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All the talk from handicappers is usually on games they would play. From time to time I will take a different angle and discuss a game that has no business being on anyone’s betting ticket. The last profiled game was Georgia Tech vs Syracuse which featured numerous lead changes and a narrow one point win from the Cuse.

Saturday I’ll head out to the Big West where a late night matchup features Cal Santa Barbara vs Long Beach State. As of this blog entry Long Beach State is favored by 3.5 points. Cal Santa Barbara is coming off a dud performance in which they lost outright as a 13 point favorite at home to Cal State Northridge. That line was severely off and not an indicator of the type of team Santa Barbara is.

Meanwhile Long Beach State is a puzzle that I could not back right now. They seem to have the pieces to be the Big West representative but have looked like a team non-focused for most of this season. They took their beatings in non-conference games against top-tier talent but have came out flat in conference play.

Long Beach State lost to UC Davis in overtime and nearly had to face Cal Poly in overtime because of costly errors by senior guard Mike Caffey. For the majority of the game against Cal Poly they failed as a team to match the defensive intensity that Cal Poly brought to the court.

The talent is there for Long Beach State but I have yet to see this team display their capabilities. This is a tricky game to see if Long Beach State finally emerges or if Cal Santa Barbara gives them another close Big West matchup.

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We are about a day away from finding out which teams will be their conference representatives for the Super Bowl. Find out who Jeff, Zack, and John think have the best Vegas chance to cover the number in the Packers vs Seahawks.

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Watch as Jeff Saad, John Cranton, and Zack Cimini discuss the AFC Title game between the Colts and Patriots. It’s been a series dominated by the Patriots over the years, but is it Andrew Luck’s time to lead his team to victory? See who each likes ATS.

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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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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.