The Bum's NFL Week # 4 Best Bets !

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Houston Texans Host Steelers In Key AFC Contest

A pair of 2-1 teams meet up at Reliant Stadium for one of the biggest Week 5 NFL betting showdowns, as the Houston Texans play host to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

This 1:00 p.m. (ET) Sunday kickoff will be the national broadcast on CBS, and those who don't have other local games there area is tied to should get this game.

The stakes in this one couldn't be much higher for this early in the season. Both the Steelers (2-1 SU, 1-2 ATS) and Texans (2-1 SU, 2-1 ATS) are tied atop their respective divisions, and both are expected to be in the playoffs this year. One team will feel a heck of a lot more comfortable at 3-1 through the first quarter of the season than at 2-2 and in second or third place in their own division.

The big news out of Houston is that last year's leading rusher, Arian Foster, is going to be back in the lineup after basically only playing a handful of series in the first three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Foster is built a lot like Baltimore Ravens' tailback, Ray Rice, who accounted for a whopping 149 total yards and two scores against the Steelers in a Week 1 loss.

History says that the Steelers' defense cannot be run upon, especially after allowing just a shade over 60 YPG last year to opposing runners. Though Pittsburgh has only allowed 263.3 total YPG this year, No. 2 in the league, we have to remember that this is the Houston offense it is going against, not that of the Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts.

The Steelers might have some bigger problems this week, though. Houston's new 3-4 look has produced seven sacks in three games, and has caused a ton of pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The offensive line is paper thin for Pittsburgh, and there could be a lot of heat on Ben Roethlisberger all day long.

Big Ben has only thrown one touchdown pass in each of his first three games, which aren't numbers that we are used to seeing out of him. Roethlisberger does have 942 passing yards, but four picks and four lost fumbles aren't excusable and cannot be had in this game against Houston.

The Texans failed their first major defensive test last week at the New Orleans Saints, allowing Drew Brees to throw for 370 yards and three TDs in a 40-33 loss. Roethlisberger doesn't have the offensive weapons to to put up those kind of numbers in all likelihood, and he is going to need some help from his ground game.

Rashard Mendenhall just hasn't gotten going this year, though. His longest run is only 23 yards, and he is only averaging 3.0 YPC.

These teams have only met three times in the brief history of the Texans. Pittsburgh has gone 2-1 SU and ATS in those three games, including a 38-17 pummeling the last time that these two played in 2008.

The Texans have loved Week 4 for whatever reason, going 8-1 ATS over the last nine seasons in this week.

Pittsburgh is 8-3 ATS in its last 11 games as an underdog, and is 6-1 ATS the last seven road games against teams with a winning home record.

Houston opened up the week favored by a field goal, but that line has since risen to four. The 'total' has stayed relatively level at 45 ½.

Sunny with temps in the mid-to-upper 80s and a mild humidity level – by Houston standards, at least – is the current forecast. Despite what should be fairly comfortable conditions outside, expect the roof to be closed.

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Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons Need Win At Seattle

The Atlanta Falcons (1-2) and Seattle Seahawks (1-2) will meet up in Week 4 with identical records, but one team came into the 2011 NFL campaign with much higher expectations.

Sunday’s kickoff from CenturyLink Field is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) and will be televised on FOX.

Atlanta finished the 2010 regular season with the NFC’s best record, only to be knocked out of the playoffs by eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay. The betting odds for this conference matchup are still pricing in last year’s success for the Falcons, sending them out as 4-point road favorites, while the total has been bet down from 41 to 38 ½.

Fourth-year head coach Mike Smith has compiled a 13-13 record on the road, but will be traveling to the northwest with a perfect 6-0 mark versus NFC West opponents away from the Georgia Dome. The Falcons will already be playing their third road game of the season, dropping a 16-13 contest in Tampa Bay as 1-point underdogs last week, while being handed a 30-12 defeat as slight favorites in Chicago to open the year.

Atlanta did manage to grab a 34-18 win over Seattle in last year’s meeting as 5 ½-point road favorites, as quarterback Matt Ryan completed 20-of-35 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.

It's imperative that the Falcons get off to a quick start to alleviate crowd noise, while also knowing that the Seahawks have allowed 43 points in the first half compared to just 10 in the second.

Bettors will find that Ryan has led the team to a 2-0 ATS record as a road favorite of 3 ½ to 7 points over the last two-plus campaigns.

Seattle picked up its first win last week with a 13-10 victory over the Arizona Cardinals as 3 ½-point home underdogs, but major questions surround the team offensively, ranking 31st in the league through three games. The Seahawks are averaging just 214.7 yards a contest, which is only a yard more than the San Francisco 49ers, a team that handed them a 33-17 road loss in the season opener.

Many fans have to be questioning the franchise’s decision to let veteran quarterback Matt Hasselbeck go, as he ranks eight in the NFL with 932 passing yards, a spot above Green Bay’s talented signal caller Aaron Rodgers. Tavaris Jackson has not been the answer under center, but in his defense, the former Minnesota Vikings backup has been sacked 14 times.

He will enter the week 19 spots behind Hasselbeck in passing yards.

Head coach Pete Carroll will likely crank up the rushing attack with Marshawn Lynch, attacking a Falcons stop unit that has allowed 248 yards on the ground the past two weeks. The former California Golden Bears star led the team in gaining 60 yards on 12 carries and a touchdown in last year’s meeting.

From a betting perspective, Seattle is completely unreliable after a win, posting a 5-18 ATS record the following week.

Weather forecasts for Sunday are expecting cloudy skies in the Seattle area and game-time temperatures in the low-60s.

[StarDust Bum]

San Francisco 49ers Test Vick And Eagles

Quarterback Michael Vick has already proclaimed there is a 100 percent chance he will start for the Philadelphia Eagles this Sunday when they host the San Francisco 49ers. Ironically, Vick was not ready in Week 5 last year when the Eagles won 27-24 at San Francisco.

Instead, it was Kevin Kolb who started in Vick’s place due to a rib injury and led the Eagles to victory. Kolb is in Arizona now after the team dealt him to the Cardinals in the offseason, leaving Vick to deal with the aftermath of getting knocked out in each of the last two games.

Starting games has not been the problem for Vick this season – finishing them is, and that remains a major issue for Philadelphia (1-2) after losing each of the games he has left early.

Regardless, the Eagles opened as 8 ½-point favorites with some NFL betting shops raising their line to -9. Sunday's total on the Don Best odds screen is 44 ½.

Vick’s latest injury is a bruise on his non-throwing hand, and he took part in a walkthrough on Wednesday and will practice on Thursday to see if he can grip the ball under center. He suffered a concussion in Philly’s previous game, a 35-31 loss at Atlanta in Week 2.

Third-string QB Mike Kafka relieved him in both games because backup Vince Young is also less than 100 percent with a hamstring injury.

The Eagles have won the last five meetings with the 49ers (2-1) both straight up and against the spread, but they will be facing a team this year playing much better than the one that was 0-4 when they met last season. San Francisco has done most of the little things right so far under new head coach Jim Harbaugh even though his team has not been overly impressive.

The 49ers are coming off a 13-8 win at Cincinnati last week and will be traveling cross country for the second consecutive game. They were 1 ½-point underdogs against the Bengals and did nothing special offensively, as backup running back Kendall Hunter scored the game’s only touchdown with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

Starting RB Frank Gore injured his ankle in the second half, and his status for Sunday is still up in the air.

San Francisco QB Alex Smith has put up progressively better numbers in each game, topping the 200-yard mark for the first time this season against Cincy. Smith threw for a season-high 309 yards last year against Philadelphia with three touchdowns and two interceptions. Two of the scores came in the fourth quarter when the 49ers' rally fell short.

Game time is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. (ET) with television coverage provided by FOX. The weather forecast for Philly calls for cool temperatures with a high of 55 under partly cloudy skies.

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Eli Manning And Giants On Road At Arizona Cardinals

The New York Giants (2-1) face the first of two consecutive NFC West opponents on their schedule with a road trip to Arizona to face the Cardinals (1-2) at University of Phoenix Stadium.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. (ET) Sunday afternoon, and the game will be carried by FOX to the New York and Arizona areas.

The Giants opened as a two-point favorite against Arizona, with the line now as low as 1-1½ across the board. The initial total of the game was 45 and is now a half-point lower at 44½.

New York’s rushing game will be one of the biggest factors in the outcome on Sunday. The Giants have outgained the Cardinals on the ground in eight of their last nine meetings dating back to 2000.

Eli Manning is currently ranked 19th in the NFL in passing yards, with six touchdowns and two interceptions through three games.

Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald has 259 receiving yards (two touchdowns) in three games, which ranks him 14th in the NFL.

The Cardinals dual running back threat of Chris “Beanie” Wells (hamstring) and LaRod Stephens-Howling (right hand contusion) are listed as questionable for this game.

Wells and Stephens-Howling both missed last week’s game against the Seahawks, which the Cardinals lost 13-10 in Seattle.

New York’s top two defensive ends are not 100 percent going into this game. Expected to return on Sunday will be Osi Umenyiora, who is recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery and has yet to play this season. Justin Tuck is currently ailing from a groin injury and is listed as questionable as well.

Mario Manningham, one of the Giants top wideouts, missed New York’s week three victory versus the Eagles with a concussion. Manningham is currently listed as probable and the Giants should have him back to face Patrick Peterson and the rest of the Cardinals secondary.

New York’s starting free safety, Antrel Rolle, will be returning to Arizona for the first time as an opponent. Rolle played five full seasons for the Cardinals, during which he recorded 12 interceptions, four of which were returned for touchdowns.

The ‘under’ is 7-2 in the Giants and Cardinals last nine meetings.

New York is 3-2 SU in their last five meetings in Arizona and the road team is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 meetings between these two NFC teams.

Arizona is 7-2 ATS in their last nine games as a home underdog, while the Giants are only 1-4 ATS as a favorite of a field goal or less.

Early weather reports show an extremely hot and dry day for football with temperatures possibly reaching triple digits.

[StarDust Bum]

Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest Week 3 Update

The Buffalo Bills emerged from Week 3 as the last of the unbeatens in the AFC.
It's a dog's life, or at least it was in Week 3 of the NFL betting campaign that saw 11 of the 16 games put money in the pockets of bettors taking points. Almost half of those underdog winners were outright upsets, including one of the week's biggest matchups in Buffalo.

The Bills, who closed getting seven at many shops, spotted the New England Patriots a 21-0 lead before storming back for a 34-31 victory. Rian Lindell's 28-yard boot as the clock expired provided the margin of victory, but it was four interceptions by the Pats' Tom Brady that provided the real impetus for Buffalo who emerged as the last of the unbeatens in the AFC.

There were 110 contestants in the Las Vegas Hilton SuperContest who took the opening +8 on the Bills compared to just 39 that laid the points on Bill Belichick's boys.

Another big upset, and one that proved huge to SuperContest players, was the battle in Philadelphia between the Eagles and New York Giants. That line started at 6½-points in favor of the Eagles before rising with the news that Philly QB Michael Vick would play after suffering a concussion a week earlier.

Vick injured his right hand in the fourth quarter and was relieved by Mike Kafka who would complete four of his seven passes to his own receivers, and two more to Giants defenders. Eli Manning threw four touchdowns, two of the scores in the final quarter to rally New York to a 29-16 upset.

Just 18 Hilton SuperContest players backed the Giants while 169 went down in defeat with Vick and the Eagles.

While the Big Apple's NFC entry was busy pulling off an upset, New York's AFC squad was being upset in Oakland. Darren McFadden ripped off 171 yards on the ground against the Jets' defense to help the Raiders to a 34-24 triumph.

The Black & Silver ran for over 230 yards on the day and scored all four of the day's touchdowns on the ground.

Nearly half of this season's SuperContest players took a shot in the NFC North collision between the Lions and Vikings in Minnesota. Down 20-0 at the half, the Lions battled back behind QB Matthew Stafford to force overtime with Detroit's Jason Hanson kicking the game winner less than two minutes into extra play.

That game closed with the Lions laying three, but they were -3½ in the LV Hilton SuperContest to make winners out of the 130 Vikings backers and losers for the 114 that gave the points on Detroit.

Here's a look at the latest standings.


STANDINGS PTS RECORD
Sans Souci 13.5
13-1-1

Mister P 12.0
12-3-0

samswins.com2 12.0
12-3-0

Babania 11.5
11-3-1

HighrollersTeam.com 11.0
11-4-0

Razor Rob 11.0
11-4-0

Italian Ice 11.0
10-3-2

Slick 50 11.0
11-4-0

Iced Tea 11.0
11-4-0

21 tied with 10.5

[StarDust Bum]

Caesars Palace Sports Book Weekly Update
By: Ryan Mercier | Thursday, September 29, 2011 Todd Fuhrman, Senior Race and Sports Book Analyst at Caesars Palace, stopped by DonBest.com to discuss the hot topics around the NFL, college football, and Major League Baseball.

Last week was a great weekend for bookmakers with just a few exceptions in the world of football.

Fuhrman was hoping that West Virginia could have put up more of a fight in their game against the LSU Tigers but the Mountaineers were beaten 47-21. Louisiana State, tied for No. 3 on the Don Best Linemakers Poll, easily covered the spread as they were favored by six or seven points.

In the NFL, Caesars had a “banner day” according to the senior analyst even though an odd holding penalty in the game between the defending Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears set them back.

On an inventive trick return play, the Bears fooled everyone by pulling a “Kansas City Shuffle” where everyone’s attention was focused on Devin Hester but Johnny Knox caught the ball on the sideline and took it back for a TD. Chicago would have covered at +4 but instead lost by 10 after the punt return was called back for a penalty.

Most of the public was also on the Baltimore Ravens and they easily covered, shellacking the St. Louis Rams, 37-7.

Coming up this week there are many big football games but the MLB postseason is about to begin. Out of all the series, Fuhrman thinks the best underdog to look at might be the Detroit Tigers against the AL East champion New York Yankees.

The Yankees are -145 to win the series against +125 for the Tigers. For Game 1 on Friday, outstanding pitcher Justin Verlander is the underdog against CC Sabathia who is -129.

On Saturday there will be some marquee matchups in NCAA Football action going on simultaneously at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

Out of the SEC comes a matchup between the No. 1 Alabama Crimson Tide and the No. 12 Florida Gators. ‘Bama is currently a 3½-point favorite and money surprisingly came in on both sides with enough coming in on the Gators for the line to shift in their favor after opening as a 5-point dog. The total is at 44½.

The other big one will be a Big Ten battle when the No. 5 Wisconsin Badgers host the No. 15 Nebraska Cornhuskers at Camp Randall. Quarterback Russell Wilson and the Badgers will be facing their first big competition of the year and right now they are a 10-point favorite on the Don Best odds screen with a total of 57.

Day games in Texas will be the big focus of the NFL weekend. In an NFC matchup in Arlington, the Dallas Cowboys will host the undefeated Detroit Lions. Tony Romo and the ‘Boys are -2 at home with a total set at 46½.

Out of the AFC, the Pittsburgh Steelers come into Houston as 4-point underdogs to the Texans. The Texans are a high-scoring bunch but the Steelers ‘D’ will certainly look to slow them down and right now the total is 44½.

Finally, capping off another great NFL Sunday will be the night game war between the New York Jets and Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore opened at -4½ and that has shifted to -3 with the total moving from 40 up to 42.

On the opening game of Monday Night Football in 2010, the Ravens won a tight, low-scoring affair against the Jets, 10-9.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL Preview Capsule: Vikings at Chiefs

September 29, 2011

OPENING LINE - Vikings by 11/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Minnesota 1-1-1; Kansas City 1-2

SERIES RECORD - Chiefs lead 6-4

LAST MEETING - Chiefs beat Vikings 13-10, Sept. 23, 2007

LAST WEEK - Vikings lost to Lions 26-23; Chiefs lost to Chargers 20-17

VIKINGS OFFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH (3), PASS (29)

VIKINGS DEFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (4), PASS (29)

CHIEFS OFFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (10), PASS (31)

CHIEFS DEFENSE - OVERALL (23), RUSH (28), PASS (21)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Vikings' Jared Allen trying for sack in sixth consecutive game. He's currently second in NFL with 41/2, and comes off three-sack performance against Detroit. ... Minnesota K Ryan Longwell has connected on 14 straight field goals. His career long streak is 16. ... Chiefs have won three straight against Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium. Their lone home loss to Minnesota came in 1974. ... Len Dawson was MVP when Chiefs beat Vikings in the 1970 Super Bowl. Dawson now a color analyst for Kansas City radio broadcasts. ... Chiefs had league's best rushing offense last season. With RB Jamaal Charles out with a season-ending ACL tear, ground game has stagnated. Minnesota hasn't had same problem with Adrian Peterson running. Vikings lead league in yards rushing per carry (5.82). ... WR Dwayne Bowe caught go-ahead TD pass in fourth quarter to help Kansas City beat Minnesota 13-10 in 2007. ... Chiefs' leading rusher, Dexter McCluster, has 138 yards rushing through three games. Peterson had 120 yards rushing two weeks ago against Tampa Bay.

