Best Bets and Picks of Weekend |Nov. 4-5

CFB: Notre Dame at Clemson Best Bet:  

Notre Dame (-3) at Clemson at DraftKings

The 7-2 Fighting Irish aren’t going to make the College Football Playoff – barring an incredible series of events, but they’re still in play for a New Years’ Day bowl game. This is their last chance at a marquee win. Even though its 4-4, Clemson is still a big name.

Clemson coach Dabo Swinney made headlines this week yelling back at a critical caller on his call-in radio show. He should yell at an offense that ranks 64th in the nation in points. Clemson players can’t be too happy to see their coach lose their cool.

Notre Dame’s defense ranks 10th in the nation allowing 15.3 points a game and running back Audric Estime is closing in on 1,000 yards. I usually don’t like road favorites in college football, but Notre Dame is way better.

NFL: Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles Best Bet:  

Cowboys at Eagles (-3) at FanDuel

This all sets up perfectly for the Eagles. With a win they can go up 2.5 games in the NFC East. If Tyreek Hill wasn’t haven’t such a great year for the Dolphins, we’d all be talking about Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown who has 939 yards receiving so far. That’s an incredible pace.

The Cowboys defense ranks No. 4 in points allowed, and is coming off a beatdown of the Rams 43-20, but they struggled against the Chargers and I just can’t forget about what happened the last time Dallas faced a good team on the road – San Francisco beat them badly.

So I like the Eagles to cover this spread. Jalen Hurts has thrown for 2,140 and run for 280 yards. Eagle fans need something to scream about after the Phillies lost. They’ll be ready for Dallas.

NFL: Indianapolis Colts at Carolina Panthers Best Bet:  

Over 44 points at BetMGM

I love betting the under, because it works in the NFL. Bad quarterback play and good defenses means not a lot of points.

But this one screams over to me. The Colts are not good, relying on back-up quarterback Gardner Minshew, but they have scored 28 and 27 points in their last two games, and they have a strong running game with Zach Moss and Jonathan Taylor. Guess what the Panthers are bad at? Stopping the run. Carolina’s defense ranks 29th in the NFL against the run.

Meanwhile the Colts defense is lousy against the pass. They’ve given up 38 and 39 points their last two games. This one has all the makings for the rare over in the NFL. The Colts will be able to score on the ground and the Panthers will be able to score through the air.

By:Darren Cooper

Born and raised in Louisiana, Darren Cooper has a fond appreciation for bayous, Mardi Gras beads and the sports betting industry. Darren has worked for multiple print and online publications since 1998, primarily as a sports columnist in the Northeast. He’s covered a Super Bowl (it was a blowout), the World Series (same) and the NBA Draft (man, those guys are tall). For the last few years he’s dug deep into the sports gambling industry as it exploded across America, learning how the legal sausage is made and how while all the sportsbooks look the same, they all have different identities and styles. He’s learned to always bet within his means -- and take the under. When not in front of his computer creating, Darren spends time with his three boys. He runs, reads and is always looking for the next big thing to write about.

All Reviews by Darren Cooper