Tuley the Tout 2008-12-05T15:16:46Z http://tuleythetout.com/atom.aspx Quick Blogcast Early Turkey Weekend football picks: Nov. 27-29 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-11-27:93545ff6-337c-49f4-9307-29069334609c Tuley the Tout 2008-11-27T08:37:02Z 2008-11-27T08:30:00Z Happy Thanksgiving to all VFV members, even non-Americans who don't celebrate this holiday. As we get ready to dig into our turkey dinners, here are some picks for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I'll post the rest of my NFL picks for Sunday on Friday afternoon after the deadline for the Hilton SuperContest in the ViewFromVegas Forums, where you can feel free to ask me about these plays or any other games on the weekend schedule.

I'm trying to bounce back from a subpar record last week in which I went 3-4 in college football and 2-3 in the pros (2-4 if counting the Thursday night non-cover by the Bengals vs. the Steelers).

Let's start with some Turkey Day NFL football:

Lions +11 vs. Titans: I'll jump back on this double-digit underdog. We've seen the Lions keep trying despite their 0-11 record (they are 5-6 against the spread) and they won't want to be embarrassed on national TV. The Titans are in a situation where teams that have started an NFL season 10-0 or better and lost a game have gone 2-5 ATS the following week. We expect them to get the grind out a win. I lean to the UNDER 44.

Seahawks +12.5 vs. Cowboys: Seattle is much improved with Matt Hasselback back at QB. The Cowboys are still inconsistent even though they looked better after falling behind the 49ers early. This is mostly a case of a line being inflated a little too much.

I'll post the rest of my NFL plays on Friday afternoon. Here are my college picks for the weekend:

Mississippi St. +18 vs. Mississippi (Fri.)
UTEP +5.5 vs. East Carolina (Fri.)
Baylor +21.5 vs. Texas Tech (Sat.)
Syracuse +22 vs. Cincinnati (Sat.)

]]> Today's blog includes two NFL games on Thanksgiving Day, two on Friday and two more on Saturday as we have a weekend football feast . . . NFL plays for Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 23 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-11-23:86cc8e86-5a96-4812-bd87-4cd1a0d47954 Tuley the Tout 2008-11-23T09:31:53Z 2008-11-23T09:21:00Z
I've been hotter in the NFL anyway, so hopefully that continues. Below are the 8 plays I did post in the "Tuley the Tout" thread on Friday morning in the ViewFromVegas.com Forums, where I'm always available to discuss my picks or other games as well. In addition, if you want detail on my reasoning for all of Sunday's action, I'm featured in this morning's Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Patriots +2 Dolphins
49ers +10.5 Cowboys
Lions +8 Buccaneers
Jaguars -2 Vikings
Panthers +1 Falcons
Giants -3 Cardinals
Colts +3 Chargers
Packers +2.5 Saints

Good luck, everyone.
]]> My apologies for posting this so late. I don't have time this morning to figure out why it didn't post Friday morning, but I don't think I'll hear any complaints from those who missed my 3-4 record against the spread in Saturday's college football.<br><br>I've been hotter in the NFL anyway, so hopefully that continues. Below are the 8 plays I did post in the "Tuley the Tout" thread on Friday morning in the <A href="http://forums.viewfromvegas.com/User/Discussion.aspx?id=136276" target=_blank>ViewFromVegas.com Forums</A>, where I'm always available to discuss my picks or other games as well. In addition, if you want detail on my reasoning for ... Football picks for Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-11-20:de9417b8-758c-4a20-82d0-433385f0d547 Tuley the Tout 2008-11-21T00:05:10Z 2008-11-20T23:51:00Z Last weekend, I went 1-3 in college football and 6-3 in the NFL (including 4-1 on my best bets that I used in the Leroy's Pro Challenge and the Hilton SuperContest to move into 1st and 3rd place, respectively, in those season-long competitions). But what I was happiest about was that I prefaced those selections by saying I didn't like the college card much at all while I was more confident with the pro plays. I bet accordingly (and I hope others did as well) and had a great weekend.

However, I'd like to point out that while I went 4-1 in the NFL, I was lucky. Around noon Sunday, I knew I was going to lose my play on the Bears vs. the Packers while my plays on the Lions vs. the Panthers and the Broncos vs. the Falcons -- both of which had comfortable early leads -- both got dicey and I was staring at a very possible 0-3 start to the day. I survived both games, and then I certainly lucked out at the end of the Chargers-Steelers game, so believe me when I say I'm not getting cocky off that 4-1 result.

As for this weekend, I like the following college plays better than last week (though the Nevada pick is the only one I LOVE as a live dog vs. undefeated Boise St.). I like a lot of games again in the NFL, though I lost with the Bengals +10.5 vs. the Steelers on Thursday night.

Feel free to ask me about any of the following games, or other games as well in the ViewFromVegas Forums:

Boston College +2 vs. Wake Forest
Michigan +20.5 vs. Ohio St.
Texas Tech +7 vs. Oklahoma
Air Force +19.5 vs. TCU
Nevada +7 vs. Boise St.
Oregon St. +2.5 vs. Arizona
Mississippi +4 vs. LSU

I already lost with the Bengals in the SuperContest, but I have 5 to pick in the Leroy's Pro Challenge (I'm in a three-way tie for first with a record of 38-17) from the list below:

Patriots +2 Dolphins
49ers +10.5 Cowboys
Lions +8 Buccaneers
Jaguars -2 Vikings
Panthers +1 Falcons
Giants -3 Cardinals
Colts +3 Chargers
Packers +2.5 Saints

Good luck, everyone. ]]> I've been trading money in college football but I've gone 9-1 the past two weeks in the NFL to move into a tie for first place in the Leroy's Pro Challenge here in town and into a tie for 6th place in the Hilton SuperContest. Insider, I have seven college football plays for Saturday as well as eight picks in the NFL on Sunday as I try to narrow down to my top 5 contest plays . . . Tuley the Tout: Football picks for Nov. 15-16 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-11-14:3223bac4-42df-4337-a4d8-427fb936e23f Tuley the Tout 2008-11-14T07:01:10Z 2008-11-14T06:37:00Z Last week was great for yours truly as I went 4-3 with my college picks and 5-0 in the NFL. I'm barely over .500 in the Leroy's College Challenge at 36-34, but I've vaulted into sole possession of 2nd place in the Leroy's Pro Challege at 34-16 while I'm up to 16th place in the Hilton SuperContest with a record of 31-18-1. The goal now is to not get overconfident and to continue to make wise decisions in the pros.

