The Gamecocks are coming off their bye week, but the last time they took the field they suffered their first loss of the season; a 35-27 defeat to the Auburn Tigers. They also failed to cover the point spread evening their against the spread (ATS) record to 2-2.

In their defeat to Auburn, South Carolina’s defense was exposed on the ground. The Tigers’ rushing attack exploded for 334 yards on 57 caries. If South Carolina Coach Steve Spurrier doesn’t have his defense in check, they will have a hard time covering the point spread, let alone pulling the upset.

As everyone knows by now, the Crimson Tide offense prides itself on their rushing attack. Since missing the first two games, reigning Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram has tallied 355 yards and six touchdowns.

Last season versus South Carolina, Ingram averaged 10.3 yards per carry en route to ripping off 246 yards and a touchdown. Bama won 20-6; however, South Carolina bettors didn’t mind as they covered the 17.5 point spread.

To make matters worse, the ‘Cocks are a bit banged up on defense with numerous starters expected to play hurt, except for linebacker Shaq Wilson who appears to be done for the season.

Speaking of injuries, Alabama’s star wide receiver is nursing a bruised knee but is expected to play. In last year’s victory against South Carolina Jones failed to catch a pass. Quarterback Greg McElroy also struggled completing just 10-20 passes for 92 yards and an interception. This season South Carolina’s defense gives up 240.3 passing yards per game, so perhaps they’ll have more success on Saturday.

As far as South Carolina’s passing attached is concerned, there appeared to be a QB controversy during the Auburn loss. Starter Stephen Garcia was yanked by Spurrier after the second of two fourth quarter fumbles, replacing him with freshman Connor Shaw. Spurrier stated that Garcia will indeed start versus the Tide.

Alabama’s defensive backfield is young, but through five games is surrendering just 191.4 passing yards per game. Even more impressive, opposing quarterbacks have combined for only one touchdown to11 interceptions. Garcia could be in for a long day…

Ingram and his running mate Trent Richardson will once again do their thing, churning out one long gain after the other. Garcia will be in way over his head and will face plenty of 3^rd and longs; resulting in turnovers and punts.

Playing on the road hasn’t affected Bama’s covering prowess recently as they are 8-2 ATS in their last ten games away from home. They’ll make it 9 out of 11 on Saturday.

Get over to Sportsbook.com and bet Alabama -7.5 points now.

Despite a ten game win streak versus NFC opponents, Sportsbook.com has the Titans as 6.5 point spread underdogs in Dallas on Sunday.

The Cowboys are coming of their bye week which is good news for Dallas fans. Dallas has won at least three straight games after its bye in each of the past three seasons.

Chris Johnson is the key to another Tennessee victory. He only has 354 rushing yards on 3.8 YPC this year, which is well off last year’s 2,000-yard pace. Johnson will not have an easy time against a quality Dallas defense, and also considering how bad the Titans passing offense is (152 YPG, third-worst in the NFL).

Despite the two losses, Tony Romo has had a quality season, leading the Cowboys to the fourth-best passing attack in the NFL (312 YPG). Romo has completed 69 percent of his passes, but only has four touchdowns (and two picks) in three games. The Dallas rushing attack has been weak, as its 80 rush YPG is only better than six other NFL teams. Team owner Jerry Jones said that RB Felix Jones (22 carries, 88 yards) will have a bigger role in the offense moving forward.

The Titans were crushed in their last meeting with Dallas (45-14 in 2006), but are 15-1 in their past 16 games against NFC teams since that game. If that wasn’t enough to justify football betting fans to back the Titans, listen to this:

Play Against – Home favorites (DALLAS) – excellent passing team (>=265 PY/game) against an average passing defense (185-230 PY/game), after gaining 7 or more passing yards/attempt last game. (31-9 over the last 5 seasons.) (77.5%, +21.1 units. Rating = 3*).

