NFL 2016 Week 15 RESULTS - Hedging the Straight Line

Week 15 -- Battle for divisions and precarious playoff positions.

1)  Indianapolis Colts –  won 5 slots, kept their division title hopes in play and pretty much knocked the Minnesota Vikings out of playoffs consideration.

2)  New England Patriots – won 4 slots, clinched AFC East and put a hurt on the Denver Broncos' playoff hopes.

NFL 2016 Week 11 TNF: Saints Panthers - Hedging the Straight Line

For tonight's game: 

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers--

1) Saints to WIN by 3.6 points -- projected

2) Panthers to WIN by 0.8 points -- projected

3) Opening Spread -- Panthers (-3.5)

4) Projected O/U 50.40

5) Actual O/U 52.00

NFL 2016 Week 7 RESULTS- Hedging the Straight Line

Week 7 was pretty much a split between Favorites and Underdogs.

1)  New Orleans Saints – won 4 slots, lost the game and surprisingly didn't make the OVER.

2)  San Diego Chargers – won 4 slots and kept their season alive.

3)  Green Bay Packers – won the two ATS slots and the O/U

4)  Denver Broncos – won the two ATS slots and the O/U

NFL 2015 Week 8 - EvenMoney's Game of the Week (Giants vs Saints)

After their 0-3 start, the Saints have been rising to the top, winning three of their last four games. A win today and the New Orleans Saints are in the race for a Wild Card playoff spot.

The Saints will need help from other teams, mainly the Chicago Bears beating the Minnesota Vikings. After today's game, New Orleans finish the year with a soft schedule where they can go 6-2.

Today's game: New York at New Orleans (-3; 50) is a must-win for any of this to matter. For the Saints, it is hard to pinpoint what has led to the recent wins. In the past four games, they have scored 5 more points while giving up 3 less points. Yet, no one area of the game jump out as the catalyst for this turnaround.

Chances are it is momentum gained from their win against the Atlanta Falcons; the inverse of how they started the season.



The New York Giants have not gotten traction this season. Plagued with injuries at the Wide Receiver position and no consistent running game, Quarterback Eli Manning is being asked to do more.

Manning has been steady but the Giants go as their defense does -- giving up 22 points per game. A team that scores 24 or more points has a 75% chance to beat the Giants.

Today's question: Can the New Orleans Saints muster enough offense to beat the New York Giants?

The Saints have scored 26 or more in their 3 wins, and average 19 in their 4 losses.

This is a toss-up for the win with Saints getting the slight nod. For our purposes, the numbers break to Giants (.895) to win by 2 points and Saints (.105) to lose by 2 points.

So, I take the Giants (UNDER). Pick wisely, come back for Monday's pick and continue rising to the top.

Atlanta Falcoms - Fly Like An Eagle NFL 2015 TNF 6

Atlanta Falcons At New Orleans Saints (+3; 52.5) is a game the Falcons (5-0) must win. The Falcons have to keep pace with two other NFC division leaders- Green Bay Packers and Arizona Cardinals.

Winning tonight and the next 5 weeks while hoping the Packers falter will be what keeps them from having to travel to Lambeau Field in the dead of winter.

The Falcons also have to be mindful of division rival Carolina Panthers who are also undefeated at 4-0. The Panthers have a tougher schedule these next few weeks, until the two teams meet but nothing is a given.

The Falcons have mounted comebacks in three of their wins, and give up 22.4 points per game, which currently ranks them 15th in the league. They have scored 32.4 points per game, which is likely what they will score tonight.

The New Orleans Saints are having a horrible season, with Quarterback Drew Brees playing through injury. They are currently 1-4 and on paper, at best, I see the Saints winning 6 more games this season.

The Saints are giving up 28.6 points per game and scoring 20.6 points per game, with their highest output being 26 points.

I take Falcons (OVER) and pray they stay above the fray, continuing to fly like an eagle. Pick wisely, come back for Sunday's picks and enjoy this playlist.

