Sports Picks & Predictions

Miami is off to a dismal 1-3 start and following its most recent loss in London, the Dolphins fired head coach Joe Philbin and gave the interim position to Dan Campbell and we will see a very inspired effort from the team. Players in all sports tend to step it up when a new coach takes over and the Dolphins will be no different this week as this is much win game to keep any sort of playoff hopes alive. Tennessee let one slip away last week against the Bills as it fell to 1-3 including losses in each of the its three games. The Titans have blown double-digit leads in the last two games and confidence is shaky right now. Miami is ranked 28th in total offense at 314.8 ypg and second-to-last in rushing at 69.3 ypg. Ryan Tannehill's 56.7 completion percentage and 77.1 passer rating are both among the worst in the NFL, while Lamar Miller's averaging 3.5 ypc after posting a career-best 5.1 in 2014. While it looks bleak, the Dolphins face a very poor Titans defense. Tennessee is in a tough spot where it has not had success as it is 0-6 ATS in its last six home games against teams with a losing record while going 2-12 ATS in its last 14 games coming off one or more consecutive losses. Miami meanwhile falls into two excellent league-wide situations. First, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after being beaten by the spread by 28 or more points total in their last three games, in conference games. This situation is 33-10 ATS (76.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Second, we play on road teams that are averaging 17 or fewer ppg, after allowing 25 points or more in two straight games. This situation is 43-17 ATS (71.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (265) Miami Dolphins

Cleveland seems to be relevant again as it sits 2-3 on the season but a couple breaks here and there and the Browns could feasibly be 4-1 with the lone bad game coming against the Jets in their season opener. They are coming off a big win last Sunday in overtime against the Ravens and this is the first of three straight non-divisional games prior to playing four straight games against AFC North foes. The Broncos escaped once again to improve to 5-0 on the season and they arguably remain the worst remaining undefeated team in the NFL. They are outgaining opponents by less than 25 ypg as the offense remains very inconsistent. The Broncos are averaging 302 ypg which is 30th overall while their seven interceptions, all on Peyton Manning, sits 31st. Manning's 79 pass attempts against the blitz rank second most in the NFL, according to STATS, LLC. He's on pace to throw 212 passes against blitzes, more than any quarterback last season while his 12 passing plays of more than 20 yards ranks 26th and he has completed only five of 19 passes of at least 21 yards. The running game is not helping out as Denver is averaging just 71. 6 ypg which is 30th in the league. The Browns will face one the best defenses in the league but the Broncos will be without linebacker Demarcus Ware while cornerback Aqib Talib has an ankle injury and could be out as well. Here, we play against road teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better that are coming off a win against a division rival. This situation is 28-7 ATS (80 percent) over the last five seasons. The Browns are 12-3-1 ATS in their last 16 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game while the Broncos are 1-4 ATS in their last five games after allowing less than 15 points in their previous game. 10* (252) Cleveland Browns

Probably one of the biggest surprises this season has been the Cleveland offense as the Browns are averaging 377.4 ypg and 23.6 ppg after coming into the season which looked like a hapless quarterback situation. They are ranked eighth in total offense and 13th in scoring offense but now they face a big test in the Broncos defense which leads the league in fewest yards allowed and is second in scoring defense. Even with Demarcus Ware sitting this one out and Aqib Talib hurting with an ankle injury, Cleveland should have a difficult time consistently moving the ball here. While the Browns defense has been very poor, don't expect Denver to fare too well. The Broncos are averaging 302 ypg which is 30th overall while their seven interceptions, all on Peyton Manning, sits 31st. Manning's 79 pass attempts against the blitz rank second most in the NFL, according to STATS, LLC. He's on pace to throw 212 passes against blitzes, more than any quarterback last season while his 12 passing plays of more than 20 yards ranks 26th and he has completed only five of 19 passes of at least 21 yards. The running game is not helping out as Denver is averaging just 71. 6 ypg which is 30th in the league. Cleveland has gone over the total in all five of its games which is adding value to this total. The Browns are 6-0 to the under in their last six games against winning teams and both teams fall into the same situation where we play the under involving teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points in conference games, off a division game. This situation is 169-111 ATS (60.4 percent) the last five seasons. 10* Under (251) Denver Broncos/(252) Cleveland Browns

Kansas City has lost four straight games following a season opening win and now has to move forward without the services of running back Jamaal Charles. While that seems to hurt the offense, it could very do the opposite at least early on as it should open things up. The Chiefs are coming off a very low scoring games against the Bears but it needs to be noted that the first four games of the season all went over the total. The real issue is the defense as the Chiefs went through a stretch of allowing 31, 38 and 36 points three consecutive games and while the Vikings offense isn't perceived as a strong one, they should have great success here. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has learned to slide and move up in the pocket when his edge blockers don't hold and he can exploit the lack of depth in the Chiefs secondary by working out of three-wide sets. And of course there is Adrian Peterson who is averaging 113.7 ypg and is capable of breaking a long one every time he touches the ball. Minnesota has gone under the total in all four of its games so we are bucking that trend in what looks to be a good matchup on both sides for the offense. Kansas City is 22-9 to the over in its last 31 games after three or more consecutive losses against the spread since 1992 while Minnesota is 18-7 to the over in its last 25 games off a cover where it lost as an underdog. Additionally, Kansas City falls into a situation favoring a high scoring game where we play the over involving road teams that are coming off a loss as a home favorite, in the first half of the season. This situation is 78-41 (65.5 percent) to the over the last 10 seasons. 10* Over (255) Kansas City Chiefs/(256) Minnesota Vikings

The Steelers are back home following a win Monday night on the west coast over San Diego as time ran out which brought it to 3-2 on the season as it looks to keep pace with the Bengals until Ben Roethlisberger gets back. While the defense has been getting some bad pub, it has actually been holding its own as the Steelers have allowed 16.8 ppg over their last four games. They will be challenged here against the Cardinals that are averaging 38 ppg which is the highest in the NFL but they have been fortunate to square off against some very bad defenses. The one defense that held them in check was the Rams and expect another inconsistent effort here. On the other side, the Steelers offense has been pretty bad with Michael Vick at quarterback. He did nothing against Baltimore as Pittsburgh put up just 263 yards and against the Chargers, it posted just 349 yards with the majority of that being in the final two scoring drives in the fourth quarter. Arizona has a very strong defense as it is ranked eighth in total defense and fifth in scoring defense, allowing 332.4 ypg and 18.0 ppg respectively. The Cardinals have gone over in all five games so we are again bucking a season opening trend with the value sitting on the other side. Additionally, the Cardinals fall into a situation favoring a low scoring game as we play the under involving teams with a winning percentage of .750 or better where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points after having won three out of their last four games, playing a team with a winning percentage between .501 and .600. This situation is 33-11 (75 percent) to the under since 1983. 10* Under (263) Arizona Cardinals/(264) Pittsburgh Steelers

The Falcons remained undefeated with an overtime win over Washington last Sunday and now they hit the road on short rest over their biggest rival that is in desperate need of a victory. Atlanta failed to cover for the first time this season last week and they are a road favorite here for the first time since 2012 and are a road favorite anywhere for the first time since last season. The Saints picked up their first win of the season two weeks ago in overtime against Dallas which snapped a six-game home losing streak but gave it back last week against the Eagles who were in a similar spot as they were in desperate need of a win, Predicting turnovers is next to impossible but the law of averages tend to even things out as the season progresses or in better terms, cuts down the true extrapolation. Basically, teams that are +5 in turnover margin are not likely going to finish +15 and teams -5 are not likely going to finish -15. That being said, these teams are on opposite ends of turnover margin as the Falcons are +5 and the Saints are -5 and the records are reflective of this. And because of those records, lines are affected and we are seeing that here. This also works on a game-by-game basis as the Saints have a favorable situation on their side as we play against favorites after a game where they committed three or more turnovers going up against an opponent after a game where they committed four or more turnovers. This situation is 35-11 ATS (76.1 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Additionally, the Falcons are 6-23 ATS in their last 29 games after gaining 375 or more total yards in two consecutive games and while the Saints have struggled at home against poor teams, going back, they are 17-4 ATS in their last 21 home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (104) New Orleans Saints

The Chargers have failed to cover three straight games and while that is typically a run I like to go against, this suspect line sets up for a play on the Steelers. With Michael Vick at quarterback for the Steelers, the public is fading them yet the line has barely moved and even with Vick, Pittsburgh has numerous matchup advantages here. He only had a couple of practices to fit into the offense before the Baltimore debacle but now has had a week-and-a-half leading the first string, so the hope is that Vick finds himself on the same page as his receivers. The Chargers are ranked 29th in the league against the run, allowing an average of 126.8 ypg and an NFL high 4.9 ypc. They have allowed two 100-yard rushers in the past three games which will benefit Le'Veon Bell, who had 129 yards rushing on 22 carries against a Baltimore defense that had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in the previous 29 games. Defensively, the Steelers have 14 sacks in four games which puts them on pace for 64 for the season, almost double their 2014 total of 33 sacks. Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers has been sacked 12 times, second most in the AFC, and the pressure has resulted in two of his four interceptions being returned for touchdowns. San Diego has covered just one in its last 11 games against AFC opponents while Pittsburgh is 21-7 ATS in its last 28 games against teams averaging 7.5 or more passing ypa. Additionally, the Steelers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven games following a loss and that comes down to coaching which is another significant edge for Pittsburgh tonight. Anything over the key number of +3 is a solid take for tonight. 10* (475) Pittsburgh Steelers

Six undefeated teams remain in the NFL and we can argue that more than half of those could easily have a defeat right now and some even more. Denver is on that list for sure. The Broncos trailed the Ravens late but used a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown to take the lead and then used a fumble return for a touchdown against the Chiefs for a similar result. Denver outscored Detroit 10-0 in the fourth quarter to pull away from the Lions while last week, it needed a field goal with less than two minutes left to defeat the Vikings. Not saying they should be 0-4 but they are very fortunate to be undefeated and now they hit the road and are favorites against a very improved Oakland team. The Raiders are 2-2 and the talent is there to try and make a run as they finally have playmakers on offense. Despite getting outgained by 128 yards last week in Chicago, it was a game they could have won. It was their second straight road game in the midwest which is never an easy task especially with a pair of divisional games on deck but heading home against a vulnerable Denver team will have them extremely fired up and a chance to get right back in the division. Just looking at the line shows us how much the gapped has closed between these tow teams. Denver has been favored by double-digits in each of the last five meetings and now is favored by a much lower number and that shows us it is take time as Oakland has the potential to win the first meeting in this series since September, 2011. Going back, the Raiders are 5-1 ATS in their last six games following a loss and have covered four of their last five at home. Oakland has not covered a game in this series since that last win in 2011 and we can see both streaks come to an end here. 10* (472) Oakland Raiders

We played against Seattle on Monday night and grabbed the cover but we will be backing the Seahawks this week as they can use the break they attained to carry some momentum into this big game. By now everyone has heard the situation that possibly cost the Lions at outright win and saved Seattle from falling to 1-3 and while that is not an insurmountable hole, sitting at 2-2 is a lot better and moving to 3-2 here would be huge after a 0-2 start to the season. The Seahawks remain the favorites to win the division and while the host is 4-0 in their games this season, that should come to an end this week. Cincinnati is off to a 4-0 start and many are calling the Bengals one of the best teams on the league but I am not sold on this team quite yet. The rolled over Oakland but had trouble with San Diego and Baltimore before pulling away from Kansas City last week. Give credit to their defense last week as they allowed 21 points but that was the result of seven field goals for the Chiefs but a lot of that blame can be put on Kansas City and its offense. The Chiefs piled on 461 yards and had nearly a 15-minute advantage in time of possession but could not execute when necessary and part of the fact is that Kansas City ranks last in the NFL in number of plays per drive. Seattle got 3.5 in Green Bay earlier in the season and now it is getting close to the same here and while the Bengals have been solid, they are not on the level of Green Bay quite yet so I think there is definitely value here as well. Here ,we play against home teams that are averaging 370 or more ypg going up against teams averaging between 335 and 370 ypg, after gaining 375 or more total yards in two consecutive games. This situation is 23-6 ATS (79.3 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (465) Seattle Seahawks

Last week we saw a massive number of game going under the total in college football with 45 of 57 games falling below the number and while the percentage in the NFL was not as big, 10 of 15 games stayed under the total. While we aren't seeing quite the same value shift this week across the board, this is one game that could feasibly turn into a shootout. The Eagles came into the season ready to put up some big offensive displays but we have yet to see that as all four of their games have stayed under the total. Philadelphia averaged 29.6 ppg last season and this year, it is averaging just 19.5 ppg and is ranked 29th in total offense. This unit is bound to turn things around at some point and this could very well be the breakout game. The Saints are allowing 381.5 ypg and 26 ppg, both of which are 24th in the league. They also are coming off an under last week despite going into overtime and while that was their best defensive effort of the season, going back to see them allow 27 points to Carolina and 26 points to Tampa Bay shows this defense is not very good. On the other side, the Eagles have been solid on defense while New Orleans has been average on offense but we should see a fast paced game here which can no doubt help Drew Brees and the offense. The Saints are 6-0 to the over in their last six games in the first half of the season while going 8-0 ATS in their last eight games against teams averaging 70 or fewer rushing ypg. Meanwhile, the over is 5-1 in the Eagles last six games against teams with a losing record while the over is 10-4 in their last 14 games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. 10* Over (461) New Orleans Saints/(462) Philadelphia Eagles

While Jacksonville is just 1-3, the Jaguars have looked pretty good. Sans a blowout loss against the Patriots, they have outgained their other three opponents including winning the yardage battle last week against Indianapolis by 105 total yards but suffered a tough loss in overtime. Jacksonville is playing its third straight road game and while that may not seem like a good situation to take, the fact of the matter is that teams playing their third straight road game coming off losses in the first two games are a solid 26-16 ATS. And the travel here is minimal going from Jacksonville to Tampa. Tampa Bay also checks in at 1-3 and it too is coming off a yardage win last week but a loss on the scoreboard here against Carolina. The weather played a big role in both aspects so it is hard to take stock into that one too much but the Buccaneers come in as favorites for the second time this season and they were trounced by Tennessee in the first game they were favored in. going back, Tampa Bay is 2-8 ATS in its last 10 games as a favorite and all eight of those spread losses were outright losses as well. Statistically speaking, these teams are pretty equal and the big edge for the Jaguars is at quarterback as Blake Bortles has been pretty solid after a tough opener against Carolina. He has five touchdowns and just one interception his last three games while Jameis Winston has only one solid game and three duds. Tampa Bay is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games prior to its bye week and the Jaguars fall into a great situation where we play on road teams with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 where the line is +3 to -3 coming off a road loss. This situation is 28-8 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons including 17-2 ATS over the last five years and 9-1 ATS over the last three years. 10* (451) Jacksonville Jaguars

