SUPER SATURDAY

Wow what a slate we have today on the college gridiron. We are leaning heavy on the dogs in the early games. Check back later for updates!

TEXAS TECH +14.5 AT KANSAS STATE
OKLAHOMA -4 AT TCU
TENNESSEE -3 VS FLORIDA
NORTHWESTERN +8 VS WISCONSIN
PURDUE +10 AT ILLINOIS
ALABAMA -5 AT OLE MISS
MISS ST/TEXAS A&M UNDER 75
NOTRE DAME +2 VS STANFORD
MARYLAND +7 VS OHIO STATE

NFL SUNDAY

Mixed results in the college game yesterday as we've now turned our focus towards the NFL. During the early games, we are all over the dogs and foresee a shootout in Detroit between the Lions and Packers. The game of the day is in Seattle where the Broncos will be looking for revenge after last years Super Bowl debacle.

CHARGERS +2 AT BILLS
RAIDERS +14 AT PATRIOTS
RAMS +1.5 VS COWBOYS
HOUSTON +1.5 AT GIANTS
PACKERS/LIONS OVER 53
BRONCOS +4.5 AT SEAHAWKS

COLLEGE FOOTBALL FRIDAY/SATURDAY

Two big wins last night gets the weekend momentum started for Mr. Thursday Night as we enter week 4 on the college gridiron and week 3 in the NFL. Tonight we went back and forth but have settled on UCONN as being the right side on the road. We are also releasing some of our early Saturday plays a bit early as these games caught our eye early in the week. The Iowa hate has gone too far and while Pitt likely wins the game, Iowa keeps it close and loses a low scoring battle by less than one score. Indiana travels to Missouri in what could be a severe beat down while Bowling Green will keep pace with an unexplosive Wisconsin offense long enough to cover the large number. We still like this Maryland team and find great value in their pick'em plat at Syracuse. Finally, Michigan and Brady Hoke face Utah it what looks to be a very important game for the program. The natives are restless and ready to turn on Hoke at the Big House should Saturday not go as planned. We like Hoke to circle the wagons while leading Michigan to a convincing victory over the Utes. Good luck tonight and we'll see you again tomorrow!

UCONN +3 AT USF
IOWA +7 AT PITT
MISSOURI -14 VS INDIANA
BOWLING GREEN +27 AT WISCONSIN
MARYLAND PK AT SYRACUSE
MICHIGAN -3.5 VS UTAH
FLORIDA +14 AT ALABAMA
CLEMSON +11 AT FLORIDA STATE

THURSDAY NIGHT THROWDOWN

Two interesting battles tonight highlight the start of the Mr. Thursday Night comeback tour. The public is all over the Falcons tonight but we believe it is the correct side. This is a bad Tampa team who may be on the verge of collapse after two terrible losses. In the college game, Kansas State hosts Auburn in what promises to be an entertaining game. The points will be flying around tonight and we think the Wildcats can keep up. Good luck tonight and check back this weekend!

ATLANTA -6.5 VS TAMPA
KANSAS STATE +8 VS AUBURN

SATURDAY COLLEGE FOOTBALL!

In addition to the previously mentioned Minnesota game, we've got a few others lined up this morning. Check back later for an update and more games!

UCF +11 AT MISSOURI
FIU +25.5 VS PITT
INDIANA -8 AT BOWLING GREEN
MINNESOTA +15.5 AT TCU

FRIDAY NIGHT ACTION

The dogs will be barking tonight as Toledo and Buffalo take on Cincy and Baylor on the Friday before the weakest Saturday schedule of the college football season. We advise you to use this opportunity to get a head start on a low volume college weekend. We do have one early release for tomorrow which is Minnesota +15.5 at TCU. We're giving this one out early because we suspect that number drops before kickoff. Good luck tonight and check back tomorrow for the entire card!

TOLEDO +10 VS CINCINNATI
BUFFALO +35 VS BAYLOR

OUR FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK IS HERE!

Itttttttttttttttt'ssssssssssssssss Thursday and Mr. Thursday Night has a combo of plays tonight that are sure to get your weekend off to a great start. On the college gridiron, an underrated BYU team hosts Houston. BYU is 2-0 with both wins coming on the road in blowout fashion. Houston rebounded last week after a tough loss in week 1. In the NFL, Pittsburgh travels to Baltimore as these fierce battles square off on the first game of CBS Thursday Night Football. We are tempted to take the Steelers money line here but will settle for the 2.5 points. We believe the distractions Baltimore has been dealing with this week combined with a short time frame for preparation will ultimately lead to a Steelers road victory.