I'm a little concerned this week because I don't like much on Saturday's college football card but I seem to like almost every dog on Sunday's NFL card. Now, is this because I'm a little gun-shy in the colleges and getting a little cocky in the pros??? Or am I "in the zone" and really tuned in to the fact this will be a chalky weekend in NCAA football but that underdogs are very live this weekend in the NFL? We shall see. I'll be narrowing down my 5 NFL contest choices from the list of games below. Feel free to ask me about these games (and any others) in the ViewFromVegas Forums.

East Carolina +2.5 vs. Southern Miss
Air Force +5.5 vs. BYU
Kansas St. +6.5 vs. Nebraska
Boston College +6.5 vs. Florida St.

Broncos +6 vs. Falcons
Raiders +10.5 vs. Dolphins
Ravens +6.5 vs. Giants
Texans +8 vs. Colts
Jaguars +2.5 vs. Titans
Bears +4 vs. Packers
Lions +14 vs. Panthers
Cardinals -3 vs. Seahawks
Chargers +4.5 vs. Steelers (I know I'm using this one)

]]> I'm just 36-34 with my college football picks this year yet 34-16 in one NFL contest . . . the plays inside reflect my confidence level in the two sports as I have just 4 in NCAA but 8 in the NFL . . . Tuley the Tout: Plays for Nov. 8-10 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-11-07:508db3f0-dcb3-46bf-81cd-1921d2ffa95e Tuley the Tout 2008-11-07T13:10:12Z 2008-11-07T12:59:00Z Last Saturday was disappointing with my college football picks as I went 2-5 and dropped to 32-31 on the season, but I went 3-2 with my NFL plays on Sunday/Monday as my "ViewFromVegas" entries moved to 5th place in the Leroy's Pro Challenge at 29-16 and 38th place in the Hilton SuperContest at 26-18-1.

I'll start the weekend with a play I'm using in the "Hot Corner" feature in the Las Vegas-Review Journal as I like Nevada (currently pick-em at many books, though I'd also lay -1 as the line continues to move). Here's what I wrote in the R-J: "Fresno St. (5-3) has a better record, but Nevada (4-4) has the better offense and better defense. The most pertinent stat is Nevada is No. 2 in the nation in rushing offense at 305 yards per game led by the tandem of running back Vai Taua and multi-dimensional quarterback Colin Kaepernick while Fresno is 106th against the rush out of 119 teams. Besides, Fresno St. has failed to cover the spread in its last seven games."

And then here are my 7 college and 7 NFL plays for the weekend (I'm still in the process of narrowing down the plays I'll use in the contests). Feel free to ask me about these games or any others over the weekend in the ViewFromVegas.com Forums:

North Carolina St. +3.5 vs. Duke
Army +9.5 vs. Rice
Clemson +5.5 vs. Florida St.
Notre Dame +3.5 vs. Boston College
Baylor +26.5 vs. Texas
Louisiana Tech +7.5 vs. San Jose St.

Ravens PK vs. Texans
Bears +3 vs. Titans
Seahawks +9 vs. Dolphins
Packers +2 vs. Vikings
Chiefs +15 vs. Chargers
Colts +3 vs. Steelers
49ers +9.5 vs. Cardinals

Good luck, everyone. ]]> Inside is a play in Friday night's college football game between Nevada and Fresno St., and then 7 more college football plays for Saturday and 7 NFL games for Sunday/Monday . . . Weekend football picks for games of Nov. 1-2 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-10-31:d646acce-1db0-43c0-8dd6-fab4ec6c648f Tuley the Tout 2008-10-31T00:57:17Z 2008-10-31T00:51:00Z I'm not ready to jump into the NBA or NHL yet, so I've been having a little bit of withdrawals the past few days as I was also waiting for my Phillies +130 series bet to cash, but the weekend's here and it's time to jump back into football.

Below are my contest plays in the Leroy's College Challege (record for my ViewFromVegas entry: 30-26) and the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest (tied for 44th at 23-16-1; though I'm tied for 6th place in the Leroy's Pro Challenge at 26-14, just three games out of first place). As always, I'm willing to talk about these plays or answer questions about any other games in the ViewFromVegas.com Forums:

Iowa +2.5 vs. Illinois
San Diego St. +4.5 vs. Wyoming
Tennessee +6.5 vs. South Carolina
Oregon +2.5 vs. California
Kentucky +2.5 vs. Mississippi St.
Florida St. +2.5 vs. Georgia Tech
Arizona St. +14.5 vs. Oregon St.

Texans +4.5 vs. Vikings
Lions +13 vs. Bears
Dolphins +3.5 vs. Broncos
Cowboys +8.5 vs. Giants
Steelers +2 vs. Redskins ]]> <font face="Times New Roman"><font size=3><span id=ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder_CommentGrid_ctl02_CommentText style="WORD-WRAP: break-word">I'm not ready to jump into the NBA or NHL yet, so I've been having a little bit of withdrawals the past few days as I was also waiting for my Phillies +130 series bet to cash, but the weekend's here and it's time to jump back into football with seven college football plays on Saturday and five NFL plays on Sunday . . . Oct. 24-26: Breeders' Cup and weekend football picks tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-10-24:54007f7e-77d9-4105-9d03-d7eddc0c57ea Tuley the Tout 2008-10-24T03:02:26Z 2008-10-24T02:54:00Z Hey, everybody. We've got a great weekend ahead of us with the Breeders' Cup Friday and Saturday and then a lot of great football action as well. Below are my top three picks in each of Friday's five Breeders' Cup races. For further analysis (and a fourth pick added in each race for use in exotics and multi-race wagers), you can read my race-by-race breakdown of all 14 races for Friday and Saturday at Bodoglife.com (I'm the dapper icon on the right). You can also look me up in the ViewFromVegas Forums to discuss any of these selections or any other horses racing on this championship weekend.

Below the horse picks are my college and pro football selections. I'll also be discussing those further in the forums, specifically in my "Tuley the Tout" thread for Saturday morning.

As always, thanks for reading and good luck this weekend.

