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

[StarDust Bum]

NFL Today, Week 7
October 22, 2017

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Oct. 23

Washington at Philadelphia, 8:30 p.m. EDT. Carson Wentz and the Eagles (5-1) lead the NFC East, are first in the conference and enter having won four straight games, including an impressive 28-23 victory at Carolina. Meanwhile, Kirk Cousins and the Redskins (3-2) look for some revenge after losing to the Eagles at home in Week 1.

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STARS

Passing

- Russell Wilson, Seahawks, went 27 of 39 for 334 yards and three touchdowns to lead Seattle to a 24-7 win over the New York Giants.

- Blake Bortles, Jaguars, threw for 330 yards and a touchdown in Jacksonville's 27-0 victory at Indianapolis.

- Jameis Winston, Buccaneers, had 384 yards passing with three touchdowns and an interception in a losing cause as Tampa Bay fell to Buffalo 30-27.

- Drew Brees, Saints, went 27 of 38 for 331 yards with a TD and two INTs in New Orleans' 26-17 win at Green Bay.

- Dak Prescott, Cowboys, tossed three touchdown passes in Dallas' 40-10 rout of the 49ers in San Francisco.

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Rushing

- Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, ran for 147 yards and two touchdowns and also caught a 72-yard TD pass to help Dallas rout San Francisco 40-10.

- Le'Veon Bell, Steelers, had 134 yards on 35 carries and added three catches for 58 yards in Pittsburgh's 29-14 win over Cincinnati.

- Aaron Jones, Packers, rushed for a career-best 131 yards on 17 carries and added a TD in Green Bay's 26-17 loss to New Orleans.

- T.J. Yeldon, Jaguars, helped fill in for the injured Leonard Fournette by running for 122 yards and a score on just nine carries in Jacksonville's 27-0 win at Indianapolis.

- Latavius Murray, Vikings, ran for 113 yards and a TD on 18 carries in Minnesota's 24-16 victory over Baltimore.

- LeSean McCoy, Bills, had two TD runs and rushed for 91 yards on 23 attempts in Buffalo's 30-27 win over Tampa Bay.

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Receiving

- Ted Ginn Jr., Saints, had seven catches for 141 yards in New Orleans' 26-17 win at Green Bay.

- O.J. Howard, Buccaneers, caught two touchdown passes and finished with six catches for 98 yards in Tampa Bay's 30-27 loss at Buffalo.

- Kenny Stills, Dolphins, had two TD receptions to help Miami rally past the New York Jets 31-28.

- Doug Baldwin, Seahawks, made nine catches for 92 and a touchdown in Seattle's 24-7 win over New York Giants.

- Deonte Thompson, Bills, had four catches for 107 yards to help Buffalo to a 30-27 win over Tampa Bay.

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Special Teams

- Stephen Hauschka, Bills, kicked a 30-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining to help Buffalo beat Tampa Bay 30-27.

- Travis Benjamin, Chargers, returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown in Los Angeles' 21-0 win over Denver.

- Cody Parkey, Dolphins, kicked a 39-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go to give Miami its first lead of the game - and the win - in a 31-28 victory over the New York Jets.

- Kai Forbath, Vikings, kicked six field goals to lift Minnesota to a 24-16 victory over Baltimore.

- Ryan Succop, Titans, made his fourth field goal of the game - a 47-yarder with 1:55 left in overtime - to extend his NFL record for makes inside 50 yards to 55 straight and sent Tennessee past Cleveland 12-9.

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Defense

- Eddie Jackson, Bears, became the first player in NFL history with multiple defensive touchdowns of 75 or more yards in the same game, running back a fumble recovery 75 yards and returning an interception 76 in Chicago's 17-3 win over Carolina.

- Kevin Byard, Titans, had three interceptions in Tennessee's 12-9 overtime win at Cleveland.

- Tre'Davious White, Bills, forced and recovered a fumble to set up Stephen Hauschka's 30-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining in Buffalo's 30-27 victory over Tampa Bay.

- Cameron Wake, Dolphins, had 2+ sacks in Miami's 31-28 win over the New York Jets.

- Yannick Ngakoue, Jaguars, had 2+ of Jacksonville's franchise record-tying 10 sacks in a 27-0 rout at Indianapolis.

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STREAKS & STATS

Buffalo's Stephen Hauschka tied an NFL record by making 12 consecutive field goals from 50 yards or longer by hitting a 52-yarder in the Bills' 30-27 win over Tampa Bay. The record is shared by Blair Walsh, Robbie Gould, Justin Tucker and Matt Prater. Hauschka has not missed an attempt from beyond 50 yards since missing a 50- and 52-yarder in a 35-6 win over Arizona on Dec. 21, 2014. ... Jacksonville matched its franchise record with 10 sacks in a 27-0 win at Indianapolis. Jacksonville joined the 1984 Chicago Bears and 1967 Oakland Raiders as the only teams to record 10 or more sacks twice in the same season. The Jaguars, who also had 10 against Houston in the season opener, also got their first shutout since a 41-0 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 8, 2006. Indy was shut out for the first time since a 41-0 loss to the Jets in a playoff game on Jan. 4, 2003. ... With his first catch in Arizona's 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at London's Twickenham Stadium, a 16-yard reception on the fourth play from scrimmage, Arizona's Larry Fitzgerald has now caught a pass in the NFL in 40 different stadiums. ... The Los Angeles Chargers beat Denver 21-0, sending the Broncos to the franchise's first shutout defeat since a 24-0 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders on Nov. 22, 1992. ... Jones' 1-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 to go ended the schneid, and he hurled the football high into the mist as if to say ''at last.''

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MILESTONES

Eddie Jackson became the first player to score multiple defensive TDs of 75 yards or more in a game, leading the Chicago Bears to a 17-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He's also the only rookie in NFL history with two 75-yard defensive touchdowns in a season. He ran back a fumble recovery 75 yards on the game's opening possession and returned an interception of Cam Newton 76 yards for a score early in the second quarter to give Chicago a 14-0 lead. He became the first Bears player since Fred Evans in 1948 - and the first NFL player since Tennessee's Zach Brown in 2012 - with two defensive TDs in a game. ... Tennessee's Ryan Succop extended his NFL record for makes inside 50 yards to 55 straight with a 47-yarder with 1:55 left in overtime to lift the Titans past Cleveland 12-9 in overtime. ... New Orleans' Drew Brees threw a touchdown pass in the Saints' 26-17 win at Green Bay, adding another milestone to his impressive 17-year career by becoming the fourth player in NFL history with at least 500 touchdown tosses, including the playoffs. He joined Peyton Manning, Brett Favre and Tom Brady. ... Minnesota's Kai Forbath kicked six field goals and Justin Tucker had three for Baltimore in the Vikings' 24-16 win, with the nine combined field goals tying an NFL record for most in a game.

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SUPER MISMATCH

In a rematch of last season's Super Bowl, the New England Patriots kept on keeping on against the Atlanta Falcons with 23-7 victory. They extended their consecutive points streak vs. Atlanta to 54 before allowing Julio Jones' 1-yard touchdown reception with 4:09 to go. New England scored the final 31 points to win the NFL championship in February. Jones' TD also ended a streak in which Atlanta allowed 43 consecutive points to opponents, including 20 straight points in last week's loss to Miami, and then 23 in a row to New England.

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KICKIN' IT

Dallas lost kicker Dan Bailey to a right groin injury in the first half of its 40-10 win at San Francisco, forcing coach Jason Garrett to scramble a bit. Dallas went for the 2-point conversion following their first TD after Bailey's injury and couldn't convert. Safety Jeff Heath handled the kickoff duties after that and reached the goal line on his first kick. Heath got his shot at extra points in the second half and made two out of three. Heath is the first non-kicker or punter to make multiple extra points in a game since former Houston linebacker and current Packers GM Ted Thompson made four in 1980.

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EDDIE'S READY

Chicago rookie safety Eddie Jackson became the first player to score multiple defensive TDs of 75 yards or more in a game, leading the Chicago Bears to a 17-3 victory over the Carolina Panthers. He's also the only rookie in NFL history with two 75-yard defensive touchdowns in a season. Jackson's big day came exactly one year after he broke his leg playing for Alabama against Texas A&M. Jackson ran back a fumble recovery 75 yards on the game's opening possession and returned an interception of Cam Newton 76 yards for a score early in the second quarter to give Chicago a 14-0 lead. He became the first Bears player since Fred Evans in 1948 - and the first NFL player since Tennessee's Zach Brown in 2012 - with two defensive TDs in a game.

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COWBOY UP

Ezekiel Elliott gained 219 yards from scrimmage and tied a career high with three touchdowns just days after a legal reprieve put his suspension on hold and the Dallas Cowboys beat the winless San Francisco 49ers 40-10. Elliott was granted his second temporary restraining order on Tuesday, putting his six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations on hold and then gave the Cowboys a big boost on the field. He matched his season total of rushing touchdowns with two in the first quarter and then took a short pass from Dak Prescott 72 yards for another touchdown on Dallas' first possession of the second half to put the 49ers away. Elliott ran for 147 yards on 26 carries to go with the big catch, setting a career high in scrimmage yards in a game.

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SHADY SEES DAYLIGHT

Buffalo's LeSean McCoy had two touchdown runs in a 30-27 win over Tampa Bay to end a six-game scoreless drought that matched the longest of his career and dated to the final game of last season.

