11-29-15 |
Giants -133 v. Redskins |
Top |
14-20 |
Loss |
-133 |
142 h 35 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the NYG.
The Giants will travel to the nation's capital to take on the Redskins, who are just a game out of first place in the NFC East. While the Giants are well rested coming out of the bye week, the Redskins are coming off a blowout loss at Carolina last Sunday. Cam Newton threw five TD passes in the 44-16 win, and if the Giants secondary plays like that this week, we can expect to see Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. have a field day.
The Giants lost a close game to the Patriots at home two weeks ago, but they can take a few positives out of that game. Jason Pierre-Paul has been relatively effective in his return to the defense, and they did sack Tom Brady three times in the loss.
Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins hasn't had any success against the Giants, with a record of 0-3 as a starter, with two TDs and eight interceptions and a 48.6 quarterback rating.
The Redskins defense is going to be thin in the secondary, losing corner Chris Culliver to a season ending shoulder injury last week. DeAngelo Hall will try to play despite suffering from turf toe, while Bashaud Breeland and Deshazor Everett are listed as questionable.
I like the Giants to make it six straight versus Washington with a win on the road here today.
Take NYG.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-26-15 |
Panthers v. Cowboys +2.5 |
Top |
33-14 |
Loss |
-110 |
54 h 35 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Dallas Cowboys.
It may seem strange that the undefeated Carolina Panthers come into Dallas to take on the 3-7 Cowboys, and some bookmakers are calling Dallas the favorite, but this actually makes plenty of sense. The Cowboys are actually 3-0 with Tony Romo, and this is a must win game for Dallas to keep any hope alive for the post-season. It's a classic "Let Down" spot for the Panthers, who travel on a short week.
Cam Newton is playing like an MVP, and he's coming off perhaps the best game of his career, throwing for five TDs in Sunday's win over Washington. Of all the players than might let success go to their head, Newton seems like a likely candidate. In fact, while Tony Romo was studying game film, I'll bet Cam was trying to decide whether he was going to do "The Whip", "The Dab" or "The Nae Nae" for his customary touchdown celebration dance this week.
If Greg Hardy has anything to say about it, his former teammate will be doing more running than dancing. Hardy might not be the most popular player in the NFL, but there is no doubting his ability to get to the quarterback. He comes into this game looking for a bit of revenge on the franchise that he feels turned their backs on him.
While the Panthers haven't lost, they have been fortunate in a couple of close games. They came from behind to beat the Seahawks with a late TD in Seattle, and they survived a second half collapse in an overtime win over Indy at home. I think their luck is about to run out here in Dallas, and I expect Romo to out-play Cam Newton in this one.
Take DAL.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-23-15 |
Bills +8.5 v. Patriots |
Top |
13-20 |
Win
|
100 |
89 h 39 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Buffalo Billls.
The Patriots are still undefeated, and they remain Super Bowl favorites despite a rash of recent injuries. They lost their leading rusher Dion Lewis a few weeks ago to a season ending injury, and then last week they lost Julian Edelman for the rest of the year. The Pats beat the Bills in Buffalo in Week 2 by a score of 40-32, and Lewis and Edelman combined to scored three of their touchdowns in that game.
That game might have been a lot different if Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor did throw three INTs, and he's likely to perform better as he's since been picked off just once in five starts. He was also sacked eight times, but Jason Collins played a roll in three of those sacks, and he's sidelined by illness for tonight's game.
We know Rex Ryan gets all amped up to play the Patriots, and his teams have given New England trouble in the past. His Jets might not have won a lot of games at New England, but many of those games were a lot closer than they were expected to be. Rex would be wise to focus on the run, handing the ball off to Karlos Williams and LeSean McCoy, who is coming off consecutive 100+ yard games.
It's going to be a cold and windy night at Foxboro, and I think we could see a close low scoring game where offense is hard to come by for both teams. All things considered, I think the Pats are being asked to cover a few too many points.
Take BUF.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-22-15 |
Bengals +5 v. Cardinals |
Top |
31-34 |
Win
|
100 |
64 h 28 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals are coming off a home loss to the Texans, and it looks like everyone has jumped right off the band wagon as this previously undefeated team is now getting a bunch of points on the road at Arizona. The Cardinals have been impressive this season, but I still can't ignore the fact that all seven of their wins have come against teams with a losing record.
They looked shaky at times even in games that they did win. At home against Baltimore, they really struggled to pull away from the Ravens who were just 1-6 at the time. Then they went out on the road and trailed the Browns 20-7 just before halftime. They rallied to win that game, but rallying against the Browns isn't quite the same as rallying against a team with an 8-1 record. Last week they blew a big lead at Seattle, but managed to come back and win once again.
The Bengals are on pace to allow just 270 points, and that would be the fewest the club has given up since 1978. They are allowing a league low 16.9 points per game, and I like their chances of hanging with Arizona here in the desert.
The Bengals have covered in four straight road games, seven of their last eight overall, and I just think the Cardinals are asked to cover a few too many points.
Take CINCY.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-22-15 |
Packers +1 v. Vikings |
Top |
30-13 |
Win
|
100 |
61 h 34 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Green Bay Packers.
The Packers have lost three straight, and everyone is asking "what's wrong with Aaron Rodgers?". Well two of those losses came to undefeated teams, but last week's loss to the Lions was pretty ugly. During the week Rodgers admitted to reporters that he has been bothered by a shoulder injury.
Let me ask you.. do you think he's going to keep an injury quiet, and then all of a sudden let the cat out of the bag and let an opponent know he's vulnerable? I don't think so. The fact that he's talking about his sore shoulder, leads me to believe that it's no longer bothering him. That's in line with the reports out of Green Bay, as he was apparently throwing darts in practice on Thursday.
The Packers have had the Vikings number, winning four of the last five in this series. Aaron Rodgers threw five TD passes and no INTs winning both games against them last season. While Minny has a 7-2 record, did anyone bother to look at their schedule? Have a peek at who they've played, and you will see that not one of those wins came against a team with a winning record. They've beaten the Lions twice, the Chargers, Chiefs, etc.
I'm expecting the Packers to get back on track this week against an overrated Vikings team.
Take GB.
Jesse Schule
|
11-22-15 |
Colts +6 v. Falcons |
Top |
24-21 |
Win
|
100 |
57 h 9 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Indianapolis Colts
The Colts are coming off a bye week, and they upset Denver at home in their last game. The bad news for Indy is that starting quarterback Andrew Luck is injured, and won't be available when they play at Atlanta this week.
Starting in his place is veteran Matt Hasselbeck, who is 2-0 as a starter, with 495 yards, three TDs and not a single interception so far this season. He's a guy that played in the Super Bowl with Seattle, and has a ton of experience. I don't think the bookmakers are giving the Colts enough respect here as a significant underdog.
The Falcons have lost three of their last four, scoring an average of just 16.8 points in those games. They are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 home games versus a team with a losing road record. The Colts have won three of the last four meetings between the two teams, and they covered the spread in all three of those victories. I like Indy to keep this one close, and I think this line is a little out of whack.
Take INDY.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-22-15 |
Broncos +1.5 v. Bears |
Top |
17-15 |
Win
|
100 |
57 h 8 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos will be on the road at Chicago this week, taking on a Bears team that is coming off consecutive wins. Before we get too excited about the Bears, let me point out that all four of their wins this season have come against teams with a losing record.
The Broncos will be without veteran quarterback Peyton Manning, and of course the bookmakers have adjusted the line accordingly. Manning might be the best quarterback to ever play the game, but he hasn't been much of an asset to his team recently. He was picked off six times in his last two starts, and last week he threw for just 35 yards on 5-of-20 passing. Protecting the football has been an issue for Manning all year long, yet still the Broncos started the season 7-0.
Their strength is their defense, and they likely won't be asking Brock Osweiler to do too much today. Jay Cutler could be in for a long day, facing a tough Denver pass rush. Cutler has done a great job protecting the football this season, but he's proven throughout his career that he makes poor decisions under pressure. He'll be under pressure all day here on Sunday. The Bears are also a little banged up, with both Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery both listed at questionable.
Take DEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-22-15 |
Rams +3 v. Ravens |
Top |
13-16 |
Push |
0 |
7 h 9 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams are on the road in Baltimore on Sunday, looking to bounce back from back to back losses. Nick Foles has been just brutal in those games, and last week he threw for 200 yards and an INT on 17-of-36 passing in a loss to Chicago. Todd Gurley only got 12 carries, as the Rams were fighting an uphill battle from the get go.
We'll see a different game plan this week, with backup quarterback Case Keenum under center. The Rams will likely have a conservative approach, leaning on Todd Gurley and the running game. This should be a recipe success against a Baltimore team that found a way to lose to the lowly Jaguars last week.
Joe Flacco threw a pair of interceptions against the Jags last week, and he's throwing the ball to a depleted receiving corps that is missing Steve Smith and Dennis Pitta. The Ravens have failed to cover in seven straight home games, and yet they are a favorite here this week.
Take STL.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-22-15 |
Bucs v. Eagles -6 |
Top |
45-17 |
Loss |
-110 |
3 h 28 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles are coming off a home loss to the Miami Dolphins, but I think they should get back on track this week hosting Tampa Bay. The Bucs are coming off a home win over the Cowboys, and they've won two of their last three. Their rookie quarterback Jameis Winston failed to throw a TD pass for the second straight week, but he did throw a couple of picks against the Cowboys. He's likely going to find it tough going against an opportunistic Eagles defense.
Philadelphia has won the last three meetings between the two teams, covering the spread in all three of those games. Mark Sanchez will come in to replace Sam Bradford, and Sanchez has plenty of experience running Chip Kelly's offense. He started nine games last year, and saw plenty of action in the pre-season. Last year's leading rusher DeMarco Murray has been slightly under used in the offense this season, but he could play a bigger role this week with the backup quarterback under center.
Take PHI.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-15-15 |
Patriots -7 v. Giants |
Top |
27-26 |
Loss |
-115 |
163 h 36 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the New England Patriots.
The Giants defense is in complete shambles. Oh yeah they did win last week, I bet on them in fact. Here is what I said prior to their game versus the Bucs:
"The Giants lost on the road at New Orleans last week, and everyone is down on this team coming into this week. I've heard so much talk about how bad their defense is, how they can't stop the pass, and look at how many points they give up. All that is true ... but I am not hearing any talk about the fact that Eli Manning threw for 360 yards and six TDs, or Odell Beckham Jr pulling in eight catches for 130 yards and three TDs.
The Giants defense is bad, and I won't argue about that. I will point out though that they are going into to Tampa to face a rookie quarterback that might be the least likely candidate to take advantage of their defensive shortcomings. I mean .. Jameis Winston is NOT Drew Brees. Famous Jameis only threw for 177 yards on 16-of-29 passing in the win over Atlanta last week. If this game turns into an offensive shootout, I really don't like Winston's chances of keeping pace with Eli and the Giants"
They don't have the luxury of facing a below average rookie quarterback this week, as their league worst pass defense will face the best quarterback in the NFL. Just a few weeks after Drew Brees torched them for 505 yards and seven TDs, I really don't like their chances of slowing down Tom Brady. New York only has nine sacks this season, and they have no sacks in their last two games. Jason Pierre-Paul is back, but don't expect him to work miracles.
Early in the season the Patriots appeared to be vulnerable on defense, but Bill Belichick seems to have mad adjustments, and they have looked a lot better defensively in recent weeks. I think the Pats will pile on here in New York, winning this one by double digits.
Take NE.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-08-15 |
Giants -133 v. Bucs |
Top |
32-18 |
Win
|
100 |
137 h 10 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the New York Giants.
The Giants lost on the road at New Orleans last week, and everyone is down on this team coming into this week. I've heard so much talk about how bad their defense is, how they can't stop the pass, and look at how many points they give up. All that is true ... but I am not hearing any talk about the fact that Eli Manning threw for 360 yards and six TDs, or Odell Beckham Jr pulling in eight catches for 130 yards and three TDs.
The Giants defense is bad, and I won't argue about that. I will point out though that they are going into to Tampa to face a rookie quarterback that might be the least likely candidate to take advantage of their defensive shortcomings. I mean .. Jameis Winston is NOT Drew Brees. Famous Jameis only threw for 177 yards on 16-of-29 passing in the win over Atlanta last week. If this game turns into an offensive shootout, I really don't like Winston's chances of keeping pace with Eli and the Giants.
The Giants pass rush has been so bad, the return of Jason Pierre Paul isn't going to hurt. If he is completely ineffective, then they haven't lost or gained anything. He may well prove that he can still be an effective player despite his mangled hand.
I like the Giants to win this one by simply out-scoring the Bucs.
Take NYG.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-08-15 |
Rams +3 v. Vikings |
Top |
18-21 |
Push |
0 |
134 h 5 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the St. Louis Rams.
The Minnesota Vikings host the St. Louis Rams this Sunday, and I think the bookmakers have the wrong team favored in this one. The Vikes are asked to cover a handful of points, perhaps because they have an impressive 5-2 record. A closer look at their schedule though reveals that none of those five wins have come against a team with a winning record, and in fact they've played the last place Lions twice. Their other three wins have come against the Chargers, Chiefs and Bears.
The Rams on the other hand have been testing themselves against the elite teams in the NFC West, and while they lost to the Packers, they did beat Seattle at home and won on the road at Arizona. Rookie running back Todd Gurley is already considered by some to be the league's top running back, coming off four straight games with over 125+ yards. He's averaging a league best 6.1 yards per carry this season, even more impressive when you look at the teams that he's faced.
Teddy Bridgewater still appears to have a long way to go as a quarterback in this league, and he threw for just 187 yards with a TD and an INT against the Bears. He's struggled against some of the league's weaker defenses, and I think he's going to be facing his toughest challenge of the season here this week. While the Rams and Vikes rank 5th and 6th respectively in total defense, the Vikings stats are a little skewed by an extremely soft schedule.
Take STL.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-01-15 |
Packers v. Broncos +3.5 |
Top |
10-29 |
Win
|
100 |
90 h 45 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Denver Broncos.
