NFL Quick Picks: Steelers-Ravens, Jets-Patriots and More
There are a lot of great matchups for sports betting fans in Week 13 including two of the biggest rivalries in the NFL: the Pittburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens, and the New York Jets vs. New England Patriots.
Oakland Raiders (+13) at San Diego Chargers
The Oakland Raiders snapped a 13-game losing streak versus the San Diego Chargers earlier this season, but the Chargers have finally come around and are playing some really good ball. The Raiders gave up 431 yards offense and still won the game.
This time around, they are not going to be as lucky. Phillip Rivers is doing a good job of using all of his receivers and the Chargers aren’t making those same big mistakes that were costing them games.
The Raiders are also undergoing quarterback uncertainty, but it looks like Jason Campbell will be starting. For all of the turmoil, 13 points is just too much to pass up, particularly with the Raiders saying all the right things about getting back to running the ball.
Washington Redskins (+7) at New York Giants
The Washington Redskins have looked progressively worse as the season has gone along, but they are playing a New York Giants team that has lost their big weapons in the receiving corps.
This leaves the Giants’ potent running attack to pound the ball in to the Redskins feeble run defense. It will be a Giants win, but in a low-scoring game and that’s why the points look so good here.
Pittsburgh Steelers (+3) at Baltimore Ravens
This is going to be a really entertaining game as these two teams always play each other hard and first place in the AFC North is on the line this time.
There are rumors that Ben Roethlisberger has a broken foot that the Steelers have already denied. Depending on the break, there are some very tolerable fractures that he could definitely play through. I don’t for a second believe anything the Steelers say about his foot, but if they say he’s going to play, then he’s going to play.
More of concern are the injuries to Baltimore’s o-line and this is what’s going to undo the team. The Steelers should be able to harass Joe Flacco and keep him off his game enough to stay within the field goal and possibly earn the SU win, but you might want to wait and see if you can find the Steelers at +3.5.
New York Jets (+3.5) at New England Patriots
I’m taking another underdog here. The New England Patriots are playing a lot better right now than when the New York Jets embarrassed them 28-14 in NFL week 2 and between the loss, playing at home, with the division on the line against a hated rival the Patriots deserve to have the edge.
But they are still playing against a defense that, no matter how much passion the Pats play with, will slow any offense down. The big decider is the number. If this were New York at +2.5, then I’d be looking at the Pats to win by a field goal, but at +3.5 the Jets have the luxury of losing by a last second field goal and still paying me my cash.
NFL – Washington Redskins at Detroit Lions – Preview
This weekend, the Washington Redskins will take on the Detroit Lions in Detroit. As the 2.5 point favorites in the NFL betting lines, these two teams will square off with the Lions. As the Lions have a record of just 1-5 on the season, this will take some for a surprise.
Meanwhile, with a 4-3 record to this point, the Redskins have been solid. Currently sitting at 44 is the over/under for the game.
The Redskins have still not managed to get the respect that they’d like at this point in the season, although they have a solid record. Last week, this is even after they took out one of the best teams in the league.
From DeAngelo Hall, their defensive back, last week they took out the Bears behind a stellar defensive performance. Including an interception returned for a touchdown, Hall managed to intercept 4 passes on the day.
Over Detroit recently, the Redskins have been absolutely dominant. They appear to have the edge in almost every way for this game and they have won 16 of the last 19 matchups between the teams.
The Lions have looked better than most people expected them to this year, although they have a 1-5 record. In the end, the number of wins is the thing that matters most. Unfortunately, what it takes to take home a victory on a weekly basis, the Lions have not shown that. In their last 18 home games, they are just 3-15 and they’ll have a tough matchup this week.
NFL: History of the Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta Falcons was established in 1966. For one year, they only played in the Eastern Conference of the National Football League, before they were moved to the Western Conference. Before the NFC and AFC were established, they played in the Western Conference in the Coastal Division for 3 years.
Over those 40 plus seasons, Falcons have compiled a poor record. While losing 400, they while losing 400 in their existence. Along with those wins and losses, there are also 6 ties to go.
In 1971 came the Falcons first winning record. For a few years, they weren’t able to take their success to the next step, but eventually they were able to make the playoffs.
In 1978, came the first playoff appearance in franchise history. After making into the playoffs, the Falcons were scheduled to square off against the Eagles. They won the game by 14-13. In a 27-20 defeat, they were stopped the next week against the Dallas Cowboys.
With a 12-4 record in 1980, the Falcons went on to win their first division title. In the history of the franchise, that division title is one of just three titles.
Jamal Anderson, superstar running back led the Falcons in the late 1990’s. By doing a dance called the “Dirty Bird”, they would celebrate in the end zone. In 1998, the team went on to a 14-2 record and paved the way for success in 1999.
In 1999, the Falcons made the playoffs again. The Falcons ousted the Vikings and in Franchise history, the Falcons would make their way to their only Super Bowl.
