Monday Night Mayhem
By Kevin Rogers
The first Monday Night Football game of the preseason is a rematch of one of the better regular season showdowns from 2008, as the Panthers visit the Giants. New York beat Carolina in overtime, 34-28, to wrap up home-field advantage inside the NFC Playoffs. These two clubs didn't last very long in the postseason, as both lost at home in the Divisional Round in ugly defeats.
This matchup won't have the same feel as that late December classic, as both Tom Coughlin and John Fox are in evaluation mode. The top wide receivers on each side that coincidentally have the same name, will not play.
Carolina Pro Bowl wideout Steve Smith suffered a shoulder injury during last Monday's practice, but he described the injury as merely a strain. Smith is not expected to play against the Giants, and his status for the remainder of the preseason is in question
With Plaxico Burress out of the picture for the Giants, Steve Smith (from Taft College in California) is now New York's leading receiver. Smith is out with an injured knee that has kept him sidelined from the Giants' last nine practices.
The Giants will feature Domenik Hixon and Sinorice Moss as the top two receivers Monday night, while ex-Michigan standout Mario Manningham will likely be the third wideout.
Eli Manning inked a nice contract extension of $97 million to stay with the Giants, but chances are his stay on the field against Carolina won't last very long. Manning is expected to play two series at the most, with another former top pick, David Carr, taking over from there. Carr, who is trying to lock up the backup role for the Giants, threw a grand total of 12 passes last season.
After Carr, Andre' Woodson is set to take over, along with former Oklahoma QB Rhett Bomar. Woodson, the ex-Kentucky standout, spent last season on the practice squad, but looks to break through onto Coughlin's depth chart. Bomar, who spent last season at Sam Houston State after off-the-field issues at Oklahoma, has drawn praise in camp and will likely play in the fourth quarter.
It should be interesting to see how the Big Blue responds on defense, as coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has departed to become the head coach of the Rams. Linebackers coach Bill Sheridan has been promoted to Spagnuolo's old position, trying to keep this Giants defense intact. The last time defensive end Osi Umenyiora stepped on the field was in last season's preseason opener against the Jets, in which he tore his ACL and missed all of 2008. Umenyiora is back to anchor a defense that still ranked sixth in the NFL in sacks last season with 42.
Jake Delhomme is already set in stone as the starting quarterback for the Panthers, even though most fans remember his six interception performance against the Cardinals in the playoffs. After Delhomme sees a handful of snaps, ex-Dolphin Josh McCown will play several series under center. Following McCown, Matt Moore is expected to see some action. Moore saw sporadic time with the Panthers two seasons ago when Delhomme was injured.
From a wagering standpoint, Carolina has been a solid preseason 'dog under Fox. The Panthers are 8-3 ATS since 2002 when getting points in the preseason, while going 5-2 ATS in their last seven preseason openers.
The last four preseasons have been very profitable if you sided with the Giants, as New York is 10-4-2 ATS since August 2005. The 'under' has hit in 11 of New York's last 16 preseason contests, including three of four in 2008.
The Giants are listed as a three-point favorite in most spots, with the total set at 32 ½.
vegasinsider.com
What bettors need to know: Monday's preseason action
By DAVID JONES
Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins (-3, 31.5)
Starter and injury report
The Jaguars take their first steps towards erasing the memories of a disappointing 2008 campaign on Monday. With some youthful additions to the offensive line and a veteran star on board at wide receiver, Jacksonville is hoping to resemble the squad that defeated the Steelers at Pittsburgh in the 2007 playoffs.
The Jags tabbed a pair of offensive linemen with their initial two picks in April's draft. Unfortunately, first-rounder Eugene Monroe was just inked to a deal earlier this week. He has some catching up to do and is unlikely to play against the Dolphins. Second-rounder Eben Britton of Arizona is already making a push to win the starting right tackle spot.
For the first time since the days of Keenan McCardell and Jimmy Smith, Jacksonville has an elite wide receiver to throw the ball to. Torry Holt's 817 receptions lead the NFL in this decade but there are some questions about how much the 33-year-old has left in the tank.
Head coach Jack Del Rio has indicated that starting QB David Garrard will play the entire first quarter and possibly some of the second against Miami. Garrard will be followed in the contest by veteran Todd Bauman and former Tulsa standout Paul Smith.
The Dolphins will try to quiet skeptics who suggest that Miami will not be able to repeat its success from a year ago. The Fish led the NFL in turnover ratio (+17) in 2009 which helped the club pull out some close calls. In their 9-1 run to end the regular season, the Dolphins recorded only one double-digit victory.
