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NFL Today, Week 9
November 4, 2018

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Nov. 5.

Tennessee at Dallas, 8:15 p.m. Amari Cooper makes his debut for the Cowboys (3-4) after being acquired by Oakland on Tuesday, giving Dak Prescott a new No. 1 wide receiver and potentially giving a boost to a passing game that ranks a lowly 29th in the NFL. Marcus Mariota and the Titans (3-4) have lost three in a row, but two of those defeats were by one point each.

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STARS

Passing

- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, passed for 375 yards, threw three touchdown passes - two to Travis Kelce - and continued the best start by an NFL quarterback in 68 years as Kansas City rolled to a 37-21 win at Cleveland.

- Drew Brees, Saints, passed for 346 yards and four touchdowns to help New Orleans to its seventh straight win, 45-35 over the previously undefeated Los Angeles Rams.

- Matt Ryan, Falcons, completed 26 of 38 passes for 350 yards and four touchdowns to lead Atlanta to a 38-14 victory at Washington.

- Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers, threw two touchdown passes, ran for a score and even put up an unexpected left-footed punt to help Pittsburgh beat Baltimore 23-16.

- Jared Goff, Rams, passed for 391 yards and three TDs with an interception in Los Angeles' first loss of the season, 45-35 at New Orleans.

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Rushing

- Kareem Hunt, Chiefs, had two scoring runs and finished with 91 yards on 17 carries and also had a 50-yard TD reception in Kansas City's 37-21 win at Cleveland.

- Melvin Gordon, Chargers, ran for 113 yards and a touchdown on 16 attempts in Los Angeles' 25-17 victory at Seattle.

- James Conner, Steelers, rushed for 107 yards and caught a TD pass in Pittsburgh's 23-16 victory at Cleveland.

- Christian McCaffrey, Panthers, racked up 157 yards from scrimmage and scored twice to help lift Carolina past Tampa Bay 42-28.

- Jordan Howard, Bears, ran for two TDs in Chicago's 41-9 victory at Buffalo.

- Alvin Kamara, Saints, had 82 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 19 carries and had four catches for 34 yards, including a 16-yard TD, in New Orleans' 45-35 win over the Los Angeles Rams.

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Receiving

- Michael Thomas, Saints, had 12 catches and capped a club-record 211-yard receiving game with a late 72-yard touchdown in New Orleans' 45-35 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

- Julio Jones, Falcons, had seven receptions for 121 yards and his first touchdown since last November, helping Atlanta to a 38-14 win at Washington.

- Maurice Harris, Redskins, caught 10 passes for 124 yards in Washington's 38-14 loss to Atlanta.

- Travis Kelce, Chiefs, caught two touchdown passes to help Kansas City breeze past Cleveland 37-21.

- DeAndre Hopkins, Texans, had 10 receptions for 105 yards and a TD in Houston's 19-17 win at Denver.

- Duke Johnson, Browns, had two touchdown catches and the running back finished with nine receptions for 78 yards in Cleveland's 37-21 loss to Kansas City.

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Special Teams

- Tarik Cohen, Bears, had a video game-like 38-yard punt return, filled with a handful of twists, turns and missed tackles to help set up a touchdown in Chicago's 41-9 win at Buffalo.

- Justin Tucker, Ravens, kicked three field goals in Baltimore's 23-16 loss to Pittsburgh.

- Matt Prater, Lions, accounted for all of Detroit's points in a 24-9 loss at Minnesota.

- Cody Parkey, Bears, kicked two field goals and made five extra points as Chicago cruised to a 41-9 victory in Buffalo.

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Defense

- Danielle Hunter, Vikings, had 3+ of Minnesota's franchise-record 10 sacks plus a fourth-quarter 32-yard fumble return for a touchdown, along with nine tackles and four quarterback hits in a 24-9 victory over Minnesota.

- Eddie Jackson and Leonard Floyd, Bears. Jackson scored on a 65-yard fumble return and Floyd returned a tipped pass 19 yards for another in Chicago's 41-9 rout of Buffalo.

- Jerome Baker, Dolphins, intercepted Sam Darnold and scored the only touchdown on a 25-yard return with 11 minutes left, and a resilient defense helped the Miami Dolphins beat the New York Jets 13-6 on Sunday.

- Desmond King, Chargers, returned an interception 42 yards for a game-sealing touchdown in Los Angeles' 25-17 win at Seattle.

- Mario Addison, Panthers, had three sacks in Carolina's 42-28 win over Tampa Bay.

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MILESTONES

Philip Rivers of the Los Angeles Chargers started in his 200th consecutive game, a 25-17 win at Seattle. He joined Brett Favre, Eli Manning and Peyton Manning as the quarterbacks in league history to start at least 200 games. Favre started an NFL-record 297 straight times in the regular season. ... Atlanta's Matt Ryan had 350 yards passing in a 38-14 victory at Washington, his 50th game with at least 300 yards to join New Orleans' Drew Brees (57) as the only players to have 50 in their first 11 seasons.

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STREAKS & STATS

Minnesota's Adam Thielen had his streak of 100-yard receiving games end at eight in a row, leaving him in a tie for the NFL record with Detroit's Calvin Johnson. ... Carolina scored touchdowns on five straight possessions to build a 35-7 lead en route to its 10th straight win at home, 42-28 over Tampa Bay. ... Miami coach Adam Gase improved to 5-1 against the New York Jets, including two wins this year. ... Pittsburgh's James Conner has 10 touchdowns, the most by a Steelers player through eight games since 1950. He has four games with at least 100 yards rushing, 50 yards receiving and at least one touchdown this season, the most such games by a player in a single season in NFL history. ... Steelers WR Antonio Brown has nine TD catches, a team record through eight games. ... Danielle Hunter had 3+ of Minnesota's franchise-record 10 sacks plus a fourth-quarter fumble return for a touchdown. ... Buffalo quarterback Nathan Peterman's 1-yard run with 5:41 left in a 41-9 loss was the first TD run allowed by Chicago this season. It also ended the Bills' touchdown drought at 187 minutes and 19 seconds.

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PASSING PATRICK

Patrick Mahomes passed for 375 yards, threw three touchdown passes - two to Travis Kelce - and continued the best start by an NFL quarterback in 68 years as Kansas City's offense kept rolling with a 37-21 win over the Cleveland Browns. In his second season, Mahomes, who made just one start as a rookie, already has 29 TD passes and 3,185 yards, the most by any QB through 10 games since 1950. He has passed for at least 300 yards in eight straight games.

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SAME OLD

Cleveland played its first game under interim coach Gregg Williams and lost its fourth straight, 37-21 to Kansas City. Hue Jackson was fired last Monday after going 3-36-1 in two-plus seasons.

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DARNOLD'S DUD

Jerome Baker scored the game's only TD on a 25-yard interception return of a pass by Sam Darnold with 11 minutes left in Miami's 13-6 win over the New York Jets. Darnold threw four interceptions and took four sacks, and the Jets went 2 for 15 on third and fourth down. The rookie quarterback went 21 for 39 for 229 yards and a passer rating of 31.8. He came into the game tied for the NFL lead with 10 interceptions , and the four picks were a new high.

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DROUGHT DONE

Julio Jones caught a 35-yard scoring pass from Matt Ryan in the fourth quarter against the Washington Redskins, dragging safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix on the way into the end zone. His score helped Atlanta beat Washington 38-14. It was Jones' first touchdown since Nov. 26, 2017. He had played in 12 games since his previous score.

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ACTION JACKSON

Chicago safety Eddie Jackson had a 65-yard fumble-return touchdown in the Bears' 41-9 victory at Buffalo. Jackson, who had a 76-yard interception return for a TD and a 75-yard fumble return for a score against Carolina on Oct. 22, 2017, joined Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders (three touchdowns in 1994) as the only players since 1970 with at least three defensive TDs of 65 or more yards over any two-year span.

