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Welcome to my blog which deals with mixed martial arts betting and preview with a detailed analysis on the world of MMA. This blogs covers anything relating to the UFC, Strikeforce, Dreams or any other MMA organization.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Liberaty Bowl Preview

An interesting matchup takes place on New Year’s Eve when Tulsa faces Fresno State in the Liberty Bowl. The Golden Hurricanes started the season 0-2, while Fresno jumped out of the gate 8-1 SU.

It appears that Fresno is not happy with the way the season ended, while Tulsa is ecstatic to be a part of this contest. Fresno lost three straight to end the ’05 campaig, losing to Nevada as a 17-point favorite and La Tech as a 24 1/2-point chalk. The Hurricanes closed out the season with three straight double-digit SU wins.

Conference USA schools are 5-1 ATS in bowl games when facing a foe off a SU ATS Loss. Tulsa HC Kragthorpe is 4-1 ATS when playing with rest and 20-14-1 ATS overall. He is 9-2 ATS versus opponents with a winning record.

The positive numbers for Fresno include a 6-0 ATS ledger for the favorite when WAC & CUSA clubs collide in the Bowl session and the favorite owning a 5-2 ATS ledger in the last seven Liberty Bowls

Negative numbers for Fresno St include a 0-5 ATS record for WAC favorites that allowed 35 points or more in their previous outing.

Fresno St faced five teams on its 2005 schedule that are going to a Bowl game and out-gained those five clubs by an average of 46 yards per game. The Bulldogs went 2-3 SU and 3-2 ATS while Tulsa faced seven bowling squads this year collecting three SU wins and losing four.
They cashed a ticket in five of the seven meetings and had better statistics than their foes by an average of eight yards per game. Bulldogs opposing bowl win-loss percentages tally .573 vs. Tulsa’s .473 ledger.

Tulsa’s strength on defense is Fresno’s preferred option on offense (passing). Fresno’s weakness on defense is Tulsa’s strength on offense. It will certainly be interesting to see who will control the tempo in this game especially with Fresno’s late-season collapse.

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Thursday, December 29, 2005

2005/06 College Bowl Season Preview

Handicappers could get a hernia toting around facts and figures on the 29 college football bowl games that will be played from December 20 to January 4.
Trying to keep track of all the Cotton, Oranges, Peaches, Roses and Gators, not to mention Poinsettia's, is a taxing task. So we're dishing out some interesting trends and angles for every bowl matchup below.
NEW ORLEANS
Favorites have cashed three of four in the New Orleans Bowl, getting the money in the last pair. Southern Miss was just 2-4 as a favorite this season. Arkansas State finished with a rush, 'covering' five of its last seven and three straight as underdogs. The Golden Eagles are 4-3, both straight up and against the spread, in the postseason since 1997. Southern Miss has been on the low side in 19 of its last 26 non-conference games.
GMAC
The chalk has cashed in the last three GMAC Bowls. Toledo and UTEP both finished on a down note. The Rockets came up short in four of their last five ATS and dropped their last four as favorites. The Miners faltered in their last four ATS. Toledo has 'covered' 11 of 12 after scoring 42 points or more in its last game. The Rockets have been on the low side in eight of nine on the road after the first month of the season. They have slipped below the number in seven of their last nine.
LAS VEGAS
BYU has lost and failed in its last three bowl appearances since 1998. California failed to cash in seven of its last nine while the Cougars cashed in five of their last seven. The Golden Bears are 24-42 as favorites since 1992. BYU has failed in 10 of 25 ATS coming off an upset loss as favorites. California dipped 'under' in seven of its last nine. The Cougars have taken the low road in nine of 10 on a neutral field.
POINSETTIA
Navy has 'covered' 20 of 27 non-conference tests. Colorado State has skipped 'under' in 12 straight after failing to cash five or six of seven games.
FORT WORTH
Houston cashed four of five as underdogs this year. Kansas is making its first bowl appearance since 1995. The Jayhawks topped the total in four of their last five outings.
HAWAII
Nevada is playing in the postseason for the first time since 1996. Central Florida is 9-1 ATS on the road after failing to get the money in two of three games. The Knights eclipsed the total in six of their last eight chances.
MOTOR CITY
Akron has 'covered' seven straight versus good rushing teams. The Zips cashed four of their last five and five of six as underdogs this season. Memphis was just 1-5 as a favorite, but it did cash its last three regular season battles. The Tigers slipped below the number in their last three games and Akron followed suit in seven of nine.
CHAMPS SPORTS
The favorite has 'covered' in the last three Champs Sports Bowls. Colorado is 2-6 ATS in its last eight trips to the post. The Buffaloes have thrived in the postseason, winning and cashing five of their last seven. Conversely, Clemson has lost six of its last eight bowl games (4-4 ATS).
INSIGHT
The favorite has failed in six of the last eight Insight Bowls. Rutgers is 5-15 ATS when playing with two or more weeks rest. Arizona State is 1-9 ATS on road grass. The Sun Devils have failed in four of their last six postseason battles (3-3 ATS). ASU has topped the total in 13 of 17 as favorites.
MPC COMPUTERS
Boston College has won and 'covered' in its last five bowl appearances. Boise State is 42-2 at home since 1999. The Broncos are 28-10 as home favorites and they cashed their last five as chalk this year. Boise State is 21-5 ATS after winning five or six of seven. The Eagles slipped 'under' in six of their last eight games.
ALAMO
The underdog has barked in three of the last four Alamo Bowls. Nebraska is 6-3, both SU and ATS, in its last nine postseason chances. Michigan has lost three of its last four bowl games (2-2 ATS). The Wolverines have failed in 12 of their last 18 as favorites.
EMERALD
Utah has won four straight postseason battles since 1999 (3-1 ATS). The Utes were just 2-7-2 ATS this season. However, they have 'covered' at a 10-1-1 clip as underdogs. Utah is 20-7 ATS when getting 3 1/2 to 10 points. Georgia Tech is 3-7 ATS in its last 10 games and 2-4 as favorites. The Yellow Jackets strayed below the number in six of their last seven. They have been on the low side in 16 of 19 when playing on Thursday. The Utes have ducked 'under' in 12 of 14 non-conference road tests.
HOLIDAY
Favorites have taken a beating in the Holiday Bowl, cashing at a tepid 4-10-1 clip and dropping the last seven ATS. Oregon has lost its last two bowl games after winning its previous five. Oklahoma is 2-4 ATS in its last six postseason outings. The Sooners are 2-18 ATS after gaining 300 or more rushing yards in their last game. The Ducks 'covered' at a 5-1-1 clip in their last seven regular season games.
MUSIC CITY
Favorites have hit a sour note in five of the last six Music City Bowls. Minnesota has 'covered' six straight non-conference games. Virginia is 12-28 ATS on the road during the second half of the season. The Cavaliers have lost and failed in five of their last seven bowl battles. The Gophers have won three straight postseason games (2-1 ATS). Virginia has tipped 'under' in 11 of its last 14 on road grass and in six of its last seven overall. Conversely, Minnesota has eclipsed the number in eight of its last 10.
SUN
The Sun Bowl has been a graveyard for favorites, with the dogs getting the money in 13 of 14, including the last 10. Northwestern has cashed six straight as road dogs of 3 1/2 to 10. UCLA is 2-5, both SU and ATS, in its last seven bowl appearances. The Wildcats have slipped below the number in six straight while the Bruins have topped the total in nine of 11.
INDEPENDENCE
The favorite is 1-6 in the last seven Independence Bowls. South Carolina has dropped 13 of its last 18 when favored. The Gamecocks have cashed 12 of 15 on the road after winning three of four games. Missouri topped the number in eight of its last 11 games.
PEACH
The Peach Bowl has been the pits for favorites (4-9 ATS, 2-5 last seven). Miami has thrived in the postseason, winning and cashing six of its last seven. LSU is 3-2, both SU and ATS, in its last five bowl trips. The Tigers dipped 'under' in six of their last seven and the Hurricanes followed suit in six of nine.
CAR CARE
North Carolina State is 5-15 as favorites the last three years. The Wolf Pack have won and 'covered' three of their last four bowl games. South Florida slipped 'under' in eight of 10 and North Carolina State dipped below the limit in nine of 10 games.
LIBERTY
The favorite has clicked in five of seven at the Liberty Bowl. Tulsa cashed nine of its last 11 and five straight as underdogs. Fresno State got the cheddar in six of its first seven as favorites before dropping its last pair. The Bulldogs have won and 'covered' three straight in the postseason. Thecashed 10 of 12 this season while scoring 40 points or more 11 times. USC was favored by more than 20 points in eight of 12 games. The Trojans failed to get the green in six of their last nine games. Texas topped the total in every game this year. The favorite has cashed in four of the last five Rose Bowl showdowns.
PEACH
The Peach Bowl has been the pits for favorites (4-9 ATS, 2-5 last seven). Miami has thrived in the postseason, winning and cashing six of its last seven. LSU is 3-2, both SU and ATS, in its last five bowl trips. The Tigers dipped 'under' in six of their last seven and the Hurricanes followed suit in six of nine.
HOUSTON
The favorite has cashed three straight in the Houston Bowl. Iowa State is 10-3 as an underdog, getting the money in four of five this season. TCU has cashed seven of its last nine. The Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four bowl outings (2-2 ATS).
COTTON
Alabama is 1-8 ATS versus good offensive teams (averaging more than 5.9 yards per play). The Crimson Tide were just 3-7-1 ATS this year. Texas Tech has won and cashed in its last three bowl outings. Alabama has ducked "under" in six straight on the road when the number was between 42 1/2 and 49. The Tide has dipped below the limit in nine of their last 10 on the highway against teams with a winning record.
GATOR
Favorites are 8-1 in the last nine Gator Bowl showdowns and 10-5 in the last 15. Virginia Tech has "covered" 28 of 36 as favorites of 3 1/2 to 10 points. Louisville has cashed nine of its last 10 versus ACC opposition. The Cardinals have floundered in five of their last seven bowl appearances (1-6 ATS). The Hokies are just 3-6, both SU and ATS, in their last nine postseason affairs.
CAPITAL ONE
Wisconsin has "covered" five of its last seven as dogs. Auburn has won three straight bowl games (2-1 ATS). The Tigers cashed eight of their last nine and six of eight as favorites. The Badgers have been on the low side in four of five while Auburn zipped "over" in six of eight.
FIESTA
Notre Dame attempts to break a six-game bowl losing slide (1-5 ATS). The Irish cashed in all four opportunities as dogs this season. Ohio State sizzled down the stretch, getting the money in six straight. The Buckeyes also clicked in eight of 10 as favorites. Ohio State has won and cashed three straight in the postseason. Notre Dame zipped "over" at a 6-2-1 clip in its last nine outings.
SUGAR
Georgia has "covered" 15 of 19 on the road against non-conference foes. The Bulldogs have won seven of their last eight bowl games (6-2 ATS). West Virginia, making its fourth straight postseason appearance, has lost its last three by 26, 34 and 12 points, respectively. The Mountaineers "covered" their last six and got the money in three of four as underdogs. Georgia clicked in six of its last eight and three in a row as favorites. West Virginia has eclipsed the total in 14 of 18 after taking two or more weeks off.
ORANGE
Orange Bowl favorites have cashed at a 10-5 clip, getting the money in three of the last four. Penn State "covered" its last seven, getting the green in five straight as favorites. However, the Nittany Lions are 1-14 ATS on the road versus good defensive teams (allowing 310 yards or less per game). Florida State had lost three straight until upsetting Virginia Tech in the ACC Championship game. The Seminoles have split in their last 10 bowl games (4-6 ATS). Penn State has been on the low side in 26 of 36 outside the Big-10. Florida State has slipped below the number in 23 of 33 on the road versus non-conference foes.
ROSE
Texas cashed 10 of 12 this season while scoring 40 points or more 11 times. USC was favored by more than 20 points in eight of 12 games. The Trojans failed to get the green in six of their last nine games. Texas topped the total in every game this year. The favorite has cashed in four of the last five Rose Bowl showdowns.

