The Bum's National Football Leagues Trends-News- Picks !!

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LATE GAMES:


New Orleans - 4:05 PM ET New Orleans +2 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Arizona - Over 48 500 BLOW OUT

Detroit - 4:05 PM ET San Diego -3.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

San Diego - Under 45 500

Tennessee - 4:25 PM ET Tennessee +3 500 *****

Tampa Bay - Under 40.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Cincinnati - 4:25 PM ET Oakland +3 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Oakland - Under 43 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Baltimore - 4:25 PM ET Denver -4.5 500 DOUBLE PLAY

Denver - Over 46 500 DOUBLE PLAY

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NFL

Sunday, September 13

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Sunday Night Football Betting Preview: Giants at Cowboys
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The Over has gone 6-0 in the last six meetings between the Cowboys and Giants in Dallas.

New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-6, 51.5)

The Dallas Cowboys came within a questionable officiating call of reaching the NFC Championship Game last season, but their focus is on repeating as division champions when they kick off the season against the visiting New York Giants on Sunday night. Dallas swept the Giants last season en route to a 12-4 campaign and the NFC East title and has won four straight games in the series.

The Cowboys will sport a different look after running back DeMarco Murray, who ran away with the league rushing title last season, signed with hated rival Philadelphia in the offseason. Joseph Randle, Murray's backup, is expected to head a committee that includes former Oakland Raiders running back Darren McFadden. New York gave up 31 points in each of the losses to the Cowboys last season and will be without their top defensive player in defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul, who broke his thumb and had a finger amputated during a fireworks mishap. Another question surround the Giants has been the contract status of quarterback Eli Manning, but he is reported to be close to signing a four-year, $84 million extension.

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, NBC.

LINE HISTORY: Most shops opened the Cowboys as 6-point faves. It spent some time at -5 and -5.5 before coming back to -6. The total opened at 49.5 before working its way up to 51.5.

POWER RANKINGS: Giants (+2) + Cowboys (-3.25) + home field (-3.0) = Cowboys -8.25

WEATHER: N/A

INJURY REPORT: Giants - DE Owamagbe Odighizuwa (Probable, foot), WR Victor Cruz (Out, calf), DE Jason Pierre-Paul (Out, finger), LB Jon Beason (Out, knee). Cowboys - CB Brandon Carr (Questionable, hand), LB Rolando McClain (Eligible Week 5, suspension), DE Greg Hardy (Eligible Week 5, suspension).

WHAT CAPPERS SAY: "Tom Coughlin is the oldest coach in the NFL by a five year margin and he?s coming off back-to-back losing seasons. Coughlin is clearly facing ?win now or get fired? pressure in 2015. The Cowboys defense finished #2 in the NFL with 31 takeaways last year, and Tony Romo finished with the league?s highest QB rating. Don't expect either stat to repeat!"

ABOUT THE GIANTS (2014: 6-10 SU, 7-9 ATS, 10-6 O/U): The biggest revelation for New York last season was the emergence of then-rookie wideout Odell Beckham, who finished with 1,305 yards receiving and caught four of his 12 scoring passes against Dallas despite missing the first four games. Beckham made a national name for himself with a highlight-reel one-handed touchdown grab in the second meeting against Dallas that nearly blew up the Internet. Fellow wide receiver Victor Cruz, who suffered a torn patellar tendon last season, is unlikely to play while dealing with a calf injury, so the Giants may rely on their own backfield triumvirate of Rashad Jennings, Andre Williams and free-agent acquisition Shane Vereen. Manning threw for 30 TD passes and 4,410 yards last season to quell fears after his dismal 27-interception campaign of 2013.

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (2014: 12-4 SU, 10-6 ATS, 9-6-1 O/U): Tony Romo finished with 34 scoring passes versus only nine interceptions last season while establishing a franchise record with a 113.2 passer rating, but he will have to adapt to the absence of Murray, who amassed 12 100-yard games. Randle averaged 6.7 yards per carry behind the league's best offensive line and Romo has the luxury of a stud wide receiver in Dez Bryant, who had 88 receptions for 1,320 yards and topped the league with 16 touchdown catches. "Obviously nobody does it better going up to get the ball and when it’s in his hands, great things happen," veteran tight end Jason Witten said of Bryant. The Cowboys have some concerns on the other side of the ball after losing cornerback Orlando Scandrick to a season-ending injury and Rolando McClain for the first four games.

TRENDS:

* Over is 6-0 in the last six meetings in Dallas.
* Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings.
* Giants are 0-4 ATS in their last four games in Week 1.
* Cowboys are 6-2 ATS in their last eight games in Week 1.

CONSENSUS: Fifty-six percent of users are backing the Cowboys.

[StarDust Bum]

8:30 PM EDT

487 NEW YORK GIANTS 49.5 52.5 / 52 / 51.5 52 +255
488 DALLAS COWBOYS -6 -6 / -6 -15 / -6.5 -05 -7 -05 -320

NYG-WR-Victor Cruz-OUT | TV: NBC | MOSTLY FAIR, SOUTH WIND 8-13. GAME TEMP 85, RH 27% HEAT INDEX 83 (A T and T STADIUM ROOF MAY CLOSE IN HOT WEATHER)

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NFL Consensus Picks

SIDES (ATS)

8:30 PM N.Y. Giants +6 1862 44.67% Dallas -6 2306 55.33% View View

TOTALS (OVER/UNDER)

8:30 PM N.Y. Giants 52 1937 63.84% Dallas 52 1097 36.16% View View

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NFL RATED GAMES: (as of 9/13/15 )

*****.......................................... 2 - 3
double play....................................9 - 3
triple play......................................4 - 3
blow out........................................1 - 0
gom............................................... 0 - 0
goy............................................... 0 - 0
totals............................................ .0 - 0

SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL


N.Y. Giants - 8:30 PM ET Dallas -6.5 500 TRIPLE PLAY

Dallas - Over 52 500 *****

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NFL RATED GAMES: (as of 9/13/15 )

*****.......................................... 3 - 3
double play....................................9 - 3
triple play......................................4 - 4
blow out........................................1 - 0
gom............................................... 0 - 0
goy............................................... 0 - 0
totals............................................ .0 - 0

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B]Monday's Top Action

September 11, 2015[/B]


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (0-0) at ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Philadelphia -3, Total: 56.5

Chip Kelly and his new look offense head down to Georgia Monday night to take on Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the high flying Falcons.

In just two seasons, Kelly took an offense that ranked 29th in scoring and 15th in yards to consecutive top-5 finishes in both categories with essentially the same parts. Now he has some new toys to play with, swapping Nick Foles for QB Sam Bradford, moving LeSean McCoy to Buffalo and replacing him with 2014 rushing champion RB DeMarco Murray and former Chargers first-round pick RB Ryan Matthews. Monday night we will see what Kelly’s offense can truly do with the pieces that he wants (No. 1 offense in preseason).

The Eagles have been a Monday night juggernaut in the past, going 15-5 ATS on MNF since 1992. The departure of wideout Jeremy Maclin to Kansas City was addressed with the drafting of USC standout WR Nelson Agholor 20th overall to line up opposite second-year WR Jordan Matthews. Agholor joins a group of 18 former Pac-12 players on the Eagles roster, which includes seven former Oregon Ducks, perhaps giving Kelly a leg up on teaching his system since they’re already familiar, if not well-versed.

Philly’s diversity in the run game bodes well for bettors as the Eagles are 50-18 ATS since 1992 when rushing for 125-to-150 yards and they’re 63-34 ATS when racking up 400+ total yards.

