Services for SUnday 1/13
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THE SPORTS MEMO
New York +7.5 at Dallas O/U 47
Recommendation: New York
In perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the weekend these very familiar
divisional rivals square off for a spot in the NFC Championship game.
The Cowboys made easy work of their schedule as Tony Romo guided
a brilliant offense that featured two strong running backs (Jones and
Barber) the NFC?s best WR (Owens) and maybe the best TE in football
(Witten). Their massive offensive line took over late in games and the
Cowboys, despite having the NFC?s highest scoring offense at 28.5 ppg
could play ball control when needed. The defense has looked somewhat
suspect, particularly in the secondary, but a good pass rush has masked
those issues at times this season. Big D looked almost untouchable early
in the year while covering in seven of their first nine games including two
double digit wins over this same Giants team (8-1 SU). But they stumbled
toward the end of the year losing four straight against the number and
are banged up with both Romo and TO missing practice time. The Giants
overcame a devastating collapse against New England and a terrible
first quarter in which they failed to gain a single net yard of offense to
post an impressive win in Tampa in the Wild Card round. They are playing
their best football of the season at just the right time. Eli Manning
has been rock solid, the running game has had contributions from Jacobs
and Bradshaw, the offensive line has protected, the receivers finally held
on to the ball and the pass rush from speed-ends like Strahan, Tuck and
company has been phenomenal. We still don?t trust Eli or coach Coughlin
completely here in the playoffs but their strong road record (now 8-1 ATS)
cannot be ignored. They will likely lose again but we?ll call for this one to
be closer the third time around. Take the touchdown-plus with the Giants.
San Diego at Indianapolis -8.5 O/U 47.5
Recommendation: Indianapolis
The Chargers are feeling great heading into Indy this week, and why not?
They finally won a home playoff game despite losing Antonio Gates during
the first half, they blanked the Titans in the second half outgaining
them by nearly 200 yards, and they have now won seven straight both
straight up and against the number. The defense, which finished first in
the league in takeaways has been flying to the ball and pressuring QBs
into bad decisions, allowing no more than 17 points during this stretch
run. And who can forget the performance they had right before this seven
game run when they picked off Peyton Manning six times? Not this
confident bunch from the West Coast, not the Colts, and certainly not
Peyton Manning. Indy will be out for redemption after blowing a chance
to win that game despite the turnovers and this will be the perfect spot.
For as much as they struggled early in that game the offense and defense
easily outplayed the Chargers. In fact, San Diego was outgained by
over 200 yards and scored just 10 points offensively despite good field
position nearly all game. Aside from two kick return TDs from Darren
Sproles the Chargers rarely looked like a threat to score. And it wasn?t
some fluke, no, the Colts finished with the NFL?s number one ranked
scoring defense at just 16.4 points per game. We?ll side with the reigning
Super Bowl Champs at home with a bit of a revenge factor against a team
that has struggled on the road this year and whose offense has been
spotty at best. Chargers simply can?t keep pace this week, take Indy.
New York +7.5 at Dallas O/U 47
Recommendation: New York
In perhaps the most intriguing matchup of the weekend these very familiar
divisional rivals square off for a spot in the NFC Championship game.
The Cowboys made easy work of their schedule as Tony Romo guided
a brilliant offense that featured two strong running backs (Jones and
Barber) the NFC?s best WR (Owens) and maybe the best TE in football
(Witten). Their massive offensive line took over late in games and the
Cowboys, despite having the NFC?s highest scoring offense at 28.5 ppg
could play ball control when needed. The defense has looked somewhat
suspect, particularly in the secondary, but a good pass rush has masked
those issues at times this season. Big D looked almost untouchable early
in the year while covering in seven of their first nine games including two
double digit wins over this same Giants team (8-1 SU). But they stumbled
toward the end of the year losing four straight against the number and
are banged up with both Romo and TO missing practice time. The Giants
overcame a devastating collapse against New England and a terrible
first quarter in which they failed to gain a single net yard of offense to
post an impressive win in Tampa in the Wild Card round. They are playing
their best football of the season at just the right time. Eli Manning
has been rock solid, the running game has had contributions from Jacobs
and Bradshaw, the offensive line has protected, the receivers finally held
on to the ball and the pass rush from speed-ends like Strahan, Tuck and
company has been phenomenal. We still don?t trust Eli or coach Coughlin
completely here in the playoffs but their strong road record (now 8-1 ATS)
cannot be ignored. They will likely lose again but we?ll call for this one to
be closer the third time around. Take the touchdown-plus with the Giants.
San Diego at Indianapolis -8.5 O/U 47.5
Recommendation: Indianapolis
The Chargers are feeling great heading into Indy this week, and why not?
They finally won a home playoff game despite losing Antonio Gates during
the first half, they blanked the Titans in the second half outgaining
them by nearly 200 yards, and they have now won seven straight both
straight up and against the number. The defense, which finished first in
the league in takeaways has been flying to the ball and pressuring QBs
into bad decisions, allowing no more than 17 points during this stretch
run. And who can forget the performance they had right before this seven
game run when they picked off Peyton Manning six times? Not this
confident bunch from the West Coast, not the Colts, and certainly not
Peyton Manning. Indy will be out for redemption after blowing a chance
to win that game despite the turnovers and this will be the perfect spot.
For as much as they struggled early in that game the offense and defense
easily outplayed the Chargers. In fact, San Diego was outgained by
over 200 yards and scored just 10 points offensively despite good field
position nearly all game. Aside from two kick return TDs from Darren
Sproles the Chargers rarely looked like a threat to score. And it wasn?t
some fluke, no, the Colts finished with the NFL?s number one ranked
scoring defense at just 16.4 points per game. We?ll side with the reigning
Super Bowl Champs at home with a bit of a revenge factor against a team
that has struggled on the road this year and whose offense has been
spotty at best. Chargers simply can?t keep pace this week, take Indy.
Sports Marketwatch ? NFL Week 19 ? NFL Playoffs
NFL Playoffs- Games to Watch
The NFL Playoffs are a totally different animal than the NFL Regular season. The amount of ?Public? square bets skyrockets. The culmination of this trend is the Super Bowl, the most wagered sporting event of the year. Everyone, and their mother, wagers on the Super Bowl. From the casual ?box-office-pool? ? to the professional sports bettor ? to the Superbowl commercials: everyone has some interest in the Superbowl.
For value-minded sports investors, this massive influx of ?Public? money means opportunity. During the NFL Playoffs, odds makers heavily weigh Public opinion when deciding on a game?s betting line. They?ll shade a line 2-3 pts knowing that the Public will be heavily on one side. ?Public Money? dwarfs the amount of ?Sharp Money? buying back the shaded lines.
New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys
The Giants are collecting 70% of the bets placed on this game, based mainly on their strong performances over the past few weeks. Last week, Eli Manning looked solid in the Giants? 24-14 over a good Tampa Bay squad. This followed a huge showing versus the Patriots, even in defeat. That game, which was a heavily-watched nationally-televised media event, earned the Giants many believers.
On the other hand, the Dallas Cowboy juggernaut seems to have slowed down near the end of the season. There are a lot of Cowboy question marks, including Romo?s thumb and TO?s ankle. We feel, however, that the Giants have question marks of their own: particularly Eli Manning?s historic inconsistency. Based on this information, our readers know that we see this as a good contrarian play: buying Dallas at a ?low? and selling the Giants at a ?high.?
Our oddsmaker contacts at the sportsbooks agree. The line opened at Dallas -7.5 and has stubbornly stayed at that level. The linesmakers tell us that heavy public betting on the Giants is balancing ?sharp money? on the Cowboys. With the increased betting interest during the NFL playoffs, however, we may see public money pushing the line down to Dallas -7 across the board. We already see Dallas -7 at the Greek.
Dallas Cowboys -7
NFL Playoffs- Games to Watch
The NFL Playoffs are a totally different animal than the NFL Regular season. The amount of ?Public? square bets skyrockets. The culmination of this trend is the Super Bowl, the most wagered sporting event of the year. Everyone, and their mother, wagers on the Super Bowl. From the casual ?box-office-pool? ? to the professional sports bettor ? to the Superbowl commercials: everyone has some interest in the Superbowl.
For value-minded sports investors, this massive influx of ?Public? money means opportunity. During the NFL Playoffs, odds makers heavily weigh Public opinion when deciding on a game?s betting line. They?ll shade a line 2-3 pts knowing that the Public will be heavily on one side. ?Public Money? dwarfs the amount of ?Sharp Money? buying back the shaded lines.
New York Giants vs Dallas Cowboys
The Giants are collecting 70% of the bets placed on this game, based mainly on their strong performances over the past few weeks. Last week, Eli Manning looked solid in the Giants? 24-14 over a good Tampa Bay squad. This followed a huge showing versus the Patriots, even in defeat. That game, which was a heavily-watched nationally-televised media event, earned the Giants many believers.
On the other hand, the Dallas Cowboy juggernaut seems to have slowed down near the end of the season. There are a lot of Cowboy question marks, including Romo?s thumb and TO?s ankle. We feel, however, that the Giants have question marks of their own: particularly Eli Manning?s historic inconsistency. Based on this information, our readers know that we see this as a good contrarian play: buying Dallas at a ?low? and selling the Giants at a ?high.?