A pair of 1-3 AFC North teams square off with the loser likely already out of the division so this makes for the first real big game this season. Cleveland and Baltimore are both 1-3 and while the Ravens are statistically the better team at this point, they are the one that feasibly could be 0-4 at this point as they were fortunate to come away with an overtime win last week in Pittsburgh. At the same token, the three losses have been by six, four and four points so there feasibly could be other wins in there. Nonetheless, with this being a divisional game and not that much separation between the two teams, there is no way this line should be as high as it is. Cleveland has dropped its last two games with the latest being last week at San Diego as it lost on a field goal as time expires. The Browns were outgained by just six yards in that game so it was a difficult loss as they blew three different leads. This is the first division game for Cleveland so they arguably have the edge over Baltimore in that regard as running the table is still a possibility, although unlikely. Teams playing on the road coming off a road loss have been a solid proposition, hitting over 64 percent since 1983 and the Browns also fall into a situation going against the Ravens as we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points that are coming off a win by three points or less over a division rival, with a losing record. This situation is 23-4 ATS (85.2 percent) since 1983. Additionally, Cleveland is 6-0 ATS in its last six games against teams averaging 350 or more ypg and 8-1 ATS in its last nine games after one or more consecutive losses. The scoring differential between these two teams is just around one point but the spread is not taking that into consideration, rather than what has transpired in the past. 10* (455) Cleveland Browns

We lost with the Falcons last week as the game was over before it started so after that horrendous call, we come right back with Washington. Atlanta is one of the bigger surprises in the NFL this season as it is off to a 4-0 start, both straight up and against the number. Most impressive has been the last two games as the Falcons between the end of the Cowboys game and the start of the Texans game, they rolled off 67 unanswered points. The Houston game was the lone game of the first four that Atlanta actually dominated however as it had to come from behind against Dallas while the Falcons easily could have lost their first two games against the Eagles and Giants. Washington is 2-2 following a win over the Eagles last Sunday as it scored the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute remaining. A 2-2 record has the Redskins tied with the Giants and Cowboys for first place in the NFC East so their start is surprising as well. Maybe even more surprising is the fact Washington has outgained all four of its opponents and overall, is outgaining foes by an average of 95 ypg which is a pretty significant differential. Only the Cardinals at 98.2 ypg has a higher differential so this spread is based on records and expectations heading into the season, namely that of the Redskins supposedly stinking up the joint. I'm not saying the Redskins are the better team but there is no way they should be this big of an underdog yet this is still a very winnable game. This is a horrendous spot for Atlanta as it is 0-7 ATS in its last seven home games coming off a home win by 21 points or more, 3-20 ATS in its last 23 home games coming off a home win and 2-14 ATS in its last 16 home games after three or more consecutive wins against the spread. 10* (457) Washington Redskins

After a 0-2 start, the Colts have rebounded with wins in their last two games to take over first place in the AFC South. Indianapolis has not looked like the same team that went to the AFC Championship last year as it has been outgained in all four games but this team is due for a complete domination and Houston looks like the perfect victim. The Texans were destroyed last week in Atlanta as they lost by 27 points despite outgaining the Falcons by 50 total yards. Of course, of their 428 total yards, 219 of those came in garbage time when they were down 42-0. The defense is considered the strength but got gashed last week and with Andrew Luck rested after a week off, the Colts should be able to get their offense finally on track. Houston rushed for just 54 yards on 17 carries (3.2 ypc) and is averaging just 3.7 ypc on the season while the quarterback situation is an absolute mess. The Colts are 18-1 in their last 19 games against AFC South foes including 15 straight wins. Granted, the last two came down to the final seconds including the last one in overtime but the dominance is still the most important factor. The Colts fall into a great situation where we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 with a poor first half defense that allows 14 or more ppg, after scoring three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 26-6 ATS (81.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Additionally, Indianapolis has covered 11 of its last 12 Thursday night games while Houston is 0-5 ATS in its last five Thursday night contests. 10* (301) Indianapolis Colts

***Andrew Luck will not start but is available. This is still a play as the line move is big and will possibly go up more. He is available to play however and I would not be surprised to see him.***

The Seahawks picked up their first win of the season as they pulled away from Chicago in the second half to snap their early two-game skid. They have won six straight home games and while they possess one of the best home field advantages in the NFL, if not the best, they are definitely overvalued based on last week and what the Lions have done to start the season. Detroit is off to a 0-3 and the season is likely done with a loss here. Getting a win will not be easy but we are more concerned about the number they are getting and it is inflated despite them still being a quality team. Detroit blew a 21-3 lead in San Diego and allowed 30 unanswered points to lose by five points. Turnover did them in against Minnesota and last week, Detroit was down by just two points midway through the fourth quarter before the Broncos scored the final 10 points to pull away. The problem has been giving up points in bunches and let's face it, Seattle does have the dynamic offense to do that. Seattle has three touchdowns from defense and special teams and while that is always a danger, it is something that cannot be counted on. The Seahawks are at Cincinnati next week which makes this a big game for them as well but laying this number is no guarantee as they are just 6-6-1 ATS in their last 13 games as double-digit favorites. Also, Seattle is 0-7 ATS in its last seven games against teams averaging 3.0 or fewer ypc and 6-19 ATS in its last 25 games off a home win by 21 or more points while Detroit is 24-11 ATS in its last 35 games coming off a home loss by 10 or more points. 10* (277) Detroit Lions

This line came out late due to the uncertain status of Saints quarterback Drew Brees but he will go on Sunday night against the Cowboys. The line opened at -4.5 at BetOnline but came down a full point in less than an hour. We waited for it settle in at -3 across the board and while we are paying for extra juice as of now, I can see it rising more by gametime. The Saints are in desperation mode at this points, sitting at 0-3 and trailing the 3-0 Falcons and Panthers by three games so this is obviously a must win game for New Orleans. The home loss against Tampa Bay was shocking but going back to last season, New Orleans has lost six straight regular season games at home and that goes up to eight games total including two preseason games from this year. That is unheard of for a Sean Payton team which prior to last season, had not lost back-to-back home games since 2009 and still went on to win the Super Bowl. Dallas started off great last week, opening a 28-14 lead before allowing the Falcons to run off 25 straight points. Losing is one thing but losing like that can be lingering and now hitting the road against a desperate Saints team makes it even tougher. This will be the first road start for Brandon Weeden and while he was solid in relief of Tony Romo in Philadelphia two weeks ago, he is tough to trust here. The Saints fall into a great contrarian situation as we play on home with a winning percentage of .250 or worse after failing to cover the spread in 2 out of their last 3 games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 132-78 ATS (6239 percent) since 1983. 10* (276) New Orleans Saints

The Packers are off to a 3-0 start and coming off a national televised win on Monday in game that was not as close as the final score indicates while the 49ers have been annihilated the last two weeks. Who do you think the public will be pounding here? Last week, San Francisco was down 14-0 after just seven offensive plays thanks to a pair of interception returns and it was done there and then. Everyone is counting the 49ers out and that quarterback Colin Kaepernick is done but this is exactly the time players and teams step up. Conversely, the Packers looked unstoppable last week but teams coming off big Monday wins are often susceptible the following week. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is being compared to Michael Jordan and while he is one of the best, he is different on the road than at home where he has been unbeatable. The line is no doubt reflecting the recent play from both sides and we can look back to just last week at the 49ers were getting seven points in Arizona and are now getting more than that at home so the linesmakers are making a huge overadjustment. The 49ers have two great situations on their side. First, we play on underdogs or pickems that are averaging 17 or fewer ppg after allowing 35 points or more last game. This situation is 53-21 ATS (71.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Second, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are getting outscored by opponents by four or more ppg, after scoring nine points or less last game. This situation is 37-13 ATS (74 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (270) San Francisco 49ers

While I consider the Panthers to be the worst of the seven undefeated teams in the NFL, the Broncos are not far behind. They were fortunate to defeat both Baltimore and Kansas City and needed a late touchdown last Sunday night to pull away from Detroit. Clearly, the defense is keeping this team above water as Peyton Manning had regressed considerably and the running game has been non-existent. While we are only three games in, the Broncos are averaging just 290.7 ypg which is third to last in the NFL. This after finishing fourth in total offense last season and first in 2013. Minnesota looked pretty bad on opening weekend against San Francisco but it has bounced back the last two weeks thanks also to a stout defense. The passing offense has struggled behind Teddy Bridgewater but the return of Adrian Peterson has been as expected as he has rushed for 260 yards on 5.3 ypc. While the Broncos did not let the Lions run game get going, they allowed Jamaal Charles to rush for 125 yards on 21 carries (5.95 ypg) two weeks ago. The Vikings' defense has five sacks over the past two weeks and coach Mike Zimmer has a history of giving Manning fits. Minnesota is 6-0 ATS in its last six games after gaining 150 or fewer passing yards last game and it falls into an awesome situation. We play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after covering the spread in two out of their last three games, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 35-10 ATS (77.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (271) Minnesota Vikings

We lost playing against the Falcons last week against the Cowboys as they were able rally from a 28-14 deficit by scoring the final 25 points of the game. They are off to a surprising 3-0 start but have been hardly dominant as they have outgained opponents by just 101 total yards combined and have actually trailed in the fourth quarter of each game. Atlanta has covered all three games as well but it was the underdog in each of those games at close and now all of sudden they are a hefty favorite. This is the most they have been favored by at home since Week Five in 2013 against the Jets. Houston won and covered last week to pick up its first win of the season. The Texas are outgaining opponents by 111 yards on the season so there is certainly not much different than the Falcons. The offense has been inconsistent but the defense keeps them in games and the running game could get a boost with the return of Arian Foster who is a gametime decision this week. The Falcons gave up 131 yards rushing in the first half against the Cowboys so they are very vulnerable which falls right into the gameplan of Houston. Here, we play against home teams (that are averaging 370 or more ypg going up against teams averaging between 335 and 370 ypg, after gaining 375 or more total yards in two consecutive games. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Atlanta is 1-14 ATS in its last 15 home games after three or more consecutive wins against the spread. 10* (255) Houston Texans

The Chiefs are coming off their second straight loss as they were pounded by Green Bay on Monday night which came after an unfathomable loss the previous Thursday against the Broncos. While throwing out "must win" this early in the season may not seem reasonable, this is a big game for the Chiefs as falling to 1-3 and already having a loss against the Broncos could put them in a very tough position going forward. Playing the second consecutive road game is far from an issue and head coach Andy Reid has thrived in these spots as his teams have gone 26-13 ATS in the second of back-to-back road games. The Bengals are one of seven undefeated teams in the league and one of six teams to have covered all three games. That presents us with value as people are riding high on Cincinnati right now and while it is a very good team, this is a bad spot. Not only are the Bengals coming off a big win last week in Baltimore, but they host Seattle next week which is not an ideal situation to be in. Despite the public burying the Bengals, this line has only moved a half-point on a number that is already too high. Kansas City is 25-8 ATS after allowing 25 points or more in two straight games and it falls into a solid situation where we play on road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage between .250 and .400 and coming off a road loss. This situation is 97-54 ATS (64.2 percent) since 1983. 10* (265) Kansas City Chiefs

We were on both the Giants and the Bills last week and both came through with big victories. We are fading the Bills this week however because of the situation and because of the value. Buffalo has opened up 2-1 with big victories over the Colts and Dolphins with the lone defeat coming against the Patriots. Those were three emotionally charged games so the letdown effect has to come. The fact of the matter is that while Buffalo's two wins came by 13 and 27 points, they outgained the opposition by only 75 yards combined. Making matters worse, two of the big playmakers on offense, LeSean McCoy and Sammy Watkins will be out this week. The Giants picked up their first win last week against Washington on Thursday which was big for confidence following two blown double-digit fourth quarter leads in their first two games. This team could easily be 3-0 right now despite down in the stats column in each of those and are arguably the best team in the NFC East. Because of the record, New York is getting more points than it would be if it happened to be 3-0 or even 2-1 for that matter. The time off between Thursday and Sunday is big for the Giants as head coach Tom Coughlin has five of the last six games following a Thursday game, covering all six. The Giants fall into a great situation where we play on underdogs that opened the season 0-2 and won their most recent game. This situation is 32-10 ATS (76.2 percent) since 1990. Additionally, Buffalo is 9-25 ATS in its last 34 games off a win by 10 points or more over a division rival. 10* (259) New York Giants

Obviously, the Steelers offense took a big hit when Ben Roethlisberger went down Sunday with a sprained MCL. The latest info is that he will be out at least four weeks and that could be just enough time for Pittsburgh to fall out of the playoff race as it does not have a break in the schedule until Week Nine against Oakland. No player is worth six points in this league but that is the line switch from last week to this week so while that clearly gives the Steelers value, there are too many other variables going against them. First and foremost, they are playing on a short week so getting a new gameplan together with very little practice time is difficult to accomplish and nearly impossible. Baltimore is a very desperate team right now as it has started the season 0-3 for the first timer ever and has yet to cover a game on top of it. The Ravens are one of the better 0-3 teams we have seen in quite some time as they have lost the three games by a combined 14 points. History is not on their side as only three teams that started 0-3 have gone on to make the playoffs and nine since the 1998 Bills. This is the only team of the four 0-3 teams that has a legitimate shot at making the postseason as the remaining schedule is not that bad. Of course, this is a must win game as only one 0-4 team has made the playoffs (1992 Chargers). While the Steelers offense will struggle, the defense has to pick up the load and that will not happen. The Ravens are 14-4 ATS in their last 18 games coming off a loss as a home favorite. 10* (101) Baltimore Ravens

The Packers are off to a non-surprising 2-0 start as they took out Chicago Week One and then defeated the Seahawks last week in primetime. While many could consider this a letdown, the fact they have five straight non-divisional games right after this puts them in a position where they can run the table and start off 8-0 before their next NFC North game which is against the Lions. The Chiefs lost a heartbreaker last week against the Broncos as they allowed two touchdowns in a span of nine seconds in the final minute of the game to even their record out at 1-1. The first game was a suspect victory however as they defeated the Texans but were actually outgained in doing so. It is pretty common knowledge at this point about how good Aaron Rodgers has been at home but the fact that he has thrown 43 touchdowns with no interceptions with a 124 passer rating in his last 18 games at home is pretty amazing. Going back, the Packers have won 31 of their last 32 regular-season home games in which Rodgers was the primary quarterback. This does not count the loss to the Bears two years ago where he left with an injury. He may not have the services of Eddie Lacy tonight but he was a non-factor last week against Seattle and his backup James Starks provides a more than capable backup. While there are some key factors that favor the Packers, they are in a very simple yet effective situation where we play on teams on Monday night that have yet to lose and going up against a non-divisional opponent. This situation is 20-4 ATS (83.3 percent) since 1990. 10* (490) Green Bay Packers

