The half way point of the NFL season is fast approaching. It is a good time to look at your rosters to figure out who you can trust down the stretch and into the playoffs of your Fantasy leagues. The Week 8 Hot and Not list offers some insight into some players that should be able of carry you and some that may unfortunately sink you.
The Arkansas Razorbacks may be 6-1 but it is hard to tell their level right now. Losing to Alabama was expected but they really struggled at Ole Miss last week and the Rebels are probably the worst team in the SEC this year. Record wise they may be just a hair behind Bama and LSU but their is a real gap when they take the field.
Against the Rebels QB Tyler Wilson was not very effective completing less than 50% of his passes. The game might have gone a different way if backup running back Dennis Johnson hadn’t rushed for 160 yards. Ronnie Wingo might have more physical gifts but Johnson, who is only 5’9”, is tough to bring down, a la Maurice Jones Drew.
These teams met last year with Arkansas winning easily. Vanderbilt has won only one of five previous meetings between the two teams. On paper this should be a huge mismatch but last week on the road the Hogs played down to their competition and bettors lost as a result. Vanderbilt is a better team than Ole Miss this year.
Vanderbilt
With 4 wins already it is looking like Vanderbilt might make it to a bowl game this season…if they win the games they are supposed. Unfortunately for the Commodores, this is not one of them. They had a very solid win against Army last week but it might be a couple of more weeks until they get win #5 at home against Kentucky. This team is improved but still not really SEC good.
If you are trying to figure out how a team like Vandy is 4-3 all you have to do is look at the defense. They give up only 21 points per game which has masked some uncertainty on offense, specifically at the quarterback position. Case in point for the D, Army completed only one pass last week. I know it was only Army but still impressive in my books.
This week Jordan Rodgers (Aaron’s little brother) will be making his second start at QB and we need to see improvement. Against Army he was ineffective and turned the ball over. For the Commodores to have any chance on Saturday he needs to play a clean game. If that happens and the defense is solid than they just might keep it close. I expect the line to climb as game time approaches so keep your eye on it.
ATS Pick: Arkansas -10
Over/Under Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Arkansas 34 – Vanderbilt 21
Tough week for the favorites in the NFL indeed – nice effort on Monday night Baltimore! Hopefully the NFL teams fall back in line and allow the Handicappers to have a little success this week.
The odds makers earned their paychecks last week as things were even right across the board. In the 13 games on the schedule, six favorites and six underdogs each covered with one game ending as a ‘push’.
Virginia Cavaliers (4-3, 1-2 ACC) vs. Miami (FL) Hurricanes (4-3, 2-2 ACC)
Sun Life Stadium, Miami FL
Thursday, Oct. 27, 8:00 pm EST
NCAA Odds from Sportsbook.com:
MoneyLine: Virginia +420, Miami-Fl -588
Spread: Virginia +13.5, Miami-Fl -13.5
Over/Under: 48
“The U” doesn’t have the same bite to its reputation that it had in the late 1980s or at the turn of the last decade, but the Hurricanes are still a better team than their record suggests. The Cavaliers have at least matched expectations with their play, but do they have enough talent to keep up with Miami?
The ’Canes are coming off two nice wins against conference foes, 30-24 at North Carolina and 24-7 versus Georgia Tech. Embattled QB Jacory Harris is playing within himself this season and has an efficient 12-4 TD/INT ratio in 2011. The senior needed to cut down on his turnovers and he’s done exactly that. The Miami offense is diversified thanks to RB Lamar Miller, the sophomore has just under 800 rushing yards on the year to go with six majors.
For Virginia’s part, it’s been a bit of a see-saw affair. The Cavs have a nice win over Georgia Tech, but have come up short against UNC, Southern Miss and NC State. Sophomore pivot Michael Rocco is learning under fire this year and the offense has been only average. The bulk of the production comes from the RB duo of Perry Jones and freshman Kevin Parks. Considering Virginia has been at the bottom of the ACC table for several seasons now, its record is not too shabby. For the season to be a real success, however, the Cavs must get a couple wins against legitimate conference and divisional foes.
This will be a tall order playing the Hurricanes, unless Harris reverts back to his 2010 self (he threw more interceptions, 15, than touchdowns, 14, last season). The ’Canes have been one of several college programs to have a litany of infractions and violations with the NCAA lately but new head coach Al Golden is trying to navigate the stormy waters and get Miami back to national prominence. Injuries have also plagued The U – the team expects starting CB Brandon McGee back for this Thursday’s game, but starters Marcus Forston (DT) and Ramon Buchanan (LB) are out for the year with ailments, and starting WR Aldarius Johnson has been suspended indefinitely for violating “team rules”.
