DENVER BRONCOS @ BUFFALO BILLS >>>> OVER 34.5 $85,000
(Sports Network) - The Denver Broncos are inching closer to their first division title in seven years, and a win in Buffalo on Saturday would go a long way towards making it happen.
The Broncos can actually clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Bills. They could also seal the division crown this weekend with a victory and losses by both Kansas City and San Diego on Sunday.
Denver is coming off a home win this past Sunday, as it edged the Baltimore Ravens, 12-10, at Invesco Field at Mile High. Jason Elam kicked two field goals in the game, and Jake Plummer connected with fullback Kyle Johnson on a 7-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
The Bills have dropped four straight games, knocking them out of the playoff picture. The latest loss was a 35-7 thrashing by the New England Patriots on Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY
Buffalo has a 17-13-1 edge in its all-time series with Denver, but has lost the three most recent installments of the series. The Broncos were 28-23 home winners when the clubs last faced off, in 2002, and also took down the Bills, 23-20 in overtime, in their last visit to Buffalo in the 1997 season. Buffalo last defeated Denver in 1994, at home by a 27-20 count.
In addition to the regular season series, the teams have met once in the postseason, a 10-7 win for Buffalo in the 1991 AFC Championship.
Denver head coach Mike Shanahan is 3-1 in his career against Buffalo, with the loss coming for his Raiders in the 1988 campaign. The Bills' Mike Mularkey will be meeting both Shanahan and the Broncos for the first time as a head coach.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Broncos need a win this week to get into the playoffs, and they have an opponent that seems to be tailor-made for their style of play. Buffalo is usually tough to beat home in December, but the Patriots didn't seem to have trouble at Ralph Wilson Stadium last week. Denver should be able to dominate the running game on both offense and defense, and that will spur the Broncos to an easy victory.
• Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
• Over is 7-2 in Broncos last nine overall.
• Over is 3-1 in BUF last four overall.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -4.5 $85,000
Tampa Bay (9-4, 5-2 away) at New England (8-5, 4-2 home) @ 1:30 PM EST.
(Sports Network) - Though you won't hear any player or coach assign any validity to cold-weather statistics leading up to this Saturday's battle between the Buccaneers and Patriots at Gillette Stadium, it is difficult for any NFL prognosticator to ignore the cold, hard facts.
The Buccaneers are just 2-21 all-time when the temperature falls below 40 degrees. The Patriots, meanwhile, have won 15 consecutive games when the mercury has dipped to 35 or less, including last week's 35-7 trouncing of Buffalo. The high temperature on Saturday is expected to reside somewhere in the mid-30s. Meaningful facts? You be the judge.
What is indisputable is that the Week 15 contest between the clubs will have significant playoff implications for both.
The visiting Buccaneers are currently in the driver's seat in the NFC South race, seizing control of perhaps the league's best division with a 20-10 win in Carolina last Sunday. Tampa Bay and Carolina are both 9-4 as Week 15 begins, but the Buccaneers own the tie-breaker based on a superior record within the division. The Bucs, who have already clinched their first winning season since their Super Bowl campaign of 2002, have won four of their last five games.
The Patriots, meanwhile, can with a win wrap up their third straight AFC East title. Bill Belichick and company are two games up on second-place Miami with three to play, and would win any and all tie-breakers from the Dolphins. New England's rout of the Bills last week was its fourth win in the last five games.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots have a 3-2 edge in their all-time series with the Buccaneers, but have lost the two most recent meetings with Tampa Bay. The Bucs were 21-16 road winners when the clubs last matched up, in 2000, and also took down the Pats at home in 1997. New England's most recent win in the series was a 10-7 overtime decision in Foxborough in 1988.
Belichick is 1-1 in his career against the Buccaneers, including 0-1 while with the Patriots. The Buccaneers' Jon Gruden is 0-1 in his career against both Belichick and New England, with the loss coming for his Raiders by a 16-13 count in overtime in a 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff, better know as the "tuck rule" game.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The cold weather might not be as big a deal as many make it out to be, but logic dictates that it must have some impact. Whenever a team is taken out of its comfort zone, the odds will not be in its favor, which is precisely why all teams typically play better at their home venue. Don't expect the Buccaneers to look very comfortable on Saturday. New England has stopped the run well of late, meaning Cadillac Williams will struggle to get untracked. On the other side of the ball, the Pats are unlikely to run up and down the field either, but it is likely that Brady will put together a couple of his typical surgeon-like drives to lead New England to an important home victory.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS +3 @ NEW YORK GIANTS
Kansas City (8-5, 3-4 away) at NY Giants (9-4, 6-1 home) @ 5:00 PM EST.
(Sports Network) - Saturday's trip to the Meadowlands doesn't necessarily represent the last stand for the Kansas City Chiefs, but a loss to the NFC East-leading New York Giants could cause irreparable damage to the playoff aspirations of Dick Vermeil's team.
