Monday Night Football – Vikings vs. Bears

This is the time of the season when handicapping the weather becomes a part of any successful NFL betting strategy.

Taking a look at Monday night’s battle between the Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears, the game looks like a mismatch – on paper, at least. Thing is, when you consider the forecast, you have to account for a couple of interesting trends that work in the Bears’ favor.

Chicago Bears has won its last 10 home games when the temperature was at the freezing mark or colder. The temperature is expected to be in the range of 24 to 28 degrees when the teams kick off in the frosty air of Soldier Field on Monday night; the Bears could be in for an underdog cover against the Vikings.

Another statistic that jumps out when examining weather trends is 40-year-old Brett Favre’s struggles in cold weather. Dating back to the 2003 playoffs, Favre has dropped seven games in a row when the temperature is 38 degrees or less at kickoff.

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The weather isn’t the only thing the Vikings (11-3, 8-5-1 ATS) have to overcome when they hook up with the Bears (5-9, 4-10 ATS) on Monday Night Football at Soldier Field.

There are question marks about Favre’s relationship with head coach Brad Childress – and his play of late – heading into the Monday nighter. Favre and Brad Childress got into an argument on the sidelines in the third quarter of Minnesota’s 26-7 loss at Carolina (+9) last week.

Childress wanted to take Brett Favre out of the game because of the amount of pressure the Panthers were putting on the veteran signal caller, even though the Vikes were leading 7-6 at the time. Favre insisted on staying on the field – and he did – but not before Carolina reeled off 20 unanswered points to hand Minnesota its worst defeat of the season.

Favre finished 17-of-27 for 224 yards with an interception for the Vikings, who have dropped two of their last three games both SU and against the number. After putting up 24 touchdowns against only three picks in leading Minny to a 10-1 SU (7-3-1 ATS) start, Favre has three TDs and four INTs in the last three games.

Favre’s recent swoon is reminiscent of his play down the stretch as a member of the New York Jets last season. The Jets jumped out to an 8-3 (7-4 ATS) record behind some strong play from Favre, but he stumbled in the latter part of the schedule, with only two touchdowns to go along with nine interceptions in New York’s last five games. The Jets went 1-4 SU and winless against the number to miss the playoffs.

Is Favre headed down the same ominous path this season? Bettors might not find out on Monday night. The Vikings are likely to offer up a steady dose of Adrian Peterson who, like Favre, hasn’t been at his best lately. Peterson was held to 35 yards rushing on 12 carries with a score last week against Carolina, and is without a 100-yard game over the last five weeks.

Expect Peterson to get plenty of touches against a Chicago run defense that’s allowing 128.5 yards on the ground per game. Over the past two seasons, Minnesota is 15-2 SU when Peterson rushes up the middle at least eight times and only 6-7 SU when he doesn’t. Looks like it’s time for Favre to stop slinging passes over the middle and for the Vikes to get back to leaning on their best offensive weapon.

Outside of the cold weather, there’s little reason to take the Bears on Monday night. Chicago fell 31-7 at Baltimore (-10.5) last Sunday to fall to a dismal 1-9 ATS (2-8 SU) in its last 10 contests. Jay Cutler was 10-of-27 for a mere 94 yards passing with three picks against the Ravens before being pulled for backup Caleb Hanie in the fourth quarter. Cutler has a NFL-worst 25 INTs this season, and is in jeopardy of matching Vinny Testaverde’s 30-interception year back in 1988.

Make sure to get an updated injury report before laying down your money on the Monday nighter. Antoine Winfield (foot), Steve Hutchinson (shoulder), Pat Williams (elbow), and Brian Robison (quadriceps) are questionable for Minnesota, while Desmond Clark (illness), Lance Briggs (back), Tommie Harris (knee), Orlando Pace (groin), and Devin Hester (calf) are questionable for Chicago.

NFL Sunday Recap – Colts Bail on Perfection

It was an interesting Sunday in the NFL.  The New Orleans Saints all but had a victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their pockets when Garrett Hartley lined up for a last second chip shot field goal.

