MNF News and Notes Week 10

Tech Trends - Week 10
By Bruce Marshall

PHILADELPHIA at WASHINGTON... Skins have covered 4 of last 5 in series. Andy Reid "over" 9-5 last 14 away. Tech edge-slight to Skins and "over," based on recent series and "totals" trends.

Gridiron Angles - Week 10
By Vince Akins

Eagles at Redskins - The Eagles are 9-0 ATS (9.1 ppg) since November 10, 1991 within 3 of pick on the road the week after a game in which they committed no turnovers. The Eagles are 7-0 ATS (12.6 ppg) since November 25, 2002 on the road when they rushed for at least 50 yards more last week than their season-to-date average in a straight up win. The Eagles are 7-0 ATS (12.6 ppg) since September 15, 1997 on the road vs a divisional opponent on Monday Night Football. The Redskins are 0-9 ATS (-16.0 ppg) since September 14, 1998 at home on Monday Night Football. The Eagles are 0-11-1 OU (-11.8 ppg) since October 02, 1989 within 3 of pick on the road when they have had a positive dpa in each of their last two games. The Eagles are 0-7 OU (-9.5 ppg) since November 03, 2002 as a favorite when they rushed for at least 50 yards more last week than their season-to-date average. The Redskins are 0-8-2 OU (-9.8 ppg) since November 01, 1998 as a home dog vs a divisional opponent before playing on the road.

Eagles (5-3) @ Redskins (4-4)

McNabb won 17-12 in his return to Philly (+5) in Week 4, but completed just 8-19 passes in doing so (Skins ran ball for 169 yards); now, after he got benched at end of loss in their last game, questions have arisen as to how much faith Team Shanahan has in #5. Vick got hurt in first meeting, now he’s healthy; Eagles are 3-1 on road, scoring 27.3 ppg and they had 4th quarter lead in game they lost. Philly won eight of last ten visits here- they’re 2-3 as favorite this year. Redskins are 1-2 at home, with all three games decided by three points. Shanahan is 7-1 in last eight post-bye games, but Redskins are 1-4 vs. spread in last five as post-bye underdog. Last four Eagle games all went over the total.

MNF - Eagles at Redskins
By Kevin Rogers

An NFC East battle from the Nation's Capital wraps up Week 10 of the NFL when the Eagles look to avenge an October home loss to the Redskins. Philadelphia looks to keep up with New York as the Giants are rolling atop the division. Washington, meanwhile, tries to solve its quarterback issues coming off a disappointing loss at Detroit prior to the bye week.

Donovan McNabb has grabbed plenty of storylines since getting traded to the Redskins in April after 11 seasons in Philadelphia. The six-time Pro Bowler beat the Eagles in his return to Lincoln Financial Field on October 3 as five-point underdogs, 17-12. Washington jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead, but scored only three points in the final three quarters. It didn't hurt the Redskins that Eagles' quarterback Michael Vick left the game with bruised ribs in the first half, opening the door for Kevin Kolb. The former Houston Cougar threw for 201 yards and a touchdown, but failed to convert a hail-mary on the final play of the game.

Fast forward to two weeks ago when the Redskins lost in a Halloween massacre to the Lions, 37-25, as Detroit scored 17 points in the final three minutes to shut the door. The loss wasn't the story for McNabb and the Redskins; instead it was the quarterback getting pulled in the final two minutes by head coach Mike Shanahan because McNabb "couldn't run the two-minute offense effectively." The explanation a day later from the two-time Super Bowl winning head coach was McNabb wasn't in good condition due to a hamstring injury.

McNabb is set to start on Monday night, ending any kind of short-lived controversy between him and Rex Grossman. Meanwhile, Andy Reid has been at the center of a revolving door at quarterback between Vick and Kolb. The latter started the season against the Packers, but was eventually replaced by Vick. The former number one pick stepped into the starting role in Week 2 at Detroit and led the Eagles to a 35-32 victory, but Philadelphia failed to cover as 6 ½-point favorites. Vick is as elusive as ever by making defenders miss when he scrambles, while tossing seven touchdowns and zero interceptions.

