NORTHCOAST POWERSWEEP
Pittsburgh at WASHINGTON - PIT comes in off a tough home loss vs the Giants where was basically they shut down in the 2H LW. WAS comes in after facing the less than impressive Lions. WAS QB Campbell remains the only Wk 1 starter without an int TY & RB Portis is the NFL’s leading rusher with 118 ypg (5.0). WAS has been executing seamlessly except for the NYG & STL games but now has to face one of the most physical teams in the NFL coming in angry.
MARC LAWRENCE PLAYBOOK
4* BEST BET
WASHINGTON over Pittsburgh by 14
A myriad of solid handicapping factors are at work in this Monday night fi ght and we’ll gladly step in and soak all of them up. The Redskins join fellow division rival Eagles and Giants as the only three teams in the league to have won the total yardage in all but one game this season (they won the stats in each of their last seven games). They are also a Monday night home team off a road game taking on a foe of a home loss of 7 or more points. Teams in this role are 24-2-1 SU and 21-5-1 ATS since 1980! Tie that into the Steelers’ 3-10 SU and 4-8-1 ATS record on the Monday night road against an opponent off a win and you can understand our glee. With new head coach Jim Zorn having shown a unique tendency to ‘play to the level of the opposition’ (4-0 SU and ATS versus .500 or greater opponents; 2-2 SU and 1-3 ATS versus less than .500 teams), we welcome you to the glee club.
THE GOLD SHEET
*Pittsburgh 20 - WASHINGTON 16—Maturing Washington QB Jason Campbell (8 TDs, no ints.) faces perhaps his toughest challenge since the Redskins’ 16-7 opening-day at the Giants, as the often-confusing Steeler 3-4 features two of the NFL’s top sack artists in James Harrison’s (8½) & LaMarr Woodley (7½). Only once (last week, in fact) has the Steeler defense allowed more than 260 total yards TY. RB Clinton Portis (944 YR) is leading the league in rushing, but he’s been taking a beating. Pittsburgh is hoping Willie Parker(out since Game Three with knee injury) and WR Santonio Holmes (deactivated due to pot arrest) will both be back. Only Steeler losses have come vs. the Eagles & Giants, and Redskins lack that type of pass rush. (04-PITTSBURGH -10 16-7...SR: Washington 42-30-3)
THE GOLD SHEET EXTRA
PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON (Monday, November 3)...Steel “over” 8-3 last 1a since late ‘07. Steel has covered its last 2 away TY but still only 7-12-1 vs. line away since ‘06. Tech edge-slight to Skins and “over”, based on team and “totals” trends
Matty Baiungo
Steelers (+2½) over @ Redskins
NFC East teams have not been kind to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Their two losses have been to the Eagles and the Giants so they’ll look to avoid the hat trick here. But the Eagles and Giants share a common trait that the Steelers simply could not handle. Philadelphia defensive coordinator Jim Johnson is notorious for his multiple blitz packages,and the Eagles got to Roethlisberger all game long sacking him nine times. And former Johnson understudy, Steve Spagnuolo, used the same philosophy. In the Steelers 21-14 loss to the Giants,Roethlisberger was once again blitzed frequently resulting in five sacks. But those two teams are in the top four in the NFL in sacks, with the Giants number one with 26 and the Eagles number four with 23. And unlike their divisional partners, the Redskins do not possess a formidable sack unit. In fact, Washington is 28th in the league with only 10 sacks in the eight games they’ve played. The Steelers did not play good offense at all on Sunday. Their 14-9 lead in the 4th quarter quickly evaporated, and they found themselves down by 7 with little shot to come back. Big Ben was terrible. He threw 4 interceptions while completing only 44.8% of his passes for 189 yards. While he did have constant pressure on him, his throws were just way off the mark. He’s a very good quarterback,and it was the worst game I’ve ever seen him play.Now you can make excuses that Pittsburgh’s offense was too banged up on the offensive line and at the skill positions for Ben to be effective, but still, he could have played much, much better than he did.His job doesn’t get easier this week facing a pretty good defense and overall team in Washington. And he’ll need some of those missing pieces back to be successful, but Ben himself will snap back strong.The Redskins sit at 6-2, but this team is getting tired. They’ve yet to have their bye week so complacency may set in this week, especially knowing they get that off week after this game against Pittsburgh. And that possible distraction may work against them. The Skins have played in a lot of close games as four of their six wins have come by 6 points or less. And this game should be no different as two strong defensive teams will make points tough to come by. If the Steelers can get a little healthier by game time, they should bounce back off their recent home loss. The Redskins will be looking forward to rest and relaxation while the Steelers will be looking to avoid another loss.Steelers by 3.