With the troubles and potential of Michael Vick, the Falcons since then have been up and down. With a young, talented quarterback that could lead them back to the big game, they now appear to be on the upswing.
Tennessee Titans: NFL Season Preview
In 2009, the Tennessee Titans learned a big lesson that should make a big difference for the team in 2010: the field the team wins more games, when Vince Young is on the field. With Kerry Collins running the show, in 2009, the team tried to start out the season. Unfortunately, with Collins at the helm, the team was not able to do much of anything.
NFL odds favorite, Vince Young was able to bounce back from the 0-6 start to finish with a record of 8-8, when he came in the team. It is interesting that for winning games, Vince Young has such a knack.
It is easy to see that he does not put up huge numbers, when looking at his stat sheet. At a time, he does have the ability to move the ball 10 yards. It appears that he will be ready to carry the Titans to be a playoff contender in 2010, with experience under his belt.
On the defensive end of the ball, the Titans will need to make some improvements if they hope to make a difference this year. On the year, more than 400 points was surrendered by them last year. Clock control does not help quite as much if the defense can’t slow down the opponent, although the Titans have an offense that has the ability to control the clock.
This year, the Titans may be ready to step up to the next level. If they hope to win games in 2010, they will need Vince Young to carry the load.
St. Louis Rams – NFL – Mini Camps
On April 30, the St. Louis Rams held a minicamp for rookies that went for three days. Quarterback Sam Bradford, the number one overall draft pick was the obvious spectacle of the minicamp. Additionally, for the team, several players were on hand, trying out. Starting June 10, for a three-day minicamp, the rest of the team will meet up.
Overall, in the minicamp 67 players participated. 36 out of those 67 were tryout players. The tryout players had slim odds of being invited and they understood this fact. From them, hopes of four were realized. After the three-day camp, the players who were invited back were defensive tackle Ernest Reid, cornerback Antonio Thompson, Receiver Dominique Curry and defensive back Martin.
Following Bradford’s minicamp performance, he was positive review’s recipient. Offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur said, “He’s very smart. Got a great command of the huddle. He’s got great attention to detail. By the end of the weekend, he was repeating things like he got ‘em in the installations. And he’s very talented. So you take the talent and then the ‘work hard’ and I think he progressed well in five practices.”
Running back was one of St. Louis’s most pressing needs. However, at the Draft the issue wasn’t addressed as the Rams had many other holes to fill and at running back, this draft class was relatively weak. Behind starter Steven Jackson, DeMaundray Woolridge of Idaho and Keith Toston of Oklahoma State, a pair of undrafted free agents, look to provide competition and depth.
As everyone walked away healthy, the minicamp proved to be nearly risk free with one exception. Receiver Nick Moore is expected to be okay, although, he had to miss a large portion of his workout and he suffered a groin injury.
NFL: Atlanta Falcons’ Robert James Suspended
Over the past few years most professional sports, including the NFL, have started cracking down on their substance abuse, particularly when it comes to performance enhancing drugs. Since then, the NFL has given out dozens of suspensions to players throughout the league. The latest victim of the NFL’s substance abuse policy is Robert James of the Atlanta Falcons.
On Thursday, the National Football League announced that James tested positive for performance enhancing drugs. For violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, James will be forced to sit out the first four games of the season. James will be eligible to participate in training camp and pre-season games, but he will not be able to play in a regular season game until the Falcon’s game on October 3 against the 49ers.
This is not the first professional set back for NFL betting star, James. James, who is a 26-year old linebacker, missed just about all of last season due to a concussion he received. After a successful college career at Arizona State, James has appeared in only one game thus far in his professional career. James, who was voted onto the Pac-10 first team in 2007, was drafted by the Falcons in the 5th round of the NFL draft.
Dallas Cowboys: Up for New Picks
Posting an 11-5 record on the season, and winning the NFC East, the Dallas Cowboys were a solid team last season. However, as we approach the NFL draft, they do have plenty of room for team improvement.
The Cowboys struggled to put points on the board all season in spite having a solid offense, led by Tony Romo and their solid receiving core. This can be partly attributed to their lack of dominance in the running attack, led by Marion Barber. Barber has never reached 1000 yards in his career and has yet to prove that he is a 20-30 carries a game running back even though he is a solid back. Running back Ryan Matthews from Fresno State could be the solution for the Cowboys and their pass-first mentality.
Combining with a 4.4 time in the 40 yard dash and a 36 inch vertical leap, Matthews proved to be a solid athlete in the NFL. Allowing him to influence the game on the ground and in the air, he has shown the ability to make plays in the receiving game.
The Cowboys surrendered just 250 points in the NFC last year, and sported the best defense in the season, yet there were areas where they could have been stronger. For example, on the entire season their safeties Gerald Sensabaugh and Ken Hamblin combined for just 1 interception. Reshad Jones, a safety from Georgia, could be a partial solution for the Cowboys in the 2nd round.