The Eagles are a solid 3-1 on the road with the lone loss coming without Vick in Tennessee back in Week 7 as three-point underdogs. The 'over' has been a strong play in Philadelphia road games, riding a 3-1 clip as the only 'under' came in a Week 3 blowout of Jacksonville. Reid's Eagles own a pedestrian 3-5 ATS record this season, while going 2-3 ATS when laying points.

Washington does not disappoint from an entertainment standpoint in its home contests with all four games being decided by six points or less. In fact, three of those games have come down to a field goal with the Redskins falling twice to the Texans and Colts. The Redskins' offense hasn't made many strides since McNabb's arrival, scoring 17 points or less five times this season, while the veteran signal-caller is the 25th in the league in quarterback rating (76).

Philadelphia has compiled a 9-3 ATS mark in divisional road contests since 2006, including a pair of wins as away 'chalk' last season at New York (45-38) and Washington (27-17). The victory at FedEx Field last October came on a Monday night, as DeSean Jackson scored on a pair of big plays by scoring on a 67-yard touchdown run and hauling in a 57-yard pass from McNabb. Philadelphia covered as hefty nine-point favorites despite a late Washington touchdown to make the score more respectable.

The Eagles are listed as a three-point road favorite, but you will have to pay some juice to lay the field goal. The number is slowly moving up to 3 ½ at some spots with the standard $1.10 juice. The total is set at 42 ½ across the board after opening the week at 43 ½. Kickoff is at 8:30 PM EST from FedEx Field and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.

Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood:

-- The home teams dominated the early kickoffs on Sunday afternoon, including big victories by the Dolphins and Bears. Miami was down to third-string quarterback Tyler Thigpen following injuries to Chad Pennington and Chad Henne, as Thigpen's late touchdown pass to Anthony Fasano put away a 29-17 victory over Tennessee. Chicago overcame a few Jay Cutler miscues to beat Minnesota, 27-13 as one-point home underdogs. The Bears bring their 6-3 record to South Florida on Thursday night to take on the Dolphins.

--Jacksonville may have saved its season and put a major dent in Houston's after David Garrard's hail-mary pass to Mike Thomas to pull out a 31-24 victory. The Texans started the season at 2-0, but are now 4-5 in spite of the offense receiving a big day from Andre Johnson (9 receptions, 146 yards, and a touchdown). Jacksonville improves to 5-4 and is hanging around the AFC playoff race as it hosts an improving Cleveland squad next week.

Congratulations go out to the Buffalo Bills, who finally broke through the win column with a 14-12 triumph over Detroit. It wasn't all great for Bills' backers as Calvin Johnson's late touchdown gave the Lions a backdoor cover, lifting Detroit to a 7-1 ATS record (as opposed to a 2-7 SU mark).

vegasinsider.com

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins NFL Betting Preview
By: Jeff Mattingly

Philadelphia is coming off a 26-24 home win over the Indianapolis Colts that followed a bye week and has given many players thoughts of reaching the Super Bowl. “We have a lot of rising starts, we have a lot of young guys who are very dedicated and we have some veterans who have been around for a long time,” said quarterback Michael Vick. “I think that if we just put it all together, we can make a run at it.” Vick is currently leading the league with a 105.3 passer rating, throwing for 1,017 yards, seven touchdowns and no interceptions. Philadelphia has traveled well this season, wining three of four road games, while their opponents are 2-2 at FedEx Field. The team is 3-5 ATS this season.

The Eagles rank first in the NFL with a +9 turnover ratio, which has been provided with 18 takeaways and just nine giveaways. Philadelphia holds a +59 turnover ratio since 1999, which is tied for second behind only New England (+64). It’s also important to state that the team has the second best winning percentage (.703) in November and December since 2000, also going 26-12 against the NFC East over that span. Vick hopes to stay healthy for the entire game after leaving the previous meeting with a rib injury that led him to miss time this season.