FRIDAY'S RACES

FILLY & MARE SPRINT
Intagaroo
Indian Blessing
Tiz Elemental

JUVENILE FILLIES TURF
Heart Shaped
Laragh
Emmy Darling

JUVENILE FILLIES
Van Lear Rose
Stardom Bound
Dream Express

FILLY & MARE TURF
Folk Opera
Maurakalana
Visit

LADIES' CLASSIC
Ginger Punch
Zenyatta
Cocoa Beach


COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYS:

Minnesota +1.5 vs. Purdue
UNLV +23.5 vs. BYU
SMU +11.5 vs. Navy
UCLA +16.5 vs. Cal
Virginia +11.5 vs. Georgia Tech
Virginia Tech +4.5 vs. Florida St.
Penn St. -2.5 vs. Ohio St.

NFL PLAYS:

Bills -1 vs. Dolphins
Cardinals +4.5 vs. Panthers
Lions +7.5 vs. Redskins
Browns +7 vs. Jaguars
Giants +2.5 vs. Steelers ]]> Inside are my picks for Friday's five Breeders' Cup races (including links to a race-by-race breakdown of all 14 BC races Friday and Saturday that I did for Bodoglife.com) as well as my NCAA college and NFL football plays for the weekend . . . Oct. 18-19: College and pro football plays tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-10-17:54493f1d-76d3-4319-84d0-e92ee14ff580 Tuley the Tout 2008-10-17T07:03:48Z 2008-10-17T06:43:00Z Last week, I went 5-2 in college football and 3-2 in the NFL as I try to climb up the standings in the top two handicapping contests in Las Vegas -- the Leroy's College Challenge and the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest. Below are my plays with the lines that are used in those contests (compare them to current lines, some of which you can get better such as the Chiefs vs. the Titans). To discuss these games further, or to ask me or other people about games on the betting board this weekend, visit the ViewFromVegas.com Forums.

I have just 5 college plays right now and will be adding more later:

Memphis +8.5 vs. East Carolina
Syracuse +24.5 vs. South Florida
Kansas +19.5 vs. Oklahoma
Michigan St. +3.5 vs. Ohio St.
Virginia +4.5 North Carolina

Here are my five plays in the Hilton SuperContest:

Chiefs +7.5 vs. Titans: Tennessee is the only undefeated team, both straight up and against the spread, but I think this is where the oddsmakers catch up with them. The Chiefs upset the Broncos at home earlier and even if they don't do that here, they should stay within a touhchdown.

Bengals +9.5 vs. Steelers: Another inflated line, with Carson Palmer expected to be out again. Cincy nearly covered vs. the Jets last week and should get up for a division rival.

Rams +7 vs. Cowboys: The soap opera continues in Dallas. Will Tony Romo play or won't he? I kind of hope he does as we'll get a lot more points by gametime.

49ers +10.5 vs. Giants: The Browns showed the Giants aren't invincible on Monday night. Double-digit underdogs are now 9-0 against the spread so far this year.

Lions +8.5 vs. Texans: Granted, the Lions are awful. However, they played the Vikings tough last week and the Texans shouldn't be laying more than a TD to anyone.

]]> After going 5-2 with college plays and 3-2 in the NFL last week, I'll try to keep the winning going with my plays from the Leroy's College Challenge and the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest, all of which will be underdogs . . . Oct. 11-12: Tuley the Tout's weekend plays tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-10-09:de16a2b1-9cbd-4885-82fd-91a318a0c774 Tuley the Tout 2008-10-10T00:06:21Z 2008-10-09T23:51:00Z Last week, I went 2-2 with my college football plays that I gave out in this blog (and sent out on the e-mail blast) and 3-1-1 with NFL plays -- and I'm hoping everyone who followed along on the Buccaneers' play was able to get the +3.5 or even +4 that were readily available. I did go 3-1-1 in the Hilton SuperContest to improve to 15-9-1 through five weeks and I did even better in the Leroy's Pro Challenge as I got the +3.5 with the Bucs in that contest and am currently 17-8 in that contest and tied for 11th place, just 2 games out of the lead.

I hope to keep that going. I'm 18-17 in the Leroy's College Challenge after going 4-3 last week, so I need to pick up the pace there:

Here are my college football plays for Saturday:

Minnesota +12.5 vs. Illinois
Oklahoma St. +13.5 vs. Missouri
Arizona St. +27.5 vs. USC
Notre Dame +7.5 vs. North Carolina
Miami-Ohio +10.5 vs. Northern Illinois
Colorado +13.5 vs. Kansas
Tulane +4.5 vs. UTEP

My NFL plays for Sunday:

Ravens +4.5 vs. Colts
Dolphins +3 vs. Texans
Rams +13.5 vs. Redskins
Jaguars +3.5 vs. Broncos
Patriots +6 vs. Chargers

To discuss these or any other games, please visit the ViewFromVegas.com Forums

Yours truly,
Dave Tuley

]]> Last week, I went 2-2 with my college football plays that I gave out in this blog (and sent out on the e-mail blast) and 3-1-1 with NFL plays -- and I'm hoping everyone who followed along on the Buccaneers' play was able to get the +3.5 or even +4 that were readily available. I did go 3-1-1 in the Hilton SuperContest to improve to 15-9-1 through five weeks and I did even better in the Leroy's Pro Challenge as I got the +3.5 with the Bucs in that contest and am currently 17-8 in that contest and tied for 11th place, just 2 games out of the lead. I hope to keep that going. I'm 18-17 in the Leroy's College Challenge after going 4-3 last week, so I need to pick up the pace there . . . Tuley the Tout: plays for Oct. 4-5 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-10-04:8a560bcb-4567-4a54-96f5-2225c4d8dca8 Tuley the Tout 2008-10-04T12:38:08Z 2008-10-04T12:26:05Z Better late than never (I hope). I didn't get this sent out on Friday as usual, and I've been encouraged by the number of people writing in asking for it. The only game listed that isn't later in the day Saturday is Kentucky vs. Alabama, so I apologize if that play wins and you didn't enough advance notice to bet it (I guess I'm owed a thank you if loses and you would have played it

My college football plays for Saturday:

Vanderbilt +4 vs. Auburn
Nebraska +10.5 vs. Missouri
Kentucky +16.5 vs. Alabama
Oregon +16.5 vs. Southern Cal

Baseball for Saturday (Sunday's plays will be in the  under the Tuley the Tout thread for that day)

Neither baseball playoff game has an umpire with a strong over or under tendency. Maybe I feel justified making this next bet because I made money with the Dodgers at Wrigley Field, but I'm laying -1.5 runs with the Cubs at +125 in Game 3 in L.A.