Have you heard the news? Peyton Manning is a has been, all washed up they say. Well I'll tell you right now that I'm not buying it. At the end of the day, his team is undefeated, and he's a big reason why. While his numbers don't show it, he's done just enough to put his team in position to win games, and that includes a 4th quarter comeback in Kansas City.
Manning threw for 256 yards and three TDs in that game, including an 80 yard drive that ended with a game-tying touchdown with 32 seconds on the clock. That allowed the Broncos to win the game with a fumble recovery for a TD on the next series.
It comes as no surprise to me that Manning's numbers are down this year, here is what I said before their home opener versus Baltimore: " I think this Denver team is going to have a different look in 2015. Rather than depending on Peyton Manning to carry the offense with an all out air attack, I expect more of an emphasis on the running game. I also believe they will have one of the league's best defenses with a healthy Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The Broncos had a whopping 20 sacks on opposing quarterbacks this pre-season."
You can also blame poor offensive line play for much of his struggles, but coming off a bye week might be just what they needed to rejuvenate. The Packers rank first in the NFL in points allowed, but they were lit up for 503 yards and two TDs by Phillip Rivers in their last game.
Green Bay's prolific offense has never been quite as potent away from Lambeau Field, and they totaled just 17 points in San Francisco in their last road game. Rodgers has averaged just 206 passing yards in two road games this season, and a trip to Denver is a tougher test than the previous two.
Take DEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-01-15 |
Seahawks -5.5 v. Cowboys |
Top |
13-12 |
Loss |
-107 |
161 h 36 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Seattle Seahawks.
After going to back to back Superbowls, and winning their division two years in a row, the Seahawks are flying under the radar this year with a record of just 3-4. They've lost three of four on the road, but lets have a look at those games. The St. Louis Rams, Green Bay Packers, and Cincinnati Bengals boast a combined record of 15-3. Seattle actually led in the fourth quarter of all three of those games.
If Cowboys fans relish the fact that Seattle has blown late leads, I would be quick to ask: "Do you really think Matt Cassel can engineer a fourth quarter comeback against this defense?"
The Cowboys lost to the Giants last week, and Cassel looked terrible throwing for 227 yards with a TD and three INTs on 17-of-27 passing. That was against a New York defense that came into that game ranking near last in the NFL against the pass.
The Seahawks lead the league in rushing, averaging over 143 yards per game. Dallas couldn't stop the Giants last week, as New York ran for 132 yards and a TD on just 25 attempts. This figures to be a tough matchup for the Cowboys who are likely going to struggle to run the ball, putting more pressure on their struggling backup quarterback.
Dez Bryant may return from injury, but he isn't likely to be as much of a factor as you might think. Tony Romo only missed one game last year, and Bryant caught just two passes for 15 yards in that game, with Brandon Weeden at quarterback in a 28-17 loss at Arizona.
Take SEA.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-01-15 |
49ers v. Rams -7 |
Top |
6-27 |
Win
|
100 |
160 h 45 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the St. Louis Rams.
The San Francisco 49ers were embarrassed at home in a loss to Seattle on Thursday night. They can expect more of the same as they head out on the road to face a St. Louis team that has a similar defense. The Rams are coming off a big home win over the Browns, limiting Cleveland to a pair of field goals in a 24-6 victory. Todd Gurley was the star once again, he ran for 128 yards and a pair of TDs on just 19 carries. The rookie has averaged 144 yards per game, on better than six yards per carry over the last three games. Gurley will try to do what Marshawn Lynch did to this 49ers defense, as Beast Mode ran for 122 yards and a TD in Seattle's win last Thursday. Making matters even worse for San Francisco, they will be without their starting running back Carlos Hyde, who is battling a foot injury. Rugby League star Jarryd Hayne will be filling in, but this is a tough spot for the Aussie to try to make a name for himself. Colin Kaepernick was sacked six times last week, while throwing for just 124 yards and no scores. He's facing a Rams defense that ranks second on the NFL in sacks, so you can expect him to spend plenty of time picking himself up off the turf here today.
Take STL.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-01-15 |
Giants v. Saints -168 |
Top |
49-52 |
Win
|
100 |
82 h 19 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the New Orleans Saints.
New Orleans is coming off back to back upset wins over the Falcons and the Colts. Drew Brees has looked sharp since returning from injury, and he could be in for a big night against the Giants 31st ranked pass defense at home in the Superdome. Keep an eye on running back Mark Ingram as well, the 25 year old out of Alabama ran for a season high 143 yards and a TD against the Colts last week. Brees may have the luxury of having plenty of time to drop back in the pocket, as the Giants are really struggling to get to the quarterback. Just how bad is their pass rush? Well they've been using their backup fullback to fill in with so many injuries on defense. They also just signed Jason Pierre Paul to a contract despite the fact that he only has half of his right hand (the other half was blown off in a fireworks accident). The Saints have won three straight home meetings with the Giants, scoring an average of 47 points in those victories. We should expect another blowout in the Big Easy here on Sunday.
Take N.O.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-26-15 |
Baltimore Ravens v. Arizona Cardinals -7.5 |
Top |
18-26 |
Win
|
100 |
130 h 1 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Arizona Cardinals.
The Ravens come into Arizona with a 1-5 record, and their one victory came in overtime in Pittsburgh against a Steelers team that was without it's starting quarterback. They lost badly at San Francisco last week, and lost to the Cleveland Browns at home a week earlier. The Cardinals have had little trouble running up the score against the league's weaker teams, with double digit wins over New Orleans, Chicago, Detroit and San Francisco.
Carson Palmer is having a big year, throwing for 1737 yards with 17 TDs and five INTs so far. He's likely to have a big game hear against a banged up Baltimore defense that allowed Colin Kaepernick to throw for a season high 340 yards last week.
Joe Flacco was picked off twice in the loss to the 49ers, and he's simply being asked to do too much with very little help. He isn't surrounded by a lot of talent, with a depleted receiving corps, and a backup running back in Justin Forsett who only became the starter after Ray Rice was cut. Forsett was not very effective last week against San Francisco, running for 62 yards on 17 carries. He isn't likely to have any more success against an Arizona defense that is particularly strong against the run.
The Cardinals have been very tough at home, going 15-4 under Bruce Arians. They've also won 16 of 20 with Carson Palmer at quarterback.
Take ARI.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-25-15 |
New Orleans Saints v. Indianapolis Colts -4 |
Top |
27-21 |
Loss |
-115 |
87 h 9 m |
Show
|
This is a Free #NFL play on the Indianapolis #Colts.
The Colts came into this season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl, but after starting the season with back to back losses, their stock dropped significantly. Chuck Pagano made a colossal blunder on a fake punt late in last week's loss to New England, but overall the Colts looked pretty impressive in that game. Andrew Luck threw for a season high 312 yards and three TDs, and finally looks healthy.
In hindsight, I believe his poor play earlier in the season was likely due to a shoulder injury that was bothering him long before anyone was aware of it. He should be in for a big day against this Saints defense that ranks 25th in the NFL against the pass. New Orleans is 0-3 on the road so far, surrendering a total of 97 points in those three losses.
Drew Brees is still one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but his numbers are always better at the Super Dome than they are on the road. He's completed 74% of his passes for 926 yards, four TDs and one INT in three home games. His completion percentage drops to 61% on the road, throwing for 690 yards, three TDs and two INTs.
The Colts are 22-8-1 ATS in their last 31 home games, and the Saints have lost 10 of their last 14 road games. I think the number here should be a lot higher in favor of the Colts.
Take IND.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-25-15 |
NY Jets v. New England Patriots UNDER 48 |
Top |
23-30 |
Loss |
-105 |
62 h 0 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on NYJ@NE to go UNDER the total. The Patriots are coming off a big win over the Colts in Indianapolis last week, but I think that sets them up for a let down here at home versus the Jets. This is by far the best team they have faced so far, and yet they are still being asked to cover a fair sized number. The Jets rank 1st overall in total defense, and they have allowed opponents to average just 187 yards passing per game. They went into Indianapolis in Week 2 and dismantled the Colts, winning by a score of 20-7. They picked off Andrew Luck three times in that game. Tom Brady certainly isn't expecting this game to be an easy one, and here is what he was saying during the week: "We've had a lot of close games with them over the years," he said. "A lot of situational football has come into play, a lot of two-minute drives and stopping them at the end, overtime games. Not too many games have really gotten out of hand." Nobody has been able to stop Brady this season, and the Jets will want to keep the ball out of his hands by holding possession with long clock killing drives handing off to Chris Ivory. The Jets star running back is averaging 5.5 yards per carry this season, and he's run for over 300 yards in his last two games. The Patriots defense hasn't had much success against the run, allowing opponents to average 114 yards per game. The weather could also be a factor here in Foxboro, as the weatherman is calling for a cold and windy day with a strong possibility of rain. That should play right into the hands of the Jets, who would be more than happy to grind it out in the trenches. Take UNDER. GL, Jesse Schule
|
10-25-15 |
Houston Texans v. Miami Dolphins UNDER 45 |
Top |
26-44 |
Loss |
-110 |
12 h 16 m |
Show
|
|
10-19-15 |
NY Giants +3.5 v. Philadelphia Eagles |
Top |
7-27 |
Loss |
-110 |
179 h 7 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the New York Giants.
The Eagles are getting a lot of love from the public here at home on Monday night. They are a pretty big favorite when you consider they still have a losing record, and both their wins were aided by turnovers. Last week they beat a pretty bad Saints team, and Drew Brees threw and interception and lot two fumbles. Their only other win came against the Jets, and New York tuned the ball over four times in that game.
Chip Kelly isn't really fooling anybody with this offense, and DeMarco Murray and Sam Bradford have both failed to live up to expectations. Bradford ranks 30th in the NFL with a passer rating of 83.7, while Murray has averaged just 2.7 yards per carry, and has failed to rush for 100 yards in any of his games this season.
Eli Manning is having a great season so far, and he threw for a season high 441 yards and three TDs in a home win over San Francisco last Sunday. He's fortunate to have one of the best receivers in the game in Odell Beckham Jr., who caught 11 passes for 121 yards and a TD in the win over the Niners. He's still listed as questionable for this game with a sore hamstring, but he'll more than likely be able to go.
The Giants own the leagues' top run defense so far this season, allowing only 80 rushing yards per game and a total of just three rushing TDs. If they can stop the Eagles running game, I don't think Philly will be able to take advantage of a below average New York secondary. The Eagles don't exactly have the most talented receiving corps, and they've been plagued by penalties and poor play on the offensive line.
This line looks incredibly inflated, and I like New York's chances of keeping it close, if not winning outright.
Take NYG.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-18-15 |
Carolina Panthers +7.5 v. Seattle Seahawks |
Top |
27-23 |
Win
|
100 |
145 h 6 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Carolina Panthers.
The Seahawks are a team with a big reputation, but with a record that doesn't match up. They've won only two games this season, and those two opponents have a combined record of 2-8. Even in the games they won, their offense has failed to impress. Russell Wilson isn't getting any pass protection, and he's on pace to be sacked 70 times this season.
Seattle is asked to cover a big number at home against an undefeated Carolina team, and I think they are getting way too much respect from the bookmakers here. The Panthers own the league's best defense against the run, allowing opponents to average just 92 rushing yards per game.
Andy Dalton carved up the Seattle secondary last week, throwing for 331 yards and a pair of TDs on 30-of-44 passing. His top target was TE Tyler Eifert, who caught eight passes for 90 yards and two TDs. Cam Newton knows a thing or two about hooking up with his TE, as Greg Olsen leads the team with 243 receiving yards and a pair of TDs.
With Seattle coming off a tough loss on the road at Cincinnati, and Carolina coming in well rested off their bye week, I expect to see another close game between these two teams.
Take CAR.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-18-15 |
Cincinnati Bengals -128 v. Buffalo Bills |
Top |
34-21 |
Win
|
100 |
142 h 0 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Bengals rallied to score 17 points in the fourth quarter at home versus the Seahawks last week, winning 27-24 in overtime. Andy Dalton was sharp, throwing for 331 yards and a pair of TDs on 30-of-44 passing. Dalton is having a breakout season for the Bengals, who have been been firing on all cylinders. They catch Buffalo at a good time, as the Bills are banged up, and will be without their starting quarterback.
E.J. Manuel is expected to start in place of Tyrod Taylor, and he hasn't started a game since September of last year, when he threw for 225 yards with a pair of TDs and two INTs in a 23-17 loss to Houston. Sammy Watkins, LeSean McCoy and Percy Harvin are all expected to play despite nagging injuries, but it remains to be seen if they will be effective.
Buffalo's defense has looked vulnerable against the pass, getting lit up by the likes of Tom Brady and Eli Manning already this season. It doesn't get any easier with Andy Dalton and A.J. Green coming to town. Dalton threw for 327 yards and three TDs in a win at Buffalo in 2013, and I expect to see the Bengals offense run away with this game here on Sunday.
Take CIN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-18-15 |
Miami Dolphins v. Tennessee Titans -133 |
Top |
38-10 |
Loss |
-133 |
142 h 58 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Tennessee Titans.
The Dolphins come into Tennessee with a new coach, and off a bye week after their loss to the Jets in London two weeks ago. The Titans blew a 10-point lead at home against Buffalo last week, and they really need a win here at home against Miami.
While they have lost three in a row, there is still a lot of things to be positive about for the Titans. Marcus Mariota has played well, ranking in the top 10 in the NFL in passer rating as a rookie, and the defense has been solid. Tennessee owns the league's top defense against the pass, allowing opponents to average just 167 yards per game in the air.
To say the Dolphins have struggled to run the ball would be an understatement of epic proportions, as they rank 31st in the NFL averaging just 69 yards rushing per game. Only Detroit is worse, but at least the Lions have a pair of rushing TDs. The Dolphins haven't been able to punch one in yet this season.
Relying on Ryan Tannehill's arm for offense would appear to be a risky proposition, as he's thrown five INTs in his last two starts. He was picked off three times in a 37-3 loss the last time he faced these Titans.
