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

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SUNDAY, OCTOBER 21
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

MIN at NYJ 01:00 PM
NYJ +3.5
U 45.0

CLE at TB 01:00 PM
CLE +3.5
O 52.5

HOU at JAC 01:00 PM
JAC -3.5

CAR at PHI 01:00 PM
CAR +5.0

BUF at IND 01:00 PM
IND -7.0
U 43.0

NE at CHI 01:00 PM
CHI +1.0
O 48.5

DET at MIA 01:00 PM
MIA +3.0
O 47.0


LATE GAMES POSTED LATER

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LATE AFTERNOON GAMES:

NO at BAL 04:05 PM
NO +2.5

LAR at SF 04:25 PM
O 52.0

DAL at WAS 04:25 PM
DAL -1.0
O 41.0

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CIN at KC

KC -6.5

U 56.0

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Monday’s six-pack

Top 6 picks in Week 7 of Westgate SuperBook NFL handicapping contest (3,123 entries)

1) Vikings, -3 (1,192)- W

2) Patriots, -3 (966)- W

3) Chiefs, -6 (886)-W

4) Lions, -2.5 (841)- W

5) Ravens, -3.5 (837)- L

6) Buccaneers, -3 (743)- T

Season record: 18-20-3

Quote of the Day
“Coach Gase is incompetent — period — and not telling the truth when it comes to DeVante, who is totally healthy and was needed big-time today. This is the third game he has done this to DeVante this year. It’s sickening and a grossly unfair characterization of my client.”
DeVante Parker’s agent Jimmy Gould

Monday’s quiz
What is the only NFL team to play in a Super Bowl the same year they played a regular season game in England?

Sunday’s quiz
James Harden played his college basketball at Arizona State.

Saturday’s quiz
Nets-Spurs-Pacers-Nuggets are the four NBA teams came over from the ABA when the ABA folded in 1976.

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

13) Saints 24, Ravens 23— Justin Tucker was only NFL kicker who hadn’t missed a PAT since they moved it back 15 yards- he had made something like 222 in a row, but he missed a PAT with 0:24 left here that would’ve tied the game.

Drew Brees threw his 500th career TD pass in this game; Saints are 5-1, and lead Carolina by a game in the NFC South.

12) Panthers 21, Eagles 17— Carolina trailed this game 17-0 in fourth quarter:

Carolina’s first five drives: 29 plays, 106 yards, five punts, zero points.
Carolina’s last three drives: 28 plays, 236 yards, three TD’s, 21 points.

Cam Newton looked like freakin’ John Elway in the 4th quarter.

I’m guessing you’ll hear the word “finish” a lot around Philly the next few days; they blew a 17-3 lead in an earlier loss to Tennessee.

11) Chargers 20, Titans 19— Fans in England haven’t had many chances to see a real tight NFL game, so this was good for them, and good for the league.

We went thru this with a MAC game yesterday, but Tennessee scored a TD with 0:31 left, then went for two points and the win- they didn’t get either. Titans did run the ball for 164 yards in this game and converted 9-15 third down plays, so i understand their confidence in being able to make it, but just kick the PAT and play overtime.

Chargers’ two TD’s in this game were on plays of 75, 55 yards.

10) Patriots 38, Bears 31— Chicago completed a Hail Mary to the 1-yard line on the last play of the game, but the WR couldn’t get in the end zone.

New England’s special teams dominated this game; they scored TD’s on a kick return and a blocked punt- that doesn’t happen much, two special teams TD’s in the same game.

9) Buccaneers 26, Browns 23 OT: Lot of interesting stuff about this game:
— Chandler Catanzaro won this game with a 59-yard FG with with 1:55 left in OT; he had missed a PAT and a 40-yard FG earlier in the game.
— Cleveland is 2-4-1; four of their seven games went to overtime.
— Tampa Bay led this game 16-2 at halftime.
— Bucs turned ball over four times (-3); Cleveland had a 17-yard advantage in field position.
— Browns’ TD drives were 26-75-16 yards.
— Cleveland has now lost 24 consecutive road games.

8) Lions 32, Dolphins 21— Detroit evens its record at 3-3 after an 0-2 start; they ran ball for 248 yards. Defensive-oriented coaches like to run the ball more, to keep their defense off the field, and it seems like Matt Patricia did that very well in this game. When they did throw the ball, Detroit averaged 9.1 yards/attempt.

7) Texans 20, Jaguars 7— QB Deshaun Watson couldn’t fly with the Texans to Jacksonville on Friday night because of concerns about his partially collapsed lung; instead, he took a 12-hour bus ride to Jacksonville.

Bus? Really? Hopefully they at least rented him a limo or something he could sleep in, and he wasn’t riding on a Greyhound, wth stops all over the gulf coast.

As for this game, Blake Bortles was benched in the 3rd quarter in favor of Cody Kessler, and the Jaguars head to England next week with some serious problems.

6) Vikings 37, Jets 17— Turnovers were a big story this week; Jets were -4 here (0-4), which is a big part of why Minnesota had a 14-yard edge in field position. Total yardage was only 316-263; three of the Vikings’ four TD’s came on plays longer than 30 yards.

5) Colts 37, Bills 5— Read something this week that this was the first time EVER that a 1-6 NFL team was favored by 7+ points over a team with a better record.

Colts were +5 in turnovers, ran ball for 220 yards. In their last four games, Buffalo has scored two offensive TD’s on 42 drives, with 12 turnovers.

4) Rams 39, 49ers 10— Rams are first NFL team to win three consecutive weeks on road since the 2014 Bengals; things get tougher the next two weeks- LA hosts the Packers next week, and visit New Orleans the week after that.

3) Redskins 20, Cowboys 17— Dallas’ 52-yard FG try hit the left upright as time expired to give Redskins their 4th win (4-2) of the year. Cowboys are 0-3 on road, 3-0 at home. Washington has a two-game lead in the loss column in the NFC East.

2) Broncos 45, Cardinals 10— Arizona fired its offensive coordinator less than 12 hours after this game ended Thursday night; former NFL QB Byron Leftwich takes over- it’ll be his first stint as OC in the NFL. He is 38 years; he started 50 NFL games as a quarterback for four teams.

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NFL Today, Week 7
October 21, 2018
By The Associated Press

SCOREBOARD

Monday, Oct. 22

New York Giants (1-5) at Atlanta (2-4), 8:15 p.m. The Falcons' Julio Jones (98.9) and the Giants' Odell Beckham Jr. (83.7) rank first and third, respectively, in the NFL in yards receiving per game since 2016. ...

QB Eli Manning is five TD passes away from becoming the seventh player with 350 in NFL history. ...

RB Saquon Barkley aiming to tie Kareem Hunt for the most consecutive games with at least 100 scrimmage yards to start a career. ...

Matt Ryan has seven TDs, one interception and an average of 304 yards passing in four games against the Giants.

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STARS

Passing

- Andrew Luck, Colts, was 17 for 23 for 156 yards and four touchdown in Indianapolis' 37-5 win over Buffalo.