My NFL plays for Sunday:

Dolphins +6.5 vs. Chargers
Buccaneers +3 vs. Broncos
Patriots -3.5 vs. 49ers
Bills +1 vs. Cardinals
Bengals +17 vs. Cowboys

To discuss these or any other games, please visit the ViewFromVegas.com Forums

Yours truly,
Dave Tuley

]]> Inside are a baseball play for Saturday, Oct. 4, as well as college and pro football plays for Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 4-5 . . . Sept. 26-29: Tuley the Tout football plays tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-09-26:a4726aa6-47d0-42cd-8748-722295d7e537 Tuley the Tout 2008-09-26T01:12:10Z 2008-09-26T00:50:00Z Hello, "Tuley the Tout" subscribers, and those who stumbled across this blog. As I've been writing the last few weeks, I've resumed posting at tuleythetout.com as it's been getting more traffic, but my main focus is on my main website, ViewFromVegas.com.

Last week, I went 3-4 with my college football plays and 3-2 in the NFL (though it was setting up for a great NFL weekend as I was 3-0 during the day games but then lost with the Packers on Sunday night and the Jets on Monday night).

Here are the plays I'm going with this week in the Leroy's College Challenge and the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest.:

North Carolina +7.5 vs. Miami-Fla.
Mississippi St. +24.5 vs. LSU
Purdue +1.5 vs. Notre Dame
Minnesota +17.5 vs. Ohio St.
Maryland +11.5 vs. Clemson
TCU +17.5 vs. Oklahoma
North Carolina St. +8.5 vs. South Florida

Chiefs +9 vs. Broncos
Cardinals +2 vs. Jets
Buccaneers -1 vs. Packers
Redskins +11 vs. Cowboys
Ravens +7 vs. Steelers

I'm open to answer any questions on these games (or any others) in the ViewFromVegas Forums, which is where I do most of my posting as it is very interactive and a great place to share ideas on football as well as all other sports.

And, in addition to checking out ViewFromVegas.com every day, please don't forget to tune into the "ViewFromVegas Show" podcast each Tuesday at 8 p.m. Pacific Time on the home page, as well as being available on archive.

Yours truly,
Dave Tuley
]]> <FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Hello, "Tuley the Tout" subscribers,&nbsp;and those who stumbled across this blog. As I've been writing the last few weeks,&nbsp;I've resumed&nbsp;posting at tuleythetout.com as it's been getting more traffic, but my main focus is on my main website, ViewFromVegas.com ... Sept. 20-22: College and NFL picks tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-09-19:a9be1bc0-7bc1-4bc5-b237-6ebbdd442e8b Tuley the Tout 2008-09-19T09:26:47Z 2008-09-19T09:19:00Z Hello, "Tuley the Tout" subscribers, and those who stumbled across this blog. As I wrote last week, I resumed posting at tuleythetout.com as it's been getting more traffic, but my main focus is on my main website, ViewFromVegas.com.

Here are the plays I'm going with in the Leroy's College Challenge and the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest this weekend. I'm open to answer any questions on these games (or any others) in the ViewFromVegas Forums, which is where I do most of my posting as it is very interactive and a great place to share ideas on football as well as all other sports.

Virginia Tech +2.5 North Carolina
Iowa +1.5 Pittsburgh
Wake Forest +4.5 Florida St.
Notre Dame +8.5 Michigan St.
Utah -7.5 Air Force
Rice +29.5 Texas
San Jose St. +8.5 Stanford

Bengals +13.5 Giants
Saints +5.5 Broncos
Jaguars +5.5 Colts
Packers +3 Cowboys
Jets +9 Chargers

]]> Hello, "Tuley the Tout" subscribers, and those who stumbled across this blog. As I wrote last week, I resumed posting at tuleythetout.com as it's been getting more traffic, but my main focus is on my main website, ViewFromVegas.com. Here are the plays I'm going with in the Leroy's College Challenge and the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest this weekend. I'm open to answer any questions on these games (or any others) in the ViewFromVegas Forums, which is where I do most of my posting as it is very interactive and a great place to share ideas on football as well as all other sports. Return of this Tuley the Tout blog: games of Sept. 13-15 tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-09-12:8fd414a9-ebae-435d-ae75-c39e7b331a28 Tuley the Tout 2008-09-12T01:42:40Z 2008-09-12T01:20:00Z
Basically, I started my main website project, the more widely known ViewFromVegas.com, and created this tuleythetout.com page for the actual blog and where I would post picks. During the course of football and basketball seasons of 2007-2008, it became clear that the ViewFromVegas.com Forums were the heart and soul of that website and so many more people were going there looking for picks...plus the nature of the forum makes it more conducive for asking questions and posting replies. So, I haven't posted anything here since May.

Well, a funny thing happened with the start of the football season. I've been hearing from more and more people who have come back to this blog and wondering why they can't find plays here (or get notified of them in e-mail form by subscribing).

I'm all about trying to make people happy, so to find a middle ground I've decided to resume posting my football plays here each Thursday night (so people can decide to play them or fade them early enough) but that I'll also direct people to the ViewFromVegas Forums if they want more analysis or to ask questions on other games.

Thanks to those who wrote in to prompt me to resume this blog (even if on a limited basis)...and welcome to the rest of you. Here are my top 6 college football plays and 5 in the NFL (the Titans +1.5 vs. Bengals was next on my list and I've already bet that as well):

Ucla +8.5 vs. BYU
Air Force +2.5 vs. Houston (at Dallas due to Hurricane Ike)
Stanford +13.5 vs. TCU
Ohio St. +11.5 vs. USC
Bowling Green +17 vs. BOISE ST.
San Diego St. +6 vs. SAN JOSE ST.

