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NFL Today, Week 10
November 11, 2018
By The Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Nov. 12.

New York Giants (1-7) at San Francisco (2-7), 8:15 p.m. The teams have the second-lowest combined winning percentage (.176) for a ''Monday Night Football'' game played Nov. 1 or later. The lowest is .167 for the 3-9 Jets vs. the 1-11 Chargers in 1975 that featured Hall of Fame QBs Joe Namath and Dan Fouts. ... The Giants have started 1-7 for the second straight year. New York only had two seasons that bad after eight games before last season: 0-8 in 1976, 1-7 in 1980. ... QB Nick Mullens makes his second start for the 49ers. Mullens joined Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Fran Tarkenton as the only players with at least 250 yards passing, three TDs and no INTs in his first career game.

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STARS

Passing

- Drew Brees, Saints, was 22 for 25 for 265 yards and three touchdown passes in New Orleans' 51-14 rout of Cincinnati. Brees passed Brett Favre for the second-most passing touchdowns in NFL history (509). Peyton Manning has the most career touchdown passes with 539.

- Mitchell Trubisky, Bears, was 23 for 30 for 355 yards and three touchdowns in Chicago's 34-22 win over Detroit.

- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, was 21 for 28 for 249 yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City's 26-14 win over Arizona. Mahomes has the most passing TDs (31) in a single-season in franchise history.

- Baker Mayfield, Browns, was 17 for 20 for 216 yards and three touchdowns in Cleveland's 28-16 win over Atlanta. Mayfield is the first rookie quarterback in NFL history to record a passer rating of at least 150 on 20 or more pass attempts in a single game.

- Jared Goff, Rams, was 28 for 39 for 318 yards and two touchdowns in Los Angeles' 36-31 win over Seattle.

- Andrew Luck, Colts, was 21 for 29 for 285 yards and three touchdowns and an interception in Indianapolis' 29-26 win over Jacksonville.

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Rushing

- Nick Chubb, Browns, had 20 carries for 176 yards, including a club-record 92-yard touchdown, in Cleveland's 28-16 win over Atlanta. Chubb's run broke the previous team mark held by Bobby Mitchell, who had a 90-yard TD run against Washington on Nov. 15, 1959. It was also the second-longest run by a rookie in league history, behind only Bobby Gage's 97-yard run for Pittsburgh in 1949.

- Aaron Jones, Packers, had 15 carries for 145 yards and two touchdowns in Green Bay's 31-12 win over Miami.

- Todd Gurley, Rams, had 16 carries for 120 yards and a touchdown in Los Angeles' 36-31 win over Seattle. Gurley has scored at least one touchdown in each of the Rams' first 10 games this season and joins Hall of Famers O.J. Simpson (14 games in 1975), Lenny Moore (14 in 1964) and Elroy ''Crazy Legs'' Hirsch (10 in 1951) as the only players in league history to score a touchdown in each of their team's first 10 games of a season.

- LeSean McCoy, Bills, had 26 carries for 113 yards and two touchdowns in Buffalo's 41-10 win over the New York Jets.

- Rashaad Penny, Seahawks, had 12 carries for 108 yards and a touchdown in Seattle's 36-31 loss to the Los Angeles Rams.

- Mark Ingram, Saints, had 13 carries for 104 yards and added three receptions for 58 yards and a touchdown in New Orleans' 51-14 win over Cincinnati.

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Receiving

- Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller, Bears. Robinson had six catches for 133 yards and two touchdowns, Miller had five catches for 122 yards and a touchdown in Chicago's 34-22 win over Detroit.

- Corey Davis, Titans, had seven catches for 125 yards and a touchdown in Tennessee's 34-10 win over New England.

- Tyreek Hill, Chiefs, had seven catches for 117 yards and two touchdowns in Kansas City's 26-14 win over Arizona.

- Julio Jones, Falcons, had seven catches for 107 yards and a touchdown in Atlanta's 28-16 loss to Cleveland.

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Special Teams

- Jason Sanders, Dolphins, was 4 for 4 on field goals in Miami's 31-12 loss to Green Bay. Sanders tied the rookie record for a Miami kicker with the four field goals.

- Wil Lutz, Saints, was 3 for 3 on field goals and 6 for 6 on extra points in New Orleans' 51-14 win over Cincinnati.

- Dustin Hopkins, Redskins, was 3 for 3 on field goals and added an extra point in Washington's 16-3 win over Tampa Bay.

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Defense

- Khalil Mack and Bryce Callahan, Bears. Mack had two sacks and Callahan had a sack and an interception in Chicago's 34-22 win over Detroit.

- Aaron Donald, Rams, had 2+ sacks in the Los Angeles Rams' 36-31 win over Seattle.

- Chandler Jones, Cardinals, had two sacks in Arizona's 26-14 loss to Kansas City.

- Chris Jones, Chiefs, had two sacks and a forced fumble in Kansas City's 26-14 win over Arizona.

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MILESTONES

Arizona wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald had six catches for 50 yards in the Cardinals' loss at Kansas City. Fitzgerald has 15,952 receiving yards and surpassed Hall of Famer Terrell Owens (15,934) for the second-most receiving yards in NFL history. Only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice (22,895) has more receiving yards. ... Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck completed 21 of 29 passes (72.4 percent) for 285 yards with three touchdowns and one interception for a 123.5 passer rating in the Colts' 29-26 victory against Jacksonville. Luck has thrown at least three touchdown passes in each of his past six games and is one of three quarterbacks in NFL history to have at least six consecutive games with three or more touchdown passes in a single season, joining Tom Brady (10 consecutive games in 2007) and Peyton Manning (eight in 2004). Brady and Manning were each the Associated Press Most Valuable Player in those respective seasons. ... Atlanta receiver Julio Jones had 107 yards in the Falcons' 28-16 loss to Cleveland. He became the fastest player to reach 10,000 yards with a 30-yard catch in the second quarter. Jones reached the 10,000-yard plateau in his 104th game, 11 quicker than Calvin Johnson. ... A 9-yard run with about 3+ minutes left in the first quarter put Miami's Frank Gore over the 500-yard mark for an NFL-record 14th straight season. He broke a tie with Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton.

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STREAKS & STATS

New Orleans rolled to its eighth straight victory, 51-14 over the Cincinnati Bengals. Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas had eight catches for 70 yards and two touchdowns. Thomas has 274 catches in 40 games and surpassed the Giants' Odell Beckham, JR. (266) for the most receptions by a player in his first 40 games in NFL history. ... Patriots quarterback Tom Brady had a reception in his team's 34-10 loss to Tennessee. Brady's catch was just the third of his career and first since Dec. 6, 2015, when he caught a 36-yarder from Danny Amendola against Philadelphia. At 41, Brady became the oldest player with a catch since Jerry Rice had 30 at the age of 42. Brady appeared in his 300th game (including the postseason), joining Hall of Famer Brett Favre (326) as the only quarterbacks in league history to appear in 300 games. ... Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is 11-0-1 in his past 12 home games (including the postseason). Rodgers has 30 passing TDs and just three interceptions during that streak. ... The first-place Bears beat the Lions 34-22 to snap a 10-game losing streak against NFC North opponents. The Bears (6-3) had dropped nine of 10 against Detroit (3-6) and were seeking their first victory over a division opponent since Oct. 31, 2016, against Minnesota. ... The Jaguars lost to Colts 29-26 in an AFC South matchup. The Jags have lost five straight, six of seven and are last in the division. ... The Buccaneers lost to the Redskins 16-3. Tampa Bay has lost three in a row and six of seven following a 2-0 start and fell to 1-3 in games when it has gained at least 500 yards this season. ... The Los Angeles Chargers won their sixth straight game, 20-6 over the struggling Oakland Raiders. The Raiders have lost five straight by at least 14 points under coach Jon Gruden and have been outscored 75-9 in the past nine quarters in what has quickly become a lost season.

