NFL Betting: Have gun, will not travel
NFL Betting: Have gun, will not travel
While teams jockey for playoff positions on the field, it has been news off the field that has dominated the NFL headlines. From Plaxico Burress' self-inflicted gunshot wound to the suspension of a half-dozen players for violating the league's anti-doping policy, to Shaun Ellis' arrest for marijuana possession to rumors of the Buffalo Bills moving to Canada, the news wires have been churning.
They say life is about the journey, not the destination. Handicappers can relate; we spend our time analyzing the events leading up to a game, then we sit back and let the chips fall where they may.
The events leading up to Week 14 of the NFL season have been even more bizarre than usual. Suspended players getting court injunctions, the Bills taking the next step in their defection to Canada, and the rise of Ken Dorsey in Cleveland are just a few of the complicated developing stories tearing us away from the comfort of our power rankings.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (-7)
Sunday, Dec 7, 1:00 p.m. (ET) FOX
The craziest story of them all might actually have the least effect on the betting odds. Plaxico Burress, who caught the winning TD pass for the Giants at Super Bowl XLII, had to be taken to hospital last Friday night with a relatively minor gunshot wound to the thigh. The real issue for Burress is that it was his own gun, and he faces weapons possession charges that prompted the Giants to suspend him for the rest of the season.
Fascinating stuff, but New York remains a 7-point favorite over the Eagles. One of the reasons the Giants are 11-1 this year (10-2 ATS) is that QB Eli Manning has a lot more options on offense. Burress (35 catches) is just one of six players with at least 25 catches; the list includes Domenik Hixon (26 catches), who has taken Burress’ starting spot as New York’s deep receiving threat. And this is already a team that thrives on the running game, No. 4 in the league in rushing attempts and first overall in yardage.
The Eagles (6-5-1 SU, 7-5 ATS) have the No. 3-ranked defense in the league against the run, but New York shredded Philly (+3) for 219 rushing yards in last month’s 36-31 win at the Linc. That’s the third win in a row SU and ATS for the G-Men over their NFC East rivals.
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
Sunday, Dec 7, 4:15 p.m. (ET) FOX
The top story in Big D is the return of CB Adam Jones to the active roster. Jones hasn’t been the same impact player for the Cowboys that he was in Tennessee; the biggest drop in productivity has been on punt returns, where Jones is getting just 5.0 yards per attempt, down from 12.9 yards (and three TDs) in 2006. Bringing back the former Pacman is still a plus for Dallas. He led the Cowboys with 11 pass deflections in six games and is well rested after serving his latest suspension.
Special teams figure to play a prominent role in the classic football weather expected at Heinz Field: 25 degrees, 65 percent chance of snow with some crosswinds to boot. The two teams will also be playing on a new-ish surface; just like last November, the Steelers have added a fresh layer of grass to their chewed-up field. That was before their infamous 3-0 victory over Miami in sloppy conditions. This Sunday’s total can be found anywhere between 38 and 40 points.
Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens (-5)
Sunday, Dec 7, 8:15 p.m. (ET) NBC
The Sunday nighter pits two teams with two of the better young quarterbacks in the league: Jason Campbell (87.8 passer rating) of the Redskins and Joe Flacco (82.3) of the Ravens. But Campbell is starting to take some heat after having three of his worst efforts of the season in Washington’s last four games. The ‘Skins lost all three – against tough competition in Pittsburgh, Dallas and the Giants – to fall to 7-5 SU and 5-6-1 ATS on the campaign.
Flacco, meanwhile, is a Rookie of the Year candidate who has gotten progressively better as the days have grown shorter. The former Delaware Blue Hen has 11 TD passes and just two picks in his last seven games, leading Baltimore to a 6-1 record SU and ATS (8-4 SU, 9-3 ATS overall). The Ravens and ‘Skins both support their developing QBs with hard-nosed running and punishing defense, but Baltimore’s defense is the best in the league. Washington’s is ranked No. 11 in terms of efficiency. The ‘Skins will have to dig deep to salvage their season against a team that is coming home after playing four of its last five on the road.