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

At Look at the 2005/06 College Football Bowl Season

The difference between Tuesday's two bowls games were literally like day-and-night! Clemson beat Colorado 19-10 in the Champs Sports Bowl, as Colorado was held to 17 yards rushing (29 attempts) and didn't crack the 100-yard mark in total offense until the game's final minutes (finished with just 124 yards). In the nightcap, a rematch of the 1978 Garden State Bowl between Arizona State and Rutgers, the Sun Devils and Scarlet Knights combined for 1,211 total yards in a 45-40 ASU win. The Sun Devils set an Insight Bowl record with 679 yards and the 1,211 combined yards was the most yards-ever in any bowl game in CFB history. Rutgers jumped out to a 17-7 lead but trailed 45-33 late in the game, before 'covering' with a 29-yard TD pass with two minutes to go. The 45-40 final made it 2-0 for underdogs on the day, as 'dogs' have now covered five of the first nine bowl games. For 'over'/'under' bettors, the bowl season has been a windfall so far for the over players, as SEVEN of the nine games have gone over the total.

Two more bowl games are on tap for Wednesday. At 4:30 ET on ESPN, Boston College visits the famed blue carpet of Bronco Stadium in Boise, Idaho for the MPC Computers Bowl. Boise State is the host team and puts its nation-best 31-game home winning streak on the line. Speaking of 'lines', this game opened with Boise as a three-point favorite but as of this morning, BC is favored by two-points (and climbing?) with a total of 53 1/2. Boise State's head coach Dan Hawkins (54-10 at Boise), coaches his last game for the Broncos, as he has already accepted the Colorado job (hopefully he didn't watch them play yesterday!). As for BC head coach Tom O'Brien, he leads BC to a school-record SEVENTH consecutive bowl appearance. He lost his first bowl game back in 1999 to Colorado (there's that school again!) but has since won and covered his last five.

Tonight at 8:00 on ESPN, it's the Alamo Bowl with Nebraska taking on Michigan. Nebraska saw its streak of 35 consecutive bowl games end last year when it finished 5-6 in Callahan's first year at Lincoln (first non-winning season since 1961) but rebounded with a 7-4 year in 2005. Michigan (7-4) is appearing in its 31st straight bowl game (longest current streak) but its first non-January bowl game since Lloyd Carr's first year at Ann Arbor (1995). Michigan owns the most wins in CFB history and Nebraska ranks 4th all-time, giving this bowl a similar feel to the upcoming Orange Bowl where Bobby Bowden and Joe Paterno will meet. Michigan is favored by 10 1/2 points and the total is 47.

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Bowling with Underdogs

Another college football bowl season is upon us, so we decided to take a look at the past performances of underdogs in recent years. Last season, dogs reported home at a profitable 17-13, or 56.7 percent clip against the spread. This continued a very solid winning pattern for bowl underdogs, as they are now 107-72-3, or 58.6 percent ATS since 1999! The dogs turned a profit in five of these six seasons, losing only in 2003 when they were just 13-17-1 against the number.
As good as that six-year percentage is for the whole population, it was even better if we focused on a few specific conference bowl tendencies. As a first step, we took a look at how each conference did in an underdog role over this time, and the results follow along with the qualifying dogs for this season.

CONFERENCES AS BOWL UNDERDOGS SINCE 1999

Pac-10: 13-1, 92.9% ATS (NONE) Big Ten: 18-9, 66.7% ATS (Northwestern-Sun Bowl, Iowa-Outback, Wisconsin-Capital One)*-SEC: 17-9, 65.4% ATS (Alabama-Cotton)**-ACC: 14-8, 63.6% ATS (Boston College-MPC Computers, Virginia-Music City, Florida State-Orange)Mountain West: 9-6, 60.0% ATS (BYU-Las Vegas, Colorado State-Poinsettia)

*-Note there is currently no line on the Peach Bowl. If Miami Florida is favored, LSU is an SEC qualifier.

**-Note there are currently no lines on the Champs Sports and Peach Bowls. If Colorado is favored in the Champs Sports, Clemson is an ACC qualifier; if LSU is favored in the Peach,

Miami is an ACC qualifier.

The cumulative record of these five conferences as bowl underdogs is 71-33, 68.3 percent ATS! We were obviously initially excited when we saw the performance of the Pac-10 underdogs, but our enthusiasm was quickly tempered when we found that none of the five Pac-10 Bowl participants this year are dogs. Still, the other four conferences combine for a fine 58-32, 64.4 percent mark, and they appear to provide an ample amount of betting opportunities this year.
The next thing we did in our quest for the best possible winning percentage was see how each conference did as a favorite over this time, with the obvious intent being to fade these teams. Here are those results, as well as the qualifying plays for this season:

CONFERENCES AS BOWL FAVORITES SINCE 1999

Big Ten: 2-11, 15.4% ATS (Nebraska-Alamo, Virginia-Music City, Notre Dame-Fiesta, Florida State-Orange)Pac-10: 7-12, 36.8% ATS (BYU-Las Vegas, Rutgers-Insight, Oklahoma-Holiday, Northwestern-Sun, Texas-Rose)*-SEC: 11-18, 37.9% ATS (Missouri-Independence, Iowa-Outback, Wisconsin-Capital One, West Virginia-Sugar)**-Big 12: 16-22, 42.1% ATS (Houston-Fort Worth, Alabama-Cotton)

*-Note there is currently no line on the Peach Bowl. If LSU is favored, Miami qualifies as an SEC fade.

**-Note there is currently no line on the Champs Sports Bowl. If Colorado is favored, Clemson qualifies as a Big 12 fade.

The cumulative record of these four conferences as bowl favorites is 36-63 ATS for a very nice FADE percentage of 63.6 percent. The Big Ten has been far and away the worst performing conference as a favorite the last six years, so we are pleased to see that the conference has four Bowl favorites this year.

A close look at this data shows that there are SIX double qualifiers this year from both angles, with the potential for two more. The six definite dual qualifiers that merit a long hard look are BYU (Las Vegas Bowl-12/22), Virginia (Music City Bowl-12/30), Northwestern (Sun Bowl-12/30), Iowa (Outback Bowl-1/2), Wisconsin (Capital One Bowl-1/2) and Florida State (Orange Bowl-1/3). Additional double qualifiers should they be UNDERDOGS would be Clemson (Champs Sports Bowl-12/27) and Miami Florida (Peach Bowl-12/30).

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Friday, December 23, 2005

NFL Week 16 trends

Atlanta @ Tampa Bay
Falcons are 2-8 ATS L/10 in this series Falcons have gone 'under' in 4 of the L/5 away Falcons are 2-8 against the moneyline L/10 on the road as dogs Falcons are 0-3 ATS this season and 5-10 ATS L/15 vs a winning teamFalcons are 2-4 ATS L/6 as an underdog Buccaneers are 4-2 ATS L/6 overall Buccaneers have gone 'under' in 14 of the L/20 home games Buccaneers are 3-7 ATS L/4 weeks of the regular season Buccaneers/Falcons have gone 'over' in 11 of the L/15 meetings

Buffalo @ Cincinnati
Bills are 3-7 ATS L/10 away in this series Bills have gone 'over' in 7 of the L/10 road games Bills are 1-4 ATS L/5 overall Bills are 2-7 ATS L/9 as underdogs Bills are 2-8 vs. the moneyline while playing outside of the division Bengals are 1-5 ATS L/6 at home Bengals in 7 straight home games with a total of 42 ½ to 45 points Bengals are 7-3 ATS L/10 vs a sub .500 team in 2nd half of seasonBengals are 7-4 ATS L/11 as a favorite Bengals /Bills have gone 'over' in 4 of
the L/6 meetings

Dallas @ Carolina
Cowboys are 2-5 ATS L/7 in this series with Panthers Cowboys have gone 'over' in 11 of the L/16 on the road Cowboys are 1-3-1 ATS L/5 overall Cowboys 8-22 ATS L/30 as a road underdog Cowboys are 1-6 ATS L/7 against NFC South division opposition Panthers are 6-2 ATS L/8 overall Panthers have gone 'under' in 7 of L/10 home games Panthers defense is ranked 3rd in the NFL allowing 16 PPG Panthers are 3-10 ATS L/13 as a home favorite of between 3 ½ and 7 points Panthers/Cowboys have gone 'over' in 2 of the L/3 meetings in Carolina

Detroit @ New Orleans
Lions are 1-2 ATS/SU L/3 on the road against Saints Lions have gone 'under' in 4 of the L/5 away contests Lions are 12-6 ATS L/18 after 2 or more consecutive losses Lions are 6-4 ATS L/10 December tilts Lions are 4-1 ATS L/5 against NFC division opposition Saints are 2-5-1 ATS L/7 overall Saints have gone 'under' in 17 of the L/22 games overall Saints are 2-7 ATS L/9 against conference opposition Saints are 8-3 ATS L/11 vs a losing team in the 2nd half of the season

Jacksonville @ Houston
Jaguars are 1-6 ATS L/7 games against Texans Jaguars have gone 'over' in 5 of the L/7 away games Jaguars are 6-9 ATS L/15 against division opposition Jaguars are 5-2 ATS on the road this season Texans are 6-2 ATS L/8 overall Texans have gone 'over' in 6 of the L/7 at home Texans have gone 'under' in 13 of the L/16 December games Texans are 2-5 ATS at home this season Texans/Jaguars have gone 'under' in 4 of the L/5 meetings

NY Giants @ Washington
Giants are 4-2 ATS L/6 against the Redskins Giants have gone 'under' in 6 of the L/8 contests Giants as a road underdog of 3 points or less are 1-4 ATS L/5 Giants are 8-2 ATS L/10 against conference opposition Redskins are 7-3 ATS L/10 at home Redskins have gone 'under' in 6 of the L/9 at home Redskins are 5-0 ATS L/5 home games with a total of 35 ½ to 42 points Redskins are 8-3 ATS L/11 December games Redskins/Giants have gone 'over' in the L/2 meetings in D.C

Pittsburgh @ Cleveland
Steelers are 18-5 SU L/23 in this series and 2-0/SU/ATS L/2 at Cleveland Steelers have gone 'under' in 7 straight road contests Steelers are 5-1 ATS L/6 as a road favorite of 3 1/2 to 7 points Steelers are 11-6 ATS L/17 against division opposition Browns are 3-7 ATS L/10 at home Browns have gone 'under' in 10 of the L/12 games Browns are 5-11 ATS L/16 against division foes Browns are 5-10 ATS L/15 revenging a loss Browns/Steelers have gone 'under' in 7 of the L/10 overall meetings

San Diego @ Kansas City
Chargers are 2-6 ATS L/8 against the Chiefs at KC Chargers have gone 'under' in 4 of the L/5 road games Chargers are 5-1 ATS L/6 on the road Chargers are 7-3 ATS L/10 in the L/4 weeks of the regular seasonChargers are 10-4 ATS L/14 vs division opposition Chiefs are 5-1 ATS L/6 at home Chiefs have gone 'over' in 6 of the L/9 at homeChiefs are 6-1 ATS L/7 as a favorite Chiefs are 7-3 ATS L/10 against conference opposition Chiefs /Chargers have gone 'under' in 3 of the L/5 meetings

