The Wisconsin Badgers and Florida State Seminoles will play for the first time this weekend, as they match up in the 2008 Champs Sports Bowl. The Badgers are playing in a bowl game for the seventh straight season. Wisconsin in 10-9 all-time bowl appearances and that includes a 21-17 loss to Tennessee in the Outback Bowl last season. As for Florida State, they are making their 27th straight bowl game appearance, which is the longest streak in the nation. Overall, the Seminoles have played in 37 prior bowl games, with 29 of those games under head coach Bobby Bowden. The team has a 21-14-2 all-time record in these games, but is coming off a 35-28 loss to Kentucky in the 2007 Music City Bowl

5dimes.com oddsmakers currently have the Florida State Seminoles listed as 6 point betting odds favorites against the Wisconsin Badgers with the games over/under sitting at 51 total points.

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Here are some betting trends to consider for the Champs Sports Bowl:
Badgers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 bowl games as an underdog of 3.5-10.0.
Badgers are 13-4 ATS in their last 17 non-conference games.
Badgers are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 bowl games as an underdog.
Seminoles are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a S.U. loss.
Seminoles are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 neutral site games.
Seminoles are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 games following a ATS loss.

Click Here for Current Champs Sports Bowl Betting Odds

St John’s +5.0 (-110) – Sat Dec 27 ’08 12:00p
The Miami Hurricanes are off to a 7-3 start while facing a touch schedule, but it is never easy to go into Madison Square Garden and laying this many points vs. the St. Johns Red Storm.

This is especially true this season, as the Red Storm are 9-2 in their own right, albeit vs. a much softer schedule than Miami. The Johnnies also have revenge on their minds after getting blown out 66-47 by the Hurricanes in Miami last season. They are also 8-1 straight up at home this year, with those games split between the Garden and Carneseca Arena, making them dangerous as home underdogs.

Now while the Canes have faced a tougher slate, they did lose to probably the three best teams they have faced (Connecticut, Ohio State, Clemson), while their most notable win was probably over Kentucky, which is not really substantially better than St. Johns this season. They have also had some defensive breakdowns this year, such as in their 91-72 home loss to Clemson on Sunday, so the Red Storm could exploit them while feeding off the energy of the Garden crowd.

All things considered, we give St. Johns a nice chance to win the game straight up.

College Basketball Free Pick: St. Johns +5 (-110) – Courtesy of LT Profits
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Meineke Car Care Bowl: North Carolina vs. West Virginia
Free Bowl Betting Pick: North Carolina
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In 2006, West Virginia averaged 39 points and 461 yards per game en route to an eleven win season and a win over Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl. In 2007, the Mountaineers were just as good offensively: 40 points per game on 457 yards. They won the Big East and upset #3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl; their second BCS Bowl win in a three year span.

While West Virginia returned eight starters on offense from last year’s team, opposing defenses have caught up with the Mountaineers schemes. Senior quarterback Pat White declined markedly from his junior year when he was the Big East Offensive Player of the Year. Running back Noel Devine could not fill the shoes of the departed Steve Slaton. The receiving corps was limited at best. And West Virginia was held to 24 points and 352 yards per game; a significant drop-off for a team that expected to contend for BCS glory once again.

And make no mistake about it – the Meineke Car Care Bowl is not exactly the venue that is likely to get this team motivated. North Carolina enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, earning their first winning season since 2001. All reports indicate that head coach Butch Davis is staying put in Chapel Hill, and this home state game gives the healthy Tar Heels an excellent opportunity to build additional momentum with a solid bowl victory. 1* Take North Carolina. – Courtesy of Ted Sevransky

Philadelphia 76ers vs. Denver Nuggets Free NBA Betting Pick
The Denver Nuggets are slumping right now, and we would b every leery about laying this many points vs. the Philadelphia 76ers tonight.

The Nuggets are just 1-4 both straight up and against the spread in their last four games, and they are still without the services of Carmelo Anthony. Denver has failed to reach 100 points in the last two games without Anthony, and they even failed to reach the century mark in two of the last three games that he did play. Now the Nuggets are certainly not known for their defense, so they will have a tough time covering numbers like this without reaching triple-digits.

