Each week during the heart of the NFL season, and once or twice during the NFL Preseason, we’ll gather the troops around the roundtable and hash out the NFL Power rankings. We check out the stats, looks at the records, and, most importantly, we take a close, close look at the heart of each team.
NFC East Game Previews – Miami Dolphins at Dallas Cowboys
The Miami Dolphins bring a three-game winning streak into Cowboy Stadium for a Thanksgiving Day matchup with the Dallas Cowboys, who have strung together three victories of their own. Game time is set for 4:15 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on CBS.
Big East Football Previews – Pittsburgh Panthers vs West Virginia Mountaineers
The annual Backyard Brawl will be renewed this Friday night in Morgantown when the Pittsburgh Panthers cross state lines to tangle with the West Virginia Mountaineers in this classic rivalry. Kick-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
NCAA Football Previews – Boston College Eagles vs Miami Hurricanes
The Boston College Eagles will try and end their season on a high note when they square-off against the Miami Hurricanes at Sun Life Stadium this Friday afternoon. The game is slated to kick-off at 3:30 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
Texas Longhorns vs Texas A&M Aggies Betting Predictions
Neither of these Big 12 teams will be playing in a BCS bowl game, but both Texas (6-4) and Texas A&M (6-5) can improve their bowl position with a win on Turkey Day.
Miami of Ohio hasn’t parlayed last season’s success into much of anything this year. This is the final game of the year and they have no chance of going to a bowl game or even spoiling the season for their opponent.
The bye weeks are officially over – no more excuses. With Fantasy playoffs just around the corner, the Waiver Wire becomes doubly important – you will need to add some necessary depth and you will need to keep potential Studs away from your competition.
Each week, the CappersPicks.com fantasy football guru Dave B brings you players you need to be paying attention to – Remember – fantasy football championships are often won by those who live eat and breath fantasy football.
After all of the weekly games are finished be sure to check our waiver wire column, cheatsheets, a who’s hot, and who’s not report plus more in our fantasy football guide.
This was definitely a game that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Matt Cassel had circled on his calendar when the NFL regular season schedule was released. That will only make it tougher for him to watch as his current team looks to get back on track against his former team with a trip to Foxborough to face the New England Patriots.
Preview: It all comes down to two drivers at Homestead-Miami Speedway Sunday, as only Carl Edwards, the current Sprint Cup Series points leader, and Tony Stewart, trailing Edwards by three points, are still in the running for the Cup championship.
In a match for the ages, Shogun Rua takes on Dan Henderson in a battle of MMA legends. Rua is the complete package – Muay Thai and very good jiu-jitsu while Henderson is a wrestler by trade who loves to utilize his insane right hand to end fights.
How many experts projected that after clinching the Wild Card in the final game of last season and peaking in the postseason on their way to a Super Bowl championship, the Green Bay Packers would be even stronger when they returned to the field this season?
Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) vs Baltimore Ravens (7-2) NFL Betting
It’s a battle of two teams fighting for the AFC North crown this Sunday in Baltimore. The Ravens were expected to be fighting for the top of the AFC North, but the Bengals have surprised the entire NFL this year.
Can Cincinnati go into Baltimore and pick up a key win or will the Ravens get a leg up on the upstart Bengals?
Time/Date: 1:00 PM EST, November 20, 2011
Venue: M&T Bank Stadium
Broadcast: CBS
Bengals vs. Ravens Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
Spread: Ravens -7
Moneyline: Ravens (-300) Bengals (+250)
Over/Under: 40.5
Andy Dalton was a second round draft pick, but he is a legitimate contender for rookie of the year in the NFL. Dalton has thrown 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions so far this year. His job will be tougher this weekend, because it appears he will be without star wide receiver A.J. Green. Green is listed as doubtful due to a knee injury. Tight end Jermaine Gresham is also listed as questionable for this one. Cedric Benson will be expected to a carry a heavier load this weekend. It will be a tough task for the Bengals offense as they face one of the best defenses in the league.
Cincinnati’s defense is the reason this team is 6-3 right now. The Bengals rank fifth in the NFL in total defense, and they are only allowing 18 points per game this year. Last weekend the Bengals suffered a major loss when Leon Hall tore his Achilles tendon. Hall was the Bengals best cover corner, and he is now out for the season. Adam Jones should step into the cornerback position this weekend. Will injuries start to catch up to this unit?
Baltimore’s defense has been stout all year. The Ravens defense really doesn’t seem to have any weakness at this point. One problem this week will be that Ray Lewis will likely be on the sideline for the first time since 2007. Lewis is listed as doubtful because of a toe injury. Haloti Ngata is a beast in the middle of the defensive line, and the opposition generally has to double-team him. Terrell Suggs leads the team with six sacks. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Joe Flacco and the Ravens offense has been up and down all year long. Flacco is completing just 55% of his passes so far this season. He did come up with a huge drive to beat the Steelers two weeks ago at Heinz Field, but the offense struggled mightily last week in Seattle. Ray Rice is having another very good season in the backfield. Rice averages 4.1 yards per carry.
He also leads the team with 46 receptions. The Ravens really need to start establishing the run better than they have of late.
This is a team that would be better suited to run to set up the pass rather than the other way around.
The Bengals are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games. They are also 4-0 ATS in their last 4 against the Ravens. Since I’m getting a full touchdown, I’ll take the Bengals here.
Free NFL Pick: Bengals +7
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