San Francisco @ St. Louis
49'ers are 18-7-1 ATS L/26 against Rams 49'ers have gone 'over' in 5 of the L/7 overall 49'ers are 8-17 ATS L/25 overall 49'ers are 2-6 ATS L/8 on the road 49'ers are 8-15 ATS L/23 after two or more consecutive lossesRams are 1-5 ATS L/6 overall Rams have gone 'under' in 3 straight games Rams are 3-8 ATS L/11 December games Rams are 2-8 ATS L/10 against conference opposition Rams/49'ers have gone 'under' in 3 of the L/5 meetings

Tennessee @ Miami
Titans are 3-1 SU/ATS L/4 in this series in South Florida Titans have gone 'over' in 6 of the L/9 away Titans are 2-7 ATS L/9 away Titans are 3-7 ATS L/10 against conference opposition Titans 2-10 ATS L/12 December games Dolphins are 5-18 ATS L/23 at home Dolphins have gone 'over' in 9 of the L/12 at home Dolphins are 1-4 ATS L/5 against AFC South foes Dolphins are 12-22 ATS L/34 against conference opposition Dolphins /Titans have gone 'under' in 4 straight meetings in Miami

Philadelphia @ Arizona
Eagles are 6-1 ATS L/7 against the Cards Eagles have gone 'under' in 7 of the last 10 on the road Eagles are 3-7 ATS L/10 overall Eagles are 21-9 ATS L/30 against NFC West division opposition Eagles are 11-5 ATS L/16 against a winning team Cardinals are 1-4 ATS L/5 at home Cardinals have gone 'under' in 6 of the L/9 at home Cardinals are 1-5 ATS at home this season Cardinals 0-3 ATS vs NFC East opponents this season Cardinals/Eagles have gone 'over' in 6 of the L/10 meetings in Arizona

Indianapolis @ Seattle
Colts are 4-1 ATS L/5 against the Seahawks Colts have gone 'over' in 4 of the L/5 on the road Colts are 6-0 ATS L/6 on the road Colts are 8-2 ATS L/10 against non conference opposition Seahawks are 18-36 ATS L/54 as a favorite 3 ½ points of 9 ½ Seahawks have gone 'over' in 10 of the L/15 home games Seahawks have gone 'over' in 3 straight contests Seahawks are 3-7 ATS L/10 against conference foes Seahawks/Colts have gone 'over' in 3 straight meetings in the Emerald city

Oakland @ Denver
Raiders are 1-4 ATS L/5 against Broncos Raiders have gone 'under' in 4 of the l/6 overall Raiders are 9-21 ATS L/30 as underdogs Raiders 8-25 ATS L/33 against conference opposition Raiders are 3-8 ATS L/11 December games Broncos are 7-2 ATS L/9 overall Broncos have gone 'over' in 8 of the L/10 games Broncos are 1-6 ATS L/7 as 10 point or more favorite Broncos are 11-3 ATS L/14 against division opposition Broncos/Raiders gone 'over' in 3 of the L/5 meetings

Chicago @ Green Bay
Bears are 2-8 ATS L/10 against Green Bay Bears are 9-4 ATS on the season Bears are 4-0 ATS this season against division opposition Bears 4-1 ATS as favorites this season Packers are 2-7 ATS L/9 at Lambeau FieldPackers have gone 'under' in 4 of the L/5 overall Packers are 5-1 ATS L/6 as an underdog of 3 ½ to 7 points Packers own the leagues worst running game averaging 87.1 YPG Packers/Bears gone 'over' in 9 of the L/13 in Green Bay

Minnesota @ Baltimore
Vikings are 1-5-1 ATS L/7 against Ravens Vikings have gone 'under' in 9 of the L/10 on the road Vikings are 6-1 ATS L/7 overall Vikings are 4-8 ATS L/12 on the road Vikings are 0-2 ATS this season as road underdog of 3 points or less Ravens are 4-2 ATS L/6 at home Ravens have gone 'under' in 6 of the L/7 home games Ravens are 3-0 ATS this season as a home favorite of 3 points or less Ravens are 16-9 ATS L/25 as chalk

New England @ NY Jets
Patriots 6-2 ATS L/8 MNF appearances Pats 35-15 ATS L/50 vs.700 overall Pats 17-7 ATS L/24 on the road Jets 6-2 ATS as dog L/8 Monday prime time appearancesJets 13-3 ATS L/16 on Monday nights as underdog

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

NFL Playoff Picture

When handicapping NFL games during the last few weeks of the regular season, it's important to know the playoff picture in order to better understand the motivational level of the various teams.

Some teams, like the Indianapolis Colts, have already accomplished everything they possibly can. Their main goal should be staying healthy. Others desperately need a victory, while some teams are playing merely for pride.

Let's take a look at the Week 16 matchups, with particular attention to each team’s playoff needs.

Bills at Bengals
The 4-10 Bills have nothing to play for. Although their first road win of the season would be nice! Cincinnati (11-3) has already won the AFC North. However, the Bengals are still hoping to overtake the Broncos for the second seed (and the first round bye that comes with it). Both teams have equal records but the Broncos hold the tiebreaker edge with their 8-2 conference record.

Steelers at Browns
The 5-9 Browns are attempting to play 'spoiler' against their division rival. Pittsburgh, 9-5, is currently the number two wild card team in the AFC. The Steelers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Chargers but need to keep winning.

Chargers at Chiefs
Although mathematically still alive, the 8-6 Chiefs will likely miss the playoffs even with a victory here. The Chargers (9-5) are in a bit better shape but will also need some help. San Diego needs to win this game and then beat Denver and hope that either Pittsburgh or Jacksonville loses at least one game.

Titans at Dolphins
Neither team will be reaching the playoffs. Miami (7-7) can still finish above 500.

Jaguars at Texans
The 10-4 Jaguars currently occupy the top wildcard spot. They can clinch a playoff spot with 1) a win or 2) a tie and Pittsburgh loss or tie or 3) a tie and San Diego loss or 4) a Pittsburgh loss and Kansas City loss or tie. The Texans are attempting to spoil the party.

Cowboys at Panthers
With a 10-4 record, Carolina currently leads the NFC South. The Panthers can clinch a playoff spot with 1) a win or tie or 2) Washington loss or tie, Atlanta loss or tie and Minnesota loss or tie. Carolina can clinch division title with 1) a win and Tampa Bay loss or tie or 2) a tie and Tampa Bay loss. The Panthers are still hoping for a first round bye but will need to win and get some help for that to happen. Last week's loss at Washington really hurt Dallas. The Cowboys, 8-6, need to win and get some help.

Giants at Redskins
This is a big game for both teams. New York (10-4) leads the NFC East and holds the tiebreaker against Carolina because of its 8-3 conference record. The Giants can clinch playoff spot with a Minnesota loss or tie and can clinch division title with a win or tie. The Redskins (8-6) currently occupy the second NFC wildcard spot. They hold the tiebreaker over Dallas, Minnesota and Atlanta with their 8-2 conference record and can clinch a playoff spot with a win, Dallas loss, Minnesota loss and Atlanta loss.

Falcons at Bucs
Both teams hurt themselves last week. However, the Bucs (9-5) still occupy the top wild card spot in the NFC. They can clinch a playoff berth with 1) a win, Dallas loss or tie and Washington loss or tie or 2) a win, Dallas loss or tie and Minnesota loss or tie or 3) a win, Washington loss or tie and Minnesota loss or tie. The Falcons (8-6) need to win and get a lot of help.
Colts at Seahawks
The Colts (13-1) have already won the AFC. After seeing their undefeated season go 'up in smoke', they seemingly have nothing to play for. The Seahawks (12-2) have already won the NFC West and have clinched a first-round bye. They can win the NFC with 1) a win or tie or 2) Chicago loss or tie.

Raiders at Broncos
Denver (11-3) leads the AFC West and has clinched a playoff berth. The Broncos hold the tiebreaker against Cincinnati based on their 8-2 conference record. They can clinch division title with 1) a win or tie or 2) San Diego loss or tie and can clinch a first-round bye with a win and Cincinnati loss. Oakland has nothing to play for.

Bears at Packers
The Packers are playing out the string. Chicago (10-4) leads the NFC North and holds the tiebreaker against the Giants and the Panthers based on their 8-2 conference record. The Bears can clinch a playoff berth with 1) Washington loss or tie or 2) Tampa Bay loss. They can clinch the division title with 1) a win or tie or 2) a Minnesota loss or tie. They can clinch a first-round bye with a win, N.Y. Giants loss and Carolina loss.

Vikings at Ravens
Although they looked like a playoff-team on Monday Night, the Ravens will not be making the playoffs. The Vikings (8-6) need to win and get a lot of help.

Patriots at Jets
The Patriots (9-5) may rest some starters here as they have already clinched the AFC East but are unable to improve their position within the conference. The Jets have known that they wouldn't be making the playoffs for many weeks now.

Monday, December 19, 2005

Joke of the Day

Three Italian nuns die and go to heaven. At the Pearly Gates, they are met by St. Peter. He says "Sisters, you all led such wonderful lives that I'm granting you six months to go back to earth and be anyone you want to be."

The first nun says, "I want to be Sophia Loren;" and poof she's gone.

The second says, "I want to be Madonna;" and poof she's gone.

The third says, "I want to be Sara Pipalini." St. Peter looks perplexed. "Who?" he says. "Sara Pipalini;" replies the nun. St. Peter shakes his head and says; "I'm sorry, but that name just doesn't ring a bell."

The nun then takes a newspaper out of her habit and hands it to St. Peter. He reads the paper and starts laughing. He hands it back to her and says "No sister, the paper says it was the 'Sahara Pipeline' that was laid by 1,400 men in 6 months."

Packers/Ravens preview

Brett Favre makes his 30th appearance on Monday Night Football when Green Bay travels to Baltimore for an otherwise meaningless NFL exercise.

No one will ever forget Favre's most memorable performance under the spotlight two years ago, the night after his father passed away. The future Hall of Famer threw four touchdown passes on the road and achieved the highest passer rating of his career in a 41-7 rout of the Raiders.
Don't expect similar fireworks against the Ravens. Green Bay is 30th in the NFL in rushing offense, leading Favre to throw a league-high 22 interceptions, two shy of his career high.
The Packers don't figure to have much luck gaining ground against a Baltimore team that has held the opposition to less than 100 rushing yards seven times this season. The Ravens limited Denver, the top running team in the league, to 2.6 yards on 15 first-down carries last week. None of the running plays went for more than eight yards.

However, Favre could take advantage of a defensive formation that has been susceptible to big plays.

Green Bay is looking to win consecutive games for the first time this season, while Baltimore hopes to avoid its first 10-loss season since 1998.

The Ravens’ offense is the most anemic in club history and perhaps the worst ever in Charm City. But they're not even the worst scoring offense in the league this season, pulling ahead of the New York Jets by two points.

Baltimore is also well clear of Seattle's record low of 8.8 points per game set in 1992. The Ravens do rank near the bottom in passing and rushing. Quarterback Kyle Boller ranks 33rd in passer rating and tailback Jamal Lewis is 23rd in rushing.

Green Bay has lost by three points in both of its Monday night games this season. The Packers look to avoid going 0-4 against AFC opponents for the first time since 1985. That could be a tough chore against a Baltimore defense that has allowed six TDs in six home games.
The Ravens have won four of six at M&T Bank Stadium (3-3 ATS). Green Bay is 3-4, both straight up and against the spread, on the highway.

