Sunday 10/30/16 service plays chatter/comps/requests & other stuff...

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Bucks (1-1) at Pistons (1-1)

Date: October 30, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

The Detroit Pistons must rely on two journeyman point guards during the first month of the season. The early returns on Ish Smith and Beno Udrih have been promising.

That duo has combined for just two turnovers in the team's first two games. They contributed 29 points and 13 assists in the Pistons' home opener on Friday, a 108-82 thumping of the Orlando Magic.

Detroit (1-1) will try to keep the good vibes going on Sunday when it faces the Milwaukee Bucks (1-1) at The Palace.

Smith was thrust into the starting lineup when Reggie Jackson was diagnosed with knee tendinitis during training camp. Jackson is expected to miss approximately 20 games.

Smith is playing for his 10th organization, while Udrih is wearing his eighth different uniform.

"He's been able to get a lot of good looks and as a team, we've been able to really jell together and build our chemistry," forwad Tobias Harris said of Smith, who was signed as a free agent in July.

"We talk to him a lot, especially the guys in the starting five, about where we like the ball and where we are, just adapting to his game, his pace. That's been going a long way for us and it showed (Friday). He was aggressive, he was playing like himself and that's what we need from him, just that consistent effort."

The Pistons, a playoff team last season, dropped their opener in Toronto on Wednesday by 18 points. They recovered quickly in their home opener, leading by 23 points at halftime.

"We know what it takes to win," center Andre Drummond said. "We had that taste of success last year and we know how hard we need to play in order to be a great team. That wasn't the team we showed against Toronto. That was the team of previous years -- two, three years ago. We've got to come out with the same energy we had (against Orlando)."

Milwaukee has the disadvantage of playing the second part of a back-to-back set. The Bucks pulled out a 110-108 home win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.

Forward John Henson's buzzer-beating tip-in was the game winner after the Bucks gave away a six-point lead in the final minute.

"We just had to fight," he said on the Fox Sports TV interview after the fact. "We made some bad plays at the end, didn't talk on defense, but we live to fight another day. We've got to get better."

Bucks coach Jason Kidd is trying to sort through his rotation. He has Miles Plumlee starting ahead of Greg Monroe at center. The training-camp trade of Michael Carter-Williams has moved Matthew Delladova, signed as a free agent, into the starting backcourt.

Swingman Tony Snell, who was acquired from Chicago for Carter-Williams, scored six points in 21 minutes in his Milwaukee debut Saturday. He missed Milwaukee's opening-night loss to Charlotte with a sprained left ankle.

The Bucks' defense needs to tighten up. They allowed 44.8 percent shooting to the Hornets and 44 percent to the Nets.

"When you look back two years ago, no matter what defensive scheme we were in, we played hard," Kidd said.

The Pistons took three out of four meetings with the Bucks last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Warriors (1-1) at Suns (0-2)

Date: October 30, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

PHOENIX -- The fabulous Golden State Warriors road show plays the Talking Stick Resort Arena on Sunday afternoon, when the two-time defending Western Conference champs take on the winless Phoenix Suns.

After losing their season opener in Oakland to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, the Warriors picked up where they left off last season away from home, beating the New Orleans Pelicans 122-114 on Friday for their 63rd win in the last 83 road games.

Included in that impressive run were 135-116 and 112-104 wins at Phoenix last season while the Warriors were going 34-7 on the road, recording seven more wins than any other team.

Golden State has yet to find the range from beyond the 3-point arc this season, compiling a 26.2-percent success rate that's one of the worst in the league.

But that didn't stop Golden State's three top marksmen -- Kevin Durant (30), Klay Thompson (28) and Stephen Curry (23) -- from combining for 81 points in the win over New Orleans.

"We're going to have to get so much better," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said after the win. "We have so much talent, but talent is not going to be enough. We have to be smart, have to be tough, just grow as a team.

"Fortunately, we have a long time to do it."

The Suns have longer-term plans. They've had three teenagers on the court at the same time in their opening two losses, a dynamic that will change Sunday, when Devin Booker, the starting shooting guard, turns 20.

Rookies Marquese Chriss (19) and Dragan Bender (19) are left to carry the flag for the teen-age crew, along with Derrick Jones, who has yet to see action in the regular season.

Already the Suns have seen improvement, going from a 113-94 home loss to the Sacramento Kings to a 113-110 overtime defeat on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

"The first game, I couldn't really sleep on," Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe noted after Friday's game. "But this game, we made great strides."

You could say the same for last season. The Warriors thumped Phoenix by 19 and 25 points in their first two meetings, but then had to sweat out eight- and seven-point victories later in the season.

A big reason for the Suns' improvement last season was the development of Booker, who totaled six points on 2-for-9 shooting in 35 minutes in the blowouts, but then helped keep the Suns competitive with 15- and 18-point games in the final two meetings while logging a total of 79 minutes.

Of course, those matchups occurred before Golden State signed Durant in the offseason.

The gold-medal-winning forward already is living up to his two-year, $54.3 million contract, becoming the first Warrior since Wilt Chamberlain to debut for the team with two 20-point, 10-rebound efforts.

History says Durant's streak could be in jeopardy against the Suns. While he's scored 20 or more points in 24 of 30 lifetime meetings with Phoenix, he's recorded double-figure rebounds just six times, including once in three matchups last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA roundup: Cavaliers remain unbeaten
By The Sports Xchange

CLEVELAND -- J.R. Smith made three 3-pointers in the final 3 1/2 minutes and the Cleveland Cavaliers pulled out a 105-99 victory over the Orlando Magic on Saturday after squandering the bulk of an 18-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
LeBron James had 23 points, nine assists and six rebounds, Kyrie Irving scored 20 points and Smith shook off another slow start to score 16 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter. Kevin Love fouled out in the final minute with 19 points and five rebounds for Cleveland (3-0).
Evan Fournier scored 22 points and Serge Ibaka had 19 points and seven rebounds for Orlando, which has lost 15 straight to the Cavaliers.

Trail Blazers 115, Nuggets 113 (OT)
DENVER -- Damian Lillard hit a floating 7-footer with 0.3 seconds left in overtime and Portland rallied from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Denver.
Lillard finished with 37 points and C.J. McCollum had 23 and 10 rebounds for the Trail Blazers.
Nikola Jokic had 23 points and a career-high 17 rebounds and Emmanuel Mudiay had 21 points for the Nuggets, who lost their home opener for the third straight season.

Bucks 110, Nets 108
MILWAUKEE -- John Henson tipped in a Jabari Parker miss as time expired, giving Milwaukee a victory over Brooklyn.
The Bucks led by seven with 3:18 remaining after Rashad Vaughn hit the third of his three 3-pointers in the final quarter, but the Nets rallied late with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 108 on Bojan Bogdanovic's 3-pointer with 11.6 seconds left.
Vaughn recorded six 3-pointers and led Milwaukee with a career-high 22 points. Bogdanovic finished with 26 points to pace the Nets.

Spurs 98, Pelicans 79
SAN ANTONIO -- San Antonio never trailed after the first quarter and blew the game open with a 17-4 run late in the third quarter to cruise past New Orleans.
Kawhi Leonard didn't score a field goal until a dunk with 2:22 to go in the first half, but put in 16 of his team-high 20 points in the second half. He was 6-for-6 from the free-throw line to remain perfect at 28-for-28.
The Spurs held the Pelicans' Anthony Davis, who scored 95 points in his first two games, to 18.

Knicks 111, Grizzlies 104
NEW YORK -- Kristaps Porzingis led five players in double figures with 21 points to help New York defeat Memphis in its home opener.
Carmelo Anthony added 20 points and five assists. The veteran forward was 9 of 12 from the line.
Marc Gasol paced Memphis with 20 points and James Ennis added 16.

Bulls 118, Pacers 101
CHICAGO -- Doug McDermott scored 23 points off the bench and was one of six Chicago players to reach double figures in the victory over Indiana.
McDermott was 9 of 14 from the field and 5 of 6 from 3-point range to pace the Bulls. Jimmy Butler had 16 points for Chicago to go along with 14 by Dwyane Wade and 12 each by Robin Lopez and Taj Gibson.
Paul George and Myles Turner each had 20 points for the Pacers, who also got 11 points apiece from Joe Young and Glenn Robinson III.