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SHARING SECRETS

Former NFL receiver Steve Smith acknowledged on the NFL Network he left his Carolina Panthers' playbook for his new team, the Baltimore Ravens, to find when he was released in 2013. It's not unusual for players to share secrets about their former team after being released or waived, but it is difficult to recall anyone talking about it publicly. ''When I came in I had the playbook and said, `It will be on my desk and what you do with it is on you,'" Smith recalled. Smith said the playbook was missing from his locker for a couple of days before it was returned and he took it home. Smith said he had a copy of the Panthers' playbook because it was given to him by another player who was cut a couple years before he was released by the team. Smith said he thought the playbook might be helpful if he got into coaching after his playing career.

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FITTING TRIBUTE

Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger wore cleats emblazoned with a Star of David in response to the late-October shooting at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh. The Star of David was in yellow and served as the upper part of the Steelers logo. There were also the words, ''Stronger Than Hate'' on each shoe. Roethlisberger and his wife are friends of Michele Rosenthal, a former team employee. Two of Rosenthal's brothers were among the 11 killed in the attack.

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BUNCHES OF SACKS

Nine of the franchise-record 10 sacks by Minnesota in the Vikings' 24-10 win over Detroit came from its front four, including 2+ by backup defensive tackle Tom Johnson. During the heyday of the Purple People Eaters, the Vikings had nine sacks in a game in 1968, 1969 and 1970. They also did it in 1993. But this was the record-setter, thanks to a well-timed mix of blitzes called by coach Mike Zimmer and the relentless rush by Danielle Hunter, who had 3+, and his friends up front.

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SWING AND A MISS

Los Angeles Chargers kicker Caleb Sturgis missed two extra points and a 42-yard field goal attempt in a 25-17 win at Seattle. Sturgis is the first kicker with a missed extra point and missed field goal in three straight games since Raiders kicker Jim Breech in 1979.

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HAPPY HOMECOMING

Brandon McManus missed a 51-yard field goal as time expired, leaving Demaryius Thomas a winner in his homecoming as the Houston Texans escaped Denver with a 19-17 win over the Broncos. Thomas finished with three receptions for 61 yards, but two of them were back-to-back for 31 and 18 yards on the Texans' opening touchdown drive. Thomas had started all 114 games for the Broncos since Jan. 8, 2012, when he caught an 80-yard touchdown pass from Tim Tebow on the first snap of overtime to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 29-23. This time, he drew loud ovations when he emerged from the tunnel for pregame stretch and again during a video tribute after ''The Star-Spangled Banner.'' Outside the stadium, the Broncos put up a giant ''Thank you, D.T.'' banner at the bottom of a 10-story-high image of Thomas next to one of Von Miller.

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HELLO?

Michael Thomas caught a late 72-yard touchdown reception and then celebrated with a cellphone in a throwback to another famous New Orleans play, and the streaking Saints handed the Los Angeles Rams their first loss of the season with a 45-35 win. Thomas' long TD came on a pivotal third-down play with about four minutes to go, when the Rams seemed to expect the Saints to run a play closer to the first-down marker. Thomas ran free behind Marcus Peters, caught Brees' long throw virtually in stride and ran straight to the goal post, where he got out an old-school flip phone - reminiscent of Joe Horn's Sunday night TD celebration in 2003. Like Horn, Thomas was penalized, but the Rams never threatened after that.

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SIDELINED

Cleveland defensive backs Denzel Ward and E.J. Gaines left with injuries in the first quarter of a loss to Kansas City. Ward was sidelined by a hip injury, and Gaines sustained a concussion. Linebacker Christian Kirksey also departed with a hamstring injury, and the short-handed Browns allowed 499 yards in a 37-21 loss to Patrick Mahomes and the high-scoring Chiefs. ... Already without left tackle Trent Williams after right thumb surgery, Washington lost left guard Shaun Lauvao to a left knee injury and right guard Brandon Scherff to a left shoulder injury. Lauvao got hurt on the third play of the game and was taken off the sideline in a wheelchair. ... Miami left tackle Laremy Tunsil left in the fourth quarter of the Dolphins' 13-6 win over the New York Jets because of a knee injury. ... Denver center Matt Paradis sustained a serious right ankle injury when quarterback Case Keenum rolled up on him just before halftime of their 19-17 loss to Houston. Paradis had never missed a snap in his four-year career.

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SPEAKING

''We feel that we can do what we want to do. We've got roadblocks, which are great defenses on other teams, trying to stop us, but we've always said - and no disrespect to other teams - they don't stop us, we stop ourselves.'' - Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger after the Steelers beat Baltimore 23-16.

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''The talent level we have on this team is extremely scary.'' - Carolina quarterback Cam Newton after the Panthers' 10th straight home win, 42-28 over Tampa Bay.

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''Ha, I might be looking for another job here soon.'' - a joking Chicago linebacker Khalil Mack after the Bears' defense had another good showing without him, this time a 41-9 win at Buffalo. Mack has been sidelined the last two games by a right ankle injury.

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Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……

Saints 45, Rams 35— New Orleans had 18 first downs, three TD’s on its first 32 plays in this game; then they blew a 35-14 lead- wild game, but they pulled away late. Saints have won their last seven games; average total in their four home games is 67.3.

Former NFL ref Gene Steratore posted this Sunday morning:

“Through Week 8, the average number of penalties accepted per game is 13.4- that is the fewest since 2013. Despite what most may think, the refs are letting them play this season.”

Vikings 24, Lions 9— Minnesota is now 10-0 vs spread (9-1 SU) in its last nine pre-bye games; they’ve won four of last five games. Yardage in this game was just 283-209, and game was indoors. Under Zimmer, Minnesota is 21-7 as home favorites, 3-2 this year.

Vikings sacked Stafford 10 times; in its last two games, Detroit has run ball for 34-66 yards. Obviously, they’ve got some issues on the offensive line.

Chiefs 37, Browns 21— Cleveland looked better on offense with Kitchens calling plays, but Kansas City has it rolling right now- KC averaged 10.6 yards/pass attempt, had an 11-yard edge in field position. Chiefs had a 499-388 edge in yardage.

Chiefs won/covered 8 of their last 9 games; they’re 10-3 in last 13 games as road favorites. Cleveland is 6-16-1 in its last 23 games as a home dog; they lost last four games, giving up an average of 33.5 ppg.

Steelers 23, Ravens 16— One of key plays in this game was a 22-yard pass by backup QB Dobbs to Smith-Schuster when Steelers were backed up on own 5-yard line with 20-13 lead and 12:35 left to play- drive ended in a clinching FG. It was Dobbs’ only play of the game. This was just second win for Steelers in their last six visits here.

Pittsburgh converted 10-16 on third down, outgained Baltimore 395-268 in a game with no turnovers. Ravens lost their last three games, are 4-5 heading into their bye week.

Panthers 42, Buccaneers 28— Three of Carolina’s six TD’s came on drives of 42 or fewer yards; Panthers ran ball for 179 yards, are looking strong- they’re a game behind New Orleans in NFC South- teams have two meetings coming up.

In their last six games, Bucs are an astounding minus-17 in turnovers. Over is 7-1 in Tampa Bay games; hard to believe the Bucs won’t be cleaning house again when this season ends- they allowed 30+ points in five of their last six games.

Dolphins 13, Jets 6— This was an unusual boxscore:
— Jets’ offense ran 64 plays; they were outscored on those 7-6 by Miami’s defense.
— Neither team scored an offensive touchdown.
— Total yardage was 282-168, Jets- Miami had only 7 first downs.
— Teams combined to convert only five of 29 third down plays.
— There was only one play the whole game inside either team’s red zone.
— Not many team go +4 in turnovers and score only 13 points.

Bears 41, Bills 9— This was an even more unusual boxscore:
— Chicago led 28-0 at the half; their defense scored two of the TD’s.
— The other two first half TD’s came on drives of only 37-23 yards.
— Total yardage was 264-190 Bills, and they lost by 32 points.
— Bills turned ball over four times (-3); Bears had 18-yard edge in field position, and thats not counting their two defensive TD’s.
— What Buffalo has done this year is just astoundingly bad; they made the playoffs LY for first time in 19 years, but quickly traded LY’s QB and are now the worst team in the NFL.
— New England’s three AFC East rivals scored a total of 28 points Sunday.

Falcons 38, Redskins 14— Atlanta was 10-13 on third down in this game; they’ve converted 42 of last 68 third down plays- this was their first win in three outdoor games this season.

