The Bum's 2017 NFL Trends/Stats/News/Picks Thru The Super Bowl

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Pick Six - Week 13
November 30, 2017

Week 12 Record: 1-5 SU, 1-5 ATS
Overall Record: 35-37 SU, 31-38-1 ATS

Lions at Ravens (-3, 43) – 1:00 PM EST

Detroit
Record: 6-5 SU, 5-5-1 ATS, 8-3 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 66/1

The Lions had their three-game winning streak come to a halt in a 30-23 Thanksgiving home loss to the Vikings. Detroit had an opportunity to pull off the season sweep of Minnesota and creep within one game of the Vikings for first place in the NFC North, but the Lions couldn’t overcome an early 20-3 deficit. The Lions have cashed the OVER in six of the past seven games, including three straight away from Ford Field. Detroit has performed well on the highway by winning four of five on the road, while eclipsing the 24-point mark four times.

Baltimore
Record: 6-5 SU, 5-5-1 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 40/1

The Ravens aren’t going away in the AFC Wild Card race after holding off the Texans last Monday, 23-16. Baltimore’s offense isn’t impressing anyone (23 points or less four of the past five games), but the Ravens have allowed one touchdown or less in three of the previous four contests. The last time the Ravens and Lions hooked up at Ford Field in 2013, kicker Justin Tucker booted six field goals as Baltimore edged Detroit, 18-16, including the 61-yard game-winner in the final minute.

Best Bet: Lions +3

Vikings at Falcons (-3, 47) – 1:00 PM EST

Minnesota
Record: 9-2 SU, 8-3 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 10/1

The Vikings are continuing their push towards the top of the NFC after pulling out their seventh consecutive victory on Thanksgiving at Detroit. Minnesota has covered in each of the past six wins, including five straight as a favorite, as the Vikings own a 1-1 SU/ATS record in the underdog role this season. Not only the defense been great for Minnesota this season, but the offense continues to churn out points by posting at least 30 points in three of the past four games, all away from U.S. Bank Stadium.

Atlanta
Record: 7-4 SU, 5-6 ATS, 6-5 UNDER
Super Bowl Odds: 16/1

The Falcons have gone through many ups and downs this season, starting 3-0, dropping four of five, but are trending up of late by winning three straight games. Atlanta’s offense, which disappeared during its losing stretch, has come back to life by posting 27, 34, and 34 points the last three weeks. The Falcons pulled away from the Buccaneers late last Sunday, 34-20 to cash as 10 ½-point favorites, while improving to 6-1 against NFC opponents.

Best Bet: Falcons -3

Texans at Titans (-6 ½, 43) – 1:00 PM EST

Houston
Record: 4-7 SU, 7-4 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 250/1

Houston’s season fell apart when Deshaun Watson suffered a torn ACL in practice in early November. The Texans have lost three of four since a 41-38 setback at Seattle when Watson threw for 402 yards and four touchdowns. Houston has dropped four consecutive road games since beating Cincinnati in Week 2, but the Texans improved to 4-1 ATS on the highway following last Monday’s 23-16 defeat as 7 ½-point underdogs. The Texans destroyed the Titans in their first meeting, 57-14 as 2 ½-point underdogs in Week 4, the sixth win in the last seven meetings by Houston.

Tennessee
Record: 7-4 SU, 4-6-1 ATS, 7-4 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 40/1

The Titans are back in a first place tie atop the AFC South with the Jaguars after Tennessee rallied past Indianapolis, 20-16 last Sunday to cash as three-point road favorites. Tennessee has won five of its previous six games, although the Titans have covered only twice in this span. The Titans have had several close shaves during this recent run with margin of victories coming by 3, 3, 4, and 4. Since finished UNDER the total in Week 1 against Oakland, the Titans are 4-0 to the OVER in their past four games at Nissan Stadium.

Best Bet: Texans +6 ½

Patriots (-8 ½, 48 ½) at Bills – 1:00 PM EST

New England
Record: 9-2 SU, 7-4 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 5/2

The Patriots’ train kept rolling in a 35-17 blowout of the Dolphins last Sunday to barely cash as 17-point home favorites. New England extended its winning streak to seven games, while covering six times in this span. This division rivalry has been owned by New England over the years as the Patriots have compiled an impressive 17-3 SU and 11-7-2 ATS record against the Bills since 2007. The Patriots have won in their last five visits to Buffalo, while scoring at least 37 points in four of those victories.

Buffalo
Record: 6-5 SU, 6-4-1 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 80/1

The Bills rebounded from a 30-point setback to the Chargers by knocking off the Chiefs last Sunday as 8 ½-point road underdogs, 16-10. For this time since Week 1, Buffalo outgained its opponent from a yardage standpoint, while putting an end to a five-game OVER streak and three-game losing skid. The Bills began the season with four consecutive home wins before getting routed by the Saints in Week 10 by 37 points.

Best Bet: Patriots -8 ½

Panthers at Saints (-4 ½, 48) – 4:25 PM EST

Carolina
Record: 8-3 SU, 7-4 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 20/1

The Panthers rebounded from an ugly loss at Chicago in mid-October to run off four straight victories to pull into a first place tie with the Saints atop the NFC South. Carolina held off the Jets last Sunday, 35-27 to cash as 5 ½-point favorites, while finishing off a 4-0 sweep of the AFC East. A low scoring game through three quarters blew up in the final 15 minutes as the teams combined for 27 points, including a pair of non-offensive touchdowns for Carolina. The Panthers own a dreadful 0-5 ATS record in the past five meetings with the Saints, including a 34-13 home blowout to New Orleans as five-point favorites in Week 3.

New Orleans
Record: 8-3 SU, 7-4 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 12/1

The Saints had their eight-game winning streak end against the Rams last Sunday in a 26-20 defeat as 2 ½-point underdogs. Rookie running back Alvin Kamara produced both touchdowns for New Orleans to go along with 188 all-purpose yards, but dropped its first game away from the Superdome since Week 1 at Minnesota. New Orleans covered in its first seven contests of the season before failing to cash in an overtime victory against Washington in Week 11. Each of the past two meetings at the Superdome have been decided by exact 41-38 scores as New Orleans won last season and Carolina was victorious in 2015.

Best Bet: Carolina +4 ½

Rams (-7, 45) at Cardinals – 4:25 PM EST

Los Angeles
Record: 8-3 SU, 7-4 ATS, 6-5 OVER
Super Bowl Odds: 12/1

The Rams rebounded following a 17-point defeat at Minnesota in Week 11 as Los Angeles held off New Orleans, 26-20 to win its fifth game in its past six tries. L.A. seeks the season sweep of Arizona after blanking the Cardinals in London, 33-0 in Week 7 to easily cover as three-point favorites. Running back Todd Gurley rushed for 106 yards and a touchdown, while the Rams held the ball for 39 minutes. The Rams have won four of five games away from the Coliseum this season, while scoring at least 35 points in three of those victories.

Arizona
Record: 5-6 SU, 3-7-1 ATS, 7-4 UNDER
Super Bowl Odds: 100/1

The Cardinals snapped a two-game skid in a 27-24 home underdog victory over the Jaguars last Sunday. Arizona has yet to win consecutive games this season, while compiling an 0-3-1 ATS record off a victory. The Cardinals are 2-1-1 ATS as a home underdog, but have lost each of their last two meetings at home with the Rams by a combined six points. Three of Arizona’s five wins are by three points apiece, while the Cardinals have not covered in a loss this season and are 0-18 ATS in their last 18 losses.

Best Bet: Rams -7

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NFL notebook: Kaepernick wins Ali Legacy Award
November 30, 2017

Football player Colin Kaepernick was announced Thursday as the 2017 recipient of the Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award.

The Legacy Award is given to sports figures who use their platform to initiate change.

Kaepernick hasn't been affiliated with an NFL team this season, likely related to his stance of kneeling for the national anthem for much of the 2016 season. NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has insisted on several occasions that the 30-year-old Kaepernick isn't being blackballed.

Regardless, Kaepernick's protest to draw attention to police brutality and social justice issues created change, and protests during the anthem picked up this season after players were criticized by President Donald Trump. Kaepernick also has donated upwards of $1 million to charities.

"The Muhammad Ali Legacy Award is given to those who make the world a better place," Sports Illustrated executive editor Steve Cannella told USA TODAY Sports. "The fact Colin hasn't played this year or been on the field doesn't disqualify him.

"That fact that he hasn't played in a game actually shows what he has sacrificed for standing up for what he believes. There will never be another Muhammad Ali, but you can see the echoes of (Ali) in what Colin has done over the last 12 to 15 months."

--Cleveland Browns safety Jabrill Peppers was fined $24,000 by the NFL for an illegal hit on Cincinnati Bengals receiver Josh Malone.

The play occurred last Sunday, and Peppers was assessed a personal foul for the hit that prevented Malone from making a catch.

Peppers said he will appeal the fine, and doesn't understand what he did wrong.

--The Oakland Raiders may be without their top two wide receivers for Sunday's game against the visiting New York Giants.

Amari Cooper remained off the field while media members were allowed to watch Thursday's practice. The 23-year-old currently is in the league's concussion protocol and also is battling an ankle issue.

Cooper departed Sunday's game after taking a shot to the head from Broncos safety Darian Stewart. Definitely out is Michael Crabtree, who is set to serve a one-game suspension for last Sunday's fight with Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib.

--Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward left the team to be with his family after his brother, Jecaives, was killed in a car accident.

Jecaives Hayward was killed Monday night in Macon, Ga., when he was ejected from a car in which he was a passenger. Casey Hayward's availability for the Chargers (5-6) in Sunday's game against the Cleveland Browns (0-11) is uncertain.

Hayward, who was named the AFC's Defensive Player of the Month on Thursday, has 30 tackles and four interceptions in 11 games this season.

--Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston is confident he will not be punished by the NFL after its investigation into an allegation that he groped a female Uber driver in March 2016.

"I have no fear at all, but I have to respect their process," Winston said. "I'm just going to respect the process, most importantly. That's all I can do."

Winston denied the allegations after they surfaced in a BuzzFeed report. The Uber driver told BuzzFeed that she picked up Winston in Scottsdale, Ariz., around 2 a.m. local time on March 13, 2016. The driver alleged Winston "behaved poorly" as soon as he got in the car, and then asked her to stop at a drive-thru restaurant during the ride.

