Tony Mathews
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Tennessee Titans
Selection: Tennessee Titans -3
Everyone thought that the Titans’ would deteriorate from last season’s 13-3 record but this season’s 0-6 is completely shocking, making Tennessee the most substandard team in the NFL. The Titans were only a play away in every game from being 3-0 during the first 3 weeks of the season. But unfortunately poor pass cover and special teams instead brought them to 0-3. Every opponent took advantage of their injured secondary, and with the letdown of continuous defeat, the Titans were unable to retaliate.
While the Titans have struggled this season, they have had to battle strong teams. The Titans have faced the likes of Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning and Matt Schwab who lead the NFL’s best passing attack but they’ve also been subjugated to David Garrard who was 27-of 37 for 323 yards in their first game.
Both the Titans and the Jaguars are coming off a bye but we expect to see the irritable Titans put in more effort this week after being shutout in their last game by the Patriots 59-0. The Jaguars, on the other hand, are 3-4 and pounded Tennessee only a month ago. However, Jacksonville was shutout on the road 41-0 by Seattle 3 weeks ago. With a healthier secondary and some needed inspiration for a comeback, expect the Titans to put in their best effort of the season and get their first win.
Take the Tennessee Titans -3
Jeff Alexander
1 Unit on Tennessee Titans -3
Bottom Line: The Titans are worth a shot at home today off a bye week, especially since they've already seen the Jags once this season. In the off week, the Titans have had time to adjust their goal and make sense of this mess. I think the off week serves them well, just as it has in the past, as they are on a 5-2 SU & 5-1-1 ATS run in their last 7 post bye games. They've also gone 7-3 SU & ATS in their last 10 home games against the Jags. History flat out says the Titans are due here as plays on any team after being beaten by the spread by more than 28 points in their previous game in conference games are 25-6 ATS the last 5 years. Take the Titans.
BIG AL
New York at Philadelphia
With the Yankee victory in the rain-delayed game on Saturday night, the momentum definitely has swung in the direction of the Bronx, as New York can now turn to their ace, lefthander CC Sabathia, while the Phils cannot start their ace, fellow southpaw Cliff Lee in this game. Lee normally doesn't start on three days rest, so the Phils will have to go with righthander Joe Blanton tonight. It's not like Blanton is a bad pitcher, but this is also not an ordinary game and he is not up against a routine situation. Blanton will have to face the toughest lineup in the Major Leagues and that's not all. Because the 29-year-old formerly pitched in the American League, he also has a substantial history against the boys in pinstripes and unfortunately, it's not good. In four appearances against the Bronx Bombers (all starts), Blanton is 0- 3 with an 8.18 ERA in 22 innings. Sabathia has been a horse for the Yankees rotation and will start on three days' rest for the second time this postseason after throwing 113 pitches in Game one. Although he took the loss, Sabathia held every Phillies hitter not named Chase Utley -- who homered twice -- to just two hits over seven innings. Look for the big lefthander to be out for revenge tonight.
PLAY NEW YORK
JR TIPS
Yankees at Phillies
The New York Yankees will have their ace CC Sabathia on the mound pitching on three days rest trying to get within a victory of a World Series title. The Yankees came back from a 3-0 deficit Saturday Night to win 8-5 over the Phillies. Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Hideki Matsui all homered for New York. Sabathia who went 19-8 with a 3.37 ERA in the regular season hasn't slowed in the postseason, posting a 3-1 record and 1.52 ERA although Sabathia is 5-3 with a 3.16 ERA in eight starts when throwing on short rest. sabathia lost to Cliff Lee in Game 1 but Lee is scheduled to start Monday's Game 5 so Joe Blanton gets the nod in Game 4 for a second consecutive year. The right-hander combined with four relievers on a five-hitter in a 10-2 win over Tampa Bay last October that gave the Phillies a 3-1 World Series lead but Blanton hasn't had any success against the Yankees going 0-3 with an 8.18 ERA in four starts although all of those games came with Oakland. Blanton has also struggled against Alex Rodriguez, who is 4 for 7 with two homers in their matchups and snapped a personal 0-for-8 slump with his sixth homer of this postseason.The Phillies are hoping their slugger Ryan Howard can break out of his slump as he is 2 for 13 with an RBI and nine strikeouts in the Series strinking out three times last night.The Yankees made the CC sabathia the richest man in baseball history to win this game. The Yankee bats are back and Joe Blanton will conitinue to aide their success. The Yankees know this is a must win game with the red hot Cliff Lee pitching on Monday.