The home fans will get their first look at rookie QB Pat White on Monday. Head coach Tony Sparano said that White and No. 2 quarterback Chad Henne will get significant playing time against the Jags after starter Chad Pennington exits the game.
Line Movement
The Dolphins opened as a 3-point favorite with a total of 32. The total is now down to 31.5.
Trends
Del Rio is 17-7 (15-9 against the spread) in the preseason with a 3-3 ATS mark in preseason openers. Sparano went 3-1 (3-1 ATS) in the 2008 preseason but lost in the exhibition opener.
Weather
The forecast calls for a high of 91 degrees with a 30 percent chance of rain in Miami.
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants (-3, 32.5)
Starter and injury report
These two clubs were expected to square off at Giants Stadium in the 2008 NFC Championship game, but the top two seeds in the conference were humbled at home in the Divisional round.
Carolina is basically returning the same squad that captured the NFC South. The defense took a hit up front with defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu suffering a season-ending Achilles injury. On offense, WR Steve Smith and RB Jonathan Stewart are questionable for Monday night's matchup with some minor injuries.
Despite a dreadful effort in last year's post-season exit to the Cardinals, veteran Jake Delhomme is the clear No.1 under center. The backup spot is open for competition between journeyman Josh McCown and youngster Matt Moore. Rookie Hunter Cantwell out of Louisville could also get some late game snaps at the QB spot against New York.
The Giants have a mix of good and bad news entering their preseason opener. The good revolves around the return of star defensive end Osi Umenyiora to the fold after missing all of last season with due to injury. The bad involves questions about New York's ability to find a suitable replacement for wideout Plaxico Burress.
New York hopes that first round draft pick Hakeem Nicks can help to fill some of the void at wide receiver this season.
For Monday's exhibition opener, head coach Tom Coughlin has said that this starters will get about 12-15 snaps against Carolina. Rookie signal-callers Andre Woodson and Rhett Bomar are also will play following the exits of Eli Manning and David Carr.
The secondary is a little banged up for New York. Cornerbacks Corey Webster and Aaron Ross will be held out of the game due to some minor injuries.
Line Movement
The Giants opened as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 33.5. The total has dropped a point down to 32.5.
Trends
John Fox is 18-10 (15-12-1 ATS) in the preseason with a 5-2 ATS record in his August openers. As head coach of the Giants, Coughlin is 11-9 (11-7-2 ATS) in preseason action with a 1-3-1 ATS mark in exhibition debuts.
Weather
The forecast calls for a high of 89 degrees in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Jacksonville at Miami
The Dolphins and Jaguars meet in August for the seventh consecutive year, this time in the preseason opener for both squads at Landshark Stadium.
Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio said No. 1 quarterback David Garrard will play the first quarter and “maybe a little more.” He added that the other two QBs on the roster – second-stringer Todd Bouman and rookie Paul Smith – will also see action.
Tony Sparano, entering his second season as Miami’s coach, said veteran Chad Pennington will start under center tonight with second-year pro Chad Henne slated to play the middle two quarters. Rookie Pat White will take over after Henne departs.
The Jags went 3-1 SU in the preseason for the fourth straight year in 2008 and the fifth time in Del Rio’s six years with the team. Jacksonville split its four preseason contests against the number in 2008, but is still 8-4 ATS over the past three summers, including 5-1 SU and ATS on the road. Also, the Jags have been a profitable preseason pup since 2002, going 9-3 ATS.
Like the Jags, Miami won three of its four exhibition contests a year ago (3-1 ATS) and has split its two preseason home games each of the last six years (5-8-1 ATS). The Dolphins are just 2-4-1 ATS in their last seven as a preseason chalk.
Jacksonville is 3-1 SU and 2-2 ATS in its last four preseason openers, the only loss being an 18-17 setback at Miami as a 1½-point road favorite in 2007. Meanwhile, that was the Dolphins’ only Week 1 victory over the past four summers (1-2-1 ATS). Miami also defeated Jacksonville 19-14 as a 3½-point road underdog last year and is 3-1 SU and ATS in the last four August meetings with the Jags.
Miami has stayed under the total in five straight preseason games, including all four last year. Conversely, the Jags have topped the total in 11 of 16 preseason games since 2005.
ATS ADVANTAGE: JACKSONVILLE
Carolina at N.Y. Giants
The Panthers look to open the preseason with a victory for the ninth straight year when they head to the Meadowlands to battle the Giants.
