Betting news, trends, odds and predictions from various handicappers and websites for Friday 8/17/18
Giants vs. Lions Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 14th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/14/2018
The New York Giants kind of like where they are right now and the atmosphere around camp is a little different under new coach Pat Shurmur. Still, judging from Shurmur's first go-around as an NFL head coach, the jury on him is still out him, in a sense. But they will be very satisfied that they have already seen the explosiveness of their prized rookie.
The Detroit Lions made a pledge in the off-season that they were going to make a commitment to the ground game. Did that happen in their pre-season opener? Well, it did, to an extent. Now they look forward to having their starting quarterback on the field to get some snaps in.
Both teams lost their pre-season opener - the Giants fell 20-10 to the Cleveland Browns at home, while the Lions went to Oakland and dropped a 16-10 decision to the Raiders.
There are joint practices between the Lions and Giants taking place on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of this week. Then, on Friday night, they'll kick it off "for real" at Ford Field in the Motor City.
TV: ESPN. LINE: Lions -3 (-115). O/U: 40.5
ABOUT THE GIANTS: Saquon Barkley took his first handoff in the NFL and ran 39 yards with it against the Browns, so everybody got to see what he could do, if just for a fleeting moment. In a practice on Monday, he suffered what the team called a mild strain of his hamstring while running a pass route, and you can expect that the team will be extra careful with him. The same might hold true for Odell Beckham Jr., who did not play last week but could be slated to practice against the Lions during the week. Beckham has been quoted as saying it is a "calculated risk" to even practice against his own teammates, inasmuch as he has not reached a deal on a new contract. The Lions have been looking forward to matching their top corner, Darius Slay, against him. Davis Webb, who the Giants are pegging to be the backup quarterback, had a rough evening against Cleveland, completing nine of 22 passes as he was on the opposite side from former Texas Tech teammate Baker Mayfield. Kyle Lauletta, the rookie from Richmond, went 6-of-9 for 48 yards and Eli Manning threw seven passes with minimal effect.
ABOUT THE LIONS: Matthew Stafford might make his pre-season debut on Friday, after sitting out the 16-10 loss to the Raiders. Head coach Matt Patricia was unclear about who had the inside track to be the backup quarterback. Veteran Matt Cassel has been a starter in the past, obviously, and has even been to a Pro Bowl. Jake Rudock, who was a starter at Iowa before transferring to Michigan, is the other contestant in that battle. The numbers were pretty similar between the two quarterbacks against Oakland, but if you had to give an edge to one of them, maybe Rudock, as Cassel got sacked three times on Friday. Rookie running back Kerryon Johnson did well in his first action, carrying seven times for 34 yards and also catching four passes out of the backfield. It is clear that the Lions aren't necessarily looking for one feature back, but prefer a "committee" approach, with LeGarrette Blount also a main cog, and Theo Riddick will be the third down back. Ameer Abdullah is being given a lot of opportunities to show what he can do in the joint practices with the Giants. They'd like him to play well enough to stay, but you'd have to say he is far from being guaranteed any spot on the opening day roster. The Raiders moved the Detroit defensive line for 147 rushing yards, and as a result, they had almost 29 minutes of possession time, so that is a concern for Patricia, who seeks to put his own signature on this stop unit.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Miles Killebrew, a fourth-round draft pick out of Southern Utah in 2016, was known as one of the hardest-hitting safeties in the nation when he was in college. Well, with openings at that position in short supply for him, he is now trying to make the Lions' roster as a linebacker, but he's got some ground to make up.
2. Giants QB Alex Tanney, who went 3-of-7 for 49 yards last week, holds the NCAA record (across all divisions) for TD passes in a career with 157. But he is best known for his "trick shot" videos on YouTube that have gone viral. He played at Monmouth College - not in New Jersey, where the Giants once had their training camp, but in Illinois.
3. Yes, Ziggy Ansah sat out against the Raiders. But still, it was a supreme disappointment to Patricia and his defensive staff that not one member of the starting stop unit had a quarterback hit.