NFL 2015 Week 1 - EvenMoney's Game of the Week (Saints vs Cardinals)

New Orleans at Arizona (-2.5; 48.5) could decide two divisions. Seattle's stranglehold on the NFC West means that Arizona cannot start the season losing a home game. Conceivably to win the division, the Arizona Cardinals will have to win 11 or more games.

On the other side of the ball, a New Orleans Saints' loss does not put their chance to win the NFC South at much risk, but a win means they have rebounded from last season's sub-par showing and strong enough to win the division.

The Over/Under hinges on what type of game we get. If the Saints can score early and get the Cardinals to take more risks on both sides of the ball, take the Over with the Saints winning. Otherwise, take the Cardinals and the Under, results that prove the NFC West will be contested.

I really like this challenge for the Cardinals and select them with the Under. That is why this game barely edges Indianapolis Colts at Buffalo Bills as my game of the week.

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

Even Money’s NFL PICKS: Saints vs Vikings

Saints defeated the Vikings in last season’s NFC Championship game - an overtime thriller, by the score of 31-28. The Saints went on to beat the Indianapolis Colts to win Superbowl XLIV.

Though repeating as Superbowl Champions is no small feat, the Saints bring back most of their core, including Quaterback Drew Brees. Look for the Saints to continue with their offensive prowess, where they scored 24+ points in their first 13 games last season. They were 5-0 ATS when favored by less than 7 points, showing they performed well when “questioned”.

Full Article

Super Bowl XLIV – Saints vs Colts – Even Money’s Picks

Saints vs Colts is the matchup for Super Bowl XLIV (Super Bowl 44). Though this game between the New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts has not received the normal fanfare that recent Super Bowls have, this contest features two marquee Quarter Backs: this NFL season’s MVP Peyton Manning, and Pro Bowler Drew Brees.

To win this game, the Saints will need a big game from Running Backs Reggie Bush and Mike Bell. For Bush, his contribution will be the all-around game he provides, particularly field position off of kick returns. The New Orleans Saints might want to follow the blueprint they used to march all over the New England Patriots in a NFL Week 11.

FULL ARTICLE

Saints Defeat Vikings in NFC championship game 2010; Head to Super Bowl XLIV

Saints vs Vikings final score of 31-28 clinches the NFC championship game 2010 for the New Orleans Saints. The Saints head into Super Bowl XLIV (44) in Miami, FL as a +2.5 underdog (early lines) where they face the Indianapolis Colts and NFL MVP Peyton Manning.

This matchup lived up to its billing and went into overtime tied at 28-28. It came down to my prediction that a field goal would decide it.

FULL ARTICLE

Even Money’s Picks: Saints vs Vikings NFC championship game 2010

Saints vs Vikings is the highly anticipated NFC Championship game that features two high-powered offenses that scored 24+ points in all their wins. The Minnesota Vikings lost only 1 game where they scored that much and all 3 games they did not. The New Orleans Saints lost their last 3 games of the season and they scored less than 24 points in each of them.

With each offense featuring a Pro-Bowl Quarterback in Brett Favre and Drew Brees, the game will come down to which defense makes the early stop.

FULL ARTICLE

Even Money’s Picks: Jets vs Colts AFC championship game 2010

Jets vs Colts in the AFC Championship game? What were those odds when the season started? For the New York Jets to beat the Indianapolis Colts, they need to look at the film of 3 games. The New York Jets defense is comparable to the Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Baltimore Ravens; and to a certain degree, they share offensive philosophies, especially with the Ravens.

Though the Jets have to play a conservative offensive game, the Indianapolis Colts failed to score 27+ points in only 4 games this season.

FULL ARTICLE

Will New Orleans Saints ‘Brees’ Through NFL Playoffs 2010?

