Fantasy Sports Gametime
Play Detroit (-230) over Minnesota (Top Play of the Day)
Detroit has won 10 of the last 11 games and they have also won 17 of the last 20 games when playing as a favorite of -200 or higher. Doug Fister has won 3 consecutive home games when the total posted is between 8.5 and 10 runs and he is 2-0 over the last three starts with an ERA of 0.83.
Play Arizona (-200) over San Diego (Bonus)
Matt Fargo
10* Colts
10* Rams
9* Cowboys
9* Bills
9* Seahawks
Great Lakes Sports
4* Pittsburgh Steelers
3* Tampa Bay Buccaneers
3* Cleveland Browns
Jimmy Boyd
5* Bills +5.5
4* Cowboys +6
3* Bengals +7
Today's Picks
Pittsburgh Steelers -1
Atlanta Falcons -2.5
St. Louis Rams +4.5
Washington Redskins +3
New York Jets -4.5
Miami Dolphins +7
Oakland Raiders +3
R.A.W. FOOTBALL
4* Chargers
3* 49ers
2* Bills/Chiefs Under
2* Bengals/Browns Under
2* Bears/Falcons Under
2* Dolphins
Al DeMarco
15 Dime Steelers
Anthony Redd
30 Dime Titans
30 Dime Vikings
30 Dime Steelers
Bob Valentino
50 Dime Rams
Chuck O'Brien
40 Dime Titans
Derek Mancini
30 Dime Panthers
Steve Budin
25 Dime Lions
Sixth Sense
3% CHICAGO +2.5
3% HOUSTON –8.5 No higher than –9.5
3% ST LOUIS +4
3% WASHINGTON +3
3% NY JETS –5.5 No higher than –5.5
3% DENVER –3 No higher than -3
Adding
3% DETROIT/TAMPA BAY OVER 41.5
Tampa Bay inserted LeGarrette Blount for full time duty in their week eight game at Arizona last year. From that point on they scored at least 20 points in eight of the final ten games. The two games they did not score at least 20 points were on the road at Baltimore and Washington who were both good defenses. From that same point on last year, TB scored 31, 24, 20 and 38 points at home. In games at home against above average offenses, they allowed 38, 31, 28 and 23 points. The 23 points allowed were against Detroit.
Detroit has now allowed 20 or more points in 28 of their last 32 road games. They did hold two opponents to under 20 on the road last year - Chicago opening week and Buffalo, who wasn't very good on offense last year and technically played that game in Toronto. On the road against good offenses last year they allowed 24, 28, 28, 35 and 20 points.
Both teams should get to at least 20 points in this game and if that happens, this game will go over the total.
Dr. Bob
2* Bears
Opinion
Dolphins
Leans
Bucs
Ravens
Bills
Texans
Added leans
Eagles/Rams Under
Ravens
Browns
Browns/Bengals Under
Kelso
50 Units Arizona Cardinals
ATS Winners
10* San Diego Chargers -8
6* St. Louis Rams +4
6* Detroit / Tampa Bay Over 42
4* Buffalo Bills +6
4* Washington Redskins +3
3* Dallas Cowboys +6
Gregg Price
10* Rams +4.5
Our week 1 10* is on the Rams. Those who have been with me know I have been all over Bradford, I love this kid. I also told you to give coach Spags some time, and now this is his 3rd year as coach. They made major stides last year, next obsticle - winning on the road. But they are home here, and while the Eagles are going to be good, its going to take a little time. People have them pegged as the Heat of the NFL. Not so fast, if you recall the first 4 months of the season the Heat couldn't beat the teams over .500. Also if you recall, Vick only played in 11 games last year, lost his last 2 then the playoff game, all at home. It was all about filling the lanes and getting pressure on him, keeping him in the pocket. Another thing with Philly, as with the Heat, they need to become a TEAM. Look at the Yankees, won with all their farm players, then in 2001 started grabbing all the top free agents every year, and it took 8 years to win another WS. Philly maybe looking past the 7-9 (6 of 8 on the road) Rams, they have the Falcons and Giants on deck. 10* RAMS
5* Bills +6
Going with the Bills here, as these 2 battled last year in KC, as KC rushed for 275 yards and needed a FG in OT to win. Bills won 4 games last year, KC 10. I don't see either doing that again, maybe 4-6 for Buff and 8 for KC. Bills have improved a little on D, so they will be more competitive even if they don't improve that win total, and KC had a soft schedule last year. The point is, KC is no where near as good as their record of last year. They will regress. 5* BUFFALO.
5* Seattle +5.5
We are taking the Seahawks as our only rated play at 4pm. Seattle lost the back end of this match-up lst year 40-21, and teams playing a divisional road game off a 14+ pt loss to the same team are 72-47 ATS the last 10 years, nice stat huh? 5* SEATTLE.
5* Dallas +5.5
Going with Dallas here in what is Garrets first full season as coach. They brought in Rob Ryan to help with that aweful D, and we know he is good, so its just a matter of time before he gets the players he needs to work his system. Jets have a great D, nothing else needs to be said. But the Jets handicap is Sanchez, makes aweful reads down the field, 2nd or 3rd worst completion % last year among all the starters, and seems to play worse at home, probablt feels the pressure more from the fans. Then we have all the 9/11 stuff, and NY's team, and I think this line is low. Jets are home, back to back AFC runner-ups, and only giving 5? Dallas has a little better offense, it will come down to the D having to make some plays. I'm also eager to see Romo back from injury, remember he wins the big games until you get to december, then we fade him. 5* DALLAS
4* Colts +9
I was on Indy a little stronger when they first announced Manning would be out a few weeks, but that was changed to long term 2 days ago. So at first I was thinking the team would pick it up and play at a higher level for 2-3 weeks until he returned, is now going to be months, so that might take a little air out of the bag. But Houston still has no business giving this many points. Last I checked they played horrible D last year. And we can also cancel out a weapon from Houston in Foster. If this is the same injury as they are saying Jose Reyes had, no way this guy should play, unless Houston doesn't care about the long term. I think Collins will do a decent job. Indy's D did struggle last year too. I'm sure Houston was pumped to be facing Manning on opening day for the second year in a row after beating him last year, so without him that might have also let a little air out of their side. I think we are going to have competitive game here. 4* INDY.