TAKE NYY -160
Jeff Benton
Denver +3' at BALTIMORE
I’m on a 13-5 roll with NFL freebies, and I’ll extend that run Sunday by scoring a winner with the Broncos plus the points at Baltimore.
I’m sold. I’m sold on the Denver Broncos being the real deal. Going back to the final game of the preseason, the Broncos have won and covered seven straight games, and five of those were outright upsets from the underdog role. During this seven-game stretch, the Broncos’ vastly improved defense has allowed a total of five offensive touchdowns and 66 points (or 9.4 ppg). And while the Ravens, somewhat surprisingly, have been pretty prolific offensively this season (28.2 points, 393.2 total yards per game), you could say the same thing about each of Denver’s last three opponents (Dallas, New England and San Diego). In fact, those three teams are averaging 26.8, 26.8 and 28.3 ppg this year … and they were held to 10, 17 and 23 points against Denver (and seven of those were on a punt return by the Chargers’ Darren Sproles).
Denver’s defense in the second half has been beyond ridiculous, too. The Broncos have given up a TOTAL of 10 points after halftime all year, including just three since Week 1! So while the Ravens have put up 30 or more in four of six games, they haven’t done it against a defense as a good as the one they’ll see today. In fact, look at the defenses Baltimore has feasted on this year: Chiefs, Chargers, Browns, Patriots, Bengals and Vikings. The first three are awful; the last three are decent, but Baltimore only averaged 22 ppg in those contests, scoring just 21 against New England and 14 against Cincinnati, and the Ravens lost all three games.
Finally, while the Broncos’ offense isn’t flashy, it is effective, efficient and protects the football. And I have no doubt that Kyle Orton and Brandon Marshall will have success throwing down the field against a Ravens defense that’s living off past reputation (Baltimore is giving up 21.7 points and 332.7 total yards per game, including 241.5 passing yards per game and nine passing TDs.
Bottom line: The oddsmakers have made Denver an underdog each of the last three weeks and all the Broncos did was win all three games outright. They’ve easily cashed in every game so far, and they’re 6-2 ATS in their last eight on the road going back to last year. So to be catching more than a field goal against a team coming off three straight losses is just too good to pass up.
4♦ DENVER
Bobby Maxwell
Minnesota at GREEN BAY -3
Today I'm all over the Brett Favre homecoming with a FREE winner as I play the Packers and lay the chalk to win and cash in against the Vikings.
It’s the Brett Favre Bowl in Green Bay today as the Packers’ favorite son returns to Lambeau Field wearing a Minnesota Vikings’ jersey. The crowd is not going to be friendly and welcome him back with open arms, they are going to want the current Packers to go out and knock him around a bit and that’s what is going to happen in this one.
A few bad bounces cost Minnesota and Favre last week when they lost 27-17 at Pittsburgh when the Steelers got to fourth-quarter defensive touchdowns to seal the win. They came up short at the betting window as six-point underdogs for their second straight non-cover.
Green Bay had won five straight matchups prior to the last two, which included a 30-23 loss at Minnesota four weeks ago, when the Vikings cashed as 4 ½-point favorites. The Packers outgained the Vikings in every category in that game and they have been downright dominant since that game.
Aaron Rodgers has led Green Bay to wins over the Lions and Browns since then, winning by a combined 57-3 and getting easy covers in both contests. The Packers have a plus-10 turnover margin this season and we all know Favre has the ability to throw a few picks when he’s pumped up for a game.
Green Bay is on ATS runs of 8-2 in divisional play, 4-1 as a favorite and 7-3-1 in November games. Meanwhile, the Vikings are just 1-6 ATS against winning teams, 3-7 as underdogs and 3-12-2 when catching three points or less.
The Packer fans are going to get what they want in this one when Green Bay gets a few turnovers from Favre and wins this one, sending him back to Minnesota with his second straight loss. Look for a 24-17 final. Play the Packers.
2♦ GREEN BAY
Karl Garrett
Minnesota at GREEN BAY
The Packers defense has held the opposition to just 3-points in their 2 games since the break, but holding Detroit and Cleveland out of the end-zone is totally different than holding Brett Favre and the Vikings out of the end-zone!
G-Man is not sure who is going to take this bitter battle today, but I do know that we are going to see some major points put up on the board.
Minnesota is averaging over 29 points per game this season, and they did hang 30 on the Pack in the season's first shootout back on October 5th.