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STEPPING IN

Brett Hundley, making his first NFL start in place of the injured Aaron Rodgers, rushed for 44 yards on three carries, including a 14-yard touchdown run, but finished 12 of 25 for 87 yards in the 26-17 loss to New Orleans. Rodgers is out indefinitely with a broken right collarbone. ... Matt Moore replaced an injured Jay Cutler and threw two touchdown passes in the final 12 minutes to lead the Miami Dolphins to a comeback victory over the New York Jets. Cutler left the game due to a chest injury with his team trailing 21-14. After the Jets took a two-touchdown lead, Moore threw scoring passes to Kenny Stills covering 28 and 2 yards to tie it.

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IRON MAN STOPPED

Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas sustained a serious injury to his left triceps and could miss the remainder of another losing season for the Browns. The 10-time Pro Bowler had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. He will undergo an MRI on Monday, but it's safe to assume that the 32-year-old will miss weeks if not months.

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COMEBACK KIDS

Miami erased a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit and rallied to beat the New York Jets 31-28. It was the second consecutive comeback win by the Dolphins, who overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half a week ago for an upset victory at Atlanta. They've won 12 games in a row when the margin is seven points or fewer. The NFL record is 14 consecutive games.

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QB WOES

Cleveland's quarterback issues remain uncertain after DeShone Kizer started after a one-week benching because of turnovers - and then was benched again. He threw two picks before coach Hue Jackson had seen enough, pulling him for Cody Kessler, who was inactive for the first six games after making eight starts last season as a rookie. Kizer was 12 of 20 for 114 yards. Kessler 10 of 19 for 121.

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YO, ADRIAN?

Adrian Peterson, in his second game for Arizona since being acquired via a trade with the New Orleans Saints, was held to just 21 yards on 11 carries in the Cardinals' 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams. It was a contrast from a week ago, when he ran for 134 yards and two touchdowns in a win over Tampa Bay.

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LONDON STALLING

The Los Angeles Rams' 33-0 shutout of the Arizona Cardinals marked the second time in as many games in Britain that an opponent has failed to score. The Saints defeated the Miami Dolphins 20-0 at Wembley Stadium on Oct. 1 - the 18th game held in the country. Los Angeles had not shut out an opponent since a 24-0 road victory against the Washington Redskins on Dec. 7, 2014, while the Cardinals had not failed to score since a 58-0 loss at Seattle on Dec. 9, 2012.

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CATCHING ON

Pittsburgh rookie wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster had a 31-yard touchdown catch in the Steelers' 29-14 win over Cincinnati. Smith-Schuster, who doesn't turn 21 until Nov. 22, has three career touchdown receptions - the most in NFL history by a player before his 21st birthday.

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SIDELINED

Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer broke his left arm in a 33-0 loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium, leaving Drew Stanton to take over after the team returns from its bye week. Palmer will require surgery on the arm and coach Bruce Arians said he expects the quarterback to miss eight weeks. ... Cleveland left tackle Joe Thomas sustained a serious injury to his left triceps and could miss the remainder of the season. The 10-time Pro Bowler had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans. ... Miami quarterback Jay Cutler left the Dolphins' 31-28 win over the New York Jets with what is believed to be a cracked rib that will force him to miss at least one start. ... Baltimore wide receiver Mike Wallace left the Ravens' 24-16 loss at Minnesota with a concussion and did not return. ... Dallas kicker Dan Bailey suffered a groin injury in the Cowboys' 40-10 win at San Francisco and didn't return.

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SPEAKING

''It's kind of unbelievable. I thought he was a superhuman, where nothing could happen to him. There were about 30 seconds out there where I teared up. It's tough because he's the best player on our team.'' - Cleveland left guard Joel Bitonio on teammate Joe Thomas, who had played 10,363 consecutive snaps when he was forced to leave the field in the third quarter of a 12-9 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans with a triceps injury that could sideline him the rest of the season.

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''I don't want to think about it. It makes me sick. To come out on the road and get going like we did and then finish it like that is frustrating.'' - Josh McCown after the New York Jets blew a 14-point fourth-quarter lead and fell to the Miami Dolphins 31-28.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL notebook: Cardinals' Palmer possibly out for season
October 22, 2017

Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer suffered a broken left arm in Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams at Twickenham Stadium in London.

Palmer will have surgery when the team returns to Arizona, coach Bruce Arians said after the game. Arians expects Palmer to miss at least eight weeks and might be lost for the season.

Palmer was injured on an interception in the second quarter after taking a hit from linebacker Alec Ogletree just as the quarterback released the ball.

Palmer's pass was intercepted by safety Lamarcus Joyner. Palmer was 10 of 18 for 122 yards with the one interception when he exited the game. The Rams led 23-0 at halftime.

Drew Stanton, a 10-year NFL veteran, replaced Palmer.

--Miami Dolphins quarterback Jay Cutler left Sunday's game against the New York Jets due to cracked ribs, according to multiple reports.

Cutler, who tossed two touchdown passes in the first half, was hit hard by Jets linebacker Jordan Jenkins and left the game in the third quarter clutching his chest.

NFL Media insider Ian Rapoport tweeted that Cutler is feared to have cracked ribs and that he will likely miss Thursday's game against Baltimore pending test results.

Matt Moore replaced Cutler at quarterback against the Jets.

--Cleveland Browns All-Pro left tackle Joe Thomas was knocked out of Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans with a left triceps injury with 5:31 left in the third quarter. He didn't return.

Thomas was replaced by Spencer Drango.

Thomas never missed a snap in his NFL career prior to the injury. He played 10,363 consecutive snaps over 10-plus seasons.

--Buffalo Bills cornerback E.J. Gaines left Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a hamstring injury.

The injury occurred when Gaines tackled Buccaneers wide receiver DeSean Jackson after a long completion that was called back due to a holding penalty.

Gaines missed the Bills' previous game before the bye week with a groin injury. The Bills acquired Gaines from the Los Angeles Rams during the preseason in a trade for wide receiver Sammy Watkins.

Shareece Wright replaced Gaines in the Bills' lineup.

--Buffalo Bills kicker Stephen Hauschka tied an NFL record on Sunday by making his 12th consecutive field goal attempt of at least 50 yards.

Hauschka's 52-yard field goal gave the Bills a 20-13 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers early in the fourth quarter. It was his fifth field goal of 50 yards or more this season. He made two each in Buffalo's victories over the Denver Broncos and Atlanta Falcons.

Blair Walsh, Robbie Gould, Justin Tucker and Matt Prater share the record with Hauschka.

Hauschka, who spent the past six seasons with Seattle, last missed from 50-plus yards in the Seahawks' win over the Arizona Cardinals on Dec. 21, 2014. He missed from 50 and 52 yards in that game.

--Jacksonville Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette was declared inactive for Sunday's game against the Indianapolis Colts because of an ankle injury.

Fournette suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of last Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Rams. The first-round rookie did not practice all week and was listed as questionable.

Fournette, the fourth overall pick out of LSU, is second in the league in rushing (596 yards) and carries (130) with six touchdowns in six games. He also has 15 catches for 136 yards and one TD.

Running back Chris Ivory started for the Jaguars. He has rushed for 162 yards on 40 carries with 16 catches for 143 yards and one touchdown.

-- New York Giants starting middle linebacker B.J. Goodson suffered an ankle injury at the end of the second quarter of Sunday's game against the Seattle Seahawks at MetLife Stadium.

It was unclear what happened to Goodson, who was injured on the Seahawks' final drive of the first half, but he immediately came off the field and went into the locker room for evaluation. He was ruled out to start the third quarter.

The Giants came into the game thin at the linebacker spot. Defensive captain and starting weakside linebacker Jonathan Casillas was inactive with a neck injury while backup middle linebacker Calvin Munson was inactive after suffering a quad injury last week.

With Goodson out, Keenan Robinson took over making the calls in the defensive huddle.

-- Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey sustained a right groin injury and was ruled out for the rest of the game in the first half of Sunday's game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium.

The Cowboys went for two points but failed after a touchdown with 10:26 left in the half with Dallas leading 20-3. Cowboys safety Jeff Heath then kicked off to the 49ers.

Heath made two of three extra-point attempts in the game.

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Sunday's NFL Capsules
October 22, 2017

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes and the New England Patriots toyed with the Atlanta Falcons - sound familiar? - 23-7 in a fog-filled Super Bowl rematch Sunday night that wasn't particularly super.

New England scored the final 31 points to win the NFL championship in February. Placards and shirts reading 28-3 were ever-present in and around Gillette Stadium as the Patriots (5-2) scored the first 23 points in this prime-time mismatch. The Falcons (3-3), who led New England by that 25-point margin in the third quarter of the Super Bowl before folding, were outplayed throughout this one.

While Atlanta looked tentative, if not intimidated, Brady and his offense clinically tore apart the Falcons. Mixing runs and passes, New England controlled the clock and field position. And its defense, ranked at the bottom of the entire league through six weeks, stymied the NFL's fifth-ranked offense.

Brady threw a shovel pass to Bradin Cooks that traveled perhaps a foot, and the receiver used his speed to get into the left corner of the end zone. The other TD was a 2-yarder to James White, who had three touchdowns, including the winner, in the Super Bowl.

It got so bad for Atlanta that the usually reliable Matt Bryant had a field goal blocked and then put a 36-yarder off the left upright. That Super Bowl losers' malaise folks talk about might have found a home in the ATL this year. Stephen Gostkowski had no trouble sending field goals of 29, 21 and 38 yards through the fog for New England.

STEELERS 29, BENGALS 14

PITTSBURGH (AP) - Ben Roethlisberger threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns, Le'Veon Bell added 192 total yards, and Pittsburgh's defense dominated Cincinnati in the second half.