The Cowboys could look to another safety in the 3rd round to finish off their needs in the secondary. For the Cowboys with the 90th pick, Major Right out of Florida could fill that hole.
Indianapolis Colts’s Run Upto The NFL
A few revelations about the Indianapolis Colts were yielded for February’s Super Bowl. It is the importance of having someone who can back up star DE Dwight Freeney will certainly be one of them that would be addressed in the draft. The Colts struggled when he left the field and things may have been different with a more viable backup.
The importance of accumulating offensive linemen for the future was something else that became apparent over the course of the season. The Colts will be on the lookout for someone who can take center Jeff Saturday’s place within the next two or three years as he is quickly moving past his prime. They also need to find a shutdown corner to add depth to the position.
Maurkice Pouncey (C/G, Florida) adds depth at guard (where they are currently relatively weak) and has the potential to replace Saturday thus filling two roles for the Colts. The Colts are expected to use their first round selection (31st overall) on him. He is talented enough that he may start sports betting for them at guard this season .
As DE Jermaine Cunningham is a likely second round selection for the Colts (63rd overall pick), it is possible that the Colts will use their first two picks on Florida Gators. As the Colts rely heavily upon their defense, the addition of Cunningham will add depth to that position.
By using their third round selection (94th overall) to select Donovan Warren (CB, Michigan), the Colts will look to add depth at cornerback. Warren, who has fallen due to his below-average 40 time (4.59) at the Combine, is a physical corner with great ball skills. Despite his below-average speed, Warren has the skills needed to succeed in Indianapolis’s defense. He is a steal if the Colts can get him this late in the draft.
Packers vs Chiefs
By Scott Burgess
Game: Sun, Nov 4,2007 1:00 PM ET
The Kansas City Chiefs (-2) will host the Green Bay Packers (+2), at Arrowhead Stadium, for some hard hitting NFL action.
The Green Bay Packers (6-1) won stunningly last week against the Denver Broncos, when Bret Favre threw a 82 yard pass to Greg Jennings for an O.T. win. Bret Favre brings his pass crazy offense, which averages 23 points a game, into K.C. They are good for 281 yards a game in the air, but on the ground it’s a different story. The Packers are only averaging 71 yards a game rushing, which won’t improve playing against K.C’s defense. Green Bay’s defense gives up an average 17 points a game. Their biggest weakness is stopping the pass, while their strength is at stopping the rush.
The K.C. Chiefs (5-2) are a team with great defense and they’ll need to be on their toes going up against the arm of Favre. Their defense gives up an average 16 points a game and they’re ranked 10th in the league at stopping the pass. Offensively the Chiefs don’t have much to offer. They average 14 points a game, 211 yards passing and 82 yards rushing. One thing in the Chiefs favor is that they’ve beaten the Packers five times in a row.
Bottom Line: Favre’s hot and he knows it. If his O-Line can hold back K.C’s defense, to give Favre time to throw, the Packers have it in the bag. Go Packers!
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Patroits vs Colts
By Scott Burgess
Game: Sun, Nov 4, 2007 4:15 PM ET
It’s time for the Battle of the Unbeaten. The Indianapolis Colts (+5.5) host the New England Patriots, (-5.5) at the RCA Dome, for some hard hitting NFL action.
The New England Patriots (7-0) are coming off a drubbing of the Washington Redskins, which they won 52-7. I knew they’d win but this was ridiculous. The Patriots lead the NFL in points per game (41.4), yards per game (439.5), and pass yards (303.8). QB Tom Brady just can’t screw up if he tried. He leads the NFL with 27 TDs with only 2 INT for 2,125 yards. Brady’s favorite receiver Randy Moss leads the NFL with 10 TDs and nothing to slow him down. The only average part of the Pats game is their rushing, which is ranked 8th (135). The Pats defense is very strong at stopping the rush as well as the pass.
The Indianapolis Colts (7-0) got off to a slow start against the Carolina Panthers, but still managed to pull of an impressive 31-7 victory. QB Peyton Manning’s offense is currently ranked 3rd in points (32), 3rd in yards (399), 6th in passing yards (258.7) and 5th in rushing (140). Against the Panthers Manning threw for 255 YDS along with 2 Tds. RB Joseph Addia lead the Colts in rushing with 100 YDS and 2 TDs. The Colts defense are very capable of stopping the pass, which is why they’re ranked 2nd with 165 YDS allowed. They also have the 2nd lowest points allowed average with 14.
Bottom Line: It’s going to be a battle in the air. Both teams are great at stopping the rush, but the Patriots have the upper hand. The Colts haven’t played a tough challenger, while the Pats already proved that they can beat the best as they did against Dallas. The Brady Bunch will be to hot to handle. Go Pats! To bet the NFL go to BodogLife now.
