Announcement

**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 03:59 AM

Six-pack for Monday

-- College hoop starts tonight with twinbill in Memphis, as host Tigers host Tennessee-Martin, after Richmond takes on Maine in the first college hoop game of season. ESPNU has the Memphis game at 7.

-- LSU moved up to #2 in BCS standings after their win at Alabama. If I was Ohio State, with title game in Superdome, I'd rather play anyone than LSU.

-- Stephen Ames won last tournament of '07 PGA season, so he gets his card for '08 and '09, which is big deal, since at least 97 guys earned $1M+ on Tour this season.

-- Lute Olson has taken a leave of absence from the Arizona hoop team, for unknown reasons (but not health related) so we wish him well, with whatever issues that are there.

-- Celtics won in OT at Toronto Sunday afternoon, making them 2-0, and handing Raptors their first loss after 2-0 start.

-- NBA refs called 25% more travels last year than the year before and are calling even more this year, from what I've seen so far. It almost looks like real basketball.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:00 AM

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday........

13) Halftime line for Colt-Patriot game (with Indy leading 13-7 at half) was New England -3.5, with total of 27.5; those who chased the Patriots in second half won, but if you chased the over, you lost, since Patriots won second half 17-7.

12) Chiefs had allowed 63 points in last five home games, but Brett Favre lit them up for 33, 17 coming in last 3:08, as Green Bay moved to 7-1 (11-1 in last 12 games, dating back to 2006) with 33-22 road win, their second road win in six days.

11) Minnesota ran ball 43 times for 378 yards, as Peterson set the NFL single game rushing record with 290 yards, as Vikes upset San Diego, outscoring them 28-3 in second half, in the Chargers' only game on artificial surface this season.

10) Cutler was injured for Denver, leaving QB duties to former Redskin Patrick Ramsey, as Broncos got crushed 44-7 at Ford Field, making the Lions 6-2 at halfway mark. At one point, the Broncos had guy wearing #83 practicing taking center snaps on the sidelines, so they'll be signing a QB this week.

9) Think Jake Plummer is enjoying the Broncos' struggles?

8) Detroit's defense has now taken ball away 24 times in eight games, for +8 turnover ratio, which is main reason why Lions look like a lock to make playoffs for first time in a hideous era led by GM Matt Millen.

7) Saints-Jaguars was 17-17 after the first quarter, as Jaguars hit on 80-yard TD pass and 100-yard kick return. Saints are on a roll, gaining 538 yards in their fourth straight win.

6) No one on this planet thought Joseph Addai would be as good as he is now, when he was drafted by Colts. Actually, he is better for the Colts than Edgerrin James was, which is how teams sometimes just get lucky with their selections.

5) I hope David Carr saved a lot of the money he's been paid in his brief NFL career, because the end is near for him. He is horrible, getting benched for the immortal Matt Moore in the Panthers' 20-7 loss in Nashville. Lets put it this way, Carolina is anxious to get Vinny Testaverde back in the lineup.

4) Browns rallied from 21-6 deficit behind Anderson-Winslow connection, but Seahawks kicked FG on last play to force OT, where the Browns won 33-30, behind another productive day from QB Anderson, who may force Browns to trade their top draft pick, local product Brady Quinn.

3) Cincinnati's defense stinks, allowing Buffalo 479 yards and 33 points, when Bills had scored 20 points in one game all of this season, hadn't gained more than 347 yards in any game.

2) NFC teams had strong day Sunday, going 5-2 vs AFC, to make season mark 20-18, AFC. Titans, Browns were the AFC teams that won Sunday.

1) If you want to bet the Super Bowl blindly, the AFC is 12.5 points over the NFC. I can think of four AFC teams I would pick to beat any NFC club, although not necessarily by 12.5.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:01 AM

National Football League - Dunkel Index

NFL
Dunkel Index

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5

Game 431-432: Baltimore at Pittsburgh
Dunkel Ratings: Baltimore 126.093; Pittsburgh 141.036
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 15; 32
Vegas Line: Pittsburgh by 7 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (-7 1/2); Under

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:02 AM

National Football League – Long Sheet

NFL
Long Sheet

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Monday, November 5
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BALTIMORE (4 - 3) at PITTSBURGH (5 - 2) - 11/5/2007, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
PITTSBURGH is 16-6 ATS (+9.4 Units) as a favorite of 3.5 to 9.5 points over the last 3 seasons.
PITTSBURGH is 42-24 ATS (+15.6 Units) in weeks 5 through 9 since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
BALTIMORE is 4-0 against the spread versus PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
BALTIMORE is 3-1 straight up against PITTSBURGH over the last 3 seasons
2 of 4 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:03 AM