SPORTS ADVISORS
Pittsburgh (5-2, 3-4 ATS) at Washington (6-2, 5-3 ATS)
The Steelers head into FedEx Field in the nation’s capital for a matchup with the Redskins, hoping to avoid a third loss this season to an NFC East opponent.
Pittsburgh fell 21-14 at home a week ago to the Giants as a three-point home favorite, squandering a 14-9 second-half lead. The Steelers only two losses this season are to NFC East squads as they also fell in Philadelphia 15-6 as a 3½-point underdog in September. The Pittsburgh defense has been doing the job all season, ranking third in the NFL in points allowed (15.7 per game), first in total yards allowed (236 per game) and third in rushing yards allowed (71.6 per game).
Washington’s defense comes in ranked sixth overall, yielding 278.1 yards per contest. Last week the Redskins held the Lions to just 274 total yards (57 rushing) in a 25-17 victory in Detroit, covering as 7½-point favorites. Jim Zorn’s squad has outgained the opposition in its last seven games and his offense is fourth in the NFL in time of possession, holding the ball for an average of 32:31 per contest. A big part of that ball control comes courtesy of QB Jason Campbell, who has compiled 1,754 yards passing and eight TDs without an interception, and RB Clinton Portis, who leads the NFL in rushing with 944 yards
These teams haven’t met in a regular season game since 2004 when Pittsburgh got a 16-7 home win, coming up just short as a 10-point chalk. The last time these storied franchise met in a regular-season game in Washington was more than 20 years ago when the Redskins scored a 30-29 win.
The Steelers are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 games after a straight-up loss, but otherwise they’re on ATS skids of 7-12-1 on the road, 1-5 on Mondays, 1-5 against teams with a winning record, 1-4 in November contests and 3-7 on the road against teams with a winning home mark. Meanwhile, the Redskins are on ATS slides of 3-7-1 in November games and 5-12 at home against teams with a winning road record, but they are on positive pointspread streaks of 5-2 overall and 22-8-1 against teams with a winning record.
For Pittsburgh, the over is on streaks of 8-3 overall, 5-2 against teams with a winning record, 6-1 following an ATS loss and 4-0 after a straight-up loss. Meanwhile, Washington is on a plethora of under streaks, including 4-1-1 overall, 4-1 at home (3-0 last three), 11-4 following a spread-cover and 6-1-1 on Mondays.
Finally, the over is 8-0-1 this season in Monday night games.
ATS ADVANTAGE: OVER
NBA
Chicago (2-1 SU and ATS) at Orlando (1-2 SU and ATS)
The Magic will try to make it five straight wins over the Bulls when they welcome them to AmWay Arena in Orlando.
Orlando got its first win of the young season Saturday, blowing out Sacramento 121-103 as a 10½-point home favorite, with the dynamic duo of Dwight Howard (29 points and 14 rebounds) and Rashard Lewis (26 points and seven rebounds) doing the majority of the damage.
Chicago squad is coming off Saturday’s 96-86 win over Memphis, covering as an eight-point home chalk. No. 1 overall draft pick Derrick Rose poured in 26 points and Drew Gooden pulled down 20 rebounds to lead the Bulls. In their lone road game to this point, the Bulls fell 96-80 in Boston on Friday as 10-point road ‘dogs.
Orlando swept the season series against Chicago last season, going 4-0 SU (3-1 ATS). At home against the Bulls a year ago, the Magic scored wins of 102-88 as a 6½-point favorite and 115-83 as a 9½-point chalk. Orlando is 7-2 SU (6-3 ATS) in its last nine against Chicago and 3-1 ATS in the last four at home.
Chicago is on ATS slides of 1-7 following a spread-cover and 6-22 after a straight-up win, but otherwise the Bulls are on positive ATS streaks of 4-1 overall and 15-7 when playing with a day of rest. Orlando carries strong pointspread streaks of 15-7-2 at home and 8-3-1 against teams from the Central Division.
For the Bulls, the over is 13-5-2 in their last 20 road games, but the under is on runs of 8-2 overall, 4-0 after a spread-cover, 4-0 against teams from the Southeast Division and 5-0 after a straight-up win. For Orlando it’s been a plethora of unders, including 4-1 overall, 8-2 against the Central Division, 7-2 against the Eastern Conference, 17-5 after a spread-cover and 19-7 after a straight-up win.
In this series, the under is 5-1 in the last six overall, but the over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings in Orlando.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
Cleveland (1-2 SU, 2-1 ATS) at Dallas (1-1 SU and ATS)
The Cavaliers will be looking for their first road win this season when they visit American Airlines Center in Dallas to take on the Mavericks.
