by WINNERS_ONLY
Saturday’s NFL Week 2 Preseason Betting Primer
By Justin Hartling
The bulk of action for the second week of the NFL preseason takes place on Saturday evening. With eight games on the schedule and training camp injuries claiming plenty of players already, it can be hard to stay on top of the action.
But do not worry, we have your need-to-know nites for Saturday’s preseason contests.
♠ Miami Dolphins at Carolina Panthers (Pick, 40)
* The Dolphins are expected to have a lot of youth in the secondary due to injuries this season. Currently, second-year player Walt Aikens and third-year player Jamar Taylor are expected to be starters in the defensive backfield. “If they felt Jamar was the guy to go and take over that job, they would’ve given it to him by now,” said former Dolphin Sam Madison. ““For them to keep pushing this battle, this long, I don’t think they’re really satisfied with whoever is going in right now to say ‘here, this job is yours’ and then everybody just falls in line.”
* Expect a lot of interchanging parts in the Panthers receiving core. With No.1 WR Kelvin Benjamin out for the season, two of the top four receivers on the Panthers depth chart are rookies with a third being a second year player.
♠ Baltimore Ravens at Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5, 44.5)
* The Ravens’ offensive line depth may be hurting Saturday with five of the 17 big men not practicing Friday. Two of those five, Kelechi Osemele and Rick Wagner are expected to be regular starters this season.
* There is a good chance that this game will be a messy affair, with a 75 percent chance of rain falling with the precipitation expected to start around halftime.
♠ Chicago Bears at Indianapolis Colts (-3, 41)
* Jay Cutler managed to go through joint practices with the Colts without registering an interception, but the Bears receivers were outclassed by the Colts secondary with both Alshon Jeffey and Kevin White not practicing.
* If history is any indication, than Colts fans should not hold their breath for an appearance by Frank Gore Saturday. “I probably had about five carries in the last four years,” Gore said. “Whatever the coaches say. If they want me to go and go out with the first group, I’m willing to go.”
♠ New England Patriots at New Orleans Saints (-1, 43)
* It seems that a receiver position has opened up for the Patriots with Bran Tyms going down to a foot injury this week. Tyms, who added value as a gunner on punt coverage teams due to his size and speed, will likely be replaced by Aaron Dobson, Josh Boyce or Brandon Gibson.
* Left tackle Terron Armstead has been dominating training camp for the Saints. “I hate to lose. In anything, I hate to lose. So yeah, in the back of my mind I kind of keep the score,” Armstead said. According to his own score, Armstead has only lost twice this offseason which could mean big numbers for a protected Drew Brees.
♠ Jacksonville Jaguars at New York Giants (-3, 40.5)
* Rookie running back T.J. Yeldon will be a gametime decision for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Literally. ESPN’s Mike DiRocco has reported that head coach Gus Bradley won’t make a decision “until just beofre kickoff”. Yeldon injured his finger at a scrimmage on Aug. 9.
* Victor Cruz’ comeback has hit a small bump in the road. The receiver has sat most of the week for the Giants after suffering a minor setback to his healing knee. Cruz will not be on the field for the Giants Saturday.
♠ Oakland Raiders at Minnesota Vikings (-4.5, 39)
* Taiwan Jones is back on the offensive side of the ball and the Raiders staff seem to want to get the speedster the ball. “(Bill) Musgrave is really smart with how to do things, and I fit what he wants to do well,” Jones said. “I’m excited what he has planned for me. Remember, Musgrave oversaw Percy Harvin’s biggest statistical year in Minnesota.
* With injuries all over the offensive line, the Vikings will be turning to a lot of young and unproven lineman Saturday. Rookie T.J. Clemmings and second-year player David Yankey are expected to be starting for Minny.
♠ Denver Broncos at Houston Texans (-3, 41)
* The Broncos defense should be getting a boost with linebacker Brandon Marshall seeing his first action Saturday since foot surgery in March. Marshall was the leading tackler on the Broncos in 2014
* It does not seem the Texans are any closer to naming a starting quarterback. Ryan Mallett will get the official start Saturday, but Bill O’Brien has been non-committal to how many snaps Mallett of Brian Hoyer will see.
♠ San Diego Chargers at Arizona Cardinals (-2.5, 39.5)
* Despite word from training camp suggesting that Melvin Gordon could play Saturday after suffering a minor ankle injury this week, do not expect to see the rookie suit up. Coach Mike McCoy said “We’ll hold some guys out that normally would play.”
* Left guard Mike Iupati is out for six-to-eight weeks for the Cardinals so expect competition on the line during the preseason. Ted Larsen likely has the inside track after starting at center for the Cards last season with the other left guards never playing a regular season down in the NFL.
Saturday’s Preseason Tips
By Tony Mejia
Dolphins at Panthers (PK, 40) – 7:00 PM EST
Miami
Head coach: Joe Philbin (5-9 SU, 3-10-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Ryan Tannehill, Matt Moore, McLeod Bethel-Thompson, Josh Freeman
After leading the Dolphins to a touchdown in his only drive at Chicago last week, Tannehill should play into the second quarter as he looks to continue his strongest camp yet. He’s working behind a rebuilt offensive line still trying to gel without injured starting left tackle Brandon Albert. Miami was outscored 27-3 by the Bears after the first unit left the field in the preseason opener. With safety Louis Delmas lost for the season earlier this week, the battle to replace him is also pivotal.
Carolina
Head coach: Ron Rivera (9-8 SU, 10-7 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Cam Newton, Derek Anderson, Joe Webb
Devising ways to replace top receiver Kelvin Benjamin’s production has become the top priority in camp this week, so look for Newton to start testing out targets. Beyond tight end Greg Olsen, there are a host of question marks. Rookie Devin Funchess’ size and athleticism make him an intriguing option, but he comes into this one battling a hamstring injury. Webb delivered late in last week’s 25-24 win over Buffalo last week and is among the NFL’s most competent third-stringers.
Ravens at Eagles (-4, 44 ½) – 7:00 PM EST
Baltimore
Head coach: John Harbaugh (20-9 SU, 18-11 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Joe Flacco, Matt Schaub, Bryn Renner
Offfensive line issues could limit how long Harbaugh opts to go with Flacco, who was 5-for-6 in the opener. Starters Rick Wagner and Kelechi Osemele sat out Friday’s walk-through with injuries, so since these teams have gotten in great practices all week, subjecting Flacco to potential injury behind a banged up line may be deemed an unnecessary risk. Schaub and Renner were each very productive in last week’s comeback win over New Orleans.