BYU -17.5 VS HOUSTON
PITTSBURGH +2.5 AT BALTIMORE

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

An ugly start to the NFL season yesterday however Monday is a new day and we've got a couple of plays that will get us back on the winning track. In the early game, we believe points will come early and often. Ultimately the Lions will pull away for a season opening victory. In the night cap, the Chargers will defeat the Cardinals outright therefore we are going with the +115 money line play.

DETROIT LIONS -6.5 VS NEW YORK GIANTS
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS ML AT ARIZONA CARDINALS

NFL SUNDAY

Saturday ended on a high note for Mr. Thursday Night as Hawaii scored the last 23 points against Oregon State to cover the number and get us to 8-7 on Saturday. Today we've got our first full Sunday of regular season NFL action and there are several opportunities on the board early. We like a better than expected Tampa team to handle Carolina while a fiesty group of Jags getting double digits is too good to pass up. San Francisco had a rough off-season and while we are not high on the Cowboys this year, them getting more than a field goal at home in this spot provides excellent value. Look for the Bears and Steelers to dominate at home against inferior opponents. The Saints are a very public play today but they seem poised for a 12 or 13 win season and we like them on the road against an Atlanta team with plenty of question marks. Finally, Tennessee will win outright in Kansas City as the Chiefs begin their regression after a playoff appearance in 2013. Check back later for our Sunday Night play, good luck!

TENNESSEE TITANS +3.5 AT KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS +10.5 AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
ST. LOUIS RAMS -3.5 VS MINNESOTA VIKINGS
PITTSBURGH STEELERS -7 VS CLEVELAND BROWNS
CHICAGO BEARS -7 VS BUFFALO BILLS
DALLAS COWBOYS +4 VS SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS -3 VS CAROLINA PANTHERS
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS -3 AT ATLANTA FALCONS

SATURDAY NCAA ACTION!

We've reached the second Saturday of the season and Mr. Thursday Night is starting to heat up. After a 2-0 Friday, we are finally nearing respectability with a 10-11-1 season mark. Lots of action to like today as we get a clearer picture of each team. So far, we like Iowa to take care of business against Ball State. In the last 48 hours this number has risen to 20 so we got it at a good time. We have a feeling if this Iowa State/Kansas State game was played in a month, it would be more like KSU -21. A couple of Big Ten cellar dwellers in Purdue and Illinois have very winnable home games which will likely be high scoring matchups. Akron has a better than average Akron team and faces a Penn State team coming off a long weekend of travel following their win in Europe last Saturday. We'll take the 14 there. Good luck today, more picks will be added later as better numbers become available.

IOWA -17 VS BALL STATE
KANSAS STATE -12.5 AT IOWA STATE
USC +3 AT STANFORD
PURDUE -3.5 VS CENTRAL MICHIGAN
ILLINOIS -3 VS WESTERN KENTUCKY
AKRON +14 AT PENN STATE
MISSOURI -4 AT TOLEDO
NORTH TEXAS -2.5 VS SMU
MICHIGAN STATE +13 AT OREGON
MARYLAND -11.5 AT SOUTH FLORIDA
MICHIGAN +3.5 AT NOTRE DAME
VIRGINIA TECH +10 AT OHIO STATE
BYU -1.5 AT TEXAS
HAWAII +9 VS OREGON STATE
BOISE STATE -7.5 VS COLORADO STATE

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

A tough 0-2 BBQ on Thursday for MTN however we feel confident our two Friday plays will get the weekend started on a winning note! Nevada hosts Washington State in what looks to be a shootout in Reno. After facing a couple of major 5 conference powerhouses in 2013, the Wolfpack finally get one they can beat. We were tempted to take Nevada to win outright but will stick with the points for now.

In the other game of the night, Pittsburgh heads to Boston College in a battle of former Big East members turned ACC rivals. We think this Pittsburgh team is a little better than most people thought prior to the year which should make for an interesting matchup when they face Iowa in two weeks. Tonight we expect the Panthers to wear down Boston College with a physical offensive line. The Eagles don't have the firepower to keep this one close therefore Pitt pulls away in the second half with a comfortable victory.

