Thursday, December 30, 2004

NFL Pick of the Week Against the Spread - Betting Lines Week 17

The Final Regular Season NFL Match-ups


The Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) at The Philadelphia Eagles (13-2)
Against the Spread:  Bengals 6-8-1 | Eagles 9-6-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Bengals -3 -101 Over/Under 41u +103
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bengals -3 +105 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bengals -2.5 -110
Over/Under 39u to 40.5u +105 to -110
I think the same applies to the St. Louis game. Value based on who won't be playing and Lewis wanting to go 8-8.

Recent Trends
•CIN is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
•Over is 4-1 in CIN last five overall.
•CIN is 3-0 ATS in their last three road games.
•Under is 11-3 in the Eagles last 14 overall.
•PHI is 0-3 ATS in their last three overall.
•PHI is 0-3 ATS in their last three games in Jan.

The Cleveland Browns (3-12) at The Houston Texans (7-8)
Against the Spread:  Browns 5-10-0 | Texans 9-6-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Texans -10.5 -102 Over/Under 39u -102
Current High NFL Betting Line: Texans -11 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Texans -9.5 -108 to -110
Over/Under 39u -110
Texans, Maybe? -9.5 is a lot considering how streaky they are. Just the same this game may have value, Dom needs a .500 finish.

Recent Trends
•CLE is 1-7 ATS in their last eight overall.
•Over is 4-1 in the Browns last five on the road.
•Over is 2-0 in CLE previous two games in Jan.
•HOU is 5-1 ATS in their last six overall.
•Under is 7-2-1 in HOU last 10 overall.
•HOU is 8-4 ATS in their last 12 on grass.

The Detroit Lions (6-9) at The Tennessee Titans (4-11)
Against the Spread:  Lions 8-7-0 | Titans 4-11-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Lions -3 -109 Over/Under 45u -105
Current High NFL Betting Line: Lions -3 EVEN to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Lions -2.5 -115
Over/Under 44.5u to 46u -105 to -110
There may be value in Detroit, still crunching numbers.

Recent Trends
•DET is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
•DET is 6-2 ATS in their last eight road games.
•Under is 3-0 in DET last three games in Jan.
•TEN is 3-11 ATS in their last 14 overall.
•Over is 8-2 in TEN last 10 home games.
•Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings.

The Green Bay Packers (9-6) at The Chicago Bears (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Packers 6-9-0 | Bears 5-10-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Bears -3 -105 Over/Under 34u +101
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bears -3 -110 to -120
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bears -3 -110 to -120
Over/Under 34u to 35.5u +102 to -110
Another tricky one, GB has nothing to gain by winning. Chicago may play to win or play to evaluate.

Recent Trends
•GB is 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings.
•GB is 2-5 ATS in their last seven overall.
•Over is 9-2 in GB last 11 overall.
•CHI is 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games.
•Under is 5-0 in CHI last five overall.
•Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

The Miami Dolphins (4-11) at The Baltimore Ravens (8-7)
Against the Spread:  Dolphins 6-9-0 | Ravens 9-6-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Ravens -10 +101 Over/Under 34.5u +101
Current High NFL Betting Line: Ravens -12.5 +105
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Ravens -10 -110
Over/Under 33.5u to 34u -105 to -110
Baltimore still has a chance at post season. They have to win, but that's not enough. They also need 3 other teams to lose.

Recent Trends
•MIA is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
•Over is 8-2 in MIA last 10 overall.
•MIA is 3-0 ATS in their last three road games.
•BAL is 5-2 ATS in their last seven at home.
•Over is 10-3 in BAL last 13 home games.
•Under is 5-0 in the last five meetings.

The Minnesota Vikings (8-7) at The Washington Redskins (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Vikings 7-8-0 | Redskins 5-10-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Vikings -4 -108 Over/Under 41u -109
Current High NFL Betting Line: Vikings -4 +101 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Vikings -3.5 -110
Over/Under 40.5u to 41u -105 to -110
Minnesota clinches NFC playoff berth with win. The Redskins are in re-coupe mode. Minnesota is a wager, size yet undetermined.

Recent Trends
•Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
•MIN is 1-5 ATS in their last six overall.
•Over is 5-1 in MIN last six road games.
•Under is 14-5 in WAS last 19 overall.
•WAS is 4-1 ATS in their last five overall.
•WAS is 4-2 ATS in the last six meetings.

The New Orleans Saints (7-8) at The Carolina Panthers (7-8)
Against the Spread:  Saints 7-8-0 | Panthers 59-5-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Panthers -8 -106 Over/Under46u -105
Current High NFL Betting Line: Panthers -9 +105
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Panthers -7.5 -110 to -120
Over/Under 45.5u to 46u -105 to -110
New Orleans is another must win. They are just too poorly coached to wager on them, even with those kind of points.

Recent Trends
•Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
•Under is 6-1 in NO last seven overall.
•Saints are 10-3 ATS in their last 13 road games.
•CAR is 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine overall.
•Over is 7-2 in CAR last nine overall.
•CAR is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

The N.Y. Jets (10-5) at The St. Louis Rams (7-8)
Against the Spread:  Jets 8-6-1 | Rams 4-10-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Jets -3 +109 Over/Under 43u +109
Current High NFL Betting Line: Jets -3.5 -101 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Jets -3 -110 to -125
Over/Under 43u to 43.5u -105 to -110
Both the teams are in a “must win” to see the post season. The Jets are in the drivers seat however, as they can seal their fate either way in this game.

Recent Trends
•Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings.
•Under is 5-1 in NYJ last six overall.
•Jets are 4-2 ATS in their last six overall.
•Rams are 2-7 ATS in their last nine overall.
•Under is 4-0 in STL last four overall.
•STL is 6-0 ATS in the last six meetings.

The Pittsburgh Steelers (14-1) at The Buffalo Bills (96)
Against the Spread:  Steelers 9-5-1 | Bills 11-4-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Bills -9 -110 Over/Under 34u +102
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bills -10 +105
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bills -9 -108 to -110
Over/Under 34u -105 to -110
The Steelers gain nothing by a win, as everything is set for them. Bills win and have a shot, but that's a lot to cover against the D of the Steelers.

Recent Trends
•PIT is 9-0 ATS in the last nine meetings.
•Under is 7-1 in PIT last eight overall.
•Over is 7-0 in PIT last seven games in Jan.
•BUF is 10-2 ATS in their last 12 overall.
•Over is 8-1 in BUF last nine overall.
•Under is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings.

The San Fransisco 49ers (2-13) at The New England Patriots (13-2)
Against the Spread:  49ers 6-9-0 | Patriots 10-3-2
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Patriots -13.5 -104 Over/Under 37u -106
Current High NFL Betting Line: Patriots -15 +115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Patriots -13.5 -110
Over/Under 37u to 40u EVEN to -110
Pat's have nothing to gain with a win. 49ers couldn't beat OSU on a good day. But covering 2 TD's from back-ups...?

Recent Trends
•SF is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
•SF is 2-7 ATS in their last nine overall.
•Over is 7-2 in SF last nine overall.
•NE is 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 overall.
•NE is 7-3-2 ATS in their last 12 games in Jan.
•Under is 3-1 in the last four meetings.

The Atlanta Falcons (11-4) at The Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Against the Spread:  Falcons 6-8-1 | Seahawks 5-10-0
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Seahawks -5.5 -105 Over/Under 42.5u +101
Current High NFL Betting Line: Seahawks -6 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Seahawks -5 -103
Over/Under 42u to 42.5u -103 to -110
No Vick + Atlanta set for playoffs = no offense. Medium sized wager on Seattle -5.5.

Recent Trends
•ATL is 3-0 ATS in the last three meetings in SEA.
•Under is 10-3 in ATL last 13 overall.
•ATL is 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in Jan.
•SEA is 2-10 ATS in their last 12 overall.
•Over is 10-2 in SEA last 12 overall.
•Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-10) at The Arizona Cardinals (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Buccaneers 5-8-2 | Cardinals 8-7-0
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Cardinals -3.5 +107 Over/Under 38u +101
Current High NFL Betting Line: Cardinals -3.5 +105 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Cardinals -3 -110 to -125
Over/Under 37.5u to 38u +101 to -110
Nothing but pride riding on this game. Tampa is on a 3 game skid while Arizona looks tough.

Recent Trends
•TB is 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 road games.
•Under is 18-8 in TB last 26 overall.
•TB is 3-0 ATS in their last three games in Jan.
•ARI is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 home games.
•Over is 9-3 in ARI last 12 overall.
•Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings.

The Indianapolis Colts (12-3) at The Denver Broncos (9-6)
Against the Spread:  Colts 9-5-1 | Broncos 5-7-3
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Broncos -9 -101 Over/Under 44.5u -112
Current High NFL Betting Line: Broncos -10 +120
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Broncos -8.5 -110
Over/Under 34u to 34.5u -110
Colts are locked at No. 3 seed with the AFC South Title. Denver can clinch with win, but wagering on that is a whole other matter. Denver's just too streaky to lay off those kind of points.

Recent Trends
•Indy is 4-1 ATS in the last five meetings.
•IND is 5-2 ATS in their last seven overall.
•Over is 12-6 in IND last 18 overall.
•DEN is 4-9-1 ATS in their last 14 home games.
•Over is 7-3-2 in DEN last 12 at home.
•DEN is 0-3 ATS in their last three games in Jan.

The Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) at The Oakland Raiders (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Jaguars 9-6-0 | Raiders 6-9-0
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: OTB Over/Under OTB
Current High NFL Betting Line: OTB
Current Low NFL Betting Line: OTB
Over/Under OTB
IF one could place a bet online, Jag's still have a shot at the post-season with a win. So if you could bet with Mirage or Caesars at -1.5...

Recent Trends
•Under is 2-0 in the previous two meetings.
•Under is 17-5 in JAC last 22 overall.
•Over is 3-0 in JAC last three games in Jan.
•OAK is 2-6 ATS in their last eight home games.
•Over is 7-2 in OAK last nine overall.
•OAK is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in Jan.

The Kansas City Chiefs (7-8) at The San Diego Chargers (11-4)
Against the Spread:  Chiefs 6-9-0 | Chargers 12-1-2 Best ATS in the League
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Chiefs -3 -108 Over/Under 54.5u -101
Current High NFL Betting Line: Chiefs -3.5 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Chiefs -3 -116 to -125
Over/Under 53.5u to 54u EVEN to -110
Chargers are locked, taking the hard earned AFC West Title. Vermeil wants to end the season on a high note. Betting against a team with the best ATS is a hard call. Over maybe...?

Recent Trends
•Over is 6-3 in the last nine meetings.
•Over is 8-2 in KC last 10 overall.
•Over is 13-4 in KC last 17 vs. AFC West.
•SD is 11-0-1 ATS in their last 12 overall.
•Over is 10-2 in SD last 12 home games.
•SD is 4-2 ATS in the last six meetings.

The Dallas Cowboys (6-9) at The N.Y. Giants (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Cowboys 7-8-0 | Giants 7-8-0
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET ESPN Sunday Night Football
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Giants -3 +107 Over/Under 37.5u -111
Current High NFL Betting Line: Giants -3 EVEN to +110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Giants -2.5 -105 to -110
Over/Under 37.5u to 38u -110
Last game of the season for both teams. Giants lost a heart breaker to Cincinnati (sans Palmer) last week, while the Cowboys got a victory over the stout D of Washington. Finding value in this game is like trying to find a needle in a haystack.

Recent Trends
•DAL is 4-1 ATS in their last five overall.
•Under is 4-1 in DAL last five overall.
•DAL is 1-6 ATS in their last seven games in Jan.
•NYG are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.
•Under is 9-5 in NYG last 14 overall.
•Over is 3-0 in the last three meetings in NY.

Tuesday, December 28, 2004

NFL Pick of the Week Against the Spread - Opening Betting Lines Week 17

The Final Regular Season NFL Match-ups



The Cincinnati Bengals (7-8) at The Philadelphia Eagles (13-2)
Against the Spread:  Bengals 6-8-1 | Eagles 9-6-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Bengals -3 -101 Over/Under 41u +103

The Cleveland Browns (3-12) at The Houston Texans (7-8)
Against the Spread:  Browns 5-10-0 | Texans 9-6-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Texans -10.5 -102 Over/Under 39u -102

The Detroit Lions (6-9) at The Tennessee Titans (4-11)
Against the Spread:  Lions 8-7-0 | Titans 4-11-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Lions -3 -109 Over/Under 45u -105

The Green Bay Packers (9-6) at The Chicago Bears (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Packers 6-9-0 | Bears 5-10-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Bears -3 -105 Over/Under 34u +101

The Miami Dolphins (4-11) at The Baltimore Ravens (8-7)
Against the Spread:  Dolphins 6-9-0 | Ravens 9-6-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Ravens -10 -+101 Over/Under 34.5u +101

The Minnesota Vikings (8-7) at The Washington Redskins (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Vikings 7-8-0 | Redskins 5-10-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Vikings -4 -108 Over/Under 41u -109

The New Orleans Saints (7-8) at The Carolina Panthers (7-8)
Against the Spread:  Saints 7-8-0 | Panthers 59-5-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Panthers -8 -106 Over/Under46u -105

The N.Y. Jets (10-5) at The St. Louis Rams (7-8)
Against the Spread:  Jets 8-6-1 | Rams 4-10-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Jets -3 +109 Over/Under 43u +109

The Pittsburgh Steelers (14-1) at The Buffalo Bills (96)
Against the Spread:  Steelers 9-5-1 | Bills 11-4-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Bills -9 -110 Over/Under 34u +102

The San Fransisco 49ers (2-13) at The New England Patriots (13-2)
Against the Spread:  49ers 6-9-0 | Patriots 10-3-2
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Patriots -13.5 -104 Over/Under 37u -106

The Atlanta Falcons (11-4) at The Seattle Seahawks (8-7)
Against the Spread:  Falcons 6-8-1 | Seahawks 5-10-0
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Seahawks -5.5 -105 Over/Under 42.5u +101

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-10) at The Arizona Cardinals (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Buccaneers 5-8-2 | Cardinals 8-7-0
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Cardinals -3.5 +107 Over/Under 38u +101

The Indianapolis Colts (12-3) at The Denver Broncos (9-6)
Against the Spread:  Colts 9-5-1 | Broncos 5-7-3
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Broncos -9 -101 Over/Under 44.5u -112

The Jacksonville Jaguars (8-7) at The Oakland Raiders (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Jaguars 9-6-0 | Raiders 6-9-0
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: OTB -3 -105 Over/Under OTB
Real curious to see what this line ends up at.

The Kansas City Chiefs (7-8) at The San Diego Chargers (11-4)
Against the Spread:  Chiefs 6-9-0 | Chargers 12-1-2 Best ATS in the League
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Chiefs -3 -108 Over/Under 54.5u -101

The Dallas Cowboys (6-9) at The N.Y. Giants (5-10)
Against the Spread:  Cowboys 7-8-0 | Giants 7-8-0
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET ESPN Sunday Night Football
Opening NFL Betting Lines: The Giants -3 +107 Over/Under 37.5u -111

Not made any solid decisions on any games yet.

At first glance there are 4 that seem to have value:

Bengals over Eagles
Packers over Bears
Vikings over Redskins
Patriots over 49ers

Even these need closer inspection before any final decision.

Chack back for line changes and anything worth noting on this weekends games.

Monday, December 27, 2004

NFL Against the Spread Online Betting MNF - Monday Night Football Week 16

Someone slipped me a Micky, I'm not responsible for last-nights post nor the stupid wager that I made.

ABC Monday Night Football


The Philadelphia Eagles (13-1) at The St. Louis Rams (6-8)
NFL Against the Spread:   Eagles 9-5-0 | Rams 3-10-1
Game Time: 9:00 PM ET ABC MNF
Current High NFL Betting Line: Rams -3 -110 to -120
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Rams -1.5 -117
Over/Under 44u to 45u -100 to -110
No TO + everything in a nice package for Eagles = Rams Win?

The Eagles should be in rest and repair mode. They have the Division Title, first round bye and Home Field Advantage. They have already lost one key player in WR Terrell Owens, who is out for what amounts to be the rest of the season. WR Todd Pinkston is hurt, and with TO out, and nothing to be gained by a victory, it's highly unlikely that he will play at all. Their other go to guy, WR Freddie Mitchell, is listed as probable, but almost the same applies to him. It would be surprising to see anything more than a quarter or so from him. Fact is, anyone with an injury that is a starter will see little to no playing time. There is rumor that RB Brian Westbrook may not see any more carries until the playoffs.

Andy Reid is not stupid, he knows that without TO the Eagles offense dramatically changes. Reid is also wise enough to let better judgment win out over pride. He has already stated that none of his starters will be on the field much later than half-time. He knows that finishing 15-1 would be something that only three other teams have done, but he also sees the big picture. The Super Bowl. The Eagles have done what they needed do to to put themselves in the best possible position for the playoffs, now the most important thing is to go into the post season as healthy as possible, both offensively and defensively.

The Rams are in a must win situation. Not just tonight, but next week also if they hope to see playing time after Jan. 2nd. A victory over Philadelphia is a must. They lose tonight they are out. Period. Even winning out is not going assure them of anything. A victory tonight and next week, then a loss by Seattle to the Falcons next week and they would get in as the NFC West Division winners. They will still have several wild-card opportunities available even without a Seattle loss, but it all starts with a win tonight.

The Rams Injury list is getting better. QB Marc Bulger took snaps with the first team in practice, and although he didn't make any deep passes, was on the mark with the intermediate throws. Since this is a good portion of the trowing game, that had to please Martz. He will have his full compliment of receivers, in Isaac Bruce, Tory Holt, Shaun McDonald and Kevin Curtis. The only names with red crosses next to them are RB Steven Jackson and TE Brandon Manumaleuna.

So the advantage appears to go to the Rams. On the turf at home, with the speed they have, playing against a bunch of young players should result in win 1 of 2 to get them on the road to the playoffs.

Value isn't high, so a moderate wager is suggested.



My Online Betting Action: The Rams -2.5

Recent Trends
•PHI is 8-2 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
•PHI is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 vs. Conference Opponents.
•Under is 10-3 in the Eagles last 13 overall.
•Under is 4-2 in the last six meetings.
•STL is 1-7 ATS in their last eight games overall.
•Under is 3-0 in the Rams last three played in Dec.


As promised:

Anna
Anna Loves Monday Night Football

Sunday, December 26, 2004

NFL Against the Spread Online Betting ESPN Sunday Night Football

6 of 8 going into The Night Game. My San Diego wager wasn't a major loss as it was a small one made mainly because of the +250. Should have won that one. That game was decided by the Zebras in the second from my view.

