NFL 2016 Wild Card RESULTS - Hedging the Straight Line

Oakland Raiders vs Houston Texans

Detroit Lions vs Seattle Seahawks

Miami Dolphins vs Pittsburgh Steelers

NY Giants vs Green Bay Packers

NFL 2016 Week 14 RESULTS - Hedging the Straight Line

Week 14 -- Playoff pretenders pushed down (and out).

1)  Pittsburgh Steelers –  won 5 slots and  knocked the Philadelphia Eagles out of playoffs consideration.

2)  Detroit Lions – won 4 slots and maintained a two game lead in the NFC North.

3)  Cincinnati Bengals – won 4 slots while keeping the Cleveland Browns winless.

NFL 2016 Week 9 RESULTS- Hedging the Straight Line

Week 9 belonged to these Division leaders:

1)  Dallas Cowboys – continued dominating, won 4 slots and surprisingly didn't make the OVER.

2)  Atlanta Falcons – did their part, won 3 slots and the OVER while distancing themselves from their division.

3)  Kansas City Chiefs – showed they could win a slugfest - 3 slots, including the UNDER.

4)  Detroit Lions – nice Underdog win, both slots ATS and the UNDER.
     
5)  Seattle Seahawks – We will keep last week's warning: Not likely to cover or get covered.

Mean Ole Lions - NFL 2015 TNF 13

The Detroit Lions have a chance to play spoiler to two division rivals in these final weeks of the NFL season. Tonight they face the Green Bay Packers who have lost 4 of their past 5 games, including a loss to Detroit.

The Lions are all but eliminated from playoff contention unless they win their final 5 games while other teams falter royally down the stretch. This is a disappointing season for the Lions who are coming off a playoff year with 11 wins.

Falling short of early expectations caused many ripples within the Lions organization. In November, the Lions fired their general manager and president. This came days after Head Coach Jim Caldwell got rid of three coaches from the offense, though statistically the drop-off has been on the defensive end. 

Last year the Lions defense gave up 282 points in 16 games (average 17.63 per game). This year they have given up 288 points in only 10 games (average 28.8 per game).

After losing their first 7 of 8 games, the Lions are on a three-game winning streak, that started with their Week 10 win over the Packers. Over this stretch the Lions defense is giving up only 14.33 points per game.

On the other side of the ball, the Green Bay Packers were riding high with a 6-0 record. They have lost 4 of their last 5 games and are struggling to find an identity on both sides of the ball.

The Detroit Lions have not beaten the Green Bay Packers twice in one season since 1999 but the Lions have won the previous two Home games against the Packers.

For this matchup, Green Bay At Detroit (+2.5; 46.5), the numbers point heavily toward the Detroit Lions (.789) to lose by no more than 1 point.

So, I take Lions (UNDER) as I see this as a toss-up game. Pick wisely, come back for Sunday's picks and until then listen to hear how loud the mean ole Lions roar.

NFL 2015 Week 7 - EvenMoney's Game of the Week (Vikings vs Lions)

The Minnesota Vikings are, at the moment, in a four team race for the Wild Card. Today's matchup - Minnesota at Detroit (-1; 45) - starts a four-game stretch of must win games.

After these games, the Vikings will then face four NFC teams with playoff possibilities. Now that we have the big picture, Minnesota's current focus is a Detroit Lions team that won its first game last week.

The Lions have underachieved. Though they score 20 points per game, they are more likely to score 17 points while giving up 28.7 points per game.

Adrian Peterson is questionable for the game, which would impact the Vikings' ability to take advantage of Detroit's weak defense. In their previous matchup (Week 2), the Vikings won 26-16 and Peterson rushed for 134 yards.

To counter, can Matthew Stafford challenge the Vikings defense? Stafford has thrown 10 TDs and 9 INTs, and the Vikings defense is vulnerable to both the passing and running game. Theirs is a bend but don't break defense -- second in the NFL, giving up only 16.6 points per game.

The numbers break to Vikings (.842) to win by 2 points and Lions (.158) to lose by 9 points.

So, I take the Vikins (UNDER). Pick wisely, come back for Monday's pick and enjoy this playlist/mix.

Seahawks, Legion in Bloom - NFL 2015 MNF 4

   
Detroit Lions At Seattle Seahawks (-10; 43) finds the Lions at a critical juncture in their season. The Green Bay Packers are running away with the NFC North division. A loss tonight puts Detroit at 0-4 and at risk to even qualify for the Wild Card.

The numbers favor the Seahawks to win by 2 points (.625) or the Lions to lose by 1 point (.375). No scenario where Lions will win.
So, I take Seahawks (Under).  Pick wisely, come back for Thursday's picks and enjoy this playlist.

Week 13, 2011: Falcons vs. Texans by EvenMoney

Atlanta Falcons vs. Houston Texans is another game that helps bring this NFL season into better focus because it is an inter-conference matchup that will shed light on whether it was AFC or NFC teams that faced a tougher road within their own conference.