The Steelers (5-2) relied on their stars to take the lead, then on their reinvigorated defense to blunt Cincinnati and give themselves a significant cushion over the rest of the underwhelming AFC North.

The Bengals (2-4) came in looking to add some street cred to their resurgence after their 0-3 start, but instead spent the second half reverting to the kind of ineffective offense that got offense coordinator Ken Zampese fired two weeks into the season. The Steelers picked off Andy Dalton twice and sacked him three times over the final two quarters to pull away.

Chris Boswell added five field goals for Pittsburgh, which posted its highest points total and appears to be rounding into form as Halloween nears.

COWBOYS 40, 49ERS 10

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) - Ezekiel Elliott gained 219 yards from scrimmage and tied a career high with three touchdowns just days after a legal reprieve put his suspension on hold.

Elliott was granted his second temporary restraining order on Tuesday, putting his six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations on hold, and then gave the Cowboys (3-3) a big boost on the field.

Elliott matched his season total of rushing touchdowns with two in the first quarter, then took a short pass from Dak Prescott 72 yards for another touchdown on Dallas' first possession of the second half to put away the 49ers (0-7). Elliott ran for 147 yards on 26 carries to go with the big catch, setting a career high in scrimmage yards in a game.

That performance spoiled the starting debut of rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard , who was sacked five times, lost two fumbles and failed to lead the 49ers into the end zone until he scored on a run with the game out of hand in the fourth quarter.

CHARGERS 21, BRONCOS 0

CARSON, Calif. (AP) - Travis Benjamin returned a first-quarter punt 65 yards for a touchdown and caught a 42-yard TD pass in the fourth, and the Chargers played a dominant defensive game in the first home victory of their relocation season.

Joey Bosa had two of the Chargers' five sacks while they sent the Broncos (3-3) to the franchise's first shutout defeat since a 24-0 loss to the Los Angeles Raiders on Nov. 22, 1992.

Philip Rivers passed for 183 yards in his 100th victory, hitting Austin Ekeler for an early TD and Benjamin for the late clincher.

The Chargers (3-4) have won three straight under new coach Anthony Lynn following a winless opening month in their first season back in Los Angeles after 56 years in San Diego.

Trevor Siemian passed for 207 yards, but Denver lost to the Chargers for the third time in the AFC West rivals' past 14 meetings - and did so in historic fashion.

SEAHAWKS 24, GIANTS 7

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - Russell Wilson threw three second-half touchdown passes and the Seahawks limited the New York Giants' receiver-depleted offense to 177 yards.

Wilson hit Doug Baldwin with a go-ahead 22-yard touchdown pass midway through the third quarter. He put the game away with a 38-yard TD throw to Paul Richardson on a play that had to be reviewed because of simultaneous possession. He closed out the scoring with a 1-yard toss to Jimmy Graham with 2:14 to go.

The Seahawks (4-2) limited the Giants (1-6) to 46 yards rushing, 14 first downs and 24:34 in time of possession. The defense only forced one turnover, but the fumble by Eli Manning led to the Richardson touchdown.

The Giants, who stunned Denver on Sunday night for their first win, were only in this game because their defense made plays and limited the Seattle to a field goal in the first half despite being on the field for more than 20 minutes.

TITANS 12, BROWNS 9, OT

CLEVELAND (AP) - Ryan Succop's fourth field goal, a 47-yarder with 1:55 left in overtime, extended his NFL record for makes inside 50 yards to 55 straight and sent the Tennessee Titans to an ugly 12-9 win on Sunday over the winless Cleveland Browns.

Cleveland (0-7) lost durable Pro Bowl tackle Joe Thomas with an injury. A 10-time Pro Bowler, he missed his first play in 11 seasons. Thomas went out with a triceps injury that snapped his streak of 10,363 consecutive offensive plays. The No. 3 pick in 2007 has been the lone bright spot over the past decade for Cleveland's franchise.

Succop's clutch kick enabled the Titans (4-3) to get their second win in six days. Succop made five field goals in Monday night's win over Indianapolis.

Browns rookie Zane Gonzalez forced overtime by kicking a season-long 54-yard field goal with 47 seconds left in regulation to tie it 9-9. Gonzalez added kicks of 31 and 47 yards.

The Browns committed 12 penalties and dropped to 1-22 in two seasons under coach Hue Jackson, whose future is becoming less certain.

RAMS 33, CARDINALS 0

LONDON (AP) - Jared Goff ran for a touchdown and threw for another and Greg Zuerlein made four field goals as the Rams won for the first time in three appearances in Britain.

Arizona (3-4) heads home with significant questions after quarterback Carson Palmer injured his left arm in the second quarter and did not return.

Goff completed 22 of 37 passes for 235 yards with an interception, and Todd Gurley ran for 106 yards and a touchdown for the NFC West-leading Rams (5-2). Los Angeles has won five of its first seven games for the first time since 2003 - the last time the Rams finished with a winning record.

Palmer, who finished 10 for 18 for 122 yards, was hit by linebacker Alec Ogletree and intercepted with 5:48 remaining in the first half. He was replaced by longtime backup Drew Stanton, who completed 5 of 14 passes for 162 yards and an interception and was unable to close what began as a 6-0 deficit.

Gurley's 18-yard touchdown run immediately followed Palmer's interception, and Goff helped push the Rams' lead to 20-0 after he took a zone-read keeper 9 yards for a touchdown.

Zuerlein, who set a franchise record by making seven field goals in a win against the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 1, connected from 23, 33, 53 and 34 yards.

SAINTS 26, PACKERS 17

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) - Drew Brees threw for a touchdown and ran for another and Mark Ingram rushed for a score.

Will Lutz kicked two second-half field goals, including a 44-yarder to put New Orleans up for good 19-17 with 10:26 left in the game. Brees' 1-yard sneak gave the Saints a two-score lead

The sloppy Saints (4-2) were fortunate to get their fourth straight victory. The Packers lost their first game with Brett Hundley starting at quarterback for injured star Aaron Rodgers.

New Orleans' defense gave up a 46-yard touchdown run to rookie Aaron Jones on the opening drive. Brees was picked off twice in the first quarter. Lutz had a blocked extra point and New Orleans was penalized seven times for 80 yards.

But the Saints pulled away late at overcast Lambeau Field, scoring on four second-half drives.

Trailing late, the Packers (4-3) couldn't muster big plays late without Rodgers. He's out indefinitely with a broken right collarbone.

BILLS 30, BUCCANEERS 27

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) - Rookie cornerback Tre'Davious White forced and recovered a fumble to set up Stephen Hauschka's 30-yard field goal with 14 seconds remaining.

LeSean McCoy had 91 yards rushing and scored twice, including a 7-yard run to tie the score with 2:28 remaining. Tyrod Taylor went 20 of 33 for 268 yards and a touchdown, while Buffalo's defense forced three turnovers.

Coming out of its bye week, Buffalo improved to 4-2 under rookie head coach Sean McDermott. It marks just the fourth time the Bills have won at least four of their first six games during a 17-year playoff drought.

Jameis Winston showed no signs of a sprained throwing shoulder that sidelined him during the first drive of a 38-33 loss at Arizona last weekend. Winston finished 32 of 44 for 384 yards passing and three touchdowns. He threw an interception and also lost a fumble.

Rookie tight end O.J. Howard caught two touchdown passes for the Buccaneers (2-4), who have lost three straight.

Hauschka tied an NFL record by making 12 consecutive field goals from 50 yards or longer by hitting a 52-yarder that put Buffalo up 20-13 in the fourth quarter. The record is shared by Blair Walsh, Robbie Gould, Justin Tucker and Matt Prater.

DOLPHINS 31, JETS 28

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) - Matt Moore replaced an injured Jay Cutler and threw two touchdown passes in the final 12 minutes, and the Dolphins pulled off another comeback win by erasing a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit.

Josh McCown threw three touchdown passes and ran for another for the Jets, but his interception in the final minute set up the winning field goal.

Bobby McCain stepped in front of a pass intended for Jermaine Kearse to give Miami the ball at the Jets 27 with 39 seconds left. Cody Parkey kicked a 39-yard field goal with 22 seconds to go for the Dolphins' first lead of the game.

It was the second consecutive comeback win by the Dolphins, who overcame a 17-point deficit in the second half a week ago for an upset victory at Atlanta. They've won 12 games in a row when the margin is seven points or less.

The Dolphins (4-2) earned their third consecutive victory and avenged a loss to the Jets (3-4) in Week 3.

Cutler left the game due to a chest injury with his team trailing 21-14. After the Jets took a two-touchdown lead, Moore threw scoring passes to Kenny Stills covering 28 and 2 yards to tie the game.

BEARS 17, PANTHERS 3

CHICAGO (AP) - Rookie safety Eddie Jackson became the first NFL player to score multiple defensive touchdowns of 75 yards or more in a game. Jackson ran back a fumble recovery 75 yards on the game's opening possession and returned an interception of Cam Newton 76 yards for a score early in the second quarter to give Chicago a 14-0 lead.

He became the first Bears player since Fred Evans in 1948 - and the first NFL player since Tennessee's Zach Brown in 2012 - with two defensive TDs in a game.

Chicago also sacked Newton five times and intercepted him twice.

The big plays by Jackson and the defense lifted the Bears (3-4) to their second straight win even though they got dominated in just about every statistical category. Carolina (4-3) held huge advantages in yards (293-153), time of possession (38:35-21:25), offensive plays (69-37) and first downs (20-5).

Newton completed 21 of 34 passes for 211 yards and ran for a team-high 50. But the Panthers dropped their second straight game.