Meanwhile, the Sixers offense has been just fine of late, averaging 98.2 points per game over the last five games compared to 94.8 points for the Nuggets during this span. Philadelphia should have success again tonight vs. a Denver defense that is allowing 99.5 points per game at home this season, as well as surrendering a whopping 102.2 points per contest in the last five games overall.

We give the 76ers a decent chance at pulling off the outright upset here with Mello out, so these points are certainly worth taking.

NBA Betting Free Pick: 76ers +6.5 (-110) – Courtesy of LT Profits – Visit Touthouse.com for more free NBA basketball picks

Below is a list of NBA basketball’s hottest teams to bet on against the spread (updated December 26th 2008) according to Alex Smart, a professional basketball handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting on the NBA this season be sure to check out Alex Smart’s NBA betting analysis each day at Touthouse.com.

1) Orlando Magic (22-6) (18-9-1 ATS) (5-0 ATS L/5 +$500): Head coach Stan Van Gundy just might have a juggernaut on his hands capable of dropping 120 on any given night, and then playing a more ball controlled game the next time out to win a game in the 190’s. After coming within the two-point spread in a one-point loss at Phoenix, the Magic bounced back with a huge effort the following night in Salt Lake City against the Jazz to come away with the 103-94 outright win as 7.5-point underdogs. It should also be noted that Orlando secured that win without the services of big man Dwight Howard. They built off their solid 4-1 SU and 5-0 ATS west coast road swing to win their next three home games against San Antonio, Los Angeles, and Golden State. They trounced the Spurs from the opening tip, and fought back from a nine-point halftime deficit against the Lakers to pull out the three-point home win and cover. After a home date with the Hornets on Christmas Day, they’ll hit the road for three games at Minnesota, Detroit, and Chicago.

2) Atlanta Hawks (17-10) (16-11 ATS) (4-1 ATS L/5 +$290): The Hawks closed out their week of action with a home win and cover against the Detroit Pistons to churn out a solid 4-1 SU and ATS mark for the week. The offense wasn’t the greatest attaining an average of just 93 points per game, but the defense was stellar limiting its five opponents to a paltry 87.2 PPG. They snapped Cleveland’s winning streak and almost snapped Boston’s as well just four days later, but the defending champs were just too much in the closing stages of the game. They bounced back from the disappointing defeat by covering the lofty number against Golden State and posted back-to-back ATS wins by disposing of Detroit 85-78 as 4.5-point home chalks. Mike Bibby had his best offensive night of the season ripping the twine for 27 points with five assists and three boards. The Hawks will look to keep the momentum rolling with home games scheduled against Ok City, Chicago, and Denver before hitting the road.

3) Milwaukee Bucks (13-16) (19-9-1 ATS) (4-1 ATS L/5 +$290): The Bucks boast the second best ATS mark in the league overall, and they kept cashing their backers tickets this past week by posting a 4-1 ATS mark. After outgunning the Indiana Pacers 121-103 as four-point home chalks last Sunday, Milwaukee went into Miami and crushed the Heat 98-83 as 3.5-point underdogs. They barely lost at Philadelphia both SU and ATS as 3.5-point underdogs (93-88) on Wednesday, but then went into MSG on Friday night and demolished the Knicks for the third time this season. They then returned home and blitzed the LA Clippers by a 119-85 final count as six-point chalks. Head coach Scott Skiles has really turned this franchises fortunes around, and hopefully his players continue to buy into his schemes since this is the best basketball the city of Milwaukee has witnessed in quite some time.

4) Oklahoma City Thunder (3-25) (16-12 ATS) (4-1 ATS L/5 +$290): No, they’re not winning many games SU, but the Thunder have really started to turn their season around against the Vegas line. They currently rank as the 7th most lucrative team in the league by going 16-12 ATS overall. They only managed one SU win last week against Toronto, but they easily stayed within the double-digit spreads against the Mavericks, Spurs, and Cavaliers. They’ll continue to press their luck on the road this week against Atlanta, Detroit, and Washington before returning home to square off against Phoenix and Golden State.

