NFL Week 3 ? Fab Favourites to cover
(Sep 24)
By Simon Milham ? Britain?s top Football Handicapper and tradesports.com columnist.
The New York Jets can finally get a win on the board and cover the 2.5-point handicap spread when the Dallas Cowboys head in, looking to take another bite out of the Big Apple.
Bill Parcells gained his first win as the Cowboys? head coach against one of his former clubs two weeks ago, when they came back from the dead to beat the Giants in overtime at the Meadowlands.
The Giants are a much better team than their green rivals, but that should not deter you from siding with the Jets, who may be 0-3, but they are, after all, still the AFC East champions.
Their three-touchdown ? one a game ? ratio doesn?t exactly have opposing defensive co-ordinators hitting the panic button, merely the pillow.
The Jets? funk is easy to quantify. One conversion from 13 attempts on third downs says plenty. It is no secret that square peg QB Vinny Testaverde does not fit well with round hole offensive co-ordinator Paul Hackett?s schemes. It also doesn?t help that RB Curtis Martin is not seeing enough of the ball. Compare his 15 rushes for 53 yards with that of Miami?s Ricky Williams, who almost had as many carries (42) in the 17-7 win over the Bills as Martin had yards against New England last week.
Five times the Jets went inside the Patriots? 25-yards line ? and five times they failed to score touchdowns. No dessert, but plenty of meat and potatoes, for they continue to move the ball and create chances.
It may sound like a case for the prosecution, rather than the defendant, but the Jets have played three tough games against teams who should all have winning records this term ? the Redskins, Dolphins and Patriots.
Although the Cowboys have at least won one of their two games, they have leaked a combined 59 points and given up an average of 238 yards in the air.
This is a huge game for the Jets, whose season is fast spiralling down the plug hole and although they made the playoffs last season from a 2-5 start, just five teams since 1970 have started 0-3 and made the post season.
The Jets are 2.5-point favourites with tradesports.com, a person-to-person sports trading exchange, where there is no bookie and where you can dictate your own odds. You can also bet while the game is in running. They should cover in what might be a low-scoring affair.
San Francisco (1-2) travel to Minnesota (3-0), having been on the wrong end of a 13-12 shock home loss to Cleveland. With Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper suffering multiple fractures in his back and with WR Randy Moss also questionable with a back injury, the line makers have not been swift to price up the handicap, but it may not matter. The 49ers will have been stung, having lost a game they should have won, and can put an end to the Vikings? good run.
Indeed, last week the Detroit Lions had plenty of opportunities to beat the Vikings, but despite having a first and goal from the two with a couple of minutes left, they failed to score and went down by 10.
The 49ers won?t be such a soft touch, whoever plays against them and have given up less yards in the air and on the ground. The Vikings have an adequate pass rush, but their secondary is still suspect, so expect a comprehensive win for the visitors, who have slipped two games behind Seattle in the NFC West.
Injuries have also plagued the New England Patriots and although they beat the Philadelphia Eagles comprehensively on the road in Week 2, they face a tricky trip to the capital and the Washington Redskins look value, being asked to give up 2.5 points.
The loss of run stuffer Ted Washington (fractured left leg), linebacker Rosevelt Colvin (fractured hip) and guard Mike Compton (foot) has seriously damaged their playoff hopes, even at this early stage.
They have a moderate running game and a poor run defense, which could be important if head coach Steve Spurrier puts the ball in the hands of Ladell Betts, who has proved he can shoulder the load and this downhill rusher looks like he has a big future on what little we have seen of him. He could well have a big game, if the calling from the sideline is as it should be.
Spurrier has to get a hold of his team. Admittedly he said one of the main reasons they lost to the Giants last week was ?bad discipline?. Forgive him for bastardising the language, but he is right about the abject indiscipline ? and the buck stops with him. They gave up a team record 17 penalties costing them 142 yards, which is unacceptable at any level.
The Redskins have an excellent opportunity to beat a banged-up Patriots and it would take a brave man to bet against them doing just that and the line, set at 42.5, may well go over.
Milham?s Week 4 Fab Favourites:
Jets ?2.5 (Under 38.5), 49ers -2.5 (Under 46.5), Redskins -2.5 (Under 42.5).
Fab Favourites are 8-1 for the season (88.8 per cent) 3-0 last week.
Dog Delights are 5-4 for the season (55.5 per cent) 1-2 last week.
