In the wonderful world that is NFL wagering, the unexpected is the way to go. For this Sunday, I have some hair raising lines that I have been watching with great interest.
Cardinals+3.5
The Giants are the NFL's best team in my opinion. Put them on the same field with the titans, and Tennessee won't make enough plays offensively to pull off the upset.
However, the Cards are on the verge of something special. A win by the Cardinals and a loss by the Niners and Seahawks and they will wrap up the division for the 1st time since whenever! So they are definitely playing for something. I think that matchup wise they have big strong corners and receivers, so they are toughon both sides of the ball. They will be playing in front of a sell out, and the energy will be electric. The consensus numbers show that the Giants are preferred by bettors 86% to 14%, yet the line went from Giants -3.5 to Giants-3. this reverse movement has caught my eye for sure.
Miami-1
The Dolphins are a team on the rise, and the Patriots are not. Joey porter is on fireright now, and the Wildcat offense is working wonders for the offensive prduction of the Fish. The Patriots are coming into this game with 10 days rest, but that won't help. They are simply running out of gas. With 86% of the bettors on their side, the Pats line is doing what it is supposed to do, going from Miami-3 to Miami-1. I give the edge to the power ground game of the Fish and the element of surprise that it presents to opponents, especially New England's aging linebackers.
Seattle +3.5
Here we have the cross country travel thing working in the Seahawks favor for once. The Redskins are running out of juice at the wrong time. Dallas provided a blueprint for how to beat them by stuffing the run to the left. The Seahawks pay on a field turf surface, and the Redskins are used to natural grass. Matt Hasselback has had a week under his belt to get used to playing once again, and they came within a hair of getting the cover at home against a superb Cardinals squad. He showed signs of rust, throwing three picks, but he will get in some practice time with Branch, Robinson and Engram Thursday, Friday and Saturday to help get his timing back. A good rushing day from Jones should help them keep it within the number. The public loves the Redskins in this game 73% to 27%. The Skins always manage to play close tight games. I say that the trend doesn't stop here. Washington is 1-3 ats in Seattle. Can't fight against that trend.
Baltimore-1
The Ravens should play back in form this week facing another tough defense in Philly. Joe Flacco doesn't have to deal with the treacherous winds of the Meadowlands this week. Donovan McNabb is throwing on virtually every single play now as the Eagles have basiclly abandoned the run altogether. This means that the Ravens can pin their ears back and blitz which is their strong suit. This is the same Philly team that tied the Bengals as 9 point favorites last week, showing very little ability to move the ball downfield. The AFC overall is a stronge conference than the NFC. It will show in ths game. The public may be right on this one.
So those are 4 games that I like for Sunday so far.
Cardinals+3.5
The Giants are the NFL's best team in my opinion. Put them on the same field with the titans, and Tennessee won't make enough plays offensively to pull off the upset.
However, the Cards are on the verge of something special. A win by the Cardinals and a loss by the Niners and Seahawks and they will wrap up the division for the 1st time since whenever! So they are definitely playing for something. I think that matchup wise they have big strong corners and receivers, so they are toughon both sides of the ball. They will be playing in front of a sell out, and the energy will be electric. The consensus numbers show that the Giants are preferred by bettors 86% to 14%, yet the line went from Giants -3.5 to Giants-3. this reverse movement has caught my eye for sure.
Miami-1
The Dolphins are a team on the rise, and the Patriots are not. Joey porter is on fireright now, and the Wildcat offense is working wonders for the offensive prduction of the Fish. The Patriots are coming into this game with 10 days rest, but that won't help. They are simply running out of gas. With 86% of the bettors on their side, the Pats line is doing what it is supposed to do, going from Miami-3 to Miami-1. I give the edge to the power ground game of the Fish and the element of surprise that it presents to opponents, especially New England's aging linebackers.
Seattle +3.5
Here we have the cross country travel thing working in the Seahawks favor for once. The Redskins are running out of juice at the wrong time. Dallas provided a blueprint for how to beat them by stuffing the run to the left. The Seahawks pay on a field turf surface, and the Redskins are used to natural grass. Matt Hasselback has had a week under his belt to get used to playing once again, and they came within a hair of getting the cover at home against a superb Cardinals squad. He showed signs of rust, throwing three picks, but he will get in some practice time with Branch, Robinson and Engram Thursday, Friday and Saturday to help get his timing back. A good rushing day from Jones should help them keep it within the number. The public loves the Redskins in this game 73% to 27%. The Skins always manage to play close tight games. I say that the trend doesn't stop here. Washington is 1-3 ats in Seattle. Can't fight against that trend.
Baltimore-1
The Ravens should play back in form this week facing another tough defense in Philly. Joe Flacco doesn't have to deal with the treacherous winds of the Meadowlands this week. Donovan McNabb is throwing on virtually every single play now as the Eagles have basiclly abandoned the run altogether. This means that the Ravens can pin their ears back and blitz which is their strong suit. This is the same Philly team that tied the Bengals as 9 point favorites last week, showing very little ability to move the ball downfield. The AFC overall is a stronge conference than the NFC. It will show in ths game. The public may be right on this one.
So those are 4 games that I like for Sunday so far.
