After the Indianapolis Colts all but threw away their chance for an undefeated season -- creating a swirl of controversy in the process -- they have even less reason to play their starters in the regular-season finale.
Peyton Manning and the rest of the Colts' stars will almost certainly see an abbreviated afternoon of action in Sunday's postseason tuneup against the host Buffalo Bills.
Leading 15-10 in the third quarter against the visiting New York Jets last Sunday, the Colts were in good shape to improve to 15-0 and win their 24th straight regular-season game until coach Jim Caldwell replaced Manning with rookie quarterback Curtis Painter.
Wide receiver Reggie Wayne, tight end Dallas Clark and running back Joseph Addai were also removed, and Painter turned the ball over twice as the Jets surged to a 29-15 victory.
Team president Bill Polian had insisted all season that the Colts' lone goal is to win the Super Bowl, and with the top seed in the AFC already secured, they proved it by removing the three-time league MVP and his top weapons from harm's way.
"The perfect season was never an issue with us," Polian said. "We've said it time and time and time again. It's somebody else's issue, but not ours. That was of no concern. Football logic has to come into play, and that logic is it makes no sense to have guys out there with the potential for injuries."
The decision did not sit well with the team's fans, who booed as it became clear the Colts (14-1) would not become the first team to finish unbeaten since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.
"Until any player in here is the head coach, you follow orders and you follow them with all of your heart," Manning said. "That's what we've done as players. We follow orders."
Besides earning critics, Caldwell's move also affected the AFC playoff race, giving the Jets the inside track on a wild-card berth following their victory. There won't be nearly as much controversy about Manning coming out early against the Bills, who are guaranteed to miss the playoffs for the 10th straight season.
To get more information and bet it on @ Sportsbook – Sportsbook Online
NFL Odds:
Line: Colts -3
Over/Under: 41.5
Jacksonville missed the post-season party last year and was labelled as one of the NFL’s biggest disappointments. When Sportsbook Online posted win totals and odds for the Jags to improve this season the projections were much more modest and the team has responded positively.
Following a 41-0 loss at Seattle in Week 6 the Jags have played their best football since 2007, going 5-3 SU and at least putting themselves in position to make a charge at one of two AFC Wild Card spots. The Jaguars will make the playoffs as a wild-card team if they beat the Colts, New England Patriots and Cleveland Browns in their final three games.
Okay, if the first two teams on that list suddenly made you cross the Jags off your playoff party invite list, consider that Indianapolis has one of the longest injury reports in the entire league right now. HC Jim Caldwell has publicly announced that he is treating this game just like any of the first 13 Indy has won this year, but keep in mind, the guy is a rookie. What else can he possibly say?
QB Peyton Manning and all of his receivers will take the field for the final Thursday night game of the year but there is no guarantee they will be out there for the full 60 minutes. On defense we can expect to see DE Dwight Freeney and LBs Clint Sessions and Gary Brackett along with safety Antoine Bethea for much of the first-half but Caldwell has been with the Colts through all of their success the past decade and knows that being healthy for a run to the Super Bowl is far more important than a perfect regular season record.
As for the Patriots and Browns, well, Jacksonville better concentrate on taking this one day at a time. The drama coming out of New England right now is already serving as a big enough distraction for Tom Brady and his crew.
The Jaguars need to be focused on cutting down the number of mental mistakes that were so common last week against the Dolphins because there is little margin for error available. Dropped passes and penalties are what cost the Tennessee Titans in Week 13 at Indy and even if Manning doesn’t plan to finish the game, it doesn’t take him long to capitalize on a mistake.
Jacksonville is the least penalized defense in the NFL and playing in their final home game of the season, which also happens to be their third straight at home, the opportunity for betting on the Jags to keep their playoff hopes alive still exists.
Sportsbook Online SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting balanced action on this game, with 56% of the volume on the road favorite Colts. This would be higher if the speculation wasn’t about a short game for some of the key Indy players. Hard to be on a team when you don’t know if Manning, Reggie Wayne, Joseph Addai, etc. will be on the bench in the 4th quarter.
The Over/Under has come down a point or two since opening at 43, as again, the sports betting public feel the Colts might rest key players. The betting trends show that all five Thursday Night Football games this season so far have stayed under the posted total.
I look at this game and like the home underdog. I think if they limit mistakes, they can stay close and have a great shot at the upset win. So I’m playing a unit on the Jaguars.