Celtics 104, Hornets 98
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Avery Bradley scored 31 points as Boston pulled away down the stretch to defeat Charlotte.
Isaiah Thomas added 24 points for the Celtics, and Al Horford was the only other Boston player in double figures with 14 points.
Kemba Walker led the Hornets with 29 points. Nicolas Batum scored 12 and Frank Kaminsky scored 11 in his first game of the season. Charlotte shot only 40.5 percent from the field, although it outscored the Celtics 25-11 at the free-throw line.

Kings 106, Timberwolves 103
SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- DeMarcus Cousins finished with 29 points and Rudy Gay scored 28, including 10 apiece during a 24-1 third-quarter run, as Sacramento won its first game at its Golden 1 Center,
Ben McLemore added 13 points, including two key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter for the Kings. Matt Barnes added 12 points and nine assists in 27 minutes.
Andrew Wiggins finished with 29 points to lead the Timberwolves. Guard Zach LaVine added 21 for Minnesota.

Hawks 104, 76ers 72
PHILADELPHIA -- Paul Millsap scored 17 points, Kyle Korver added 15 and Atlanta had little trouble dismantling Philadelphia.
Mike Muscala contributed 14 points, while Dennis Schroder scored 11 points and dished out 11 assists. Reserve Thabo Sefolosha also had 11 points for the Hawks.
Prized rookie Joel Embiid and Sergio Rodriguez each scored 14 points for the 76ers, who fell to 0-2. Philadelphia dropped its first 18 games and 30 of its first 31 last season en route to a 10-72 debacle.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Lakers (1-1) at Thunder (2-0)

Date: October 30, 2016 7:00 PM EDT

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Having a team full of talented, but young players can mean a season full of up and downs. One day they are riding high, the next they are having to pull themselves up off the floor.

That was the case for the Los Angles Lakers after beating the Houston Rockets in their season opener. They came back two nights later and felt the sting of a physical, bruising loss in Utah during a 96-89 defeat.

"It hurt, but there's nothing we can do about it," Lakers guard DeAngelo Russell told ESPN.com. "We've got to stay positive and build off it as a team.

"When we lose, we can't be separated. That's when we've got to come together. I was just trying to preach that."

Los Angeles will get another chance on Sunday to earn their first road win when they take on the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder is coming off a 113-110 overtime victory over the Phoenix Suns. Playing in their first home game of the season, the Thunder had to fend off the hot shooting of TJ Warren and Devin Booker, who scored four straight points in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime.

However, they were no match for the superhuman feats of Oklahoma City guard Russell Westbrook, who collected his 38th career triple double with 51 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Westbrook is the first player since Kareem Abdul Jabbar in the 1974-75 season to have a triple double with at least 50 points.

Victor Oladipo, who is in his first season with the Thunder, is learning how serious Westbrook is about winning.

"This dude right here wants to win more than anybody in the world," Oladipo said of Westbrook. "He'll do anything to do that."

However, while Oklahoma was pleased to win the dramatic contest in front of their home fans, coach Billy Donovan knows they can't count on nights when Westbrook is forced to shoot the ball 44 times.

With only one other player scoring at least 10 points and shooting more than eight shots, Donovan is looking for more production.

"Overall, we've gotta get more people involved," Donovan said. "We've gotta be able to utilize our big guys better and pound the ball inside."

The Thunder will have a size advantage when taking on the Lakers. Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Domantas Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova can all score in the paint.

Los Angeles will look to counter with a mobile and quick Julius Randle, who wants his team to take on a more aggressive attitude on the road.

"We gotta go take road wins," Randle told the Los Angeles Times. "Stay true to our character, who we are. Just gotta take wins."

The Thunder know what type of squad the Lakers will be bringing to town and are prepared for the to bring a lot of energy as they look to bounce back.

"They are a good, tough team," Oklahoma City guard Andre Roberson said of the Lakers. "They are without Kobe (Bryant). They are looking to prove themselves. They are hungry. We just have to come out and be ready to fight their game from the jump."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Sunday’s games

Clippers won nine of last ten games with Utah (4-5-1 vs spread); under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Jazz lost four of last five against the Clippers in Staples (under 4-1) but covered four of the five games. Utah split its first two games, losing only road game by 9. Clippers won their opener in Portland by 8.

Golden State won its last seven games with Phoenix (4-3 vs spread); four of last five series games went over. Warriors won last three visits here, by 8-18-19 points (2-1 vs spread). Golden State split its first two games, winning road opener by 8 in New Orleans. Suns lost their first two games by 19-3 points.

Pistons won last three games with Milwaukee (under 5-3 in last eight) but Bucks are 8-2 vs spread in last ten series games. Bucks lost four of last five visits to Motor City but covered four of the five games. Milwaukee split its first two home games, beating Nets by a hoop last night. Detroit split its first two home games, winning its home opener by 26 against Orlando.

Spurs won/covered their last seven games with Miami; under is 4-2 in last six games. San Antonio won its last four visits here, all by 14+ points. Spurs won first three games by 29-8-19 points; am guessing Parker/Ginobili will play here after sitting out last nite. Miami split its first two games, losing home opener by 6 to Charlotte.

Thunder won their last eight games with the Lakers, covering five of last six; LA lost its last four visits here (0-4 vs spread) by 23-40-10-29 points. Three of last four series games stayed under the total. Lakers split their first two games, losing road opener by 7 in Utah. Oklahoma City won its first two games by 6-3 points; Westbrook scored 51 in his triple-double Friday night.

Wizards won three of last four games with Memphis; home side won eight of last ten series tilts. Washington lost five of its last six visits here (3-3 vs spread) with four of last five played here staying under. Wizards lost their road opener by 15 in Atlanta. Grizzlies lost in NYC last night, after winning home opener by 4 over Minnesota.

Rockets won 106-98 in Dallas Friday, but Nowitzki (stomach) sat game out; not sure if he’ll play here or not. Houston is 7-3 in last ten series games; three of last four stayed under. Mavericks lost four of last five visits here (1-4 vs spread). Rockets split their first two road games; this is their home opener. Dallas lost its first two games, by 9ot-8 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Mavericks (0-2) at Rockets (1-1)

Date: October 30, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

HOUSTON -- Before panic could set in following an awful defensive performance than many predicted would be common given their roster construction, the Houston Rockets delivered on Friday night a performance that produced a measure of redemption.

In their 106-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas, the Rockets (1-1) avoided the repeated gouging of their defense that marred their season opener against the Los Angeles Lakers two nights earlier.

The teams will play again on Sunday night in Houston.

The Rockets struggled to contain Mavericks forward Harrison Barnes, who poured in a career-high 31 points, and occasionally labored to limit dribble penetration and supply weakside help.

But in the third quarter they allowed only 17 points and seized control of the game.

"We got stops," Rockets forward Ryan Anderson said. "We did a good job starting the third quarter. We wanted to have a lot of energy and make this game ours, have them play our tempo. We did a great job of that.

"(Barnes) is a talented scorer and they have a good player in him. But I'm glad that we did a good enough job of stopping everybody else and got the win."

It certainly helped the Rockets' cause that Dallas (0-2) played without perennial All-Star forward Dirk Nowitzki, who was sidelined by an illness but is expected to return when the teams square off again on Sunday night at Toyota Center.

Also serving the Rockets well was the second-half commitment to a hastened pace, with the shift in tempo providing the offensive spark needed to complement the defense.

With the Rockets clinging to a 67-65 lead, guard James Harden drilled three consecutive 3-pointers to push the advantage to 10 points and set a comfortable cushion for the remainder of the game.

Pace will serve as a hallmark for the Rockets this season. Their constant adherence to it is a necessary aspect for their success.

Harden finished with 26 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, while Rockets forward Trevor Ariza scored a team-high 27 points on 5-for-7 3-point shooting.

"One of the problems early in this game is we didn't have pace to our offense," Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni said. "And once James picked up the pace for himself and the team, he got off and that helped us a lot."

While the sample size of two games shouldn't merit too much concern, Dallas must be mindful of its exposed perimeter defense.

The Indiana Pacers torched the Mavericks behind the arc in the opener for both teams earlier this week, hitting on 10 of 19 3-point shots. The Rockets followed suit with 15-of-32 shooting from behind the arc.

Having allowed two opponents to make 25 of 51 3-pointers grabbed the Mavericks' attention and set in motion a specific focus for the rematch.