While in line, the driver said Winston reached over and "grabbed" her crotch for three to five seconds.

--Quarterback Case Keenum led the Minnesota Vikings to three straight wins in November en route to being named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month, the NFL announced.

The honor is the first for Keenum, who had eight touchdowns (seven passing, one rushing) in that stretch as the Vikings (9-2) strengthened their hold on first place in the NFC North. New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Month after throwing for 833 yards with 10 touchdowns en route to leading his team to win all three of its games.

Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Casey Hayward had three interceptions to be named AFC Defensive Player of the Month, and New Orleans Saints defensive end Cam Jordan received the NFC honor after collecting three sacks. Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker made all six field-goal attempts and eight extra-point tries to win AFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors, and Los Angeles Rams kicker Greg Zuerlein went 12 of 12 on field goals and 11 of 12 on PATs to win the NFC honor.

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'Dogs to Watch - Week 13
December 1, 2017

A disturbing trend has been apparent through the last few weeks of NFL betting, and that’s that the favorites have been ruling the house. The problem comes in believing that the football season will just play out the way it’s supposed to.

We just turned the corner in to December where all hell usually breaks loose. Eventually this season has to go back to being what it was initially – absolutely bonkers and unpredictable. That starts in Week 13 with these five underdog plays.

Miami Dolphins +1.5 over Denver Broncos
Think I’m crazy? Well I’m not alone. Nearly two-thirds of the betting public believes that Miami is a better bet than the Denver Broncos. Miami has been shellacked by bad teams, but none of them come worse than Denver right now. And there’s a weird thing with Miami late in the season. Teams aren’t used to the heat in South Beach and play like it, so an opponent descending from the frigid Rocky Mountains is going to have problems.

Denver is also a known problem for bettors in December. They’re just 1-4 ATS when playing late in the year, and 0-7 ATS when playing on the road and 0-4 ATS when playing losing teams. Nothing suggests a play on Denver aside from the presence of Von Miller. Also, this is a Jay Cutler revenge game!

San Francisco 49ers +3.0 over Chicago Bears
I’m betting on Jimmy and against Mitch. That’s the beginning and end of this entire game. The Niners are a totally fine football team as they’re built, and Chicago has been a frustrating wasteland. The one thing propping up a Bears play is that they’re 4-1 ATS at Soldier Field, but that’s not enough to invigorate a wager on the considering that they’re 0-4 SU and 0-3-1 ATS in the last month of football.

Minnesota Vikings +3.0 over Atlanta Falcons
There’s no way you should be backing off the Vikings after a 7-0 SU winning streak that’s produced a 6-1 ATS record. None. They handled the Lions, Rams and Redskins to become one of the best teams in the NFC without debate. Atlanta is a fine team who are riding high after dismantling the putrid Bucs, but they’re being oversold for their win against a Seattle team that is barely standing on two feet due to injuries. There’s no possible way you should trust Atlanta against top flight competition.

Detroit Lions +3.0 over Baltimore Ravens
Strange invitation here by the oddsmakers to bet against Joe Flacco. Are we really supposed to believe that Baltimore is riding a hot streak against a disheveled Green Bay roster and a Houston team that couldn’t step out of the house without tripping on the doormat in Weeks 11 and 12? C’mon, guys.

There is no chance that you should believe in Baltimore. They’re a totally even 6-5 SU and 5-5-1 ATS on the year. They are traditionally a strong home play, and are one of the best on their own grounds in the league historically. But living in the now, there’s no doubt that Detroit is a much better pick here.

For their part, the Lions are a cool 3-1-1 ATS when travelling and you can’t blame them for losing to Minnesota by just seven points. The most difficult part about the Lions is that the oddsmakers seem to have them dead to rights. They’re just 3-3 ATS when standing as the dog. But I’ll take Matt Stafford over Joe Flacco every day of the week…especially on Sunday. The Ravens have taken advantage of inept opponents over their last two games. Detroit is capable and deserving of your backing.

Carolina Panthers +4.5 over New Orleans Saints
As it turns out the other three afternoon games in Week 13 are expected to be complete blowouts. That’s what happens when you have the Chargers hosting Cleveland, the Rams visiting Arizona and Geno Smith starting a game for the Giants. But this game is a toss up and the line unfairly suggests otherwise.

The natural sentiment when betting on the Saints is to lean on them when they play at home. They’re 3-2 ATS when hosting, which is fine. But Carolina is 5-1 ATS on the road this year and in my mind that offsets the value of the Saints under their own roof.

Where the Panthers are getting hit hard is their schedule where they’ve manhandled the Dolphins and Jets in the last two games while also beating up on Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The most important thing to remember here is that Carolina is one-hundred percent comfortable in a dogfight. And their ability to limit big plays is a big factor here. They have the type of running game that has frustrated New Orleans this season. Physical rushing attacks have somewhat befuddled the Saints and we saw this the first time they played when Carolina destroyed the Drew Brees 34-13.

Not many teams play the brand of football that Carolina is able to thrive in. They love ugly. New Orleans was tested mightily by Todd Gurley and the conservative Rams offence, and they failed to produce a win or a cover. If we’re working off what we know in this season, then the Panthers are the perfect foil for a Saints team that has taken advantage of a relatively beatable schedule.

My recommendation would be to play this game after you’ve seen what you’ve accomplished in the early games. Reaping mad profits? Then go bananas. Looking to play catch-up? Then take the other afternoon games. If a splash is what you need to recover, then this is that game. This line has already moved a whole point. Take advantage of the public’s hatred of Cam Newton here. This is a game that the Saints are not designed to win.

[StarDust Bum]

ON FOOTBALL: Big games ahead through Christmas in NFL
December 1, 2017

The accepted mantra throughout the NFL that stretches to its fandom is that each game in the schedule is equally important.

Then we get to late November and all of December and forget that bromide.

It's happening again, and there's nothing wrong with it.

Think about how huge Kansas City's stunning win at New England to kick off the season seemed to be. Doesn't look so momentous right now with the Chiefs nose-diving in the AFC West while the Patriots do their usual tsunami over the AFC East.

The league and many of the pundits who follow it couldn't find enough hyperbole for the first Sunday nighter, the Giants at Dallas.

Well, the Giants are in range for a top-three draft choice - and just benched Eli Manning, if you can imagine - and the Cowboys are plummeting out of contention.

So while there are games throughout September and October, it's not until Thanksgiving hits that we can truly define what the BIG games are.

And beginning last week, they've arrived.

The Vikings are involved in a bunch of them, even though coach Mike Zimmer keeps espousing the company line.

''Go out and win as many games as you can and try to get in (the playoffs) and play as many games as you can at home,'' Zimmer says. ''But we have to win and we have to take one game at a time. Talking about it doesn't do anything.''

Actually, talking about it is all kinds of fun. So here are the games that should really matter and are worth getting excited about through Christmas.

WEEK 13

Carolina at New Orleans; Minnesota at Atlanta; Philadelphia at Seattle; Detroit at Baltimore.

Mostly NFC matchups; the conference has been the far more interesting, with a slew of top teams as opposed to the top-heavy AFC (New England, Pittsburgh).

The NFC South, clearly the best division in football, gets the spotlight in the Big Easy and the ATL. The Panthers-Saints game is for the lead in that sector and matches a pair of squads showing the kind of balance that works deep into January. For once, this isn't just about Cam Newton and Drew Brees, but about the running games and the defenses.

''We know what is at stake,'' Panthers cornerback Captain Munnerlyn says. ''We took it personal last time because they beat us in our house. We have a chance to play them in their house and take the lead in our division. I'm back this week and I'm excited.''

Atlanta is showing signs of finding its 2016 form, and will be severely tested by Minnesota's marvelous defense. Watch for how Falcons star receiver Julio Jones and Vikings under-the-radar pass catcher Adam Thielen perform. Both are on fire.

While the Seahawks are banged-up, penalty-riddled and not-so fearsome at home anymore, the Eagles can take another major step atop the conference.

Both the Lions and Ravens have wild-card aspirations and can't afford a stumble.

WEEK 14

New Orleans at Atlanta; Minnesota at Carolina; Seattle at Jacksonville; Oakland at Kansas City; Philadelphia at Los Angeles Rams; Baltimore at Pittsburgh.

WOW!

The nastiest rivalry in the NFL, Ravens-Steelers, in the Sunday night game, possibly Baltimore's last chance to make any headway in the AFC North. Another road go-round for the Vikings in the NFC South, where that division's most-heated rivalry has the Saints at the Falcons. We'll know a whole lot more about that sector after these games - and perhaps a whole lot more about how strong the Vikings are.

While both the Raiders and Chiefs have hit mediocrity, their matchups always are noteworthy for intensity. AFC South leadership will still be in question.

The Seahawks and Jaguars both will need this game, whether for division title hopes or wild-card chances. And the Eagles are staying out west after the Seattle contest for a matchup of the top two selections in the 2016 draft: No. 1 Jared Goff vs. No. 2 Carson Wentz.

Week 15

New England at Pittsburgh; Los Angeles Chargers at Kansas City; Los Angeles Rams at Seattle.

Very possible division deciders in KC and Seattle. Plus, by far, the AFC's most intriguing confrontation, most likely with home-field advantage for the conference championship game on the line.

Week 16

Minnesota at Green Bay; Atlanta at New Orleans; Los Angeles Rams at Tennessee.

OK, the Vikings probably will be playoff-bound and the Packers won't, but hopefully we'll get a glimpse of Aaron Rodgers again, back from his broken collarbone.

Falcons-Saints for the second time in three weeks, with lots on the line. And maybe a playoff-relevant home contest for the Titans against a Rams team headed to the postseason.

And these don't even consider the final weekend of all divisional matchups.

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NFL notebook: Panthers DE Johnson suspended for PED use
December 1, 2017

Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson was suspended four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances, the NFL announced Friday.

Johnson will begin his suspension immediately and miss Sunday's key NFL South battle against the New Orleans Saints, who are tied with the Panthers at 8-3.

Johnson will be eligible to return to the Panthers' active roster on Dec. 25 and available to play in the final regular-season game against the Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 31. He started all 11 games this season, making 16 tackles and no sacks.