The NFL ESPN Night Game


The Cleveland Browns (3-11) at The Miami Dolphins (3-11)
NFL Against the Spread:   Browns 4-10-0 | Dolphins 6-8-0
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET ESPN
Current High NFL Betting Line: Dolphins -10 -100
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Dolphins -8 -110 to -117
Over/Under 40u to 40.5u +15 to -110
There is absolutely nothing riding on this game except dignity.

The Browns are a very bad team. Injury plagued on both sides of the ball from the beginning of the season and poor coaching has gotten them right where they deserve to be. Tied for dead last in the AFC.

Miami has been hit even worse in the injury/lost players column. They only real difference is that Wannstedt was a better coach than the Brown's Butch Davis. Dolphins are at least coming off a big win against the AFC East Title holding New England Patriots.

The Browns, on the other hand were handed their hats yet again. Last week by the Chargers.

Miami has kept the last several games, even their losses, relatively close. The Browns have not. Losing their last 4 by an average margin of 22 points.

Both Miami and Cleveland have terrible offenses, but the Dolphins O has at least shown some sparks of life. Plus they do have a decent D, at least against the passing game.

This is where dignity comes into play.

The players on the Dolphins team do not want to finish the season in last place. They have the harder of the two teams finishing schedules. They will be heading to Baltimore, they know that this is their best shot at getting win #4.

Cleveland is in complete disarray, and even if they really care about a fourth win, getting their “poop in a group” enough to beat Miami at home is along shot.

So, just for fun and since I have enough wiggle room to accept a small loss I'm going to do the unthinkable and lay a little action off on Miami's side.

My Online Betting Action: Two Team Teaser (6pts)The Dolphins & The Over -8(+6), Over 40(-6)

Recent Trends
•CLE is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 vs. Conference Opponents.
•CLE is 0-7 ATS in their last seven games overall.
•Over is 4-0 in the Browns last four on the road.
•Over is 4-0 in the Fins last four at home.
•Over is 8-1 in MIA's last nine games overall.
•MIA is 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall.

Be sure to drop back by for the MNF outlook and an Anna Surprise!
NFL Against the Spread Online Betting Picks of The Week 16

Sorry for the short post.

The NFL Sunday Match-Ups


The Buffalo Bills (8-6) at The San Fransisco 49ers (2-12)
NFL Against the Spread:   Bills 10-4-0 | 49ers 6-8-0
Game Time: 4:305 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bills -13 -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bills -11 -105 to -110
Over/Under 43u to 43.5u +105 to -110
This one has Bills written all over it.

Sory, No big post. Bills just so outclass the 49ers that there is no way to not take the value bet with this game. Even based on The Bills ATS it's a solid value wager.

My Online Betting Action: The Bills -10

The New England Patriots (12-2) at The N.Y. Jets (10-4)
NFL Against the Spread:   Patriots 9-3-2 | Jets 8-5-1
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Patriots -3 -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Patriots PICK -110
Over/Under 42u to 42.5u -101 to -110
Struggling to find a reason not to expect a rebound from Brady and Company, even at Jets.


Brady, as good as Jets D is, has too much at stake. His reputation not to mention the Pats' Positioning in the Seeding.

Smallish Bet.

My Online Betting Action: The Patriots -0

Saturday, December 25, 2004

NFL Against the Spread Online Betting Picks of The Week 16

First a quick Shout Out to JRF from Breakaway Beach for the nice plug, glad you got that win!

2 of 3, Santa wasn't quite as nice as I had hoped.

The NFL Sunday Match-Ups



The Baltimore Ravens (8-6) at The Pittsburgh Steelers (413-1)
NFL Against the Spread:   Ravens 9-5-0 | Steelers 8-5-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Steelers -6 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Steelers -4.5 -115
Over/Under 33.5u to 34u -105 to -110
Baltimore is in a “lose and out” situation, Steelers want the first round bye.

The Ravens are 8-6, and behind Denver as of the outcome of tonights game. That puts them in basically a win-out or leave scenario. With only 4 teams clinched in the AFC, figuring out the possible outcomes and who may or may not get in takes a mathematician. Bottom line, they lose they do not see the post season. That's motivation, and this needs it. After the Patriots snapped their 3 game win streak they have lost two of the last three, one of those to the Bengals at home.

Pittsburgh, by contrast, know that they are going to the playoffs. What they seek is the first round bye and Home Field advantage. They are the polar opposite of Baltimore having been on a winning streak since game 3. That said, they showed the weak side a little more with the close victory over the below average Giants last week.

Statistically the Steelers D is without reproach, allowing a very meager 15.7 points a game. They have the #1 rushing D, giving up only 80.9 yards on the ground and the #4 passing D with opposing QB's only getting an average of 177 passing yards against them. In addition to that the have a great Giveaway/Takeaway ratio at +12 and the don't squander all those opportunities. The defense has scored 42 points so far.

The offense isn't quite as stellar, but is not bad by any means. 23 points per game on a very balanced 171 passing and 151 rushing average. They have the 3rd best rushing game, and that's pretty incredible considering that RB Duce Staley has been in and out for a good portion of the year. Jerome Bettis, despite his age and what some might have thought about him early in the season, has gone above and beyond most expectations this year. The passing is what brings there overall ranking down to it's 19 seat (28th pass). Ben Roethlisberger is a rookie and has had his share of lumps as of late. This has kept him on a tight leash within the system, hence his numbers are not very high. He gets the job done, and hasn't “blown” one yet.

Baltimore has a stout and more balanced defense. They are 6th against the rush and 9th against the pass. Their Giveaway/Takeaway numbers aren't as good at +7, but they convert better, with the defense having 54 points to their credit at this point. The Ravens are just as miserly when it comes to giving up points, allowing only 16.1 per game. In fact they are just a notch or so below Pittsburgh in rushing and passing yards allowed at 100.1 and 189.5, respectively, per game.

The Ravens offense is only 3.1 points behind the Steelers at 20 per game. They too are as equally unimpressive in the passing game as they are impressive rushing the ball, with a rushing average of 128.7 but a meager 142.4 through the air. So that does put them behind ranking wise at 30th overall - 9th rush and 31st pass – but not that far behind.

There are two key things that make this game a goos wager. Pittsburgh is a perfect 7-0 at home and WR Plaxico Burress will return to duty. His presence on the field opens things up for both the passing game and the running game.

My Online Betting Action: The Steelers -4.5

Recent Trends
•Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
•Under is 6-1 in the Ravens last seven away.
•BAL is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games overall.
•PIT is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
•Under is 6-1 in the Steelers seven games overall.
•PIT is 28-14 in 42 games with total 35pts or less.

The San Diego Chargers (8-6) at The Indianapolis Colts (4-10)
NFL Against the Spread:   Chargers 11-1-2 | Colts 9-4-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Colts -8 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Colts -7 -105 to -110
Over/Under 57u to 57.5u -107 to -110
San Diego is hot for another win as the underdog.

Not going to bother with the stats because they are too obvious. San Diego is weak against the pass, the Colts are weak against everything.

The Chargers got back to the good old days. It was RB LaDainian Tomlinson doing his thing on the ground and QB Drew Brees Doing his thing in the air. TE Antonio Gates got out of his 1 game slump, snagging his 12th TD as he tied the league record.

This was all done in the snow at Cleveland.

The Chargers have been solid all season, have clinched a playoff berth and the Division Title in the AFC West. The win would move them to the number three seed and give them their best shot at a first round bye and home field advantage. It's not a likely case, but certainly more attainable than what Indianapolis is looking at.

The Colts are the number 4 seed and do have some motivation, but they rely more heavily on other games outcomes to change their situation. Even winning out would not secure a first round bye, as they would still need the Steelers to lose the next two and New England loses it's next two. That's highly unlikely.

There is also the fact that they have not been as offensively strong the last couple of games. With only 23 points scored at Houston and only 20 last week at home.

So even with the Chargers weakness against the passing game this should be a pretty close final.

Two ways on this game.

My Online Betting Action: The Chargers +7 & The Chargers M O +250

Recent Trends
•Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.
•SD is 19-6 ATS in their last 25 played in a Dome.
•SD is 6-1 ATS in their last seven played away.
•IND has won the last three meetings ATS.
•Over is 14-5 in Colts last 19 vs. a winning team.
•IND is 5-2 ATS in their last seven at home.

That's it for the early games. Need more time to number crunch for the other two games I have my eye on. Bills and Seattle.

Here are the lines on those two, picks will be up before the early games tomorrow.


The Buffalo Bills (8-6) at The San Fransisco 49ers (2-12)
NFL Against the Spread:   Bills 10-4-0 | 49ers 6-8-0
Game Time: 4:305 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bills -13 -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bills -11 -105 to -110
Over/Under 43u to 43.5u +105 to -110
This one has Bills written all over it.

Sory, No big post. Bills just so outclass the 49ers that there is no way to not take the value bet with this game. Even based on The Bills ATS it's a solid value wager.

My Online Betting Action: The Bills -10

The New England Patriots (12-2) at The N.Y. Jets (10-4)
NFL Against the Spread:   Patriots 9-3-2 | Jets 8-5-1
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Patriots -3 -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Patriots Pick -110
Over/Under 42u to 42.5u -101 to -110
Struggling to find a reason not to expect a rebound from Brady and Company, even at Jets.


Brady, as good as Jets D is, has too much at stake. His reputation not to mention the Pats' Positioning in the Seeding.

Smallish Bet.

My Online Betting Action: The Patriots -2

Friday, December 24, 2004

NFL Against the Spread Online Betting Picks of The Week 16

1 for 1 so far. Let's see what Santa brings me tomorrow.