"We've just got to do a better job with communication," Barnes said to Mavs.com. "You know, we either got too sucked into the paint or guys were over helping. And with a team like this, they shoot a lot of threes.

"If you let one guy get going, then you start reacting to him and they're getting wide-open dunks. So, we'll have to look at some tape before Sunday."

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Spurs (3-0) at Heat (1-1)

Date: October 30, 2016 6:00 PM EDT

MIAMI -- The Miami Heat's rivalry with the San Antonio Spurs was once hot to the touch.

But after facing each other in two straight NBA Finals -- the Heat won in 2013 and the Spurs got revenge in 2014 -- neither team has been back to the league's grandest stage.

The Spurs (3-0) and Heat (1-1) will renew their rivalry on Sunday night in Miami, but much has changed since they battled for titles.

For the first time in two decades, the Spurs are without power forward Tim Duncan, who retired.

The Heat, meanwhile, is without all three members of the famed "Big Three" that propelled them to four straight NBA Finals as LeBron James is back with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwyane Wade is with the Chicago Bulls, and Chris Bosh is out due to blood clots that have apparently ended his career.

Given all the major departures, the Spurs are in better shape. Yes, the Spurs have seven new players on their roster this year. But they still have Kawhi Leonard, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, all veterans of their 2014 title team.

Leonard, who was the MVP of the 2014 Finals and has won a pair of NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards, is off to a great start. He had at least 30 points and five steals in each of his first two games, and he added 20 points in San Antonio's home opener on Saturday night, drawing "MVP" chants from the fans.

By the way, no player since World B. Free in 1979 has opened an NBA season with two straight 30-point, five-steal games.

"The things (Leonard) does simply amaze me," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich told the media. "He's ridiculous."

San Antonio's entire frontcourt appears solid. Besides Leonard, the Spurs start five-time All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge, 31, at power forward and six-time All-Star Pau Gasol, 36, at center.

Parker and Ginobili, who sat out Saturday night's game as per Popovich's belief in resting players for certain games, are keys in the backcourt.

The Spurs have also created key roles for players such as backup point guard Patty Mills, shooting guard Danny Green and backup post player David Lee.

Meanwhile in Miami, things are not going quite as smoothly. The Heat won their opener at the Orlando Magic but then lost their home opener, blowing a 19-point, third-quarter lead against the Charlotte Hornets.

That was just one loss, of course, but it already seems to have shaken the Heat's confidence.

"I think we were all over the place for a little bit there," Heat guard Tyler Johnson said. "In the second half, we didn't get stops when needed them."

Point guard Goran Dragic and center Hassan Whiteside are the two stars of the rebuilt Heat. But while Whiteside has been a tower of power -- he leads the team in points (19.0), rebounds (14.5) and blocks (3.0) -- Dragic has been disappointing.

Granted, it's a small sample size of just two games, but Dragic, who loves to run, has not gotten in the open court often enough so far. He is averaging 15.0 points, but he is shooting just 38.1 percent on two-pointers, a sure sign he is not getting to the rim.

Dragic blames the mediocre start on team chemistry, which has yet to develop.

"We're still a new team with a lot of new players," Dragic said.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NBA

Sunday’s games

Clippers won nine of last ten games with Utah (4-5-1 vs spread); under is 6-4 in last ten series games. Jazz lost four of last five against the Clippers in Staples (under 4-1) but covered four of the five games. Utah split its first two games, losing only road game by 9. Clippers won their opener in Portland by 8.

Golden State won its last seven games with Phoenix (4-3 vs spread); four of last five series games went over. Warriors won last three visits here, by 8-18-19 points (2-1 vs spread). Golden State split its first two games, winning road opener by 8 in New Orleans. Suns lost their first two games by 19-3 points.

Pistons won last three games with Milwaukee (under 5-3 in last eight) but Bucks are 8-2 vs spread in last ten series games. Bucks lost four of last five visits to Motor City but covered four of the five games. Milwaukee split its first two home games, beating Nets by a hoop last night. Detroit split its first two home games, winning its home opener by 26 against Orlando.

Spurs won/covered their last seven games with Miami; under is 4-2 in last six games. San Antonio won its last four visits here, all by 14+ points. Spurs won first three games by 29-8-19 points; am guessing Parker/Ginobili will play here after sitting out last nite. Miami split its first two games, losing home opener by 6 to Charlotte.

Thunder won their last eight games with the Lakers, covering five of last six; LA lost its last four visits here (0-4 vs spread) by 23-40-10-29 points. Three of last four series games stayed under the total. Lakers split their first two games, losing road opener by 7 in Utah. Oklahoma City won its first two games by 6-3 points; Westbrook scored 51 in his triple-double Friday night.

Wizards won three of last four games with Memphis; home side won eight of last ten series tilts. Washington lost five of its last six visits here (3-3 vs spread) with four of last five played here staying under. Wizards lost their road opener by 15 in Atlanta. Grizzlies lost in NYC last night, after winning home opener by 4 over Minnesota.

Rockets won 106-98 in Dallas Friday, but Nowitzki (stomach) sat game out; not sure if he’ll play here or not. Houston is 7-3 in last ten series games; three of last four stayed under. Mavericks lost four of last five visits here (1-4 vs spread). Rockets split their first two road games; this is their home opener. Dallas lost its first two games, by 9ot-8 points.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 19
By David Schwab

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats successfully avenged last week’s loss to Ottawa with a 39-36 overtime victory this past Friday as 3 ½-point road underdogs to kick off action in Week 18 of the CFL regular season. Calgary extended its incredible straight-up winning streak to 14 games later that night with a 31-13 win at home against Toronto as a heavy 16 ½-point favorite.

In the first of two games on Saturday’s slate, Montreal snapped Saskatchewan’s four-game winning streak with a 19-14 victory as a 6 ½-point underdog on the road. British Columbia bested Edmonton 32-25 as a 2 ½-point home favorite in a West Division clash to close things out for the week.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Calgary Stampeders (15-1-1 SU, 13-4 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (5-11 SU, 7-9 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -8 ½
Total: 50 ½

Game Overview

Calgary’s final game of the season before returning to action a few weeks from now in the West Division Final is against the only team were it failed to score at least 30 points over the course of the Stampeders’ last 10 games. The league’s top scoring team is averaging 34 points a game, which is by far the most in the CFL and its defense has allowed the fewest points (352) this year. Bo Levi Mitchell will try and exceed the 5,500 mark in total passing yards after throwing for 5,385 yards in 17 previous games.

The Alouettes upset win against Saskatchewan was just its second SU victory in their last eight games, but they come into this game with a 4-1 record ATS in their five outings. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in five of their last seven games after scoring 20 points or less in five of those games. One positive for Montreal has been the running back tandem of Brandon Rutley and Tyrell Sutton with a combined 838 yards, but both players remain out of the lineup with injuries.

Betting Trends

Two weeks ago Calgary got past Montreal 22-8, but it could not cover as a heavy 15-point home favorite. It is now 5-2 SU in the last seven meetings, but ATS the Alouettes have come out on top in the last four games. The total in this inter-division matchup has stayed UNDER in the last five meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Calgary Stampeders (15-1) vs Montreal Alouettes (5-11)
Sunday, October 30, 2016 1:00 PM Percival Molson Memorial Stadium1 - Montreal, QC
Line: Calgary -9 /Total: 49.5

In this CFL pick preview, the Calgary Stampeders travel to Montreal, QC to play the Alouettes of Montreal in Percival Molson Memorial Stadium1 at 1:00 PM on Sunday, October 30, 2016.

Montreal is the underdog in this matchup, with a posted line of 9.0 here at home. The Total has been posted at Over/Under 49.5.

On the money line, Calgary is -340 while Montreal is 290.


About the Calgary Stampeders

The Calgary Stampeders enter this game with a 15-1 record, including an 6-1 record on the road.

When it comes to betting the Stampeders AGAINST THE SPREAD, they hold a record of 13-4. On the road, as is the case today, Calgary is 7-1 AGAINST THE SPREAD.

In betting the Total in Stampeders games, OVER THE TOTAL has been the case 8 times, while UNDER THE TOTAL has cashed the ticket on 8 occasion. On the road, Calgary games have gone 3-4 respectively.

About the Montreal Alouettes

The Montreal Alouettes enter this game with a 5-11 record, including an - record on the road.