Chicago's Mitchell Trubisky was 4 of 7 for 107 yards in his third NFL start. The No. 2 overall pick threw a 70-yard pass to Tarik Cohen, but did little else.

VIKINGS 24, RAVENS 16

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Latavius Murray rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown and Kai Forbath kicked six field goals.

Forbath made kicks of 52, 51, 43, 43, 34 and 32 yards to back another suffocating effort from the defense for the Vikings (5-2). Minnesota sacked Joe Flacco five times and allowed just 208 yards. Everson Griffen had two sacks and has nine for the season.

Murray averaged 6.3 yards per carry.

Justin Tucker kicked three field goals for the Ravens (3-4), including a 57-yarder in the first half. Flacco completed 26 of 38 passes for 186 yards and a 13-yard touchdown to Chris Moore as time expired.

The nine combined field goals tied an NFL record for most in a game.

Former Vikings WR Mike Wallace left in the first quarter after a vicious hit from S Andrew Sendejo. Wallace appeared to be knocked out cold by the shoulder-to-head hit that knocked his helmet off.

Wallace was later ruled out, but appeared to be arguing with coaches on the sideline about wanting back in.

JAGUARS 27, COLTS 0

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Blake Bortles threw for a season-high 330 yards and one touchdown, and T.J. Yeldon scored on a 58-yard run. By ending a four-game losing streak at Lucas Oil Stadium, the Jaguars (4-3) remained atop the AFC South.

Indy (2-5) lost its second straight, both to division foes.

Bortles and the offense looked good on a day when they played without rookie Leonard Fournette, the NFL's second-leading rusher. Fournette was inactive because of a sprained right ankle.

The quarterback finished 18 of 26 with a 124.7 rating, the fourth-highest rating of his career.

While Jacksonville didn't add to its league-leading takeaway total, it matched the single-game franchise record for sacks (10), set in the season opener against Houston. And the Jags got their first shutout since a 41-0 victory over the New York Jets on Oct. 8, 2006.

Indy, strangely, was shut out for the first time since a 41-0 loss to the Jets in a playoff game on Jan. 4, 2003. Its only serious scoring chance was snuffed out with a fourth-down stop at the Jaguars 6-yard line.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL Record For Oct......Based on 5 units ( Best Bets and Opinons )

10/22/2017 11-13-2 45.83% -16.50
10/19/2017 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/16/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/15/2017 13-11-0 54.17% +4.50
10/12/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/09/2017 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/08/2017 8-10-0 44.44% -15.00
10/05/2017 1-0-1 100.00% +5.00
10/02/2017 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/01/2017 9-12-0 42.86% -21.00

Totals............36 - 38 - 3....48.64%....-29.00


Best Bets:...................ATS...................Unit s........... ..O/U.............Units...............Total

10/22/2017................2 - 3 - 2.............-6.50............4 - 6.........-13.00...........-19.50

10/19/2017.................0 - 0.................+0.00...........0 - 1...........-5.50...............-5.50

10/16/2017.................1 - 0.................+5.00...........1 - 0...........+5.00..............+10.00

10/15/2017.................2 - 4.................-12.00...........3 - 1...........+9.50..............-2.50

10/12/2017.................1 - 0.................+5.00............1 - 0 ..........+5.00..............+10.00

10/09/2017.................1 - 0.................+5.00............1 - 0...........+5.00..............+10.00

10/08/2017.................3 - 3.................-1.50.............2 - 4...........-12.00...............-13.50

10/05/2017.................0 - 0 - 1.............0.00.............1 - 0...........+5.00................+ 5.00

10/02/2017.................1 - 0................+5.00.............0 - 1............-5.50.................- 0.50

10/01/2017.................4 - 4.................-2.00.............2 - 2............- 1.00.................- 3.00

Totals......................15 - 14 - 3............- 2.00...........15 - 15...........-7.50................- 9.50

Sunday Night 2 Team Parlay...........................0 - 3..................................-15.00
.
Thursday Night 2 Team Parlay........................1 - 0..................................+12.50

Thursday Night Game of the month................1 - 0..................................+5.00

Monday Night 2 Team Parlay..........................1 - 0 .................................+12.50

[StarDust Bum]

Monday’s six-pack

Six most popular picks for Week 7 in the Westgate Super Contest:

6) Washington Redskins, +5 (681)

5) San Francisco 49ers, +6.5 (687)- L

4) Denver Broncos, +1.5 (729)- L

3) Carolina Panthers, -3 (+750)- L

2) Green Bay Packers, +5.5 (803)- L

1) Cincinnati Bengals, +5.5 (810)- L

Season record of top 6 picks: 15-26. No bueno

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Monday’s List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday

Titans 12, Browns 9 OT— Not a great week for offense; seven teams failed to score an offensive TD, five others scored only one TD on offense. Total yardage in this game: 284-269 Browns, but they threw three INTs and Kizer was benched again, this time for Cody Kessler. At one point, Cleveland declined a face mask penalty on the Titans, leaving Tennessee with a 4th-and-1, but then the Browns jumped offside, which led to a Titan FG, which was the margin of victory.

Memo to the Ivy League nitwit who runs the Browns: Draft a bleeping quarterback!!!!

Jaguars 27, Colts 0— Total yardage was 518-232 Jaguars- they were -2 in turnovers and still jogged to an easy win, running ball for 188 yards. Colts have been outscored 134-44 in second half of game; now that Andrew Luck has had a setback and may not return this year, hard to imagine Chuck Pagano won’t get fired. Jaguars averaged 11.8 yards per pass attempt.

Steelers 29, Bengals 14— Game was 14-14 with 7:12 left in the half; from that point on, Steelers had ball seven times, kicked five FGs and won going away. Pittsburgh ran a really cool fake punt, snapping ball to the up-back, who passed the ball to the gunner on the right sideline— never saw that play before. Steelers scored only 38 points on their last 11 red zone drives, a red flag. Cincy is 1-6 vs spread in last seven games as a road underdog.

Vikings 24, Ravens 16—- Baltimore lost 4 of its last 5 games after a 2-0 start; they scored total of five TDs on 56 drives in those games. Stuff I read on the Internet this week from knowledgeable NFL writers blamed the Raven WR’s, not Flacco— I blame whoever hired Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator— the guy is awful. Vikings are now 15-5 as a home favorite under Zimmer. Will Vikings turn to Teddy Bridgewater or stick with Case Keenum at QB?

Dolphins 31, Jets 28— Second week in row Jets had 14-point lead but lost; second week in a row Dolphins trailed by 14+ points but won. Cutler got hurt; backup QB Matt Moore was 13-21/188 and led Miami to a comeback win. Jets’ QB McCown threw an awful INT with 0:39 left, giving Dolphins the ball on the Jets’ 27- they kicked winning FG with 0:22 left, ending a 6-game skid against their AFC East rivals.

Bills 30, Buccaneers 27— Buffalo blew 17-6 3rd quarter lead, but recovered a fumble on the Bucs’ 33-yard line with 2:20 left- they kicked winning FG with 0:14 left. Winston threw for 378 yards but Tampa Bay turned ball over three times— Buffalo is +10 in turnovers this season and is 4-2. Rookie TE Howard has 6 catches for 98 yards on 6 targets for Tampa Bay

Bears 17, Panthers 3— One of strangest boxscores I’ve ever seen; rookie safety Eddie Jackson became first player ever to score two defensive TDs of 75+ yards in a game, scoring on a fumble return and an INT return off a tipped ball. Chicago then sat on the lead; Trubisky was 2-5/94 yards passing the first half, threw only 7 passes in whole game. Total yardage was 293-153 Carolina; Bears had only five first downs the whole game, but won by two TD’s. Go figure.

Saints 26, Packers 17— Line moved roughly nine points because of Rodgers’ injury; Hundley was 12-25/87 passing in his first NFL start. Brees was picked off on his first two drives, but Saints scored two TD’s, two FG’s on their last four drives. Packers ran 21 play for 65 yards and only 3 points in second half. New Orleans scored 13 TD’s on their last 43 drives.

Rams 33, Cardinals 0— Arizona missed a short FG on first drive, things got much worse from there; Carson Palmer broke his left arm, could be out for year. Stanton/Gabbert are Arizona’s backup QB’s.

One of the unexpected perks of writing in this space every day is the chance to meet some great people. Made couple of new friends from Canada this weekend; they stopped in Albany on their way to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Had a meal and lot of fun conversation— I’ve made new friends in Indiana, New Jersey, Las Vegas and now Canada from this site. Good stuff.

Cowboys 40, 49ers 10— Dallas ran ball for 265 yards, had 14-yard edge in field position, as they pounded the 49ers coming off their bye. Third straight game Cowboys scored 30+ points; they recovered three SF fumbles, are now 8-3 vs spread in last 11 games as a road favorite.

49ers are 0-7, but 5-2 vs spread; they’ve got a rookie QB starting now, were outgained 501-290 in this game- four of their last five games went over the total.

Seahawks 24, Giants 7— Seattle had 11-yard edge in field position, held Giants to 46 yards on ground in game Big Blue led 7-3 at the half. Giants’ only TD drive was 17 yards after a turnover; they missed a 47-yard FG when Seahawks led 10-7.

Seahawks’ offensive players were screaming at each other on sideline in first half; Doug Baldwin pushed an assistant coach who tried to intervene, but all of that was probably forgotten when a trick play resulted in a 38-yard TD pass that put Seattle up 17-7 with 9:34 left to play.

