Cnotes 2018 nfl thread thru the superbowl- trends-news-picks+more !

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SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 23
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

GB at WAS 01:00 PM
WAS +2.5
O 45.5

NO at ATL 01:00 PM
NO +1.5
U 53.5

BUF at MIN 01:00 PM
MIN -16.5
U 41.0

TEN at JAC 01:00 PM
TEN +10.0
U 39.0

IND at PHI 01:00 PM
IND +6.0

OAK at MIA 01:00 PM
MIA -3.0
U 45.5

CIN at CAR 01:00 PM
CIN +2.5.....( POD )

DEN at BAL 01:00 PM
BAL -5.5

NYG at HOU 01:00 PM
HOU -6.0
U 44.0

SF at KC 01:00 PM
SF +5.5

LAC at LAR 04:05 PM
LAR -7.0
U 49.0

DAL at SEA 04:25 PM
SEA -1.0
U 40.0

CHI at ARI 04:25 PM
ARI +5.5
O 39.0

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Patriots at Lions
September 21, 2018

By Tom Wilkinson

NFL Betting Preview – New England Patriots vs. Detroit Lions

The Detroit Lions will try and get their first win for head coach Matt Patricia, as they host the New England Patriots on Sunday night on NBC.

It won’t be easy for the Lions, as they go up against Patricia’s mentor Bill Belichick and the Patriots. The Patriots are coming off a loss to Jacksonville last week and rarely does a Belichick team lose back-to-back games.

Let’s look at this Week 3 matchup and NFL picks.

Date and Time: Sunday, September 23, 2018, 8:20 p.m. ET
Location: Ford Field, Detroit, MI
NFL Odds at BetDSI: Patriots -6.5, O/U 53.5
Patriots vs. Lions TV Coverage: NBC

The Patriots come into this game at 1-1 and with a new receiver in Josh Gordon who they got from the Cleveland Browns for a fifth round pick. The Patriots are still without Julian Edelman and they decided to take a chance on the troubled Gordon who has missed more games than he has played. Tom Brady could benefit from the addition of Gordon, although it probably won’t matter who his receivers are on Sunday night, as the Lions defense is poor. The secondary could be weakened without Darius Slay who has not practiced this week due to a concussion.

Detroit’s defense under Patricia has been a mess and it is hard to fathom it getting any better facing Brady and the Patriots. Patricia said to the media that having a good game plan is the key. "I think in the end, it really comes back to just having a good game plan and good execution, hopefully coaching well enough to give the players the opportunity to come out and do it the right way," Patricia said. "I don't think it's anything really more than that. It's really about the players and the game itself more so than I would say it is about anything else."

The Lions have given up 78 points and an NFL-worst 359 rushing yards. The only positive is that the Lions have eight sacks so far this season. "When we need to, we've got to make the quarterback uncomfortable, we've got to try to be disruptive," defensive coordinator Paul Pasqualoni said to the media.

On the other side, the Lions have a good offense led by Matthew Stafford who bounced back from a poor Week 1 performance against the Jets to throw for 347 yards and three TDs against the 49ers. Kenny Golladay has 13 catches for 203 yards, while Golden Tate has 14 catches for 188 yards.

Matchup to Watch

The Patriots really struggled last week in the secondary against the Jaguars. The matchup to watch this week has a very good group of Detroit receivers going against the Patriots secondary. Watch Eric Rowe who was benched twice last week for poor play. If he struggles again on Sunday night the Lions could make some big plays and stay in this game.

Key Stats

The favorite is 4-1 ATS in the last 5 meetings. The Patriots are 8-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record. The Patriots are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 road games. The Patriots are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games in September. The Lions are 5-15-1 ATS in their last 21 games in Week 3.

Looking at the total, the Under is 4-1 in the Patriots last 5 road games. The Over is 8-2 in the Lions last 10 home games.

Patriots vs. Lions Picks

I have watched Patricia on the sidelines in the preseason and in the regular season and I don’t think he has a clue as to how to be a head coach. I just can’t see him devising a game plan to beat Belichick and the Patriots in this game. I will lay the points and take the Patriots. I also think this will be a high scoring game, as the Detroit defense is simply awful. The Patriots should be able to score at least 30 in this one and it would not surprise me if they got 40. I will also go over the total.

Patriots vs. Lions Pick: Patriots -6.5 and Over 53.5 at BetDSI
Patriots vs. Lions Score Prediction: Patriots 34, Lions 23

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SNF - New England at Detroit
September 20, 2018
By YouWager.eu

NFL Week 3 SNF Betting Preview

New England Patriots vs Detroit Lions

After pushing on the total in Week 1, I was able to get get my first SNF win of the season last week as I backed the Cowboys at home against the Giants.

A 1-0-1 ATS mark is a solid start to the season, but that's all it is; a start. It's important to keep grinding away here, and with this week's SNF matchup being a non-conference battle between two head coaches that know each other extremely well, the result of this game will be intriguing on multiple levels.

YouWager.eu Odds: New England (-6.5); Total set at 53.5

This game is going to generate plenty of headlines about Lions HC Matt Patricia facing his old mentor in Bill Belichick and rightfully so. The Belichick coaching tree reputation has taken a hit in recent years with so many of his past assistants failing in head coaching roles and that was the biggest knock on the Lions making the move to bring in Patricia. With Detroit 0-2 SU and allowing the most points per game through two weeks (39), all those who aggressively blasted Detroit for the Patricia hire have spent the past two weeks patting themselves on the back. But let me ask you this: What happens to that narrative if Patricia and the Lions get their first win of 2018 over New England this week and knock the Patriots down to 1-2?

Obviously that's a plausible result, and one that many aren't really giving a second thought too. There is no question the Lions have looked bad through two weeks and can ill-afford to drop to 0-3 SU, but growing pains have to be expected more often than not when a new coach – good or bad – is brought in. That's not to say that the everything will be fixed for Detroit in the third week, it's just to state that maybe it's time to pump the breaks on ripping the Patricia hire and equating his 'dishevelled appearance' as a reason why Detroit's struggled. In the end he may turn out to be a brutal coach, but the betting market should give him a bit more of a chance.

After all, there are head coaches still employed in this league that have never won a single playoff game in 15 years (Marvin Lewis) and after a 2-0 start in 2018 we see articles popping up about how great a job they've done so far. It's been two weeks! Welcome to 2018 I guess.

All that being said though, this is not a spot I'm looking to back Detroit by any means. The Lions still have to show me something on the field, and while Patricia may have intricate knowledge of what New England likes to do, that works both ways with Belichick.

Secondly, New England off a loss is not a betting spot I want to step in front of as Brady and Belichick are 13-2 ATS since the start of the 2013 season when playing off a loss in the regular season. That's a trend that's hard to ignore given all of the success New England has had during that span. New England has generally been a highly popular play in those spots as is the case this week, but the line movement we've had on this game suggests to me it might be time to stay away from New England in this spot too.

After all, the Patriots don't appear to be as talented as they have been, and after the initial move came on Detroit to take the spread below the key number of -7, and has stayed there for most of the week, maybe there is some respect out there for Patricia and the Lions in this spot.

Instead, I'm looking at another trend for the Patriots off a loss during the Brady/Belichick era and it concerns this total that's seen nothing but 'over' action all week long.