The NFL Saturday Match-Up


The Oakland Raiders (5-9) at The Kansas City Chiefs (6-8)
NFL Against the Spread:   Raiders 5-9-0 | Chiefs 6-8-0
Game Time: 5:00 PM ET CBS
Current High NFL Betting Line: Chiefs -9 -100
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Chiefs -7.5 -110 to -117
Over/Under 58u to 59.5u -110
With The Chiefs still mathematically in the running there is at least something riding on this game.

Three weeks ago the Raiders returned home after a hard fought win over Denver in Mile High, with equally high hopes of another win against their Division rivals, Kansas City Chiefs. Those hopes were kept alive for 30 minutes as each team retired to the locker room at halftime with Oakland ahead by 10 points and little doubt that their manhandling of the Chiefs would continue for the remaining 30 minutes of the game. That began to fade within 4:37 of the second half.

After a rather dismal start to the game, QB Trent Green as well as back-up RB Larry Johnson began what was to be a nearly flawless second half, sparked by a 4 ½ minute beginning drive capped off by a five yard TD run by Johnson. Trent Green went 14 of 15 for 229 yards. This included a tie breaking, 70 yard strike to WR Eddie Kennison, with 124 ticks left on the clock. Larry Johnson ran for 118 yards on 20 carries and a rushing TD. He also caught 3 for 56 yards and a receiving touchdown.

But there was more to the Chiefs Come-From-Behind win.

Kansas City all but completely shutdown the Oakland offense, allowing QB Kerry Collins to lead his team on only one scoring drive late in the third quarter. That ended with the only points for Oakland in the second half, with a 26 yard TD pass from Collins to Ronald Curry 42 seconds into the 4th quarter. Collins had one more shot late in the 4th when he hooked up with John Stone for 18 yards and then an 11 yard pass to J.R. Redmond to bring the Raiders into KC territory with about a 1:30 left in the game. But Kansas Cities D came up big for the next four plays, breaking up passes intended for Jerry Porter, Stone and Doug Gabrial as well as sacking Collins on 2-10 for a 9 yard loss.

Oakland rebounded by getting blown out by Atlanta 35-10. Then picked up the 40-35 victory at home against the Titans.

Considering they entered the second half of the season 2-6, the fact that they are sitting at 5-9 is some redemption. They are .500 in their last six and with the exception of the Falcons game have been “in” each game.

The Chiefs are a mathematical possibility for post-season play in the incredibly tight AFC. They are on a three game winning streak, including last weeks pummeling of the Denver Broncos. Trent Green has stepped it up a notch with the absence of Priest Holmes as had RB Derrick Blaylock.

Blaylock, unfortunately for the Chiefs, will probably ot get the nod to start, but Larry Johnson will start and did pretty well against the Raiders in Oakland just a few weeks ago. WR Johnnie Morton will more than likely miss his second straight. What's worse, is the fact that Dante' Hall, who has been filling in for Morton, twisted an ankle during practice and is questionable for tomorrows game. Ever the optimist, Coach Dick Vermeil holds out hope that Hall will be ready to go come game-time. KC's hoping he is right. Depending on Chris Horn's game-time status, Samie Parker my get his 1st start of the season.

Moving on to the rest of injuries worth noting.

DE Vonnie Holliday will miss his second straight, this isn't as bad as it seems. Rookie Jared Allen leads the D in sacks with 8 from RDE, so the shoes have been amply filled.

Gout has Trent Green caught between a Fork and a hard place if 10 time Pro Bowler, OT Willie Roaf can't start. Pain in his feet have kept him out of two days of practice. This means that if he can't go, Trent's blind left side will be in the hands of two unproven commodities in Brett Williams and rookie Kevin Sampson.

On to the Stats:

The Raiders are mediocre across the board offensively. Averaging 20 points a game on a 326yds per game - 251 in the air and a dead last 74 rushing. Their defense is much worse, coming in last in average points against at 28.4. They allow 375 passing and 130 rushing per game. These are not numbers you want to have going up against an offense like that of the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs offensive numbers are very good. They are the second highest scoring team with an average per game total of 31.5 points. They get that via a league leading 415.5 yards a game – 264.2 in the air and 151.4 on the ground – this without Holmes for the past 4½ games.

The Chiefs are 3-4 both on the road and at home, so being in KC this season has not big as big of an advantage as it has been in past seasons. Oakland, on the other hand has been slightly worse on the road at 2-5.

Other points worth mentioning are the fact that the Chiefs are 2-2 in Divisional games, while Oakland is 1-4. KC is 5-5 in AFC match-ups to Oakland's 3-7.

So with all that nonsense in mind and the simple fact that the Chiefs are a more talented team with more at stake, with their hopes (even slim as the hopes may be) of post-season play on the line, this game is worth a couple of small wagers.

My Online Betting Action: The Chiefs -7 & The Over 59

The Over is based on the scoring ability of KC and the fact that their average totals over the last 8 games is 65.3. Additionaly the total has broken the 60 point mark in 6 of their last 8 and in all of their last four, including the loss to San Diego.


Recent Trends
•Over is 5-2 in the Raiders last seven on the road.
•OAK is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games overall.
•OAK is 1-7 ATS as a road dog of 7.5-10pts.
•Over is 10-2 in the Chiefs last 12 played in Dec.
•Over is 12-4 in KC's last 16 vs. Div. Opponents.
•KC is 3-0 ATS in December games this season.




The Denver Broncos (8-6) at The Tennessee Titans (4-10)
NFL Against the Spread:   Broncos 4-7-3 | Titans 4-10-0
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET ESPN NFL Saturday Night Game
Current High NFL Betting Line: Broncos -4.5 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Broncos -3.5 -115
Over/Under 50u to 50.5u -106 to -110
Not with the Popes money.

Even though Denver is in a must win situation tomorrow as well as next week to have any hopes of seeing the playoffs, their game play just doesn't give any value to this game from a wagering perspective.

The Titans are trying stuff and players out, knowing that their season will be over in two weeks. QB Billy Volek is being allowed to stretch his wings and throw the ball around. With RB Chris Brown sidelined, Antowain Smith will share duty with Robert Holcombe obviously. What isn't as obvious is RB Troy Fleming who is rumored to be seeing more carries the next couple of games.

These are all problems for a team in a situation like that of the Bronco's. They are going to be starting their best players, but may see a lot of unknowns (more play calling than players) on the field which can be very distracting. Particularly to defenses that haven't seen films on certain guys and have no idea what to expect from an offense that has nothing to lose by trying out some new material.

If you want some action on this game just for excitements sake, the Over/Under at 50 seems a bit high, so the Under may not be quite as bad as lighting your cigar with a Ben Franklin.


My Online Betting Action: None


Recent Trends
•Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings.
•Under is 6-1 in the Broncos last seven away.
•DEN is 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight overall.
•TEN is 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.
•Over is 5-1 in TEN's six vs. AFC West Opponents.
•TEN is 1-7 ATS in their last eight played in Dec.


Merry Christmas Everybody!


NFL Against the Spread Online Betting Picks of The Week 16

The NFL Friday Match-Up


The Green Bay Packers (8-6) at The Minnesota Vikings (8-6)
Against the Spread: Packers 5-9-0 | Vikings 7-7-0
Game Time: 3:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Vikings -3 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Vikings -3 -120
Over/Under 56u to 56.5u -110
Holy Mackerel what a game...

One thing is for sure, nothing...

The Over has all kinds of potential.

Neither Green Bay nor Minnesota can mount anything resembling a defense based on the way they have played the second half of the season.

Green Bay has allowed an average of 29 points a game in the last 3 and 25 in their last 6.

Minnesota has allowed an average of 26 points a game in the last 3 and 24.5 in their last 6.

When they last met the total was 65 with the Packers edging to the victory on Ryan Longwell's 33 yarder in the waining seconds of the game. But one must remember that game was played sans the Vikings star, wide receiver Randy Moss.

The Packer's are going into this game without a key situational receiver in Robert Ferguson. This is going to put a little more pressure on Antonio Chatman. The good news is that Chatman does have good hands and is a solid route runner, if maybe a bit to the small side. Let us not forget that the #2 Ranked WR, Javon Walker, will be a nice offset to the Vikings Randy Moss.

Najeh Davenport is still bothered with his ribs, but Ahman Green appears to be well healed, having gained 94 yards on 15 carries against the stout rushing D of Jacksonville.

Green Bay's defense is much as it has been for the better part of the season, in disarray and banged up. Grady Jackson is probable, but the bigger problem there is that his sub, James Lee, is out because of his knee. This means that Larry Smith will play sub for Jackson. There is also the fact that Jackson could go down altogether which would put the spotlight on Smith. Then we have the rest of the line. Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila has a sprained neck but is probable. KGB's numbers have been so hot and cold this season however, that who shows up is listed as questionable. Na'il Diggs is questionable and is rostered as back-up to Paris Lenon, who has been the starter at LB the last 2 games. Then you have the whole secondary fiasco.

There is real talent there in Sharper, Roman, Hawthorne and of course Al Harris yet something just doesn't gel. These guys should not be getting burned as often as they seem to be. Laying it off on coaching or the enforcement of the contact rule could allow for some leniency, except other CB's with less raw talent are doing a better job. You can excuse Ahmad Carroll for giving up a couple big plays, you can't with the vets. The veterans ought to know better and be quicker to read the routes and make adjustments to keep receivers from getting behind them so often. They should not be getting the amount of penalties that they are. In point of fact the secondary is not fundamentally sound, not by a long shot.

A statement made by Sharper probably sums it up best. When asked what the Packer's defensive style was he replied, “I don't know, I don't even know”.