[StarDust Bum]

Week 4 NFL Preview Capsules

September 29, 2011

OPENING LINE - Cowboys by 1

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Detroit 2-0-1; Dallas 1-1-1

SERIES RECORD - Cowboys lead 13-10

LAST MEETING - Cowboys beat Lions 35-19, Nov. 21, 2000

LAST WEEK - Lions beat Vikings 26-23, OT; Cowboys beat Redskins 18-16

LIONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (10), RUSH (26), PASS (4T)

LIONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (6), RUSH (21), PASS (4)

COWBOYS OFFENSE - OVERALL (5), RUSH (27), PASS (3)

COWBOYS DEFENSE - OVERALL (5), RUSH (2), PASS (12)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Detroit, Dallas and San Diego are only teams ranked in top 10 in both total offense and total defense. ... Detroit looking for first 4-0 start since 1980. ... Cowboys 8-2 at home against Lions, 1-0 at Cowboys Stadium. ... Lions have seven-game winning streak, matching longest since 1995. They have won four straight road games for first time since 1970. ... Detroit overcame 20-point halftime deficit on road to win for first time in team history last weekend. Cowboys won without scoring TD for first time in 10 years. ... Detroit QB Matthew Stafford grew up in Dallas' Highland Park neighborhood. ... Stafford only second Lions QB to throw nine TDs in first three games of season (Milt Plum, 1962). ... Dallas 18-4 in games before bye week, which is next. ... Tony Romo's Cowboys-record streak of 20 consecutive games with TD pass ended against Washington. ... Dan Bailey became third NFL rookie since 1960 to make six field goals in game, accounting for all Dallas' points against Redskins. Other rookie kickers with six packs were Garo Yepremian for Detroit in 1966, Jeff Reed for Pittsburgh in 2002. ... DeMarcus Ware has sack in every game and leads NFL with five. ... Bradie James, Cowboys' leading tackler the past six seasons, got first career tackle at Detroit on Oct. 19, 2003. ...TE Jason Witten 57 yards receiving from passing Bob Hayes (7,295) for fourth on Cowboys' career list.

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OPENING LINE - Pick-em

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Washington 2-1, St. Louis 0-3

SERIES RECORD - Redskins lead 21-9-1

LAST MEETING - Rams beat Redskins 30-16, Sept. 26, 2010

LAST WEEK - Redskins lost to Cowboys 18-16; Rams lost to Ravens 37-7

REDSKINS OFFENSE - OVERALL (15), RUSH (12), PASS (14T)

REDSKINS DEFENSE - OVERALL (16), RUSH (11), PASS (15)

RAMS OFFENSE - OVERALL (21), RUSH (11), PASS (23)

RAMS DEFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (32), PASS (19)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Both teams heading into bye week. Redskins seek first 3-1 start since 2008. Rams 2-2 after first four games last year. ... Redskins playing at Rams for second straight season. ... Redskins LB London Fletcher led Rams in tackles from 1999-2001. Redskins S Oshiomoghe Atogwe facing old team for first time. Atogwe was Rams franchise player in 2009 and played first six seasons with St. Louis. ... Rams have won three of four in series. ... Redskins have been penalized 10 times, fewest in NFL. Rams have 24 penalties. ... Redskins forced three fumbles last week against Dallas. ... Redskins TE Fred Davis tied for league lead with seven receptions of 20-plus yards and leads position with 17.3 yard average. ... RB Tim Hightower had 334 yards from scrimmage with 2 TDs in last three games against Rams. ... RB Roy Helu leads rookies with 91 yards rushing, averaging 5.7 yards. ... Rookie LB Ryan Kerrigan has two sacks. ... Rams offense has scored 3 TDs, allowed 3 TDs and held to 244 total yards last week. ... Defense allowed Ravens franchise-record 553 yards last week, with 13 plays accounting for 372 yards. ... RB Steven Jackson limited to 23 yards on four carries last week after missing Week 2 with right leg injury. Jackson has 27 100-yard games, tied with Marshall Faulk for second in franchise history. ... LB James Laurintaitis leads Rams with 23 tackles. ... WR Brandon Gibson has at least three catches in last 10 home games. ... DE Chris Long has sack in each game, and four of last five dating to 2010.

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OPENING LINE - Vikings by 1 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Minnesota 1-1-1; Kansas City 1-2

SERIES RECORD - Chiefs lead 6-4

LAST MEETING - Chiefs beat Vikings 13-10, Sept. 23, 2007

LAST WEEK - Vikings lost to Lions 26-23; Chiefs lost to Chargers 20-17

VIKINGS OFFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH (3), PASS (29)

VIKINGS DEFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (4), PASS (29)

CHIEFS OFFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (10), PASS (31)

CHIEFS DEFENSE - OVERALL (23), RUSH (28), PASS (21)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Vikings' Jared Allen trying for sack in sixth consecutive game. He's currently second in NFL with 4 1/2, and comes off three-sack performance against Detroit. ... Minnesota K Ryan Longwell has connected on 14 straight field goals. His career long streak is 16. ... Chiefs have won three straight against Vikings at Arrowhead Stadium. Their lone home loss to Minnesota came in 1974. ... Len Dawson was MVP when Chiefs beat Vikings in the 1970 Super Bowl. Dawson now a color analyst for Kansas City radio broadcasts. ... Chiefs had league's best rushing offense last season. With RB Jamaal Charles out with a season-ending ACL tear, ground game has stagnated. Minnesota hasn't had same problem with Adrian Peterson running. Vikings lead league in yards rushing per carry (5.82). ... WR Dwayne Bowe caught go-ahead TD pass in fourth quarter to help Kansas City beat Minnesota 13-10 in 2007. ... Chiefs' leading rusher, Dexter McCluster, has 138 yards rushing through three games. Peterson had 120 yards rushing two weeks ago against Tampa Bay.

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OPENING LINE - Bears by 6 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Carolina 2-0-1; Chicago 1-2

SERIES RECORD - Bears lead 3-2

LAST MEETING - Bears beat Panthers 23-6, Oct. 10, 2010

LAST WEEK - Panthers beat Jaguars 16-10; Bears lost to Packers 27-17

PANTHERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (24), PASS (4t)

PANTHERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (25), PASS (14)

BEARS OFFENSE - OVERALL (23), RUSH (31), PASS (17)

BEARS DEFENSE - OVERALL (25), RUSH (18), PASS (26)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Carolina's Ron Rivera visits Soldier Field for first time as coach. He played nine seasons for Bears and was on 1985 championship team. Also an assistant in 1997-98 and defensive coordinator from 2004-06. ... TE Greg Olsen makes first appearance against Bears since offseason trade to Carolina. He caught go-ahead TD last week. ... No. 1 overall draft pick, Cam Newton ranks third in NFL with 1,012 yards passing behind Tom Brady and Drew Brees. Threw for 158 yards last week after tying Matthew Stafford's rookie record with 422 in opener at Arizona and trumping that with 432 against Green Bay. ... WR Steve Smith has 9,233 yards receiving and needs 23 to pass Muhsin Muhammad as Carolina's all-time leader. ... Chicago's Matt Forte ran for career-high 166 yards and two TDs at Carolina last October. Had 2 yards on nine carries last week. Forte leads all NFL running backs in receptions (186) and yards receiving (1,702) since joining the NFL in 2008. ... Jay Cutler ranks third in franchise history with six 300-yard passing games behind Bill Wade (nine) and Erik Kramer (seven) after throwing for 302 last week. ... WR Dane Sanzenbacher is Bears' first undrafted rookie free agent since WR Dennis McKinnon (four) in 1983 to record multiple TD receptions during season and first since WR Marcus Anderson in 1981 with TD catches in back-to-back games. ... DE Henry Melton tied for seventh in NFL with three sacks. ... DE Julius Peppers had interception last season at Carolina in his first game against former team. Bears signed him as free agent.