Our oddsmaker contacts at the sportsbooks agree. The line opened at Dallas -7.5 and has stubbornly stayed at that level. The linesmakers tell us that heavy public betting on the Giants is balancing ?sharp money? on the Cowboys. With the increased betting interest during the NFL playoffs, however, we may see public money pushing the line down to Dallas -7 across the board. We already see Dallas -7 at the Greek.
Dallas Cowboys -7
Wild Bill
Chargers +8 1/2 (1 unit) Revenge factor in this tilt and a rested and healthier Colts squad. Chargers finally got the monkey off their back so to speak last week vs a struggling Titan offense. Colts minus Freeney, however they have back Harrison and Peyton loves revenge situations. Home field will be a factor and putting a grass team on turf on the road gives the Colts a slight edge at home. Chargers are 2-0 last 2 straight up and ATS vs the Colts however Colts at home in the post-season not exactly stellar and Vinatieri has had a rough year this year as compared to years past. Colts 27 Chargers 24
Over 46 Dallas-Giants (5 units) Rested Cowboys have won last two in series by 10 1/2 points and totals of 51 & 80 points respectively both on the road and at home. Chips are on the line for both teams to advance to the NFC Title game and Dallas is concentrating solely on the Giants in this one. Romo wants revenge for losing on the road to Seattle last year. TO should be back for this game as is Terry Glenn. Dallas 34 Giants 24
Dallas -7 1/2 (2 units) Home field advantage? Dallas has had it vs the Giants this year thus far. Giants defense will get riddled by short passes to Witten and other TE's for Cowboys and TO should bust out. Other factors will be special teams and RBs Jones & Barber should do much better at home than the Buccaneers runners did last week. Eli is overdue for a huge turnover output! Dallas 34 Giants 24
6 1/2 pt teaser: (2 units) Patriots -6 1/2, Packers -1 1/2, over 39 1/2 Dallas-NYG, Dallas -1
Chargers +8 1/2 (1 unit) Revenge factor in this tilt and a rested and healthier Colts squad. Chargers finally got the monkey off their back so to speak last week vs a struggling Titan offense. Colts minus Freeney, however they have back Harrison and Peyton loves revenge situations. Home field will be a factor and putting a grass team on turf on the road gives the Colts a slight edge at home. Chargers are 2-0 last 2 straight up and ATS vs the Colts however Colts at home in the post-season not exactly stellar and Vinatieri has had a rough year this year as compared to years past. Colts 27 Chargers 24
Over 46 Dallas-Giants (5 units) Rested Cowboys have won last two in series by 10 1/2 points and totals of 51 & 80 points respectively both on the road and at home. Chips are on the line for both teams to advance to the NFC Title game and Dallas is concentrating solely on the Giants in this one. Romo wants revenge for losing on the road to Seattle last year. TO should be back for this game as is Terry Glenn. Dallas 34 Giants 24
Dallas -7 1/2 (2 units) Home field advantage? Dallas has had it vs the Giants this year thus far. Giants defense will get riddled by short passes to Witten and other TE's for Cowboys and TO should bust out. Other factors will be special teams and RBs Jones & Barber should do much better at home than the Buccaneers runners did last week. Eli is overdue for a huge turnover output! Dallas 34 Giants 24
6 1/2 pt teaser: (2 units) Patriots -6 1/2, Packers -1 1/2, over 39 1/2 Dallas-NYG, Dallas -1
LT Profits comp
San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts u46.0 (-110)
Sun Jan 13 '08 1:00p
As oftentimes happens in marquee playoff games like this one between the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers, the total seems a tad inflated due to the ability of the offenses, while the two excellent defenses are seemingly undervalued.
Everyone knows about the explosive potential of the Colts offense, especially with Peyton Manning?s favorite target Marvin Harrison expected to be back in the lineup. But remember that the Indianapolis defense was again one of the best in the NFL this season, allowing just 16.4 points and 279.7 total yards per game. The unit includes the Defensive Player of the Year in Bob Sanders, and his presence allows the secondary to use one-on-one coverage, freeing the front seven to concentrate on a way to contain LaDainian Tomlinson and the running game. If they are successful in that regard, we simply do not trust Philip Rivers to put up a lot of points at this stage in this environment.
Not the be outdone, the San Diego defense is allowing just 17.1 points per game, and the Chargers have allowed no more than 17 points in any of their last seven games, including their 17-6 triumph over the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round. Yes, the Colts offense is obviously a tougher assignment, but the Chargers have actually done fairly well against Manning & Co. because of their fine pass rush. The last time San Diego played in this stadium, they ended the Colts? dreams of a perfect season by handing them their first loss after a 13-0 start in 2005. Some of the players may now be different, but the philosophy remains the same in that the best way to stop Manning is to apply constant pressure on him, and this Charger team is well-equipped to do that.
Naturally, we do not expect either of these offenses to be shut down the whole game. However, we do expect each defense to make enough stops to make this a much lower scoring battle than many people expect.
NFL Free Pick: Chargers, Colts Under 46
San Diego Chargers @ Indianapolis Colts u46.0 (-110)
Sun Jan 13 '08 1:00p
As oftentimes happens in marquee playoff games like this one between the Indianapolis Colts and San Diego Chargers, the total seems a tad inflated due to the ability of the offenses, while the two excellent defenses are seemingly undervalued.
Everyone knows about the explosive potential of the Colts offense, especially with Peyton Manning?s favorite target Marvin Harrison expected to be back in the lineup. But remember that the Indianapolis defense was again one of the best in the NFL this season, allowing just 16.4 points and 279.7 total yards per game. The unit includes the Defensive Player of the Year in Bob Sanders, and his presence allows the secondary to use one-on-one coverage, freeing the front seven to concentrate on a way to contain LaDainian Tomlinson and the running game. If they are successful in that regard, we simply do not trust Philip Rivers to put up a lot of points at this stage in this environment.
Not the be outdone, the San Diego defense is allowing just 17.1 points per game, and the Chargers have allowed no more than 17 points in any of their last seven games, including their 17-6 triumph over the Tennessee Titans in the Wild Card Round. Yes, the Colts offense is obviously a tougher assignment, but the Chargers have actually done fairly well against Manning & Co. because of their fine pass rush. The last time San Diego played in this stadium, they ended the Colts? dreams of a perfect season by handing them their first loss after a 13-0 start in 2005. Some of the players may now be different, but the philosophy remains the same in that the best way to stop Manning is to apply constant pressure on him, and this Charger team is well-equipped to do that.
Naturally, we do not expect either of these offenses to be shut down the whole game. However, we do expect each defense to make enough stops to make this a much lower scoring battle than many people expect.
NFL Free Pick: Chargers, Colts Under 46
New York Giants at Dallas
By: Mike Wynn Sports
We've seen these teams have two match ups this season, which resulted in two double-digit Dallas wins. Week 1 the Cowboys out-lasted the Giants in a 45-35 track meet, and then in week 10 the Cowboys went into the Meadowlands against a very motivated Giants squad and came out with a 31-20 win. Tony Romo had his way with the Giants defense in both games, tossing 4 touchdown passes in each of the wins and rushing for a score in the first match up. His counterpart, Eli Manning, did his part in game one, tossing for 4 scores, but he struggled a bit in the rematch, throwing 2 interception and just 1 touchdown. So are we going to see another double-digit Dallas win here Sunday, or can the Giants slow down Romo and company? We?ll take a look at both teams, and we will start with the visiting Giants.
As I mentioned earlier, New York did open up the season with a road loss at Dallas, but since then the Giants have been road warriors, winning eight straight on the road if you include the trip to London where they played Miami. Eli Manning is, arguably, coming of age down the stretch with an impressive outing against New England in the season finale, and the road win over Tampa Bay last Sunday. Manning did a good job of taking care of the ball in those last two games with just 1 interception against 6 touchdown passes. Brandon Jacobs is a bit nicked up at running back for the Giants right now, but the emergence of Bradshaw as a viable option has to make Tom Coughlin and his staff happy. Plaxico Burress, who?s been nursing injuries all season, has finally been able to practice, and that?s a big plus for the Giants. Offensively, I think the Giants will be OK, but it?s the defense that?s going to have to play much better Sunday than they did in the previous two match ups if New York wants to play in the NFC Championship next weekend.
The Dallas Cowboys' offense, which had been the #1 scoring offense in the NFC, did struggle a bit over the last three weeks of the season. Top wide out Terrell Owens injured his ankle in the Carolina game, and the offense wasn?t the same without him. Owens is expected to play on Sunday, but if he isn?t 100%, it will impact the Cowboy offense. Romo, without his star receiver, also struggled down the stretch, nursing a sore thumb, but the beauty of getting a top spot in the playoffs is getting that extra week to get healthy. Dallas has a great 1-2 punch at running back with Barber and Jones, and a Pro Bowl tight end in Jason Witten, who may be the most important weapon in the offensive scheme for Dallas. Defensively, the Cowboys never really lived up to the pre-season billing, but they?re a decent unit, ranking 9th in the league and 6th against the run. Forget about the Dallas injuries here as the bye week will have the Cowboys at full strength and ready to avenge last year's last second loss at Seattle.