VIKINGS +1.5 vs. Colts
Bills +5.5 vs. JAGUARS
Falcons +7 vs. BUCCANEERS
Patriots +1.5 vs. JETS
Eagles +6.5 vs. COWBOYS

Please go to the ViewFromVegas.com Forums to discuss these games with yours truly, or any other games with many of the fine handicappers at the site. We've built a nice community there so join the fun. And feel free to click the SUBSCRIBE button at the top of this page to get this in your e-mail each week.]]> The Tuley the Tout blog returns on a weekly basis thanks to suggestions from readers. This week, Dave Tuley lists 6 college football plays for and 5 NFL picks for the weekend and directs everyone to the ViewFromVegas.com Forums to discuss further . . . May 26: Memorial Day plays from MLB, NBA, NHL tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-05-26:6fd5abc4-0912-414c-a47f-cc259e939ef6 Tuley the Tout 2008-05-26T00:30:10Z 2008-05-26T00:12:00Z
MLB

    I'll start with baseball total of a game that starts at 10 a.m. VFV Time. The Diamondbacks and Braves play in Atlanta in the final game of their series (hey, remember when Memorial Day used to be a day when most teams played doubleheaders and fans got two games for the price of one? Well, not only are there no twin bills scheduled on Monday, but eight teams have the day off). But I digress. These two teams combined for 12 runs with a decidedly "under" umpire behind the plate in Gary Cederstrom, and now on Monday they get Jim Reynolds, who is 7-1 with the over this season. This number is low, too, at 8 and if Arizona's Brandon Webb shuts down the Braves it could be hard to reach this number, but I think these teams can do it. PLAY: Diamondbacks-Braves OVER 8.

NBA

    This is Game 4 in the Eastern Conference finals. After getting spanked on their home court by the Celtics in Game 3, the Pistons need to bounce back on Monday night. However, I'm not looking to lay the -6 that is being offered on Detroit. Instead, I'm going with under 175.5 points. This should be a war as the Pistons fight to even the series and they know they have to get back to Detroit b-ball and play tough defense. Boston is also playing better on defense, and with the Pistons' Chauncey Billups expected to see limited minutes, that should hold the score down as well. PLAY: Pistons-Celtics UNDER 175.5.

NHL

    I already wrote before the series that I was taking the Penguins at Detroit in the first two games. And the Red Wings' 4-0 blowout in Game 1 doesn't change that. It's still only one game and the Penguins should be able to make adjustments and reach their goal of getting a split of the first two games in Detroit. PLAY: Penguins +150 to win straight up.

]]> There's a lot of action on Memorial Day, and inside we look at plays from MLB, NBA and the NHL . . . May 19: Spurs-Hornets Game 7, Cardinals-Padres game tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-05-19:f2dc7383-2342-4707-bbf3-b575cf9b1b0f Tuley the Tout 2008-05-19T14:35:27Z 2008-05-19T14:19:00Z     I'll make this short and sweet as gametime is approaching, but I do like the Spurs +5 in Game 7 of their series with the Hornets on Monday night (5:35 p.m. ViewFromVegas Time). It's no secret this series has been dominated with the home teams winning and covering all 6 previous games, but I have to take the defending champs in this pressure-packed game. Just like the Cavaliers in their Game 7 with the Celtics, it should be close down to the wire and I have to take the points, especially as the public continues to pour in the steam on the Hornets (the line opened as low as 3 when it first went up last Friday, with most books opening at 3.5). I'll take the extra point and a half, though I'll be waiting to see if I can get a +5.5 closer to tipoff. Regardless, I think the extra rest (these teams haven't had to play since last Thursday) also helps the older Spurs, and again the experience could come into play as they have had the extra time to gameplan for this decisive game.

BASEBALL

    I'll also go with a rare gameday baseball play. The Cardinals are playing the Padres (7:05 p.m. VFV Time). Todd Wellemeyer (4-1) is going for the Cardinals against Wilfredo Ledezma (0-0, and making just his second start this year after only starting once last year). This game was opened with the Padres favored at some books. The market has corrected, but the Cards are still available between -115 and -120 at many books. Bet it if you can before it continues to move.
]]> Dave Tuley gives out his pick in Monday night's Game 7 between the San Antonio Spurs and the New Orleans Hornets, plus a baseball selection . . . May 15-17: NBA, MLB, AFL, Preakness tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-05-15:280d666c-276c-41db-b432-b7048f08eca2 Tuley the Tout 2008-05-15T15:53:50Z 2008-05-15T13:53:00Z     People ask me all the time the easiest/quickest way to get my plays, and the clear answer is to check the ViewFromVegas.com Forums. I try to do these "Tuley the Tout" blogs but sometimes I don't have the time with my other projects. When that happens, I definitely try to post them like I did Tuesday night. I went with the four road underdogs in Tuesday and Wednesday night's games, despite the fact that home teams/favorites were 15-1 straightup and 14-2 against the spread, and covered three of the four even though none of them pulled the outright upset.
    Part of the reason I took those underdogs was that's what I do. But, in addition, it just seemed like a good time to jump in front of the trend. We see this all the time in sports betting, the market usually corrects itself. Oddsmakers don't like it when teams/trends go on runs like we saw in the first half of this round. Bettors tend to bet the favorites, and to have them covering game after game had to have them looking to adjust to take value away from the chalk bettors. Think about it: with most of the series tightening up, you would think the lines would be going down but they were staying high because bookmakers didn't want to give any value to favorite bettors. So, now, while home teams are 19-1 SU, they're just 15-5 ATS, which is still 75 percent. I'll tread a little lighter.
    On Thursday night, we just have one game as the Pistons-Magic series is over. I'll take the Hornets +7 at the Spurs as they try to close out the series instead of having to go home for a Game 7 against the more experienced defending champions. They may or may not get it done, but I think they stay within the number.
    On Friday, I'll pass on the early game as the Cavaliers are 3-point favorites over the Celtics. With Boston having such a wide home/road dichotomy, I just can't back them as the dog (but don't feel like laying the short price with the Cavs either). In the second game, I'll take the Lakers +4. The Jazz have had the strongest home court this season, but I also think the Lakers are the best team in the West and will break through by clinching on the road.

MLB

    I haven't been posting any baseball plays lately, but the underdogs have been coming in nicely, so I'll toss out some short dogs on Friday's card as we get into some interleague action.

Yankees +120 vs. Mets (they're facing Santana, but I'll take Yankees as home dog almost every time)
Rays +100 vs. Cardinals (break up the Rays!!!, leaders of the AL East)
Dodgers +115 vs. Angels (Dodgers' ninth-inning rally Wednesday night carried over into Thursday win)

    Check out the ViewFromVegas.com Forums late Friday or early Saturday to see if I find any live underdogs for Saturday.