Chargers 21, Broncos 0— Chargers won their third game in a row after an 0-4 start; they ran a punt back for a TD for their first score, then had three takeaways in a game where total yardage was 251-242, Denver. Broncos are 0-2 on road, scoring one TD on 23 drives in games against Bills/Chargers; this was only Bolts’ third win in last 14 games against Denver.

Patriots 23, Falcons 7— Atlanta had ball in red zone four times, scored only once, on a TD that made score 23-7 with 4:09 left- they had a short FG blocked, clanked a shorter FG off upright. Falcons lost their last three games after a 3-0 start; luckily for them, there had been only one divisional game played in NFC South so far, so the division race is still up for grabs.

This turned into a fog game in second half, as if the Falcons playing under the cloud of last year’s Super Bowl wasn’t bad enough.

[StarDust Bum]

MNF - Redskins at Eagles
October 22, 2017

LAST WEEK

The Redskins (3-2 SU, 2-3 ATS) built a commanding 17-0 lead over the winless 49ers, but San Francisco scored 17 unanswered points to even the game at 17-17. Washington scored the next nine points, including a Kirk Cousins seven-yard touchdown run to take a 26-17 advantage. San Francisco cut the deficit to 26-24 and had an opportunity to win it on the final drive, but came up short.

Washington failed to cash as 12-point favorites in the two-point triumph, its first opportunity laying points this season. Cousins produced a 330-yard effort through the air, while throwing two touchdown passes and running for the game-winning score. Running back Chris Thompson hauled in his second receiving touchdown in three weeks, while racking up 138 all-purpose yards. Washington dropped to 5-5 ATS in its last 10 games in the favorite role, including 0-3 ATS in its past three as a favorite at FedEx Field.

The class of the NFC currently resides in Philadelphia as the Eagles (5-1 SU, 4-2 ATS) won their fourth straight game, 28-23 at Carolina. The Eagles overcame a 10-3 deficit led by a pair of touchdown strikes from Carson Wentz to tight end Zach Ertz to take an 18-10 halftime advantage. Wentz hooked up with Nelson Agholor on a 24-yard connection to start the fourth quarter to give Philadelphia a commanding 28-16 cushion as the Eagles held on for the five-point win.

Philadelphia covered as three-point underdogs, while Wentz delivered multi-touchdown passes for the fourth time this season. The 222-yard effort was the second-lowest total for Wentz throwing this season, but the Eagles improved to 3-1 away from Lincoln Financial Field after winning only one road game last season.

LINCING IT UP

Since Wentz took over as quarterback of the Eagles in 2016, Philadelphia owns an 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS at Lincoln Financial Field, including a 2-0 SU and 1-1 ATS record this season. The Eagles have compiled a 5-1 SU and 4-2 ATS mark as a home favorite in this span, as the only loss in this role came to the Packers in Week 12 last season. The offense topped the 27-point mark in both home wins this season over the Giants and Cardinals, while finished UNDER the total in seven of the past 10 home contests.

HIGHWAY BARKERS

Under Jay Gruden, the Redskins have profited the last few seasons in the role of a road underdog. Since December 2015, Washington has put together a solid 8-2 ATS and 6-3-1 SU record in the past 10 when receiving points away from FedEx Field. One of those SU/ATS losses came at Kansas City in the late burn of a 29-20 defeat in Week 4. After the Chiefs took a 23-20 lead with four seconds remaining as 6 ½-point favorites, Kansas City recovered a fumble on the final play of the game and returned it for a score to break the heart of Washington backers.

PREVIOUS MEETING

The Redskins won five consecutive matchups with the Eagles from 2014 through last season. However, the Eagles snapped that skid with a 30-17 triumph in this season’s opener at FedEx Field as two-point favorites. Philadelphia jumped out to a 13-0 lead behind a pair of touchdown passes by Wentz before Washington scored 14 unanswered points. Caleb Sturgis knocked down three field goals to give Philadelphia a 22-17 advantage before a late Fletcher Cox fumble return for a score put the game out of reach. Wentz began his second season with a solid 307 yard, two-touchdown performance, while Ertz and Agholor combined for 14 catches and 179 yards.

Washington has won each of its past two visits to Lincoln Financial Field, including a 27-22 victory as two-point favorites last December. Thompson scored the go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes remaining to off-set 314 yards throwing from Wentz. Cousins only threw for 234 yards, but led Washington on a pair of touchdown drives in the third quarter to erase a 13-7 deficit.

UNDER THE LIGHTS

Since 2013, the Eagles have put together a solid 5-2 SU/ATS record in Monday night action, including a split in Wentz’s rookie campaign. Philadelphia has won two of its past three home Monday nighters, but dropped a 14-point decision to Green Bay last season.

Washington is notoriously horrible on Mondays by posting a putrid 2-12 SU and 3-11 ATS record since 2008, including the Week 4 setback at Kansas City. Ten of those losses came at home, while the only road victory in this stretch came at Dallas as a nine-point underdog, 20-17 in 2014.

Favorites have dominated on Mondays this season by going 6-1 SU and 4-2-1 ATS record, as the only underdog to win outright is the Lions back in Week 2 against the Giants. The OVER has hit in four of seven Monday games, while the OVER is 11-8 in primetime action heading into Week 7.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

VegasInsider.com expert Joe Nelson points out that Philadelphia’s defense has helped lift them to a 5-1 mark, but teams have thrown on Doug Pederson’s squad, “The Eagles are ninth in the NFL in scoring defense, but 20th in the league in total defense with great run defense numbers but vulnerability against the pass, surrendering 273 passing yards per game, fourth most in the league. Philadelphia’s only loss came to a now 5-2 Chiefs team on the road in a competitive game, but four of five wins came in very close games including narrowly beating Giants and Chargers teams that are a combined 3-9.”

Nelson says this game will go far in determining the NFC East champion, “With the Giants likely already out of the running and Dallas on pace to fall far off last season’s pace, this game will play a huge role in deciding the NFC East champion. Philadelphia could grab a significant division lead with a win this week while securing a key tiebreaker with a series sweep and a 3-0 start in division play. The Eagles have the 0-6 49ers up next on the schedule for a great opportunity to emerge as the clear NFC leader at the midpoint of the season.”

From a trend standpoint, Vince Akins points out a system that favors the OVER as it relates to Cousins, “The Redskins are 12-0 OU since Nov 15, 2015 coming off a game where Kirk Cousins threw at least 35 passes.” Washington barely cashed the OVER in its only opportunity in this spot in Week 2 at Los Angeles, while the Redskins own a solid 9-2-1 SU and 10-2 ATS record in this position.

BOOKMAKER’S TAKE

Scott Cooley of BookMaker.eu says the public is all over the Eagles on Monday, “They always have a big public following, and MNF will command much of it. Right now, the square wagers are weighted toward the Philly side 80-20. That said, the early sharp action came on Washington. We do have smart money on both sides, and it wouldn't surprise me if they are on the Eagles when it's all said and done as well.”

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 7
October 23, 2017

Overall Notes

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 7 RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 11-3
Against the Spread 8-4-2

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 9-5
Against the Spread 8-4-2

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 6-8

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Bears (+3, ML +130) vs. Panthers, 17-3
Raiders (+3, ML +135) vs. Chiefs, 31-30

The largest favorite to cover
Cowboys (-6.5) at 49ers, 40-10
Vikings (-5) vs. Ravens, 24-16
Three tied at (-4)

Three Bagels

-- The Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos and Indianapolis Colts were each shut out in Week 7. The number equaled the number of total shutouts for the entire 2016 season, and it was the first time since Dec. 16, 2012 that three teams were blanked in the same weekend in the National Football League. Points were also at a premium in the Tennessee Titans-Cleveland Browns game, which featured seven field goals and no touchdowns. The game between the Carolina Panthers-Chicago Bears featured 20 total points, but just two field-goal drives by the two offenses, while the Bears defense accounted for a pair of defensive scores. In fact, Bears rookie S Eddie Jackson recorded a 75-yard fumble return for touchdown and a 76-yard interception return for score, becoming the first rookie in NFL history to posted two 75-yard defensive touchdowns in a season. He is also the first player in franchise history with two defensive touchdowns in a game since 1948, and the first NFL player to turn the trick since 2012.

Odd-Week Winners

-- If you've been following along the past few week, you'll know that the Jacksonville Jaguars continue to win and covered in odd-numbered weeks, and lose and post non-covers in even-numbered weeks. The trend continued with their 27-0 road victory in Indianapolis. The streak is uncanny, as they are now a perfect 4-0 SU/ATS in odd-numbered weeks, and 0-3 SU/ATS in even-numbered weeks. We'll see if the betting or football gods are confused when the Jags are off in Week 8. They resume play in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals when they'll try to continue their odd-week success.
Total Recall

-- Sunday Night Football was not the shootout everyone expected. In a rematch of Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots hosted the Atlanta Falcons in what was supposed to be a high-scoring affair, with a total closing at 57. Like last season's championship game, neither team scored in the first quarter. However, a fog rolled into Foxboro, and defense also reigned supreme in a surprisingly defensive battle. Unlike the Super Bowl, there was no monster comeback or overtime, either, as the Patriots won 23-7 to cover a three-point number.

-- The game with the lowest total on the board -- Baltimore-Minnesota (37.5) ended up inching 'over' in the worst way possible. With no time remaining in regulation, and the game already decided, the Ravens scored a touchdown on the final play of the game, falling 24-16. While the line for the game wasn't affected, although perhaps a teaser or two could have been ruined, the total was flipped for the worst bad beat of Week 7.