The total for this game spent less than five minutes at the opener of 46 last Sunday night, and by the time bettors were done watching the Giants/Cowboys game, oddsmakers were already forced to put this total at 51.5. Since then it has continued to rise to it's current status as everyone is seemingly licking their chops at what Tom Brady and company should be able to do against this bad Lions defense.

However, New England is just 2-6 O/U the last three years when coming off a loss in the regular season and the average points scored in those contests is just 44.8 points per game. That's nearly 10 points below this current number and at 53.5 all I see is extreme value in going low. When the Patriots have been on the road in that situation, the average point total comes in at 42.3 points per game and a 1-6 O/U mark. The lone 'over' in that scenario: in New Orleans to face Drew Brees and company last year.

And while most of the betting world has been pounding this 'over' to the tune of 85%-plus according to VegasInsider.com's percentage numbers, I'm only looking to go the other way and wondering just how high this line may climb. Because if there is a scenario where Detroit's defense could immediately show some drastic improvement, it would be here against a Patriots team that Patricia knows inside and out.

It's not like New England's own defense can't go for some improvement after giving up 31 points to Blake Bortles and the Jags last week, and sometimes the easiest winners in sports betting are the “hardest” bets to pull the trigger on. Everything but the Pats history off a loss seems to point to a shootout as that's how this game's been bet, but give me the 'under' all day.

Odds per - YouWager.eu

Best Bet: Under 53.5 points

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Patriots-Lions Capsule
September 20, 2018
By The Associated Press

NEW ENGLAND (1-1) at DETROIT (0-2)

Sunday, 8:20 p.m. ET, NBC

OPENING LINE - Patriots by 6

RECORD VS. SPREAD - New England 1-1, Detroit 1-1

SERIES RECORD - Patriots lead 7-4

LAST MEETING - Patriots beat Lions 34-9 Nov. 23, 2014.

LAST WEEK - Patriots lost to Jaguars 31-20; Lions lost to 49ers 30-27

AP PRO32 RANKING - Patriots No. 5, Lions No. 30

PATRIOTS OFFENSE - OVERALL (20), RUSH (18T), PASS (18).

PATRIOTS DEFENSE - OVERALL (28), RUSH (27), PASS (23).

LIONS OFFENSE - OVERALL (11), RUSH (30), PASS (6).

LIONS DEFENSE - OVERALL (16) RUSH (32), PASS (4).

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES - Tom Brady has helped Patriots win four straight in series since making NFL debut Nov. 23, 2000, late in fourth quarter of 34-9 loss against Lions at Pontiac Silverdome. ... Bill Belichick facing former assistant for second time in three weeks. Patriots opened with 27-20 win over Houston and former New England assistant Bill O'Brien. ... Belichick 14-8 against former assistants. Now Matt Patricia gets his shot. ... Belichick was assistant special teams coach for Lions in 1976 and wide receivers coach next season. ... Patriots owner Robert Kraft one win away from becoming fastest to No. 300 in NFL history; would be in 431 games. ... New England 45-6 after losing game since 2003 and didn't lose two straight in 2016 or 2017. ... Brady has won nine of last 11 Sunday night games and 19 of 29 in career. ... Patriots LB Kyle Van Noy has nine tackles, tied for second on team, interception and faces franchise that drafted and traded him. ... Detroit's first-year coach Patricia was Belichick's defensive coordinator previous six seasons and on staff for 14 years. ... Lions general manager Bob Quinn worked for Patriots 2000-15. ... More than dozen Lions employees worked for Patriots. ... Detroit off to worst start since 0-5 in 2015. ... Lions WR Golden Tate has scored each of last two home games and has seven receptions in last three games. ...Detroit LB Devon Kennard has at least one sack in three straight games. ... Fantasy tip: Brady should at least match two TDs thrown by last two Detroit opponents. Brady may face secondary without All-Pro CB Darius Slay, who left last game with concussion.

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Belichick has chance to beat assistant
September 20, 2018
By The Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) Bill Belichick has a chance to knock off another branch from his coaching tree.

The five-time Super Bowl-winning coach has had his staff trimmed by NFL teams many times.

They all hired coaches who know how Belichick and the New England Patriots operate behind closed doors, banking on them being able to duplicate the formula for success.

It hasn't worked out that well.

Eight former Belichick assistants have been hired by NFL teams and Al Groh is the only one in the group with a winning record. Groh was 9-7 in his one and only season with the New York Jets in 2000.

Belichick either does not know, or will not say, why he thinks his former assistants have struggled leading teams in the league.

''I'm not in the analytics business,'' he bristled.

The track record of Belichick assistants did not deter Detroit because general manager Bob Quinn, a former member of Belichick's front office, hired Matt Patricia soon after New England lost the Super Bowl.

If the Belichick-Patricia reunion goes as expected, it will follow a trend and teacher will school the student Sunday night in Detroit.

Belichick beat the Bill O'Brien-led Houston Texans in Week 1, making him 14-8 against assistants who worked for him in New England or Cleveland.

Even though the Patriots (1-1) are scuffling a bit on both sides of the ball by their standards, the Lions (0-2) have looked simply lost at times under Patricia and they're expected to lose by about a touchdown.

Before and after the game, there's a chance Patricia will be embraced more by his former players than his current ones.

''Matty P, he's a coach who always had high expectations,'' New England linebacker Dont'a Hightower said.

''But at the same time, he was definitely a player's coach. He was definitely somebody who, once you get outside those doors, he was a guy who you could text or call and had a question - not even necessarily about football - but just life in general.''

And in general, Patricia deflects questions just as his mentor does in public. Patricia has no interest in sharing what parts of his scheme with the Lions mirrors what was done in New England.

''We're trying to build Detroit here,'' he said.

And, Belichick refused to say how much he has kept in touch with Patricia over the past several months.

''I'll keep that on a personal level,'' he said.

Here are some other things to know about the Patriots-Lions primetime matchup:

NEW ADDITION

Josh Gordon was limited because of a hamstring injury in his first two practices in New England on Wednesday after being acquired in a trade with the Browns.

Since Gordon was an All-Pro wide receiver in 2013, he has played in just 11 games, including one this season. Gordon was suspended for the 2015 season after violating the league's substance abuse policy and he missed all of 2016.

''If he makes plays on us, everybody is going to say Josh Gordon looks real fresh out there,'' Detroit safety Glover Quin said. ''If we make a lot of plays everyone is going to say Josh Gordon looks real rusty.''

New England needs help at receiver because Julian Edelman was suspended for the first four games, Danny Amendola left to sign in Miami and Brandin Cooks was traded to the Los Angeles Rams.

GOING DEEP

Matthew Stafford has made a career of connecting on deep passes. In last week's 30-27 loss at San Francisco, though, he missed a handful of opportunities to make big plays by overthrowing receivers.

The Patriots are preparing for Stafford to be sharp.

''He's a good quarterback. He can get it going,'' New England linebacker Elandon Roberts said. ''He can throw. He's very athletic. He can get out of the pocket and he's still gonna be looking downfield to make a play.''

BOUNCING BACK

The Patriots, who lost 31-20 at Jacksonville last week, are 45-6 in the regular season after a setback since the 2003 season. They have not lost consecutive games since 2015 when it happened twice.