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OPENING LINE - Texans by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Pittsburgh 1-2; Houston 2-1

SERIES RECORD - Steelers lead 2-1

LAST MEETING - Steelers beat Texans 38-17, Sept. 7, 2008

LAST WEEK - Steelers beat Colts 23-20; Texans lost to Saints 40-33

STEELERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (23), PASS (8)

STEELERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (2), RUSH (12), PASS (1)

TEXANS OFFENSE - OVERALL (9), RUSH (5), PASS (12)

TEXANS DEFENSE - OVERALL (14), RUSH (17), PASS (11)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - QB Ben Roethlisberger needs three touchdown passes to reach 150 for career. He can record back-to-back 300-yard passing games for second time in his career. ... WR Mike Wallace has six straight 100-yard receiving games, one shy of NFL record. ... WR Hines Ward needs 16 yards receiving to pass Hall of Famer Don Maynard (11,834) for 20th all-time. ... Steelers' defense has held last two opponents under 100 yards rushing. ... LB James Farrior has sack in 11 consecutive regular-season games. ... S Troy Polamalu has 27 career interceptions, and Pittsburgh is 22-3 in games in which Polamalu picks off a pass. ... Steelers rank last in turnover margin (minus-9). ... Texans RB Arian Foster expected to start after missing last week's game in New Orleans with left hamstring strain. ... QB Matt Schaub has thrown a touchdown pass in 11 straight games. ... WR Andre Johnson is tied for third in NFL with 21 receptions and ranks fourth in receiving yards per game (105.3). ... Texans have 16 drives inside red zone, but have scored only five TDs. ... LB Brian Cushing leads team with 23 tackles. ... DE Antonio Smith has sack in all three games. ... Houston has outscored first three opponents 66-13 in first half.

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OPENING LINE - Saints by 8

RECORD VS. SPREAD - New Orleans 2-1; Jacksonville 0-2-1

SERIES RECORD - Tied 2-2

LAST MEETING - Saints beat Jaguars 41-24, Nov. 4, 2007

LAST WEEK - Saints beat Texans 40-33; Jaguars lost to Panthers 10-6

SAINTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (2), RUSH (14), PASS (2)

SAINT DEFENSE - OVERALL (21), RUSH (9), PASS (27)

JAGUARS OFFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (6), PASS (32)

JAGUARS DEFENSE - OVERALL (4), RUSH (5), PASS (7)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Saints have scored at least 30 points in first three games for first time in team history. ... RB Darren Sproles leads NFL with 528 all-purpose yards. ... QB Drew Brees has thrown for 952 yards and eight TDs in three games against Jaguars. He completed 66 percent of his passes in those games, with no interceptions and a 113.9 rating. ... Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams returns to Jacksonville, where he held same position in 2008. ... Jaguars 8-0 at home against teams from NFC South, with three of last four games decided by seven points or less. ... Maurice Jones-Drew has at least 100 yards rushing in his last three games against NFC opponents. He also has topped century mark in three of his last four home games. ... TE Marcedes Lewis needs two TD catches to pass Reggie Williams (18) for third on club's all-time list, behind Jimmy Smith (67) and Keenan McCardell (30). ... Jaguars will be without special teams ace Montell Owens, who has sprained knee ligament. They expect to have WR Kassim Osgood (hamstring) and DE Matt Roth (neck) back after missing last week's game.

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OPENING LINE - OFF

RECORD VS. SPREAD - San Francisco 2-0-1; Philadelphia 1-2

SERIES RECORD - 49ers lead 16-12-1

LAST MEETING - Eagles beat 49ers 27-24, Oct. 10, 2010

LAST WEEK - 49ers beat Bengals 13-8; Eagles lost to Giants 29-16

49ERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (32), RUSH (30), PASS (28)

49ERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (7), RUSH (3), PASS (16)

EAGLES OFFENSE - OVERALL (6), RUSH (2), PASS (19)

EAGLES DEFENSE - OVERALL (12), RUSH (30), PASS (8)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Eagles QB Michael Vick has TD rushing in four of past five home games. ... RB LeSean McCoy leads NFC with four TDs rushing and tied for second with 5 TDs total. He also leads NFC with 345 yards rushing. ... WR DeSean Jackson averages 45.7 yards per his 27 career TDs. ... WR Jeremy Maclin had six catches for 95 yards in last meeting vs. 49ers. ... DE Trent Cole has 11 sacks in last 12 home games. ... Eagles one of four teams to rank in top 12 in total offense and defense. ... Eagles only team with three players with at least three sacks: Cole, Jason Babin and Cullen Jenkins. ... 49ers K David Akers played 12 seasons with Eagles and went to Pro Bowl five times, including last two years. ... 49ers tied for NFL lead with plus-6 turnover ratio. ... QB Alex Smith ranks second with 68.9 completion percentage. ... RB Frank Gore has two 100-yard rushing games in last three meetings vs. Philadelphia. ... WR Michael Crabtree had career-high nine catches and had first 100-yard game vs. Eagles last year. ... DE Justin Smith, who had two sacks last year vs. Eagles, will start his 159th straight game. ... Coach Jim Harbaugh's brother John was assistant for several years in Philadelphia.

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Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS

OPENING LINE - Browns by 1 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Tennessee 1-1-1; Cleveland 1-2

SERIES RECORD - Browns lead 33-27

LAST MEETING - Titans beat Browns 28-9, Dec. 7, 2008

LAST WEEK - Titans beat Broncos 17-14; Browns beat Dolphins 17-16

TITANS OFFENSE - OVERALL (17), RUSH (32), PASS (7)

TITANS DEFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (8), PASS (2)

BROWNS OFFENSE - OVERALL (26), RUSH (22), PASS (25)

BROWNS DEFENSE - OVERALL (9), RUSH (29), PASS (3)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Titans lost starting WR Kenny Britt for season last week when he tore ACL and MCL in right knee. He's scheduled for surgery. Without Britt, QB Matt Hasselbeck needs one of team's other young receivers to emerge as playmaker. ... WR Nate Washington tied for third in league with 21 receptions. ... Titans' running game stuck in neutral. Three-time Pro Bowl RB Chris Johnson held to 21 yards on 13 carries last week by Broncos, who were ranked 28th against run. Johnson, who missed training camp in a contract holdout, has 98 yards on 46 attempts in three games. He gained 136 in only previous game vs. Browns. ... Titans have lost six straight road games since winning at Jacksonville on Oct. 18. ... Titans have won four of last five in Cleveland. ... With win, Browns will be 3-1 for first time since 2001. ... Titans K Rob Bironas will play in 100th career game. ... Titans offensive coordinator Chris Palmer was Cleveland's coach in 1999-00. ... Browns first in AFC and second in NFL with 11 sacks - club's most through three games since 2000. ... QB Colt McCoy had horrid game last week before going 9 of 13 for 75 yards while directing Browns' game-winning 80-yard TD drive in final minutes. ... McCoy has been sacked three times this season, tied for second fewest in AFC. ... RB Peyton Hillis, who missed last week with strep throat, has nine TDs in nine career homes game for Browns. ... TE Benjamin Watson needs 10 yards receiving to reach 3,000 career. ... KR/WR Josh Cribbs expected to return kicks and punts after being limited by groin injury last week. ... CB Joe Haden leads Browns and league with six pass breakups. ... All eight of WR Mohamed Massaquoi's catches this season have gone for first downs.

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OPENING LINE - Bills by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Buffalo 2-0-1; Cincinnati 2-1

SERIES RECORD - Bills lead 15-11

LAST MEETING - Bills beat Bengals 49-31, Nov. 21, 2010

LAST WEEK - Bills beat Patriots 34-31; Bengals lost to 49ers 13-8

BILLS OFFENSE - OVERALL (3), RUSH (4), PASS (11)

BILLS DEFENSE - OVERALL (26), RUSH (24), PASS (24)

BENGALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (25), RUSH (17), PASS (24)

BENGALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (3), RUSH (7), PASS (5)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Week after breaking 15-game losing streak to New England, Bills try to extend 10-game winning streak over Bengals, who haven't beaten Buffalo since 1988 AFC Championship game. ... Bills are only unbeaten team left in AFC, trying for first 4-0 start since 2008. ... Bills coming off back-to-back wins over Oakland and New England that featured huge comebacks - down 18 points against Raiders, 21 against Patriots. They're first team in NFL history to win consecutive games after trailing by 18 points or more. ... QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was Carson Palmer's backup in Cincinnati in 2007-08. In homecoming with Bills last season, he led them from 31-14 halftime deficit to 49-31 win at Paul Brown Stadium. ... WR Stevie Johnson had costly breakout game in Cincinnati last season. He was fined $5,000 for writing ``Why So Serious?'' in marker on his T-shirt, then showing it off after scoring first of his three TDs. He was poking fun at the Bengals' former receiving duo of Chad Johnson and Terrell Owens, who had dubbed themselves Batman and Robin. ... Bills are only team in league that has three players with three or more TDs - TE Scott Chandler, RB Fred Jackson and Johnson. ... Game won't be sold out, a week after Cincinnati drew 43,363 fans - its smallest crowd for a home opener in 30 years. ... RB Cedric Benson eligible to play against Bills. He had hearing Tuesday to appeal three-game suspension for offseason arrest. ... Benson needs 54 yards to reach 5,000 rushing for his career. He had 124 yards on 25 carries last year against Bills.