After a huge win over the Colts in their season opener, the Bill laid an egg last week against the Patriots as Tom Brady torched them for 466 yards passing and three touchdowns while Tyrod Taylor tossed three picks and was sacked eight times. Now they head out for their first road game and it is a very important early season divisional game. The Dolphins are 1-1 and are fortunate not to be 0-2 as they were outgained in both games. Many will expect a bounceback here but I am not one of them as they looked horrible last week against a poor Jaguars team. The Dolphins defense gave up six plays of 21-plus yards to Jacksonville last week. Like the Jets, they are in a historically difficult lookahead situation as they play them in London next week. Teams going over the pond are just 6-14 ATS in the game prior to that including going 3-8 ATS when laying points. This is the first home game for the Dolphins and while public perception thinks that is a good thing, it isn't. Single digit underdogs or favorites are 18-39 ATS in Week Three if it is their first home game. Opposing teams playing in Florida in September is usually a disadvantage but not here as this game is not an early game but an a late afternoon game. Here, we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 off a road loss, in September games. This situation is 97-54 ATS (64.2 percent) since 1983. The Bills have covered four straight games following a loss and four straight games in a revenge situation. 10* (485) Buffalo Bills

The Eagles are one of a handful of disappointing teams that have started 0-2 with Indianapolis, Seattle and Baltimore being the others. The argument every year is which, if any, of these 0-2 teams will make the playoffs as since 1990, just over 11 percent of the teams that start 0-2 have made the postseason. The Eagles are still in good shape to go so with the NFC East already a mess with the Giants entering this week winless and the Cowboys missing their quarterback for at least two months. Talk radio has been all over the Eagles anemic offense and while that has been the case, it has taken time for these new players to gel together. Sam Bradford has looked skittish, Demarco Murray has gained 11 rushing yards and the offensive line has looked helpless at times. This team will turn things around and this is the ideal spot for it to happen. The Jets are coming off a huge road upset at Indianapolis on Monday and while heading home, they are in a tough letdown spot. Making it tougher, they are in a historically difficult lookahead situation as they play the Dolphins in London next week. Teams going over the pond are just 6-14 ATS in the game prior to that including going 3-8 ATS when laying points. Speaking of laying points, the Jets are favored after being a 3.5-point underdog prior to the games last week so we are seeing a huge overreaction line swing. Adding to the situation, the Jets are 0-4 ATS in their last four games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game. 10* (467) Philadelphia Eagles

We lost with the Colts Monday night as they were surprisingly dominated by the Jets on their home turf. The public reaction is that they are done but that could be the furthest from the truth. Even though Indianapolis is 0-2, it is still overwhelming favorites to win the AFC South and that will happen. The main reason is that the Colts have dominated their division over the last few years as they have won 13 straight games within the division and with three straight on deck, they will be 3-2 before facing the Patriots. And they don't just win, they dominate as are a perfect 12-0-1 ATS in those games. Tennessee easily took c\are of Tampa Bay in its first game this season but as good as it looked then, it looked similarly as bad last week against the Browns even though it won the yardage battle. This is the first home game for the Titans and while public perception thinks that is a good thing, it isn't. Single digit underdogs or favorites are 18-39 ATS in Week Three if it is their first home game. Additionally, we play against home teams where the line is +3 to -3 off a road loss, in the first month of the season, after closing out last season with two or more straight losses. This situation is 51-21 ATS (70.8 percent) since 1983. It needs to be noted that the Colts started 0-2 with similar Sunday and Monday losses and then went on the road to hammer Jacksonville which started a five game winning streak. Also, Andrew Luck has never dropped three straight games. 10* (477) Indianapolis Colts

Houston is off to a 0-2 start and tied with the Colts for last place in the AFC South. The Texans were a sleeper pick to contend with Indianapolis and that could still very well happen as the season just started. The biggest issue is that the ground game has been non-existent as they are averaging just 3.6 ypc but leading rusher Chris Polk expressed confidence that they will turn things around. The Buccaneers allowed four touchdowns to Marcus Mariota in his first ever start so we should see the running game get going as Ryan Mallett should perform much better than last week. Tampa Bay followed up that loss with a big upset at New Orleans last week but it was revealed afterward that Drew Brees was hurt throughout the game and the Saints defense is atrocious. We all know wins have been a rarity for the Buccaneers and I do not expect a similar effort here against a much tougher Texas defense even though the numbers have not shown it yet. Going back, the Texans are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. Tampa Bay is 2-10 ATS off a win over a division rival as an underdog of six or more points and falls into a negative situation where we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are coming off a win as an underdog going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 106-56 ATS (65.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (466) Houston Texans

The Cowboys were favorites by many to win the NFC East but the chances took a huge hit last week after quarterback Tony Romo broke his collarbone and is out at least eight weeks. The odds have gone up slightly and no one seems to be giving them a chance with Brandon Weeden taking over at quarterback because of his horrible past where he has lost his last seven starts. Here's the deal. He knows the system and will have had a full week of practicing with the first unit. Additionally, he got snaps with the first unit in the past as Romo always takes Wednesday off. After coming in last week, Weeden completed all seven of his pass attempts for 73 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons have rewarded new head coach Dan Quinn with a 2-0 record but they could just as well be 0-2 at this point as they have been very fortunate at the end of games with the Eagles and Giants both stepping on their foots with mistakes. Atlanta was outgained by the Eagles and outgained the Giants by just 14 yards so you can see that the record is skewed. Going back, the Falcons are 4-22 ATS in their last 26 games after gaining 375 or more total yards in two consecutive games and they fall into a negative situation. We play against favorites that averaged 5.4 or more yppl last season, after gaining 400 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 26-7 ATS (78.8 percent) over the last five seasons. Additionally, Dallas head coach Jason Garrett is 22-9 ATS as an underdog. 10* (480) Dallas Cowboys

The Giants are coming off another tough loss, the second straight game they have blown a late lead and with it came some history they do not want to be associated with. The Giants are the first team to blow double digit fourth quarter leads in consecutive games to start a season. That distinction should have them fired up for this game as they look to avoid a 0-3 start. The good news is that the NFC East is a mess right now with the Eagles looking awful and the Cowboys without Tony Romo for at least eight weeks. Washington blew a lead in their season opener against the Dolphins but came back to defeat the Rams last week. That was more of a St. Louis loss as it was coming a huge home win in overtime against the Seahawks at home. This is the first road game for Washington and going back to 2013, it is 1-13 over its last 14 road games and there is not much to think that is going to change here. The running game needs to get moving for the Giants as they have put up 97 and 99 yards on the ground and going back, they are 20-8 ATS after gaining 99 or less rushing yards in two straight games. Meanwhile, the Redskins are 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 350 total yards in their previous game. Additionally, the Giants fall into a great situation as we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points in conference games coming off an upset win as a home underdog. This situation is 42-17 ATS (71.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (302) New York Giants

Week Two is what is called the week of overreactions in the NFL and this year is no different. Here we have two teams off different outcomes and because of that, we are getting exceptional line value. Thanks to the Colts loss and the Jets win last week, this spread dropped from -9.5 when it came out prior to the first games to -7 now. It could rise more by gametime so the earlier to bet it the better as it likely only has one way to go. The Colts offense was stymied by Buffalo as the Bill shut down Frank Gore and had a merciless pass rush but don't expect the same from the Jets. The pass rush is lacking and the secondary is banged up so Andrew Luck should have a big rebound game. And he has been the best in the game when it comes to bouncing back as the Colts are 13-1 ATS under his direction coming off a loss which includes them going a perfect 11-0 ATS when coming off a double-digit loss. The Jets looked good against Cleveland last week but they were fortunate that the Brown lost their starting quarterback and even though they won by 21 points, they outgained the Browns by just 12 total yards. The Colts also have a great league-wide situation on their side as we play against road teams after a win by 21 or more points going up against an opponent after scoring three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 36-11 ATS (76.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (290) Indianapolis Colts

This is a typical example of overreaction to what transpired Week One as the Eagles lost their opener as a big consensus while Dallas took care of the Giants on a late touchdown drive. We played against the Eagles Monday night and got the win after a big Eagles rally came up short. They looked great in the second half as it seemed to take a little bit for the new players to get into a groove and I expect that to carry over into Sunday. Heading home only helps and being 0-1 will have them highly motivated to get into the win column. The Cowboys definitely caught a break with their victory as poor clock management by New York aided their cause. I certainly do not expect a letdown since it is another divisional game but the public consensus is backing Dallas in this one with a lot of that due to what it did last year as it rolled through the road schedule with a perfect 8-0 record. That included an 11-point win in Philadelphia and that helped the Eagles in missing the playoffs as a 7-2 start turned into a 3-4 finish. The Eagles fall into a great league-wide situation where we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points that outscored opponents by four or more ppg last season, after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored. This situation is 34-9 ATS (79.1 percent) since 1983. Additionally, the Eagles have covered all six games under head coach Chip Kelly when coming off a road loss, winning those games by an average of 17 ppg. 10* (286) Philadelphia Eagles

Week Two is what is called the week of overreactions in the NFL and this year is no different. Here we have two teams off different outcomes and because of that, we are getting exceptional line value. The Giants came through for us Sunday night as they were able to stay within the number and while they blew the outright win, that actually helps us this week. Last season, they lost their opener at Detroit and then came home only to get blown out by Arizona but the situation is much different as they were right in the midst of a scheme chance and Eli Manning looked very uncomfortable. While he didn't have a great game against Dallas, it was good enough for them to win which they realistically should have. The Falcons opened up strong against Philadelphia and were able to hang on against the Eagles and secure the first victory for head coach Dan Quinn. Now the Falcons hit the road and while the mindset of this team is a lot different than last year, I still expect them to struggle outside the dome. The Giants have a simple yet effective situation on their side there we play against teams coming off a win as a home underdog. This situation is 80-42 ATS (65.6 percent) over the last five seasons. That also carries over to Atlanta as the Falcons are 4-13 ATS in their last 17 games coming off a win as a home underdog. Meanwhile, the Giants are 5-0 ATS in their last five games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game. 10* (280) New York Giants

San Francisco pulled off the upset on Monday night over Minnesota although it wasn't a huge upset as the 49ers were getting just 2.5 points at close. Still, not many expected them to win after a number of big offseason losses on both sides of the ball. Now the find themselves in a much tougher spot as they head to the east coast for an early game with another road game on deck against division rival Arizona. The Steelers lost their opener at New England and they could not have been in a more difficult spot playing in the national spotlight in Tom Brady's first game since his suspension was revoked. They fell behind 21-3 and to their credit came fighting back and overall, they ended up outgaining New England by 103 total yards albeit a lot of that came in garbage time. We can expect to see a huge effort in their first home game and the most pleasant surprise from Thursday was the play of running back DeAngelo Williams who rushed for 127 yards on 6.0 ypc and he will be in the spotlight one more game with Le'Veon Bell suspended for one more game. The 49ers were not tested too much against Minnesota but that will not be the case here with Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown ready for another big game. Pittsburgh has been off since Thursday while san Francisco is playing on a short week and heading east, never a good spot. Here, we play against road underdogs or pickems coming off a win by 14 points or more as an underdog going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 45-18 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (266) Pittsburgh Steelers

The Bills won a big game for us last Sunday as they defeated the Colts at home and the situation does not get any easier here. Many called for a 0-2 start from Buffalo and in some cases 0-3 as it heads to Miami next week but I foresee the Bills being 2-0 before facing the Dolphins. A letdown is inevitable at times when coming off a big win like that last week but this game is even bigger so we won't see that here. This team is confident and they now know they have what it takes to chase down New England in the AFC East. The Patriots won on Thursday and while they have the luxury of extra rest and prep time, it is almost negated here since they are traveling and the Bills remaining at home. Tom Brady could not have played better and because of the way he approached that game and the outcome that occurred, the letdown factor actually goes to their side now. Tyrod Taylor shook off the nerves and played a great game with 195 yards passing and 41 yards rushing and he should have another big game here. New England allowed 464 total yards last week and while Buffalo doesn't have the same dynamic offense, success can be attained. As good as the victory was against Indianapolis last week, a loss here basically gives it right back and the Bills could be 1-2 after next week if not careful. Another big factor is head coach Rex Ryan as he has been one of the better coaches when gameplanning against the Patriots and under Brady, they have failed to cover their seven games after facing Pittsburgh. 10* (270) Buffalo Bills

While the Bears lost to Green bay last week, they played a lot better than many expected as they were right in it midway through the fourth quarter and actually outgained the Packers by 80 total yards. Chicago remains home for another tough contest before heading to Seattle and while the season is still early, this is already a very big game. The Bears have lost four straight home games going back to last season which is part of the reason they are catching points here. Arizona made the playoffs last season as a much improved team and the Cardinals opened their season with a big home win over New Orleans. They outgained the Saints by just 19 total yards as they held them to four field goals and that certainly says a lot about how tough the defense is. Of course, it is much different on the road. Offensively, Carson Palmer looked very comfortable coming back from his knee injury but the offense will be without Andre Ellington who was solid before he had to leave with a knee injury. The Bears did not record a sack last week but Palmer is not nearly as mobile so they should be able to amp up the pressure after forcing Rodgers out of the pocket numerous time. Head coach John Fox bring a new attitude and in his coaching career, he has covered 67 percent of his games following a home loss which tells a lot. Arizona has a pair of divisional games on deck so a lookahead could be inevitable. 10* (272) Chicago Bears

Week Two of the NFL is known as the week of overreaction and we are seeing it right out of the gates this week. Denver defeated Baltimore in Week One 19-13 but for some reason, the public is very sour with the Broncos and namely Peyton Manning. In all fairness, he did not look very good as he was just 24-40 for 175 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. It is safe to say he is not happy about it and we can expect a bounceback effort here. Kansas City jumped out to a big lead over Houston and was able to hold on for the seven point road win. The Chiefs were outgained by the Texans however and while it can be argued the differential was caused by garbage time yardage, it isn't like college football where starters are subbed out so there is no excuse thus garbage time is more pronounced in the college game than in the pro game. And dealing with the public perception, because of the lackluster Broncos win and the dominating performance from Kansas City against the Texans, the line has moved from Even from when it opened prior to Sunday's games to -3 and that is the ultimate overreaction. Denver has never lost to Kansas City since Manning came on board as it is a perfect 6-0 and it has amazingly won 12 straight road divisional games going back to the days of Tim Tebow. Thus, coming in as the underdog is a huge advantage. 10* (101) Denver Broncos

