Northwestern’s defense did a heck of a job this year. Only two teams exceeded 30 points against them (Michigan State and Ohio State) and the Wildcats limited capable offensive clubs like Minnesota, Illinois and Iowa to 17, 10 and 17 points respectively. All told, they allowed just 19.2 points per game.
BetUS NCAA Football Betting Odds: MISSOURI -12.5, Total 66
These are two hot teams as far as the point spread is concerned. Rutgers comes into the PapaJohns.com Bowl having covered its last eight games, while N.C. State has covered seven straight. During its surge, Rutgers ran up scores on some teams, beating Pittsburgh by 20 points, South Florida by 33, Army by 27 and Louisville by 49, for example.
Kudos to Jerry Kill, the first-year Northern Illinois coach who took a team that was 2-10 last year and turned it around somewhat, guiding the Huskies to a 6-6 record in the same year one of its alums, Michael Turner, became one of the most valuable players in the National Football League.
The Jets are going so bad right now that they managed to gain just 265 yards in last week’s pitiful loss at Seattle. Brett Favre, who’s been intercepted 19 times this season, was just 18 for 31 and suffered four sacks.
Miami Dolphins at New York Jets
BetUS NFL betting odds: N.Y. JETS -2.5, Total 42
BetUS Sportsbook bettors who follow pro football know that the New York Giants (12-3 SU, 11-4 ATS) have clinched home field advantage in the NFC playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings (9-6 SU, 6-9 ATS) can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win when these two teams get together in Sunday’s NFL betting action that is scheduled to get underway at 1 PM ET at the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome (artificial turf) in Minneapolis.
The Bears tried to kill themselves last week, showing even less imagination of offense than they normally do, but they stayed with it and took advantage of Packer mistakes to keep themselves alive for another week.
They also had some incredible luck.
Will that luck continue, as Chicago heads into the final week having to win, and hope for Minnesota and/or other teams to stumble?
Obviously the Chargers are a testament to the “never say die” attitude, as they looked well out of the division race but were playing hard anyway, just in case Denver would falter. The Broncos, not being a very good team, did just that. So that opens things up for a winner-take-all showdown that will decide the AFC West title, and will be the “Flex game” that NBC televises on Sunday night.
There is a lot of talk about the job Randy Shannon has done recruiting for the Miami program. Indeed, there are plenty of future pro players on both sides of the ball. Freshmen have been nice contributors on the defensive side, and Aldarius Johnson was the team’s leading receiver (30 catches).
This is the third straight trip to the Motor City Bowl for Central Michigan, which has been one of the MAC’s more consistent performers for years. It may or not be the last collegiate game for junior quarterback Dan LeFevour, who is a definite pro prospect. LeFevour, who can run (536 yards rushing) or pass, completed 66% of his passes this season with 19 touchdowns, and took care of the ball very well, with just five interceptions.
The Cleveland Browns (4-11 SU, 6-8-1 ATS, 6-8-1 O/U) have been money in the bank for BetUS NFL sports betting fanatics that have wagered against them five weeks. The dysfunctional Browns look to close out their 2008 regular season on a high note when they visit their longtime division rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4 SU, 8-7 ATS, 8-7 O/U) on Sunday at Heinz Field.
The Tennessee Titans (13-2 SU, 12-3 ATS, 8-7 O/U) are coming off their biggest win of the season as they get prepared fro what they hope will be an extended postseason run. The Indianapolis Colts (11-4 SU, 7-7-1 ATS, 8-7 O/U) have won eight consecutive games in the BetUS Sportsbook, but have been spotty at best in covering the spread for BetUS NFL sports betting buffs.
The New York Giants (12-3 SU, 11-4 ATS, 8-6-1 O/U) rebounded nicely from consecutive defeats in its most important game of the season, covering the spread for BetUS NFL sports betting enthusiasts as an added bonus. The Minnesota Vikings (9-6 SU, 6-9 ATS, 9-6 O/U) on the other hand, failed to win its biggest game of the season last week and blew their chances to reach the postseason with Chicago’s win on Monday night.
The St. Louis Rams (2-13 SU, 5-10 ATS, 6-8-1 O/U) have dropped nine straight games, but are almost out of their misery as their 2008 NFL regular season finale approaches. The Atlanta Falcons (10-5 SU, 9-6 ATS, 6-9 O/U) are the toast of the town after reaching the playoffs just one season after a national scandal rocked their franchise.
The New England Patriots (10-5 SU, 8-7 ATS, 8-6-1 O/U) have won three consecutive games in the BetUS Sportsbook but are still on the brink of playoff extinction. The Buffalo Bills (7-8 SU, 7-8 ATS, 8-6-1 O/U) picked up a big win the last time they took the field but don’t have much to play for at this point, except playing the role of spoilers.
The Kansas City Chiefs (2-13 SU, 8-7 ATS, 8-7 O/U) have dropped three straight games in horrific fashion in the BetUS Sportsbook and likely can’t wait for their 2008 regular season to come to an end at this point. The Cincinnati Bengals (3-11-1 SU, 6-9 ATS, 5-9-1 O/U) may have won just three games this season, but have won two of those in the last two weeks as they finish up their 2008 regular season strong.
The Hawaii Warriors (7-6 SU, 6-5-1 ATS) will have the opportunity to host a bowl game, which is not a common occurrence, as they take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6-6 SU & ATS) in the Hawai’i Bowl, part of NCAA college football online betting action that is slated to kick off at 8 PM ET at Aloha Stadium (artificial turf) in Honolulu.