While teams jockey for playoff positions on the field, it has been news off the field that has dominated the NFL headlines. From Plaxico Burress' self-inflicted gunshot wound to the suspension of a half-dozen players for violating the league's anti-doping policy, to Shaun Ellis' arrest for marijuana possession to rumors of the Buffalo Bills moving to Canada, the news wires have been churning.
They say life is about the journey, not the destination. Handicappers can relate; we spend our time analyzing the events leading up to a game, then we sit back and let the chips fall where they may.
The events leading up to Week 14 of the NFL season have been even more bizarre than usual. Suspended players getting court injunctions, the Bills taking the next step in their defection to Canada, and the rise of Ken Dorsey in Cleveland are just a few of the complicated developing stories tearing us away from the comfort of our power rankings.
Philadelphia Eagles at New York Giants (-7)
Sunday, Dec 7, 1:00 p.m. (ET) FOX
The craziest story of them all might actually have the least effect on the betting odds. Plaxico Burress, who caught the winning TD pass for the Giants at Super Bowl XLII, had to be taken to hospital last Friday night with a relatively minor gunshot wound to the thigh. The real issue for Burress is that it was his own gun, and he faces weapons possession charges that prompted the Giants to suspend him for the rest of the season.
Fascinating stuff, but New York remains a 7-point favorite over the Eagles. One of the reasons the Giants are 11-1 this year (10-2 ATS) is that QB Eli Manning has a lot more options on offense. Burress (35 catches) is just one of six players with at least 25 catches; the list includes Domenik Hixon (26 catches), who has taken Burress’ starting spot as New York’s deep receiving threat. And this is already a team that thrives on the running game, No. 4 in the league in rushing attempts and first overall in yardage.
The Eagles (6-5-1 SU, 7-5 ATS) have the No. 3-ranked defense in the league against the run, but New York shredded Philly (+3) for 219 rushing yards in last month’s 36-31 win at the Linc. That’s the third win in a row SU and ATS for the G-Men over their NFC East rivals.
Dallas Cowboys at Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
Sunday, Dec 7, 4:15 p.m. (ET) FOX
The top story in Big D is the return of CB Adam Jones to the active roster. Jones hasn’t been the same impact player for the Cowboys that he was in Tennessee; the biggest drop in productivity has been on punt returns, where Jones is getting just 5.0 yards per attempt, down from 12.9 yards (and three TDs) in 2006. Bringing back the former Pacman is still a plus for Dallas. He led the Cowboys with 11 pass deflections in six games and is well rested after serving his latest suspension.
Special teams figure to play a prominent role in the classic football weather expected at Heinz Field: 25 degrees, 65 percent chance of snow with some crosswinds to boot. The two teams will also be playing on a new-ish surface; just like last November, the Steelers have added a fresh layer of grass to their chewed-up field. That was before their infamous 3-0 victory over Miami in sloppy conditions. This Sunday’s total can be found anywhere between 38 and 40 points.
Washington Redskins at Baltimore Ravens (-5)
Sunday, Dec 7, 8:15 p.m. (ET) NBC
The Sunday nighter pits two teams with two of the better young quarterbacks in the league: Jason Campbell (87.8 passer rating) of the Redskins and Joe Flacco (82.3) of the Ravens. But Campbell is starting to take some heat after having three of his worst efforts of the season in Washington’s last four games. The ‘Skins lost all three – against tough competition in Pittsburgh, Dallas and the Giants – to fall to 7-5 SU and 5-6-1 ATS on the campaign.
Flacco, meanwhile, is a Rookie of the Year candidate who has gotten progressively better as the days have grown shorter. The former Delaware Blue Hen has 11 TD passes and just two picks in his last seven games, leading Baltimore to a 6-1 record SU and ATS (8-4 SU, 9-3 ATS overall). The Ravens and ‘Skins both support their developing QBs with hard-nosed running and punishing defense, but Baltimore’s defense is the best in the league. Washington’s is ranked No. 11 in terms of efficiency. The ‘Skins will have to dig deep to salvage their season against a team that is coming home after playing four of its last five on the road.