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OPENING LINE - Giants by 3

RECORD VS. SPREAD - New York 2-1; Arizona 1-1-1

SERIES RECORD - Giants lead 80-42-2

LAST MEETING - Giants beat Cardinals 24-17, Oct. 25, 2009

LAST WEEK - Giants beat Eagles 29-16; Cardinals lost to Seahawks 13-10

GIANTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (18), PASS (16)

GIANTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (27), RUSH (27), PASS (25)

CARDINALS OFFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (15), PASS (20)

CARDINALS DEFENSE - OVERALL (18), RUSH (15), PASS (20)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Giants have eight sacks in first three games. Jean Pierre-Paul leads way with 4 1/2, two last week against Eagles. ... Giants snapped six-game losing streak to Philadelphia. ... New York 8-7 following Monday night games since 2000. ... Win over Philadelphia was 15th fourth-quarter comeback victory for Giants QB Eli Manning. ... Manning, who had four TD passes on Monday night, needs 12 more to pass Charley Conerly for second on Giants' career list. Phil Simms has franchise record of 199. ... After allowing combined 197 yards rushing in first two games, New York gave up 177 on the ground to Philadelphia. ... Against Seattle, Arizona DE Calais Campbell had career-high 2 1/2 sacks, 10 tackles, two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits. ... TE Jeff King, who never has caught more than three TD passes in a season, already has two for Arizona. ... Cardinals TEs King and Todd Heap have 206 yards receiving. Arizona TEs had 210 yards receiving all last season. ... Cardinals have had ball and chance to win late in both losses, which have come by combined four points. ... Through three games, Arizona rookie Patrick Peterson is second in NFL, behind San Francisco's Ted Ginn Jr., in punt return yardage. But Peterson averaging 18.4 yards per return to Ginn's 13.0. ... Cardinals LB Joey Porter needs two sacks to become 26th NFL player to reach 100 for career.

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OPENING LINE - Falcons by 4

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Atlanta 1-2; Seattle 1-2

SERIES RECORD - Seahawks lead 8-4

LAST MEETING - Falcons beat Seahawks 34-18, Dec. 19, 2010

LAST WEEK - Falcons lost to Buccaneers 16-13; Seahawks beat Cardinals 13-10

FALCONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (19), PASS (18)

FALCONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (22), RUSH (20), PASS (22)

SEAHAWKS OFFENSE - OVERALL (31), RUSH (29), PASS (30)

SEAHAWKS DEFENSE - OVERALL (10), RUSH (13), PASS (10)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Atlanta has won last two against Seattle and makes trip to Pacific Northwest for second straight season. ... Since coach Mike Smith took over before 2008 season, Atlanta 4-0 on West Coast, 6-0 against NFC West. ... Falcons lost 16-13 at Tampa Bay last week, but 13-3 under Smith coming off loss. ... QB Matt Ryan threw for career-high 330 yards last week vs. Tampa Bay, sixth 300-yard game of career and second this season. ... Ryan has been sacked 13 times this season after being sacked 23 times total in 2010. Only Seattle and Chicago have allowed more sacks. ... RB Michael Turner held to 20 yards on 11 carries vs. Tampa Bay after consecutive 100-yard games to start season. Fewest yards in game in his career with Falcons where he got more than one carry. ... DE John Abraham has three sacks and a forced fumble in two career games vs. Seattle. ... Trying to avoid first 1-3 start since 2007 when Falcons started 1-6. ... Seattle has been outscored 43-6 in first half this season. ... QB Tarvaris Jackson has yet to throw for at least 200 yards and Seattle's pass game ranks 30th in NFL. ... WR Mike Williams and TE Zach Miller have a combined 10 catches. ... WR Sidney Rice with eight catches for 109 yards in his debut last week, second-most receptions in a single-game in Rice's career. ... Seattle's defense third in league and second in NFC in third-down conversions allowed, giving up 12 of 41 through three games. ... Seahawks allowing average of 4.58 yards per play on first down, third in league. ... SS Kam Chancellor's first career interception late in fourth quarter sealed victory over Arizona.

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OPENING LINE - Chargers by 9

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Miami 1-2; San Diego 0-3

SERIES RECORD - Dolphins lead 14-13

LAST MEETING - Chargers beat Dolphins 23-13, Sept. 27, 2009

LAST WEEK - Dolphins lost to Browns 17-16; Chargers beat Chiefs 20-17

DOLPHINS OFFENSE - OVERALL (12), RUSH (7), PASS (14T)

DOLPHINS DEFENSE - OVERALL (30), RUSH (16), PASS (30)

CHARGERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (4), RUSH (16), PASS (6)

CHARGERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (8), RUSH (19), PASS (9)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Dolphins RB Reggie Bush visits hometown for first time as pro. He was a teammate of Alex Smith at Helix High in suburban La Mesa before going to Southern California. ... Dolphins second straight winless team to visit Chargers. Last week, Bolts beat Kansas City to drop Chiefs to 0-3. ... Before '09 loss to Bolts, Dolphins won seven straight vs. San Diego dating to 1995. ... Bolts expected to be without TE Antonio Gates, who has lingering plantar fasciitis in right foot. ... San Diego SS Bob Sanders went on season-ending IR with knee injury. ... After throwing career-high 416 yards vs. Patriots, Dolphins QB Chad Henne dipped to 170 vs. Texans before rebounding with 255 at Cleveland. ... Chargers QB Philip Rivers has six interceptions and one lost fumble. ... Dolphins playing middle game of three-game road trip. ... Bolts won't be home again for five weeks. After Sunday, they play at Denver, have bye, then at New York Jets and Kansas City.

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OPENING LINE - Patriots by 6

RECORD VS. SPREAD - New England 2-1; Oakland 2-0-1

SERIES RECORD - Patriots lead 16-15-1

LAST MEETING - Patriots beat Raiders 49-26, Dec. 14, 2008

LAST WEEK - Patriots lost to Bills 34-31; Raiders beat Jets 34-24

PATRIOTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (1), RUSH (13), PASS (1)

PATRIOTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (32), RUSH (10), PASS (32)

RAIDERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (14), RUSH (1), PASS (16)

RAIDERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (26), PASS (28)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - New England has scored at least 30 points in 11 straight games. ... Patriots are only team averaging more than 7 yards a play on offense (7.8) and only team allowing more than 7 a play on defense (7.1). ... Pats QB Tom Brady has passed for record 1,327 yards through first three games, including NFL best 22 passes that have gone at least 20 yards. ... New England RB Ben Jarvus Green-Ellis has 15 rushing TDs in his past 19 games. ... Patriots WR Wes Welker leads NFL with 31 receptions for 458 yards. ...New England CB Devin McCourty has allowed league-worst 23 catches on 37 attempts for 372 yards, according to STATS LLC. ... Oakland RB Darren McFadden is coming off career-high 171 yards rushing last week against Jets and leads lead with 393 yards rushing. ... Raiders have eight rushing TDs - twice as many as next best team. ... Raiders tops in league scoring on trips inside the 30 with 6.27 points per possession. ... Oakland has allowed one pass completion all season longer than 21 yards in the air. ... Raiders scored 34 points last week despite failing to convert any of their eight third-down attempts for third most points since at least 1991 without third-down conversion. ... Oakland has allowed two sacks all season.