4* Bears +2.5
Going with the Bears here. Big respect game for Cutler after all the abuse he took for coming out of the Championship game last year. Atlanta is a public team and they aren't the same team outside of the dome. People are all over them this week thinking they only have to win by 3. Lets take the home dog. 4* BEARS.
Scott Pritchard
Cowboys at Jets
Pick: Cowboys +6
Pro football Sunday presents the Cowboys vs. the Jets. I like Dallas plus the points. This is too many points as the Jets are getting too much respect. I see a hotly contested ballgame that could go either way. The points are a bargain. Play the Dallas Cowboys on the road, you'll be glad you did. See the cashier.
BIG AL
At 1 pm, our selection is on the Houston Texans minus the points over Indianapolis. Last season, the Colts had another great year, and rolled to a 10-6 record before falling in the Playoffs. But for Game 1 of the 2011 season, they've been installed as a big road underdog, due mainly to the absence of Peyton Manning. And over the years, teams off 10-win seasons have struggled mightily in Game 1 the following year when they've been installed as road dogs of +3 or more points vs. foes which did not win 10 games the previous season. Indeed, our road dogs in such situations have failed to cover the spread in all 15 games dating back to 1994! That's not good news for Kerry Collins & Co. here. Admittedly, Houston has its own injury problems with Arian Foster likely out of this game. But at least the Texans can turn toward Ben Tate and Derrick Ward to pick up the slack. And the Texans also have adequate weapons in WR Andre Johnson and QB Matt Schaub. No head coach is under more pressure this season than Gary Kubiak, and I believe his troops -- now the favorites to win the AFC South -- will open this season with a resounding win. Lay the points.
At 1:05 pm, our selection is on the Detroit Tigers over the Minnesota Twins. Since joining the Tigers at the end of July, righthander Doug Fister has not only become a more successful starter - going from a 3-12 record with the Mariners to his current 4-1 mark with his new team, but he's also become a different pitcher. In his two-and-half seasons in Seattle, Fister was always a contact pitcher, getting most of his outs via ground balls or fly balls and not relying much on strikeouts to retire hitters. Prior to the move to the Motor City, Fister had a strikeout ratio of around 5 1/2 K's per nine innings and a strikeouts-to-walks ratio just under three. Since he's changed teams, Fister's K rate has risen to 7.3 per nine innings and his K-to-BB ratio has skyrocketed to 12. And with a much better offense around him, it's no wonder his record has reversed itself as well. This afternoon Fister will get his eighth start with the Tigers and it's another great match-up at home against the struggling Twins and rookie lefthander Scott Diamond who Minnesota called up in late July. Diamond has been just so-so in his first MLB campaign, going 1-3 with a 4.56 ERA. Diamond's worst start so far was against this Tigers squad when he gave up 10 hits and five runs (four earned) at home on August 26 for the second loss of his career. Take Detroit.
At 2:10 pm, our selection is on the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox 'under' the total. Ultimately, righthander Ubaldo Jimenez will probably not be judged by his record or ERA when being evaluated for his performance since moving over to the American League at the trade deadline. Jimenez is just 2-2 with a 5.27 ERA since arriving in Cleveland at the end of July, but if you delve deeper you will find that he also has increased his strikeout rate from around eight-and-a-half K's per nine innings to over 10 since joining the Tribe. JImenez has been much more effective in his last three starts, going 1-1 with an ERA of 3.15 and WHIP of 1.05 and the Indians have won two of those three. Chicago righthander Zach Stewart is also 2-2 and he has an ERA very similar to that of Jimenez (4.42) but like the Indians' ace, Stewart has often pitched much better than those numbers indicate, and Stewart's last start is a perfect example as he came one pitch from perfection, throwing a complete-game, one-hitter against the Tigers last Monday. Stewart is not likely to get much run support from his hitters the rest of the season, but then again, neither is Jimenez. Take the 'under.'
At 3:10 pm, our selection is on the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies 'under' the total. One of the reasons that the Rockies were willing to part with their ace pitcher, Ubaldo Jimenez - probably THE main reason - is a 22-year-old lefthander named Drew Pomeranz, who the Indians had selected fifth overall in the 2010 amateur draft. Pomeranz makes his Major League debut this afternoon, and like the classic Sinatra song about the Big Apple states, "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere" which means that if Pomeranz can pull off a successful first start in the league's toughest park, then he may very well have a bright future in the big leagues. Righthander Edinson Volquez is far from making his MLB debut today, but he will be pitching for the Reds for the first time since July 5 as the hard-thrower was sent down to the minors to work on his control and if his results down on the farm are any indication, Volquez is set to make a successful return to the bigs today as he went 4-2 with a 2.37 ERA and 83 strikeouts in just over 87 innings while in Louisville. Take the 'under.'
Northcoast
3'* Chargers
3* Giants
3* Rams
Marquee - Cowboys