For the Falcons, it is a change at the top that they hope will turn things around. Mike Smith’s tenure ended with a thud after back-to-back dismal seasons in which his defense finished in the bottom five in scoring both years. The 2012 Falcons had the best record in the league at 13-3 and ranked fifth in scoring defense, but followed with 4-12 and 6-10 seasons, and last year's team had the worst defense in the NFL. Former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the new head coach and hopes are high that he’ll return Atlanta to the top of a wide-open NFC South division. Atlanta has had trouble with Philly over the years though, as the Eagles are 10-4 ATS in this matchup since 1992.

Both defenses will have their hands full Monday night. The Falcons gave up a league-high 21 rushing TD last season and Murray tied Marshawn Lynch for the NFL lead with 13 scores on the ground. Atlanta allowed only eight yards per game more than Philly last season, but the Eagles defense forced 24 fumbles (most in league) and allowed only 3.7 yards per carry (tied for 4th-fewest) while Atlanta forced only 13 fumbles and surrendered 4.2 yards per carry on the year.

Atlanta added some quality defenders this offseason in former Bucs first-round pick DE Adrian Clayborn, drafted LB Vic Beasley with the eighth overall pick, and took CB Jalen Collins from LSU in the second round. Atlanta used every pick on defense in 2015 with the exception of Coleman and East Carolina WR Justin Hardy, meaning that new defensive coordinator Richard Smith (former Broncos LB coach) will have a lot of new pieces to his defensive puzzle.

The Eagles defense should be a formidable unit in 2015 with the addition of former All-Pro LB Kiko Alonso in the LeSean McCoy trade plus five 2015 draft picks. Alonso is coming off a major knee injury that took his entire 2014 season, but in his rookie year of 2013, Alonso was third in the league with 159 tackles and tied with defensive MVP Luke Kuechly for the most interceptions by a middle linebacker (4). He'll fit in well with an opportunistic Philly defense that last season led the NFC with 49 sacks, led the NFL with four defensive touchdowns and finished third with 28 takeaways.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan will need some help from the running game in order to right the ship, as his Falcons have been among the bottom-10 rushing teams in the league for three years in a row, including dead last in 2013. Rookie RB Tevin Coleman out of Indiana University will look to be the workhorse with support from second-year RB Devonta Freeman. Keeping the ball away from Kelly’s offense may be the only way to slow them down, so a big debut from Coleman could go a long way towards success. When Atlanta totals 350-to-400 yards of offense since 1992, the club is 57-31 ATS.

Ryan will have his usual cast of talented receivers available with veteran WR Roddy White probable for Week 1, but Ryan is just 1-6 SU on Monday Night Football in his career. Top WR Julio Jones is coming off a career year in which he led all NFC pass catchers with 1,593 yards and 104 receptions. Jones was one of four players league-wide to eclipse the 100-catch mark and his career average of 88.4 receiving yards per game is the highest mark in NFL history.

Ryan and the Falcons have lost the last two meetings with Philly, and in four career matchups he is 2-2. His completion percentage of 59.4% against the Eagles defense is his worst career mark against any NFC opponent.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0) at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Minnesota -2.5, Total: 41.5

Monday’s nightcap will feature the return of Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson after a one-year suspension and 49ers All-Pro LB NaVorro Bowman, playing for the first time since the 2013 NFC Championship.

To say a lot has changed since Peterson and Bowman last suited up for a meaningful game is an understatement. Peterson played in the 2014 season opener at St. Louis, racking up a pedestrian 75 rushing yards in the 34-6 victory. Bowman’s last game, a heart-breaking 23-17 loss in the 2013 NFC Championship against hated rival Seattle, ended with Bowman having a lot more than just a broken heart. Little did Bowman know that when he recovered from his torn ACL suffered that day, he would eventually return to a thinned-out defense with just a pair of starters left on that once formidable defensive unit. He also didn't think his head coach Jim Harbaugh would be run out of town and replaced by little-known Jim Tomsula.

The 49ers defense was so good at its peak, that if the offense could muster a couple of touchdowns, the game was all but finished. In fact, in the last two years, San Francisco is 8-0 ATS when scoring just 22-to-28 points against the opposition. For Minnesota, there’s a lot of room for improvement as its offense was held to 21 points or less 10 times last season. Minnesota is 35-60 ATS all-time when scoring 15-to-21 points, but Peterson will certainly boost these numbers as long as he's healthy.

Since 1992, the Niners have a mark of 29-10 ATS when playing on Monday night. The clubs have met in San Francisco six times since 1992, with the 49ers holding a 5-1 SU edge (4-2 ATS).

Adrian Peterson’s Vikings are a team on the rise with second-year QB Teddy Bridgewater ready for a breakout season under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Norv Turner. The addition of former Steelers/Dolphins deep threat, WR Mike Wallace, combined with the return of Peterson should equal a dramatic increase in production for Bridgewater and an offense that was ranked 27th in 2014. The health of TE Kyle Rudoloph will also be a determining factor in the QB’s development and the team’s success. Rudolph has missed half of each of the last two seasons after what looked to be a breakout 2012 campaign in which he found the end zone nine times.

Bridgewater will need all hands on deck against what is still a legitimate 49ers front seven. In 2014, Minnesota threw an NFC-low 17 touchdowns while surrendering 51 sacks, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. While Bridgewater and the young Vikings have never faced San Francisco, Peterson has never lost to the 49ers in three career meetings despite sporting some pretty paltry numbers of zero rushing TD and 3.0 YPC, his lowest against any opponent.

In the last meeting between these two clubs on Sept. 23, 2012, it was Christian Ponder’s big day that propelled the Vikings to victory. Ponder connected on a pair of scores to TE Kyle Rudolph as well as running in a third touchdown en route to a 24-13 win over the eventual NFC Champs.

Both teams have undergone massive changes in the three years since that meeting including both head coaches being swapped out. Former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer took the reigns last season and turned a 5-10-1 ballclub with Peterson into a 7-9 squad without him. Zimmer feels ready to compete in the tough NFC North division. His defensive unit was more than adequate through the air in 2014, ranking sixth in the NFL in passing defense.

Unfortunately for 49ers fans, nobody would consider Colin Kaepernick to be a polished passing quarterback, so the 49ers will likely try to lean on the running game as they have in the past. Carlos Hyde enters his first season as an NFL starter out of Ohio State, and with Frank Gore’s departure, Hyde will have no shortage of opportunities to prove his worth. Rugby star RB Jarryd Hayne had a big preseason by the bay and will likely see a fair amount of action with Kendall Hunter being placed on IR. New WR Torrey Smith (probable – knee) came over from Baltimore to join Anquan Boldin on the outside while

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MNF Doubleheader

September 13, 2015

Eagles (-3, 56) at Falcons – 7:10 PM EST - ESPN

Philadelphia opened up as a 1 ½-point road favorite when the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino SuperBook (LVH) released lines for Week 1 back in April. After an impressive preseason effort, the Eagles have been boosted up to a three-point favorite at most books, as Chip Kelly’s squad is expected to do big things in the NFC with his explosive offense. However, traveling to the loud Georgia Dome to take on a Falcons’ squad who missed the playoffs last season won’t be an easy task for Philadelphia.

The Eagles topped the 36-point mark in each of their first three preseason victories, as Sam Bradford threw three touchdown passes in the dress rehearsal win at Green Bay. There are plenty of new faces on the Philadelphia offense with Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin out of town, as Bradford and DeMarco Murray look to keep up the offensive prowess under Kelly.

The Falcons begin the Dan Quinn era following back-to-back losing campaigns, including a 6-10 mark in 2014. Quinn comes over from Seattle where he spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator, helping the Seahawks win consecutive conference championships. The Falcons allowed at least 27 points in eight games last season, while this club put together a dreadful 1-9 record outside of NFC South play.