Minnesota is going to be at home with their full compliment of receivers alive and well. Randy Moss, for all intents and purposes, appears to have most, if not all, of his speed back. Even having 90% Moss is going to be a handful for Al Harris. Nate Burleson stepped up big time when Moss first went down and has now made a solid name for himself. He's grabbed six in the endzone since then, one in each game that Moss was sidelined and 2 last week against Detroit. There's also Marcus Robinson, who's no slouch with his 603 yards and 7 TD's.

When TE Jimmy Kleinsasser went out early in the season their was serious concern about the position. Those concerns have long since been set aside as Jermaine Wiggins has filled the gap very nicely. He's in the top 10 amongst his peers and has 4 touchdowns to his credit, putting him tied for 3rd overall in that stat. Not counting Gates because he's a freak of nature with almost 1000 yards receiving and 12 TD's. Those aren't tight end numbers, those are WR numbers and damned good ones at that.

Onterrio Smith is ailing with the flu, but Michael Bennett was slated to start against the Packer's anyway. Smith should be available for situational play and may do a little kick returning. Although center Cory Withrow, has been pretty good at filling in for Matt Birk, having allowed only 2 sacks in his 4 starts, the Vikings have got to be pleased that Birk stands a good chance of starting.

So the ramblings still leaves the ultimate question unanswered. Is this game worth action?

Both teams are vying for the NFC North Division Title.

Green Bay is already guaranteed a playoff berth, but would clinching the Division Title with a victory in the Dome has got to sound very sweet to the players. There's even more to the story than that. A win would give them Home Field advantage in the post season opener and with the injury to the Eagles Terrell Owens, the NFC is wide open in the postseason. None of that changes what's at stake for Minnesota however.

If the Vikings win they will be in the drivers seat in the North and be playoff bound. But, if they lose all is still not lost. They would only miss post season play if the Panthers and the Rams win both of their remaining games and Seattle wins one of theirs. That's assuming they lose to the Packers as well as the Redskins, leaving them 8-8. Obviously a victory in either game will clinch a berth.

In this gamblers view the Packers really have more at stake and more motivation to win. It will establish them as a solid contender in the NFC, give them at least one more game in front of their fans and a great start to the playoffs.


My Online Betting Action: The Packers +3 &
The Over 55.5 Did not get bet in on time, Over/Under had gone to 57.5


Recent Trends
•Over is 8-0 in the last eight meetings.
•Over is 12-4 in GB's last 16 vs. Division opponents.
•GB have lost the last three ATS played in Dec.
•MIN is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
•Under is 5-2 in MIN's last seven played in Dec.
•MIN is 1-4 ATS in their last five games overall.

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

NFL Pick of the Week - This is Still Football, Right?

Real post on Fridays game coming up shortly, but this grabbed me and just had to be posted.

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Line of Scrimmage: Week 16 - NFL Should Ban "Horsecollar" Tackles

By Tony Moss, NFL Editor

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - Whether you like Terrell Owens or despise him, when word came down Monday that Owens would likely miss the rest of the season due to injuries suffered in the previous day's win over the Cowboys, you had to feel a touch of disappointment.
Eagles receiver Terrell Owens is tackled by Roy Williams
There are many, including a wealth of folks in San Francisco, Dallas and Baltimore, who would enjoy seeing Owens fall flat on his face on the big stage. But that means dropping a critical pass to lose the game, not breaking a fibula and spraining an ankle to jeopardize the immediate future of his team.

I am paid to be an objective observer of the league, but even I was sick to my stomach as I heard Philadelphia trainer Rick Burkholder break the solemn news. No true fan wants to see one of the league's most electrifying players wiped from the lineup by something like this.

Then I flashed back to Week 11, when the same player that tackled Owens, namely Cowboys safety Roy Williams, applied the same "horse-collar" technique in bringing down Ravens running back Musa Smith. Smith's day ended with a compound fracture of his right tibia, a positively gruesome injury for both the player and anyone unlucky enough to have witnessed it. Williams has now been responsible for as many broken bones as interceptions this season, and while no one is accusing him of intending to inflict injury, the thoroughly unlikable Williams wasn't NOT trying to inflict injury either. Know what I'm saying?

Whether necessary or not, Williams gets a pass for the bone-snappings because both hits were technically legal. But should they have been?

Bringing a player down from behind by the neck or shoulders obviously places a great deal of force on the ball carrier's legs. And because the hit is generally applied from behind or the blind side, the player being tackled is unable to prepare to be dropped as he would with a more conventional tackle. The risk of injury with a hit of this type is great, and a league that preaches safety for its players needs to take notice.

The NFL limits face masks, blocks in the back, crackback blocks, and chop blocks due to the risk of injury, and also penalizes players for late hits and tackles out of bounds. The league fines players who make helmet-to-helmet contact or throw forearms, like Jacksonville's Donovin Darius did to Green Bay's Robert Ferguson last week. Darius was fined $75,000 for his hit.

Is the horsecollar tackle more dangerous than a forearm? Maybe you should ask Owens, who will be hobbling around on crutches while Ferguson recovers from his sprained neck to suit up for the playoffs.

Enforcing a mandate against this type of tackle would require some deliberation by the league. The tackling of a ball carrier from behind is as common as the man in motion, and pulling a player down by the jersey is not a dirty or dangerous hit in and of itself. A period of adjustment would be required so that players and officials could learn the subtle differences between what is acceptable and what is dangerous.

But if the league doesn't do something, it is going to watch as more standout players like Owens suffer a premature end to their seasons, or worse, their careers.

---

This is a tough sport, injuries are going to happen. That's a fact. The NFL keeps trying to make this a game that is exciting with all the camera angles, shorting up the play clock, etc... Yet the same writers that are making money from these changes, that bring the viewers to the screen and the field, have the audacity to get indignent over the roughness of the sport, calling for more rules to "protect" the players.

We already have a system in place that makes it a penalty to look at the quartback wrong. The rule against contact on a receiver has been in place for years, it's only now that it's being somewhat enforced.

The hit that Donovin Darius made on Green Bay's Robert Ferguson, that subsquently sent him to the hospital, was and has been illegal.

Donovin Darius clotheslines Rober Ferguson


He was dealt with somewhat justly, although I would have liked to have seen a much heavier fine (75k is what he got) and a one game suspension just because of the obviousness of his intent to clothesline Ferguson.

But the so-called "Horsecollar" is nothing more nor nothing less than an appropriate way to bring a guy down from behind. You grab him and pull, it's the NFL, not afterschool flag football.

Just my $0.02 worth.

Tuesday, December 21, 2004

T.J. Houshmandzadeh - More Self Promotion

This is from T.J.'s own column... Ugh

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Cold no problem for SoCal native

Former Oregon State receiver T.J. Houshmandzadeh, now in his fourth year with the Cincinnati Bengals, writes a weekly column on life in the NFL. Today he writes about playing in cold weather.

I am a guy who grew up in Southern California and cold weather to me growing up was 50 degrees. I encountered a little cold weather at night games in Corvallis but nothing compares to my first game in cold weather my rookie season as a Bengal.

I remember the situation very vividly. It was the week after Thanksgiving and we were playing Baltimore. The night before I watched the local weather and the forecast called for a high of 15 degrees.

When I got to Paul Brown Stadium on Sunday morning the wind was whipping off the river and it was cold. I got dressed and instead of putting on a turtleneck or the synthetic tights, I went sleeveless and went out for warm-ups.

I was cold but it wasn't unbearable. I had practiced in the cold weather and that actually is worse than playing in cold weather. In the games, you're moving around, you've got gloves on, and I use the hand warmer attached around my waist.

Plus, when the defense is on the field, offensive players can wear the heavy jackets and sit on the heated benches.

I actually like playing in the cold weather. Since I got here to Cincinnati, I'm used to the cold weather and now I only wear a winter coat when it gets below 20 degrees.

I know it is crazy but it is true. Plus, when the weather gets really cold it is an advantage for us when we play warm-weather teams at home. But it is not as much of an advantage as one might think.

Every team has guys who played college ball in the Midwest or East Coast and they're used to getting it on when the weather gets cold. So, it is not like they've never played in freezing conditions before.

What is an advantage for the home field is how the field reacts to the freezing conditions.

Some of the stadiums where we play the turf is heated below the surface while other surfaces are not. I know how our turf is when it gets cold, and I'd love to tell everybody how it is, but if I do my advantage over defensive backs is gone.

Let's just say that every field reacts differently to the cold weather.

So, the next time you're watching a game and the temperature is single digits, don't feel sorry for the players. Heck, most of them are really enjoying the weather.

I know I would.

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Maybe T.J. thought that his QB would be able to throw in the cold, or that the RB could hold on to the ball. Or maybe he didn't think that Buffalo could handle the cold even better. Whatever he was thinking was wrong!



Anna Kournikova shows a little butt for nfl online betting
Anna gives NFL Pick of the Week a Butt Shot



Lines coming up shortly
NFL Against the Spread - Just How Hard Betting to Win Is

Soory about no post The MNF Game. Just didn't seem like the waste of time. As you could see I lost my ass Rear-End. Oh well.

This goes just in line with what is going on now and just how hard it is going to get from this point until playoffs.

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If NFL lines look strange, here's why
By DAVE TULEY

Monday was a quiet morning at the Stardust sports book. Usually, the Stardust puts up its opening NFL lines on Sunday night to accompany the college football lines for the following Saturday. But with the lines for college football bowl games having been on the board for two weeks, there was no sense of urgency to release the NFL lines, so the Stardust waited until Monday morning to put them up.

