The San Francisco 49ers had their Super Bowl last week when they stopped the Arizona Cardinals from clinched the NFC West on Monday Night Football. Now, on a short week, the 49ers have to travel on the road to the East Coast and find a way to keep their slim playoff hopes alive.
No two playoff contenders in the NFC are bewildering me more than New Orleans and Dallas. I’m actually pretty serious about this. While New Orleans is perfect, they’ve nearly lost to Washington, St. Louis and Chris Redman.
“Yeeeeeeesh! What the hell is that smell? Oh, it’s the Browns playing the Chiefs this weekend.”
“Good gracious what in the name of Satan were the schedule makers thinking when they threw this game on the board?”
The Dallas Cowboys have begun their annual December collapse and the cure for their ailments is not a road trip to face the lone undefeated team in the NFC. Nonetheless, the Cowboys will try to do what 13 other teams have failed to do: defeat the New Orleans Saints.
Thursday, December 17 – 8:20 PM ET
BetUS NFL football betting odds: INDIANAPOLIS -3, Total 42.5
The Colts are listed as a three-point favorite, with a posted total of 42.5 points.
A lot of the speculation surrounding this game – and what caused a delay in the football betting line going up at BetUS – involved whether the Colts were going to play all their starters, and to what extent those starters were going to play.
Looking at NFL streaks, two things stand out in 2009: The Saints and Colts. It was quite a story two years ago when the Patriots were trying to march through the NFL regular season at 16-0 as it hadn’t happened in 35 years. Now, just two years later, a pair of teams are threatening to do it!
While the playoff picture got a little murkier in the AFC over the weekend, the Arizona Cardinals will try to make it much cleaner for sports betting fans in the NFC if they can get a win over the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night.
Every week, the oddsmakers trot out these mega spreads whenever a “good team” plays a “bad team” and at least once a week, one of the underdogs gives the favorite a serious run for its money. It’s happened with the Browns, Bucs, Raiders, Chiefs and Rams. Now it’s the Lions’ turn, who enjoy one major advantage over the Ravens – Calvin Johnson.
Sunday, December 13 – 1 PM ET
BetUS NFL football odds: NEW ENGLAND -13.5, Total 44
The Patriots are listed as a 13.5-point favorite, with a posted total of 44 points.
Carolina got itself a win against Tampa Bay last week, and that came because the Panthers, who had been victimized by turnovers all season long (namely Jake Delhomme’s 18 interceptions) turned that stuff into their favor against rookie quarterback Josh Freeman, who tossed five footballs into the hands of Carolina’s defenders.
The New Orleans Saints are just one of two teams in the NFL that has yet to lose this season and as they head out on the road as a 10-point favorite in Atlanta, the odds makers don’t believe that this is the week that their perfection will end.
At a combined record of 7-17 SU, hardly anyone will be tuning in to watch the Chiefs host the Bills this Sunday. Yet, for you betting enthusiasts, this game can reap all sorts of merit for those of you that love to lump bad games in to your parlay bets.
Arizona Cardinals (8-4 SU & ATS) at San Francisco 49ers (5-7 SU, 7-3-2 ATS)
Monday, December 14 – 8:30 PM ET
In the BetUS NFL betting odds, the Cardinals are listed as a 3.5-point favorite, with a posted total of 44.5 points.
Here are some NFL football betting trends as they relate to this matchup:
This is a game with an intensely storied rivalry that’s only furthered by the last ten games, which the Eagles and Giants have evenly split with a 5-5 SU/ATS record. Philadelphia has strung together three big wins over second-tier teams, but New York managed to stifle the Dallas Cowboys last week and are now one game shy of tying for the division lead.
Depth is such an essential element of success in pro and college football, and one that is easily overlooked. Big college programs have this as a huge advantage over small schools. Because of injuries, Oregon had to use backup QB Nate Cost in the middle of the season, and he played well in a win over UCLA.
Line Movement
Pittsburgh opened as nine-point favorites and that quickly moved to -10 where it currently sits at all shops.
The Total opened between 37.5 and 38 and started to drop gradually. Once the weather forecast became widespread, the number plummeted and is now as low as 32.5 in some books.
How about a sportsbook warmup before the weekend’s NFL and NCAA football action? The Steelers and Browns aren’t exactly a hot matchup but Pittsburgh sure has a lot to play for. Is there any chance their injuries – and possibly the elements – doom them again?