Unders/Overs are 9-9 for the season (50 per cent) 3-3 last week.
tradesports.com
(Sep 24)
By Simon Milham ? Britain?s top Football Handicapper and tradesports.com columnist.
The New York Jets can finally get a win on the board and cover the 2.5-point handicap spread when the Dallas Cowboys head in, looking to take another bite out of the Big Apple.
Bill Parcells gained his first win as the Cowboys? head coach against one of his former clubs two weeks ago, when they came back from the dead to beat the Giants in overtime at the Meadowlands.
The Giants are a much better team than their green rivals, but that should not deter you from siding with the Jets, who may be 0-3, but they are, after all, still the AFC East champions.
Their three-touchdown ? one a game ? ratio doesn?t exactly have opposing defensive co-ordinators hitting the panic button, merely the pillow.
The Jets? funk is easy to quantify. One conversion from 13 attempts on third downs says plenty. It is no secret that square peg QB Vinny Testaverde does not fit well with round hole offensive co-ordinator Paul Hackett?s schemes. It also doesn?t help that RB Curtis Martin is not seeing enough of the ball. Compare his 15 rushes for 53 yards with that of Miami?s Ricky Williams, who almost had as many carries (42) in the 17-7 win over the Bills as Martin had yards against New England last week.
Five times the Jets went inside the Patriots? 25-yards line ? and five times they failed to score touchdowns. No dessert, but plenty of meat and potatoes, for they continue to move the ball and create chances.
It may sound like a case for the prosecution, rather than the defendant, but the Jets have played three tough games against teams who should all have winning records this term ? the Redskins, Dolphins and Patriots.
Although the Cowboys have at least won one of their two games, they have leaked a combined 59 points and given up an average of 238 yards in the air.
This is a huge game for the Jets, whose season is fast spiralling down the plug hole and although they made the playoffs last season from a 2-5 start, just five teams since 1970 have started 0-3 and made the post season.
The Jets are 2.5-point favourites with tradesports.com, a person-to-person sports trading exchange, where there is no bookie and where you can dictate your own odds. You can also bet while the game is in running. They should cover in what might be a low-scoring affair.
San Francisco (1-2) travel to Minnesota (3-0), having been on the wrong end of a 13-12 shock home loss to Cleveland. With Vikings QB Daunte Culpepper suffering multiple fractures in his back and with WR Randy Moss also questionable with a back injury, the line makers have not been swift to price up the handicap, but it may not matter. The 49ers will have been stung, having lost a game they should have won, and can put an end to the Vikings? good run.
Indeed, last week the Detroit Lions had plenty of opportunities to beat the Vikings, but despite having a first and goal from the two with a couple of minutes left, they failed to score and went down by 10.
The 49ers won?t be such a soft touch, whoever plays against them and have given up less yards in the air and on the ground. The Vikings have an adequate pass rush, but their secondary is still suspect, so expect a comprehensive win for the visitors, who have slipped two games behind Seattle in the NFC West.
Injuries have also plagued the New England Patriots and although they beat the Philadelphia Eagles comprehensively on the road in Week 2, they face a tricky trip to the capital and the Washington Redskins look value, being asked to give up 2.5 points.
The loss of run stuffer Ted Washington (fractured left leg), linebacker Rosevelt Colvin (fractured hip) and guard Mike Compton (foot) has seriously damaged their playoff hopes, even at this early stage.
They have a moderate running game and a poor run defense, which could be important if head coach Steve Spurrier puts the ball in the hands of Ladell Betts, who has proved he can shoulder the load and this downhill rusher looks like he has a big future on what little we have seen of him. He could well have a big game, if the calling from the sideline is as it should be.
Spurrier has to get a hold of his team. Admittedly he said one of the main reasons they lost to the Giants last week was ?bad discipline?. Forgive him for bastardising the language, but he is right about the abject indiscipline ? and the buck stops with him. They gave up a team record 17 penalties costing them 142 yards, which is unacceptable at any level.
The Redskins have an excellent opportunity to beat a banged-up Patriots and it would take a brave man to bet against them doing just that and the line, set at 42.5, may well go over.
Milham?s Week 4 Fab Favourites:
Jets ?2.5 (Under 38.5), 49ers -2.5 (Under 46.5), Redskins -2.5 (Under 42.5).
Fab Favourites are 8-1 for the season (88.8 per cent) 3-0 last week.
Dog Delights are 5-4 for the season (55.5 per cent) 1-2 last week.
Unders/Overs are 9-9 for the season (50 per cent) 3-3 last week.
tradesports.com