 Courtesy of BestSportHighlights

The Atlanta Falcons are one of four teams battling for 2 remaining playoff spot. They also have a chance to win their division should they win 2 more games than the New Orleans Saints do. For now, let’s focus on the fact they cannot afford to lose many or any of their remaining 5 games. A win today goes a long way to propelling them to the playoffs and/or a shot at the NFC South division, since one of their remaining games is against the Saints.

The Falcons been inconsistent all year and have only beaten one team contending for the playoffs – the Detroit Lions. At the same time, the Falcons are good at everything, except Pass Defense. They rank in the top 15 in almost all categories – top 10 in some. When it comes to Pass Defense, they rank 23^rd with their main problem being getting Sacks. Other than that, the Falcons do enough to allow their balanced offense to put up 23.5 PPG (points per game), offsetting the 20.2 PPG they give up.

On the other side of the field, the Houston Texans have a two-game lead in their division, and unless they suffer a late season losing streak, they are guaranteed a playoff spot. The Texans also have only beaten one opponent that is in playoff contention – the Pittsburgh Steelers. Unlike the Falcons, they are leading their division and will most likely qualify for the playoffs by simply winning 2 of their remaining 5 games.

Another bit of difference between the two teams is that the Texans are ranked 1^st on Defense (4^th for Rushing; 2^nd for Passing). They are 2^nd in Sacks and 1^st in Defensive Pass Percentage. When it comes to Rushing, the Texans Defense is ranked Top 5 in each major category, except Average Yards per Rush (4.2). They also give up only 16.3 PPG.

The Texans feature a Top 10 ranked offense, whose goal is to run over their opponents. They score 26.6 PPG on 380 YPG (yards), with 152 of those yards from their Rushing game. They lead the league in Rushes per game and are second in Rushing TDs per game. Though they do have a decent Passing game (ranked 16^th in the league), this matchup is clearly on whether the Texans Rushing offense will stand up against the Falcons Rushing defense – ranked 2^nd in the league.

NFL PICKS Week 13

Texans (+1.5) Over (38) – It comes down to Matt Ryan against the Houston Texans Defense.

12/4   1:00 ET     Atlanta                 -1.5         At Houston         38

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @11/27/11 @ 11:30am

Week 12, 2011: Raiders vs. Bears by EvenMoney

Oakland Raiders vs. Chicago Bears highlights a week where we are very wary of picking underdogs. So, we go to two seemingly evenly-matched teams that were not on our radar this season. Both, especially the Oakland Raiders, are having better than expected seasons. Since they are matched up in pivotal games for each of them, we figured it is time to look into the numbers. From there, project just how serious a threat they are come playoff time.

Courtesy of WILxCHARGERS

If they lose and the Denver Broncos win today, the Raiders will find themselves in a tie with the Broncos for the AFC West lead. This loss could also put their playoffs hope in jeopardy as the AFC second tier of playoff teams is crowded, with 5 other teams trying to secure 2 slots.

The Raiders need this win to convince many, including themselves, that they truly belong atop their division. A loss today could be the start of a four-game losing streak, or they can hold pace and finish by splitting their remaining 6 games for a 10-6 record.

Ironically the Raiders are facing what I see as their NFC counterpart, a team that has benefitted from a major slide by the Detroit Lions. This has allowed the Bears to climb into second place in the NFC North, behind the undefeated Green Bay Packers. But, unlike the Raiders, the remainder of the Bears schedule is relatively weak. A win today and they can easily win 4 of the 5 other remaining games, to finish the season at 12-4.

Besides benefitting from weak schedules, what are the Bears and Raiders doing correctly? They both put up lots of points and have enough strength in both the running and passing game. They do not rank highly in any individual category, with Oakland being the better statistical team, specifically in rushing (4.9 vs. 4.3 yards per rush; and 5.5 more rushes per game).

Defensively, they’re even with the Bears being a run-stopping, low-scoring defense, while the Raiders are a bend but don’t break model.

NFL PICKS Week 12

Raiders (-3) Over (41) – Though not a highlight of our analysis, the absence of Bears QuarterBack Jay Cutler will be the deciding factor because the Raiders will now be able place more emphasis on stopping the run.

11/27 4:05 ET     At Oakland         -3            Chicago                41

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @11/27/11 @ 2:00pm

Week 6, 2011: Lions vs 49ers by EvenMoney

San Francisco 49ers @ Detroit Lions is this week’s spotlight game, in a week with at least 8 other matchups we could have chosen. To think in Weeks 1 and 2 when we covered both these teams, we did so to lay down the gauntlet and they both responded. In Week 1 the Lions won and have maintained that pace - currently at 5-0. In Week 2, though the 49ers lost, the result was a Push (at 3 points) and similar to the Detroit Lions, they sit atop their division (with a 4-1 record).