Cleveland opened the season with Tuesday’s 90-85 loss in Boston but covered as a six-point underdog, and after a blowout home victory over Charlotte, the Cavs went back on the road Saturday and fell 104-92 in New Orleans as a three-point pup. Dating back to last season’s Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series, the Cavs have dropped six straight road games, but they’re 4-2 ATS.
Dallas went to Minnesota on Saturday and got a 95-85 win as a six-point favorite with Dirk Nowitzki getting 21 points and point guard Jason Kidd contributing nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists. However, in their home opener against the Rockets on Thursday, the Mavericks lost 112-102 as a four-point chalk.
These teams split two meetings last year with the home team winning each contest, including the Cavaliers’ 88-81 victory as a seven-point pup in Dallas in December. The host has won three straight (3-0 ATS) in this matchup after the road team had rattled off six straight wins from 2004 to 2007 (4-2 ATS). Dallas is 7-3 SU in the last 10 meetings, but Cleveland has gotten the cash lately, going 5-2 ATS in the last seven (3-0 ATS in Dallas).
The Cavs are just 1-5 ATS in their last six against the Southwest Division and 2-7 ATS in their last nine against the Western Conference, but otherwise they’re on positive ATS streaks of 7-1 overall, 6-2 on the road, 6-1 after a day of rest, 5-0 after an non-cover and 6-1 after a straight-up loss. Meanwhile, the Mavs are 5-1 ATS in their last six against the Eastern Conference, but going back to last year, they’re 3-8 ATS in their last 11 at home, 6-17-1 in their last 24 against Central Division teams and 0-5 ATS in their last five after a straight-up win.
For Cleveland, the under is on runs of 15-7 overall, 16-7-1 against Western Conference teams and 15-5-1 after a straight-up loss. For Dallas, the under is on streaks of 4-1 overall, 8-3 at home, 5-2-2 against the Eastern Conference and 6-1 when coming in off a day of rest. Lastly, the under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in this series.
ATS ADVANTAGE: UNDER
DUNKEL
Detroit at Charlotte
Charlotte looks to take advantage of a Pistons team that gave up 109 points to the Wizards in their last game and are just 7-11 ATS over the last three seasons after giving up 105 points or more. The Bobcats are the underdog pick (+6) according to Dunkel, which has Detroit favored by only 3. Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+6).
Game 501-502: Sacramento at Philadelphia
Dunkel Ratings: Sacramento 111.125; Philadelphia 119.765
Dunkel Line & Total: Philadelphia by 8 1/2; 201
Vegas Line & Total: Philadelphia by 12; 197 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Sacramento (+12); Over
Game 503-504: Detroit at Charlotte
Dunkel Ratings: Detroit 122.228; Charlotte 119.309
Dunkel Line & Total: Detroit by 3; 179
Vegas Line & Total: Detroit by 6; 184
Dunkel Pick: Charlotte (+6); Under
Game 505-506: Chicago at Orlando
Dunkel Ratings: Chicago 113.508; Orlando 123.813
Dunkel Line & Total: Orlando by 10; 191
Vegas Line & Total: Orlando by 7; 196
Dunkel Pick: Orlando (-7); Under
Game 507-508: Golden State at Memphis
Dunkel Ratings: Golden State 116.015; Memphis 113.061
Dunkel Line & Total: Golden State by 3; 193
Vegas Line & Total: Golden State by 1 1/2; 195
Dunkel Pick: Golden State (-1 1/2); Under
Game 509-510: Cleveland at Dallas
Dunkel Ratings: Cleveland 123.037; Dallas 122.960
Dunkel Line & Total: Even; 195
Vegas Line & Total: Dallas by 2 1/2; 191 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Cleveland (+2 1/2); Over
Game 511-512: Utah at LA Clippers
Dunkel Ratings: Utah 125.737; LA Clippers 109.812
Dunkel Line & Total: Utah by 16; 200
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
NHL
Colorado at Chicago
The Blackhawks look to take advantage of a Colorado team that has dropped two straight and is just 1-3-0 in Chicago over the last three seasons. Chicago is the pick (-145) according to Dunkel, which has the Blackhawks favored by 2. Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-145).