Despite both teams having top-10 defenses, allowing approximately 300 total YPG, the following NFL betting trend found at Sportsbook.com leans towards the ‘over’:

Play Over – Road teams where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points (TENNESSEE) – off 1 or more straight overs, with a good scoring defense – allowing 17 or less points/game. (34-8 over the last 5 seasons.) (81%, +25.2 units. Rating = 4*).

For more football betting trends and to check out the rest of this weekend’s NFL betting odds, head over to Sportsbook.com now.

Kansas City crushed San Francisco 31-10 in Week 3 before resting with a bye. Indianapolis lost a 31-28 heart-breaker at Jacksonville when Josh Scobee won the game at the buzzer with a 59-yard field goal.

Kansas City’s defense has been excellent, holding each of its first three opponents to 14 points or fewer.  The Chiefs limited their last two opponents to just 275 YPG including a measly 58 rushing YPG. The offense has played pretty well too, ranking third in the NFL with 161 rushing YPG. Jamal Charles (79 rush YPG) and Thomas Jones (72 rush YPG) have done a great job splitting carries this year. QB Matt Cassel was very efficient against the 49ers last game with 250 passing yards, three touchdowns and just one interception.

Despite the two losses, Peyton Manning has been amazing. He has completed 70 percent of his passes for 1,365 yards, 11 TD and just 1 INT. It’s the running game that has had problems, gaining a total of just 102 yards in its two losses and ranking 29^th in the NFL with 76 rush YPG. Indy also ranks 29^th in rushing defense, surrendering 150 rush YPG.

The Colts are 7-2 ATS in the series since 1992. This football betting trend found at Sportsbook.com supports another Indy cover.

Play Against – Road teams (KANSAS CITY) – off 2 or more consecutive upset wins as an underdog, with a winning record on the season. (49-22 since 1983.) (69%, +24.8 units. Rating = 2*).

After checking out Sportsbook.com’s NFL betting trends it appears as if 94 percent of the early bettors are backing the ‘Over’. Here is a trend to support those one-sided numbers:

Play Over – Road teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points (KANSAS CITY) – off a home blowout win by 21 points or more, undefeated on the season. (22-4 since 1983.) (84.6%, +17.6 units. Rating = 3*).

Head over to Sportsbook.com now to check out all of the football betting odds for this weekend. After placing your bets be sure to make your picks for the $100,000 Perfect Parlay promo.

Jay Cutler, Chicago quarterback

Cutler suffered a concussion last week at the NY Giants and will not start this week at Carolina. Backup Todd Collins had a stinger last week as well, but is ready to go. The Bears have moved from three-point favorites to one-point dogs.

Steve Smith, Carolina wide receiver

Smith has a high ankle sprain and will reportedly be sitting out the Chicago game. The receiving targets for rookie quarterback Jimmy Clausen are really limited now. Look for a lot of rushing attempts for the Panthers.

Clinton Portis, Washington running back

Portis (groin) will be out several weeks and it could even be season threatening. Ryan Torain has looked when he’s played this year and will be the featured back going forward. The Redskins are 2 ½-point home underdogs to Green Bay.

Green Bay defense

The Packers suffered two big injuries on the defensive side of the ball last week. Rookie starting safety Morgan Burnett (knee) is out for the year as is linebacker Nick Barnett (wrist), according to latest reports.

Michael Vick, Philadelphia quarterback

Vick (ribs) is out at least this week and probably more. Running back LeSean McCoy (ribs) is questionable. Kevin Kolb struggled in relief in last week’s loss versus Washington, but he’ll start Sunday night in San Fran. The 49ers are 3 ½-point favorites.

Andre Johnson, Houston wide receiver

The All-Pro wide receiver (ankle) sat out last week’s game at Oakland. The Texans still put up 31 points, thanks to 249 rushing yards. He’s considered questionable for Sunday against the Giants, with Houston three-point home ‘chalk.’

Pierre Thomas, New Orleans running back

Thomas (ankle) could miss his second week in a row and Reggie Bush is already sidelined (fibula). Chris Ivory and Ladell Betts split carries last week as New Orleans struggled in a 16-14 home win over Carolina. They’re seven-point favorites at Arizona on Sunday.