Now it?s time to take a look at some of the trends and angles. First, as I mentioned, the Giants are 8-0 straight up in road games since the week 1 loss, and 7-1 ATS in those games. The Cowboys are 2-0 straight up and ATS versus the Giants this season, with both games going over the posted total. Dallas is 10-5-1 ATS at home versus New York since 1992, and 7-0 ATS off a road loss the last three seasons. The Cowboys are also 15-5 ATS off a loss by 10 points or more to a divisional rival, and 20-8 ATS at home off two or more consecutive losses against the spread. The trends and the week off would favor the Cowboys, but it?s hard to beat a team three times in one season, and that?s why I?m going with the over here Sunday. Both previous match ups this year went over and I see this game unfolding as another high scoring game. With TO back in the line up, I expect the Dallas offense to move the ball like the Cowboy offense we saw for most of the season. I also think Eli Manning is going to have another solid game throwing the ball.
Free winner from Mike Wynn: Last week we hit all four wild card sides at Mike Wynn Sports, plus ran our Locker Room Report run to 11-3 with the Giants under. This week, we totally bury them again and run our record to 12-3 with the Giants/Cowboys over the total of 47 points.
By: Mike Wynn Sports
We've seen these teams have two match ups this season, which resulted in two double-digit Dallas wins. Week 1 the Cowboys out-lasted the Giants in a 45-35 track meet, and then in week 10 the Cowboys went into the Meadowlands against a very motivated Giants squad and came out with a 31-20 win. Tony Romo had his way with the Giants defense in both games, tossing 4 touchdown passes in each of the wins and rushing for a score in the first match up. His counterpart, Eli Manning, did his part in game one, tossing for 4 scores, but he struggled a bit in the rematch, throwing 2 interception and just 1 touchdown. So are we going to see another double-digit Dallas win here Sunday, or can the Giants slow down Romo and company? We?ll take a look at both teams, and we will start with the visiting Giants.
As I mentioned earlier, New York did open up the season with a road loss at Dallas, but since then the Giants have been road warriors, winning eight straight on the road if you include the trip to London where they played Miami. Eli Manning is, arguably, coming of age down the stretch with an impressive outing against New England in the season finale, and the road win over Tampa Bay last Sunday. Manning did a good job of taking care of the ball in those last two games with just 1 interception against 6 touchdown passes. Brandon Jacobs is a bit nicked up at running back for the Giants right now, but the emergence of Bradshaw as a viable option has to make Tom Coughlin and his staff happy. Plaxico Burress, who?s been nursing injuries all season, has finally been able to practice, and that?s a big plus for the Giants. Offensively, I think the Giants will be OK, but it?s the defense that?s going to have to play much better Sunday than they did in the previous two match ups if New York wants to play in the NFC Championship next weekend.
The Dallas Cowboys' offense, which had been the #1 scoring offense in the NFC, did struggle a bit over the last three weeks of the season. Top wide out Terrell Owens injured his ankle in the Carolina game, and the offense wasn?t the same without him. Owens is expected to play on Sunday, but if he isn?t 100%, it will impact the Cowboy offense. Romo, without his star receiver, also struggled down the stretch, nursing a sore thumb, but the beauty of getting a top spot in the playoffs is getting that extra week to get healthy. Dallas has a great 1-2 punch at running back with Barber and Jones, and a Pro Bowl tight end in Jason Witten, who may be the most important weapon in the offensive scheme for Dallas. Defensively, the Cowboys never really lived up to the pre-season billing, but they?re a decent unit, ranking 9th in the league and 6th against the run. Forget about the Dallas injuries here as the bye week will have the Cowboys at full strength and ready to avenge last year's last second loss at Seattle.
Now it?s time to take a look at some of the trends and angles. First, as I mentioned, the Giants are 8-0 straight up in road games since the week 1 loss, and 7-1 ATS in those games. The Cowboys are 2-0 straight up and ATS versus the Giants this season, with both games going over the posted total. Dallas is 10-5-1 ATS at home versus New York since 1992, and 7-0 ATS off a road loss the last three seasons. The Cowboys are also 15-5 ATS off a loss by 10 points or more to a divisional rival, and 20-8 ATS at home off two or more consecutive losses against the spread. The trends and the week off would favor the Cowboys, but it?s hard to beat a team three times in one season, and that?s why I?m going with the over here Sunday. Both previous match ups this year went over and I see this game unfolding as another high scoring game. With TO back in the line up, I expect the Dallas offense to move the ball like the Cowboy offense we saw for most of the season. I also think Eli Manning is going to have another solid game throwing the ball.
Free winner from Mike Wynn: Last week we hit all four wild card sides at Mike Wynn Sports, plus ran our Locker Room Report run to 11-3 with the Giants under. This week, we totally bury them again and run our record to 12-3 with the Giants/Cowboys over the total of 47 points.
San Diego at Indianapolis
By: Tom Hatfield from Razor Sharp Sports
The wildcard weekend lived up to its name. We saw a 13-0 game heading into the fourth end up 35-14 and costing us our under play. We saw Jacksonville take an 18 point lead into the fourth, just to see Pittsburgh come back. Then the Jags kicked a late FG to get the win, but not the cover. We saw the Titans shut out the Chargers in the first half and shut down L.T. to only 42 rushing yards, but the Bolts rallied behind QB Phillip Rivers to get the 17-6 win and cover by a half. The Giants got dominated in the first quarter by the Bucs. They had three straight 3-and-out series and were down 7-0. They then took over and controlled the rest of the way to win 24-14. So do we have more wildness coming this week? Looking at the lines shows that we may be in-store for a couple blowouts. All four games this week have favorites of a touchdown or more.
Heading into this year, the one match-up that wouldn?t have surprised anyone was the Super Bowl Champion Colts and the AFC-best 2006 regular season Chargers playing in the playoffs. Neither team is the #1 seed because of the Patriots, but both of these teams have plenty of talent and weapons to make a run and bring home the Lombardi Trophy. The first step to getting to the final goal is winning this week. Let?s take a look at both teams.
First of all let?s look at the visiting Chargers. San Diego hasn?t been the dominant team that they were last year. They started off slow, going 1-3, but have finished strong, winning 7 straight. As always, the offense will be lead by LaDainian Tomlinson. L.T. lead the NFL in rushing for the second straight year with 1474 yards and 15 TDs. This is a very good year for most people, but after last season?s record breaking 28 TDs and dynamic 1815 rushing yards, along with the incredible offensive numbers Tom Brady has put up, there hasn?t been a lot of talk about his year. QB Phillip Rivers has struggled a bit this season. His QB rating dropped from 92.0 to 82.4 this season. He threw 21 TDs and 15 interceptions this year compared to 22 TDs and just 9 ints last year. Defensively, the Chargers aren?t getting as much press as they did last season, but most of their numbers have improved. Last year they allowed 18.9 points per game. This year they have dropped it to 17.8. They had 16 interceptions (+13 in turnover ratio) last season. This year they led the NFL with 30 interceptions (+24 in turnover ratio). One key factor that could really affect the Chargers is the health of All-Pro TE Antonio Gates. Gates injured his big toe in last week?s game and his status is up in the air for this week.
Then we have the defending Champion Colts. Indianapolis has had one of the quietest 13-3 records in the history of the NFL. Playing in the shadow of the undefeated Patriots, the Super Bowl champs haven?t had to shoulder the repeat questions like most champions do. Peyton Manning continues to run one of the most efficient offenses in the league. Like L.T., Manning?s solid season has been overshadowed by Brady?s incredible numbers. Manning has a 98.0 QB rating. He has thrown for 4040 yards with 31 TDs and just 14 ints. Comparing that to Manning?s numbers over the last couple years, and the numbers are down, but compared to the rest of the NFL they are still right near the top. Manning got added help this year with the full time emergence of 2nd-year RB Joseph Addai. Addai ran for 1072 yards and 12 TDs, along with 41 catches for 364 yards and 3 more scores. Manning has had to keep the offense clicking without one of his favorite targets most of the year. Marvin Harrison has been hampered with a degenerative knee and has missed most of the season, playing in just five games. His last appearance was back in week 7. Reggie Wayne has stepped things up with 104 catches for 1510 yards and 10 TDs. TE Dallas Clark has also found pay dirt 11 times even though he has been banged up throughout the year. Rookie Anthony Gonzalez stepped up with 37 catches for 576 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively, the Colts have been dynamite this year. Led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders, the Colts lead the NFL in points allowed at 16.4. Compare that to 22.5 last season when Sanders was injured most of the year. The Colts are second in the NFL behind the Chargers at +18 in turnover ratio.
This will be the second meeting of the season between these two. Back in week 10 the Chargers beat the Colts 23-21 in rainy San Diego. In that game the Colts totally dominated the stats. They out-gained the Chargers 386 yards to just 177. First downs were 25-11. The three stats that the Bolts controlled were special teams, where Darren Sproles returned both a kick and a punt for a touchdown, turnovers, where Peyton Manning had a career high 6 interceptions, and, of course, the scoreboard where Adam Vinatieri missed a 29-yard FG with less than 2 minutes remaining. Taking a look at the past meetings shows that the Chargers have dominated. San Diego has won eight of the last twelve straight up and is 9-3 ATS. They are also 6-1 ATS in the last seven games played in Indianapolis. The last time these two teams met they scored 44 points in bad weather. Now the weather will be perfect in the RCA Dome. The Chargers have gone over the total in six of their last seven road games. Look for another over here.
Free winner from Razor Sharp Sports: Take SAN DIEGO / INDIANAPOLIS OVER the total 46.