Take TEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-11-15 |
Arizona Cardinals -150 v. Detroit Lions |
Top |
42-17 |
Win
|
100 |
122 h 21 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals suffered their first loss of the season last week at home to the St. Louis Rams, in a game where the bounces didn't go their way. The Cardinals fumbled the opening kickoff, allowing St. Louis to score early, and they were on the back foot for the remainder of the game. They now head out on the road to face the winless Detroit Lions, who got screwed in Seattle.
Carson Palmer has thrown for 300+ yards in three of his four starts this season, with 10 TDs and three INTs. Four of those TDs came in a 48-23 win on the road at Chicago. He threw for 248 yards and a TD in a 25-21 home win over Detroit the last time these teams faced each other, and Arizona has won six straight versus the Lions since 2006.
Matthew Stafford is struggling this season, with just five touchdown passes to go along with five picks. Detroit's inability to run the ball (ranked last in the league in rushing), isn't helping his cause.
The Lions one-dimensional offense is really going to have a tough time moving the ball against an Arizona team that ranks among the best in the NFL in total defense. Only the Carolina Panthers have more interceptions (8) than Arizona (7).
Take ARI.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-11-15 |
Seattle Seahawks v. Cincinnati Bengals -145 |
Top |
24-27 |
Win
|
100 |
119 h 15 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Seahawks were only one botched call away from starting the season 1-3. If the referees had of correctly ruled the "intentional bat" in the endzone in the dying seconds of Monday Night's game, the Lions would have had 1st and goal at the 1 yard line, and would have most likely won the game.
Now the Seahawks are still considered a contender, and their defense has played well in back to back wins. They aren't going to go very far unless they can turn around their struggling offense though, and missing their go-to guy Marshawn Lynch isn't going to help this week. Russell Wilson can't get anything going behind this leaky offensive line, and he was sacked six times against the Lions.
The Hawks are facing a Cincinnati team that is still undefeated, and has a record of 16-2-1 in it's last 19 home games. Only the New England Patriots are averaging more yards per game than the Bengals, who also rank among the league leaders in total defense.
Andy Dalton has thrown for 1,187 yards with nine TDs and just one INT, and he's having a real breakout year. The Bengals are 17-5-1 ATS in their last 23 home games, and they should be able to beat a Seattle team that is still winless on the road.
Take CIN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-04-15 |
Minnesota Vikings v. Denver Broncos -6.5 |
Top |
20-23 |
Loss |
-105 |
132 h 15 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Denver Broncos.
After running for 260 yards and two TDs in consecutive home wins, Adrian Peterson comes into this week's game at Denver surrounded by plenty of hype. Peterson poured a little gas on the fire by telling reporters he felt like he could have played in the NFL as a junior in high school. Well I think the Broncos defense is going to make him look like a high school junior this week.
Here is what I said about Denver before Week 1: "I think this Denver team is going to have a different look in 2015. Rather than depending on Peyton Manning to carry the offense with an all out air attack, I expect more of an emphasis on the running game. I also believe they will have one of the league's best defenses with a healthy Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The Broncos had a whopping 20 sacks on opposing quarterbacks this pre-season." So far Denver's defense has lived up to expectations, ranking 1st overall in the NFL in total defense, limiting opponents to 16.3 points per game. They are allowing an average of just 83 rushing yards per game, and they have 11 sacks during a 3-0 start.
Peyton Manning might be on the downside of his career, but the Hall of Famer still managed to complete 31-of-42 passes for 324 yards and two TDs on the road in Detroit last week. Teddy Bridgewater on the other hand has thrown more INTs (2) than TDs (1). He threw for just 121 yards and an INT on 12-of-23 passing at home against the Chargers last week.
The only thing Denver hasn't done well this year is run the ball, and they might be able to break out at home today against the Vikings 25th ranked run defense.
Take DEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-04-15 |
St Louis Rams v. Arizona Cardinals -6.5 |
Top |
24-22 |
Loss |
-123 |
98 h 2 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Arizona Cardinals. The Cardinals are big favorite at home to division rivals St. Louis on Sunday, and at first glance it might look like too many points. I think the Cardinals are for real though, and if they play anything like they have in the first three week, I don't think this game will be all that close. Their defense picked off Colin Kaepernick four times and sacked him twice, while holding the 49ers to a total of 170 yards in a 47-7 blowout win last Sunday. The Rams have dropped two in a row since upsetting the Seahawks in Week 1, and Nick Foles has struggled in those games. The former Eagle threw for 150 yards and a TD on 17-of-32 passing in a loss at Washington in his only start on the road this season. The Cardinals struggled after they lost Carson Palmer in a game against the Rams last year, but the veteran says he's in the best shape of his life, and his numbers back that up. He's thrown for 803 yards with nine TDs and two picks, helping the Cardinals go 3-0 and lead the NFL in scoring. Arizona has won 14 of it's last 16 home games with Palmer at quarterback. The Rams aren't a great road team, and they've struggled against Arizona failing to cover in four straight, and six of their last eight at Glendale. Take Arizona. GL, Jesse Schule
|
10-04-15 |
Oakland Raiders v. Chicago Bears OVER 44 |
Top |
20-22 |
Loss |
-110 |
129 h 1 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on OAK@CHI to go OVER the total. The young Raiders have won two of their first three heading into Sunday's game in Chicago, and they will be a slight favorite in this one. The Bears were shutout in Seattle last week, and backup quarterback Jimmy Claussen threw for just 63 yards on 7-of-19 passing. After opening the season with three straight losses, it looks like the Bears are already thinking about a rebuild. They dealt veteran defenders Jon Bostic and Jared Allen this week, and that has people speculating about pending free agents Matt Forte and Alshon Jeffery. I think it's only a matter of time before this Chicago team starts drawing comparisons to a heavy armored fighting vehicle carrying guns and moving on a continuous articulated metal track. In other words, their motivation to actually win games moving forward may be a little dubious. Oakland on the other hand has an exciting offense led by Derek Carr, who has passed for 726 yards with five TDs and just one INT during a 2-1 start. He has a talented young receiving corps with rookie Amari Cooper opposite Michael Crabtree. Latavius Murray ran for 139 yards and a TD in last weeks win over Cleveland, and he's averaging just under five yards per carry on the season. The defense is still a work in progress, allowing opponents to average an NFL worst 28.7 points on 414 yards per game. Their strength is a ferocious pass rush, and they sacked Josh McCown five times in Cleveland last week. That's bad news for Jimmy Claussen, as Bears quarterbacks haven't enjoyed much in the way of pass protection in recent seasons. The Bears have gone over in eight of their last nine versus teams with a winning record.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
10-04-15 |
NY Jets v. Miami Dolphins UNDER 42 |
Top |
27-14 |
Win
|
100 |
140 h 47 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on NYJ@MIA to go UNDER the total.
The Jets have won two of three heading into this week's game in London, and their loss to the Eagles last week was a result of a combination of bad luck and poor execution on offense. They face a Miami team that is coming off back to back embarrassing losses. These teams are similar is style, as they both play a conservative style leaning on their defense. These teams have a history of playing low scoring games, with seven of the last nine in this series falling short of the total. Both these teams were terrible on offense last week, as Ryan Fitzpatrick and Ryan Tannehill each threw three picks. I'm expecting both teams to continue to struggle moving the ball here in England, and we should see another defensive battle at Wembley.
Take UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-27-15 |
San Francisco 49ers v. Arizona Cardinals -6 |
Top |
7-47 |
Win
|
100 |
159 h 46 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Arizona Cardinals.
The San Francisco 49ers had a rough off-season, losing several key players as well as their head coach. They proved in Week 1 that they can still be competitive, beating the Vikings by a score of 20-3 at home. They looked a lot more like the team everyone expected them to be when they lost 43-18 to the Steelers in Pittsburgh. It won't get an easier this week, facing an Arizona team that owns on of the league's best defenses.
San Francisco needs to run the ball to be successful, and the Cardinals defense specializes in stopping the run. Two years ago Arizona boasted the league's #1 run defense allowing opponents to average just 84 yards per game. They took a step back last year due to injuries, but this season they're allowing an average of just 81 yards during a 2-0 start.
Carson Palmer is back healthy, and he's tied with Tom Brady for the league lead with seven TD passes. I don't give Colin Kaepernick a "Snowball's Chance in Hell" of keeping up with Palmer in a shootout.
The 49ers lost 24-13 at Arizona last year, and they only managed 82 yards on 23 rushing attempts. Palmer didn't even play in that game, but Drew Stanton threw for 244 yards and a pair of TDs, while Kaepernick found the endzone just once.
Take ARI.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-27-15 |
Jacksonville Jaguars v. New England Patriots OVER 47 |
Top |
17-51 |
Win
|
100 |
156 h 42 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on JAX@NE to go OVER the total.
The Patriots offense is firing on all cylinders heading into Sunday's home game versus Jacksonville. The same can't be said for their defense, that has allowed opponents to average over 400 yards through their first two games. The Jags are coming into this game off a home win versus Miami, and Blake Bortles threw for 273 yards and a pair of TDs in that game.
Tom Brady leads the NFL with 754 yards and seven TDs through the first two games of the season, and he's likely to put up big numbers here at home against this Jags defense. The total for this game looks a little too low when you consider New England's history of running up the score at home. They've gone over the total in 35 of their last 51 home games.
The Jags will have their work cut out for them trying to slow Rob Gronkowski, who has 207 yards and four TDs so far. I don't like their chances of doing what Seattle failed to do in the Super Bowl, and what Buffalo failed to do at home last week.
With a lack of depth at the running back position, New England only attempted 15 running plays last week. We should expect more of the same this week, and leaning on the passing game should result in another high scoring game.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-27-15 |
Oakland Raiders v. Cleveland Browns OVER 41.5 |
Top |
27-20 |
Win
|
100 |
156 h 41 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on OAK@CLE to go OVER the total.
The Oakland Raiders flashed an impressive offense in a 36-33 home win over Baltimore last week, but it was the second week in a row they gave up 33 points. We see a low number here in Cleveland, and I am not convinced that either of these two defenses is going to be successful.
Derek Carr has some new weapons at wide receiver, and it payed off last week to the tune of 351 yards and three TDs. Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper each went over 100 yards, with 16 catches between them. Latavius Murray provides enough of a running game to keep teams honest, and this Raiders offense appears to be the real deal.
Cleveland got a big game from Johnny Foobtall last week, but for some reason the Browns are choosing to go back to Josh McCown here on Sunday. The Browns should get their share of points facing an Oakland team that ranks dead last in total defense.
The Raiders have gone over in six straight versus opponents from the AFC, and in four of their last five on the road.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-27-15 |
Philadelphia Eagles v. NY Jets UNDER 47 |
Top |
24-17 |
Win
|
100 |
117 h 7 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on PHI@NYJ to go UNDER the total.
The Eagles offense looked unstoppable in the pre-season, but they've had their wings clipped in the first two games of the regular season. It won't get any easier this week on the road in New York, facing the 2-0 Jets.
New York has terrorized opposing quarterbacks so far, picking off Andrew Luck three times on Monday night, and forcing an interception and four fumbles in Week 1 versus Cleveland. They are the first team in over 20 years to have five takeaways in each of their first two games to start a season.
That certainly doesn't bode well for the Eagles, who haven't been able to get anything going with their running game. Despite signing last year's leading rusher DeMarco Murrary in the off-season, the Eagles have run for an NFL worst 70 yards in the first two weeks. The offensive line has struggled, taking a ton of holding penalties and giving Sam Bradford very little time to get rid of the ball. Bradford has thrown four interceptions and just two TD passes during an 0-2 start.
Despite the fact that the Jets have been dominant on defense, we see a really high number in this game. I don't see Philly scoring enough points to push the total over here, and New York has a pretty conservative approach on offense.
Take UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-20-15 |
Dallas Cowboys v. Philadelphia Eagles UNDER 55.5 |
Top |
20-10 |
Win
|
100 |
86 h 47 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on DAL@PHI to go UNDER the total.
The Cowboys needs a miraculous rally to beat the Giants at home in Week 1, but that game really should never have been as close as it was. The Dallas defense actually did a great job shutting down Eli Manning and Odell Beckham Jr. Manning threw for just 193 yards with no scores on 20-of-36 passing. Beckham Jr. was held to five catches for 44 yards.
The Eagles came into this season with a hyped up offense that was supposed to score at will, but they managed just three points in the first half against the Falcons. Sam Bradford didn't look sharp overall, throwing a couple of picks and missing a couple of open targets that should have been easy touchdowns. DeMarco Murray was a non factor carrying the ball just eight times for a total of nine yards.
We see the total is sky high once again this week, despite the fact that the Eagles were grounded by the Falcons, and Dallas comes in to Philly without Dez Bryant. I expect to see both these teams try to establish the run in this divisional contest, and I don't think either defense is going to be giving up easy yards.
Philly's defense actually looked pretty good in Atlanta, picking off Matt Ryan twice, and holding the Falcons to 105 yards rushing on 35 carries (three yards per carry). The Cowboys have failed to go over the total in seven of their last nine overall, and none of those games saw a number as high as we see today.
Take UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-20-15 |
Tampa Bay Buccaneers v. New Orleans Saints OVER 47 |
Top |
26-19 |
Loss |
-108 |
156 h 33 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on TB@NO to go OVER the total.
It came as no surprise to me that the Buccaneers were blown out at home in a 42-14 loss to Tennessee in Week 1. Here is what I said prior to the game: "If Bucs fans were hoping Jameis Winston would save the day, they are about to be sadly disappointed. I've never been a fan of Famous Jameis, who I think has always been overrated. They say he only lost one game in his two year career at Florida State, and that would be a lot more impressive if he played in the SEC. The fact is most of those wins came against cupcakes, making his stats in 2014 even more concerning. Winston threw 18 picks last year, the most of any quarterback ranked in the top 40 in passing yards in the FBS."
I expect the rookie to continue to struggle on the road in a hostile environment in New Orleans. He may have his moments though, as the Saints defense struggled in a Week 1 loss to Arizona, and they ranked among the worst in the NFL against the pass last season.
The Buccaneers defense made a rookie quarterback on a poor team look like a Hall of Famer last week, and this week they will face a legitimate Hall of Famer in Drew Brees. The Saints star quarterback led the league in passing yards last season, and he threw for 355 yards and a TD with one INT against a very strong Arizona defense on the road in Week 1.
