NFL Betting Review: Away the way to go
It has been tough sledding in the NFL this year for some handicappers, except for those playing road favorites perhaps. Away chalk went 5-0 straight up and 3-1-1 against the numbers in Week 13, raising their season mark to 37-18-2 ATS. Visiting dogs also barked during the week to the tune of 7-4 ATS (6-5 SU) leaving cappers to mull the thought that in the NFL, there's no place like the road.
Away, away away away. That’s what NFL handicappers have been singing this year – away faves were a perfect 5-0 (3-1-1 ATS) in Week 13 to improve to 37-18-2 ATS (67.3 percent) on the season. It’s a landslide of cash, and the betting odds just haven’t kept up in this topsy-turvy campaign.
The biggest road chalk of the week was the Tennessee Titans. They went into Ford Field as 11-point favorites against the Detroit Lions, who need a bailout after getting steamrolled 47-10. The Titans remain the best team in the AFC at 11-1 SU and a mighty 10-2 ATS; Detroit is at the bottom of the entire league at 0-12 SU and 4-8 ATS. So far, Daunte Culpepper (53.6 passer rating) has been worse than the man he replaced, Dan Orlovsky (76.7).
The other prime mismatch of Week 13 saw the Baltimore Ravens (-7) take apart the Cincinnati Bengals 34-3 at Paul Brown Stadium. Joe Flacco (82.3 rating) continued his ascendancy with a pair of TD throws and zero interceptions, but wideout Mark Clayton stole the show with a 32-yard TD strike to Derrick Mason and 164 yards receiving on five catches, one for a score. The Bengals (1-10-1 SU, 4-8 ATS) were held to six first downs; Baltimore (8-4 SU, 9-3 ATS) had 20.
The Miami Dolphins also went into St. Louis as 7-point faves versus the Rams, but Miami isn’t even close to being as good as Tennessee or Baltimore. It showed on Sunday as the Fish scurried away with a 16-12 victory. The defense was outstanding in keeping St. Louis out of the end zone and picking off Marc Bulger three times; meanwhile, Miami’s offense plodded to its fifth under in sixth games. The Dolphins are still in the AFC East hunt at 7-5 (5-7 ATS), and St. Louis is 2-10 (4-8 ATS) and last in the AFC West.
The biggest story of Week 13 had to do with the New York Giants, although their 23-7 win over Washington (+3½) wasn’t the headline-grabber. Wideout Plaxico Burress faces two class C felony counts after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh Friday night at a club in Manhattan. Burress (hamstring) wasn’t going to face the Redskins (7-5 SU, 5-6-1 ATS) anyway; now he may not play another game for the Giants (11-1 SU, 10-2 ATS) this season, even though his leg wound isn’t considered serious. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not a fan of firearms in his city.
Fifth and most definitely last among the road favorites were the Indianapolis Colts (8-4 SU, 5-6-1 ATS), who needed a 37-yard Robert Mathis fumble return in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Browns 10-6. That was the lone push of the week. Peyton Manning had another stinker of a game: two picks, no TD throws and just 125 yards passing. But Derek Anderson had a worse day for the Browns (4-8 SU, 6-5-1 ATS). He suffered a torn MCL and will go on injured reserve, leaving Ken Dorsey as the only QB on the Cleveland roster. Dorsey will be backed up by wideout Joshua Cribbs next week against Tennessee if the Browns don’t sign another pivot.
Road dogs had their way too last week at 6-5 SU and 7-4 ATS (63.6 percent). The Pittsburgh Steelers were 1-point puppies at cold Gillette Stadium against the hot New England Patriots, but the visitors left with a 33-10 win fueled once again by their defense. The Steelers (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) sacked Matt Cassel five times and picked him off twice while keeping New England (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS) off the scoresheet in the second half.
The Pats are still just one game out of first in the AFC East behind the New York Jets (8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS), who suffered the most shocking upset of the week by losing 34-17 to the Denver Broncos (7-5 SU, 4-7-1 ATS) as 7½-point home faves. Brett Favre was outplayed by Jay Cutler in this matchup, and Vernon Fox returned a Brad Smith fumble 23 yards to open the scoring in the first quarter. The Broncos will almost certainly win the AFC West despite a point differential of minus-27 on the season. Yeesh.
