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 11, 2011: Quick Underdogs

These underdogs teams will not win but are very bad matchups for the favorites.

Courtesy of SportsAddict2324

Favorite	Line	Underdog
At Atlanta	-6.5	Tennessee
At Baltimore	-7	Cincinnati
At Detroit	-7	Carolina
At San Francisco	-10	Arizona
At New England	-15	Kansas City

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @11/20/11 @ 10:40am

Week 10, 2011: Quick Underdogs

Quick Underdog Picks That Can Trick You!

Favorite	Line	Underdog
Pittsburgh	-4	At Cincinnati

Bengals and Steelers meet twice in the second half of the season, and are likely to split games. So go with the Home team.

At Dallas

-5.5

Buffalo

Both teams give up a lot of points and score as many. The line is the concern, though ‘Boys are likely to win.

At Chicago

-3

Detroit

Bears are too up/down, and Lions need to get back on track.

Courtesy of 495Traffik

At San Francisco

-4

NY Giants

A defensive struggle but Eli is really making the case that he’s a Top-ranked QB in the league.

At NY Jets

-2

New England

Toss up game because it’s at the Jets, but Patriots offense still can put up 24 on a bad day.

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @11/13/11 @ 11:40am

Week 9, 2011: Steelers vs Ravens by EvenMoney

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens is our featured game for this week. Though there are two other AFC games that made a case to be the focus, these two teams face a similar situation, in that they can end the season with only one more loss. That loss would be to the Cincinnati Bengals, which they both play two more times. Even if either team loses to another team on their schedule, this week’s game will most likely determine the winner of the AFC Central division.

Add to that, barring a total collapse by two teams in the AFC East division, only 2 teams from the Central will make the playoffs. The Steelers lead the division but they got shellacked (35-7) by the Ravens in Week One. Another loss to this same team and with the risk of finishing in a tie, the Steelers must win this game. They happen to be catching the Ravens at a very good point of the season.

RAVENS VS. CARDINALS HIGHLIGHTS Week 8, 2011

Courtesy of 82PeRK

The Ravens won their last game, after trailing the Arizona Cardinals by 21 points and lost (the week before) to the Jacksonville Jaguars in a game that exposed their offensive ineptitude. The Ravens win because of their top-ranked (#1 overall, #3 passing and rushing) defense. The defense doesn’t give up points or too many yards, and places the offense in short-field positions to start drives. Unfortunately, QuarterBack Joe Flacco is having a down year (pretty much across the board), specifically in Pass Percentage (53.8%).

STEELERS VS. PATRIOTS HIGHLIGHTS Week 8, 2011

Courtesy of Slim47247

The Ravens take this unbalanced show on the road against a Steelers team that just finished outmuscling the New England Patriots. The Steelers have won four in a row and boast the league’s 2^nd ranked defense, which happens to be ranked 1st against the passing game. The key factor will be whether they can out-tough the Ravens.

DEFENSE

Sacks: Ravens 25; Steelers 20

INTs: Ravens 7; Steelers 2

Fumbles: Ravens 14; Steelers 3

OFFENSE

Sacks: Ravens 16; Steelers 25

INTs: Ravens 7; Steelers 6

Fumbles: Ravens 3; Steelers 2

Offensively, the teams are evenly matched in the punishment they dole out and are willing to take to protect the ball. But, defensively, the Ravens dish it out much more and are much more opportunistic.

NFL PICKS Week 9

Ravens (+3) Under (42) – Look for the Ravens to refocus, now that the competition is on their level.

11/6 8:30 ET At Pittsburgh -3 Baltimore 42

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @11/06/11 @ 9:45pm

Week 8, 2011: Seven on Sunday

Our 7 favorites this Sunday with comments

Favorite	Line	Underdog	Comments
At Tennessee	-8.5	Indianapolis	Two teams coming off ugly blowout losses, but Titans still have hope, while Colts are winless.
New Orleans	-13.5	At St. Louis	Though the points are high, Rams are winless and season-high score is 16 points.
At NY Giants	-9.5	Miami	Giants have been up and down but Dolphins are another winless team that cannot score more than 16 points.
At Buffalo (Toronto)	-4.5	Washington	Bills are going to score 24+ points. Skins have scored 20 and under for 4 straight weeks.
Detroit	-3	At Denver	Look for Lions to stop losing skid so don’t let the Broncos win over Dolphins fool you!
At San Francisco	-9	Cleveland	Niners have been on a roll, while Browns struggle to score points
San Diego	-3	At Kansas City	Toughest of these picks and it’s a question of whether the Chiefs have really turned it around.