Philadelphia
Head coach: Chip Kelly (5-4 SU, 5-4 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Sam Bradford, Mark Sanchez, Matt Barkley, Tim Tebow
Bradford’s return from his latest torn ACL, suffered last August, has everyone salivating. He’s been working with the first-teamers all camp and should make his Eagles debut. Chip Kelly has been non-committal regarding his status and sat him down last week, but the time has likely come to unwrap this season’s x-factor and get him ready for the grind. The last time he was hit in a game, he didn’t get up, so Bradford has divulged he’s looking forward to taking a lick or two. DeMarco Murray should also debut, but that decision is also not definite. It will be interesting to see whether Kelly goes with Barkley or Tebow after backup Mark Sanchez takes his turn.
Bears at Colts (-3, 41) – 7:30 PM EST
Chicago
Head coach: John Fox (29-24 SU, 25-27-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Jay Cutler, Jimmy Clausen, David Fales, Shane Carden (Rookie)
Matt Forte is going to play after being held out of the opener, so Cutler will have his primary weapon in the backfield to ease the burden on an offense that continues to be without Alshon Jeffery (calf) and has injury issues up front. The Bears looked terrible early against Miami in their opener before the reserves dominated the second half, so it’s important that the first-string establishes some positive momentum.
Indianapolis
Head coach: Chuck Pagano (4-9 SU, 5-7-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Andrew Luck, Matt Hasselbeck, Bryan Bennett (Rookie)
Luck was pulled mid-drive in Philly on Sunday, so he’ll certainly get more than 11 snaps and should benefit from working with new weapons Frank Gore, Andrew Johnson and rookie Phillip Dorsett here. Hasselbeck also needs more work, so don’t expect Chicago to see as much of Bennett as Philly did. RB Vick Ballard is also expected to play for the first time since 2013 after season-ending injuries the past two seasons.
Patriots at Saints (-2, 43) – 7:30 PM EST
New England
Head coach: Bill Belichick (44-38 SU, 40-35-7 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Tom Brady (?), Jimmy Garoppolo, Ryan Lindley
Brady was a beast in his final practice against the depleted Saints secondary, throwing for 13 touchdowns and winding up with just four incompletions as Garoppolo took the day off. Although Brady might get some work, the expectation is that Garoppolo will get the bulk of the snaps in New Orleans, looking for a better effort than what he mustered against Green Bay last week.
New Orleans
Head coach: Sean Payton (19-15 SU, 21-12-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Drew Brees (?), Luke McCown, Garrett Grayson (Rookie), Ryan Griffin
Payton has probably decided whether he wants Brees to participate this week, but hasn’t divulged it publicly. Brees himself expects to play at least a quarter, which gives him an opportunity to work with a tremendous arsenal of receivers vying for the targets that Jimmy Graham vacated.
Jaguars at Giants (-3, 40 ½) – 7:30 PM EST
Jacksonville
Head coach: Gus Bradley (3-6 SU, 5-4 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Blake Bortles, Chad Henne, Stephen Morris, Jeff Tuel
Although the Jaguars are expected to play their starters for the full first half, there won’t be any word on whether rookie running back T.J. Yeldon until late in the day, while Julius Thomas and Marquise Lee won’t play. Defensively, key safety Johnathan Cyprien, arguably the Jags’ top player, remains out with a finger injury.
New York
Head coach: Tom Coughlin (43-36 SU, 40-34-5 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Eli Manning, Ryan Nassib, Ricky Stanzi
After an ugly performance in Cincinnati, the Giants want to see more out of Manning and an offensive line that looked shaky. Victor Cruz, hoping to make his return the action since a season-ending knee injury last October, isn’t likely to play with his calf flaring up. The secondary is banged up too.
Broncos at Texans (-2 ½, 41) – 8:00 PM EST
Denver
Head coach: Gary Kubiak (20-13 SU, 20-11-2 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Peyton Manning, Brock Osweiler, Zac Dysert, Trevor Siemian (Rookie)
After sitting out the preseason-opening win at Seattle, Manning is going to play “quite a bit,” according to Kubiak. There’s been talk that Manning’s arm has more zip than it did last season, so all eyes will be on that and the ability of his revamped offensive line to keep him upright against J.J. Watt and Co. Three starters up front have yet to play an NFL regular-season game.
Houston
Head coach: Bill O’Brien (3-2 SU, 3-2 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Brian Hoyer, Ryan Mallett, Tom Savage
Hoyer and Mallett continue to vie for the starting nod under center and have gained no separation from one another. O’Brien will start Mallett after Hoyer got the nod in the preseason opener against the 49ers. Both were terrific, but will face a sturdier defense in these Broncos.
Raiders at Vikings (-4 ½, 39) – 8:00 PM EST
Oakland
Head coach: Jack Del Rio (22-15 SU, 21-14-2 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Derek Carr, Christian Ponder, Matt McGloin, Cody Fajardo (Rookie)
Oakland was barely challenged in a dominant performance against St. Louis, but certainly will face a tougher test on the road in Minnesota. This will provide a great barometer for a team that’s starting to believe in themselves. Derek Carr and Amari Cooper will look to continue establishing chemistry, while the hard-hitting young defense wants to pick up where they left off last week. Ponder would love nothing more than to solidify his position as the primary backup by sticking it to his former team in Minneapolis.
Minnesota
Head coach: Mike Zimmer (6-0 SU, 5-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill, Mike Kafka, Taylor Heinicke (Rookie)
The Vikings have been impressive in starting 2-0 this preseason to remain perfect in exhibitions during Zimmer’s tenure. Adrian Peterson again won’t play, but Bridgewater should. He and top backip Shaun Hill combined to go 15-for-17 with two TD passes in last week’s victory at Tampa Bay, but they’ll be playing under a revamped offensive line following two season-ending injuries up front suffered this past week.