Baltimore has slipped below the limit at a 9-3-1 clip this season, ducking 'under' in all six of its home tests. The Packers have been on the low side in seven of their last eight games.
Most offshore books opened the Ravens as three-point favorites, with the total set at 34.

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Friday, December 16, 2005

NFL PLayoff Picture

Just 18 NFL teams still own Super Bowl aspirations as we enter Week 15. Last year at this time a record-tying 27 teams had either already clinched a playoff spot or were still mathematically alive for one. Amazingly, entering Week 16 of 2004, 26 teams still held Super bowl dreams.

The total of 18 teams which have either clinched a playoff spot or are still alive for one represents the lowest number of teams in any year since 1990 (the year the NFL adopted its 12-team playoff format). The previous-low came in 2000, when 19 teams entered Week 15 with Super Bowl hopes. So what's happened this year? Is there a bigger disparity between the haves and the have-nots?

Four teams have already won at least 10 games this year, led of course by the 13-0 Indianapolis Colts. The Seahawks are 11-2 while the Bengals and Broncos are both 10-3. Conversely, five teams have already lost 10 games or more, led by the 1-12 Houston Texans, who are threatening to become just the EIGHTH team to go 1-15 since the NFL went to a 16-game schedule in 1978. The first team to do it was the 1980 New Orleans Saints. The most recent to do it was the 2001 Carolina Panthers.

The Colts and Seahawks have already clinched playoff spots, while the Broncos and Bengals are almost assured of doing so. The Bengals are quite a story, as they entered this year with the league's longest current playoff drought, at 14 straight non-playoff seasons. Five more teams already own nine wins and six others have won eight games. In 2003, a record-high 13 teams won at least 10 games, making it possible that the 2005 season could end with that many 10-win teams, or at least very close to that many.

The 1998 season saw six teams lose at least 12 games, the most in any year since 1978. That season, three teams lost 13 games with three more losing 12 times. Joining the Texans as double-digit losers in 2005 are the 49ers (2-11), the Jets (3-10), the Packers (3-10) and the Saints (3-10). Three of the 10-game losers (Jets and Packers) made the playoffs last year. Of the 14 teams already eliminated from the 2005 playoff picture, the Eagles and Rams (both 5-8) join the Jets and Packers as 2004 playoff participants.

Philadelphia entered this year owning the NFL's longest current playoff streak, having made five straight playoff appearances, not to mention playing in the last four straight NFC title games, as well as last year's Super Bowl. The Eagles have already become the SIXTH Super Bowl loser in the past seven, not to make the playoffs the following year. One more loss and the Eagles will be the FIFTH team in that stretch to also finish with a losing record (how quickly things change these days in the NFL!).

Both the Packers and Rams have been regular playoff participants as well. Green Bay had made the playoffs 10 of the previous 12 seasons, including four of the last five. The team won the Super Bowl after the 1996 season and then lost to Denver the following year, in Super Bowl XXXIII. As for the Rams, the team's Super Bowl-winning season of 1999 began a run of five playoff appearances in six years, which included a loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI.

With the Bengals just about assured of a playoff spot, the Arizona Cardinals will enter next year with the league's longest current playoff drought at seven straight. Buffalo and Detroit have now missed the playoffs for six straight years and will likely be joined by the 7-6 Redskins, before the year is out.

AFC playoff picture

The Bengals, Broncos and Pats should join the Colts as division winners. The 9-4 Jaguars will likely end their five-year playoff drought by claiming one of the two wild card spots. Jacksonville's three remaining games are against the 49ers, Texans and Titans, teams which own a combined record of 7-32.

That leaves only one spot for Kansas City, Pittsburgh and San Diego. The Chargers may have let too many opportunities slip away, having lost five games by a total of just 14 points. The Colts may begin resting starters the last two weeks but not this week, so San Diego faces a brutal finishing schedule with trips to Indy this week, KC in Week 16 and a home game versus Denver in Week 17.

The Steelers have a much easier schedule than Kansas City. Both teams have tough assignments this week, with Pittsburgh at Minnesota (Vikings have won six straight) and the Chiefs at the New York Giants (7-1 at home). However, Pittsburgh finishes at Cleveland (4-9) and home to Detroit (4-9), while the Chiefs host the Chargers and Bengals. I make the Steelers a small favorite to claim the sixth and final AFC playoff berth but if the Chiefs can win at the Meadowlands on Sunday, it could come down to tie-breakers.

NFC playoff picture

Only Seattle is assured of a playoff spot. The Seahawks probably will also clinch home-field advantage as well. Unlike the AFC, the other three division races are still wide-open. For the Giants to hold off the Cowboys in the East, a win over the Chiefs this week in the Meadowlands would put them in good shape. New York finishes with road games at Washington and Oakland. The Cowboys will be in big trouble if they can't beat the Redskins this week in Washington, as they travel to Carolina in Week 16, before a Week 17 home game with the Rams.

The NFC South has the Bucs and Panthers tied at 9-4, with Atlanta one game back at 8-5. Like the Chargers, Atlanta has blown too many opportunities this year. With road games at Chicago and Tampa, plus a Week 17 home game with Carolina still remaining (all opponents currently are nine-win teams), the Falcons almost have to beat the Bears in Chicago Sunday night, or they'll be home for the holidays. Carolina plays the Saints in San Antonio this week, then gets Dallas at home before finishing in Atlanta. Tampa Bay plays in New England on Saturday but finishes with home games with Atlanta and New Orleans.

Chicago leads the red-hot Vikings by one game in the North. If the Bears don't beat the Falcons on Sunday the team could easily lose road games at Green Bay and Minnesota the final two weeks. If the Vikings can beat the Steelers at home on Sunday, the team will be favored at Baltimore in Week 16 and at home versus Chicago in Week 17.

I'm not sure of anything in the NFC, but the Cowboys and Falcons really need road wins. The Panthers can't possibly afford to lose at San Antonio to the Saints. The Bears, Giants and Vikings are all at home, with the Bears and Giants all but clinching playoff berths with a win

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Thursday, December 15, 2005

Thursday December 15, 2005 NHL Trends

Vancouver vs Philadelphia
Canucks have only won 2 of L10 meetingsFlyers have gone under 6 of L6 at home

Columbus vs Carolina
Blue Jackets have gone over 5 of L7 away gamesCanes have gone over 5 of L6

Dallas vs Ottawa
Stars have won 9 of L12 away gamesSens have won 12 of L14 at home

Atlanta vs New Jersey
Thrashers have gone over 5 of L5 overallDevils have won 5 of L7 at home

Detroit vs Florida
Red Wings have won 3 of L4 away gamesPanthers have gone over 5 of L6 at home

Chicago vs Nashville
Black Hawks are 1 of L6 away gamesPredators have won 13 of L16 at home

Boston vs Minnesota
Bruins have gone under 5 of L7 away gamesWild have gone under 7 of L8 overall

Tampa Bay vs Phoenix
Lightning have won 4 of L4 meetingsCoyotes have gone under L4 meetings at Glendale

Montreal vs Edmonton
Canadiens have not won in L5 away gamesOilers have gone over 8 of L12 at home

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Wednesday, December 14, 2005

NBA Trends Dec 14 2005

The Memphis offense has sputtered during the team's current two-game mini-slump. The Grizzlies shot 34 percent and converted 41-of-65 attempts from the charity stripe in their past two outings. They lost those games by a combined 21 points, making those 24 misses from the free throw line even more noteworthy.

Compare those statistics to the six-game winning streak, when the Grizzlies averaged 21 assists, out-rebounded opponents (230-222) and outshot teams (48-39.5 percent).
Memphis looks to break out of its brief funk Wednesday when it hosts the Los Angeles Lakers. The Grizzlies have been idle since losing Saturday at Indiana, while the Lakers will be playing their sixth straight road game.

Los Angeles treated Memphis rudely when it had Shaquille O'Neal, but the tables have been turned recently. The Grizzlies have won and cashed in the last four series battles by an average of 16.3 points per game.

The Lakers were hammered in their initial visit to the FedEx Forum this season, scoring only 47 points through three quarters en route to an 85-73 loss. Memphis has cashed six of its last seven versus Los Angeles at home.

However, the Lakers have shown marked improvement since, winning five of their last six overall and four of five on the road. Los Angeles has cashed five of its last six as road underdogs.
The Grizzlies have slipped below the number in their last six trips to the post, while the Lakers have followed suit in seven of 10 on the highway.

Trends and angles for the remainder of Wednesday's menu appear below.

HAWKS at 76ERS
Atlanta played Tuesday at Cleveland while Philadelphia took the night off following a home win over Minnesota in overtime. The Hawks have lost 10 of 11 on the road, coming up short in three of their last four as underdogs. The 76ers are 4-9 against the spread since Nov. 18 and they have failed in their last three chances as home favorites. Philadelphia has won three straight after falling short in eight of its previous 10 games. Atlanta has lost its last three at the Wachovia Center by an average of 18 points. The last four clashes have been on the low side with the teams combining to average 191.8 points per game.

BULLS at RAPTORS
Chicago has won and cashed nine straight versus Toronto, getting the money in the last four clashes at Air Canada Centre. Toronto has been idle since winning Sunday at Charlotte. The Bulls played Tuesday versus Miami at home. Chicago has won three straight and six of its last seven on the road, both straight up and ATS. The Raptors are 1-9 at home, failing in eight of 10 as underdogs. The 'over' is 8-3 in the last 11 series showdowns with five of six north of the border zipping above the number. The Bulls have eclipsed the total in their last six road games.

PACERS at CELTICS
Indiana and Boston meet for the first time since last season's second-round playoff matchup that the Pacers won in seven games. The Celtics won in overtime at Conseco Fieldhouse only to get routed by 27 points at home. Indiana has cashed seven of its last 10 regular-season meetings against Boston, getting the cheddar in four of five in Beantown. The Pacers have won two straight and look to match their longest winning streak of the season. The Celtics return home after losing consecutive road games versus San Antonio and Dallas. Boston has yet to drop three straight this season.

KINGS at PISTONS
It is unlikely Detroit has forgotten what happened the last time it faced Sacramento this season at Arco Arena. The NBA slapped the Kings on the wrist after they showed derogatory images of Motown on their video screen. The Pistons prevailed on the court that night as 2 1/2-point favorites, 102-88. Detroit has won two of its last three versus the Kings at home by double-digits. The Pistons return home after winning three of four on the road. Sacramento played Tuesday at Minnesota. Detroit has dropped two straight as home favorites after getting the money in its first four opportunities. Detroit and the Kings have slipped below the number in the last seven series clashes, combining to average 182.4 points per game.

MAGIC at KNICKS
Orlando has won and 'covered' two of its last three versus New York after falling short in its previous eight ATS. The Magic snapped a four-game spread losing skid when they beat the Knicks at The Garden in their final visit last season, 104-98. Orlando put an end to a five-game slide with Sunday's home victory over Denver, 94-83. New York has lost three straight and five of its last six, including its last pair at home. The Knicks have zipped 'over' in their last five in the Big Apple.

CATS at NETS
New Jersey has won its first five versus Charlotte, cashing at a 4-1 clip. The Nets prevailed in the initial test this season as 2 1/2-point road favorites, 97-84. New Jersey played Tuesday at Washington while the Bobcats were hosting Denver. The Nets have lost three straight at Continental Airlines Arena, where they are just 2-6 as favorites. Charlotte has lost 10 straight on the road, though it has cashed three straight as underdogs. The last three series encounters have slipped 'under'.

