Bettors’ best friend: Sunday’s wagering tips
Lines to keep an eye on
The Chiefs opened as 9-point favorites against the Bills at some shops, but the line is down to -7.5.
The Bengals opened as 2.5-point favorites against the Dolphins, but the line is down to -1.
The Lions opened as 1-point favorites against the Redskins, but the line is up to -2.5.
The 49ers opened as 1-point underdogs against the Broncos, but they are now 1-point favorites.
The Pittsburgh-New Orleans line opened at even or with the Steelers as 1-point favorites, but now the Saints are 1-point favorites.
Weather to watch
Giants at Rangers: Skies should be clear and a 13 mph wind is expected to blow in from right field toward the third base line.
Packers at Jets: Skies will be sunny but a 15 mph wind is expected.
Vikings at Patriots: There is just a 10 percent chance of rain and a 16 mph wind is expected.
Seahawks at Raiders: There is just a 10 percent chance of rain.
Who’s hot
The Jets are 5-0 ATS in their last five overall.
The Bucs are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games.
The Chiefs are 7-1 ATS in their last eight overall.
The under is 6-1-1 in Golden State's last eight road games.
Who’s not
The Saints are 1-5 ATS in their last six overall.
The Vikings are 1-6 ATS in their last seven home games.
The Seahawks are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 road games.
The Utah Jazz are 0-5 ATS in their last five overall.
Key stat
176.5, 174.5 – Rushing yards per game for the Kansas City Chiefs this year and rushing yards per game allowed by the Buffalo Bills this year, respectively. Kansas City's total is good for No. 1 in the NFL, more than 17 yards ahead of the New York Jets. At the other end of the spectrum, Buffalo's mark puts the team at dead last in the league in defending the run. In fact, the Bills are so bad defending the run that they are giving up almost 17 yards more per game than 31st-ranked Tampa Bay.
Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked
Stephen Curry, Golden State's leading score through two games (both wins), re-injured his ankle on Friday against the Clippers. "It's more rehab, that's all that means," the Sporting News reported Curry as saying. "Just got to be smart about it now and try to get it back to 100 percent and get it stronger so that even if I do step on somebody's foot I can recover. We'll find out tomorrow and see how it reacts." The Warriors need Curry to be ready by Sunday because they are paying a visit to the 2-0 Lakers.
Biggest game on the slate
San Francisco Giants at Texas Rangers
Pittsburgh Steelers at New Orleans Saints (-1, 44)
Notable quotable
"I wouldn't put anything past me, to be honest with you." -- Brett Favre to reporters on the possibility of him playing through a broken ankle on Sunday against the Patriots. Favre's streak of 291 consecutive games played is in jeopardy and he is still questionable as of Saturday evening. Reports say Favre expects to play, although other reports suggest that the Vikings are prepared to sit their veteran quarterback.
Tips and notes
Detroit's Matthew Stafford has not played since Week 1 due to a shoulder injury, but he is back for Sunday's game against the Redskins. Still, offensive coordinator Scott Linehan said there will be no change in the gameplan despite a different look. "We didn't limit our offense at all when Shaun (Hill) was in there," Linehan told the Detroit News. "There will definitely be a noticeable difference. Matt has the ability to attack all parts of the field with his arm, but hopefully he's going to do the same things we asked him to do coming into the season. Take what the defense gives him while still being aggressive with our attack." Meanwhile, the Lions should also benefit from a well-rested Jahvid Best. Thanks to a bye week, Best has now had two full weeks of rest to nurse a turf-toe injury that he suffered in Week 3.
The Texans are coming off a bye week heading into their Monday night game, when they will try to make it a clean sweep of Indianapolis this season. “We’re healthier than we’ve been in a while, so that’s exciting,” Gary Kubiak said after Saturday's practice. “We’ve had good preparation. We’ve got a lot of time between now and game time. We just need to lock-in in what we’re doing. We’ve got a big challenge ahead of us, but boy, we are looking forward to it.” Kubiak noted that guard Mike Brisiel (questionable) has been looking good and that DT Malcolm Sheppard and DE Mark Anderson are about to see increased playing time.
The young and exciting Oklahoma City are Thunder are off to a 2-0 start, building on last season's run to the playoffs. Jeff Green, who scored 21 points in each of the team's two victories, has been a big reason. "He's really developing a nice low post (game) on the left block," said head coach Scott Brooks said. "He has strength. He's a strong, strong kid. He puts pressure on the defense. You put a smaller guy on him and he can post them up and a bigger guy he can shoot out on the 3-point line. He's been good for us and we want him to work on those parts of his game."