Chargers at Cardinals (-2 ½, 37) – 10:00 PM EST
San Diego
Head coach: Mike McCoy (4-5 SU, 4-4-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Philip Rivers (?), Kellen Clemens, Brad Sorensen, Chase Rettig (Rookie)
The Chargers are taking the cautious route with first-round pick Melvin Gordon, who injured his ankle and won’t play here. Rivers only took nine snaps in last year’s second exhibition game and isn’t likely to participate too long in this one. Donald Brown should be back from a hip injury and should see increased reps with Gordon out.
Arizona
Head coach: Bruce Arians (4-5 SU, 5-3-1 ATS in preseason)
Quarterback rotation: Carson Palmer, Drew Stanton, Logan Thomas, Phillip Sims
Palmer and the starters will play one full quarter against visiting San Diego, but it’s risky to put a veteran, injury-prone QB behind an offensive line looking to replace a pair of injured starters. Palmer went 4-for-4 for 70 yards last week, so it’s not like rust is a concern. Don’t be surprised if Arians takes a cautious approach with his franchise QB. Newly acquired running back Chris Johnson is likely to get a few carries in his home debut.
WUNDERDOG SPORTS
NFLx Game: Oakland Raiders (421) @ Minnesota Vikings (422)
Time: Saturday 08/22 8:00 PM Eastern
Pick: Minnesota -4.5 (-105) at Americasbookie
Rebuilding Oakland looked great in the opener, but that was at home against St. Louis, a team that was a long way from home and showed nothing. Backup quarterbacks Christian Ponder and Matt McGloin have struggled in the first two weeks of camp. New Raiders coach Jack Del Rio has a lot of holes to fill on this team and this is their first road game. Meanwhile Minnesota is a deep, talented up-and-coming young team for Mike Zimmer. The Vikings are already 2-0 SU/ATS with a solid defense, winning 14-3 and 26-16. Minnesota has a fine QB rotation with Teddy Bridgewater, Shaun Hill and Mike Kafka, and this is their final preseason game at TCF Bank Stadium. The Vikings defeated the Raiders 10-6, on August 8, 2014, here in preseason and Minnesota is 146-96-3 (.603) in their 245 preseason games all-time. Most important, Zimmer is a very good coach who gets these guys to play, even in preseason where his record is 6-0 SU/ATS. Take the Minnesota Vikings.
SPARTAN
2* Saturday NFL PreSeason Rabid Dog
411 Baltimore Ravens 3.5 (-110) vs 412 PHI – double-dime bet
Analysis: I don’t think I have ever had a double star rabid dog release in my career so this is indeed a first guys. This line just smells to high heaven to me. Everyone and their mother will be loving the Eagles at home laying the short number. History with Ravens head coach John Harbaugh begs to differ. This is one of those games I can see tons of people in the mens room in Vegas saturday night grumbling and mumbling as they tear up their tickets. I’m just not buying it. I refuse to play a practice game Triple Star, just won’t do it. But I will step up and post this as a Rabid Dog Double Star and my long term clients know this is not a usual thing.
MLB Betting Cheat Sheet: Tigers reinvigorated with Cabrera back
Here’s a comprehensive look at betting notes for the week-end major-league schedule:
Home Sweet Home
The Washington Nationals return home to host the Brewers in a three game series starting Friday, coming off a brutal road trip losing six of nine. Despite the fact that they’ve lost 12 of 18 games in August, the Nats are still only 3.5 games back of the Mets for first place in the AL East.
The Brewers have lost seven of their last eight on the road, and Game 1 appears to be a particularly tough spot for Milwaukee. Gio Gonzalez will go for the Nats, and he’s won four straight versus the Brewers, and he’s 5-1 with a 2.60 ERA at home in 2015.
Sleeper In The AL East
While the Blue Jays and Yankees are getting all the headlines in the AL East, the Orioles are only five games back. Baltimore has won 10 of its last 14 home games and it will host the Minnesota Twins this weekend.
The Twins took the opener in a blowout by a score of 15-2, but they had lost nine of their previous 10 on the road, and they are a pathetic 22-37 away from home this season. Baltimore could make up some ground over the weekend.
Here Come The Tigers
On Monday I mentioned that Miguel Cabrera was back for Detroit, and that they would likely be getting great value as an underdog in Chicago. Well they’ve since won three straight, including back to back games at Wrigley as a 2-1 dog.
Cabrera is hitting .400 in six games since coming off the DL, and Detroit is a far better team with the slugger in the lineup. They host the Rangers over the weekend, and we could see fireworks in the Motor City as six of the last eight in this series have gone over the total.
The Tigers don’t play many low scoring games, as they’ve gone over the number at a rate of 36-16-3 in their last 55 overall.
Hitting Notes
* Travis Shaw is hardly a household name, but the rookie first baseman is making the most of his opportunities in Boston. He’s played 15 games so far in August, batting .420, with six home runs and 11 RBIs.
* The Detroit Tigers are batting a major league best .284 versus left-handed pitching, and they will face southpaw Cole Hamels on Sunday. Miguel Cabrera is 6-for-8 lifetime versus Hamels.
Pitching Notes
* Gerrit Cole has been stuck on 14 wins since July, and that has allowed Jake Arrieta to take over the major league lead with his 15th win on Thursday night at Wrigley. Cole will get a chance to draw level as he starts at home against the Giants this Saturday. Cole is 1-0 with a 0.00 ERA versus the Giants this year, and he’s won all three of his career starts against San Francisco.
* Luis Severino is still in search of his first win, despite the fact that the Yankees rookie right-hander has pitched quite well in his first three starts. He gave up three runs on five hits, but struck out nine over six innings in a 3-1 loss to Toronto his last time out. His next start comes on Saturday at home versus Cleveland, and he did look good striking out seven in five innings in a loss to the Red Sox in his only prior start in the Bronx.
Totals Steak
* The Milwaukee Brewers are trending under on the road, only managing to go over the total once in their last nine away from Miller Park. They are in Washington this weekend, and the Nats have been really struggling to score runs. Washington is batting a major league worst .226 since the All Star break. We could see a low scoring series here in the nation’s Capital.
Injury Notes
*The injury bug has really hit the St. Louis Cardinals, with Randal Grichuk and Jason Heyward both joining Matt Holliday on the DL this week. That’s going to leave the Cardinals with a pretty thin lineup as they visit San Diego over the weekend.
*Yasiel Puig suffered a hamstring injury on August 18, and his availability is questionable heading into this weekend’s series at Houston.