Game 1-2: Columbus at NY Islanders
Dunkel Ratings: Columbus 12.504; NY Islanders 10.256
Dunkel Line & Total: Columbus by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Columbus (-120); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Columbus (-120); Under
Game 3-4: Buffalo at New Jersey
Dunkel Ratings: Buffalo 12.314; New Jersey 11.172
Dunkel Line & Total: Buffalo by 1; 6
Vegas Line & Total: No Line
Dunkel Pick: N/A
Game 5-6: Colorado at Chicago
Dunkel Ratings: Colorado 10.875; Chicago 13.097
Dunkel Line & Total: Chicago by 2; 5
Vegas Line & Total: Chicago (-145); 5 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Chicago (-145); Under
NFL
Game 427-428: Pittsburgh at Washington
Dunkel Ratings: Pittsburgh 136.823; Washington 134.854
Dunkel Line: Pittsburgh by 2; 33
Vegas Line: Washington by 1 1/2; 37
Dunkel Pick: Pittsburgh (+1 1/2); Under
Jim Feist
DETROIT PISTONS / CHARLOTTE BOBCATS
Take Over
Detroit is running and gunning under new coach Mike Curry, going 2-0 over the total to start the season. The Pistons are off a 117-109 victory over the Washington Wizards Saturday. Richard Hamilton finished with 24 points, while Rasheed Wallace produced 17 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks. That uptempo pace can have a cost at times: The Pistons had 15 turnovers in the first half, which the Wizards converted into 21 points. Charlotte has some good offensive pieces for new coach Larry Brown with Gerald Wallace and Jason Richardson, shooting 53% in a win over Miami. But the team defense is going to take a while to develop. Look for the visiting Pistons to control the tempo with their depth and all-around strong shooting in another high scoring tilt. Play the Pistons/Bobcats over the total.
Dave Cokin
GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS / MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES
Take GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
The Warriors have been right there in each game so far, but were ending up on the wrong side till they ran into the Nets on Saturday. Now Golden State looks to wrap up their first road trip with a win at Memphis. I think they'll do just that. The Warriors have been a terrific long term winner as road chalk while you'll be hard pressed to locate a worse home dog than the Grizzlies. Golden State is the choice.
Jimmy The Moose
Chicago Bulls at Orlando Magic
Prediction: Under
Chicago has played under the total in 2 of their 3 games this season. In their last 10 games dating back to last season the under is a profitable 8-2. The Bulls have played under the total in 7 of their last 9 vs. Eastern Conference opponents. Orlando has also played the under in 2 of their first 3 games. In their last 9 games vs. Eastern Conference opponents the under is 7-2. The team's have played the under in 3 straight meetings and in 5 of their last 6 games. Play the under.
VEGAS EXPERTS
Pittsburgh Steelers at Washington Redskins
Something has gotta give tonight as the Steelers come in at 0-2 SU/ATS vs. the NFC East this season while the Redskins are 0-3-1 ATS their last four games vs. the AFC as a whole. Therefore, we take a look at the total. Pittsburgh is a very impressive 30-9 Under since 1992 on the road when coming off a SU loss. One of these Monday Night Football games eventually has to go Under the total and judging from the team here (and the line), this looks to be the one to do it.
Play on: Under
Tony Karpinski
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Washington Redskins
Play: Over 36.5
Tonight we have 2 solid rush defenses, however we note that the over is undefeated on Monday night in 2008 winning eight of nine times with one push. Points can come easily on Monday night with all the extra TV timeouts it seems and who are we to argue with such an overwhelming trend. PLAY THE OVER once again, as we'll continue to ride this trend until it loses.
Tom Freese
Utah at La Clippers
Utah is 11-1 ATS their last 11 Monday games and they are 17-5 ATS off a win by moer than 10 points. The Jazz are 14-6-1 ATS their last 21 games after scoring 100 or more points in their last game. and they are 9-4 ATS off a straight up win. The Clippers are 16-40 ATS vs. a team with a win percentage over 60% and they are 7-19 ATS their last 26 games overall. Los Angeles is 3-11 ATS when playing with one day of rest and they are 5-16 ATS ON Monday. PLAY ON UTAH -
Big Al McMordie
Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Dallas Mavericks
Play: Cleveland Cavaliers
At 8:35 pm, our complimentary selection is on the Cleveland Cavaliers plus the points over Dallas. The Cavs lost SU and ATS on the road at New Orleans on Saturday, but that was a rare pointspread failure for Mike Brown's men away from home, as Cleveland is 44-19 ATS its last 63 road games, provided it was not favored by 3 or more points. And if the Cavs lost their previous game, then our 44-19 stat zooms to 20-5 ATS since Jan. 20, 2007. Take LeBron James & Co. tonight. Good luck, as always...Al McMordie.