Darren McFadden, Oakland running back

McFadden is doubtful to play this week with a hamstring injury. Oakland will host San Diego as six-point ‘dogs.

Knowshon Moreno, Denver running back

Moreno has missed the last two weeks (hamstring) and appears questionable at best at Baltimore. The Ravens are seven-point favorites.

The Tigers realize they are very lucky to be unbeaten, thanks to a crazy finish over Tennessee where the Tigers scored the game-winning TD with no time left on the clock. Florida’s undefeated run ended with a sound 31-6 beating at the hands of Alabama. Both teams committed four turnovers in their games last Saturday.

LSU’s offense has been dismal this year. The Tigers are averaging less than 25 PPG and rank 112^th among FBS schools with 131 passing YPG. LSU is winning games because of a stellar defense that is fifth in nation in scoring (12.4 PPG), and sixth in total defense (247 YPG).

Florida QB John Brantley will need to have his best game for Florida to be successful. He has played much better at home (65% completion rate, 5 TD, 1 INT) than on the road (56%, 1 TD, 2 INT) this year, albeit against weaker competition.

After exploding on LSU in their last meeting in the Swamp (51-21 in 2008), Florida survived a defensive struggle last year, winning 13-3 in Baton Rouge. These two betting trends found at Sportsbook.com support bettors backing the Gators:

Play Against – Road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (LSU) – excellent rushing team (>=4.8 YPR) against an average rushing team (3.5 to 4.3 YPR), after gaining 5.5 or more rushing yards/attempt last game. (23-5 over the last 10 seasons.) (82.1%, +17.5 units. Rating = 2*).

LSU head coach Les Miles is 5-17 ATS (-13.7 Units) after 3 or more consecutive straight up wins as the coach of LSU. The average score was LSU 28.0, OPPONENT 20.3 – (Rating = 2*).

For those interested in betting on the ‘total’, be aware of the following trend:

Play Over – All teams where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points (FLORIDA, LSU) – with a winning record on the season playing another winning team, in conference games. (99-50 over the last 5 seasons.) (66.4%, +44 units. Rating = 3*).

The LSU vs. Florida over-under is currently 42 points.

To check out more football betting odds for this weekend’s this weekend’s games, head over to Sportsbook.com now.

Philadelphia Eagles (2-2 SU, 1-3 ATS) at San Francisco 49ers (0-4 SU, 2-2 ATS)

Live at Candlestick Park
San Francisco, CA
Sunday, October 10 –  8:20 PM ET
TV:  NBC

NFL Sportsbook Odds:
San Francisco -3
Philadelphia +3
Total 38

Here are some of the sportsbook trends as they impact our football betting prediction on this game:

• Philadelphia has played four of its last six games UNDER the total
• Philadelphia has lost four of its last six games SU
• Philadelphia has won eight of its last 12 games SU
• Philadelphia has covered one of its last seven games
• Philadelphia has won five of its last seven road games SU
• San Francisco has played seven of its last ten games UNDER the total
• San Francisco has lost four of its last five games SU
• San Francisco is 4-0-1 ATS in its last five home games
• San Francisco has played four of its last five home games UNDER the total
• San Francisco has won four of its last five home games SU

Key stats for Philadelphia — Michael Vick has averaged 8.3 yards an attempt, throwing six TD passes without an interception. He is also the Eagles’ second leading rusher with 187 yards. The team’s leading rusher and receiver is LeSean McCoy, with 273 yards, 5.5 yards per carry and 23 catches. The reason we mention all of this is because neither Vick nor McCoy is expected to make the start in the game against the Niners, and that will undoubtedly impact the way we play this game against the sportsbook.

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Key stats for San Francisco — The Niners, who professed to be a run-first offense, have thrown 151 passes this season – all of them by Alex Smith – while running the ball only 83 times. Frank Gore is the only operative running back, and he has gained 270 yards on the ground. The 49ers have converted only 30% of their third down conversions, a very poor figure. Opponents have completed 67% of their passes against them compared with just 52% permitted by Philadelphia.