Umpire Notes
* The Minnesota Twins are 0-5 in their last five games with Eric Cooper behind home plate. That’s where he’ll be when the Twins visit the Baltimore Orioles Friday.
* Over wagers have gone 6-0 in the last six Saturday games that Pat Hoberg has worked the dish. He’ll be calling balls and strikes in Miami when the Phillies visit the Marlins Saturday.
Weather Notes
* There is a 66 percent chance of thunderstorms in Boston as the Red Sox host the Kansas City Royals Friday evening.
* Forecasts are projecting winds will be blowing from rightfield to leftfied at around 13 mph when at Wrigley Field when the Chicago Cubs host the Atlanta Braves Saturday afternoon.
2015 BASEBALL
National League
Braves @ Cubs
Perez is 0-4, 7.66 in his last four starts.
Haren is 1-3, 4.67 in his last five starts; over is 3-1 in his last four home starts.
Braves lost nine of last 11 games overall. Cubs lost three of their last five games– six of their last eight games went over. Atlanta lost last four games with the Cubs, with four of last five going under- they scored five runs total in last four series games.
Giants @ Pirates
Leake is 4-1, 0.99 in his last five starts; five of his last six stayed under; he is making first start since August 2 (hamstring).
Cole is 0-3, 5.48 in his last four starts; five of his last six stayed under.
Pittsburgh won eight of last 11 games with the Giants; over is 4-1-2 in last seven series games. Pirates won 11 of last 14 games (over 9-4-2 in last 15). SF lost three of last five games; under is 8-3-1 in its last twelve.
Brewers @ Nationals
Jungmann is 2-1, 3.38 in his last three starts; under is 6-3-1 in his last ten.
Ross is 1-2, 5.14 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.
Milwaukee lost four of last seven games with Washington (over 6-1); Brewers won five of last seven games overall; over is 3-0-1 in last four. Nationals lost eight of last ten games (under 6-4).
Diamondbacks @ Reds
Delgado has made 47 MLB starts, 36 in 2012-13 (9-16, 4.61), four LY. He has thrown 50 innings in 43 relief appearances this year (no starts).
DeSclafani is 2-1, 2.52 in his last four starts (under 4-0).
Arizona won five of last six games with Cincinnati; eight of last ten games in series stayed under the total. D’backs are 4-3 in last seven games; four of last six stayed under. Reds lost ten of last twelve games; four of their last five stayed under the total.
Phillies @ Marlins
Harang is 0-3, 10.80 in his last three starts; three of his last four went under.
Nicolino is 2-1, 4.24 in his four starts (over 2-1-1).
Philly won four of last six games with Miami (over 4-1-1); Phils lost seven of last ten games (over 7-3-1 in last 11). Marlins scored 38 runs in winning four of last six games; over is 7-1-2 in their last ten.
Mets @ Rockies
Niese is 2-0, 2.42 in his last four starts; his last four on road stayed under.
Rusin is 1-1, 1.80 in his last three starts.
Mets won their last nine games with Colorado; home side won nine of last 11 in series; seven of last nine stayed under- they lost four of last six games overall; their last five games went over. Rockies lost nine of last 11 games; three of their last five games stayed under the total.
Cardinals @ Padres
Martinez is 1-1, 6.26 in his last four starts; under is 6-2-1 in his last nine.
Kennedy is 3-0, 2.12 in his last three home starts; under is 8-2 in his last ten starts overall.
St Louis won six of last ten games with San Diego; three of last four series games stayed under total. Cardinals won six of last ten games. Padres won eight of last ten games; seven of last nine went over.
American League
Indians @ Bronx
Salazar is 3-0, 1.27 in his last four starts; four of his last five stayed under.
Severino is 0-2, 3.71 in his three starts (under 2-1); Bronx scored total of six runs in those three games.
Bronx lost six of last seven games with Cleveland (over 7-4 in last 11), but they won six of last nine games overall; six of their last ten stayed under total. Indians lost four of last seven games (four of last five went over).
Rangers @ Tigers
Gallardo is 2-0, 3.38 in his last three starts, but has finished 6th inning only once in last eight starts- his last three starts stayed under.
Veteran hurler Wolf is making first ’15 start; he has started 372 MLB games, only four the last 2+ years (1-3, 5.26 with Miami LY). He was 9-2, 2.58 in 23 AAA starts this season.
Texas lost four of last five games with Detroit; last three series games stayed under the total. Rangers won seven of last nine games overall; under is 6-1-1 in their last eight. Tigers won four of last six games; three of their last five games went over the total.
Twins @ Orioles
Gibson is 0-3, 8.18 in his last six starts (over 2-0-1 in last three on road).
Tillman is 3-0, 2.18 in his last five starts; seven of his last eight went under.
Minnesota won its last six games with Baltimore; over is 4-2-1 in last seven in series. Twins lost five of last nine games; five of last eight stayed under. Orioles won five of last eight games; four of their last six went over the total.
Royals @ Red Sox
Ventura is 3-0, 3.94 in his last five starts; under is 6-4 in his last ten.
Barnes allowed six runs in five IP (102 PT) in his first MLB start.
Royals lost ten of last 12 games with Boston; six of last seven series games went over the total. KC won five of its last seven games (under 5-2). Red Sox won six of last eight games; 11 of their last 12 games went over.
Rays @ A’s
Ramirez is 2-0, 1.42 in his last two starts; three of his last four went over.
Gray is 2-1, 1.91 in his last five starts; under is 7-0-1 in his last eight.
Tampa Bay lost five of last eight games; under is 5-1 in last six games; Rays are 5-6 in last 11 games with Oakland (under 7-2-2). A’s won five of last six home games.
Blue Jays @ Angels
Estrada is 3-1, 1.82 in his last four starts; six of his last seven stayed under.
Heaney is 0-1, 3.57 in his last four starts (under 3-1).
Blue Jays are 14-3 in their last 17 games; their last three went over the total. Angels are 6-5 in last 11 games with Toronto. Halos won three of last five games overall; three of their last four went over.
White Sox @ Mariners
Rodon is 1-1, 1.20 in his last two starts; his last three road starts stayed under.
Nuno is 0-1, 6.23 in his three starts (over 2-1) this season.