- Tom Brady, Patriots, was 25 for 36 for 277 yards and three touchdowns and an interception in New England's 38-31 win over Chicago.

- Carson Wentz, Eagles, was 30 for 37 for 310 yards and two touchdowns in Philadelphia's 21-17 loss to Carolina.

- Philip Rivers, Chargers, was 19 for 26 for 306 yards and two touchdowns in Los Angeles' 20-19 win over Tennessee in London.

- Joe Flacco, Ravens, was 23 for 39 for 279 yards and two touchdowns in Baltimore's 24-23 loss to New Orleans.

- Cam Newton, Panthers, was 25 for 39 for 269 yards for two touchdowns in Carolina's 21-17 win over Philadelphia.

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Rushing

- Kerryon Johnson, Lions, had 19 carries for 158 yards in Detroit's 32-21 win over Miami.

- Marlon Mack, Colts, had 19 carries for 126 yards and a touchdown and added a receiving touchdown in Indianapolis' 37-5 win over Buffalo.

- Lamar Miller, Texans, had 22 carries for 100 yards and a touchdown in Houston's 20-7 win over Jacksonville.

- Latavius Murray, Vikings, had 15 carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns in Minnesota's 37-17 win over the New York Jets.

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Receiving

- Zach Ertz, Eagles, had nine catches for 138 yards in Philadelphia's 21-17 loss to Carolina.

- John Brown, Ravens, had seven catches for 134 yards and a touchdown in Baltimore's 24-23 loss to New Orleans.

- Trey Burton, Bears, had nine catches for 126yards and a touchdown in Chicago's 38-31 loss to New England.

- Tyrell Williams, Chargers, had four catches for 118 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown, in Los Angeles' 20-19 win over Tennessee.

- Adam Thielen, Vikings, had nine catches for 110 yards and a touchdown in Minnesota's 37-17 win over the New York Jets. He is the second player in NFL history with at least 100 receiving yards in each of his team's first seven games of a season. The other was Charley Hennigan with the 1961 Houston Oilers.

- Mike Evans, Buccaneers, had seven catches for 107 yards in Tampa Bay's 26-23 overtime win over Cleveland.

- Tajae Sharpe, Titans, had seven catches for 101 yards in Tennessee's 20-19 loss to the Chargers.

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Special Teams

-Cordarrelle Patterson, Dont'a Hightower, Kyle Van Noy, Patriots. Patterson returned a kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown, Hightower blocked a punt and Van Noy returned it 29 yards for a touchdown in New England's 38-31 win over Chicago.

- Matt Prater, Lions, was 4 for 4 on field goals in Detroit's 32-21 win over Miami.

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Defense

- Aaron Donald and Cory Littleton, Rams. Donald had four sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, Littleton added two sacks and a blocked punt for a safety in Los Angeles' 39-10 win over San Francisco.

- Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith, Redskins, Kerrigan had a strip-sack of Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and Smith recovered the fumble in the end zone in Washington's 20-17 win over Dallas.

- Jadeveon Clowney, Texans, had two sacks and a fumble recovery in Houston's 20-7 win over Jacksonville.

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MILESTONES

At least one game has gone to overtime in each of the first seven weeks of the season, a first. ...

Saints quarterback Drew Brees threw his 500th career touchdown pass in a 24-23 win over the Ravens. It was also his first career win over the Ravens, meaning he has defeated every NFL team at least once. Brees joined Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Brett Favre as the only quarterbacks in league history with 500 TD passes. And Brees is one of three quarterbacks - along with Favre and Manning - to defeat every team in the league. ...

The Colts' 37-5 win over Buffalo snapped a four-game losing streak. It was the Colts' most lopsided victory since a 37-3 victory over Jacksonville on Sept. 29, 2013 and it was the franchise's 300th win since moving from Baltimore to Indianapolis in 1984. ...

The Buccaneers had rushing touchdowns from quarterback Jameis Winston, running Ronald Jones and wide receiver DeSean Jackson in Tampa Bay's 26-23 overtime win over Cleveland. It's the first time in team history that the Bucs had a rushing TD from those positions in the same game. ...

It was the Browns' fourth overtime game this season. The previous time a team played four overtime games in one season was the 2011 Arizona Cardinals, who won all four games. The Browns are 1-2-1. The four overtime games are one shy of the record five Green Bay played in 1983. ...

Cordarrelle Patterson's 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown was his sixth career kickoff for a TD in New England's fourth straight victory, 38-31 over Chicago. ...

Houston's 20-7 victory against Jacksonville was the Texans' fourth consecutive win and the third consecutive loss for the Jaguars. The Jaguars failed to score in the first half for the third straight week, the first time they've done that in franchise history. They have been outscored 57-0 in the opening two quarters in losses to Kansas City, Dallas and Houston. ...

The Panthers rallied from a 17-0 deficit for a 21-17 victory against the Eagles with the biggest comeback in franchise history.

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STREAKS & STATS

Justin Tucker missed the first PAT of his career in the Ravens' 24-23 loss to New Orleans. Tucker had connected on 112 straight extra points and was the only NFL kicker without a miss since the placement of the ball was moved back in 2015. He made the first 222 tries of his career. ...

The Rams opened the season 7-0 for the first time since 1985. The Rams began 6-0 for three straight seasons in 1999-2001 before losing the seventh game.

... Colts quarterback Andrew Luck has four consecutive games with three or more TD passes and it's the longest active streak in NFL. He has 15 passing TDs over his past four games. ...

Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri scored five points to move within five of becoming the NFL's scoring leader despite missing two extra points in one game for the first time in his career. ...

The Chargers enter their bye on a four-game winning streak after holding off the Titans 20-19 in London. ... The Vikings earned their third straight victory with a 37-17 win over the Jets. ...

Rams running back Todd Gurley, who has 14 touchdowns (11 rushing, three receiving), is the third player with at least 14 touchdowns in his team's first seven games to start a season, joining Hall of Famer Jim Brown (15 in 1958) and Priest Holmes (14 in 2002 and 14 in 2004). He scored three times Sunday against San Francisco. ...

Tampa Bay's Chandler Catanzaro made the winning 59-yard field goal with 1:50 remaining in the Buccaneers' 26-23 overtime win over Cleveland. Catanzaro's 59-yarder is the longest winning field goal in overtime since the regular-season overtime rule was instituted in 1974, surpassing the previous record of 57 yards set by Oakland's Sebastian Janikowski (Oct. 19, 2008 vs. the New York Jets).

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SIDELINED

The New England Patriots lost running back Sony Michel to a knee injury. And Bills running back LeSean McCoy suffered a head injury. Bilal Powell sustained a neck injury in the second quarter of the Jets' loss to the Vikings. Michel had to be helped off the field after he got twisted around by Bilal Nichols as he was tackled on the first play of the second quarter. Michel lost a fumble on the play and had to be helped to the sideline. McCoy got injured on the Bills' second offensive play when he hurt his head while going out of bounds. He walked slowly across the field and into the injury tent, where he was checked by team doctors. After a few minutes, McCoy came out of the tent and walked across the field with one arm around a trainer or team doctor. ... Miami lost receiver Albert Wilson and Kenny Stills. Wilson left with a leg injury in the second quarter after his foot appeared to buckle when he was tackled on a 25-yard reception. Stills limped to the locker room with a minute left in the loss to the Lions.