Green Bay is averaging nearly 27 points per game this year, and they were able to get 23 points in that first meeting in Minnesota.
The last 3 series meetings, and 4 of the last 5 overall have eclipsed the posted total, and Minny has played HIGH in 5 of their 7 games this season.
Throw in the Packers on a 21-10 OVER clip their last 31, and we have ourselves a high-scoring shootout at Lambeau on Sunday.
G-Man going HIGH in Green Bay in Favre's return!
4♦ OVER
Dominic Fazzini
St. Louis +4 at DETROIT
I lost Saturday going with Idaho as my complimentary selection. It wasn't by much, but it was a loss just the same. Well, I won't be burned a second straight day!
The Rams are horrible, no doubt about it. But who are the Lions to be favored by more than a field goal against them?
Detroit still has won just once in its last 23 games, and rookie QB Matthew Stafford and standout receiver Calvin Johnson come into this game bothered by knee injuries.
Rams running back Steven Jackson still has not found the end zone this season, but he ranks second in the NFC and third in the NFL in rushing yardage, so it's not like he hasn't been getting it done on the ground.
And I'll take St. Louis QB Marc Bulger over any of Detroit's QBs, whether it be Stafford, Daunte Culpepper or Drew Stanton, to get me a victory right now.
The Rams have had problems stopping the run, but Lions running back Kevin Smith is averaging just 3.2 yards per carry, which puts a lot of pressure on Detroit's young QB.
St. Louis is 9-4 ATS vs. teams with losing records, and Detroit is 16-34-1 in its last 51 games as a favorite and 3-9 ATS in its last 12 home games. The Rams have lost 17 straight games, and they know this is probably their best chance to end their slide this season. Take St. Louis to cover the points.
4♦ ST. LOUIS
Sports Gambling Hotline
Oakland at SAN DIEGO -16'
Saturday comp play winner on Cincinnati.
50-42-4 free play run!
Did the real San Diego team show up last Sunday in their 37-7 win and cover at Kansas City?
We are not sure that last week's Bolts team is here to stay, but we do like them to reprise last week's final score against an Oakland team that was just blanked 38-0 at home against the Jets.
Oakland hasn't topped 20-points all season long, and that 20-point effort did come on the opening Monday night of the year when they nearly upset San Diego, losing 24-20 at home, but covering as the double-digit dog.
That win ran the San Diego series winning streak to 12 in a row, and dropped them to a still-profitable 10-2 against the spread the last dozen times these two AFC West teams have met.
The Chargers do have a cross-country date against the Giants on-deck next Sunday, so at 3-3 this becomes a must-win game for Norv Turner's team, and while this impost is massive, we just cannot make a case for the stagnant Raiders to stay anywhere near the explosive Chargers.
Play on Diego.
2♦ SAN DIEGO
Chris Jordan
Oakland at SAN DIEGO -16'
If things couldn't get any worse for the most troubled franchise in the NFL - the Oakland Raiders - an Outside the Lines Report is aired this morning about Tom Cable and his violent nature.
Not that the team could be affected or even watched the piece, but it's an added distraction in an already turbulent season that hasn't been all that productive during this 2-5 campaign.
I understood the win at Kansas City. I am still baffled at the upset win over the Eagles. But what I find to be truer to form with this Raiders team are the losses in Houston and New York - a combined 73-13 shellacking by the Texans and Giants. Or last week's 38-0 shutout win by the Jets.
The Raiders, hands down, are a bad football team. And to have to go into San Diego to face what I believe is a pissed-off Charges team is a bad mix.
The Chargers don't feel they should be 3-3. But they've lost to Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Denver - all teams that could easily represent the AFC in the Super Bowl, at this point, from what I've seen.
The Bolts already beat the Raiders, in Week 1 as one of the featured Monday night games, 24-20 in Oakland.
And I believe the Chargers have gotten better, while the Raiders continue in their demise.
Oakland will be lucky to get into the end zone today, while the Chargers will put at least 31 on the board. My educated guess ... Bolts win 38-3.
2♦ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Stephen Nover
Carolina +10 at ARIZONA
It was just eight games ago that Carolina was laying double-digits at home to Arizona. Now the Panthers are taking double-digits. Has that much changed?
The Panthers have regressed. They no longer are a playoff caliber team. John Fox is on the hot seat. But the Cardinals aren't good enough to lay this many points against a team that has been pointing to this matchup ever since Arizona ended its season.