WHO'S COUNTING

Detroit drafted Michael Roberts in the fourth round last year in part because the former Toledo star led the nation in touchdowns by a tight end with 16. He finally scored for his first NFL touchdown against the 49ers in the 17th game of his career.

Roberts said it had been exactly, ''638 days,'' since he was in the end zone with the ball.

''It's nice to be able to show the world the talents I have,'' he said.

CONCUSSIONS

Three key players may miss the game because of concussions: Detroit cornerback Darius Slay, New England defensive end Trey Flowers and safety Patrick Chung. All three players did not practice Wednesday or Thursday.

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NFL SUNDAY NIGHT BEST BETS:

NE at DET 08:20 PM

NE -7.0

O 55.0

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NFL Today, Week 3
September 23, 2018
By The Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Sept. 24

Pittsburgh at Tampa Bay, 8:15 p.m. Thanks to Ryan Fitzpatrick and a talented collection of playmakers that include DeSean Jackson, Mike Evans, O.J. Howard and Chris Godwin, the Buccaneers (2-0) are off to their best start in eight years and have the NFL's top-ranked offense. The Steelers (0-1-1) are not far behind at No. 2, however, inconsistency on defense has Ben Roethlisberger & Co. winless through two weeks.

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STARS

Passing

- Drew Brees, Saints, set the NFL record for career completions while passing for 396 yards and three touchdowns and also running for two scores, including a 1-yard keeper in overtime that lifted New Orleans past Atlanta 43-37.

- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, tossed three more touchdown passes and finished with 314 yards passing in a 38-27 victory over San Francisco. He has 13 TD throws and no interceptions through three games.

- Cam Newton, Panthers, threw for two touchdowns and ran for two others to help Carolina hand Cincinnati its first loss of the season, 31-21.

- Matt Ryan, Falcons, had his first career game with five touchdown throws and finished with 374 yards passing in Atlanta's 43-27 overtime loss to New Orleans.

- Jared Goff, Rams, passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns in a 35-23 victory over the Chargers.

- Eli Manning, Giants, completed 25 of 29 throws for 297 yards and two TDs in a 27-22 victory at Houston.

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Rushing

- Christian McCaffrey, Panthers, racked up a career-high 184 yards rushing on 28 carries in Carolina's 31-21 victory over Cincinnati.

- Adrian Peterson, Redskins, ran for 120 yards and a pair of 2-yard scores to help Washington top Green Bay 31-17.

- Chris Carson, Seahawks, finished with 102 yards, the first Seattle running back to top 100 yards since late in the 2016 season, and had a score in a 24-13 win over Dallas.

- Todd Gurley, Rams, rushed for 105 yards and a TD on 23 carries in the Rams' 35-23 victory over the Chargers.

- Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys, ran for 127 yards on 16 attempts in a losing cause as Dallas fell to Seattle, 24-13.

- Kerryon Johnson, Lions, had 101 yards rushing on 16 carries in Detroit's 26-10 win over New England, becoming the first Lions player to reach the mark since 2013.

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Receiving

- Rookie Calvin Ridley, Falcons, caught three touchdown passes while finishing with 146 yards receiving on seven receptions in Atlanta's 43-37 overtime loss to New Orleans.

- Robert Woods, Rams, had two touchdown catches to help Los Angeles beat the Chargers 35-23.

- Jordy Nelson, Raiders, had 173 yards receiving and a touchdown on six receptions in Oakland's 28-20 loss at Miami.

- Alvin Kamara and Michael Thomas, Saints. Kamara had a career-high 15 catches for 124 yards and ran for 66 yards in New Orleans' 43-37 win at Atlanta, while Thomas caught 10 passes for 129 yards.

- Adam Thielen, Vikings, had 14 receptions for 105 yards in Minnesota's 27-6 loss to Buffalo.

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Special Teams

- Adam Vinatieri, Colts, tied Morten Andersen's career record of 565 field goals by connecting on all three of his tries in Indianapolis' 20-16 loss at Philadelphia.

- Justin Tucker, Ravens, kicked a pair of 52-yard field goals in Baltimore's 27-14 win over Denver to give him six career games with multiple field goals of 50 yards or more, an NFL record.

- Joseph Jones and Justin Simmons, Broncos. Jones knocked away Sam Koch's punt on Baltimore's first possession, while Simmons blocked Justin Tucker's 43-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter of Denver's 27-14 loss.

- Cory Littleton and Blake Countess, Rams. Littleton blocked a punt in the end zone and Countess recovered it for a touchdown in a 35-23 win over the Chargers.

- Cody Parkey, Bears, kicked his third field goal of the day, a 43-yarder with 4:31 to play, to give Chicago the lead in a 16-14 victory over winless Arizona.

- Matt Prater, Lions, booted field goals of 38, 25, 32 and 30 yards in Detroit's 26-10 win over New England.

- Wil Lutz, Saints, kicked field goals of 49, 21 and 45 yards and made all four of his extra points in New Orleans' 43-37 overtime win at Atlanta.

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Defense

- J.J. Watt, Texans, had three sacks, three tackles for losses, four quarterback hits and a forced fumble in Houston's 27-22 loss to the New York Giants.

- Earl Thomas, Seahawks, intercepted Dak Prescott twice to help lift Seattle to a 24-13 victory over Dallas.

- Xavien Howard, Dolphins, had two interceptions in Miami's 28-20 win over Oakland.

- Efe Obada, Panthers, had an interception, sack and two quarterback pressures to help Carolina beat Cincinnati 31-21 in his first NFL game. He's the first player to make an NFL 53-man roster from the new International Pathways Program.

- Justin Houston, Chiefs, had two sacks and two forced fumbles while helping Kansas City top San Francisco 38-27.

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MILESTONES

With his 14th completed pass in New Orleans' 43-37 overtime win at Atlanta, Drew Brees broke the record of 6,300 career completions set by Hall of Famer Brett Favre. Brees set the mark with a 17-yard pass to Michael Thomas in the second quarter. He has 6,326 completions. Brees also became the first player in NFL history with at least 350 passing yards, three TD passes and two rushing touchdowns without an interception in a game. ... Indianapolis' Adam Vinatieri is tied with Morten Andersen with 565 career field goals. ... New Orleans' Michael Thomas had 10 catches for 129 yards, giving him 38 receptions this year - the most by an NFL player in his team's first three games to start a season. His 28 catches through two games also were a record. ... Adrian Peterson has 102 TD runs, breaking a tie at 100 with Marshall Faulk and Shaun Alexander to move into seventh place in NFL history behind Emmitt Smith's record of 164. Next up at No. 6 is former Redskins star John Riggins, at 104.