He should be able to shred up this terrible Tampa secondary, and we should see a blowout in the Big Easy. The Saints have scored an average of 40 points in their last three home games versus Tampa.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-20-15 |
Arizona Cardinals -1 v. Chicago Bears |
Top |
48-23 |
Win
|
100 |
156 h 32 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals were one of the NFL's best teams last season, until Carson Palmer went down with an injury. The Cardinals won eight of their first nine games, and went into Week 10 with the league's top rated defense. "We're as talented as anybody in this league," Palmer said. "I think if you're to put our roster up against anybody's roster and just kind of look at all the intangibles of each guy and the backups, I would put our roster up against everybody." I have to agree with the veteran quarterback. This team is loaded with talent and depth, and should be a contender in the NFC West.
They certainly looked the part in Week 1, defeating the Saints by a score of 31-19. Palmer threw for 307 yards and three TDs on 19-of-32 passing. The defense did a good job against last year's passing leader, limiting Drew Brees to one TD and an INT.
The Bears lost to the Packers in Week 1, and that was quite a predictable result. Jay Cutler completed 50 percent of his passes for 225 yards with a TD and an INT. The Bears had success with the running game last week, but it could be a lot more difficult to pick up yards on the ground against the Cardinals, who only gave up 54 rushing yards last week.
Take Arizona.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-20-15 |
New England Patriots v. Buffalo Bills |
Top |
40-32 |
Loss |
-104 |
146 h 12 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills didn't just upset the heavily favored Colts in Week 1, they demolished Indianapolis by a score of 27-14. Their defense terrorized Andrew Luck, forcing him into two interceptions, and sacking him twice. Rookie quarterback Tyrod Taylor was extremely efficient, throwing for 195 yards and a TD on 14-of-19 passing. Karlos Williams led the team with 55 yards and a TD on just six carries. He might be asked to do more this week as Shady McCoy is a little banged up.
The Patriots had all sorts of defensive issues in their win over the Steelers, and they let a 32 year old backup running back go for 127 yards on 21 carries. The fact of the matter is, if the Steelers didn't continue to shoot themselves in the foot, they should have had a chance to win that game. Without Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, the Pats secondary really struggled. Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 133 yards and a TD.
Brady had a big game, but playing on the road in Buffalo is a whole different monster in comparison to picking apart the Steelers at home. The lack of a running game didn't hurt them in Week 1, but a one-dimensional offense could be in trouble on the road against one of the NFL's best defenses.
Take BUF.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-20-15 |
San Francisco 49ers v. Pittsburgh Steelers -6.5 |
Top |
18-43 |
Win
|
100 |
7 h 37 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Patriots had all sorts of defensive issues in their win over the Steelers, and they let a 32 year old backup running back go for 127 yards on 21 carries. The fact of the matter is, if the Steelers didn't continue to shoot themselves in the foot, they should have had a chance to win that game. Without Darrelle Revis and Brandon Browner, the Pats secondary really struggled. Antonio Brown caught nine passes for 133 yards and a TD. The Niners come in to Pittsburgh on short rest after a Monday night game, while the Steelers have had plenty of time to plan and prepare since Thursday. This advantage should be even more evident in the first half, and I expect Pittsburgh to run up the score before halftime. Take PIT. GL, Jesse Schule
|
09-14-15 |
Philadelphia Eagles v. Atlanta Falcons OVER 53 |
Top |
24-26 |
Loss |
-110 |
677 h 0 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on PHI@ATL to go OVER the total.
The Falcons will host the Eagles on Monday Night Football in Week 1, and we should expect plenty of scoring in this one. These two teams are both explosive on offense, but a little suspect on the defensive side of the ball. The Falcons ranked dead last in the NFL in total defense last season, and I don't like their chances of slowing down these Eagles here tonight.
Chip Kelly comes into this season with a new quarterback, and Sam Bradford looked great in the pre-season. He threw for 121 yards and three TDs on 10-of-10 passing in the Eagles Week 3 "dress rehearsal" game in Green Bay.
Matt Ryan threw for 448 yards and three TDs in the Falcons home opener against the Saints last year, winning by a score of 37-34. When Julio Jones is healthy, he's been impossible to stop. He's averaged more receiving yards per game than any other player in the NFL over the last two seasons. We can expect Jones to have a big day here against a Philly defense that struggled against the pass last season. Philly ranked 31st in the league against the pass, only Atlanta ranked worse.
The Eagles have seen the total go over in four of their last five road games, and I expect that trend to continue here in the dome in Atlanta tonight.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-13-15 |
NY Giants v. Dallas Cowboys -6 |
Top |
26-27 |
Loss |
-115 |
12 h 11 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on the Dallas Cowboys.
In 2014, Eli Manning nearly doubled his TD total, while reducing the number of interceptions thrown to nearly 50% from the previous season. Will he be able to do it again in 2015, that's something that remains to be seen. It starts with the offensive line, which has been a sore spot in recent seasons. This unit is still a big question mark, coming into the season banged up, lacking depth. The Giants ranked 29th in the NFL in total defense last year, and that cost coordinator Perry Fewell his job. They turn to a familiar face in 2015, with Steve Spagnuolo coming back. His job may be a lot more difficult after Jason Pierre-Paul lost a finger in a fireworks accident this summer. When all is said and done, I don't trust Eli Manning, and I think Odell Beckham Jr. is going to have a tough time living up to all the hype.
The Cowboys lost the NFL's leading rusher when DeMarco Murray bolted to Philly, and that has people wondering how much the Cowboys are going to miss him. I think a better question is how much is Murray going to miss running behind the best offensive line in the NFL? There's no doubt in my mind that Joseph Randle and the rest of the Cowboy's deep backfield will thrive this season.
The Giants have lost four straight to the Cowboys, and I don't like their chances on the road here without Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul.
Take Dallas.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-13-15 |
Baltimore Ravens v. Denver Broncos UNDER 49.5 |
Top |
13-19 |
Win
|
100 |
171 h 57 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on BAL@DEN to go UNDER the total.
The Broncos will begin the season at home against Baltimore, and I think this Denver team is going to have a different look in 2015. Rather than depending on Peyton Manning to carry the offense with an all out air attack, I expect more of an emphasis on the running game. I also believe they will have one of the league's best defenses with a healthy Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware. The Broncos had a whopping 20 sacks on opposing quarterbacks this pre-season.
"It's going to be a work in progress through the year, too," vice president of football operations John Elway said. "We're not going to be kicking on all cylinders. We'd like to, but it's still going to be a work in progress with this offense and people are going to continue to get more and more comfortable with it, even after we start the regular season."
The Ravens have a revamped secondary with a healthy Jimmy Smith and newly acquired Kyle Arrington at the corners. "I think we're going to be a pretty darn good football team," Harbaugh told the Ravens' official website. "We're excited about where we're at, and I can't wait to see what we do when the games are for real."
While these teams have gone over the total in four straight meetings, the number in this game is higher than it was in any of those contests.
Take UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-13-15 |
New Orleans Saints v. Arizona Cardinals -129 |
Top |
19-31 |
Win
|
100 |
297 h 8 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Arizona Cardinals.
The Saints are coming off a brutal 2014 season, finishing with a 7-9 record and missing the playoffs. They lost tight end Jimmy Graham, wide receiver Kenny Stills and DE Junior Galette in the off-season, and they are coming off an 0-4 pre-season. Still the betting public seems to have faith in the Saints, as they are just a slight favorite on the road in Arizona in Week 1.
The Cardinals were one of the NFL's best teams last season, until Carson Palmer went down with an injury. The Cardinals won eight of their first nine games, and went into Week 10 with the league's top rated defense. "We're as talented as anybody in this league," Palmer said. "I think if you're to put our roster up against anybody's roster and just kind of look at all the intangibles of each guy and the backups, I would put our roster up against everybody."
I have to agree with the veteran quarterback. This team is loaded with talent and depth, and should be a contender in the NFC West. The Saints defense was terrible last year, only the Atlanta Falcons surrendered more yards per game. They didn't give us any reason to expect an improvement this pre-season, and Carson Palmer should be in line for a big day in the Cardinals home opener.
Palmer was 6-0 as a starter last year with 1,626 yards, 11 TDs and just three interceptions.
Take ARI.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-13-15 |
Kansas City Chiefs v. Houston Texans UNDER 41 |
Top |
27-20 |
Loss |
-105 |
577 h 3 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on KC@HOU to go UNDER the total.
The Chiefs begin the season on the road in Houston, and I am expecting both these teams to dominate defensively. Kansas City has failed to reach the total in five of it's last six road games, and the Texans have seen the total go under in five of their last seven overall.
Both J.J. Watt and Jadeveon Clowney are healthy and ready to go for Houston, and that's not good news for a Chiefs team that failed to throw a touchdown pass to a wide receiver last season. The good news for Kansas City fans is that they have Jamaal Charles (self proclaimed LeBron James of football). Houston's defense ranked in the Top 10 in the NFL against the run last season, and that was without Clowney. They could be even tougher this season, and as bad as they look offensively they will have to be.
The Texans quarterback situation has been an absolute nightmare in recent seasons, and it's tough to believe that Brian Hoyer is going to be the answer. He completed just 55% of his passes, throwing for a dozen TDs and 13 picks with the Browns last season. Arian Foster won't play, leaving him without a safety net in the backfield. Alfred Blue didn't inspire much confidence filling in for Foster last year, averaging just 3.1 yards per carry and totaling just two TDs.
The Under is 42-19-1 in Chiefs last 62 games on grass.
Take UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-13-15 |
Miami Dolphins -170 v. Washington Redskins |
Top |
17-10 |
Win
|
100 |
373 h 35 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Miami Dolphins.
The Redskins are the laughing stock of the NFL, and their continued mismanagement of quarterback RGIII was front and center again this pre-season. Griffin will start this game on the bench after suffering a concussion in theWa pre-season. Kirk Cousins has been named the starter, and the Redskins have lost seven of nine with Cousins at quarterback. The 27 year old has more interceptions (19) in his career than he does touchdowns (18).
To be fair, the poor play of Washington's offensive line is probably to blame for much of his struggles. They Skins will have their work cut out for them trying to hold off a fierce Miami pass rush and newly acquired Ndamukong Suh. "It's Suh, it's Wake, it's Vernon, they have a great front," Gruden said. "(Defensive tackle Earl) Mitchell is doing a great job so I think just trying to keep them off balance (is key)."
Washington lost seven of it's final eight games last year, and this downward spiral appears to have no end in sight.
Take MIA.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
09-10-15 |
Pittsburgh Steelers +7.5 v. New England Patriots |
Top |
21-28 |
Win
|
100 |
48 h 1 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Patriots are defending Super Bowl champions, and they open the 2015 season at home versus Pittsburgh on Thursday Night Football. Tom Brady has won his appeal against the NFL, and his suspension was overturned, allowing him to start here in Week 1.
So everything is fine and dandy in New England? Well .. not exactly. Tom Brady has had a rough pre-season, on and off the field. Let's not worry about his personal life, and all the rumors regarding his marriage, and just focus on the fact that he didn't play very well at all in limited action in three pre-season games. Then you take a look at New England's offense without Brandon LaFell and LeGarrette Blount, and possibly Julian Edelman, it would be no surprise to see the 38 year old struggle here in Week 1.
The Steelers aren't anywhere near full strength either, with Le'veon Bell and Martavis Bryant serving suspensions, and starting center Maurkice Pouncey sidlined with a broken ankle. Unlike New England though, they have decent backups at running back with Dri Archer and DeAngelo Williams. They also have more depth at wide receiver, with Markus Wheaton and Antonio Brown.
I think Pittsburgh's offense will be good enough to keep this game close.
Take PIT.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
02-01-15 |
Seattle Seahawks v. New England Patriots OVER 48 |
Top |
24-28 |
Win
|
100 |
318 h 45 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the OVER for Super Bowl XLIX. It seems that the overwhelming majority of the pundits expect this game to be close. ESPN's writers and radio hosts released their Super Bowl picks today, and of 40 predicted scores, only three people predicted a margin of victory greater than a TD. I think it might be wishful thinking to expect such a close game, and I wouldn't be surprised to see this game turn into a blowout. If Seattle's #1 ranked defense shuts down the Patriots, we should see a low scoring game right? Well not necessarily.. just look at what happened last year against the Broncos, or in each of their two previous playoff games. If the Seahawks defense isn't able to stop Brady, then the Patriots are likely to run away with this game. The addition of LeGarrette Blount gives the Pats another deadly weapon on offense, making them that much harder to stop. These teams have met three times over the last 10 years, and all three of those games saw the total go over. Seattle has seen the total go over in nine of it's last 12 playoff games. Take OVER. GL, Jesse Schule
|
02-01-15 |
Seattle Seahawks -110 v. New England Patriots |
Top |
24-28 |
Loss |
-110 |
63 h 8 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Seattle Seahawks. I like the Seahawks to repeat as Super Bowl champs. They own the league's best defense, as well as the #1 ranked rushing offense. They actually matchup quite well against New England, and we all know they have a history of shutting down elite quarterbacks.
Their come from behind win against the Packers was no exception, they held Aaron Rodgers to just 178 yards on 19-of-34 passing, with one TD and a pair of INTs.
The Patriots have been in cruise control since October, but lets not forget that Monday Night Football game in Kansas City on September 29. The Chiefs dominated the game from start to finish, running all over the New England defense. The final score was 41-14, and Tom Brady finished the game on the bench after throwing for 159 yards and two INTs.
The Pats didn't matchup well against the Chiefs, and the reality is .. Seattle can do everything the Chiefs can do, only better.
Marshawn Lynch went off in the NFC Championship Game, running for 157 yards and a TD in Seattle’s 28-22 come from behind win. Russell Wilson did not look sharp, especially in the first half against the Packers. With Wilson coming off possibly the worst performance of his career (4 INTs), Pete Carroll should look to establish the run early in the Super Bowl.
While he didn’t put up big numbers in last year’s Super Bowl win over the Broncos, he did get in the end zone for a second quarter TD. Lynch scored four TDs in Seattle’s final three games of the season, against the elite defenses of San Francisco, Arizona and St. Louis.