Here are the head-to-head betting trends as they involve the sportsbook odds on this game:

• Five of the last six meetings have gone OVER the total
• Philadelphia has won five of the last six meetings SU
• Philadelphia has won five of the last seven meetings SU as the road team
• Five of the last seven meetings in San Francisco have gone OVER the total

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Maintaining with recent NFL tradition, the defending Super Bowl champion Steelers open the new season at home before a national television audience on Thursday night. Pittsburgh, fresh off its second crown in four years, hosts Tennessee in a fight of the AFC’s top two playoff seeds from 2008. Pittsburgh is a hefty 6 ½ point favorite and backed by 77% of bettors at Sportsbook.com.

The Titans (13-4, 14-4-1 ATS in 2008) defeated the Steelers 31-14 in Week 16 last season and captured the AFC South title with 13 victories.

Turnovers, a stifling defense, a deft running game and sound quarterback play from veteran Kerry Collins made the Titans the team to beat entering last year’s postseason. And even with menacing tackle Albert Haynesworth (Redskins) gone from a defense that ranked in the top six in most categories, Tennessee is certain to be a factor in a division any of the four clubs could win and is 7-0 ATS in September the last couple of years.

Pittsburgh‘s competition in the AFC North may only go one deep, with nobody outside of Baltimore expected to contend. The Steelers (15-4, 11-8 ATS) have essentially the same personnel and are a safe bet to pick up right where they left off as 27-23 winners over Arizona in Super Bowl XLIII. Ben Roethlisberger is primed to top last year’s numbers (3,301 yards, 17 touchdowns, 15 interceptions) with a new second tier of receivers in Limas Sweed and Shaun McDonald (Lions) to go with veteran Hines Ward and Santonio “Super Bowl MVP” Holmes. Pittsburgh is 5-1 ATS in the first game of a new season over the last six years.

Roethlisberger passed for 331 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions versus the Titans last Dec. 21 in a game that saw Pittsburgh’s top-ranked defense allow just one scoring drive of more than 40 yards. That came midway through the third quarter when Tennessee went 79 yards on 11 plays and took the lead for good on Chris Johnson’s 21-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-inches.

Pittsburgh can expect a heavy dose of Johnson and LenDale White, but as the Titans showed in last year’s meetingm they won’t hesitate to pass, as Collins went 20-for-29. That means Justin Gage will see plenty of action after totaling 104 yards last season against the Steelers defense. Look for the Titans to want to clock Big Ben just like last season, when they sacked him five times. Though Haynesworth will be missed, he didn’t play in last year’s matchup.

The Titans are 6 ½ point underdogs, with total of 35 at Sportsbook.com and are 16-6 ATS when catching points and are 8-2 UNDER in September.

If the opening game is to be a joyous occasion in the Steel City, the offensive line has to give Roethlisberger time to throw and not have him running for his life. Look for Pittsburgh to test Tennessee defense with deep shots to Sweed and rookie Mike Wallace. Defensively, the Steelers have to keep Johnson inside the tackles and prevent him from bouncing out wide.

Pittsburgh is 39-18 ATS as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points and has played OVER in seven straight openers.

In the last six meetings between these AFC squads, the OVER is 6-1. The excitement starts at 8:30 Eastern on NBC for the NFL lid-lifter and the previous year’s Super Bowl champions are 9-0 and 7-1-1 ATS in first game of a new season.

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2009 PREDICTED FINISH

1) Philadelphia

2) N.Y. Giants

3) Dallas

4) Washington

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

2008 Record: 11-7-1 SU (0 ML Units), 12-7 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 8-10

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +1200, NFC Title: +500

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 9.5 (-180) / Under 9.5 (+140)

StatFox Steve’s Take: Philadelphia lost a lot of well-known veteran talent in the offseason, but this is an organization that has shown a penchant for being able to keep the cupboard stocked. In fact, this may be one of the more talented Eagles’ teams of recent memory overall. Slight lean OVER.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