Tied at 17 a piece, the Saints had blown a 17 to 0 lead but a fantastic two minute drive in the 4th quarter orchestrated by Drew Brees led to Hartley’s seemingly easy kick from inside the 40 yard line.  Unfortunately, Hartley hooked it left and the game went into overtime. 

What happened next was to be expected.  A Saints’ defense riddled with injuries and looking every bit as awful as the 2008 version, allowed rookie Tampa QB Josh Freeman and RB Carnell Williams to march their way into Saints’ territory. Tampa kicker Connor Barth hit the kick and once again the Saints were denied home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

There really is no excuse for loosing to the lowly Bucs but New Orleans is suffering through a lot of injuries and, yes, given time they might get back to where they were earlier in the season, but the signs are bad for this team.  They’ve gone 4 and 7 against the spread since their bye week, have lost two games in a row, and flat out looked uninspired and disjointed out there on the field.

The Saints’ D often times can’t cover in the defensive backfield if their front seven doesn’t put pressure on the quarterback.  Not only that, but the defense is susceptible to the run as Carnell Williams rushed for over 100 yards for the first time since 2006 on Sunday.

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The Saints offense was stymied as well.  With tight end Jeremy Shockey once again on the bench, New Orleans just appeared hapless at times.  Despite Brees completing 19 straight passes during one stretch in the game, none of those terrific drives turned into touchdowns. A sign this team is lacking a killer instinct and confidence is when the Saints had a 4th and inches on their own 40 yard line and coach Sean Payton elected to punt the ball instead of going for it.

It proved to be the wrong call as Tampa Bay punt returner Michael Spurlock scooted the punt 77 yards for a tying touchdown.

New Orleans is now in a must win situation against the super hot Carolina Panthers in Week 17.  The Panthers have outscored their opponents 67 to 16 in their last 2 games.  If the Saints were to lose to the Panthers and the Vikings were to win their next two games, New Orleans would lose home field advantage.

G-Men Pack it In…In a Bad Way

The New York Giants looked terrific last Monday night, destroying the Washington Redskins 45 to 12. That was not the same team that stepped onto the field yesterday as they had no answer for the Carolina Panthers, going down 41 to 9 as 9 point favorites at home.

How awful was it?  Carolina was up 31 to 0 in the 3rd quarter before the G-Men put 3 points on the board.  It was an embarrassing loss for a team that won the Super Bowl in the 2007 season and had one of the best records in the NFL in the 2008 season.

Because the Tennessee Titans were throttled by the San Diego Chargers this past Thursday night 42 to 17, the two teams with the best records last season, the Giants and Titans, won’t make the playoffs this season.

Dallas & Green Bay Secure Playoff Berths

The Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers both looked great on Sunday in securing wildcard playoff berths.  The Cowboys beat the rival Washington Redskins 17 to 0 on the road while the Packers took down the Seattle Seahawks 48 to 10.  Because of the lopsided scores, both the ‘Boys and the Packers covered in the sportsbook.

How will the Cowboys do in the playoffs?  One need only to watch next week as the Cowboys take on the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 17.  As it stands now, the ‘Boys would play the Eagles in the 1st round of the playoffs if the playoffs were to start today.  There’s the potential that Dallas would face the Eagles two weeks in a row.

Strangely enough, the same scenario could play out when the Green Bay Packers take on the Arizona Cardinals this coming Sunday in Week 17.  If the playoffs started today, the Packers would face the Cardinals in the wildcard round.

So conceivably, both the Cowboys and Eagles and Packers and Cardinals in Week 17 would repeat in the 1st round of the playoffs just 6 or 7 days later.

Bad Move to Pull Peyton but Not Just Because of 16 and 0

Sportsmanship aside, going for 16 and 0 shows respect for the NFL and the league and every team should try to do it given the chance, the Colts pulling Peyton Manning in Sunday’s game against the New York Jets had other implications.

By beating the Indianapolis Colts, the New York Jets put themselves into playoff contention.  Should they beat the Cincinnati Bengals this coming Sunday, the Jets would march into the playoffs.

How bright was that, Colts?  You decide not to the end the season of a playoff contender, let them kick you in the mouth, and now might have to face them in the playoffs.

