NFL Trends and Indexes - Week 13 (Thursday, November 28 - Monday, December 2)

[Udog]

NFL

Sunday, December 1

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Cardinals at Eagles: What bettors need to know
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Arizona Cardinals at Philadelphia Eagles (-3, 48.5)

All eyes will be on LeSean McCoy and the Philadelphia rushing attack when the Eagles host the Arizona Cardinals and their stingy run defense on Sunday afternoon. McCoy leads the NFL with 1,408 yards from scrimmage, including an NFL-best 1,009 yards on the ground. As a team, the Eagles pace the league with 150.6 rushing yards per game, while Arizona has allowed the second-fewest rushing yards (81.3).

"I think we have a good feel of what they want to do," said Cardinals cornerback Patrick Peterson, while Philadelphia coach Chip Kelly noted, "It's a formidable defense, and they're playing really, really well right now." The Cardinals and Eagles each ride hot quarterbacks into this matchup, as Arizona's Carson Palmer is the reigning NFC Offensive Player of the Week, while Philadelphia's Nick Foles was the NFC's Offensive Player of the Month for November. The Cardinals have won four games in a row, while the Eagles are aiming for their fourth straight victory as both teams try to improve their playoff chances.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, Fox.

LINE: The Eagles opened -3 and the total has held at 48.5.

WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the low-40s with wind blowing across the field at 5 mph.

ABOUT THE CARDINALS (7-4): After defeating three of the league's worst teams (Atlanta, Houston and Jacksonville), Arizona notched an impressive 40-11 victory over AFC South-leading Indianapolis last week. Palmer has thrown for 300-plus yards in back-to-back games and has a 110.8 quarterback rating during the four-game winning streak. As usual, Larry Fitzgerald is the focal point of the Cardinals' offense, hauling in two touchdowns last week and racking up 412 receiving yards and six touchdowns over the last three meetings with Philly.

ABOUT THE EAGLES (6-5): Kelly, coming off a bye week for the first time as an NFL coach, needed the extra time to improve a defense that ranks last in the league in passing yards allowed. That said, the Eagles' defense has surrendered 21 points or fewer in seven straight games, including their most recent contest - a 24-16 triumph over Washington in which Trent Cole had two of the team's four sacks. Offensively, Foles is quietly enjoying a terrific season, as the second-year quarterback has 16 touchdowns and no interceptions - just the third player in NFL history to start a season with that many TDs without a pick.

TRENDS:

* Home team is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings.
* Cardinals are 2-5 ATS in their last seven meetings in Philadelphia.
* Eagles are 13-3 ATS in their last 16 games in Week 13.
* Over is 15-2 in Eagles last 17 games in Week 13.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. The Cardinals and Eagles combined for nine wins last season, with both teams finishing in last place in their respective division.

2. Veteran LB John Abraham has seven sacks and three forced fumbles in Arizona's last five games.

3. The Cardinals topped the Eagles 27-6 last season as Fitzgerald recorded 114 yards and a touchdown.


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[Udog]

NFL

Monday, December 2

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Monday Night Football betting: Saints at Seahawks
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New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks (-4.5, 47.5)

If the Seattle Seahawks can extend their franchise-record home winning streak Monday against the New Orleans Saints, they'll likely assure the road to the Super Bowl goes through Seattle. The Seahawks have a one-game lead over the Saints for home-field advantage in the playoffs, and they can effectively build a three-game cushion with a head-to-head victory. The Saints need a fourth straight win not only to preserve their chances of staying home throughout the playoffs, but also to maintain a one-game lead over Carolina in the NFC South.

The Seahawks have won six straight since their lone defeat - a 34-28 loss at Indianapolis - and are off to the best start in franchise history at 10-1, yet each game seems to hold more importance even as they distance themselves in the NFC West. "Every game that we play is a championship game," Seahawks coach Pete Carroll told reporters. "You never know which one is going to be the one that you look back on and say, 'Boy, if we'd have got that one, we would've had this or that.' So we play every one of them like it's the biggest game in the world." Seattle can clinch a playoff spot with a victory if either Arizona or San Francisco lose Sunday.

TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ESPN.

LINE: The line opened at -4.5, then jumped to -6, before being bet back to -4.5. The total opened at 45.5 and has been bet up to 47.5.

WEATHER: There is a 54 percent chance of snow, with temperatures in the mid 30s. The will be a 12 mph wind blowing towards the South end zone.

