Black Widow
6* Widow Wiseguy NFC Non-Divisional GAME OF THE YEAR on New Orleans Saints +1
No Donovan McNabb Sunday for the Eagles gives them no shot of winning. McNabb is listed as doubtful for Sunday, and even if he were to play he won't be effective. A broken rib can heel itself, but that first week after the injury is excruciating. The Saints won 45-27 over Detroit last Sunday behind six touchdown passes from Drew Brees. Giving up 27 points to Detroit is reason for caution, but there is also reason for hope after the following news. The NFL has decided against enforcing four-game suspensions of Charles Grant and Will Smith at this time, opening the way for the New Orleans Saints' starting defensive ends to play this week and possibly the whole 2009 season. Philly may have won 38-10 last week, but Carolina honestly handed them the game by committing 7 turnovers. The Eagles only put up 267 total yards, 82 passing, not numbers you would expect from a team that put up 38 points. The Saints are the real deal with season, and without McNabb in the lineup the Eagles aren't going to be able to score enough points to keep up with Drew Brees and this high-powered offense. The Saints are now 6-1-1 ATS (86%) in their last 8 games overall. The underdog is 5-1 (83%) ATS in the last 6 meetings. Take New Orleans and the points.
4* NFL Non-Conference GAME OF THE WEEK on Cincinnati Bengals +9.5
Cincinnati should not be catching nearly double-digit points Sunday. Yes, the Bengals lost to the Broncos last week, but they had that game in the bag before a miracle TD pass with 11 seconds remaining had Cincinnati losing 12-7. That was Carson Palmer's first action since the Bengals' preseason opener, where he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the final three games of the preseason. So Palmer was rusty last week, throwing 2 interceptions. Another week of practice and a game under his belt will have Palmer coming out much sharper Sunday against the Packers. Plus, the motivational edge is there because the Bengals cannot afford to start 0-2 with Pittsburgh coming to town next week. Cincinnati is 3-1 SU in their last 4 regular season games, giving up just 7.75 points per contest dating back to the final three games of last year. This defense is better than they get credit for. Green Bay wasn't sharp, either, in their opener but they made a huge play on a 3rd-and-1 with less than 2 minutes remaining to beat the Bears 21-15 at home. Green Bay was actually outgained by Chicago 226-307, and they only scored 21 points despite four interceptions by Jay Cutler. This is not a team that should be laying a ton of points in the early going, because if you remember the Packers posted just a 6-10 record last year. The Packers are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a losing record. Cincinnati will want this one more Sunday and they'll keep it close because of it, likely pulling off the upset. Take the Bengals and the points.
4* AFC GAME OF THE WEEK on Baltimore Ravens +3
At this point in the season, the Baltimore Ravens are much better off than the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers needed a late touchdown with 18 second remaining to beat the Oakland Raiders 24-20 on Monday, and LaDanian Tomlinson was forced out of action with an ankle injury. Tomlinson remains questionable for Sunday's game, and that means Darren Sproles will likely see the bulk of the carries. He cannot handle the load against this big, physical Ravens' defense. Baltimore is a complete team both offensively and defensively. The Ravens now have a reliable passing game, as Joe Flacco threw for 307 yards and three touchdowns in last week's 38-24 win over Kansas City. The Chiefs may have put up 24 points on the Ravens, but that number is MISLEADING. Kansas City finished with just 188 yards of total offense, 29 rushing and 159 passing. In fact, the Chiefs were outgained 188-501 where Baltimore also rushed for 198 yards in the victory. The Ravens are 6-0 ATS (+6.0 Units) after outgaining opp by 100 or more total yards in their previous game over the last 2 seasons. The Ravens are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games as an underdog of 0.5-3.0 points. Baltimore is 9-2 ATS in their last 11 vs. AFC. The Chargers are 0-5-1 ATS in their last 6 games as a home favorite of 0.5-3.0. Take the Ravens and the points.