PHILADELPHIA is 24-15 SU & 26-11 ATS in its L39 games against the NFC West

PHILADELPHIA is 4-2 SU & 6-0 ATS as a road underdog over the L2 seasons

PHILADELPHIA is 20-18 SU & 28-10 ATS on the road in its L38 games revenging a loss vs opponent

PHILADELPHIA is on a 17-3 SU & 15-5 ATS run when playing with 2 weeks+ rest

2009 OUTLOOK

If Donovan McNabb played in the NBA, he’d already be grouped with the likes of Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and Charles Barkley as superstars who could never get over the championship hunt. Though his path to the promised land was blocked by a dynasty earlier this decade–the Patriots–like the aforementioned threesome, he doesn’t exactly have a sparkling record when it comes to giving his team an opportunity. In five NFC Championship games McNabb is just 1-4. Make no mistake, the Eagles are going to make another run at the NFC Championship. What they lack in individual star power, they more than make up for with a potent blend of interchangeable pieces. Battle-tested, yet still relatively young, Philadelphia’s offseason upgrades will prove to be worth every penny.

NEW YORK GIANTS

2008 Record: 12-5 SU (3.5 ML Units), 12-5 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 9-8

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +1000, NFC Title: +400

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 10 (+125) / Under 10 (-155)

StatFox Steve’s Take: The only thing standing in the way of another 10+ win season in New York is the fact that the Giants play in the NFC East Division. Dallas, Philadelphia, and Washington are all bound to get their share of wins in head-to-head play. I like New York to finish within one game either way of 10 wins.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

NY GIANTS are 17-4 SU & 18-3 ATS on the road against conference opponents over the L3 seasons

NY GIANTS are 12-20 SU & 9-21 ATS at home in its L32 November games

NY GIANTS are 7-1 SU & 8-0 ATS on the road vs. good offenses (>=24 PPG) over the L3 seasons

<NY GIANTS are 7-2 SU & 8-1 ATS vs. good passing QB (>7 PYA) over the L2 seasons

2009 OUTLOOK

Defense helped the New York Giants capture Super Bowl XLII over the New England Patriots, but it’s hard to forget the superhuman play of quarterback Eli Manning in that postseason. Fast forward to the 2009 playoffs, and coming off the best season of his career, Manning turned in a complete clunker, as the Giants lost in the Divisional Round of the NFC Playoffs to their most-hated rivals, Philadelphia. So what’s the moral of the story? Defense alone can’t and doesn’t, win championships. Failing to replace wide receivers Plaxico Burress and even Amani Toomer with some type of proven pass catchers may come back to bite the Giants. But playoff football is about running the ball and defense, two areas where the Giants are loaded. Their sights are set beyond the NFC East, and rightly so.

DALLAS COWBOYS

2008 Record: 9-7 SU (-7.05 ML Units), 7-9 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 9-7

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +1200, NFC Title: +500

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 9 (-155) / Under 9 (+125)

StatFox Steve’s Take: I really don’t know what to make of Dallas’ chances in 2009. On one hand, they are rid of the apparent drain on the organization, T.O. On the other hand, is the talent in the organization simply overrated. The Cowboys haven’t won a playoff game since Troy Aikman was in town. I’ll say 10 wins, but not enthusiastically.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

DALLAS is 9-33 SU & 13-29 ATS on the road in its L42 games as a underdog of 3.5 to 10 pts.

DALLAS is 13-22 SU & 11-24 ATS on the road in its L35 games in the last 4 weeks of the season

DALLAS is on a 23-1 SU & 18-6 ATS run at home vs. poor offenses (<=4.75 YPP)

DALLAS is on a 8-0 SU & ATS run when the line is +3 to -3

2009 OUTLOOK

Few teams can pack as much drama in a 16-game season the way Dallas did over the last two seasons. Funny thing is, now that the Cowboys are moving into a state-of-the-art new stadium, complete with the biggest high-definition jumbo screen in the world, the centerpiece of the soap opera, wide receiver Terrell Owens (Bills), is no longer on the roster. Now that Owens is gone, it’s put-up or shut-up time for quarterback Tony Romo, entering his third year as a starter with a woeful record of 5-10 in the months of December and January. His passing stats often look pretty, as he threw for 3,448 yards and 26 scores despite missing three games, but the end results come crunch time leave much to be desired. The loss of Owens may be considered addition by subtraction off the field, but a straight-up negative on it. Head coach Wade Phillips survived a lost 2008, but the way the stars are aligning, in Dallas and the NFC East, the Cowboys face an uphill battle against the Giants and Eagles.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS

2008 Record: 8-8 SU (-2.75 ML Units), 6-8 ATS

2008 Totals (Over-Under): 3-12

Odds to win Super Bowl XLIV: +4000, NFC Title: +1800

Sportsbook Regular Season Wins Prop: Over 8 (-115) / Under 8 (-115)

StatFox Steve’s Take: There are several inexperienced head coaches that I don’t trust in the NFL. The one with a year under his belt that I have in that group is Jim Zorn. I truly believe he was outcoached down the stretch last season and it cost his team a playoff berth. Well, the division didn’t get any easier in the offseason, and I don’t think the Redskins got any better either, despite overpaying for DT Albert Haynesworth. Under 8.

TOP STATFOX HANDICAPPING ANGLES

Over the L2 seasons, WASHINGTON is just 3-4 SU & 0-6 ATS in non-conference games

WASHINGTON is 31-13 SU & 32-10 ATS in its L44 games vs. bad rushing teams (<90 RY)

WASHINGTON is just 6-14 SU but 15-5 ATS on the road in its L20 games vs. good rushing D (<90 RY)

Over the L3 seasons, WASHINGTON is on a slide of 5-10 SU & 2-11 ATS vs. losing teams

2009 OUTLOOK

Few players have seen their stock rise and fall as much as Washington quarterback Jason Campbell over the last year. A fast start in first-year head coach Jim Zorn’s West Coast Offense had the Redskins thinking playoffs, especially as Campbell completed his first 249 passes without an interception and the team opened up 6-2. Campbell didn’t throw his first interception until Week 9 against the Steelers, and that’s where the sky started to fall. After Washington limped down the stretch to a 2-6 record, Campbell’s job security was called into question. Owner Daniel Snyder reached into his pockets to pluck the biggest free agent on the market, defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth (Titans) and also drafted high-energy defensive end Brian Orakpo (Texas). Both moves helped quell the talk surrounding Campbell and provide upgrades to a defense that was fourth in the NFL in total yards (288.8 per game) and sixth in scoring (18.5 points per game). Haynesworth and Orakpo improve the defense, but the offense is where the problems lie. It’s going to take plenty of points to compete with Dallas, New York and Philadelphia in the NFC East. It could be bottom’s up for the Redskins.

Manager Bruce Boche has the pitching aligned exactly how he wants it to give San Francisco its best chance of winning. In order, it’s Tim Lincecum, Barry Zito and Matt Cain, this at least sounds daunting for Colorado. Lincecum (12-4, 2.43 ERA) lost last Sunday at Colorado 4-2, giving up room service pitch for home run and walking a season high five batters. Last year’s Cy Young winner is 4-0 with a sterling 1.36 ERA at AT&T Park in his last six outings and the Giants are 8-3 when the right-hander is pitching on four days rest.

Colorado (72-56, +12.6 units) has too quickly put behind the disappointment of losing series to front-running Los Angeles and refocus on the task at hand. The Rockies are 17-9 in August road games the last couple of years and have what they believe is the right pitcher to combat Lincecum in Ubaldo Jimenez (12-9, 3.36).  The righthander has pitched a minimum of eight innings in four of his last five starts, not allowing more than two runs and winning each game. He relishes the challenge of facing “The Freak”.

“I love challenges,” Jimenez said. “I’m positive when I have a challenge. I can’t wait to be in that position. Hopefully, everything’s going to be OK this time.” Jimenez has made nine straight starts allowing three or fewer runs and Colorado is 21-6 on the road against a right-hand starter.