Washington returns from their bye week after a deflating 37-25 road loss to the Detroit Lions in a game that saw starting quarterback Donovan McNabb benched late in the game. Head coach Mike Shanahan said it was a result of McNabb not being fit enough to run the two-minute offense. “Right now, he’s improved from last week, but by no means is he full speed yet,” Shanahan stated. “As we go later in the week, I’ll get a feel exactly where he’s at.” The Redskins enter the second half of their slate with as many wins as they registered in the entire 2009 season. The team is 0-3 ATS when playing on Monday Night Football.

The Redskins own the third-best mark in the league with a +8 turnover ratio, but it hasn’t really translated into as many victories as other top teams in the category. The NFL’s top 10 teams in terms of turnover ration this season is 56-27. Monday’s matchup will mark the 151st overall meeting between the Redskins and Eagle franchises, with Washington leading the all-time regular season series, 78-67-5. The team will be going for its 24th sweep in its two games series with the Eagles and hold a 5-8 mark at FedEx Field. The teams have split their previous six meetings on Monday night.

Bettors will likely lay the Eagles are 2-5 ATS versus the NFC, while the Redskins are 10-4 ATS following a bye week.

Tips and Trends

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins

EAGLES: (-3, O/U 41.5) Philadelphia has to be feeling good about themselves after last week's win over Peyton Manning and the Colts. The Eagles have played a tough schedule, yet are a solid 5-3 SU on the year. QB Michael Vick continues to prove his worth, as the Eagles seem to be invigorated when led on the field by Vick. The Eagles are 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS on the road this season. Philadelphia has revenge fresh on their minds after losing to the Redskins SU earlier this season. The Eagles are averaging nearly 25 PPG this season, 8th best in the NFL. A big reason for their success is the play of gamebreaking WR's DeSean Jackson and Jeremy Maclin. Both have more than 500 receiving yards this season, including a combined 10 TD's on the year. RB LeSean McCoy has rushed for 572 YDS and 5 TD's this season. Defensively, the Eagles are allowing 22.5 PPG for the season. The Eagles defense is a high risk defense, as they are 4th in the NFL in INT's and 5th in the NFL in sacks overall this year. The Eagles are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a road favorite. Philadelphia is 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after allowing more than 250 yards passing in their previous game. The Eagles are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games following an ATS loss. Philadelphia is 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games against the NFC. The Eagles are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games played in November.

Eagles are 6-1 ATS last 7 Monday games.
Over is 4-0 last 4 games played on grass.

Key Injuries - DB Ellis Hobbs (hip) is out.

Projected Score: 27 (SIDE of the Day)

REDSKINS: Washington is coming off a much needed bye, as they were coming off not only a SU loss but also some conflict. QB Donovan McNabb and Coach Shanahan were able to get on the same page, a necessity moving forward. Washington is 4-4 SU and 4-3-1 ATS overall this season. The Redskins are 2-2 SU at home this year, with each game being decided by 6 PTS or fewer. In fact, Washington has yet to be the listed favorite in a home game this entire year. The Redskins are averaging 19.4 PPG this season, 10th fewest in the NFL. McNabb has thrown for 1970 YDS this season with 7 TD's. Unfortunately for Washington, McNabb has thrown 8 INT's and is completing less than 58% of his passes. Injuries have ravished the Washington RB's corps, yet they are still pushing forward with RB Ryan Torain. Defensively, Washington is allowing 21.3 PPG. In order for the Redskins to make a playoff push, they will have to improve their pass defense. The Redskins are allowing nearly 281 YPG through the air, the 2nd most in the NFL. The Redskins are 3-0-1 ATS against a team with a winning record. Washington is 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as an underdog between 3.5 and 10 points. The Redskins are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 Monday games.

Redskins are 5-12-1 ATS last 18 home games.
Under is 7-3-1 last 11 Monday games.

Key Injuries - LB Brian Orakpo (back) is probable.

Projected Score: 17

Eagles at Redskins: What Bettors Need to Know
By Steve Merril

Current Odds

Oddsmakers opened Philadelphia as a 3-point road favorite last week and the money has come in Philadelphia, pushing the spread to 3.5 in many locations, while others have adjusted the juice only and made the Eagles -3 -125.