It has been tough sledding in the NFL this year for some handicappers, except for those playing road favorites perhaps. Away chalk went 5-0 straight up and 3-1-1 against the numbers in Week 13, raising their season mark to 37-18-2 ATS. Visiting dogs also barked during the week to the tune of 7-4 ATS (6-5 SU) leaving cappers to mull the thought that in the NFL, there's no place like the road.
Away, away away away. That’s what NFL handicappers have been singing this year – away faves were a perfect 5-0 (3-1-1 ATS) in Week 13 to improve to 37-18-2 ATS (67.3 percent) on the season. It’s a landslide of cash, and the betting odds just haven’t kept up in this topsy-turvy campaign.
The biggest road chalk of the week was the Tennessee Titans. They went into Ford Field as 11-point favorites against the Detroit Lions, who need a bailout after getting steamrolled 47-10. The Titans remain the best team in the AFC at 11-1 SU and a mighty 10-2 ATS; Detroit is at the bottom of the entire league at 0-12 SU and 4-8 ATS. So far, Daunte Culpepper (53.6 passer rating) has been worse than the man he replaced, Dan Orlovsky (76.7).
The other prime mismatch of Week 13 saw the Baltimore Ravens (-7) take apart the Cincinnati Bengals 34-3 at Paul Brown Stadium. Joe Flacco (82.3 rating) continued his ascendancy with a pair of TD throws and zero interceptions, but wideout Mark Clayton stole the show with a 32-yard TD strike to Derrick Mason and 164 yards receiving on five catches, one for a score. The Bengals (1-10-1 SU, 4-8 ATS) were held to six first downs; Baltimore (8-4 SU, 9-3 ATS) had 20.
The Miami Dolphins also went into St. Louis as 7-point faves versus the Rams, but Miami isn’t even close to being as good as Tennessee or Baltimore. It showed on Sunday as the Fish scurried away with a 16-12 victory. The defense was outstanding in keeping St. Louis out of the end zone and picking off Marc Bulger three times; meanwhile, Miami’s offense plodded to its fifth under in sixth games. The Dolphins are still in the AFC East hunt at 7-5 (5-7 ATS), and St. Louis is 2-10 (4-8 ATS) and last in the AFC West.
The biggest story of Week 13 had to do with the New York Giants, although their 23-7 win over Washington (+3½) wasn’t the headline-grabber. Wideout Plaxico Burress faces two class C felony counts after accidentally shooting himself in the thigh Friday night at a club in Manhattan. Burress (hamstring) wasn’t going to face the Redskins (7-5 SU, 5-6-1 ATS) anyway; now he may not play another game for the Giants (11-1 SU, 10-2 ATS) this season, even though his leg wound isn’t considered serious. Mayor Michael Bloomberg is not a fan of firearms in his city.
Fifth and most definitely last among the road favorites were the Indianapolis Colts (8-4 SU, 5-6-1 ATS), who needed a 37-yard Robert Mathis fumble return in the fourth quarter to beat the Cleveland Browns 10-6. That was the lone push of the week. Peyton Manning had another stinker of a game: two picks, no TD throws and just 125 yards passing. But Derek Anderson had a worse day for the Browns (4-8 SU, 6-5-1 ATS). He suffered a torn MCL and will go on injured reserve, leaving Ken Dorsey as the only QB on the Cleveland roster. Dorsey will be backed up by wideout Joshua Cribbs next week against Tennessee if the Browns don’t sign another pivot.
Road dogs had their way too last week at 6-5 SU and 7-4 ATS (63.6 percent). The Pittsburgh Steelers were 1-point puppies at cold Gillette Stadium against the hot New England Patriots, but the visitors left with a 33-10 win fueled once again by their defense. The Steelers (9-3 SU, 6-6 ATS) sacked Matt Cassel five times and picked him off twice while keeping New England (7-5 SU, 6-6 ATS) off the scoresheet in the second half.
The Pats are still just one game out of first in the AFC East behind the New York Jets (8-4 SU, 7-5 ATS), who suffered the most shocking upset of the week by losing 34-17 to the Denver Broncos (7-5 SU, 4-7-1 ATS) as 7½-point home faves. Brett Favre was outplayed by Jay Cutler in this matchup, and Vernon Fox returned a Brad Smith fumble 23 yards to open the scoring in the first quarter. The Broncos will almost certainly win the AFC West despite a point differential of minus-27 on the season. Yeesh.