Yes, the Jets would need to do something spectacular in order to reach the Colts, like beating the Bengals or Patriots in the 1st round of the playoffs…oh, wait…spectacular?  The Jets have already beaten the Patriots once this season and could beat the Bengals this Sunday!

Then, they’d probably go into the second round of the playoffs, after beating one of those teams again, as the lowest remaining seed meaning that the Colts would have to beat them after getting run over by them just three weeks earlier.

It was just stupid not to bury the Jets when you had the chance.  Flat out stupid.  Your defense is going to remember how Jets’ RB Thomas Jones ran all over them should you meet the Jets again.

Ah, but this is what is great about the NFL.   Even in the final week of the regular season, so much is on the line.  Don’t forget to log onto the NFL sportsbook and get your bets down!

College Bowl Game Odds: Canes vs Badgers

The Champs Sports Bowl features the Miami Hurricanes facing the 3 point underdog Wisconsin Badgers in a different style’s battle on December 29 at 8:00 PM ET at Florida Citrus Bowl stadium.

College Bowl Game Odds:

Wisconsin Badgers +3
Miami Florida Hurricanes -3
O/U 58

Miami ended with a 9-3 record in the ACC and Wisconsin also ended 9-3 in the Big Ten.

The Hurricanes will need to pick up their game up on defense as they face the 14 th rushing offense in the league averaging almost 207 yards per game.

The Hurricanes have only allowed 8 TDs over the ground but they are about to face a real challenge as they take on the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year RB John Clay.

Clay ran for 1396 yards getting 16 TDs, he got over 100 rushing yards in 8 of his games. He is not the kind of RB who is going to break free for long gain but he will be able to get the yards his team need.

If they can establish the run that will give QB Scott Tolzien enough room to work with. Scott threw 16 TDs in the season but was picked 10 times, making him an unreliable QB.

On offense the Hurricanes need QB Jacory Harris to perform as he did in the beginning of the season, he was plagued by turnovers in the second half of the season and this break may help him clear his head and get back into the game.

Harris threw for 3164 yards, 23 TDs and 17 interceptions, not very amazing numbers. He had some amazing games like the win over Georgia Tech in week two when he found the end zone 3 times but he also had some bad ones like the game against North Carolina when he threw 4 interceptions.

Harris gets intercepted a lot for two basic reasons:

• For trying to scramble out of the pocket and throwing the ball in hurry and
• For throwing the ball to WR Leonard Hankerson too many times.

The Junior WR Hankerson has 6 TDs this season and 44 receptions so you can expect Harris to look for him at the Champs Sports Bowl against a team that loves to make the QBs uncomfortable and have several playmakers on the secondary.

Consider these College Football betting trends: Miami is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games and Wisconsin is 4-1 SU in its last 5 games. The total has gone OVER in 4 of Wisconsin’s last 5 games and it has gone OVER in 4 of Miami’s last 6 games.

Last Wisconsin’s 5 bowl games

• 2004 Outback vs. Georgia 21-24 L
• 2005 Capital One vs. Auburn 24-10 W
• 2006 Capital One vs. Arkansas 17-14 W
• 2007 Outback vs. Tennessee 17-21 L
• 2008 Champs Sports vs. Florida State 13-42 L

Last Miami’s 5 bowl games

• 2003 Orange Florida State 16-14 W
• 2004 Peach Florida 27-0 W
• 2005 Peach LSU 3-40 L
• 2006 MPC Computers Nevada 21-20 W
• 2008 Emerald California 17-24 L

My pick: Miami will cover. Over

Football Bowl Picks – Georgia vs. Texas A&M in the Independence Bowl

2009 Independence Bowl

Georgia Bulldogs (7-5 SU, 4-7 ATS) vs. Texas A&M Aggies (6-6 SU, 6-5-1 ATS)

Monday, December 28: 5:00 p.m.

Football Bowl Betting Odds: Georgia -7, Total Points 64

Here are some betting trends which may impact this game:

Georgia: 3-1 SU in their last 4 games

Georgia: 2-1 ATS in their last 3 games

Texas A&M: 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games

Texas A&M: 3-6 SU in their last 9 games

Texas A&M: The total has gone OVER in 6 of their last 8 games

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Old school powers who have fallen on hard times will square off in this year’s Independence Bowl, when the Georgia Bulldogs and Texas A&M Aggies get together in Shreveport.

