Five Things You Need to Know for Sun., Oct. 7
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Five Things You Need to Know in Sports
Want to start your sports day off right? Looking for some action and the most exciting matchups of the day? The NFL is on tap so let's get right to it. Here is a brief look at the top five important matchups of the day.
1)Philadelphia (3-1) at Pittsburgh (1-2), 1pmET, Heinz Field
The Steelers are coming off a bye, which meant that they could finally get healthy. That’s great for QB Ben Roethlisberger, who has the put the ball in the air early and often. Now he’ll have RB Rashard Mendenhall back from a knee injury along with star S Troy Polamalu and LB James Harrison. The Eagles are coming off a very physical battle against the Giants on Sunday night. The Steelers’ linebackers will punish Vick and force a few more turnovers. Pittsburgh is 9-0 ATS off a loss. Pittsburgh is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 43.0.
2)Atlanta (4-0) at Washington (2-2), 1pmET, FedEx Field, Landover, Md.
Atlanta is coming off a 30-28 win over Carolina as a 7-point favorite, while Washington defeated Tampa Bay on the road last week, 24-22 getting 2. Washington allows 14.4 yards per reception, which is not a good sign against Matt Ryan and company. Washington rookie QB Robert Griffin III has just one pick and leads the NFL with 252 rushing yards and four TDs. Washington is 12-20-7 ATS as a dog of 3 or less. Atlanta is a 3-point favorite with a total of 51.
3)Denver (2-2) at New England (2-2), 4:25pmET, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Mass
Last year: NEW ENGLAND (-13.5) over Denver, 45-10 in playoffs; New England (-7) over DENVER, 41-20. The Broncos were swept last year by the Patriots in the regular season and the playoffs. But that was before they signed Peyton Manning. This should be a classic shootout between two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Last week, Manning went 30-of-38 for 338 yards with three touchdowns against Oakland, 37-6. Bill Belichick is 5-10 SU against the Broncos. Denver is 8-1 ATS in 1st of BB road games. New England is a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 52.
4)San Diego (3-1) at New Orleans (0-4), Superdome, New Orleans, La
The Saints haven’t stopped anybody all season. They allowed 28 points to Green Bay, 27 to Kansas City, 35 to Carolina and 40 to Washington. San Diego’s offense has been inconsistent, though they did put up 38 points on Tennessee. QB Phillip Rivers misses Vincent Jackson at receiver, but they do have a strong running game led by Ryan Mathews and Jackie Battle. Drew Brees attempts to break Johnny Unitas’ record of throwing a touchdown in 48 straight games. New Orleans is 8-1 Over last 9 overall. New Orleans is a 3.5-point favorite with a total of 53.
5)Green Bay (2-2) at Indianapolis (1-2), Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, Ind.
The Colts will be without their head coach Chuck Pagano, who is battling a treatable
form of leukemia. But they will be really pumped to win this game for Pagano and interim coach/offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck should be more comfortable with three games under his belt and coming off a bye. WR Greg Jennings (groin) is likely out again for Green Bay. This is the first of three straight road games for the Pack. Indianapolis is 6-2 ATS L8 in series and 4-0 ATS L4 at home in series. Green Bay is a 6.5-point favorite with a total of 48.