There is no doubt that the road has been bumpy for Miami, especially lately. Former coach Randy Shannon was not able to deliver on his promises, and Golden was perhaps left with a steaming pile of crud in his lap. Yet the talent is still present on the roster, and Miami only narrowly missed its last two losses to Kansas State (28-24 L) and conference giant Virginia Tech (38-35 L). If Harris continues to play intelligent football, the talent and speed is enough on both sides of the ball for the ’Canes to again be an ACC competitor.
Miami’s defense has been pretty stout even with the attrition, so Jones and Parks may find it tough sledding on the ground and Rocco could well be prone to errors (it doesn’t help that starting WR Matt Snyder is out with a foot injury). Rocco is progressing well as a starting pivot and it certainly hasn’t gone as bad as it could have thus far for the Cavaliers, but the less talented visitors from Charlottesville will probably be exposed by the home side.
Virginia may be moving out of the conference basement and as far as Miami is concerned, things are far from perfect in Coral Gables. But grabbing another conference win is a further baby step for the ’Canes and they should do it in front of a TV audience Thursday night.
Score Prediction: Miami 31, Virginia 16
Over/Under Prediction: 47
The Big Ten Legends Division race is shaping up to be extremely competitive. The game of the year in this division comes this weekend when the red hot Spartans of Michigan State travel to Lincoln to take on the Big Ten’s newest member, the Nebraska Cornhuskers.
Both teams have one loss, but Michigan State’s loss came out of conference. Nebraska looks to get the upper hand in the Legends Division, while Michigan State looks to build off their huge win at home over Wisconsin.
Michigan State vs. Nebraska
Memorial Stadium
Saturday October 29, 12:00 PM EST
NCAA Football Odds from Bookmaker
Moneyline: Off
College Football Spread: Nebraska -4 (-110) Michigan State +4 (-110)
Over/Under: 49.5
This should be a great game.
Not many people expected Michigan State to knock off Wisconsin last weekend, myself included. Wisconsin certainly made some critical mistakes, but the Spartans deserve a ton of credit for showing up and beating a Wisconsin team that has looked like one of the nation’s best teams all year. Michigan State has now beaten Ohio State, Michigan, and Wisconsin in three consecutive games. Mark Dantonio is trying to turn Michigan State into a perennial contender in the Big Ten.
Kirk Cousins had a magnificent game last week against Wisconsin. Cousins threw three touchdowns and no interceptions while leading his team to a huge win. Cousins is completing 66% of his passes so far this year. Edwin Baker and Le’Veon Bell form a nice tailback tandem for Michigan State. While the offense has been solid, it has been the Michigan State defense that has led the way this year. The Spartans rank second in the nation in total defense. Jerrell Worthy is the anchor in the middle of the defensive line, and the secondary is terrific as well. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Nebraska hasn’t looked like the national title contender that some thought they could be, but the Cornhuskers have only lost one game. The team is still right in the thick of the Big Ten race, and this is a great chance for them to pick up a big win at home against a top ten opponent. Taylor Martinez burst onto the scene as a star freshman quarterback last year, and he has had another solid season in 2011. Martinez still struggles with his consistency when throwing the football, but he is one of the best running quarterbacks in all of football. Rex Burkhead is a tough runner who really battles for every yard. He is averaging an impressive 5.8 yards per carry this season. The Cornhuskers have the seventh best rushing offense in the nation, but there passing attack is often non-existent.
The primary reason Nebraska has looked a little bit underwhelming this year has been the poor play of their defense. Jared Crick is out for the season with a torn pectoral muscle. The front seven has been giving up far too many yards on the ground, and they will be tested in this game by a solid Michigan State running game. Nebraska’s defense must improve if this team is going to win a Big Ten title.
Michigan State is coming off a big win against Wisconsin, but this will be the best team they have played on the road this year. I expect Nebraska to bring their best effort on Saturday.
Free College Football Pick: Nebraska -4
Score Prediction: Nebraska 27 Michigan State 21
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The Rice Owls are in a tough spot on Thursday night. They have lost their last two games and are out of it in Conference USA. Last year they jumped up and bit the Cougars at home but the last time they visited Houston they gave up a whopping 73 points, losing by 59.
The Clemson Tigers will look to remain perfect on the year when they tangle with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium in an ACC inter-divisional clash this upcoming Saturday night.
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.