Atlanta has been automatic in home openers since Matt Ryan took over at quarterback in 2008, posting a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS record, including a 37-34 overtime triumph against New Orleans as a three-point underdog in 2014. The Falcons took a step back at home last season, losing four of their final five games at the Georgia Dome after early victories over the Saints and Buccaneers. Since 2008, the Falcons have struggled in Monday night contests, compiling a 1-6 SU and 4-3 ATS record with three of those covers coming as double-digit underdogs.

Philadelphia is making its first trip to Atlanta since 2011, when the Falcons outlasted the Eagles, 35-31 as 2 ½-point underdogs in Week 2. Kelly didn’t face the Falcons in his first two seasons as head coach of the Eagles, while going 1-2 SU/ATS as a road favorite in 2014 with the lone win coming at Houston. The Eagles have performed well on Monday nights in Kelly’s short tenure, winning in all three tries since 2013, including an opening night victory two seasons ago at Washington.

Vikings (-2 ½, 41 ½) at 49ers – 10:20 PM EST - ESPN

Minnesota ventures out west after wrapping up 2014 by covering eight of its final 10 games. The Vikings fell short of the playoffs for the second straight season at 7-9, but get back Adrian Peterson in the backfield after missing all but one game in 2014 due to disciplinary reasons. Now, the Vikings look to capitalize on a solid 4-1 SU/ATS record in the preseason, heading to battle a rebuilding San Francisco squad.

The 49ers have moved on from Jim Harbaugh as former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted in January to head coach. San Francisco hit the skids following three straight trips to the NFC title game from 2011-13 with a subpar 8-8 record in 2014, which was capped off by a 1-4 finish and Harbaugh’s dismissal. The home-field advantage at brand new Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was anything but as the Niners went 4-4 SU and 2-6 ATS, all in the favorite role.

Now, San Francisco will be listed as an underdog at Levi’s Stadium for the first time, while Minnesota is laying points on the road for the first time since 2012. In fact, the Vikings last covered as away ‘chalk’ back in 2010 at Washington, posting an 0-3 SU/ATS record since that ATS win. Minnesota cashed four of its final five games away from TCF Bank Stadium last season as an underdog, but the Vikings lost their last three road games at Chicago, Detroit, and Miami.

These two teams are hooking up for the first time since 2012, as the Vikings knocked off the 49ers at the Metrodome, 24-13 as 6 ½-point underdogs. Minnesota is making its first trip to the Bay Area since 2007 when the Vikings destroyed the Niners, 27-7 as eight-point favorites. The Vikings have lost five straight Monday night games dating back to 2009, while the 49ers are riding a seven-game winning streak in Monday action since 2010.

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NFL Capsules

September 13, 2015

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Tony Romo threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Jason Witten with 7 seconds left, and the Dallas Cowboys overcame three turnovers that led to easy New York points to beat the Giants 27-26 on Sunday night.

The Cowboys drove 72 yards in just 1:27 after forcing the Giants to settle for Josh Brown's fourth field goal when a touchdown would have sealed New York's first victory in an opener against Dallas. The Cowboys are 8-0 against New York in openers.

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie returned a fumble 57 yards for a touchdown, and the Giants had to go just 1 yard for their other TD after Trumaine McBride's interception.

It was the fifth straight win for the defending NFC East champion Cowboys over their division rival.

RAMS 34, SEAHAWKS 31, OT

SEATTLE (AP) - Needing a yard again, Seattle handed off to Marshawn Lynch this time. It still didn't work.

The Rams stopped the running back short of a first downy, making Greg Zuerlein's 37-yard field goal in overtime decisive.

St. Louis survived an 18-point fourth quarter rally by the Seahawks, who famously passed from the 1 in last February's Super Bowl and were intercepted by New England to lose.

Down 31-24 with 53 seconds left, the Rams tied the game after Seahawks defensive back Dion Bailey stumbled on Lance Kendricks' 37-yard touchdown catch. Cary Williams' strip of Nick Foles and 8-yard return had put Seattle up by a touchdown.

The Seahawks opened overtime with an onside kick; Bradley Marquez caught Steven Hauschka's popped-up attempt. Officials ruled the ball was kicked directly in the air, so Marquez was OK to signal for a fair catch.

The Rams sacked Russell Wilson six times.

TITANS 42, BUCCANEERS 14

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Marcus Mariota made it look easy, throwing four touchdown passes and outplaying No. 1 overall draft pick Jameis Winston to lead Tennessee over Tampa Bay.

The highly anticipated debut for the rookie quarterbacks was one-sided from the start, not unlike many of Mariota's dazzling performances in college at Oregon.

The 2014 Heisman winner threw for 209 yards without an interception to join Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton as the only players to throw four or more TD passes in their first NFL game.

Tarkenton did it for Minnesota against the Chicago Bears on Sept. 17, 1961.

Winston, the 2013 Heisman winner, did something rare, too, becoming the first quarterback since Brett Favre in 1991 to have his first NFL pass intercepted and returned for a touchdown.

PACKERS 31, BEARS 23

CHICAGO (AP) - Aaron Rodgers threw for three touchdowns, two to James Jones, and the Packers beat Chicago to spoil John Fox's debut as Bears coach.

The Packers got all they could handle from the rebuilding Bears, but took control down the stretch to beat them for the 10th time in 11 games, including the postseason.

Rodgers improved to 13-3 lifetime against Chicago. The 2014 MVP completed 18 of 23 passes for 189 yards.

Jones, who spent seven seasons in Green Bay before signing with Oakland last year, caught four passes for 51 yards. That included a one-handed grab on a 13-yard score late in the first quarter and a 1-yard TD in the third - a good start after being released by the Raiders in the spring and by the Giants on the final roster cut.

BILLS 27, COLTS 14

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Tyrod Taylor engineered three touchdown drives and Rex Ryan's attacking Buffalo defense put the clamps on Andrew Luck.

In his first career start, Taylor went 14 of 19 for 195 yards, including a 51-yard opening touchdown pass to Percy Harvin. Boobie Dixon and rookie Karlos Williams scored touchdowns rushing to deliver Ryan a win in his debut as Bills head coach.

The Bills built a 24-0 lead by scoring on four consecutive possessions into the third quarter. And Buffalo's defense did the rest.

The retooled Luck-led Colts attack was limited to 148 yards offense and nine first downs on its first five drives before scoring two touchdowns in the final 16 minutes.

Luck finished 26 of 49 for 243 yards and two touchdowns, and was intercepted twice.

CHIEFS 27, TEXANS 20

HOUSTON (AP) - Alex Smith threw for 243 yards and three touchdowns in the first half againts the mistake-prone Texans.

Travis Kelce caught two touchdown passes in the first quarter, the first coming after Kansas City intercepted Brian Hoyer on his first throw as a Texan.

The Chiefs were up by 14 in the second quarter when Justin Houston sacked Hoyer, forcing a fumble. Kansas City recovered it and a 7-yard touchdown reception by Jamaal Charles pushed the lead to 27-6.

Hoyer struggled in his debut before Ryan Mallett took over with about six minutes left and led Houston on two scoring drives to cut the lead to a touchdown.

DOLPHINS 17, REDSKINS 10

LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - Jarvis Landry returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown with 10:22 left to give Miami its first lead.

Landry's score broke open a tight game in which the Redskins amassed more yards and dominated the time of possession, but could not pull away.

Kirk Cousins went 21 for 31 for 196 yards and two interceptions for Washington. Robert Griffin III was inactive after only recently recovering from a concussion.

Miami trailed 10-0 in the second quarter, cut it to 10-7 at halftime and pulled even when Andrew Franks kicked a The Dolphins then forced a punt. Landry took the ball in the center of the field and darted up the middle, dodging would-be tacklers along the way.