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SPEAKING

''I loved the call. I love that he has confidence in us to go make that. We just didn't execute.'' - Titans quarterback Marcus Mariota on coach Mike Vrabel's decision to go for a go-ahead 2-point attempt in the final minute against the Los Angeles Chargers. The attempt failed and the Titans lost 20-19 to the Chargers.

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''This is the same stuff I've been doing since I was a little boy. I've been up in Detroit freezing my tail off. To finally get to play in the sun and heat and humidity, I was loving it.'' - Lions running back Kerryon Johnson, an Alabama native, on playing in 88-degree sunshine in Miami.

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MNF - Giants at Falcons
October 21, 2018
By Kevin Rogers

LAST WEEK

The Giants (1-5 SU, 2-4 ATS) pulled off a terrific comeback two weeks ago to take a 31-30 lead over Carolina with a minute remaining. The Panthers went down the field and booted a 63-yard field goal to edge New York, 33-31, but the Giants cashed as 6 ½-point underdogs. New York followed up that close shave defeat with a dreadful effort in last Thursday’s 34-13 home setback to defending champion Philadelphia to suffer its third straight defeat.

Dating back to the 2017 season, the Giants own an 0-7 ATS mark off an ATS win, which includes double-digit home defeats to the Saints and Eagles in this situation. The Eagles jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead and never looked back as the lone highlights for the Giants belonged to rookie running back Saquon Barkley who picked up over 50 yards on two separate plays. Besides that, star receiver Odell Beckham, Jr. walked off the field before halftime with the offense on the field, while embattled veteran Eli Manning posted his worst quarterback rating of the season (66.1).

The Falcons (2-4 SU, 2-4 ATS) dug themselves a 1-4 hole in the tough NFC South through five games, but Atlanta picked up its second divisional victory in a 34-29 home triumph over Tampa Bay. Quarterback Matt Ryan threw three touchdown passes and racked up 354 yards through the air, while the 2016 MVP has now thrown for three or more scores in three games this season.

Atlanta topped the 31-point mark for the fourth time in four games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, while Ryan has not been intercepted in four straight contests. The running game never got going with Devonta Freeman still sidelined (70 total yards), but All-Pro wide receiver Julio Jones hauled in 10 catches for 143 yards in spite of not scoring a touchdown this season. Since losing to Tampa Bay in the 2016 opener, the Falcons have won seven of their past eight home games against division foes.

OVER EASY

As mentioned above, the Falcons are lighting up the scoreboard, especially at home. All four games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium have sailed OVER the total, even the high total of 57 last Sunday against Tampa Bay. The Atlanta defense is busted up due to injuries, as the only UNDER for the Falcons this season hit in the season opener at Philadelphia. The Giants have allowed 33 points or more in three straight games, while the past two road games for New York have cashed the OVER against Houston and Carolina.

SERIES HISTORY

The Giants are making their first visit to Atlanta since getting blanked by the Falcons in 2012 in an ugly 34-0 road defeat. The most recent meeting between these two NFC squads came at Met Life Stadium in 2015 as the Falcons rallied for 14 fourth quarter points in a 24-20 triumph as two-point underdogs. Ryan torched the Giants for 363 yards passing, while Jones caught 13 passes for 135 yards. The last time these teams met on a Monday night came back in 2007 at the Georgia Dome when the Giants ripped the Falcons, 31-10, the season before Atlanta drafted Ryan.

MONDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

New York has not been a reliable team to back on Monday nights over the last few seasons by going 2-5 SU/ATS since 2014, including a 14-point home loss to Detroit last season. The Falcons have won in each of their past four appearances on Monday night since 2015, while hosting their first Monday night contest since 2015, when Atlanta edged Philadelphia in the season opener, 26-24.

HANDICAPPER’S CORNER

NFL expert Joe Nelson is back this week, first giving his take on the Big Blue, “A lot of the negative attention has fallen on Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner but past his prime at age 37. Ironically Manning is on pace for his best completion rate of his career at nearly 69 percent while his current 7.23 yards per attempt average is his highest since 2014. Manning does have eight turnovers in six games which some of which he deserves blame for, some of it can be pinned on the offensive line, something many fans expected to be addressed in the NFL draft last spring but the Giants opted for the luxury of Barkley in the backfield. Barkley has done his part posting 5.2 yards per carry while already catching 40 passes as the focal point of the offense.”

On the other side, the Falcons are thriving at quarterback following a slow start in Week 1, “It has been a resurgent season for Ryan, who is fourth in QB Rating at this point in the season while completing nearly 70 percent of his passes. He is third in the NFL in passing yards and has a 7:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio. Ryan has needed to do the heavy lifting with Freeman injured and his task could be more difficult this week with star rookie Calvin Ridley injured last week and a question mark for Monday,” Nelson notes.

Game Props – According to Westgate Superbook

Total Gross Passing Yards – Eli Manning
OVER 278 ½ (-110)
UNDER 278 (-110)

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

Total Receiving Yards – Odell Beckham, Jr.
OVER 93 ½ (-110)
UNDER 93 ½ (-110)

Total Completions – Matt Ryan
OVER 26 ½ (-110)
UNDER 26 ½ (-110)

Total Touchdown Passes – Matt Ryan
OVER 2 ½ (EVEN)
UNDER 2 ½ (-120)

Will Julio Jones score a touchdown?
YES (+120)
NO (-140)

LINE MOVEMENT

The Falcons opened up as six-point favorites at the Westgate Superbook last Monday when Week 7 lines were released. However, that number has dipped down to Atlanta laying as low as 3 ½ points at several books. The total opened at 54 ½, but is slowly going down to 53 and even 52 ½ at some books in spite of Atlanta’s high-scoring outputs at home.

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Monday's Best Bet
October 21, 2018
By YouWager.eu

NFL Week 6 MNF Betting Preview

New York Giants vs Atlanta Falcons

The final game of the Week 7 slate in the NFL pits two NFC franchises against one another that had much higher expectations for 2018 than how it's played out so far. The Atlanta Falcons were hoping to be the first NFL team to play in the Super Bowl on their own field, while New York believed they would be playoff bound with a talented, and healthy roster returning to them in 2018.

But with the Giants at 1-5 SU and Atlanta 2-4 SU, those expectations look a lot like pipe dreams these days. Which franchise will do enough to at least get things turned around for one week?

YouWager.eu Odds: Atlanta (-3.5); Total set at 53

The dismal records both teams have in 2018 have come about in largely in different ways as Atlanta's been the team decimated by injuries so far this year (especially on defense), while the Giants are in the midst of dealing with a rapidly declining Eli Manning at QB. You can't win much in this league without strong QB play, and with Manning being a ho-hum talent the past few years, New York simply can't find success right now with him under center.