White Sox lost five of last seven games, but scored 19 runs in winning last two; three of last four went over. ChiSox lost three of last five games with Seattle; five of last seven series games went under the total. Mariners lost five of last seven games (over 4-2-1 in last seven).
Interleague
Dodgers @ Astros
Greinke is 9-0, 1.70 in his last 10 starts; five of his last seven stayed under.
Kazmir is 0-3, 7.02 in his last three starts; five of his last six stayed under.
Dodgers won eight of last 11 games with Houston (under 7-3-1). LA lost nine of its last 11 road games- four of its last seven games overall went over. Astros won six of last nine games; their last four games stayed under total. Dodgers got no-hit Friday by a journeyman righthanded pitcher
Win-loss records this year for team with this starting pitcher:
SF-Pitt– Leake 11-11/0-1; Cole 16-8
Atl-Chi– Perez 5-7 (0-5 last 5); Haren 11-13/1-2
Mil-Wsh– Jungmann 8-5; Ross 3-6
Az-Cin– Delgado 0-0; DeSclafani 11-12
Phil-Mia– Harang 6-15 (1-12 last 13); Nicolino 3-1
NY-Col– Niese 9-14; Rusin 4-9
StL-SD– Martinez 18-4; Kennedy 10-12
Cle-NY– Salazar 14-8; Severino 0-3
Tex-Det– Gallardo 13-12; Wolf 0-0
Min-Balt– Gibson 12-12; Tillman 12-10
KC-Bos– Ventura 9-10; Barnes 0-1
TB-A’s– Ramirez 13-6; Gray 15-9
Tor-LA– Estrada 10-9; Heaney 8-2
Chi-Sea– Rodon 10-7; Nuno 2-1
LA-Hst– Greinke 17-7 (8-1 last 9); Kazmir 10-13/2-3
Times this starting pitcher allowed a run in first inning:
SF-Pitt– Leake 4-22; Cole 8-24
Atl-Chi– Perez 4-12; Haren 3-24
Mil-Wsh– Jungmann 3-13; Ross 0-9
Az-Cin– Delgado 0-0; DeSclafani 5-23
Phil-Mia– Harang 8-21; Nicolino 0-4
NY-Col– Niese 8-23; Rusin 4-13
StL-SD– Martinez 5-22 (3 of last 4); Kennedy 8-22
Cle-NY– Salazar 6-22; Severino 1-3
Tex-Det– Gallardo 9-25; Wolf 0-0
Min-Balt– Gibson 6-24; Tillman 4-22
KC-Bos– Ventura 4-19; Barnes 0-1
TB-A’s– Ramirez 5-19; Gray 4-24
Tor-LA– Estrada 4-19; Heaney 0-10
Chi-Sea– Rodon 5-17; Nuno 2-3
LA-Hst– Greinke 6-24; Kazmir 4-23
Umpires
SF-Pitt– Underdogs won five of last seven Davis games.
Atl-Chi– Underdogs won six of last eight Miller games.
Mil-Wsh– Five of last seven Fagan games stayed under.
Az-Cin– Under is 9-4 in last thirteen Muchlinski games.
Phil-Mia– Over is 7-1-1 in last nine Hoberg games.
NY-Col– Underdogs are 13-9 in Schrieber games this year.
StL-SD– Under is 6-1-1 in last eight Segal games.
Cle-NY– Over is 9-2-1 in last twelve LBarrett games.
Tex-Det– Eight of last eleven Carapazza games went over.
Min-Balt– Seven of last nine Carlson games went over.
KC-Bos– Underdogs won last four Wendelstedt games.
TB-A’s– Home side won seven of last ten Nauert games.
Tor-LA– Over is 10-4-1 in last fifteen Diaz games.
Chi-Sea– Under is 5-2-1 in last eight Cederstrom games.
LA-Hst– Favorites are 12-4 in last sixteen BWelke games.
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
MLB | NY METS at COLORADO
Play On – All favorites with a money line of -110 or higher (NY METS) poor NL offensive team (<=4.1 runs/game) against a team with a below avg. bullpen (ERA>=4.50), with a very good bullpen whose WHIP is 1.250 or better on the season
67-25 over the last 5 seasons. ( 72.8% | 33.5 units )
9-6 this year. ( 60.0% | 0.9 units )
StatFox Situational Power Trends™ – FoxSheets
MLB | MINNESOTA at BALTIMORE
MINNESOTA is 40-25 (+25.8 Units) against the money line after 4 straight games where they committed no errors over the last 3 seasons.
The average score was: MINNESOTA (4.7) , OPPONENT (3.9)
Coach Fletcher
MLB Saturday Scouting Edge
10:05 am Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees
Salazar Strives to be Yankee Killer
Danny Salazar is on quite a streak for the Indians. He is 11-6 with a 3.16 era for a team that is almost 10 games under .500. He’s currently on a string of 7 straight quality starts and has a 1.33 era in his last 3 starts. He sits at 6-4 with a 3.17 era in his road starts. Going back to his last 7 starts, Salazar has gone 6-5 with a tiny 1.45 era. In his last 3 starts he has held the Red Sox, Yankees and Angels to just 1 run each. And yes, in his single start versus the Bronx Bombers this year he went 7 1/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 1 run. He walked 5 and fanned 8. The Yankees opened at -134.
1:05 pm Atlanta Braves at Chicago Cubs
Cubs Hope to Capitalize on Perez’s Recent Woes
The 69-51 Cubs have been expert on capitalizing on the weakness of their foes this year. After running off a bunch of wins they lost 3 straight. The loss to Chris Sale can easily be explained. But giving up 10 runs and 15 runs in back to back losses to the Tigers didn’t sit well. They’ve come back to take two straight and hope to make that 3 straight today against Williams Perez. After coming off the DL for a month Perez has been way off. He had only 1 start in July where he gave up 9 runs on 9 hits against the Phillies. He came back and gave up 10 hits and6 runs to the Giants. He’s improved in his last 2 going 14 1/3 innings total against Tampa Bay and San Diego allowing 6 runs, 11 hits, walking 8 and fanning 3. The Braves have lost his last 5 starts. The Cubs opened at -215.
4:10 PM Arizona Diamondbacks at Cincinnati Reds
Reliever Delgado Moves to Starter to D-backs.