NFC East teams are 1-8 vs spread as non-divisional favorites this season. Washington leads that division with an unimpressive 5-3 record.

Texans 19, Broncos 17— Houston is first team since the 1970 New York Giants to start a season 0-3, then win their next six games. Broncos missed a 51-yard FG wide right in the last minute.

Denver lost six of its last seven games, appears headed to its first consecutive losing seasons since the mid-70’s- they’re 2-5-2 in last nine games as home favorites. Under is 4-1 in last five Houston games, 6-2 in last eight Denver games.

Chargers 25, Seahawks 17— Seattle is now 1-8 vs spread in last nine games as home favorites. Chargers won their last five games overall- they won here despite converting on only 2-9 third down plays, and missing three of four PAT’s. Bolts are now 4-0 outside Los Angeles.

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Monday’s Den: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday……

Saints 45, Rams 35— New Orleans had 18 first downs, three TD’s on its first 32 plays in this game; then they blew a 35-14 lead- wild game, but they pulled away late. Saints have won their last seven games; average total in their four home games is 67.3.

Former NFL ref Gene Steratore posted this Sunday morning:

“Through Week 8, the average number of penalties accepted per game is 13.4- that is the fewest since 2013. Despite what most may think, the refs are letting them play this season.”

Vikings 24, Lions 9— Minnesota is now 10-0 vs spread (9-1 SU) in its last nine pre-bye games; they’ve won four of last five games. Yardage in this game was just 283-209, and game was indoors. Under Zimmer, Minnesota is 21-7 as home favorites, 3-2 this year.

Vikings sacked Stafford 10 times; in its last two games, Detroit has run ball for 34-66 yards. Obviously, they’ve got some issues on the offensive line.

Chiefs 37, Browns 21— Cleveland looked better on offense with Kitchens calling plays, but Kansas City has it rolling right now- KC averaged 10.6 yards/pass attempt, had an 11-yard edge in field position. Chiefs had a 499-388 edge in yardage.

Chiefs won/covered 8 of their last 9 games; they’re 10-3 in last 13 games as road favorites. Cleveland is 6-16-1 in its last 23 games as a home dog; they lost last four games, giving up an average of 33.5 ppg.

Steelers 23, Ravens 16— One of key plays in this game was a 22-yard pass by backup QB Dobbs to Smith-Schuster when Steelers were backed up on own 5-yard line with 20-13 lead and 12:35 left to play- drive ended in a clinching FG. It was Dobbs’ only play of the game. This was just second win for Steelers in their last six visits here.

Pittsburgh converted 10-16 on third down, outgained Baltimore 395-268 in a game with no turnovers. Ravens lost their last three games, are 4-5 heading into their bye week.

Panthers 42, Buccaneers 28— Three of Carolina’s six TD’s came on drives of 42 or fewer yards; Panthers ran ball for 179 yards, are looking strong- they’re a game behind New Orleans in NFC South- teams have two meetings coming up.

In their last six games, Bucs are an astounding minus-17 in turnovers. Over is 7-1 in Tampa Bay games; hard to believe the Bucs won’t be cleaning house again when this season ends- they allowed 30+ points in five of their last six games.

Dolphins 13, Jets 6— This was an unusual boxscore:
— Jets’ offense ran 64 plays; they were outscored on those 7-6 by Miami’s defense.
— Neither team scored an offensive touchdown.
— Total yardage was 282-168, Jets- Miami had only 7 first downs.
— Teams combined to convert only five of 29 third down plays.
— There was only one play the whole game inside either team’s red zone.
— Not many team go +4 in turnovers and score only 13 points.

Bears 41, Bills 9— This was an even more unusual boxscore:
— Chicago led 28-0 at the half; their defense scored two of the TD’s.
— The other two first half TD’s came on drives of only 37-23 yards.
— Total yardage was 264-190 Bills, and they lost by 32 points.
— Bills turned ball over four times (-3); Bears had 18-yard edge in field position, and thats not counting their two defensive TD’s.
— What Buffalo has done this year is just astoundingly bad; they made the playoffs LY for first time in 19 years, but quickly traded LY’s QB and are now the worst team in the NFL.
— New England’s three AFC East rivals scored a total of 28 points Sunday.

Falcons 38, Redskins 14— Atlanta was 10-13 on third down in this game; they’ve converted 42 of last 68 third down plays- this was their first win in three outdoor games this season.

NFC East teams are 1-8 vs spread as non-divisional favorites this season. Washington leads that division with an unimpressive 5-3 record.

Texans 19, Broncos 17— Houston is first team since the 1970 New York Giants to start a season 0-3, then win their next six games. Broncos missed a 51-yard FG wide right in the last minute.

Denver lost six of its last seven games, appears headed to its first consecutive losing seasons since the mid-70’s- they’re 2-5-2 in last nine games as home favorites. Under is 4-1 in last five Houston games, 6-2 in last eight Denver games.

Chargers 25, Seahawks 17— Seattle is now 1-8 vs spread in last nine games as home favorites. Chargers won their last five games overall- they won here despite converting on only 2-9 third down plays, and missing three of four PAT’s. Bolts are now 4-0 outside Los Angeles.

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NFLNovember's Best Bets and Opinions

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

11/04/2018 9-12-0 42.86% -21.00
11/01/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00

Totals..............9 - 14........39.13%.....-32.00


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Best Bets For November

DATE........................ATS..................U NITS....................O/U................UNITS..............TOTAL

11/04/2018..............3 - 4.................-7.00......................3 - 4...............-7.00...............-14.00
11/01/2018..............0 - 1.................-5.50......................0 - 1...............-5.50...............-11.00

Totals......................3 - 5.................-12.50.....................3 - 5...............-12.50..............-25.00

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MNF - Titans at Cowboys
Kevin Rogers

LAST GAME

Both these teams are off the bye last week as each squad looks to climb back to the .500 mark. The Titans (3-4 SU, 4-3 ATS) were once 3-1 after three consecutive three-point wins. However, the offense has scored a total of 31 points in the past three losses, while coming off a 20-19 defeat to the Chargers in London back in Week 7. Tennessee cashed as 6 ½-point underdogs to improve to 4-1 ATS when receiving points, but there were many questions on why the Titans didn’t win.

The Titans erased a 17-6 deficit to creep within one point in the final minute on a Marcus Mariota touchdown pass to Luke Stocker on fourth down. However, instead of opting for the tie and overtime, Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel put his offense on the field for the game-winning two-point conversion. Tennessee didn’t convert as that call was questioned by the pundits, even though the Titans’ defense limited Los Angeles to one touchdown in the final three quarters and the Titans had momentum late.

The Cowboys (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) have not owned a winning record this season, while alternating wins and losses through the first seven games. Prior to the bye, Dallas fell short at Washington, 20-17 as kicker Brett Maher hit the post on a game-tying field goal in the final seconds. Running back Ezekiel Elliott ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards heading into Week 9, as the former Ohio State standout was limited to a season-low 33 yards against Washington.

Off a win this season, the Cowboys have scored 13, 16, and 17 points. However, Dallas has put up 20, 26, and 40 off a loss, which is the situation the Cowboys are in this week. The Cowboys and Titans are part of a three-team group that has not allowed more than 27 points in a game this season, while the Eagles are the other.

DIAL UP ANOTHER WIN?

The Cowboys have yet to lose a game at AT&T Stadium this season by beating the Giants, Lions, and Jaguars. Yes, it has worked out that Dallas faced all those off road losses, where they are 0-4 this season. Dallas has split its first against the spread in the home favorite role by cashing against New York, but needing a late field goal to edge Detroit. Since 2016, the Cowboys have covered in four of five opportunities as a home favorite of six points or more, while being listed in that range for the first time this season.

DOGGY DOES IT

Tennessee has thrived in the underdog role this season by covering in four of five opportunities. Prior to the one-point loss (and cover) against the Chargers in London, the Titans had won outright when receiving points in their first three chances against the Texans, Jaguars, and Eagles. The 4-1 ATS mark under Vrabel is a significant change from the 4-6 ATS record last season as an underdog, while the Titans posted a horrific 9-18 ATS ledger from 2014 through 2017.