Good luck and enjoy the game.
If it’s beginning to feel like a tradition for Thanksgiving’s first game of the day to seem a little meaningless, as far as playing a part in shaping the playoff picture, it’s because the Lions have only come into this game with a winning record once in the past nine years.
Detroit did excite fans at Ford Field last Sunday with a 38-37 come from behind victory against the Cleveland Browns but QB Matt Stafford was injured on the game’s final drive and has been all but ruled out of this contest vs. Green Bay. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz said Stafford is in incredible pain and that Daunte Culpepper is going to be the starter.
The Packers lead this series 87-64-7 all-time and even when provided with a generous line from oddsmakers the Lions are 0-4 ATS in 2009 against divisional opponents.
Oakland Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys
Midday action pits the Oakland Raiders (3-7) against the Dallas Cowboys (7-3) and while this game is viewed by many as a token trip to Jerry Land for a Raiders team that has set records for futility, the underdog has been the one getting the Online betting action in this one so far. Online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com reported that over 60% of the volume at -14 was on the Raiders. Since the line move to -13.5, the wagering activity has balanced off on both teams.
Originally sets as a two-TD favorite, Dallas has been bought off the key number down to -13.5 points at sportsbooks. After a Week 2 loss to the New York Giants the Cowboys played three games on home turf, posting a perfect 3-0 ATS record. When the Washington Redskins paid a visit in Week 11 the betting trends were on the road team and the Skins nearly won the game straight-up.
Dallas does not seem content to rest on the laurels of its one-point victory and during its three-game win streak at home the Cowboys did cover the spread by an average of more than 11 points per game. Oakland has gained confidence under the leadership of newly named starting QB Bruce Gradkowski and is playing off a 20-17 upset win over Cincinnati.
It’s the third time the Raiders have surprised an opponent this year, getting a straight up win. However, it is worth noting that after their first two wins they have not performed well in their next start, going 0-2 straight and up and against the spread and it wasn’t even close, as the Raiders were beaten by 20 and 38 points.
NY Giants at Denver:
The New York Giants (6-4) are in Denver (6-4) for the nightcap and just four days after ending a losing streak that lasted 42 days, the G-Men are laying points on the road. Lines opened at Giants -5 but New York seems like the consensus best bet as they have been bet as high as -7 at several betting outlets.
New York has scored an average of 26.6 points per game this year compared to the Broncos average of just 17, but the Giants also allow more than five points per game more than Denver on the defensive side of the ball.
Favs and dogs have split the first two Thursday night matchups this season and both games have stayed under the posted total. That’s a sharp contrast to 2008 when Thursday night primetime games produced six overs to just one under. The total in Denver is 42.
Enjoy all the Thanksgiving Day NFL action.
Making money with NFL Betting Odds means sometimes risking money on teams who appear to be “down on their luck” and the odds are stacked against them. This week in the NFL, Week 11, it looks like there will be at least six home underdogs, potentially seven, depending what number your online sportsbook puts up for San Diego at Denver…so there are plenty of opportunities to be a “dog” bettor this Sunday.
While overall, the numbers when betting home dogs this year show a subpar 20-24 ATS (against the spread) record, stats from the past seven weeks alone can be looked at in a different light. In Week 7, road favorites went 7-0 straight up and ATS, but from Week’s 4 through 10 (not including the seven wins from Week 7), road favorites were just 11-11 straight-up, covering the spread only seven out of 22 times.
So betting the home dog in that span produced a 15-7 ATS record (68.2-percent), but why is it still so hard to pull the trigger on a pup, even with home field advantage?
First of all, when a team is getting points at home it often means they are either A) Facing a far superior opponent or B) A bad team.
For these bad teams, playing at home can actually be a worse experience than playing in front of opposing crowds, as fans have become disgusted after a few months worth of terrible performances and can be unruly in their treatment of the home side.
Look at last week’s Monday Nighter between the Ravens and Browns. The only thing that quieted the disgruntled
Things haven’t gotten quite that bad yet for the Week 11 home dogs, so let’s look over the matchups and see if there is any value.
Home dogs for Week 11
**All lines are courtesy online sportsbook SPORTSBETTING.com
Chiefs +10: Star Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu missed four games earlier this year with a knee injury and the defense was not the same without him. It is all but certain he will miss this date. The Chiefs, despite their record, are actually starting to play better on both sides of the ball.