ARENA FOOTBALL

    I've done well with my unders lately. I'm leaning toward the Tampa Bay-Grand Rapids under 112.5 on Friday night, and the Utah-San Jose under 119.5 on Saturday night. Again, I might expand on these in the ViewFromVegas.com Forums.

HORSE RACING

    My selections in Saturday's Preakness (as well as Friday's Pimlico Special and the Black-Eyed Susan) and the analysis behind the picks will be available at Bodoglife.com either later Thursday or first thing Friday, but I'll repeat here what I've been posting in the forums for the better part of the past two weeks: I'm looking to bet against Big Brown once again and make him prove he's a superhorse to continue to excel with a relative lack of experience and continue to take on all comers. He also has a history of foot problems, and that could take a toll as he had five weeks off after the Florida Derby and now has to come back two weeks after the Kentucky Derby to run in the Preakness (and if he survives this test, he'll have to come back in three weeks in the Belmont for two races in that same five-week span in which trainer Richard Dutrow only had to get him ready for one).
    I can see any number of horses knocking him off in the Preakness. My top pick is Behindatthebar, who won the Grade 2 at Lexington and could have run in the Derby but trainer Todd Pletcher (to his credit) made the right decision for the horse and rested him for this race. Gayego certainly had an excuse with a poor start in the Derby and could revert to his form in the Arkansas Derby that could put him right in the mix. And my longshot play is Icabad Crane, who is the only horse with a win over the Pimlico course. Trainer Graham Motion has also won 5 of the last 7 times he's used jockey Jeremy Rose, who won this race with Afleet Alex three years ago.]]> May 10-11: NBA, NHL, Arena Football, Horse Racing, and Lacrosse(?) tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-05-10:4c1f3640-45e8-498b-a1a1-48e4e9b10817 Tuley the Tout 2008-05-10T02:31:54Z 2008-05-10T01:17:00Z     My published plays went 0-3 the past few days as the Cleveland Cavaliers (+8.5) got blown out 89-73 by the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Stars (+180) got routed 4-1 by the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night, and then the Los Angeles Lakers (+4 in this blog) lost 104-99 to the Utah Jazz (at least bettors could have gotten the Lakers +5 on Friday, so hopefully most people got a push).
    Most people who are familiar with my selections over the years should know that I'm much more likely to trust my first instincts and come back with the same team (or individual athlete, or horse) than to waffle back and forth. So it shouldn't come as any surprise that I'm firing back with many of the same teams this weekend (and going against Big Brown again in Triple Crown betting):

NHL

    The silver lining of the NHL playoffs is that I didn't jump on the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 1 of their series even though a lot of people (most of whom know more about hockey than yours truly) were touting me on the +200 money-line price.
    From the blog the other day in which I picked the Stars vs. the Red Wings, I'm already on record as recommending a bet on the Stars in Game 2 if they were to lose Game 1 (hoping to at least make a profit if they can split the first two games in Detroit). So I have to take the +190 on Saturday afternoon. The Red Wings got the early momentum in the opener, so I'm hoping the Stars can keep them more in check and play like they did when upsetting San Jose in the last round.

NBA

    Despite losing the first two games of the series handily at Boston, I'm coming back with the Cavaliers as the series moves back to Cleveland. We saw in the Celtics' last series with the Hawks that they don't play as well away from home, so I'm hoping the trend of the NBA home teams bouncing back in Game 3 (see Magic, Spurs and Jazz in this round) continues here. Home teams are 11-0 straight up and 9-1-1 ATS so far this round.
    The Lakers-Jazz line for Sunday's game wasn't available as of this writing, but it should come around Utah -4 or -5 again, so I'll take the Lakers to regain control of the series (again, definitely shop for the best number you can get).

AFL

    The New Orleans-Tampa Bay game went nearly 30 points under the total of 107 as Tampa Bay, wheeling back from a Monday game, squeaked out a 41-37 victory. I don't my two under picks will win by that margin, but I like the Columbus-Kansas City game to go under the total of 101.5 and the Utah-Colorado game to go under 118.

TRIPLE CROWN

    The odds on Big Brown adding the Preakness and Belmont to his Derby win last week have continued to drop. Before the Derby, he was 10-1 to win the Triple Crown. But this past week he's been offered as low as -110 to accomplish the feat. Most books have had him in the +100 to +120 range, but I've been on the lookout to bet against him.
    I would take anything at -120 and lower (I just don't think I'd want to lay more than -140). After taking five weeks between the Florida Derby and Kentucky Derby, he's now going to be asked to come back and win two route races within 5 weeks after the Run for the Roses. And he's had bad feet and we don't know how he's going to handle all this added wear and tear. I might bet the field against him in the Preakness (+260 at the Wynn), but the main obstacle is likely to be the Belmont, the final leg of the Triple Crown and the longest race at 1.5 miles. Casino Drive, a very Vegas-like name, is running in this Saturday's Peter Pan at Belmont and could be the potential upsetter.

LACROSSE, ANYONE?

    The NCAA men's lacrosse tournament starts with eight first-round matches Saturday and Sunday. The Wynn has odds on all eight games as well as futures. Hey, post it and people will bet. Besides, all games will be televised on ESPNU. The championship match is set for Monday, May 26, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. Duke is the 2-5 favorite to win the title, followed by defending champion Johns Hopkins at 9-2, Virginia at 5-1, Syracuse (home of who many consider to be the greatest lacrosse player of all time, a certain Jim Brown) at 6-1, North Carolina at 12-1, Maryland at 18-1 and Cornell at 20-1.
    No, I'm not going to make any predictions since I don't know a lacrosse ball from a pelota (that's the ball in jai alai --  hopefully this has at least been educational). Of course, it reminds me of the bookie who at the end of football season was worried about losing his most consistent losing customer. The bettor said he always lost at basketball so he was taking the rest of the year off until football. The bookie, again not wanting to miss out on his steady income stream, asked the bettor if he wanted to try hockey. The losing bettor said, "What the hell do I know about hockey?"
  