Best performance from previous week
Its a tossup between Kansas City (28-0 against Oakland) and New Orleans (62-7 against Indy). For K.C. it was an upset and then some but that score from the Saints game was like watching a Big Ten team play a team from the MAC…a bad team from the MAC.
Worst performance form previous week
I want to give to to an entire game not just a team. Thank you very much Cleveland and Seattle for that 6-3 masterpiece. Good think contraction wasn’t on the agenda for the recently completed labour battle.
Honourable mention: Baltimore
Best Game This week
New England at Pittsburgh – A couple of serious contenders meet at Heinz Field. New England is coming off their bye week while the Steelers had little trouble with Arizona last Sunday. Both teams are in tight races right now and this one will help determine the order of things once the playoffs start.
The Rankings
Green Bay (7-0) – Don’t be fooled by the final score against Minnesota the game wasn’t really that close. The Pack are looking better and better but the yards Adrian Peterson put up were worrisome. If a team could get the lead and be able to run the ball they would be a threat…IF.
New Orleans (5-2) – The Saints might be a little high this week but after last weeks overwhelming performance I felt I had to bump them over teams that had the week off. Hopefully Ingram’s injury is just a nick because he just had his best game as a pro.
New England (5-1) – Patriots are looking good but it would help if they used their bye week to crank up their defense. It needs to get better if they want to maintain AFC favourite status.
San Francisco (5-1) – It is surprising to see them this high but it is hard to find reasons for them not to be. The key will be whether Alex Smith and can keep it up for a whole season.
Baltimore (5-2) – What a stinker on Monday night I had them in the two spot heading into the weekend and now I am wondering if this is still too high. There is no reasonable explanations for why the team was so incompetent.
Pittsburgh (5-2) – The start of the season is looking more and more like an aberration with each passing week. The defense is not as strong and the team has injuries but this is still a force to be reckoned with.
New York Jets (4-3) – They may be only 4-3 and in third place but they are playing much better. Sunday’s win was among the better in the league this year. When they get that running game going they are hard to beat.
Houston (4-3) – Totally didn’t see the Texans blowout of the Titans coming. They are a ½ game up on Tennessee at the top of the division and will get reinforcements when Andre Johnson comes back. AFC sleeper right now.
Chicago (4-3) – Bears keep winning forcing me to bite my tongue. They are definitely in the mix in the NFC right now with wins against Tampa Bay and Atlanta holding potential strategic value down the rod. I still don’t see how they keep it up though.
Atlanta (4-3) – Speaking of Atlanta, last week’s win was vital. This team has a higher ceiling than Chicago above but I didn’t feel right putting them on top of the Bears because they jumped them the opening week. I need to see more.
Detroit (5-2) – It might be unravelling in Motown. Two straight losses and now an injury to Matt Stafford. They have one more week to get through before the bye. Stafford or not, they should be able to beat Denver.
Buffalo (4-2) – Out of sight out of mind for the Bills. Their two losses are by only three points each but they didn’t play last week so I am reserving some judgment for now. They get the Redskins in a nice spot on Sunday.
San Diego (4-2) – Surprised to see them so low…so was I. This team has talent but still hasn’t shown it yet. They are in prime time and on the road at KC this week. Maybe that can shake them out of their slumber.
New York Giants (4-2) – The G-Men are at the top of the NFC East with an offense that keeps surprising. Look for them to jump a spot or two after playing lifeless Miami on Sunday. Beware bettors, this is the same team that lost at home to Seattle killing survivor poolies everywhere. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Tampa Bay (4-3) – The NFC South is nice and tight. The Bucs can’t seen to get on a good run and Josh Freeman was shockingly awful in London. They better use the bye wisely because you know the Saints will be looking for revenge in a couple of weeks.
Philadelphia (2-4) – The Eagles are still clinging to life support. After their bye they have back to back home prime time games against Dallas and Chicago. Most overreported stat of the week: Andy Reid has not lost after the bye as the coach in Philly. If they are 4-4 in two weeks then they might have a shot salvaging the season.
Cincinnati (4-2) – The Bengals are laying in wait and get back to business this week after last week’s rest. They are flying out to Seattle which is a nice soft landing spot so look for them to climb the rankings next week.
Tennessee (3-3) – The Titans just looked dead last week in their loss to division rival Houston. Speaking of dead, Chris Johnson has been awful most of the season averaging less than 3 yards per carry. This team is going to continue to sink as the year goes on.
Dallas (3-3) – Dallas has evened their record for now but a trip to Philadelphia looms. They have talent but haven’t been able to get it all going just yet. A road win next week would give them a big jump but I refuse to put them high on this based on preseason expectations. Its week 8 already.