By: Tom Hatfield from Razor Sharp Sports
The wildcard weekend lived up to its name. We saw a 13-0 game heading into the fourth end up 35-14 and costing us our under play. We saw Jacksonville take an 18 point lead into the fourth, just to see Pittsburgh come back. Then the Jags kicked a late FG to get the win, but not the cover. We saw the Titans shut out the Chargers in the first half and shut down L.T. to only 42 rushing yards, but the Bolts rallied behind QB Phillip Rivers to get the 17-6 win and cover by a half. The Giants got dominated in the first quarter by the Bucs. They had three straight 3-and-out series and were down 7-0. They then took over and controlled the rest of the way to win 24-14. So do we have more wildness coming this week? Looking at the lines shows that we may be in-store for a couple blowouts. All four games this week have favorites of a touchdown or more.
Heading into this year, the one match-up that wouldn?t have surprised anyone was the Super Bowl Champion Colts and the AFC-best 2006 regular season Chargers playing in the playoffs. Neither team is the #1 seed because of the Patriots, but both of these teams have plenty of talent and weapons to make a run and bring home the Lombardi Trophy. The first step to getting to the final goal is winning this week. Let?s take a look at both teams.
First of all let?s look at the visiting Chargers. San Diego hasn?t been the dominant team that they were last year. They started off slow, going 1-3, but have finished strong, winning 7 straight. As always, the offense will be lead by LaDainian Tomlinson. L.T. lead the NFL in rushing for the second straight year with 1474 yards and 15 TDs. This is a very good year for most people, but after last season?s record breaking 28 TDs and dynamic 1815 rushing yards, along with the incredible offensive numbers Tom Brady has put up, there hasn?t been a lot of talk about his year. QB Phillip Rivers has struggled a bit this season. His QB rating dropped from 92.0 to 82.4 this season. He threw 21 TDs and 15 interceptions this year compared to 22 TDs and just 9 ints last year. Defensively, the Chargers aren?t getting as much press as they did last season, but most of their numbers have improved. Last year they allowed 18.9 points per game. This year they have dropped it to 17.8. They had 16 interceptions (+13 in turnover ratio) last season. This year they led the NFL with 30 interceptions (+24 in turnover ratio). One key factor that could really affect the Chargers is the health of All-Pro TE Antonio Gates. Gates injured his big toe in last week?s game and his status is up in the air for this week.
Then we have the defending Champion Colts. Indianapolis has had one of the quietest 13-3 records in the history of the NFL. Playing in the shadow of the undefeated Patriots, the Super Bowl champs haven?t had to shoulder the repeat questions like most champions do. Peyton Manning continues to run one of the most efficient offenses in the league. Like L.T., Manning?s solid season has been overshadowed by Brady?s incredible numbers. Manning has a 98.0 QB rating. He has thrown for 4040 yards with 31 TDs and just 14 ints. Comparing that to Manning?s numbers over the last couple years, and the numbers are down, but compared to the rest of the NFL they are still right near the top. Manning got added help this year with the full time emergence of 2nd-year RB Joseph Addai. Addai ran for 1072 yards and 12 TDs, along with 41 catches for 364 yards and 3 more scores. Manning has had to keep the offense clicking without one of his favorite targets most of the year. Marvin Harrison has been hampered with a degenerative knee and has missed most of the season, playing in just five games. His last appearance was back in week 7. Reggie Wayne has stepped things up with 104 catches for 1510 yards and 10 TDs. TE Dallas Clark has also found pay dirt 11 times even though he has been banged up throughout the year. Rookie Anthony Gonzalez stepped up with 37 catches for 576 yards and 3 TDs. Defensively, the Colts have been dynamite this year. Led by NFL Defensive Player of the Year Bob Sanders, the Colts lead the NFL in points allowed at 16.4. Compare that to 22.5 last season when Sanders was injured most of the year. The Colts are second in the NFL behind the Chargers at +18 in turnover ratio.
This will be the second meeting of the season between these two. Back in week 10 the Chargers beat the Colts 23-21 in rainy San Diego. In that game the Colts totally dominated the stats. They out-gained the Chargers 386 yards to just 177. First downs were 25-11. The three stats that the Bolts controlled were special teams, where Darren Sproles returned both a kick and a punt for a touchdown, turnovers, where Peyton Manning had a career high 6 interceptions, and, of course, the scoreboard where Adam Vinatieri missed a 29-yard FG with less than 2 minutes remaining. Taking a look at the past meetings shows that the Chargers have dominated. San Diego has won eight of the last twelve straight up and is 9-3 ATS. They are also 6-1 ATS in the last seven games played in Indianapolis. The last time these two teams met they scored 44 points in bad weather. Now the weather will be perfect in the RCA Dome. The Chargers have gone over the total in six of their last seven road games. Look for another over here.
Free winner from Razor Sharp Sports: Take SAN DIEGO / INDIANAPOLIS OVER the total 46.
VEGAS SPORTS PICS
01/13
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Indianapolis Colts - 8.5 over San Diego Chargers
S.D. (12-5) is 1-4 last 5 playoff games dating back to '94 off grinding out a 17-6 home win over Titans last week, a team missing four offensive starters. Defending Champ Indianapolis (13-3) ranks 5th in the NFL in total offense and 3rd in total defense. The Colts are 4-1 (SU & ATS) last 5 home playoff games.
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New York Giants + 8 over (at) Dallas Cowboys
Dallas (13-3) vs. New York (11-6) enters on an eight game road winning streak allowing an average of 13.9 points over the eight games. N.Y. QB Manning has thrown six TDs vs. one INT last two games. The Giants are 2-2 (SU & ATS) last four games at Dallas
01/13
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Indianapolis Colts - 8.5 over San Diego Chargers
S.D. (12-5) is 1-4 last 5 playoff games dating back to '94 off grinding out a 17-6 home win over Titans last week, a team missing four offensive starters. Defending Champ Indianapolis (13-3) ranks 5th in the NFL in total offense and 3rd in total defense. The Colts are 4-1 (SU & ATS) last 5 home playoff games.
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New York Giants + 8 over (at) Dallas Cowboys
Dallas (13-3) vs. New York (11-6) enters on an eight game road winning streak allowing an average of 13.9 points over the eight games. N.Y. QB Manning has thrown six TDs vs. one INT last two games. The Giants are 2-2 (SU & ATS) last four games at Dallas
FERRINGO FOOTBALL
3.5-Unit Play. Take #109 New York Giants (+7.5) over Dallas (4:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 12)
It?s pretty tough to beat a team twice in the same season ? much less three times in a row. I do think that the Cowboys are at least a bit distracted by the whole Romo Situation. And I do think that they are overvalued because they are America?s team. The Giants were stride-for-stride with Dallas in their last meeting and I think that they perform well enough on the road (8-1 ATS) to be a threat in this game. Also, if T.O. is too injured to perform or is limited in any way then I think New York is in a perfect position. Yes, Eli is a mess. But Tony Romo really isn?t much more predictable and then there?s the Wade Philips Factor. The player to watch for is Terry Glenn. If he is healthy and can be effective then we are in trouble. But I think the Giants can win this game outright so I?m taking the points.
2-Unit Play. Take #108 San Diego (+9.5) over Indianapolis (1 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 12)
Only six of San Diego?s last 21 losses have come by more than a touchdown and I think the defending champions are giving away a few too many this weekend. San Diego is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games against AFC opponents and are 13-3-1 ATS as an underdog. Throw in the fact that they are 4-1 ATS in their last five trips to the RCA Dome, and the fact that if you stopped anyone on the street and asked them who was going to win this game they would say Indy in a rout, and I think we have a solid against-the-grain pick.
3.5-Unit Play. Take #109 New York Giants (+7.5) over Dallas (4:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 12)
It?s pretty tough to beat a team twice in the same season ? much less three times in a row. I do think that the Cowboys are at least a bit distracted by the whole Romo Situation. And I do think that they are overvalued because they are America?s team. The Giants were stride-for-stride with Dallas in their last meeting and I think that they perform well enough on the road (8-1 ATS) to be a threat in this game. Also, if T.O. is too injured to perform or is limited in any way then I think New York is in a perfect position. Yes, Eli is a mess. But Tony Romo really isn?t much more predictable and then there?s the Wade Philips Factor. The player to watch for is Terry Glenn. If he is healthy and can be effective then we are in trouble. But I think the Giants can win this game outright so I?m taking the points.
2-Unit Play. Take #108 San Diego (+9.5) over Indianapolis (1 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 12)
Only six of San Diego?s last 21 losses have come by more than a touchdown and I think the defending champions are giving away a few too many this weekend. San Diego is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games against AFC opponents and are 13-3-1 ATS as an underdog. Throw in the fact that they are 4-1 ATS in their last five trips to the RCA Dome, and the fact that if you stopped anyone on the street and asked them who was going to win this game they would say Indy in a rout, and I think we have a solid against-the-grain pick.
NORTHCOAST POWERSWEEPS:
The Chargers escaped with a win vs IND in the prior meeting 23-20 as a 3.5 pt HD. Manning had one
of the worst games ever as he tossed a career high 5 int on a soggy SNF game. He managed to rally IND
from a 23-7 4Q deficit with a 7 yd TD pass to make it 23-15. Rivers had a ball slip out of his hands & IND
recovered & ret it for a TD (2 pt ng). IND drove to the SD 11 with 94 sec left only to see Vinatieri miss a 29
yd FG. IND forced SD to go 3 & out but Manning was int?d on the final play. Rivers only passed for 104 yds
(54%) with 2 ints while Tomlinson was held to 76 yds rushing (3.6). IND is 6-2 SU & 5-3 ATS at home with a
349-322 yd edge & 27-18 avg score. SD is 4-4 SU & ATS on the road being outgained 346-324 with an avg
score of 24-22. IND is 4-2 SU & 3-3 ATS vs teams with a winning record with an avg score of 23-20 (no SD).