The 49ers are the second of two home underdogs tonight and while this is another unpopular pick, the value is there. Linesmakers have to play a lot of guessing games in the first week of the season for setting their numbers and as a result, they can be way off base as we saw that on Sunday with the chalk teams going 9-4 against the number which makes the favorites tonight very attractive to the betting public. The return of Adrian Peterson coupled with Teddy Bridgewater in his second season makes the Vikings a trendy option for the playoffs after finishing 7-9 a season ago. Bridgewater was decent as a rookie as he ranked 11th in the NFL with a 64.4 completion percentage but he was 22nd with an 85.2 passer rating and while Peterson will make him better, I'm not sold on him just yet. The 49ers lost Patrick Willis, Anthony Davis, Chris Borland and Justin Smith to retirement and were forced to release Aldon Smith so the defense is the major concern but this is definitely a favorable matchup to start the season with. On the other side, Colin Kaepernick is coming off his worst season as the 49ers quarterback but with low expectations, this is when he can shine. His favorite target Anquan Boldin and newly acquired Torrey Smith provide a great duel threat and the running back by committee is not necessarily a bad thing. New head coach Jim Tomsula replaces Jim Harbaugh and that is a factor that can be in our favor here because of the unknown aspect of it and not being able to prepare for it as usual. 10* (492) San Francisco 49ers

Going into Thursday, there were eight home underdogs on the Week One NFL card and that eventually jumped to nine with the Chiefs closing as favorites. The home dogs went just 2-5 yesterday so the public cleaned up pretty good but we were fortunate to be on both of those winners with the Bills and Rams winning outright. The final two home underdogs for the week both go tonight and we will be backing the Falcons at home after a very disappointing 2014 season that led to the dismissal of head coach Mike Smith. The Georgia Dome was a great edge for the Falcons up until the last two years as after going no worse than 6-2 in the first five years at home with quarterback Matt Ryan (33-7 overall), Atlanta has gone just 3-5 at home each of the last two years. The Eagles are one of the public picks to jump over the Seahawks or Packers and win the NFC but even though the team looks stacked, there are some early season concerns with so many new faces on the team and that affects early team chemistry especially on offense. And that is where this game will be decided as the Eagles surrendered 4,238 passing yards last season, which was the second-highest total in the NFL, behind only Atlanta with 4,478 yards allowed. The hiring of Dan Quinn from Seattle should improve the Falcons defense and while it won't take place overnight, we will see it tonight. As we know, past results cannot predict future outcomes but the fact that the Falcons are 7-0 straight up and against the number in home openers under Matt Ryan cannot be overlooked. 10* (490) Atlanta Falcons

The Giants and Cowboys game is one of only three divisional games the entire weekend and when we think of divisional games, we think of hard fought battles when the teams are not that far off from each other (i.e. Green/Bay/Chicago earlier in the day). That is what makes this line very surprising. The Cowboys are expected to again contend for the NFC Easy title, which is said just about every year, while Giants are predicted to finish third in most previews. Preseason win totals have the Cowboys and Eagles at 9.5 and the Giants at 8 which is not a significant difference so there is not reason to think this line should be what it is. This is a historic rivalry and going back to the 2011 season, this game has never had a spread of more than -4.5 for either side so the fact that it hit a touchdown in some spots is a head scratcher. New York hopes to get off to a better start this year after starting 0-2 last season with a lot that being on Eli Manning's shoulders but he was learning a new system and it obviously took time. Many are predicting a big year from him which would not be surprising. The Cowboys will be dynamic on offense but the defense is not at full strength with Rolando McClain and Orlando Scandrick both out. Here's the deal. Linesmakers have to base their numbers on portions of last year and looking back, Dallas is not as good as its 12-4 record and the Giants are not as bad as their 6-10 record and that is proven with the aforementioned preseason win totals coming into the season. 10* (487) New York Giants

Here is what we can call another ugly home underdog, one of eight such teams on the Week One slate. Besides Jacksonville, this is the second ugliest based on power rankings but unlike the Jaguars, the Raiders have a lot of potential upside. While we aren't talking Super Bowl, surpassing their three wins from last season is a strong possibility. The key here is Jack Del Rio who brings in a winning attitude and a winning pedigree, something that Bill Callahan, Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable, Hue Jackson, Dennis Allen and Tony Sparano failed to accomplish. Quarterback Derek Carr because just the seventh rookie to throw for 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns and he should be a lot better this season as the Raiders drafted star Alabama receiver Amari Cooper and brought in Michael Crabtree from San Francisco to give him some much-needed weapons. Oakland has a better defense now as well and linebacker Khalil Mack is the real deal. The Bengals failed to win a playoff game yet again and while they come in as a candidate to win the AFC North, winning on the road has to improve. Cincinnati is 21-2-1 at home the last three years but just 11-13 on the highway over the same stretch. The Raiders have finished 3-5 at home each of the last three years but last year could provide some momentum coming into 2015 as after losing their first five home games, they won their last three, all against teams that finished .500 or better. The public is all over the Bengals as a hefty consensus but the line is staying put which favors our side by thinking the contrarian way. 10* (484) Oakland Raiders

The NFC South was an abomination last season as every other division in the NFL possessed at least two teams with winning records while Carolina came out of the South to win it with a 7-8-1 mark. The Saints finished with a 7-9 record, the second time in three years they have had a losing mark and as dominant as many think they still are, they have not won the division since 2011. New Orleans was a surprise 4-4 on the road last year and by that I mean surprisingly good as they rarely have .500 or above seasons on the highway. Arizona was a pleasant surprise last season as it made the playoffs despite losing the services of Carson Palmer for 10 games. He is back to full health including his shoulder and he says his arm is stronger than ever. New Orleans parted ways with many key contributors including Jimmy Graham, Pierre Thomas and leading receiver Kenny Stills so it may take time for the new roster players to find their way. The public still loves the Saints, home or away, and while this line could go lower by gametime because of late public money coming in, we are already seeing reverse line movement. The Cardinals are the early consensus, which consists of not as much public action as you will see come Sunday, but one popular book has actually dropped the line which presents some intriguing reverse line movement. Arizona has a sneaky good home field advantage and Bruce Arians meanwhile has gone a solid 17-5 ATS in his 22 games at home as a head coach. The home field again remains strong in Arizona. 10* (478) Arizona Cardinals

A record eight home underdogs are on the Week One NFL card and that just shows how much public perception can affect opening week numbers. Linesmakers have a tough enough time setting lines but coming in with no data or stats to work with, these liners open at what they think the public will back and then are adjusted accordingly. To no surprise, the Colts are road favorites here as they are the second favorite behind New England to win the AFC Championship. As of Thursday, the Colts are the fourth biggest consensus bet with the other three above them being road chalk as well which only cements how much the public loves laying numbers on road teams. Buffalo went 9-7 last season which was a three-game improvement from 2013, 2012 and 2011 which were all six-win seasons. I think there is room for more improvement as the defense remains a strength, the offense has more playmakers and a dynamic quarterback has stepped up. Tyrod Taylor had an awesome preseason and if he can carry even some of that into the regular season, the Bills could make a serious charge at the AFC East title. This is no easy task but Buffalo has thrived in these spots in front of the home crowd, going 6-1 ATS in seven games as a home underdog the last two seasons and now the team is even better. The fans know it and it will be raucous. Indianapolis won 13 games last season before losing to New England in the AFC Championship and that puts the Colts into an awesome contrarian situation that we ride to the bank on Sunday. 10* (470) Buffalo Bills

St. Louis falls into the same ideology of the common theme on opening week in the NFL and that is going against the public consensus as the main basis due to the lack and data, stats or results. While we don't have any of that info, neither do the linesmakers when trying to set these lines so even though we go in relatively blind, imagine how they feel when there are millions on the line. The Seahawks were a yard away from a second straight Super Bowl title and they come in as the favorites to win it all once again at +500. Seattle is another big public consensus play on Sunday but take this team out of Seattle and it becomes beatable even it if may be playing with a chip on its shoulder. Low scoring games certainly helps the underdog and this has the potential to be a very low scoring game as it will feature two of the best defensive lines in football going up against a pair of offensive lines that have serious question marks entering the season. Seattle head coach Pete Carroll confirmed that three-time Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor will in fact miss Sunday's game and that is huge for the Rams as Nick Foles will have to find a rhythm with his receivers and get it done through the air. While Seattle has dominated this series at home the last three years, St. Louis has won two of the three meetings here while covering the third matchup as well. Another outright win if far from out of the question but in this case we are getting a line almost everywhere that is above the key number of three. 10* (476) St. Louis Rams

Going back a few years, we had seen the past Super Bowl champions win their season openers including Pittsburgh in 2009, New Orleans in 2010 and Green Bay in 2011. That changed in 2012 when the Giants lost at home against Dallas and continued two years ago when Baltimore had to go on the road to Denver because of a conflict with the Orioles and got thumped. Last year, Seattle easily defeated Green Bay and now New England opens the season at home and this is a good spot for the defending champs to open the season with a victory. The story here obviously in the Tom Brady issue and when he was suspended, the line dropped from -7 to -2.5 but when he was reinstated, it went back up to -7. So now it is Pittsburgh that is on the short end of a suspension issue as Le'Veon Bell is out for the first two games and we know what he is capable of and how much he is missed, looking at the Baltimore playoff game as a prime example. Brady, who addressed reporters Sunday, admitted Thursday would be entirely about beating the Steelers and not about revisiting last season and the banner getting raised so focus will not be an issue. New England is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 home game where the total is greater than or equal to 45.5. 10* (462) New England Patriots

We have seen some high scoring Super Bowls in recent years as five of the last six have seen 48 points or more being scored. With the scoring going up even more this season, people are expecting to see another high scoring game but I do not think that is going to be the case this season. We have two offenses capable of putting up points but we also have two defenses that are capable of at least slowing the opposing offense down. Seattle brings in the top ranked defense into the Super Bowl in both points allowed and yardage allowed. That being said, I still think the Patriots offense is going to be able to have success, albeit not to the extent of the success that New England has had the first two games of the playoffs. As mentioned in the side report, the Seattle defense gets a lot of credit as it should but it has allowed 23.6 ppg, compared to 13.5 ppg in the other games, when facing the well above average quarterbacks this season and it is again facing someone from that group. Typically, that would mean a high scoring game but I firmly believe the other side will have a huge impact in this game and one that probably many are not expecting. The Patriots defense has been average this season, ranked 13th in total defense but a much more potent eighth in points allowed. They did give up 31 against Baltimore but since Week 12, they have allowed 17 points or less six times and have allowed an average of 16.6 ppg over their last eight games. There were some fluke games early in the season but when facing top notch quarterbacks, they have done exceptional. Against Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck (twice), Matthew Stafford, Aaron Rodgers and Philip Rivers, they allowed an average of just 16.2 ppg. They came up huge in the AFC Championship against the Colts and overall, New England finished ninth in the NFL in rushing yards allowed and rushing ypc allowed which will be important against the Seahawks for obvious reasons. This is the highest total that Seattle has encountered all season long and it is even higher than last year's Super Bowl total. That one went over because of 14 points scored from defense and special teams and as long as we don't see that again, this one should stay under the number comfortably. 10* Under (101) New England Patriots/(102) Seattle Seahawks

Seattle opened as a three-point favorite and last for about an hour and a half before some major action came in on the Patriots which drove it all the way down to -1 and eventually a pickem. There was no way that field goal spread would have stayed no matter the amount of action that came in as from a power ranking and spread standpoint, this game is a pickem. It is the intangibles however that I feel gives the Patriots a significant edge and they will deny the Seahawks from becoming the first back-to-back champions in a decade when they were the last team to do it back in 2003-04 and 2004-05. the biggest intangible edge for New England is the coaching staff. Taking nothing away from what Pete Carroll has done in Seattle but Bill Belichick is a legend and despite losing the last two Super Bowls, he will come up with an alternate gameplan to avoid a repeat of those. We played against the Seahawks in the NFC Championship and while we cashed the ticket, the Packers should have won that game outright as they outplayed Seattle for 57 minutes of that game. Green Bay was not aggressive when it needed to be and the onsides kick debacle as well as not even getting the ball on offense in overtime was unfortunate. Going into this game, Seattle had not played a top line quarterback since Week Six when Dallas came to town and won outright and while the Seahawks won on Sunday, they didn't beat Aaron Rodgers as the Packers did it to themselves. And the Seahawks are not going to beat Tom Brady either. New England has gone 19 playoff games since winning its last Super Bowl and that is killing Brady more than anyone else hands down. Russell Wilson could turn into a superstar, he is having his worst season as a pro as far as passer rating and he is not in the same category as Brady. The Seattle defense gets a lot of credit as it should but it has allowed 23.6 ppg, compared to 13.5 ppg in the other games, when facing the well above average quarterbacks this season and it is again facing someone from that group. While motivation is not lacking this time of year, something says that the Patriots, Belichick and Brady push that pedal down more than usual and get back to the place they do in fact deserve, Super Bowl Champion. 10* (101) New England Patriots

Many will be lining up behind the Patriots here based on the fact they should not look as bad as they did last week along with the fact that they have dominated Andrew Luck and the Colts in all three meetings. New England won those three games by 35, 21 and 22 points with the last one being in Indianapolis during the regular season. In my opinion, all of those games can be thrown out as the Colts are playing at a high level while New England has looked average over its last three games. The Patriots twice came back from 14-point deficits against Baltimore so give them credit for fighting all the way to the end. They will likely be a one-dimension team once again however as they threw 51 times and ran it only 13 times for 14 yards against Baltimore. Against two of the hottest backs in the league, Cincinnati's Jeremy Hill and Denver's C.J. Anderson, the Colts allowed a meager 198 yards rushing in two games. The 99.0 ypg average is the lowest among the four teams still playing on championship weekend. On the other side, Luck is playing solid and faces a Patriots defense that has been tore apart by above average starting quarterbacks, including Luck in Week 11. The Colts believe they will have the same starting combination on the offensive line for the third straight week. The most recent time that happened was Weeks 1 to 3. Indianapolis is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games after allowing 14 points or less last game while going 6-0 ATS in its last six games after allowing 17 points or less in two straight games. 10* (303) Indianapolis Colts