National Football League - Short Sheet

NFL
Short Sheet

Monday, November 5

Baltimore at Pittsburgh, 8:30 EST ESPN
Baltimore: 18-5 ATS off a loss as a favorite
Pittsburgh: 9-1 Over at home off a win

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:03 AM

National Football League – Write up

NFL
Write-up

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Monday, November 5
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Ravens (4-3) @ Steelers (5-2)— First place in AFC North at stake here; Ravens are off bye, just 1-3 on road, losing by 7-14-5 pts, winning only at Candlestick (9-7). This is first home game in four weeks for Steelers, who are 3-0 at home, winning 26-3 vs Buffalo (-9.5), 37-16 vs Niners (-9), 21-0 over Seattle (-5), not exactly like Murderers’ Row. Big Ben moving chains well for Steelers (they converted 24 of last 38 on 3rd down) part of why they’ve scored 21+ points in every game but one (21-14 loss at Arizona). Ravens faced Dilfer, Frerotte and rookie Edwards in last three games; they finally face their first real QB since Anderson averaged 11.3 ypa against them in Cleveland in Week 5. Last four Baltimore games stayed under total.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:10 AM

National Football League - Tips & Trends

NFL

Monday, November 5

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Tips and Trends
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Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (ESPN | 8:30 PM ET)

The Ravens have won their last five games following a bye week, and six of eight under coach Brian Billick. QB Steve McNair (groin), C Mike Flynn (knee), OT Adam Terry (ankle), OT Jonathan Ogden (toe), DE Trevor Pryce (broken wrist) and CB Chris McAlister (knee) are expected to rejoin to the starting lineup as well. EDGE: RAVENS
The Ravens defeated the Steelers by a combined 51 points last year, and have covered the point spread in five out of the last six meetings. EDGE: RAVENS
Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger is playing significantly better this year, as he's leading the league's fourth-ranked offense with 361.1 yards per game. He has 15 touchdowns and six interceptions this season with a QB rating of 103 at home this season. EDGE: STEELERS
The Steelers defense is ranked #1 in the league allowing 13 points per game and fourth in the league in rushing yards allowed with 78 yards per game. The Ravens defense is ranked second in the league allowing just 72 rushing yards per game and 10th in points allowed with 17 ppg. EDGE: UNDER
Ravens are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 games following an ATS loss.
Ravens are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 road games.
Steelers are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games overall.
Steelers are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Monday night games.
Ravens are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:11 AM

National Football League – Preview

NFL

Monday, November 5

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NFL Preview
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Monday Night Football Preview

The Pittsburgh Steelers will be looking to knock off a division rival for the second week in a row on Monday night when they play host to the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field.

Ben Roethlisberger and company beat the Cincinnati Bengals by a final score of 24-13 in Week 8, which ran their record to 5-2 on the season and pushed them into top spot in the AFC North. Big Ben was an efficient 19-of-26 for 230 yards passing in that contest, with two touchdown strikes and one interception. Roethlisberger now has an impressive quarterback rating of 102.2, which ranked him fourth in the league heading into Week 9.

Willie Parker rumbled for 126 yards on 22 carries versus the Bengals, and he found the end zone in the second quarter. Hines Ward was Roethlisberger's favorite target in the contest, hauling in eight catches for 88 yards and scoring a pair of TDs in the first half. The Steelers had been favored by 4 points in that UNDER play, and covered the spread.

The Ravens had a bye in Week 8, which gave them some time to regroup from the 19-14 defeat they suffered at the hands of the Buffalo Bills two weeks ago. Kyle Boller got the start at quarterback for Baltimore in that game, and he completed 21-of-36 pass attempts for 191 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. However, Steve McNair is expected to return from his back and groin injuries and get the Monday start.

Willis McGahee ran for 114 yards on 19 carries in the defeat versus his old team, and he managed to score a touchdown. Derrick Mason had the Ravens' other major score against Buffalo, hauling in a 15-yard pass from Boller in the fourth quarter. That loss dropped Baltimore to 4-3 on the season, and the combined score was an UNDER play.

Overall Pittsburgh is 5-2 both straight-up and against-the-spread in 2007, while Baltimore has a big disparity in those records - they're 4-3 SU but just 1-6 ATS. At home the Steelers are 3-0 ATS so far this season, while the Ravens are 0-4 ATS on the road. Pittsburgh has been listed as the favorite in all eight of their games so far this year - they're listed as 9-point favorites for the Monday night matchup. Baltimore had only been listed as the underdog once previously, and they didn't cover against the Bengals.