SD is 2-3 SU & ATS vs teams with a winning record being outscored 23-19 (no IND). Their are 8 common
foes with IND going 9-2 SU & 5-6 ATS with a 340-299 yd edge (+16 TO?s) with a 27-18 avg score. SD went
9-3 SU & ATS with a 329-294 yd edge (+15 TO?s) & 25-16 avg score. IND has 5 Pro Bowlers with 4 on off
& Bob Sanders on def. SD has 4 on off, 3 on def & a ST representative. Dungy is 6-2 ATS as a playoff fav
while Turner is just 1-1 ATS as a playoff HC but has experience as an assistant.
By the time Norv Turner took over SD had to replace their top 5 coaches from LY. SD struggled the 1st 8
games going 4-4 SU & ATS with a humiliating loss to MIN. Thru the 1st 8 games SD was outgained by an avg of
355-308 (+8 TO?s) with an avg score of 24-21. After the IND game SD regrouped & put the onus on Tomlinson &
SD posted a 342-271 yd edge (+13 TO?s) with an avg score of 29-14. SD has outrushed foes 149 (4.4) to 91 (3.6)
over that span as well. TE Gates (check status) remains the top target for Rivers though trading for WR Chambers
from MIA gives them a proven #1 WR & Tomlinson is still a reliable weapon out of the backfield. SD?s OL doesn?t
have the continuity of LY?s unit as Ctr Hardwick missed 4 games & Turner tinkered with the RT spot but they have
started the L5 games together & Rivers has been sacked 22 times. SD released 2 starting LB?s in the offseason
but was able to rely on one of the best 3-4 DL?s in the NFL headed up by NT Jamal Williams. Minus the MIN game
SD only allowed 90 ypg (3.6) on the year with six 100 yd games (127 ypg 4.0 in those). The OLB tandem of Phillips
& Merriman combined for 20 of the 42 sk & ILB?s Cooper & Wilhelm do a decent job in the middle. SD?s #5 pass
rush is a huge weapon for their secondary which is better than their #13 pass D ranking as they lead the NFL with
30 int. #3 CB Cromartie has 10 int on the year & CB Jammer has developed into a shutdown CB. SD has our #3
ST unit with P Scifres having a 39.6 net avg & SD is 5th in KR coverage (20.9) & 6th in KR (25.5).
Despite his 8th 4000 yd season in 9 years Peyton Manning has had a bit of a down season as he has struggled
with Marvin Harrision (swollen knee) out for 10 games. Manning had his 1st season with more than 10 ints in 5 years
but IND finished with the #5 off. With Harrison out, Reggie Wayne had a career year finishing 3rd in rec?s & 1st in rec
yards in the NFL. Manning?s relied on Wayne so much that the combo of Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai & Anthony Gonzalez
combined only had 32 more rec & 46 more yards. While Joseph Addai became the 3rd Colts RB to start his career with
B2B 1000 yd rushing seasons he only has four 100 yd rushing games & has avg?d 46 ypg rushing (3.2) over the final 8.
IND OL has only started 69 games together as RT Diem has missed 6 with a knee inj & LT Ugoh has sat out 5 games
with neck & ankle inj?s. IND has all?d 23 sacks TY (7th) & has the #1 & #30 units on 3rd Dn as well as the #10 & #21
red-zone units. The Colts used to be all offense with no defense until Dungy finally got the players he needed to make
his Tampa-2 defense run. They finished 3rd in the NFL on total defense as they survived the loss of DE Dwight Freeney
thanks to Bob Sanders who at 5?8? 204 is used as an extra LB but he has the speed of a CB & is extremely smooth
in coverage. He has been instrumental in the development of CB?S Kelvin Hayden & Marlin Jackson allowing Antoine
Bethea to be the single high safety. MLB Gary Brackett is the only LB to start all 16 games & Freddie Keiaho has done
a good job replacing June despite missing 5 games with an elbow inj. The DL took a major blow when Freeney landed
on IR & IND has all?d nine 100+ yd rushing games (137 ypg 4.3). Despite the lack of a pass rush (26th) IND has the
#4 pass D over the L8W all?ng 171 ypg (65%) with a 9-11 ratio. The Colts special teams are a major concern as they
have our #32 unit all?g 13.9 on PR?s & 25.0 on KR?s with 4 returns for TD?s combined.
The Chargers rebounded after a flat 1H to advance & Rivers makes his 2nd ever dome start (1st vs
MIN TY) in possibly the final game at the RCA Dome. SD has struggled on the road with a 1-3 SU record vs
playoff teams with the win vs TEN in OT. Tomlinson avg?s 21 ypg (1.1) less on the road TY vs at home with
half the rushing TD?s (5). The Colts went to San Diego and held the Chargers to 91 yards rushing and they
kept 4 of their next 8 foes from 100 yds rushing with a 3.5 ypc. The Chargers reached their goal of a playoff
win & now face a defending SB champ with an early morning kickoff. FORECAST: COLTS 34 Chargers 14 RATING: 2★
Dallas won & covered both games vs the Giants TY with a 45-35 shootout in the opener as a 6 pt HF
& 31-20 as a 1.5 pt AF. Despite both losses Manning played well avg 274 ypg (68%) with a 5-3 ratio (94.8
QBR). Romo was outstanding avg 296 yds (67%) with an 8-2 ratio (129.2 QBR) & a ypa of 11.4. DAL is
6-2 SU & 5-3 ATS at home TY with the #4 & #11 units at home (-1 TO?s). The Giants are 8-1 SU & 7-2 ATS
on the road TY. LW after going 3 & out on their 1st 3 drives they outgained the Bucs 275-195 & converted
3 TB TO?s into 7 points. Against their 10 common foes DAL went 9-2 SU & 6-5 ATS (minus finale as DAL
rested) with a 363-312 yd edge (+4 TO?s) & a 29-20 avg score. NY went 8-4 SU & ATS with a 316-295 yd
edge (-10 TO?s) & a 21.2-21 avg score. The Giants only have one Pro Bowl player in Umenyiora while DAL
has a whopping 11 PB?s. Coughlin is now 5-6 SU & 6-5 ATS in the playoffs while Phillips is 0-3 SU & ATS.
The Giants playoff push was spearheaded by their #8 D which is fortified by a #1 pass rush headed by
a 3 DE rotation of Umenyiora, Strahan & Tuck. The pass rush has masked some issues in the back 7 with
the loss of DE/OLB Kiwanuka & MLB Pierce playing hurt all yr & starting rookie CB Ross. WLB Mitchell was
rested vs NE & his status is unknown. While the Giants are all?g 96 ypg rushing (3.8), they have 9 gms with
100+ yds rushing all?d for 124 ypg (4.6) avg in those. With the loss of RB Barber even more pressure fell on
Eli Manning who started the season passing for 218 ypg (60%) with a 13-9 ratio in the 1st 7 games. Skipping
the MIA game Manning had passed for 214 ypg (52%) with a 6-10 ratio (62.2 QBR) before his impressive
game of 251 yds (69%) with a 4-1 ratio vs NE. He had been limited by poor weather conditions, Burress? bad
ankle, a shaky RB rotation with Jacobs (knee sprain & hamstring) missing 5 games & the loss of TE Shockey
(broken leg). WR Toomer rebounded from LY?s torn ACL to be the #3 receiver & the OL has done a decent
job of protecting him with 29 sacks all?d (12th) & has started all 17 games. However, Ctr O?Hara sustained
a knee injury vs NE & his status is ?. Jacobs has five 100 yd rushing games as a power runner & the team
avg?s 134 ypg rushing (4.5) which is 1 yd & 0.1 ypc less than LY?s numbers with Barber. The Giants have our
#23 spec teams unit as their return units are avg at best with 8.7 PR & 20.1 KR avg?s.
Bill Parcells built this version of the Cowboys but Wade Phillips has managed to get the most out of it &
thanks to OC Garrett the most out of Tony Romo. Romo heads up the #4 passing off & broke several team
records incl passing yards, comp % & TD?s. He finished the year 2nd in passing TD?s & ypa to Brady with
the highest QBR for an NFC QB. He has a great chemstry with Terrell Owens who is 5th in rec yards & 4th
in ypc but will be a gametime decision (ankle). The top receiver for the Cowboys is TE Witten who is 10th
in the NFL & 2nd only to Tony Gonzalez in rec?s. DAL anticipates having Terry Glenn back for this game but
he?ll be limited in snaps & Patrick Crayton has done a good job as the #3 receiving option. DAL is only 17th
in rush & the clear cut #1 RB here is Marion Barber who?s 21st in rushing & 12th in ypc. Julius Jones is now
the 3rd Dn back & the 2 combined have three 100 yd rushing games. LY the DAL OL all?d 37 sacks & they
improved to 25 TY with the same starters for the 1st 14 games until Ctr Gurode missed the L2 with a knee
inj. DAL is 2nd & 27th on 3rd Dns with the #15 & #10 red-zone units. Under Parcells LY DAL finished with the
#13 D but the players didn?t quite fit the scheme. DAL improved to 9th on def & 3rd in sacks (46) vs 19th LY
as Phillips is more aggressive. Not counting the season finale DAL has all?d six 100 yd rushing games (129
ypg, 5.0) with 68 ypg (3.2) in the others. The strength of the Cowboys def is its LB corps with Greg Ellis who
had a great year after tearing his Achillies LY & DeMarcus Ware combining for 26.5 sacks & Bradie James
& Akin Ayodele being the ILB?s. DAL has the #14 pass defense & is all?g 237 ypg (57%) with a 13-6 ratio at
home. Both Terence Newman & FS Ken Hamlin made the Pro Bowl while Anthony Henry led the team with
6 int but Roy Williams can still be burned for big plays in the passing game. DAL has our #15 special teams
unit as they are below avg in coverage units (11.6 PR & 23.0 KR) & are 19th in KR?s with a 22.3 avg.