It is interesting that the team from the west coast is hosting the earlier game on Sunday and that no doubt hurts Seattle from a fan standpoint as the later those games are, the louder it gets. While we lost with Carolina last week, the Panthers actually outgained the Seahawks but it was the 90-yard interception return for a pick six that resulted in a 14-point swing and put the game out of reach. No doubt, playing in Seattle is going to be tough no matter what time of day it is but Green Bay certainly has the ability to win this game and at this price, it is getting zero respect. The line last week eventually went up to 13 on gameday but it hovered around 10.5-11 more of the week and the fact that the Packers are getting just 2.5-3 points less than that depending what line you get is silly. Add to the fact, Seattle was favored by 4.5 points in the season opener against the Packers and now the line has gone up considerably. While Seattle did cover that game, it has not played a top line quarterback since Week Six when Dallas came to town and won outright. Aided by a number of receiving options, a stronger runner in Eddie Lacy and an improved defense that has allowed more than 21 points only once in nine games, the Packers are a more complete and confident team than the one that visited Seattle in September. Here, we play on underdogs or pickems that are averaging 7.5 or more passing ypa, after gaining seven or more passing ypa in three straight games. This situation is 45-20 ATS (69.2 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (301) Green Bay Packers

The NFL could not have scripted this one better fore the final game of the Divisional Playoff Round as the league eats this stuff up. The Colts advanced to the next round as it dominated the Bengals on Sunday for the second time this season. They outscored Cincinnati 53-10 and outgained it 988-389 in those two games combined but both of those games were at home and while Indianapolis had a winning road record, it is skewed. The Colts went 0-3 on the road this season against fellow playoff teams and the margins were even worse as they were outscored 124-65 compared to outscoring the five non-playoff teams 169-103. Denver was able to lock up the 2nd seed in the AFC and a bye with a rout over Oakland and that was a big win as it got them out of a three-game funk and get some momentum heading into the postseason. The Broncos offense has chanced and for the good as in the last six games of the 2014 season, they began grinding out drives, while improving on the points-per-possession efficiency established in the first 10 games. That could be crucial against a Colts defense that has been in the bottom half of the league in rushing yardage per game, per carry and first-down rate. Denver won the first matchup this season as it held off a late Colts rally and the Broncos fall into a great situation based on the as we play against teams that are revenging a loss against opponent, after two consecutive covers as a favorite. This situation is 27-8 ATS (77.1 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (120) Denver Broncos

Dallas survived at home against Detroit as it rallied from a 14-0 deficit to win it late to earn a trip to Green Bay. The Cowboys were a perfect 8-0 on the road during the regular season and while a win at Seattle was impressive, that was the only road game against a team that made the playoffs. Give them credit for not folding against the Lions but they go into a very difficult spot here. The Packers finished a perfect 8-0 at home which included three wins against teams that made the playoffs. They had a bye week which was more important to them than any other team as it gave time for quarterback Aaron Rodgers to rest his injured calf. Rodgers has been having one of the best seasons of his career and while Dallas has shown the ability to force takeaways this year, Rodgers has been remarkable at home by throwing 25 touchdowns and not a single interception. The Cowboys defense has given up 251.9 ypg through the air this season, which is just 26th in the NFL. Green Bay is 10-0 ATS in its last 10 home games in the second half of the season when playing against teams with a winning percentage greater than .750, winning those games by close to two touchdowns per game. The key here is second half of the season since Green Bay has a big home field edge in terms of when the weather can get bad. The Weather Channel predicts a high of 19 degrees and a low of 4 next Sunday in Green Bay. 10* (118) Green Bay Packers

Seattle got off to a pretty uneven start this season with a 3-3 record through six games but closed on a 9-1 run including wins in its final six games of the season while going 5-0-1 ATS over that stretch. The Seahawks are now in the drivers seat to head back to the Super Bowl but just getting there again is difficult in this league as it has been a decade since a team has been able to make a return trip. That means little here but it could have some correlation because of the pressure that comes with it. Carolina heads into Seattle off win over Arizona as the defense held the Cardinals to just 78 total yards and while the Panthers take a big step up in class here, they are playing at the top of their game right now. They have won five straight games after a dismal 1-8-1 run and while many won't give them a chance here, their defense can keep them hanging around. They have allowed 300 yards only once over their last six games and they have outgained seven straight opponents. Seattle isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut as it has scored more than 20 points only twice in its last seven games. The Seahawks were held to just 13 points in the first meeting against the Panthers and while that was in Carolina, the Panthers were not playing at a high level then. Play against home favorites of 10.5 or more points with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after two or more consecutive wins. This situation is 65-33 ATS (66.3 percent) since 1983. 10* (113) Carolina Panthers

The Ravens are coming off a win in Pittsburgh despite getting outgained by 92 yards as they were able to take advantage of turnovers. They are a team that simply gets it done this time of year as they are 6-0 ATS in their last six playoff games and 5-0 ATS in their last five road playoff games. The defense was thought to be old and washed up but has allowed 88.3 rushing ypg this season and hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in the past 27 games, the longest active streak in the NFL. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady faces a Ravens defense that was second in the NFL in regular season with 49 sacks (29 by linebackers Elvis Dumervil and Terrell Suggs). The Ravens only allowed opponents to convert 42.6 percent of their red-zone drives in the regular season, the second-best percentage in the NFL. On the other side, quarterback Joe Flacco is now 10-4 in his career in the playoffs with 21 touchdowns to just eight interceptions. The Patriots defense is ranked 13th overall and will see plenty of balance coming from Baltimore. While their recent playoff history is well known, the Patriots are just 3-10 ATS in their last 13 playoff games. Going to Gillette Stadium is never easy especially this time of year but the Ravens will be unfazed as they have won twice here in the playoffs in three tries with the lone loss coming by just a field goal. 10* (111) Baltimore Ravens

*NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFFS Sunday, January 4th, 4:40 PM ET* Dallas is on a roll with four straight wins and covers and this line is severely inflated to reflect that. This is the second highest line the Cowboys have been favored by at home and is just a point or two lower than when they were favored over Washington. The win over the Redskins this past Sunday completed a perfect 8-0 road record but at home, Dallas is just 4-4 so it has been pretty average even though it defeated the Colts handily in their last home game. Detroit lost out on a chance at winning the NFC North with a loss at Green Bay on Sunday but it played a very respectable game against a Packers team that is unbeatable at home. The Lions have dropped three straight against the number which is also factoring into this line and at 4-4 on the road, they have been solid away from home. The Lions come in with the better defense and they fall into a solid situation because of it as we play on teams in the second half of the season that are allowing between 14 and 18 ppg going up against teams allowing between 18 and 23 ppg. This situation is 50-24 ATS (67.6 percent) over the last five seasons. Dallas is just 8-19 ATS in 27 games as a favorite under Jason Garrett and while Ndamukong Suh has been suspended, the line should only inflate more. Detroit has an excellent chance to win this one outright but we will gladly grab the generous points. 10* (101) Detroit Lions

We waited to release this game based on the questionable status of Bengals wide receiver A.J. Green as he went from questionable to doubtful to officially out as of yesterday. He is a huge impact on the offense and while Cincinnati has been practicing without him all week, it will be a big absence. Additionally, tight end Jermaine Gresham has been nursing a back injury all week and like Green, has practiced only one day. Gresham was on Friday's injury report as questionable. His playing status could be a game-time decision. Cincinnati went 1-2 against the number without Green this season including a 27-0 loss here in Indianapolis. The Colts have won four of their last five games after taking down Tennessee in the season finale after getting ripped against Dallas. Indianapolis is 6-2 at home with an early season loss that never should have happened against the Eagles and the other coming against the nemesis Patriots. The Colts are 5-0-1 ATS in their last six home games against teams with a winning road record. Cincinnati one of the two playoff teams that is getting outgained on the season with Arizona being the other and we saw what happened there yesterday. The Bengals are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games coming off a divisional road loss while the Colts are 6-0 ATS in their last six games coming off a double-digit divisional win. 10* (108) Indianapolis Colts

We have been waiting on this one primarily due to trying to get further information on the status of Le'Veon Bell but the news has not changed as his still has not practiced and will be a gametime decision tomorrow night. Offensive coordinator Todd Haley said Bell could play against the Ravens even if he does not practice this week. This is a big deal as far as the total goes as if he does not play or if he is limited, the passing game will become more critical which certainly favors the over. This series has gone over seven of the last nine meetings but if you look at the previous closing totals, the total for this week is more than a field goal higher than eight of those which draws some questions. Since 2008, there have been 15 meetings between these two teams and only two of those final scores would have been over the 45 posted here. The last meeting was one of those that went over the number and this one sets up as another high scoring game. This total could be placed higher but the recent runs is keeping it in check as Baltimore has stayed under the total in four straight games while the Steelers have stayed under in three straight games. When it comes to Steelers playoff football, you think defense but in reality, they have gone over the total in 21 of 29 playoff games since 1992 and while that has no bearing here, it shows that defense is not necessarily the strength in the playoffs. Here, we play the over involving road teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points that are outscoring opponents by four or more ppg, after allowing three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 44-15 (74.6 percent) to the over the last five seasons. 10* Over (103) Baltimore Ravens/(104) Pittsburgh Steelers

*NFC WILD CARD PLAYOFFS Saturday, January 3rd, 4:35 PM ET* The first game of Wild Card weekend is definitely the lamest of the bunch as 6-8-1 Carolina hosts Arizona that went from a possible bye to having to play on the road. But I think it is a solid betting opportunity as we have two teams going in opposite directions. Carolina comes in on a four-game winning streak and the defense that carried the Panthers last season and was no where to be found early in the season has been the strength. They have allowed just 10.8 ppg over that stretch and facing an Arizona offense that has scored 18 points or less in seven straight games, it should remain powerful. Drew Stanton could feasibly be back for this one as he is listed as day-to-day and is improving but his numbers have not been very good so while it would be an upgrade from Ryan Lindley, it is not a big upgrade. On the other side, Cam Newton has been up and down this season but is coming off a solid game against Atlanta where he didn't have to throw much and he is the type of quarterback that can give the Cardinals fits. Russell Wilson tore Arizona apart for 339 yards passing and 88 yards rushing and Newton is capable of big numbers both ways. The Panthers have outgained six straight opponents and that is what you want in backing a team heading into the playoffs. Here, we play on home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after a game where they committed no turnovers going up against an opponent after a game where they committed three or more turnovers. This situation is 39-16 ATS (70.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (106) Carolina Panthers

Atlanta is a popular pick this week playing at home and coming off an upset of New Orleans last week. The division is on the line Sunday as the winner will be crowned the champ despite possessing a losing record. There is not a whole lot that separates these two teams and based on that, we are getting value with this line which should be no more than three because of the divisional home field advantage. The Falcons home field advatnage has not been that great to begin with as they are 3-3 at home including losses in three of their last four. Carolina has won three straight games and it is playing its best football of the season as it has outgained each of its last five opponents, the last four coming by at least 100 total yards. Atlanta is 7-19 ATS in its last 26 home games after a win by 14 or more points and 0-6 ATS I its last six home games after gaining 375 or more yards in two straight games. Meanwhile, the Panthers are 10-4 ATS in their last 14 games after allowing less than 150 yards passing in their previous game while going 16-7-1 ATS in their last 24 games against teams with a losing record. 10* (315) Carolina Panthers *SUPREME ANNIHILATOR

We won with Chicago last Sunday and we will back the Bears again this week taking a line that is completely inflated. One main reason for taking Chicago last week was the fact that Jay Cutler was benched and his teammates rallied around Jimmy Clausen. Now with Cutler back in the lineup, I expect the Bears to rally around him this week. Chicago has lost four straight games including the last three all coming at home and playing on the road is actually a good thing to end the season. The Vikings are coming off two straight brutal losses on the road, both of which were two-point setbacks and those will be tough to recover from. Minnesota has cashed five straight games at the betting window which is a big reason for this inflated price. It doesn't matter who they are playing but the Vikings have no business laying a touchdown and the last time they were favored by this many points, it was Week Three of last season. Here we play against home favorites with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 off a road loss, playing a bad team with a winning percentage between .250 and .400. This situation is 41-12 ATS (77.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (317) Chicago Bears *NFL GAME OF THE YEAR

The Saints had a very disappointing season as they were tabbed a favorite to at least be in contention in the NFC. Instead, they will miss the playoffs for the second time in three years and getting up a game against Tampa Bay will be near impossible. Yet, New Orleans is favored which it should be based on its better record and the fact that Tampa Bay has yet to win a game at home this season. The Buccaneers are coming off their seventh home loss of the season last week against Green Bay as they were in a tough spot with the Packers coming off a loss against the Bills the previous week. Tampa Bay will be out to avoid a winless season at home and despite the 0-7 record, they have had their chances, losing four home games by six points or less. They are 4-0 ATS in their last four games coming off a cover loss and fall into a great situation where we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after gaining 99 or less rushing yards in three straight games against opponent after being outrushed by 100 or more yards last game. This situation is 25-7 ATS (78.1 percent) since 1983. 10* (326) Tampa Bay Buccaneers *ENFORCER

Playoff implications are on the line tonight with both Denver and Cincinnati needing to win to further playoff opportunities. The Broncos need to win to try and keep hope alive for homefield advantage throughout the playoffs while the Bengals can get into the postseason with a win tonight and next week against the Steelers. We are seeing some value with the total tonight however as Denver has gone under in three straight games while Cincinnati is coming off a shutout last week at Cleveland while going under in five of its last six games. Those recent runs are keeping this number down with a couple of very efficient offenses that can put up some numbers. Additionally, the Bengals are ranked sixth and the Broncos are ranked seventh in neutral pace. We have not seen much the last three weeks with the Denver offense but that should change against the Bengals 22nd ranked defense despite shutting out Cleveland last week. Denver falls into a great high scoring scenario where we play the over involving road teams where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points that are outscoring opponents by four or more ppg, after allowing seven points or less in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 36-12 (75%) to the over the last five seasons. Meanwhile, Denver is 15-6 to the over in its last 21 games after allowing 99 or less rushing yards in two straight games while the over is 11-4 in the Bengals last 15 games after accumulating less than 150 yards passing in their previous game. 10* Over (131) Denver Broncos/(132) Cincinnati Bengals

Arizona is once again getting no respect and a lot of that has to do with the quarterback situation of course. No one thinks that Ryan Lindley can make it happen especially against a strong Seattle defense but playing at home can make up the difference here and even more so, he has had over a week to prepare after getting thrown right into the fire last week. It is no secret Arizona will try and run the ball and it comes at a good time as they are coming off their two best rushing games of the season, 143 yards against St. Louis and 141 against Kansas City. The Cardinals also possess a very underrated defense that causes turnovers and is third in the league in scoring defense. In first meeting, the Cardinals held Marshawn Lynch to 39 yards on 15 carries and 13 of those yards came on one play and they sacked Russell Wilson seven times. The Seahawks are definitely peeking at the right time as they have won four straight games and seven of their last eight. Playing on the road is not their strength though as they are 4-3 with only one of those wins coming against a team with a better than .500 record. Head coach Bruce Arians is one of the most underrated coaches in the game and he is 17-4 ATS in 21 home games including a 9-1 ATS record as an underdog. The Cardinals fall into a fantastic situation as we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after allowing 14 points or less last game against going up against an opponent after scoring 3 points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 23-5 ATS (82.1 percent) since 1983. 10* (130) Arizona Cardinals