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TOOTHLESS TIGERS

The Cincinnati Bengals were dominated in a 51-14 loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Bengals matched the most lopsided defeat in franchise history and gave up the second-most points in club history.

Cincinnati became the first team in the Super Bowl era to give up 500 yards in three consecutive games; New Orleans finished with 509.

In their past four games, the Bengals have given up 481, 551, 576 and 509 yards. They're on pace to give up the most yards in NFL history.

It's the fourth time the Bengals have lost a game by 37 points in their history. The club record for points allowed was 52 against Carolina in 2002. The 28 points allowed in the second quarter matched the club record.

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BIG GIFT

Rams left tackle Andrew Whitworth is donating his game check to the Ventura County Community Foundation's Conejo Valley Victims Fund, which was set up to help the families of the 12 people killed Wednesday night by a gunman in Thousand Oaks, the home of the Rams' training complex. The Rams held a moment of silence before the game.

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AUTOMATIC ADAM

The Colts honored the NFL's new career scoring leader, Adam Vinatieri, before the game with a brief highlight film and the distinction of being the last starter introduced to the crowd, which roared. Vinatieri responded by waving to the crowd and slapping hands with some fans on the field. Then he added three more points to his record-breaking total (2,553) before missing a 52-yard attempt wide right with 2:58 left in the game.

He also tied George Blanda for the most regular-season wins in league history (209).

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SIDELINED

Wide receiver Julian Edelman left the Patriots' 34-10 loss to the Tennessee Titans with an ankle injury and did not return on a rough day for the New England offense. Left tackle Trent Brown was hurt twice during the game, leaving for good when he injured his back in the third quarter. Tight end Dwayne Allen also hurt a knee in the third quarter. ... Rams receiver Cooper Kupp went down in the fourth quarter of Los Angeles' win over Seattle clutching his left knee, which sidelined him earlier this season. He eventually walked off the field. ... The Packers' defense lost two starters in Green Bay's win over Miami when safety Kentrell Brice hurt an ankle and linebacker Nick Perry limped off with a knee injury. ... For the Dolphins, running back Kenyan Drake left with a knee injury, and two wide receivers were hurt: Davante Parker (shoulder) and Jakeem Grant (leg). Bengals cornerback Dre Kirkpatrick left the blowout loss to the Saints with a concussion. For the Detroit Lions, tight end Michael Roberts suffered a shoulder injury and wide receiver Marvin Jones Jr. hurt a knee.

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SPEAKING

''Everything that could've gone wrong went wrong. We stunk it up as coaches, we stunk it up as players.'' Jets coach Todd Bowles after his team's 41-10 loss to Buffalo.

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''A great handoff. When I handed it off, it parted like the Red Sea.'' Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield on his handoff to running back Nick Chubb on his 92-yard touchdown run in Cleveland's 28-16 win over Atlanta.

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NFLNovember's Best Bets and Opinions

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

11/11/2018 9-14-1 39.13% -32.00
11/08/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
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............18-30-1.......37.50%.....-76.00


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Best Bets For November

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

11/11/2018..............2 - 5.................-17.50....................2 - 4...............-12.00.............-29.50
11/08/2018..............0 - 1.................-5.50......................0 - 1...............-5.50...............-11.00
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......................5 -12.................-41.00...................6 - 10...............-25.00..............-66.00

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Ugly performances by Jets, Bucs and Raiders on Sunday
November 12, 2018
By The Associated Press

To say the Jets , Raiders and Bucs have quit would be hyperbole.

To say their fans are ready to quit watching them would be more accurate.

There was little to nothing worth mentioning about their performances Sunday in one-sided defeats. In the New York and Tampa Bay areas, much of the chatter will be about removing Todd Bowles and Dirk Koetter as head coaches of their respective outfits. At least Jon Gruden won't be worrying about job security with a Raiders team he has torn asunder, and he has the job security to rebuild.

Bowles got it right at the New Jersey Meadowlands by saying following a 41-10 embarrassment at the hands of the previously-inept-on-offense Buffalo: ''We stunk it up as coaches, we stunk it up as players.''

His team certainly represented what used to be swamp land quite well Sunday.

The Jets (3-7, losers of four in a row) were blitzed from the beginning by a quarterback, Matt Barkley, who was unemployed a few days ago, and has been a journeyman for almost his entire NFL stint; this was his 12th game since 2013. They were overrun by LeSean McCoy, which is fine except when you consider he was in a horrendous slump and hadn't scored all season.

Worst, they seemed apathetic and disinterested from the start, a strong indictment of the players and the coaches.

''They just came in and just straight, flat out, beat us,'' said Jets receiver Jermaine Kearse, who has had to adjust to lots of losing in New York after lots of winning while he was with the Seahawks. ''I wish I could give you an explanation. It's frustrating for all of us, but they just came in here and straight beat us.''

Maybe because the Bills were trying a whole lot harder?

''Nobody's quit on anybody,'' Kearse added. ''We win together, we lose together and that's everybody's mindset right now. We're all not perfect, we're out here trying to figure it out and find ways to improve this situation like anybody else. So, I would think that's far from the truth.''

The Jets have never fired a coach during the season since the Johnson family bought the franchise in 2000. At least Bowles seems to have that going for him.

Koetter is in his third season in charge in Tampa, and he's supposedly an offensive mastermind. Until being manhandled by Washington, the Bucs were tearing it up when they had the ball. Maybe somebody tore up all the play sheets that worked previously because they scored a mere three points against a team struggling with injuries.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken had been calling plays, but Koetter took over against the Redskins. He wouldn't explain why, but clearly it was a bogus decision.

''We weren't good enough as a team, and that starts with me,'' Koetter said. ''To move the ball like that and come up with three points, you're just not going to win that way.''

Tampa (3-6) has the second-longest playoff drought, 10 seasons, and Koetter's chances of breaking that string are diminishing rapidly.

No such worries for Gruden, whose return to Oakland has been a fiasco so far. Give him credit for all the high draft picks the Raiders will have in April, and maybe for the high prospects they will carry into Las Vegas when they move in 2020.

For now, though, well - pardon us on this one - they've fallen into a Black Hole.

''This will be a year that a lot of us will never forget,'' Gruden said of his 1-8 team that has been outscored 75-9 in the past nine quarters in what has quickly become a lost season. ''It's painful. It's really hard. It's painful. It's going to be hard to sleep again, hard to get up in the morning.''

When Gruden gets up, he'll perhaps look at others to get rid of as he retools the roster already missing Khalil Mack, Bruce Irvin and Amari Cooper. He's got that wildly lucrative 10-year contract, virtual total control of personnel and no qualms about doing pretty much anything.

What must hurt fans of these three teams that got hammered Sunday is that the effort from other losing clubs - Arizona, which tested powerful Kansas City; Cleveland, which stunned Atlanta; and, of course, Buffalo - was so strong, so admirable. Perhaps the worst sign for a struggling team is when it looks lost, lethargic and lacking skill on the field.

In New Jersey and the Tampa and Oakland bay areas, that's exactly what the fans saw in Week 10.

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ICYMI in NFL Week 10: Bowles' Jets bad; Norman knocks fans
November 12, 2018
By The Associated Press

Time to start the ''Which coaches are on the way out?'' watch in the NFL, and all eyes are on Todd Bowles of the New York Jets at the moment.

How quickly it all fell apart for them.

After going 10-6 in his first season there, the Jets are 13-29, a .310 winning percentage.