The Giants have now won 8 straight on the road since an opening week loss at DAL. Their defense gets
the credit for the win streak allowing 14 ppg in that span. DAL has dropped 4 straight ATS & in their 2 SU
losses only scored 6 pts in each. DAL did rest players vs WAS but an offensive team needs 1.5 quarters to
get its timing back. While both games went Over the total this meeting gives an edge to the DC?s as they?ll
be familiar with the opposing QB?s. The early forecast calls for rain & wind which adds to Under call here.
FORECAST: UNDER 48 RATING: 2★
The Chargers escaped with a win vs IND in the prior meeting 23-20 as a 3.5 pt HD. Manning had one
of the worst games ever as he tossed a career high 5 int on a soggy SNF game. He managed to rally IND
from a 23-7 4Q deficit with a 7 yd TD pass to make it 23-15. Rivers had a ball slip out of his hands & IND
recovered & ret it for a TD (2 pt ng). IND drove to the SD 11 with 94 sec left only to see Vinatieri miss a 29
yd FG. IND forced SD to go 3 & out but Manning was int?d on the final play. Rivers only passed for 104 yds
(54%) with 2 ints while Tomlinson was held to 76 yds rushing (3.6). IND is 6-2 SU & 5-3 ATS at home with a
349-322 yd edge & 27-18 avg score. SD is 4-4 SU & ATS on the road being outgained 346-324 with an avg
score of 24-22. IND is 4-2 SU & 3-3 ATS vs teams with a winning record with an avg score of 23-20 (no SD).
SD is 2-3 SU & ATS vs teams with a winning record being outscored 23-19 (no IND). Their are 8 common
foes with IND going 9-2 SU & 5-6 ATS with a 340-299 yd edge (+16 TO?s) with a 27-18 avg score. SD went
9-3 SU & ATS with a 329-294 yd edge (+15 TO?s) & 25-16 avg score. IND has 5 Pro Bowlers with 4 on off
& Bob Sanders on def. SD has 4 on off, 3 on def & a ST representative. Dungy is 6-2 ATS as a playoff fav
while Turner is just 1-1 ATS as a playoff HC but has experience as an assistant.
By the time Norv Turner took over SD had to replace their top 5 coaches from LY. SD struggled the 1st 8
games going 4-4 SU & ATS with a humiliating loss to MIN. Thru the 1st 8 games SD was outgained by an avg of
355-308 (+8 TO?s) with an avg score of 24-21. After the IND game SD regrouped & put the onus on Tomlinson &
SD posted a 342-271 yd edge (+13 TO?s) with an avg score of 29-14. SD has outrushed foes 149 (4.4) to 91 (3.6)
over that span as well. TE Gates (check status) remains the top target for Rivers though trading for WR Chambers
from MIA gives them a proven #1 WR & Tomlinson is still a reliable weapon out of the backfield. SD?s OL doesn?t
have the continuity of LY?s unit as Ctr Hardwick missed 4 games & Turner tinkered with the RT spot but they have
started the L5 games together & Rivers has been sacked 22 times. SD released 2 starting LB?s in the offseason
but was able to rely on one of the best 3-4 DL?s in the NFL headed up by NT Jamal Williams. Minus the MIN game
SD only allowed 90 ypg (3.6) on the year with six 100 yd games (127 ypg 4.0 in those). The OLB tandem of Phillips
& Merriman combined for 20 of the 42 sk & ILB?s Cooper & Wilhelm do a decent job in the middle. SD?s #5 pass
rush is a huge weapon for their secondary which is better than their #13 pass D ranking as they lead the NFL with
30 int. #3 CB Cromartie has 10 int on the year & CB Jammer has developed into a shutdown CB. SD has our #3
ST unit with P Scifres having a 39.6 net avg & SD is 5th in KR coverage (20.9) & 6th in KR (25.5).
Despite his 8th 4000 yd season in 9 years Peyton Manning has had a bit of a down season as he has struggled
with Marvin Harrision (swollen knee) out for 10 games. Manning had his 1st season with more than 10 ints in 5 years
but IND finished with the #5 off. With Harrison out, Reggie Wayne had a career year finishing 3rd in rec?s & 1st in rec
yards in the NFL. Manning?s relied on Wayne so much that the combo of Dallas Clark, Joseph Addai & Anthony Gonzalez
combined only had 32 more rec & 46 more yards. While Joseph Addai became the 3rd Colts RB to start his career with
B2B 1000 yd rushing seasons he only has four 100 yd rushing games & has avg?d 46 ypg rushing (3.2) over the final 8.
IND OL has only started 69 games together as RT Diem has missed 6 with a knee inj & LT Ugoh has sat out 5 games
with neck & ankle inj?s. IND has all?d 23 sacks TY (7th) & has the #1 & #30 units on 3rd Dn as well as the #10 & #21
red-zone units. The Colts used to be all offense with no defense until Dungy finally got the players he needed to make
his Tampa-2 defense run. They finished 3rd in the NFL on total defense as they survived the loss of DE Dwight Freeney
thanks to Bob Sanders who at 5?8? 204 is used as an extra LB but he has the speed of a CB & is extremely smooth
in coverage. He has been instrumental in the development of CB?S Kelvin Hayden & Marlin Jackson allowing Antoine
Bethea to be the single high safety. MLB Gary Brackett is the only LB to start all 16 games & Freddie Keiaho has done
a good job replacing June despite missing 5 games with an elbow inj. The DL took a major blow when Freeney landed
on IR & IND has all?d nine 100+ yd rushing games (137 ypg 4.3). Despite the lack of a pass rush (26th) IND has the
#4 pass D over the L8W all?ng 171 ypg (65%) with a 9-11 ratio. The Colts special teams are a major concern as they
have our #32 unit all?g 13.9 on PR?s & 25.0 on KR?s with 4 returns for TD?s combined.
The Chargers rebounded after a flat 1H to advance & Rivers makes his 2nd ever dome start (1st vs
MIN TY) in possibly the final game at the RCA Dome. SD has struggled on the road with a 1-3 SU record vs
playoff teams with the win vs TEN in OT. Tomlinson avg?s 21 ypg (1.1) less on the road TY vs at home with
half the rushing TD?s (5). The Colts went to San Diego and held the Chargers to 91 yards rushing and they
kept 4 of their next 8 foes from 100 yds rushing with a 3.5 ypc. The Chargers reached their goal of a playoff
win & now face a defending SB champ with an early morning kickoff. FORECAST: COLTS 34 Chargers 14 RATING: 2★
Dallas won & covered both games vs the Giants TY with a 45-35 shootout in the opener as a 6 pt HF
& 31-20 as a 1.5 pt AF. Despite both losses Manning played well avg 274 ypg (68%) with a 5-3 ratio (94.8
QBR). Romo was outstanding avg 296 yds (67%) with an 8-2 ratio (129.2 QBR) & a ypa of 11.4. DAL is
6-2 SU & 5-3 ATS at home TY with the #4 & #11 units at home (-1 TO?s). The Giants are 8-1 SU & 7-2 ATS
on the road TY. LW after going 3 & out on their 1st 3 drives they outgained the Bucs 275-195 & converted
3 TB TO?s into 7 points. Against their 10 common foes DAL went 9-2 SU & 6-5 ATS (minus finale as DAL
rested) with a 363-312 yd edge (+4 TO?s) & a 29-20 avg score. NY went 8-4 SU & ATS with a 316-295 yd
edge (-10 TO?s) & a 21.2-21 avg score. The Giants only have one Pro Bowl player in Umenyiora while DAL
has a whopping 11 PB?s. Coughlin is now 5-6 SU & 6-5 ATS in the playoffs while Phillips is 0-3 SU & ATS.
The Giants playoff push was spearheaded by their #8 D which is fortified by a #1 pass rush headed by
a 3 DE rotation of Umenyiora, Strahan & Tuck. The pass rush has masked some issues in the back 7 with
the loss of DE/OLB Kiwanuka & MLB Pierce playing hurt all yr & starting rookie CB Ross. WLB Mitchell was
rested vs NE & his status is unknown. While the Giants are all?g 96 ypg rushing (3.8), they have 9 gms with
100+ yds rushing all?d for 124 ypg (4.6) avg in those. With the loss of RB Barber even more pressure fell on
Eli Manning who started the season passing for 218 ypg (60%) with a 13-9 ratio in the 1st 7 games. Skipping
the MIA game Manning had passed for 214 ypg (52%) with a 6-10 ratio (62.2 QBR) before his impressive
game of 251 yds (69%) with a 4-1 ratio vs NE. He had been limited by poor weather conditions, Burress? bad
ankle, a shaky RB rotation with Jacobs (knee sprain & hamstring) missing 5 games & the loss of TE Shockey
(broken leg). WR Toomer rebounded from LY?s torn ACL to be the #3 receiver & the OL has done a decent
job of protecting him with 29 sacks all?d (12th) & has started all 17 games. However, Ctr O?Hara sustained
a knee injury vs NE & his status is ?. Jacobs has five 100 yd rushing games as a power runner & the team
avg?s 134 ypg rushing (4.5) which is 1 yd & 0.1 ypc less than LY?s numbers with Barber. The Giants have our
#23 spec teams unit as their return units are avg at best with 8.7 PR & 20.1 KR avg?s.