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STREAKS & STATS

Kansas City's Patrick Mahomes threw three TDs in a 38-27 win over San Francisco, giving him 13 this season without an interception. That total broke the NFL record of 12 for the first three weeks of a season, set by Peyton Manning during the 2013 campaign. ... Washington's Alex Smith had his streak of 156 consecutive passes without an interception, the longest active run in the league, end in the second quarter of the Redskins' 31-17 win over Green Bay. Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix made the pick when Jordan Reed went one way and Smith threw another. ... Atlanta's Matt Ryan threw five TD passes in a win over New Orleans, giving him 37 in his career against the Saints - the most by any player. He surpassed Joe Montana's 33 TD passes against New Orleans. Ryan's five TDs also tied the team record set by Wade Wilson on Dec. 13, 1992, at Tampa Bay. ... With running back Dalvin Cook (hamstring) inactive and the score so lopsided, Minnesota set a franchise record for fewest rushing attempts with six in a 27-6 loss to Buffalo. ... Kerryon Johnson had 101 yards rushing on 16 carries in Detroit's 26-10 win over New England, becoming the first Lions player to reach the mark since Reggie Bush ran for 117 yards against Green Bay on Nov. 28, 2013. Detroit's 70-game stretch without a 100-yard rusher was the longest since the NFL-AFL merger.

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STARTS

Oakland, led by first-year coach Jon Gruden, is 0-3 for the first time since 2014, when it started 0-10. The Raiders have blown a second-half lead in all three defeats. ... Houston is also 0-3, the Texans' worst start since dropping their first four games of 2008. ... New England (1-2) has lost two of its first three games for the first time since 2012.

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BEATING THE ODDS

Buffalo became only the sixth 16-plus-point underdog winner in the NFL's last 81 point spreads of that size by defeating Minnesota 27-6. According to ESPN research, the last such winner was Washington over Dallas on Dec. 3, 1995. ''I don't think we took them too lightly,'' Vikings coach Mike Zimmer said. ''I think they came out and kicked our butts.''

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LA STORY

Jared Goff passed for 354 yards and three touchdowns, and Todd Gurley rushed for 105 yards and another score, leading the Rams to a 35-23 victory over the Chargers on Sunday in the franchises' first meeting since their relocations to Los Angeles. Two seasons after the Rams kicked off professional football's return to the nation's second-largest market after 21 years away, two NFL teams based in Los Angeles met on the field for the first time since Nov. 13, 1994.

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WELCOME BACK, WENTZ

Philadelphia's Carson Wentz threw a touchdown pass on his first drive in nine months, helping lift the Eagles to a 20-16 victory over the Indianapolis Colts. ''It was a long time coming,'' Wentz said after playing his first game since he tore two ligaments in his left knee last Dec. 10. ''It felt great.'' Wentz finished 25 of 37 for 255 yards, one TD and one INT.

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IT'S TRICKY!

Trickery gave Miami its first lead of a 28-20 victory over Oakland in the fourth quarter when Ryan Tannehill handed off to Frank Gore, who tossed the ball to Albert Wilson on an end-around. Wilson - a quarterback in high school - then lobbed the first pass of his NFL career to a wide-open Grant, who outmaneuvered two Raiders to the end zone. Grant said the Dolphins work on the play every day in practice. Wilson later scored the clincher when he scooted around the end after taking Tannehill's short pitch and scored as he high-fived Grant. Wilson also became the fourth player with a TD pass and TD reception of at least 50 yards in a game, joining Hall of Famer Jimmy Conzelman (1923), Tom Tracy (1960) and David Patten (2001).

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BIG MAC

Carolina running back Christian McCaffrey, who tied a franchise record with 14 receptions last week against Atlanta, did his damage on the ground in a 31-21 win over Cincinnati. He surpassed his previous career high of 66 yards rushing with 184 on 28 carries, becoming the first player in franchise history to post a 100-yard receiving game and a 100-yard rushing game in back-to-back weeks.

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SLOPPY

Houston is searching for a way to eliminate penalties on offense after committing several false start and holding penalties in a 27-22 loss to the New York Giants. Right tackle Julien Davenport was the worst offender and had three false start and two holding penalties. ''It's the story of penalties, mistakes,'' Davenport said. ''I don't know how many penalties I had, but way too much. Hurt this team badly. I've got to eliminate it all.''

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NO JOSHIN'

Buffalo rookie quarterback Josh Allen accounted for three touchdowns, helping the Bills beat the Vikings 27-6 on Sunday as 16+-point underdogs. The seventh overall pick in the draft out of Wyoming who took the job earlier than expected in relief of a struggling Nathan Peterman in the opener, completed 15 of 22 passes for 196 yards. That included a 26-yard touchdown pass to wide-open tight end Jason Croom. Though Allen took three sacks and fumbled three times, the Bills were able to recover all of them. Allen dived to finish a 10-yard run by beating Anthony Barr to the pylon to finish the game's first drive. Later, on third-and-9, Allen hurdled over Barr to land past the first-down marker. He capped that possession with a 1-yard touchdown leap over the goal line on fourth down for a 24-0 lead early in the second quarter.

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IMMEDIATE IMPACT

Carolina defensive end Efe Obada had an interception, a key fourth-quarter sack and two quarterback pressures in his first NFL game while helping the Panthers to a 31-21 victory over Cincinnati. The Nigerian-born Obada is the first player to make a 53-man roster from the recently formed NFL International Pathways Program. He overcame being a victim of human trafficking as a 10-year-old in the United Kingdom to become an NFL player. One of Obada's pressures was initially ruled sack-fumble in the second quarter, but later overturned by instant replay to an incomplete pass.

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SIDELINED

San Francisco fears quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will miss the rest of the season after injuring the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late in Sunday's 38-27 loss to Kansas City. C.J. Beathard would be in line to start at quarterback if Garoppolo is sidelined. Garoppolo was flushed from the pocket and headed for the sideline in the fourth quarter when he appeared to take an awkward step and his knee buckled just as Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson delivered a shoulder-to-shoulder blow. Garoppolo wound up leaving on a cart. Also in that game, cornerback Richard Sherman left with a calf injury. ... Tennessee QB Blaine Gabbert was knocked out of the game at Jacksonville in the first quarter with a concussion. Punt returner Adoree Jackson also left with a concussion. Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell left in the fourth quarter with a right ankle injury. ... Green Bay defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson was carted off in the second quarter against Washington with an ankle injury, and right tackle Bryan Bulaga left with a back injury. ... Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. Green left with a groin injury against Carolina. ... Rams cornerback Marcus Peters injured his leg during the first half against the Chargers and had to be helped off the field.

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SPEAKING

''Just NASCAR on grass.'' - Miami wide receiver Jakeem Grant, who high-fived teammate Albert Wilson as the two sprinted downfield side by side for the final 30 yards as Wilson turned a short reception into a 74-yard score that sealed a 28-20 victory over winless Oakland.

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''Unfortunately, this league is going in a direction that a lot of people don't like. I think they're getting soft. The only thing hard about this league is the fines they levy down on guys like me that play the game hard. Maybe now pass rushers, guys getting after the quarterback, you'll just have to attack the ball.'' - Green Bay's Clay Matthews, who was livid after being called for roughing the passer for the third straight game.

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NFL Injuries: 49ers QB Garoppolo has possible torn ACL
September 23, 2018

The 49ers are bracing themselves for the worst, thinking quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo will miss the rest of the season after he injured the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee late in Sunday's 38-27 loss to Kansas City.

Garoppolo will have an MRI to confirm the severity of the injury, but 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan said: ''We fear an ACL. We'll find out more tomorrow.''

That would mean C.J. Beathard is in line to start at quarterback.