"I accept full responsibility," Johnson said in a statement released by the team. "I have been recovering from back surgery, dealing with the daily grind of football and mistakenly thought this could help. It was an error in judgment on my part. We have a special group here I wanted to be a part of and felt an obligation to do my part by getting back as soon as possible."

The 31-year-old Johnson re-signed with the Panthers prior to this season on a two-year deal worth $9.5 million. He has 67.5 career sacks, second on the team's all-time list.

--Green Bay Packers running back Ty Montgomery was placed on injured reserve and will soon undergo season-ending wrist surgery.

Montgomery has been bothered by wrist soreness throughout the campaign. He is expected to be recovered from surgery before the team's offseason conditioning program beings.

Montgomery rushed for 273 yards and three touchdowns on 71 carries this season. He also caught 23 passes for 173 yards and one score.

Cornerback Kevin King (shoulder) was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Listed as questionable are linebackers Clay Matthews (groin) and Ahmad Brooks (back), defensive tackle Kenny Clark (ankle), running back Aaron Jones (knee) and guard Lucas Patrick (hand).

--The Arizona Cardinals signed defensive tackle Corey Peters to a three-year contract extension through the 2020 season, the team announced.

Peters, 29, was in the final year of a three-year deal signed in 2015.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Peters has been with the Cardinals the past three seasons after joining the team as a free agent in 2015. After missing his first year in Arizona with a torn Achilles, the nose tackle has 38 total tackles and one sack in 24 games played over the past two seasons.

--The Denver Broncos promoted cornerback Marcus Rios to the active roster from the practice squad.

The 5-foot-11, 185-pound Rios is a rookie from UCLA who has competed on Denver's practice squad during the entire 2017 season. He entered the NFL with Denver as a college free agent on May 11.

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SuperContest Picks - Week 13
December 2, 2017

The Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest is the biggest, most prestigious, challenging pro football handicapping contest in the country. The fees are $1,500 per entry.

Contestants must pick 5 pro football games against the spread each week for the entire 17-week season. The individual that has the best record after the season will be deemed the winner.

The LVH Casino at Westgate Las Vegas Resort is a hotel, casino, and convention center, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada. LVH SuperBook vice-president Jay Kornegay is in charge of the SuperContest.

This year's contest has 2,748, which is an all-time record.

Each week throughout the season, we'll post the Top 5 Consensus Picks in the SuperContest on Saturday afternoon and list all of the selections for each matchup.

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5 | Week 6 | Week 7 | Week 8

Week 9 | Week 10 | Week 11 | Week 12


Week 13

1) Green Bay +1.5 (1016)
2) Seattle +6 (880)
3) New Orleans -4 (829)
4) Minnesota +3 (744)
5) New England -8.5 (605)

SUPERCONTEST WEEK 13 MATCHUPS & ODDS
Away Team Selections Home Team Selections
Washington (-1.5) 265 Dallas (+1.5) 117
Detroit (+2.5) 479 Baltimore (-2.5) 485
San Francisco (+3) 509 Chicago (-3) 283
Minnesota (+3) 744 Atlanta (-3) 492
New England (-8.5) 605 Buffalo (+8.5) 401
Denver (-1.5) 207 Miami (+1.5) 257
Houston (+6.5) 240 Tennessee (-6.5) 303
Indianapolis (+9.5) 302 Jacksonville (-9.5) 281
Tampa Bay (-1.5) 124 Green Bay (+1.5) 1016
Kansas City (-3.5) 386 N.Y. Jets (+3.5) 525
Carolina (+4) 366 New Orleans (-4) 829
Cleveland (+14) 299 L.A. Chargers (-14) 312
L.A. Rams (-7) 484 Arizona (+7) 354
N.Y. Giants (+8.6) 149 Oakland (-8.5) 398
Philadelphia (-6) 444 Seattle (+6) 880
Pittsburgh (-5) 534 Cincinnati (+5) 315

WEEKLY AND OVERALL CONSENSUS RECORDS
Week Consensus Record Overall Record Percentage
1 0-5 0-5 0%
2 3-2 3-7 30%
3 2-3 5-10 33%
4 4-1 9-11 45%
5 1-4 10-15 40%
6 2-3 12-18 40%
7 0-5 12-23 34%
8 2-3 14-26 35%
9 3-2 17-28 38%
10 1-4 18-32 36%
11 4-1 22-33 40%
12 3-2 25-35 42%
13 - - -
14 - - -
15 - - -
16 - - -
17 - - -

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Gridiron Angles - Week 13
December 2, 2017

NFL PLAY ON ATS TREND:

-- The Patriots are 11-0 ATS (10.64 ppg) coming off a home game where they allowed no more than 18 first downs.

NFL PLAY AGAINST TREND:

-- The Raiders are 0-10 ATS (-10.80 ppg) off a game as a favorite of more than three points where they covered.

TOP NFL PLAYER TREND:

-- The Bills are 8-0 OU (8.94 ppg) at home when Tyrod Taylor completed at least 60% of their passes last game.

NFL O/U UNDER TREND:

-- The Lions are 0-10 OU (-11.20 ppg) on the road off a game as a dog where they allowed 30 points.

NFL O/U OVER TREND:

-- The Panthers are 12-0 OU (12.75 ppg) as a road dog coming off a game where they allowed at least seven points more than expected.

NFL BIBLE ACTIVE TREND:

-- The Patriots are 20-0 OU (+10.88 ppg) as a favorite after a TD-plus win and they are facing a team that just held their opponent to less than 250 yards of offense.

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Vegas Money Moves - Week 13
December 2, 2017

The betting public loves siding with great NFL offenses and Sunday's Week 13 action is no different with New England, New Orleans and Philadelphia lined up one after another. That's the No. 1 offense with the Patriots (411 yard per game) followed by No. 2 with the Saints (409 YPG) followed by the Eagles third-ranked offense(381 YPG).

The name of the game is scoring the most and then covering the sports book numbers, so why not side with the most efficient offenses to cash? Since the advent of betting football, this has always been the case with the masses, it's just kind of cute to see them all lined up so perfectly in order.

"The Patriots are our biggest risk of the day," MGM Resorts sports book hub manager Jeff Stoneback said Saturday afternoon from his Mirage office. "We're absolutely loaded on them with everything -- straight bets, parlays teasers -- everything is on sided. Our ticket count has the Patriots being bet at an 8-to-1 ratio."

William Hill sports books also have 81 percent of their tickets written on the game siding with the Patriots who they opened 8.5-point road favorites at Buffalo and the number quickly moved to -9 on Tuesday. The Bills had three memorable bad losses in a row before last weeks 16-10 win at Kansas City. Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor was benched two weeks ago prior to the Chargers game and they proceeded to lose 54-27. The week before it was the Saints beating Buffalo 47-10 on the road. Those type of losses is what the public hopes to see and they've got a nice candidate to do it with New England.

All the Patriots have done to gain favor is win seven straight (6-1 against the spread), win and cover 12 of its last 14 road games and win and cover their last three at Buffalo. That's a nice resume, and the cherry on top is the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook dropping the Patriots down to 2/1 odds to win the Super Bowl.

"The next biggest risk is the Saints," said Stoneback, who has New Orleans listed as a 4.5-point home favorite over the Panthers. "It's not quite the same as Patriots, but a Patriots-Saints cover combination won't be good for us."

The Saints (8-3) have covered the past five meetings with the Panthers (8-3), including a 34-13 road win at Carolina in Week 3, which started an eight-game wining streak that was snapped last week at the Rams, who are also 8-3. This game could be the NFC South crown and possibly a bye in the playoffs. It should be noted that the Panthers won and covered their last four and Cam Newton has put 38, 41 and 41 on the Superdome scoreboard in his last three trips while winning two of them.

And then of course, there's the super Eagles (10-1) who have won nine straight and covered their last eight victories. The sports books have yet to catch up with them despite attaching a 25 percent luxury tax for the public. This week's game is at Seattle and a big bettor who has been riding the Eagles at inflated prices weekly is on them again.

"The same guy that's been betting big with us the past weeks taking the Rams, Eagles and a couple other teams took the Eagles -5, but that's about the only real risk we have on the game right now," Stoneback said. "We're actually seeing some support for Seattle in parlay action. It's not that big of a decision right now despite the large Eagles bet."

This is certainly a new era for Pete Carroll's Seahawks when we see a team go into Seattle and be almost a touchdown favorite. The Legion of Boom is banged up, the offensive line is terrible and QB Russell Wilson is the leading rusher, but Seattle is still certainly the best team Philly has played during their nine-game win streak.

Another big game in the NFC has the Vikings (9-2) getting +3, -120 at Atlanta (7-4).

"I was surprised that the public came in on Atlanta," Stoneback said. "We have one big Falcons straight bet, but the ticket counts still favor the Vikings at 3-to-1 while the parlay wagers are siding with the Falcons at a 2-to-1 ratio. If we took the one large wager out of the mix we'd be kind of even on the game."

Minnesota has won its last seven to take control of the NFC North and the Vikings have also covered their last six games. They rank in the top-5 in both offense and defense. The Falcons finally look like the NFC's Super Bowl representative from last season as they ride a three game win and cover streak into this matchup while averaging just over 31 points per game. Something to consider here is that Atlanta has gone 'over' the total in 13 of its last 16 home games. If they really are back to being the 2016 Falcons, 47 points might be too small.

Other musings from week of action:

People refuse to believe that Denver (3-8) is awful despite a seven-game losing streak. The Wynn has them as high as -2 at Miami (4-7). When is the last time you saw an 0-5 team on the road be favored in its sixth road game. It's back to Trevor Siemian at QB for Denver.

The Westgate opened the 4-7 Buccaneers -2.5on Wednesday for their road game at Green Bay (5-6). On Thursday it was announced that regular starting QB Jameis Winston would be back in the Bucs lineup and the line went the other way, like all the way to Packers -2.5. Bucs back-up Ryan Fitzpatrick led them to two wins before losing at Atlanta last week. Winston had lost five straight when he got hurt. WestgateSuperBook manager Ed Salmons shares the reasoning behind the move.

"The last few weeks before Winston sat out, he still had a banged up shoulder and people were simply betting against the injury and cashing," Salmons explained. "When this number first came up it was with the intention that Winston's shoulder is back to being 100 percent, and bettors are betting against it this week."