Kansas City (3-3) – Lost their first three then won the second three. .500 seems like the right level for a team that overachieved last year and has injuries. Last week was impressive though against rival Oakland.
Oakland (4-3) – Even before he played many were questioning the merits of acquiring QB Carson Palmer. Now it is looking like the worst trade in NFL history. This team has a bye at the perfect time.
Carolina (2-5) – The Panthers are definitely building something with Cam Newton. They may not have more wins than some of the team below but they have the most promise…and they are exciting.
Washington (3-3) – All season long, even before they lost to Carolina, I didn’t like this team. On offense they are predictable and have no elite talent. Defense, same thing. I don’t know why people think they are good.
Cleveland (3-3) – They got the win last week over Seattle in what was one of the ugliest games I can remember. Next week they are at San Francisco, it might be a blood bath.
Jacksonville (2-5) – Where did that defensive effort come from on Monday night. The offense stunk but with defense like that they might get to 5 wins.
Denver (2-4) – Well the fans got what they wanted. Tebow is in and they won, in dramatic fashion. This is still not a very good team and Tebow’s overall performance was uninspiring. Detroit is next and they are going to be pissed.
Arizona (1-5) – Arizona, Seattle and St. Louis are a combined 3-15. The only reason I have this team at the top of that group is they have a couple of players you can actually like. However, there is talk of benching Kevin Kolb who has been horrible lately.
Minnesota (1-6) – There is a lot of competition at the bottom of this list this year. Minnesota is the only surprise team this far down…not to worry, they have earned this spot.
Seattle (2-5) – The only reason they escape the bottom three is because they actually have a couple wins this season. If they were gunning for the top spot in the draft they are going to have slow down a bit and lose to division rival St. Louis – both times.
Miami (0-6) – I don’t think anyone saw them being this bad when the season began. Essentially they have no offense. They have to get rid of their coach. He may not be the problem but something has got to give.
St. Louis (0-6) – With Bradford already on the roster it is hard to believe they are in the Suck for Luck sweepstakes. They are not losing on purpose they are just very bad.
Indianapolis (0-6) – Speaking of Luck it would be interesting to see what the Colts might do with the top overall pick. When the Packers drafted Aaron Rodgers and told him to hold a clipboard for a couple of years that worked out pretty well. Will this team even win a game this year?
The 2011 NFL Season is finally here. Welcome to the CappersPicks.com NFL football weekly predictions pages! We KNOW you will find our FREE weekly NFL football picks, tips, betting advice, strategies, NFL gambling articles and more to help you become the best NFL football bettor on your block!!
Joe Paterno can etch his name alone at the top of the list if Penn State wins this game. A win by the Nittany Lions would give Paterno 409 career wins, a mark which would top Eddie Robinson’s 408 career wins.
It seems every season Ron Zook is on the hot seat. The Fighting Illini’s 6-0 start really surprised the football world, but two straight losses have people questioning whether this team is for real.
Beaver Stadium
Saturday October 29, 3:30 PM EST
NCAA Football Odds from BetOnline
Moneyline: Penn State (-205) Illinois (+175)
College Football Spread: Penn State -5 (-115) Illinois +5 (-105)
Over/Under: 40.5
Can Penn State give Paterno his record setting 409th win?
Nathan Scheelhaase and the Fighting Illini offense have been non-existent in the past couple weeks. The Fighting Illini were held to 7 points by Ohio State two weeks ago. Last weekend they were held to 14 points by a mediocre Purdue team. Illinois clearly needs to get the offense started far earlier in the game. The Fighting Illini haven’t scored a point in the first three quarters of their last two contests. A.J. Jenkins gives Illinois one of the best play makers in the Big Ten on the outside, but the team is lacking a second pass receiving option. If Illinois is going to be successful in this game, they must get their running game going.
The Illinois defense has been very good this year. Despite losing their top two players to the NFL Draft, this defense ranks tenth in the nation in total defense. Illinois has been solid against both the run and the pass this year. The Fighting Illini are allowing just 18.1 points per game in 2011. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Penn State’s offense hasn’t necessarily been great this year, but they have gotten the job done. The emergence of Silas Redd as a quality running back has really helped this team move forward. Redd is averaging 5.3 yards per carry, and he already has six touchdowns this season. Matt McGloin and Rob Bolden have been sharing time at the quarterback spot, but McGloin seems to be earning the primary share of the playing time at this point. McGloin has thrown seven touchdowns and just two interceptions this year. This offense has been without its star receiver, Derek Moye, for the last few weeks. Moye is listed as questionable for this game, and the offense will really get a nice boost when he gets back in the lineup.