Carolina coach John Fox said QB Jake Delhomme and the rest of his starters will play “about a quarter.” Josh McCown will replace Delhomme, followed by third-stringer Matt Moore and possibly Hunter Cantwell.
New York coach Tom Coughlin said he expects his starters, including QB Eli Manning to be on the field for 12 to 15 plays, perhaps even the entire first quarter. Coughlin added that he hopes his other three QBs see action, but expect at least David Carr and second-year pro Andre Woodson to get work, with Rhett Bomar being fourth off the bench if time permits.
The Panthers are 17-7 in preseason action since 2003 (14-10 ATS) and a perfect 8-0 SU in exhibition openers going back to 2001 (5-2-1 ATS). On the downside, Carolina dropped both of its preseason roadies last year (1-1 ATS), and they’re 3-5 ATS on the highway the last three summers.
The Giants, like Carolina, split their four exhibition games last year (2-1-1 ATS), but they went 2-0 SU and ATS in the Meadowlands. In fact, New York is 6-2 SU and ATS in designated preseason home games since Coughlin took over in 2004, and it has also cashed in five straight August games as a favorite. However, the Giants have dropped consecutive preseason openers, including a 24-21 loss to the Panthers as a one-point home favorite in 2007.
The under is 8-4 in New York’s last 12 summer affairs.
ATS ADVANTAGE: CAROLINA and UNDER
Gametimepicks.com
Preseason MNF
By SportsPic
The first week of preseason closes with two on the slate. At 7:30 AFC East champ Fins play host to the Jacksonville Jaguars. Miami off a historic turnaround last season going from 1-15 to 11-5 will aim for it's third straight practice season victory over Jaguars. Dolphins are 5-3 both SU & ATS the past eight in August recording 7 'Under' 1 'Over'. Jags with two blemishes over the same span both coming at the hands of Fish enter with an identical 5-3 mark at the betting window. At 8:00 a pair of defending NFC division winners take to the field when Carolina Panthers visit New York Giants. Panthers 3-1 SU & ATS last four vs Giants in August are a solid 6-1 (4-2 ATS) in openers part of a 19-9 (16-11-1) pre season run since 2002. Giants enter 15-14 (15-11-3) it's last twenty-nine practice sessions including 10-5 (10-4-1 ATS) at home. Note home faves which went an ugly 2-10-1 against-the-oddsmaker in week-one last year have turned it around somewhat this year going 7-6 ATS thus far. Betting on the NFL in August is a completely different exercise than betting on the same sport a month later.
Tips and Trends
Jacksonville Jaguars at Miami Dolphins
Jaguars: It’s hard to believe that Jacksonville not only made the playoffs two years ago, but knocked off the Steelers on the road in the post-season. The Jaguars are out to erase last season’s 5-11 record. It won’t happen unless their revamped offensive line comes together, which may be difficult in the first preseason game. Starting quarterback David Garrard could play into the second quarter. He’s had an inconsistent training camp. Veteran Todd Bouman and former Tulsa star Paul Smith are vying for the backup quarterback spot. They’re expected to split the rest of the play-calling once Garrard departs. The game could mark the Jacksonville debut of 33-year-old former Rams star Torry Holt. There’s a 30 percent chance of rain in South Florida with temperatures reaching the low 90’s. The Jaguars’ Jack Del Rio has a strong preseason record going 17-7 straight-up and 15-9 against the spread.
The Jaguars have covered 8 of the last nine times they’ve been a ‘dog in preseason.
Key Injuries - Wide receiver Mike Walker (hamstring) doubtful.
PROJECTED SCORE: 14
Dolphins (-3, O/U 31.5): The Dolphins went from 1-15 to 11-5 last season. They gave a possible indication of their improvement by winning and covering their last three preseason games. The Dolphins have become a hard-nosed, tough, well-coached squad with respectable depth thanks to the brain trust of Bill Parcells and coach Tony Sparano. Chad Pennington played so well in 2008 that he finished second to Peyton Manning in the MVP balloting. Pennington probably only will make a token appearance in this matchup. That means plenty of Chad Henne, the Dolphins’ second-round pick in 2008, and rookie Pat White. Henne needs to show he’s Miami’s quarterback of the future. The versatile White is well-suited to run plays when the Dolphins go into their Wildcat Offense, a widely-copied gimmick formation Miami unleashed last year. The Dolphins probably don’t want to show too much since they meet the Jaguars during the regular season.
The Dolphins are 6-1-1 to the under the last two years in preseason.