The Bears would not have been a play but the benching of Jay Cutler has changed that as we will see the players rally around Jimmy Clausen. And because of the Cutler benching, the line has gone up and wee are getting an exceptional number here. Chicago has lost three consecutive games, both straight up and against the number and with no chance for the postseason, many are writing them off. This is the last home game of the season so the effort will be there and while this is a play on Chicago, it is also a play against Detroit. The Lions have won three straight games, all of those coming at home and that often presents a good opportunity to go against. This is a big game for the Lions as they are at Green Bay next week which will decide the division but taking the Lions outside in the elements is not ideal. They are 3-3 on the road and one of those wins came in London and in the five true road games, they have averaged just 12.6 ppg. Chicago falls into a great contrarian situation as we play on home underdogs or pickems after two or more consecutive losses against the spread, in December games. This situation is 96-57 ATS (62.7 percent) since 1983. Additionally, Detroit is 5-21 ATS in its last 26 games against teams who give up 27 or more ppg and 7-23 ATS in its last 30 games following two or more wins. Chicago is 11-2 ATS in its last 13 home games revenging a road loss by 14 points or more and 9-0 ATS in its last nine home games after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of -2 or worse. 10* (112) Chicago Bears *DIVISIONAL GAME OF THE MONTH

Plain and simple, this line is way too high. Minnesota has been playing exceptional as it has covered seven of its last eight games and while it may be just 4-4 in those games, three of those losses were by a field goal or less. The Vikings are not in the playoff hunt but you have to give a ton of credit to head coach Mike Zimmer as his team continues to play hard for him despite the fact they will miss the postseason for a second straight year. Quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is coming into his own as he has a 91.8 passer rating in his last six games and Miami's defense has been nothing special the last few weeks. While they are still mathematically alive for the playoffs, the Dolphins need a ton of help and it isn't likely. Head coach Joe Philbin is now on the hot seat and the way the team has looked, he may have lost his players. The offense hasn't scored more than 16 points and been held to 213 rushing yards in the last three games and the Vikings defense has steadily improved over the second half of the season. Two situations are on our side. First, we play against home favorites in the second half of the season with a winning percentage between .450 and .550 coming off a road loss by 14 points or more. This situation is 55-26 ATS (67.9 percent) since 1983. Second, we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with a +/- 3 ppg differential after scoring 14 points or less last game. This situation is 43-17 ATS (71.7 percent) since 1983. 10* (107) Minnesota Vikings *ENFORCER

Motivation plays a big role this time of year in the NFL as there are teams that are still highly motivated in trying to get into the playoffs while teams that are already eliminated are on the opposite side of that. San Diego and San Francisco respectively fall into this scenario and while the Chargers may seem like a good pick getting points, I think the motivational issues will give us an easier time with the total. Namely San Francisco and it typical strong defense may cash it in for the rest of the season knowing there is little left to play for. The 49ers defense is ranked third overall but they have struggled the last three games and there is no reason to think that won't continue here. San Diego has an average offense but after two mediocre games and with a lot on the line, I expect big improvements. The Chargers defense has slipped of late and the 49ers should be able to move the ball with Colin Kaepernick out to prove something. Two situations favor the over. First, we play the over involving home teams that matches up two teams averaging +/- 0.4 yppl differential, after gaining 250 or less total yards in two consecutive games. This situation is 41-16 (71.9 percent) to the over since 1983. Second, we play the over involving teams where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points after gaining 75 or less rushing yards in three straight games. This situation is 25-8 (75.8 percent) to the over the last 10 seasons. 10* Over (103) San Diego Chargers/(104) San Francisco 49ers

The NFL Network cannot be too thrilled to have this yawner as the final Thursday night game of the season but that is what they got stuck with. While many will be expecting a low scoring game that will have two inept offenses going at it, I think we will see a lot more scoring than anticipated. Both teams have gone under the total in two straight games as the offenses have scored a grand total of 42 points in those four games. That doesn't come to be much of a surprise as these are two of the lowest scoring teams in football but it is the other side that will be of help. Tennessee is ranked 29th in total defense and 31st in scoring defense while Jacksonville is ranked 28th in total defense and 29th in scoring defense so even some of the worst offenses in the league can get through these stop units. Because of the public perception, the total is the lowest that each team has seen all season and it is over two points lower than the first meeting which finished at 30 total points as many will be banking on another similar finish. Tennessee falls into a great over situation as we play the involving road teams where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points off two or more consecutive unders and are getting outscored by opponents by 10 or more ppg. This situation is 53-23 (69.7 percent) to the over since 1983. Additionally, Tennessee is 12-2 to the over in its last 13 games after scoring 14 points or less in two straight games while the over is 5-1 in the Jaguars last six games after accumulating less than 250 total yards in their previous game. 10* Over (101) Tennessee Titans/(102) Jacksonville Jaguars

It is pretty hard to believe that over their last seven games, the Saints are 1-4 at home and 2-0 on the road which is a complete anomaly of normal Saints teams. New Orleans is getting the love again tonight as it is favored on the road against a team with an identical record overall as well as with the home/road splits. This is not a role that the Saints have thrived in this season as they are 3-8 ATS as a favorite including going 1-3 as a road favorite. The Bears have been a major disappointment at home also and they are coming off a pair of losses, one on Detroit on Thanksgiving where they played on short rest and last Thursday at home against Dallas. They now have had extra time off for this game and the fact they are getting just one points less here against the 5-8 Saints than they did against the then 9-4 Cowboys which makes no sense. One of the areas that has hurt Chicago is turnovers as they are -6 in turnover margin but the Saints have actually been worse with a -9 turnover margin. Chicago is 18-7 ATS in its last 25 home games after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of -1 or worse and have a solid situation on its side for tonight as we play on teams where the line is +3 to -3 that are averaging between 18 and 23 ppg going up against teams averaging between 23 and 27 ppg, after a playing a game where 60 total points or more were scored. This situation is 33-12 ATS (73.3 percent) since 1983. Look for the wet and windy weather tonight to affect New Orleans much more. 10* (334) Chicago Bears

The Vikings got away with one last Sunday as they won in overtime against a Jets team that was in a horrible spot coming off a Monday loss to the Dolphins. Minnesota escaped in overtime and now heads to Detroit for a revenge game where it lost 17-3 in the first meeting while gaining a mere 212 total yards. The difference now is that quarterback Teddy Bridgewater has a lot more experience and he is playing excellent right now with QB ratings of 120.7 and 117.7 the last two games. He will be facing a tough Detroit defense for sure but the Lions are not in a good spot. This is the final game of a three-game homestand for the Lions and the final home game of the season and teams playing in their third consecutive home game after winning the first two games are just 6-24 ATS since 1990. This is no doubt a big game for the Lions in trying to keep pace with Green Bay as they face the Packers in the season finale in two weeks. But we are catching a great number as Detroit is laying just two points less than last week against a much better team. Minnesota is 6-0 ATS in its last six games revenging a same season loss while Detroit is 3-11 ATS in its last 14 games after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored. 10* (323) Minnesota Vikings *ENFORCER

This is a contrarian play on the total but we have a lot of favorable angles calling for a high scoring game. One big factor is the total itself as it is the first time all season that either team is being presented with a total in the 30's and it is two points lower than the total in the first meeting on Thanksgiving. That first meeting stay under by a lot which is playing into this number as is the fact that San Francisco has gone under in its last four games while Seattle has gone under in its last three games. The series has seen four straight unders cash but again, this is lowest over/under of the bunch so we are getting some great value. The San Francisco offense has been plodding along of late and while the Seahawks defense presents a challenge, being the second game in three weeks, the 49ers should be well prepared on offense after a bad string of games. Seattle is averaging 28.7 ppg at home so it will get its points against a 49ers defense that has struggled in four of their last five games. Seattle falls into a solid situation as we play the over involving teams that have gone under the total by more than seven points in three consecutive games. This situation is 25-6 (80.6 percent) to the over the last five seasons. Also, Seattle has gone over in seven straight games after gaining 375 or more total yards in two consecutive games. 10* Over (329) San Francisco 49ers/(330) Seattle Seahawks

Many will be backing the Patriots here based on the fact that they are a perfect 6-0 at home this season and will be out for revenge following their 33-20 loss in Miami opening week. Of course both of those factors are already being taken into consideration with the line which I feel is inflated because of the public's admiration for New England. The Patriots surely want to keep winning to grab home field advantage in the playoffs but this is a bigger game for the Dolphins as a loss here will knock them out of the playoff picture. Miami has lost two of its last three games including a 28-13 home loss against Baltimore last week that was decided on an overturned turnover call which ended up being the difference. Here, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points after gaining 99 or less rushing yards in three straight games going up against an opponent after being outrushed by 100 or more yards last game. This situation is 25-6 ATS (80.6 percent) since 1983 including a perfect 4-0 the last 10 years. The Dolphins are 30-12 ATS in their last 42 road games against teams with a winning home record while the Patriots are 4-11 ATS in their last 15 games after allowing less than 250 total yards in their previous game. 10* (315) Miami Dolphins *DIVISIONAL GAME OF THE YEAR

The Chiefs got off to a solid 7-3 start this season but they have since lost three games in a row including a couple narrow losses by four and three points. They are on the verge of falling out of the playoff picture so while this is a must win, Kansas City could use a game of domination from start to finish to build some confidence before playing Pittsburgh and San Diego to close out the season. The Chiefs could not be hosting a better opponent this week to regain some of that domination as hey will be out to avenge a loss in Oakland in Week 12 which happened to be the Raiders first win. Oakland is coming off a win last week against the 49ers and we all remember what happened to the Raiders in their next game after their first win as they were pummeled by the Rams. Kansas City has two great situations in its favor. First, we play on favorites of 3.5 to 10 points that are revenging a road loss, off an upset loss as a favorite. This situation is 55-22 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1983. Second, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are coming off a win as a home underdog going up against an opponent off a road loss. This situation is 72-33 ATS (68.6 percent) since 1983. 10* (306) Kansas City Chiefs *SUPREME ANNIHILATOR

Despite a 10-3 record, not many people are giving Arizona a chance here or the rest of the season for that matter based on their recent play where they have gone 1-2 over their last three games while getting outgained in all three of those. The loss of Carson Palmer at quarterback was no doubt big but Drew Stanton has fared pretty well. He played well against Detroit, the best defense in the NFL, in his first start and with the exception of a bad game in Seattle, he has compiled ratings of 91.4, 72 and 88.1. Certainly not great but good enough to have chances to win and he is 2-2 in those starts. The play of St. Louis is also playing into this line and it is a surprise for sure as it has won two straight games while covering its last four. Beating Denver was big and playing San Diego close was solid but the last two wins came against Washington and Oakland, a combined 5-21. Additionally, the Rams shut out those last two opponents which brings up a great opportunity to play against them here. Arizona is 7-0 ATS in its last seven games coming off a nonconference game while the Rams are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games after allowing less than 250 total yards. Also, we play against home favorites revenging a loss against opponent, after two consecutive covers as a favorite. This situation is 22-4 ATS (84.6 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (301) Arizona Cardinals

Waiting on the weather in Green Bay is an absolute must before putting out anything and while the weather tonight will be cold with a chance of snow, there is nothing extreme going to take place that can affect a football game. The Packers are playing great right now as they have won four straight games and eight of their last nine and are now a half-game ahead of Detroit in the NFC North. This line is overinflated however based on the recent run, the Packer name and the fact that Atlanta struggles outside the dome. The one thing I cannot overlook is the fact that Green Bay is outgaining opponents by just 11.2 ypg on the season. The Falcons can take over first place in the NFC South by a full game with a victory here and winning outright is not out of the question. The defense is the concern but after allowing 28.4 ppg through their first seven games, they have allowed just 20 ppg over their last five games. Offensively, the Falcons have the weapons to keep up and the return of Roddy White tonight to compliment Julio Jones would be huge. Atlanta falls into a great contrarian spot as we play against favorites of 10.5 or more points after three or more consecutive wins, in the second half of the season. This situation is 40-15 ATS (72.7 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Additionally, Atlanta is 8-0 ATS after allowing six or more yppl in two consecutive games. 10* (179) Atlanta Falcons

After winning their first game of the season, Oakland got destroyed last week in St. Louis which was an expected letdown based on that big victory over the Chiefs. No one thought it would be that bad though as the Raiders went down 52-0 although they were outgained by just 104 total yards as five turnovers did them in. Now they head back home to face their most hated rival outside of their division and it could very well be their most hated rival overall. San Francisco lost at home on Thanksgiving to Seattle and it was a pretty ugly game as it was outgained by 215 total yards and this team is just not playing well right now and should not be laying a number this big. The 49ers are 3-3 over their last six games and the three wins were by a combined 13 points and those wins were against teams all with losing records. Two situations favor the Raiders as well. We play on teams that are averaging between 14.5 and 18 ppg going up against teams allowing between 18 and 23 ppg, after allowing 40 points or more last game. This situation is 37-15 ATS (71.2 percent) since 1983. Also, we play against favorites of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage between .501 and .600 after having won 2 out of their last 3 games, playing a losing team in the second half of the season. This situation is 82-38 ATS (68.3 percent) since 1983. 10* (174) Oakland Raiders *ENFORCER

Arizona returns home following two straight road games and two straight losses. And the Cardinals did not look good in either one as they dropped to 3-3 on the road but bring in a perfect 6-0 home record to try and stop their skid. They have just a one game lead over Seattle in the NFC West so this is no doubt a big game. It is a big game for the Chiefs as well which are also losers of two straight games but they have not been playing good for a while. Kansas City has been outgained in five straight games and are getting outgained on the season by 20.7 ypg. The Chiefs are one of only three teams in the NFL with a winning record that are getting outgained. Two situations are on our side as well as first, we play on home underdogs or pickems after 2 or more consecutive losses against the spread, in December games. This situation is 95-54 ATS (63.8 percent) since 1983. Second, we play against favorites after gaining 99 or less rushing yards in two straight games going up against an opponent after being outrushed by 100 or more yards last game. This situation is 89-46 ATS (65.9 percent) since 1983. Additionally, Arizona is 7-0 ATS as a home underdog of 3 points or less and Bruce Arians is 9-0 ATS after allowing 400 or more total yards in games he has coached. 10* (172) Arizona Cardinals *SUPREME ANNIHILATOR

