Portland State/Idaho State

[AbeFroman]

I like Portland State +1 in the battle of two mediocre teams. Few reasons why:

Idaho State is 8-29 against winning teams in their last 37 match-ups.
Idaho State is 5-15 as a small favorite in their last 20 match-ups as such.
The Bengals have also struggled historically against PSU, going 3-8 ATS and 2-9 SU in their last 11 meetings.

With no significant injuries either way, I'm rolling with the Vikings today.

[jimmyg2727]

Goodluck ABE...I was leaning that way too

[swiss88]

Good luck with the play, I'll probably be on it as well

[AbeFroman]

Good start to the New Year at 1-0!

Will have another play and write-up coming tomorrow.

[AbeFroman]

Some early leans for tomorrow, will post my plays around 4:30, 5:00 EST tomorrow afternoon:

Michigan State -1.5
James Madison -6.5

And a play to come on the Big East showdown between Georgetown and St. Johns.

[eatdust11]

Good call on Portland State.. Michigan State is just too volatile right now for me to bet on either side in their games..

[southie]

I like the james madison play. Doesn't hurt that a major service released it either!

GL

[MontysRevenge]

Portland St shot lights out from 3 in the 1st half. I thought they might relinquish that lead, but they kept it up in the 2nd half. NICE CALL!!!

[AbeFroman]

Hi ya folks,

Thanks for stopping in.

My plays for today:
Florida State -14: After doing some research, this line seems to be a bit low, as I feel FSU could win this game by 20 without a problem.
The 'Noles come in to this contest at 11-3, fresh off a 68-61 win at Baylor on Christmas Day, moving the Seminoles to a 4-1 clip ATS on the road.
Looking at Auburn, this is a struggling team in the SEC, currently at 6-7. Last time out, they knocked off Grambling State, but have only played two lined games in their last five, and have covered neither.
The most glaring stat in this match-up is points scored. FSU, playing a significantly tougher non-con schedule, is posting 72 points on average per game, while Auburn has scored on average just 65 points against an incredibly non-conference schedule. Roll with the Seminoles -14.

James Madison-7: I'm not as thrilled with this play now that it moved to -7, so proceed with caution. The Dukes are perfect on the year at home ATS and SU, and are 6-0 against teams are .500, which the Huskies are at 6-7. James Madison is also 4-2 coming off more then one day off, while Northeastern is 0-5. The concern I have is Northeastern's ability to keep contests close, however playing at JMU is a big help, even though JMU is just 1-8 against Northeastern ATS in it's last nine. Will decide whether to play this one or not around 5.

Michigan State -2.5: I understand there is some concern with taking Michigan State, as they have been tough ATS so far this year, but I really like a Top 25 team playing in a place they historically play well at and are only giving 2.5 points. We've seen MSU struggle with turnovers against athletic teams (Syracuse, Duke) but this Northwestern team is by no means an athletic group like those listed. MSU should be able to shoot this one to a cover against the zone, and I feel the 7-8 avg. rebound a game advantage MSU has will play a big role in this one.

To conclude:
Strong Plays: Florida State -14, MSU -2.5

Play I'm Considering: James Madison -7.

I mentioned the G-Town/St. John game last night as a potential play, but I have decided to back off. Just can't get a feel either way enough to make a wager.