Sometimes, you just need to burn a bad day and move on. That’s what we’re doing with Sunday. Nothing went right, and there’s no good to come out of analyzing it. Suffice it to say: Yale couldn’t hit anything, the Colts couldn’t step on the Jaguars’ throats and the Browns failed to show up in Foxborough in any way, shape or form. And other than that, Mrs. Lincoln, the play was pretty terrible as well.
Luckily, it’s Monday, and moneyline bets are usually a good way to get us back on track. Here are my top plays for November 15.
PENN STATE, -175
If the Nittany Lions are going to compete in the Big Ten, this is not a game they can afford to lose. Massachusetts just got smashed by 20 by Yale, and although the Bulldogs are a lot better than they showed at Seton Hall, they’re not as good as Penn State. Even though the Minutemen are at home, the Nittany Lions shouldn’t have much trouble getting win No. 2 here.
OREGON STATE, -175
Wayne Tinkle is not going to win any prizes for how he grinds out wins in Corvallis, but nobody in orange and black is going to mind as long as the Beavers keep winning. Oregon State makes you win ugly, and when you play ugly basketball, you have to rebound to win the game. Tulsa’s not good at rebounding. The Beavers should be able to keep the Golden Hurricane at bay here.
CAL POLY, -175
Sacramento State is going to struggle in the early going without longtime leader Brian Katz on the sideline, and a road matchup with the Mustangs isn’t what the Hornets need right now. Sac State is going to take time to find itself after its coach’s sudden retirement, and that means it’s not in position to handle Cal Poly and its stiff defense. The Mustangs were able to hold North Dakota State to 60 points; this one might have trouble breaking 50.
RAMS, -185
Taking a favorite in a division game is risky, but the Rams were just handed a gift by Cam Newton and the Panthers when Carolina ran all over Arizona on Sunday. Los Angeles now has a chance to move back into a tie for first place in the NFC West, and they aren’t likely to squander it against San Francisco. Besides, the 49ers are 0-4 ATS in Santa Clara this year, so expecting them to win is a bit much.
RED WINGS, +110
Detroit really doesn’t need a lot of shots to win games, as the Red Wings are treading water despite ranking 29th in shots per game. The Blue Jackets give up more shots than anyone and will be playing their third game in four nights after losses to Washington and the Rangers. This is a good time to take a shot with the Wings.
SUNS, -150
The Timberwolves have spent three games getting bloodied in California, and now they come home to Minnesota only to be welcomed by Phoenix’s seven-game winning streak. The Suns appear to have figured things out and are playing quality basketball right now, so I’m backing them to keep it rolling here.