HEAT at BUCKS
Miami played its first game under coach Pat Riley on Tuesday at Chicago. Milwaukee had the night off after trouncing New York at home, 112-92. The Bucks have won three straight and six of their last seven, following a stretch where they lost six of nine. The Heat fell short in their first trip to the Bradley Center this season as three-point dogs, 105-100. Miami had won the five previous series showdowns, getting the cheddar four times. Ten of the last dozen series scrapes have been on the high side, including the last seven in Milwaukee where the teams combined to average 202.1 points per game. The Bucks have zipped 'over' in six of their last seven games and in four straight at home. The Heat have slipped 'under' in seven of their last eight away from home.

CLIPPERS at HORNETS
This was a very competitive series last season when the Los Angeles Clippers won three of four but could only 'cover' one of those meetings. New Orleans has come up short in three of its last four spread decisions against the Clippers at home. The Hornets have been idle since Monday when they snapped a five-game skid by upsetting Phoenix on the road, 91-87. Los Angeles toiled Tuesday at San Antonio. New Orleans and the Clippers have been on the low side in six of the last eight series encounters, including the last four played on the Hornets' court.

SUNS at MAVERICKS
Phoenix dropped its home opener to Dallas this season in double overtime, 111-108. The Mavericks have cashed five of seven versus the Suns, though they lost the last two series meetings at home, both SU and ATS. Phoenix had cashed five straight on the road until losing to the Clippers in their last try, 101-91. The Suns have 'covered' four straight as road underdogs. Conversely, Dallas has been a poor investment at home, faltering in six of eight as favorites.

BLAZERS at JAZZ
The host won and 'covered' all four series confrontations last season. Utah got a jump on the Portland in the initial test this season at the Rose Garden, 98-93. The Jazz are 8-4 ATS in the last dozen meetings and they have cashed five of six at the Delta Center. Nine of the last 12 series clashes have slipped 'under', including five of six at Utah.

ROCKETS at WARRIORS
Houston heads to Oakland looking to extend a three-game winning streak, its longest of the season. Golden State toiled Tuesday at Seattle. The Warriors have cashed three of four when playing on consecutive nights. Golden State has 'covered' six of its last nine versus the Rockets, getting the green in the last four at home. Houston is 7-2-1 ATS on the road this season.

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Monday, December 12, 2005

Monday Night Football: Saints/Falcons preview

Slumping Atlanta enters the final four weeks of the season facing third-and-long. The Falcons at one time were focused on securing home-field advantage throughout the postseason. That focus has now shifted to survival after three losses in their last four games.

Atlanta can hardly afford to take Monday night's home matchup with New Orleans lightly while looking ahead to road tests at Chicago and Tampa Bay. With four games remaining in the regular season, the Falcons are two games behind a division-leading Carolina team who they host in the season finale.

Atlanta would come up short of the playoffs if the season ended this week because, unlike last year, it hasn't won the close contests. The Falcons were 5-1 last season in games decided by three points or less. This season, they have lost three games by three points each, and have won just one that way.

New Orleans is hoping to avoid a series sweep after losing at the Alamodome in San Antonio during the first meeting, 34-31. Todd Petersen kicked a 36-yard field goal as time expired after gaining a reprieve. He missed from 41 yards one play earlier, but the Saints were whistled for holding.

Coach Jim Mora must hope that Michael Vick, who has been a mere mortal lately, regains his magic. The Panthers limited Vick’s scrambling and intercepted two passes in the fourth quarter. Vick's season statistics are modest at best, 158 completions in 282 attempts for 1,783 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

The Falcons' patchwork defense has really let them down. Rookie defensive end Chauncey Davis has struggled filling in for injured veteran Brady Smith. Atlanta yielded 456 yards to the Saints (211 rushing, 245 passing) in the first meeting between the teams.

New Orleans' dismal season continued last Sunday when it fell for the seventh time in eight games with a 10-3 loss to Tampa Bay in Baton Rouge. Aaron Brooks threw four interceptions, including one in the end zone on the Saints' final drive that could have tied the score.

New Orleans has won five of its past six road games versus the NFC-South and 'covered' seven straight. The Saints have won 16 of 23 when Brooks has a 100+ passer rating. He has compiled a 102.1 passer rating in four road games versus the Falcons.

The Falcons, failing to get the green in four of the last five series confrontations, have cashed six straight coming off a road loss.

Most offshore books opened Atlanta as a 10-point favorite, with the total set at 44.

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Friday, December 09, 2005

This Weeks NFL Top Ten

1. INDIANAPOLIS (12-0 SU, 9-3 ATS)
The Colts continue their run to perfection. The next two weeks will provide the biggest tests for them to close this campaign. While everyone continues to talk about San Diego, I am more interested in what Indianapolis will do down in Jacksonville against a team that dominated the trenches in the first meeting. The Jaguars' Jack Del Rio will certainly have his team prepared for this one, and I'm wondering if I’ll be writing about a different No. 1 next week.

2. SEATTLE (10-2 SU, 7-5 ATS)
The Seahawks proved they're the No. 1 team in the NFC with Monday's 42-0 whitewash of the Eagles, and all I can think about were the emails I received about these ratings several weeks back, and how Carolina was the conference's top team, not Seattle. Shaun Alexander may be getting the headlines for this team, but this defense is stellar, and could be the difference in this team getting to the, ahem, dare I say it: the Super Bowl.

3. CHICAGO (9-3 SU, 8-3-1 ATS)
The Bears' defense is simply the best in the league. My problem is this all of a sudden loyalty to Rex Grossman and the spotlight suddenly becoming focused on him. Apparent concerns still exist within Bears management about Grossman's durability, although he is fully recovered from his ankle surgery. And let's face it, the situation is moot if starter Kyle Orton plays well this week against Pittsburgh. But so what if he falls on his face. The chemistry all around has
resulted in an eight-game win streak.

4. DENVER (9-3 SU, 8-3-1 ATS)
So much for the rushing defense and a solid effort from Jake Plummer. The Broncos hadn't allowed more than 24 points in any of their last 11 games before Kansas City ran roughshod through them for 31. Defense needs to be a high priority the rest of the season, beginning this week against the Ravens. The defensive front needs to be awoken, wreaking havoc at the line and finding the blitzing schemes, otherwise, heading into the postseason won't be as easy as they may have thought.

5. NEW ENGLAND (7-5 SU, 5-7 ATS)
The Bills' solid play at home should be a cause for concern this week, as the Patriots scored the winning touchdown with a little more than five minutes remaining at Gillette Stadium on Oct. 30. A Patriots' win will mean they can finish no worse than 8-8. New England has been dominant in the division over the past five seasons with a 23-6 mark, so focusing on beating Buffalo is essential on Sunday.

6. CAROLINA (9-3 SU, 7-5 ATS)
The Panthers are 9-3 for the first time in franchise history, and the good news is Carolina is 11-3 in December under John Fox, including 6-0 at home, where they'll face the Buccaneers this week. The Panthers are fourth in total defense, their highest ranking of the season. They have yielded just two more yards than third-ranked Indianapolis. And scoring, well, let's just say it's a jungle with the big, black cats lurking: the Panthers have scored 34 touchdowns and allowed just 20. They have allowed just one touchdown in the last four games.

7. CINCINNATI (9-3 SU, 7-4-1 ATS)
If the Bengals defeat Cleveland this week at Paul Brown Stadium and Chicago wins at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati will claim the AFC North Division Championship. And before these jungle stripes let their cocky attitudes get the best of them, they need to remember that as of yet, they've yet to clinch anything in regards to the playoffs, and they should clearly remember Cleveland as a very rude houseguest during the Holidays. In 2003, a 4-11 Browns team upset Cincinnati in the season finale at Paul Brown Stadium, dropping the Bengals to an 8-8 finish and eliminating them from playoff contention.

8. SAN DIEGO (8-4 SU, 8-3-1 ATS)
What's this about LaDainian Tomlinson not playing? So what he missed practice yesterday and big deal if he is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against Miami. I don't listen to trainers' reports and injury reports – I listen to the players! And the Chargers' star running back said there was "no doubt" he would play. San Diego needs Tomlinson to step up and provide leadership to keep this team focused on this Sunday, rather than Indy Sunday.

9. JACKSONVILLE (9-3 SU, 7-4-1 ATS)
Fred Taylor would be a welcome return this week, huh? But guys, it's not about the offense in this one, it's about the one defense that got to Indianapolis this season. And though the game resulted in a loss for the Jags, this one could be much different, as Del Rio said Monday there were certain intangibles he's found on game film that he will take advantage of this week. And for the record, Taylor practiced without incident this week, revealing clear indications that he will make his first appearance in three weeks this Sunday.

10. TAMPA BAY (8-4 SU, 6-6 ATS)
The Panthers are allowing teams to run for just 3.5 yards per carry and have the league's second-best rush defense, and the last time they played Carolina, the Buccs could only muster a meager 44 yards on the ground. True, they rushed just 18 times in meeting No. 1, but that's still a paltry average of 2.4 yards per carry. Tampa Bay needs to establish the running game this week against Carolina in meeting No. 2, and we just may see that thanks to much better blocking by this team of late. Keep this in mind: when they played Carolina, coach Jon Gruden still had his offense devoting a lot of three- and four-wide receiver sets to the scheme. Now the concentration is back in the trenches. This is a must-win situation.

Dropped out Pittsburgh

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Thursday, December 08, 2005

NFL Week 14 Betting Trends

Chicago's eight-game winning streak could be in dire jeopardy Sunday at Pittsburgh. The Steelers, with their backs against the wall after last week's loss to Cincinnati, try to avoid missing the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

Pittsburgh has cashed 10 of its last 11 after an upset loss to a division rival as a favorite. The Steelers have also 'covered' 10 of their last dozen as favorites of 3 1/2 to seven points at Heinz Field.

The Bears, 7-1 ATS in their last eight outings, have cashed four of five on the road this season. However, Chicago is 5-20 ATS on the road during the last four weeks of the regular season.
The Bears have been on the low side in 10 of 12 games this season. They have also slipped below the limit in seven straight after playing a home game. Conversely, Pittsburgh has zipped 'over' in six straight home games while averaging 26 points.

Trends and angles for the remainder of the Week 14 menu appear below.

BUCS at PANTHERS
Carolina has won five of six at home and cashed four of its last five at Ericsson Stadium. The Panthers have 'covered' 11 of 14 during the second half of the season and 28 of 41 in December. They have also clicked in 13 of 16 after allowing 14 points or less in their last outing. Tampa Bay is 4-2 on the road (3-3 ATS). The Buccaneers have dropped eight of their last 10 spread decisions versus Carolina, coming up short in their last five on the road ATS. Tampa Bay has faltered in eight of its last nine on road grass ATS. Seven of the last 10 series struggles have been on the low side. The Bucs have slipped 'under' in 10 of 28 on the road and in 16 of 21 conference tests on the highway. The Panthers have slipped below the limit in 18 of 23 at home following two or more straight wins.

PATRIOTS at BILLS
New England has its sights set on cashing two straight for the first time this season. The defending champs are 8-1 ATS after winning three of four. The Patriots have also clicked in 11 of 12 when the total was between 35 1/2 and 42. Buffalo has lost five of its last six to drop out of the playoff chase. The Bills are 4-1-1 ATS in their last six appearances at Wilson Stadium. Buffalo has lost nine of its last 10 versus the Patriots, coming up short at Foxboro in the initial clash this season, 21-16. New England has dipped 'under' in four straight and five of its last six outings.