Buffalo kept its playoff chances alive with a win last week against Cleveland to make it two straight victories which can be credited to the defense. The Bills allowed just 13 points in those two games and going back, they have gone under the total in four straight games but that changes this week as they are facing one of the best offenses in the NFL and even more so on its home field. The Broncos defeated the Chiefs last week in a game that stayed below the number, the second straight road game that fell below the total. Denver now returns home where the over has cashed four straight times thanks to an offense that has averaged 39.3 ppg in those games and even though the Bills defense has been great, this is not the spot for that to continue. Denver is 13-4 to the over in its last 17 games against teams with a winning record while going 16-4 to the over in its last 20 games after playing its last game on the road. Meanwhile, Buffalo is 6-0 to the over in its last six road games following one or more consecutive wins with an average scoring being 57.5 ppg in those games. This includes 66 points being scored with the Jets after a win over Minnesota earlier this season. 10* Over (169) Buffalo Bills/(170) Denver Broncos

This is a horrible spot for St. Louis. The Rams defeated Denver at home, battled San Diego on the road in a tight loss and then pummeled the Raiders last week. Now they hit the road again against a team they could care less in playing with a home game against rival Arizona on deck. And they are favored on top of it. You have to go all the way back to 2010 to find the last time they were road favorites and this season, they are 0-4 when coming off a win. The Redskins are back home following a stretch of four road games over their last five and they only won once in this span, an overtime win at Dallas. Clearly Washington is not playing well but at 3-9, they are actually better than that record. They have outgained opponents by 26.2 ypg and along with New Orleans, are the only teams in the NFL with losing records that are outgaining opponents. The difference obviously is turnovers where they are -7 but the Rams are not great in that category either at just +2. Here, we play against favorites with a winning percentage between .400 and .499 after three or more consecutive wins against the spread, playing a losing team. This situation is 39-15 ATS (72.2 percent) since 1983. 10* (166) Washington Redskins

After going over the total in seven of the first eight weeks, Thursday nights have flipped the switch as four of the last five Thursday primetime games have stayed below the total. We are going against the recent run tonight as we waited on this until weather conditions were confirmed and it is going to be a good night in Chicago. We played on the Dallas under last Thursday which brought it to 4-2-1 to the under at home but the road has been a different story. Not only are the Cowboys winning on the road with a 5-0 record but the last four games on the highway have gone over the total and it has been the offense that has triggered that by scoring 34, 30, 31 and 31 points and after a horrible showing last week against the Eagles, I expect that offense to bounce back against a horrendous Bears defense. Chicago went over the total last Thursday in Detroit and while its last three home games have stayed under, this is easily the best offense it has seen at home over this stretch. Dallas is 10-2 to the over in its last 12 games after a loss by 14 or more points as a home favorite while the Bears are 10-4 to the over in their last 14 games after a loss by 14 or more points. Additionally, the over is 5-0 in the Cowboys last five games after allowing more than 350 total yards in their previous game and the over is 6-0 in the Bears last six games against teams with a winning record. 10* Over (101) Dallas Cowboys/(102) Chicago Bears

Miami is coming off a hard fought loss in Denver last Sunday and now it goes from close to a touchdown road underdog to a touchdown road favorite. The Dolphins need to win this game to keep pace in the AFC playoffs and that is being reflected in this line as we are getting a great amount of value on the home team that is playing for nothing but spoiler. The Dolphins blew an 11-point fourth quarter lead in Denver and that was the team's first loss after entering the fourth with a lead of more than 10 points in 14 years so regrouping from that is a big task. The Jets are coming off a horrible performance in Detroit last Monday against Buffalo and the public has taken notice with Miami being the big betting favorite tonight. The return of Geno Smith at quarterback is an edge as the Miami secondary unit is weakened with the loss of cornerbacks Jamar Taylor and Cortland Finnegan, with rookie Walt Aikens likely to replace one of them in the starting lineup. On the other side, the New York defense is ranked seventh in the NFL and should be able to contain 18th ranked Dolphins offense. Here, we play on home teams after scoring nine points or less last game going up against an opponent after scoring 30 points or more last game. This situation is 51-22 ATS (69.9 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Additionally, the Jets are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game while the Dolphins are 1-5 ATS in their last six games after scoring more than 30 points in their previous game. 10* (476) New York Jets

Tampa Bay lost in Chicago last week and it now heads home trying to become the final team in the league to win at home as it is 0-5. The Buccaneers have been playing pretty good of late even though the record may not show it as despite being 1-3 in their last four games, the Buccaneers have outgained all four of those opponents. Three of those were no the road and while winless at home, Tampa Bay has lost three of the five home games by one possession including one in overtime. The Bengals have a half-game lead in the AFC North following two straight wins, both of which came on the road so this is their third straight road contest with Pittsburgh on deck, putting them in an awful spot this week. Cincinnati was getting three points at Houston and is now the betting favorite and a big public favorite as well. Here, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage below .250 after failing to cover the spread in two out of their last three games, playing a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. This situation is 50-20 ATS (71.4 percent) since 1983. The Buccaneers can easily take this one outright but we will gladly accept the points and even better, a spread that is above a key number. 10* (462) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While we like Tampa Bay to win its first home game of the season, we like it getting done in a high scoring game. Again, this is the Bengals third straight road game and that can have a negative impact on the defense which is what happened to the Buccaneers earlier in the season when playing their third straight road game. Additionally, we are getting value based on the recent history of both sides as Cincinnati has gone under in three straight games while Tampa Bay has gone under in five straight games. The Buccaneers offense has been pretty bad for the most part but this is one of those games where they can bust out, similar to what Cleveland did in Atlanta last week. The over is 3-1-1 in the Bengals last five games after allowing less than 250 total yards in their previous game while the over is 4-1 in the Buccaneers last five games against teams with a winning record. Cincinnati also have a fantastic situation favoring a high scoring games as we play the over involving a team after going under the total by more than seven points in three consecutive games. This situation is 23-4 (85.2 percent) over the last five seasons. Going against the recent runs gives us the contrarian angles and also helps us with the number. 10* Over (461) Cincinnati Bengals/(462) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New Orleans is arguably the most disappointing team in the league as it is 4-7 but because of the poor play of the entire division, it is still tied for first place. The Saints are still on the positive side in scoring differential and they have been outgained only three times all season while overall, they are outgaining opponents by 56.5 ppg,. The reason the record is so bad is because of turnovers as they have won the turnover differential only once all season. They don't have to worry much here though as the Steelers have been nearly as bad in that department as they have won the turnover battle only four times. Pittsburgh is just a half-game out in the AFC North so this game is big for them too but this line is inflated due to the three recent losses for the Saints, all coming at home, and their known struggles on the road. Despite a 1-4 record on the road, three of those losses have been by three points or less. The Steelers are just 1-4 ATS in their last five games against losing teams while New Orleans is 21-9 ATS in its last 30 games against teams averaging 24 or more ppg. While this is considered a must win for both sides, the Steelers have Cincinnati on deck next week presenting the possibility of a divisional lookahead game. 10* (465) New Orleans Saints

The Eagles and Cowboys were both involved in high scoring games this past Sunday and we are getting some excellent value in the total because of it. It was the fourth straight over for Philadelphia as the offense put up the second most amount of points this season with both of those high output games coming at home. The Eagles are averaging 36.7 ppg at home which is the second most in the league but that average drops to 24.4 ppg on the road which is a significant dropoff. Dallas' defense has been pretty consistent both on the road and at home but and they have allowed more than 21 points at home only twice. The Cowboys have gone over the total in two straight games but those were away from home where they have gone over in three straight games. Both teams fall into great situations. First, we play the under involving home teams after scoring 25 points or more in two straight games going up against an opponent after scoring 24 points or more in the first half last game. This situation is 35-12 (74.5 percent) to the under since 1983. Second, we play the under involving road teams where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5 after going over the total by 42 or more points total in their last five games, versus division opponents. This situation is 24-6 (80 percent) to the under since 1983. 10* Under (307) Philadelphia Eagles/(308) Dallas Cowboys

The Lions return home following a two-game roadtrip where they lost both games while scoring a grand total of 15 points. They have now gone under the total in four straight games and nine of their last 10 but Thursday presents a great opportunity for a high scoring game based on situation and opponent. Detroit is coking off its worst defensive performance of the season as it allowed 34 points and 439 total yards against the Patriots. Chicago is also coming off a low scoring game, its second straight under but those games were both at home. The Bears have gone over the total in five of their six road games this season while allowing 55 and 51 points in their two most recent road outings. That should certainly help a Detroit offense that is stuck in neutral to move forward starting on Thursday. The Bears have gone over the total in their last seven road games following one or more consecutive wins and Detroit has a great situational angle on its side. We play the over in the second half of the season involving teams that are between + and - 3 ppg in scoring differential going up against teams that are between -3 and -7 ppg in scoring differential, after scoring seven points or less in the first half in two straight games. This situation is 62-28 (68.9 percent)to the over since 1983. 10* Over (305) Chicago Bears/(306) Detroit Lions

The NFC South continued its disappointing season Sunday with first place Atlanta losing at home against Cleveland which put New Orleans back on the top spot by a half-game despite being two games under .500. The Saints have lost two straight games at home which is certainly a rarity and they have never lost three straight home games under head coach Sean Payton. If there is any team that can bounce back from that, it is the Saints as they love the spotlight by winning 14 straight primetime games at home including the playoffs by close to 20 ppg. In his last six Monday Night Football games at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, all victories, Saints quarterback Drew Brees has completed nearly 75 percent of his passes and thrown 23 touchdowns with just two interceptions. The Ravens were off last week which gave them time to heal some injuries but they are still pretty banged up, especially in the secondary which is not a good thing. They are coming off a win over Tennessee and they will need to win to keep pace in the division but Baltimore is just 1-3 in its last four road games with the lone victory coming against Tampa Bay. Despite being just 4-5 over the last nine games, New Orleans has won the yardage battle in seven of those and they are outgaining opponents by 54.6 ypg which is fifth best in the NFL. Teams on three-game homestands can be in good positions depending on the outcome of the first two games and that is the case here as home teams that are coming off consecutive losses at home are 18-5 ATS. 10* (278) New Orleans Saints

While the term 'must win' gets thrown around a lot in the NFL circles, that phrase holds true for Seattle this coming Sunday. Following their loss at Kansas City last week, Seattle is just 3-3 over its last six games to fall to 6-4 on the season which is three games behind Arizona in the NFC West. A loss here and their chances of a divisional title are gone and even a Wild Card spot would be dim. The Seahawks face the toughest remaining schedule in the NFL but they still have five divisional games remaining so they can help control their own density. Seattle has not forgotten about Arizona coming in here last year and winning. The Cardinals are on a six-game winning streak and have covered all of those games as well so we are getting a lot of value based on that and their overall 9-1 record. They defeated Detroit last week with Drew Stanton starting at quarterback but now on the road in the toughest environment in football will cause him some struggles. We have two awesome situations on our side. First, we play against road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points that are averaging between 70 and 95 ypg rushing going up against teams allowing between 70 and 95 ypg rushing. This situation is 33-7 ATS (82.5 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Second, we play against road teams coming off a win as a home underdog, with a winning record on the season playing another winning team. This situation is 55-24 ATS (69.6 percent) since 1983. Additionally, Seattle is 8-0 ATS its last eight games as a home favorite of seven points or less. 10* (268) Seattle Seahawks *DIVISIONAL GAME OF THE YEAR*

The Chargers were able to snap their three-game losing streak last week against Oakland but they did not look particularly good in doing so. They won by just a touchdown and outgained Oakland by only 67 total yards and the non-cover made it five straight losses against the number. That does nothing but help us this week as San Diego is laying a shorter than expected number. The Chargers are 6-4 but because of the Denver loss last week, they are just a game out in the AFC West. That Broncos loss came compliments of St. Louis who has put together some good games against some very good teams but the problem is that the Rams cannot put together a winning streak. They have lost all three games following their previous wins this season and losing all three against the number as well. The last two follow up games have been on the road and they lost by 27 and 17 points and despite a 3-2 record over the last five games, the Rams were outgained in all five of those contests. Going back, the Rams are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games following a ATS win while going 16-35 ATS in their last 51 road games against teams with a winning home record. San Diego is 9-2 ATS in its last 11 games after scoring less than 15 points in its previous game and has a great situation in its side as we play against road underdogs or pickems that are coming off a win by 14 or more points as a home underdog. This situation is 74-39 ATS (65.5 percent) since 1983. 10* (270) San Diego Chargers *SUPREME ANNIHILATOR*

The Lions lost a tough one in Arizona last Sunday as they lost by eight points, snapping their four-game winning streak. While it is well known they are not a great outdoor team, the value here is too good to pass up especially when they possess the best defense in the NFL. Detroit closed as a one-point favorite in Arizona and now it is a touchdown underdog so the linesmakers are saying there is an eight-point differential between the Cardinals and Patriots and that is simply not the case. A big reason that the line is as big as it is here is due to the recent play of the Patriots. They have won six straight games since that debacle in Kansas City, covering five of those, and of those six games, three were high profile games including the last two against Denver and Indianapolis and that is surely what the public remembers, thus the need for a line adjustment higher than it should be. The Lions fall into two solid angles here. First, we play against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points in the second half of the season in a game involving two teams with a yppl differential of +/- 0.4, after outgaining opponent by 150 or more total yards in their previous game. This situation is 31-8 ATS (79.5 percent) since 1983. Second, we play on underdogs or pickems that are averaging between 18 and 23 ppg going up against teams averaging 27 or more ppg, after scoring nine points or less last game. This situation is 38-15 ATS (71.7 percent) since 1983. Additionally, the Lions are 4-0 ATS in their last four games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game. 10* (255) Detroit Lions *ENFORCER*

The Vikings were unable to continue their winning streak after their bye week as it came to an end in Chicago at two games. They head back home to take on Green Bay and will be out to seek some revenge from their 42-10 beatdown earlier this season. Minnesota is 2-2 at home and this is the start of a three-game homestand which is typically a good scenario for teams and I think that will be the case for Minnesota despite playing one of the hottest teams in the NFL. The Packers are coming off dominating performances in consecutive weeks against the Bears and Eagles as they scored 55 and 53 points respectively. The game against Chicago was over before it started but the game last week was not nearly as bad as the score indicated. Green Bay scored three touchdowns via defense and special teams and no team is going to be able to recover from that. It is obviously imperative for the Vikings to take care of the ball and they have been able to do so of late as they have just three turnovers in their last four games compared to 10 turnovers in their first six games. Minnesota falls into a great contrarian situation as we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after covering the spread in five or six out of their last seven games, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 74-37 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1983. Additionally, Minnesota is 7-0 ATS in its last seven home games against teams averaging 24 or more ppg in the second half of the season. 10* (258) Minnesota Vikings *ULTIMATE UNDERDOG*