Randall Delgado will make his first start of the season filling in for the D-backs Jeremy Hellickson who went on the DL. Delgado is not a newbie to MLB action. He is 11-19 with a 4.23 era in 47 career starts. Delgado has made 43 appearances from the D-back bullpen this year and done quite well. He is 4-3 with a 2.70 era. He appeared in 47 games last season but only started 4 games. He was 4-4 with a 4.87 era in 2014. Prior to the 43 if his 46 appearances were as a starter. He’s only thrown 50 innings this year in relief. In his career against the Reds Delgado is 0-3 with a 4.70 era. Those starts were in 2012-13 when Delgado was starting. The Reds opened as -119 favorites.
4:10 pm Kansas City Royals and Boston Red Sox
Fenway May Be Rockin’ Saturday
Two pitchers with much room for improvement could keep Fenway rockin’ with runs Saturday night. Yordano Ventura goes for the Royals. He’s 7-7 this year with a 4.82 era. He’s made 2 starts against the Bosox (2014) and is 0-2 with a 7.15 era. The Red Sox go with Matt Barnes. Barnes was rocked for 6 runs in 5 innings in his first major league start. Barnes walked 3 and fanned 7 and reportedly had a live fastball. Barnes did send some time in the bullpen this season. He made 22 appearances for the Bosox and went 3-3 with a lofty 6.59 era. KC opened as -141 favorites with a total of 9.
4:10 pm Los Angeles Dodgers at Houston Astros
Greinke Goes Up Against Kazmir In Houston
Two excellent pitchers face off in Houston tonight. The total was widespread at 7 considering the stature of the hurlers. Greinke won the AL Cy Young award in 2009 and he is doing much better this year in the NL. Greinke is 13-2 with a 1.58 era. He’s fanned 150 in 165 1/3 innings and has a whip of 0.86. He’s 6-0 in his last 7 starts. Scott Kazmir will go to the bump for the Astros. Kazmir, acquired by trade from Oakland, is 6-8 with a 2.43 era. His last start was his worst of the year. He was knocked around for 9 hits and 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings. Prior to that Kazmir gave up 3 runs in 11 1/3 innings to the Giants and Rangers. He hasn’t made it past 5 2/3 in any of his last 3 starts. Prior to that he had 6 straight starts of at least 7 innings. Considering the Astro bullpen has an era of 2.60, it may not be an indication of his fitness, but simply a managerial decision.
FREE PLAY – Oakland Athletics – 117
Game of the day: Stampeders at Roughriders
♠ Calgary Stampeders at Sakatchwan Roughriders (+6, 51)
The Calgary Stampeders look to continue their winning ways when they make the trip to Saskatchewan to face the winless Roughriders on Saturday. The Stampeders have won back-to-back games, including an impressive 48-3 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks in Week 8, to keep pace with Edmonton Eskimos for the West Division lead.
Calgary has dominated the series with Saskatchewan in the last five years winning 10 of the last 12 meetings, including the last four overall, and hopes to heap more misery on the Roughriders. Everything that could possibly go wrong has went wrong for Saskatchewan as it comes off a bye week looking to halt a seven-game slide. The Roughriders are on their third starting quarterback after Darian Durant and Kevin Glenn went down with injuries, leaving rookie pivot Brett Smith to run for his life as he’s been sacked 12 times in the past two games. Saskatchewan has dropped 12 of its last 13 regular-season games and hopes to stop the bleeding by beating the Stampeders for the first time since July 5, 2013.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, TSN
LINE HISTORY: The Roughriders opened as 6.5-point favorites before dropping to -6. The total opened at 51.5 and has dropped to 51.
INJURY REPORT: Stampeders – OL Dan Federkeil (Ques-Leg) Roughriders – LB Shea Emry (Ques-Neck)
ABOUT THE STAMPEDERS (5-2 SU, 1-6 ATS, 2-5 O/U): Bo Levi Mitchell was named one of the CFL Top Performers of the Week after finishing 17-of-25 for 243 yards and two touchdowns to go along with two scores on the ground against the Redblacks. Calgary released disgruntled linebacker Jasper Simmons on Tuesday after his agent lashed out on social media by tweeting that the “worst organization in CFL is holding him hostage.” The owners of the Stampeders and Calgary Flames have unveiled their $900 million proposal to build a sports complex, including a new indoor stadium that would hold 30,000 people for football, on the edge of the downtown core.
ABOUT THE ROUGHRIDERS (0-7 SU, 1-5-1 ATS, 4-3 O/U): Smith finished a respectable 23-of-35 for 298 yards and two touchdowns in the 30-26 loss to the Toronto Argos in Week 7. “I feel a lot more comfortable and I hope the guys feel more comfortable with me back there,” Smith told reporters. “I think we’ll continue to roll and get some momentum and go into this week as comfortable as they have ever felt.” Saskatchewan added special teams ace Scott McHenry to the active roster and signed linebacker Don Unamba on Tuesday after releasing defensive backs Michael Carter and Geoff Tisdale earlier in the week.
TRENDS:
*Stampeders are 0-4-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record.
*Roughriders are 13-35-3 ATS in their last 51 games following a S.U. loss.
*Under is 6-2 in Stampeders last 8 games overall.
*Under is 7-2 in Roughriders last 9 games following a bye week.
CONSENSUS: 61 percent are backing the Stamps with 64 percent on the Over
StatFox Super Situations™ – FoxSheets
CFL | CALGARY at SASKATCHEWAN
Play On – Any team vs the money line (SASKATCHEWAN) after 5 or more consecutive straight up losses against opponent after 1 or more consecutive straight up wins
29-26 since 1997. ( 52.7% | 0.0 units )
0-1 this year. ( 0.0% | 0.0 units )
Premier League betting preview: Foxes in fine form ahead of Tottenham clash
By SOCCER AUTHORITY
Manchester United vs. Newcastle United
Fresh off a European Champions League Victory (3-1 vs. Brugge), Manchester United will come into this game full of confidence. So far this season the Red Devils have picked up maximum points with wins against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa.
Newcastle have a new manager in Steve McClaren but things don’t look to be picking up. The Magpies have only earned one point from their opening two games and are struggling in defense.