RAMS at VIKINGS
Minnesota has a chance to win and 'cover' six straight for the first time since turning the trick in the first six games of 2003. The Vikings are 4-0, both straight up and against the spread, at home since dropping their season opener to Tampa Bay. St. Louis has come up short in seven of its last 10 spread decisions and in four of six on the road. The Rams are 0-6 ATS after allowing six or more yards per play in their previous game. St. Louis has eclipsed the total in 21 of 30 on artificial turf. The Rams have bounced over in eight of 12 this season while Minnesota has headed in the opposite direction in eight of 12.

RAIDERS at JETS
The New York Jets have lost seven straight (0-6-1 ATS) and scored three points or less in three of four games. Oakland has faltered in four of its last five and failed to get the green in three of its last four. The Raiders have cashed four of their last six on the highway. The Jets have lost eight of their last 11 versus Oakland (2-7 ATS) and failed to cash the last three meetings at the Meadowlands. The Raiders have slipped below the number in four of their last five on the road and New York has followed suit in three of four overall.

COLTS at JAGUARS
Indianapolis is a perfect 6-0 ATS on the road this year. The Colts have also cashed 11 of 13 after scoring 25 points or more in two straight games and nine straight after gaining six or more yards per play in three consecutive games. The Jaguars have won five straight for the first time since 1999, the last time they advanced to the postseason. Jacksonville has 'covered' 10 of its last 13 as underdogs, including its first three tries this year. Indianapolis has zipped 'over' in 10 straight on the road after getting the money in five or six of seven.

TEXANS at TITANS
Houston has cashed four of its last five on the road. Tennessee took care of business against the Texans in the first meeting this season on the road, 34-20. The Titans have failed to get the green in nine of their last 10 at home during December and in 12 of their last 15 after losing two of three. Houston has dipped 'under' in 12 of 15 on the road in the second half of the season and in eight of its last nine in December.

BROWNS at BENGALS
Cincinnati must avoid a letdown after last week's win over Pittsburgh, one of the biggest in franchise history. The Bengals are 4-2 at Paul Brown Stadium, the two losses at the hands of the Steelers and Colts. Cincinnati is 10-2 ATS after cashing two of three. The Bengals have also clicked in nine of 10 after allowing 350 passing yards or more in their last game. Cleveland has dropped four straight spread decisions on the road after cashing its first pair. The 'over' is 8-2 in the last 10 series tussles at Cincinnati.

SKINS at CARDS
Arizona has failed in seven of eight as dogs this season. Washington is 12-3 ATS versus teams from the NFC-West. However, the Redskins have failed in 12 of their last 15 as road favorites of three points or less. They have also faltered in 19 of 24 against bad teams (win percentage of 25 to 40). The Cardinals have gone 'over' in eight straight games after scoring 14 points or less in their last outing. Washington has taken the low road in 19 of 28 away from home.

GIANTS at EAGLES
The New York Giants had lost and failed in their last four games versus Philadelphia until winning the season opener at home, 27-17. The Eagles have whipped the Giants in the last four meetings at home (3-1 ATS). New York has cashed three straight on the road despite losing two of three. The club has also cashed in nine of 11 this year overall.

49ERS at SEAHAWKS
Seattle has won six of its last eight versus San Francisco, including three of four at home. The 49ers have lost 18 of their last 20 on the road.

DOLPHINS at CHARGERS
Miami has won five straight versus San Diego over the last 10 seasons, including three straight on the road. The Dolphins have won two straight for the first time this year, following last week's come-from behind effort against Buffalo. San Diego is 21-4-4 ATS the past two seasons and 10-4-1 ATS at home. Seven of the last eight series scrapes have slithered 'under'. The Chargers have been on the low side in five of their last seven.
RAVENS at BRONCOS
Baltimore has faltered in six straight on the road after playing a home game. The Ravens have won and 'covered' in their last four meetings with the Broncos, including a win in 2001 at Mile High. Denver has knuckled 'under' in eight of nine at home following a division test. Baltimore has slipped 'under' in nine of its last 10 on grass.

CHIEFS at COWBOYS
Dallas is 28-13 ATS at home after scoring 14 points or less in its last game. The Cowboys have come up short in seven of their last 10 spread decisions versus AFC competition. Kansas City has split six games on the road this season, both SU and ATS. The Chiefs have zipped 'over' in 33 of 50 during the last four weeks of the regular season, including eight of nine in December. Dallas has dipped 'under' in four of six at home.

LIONS at PACKERS
Green Bay had defeated Detroit in eight of its last nine meetings until suffering a 17-3 road setback in the season opener. Green Bay is 33-18 ATS the last four weeks of the season. Four of the last five series showdowns have been on the low side. The Lions have stormed 'over' in 12 of 15 after three or more straight 'under' outings. The Packers have been on the high side in 10 straight following three or more consecutive losses.

SAINTS at FALCONS
New Orleans has cashed seven straight on the road versus division rivals. The Saints are also 39-21 ATS on the road during the second half of the season. Atlanta has failed to cash four of the last five series encounters. The Falcons have 'covered' six straight at home following a division road loss. They have also topped the number in 21 of 27 off a division road setback

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Learn Chinese in 5 minutes...

Ok read the english meanings and then OUTLOUD say the chinese words...

(You MUST read them out loud or it doesnt make as much sense)

1) Thats not right........ Sum Ting Wong
2) Are you harboring a fugitive................... Hu Yu Hai Ding
3) See me ASAP.............. Kum Hia Nao
4) Stupid Man................... Dum Fuk
5) Small horse................ Tai Ni Po Ni
6) Did you go to the beach?.................... Wai Yu So Tan
7) I bumped in to a coffee table............... Ai Bang Mai Fa Kin Ni
8) I think you need a face lift...................... Chin Tu Fat
9) It's very dark in here........................... Wao So Dim
10) I thought you were on a diet............... Wai Yu Mun Ching
11) This is a tow away zone....................... No Pah King
12) staying out of sight............................ Lei Ying Lo
13) He's cleaning his automobile................ Wa Shing Ka
14) Your body odor is offensive.................. Yu Stin Ki Pu
15)Great..................... Fa Kin Su Pah

NBA Trends

Miami is looking for lightning to strike twice Wednesday when it meets defending champ San Antonio for the first time this season. The Heat had lost five straight to the Spurs while averaging a paltry 72.2 points until turning the tables at home in last season's series finale, 96-92.

Miami wraps up a five-game trip that had a promising start, but is now on the brink of disappointing. The Heat won their first two games on their latest road trek against Atlanta and Sacramento before dropping their last pair against Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers.
San Antonio is off Monday’s 110-85 whipping of Orlando. It’s the first time the Spurs won by double-digits since Nov. 23. The victory also snapped San Antonio’s four-game skid against the spread. The Spurs are only 3-8 ATS in their last 11 trips to the post. They have also failed in five straight as home favorites.

Miami has lost three straight at San Antonio (1-1-1 ATS). The last six series squabbles have dipped well below the number, with the teams combining to average 159.7 points per game. The Heat have dribbled 'under' in seven of nine on the road this season.

Trends and angles for the remainder of Wednesday's card appear below.

LAKERS at RAPTORS
Toronto played at Washington on Tuesday while the Los Angeles Lakers were at Milwaukee. The Lakers are 0-3 ATS when playing on consecutive nights this season. The Raptors have lost eight of nine at Air Canada Centre and failed in seven of nine as home underdogs, though they have cashed two of their last three. Los Angeles is 3-1-1 in their last five tries against Toronto (0-2-1 ATS away). The Lakers pushed in their first chance as road favorites.

BULLS at MAGIC
Chicago looks to evade its second three-game losing skid of the season. The Bulls have won four of their last five on the road. Orlando is in the midst of a four-game SU and ATS losing slide after winning and cashing its previous four. Chicago prevailed in the initial clash this season as eight-point home favorites, 85-76. The Bulls have 'covered' four straight and seven of their last eight versus the Magic, including four of five at TD Waterhouse. The 'under' is 8-4 in the last dozen series tussles, though four of five in Florida have been on the high side.

BUCKS at 76ERS
Milwaukee played Tuesday while Philadelphia has been idle since Saturday when it lost at San Antonio, 100-91. The Bucks are 3-1 ATS when playing back-to-back. Milwaukee had lost and failed in five straight versus the 76ers until bouncing back with a pair of wins this season. The Bucks won at Philadelphia on opening night as 7 1/2-point dogs, 117-108 and held serve at the Bradley Center as 2 1/2-point favorites, 108-97. That game slipped below the total, snapping a five game series 'over' run. Philadelphia has lost three straight and seven of its last nine, falling short in three of its last four as road dogs.

NETS at CATS
New Jersey returns to the road, where it has won two straight, after dropping a pair at Continental Airlines Arena. Charlotte heads home following a 0-4 trip. The Bobcats have won three straight at home. The Nets swept four games versus Charlotte last season, the last three outings decided by seven points or less.

CELTICS at HORNETS
Boston toiled Tuesday at Houston while New Orleans returns home after a date at Memphis. The Celtics are 0-3 ATS when playing on consecutive nights. The Hornets have cashed three of four when playing back-to-back games. New Orleans has won three straight at home.

HAWKS at JAZZ
Atlanta played Tuesday at Denver while Utah was idle. The Jazz have won and 'covered' five straight against the Hawks, four of the triumphs by the double-digit route. Utah will be looking to end a four-game losing skid at the Delta Center. The Jazz are 2-7 ATS at home. The last four series encounters have been on the low side with the teams combining to average 170.5 PPG.

T-WOLVES at BLAZERS
Portland played Tuesday at Phoenix. Minnesota wraps up a four-game road trip after winning and cashing in its first three stops. The T-Wolves have prevailed in seven of their last nine, both SU and ATS. The Blazers have lost three straight at the Rose Garden. Minnesota nipped Portland at home in the first clash of the season as 11-point favorites, 90-86. The T-Wolves have won and 'covered' four of their last six in Oregon. Seven of the last eight series clashes have been on the low side, including four of five at Portland. Minnesota has slipped below the number in seven of its last eight trips to the post.

SUNS at WARRIORS
Phoenix heads to Oakland following a Tuesday test versus the Blazers. Golden State has been idle since last Friday when it nipped Charlotte at home, 107-100. The Warriors have won five straight and had cashed four in a row until falling short against the Cats. The Suns have cashed in their first three chances as road dogs this season. Golden State won its last two meetings with Phoenix last season and it has cashed in five straight meetings and five of six at home. The 'over' is 8-4 in the last dozen showdowns.

KNICKS at CLIPPERS
New York cashed in its only previous chance when playing on consecutive nights. The Los Angeles Clippers have won seven of eight at Staples Center. The Knicks have lost three straight at Los Angeles (1-2 ATS). Five of the last six shootouts have topped the total.

Joke of the Day

I had a bunch of Canadian dollars I needed to exchange so I went to the currency exchange window at the local bank.

I chose the shortest line, just one guy in front of me. He was an Asian guy who
was trying to exchange yen for dollars and he was a little agitated.

He asked the teller, "Why it change? Yestoday I get two hunat dolla fo yen. Today
I get hunat eighty?"

The teller says, "Fluctuations."

The Asian guy says, "Fluc you white guys too!"

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans Will Do Battle

The only matchup the country clamored to see is now a reality. The Texas Longhorns and USC Trojans will do battle on January 4 in the Rose Bowl to determine the No. 1 team in the land.
You couldn’t help but be impressed with the way both these programs performed in their final test of the season.

