Vegas veteran Benjamin Eckstein, author of America’s Line, brings three decades of experience to make weekly picks in his “Ecks & Bacon” column.
LAS VEGAS — Time for an EPIC comeback, or just another flameout in Los Angeles??? We’re not quite on the epic, but will back the Dodgers with Walker “Ferris” Buehler in Game 3. And if you are thinking epic, you can drop 100 bones and get back $450 with Los Angeles. Just saying. Buehler is not gonna get shy tonight after facing the pressure of a Game 7 out in Milwaukee. He lasted just 4.2 innings in that game but allowed only one earned run. On the other side, Rick Porcello looked kinda shaky his last time out, giving up seven hits and four earned runs in just four innings. Gotta have some thunder from L.A.’s lefty bats if this series is gonna make it back to Boston. Light hit on the home side.
NCAAF pick
If you’re out and about with nothing to do, and don’t feel like a baseball wager, try UCLA +10.5 points against Utah tonight. Actually saw a +11 at all the Sportsbook properties here in Vegas. Why the Bruins? They seem to be finally getting into a groove with Chip Kelly’s offense, scoring 37 and 31 points the last two games. The Utes are coming off a MONSTER win at home against USC, and could be a little late showing up to the party. Actually, Utah rolls into L.A. with a negative 0-3 point spread perfecto the last three seasons after playing the Trojans.
Tomorrow, we’re gonna rock Tennessee +8.5 points against South Carolina. Like what Jeremy Pruitt is doing as the first-year head coach in Knoxville. Pruitt comes from the Nick Saban tree, where he was the defensive coordinator, and brings FOUR title rings with him. Looked at the Vols’ work so far and noticed that their four losses came against Alabama, Georgia, Florida and West Virginia. And in the latest AP poll, ALL four teams are top 15. They caught another team, Auburn, NOT a Top 25 team, and beat ’em 30-24 on the road. Not looking for the outright upset, but at +8.5, it’s a solid buy.
NFL pick
On to Sunday, and we’re using the Colts -3 points over the Raiders. Not gonna say that the Raiders have quit on the $100-million man, but the Raiders, OK, I’ll say it, have quit on Jon Gruden. Can’t blame them. First, Chucky trades away Khalil Mack, maybe the BEST defensive player in the NFL, at least top three, to the Bears. Then he sends his No. 1 WR, Amari Cooper, to the Cowboys. WHAT? And the players are NOT happy. Here’s one comment, no names please. “The Mack trade was a real stiff jab, but the Cooper one was like a knockout punch, especially because we had just walked back in from the bye and Coach said we weren’t going to trade him.”
No wonder they QUIT! Now you look at the other side, and Andrew Luck is as healthy and happy as he has been in years. After a slow start, the Horseshoes have averaged 32 points per game the last month, and since the silver and black are giving up 37.5 ppg at home, you know what time it is. Only one thing left to say. Yup, this is my BEST BET, BABY!!!
And plz, PLZ hit me on Twitter over the weekend, @vegasvigorish, just in case anything else pops.
Benjamin Eckstein is a nationally syndicated sportswriter/oddsmaker. His column, America’s Line, with the Ecks & Bacon appetizer, has run in the New York Daily News and over 100 other papers since 1988. You can follow him online at www.americasline.com. He is beloved by most, when he picks Sportsbooks, and detested by others, when he picks the occasional loser. If you wanna piece of Eck, hit his Email...ben@americasline.com.