NFL Power Rankings for Week 17 are courtesy of Alex Smart, An award winning professional football handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting NFL football this season be sure to buy Alex Smart’s expert NFL betting Picks

1: Tennessee Titans (12-3 ATS, 13-2 SU) (LW: 1) The road to the Super Bowl runs through Nashville. The Titans knocked off the Steelers 31-14 and were disrespected as 2.5-point underdogs. The last game of the season against the Colts means nothing, so expect to see plenty of backups on the field.
Next Up: Away @ Colts

2: New York Giants (11-4 ATS, 12-3 SU) (LW: 2) Last season, the G-Men took the hard route to the Super Bowl, having to play three road games to reach the Promised Land. This year, thanks to a 34-28 OT victory over the Panthers, New York won’t need to leave the Meadowlands. This week’s game against Minnesota is meaningless to the Giants, but could determine whether the Vikes or Bears will win the NFC North.
Next Up: Away @ Vikings

3: Baltimore Ravens (11-4 ATS, 10-5 SU) (LW: 3) Someone forgot to tell the Ravens that they were supposed to lay down for the Cowboys in their final game at Irving Stadium. Even at 10-5, the Ravens know they have work to do, but a win against Jacksonville will send them to the playoffs regardless of anything else that goes on.
Next Up: Home vs. Jaguars

4: New Orleans Saints (10-4-1 ATS, 8-7 SU) (LW: 5) If there was any thought that the Saints could be the team to lose to the winless Lions, that was defused early. New Orleans rolled up Detroit 42-7. QB Drew Brees is 401 shy of Dan Marino’s single season passing yardage record.
Next Up: Home vs. Panthers

5: Atlanta Falcons (9-6 ATS, 10-5 SU) (LW: 11) They’ve done it! The Falcons are in the playoffs by virtue of their 24-17 victory over Minnesota in the Metrodome. Underrated all season, Atlanta joins the Panthers, Giants, and Cardinals in the NFC playoff party. Next week’s game against St. Louis could be for the division title.
Next Up: Home vs. Rams

6: Philadelphia Eagles (9-6 ATS, 8-7-1 SU) (LW: 4) The season is essentially over for the Eagles after they lost 10-3 to the Redskins in Washington. They can still get in the playoffs with a win over the hated Cowboys next week, but it’ll still require a lot of help.
Next Up: Home vs. Cowboys

7: Carolina Panthers (8-6-1 ATS, 11-4 SU) (LW: 6) Carolina proved it belonged with the big boys, but it still came up short in the Meadowlands in a 34-28 loss in OT to the Giants. With Atlanta breathing down their necks, the Panthers had better beat New Orleans this week, or they will have gone 2:00 from being the #1 seed to the #5 seed in a blink of an eye.
Next Up: Away @ Saints

8: Pittsburgh Steelers (8-7 ATS, 11-4 SU) (LW: 7) Images of Keith Bulluck and LenDale White stomping on a Terrible Towel at the end of Pittsburgh’s 31-14 loss to Tennessee could be a great motivating factor in a few weeks should these teams hook up in the playoffs. The Steelers have earned a first round bye, and will wrap up the regular season with a meaningless game against Cleveland.
Next Up: Home vs. Browns

9: Arizona Cardinals (8-7 ATS, 8-7 SU) (LW: 8 ) No one expected to see much from the Cardinals this week, and “not much” is what they got. Arizona was whooped by New England 47-7 in the snow at Gillette Stadium, and will prepare for the playoffs in the final game of HC Mike Holmgren’s Seahawks career.
Next Up: Home vs. Seahawks

10: Kansas City Chiefs (8-7 ATS, 2-13 SU) (LW: 9) The three-game cover streak for the Chiefs has come and gone after a 38-31 loss to the Dolphins. There were a lot of people that came to Arrowhead dressed as empty seats, but if you thought that was bad, how many fans are showing up to Cincinnati next week?
Next Up: Away @ Bengals

11: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-7 ATS, 9-6 SU) (LW: 10) Tampa Bay picked a bad time to fall flat on its face. The Bucs lost their third straight game with a 41-24 loss to the Chargers. The good news is that lowly Oakland is all that’s left on the schedule. The bad news is that the Bucs still need some help to get in.
Next Up: Home vs. Raiders