That also gave oddsmakers a little more time to go through all the injury reports, weather forecasts, and playoff scenarios that can affect wagering at this time of year.

"These last two weeks of the NFL season are the toughest to put up solid lines," said Bob Scucci, the Stardust's race and sports book director. "Some teams that have locked in their playoff position will be resting their starters. Other teams are in must-win situations, so the bettors will be focusing on them.

"We have to take all those factors into consideration and put up the best line we can for early in the week. Then we really have to keep an eye on the injury reports and coaches' quotes about who they will be resting and make adjustments through the week. We will probably see some lines move four to five points."

Scucci used the Falcons-Saints game as an example. The Stardust opened the Saints as a 1 1/2-point favorite.

"Based on the strength of the teams, the Falcons should clearly be favored in that game," Scucci said, "but the Falcons have nothing to play for. They can't improve their position, so no one really knows how much their starters will play. The Saints are still fighting for a wild-card spot, so we had to make them a favorite because you know the public will be looking to play them."

Just then, Scucci was called away to approve a bet on the Saints, and he moved the line to 2 1/2.

Scucci said another game where there could be a strange line is the Eagles-Rams game next Monday night. It was off the board this Monday because of the injury status of Rams quarterback Marc Bulger and Eagles receiver Terrell Owens.

"The Eagles should be about a touchdown favorite on the road in that matchup, but they've clinched home field throughout the NFC playoffs and will not have any incentive," said Scucci. "The Rams need that game a lot more, so we're working on finding the right number once we learn more."

In the two hours after the NFL lines were posted, at 8 a.m. Pacific, the only other game that was bet enough to move off the opening number was the Broncos-Titans game on Saturday, which opened at Broncos -4 and was bet to 3 1/2 right after the numbers went up.

That wasn't too surprising as the Las Vegas Hilton and Stratosphere did put up NFL lines on Sunday night and both opened the Broncos -3 and they were bet to -4, so it's likely some sharp bettor took the Broncos -3 on Sunday night and decided to take back the Titans +4 on Monday morning.

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Ok, Tom... now tell me who really is more attractive?



NFL
Maria Sharapova Regularly visits NFL Pick Of The Week.

Sunday, December 19, 2004

NFL Against the Spread Online Betting Picks of The Week 15

Ok Fast And Furious. Watching the Panthers, which as you all know I have a wager on. It will be a winning day or a break even day depending on the outcome.

The Dallas Cowboys (5-8) at The Philadelphia Eagles (12-1)
Against the Spread: Cowboys 5-8-0 | Eagles 9-4-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Eagles -14 +120
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Eagles -12.5 -110
Over/Under 46u -110
Despite last weeks outcome, they are still good to cover against Dallas. Wager already on Eagles -

The Eagles had one of their worst outings last week against the Redskins. They still are great ATS and that number has been lowered this week because of that game. McNabb can get it done with T.O., L.J and B.W. (Brian Westbrook, trying to keep up with the initials thing. Westbrook has proven over the last couple of games that he really does deserve the job. He has good running ability and great hands. Just what you want in an all purpose back, aka Faulk. T.O., well T.O. Is what he is, one of the best in the biz. In the Moss v. Owens battle, Owens wins. His size enables him to do thing that Moss can't, YET! Moss has the acrobatics, but he can't get off on the CB's like T.O. Can. Let him bulk up another year and we shall see.

Sorry for the tangent.

Game Break: Yes! Carolina just scored, 7 point game...

Ok, numbers...

Eagles offense 5th in points scored at 27.5, allow only 15.0
Dallas offense 21st in points cored at 19.2, allow 27.3
Eagles defensive points, 24 total on 15 INT's and 13 Forced Fumbles
Dallas defensive points, 0 total on 8 INT's and 10 Forced Fumbles
Eagles overall offensive ranking, 7th - 22nd rush, 5th pass
Dallas overall offensive ranking, 15th - 18th rush, 17th pass

Game Break: Right On! Vick fumbles, Peppers recovers it, returns 60 yards for TD, tied 24 all.

Dallas overall defensive ranking, 25th - 12th rush, 26th pass <--That's gonna hurt
Eagles overall defensive ranking, 12th - 13th rush, 13th pass (how does that figure to a 12th rating?)

The Eagles have an average margin of victory of 15.25 points.
Dallas has an average margin of loss of 18 points.

The Math isn't hard to figure out.

My Online Betting Action: The Eagles -11.5
Recent Trends
•Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
•Cowboys are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 overall.
•Under is 6-2 in DAL last eight games in Dec.
•Under is 9-3 in PHI last 12 overall.
•PHI is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games in Dec.
•PHI is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.


Game Break: Woohoo! Panther's just scored again. 31-24... the Money Line Wager is starting to look mighty sweet from this end. 3:37 4th quarter.


The Houston Texans (5-8) at The Chicago Bears (5-8)
Against the Spread: Texans 7-6-0 | Bears 6-7-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bears -1 -110 to -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bears 0 -110
Over/Under 33.5u to 34u -110
Are the Texans back on a roll? I won a good chuck of change betting then as underdogs early in the season. Going to have to look at this game long and hard.

Looked long and hard and the fact is that the Texans, as streaky as they can be, are a better club than the Bears are at this stage.

Chicago's Hutchinson had a good first game against the very weak D of the Vikings. He did not do so hot against the Jags. Going 17 of 33 for 212 yards, no touchdowns and 1 interception. Ended the day with 52% completions, and in general just didn't look very good.

Game Break: Vick just got slammed on 2nd & goal, hobbled off the field. 2min. Warning, ughhh, sweating profusely now...

By contrast, even though they lost, Houston kept the powerhouse offense of Indy to a meager 23 points and Carr looked good. He was 16 of 21, 1 touchdown and 1 interception. Finished with 76.2% completions and a rating of 94.7. None too shabby. Domanick Davis had an outstanding day, rushing for 128 yards on 23 carries. He caught 6 passes for 73 yards, but it was against the Colts.

Game Break: 4th & goal from the Atlanta 14, Vick runs it in for the TD, extra point is good. 31-31 1:37 left Panther's have 1 timeout (Booth review on TD, it was an amazing feat on Vick's part).

The Bear's have a more efficient defense, scoring 54 points while allowing only 20. They rank 17th overall -24th against the rush, 12th against the pass.
Houston comes in at a lowly 30th overall - 18th against the rush, 29th against the pass, and they are much less efficient, scoring only 30 points defensively.

Game Break: OT Panther's to receive.

Offensively the numbers change drastically. Houston is mid pack with an average of 19.2 per game and ranks 16th overall -20th rush, 18th pass. Carr has a QB rating of 84.6 with over 300 yards, and 13 touchdowns. The downside is he has 12 interceptions and 10 fumbles (he's only lost 2 however). A lot of that can be attributed to the O line, as the have allowed him to be sacked 37 times – tied for 3rd most in the NFL.

Game Break: Delhomme floats one over Proehl's head picked off by Beasley, returned to Carolina's 23. Two running plays, Feely's 38 yard field goal is good. Atlanta 34 Carolina 31 Fuck darned, should have taken the 3.5 points.

The Bear's are a horse of a different color. Their ranked dead last - 24th rush, 30th pass. Sitting second to last in scoring with only 15.3 per game and that's likely to go to last after the Washington game gets added. That is unless they pull a rabbit out of their hat tomorrow. Hutchinson is a complete unknown, so trying to calculate his effectiveness is a waste of time.

My Online Betting Action: The Texans +1

Recent Trends
•Under is 9-2 in HOU last 11 games in Dec.
•HOU is 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games.
•Under is 5-2-1 in HOU last eight overall.
•CHI is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games in Dec.
•Bears are 2-5 ATS in their last seven at home.
•Under is 6-3 in CHI last nine home games.

The San Diego Chargers (10-3) at The Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Against the Spread: Chargers 10-1-2 | Browns 4-9-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Chargers -11 -125
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Chargers -9.5 -104 to -110
Over/Under 37u to 37.5u -110
Again, despite last week, wager already on Chargers -9.5

How can you not wager on a team with an ATS of 10-1-2. Riding them has been like a pony ride at the kiddy farm. The Chargers have everything clicking, even on off days like last week. Tomlinson is rockin' and rollin'. Brees is making it real tough to release him (What are they going to do next year, they can't keep him and Rivers). Here's what LT thinks about it ...issue his support for bringing resurgent quarterback Drew Brees back to San Diego next season. "I don't think there is any question," he told the North County Times. "Why break up something that's not broken? That's the way I feel about it. I hope I don't get in trouble." And he is right. Drew is playing great, he has lofted himself into the upper echelon of QB's. He is now #4, but still has a 102.7rating. Although he hasn't passed for the nearly 4000 yards that the guys in fron of him have, he still owns a 64.5 completion percentage and has only 6interceptions to his 23 touchdowns.

Don't expect Antonio Gates to be as lack-luster as he was last week. He's still one of the top receivers and he's tied for 3rd in TD's with 11.

San Diego's O line is getting the job done, both in pass blocking and in run blocking. Just look at the numbers, LT has 1147 yards rushing, 357 yards receiving and 14 touchdowns.
Brees has only hit the turf 16 times and he's actually rushed for 2 TD,s.

The Browns are coming around, but it's going to be a bit. They are going to have to go it again without Holcomb. Lee Suggs is questionable, very questionable. That means Green sees most of the running duties, and since they are playing from behind so often his numbers are very lacking, hence you really don't know what he may be capable of. He's only had 46 carries in the last 4 games, that's not enough to show you much.