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OPENING LINE - Packers by 13

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Denver 1-2; Green Bay 2-1

SERIES RECORD - Tied 5-5-1

LAST MEETING - Packers beat Broncos 19-13 OT, Oct. 19, 2007

LAST WEEK - Broncos lost at Titans 17-14; Packers beat Bears 27-17

BRONCOS OFFENSE - OVERALL (27), RUSH (28), PASS (22)

BRONCOS DEFENSE - OVERALL (15), RUSH (14), PASS (13)

PACKERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (8), RUSH (10), PASS (9)

PACKERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (29), RUSH (1), PASS (31)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Broncos QB Kyle Orton 3-1 against Packers. He needs four TD passes to reach 50 with Broncos. ... Since 2010, WR Brandon Lloyd has 79 first-down receptions, third-highest in NFL. Lloyd has three TD catches in past three games against NFC opponents. ... WR Eric Decker had career-high seven catches last week. Eleven of Decker's 15 catches have been for first downs this season. ... Rookie LB Von Miller, No. 2 overall pick in draft, going for third consecutive game with sack. ... S Brian Dawkins has two INTs, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in past five meetings against Green Bay. ... Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is 12-1 in past 13 starts at home, completing 67.5 percent of passes for 3,609 yards with 29 TDs and eight INTs. ... RB Ryan Grant rushed for 104 yards in only game against Broncos, but availability for Sunday in doubt because of bruised kidney. ... TE Jermichael Finley had career-high three TDs last week. ... In last meeting between Packers and Broncos, Green Bay WR Greg Jennings caught game-winning 82-yard TD pass from Brett Favre on first play from scrimmage in OT. ... OLB Clay Matthews has nice sacks in his past seven games against AFC opponents. S Morgan Burnett had career-high two INTs last week and has three INTs in past two games. ... DE Jarius Wynn had career-best two sacks in Packers' victory at Chicago last week. ... Packers LB A.J. Hawk is brother-in-law of Broncos QB Brady Quinn; Hawk married to Quinn's sister, Laura. ... Broncos DE Jason Hunter played for Packers for three seasons (2006-08). ... Packers K Mason Crosby and LB Brad Jones played at University of Colorado. ... Packers defensive line coach Mike Trgovac coached on Broncos coach John Fox's staff in Carolina for seven seasons (2002-08), serving as defensive coordinator for final six seasons.

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OPENING LINE - Ravens by 3 1/2

RECORD VS. SPREAD - New York 1-2; Baltimore 2-1

SERIES RECORD - Ravens lead 6-1

LAST MEETING - Ravens beat Jets 10-9, Sept. 13, 2010

LAST WEEK - Jets lost to Raiders 34-24; Ravens beat Rams 37-7

JETS OFFENSE - OVERALL (16), RUSH (25), PASS (10)

JETS DEFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (31), PASS (6)

RAVENS OFFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (8), PASS (13)

RAVENS DEFENSE - OVERALL (13), RUSH (6), PASS (17)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Ravens have won six straight in series, last four by total of 21 points. ... Jets coach Rex Ryan coached 10 seasons in Baltimore, Jets QB coach Matt Cavanaugh was Ravens offensive coordinator from 1999-2004, and Jets LB Bart Scott, S Jim Leonhard and WR Derrick Mason all played for Ravens. ... New York ranked 31st against run after yielding 234 yards on ground in loss to Oakland last week. ... Jets QB Mark Sanchez has thrown two TD passes in each game this season. He's coming off career-best 369-yard performance against Raiders. ... New York's Santonio Holmes has caught TD pass in six straight games vs. Baltimore and has seven TDs against Ravens, most vs. any opponent. ... Holmes faced Ravens many times with Pittsburgh, as did teammate Plaxico Burress, who has six career TDs against Baltimore. ... Ravens LB Ray Lewis needs a half-sack to reach 40 for career. He can become first player in NFL history with 40 sacks and 30 interceptions. ... Baltimore S Ed Reed needs 20 yards on interception returns to break Rod Woodson's career record of 1,483 yards. ... Ravens 66-23 at home this decade, second-best mark behind New England (70-19). ... Baltimore WR Torrey Smith looking for encore to three-touchdown performance last week against Rams. He's first rookie in NFL history with three TD catches in first quarter of game. ... Against Rams last week, Ravens RB Ray Rice had 25th career game with 100 yards from scrimmage.

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OPENING LINE - Buccaneers by 10

RECORD VS. SPREAD - Indianapolis 1-2; Tampa Bay 2-1

SERIES RECORD - Colts lead 7-4

LAST MEETING - Colts beat Buccaneers 33-14, Oct. 7, 2007

LAST WEEK - Colts lost to Steelers 23-20; Buccaneers beat Falcons 16-13

COLTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (29), RUSH (21), PASS (T27)

COLTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (19), RUSH (22), PASS (18)

BUCCANEERS OFFENSE - OVERALL (22), RUSH (20), PASS (21)

BUCCANEERS DEFENSE - OVERALL (24), RUSH (23), PASS (23)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Colts are regulars on Monday Night Football and have victories in nine of past 10 appearances. Buccaneers, on the other hand, hosting Monday night game for first time in eight years. They last played Monday night three years ago, losing to Carolina to begin four-game, season-ending slide that not only cost them a playoff berth but claimed former coach Jon Gruden's job. Gruden will be in broadcast booth for this one. ... With QB Kerry Collins still recovering after suffering concussion-like symptoms during last week's loss to Pittsburgh, Curtis Painter likely will make first NFL start. ... Colts WR Reggie Wayne closing in on 11,000 career yards receiving. He's 56 yards shy. ... Indianapolis DE Dwight Freeney had two sacks and forced a fumble against Steelers. He needs three sacks to reach 100 for career. ... Bucs hope to get RB LeGarrette Blount going against Colts defense. He carried 24 times for 81 yards against Falcons. Tampa Bay 6-1 when second-year pro carries at least 18 times. ... Bucs CB Ronde Barber has started 186 consecutive games, longest streak among active players. He took over lead when injured Colts QB Peyton Manning missed season opener. Barber had interception and recovered fumble last week against Atlanta. He's only player in NFL history with at least 40 career interceptions and 25 sacks.

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Green Bay Packers Host Broncos At Lambeau

Lambeau Field is the site for the battle on the Week 4 NFL odds slate between the Green Bay Packers and the Denver Broncos. These two teams that are heading in opposite directions are set to square off in Cheesehead Country on Sunday at 4:15 p.m. (ET), and there will be regional television coverage on CBS.

The Packers (3-0 SU, 2-1 ATS) are one of the three teams that enter this week undefeated, and if things don't go so well for the Buffalo Bills and Detroit Lions in the 1:00 p.m. (ET) games, they will be the last perfect team standing.

There are definitely some concerns in Green Bay right now in spite of the fact that the defending Super Bowl champions are 3-0.

Defensively, Dom Capers' unit has to be raising eyebrows. Over the past several seasons, he has had a Top 10 defense in this league, and this was the unit that truly excelled when times were tough with offensive injuries last year. This season though, the Packers rank No. 29 overall at an alarming 414.3 YPG, and the end result has been 24.7 PPG allowed.

All three foes have scored at least 17 points on Green Bay, a number which it only allowed 10 times in 20 games, including the postseason last year.

The pass defense is the real problem. A once solid looking secondary has been torched all year by opposing passing games, allowing 359.3 YPG, second to last in the league.

On the other side the ball, we probably expected better out of the Packers with Ryan Grant and Jermichael Finley healthy after missing the majority of the 2010 season. There's no shame in 403.3 YPG and 33.0 PPG, but we probably expected some more against a schedule full of teams that do not have much in the way of defense.

Help is on the way this week for the Broncos (1-2 SU, 1-2 ATS). No, contrary to what the fans in the Rockies are asking for, Tim Tebow is not the man that is going to be helping this squad out, barring an injury to Kyle Orton.

The offense has been awful this year, but Knowshon Moreno is going to be back in the fold on Sunday. Willis McGahee only had 52 yards on 22 carries in last week's loss against the Tennessee Titans in Moreno's place, and you can bet that head coach John Fox is glad to have his starting running back in the lineup.

Defensively, there might be even better news. Both Champ Bailey and Elvis Dumervil have sat out back-to-back games with nagging injuries, but both are listed as probable on this week's injury report. That's fantastic news for a team that has allowed at least 17 points in all three of its games and ranks a mediocre No. 15 in the league in total defense at 334.7 YPG.

The NFL trends suggest that the Packers are the right side in this one. They are 12-4-1 ATS in their last 17 games against teams with a losing record, while the Broncos are 4-10-1 ATS in their last 15 games overall.

These two teams have only met twice since 1999. Green Bay took a 19-13 decision in 2007 in Denver, and stomped the Broncos 31-3 in 2003 here at Lambeau Field.

After opening up the week as a two touchdown favorite, the Packers have dipped to minus 12 1/2 but Green Bay is still the biggest favorite on the Week 4 odds. The 'total' chimes in at 46.

After some torrential rains in the Midwest over the course of the week, Mother Nature should provide Green Bay with some nice weather on Sunday. Temperatures are starting to cool down, as the possibility there that it could get down into the high-40s after the sun sets in this late afternoon game.

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Buccaneers, Colts In Tampa Bay On Monday Night Football

The last time the Indianapolis Colts visited Tampa Bay, they completed one of the most improbable comebacks in the history of Monday Night Football. This Monday night, the winless Colts (0-3) will just be trying to pull off an unlikely upset as double-digit road underdogs against the host Buccaneers (2-1).