We are going with a great probability dynamic here as we are catching two teams on current totals streaks that are very uncommon. With the days of scoring in the NFL at an all time high, it is rare to find two teams involved in so many low scoring games but that is the case here with the Browns and Falcons. Cleveland has gone under the total in six straight games while Atlanta has gone under the total in six straight games as well. The most shocking thing about this is the overall body of work of the two sides. Atlanta is ranked dead last in the NFL in total defense and are 10th in total offense which would normally lead to high scoring games which obviously has not been the case. Cleveland's splits are not as extreme but they are still shaded the same way as the Browns defense is ranked 22nd in the NFL while their offense is ranked 14th. The reasoning for the lower scores has been turnovers which has taken away scoring chances on offense and prevented them on defense. This is a big anomaly and one that we can take advantage of when putting the two together as we are getting value in the number based on the current totals runs. Atlanta is much higher scoring team at home and this is their first home games since October 12th as they have played three road games as well as a game in London. Cleveland has had two low scoring road games during the run but prior to that, the first two road games went over with scores of 57 points in each. We get back to that this week. 10* Over (251) Cleveland Browns/(252) Atlanta Falcons *TOTAL OF THE MONTH*

With Kansas City's win over Seattle coupled with the Broncos loss to the Rams, the Chiefs are tied for first place with Denver in the AFC West. It was the fifth straight win and cover fro the Chiefs but you have to wonder how this team keeps winning. They are outgaining opponents by just 2.0 ypg on the season and they have been outgained in three straight games heading into Thursday night. That all leads to them being extremely overvalued this week and making matters worse, they have a home date with the Broncos next week. The Raiders are 0-10, have not won a game since November of last season and have dropped 16 straight games going back to that last victory over Houston. While Oakland does have its own problems, the fact that its last nine games have come against winning teams has not done it any favors. And while there have been blowouts, the Raiders have played a lot of teams tough, justified by their 5-5 record against the number. While there are some notable games left on the schedule, it is safe to say this is their Super Bowl similar to the Titans on Monday night in a nationally televised game. Oakland is 4-1 ATS this season when getting a touchdown or more and playing winless teams in the second half of the season in divisional games has been very lucrative over the last several years. Additionally, we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after covering the spread in five or six out of their last seven games, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 74-37 ATS (66.7 percent) since 1983. 10* (110) Oakland Raiders

Home underdogs have not been a good proposition on Monday night football of late as the last three hosts getting points have lost and failed to cover (Giants, Rams and Redskins) and we are given another opportunity tonight to buck the public. As of Monday morning, close to 30,000 bets have been placed with nearly 90 percent of the action hitting the Pittsburgh side. This is a rare Monday night game for Tennessee and while it has struggled, this is the one game where you know we will see its best efforts. The Steelers loss last week against the Jets was a surprise to many but not on this end with Pittsburgh coming off a three-game homestand and its historical play in the situation at hand. With that defeat, the Steelers are 0-7 against teams with losing records at least two games under .500 with the combined records of opponents being 9-36. The Steelers defense is in shambles right now. Not only is it 18th in scoring defense and 14th in total defense which by the way are the highest they have been ranked in those categories since 1991, but they are riddled with injuries. Troy Polamalu and Ryan Shazier are already declared out with many others on the fence. On the other side, other than a 37-point outburst at Carolina, Pittsburgh has scored three offensive touchdowns in its four other road games. Here we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points in the second half of the season after failing to cover the spread in two out of their last three games with a winning percentage of .250 or worse, playing a team with a winning record. This situation is 49-20 ATS (71 percent) since 1983. 10* (476) Tennessee Titans

It is no secret that the Bears have struggled but the schedulemakers have done them no favors. How's this for a start? Home game, two road games, home game, two road games, home game, two road games. This Sunday begins a stretch of five home games over their next six so if this season is to turn around, it has to start this week and with so many home games on a tap, angry fans will not be pleasant going forward. Chicago's last two games have come against the Patriots and Packers and it was humiliated in both games after allowing 51 and 55 points respectively. With the last one taking place on National Television last week, the Bears will be out to bounce back from that embarrassment which everyone witnessed. The Vikings are coming off their bye week following two straight wins and at 4-5 through nine games, they are just one win shy of their win total from all of last season. This is not a good spot for Minnesota though as it is catching the wrong team at the wrong time. Here, we play on teams after being beaten by the spread by 49 or more points total in their last five games, in conference games. This situation is 81-44 ATS (64.8 percent) over the last 10 seasons. Minnesota is 3-13 ATS in its last 16 road games off a home win by three points or less while Chicago is 13-4 ATS in its last 17 games off two consecutive road losses. Additionally, the Bears are 8-0 ATS in their last eight home games after two consecutive games with a turnover margin of -2 or worse. 10* (454) Chicago Bears

Following its upset last Thursday in Cincinnati, Cleveland is in first place in the AFC North for the first time in November since 1994. The Browns were on a 0-17 run in road divisional games prior to last week as you have to go all the way back to the beginning of the 2008 season to find the last time they won on the AFC North highway. Can you say letdown with the lowly Texans coming to town this Sunday? Cleveland is a surprise to many but the jury is still out on how good this team really is considering the fact it has played the easiest schedule in the NFL and has been fortunate by winning or tying the turnover margin in all but one game. Houston is coming off its bye week which was a perfect time to make a quarterback change which it did as Ryan Mallet takes over for Ryan Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick was far from horrible as he had a decent 8.1 quarterback rating, just below Russell Wilson and Ryan Tannehill and just above Matthew Stafford. Current head coach Bill O'Brien was Mallet's offensive coordinator when he was a rookie in New England so he definitely sees something positive in making this move. Here, we play on road teams where the line is +3 to -3 after having lost 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games, in November games. This situation is 49-21 ATS (70 percent) since 1983. Additionally, the Browns are 0-4 ATS in their last four games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game. 10* (451) Houston Texans

This is the first time this season that Seattle is listed as an underdog and it comes at an excellent time. The Seahawks went through a bit of a funk as they lost two straight games against Dallas and St. Louis and then narrowly slipped past Carolina and Oakland but they have won three straight games and are starting to get some of that swagger back. After the Giants put up a fight in the first half last week, Seattle ran away with the game in the second half so it comes in with some momentum. While it is the first time this season, it is just the fifth time in the last 38 games that Seattle has been getting points and it covered all four of those previous instances. The Chiefs are hot with a four-game winning streak while having covered all of those games as well. That is the biggest factor in making them the favorite here but while it is justified based on power ratings, I don't think it is justified based on the stats. Kansas City is outgaining opponents by just over 10 ypg and it has been outgained in its last two games. While the home edge is big because of the noise, Seattle is no stranger to noise and with Arizona and San Francisco on deck in four of their next five games, this is a must win for the Seahawks. Seattle is 10-2 ATS in its last 12 games off a home win and 15-4 ATS in its last 19 games after gaining 6.0 or more yppl last game and that is where that momentum really comes into play. The Chiefs are 1-4 ATS in their last five home games against teams with a winning road record. 10* (457) Seattle Seahawks

The public has been absolutely killing it with the NFL Primetime overs as they have gone a combined 24-7 on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights. While that would normally steer me to the under for this Thursday game based on percentages alone, the last two Thursday games have actually gone under the number so there is no value going that way. The value I feel is actually going the other way with both Buffalo and Miami coming off low scoring games this past week and now having to play on a short week, which can typically be a detriment to the defense. Buffalo lost to Kansas City and only 30 total points were scored which came after their game against the Jets where 66 total points were put up. Prior to that, the Bills and Vikings only scored 33 points after Buffalo put up 59 total points with the Patriots. This goes to show how one game style does not necessarily feed into the next. It can be argued that the Dolphins have had that happen based on four straight games that have gone under the total. But I think that has had a lot to do with the opponent and how the game played out. Miami has averaged 30.6 ppg in its previous five games before last week where they scored 16 points but facing the best defense in the NFL in the Lions can do that. The Over is 10-4-1 in the Bills last 15 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game and Miami falls into a great situation where we play on the over where the total is between 35.5 and 42 points involving teams off 1 or more consecutive unders and outscoring opponents +3 to +7 ppg going up against teams with a +/- 3 ppg differential. This situation is 29-8 (78.4 percent) to the over the last 10 seasons. 10* Over (309) Buffalo Bills/(310) Miami Dolphins

With the Saints losing on Sunday, Carolina knows that a win here has it right back in first place in the NFC South, the only division in football without a team with a winning record. The Panthers have struggled of late with a 0-3-1 record over their last four games but the schedule has been rigid. They have faced the Bengals on the road and then followed that up with games against Green Bay, Seattle and New Orleans. Philadelphia is no slouch certainly but it is far from full strength now with quarterback Nick Foles out of the lineup for at least the remainder of the regular season. He has done an awesome job in leading the Eagles high powered offense which currently is averaging 29.3 ppg and 409.3 ypg, respectively 5th and 4th in the NFL. Now they have to move forward with Mark Sanchez who looked good at times last week against Houston when he came in but this is still a backup quarterback we are talking about. This is a good thing for the Panthers whose defense has regressed since finishing second in both total defense and scoring defense a season ago. On the other side, the Eagles defense is very average which will give Carolina a great opportunity to bounce back from its recent struggles. The Panthers are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game. The Panthers also fall into a great contrarian situation based on the scoring as we play on underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points after scoring 14 points or less in two straight games. This situation is 33-10 ATS (76.7 percent) over the last five seasons. 10* (273) Carolina Panthers

The under last Sunday night was looking good through three quarters with just 32 points on the board but then Baltimore and Pittsburgh erupted for 34 points in the final quarter to push another Sunday night game over the total and make bookmakers across the world cringe once again. That is because the over is now an uncanny 8-1 on Sunday nights and overall in all primetime games, 22 of 28 games have gone over the number. The public continues to ride this trend which will come crashing down eventually and all the linesmakers can to is keep raising the number. The first meeting this season between Chicago and Green Bay closed at 51 so we are seeing close to a field goal more this time around. Some of that is due to the recent primetime scoring as well as the trends between these two teams. While the Bears went over the total in their last game prior to their bye, the Packers went over the total in their last five games prior to their bye and on the season, they are 7-1 to the over. It is a safe bet the over is going to be hammered again this week so the best bet is to wait until closer to game time as we should see it go up even more barring any weather issues which does not look to be the case as of now. Chicago is 18-7 to the under in its last 25 games after allowing 375 or more total yards in two consecutive games while going 9-1 to the under in its last 10 road games after being outgained by 100 or more yards two consecutive games. Green Bay fall into a situation where we play the under where the total is greater than or equal to 49.5 after going over the total by 21 or more points total in their last three games, in weeks 10 through 13. This situation is 40-13 (75.5 percent) to the under since 1983. 10* Under (271) Chicago Bears/(272) Green Bay Packers

The Jets were one of our big plays last week and they were a couple plays of not only covering but having a chance to pull off the outright upset. They are a team that has been doing nothing but hurting themselves as mistakes has been the biggest cause of their eight-game losing streak. New York has outgained each of its last three opponents but obviously has no wins to show for it and the real kicker is that on the season, the Jets are actually outgaining opponents by 4.8 ypg. You will not find many teams in the history of this league that are 1-8 but outgaining their opponents. The Steelers are the biggest consensus pick of the week which come as no surprise with the Jets problems as well as the fact Pittsburgh is now on a three-game winning streak. All of those came at home and you could not have asked for better situations in any of those. Coming off a three-game homestand has been a disaster for a lot of teams as they lose more than they win and this situation is even better considering the Steelers are facing a team that is 1-8 and not from their division. The Jets have two fantastic situations backing them as well. First, we play on home underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points with a winning percentage of .250 or worse after failing to cover the spread in two out of their last three games, playing a team with a winning record in the second half of the season. This situation is 48-20 ATS (70.6 percent) since 1983. Next, we play against road teams with a winning percentage between .600 and .750 after covering the spread in five or six out of their last seven games, playing a team with a losing record. This situation is 73-37 ATS (66.4 percent) since 1983. 10* (262) New York Jets

The Dolphins have quietly won three straight games but there was nothing quiet last week with their 37-0 trouncing of the Chargers and that of course is what the public remembers. The winning streak could feasibly be five games right now has Miami not lost in the final seconds at home against Green Bay but nonetheless it is just a game and a half behind the Patriots in the AFC East and already with a victory over New England. While the Dolphins have been exceptional on the road the last few years, they head into Detroit in a very unfavorable spot. The Lions are also riding a three-game winning streak and coming off their bye week following their come-from-behind win over Atlanta in London two weeks ago. It is a well known fact that winning teams across the pond have struggled in their first game back but the situations have been different. Detroit has back-to-back road games at Arizona and New England on deck so it knows it needs to take care of business at home plus the Lions are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games following a bye week. Detroit was favored by 1.5 points over the Saints in their last home game and to be favored by not much more here is surprising. The Dolphins are 1-14 ATS in their last 15 games after a game with a turnover margin of +4 or better and they fall into a negative situation where we play against road teams after a win by 21 or more points going up against an opponent after scoring three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 36-12 ATS (75 percent) over the last 10 seasons. 10* (254) Detroit Lions

While Atlanta was able to cover the total on its own in the first matchup, we likely will not be seeing that again here but I think the Falcons can get something going on that side of the ball after not doing much of late. After averaging 32.8 ppg through their first four games, the Falcons have averaged a mere 15.3 ppg over their last four games so it should come as no surprise that all four of these recent games have stayed under the number. Having a bye week was huge as the offensive line was severely banged up and while still not 100 percent, they are definitely in better shape now. The Falcons defense has done its part to try and get over the total as it has allowed 27 ppg over this four-game stretch which is great news for the Buccaneers which have been stuck in neutral most of the season. Tampa Bay is second to last in points scored in the league but it has faced some good defenses along the way. That changes here as Atlanta has the worst total defense in the NFL and fourth worst scoring defense. Tampa Bay has stayed under the total in its last two games which again adds to the value this week. Tampa Bay is 19-8 to the over in its last 27 games after scoring 17 points or less in three straight games while the over is 8-3 in the Falcons last 11 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. Also, we play the over where the total is between 42.5 and 49 points involving road teams that are averaging 24 or more ppg, after allowing three points or less in the first half last game. This situation is 40-13 (75.5 percent) to the over the last five seasons. 10* Over (263) Atlanta Falcons/(264) Tampa Bay Buccaneers