On the ensuing drive, Cousins threw a sideline pass that cornerback Brice McCain intercepted at the Miami 2.

JETS 31, BROWNS 10

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Ryan Fitzpatrick threw two touchdown passes and Chris Ivory ran for two scores in coach Todd Bowles' debut.

The Jets (1-0) had five takeaways against the Browns, including an interception of Johnny Manziel, who came in late in the first quarter for the injured Josh McCown.

Jets rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin was taken to a hospital after being carted off the field with head and neck injuries. The Jets said he suffered a concussion but has no neck injury, as initially feared.

Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker had touchdown catches for the Jets, who sent the Browns (0-1) to their 11th straight opening-day loss. Fitzpatrick, who became the starter last month after Geno Smith's jaw was broken teammate's punch, finished 15 of 24 for 179 yards.

Manziel was 13 of 24 for 182, including a 54-yard touchdown to Travis Benjamin.

PANTHERS 20, JAGUARS 9

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) - Josh Norman returned an interception for a touchdown, and the Panthers did just enough offensively.

Norman provided the big play in the third quarter when he stepped in front of a pass intended for rookie running back T.J. Yeldon near the sideline and went untouched the other way for a 30-yard score. Norman pointed at Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles as he trotted toward the end zone and then waved bye-bye.

Carolina managed just 263 yards in winning its second consecutive opener.

Cam Newton, playing in his first game since signing a five-year, $104 million contract that included $60 million guaranteed, completed 18 of 31 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. He also ran for 35 yards and threw an interception.

BRONCOS 19, RAVENS 13

DENVER (AP) - Former Ravens safety Darian Stewart, who followed Gary Kubiak from Baltimore to Denver over the winter, snatched the ball from tight end Crockett Gillmore in the end zone with 28 seconds left to seal a win for Peyton Manning and the Broncos.

Joe Flacco drove the Ravens to the Denver 16 in the final minute. One play before Stewart's interception, cornerback Brady Roby got a hand in Steve Smith Sr.'s face and a would-be touchdown catch bounded away from the veteran receiver.

Cornerback Jimmy Smith's 24-yard pick-6 was Baltimore's only touchdown and Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib responded with a 51-yard interception return for a TD that put Denver ahead for good 16-13.

Manning was 24 of 40 for 175 yards and a paltry 59.9 passer rating. His four sacks were his most since Oct. 20, 2013.

The Ravens lost linebacker Terrell Suggs for the season to a torn Achilles.

CARDINALS 31, SAINTS 19

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) - Carson Palmer threw three touchdown passes in his first game back from a torn ACL and Arizona opened its season with a victory over New Orleans.

Drew Brees threw for 355 yards, but the Saints had to settle for Zach Hocker's field goals four times.

Arizona's Andre Ellington rushed for 69 yards before being carted off with a right knee injury.

Two of Palmer's TD passes came in the fourth quarter. Darren Fells made a 17-yard fingertip catch for one score and Arizona clinched it with Palmer's 55-yard pass to rookie David Johnson with 1:33 to play.

Palmer, 14-2 in his last 16 starts, completed 19 of 32 passes for 307 yards with no interceptions.

CHARGERS 33, LIONS 28

SAN DIEGO (AP) - Philip Rivers rallied San Diego to 30 straight points, including throwing a go-ahead, 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Ladarius Green early in the fourth quarter, and the Chargers stunned Detroit in what could be their final home opener at Qualcomm Stadium.

Rivers overcame two interceptions, including a 31-yard return for a touchdown by Glover Quin, to complete 35 of 42 passes for 404 yards and two scores.

Green was subbing for Antonio Gates, who's suspended without pay for four games for testing positive for PEDs. Keenan Allen had 15 catches - tying the club record set by Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow in 1984 - for 166 yards.

The Chargers trailed 21-3 after Matthew Stafford threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Eric Ebron midway through the second quarter. But the second half was all San Diego.

BENGALS 33, RAIDERS 13

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Andy Dalton threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and Jeremy Hill ran for two scores to help Cincinnati spoil coach Jack Del Rio's debut in Oakland.

Dalton had it easy all day long as he faced little pressure and often had receivers running free in the Raiders secondary. He connected on two touchdown passes with tight end Tyler Eifert as the Bengals (1-0) broke out to a 33-0 lead and coasted.

The game couldn't have gone worse for the Raiders (0-1), who lost starting quarterback Derek Carr to a hand injury in the second quarter and were held scoreless until midway through the fourth quarter in Del Rio's first game as coach.

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NFL Today, Week 1

September 13, 2015

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Sept. 14

Philadelphia at Atlanta, 7:10 p.m. EDT. Dan Quinn, who oversaw the powerful Seattle defense the past two seasons, now is the head man in Atlanta, which needs a huge improvement on D. Chip Kelly has remodeled the Eagles, with Sam Bradford at QB and 2014 Offensive Player of the Year DeMarco Murray moving over from Dallas to lead the run game.

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Minnesota at San Francisco, 10:20 p.m. EDT. Another new head coach, Jim Tomsula, replaces Jim Harbaugh with the 49ers, who appear to be weakened by retirements and defections. Minnesota gets back star RB Adrian Peterson and is considered a team on the rise.

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STARS

Passing

-Marcus Mariota, Titans, was 13 for 16 for 209 yards and four touchdowns in his NFL debut in Tennessee's 42-14 rout of Tampa Bay. Mariota joined Hall of Famer Fran Tarkenton in 1961 as the only rookies in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes on kickoff weekend. All four of Mariota's touchdown passes came in the first half and he is the only rookie in NFL history to throw four touchdown passes in one half.

-Carson Palmer, Cardinals, was 19 for 32 for 307 yards and three touchdowns in Arizona's 31-19 win over New Orleans.

-Philip Rivers, Chargers, was 35 for 42 for 404 yards with two touchdown passes and two interceptions in San Diego's 33-28 win over Detroit. Rivers has 254 touchdown passes, tying Hall of Famer Dan Fouts for the most in franchise history.

-Andy Dalton, Bengals, was 25 for 34 for 269 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati's 33-13 win over Oakland.

-Nick Foles, Rams, was 18 for 27 for 297 yards and a touchdown in St. Louis' 34-31 win over Seattle.

-Drew Brees, Saints, finished 30 for 48 for 355 yards with a touchdown and interception in New Orleans' 31-19 loss to Arizona.

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Rushing

-Matt Forte, Bears, had 24 carries for 141 yards and a touchdown in Chicago's 31-23 loss to Green Bay.

-Alfred Morris, Redskins, had 25 carries for 121 yards in Washington's 17-10 loss to Miami.

-Chris Ivory, Jets, had 20 carries for 91 yards and two touchdowns in New York's 31-10 win over Cleveland.

-Jeremy Hill, Bengals, had 19 carries for 63 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati's 33-13 win over Oakland.

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Receiving

-Keenan Allen, Chargers, had 15 catches, tying the club record set by Hall of Famer Kellen Winslow in 1984, for 166 yards in San Diego's 33-28 win over Detroit.

-Austin Seferian-Jenkins, Buccaneers, had five catches for 110 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 42-14 loss to Tennessee.

-Travis Kelce, Chiefs, had six catches for 106 yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City's 27-20 win over Houston.

-Tyler Eifert, Bengals, had nine catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns in Cincinnati's 33-13 win over Oakland.

-Nate Washington and DeAndre Hopkins, Houston. Washington had six catches for 105 yards and Hopkins had nine catches for 98 yards and two touchdowns in Houston's 27-20 loss to Kansas City.

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Special Teams

-Tyler Lockett, Seahawks, returned a punt 57 yards for a touchdown in Seattle's 34-31 overtime loss to St. Louis.