Bill Parcells built this version of the Cowboys but Wade Phillips has managed to get the most out of it &
thanks to OC Garrett the most out of Tony Romo. Romo heads up the #4 passing off & broke several team
records incl passing yards, comp % & TD?s. He finished the year 2nd in passing TD?s & ypa to Brady with
the highest QBR for an NFC QB. He has a great chemstry with Terrell Owens who is 5th in rec yards & 4th
in ypc but will be a gametime decision (ankle). The top receiver for the Cowboys is TE Witten who is 10th
in the NFL & 2nd only to Tony Gonzalez in rec?s. DAL anticipates having Terry Glenn back for this game but
he?ll be limited in snaps & Patrick Crayton has done a good job as the #3 receiving option. DAL is only 17th
in rush & the clear cut #1 RB here is Marion Barber who?s 21st in rushing & 12th in ypc. Julius Jones is now
the 3rd Dn back & the 2 combined have three 100 yd rushing games. LY the DAL OL all?d 37 sacks & they
improved to 25 TY with the same starters for the 1st 14 games until Ctr Gurode missed the L2 with a knee
inj. DAL is 2nd & 27th on 3rd Dns with the #15 & #10 red-zone units. Under Parcells LY DAL finished with the
#13 D but the players didn?t quite fit the scheme. DAL improved to 9th on def & 3rd in sacks (46) vs 19th LY
as Phillips is more aggressive. Not counting the season finale DAL has all?d six 100 yd rushing games (129
ypg, 5.0) with 68 ypg (3.2) in the others. The strength of the Cowboys def is its LB corps with Greg Ellis who
had a great year after tearing his Achillies LY & DeMarcus Ware combining for 26.5 sacks & Bradie James
& Akin Ayodele being the ILB?s. DAL has the #14 pass defense & is all?g 237 ypg (57%) with a 13-6 ratio at
home. Both Terence Newman & FS Ken Hamlin made the Pro Bowl while Anthony Henry led the team with
6 int but Roy Williams can still be burned for big plays in the passing game. DAL has our #15 special teams
unit as they are below avg in coverage units (11.6 PR & 23.0 KR) & are 19th in KR?s with a 22.3 avg.
The Giants have now won 8 straight on the road since an opening week loss at DAL. Their defense gets
the credit for the win streak allowing 14 ppg in that span. DAL has dropped 4 straight ATS & in their 2 SU
losses only scored 6 pts in each. DAL did rest players vs WAS but an offensive team needs 1.5 quarters to
get its timing back. While both games went Over the total this meeting gives an edge to the DC?s as they?ll
be familiar with the opposing QB?s. The early forecast calls for rain & wind which adds to Under call here.
FORECAST: UNDER 48 RATING: 2★
WINNING POINTS
NBA
Sunday, January 13
***BEST BET
Portland over *Toronto by 5
The Trail Blazers certainly should have their legs, this being only their second game in
nine days. The Raptors had problems keeping Brandon Roy in check when they lost
at Portland a month ago, 101-96. Despite batting the flu, Roy scored 25 points,
grabbed nine rebounds and dished off eight assists. The Blazers have covered 15 of
their last 17 through the first week in January. The Raptors have still been missing
injured point guard T.J. Ford (check status). PORTLAND 103-98.
***BEST BET
New Orleans over *Houston by 7
The Rockets still may be without Tracy McGrady (check status), while the Hornets
have been one of the best road teams going 22-6-2 ATS through Jan. 8. The Rockets,
by contrast, don?t have a winning home pointspread mark. The Hornets can compete against any club with a healthy Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic and David West (check status).
The Hornets ranked No. 4 defensively entering the first weekend this month.
They had held 10 straight foes under 100 points going into the first weekend of
January. NEW ORLEANS 102-95.
NCAAB
Sunday, January 13
***BEST BET
Syracuse over West Virginia* by 10
If you thought that we thought Syracuse was overrated, you haven?t heard the dissertation
against West Virginia, who will be ordered to hit the weight room at halftime
of this affair. You don?t go from Beilein to Huggins without more than a few bumps
along the way and since non-conference season didn?t show it, we might as well expect
it to materialize now, as a Big East team with both size and scorers enters the home of
what some people who have written about college basketball have comically labeled as
Huggins? ?typically tough defense.? Chuckle, chuckle and thanks, we think. SYRACUSE,
85-75.
NBA
Sunday, January 13
***BEST BET
Portland over *Toronto by 5
The Trail Blazers certainly should have their legs, this being only their second game in
nine days. The Raptors had problems keeping Brandon Roy in check when they lost
at Portland a month ago, 101-96. Despite batting the flu, Roy scored 25 points,
grabbed nine rebounds and dished off eight assists. The Blazers have covered 15 of
their last 17 through the first week in January. The Raptors have still been missing
injured point guard T.J. Ford (check status). PORTLAND 103-98.
***BEST BET
New Orleans over *Houston by 7
The Rockets still may be without Tracy McGrady (check status), while the Hornets
have been one of the best road teams going 22-6-2 ATS through Jan. 8. The Rockets,
by contrast, don?t have a winning home pointspread mark. The Hornets can compete against any club with a healthy Chris Paul, Peja Stojakovic and David West (check status).
The Hornets ranked No. 4 defensively entering the first weekend this month.
They had held 10 straight foes under 100 points going into the first weekend of
January. NEW ORLEANS 102-95.
NCAAB
Sunday, January 13
***BEST BET
Syracuse over West Virginia* by 10
If you thought that we thought Syracuse was overrated, you haven?t heard the dissertation
against West Virginia, who will be ordered to hit the weight room at halftime
of this affair. You don?t go from Beilein to Huggins without more than a few bumps
along the way and since non-conference season didn?t show it, we might as well expect
it to materialize now, as a Big East team with both size and scorers enters the home of
what some people who have written about college basketball have comically labeled as
Huggins? ?typically tough defense.? Chuckle, chuckle and thanks, we think. SYRACUSE,
85-75.
ASA 5-Star NFL Playoff Game of the Year - Indianapolis Colts (-) over San Diego Chargers, Sunday Jan 13th 12:00 pm CST. **This rating may be upgraded on Friday so be sure to check back here for details.
With so much attention paid to New England this regular season, many have overlooked just how of a season the Colts are having. Indianapolis, statistically, is actually having a better season than it did last year when it won the Super Bowl. The Colts defense, which was the team?s Achilles Heel last year, leads the NFL with just 16.4 points allowed per game and is second and third in passing and total yards allowed, respectively. The Indy offense has been nearly as good as last season?s despite numerous injuries suffered throughout the unit. The Colts are third in the league with 28.1 points per game and fifth with 358.6 total yards per game. Indy?s 13-3 record also trumps last year?s 12-4 mark. An easy argument could be made that the Colts could be the undefeated team, not New England. They led the Patriots by 10 points in the fourth quarter before losing. They would?ve beaten San Diego in the earlier meeting if not for a missed 30-yard field goal from Adam Vinatieri. And they would?ve beaten Tennessee in the regular season finale if their starters played all 60 minutes. Much is being made of San Diego?s current seven-game winning streak but it is far from an impressive streak. The only wins over a team with a winning record came against Tennessee and both were far from convincing victories. The Chargers trailed the Titans in both the regular season and postseason games and could?ve easily lost both contests. This is also a very good spot for the Colts. Home teams in the second round of the playoffs, off a loss in the regular season finale, win at a 75 percent clip historically. That doesn?t bode well for a San Diego team that struggled on the road this year. The Chargers went just 4-4 SU and ATS on the road this year with the four wins coming against teams with a combined record of 25-39. The four losses came by 14 points per game and each came against a team with a .500 record or better. Another big factor in this game will be the availability of each team?s star receiver. Indy?s Marvin Harrison is expected back for the Colts after missing the last 10 games while San Diego?s Antonio Gates is questionable with a toe injury. These developments improve the Colts offense while weakening the Chargers offense. The Colts are the superior team in this second round matchup and that will be obvious by the final score. Indy gets its revenge from the earlier season loss with a double-digit win here. Take the Colts at home minus the points.