The total for Monday's game has been pegged at 36 points. The Steelers are 3-4 on the OVER/UNDER through seven games, and their combined score has gone UNDER in three of their past four outings. The Ravens are 3-3-1 on the OVER/UNDER this year, and they're on a streak of three straight UNDER results since the beginning of October.

Baltimore took care of business twice against Pittsburgh last season, winning 27-0 at home in November and 31-7 on the road in December. The home team had been favored in both of those contests, and they were both easy ATS victories for the Ravens. The November game was an UNDER play, while December was a slim OVER.

Here are the official injury reports for both the Ravens and the Steelers for Monday . . .

Baltimore Injuries
Daniel Wilcox TE Out Week 9 (foot)
Chris McAlister CB Doubtful Week 9 (knee)
Jared Gaither T Questionable Week 9 (ankle)
Todd Heap TE Questionable Week 9 (thigh)
Samari Rolle CB Questionable Week 9 (illness)
Antwan Barnes LB Probable Week 9 (thigh)
Mike Flynn C Probable Week 9 (knee)
Steve McNair QB Probable Week 9 (groin/back)
Trevor Pryce DT Probable Week 9 (wrist)
Matt Stover K Probable Week 9 (right thigh)
Quinn Sypniewski TE Probable Week 9 (knee)
Adam Terry T Probable Week 9 (ankle)

Pittsburgh Injuries
Ryan Clark S Out Week 9 (spleen)
Jerame Tuman TE Out Week 9 (back)
Aaron Smith DE Doubtful Week 9 (knee)
Alan Faneca G Probable Week 9 (back)

The Steelers will stay at home for Week 10, when they'll get a visit from the Cleveland Browns. The Ravens will return to Baltimore for a Week 10 contest against the Bengals.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:14 AM

National Football League – Notes

NFL
Notes

Monday, November 5

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What bettors need to know: Ravens at Steelers
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Baltimore Ravens at Pittsburgh Steelers (-9, 36 1/2)

Defensive battle
Traditionally, both the Steelers and Ravens are franchises built on strong defense. That's no different this season, a fact that should be on display in Monday's game.
"Nothing is a secret about the way these two teams play against each other," Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis told the Carroll County Times. "We know it's going to be physical. They've got the No. 1 defense, we've got the No. 2 defense. It's going to be one of those classic games."
Pittsburgh has given up the fewest yards per game (256.9) and the fewest points per contest (13) of any NFL team this season. The Ravens are second in the league in total defense (268 yards per game) and are 10th with 17 points allowed per contest.
Both defenses have solid linebacking corps. Baltimore is led by Lewis, a two-time defensive player of the year, and Pittsburgh by James Farrior. But the Ravens will get a huge boost on Monday with the return of four-time Pro Bowl defensive end Trevor Pryce from injury.
"You can't point to one guy and say 'We're going to block him," because if you block him, the other four will kill you," Pryce said ahead of the game. "We have all the pieces as a whole. It makes the unit stronger. I just want to make it that much harder."
Two of the last three games between these teams went under the total.

Roethlisberger to set record straight?
Last season, Ben Roethlisberger was terrible against Baltimore. The Steelers quarterback hopes to put the record straight when the Ravens arrive at Heinz Field for their Monday Night Football matchup.
In two games last year, Baltimore sacked Roethlisberger 14 times and forced him to throw four interceptions. He threw for just 370 yards and one TD over the two games, both of which were heavy defeats.
"You know how you felt afterward," Roethlisberger told The Associated Press this week. "You got embarrassed twice, once here, once there. It's not a good thing. It leaves a taste in your mouth. They roughed us up, a lot. We need another all-around performance like we had last Sunday, in all phases of the game."
The Steelers defeated the Bengals 24-13 last week with Roethlisberger throwing for 230 yards and two TDs. The fourth-year QB has 15 touchdown passes and six interceptions for the season, compared to seven TDs with 14 picks at the same time last year.
"I think offensively we're playing well," Roethlisberger added. "I think the key is if we can keep doing that, just trying to get better. We need to keep improving and keep working on trying to be a good football team. I think we have the potential to be great, but we've got a ways to go."
The Steelers have yet to lose in Pittsburgh this season and haven't dropped a home Monday night game in more than 16 years.