I expect Lynch to have a big game here in the "Big Game".
Take SEA.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
01-18-15 |
Indianapolis Colts v. New England Patriots -6 |
Top |
7-45 |
Win
|
100 |
86 h 55 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the New England Patriots.
The Patriots host the Colts in the AFC Championship Game Sunday, and we see a high total in a game that is expected to be a shootout. The Colts though have allowed an average of just 11.5 points in back to back playoff wins.
The Patriots needed to rally to come from behind and beat the Ravens last week, winning by a score of 35-31. I expect to see a much better effort from the Pats this week, against a Colts team that they have owned in recent seasons.
New England has won five straight in this series, covering the points in each of the last three. We saw the Patriots lean heavily on the running game when these teams met in last year's playoffs. LaGarrette Blount ran for 166 yards and four TDs in that game, and he's back in New England after playing for Pittsburgh for most of the season. The Pats are 8-1 ATS in their last nine home games versus an opponent with a winning record.
Take NE.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
01-18-15 |
Indianapolis Colts v. New England Patriots UNDER 54 |
Top |
7-45 |
Win
|
100 |
79 h 6 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on IND@NE to go Under the total. The Patriots host the Colts in the AFC Championship Game Sunday, and we see a high total in a game that is expected to be a shootout. The Colts though have allowed an average of just 11.5 points in back to back playoff wins. Last week's upset win at Denver was their sixth straight game that went under the total. The Patriots needed to rally to come from behind and beat the Ravens last week, winning by a score of 35-31. I expect to see a much better effort from the Pats this week, against a Colts team that they have owned in recent seasons. New England has won five straight in this series, covering the points in each of the last three. We saw the Patriots lean heavily on the running game when these teams met in last year's playoffs. LaGarrette Blount ran for 166 yards and four TDs in that game, and he's back in New England after playing for Pittsburgh for most of the season. Between these two teams they've seen just two of their last 13 games go over the total. Take UNDER. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-11-15 |
Indianapolis Colts v. Denver Broncos UNDER 54 |
Top |
24-13 |
Win
|
100 |
57 h 52 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on IND@DEN to go UNDER the total. Peyton Manning has thrown twice as many INTS (6) as he has TDs (3) over his last three starts. Denver though has won three of those games, including the season finale against Oakland. It appears that the Broncos have got their running game going in time for the playoffs, and we can expect them to lean heavily on the run here on Sunday. The Colts didn't impress at home against Bengals last week, and a similar effort here against the Broncos won't get it done. Watching the game, one thing that stood out to me was just how balls were dropped by the Indy receivers. This is a not a new issue for the Colts, as they led the league in drops during the regular season. Denver's defense is healthier than it has been for most of the season, and I expect them to make life very tough for Andrew Luck. The Broncos have forced 13 turnovers while winning five of their last six games, and they finished 8-0 at home outscoring the opposition by more than 14 points in those games. These teams met in Week 1, and Denver took a 17 point lead into the locker room at the half. We could see a more conservative approach here in the playoffs, and I think these teams will have trouble scoring enough points to push the total over. Take Under. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-11-15 |
Indianapolis Colts v. Denver Broncos -7 |
Top |
24-13 |
Loss |
-100 |
57 h 31 m |
Show
|
This is a 6* play on the Denver Broncos. Peyton Manning has thrown twice as many INTS (6) as he has TDs (3) over his last three starts. Denver though has won three of those games, including the season finale against Oakland. It appears that the Broncos have got their running game going in time for the playoffs, and we can expect them to lean heavily on the run here on Sunday. The Colts didn't impress at home against Bengals last week, and a similar effort here against the Broncos won't get it done. Watching the game, one thing that stood out to me was just how balls were dropped by the Indy receivers. This is a not a new issue for the Colts, as they led the league in drops during the regular season. Denver's defense is healthier than it has been for most of the season, and I expect them to make life very tough for Andrew Luck. The Broncos have forced 13 turnovers while winning five of their last six games, and they finished 8-0 at home outscoring the opposition by more than 14 points in those games. These teams met in Week 1, and Denver took a 17 point lead into the locker room at the half. We could see a more conservative approach here in the playoffs, but I think we'll see the same team prevail. Take DEN. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-11-15 |
Dallas Cowboys v. Green Bay Packers -6.5 |
Top |
21-26 |
Loss |
-100 |
155 h 16 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Green Bay Packers. The Cowboys will play the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, despite the fact that many feel they didn't deserve to beat the Lions last week. The Cowboys come from behind victory was aided by bad calls, non calls, and reversed calls that allowed them to erase a 14 point deficit. It wasn't pretty for the Cowboys, as Tony Romo was sacked a season high six times, Dex Bryant was held to three catches for 48 yards and DeMarco Murray ran for just 75 yards on 19 carries. Now they face a Packers team that boasts an undefeated 8-0 home record, and the forecast is calling for freezing cold temperatures with wind and snow. Aaron Rogers is dealing with a calf injury, but that didn't stop him from leading the Packers to a 30-20 win over Detroit two weeks ago, throwing for a pair of TDs and running in another. He's thrown 25 TD passes and NO interceptions at home this season, and hasn't thrown an INT at home since midway through the 2012 season. Take GB. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-11-15 |
Dallas Cowboys v. Green Bay Packers UNDER 53 |
Top |
21-26 |
Win
|
100 |
57 h 26 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on DAL@GB to go UNDER the total. The Cowboys will play the Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday, despite the fact that many feel they didn't deserve to beat the Lions last week. The Cowboys come from behind victory was aided by bad calls, non calls, and reversed calls that allowed them to erase a 14 point deficit. It wasn't pretty for the Cowboys, as Tony Romo was sacked a season high six times, Dex Bryant was held to three catches for 48 yards and DeMarco Murray ran for just 75 yards on 19 carries. Now they face a Packers team that boasts an undefeated 8-0 home record, and the forecast is calling for freezing cold temperatures with wind and snow. Dallas is surely going to try to keep the ball out of Rodgers' hands by running the ball and burning up the clock. The Cowboys have seen the total go under in four of their last five playoff games, and the number for this game looks a little high. Take UNDER. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-10-15 |
Carolina Panthers v. Seattle Seahawks -11 |
Top |
17-31 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 10 m |
Show
|
This is a 2-Team (7-point) teaser with Seattle + Under.
The Carolina Panthers are coming off a home win over Arizona on Wildcard Weekend, and they held the Cardinals to a record low 78 total yards. It's not going to be so easy on the road at Seattle this week though, facing a Seattle offense that leads the NFL in rushing averaging 172 yards per game.
The Seahawks come in as winners of six straight, all six of those wins coming by double digits. Their #1 ranked defense has allowed opponents to score an average of just 6.5 points in those games. Five of those six games fell short of the total, and the only exception was a 35-6 win at Arizona.
The Seahawks have won four straight versus Cam Newton and the Panthers since 2010, and they covered the spread in three of those four contests. Three of those games went under, with the only exception being Seattle's 31-14 win at home in December of 2010.
Cam Newton threw for 172 yards with no TDs on 12-of-22 passing in the home loss to Seattle in October of this season.
Take SEA+UNDER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
01-04-15 |
Detroit Lions +8 v. Dallas Cowboys |
Top |
20-24 |
Win
|
100 |
123 h 12 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Detroit Lions.
The Lions QB Matthew Stafford has a reputation as a guy who doesn’t perform well on the road, but last week he threw for 217 yards and three TDs in a snow storm at Green Bay. He has a far more favorable matchup against Dallas on Sunday. The Cowboys defense is their Achilles Heel, but they’ve been so successful running the ball that they’ve been able to keep their defense off the field. That could prove more challenging against the NFL’s #1 ranked run defense, and #2 ranked overall defense. I expect Stafford and the Lions to have plenty of opportunities on offense this week.
Tony Romo has emerged as an MVP candidate, and it seems that everyone has forgotten all the big game meltdowns in past seasons. He's going to have his work cut out for him this week, up against Ndamukong Suh and a Lions defense that had 20 INTs during the season (3rd in the NFL).
Megatron has had an off year, but he’s still the best receiver in the league, and he appears to be reasonably healthy heading into this Wild Card game. This looks like a favorable matchup, as Dallas has really struggled against the pass (26h in the NFL). We saw DeSean Jackson burn the Cowboys secondary for an 80 yard strike last week.
I think the Lions will find enough holes in this shaky Dallas defense to keep this game close.
Take DET.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
01-04-15 |
Detroit Lions v. Dallas Cowboys OVER 48 |
Top |
20-24 |
Loss |
-110 |
123 h 10 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on DET@DAL to go OVER the total.
The Lions QB Matthew Stafford has a reputation as a guy who doesn’t perform well on the road, but last week he threw for 217 yards and three TDs in a snow storm at Green Bay. He has a far more favorable matchup against Dallas on Sunday. The Cowboys defense is their Achilles Heel, but they’ve been so successful running the ball that they’ve been able to keep their defense off the field. That could prove more challenging against the NFL’s #1 ranked run defense, and #2 ranked overall defense. I expect Stafford and the Lions to have plenty of opportunities on offense this week.
Tony Romo has emerged as an MVP candidate, and it seems that everyone has forgotten all the big game meltdowns in past seasons. He's going to have his work cut out for him this week, up against Ndamukong Suh and a Lions defense that had 20 INTs during the season (3rd in the NFL).
Megatron has had an off year, but he’s still the best receiver in the league, and he appears to be reasonably healthy heading into this Wild Card game. This looks like a favorable matchup, as Dallas has really struggled against the pass (26h in the NFL). We saw DeSean Jackson burn the Cowboys secondary for an 80 yard strike last week.
I think the Lions will find enough holes in this shaky Dallas defense to keep this game close. These teams have seen the total sail over the number in five straight meetings.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
01-04-15 |
Cincinnati Bengals v. Indianapolis Colts -3 |
Top |
10-26 |
Win
|
100 |
120 h 32 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Indianapolis Colts.
The Cincinnati Bengals come limping into Indianapolis without their two best receivers, and a starting quarterback that has thrown more than his fair share of interceptions in recent weeks. Dalton was picked off twice in the loss to the Steelers last week, and A.J. Green suffered a concussion that will keep him out of today's game versus the Colts.
TE Jermaine Gresham is also banged up with a sore back, and several players are recovering from a flu bug that forced the team to wear masks on their flight to Pittsburgh last week.
The Bengals were shutout in a 27-0 loss at Indianapolis in October, and Andy Dalton was brutal in that game. He threw for just 126 yards on 18-of-38 passing.
The Colts closed out the season with a win at Tennessee, and their defense limited the Titans to just 192 total yards. It's going to be tough for the Bengals to win on the road with a depleted lineup against the leagues top passing offense. Cincinnati hasn't had much luck stopping opposing QBs this season, ranking 20th in the NFL against the pass, allowing 243 yards per game.
Take IND.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
01-04-15 |
Cincinnati Bengals v. Indianapolis Colts UNDER 49.5 |
Top |
10-26 |
Win
|
100 |
120 h 31 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on CIN@IND to go UNDER the total. The Cincinnati Bengals come limping into Indianapolis without their two best receivers, and a starting quarterback that has thrown more than his fair share of interceptions in recent weeks. Dalton was picked off twice in the loss to the Steelers last week, and A.J. Green suffered a concussion that will keep him out of today's game versus the Colts.TE Jermaine Gresham is also banged up with a sore back, and several players are recovering from a flu bug that forced the team to wear masks on their flight to Pittsburgh last week.
The Bengals were shutout in a 27-0 loss at Indianapolis in October, and Andy Dalton was brutal in that game. He threw for just 126 yards on 18-of-38 passing.
The Colts closed out the season with a win at Tennessee, and their defense limited the Titans to just 192 total yards. The Bengals have seen the total fall short of the number in six straight road games, and four straight visits to Indianapolis.
Take UNDER.
GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-03-15 |
Baltimore Ravens v. Pittsburgh Steelers OVER 46.5 |
Top |
30-17 |
Win
|
100 |
103 h 47 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on BAL@PIT to go OVER the total.
The last time Big Ben saw the Ravens defense, he lit them up for 340 yards and six TDs in a 43-23 home win. The Ravens are back in Steel Town, and I am not sure they'll be able to do anything to slow this high octane offense this time around. Baltimore's defense did not perform well against the pass, ranking 23rd in the NFL, allowing an average of 248 yards per game. In a loss to the Texans in Week 16, the Ravens only managed 213 yards of total offense. Joe Flacco should be able to put up bigger numbers against the Steelers, who's pass defense ranks even worse than Baltimore's. The Over is 11-4-1 in the last 16 meetings in Pittsburgh. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-03-15 |
Baltimore Ravens v. Pittsburgh Steelers -152 |
Top |
30-17 |
Loss |
-152 |
103 h 46 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The last time Big Ben saw the Ravens defense, he lit them up for 340 yards and six TDs in a 43-23 home win. The Ravens are back in Steel Town, and I am not sure they'll be able to do anything to slow this high octane offense this time around. Baltimore's defense did not perform well against the pass, ranking 23rd in the NFL, allowing an average of 248 yards per game. In a loss to the Texans in Week 16, the Ravens only managed 213 yards of total offense. Joe Flacco should be able to put up bigger numbers against the Steelers, who's pass defense ranks even worse than Baltimore's. The Steelers are 6-0 ATS in their last six home playoff games, and they have never lost to the Ravens in the playoffs. I think Pittsburgh should find a way to out-score the Ravens at Heinz Field Saturday, even if Bell can't play. Take PIT. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-03-15 |
Arizona Cardinals v. Carolina Panthers UNDER 38 |
Top |
16-27 |
Loss |
-105 |
99 h 7 m |
Show
|
This is an 5* play on ARI@CAR to go UNDER the total. The Carolina Panthers get a home game in the playoffs even though they finished with a losing record during the regular season. Carolina comes in hot, winning their final four games. They are asked to cover quite a few points here against the Cardinals, and I think it's not very realistic to expect them to blowout a team with an elite defense. Only one of the Panthers seven wins this year came against a team with a winning record, and their last two home wins came in games decided by four points or less (to Tampa and Cleveland). The Cardinals were in line to finish first in the NFC West until they lost both their starting QB Carson Palmer, and backup Drew Stanton. Nobody seems to have much faith in third stringer Ryan Lindley, who threw for 316 yards and a pair of TDs last week in a 20-17 loss to San Francisco. What I find the most interesting about this matchup, is the Cardinals defense versus a run happy Carolina offense. The Panthers have found a lot of running room against weak opposition in the NFC South, but things might be a lot tougher here on Saturday. With bad weather expected on game day, this could be a game won in the trenches.The Under is 19-7 in Panthers last 26 games on grass. Take UNDER. GL, Jesse Schule
|
01-03-15 |
Arizona Cardinals +6 v. Carolina Panthers |
Top |
16-27 |
Loss |
-115 |
99 h 6 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Arizona Cardinals. The Carolina Panthers get a home game in the playoffs even though they finished with a losing record during the regular season. Carolina comes in hot, winning their final four games. They are asked to cover quite a few points here against the Cardinals, and I think it's not very realistic to expect them to blowout a team with an elite defense. Only one of the Panthers seven wins this year came against a team with a winning record, and their last two home wins came in games decided by four points or less (to Tampa and Cleveland). The Cardinals were in line to finish first in the NFC West until they lost both their starting QB Carson Palmer, and backup Drew Stanton. Nobody seems to have much faith in third stringer Ryan Lindley, who threw for 316 yards and a pair of TDs last week in a 20-17 loss to San Francisco. What I find the most interesting about this matchup, is the Cardinals defense versus a run happy Carolina offense. The Panthers have found a lot of running room against weak opposition in the NFC South, but things might be a lot tougher here on Saturday. Take ARI. GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-28-14 |
Cincinnati Bengals v. Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 |
Top |
17-27 |
Win
|
100 |
89 h 23 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Bengals finally won in prime time, upsetting the Broncos on Monday Night Football last week. Now they play the Steelers on Sunday night on short rest in their final game of the regular season.