How soon could Bowles be gone? Consider that the Jets now head into a bye week. So that might make sense as a time to make a change for a club that had zero fight in it during a 41-10 loss Sunday against the visiting Buffalo Bills and quarterback Matt Barkley, of all people.

''We stunk it up as coaches,'' Bowles said. ''We stunk it up as players.''

All true.

Here's another comment that was rather telling: ''That's the first time I felt like somebody really smacked us,'' Jets cornerback Morris Claiborne said, ''and we didn't do nothing about it.''

Keep in mind that the Bills are nothing special. Barkley is worse than that - a has-been who never was, nearly two years removed from his most recent NFL start. But defensive guru Bowles couldn't come up with anything to stop the guy.

Now the Jets are 3-7 and heading in the wrong direction, losers of four straight games.

Bowles shouldn't stand alone in terms of questions about how much longer he will - or should - last in his current job.

As embarrassing as the Jets suddenly are, Bowles is hardly the only coach whose club is looking unprepared and unable to compete lately:

- Doug Marrone's Jacksonville Jaguars somehow immediately went from AFC runners-up to also-rans, dropping five consecutive games to fall to 3-6 after a 29-26 loss to the Indianapolis Colts;

- Dirk Koetter's Tampa Bay Buccaneers somehow beat the New Orleans Saints and Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 1 and 2 but have lost six of seven games since to sit at 3-6 after a 16-3 setback against the visiting Washington Redskins;

- Jon Gruden is not going anywhere anytime soon, of course, but his Oakland Raiders are as bad as it gets right now, going to 1-8 after losing five games in a row by at least 14 points each, the latest a 20-6 defeat at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.

''This will be a year that a lot of us will never forget,'' Gruden said. ''It's painful.''

Jets fans probably feel the same way about their season.

In case you missed it, here are other top topics after the NFL season's 10th Sunday:

ROAD, SWEET ROAD

Washington Redskins cornerback Josh Norman celebrated a road victory by blasting the NFC East leaders' home fans, saying it seems like they ''just don't really care; they just boo everything and aren't really behind us.'' Washington is 3-1 in away games, 3-2 at home. ''We can play all the games on the road, if you ask me,'' said Norman, who had an acrobatic interception early, one of four turnovers forced by Washington's defense against the Bucs. Later, Norman sent out a tweet encouraging spectators to be more supportive and enthusiastic at home. After all, with a 6-3 record, a two-game division lead over the surprisingly so-so Super Bowl champion Eagles and the Cowboys (both 4-5 after Dallas beat Philadelphia 27-20 with the help of a hurdle by Ezekiel Elliott) and an easy schedule the rest of the way, the Redskins would host a playoff game if they avoid a collapse.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION!

This week's most original TD celebration - remember when the league tried to discourage all of those with penalties and fines? - came courtesy of Kansas City Chiefs speedster Tyreek Hill. After catching one of Patrick Mahomes' two TD passes in KC's 26-14 win over the Arizona Cardinals, Hills hopped into the stands and grabbed ahold of a TV camera, managing to record images of some teammates whooping it up, as well as the flag he earned for unsportsmanlike conduct. Chiefs coach Andy Reid was not exactly thrilled by that aspect of the charade. ''That was too much,'' Reid said. ''I'm all into the `personality' thing, but he was ... out of character there.''

BETTER THAN OMAHA

Give Los Angeles Rams QB Jared Goff credit for directing a potent offense that's helped his team get off to a 9-1 start. Give him credit, too, for quite an audible in LA's 36-31 victory against the Seattle Seahawks, name-checking Oscar winner Halle Berry.

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Betting Recap - Week 10
November 12, 2018
By Joe Williams

Overall Notes

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 10 RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 8-5
Against the Spread 5-7-1

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 8-5
Against the Spread 5-7-1

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 6-7

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE YEAR-TO-DATE RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 94-51-2
Against the Spread 67-77-3

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 86-59-2
Against the Spread 69-75-3

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 72-75

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Cowboys (+7.5, ML +300) at Eagles, 27-20
Bills (+7, ML +250) at Jets, 41-10
Titans (+6.5, ML +240) vs. Patriots, 34-10
Browns (+5.5, ML +210) vs. Falcons, 28-16

The largest favorite to cover
Packers (-12.5) vs. Dolphins, 31-12
Chargers (-10.5) at Raiders, 20-6
Bears (-7) vs. Lions, 34-22
Saints (-6) at Bengals, 51-14

Titanic Win

-- The Tennessee Titans upended the New England Patriots by a 34-10 score in Nashville in one of the most surprising results of the weekend. Head coach Mike Vrabel got the best of the master, his former boss Bill Belichick, while QB Tom Brady and the offense looked very ordinary. It doesn't help that TE Rob Gronkowski has been sidelined, but WR Julian Edelman and WR Josh Gordon are playmakers, and RB James White is healthy. The Patriots defense just couldn't stop anyone. The Titans improved to 3-0 ATS over the past three, and 6-2 ATS across the past eight. It was a tremendous difference from their last home game back on Oct. 14 when they were blanked by the Baltimore Ravens 21-0 while QB Marcus Mariota was sacked 11 times in that one.

Charged Up

-- The Los Angeles Chargers have won six in a row and appear to be in a good place. They're flying under the radar out west, playing in the shadows of the Los Angeles Rams for some reason, perhaps because they play in a larger stadium? It's hard to understand. The Bolts are a good team, but not many are talking about them. They're 4-1 ATS over the past five outings while the 'under' is also 4-1 during the span, so there is plenty of opportunity to make money off of the Bolts, too. They're also 3-0 SU/ATS in the past three road contests.

Total Recall

-- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a strange result on Sunday. They lost 16-3 against the Washington Redskins, which isn't terribly shocking since the 'Skins are in first place in the NFC East. However, even with their quarterback turnstile, they had scored 24 or more points in seven of their first eight games and the 'over' was a league-best 7-1. The three points they scored was shocking, as was the 16 points they yielded. That was also a season low.

-- On Thursday night, the Carolina Panthers-Pittsburgh Steelers (51) connected easily. There were 21 points on the board in the first five minutes, and it was all downhill from there. In fact, eventually the Steelers ended up taking care of the over themselves. Speaking of doing it all by themselves, the Buffalo Bills also took care of the 'over' (37.5) themselves in a 41-10 victory on the road against the New York Jets. Not many saw that coming in a game which featured QB Matt Barkley started for the Bills and QB Josh McCown starting for the Jets.

-- The lowest total on the board was that Bills-Jets game. In fact, that was the only game on the board with a total under 44.5. The Detroit Lions-Chicago Bears (44.5) was the second-lowest game on the board and it also hit the over, as did the third-lowest total, the Dallas Cowboys-Philadelphia Eagles (45.5) game also hit in the final four minutes.

-- On the flip side, three of the five games with a total over 50 points saw the 'over' hit, although the Chargers-Raiders (50.5) game never was close to hitting, not was the 'Skins-Bucs (51) contest.

-- The 'over' went 2-0 in the two primetime games in Week 10, with the Monday night game between the New York Giants-San Francisco 49ers (45) still pending. Overall for the 2018 season the 'over' in primetime games is 15-15 (50.0%). The 'under' has cashed in seven of the past nine battles on Sunday Night Football, although the Cowboys-Eagles game snapped a nice trend.

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

-- Detroit Lions WR Marvin Jones (knee) left early due to a knee issue and he was unable to return.

-- Los Angeles Rams WR Cooper Kupp (knee) is feared to have suffered a torn ACL in the team's win over the Seahawks. He will have an MRI on Monday to confirm.

-- New England Patriots WR Julian Edelman (ankle) checked out early due to an ankle injury, while TE Dwayne Allen (knee) also left and didn't return.