PREDICTION: Giants 21, Lions 17
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Falcons vs. Chiefs Preview and Predictions in NFL in NFL
NFL Previews 16th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/16/2018
More than anything else, this pre-season for the Kansas City Chiefs has to center around indoctrinating a new quarterback into the starting lineup. They are endeavoring to do that, and he will take another critical step in his development on Friday night in another home game. Certainly Patrick Mahomes, a gunslinger out of Texas Tech, hopes that he'll experience more success and produce more in his second start, although coach Andy Reid is probably more concerned with his command of the playbook and recognizing opponents' coverages.
The Atlanta Falcons are concerned with keeping guys healthy and finding those elements that take their offense to another level. They played their own starting QB lightly last week, and that may be an indication as to how motivated they are to find positive results at this time of the year, at least as far as the scoreboard goes. But it's the mental mistakes that will always drive a coach up a wall, and Dan Quinn wasn't pleased with those after the pre-season opener.
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The Falcons were shut out 17-0 last week at the hands of the New York Jets, while the Chiefs fell 17-10 to the Houston Texans. Neither squad produced the kind of fireworks they did last season, when they were both among the top ten offenses with regard to yardage gained. They'll meet Friday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
TV: 7 PM ET, Local coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Falcons -1. O/U: 39
ABOUT THE FALCONS: Matt Ryan attempted only one pass last week, a completion for minus-2 yards to rookie wide receiver Calvin Ridley, who is being counted upon to be the ideal complement for Julio Jones, who sat out the game. Matt Schaub came into the game and hit all nine of his attempts, while Kurt Benkert was 9 of 17 for 125 yards and an interception. Garrett Grayson did not shine; he was only three for 10. The Falcons actually outgained the Jets by a yard (254-253), although they had nothing to show for it. One of the reasons for that was penalties - ten of them, in fact, for 71 yards, and this was something Quinn specifically cited in his post-game news conference. Devin Gray, an undrafted wide receiver out of Cincinnati, helped his quest to make the roster with four catches for 83 yards. Naturally the Falcons are being very cautious with Devonta Freeman, the oft-injured running back who did not play against the Jets. With that shutout loss, Quinn is now 5-8 straight-up and 4-9 against the spread as an NFL head coach in the pre-season.
ABOUT THE CHIEFS: Patrick Mahomes, the second-year man out of Texas Tech who is expected to be the Chiefs' quarterback for the present and well into the future, had control of the offense for two drives against the Texans, completing five of seven passes for 33 yards. He had indicated that he wanted to throw a touchdown pass, but Reid wasn't going to indulge him all that much. Chad Henne, the journeyman who has spent time with the Miami Dolphins and Jacksonville Jaguars, went 8-for-14 for 91 yards, and Chase Litton had some playing time, throwing for 66 yards. The Chiefs are extremely happy that they have acquired Sammy Watkins as an additional threat to spread the field for Mahomes, who they feel has more of an ability to stretch defenses than Alex Smith. Watkins played briefly last week but was not targeted. Safety Eric Berry, off an Achilles injury, sat out the opener, and was held out of practice early in the week. With last week's result, that brings Reid's career record in pre-season action to 35-42 straight-up and 34-42-1 ATS.
EXTRA POINTS
1. All but six of Kansas City's rushing yards from running backs last week came from guys named Williams - Damien had 20, Kerwynn 18 and Darrel 16.
2. The Falcons were so inept offensively last week that they did not earn a first down until there were ten seconds left in the first half.
3. The Chiefs were set to bring in defensive back Orlando Scandrick as of publication time. Scandrick, who spent ten seasons with Dallas, then had gone to Washington as a free agent, was cut by the Redskins. Kansas City has been banged-up a bit in the secondary.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 23, Falcons 17
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Dolphins vs. Panthers Preview and Predictions in NFL in NFL
NFL Previews 16th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/16/2018
The questions surrounding the Miami Dolphins' camp this summer is whether unloading expensive veteran talent and replacing it with, well, less expensive veteran talent and young talent is going to bear fruit for this team. It is tough to overcome the loss of bona fide Pro Bowl-level players, and then there is the matter of Ryan Tannehill, who hasn't played a regular season game in quite a while. Answers didn't necessarily come in last week's game either.
As far as the Carolina Panthers are concerned, they would appear to have the horses, but even if they perform, they are going to be immersed in a dog fight, considering that two other teams in their division (the NFC South) were playoff-worthy last season. They also would like to be able to claim explosiveness, both through the air and on the ground. After all, the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints both have the ability to score a lot of points.