 



      

]]> There is plenty of sporting action this weekend, even as we're in the week between the Derby and the Preakness. Inside, there's discussions of the NBA and NHL playoffs, plus arena football, horse racing and even lacrosse (sort of) . . . May 8-10: NBA and NHL playoffs tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-05-08:818c4cc9-c830-4de2-b001-1c8ad74a0efd Tuley the Tout 2008-05-08T09:47:09Z 2008-05-08T09:15:00Z     Favorites have been red-hot in the NBA playoffs, winning (and covering) 7 of the first 8 games since the conference semifinals started last Saturday and 9 of 10 games overall with Utah and Boston closing out their first-round series with point-spread covers.
    So, it's a good thing that I haven't been posting plays here as I certainly would have been taking it on the chin (though I did give out the lone covering dog -- the Cavaliers -- in the ViewFromVegas Forums on Tuesday . . . in the interest of full disclosure, I also had a loss with the Jazz in Game 2 on Wednesday, so I'm certainly not claiming any profits with those unofficial plays).
    Anyway, I feel it's time to jump in with the underdogs and certainly wanted to go on the record here.

THURSDAY

    Cavaliers +8.5 vs. Celtics: We're not getting the juicy +10 we saw in Game 1 (partly because the Cavs covered and a small tip of the oddsmakers' cap to the old zig-zag theory), but I'll take the points here. As of this writing on Thursday morning, the Golden Nugget in downtown Las Vegas and the Leroy's chain of books had the Cavs +9. I certainly know the Celtics won 76-72 on Tuesday night despite Paul Pierce and Ray Allen going a combined 2-for-18 from the field, but LeBron James was also 2-for-18 and the Cavs were right there. I'm more confident in King James bouncing back than both Pierce and Allen returning to form. There are other factors as well . . . I think the Cavs' run to the finals last year has them well-prepared for these playoffs, plus the Celtics certainly can run hot and cold as we saw in the series with Atlanta.

FRIDAY

    Lakers +4 vs. Jazz: The Lakers won and covered both games at home and now travel to Utah, where the Jazz were 37-4 on the season. Things will be tougher for the Lakers, but you have to be impressed with how this team has come together around Kobe. Everyone contributes -- on both ends of the floor -- and I have to throw in that I think that's largely attributed to coach Phil Jackson. Yes, I'm a born-and-bred Bulls fans, so I'm a little biased with Da Coach II, but he gets results, and I'm not betting against the Lakers again until they lose a game.

NHL

    I'm still gun-shy about betting the Stanley Cup playoffs, especially against the Flyers who have burned me multiple times. So, I'm laying off the start of Philly's series with Pittsburgh until the Penguins go on the road. However, I am going to take the Dallas Stars in Detroit, starting Thursday night at +180. If the Stars win, I'll pocket my profits and not bet Game 2. If the Red Wings take the opener, I'll wheel back with the Stars on Saturday as a split will still show a tidy profit.


]]> Favorites have been rolling in the playoffs, but Tuleythetout dares to jump in with some underdogs this week . . . May 3: Kentucky Derby picks and props, plus an NBA play tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-05-02:bd8c4b45-e08d-4443-8e64-bd032b21d189 Tuley the Tout 2008-05-03T01:27:48Z 2008-05-02T22:27:00Z     It's the First Saturday in May, so that means it's Kentucky Derby Day.
    This is the 134th Run For The Roses and it's a very complex handicapping exercise trying to sift through the field of 20 3-year-olds (at an age when they can be very unpredictable, and can improve in a short period of time) going the classic distance of a mile and a quarter for the first time and many of them running a race on regular dirt for the first time (with the emergence of synthetic racing surfaces). Throw in the forecast of rain and we have what many people consider a crapshoot.
    And they may be right, but still we try to solve the puzzle because -- in addition to the pride of being able to say you had the Derby winner -- the payoffs are usually very juicy in all pools with the 20-horse field.
    My choice to win the Derby (or as I said on several radio shows this week -- my "gun to the head" selection if forced to pick the most likely winner) is COLONEL JOHN. He should get a clean (or as clean as can be expected in a 20-horse field) from the No. 10 post and jockey Corey Nakatani should be able to put him in good position. He has the ability to explode when asked and that's what we look for, especially as it could be tight quarters when turning for home in a crowded field and your horse might only have one chance to make his move. Now, most people who know my horse racing record know that I'm a longshot player, so I'm not going to bet him to win at 4-1 or 5-1 that we're likely to see, but I will have him on top in the most combinations in my exactas, trifectas and supers.
    My second choice is PYRO. He was the darling of the preps earlier this spring and I had him atop my rankings at Bodoglife until he finished 10th in the Blue Grass on Keeneland's synthetic surface. However, I only reluctantly dropped him below Colonel John because all we heard heading into that race was how trainer Steve Asmussen was too concerned about winning the Blue Grass and his main goal was the Derby. So, that race was really just a glorified workout for Pyro and I have no problem throwing it out. He also has the running style that wins Derbys, and could be battling Colonel John for room to make their move.
    I have COURT VISION third, and not just because he finished third in the Fountain of Youth and Wood Memorial (actually, I didn't even notice that irony until writing this). He is a deep closer and would benefit from a suicidal speed duel, which I think we could get with Big Brown pretty much having to gun for the lead from the far outside post, and I think the other potential speed horses (Bob Black Jack, Cowboy Cal, Recapturetheglory and possibly even Gayego and Cool Coal Man) will be forced to go with him as well. Court Vision also has the services of my favorite jockey, Garrett Gomez (who scored with a $44 winner on the Oaks undercard) and he's worth a play at anything around the 14-1 that we saw near the end of Friday's advance wagering.
    My longshot play, in addition to Court Vision, is Z FORTUNE. I've been high on this horse all spring, keeping him in my Top 12 despite not winning a race since January. He is a stablemate of Pyro, so he's mostly been flying under the radar and most people dismissed him after he finished 5th in the Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn, but he ran a very strong race in the Arkansas Derby, racing wide but still almost getting to winner Gayego and could win this with a similar improvement. He was 17-1 as of late Friday.
    So, again, my top 4 that I've gone record on with many times this week are:
    