Eli Manning was benched and Geno Smith is here to save the season for the Giants (2-9). The Raiders (5-6) opened -7 -120 and are now -8. Oakland will be without both starting wide receivers, Amari Cooper and Micheal Crabtree, with third-stringer Cordarelle Patterson questionable with a banged up hip. This is almost an unbettable game, but as the results start posting in the 10:00 am PT games, whether winning or losing, someone in the bar or sports book will spout off some info enticing a wager.

The Rams have been -7 and -6.5 during the week, but there's been a new found respect for the talent on the Cardinals (5-6) which has battled well behind third-string QB Blaine Gabbert. Maybe Gabbert found a home with a suitable system for his talents. So far he's got a better QB rating than both Carson Palmer and Drew Stanton.

The Chargers (5-6) get the duty of playing the Browns (0-11) this week and the fine people of Carson, CA get to witness the worst team, and uniforms in the NFL (was spelling the name Browns on the pants really needed?). They've failed to cover their last four games, and nine of 11 this season, while the Chargers have the look of being the best team in the AFC West. The Chargers have gone 6-1 ATS in their last seven games.

And of course the public has hopped off the Chiefs bandwagon a long time ago. Kansas City (6-5) has gone 1-5 straight-up and ATS in their last six after starting 5-0. It's an amazing spectacle to watch unravel. The Chiefs opened 4.5-point road favorites against the Jets (4-7) and it's been bet down to as low as -3 flat at the South Point. The Jets are 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine games.

[StarDust Bum]

Total Talk - Week 13
December 2, 2017

The ‘over’ produced a 9-7 mark last weekend but it wasn’t easy as bettors had to put in a full 60-minute session on a handful of those games. We saw 26 of 32 teams put up at least one score in the fourth quarter and 19 clubs posted 10 or more points in the second-half. Through 12 weeks, the ‘over’ holds a 91-84-1 record.

Line Moves

Listed below are the largest line moves as of Saturday afternoon based off the Week 13 openers posted last Sunday at BookMaker.eu.

Detroit at Baltimore: 41 to 43 ½
San Francisco at Chicago: 39 ½ to 41
Tampa Bay at Green Bay: 43 to 45
Cleveland at L.A. Chargers: 42 ½ to 44
N.Y. Giants at Oakland: 44 to 41 ½
Philadelphia at Seattle: 48 to 46 ½

Not a lot of major movement again this week, but a few of the totals receiving interest appear to be quarterback related. Jimmy Garropolo will make his debut for San Francisco while Geno Smith gets the start over Eli Manning for the New York Giants. Also, Jameis Winston returns to action for Tampa Bay this week and all three of the signal callers will be on the road.

Scoot Cooley of BookMaker.eu offered his thoughts on the moves. He explained, “I’d say two of the three quarterback changes are prompting good action from the sharp bettors. They know what to expect from Smith, but Garropolo is a wildcard.”

One move that could have bettors scratching their heads is the drop in the Philadelphia-Seattle matchup. The Eagles are averaging a league-best 31.9 points per game, plus the primetime game on Sunday usually receives plenty of ‘over’ tickets.

Cooley wasn’t surprised by the drop. “The Eagles can win a lot of different ways and if the Seahawks want to slow it down Philly doesn’t mind playing along. That said, both of these teams are very capable of scoring. But I think this stays under.”

Keep an Eye On

The Road Total System is in play this week as Tampa Bay visits Green Bay on Sunday.

What’s the angle?

Play the ‘over’ in any game when the visitor is playing their third consecutive road game

So far this season, we’ve seen back and forth results (2-2) in the four situations but the ‘over’ is 43-22 (66%) over the last 12 seasons. Make a note that this three-game stretch wasn’t expected for the Buccaneers but it took place because their Week 1 game at Miami was postponed due to Hurricane Irma. For what it’s worth, Tampa Bay has watched the ‘over’ go 5-1 on the road.

-- The ‘over’ has gone 27-20-1 in non-conference games this season and we have two on tap this week with the Lions visiting the Ravens and Oakland hosting the N.Y. Giants. Make a note that Detroit has been the best ‘over’ bet (8-3) in the NFL this season.

-- Something has to give in the Chiefs and Jets total. Kansas City are on a 3-0 ‘under’ run and the offense (12 PPG) is lacking any punch. Meanwhile, New York has watched the ‘over’ cash in four of its last five and its defense (25.4 PPG) continues to be an issue.

-- The Browns have lost 26 of their last 27 games, the lone win came against the Chargers. On Sunday, Cleveland faces them at Los Angeles. The Browns have allowed 31.5 PPG on the road this season, which has helped the ‘over’ go 4-1.

Divisional Games

The ‘under’ has gone 32-18 (64%) in divisional matchups this season, which includes a 4-4 record from last week and the ‘over’ result between Dallas and Washington this past Thursday. Playing the opposite total wager in the rematches didn’t turn out that well in Week 12 as three of the five games saw the same result in the second go ‘round. We have six divisional games remaining and five of them will be rematches.

New England at Buffalo: The ‘under’ has gone 2-1 in the last three meetings but QB Tom Brady didn’t play in one of those results due to a suspension. When Brady does play versus the Bills, he owns them and he’s absolutely crushed them on the road. The last five visits to Buffalo, the Patriots have scored 41, 40, 37, 23 and 58 points. The Bills held the Chiefs to 10 points last week but allowed 101 in their two previous games. I don’t see Buffalo slowing down the juggernaut this week but the New England defense continues to stifle opponents. In the last seven games, the unit is allowing 13.1 PPG and that’s led to a 5-2 ‘under’ mark.

Houston at Tennessee: The ‘over’ is on a 3-1 run in this series and that includes a 57-14 blowout win by the Texans in Week 4. The difference in the rematch is that Houston won’t have QB Deshaun Watson and he accounted for five touchdowns in the first encounter. Tennessee has been a solid ‘over’ bet (4-1) at home and the lone ‘under’ occurred in Week 1 when it was starting at a total in the fifties. The Titans offense hasn’t been super but they’ve been doing enough to surpass those low totals in the forties.

Indianapolis at Jacksonville: The ‘under’ has cashed in four of the last six encounters. The Jaguars posted a 27-0 win at the Colts on Oct. 22 and that total (41) was in the same neighborhood as this week’s number (40 ½). Indy enters this game on a 3-0 ‘under’ run and it’s been very solid defensively (14, 20, 20) during this span. Jacksonville is off a loss and it has gone 3-0 after a defeat this season while only allowing a combined 16 points in the victories.

Carolina at New Orleans: The Saints dominated the Panthers 34-13 in Week 3 on the road and the ‘over’ (46) slid in late. The total this week is sitting at 48 ½ and I expect this number to be near 50 by kickoff. Including the result in September, the ‘over’ has cashed in five of the last six between the pair. My only hesitation for leaning high is Carolina’s unpredictable offense plus this is a key game in the NFC playoff race and that could have both coaches playing tight. However, both defensive units are short-handed and the last two games played at the Superdome ended in identical 41-38 outcomes.

L.A. Rams at Arizona: The ‘under’ is on a 3-1 run in this series and the first meeting this season took place in London as the Rams posted a 33-0 win over the Cardinals on Oct. 22. After a 6-2 start to the ‘over’, the Rams have watched the ‘under’ cash in three straight. Meanwhile, Arizona started the season with a 7-2 ‘under’ mark but backup QB Blaine Gabbert has helped the Cardinals go ‘over’ the last two weeks. The Rams remain the top scoring offense (32.3 PPG) away from home and Gabbert has provided Arizona with some confidence. Still, it’s hard for me to ignore the fact that the Cards haven’t won back-to-back games this season (0-4) and the offense has scored 17, 7, 0 and 16 points in those losses.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: (See Below)

Under the Lights

The ‘under’ went 2-1 in the primetime games last week and I thought that run was going to continue this past Thursday but Washington and Dallas went ‘over’ despite the first and third quarters going scoreless. Including that result, the ‘over’ has gone 24-14 (63%) in primetime games this season.

Over-Under Results: SNF (7-6), MNF (9-4), TNF (8-4)

Philadelphia at Seattle: As noted above, the total has dropped on this matchup and I disagree with the early move unless you’re expecting a serious letdown for Philadelphia. The Eagles have been the class of the NFC this season and they’re facing a Seattle team that’s living off its past reputation. The defense has been decimated by injuries and the home numbers (23.2 PPG) they’ve allowed is glaring. Philadelphia has played three times under the lights this season and it’s averaged 33 PPG. Knowing the Eagles defense has dropped off a bit on the road (20 PPG) and the Seahawks are averaging 28.8 PPG at home, it’s hard to imagine both teams not getting at least four to five scores in this game. Barring a parade of field goals, my lean would go to the high side.

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati: These teams played to a rare ‘over’ ticket in Week 7 when Pittsburgh captured a 29-14 home win. Prior to that result, the ‘under’ was on a 5-1 run. For the rematch, the total has been pushed up from 41 to 43. This will be the third straight primetime game for Pittsburgh, and the ‘over’ hit in both games as it scored 41 and 30 points. Cincinnati will present a much stiffer test defensively, especially at home (17.6 PPG). Even though the Steelers defense is banged-up, the Bengals are averaging 15.3 PPG this season against teams not named Cleveland.

Fearless Predictions

I almost pulled off the rare back-to-back sweep but the Packers and Steelers couldn’t be stopped and that eliminated the teaser wager. Still a profitable a week (+200) yet still slightly down on the season ($420). As always, Press, Pass or Fade but in the end – Good Luck!

Best Over: New England-Buffalo 48

Best Under: Houston-Tennessee 43

Best Team Total: Over Seattle Seahawks 21

Three-Team Total Teaser (8.5-Point, +100)
Under 48 ½ Denver-Miami
Under 55 ½ Minnesota-Atlanta
Over 35 ½ Cleveland-Los Angeles

[StarDust Bum]

SNF - Eagles at Seahawks
December 1, 2017

It's apparent a lot has changed in the landscape of NFL's elite as we're already rolling into Week 13. No game offers a better example of the perception change than the Eagles (10-1 straight-up, 9-2 against the spread) being 6-point favorites at Seattle (7-4 SU, 4-6-1 ATS) Sunday night. The Eagles have the best record in the league and cover the spread at the best pace in Las Vegas sports books. If you we're wandering into a CG Technology sports book in May, you would have seen the Seahawks -7 for this game when they posted numbers on the first 16 weeks of games.