Game time is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. (ET) with television coverage provided by ESPN. Tampa Bay opened as a 10-point favorite according to the Don Best odds screen, and the line has remained there while the total has dipped to 40 ½ from the opening number of 42.

It was nearly eight years ago that Indy quarterback Peyton Manning led his team back from a 28-7 deficit in the fourth quarter en route to a 38-35 overtime victory. Manning threw for 386 yards and two touchdowns in that game, but he remains out this year following his third neck surgery in 19 months.

His replacement Kerry Collins has thrown less than 100 more yards than that number (481) through three games this season and is not expected to play due to a concussion suffered in a 23-20 home loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday night. The Colts are preparing as if Curtis Painter will make his first NFL start and recently signed Dan Orlovsky to add more depth at the position.

Indianapolis has not opened the season with three straight losses since Manning’s rookie year in 1998. Painter did not help his team avoid that fate against the Steelers when he relieved Collins, as he was sacked, fumbled and had the ball returned 16 yards for a touchdown. He ended up completing 5 of 11 passes for 60 yards and has connected on 13 of 39 during his brief career.

Manning and Collins are not the only Colts hurting. They also lost middle linebacker Gary Brackett and safety Melvin Bullitt for the season with shoulder injuries.

The Bucs have won their last two games by a combined seven points after losing their season opener at home by that same margin. They are coming off a 16-13 victory against NFC South rival Atlanta and held on late after building a 10-point halftime lead.

Tampa Bay has split its two home games this season and is just 5-16 against the spread in the last 21 games at Raymond James Stadium. The team has failed to cover the last three meetings with Indy and needs to try to figure out how to get wide receiver Mike Williams more involved in the passing game. Williams has made just 10 catches this year after leading the Bucs with 964 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns last season.

Running back LeGarrette Blount has gotten progressively more carries in each game for Tampa Bay, but he could find it difficult to run on a Colts defense that held Pittsburgh’s Rashard Mendenhall to 37 yards on 18 carries. It is worth noting that Indianapolis has played better defensively in each of its past two games since getting blown out 34-7 on the road in the season opener.

The Bucs are 6-1-1 ATS in their last eight games against teams with a losing record.

Monday’s high temperature in Tampa is is expected to hit 84 on Monday before cooling down to 65 overnight.

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Week 4 Preview: Patriots at Raiders

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (2-1)

at OAKLAND RAIDERS (2-1)


Kickoff: Sunday, 4:15 p.m. EDT
Line: New England -3.5, Total: 56

The NFL’s best passing team (New England) will face the league’s top rushing team (Oakland) on Sunday afternoon when the 2-1 Raiders host the 2-1 Patriots.

Oakland has proven to be one of the most creative offenses in the NFL, and that’s bad news for a Patriots defense that simply hasn’t been good. New England has allowed a league-worst 469 total yards per game, and surrendered 24 second-half points in the loss in Buffalo last week. Oakland has scored 69 points the past two weeks and steamrolled the Jets for 234 rushing yards a week ago. However, it was New England rushing for 277 yards the last time these teams met (2008 in Oakland), and despite the gaudy passing numbers, still have 103 rushing YPG this year. The Patriots are 30-15 ATS on the road since 2006 and are 17-3 ATS in October games over the past five seasons. The pick here is NEW ENGLAND to win and cover.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also sides with the Patriots.

Play Against - Any team (OAKLAND) - off a home win by 10 points or more against opponent after a road game where both teams scored 24 or more points. (26-6 over the last 5 seasons.) (81.2%, +19.4 units. Rating = 3*).

The Over is 15-2 in the past two seasons when the Patriots are favored, and this rare four-star FoxSheets trend expects another high-scoring game Sunday, to finish OVER the total.

Play Over - Road teams against the total (NEW ENGLAND) - off an upset loss as a favorite, with a winning record on the season. (44-13 over the last 5 seasons.) (77.2%, +29.7 units. Rating = 4*).

Tom Brady was intercepted four times in last week’s loss, but one was deflected by his receiver, another deflected by a defensive lineman, and a third was Chad Ochocinco’s fault for running an awful route. Brady still threw for 387 yards and four TD, giving him 1,327 passing yards (442 YPG) and 11 TD in three games. WR Wes Welker gained 153 yards through the air in the loss to Buffalo, and his 458 receiving yards are 81 more than anybody else in the NFL. The offense is relatively healthy, but the defense was missing two key players last week in S Patrick Chung (thumb) and DT Albert Haynesworth (back). Both are questionable to play in Oakland.

For the Raiders to win this matchup, Darren McFadden will need another monster performance. He leads the NFL with 393 rushing yards, and his 6.4 YPC average is quite impressive. QB Jason Campbell hasn’t thrown for a lot of yards (195 per game), but he has completed 66% of his passes and only tossed one interception this year. He could also have another weapon, as WR Jacoby Ford (hamstring) is expected to return to the field after missing the past two weeks. Oakland’s defense has allowed the fifth-most yards in the NFL (410 total YPG), and the team could be without S Michael Huff, who suffered a concussion in last week’s victory.

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Week 4 Preview: Colts at Buccaneers

INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (0-3)

at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-1)


Kickoff: Monday, 8:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Tampa Bay -10, Total: 40.5

Winless Indianapolis has another difficult game on the schedule when it travels south to Tampa Bay to face the Buccaneers on Monday Night Football.

The Colts continue to limp along without Peyton Manning, scoring just one offensive touchdown in each of their three games. They could be down to their No. 3 QB, Curtis Painter, after Kerry Collins suffered a concussion on Sunday night. The Bucs got it done at home a week ago, holding on for a 16-13 win over Atlanta despite allowing 295 net passing yards. They’re just 3-6-1 ATS at home over the past two seasons. The Colts defense has been improved. They don’t allow a lot of big passing plays, and unlike in past years, they’ve held their own against the run (3.3 YPC allowed). Tampa Bay will likely win this game, but the pick here against the spread is INDIANAPOLIS to cover.

This three-star FoxSheets trend also supports the Colts.

Play On - Underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (INDIANAPOLIS) - with a poor first half defense - 14 or more points per game, after a loss by 6 or less points. (58-24 since 1983.) (70.7%, +31.6 units. Rating = 3*).

Indy has not tallied more than 176 passing yards in any of its three losses, and the running game hasn’t reached 110 yards so far this year. Joseph Addai needs to touch the ball more, as he has averaged 4.8 yards per carry, but has only caught seven passes. Another player that needs to make more plays is TE Dallas Clark, who has only 10 catches for 83 yards. In his last full season in 2009, Clark caught 100 passes for 1,106 yards and 10 scores. Clark could be a great short-yardage target for the inexperienced Painter, who is just 13-of-39 for 143 yards, 0 TD and 2 INT in his career as a backup. The Colts passing defense has been subpar (252 YPG, 18th in NFL), but they have stuffed the run nicely in the past two weeks, holding the Browns to 106 yards (3.1 YPC) and the Steelers to 67 yards (2.4 YPC). They will likely still be missing LB Gary Brackett and S Melvin Bullitt, who both sat out last week’s game with shoulder injuries.

The Buccaneers defense has allowed too many passing yards (271 YPG, 10th-most in NFL), and the offense has also been subpar, with 315 total YPG (22nd in NFL) and just five offensive touchdowns. QB Josh Freeman has connected on 68 percent of his passes, but he’s tossed four interceptions with only two touchdowns. Last year’s leading receiver, Mike Williams, has been targeted 22 times, but has just 10 catches for 89 yards in the three games. The ground game was supposed to be a strength of this team, but the Bucs have only 92 YPG (20th in league). LeGarrette Blount had 24 carries against Atlanta, but gained a mere 81 yards (3.4 YPC). Defensively, Tampa did a tremendous job stuffing the Falcons running game, holding them to 30 yards on 15 carries. The Bucs look to be pretty healthy, except for S Cody Grimm (10 tackles), who suffered a major knee injury last week and is out indefinitely.

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Week 4 Preview: Jets at Ravens

NEW YORK JETS (2-1)

at BALTIMORE RAVENS (2-1)


Kickoff: Sunday, 8:20 p.m. EDT
Line: Baltimore -3, Total: 42

The Ravens look to retain their recent dominance over the Jets when the two Super Bowl hopefuls clash in Baltimore on Sunday night.