-- The Tampa Bay-Buffalo (46.5) game appeared to be headed for an 'under' result, with the Bills leading 17-13 after three quarters. With 13:31 to go, the Bills got a 52-yard field goal from Stephen Hauschka to push their lead to 20-13. The game was tied on a 33-yard touchdown at the 10:08 mark, as the Bucs knotted the game 20-20. Things were looking pretty good for the next six-plus minutes until turnovers tilted the field. The Bucs scored with 3:14 to official push the total over, 27-20. The Bills then added 10 points in the final 2:28 to not only snatch a win, but change a Bucs cover into a push at most shops.

-- The 'Over' is 12-10 (54.5%) through the first 22 primetime games of the 2017 season with Monday's game between the Washington Redskins-Philadelphia Eagles (49) went pending. Officially, the 'over' finished 27-24 (52.9%) through 51 games under the lights in 2016. In 2015, the over finished 20-28-1 (41.7%) in 49 primetime games. In 2014, the over went 33-17 (66%) in primetime games, and the over was 28-22 (56%) in 2013.

Injury Report

-- Cardinals QB Carson Palmer (arm) suffered a broken arm in the game against the Rams in London and he will require corrective surgery, costing him at least eight weeks of playing time, if not the remainder of the season.

-- Dolphins QB Jay Cutler (chest) was forced from the game against the Jets due to a chest injury, although it might have been addition by subtraction. QB Matt Moore rallied his team back from 14 down for the 31-28 victory. Reports indicate Cutler will not be ready for the Week 9 game on Thursday in Baltimore, so Moore is expected to start.

Looking Ahead

-- The Panthers and Buccaneers will square off in Tampa next Sunday, and the Bucs opened as a two-point favorite. The Panthers are 5-1 ATS over their past six road games, but that loss came in their dismal performance in Week 7 against the Bears. The Buccaneers are 1-5 ATS in their past six against NFC foes, 5-15-1 ATS in their past 21 at home against teams with a winning road record and 0-4 ATS in their past four at home against Cam Newton and the Cats. The Panthers have covered six of the past eight meetings, while the road team is 5-1 ATS in the past six in this series.

-- The Cowboys and Redskins will meet in the nation's capital, with the Cowboys looking to keep it rolling. They're 2-4 ATS over their past six road games, but they were able to cover in San Francisco in Week 7. They're also 4-8 ATS over their past 12 against NFC foes. The Redskins are 1-4 ATS over their past five home games, and the home team has failed to cover in six straight in this series. The underdog is 29-9 ATS across the past 38 in this series, too. Total bettors will be interested to know the 'under' is 7-3-1 in the past 11 meetings at FedEx Field.

-- In the third divisional matchup of Week 8, the Broncos and Chiefs will battle at Arrowhead on Monday night. The Chiefs are coming off a deflating 31-30 loss in the waning seconds of Thursday Night Football in Oakland, while the Broncos scored as many points as you and I did in Carson against the Chargers, losing 21-0. The Broncos are just 2-6 ATS over their past eight road games, and they're 2-6-2 ATS in their past 10 games on Monday night. The Chiefs are 6-1 ATS in their past seven inside the division, while going 5-2 ATS in their past seven on Monday. The road team has cashed in six of the past seven in this series, with the Broncos going 6-2 ATS in their past eight appearances at Arrowhead. The over is 3-0-1 in the past four meetings, while the underdog is 5-1 ATS in the past six in this series.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL Standings

NATIONAL CONFERENCE - NORTH
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
Minnesota Vikings 5 2 0 0.714 146 119 4-1-0 1-1-0 2-1-0
Green Bay Packers 4 3 0 0.571 164 161 3-1-0 1-2-0 1-1-0
Detroit Lions 3 3 0 0.500 161 149 1-2-0 2-1-0 1-0-0
Chicago Bears 3 4 0 0.429 122 151 2-2-0 1-2-0 0-2-0

NATIONAL CONFERENCE - EAST
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
Philadelphia Eagles 5 1 0 0.833 165 122 2-0-0 3-1-0 2-0-0
Washington Redskins 3 2 0 0.600 117 113 2-1-0 1-1-0 0-1-0
Dallas Cowboys 3 3 0 0.500 165 142 1-2-0 2-1-0 1-0-0
New York Giants 1 6 0 0.143 112 156 0-3-0 1-3-0 0-2-0

NATIONAL CONFERENCE - SOUTH
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
New Orleans Saints 4 2 0 0.667 171 133 1-1-0 3-1-0 1-0-0
Carolina Panthers 4 3 0 0.571 131 139 1-2-0 3-1-0 0-1-0
Atlanta Falcons 3 3 0 0.500 128 132 1-2-0 2-1-0 0-0-0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2 4 0 0.333 145 151 2-1-0 0-3-0 0-0-0

NATIONAL CONFERENCE - WEST
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
Los Angeles Rams 5 2 0 0.714 212 138 2-2-0 3-0-0 2-1-0
Seattle Seahawks 4 2 0 0.667 134 94 2-0-0 2-2-0 2-0-0
Arizona Cardinals 3 4 0 0.429 119 191 2-1-0 1-3-0 1-1-0
San Francisco 49ers 0 7 0 0.000 123 186 0-3-0 0-4-0 0-3-0

AMERICAN CONFERENCE - NORTH
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
Pittsburgh Steelers 5 2 0 0.714 147 116 2-1-0 3-1-0 3-0-0
Baltimore Ravens 3 4 0 0.429 130 148 1-2-0 2-2-0 2-1-0
Cincinnati Bengals 2 4 0 0.333 98 112 1-2-0 1-2-0 1-2-0
Cleveland Browns 0 7 0 0.000 103 169 0-4-0 0-3-0 0-3-0

AMERICAN CONFERENCE - EAST
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
New England Patriots 5 2 0 0.714 195 166 2-2-0 3-0-0 1-0-0
Buffalo Bills 4 2 0 0.667 119 101 3-0-0 1-2-0 1-0-0
Miami Dolphins 4 2 0 0.667 92 112 2-1-0 2-1-0 1-1-0
New York Jets 3 4 0 0.429 137 161 2-1-0 1-3-0 1-3-0

AMERICAN CONFERENCE - SOUTH
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
Tennessee Titans 4 3 0 0.571 158 173 2-1-0 2-2-0 2-1-0
Jacksonville Jaguars 4 3 0 0.571 183 110 1-2-0 3-1-0 2-1-0
Houston Texans 3 3 0 0.500 177 147 2-2-0 1-1-0 1-1-0
Indianapolis Colts 2 5 0 0.286 119 222 2-2-0 0-3-0 0-2-0

AMERICAN CONFERENCE - WEST
Team Win Loss Ties Percent PF PA Home Away Division
Kansas City Chiefs 5 2 0 0.714 207 161 2-1-0 3-1-0 1-1-0
Denver Broncos 3 3 0 0.500 108 118 3-1-0 0-2-0 2-1-0
Los Angeles Chargers 3 4 0 0.429 137 131 1-3-0 2-1-0 2-2-0
Oakland Raiders 3 4 0 0.429 155 156 2-2-0 1-2-0 1-2-0

Updated Mon Oct 23 11:34 AM EDT

[StarDust Bum]

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Monday, October 23

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WASHINGTON (3 - 2) at PHILADELPHIA (5 - 1) - 10/23/2017, 8:30 PM
Top Trends for this game.
WASHINGTON is 43-25 ATS (+15.5 Units) as a road underdog of 3.5 to 7 points since 1992.

Head-to-Head Series History
WASHINGTON is 4-1 against the spread versus PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
WASHINGTON is 4-1 straight up against PHILADELPHIA over the last 3 seasons
3 of 5 games in this series have gone OVER THE TOTAL over the last 3 seasons

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Monday, October 23

WASHINGTON @ PHILADELPHIA
Washington is 6-1 ATS in its last 7 games when playing Philadelphia
Washington is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games when playing Philadelphia
Philadelphia is 5-0 SU in its last 5 games at home
Philadelphia is 5-0 ATS in its last 5 games


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Monday's game
Redskins (3-2) @ Eagles (5-1)— Redskins lost their last six weeknight games. Eagles won six of last nine weeknight games. Eagles (-1) won 30-17 at Washington in Week 1, snapping 5-game series skid; Redskins won 38-24/27-22 in last two visits here. Each defense scored a TD in that first meeting. Philly had extra prep time after Thursday win in Charlotte; they’ve won four games in row, covering last three. Eagles are 2-0 at home, winning by 3-27 points- only one of their last four wins was by more than five points. Redskins won three of last four games, are 1-1 on road (over 1-0-1)- they scored 26+ points in their three wins, 17-20 in losses. Washington is 8-3 vs spread in last 11 games as a road underdog.

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Monday, October 23

Washington @ Philadelphia

Game 477-478
October 23, 2017 @ 8:30 pm

Dunkel Rating:
Washington
137.238
Philadelphia
136.163
Dunkel Team:
Dunkel Line:
Dunkel Total:
Washington
by 1
52
Vegas Team:
Vegas Line:
Vegas Total:
Philadelphia
by 5
48 1/2
Dunkel Pick:
Washington
(+5); Over

[StarDust Bum]

Monday Night Best Bets:

MONDAY, OCTOBER 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

WAS at PHI 08:30 PM

PHI -5.5 *****

U 48.5 *****

[StarDust Bum]

Wentz tosses 4 TDs, Eagles beat Redskins 34-24
October 23, 2017

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Carson Wentz tossed four touchdown passes, and the Philadelphia Eagles overcame losing nine-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jason Peters in a 34-24 win over the Washington Redskins on Monday night.