Garoppolo was 20 of 30 for 251 yards with two touchdowns and no picks against the Chiefs, and he was at his best in trying to rally the 49ers late. But after driving for a potential score in the fourth quarter, Garoppolo was flushed from the pocket and headed for the sideline.

He appeared to take an awkward step and his knee buckled - just as Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson delivered a shoulder-to-shoulder blow. Garoppolo wound up leaving on a cart.

Also in that game, cornerback Richard Sherman left with a calf injury, safety Adrian Colbert hurt his ankle and backup cornerback Tarvarius Moore left with a wrist injury.

Chiefs linebacker Dee Ford left with a groin injury in the fourth quarter.

Another quarterback was injured when the Titans' Blaine Gabbert was knocked out of the game at Jacksonville in the first quarter with a concussion.

He was replaced by Marcus Mariota, who sat out last week's victory against Houston because of an elbow injury sustained in the season opener. He was still experiencing arm weakness along with numbness and tingling in two fingers this week, saying the injury affects the velocity and spin he gets on the football.

Mariota directed three scoring drives in relief of Gabbert, including one in the fourth quarter, and Tennessee knocked off the Jaguars 9-6.

Titans punt returner Adoree Jackson also left with a concussion.

Jaguars defensive end Calais Campbell left the game in the fourth quarter with a right ankle injury.

Green Bay defensive lineman Muhammad Wilkerson was carted off in the second quarter against Washington with an ankle injury, and right tackle Bryan Bulaga left with a back injury.

Redskins right tackle Morgan Moses left in the first quarter with a concussion. He was replaced by Ty Nsekhe.

In other games:

- Bills center Russell Bodine, who started in place of Ryan Groy, limped off with leg cramps in the third quarter against Minnesota. Vikings cornerback Trae Waynes (ankle) left in the first quarter and did not return. Right tackle Rashod Hill (ankle) limped off in the second quarter.

- Indianapolis right tackle Joe Haeg left with an ankle injury, while Philadelphia safety Rodney McLeod left with a right knee injury after colliding with teammate Jalen Mills in the third quarter.

- Cincinnati wide receiver A.J. Green suffered a groin injury at Carolina, while nose tackle Ryan Glasgow was carted off the field in the fourth quarter with a lower right leg injury.

- Miami defensive end William Hayes (right knee) was hurt when he sacked Oakland's Derek Carr and missed the second half. Andre Branch hurt his knee in the second half. Tight end A.J. Derby (foot) also sat out the second half. Linebacker Chase Allen suffered a foot injury in the first half.

- New Orleans reserve cornerback Patrick Robinson was carted from the field early in the third quarter at Atlanta with a left ankle injury. Falcons safety Ricardo Allen left early in overtime with a left calf injury. He was helped to the sideline and then driven on a cart to the locker room. Reserve cornerback Justin Bethel suffered a knee injury in the third quarter. Atlanta rookie linebacker Foyesade Oluokun left the game in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.

- Giants tight end Evan Engram (knee) left in the second quarter at Houston. Cornerback Antonio Hamilton injured his groin in the first quarter and didn't return. Houston WR Bruce Ellington injured his hamstring in the first quarter and didn't return. Guard Senio Kelemete (knee) left in the second quarter.

- Rams cornerback Marcus Peters injured his leg during the first half against the Chargers and had to be helped off the field. The Pro Bowl selection didn't return. Aqib Talib then left in the second half. Kick returner JoJo Natson injured his hand in the first half and didn't return.

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Matt Patricia-led Lions beat Bill Belichick, Patriots 26-10
September 23, 2018

DETROIT (AP) Matt Patricia beat mentor Bill Belichick, seemingly making all the right moves to help the Detroit Lions deafeated the New England Patriots 26-10 Sunday night.

''I'm sure it meant a lot, his first win as a head coach,'' Detroit quarterback Matthew Stafford said. ''Probably no sweeter than to do it against your old team.

''We needed this one.''

The Lions (1-2) suddenly looked like a team with a plan on offense and defense under their first-year coach, and former New England assistant. They opened the season with a 31-point loss to the New York Jets at home and fell short in a comeback at San Francisco.

The Patriots (1-2) have had weaknesses exposed on both sides of the ball, losing two of their first three games for the first time since 2012.

Detroit was in control from the start, creating holes for rookie running back Kerryon Johnson and giving Matthew Stafford time to pass.

Johnson had 101 yards rushing on 16 carries, becoming the first player to reach the mark for the Lions since Reggie Bush ran for 117 yards against Green Bay on Nov. 28, 2013. Detroit's 70-game stretch without a 100-yard rusher was the longest since the NFL-AFL merger.

Tom Brady pulled the Patriots within three points on a 10-yard TD pass to James White early in the third.

Detroit refused to let the five-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback get any closer.

Stafford responded with a 33-yard TD pass, capping a 10-play, 75-yard drive that took more than 6 minutes off the clock.

Darius Slay picked off Brady's pass at the Detroit 15 midway through the fourth quarter, helping the Lions seal the win.

THE QBS

Stafford was 27 of 36 for 262 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Brady was 12 of 24 for 113 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

THAT'S COACHING

Detroit ran the play clock down often in the second half, seemingly choosing to shorten the game and keep Brady off the field.

Fans booed at Ford Field when Patricia chose to kick a 38-yard field goal instead of going for it on fourth-and-1.

''Any points against a team like that is going to be a good thing,'' Stafford said. ''We had a positive drive and you would hate to come away from it with no points.''

INJURY REPORT

Patriots: WR Josh Gordon (hamstring) was inactive, delaying his New England debut, after warming up with teammates. S Patrick Chung and DE Trey Flowers were inactive because of concussions. RB Rex Burkhead left the game in the second half with a neck injury.

Lions: DE Ezekiel Ansah (shoulder) was inactive.

UP NEXT

Patriots: Hosts the AFC-East leading Miami Dolphins (3-0).

Lions: Play at Dallas (1-2).

[StarDust Bum]

NFL RECORD FOR SEPT......

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/23/2018 13-11-0 54.17% +4.50
09/20/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
09/16/2018 17-8-0 68.00% +41.00
09/13/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
09/09/2018 15-10-1 60.00% +20.00
09/06/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

Totals...............47-33-1.....58.75%.....+53.50


NFL BEST BETS:

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

09/23/2018.............6 - 4...................+8.00....................2 - 4...............-12.00..............-4.00
09/20/2018.............0 - 1...................-5.50.....................0 - 1...............-5.50................-11.00
09/16/2018.............5 - 2..................+14.00...................3 - 2...............+4.00..............+18.00
09/13/2018.............0 - 1...................-5.50.....................0 - 1................-5.50...............-11.00
09/09/2018.............4 - 4...................-2.00.....................8 - 3...............+23.50............+21.50
09/06/2018.............1 - 0..................+5.00.....................1 - 0...............+5.00..............+10.00

Totals....................16 - 12................+14.00..................14 - 11..............+9.50............+23.50

[StarDust Bum]

MNF - Steelers at Buccaneers
September 22, 2018
By Kevin Rogers

The Steelers (0-1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) haven’t gone winless through the first three weeks of the season since starting 0-3 in 2013. That Pittsburgh team didn’t pick up its first victory until Week 6 as it managed to finish at 8-8 that season. The Steelers squandered a 21-7 lead to the Browns in Week 1 before finishing in a tie, while erasing a 21-0 deficit to even things up with the Chiefs last week. Pittsburgh couldn’t get over the hump as the Steelers fell, 42-37 as four-point favorites.