NEVADA +4 VS WASHINGTON STATE
PITTSBURGH -4.5 AT BOSTON COLLEGE

NFL KICKOFF!

The NFL returns tonight as Green Bay travels to Seattle which was the scene of the replacement referee debacle two years ago. We think Green Bay puts up a good battle but ultimately falls short, losing a close one to the defending champs but covering the number. On the college gridiron, we have a strong play with the University of Arizona visiting San Antonio and UTSA. UTSA opened the season last weekend with a great win at Houston however we don't see them being able to slow down the Wildcat offensive attack. Take the favorite in this one. Good luck!

GREEN BAY +6 AT SEATTLE
ARIZONA -7.5 AT UTSA

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL

A easy win for Tennessee yesterday prolongs our weekend rebound, getting us to 8-9-1 on the young season.

We've got some college action this Monday Night as Bobby Petrino makes his return to Louisville. The Cardinals will face a Miami Hurricanes team who is trotting out freshman quarterback Brad Kaaya for their ACC opener. Louisville counters with the unproven Will Gardner behind center. If Louisville is able to hold star running back Duke Johnson to under 100 yards, they'll stand a very good chance of not only winning but, pulling away late. Ultimately, we think Louisville's defense and home field are the difference.

LOUISVILLE -3.5 VS MIAMI

SUNDAY COLLEGE ACTION!

A 6-3-1 Saturday helped offset a tough 1-6 start as we enter the last Sunday without NFL Football for 4 months. There are a couple of college games on the slate today however only one that we'll be playing. Pesky Utah State visits Knoxville and the Volunteers who are looking to finally turn the corner and get the program back to past heights. Butch Jones enters year two after a 5-7 debut while Utah State returns 11 starters from a 8-5 bowl winning team in 2013.

TENNESSEE -5 VS UTAH STATE

SATURDAY-8/30

Saturday is finally here and we've got several games on our radar. Our early locks feature several Big Ten teams including Penn State's trip to Ireland. We will update our selection as the day goes on and better number pop up. Good luck!

PENN STATE ML (+105) VS CENTRAL FLORIDA
LSU -4 VS WISCONSIN
NAVY +15.5 VS OHIO STATE
PURDUE -9.5 VS WESTERN MICHIGAN
VIRGINIA +20 VS UCLA
NORTHERN IOWA +18.5 VS IOWA
GEORGIA -10 VS CLEMSON
NORTHWESTERN -9.5 VS CAL
WEST VIRGINIA +23 VS ALABAMA
OKLAHOMA STATE +20 VS FLORIDA STATE

FRIDAY FREE FOR ALL

A tough start to the year for Mr. Thursday Night but the season is long as is the weekend and we've got multiple plays lined up that'll get us back on the winning side. Colorado will have just enough to edge out in-state rival Colorado State while UNLV stays with Arizona until the 4th quarter to cover that large number. A good BYU team travels across the country to battle UNCONN in head coach Bobby Diaco's debut.

UNLV +23.5 AT ARIZONA
UCONN +15 VS BYU
COLORADO -3 VS COLORADO STATE

MR. THURSDAY NIGHT RETURNS!

The 2014 college football season is upon us and what better way to start than on our favorite night of the week! There are several interesting match-ups on the college gridiron tomorrow but we've narrowed our locks down to 3 in particular. Up first, in the first live game on the SEC Network, South Carolina hosts a Texas A&M squad reeling from several key departures and still sporting a below average defense. Meanwhile, Steve Spurrier may have his best team yet in Columbia. Later, Boise State faces Ole Miss. We foresee the Broncos hanging close all night ultimately to lose a close game but cover the number. Finally, Mike Leach and the Cougars will roll up the points against a bad Rutgers team in what looks like a blowout by our math. Good luck!

SOUTH CAROLINA -10.5 VS TEXAS A&M
BOISE STATE +10.5 VS OLE MISS
WASHINGTON STATE -8 VS RUTGERS

#1-MICHIGAN STATE SPARTANS

In just a few short years Mark Dantonio has done the seemingly impossible-bring stability to the Michigan State football program. Heading into 2014, the Spartans are once again eyeing 10+ wins and a top tier bowl game behind a deep and experienced roster.