12: New England Patriots (8-7 ATS, 10-5 SU) (LW: 19) The Patriots picked up a second straight massive victory this week by beating the Cards 47-7. With the loss by the Jets in Seattle, the Pats are a lot closer to the playoffs, but they’ll still a win and either a loss by Miami or Baltimore to get into the postseason.
Next Up: Away @ Bills

13: Green Bay Packers (8-7 ATS, 5-10 SU) (LW: 15) No one is mentioning HC Mike McCarthy as a coach on the hot seat, but after losing five straight games, could the Pack skipper be the next to go? That seat will get a heck of a lot hotter if Green Bay is the team to end the winless season of the Lions.
Next Up: Home vs. Lions

14: Indianapolis Colts (7-7-1 ATS, 11-4 SU) (LW: 17) The Colts wrapped up the #5 seed in the playoffs and added further misery to Jacksonville by beating the Jags 31-24 in come-from-behind fashion on the NFL Network’s Thursday Night Football telecast. For the second straight year, a Week 17 showdown with Tennessee is meaningless.
Next Up: Home vs. Titans

15: Houston Texans (7-8 ATS, 7-8 SU) (LW: 13) The hopes of the Texans’ first winning season in franchise history went up in smoke in Oakland. Houston’s five-game cover streak may be over, but the team has nothing to be ashamed of regardless of the outcome of this week’s game against the Bears.
Next Up: Home vs. Bears

16: New York Jets (7-8 ATS, 9-6 SU) (LW: 12) J-E-T-S may stand for “just end the season” once again. After losing by ten to the Seahawks, the season for New York comes down to a game against the Fins. Though they could still win the AFC East with a win and a New England loss, the only other hope for a playoff birth would be if Baltimore loses to Jacksonville.
Next Up: Away @ Dolphins

17: San Francisco 49ers (7-8 ATS, 6-9 SU) (LW: 16) They were behind by two scores with under 5:00 to play, but the frisky 49ers found a way to pull out another win by beating the Rams 17-16. That’s three out of four in the win column for San Fran, which will be trying to avenge its last loss to Washington, a 52-17 beatdown in 2005.
Next Up: Home vs. Redskins

18: Seattle Seahawks (7-7-1 ATS, 4-11 SU) (LW: 23) If this was the final home game of Mike Holmgren’s coaching career, it was certainly a good one. The Seahawks beat the Jets 13-3 to put them on the brink of elimination of the playoffs. Holmgren’s Seattle career will end next week in Arizona.
Next Up: Away @ Cardinals

19: Chicago Bears (6-7-2 ATS, 9-6 SU) (LW: 14) Chicago’s still alive for the playoffs thanks to a dramatic OT victory over the Pack on MNF. The Bears need a win and some help, but a game in Houston won’t be easy, as the Texans are playing solid football down the stretch.
Next Up: Away @ Texans

20: Dallas Cowboys (7-8 ATS, 9-6 SU) (LW: 18) The Cowboys closed the doors of Irving Stadium and may have written the pink slip for HC Wade Phillips in one final swoop. The Ravens knocked off Dallas 33-24 and put the Boys on the brink of extinction. They got a lot of help on Sunday though, and could make the playoffs with a win in the City of Brotherly Love and some help this week.
Next Up: Away @ Eagles

21: Miami Dolphins (7-8 ATS, 10-5 SU) (LW: 20) The Fish are one win from going from the outhouse of the AFC East to the penthouse of it. By virtue of their 38-31 win in Kansas City, the Dolphins know a win against the Jets on Sunday is good enough for the AFC East crown. A loss will likely keep them home for the playoffs.
Next Up: Home vs. Jets

22: Detroit Lions (6-9 ATS, 0-15 SU) (LW: 24) The Lions made NFL history on Sunday against the Saints, becoming the first team to lose its first 15 games of the season in their 42-7 defeat. The only team between Detroit and immortality is a game at Lambeau Field, a place they haven’t won at since 1991.
Next Up: Away @ Packers

