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Sports Betting Tips Weekly: Hot and Cold Wagering Options

by Victor Ryan - 10/21/2015

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton

Catching a trend early enough, or getting off one, can be the difference between profit and loss in sports betting. In every sport at any given time, there are teams trending in either direction-either padding the pockets or torching the bankrolls of their backers. Each week in this space, you will be provided with insight on some of the hottest and coldest bets in sports.

NFL

Cincinnati Bengals, 5-0-1 ATS; 5-1 O/U

The Bengals have been a profitable proposition during the regular season for years, and this season has been no different. The lone blemish on Cincinnati's ATS record was a 27-24 straight up win against Seattle as a three-point favorite in Week 5.

The Bengals rank in the NFL's upper echelon on both sides of the ball, as the offense ranks fourth in with 30.3 points a game and the defense is ninth in points allowed at 20.3 points a game. Cincinnati is off this week but will have its undefeated ATS record put to the test when it hits the road to take on Pittsburgh and an expected healthy Ben Roethlisberger on Nov. 1.

Baltimore Ravens, 0-5-1 ATS

The Ravens have been one of the most disappointing teams in the NFL this season, and the ATS record bears that out. A perennial playoff contender, Baltimore is 1-5 straight up this season, with all five losses coming as a favorite. The lone bright spot for the Ravens was a 23-20 straight up win as a three-point road favorite against Pittsburgh back in Week 4.

The Ravens' issues have largely been on the defensive side of the ball, where there have been key injuries and a lax pass defense. Baltimore is 27 th in the NFL both against the pass (286.2 yards per game) and in points allowed (27.0 per game).

Next up is what could be a bad matchup for the Ravens: A road test against the high-flying Arizona Cardinals. Arizona, which is favored by 6.5 points, ranks fifth in the NFL in total offense at 405.7 yards per game.

Other hot NFL bets: Carolina Panthers (4-1 ATS), Green Bay Packers (5-1), Minnesota Vikings (4-1).

Other cold NFL bets: Detroit Lions (1-5 ATS), Kansas City Chiefs (1-5), Seattle Seahawks (1-4-1).

College Football

Central Michigan, 6-0-1 ATS

The Chippewas are just 3-4 straight up, but what a friend to bettors they have been this season. Central Michigan once again covered last week, this time as a seven-point home favorite in a 51-14 demolition of Buffalo.

For those that like to take the points, note that five of the Chippewas covers this season have been as an underdog. That's not a role they'll be facing this week, however, as they travel to take on Ball State, where they are a 7.5-point favorite.

It has been quarterback Cooper Rush and a stingy defense that have been the keys for Central Michigan this season. Cooper has thrown for 2,084 yards with 16 touchdowns against six interceptions, while the Chippewas 'D' has been one of the best in the country against the pass. That unit has allowed an average of just 171.4 yards a game through the air, which ranks No. 18 in the nation.

Old Dominion, 0-6 ATS

The Monarchs have been favored in three of six games this season and earned a straight up win in each of those. However, they have yet to award their backers with any type of cover. Last week was a perfect example as Old Dominion was a 37-34 straight-up winner against Charlotte as a 4.5-point favorite.

Old Dominion has sputtered moving the ball and putting points on the board. The Monarchs rank 119th in total offense with just 327.2 yards per game. Defensively, things haven't been much better. The Monarchs have allowed 417.7 total yards per game this season, with the run defense being particularly abysmal. Old Dominion ranks No. 115 in run defense with 222.5 yards allowed per game.

The Monarchs are a 13-point road underdog against Florida International (3-4 S/U, 5-2 ATS) this week. It could be a decent matchup for Old Dominion, however, as Florida International rarely runs and relies mostly on the arm of quarterback Alex McGough (1,659 passing yards, 14 touchdowns) for its offensive production.

Other hot college football bets: Southern Miss (6-1 ATS), Stanford (5-1)

Other cold college football bets: Colorado (1-5-1 ATS), Michigan State (1-6), Oregon State (1-5), UTEP (0-5-1).

NHL

Boston Bruins, 5-0 O/U

A dynamic attack and lax defense has made the Bruins a friend to "over" bettors so far this season. The Bruins and their opponents have averaged just over seven goals a game, which has easily covered the typical posted total of between 5 to 5.5 goals. Boston is second in the NHL in both goals scored at 3.6 a game and goals allowed at 4.2 a game.

The Bruins have two games left on the slate this week-a home game against the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday night and a road trip to take on the New York Islanders on Thursday. The Flyers are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league this season at 1.6 goals a game this season, indicating this perfect over streak may come to an end. However, there could be goals aplenty on Long Island later this week as the Islanders are the third-highest scoring team in the league at 3.5 goals a game.

Chicago Blackhawks, 0-5 O/U

Things have gone in the complete opposite direction for the defending Stanley Cup Champions. The Blackhawks have gone "under" the posted total of 5.5 goals in all five games this season. Chicago ranks in the bottom half of the NHL in both goals scored (2.33 per game) and goals allowed (2.33 per game).

This week Chicago hosts the Florida Panthers on Wednesday and the Tampa Bay Lighting on Friday. Florida has averaged 3.0 goals a game this season while allowing just 2.0 goals a game. As for the Lightning, they are averaging 3.29 goals a game while allowing 2.71 goals a game. Given those numbers, the Blackhawks streak of unders looks poised to be broken sometime this week.

Other hot NHL bets: Columbus Blue Jackets (5-1 O/U), Dallas Stars (4-1 O/U)

Other cold NHL bets: Los Angeles Kings (0-3-1 O/U), Pittsburgh Penguins (0-4-1 O/U)

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