Wentz threw for 268 yards and ran for a career-best 63 after a shaky start to lead the NFL-best Eagles (6-1) to their fifth straight win. But the victory was costly because Peters was carted off the field with a knee injury in the third quarter.

Kirk Cousins had 303 yards passing and three TDs for the Redskins (3-3).

The Eagles went three-and-out three times in their first four drives and had only 57 total yards before Wentz hit Mack Hollins in stride with a perfect 64-yard TD pass to tie it at 10.

That got the offense rolling.

Wentz connected with Zach Ertz for 46 yards on the next series and found him again for a 4-yard TD pass to make it 17-10.

After getting the second-half kickoff, the Eagles drove 86 yards for another touchdown. Peters was injured during the series, and fans chanted his name while teammates surrounded the cart.

Wentz finished the drive off with a play that Peters would appreciate.

While being hit by two defenders and falling forward, Wentz lofted a 9-yard TD pass to Corey Clement.

Wentz fired a 10-yard TD pass to Nelson Agholor to expand the lead to 31-17. Wentz kept that drive alive by escaping a sack and running 17 yards on third-and-8.

Cousins tossed a 7-yard touchdown pass to Chris Thompson to give the Redskins a 10-3 lead. He connected with Jordan Reed on a 5-yard TD to cut the deficit to 24-17 and threw a 12-yard pass to Reed to cap the scoring.

The Eagles were penalized on four straight plays to start their first possession before Wentz was intercepted by Quinton Dunbar on a deep pass to Torrey Smith on second-and-31.

Philadelphia swept Washington for the first time since 2013 and has a commanding lead in the NFC East. The Cowboys and Redskins are tied for second place.

INJURIES

Redskins: LT Trent Williams (knee), CB Fabian Moreau (hamstring), RG Brandon Scherff (knee) and LB Preston Smith (groin) were hurt.

Eagles: LB Jordan Hicks (ankle) got hurt on the first series. Peters was replaced by Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

MIA

Redskins WR Terrelle Pryor had two catches for 14 yards and didn't start.

HEY ROOKIE

Eagles first-round pick Derek Barnett had his first two-sack game.

STREAK OVER

Eagles kicker Jake Elliott connected from 50 and 42 yards before he missed from 45 yards, ending his streak at 12 straight field goals. Four of those were from beyond 50 yards, including a 61-yarder.

HALL OF FAME

Six-time Pro Bowl kicker David Akers was inducted into the Eagles' Hall of Fame at halftime. Akers is the team's all-time leader in regular-season points (1,323) and games (188) and postseason points (134) and games (19).

UP NEXT

Redskins: Host the Dallas Cowboys (3-3).

Eagles: Host the San Francisco 49ers (0-7).

[StarDust Bum]

Books win small in Week 7
October 23, 2017

You know the Las Vegas sports books have bettors right where they want them when favorites go 9-2-2 against-the-spread in Sunday's NFL Week 7 action and they're still able to come away with a win. After beating the public up a little bit the past weeks where the favorites didn't do as well, bettors were scratching theirs heads with confusion of who to bet, at least those that still had money left in their pockets to bet.

"It was an okay day, but not a day of big decisions while we also got a push on the Bills and Dolphins," said Station Casinos sports book director Jason McCormick. "Bears was a sharp side that cashed but the other moves on Packers, Giants, Ravens and Broncos went down. Public parlays and parlays cards did well with fan favorites like the Steelers, Seahawks, Jaguars and Cowboys."

MGM Resorts 10 books along the strip had a similar story citing handle was down as well.

"Fair day, we didn't have any real big decisions," Mirage sports book hub manager Jeff Stoneback. "We won two of out four biggest decisions, we won with the Chargers late, but lost with the Cowboys. It was a nice day, but nothing great."

Had it been Week 1 and the same type of favorite ratio with all the excited cash churning through the bet windows the books would have got buried. Anyway, the Chargers won their third straight game after starting 0-3. They beat the Broncos 21-0 to give them their first win at their new stadium in Carson, CA. The stadium was was filled with fans wearing the color orange.

The books even got a break with the lowly Browns (+6) covering a spread. They still lost, this time in overtime at home -- 12-9, but it turned out to be the most bet game of the week at William Hill's 107 sports books across the state. They reported 16 percent of their overall cash bet on the games during the week to be on the Titans-Browns and 84 percent of the cash taken on the game was on the Titans.

One team the bettors were really correct about was the Cowboys laying 6.5 at San Francisco and cover easily in a 40-10 win, which also got the Over (47.5) to cash -- both popular two-team parlays hooked up together. The 49ers had been gritty with covers most of the season, but the Cowboys looked Super Bowlish with Ezekeil Elliott back in the lineup.

The late game featured a Super Bowl rematch with the Falcons at a foggy New England with the Patriots number dropping from -3.5 down to -2.5.

"Lots of straight bet Falcons money, but parlay liability rolls on Pats and Over," said McCormick prior to kickoff.

I had a time wondering why bettors were jumping on the sluggish Falcons. They look kind of broken.

"It's an unusual position needing the Patriots in an isolated night game, but we got a lot of sharp on the Falcons. We're 2/1 tickets on the Patriots but 2/1 on Atlanta cash."

The Falcons looked like they didn't want to be there and lost 23-7, getting their lone score in the fourth quarter. But hey, at least Julio Jones finally caught a TD pass.

Most books came a really good Saturday.

"Saturday was really good for us, the Notre Dame game was great for us, but Michigan was a bad loss," Stoneback said. "But overall between baseball and the entire day of college football it was great."

It's back to the drawing board for bettors. The books got them right where they want them -- guessing.

[StarDust Bum]

Books adjust to NFC race
October 23, 2017

The NFC Futures Is Wide Open

Would you believe it if I told you that the Philadelphia Eagles are the favorites to win the NFC? Like, the whole conference? Well it’s true. The Eagles have seen one of the most dramatic decreases in the odds to win the NFC market but that’s not the whole story.

The problem is that this is Philadelphia and we’re not even at the halfway point of the season yet. There’s enough reasons to believe that Philadelphia’s rise is sustainable, but there’s also plenty of justification for almost every other team in the conference outside of the San Francisco 49ers, Chicago Bears, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals.

Check out the futures odds to win the NFC in 2017 listed below.

Best NFC Futures Odds - per BetOnline.ag

ODDS TO WIN 2017 NFC
Team Preseason Odds Current Odds
Philadelphia Eagles +2000 +350
Seattle Seahawks +500 +400
New Orleans Saints +2000 +800
Atlanta Falcons +700 +1000
Dallas Cowboys +500 +1000
Minnesota Vikings +1200 +1000
Washington Redskins +2000 +1600
Los Angeles Rams +5000 +1600
Carolina Panthers +1100 +1600
Green Bay Packers +500 +2000

This conference is such a mess that the Seahawks and Saints, who seemed like write offs after three weeks, are now the two other favorites in the NFC. It’s bonkers.

Want to know how volatile how the league is this year? Last week, the Eagles were the only team that ranked in the top-10 in both points for and points against. Philadelphia still have to contend with the Redskins on Monday Night as -5.5 point favorites, but it’s unlikely that Cousins is held below the 20.3 average the opposing Eagles currently maintain.

My point is, in one week, those rankings have completely shifted. The two teams who rank in the top-10 for points scored and points against are now Jacksonville (9th and 2nd) and the freaking Los Angeles Rams (1st and 10th). Yes. The Jaguars and the Rams are the most “complete” teams through seven weeks of NFL betting. For the record, the Eagles have dropped to 12th on that list defensively.

A big part of that is the amount of shutouts that are happening this year and they all seem to be completely at random. This past weekend alone, the Rams and Jaguars blanked their opponents which explains the rapid jump in their statistical rankings on defence. It makes it even harder to really sniff out which teams are good in this regard, and which teams aren’t.

Grading the value on NFL futures markets is pretty fun if you look at who makes the oddsmakers nervous. The Vikings have no business on this list with Case Keenum as their quarterback yet they’re right in the mix at +1000. They share the same price as the massive public entity known as the Dallas Cowboys and the defending NFC champion Atlanta Falcons (who also look terrible).

Historically, NFL betting seasons that are volatile tend to level out deeper in to the playoffs. There’s always 3 to 4 teams in each conference that hold sway. But this year is different and the season ending injury to Aaron Rodgers is the big catalyst. The Packers have gone from favorites to win the conference, to +2000 as an afterthought.

The Rams, Eagles, Vikings and Saints are leading their divisions right now. In the NFC East, you can’t write off the Cowboys or the Redskins. The Saints would be idiots to ignore the Falcons no matter how bad they’ve been recently. The Vikings seem like the safest but again, they have Case Keenum so who the hell knows. And in the NFC West, the Rams are going to be hunted down by the Seahawks all year long.

To put things simply, the NFC market is absolutely wide open. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Eagles came back to earth over the next four weeks and I also wouldn’t be surprised if the Falcons rose to the height of their power. Everything is one the table. The Bucs could make a run. Who knows?!

For gamblers, this is a betting nightmare because no commodity in the NFL futures is stable when it comes to the NFC Championship. So what do you do? Invest where there’s value. The Rams at +1600 for some crazy reason that doesn’t feel tangible, feel like the best bet.

Strangely enough, the pick that feels like it’s the sturdiest is the Seattle Seahawks at +400. They know how to win with an incomplete roster and their defence might be the best in the NFL. Russell Wilson also feels like he’s about to go on an MVP caliber run.