With New York, it's becoming more a question about whether or not they are looking to “tank” away the rest of the year to get a QB as many are blasting the Giants for not doing so in the most recent draft when it was loaded with perceived franchise QB talent at the top and New York picked a RB. Without question RB Saquon Barkley is a phenomenal talent, but when opponents can key on him because they've got no belief Manning can beat them with his arm, it's always going to be an uphill climb for this New York offense.

Yet, facing a battled Falcons defense may just be what the Giants need to get some sort of momentum built. The Falcons have allowed 30 or more points in three of their last four games overall, and come in allowing 37.5 PPG over those four contests. It's those type of numbers that have Giants fans and bettors believing this will be a solid spot for a bounce back if you're New York and it's part of the reason why the Giants have already received some reverse line movement in their favor since this line initially climbed as high as -6 early on in the week.

However, you've always got to look at the other side of the coin, and if you are the slumping Atlanta defense, looking across and seeing this awful Giants attack in front of you presents a great opportunity for them to bounce back as well.

Atlanta's defensive numbers may not look good at all right now, but that four-game stretch where they allowed 37.5 points/game also came against the likes of New Orleans, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, and Tampa Bay. Each of those four teams currently rank 8th or better in the league in terms of points per game, so it's not like there hasn't been improvement from Atlanta's view. The Falcons have just been matched up with some very good offensive teams and took their chances trying to win shootout style games against them. Things do get a heck of a lot easier for this Atlanta defense now too, as after this Giants game it's dates with Washington, Cleveland, and Dallas on tap for the Falcons.

It's because of the offensive skill of those four Falcons opponents that gives me pause on continuing to bemoan this Falcons defense, especially against a team like the Giants who rank 6th last in the league in terms of points per game (19.5). Eli Manning isn't about to all of a sudden find accuracy like his brother had either, although there is still that thought that the Giants players are looking to use this game as one last chance to potentially save their season, making the side a play I'd prefer to pass on.

But the total of 53 – which has already received some reverse line movement towards the 'under' – that I'm looking to attack as I'm not sure we see these two teams approach 50 points here.

For one, those Atlanta defensive numbers are going to be the thing most in favor of the 'over' will point too, but they'll fail to mention the caliber of offensive opponent they came against. This is the Giants offense Atlanta is up against this week, and it's still a big work in progress overall. The Giants attack can't compare to the likes of those other teams Atlanta's recently faced, and if the Giants are going to “circle the wagons” and attempt to save their 2018 season, how likely is it that they end up on the right end of a back-and-forth game that ends up with both sides in the 30s? Does anything you've seen from New York this year suggest that's how that game plays out?

Obviously anything can happen in the NFL in one-game scenarios, but I don't see that scenario playing out here at all. New York's defense knows how explosive the Falcons attack can be, so keeping them contained, and on the sidelines for as long as possible should be a big part of New York's gameplan. That means that that #2 draft pick RB Saquon Barkley should get his hands on the ball early and often for New York on Monday Night. It's not like three straight weeks of allowing 30+ by New York's defense hasn't been weighing on their minds as well.

And while it's rather easy to see the Atlanta side cashing in a high-scoring game, I don't believe the Falcons are looking to really play that style either. Their coaching staff knows how hard of a year it's been defensively for them – both with the caliber of opponent they've seen and dealing with the numerous injuries – and have to view this next stretch of games as a great opportunity to improve those defensive metrics. Having an inaccurate QB that's currently near the end of a steep career decline doesn't exactly hurt the chances of Atlanta's defense taking big strides towards that improvement either.

So, I'm going to go against the grain here and look for an Atlanta game to finally stay 'under' the number. The Falcons haven't cashed an 'under' ticket since their Opening Night loss @ Philly, which coincidentally was the last time they were involved in a prime time game.

Atlanta is 1-5 O/U after their last six outright wins, while New York is on a 1-4 O/U run on MNF as a franchise and nine of their last 11 meetings with the Falcons have cashed 'under' tickets (1-9-1 O/U). Recent results from both sides – Atlanta five straight 'overs' and New York three 'overs' in last four – are going to make this 'over' a popular play in all likelihood (so waiting as close to kickoff as possible to see if this total climbs is a solid option) but they are ones that I've got no problem stepping in front of here.

Both sides are essentially playing for their season at this point and when that's the case, typically it's the defenses that step up and make their name known. With the oddsmakers going to need an Atlanta 'under' to finally cash, and MNF games typically heavily on favorite and 'over' money in general, I'm siding with the oddsmakers position and playing this game to stay low.

Odds per - YouWager.eu

Best Bet: Under 53 points

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NFL RECORD FOR SEPT......

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

Totals...............63-47-1.....57.27%.....+56.50

NFL BEST BETS:

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

Totals....................23 - 15................+32.50..................22 - 16..............+22.00............+34.50


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Nfl Record For October......

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/21/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
10/18/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/15/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/14/2018 15-9-1 62.50% +25.50
10/11/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/08/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/07/2018 14-10-0 58.33% +15.00
10/04/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/01/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

Total............45-33-1.........57.69%.....+43.50

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Best Bets For October

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

10/21/2018..............4 - 4..................-2.00....................4 - 4................-2.00................-4.00
10/18/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................0 - 1................-5.50................-0.50
10/15/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................1 - 0................-5.50................-0.50
10/14/2018..............5 - 4.................+3.00....................4 - 6................-13.00..............-10.00
10/11/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0................+5.00...............-0.50
10/08/2018..............1 - 0..................+5.00...................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00
10/07/2018..............4 - 5..................-7.50....................6 - 4................+8.00...............+0.50
10/04/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1.................-5.50...............-11.00
10/01/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00

Totals...................16 - 15...................+2.50.................18 - 18...............-8.50.................-6.00

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Betting Recap - Week 7
October 22, 2018
By Joe Williams

Overall Notes

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE WEEK 7 RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 9-4
Against the Spread 7-6

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 5-8
Against the Spread 3-10

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 4-9

NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE YEAR-TO-DATE RESULTS

Wager Favorites-Underdogs
Straight Up 68-36-2
Against the Spread 48-56-2

Wager Home-Away
Straight Up 63-41-2
Against the Spread 53-51-2

Wager Totals (O/U)
Over-Under 55-51

The largest underdogs to win straight up
Panthers (+5, ML +200) at Eagles, 21-17
Texans (+3.5, ML +170) at Jaguars, 20-7
Saints (+2.5, ML +125) at Ravens, 24-23

The largest favorite to cover
Rams (-9) at 49ers, 39-10
Colts (-7) vs. Bills, 37-5
Chiefs (-6.5) vs. Bengals, 45-10

Idiot Kickers

-- Kickers were changing the fortune of betting results all over the National Football League in Week 7. Or, a coach failing to use a kicker in a key point, also was a big sticking point for some.