Looking Ahead

-- The Bengals and Ravens will square off in Charm City on Sunday. Baltimore is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 against AFC foes, and 4-1 ATS in the past five against divisional foes. However, they're 0-4 ATS in the past four overall. The Ravens return after a bye, and they're 8-3 ATS in the past 11 after a week off. However, they're 1-4 ATS in the past five inside the division and 2-6 ATS in the past eight home games against a team with a winning road mark. The Bengals are 7-3 ATS in the past 10 meetings, while the underdog is 7-2 ATS in the past nine in the series.

-- The Titans look to stay hot against the Colts in Indianapolis in a key AFC South battle. Tennessee is 6-0 ATS in the past six inside the division, while going 6-2 ATS in the past eight overall. Indianapolis is 16-5-1 ATS in the past 22 at home against teams with a winning road record, but they're 2-7-1 ATS in the past 10 inside the South. The Titans are 3-10 ATS in the past 13 meetings in this series, and 1-6 ATS in the past seven trips to Indy. The under has connected in 10 of the past 13 meetings in Indianapolis, too.

-- The Broncos and Chargers do battle in L.A. Denver is 1-3-1 ATS in the past five following a bye, while going 1-6 ATS in the past seven inside the division. They're also 3-11 ATS in the past 14 on the road. L.A. has posted a 5-1 ATS mark in the past six against losing teams, while going 5-2 ATS in the past seven inside the division. Lately, it's been all about the under. The under is 5-0 in the past meetings in San Diego/Los Angeles. The under is also 3-1-1 in Denver's past five divisional games, and 5-2-1 in their past eight overall. The under is 13-4 in L.A.'s past 17 against AFC foes, 5-2 in their past seven at home and 7-1 in the past eight inside the division, including Week 10 in Oakland.

-- The Vikings and Bears square off on Sunday Night Football. Minnesota heads to the Windy city 8-3 ATS over the past 11 on the road. However, they're 2-7 ATS in the past nine following a bye and 1-5 ATS in the past six against a team with a winning mark. The Bears are 5-1 ATS in the past six at home, while going 3-1-1 ATS in the past five inside the division. The home team has hit in four of the past five in this series, and the Vikings are a dismal 3-12 ATS in the past 15 trips to Soldier Field.

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MNF - Giants at 49ers
Kevin Rogers


LAST WEEK

The Giants (1-7 SU, 3-5 ATS) are fresh off the bye as their nightmare season crosses over to the second half on Monday. New York suffered its fifth consecutive loss its last time out in a Week 8 home setback to Washington. The Redskins held off the Giants, 20-13 as New York was limited to less than 20 points for the sixth time this season, while dropping their 20th game in the last 24 opportunities since the start of 2017.

The final score against Washington is partially misleading as the Giants didn’t reach the end zone until 17 seconds remained in regulation. Eli Manning hooked up with Evan Engram on a two-yard touchdown connection, but it was too little, too late as the Giants dropped to 0-4 SU/ATS at Met Life Stadium in 2018. Second overall pick Saquon Barkley was limited to 38 yards rushing on 13 carries as the former Penn State star has racked up 50 or fewer yards on the ground four times in the last five games.

The 49ers (2-7 SU, 3-6 ATS) are feeling good about themselves after smashing Bay Area rival Oakland, 34-3 to end a six-game slide. San Francisco turned to third-string quarterback Nick Mullens as the former Southern Mississippi standout diced up the Raiders’ defense for 262 yards and three touchdown passes. Running back Raheem Mostert scored his first NFL touchdown on a 52-yard scamper as the 49ers won at home for the first time since Week 2 against Detroit.

BLUE ROAD BOOM

For whatever reason, the Giants have put together a more competitive effort off a home loss this season. Since losing at Dallas in Week 2, New York has covered in three straight road contests, including two coming off home losses. The Giants routed the Texans in Week 3 as 6 ½-point underdogs for their only win of the season, while cashing in close losses to the Panthers and Falcons. In fact, New York has cashed in three straight opportunities off an ATS loss.

SALTY CHALK

The 49ers have not fared well in the favorite role this season as Kyle Shanahan’s team owns an 0-3 ATS record when laying points. San Francisco opened as a favorite against Oakland, but that line flipped with the news of Mullens starting. The Niners failed to cash in a Week 2 victory over the Lions, while losing twice to the Cardinals in the favorite role.

SERIES HISTORY

It’s been a long time since there has been major importance placed on the Giants and 49ers, two teams that accounted for five Super Bowl wins in the 1980’s. Last season, the Niners were listed as a three-point home underdog against the Giants as San Francisco picked up its first win of the season following an 0-9 start in a 31-21 triumph. San Francisco erased a 13-10 second quarter deficit by scoring three consecutive touchdowns, as quarterback C.J. Beathard tossed a pair of touchdowns in the win.

These two squads did hook up in the 2011 NFC Championship game at Candlestick Park as the Giants edged the 49ers in overtime, 20-17 to reach the Super Bowl and ultimately beat the Patriots. Since then, the two teams have split four matchups, while the Giants are seeking their first win in the Bay Area since 2012.

MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

The Giants are appearing on Monday night football for the second time in four weeks after scoring a late touchdown to grab the backdoor at Atlanta in Week 7. New York owns a 2-6 record in its past eight appearances on Mondays dating back to 2014, as its last road win in this spot came at Miami in 2015. San Francisco is also playing a Monday nighter for the second time in 2018, as the 49ers blew a late lead in a three-point loss at Green Bay in Week 6. Amazingly the 49ers have covered in 12 of 13 times on Monday night dating back to 2008, but this is the first time they are favored since pulling off a 14-point victory at St. Louis in 2014.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

NFL expert Joe Nelson checks in on this contest as San Francisco will likely ride out the rest of the season with Mullens under center, “Mullens is the story in this otherwise easily overlooked Monday night game that ESPN would surely love to have a re-draw of. He was undrafted in 2017 after starting 41 games over four seasons for Southern Miss. He posted good numbers his junior and senior seasons leading winning teams and compiling many records at the program. He spent last season on the practice squad and has been on the active roster since Jimmy Garoppolo’s injury. Beathard had been productive for the 49ers but with 12 turnovers in five games, Mullens has a chance to earn the job for the rest of the season ahead of a Week 11 bye week.”

On the flip side with the Giants, the numbers for Manning haven’t been as bad despite their record, “Manning remains the starting quarterback for New York despite only eight touchdowns in eight games though his numbers are better than might be expected, completing over 68 percent of his passes and throwing only six interceptions in 315 attempts. He has been sacked 31 times as the offensive line has been the big issue for New York, making a productive first half for Barkley look even more impressive. Manning ranks 22nd in the league in QB Rating and 29th in QBR and many Giants fans will point out that the team has provided a lot of fourth quarter production in losing efforts as the numbers could be worse,” Nelson notes.

GAME PROPS – According to Las Vegas Westgate Superbook

Total Gross Passing Yards – Eli Manning
OVER 275 ½ (-110)
UNDER 275 ½ (-110)

Total Touchdown Passes – Eli Manning
OVER 1 ½ (+120)
UNDER 1 ½ (-140)

Total Rushing Yards – Saquon Barkley
OVER 65 ½ (-110)
UNDER 65 ½ (-110)

Total Completions – 49ers
OVER 18 ½ (-110)
UNDER 18 ½ (-110)

Total Touchdown Passes – 49ers
OVER 1 ½ (-110)
UNDER 1 ½ (-110)

LINE MOVEMENT

The 49ers opened up as 2 ½-point favorites at the Westgate Superbook. That number has climbed to three at many books with the juice at -120 or -125, while the Westgate has San Francisco at -3 ½ (Even). The total opened at 43 ½, but is now up to 44 ½ at most books as the OVER is 5-5 on Monday night so far this season.