That's a 13-point swing which is rare for supposed good teams that didn't have their QB go down. Obviously, Seattle losing half of the Legion of Boom has had an effect, but they were weak in so many other areas in essence because they paid so much cash for the secondary to remain in tact. There was no money left under the salary cap to get a good running back or a a few stud offensive-lineman. All they have is Russell Wilson (3,029 yds, 23 TD, 8 interceptions) running in circles making dramatic plays weekly. He gets real shabby blocking, but without Wilson they wouldn't be contending for a division title or playoff spot. He's also their leading rusher (401 yds) and three TDs.

EAGLES PLAY DESERVES HIGHER SPREADS

At the same time, Seattle is searching for their identity and Philadelphia is stamping their mark on 2017 with weekly dominating performances. Overall, their average score is 32-17 and they've won nine straight, covering the spread in the last eight. Bettors keep betting the Eagles, the books keep losing with them, and then the books raise the rating and add a Luxury tax to slow the public betting patterns. But the bettors still bet it, despite being 25 percent inflated. And they keep winning. So why stop now? The Eagles are a cash cow.

WHO HAVE THE EAGLES BEAT?

Philly's win streak has to end sometime, doesn't it? Wouldn't a night game at rainy Seattle seem like an appropriate location for the upset? A nine-game win streak is amazing, but do a glance at the Eagles opponents and notice the only team with a winning record that they beat was the Panthers. That was before the Panthers put it together during their four-game win streak.

In fact, in almost all nine games, the Eagles opponent was going through its worst issues of the season. Philly kind of swooped in a gave them so more misery to think about. Like the 37-9 win at Dallas with Ezekiel Elliott suspended. Or the 51-23 beat down on Denver, or the 31-3 win over the Bears last week, a team that will not let Mitch Tribusky throw the ball. The Eagles check list of wins and their record now: Giants (2-9), at Chargers (5-6), Cardinals (5-6), at Panthers (8-3), Redskins (5-6), 49ers (1-10), Broncos (3-8), at Cowboys (5-6), Bears (3-8).

Lots of dregs in that group of nine, right? The AFC Division they're playing against is the AFC West, which we know to be weak right now, and the NFC East is weaker than its ever been. The Eagles toughest game will come at Los Angeles next week against the Rams. Then they get turmoil teams with the Giants, Raiders and Cowboys. The playoffs and the upgrade of opponents could be a quick does of reality showing who the Eagles really are. As of now, it's been Philly on streak of beating bad teams and Seattle is close to being in that category. Good luck picking the winner, or more importantly, who covers the spread. There's lots to think about here.

POINT SPREAD MOVEMENT

CG Books opened Seahawks -7 in May, but came back Sunday night and posted Eagles -4 and the number went to -4.5 fast and on Monday it was -5. Tuesday saw it jump to the dead number of -5.5 and easily move to -6 on Wednesday. On Friday, they dropped back down to -5.5 after some respected money took Seattle at its highest offering. The total has dropped from 48 to 47, but no movement since Monday. The cheapest number on the favorite money-line is at Wynn with -230/+195. The best number on the underdog is +210 at Westgate, South Point and MGM books.

ROBERTS' RATING

This is one I'm way off from what actuality is, but I can do some explaining. I have the Eagles 3.5 points better than Seattle and I give the Seahawks a full +3 for home field. I add on an extra half-point for popularity and my number is Philly -1. Yes, it's way off, but this inflated Eagles price is all about the masses betting Philly no matter what the number is. They keep winning so an additional tax is needed on the Eagles beyond what the Eagles really are. Why start at Philly -2.5 when the public will lay -4. And they laid it all the way up to -6 and will continue to lay it all weekend.

THE WONDERFUL WENTZ

I'm way past my days as a kid when I had a favorite player (Randy Gradishar), but I think I'm liking Eagles QB Carson Wentz a lot, as in he's my new favorite player. What's the criteria for favorite player? Pretty much everything he does I like. I love his attitude, demeanor and overall skills. I love how he lowers his shoulder and gives the defender the business when on the run. He's got eyes in the back of his head. He just seems like a guy who brings his lunch pail to work and then hangs out with the guys for two beers after work. Being from North Dakota doesn't hurt, either. Plus, he puts up numbers (2,657 yds, 28 TD, 5 Int) and wins games. He just might give Philadelphia its first Super Bowl champion, and would then certainly be deserving of a statue. Rocky Balboa's not even a real person and he's got one.

TOTALS

The Eagles have averaged a 32-17 score, but have only gone Over the total in six of their 11 games. Their defense has been dominating in their past two games allowing just 3 points to the Bears and 9 points to the Cowboys. Three of their past four games have stayed Under. Seattle has stayed Under in seven of 11 games this season, including three of their past four. They've averaged a 24-19 score and have gone Over in three of five at home. Seattle has covered just one home game this season.

RECENT MEETINGS

Since 2011, Seattle has won and covered the past three meetings with the Eagles, including a 26-15 Seattle home win last November. Seattle was -6.5 in that game and it stayed Under 42.5. The favorite is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.

TRENDS

Philadelphia has gone Over in 14 of past 17 road games.
Philadelphia has gone Over in 23 of last 31 December games.
Philadelphia has covered 15 of past 20 Week 13 games.

Seattle has covered 13 of its past 16 Week 13 games.
Seattle Under in 13 of past 18 December games.
Seattle is 0-5-1 ATS in last six home games against team with winning road record.

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

The Eagles would have the No. 1 seed in the NFC while Seattle would miss out as the No. 7 seed. The Falcons are tied with Seattle at 7-4, but Atlanta gets the No. 6 seed based on a 34-31 win at Seattle.

WEEK 14 SPREADS

The Eagles get another tough game next week and they're favored again, this time -3 at the Rams according to odds at the Westgate SuperBook. Should Philly not cover this week and the Rams look decent at Arizona, this number will drop dramatically. Seattle goes across the country to play the Jaguars and are getting +3. The advantage for the Seahawks here is the start time is 1:25 p.m. PT instead of a 10 a.m. start so they'll be playing at their normal time.

DIVISION ODDS

The Westgate has the Rams as the 10/17 favorite to win the NFC West with Seattle getting 7/5. The Eagles runaway freight train in the NFC East has had odds taken down. When odds opened in May, the Eagles were the third choice at 7/2 behind the Cowboys (5/4) and Giants (11/4).

SUPER BOWL ODDS

The Westgate has the Patriots as the 2/1 favorite following by the Steelers (7/2) and Eagles (9/2). Philly opened at 60/1 odds. Seattle, which opened at 12/1 are now 20/1. The Eagles are 8/5 to win the NFC.

[StarDust Bum]

SNF - Eagles at Seahawks
December 1, 2017

It's apparent a lot has changed in the landscape of NFL's elite as we're already rolling into Week 13. No game offers a better example of the perception change than the Eagles (10-1 straight-up, 9-2 against the spread) being 6-point favorites at Seattle (7-4 SU, 4-6-1 ATS) Sunday night. The Eagles have the best record in the league and cover the spread at the best pace in Las Vegas sports books. If you we're wandering into a CG Technology sports book in May, you would have seen the Seahawks -7 for this game when they posted numbers on the first 16 weeks of games.

That's a 13-point swing which is rare for supposed good teams that didn't have their QB go down. Obviously, Seattle losing half of the Legion of Boom has had an effect, but they were weak in so many other areas in essence because they paid so much cash for the secondary to remain in tact. There was no money left under the salary cap to get a good running back or a a few stud offensive-lineman. All they have is Russell Wilson (3,029 yds, 23 TD, 8 interceptions) running in circles making dramatic plays weekly. He gets real shabby blocking, but without Wilson they wouldn't be contending for a division title or playoff spot. He's also their leading rusher (401 yds) and three TDs.

EAGLES PLAY DESERVES HIGHER SPREADS

At the same time, Seattle is searching for their identity and Philadelphia is stamping their mark on 2017 with weekly dominating performances. Overall, their average score is 32-17 and they've won nine straight, covering the spread in the last eight. Bettors keep betting the Eagles, the books keep losing with them, and then the books raise the rating and add a Luxury tax to slow the public betting patterns. But the bettors still bet it, despite being 25 percent inflated. And they keep winning. So why stop now? The Eagles are a cash cow.

WHO HAVE THE EAGLES BEAT?

Philly's win streak has to end sometime, doesn't it? Wouldn't a night game at rainy Seattle seem like an appropriate location for the upset? A nine-game win streak is amazing, but do a glance at the Eagles opponents and notice the only team with a winning record that they beat was the Panthers. That was before the Panthers put it together during their four-game win streak.

In fact, in almost all nine games, the Eagles opponent was going through its worst issues of the season. Philly kind of swooped in a gave them so more misery to think about. Like the 37-9 win at Dallas with Ezekiel Elliott suspended. Or the 51-23 beat down on Denver, or the 31-3 win over the Bears last week, a team that will not let Mitch Tribusky throw the ball. The Eagles check list of wins and their record now: Giants (2-9), at Chargers (5-6), Cardinals (5-6), at Panthers (8-3), Redskins (5-6), 49ers (1-10), Broncos (3-8), at Cowboys (5-6), Bears (3-8).

Lots of dregs in that group of nine, right? The AFC Division they're playing against is the AFC West, which we know to be weak right now, and the NFC East is weaker than its ever been. The Eagles toughest game will come at Los Angeles next week against the Rams. Then they get turmoil teams with the Giants, Raiders and Cowboys. The playoffs and the upgrade of opponents could be a quick does of reality showing who the Eagles really are. As of now, it's been Philly on streak of beating bad teams and Seattle is close to being in that category. Good luck picking the winner, or more importantly, who covers the spread. There's lots to think about here.

POINT SPREAD MOVEMENT

CG Books opened Seahawks -7 in May, but came back Sunday night and posted Eagles -4 and the number went to -4.5 fast and on Monday it was -5. Tuesday saw it jump to the dead number of -5.5 and easily move to -6 on Wednesday. On Friday, they dropped back down to -5.5 after some respected money took Seattle at its highest offering. The total has dropped from 48 to 47, but no movement since Monday. The cheapest number on the favorite money-line is at Wynn with -230/+195. The best number on the underdog is +210 at Westgate, South Point and MGM books.