Penn State’s defense is primarily responsible for the team’s 7-1 start. The Nittany Lions defense has been dominating so far this year. Opponents are scoring just 13.1 points per game on this unit so far this year. The Nittany Lions defensive line is led by Jack Crawford. Star corner D’Anton Lynn leads a secondary that is probably the best in the Big Ten.
The posted total on this game is set very low, but it is set low for good reason. These defenses are much better than the offenses in this matchup. I expect both offenses to struggle to get anything going in this one.
Free College Football Pick: Illinois/Penn State under 40.5
Score Prediction: Penn State 17 Illinois 10
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The Michigan Wolverines are coming off a bye week. Purdue is coming off a surprising win over the Fighting Illini of Illinois.
Michigan is looking to prove that its 6-0 start wasn’t a fluke this year, while Purdue is looking to pick up a couple more wins and become bowl eligible. These two will battle in the Big House this Saturday afternoon.
Purdue vs. Michigan
Michigan Stadium
Saturday October 29, 12:00 PM EST
NCAA Football Odds from BetOnline
Moneyline: Michigan (-500) Purdue (+405)
College Football Spread: Michigan -13.5 (-115) Purdue +13.5 (-105)
Over/Under: 52.5
After the Boilermakers were beaten 38-10 at home by Notre Dame, it appeared the season may just fall apart. Purdue has shown some impressive resiliency since that difficult loss. Purdue throttled Minnesota, narrowly lost at Penn State, then surprised Illinois last week. Danny Hope’s team has a difficult schedule the rest of the way, so we will see just how much this team has improved.
Rob Henry was expected to be the starting quarterback for Purdue, but he tore his ACL just a few days before the beginning of the season. Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve have shared time under center this season. TerBush has established himself as the primary quarterback at this point.
TerBush is a mobile quarterback who can keep the play alive and keep the defense on its heels. Ralph Bolden and Akeem Shavers give the Boilermakers a solid tailback tandem. The team doesn’t really have a deep threat in the passing game. Purdue’s defense has done a nice job limiting the damage this year.
The Boilermakers are allowing just 20 points per game. The secondary has been very good all year long. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
Michigan has had a couple weeks to ponder what went right in their loss against Michigan State. The time off has been great for Denard Robinson, who suffered a minor back injury in the game at East Lansing. Robinson has been as dynamic as ever on the ground this year. He has 762 yards and nine rushing touchdowns already in 2011.
Fitzgerald Touissant has also stepped up his game as Michigan’s top tailback this year. Touissant is averaging 5.4 yards per carry, and he takes some of the pressure off Robinson in the running game. The passing attack hasn’t been very successful this year.
Robinson has thrown 11 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He has only completed 53% of his passes. Roy Roundtree had 72 catches last year, but he has only 12 through seven games this season.
Michigan’s much improved defense is the primary reason this team is 6-1 so far this year. The defense was the worst in school history last year, but they are much better this season. This unit has forced more turnovers than any other defense in the country. Michigan ranks 28th in the nation in total defense, but they allow only 14.7 points per game. If this unit continues to play so well, Michigan should continue its resurgence.
Purdue has had some trouble stopping the run this year, and Michigan will be the best rushing attack they have faced. The Wolverines should be angry and ready to go in this coming off a bye week. I think Michigan rolls in this game.
Free College Football Pick: Michigan -13.5
Score Prediction: Michigan 34 Purdue 13
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Week 7 in the NFL. The Weisguy takes over for Matt and offers up these recaps for your NFL viewing pleasure.
The Texas Rangers are just one win away from completing a mission that began right around this time last year when they lost the World Series to San Francisco.
Week 7 is in the books and with Atlanta, Chicago, Green Bay, Oakland, NY Jets and Tampa Bay on byes in Week 8, it is time to scour the Waiver Wire for replacements for the Studs from those teams. Injuries were a huge part of Week 7 action as well.
The West Virginia Mountaineers will look to bounce back from a tough conference loss this upcoming Saturday afternoon when they take-on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in a battle of two teams that still have designs on the Big East title.
The Connecticut Huskies will look to keep their dream alive of a second-straight Big East title when they travel to Heinz Field this Wednesday night for a showdown with the Pittsburgh Panthers. The game is slated to get underway at 8 p.m. and it will be broadcast nationally on ESPN.