McCown had a great outing against New England, but only completed 8 passes last week against Buffalo, throwing 2 INT's to his 1 touchdown. With all the injuries, having their best receiver on IR and the “who knows who's gonna be the starter” at RB they are just in such a disarray that it's amazing that they can score at all.

Cleveland has a single bright spot, they have CB Daylon McCutcheon back in the starting line-up. That's it. The rest of their numbers are evwen worse than they were last week, so no reason to hash over that.

This is a big bet yet again.

My Online Betting Action: The Chargers -9.5

Recent Trends
•SD is 11-1-2 ATS in their last 14 overall.
•Under is 4-1 in SD last five road games.
•SD is 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight on the road.
•Browns are 0-6 ATS in their last six overall.
•CLE is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 as a dog.
•Over is 2-0 in the last two meetings in CLE.

The Seattle Seahawks (7-6) at The N.Y. Jets (9-4)
Against the Spread: Seahawks 5-8-0 | Jets 7-5-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Jets -7 -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Jets -6.5 -110
Over/Under 40u to 40.5u -110
In spite of what the 'Hawks did last week, with both teams so desperate for the win, I give the advantage to Herm and Chad/Quincy. Eat the points, they are 7-5-1 ATS, Odds are in your favor.

Jets are going to run the ball with Chad still sore and the possibility that Carter may get in. It's going to be all about Curtis Martin.

Seattle's Matt Hasselbeck can get it done but it seems that Holmgren will keep the lid shut on him because of his tendency to throw interceptions at EXACTLY the wrong time. They got away with the win at Minnesota, but they tried to give it away. Again it's would seem that they will use Shaun Alexander to the utmost. Particularly when you consider how well he is playing.

Statistically the Seahawks have the advantage over the Jets in overall defense, but the jets make up for that with their Giveaway/takeaway numbers and the difference in points allowed.

Taking a little advice from Brian of N.Y. Jets Football blog in one respect, The Under.

But I'm still seeing the Jets as having the better ATS against tougher opponents.

Two ways:

One Medium.
My Online Betting Action: The Jets -6
One Small.
My Online Betting Action: The Under 40.5

Recent Trends
•Under is 4-2 in the last six meetings.
•SEA is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 overall.
•Over is 8-2 in SEA last 10 overall.
•Under is 8-3 in NYJ last 11 overall.
•NYJ are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games in Dec.
•Jets are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

Friday, December 17, 2004

NFL Against the Spread Online Betting Picks of The Week 15

The NFL Saturday Games


The Pittsburgh Steelers (12-1) at The N.Y. Giants (5-8)
Against the Spread: Steelers 8-4-1 | Giants 5-8-0
Game Time: 1:30 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Steelers -11.5 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Steelers -10 -110
Over/Under 34u to 34.5u -110
Already have an Online Wager on the Steelers and the Under

Roethlisberger is now sitting with a QB rating of 97.6 with a completion percentage 0f right around 68%. That's all well and good, but Burress will still be out as will “The Duce”. Bettis has to do the job again, and he has appeared to be able to do it well. Even though the have an average offense, they have a defense that can fill in the gaps

The Steelers D is top notch across the board and they have one of the better Give-Away Take-Away numbers in the NFL at +13. They are also darned good at turning those into points, 18 from interceptions, 24 from fumbles. That is what should hold this game somewhat tight but ultimately result in a 13-1 record for the Steelers.

The Giants with Eli can't seem to get anything right, he's thrown 1 TD and 6 INT's, he doesn't even qualify for the QB ratings, Kurt has better numbers. His brother wasn't even that bad in his rookie year (26/28 rating 71.2). Bottom line, he looks completely confused once he gets the ball. Amani Toomer has caught 5 passes in the last 3 games amounting to a total of 118 yards. Jeremy Shockey, who had been their saving grace, only came up decent last week and he hasn't seen the endzone in 3 games. Even the once proud Tiki Barber's numbers have dwindle to next to nothing. He's gained under 100 yards in the last two games. This is from an RB who looked like he was going to set career high numbers this year. This could go on, but no sense in belaboring the obvious.

They have one of the worst offenses all the way across the board since Eli took over. It's not all his fault, but when you can't trust your QB to lead, it brings the whole team down.

N.Y.'s D had been something to worry about, Quoth the raven, `Nevermore'. In Gives/Takes their only +1, and they can't score defensively, 12 total points to the D's credit. What was once a truly solid defense has been relegated to just above average.
Here are the numbers:
20.5 points given a game. 316.8 Total yards, 137.5 Rushing & 179.3 Passing.
They can get through the weaker O lines, Pittsburgh's O line isn't that weak. They may have an overall ranking of 10th, but with a rush ranking of 26th it's probably not going to help. Their 6th rush ranking is suspect as well, see what the Bus does to that.

My Online Betting Action: The Steelers -10 The Under 34.5


Recent Trends
•Over is 3-0 in the last three meetings.
•Steelers are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 overall.
•Under is 6-0 in PIT last six overall.
•Giants are on a six game losing streak ATS.
•Under is 8-4 in NYG last 12 overall.
•NYG are 0-6 ATS in their last six games in Dec.

The Washington Redskins (4-9) at The San Fransisco 49ers (2-11)
Against the Spread: Redskins 6-7-0 | 49ers 96-7-0
Game Time: 5:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Redskins -4 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Redskins -3.5 -110 to -114
Over/Under 36.5u to 37u -110
Redskins proved that their D is a tough nut to crack, 49ers aren't that kind of nutcracker. Wager already on Washington.

Not even going to bother with a bunch of jargon on this game. The Redskins outclass the 49ers. They win I win. Period.

My Online Betting Action: The Redskins -3.5 Maybe! The Under 37 Undecided

Recent Trends
•WAS is 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
•Under is 10-3 in WAS last 13 overall.
•WAS is 3-0 ATS in their last three overall.
•SF is 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.
•Over is 8-4 in SF last 12 games in Dec.
•Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in SF.

The Carolina Panthers (6-7) at The Atlanta Falcons (10-3)
Against the Spread: Panthers 8-5-0 | Falcons 6-7-0
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Falcons -3.5 -100 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Falcons -3 -120 to -125
Over/Under 38u -110
Atlanta outplayed themselves last week. They are going to have a much tougher game against the Panthers. One to look at for sure.

Looked and Looked... then looked at the Panthers ATS and starting crunching.

The Panthers, even with an injured Delhomme are playing great ball. He has a QB rating of 82.3 and has thrown for over 3000 yards. They may not have much in the way of a running game with the injuries to their starting and subbing RB's, but they sure can pass the ball. Muhsin Muhammad has cranked out 7 touchdowns and 600 yards in the last 5 games. Ricky Proehl has been such a clutch receiver and has gotten them out of jams and kept drives alive, even though his numbers don't show it. The same could be said of Keary Colbert, who is a sideline catching fool. And How about that punter, Todd Sauerbrun, is he as good as it gets or what. Average of 44.4 per kick. 20 inside the opponents twenty yard line. 6 inside the 10. All the punters that have better numbers have punted well over his 60.

Carolinas D is really picking up the pace. They aren't great, but they are ample. Particularly against a team such as the Falcons. The are dead center over all at 16th, 16th against the rush and 22nd against the pass. The rushing game is what they are going to need to do best. That and containing Vick.

Atlanta, despite their record, has impressed me very little. If Vick is kept to having to actually be a quarterback not a running back, they look bad. They have the number 1 rushing game, but again that is primarily due to Vick. Dunn hasn't been bad, but he hasn't been all that good either. He's only rushed for over 100 yards twice all year. The majority of the time he's in the 50 range. He's scored a grand total of 7 times, nothing to write home about there. Duckett has been about useless and is now out and will probably end up on IR with his knee injury. Other than TE Alge Crumpler, the receivers have seen little to no duty. Peerless Price, Dez White, Brian Finneran and Michael Jenkins have amased a grand total of 1009 yards combined. So the 22nd pass D of the Panther's doesn't really come into play except in the redzone when Vick can't run it in and HAS to look for Alge.

The Falcons come in at 10th against the pass and 21st aginst the rush. Their Give/Take is +3, but they do have the ability to convert those into points. 18 on interceptions and 24 on fumbles. This was one of the things that was worrisome when making a pick on this one. In fact, it was almost left alone based on that. But the reality is their D doesn't seem to be capable of overcoming their obvious problems on offense when they face a scoring team. Plus Tampa shut them out!

My Online Betting Action: The Panthers +3.5 Or Money Line

Recent Trends
•Under is 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings.
•CAR is 6-1 ATS in their last seven overall.
•Over is 3-0 in CAR last three road games.
•Under is 17-5 in ATL last 22 overall.
•Under is 6-1 in ATL last seven games in Dec.
•ATL is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.

Tuesday, December 14, 2004

NFL Pick of the Week Against the Spread - Betting Lines Week 15

The NFL Saturday Games


The Pittsburgh Steelers (12-1) at The N.Y. Giants (5-8)
Against the Spread: Steelers 8-4-1 | Giants 5-8-0
Game Time: 1:30 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Steelers -11.5 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Steelers -10 -110
Over/Under 34u to 34.5u -110
Already have an Online Wager on the Steelers and the Under

Recent Trends
•Over is 3-0 in the last three meetings.
•Steelers are 8-2-1 ATS in their last 11 overall.
•Under is 6-0 in PIT last six overall.
•Giants are on a six game losing streak ATS.
•Under is 8-4 in NYG last 12 overall.
•NYG are 0-6 ATS in their last six games in Dec.