Texas wasted no time in stepping on the Colorado Buffaloes throats’ as they bolted out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and increased it to a more than comfortable 42-3 count at the half. QB Vince Young bounced back from his horrific performance vs. Texas A&M, and the Longhorn ground game simply dominated racking up 268 total yards from scrimmage. There was no stopping these guys in returning to Pasadena, and they now get a shot at prohibiting HC Pete Carroll and the Trojans from pulling off the three-peat.

Speaking of the Trojans, I could not believe what I was seeing as their game vs. UCLA progressed on Saturday afternoon. There was so much hype heading into this game out West that it should have been a foregone conclusion the game would end up a stinker. More times than naught when something in the media, news, or sports is publicized to death the topic usually fizzles out and becomes a huge letdown. That was exactly the case in this circumstance.
I thought UCLA plus the points was a stone cold solid lock. Good thing I released the ‘Over’ to all my clients instead, and we still had to wait till the final minutes to cash that ticket. USC simply dominated. The Bruins explosive offense looked like a peewee outfit going up against the Bears of ’85. And I’m still a firm believer that the Trojans “D” is still a year away from becoming dominant once again.

Quarterback Matt Leinart had himself a fantastic day, but it was all everything Reggie Bush who once again stole the show. This kid is simply the most electrifying collegiate athlete I’ve seen since Michael Vick dawned the Hokies jersey only a short five years ago. He rushed for over 200 yards in the first half of the game, and sat out a majority of the second to give way to RB’s White and Kirtman in mop up duty. This performance no doubt clinched his ownership of the Heisman in my mind, and it would be very disappointing if anyone other than he was standing on the podium giving his acceptance speech in a few weeks.

This is by far one of the most anticipated BCS Championship games since the system was unveiled. There will be tons of talent roaming both sidelines, and one can only hope this year’s game in Pasadena will be as entertaining as it was a year ago when Texas knocked off Michigan in a high scoring thriller. That being said, we’ve already seen what USC can do to the hype monster.

Was the Trojans regular season a bunch of exhibition games leading up to the ONLY game that interested them? Will HC Mack Brown go a season without choking one away? Will history repeat itself, or will one of the best dynasties in all of college football pick up the hardware for the third season in a row?

Buy your picks at Who2beton or at Don Best

Monday, December 05, 2005

Monday Night Football: Seahawks/Eagles preview

Barring a miracle, Philadelphia is going to miss the playoffs for the first time since 1999, coach Andy Reid's first season at the helm. Conversely, Seattle can cinch its second consecutive division title and third playoff berth in a row with a win.

That sounds like a recipe for another Monday night mismatch when the Eagles and Seahawks lock up at Lincoln Financial Field. However, two factors may keep the score close.
Philadelphia, unlike some other losing teams in the NFL, has not yet given up the fight. Though the Eagles are 1-3 since Terrell Owens' controversial departure, they have been in all four games. Three of those losses have occurred by an average of six points.

Philadelphia has also been a tough customer at home, winning four of five. The Eagles are only 2-4 in their last six as underdogs, but they cashed at an 18-5-2 clip previously as short-enders.
Seattle has a chance to match the franchise record for consecutive victories when it visits the defending conference champs. The Seahawks own the top record in the NFC at 9-2, matching the best start in franchise history.

However, traveling east has not been kind to Seattle. The Seahawks are 7-13 under coach Mike Holmgren on the other coast, dropping six of their last seven.

Seattle led at halftime of its season opener at Jacksonville before losing 26-14. The club also lost in overtime at Washington when Josh Brown's field goal attempt clanged off the left upright on the last play of regulation.

The Seahawks have been involved in more than their fair share of nail-biters this year, with five of their wins coming by six points or less.

Philadelphia snapped a four-game losing skid at home last week when it came from behind to beat Green Bay, 19-14. The Eagles ran the ball (34) more than they passed it (28) for the first time this season. Philadelphia's run-pass ratio is almost 50 percent since Mike McMahon took over for Donovan McNabb at quarterback.

Shaun Alexander, who has four straight 100-yard games and eight this season, faces an Eagles defense that is ranked 16th in the league against the run.

Philadelphia entered the season with a 6-2 record on Monday night under Reid, but it has already lost this season to Atlanta and Dallas. The Eagles have cashed 20 of their last 28 against teams from the NFC-West.

The Seahawks have been on the high side in eight of nine on the road when the total was between 35 1/2 and 42 and in 13 of 15 overall with the same numbers in play.

Most offshore books opened Seattle as a three-point favorite, with the total set at 42.

Friday, December 02, 2005

NFL December Streaks

One would think that December is generally the month when NFL teams that are hot are determined to stay hot as they make their playoff push. Our research has found that, while this is VERY true when the hot team is at home, it is a totally different story when it goes on the road. In fact, if you simply bet EVERY SINGLE HOME TEAM blindly during the month of December since 1985, you would be 620-551-25, 52.9 percent ATS.

While that record would produce just a modest profit, it does underscore the fact that home field advantage becomes more important as it gets later in the year regardless of the climate the home team plays in. Getting back to our point regarding hot teams, the following data shows that they are a virtual gold mine at home in December, and simultaneously a nice fade on the road (All records are since 1985):

ALL TEAMS AFTER W3+ SU (December Games Only)
Home: 102-64-5, 61.4% ATSAway: 81-119-6, 40.5% ATS

ALL TEAMS AFTER W4+ SU (December Games Only)
Home: 66-38-3, 63.5% ATSAway: 53-63-5, 45.7% ATS

Starting with the teams that have won exactly three games in a row straight up, if you simply bet the home team in the following game regardless of if it is the hot team or its opponent, you would be 221-145-11, 60.4 percent ATS! That is an extraordinary percentage given the sample size. As you can see, if we then expand the parameter to include all teams that have won four or more games in a row, the home winning percentage jumps up to 63.5 percent.

However, fading teams off of W4+ on the road only yields a 54.3 percent win rate, which while still good pales when compared to the other home angles we have discussed.

Therefore, our advice would be to play ON any home team that has won four or more consecutive games, but to play AGAINST only road teams that have won EXACTLY three straight contests.

So far all of the streaks we have discussed have been straight up, so we decided to take a look at teams that have either won or lost three or more straight games against the spread. Here are those results (Again, all since 1985):

ALL TEAMS AFTER W3+ ATS (December Games Only)
Home: 81-60-6, 57.4% ATSAway: 59-89-5, 39.9% ATS

ALL TEAMS AFTER L3+ ATS (December Games Only)
Home: 86-85, 50.3% ATSAway: 52-79-3, 39.7% ATS

Here, it looks like there is money to be made betting AGAINST these teams on the road, regardless of whether they are coming off of a W3+ or L3+ ATS steak. If we combine the road fade records for both occurrences, we would be 168-111-8, 60.2% ATS!

Finally, look for those special occasions when you can get a December home team that has won three or more in a row BOTH SU and ATS, as well as December road teams that have lost three or more in a row BOTH SU and ATS. This is because the former is 59-32-4, 64.8 percent ATS, while the latter is 31-55-1 ATS for a fade percentage of 64.0 percent!

Thursday, December 01, 2005

Week 13 NFL Trends

Atlanta @ Carolina
Falcons are 10-2-2 ATS L/14 in this series Falcons have gone 'under' 17 of L/25 on the road Falcons have gone 'over' in 5 of L/7 overall Falcons are 5-9 ATS L/14 against division opponents Falcons lead the league in rushing yards averaging 183.1 PG Panthers are 6-3 ATS L/9 at home Panthers have gone 'over' in 7 of the L/10 games Panthers are 27-13 ATS L/30 December games Panthers /Falcons have gone 'under' in 8 of L/10 meetings

Buffalo@ Miami
Bills are 2-5 ATS L/7 in this series Bills have gone 'under' in in 18 of L/26 on the road Bills are 1-4 ATS L/5 away Bills are 1-5 ATS as an underdog this season Bills are 6-2 ATS L/8 December contests Dolphins are 4-15 ATS L/19 at home Dolphins have gone 'over' in 7 of L/10 at home Dolphins are 19-36 ATS L/54 December contests Dolphins are 0-9 SU after out-gaining their opponents last time out Dolphins/Bills have gone 'over' in 4 of L/6 in South Florida

Cincinnati@ Pittsburgh
Bengals 3-6-1 ATS L/10 in this series Bengals have gone 'over' in 12 of L/17 on the road Bengals are 8-0-1 ATS L/9 away Bengals 4-0 ATS L/4 on a grass field Steelers are 10-2 ATS L/12 at home as a favorite of 3 ½ to 7 points Steelers have gone 'over' in 7 straight home games Steelers are 8-1 vs. the moneyline after being out-gained by an opponent Steelers are 11-5 ATS L/16 against division opponents Steelers /Bengals in 5 of L/7 meetings in the Steel City

Dallas @ NY Giants
Cowboys are 2-5 ATS L/7 in this series Cowboys have gone 'over' in 10 of the L/14 road tilts Cowboys are 10-5 ATS L/15 vs division opponents Cowboys are 9-6 ATS L/15 as road underdogs of 3 points or less Cowboys are 5-1 L/6 against the moneyline after playing Broncos Giants are 6-2 ATS L/8 at home Giants have gone 'over' in 6 of the L/8 overall Giants are 7-1 ATS L/8 against conference foes Giants 3-0 ATS L/3 avenging a lossGiants are 16-34 ATS L/50 during Weeks 10-13 Giants/Cowboys have gone 'over' in 4 of L/5 in NY

Green Bay @ Chicago
Packers are 9-2 ATS L/11 at the Windy CityPackers have gone 'under' in 5 of the L/6 games Packers have gone 'over' 21 of L/28 after two or more consecutive losses Packers are 0-3 ATS vs division opponents this season Bears are 5-1-1 ATS L/7 overall Bears have gone 'under' in 8 of the L/9 games Bears have gone 'under' in 5 of the L/6 home contests Bears have gone 'under' 11 of L/17 with a total of 35 or less Bears are 6-1 ATS L/6 against conference opponents Bears/Packers have gone 'over' in 9 of L/12 in Chicago

Houston @ Baltimore
Texans are 0-1 ATS vs the Ravens all time Texans have gone 'over' in 6 of the L/8 overall Texans are 3-6 ATS L/9 against AFC North division foes Texans have covered 3 of L/4 on the road Ravens are 4-10 ATS L/14 overall Ravens have gone 'under' in 4 straight home games Ravens have gone 'under' in 8 of L/10 vs AFC South opposition Ravens are 0-5 ATS L/5 vs AFC South division opponents

Jacksonville @ Cleveland
Jaguars are 3-1 ATS and 4-0 SU at Cleveland Jaguars have gone 'over' in 4 of the L/5 away Jaguars are 6-2 ATS L/8 on the road Jaguars are 8-1 ATS L/9 with a total of 35 or less Jaguars are 8-3 ATS L/11 week 10 through 13 Browns are 3-6 ATS L/9 at home Browns have gone "under' in 8 of L/9 home games Browns are 3-12 ATS L/15 against an above .500 team Browns /Jaguars went 'over' in L/2 meetings in Cleveland

Minnesota @ Detroit
Vikings are 3-7 ATS L/10 in this series Vikings have gone "under' in 11 of the L/14 overall Vikings have gone 'under' in 8 of L/9 away Vikings are 3-8 ATS L/11 on the road Vikings are 4-1 ATS L/5 as a favorite Lions are 11-4 ATS L/15 after two or more consecutive losses Lions have gone 'under' in 4 of L/6 overall Lions are 5-2 ATS L/7 in December Lions are 11-7 ATS L/18 at home as an underdog of 3 points or less Lions/Vikings have gone 'over' in 10 of L/13 in Motown

