How many times do double digit favorites have to cover and outright win before you realize there is more to capping pro football then the stats/numbers?
If there was a formulaic equation you could use to just number crunch all the stats and spit out a winner, the game would be simple. Everyone would win. There is a reason why these games sometimes seem impossible to predict.
Unlike in college where there are often match-ups that involve two teams where one team is simply largely better at every skill position then the other, in pro football, this is not the case. There are definitely teams with much more skilled players then others, but the drop off is not that huge.
Which means sometimes it comes down to intangibles. Pride, motivation, and quite simply, who wants it more.
Minnesota;
- At 1 - 3, their season hangs in the balance. They came into this year expecting playoffs, and climbing out of a 1 - 4 hole would be extremely difficult. This is essentially a must win for them.
- The Vikings are 0 - 2 on the road both straight up and ATS, while the Saints are 2 - 0 at home straight up and ATS. To you, this might mean the Vikings are a bad road team and the Saints are a good home team and this supports NO -3. To me, this means the Vikings will play that much harder to buck this trend (they know they have to win on the road this season if they are going to succeed), and if anything it will give New Orleans a false sense of security/overconfidence.
- Minnesota has already lost a Monday Night Football game this year. Ask any player, its a totally different atmosphere on Monday Night. Players get up big time for this. Do you think Minnesota wants to be embarrassed with every football fan in the country watching again for the second time in 30 days?
Not to mention the odd spread. Without looking too deeply into this game, you have a high-octane-offense team that the country loves, at home (where everyone knows they play well), against a team with a backup QB and an awful passing defense. Why is this game only 3 points? Mission accomplished; everyone seems to be on the Saints.
New Orleans may very well win and cover tonight. I'm not trying to say I'm an NFL expert or anything... I'm merely saying that as has been proven year in and year out, there is more to capping games then stats and injuries.
In my opinion, reading in between the lines on this game spells out Minnesota ML in bold print.
If there was a formulaic equation you could use to just number crunch all the stats and spit out a winner, the game would be simple. Everyone would win. There is a reason why these games sometimes seem impossible to predict.
Unlike in college where there are often match-ups that involve two teams where one team is simply largely better at every skill position then the other, in pro football, this is not the case. There are definitely teams with much more skilled players then others, but the drop off is not that huge.
Which means sometimes it comes down to intangibles. Pride, motivation, and quite simply, who wants it more.
Minnesota;
- At 1 - 3, their season hangs in the balance. They came into this year expecting playoffs, and climbing out of a 1 - 4 hole would be extremely difficult. This is essentially a must win for them.
- The Vikings are 0 - 2 on the road both straight up and ATS, while the Saints are 2 - 0 at home straight up and ATS. To you, this might mean the Vikings are a bad road team and the Saints are a good home team and this supports NO -3. To me, this means the Vikings will play that much harder to buck this trend (they know they have to win on the road this season if they are going to succeed), and if anything it will give New Orleans a false sense of security/overconfidence.
- Minnesota has already lost a Monday Night Football game this year. Ask any player, its a totally different atmosphere on Monday Night. Players get up big time for this. Do you think Minnesota wants to be embarrassed with every football fan in the country watching again for the second time in 30 days?
Not to mention the odd spread. Without looking too deeply into this game, you have a high-octane-offense team that the country loves, at home (where everyone knows they play well), against a team with a backup QB and an awful passing defense. Why is this game only 3 points? Mission accomplished; everyone seems to be on the Saints.
New Orleans may very well win and cover tonight. I'm not trying to say I'm an NFL expert or anything... I'm merely saying that as has been proven year in and year out, there is more to capping games then stats and injuries.
In my opinion, reading in between the lines on this game spells out Minnesota ML in bold print.