Ravens +1: The Indianapolis Colts may be unstoppable at home but on the road they are only 8-1 since Oct. 2008 (smile)…tough spot for this home dog…let’s move on.
Bucs +11: Before QB Josh Freeman took over the Bucs were averaging just 13.7 points per game. Since his arrival, they're putting up 30.5 ppg.
Rams +9:
Raiders +9.5: Loyal Oakland fans won’t bail out on their team (as tough as things are) and with QB Bruce Gradkowski starting the team is optimistic. Raiders are 2-1 ATS at home in past three non-divisional contests.
Bears +3: The Bears will need a magical home field advantage through the next six weeks to salvage this season. But for bettors, this line might continue to move up, giving some value playing on the home dog.
Good luck betting the games.
You can check all the current NFL Live Odds
Check out SPORTSBETTING.com for their 110% sign-up bonus.
Bill Belichick is famously unsentimental. That, really, is his legacy as a football coach. Herm Edwards shouted "You play to win the game!" but that was just fun talk. It is Belichick who has lived those words during his amazing career as a coach.He callously releases and trades beloved players if he thinks it will help the team win. He benches quarterbacks if he thinks it will help the team win. He videotapes the opposition sidelines if he thinks it will help the team win. He has players change position, he has no use for stars, he tears up the team's game plan week after week and replaces it with a new game plan, a specific game plan that, like the prizes on "The Dating Game," was chosen just for you.
This is what Belichick is all about: Winning football games without sentiment. Like Michael Corleone says in The Godfather, "It's business." If the Packers were about Vince Lombardi's pursuit of perfection, and the Steelers were about the Steel Curtain, and the 49ers were about the West Coast Offense ... the Patriots are about business. They are about Tom Brady, I suppose, but they won their first Super Bowl when he was still learning, and their second when they had the best defense in the NFL (and a middling offense). They are about good team defense, I suppose, but they haven't played truly great defense in a while. The truth is they're about winning games. Whatever that takes. It's business.
With that in mind, I fully understand Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th and 2 in Sunday's night's remarkable Patriots-Colts game. You already know the situation: The Patriots led by six, they were deep in their own territory -- the first down marker was at their own 30 -- and there were just a few ticks more than two minutes left.
The conventional choice there is to punt. In fact, "conventional choice" does not begin to describe it. It was the obvious choice. The incontestable choice. I suspect 31 other NFL coaches would have punted there without even thinking twice about it. I suspect that had Belichick decided to punt there, nobody -- not one interviewer, not one talk show host, not even one radio caller -- would have second-guessed him there (and anyone who would second-guess him there would have been mocked and told to learn about football). I simply cannot remember any team going for it in a similar situation. You punt the ball and make Peyton Manning and the Colts go 70 yards to try to score the game-winning touchdown. It's as obvious as bringing Mariano Rivera in the game in the 9th. Read More at Sports Gambling Blog
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=4433961e-ded1-4090-9a3d-3c2ae4a21a78)
Gambling Online - It’s always easy to evaluate a decision based on its results. Sunday’s NFL action gave us two prime examples of what are now being called a good decision and a bad decision based mostly on their results.The Indianapolis Colts’ come-from-behind 35–34 victory over the New England Patriots in Indianapolis will be remembered for Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 from his own 28-yard line with 2:08 left in the game with his Pats up 34–28.
The New England Patriots head coach made a controversial decision. The other choice would have been to punt the ball away to the Colts and make Peyton Manning run the typical two-minute drill.
Instead, Belichick weighed the balance of probabilities and felt that offense was his best form of defense. He is a Hall of Fame coach with a Hall of Fame QB (Tom Brady) and he has to gain two yards to win the game. He liked that choice over having his above average defense take on the league’s best at the two-minute drill.
“Thought it was our best chance to win,” said Belichick in his Monday morning press conference. “I put the team first. I would hope everybody understands that.”
Belichick did put the team first but, reading between the lines, he did not have enough confidence in his defense’s ability to get the job done.
“You have to give your defense a chance to play defense,” said ESPN football analyst Tom Jackson. Conventional wisdom would say that you have to trust your defense has to come up big when called upon.
On the play, Tom Brady threw a short pass to Kevin Faulk, who bobbled the ball but eventually caught it. But he was stopped short of the first down. Football is a game of inches. Because of that bobble, Faulk was ruled to only have possession of the ball after he had been stopped short of the first down.