POWER RANKINGS: New Orleans (-6) - Seattle (-7.5) + home field (-3) = Seattle -4.5

ABOUT THE SAINTS (9-2, 6-5 ATS): New Orleans has won three straight, but it's had to squeak out the last two by a combined seven points. After setting a franchise record with 625 total yards three weeks ago in a 49-17 win over Dallas, the offense has been less-than-stellar the past two weeks, but the Saints still rank third in the NFL in total yards per game and second in passing yards. The defense, often a weakness for New Orleans, has been rejuvenated under coordinator Rob Ryan and has allowed more than 400 total yards only once all season.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (10-1, 7-4 ATS): Seattle's Russell Wilson is the less-notable quarterback in the matchup, but he is 13-0 at home with 26 touchdowns against six interceptions. The Seahawks also boast the league's No. 3 rushing game with Marshawn Lynch (925 yards, 9 TDs) leading the way. The Seahawks have the second-ranked pass defense, but they will be short-handed in the secondary - cornerback Walter Thurmond is suspended for the next four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy and cornerback Brandon Browner is still out with a groin injury - a potential disaster against Drew Brees and the Saints' pass-happy offense.

TRENDS:

* Saints are 5-0 ATS in their last five Monday night games.
* Seahawks are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games versus a team with a winning record.
* Under is 6-1 in Saints last seven games versus the NFC.
* Over is 4-1 in Seahawks last five games following a ATS win.

EXTRA POINTS:

1. Brees has won nine straight starts on Monday Night Football with a 123.6 passer rating in those games.

2. Seattle is tied for the NFL lead with 16 interceptions and boasts a plus-11 turnover margin.

3. Saints TE Jimmy Graham has six 100-yard games this season, tied for the most by a tight end in NFL history.


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[Udog]

NFL

Monday, December 2

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Tale of the Tape: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks
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Two teams boasting prolific offenses and stingy defenses face off Monday night when Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints visit Seattle for a showdown with the Seahawks.

The Saints hold a slim half-game lead over the hard-charging Carolina Panthers and are coming off a narrow 17-13 victory over the Atlanta Falcons a week ago. Seattle has won six straight games, and comes in off a bye as the top team in the NFC at 10-1.

Here's the breakdown in our betting tale of the tape:

Offense

The offense struggled for most of last week's win over the hapless Falcons, but that has proven to be a minor blip in what has been an incredible attack. Brees has the passing game humming along, ranked second in the league entering the weekend at 317.3 yards per game with 28 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. The rush attack hasn't been nearly as effective, at just 1,075 yards through the first 11 games and having accumulated only seven scores.

Russell Wilson has struggled to improve his passing credentials in his second full season - and having two of his top three wideouts (Sidney Rice, Percy Harvin) out of the lineup for most of the year hasn't helped. The Seahawks came into the weekend 25th in total passing yards (2,316), but do have 20 touchdowns against six interceptions. Marshawn Lynch leads a stout ground attack that sits among the league leaders in yards (1,627) with 10 TDs to date.

Edge: Even


Defense

New Orleans' emerging defensive unit isn't surprising anyone anymore - but it's still punishing the opposition on a weekly basis. The Saints come into the weekend allowing the third-fewest passing yards in the league (2,178) while limiting foes to 11 touchdowns through the air and snagging 10 interceptions. New Orleans has 37 sacks so far, and is in the middle of the pack in rushing yards against (1,231) despite surrendering a whopping 4.8 yards per carry.

Seattle's success continues to be built on a relentless defense that has overcome injuries and suspensions along the way. Only the Houston Texans had allowed fewer passing yards than the Seahawks coming into the weekend (1,984), and opposing teams have 12 touchdowns and 16 interceptions against them. Seattle is league-average when it comes to rushing yards against (1,242) but has limited the opposition to just four majors on the ground.

Edge: Even


Special Teams

New Orleans is above-average in the kick-return game - averaging 24.2 yards per attempt - but ranks near the bottom of the league in punt-return average (6.1). The Saints are at a deficit in both categories, surrendering 25.2 kick-return yards per attempt and 6.9 punt-return yards per opportunity. Veteran placekicker Garrett Hartley has converted just 20-of-26 field-goal chances, but made his only attempt - a 41-yarder - in last week's triumph over the Falcons.

Seattle's kick-return game has been dreadful so far in 2013 - averaging just 20.6 yards per attempt - but the punt-return unit is at 12.3 yards per attempt, one of the top rates in the league. Opposing teams are averaging a robust 24.9 yards on kick returns, but have been held to an unfathomable 1.4 yards per punt-return attempt. Kicker Steven Hauschka has been one of the top players at his position, missing just one of his 25 field-goal opportunities this season.

Edge: Seattle


Notable Quotable

"We got our work cut out for us. This is a well-coached team. They've got a hired killer back there running the ball. This is what you get, I guess, this time of year and it will be a hell of a challenge." - Saints defensive coordinator Rob Ryan on Lynch and the Seahawks

"Any one of these games, you look back, if we make the mistakes at the end that don't get us the win that would be the game we might look back to. So we honestly realized that every one of these games are championship opportunities to us and we practice like it's the biggest game you've ever seen." - Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll.


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