The Jets have dropped six in a row SU to the Ravens (dating back to 1998) and are 1-5 ATS during that span. That includes one ugly loss in the Rex Ryan era, 10-9 at New York in last year’s opener. The Ravens have been very Jekyll and Hyde through their first three games, dominating against Pittsburgh and St. Louis, but putting together a dud in a Week 2 loss at Tennessee. This game features Ryan visiting his old haunt one week after his defense was flat-out embarrassed. The Jets allowed 234 rushing yards (the most in 41 games under Ryan) to the Raiders in a 34-24 loss. Meanwhile, the Ravens averaged 6.5 yards per carry in their win at St. Louis last week. They also showed they can throw the ball downfield with touchdowns of 74 and 41 yards. The deep passing game could take advantage against CB Antonio Cromartie, who has struggled this year and is dealing with bruised lungs. All of these factors make BALTIMORE the pick.

The FoxSheets also provide a coaching trend that favors the Ravens.

John Harbaugh is 23-12 ATS (65.7%, +9.8 Units) in all games where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points as the coach of BALTIMORE. The average score was BALTIMORE 25.3, OPPONENT 14.7 - (Rating = 1*).

In addition to Cromartie, WR Santonio Holmes (quad) and QB Mark Sanchez (broken nose) are also on the injury list, but are both expected to start on Sunday night. Center Nick Mangold will likely miss another game with his ankle injury. Sanchez, in his third season, has improved greatly from last year. He has increased his completion rate from 54.8% to 63.1%, upped his YPA from 6.5 to 8.0, and his passing yardage has jumped from 206 YPG to 295 YPG. It is imperative for the Jets take the pressure off their young QB and crank up their running game, but it won’t be easy against the tough Ravens defense. After ranking fourth in the NFL with 148 rushing YPG last year, New York currently has 82 rushing YPG.

Baltimore has been very balanced offensively this year with 128 rushing YPG (8th in NFL) and 261 passing YPG (13th in league). QB Joe Flacco is coming off a huge performance in St. Louis, throwing for 389 yards and 3 TD, all to Torrey Smith. The rookie WR injured his hamstring in the fourth quarter of that game and is questionable for Sunday’s game. WR Lee Evans, who missed last game with an ankle injury, is also questionable. Flacco will have to make quick decisions on Sunday night as the Jets are expected to come after him with a variety of Rex Ryan blitzes. Both of Baltimore’s main ball carriers, Ray Rice and Ricky Williams, are averaging more than five yards per carry, and Rice has been a great safety valve catching passes out of the backfield with 14 grabs for 178 yards and two scores. The defense will be short-handed once again, as CB Domonique Foxworth and S Haruki Nakamura are both likely out with knee injuries.

[StarDust Bum]

Week 4 Preview: Steelers at Texans

PITTSBURGH STEELERS (2-1)

at HOUSTON TEXANS (2-1)


Kickoff: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Houston -3.5, Total: 44.5

A pair of 2-1 teams coming off disappointing road games meet at Reliant Stadium Sunday when the Texans host the Steelers.

Pittsburgh needed a late fourth-quarter drive to edge 10.5-point underdog Indianapolis by a field goal last week, while Houston blew a nine-point lead in the final quarter and lost to New Orleans 40-33. Pittsburgh’s aging defense will be tested by a very good Houston running game, especially after the Steelers allowed 5.5 yards per rush to Baltimore and 4.6 to a sorry Indianapolis running game. The Texans’ rebuilt secondary sees an elite quarterback for a second straight week. They had early success against Drew Brees on Sunday, but couldn’t contain him in the second half as Brees finished with 370 yards and led four second-half touchdown drives. Ben Roethlisberger is 2-0 with 391 passing yards, 4 TD and 0 INT in two career wins against Houston, and will lead PITTSBURGH to another win on Sunday.

The FoxSheets shows a couple of trends backing the Steelers.

PITTSBURGH is 38-17 ATS (69.1%, +19.3 Units) vs. good passing teams averaging 7 or more passing yards/att. since 1992. The average score was PITTSBURGH 24.2, OPPONENT 19.4 - (Rating = 2*).

Play Against - Home teams (HOUSTON) - off a road loss, first month of the season, after closing out last season with 4 or more losses in last 5 games. (84-47 since 1983.) (64.1%, +32.3 units. Rating = 2*).

Pittsburgh won in its only other trip to Reliant Stadium, crushing Houston 27-7 back in 2005. The Steelers also took the last meeting in 2008, winning 38-17 at home. Although they lead the NFL in yardage differential (+117 YPG), a league-worst minus-9 turnover margin has led to a lack of scoring. Pittsburgh is averaging only 18.0 PPG (26th in the NFL). The ground game also needs a boost. After tallying a mere 67 yards on 28 carries at Indianapolis, Pittsburgh now ranks 23rd in the NFL with 85.7 rushing YPG. Last season the Steelers averaged 120.3 rushing YPG, which ranked 11th in the league. Leading rusher Rashard Mendenhall is off to a slow start with 148 yards on 49 carries (3.0 YPC), and hopes to have OT Jonathan Scott (ankle) back in the lineup, who is listed as questionable for Sunday.

The Texans have some injuries to deal with, especially in the running game, as RBs Arian Foster (hamstring) and Derrick Ward (ankle) are still questionable. Third-stringer Ben Tate has been a great fill-in, with 301 rushing yards (fifth in NFL), but he’s also dinged up with a sore ankle. On the defensive side of the ball, it appears OLB Mario Williams and CB Kareem Jackson will both play despite suffering knee injuries in the loss to the Saints. Houston has forced two turnovers in each of its first three games, but still ranks 19th in total defense (332 YPG). The offense has moved the football well with 401 YPG (ninth in NFL) that has led to 30.0 PPG (seventh in league).

[StarDust Bum]

Week 4 Preview: Lions at Cowboys

DETROIT LIONS (3-0)

at DALLAS COWBOYS (2-1)


Kickoff: Sunday, 1:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Dallas -2, Total: 46.5

The ailing Cowboys will have their hands full with a young, physical Detroit defense when the teams meet Sunday in Big D.

When they played in Dallas last November, the Lions beat up on QB Jon Kitna and held the Cowboys to 265 yards of offense. The Cowboys won in large part to a fluke play: Brian McCann took a punt that the Lions were tipping back into the field of play and returned it 97 yards for a TD. With RB Felix Jones and WR Miles Austin (among others) ailing, Dallas will likely struggle to take advantage of Detroit’s suspect secondary. And with a horrendous group of cornerbacks of its own, Dallas will struggle against the Lions’ resurgent passing game. Not only have the Lions won eight straight games dating back to last season, but they are 14-3-2 ATS (82.4%) since the start of 2010. The pick here is for DETROIT to remain unbeaten on the season.

The FoxSheets provide this three-star trend supporting the Lions.

DETROIT is 12-2 ATS (85.7%, +9.8 Units) in all games where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points over the last 2 seasons. The average score was DETROIT 23.3, OPPONENT 19.3 - (Rating = 3*).

Detroit pulled off a stellar comeback last Sunday in Minnesota, as the team erased a 20-0 halftime deficit and prevailed in overtime. This marked the franchise’s largest second-half comeback. The Lions are now 3-0 for the first time since 1980. QB Matthew Stafford is off to a flying start this year. He threw for 378 yards in the victory over the Vikings, giving him 977 yards, 9 TD and just 2 INT in three games this season. WR Calvin Johnson has six of those TD grabs, with two coming in each game. Detroit’s running game has been weak this season, with just 235 yards on 84 carries (2.8 YPC). Top RB Jahvid Best suffered a bruised thigh last Sunday, but should be able to start against Dallas.

Dallas QB Tony Romo wasn’t great in Monday’s 18-16 field-goal fest win over Washington, but still led his team to the victory. Romo, who was questionable because of cracked ribs and a punctured lung, finished 22-of-36 for 255 yards, 0 TD and 1 INT. He did a good job of spreading the wealth, as five receivers caught at least three passes and nobody had more than Dez Bryant’s 63 yards. Besides K Dan Bailey, who had all of the team’s 18 points, Felix Jones was the offensive star for Dallas with 115 rushing yards on 8.2 yards per carry, and three catches for 40 more yards. Jones, who has been playing despite a separated shoulder, appeared to have re-injured that shoulder on Monday night. His status is questionable for the matchup with Detroit. CB Mike Jenkins also re-injured his shoulder on Monday, but was able to return to the game. CB Terence Newman suffered what appears to be a concussion in the fourth quarter of the Redskins game, and his status is uncertain for Sunday. DE Jason Hatcher (strained calf) is questionable.