Peyton Manning and the Colts got the ball back on the New England 29-yard line with two minutes to play. That’s an easy two-minute drill for the master that is Peyton Manning.
Belichick was slammed for his decision to not punt the ball and make Manning go the length of the field. But Manning is not some ordinary QB. He forced Belichick to do something unconventional. How would we have reacted had Faulk not bobbled the ball and made the first down? It’s not hard to see how Belichick would have been credited with yet another brilliant coaching decision.
Taking a Knee
Sports Gambling - A decision that is widely being labeled as being smart took place near the end of the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and the New York Jets.
But it very easily could have gone all wrong.
Jags running back Maurice Jones-Drew could have scored the go-ahead touchdown with his team trailing 22–21 late in the fourth quarter. Instead, the running back was instructed not to score the TD so that the Jags could run some more time off the clock before kicking the game-winning field goal.
All went according to plan for the Jags, as Jones-Drew took a knee at the Jets’ 1-yard line. Three plays later, Josh Scobee kicked a 21-yard field goal to give the Jags a 24–22 win on the last play of the game.
But, suppose there was a bad snap on the field goal attempt. Suppose the field goal was blocked. Suppose the Jags fumbled on one of the plays following Jones-Drew’s run. Then, in all likelihood, the Jags would have lost.
What if Jones-Drew had scored the TD? The Jags would be up 28–22 and rookie QB Mark Sanchez and the mediocre Jets’ offense would be forced to run the two-minute drill. If you’re a Jaguar, you probably like your chances in this scenario.
A strong case could be made for Jones-Drew scoring the TD. But because the desired result was achieved with Jones-Drew taking a knee, the Jacksonville coaching staff and Jones-Drew’s decision is being lauded as good.
The NFL Thursday night schedule kicks off this week with an NFC matchup featuring a pair of teams clinging to post-season hopes. This is “must-win” territory for both the Chicago Bears and the
The Bears, at 4-4 on the season, have not traveled well as of late. They sport a dismal mark of 2-7 straight up in their last nine road games and also are 2-7 against the spread in those games as well.
The Niners, sitting at 3-5 on the year, have been a profitable play for their backers, boasting an 8-3-2 mark against the spread in their last 13 starts.
Online sportsbook currently have this line pegged at -3 on the home side 49ers. The Over/Under is set at 43.5.
SPORTSBETTING.com is reporting betting action that slightly favors the home side, with San Fran receiving 57% of all the volume that has come in to this point.
The sports gambling community hasn’t made their mind up on the Total yet either, as the action is 53% tilted to the “Over”. The favorite and the “Over” isn’t an unusual betting pattern for the “public” when it comes to nationally televised games, but this one is more balanced than usual. Rather than really liking a side, it seems bettors feel they can’t fully trust either team.
Looking at the Total, worth noting is that
When these two meet head-to-head, San Fran has had a clear edge, but keep in mind many of these results were produced with teams that bear little resemblance to the current editions.
Dating back to 1985,
Look for the losing streak to continue on Thursday night, as the Niners running game, led by Frank Gore, and their defense lead them to a home win on this Thursday nighter.
Check NFL betting guide and NFL lines
Sports Gambling - Cardinals wide receiver Anquan Boldin says he has "moved on" after Sunday's critical comments directed at coach Ken Whisenhunt and his staff.Boldin said he has no regrets about those comments.
"I said what I had to say, and I'm done with it," Boldin said Wednesday. "For me, it's not even an issue. That was Sunday, and I've moved on."
The three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver was held out of Sunday's 41-21 victory at Chicago because of a sprained right ankle and complained afterward that "no one was man enough" to tell him he was inactive. Boldin said he felt good enough to play and only found out he wasn't when he returned to his locker after warmups and discovered his gear was gone.
Whisenhunt said after the game that he told Boldin he wouldn't play against the Bears shortly after the inactive list was submitted. The coach didn't want to revisit the incident Wednesday.
"I have no issues with Anquan," Whisenhunt said. "He's a good football player, and I'm just glad to see him back out there practicing today."
Boldin was a full participant in practice Wednesday, and Whisenhunt said he expected the receiver to play in Sunday's home game against the NFC West rival Seattle Seahawks.
"My injury's fine. It's not even an injury," Boldin said. "I'm feeling great. I can make every cut without hesitation, so I'm good."