While beating the Broncos is an impressive result, it's important to put that game into perspective. They got plenty of help with Peyton Manning throwing four picks, helping them make up for the fact that Denver had more total yards (385-353).
Andy Dalton certainly didn't impress, throwing for 146 yards with two TDs and an INT on 17-of-26 passing. It was Jeremy Hill and the Cincy running game that was responsible for most of the offense, but playing on the road on short rest against a Steelers team that has been very tough against the run isn't going to be easy.
Ben Roethlisberger for 350 yards and three TDs in a 42-21 win at Cincy a few weeks ago, and there is every reason to expect him to deliver a repeat performance here at home in a must win game.
Take PIT.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-28-14 |
Carolina Panthers v. Atlanta Falcons -3.5 |
Top |
34-3 |
Loss |
-115 |
125 h 17 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Atlanta Falcons.
The Falcons are coming off a big win on the road at New Orleans, and they can clinch the NFC South with a win at home over Carolina on Sunday. The defense has really tightened up, and last week against the Saints they allowed just 57 rushing yards, and picked off Drew Brees twice.
The Panthers are coming off back to back home wins over Tampa and Cleveland. Both those games were close, and Carolina didn't really impress offensively against inferior opposition. Cam Newton threw for 292 yards in a home loss to the Falcons earlier this season, but he was also picked off twice in that game.
It's likely going to be difficult for the Panthers to keep up with Matt Ryan and Julio Jones, who have been lighting up the opposition all year long. Ryan threw for 322 yards on 30-of-40 passing in the win over the Saints, and he's thrown for more than 300 yards in four straight.
At home in the dome, the Falcons are still a very tough team to beat, especially when Julio Jones is healthy. Remember they beat the Bucs 56-14 here in Week 2, and I wouldn't be surprised if this is another blowout home win for Atlanta.
Take ATL.
GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-28-14 |
Detroit Lions v. Green Bay Packers -7 |
Top |
20-30 |
Win
|
100 |
29 h 13 m |
Show
|
This is a Free #NFL play on the Green Bay #Packers.
It's winner takes all in the NFC North when the Packers host the Lions at Lambeau on Sunday. The Lions come in riding a four game winning streak, although they've failed to score more than 20 points in their last two. That's not going to cut it here in Green Bay, as the Packers have scored an average of 41 points while winning all seven of their home games this season.
Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 36 TDs and just five INTs this season, and 23 of those touchdown passes have come in his seven home games. He hasn't thrown an interception at home since the 2012 season.
Lions QB Matthew Stafford has trended the other way on the road, with a rating of 78.9, and no touchdowns and four INTs in his last three starts outside the dome in Detroit.
Detroit will be without starting center Dominic Raiola, who serves a suspension for stomping on Bears defensive tackle Ego Ferguson. Stafford was sacked four times last week in Chicago, and he could find himself running for his life with Clay Matthews in hot pursuit.
I like Green Bay to win big at home.
Take GB,
GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-28-14 |
Philadelphia Eagles v. NY Giants -145 |
Top |
34-26 |
Loss |
-145 |
59 h 59 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the New York Giants.
The Giants are one of the hottest teams in the NFL, coming into this game riding a three game winning streak. They host division rivals Philly, looking to avenge a loss at Philadelphia earlier in the season.
A lot has changed since then though, as the Eagles are coming off three straight losses, and they have Mark Sanchez and not Nick Foles at QB. Sanchez has had his moments, but he's thrown more picks than TDs during this losing skid.
Philadelphia's defense has really struggled against the pass, and they will have to try to contain the league's most prolific wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr. The rookie out of LSU has caught 31 passes for 421 yards and six TDs during the Giants three game winning streak.
It would only be natural to expect a let down after the Eagles were eliminated from the playoffs last week by the Redskins. It was a late mistake by Mark Sanchez that opened the door for the Redskins, and he's turned the ball over 14 times in his eight starts.
I expect the home team to win big here in this revenge spot.
Take NYG.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-28-14 |
San Diego Chargers v. Kansas City Chiefs -160 |
Top |
7-19 |
Win
|
100 |
59 h 58 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Kansas City Chiefs.
The San Diego Chargers will need to win on the road at Arrowhead in their final game of the season, if they are to have any hope of making the playoffs. We've seen the money coming in on the visitors since we learned that Chase Daniel will start at QB for the Chiefs.
This is a similar situation as we saw last year, with the Chargers playing at the Chiefs in a must win game in Week 17. It was Chase Daniel at QB in that game as well, but this time around it's a completely different situation for the Chiefs. While their hopes are slim, the Chiefs still need a win here to have any chance of sneaking into the post-season themselves.
They rested their starters in last year's game, and still the Chargers needed a late rally to win in overtime. Daniel threw for 200 yards and a TD on 21-of-30 passing, adding seven carries for 59 yards. Knile Davis got the nod instead of Jamaal Charles, and he ran for 81 yards and a pair of TDs.
Charles is expected to play this week, and he could put up big numbers against a Chargers defense that allowed Frank Gore to run for 158 yards last week.
Philip Rivers got rocked in the first half of that game, and the Chargers trailed by 21 points at the half. We saw Rivers pull out a miracle though, rallying to win in overtime. He's still suffering from a bulging disc that will require surgery, and I don't think we'll see another miracle against a Chiefs defense that ranks 2nd in the NFL against the pass.
Take KC.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-22-14 |
Denver Broncos -3.5 v. Cincinnati Bengals |
Top |
28-37 |
Loss |
-105 |
21 h 52 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on the Denver Broncos.
The Broncos come into Cincy tonight looking for a fifth consecutive win, and I like their chances against a pretty average Bengals team. Peyton Manning has played pretty poorly in his last three games, battling lingering injuries and illness. Still Denver has leaned on it's defense and running game in wins over Kansas City, Buffalo and San Diego.
I wouldn't count on Manning stinking it up again here this week, as he's had time to rest up and prepare for a Bengals defense that isn't nearly as tough as the three previous opponents that he struggled against.
If I were a Bengals fan, I'd be pretty concerned about Andy Dalton going up against this Denver defense. Dalton only threw for 117 yards on 14-of-24 passing in last week's win over Cleveland, and he's been picked off five times in his last four starts. Denver has a ferocious pass rush and some ball hawks in the secondary, and I expect to see them terrorize the Bengals QB tonight.
Cincy has been very successful running the ball lately, but Denver owns the league's #2 run defense, allowing an average of just 71.6 rushing yards per game. You add it all up, and it doesn't look pretty for the home team.
Take DEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-21-14 |
Seattle Seahawks -8 v. Arizona Cardinals |
Top |
35-6 |
Win
|
100 |
10 h 15 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks defense is back! The Legion of Boom has terrorized the opposition over the last four weeks, surrendering just 27 total points. It all started with a 19-3 win over the Cardinals on November 23. Arizona has home field advantage this time around, but they also need to rely on their third string quarterback. Ryan Lindley was 4-of-10 for 30 yards in relief of Drew Stanton last week, and he's never thrown at TD pass in the NFL. He's also thrown seven interceptions in his four career starts. In situations like this, normally a team would lean on the running game in an attempt to take some pressure off an inexperienced QB. That's an unlikely solution for the Cardinals, who rank near the bottom in the NFL in rushing yards. Seattle boasts one of the league's top run defenses, allowing just 88.1 rushing yards per game. The Cardinals only managed 64 yards on 20 carries in the loss at Seattle, but 23 of those were courtesy of the injured Drew Stanton. Richard Sherman has six interceptions in his last six meetings with Arizona, and it wouldn't be a surprise if he adds to that total tonight. Take SEA. GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-21-14 |
NY Giants v. St. Louis Rams -4.5 |
Top |
37-27 |
Loss |
-105 |
136 h 28 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the St. Louis Rams.
The Rams were red hot heading into last Thursday's home game against Arizona, but they fell by a score of 12-6 to the 11-3 Cardinals. They've since had 10 days to recover, and prepare a game plan for a home meeting with the Giants this Sunday.
The St. Louis defense has been nothing short of dominant during the second half of the season, and that was the case again last week against the Cardinals. They knocked Arizona QB Drew Stanton out for the rest of the season with a knee injury, and their ferocious pass rush should cause all sorts of problems for Eli Manning today.
The Giants have big problems defending the run, allowing over 135 yards rushing per game. New York is coming off consecutive victories, but those wins came against two of the worst teams in the league (Washington and Tennessee). The Rams boast an elite defense, and this game is a whole different kettle of fish.
This Giants team is 2-5 on the road, and four of those five losses came in games decided by double digits.
Take STL.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-21-14 |
Detroit Lions -4.5 v. Chicago Bears |
Top |
20-14 |
Win
|
100 |
134 h 58 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Detroit Lions. The Lions are in a dog fight with Green Bay for first place in the NFC North, and they aren't going to pull any punches in Chicago against a Bears team that has lost three straight by double digits. The Bears have decided to bench Jay Cutler, but throwing an inexperienced Jimmy Clausen into the fire against one of the league's top defenses might not help matters. The Lions rank 1st overall against the run, allowing opponents to average just 63.8 yards per game on the ground. They also have a ferocious pass rush, with 39 sacks (6th in the NFL). Forget about all Chicago's injuries, their terrible defensive numbers and the fact that they lost to the Lions 34-17 just a few weeks ago. The Bears biggest problem is the fact that the players and the coaching staff are not on the same page. Head coach Marc Trestman has lost the support of his players, as well as his assistants, and it looks as if several players have given up, and are just going through the motions. There doesn't appear to be any fight left in this Bears team, and I expect to see another blowout in Chicago. Take DET. GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-21-14 |
Minnesota Vikings +7.5 v. Miami Dolphins |
Top |
35-37 |
Win
|
100 |
99 h 32 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Minnesota Vikings. The 7-7 Dolphins will host the 6-8 Vikings this Sunday, and the Fish are a big favorite at home. Miami is coming off consecutive losses, and it's home record of 3-3 isn't all that impressive. The Vikings went into Detroit last week and came very close to pulling off the upset in a 16-14 loss to the Lions. In fact the Vikes are 4-4 in their last eight games, and three of those four losses have come in games decided by three points or less.
Teddy Bridgewater has been getting better as the season progresses, and he's put together a very impressive rookie campaign. He's completed better than 70% of his pass attempts for 762 yards and five TDs over his last three starts. Ryan Tannehill has thrown more picks (3) than he has TDs (2) over his last three starts.
Miami might struggle offensively against a Minnesota defense that held Detroit to a season low 233 yards last Sunday. The Dolphins have averaged just 14 points over their last three games, and I don't think they should be asked to cover a big spread here against a pretty decent Minnesota team.
Take MINNY.
GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-20-14 |
San Diego Chargers v. San Francisco 49ers -120 |
Top |
38-35 |
Loss |
-120 |
82 h 56 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the San Francisco 49ers.
The Niners have been eliminated from the playoffs, and head coach Jim Harbaugh appears to be on his way out of town. The Chargers are still in the hunt for the post-season, but I don't think that means they can stroll into San Francisco and pick up an easy win this Saturday. The Niners have showed a lot of character despite losing three straight, and they gave the defending champions quite a battle in Seattle last week.
The Chargers are coming off back to back losses, and Philip Rivers has struggled while playing hurt. He isn't likely to much help from his running game, especially with Ryan Matthews sidelined by injury. San Diego has really struggled to get anything going on the ground, ranking 31st in the NFL in rushing, averaging 82.6 yards per game.
Some might say that San Francisco has nothing to play for, but I would say that they have nothing to lose. "Regardless of the situation, we're going out to win," Kaepernick said. "There's no one on this team that's going to step on that field and say, 'Hey, our season is over. We're not going out to compete.' We're going to compete until the end."
Take SF.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-18-14 |
Tennessee Titans v. Jacksonville Jaguars -150 |
Top |
13-21 |
Win
|
100 |
69 h 7 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Jacksonville Jaguars.
It's fair to say that both the Tennessee Titans and the Jacksonville Jaguars are in a "rebuilding" stage. With a potential #1 pick in the draft possibly on the line for both teams, many would question how motivated these teams will be to win this game. The Jags have been here before though, and at this point I think a win at home would do a lot more for this franchise that another high draft pick.
