Sports Handicapper Sean Murphy's Picks & Predictions

Underdog Game of the Year. My selection is on Los Angeles over Florida at 7:05 pm et on Wednesday.

This is undoubtedly a game the Kings have had circled on their calendar since dropping a 5-2 decision at home against the Panthers earlier this season. Los Angeles enters this contest on the heels of three straight losses including a 4-1 defeat to open its current road trip in Dallas two nights ago. Of note, the Kings were missing Quinton Byfield and Phillip Danault due to illness in that game. Los Angeles is still 10-3-5 on the road this season where it has outscored opponents by an average margin of 0.3 goals. The Panthers return home feeling good about themselves off a 3-1 road trip that culminated with a 5-2 victory over the rival Lightning in Tampa on Monday. I can't help but feel they're in for a letdown as they return home to open this three-game homestand. It's not as if Florida has been dominant at Amerant Bank Arena this season, outscoring opponents by an average margin of only 0.2 goals. Take Los Angeles (10*).

Horizon League Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'over' between Oakland and Northern Kentucky at 7 pm et on Wednesday.

I expect this game to turn into a track meet on Wednesday night. Oakland has had three days off to chew on a poor offensive showing in a road loss at Northern Iowa. The Grizzlies only managed to get off an uncharacteristic 58 field goals in that contest. Prior to that game they had hoisted up 66 or more field goal attempts in five of their last seven contests. While Northern Kentucky has done a nice job of keeping opposing offenses in check for the most part, it has also faced a relatively weak schedule - far weaker than that of Oakland by most metrics. With that being said, I do think the Norse can find their scoring opportunities in this game. Oakland has allowed eight of its 11 opponents to knock down 30+ field goals this season. While the Norse don't play at an exceptionally fast pace, they have found success when they get out and run, most recently making good on 32-of-63 field goal attempts in a road win over Bellarmine. Expect a back-and-forth affair that finds its way 'over' the total. Take the over (10*).

Wednesday CFB Free play. My selection is on South Florida minus the points over Old Dominion at 5 pm et on Wednesday.

I think sometimes bettors get too hung up on opt-outs and motivation in today's college football Bowl landscape. We've seen a considerable line move here and it allows us to step in and back the still-favored Bulls at a favorable price. South Florida of course got off to a red hot start to the season, staging 'upset' wins over Boise State and Florida and ultimately winning six of its first seven contests. From there things got a little rockier, but the Bulls did manage to right the ship with back-to-back wins both SU and ATS to close out the regular season. While they finished with an identical overall record to that of Old Dominion, it's worth noting that they faced the more difficult schedule by most metrics. I think the fact that South Florida operates a similar run-first offense to that of Old Dominion helps in preparation for this matchup. Look for the Bulls to simply 'do it better' in Wednesday's Cure Bowl and pull away for a victory. Take South Florida.

My selection is on Louisiana-Lafayette minus the points over Delaware at 8:30 pm et on Wednesday.

You could probably say this season can already be considered a success for FBS newcomer Delaware as it reached a Bowl game in its inaugural season at this level. The Blue Hens notched six victories but did so on the back of a fairly easy schedule - certainly easier than that of Louisiana-Lafayette by most metrics. It's also worth noting that following a 2-1-1 ATS start to the campaign, they went 2-6 ATS over their last eight regular season contests. Louisiana-Lafayette figures to be fuelled by missing out on the Sun Belt Championship Game as it was a case of too little, too late. The Ragin' Cajuns won their final four regular season games (3-1 ATS) but that wasn't enough to undo a poor start to the campaign. I do think they can outclass the Blue Hens in this matchup and while motivation or lack thereof is always a concern, I don't think it's an issue for a Ragin' Cajuns squad that is accustomed to playing in similar level Bowl games. Take Louisiana-Lafayette (8*).