23: Buffalo Bills (7-8 ATS, 7-8 SU) (LW: 25) The Bills aren’t a playoff team, but they pushed Denver into an elimination game next week by hanging on to a 30-23 victory at Mile High Stadium. They can throw another wrench into the AFC playoff mix with a win next week against the defending AFC champs.
Next Up: Home vs. Patriots

24: San Diego Chargers (6-8-1 ATS, 7-8 SU) (LW: 26) The San Diego offense had its way against a struggling Tampa Bay defense in Sunday’s 41-24 win, and now find themselves in an all or nothing battle with the Denver Broncos for the AFC West Championship and a bid to the second season. You gotta love this mediocre at best division!
Next Up: Home vs. Broncos

25: Cleveland Browns (6-8-1 ATS, 4-11 SU) (LW: 21) Boy have the Browns been bad of late. They’ve only scored a total of 31 points in their L/5 games after being shutout 14-0 by the lowly Bengals last Sunday. The good news is that the Steelers have squat to play for next week. The bad news is that Ken Dorsey is still their quarterback.
Next Up: Away @ Steelers

26: Cincinnati Bengals (6-9 ATS, 3-11-1 SU) (LW: 27) In case last week’s Fitzpatrick vs. Dorsey match-up didn’t get you excited (especially with the seven total offensive points in the game!), this week should get you jumping out of your chair. Fitzpatrick! Thigpen! It’s the NFL on CBS!
Next Up: Home vs. Chiefs

27: Washington Redskins (6-8-1 ATS, 8-7 SU) (LW: 28) After opening up the season 4-1 ATS, the Skins were a wreck, going 1-7-1 ATS in their next nine. That streak is finally over with their 10-3 ‘W’ against the Eagles, which pushed their divisional rivals’ playoff hopes to the brink. Washington will close out the season in San Francisco.
Next Up: Away @ 49ers

28: Minnesota Vikings (6-9 ATS, 9-6 SU) (LW: 22) Minnesota had a chance to lock up the NFC North and put itself in a position to possibly capture the #2 seed in the NFC, but it all went up in flames with a 24-17 loss to the Falcons. The Vikes still need a win over the Giants or a Chicago loss to the Texans to make the playoffs.
Next Up: Home vs. Giants

29: Oakland Raiders (6-9 ATS, 4-11 SU) (LW: 29) Just when it looked like the Raiders were left for dead, they took out a hot Texans team in the home finale. Next week is the “Jon Gruden Bowl,” as the silver and black will take their best shot at eliminating the Bucs from the playoffs.
Next Up: Away @ Buccaneers

30: St. Louis Rams (5-10 ATS, 2-13 SU) (LW: 32) The Rams snapped defeat from the jaws of victory in Week 16’s 17-16 loss to the Niners. The #2 pick in the draft could be on the line in Atlanta, so for the sake of whomever the next sucker is to be named the Head Coach in St. Louis, the Rams had better not win.
Next Up: Away @ Falcons

31: Denver Broncos (4-10-1 ATS, 8-7 SU) (LW: 30) Thanks to Denver’s 30-23 loss to Buffalo, the AFC West will be won in San Diego, where the Broncos and Chargers will do battle to determine who will capture the divisional crown and earn the right to play the Colts in the 1st round of the playoffs.
Next Up: Away @ Chargers

32: Jacksonville Jaguars (4-11 ATS, 5-10 SU) (LW: 31) Jacksonville had its chance to put a damper on Indy’s playoff hopes, but couldn’t finish the game after leading by 10 points in the 3rd quarter. Maybe they’ll have better success trying to cripple the Ravens’ chances.
Next Up: Away @ Ravens

2008 Motor City Bowl Betting Pick
Central Michigan -6.5 (-110) – Friday December 26th ’08 7:30p

The Central Michigan Chippewas have become quite familiar with Ford Field, as they are making their third straight Motor City Bowl appearance when the face the Florida Atlantic Owls Friday night.

The Chippewas won here two years ago, but then suffered a heartbreaking 51-48 defeat vs. Purdue last season. However, we do feel they will erase that bad memory this time around with a handy victory.