SERIES HISTORY

Before the Texans were even a thought, the Cowboys and the then-Oilers were the two main attractions in the Lone Star State. Since the Titans moved to Nashville in 1998, Tennessee and Dallas have hooked up five times in the regular season with the Cowboys coming out victorious three times. The Cowboys knocked off the Titans in their last meeting at Tennessee in 2014 as three-point underdogs, 26-10. Every main offensive weapon on both sides is no longer on the active roster as tight end Delanie Walker is the lone contributor still on one of these teams, but he is sidelined with a season-ending ankle injury.

MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

The Cowboys have won in each of their last three opportunities on Monday night football since 2015. In the past two seasons, Dallas has cruised in the favorite role on Mondays by pounding Detroit, 42-21 in 2016 and taking care of Arizona last season, 28-17 as three-point chalk. The Titans have covered six consecutive Monday night games dating back to 2008, while winning five times straight-up. Last season, Tennessee pulled away from Indianapolis, 36-22 after rallying from a 10-point deficit in the first half.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

Handicapper Joe Nelson checks in on this interconference matchup by noting how competitive Tennessee has been this season, “Six of the seven games for the Titans have been decided by a single-score, making this underdog spread of nearly a full touchdown appealing. However, Tennessee is on a 12-25 ATS run in road games since 2014. The Titans have the third-best scoring defense in the NFL allowing 18.1 points per game but only Arizona and Buffalo have been worse scoring teams with Tennessee averaging 15.1 points per game.”

Two seasons ago, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys owned the best record in the NFC. Things have changed quickly for the former Mississippi State standout, according to Nelson, “Prescott has been a top 4 QBR quarterback each of the past two seasons for the Cowboys, but with some changes on the offensive line, he has struggled this season. He and Mariota are both outside of the league’s top 20 in QBR at this point in the season. The numbers are even worse in traditional QB Rating with Prescott 24th and Mariota 30th as the star quarterbacks trail players like Derek Carr, Brock Osweiler, and Eli Manning in that metric.”

Nelson also notes that Dallas needs to end their inconsistent ways if it wants to make a playoff push in the NFC, “For Dallas, road games at Philadelphia and at Atlanta follow this game as the season is certainly at a critical juncture. All four losses have come by 11 or fewer points vs. winning teams while the wins for Dallas have all come at home vs. losing teams. Dallas made a bye week deal for Amari Cooper looking to boost the offensive potential of the team though he remains questionable with a concussion. Cooper was one of the best receivers in the league in 2015 and 2016, but has just 70 catches for 960 yards over his past 20 games.”

LINE MOVEMENT

The Westgate Superbook opened the Cowboys as 6 ½-point favorites last Monday. However, that line has dropped to Dallas laying four at the Westgate, while other books are showing Dallas -4 ½. There hasn’t been much movement on the total, which opened at 41, as this number has dipped to 40 ½ at most outfits.

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Top Props - Titans vs. Cowboys
November 5, 2018
By Bookmaker

by Kyle Markus

NFL Game Props - Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are only 3-4 on the season but they believe they can make the playoffs. That’s why the team recently traded a first-round pick for wideout Amari Cooper, and they are hoping he can have a big impact in his debut against the Tennessee Titans on “Monday Night Football.”

Both of these teams are trying to hang around in the playoff picture so it is a critical game as the NFL season hits its midway point. The Cowboys are the favorite and there will be all of the standard wagers available, but there will also be a lot of prop bets for this primetime matchup.

Prop bets give bettors the ability to take a closer look at the contest and pinpoint wagers that have a great chance of paying off. Here are some of the best prop bets for the Cowboys vs. Titans matchup in NFL gambling.

This NFL football game between the Tennessee Titans and Dallas Cowboys will be held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas at 8:15 p.m ET on Monday, November 5th, 2018. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN.

We'll have NFL football odds at BookMaker.eu available for every game of the 2018 NFL season.

Odds Analysis

The Cowboys are listed as 4.5-point favorites, but the spread has dropped a point in the days leading up to the contest, so there is momentum for Tennessee. Dallas is the -210 favorite on the moneyline while the Titans are the +176 underdogs to pull the upset. The scoring total is listed at 40 points as this one is expected to be a low-scoring battle.

Those are the standard bets, and now let’s take a look at the plethora of prop bets available. The Cowboys are the team expected to score first, as they are the -155 favorites to do so. The Titans are the +125 underdogs, and if they get the ball first they will have better odds than that, but the Tennessee offense has been so bad lately that Dallas is the better pick.

There is a prop bet that asks if either team will score in the first seven minutes of the game. That is nearly half of the first quarter, so it is a lot of time. The “yes” option is the slight favorite at -120, but the “no” is a distinct possibility here. If the first drive ends in a punt, these teams run the ball enough that time could be ticking down quickly. Even if there is a touchdown or field goal on the second drive, it could very well come after seven minutes have elapsed.

There is a scoring total for both teams combined but there is also a way to break it down by team. The over/under for the Titans is listed at 18.5 points, while the Cowboys’ total is listed at 22.5 points.

The longest touchdown of the game is listed at only 38.5 yards, which is much shorter than most prop bets on this subject. That is because neither team has an explosive passing game. Even so, it figures that someone will get loose for a touchdown longer than this. There are so many plays outside the 38-yard-line that the “over” is the choice here.

Free NFL ATS Picks

The best prop bet surrounding the Cowboys-Titans game is the most obvious one. Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is the favorite to score the first touchdown of the game at +450, and that is the right way to go. Dallas is expected to hit paydirt first and Elliott is the player that gets a bunch of touches in the red zone, whether running the ball or catching it.

These are solid odds, so roll with Elliott to score the first touchdown of this “Monday Night Football” affair in NFL prop bet gambling.

NFL ATS Pick: Ezekiel Elliott to score first touchdown of Cowboys-Titans game

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MNF - Titans at Cowboys
November 4, 2018
By Kevin Rogers

LAST GAME

Both these teams are off the bye last week as each squad looks to climb back to the .500 mark. The Titans (3-4 SU, 4-3 ATS) were once 3-1 after three consecutive three-point wins. However, the offense has scored a total of 31 points in the past three losses, while coming off a 20-19 defeat to the Chargers in London back in Week 7. Tennessee cashed as 6 ½-point underdogs to improve to 4-1 ATS when receiving points, but there were many questions on why the Titans didn’t win.

The Titans erased a 17-6 deficit to creep within one point in the final minute on a Marcus Mariota touchdown pass to Luke Stocker on fourth down. However, instead of opting for the tie and overtime, Titans’ head coach Mike Vrabel put his offense on the field for the game-winning two-point conversion. Tennessee didn’t convert as that call was questioned by the pundits, even though the Titans’ defense limited Los Angeles to one touchdown in the final three quarters and the Titans had momentum late.

The Cowboys (3-4 SU, 3-4 ATS) have not owned a winning record this season, while alternating wins and losses through the first seven games. Prior to the bye, Dallas fell short at Washington, 20-17 as kicker Brett Maher hit the post on a game-tying field goal in the final seconds. Running back Ezekiel Elliott ranked second in the NFL in rushing yards heading into Week 9, as the former Ohio State standout was limited to a season-low 33 yards against Washington.

Off a win this season, the Cowboys have scored 13, 16, and 17 points. However, Dallas has put up 20, 26, and 40 off a loss, which is the situation the Cowboys are in this week. The Cowboys and Titans are part of a three-team group that has not allowed more than 27 points in a game this season, while the Eagles are the other.

DIAL UP ANOTHER WIN?

The Cowboys have yet to lose a game at AT&T Stadium this season by beating the Giants, Lions, and Jaguars. Yes, it has worked out that Dallas faced all those off road losses, where they are 0-4 this season. Dallas has split its first against the spread in the home favorite role by cashing against New York, but needing a late field goal to edge Detroit. Since 2016, the Cowboys have covered in four of five opportunities as a home favorite of six points or more, while being listed in that range for the first time this season.

DOGGY DOES IT

Tennessee has thrived in the underdog role this season by covering in four of five opportunities. Prior to the one-point loss (and cover) against the Chargers in London, the Titans had won outright when receiving points in their first three chances against the Texans, Jaguars, and Eagles. The 4-1 ATS mark under Vrabel is a significant change from the 4-6 ATS record last season as an underdog, while the Titans posted a horrific 9-18 ATS ledger from 2014 through 2017.