Sportsbettingstats
Steelers vs Redskins
The Steelers come into this game after losing to the Giants 21-14 while the Redskins beat the Lions 25-16. This is another big game for the Steelers outside their conference, as they could not beat the Giants last week and this week travel to the nation's capital to play the legit Redskins. The Steelers need to win this game to remain in first place in the AFC North, since the Ravens won yesterday. The Redskins are led by QB Jason Campbell (1754 yds 8 TD) and his main targets are Santana Moss (42 rec 658 yds 5 TD) and TE Chris Cooley (38 rec 156 yds). The Redskins rushing attack is led by RB Clinton Portis (944 yds 7 TD), who is the leading rusher in the NFL. The Steelers are led by QB Ben Roethlisberger (1352 yds 10 TD 7 TD) and his main targets are Hines Ward (31 rec 406 yds 5 TD) and Santonio Holmes (22 rec 360 yds 1 TD). The Steelers rushing attack is led by backup RB Mewelde Moore (322 yds 3 TD), but starter Willie Parker may play in this game after missing a few with a knee injury.
Staff Pick: The key to this game is if the Steelers and their top ranked defense can stop Clinton Portis. The Steelers rank 3rd in the NFL in rushing defense and they have to stop Portis or it will be a long night in DC. If the Steelers can stop Portis they can top the Redskins offense. The main weakness of the Steelers is their offensive line, as they have been unable to protect Roethlisberger, which is not good since he is banged up for this game with a sore shoulder and the Redskins have the NFL's 6th ranked defense. The Skins will go after Roethlisberger early and often to try to disrupt the Steelers offense. If Willie Parker is back from his knee injury it will give the Steelers a huge lift. The Redskins Jason Campbell is one of the best at managing games and he has yet to throw an interception this season. The Redskins need to win this game to keep up with the 7-1 Giants in the NFC East, who beat Dallas yesterday. Even though the Steelers D is stacked, Portis is on a roll and he will have a big game and Campbell will continue to make plays. Look for the Redskins to win this game tonight and stay hot on the heels of the Giants.
Redskins 27 Steelers 23
Karl Garrett
Pittsburgh at WASHINGTON
Monday night football this year has seen 9 games played, with 8 of the 9 sailing OVER the posted total.
The trend of high-scoring games under the Monday night lights will continue tonight when the Steelers tangle with the Redskins.
Pittsburgh has played OVER the posted total in 8 of their last 11 games dating back to last year, and with both Parker, and Holmes expected to be back for this one, chances are the Steelers will be able to extend their OVER mark to 9 of 12 OVER the posted price.
Washington's offense hasn't been able to top 29 points in any of their games this year, but the 'Skins have been solid in getting their final numbers in the 20's this year, as they have scored 23 points or more in 5 of their last 7 games.
This is a very low total, and based on the numbers that I just listed above, their is only one way to go in this one, and that is OVER the posted price.
4♦ OVER
Sports Gambling Hotline
Sacramento at PHILADELPHIA -11'
Philly is already playing their 4th game of the young season, while Kings are playing their 3rd in a row on the road to open the '08 season.
Sacramento has been hammered twice to open the year, losing by 26 points at Miami on Halloween night, and then losing by 18 on Saturday at Orlando. We don't expect them to be close tonight against a Philadelphia team that is looking to get their ship righted.
The 76ers have dropped 2 of their first 3 games, but their one win did come at home by 29-points against the Knicks.
We like Philly to use the home court to their advantage, and even their record at 2-2, while dropping Sacramento to 0-3.
Play on the Sixers.
2♦ PHILADELPHIA
Bobby Maxwell
Chicago at ORLANDO -7
The Magic had Chicago's number all last season and they'll come out tonight and get this early-season victory by at least 10 points.
Orlando has something the Bulls just can't stop, center Dwight Howard, who is coming off a 29-point, 14-rebound performance in a 121-103 victory over the Kings on Saturday, covering the number as a 10 1/2-point favorite. The Magic have a very good starting five and they can score points in bunches. If Howard is struggling, there's always Rashard Lewis and if he isn't scoring there's Hedu Turkoglu. And if all three are on, watch out.
Chicago has won two of their three games this season, but the one loss came on the road where they tend to struggle. The Bulls lost to Boston 96-80 on Friday as 10-point road 'dogs. They've got top draft pick Derrick Rose playing good, but this team will have some offensive woes this season going against bigger teams.
Chicago is on ATS slides of 1-7 after a spread-cover and 6-22 after a straight-up win. Meanwhile Orlando is on several ATS streaks, including 15-7-2 at home, 8-3-1 agaisnt teams from the Central Division and 16-5-2 at home against teams with a losing road record.
Go ahead and lay the chalk tonight and play Orlando. The Magic get this one with ease.
3♦ ORLANDO