Key Stat: Newcastle have lost their last seven games on the road with an average of 2.6 goals conceded per game
Injuries and suspensions: Manchester United – Phil Jones (CB), Fellaini (CM). Newcastle – Janmaat (FB), Steven Taylor (CB), Sissoko (CM) is doubtful
Leicester vs. Tottenham
Leicester’s form of late has been nothing short of amazing. Leicester were destined for relegation last year but after a string of big wins they managed to stay up. This season they’ve continued that fine form with two wins from two.
Spurs have been disappointing this season with only one point taken so far. The Lilywhites lost their opener against Manchester United and drew against Stoke last weekend. We’ve seen nothing this season to convince us that Spurs will once again have an inconsistent season.
Key Stat: Leicester have only lost one of their last 11 Premier League games and that was against last year’s Champions Chelsea.
West Brom vs. Chelsea
This fixture finished 3-0 in West Brom’s favor last year. However, in that game, Cesc Fabregas(Chelsea) received an early Red Card, and Chelsea had already won the Title at that stage.
The Blues have also only picked up one point after drawing with Swansea and losing to Man City last weekend. If Chelsea can’t find a victory, they run the risk of losing sight of Man Utd and Man City at the top of the table.
Key Stat: Tony Pulis prides himself on having an organized defense. However, West Brom have conceded 10 Goals in their last five home games in the EPL.
Injuries and suspension: Chelsea – Oscar is doubtful
Everton vs. Manchester City
Everton are unbeaten this season after drawing with Watford and dispatching of Southampton last weekend. If Romelu Lukaku can continue finding the back of the net we have no reason to believe Everton won’t have a successful season.
Man City have a 100 percent record so far with 2/2 wins but let’s not forget about their poor away form last season.
Key Stat: Everton are unbeaten in 11 of their last 16 meetings with Man City
Injuries and suspensions: Everton – Hibbert, Pienaar and Baines. Man City – Fernando
INDIAN COWBOY – SOCCER
5-Unit Play. Take AS Roma (-135) over Verona Saturday, August 22nd (12 p.m., Saturday, August 22) (Italian Serie A)
In the first day of Serie A action, the Giallorossi open their season at Verona, having added several dynamic players to their squad. Eden Dzeko joins from Man City, as well as Mohammad Salah, from Chelsea, and adding to a strong midfield, as well as one of the best defensive teams in all of Italy, Roma should be tipped to finish in the top 2-3 of Italy’s top flight. In between the stick will be either last years start Morgan De Sanctis or former Gunner Wojciech Szczesny. Either way Romas will have a strong back line in from of either keeper, and the friendly competition should inspire both to play at their best. Roma should be ready to show their attacking side of the ball has changed for the better, and start the season on the right foot, taking all 3 points in Verona.
ALAN HARRIS – SOCCER
3 Unit Play. Take #25001/25002 Newcastle vs. Manchester United Under 2.5 +115 (7:45 AM, Saturday, August 22)
Manchester United will look to improve their record to 3-0-0 here in the 2015 EPL season when they take on Newcastle at Old Trafford in Manchester on Saturday morning. While Man U has won six of the last seven games between the two teams, we don’t really want to lay 1.5 goals with them and we think the value is here on the under. Manchester United has a pair of 1-0 victories under their belt this season and with the amount of new players the have on the roster, it doesn’t look like everyone has clicked through the first two games of the year. Newcastle allowed two goals in their only road game this season and we think that number is about right for them again on Saturday. Either 1-0 or 2-0 Man U seems like the right result so our play will be on the under in this one.
6 Unit Play. Take #25013/25014 Tottenham vs. Leicester City Over 2.5 -120 (10:00 AM, Saturday, August 22)
Two teams that have been trending to the over early in the 2015 EPL season will meet when Tottenham travels to take on Leicester City at King Power Stadium in Leicester. All three games between these two teams went over the total last season and we see no reason why we won’t see the same result on Saturday morning. Leicester has seen a total of nine goals in their two games this season while Tottenham has scored two and given up three in their two contests thus far. Throw in the fact that these two teams scored a combined 13 goals in their three games last season, including one in the fourth round of the FA Cup and we’ll take the over in this on as we expect both teams to score in the first half, giving us a great shot at a winner in our 6 Unit EPL Game of the Month!
4 Unit Play. Take #25022 Sunderland +0.5 -125 over Swansea City (10:00 AM, Saturday, August 22)
Sunderland will look for their first win of the 2015 EPL season when they take on Swansea City at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland on Sunday morning. Swansea has won just 16 of their 58 away games in the EPL and now they are laying a half a goal on the road against a Sunderland team that despite this being just the third game of the season, are almost in a must win spot on their home turf. Yes, we know that The Black Cats have been outscored 7-3 in their two games this season but they are a much more talented team than they have shown thus far and we think they come up with a big effort at home on Saturday morning. Throw in the fact that these two teams played to a draw in both head to head meetings last season and we’ll take the home team here plus the half goal in a game that we think Sunderland actually has a chance to win outright.
**Note: This is a 90 Minutes plus injury time play on the point spread line. If this game ends in a draw, we have a win.**
SOCCER BETTING MASTERS
Scotland » Premiership »Hearts – Partick
Hearts to win
JO JO – TENNIS (-767)
ATP – WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN @ CINCINNATI, OH
No Selections today
WTA – WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN @ CINCINNATI, OH
S HALEP -210 J JANKOVIC (830PM)
SIMON – SOCCER (+3.55)
GERMANY BUNDESLIGA (UNDER 2.5 +110) VFL WOLFSBURG @ 1.FC COLOGNE (930AM)
SWITZERLAND AXPO SUPERLEAGUE (OVER 3 -140) FC BASEL @ FC LUGANO (1145AM) **2 UNIT PLAY**
Love this total in Switzerland. The last (3) times these teams met up 18 goals where scored. Thats 6 goals a game. FC Basel AVG 3 goals per game on the road last 6 games. This team scores in bunches on the road. Basel is #1 in the division on the road against #6 Lugano. This should be a very good matchup and very high scoring affair.
