New England (-2 ½) vs. Baltimore – The Patriots opened as 3 point home favorites, though quite a few books have already dropped to 2 ½ points, and 5 Dimes and SportBet are down to a single point. The public is playing Baltimore at just under 60%, which means some sharp money has been put down on the Pats. The big news, of course, is the absence of Randy Moss. But getting Deion Branch was a solid move. He and Tom Brady have a good history of success. That should help Wes Welker and the running game. The Ravens ran all over the Broncos last week. If New England let’s Baltimore set the tempo to that effect, the Patriots are in big trouble.
Pittsburgh (-13 ½) vs. Cleveland – The Steelers started as 13 ½ point favorites, but books are currently hovering between 13 and 15 points. The public is playing the Steelers at better than 75%. Ben Roethlisberger is back from his 4 game suspension, which is great news for the Steeler offense. They had their bye last week, but will Roethlisberger be in rhythm with his playmakers? The word is that Colt McCoy is set to make his first start in Pittsburgh. That sounds like trouble for the Browns, who have been playing decent football as of late. What are the odds McCoy doesn’t make it thru 4 quarters against that defense? Should be less than even money.
San Francisco (-6 ½) vs. Oakland – The Battle of the Bay goes down in San Francisco this Sunday afternoon. The home Niners opened as 6 point faves, and while the line has held mostly steady, a few have gone to 6 ½ or 7 points. The squares are playing the Raiders at 70%, fresh off their big win over San Diego. The Raiders were great on special teams, and the running game just keeps getting better. Though the main reason Oakland is slightly more successful this year is the absence of JaMarcus Russell. San Fran has been the League’s biggest disappointment so far this season. They lost to the Vick-less Eagles last Sunday night and looked bad doing it.
Indianapolis (-3) at Washington – There’s been some reverse action on this line. The Colts opened as 4 point road favorites at Washington, and despite the public playing Indy at better than 90%, books have come down to 3 points. The Colts struggled with the Chiefs last week, but managed to win a low scoring game. It’s not very often Peyton Manning has fewer than 300 yards passing and no touchdowns. The Indy defense was tremendous. The Redskins won as 3 point ‘dogs last Sunday against the visiting Packers. Donovan McNabb looks to be settling in, but needs a running game to share the load. The ‘Skins defense is getting better, but can they hold down the Colts offense?
Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville – The Titans and Jaguars hook up for the Monday night game. Tennessee started as a 3 point road favorite, and a couple books have come down to 2 ½ points, but most are sticking at 3. The public is playing Tennessee at better than 90%, which means some sharps are keeping this line steady. The Titans looked good against Dallas. When Vince Young is efficient, this offense is hard to stop. Chris Johnson, of course, is spectacular. And the defense has been pretty good after some key losses during the offseason. The Jags seem to be starting to gel. But whenever they start looking ok, they implode. It’s hard to read Jacksonville.
If you are betting on these games be sure to check out our NFL football picks page and the predictions we offer. We are currently on a 67% NFL picks run and will once again crush the books on Sunday.
