The pros at FivStarPick.com have been crunching stats, trends, key matchups and injury reports to give our members another winner tonight.  The California Golden Bears are favored by 3.5 points over the Nevada Wolfpack with a total of 65.5.

As of Thursday morning, most books were listing California (2-0 SU, 1-0 Against The Spread) as a three-point road favorite with a total of 66.  This line should continue to move up until game time.

Nevada (2-0 SU, 1-0 Against The Spread) has lost seven straight games against BCS teams by an average margin of 22 points per game. Since 2005, the Wolf Pack is winless Against The Spread in three home games versus BCS competition.

Nevada is led by senior quarterback Colin Kaeparnick, who put up more than 400 yards and four touchdowns in last week’s 51-6 win over Colorado St. The Wolf Pack easily cashed while laying 24.5 points. Kaepernick went 21-of-29 for 241 yards and two TDs with no interceptions. He also rushed 161 yards and two scores on 11 carries.  The Pack totalled 631 total yards against the Rams. Senior RB Vai Taua rushed 15 times for 118 yards and one TD.

Cal opened up their season with a 52-3 embarassment of UC Davis.  Then, the Bears crushed Colorado, 52-7.  Cal scored the first 31 points against the Buffaloes and never looked back.  Senior QB Kevin Riley threw for 197 yards and four touchdowns. He has zero interceptions this year and seven TD passes. The Bears D also played well scoring a pair of TDs off of two interceptions.

Now let’s talk trends…Chris Ault’s Nevada team has compiled a 4-6 against the spread record in 10 games as a home underdog.  Cal owns an 11-15 against the spread record in 26 games as a road favorite during Coach Tedford’s nine-year tenure.

This game is not an easy game to handicap, but the pros at FiveStarPick.com have broken down every stat, trend, injury report and weather forcast on this game to provide our members with a winning play.  Try FiveStarPick.com today for only ($19.99) and see if our talent for picking college and pro football winners exceeds your expectations.  We are the only sports handicapping service in the business that documents our last 30 plays, then displays them on our homepage for all to see.  It’s because we have nothing to hide…we just win games against the spread.  Join our family today and start your winning streak tonight.

Rick Riley – FiveStarPick.com

The 2009 Bowl Season continues tonight and the pros at FiveStarPick.com have been working overtime to analyze tonight’s Hawaii Bowl between the SMU Mustangs and the Nevada Wolfpack.  Las Vegas Sportsbooks list Nevada as 13-point favorites with a total of 72.

Nevada (8-4 SU, 7-5 Against The Spread) has been lighting up the scoreboard this year thanks to a solid running attack out of the Pistol Offense.  Nevada QB Colin Kaepernick has run for 1,160 yards and 16 touchdowns in front of two of the nation’s top running backs in Luke Lippincott and Vai Taua. Lippincott has accounted for 1,034 yards on the ground this season, while Taua has gained 1,345 yards. These two speedsters have scored 19 touchdowns on the season.

This Pistol offensive attack of Nevada leads the country in rushing with an average of 362.3 yards per game, but both Lippincott (toe injury) and Taua (academic issues) are both out for tonight’s game. That means the Pack will hit the ground with their backups who have tallied just 851 yards and 13 touchdowns on the year combined.

SMU (7-5 SU, 6-4-1 Against The Spread) is making its first trip to a bowl game since getting nailed by the NCAA in 1987 and it’s due mostly to the hiring of coach June Jones.  The Mustangs have won four of their last five games and would have played for the Conference USA title if it weren’t for a 34-31 loss at Marshall back in November.

While Nevada runs the Pistol Offense, SMU runs the Run ‘n Shoot.  The Mustangs have the 28th best passing attack in the country, accounting for 267.2 YPG through the air. What’s interesting is that true freshman QB Kyle Padron is running this complicated offense.  Padron has completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,462 yards with eight touchdowns to just four picks. His main receiver is Emmanuel Sanders who caught 91 passes this season for 1,215 yards and six scores.  Couple SMU’s passing attack with the fact that Nevada is has the 119th best pass defense in the nation giving up 283.4 YPG and you have a real reason to watch on Christmas Eve.

Now let’s talk trends…in the postseason, Nevada is just 1-3 Against The Spread in its last four bowl games. June Jones, as the Hawaii head coach, was 3-3 Against The Spread in his six career bowl appearances.  In addition, Jones’ Mustangs are 6-1 Against The Spread as an underdog this year.  Nevada is 6-3 Against The Spread in 2009 as favorites and the five times they were listed as double-digit favorites this season they went 4-1 Against The Spread.

So who covers the spread in the Hawaii Bowl?  It’s very easy to find out.  Try FiveStarPick.com tonight for just ($19.99) and see if our talent for picking college and pro football winners exceeds your expectations.  We are the only sports handicapping service in the business who documents wins and losses and displays them on our homepage for all to witness.  It’s because we have nothing to hide…we just win games against the spread.  Join our family today and start your winning streak tonight.

Rick Riley – FiveStarPick.com

The pros at FiveStarPick.com continued their winning streak against the spread last night by giving our members South Carolina +5.  You got to love a home dog in the SEC on a Thursday Night.  Today we will be giving our members the against the spread winner of Missouri/Nevada.  Las Vegas sportsbooks list the Tigers as 7-point road favorites with a total of 60. 

Many experts thought Nevada would be a buster for many teams this year, but watching pre-season film on how to defend the Wolfpack’s patented ‘Pistol’ offense has paid off so far for Nevada’s opponents.  Notre Dame certainly had the Wolf Pack’s style figured out when they crushed them 35-0 as a 14-point home favorite.

After the Notre Dame shalacking, Nevada went to Ft. Collins and lost 35-20 to Colorado St. as a 3.5-point road favorite.  The Wolf Pack had five turnovers in the game which greatly contibuted to their demise.

Nevada’s star running back, Taua, hasn’t been the issue.  He’s averaging 6.5 yards per carry (32 carries, 209 rushing yards).   The big problem problem so far has been Kaepernick, who had an outstanding 22/7 touchdown-interception ratio in ’08.  This year he has been intercepted four times already and has just one TD pass in his last two outings.

Gary Pinkel’s Missouri team, on the other hand, was dismissed by every touter in the business due to the loss of key playmakers like Chase Daniel, Jeremy Maclin, Chase Coffman and William Moore.  But the Tigers look like Big 12 contenders so far through three games going 3-0 SU and 1-1 against the spread.  Missouri dominated Illinois in their season opener, 37-9, as a seven-point dog.  The Tigers paid off money-line backers with a +240 payout.

After the opener, Missouri had somewhat of a letdown, finally rallying past Bowling Green for a 27-20 home win. The Tigers failed to cover the 18-point spread as home favorites against the Falcons. Last week they disposed of Furman early and often in a 52-12 victory in a non-lined matchup.

With both teams playing on a short week of preparation, the visiting team is usually at a disadvantage since it has to travel.  However, Pinkel and his Missouri Tigers have refuted any such notion this week.

So who covers the spread in this matchup?  It’s very easy to find out.  Try FiveStarPick.com for a month ($99.99) and see if our talent for picking college and pro football winners exceeds your expectations.  We are the only sports handicapping service in the business who documents wins and losses and displays them on our homepage for all to witness.  It’s because we have nothing to hide…we just win games against the spread.  Join our family today and start your winning streak tonight.

Jimmy the Geek – FiveStarPick.com