TravisBickle
12-17-2006, 05:15 PM
Here is what I like in the foots arena -
Sides:
Top play Baltimore Ravens -11.5
Hard to look any other way here despite the fact that I dislike laying double digits in this league, but when you take the Browns ATS records into account, this has blowout written all over it. The Browns may not even score today, which means that we require little from the Ravens offense. Cleveland is 3-10-1 ATS in division play and Baltimore is 35-13-2 ATS the last 50 times that they have laid points at home.
Regular play Green Bay Packers -4.5
Amatuers and the public will jump on the Lions as the Packers are a piss poor team in rebuilding mode but football is a situational game, and you need to know and understand how to go against the grain sometimes. We will fade the public and roll with the Packers. The Lions will be without Keith Jones at running back and now have two no-names carrying the load, but have little success running the ball at all. The Lions haven't won in Green bay since 1991 and are 1-5 ATS away from home this year. Without Shaun Rogers to plug the middle, teams are pounding the Detroit defense
TOTALS:
Top play Steelers/Panthers OVER 37 (-120)
The Panthers now need a miracle to gain a playoff berth and with injuries mounting on both sides of the ball, that is a longshot at best. Jake Delhomme will miss the game with Chris Weinke getting his 17th career start (0-16 so far). Last week he threw 61 passes against the Giants in a losing effort. The Panther running game is doing nothing and figures to have little success against the Steelers defensive front, which is the strength of the D.
Regular play Broncos/Cardinals OVER 42
Mike Shanahan and his giant ego once again got the better of him. He signed Jake Plummer to a free agent contract, firm in his belief that he could turn Plummer into a decent quarterback. Plummer was well known for his interception prowess before he came to Denver and Shanahan was unable to control Jake's desire to throw balls into traffic. Now he shelves Plummer in the middle of a playoff run and turns to a rookie who will someday be a great QB, but enters into a very difficult situation in midseason. Now the Broncos and Shanahan's ego will likely miss the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Broncos travel to Glendale to meet another top rookie draft pick in Matt Leinart and the Cardinals. Leinart threw for over 400 yards against the Vikings and the Cards running game has improved greatly over the past couple of weeks with Edgerrin James gaining over 100 yards in consecutive games. The Cardinals have gone OVER in 11 of 13 when the total was set between 35.5 and 42. Offense rules the day again...
Regular play Bears/Buccaneers UNDER 34.5 (-120)
Count me among the "non-believers" in the Chicago Bears and Rex Grossman. The Bears offense has little consistency and has only covered spreads because of special teams play and defensive turnovers. Last week's MNF game at St. Louis showed the chinks in Chicago's armor. They won and covered, but Bulger threw for 356 yards and three TD's. When the playoffs come, I look for a repeat of what we saw Carolina do to the Bears in Soldier Field last year, with only ONE decent threat at wideout.
Sides:
Top play Baltimore Ravens -11.5
Hard to look any other way here despite the fact that I dislike laying double digits in this league, but when you take the Browns ATS records into account, this has blowout written all over it. The Browns may not even score today, which means that we require little from the Ravens offense. Cleveland is 3-10-1 ATS in division play and Baltimore is 35-13-2 ATS the last 50 times that they have laid points at home.
Regular play Green Bay Packers -4.5
Amatuers and the public will jump on the Lions as the Packers are a piss poor team in rebuilding mode but football is a situational game, and you need to know and understand how to go against the grain sometimes. We will fade the public and roll with the Packers. The Lions will be without Keith Jones at running back and now have two no-names carrying the load, but have little success running the ball at all. The Lions haven't won in Green bay since 1991 and are 1-5 ATS away from home this year. Without Shaun Rogers to plug the middle, teams are pounding the Detroit defense
TOTALS:
Top play Steelers/Panthers OVER 37 (-120)
The Panthers now need a miracle to gain a playoff berth and with injuries mounting on both sides of the ball, that is a longshot at best. Jake Delhomme will miss the game with Chris Weinke getting his 17th career start (0-16 so far). Last week he threw 61 passes against the Giants in a losing effort. The Panther running game is doing nothing and figures to have little success against the Steelers defensive front, which is the strength of the D.
Regular play Broncos/Cardinals OVER 42
Mike Shanahan and his giant ego once again got the better of him. He signed Jake Plummer to a free agent contract, firm in his belief that he could turn Plummer into a decent quarterback. Plummer was well known for his interception prowess before he came to Denver and Shanahan was unable to control Jake's desire to throw balls into traffic. Now he shelves Plummer in the middle of a playoff run and turns to a rookie who will someday be a great QB, but enters into a very difficult situation in midseason. Now the Broncos and Shanahan's ego will likely miss the postseason.
Meanwhile, the Broncos travel to Glendale to meet another top rookie draft pick in Matt Leinart and the Cardinals. Leinart threw for over 400 yards against the Vikings and the Cards running game has improved greatly over the past couple of weeks with Edgerrin James gaining over 100 yards in consecutive games. The Cardinals have gone OVER in 11 of 13 when the total was set between 35.5 and 42. Offense rules the day again...
Regular play Bears/Buccaneers UNDER 34.5 (-120)
Count me among the "non-believers" in the Chicago Bears and Rex Grossman. The Bears offense has little consistency and has only covered spreads because of special teams play and defensive turnovers. Last week's MNF game at St. Louis showed the chinks in Chicago's armor. They won and covered, but Bulger threw for 356 yards and three TD's. When the playoffs come, I look for a repeat of what we saw Carolina do to the Bears in Soldier Field last year, with only ONE decent threat at wideout.