NFL: Early Afternoon Games (1:00 PM ET, FOX & CBS)

The 1:00 PM ET board of games in the NFL offers eight different contests, meaning hundreds of different wagering opportunities at Sportsbook.com.

2008-09-19

The 1:00 PM ET board of games in the NFL offers eight different contests, meaning hundreds of different wagering opportunities at Sportsbook.com. The action is highlighted by a few key games: Carolina at Minnesota, Chicago at Tampa Bay, and Houston at Tennessee. There should be plenty of late breaking material for these games that you’ll need to keep track of, so be sure to stay tuned to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and GAME MATCHUP pages. Here is a quick look at those three showcase contests.

(395) HOUSTON at (396) TENNESSEE
Houston got a rare early week of rest last week, at least as much as a postponed game can offer in the wake of Hurricane Ike. This Sunday, the Texans will get back to the field with an already crucial divisional road game at Tennessee. The Titans are 2-0 so far, and a loss in this game would put Houston a desperate 2-1/2 games back in the divisional standings. Unfortunately in ’07, all three of the Texans’ AFC South road games were SU & ATS losses, with an average margin of 17 PPG. Conversely, Tennessee has thrived in divisional contests, going 11-2 ATS in their L13 opportunities. HC Jeff Fisher’s team also owns a 6-0 SU & 5-1 ATS mark in this series since 2005 and the OVER is on a strong run of 8-2 in the L10 games between these budding rivals.

(403) TAMPA BAY at (404) CHICAGO
Three weeks into’08, Chicago will be the final NFC team to play its home opener, welcoming Tampa Bay to town. The Bears have won three straight home openers but are just 4-8 ATS in their L12 as hosts overall. They are now 1-1 after giving up a 4th quarter lead and losing at Carolina. The Bucs are also 1-1 after a convincing home win vs. Atlanta. They are just 6-12 ATS in their L18 road games, however, one of those ATS wins was here in Chicago, a 34-31 loss in ‘06. Overall, the visiting team is 8-4 ATS in the L12 meeting of these former division foes. There are conflicting totals trends in play as well: Chicago is on a 19-6 OVER run vs. NFC foes, including 6-2 in the L8 at home. HC John Gruden’s Tampa teams are on a 15-7 UNDER run in September games.

(405) CAROLINA at (406) MINNESOTA
Both Carolina & Minnesota were involved in 4th quarter comeback games Sunday, winding up on opposite ends of the ledger. Carolina was triumphant in turning back Chicago at home to move to 2-0 for the first time since ’03, the last time they played in a Super Bowl. It was the second straight come-from-behind win for HC John Fox’s team. They’re in a good spot this week as well, playing as a 3-point road dog at Minnesota. Under Fox, the Panthers are 20-5 ATS as a road pup of a TD or less. The Vikings are off an 18-15 loss to Indy in which they surrendered a 15-0 lead. Already two games back, Minnesota is in a must-win scenario with a two-game road trip to follow this one. In this h2h series, the favorite is on a 3-0 SU & ATS run, and the UNDER is 5-1 in the L6.

NFL: Late afternoon starts (4:05 PM ET, FOX & CBS)
The late afternoon wagering card in the NFL is filled with six different games. The battle for bragging rights in the state of Pennsylvania between Pittsburgh and Philadelphia highlights the action. However, there are also key games in Denver and Indianapolis. Take a look at what’s in store and be sure to check the BETTING TRENDS page for where your betting colleagues at Sportsbook.com are sending their money.

(411) NEW ORLEANS at (412) DENVER
Denver is 2-0 after a pair of high scoring efforts in which they put 80 points on the board. QB Jay Cutler is off to a fantastic start, and his team is averaging a sterling 8.5 yards per pass attempt. The latest win was a big one too, 39-38 over San Diego this past Sunday, putting the Super Bowl favorite Chargers two games back. The Broncos’ opponent for Week 3 is New Orleans, another team with an elite quarterback of its own, Drew Brees. The Saints are just 1-1 though after last week’s setback in Washington. Denver comes in on a 2-6 ATS run vs. NFC foes. However, one of the areas in which HC Sean Payton’s New Orleans team has struggled is against AFC foes, also just 2-6 ATS in their L8 games. They are also just 1-4 ATS in their L5 games as road underdogs.

(413) PITTSBURGH at (414) PHILADELPHIA
Like elections, regular season meetings between Pittsburgh & Philadelphia occur just once every four years unfortunately. Both playoff caliber clubs in ’08, this should be one of the more intense meetings of the two in recent memory. The Steelers have started 2-0 for the third time in four seasons. They’ll come in to this game off of a non-cover in Cleveland, a game that dropped their recent ATS road record to 2-6 in their L8. Pittsburgh has had its way with the NFC recently, going 10-3 ATS in its L13. That does not bode well for HC Andy Reid’s Eagles, who are just 5-13 ATS at home vs. the AFC in his tenure. With Philly off the Monday night game and opening as a small favorite, note that the underdog in this h2h series is on a 4-0 SU & ATS run.

(415) JACKSONVILLE at (416) INDIANAPOLIS
Had Indianapolis not rallied from a 15-0 deficit to win at Minnesota, both they and Jacksonville would have been 0-2, already a couple games back in the AFC South Division, heading into their Week 3 matchup. For the Jaguars, it’s a must win, no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it. The problem is they are injury ravaged, their potent ground game has disappeared, and they are up against their most bitter rival. In fact, this rivalry has grown immensely in recent years, a closer series than won-lost records indicate, as the Colts may be 9-3 SU, but Jacksonville owns a 7-4-1 ATS edge in the L12 meetings. The visiting team is also on a 6-2-1 ATS run in the L9. HC Jack Del Rio’s team is 5-8 ATS in its L13 divisional contests, Indy is just 4-8 ATS in its L12.

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