This week’s game means the same thing to both teams, in that, any misstep, doubt could creep in and give their closest division competitor a chance to wrest control out of their hands. This is more of a concern for the Lions because the defending Super Bowl Champions – the Green Bay Packers – are also 5-0. The two teams will play 2 times, and if they should split, then the overall record and record within the conference will be the key factors in which team is crowned.

Courtesy of ZMRinzler

For the 49ers, they have a two-game division lead over the Seattle Seahawks. As we stated before, the NFC West will only send one team to the playoffs. Avoid any sort of losing streak, a playoff slot is theirs. A win against the Lions (pretty much) guarantees the 49ers, a 10-win season; within the NFC West, that is a playoff lock. A loss will tilt them to 9 wins or less, something the Seahawks could achieve.

The two teams are evenly matched in output: Scoring PPG (Lions 31.8; 49ers 28.4), and Defense (Points Against – Lions 17.8; 49ers 15.6). The difference is how each team goes about scoring. For the Detroit Lions, it’s an all-out air assault that has them Top 10 in Attempts, Completions, Percentage, Yardage and TDs (#3).

HIGHLIGHTS – Detroit Lions vs. Chicago Bears Week 5, 2011

The Lions are doing this behind the arm and on the shoulders of QuarterBack Matthew Stafford who is just 13 yards shy of 300 per game, and has a 3:1 TD/INT ratio.

Contrast this with the 49ers who are winning because of their Rushing defense and offense. They have relegated QuarterBack Alex Smith to a ball-control, manager type. Smith is ranked 29^th out of NFL QB’s in Attempts (126) and YPG (193). He’s more prone to take the Sack (14) than throw an INT (1). So, how are the 49ers producing offense? Answer: Frank Gore (80 YPG) and Kendall Hunter (27 YGG).

HIGHLIGHTS – San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Week 5, 2011

As a team, the 49ers are ranked 7^th in Rushing Attempts and 32^nd in Passing Attempts. They take this imbalanced offense into Detroit to face a Lions team that is balanced on defense. Their Pass defense is superior to their Rush defense, and it is tested the most by opponents. Though the Lions Rusing defense gives up a lot of yards per game and per carry, they’ve only given up 1 TD all season.

NFL PICKS Week 6

49ers (+4) Under (46) – Comparison of common opponent as well as the quality of opponents; the Lions are coming off a Monday Night Football appearance; and that extra point where a Field Goal doesn’t do it ATS (against the spread).

10/16 1:00 ET At Detroit -4 San Francisco 46

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @10/15/11 @ 10:00pm

Week 1, 2011: Bucs vs Lions by EvenMoney

Detroit Lions @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be the most important game this opening week of the NFL season! Think about it: Bucs went 10-6 last season. They did so against a very soft schedule, while going 2-5 against playoff teams. What it proved is that they were “better” than 8 teams.

Contrast that to the Lions who showed nothing throughout the season and then won their last 4 games, to finish 6-10. One of those wins came against the Bucs, as the latter was in the midst of a playoff chase, which they failed to make.

Simply put, the Detroit Lions are the new Tampa Bay Buccaneers – both are the only two NFL teams to experience winless seasons; Lions in 2008, and Bucs in 1976.

Whereas Tampa Bay has won a Super Bowl (XXXVII; 2002 season) after years of ineptitude, Detroit garnered respectable seasons, until Barry Sanders retired in 1999 and the following season. 

Courtesy of elsharkdelocho


Once the franchise hired Matt Millen in 2001, it went into a tailspin that paralleled Detroit’s economy and resembled an expansion franchise – the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Coaching hires (Tony Dungy and Raheem Morris) have been the lynchpin for both of the Bucs’ recoveries; and Detroit seems to be patterning that fact, with Jim Schwartz.

Once we get past the history, we have to look at the key players and team strengths. The Lions have a middle of the road schedule wherein they should win 8 games, not counting this first game. Though 9 wins might not be enough to get into the playoffs, it would be a great next step for the Lions.

On both sides of the ball, the running game will be the big question mark for the Lions. Last year, they had a capable QB/Receiver tandem in Shaun Hill/Calvin Johnson, and capable backups (Stanton and Stafford). This year Matthew Stafford is expected to be the starter.

For the Bucs, it mainly comes down to Josh Freeman’s arm and health, as they have no capable, better yet battletested backup QBs. 


 courtesy of jjesse1978


The Bucs can beat a team with either passing or running the ball, but it will come down to their defense and these questions.

·         Can the Bucs’ passing defense rattle Stafford and bring about interceptions?

·         Can the Bucs’ defense stop the Lions’ mediocre running game?

NFL PICKS Week 1

Lions (+1.5) Over (41) – The Bucs’ schedule indicates they will win 8 or 9 games, counting this game.

9/11 1:00 ET At Tampa Bay -1.5 Detroit 41

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @09/1/11 @ 12:50am