In the Dallas Cowboys-Washington Redskins battle, Cowboys PK Brett Maher doink'd one off of the upright that would have sent the game into overtime. Sure, the Redskins could have still won the game in OT, but Cowboys side bettors, elated that Dallas nearly erased a 10-point lead in the final two minutes, had to feel like they lost their wager twice. In addition, while 'under' (40.5) bettors weren't complaining one bit, Maher's errant kick also changed the fortunes of 'over' bettors.

That was barely a bad beat, however, considering how raw 'over' (49.5) bettors felt in the New Orleans Saints-Baltimore Ravens battle. The Ravens tied it up with :24 remaining in regulation, or so they thought. Ravens PK Justin Tucker, the most accurate kicker in NFL history, misfired on an extra point to do over bettors dirty, as under bettors celebrated everywhere. Side bettors for the Ravens weren't terribly pleased, either, as they could have had a chance in the extra session.

In the Cleveland Browns-Tampa Bay Buccaneers contest it was a redemption story. Buccaneers PK Chandler Catanzaro misfired on an extra point and a potential game-winning field goal to close regulation, giving Browns side bettors a chance in OT. The points left on the field also cost the Bucs side bettors potentially, as they failed to cover by a half-point when the dust cleared. In addition, who knows if the missed kicks woud have affected the total (52.5) in any way. In the end, Catanzaro redeemed himself with a 59-yard bomb to win it in overtime.

Oh, And Don't Forget These Gems!

-- The Chicago Bears were catching two points as short 'dogs at home against the New England Patriots. On a desperation heave at the horn, QB Mitchell Trubisky found WR Kevin White, who climbed the ladder and snared the ball at the 1-yard line. He was Kevin Dyson'd just short of the goal-line, again, making Bears side bettors feel like they lost their wager twice.

-- And if you were an 'under' (45) bettor in the Minnesota Vikings-New York Jets game...wow. The Vikings were up 27-17 with 5:16 to go in regulation. Instead of pounding it on the ground, the Vikings went to the air and had 34-yard touchdown from QB Kirk Cousins to WR Aldrick Robinson push the total 'over'. PK Dan Bailey added a 43-yard field goal with 3:22 to go just for good measure, as he didn't affect anyone's day negatively.

-- Last, but certainly not least, the 'over' (56.5) appeared to be in the bag for bettors in the Cincinnati Bengals-Kansas City Chiefs battle on Sunday Night Football. There were 31 points on the board at halftime, and 48 points on the board after three quarters. The Chiefs went ahead 45-10 with 12:50 to go in regulation, and all that was needed was a field goal. With just a few minutes to go, RB Spencer Ware took a swing pass and appeared to be hurtling toward the end zone, but the turf monster reached up and grabbed him, as he lost his footing. Then, on fourth down, head coach Andy Reid elected to go for it and eschew the short field goal, causing 'over' bettors everywhere to swear in unison. But hey, don't blame the Chiefs. They did their part with 45 points. How sorry were the Bengals?

Total Recall

-- The lowest total on the board, Dallas-Washington (40.5), apparently was low enough. Of course, we covered this one above. It probably should have gone over. The second-lowest total on the board (42.5) split, as Thursday's Denver Broncos-Arizona Cardinals (42.5) went over and the Houston Texans-Jacksonville Jaguars (42.5) went well under.

-- The two highest totals on the board, Cleveland-Tampa Bay (52.5) and Cincinnati-Kansas City (56.5), again, probably should have gone over, but...kickers, or a lack thereof.

-- The 'over' had cashed for the L.A. Chargers in five of their first six outings, but the Tennessee Titans and a long flight to London, as well as a missing key offensive component, sent them to a rare under result. As far as the Saints are concerned, they have alternated overs and unders in each of their six games so far. It looks like an 'over' is coming next Sunday night against the Vikings.

-- The 'over/under' is 1-1 through the first two primetime games in Week 7, and maybe we should put an asterisk next to the SNF result. Overall for the 2018 season the 'over' in primetime games is 11-10 (52.3%). The 'under' has cashed in four of the past five battles on Sunday Night Football.

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

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

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

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

Injury Report

-- Bills RB LeSean McCoy (concussion) suffered a concussion in Sunday's blowout loss against the Colts.

-- Patriots RB Sony Michel (knee) exited Sunday's game against the Bears early due to a knee ailment.

Looking Ahead

-- The Redskins will travel to meet the Giants in Week 8. Washington is a dismal 1-4 ATS over their past five on the road, and 1-6 ATS in the past seven inside the NFC East Division. They're also 1-7 ATS in their past eight following a straight-up win. As far as the Giants, they're just 3-8 ATS across the past 11 at home and 3-9 ATS in their past 12 against NFC foes, pending Monday's result. In this series, the under is 12-3 in the past 15 in New Jersey, while the Redskins are 1-4 ATS in their past five visits against the Giants. The home team is 5-2 ATS in the past seven, while Washington is 3-7 ATS in the past 10 in this series.

-- The Broncos and Chiefs meet for the second time this season. Kansas City won 27-23 in the Mile High City on a Monday night in Week 4, barely covering as 3 1/2-point favorites as the 'under' (53) cashed. The Broncos are 3-12-1 ATS in their past 16 against divisional foes, and 2-11 ATS in their past 13 on the road. The Chiefs have covered 10 of the past 11, and they're 5-1 ATS in their past six at Arrowhead. While the road team is 8-2 ATS in the past 10 meetings, the Broncos are 0-6 ATS in their past six trips to K.C. The over is 4-1 in the past five at Arrowhead, and 5-1-1 in the past seven meetings in this series.

-- After a Week 1 tie, the Browns and Steelers will square off in the second meeting of the year in the Steel City. Despite that cover, Cleveland is still just 4-14-1 ATS in their past 19 inside the AFC North. The Steelers are just 4-9 ATS in their past 13 overall, and 1-5 ATS in the past six inside the division. Surprisingly, they're also 0-5 ATS in the past five following a bye. Cleveland is 3-0-1 ATS in the past four meetings, and the 'over' is 11-5-1 in the past 17 meetings in Pittsburgh.

-- If it seems like the 49ers and Cardinals just met, it wasn't that long ago. Arizona won 28-18 in San Francisco for QB Josh Rosen's first NFL win on Oct. 7, covering as three-point 'dogs. Frisco is 5-2 ATS in their past seven on the road, and 7-3 ATS in their past 10 inside the division. The Cardinals are 3-1-1 ATS in their past five overall. The road team has covered five in a row in this series, and the 49ers are 9-3 ATS in their past 12 trips to the desert.

[StarDust Bum]

Former NFL player Rae Carruth out of prison after 18 years
October 22, 2018
By The Associated Press

Rae Carruth is a free man.

The former NFL wide receiver was released from prison Monday after serving more than 18 years for conspiring to murder the mother of his unborn child.

The Carolina Panthers' 1997 first-round draft pick was released from Sampson Correctional Institution in Clinton, North Carolina, after completing his sentence of 18 to 24 years.