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Early bettors hit Rams' odds for NFL clash vs. Chiefs; total a whopping 64
Patrick Everson

Jared Goff and Todd Gurley have the Rams atop the NFC with a 9-1 SU mark. Although Los Angeles is just 4-6 ATS, early bettors moved the Rams from -1 to -2 against the Chiefs in Mexico City.

The NFL game everybody has pointed to for weeks is finally on deck, and rightly so, it’s the finale of the Week 11 docket. We check in on the opening lines and early action for that contest and three other notable matchups, with insights from John Murray, director of The SuperBook at Westgate in Las Vegas.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Los Angeles Rams (-1)

Kansas City is tied with Los Angeles for the best record in the league at 9-1 SU, and Andy Reid’s squad is solo No. 1 against the oddsmakers at 8-2 ATS. That said, the Chiefs couldn’t cover a healthy 16.5-point spread at home in Week 10, coasting past Arizona 26-14.

The Rams bounced back from a loss at New Orleans – their first setback of the season – though they got a stern test in Week 10. Los Angeles (9-1 SU, 4-6 ATS) held off Seattle 36-31 as a 10-point home chalk.

While pointspreads are generally the most notable betting element, the total in this clash of offensive titans is also a real eye-popper, in a neutral-site Monday night game at high altitude in Mexico City.

“We opened the total at 64. No takers either way yet,” Murray said Sunday evening before addressing the spread. “We opened it Rams -1, and it’s been bet up to Rams -2. This game is a tossup to me. Don’t waste time punting on fourth-and-short or kicking field goals. These teams need touchdowns to keep pace with each other.”

Jay Kornegay, executive vice president of operations for The SuperBook, said while the book doesn't keep such statistics, it is believed that 64 is a record-high opening total.

Minnesota Vikings at Chicago Bears (-3)

Chicago is certainly one of the bigger surprises of the 2018-19 season, sitting atop the NFC North through 10 weeks. The Bears (6-3 SU and ATS) won and cashed their last three games, including Sunday’s 34-22 victory over Detroit as 7.5-point home favorites.

Minnesota, which reached the NFC title game last season, can take over first place in the NFC North with a win at Soldier Field. And the Vikings (5-3-1 SU and ATS) are well-rested, coming off their bye after a 24-9 victory over Detroit as 4.5-point home faves in Week 9.

“This game will go a long way to determining the NFC North,” Murray said. “I expect a lot of two-way write in this game. The number has moved slightly to Vikings +3 (-120), as there has been some early support for the ‘dog.”

Philadelphia Eagles at New Orleans Saints (-7)

New Orleans is the hottest team in the league, winning eight in a row SU while cashing seven consecutive times. The Saints (8-1 SU, 7-2 ATS) went to Cincinnati as 6-point favorites in Week 10 and put up a 50-plus burger in a 51-14 victory.

Defending Super Bowl champion Philadelphia wouldn’t make the playoffs if the season ended today. The Eagles (4-5 SU, 3-6 ATS) went off as 7.5-point home faves against Dallas in the Week 10 Sunday nighter, but lost outright 27-20.

The SuperBook posted the Eagles-Saints line prior to Philly’s Sunday night loss, and per standard protocol took down the line during the Eagles-Cowboys game. The number will go back up Monday morning.

“This line may go up,” Murray said, noting the Eagles’ setback might require a line adjustment. “The public will be happy to lay the points with New Orleans. The Saints have been very good to bettors recently.”

Green Bay Packers at Seattle Seahawks (-2.5)

Green Bay also wouldn’t be in the playoffs with its .500 record to this point. The Packers (4-4-1 SU, 4-5 ATS) halted a 1-3 SU and ATS skid by dropping Miami 31-12 laying 11 points at home Sunday.

Seattle also has work to do if it hopes to climb back into the postseason picture. The Seahawks (4-5 SU, 5-3-1 ATS) put up a valiant fight against the Los Angeles Rams, but came up just short in a 36-31 loss catching 10 points on the road.

“Another really tough road game for the Packers, after they played at the Rams and at the Patriots” in recent weeks, Murray said. “There will be a lot of money both ways, but I anticipate the public mostly backing Green Bay.”


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


An MRI has confirmed that Rams' WR Cooper Kupp suffered a torn ACL in Sunday's game vs. the Seahawks. Obviously, out for the season.

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Monday's Best Bet
November 9, 2018
By YouWager.eu

NFL Week 10 MNF Betting Preview

New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

Last week's MNF betting piece was able to bring home a winner with the 'over' selection, although the Cowboys getting shutout in the 2nd half did us no favors there. Thankfully the Cowboys offense had enough success in the first 30 minutes to do their part, but that's all in the past now as it's time to look ahead to Week 10's MNF matchup.

Granted, schedule makers probably assumed there would be more than a total of three wins combined between the Giants and 49ers when they squared off for this meeting, but it's been a tumultuous season for both organizations for very different reasons.

For San Francisco, it's been all about injuries as they saw their franchise QB Jimmy Garoppolo be lost for the season early, and it's been all about patchwork for them since. New York has their own QB concerns as Eli Manning has declined so rapidly that New York's essentially been left “holding the bag” with him and his contract, unable or unwilling to move on from him as of yet. Manning's play isn't the only cause of all the dysfunction New York's dealt with this year, but you've really got to wonder how long it will be before the rest of the team “quits” on the 2018 season. The Giants appear to be awfully close to that breaking point now.

YouWager.eu Odds: San Francisco (-3); Total set at 44

Games like this can be tough to handicap from the simple standpoint that you can't be overly confident in the motivation levels on either side. That's especially true for the Giants, who have the look and feel of a team that just wants this season to be over as quickly as possible. They were expected to compete for a division crown, a playoff spot, and from there who knows, and to enter Week 10 with a 1-7 SU record has been completely embarrassing.

They are getting blasted for not taking a QB with the 2nd overall pick having known Eli was nearing the end of his career, but hindsight is always 20/20 and I don't see how the Giants could have figured Manning's decline would be so swift and sudden in 2018. RB Saquon Barkley – who they did take #2 overall – is still going to be a stud in this league, so it's not like New York completely whiffed with their draft pick, but it's still New York and that market will rip you to shreds unless you are either running the table or winning championships.

On the other side of the field, San Francisco should be the team you can rely on more in terms of motivation this week, simply because they looked great on TNF a week ago in dismantling another dysfunctional team in the Oakland Raiders. Third-string QB Nick Mullens looked great in that win, as stories of his preparation and work ethic from his teammates were great to hear post-game. The 49ers understand that this year is considered a “building” year for them, and to see them rally around and fight hard for a guy like Mullens was great. The young signal caller will be making the start this week again, and from that standpoint alone you've probably got to lean with San Francisco at this price.

A lean on the 49ers should turn into a play though as this Giants team is one that simply can't be trusted to bring quality effort the rest of the year – especially on the road. Sure, New York is off a bye week, and if they are ones to stand up and show some professional pride, this may be a good spot to do so, but you only have to look to last year's disastrous season for New York to see why that probably won't be the case.

It was about this time last year that New York went into the bye week knowing their season was done – they were 1-6 SU heading into the bye – and came back the following week to host the Rams as 6-point home dogs. Situationally, you would figure everything lined up well for New York then; at home, off a bye, looking to play spoiler etc, and they went out and got blasted 51-17.

The following week, a similar narrative was being spun as they were 3-point road favorites in San Francisco and many expected them to bow their necks, be professional and come away with a win. Well that wasn't the case as the 49ers ended up with a 31-21 victory as the Giants showed no focus and were ill-prepared. It wasn't until the following week back at home that the Giants did eventually show that professionalism as they knocked off the Chiefs 12-9 as +10 home dogs. Moral of the story: don't trust teams that have mentally folded away from home.