When it comes to betting the Alouettes AGAINST THE SPREAD, they hold a record of 7-9. When playing here at home, as is the case today, Montreal is 2-6 AGAINST THE SPREAD.

In betting the Total in Alouettes games, OVER THE TOTAL has been the case 6 times, while UNDER THE TOTAL has cashed the ticket on 9 occasion. Here in Montreal, games have gone 3-4 respectively.

VISITING TEAM SNAPSHOT
Calgary Stampeders Stats & Trends
* 15-1 Straight Up this season
* 6-1 on the road
* 13-4 Against the Spread this season
* 7-1 ATS on the road
* 8-8 Over/Under
* 35.9 Average Points Scored
* 22.0 Average Points Allowed

HOME TEAM SNAPSHOT
Montreal Alouettes Stats & Trends
* 5-11 Straight Up this season
* 2-6 at home
* 7-9 Against the Spread this season
* 2-6 ATS at home
* 6-9 Over/Under
* 20.9 Average Points Scored
* 23.9 Average Points Allowed

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

CFL Betting Notes - Week 19
By David Schwab

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats successfully avenged last week’s loss to Ottawa with a 39-36 overtime victory this past Friday as 3 ½-point road underdogs to kick off action in Week 18 of the CFL regular season. Calgary extended its incredible straight-up winning streak to 14 games later that night with a 31-13 win at home against Toronto as a heavy 16 ½-point favorite.

In the first of two games on Saturday’s slate, Montreal snapped Saskatchewan’s four-game winning streak with a 19-14 victory as a 6 ½-point underdog on the road. British Columbia bested Edmonton 32-25 as a 2 ½-point home favorite in a West Division clash to close things out for the week.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Calgary Stampeders (15-1-1 SU, 13-4 ATS) vs. Montreal Alouettes (5-11 SU, 7-9 ATS)
Point-spread: Calgary -8 ½
Total: 50 ½

Game Overview

Calgary’s final game of the season before returning to action a few weeks from now in the West Division Final is against the only team were it failed to score at least 30 points over the course of the Stampeders’ last 10 games. The league’s top scoring team is averaging 34 points a game, which is by far the most in the CFL and its defense has allowed the fewest points (352) this year. Bo Levi Mitchell will try and exceed the 5,500 mark in total passing yards after throwing for 5,385 yards in 17 previous games.

The Alouettes upset win against Saskatchewan was just its second SU victory in their last eight games, but they come into this game with a 4-1 record ATS in their five outings. The total has stayed UNDER or ended as a PUSH in five of their last seven games after scoring 20 points or less in five of those games. One positive for Montreal has been the running back tandem of Brandon Rutley and Tyrell Sutton with a combined 838 yards, but both players remain out of the lineup with injuries.

Betting Trends

Two weeks ago Calgary got past Montreal 22-8, but it could not cover as a heavy 15-point home favorite. It is now 5-2 SU in the last seven meetings, but ATS the Alouettes have come out on top in the last four games. The total in this inter-division matchup has stayed UNDER in the last five meetings.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Preview: Wizards (0-1) at Grizzlies (1-1)

Date: October 30, 2016 8:00 PM EDT

The Washington Wizards have had two days to digest various things that went wrong in their season opener in Atlanta. The Memphis Grizzlies have significantly less time to absorb some of their mistakes in New York.

The teams meet Sunday night in Memphis looking to rebound from disappointing results.

Washington opened its season under new coach Scott Brooks with a 114-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday. In the last 48 hours, Brooks likely pointed out some of the things that didn't go well when the Wizards allowed the Hawks to turn a one-point game into a double-digit margin.

Among those things Brooks might have touched upon in practice and film sessions were the lack of rebounding, especially from those not named Marcin Gortat. Gortat had 11 rebounds while dealing with Dwight Howard but the Wizards were outrebounded 52-40, continuing the trend of last season when the team averaged 44.1 boards, a figure that was among the worst in the league.

"We have to be able to rebound as a team," Brooks told reporters following Saturday's practice. "I want everybody boxing out, putting body on body, enjoying that physical contact that the game brings. Don't shy away from it."

Another thing Brooks might have pointed out was focus. During the stretch which cost Washington the win, its defense gave up a 24-6 run to start the fourth quarter while the offense committed six turnovers and shot 3 for 11.

"We lost our focus," Gortat said. "We were in the game for three quarters. Unfortunately, in the fourth quarter they made a run and made some shots. We didn't answer back. We didn't stop them defensively."

Besides the lack of rebounding and focus down the stretch, John Wall had a tough game Thursday. In his first meaningful action since surgeries on both knees, he had 12 points and 10 assists but missed his first eight shots and was 3 for 15 overall in 30 minutes.

"He didn't shoot the ball well, but I thought he competed," Brooks told reporters. "He had some turnovers we're going to be able to correct with better spacing. I thought for what he's been through the last four or five months, I thought his conditioning was pretty good."

While Washington might seem better rested, the Grizzlies look for a better start after its late night flight following a 111-104 loss to the New York Knicks. The Grizzlies gave up a 32-point first quarter, trailed by 18 in the first half before getting within two during the fourth.

"We've got to get off to faster starts," Memphis forward Zach Randolph said. "But we fought back. We're better than what we showed."

Better than what they showed Saturday is defensively and although the Grizzlies won their season opener, they gave up 98 points to Minnesota on Wednesday and trailed 20-3 in the opening minutes.

"Right now early on we've lost our way a couple of times where we're a bit too offensive minded and not focused on the defensive end and trying to win games offensively," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "We have to really dig in and get back to understanding who we are first, which is a defensive team."

Marc Gasol scored 20 points Saturday in 31 minutes but could see limited minutes Sunday. Mike Conley had 11 in 23 minutes as Fizdale tried to rest him in the first half.

Both players will see minutes restrictions during back-to-back sets since Conley rehabbed from an Achilles injury and Gasol recovered from foot surgery.

Last season, the teams met twice in a span of nine days.

On Dec. 14, Memphis beat the Wizards for the 16th time in 20 home meetings when Gasol had 24 and 12 rebounds in a 112-95 victory. On Dec. 23, Wall had 14 points and 14 assists in Washington's 100-91 victory.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Week 19 CFL games

Stampeders (15-1-1) @ Alouettes (5-11)— Calgary won first meeting 22-8 (-15) at home two weeks ago; Stampeders are 8-3 in last 11 series games, but they lost 31-15/29-11 in last two visits here, as home side won last six series games. Calgary hasn’t lost since Opening Day; they tied their third game, in Ottawa, but are 14-0 since then, covering 10 of last 12 games. Three of their last four games stayed under. Montreal won in Regina LW with Oregon alum Adams at QB; Alouettes lost six of last eight games; they’re 0-4 as a home underdog.


Week 19 CFL games

—*Underdogs*38-30-1, home teams 27-44-2 vs spread…….Over: 36-34-3

— Calgary (15-1-1) (-9.5, 50) @ Montreal (5-11)

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL opening line report: Patriots are out for revenge at Buffalo in Week 8
By PATRICK EVERSON

All 32 NFL teams will hit the season’s midway point over the next two weeks, with contenders beginning to separate from pretenders. We talk about a few Week 8 opening lines with Peter Childs, risk management supervisor.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (+6.5)

New England gets an opportunity to avenge its only loss this season, and this time, the Patriots will have Tom Brady on hand. The Pats (6-1 SU and ATS) are now 3-0 SU and ATS with Brady back under center, including Sunday’s 27-16 win laying 7.5 points at Pittsburgh, which was without Ben Roethlisberger.

Buffalo shut out New England 16-0 getting 3.5 points on the road Oct. 2, the second win of a four-game SU and ATS surge. But the Bills (4-3 SU and ATS) lost to Miami 28-25 on Sunday as a 2.5-point road favorite.

“The betting public has been on the Patriots in all three of Brady’s games,” Childs said Sunday night. “In fact, the last time the Pats failed to cover and win outright was against these Bills, an embarrassing shutout at home. So with the Patriots having a bit of revenge in this spot, taking on a very beat-up Bills team with a questionable LeSean McCoy and leading receiver Robert Woods also questionable, we really wanted to hang a full touchdown on the Patriots.