SERIES HISTORY

Before the Texans were even a thought, the Cowboys and the then-Oilers were the two main attractions in the Lone Star State. Since the Titans moved to Nashville in 1998, Tennessee and Dallas have hooked up five times in the regular season with the Cowboys coming out victorious three times. The Cowboys knocked off the Titans in their last meeting at Tennessee in 2014 as three-point underdogs, 26-10. Every main offensive weapon on both sides is no longer on the active roster as tight end Delanie Walker is the lone contributor still on one of these teams, but he is sidelined with a season-ending ankle injury.

MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

The Cowboys have won in each of their last three opportunities on Monday night football since 2015. In the past two seasons, Dallas has cruised in the favorite role on Mondays by pounding Detroit, 42-21 in 2016 and taking care of Arizona last season, 28-17 as three-point chalk. The Titans have covered six consecutive Monday night games dating back to 2008, while winning five times straight-up. Last season, Tennessee pulled away from Indianapolis, 36-22 after rallying from a 10-point deficit in the first half.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson checks in on this interconference matchup by noting how competitive Tennessee has been this season, “Six of the seven games for the Titans have been decided by a single-score, making this underdog spread of nearly a full touchdown appealing. However, Tennessee is on a 12-25 ATS run in road games since 2014. The Titans have the third-best scoring defense in the NFL allowing 18.1 points per game but only Arizona and Buffalo have been worse scoring teams with Tennessee averaging 15.1 points per game.”

Two seasons ago, Dak Prescott and the Cowboys owned the best record in the NFC. Things have changed quickly for the former Mississippi State standout, according to Nelson, “Prescott has been a top 4 QBR quarterback each of the past two seasons for the Cowboys, but with some changes on the offensive line, he has struggled this season. He and Mariota are both outside of the league’s top 20 in QBR at this point in the season. The numbers are even worse in traditional QB Rating with Prescott 24th and Mariota 30th as the star quarterbacks trail players like Derek Carr, Brock Osweiler, and Eli Manning in that metric.”

Nelson also notes that Dallas needs to end their inconsistent ways if it wants to make a playoff push in the NFC, “For Dallas, road games at Philadelphia and at Atlanta follow this game as the season is certainly at a critical juncture. All four losses have come by 11 or fewer points vs. winning teams while the wins for Dallas have all come at home vs. losing teams. Dallas made a bye week deal for Amari Cooper looking to boost the offensive potential of the team though he remains questionable with a concussion. Cooper was one of the best receivers in the league in 2015 and 2016, but has just 70 catches for 960 yards over his past 20 games.”

LINE MOVEMENT

The Westgate Superbook opened the Cowboys as 6 ½-point favorites last Monday. However, that line has dropped to Dallas laying four at the Westgate, while other books are showing Dallas -4 ½. There hasn’t been much movement on the total, which opened at 41, as this number has dipped to 40 ½ at most outfits.

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Bettors jump on Panthers' opening odds for NFL Week 10 battle vs. Steelers
Patrick Everson

Greg Olsen and the Panthers have won and covered in their last three games, which has apparently caught bettors' attention. Carolina opened +6.5 at Pittsburgh and was quickly bet to +5.5.

Every NFL team will have at least half the season in the rearview mirror when Week 9 concludes Monday night. We check in on the opening lines and early action for a quartet of Week 10 contests, with insights from John Murray and Derek Wilkinson, director and supervisor, respectively, of The SuperBook at Westgate in Las Vegas.

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5)

Pittsburgh is starting to look more like, well, Pittsburgh heading into this Thursday night contest. The Steelers (5-2-1 SU, 5-3 ATS) have won and covered four in a row and five of six, including a 23-16 Week 9 victory at Baltimore as 1.5-point underdogs.

Carolina won and cashed in its last three outings and is 5-1 SU in its last six, trying to keep pace with New Orleans in the NFC South. The Panthers (6-2 SU, 5-3 ATS) bolted to a 35-7 lead against Tampa Bay, but had to hang on late in a 42-28 win as 6-point home favorites in Week 9.

There was no action on this number in the first hour after it was posted, but Carolina drew some cash Sunday night.

“We got a decent-sized bet on Panthers +6.5 and another at +6,” Wilkinson said. “Also, the market evened out lower than we anticipated.”

Seattle Seahawks at Los Angeles Rams (-9.5)

Los Angeles finally exited the ranks of the undefeated, well after every other NFL team had at least one loss. The Rams (8-1 SU, 4-5 ATS) found themselves in a 35-14 second-quarter hole at New Orleans, came all the way back to tie the game at 35, but couldn’t quite finish in a 45-35 setback laying 1.5 points.

Seattle looked like it was finding good form with a 4-1 SU and ATS run heading into Week 9. But the Seahawks (4-4 SU, 4-3-1 ATS) fell flat at home against San Diego, losing 25-17 as 1-point home pups.

“We opened it Rams -9.5 and took one bet on the Rams so far, but nothing noteworthy,” Murray said. “The Rams will be included in every teaser and moneyline parlay next week.”

The SuperBook moved with the market to Rams -10 on Sunday night.

Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles (-6)

The NFC East is completely up for grabs at the midway point, and defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia is rested for the second half, coming off its bye week. The Eagles (4-4 SU, 3-5 ATS) beat Jacksonville 24-18 laying 3.5 points on the road in Week 8, but have yet to win back-to-back games this season.

Dallas still has some Week 9 work to do before thinking about this Sunday night NFC East clash. The Cowboys (3-4 SU and ATS), coming off a Week 8 bye, host Tennessee in the Monday nighter.

“We opened Eagles -6 and haven't seen any bets yet on either side,” Murray said. “We will need Dallas by kickoff on Sunday night.”

Miami Dolphins at Green Bay Packers (-7.5)

Green Bay is in the midst of a very tough stretch of four road games in five weeks, the first two of which were in Weeks 8 and 9, taking the squad from the West Coast to the East Coast. In the Week 9 Sunday nighter, the Packers (3-4-1 SU, 3-5 ATS) traveled to New England as 5-point ‘dogs and couldn’t keep up in the second half, falling 31-17.

Miami got out of the gate 3-0 SU and ATS, then spent the past several weeks trying to regain that form. The Dolphins (5-4 SU and ATS) ended a 1-4 SU and ATS skid by slogging past the New York Jets 13-6 as 3-point home favorites in Week 9.

“We opened Packers -7.5 and took some money on Miami, but we are leaving the line there,” Murray said. “I'm sure we will want more Miami money by Sunday.”

Per The SuperBook’s standard operating procedure, the line on this game was taken off the board while the Packers battled the Patriots on Sunday night. The line will go back up Monday morning.

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Betting Recap - Week 9
November 5, 2018
By Joe Williams

Overall Notes

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 9 RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 6-6
Against the Spread 6-6

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

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 5-7

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE YEAR-TO-DATE RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 86-45-2
Against the Spread 62-69-2

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 78-53-2
Against the Spread 63-67-2

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 65-68

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Saints (+2, ML +105) vs. Rams, 45-35
Falcons (+1.5, ML +105) at Redskins, 38-14
49ers (+1.5, ML +110) vs. Raiders, 34-3
Steelers (+1.5, ML +100) at Ravens, 23-16

The largest favorite to cover
Bears (-10) at Bills, 41-9
Chiefs (-8.5) at Browns, 37-21
Panthers (-6) vs. Buccaneers, 42-28
Patriots (-5) vs. Packers, 31-17

Looking California...

-- The Los Angeles Chargers went up to the Pacific Northwest and topped the Seattle Seahawks, 25-17. The Bolts have managed a 3-1 SU/ATS record in four road games this season. The 'under' has connected in back-to-back games for the first time in 2018, too. After a 1-3 ATS starts, the Chargers are a solid 3-1 ATS over the past four contests.

The Bolts will face the Oakland Raiders in Week 10. They topped the Raiders 26-10 to easily cover a five-point spread as the 'under' hit in the first meeting back on Oct. 7 in Carson. L.A. heads into that battle 17-8-1 ATS in the past 26 road games, while the Raiders are just 3-8-2 ATS in the past 13 against teams with a winning record and 4-10-1 ATS in the past 15 vs. AFC foes. The Chargers are 5-1 ATS in the past six meetings with the Raiders, while going 11-4 ATS in the past 15 trips to the Bay Area. The road team is also 6-2 ATS in the past eight in this series.