I'm not sure how this week will be any different for New York, as the long cross-country flight after a week of personal fun and relaxation (Odell Beckham did attention Alabama/LSU last week), isn't conducive to being focused to try and win a football game in hostile territory. The Giants best ATS results this year have come away from home (3-1 ATS on the road), and it's part of why they are currently receiving about 70% of the ATS wagers currently, but from my eyes this team has folded up shop. There might be one or two “professional” efforts from the Giants left this year, and I'd venture a guess that they either come at home or against a division foe.

This game against the 49ers qualifies as none of those, and with the 49ers being an organization that loves to be featured under the bright MNF lights (26-6 ATS last 32 MNF games) and the Giants on a 1-4 ATS run after a week off, I'll lay the chalk with the home side in this one. QB Nick Mullens is still looking to showcase himself to the entire league so that he can potentially become more than a 3rd string NFL QB, and what better way to do that than by having great performances in consecutive weeks when you know the rest of the league is watching.

Odds per - YouWager.eu

Best Bet: San Francisco -3

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Top Props - Giants at 49ers
November 12, 2018
By Bookmaker

by Kyle Markus

NFL Game Props - New York Giants at San Francisco 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers looked fantastic last time out behind third-string quarterback Nick Mullens. Was that a one-hit wonder, or does he have staying power? Mullens and the 49ers will return to the field on “Monday Night Football” in a matchup against the New York Giants.

This game features two of the least talented teams in the NFL, but it could be a competitive matchup. Mullens is playing just his second career NFL game while the Giants have veteran Eli Manning under center.

Despite the experience gap, the Giants are the slight underdogs. There will be the standard pregame wagers for this one as well as a host of prop bets in NFL gambling.

This NFL football game between the New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California at 8:15 p.m ET on Monday, November 12th, 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 49ers are listed as the 3.5-point favorites in this one. It’s an interesting spread because it has gone up a half-point during the week, and now the Giants can cover if they lose by a field goal. San Francisco is the -170 favorite while the Giants are the +150 underdog on the moneyline. The scoring total is listed at 45 points as the oddsmakers believe it will not be a super explosive showdown.

Those are the standard wagers, but the primetime nature of the game means there are plenty of prop bets available. One of the prop bets asks if there will be a score in the first 6.5 minutes of the game. The “yes” is the underdog at even odds, while the “no” can be wagered on at -130 odds.

The prop bets allow each team to have its own scoring total for this one. The Giants’ total points have been listed at 20.5. New York has star receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. and star running back Saquon Barkley, but it has struggled to score consistently throughout the year. The scoring total for the 49ers is listed at 24.5 points. This line looks extremely high considering Mullens is a former undrafted free agent who has very little experience. He has a great debut but it will be interesting to see if the success will last in this one.

The longest touchdown of the game over/under is listed at 41.5 yards. The “over” seems like a smart play. Beckham, Barkley and 49ers receiver Marquise Goodwin each have big-play ability and could easily surpass that threshold if they get the ball in space.

There is an interesting longshot prop listed. The odds are +1000 for there to be overtime in this game, but the matchup seems pretty even and it is a possibility. Obviously an overtime isn’t likely but this could be a worthy gamble that would pay off very well.

Free NFL ATS Picks

While those are some intriguing prop bets, the best one of the game asks if there will be three consecutive scores by the same team. The “yes” is almost always the favorite as one team tends to go on a run at some point.

That’s no different in this one, as the oddsmakers believe one of the teams will score three straight times, with it the -200 favorite. However, this one could be lining up as a low-scoring, back-and-forth affair. The “no” choice is the underdog at +160 and those odds are just too good to ignore. Take the “no” on the prop bet asking if either team will score three consecutive times in this matchup in NFL wagering.

NFL ATS Pick: Neither the 49ers nor the Giants will score three times in a row

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Monday's Top Wager
November 12, 2018
By BetDSI

by Tom Wilkinson

NFL Betting Preview – Giants at 49ers

The San Francisco 49ers host the New York Giants on Monday night in a game that can be seen on ESPN. The Giants are in the midst of a lost season, as they come into this game at 1-7, while the 49ers are not much better at 2-8.

The Giants are still going with Eli Manning at quarterback, as they don’t have much of a choice, while the 49ers will be giving Nick Mullens his second start. Let’s look at this Monday Night Football matchup and NFL picks.

Date and Time: Monday, November 12, 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
NFL Odds at BetDSI: 49ers -3.5 (-105), O/U 45
Giants vs. 49ers TV Coverage: ESPN

The Giants made the decision in the NFL Draft not to take a quarterback so they are still stuck with Eli Manning under center. Head coach Pat Shurmur said that Manning will get the start again this week. It is not like Shurmur has much of a choice, as the Giants don’t have anyone they are excited about behind him.

Manning said to the media that there is some urgency for his team to get a win. “We got to get going, and everybody wants it. The team needs it, for the morale and for just the hard work and everything we put in. Just need to reap the benefits of the work and feel good about what we're doing."

The 49ers lost their starting quarterback early in the season to injury, as Jimmy Garoppolo was hurt. They went with C.J. Beathard until last week when Nick Mullens got his first career start. It went so well that Mullens has moved ahead of Beathard on the depth chart. Mullens had three TD passes last week in the win over Oakland.

Head coach Kyle Shanahan said the decision to go with Mullens over Beathard was not a hard one. "I don't think it was too tough of a decision," Shanahan said to the media, "Our team played really well (against the Raiders) and he (Mullens) played well. It was going to be hard to not give him the opportunity." Shanahan did say that for now the decision on who will start at quarterback is week-to-week.

Matchup to Watch

If the Giants are to be competitive in this game they have to run the ball because it is obvious that Manning is not going to win games on his own. The Giants have Saquon Barkley and he should have success against a San Francisco defense that is giving up 102.8 yards per game on the ground this season.

Key Stats

The road team is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. The Giants are 11-23-1 ATS in their last 35 games in November. The Giants are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 vs. the NFC. The Giants are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games following a bye week.

The 49ers are 26-6 ATS in their last 32 Monday games. The 49ers are 5-14 ATS in their last 19 home games. The 49ers are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 vs. the NFC.

Looking at the total, the Over is 4-1 in the Giants last 5 games following a bye week. The Under is 5-2 in the Giants last 7 road games. The Under is 15-5 in the 49ers last 20 games in November.

Giants vs. 49ers Picks

The Giants are simply a bad football team right now and I have no confidence that Shurmur is the man to turn things around. I think Mullens can definitely play well again this week, as the New York defense isn’t any good. I will lay the points with the 49ers on Monday night. I also think this could be a higher scoring game than people think. The Giants should have success on the ground and be able to move the ball and the 49ers should have their way with the New York defense. I will also play this game to go over the total at BetDSI.

Giants vs. 49ers Pick: 49ers -3 and Over 44.5 at BetDSI
Giants vs. 49ers Score Prediction: 49ers 30, Giants 23

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12

GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NYG at SF 08:15 PM

SF -3.0

U 44.5

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Manning's late TD pass leads Giants past 49ers 27-23
November 12, 2018
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SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) Eli Manning threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Sterling Shepard with 53 seconds left and the New York Giants snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the San Francisco 49ers 27-23 on Monday night.

Manning threw two TD passes to Odell Beckham Jr. and then engineered the late game-winning drive with help from a pair of third-down penalties against Malcolm Smith and Ahkello Witherspoon.

