Sports Handicapper Sean Murphy's Picks & Predictions

My selection is on New England plus the points over Chicago at 8:15 pm et on Thursday.

When you're handicapping the NFL you really have to ignore the noise and in this case that noise is blaring around the Patriots offensive line issues entering this showdown in Chicago. New England is going to be without both of its starting guards and that should help fuel the fire of Bears backers. Chicago rewarded its bettors with a win in Atlanta on Sunday and now returns home looking to keep it rolling with QB Caleb Williams back healthy. I still think the Bears defense is leaky at best and they'll have their hands full with a Pats offense led by QB Drake Maye. Maye is a streaky quarterback to be sure but right now he's playing well. New England's defense has been getting healthier and I think it can contend with a Bears offense that is missing an underrated contributor in RB Kyle Monangai. The duo of DeAndre Swift and Roschon Johnson just doesn't scare me at all, even if Chicago has been running the football well. I think this is a game the Pats can take down to the wire at the very least but potentially win outright. Take New England (8*).

My selection is on Cleveland plus the points over Philadelphia at 7 pm et on Thursday.

As one of the newest ‘super teams’, the 76ers figure to get everyone’s best shot, especially in the early going this season. After making an unceremonious exit in the playoffs last spring, the Cavaliers will be looking to stage the upset and make themselves known as a contender in the Eastern Conference. I can’t imagine a lot of bettors laying off the Sixers at this relatively short price, at home no less, off Tuesday’s impressive win over the defending champions in New York. We’ll go the other way and call for the Cavs to take this one down to the wire at the very least. Take Cleveland (8*).

My selection is on Kennesaw State plus the points over Liberty at 7 pm et on Thursday.

Liberty has reeled off five straight wins including four in a row ATS entering Thursday's matchup with Kennesaw State. Bettors are sure to flock to the Flames given their recent success but we'll go the other way and grab all the points we can get with the underdog Owls. Kennesaw State enters this game with desperation having lost five straight games. Keep in mind, it has gone 3-2 ATS over that stretch and comes off a heart-breaking 'upset' loss on the road against Missouri State last week. The Flames do own the better record in this matchup this season but the Owls have faced the more difficult schedule by most metrics. I look for Kennesaw State to take this one down to the wire at the very least. Take Kennesaw State (8*).

AAC Total of the Year. My selection is on the 'over' between East Carolina and Memphis at 7:30 pm et on Thursday.

Both of these teams are coming off 'upset' losses last Friday night as East Carolina inexplicably coughed up a lead in the game's final minute before falling 30-17 in overtime at UAB while Memphis dropped a 31-17 decision in a rather lifeless performance at Tulane. Neither team has faced all that difficult of a schedule in the first half of the season and certainly not in recent weeks. I think we'll see both offenses snap back on Thursday, noting that East Carolina had scored 70 points combined in its previous two games prior to last week's poor showing while Memphis has produced 38 or more points in four of seven games to date this season. In last year's matchup between the Pirates and Tigers we saw 58 total points but that game has been long forgotten by most casual bettors who will likely be riding ECU's current five-game 'under' streak. Take the over (10*).