First, for Georgia, it’s been a highly disappointing season for the Dawgs, who many believed could be one of the two or three best teams in the SEC. Their problem all year was an inconsistent running game, that in turn forced quarterback Joe Cox into some struggles. On the year, Cox did throw 22 touchdowns, but his 14 interceptions are just way too many, especially for a fifth-year senior. However, he was helped later in the season, as Washaun Ealey emerged at running back. The true freshman was phenomenal down the stretch, rushing for at least 75 yards in the Bulldogs last four games, getting a career high 183 in their most recent win over Georgia Tech.

As for Georgia’s defense, it struggled early, played better late, but had entirely too many miscues in between. When you look at their across the board numbers, the Bulldogs really weren’t that bad, 30th in total yards, 33rd in passing yards. But once you see that they had the 70th ranked scoring defense, it makes a little more sense why they struggled so mightily to win football games.

Texas A&M is the opposite of Georgia in many ways: They don’t play defense and make no bones about it, and try to outscore you through the passing game.

Junior quarterback Jerrod Johnson had a breakout 2009, throwing for 3200 yards and 28 touchdowns, surprisingly with just six interceptions. He has help in the backfield in the form of Christine Michael and Cyrus Gray, who combined to rush for over 1400 yards.

However, while the offense has been good for the Aggies, the defense has been, well, not quite so good. They currently rank in the bottom half of college football in every major category, and 100th or worse in scoring defense, total defense and pass defense. It could be a fun afternoon for Georgia and Joe Cox.

Before I go any further, I want to recommend precaution betting this game. Both of these teams are a little wacky, and there’s no outcome in this game that would surprise me. But, if I had to take a guess, I’d go with Texas A&M. Georgia is the favorite, but I’m not quite sure. They’ve had a propensity to play up and down to competition all year, and coming off a huge win against Georgia Tech, who knows if they’ll even be interested in playing this game. Add to the fact they’ve given up lots of big plays this year, and this just seems like a big national coming out party for Johnson and the Aggies offense.

I’m taking the Aggies to cover this point spread and possibly win straight up in the betting odds. Although honestly, nothing would surprise me in this one.

Football Bowl Pick: Texas A&M +7

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NFL Betting Insider – Week 16 Hot or Not

With just one week remaining in the 2009 NFL regular season, pro football betting enthusiasts have only one more week to cash in on a full slate of NFL action before the start of the annual postseason gets underway.

This look at the hottest and coldest ATS teams in the NFL will put devoted football gamblers on the road to making an abundance of winning wagers on all Week 17’s contests while providing some insight on which teams stand the best chance of cover the NFL point spread once the playoffs get underway in les than two weeks.

With a thrilling Monday night matchup getting underway tonight, let me get started.

Hot
These teams have covered the spread at a high rate over their last five games.

Cleveland 5-0 ATS
It may be hard to believe, but it’s true. The Cleveland Browns are the hottest ATS team in all of football. Not only that, but the Browns have won three consecutive games heading into their regular season finale against the Jaguars at home. Cleveland has gone a spotless 6-0 ATS over its last six games and I say they give the Jaguars all they can handle and then some this week, even without the injured Brady Quinn.

Green Bay 5-0 ATS
The Packers are on fire and have a quarterback that is almost as good as any quarterback in the league these days. Green Bay has gone 6-0-1 ATS over the last seven games and looks like a team that’s going to upset someone in the playoffs if you ask me.

NY Jets 4-1 ATS
The J-E-T-S pulled off a shocker to beat Indianapolis in Week 16 and will look to do the same in Week 16 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Carolina 4-1 ATS
The Panthers have beaten the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings in each of the last two weeks whole covering the NFL moneyline in four consecutive games. Maybe it’s me, but I smell another win for the Panthers in their home finale against New Orleans.

Indianapolis 4-1 ATS
The Colts had their five-game winning streak snapped in their Week 16 loss to the Jets and don’t have much to play for in their regular season finale.

Not
These teams have failed to produce a consistent payday for pro football gamblers recently.