Running back Le’Veon Bell sat out for the second straight week as he continues to hold out, while James Conner couldn’t duplicate his 135 yard performance in Week 1 by rushing for only 17 yards against Kansas City. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger finished with 452 yards passing and three touchdowns, as all three touchdown tosses came in the first half. However, the Steelers lost their first home opener since that fateful start of 2013 as Pittsburgh allowed at least 42 points in consecutive games at Heinz Field going back to the 45-42 shootout loss to the Jaguars in the AFC divisional round in January.

The Buccaneers (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS) weren’t expected to do much offensively in the first two weeks as starting quarterback Jameis Winston began a three-game suspension. However, the Harvard man came to the rescue as veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick diced up a pair of playoff teams in the first two weeks. After lighting up the Saints for 417 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-40 opening week shocker, Fitzpatrick put an encore in the home opener against the defending champion Eagles.

Fitzpatrick connected with speedster DeSean Jackson on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the first play of scrimmage, while also hooking up with tight end O.J. Howard on another 75-yard scoring connection. The Bucs jumped out to a 27-7 advantage before holding on for a 27-21 win over Philadelphia to cash as three-point underdogs. Fitzpatrick eclipsed the 400-yard mark for the second straight week by throwing for 402 and four more touchdowns, as he leads the league in passing yards and is second in touchdown passes behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes.

HOME LOSS BOUNCE-BACK

The Steelers have done a solid job over the years coming off a home loss, owning an 8-1 record since 2013 in this situation. Last season, Pittsburgh lost twice at home in the regular season, falling to Jacksonville and the disputed finish to New England. In each instance, the Steelers rebounded with a win at Kansas City and at Houston, while the only loss in the situation came in 2016 at Baltimore following a home defeat to New England. From a totals standpoint, the UNDER has hit five straight times when the Steelers play on the road following a home defeat dating back to 2015.

BARKING ‘DOGS AT THE PIRATE SHIP

Although Tampa Bay is a slight underdog on Monday night, the Bucs have taken care of business when receiving points at Raymond James Stadium. In the last six instances 2016, the Bucs are 4-2 SU and 5-1 ATS as a home underdog, coming off last week’s mild upset of the Eagles. Last season, Tampa Bay lost in close contests to the Patriots and Falcons, but managed a cover as seven-point underdogs in a 27-24 defeat to Atlanta.

SERIES HISTORY

The last time these teams met up back in 2014 at Heinz Field, as the Buccaneers picked up a 27-24 triumph as seven-point underdogs. Tampa Bay entered the contest at 0-3 and ultimately finished that season at 2-14, but came out on top thanks to a Mike Glennon five-yard touchdown pass to Vincent Jackson with seven seconds remaining. Roethlisberger hooked up with Antonio Brown for a pair of touchdown connections, but Pittsburgh suffered its first loss to Tampa Bay since 1998.

In the previous matchup at Raymond James Stadium in 2010 (also in Week 3), the Steelers cruised past the Bucs, 38-13 as 2 ½-point favorites. Roethlisberger was in the midst of a four-game suspension as Charlie Batch threw three touchdown passes, while Pittsburgh scored three touchdowns in the second quarter.

MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

The Steelers have won four consecutive Monday night games (not including a Christmas Day victory at Houston last season) since 2014. The last three instances have come on the road at the Chargers (2015), Redskins (2016), and Bengals (2017), but failed to cover at Cincinnati in a 23-20 win as 4 ½-point favorites.

Tampa Bay has been showcased on Monday night football three times since 2013, all in the underdog role. In all three instances, the Bucs have covered, while picking up outright victories over Miami in 2013 and Carolina in 2016.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

VegasInsider.com handicapper Joe Nelson says that the Buccaneers are in a good spot for now, but the road doesn’t ease up, “Needless to say Fitzpatrick will likely maintain the starting role past Winston’s suspension, but it is too soon to count Tampa Bay as a serious NFC championship threat. The division is stacked with three other viable playoff threats and the schedule remains difficult with road games in Chicago and Atlanta surrounding a Week 5 bye week.”

Will there be a bunch of points scored since the two teams have combined for a 3-1 OVER record? “While the attention will be on the offenses, the defenses have surrendered big numbers as well, both in the bottom eight of the league in total defense and in the bottom six of scoring defense. One big disparity is Tampa Bay featuring currently one of the best run defenses in the NFL, allowing just 67 rushing yards per game while Pittsburgh ranks 30th allowing 152 rushing yards per game. It seems likely that over time those numbers will adjust towards the middle as the Steelers have mostly played from behind while the Buccaneers have mostly played with a lead so far this season,” Nelson notes.

LINE MOVEMENT

The Westgate Las Vegas Superbook opened the Steelers as a three-point road favorite, but that number has dipped down to 1 ½ at most books. Due to the numbers put up by Fitzpatrick and Roethlisberger through two weeks, the total sits between 53 ½ and 54 at most spots. The Steelers last saw a road total of 50 or above in the 2015 season opener at New England in which it lost, 28-21. Under Dirk Koetter, the Bucs are 3-1 to the UNDER on totals of 50 or higher with the lone OVER hitting in Week 1 at New Orleans.

[StarDust Bum]

Monday's Top Wager
September 23, 2018
By BetDSI

By Tom Wilkinson

NFL Preview – Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

At some point you have to figure that even the Pittsburgh Steelers will run out of patience. The NFL franchise known for being far and away the most stable of them all is catching increased heat from their fans for the inconsistent and sloppy play of the team under Mike Tomlin. Last week’s home loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in the home opener still has fans in an uproar.

Meanwhile, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have found themselves in an unexpected quarterback controversy as Ryan Fitzpatrick has lit it up in place of the suspended Jameis Winston. Last week the Bucs upset the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles which caught everyone’s attention.

Date and Time: Monday, September 24, 2018, 8:15 p.m. ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
NFL Odds at BetDSI: Pick, O/U 55
Steelers vs. Buccaneers TV Coverage: ESPN

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers scored a 27-21 home win and payout as three-point dogs against the Eagles to improve their record to 2-0 both straight up and against the spread with both of their games going under the total. Fitzpatrick was on fire with 402 yards passing and four touchdown passes. And all of a sudden there is legitimate debate about whether or not the Bucs are still Winston’s team. Offsetting that are justifiable doubts about Fitzpatrick being able to maintain his success. The 14-year veteran and journeyman has never been known for sustaining top level excellence.

The Pittsburgh Steelers opened their season with a 21-21 tie at the Cleveland Browns. You know, the winless Browns of 2017. If that wasn’t enough to make the natives restless the Steelers then were lit up like a Christmas tree by the high-flying Kansas City Chiefs in a 42-37 loss in their home opener. Pittsburgh now stands at 0-1-1 straight up and 0-2 against the spread with both of their games going over the total. In their loss to the Chiefs, Kansas City quarterback Patrick Mahomes threw for 326 yards and six touchdown passes. Nobody is confusing this Steeler edition with the old Steel Curtain teams of their Glory Years.