...Feeling Minnesota

-- The Minnesota Vikings rebounded from last week's loss at home to the New Orleans Saints, topping the Detroit Lions 24-9. It was just the second game against a divisional foe this season, as the Vikings moved to 1-0-1 SU/1-1 ATS. After a 5-0 ATS run, the Lions have failed to cover in back-to-back games for the first time this season while the 'under' has also hit in two straight for the Silver and Honolulu Blue for the first time in 2018.

The Vikings are 3-2 SU/2-2-1 ATS in five games at home this season and they have yet to cover in back-to-back contests in their home building. One thing that is constant, however, is the 'under'. Minnesota has cashed the under at home in four of their five games at U.S. Bank Stadium in the Twin Cities this season.

Total Recall

-- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hit the 'over' again in their divisional road battle against the Carolina Panthers, losing 42-28. The Bucs moved to 7-1 on over results so far this season, the most overs in the NFL so far. Also in the NFC South, the over is 6-2 for the Atlanta Falcons, hitting again in the 38-14 victory on the road against the Washington Redskins.

-- If you watched the Duke-Miami (Fla.) college football game, you saw torrential rains and the field at Hard Rock Stadium in terrible shape on Saturday night. It was a quick turnaround with a 1:00 p.m. kickoff between the New York Jets-Miami Dolphins (43), as the turf was less than ideal. There were zero offensive touchdowns (and one defensive score) in the 13-6 win for the home side, easily hitting the 'under'.

-- The lowest total on the board, Chicago Bears-Buffalo Bills (38) connected as the Bears were able to take care of the 'over' themselves, winning 41-9. The second- and third-lowest totals on the board, the N.Y. Jets-Miami (43) and Oakland Raiders-San Francisco 49ers (44) each cashed the 'under'.

-- Three of the four highest totals on the board cashed in Week 9. The highest total was in the Los Angeles Rams-New Orleans Saints (57.5) battle, and they combined for 80 points. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Carolina Panthers (55.5) and Kansas City Chiefs-Cleveland Browns (51.5) each hit the 'over'. The only game with a listed total over 50 points to not go over was the Green Bay Packers-New England Patriots (56) battle on Sunday night.

-- The 'under' went 2-0 in the first two primetime games in Week 9, with the Monday night game between the Tennessee Titans-Dallas Cowboys (40.5) still pending. Overall for the 2018 season the 'over' in primetime games is 12-15 (44.4%). The 'under' has cashed in seven of the past eight battles on Sunday Night Football.

Officially, the 'over' finished 25-23-1 (52.1%) in 49 games under the lights in 2017.

In 2016, the 'over' in night games went (52.9%) through 51 games.

In 2015, the over finished 20-28-1 (41.7%) in 49 primetime games.

In 2014, the over went 33-17 (66.0%) in primetime games, and the over was 28-22 (56.0%) in 2013.

Injury Report

-- Seattle Seahawks RB Chris Carson (hip) was the only major offensive player to leave Sunday's action and fail to return.

Looking Ahead

-- The Detroit Lions and Chicago Bears will do battle at Soldier Field. The Lions arrive with a 5-2-1 ATS mark over their past eight inside the division even after failing to cover in Minnesota in Week 9. However, they're just 3-9 ATS across the past 12 against winning teams. The Bears are 4-1 ATS in the past five home games, and 5-1 ATS in the past six against losing teams, including their 41-9 throttling of the Bills on Sunday. The under is 5-1 in the past six meetings in Chicago, and 4-1 in the past five meetings overall in this series.

-- The Jaguars head to Indianapolis looking to get well against the Colts. They have had a lot of success in the RCA Dome and Lucas Oil Stadium over the years. Jacksonville is 7-1 ATS in their past eight following a bye week, although they're 0-4 ATS over the past four overall and 1-5 ATS in their past six following a straight-up loss. Indy is 2-7 ATS in their past nine inside the division, and 4-10-1 ATS in the past 15 following a straight-up win. They're 8-3 ATS in the past 11 following a bye week, and 32-13 ATS in the past 45 against losing teams. The under is 5-1 in the past six divisional games for both the Jags and Colts. For Jacksonville, the under is 12-4 in their past 16 against AFC opponents, too. In this series, Jacksonville has covered six straight meetings, and they're 8-3 ATS in the past 11 in Indianapolis. The under is 7-0 in the past seven in Indy, while going 11-3 in the past 14 meetings in this series, too.

-- The Bills travel to New Jersey to battle the Jets, who were awful in their Week 9 loss in Miami. Buffalo was equally poor at home. In fact, both of these teams combined for 15 total points on Sunday. The Bills are 3-8 ATS in their past 11 divisional games, while going 0-6 ATS in the past six on the road against teams with a losing home record. The Jets are 10-3 ATS in the past 13 at home, but just 1-3-1 ATS in the past five inside the division. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the past five in this series, with the over going 6-2 in the past eight meetings at MetLife Stadium.

-- The Seahawks travel to meet the Rams, who are certain to be angry after their first loss of the season. The home team is 8-3 ATS in the past 11 meetings in this series, with the Seahawks 1-5 ATS in their past six trips to L.A. (and St. Louis). The under is 12-5 in the past 17 meetings, and 6-2 in the past eight in L.A/St. Louis, although the over hit in the meeting earlier this season in Seattle.

-- The Cowboys and Eagles will do battle on Sunday night. Remember, the under is 7-1 in the past eight games on SNF. The under is also 7-1 in the past eight for Dallas against NFC foes, and 4-0 in the past four divisional games. The under is 23-6 in their past 29 on the road, too. For Philly, the under is 4-0 in their past four at home and 13-5 in their past 18 following a bye. The favorite is 5-0 ATS in the past five meetings in this series, although the Cowboys are 5-1 ATS in the past six in Philly, with the road team cashing in 10 of the previous 13 meetings. The under is 4-1 in the past five in Philly, and 7-3 in the past 10 overall in the series.

[StarDust Bum]

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 5
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

TEN at DAL 08:15 PM

DAL -4.5

O 40.0

[StarDust Bum]

Books buried in Week 9
November 5, 2018
By Micah Roberts

For the third straight NFL Sunday, bettors hammered Nevada sports books, but Week 9 action was a bit more extreme of a loss. It was actually an all-timer type of loss.

"It's the worst Sunday we've had in quite some time," said Station Casinos sports book director Jason McCormick.

Favorites only went 6-5 against the spread with all five of the underdogs winning outright and sharp money did poorly, but the public went for sports book's jugular with all their key games in parlays and teasers.

"It was the worst day of the year by a country mile," said William Hill's top bookmaker Nick Bogdanovich.

Things went so bad for the sports book in Sunday's first 10 games that there was no out in the Sunday night game. Just about every book showed an all-way loss with the Patriots and Packers. No way out and New England's 31-17 win was the cherry on top of many big parlays cashing. Sharp Packers money dropped the Patriots from -6.5 down to -5, but their money pales in comparison to multiplying public parlay payouts.

"We're getting crushed," said MGM Resorts sports book hub manager Jeff Stoneback after the 1:00 p.m. ET game posted. "We had a big 4-team parlay hit in Mississippi with a $35,000 that paid over $400,000 with the Rams-Saints Over, Texans, Bears (-115) and Chiefs. New Jersey was a non-factor in overall decisions, but collectively for all properties, it was a bad day."

Stoneback said that if the late game came Patriots and Over that it would be one of the top-5 losses he's ever seen in the industry. He's got almost 30 years in the business.

The highest total of the week was the Saints-Rams game at 60.5 and it had been bet down to 57.5 by sharp money, the public still bet it 'over' and they were correct with the Saints winning a 45-35 shootout. The Saints went from one-point favorites to a two-point underdogs by kickoff due to sharp money coming in on the Rams.

"We had sharp money on the Rams, but the public kept playing the Saints no matter what the spread was," Stoneback said.