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @10/30/11 @ 10:00am

Week 7, 2011: Bears vs Bucs by EvenMoney

Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (At London) is this week’s spotlight game, in a week with not many marquee matchups. Of the two games that pass the test, we chose this one because for the Bears, if they lose, they might as well hibernate for the winter. Though the Bucs’ playoff fate will not be decided for, at least, two more weeks, a loss keeps them questioning whether they will ever take that proverbial step forward.

Courtesy of dclfboy5

In Week 1, we questioned the Bucs’ readiness and they’ve slightly surpassed our expectations, because of last week’s win over the New Orleans Saints. But, at the same time, that blowout loss (48-3) to the San Francisco 49ers two weeks ago has us back to square one. Who are the Bucs and can they surpass our projected win total of 9, for the season? A win this week simply holds us at this projection, and remotely a chance at 10 wins for the season.

A loss and it could mean no playoffs, even though the Bucs have beaten both the other top teams in their division. For this week, let us focus on a Bucs team that loses whenever it gives up more than 20 points in a game. They will be facing a Bears team that only wins when it scores 30+ points or keeps the opponent at 17 points and under.

NFL HIGHLIGHTS Week 6, 2011

In a nutshell, one team loves a blowout and the other does not; one has no identity and the other does. On paper, the Bucs defense is in the league’s lower tier, except where it counts: Points Against. On offense, they are mediocre across the board. A lot of their stats – offense and defense - have to do with the San Francisco game, where they did not show up on either side of the ball. This game against the Bears will tell which side of the ball they can count on for the remainder of the season.

The Bears have similar problems, except they are worse offensively and defensively. Their lone advantage is their Special Teams, specifically Returns featuring Devin Hester.

NFL PICKS Week 7

Bucs (+1.5) Over (43.5) – Go with consistency and quality of opponents, and Josh Freeman is playing (slightly) better than Jay Cutler.

10/23 1:00 ET Chicago -1.5 Tampa Bay (At London) 43.5

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @10/22/11 @ 11:40pm

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 5, 2011: Jets vs Patriots by EvenMoney

New York Jets @ New England Patriots is a marquee game for two reasons: the other match-ups are bleh; and the rivalry has been balanced a bit in recent games. This game has much more consequence for the Jets; they lose and they can essentially kiss their playoffs hopes BYE BYE!

If the New York Jets lose this game, the best they can do the rest of the season is 6-5. If they win, even if they go 6-5, they would still be at 9-7 by season’s end. But beating the New England Patriots would build confidence which might push them to 7 or 8 more wins; thereby inking them to a 10 or 11-win season and the playoffs.

To even entertain this scenario, the Jets have to stop being overconfident, something that has filtered from Head Coach Rex Ryan. He’s gotten the credit when things went well, so he must get the blame when things stink! Simply put, Rex Ryan is doing a HORRIBLE JOB! He is stuck on one speed. That has always been the case with his defense and we saw opponents solve it last year by conceding that they will face 3^rd and Long, and in which case the Jets would blitz. First Down!!

Courtesy of lightyoshi

Coming off last year’s good playoff showing, the Jets are convinced that QuarterBack Mark Sanchez had taken that proverbially leap. So, the Jets offense has taken more risks this season – many of them unnecessary, particularly with Center Nick Mangold injured. Mangold is expected to play but that still does not mean the Jets will not be a pass-happy offense.

HIGHLIGHTS – New York Jets vs. Baltimore RavensWeek 4, 2011

Contrast their per-game averages this season to last year. This season the Jets are attempting 36.8 pass attempts to 23 rushes, while last year for the entire season they averaged 32.8 pass attempts to 33 rushes. Some of this lies on the fact they’ve often trailed in games.