Matchup to Watch

The Steelers defense ranks 25th overall in the NFL and 28th for points allowed. Now the question is if Fitzpatrick can air it out on Pittsburgh like he did on the Eagles. Just as important in the matchup is the fact that Tampa Bay has the top ranked offense in the NFL overall and ranks second for scoring. Part of this matchup is the legitimate question as to whether or not the Steelers defense is as bad as it has shown the past two weeks while counter to that is the question about the legitimacy over the Tampa Bay offense with Fitzpatrick and his actual prowess. The Pittsburgh defense vs. the Tampa Bay offense tops all other matchup considerations.

Key Stats

Pittsburgh has dropped as a road value recently with just four payouts in their last ten road games. Seven of the Steelers last nine away games have also gone under the total. Conversely the Buccaneers have improved as a home betting value with four payouts in their last five games at Raymond James Stadium. Five the Bucs last seven home games went under the total.

Pittsburgh has come away with the money in four of their last five games against Tampa Bay with the last two meetings going over the total. At Raymond James Stadium the Steelers have paid in four of their last five visits against the Bucs with three of the last four meetings between these teams at Tampa Bay going under the total.

Steelers vs. Buccaneers Picks

Tampa Bay head coach Dirk Koetter was thought to have a short lease with a potential hot seat entering the season. All of a sudden Koetter is enjoying credit for getting the Bucs off to a strong start without their original starting quarterback. Tomlin has not led Pittsburgh to the Super Bowl since 2010 and that is far too long of a drought for Steeler fans. His Super Bowl title in 2008 is now a distant memory. But the Steelers should be primed and focused in need of their first win. Fitzpatrick is getting too much public love and a correction is eventually coming.

Steelers vs. Buccaneers Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers at BetDSI
Steelers vs. Buccaneers Score Prediction: Steelers 31, Buccaneers 21

[StarDust Bum]

Betting Recap - Week 3
Joe Williams

Overall Notes

National Football League Week 3 Results
Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 9-6
Against the Spread 7-8

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 10-5
Against the Spread 10-5

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 7-8

National Football League Year-to-Date Results

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 27-18-2
Against the Spread 20-26-1

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 29-16-2
Against the Spread 26-20-1

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 24-23

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Bills (+17, ML +1000) at Vikings, 27-6
Titans (+10, ML +400) at Jaguars, 9-6
Lions (+7, ML +280) vs. Patriots, 26-10
Giants (+6, ML +230) at Texans, 27-22

The largest favorite to cover
Rams (-7) vs. Chargers, 35-23
Chiefs (-6) vs. 49ers, 38-27
Ravens (-5.5) vs. Broncos, 27-14
Browns (-3) vs. Jets, 21-17
Dolphins (-3) vs. Raiders, 28-20

Miami Nice

-- The Miami Dolphins have fired out to a 3-0 SU/ATS record after topping the Oakland Raiders by a 28-20 score. The Dolphins have been particularly solid at home, averaging 27.5 points per game (PPG) while allowing 20.0 PPG, and the 'over' has connected in each of their two at Hard Rock Stadium. The Dolphins hold a two-game lead on everyone in the AFC East Division through three weeks and they can take a commanding lead with a win in Week 4 on the road against the New England Patriots, who limp home from the Motor City on a two-game losing streak.

Shuffled Back To Buffalo

-- The Buffalo Bills had been atrocious through the first two weeks, and they entered Week 3 against the Minnesota Vikings as a 17-point underdog. Those playing survivor pools were certainly not pleased with the result, and any chalk eaters brave enough to lay the points knew they had a losing ticket early on. The Bills had allowed 39.0 PPG through their first two games, so no one could have seen their stark turnaround coming against a team expected to contend for the Super Bowl. Their beleaguered defense stepped up and held the Vikings to just six points while scoring a season-high 27 points. They had managed a total of 23 points over their first two contests.

Total Recall

-- The five lowest totals on the board all cashed the 'under' this week, as defense reigned surpreme. The lowest total, Chicago-Arizona (39), ended up with a total of just 30 points. The Cardinals fired out of the box with 14 points in the first quarter, but put up goose eggs in their final three quarters. The Tennessee-Jacksonville (39.5) contest was expected to be a defensive battle, but the Titans and Jags took it to the extreme. QB Blaine Gabbert exacted revenge against his former team in a 9-6 slugfest, the lowest-scoring game of the season in the NFL so far. Dallas-Seattle (40), Buffalo-Minnesota (41) and N.Y. Jets-Cleveland (41) each ended up going well under.

-- The highest total on the board in Week 3 was the Sunday Night Football game which was expected to be a shootout, but it never came into fruition. New England-Detroit (55.5) ended up not even coming close to the set total, as the Lions limited the Patriots in a 26-10 victor. The same couldn't said for the other two 50-plus games on the board, as New Orleans-Atlanta (54) and San Francisco-Kansas City (53.5) were both slam-dunk 'over' plays.

-- The 'over' has cashed in all three games for the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals, Chiefs and Los Angeles Chargers are the only three teams in the AFC with a 3-0 'over' mark so far. In the AFC South, the 'under' is 2-1 in for all four teams. In the NFC, the only team to hit the over in each of their three games is the Green Bay Packers. Meanwhile, the under is 3-0 for the Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys.

-- There are two primetime games in the books so far in Week 3, with the under cashing in both. Overall for the 2018 season the 'over' in primetime games is 3-6 (33.3%).

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

-- Bengals WR A.J. Green (groin) left Sunday's game at Carolina due to a groin injury, but he feels he'll be ready for Week 4.

-- 49ers QB Jimmy Garoppolo (knee) is believed to have suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament on a non-contact situation in Kansas City late in the game.

-- Giants TE Evan Engram (knee) was knocked out of the Week 3 victory in Houston due to a knee injury and he was unable to return.

-- Patriots RB Rex Burkhead (neck) suffered a neck injury in the third quarter of the game in Detroit and he was unable to return.

-- Titans QB Blaine Gabbert (concussion) started against his former team, but he was knocked out, forcing QB Marcus Mariota (elbow) into action.

Looking Ahead

-- The winless Texans will head to Indianapolis to battle the Colts in Week 4. Over the years it hasn't been a great place for Houston to visit, as they're 2-7 SU in their past 10 visits while going 3-5-1 ATS. The 'under' has also cashed in each of the past nine meetings in Indianapolis.

-- The Patriots host the Dolphins on Sunday. Miami hasn't won in Foxboro since Sept. 21, 2008, losing nine straight trips. The Patriots are 7-2 ATS during the nine-game home win streak against the Dolphins, including covers in each of the past six meetings in New England. The 'over' is 3-1 in the past four meetings in Foxboro, too.
-- The Cardinals and Seahawks meet in Arizona, and the home team has really struggled in this series. Arizona is 0-4-1 SU/ATS across their past five home games against Seattle with the 'under' cashing in each of the past three meetings in the desert. In this series, the home team is just 1-8-1 SU across the past 10 meetings.

-- The Steelers will host the Ravens in Week 4, and there has been a huge home-field advantage in this series. The home team has won eight of the past 10 meetings in this series, although Pittsburgh is 0-2-1 ATS in the past three at Heinz Field. The 'over' has also cashed in three of the past four meetings at Heinz Field.