Key Injuries - None
PROJECTED SCORE: 17
Carolina Panthers at New York Giants
Panthers: These two teams had a great battle during the regular season last year when the Giants beat the Panthers in overtime, 34-28. Don’t expect a similar score. Oddsmaker put up an opening total of 33 ½, which has gone down to 32 ½. Neither starting quarterback, Jake Delhomme nor Eli Manning, is expected to see much action in their preseason opener. Josh McCown and Matt Moore are competing for Carolina’s second-string quarterback spot. They won’t have injured star wide receiver Steve Smith to target. Smith suffered a shoulder injury in practice a week ago and may miss the preseason. They’ll be facing a deep Giants defensive line that welcomes back star pass rusher Osi Umenyiora. New Giants defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan may not want to show much with the team’s once again meeting in the regular season. The Panthers are 5-2 against the spread in preseason openers under John Fox.
The Panthers are 18-10 straight-up and 15-12-1 against the spread under John Fox.
Key Injuries - Wide receiver Steve Smith (shoulder) and defensive tackle Maake Kemoeatu (Achilles’ tendon) are out.
PROJECTED SCORE: 16
Giants (-3, O/U 32.5): Eli Manning will play two series at most. He’ll be replaced by veteran David Carr. Former Kentucky standout Andre Woodson will play in the second half. Ex-Oklahoma quarterback Rhett Bomar could see late action. Giants coach Tom Coughlin needs to work on his team’s passing attack, so the Giants could be frequently going to the air. The Giants need to find reliable wideouts to take the place of Plaxico Burress. Their quarterbacks will look to feature Domenik Hixon and Sinorice Moss along with Mario Manningham and possibly first-round draft pick Hakeem Nicks. The Giants probably will be missing their own Steve Smith, who is doubtful with a knee injury. Coughlin knows he needs to find a No. 1 wide receiver. New York also lost Andre Brown for the season with an Achilles’ injury. Brown was challenging Ahmad Bradshaw for the back-up running back spot behind Brandon Jacobs.
The Giants are 1-3-1 against the spread in preseason openers under Tom Coughlin.
Key Injuries - Cornerbacks Corey Webster (hip) and Aaron Ross (leg) are doubtful along with wide receiver
Steve Smith (knee).
PROJECTED SCORE: 19 (OVER - Total of the Day)
MNF Action
Panthers/Giants kick off Monday Night Football schedule
Tonight's NFL preseason matchup pits the Panthers and Giants in a battle of the teams that had the best regular season records in the NFC last season; currently New York is a 3-point favorite at Sportsbook.com.
The first thing you need to consider about tonight's game is that Carolina has owned New York in the preseason. The Panthers have won five of the six all-time meetings between the teams, both straight up and against the spread. Carolina’s offense has scored between 20 & 34 points in all of the last five meetings. The StatFox Game Estimator says the Panthers will score 23 tonight, so look for that nice scoring trend to continue.
Another important factor that you need to know is that in general, Carolina has historically put more stock in preseason success than the Giants. This is important because both teams' head coaches have been around for awhile. Since '93, New York is 12-games under .500 in exhibition games while Carolina is 1-game over .500. In fact, when it comes to facing NFC opponents, the Panthers boast an impressive 11-8 straight up and 13-4 against the spread record.
For the Giants, quarterback Eli Manning, running back Brandon Jacobs, and the rest of the first-string is expected to appear in a limited capacity on Monday night. Backups David Carr, Andre' Woodson and rookie Rhett Bomar (5th Round, Sam Houston State) areexpected to follow the signal-caller in the lineup.
Defensively, all eyes will be on end Osi Umenyiora, who will make his return to the field after missing all of 2008 with a knee injury suffered in the preseason. Umenyiora will head up a defensive group now coordinated by Bill Sheridan, who was elevated from linebackers coach after Steve Spagnuolo took the head position with the St. Louis Rams.
For the Panthers, Jake Delhomme, who last threw six interceptions in the 33-13 playoff loss to Arizona, will start Monday's contest before yielding to reserves Josh McCown and Matt Moore.
Defensively, a familiar-looking Panthers unit will be guided by an unfamiliar face, ex-Colts coordinator Ron Meeks, who takes over for Mike Trgovac.
Finally, don't forget that there are many other wagering options to consider for this Monday night affair than simply the pointspread. The First Half Total has some promise, at least as judged by a powerful FoxSheets Super Situation. The system reads as follows:
# Play Over - Any game where the first half total is 17.5 or less - when playing on Monday night. (28-8 since 1993.) (77.8%, +19.2 units. Rating = 2*).
Tonight's first half total is right around 17. Considering Carolina’s preseason scoring trends discussed earlier, this near-80% system looks even better.