-Tavon Austin, Rams, returned a punt 75 yards for a touchdown in St. Louis' 34-31 overtime win over Seattle.

- Jarvis Landry, Dolphins, returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown in Miami's 17-10 win over Washington.

-Zach Hocker, Saints, was 4 for 4 on field goals in New Orleans' 31-19 loss to Arizona.

-Brandon McManus, Broncos, was 4 for 4 on field goals in Denver's 19-13 win over Baltimore.

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Defense

-Aqib Talib, Broncos, returned an interception 51 yards for a touchdown in Denver's 19-13 win over Baltimore.

-Coty Sensabaugh, Titans, returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown in Tennessee's 42-14 win over Tampa Bay.

-Josh Norman, Panthers, returned an interception 30 yards for a touchdown in Carolina's 20-9 win over Jacksonville.

-Glover Quin, Lions, returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown in Detroit's 33-28 loss to San Diego.

-Jimmy Smith, Ravens, returned an interception 24 yards for a touchdown in Baltimore's 19-13 loss to Denver.

-Cary Williams, Seahawks, returned a fumble 8 yards for a touchdown in Seattle's 34-31 loss to St. Louis.

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STREAKS & STATS

The Packers beat the NFC North rival Bears for the 10th time in 11 games, including the postseason. ... The Browns' 31-10 loss to the New York Jets was their 11th straight opening-day defeat. Cleveland is 1-16 in Week 1 games since its expansion return in 1999. ... Carson Palmer became the first Cardinals quarterback since Jim Hart to win seven straight starts. ... The Bengals got their first win in Oakland after 10 previous losses. ... The Broncos won for just the second time in 23 years when not scoring a touchdown. The last time they managed to do it was Sept. 17, 2006, when they beat the Chiefs 9-6.

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MILESTONES

Peyton Manning (13-4) broke a tie with Tom Brady, Brett Favre and John Elway for most opening-game wins in league history. ... Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers completed 78.3 percent of his passes (18 of 23) for 189 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a 140.5 passer rating in the Packers' 31-23 win at Chicago. Rodgers improved to 13-3 lifetime against Chicago. It was Rodgers' third consecutive game against Chicago with at least three touchdown passes, no interceptions and at least a 140 passer rating. He is the only quarterback in NFL history to throw at least three touchdowns with no interceptions and post at least a 140 passer rating in three consecutive games against a single opponent. Rodgers has accomplished the feat twice, having done so against Minnesota in 2010-11. ... Robbie Gould kicked three field goals to give him 246 to surpass Kevin Butler as Chicago's career leader. The Broncos' Brandon McManus joined Greg Zuerlein as the only kickers in NFL history with multiple field goals of 56 yards or more in the same game.

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SIDELINED

It was a rough week for NFL linebackers in Week 1, most notably Baltimore's Terrell Suggs. Baltimore's six-time Pro Bowl selection tore his left Achilles in the Ravens' 19-13 loss to the Denver Broncos, coach John Harbaugh announced after the game. ... Two-time Pro Bowl selection Luke Kuechly, who just became the league's highest-paid middle linebacker on Thursday, left Carolina's game against Jacksonville in the first half after sustaining a concussion on a fairly basic tackle against Jaguars running back T.J. Yeldon. ... Jets rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin had a scary moment after he was injured, carted off and taken to the hospital. The Jets later announced Mauldin has a concussion - but no neck injury, as initially feared - and was awake and had feeling in all of his extremities.

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SPEAKING

''We were thinking run. It's short yardage and we know they've got (Marshawn) Lynch back there and we knew they were going to give it to him.'' - Rams defensive lineman Aaron Donald on stopping the Seahawks running back on fourth-and-1 in overtime of St. Louis's 34-31 victory over Seattle.

---

''It feels good to get the butterflies out of the way, to get that first one. It wasn't perfect, by no means, but we did what we had to do to win.'' - Jets coach Todd Bowles on winning his debut with a 31-10 victory over the Cleveland Browns.

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NFL RATED GAMES: WEEK # 1(as of 9/13/15 )

13 - 10 GOING IN TO MONDAY NIGHT

*****.......................................... 3 - 3
double play....................................9 - 5
triple play......................................1 - 2
blow out........................................1 - 0
gom..............................................0 - 0
goy.............................................. 0 - 0
totals........................................... 5 - 6 ( TOTALS INCLUDED IN RATED PLAYS )

Going into Monday Night Football

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B]Monday's Top Action

September 11, 2015[/B]


PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (0-0) at ATLANTA FALCONS (0-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Philadelphia -3, Total: 56.5

Chip Kelly and his new look offense head down to Georgia Monday night to take on Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the high flying Falcons.

In just two seasons, Kelly took an offense that ranked 29th in scoring and 15th in yards to consecutive top-5 finishes in both categories with essentially the same parts. Now he has some new toys to play with, swapping Nick Foles for QB Sam Bradford, moving LeSean McCoy to Buffalo and replacing him with 2014 rushing champion RB DeMarco Murray and former Chargers first-round pick RB Ryan Matthews. Monday night we will see what Kelly’s offense can truly do with the pieces that he wants (No. 1 offense in preseason).

The Eagles have been a Monday night juggernaut in the past, going 15-5 ATS on MNF since 1992. The departure of wideout Jeremy Maclin to Kansas City was addressed with the drafting of USC standout WR Nelson Agholor 20th overall to line up opposite second-year WR Jordan Matthews. Agholor joins a group of 18 former Pac-12 players on the Eagles roster, which includes seven former Oregon Ducks, perhaps giving Kelly a leg up on teaching his system since they’re already familiar, if not well-versed.

Philly’s diversity in the run game bodes well for bettors as the Eagles are 50-18 ATS since 1992 when rushing for 125-to-150 yards and they’re 63-34 ATS when racking up 400+ total yards.

For the Falcons, it is a change at the top that they hope will turn things around. Mike Smith’s tenure ended with a thud after back-to-back dismal seasons in which his defense finished in the bottom five in scoring both years. The 2012 Falcons had the best record in the league at 13-3 and ranked fifth in scoring defense, but followed with 4-12 and 6-10 seasons, and last year's team had the worst defense in the NFL. Former Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the new head coach and hopes are high that he’ll return Atlanta to the top of a wide-open NFC South division. Atlanta has had trouble with Philly over the years though, as the Eagles are 10-4 ATS in this matchup since 1992.

Both defenses will have their hands full Monday night. The Falcons gave up a league-high 21 rushing TD last season and Murray tied Marshawn Lynch for the NFL lead with 13 scores on the ground. Atlanta allowed only eight yards per game more than Philly last season, but the Eagles defense forced 24 fumbles (most in league) and allowed only 3.7 yards per carry (tied for 4th-fewest) while Atlanta forced only 13 fumbles and surrendered 4.2 yards per carry on the year.

Atlanta added some quality defenders this offseason in former Bucs first-round pick DE Adrian Clayborn, drafted LB Vic Beasley with the eighth overall pick, and took CB Jalen Collins from LSU in the second round. Atlanta used every pick on defense in 2015 with the exception of Coleman and East Carolina WR Justin Hardy, meaning that new defensive coordinator Richard Smith (former Broncos LB coach) will have a lot of new pieces to his defensive puzzle.

The Eagles defense should be a formidable unit in 2015 with the addition of former All-Pro LB Kiko Alonso in the LeSean McCoy trade plus five 2015 draft picks. Alonso is coming off a major knee injury that took his entire 2014 season, but in his rookie year of 2013, Alonso was third in the league with 159 tackles and tied with defensive MVP Luke Kuechly for the most interceptions by a middle linebacker (4). He'll fit in well with an opportunistic Philly defense that last season led the NFC with 49 sacks, led the NFL with four defensive touchdowns and finished third with 28 takeaways.