With so much attention paid to New England this regular season, many have overlooked just how of a season the Colts are having. Indianapolis, statistically, is actually having a better season than it did last year when it won the Super Bowl. The Colts defense, which was the team?s Achilles Heel last year, leads the NFL with just 16.4 points allowed per game and is second and third in passing and total yards allowed, respectively. The Indy offense has been nearly as good as last season?s despite numerous injuries suffered throughout the unit. The Colts are third in the league with 28.1 points per game and fifth with 358.6 total yards per game. Indy?s 13-3 record also trumps last year?s 12-4 mark. An easy argument could be made that the Colts could be the undefeated team, not New England. They led the Patriots by 10 points in the fourth quarter before losing. They would?ve beaten San Diego in the earlier meeting if not for a missed 30-yard field goal from Adam Vinatieri. And they would?ve beaten Tennessee in the regular season finale if their starters played all 60 minutes. Much is being made of San Diego?s current seven-game winning streak but it is far from an impressive streak. The only wins over a team with a winning record came against Tennessee and both were far from convincing victories. The Chargers trailed the Titans in both the regular season and postseason games and could?ve easily lost both contests. This is also a very good spot for the Colts. Home teams in the second round of the playoffs, off a loss in the regular season finale, win at a 75 percent clip historically. That doesn?t bode well for a San Diego team that struggled on the road this year. The Chargers went just 4-4 SU and ATS on the road this year with the four wins coming against teams with a combined record of 25-39. The four losses came by 14 points per game and each came against a team with a .500 record or better. Another big factor in this game will be the availability of each team?s star receiver. Indy?s Marvin Harrison is expected back for the Colts after missing the last 10 games while San Diego?s Antonio Gates is questionable with a toe injury. These developments improve the Colts offense while weakening the Chargers offense. The Colts are the superior team in this second round matchup and that will be obvious by the final score. Indy gets its revenge from the earlier season loss with a double-digit win here. Take the Colts at home minus the points.
***ALERT*** Burns '08 NFL PLAYOFF GAME OF THE YEAR
Last season, Ben Burns waited until the Conference Finals before releasing his 2007 Playoff Game of the Year. That proved well worth the wait as the Bears (-3) SLAUGHTERED the Saints by a score of 39-14. Good news. Ben's BIG GAME is arriving a week EARLY this season. If you liked that LAUGHER, join this Big Game Expert for the '08 version..
INDY
Last season, Ben Burns waited until the Conference Finals before releasing his 2007 Playoff Game of the Year. That proved well worth the wait as the Bears (-3) SLAUGHTERED the Saints by a score of 39-14. Good news. Ben's BIG GAME is arriving a week EARLY this season. If you liked that LAUGHER, join this Big Game Expert for the '08 version..
INDY
Strike Point Sports Picks For Football (NFL and NCAA)
2-Unit Play. #107 Take San Diego +9 over Indianapolis (Sunday - 1 pm)
Again this is too many points from a team that is coming off a bye week and may not be rolling as much as the Wild Card teams coming off big wins last weekend. The Chargers have the most explosive player on the field, and if LT touches the ball 30+ times, San Diego will win. That should be the game plan, but also if Philip Rivers can hit Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson down the field, the Bolts' offense will be even better. I expect both teams to play in the 20s, and this number will be good in a closely fought game.
3-Unit Play. #109 Take New York +7.5 over Dallas (Sunday - 4:30 pm)
Dallas has beaten the Giants already twice this year, but both times the 'Boys came into that game playing better football. Not this time around. New York is clicking right now, and they are a big time road success at 8-1 this season. Eli Manning is playing smart, efficient football, while the G-Men defense is the main reason for their success. Dallas sometimes gets pass happy and that plays right into the hands of New York's front four with Strahan, Osi and company. The Giants are capable of getting into a shootout and coming out on top, but their defense will be ready to contain the Dallas offense and keep this one fairly low scoring. Look for a very scrappy game from the Giants, as they will do everything to get the win. I see a good chance that happens, but the points will be good just the same. Play New York in this one.
2-Unit Play. #107 Take San Diego +9 over Indianapolis (Sunday - 1 pm)
Again this is too many points from a team that is coming off a bye week and may not be rolling as much as the Wild Card teams coming off big wins last weekend. The Chargers have the most explosive player on the field, and if LT touches the ball 30+ times, San Diego will win. That should be the game plan, but also if Philip Rivers can hit Chris Chambers and Vincent Jackson down the field, the Bolts' offense will be even better. I expect both teams to play in the 20s, and this number will be good in a closely fought game.
3-Unit Play. #109 Take New York +7.5 over Dallas (Sunday - 4:30 pm)
Dallas has beaten the Giants already twice this year, but both times the 'Boys came into that game playing better football. Not this time around. New York is clicking right now, and they are a big time road success at 8-1 this season. Eli Manning is playing smart, efficient football, while the G-Men defense is the main reason for their success. Dallas sometimes gets pass happy and that plays right into the hands of New York's front four with Strahan, Osi and company. The Giants are capable of getting into a shootout and coming out on top, but their defense will be ready to contain the Dallas offense and keep this one fairly low scoring. Look for a very scrappy game from the Giants, as they will do everything to get the win. I see a good chance that happens, but the points will be good just the same. Play New York in this one.
Vegas Sports Informer's Picks For Football (NFL and NCAA)
3 Unit Play. #110 Take Dallas ?7 ? over NY Giants (Sunday 1/13 4:30 PM FOX)
Write up coming this evening for Sunday game?.
Allen Eastman's Picks For Football (NFL and NCAA)
3-Unit Play Take #108 Indianapolis Colts -6 (1st Half) over San Diego Chargers. (Sunday, January 13, 1:00 pm EST).
It appears Peyton Manning will have another weapon at his disposal when the Colts and 'Bolts collide. Receiver Marvin Harrirson went down in Week 3 with what the club initially called a ?deep knee bruise? but he hasn?t played since. Harrirson however practiced this week and it appears he'll make the start. Indianapolis' offense has had another outstanding season despite Harrison's absence, ranking third in the NFL with 28.1 points per game. Manning recorded his eighth 4,000-yard passing season, and Reggie Wayne has been the main beneficiary, putting together a career year with 104 receptions for 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns. Manning and the passing offense have been complemented by a ground game led by Joseph Addai, who's rushed for 1,072 yards and 12 TDs.
3-Unit Play Take #110 Dallas Cowboys -4 1/2 (1st Half) over NY Giants. (Sunday, January 13, 4:30 pm EST).
The Cowboys will be trying for their first playoff win in more than a decade when they host the New York Giants in the third meeting between the teams this season. Tony Romo will lead the Dallas charge and should be rested and ready to go after spending the bye week with girlfriend Jessica Simpson in Mexico along with teammate Jason Witten and his wife. Romo though is unsure if he'll have TO for the game. Owens, who leads the NFC with 15 receiving touchdowns and ranks second with 90.3 receiving yards per game, missed Dallas' season-ending 27-6 loss at Washington with a sprained left ankle. Both teams can score, but Romo is much more consistent than Eli Manning. In the end that's where the big difference will be. We're asking Dallas to have a touchdown lead at the break. That?s very likely to happen.
3 Unit Play. #110 Take Dallas ?7 ? over NY Giants (Sunday 1/13 4:30 PM FOX)
Write up coming this evening for Sunday game?.
Allen Eastman's Picks For Football (NFL and NCAA)
3-Unit Play Take #108 Indianapolis Colts -6 (1st Half) over San Diego Chargers. (Sunday, January 13, 1:00 pm EST).
It appears Peyton Manning will have another weapon at his disposal when the Colts and 'Bolts collide. Receiver Marvin Harrirson went down in Week 3 with what the club initially called a ?deep knee bruise? but he hasn?t played since. Harrirson however practiced this week and it appears he'll make the start. Indianapolis' offense has had another outstanding season despite Harrison's absence, ranking third in the NFL with 28.1 points per game. Manning recorded his eighth 4,000-yard passing season, and Reggie Wayne has been the main beneficiary, putting together a career year with 104 receptions for 1,510 yards and 10 touchdowns. Manning and the passing offense have been complemented by a ground game led by Joseph Addai, who's rushed for 1,072 yards and 12 TDs.
3-Unit Play Take #110 Dallas Cowboys -4 1/2 (1st Half) over NY Giants. (Sunday, January 13, 4:30 pm EST).
The Cowboys will be trying for their first playoff win in more than a decade when they host the New York Giants in the third meeting between the teams this season. Tony Romo will lead the Dallas charge and should be rested and ready to go after spending the bye week with girlfriend Jessica Simpson in Mexico along with teammate Jason Witten and his wife. Romo though is unsure if he'll have TO for the game. Owens, who leads the NFC with 15 receiving touchdowns and ranks second with 90.3 receiving yards per game, missed Dallas' season-ending 27-6 loss at Washington with a sprained left ankle. Both teams can score, but Romo is much more consistent than Eli Manning. In the end that's where the big difference will be. We're asking Dallas to have a touchdown lead at the break. That?s very likely to happen.
HEY GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LETS TRY LOOKING TO SEE IF A THREAD IS ALREADY GOING FOR THAT DAY!!!!!!!!
:nono: :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono:
YOU DONT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT BEING THE FIRST TO POST !!!!!!!!!
ALSO QUIT THINKING THAT THIS ARTHUR RALPH SHIT IS THE GREATEST THING GOING!
LETS TRY LOOKING TO SEE IF A THREAD IS ALREADY GOING FOR THAT DAY!!!!!!!!
:nono: :nono: :nono: :nono: :nono:
YOU DONT NEED TO WORRY ABOUT BEING THE FIRST TO POST !!!!!!!!!
ALSO QUIT THINKING THAT THIS ARTHUR RALPH SHIT IS THE GREATEST THING GOING!
Bob Akmens
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
continues to be on fire
2-0 yesterday(gb ...over ne/jags)
8-1 in the nfl playoffs
Giants
Under Giants/Boys
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
continues to be on fire
2-0 yesterday(gb ...over ne/jags)
8-1 in the nfl playoffs
Giants
Under Giants/Boys
More
NFL
In.Colts/S.D.Chargers Over 46
NBA
Det.Pistons
CBB
Niagara -10.5
NHL
Nashville Predators -165