NFL Football Previews and Predictions
These teams will be getting together on Friday night at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, with the Panthers coming in on a more positive note. They scored a victory over the Buffalo Bills, while the Dolphins lost to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
TV: 7:30 PM ET, Local coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Panthers -3 (-120). O/U: 43
ABOUT THE DOLPHINS: Miami suffered a 26-24 loss in the pre-season opener against the Bucs, in a game where both teams scored points in every quarter, which is something unusual for this part of the schedule. Tannehill's return to action was closely watched; he had 32 yards passing against Tampa Bay and isn't necessarily being pushed during training camp. Brock Osweiler, who is more or less an insurance policy familiar with coach Adam Gase's system, but hasn't demonstrated that he is a dependable NFL starter, completed 10 of 21 for 83 yards, validating knocks on him that he can't get the ball down the field. The most productive quarterback on this particular evening was David Fales, who completed eight of 15 passes for 115 yards. Fales, who tossed 66 touchdown passes in two years at San Jose State, had 43 attempts for the Dolphins last season. Rookie running back Kalen Ballage, a fourth-round pick out of Arizona State, who the Dolphins hope can take some of the pressure off feature back Kenyan Drake, had 37 yards on ten carries and caught three passes against the Bucs. Not much can be culled from Gase's history as a pre-season coach; he is now 5-4 straight-up and 4-5 against the number for the Dolphins.
ABOUT THE PANTHERS: Cam Newton took some exception to previous that had been made by former Carolina wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who attributed some of his troubles with the Panthers to Newton's inaccuracy as a thrower. It is not unfair to say that Newton has had trouble controlling the ball at times, but by the same token he has been known as somebody who can get it down the field. He confronted Benjamin, now a member of the Buffalo Bills, during pre-game warmups prior to last week's pre-season opener, then went out and completed six of nine passes for 84 yards. The relief pitchers weren't bad either; Taylor Heinecke and Garrett Gilbert combined to throw for 214 yards, and between all of Carolina's offensive line units, they yielded only one sack. All this was important, because there is a competition to see who will back up Newton, after Derek Anderson was not re-signed. The balance wasn't there, however; if coach Ron Rivera was looking for a running game, he didn't find it. CJ Anderson, who is being looked upon as a genuine workhorse option in the backfield, had 16 yards, and overall, the Panthers averaged just two yards a carry. The secondary allowed all three Buffalo quarterbacks to throw for at least 116 yards, and the Bills averaged nine yards an attempt. Rivera's record in pre-season games is 16-13 straight-up and 14-12-3 against the spread.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Derek Anderson had been the Panthers' backup ever since Newton's rookie season. He made the Pro Bowl in 2007 while with Cleveland, and made four starts for Carolina in seven seasons, with 1604 career attempts. The three QB's battling for Carolina's backup spot have ONE career regular season pass between us.
2. Linebacker Raekwon McMillan, the Dolphins' second round draft pick last season, who tore and ACL and didn't play in 2017, got some action against Tampa Bay and said he is still adjusting to the speed of the pro game. His Ohio State teammate, fellow linebacker Jerome Baker (a third-round pick this year), has been elevated to the first team on the depth chart.
3. Right tackle Daryl Williams tore his MCL and dislocated his right patella during the first full-pads practice in Panthers' camp. He may try to rehab the knee without surgery, but still may not be able to play this season. Williams was a second-team All-Pro last season.
PREDICTION: Panthers 24, Dolphins 17
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Bills vs. Browns Preview and Predictions in NFL
NFL Previews 14th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/14/2018
Well, if that first pre-season game was a test, the Cleveland Browns are happy to say that their top draft choice passed it with flying colors. So they expect even more in the development of rookie quarterback Baker Mayfield and they play before the home fans on Friday night against the Buffalo Bills.
While Mayfield is not necessarily in line for the starting job right away, the Browns are becoming more confident that when his time comes, he can step right into the fray, after a performance against the New York Giants in which he threw for 212 yards and two touchdowns. The interesting sidelight to this week's matchup is that on the opposite sideline you'll be seeing another first-round quarterback, as Josh Allen takes his second step with the Bills, while Tyrod Taylor, who took Buffalo to a post-season game, has more or less inherited the job, for now, with Cleveland.