Atlanta QB Matt Ryan will need some help from the running game in order to right the ship, as his Falcons have been among the bottom-10 rushing teams in the league for three years in a row, including dead last in 2013. Rookie RB Tevin Coleman out of Indiana University will look to be the workhorse with support from second-year RB Devonta Freeman. Keeping the ball away from Kelly’s offense may be the only way to slow them down, so a big debut from Coleman could go a long way towards success. When Atlanta totals 350-to-400 yards of offense since 1992, the club is 57-31 ATS.

Ryan will have his usual cast of talented receivers available with veteran WR Roddy White probable for Week 1, but Ryan is just 1-6 SU on Monday Night Football in his career. Top WR Julio Jones is coming off a career year in which he led all NFC pass catchers with 1,593 yards and 104 receptions. Jones was one of four players league-wide to eclipse the 100-catch mark and his career average of 88.4 receiving yards per game is the highest mark in NFL history.

Ryan and the Falcons have lost the last two meetings with Philly, and in four career matchups he is 2-2. His completion percentage of 59.4% against the Eagles defense is his worst career mark against any NFC opponent.

MINNESOTA VIKINGS (0-0) at SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (0-0)

Sportsbook.ag Line: Minnesota -2.5, Total: 41.5

Monday’s nightcap will feature the return of Minnesota RB Adrian Peterson after a one-year suspension and 49ers All-Pro LB NaVorro Bowman, playing for the first time since the 2013 NFC Championship.

To say a lot has changed since Peterson and Bowman last suited up for a meaningful game is an understatement. Peterson played in the 2014 season opener at St. Louis, racking up a pedestrian 75 rushing yards in the 34-6 victory. Bowman’s last game, a heart-breaking 23-17 loss in the 2013 NFC Championship against hated rival Seattle, ended with Bowman having a lot more than just a broken heart. Little did Bowman know that when he recovered from his torn ACL suffered that day, he would eventually return to a thinned-out defense with just a pair of starters left on that once formidable defensive unit. He also didn't think his head coach Jim Harbaugh would be run out of town and replaced by little-known Jim Tomsula.

The 49ers defense was so good at its peak, that if the offense could muster a couple of touchdowns, the game was all but finished. In fact, in the last two years, San Francisco is 8-0 ATS when scoring just 22-to-28 points against the opposition. For Minnesota, there’s a lot of room for improvement as its offense was held to 21 points or less 10 times last season. Minnesota is 35-60 ATS all-time when scoring 15-to-21 points, but Peterson will certainly boost these numbers as long as he's healthy.

Since 1992, the Niners have a mark of 29-10 ATS when playing on Monday night. The clubs have met in San Francisco six times since 1992, with the 49ers holding a 5-1 SU edge (4-2 ATS).

Adrian Peterson’s Vikings are a team on the rise with second-year QB Teddy Bridgewater ready for a breakout season under the tutelage of offensive coordinator Norv Turner. The addition of former Steelers/Dolphins deep threat, WR Mike Wallace, combined with the return of Peterson should equal a dramatic increase in production for Bridgewater and an offense that was ranked 27th in 2014. The health of TE Kyle Rudoloph will also be a determining factor in the QB’s development and the team’s success. Rudolph has missed half of each of the last two seasons after what looked to be a breakout 2012 campaign in which he found the end zone nine times.

Bridgewater will need all hands on deck against what is still a legitimate 49ers front seven. In 2014, Minnesota threw an NFC-low 17 touchdowns while surrendering 51 sacks, which was the fifth-most in the NFL. While Bridgewater and the young Vikings have never faced San Francisco, Peterson has never lost to the 49ers in three career meetings despite sporting some pretty paltry numbers of zero rushing TD and 3.0 YPC, his lowest against any opponent.

In the last meeting between these two clubs on Sept. 23, 2012, it was Christian Ponder’s big day that propelled the Vikings to victory. Ponder connected on a pair of scores to TE Kyle Rudolph as well as running in a third touchdown en route to a 24-13 win over the eventual NFC Champs.

Both teams have undergone massive changes in the three years since that meeting including both head coaches being swapped out. Former Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer took the reigns last season and turned a 5-10-1 ballclub with Peterson into a 7-9 squad without him. Zimmer feels ready to compete in the tough NFC North division. His defensive unit was more than adequate through the air in 2014, ranking sixth in the NFL in passing defense.

Unfortunately for 49ers fans, nobody would consider Colin Kaepernick to be a polished passing quarterback, so the 49ers will likely try to lean on the running game as they have in the past. Carlos Hyde enters his first season as an NFL starter out of Ohio State, and with Frank Gore’s departure, Hyde will have no shortage of opportunities to prove his worth. Rugby star RB Jarryd Hayne had a big preseason by the bay and will likely see a fair amount of action with Kendall Hunter being placed on IR. New WR Torrey Smith (probable – knee) came over from Baltimore to join Anquan Boldin on the outside while

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MNF Doubleheader

September 13, 2015

Eagles (-3, 56) at Falcons – 7:10 PM EST - ESPN

Philadelphia opened up as a 1 ½-point road favorite when the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino SuperBook (LVH) released lines for Week 1 back in April. After an impressive preseason effort, the Eagles have been boosted up to a three-point favorite at most books, as Chip Kelly’s squad is expected to do big things in the NFC with his explosive offense. However, traveling to the loud Georgia Dome to take on a Falcons’ squad who missed the playoffs last season won’t be an easy task for Philadelphia.

The Eagles topped the 36-point mark in each of their first three preseason victories, as Sam Bradford threw three touchdown passes in the dress rehearsal win at Green Bay. There are plenty of new faces on the Philadelphia offense with Nick Foles, LeSean McCoy, and Jeremy Maclin out of town, as Bradford and DeMarco Murray look to keep up the offensive prowess under Kelly.

The Falcons begin the Dan Quinn era following back-to-back losing campaigns, including a 6-10 mark in 2014. Quinn comes over from Seattle where he spent the last two seasons as defensive coordinator, helping the Seahawks win consecutive conference championships. The Falcons allowed at least 27 points in eight games last season, while this club put together a dreadful 1-9 record outside of NFC South play.

Atlanta has been automatic in home openers since Matt Ryan took over at quarterback in 2008, posting a perfect 7-0 SU/ATS record, including a 37-34 overtime triumph against New Orleans as a three-point underdog in 2014. The Falcons took a step back at home last season, losing four of their final five games at the Georgia Dome after early victories over the Saints and Buccaneers. Since 2008, the Falcons have struggled in Monday night contests, compiling a 1-6 SU and 4-3 ATS record with three of those covers coming as double-digit underdogs.

Philadelphia is making its first trip to Atlanta since 2011, when the Falcons outlasted the Eagles, 35-31 as 2 ½-point underdogs in Week 2. Kelly didn’t face the Falcons in his first two seasons as head coach of the Eagles, while going 1-2 SU/ATS as a road favorite in 2014 with the lone win coming at Houston. The Eagles have performed well on Monday nights in Kelly’s short tenure, winning in all three tries since 2013, including an opening night victory two seasons ago at Washington.

Vikings (-2 ½, 41 ½) at 49ers – 10:20 PM EST - ESPN

Minnesota ventures out west after wrapping up 2014 by covering eight of its final 10 games. The Vikings fell short of the playoffs for the second straight season at 7-9, but get back Adrian Peterson in the backfield after missing all but one game in 2014 due to disciplinary reasons. Now, the Vikings look to capitalize on a solid 4-1 SU/ATS record in the preseason, heading to battle a rebuilding San Francisco squad.