Saquon Barkley then had a 23-yard catch to get the ball into the red zone and Manning connected with Shepard on third down to give the Giants (2-7) the win.

Matt Breida ran for 101 yards and scored two touchdowns for the 49ers (2-8), who were unable to win consecutive games under third-string quarterback Nick Mullens. Breida's 23-yard run helped set up a 30-yard field goal by Robbie Gould that gave the Niners a 23-20 lead with 2:46 to play.

But the 49ers allowed the go-ahead score and couldn't pull it out at the end as Mullens' pass from the Giants 20 sailed out of the end zone on the final play.

Mullens wasn't nearly as sharp as he was in his NFL debut against the Raiders on Nov. 1 when he joined Hall of Famers Jim Kelly and Fran Tarkenton as the only players with at least 250 yards passing, three touchdown passes and no interceptions in the first career game.

Mullens threw for 250 yards and had an 11-yard TD pass to Breida that made it 20-10 early in the third quarter. But Mullens also threw two interceptions with the first setting up a 10-yard TD pass from Manning to Beckham .

Those two connected again on a 20-yard score in the third quarter as New York rallied from 10 points down to tie the game in the second half.

HARD HIT

Niners receiver Marquise Goodwin was hit in the helmet by Alec Ogletree on a catch late in the third quarter and briefly left the game. On his first play back in to start the fourth quarter, a pass from Mullens deflected off Goodwin's hands for the second interception of the game by B.J. Goodson . Goodwin was slow to get up after that play and went back into the medical tent for observation. Goodwin returned to the game later in the fourth quarter.

MISSED OPPORTUNITY

The Giants entered the game converting just 40 percent of their red zone trips into TDs. They missed a golden opportunity for one late in the first half. On a third down from the 3, the 49ers left Beckham unguarded in the slot but Manning stuck with a run play to Barkley that gained only 1 yard. New York settled for a field goal that tied the game at 10.

The Niners then drove down for a late field goal to take the lead at the break as the Giants trailed at the half for the eighth time this season.

PLAYING FOR PARADISE

Niners GM John Lynch welcomed the high school football team from Paradise, a town destroyed by the wildfires in Butte County, about 175 miles north. Players and cheerleaders from the school were on the field for the national anthem. The air quality for the game was at an unhealthy level because of the fires.

The Air Quality Index was at 161 at kickoff, which is in the unhealthy zone, and smoke could be smelled throughout the stadium. The NFL had monitored the situation but the AQI never got near 200, the level where the game would have needed to be moved.

UP NEXT

Giants: Host Tampa Bay on Sunday.

49ers: Visit Tampa Bay on Nov. 25.

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Hot & Not Report
November 12, 2018
By YouWager.eu

Who's Hot and Who's Not

Week of November 12th

It was all about the collegiate ranks last week, as the Top 4 teams in the country all cruised to expected easy wins this past weekend. Only Michigan failed to cover their closing line against Rutgers, but when you are laying more than 5 TD's on the road and still win by five TD's on the nose, it's not like the Wolverines have cooled off any.

Conversely, last week's “Not” teams had an interesting week, as the Navy Midshipmen were able to get back in the ATS win column by staying within the number against UCF, while Louisville got shelled yet again and subsequently fired HC Bobby Petrino afterwards.

It was probably a long time coming for Petrino as his ability to recruit for the post-Lamar Jackson era looks downright awful at the moment, and it became clear that he had lost the locker room weeks ago with these horrible efforts Louisville was putting out each week. It will be interesting to see how much (if any) of a change in effort we see from the Cardinals in their remaining games, but they are lacking so much talent, I'm not sure any spread is worth considering with them going forward.

This week it's back to the pro football landscape though as we've basically completely 10 weeks of play now and are heading towards the stretch drive. It's now or never for a lot of NFL teams in 2018, and for a few select divisions, there has been a clear-cut divide in results.

Who's Hot

AFC South teams not named Jacksonville (8-0-1 ATS last three games)

Coming into the year it was not hard to argue with the notion that the Jacksonville Jaguars should have been the favorites to win the AFC South for the second straight year. Jacksonville had just gone to the AFC Championship game last January and outside of some suspect QB play from Blake Bortles, many figured the Jags defense would be able to erase many of those mistakes.

However, it's been quite the opposite in that division of late, as the other three teams in the AFC South have been padding bankrolls rather significantly. Houston was off this past week, but the Texans have gone 3-0 ATS in their most recent three contests and are currently riding a six-game SU winning streak. Indianapolis is now 3-0 SU (2-0-1 ATS) in their last three games, while the Tennessee Titans are a two-point conversion in London away from being on a three-game SU winning streak themselves (3-0 ATS last three).

Those results – combined with Jacksonville's declining play – have made the Jags nothing more than an afterthought for 2018, as this division is a three-horse race now between the Texans, Titans, and Colts. Indianapolis has got arguably the most favorable schedule of the bunch with games against Miami, Dallas, and the Giants left as their only non-division games, so everything is in front of the resurgent Andrew Luck and the Colts. Take care of business within their divisional games, and the Colts could end up making that “worst-to-first” jump when all is said and done.

This week one of those three teams will see their strong runs come to an end as Tennessee and the Colts square off in Indy, but that may be the only thing that can cool off this group. All three of them have very winnable games left outside of division play, and until the point spreads start to catch up with the quality football we've seen from Houston, Tennessee, and Indy of late, they should probably be teams you should only consider betting ON when not playing one another.

Who's Not

AFC North teams not named Pittsburgh (1-8 ATS last three games)

The year started with the Pittsburgh Steelers being the team from the AFC North that had to deal with all sorts of issues, but after Pittsburgh has rung off five straight wins (5-0 ATS), all that talk about their play on the field is long forgotten. Instead, it's the other three teams in Pittsburgh's division that have taken major steps backwards, culminating in the Cincinnati Bengals for some absurd reason protecting Marvin Lewis yet again by firing their DC instead.

Cincinnati's blowout loss at home to the Saints on Sunday was utterly embarrassing, but it's not like it was a one-off either. The Bengals are on a 0-4 ATS run in their last four games as the 4-1 SU start they had this year looks like nothing but a mirage now.

Cleveland managed to right the ship a bit by beating Atlanta on Sunday after they dealt with some tumultuous weeks and coaching changes as well, but the Browns are still on a 1-4 SU run in their past five games, going 1-2 ATS in their last three. Cleveland wasn't expected to do a whole lot this year, so there is some wiggle room with their results, but as just another AFC North squad that is seemingly bowing down to the Steelers this year, the Browns are a tough team to back right now.

And then there is Baltimore. A team like the Bengals who got off to a hot start – especially defensively – but has since fallen off the map. Baltimore was spared any criticism this weekend thanks to being on a bye, but a 0-3 SU and ATS run (1-4 SU and ATS last five) has not been pretty. The Ravens will hope to get back on track by getting some revenge against the dysfunctional “Bungels” this weekend as one of those two teams will snap a losing streak.

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Books rebound in Week 10
November 12, 2018
By Micah Roberts

After three straight weeks of losing Nevada sports books bounced back Sunday in Week 10 NFL action as the popular favorites went 4-7-1 against-the-spread with five of the underdogs winning outright.

"It was better than last week," said MGM Resorts sports book hub manager Jeff Stoneback.

Last week was an epic loss, but Week 10 turned out to be the biggest win of the season for some bet shops.

"The morning was great for us, but we lost all three in the afternoon," said William Hill's head bookmaker Nick Bogdanovich. "The Dallas win was a monster. It ended up being our best Sunday of the year."

The Eagles number ran from -6 to -7.5 against the Cowboys and 91 percent of William Hill's cash on the game sided with the Eagles so when the Cowboys won 27-20 in an isolated night game situation, it was huge for every book in the state. Stoneback said the MGM books would have given back 25 percent of the win on the day if the Eagles covered.