Sportsbook.com has the Giants as -125 money line favorites, with the total Un6.5. San Fran is 8-2 when Lincecum pitches as a favorite and has won 41 of last 58 in favorite role. The Rockies have won just one of last seven as an underdog and are 7-20 when Jimenez is pitching as road dog and 1-5 if the opponent has winning record.

Game 1 Edge: San Francisco

San Francisco knew coming into the season, they would have to build this team around pitching and defense and the front office has been prophetic. The Giants are 14th in the National League scoring runs, a paltry four runs per game. Nobody knows this better than Barry Zito (8-11, 4.09). Though Zito has been criticized and dismissed as a non-talent more than Heidi Montag, this season Zito has looked like the pitcher the Giants spent 126 million for several seasons ago. In his last eight starts, the lefty has ERA of 2.08, yet is just 3-2, as he has received the poorest run support in the NL at just under three runs a game. Zito made a decision to stop worrying about avoiding bats and instead has gone after hitters, which has paid dividends for a pitcher needing confidence. The Giants have won five of his last six starts at home.

Colorado counters with Jason Marquis (14-8, 3.47), making this a rematch from Monday, when neither starting pitcher figured in decision. Marquis has ended being a key acquisition for the Rockies, pitching well when they were still trying to settle in and rock solid once they turned the corner playing outstanding baseball. Colorado comes into the series 52-25 in last 77 outings and they are 8-2 when Marquis faces a club with winning record.

Game 2 Edge: Colorado

As if things aren’t hard enough for San Fran, the status of their top two hitters Pablo Sandoval and Bengie Molina is day to day for this series. The Giants could certainly use them for the final game of the series, which is an afternoon affair. San Francisco is 24-19 playing matinees and will have Matt Cain (12-4, 2.39) taking the ball. It’s easy to be judgmental and see Cain hasn’t won a game since July 24, yet he has a 2.72 ERA in that span and allowed 36 hits in 46 1/3 innings, with a 4-to-1 strikeout to walk ratio. The Giants are raising cane on opponents at home when Cain pitches with 11-2 record and they are 13-4 when favored. The Rockies will use Jason Hammel (8-7, 4.43) who pitches dramatically better away from Coors Field. Hammel is 6-4 on the road with 2.88 ERA, thought the team is .500 (6-6). Colorado is 25-18 in day ball and un-Rockies like 36-30 coming into the series on the road.

Game 3 Edge: San Francisco

Had my four series winning streak snapped last week, however feel good about this week’s selection. As good as Colorado has been since Jim Tracy took over as skipper, San Francisco could have just as easily won three of four last week in Denver. Sporting a National League-best 41-21 home record, the Giants are the play this weekend to close the gap in wild card race.

Sportsbook.com series odds:  Colorado +120, San Francisco -150

Green Bay at Arizona

The Cardinals are 3.5-point favorites at Sportsbook.com and need to start building confidence for the upcoming season. Arizona ALMOST won the Super Bowl, yet the fact remains they were 9-7 in the regular season in 2008 and were not considered an elite team when the playoffs began. In this contest, Warner and the first team offense want to put up points and will face Green Bay’s new 3-4 defensive scheme, which features a great deal of blitzing. This could mean check downs to Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald, along with some long passes facing one on one coverage.

The Packers have rebuilt their offensive line and though talk out of Green Bay is coach Mike McCarthy is satisfied with their progress, the Cards generated four sacks last week. Aaron Rodgers and the first team offense have been crisp. Last week the Pack built 24-0 halftime lead over Buffalo before cruising to 31-21 triumph. However, this is first road game which will alter dynamics. Arizona has thrived in this situation with a 6-0 ATS record in Week 3 and is 9-0 against the number if off a SU loss and opponent is off double digit win.

Tim Hightower has been outstanding for Arizona, nevertheless, they didn’t pay top draft pick Beanie Wells to sit on the sidelines and be injured. Watch the total in this contest, which presently is 41 points. The Redbirds are 10-2 OVER after scoring seven points or less in the first half in two straight games and Green Bay is 8-1 OVER when playing with six or less days rest.

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