[StarDust Bum]

NFL RECORD FOR SEPT......

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

09/23/2018 13-11-0 54.17% +4.50
09/20/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
09/16/2018 17-8-0 68.00% +41.00
09/13/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
09/09/2018 15-10-1 60.00% +20.00
09/06/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

Totals...............47-33-1.....58.75%.....+53.50


NFL BEST BETS:

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

09/23/2018.............6 - 4...................+8.00....................2 - 4...............-12.00..............-4.00
09/20/2018.............0 - 1...................-5.50.....................0 - 1...............-5.50................-11.00
09/16/2018.............5 - 2..................+14.00...................3 - 2...............+4.00..............+18.00
09/13/2018.............0 - 1...................-5.50.....................0 - 1................-5.50...............-11.00
09/09/2018.............4 - 4...................-2.00.....................8 - 3...............+23.50............+21.50
09/06/2018.............1 - 0..................+5.00.....................1 - 0...............+5.00..............+10.00

Totals....................16 - 12................+14.00..................14 - 11..............+9.50............+23.50

POD'S.....................W....................... ..........L..............................TOTAL

09/23/2018.............................................. 0 - 1............................0 - 1
09/13/2018.............................................. 0 - 1............................0 - 1

TOTAL............................................. .........0 - 2............................0 - 2

[StarDust Bum]

Lions save Books in Week 3
September 24, 2018
By Micah Roberts

Are we witnessing the end of the New EnglandPatriots dominance in the NFL following their second loss in a row in a 26-10 Sunday night defeat at Detroit?

Or are we just seeing a typical Bill Belichick speed bump similar to last season when the Chiefs went into Foxboro and defeated the Patriots 42-27 in the season opener?

Even with that loss to Kansas City, things worked out fine last season and New England wound up in the Super Bowl again. Despite key components missing so far from the Patriots defense and wide receiver Julian Edelman being suspended through Week 4, something doesn't look right with the Patriots as we've been accustomed to know them. We saw something similar last week at Jacksonville, but I think most of us gave credit to the Jaguars defense. Sunday's loss at 0-2 Detroit was another unknown form of ugly from them.

This is the dilemma bettors are going to be dealing with in the next few weeks. On Sunday, the Las Vegas sports book industry had their entire day resting on bettors being wrong about the Patriots. The common bettor hated the Lions and loved the Patriots, and why not since quarterback Tom Brady had gone 43-10 in his career coming off a loss.

Sunday's risk on the Patriots wasn't all about the Patriots, though. It was more about parlay and teaser risk exposure being magnified because of the pay chart odds. The Patriots side was ready to pop for several bettors who linked them up with popular teams like the Chiefs, Saints, and Rams who had already won and covered.

"It was just an okay day for us, but we were definitely saved by Mississippi, they had a huge hold percentage on the day that helping us show a profit," said MGM Resorts sports book hub manager Jeff Stoneback prior to the Patriots-Lions game. "We were just small winners in Nevada and New Jersey. Mississippi saved the day."

But the day still wasn't over with the Sunday night game still to be decided.

"We need the Lions pretty good," Stoneback said. "If Lions and Over get there we'll be losers on the day."

That was a common theme after the first 13 games had results posted.

"It's all coming down to the Lions," said Station Casinos sports book director Jason McCormick. "If the Pats cover we lose on the day and if it goes Over, it just makes it worse."

Every sports book in the state was in a similar situation and it was because of the Lions win, coupled with the Under (56), that most shops came out with another solid day despite bettors having them on the ropes for a knockout.

But before that, there was plenty of hope with the early game giving bettors some momentum.

"Our best game of the day was easily the Bills (+17) winning just because it knocked out a bunch of teasers and parlays," said Stoneback of the Bills improbable 27-6 win at Minnesota. "We also had a player lay six figures on the Vikings money-line (-1800)."

Ouch, that's a tough one. Be alert at the dam for a new jumper. Wynn Resorts was offering a city best on the Bills money-line at +1100.

"The Saints was our worst loss," Stoneback said. "We had some large wagers take +3, +2.5 and also play the money-line early in the week. We basically lost on the coin flip. Neither team could stop each other, so whoever got it first was going to win."

What made the Saints decision stand out, even more, was that it was the last posted of the 10:00 a.m. PT morning games. So the tidal wave of risk from the other nine games was rolling into the Saints game with lots of big parlays and teasers waiting to cash.

The Chiefs (-6) kept rolling with a 38-27 home win against the 49ers where QB Jimmy Garoppolo was carted off the field with what looks like a season-ending knee injury. Sharp bettors liked the 49ers here, but the public was all over the Chiefs in parlays and teasers. The Patriots really messed up some chunky public payouts.

Another popular team that kept rolling was the Rams (-7) in a 35-23 home win against the Chargers in the battle for Los Angeles. Between the Rams defense vastly improved and the Patriots sputtering, the Rams are the undisputed top-rated team in the NFL. Boyd Gaming has them -7 EVEN for Thursday night's home game against the Vikings, who were the No. 2 rated NFC team. Yes, the Rams look superlicious, but they weren't the betting story in the afternoon games.

"Seattle ended up being a loser for us, but Arizona holding on helped us despite some sharp money on them," said Stoneback. "We had a big casino player lay -5.5 with the Bears and we also had a lot of public action on them with parlays. This place erupted in the final seconds the Bears had a pick-six to cover before they were called for off-sides. If there was no penalty we'd be looking at a horrendous day, and the Patriots risk would be twice as worse."

The Seahawks (-1.5) got their first win of the season, 24-13 against Dallas, after two road losses to start the season. The Cowboys have now stayed 'under' in all three games and with QB Dak Prescott having passing issues, it's a trend to keep following. Good defense, but no offense. It's a great 'under' recipe weekly.

With the Bills showing up strong at Minnesota, the lowest rating in the NFL now belongs to the Cardinals, who held on to get the cover in a 16-14 home loss to the Bears. The Cards were up 14-0 in the first quarter. After QB Sam Bradford second-half meltdown, new coach Steve Wilks threw first-round draft pick Josh Rosen to the wolves down 16-14. "Save the day, kid." I think Wilks was watching Cleveland's Baker Mayfield and Buffalo's Josh Allen doing so well and said what the hell. The Cards get a home date against the Seahawks this week.

So what we have now is the public two-team teaser and parlay with the Rams and Chiefs each week that is likely to continue the next few weeks. Why stop now? keep hammering away on them until they don't cover. They're now 6-0 against the spread combined. That's three straight weeks of cashing a two-teamer on them. And in the case of the Chiefs, they've gone Over in all three as well in a sweet 13/5 odds (Bet $100 to win $260) correlation parlay.

Week 3 action saw favorites go 7-8 ATS and the 'over' go 7-8 through Sunday's games.

As for the Patriots, they get 3-0 Miami this week where the Pats were first posted as a 9.5-point home favorite by the Westgate Superbook. That number will drop significantly when readjusted Monday. Before the season the Patriots were 1-to-8 to win the AFC East, again, and the Dolphins were 10-to-1. It's amazing to think that after Week 4 the Dolphins could be 4-0 with a three-game lead over the Patriots which includes a straight-up win over the them.

But then again, never count out the Patriots. Three straight losses? That can't happen, can it?