If you watched the Jags play in Baltimore last week, it would be pretty hard to accuse them of tanking. They gave the Ravens all that they could handle, and actually held a lead in that game until midway through the third quarter.
The Titans will have third string QB Charlie Whitehurst under center again this week, and he failed to impress last week. The 32 year old threw for 203 yards on 10-of-24 passing in the 16-11 loss to the Jets.
Tennessee is just 1-6-1 ATS in the last eight meetings between these two teams, and I don't think we'll see much of a spirited effort from the Titans here in Jacksonville tonight.
Take JAC.
GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-15-14 |
New Orleans Saints v. Chicago Bears OVER 53.5 |
Top |
31-15 |
Loss |
-115 |
20 h 13 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on NO@CHI to go OVER the total.
The New Orleans Saints have not been able to find any consistency, and just a week after upsetting the Steelers in Pittsburgh, they lost at home to Carolina by a score of 41-10. The good news for the Saints is, they are playing a Chicago team that has been consistently terrible, and the playoffs are still within reach.
The Bears are coming off a 41-28 loss to the Cowboys, and only the Atlanta Falcons rank worse in pass defense. Drew Brees will try to cut into a Bears secondary that has allowed an average of 265.5 yards passing per game. The Saints defense ranks just ahead of Chicago allowing 265.2 yards passing per game, but New Orleans has been even worse against the run.
These teams have seen the total go over in five of the last six meetings in Chicago, and the Saints have been a good bet to go over all year, with 10 of their 13 games going over the number.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-15-14 |
New Orleans Saints -164 v. Chicago Bears |
Top |
31-15 |
Win
|
100 |
8 h 25 m |
Show
|
This is a 5* play on the New Orleans Saints.
The New Orleans Saints have not been able to find any consistency, and just a week after upsetting the Steelers in Pittsburgh, they lost at home to Carolina by a score of 41-10. The good news for the Saints is, they are playing a Chicago team that has been consistently terrible, and the playoffs are still within reach.
The Bears are coming off a 41-28 loss to the Cowboys, and only the Atlanta Falcons rank worse in pass defense. Drew Brees will try to cut into a Bears secondary that has allowed an average of 265.5 yards passing per game. Chicago's defense has been decimated by injuries, and kicker Robbie Gould is also questionable to play tonight.
It's wideout Brandon Marshall that they are likely to miss the most though, leaving Jay Cutler without his preferred target. Cutler is losing the support of his teammates and coaches, and this Chicago team is complete mess. Watching them play in recent weeks it seems quite obvious that they have already thrown in the towel.
Take NO. GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-14-14 |
Dallas Cowboys +3.5 v. Philadelphia Eagles |
Top |
38-27 |
Win
|
100 |
163 h 31 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Dallas Cowboys. The NFC East is up for grabs tonight in Philadelphia, as the Eagles will host the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football. The Eagles crushed the Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day in Dallas, but tonight's game is a completely different situation.
The Cowboys were playing on short rest in the last meeting, a situation that is particularly tough with a veteran QB playing through injuries, and a back that leads the league in rushing, and has a heavy workload.
Tony Romo and DeMarco Murray should be in better shape here in Philly tonight, as the Cowboys last played 10 days ago at Chicago, beating the Bears by a score of 41-28.
This time it could be the Eagles that are worse for wear, coming off a hard fought loss at home to the Seahawks last Sunday.
Eagles defensive coordinator Bill Davis says it best: "That game on Thanksgiving means nothing to this game right now,"
"Every team that has beat us so far this year, we'd love to have another shot at, because we believe if we play better we can beat anybody. "And they believe the same thing coming into this game." With the Cowboys on the right side of a key number, I like Dallas as a dog. Take DAL. GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-14-14 |
San Francisco 49ers v. Seattle Seahawks OVER 37.5 |
Top |
7-17 |
Loss |
-111 |
110 h 52 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on SF@SEA to go OVER the total.
The Seahawks will host the Niners in Seattle this Sunday, but this matchup doesn't come with as much hype as it had in previous seasons. These two teams were expected to be battling for first place in the NFC West, but San Francisco is now in danger of missing the playoffs all together.
The Seahawks however have turned things around after a rough start, and they have their destiny in their own hands. If Seattle wins it's final three games, it will clinch another division title. The Hawks have won three straight, and one of those games was a 19-3 victory at San Francisco. Colin Kaepernick was sacked four times, throwing a pair of interceptions and completing just 16-of-29 pass attempts for 121 yards.
He's not going to find it any easier this week, as he has really struggled in previous trips to the Pacific Northwest. The Niners have been blown out in Seattle in each of the last two seasons, and Kaepernick has thrown four picks and just one TD in those games.
The last four meetings between these two teams have seen the total go under, and Seattle has won three of those games. The total for today's game is much lower than it was in any of those previous contests, and this 49ers team is not nearly as good as it was in previous seasons.
Seattle should be able to run up the score a little on this beat up defense of San Francisco, as injuries have been piling up for the Niners.
Take OVER. GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-14-14 |
San Francisco 49ers v. Seattle Seahawks -9.5 |
Top |
7-17 |
Win
|
100 |
20 h 42 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Seattle Seahawks.
The Seahawks will host the Niners in Seattle this Sunday, but this matchup doesn't come with as much hype as it had in previous seasons. These two teams were expected to be battling for first place in the NFC West, but San Francisco is now in danger of missing the playoffs all together.
The Seahawks however have turned things around after a rough start, and they have their destiny in their own hands. If Seattle wins it's final three games, it will clinch another division title. The Hawks have won three straight, and one of those games was a 19-3 victory at San Francisco. Colin Kaepernick was sacked four times, throwing a pair of interceptions and completing just 16-of-29 pass attempts for 121 yards.
He's not going to find it any easier this week, as he has really struggled in previous trips to the Pacific Northwest. The Niners have been blown out in Seattle in each of the last two seasons, and Kaepernick has thrown four picks and just one TD in those games.
The last four meetings between these two teams have seen the total go under, and Seattle has won three of those games. The total for today's game is much lower than it was in any of those previous contests, and this 49ers team is not nearly as good as it was in previous seasons.
Seattle should be able to run up the score a little on this beat up defense of San Francisco, as injuries have been piling up for the Niners.
Take SEA. GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-14-14 |
Miami Dolphins v. New England Patriots -7 |
Top |
13-41 |
Win
|
100 |
155 h 2 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the New England Patriots.
New England can clinch another division title with a win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday, and they look to extend a 15-game winning streak at Foxboro. The Pats are coming off consecutive home wins by a 20+ point margin, over teams that each have a better record than Miami. They beat the Broncos 43-21, and they defeated the Detroit Lions by a score of 34-9.
There is a revenge factor here as well, as the Dolphins rallied to beat New England in Miami in Week 1. The Dolphins have lost three of their last five, and two of their last three on the road. During that span, they beat the Bills in a game that was influenced by a phantom pass interference call, and escaped from New York with a win over the Jets in a game they trailed right up until the final minutes of the game.
The Pats have outscored Miami 51-17 winning their last two home meetings with the Dolphins, and New England is 7-0 ATS in it's last seven home games versus a team with a winning record.
The Dolphins defense has allowed 407.7 yards per game over their last three, and we can't expect them to improve on those numbers here at Foxboro.
Take NE.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-14-14 |
Oakland Raiders +11.5 v. Kansas City Chiefs |
Top |
13-31 |
Loss |
-125 |
153 h 51 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Oakland Raiders.
The Kansas City Chiefs are a double digit favorite this week against the Raiders, a team that they lost to in Oakland just a few weeks ago. That was the Raider first win of the season, and Oakland has gone 1-1 since. Last week they upset the San Francisco 49ers, winning 24-23.
The Chiefs haven't shown any indication that they deserve to be such a heavy favorite here, as they haven't been able to stop the run at all in recent games. They've allowed third string running backs to go over 100 yards in three straight losses. Oakland's Latavius Murray only needed four carries to gain 112 yards and two TDs in the win over Kansas City on November 20. Denver's C.J. Anderson and Arizona's Kerwynn Williams have shredded them the last two weeks.
Murray did not play in Oakland's ugly loss at St. Louis, but he returned last week running for 76 yards on 23 carries in the win over the 49ers. You can expect him to go over 100 again against a much weaker Chiefs run defense.
Oakland's defense looked pretty good last week against the run, stuffing Frank Gore limiting him to just 63 yards. I like the Raiders to hang on and cover an inflated spread here in KC.
Take OAK.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-11-14 |
Arizona Cardinals v. St. Louis Rams -185 |
Top |
12-6 |
Loss |
-185 |
79 h 32 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the St. Louis Rams.
To say that the Rams defense is on a roll, would be an understatement of epic proportions. St. Louis is coming off consecutive shutout wins, outscoring the Raiders and the Redskins 76-0.
The Rams host the Arizona Cardinals on Thursday Night, and the Cardinals are 10-3, still in first place in the NFC West. Starting QB Carson Palmer is done for the year though, and backup Drew Stanton has not played well in recent games. He completed just 15-of-30 attempts for 239 yards and a TD against the Chiefs last week, but he's thrown for just one TD and three picks so far in his four starts on the road.
Stanton is going to have a tough time staying upright as he faces a Rams pass rush that has 13 sacks in it's last two games. "Guys are playing lights-out right now," said Quinn, who has 10 1/2 sacks on the season. "Hopefully, we just keep it going."
Shaun Hill did a decent job filling in at QB for the Rams last week, throwing for 183 yards and a pair of TDs on 13-of-22 passing. It was the running game that accounted for most of the offense though, rushing for 172 yards and averaging 6.6 yards per carry. Tre Mason has been the workhorse, and he has 183 yards and a pair of TDs the last two weeks.
This Arizona defense has played well all year, but injuries threaten to derail their season. They are likely to be without CB Antonio Cromartie and safety Tyrann Mathieu against the Rams.
Take STL.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-08-14 |
Atlanta Falcons v. Green Bay Packers -11 |
Top |
37-43 |
Loss |
-115 |
180 h 33 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Green Bay Packers.
Most of the time, betting on sports is a lot more difficult than it looks. Sometimes though, the obvious choice is the correct choice, and the public lays a beating on the bookmakers. I think tonight's game in Green Bay will prove to be a classic example of a "no brainer".
Never mind the fact that the Packers are undefeated at home (6-0), while Atlanta is just 2-4 on the road. The Falcons are a dome team, playing outdoors on the road on grass in December. Their two road wins came at Carolina and Tampa Bay, not exactly comparable to the bitter cold Wisconsin weather they are sure to see at Lambeau.
The Packers have crushed the opposition at home this year, winning all six of their games by an average margin of over 23 points. Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 32 TDs and just three INTs this season, and 20 of those touchdown passes have come in his six home games. He hasn't thrown an interception at home since the 2012 season.
The Falcons pass defense ranks dead last in the NFL, allowing over 284 passing yards per game so far. Rodgers and the Packers are likely looking at another blowout win at Lambeau.
Take GB.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-07-14 |
Seattle Seahawks +2 v. Philadelphia Eagles |
Top |
24-14 |
Win
|
100 |
160 h 0 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Seattle Seahawks. Seattle is putting the rest of the league on notice.. The Legion of Boom is back! The Seahawks are coming off consecutve dominant victories, allowing a total of six points in those games. It's no coincidence that they've recently got a few key players back on defense, and they are starting to look as dominant as they did last year. The Eagles are still undefeated at home, and they've won 10 in row in Philly dating back to last season. Before you get too exited about the home field advantage, consider that they lost 10 straight home games between 2012 and the middle of last season.
Philly is coming off back to back wins over Tennessee and Dallas, but they were crushed in Green Bay by the packers three weeks ago. This Seattle team will be the best they've seen so far, and I don't think playing at home is going to make much difference.
Even though the Eagles have won three of four with Sanchez as a starter, he's still thrown as many interceptions as he has TDs in his last three starts.
Russell Wilson has been great for the Seahawks all year, and he's one of the best in the business at taking care of the football. He completed 15-of-22 attempts for 236 yards and a TD last week on the road at San Francisco.
Success on the road is nothing new for Seattle, as they have covered the spread in nine of their last 12 road games versus teams with a winning record.
Take SEA. GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-07-14 |
Seattle Seahawks v. Philadelphia Eagles UNDER 48.5 |
Top |
24-14 |
Win
|
100 |
52 h 16 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the SEA@PHI to go UNDER thre total. Seattle is putting the rest of the league on notice.. The Legion of Boom is back! The Seahawks are coming off consecutve dominant victories, allowing a total of six points in those games. It's no coincidence that they've recently got a few key players back on defense, and they are starting to look as dominant as they did last year. The Eagles are still undefeated at home, and they've won 10 in row in Philly dating back to last season. Before you get too exited about the home field advantage, consider that they lost 10 straight home games between 2012 and the middle of last season. I expect Mark Sanchez and the Eagles offense to have trouble taking flight tonight, and Seattle is likely to pound away with the running game. While the Eagles have piled on the points against inferior opponents, they've seen the total go under in five of the last six versus teams with a winning record. The total in today's game appears to far too high.
Take UNDER. GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-07-14 |
Buffalo Bills v. Denver Broncos -9 |
Top |
17-24 |
Loss |
-110 |
154 h 30 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Denver Broncos.
Denver returns home after a dominant display in Kansas City, spanking the Chiefs by a score of 29-16. The Broncos host Buffalo today, and I find it hard to imagine that the Bills can come into Mile High and compete.
Denver's offense has a new weapon, as rookie RB C.J. Anderson has picked up 335 yards and a TD in wins over Miami and Kansas City. He's thrived behind a rejuvenated offensive line, and the Chiefs only recorded one sack on Manning last Sunday. Manning has thrown 21 TD passes and just two INTs while leading the Broncos to a perfect 6-0 home record.
Buffalo's defense has been impressive against inferior opposition, but top tier QBs have exposed this secondary. Both the Chargers and Patriots beat the Bills by double digits in Buffalo. The Bills cornerbacks have also taken some untimely pass interference penalties, so don't be surprised to see flags flying in the Buffalo secondary today.
Denver could get back TE Julius Thomas back, and he leads the NFL with a dozen receiving TDs. The Bills are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.