HOLLAND EREDIVISIE ( OVER 3 -117) PSV ERNDHOVEN @ SC HEEREENVEEN (145PM)
SPAIN – LA LIGA (UNDER 2.5 +105) UD LAS PALMAS @ ATL MADRID (230PM)
NEWSLETTER MLB Baseball Prediction From Strike Point Sports
Take Chicago (NL) over Atlanta (4:05 p.m., Saturday, August 22)
The Cubs are in the thick of the playoff hunt, which is part of the reason they traded for Dan Haren to add depth to their starting rotation. Haren has gone 1-1 in three starts for the Cubs so far, picking up the win in his only start at home where he is much better than on the road. Haren is 5-3 with a 2.89 ERA in his starts at home and he was solid in his only appearance against the Braves this year when he allowed 2 runs on 3 hits over 7 innings of a 6-2 win when he was pitching for the Marlins earlier this season. Williams Perez will be on the mound for the Braves, and he has lost his last 4 starts allowing 20 earned runs over 24.2 innings pitched. Atlanta has been brutal on the road this year, going 21-41 and, I don’t think they will have enough to pick up the win against the Cubs, who have been solid at home going 34-24 on the year. The Cubs are they play here.
NEWSLETTER MLB Baseball Prediction From Doc’s Sports
Take ‘Under’ 7.5 Cleveland at New York Yankees (1 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 22)
Two young aces will duel it out on Saturday afternoon when the Yankees host the Indians. Danny Salazar is quickly developing into a dominating force in the American League as he’s 11-6 with a sparkling 3.16 ERA and 1.06 WHIP in 22 starts. Luis Severino has made only three starts in the big leagues, but all indications are that he’s going to be lights out. His stuff is tremendous as he is striking out 9.5 batters per nine innings, and he dominated the minor league competition as well. All eyes will be on these two in Yankees Stadium on Saturday, and I expect them to deliver in a big way. Take the UNDER.
Insider Sports Report
4* Toronto (Estrada) +100 over L.A. Angels (Heaney)
3* Kansas City (Ventura) -135 over Boston (Barnes)
3* New Orleans -2 over New England (NFLx)
Comp: Chicago White Sox (Rodon) +105 over Seattle (Nuno)
52-43 (54.7%) and down -1.53 units.
EZWINNERS
MLB – (ACTION)
4* (929) Dodgers -$120
Sports Cash System
Kansas City Royals -132 over Boston Red Sox (Money Line Bet)
Arizona Diamondbacks + Cincinnati Reds – OVER 8.5 (Total Runs Scored)
Toronto Blue Jays + LA Angels – UNDER 8 (Total Runs Scored)
Chicago White Sox + Seattle Mariners – OVER 7.5 (Total Runs Scored)
97-112 (46.4%) and down -24.89 units.
GP FROM VEGAS
NFLx
Denver Broncos +3 -120
PAUL LEINER
100* MLB – A’s -125
100* MLB – Mets -120
100* NFLx – Saints -2
STRIKE POINT SPORTS – NFLx
3-Unit Play – New York Giants -2.5
VEGAS SPORTS INFORMER – NFLx
1 Unit Play. Take Philadelphia Eagles -3.5 over Baltimore
Last Sunday the Philadelphia Eagles were very impressive against the Indianapolis Colts and their offense was the big key. I don’t see the Eagles offense slowing down Saturday night and if the Ravens had trouble with the Saints offense they might be in a world of hurt against Chip Kelly and the Eagles. Look for another solid games with backup QB’s Barkley and Tebow and again the second half will be key to another Eagles Preseason W.
DOC SPORTS – NFLx
1 Unit Play. #409 Take Miami Dolphins -1 over Carolina Panthers
The Dolphins were in control against the Bears last week before the reserves gave away the game with turnovers. Expect Matt Moore and Ryan Tannehill to play more in this game, and thus that should be enough for Miami to win this game straight up as an underdog. Miami was embarrassed last week with 4 turnovers, whereas Carolina won a game they should not have against Buffalo. Play the Fins on Saturday night.
1 Unit Play. #412 Take Over 44.5 in Baltimore Ravens @ Philadelphia Eagles
It’s not very often that you see a total this high in the Preseason, but it is warranted as Chip Kelly only knows one way to play offense. The Eagles put up 36 points in Week 1 despite not playing starter Sam Bradford, and the Ravens scored 30 points in their game against the Saints. Both teams have a solid stable of quarterbacks (sans Tim Tebow), and I look for the offenses to control this game from start to finish and dominate the defenses.
1 Unit Play. #420 Take Over 41 in Denver Broncos vs. Houston Texans
The Texans round out their preseason homestand on Saturday with a games against Denver and a familiar face in Gary Kubiak. The former Texan head coach returns to Houston with a much better quarterback in Peyton Manning, who should see some action in this game. Denver put up 22 points in their preseason opening game against a much better defense in Seattle than they will face tonight in Houston. The Texans are coming off a victory against San Francisco last week, putting up 23 points. Houston also has a quarterback battle brewing between Brian Hoyer and Ryan Mallett, and both will want to impress in this game. But the main reason for this stat is that Gary Kubiak teams are 24-9 going over the posted total in preseason games. Oddsmakers have yet to catch up with the scoring in preseason games, and we will again take advantage of a weak number.
ULTRA SPORTS – NFLx
411 Baltimore Ravens +4
416 New Orleans -2
418 New York Giants -2′
ASA
NFLX PLAY ON – Miami -1 over Carolina, Saturday at 7:00 PM ET
The Fins are coming off a “come from ahead” loss while the Panthers are off a “come from behind” win which sets this one up nicely in our opinion. The Miami starters played very well including QB Tannehill who was 5 of 6. He led the Dolphins on an 8:00 minute TD drive to open the game. Miami led 10-3 at half before 4 turnovers did them in. Chicago didn’t turn the ball over and despite the regulars struggling on both sides of the ball, they picked up a win. Look for Miami to want this win after giving one up @ Chicago. With their starters playing so well last week and getting more time this week, we give them the edge here. The Panthers trailed for most of the game last week in Buffalo before throwing a long TD pass with less than 1:00 remaining (+ 2 point conversion) for the 1 point win. The Bills outgained and out first downed Carolina. The Panther defense was shaky at best giving allowing Buffalo to top 200 yards rushing. We also wouldn’t be at all surprised if Carolina head coach Ron Rivera is a little “gun shy” here pulling his regulars a little earlier than planned after watching his top receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, lose his entire season to a knee injury in practice this week. These two practiced against each other this week and we’re told the Fins had the better of Carolina for much of the time. We like Miami on Saturday.
DIAMOND DOG SPORTS – NFLx
Patriots / Saints – Under 43
Houston Texans -1