The emergence of quarterback Connor Cook can be viewed as the primary reason Michigan State took another step up last season. Cook will have plenty of weapons at his disposal as all of the Spartans top rushers return and the majority of their top receivers. Senior Jeremy Langford will get the bulk of the carries at running back while Tony Lippett and Keith Mumphery will be starting pass catchers. On defense, Shilique Calhoun returns at defensive end and will be on many All-America teams. 2013 All-Big Ten standout Kurtis Drummond paces a secondary with both size and speed.

Michigan State opens with a tune-up against Jacksonville State before heading west to face the Oregon Ducks in which should be a terrific match-up of contrasting styles. The Spartans have been viewed as the Stanford of the Big Ten and Stanford’s style is the one that has given Oregon the most fits over the years. Two cupcake home games round out the non-conference slate before Nebraska comes to East Lansing in early October. After a couple of road trips to Purdue and Indiana, Michigan State hosts Michigan and Ohio State in a two game home stretch that will likely decide the Eastern Division.

PREDICTION: 7-1 IN THE BIG 10, 10-2 OVERALL

#2-WISCONSIN BADGERS

The Wisconsin Badgers come off yet another 9+ win season however there are holes and question marks at several key positions. Do the Badgers take a step back in 2014 or are they at the point in their program where they merely reload?

Other than the Miller news at Ohio State, the big story to come out of the Big Ten in August was Wisconsin head coach Gary Anderson naming Tanner McEvoy as the starter at quarterback over incumbent Joel Stave. McEvoy clearly offers more upside for the Badger offense however it is tough to question what Stave was able to do in 2013. Whoever is calling the signals has the benefit of one of the best running games in the country lead by Melvin Gordon. Assuming Wisconsin is able to replace 4 of their top 6 lineman from 2013, Gordon should have no problem eclipsing the 1500 yard barrier. Less than 50 career receptions return for a group of wide receivers who are deep on talent but light on experience. As usual, Wisconsin figures to be tough against the run as Konrad Zagzebski, Warren Herring and Bryce Gilbert will fill holes up front. Chris Boland has been lost to graduation however the Badgers have plenty of potential at linebacker, specifically sophomore Vince Biegel. Nearly the entire secondary returns and should be a strength for Bucky and the boys.

Wisconsin opens up the fall of 2014 with a very difficult neutral site game vs LSU. After that, Western Illinois, Bowling Green and South Florida visit Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. The conference schedule begins favorably with battles against Northwestern, Illinois, Rutgers and Purdue among the first 5 games. The Big Ten West Division will be decided in November when the Badgers host Nebraska and travel to Iowa.

PREDICTION: 6-2 IN THE BIG TEN, 9-3 OVERALL

#3-OHIO STATE BUCKEYES

Urban Meyer enters year 3 at Ohio State still seeking a Big Ten title and with Braxton Miller now out for the season, Meyer will have to craft his best coaching job to date in order to keep the Buckeyes near the top of the conference.

Gone from the offense are Miller, Carlos Hyde and 140+ starts from graduated offensive lineman. In truth, the latter may be of the greatest concern. Meyer had to figure Miller and his scrambling ability would be able to cover up some of the flaws for his young offensive line early in the season. However with Miller’s shoulder giving out again, J.T. Barrett will be counted on to keep the chains moving. Ezekiel Elliot and Rod Smith will attempt to fill the void left by Hyde at running back. At wide receiver, Ohio State as usual has an abudence of talent, led by Devin Smith. The Buckeye defense will look to bounce back from an awful ending to 2014 after getting torched by Michigan, Michigan State and eventually Clemson in the bowl game. Freshman All-American defensive end Joey Bosa will lead the charge up front while senior Curtis Grant, junior Joshua Perry and redshirt freshman Darron Lee form a formidable group of linebackers. Doran Grant will be the star in the secondary this fall in Columbus but it remains to be seen who wins the cornerback battle opposite him.

The Buckeyes open the season against what is possibly the best Navy team in the past decade. Next are 3 home games against tough Virginia Tech, Kent State and Cincinnati. Escaping September 4-0 would be considered a major success for Ohio State given the inexperienced quarterback situation. Once Big Ten play starts, the Buckeyes face four difficult road games in Maryland, Penn State, Michigan State and Minnesota. As usual, the Wolverines come calling to close out the regular season.
PREDICTION: 6-2 IN THE BIG TEN, 10-2 OVERALL.