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In their respective pre-season openers, the Browns (4-12 ATS to go with their 0-16 SU mark last year) came away 20-10 winners against the Giants, while the Bills (9-7 straight-up and 9-6-1 ATS in 2017) were on the short end of a 33-28 decision tot he Carolina Panthers.
So now these teams meet up on Friday night at FirstEnergy Stadium in Cleveland, as many observers think the team that was winless last year (the Browns) might be in a better overall place than the one who went to the playoffs last year.
TV: Local coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Browns -3 (-115). O/U: 40.5
ABOUT THE BILLS: Josh Allen, who came to Buffalo with the seventh pick in the draft, had an encouraging effort in his NFL debut, throwing for 116 yards and a touchdown. He played only in the second half, against third-team defenses, but his arm looked like a rocket on a fourth-quarter touchdown pass to Ray-Ray McCloud, a rookie receiver out of Clemson who could also help the Bills. Truth be told, the Bills need all the help they can get from their wideouts. Nathan Peterman, best known for his titanic collapse against the Chargers last year, when he threw five first-half interceptions, is not going quietly in training camp, as he completed nine of 11 passes for 118 yards, and he'll get more playing time. The projected starter is AJ McCarron, who went 7 of 10 for 116 yards. One pre-game highlight from last week involved Bills' wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin and Panthers QB Cam Newton having a confrontation during warmups. This stemmed from comments by Benjamin that some of the injury problems he experienced while in Carolina may not have happened if he's had a more accurate quarterback. Naturally, that didn't sit well with Newton. Zay Jones, who set the all-time NCAA receptions mark at East Carolina and was a second-round pick last year, is showing that he is all but recovered from a shoulder injury that he said plagued him through much of his rookie campaign and required off-season surgery. He needed knee surgery as well and didn't get onto the field until August 5, but he is practicing with the first team and could see action on Friday. Brian Daboll, the new offensive coordinator who was at Alabama last season and the Patriots before that, called his game plan "basic" but the offense this season is more complex, with more formations, than it was last year. Daboll says he is feeding the playbook to his personnel a little at a time so as to not overload them.
ABOUT THE BROWNS: As good as Mayfield was in his debut, Tyrod Taylor, the veteran who is there essentially to keep the seat warm until the Heisman Trophy winner is ready, was just as crisp, if not more so. Working with the first-team offense, Taylor, who led the Bills to their first playoff spot in 17 years in 2017, completed all five of his passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. What was maybe a little disappointing was that the Browns didn't run the ball that well, accumulating just 50 yards in 33 attempts (a 1.5-yard average). And 13 of those yards were provided by Mayfield. The game did not come without controversy. Rookie receiver Antonio Callaway, who had just been arrested for possession of marijuana, was punished in an unconventional way by coach Hue Jackson, who made him play almost the entire game. This wouldn't have been all that unusual in the regular season, but this early in camp, Callaway was tired and asking to come out, only to see Jackson refuse him. The head coach drew a lot of reaction; some was very critical, while others supported him. Free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant will visit with the Browns on Thursday, and Jackson says if both sides "feel real good" about it, there could be a deal. Bryant's potential running mate, Jarvis Landry, laced into the team in a rant that was televised on HBO's "Hard Knocks" documentary series, of which the Browns are the subject this year. Landry may be a newcomer, but he's already a veteran leader who led the NFL in receptions last season. After dropping the first eight pre-season games of his NFL coaching career, both straight-up and against the number, Hue Jackson has now won and covered his last five.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Retired running back Danny Woodhead saw the Callaway "punishment" a little differently than most people. He wrote: “Playing all game just gives you an opportunity to make the team! This isn’t a punishment this is a gift!”
2. Does Buffalo running back LeSean McCoy have a problem with rage? Evidently, an ex-girlfriend thinks so. In a lawsuit filed over an alleged "home invasion" in which jewelry and furniture were stolen from her, the ex-girlfriend says that McCoy "would exhibit rage and often brutally beat his dog in the presence of the plaintiff and her friends" and that he also beat his son.
3. Bud Light has announced that they will be establishing "Victory Fridges" in bars throughout the Cleveland area, and they will be unlocked via wi-fi connection as soon as the Browns win their first game, enabling fans to help themselves to free product.