The Cardinals' strength is passing. The Panthers rank No. 1 versus the pass. Anquan Boldin isn't 100 percent with an ankle injury.
Carolina's defensive weakness is rush defense. But Arizona rates last in running. The Panthers have shored up their rush defense after recently picking up veteran Hollis Thomas. Linebacker Thomas Davis, the team's leading tackler, is back this week after missing last Sunday because of a hamstring injury.
The Panthers have solid running backs in DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. Steve Smith is an upper tier wide receiver. The offensive line is good. The problem is quarterback Jake Delhomme keeps committing turnovers.
Delhomme and Smith can take advantage of an Arizona secondary, though, that may be missing big-play defensive back Antrel Rolle, who suffered a ruptured tendon in his foot.
I'm not a huge fan of Delhomme. The guy is playing for his job here and the Panthers will be motivated. Kurt Warner has been known, too, to turn the ball over. The Cardinals are not balanced on offense and are average defensively. The line is too high.
3♦ PANTHERS
Tony Weston
I delivered with Cincinnati yesterday and I'm delivering with the Chargers today.
Despite a non-cover in their season opener, the Chargers have beaten the Raiders in 12 consecutive games SU.
The Raiders come into this game having failed to cover in 4 of their last 5 games overall and are just 21-43-1 ATS their last 65 games coming off a non-cover.
The Chargers, on the other hand, have gone 22-9-4 ATS their last 35 games against the AFC West and are 13-6 ATS their last 19 home games.
Most importantly, the Chargers have been the big money maker, going 11-2 ATS the last 13 matchups between these two, including covers in 5 of the last 6 in San Diego. Also, the favorite is 10-2 the last 12 meetings between these two and today, the Chargers will make it 11 of 13.
3♦ CHARGERS
Dave Price
1 Unit on Phillies +150
The Phillies are worth a shot for 1 Unit showing great value in the home dog role considering they have already beaten Sabathia in this series. Blanton doesn't have a good track record against the Yanks, but he has the fresher arm here and the Phillies are a terrific 8-2 in his last 10 home starts, as well as 9-0 in his last 9 Sunday starts. Also, keep in mind that the Yankees are 3-8 in their last 11 playoff road games and only 2-6 in their last 8 World Series road games. I like the Phillies to put a strong fight to win a close one here.
Doug Williams
Minnesota +3 at Green Bay -3
Minnesota covered (-4.5) in their 30-23 win over the Pack at the Metrodome on October 5.I think Minnesota will do it again, but there's better value in betting on Minnesota on the moneyline at +155.
Miami +3 at NY Jets -3
The Jets the best running game in the league. The Dolphins are ranked second in the NFL in rushing.
New York almost had Miami beat when the teams met on October 12 im Miami, but a last gasp touchdown run with six seconds left lifted the Dolphins past the Jets 31-27 as 3-point underdogs.This time out take the Jets at home to cover.
Denver +3 at Baltimore -3
Since starting out 3 and 0, the Ravens have gone 0 and 3 in their last 3, losing to New England, Cincinnati and Minnesota.The Ravens are a 3 point favorite at home. The Broncos are undefeated and have a terrific running game with Correll Buckhalter and rookie Knowshon Moreno and their defense is ranked #2 in the NFL.
I'm going with Denver the 'underdogs'.
NYG +1 @ Philly -1
Two teams that are tough as heck to figure out, the Giants stout D and Power run game had them pegged for an easy pick for the playoffs, but there D's getting torched and the run game is only ok, Philly is well, still Philly. But I think the Eagles smell blood in this division, and I see the Giants continuing to reel
Phily Covers.
EZWINNERS
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Tennessee Titans
Play: Tennessee Titans -3
The Titans are 0-6 and hit rock bottom in their last game against New England a 59-0 ass kicking which was the worst NFL loss since 1976. The good news is that this team should be highly motivated after that embarrassment and they will have starting cornerback Cortland Finnegan (right hamstring) and starting safety Vincent Fuller (forearm) back for this game against Jacksonville. The Jaguars are the perfect opponent for the Titans to get back on track. Jacksonville defeated Tennessee a few weeks ago so their is also the revenge factor at work here, but more than that the Jags are not a very good team either. In their last two games the Jags were pounded by the Seahawks and then needed overtime at home to knock off the winless Rams. Vince Young gets the start for the Titans and he should provide a spark to this team. Lay the points.