Steelers will run the football
Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians is confident his team will be able to run the ball against the league's second-best rush defense on Monday. Last season, Pittsburgh managed a combined 119 yards on the ground in two games against the Ravens.
"Partly, it was us; we took a pass-first mentality to Baltimore and it backfired," Arians told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette after Saturday's practice. "Last year was last year. All I'm worried about is this year. We're going to run the football, make no bones about it."
Pittsburgh's star RB Wille Parker, who leads the league with five 100-yard games this season, was held to just 50 yards on 23 carries against the Ravens last season.
Asked by a reporter if he meant his offense would attempt to run the football, Arians said, "No, we're going to run the football."
In the past three games the Ravens have given up just 271 yards on the ground and a single rushing touchdown.

McNair ready for Ravens
Baltimore quarterback Steve McNair has had the past three weeks off to recover from various niggling injuries. As McNair gears up for his return, wide receiver Derrick Mason says he can notice the difference in the veteran QB.
"With three weeks off, a guy is going to be a little bit rejuvenated," Mason told the Washington Post. "You can see that he has that bounce back in his step again. I think Steve needed something like that, especially going into the second half of the season."
McNair picked up a groin injury in the season opener and then hurt his back against the 49ers. Coach Brian Billick decided to rest him against the Rams and the Bills, and last week's bye gave him three weeks of recovery time.
"The two or three weeks that I had off was good for the body. It gave me time to heal up and I played with a lot of confidence and not worry about the injuries," said McNair, who struggled with his mobility earlier in the season.
"Mostly I was using my arm," he added. "Now I can go ahead and make sure that I can follow through with the right techniques. As a quarterback you've got to have the right techniques. When you're hurt, you kind of lose those techniques and now that I've got them back, things will work out."

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:15 AM

National Football League – Cheat Sheet

NFL

Monday, November 5

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Cheat Sheet
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NFL poolies' cheat sheet: Week 9

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-9 ½)

Why Ravens cover: Have won last three meetings. Are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings and can tie Pittsburgh atop the AFC North with a victory. Bye week allows Ravens to get starters Steve McNair, Chris McAlister and Trevor Pryce back in the lineup.

Why Steelers cover: Are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games. Haven’t lost a Monday Night Football game at home since 1991, a span of 11 contests. Ravens are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games and 1-7 ATS in their last eight games overall. Baltimore is the AFC’s most penalized team, giving up 438 yards to penalties.

Total (36 ½): Over is 5-1 in the last six meetings in Pittsburgh.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:16 AM

National Football League – Underdogs

NFL
Underdogs

Monday, November 5

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NFL underdogs: pick
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NFL underdogs: Week 9 pick

Baltimore at Pittsburgh: Ravens +9

If there’s one thing the Ravens like, it’s playing prime time games. If there’s one thing the Ravens love, it’s playing blood-in-your-mouth football.

I think they’re in for both Monday night against Pittsburgh. They should keep it close.

Last week’s record: 2-1
Season record to date: 13-10-1

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:18 AM

National Football League – Injuries

NFL

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Injury Report
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NFL injury report: Week 9

QB Steve McNair, Baltimore Ravens
Status: Probable

Since missing two starts and recuperating from back and groin injuries during Baltimore's bye week, McNair is preparing to start Monday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers for his first action since Oct. 7. The Ravens are 9-point underdogs at Pittsburgh.

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:19 AM

National Basketball Association – Long Sheet

NBA
Long Sheet

Monday, November 5

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HOUSTON (3 - 0) at DALLAS (2 - 1) - 11/5/2007, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
HOUSTON is 4-13 ATS (-10.3 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins over the last 2 seasons.
DALLAS is 31-12 ATS (+17.8 Units) vs. division opponents over the last 3 seasons.
DALLAS is 23-10 ATS (+12.0 Units) versus good defensive teams - allowing <=91 points/game over the last 3 seasons.
HOUSTON is 51-34 ATS (+13.6 Units) in road games over the last 3 seasons.

Head-to-Head Series History
DALLAS is 6-2 against the spread versus HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
DALLAS is 7-1 straight up against HOUSTON over the last 3 seasons
4 of 8 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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**pm530** · 11-05-2007, 04:20 AM

National Basketball Association – Write up

NBA
Write-up

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Monday, November 5
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Today's NBA analysis

Hot Teams
-- Dallas won two of first three games, beating Cleveland and Sacramento, losing in Atlanta. Rockets are off to 3-0 start, with wins over the Lakers, Jazz (both on road) and Portland.

Cold Teams
-- none

Series Records
-- Mavericks won three of four against Houston LY, winning at home by 109-96/95-74 cores.

Totals
-- Under was 3-1 in Dallas-Houston games LY; with Adelman in charge of Rockets, games should be more up-tempo.

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Announcement

Monday Trends and Indexes 11/05

Monday Trends and Indexes 11/05

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