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Tonight in the ACC Louisville travels to Miami. This is the first time both have squared off as Louisville being a new member to the ACC. The Cardinal are four point road favorites after a tremendous come from behind win over North Carolina.

The come from behind win helped stop a possible three game losing streak to the Tar Heels. Last year Carolina had won and they had also won the first matchup of this season.

Does that win and Louisville being ranked in the top ten warrant a four point number against Miami?

It’s hard to say yes or no on this game. Usually one can look at a point spread and reason for justification on the number. But neither the Cardinal or Hurricane have been consistent enough to field a proper gauge on this game.

To me this game will be a permanent marker on both team’s seasons. Miami can reverse course on a mediocre season and get back into the thick of things for an automatic bid. A win over Louisville and already over Duke should put them in strong consideration.

Louisville on the other hand has had their struggles protecting leads all season long. Pitino is missing both the effective press he had for four years and a strong big man inside to protect the rim. Harrell is a big body but by trimming his weight he has left Louisville vulnerable inside.

In prior years offensively Louisville could co-depend on Luke Hancock or Russ Smith to carry their team. In fact last year they primarily went to both in second halves exclusively. This year they have not found their go to guy especially outside of twelve feet (Harrell).

Miami has the team defense to stay in this game against Louisville. The question is can they avoid mental miscues of poor offense? They’ve struggled with size all season because they lack interior strength offensively. Attacking the guards on the perimeter forces poor shots and quick transition points. That’s how Florida State and countless other teams have been able to defeat Miami, who shoots over 23 three pointers a game.

This game will likely draw the most action on the board tonight. In my opinion it’s one that should be scouted to see which direction either team will go. Past Pitino teams would elevate their play and carry it forward to March Madness. Miami is the unknown. The talent is there but will the execution be there at home in a must-win situation?

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One of the key weekend playoff games is the Cowboys versus the Packers. Two quality teams that have raised their levels of play over the last month and a half. Watch as Shaun, Zack, and John breakdown the matchup from an ATS perspective and give out who they believe will win the cash.

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The 2014-2015 NFL season has flown by in quick fashion. This weekend the divisional round of the playoffs will occur. In Las Vegas and offshore the current point spread on the Denver Broncos is -7 against the Indianapolis Colts. See who Zack, Shaun, and John envision winning the cash in this playoff matchup.

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Watch as Shaun Hess, Zack Cimini, and John Cranton break down the National Championship game between Ohio State and Oregon. They give their analysis ATS from a Las Vegas perspective.

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The first month and a half of the 2014-2015 college basketball season is in the books. Rigors of conference play are upon us and shall cause a typical frequent disruption in the current top 25 rankings. Finding value of top 25 teams that may fall out weekly rankings can be a gold mine for sports bettors. College basketball is one of the best sports where true metrics can be of a high value. A lot of teams have shielded their deficiencies with unbalanced non-conference scheduling. Here are a few teams that I believe are ranked above what their current play perceives with the eye-test.

Wichita State
The Shockers have one of the deeper backcourts in the country with Ron Baker, Fred VanVleet, and Tekele Cotton. But since their lost to Utah the team has been in disarray. Poor shot selection from their three guards and even poorer team defense should be exposed in an above average Missouri Valley Conference. The loss of CleAnthony Early is proving to be more troublesome than anticipated. The Shockers need to find an inside presence to lighten the load off poor perimeter shots. Struggles against Detroit, George Washington, and Drake.

Utah
Every year there are 2-3 teams that play a few notches higher in non-conference play than they will in-conference. Utah will likely be one of those teams. Their team defense and key upper classmen bode for disadvantages against non-conference opponents. In conference though there will be no secrets. Coaching staffs know the ins and outs of this Utah team. With Jordan Loveridge still out for a length of time, you can expect Utah to have their issues in-conference play.

St. Johns
The Johnnies already lost in their Big East opener to Seton Hall. Unless De’Angelo Harrison and the group of seniors on this team change their attitude of team defense you can expect a continued plummet. The spark to build a big lead or give up a big lead is always there with this St. John’s team. Offensively they never truly seem to have a rhyme or reason to their offensive half-court sets. It usually involves one on one shot creations from Phil Greene, Harrison, or Rysheed Jordan. They’re as dangerous as any team in the country when they play together. In-conference play though you can expect this team to lose their focus and have a poor stretch of 3-5 games.

Colorado State
Transfer U will have their hands full as they step into the thick of true conference play. Unblemished currently, Colorado State escaped a handful of games in non-conference play. In their first game against an undermanned Boise State ball club they found themselves down 28-13. They were able to surge a comeback but I do not see this team having the fire power on offense to sustain being a top 25 team. JJ Avila and Daniel Bejarno are solid seniors to have on any team but are not capable of leading a team to a high level of play. By mid to late February expect this team to have 5-6 losses.

Wisconsin
I don’t expect Wisconsin to fall out of the top 25 but the bruising nature of the Big Ten is tough to escape for anybody. This goes back to coaching staffs knowing the strengths and weaknesses of every starter on Wisconsin. Defense rises in conference play. The team concept of Wisconsin is fantastic when the team is clicking on all cylinders. But a hiccup thwarts that concept without the reliance of 1-2 go to scorers on a bad night. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a young team like Indiana give this Wisconsin team trouble.

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Zack Cimini, Hollis Barnhart, and John Cranton break down an AFC North division battle between the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. With the third seed on the line who do they like to grab the ATS cover Sunday?