Tampa Bay @ New Orleans
Buccaneers are 4-2 ATS L/6 at Louisiana Buccaneers have gone 'under' in 5 of L/6 away Buccaneers have gone 'under' in 13 of L/19 overall Buccaneers are 2-8 ATS L/10 away Buccaneers have covered 7 of L/21 road contests Saints are 4-8-1 ATS L/13 when designated a home team Saints have gone 'under' in 13 of the L/19 tilts Saints have gone 'under' in 10 of L/14 against division opponents Saints are 2-8 against the moneyline L/10 at home Saints /Buccaneers have gone 'over' in 4 straight meetings

Tennessee @ Indianapolis
Titans are 0-5 ATS /SU L/5 meetings in this series Titans have gone 'over' in 6 of L/8 away Titans have gone 'over' in 8 of L/9 December games Titans are 1-8 ATS L/9 December contests Titans 5-10 ATS L/15 against division opponents Colts are 8-3 ATS on the season Colts have gone 'over' in 5 of L/6 overall Colts have gone 'over' in 7 of L/8 at home with total of 49 1/2 or higher Colts have gone 'over' in 4 straight games after a Monday Night football Colts are 7-1 ATS L/8 at home Colts as chalk of 10 points or more are 6-7 ATS L/13 Colts/Titans in 4 of L/6 meetings in Indy

Arizona @ San Francisco
Cardinals are 0-5 ATS/SU L/5 at 49'ers in this series Cardinals have gone 'over' in 5 straight road games Cardinals have gone 'over' in 8 of L/9 vs conference opponents Cardinals are 5-16 L/21 on the road 49'ers are 7-15 ATS L/22 overall 49'ers in 9 of the L/12 home games 49'ers in 7 straight home games with a total of between 42 ½ and 45 points 49'ers are 5-10 ATS L/15 against sub par .500 squads 49'ers are 2-7 ATS L/9 with a line of +3 to -3 49'ers/Cards have gone 'over' in 4 of the L/5 meetings

Washington @ St. Louis
Redskins are 5-1 ATS L/6 at St. Louis in this series Redskins have gone 'under' in 9 of the L/13 away Redskins are 3-12 ATS L/15 as a 3 point or less road favorite Redskins are 4-0 ATS L/4 against NFC West division opponents Redskins are 11-6 ATS L/17 dome games Rams are 3-6 ATS L/9 at home Rams have gone 'over' in 7 of L/9 overall Rams are 5-16 ATS L/21 against NFC East division opponents Rams /Redskins have gone 'over in 7 of L/10 meetings

Denver @ Kansas City
Broncos are 5-1 ATS L/6 against Chiefs Broncos have gone 'over' in 7 of L/8 away Broncos are 8-2 ATS on the season Broncos are 11-2 ATS L/13 vs division opponents Broncos are 5-1 ATS L/6 against conference opposition Chiefs are 4-1 ATS L/5 home games Chiefs have gone 'over' in 7 of L/8 December games Chiefs have gone 'under' in 4 of the L/5 home games Chiefs are 6-3 ATS L/9 against conference opponents Chiefs/Broncos have gone 'over' in 7 of L/8 games

NY Jets @ New England
Jets are 7-1 ATS L/8 at New England Jets have gone 'under' in 34 of L/52 December games Jets are 0-6 ATS on the road this season Jets are 7-15 ATS L/23 as underdogs Jets are 3-8 ATS L/11 overall Pats are 16-6 ATS L/22 at home Pats have gone 'under' in 15 of L/23 at home Pats are 10-3 ATS L/13 vs division opposition Pats are 10-5 ATS L/15 vs a losing team Pats/Jets have gone 'over' in 2 of L/3 overall meetings

Oakland @ San Diego
Raiders are 0-5 ATS L/5 vs Chargers Raiders have gone 'under' in 11 of L/16 against a winning team Raiders are 8-22 ATS L/30 against conference opponents Raiders are 3-13 ATS L/16 against division opposition Raiders 9-20 ATS L/29 as underdogs Chargers are 9-3-1 ATS L/13 at home Chargers have gone 'over' in 13 of L/19 overall Chargers 5-1 ATS L/6 overall Chargers 14-4 ATS L/18 against a team with a losing record Chargers/Raiders have gone 'under' in 4 of L/6 overall meetings

Seattle @ Philadelphia
Eagles have gone 'under' 12 of L/15 MNFSeahawks have failed to cover in 2 of 3 as MNF road favorite

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Wednesday, November 30, 2005

2005/06 Heisman Race



Reggie Bush had a career-defining game two weeks ago against Fresno State when he 'ripped' the Bulldogs for 513 all-purpose yards. Vince Young had his national stage this past Saturday against Texas A&M, but things did not go as well. Young had one of his worst games of the year against a Texas A&M defense that entered the game ranked 109th in the nation.
It seems this year's Heisman race will come down to where it all began, a choice between USC teammates Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart. My latest Heisman update appears below.

1) REGGIE BUSH (USC) Last Week: 1.
I wrote two weeks ago that I couldn’t imagine that even Bush's most ardent supporters don't feel as if the Heisman is slipping from Reggie's grasp. It seemed a fair statement at the time. After all, Bush had failed to top 100 yards in three of his previous four games (averaged 85.8 YPG), scoring just two TDs. How quickly things can change. Bush's game against Fresno State was "one for the ages" and his performance likely won him the Heisman. His 50-yard TD run late in the third quarter, not only capped a 28-point outburst by USC, but left anyone watching believing that Gale Sayers had been reincarnated! Reggie's performance defies description and is likely his Heisman-defining moment, much like Carson Palmer (2002) and Matt Leinart (2004) had in their games versus Notre Dame. Bush ran for a career-high 294 yards with two TDs. He caught three passes for 68 yards and added 151 yards in kick returns. That adds up to 513 all-purpose yards, a total that shattered the previous USC record of 368 held by Anthony Davis in 1972! The game vaulted him from No. 3 in all-purpose yards this year to No. 1, averaging 212.6 YPG. He now has more yards rushing this year than he's had in his two previous years combined and after entering the season with just two career 100-yard games, has had seven in 2005. Reggie will try to put an exclamation point on his season against UCLA this Saturday (had 204 yards against the Bruins last year). His season stats are: 163 carries 1398 yards 8.6 YPC 13 TDs / 31 catches 383 yards 12.4 YPC 2 TDs.

2) MATT LEINART (USC) Last Week: 2
I'm a huge supporter of Leinart and give him extra-credit for all his career accomplishments but like everyone else, I was blown away by Bush's performance against Fresno State. Leinart had a relatively quiet game, although as always, he calmly directed USC in its comeback win. He finished 22-of-33 for 200 yards with one TD and no interceptions (also ran for one score). Leinart is the unquestioned leader of this team and if he can lead the Trojans to two more wins (UCLA on Dec 3 and then in the Rose Bowl on January 4), there will few if any players in college football history, that will be able to match his career accomplishments. As of today, Leinart has led USC to 33 straight wins, the fifth-longest streak since 1900. He's had USC atop the AP rankings for 32 straight polls, an all-time record. The team has tied a Pac-10 record with 26 straight home wins and its 23 straight conference wins, is also a new Pac-10 record. Leinart is now 36-1 as a starter at USC with a TD-to-interception ratio of 95-23! His season stats are: 233-of-351 66.4 3217 yards 24 TDs 7 INTs / 6 rush TDs.

3) VINCE YOUNG (Texas) Last Week 3
Vince Young had a national showcase on Friday afternoon at College Station, but played a very poor game and pretty much left the Heisman race to Bush and Leinart. Playing against a defense that entered the game ranked 109th in the nation in Texas A&M, Young completed 13-of--24 for 162 yards with one TD and one interception. The 162 passing yards was his second-worst performance of the season and his 11 carries for just 19 yards, extended his rushing slump to 68 yards (25 carries / 2.7 YPC) in the three games since his 267-yard effort versus Oklahoma State. Texas won 40-29 for its 18th straight win and Young moved to 28-2 in his career as Texas' starting QB. He's had a great season but in my view, I'm not completely convinced he deserves to be ranked ahead of Quinn and Olson. I just don't understand the logic of people who have him ranked ahead of Bush and Leinart. Young will lead Texas against an undeserving Colorado team in Saturday's Big-12 title game and I doubt he can to much to improve his Heisman hopes against the Buffs. His season stats are: 168-of-268 62.7 2576 yards 23 TDs 9 INTs / 128 carries 793 yards 6.2 YPC 8 TDs.

4) BRADY QUINN (Notre Dame) Last Week: 4
Quinn continues to be a record-breaking 'machine' this year for Notre Dame. However, those records would not have meant as much if Quinn had been unable to lead Notre Dame on that final drive last Saturday night at Stanford. The Irish, more than two-TD favorite, found itself down 31-30 to the Cardinal with 1:46 remaining in the game. Starting at his own 20, Quinn led the Irish on a six-play 80-yard TD drive that took just 51 seconds. He was three-for-three for 67 yards and ran once for three yards. Walker's short TD run gave Notre Dame a 38-31 win and likely assured the school of a HUGE BCS payday. Quinn, who opened the game with an 80-yard TD pass on Notre Dame's first play of the game, finished 25-of-38 for 432 yards with three TDs and two interceptions. It marked his fourth 400-yard game this year and fifth of his career. In two years under Willingham, Brady completed just over 50 percent of his passes (50.8), throwing 26 TDs and 25 interceptions. However, under the tutelage of Charlie Weis, Quinn has spent the season re-writing the Notre Dame record book. He now has nine straight games of more than 250 yards passing, giving him a school-record 16 in his career. Two weeks ago, he went over 3,000 passing yards for the season, a first by an Irish QB. He passed Ron Powlus as the school's all-time leader in passing yards in the game versus Syracuse (has 8,050 career yards) and his three TD passes against Stanford gives him 32 on the year, extending the Notre Dame single-season record. His school-record streak of games with at least one TD pass is up to 16 and in the five games since the USC loss, Quinn has averaged 349.6 YPG passing and thrown 18 TDs with just three interceptions. His season stats are: 263-of-405 64.9 3633 yards 32 TDs 7 INTs / 1 rush TD.

5) DREW OLSON (UCLA) Last Week: 5
Bruin fans will argue that Olson is having the best year of any QB in the city and they may just be right. Olson had three TD passes and 295 yards passing by the end of the first quarter, in UCLA's 45-35 win over Arizona State back on 11/12. He opened the game with a 91-yard TD pass on the game's first play from scrimmage and never looked back. He finished the game 22-of-27 for a career-high 510 yards with five TDs and no interceptions. He missed by just FOUR yards, of setting a single-game school record for passing yards (Cade McNown threw for 513 yards in UCLA's infamous 49-45 loss at Miami in 1998). His 30 TD passes this year (just three INTs!), easily breaks McNown's single-season record of 25, set in that 1998 season. Olson was the main QB at UCLA for the last two years when the Bruins went 12-13. Similar to Quinn, Olson entered this year without much fanfare (32 TDs and 25 INTs in his three-year career) but has been BRILLIANT! Olson's 172.5 QB rating ranks him first in the nation. By the way, Young is third, Quinn fourth and Leinart fifth. Olson, idle since 11/12, will get his showdown with Los Angeles' "other" QB on Saturday. His season stats are: 218-of-322 67.7 2909 yards 30 TDs 3 INTs.

Typically, I list five other players six through 10 but it hardly seems worth it. In my final Heisman update, available on Wednesday, December 7, I will list my final top-10. Monday's column will deal with the final BCS standings and the bowl matchups.