On the defensive side, the Jets defense (ranked #8) has played fairly well but their rush defense has yielded 130 yards per game (YPG) and 6 TDs (ranked #27).  This does not bode well for them because the Patriots are ranked #1 on offense, #1 in passing and #9 in rushing. So, we can conclude that the Jets are not going to win the game on defense, since the Patriots score 33.75 PPG to the Jets’ 25.0 PPG.

HIGHLIGHTS – New England Patriots vs. OaklandRaiders Week 4, 2011

So, how can the Jets win? Both teams give up about 24 PPG, and the only way the Jets can keep the Patriots from scoring is by keeping them off the field. To do this, the Jets have to run the ball effectively, something they haven’t been able to do this season.

NFL PICKS Week 5

Jets (+7.5) Over (50) – The Patriots are the NFL’s worst defense, including on passing. Even if they win the game, they will give up 25 points to the Jets, which puts them at risk for a loss, at least not covering the spread.

10/9 4:15 ET At New England -7.5 NY Jets 50

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @10/08/11 @ 11:20pm

Week 4, 2011: Steelers vs Texans by EvenMoney

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Houston Texans is this week’s biggest game, in that it features two evenly matched teams that cannot afford a loss. Though the Texans can anticipate or hope their lone competitive division rival, the Tennessee Titans, will fade, the Steelers do not have that luxury. The Ravens will not wilt, and both Browns and Bengals have a shot at finishing at least .500. The latter means any misstep could knock the Steelers out of the division and/or wildcard race.

Courtesy of NflHighlightsTv

Pittsburgh has a relatively easy schedule where they can win 9 out of their remaining 13 games without having to go beyond their norm. But, the Ravens, who demolished the Steelers in Week 1 also benefit from such scheduling. This means Pittsburgh must defeat the Texans to keep pace or gain an advantage.

HIGHLIGHTS - Pittsburgh Steelers vs Indianapolis Week 3, 2011

To beat the Texans, the Steelers are going to have to score points, lots of them – 24 or more; something the Steelers have not done this season. Pittsburgh’s average of 18PPG (points per game) is a bit misleading since they have played in two blowouts in which the losing team scored in single digits – one loss (7pts); one win (0 points).

In that win against the St. Louis Rams, they “took their foot off the gas” in the 3^rd quarter. Their other game, a win with a score of 23-20, showed them in a battle, but it was against the Colts who are without star QB Peyton Manning. Basically it comes down to not being able to pinpoint, just which performance is the real Pittsburgh Steelers.

This game against the Houston Texans will give us that answer because the Texans have put up 23+ points in all games. They have done this in three disparate contests – 4^th quarter fade against powerhouse New Orleans; up and down game versus Miami; and a shellacking of the hapless Colts.

HIGHLIGHTS - Houston Texans vs. New Orleans Saints Week 3, 2011

This game will come down to Texans offense battling Steelers defense, specifically the Passing game: 12^th ranked Texans versus 1^st ranked passing defense. Listed as “probable" to play, the Texans RB Ben Tate’s production is a given, especially since the Steelers run defense roughly yields what he produces (4.6 yards per rush; nearly 100 yards per game).

Even with Tate (listed as probale) in the lineup, can Matt Schaub maintain his average: 274 ypg on 65% passing, and 2:1 TD/INT ratio?

NFL PICKS Week 4

Steelers (+3.5) Under (45) – Texans might win but covering while putting up lots of points? Only elite teams do that against the Steelers.

10/2 1:00 ET At Houston -3.5 Pittsburgh 45

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @10/01/11 @ 11:05pm

Week 3, 2011: Eagles vs Giants by EvenMoney

Philadelphia Eagles @ New York Giants will go a long way in determining how strong the NFC East will be this season, and whether all four teams can battle for a playoff spot up until December. This game means much more to the Giants than it does the Eagles because the Eagles are viewed as a lock to win the division unless QuarterBack Michael Vick gets injured.