Vikings vs Saints will determine career and a legacy. For the New Orleans Saints, a win in the NFC Championship (NFL Playoffs 2010) means the capital “S” can never again be left out of their team name. If Drew Brees wins a Super Bowl XLIV then any future passing numbers and wins he puts up has his career discussed in Hall of Fame terms.

The Saints will win if they make the first half more about the running game for both teams and lessen the number of times Brett Favre passes the ball.

FULL ARTICLE

Will Favre, Vikings Win NFL Playoffs NFC Championship?

Vikings vs Saints is what it comes down to in this year’s NFC Championship game. This marquee NFL playoff matchup could be Brett Favre’s final NFL game. Favre and the Minnesota Vikings will win the NFC Championship and head into Super Bowl XLIV only if they are able to keep the New Orleans Saints from scoring 24 points. The Vikings have shown that they can be stopped when playing a team with a good defense but they have not proven they can stop a potent offense.

FULL ARTICLE

Cowboys vs Vikings – Even Money’s NFL PLAYOFFS PICKS

Cowboys vs Vikings is the early game on Sunday for the NFL Playoffs Divisional Round. It features a Minnesota Vikings team that rose early to prominence in the NFC, and a Dallas Cowboys team that finished strong. This is the game to keep your money away from but it might be the most profitable if you make the right choice.

The Dallas Cowboys silenced their critics who claimed they could not win in December by relying on a defensive unit that gave up more than 21 points only 2 times this season.

FULL ARTICLE

Cardinals vs Saints – Even Money’s NFL PLAYOFFS PICKS

Cardinals vs Saints meet Saturday in a NFC NFL Playoffs Divisional game that has the Arizona Cardinals as a 7 point underdog to the New Orleans Saints. If you are picking Against The Spread that is an easy choice. But the beauty of the NFL Playoffs is its NCAA March Madness quality in that loser goes home for good – one and done.

The New Orleans Saints looked like a machine, a Terminator of a team as it ran roughshod across the league. The Saints seemed poise for an undefeated season until the Dallas Cowboys beat them.

FULL ARTICLE

Publish Post

Even Money’s NFL Power Rankings – Week 17 - Colts vs Jets; Saints vs Bucs

Heading into NFL Week 17 of the 2009 season, I am nearly certain this has been one of the worst seasons in a long time. Putting together this week’s NFL Power Rankings made me wonder whether any of these teams really care about this coming week or even winning the Super Bowl. The two main stories we followed all year fizzled.

Fans had a chance to see two undefeated teams in the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints fade over the past two weeks.

FULL ARTICLE

Even Money’s NFL PICKS Week 15 Saturday Night Football – Cowboys vs. Saints

Cowboys vs. Saints is the featured game for the first Saturday Night Football match-up and the focus of NFL Picks Week 15. This is a battle between neighbors: America’s team, the Dallas Cowboys vs. the New Orleans Saints who struggled for years in infamy as the ‘Aints. The Cowboys’ December slide has been discussed and documented in this chart– add one more loss to this season’s number, for last week's loss.

In our Week 15 Power Rankings the Dallas Cowboys did not crack the Top 10.

Full Article

Even Money’s NFL Power Rankings – December 15, 2009

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RANK	TEAM	WINS	LOSSES	COMMENT
CONTENDERS
1	Indianapolis	13	0	Colts Defense and steadiness as exhibited by being 9-3-1 ATS puts them ahead of the other undefeated Team, New Orleans Saints.
2	New Orleans	13	0	Saints have not covered for 2 straight weeks and won by only 3 points each time. They are 8-5-0 ATS.
3	San Diego	10	3	Chargers have an 8-game winning streak and are 7-1 ATS during that stretch with wins over the Giants, Eagles, Broncos and Cowboys.

FULL ARTICLE

Even Money’s NFL PICKS Week 12 Monday Night Football – Patriots, Saints Come Marching In

Week 12 Monday Night Football – Patriots, Saints