Take DEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-07-14 |
Pittsburgh Steelers v. Cincinnati Bengals -155 |
Top |
42-21 |
Loss |
-155 |
10 h 36 m |
Show
|
This is a Free #NFL play on the Cincinnati Bengals.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Cincy to take on the Bengals, and these two teams have been rather hit and miss. That being said, the Bengals have been far better at home, and so have the Steelers.
Pittsburgh has lost on the road at Baltimore, Cleveland and New York. Ben Roethlisberger is having a pretty big year with 3,705 yards, 26 TDs and 8 INTS. Only six of those touchdowns came on the road though, and he's thrown five picks in those games. He's likely to play today despite suffering a pretty serious hand injury last week. At one point he was forced to hand the ball off with his left hand, due to numbness in his right hand.
The Bengals 14 game unbeaten streak at home came to an end in Week 10 when they were embarrassed by the Cleveland Browns. They've since won three straight on the road, and I like their chances here at home today. They are still 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 home games, and the Steelers are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games on artificial turf.
The last time the Steelers came to Cincy the Bengals handed them a 20-10 loss. I expect a similar story here in this contest.
Take CINCY.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
12-04-14 |
Dallas Cowboys -3.5 v. Chicago Bears |
Top |
41-28 |
Win
|
100 |
33 h 18 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Dallas Cowboys.
Both the Cowboys and the Bears are coming off ugly Thanksgiving day losses, but Dallas still has plenty to play for trailing the Eagles by just one game in the NFC East. The Bears on the other hand have already started thinking ahead to next year, as this season has turned into another lost cause.
Perhaps Chicago needs to seriously reconsider Jay Cutler as it's starting quarterback. He comes into tonight's game with 22 turnovers, the most of any player in the NFL. Cutler was picked off twice, throwing for 280 yards and a pair of TDs in a 34-17 loss to Detroit on Thanksgiving Day.
DeMarco Murray is coming off his worst performance of the season, with just 73 yards and a TD on 20 carries in the loss to the Eagles. He was playing on short rest though, against a very good Philly defense. Tonight he faces a soft Chicago defense off a full week of rest, so expect another 100+ yard performance for the league's leading rusher.
The Bears have a losing record at home, while Dallas is 5-0 on the road. Chicago's defense ranks dead last in the NFL in points allowed, and I don't see them improving on those numbers against the Cowboys Thursday.
Take DAL.
GL, Jesse Schule
|
12-01-14 |
Miami Dolphins v. NY Jets OVER 41.5 |
Top |
16-13 |
Loss |
-105 |
20 h 13 m |
Show
|
This is a 2* play MIA@NYJ to go OVER the total.
The Jets put an end to their ugly eight game losing streak with a 20-13 home win over the Steelers before the bye week, but then followed that up with another one-sided loss to Buffalo last Monday night. They are back home tonight to host the Dolphins, and they might be catching The Fish at a good time.
The Dolphins are coming off a tough loss in Denver, with Peyton Manning lighting them up for 257 yards and four TDs. This team ranks among the best in the league against the pass, but key injuries in the secondary could leave them a lot more vulnerable to big plays. They also struggled against the run in Denver, allowing the Broncos to pick up over 200 yards rushing.
I bet against the Dolphins two weeks ago when they hosted the Bills, and Miami ended up getting quite lucky in that game. They trailed at the half, before rallying in the third quarter, aided by a couple of very controversial penalties that went against Buffalo.
These two teams have a history of playing low scoring games, and because of that we see a really low total tonight. The Jets though have played five straight overs at home against teams with a winning record, and I don't see either of these defenses playing particularly well tonight.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-30-14 |
Denver Broncos -108 v. Kansas City Chiefs |
Top |
29-16 |
Win
|
100 |
57 h 21 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the Denver Broncos. Denver has a losing record on the road so far, but their losses include an overtime defeat at Seattle, and a loss to the Patriots at Foxboro. The Broncos face a tough challenge playing the Chiefs in Arrowhead tonight, and they catch the Chiefs off a loss to Oakland.
Denver has dominated this series, winning five straight and seven of nine versus the Chiefs since 2010. The emergence of C.J. Anderson could help them continue their dominance against Kansas City. The 23 year old ran for a career high 167 yards in last week's win over Miami, and he has 473 all purpose yards over the last three weeks. The Chiefs have really struggled against the run, ranking 26th overall allowing an average of 129 rushing yards per game.
They do own the league's stingiest pass defense, but I wouldn't count on them slowing down Peyton Manning. The Broncos have faced elite defenses before, and they scored more than 80 points in wins over San Francisco and Arizona.
The loss of safety Eric Berry certainly will be a huge blow to the Chiefs, he's out indefinitely after being diagnoses with cancer.
Take DEN.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-30-14 |
New England Patriots v. Green Bay Packers -160 |
Top |
21-26 |
Win
|
100 |
53 h 16 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Green Bay Packers.
The Patriots have won seven straight, but five of those seven wins have come at Foxboro. They face their toughest test so far this season on the road at Green Bay this Sunday, and the Packers are still undefeated at home.
Green Bay's offense has put up over 100 points in it's last two home games, wins over the Bears and Eagles. Their defense has also tightened up, especially against the run. The Packers still rank 30th in the NFL allowing an average of 136 rushing per game. They have been far better since moving Clay Mathews to inside linebacker, and they haven't had an opposing running back run for 100 yards since the bye week.
Aaron Rodgers has thrown for 30 TDs and just three INTs this season, and 18 of those touchdown passes have come in his five home games. He hasn't thrown an interception at home since the 2012 season.
New England has won back to back games on the road, but they did lose badly at Kansas City earlier in the year. Brandon LaFell had nine catches for 98 yards last week, but injured his shoulder late in the win over the Lions. He's just one of eight players for New England listed as questionable for today's game.
Take GB.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-30-14 |
New Orleans Saints v. Pittsburgh Steelers -3.5 |
Top |
35-32 |
Loss |
-110 |
109 h 25 m |
Show
|
This is an 8* play on the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Saints are coming off another terrible home loss, this time making Justin Forsett of the Ravens look like the reincarnation of Barry Saunders. Their inability to stop the run has plagued them all season, and now they face the league's second leading rusher on the road at Steel Town.
Le'Veon Bell went off for 204 yards and a TD on 33 carries in a win over the Titans on November 17th. He and the Steelers have since had time to rest and prepare for this home game versus the Saints.
The Saints haven't been any better against the pass, and Ben Roethlisberger has thrown 12 TD passes in his last two home games.
Drew Brees simply isn't the same quarterback on the road, and last season only 12 of his 39 TD passes came away from home. Jimmy Graham has struggled all year playing through injuries, and the Saints offense simply hasn't been able to get off the ground.
Take PIT.
GL,
Jesse Schule
|
11-30-14 |
San Diego Chargers +5.5 v. Baltimore Ravens |
Top |
34-33 |
Win
|
100 |
109 h 24 m |
Show
|
This is a 10* play on the San Diego Chargers. The Baltimore Ravens looked pretty good in a win on the road over New Orleans last week, but I think they are getting perhaps a little too much credit for exposing a very weak Saints run defense. The Ravens host the Chargers on Sunday, and they aren't likely to find as much success on the ground against a solid San Diego defense.
The Chargers did a good job stopping Tre Mason and the Rams last week, limiting St. Louis to 107 yards on 24 carries. They won that game by a score of 27-24, holding off a late rally by the Rams.
Ryan Matthews is back for San Diego, and he had a big game, running for 105 yards and a TD on 12 carries. The Chargers might be more successful with Philip Rivers passing the ball though, and Baltimore's secondary has really struggled. The Ravens rank 29th in the league allowing over 264 yards per game in the air.
Chargers wideout Keenan Allen had 104 receiving yards and a TD in last week's win over the Rams, and I am expecting him to have another big game here in Baltimore.
Take SD.
GL,
Jesse Schule
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11-30-14 |
Cleveland Browns v. Buffalo Bills -145 |
Top |
10-26 |
Win
|
100 |
104 h 36 m |
Show
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This is an 8* play on the Buffalo Bills.
The Bills are coming off a blowout win over the Jets on Monday Night Football, and I cashed in a winner on that game. Here is what I had to say before kickoff:
"The Bills might cause all sorts of problems for Vick tonight, as their defense leads the NFL with 39 sacks. Four of those came in a 43-23 win at New York in October, and Vick had a terrible game, throwing for 153 yards on 18-of-36 passing. Kyle Orton picked apart the New York secondary, throwing for 238 yards and four TDs in that game.
With Buffalo coming off back to back losses, they are just a slight favorite here tonight. The Bills probably feel they deserved better in Miami last week, as a couple highly controversial calls really appeared to change the outcome of that game.
Buffalo has played well all year long, even in games that it has lost. The same can't be said for the Jets, who have lost six games by a double digit margin."
They are back at home this Sunday to host Cleveland, and they are just a slight favorite. Cleveland has a better record at 7-4, but they've had a pretty soft schedule. The Browns have one of the worst run defenses in football, and Buffalo should be able to take advanatage with Fred Jackson and Anthony Dixon, who both found the endzone last week.
Take BUF.
GL,
Jesse Schule
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11-27-14 |
Seattle Seahawks +110 v. San Francisco 49ers |
Top |
19-3 |
Win
|
110 |
16 h 16 m |
Show
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This is a 10* play on Seattle Seahawks. I predicted that Seattle would win the NFC West before the season started, and while things haven't gone as smoothly as I'd hoped, I stand by that prediction. This game against San Francisco is a must win, if Seattle hopes to capture another division title. While Seattle has had the upper hand, winning three of the last four in this series, all of those wins have come at home. The Niners though haven't looked like the same team this year, and they appear to be ripe for the picking. Colin Kaepernick has not been impressive this season at all, and a date with the Seahawks isn't likely to help. The San Francisco QB completed less than 50% of his passes with one TD and four INTs in last year's meetings with Seattle. The Hawks also sacked him five times in those games. Bobby Wagner is back at linebacker for Seattle, and the defense looked sharp in a blowout win over Arizona last week. Take SEA. GL, Jesse Schule
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11-27-14 |
Philadelphia Eagles +3 v. Dallas Cowboys |
Top |
33-10 |
Win
|
112 |
12 h 60 m |
Show
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This is an 8* play on the Philadelphia Eagles.
The Eagles and the Cowboys will battle it out on Thanksgiving Day, and the winner will walk away with sole possession of first place in the NFC East. The Eagles have been flying, other than an ugly loss on the road at Green Bay. We have to give them a mulligan for that, as everyone is getting blown out at Lambeau these days. Dallas though has been consistently inconsistent, and last week Eli Manning lit them up for 338 yards and three TDs. This Dallas defense has some issues, and I think we've seen the Cowboys hide a lot of those flaws by controlling the clock, and running the ball with DeMarco Murray. Mark Sanchez has for more than 300 yards in each of his starts so far, and he bounced back last week after looking pretty bad in Green Bay. I think the Eagles can win this game outright, but I like getting them as a dog here in a game that could easily be decided by three points or less.
Take PHI.
GL,
Jesse Schule
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11-27-14 |
Chicago Bears v. Detroit Lions OVER 47 |
Top |
17-34 |
Win
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100 |
60 h 58 m |
Show
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This is a 5* play on CHI@DET to go OVER the total. The Lions defense has played very well this season, and they have been particularly tough against the run. Their secondary could be tested against this high flying Bears passing attack though, and they were lit up by Tom Brady last week in New England. Brady three for 349 yards and a pair of TDs, and the Patriots piled on 34 points.
The Bears defense hasn't impressed much though, and they've given up over 100 points in their last two road games. Chicago ranks 28th in the league allowing over 260 passing yards per game, and they face the league's best receiver in Calvin Johnson on Thanksgiving day.
These two teams combined to score 72 points in last year's meeting at Ford Field, and 50 points the previous season at Detroit. Four of the last five meetings in Detroit have gone over, and the Bears have played five straight overs versus teams with a winning record.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
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11-24-14 |
Baltimore Ravens v. New Orleans Saints -144 |
Top |
34-27 |
Loss |
-144 |
21 h 8 m |
Show
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This is an 8* play on the New Orleans Saints. Over the last few seasons, the question was not if the Saints would win at home, but by how great a margin would the win by? Their air of invincibility at the Superdome has taken a big hit though, coming off consecutive losses to the 49ers and Bengals. They will try to avoid a third straight defeat as they host the Ravens tonight, and the Ravens might be just the right opponent.
I don't think this Ravens team is nearly as good as it's record indicates. Lets take a look at where their wins have come from.. they beat the Titans, Falcons, Panthers, Bucs and Browns, leaving them with just one win against a team with a winning record (Pittsburgh).
The Steelers avenged that loss a couple of weeks ago, as Big Ben lit up the Ravens secondary for 340 yards and six TDs. They could be in for another long night facing Drew Breese at the Superdome.
Drew Brees threw 39 TD passes last year, and 27 of those came at home. The Ravens have seen the total go over in five of their last six road games, losing four of those.
Take NO
GL,
Jesse Schule
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11-24-14 |
Baltimore Ravens v. New Orleans Saints OVER 50.5 |
Top |
34-27 |
Win
|
100 |
21 h 8 m |
Show
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This is an 5* play on BAL@NO to go OVER the total. Over the last few seasons, the question was not if the Saints would win at home, but by how great a margin would the win by? Their air of invincibility at the Superdome has taken a big hit though, coming off consecutive losses to the 49ers and Bengals. They will try to avoid a third straight defeat as they host the Ravens tonight, and the Ravens might be just the right opponent.
I don't think this Ravens team is nearly as good as it's record indicates. Lets take a look at where their wins have come from.. they beat the Titans, Falcons, Panthers, Bucs and Browns, leaving them with just one win against a team with a winning record (Pittsburgh).
The Steelers avenged that loss a couple of weeks ago, as Big Ben lit up the Ravens secondary for 340 yards and six TDs. They could be in for another long night facing Drew Breese at the Superdome.
Drew Brees threw 39 TD passes last year, and 27 of those came at home. The Ravens have seen the total go over in five of their last six road games, losing four of those.
Take OVER.
GL,
Jesse Schule
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