Carruth did not speak to reporters as he left prison wearing a knit cap and an unzipped jacket on a chilly morning with temperatures in the high 30s. There was a smattering of applause when he got into a white SUV and was whisked away. He was taken to an undisclosed location.

The 44-year-old Carruth will be on a nine-month post-release program, according to North Carolina Department of Public Safety spokesman Jerry Higgins. He would need special permission from a case officer to leave the state or the country during that span but is free to go wherever he pleases after nine months.

Carruth was found guilty of orchestrating a plot to kill Cherica Adams on Nov. 16, 1999, in Charlotte, North Carolina, to avoid paying child support. Adams was shot four times while driving her car but managed to make a 911 call that helped implicate Carruth.

Adams went into a coma and died less than a month later after the shooting.

The child she was carrying, Chancellor Lee Adams, was delivered by emergency cesarean section but suffers from permanent brain damage and cerebral palsy.

Carruth has never admitted guilt in Adams' murder, but in a complex 15-page letter to WBTV-TV in Charlotte in February he wrote that ''I feel responsible for everything that happened. And I just want (Saundra Adams) to know that truly I am sorry for everything.''

Carruth's former attorney, David Rudolf, did not immediately return phone calls Monday seeking comment about Carruth's release and plans.

Last week, Carruth told WSOC-TV in Charlotte in a telephone interview, ''I just truly want to be forgiven.''

He went on to say he was ''somewhat frightened'' about his release, adding that ''I'm nervous just about how I'll be received by the public. I still have to work. I still have to live. I have to exist out there and it just seems like there is so much hate and negativity toward me.''

Carruth has repeatedly said he wants to have a relationship with his son, who remains in the custody of his grandmother, Saundra Adams, who has raised him since birth. Adams had previously said she would be there when Carruth got out of prison, but she was not present Monday.

Carruth's arrest on charges of conspiracy and attempted murder nine days after the shooting sent shockwaves throughout the Panthers organization.

The team released Carruth and the NFL suspended him indefinitely after he fled the Charlotte area after posting $3 million bail and was found by federal authorities hiding in the trunk of a car in Tennessee, about 500 miles from Charlotte.

Panthers center Frank Garcia played with Carruth for more than two seasons. He said players were stunned when they heard the news of Carruth's possible involvement in the murder, about 20 miles from the team's downtown stadium in the affluent section of South Charlotte.

''It would be like finding out the guy sitting in the cubicle next to you at work was arrested for murder,'' Garcia said. ''You just don't always know people as well as you think you do.''

Garcia said Carruth was a little shy, and mostly kept to himself. But he said Carruth had a passion for helping kids, including reading books to elementary school students.

It was a difficult time in Panthers history.

Some players were called out of football practice to testify at the trial. Those not involved would spend time huddling in the players' lounge watching the trial on Court TV.

''That is one time where you were actually hiding from the cameras,'' Garcia said. ''You just wanted to stay low and not be involved. All along you're asking yourself, `Did I miss any signs? How is somebody capable of this?'''

While in jail Carruth worked as a barber, making about $1 per hour, the Department of Public Safety said.

That's a far cry from the four-year, $3.7 million contract Carruth signed with the Panthers after being drafted - although he never collected all of that money since he was released in the third year of his deal.

[StarDust Bum]

Nfl Record For October......

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/21/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
10/18/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/15/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/14/2018 15-9-1 62.50% +25.50
10/11/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/08/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/07/2018 14-10-0 58.33% +15.00
10/04/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/01/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

Total............45-33-1.........57.69%.....+43.50

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

Best Bets For October

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

10/21/2018..............4 - 4..................-2.00....................4 - 4................-2.00................-4.00
10/18/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................0 - 1................-5.50................-0.50
10/15/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................1 - 0................-5.50................-0.50
10/14/2018..............5 - 4.................+3.00....................4 - 6................-13.00..............-10.00
10/11/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0................+5.00...............-0.50
10/08/2018..............1 - 0..................+5.00...................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00
10/07/2018..............4 - 5..................-7.50....................6 - 4................+8.00...............+0.50
10/04/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1.................-5.50...............-11.00
10/01/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00

Totals...................16 - 15...................+2.50.................18 - 18...............-8.50.................-6.00


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


MONDAY, OCTOBER 22
GAME TIME(ET) PICK UNITS

NYG at ATL 08:15 PM

ATL -4.0

U 52.0

[StarDust Bum]

Ryan throws for 379 yards, Falcons beat Giants 23-20
October 22, 2018
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ATLANTA (AP) Matt Ryan is putting up MVP-like numbers, even on a team that hasn't lived up to expectations.

Matty Ice turned in another brilliant performance in prime time Monday, throwing for 379 yards and completing his final 18 passes to lead the Atlanta Falcons to their second straight victory, 23-20 over the struggling New York Giants.

"Whatever it takes to win," Ryan said. "That's the mindset we have every week."

Ryan threw a 47-yard touchdown pass to Marvin Hall, Tevin Coleman broke loose on a 30-yard scoring run and the Falcons added another chapter to New York's miserable season, sending the Giants (1-6) to their fourth straight loss.

"I don't feel like we're a 1-6 team," Odell Beckham Jr. said. "That's what our record is, but that's not the feeling in the locker room."

Ryan was the league's MVP in 2016 when he led Atlanta to the Super Bowl. While these Falcons (3-4) haven't played to that level, their quarterback is putting up numbers that measure up to what he did two years ago: a 71.1 percent completion rate, 2,335 yards passing, 15 touchdowns and just two interceptions.

Ryan is only focused on the team's performance.

"To inch our way closer to .500 is a positive for us," he said.

It was also a big night for Giorgio Tavecchio, who was signed during the week to fill in for injured Atlanta kicker Matt Bryant. The native of Milan, Italy, made all three of his field goal attempts, including a 56-yarder that was the longest of his career and helped seal the victory.

"That kick was good from about 65 yards," Ryan said. "He did a great job for us coming in on short notice."

Facing one of the NFL's worst defenses, New York botched its best scoring chance by going for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1 early in the third quarter. To the surprise of no one who has seen the Giants stumble through the season, Eli Manning's pass for tight end Scott Simonson fell harmlessly to the turf.

Manning was sacked four times but still managed to complete 27 of 38 for 399 yards. Beckham hauled in eight passes for 143 yards, pushing him past 5,000 yards in his career, and Sterling Shepard finished with 167 yards on five receptions.

Both teams got off to sluggish starts offensively. The Falcons failed to cross midfield on their first three possessions, and the Giants weren't much better.

Then, suddenly, Atlanta struck for two big plays to grab the lead. Ryan went down the left sideline to tight end Austin Hooper for a 36-yard gain, pushing the Falcons into New York territory for the first time. Then Ryan spotted Hall breaking free down the middle of the field, hitting him perfectly in stride for the touchdown.

Coleman's touchdown with 7½ minutes remaining gave the Falcons some breathing room, but the Giants finally showed some life offensively.