    #10 Colonel John
    #9 Pyro
    #4 Court Vision
    #6 Z Fortune

    As I've said several times this week, "there aren't a lot of great horses in this year's Derby, but there are a lot of capable horses." An argument can be made for just about every horse, and while there are some I don't like myself, I don't think I'll be shocked if anyone wins it. That being said, while I like the top four and will have the exacta, trifecta and even superfecta several times if they fill out those spots, I'll also be using quite a few horses along with them. With a 20-horse field and with the payoffs being potentially so high if you've able to "connect the dots," it's worth the shot. The others I'll be using most will be Visionaire, Smooth Air, Monba, Gayego and the filly Eight Belles. I'm not too crazy about her chances, but she does get the 5-pound weight break for being a filly taking on the boys, and if she takes to the track like her stablemate Proud Spell did in winning the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, maybe she'll be in the running.
    Now, a lot of people will be wondering why I'm not using Big Brown. It's because I believe he's highly overrated and will be overused in all pools. He's 3-for-3 and has won those races by a combined 29 lengths, but who has he beaten? The answer to that is one-time contender Majestic Warrior, Tomcito (neither of which made it to the Derby) and Smooth Air, who is in Saturday's field but was beaten five lengths by Big Brown in the Florida Derby. In my mind, he's taking a big step up in class and his inexperience will come back to haunt him. If he overcomes all those obstacles and wins, I'll tear up my tickets and be the first to applaud him.

Derby Props

    Last Sunday night, I posted a Derby prop in my blog: Pyro +210 vs. Big Brown in a head-to-head matchup, meaning it's just on which horse would have the better finish. I hope some people were able to grab it at the Wynn Las Vegas (or elsewhere), and I'm guessing some readers did as it was bet down as low as +140 by midweek. As of today, it's back up to +150 on Pyro, which I still think is a good bet though not as strong as +210. But that's why I chose to post that one early because it seemed too good to be true. Of course, it still has to cash.
    In Saturday's Las Vegas Review-Journal, I'm going on record with another prop, also available at the Wynn, that the winner of the race will come from Posts 6-10. The payoff is 7-5 (or +140 for those more used to money lines in sports). The last three Derby winners have come from between posts 6-10, but that's not why I like the bet (though it doesn't hurt). Colonel John (#10) is my top choice, and this wager also includes my second choice Pyro (#9) and my longshot Z Fortune (#6). We also get Big Truck (#7) and Visionaire (#8) for insurance just in case.
    Here's some thoughts on some props, none of which I've bet yet but might on Saturday if I get what I think is value:

WILL 134TH KENTUCKY DERBY WINNER WIN THE 133RD PREAKNESS STAKES?
YES +210 (if we go on assumption that the Derby winner will be favored in Preakness, this could be a good bet...though danger is a longshot winning like Giacomo who was still 6-1 in Preakness...or Grindstone who got hurt in winning Derby and didn't run in Preakness)

OFFICIAL WINNING TIME OF THE 134TH KENTUCKY DERBY
UNDER 2:02.20 (if it rains as expected early Saturday, the money could come in on the over and make some value on the under, especially since Churchill track crew will probably seal the track and it could play faster than most people expect)

WINNING SADDLE CLOTH NUMBER OF THE 134TH KENTUCKY DERBY
ODD NUMBER +250 (I do think the even-numbered horses have better chance, but this could be viewed as a "saver" bet)

Oh, there are other sports going on Saturday . . .

    I've already bet the Magic +6.5 vs. the Pistons in Game 1 of their series on Saturday night. We saw the Pistons struggle with the 76ers in the first round, and if they don't bring their "A" game the Magic could easily steal one of the first two games in Detroit. I'll start by backing them with the generous plus points.
]]> It's the First Saturday in May, so that means it's Derby Day. Tuley the Tout has his top horses in the Run for the Roses, plus some prop wagers to consider. Plus, he likes an NBA playoff game for after the race . . . April 30-May 1: NBA, NHL plays tag:tuleythetout.com,2008-04-30:45c616a0-215f-44b1-b1c2-bfb0edac610b Tuley the Tout 2008-04-30T12:14:00Z 2008-04-30T11:17:00Z     That was tested Tuesday. I was swamped with Kentucky Derby preparations and another article I was doing for the Daily Racing Form on the National Handicapping Championship and its Tour. But even though I was pressed for time, I really wanted to make some sports bets and post them to "strike while the iron is hot." I went over the basketball, hockey and baseball cards and wasn't blown away by anything. I liked the 76ers to stay within single digits vs. the Pistons and thought the Jazz would close out the Rockets after winning the last three playoff meetings in Houston, and I liked the Suns to stay close to the Spurs. I also liked the NHL's Sharks to bounce back from a 2-0 deficit at the Dallas Stars. I fought the urge throughout the day, but never felt compelled enough to post the plays. I'm sure I would have if I really felt strongly about them, so I decided to pass (which wasn't too hard of a decision as I said I was pretty tied up with other projects).
    And I'm glad I had the willpower. The 76ers lost by 16, the Jazz got blown out by 26 and I only would have gotten a push with the Suns as they lost by 5. And the Sharks lost in overtime. It would have been a pretty brutal day, and I would have even felt worse if I had forced the plays just because I felt I was hot or out of some sense of obligation to people who were asking for picks since I had been on a roll. I feel much better about tonight's card as well as a play on Thursday"

NBA

    I'll take the Hawks +14 vs. the Celtics. This is the series that has shocked just about everyone (myself included) as it's tied 2-2 with both teams holding serve at home. The Hawks are back in the series with a lot of confidence, and while I don't expect them to win this game or the series, the 14-point spread seems way too high with the Hawks feeling they can play with the Celtics. In addition, Boston has been pretty much expected to run through the Eastern Conference, and you know the NBA and the networks have to be sweating with all the promotional tie-ins with the Celtics. I think they'll be feeling the pressure of all the expectations and this game should come down to the final minutes.
    In the other game tonight, I think the Cavaliers will close out their series with the Wizards. They took their best shot (figuratively and literally) and bounced back to win Game 4 and lead the series 3-1. However, I'm not going to lay the 5 points.
    On Thursday night, I'll take the Pistons -5 vs. the 76ers. While I think the Hawks will hang with the Celtics, I think the 76ers will be put away by the Pistons despite being at home.

NHL

    One of my rare losses lately was the Canadiens vs. the Flyers in Game 3 of their series. However, I still think they're the better team (or maybe it's just a bias vs. the Flyers) and will take the +110 on Wednesday night.
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