ROBERTS' RATING

This is one I'm way off from what actuality is, but I can do some explaining. I have the Eagles 3.5 points better than Seattle and I give the Seahawks a full +3 for home field. I add on an extra half-point for popularity and my number is Philly -1. Yes, it's way off, but this inflated Eagles price is all about the masses betting Philly no matter what the number is. They keep winning so an additional tax is needed on the Eagles beyond what the Eagles really are. Why start at Philly -2.5 when the public will lay -4. And they laid it all the way up to -6 and will continue to lay it all weekend.

THE WONDERFUL WENTZ

I'm way past my days as a kid when I had a favorite player (Randy Gradishar), but I think I'm liking Eagles QB Carson Wentz a lot, as in he's my new favorite player. What's the criteria for favorite player? Pretty much everything he does I like. I love his attitude, demeanor and overall skills. I love how he lowers his shoulder and gives the defender the business when on the run. He's got eyes in the back of his head. He just seems like a guy who brings his lunch pail to work and then hangs out with the guys for two beers after work. Being from North Dakota doesn't hurt, either. Plus, he puts up numbers (2,657 yds, 28 TD, 5 Int) and wins games. He just might give Philadelphia its first Super Bowl champion, and would then certainly be deserving of a statue. Rocky Balboa's not even a real person and he's got one.

TOTALS

The Eagles have averaged a 32-17 score, but have only gone Over the total in six of their 11 games. Their defense has been dominating in their past two games allowing just 3 points to the Bears and 9 points to the Cowboys. Three of their past four games have stayed Under. Seattle has stayed Under in seven of 11 games this season, including three of their past four. They've averaged a 24-19 score and have gone Over in three of five at home. Seattle has covered just one home game this season.

RECENT MEETINGS

Since 2011, Seattle has won and covered the past three meetings with the Eagles, including a 26-15 Seattle home win last November. Seattle was -6.5 in that game and it stayed Under 42.5. The favorite is 7-2 ATS in the last nine meetings.

TRENDS

Philadelphia has gone Over in 14 of past 17 road games.
Philadelphia has gone Over in 23 of last 31 December games.
Philadelphia has covered 15 of past 20 Week 13 games.

Seattle has covered 13 of its past 16 Week 13 games.
Seattle Under in 13 of past 18 December games.
Seattle is 0-5-1 ATS in last six home games against team with winning road record.

PLAYOFF STANDINGS

The Eagles would have the No. 1 seed in the NFC while Seattle would miss out as the No. 7 seed. The Falcons are tied with Seattle at 7-4, but Atlanta gets the No. 6 seed based on a 34-31 win at Seattle.

WEEK 14 SPREADS

The Eagles get another tough game next week and they're favored again, this time -3 at the Rams according to odds at the Westgate SuperBook. Should Philly not cover this week and the Rams look decent at Arizona, this number will drop dramatically. Seattle goes across the country to play the Jaguars and are getting +3. The advantage for the Seahawks here is the start time is 1:25 p.m. PT instead of a 10 a.m. start so they'll be playing at their normal time.

DIVISION ODDS

The Westgate has the Rams as the 10/17 favorite to win the NFC West with Seattle getting 7/5. The Eagles runaway freight train in the NFC East has had odds taken down. When odds opened in May, the Eagles were the third choice at 7/2 behind the Cowboys (5/4) and Giants (11/4).

SUPER BOWL ODDS

The Westgate has the Patriots as the 2/1 favorite following by the Steelers (7/2) and Eagles (9/2). Philly opened at 60/1 odds. Seattle, which opened at 12/1 are now 20/1. The Eagles are 8/5 to win the NFC.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: Packers QB Rodgers returns to practice
December 2, 2017

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers celebrated his birthday Saturday by practicing with the team for the first time since breaking his collarbone on Oct. 15.

Rodgers, who turned 34, was designated to return off injured reserve on Saturday but can't return to play in a game for at least two more weeks because of the IR rules. The earliest he can return is in Week 15 when the Packers travel to play the Carolina Panthers on Dec. 17.

The 5-6 Packers are home Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7) and travel to Cleveland to face the winless Browns (0-11) the following week before Rodgers' expected return.

Rodgers was seen throwing on the field ahead of last Sunday's 31-28 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers as he continued his recovery from the Oct. 19 surgery. Saturday's practice was closed to reporters.

--The Philadelphia Eagles signed wide receiver Alshon Jeffery to a four-year contract extension through the 2021 season, the team announced.

The deal is worth $52 million and includes $1 million per year in incentives and $27 million in guarantees, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

The 27-year-old Jeffery came to Philadelphia as a free agent this offseason, signing a one-year deal with the Eagles. He has been a key target for quarterback Carson Wentz.

--The Jacksonville Jaguars released safety Calvin Pryor and promoted defensive end Carroll Phillips to the active roster, the team announced.

Pryor, the former first-round pick of the New York Jets in 2014, played briefly in each of the last two games, making one tackle, after spending most of this season on injured reserve.

Phillips signed with the Jaguars this year as an undrafted rookie free agent out of the University of Illinois. He spent the first 12 weeks of the season on the Jaguars' practice squad.

--The Tampa Bay Buccaneers promoted offensive lineman Mike Liedtke from the practice squad to the active roster.

The 6-foot-3, 305-pound Liedtke has been on Tampa Bay's practice squad this season after spending the final six weeks of the 2016 season on the practice squad. He originally entered the league as a college free agent with the Miami Dolphins in 2015. Liedtke spent the 2015 season between the practice squads of the Dolphins and Kansas City Chiefs.

To make room on the roster, the Bucs waived linebacker Cameron Lynch. The 6-0, 229-pound Lynch played in all 11 games for Tampa Bay this season, recording five special teams tackles and a special teams fumble recovery.

--The Indianapolis Colts promoted wide receiver K.J. Brent and center Anthony Fabiano to the 53-man roster from the practice squad. The team also waived running back Matt Jones and waived-injured guard Kyle Kalis.

The 6-foot-3, 202-pound Brent was signed to the Colts' practice squad on Oct. 24. He also spent time on the Seattle Seahawks' practice squad earlier this season. Brent participated in the Oakland Raiders' 2017 offseason program and training camp before being waived during final cuts.

The 6-4, 303-pound Fabiano was signed to Indianapolis' practice squad on Nov. 28. He spent time on the practice squads of the New England Patriots, New York Giants and Washington Redskins this season. As a rookie in 2016, Fabiano spent time on the Cleveland Browns' active roster and practice squad.

[StarDust Bum]

Essentials - Week 13
December 3, 2017

The Cowboys opened Week 13 with an upset at home, dominating in unlikely fashion. Is it the beginning of a trend? Last week’s action featured favorites covering in weird ways, so we’ll see if the underdogs bite back Sunday. Here’s all you need to know to handicap the action.

Detroit at Baltimore, 1:00 ET: Matthew Stafford failed to put together one of his fourth-quarter comebacks against the Vikings on Thanksgiving because he couldn’t push off after taking a shot to his right leg. He’s expected to play, but will be facing a Ravens defense set to get after him after winning the most recent Monday night game through interceptions of Houston’s Tom Savage. Stafford practiced all week despite an ankle issue, but will not have RB Ameer Abdullah to hand off to due to a neck injury. Theo Riddick is expected to start and the ball will likely be in Stafford’s hands more often than not due to a lack of options. Center Travis Swanson ins out too, while guard T.J. Lang is a game-time decision. The Ravens will have their starting back, Alex Collins, available despite a calf issue, but may be down top corner Jimmy Smith in addition to CB Marlon Humphrey. Although it’s been raining in Baltimore, the weather is expected to clear up by kickoff.

San Francisco at Chicago, 1:00 ET: Jimmy Garoppolo took over for an injured C.J. Beathard last week and threw two passes, one of which went for a score in last week’s loss to Seattle. He’ll start with the 49ers for the first time despite them tanking, so it will be interesting to see whether the team treats him with kid gloves due to his lack of knowledge of the team’s playbook. The expectation is that they’ll keep things simple and ride RB Carlos Hyde, but the weather should allow him to sling it since it’s no longer supposed to be as windy as the original forecast predicted. Tackle Joe Staley is back too, but Trent Brown remains a question mark and would be replaced by veteran Zane Beadles if he can’t go. The Bears gets top linebacker Danny Trevathan back and should be healthier in their defensive backfield despite the absence of Adrian Amos. Up front, veteran guard Josh Sitton will look to play after suffering a concussion.

Minnesota at Atlanta, 1:00 ET: The Vikings look to continue to hang just behind Philadelphia for the NFL’s top record, currently sitting at No. 2 in the NFC. While the Falcons are running third in the NFC South, they’re just one game back of the Panthers and Saints and are averaging nearly 32 points per game during their three-game winning streak. They’ll get RB Devonta Freeman back from a bout with a concussion, but will be without corner Desmond Trufant and may have to score on a Minnesota’s elite defense in order to pull out a win here. Minnesota has one of the healthier teams in football at the moment, potentially missing only tackle Mike Remmers in addition to the few guys already lost for the season that currently reside on IR. If Remmers can’t go, Rashod Hill will make his fourth straight start at right tackle. This will be the second consecutive domed stadium that the Vikes visit that isn’t their own, coming off a win in Detroit. They’re 6-1 in domed stadiums this season, losing only to the Lions at home on Oct. 1.

New England at Buffalo, 1:00 ET: Tom Brady threw for 833 yards and accounted for 10 touchdowns in November, completing nearly 74 percent of his passes. He’s done so without starting center David Andrews and tackle Marcus Cannon available in addition to key WR Chris Hogan, and may not have tackle LaAdrian Waddle available today. Defensively, a Pats team already thin along the defensive line will be without Trey Flowers, so we’ll see whether Buffalo QB Tyrod Taylor can take advantage. The Bills have already ruled out tackle Cordy Glenn, guard John Miller and fullback Mike Tolbert. Seantrel Henderson is questionable with an illness, so the Bills are down to just a pair of healthy tackles and could be in real trouble if they sustain an in-game injury. A little wind is expected in upstate New York, but the weather will otherwise be pretty balmy compared to typical December weather there, with temperatures reaching a high as 50 degrees. Buffalo will be playing the first of three straight home games here, hosting the Colts and Dolphins next. They’ll play at New England on Dec. 24.