Manning completed five passes for 61 yards before Saquon Barkley powered over from the 2 with 4:47 remaining for New York's first TD of the game. Embattled coach Pat Shurmur decided to go for 2, looking to put his team in position to win with another score, but Beckham couldn't hang on to Manning's pass.

The Falcons drove into position for Tavecchio's final field goal, extending the lead to 23-12.

The Giants did manage a touchdown with 5 seconds remaining as Manning hooked up with Beckham on a 1-yard scoring play, but only after the quarterback was stuffed on two straight attempts to run it over, burning off most of the scant time on the clock.

BARKLEY STYMIED

The Falcons were the first team to hold Barkley to less than 100 yards rushing and receiving in a game.

The rookie running back was limited to 43 yards on 14 carries, to go along with nine catches for 51 yards.

It was Barkley's second-lowest rushing output of the season, eclipsed only by a 28-yard effort against Dallas in Week 2.

Barkley was coming off his best game of the season, totaling 229 yards (130 rushing, 99 receiving) in a loss to Philadelphia.

TAVECCHIO STEPS UP

Bryant is one of the NFL's most accurate kickers, but Tavecchio sure made a good impression in his return to the NFL.

His 56-yard kick was the longest by a player in his first game with a new team in the last 40 seasons, according to NFL Research. He also connected from 40 and 50 yards.

Tavecchio kicked last season for the Oakland Raiders, but he was without a job until Bryant injured his right hamstring making a long kick in Atlanta's victory over Tampa Bay.

That prompted the Falcons to bring back Tavecchio, who got a brief look from the team at the end of the preseason.

Even though Bryant will surely reclaim his job as soon as he's healthy, Tavecchio set himself up to draw attention from other teams when he goes on the open market again.

INJURY REPORT

The Falcons lost another guard when Brandon Fusco went down late in the first half with a right ankle injury.

Fusco had to be helped off the field by a pair of trainers, and he was quickly taken to the locker room on a cart.

Atlanta had already lost another starting guard, Andy Levitre, to a season-ending injury.

Ben Garland took Fusco's spot on the line.

UP NEXT

Giants: New York returns home next Sunday to face NFC East-leading Washington (4-2).

Falcons: Atlanta also plays Washington in its next game - but not until Nov. 4 after a bye week

[StarDust Bum]

WEEK 8

Thursday, October 25, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
8:20 PM Miami Dolphins Houston Texans

Sunday, October 28, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
9:30 AM Philadelphia Eagles Jacksonville Jaguars
1:00 PM Baltimore Ravens Carolina Panthers
1:00 PM New York Jets Chicago Bears
1:00 PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers Cincinnati Bengals
1:00 PM Seattle Seahawks Detroit Lions
1:00 PM Denver Broncos Kansas City Chiefs
1:00 PM Washington Redskins New York Giants
1:00 PM Cleveland Browns Pittsburgh Steelers
4:05 PM Indianapolis Colts Oakland Raiders
4:25 PM San Francisco 49ers Arizona Cardinals
4:25 PM Green Bay Packers Los Angeles Rams
8:20 PM New Orleans Saints Minnesota Vikings

Monday, October 29, 2018
Time (ET) Away Home
8:15 PM New England Patriots Buffalo Bills


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


Nfl Record For October......

DATE W-L-T % UNITS RECORD

10/22/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/21/2018 9-9-0 50.00% -4.50
10/18/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/15/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/14/2018 15-9-1 62.50% +25.50
10/11/2018 1-1-0 50.00% -0.50
10/08/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00
10/07/2018 14-10-0 58.33% +15.00
10/04/2018 0-2-0 0.00% -11.00
10/01/2018 2-0-0 100.00% +10.00

Total............46-34-1.........57.50%.....+43.00

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

Best Bets For October

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


10/22/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0...............+5.00................-0.50
10/21/2018..............4 - 4..................-2.00....................4 - 4................-2.00................-4.00
10/18/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................0 - 1................-5.50................-0.50
10/15/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................1 - 0................-5.50................-0.50
10/14/2018..............5 - 4.................+3.00....................4 - 6................-13.00..............-10.00
10/11/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................1 - 0................+5.00...............-0.50
10/08/2018..............1 - 0..................+5.00...................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00
10/07/2018..............4 - 5..................-7.50....................6 - 4................+8.00...............+0.50
10/04/2018..............0 - 1..................-5.50....................0 - 1.................-5.50...............-11.00
10/01/2018..............1 - 0.................+5.00....................1 - 0................+5.00..............+10.00

Totals...................16 - 16..................-3.00.................19 - 18...............-3.50.................-6.50

[StarDust Bum]

Tuesday’s six-pack

Someone took a survey; here are the most popular Halloween candies:

1) Reese’s peanut butter cups 84.2%

2) Reese’s miniatures 81.9%

3) Twix 81.8%

4) Kit Kat 78.8%

5) Snickers 76.7%

6) Reese’s Pieces 73.4%

Tweet of the Day
“The fact that you don’t have the confidence to run the ball when you have Saquon on the goal line in a critical 4th down situation tells you all you need to know.”
ESPN’s Louis Riddick, after the Giants failed on a 4th-down play Monday

Tuesday’s quiz
When Jon Gruden won his Super Bowl for the Bucs against Oakland, who was the head coach for the Raiders?

Monday’s quiz
2007 Giants are the only NFL team to play in a Super Bowl the same year they played a regular season game in England- they beat Miami 13-10 in London.

Sunday’s quiz
James Harden played his college basketball at Arizona State.


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

13) Oakland Raiders traded Khahil Mack to the Bears for two #1 picks before the season, then started season 1-5; Monday they traded WR Omari Cooper to Dallas, for another #1 pick, as they continue to plot for the future, when they’ll be playing home games in Las Vegas.

Raiders now have three #1 picks in the 2019 Draft, which will be held in Nashville; too bad it isn’t in Las Vegas, because Raiders are going to be the center of attention. Raiders also have two #1 picks in the 2020 Draft.

12) One of the values of Twitter is getting lot of diverse opinions; almost everyone said that the Raiders did very well getting a #1 pick for Cooper, but then on Monday Night Football, those guys are all saying the Cowboys made out on the deal. What gives?

Ed Werder, who has covered the Cowboys for decades, pointed out that this is the third time Jerry Jones has traded draft picks for a star WR— the other two WR’s he got were Joey Galloway and Roy Williams. When your owner/GM is in his 70’s, draft picks tend to mean less.

11) This from the legendary Gil Brandt on Twitter:
lowest %age of players still on team that picked them (in last six NFL Drafts):

16.0% Oakland Raiders
16.3% Buffalo Bills
20.5% New Jersey Giants
20.7% Cleveland Browns
24.6% San Francisco 49ers

10) Denver Broncos haven’t had consecutive losing seasons since 1971 (4-9-1) and ’72 (5-9); they were 5-11 LY, are 3-4 this year. I’m guessing they’ll be a coaching change if they don’t finish at least .500 this season.

9) Only three NFL teams haven’t played a regular season game outside this country; the Eagles, Packers, and Panthers. Philly plays Jacksonville in London this week.

