Football Betting

Week 16- AFC Playoff Situation

The AFC North has become the only division in the NFL that's still up for grabs. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns sit atop the standings tied at 9-5 SU (straight up) with just two games remaining.

In last week's Snow Bowl in Cleveland, the Browns pulled even with the Steelers with an 8-0 victory over Buffalo. It was Cleveland's first shutout since 2005 and just the Browns' third since 1999.

The Browns, who never figured to be playing meaningful games in December when the season started, is one of the hottest teams in football and has won six straight at home for the first time since 1994. They have covered the spread in six of their seven games played at Cleveland Browns Stadium.

Away from home, the Browns are just 3-4 SU but a profitable 5-2 ATS (against the spread). Overall, Cleveland is 11-3 ATS which is second best in the league. Only Green Bay has made more money this year with an ATS record of 11-2-1.

Cleveland can clinch their first playoff appearance since 2002 with a win at Cincinnati on Sunday. The Browns and Bengals met in Week 2 when Cleveland racked up 554 yards of total offense and Cincinnati posted 531 in an amazing 51-45 Browns victory.

Cleveland's Derek Anderson threw five touchdown passes and went 20-of-33 for 328 yards. Carson Palmer went 33-of-50 for 401 yards and tossed a career-high six touchdowns for Cincinnati. It was just the third time in NFL betting history that two quarterbacks threw five touchdowns passes in the same game.

The 54 points scored by Cleveland was its most since returning to the league in 1999. Needless to say, the combined 96 points put the total over with ease. In fact, the two put the number of 41½ over more than twice.

Prior to this year's earlier meeting, Cincinnati had won six consecutive games SU against Cleveland, going 4-2 ATS during the span.

The Browns are solid on offense, scoring a league fifth-best 26.3 points per game and racking up 348.8 yards, but defensively they need improvement if they're going to reach postseason. They're fourth-worst in the NFL by allowing 25.4 points and 378.4 yards.

Cincinnati also owns a respectable offense and bad defense. Offensively, the Bengals are putting up 23.1 points per game and 350.3 yards, while the defense is giving up 24.7 points and 347.4 yards.

Will this rendition of The Battle of Ohio result in another shootout? Stay tuned. NFL odds list Cleveland the early 3½-point favorites with a game total of 46½.

The Browns need to beat the Bengals and San Francisco at home in their season finale and hope the Steelers stumble against either St. Louis on Thursday or Baltimore the following week in order to win the AFC North.

Cleveland's final two opponents are a combined 9-19 SU on the year, so winning out is a real possibility. The Steelers also have a great opportunity to win its last two games as their remaining opponents are a dismal 7-21 SU.

If Cleveland and Pittsburgh finish the season with back-to-back victories, the Steelers would claim the division because they own the tie-breaker having beaten the Browns twice earlier in the year.

When Week 16 kicks off Thursday, Browns backers will have suddenly become Ram fans as Cleveland desperately needs the Steelers to lose. However, Pittsburgh will be facing a St. Louis team that's 3-11 SU (5-9 ATS). But the dog pound has to feel good about the Steelers having lost back-to-back games and three of its last five SU.

As the Cleveland faithful roots for the upset, they may want to invest a few coins on the Rams considering the black and gold has covered the spread in just five of their last six contests. Overall, the Steelers are 7-7 and 2-4 ATS away from home.

Pittsburgh and St. Louis hasn't met since 2004 when the Rams posted a 33-21 win on the road.

There's also a great Saturday matchup between Dallas and Carolina. Of course, there's a full slate of excitement on Sunday and a Monday night contest with the Broncos and Chargers strapping it up.

-Robbie Maddux

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Football Betting: The NFL Daily

NFL Week 5 is less than 48 hours away and now is the time to start getting all your plays in order.  Friday starts off early with a few opinions and ends up around noon with the best plays of the weekend.  (6-2 ATS).

By Anthony Oxley                                    

Can +17 Cleveland Cover At New England?

This is a very good question, considering how impressively New England has looked after their first four. People look at the Tom Brady, Randy Moss and the rest of the Patriots offense for reasons for the 4-0 start, but the defense has been even more impressive. Although New England is positioned 5th overall in passing and 4th overall in rushing to rank #2 in the NFL in total offense, they are ranked 4th in passing defense and 3rd in rushing defense to, yes, be ranked #1 in total defense after Week 4.

 

You can see by these numbers alone that they have no weakness. But don't sleep on these Cleveland Browns. After getting lambasted by Pittsburgh 34-7 with QB Charlie Frye at the helm, they turned to Derek Anderson and then beat the Bengals, barely lost to an improved Raiders squad, and then easily handled a good Baltimore defense last week. Their offense comes in ranked #6 overall, but the defense ranks near the bottom in nearly every category. The game could turn ugly, no doubt, and miracles probably won't help them win, but they ARE capable of covering +17 if the defense plays better.

Check The Total On Baltimore At San Francisco

 

With Alex Smith gone for about a month with a shoulder separation, many may think that the 49ers are in trouble, but the fact is that Smith was not playing very well this season. In the first three games (he was 0-1 before getting hurt last week) he 43 of 83 for 461 yards and one touchdown pass. That is a 52% completion rate and an average of 154 yards passing. Those numbers contribute to the 49ers presently being dead last in the league in total offense. Now 35-year-old Trent Dilfer takes the reins, and he has never lit up the scoreboard.

The Ravens counter with 34-year-old Steve McNair, who has passed for two touchdowns in three games played. Baltimore's strength is their 4th-ranked run defense, which looks to nullify the obvious strength of the 49ers offense. What am I leading at? The total here presently stands at 35 ½… I'll be surprised if the total reaches half that. I'm thinking a 6-3 or 9-6 final score in this baby.

The NFL's Greatest Rivalry Continues???

With all due respect to Dallas/Washington, the Chicago Bears versus the Green Bay Packers may be the best NFL rivalry ever, and it happens once again this Sunday night. Or does it? My oh my… a Chicago Bears team that was in the Super Bowl just eight months ago due to incredible defense, had nothing of the sort at all… not at all… in the fourth quarter last week against the Detroit Lions. With three starters in the secondary out with injuries for the game and the Lions down 13-3 entering the fourth, the Lions put up 34 points in the fourth quarter, which happens to be the most scored in the final quarter by any team… ever. Also happened to be the most Chicago has allowed in any quarter… forget the last.

And now they face Brett Favre, who in his 17th season is actually on pace to have his best season ever… which says something for a player who already has a bust in Canton waiting for him. If the Bears do not get their injured starters back, Favre and Co. will eat the -3 spread up in a hurry.