The Chiefs, who are tied with the similarly 8-5 Chargers and Steelers for the final wild card berth in the AFC, are in the midst of perhaps the most difficult closing stretch of games in the league. Kansas City, which comes off a heartbreaking 31-28 loss in Dallas last week, will follow their trip to play the Giants with games against the Chargers (8-5) and Bengals (10-3). Kansas City and San Diego are currently two games back of division-leading Denver in the AFC West.
The margin for error for the homestanding Giants will be greater on Saturday, but not by much. Tom Coughlin's crew remained atop the NFC East by edging the Eagles, 26-23, in overtime last week, and remain a game ahead of Dallas (8-5) and two up on Washington (7-6). The G-Men finish up with road games at the Redskins and Raiders, and would like to keep the rest of the NFC East contenders in their rear-view mirror heading into that two-week season-ending journey.
SERIES HISTORY
The Giants have an 8-2 advantage in their all-time series with the Chiefs, and have won the last two meetings between the teams. New York was a 13-3 road winner when the clubs last matched up, in 2001, and was a 28-7 victor when the clubs last faced off at the Meadowlands, in 1998. Kansas City's last win in the series was a 20-17 overtime affair at Arrowhead Stadium in 1995. The Chiefs are 0-5 against the G-Men at Giants Stadium, but have won at the facility as recently as 2002, when they downed the Jets.
Vermeil is 13-5 in his career against the Giants, including a 11-4 mark as head coach of the Eagles (1976-82). That record includes a 27-21 loss for Vermeil's Eagles in a 1981 NFC First-Round Playoff. The Giants' Coughlin is 3-1 versus the Chiefs all-time, with each of the games dating back to his tenure in Jacksonville (1995-2002). Coughlin is 1-1 head-to-head against Vermeil.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
This should be a spirited battle between two teams that need to win, but look for the Chiefs to come out with slightly more fire than the Giants. Kansas City can afford to lose this game far less than can the G-Men, and figure to play like it. The absence of Pierce, the team's best run-stopper, will greatly complicate the Giants' prospects for slowing Johnson. On the other side of the ball, Burress and Shockey should have their moments against a shaky Chiefs secondary, but the fact that New York's o-line is at less than 100 percent could spell a little more pressure on Manning than usual.
SATURDAY NFL 2-0 WINNING $170,000
(Sports Network) - The Denver Broncos are inching closer to their first division title in seven years, and a win in Buffalo on Saturday would go a long way towards making it happen.
The Broncos can actually clinch a playoff berth with a win over the Bills. They could also seal the division crown this weekend with a victory and losses by both Kansas City and San Diego on Sunday.
Denver is coming off a home win this past Sunday, as it edged the Baltimore Ravens, 12-10, at Invesco Field at Mile High. Jason Elam kicked two field goals in the game, and Jake Plummer connected with fullback Kyle Johnson on a 7-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter.
The Bills have dropped four straight games, knocking them out of the playoff picture. The latest loss was a 35-7 thrashing by the New England Patriots on Sunday.
SERIES HISTORY
Buffalo has a 17-13-1 edge in its all-time series with Denver, but has lost the three most recent installments of the series. The Broncos were 28-23 home winners when the clubs last faced off, in 2002, and also took down the Bills, 23-20 in overtime, in their last visit to Buffalo in the 1997 season. Buffalo last defeated Denver in 1994, at home by a 27-20 count.
In addition to the regular season series, the teams have met once in the postseason, a 10-7 win for Buffalo in the 1991 AFC Championship.
Denver head coach Mike Shanahan is 3-1 in his career against Buffalo, with the loss coming for his Raiders in the 1988 campaign. The Bills' Mike Mularkey will be meeting both Shanahan and the Broncos for the first time as a head coach.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The Broncos need a win this week to get into the playoffs, and they have an opponent that seems to be tailor-made for their style of play. Buffalo is usually tough to beat home in December, but the Patriots didn't seem to have trouble at Ralph Wilson Stadium last week. Denver should be able to dominate the running game on both offense and defense, and that will spur the Broncos to an easy victory.
• Over is 5-2 in the last seven meetings.
• Over is 7-2 in Broncos last nine overall.
• Over is 3-1 in BUF last four overall.
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS -4.5 $85,000
Tampa Bay (9-4, 5-2 away) at New England (8-5, 4-2 home) @ 1:30 PM EST.
(Sports Network) - Though you won't hear any player or coach assign any validity to cold-weather statistics leading up to this Saturday's battle between the Buccaneers and Patriots at Gillette Stadium, it is difficult for any NFL prognosticator to ignore the cold, hard facts.
The Buccaneers are just 2-21 all-time when the temperature falls below 40 degrees. The Patriots, meanwhile, have won 15 consecutive games when the mercury has dipped to 35 or less, including last week's 35-7 trouncing of Buffalo. The high temperature on Saturday is expected to reside somewhere in the mid-30s. Meaningful facts? You be the judge.