8) Would Auburn really cough up $32M to tell football coach Gus Malzahn to take a hike? Malzahn is 28-19 in conference games; the guy was a high school coach not that long ago, but do people at Auburn really have $32M lying around to get rid of a fairly successful coach? Wow.

7) Oklahoma Sooners haven’t lost consecutive regular season games since 1999; they’re 39-0 SU in the games following their last 39 regular season losses.

6) According to Astros beat reporter Brian McTaggart, Houston 2B Jose Altuve had surgery Friday to repair a patella (kneecap) avulsion fracture in his right knee. According to the Mayo Clinic website, an avulsion fracture occurs when a small chunk of bone attached to a tendon or ligament gets pulled away from the main part of the bone.

Altuve played thru that injury since August 21, hitting .276; he is one tough dude.

5) Cincinnati Reds showed very little imagination and hired David Bell as their new manager. Bell is a Cincinnati native and the son of current Reds executive Buddy Bell, and grandson of Gus Bell, both of whom played for Cincinnati.

David Bell played for seven big league teams, but never for the Reds.

Weird thing is that Bell doesn’t get to pick his own coaches; he will make recommendations, but the front office has the final say. Being a manager isn’t as big a deal as it used to be.

4) If you read this space a lot, you know I love basketball, and I have the NBA package on DirecTV- its fun to watch the games, but it is becoming more difficult to actually follow the league.

Everyone who plays/coaches in the league is pretty rich or really rich, but so few of them appear to be remotely happy— so much anger, and the season is a week old.

I mean, Rondo/Paul got into a scuffle in their game Saturday night , and then Rondo’s girlfriend shoves Paul’s wife afterwards; seriously? Time for everyone to grow up some.

Chris Paul got a two-game suspension for the fracas, that’ll cost him $491,962; the others, much less. Lakers’ Brandon Ingram ran into the scuffle and threw a punch; he got a longer suspension than either Paul or Rondo, but he doesn’t make as much $$$ as they do.

3) College basketball has these “closed/secret” scrimmages between teams; I don’t understand why they’re kept secret, when there is money to be made showing them on TV.

This weekend, North Carolina/Villanova scrimmaged, as did Minnesota/Creighton. Teams all over the country do it, but it is information being hidden and that hurts the sport.

2) Weird doings at the U of Arizona; back in January, the Wildcats fired football coach Rich Rodriguez after six years after a sexual harassment allegation against the coach.

Kevin Sumlin is the new coach; Arizona is 3-5 after a 31-30 loss at UCLA Saturday, when they used their backup QB in place of injured starter Khalil Tate- that backup is Rhett Rodriguez, son of the former coach.

The kid played alright; 15-34 for 231 yards, with two TD’s, two INT’s, but it had to be so odd, a kid playing for the coach who replaced his fired father.

1) Before Rodriguez got the Arizona job, he worked a season in the CBS Sports studio doing college football Saturdays; as soon as the Wildcats hired him, he was off recruiting; the first day CBS Sports had a show after Rodriguez quit, the crew had RichRod on as a guest via remote from Tucson.

Here’s the thing; the whole one-hour show, they left the chair Rodriguez had sat in all season empty, thats the regard they held him in. After that I always rooted for his teams. Saturday night, I was rooting for his son.

[StarDust Bum]

Bettors win Week 7
October 22, 2018
By Micah Roberts

Sunday's NFL Week 7 action watched eight road teams capture victories while the favorites went 6-6 against the spread and the 'under' posted a 9-3 mark. That unlikely combination wrapped together turned out to be the perfect recipe for bettors to come out on top. Yes, the books went down with the Chiefs Sunday night win being the knockout blow.

"If the Bengals come through we will survive," said William Hill's top bookmaker Nick Bogdanovich just prior to kickoff," But if KC rolls it's gonna get ugly."

Well, it got ugly with the Chiefs 45-10 win.

"It was as close to a break-even day as can be," said MGM Resorts sports book hub manager Jeff Stoneback prior to kickoff of the late game. "We're up less than $1,000 (between Nevada, New Jersey, Mississippi) going into the late game and we need Cincy big."

"Big" for that chain of books is always six figures.

The Chiefs blowout win was much to the delight of parlay players. The only reason we didn't see the line move much was that there was some sharp play early in the week anchoring the books at Chiefs -6. Most closed the game at -6.5. The Chiefs are the only 7-0 ATS team in the NFL.

"Very small loser," said Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook VP Jay Kornegay. "Which is not bad considering losing our biggest decisions like the Vikings, Patriots, and Indy. We didn't have any big winners, but the Browns was probably our best."

The Browns lost in overtime, 26-23, at Tampa Bay (-3.5). The Browns looked dead but tied it up with a 14-0 fourth-quarter. It was the fourth overtime game for the Browns this season who are now 5-2 at the betting counter (ATS).

"Our worst game was the Lions covering against the Dolphins," Stoneback said. "And our second worst was the Vikings beating the Jets. We had heavy sharp play on the Vikings and it was also heavily weighted on the Vikings with parlays."

Quarterback Brock Osweiler was again the Dolphins starter and while he was amazing last week in a home win against the Bears, winning two weeks in a row maybe stretched his limitations. The Lions (-3) would win 32-21. Several books said the Lions were also popular parlay plays as well, as should be expected with a team that is now 5-1 ATS. Who knew the Lions would be a cover machine out of the gate?

The Vikings (-3.5) looked like they would be in a dogfight up only 10-7 at the Jets, but then buried the Jets 27-10 in the second half to win 37-17 and bump their ATS mark to 4-2-1 ATS.

"It was a bad day," said CG Technology VP of risk Jason Simbal. "We're a loser no matter what happens tonight (at KC). "Our worst game was the Patriots and our best was the Titans."

The Patriots (-2) won their first road game of the season, 38-31, at Chicago after losing their first two road games by double-digits and they did it without tight end Rob Gronkowski (back). This was one of the more popular plays of the week as New England was hooked up in lots of three-team parlays with the Chiefs and the Rams (-9), who rolled at San Francisco, 39-10. Sharp money was taking the points with the 49ers early in the week, but small money loved the Rams.

Most books came out of the gate strong on Sunday with the early morning game at London where the Chargers were -6.5 against the Titans. The Chargers were the popular bet and were covering 20-13 when the Titans scored a TD on fourth down with less than a minute to make it 20-19 and then they went for a two-point conversion attempt, and well, the score ended up being 20-19.

"We lost a very small amount," said Caesars Palace's Alan Berg. "The Chiefs-Bengals staying under (56.5) helped soften the loss. Best games for us were Browns and Redskins and our worst games: Patriots, Vikings, Colts.

The Redskins went from 1.5-point home favorites against the Cowboys to two-point underdogs by kickoff and would hang on to win 20-17. NFC East-leading Washington is now 4-2 both straight up and against the spread this seaosn.

Going forwrd, this Patriots, Rams and Chiefs combo is going to be a dangerous weekly parlay for the books and the return of 6-to-1 odds makes it more liable.