CMU has the best quarterback in the MAC and one of the most underrated signal-callers in the country in Dan LeFevour, who completed 66.4 of his passes while throwing for 2530 yards with 19 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. LeFevour is also an excellent runner, and he proved himself with nice games vs. a couple of Big Ten schools this season in Indiana and Purdue.

Florida Atlantic is a nice story under Howard Schnellenberger, but they are not as good as most of the teams that Central Michigan has faced, and their terrible defense that has allowed 29.3 points and a whopping 401.5 total yards per game makes for a nightmarish matchup vs. someone as talented and versatile as LeFevour.

Now the Chippewas have similarly bad numbers defensively, but they faced a much tougher schedule and they should benefit here from those experiences. Look for a huge day for LeFevour as he leads Central Michigan to a double-digit win.

Motor City Bowl Free Pick: Central Michigan -6.5 (-110) – Courtesy of LT Profits
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Cleveland Browns @ Pittsburgh Steelers u32.0 (-110) – Sunday December 28th ’08 1:00p
The Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Cleveland Browns by just a 10-6 score with both teams at full strength in Cleveland earlier this season, and we would not be surprised to see a similar point output in this contest, with the Browns down to their third string quarterback and the Steelers resting regulars. This game should have the look and feel of a preseason contest, as it means nothing to the Steelers and the Browns quit playing a while ago. Pittsburgh is locked into the number two seed in the AFC, and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has publicly stated that he could use some tine off after getting some big hits vs. the Tennessee Titans last week. If Coach Mike Tomlin continues his pattern from last year, Big Ben should get his wish. The Steelers were locked into a playoff spot entering the season finale, and Tomlin sat his regulars in a loss to a Baltimore Ravens team that was in disarray with a lame duck coach. Thus, Ben Hines and the rest of the regulars can count on a lot of time off this week. The Browns on the other hand need no excuse to keep this total down, although being reduced to Ken Dorsey at quarterback sure helps. This team was shut out by the awful Cincinnati Bengals last week, and Cleveland has miserably gone five consecutive games without scoring more than 10 points, being held to single-digits in four of those games. Look for a sloppy, boring game in Pittsburgh this Sunday. NFL Free Week 17 Pick: Browns, Steelers Under 32 (-110) – Courtesy of LT Profits

Washington Redskins vs. San Francisco 49′ers Over 37.5 – Sunday December 28th 2008
Both teams have been eliminated from the postseason race, so this game is strictly for pride. With no reason to play conservatively, I expect both offenses to attempt to open things up and for this afternoon’s final score to prove higher-scoring than most are expecting. Note that the last meeting (10/23/05) between these teams had an over/under line of just 37 but that it finished with a whopping 69 combined points. It’s true that the Redskins have been a highly profitable ‘under’ team this season and also that their defense played superbly last week. However, they haven’t played a truly ‘meaningless’ game until now and their earlier results have helped keep today’s number extremely low. It should also be noted that Washington is one of the few teams which has scored more points on the road than it has at home. Additionally, while admittedly still very solid regardless of the venue, the Skins’ defense hasn’t been quite as stingy on the road as it has been at home. It’s been almost exactly a year since the 49′ers played a home game with an over/under line in the 30s. The last time that they did so was on 12/23/07. Coincidentally, that game also came against a team featuring a top tier defense (Tampa Bay) and it also came in the 49′ers’ home finale. The game had a total of 36.5 and it finished with 40 combined points. Note that Shaun Hill passed for three touchdowns. Including the result from last season’s home finale, the ‘over’ is a highly profitable 11-2 the last 13 times that the 49′ers played a home game with a total in the 35.5 to 38 range. This season, San Francisco home games have averaged a healthy 47.6 combined points. The 49′ers have seen the ‘over’ go 6-1 the last seven times that that they were favored at home by four points or less and 10-4 the last 14 times that they were in the favorite role overall. Additionally, the 49′ers last six games here have ALL produced greater than 37 combined points. Wearing their “throwback jerseys,” I look for an inspired effort from the 49′ers’ offense and won’t be surprised when the two teams combine for enough points to eclipse the low number. Consider the Over – Courtesy of Ben Burns