“But we decided on Pats -6.5, with the Bills off a loss and in pretty much a must-win spot at home. We figured 7 was just too much for the Pats to lay on the road. That said, every bet we’ve written so far has been on the Patriots, so don’t be surprised if this game gets to -7.”

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons (-3)

Atlanta had a nice four-game SU and ATS streak that included beating both participants in last year’s Super Bowl, back-to-back. But the Falcons (4-3 SU, 5-2 ATS) have come down to earth with two straight setbacks, including a 33-30 overtime loss to San Diego as a 4.5-point home chalk Sunday.

Green Bay (4-2 SU, 3-2-1 ATS) rebounded from its home loss to Dallas by besting Chicago 26-10 as a 7.5-point home fave in the Thursday night game.

“The Falcons are coming off back-to-back losses, but easily could have won both games outright,” Childs said. “The Packers come into this game off a solid win at home on Thursday night, so they have some added rest and prep time for this game. I personally had this game power-rated at Falcons -3.5, but the Packers always garner public support. Knowing the public will have the Pack here in this game, we opened a solid 3, and we’ve seen real nice two-way action at that number.”

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)

Dallas has a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott), a rookie running back (Ezekiel Elliott) – and is tied for the best record in the NFC. The Cowboys (5-1 SU and ATS) are coming off their bye week, which followed a road upset of Green Bay, 30-16 catching 5 points in Week 6.

Philadelphia (4-2 SU and ATS) halted its two-game SU and ATS skid with a 21-10 victory Sunday as a 3-point home ‘dog against previously unbeaten Minnesota.

“A monster game for both teams. If the Eagles want any chance at contending for the NFC East, they have to win this game, or else they fall a full two games behind the Cowboys,” Childs said. “The Eagles are off a very nice win at home as a 3-point ‘dog, when the entire betting world went against them. The Cowboys come into this game off a bye, but I’m not sure that helps, as they were red-hot, winning and covering five straight games.

“We opened Cowboys -4.5 and really haven’t see any early action so far, which tells me that the line is solid and won’t move much off the opener.”

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, no line

The two contestants in last season’s NFC Championship Game have fallen far from that form. Defending NFC champ Carolina (1-5 SU and ATS) is coming off a much-needed bye week, having lost four in a row SU and ATS. That includes a 41-38 setback at New Orleans giving 2.5 points in Week 6.

Meanwhile, Arizona (3-3-1 SU, 3-4 ATS) dominated the clock and total yards against Seattle, but couldn’t put up points, settling for a 6-6 tie as a 1.5-point home favorite. Since that came in the Sunday night game, Childs said we had to hold off on posting the Cards-Panthers line until Monday.

In that NFC title tilt. Carolina rolled 49-15 laying 3 points at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL opening line report: Patriots are out for revenge at Buffalo in Week 8
By PATRICK EVERSON

All 32 NFL teams will hit the season’s midway point over the next two weeks, with contenders beginning to separate from pretenders. We talk about a few Week 8 opening lines with Peter Childs, risk management supervisor.

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (+6.5)

New England gets an opportunity to avenge its only loss this season, and this time, the Patriots will have Tom Brady on hand. The Pats (6-1 SU and ATS) are now 3-0 SU and ATS with Brady back under center, including Sunday’s 27-16 win laying 7.5 points at Pittsburgh, which was without Ben Roethlisberger.

Buffalo shut out New England 16-0 getting 3.5 points on the road Oct. 2, the second win of a four-game SU and ATS surge. But the Bills (4-3 SU and ATS) lost to Miami 28-25 on Sunday as a 2.5-point road favorite.

“The betting public has been on the Patriots in all three of Brady’s games,” Childs said Sunday night. “In fact, the last time the Pats failed to cover and win outright was against these Bills, an embarrassing shutout at home. So with the Patriots having a bit of revenge in this spot, taking on a very beat-up Bills team with a questionable LeSean McCoy and leading receiver Robert Woods also questionable, we really wanted to hang a full touchdown on the Patriots.

“But we decided on Pats -6.5, with the Bills off a loss and in pretty much a must-win spot at home. We figured 7 was just too much for the Pats to lay on the road. That said, every bet we’ve written so far has been on the Patriots, so don’t be surprised if this game gets to -7.”

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons (-3)

Atlanta had a nice four-game SU and ATS streak that included beating both participants in last year’s Super Bowl, back-to-back. But the Falcons (4-3 SU, 5-2 ATS) have come down to earth with two straight setbacks, including a 33-30 overtime loss to San Diego as a 4.5-point home chalk Sunday.

Green Bay (4-2 SU, 3-2-1 ATS) rebounded from its home loss to Dallas by besting Chicago 26-10 as a 7.5-point home fave in the Thursday night game.

“The Falcons are coming off back-to-back losses, but easily could have won both games outright,” Childs said. “The Packers come into this game off a solid win at home on Thursday night, so they have some added rest and prep time for this game. I personally had this game power-rated at Falcons -3.5, but the Packers always garner public support. Knowing the public will have the Pack here in this game, we opened a solid 3, and we’ve seen real nice two-way action at that number.”

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)

Dallas has a rookie quarterback (Dak Prescott), a rookie running back (Ezekiel Elliott) – and is tied for the best record in the NFC. The Cowboys (5-1 SU and ATS) are coming off their bye week, which followed a road upset of Green Bay, 30-16 catching 5 points in Week 6.

Philadelphia (4-2 SU and ATS) halted its two-game SU and ATS skid with a 21-10 victory Sunday as a 3-point home ‘dog against previously unbeaten Minnesota.

“A monster game for both teams. If the Eagles want any chance at contending for the NFC East, they have to win this game, or else they fall a full two games behind the Cowboys,” Childs said. “The Eagles are off a very nice win at home as a 3-point ‘dog, when the entire betting world went against them. The Cowboys come into this game off a bye, but I’m not sure that helps, as they were red-hot, winning and covering five straight games.

“We opened Cowboys -4.5 and really haven’t see any early action so far, which tells me that the line is solid and won’t move much off the opener.”

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers, no line

The two contestants in last season’s NFC Championship Game have fallen far from that form. Defending NFC champ Carolina (1-5 SU and ATS) is coming off a much-needed bye week, having lost four in a row SU and ATS. That includes a 41-38 setback at New Orleans giving 2.5 points in Week 6.

Meanwhile, Arizona (3-3-1 SU, 3-4 ATS) dominated the clock and total yards against Seattle, but couldn’t put up points, settling for a 6-6 tie as a 1.5-point home favorite. Since that came in the Sunday night game, Childs said we had to hold off on posting the Cards-Panthers line until Monday.

In that NFC title tilt. Carolina rolled 49-15 laying 3 points at home.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Opening Line Report - Week 8
By Marcus DiNitto

Of the 13 games on the NFL’s Week 8 card, seven feature early point spreads within a half-point of a field goal. In fact, none of the games have a line of a touchdown or more. The betting numbers are indicative of the parity throughout the league.

Here’s a look at the opening lines for the entire slate. The point spreads listed are the Las Vegas consensus as of about 11 p.m. ET Sunday night, with early moves and differences between sports books noted. We asked Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading at William Hill U.S., to chime in.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals (-3), at Wembley Stadium in London

CG Technology opened Cincinnati -6 on Sunday, but the number was down to a field goal after less than an hour of wagering. While the Bengals won Sunday and the Redskins lost, the early move is in sync with the way these teams have been trending overall. Washington is 4-1 in its last five games, Cincy is 2-4 over its last six.

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons (-3 even)

Despite the Falcons’ second straight loss (33-30 at home to the Chargers in OT), the betting market still has some faith in them, making Atlanta the favorite against NFC heavyweight Green Bay. The Falcons could be had for -2.5 vs. the Packers at some bet shops Sunday night.

Green Bay is dealing with a depleted backfield, a situation worth a half-point to a point to the betting number, according to Bogdanovich.

Bogdanovich, though, isn’t too concerned about Green Bay having to reach deep into its running back pool.

“This week, I think, will be better than last week, when they basically had (no running game),” he said. “They’re learning to adjust playing without a work horse. … It’s nothing they can’t win with.”

Detroit Lions at Houston Texans (-3 even)

The Lions’ win over the Redskins on Sunday was their third straight, but all were at home. Next week, they visit a Texans team that is 4-0 SU (3-0-1 ATS) at NRG Stadium this season.

Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) at New Orleans Saints

CG Technology opened Seattle -3 with an immediate move to -3 (-120). The Westgate hung Seattle -3.5.

New England Patriots (-5.5) at Buffalo Bills

Sunday’s earliest line on this AFC East clash was New England -4 at CG, but once things settled, the number ranged from 5 to 6 around Las Vegas. That may be as good as it gets for favorite bettors.

Three weeks ago, a Tom Brady-less Pats team was shutout at home by the Bills, so this shapes up as prime revenge spot.

“I think the game’s going up,” Bogdanovich said. “Buffalo shut ‘em out in Foxboro, now New England is rolling and Buffalo’s coming off a clunker (a 28-25 loss at Miami). I see this game closing 7.”

With LeSean McCoy’s (hamstring) status uncertain, Bogdanovich said he hung New England -5.5 “with a gimpy McCoy” factored in. The Bills star is worth 1.5 to 2 points to the betting line, Bogdanovich estimated. There are not many running backs in the NFL with kind of value.

“Their offense is built around him and he’s one of the better running backs in the league,” Bogdanovich said. “It’s an important injury for them for sure.”

New York Jets (-3) at Cleveland Browns

The Jets opened -2 with an immediate move to -3 at CG Technology, as the still-winless Browns may have to use their fourth starting quarterback of the season, rookie Kevin Hogan.

Oakland Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

This will be the second trip to Florida in as many weeks for Oakland, which handled the first one well, beating Jacksonville 33-16 at 2-point dogs to run its record to 5-2 (4-3 ATS). The Bucs, meanwhile, are 3-3 after their win at San Francisco, but they’ve dropped both of their home games (Los Angeles, Denver).

Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5) at Indianapolis Colts

There was a pretty even mix of -2.5s and -3 evens for this AFC matchup. The Chiefs usually get it done as road chalk, going 5-1 ATS in their last six opportunities in the role. But, while Indy has been a picture of mediocrity this season, they are an astounding 10-1 SU and 11-0 ATS when getting points at home dating back to 2011.

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos (-6.5)

Here’s another divisional revenge game, as the Chargers handed the Broncos their first loss of the season two weeks ago in San Diego. The Bolts were 3-point dogs in that 20-13 win.

While San Diego is 3-4 SU, they are a bankroll-building 5-2 ATS after its win in Atlanta on Sunday.

“They’re definitely a bet-on team,” Bogdanovich said. “They’re in every game, and they’re usually a dog. Super live on the road. At home, half the fans are on the other side. … They’re competitive. They could be undefeated with any kind of luck.”

How Denver, losers of two straight, performs Monday night against the Texans may have a significant effect on next Sunday’s number.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (-1)

With Carolina coming off a bye week, the Westgate opened the Panthers as 1.5-point favorites over Arizona next week, indicating there is still a fair amount of respect for the defending NFC champs despite their 1-5 start.

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)

Speaking about respect, the betting market is giving plenty of it to Dallas, which opened at a healthy number against a tough divisional rival in next Sunday’s prime time offering.

“I think they should,” Bogdanovich said when asked if handicappers are believing in Dallas. “They can run the ball well and the quarterback is making good decisions and their defense is playing solid. And it’s still a nice home field down in Dallas.”

Coming off a bye to face a team that just played the physical Minnesota defense, this is a “great spot” for the Cowboys, Bogdanovich added.

“They’re getting (the Eagles) at a good time,” he said,

Monday, Oct. 31

Minnesota Vikings (-4.5) at Chicago Bears

CG opened Minnesota -5, the Westgate went -4, and the two books met in the middle. Surely, there’s a number bettors would take, but the Bears have done nothing to inspire handicapping confidence this season, going 1-6 both SU and ATS this season. The Vikes, on the other hand, have been the best bet in the NFL the last two seasons, their loss as favorites in Philly on Sunday notwithstanding. Minny is 5-1 ATS this year after going 13-3 ATS last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Opening Line Report - Week 8
By Marcus DiNitto

Of the 13 games on the NFL’s Week 8 card, seven feature early point spreads within a half-point of a field goal. In fact, none of the games have a line of a touchdown or more. The betting numbers are indicative of the parity throughout the league.

Here’s a look at the opening lines for the entire slate. The point spreads listed are the Las Vegas consensus as of about 11 p.m. ET Sunday night, with early moves and differences between sports books noted. We asked Nick Bogdanovich, director of trading at William Hill U.S., to chime in.

Sunday, Oct. 30

Washington Redskins at Cincinnati Bengals (-3), at Wembley Stadium in London

CG Technology opened Cincinnati -6 on Sunday, but the number was down to a field goal after less than an hour of wagering. While the Bengals won Sunday and the Redskins lost, the early move is in sync with the way these teams have been trending overall. Washington is 4-1 in its last five games, Cincy is 2-4 over its last six.

Green Bay Packers at Atlanta Falcons (-3 even)

Despite the Falcons’ second straight loss (33-30 at home to the Chargers in OT), the betting market still has some faith in them, making Atlanta the favorite against NFC heavyweight Green Bay. The Falcons could be had for -2.5 vs. the Packers at some bet shops Sunday night.

Green Bay is dealing with a depleted backfield, a situation worth a half-point to a point to the betting number, according to Bogdanovich.

Bogdanovich, though, isn’t too concerned about Green Bay having to reach deep into its running back pool.

“This week, I think, will be better than last week, when they basically had (no running game),” he said. “They’re learning to adjust playing without a work horse. … It’s nothing they can’t win with.”

Detroit Lions at Houston Texans (-3 even)

The Lions’ win over the Redskins on Sunday was their third straight, but all were at home. Next week, they visit a Texans team that is 4-0 SU (3-0-1 ATS) at NRG Stadium this season.

Seattle Seahawks (-3.5) at New Orleans Saints

CG Technology opened Seattle -3 with an immediate move to -3 (-120). The Westgate hung Seattle -3.5.

New England Patriots (-5.5) at Buffalo Bills

Sunday’s earliest line on this AFC East clash was New England -4 at CG, but once things settled, the number ranged from 5 to 6 around Las Vegas. That may be as good as it gets for favorite bettors.

Three weeks ago, a Tom Brady-less Pats team was shutout at home by the Bills, so this shapes up as prime revenge spot.

“I think the game’s going up,” Bogdanovich said. “Buffalo shut ‘em out in Foxboro, now New England is rolling and Buffalo’s coming off a clunker (a 28-25 loss at Miami). I see this game closing 7.”

With LeSean McCoy’s (hamstring) status uncertain, Bogdanovich said he hung New England -5.5 “with a gimpy McCoy” factored in. The Bills star is worth 1.5 to 2 points to the betting line, Bogdanovich estimated. There are not many running backs in the NFL with kind of value.

“Their offense is built around him and he’s one of the better running backs in the league,” Bogdanovich said. “It’s an important injury for them for sure.”

New York Jets (-3) at Cleveland Browns

The Jets opened -2 with an immediate move to -3 at CG Technology, as the still-winless Browns may have to use their fourth starting quarterback of the season, rookie Kevin Hogan.

Oakland Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1)

This will be the second trip to Florida in as many weeks for Oakland, which handled the first one well, beating Jacksonville 33-16 at 2-point dogs to run its record to 5-2 (4-3 ATS). The Bucs, meanwhile, are 3-3 after their win at San Francisco, but they’ve dropped both of their home games (Los Angeles, Denver).

Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5) at Indianapolis Colts

There was a pretty even mix of -2.5s and -3 evens for this AFC matchup. The Chiefs usually get it done as road chalk, going 5-1 ATS in their last six opportunities in the role. But, while Indy has been a picture of mediocrity this season, they are an astounding 10-1 SU and 11-0 ATS when getting points at home dating back to 2011.

San Diego Chargers at Denver Broncos (-6.5)

Here’s another divisional revenge game, as the Chargers handed the Broncos their first loss of the season two weeks ago in San Diego. The Bolts were 3-point dogs in that 20-13 win.

While San Diego is 3-4 SU, they are a bankroll-building 5-2 ATS after its win in Atlanta on Sunday.

“They’re definitely a bet-on team,” Bogdanovich said. “They’re in every game, and they’re usually a dog. Super live on the road. At home, half the fans are on the other side. … They’re competitive. They could be undefeated with any kind of luck.”

