they been padding their stats against unranked teams, they have failed to cover the spread in all but one of their games.

The Fresno State defense has allowed an average of more than 30 points per game - ranking 89th in the nation. The Bulldogs are giving up 9.5 points on the road this week versus San Diego State and they may have to be lucky to win this game outright.

Unranked team that should be ranked: BYU Cougars (5-2 SU, 4-3 ATS)

The Cougars have now won four straight since losing the “Holy War” to Utah in September. They have some tough games coming up against Boise State, Wisconsin and Notre Dame, but all of their remaining five contests are very winnable.

The defense that was so dominant last year hasn't had as much success, but Taysom Hill and the offense are picking up the slack. Hill threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns in Houston Saturday.

Beyond the BCS: Capping college football's small conferences
By DOC'S SPORTS

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 watch: Colorado State Rams (3-4 SU, 5-2 ATS)

This week: -5.5 at Hawaii

The Rams are battle tested on the road heading into Saturday’s date at winless Hawaii. They lost at Tulsa and Alabama before scoring a 30-point win at Wyoming last weekend. Colorado State churned out 509 yards at the Cowboys’ expense, including 290 yards on the ground. Quarterback Garrett Grayson threw three touchdown passes and has nine in his last three outings. The offensive unit should be licking its chops to an even greater extent against a 0-6 Hawaii squad that is allowing 475.8 yards per game. Colorado State won this matchup 42-27 at home last year.

The Rams are 5-1 ATS in their last six overall and 4-0 ATS in their last four road contests. Hawaii is 4-9 ATS in its last 13 Mountain West showdowns and 3-9 ATS in its last 12 against opponents with losing records.

Team to beware: Akron Zips (2-6 SU, 4-4 ATS)

This week: +10.5 vs. Ball State

Akron is 2-6 (1-3 MAC) and has lost five of its last six games. The Zips are coming off a road win at Miami (Ohio), which is 0-7 and has not come closer in any contest than it did in last week’s seven-point margin. Akron is 1-6 ATS in its last seven home games and 5-11 ATS in its last 16 conference dates. Ball State, on the other hand, is 7-2 ATS in its last seven against the MAC and 7-2 ATS in its last nine against teams with losing records.

If there is a weakness on Ball State (7-1, 4-0 MAC), it’s a rushing defense that surrenders 204.5 rushing yards per game. The Zips, though, likely can’t capitalize on such an opportunity. They are gaining a mere 107.9 yards per game on the ground.

Total team: Marshall Thundering Herd (4-2 SU, 1-5 O/U)

This week: 56.5 at Middle Tennessee

The Thundering Herd’s defense is the main reason why they are 4-2 overall and off to a 2-0 start in the C-USA. Marshall is allowing just 117.8 rushing yards and 180.3 passing yards per contest. It has given up more than 23 points in regulation only once this season.

Middle Tennessee, meanwhile, is averaging only 176.9 yards per game through the air and running back William Pratcher, who rushed for 71 yards and two touchdowns in his team’s season opener, is out for the season.

The Under is 5-1 in Marshall’s last six overall and 5-1 in Middle Tennessee’s last six overall. It is 6-2 in Middle Tennessee’s last eight road games and 5-1 in its last six against opponents with winning records.

Today's NHL Picks

Ottawa at Detroit

The Red Wings look to take advantage of an Ottawa team that is 1-5 in its last 6 road games versus a team with a winning home record. Detroit is the pick (-150) according to Dunkel, which has the Red Wings favored by 1 1/2. Dunkel Pick: Detroit (-150). Here are all of today's picks.