Will Rogers

THE PLAY: Pittsburgh Penguins +105

This is a battle between Matthew Schaefer, the top overall pick of the 2025 NHL Draft and Sidney Crosby, one of the all-time greats and once a number one overall pick himself. Getting Crosboy's Penguins as a home underdog looks pretty fair to me.

Pittsburgh took down the Rangers 3-0 on Opening Night, silencing the doubters. The Penguins will be fired up for their home opener and having played a game already should help their cause. Crosby bests Schaefer in their first meeting. Play Pittsburgh

THE PLAY: New York Rangers -115

In suggesting to play against the Rangers in their season-opening loss in Pittsburgh. I pointed out that NY had crushed the Penguins 6-0 to kick off the prior season, and Pittsburgh would be eager to avoid a repeat. I also noted that the Penguins had won two of their last three games at Madison Square Garden, wrapping up with the following:

“New York’s new coach, Mike Sullivan, who led the Penguins for a decade, is eager to win his Rangers debut, but his former players are just as determined to prevent him from doing so. Sullivan should be a good hire but the results may not be immediate. A fired-up Penguins squad shows up ready to spoil the party.”

The Penguins 3-0 victory sets this game up perfectly. Sullivan doesn't want to fall to 0-2 and the Sabres are a great opponent to get his first Ranger win against. The Sabres started last season by going 1-5 their first six games, 0-3 their first three. Play on New York

THE PLAY: Pittsburgh Steelers -225

My selection is on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Browns have a long history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, like their collapse in London on Sunday despite leading. Sure, they've had occasional bright spots, but disappointment is the norm for Cleveland fans. This season, the Browns are 1-4, with two tight losses and two routs, struggling to score more than anyone else while playing solid defense—typical Browns.

In contrast, the Steelers excel at winning close games, sitting at 3-1 with two victories by three points or fewer and one by seven. Both teams faced Minnesota in Europe recently, but Pittsburgh had a bye week to rest. While the Browns have had some success against the Steelers in Cleveland, they’ve dropped their last four games in Pittsburgh. It may or may not be close but either way, the Steelers are likely to end up on top. Play on Pittsburgh

THE PLAY: Oklahoma State +14.0 (-110)

Last Saturday, I had a complimentary selection on UCLA against Penn State. I didn’t really expect the Bruins to win outright, but I thought Penn State might lack energy on the road after their first loss. This Saturday, I'll play against another team coming off its first loss of th season. 

Last week, I said this: "Penn State narrowly lost a crucial game against Oregon in double overtime at home. Trailing 17-3 in the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions rallied back, with quarterback Allar throwing a touchdown to Devonte Ross with 30 seconds remaining, making it 17-16. Coach Franklin opted for the extra point to tie the game at 17-17 instead of attempting a two-point conversion for the win, a choice now questioned by some after the loss in overtime.

Off that gut-wrenching loss, the Lions have to travel across the country and they're being asked to win by nearly four touchdowns. Given the circumstances, that's too much. With UCLA’s history of covering a similar spread as a 28-point underdog last year in Happy Valley, losing by only 16, I'm taking the generous points with the home underdog."

Unlike Penn State, the Cougars didn’t suffer a devastating defeat, and they don’t have to travel far. However, they’re coming off their first loss and are favored by a large margin on the road. Like UCLA, the Cowboys have had a rough start to their season. A victory over Houston would be a big boost. The Cowboys defeated the Cougars in their last meeting in 2023, their first as Big 12 opponents. Once again, I'm taking the generous points with the home underdog.