This is still a quarterbacks league. Cousins was obliterated in the playoffs in 2015 by Green Bay. He’s certainly improved but the team around him isn’t talented overall. Wentz and Goff have never been to the post season. Dak and the Cowboys have a terrible defence, and questions surrounding Zeke Elliot’s eligibility for the balance of the season.

The whole goddamn thing is a mess and I love it to death. Go with where your gut tells you to. At this point in the NFL season, there are no bad bets in the NFC futures.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

— Mets named Indians pitching coach Mickey Calloway their new manager.

— Red Sox will name Astros bench coach Alex Cora their new manager.

— Last year’s Houston Rockets tried 40+ 3-pointers in half of their 82 games; the team with next highest number in one season was 12 games- the Rockets in 2015.

— UTEP, Oregon State, Georgia Southern have all fired their football coach, and the World Series hasn’t even started yet.

— When Chargers shut Denver out 21-0 Sunday, it was the first time the Broncos had been shut out since 1992.

— Eagles 34, Redskins 24— Kirk Cousins is now 0-9 on weeknights, 0-6 on Monday nights.

***********************

Tuesday’s List of 13: Nobody asked me, but……..

13) Statistics are fun, they can be educational, but they can also be really misleading; take the Carolina Panthers’ defensive stats, which should be really good this week, because Carolina’s offense was so terrible that Chicago scored two defensive TD’s early on, then just sat on their 14-0 lead and didn’t even try to score with the ball. Bears had five first downs, gained 153 yards on 37 plays for the whole game, but they won by two TD’s. Very unusual.

12) I’d be curious to know in all the fantasy football leagues around the country, what the teams’ records were in Week 7 that had Aaron Rodgers on them? I had Rodgers on my team when he got hurt in 2013; lets just say things didn’t go too well from that point on.

11) We post the six most popular picks in the Westgate SuperContest each week; thru seven weeks, those picks are just 15-27 vs spread, which means sports books are making a killing so far this season. Handicapping the NFL is a minefield that is very tough to navigate.

10) Cleveland Browns’ tackle Joe Thomas played 10 years and six games without missing a single play, a streak more impressive than Cal Ripken’s iron man streak, but he got hurt Sunday and is now out for the season with a triceps injury. Thomas is a future Hall of Famer.

9) Cubs fired pitching coach Chris Bosio; they won the World Series last year, did Bosio get a lot dumber all of a sudden?

San Francisco Giants also re-assigned most of their coaches, including pitching coach Dave Righetti, who had been in that job since 2000. Giants won three World Series in this decade; maybe they should re-assign the person who put together such an aging roster this past season.

8) Army’s football team has already accepted a bowl bid, to the Armed Forces Bowl on Dec 23. At 6-2, the Cadets are having a breakthrough season.

7) Ole Miss QB Shea Patterson is out for the year after getting hurt against LSU Saturday nite. Been a rough year for the Rebels, who are playing with an interim head coach.

6) Dallas Cowboys kicker Dan Bailey tweaked a leg muscle in San Francisco Sunday; one of the Cowboys’ safeties (Jeff Heath) kicked a field goal, banking it in off the right upright. Cowboys are holding tryouts for a backup kicker this week.

5) This is how competitive pro golf is around the world: In fall of 2016, 30 guys won their cards for the European Tour for 2017 at Q-School. Of those 30 guys, only two have their cards for 2018.

4) Michigan State has a running back named LJ Scott who is pretty good, but he’s been arrested seven times, all for roughly the same thing— unpaid traffic tickets, driving without a license or with a suspended license. How do they keep letting him play? It is mostly harmless stuff, but it shows a lack of respect for rules and sends a bad message that he is playing.

Back in the day, my man Jerry Tarkanian would’ve done this: assign a staff member to take care of his traffic issues for him. Drive him to DMV to pay his fines and renew his license. The better the kid was, the more important it was to keep him eligible and out of trouble.

3) I’m watching 76ers-Pistons game as I type this; game is in Detroit’s new downtown arena and the crowd there is really small. Does every NBA team make money?

2) Denver Broncos have played two road games, scoring one TD on 23 drives; should they explore trading for Eli Manning? Giants are on their bye week; Denver could use a QB. Giants might need to start a rebuilding process.

1) Cleveland Browns should sign Colin Kaepernick; it would diffuse his lawsuit against the NFL, then people could see in plain view whether he is still good enough to keep playing in the league. Plus, there is no way he is worse than the three suspects who’ve been playing QB for the Browns this season. Then they can draft a top-flight QB prospect next April and move on.

[StarDust Bum]

Opening Line Report - Week 8
October 23, 2017

Several teams who came into the season considered Super Bowl contenders have been unimpressive in spots to start the season. Have the Patriots, Seahawks, Steelers, Cowboys and Raiders done enough in more recent performances, including this past weekend’s, to sway the opinions of the betting market?

Here are early lines for Week 8 of the 2017 NFL season. Point spreads and totals are the Las Vegas consensus as of about 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday.

Thursday, Oct. 26

Miami Dolphins at Baltimore Ravens (-3.5, 37.5)

This game bounced between Baltimore -3.5 and -3 (-120) during early wagering in Vegas, while the total is the lowest on the Week 8 board.

Sunday, Oct 29

Minnesota Vikings (-8.5, 38) vs. Cleveland Browns (in London)

Minnesota opened -8.5 on Sunday at the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, where the line was bet as low as -7.5 before moving back up the ladder to -9.5. Monday afternoon, the number ranged between 8 and 9.5 around town.

Chicago Bears at New Orleans Saints (-8.5, 48)

As handicappers choose between two of the NFL’s best bets this season – Chicago is 5-2 ATS, New Orleans is 4-2 ATS – the spread opened 8.5 at the Westgate, regressed to 7.5, but bet back up to 9.

Atlanta Falcons (-4.5, 46.5) at New York Jets

The Westgate posted Falcons -6.5 before the team’s latest disappointment – a 23-7 loss at New England – and reopened them -4.5 on Monday. Since then, the number was bet up to -5.5 before an adjustment in the other direction to -4.5.

Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Bucs (-2.5, 44)

Most Vegas shops opened this game Tampa -2.5, and while it’s been as high as -3 (even) and as low as -2 in early wagering at the Westgate, the line seems to have settled at 2.5.

San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles (-10.5, 47.5)

While they’ve yet to win a game this season, the 49ers had been ultra-competitive, keeping the final score of five straight games within a field goal. That run ended with a 40-10 loss at home to Dallas, and now they have to get back on the road to the East Coast, where Philly has been bet as high as -11.5.

Oakland Raiders at Buffalo Bills (-2.5, 46)

Most of the +3s that were hung on this game were snapped up by underdog bettors, as Vegas sports books were dealing Buffalo -2.5 on Monday.

Indianapolis Colts at Cincinnati Bengals (-10, 41)

The opening number of Cincy -9.5 at multiple shops wasn’t big enough, as gamblers laid the points and pushed the line to double digits.

Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots (-7/-120, 49)

New England opened -5 and was bet to -5.5 at the Westgate on Sunday night, but the book reopened the Pats -7 on Monday, the morning after the team’s aforementioned win over Atlanta.

“You have to have respect anything the Patriots do positive,” said Westgate oddsmaker Ed Salmons. “It’s hard to tell if their defense was that much better (Sunday) or it’s more a sign of what’s going on with Atlanta and their play calling, but you have to respect what you saw. It doesn’t take much for the Patriots to get back to being the favorites to win the Super Bowl, and that definitely did it.”

At 7/2 odds (Bet $100 to win $350) on the Westgate’s updated futures board, New England again has the shortest price to emerge victorious Feb. 4, 2018 in Minneapolis.

Houston Texans at Seattle Seahawks (-5.5, 45)

After a rocky 1-2 start, Seattle has reeled off three straight wins and covers. Salmons, though, still doesn’t like the way the Seahawks are starting games (they trailed at halftime in those recent wins over the Giants and Colts and were tied at the half against the Rams).

“I’m to the point with Seattle where I believe it’s just terrible coaching on offense. They purposely play not to score until they have to,” Salmons said. “They score some points in the second half. … I don’t understand why they don’t start the game like that.”

As of Monday, Texans backers can find +6 for next week’s trip to Seattle

Dallas Cowboys at Washington Redskins (pick ‘em, 49)

While most books are dealing this NFC East rivalry game a pick ‘em, CG Technology has Washington the 1-point chalk.

The Cowboys’ win at San Francisco on Sunday evened their record to 3-3, but it’s going to take beating teams better than the 49ers, Cardinals and Giants to impress Salmons.

Salmons said he was anticipating the 49ers to crack last week at Washington, as they were playing their third straight road game and coming off two straight overtime games.

“It just happened one week later. The Niners cracked (Sunday), and it was just too much to overcome,” Salmons said. “And Dallas was off the bye, so it set up well for them.”

He added, “Until Dallas can play a really good team on the road and show me something, I’m not buying into Dallas.”

Pittsburgh Steelers (-3, 45) at Detroit Lions

There’s been no movement off the key number since Pitt was installed as the field-goal road favorite for the Week 8 Sunday nighter, although the vig has some variance.

Said Salmons, “Power-rating wise, Pittsburgh is the clear second in the AFC behind the Patriots, and it’s really close (between those two) right now.”

Monday, Oct. 30

Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs (-7.5, 44)

The Westgate opened Kansas City -7 on Sunday night, with a move to -7.5 (even) on Monday. The Chiefs are still available at -7 flat for those looking to lay the points. While K.C. has lost two straight, the Broncos’ nose dive appears to be worse, as they’ve lost three of four and were shut out by the Chargers on Sunday.