Denver at Miami, 1:00 ET: The Broncos have dropped seven straight and the Dolphins have fallen in five in a row, so one of those streaks should end today. Temperatures are going to be in the 80s at kickoff, so we’ll see if there’s any effect on Denver, which will turn to Trevor Siemian at QB once again after starting Paxton Lynch last week and watching him exit with an ankle injury. The Dolphins get Jay Culter back from concussion protocol and won’t have to deal with CB Aqib Talib, who will miss this contest due to a one-game suspension after fighting Oakland WR Michael Crabtree last week. The Broncos are without DE Derek Wolfe and nose Domata Peko in addition to numerous other question marks up front, so we’ll see if the Kenyan Drake-led rushing attack can make some inroads for Miami. Denver has scored more than 20 points only once since mid-September and haven’t won on the road all season. The last six Dolphins games have all topped the posted total as the defense has surrendered an average of over 34 points per contest.

Houston at Tennessee, 1:00 ET: The Texans had an opportunity to win on Monday night before Savage threw the game away with another inexcusable interception, but he remains the team’s best option at the position and will be under center again. WR Will Fuller remains out, but the defense will have Jadeveon Clowney out there despite an ankle issue and gets linebacker Brian Cushing back from suspension. The Titans are far healthier and will look to take advantage in their lone home game in a five-game stretch that saw them play at Pittsburgh and Indy to end November and calls for them to visit Arizona and San Francisco up next. Jacksonville comes through Nashville in the season finale on a New Year’s eve, so the Titans are just looking to stay within striking distance for the AFC South lead until then. Tennessee will look to split the season series against the Texans after losing in Houston 57-14 on Oct. 1 in a game that Deshaun Watson dominated.

Indianapolis at Jacksonville, 1:00 ET: The Colts have dropped five of six, a string that includes a 27-0 loss to the Jaguars at home on Oct. 22. The ‘under’ has prevailed in four of their last five games as they continue to sputter offensively, which obviously plays into the Jaguars’ hands given how their team is built. Jacksonville gave up its second-largest output of the season in last Sunday’s 27-24 loss in Arizona and will have top corner Jalen Ramsey in the mix after he played hurt last week. Blake Bortles will be operating behind an offensive line that’s extremely banged up, so look for the Jags to rely heavily on their running game. After being outscored 128-49 in its first three road games, Indianapolis has covered in its last two trips, losing just 24-23 at Cincinnati while beating Houston on Nov. 5.

Tampa Bay at Green Bay, 1:00 ET: If everything works out according to plan, this will be the last time someone other than Aaron Rodgers starts for the Packers at Lambeau Field this season. Green Bay has only its Week 16 date against Minnesota remaining following this one, and hopes Brett Hundley can perform a lot better than he has to date since the Ravens shut him out 23-0 last time he took the field as the starter there. The Bucs are playing their third straight road game and welcome back Jameis Winston from a shoulder injury. The over is 5-1 in Tampa Bay road games. With the temperature potentially getting up as high as 50 degrees, both offenses should be able to move the ball. Key defensive players Clay Matthews and Kenny Clark are listed as questionable, while corner Kevin King has already been ruled out. The Bucs will be missing multiple players from their secondary, so Hundley will have an opportunity to do damage if he finds a rhythm.

Kansas City at N.Y. Jets, 1:00 ET: The Chiefs have dropped three straight games to see their AFC West lead dwindle to just a single game over the Raiders and Chargers. Alex Smith has struggled mightily in leading an offense that has managed an average of just 12 points per game in those setbacks, the last two of which have come despite Kansas City coming in as a heavy favorite. The Chiefs managed just nine points in an OT loss at Met Life Stadium against the Giants just two weeks ago, as the offense was unable to move the ball consistently due to heavy winds. It’s expected to be clear with limited wind today in East Rutherford, so the Chiefs will have a better chance to move the ball comfortably. Defensively, Kansas City will have Darrelle Revis make his season debut, but won’t have pass rusher Dee Ford and may again be without Tamba Hali. New York has averaged 27 points over its last three home games and has seen Robbie Anderson emerge as a consistent deep threat.

Cleveland at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 ET: Despite coming in with a losing record, L.A. is the heaviest favorite in Week 13, squaring off against the winless Browns. Josh Gordon will start as he comes off suspension, so combined with Corey Coleman, they’ll have their best receiving options available for rookie QB DeShone Kizer. Chargers corner Casey Hayward will play despite leaving the team briefly following the death of his brother, while nose tackle Corey Liuget is listed as questionable. Kicker Nick Novak is out, so L.A. signed Travis Coons to handle those duties as they look to get back to .500 for the first time after opening 0-4. A victory would give them their second three-game winning streak of the season. Philip Rivers threw for 434 yards and three TDs against the Cowboys and will be looking to build on his best performance in years.

Carolina at New Orleans, 4:25 ET: Arguably the game of the day, the winner here will take over sole possession of the NFC South lead. The Saints handed the Panthers their first loss of the season in Charlotte with a resounding 34-13 win in Week 3, but run into a hot team that won and covered in all four of their November contests. The defense has picked up their level of play since getting Luke Kuechly back from a concussion and will have LB Thomas Davis and corner Captain Munnerlyn out there. With center Ryan Kalil and tight end Greg Olson also back, Carolina has all of its key pieces in place to try and close out the regular season’s final month with momentum. The Saints will have corner Marshon Lattimore back in addition to DB Ken Crawley, having missed both in last week’s loss at the Rams. The setback snapped an eight-game winning streak. Although New Orleans has won its last four in the Superdome, it has only covered in two of those contests.

L.A. Rams at Arizona, 4:25 ET: The Cardinals look to remain alive by beating the NFC West-leading Rams here, hoping that Blaine Gabbert’s solid play continues after he impressively handled the Jaguars at home last week. The Cards are back in Glendale next week to welcome in the Titans, so there’s no question they can make a run but lack no room for error. The Rams beat Arizona in London 33-0 back on Oct. 22, injuring Carson Palmer for the season. A challenging month sees them home for the Eagles next week before road games in Seattle and Tennessee, so handling business here would definitely take some of the pressure off their young roster. The Rams are among the NFL’s healthiest teams, while Arizona is down DT Corey Peters and key hybrid LB Deone Bucannon.

N.Y. Giants at Oakland, 4:25 ET: Amari Cooper wasn’t cleared to participate and Michael Crabtree is serving a suspension, so Derek Carr will be down his top two targets here. Complicating matters, WR Cordarrelle Patterson is dealing with a hip issue that he’s expected to play through, so Seth Roberts is likely to be the top receiving option alongside tight end Jared Cook. It’s expected to be a cool night in Oakland, where Geno Smith will debut as the starting quarterback for the Giants, replacing Eli Manning. Rookie Davis Webb, who went to school at Cal in nearby Berkeley, is also expected to get snaps. Versatile offensive lineman Justin Pugh will sit out another game, but both Smith and Webb will have WR Sterling Shepard to throw to since he’s been cleared to play after issues with migraines.

Philadelphia at Seattle, 8:30 ET: The Sunday night showdown will see the Seahawks attempt to make one last stand at home with their offensive line loaded with Duane Brown and Luke Joeckel in the mix. Earl Thomas is also back to help anchor a new-look secondary missing Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman, absences that Carson Wentz will look to take advantage of as he seeks to improve on the NFL’s best record. Philly will have center Jason Kelce in the mix, so both offenses should be able to move the ball on what’s expected to be a cold, cloudy night. Rain isn’t going to be a factor as the Seahawks look to post consecutive wins for the first time since late October. They’ve dropped two straight at home and face an Eagles team that has traveled well this season, going 4-1 straight up and against the spread outside of Philly.

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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TB at GB 01:00 PM
TB +3.0
U 45.5

MIN at ATL 01:00 PM
ATL -2.5
U 48.5

IND at JAC 01:00 PM
JAC -10.0
O 41.0

KC at NYJ 01:00 PM
NYJ +4.0
U 44.0

DET at BAL 01:00 PM
BAL -3.0
U 43.5

NE at BUF 01:00 PM
BUF +7.5
O 48.5

SF at CHI 01:00 PM
SF +2.5
O 42.0

HOU at TEN 01:00 PM
HOU +7.0
O 42.5

DEN at MIA 01:00 PM
MIA +1.5
U 41.0

CLE at LAC 04:05 PM
LAC -13.0
O 44.0

CAR at NO 04:25 PM
CAR +5.0
O 47.5

LAR at ARI 04:25 PM
LAR -7.0
U 43.0

NYG at OAK 04:25 PM
NYG +8.5
U 42.5

PHI at SEA 08:30 PM
PHI -3.5
U 46.0

[StarDust Bum]

NFL Today, Week 13
December 3, 2017

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Dec. 4

Pittsburgh at Cincinnati, 8:30 p.m. EST. Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and the AFC North-leading Steelers (9-2) bring a six-game winning streak to division rival Cincinnati (5-6), which has won two straight to get back into playoff contention. The Steelers won the previous meeting between the teams, 29-14 in Week 7. Despite the Steelers' multitude of weapons on offense, they have been inconsistent at times and are just 13th in the league in points per game. The Bengals' defense is allowing 19.5 points per game, 10th in the league. Cincinnati's two straight wins came against reeling Denver and Cleveland, and the Bengals have not beaten a team that currently has a winning record. However, they have not lost at home since Week 2.

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STARS

Passing

-Alex Smith, Chiefs, went 19 for 33 for 366 yards and four touchdowns in the Chiefs' 38-31 loss to the Jets.

-Philip Rivers, Chargers, completed 31 of 43 passes for 344 yards and a touchdown as Los Angeles beat winless Cleveland, 19-10.

-Russell Wilson, Seahawks, was 20 of 31 for 227 and three touchdown in Seattle's 24-10 home victory over Philadelphia.

-Josh McCown, Jets, went 26 of 36 for 331 yards and a touchdown as New York beat Kansas City.