How Denver, losers of two straight, performs Monday night against the Texans may have a significant effect on next Sunday’s number.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (-1)

With Carolina coming off a bye week, the Westgate opened the Panthers as 1.5-point favorites over Arizona next week, indicating there is still a fair amount of respect for the defending NFC champs despite their 1-5 start.

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)

Speaking about respect, the betting market is giving plenty of it to Dallas, which opened at a healthy number against a tough divisional rival in next Sunday’s prime time offering.

“I think they should,” Bogdanovich said when asked if handicappers are believing in Dallas. “They can run the ball well and the quarterback is making good decisions and their defense is playing solid. And it’s still a nice home field down in Dallas.”

Coming off a bye to face a team that just played the physical Minnesota defense, this is a “great spot” for the Cowboys, Bogdanovich added.

“They’re getting (the Eagles) at a good time,” he said,

Monday, Oct. 31

Minnesota Vikings (-4.5) at Chicago Bears

CG opened Minnesota -5, the Westgate went -4, and the two books met in the middle. Surely, there’s a number bettors would take, but the Bears have done nothing to inspire handicapping confidence this season, going 1-6 both SU and ATS this season. The Vikes, on the other hand, have been the best bet in the NFL the last two seasons, their loss as favorites in Philly on Sunday notwithstanding. Minny is 5-1 ATS this year after going 13-3 ATS last season.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Injury Report

Sunday's games

ARIZONA CARDINALS at CAROLINA PANTHERS
ARIZONA CARDINALS
--Out: TE Darren Fells (ankle), LB Alex Okafor (calf), DT Ed Stinson (toe)
--Questionable: WR John Brown (hamstring), WR Michael Floyd (hamstring), S Troy Jefferson (illness), T Jared Veldheer (finger)
CAROLINA PANTHERS
--Out: DT Vernon Butler (ankle), T Michael Oher (concussion)
--Questionable: CB James Bradberry (foot), DE Kony Ealy (illness), CB Robert McClain (hamstring), DT Paul Soliai (foot), CB Daryl Worley (concussion)

DETROIT LIONS at HOUSTON TEXANS
DETROIT LIONS
--Out: LB DeAndre Levy (knee, quadricep), CD Darius Slay (hamstring)
--Questionable: TE Eric Ebron (ankle, knee), CB Nevin Lawson (foot), DT Haloti Ngata (shoulder), T Riley Rieff (illness), T Corey Robinson (ankle), TE Cole Wick (knee)
HOUSTON TEXANS
--Out: LB Brian Peters (quadricep)
--Questionable: LB Jadeveon Clowney (elbow), S Quintin Demps (calf), RB Jonathan Grimes (ankle), RB Lamar Miller (shoulder)

GREEN BAY PACKERS at ATLANTA FALCONS
GREEN BAY PACKERS
--Out: TE Jared Cook (ankle), CB Damarious Randall (groin), CB Quinten Rollins (groin), RB James Starks (knee)
--Questionable: WR Randall Cobb (hamstring), G T.J. Lang (hip), LB Clay Matthews (hamstring), WR Ty Montgomery (illness)
ATLANTA FALCONS
--Out: Tevin Coleman (hamstring)
--Questionable: DE Dwight Freeney (quadriceps)

KANSAS CITY CHIEFS at INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
--Out: RB Jamaal Charles (knee), G Jordan Devey (ankle), CB D.J. White (hand)
--Questionable: T Mitchell Schwartz (ankle)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
--Out: TE Dwayne Allen (ankle), DT Henry Anderson (knee), DE Kendall Langford (knee), LB Curt Maggitt (ankle), G Jack Mewhort (tricep), WR Chester Rogers (hamstring, foot)
--Questionable: WR Donte Moncrief (shoulder)

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS at BUFFALO BILLS
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
--Questionable: TE Martellus Bennett (ankle), WR Julian Edelman (foot), DT Woodrow Hamilton (shoulder), CB Jonathan Jones (hip), WR Malcolm Mitchell (hamstring), LB Elandon Roberts (ankle), DT Vincent Valentine (back)
BUFFALO BILLS
--Out: WR Marquise Goodwin (concussion), S Aaron Williams (neck)
--Questionable: RB LeSean McCoy (hamstring)

NEW YORK JETS at CLEVELAND BROWNS
NEW YORK JETS
--Out: LB Bruce Carter (quadriceps), LB Darron Lee (ankle)
--Doubtful: C Nick Mangold (ankle), T Brent Qvale (neck) TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins (ankle), CB Buster Skrine (knee)
--Questionable: T Ryan Clady (shoulder), DE Muhammad Wilkerson (ankle)
CLEVELAND BROWNS
--Out: WR Corey Coleman (hand), QB Cody Kessler (concussion)
--Questionable: CB Marcus Burley (hamstring), CB Joe Haden (groin), CB Jamar Taylor (groin)

OAKLAND RAIDERS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
OAKLAND RAIDERS
--Out: DT Stacy McGee (ankle)
--Questionable: G Vadal Alexander (ankle), WR Andre Holmes (hip), RB Taiwan Jones (knee) S Brynden Trawick (shoulder), T Menelik Watson (calf)
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
--Out: RB Doug Martin (hamstring), DT Clinton McDonald (hamstring)
--Questionable: DE Robert Ayers (ankle), C Joe Hawley (ankle), DT Gerald McCoy (calf)

SAN DIEGO CHARGERS at DENVER BRONCOS
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
--Out: LB Jeremiah Attaochu (ankle), CB Craig Mager (concussion)
--Doubtful: S Jahleel Addae (collarbone)
--Questionable: WR Travis Benjamin (knee), TE Hunter Henry (concussion), LB Denzel Perryman (shoulder, foot), WR Tyrell Williams (knee)
DENVER BRONCOS
--Out: RB C.J. Anderson (knee)
--Questionable: LB Brandon Marshall (hamstring), C Matt Paradis (hip), CB Aqib Talib (low back), LB DeMarcus Ware (forearm)

SEATTLE SEAHAWKS at NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
--Out: DE Michael Bennett (knee), S Kam Chancellor (groin), CB DeAndre Elliott (hamstring), LB Kevin Pierre-Louis (ankle), RB Thomas Rawls (fibula), T Bradley Sowell (knee), TE Luke Wilson (knee)
--Questionable: WR Tyler Lockett (thigh)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
--Out: LB Stephone Anthony (hamstring), CB Delvin Breaux (fibula), WR Jake Lampman (knee), CB Sterling Moore (abdomen)
--Questionable: T Terron Armstead (knee), LB Dannell Ellerbe (quadricep), C Senio Kelemete (neck), RB Daniel Lasco (hamstring), T Andrus Peat (groin)

WASHINGTON REDSKINS at CINCINNATI BENGALS
WASHINGTON REDSKINS
--Out: RB Matt Jones (knee)
--Questionable: CB Bashaud Breeland (ankle), WR Jamison Crowder (groin), TE Vernon Davis (groin), LB Terence Garvin (hip), WR DeSean Jackson (hamstring, shoulder), C Spencer Long (chest), CB Josh Norman (concussion, wrist), TE Jordan Reed (concussion), G Brandon Scherff (shoulder), T Trent Williams (knee)
CINCINNATI BENGALS
None listed.

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES at DALLAS COWBOYS on Sunday night
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
--Out: LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (hamstring), DT Bennie Logan (groin)
--Questionable: DT Taylor Hart (ankle)
DALLAS COWBOYS
--Out: DE Ryan Davis (hamstring), QB Tony Romo (back)
--Questionable: WR Dez Bryant (knee), CB Morris Claiborne (concussion), RB Lance Dunbar (knee), T Chaz Green (foot), DE David Irving (ankle), DE Demarcus Lawrence (back, shoulder), CB Orlando Scandrick (hamstring, hamstring), T Tyron Smith (back), LB Kyle Wilber (neck), TE Jason Witten (chest)

MINNESOTA VIKINGS at CHICAGO BEARS on Monday night
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
--Out: DT Sharrif Floyd (knee), C/G Zac Kerin (hand), RB Jerick McKinnon (ankle), S Andrew Sendejo, (ankle)
--Questionable: WR Cordarrelle Patterson (concussion), TE MyCole Pruitt (knee), CB Marcus Sherels (wrist), WR Jarius Wright (ankle)
CHICAGO BEARS
--Out: CB Deiondre� Hall (ankle)
--Doubtful: NT Eddie Goldman (ankle), OT Kyle Long (triceps), WR Eddie Royal (toe)
--Questionable: CB Bryce Callahan (hamstring), RB Jeremy Langford (ankle), LB Pernell McPhee (knee), WR Cameron Meredith (shoulder), CB Tracy Porter (knee), G Josh Sitton (ankle).

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

NFL Week 8 lines that make you go hmmm...
By PETER KORNER

Longtime Las Vegas oddsmaker Peter Korner sizes up this week’s NFL schedule and picks out some of the lines making him go “hmmmm…” in Week 8:

New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (+6.5, 47.5)

Everything is situational. And we’ve found a good one this week for sure. Sometimes I make a case so strong, I even believe it. But when New England visits Buffalo, the planets seem to align.

Let’s start with how the Patriots were grilled by Buffalo in their first clash in New England. For that, the Patriots have revenge on their minds. New England was without its starting quarterback for that game. For that, they will be that much better. Tom Brady is 22-2 in his starts versus Buffalo. That makes the Patriots confident. The Bills are down their top receiver and their top running back, meaning the Bills are weaker than they were in that Week 4 meeting.

Buffalo’s sails were stripped of momentum against the Dolphins and for some reason the defensive line was totally exposed by Miami’s running game. The Patriots have size at running back and tight end and the short, slashing passes that New England employs have always kept the Bills at bay. New England took no time to get its rhythm back with Brady at the helm and we just don’t see the Bills surprising the Patriots twice in one season - particularly the way the two teams are currently playing.

I had this line at New England -7.5, and I know the wiseguys would have eaten that up in a second. But since this is at -6 to 6.5, steal it on the other end and take the stronger team before this gets to -7.

Oakland Raiders at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-1, 49)

Though I’m splitting hairs as to what I made the Oakland at Tampa Bay line, this game is definitely around the pick’em level. For the record, I have Oakland favored by -1.5 to -2.

It’s pretty hard to knock the success the Raiders have had on the road to this juncture. Their away record stands at 4-0 SU and ATS. This will be their last road game before they settle into four straight weeks at home.

Tampa Bay, too, has found success on the road but has been spellbound twice at home so far. The total breathes that the nature of the game will be wide open and full of offense. So, we’re not concerned that early betting misses the mark.

What we do like is that Oakland QB Derek Carr is getting synced up with WR Crabtree and that pairing may be the difference in this game. The Raiders have won four of their past five games and last week’s win against Jacksonville was a nice statement game after their loss to Kansas City the week before.

Tampa Bay’s wins the past two weeks were against two teams with a combined two wins for the season and 0-8 the past four weeks. The Buccaneers are certainly worthy of staying close but we’re just asking Oakland to win. Take the Raiders and any points you can get.

Seattle Seahawks at New Orleans Saints (+3, 47.5)

Seattle faces off against New Orleans in the Big Easy where one thing is for sure: the track will be dry and fast. I’m looking at the total in this one, where I made this closer to 51 to 52. Sure, we saw an ugly offensive contest when the Seahawks tied Arizona Monday. But the last Under Seattle played before that was against Los Angeles in Week 2. Both of those games were against two of the better defensive teams in the NFL. They sandwiched three Overs in a row where the Seahawks scored game totals of 50, 44 and 55.

Similarly, New Orleans has played three home games this season so far where scores have totaled 79, 69 and 77. I think the lower total took too much gravity from Seattle’s last game and masks the high potential that Saints home game can generate.

Conventional thinking would state that New Orleans will be playing from behind which means it will take to the air where its offense has always been comfortable. Seattle has to be thinking it failed on all ends (except defensively) and step up on the offensive side in a nice return game that should provide some semblance of order. Let’s go with the Over and take it early in the week as I see this going up from here.

Arizona Cardinals at Carolina Panthers (-2.5, 48)

In a battle of two surprisingly slow-starting teams, Arizona takes on Carolina on the East Coast. We really need to read between the lines where both teams basically have top-tier quality but results have been disappointing so far.

I made this game closer to pick’em as I see more opportunity for the Cardinals (with the points) who can begin their season turnaround. Arizona has a quality underperforming quarterback, a quality running back and more than ample receiving corp. Considering Seattle is a tough opponent that the Cardinals played well against, that continued a nice stretch of three quality games in a row.

I don’t see any solid breakout signs from Carolina. With its only victory of the season at home against San Francisco five weeks ago, the offense has been sporadic with Cam Newton in and out of the lineup. The Panthers’ oft-reliable defense has been their demise so far, allowing two scores of over 40 points in their last three games.

Their non-existent running game makes them very predictable. Add to the fact that Arizona is one of the best defensive teams in the league, and the Cardinals offense may not have to put up too many points to steal this one in Carolina.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dak, Dallas getting noticed

Cowboys' Prescott First Rookie QB To Win Super Bowl?

If the 2016 Dallas Cowboys want to win their first Super Bowl title since the Triplets dynasty of Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin largely ended with a 27-17 win over Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XXX, then history shows that Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones should replace rookie Dak Prescott with 36-year-old Tony Romo under center coming out of the Week 7 bye. That's if Romo is ready to return from his back injury. After all, no team has won a Super Bowl with a rookie starting quarterback.

However, it's now clear that Jones -- and you are kidding yourself if you think Coach Jason Garrett has a say in this decision -- simply can't pull Prescott at this point as the fourth-rounder out of Mississippi State has played too well. Jones is a loyal guy, but winning trumps loyalty.

Prescott has the Cowboys at 5-1 and as a +600 third-favorite NFL odds to win the NFC Championship.

The old sporting adage is that you players aren't supposed to lose their jobs due to injury. That's ridiculous. Ask Drew Bledsoe. Early in the 2001 season, Bledsoe, then still a very good quarterback with the New England Patriots, suffered a major injury against the New York Jets. In came an unknown second-year player named Tom Brady and he led the Patriots to their first Super Bowl title. Bledsoe was traded to the Buffalo Bills the next season.

Ironically, Bledsoe was the Dallas quarterback for the start of the 2006 season. But he struggled in team's sixth game, a loss to the New York Giants, and was replaced by the second-year Romo, who never gave the job back.

In recent history, the 49ers' Alex Smith led San Francisco to the NFC Championship Game in the 2011 season. But he was hurt midway through the 2012 season and replaced by second-year Colin Kaepernick. Smith never got the job back as Kaepernick led the 49ers to that season's Super Bowl and the next year's conference championship game before his career started heading downhill.

If the Cowboys were ever going to replace Prescott with Romo, it would have been during the bye but Romo still isn't physically ready so it's a moot point. Romo may have taken his last snap as a Cowboy as he has the NFL's biggest 2017 salary cap number at $24.7 million. So, he will almost certainly be released this offseason because trading him isn't financially realistic.

Could the Cowboys have both the Offensive Rookie of the Year and the MVP? And who gets which between Prescott and running back Ezekiel Elliott? On BetOnline's most recent MVP odds, Elliott was +1000 to win the MVP and Prescott +2000.

Prescott is among the NFL's highest-rated QBs at 103.9 and has thrown just one interception -- breaking Brady's record for most attempts to start a career without one -- to seven touchdowns. And Prescott has done all that with top receiver Dez Bryant playing just three games due to a knee injury; he'll be back this week.

Running behind the NFL's best offensive line, Elliott leads the league in rushing by far at 117.2 yards per game. He entered the bye on a streak of four straight games with at least 130 yards. Elliott's 703 yards in six games is the second-most in a player's first six career games behind Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson's 787. Elliott is the first rookie to rush for at least 130 yards in four consecutive games.

The Cowboys should win the NFC East and are -125 favorites on BetOnline to do so. They might have a path to the NFC's top seed. The Cowboys are 4.5-point home favorites this week against Philadelphia.

They also should be favored in the next four games: Week 9 at Cleveland, Week 10 at Pittsburgh, Week 11 vs. Baltimore and Week 12 vs. Washington on Thanksgiving. The Cowboys seem likely to play the Steelers without Pittsburgh having Ben Roethlisberger or otherwise Pittsburgh would be a home favorite.

Thus, it's possible Dallas could be 10-1 when it visits Minnesota on Dec. 1 in perhaps the NFC's most important game of the regular season. The Vikings were the last unbeaten to fall with an ugly 21-10 loss in Philly in Week 7.