Arizona Cardinals -6.5 – Sunday December 28th ’08 4:15p
The NFC champion Arizona Cardinals after getting into the post season, have dropped 4 of their L/5 games and are in a desperate need of a win. The Cardinals because of their dire performances need to go into the play offs with some positive momentum on their sides, and will thus have most of their starters in the lineup this Sunday, against a lowly Seattle Seahawks team that owns a ugly 4-11 record on the season. Here is a quote from Cardinals HC Whisenhunt: “I think what we’ve learned from this team is that we need to stay sharp and play well,”. “So that’s what our focus is this week, because we haven’t played well the last two weeks because our focus hasn’t been where it’s needed to be. So in order to get ready for the playoffs, it’s important that we play better.”With that said, look for an expect a very motivated effort from a Arizona side, that has won 5 straight divisional confrontations this season. Final notes & Key Trends: Seattle has not faired well against top tier offenses like Arizona that score 24 or more points per game, going 1-8 ATS L/9, losing SU by an average of 14.8 PPG. The Seahawks are off a 13-3 upset win last week , which does not set up well for their betting backers since they are 0-6 ATS on the road off a win of 10 points or more,losing their following game SU by an average of 12 PPG. Projected score: Arizona 28 Seattle 17 – Courtesy of Alex Smart

The Central Michigan Chippewas will play in their third consecutive showing in the Motor City Bowl when they take on the Florida Atlantic Owls this Friday, December 26th. This will be the first matchup between the two teams on the field. Last season the Owls won the Sun Belt Conference title and earned a position in the New Orleans Bowl where the team crushed Memphis by a score of 44-27. As for the Chippewas they will be playing in their third straight bowl game. Overall, the Chippewas will be playing in their fifth postseason game in school history, but will be looking for just their second win overall. Central Michigan’s only bowl game win came back in 2006 when the team handled Middle Tennessee by a score of 31-14 in their first showing in the Motor City Bowl. Last year, the Chippewas lost in this bowl to Purdue in a very close game by a score of 51-48.

5dimes.com oddsmakers currently have the Central Michigan Chippewas set as 7 point betting odds favorites against the Florida Atlantic Owls with the games over/under posted at 67 total points

Click here for the Florida Atlantic vs. Central Michigan winning pick
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Here are some betting trends to consider for the Motor City Bowl:
Owls are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
Owls are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring more than 40 points in their previous game.
Owls are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games after allowing more than 280 yards passing in their previous game.
Chippewas are 6-0-1 ATS in their last 7 games after allowing more than 40 points in their previous game.
Chippewas are 9-1-1 ATS in their last 11 games following a ATS loss.
Chippewas are 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 games following a S.U. loss.

Click here for current Motor City Bowl betting odds from Touthouse.com

The Hawaii Warriors butt heads with the historic Notre Dame Fighting Irish in Honolulu on Christmas Eve in the Hawaii Bowl. Hawaii, which won this bowl in the year 2003, 2004 and 2006, took a break from this game last year to match up with the Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl, but the Warriors were routed in their first and only showing in a BCS championship bowl game, losing by a score of 41-10. With a bowl history that goes all the way back to the 1925 Rose Bowl win against the Stanford Cardinal, Notre Dame has a record of 13-15 in the bowl games and has not won a bowl since getting a 24-21 win over Texas A&M in the 1994 Cotton Bowl. Since then, the team has lost nine straight bowl appearances, including a 41-14 loss against LSU in the 2007 Sugar Bowl. As for the all-time record between these two teams, the Irish have been victorious both previous games, but by a total of a mere seven points. The most recent of those games was in 1997 with Notre Dame getting a 23-22 win.

5dimes.com oddsmakers currently have the Notre Dame Fighting Irish posted as 2 point betting odds favorites against the Hawaii Warriors with the games over/under set at 48 total points.

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Here are some betting trends to consider for the Hawaii Bowl:
Fighting Irish are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games after accumulating less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
Fighting Irish are 5-2 ATS in their last 7 games as a favorite of 0.5-3.0.
Fighting Irish are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after accumulating less than 275 total yards in their previous game.
Warriors are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog.
Warriors are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games following a S.U. loss.
Warriors are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games overall.

Click here for current Hawaii Bowl betting odds from Touthouse.com