Gambling Online - Boldin injured his ankle during the Cardinals' 28-21 victory over the Houston Texans on Oct. 11. He still played in the subsequent games against the Seahawks and the New York Giants, but he took a direct hit on the ankle during a Nov. 1 home loss to the Carolina Panthers.
Boldin sat out practice last Wednesday and Thursday but was able to go on a limited basis Friday. Whisenhunt said he decided to sit Boldin because of the soft conditions of the turf in Chicago, which he believed could lead to aggravating the ankle injury.
Boldin's post-game criticism was just the latest in a series of issues for the receiver, who remains upset that Arizona hasn't signed him to a new contract, something he insists management promised to do. He has one more year left on his deal after this season.
Boldin has been plagued by injuries, including the nasty facial fracture that came at the end of last year's loss to the New York Jets. The injury required reconstructive surgery, but he only missed one game.
Boldin also injured a hamstring during a 71-yard touchdown pass play in the first-round playoff victory over the Atlanta Falcons and sat out the second-round win at Carolina.
Then came the NFC Championship Game, when Boldin had a nationally televised shouting match with then-offensive coordinator Todd Haley on the sidelines because the receiver wasn't in the game during what turned out to be the winning touchdown drive. He immediately left that game, not celebrating with his teammates.
Against the Panthers this season, Boldin broke Larry Centers' franchise record for career receptions. Afterward, he said the record doesn't mean anything to him.
Despite his off-the-field attitude, Boldin has played with his usual effort and intensity. No one has accused him of letting his feelings toward the organization affect his performance on the field.
"Anybody who plays football risks injury," Boldin said. "Every play, you're out there risking not only injury but your life. That's just football. You have to take the bumps and bruises and get back as quickly as possible, and that's what I try to do whenever I'm injured."
Boldin, who's in his seventh season with Arizona, disputes the notion that his hard-nosed style makes him more susceptible to injuries, a perception that could affect the Cardinals' or any other team's desire to sign him to the big-money, long-term deal he desires.
"People always have an opinion, no matter how you play the game," Boldin said. "People talked about Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce for sliding on the turf, not taking hits. Guys that do mix it up a little bit, people have a problem with that. You just have to be you. I'm comfortable with who I am. I'm comfortable with the way I play the game, and that won't change."
Tributes to Enke, whose agent last night indicated he had committed suicide, have also flooded in from his former clubs and team-mates. The goalkeeper began his career at Carl Zeiss Jena and went on to enjoy spells at Borussia Monchengladbach, Benfica, Barcelona, Fenerbahce and Tenerife before joining Hannover in 2004.
"I am infinitely sad. When you receive news like this all other problems pale into insignificance." Beckenbauer, the former Germany captain, said.Fans have flocked to Hannover's stadium to lay flowers and light candles in memory of their captain, who had been with the club since 2004, while other high profile figures from Enke's career also paid tribute. "This is an absolute catastrophe, I can't come to terms with it," Martin Kind, the Hannover president, added.
A statement on the club's otherwise entirely black website read: "We are mourning Robert Enke, 24 August 1977-10 November 2009."
Germany's players and staff were informed after training in Bonn yesterday. The German FA confirmed today's training session had been cancelled while reports suggest Saturday's friendly against Chile may yet be cancelled. - Betting Lines
"I am stunned. Words fail me," Michael Ballack, the Chelsea and Germany midfielder, said.
Enke leaves behind a wife, Teresa, and an eight-month-old daughter they had adopted in May. His daughter, Lara died, in 2006 of a rare heart condition when she was two.
Enke had been diagnosed with a bacterial stomach infection which had forced him to miss Germany's World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan in September. However, he reappeared for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Hamburg although he was not selected for the international friendlies against Chile and Ivory Coast next Wednesday.
Germany's coach, Joachim Low, had said Enke – who won eight caps after making his debut in 2007, the last of them against Azerbaijan in August – remained the leading candidate to be his No1 in South Africa.
"This can and must not be true. Robert was such a great bloke," Kevin Kuranyi, the Schalke striker, said. "I don't know how I will tell my wife. She is very good friend's with Robert's wife. I feel for his family."
Hamburg captain David Jarolim added: "I can hardly breathe because I'm so upset. This is a real tragedy, I can hardly believe it. First his little daughter dies and then this."
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 3 :
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 4 :
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 5 :
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 6 :
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 7 :
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 8 :
Click Here:NFL TOP 10 PLAYS OF 2009 WEEK 9 :