The Washington Redskins (4-9) at The San Fransisco 49ers (2-11)
Against the Spread: Redskins 6-7-0 | 49ers 96-7-0
Game Time: 5:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Redskins -4 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Redskins -3.5 -110 to -114
Over/Under 36.5u to 37u -110
Redskins proved that their D is a tough nut to crack, 49ers aren't that kind of nutcracker. Wager already on Washington.

Recent Trends
•WAS is 3-7 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
•Under is 10-3 in WAS last 13 overall.
•WAS is 3-0 ATS in their last three overall.
•SF is 1-4 ATS in their last five home games.
•Over is 8-4 in SF last 12 games in Dec.
•Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in SF.

The Carolina Panthers (6-7) at The Atlanta Falcons (10-3)
Against the Spread: Panthers 8-5-0 | Falcons 6-7-0
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Falcons -3.5 -100 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Falcons -3 -120 to -125
Over/Under 38u -110
Atlanta outplayed themselves last week. They are going to have a much tougher game against the Panthers. One to look at for sure.

Recent Trends
•Under is 7-1-1 in the last nine meetings.
•CAR is 6-1 ATS in their last seven overall.
•Over is 3-0 in CAR last three road games.
•Under is 17-5 in ATL last 22 overall.
•Under is 6-1 in ATL last seven games in Dec.
•ATL is 8-1 ATS in the last nine meetings.

The NFL Sunday Games


The Buffalo Bills (7-6) at The Cincinnati Bengals (6-7)
Against the Spread: Bills 9-4-0 | Bengals 6-6-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Buffalo -2 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bengals -0 -105 to -110
Over/Under 44.5u -110
Cincy has the edge with the momentum in Bengal-land

Recent Trends
•BUF is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
•BUF is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 overall.
•Over is 6-1 in BUF last seven overall.
•CIN is 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight overall.
•Under is 6-1 in CIN last seven home games.
•Under is 4-2 in the last six meetings.

The Dallas Cowboys (5-8) at The Philadelphia Eagles (12-1)
Against the Spread: Cowboys 5-8-0 | Eagles 9-4-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Eagles -14 +120
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Eagles -12.5 -110
Over/Under 46u -110
Despite last weeks outcome, they are still good to cover against Dallas. Wager already on Eagles -

Recent Trends
•Over is 6-1 in the last seven meetings.
•Cowboys are 3-7 ATS in their last 10 overall.
•Under is 6-2 in DAL last eight games in Dec.
•Under is 9-3 in PHI last 12 overall.
•PHI is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games in Dec.
•PHI is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.

The Houston Texans (5-8) at The Chicago Bears (5-8)
Against the Spread: Texans 7-6-0 | Bears 6-7-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Bears -1 -107 to -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Bears -0 -110
Over/Under 35.5u to 36u -110
Are the Texans back on a roll? I won a good chuck of change betting then as underdogs early in the season. Going to have to look at this game long and hard.

Recent Trends
•Under is 9-2 in HOU last 11 games in Dec.
•HOU is 2-6 ATS in their last eight road games.
•Under is 5-2-1 in HOU last eight overall.
•CHI is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games in Dec.
•Bears are 2-5 ATS in their last seven at home.
•Under is 6-3 in CHI last nine home games.

The San Diego Chargers (10-3) at The Cleveland Browns (3-10)
Against the Spread: Chargers 10-1-2 | Browns 4-9-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Chargers -11.5 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Chargers -10 -102 to -110
Over/Under 36.5u to 37u -110
Again, despite last week, wager already on Chargers -9.5

Recent Trends
•SD is 11-1-2 ATS in their last 14 overall.
•Under is 4-1 in SD last five road games.
•SD is 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight on the road.
•Browns are 0-6 ATS in their last six overall.
•CLE is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 as a dog.
•Over is 2-0 in the last two meetings in CLE.

The Seattle Seahawks (7-6) at The N.Y. Jets (9-4)
Against the Spread: Seahawks 5-8-0 | Jets 7-5-1
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Jets -7 -115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Jets -6 -110
Over/Under 40.5u to 41u -110
In spite of what the 'Hawks did last week, with both teams so desperate for the win, I give the advantage to Herm and Chad/Quincy. Eat the points, they are 7-5-1 ATS, Odds are in your favor. Sorry Brian --> N.Y. Jets Football

Recent Trends
•Under is 4-2 in the last six meetings.
•SEA is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 overall.
•Over is 8-2 in SEA last 10 overall.
•Under is 8-3 in NYJ last 11 overall.
•NYJ are 8-4 ATS in their last 12 games in Dec.
•Jets are 5-2 ATS in the last seven meetings.

The Denver Broncos (8-5) at The Kansas City Chiefs (5-8)
Against the Spread: Broncos 4-6-3 | Chiefs 5-8-0
Game Time: 1:00 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Chiefs -1 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Chiefs -0 -110
OTB at most Online Sportsbooks
Over/Under 52.5u to 53u -105 to -110
OTB at most Online Sportsbooks
Given Denver's horrid play as of late and the good play by KC Monday Night, even as a Pick Denver's scary

Recent Trends
•DEN is 6-1 ATS in the last seven meetings.
•Under is 8-2-2 in Broncos last 12 overall.
•Under is 4-0 in DEN last four games in Dec.
•Over is 13-3 in KC last 16 games in Dec.
•KC is 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games.
•Over is 6-0 in the last six meetings.

The New Orleans Saints (5-8) at The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-8)
Against the Spread: Saints 5-8-0 | Buccaneers 5-6-2
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Buccaneers -9 -105
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Buccaneers -7.5 -110
Over/Under 44u -106 to -110
With the way the Bucs' have played lately, taking them at home to cover the spread is not far fetched.

Recent Trends
•NO is 3-1 ATS in the last four meetings in TB.
•Under is 6-2 in NO last eight games in Dec.
•NO is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 road games.
•Under is 17-7 in TB last 24 overall.
•TB has won their last four home games ATS.
•Under is 3-0 in the last three meetings.

The St. Louis Rams (6-7) at The Arizona Cardinals (4-9)
Against the Spread: Rams 3-9-1 | Cardinals 6-7-0
Game Time: 4:05 PM ET -105
Current High NFL Betting Line: Rams -1.5 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Rams -1.5 -110
Over/Under 41.5u -104 to -110
Arizona got an OT win over the 49ers. But with the roulette game going on over there at QB who knows what Sunday will bring. I have to say that in his one start John Navarre looks better than McCown. Rams have to win so even with a ATS of 3-9-1, at -1.5 wager already on the Rams

Recent Trends
•STL is 2-4 ATS in the last six meetings.
•STL is 3-8 ATS in their last 11 games in Dec.
•Over is 8-4 in the Rams last 12 overall.
•ARI is 8-3 ATS in their last 11 home games.
•Over is 8-2 in ARI last 10 overall.
•Over is 3-1 in the last four meetings in ARI.

The Tennessee Titans (4-9) at The Oakland Raiders (4-9)
Against the Spread: Titans 4-9-0 | Raiders 4-9-0
Game Time: 4:15 PM ET
Current High NFL Betting Line: Raiders
Current Low NFL Betting Line Raiders
OTB at almost every Online Sportsbook. I searched, couldn't find one that had a spread. It's even OTB at the Mirage (MGM Book)
Over/Under
Same as above, OTB everywhere
if you can find action I might take the Titans. Post Comment if someone finds a place.

Recent Trends
•TEN is 7-3 ATS in the last 10 meetings.
•TEN is 3-9 ATS in their last 12 overall.
•Over is 6-1 in TEN last seven games in Dec.
•OAK is 7-22-1 ATS in their last 30 overall.
•Over is 5-2 in OAK last seven overall.
•Over is 6-3 in the last nine meetings.

The Baltimore Ravens (8-5) at The Indianapolis Colts (10-3)
Against the Spread: Ravens 9-4-0 | Colts 8-4-1
Game Time: 8:30 PM ET ESPN Night Game
Current High NFL Betting Line: Colts -9 -110
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Colts -7.5 -102 to -115
Over/Under 49u to 49.5u -107 to -110
Rode the coattails of the Colts covering by landslides, those days may be over. Baltimore puts up a great D, but can they stop the passing of Manning and crew. Very close inspection of this match-up is warranted.

Recent Trends
•BAL is 5-0 ATS in the last five meetings.
•BAL is 9-3 ATS in their last 12 overall.
•Over is 5-1 in BAL last six overall.
•Over is 9-4 in the Colts last 13 overall.
•IND is 6-3 ATS in their last nine home games.
•Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings.

The New England Patriots (12-1) at The Miami Dolphins (2-11)
Against the Spread: Patriots 9-2-2 | Dolphins 5-8-0
Game Time: Monday 9:00 PM ET ABC Monday Night Football
Current High NFL Betting Line: Patriots -10.5 +115
Current Low NFL Betting Line: Patriots -9 -110
Over/Under 41u -110
Yeah, I bet against my home team last week and got burned for doing it. God doesn't like traitors! This week the Pat's are playing the dolphins so I can breath easier. When you have a team with an ATS as good as New England has versus a bad team, My online wagering goes to the superior team that also covers spreads. Patriots -9 or -10.5 +115

Recent Trends
•Pats are 6-2 ATS in the last eight meetings.
•NE is 23-5-3 ATS in their last 31 overall.
•Over is 7-2-1 in NE last 10 road games.
•Over is 7-1 in MIA last eight overall.
MIA is 1-11 ATS in their last 12 home games.
•Under is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings.