Sean Murphy

My selection is on Boston College plus the points over Duke at 12 noon et on Saturday.

The case can be made that Boston College is the better team in this matchup but I think the fact that Duke played in a national tv game last week on the road against Notre Dame, and hung relatively tough, plays into the line. The Eagles return a lot of experience on both sides of the football and will be eager to get on the field and face some actual competition here. I don’t believe there’s any intimidation factor at play with this edition of the Blue Devils. Look for the Eagles to hang tough for four quarters. Take Boston College (10*).

My selection is on the ‘over’ between Tulsa and Oklahoma State at 12 noon et on Saturday.

We should see an old-fashioned shootout between the Golden Hurricane and Cowboys in this early start matchup on Saturday. Tulsa boasts a truly underrated offense entering the 2020 season with a loaded stable of running backs keyed by Shamari Brooks and Corey Taylor II not to mention an experienced senior quarterback in Zach Smith. He passed for over 3,200 yards and 19 touchdowns to go along with nine interceptions last season. He has his top target back in Keylon Stokes who hauled in 62 catches for over 1,000 yards and six touchdowns a year ago. Oklahoma State is obviously loaded on offense, led by RB Chuba Hubbard. QB Spencer Sanders was the Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year last season, although this will be his third year with the Cowboys. Expect fireworks on Saturday afternoon. Take the over (10*).

NHL Stanley Cup Final Total of the Year. My selection is on the ‘over’ between Dallas and Tampa Bay at 7:35 pm et on Saturday.

Both of these teams are coming off tight, low-scoring series’ and as a result we’re dealing with a relatively low posted total on Saturday. I believe we’ll see this series get off to a high-scoring start, and it may not be long before 5.5’s are back on the board. While I have a lot of respect for both goaltenders in this series, there’s also no question that they’ve played a tremendous amount of hockey over the last seven weeks or so. At some point you have to feel that they’re going to suffer a bit of a lapse, even if it’s brief. Meanwhile, both squads are loaded with offensive talent. We’ve also seen both teams show a knack for coming up with clutch goals and performances from their star players. I’m confident the losing side gets at least two goals in this contest, setting us up well with a play on the ‘over’. Take the over (10*).

My selection is on Appalachian State minus the points over Marshall at 3:30 pm et on Saturday.

We’ll back the Mountaineers as it’s early and they remain undervalued in this unique 2020 college football season. Appalachian State actually has a good shot at reaching a New Year’s Day Bowl game this year thanks to so many teams sitting on the sidelines. That’s not a knock on the Mountaineers, as they’re the real deal. Last week Appalachian State came up with a 35-20 win over Charlotte, completely manhandling the 49ers in the trenches. The Mountaineers running game appeared to be in midseason form which spells trouble for Marshall this week. I also liked what I saw from a new-look Appalachian State defense as it came up big on a number of occasions, including a pair of interceptions. Here, the Mountaineers face a much tougher challenge but I like they fact they’ll be going up against a freshman quarterback. Keep in mind, Marshall turned in a near-flawless performance in its season debut two weeks ago. Unfortunately that means there’s nowhere to go but down in this one. Look for the Thundering Herd to get a wake-up call. Take Appalachian State (10*).

CFB ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on Louisville minus the points over Miami at 7:30 pm et on Saturday.

Miami was fortunate to face a disjointed UAB squad in its season-opener last week, ultimately winning and covering the spread in the process. Here, the Canes will face a much tougher challenge as they hit the road to take on the Louisville Cardinals. The Cards got their season off to a resounding start with a 35-21 win over Western Kentucky. That game wasn’t as close as the final score indicated as Louisville jumped ahead 28-7 before halftime and never looked back. While the Miami offense promises to be much better with QB D’Eriq King at the helm this season, it certainly didn’t look completely in sync last week. I have Louisville pegged as one of the best teams in the entire nation in this unique 2020 college football campaign and will gladly back it as a short favorite here. Take Louisville (10*).

CFB Sun Belt Conference Game of the Year. My selection is on Georgia State plus the points over UL-Lafayette at 12 noon et on Saturday.

The Ragin’ Cajuns of UL-Lafayette are coming off a big upset win over Iowa State last Saturday so it’s not surprising that they’re laying such a big number in their Sun Belt opener this week. I believe the number will prove too high. Georgia State is no pushover. The Panthers reached a Bowl game with a 7-6 overall record last season, making significant progress relatively early in their FBS career. Georgia State returns plenty of talent on both sides of the football – particularly when it comes to defense, where it will obviously need to be stout against an experienced and explosive Ragin’ Cajuns offense. Meanwhile, the Panthers offense has a terrific stable of wide receivers to stretch the field against a beatable Lafayette defense. Look for Georgia State to stay within arm’s reach all afternoon long. Take Georgia State (10*).