The 49ers have moved on from Jim Harbaugh as former defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was promoted in January to head coach. San Francisco hit the skids following three straight trips to the NFC title game from 2011-13 with a subpar 8-8 record in 2014, which was capped off by a 1-4 finish and Harbaugh’s dismissal. The home-field advantage at brand new Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara was anything but as the Niners went 4-4 SU and 2-6 ATS, all in the favorite role.

Now, San Francisco will be listed as an underdog at Levi’s Stadium for the first time, while Minnesota is laying points on the road for the first time since 2012. In fact, the Vikings last covered as away ‘chalk’ back in 2010 at Washington, posting an 0-3 SU/ATS record since that ATS win. Minnesota cashed four of its final five games away from TCF Bank Stadium last season as an underdog, but the Vikings lost their last three road games at Chicago, Detroit, and Miami.

These two teams are hooking up for the first time since 2012, as the Vikings knocked off the 49ers at the Metrodome, 24-13 as 6 ½-point underdogs. Minnesota is making its first trip to the Bay Area since 2007 when the Vikings destroyed the Niners, 27-7 as eight-point favorites. The Vikings have lost five straight Monday night games dating back to 2009, while the 49ers are riding a seven-game winning streak in Monday action since 2010.

Looking ahead to Week 2:

-- Road favorites took care of business on Sunday, posting a solid 5-2 SU/ATS record as the Bills and Rams were the only two home underdogs to win and cash.

-- There are currently four teams listed as away favorites in Week 2 according to Sportsbook.ag.

Patriots (-1.5) at Bills
Cardinals (-2.5) at Bears
Rams (-3.5) at Redskins
Dolphins (-6.5) at Jaguars

-- The highest total on the board should come as no surprise, sitting at 49 in the NFC Championship rematch between the Seahawks and Packers at Lambeau Field on Sunday night.

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Bettors crush Books in Week 1

September 14, 2015

Las Vegas sports books escaped a losing day on Thursday with the back-door push on the Patriots along with the game staying UNDER the total, but there was no escaping Sunday as bettors came strong and hard with the their favorite teams, which of course were the favored sides that happened to go 9-4 against the spread on Sunday.

"It was a great Sunday for the players," said Station Casinos sports book director Jason McCormick. "The Rams and Bills were our only winners out of the 12 early games."

Every book came into the weekend knowing they were going to have to knock down four keys teams: the Colts (-2.5 at Buffalo), Seahawks (-4 at St. Louis), Packers (-7 at Chicago) and Dolphins (-4 at Washington).

The books got half the games in they needed, which on a regular weekend would be outstanding and destroy lots of parlay liability. Unfortunately for them, all the other favorites that mattered covered in Week 1.

There was almost no interest in the battle of No. 1 & 2 draft picks at Tampa Bay squaring off where the Bucs were 3-point home favorites, but lost 42-14 to the Titans. This was one of the underdogs that covered, but nobody cared about it.

"It was a real good day for the public," said South Point sports book director Bert Osborne. "They're having a festive time on this opening day."

Natural instinct has the public generally siding with the favorites. Wise guys usually take the underdogs and more times than not, it's the books rooting for the same side as the wise guys because the public parlay risk is so great.

The perfect example of a game with bitter sweet results for the house was the Bills impressive 27-14 win over the Colts in Rex Ryan's Buffalo debut. This game has stood out since the first line was posted in April because the public absolutely loved it. They love the Colts to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, so winning at Buffalo in September with quarterback Andrew Luck seemed like easy money, and "they're only laying -2.5."

The sports books had to watch the risk grow on this game for the past six months, but on Sunday morning wise guy action came in on the Bills and the number dropped all the way to pick 'em. The books were happy to be balanced before the decision came in, but all the winnings essentially passed through the books and went straight into the wise guys wallets.

"We had zero win on the parlays today," said Osborne, "and we lost on the straight bets and teasers."

With so many favorites coming in, there was lots of live parlay risk going into the Sunday night game where the Cowboys were 7-point home favorites with the total at 52. Osborne said he had a four-way loser, with each side and total, and that the risk was morphing into something massive for the Monday night game no matter who won Sunday night.

The Cowboys won 27-26, which went OVER the total and happened to be the worse result for Osborne and his South Point book. The UNDER would have been less harmful. The Vikings-Eagles favorite combination on Monday night is going to be brutal for the house, but make several bettors very happy if it comes through.

The last games posted of the week are always the riskiest for the house because of every live parlay waiting to cash with the results.

For example: A bettor has five teams already cashed as he or she ran the gauntlet from Thursday through Sunday at 5-0 so far and now they have the Eagles on Monday night to get paid 40/1 odds on a six-teamer. That's the story with a lot of people and the books have no way to even out a game when paying out multiple tickets with payout odds at 6/1 and higher. They can shave off a couple hundred thousand in risk, but for the most part, they don't give away the house and just root the underdog in.

As you can imagine, with almost everyone winning on the day, there were quite a few opening day smiles in the sports books.

"It was awesome," said McCormick of the scene at his Red Rock sport book. "It was the busiest non-Super Bowl day ever. Everything went incredibly smooth. All the guests got their bets in without long waits in line and the new video wall stole the show displaying all the games in style."

I'll be checking out that wall next week in a “Football/Spa Stay-Cation.”

Congrats to all you winners out there. Job well done!

With all that extra cash floating around, the sports books can expect an extra boost in handle for Week 2.

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Betting Recap - Week 1

September 14, 2015


Overall Notes

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 1 RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 11-3
Against the Spread 9-5

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 8-6
Against the Spread 6-8

Wager Totals (O/U)

Over-Under 9-5

The largest underdog to win straight up

Rams (+3.5, ML +155) vs. Seattle, 34-31 (OT)

The largest favorite to cover

Packers (-6) at Bears, 31-23

All about the road favorites

-- The opening weekend of the NFL was great for betting road favorites. The Chiefs (-1) were slight road favorites, and held on in their game against the Texans. The Panthers (-3) got off to a sluggish start, but were able to pull away from the Jaguars in the second half for a comfortable 20-9 victory. The Packers were the largest favorites on the board to cover, winning 31-23 against Bears at Soldier Field. It wasn't pretty, but the Dolphins also managed to cover as four-point favorites in the nation's capital against the Redskins. Last, but certainly not least, the Bengals (-3) thumped the Raiders 33-13 in the Black Hole. In total, road favorites were 5-2 SU/ATS.

Total Recall

-- The offenses were well ahead of the defenses in the opening weekend of the regular season, as the 'over' has hit in nine of the first 14 games with two games remaining.

-- The two lowest totals on the board, Browns-Jets (39) and Titans-Buccaneers (40.5) each saw 'over' results. In fact, Tennessee took care of the over all by themselves in the 42-14 victory.

-- The four highest totals from Thursday through Sunday saw the over hit in three of those games. Only the Steelers-Patriots game (51) had an under result, and that just barely hit in New England's 28-21 win.

-- In the two primetime games so far, the over and under split 1-1 with two primetime games remaining. Last season the over went 33-17 (66%) primetime games, and the over was 28-22 (56%) in 2013.

Injury Report

-- There were plenty of key players to go down with injuries in Week 1, changing the face of a few of the games.

-- Broncos WR Demaryius Thomas (hand) checked out of the Week 1 win against the Ravens for a couple of plays. He was able to return, but he is not done with the injury just yet. He will have an X-ray on the hand to determine if he needs to miss time.

-- Broncos RB C.J. Anderson (toe) was rather ineffective due to a toe injury, and he might have suffered a sprain. Anderson will have further tests Monday to determine the extent of his injury. If he and/or Thomas are forced to miss time, it could make the Broncos offense even more anemic than it was in their opening win.

-- The Broncos lost DBs David Bruton (hip) and Omar Bolden (foot) to injuries, which is bad news given a short turnaround before Thursday's game in Kansas City.