The Eagles were one of five favorites the public was all over, and they came flush with cash from winning the past three weeks. The Falcons, Saints, Patriots, and Bears were the other four, so the books got gifts with three of them losing outright which helped ruin heaps of money-line parlays and teasers.

Perhaps the most impressive pick of the day by the public was the Saints who won their eighth straight and covered their seventh straight in a 51-14 win at Cincinnati. It was the fourth time this season that the Saints scored 40 points or more. The number ran from Saints -4 to -6 and it was almost rubber stamped onto every parlay ticket on the day.

Are the Saints the top-rated team in the NFL in regards to making point-spreads? Westgate Superbook manager Ed Salmons says he still has the Rams rated the highest. In my personal ratings, I have the Rams 1-point better than the Saints.

The Browns ended a four-game losing streak in a 28-16 win against the Falcons (-5) who snapped their three-game win streak. Fair to now call them the phony Falcons?

Something we don't see very often is the Patriots pulling Tom Brady halfway through the fourth quarter, but it happened in a 34-10 loss at Tennessee where the Titans were 6.5-point underdogs. It's the third road game this season the Patriots have lost by double figures and ends a Patriots six-game win streak (5-1 ATS). It was the most bet game of the morning schedule at William Hill sports books and 91 percent of the tickets were on the Patriots as well as 90 percent of the cash wagered.

"The Browns win was our best by far and then the Titans winning was also right there as a close second," said Stoneback.

The Bears (-7) had lopsided ticket counts in parlays and the public was correct in their 34-22 home win against the lazy Lions. The most interesting detail from that game was Bears kicker Cody Parkey missing two extra points and two field goals with all four misses hitting off the right crossbar.

"The Chiefs not covering was also good," Stoneback said. "The crowd was going nuts late when it looked like the Chiefs defense was returning a late TD."

But the score didn't happen and the Cardinals got the money in a 26-14 loss at Kansas City. The masses were scared off the large spread that dropped from -16.5 down to -15.5, but they were still a popular play. The Cardinals are one of the lowest rated teams in the NFL, but the spread is the equalizer and they're now 5-4 ATS. The Chiefs dropped to an NFL-best 8-2 ATS, and it's only because of their lousy defense that they aren't rated up there with the Rams and Saints.

The worst rated team in the NFL is the Bills, but behind backup QB Matt Barkley they looked like a middle of the road team in a 41-10 win at the Jets as 7-point underdogs. Any given day, any team can win. This is the NFL where every player is a professional. And forget that silly talk of Alabama beating the Bills. Call Buffalo -28 over the Crimson Tide.

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s 6-pack

Six interesting games on this week’s college football schedule:

— Stanford (-2) @ California

— Arizona State @ Oregon (-4.5)

— West Virginia (-5.5) @ Oklahoma State

— Boston College (-2) @ Florida State

— Iowa State @ Texas (-3)

— USC (-3.5) @ UCLA

Quote of the Day
“I didn’t have to prove anything. I know I can play. I just had to let our team know that these guys (Patriots) are beatable. … I know those guys. I know that you be physical with them and let ’em have it and they’ll fold……Hell yeah, it’s personal. When you go cheap, you get your ass kicked.”
Titans’ RB Dion Lewis, who is from beautiful Albany, NY

Tuesday’s quiz
in the movie Hoosiers, the climactic basketball scenes were shot in which college’s gym?

Monday’s quiz
Jim Harbaugh was the 49ers’ coach the last time they played in the playoffs, in 2013.

Sunday’s quiz
Jimmy Butler played his college basketball at Marquette.


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

13) According to people who know such things, Rams-Chiefs’ total of 63.5 Monday night in Mexico City will be the highest total in NFL history.

Of the 14 NFL games that have had totals of 58+, 11 games went over, 3 stayed under- the favorite won 13 of the 14 games SU.

Previous highest total was 62 (Rams-49ers in 2000).

12) Before this year’s schedule was made, Rams-Chiefs both requested to play in Denver this past week, to get ready for the high altitude in Mexico City; the NFL obviously turned both teams down. Rams are practicing at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs this week, so they’ll be cold but maybe it’ll help on Monday night.

Rams by the way, appear to be playing a preseason game next summer in Hawai’i.

11) Brook Lopez is a 7-foot center for the Milwaukee Bucks; in his last two games, Lopez is 14-25 outside the arc- he made six treys in the third quarter alone Sunday in Denver.

This is all very strange; in his first eight years in the NBA, Lopez was a combined 3-31 behind the arc, which made sense, the guy is a 7-foot center. But then he worked on his shooting.

In the last three years, here are Lopez’ 3-point numbers, in his 9th-11th years in the NBA:
2016-17: 134-387, 34.6%
2017-18: 112-325, 34.5%
2018-19: 39-93, 41.9%

10) Sounds the Baltimore Ravens will ask coach John Harbaugh to take a hike after this season; curious to see what direction they’ll go in from here. Would Harbaugh be a good fit at USC, or is former Cal coach Jeff Tedford (Aaron Rodgers’ college coach) the front runner there?

Would the Jets dump Todd Bowles and hire Harbaugh if he was available?

9) Louisville fired football coach Bobby Petrino Sunday morning; this is the Cardinals’ first losing season since 2009, but it has been a dreadful season. Louisville lost its last seven games, is 2-8- they’re 1-8 vs spread, so they’ve been non-competitive. Petrino will get $14M to go away; the rich boosters that pay the tab for this stuff must be very impatient people.

News of the firing came during Petrino’s TV show Sunday morning and ran on a crawl on the bottom of the screen, which seems a little bit cold-hearted.

Then again, if Rick Pitino wins his legal claim with Louisville they could owe him $44M, which means the school would owe $56M to coaches…..who don’t work there anymore.

8) First true road game for Duke’s basketball team is on the 8th……..of January. They play five games on neutral courts before then, but zero true road games.

7) New Jersey Giants cut OL Patrick Omameh, who signed a three-year, $15M contract in the offseason; pretty big blunder, but maybe they think signing Jamon Brown off the scrap heap makes up for it, at least partially.

6) Jimmer Fredette scored 75 points in a Chinese League game Sunday; his team lost 137-136. He was 7-10 on the arc, 17-24 inside the arc. wonder how many points his guy scored?

5) Some good news: 48.5% of eligible voters showed up and voted last week, the highest midterm turnout in any election since 1966.

4) Paul Pierce said on TV the other day that Duke could beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, which is an interesting debate. I would disagree with him on that, but the fact that it is even a debate is sad for Cleveland basketball fans.

3) Florida voted down greyhound racing earlier this month; I went to the dog races couple of times in Florida, never understood why anyone would wager on them. Fun to watch, it was a decent afternoon out, but horse races are a lot more fun.

2) Lions’ QB Matthew Stafford turns 31 in February; he is a good player, but this is his 10th year in the NFL and his career playoff record is 0-3. His regular season record is 63-71. He makes $27M a year.

My question is this; if you’re trying to make the Lions better, do you trade Stafford for draft picks and try to strengthen the rest of the team? Stafford could still bring a pretty good haul in a deal- look around, good QB’s aren’t exactly everywhere, or does Detroit commit to Stafford for the rest of his career and hope that suddenly everyone around him starts playing better?

1) West Virginia’s basketball team has a freshman guard from Wisconsin named Jordan McCabe; when the kid was 12 years old, his dribbling skills were so advanced that he appeared with the Harlem Globetrotters one night, and also did his dribbling thing on the Ellen TV show.

Not a lot of people can say they worked for Ellen DeGeneres and Bob Huggins.