The Texans won at Denver, 19-17, as one-point underdogs and the Bears covered -10 at Buffalo in a 41-9 win.

"Wise guy money was on the Browns but the public was all over the Chiefs," said Stoneback. "The Chiefs, Bears and Vikings were the worse for us."

Wise guys took a beating as well. They're usually waiting to take some of the books profit when the house buries public parlays, but they were on the sinking ship as well this week.

"We took a bath," said Caesars Palace senior oddsmaker Alan Berg. "But thankfully plenty of Sundays to come. Worst games for us was the Chiefs, Vikings, Panthers. Our best game was the Chargers. That's it for sides, Pats game staying under made us a tiny winner on that game."

The Chargers (+1) were one of three small underdogs to win outright in the 4:00 p.m. ET games with a 25-17 win at Seattle. The Vikings (-5) beat the Lions 24-9, aided by a team record 10 sacks against Matt Stafford. The total moved from 50.5 down to staying 47, one of the few sharp moves to cash on the day.

"The public crushed it today," said Stoneback. "September was a month where everything went our way, but it is going the same rate against us the past few weeks."

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Mariota recovers, Titans top Cowboys 28-14 in Cooper's debut
November 5, 2018
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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Kevin Byard secured the interception that sparked the sluggish Tennessee Titans and turned toward midfield.

The flashback for the Dallas Cowboys was just as disheartening as the original.

Byard mimicked Terrell Owens' mocking celebration on the star logo at the 50-yard line from 18 years ago, Marcus Mariota accounted for three touchdowns and the Titans spoiled Amari Cooper's Dallas debut with a 28-14 victory on Monday night.

The end-zone pick of Dak Prescott came after Mariota fumbled on the first two Tennessee possessions. Just as T.O. did at old Texas Stadium 18 years ago, Byard ran to midfield, under the huge videoboard at spacious AT&T Stadium, and spread his arms.

Owens did it twice in a blowout San Francisco win over a bad Dallas team that time. This win by the Titans (4-4) ended their three-game losing streak while handing the Cowboys (3-5) their first loss in four home games and making their road to the playoffs a difficult one.

The Cowboys looked like the team headed for a blowout win, but led just 7-0 after Mariota's early miscues because of Brett Maher's missed 38-yard field goal and Prescott's ill-advised throw into double coverage.

Cooper scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished five catches for 58 yards after coming over from Oakland in a trade for a first-round pick during the open week.

Given another chance when what would have been a third straight fumble to start the game was overturned by a review that showed Luke Stocker didn't have the ball long enough on a catch, Mariota led an 80-yard drive capped by Derrick Henry's 1-yard plunge for a 7-7 tie.

Then the Titans took control on offense in the second half, converting 11 of 14 third downs.

The Cowboys fell flat in 15-year tight end Jason Witten's first trip home since retiring to become lead analyst for ''Monday Night Football.'' Dallas had just 108 yards in the second half - the bulk of those on a desperation drive down two scores late - and was booed several times at the end of failed drives.

After getting sacked on third down with nobody realizing Tennessee had called timeout in a 7-7 game in the second quarter, Mariota completed a 36-yarder to Darius Jennings before a screen pass to Dion Lewis went 18 yards for a touchdown.

Mariota broke a 14-14 tie in the third quarter when he pulled the ball out of Lewis' gut at the last second and delivered a 7-yard shovel pass to Jonnu Smith to put the Titans ahead for good.

Mariota was 21 of 29 for 240 yards without an interception and had 32 yards rushing. Lewis had 62 yards rushing and 60 receiving coming off a career-high 155 scrimmage yards in his last game.

Star Dallas running back Ezekiel Elliott finished with 61 yards after a hot start. Prescott was 21 of 31 for 243 yards and two scores - 4 yards to Cooper and 23 yards to Allen Hurns.

T.O. FLASHBACK

There was something else familiar about Byard's celebration: a Dallas defender trying to do something about it.

George Teague famously knocked Owens off the star back then, and Cowboys cornerback Byron Jones made a similar move on Byard and the group that joined the celebration. Owens seemed to get a kick out of the whole thing on Twitter.

WITTEN TRIBUTE

The Cowboys paid tribute to Witten with a pregame video on the giant board hanging over the field. The franchise leader in games, catches and yards receiving wiped his eyes when a small inset of him was shown during the video, but seemed to have gained his composure when he was shown on the full screen. Witten waved, smiled and tapped his chest around his heart several times as the crowd roared.

COLLEGE REUNION

Elliott and Mariota were inside AT&T Stadium together for the first time since Elliott rushed for 246 yards and four touchdowns to lead Ohio State to a 42-20 win over Mariota and Oregon for the 2014 national championship.

INJURIES

Dallas LB Sean Lee pulled up with a hamstring injury while trying to cover Smith on a 26-yard completion to the Titans tight end. Lee went the locker room not long after coming off the field. ... Titans RT Jack Conklin was being evaluated for a concussion. ... Titans WR Tajae Sharpe, who appeared to get injured during warmups but played, limped off the field after a catch in the third quarter but returned on the next series.

UP NEXT

Titans: Home against AFC East-leading New England next Sunday.

Cowboys: At Philadelphia next Sunday in the first meeting with the NFC East rival.

[StarDust Bum]

WEEK 10

Thursday, November 8, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
8:20 PM Carolina Panthers Pittsburgh Steelers

Sunday, November 11, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
1:00 PM Detroit Lions Chicago Bears
1:00 PM New Orleans Saints Cincinnati Bengals
1:00 PM Atlanta Falcons Cleveland Browns
1:00 PM Jacksonville Jaguars Indianapolis Colts
1:00 PM Arizona Cardinals Kansas City Chiefs
1:00 PM Buffalo Bills New York Jets
1:00 PM Washington Redskins Tampa Bay Buccaneers
1:00 PM New England Patriots Tennessee Titans
4:05 PM Los Angeles Chargers Oakland Raiders
4:25 PM Miami Dolphins Green Bay Packers
4:25 PM Seattle Seahawks Los Angeles Rams
8:20 PM Dallas Cowboys Philadelphia Eagles

Monday, November 12, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
8:15 PM New York Giants San Francisco 49ers


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NFLNovember's Best Bets and Opinions

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

11/05/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
11/04/2018 9-12-0 42.86% -21.00
11/01/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00

Totals..............9 - 14........39.13%.....-32.00


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Best Bets For November

DATE........................ATS..................U NITS....................O/U................UNITS..............TOTAL

11/05/2018..............0 - 1.................-5.50......................1 - 0...............+5.00..............-0.50
11/04/2018..............3 - 4.................-7.00......................3 - 4...............-7.00...............-14.00
11/01/2018..............0 - 1.................-5.50......................0 - 1...............-5.50...............-11.00

Totals......................3 -6.................-18.00.....................4 - 5.................-7.50..............-25.50

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Tuesday’s 6-pack

Pac-12 South football standings:

Arizona State 4-3

USC 4-3

Utah 4-3

Arizona State 3-3

Colorado 2-4

UCLA 2-4

Not a great year for the Pac-12 South

Quote of the Day
“We haven’t spent a lot of time focused on [Bell being gone] because it’s not within our control. Those decisions are Le’Veon’s. We need volunteers, not hostages, so we’re focused on the guys who are here and working and James [Conner] is definitely in that mix.”
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin

Tuesday’s quiz
Who played QB for the Dallas Cowboys the first time they played in a Super Bowl?

Monday’s quiz
The second Super Bowl was played at the Orange Bowl, in Miami.

Sunday’s quiz
Chad Kelly holds the single season record for passing yards at Ole Miss, with 4,042.

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Tuesday’s List of 13: Happy Election Day– go vote!!!!

13) Today is Election Day; please go vote, if you already haven’t done so. Its our job as American citizens to go and make our voices heard- its one of the great parts of living in a democracy. Plus, sometimes they have bake sales at polling places so you can get fairly cheap cupcakes or donuts.

Go vote!!! (After you read the rest of this……)

12) There is a TV program on WeTV called “Love After Lockup”; it is described this way:

“Couples meet their potential future spouses for the first time once the bars are removed from the relationship.” In other words, once the future spouse gets out of jail.

What could possibly go wrong?