-Blake Bortles, Jaguars, completed 26 of 35 passes for 309 yards, with TD passes to Marqise Lee and Keelan Cole, in the Jaguars' 30-10 win over the Indianapolis Colts.

-Joe Flacco, Ravens, had his best game of the season, completing 23 of 36 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns while guiding an offense that did not commit a turnover in Baltimore's 44-20 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Rushing

-Kenyan Drake, Dolphins, ran for 120 yards on 23 carries - both career highs - and a touchdown in Miami's 35-9 victory over the Denver Broncos.

-Jamaal Williams, Packers, had 21 carries for 113 yards and a touchdown in Green Bay's 26-20 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

-Derrick Henry, Titans, rushed for 109 yards on just 11 carries and had a touchdown in the Titans' 24-13 win over the Houston Texans.

-Marshawn Lynch, Raiders, had his first 100-yard game since coming out of retirement, gaining 101 yards on 17 carries - including a 51-yard touchdown run - in Oakland's 24-17 win over the New York Giants.

-Alvin Kamara, Saints, ran for 60 yards and two tackle-shedding touchdowns and caught five passes for 66 yards in the Saints' 31-21 win over the Carolina Panthers. Teammate Mark Ingram ran for 85 yards, doing most of his damage on a 72-yard run early in the second quarter. Two plays later, he scored from 3 yards.

-Todd Gurley, Rams, carried 19 times for 74 yards and caught six passes for 84 yards in Los Angeles' 32-16 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Receiving

-Tyreek Hill, Chiefs, caught six passes for 185 yards and two touchdowns, including a 79-yarder, in Kansas City's 38-31 loss to the New York Jets.

-Jermaine Kearse, Jets, had nine receptions for 157 yards in New York's win over Kansas City, and teammate Robby Anderson caught eight passes for 107 yards.

-Rob Gronkowski, Patriots, had his best game of the season with nine catches for 147 yards in New England's 23-3 win over the Buffalo Bills.

-Mike Wallace, Ravens, went over 100 yards for the second time this season, with five catches for 116 yards in the Ravens' 44-20 win over the Detroit Lions.

-Keenan Allen, Chargers, had 10 catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in his third straight big game for surging Los Angeles, which beat the winless Cleveland Browns 19-10.

Special Teams

-Robbie Gould, 49ers, made all five field-goal attempts - none longer than 35 yards - including the winning, 24-yarder in the closing seconds as San Francisco beat his former team, the Chicago Bears, 15-14. Gould, cut by Chicago prior to the 2016 opener, pumped his right arm and screamed at the Bears on the sideline after his final kick.

-Greg Zuerlein, Rams, was 4 for 4 on field goals, including a 56-yarder, in Los Angeles' 32-16 win over the Arizona Cardinals. Zuerlein did miss an extra point.

-Justin Tucker, Ravens, made all three of his field-goal attempts, including a key 51-yarder in the fourth quarter of Baltimore's 44-20 victory over the Detroit Lions.

-Michael Brockers, Rams, blocked Phil Dawson's try for a 45-yard field goal that would have cut Los Angeles' lead to seven points early in the fourth quarter against the Arizona Cardinals. The Rams also blocked an extra point in their 32-16 victory, and Pharoh Cooper had a 30-yard punt return to set up a touchdown.

Defense

- Xavien Howard, Dolphins, returned an interception for a touchdown, the first interception by a Miami outside cornerback this season, and had another interception that set up a fourth-quarter TD in Miami's 35-9 win over the Denver Broncos. The Dolphins also had two safeties, a first in franchise history.

-Eric Weddle, Ravens, had a strip-sack of Detroit's Matthew Stafford that led to a touchdown, and later returned an interception for a touchdown against backup Jake Rudock. Baltimore forced three turnovers to extend its league-leading total to 29 in the 44-20 victory over the Lions.

-Clay Matthews, Packers, had 2 1-2 sacks, Kenny Clark added two sacks, and Green Bay sacked Tampa Bay's Jameis Winston seven times overall in a 26-20 overtime victory over the Buccaneers.

-The Vikings held Matt Ryan without a touchdown pass for the first time in 30 games, and Julio Jones had just two catches for 24 yards. Minnesota also kept Atlanta out of the end zone on the way to a 14-9 victory.

-Alex Ogletree, Rams, intercepted the Cardinals' Blaine Gabbert and returned it 41 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles' 32-16 victory. Ogletree did a head-first flip into the end zone and left the game shortly thereafter with an elbow injury, but he said he did not get hurt on the flip.

STREAKS & STATS

Chargers receiver Keenan Allen became the first player in league history to have 10 or more catches, 100 or more yards and one or more touchdowns in three consecutive games. ... A 70-yard run by the Chiefs' Alex Smith was the longest by a quarterback this season. Smith also became the first player since the 1970 merger to have a 70-yard run and a pass of 70 or more yards (79 to Tyreek Hill) in the same game. Carolina's Cam Newton had a 69-yard run earlier this year. ... Saints running backs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara combined for 248 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns, the fifth straight game in which they totaled at least 200 scrimmage yards.

REMEMBER WHEN?

The AFC West didn't look like it would be all that competitive when the Chiefs started the season 5-0, and if any team appeared capable of a challenge, it wasn't the Los Angeles Chargers, who began 0-4. But Kansas City has since dropped six of seven, including Sunday's undisciplined 38-31 loss to the Jets, and LA has won six of eight after beating the Browns 19-10. Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders improved to 6-6 with a win over the New York Giants, creating a three-way tie atop the division.

SAME OLD, SAME OLD

Tom Brady continued his career-long dominance of the Buffalo Bills, and he didn't even need to throw a touchdown pass to do it. Brady went 21 of 30 for 258 yards and an interception in New England's 23-3 victory. He improved to 27-3 against Buffalo and broke Brett Favre's record for wins by a quarterback against any one opponent. New England never trailed, and Brady was content to hand off in the second half and let the Patriots' rejuvenated rushing attack wear down the Bills. Nearly always comfortable at Orchard Park, New York, New England has been good everywhere on the road, winning 14 consecutive away games - the second-longest streak in NFL history. The Patriots also reached double digits in victories for the 15th consecutive season.

OFFENSIVE AWAKENING

The Ravens came into their game against the Lions with the NFL's 31st-ranked offense, but were efficient on Sunday, with Joe Flacco directing three scoring drives in the second quarter and three more in the fourth quarter of a 44-20 victory.

Flacco threw for 269 yards and two touchdowns and was not intercepted. Mike Wallace caught five passes for 116 yards, going over 100 for the second time this season, and Alex Collins ran 15 times for 75 yards and two touchdowns. Baltimore gained 370 yards to Detroit's 372, but much of the Lions' offense came with Detroit in a big hole. Baltimore's opportunistic defense did its part, too, forcing three turnovers, including Eric Weddle's interception return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter. Justin Tucker, ranked the league's top kicker in positional rankings released Friday by The Associated Press, was 3 for 3 on field goals, including a 51-yarder that gave the Ravens a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter.

TWO FOR TWO

The Dolphins had two safeties in a game for the first time in franchise history in their 35-9 win over Denver, both of them on mistakes by the free-falling Broncos that could increase the heat on embattled first-year coach Vance Joseph. Miami took a 2-0 lead when the Broncos botched a third-down play at their 5. Matt Paradis' high snap deflected off Siemian's hands, and the ball squirted out of the back of the end zone. Joseph would not commit to Siemian remaining as the team's starter next week. In the fourth quarter, Denver's Isaiah McKenzie fumbled on a punt return and recovered in his end zone for another safety.

MILESTONES

New England's Tom Brady got his 27th win over Buffalo, breaking Brett Favre's record for wins by a quarterback against a single opponent. Favre beat Detroit 26 times. Brady also became the fourth player in league history to surpass 65,000 passing yards, joining Peyton Manning, Favre and Drew Brees. ... New England won its 10th game for the 15th consecutive season, the second-longest streak in league history. San Francisco had at least 10 wins in 16 straight seasons from 1983-1998. ... Saints quarterback Brees has 6,127 career completions, surpassing Manning for second place all-time. Favre leads with 6,300 career completions. ... Saints rookie Alvin Kamara has 614 receiving yards and 606 rushing yards this season, joining Charley Taylor (1964) and Billy Sims (1980) as the only rookies to have at least 600 yards rushing and receiving. ... Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald had 10 catches and became the third player in league history with more than 1,200 career receptions, joining Jerry Rice and Tony Gonzalez. He reached the milestone in his 214th game, faster than either Rice or Gonzalez. Fitzgerald also passed Isaac Bruce for fourth place all-time in receiving yards with 15,267.

SIDELINED

Jimmy Smith, the top cornerback on the Ravens' dominant defense, tore his Achilles tendon on a non-contact play in Baltimore's 44-20 win over the Detroit Lions and will miss the rest of the season, coach John Harbaugh said. ... Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford left with a bruised and bloodied right hand after it was stepped on, but X-rays were negative. ... Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor hurt his left knee on the opening series of Buffalo's 23-3 loss to the New England Patriots. He played through the injury before leaving the game early in the fourth quarter, and was limping heavily in the locker room. He did not speak to reporters but nodded his head ''Yes'' when asked if he was OK. ... Bills tight end Tre'Davious White was being evaluated for a concussion after he was struck by Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski while lying on the ground. Gronkowski apologized for the hit after the game. ... The Houston Texans suffered several injuries, with tight end C.J. Fiederowicz being evaluated for a concussion. Receiver Braxton Miller and running back Alfred Blue also suffered concussions. Cornerback Johnathan Joseph was ruled out just after halftime with an injured shoulder. Receiver Bruce Ellington also couldn't finish against Tennessee with an injured hamstring. ... Vikings tight end David Morgan went out in the first quarter against Atlanta with a concussion. Falcons guard Andy Levitre sustained a triceps injury in the first quarter and didn't return.

SPEAKING

''That's just dirty football. There's nowhere in our game for that. I don't know if it was a shoulder, elbow. I'm not sure what it was. That was dirty.'' - Bills safety Micah Hyde after Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski struck Tre'Davious White, who was lying on the ground after intercepting Tom Brady.

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''I'm not in the business of that. It was a lot of frustration. I just want to apologize to Tre'Davious White. I don't really believe in those type of shots.'' - Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski after he struck White while the player was lying on the ground.