-- Browns QB Josh McCown (concussion) was knocked out of the Week 1 loss early, replaced by QB Johnny Manziel. Regardless whether Johnny Football or McCown is starting, the Browns appear to be in line for another long season after a 31-10 loss.

-- Buccaneers LB Danny Lansanah (ankle) left the Week 1 loss against the Titans and was unable to return due to an ankle injury. He is a tackle machine in the middle for the Bucs, who can certainly cannot lose his services for an extended period of time.

-- Cardinals RB Andre Ellington (knee) was forced out of the Week 1 win against the Saints due to a knee injury which was later determined to be to his posterior cruciate ligament. It's uncertain if he will need to miss multiple weeks, but RBs Chris Johnson and David Johnson (no relation) will likely fill the void.

-- Chargers OT D.J. Fluker (ankle) left the Week 1 win against the Lions due to an ankle injury, but the good news is that the ankle does not appear to be broken. More tests to come Monday, however.

-- Colts WR T.Y. Hilton (knee) was forced out of the Week 1 loss in Buffalo due to a knee injury. There are reports Hilton suffered only a bruise, which is great news. However, owner Robert Irsay is on record saying Hilton might miss multiple weeks due to the injury. Stay tuned. RB Frank Gore (calf) also suffered cramping and was mostly a non-factor in his team debut.

-- Cowboys WR Dez Bryant (foot) suffered a broken bone in his foot against the Giants, and he was in a walking boot after the game. He will need surgery for his injury and early reports have him missing anywhere from four to six weeks.

-- Jaguars WR Rashad Greene (head) left the Week 1 loss against the Panthers due to a head injury, and it's uncertain if he suffered a concussion. OT Luke Joeckel (ankle) was on crutches and in a walking boot after the game. He is awaiting MRI results. However, an injury, short- or long-term to one of their best linemen is not good for the prospects of an already fragile offense.

-- Jets CB Antonio Cromartie (knee) suffered a left knee injury and he will undergo an MRI Monday to determine the severity of his injury. With the Indianapolis Colts looming on the Week 2 schedule, the Jets can ill-afford to lose one of their best cover men.

-- Panthers LB Luke Kuechly (concussion) left the Week 1 game against the Jaguars, and he has entered the concusson protocol. The Panthers D had it on lockdown in Jacksonville, but if Kuechly misses time it could mean more points allowed.

-- Raiders QB Derek Carr (hand) left the game against the Bengals in the second quarter due to a hand injury, and he was unable to return. After Carr left the rout was on, and the Bengals ended up taking a 33-0 lead before backup QB Matt McGloin was finally able to engineer a couple of scoring drives. The good news for Carr is that X-rays were negative, although he could still miss time. That would make things more difficult for the Silver and Black.

-- Ravens LB Terrell Suggs (Achilles') suffered a torn Achilles' in the Week 1 road loss against the Broncos and he will be done for the season. It's a significant loss for the Baltimore defense, and it could mean slightly more points for the opposition, so watch those total lines in the coming weeks.

-- Redskins WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring) checked out of the loss against the Dolphins due to a left hamstring injury and he was unable to return. The way he reacted on the sidelined could suggest a long-term injury.

-- Titans TE Delanie Walker (hand) had a cast on his injured right hand after the Week 1 road win against the Buccaneers. The team reported he did not suffer a fracture, although a cast certainly seems to contradict that initial report.

Bad Beats

-- The Cowboys kicked off the Sunday Night Football game with a 10-minute drive before settling for a field goal. After one quarter there were just six points on the board, and at halftime there were just 19. After a total of 29 points through three quarters 'under' bettors were likely feeling pretty comfortable. However, after the Giants went up 26-20, it was a Tony Romo clutch drive, minus the injured Bryant, to not only dash the hopes of moneyline bettors, but also push the total just 'over' (52) with :07 remaining in the game.

-- The Packers-Bears (48.5) game was headed for an 'under' result until QB Jay Cutler hit TE Martellus Bennett for a 24-yard touchdown with :34 seconds remaining to push the total over.

-- Bengals-Raiders (43) appeared to be headed for an 'under' result as well. The Bengals entered the fourth quarter up 33-0. However, Oakland picked up two garbage-time touchdowns, including one with 2:13 remaining, to make 'over' bettors happy and leave 'under' players shaking their heads.

-- Last, but certainly not least, the Steelers struck with :02 left in Thursday's opening game thanks to a TD from WR Antonio Brown to spoil the night for Patriots side bettors laying 7 1/2. A majority of others ended up with a push instead of a win. It was a meaningless TD as far as the result of the game, but it was devastating in betting circles causing a huge swing.

Looking Ahead

-- The Broncos meet the Chiefs, and Kansas City is a field goal favorite in the Thursday game. In 2014, Denver won both meetings with the road team covering in each game. Denver is 4-1 ATS in the past five meetings, and the Broncos have won six straight in the series dating back to Jan. 1, 2012.

-- The Saints opened as a double-digit favorite against the Buccaneers. New Orleans won both meetings last season, but Tampa Bay covered each meeting. The Saints have won seven straight in the series, going 4-3 ATS since the Buccaneers' 26-20 win over the Saints Oct. 16, 2011 at the Ray Jay.

-- The Lions swept the Vikings last season, outscoring Minnesota 33-17 in the two games, both 'unders'. The teams each covered in the opposing stadium. The under has hit in three straight overall, and four of the past six.

-- The Patriots and Bills game opened as a pick 'em in Buffalo for Week 2. New England has won three straight at Buffalo (2-1 ATS) since their last loss in western New York Sept. 25, 2011.

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Top Sports Briefs

September 14, 2015

Top Sports Headlines from STATS

As of 3 p.m. ET:

PRO FOOTBALL=

Week 1 of the NFL season closes with a doubleheader. The Eagles and their new-look offense featuring Sam Bradford and DeMarco Murray will open the twinbill in Atlanta against a revamped Falcons defense led by new coach Dan Quinn. The Vikings and a returning Adrian Peterson will finish the opening week slate at San Francisco against the 49ers and their new coach, Jim Tomsula.

The NFL won't take action against Dolphins defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh after he knocked off the helmet of Redskins running back Alfred Morris following a tackle in Sunday's opener. Suh's leg made contact with Morris' helmet and dislodged it, but the league determined it was not a kicking motion. Suh, in his Dolphins debut, lost $420,669 in fines and suspensions for on-field incidents while with the Lions.

Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie could play in next week's game against the Colts after an MRI revealed only a sprained left knee and not a potential season-ending ligament tear as initially feared. Cromartie was hurt in the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Browns after his knee buckled on a non-contact play. Jets rookie linebacker Lorenzo Mauldin was released from the hospital with a concussion and no neck injury after being carted off the field Sunday with his body strapped to a board.

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A Virginia medical examiner said Hall of Fame center Moses Malone died of natural causes. The three-time NBA MVP was found dead in a Norfolk hotel Sunday at the age of 60. The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner listed Malone's cause of death as hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

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The Astros and Rangers open a critical three-game series in Arlington with first place in the AL West on the line. The Rangers trailed the Astros by eight games before a three-game sweep in early August and now sit just 1 1/2 games behind. A pair of midseason trade acquisitions will be on the mound, as Cole Hamels makes the start for the Rangers against Houston's Scott Kazmir.

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Jimmie Johnson will remain with Hendrick Motorsports after agreeing to a two-year contract extension. Johnson has been with Hendrick and sponsor Lowe's since 2001 but was in the final year of his contract. He will start a run toward a record-tying seventh Sprint Cup series title this week at Chicagoland Speedway tied for the top seed in the 16-car playoff field.