What is indisputable is that the Week 15 contest between the clubs will have significant playoff implications for both.
The visiting Buccaneers are currently in the driver's seat in the NFC South race, seizing control of perhaps the league's best division with a 20-10 win in Carolina last Sunday. Tampa Bay and Carolina are both 9-4 as Week 15 begins, but the Buccaneers own the tie-breaker based on a superior record within the division. The Bucs, who have already clinched their first winning season since their Super Bowl campaign of 2002, have won four of their last five games.
The Patriots, meanwhile, can with a win wrap up their third straight AFC East title. Bill Belichick and company are two games up on second-place Miami with three to play, and would win any and all tie-breakers from the Dolphins. New England's rout of the Bills last week was its fourth win in the last five games.
SERIES HISTORY
The Patriots have a 3-2 edge in their all-time series with the Buccaneers, but have lost the two most recent meetings with Tampa Bay. The Bucs were 21-16 road winners when the clubs last matched up, in 2000, and also took down the Pats at home in 1997. New England's most recent win in the series was a 10-7 overtime decision in Foxborough in 1988.
Belichick is 1-1 in his career against the Buccaneers, including 0-1 while with the Patriots. The Buccaneers' Jon Gruden is 0-1 in his career against both Belichick and New England, with the loss coming for his Raiders by a 16-13 count in overtime in a 2001 AFC Divisional Playoff, better know as the "tuck rule" game.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
The cold weather might not be as big a deal as many make it out to be, but logic dictates that it must have some impact. Whenever a team is taken out of its comfort zone, the odds will not be in its favor, which is precisely why all teams typically play better at their home venue. Don't expect the Buccaneers to look very comfortable on Saturday. New England has stopped the run well of late, meaning Cadillac Williams will struggle to get untracked. On the other side of the ball, the Pats are unlikely to run up and down the field either, but it is likely that Brady will put together a couple of his typical surgeon-like drives to lead New England to an important home victory.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS +3 @ NEW YORK GIANTS
Kansas City (8-5, 3-4 away) at NY Giants (9-4, 6-1 home) @ 5:00 PM EST.
(Sports Network) - Saturday's trip to the Meadowlands doesn't necessarily represent the last stand for the Kansas City Chiefs, but a loss to the NFC East-leading New York Giants could cause irreparable damage to the playoff aspirations of Dick Vermeil's team.
The Chiefs, who are tied with the similarly 8-5 Chargers and Steelers for the final wild card berth in the AFC, are in the midst of perhaps the most difficult closing stretch of games in the league. Kansas City, which comes off a heartbreaking 31-28 loss in Dallas last week, will follow their trip to play the Giants with games against the Chargers (8-5) and Bengals (10-3). Kansas City and San Diego are currently two games back of division-leading Denver in the AFC West.
The margin for error for the homestanding Giants will be greater on Saturday, but not by much. Tom Coughlin's crew remained atop the NFC East by edging the Eagles, 26-23, in overtime last week, and remain a game ahead of Dallas (8-5) and two up on Washington (7-6). The G-Men finish up with road games at the Redskins and Raiders, and would like to keep the rest of the NFC East contenders in their rear-view mirror heading into that two-week season-ending journey.
SERIES HISTORY
The Giants have an 8-2 advantage in their all-time series with the Chiefs, and have won the last two meetings between the teams. New York was a 13-3 road winner when the clubs last matched up, in 2001, and was a 28-7 victor when the clubs last faced off at the Meadowlands, in 1998. Kansas City's last win in the series was a 20-17 overtime affair at Arrowhead Stadium in 1995. The Chiefs are 0-5 against the G-Men at Giants Stadium, but have won at the facility as recently as 2002, when they downed the Jets.
Vermeil is 13-5 in his career against the Giants, including a 11-4 mark as head coach of the Eagles (1976-82). That record includes a 27-21 loss for Vermeil's Eagles in a 1981 NFC First-Round Playoff. The Giants' Coughlin is 3-1 versus the Chiefs all-time, with each of the games dating back to his tenure in Jacksonville (1995-2002). Coughlin is 1-1 head-to-head against Vermeil.
OVERALL ANALYSIS
This should be a spirited battle between two teams that need to win, but look for the Chiefs to come out with slightly more fire than the Giants. Kansas City can afford to lose this game far less than can the G-Men, and figure to play like it. The absence of Pierce, the team's best run-stopper, will greatly complicate the Giants' prospects for slowing Johnson. On the other side of the ball, Burress and Shockey should have their moments against a shaky Chiefs secondary, but the fact that New York's o-line is at less than 100 percent could spell a little more pressure on Manning than usual.
SATURDAY NFL 2-0 WINNING $170,000