11) Friday night in the CFL, after Ottawa scored a TD to grab a 23-9 lead with 0:59 left in the 3rd quarter, an Ottawa offensive lineman went to the front row of the stands, grabbed a can of beer from a fan, and chugged the beer— during the game!!!!

When I saw the clip, I figured it was just before the end of the game, but it wasn’t. Yikes.

10) There is a dog walking app called WAG; you pay someone to walk your dog for you. They get the keys to your house, they walk little Scruffy around the block, you can follow their progress on the app, and everyone is happy.

In this day and age, if you think I’m giving the keys to my freakin’ house to some stranger who walks dogs for a living, then you’re bleepin’ goofy. There isn’t anything all that valuable here, but it is valuable to me. I’d get the dog a treadmill like George Jetson before I paid someone.

9) Sig Mejdal is a former NASA engineer and blackjack dealer who worked on the analytical team that helped the Houston Astros win the World Series LY; he’s let his contract with the Astros run out and will now look for another job.

NASA engineer and blackjack dealer? Sounds like an interesting guy.

8) I’m not a big Tom Cruise fan, but his best movie (in my opinion) by far is A Few Good Men, with Risky Business 2nd, and then probably Cocktail.

The scene where Jack Nicholson testifies in court: “You can’t handle the truth!!!!” is still one of my favorite movie scenes ever.

7) ESPN’s Mike Breen had a tremendous euphemism as he tried to gently rip the Washington Wizards in their loss Friday night: “…….just a lack of consistent intensity”

Oklahoma City had 110 points AFTER THE 3RD QUARTER; Wizards weren’t trying real hard, which is why they’re 2-7 this season.

6) Mark Jackson told a neat story during the Wolves-Warriors game Friday night; when he was coaching Golden State, Jackson brought college teammate Chris Mullen in to work with then-rookie Klay Thompson on footwork, how to use screens, stuff like that- it obviously helped.

When Thompson was playing at Washington State, you wouldn’t have figured him to be a star in the NBA, but he sure is now.

5) “Its not who starts, its who finishes.” Lot of basketball coaches say that to subs who might have their feelings hurt when they come off the bench instead of starting.

Actions speak louder than words; JJ Redick hasn’t started a game yet for the 76ers, but he is 4th on the team in minutes played, second on team in shots taken and scoring (18.4 ppg). And his $12,250,000 salary (#3 on team) speaks pretty loudly, too.

4) Arizona Cardinals cut QB Sam Bradford, who has earned roughly $129M in his football career, while accumulating a career record of 34-48-1. Arizona wound up paying him $13.5M and he only played three games for them. No bueno.

Bradford is better than any QB Buffalo has, but he’d last about 10 minutes behind that offensive line, thats 10 minutes of regular time, not game time.

Bradford had some success playing for Giants’ coach Pat Shurmur when Shurmur was OC up at Minnesota, so there are rumors Bradford could be heading to the Big Apple.

3) A big reason of why college basketball has changed so much in the last decade; freshmen played 81.2% of Kentucky’s minutes last year- freshmen played 67.5% of Duke’s minutes.

In the last four seasons, of the 20 freshmen Kentucky had, 12 of them stayed only one year. 11 of Duke’s last 19 freshmen have left school after one season.

If you’re good enough to start for Kentucky/Duke, you probably already have one eye on the NBA, so it becomes difficult to tell who is invested in playing college ball and who is counting the minutes until they can bolt college and go to the NBA Combine.

2) Average ticket prices and team payrolls this past baseball season:
Red Sox $206M payroll, $56.97 average ticket
Astros $172M payroll, $40.25 average ticket
Bronx Bombers $161M payroll, average ticket $47.62
Indians: $137M payroll, average ticket $30.04

1) Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt hosted a 4-minute video last week urging all Americans to go vote on November 6th- it was a little odd seeing actors speak as themselves, we’re so used to seeing them play different roles.

But their point is valid— please go vote!!!!

[StarDust Bum]

Thursday’s 6-pack

— Sam Darnold (foot) is out for this week’s game with Buffalo.

— If Le’Veon Bell is going to play for Pittsburgh this year, he has to report by 4pm on Nov. 13.

— Ohio State 64, Cincinnati 56— Buckeyes win an ugly game.

— Kansas Jayhawks fired football coach David Beaty; he’ll finish this season.

— Astros’ P Lance McCullers had Tommy John surgery, will miss all of 2019.

— Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon will enter 2019 as a lame duck; he didn’t get his contract extension. Guy won the World Series two years ago.

Quote of the Day
“I saw some kid on Duke last night who is pretty impressive. I probably can’t say anything more … I thought LeBron, I thought that was a one shot deal, but apparently the next guy’s coming. Before I get fined, I’m going to change the subject.”
Steve Kerr, talking about Duke’s Zion Williamson

Thursday’s quiz
Where did Steve Kerr play his college basketball?
(Hint: He played in a Final Four)

Wednesday’s quiz
Craig Morton started in Super Bowls for Dallas and the Denver Broncos.

Tuesday’s quiz
Craig Morton played QB for the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl V, the first time they played in a Super Bowl.

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

Thursday’s List of 13: Doing some thinking out loud…….

13) So I’m voting Tuesday and this guy voting next to me had his daughter with him- she is maybe 6, 7 years old. As he is voting, the little girl says “Thats not who mommy voted for” and the guy says “Daddy isn’t going to vote for everyone Mommy voted for” and then the little girl and dad start arguing, with the little girl wanting mommy and daddy to agree on everything.

Quality entertainment. And for free.

12) Sunday was a rough day for Nevada sports books; every NFL team that the public supported covered the spread. A guy who is a 25-year veteran of working in Las Vegas said it was one of the 10 worst days Nevada sports books have ever had in sports wagering.

11) Times have changed; the Cowboys willingly wore blue jerseys at home Monday night. There was a time when Dallas went on the road, opposing teams would wear white at home, to force the Cowboys to wear the blue jerseys that they didn’t seem to like wearing.

10) New Mets’ GM Brodie Van Wagenen is making $10M for four years. He was the agent for the Mets’ two best players, Jacob deGrom and Yoenis Cespedes. He was also Tim Tebow’s agent; Tebow is expected to start next season at AAA Syracuse.

9) Lot of NBA teams have cameras over the baskets, which provide great replays of action around the rim; the funny thing is that they then put advertising on top of the backboards, so you see it when those replays are shown. Wonder how much they charge for that?

8) The NBA is more fun to watch now than it has been in a while; lot more passing, solid shooting. The success Golden State is having has influenced the game in a positive way.

7) Toronto Argonauts fired coach Marc Trestman after a 4-14 season, but his Argos won the Grey Cup LAST YEAR.

Trestman won two Grey Cups coaching Montreal from 2008-12, then went 13-19 in two years coaching the Chicago Bears. He later was an OC for the Baltimore Ravens, but was fired during the 2016 season. Mr Trestman could write a very interesting book.

6) Not that I’m bitter or anything, but I see DeAndre Ayton and Allonzo Trier playing major minutes in NBA games this fall, but when I picked Arizona in their first round NCAA game last March, they lost by 21 to a freakin’ MAC team. No bueno!!!! LOLOL

5) Miami, Florida, Florida State all went 0-2 the last two weekends.

That is the FIRST time that has EVER happened.

4) San Francisco Giants hired GM Farhan Zaidi as their new GM Tuesday.

For the past four years, Zaidi was GM of the rival Dodgers; before that, he was the assistant GM to Billy Beane with the A’s.

3) Jamal Murray scored 48 points for Denver Monday night; he took a shot late in the game, trying to get to 50, and the Celtics get all offended, like Murray isn’t supposed to try and put the ball in the basket. Thats what he gets paid for.

You don’t want him to score 50? Guard his bleepin’ ass, don’t let him get to 40!!! Don’t run your mouth after the game, move your feet during the game.

2) Guy at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City put $6 down on a 12-team parlay this weekend and he hit it, with Titans (+5) clinching his $9,600 payoff. Well done!!!

1) Chicago Blackhawks fired coach Joel Quenneville, who won three Stanley Cups in Chicago, the last one in 2015. He’s the second-winningest coach in NHL history with an all-time record of 890-532-214. Sounds like a guy who won’t be unemployed too long.