Video Courtesy of AbSoLuTeNiNja21

Vick did get injured, this past week, and is the key reason why the Eagles are not 2-0. Though Vick fumbled twice and threw an interception, he had the Eagles heading to a 1o-point lead against the Falcons, before he suffered a concussion and left the game.

Up until then, he powered a balanced Eagles’ offense, in which he had thrown his 4^th TouchDown of the season.

HIGHLIGHTS – Eagles vs. Falcons Week 2, 2011

The Eagles are 19^th in total Passing (250.5), 2^nd in total Rushing (184.5 yards), and 6^th in overall Offense.

They bring this against a Giants team that is ranked 19^th in overall defense, but 3^rd against the Rush, limiting opponents to 66.5 yards per game. Where the Giants defense falters is in their inability to get off the field – 15 Passing First Downs per opponent.

HIGHLIGHTS - Giants vs. Rams Week 2, 2011

To beat the Eagles, the New York Giants need a big game from Eli Manning. On the surface since the Eagles ranked 30^th in Rush Defense, it seems to be the logical point of attack. Rushing leads their opponents to eating the clock while not producing much in terms of scoring. And, when a team has to pass, their goal is for short yardage to gain a First Down, especially since the Eagles boast a formidable secondary: Asante Samuel and Nnamdi Asomugha.

When coupled with a defensive line featuring Jason Babin  and Cullen Jenkins, they go on to form the NFL’s 5^th ranked Passing defense, with 9 total Sacks and giving up only 180.5 yards per game.

NFL PICKS Week 3

Eagles (-8.5) Under (48) – Eli is under 60% passing, under 250 yards per game, at a 1:1 TD/Interception ratio.

9/25 1:00 ET At Philadelphia -8.5 NY Giants 48

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @09/24/11 @ 4:40pm

Week 2, 2011: Cowboys vs 49ers by EvenMoney

Dallas Cowboys @ San Francisco 49ers is a major test for both teams and has playoff implications. Yes, this early in the season! The NFC East will send two teams and the NFC West will only send one. A win over Dallas puts the Niners on pace for at least a 9-win season, which should be enough to win the NFC West.

Contrast that to Dallas which needs at least 10 wins to even think of claiming a Wild Card spot. The Cowboys tossed away a win in the final minutes in Week 1 against the Jets. They showed an ability to pass the ball with Tony Romo going for 342 yard on 64% completion. For the most part, the Cowboys handled the Jets’ various blitz packages, including on 3^rd & long.

HIGHLIGHTS - Dallas Cowboys vs New York Jets Week 1, 2011

The Cowboys defense played well. They stifled the Jets’ run game and matched the Jets’ 4 sacks. Dallas lost the game on penalties, turnovers and Special Teams.

On the other side of the field, they will face a 49ers team that had an impressive defensive outing against the Seattle Seahawks. The Seahawks won the NFC West in 2010 but with only a 7-9 record, which demonstrates why this division is there for the taking and will likely only send one team to the playoffs.

Courtesy of frostwd

For the 49ers, QuarterBack Alex Smith had an efficient outing where he completed 75% of his 20 passes. The defense set the pace early by holding the Seahawks scoreless for the first half, as the Niners went on to lead 16-0 at the half. And, the Special Teams converted on two big plays (kick and put returns) for touchdowns to squelch a Seahawks comeback with the score at 19-17.

HIGHLIGHTS - San Francisco 49ers vs Seattle Seahawks Week 1, 2011

Picking this game is about determining the quality of opponent that the 49ers faced last week. Dallas showed they could control the ball and pass against a highly-touted Jets defense. Both teams have to answer these questions:

***Since neither team showed a running game in Week 1, can both QBs maintain their efficiency?

***Or, will Special Teams once again play a major role?

NFL PICKS Week 2

Cowboys (-3) Over (42) – Felix Jones will establish himself, as Dallas dominates time of possession.

9/18 4:05 ET Dallas -3 At San Francisco 42

http://www.footballlocks.com/nfl_lines.shtml @09/17/11 @ 9:40pm