The over/under line opened 41.5 and has gone up to 42.5 total points. Both the side and total line moves coincide with the current Covers.com consensus as 70 percent of the public is favoring the Eagles while 72 percent is on the over.

The weather will be nice on Monday night as the forecast is calling for clear conditions with no wind and a kickoff temperature of 50 degrees.

Injury Report

The Eagles are banged up on defense and will be without two defensive backs. CBs Ellis Hobbs (hip) and Nate Allen (neck) are out this week, while defensive end Victor Abiamiri (knee) was placed on the injured reserve list and will be out for the rest of the season.

Defensive end Juqua Parker (hip) and defensive tackle Brodrick Bunkley (elbow) are probable and expected to play.

The Eagles are also battling injuries on the offensive line. Center Jamaal Jackson (elbow) remains out for the season and backup center Nick Cole is probable but nursing a sore knee. Offensive guard Max Jean-Gilles (concussion) and tackle King Dunlap (knee) are questionable, while guard Todd Herremans (ankle) is probable and expected to play.

The Redskins had a bye last week, but still have a large injury list. Quarterback Donovan McNabb (hamstring) and running back Ryan Torain are both probable, while running back Clinton Portis (groin) remains doubtful. Tight end Chris Cooley (back) is questionable.

Two key defensive players, safety LaRon Landry (Achilles) and linebacker Brian Orakpo (back), are probable and expected to play tonight.

Chance at Redemption

Washington beat Philadelphia, 17-12, in the first meeting of the season. A big reason for that was the Redskins’ ability to run the ball with great success on the Eagles. They ran for 169 yards and averaged over 5.0 yards per carry.

Following that performance, the Philadelphia defense was verbally chewed out by head coach Andy Reid and defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, and the players are looking forward to atoning for their effort in that game.

”Let’s just say this, man. When we got to that team meeting, it definitely wasn’t a happy moment. You can put it like that,” linebacker Ernie Sims said. “That was an awkward day and I just pray I don't have to go through that again.”

The Eagles have improved their rush defense since. Philly hasn’t allowed an opponent to rush for more than 75 yards in its last four games. During that stretch, they held Frank Gore, Michael Turner and Chris Johnson to a total of 163 yards on 57 carries for an average of 2.9 yards per carry.

No Sliding for Vick

Washington knocked Eagles’ quarterback Michael Vick out for three games with cracked rib cartilage on a hit on the goal line. Vick was scrambling when he took the hit and was sandwiched in between two Redskins. He could have slid but Vick dove instead and ended up getting hurt on the play.

The Eagles coaching staff likes Vick’s aggressiveness and they are fine with him not sliding when he’s in the open field.

“Yeah, Mike doesn’t slide. No, that’s OK,” offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg said. “I don’t want to name any names but there are great quarterbacks who never slid. They go head-first and get an underneath hit.”

Mornhinweg said Vick has the discipline in the open field to scramble without being vulnerable to career-threatening hits.

“Sometimes when you have active quarterbacks, it looks like a free-for-all and it’s not,” he said. “It’s very disciplined with the really good ones, and Mike was really disciplined within his movements and all of the decision-making that he made.”

Eagle Says McNabb is Easy

Donovan McNabb was the heart and soul of the Philadelphia offense for years, but one of his former teammates was quick to say that McNabb is “not that difficult a quarterback to play against.”

Eagles Pro Bowl defensive end Trent Cole made that statement in a radio interview this week, and he isn’t taking anything back.

”I didn’t say nothing bad about him,” Cole said. “What I said was what I meant. They asked me if he's a difficult quarterback to go against. I said no, because I don’t think we have a problem with him. We never had a problem with him.”

Based on the first game, it seems as if Cole’s comments are accurate. Despite winning the game, McNabb passed for a season-low 125 yards in his homecoming game in Philadelphia. He completed just eight of his 19 passes while throwing a touchdown and an interception.