PREDICTION: Browns 23, Bills 17
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Cardinals vs. Saints Preview and Predictions in NFL in NFL
NFL Previews 16th August 2018 By Charles Jay for Scores And Stats
by Charles Jay Scores & Stats on 08/16/2018
The Arizona Cardinals would certainly like to be able to establish a winning attitude during the pre-season, and some of that was evident when they played in suburban Phoenix last week. One of the things they are trying to discover is how ready their first-round draft pick is to step in and play NFL football. But they love the fact that they got some output from their Pro Bowl running back.
The New Orleans Saints may have their starting quarterback in the game to get some reps, but Drew Brees may not go for that long. One thing that has to be resolved is who will be Alvin Kamara's partner in the backfield once the regular season starts, if there is indeed going to be any partner at all.
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Both teams emerged victorious in their respective pre-season openers. The Saints captured a road win by a 24-20 count against the Jacksonville Jaguars, while the Cardinals beat the Los Angeles Chargers 24-17 at home.
On Friday night they will meet up at the Superdome in the Big Easy.
TV: 8 PM ET, Local coverage, NFL Network (replay). LINE: Saints -3.5. O/U: 41
ABOUT THE CARDINALS: Sam Bradford, who is going to open the season as the starting quarterback, only played one series last week against the Chargers and did not attempt a pass, but he'll get more action against New Orleans in terms of actually throwing the ball, according to coach Steve Wilks, who said his game plan was not so much to air it out, but to "establish the tone up front running the football." But as the schedule progresses, the offense will be more varied. Actually, Arizona threw it more times than it ran last week, by a 26-21 margin. Speaking of running the ball, David Johnson is back and he is as enthusiastic as ever. Johnson, who missed practically all of last season with a broken right wrist, had two runs of 14 yards apiece against the Chargers, and has told reporters that "this offense is stacked." Wilks is also very high on rookie Chase Edmonds, who ran for 5,862 yards at Fordham. Wilks praised him as someone who was "powerful" and indeed, he showed some of that in a two-yard touchdown run on a fourth down play. Josh Rosen, who was taken with the tenth overall pick in the draft, did not have an auspicious debut, with six completions in 13 attempts, and he was often out of sync with receivers. Wilks is giving him extra time with the first team in practice, and intends to give him time with the starters against the Saints.
ABOUT THE SAINTS: Because Drew Brees did not play in the opener, Tom Savage had extra playing in the first half last week. And he completed 10 of 14 for 70 yards. But Taysom Hill is bringing some real spirit to this competition to be the backup. Not only did he complete eight of his nine attempts, he also carried the ball seven times for 52 yards to lead the team. Green Bay fans are genuinely sorry that their team lost Hill after putting him on the practice squad, because they liked his ability to run with the ball and felt he had a lively arm that could be developed. There was some talk that the Saints might be interested in free agent wide receiver Dez Bryant, in case his meeting with Cleveland doesn't go well. But New Orleans is well-stocked at the receiver spot, with Tre'Quan Smith making things even more crowded. Smith, a rookie out of Central Florida, caught four passes for 48 yards against the Jaguars and has been genuinely impressive in drills. The Saints also added Cameron Meredith (who tore his ACL with the Chicago Bears last year) at WR, but he did not play against Jacksonville. With Mark Ingram out for a quarter of the regular season schedule, due to a suspension, there are people competing for a spot in the backfield. One who brings a little something extra to the table is Jonathan Williams, the former Arkansas star who excels in a skill that is very much in demand in the NFL. According to Brees, “He’s stuck his nose in there in pass protection better than anybody I’ve seen in a while." No official word on whether Brees would play Friday, but he was quoted as saying, "I feel like getting some work in the second preseason game and the third preseason game prepares me plenty for the regular season."
EXTRA POINTS
1. New Orleans running back Mark Ingram, who is suspended for the first four games of the regular season, is allowed to play in pre-season contests, and against Jacksonville he had seven carries for 23 yards and a touchdown.
2. Chad Kanoff, who led the Cards with 66 yards passing and a touchdown last week, may not be a big factor in the backup QB battle, but he may do enough for a practice squad spot or to catch on somewhere else. Kanoff, a Los Angeles native who broke many passing records at Princeton, went undrafted.
3. Sean Payton's record in the pre-season is only so-so; he is 20-22 straight-up and 21-20-1 ATS in his career.
PREDICTION: Saints 21, Cardinals 20
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