Chicago 0-5 ATS
The Bears are a mess. Chicago has gone 0-7 against the spread over its last seven games and doesn’t look like much of a threat to cash in against the Vikings in their Week 16 Monday Night Football matchup.

Tennessee 1-4 ATS
The Titans have taken some ATS losses on the chin recently, but could be a lock to cash in against the Seahawks in their regular season finale.

Pittsburgh 1-4 ATS
Simply put, betting on the Steelers could be dangerous to your mental health and sanity no matter how much you believe in the defending champs. Pittsburgh’s 4-10-1 ATS mark doesn’t look real pretty heading into their regular season finale at Miami.

Cincinnati 1-4 ATS
The Bengals have had a breakout season, but this team just doesn’t possess enough offensive firepower to cover the spread often enough. Cincinnati has gone 1-5 ATS over its last six games and hits the road to face the Jets to close out the 2009 regular season campaign.

Jacksonville 1-4 ATS
The Jaguars have lost three straight games while failing to cover the spread each time out while going 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall. The Jags close out the regular season at Cleveland where they could very well fall again.

New Orleans 1-4 ATS
I knew it was only a matter of time before the saints hit the skids after narrowly escaping with win after win for about a month prior to recording their first loss of the season in Week 15. This team’s potent offense has produced a lot of unrealistic point spreads. The Saints could very well end the regular season on a three-game losing streak as they face their hated division rivals, Carolina, to close out the regular season.

Kansas City 1-4 ATS
K.C. snapped a four-game ATS losing streak in Week 16, but will be hard-pressed to win or cover the spread against a desperate Denver Broncos squad in their regular season finale.

NFL – Cowher to Coach in 2010

Former Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Bill Cowher, has made it known that the greatest chin to grace the sidelines of the NFL is making a return in the 2010 NFL betting season. The news doesn’t come as a tremendous shock to the NFL community because Cowher has seemed uncomfortable and restless in the booth, just the opposite of Jon Gruden who seems revitalized by his spot with the Monday Night Football crew.

Cowher was last seen coaching the Steelers in 2006 and won a Super Bowl in 2005 with the Steelers against Seattle. Which bottom feeding team is the likeliest candidate to land the 52-year old coach?

Chicago Bears (5-9 SU)
As I’ve been calling for all year, Chicago’s fan base has finally cried for Lovie Smith’s head. Lovie, who is endeared in coaching circles around the league, has taken his team to the Super Bowl just once and lost despite having one of the best overall defenses the NFL has ever seen. This year he gained Jay Cutler but lost Brian Urlacher in Week 1. The trade, which was supposed to turn Chicago in to a Super Bowl contender, turned them in to a laughing stock. The Bears have gone just 4-10 ATS and are 1-6 ATS on the road. Cutler has turned in to a turnover machine and the coaching staff has failed to reproduce Matt Forte’s breakout year last season, and determine or develop a number one receiver.

The reason that Cowher wouldn’t touch this position is because Chicago has traded away its entire draft class of 2010 for Cutler already and they don’t have a number-one pick in the draft until 2012. The city, the franchise, the owners and the legacy of Chicago would entice Cowher, but the laughable state of the team’s immediate future make this an absolute stay away.

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Buffalo Bills (5-10 SU)
The Bills are caught in more limbo than any other team. Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson’s talents are lost to the fact that the team doesn’t actually have a real quarterback. Ryan Fitzpatrick has been doing moderately better than Trent Edwards, but that’s not saying much. The Bills went 7-7-1 ATS this season, and showed glimpses of life, but reviving a team in the same division as the Patriots, Jets and Dolphins is not the most attractive job opportunity for Cowher, or any other coach in the league with the equal clout. Plus, you’d have to live in Buffalo…

Carolina Panthers (7-8 SU)
The Panthers either had to pick between Jon Fox or Jake Delhomme, and it seems they’ve made their choice. The emergence of Matt Moore has made the choice that much easier, especially since he’s putting up a 98.9 quarterback rating since he earned the starting job. Fox’s job is safe meaning there’s no place for Cowher. The guy who will need a job is Jake Delhomme, but don’t worry too much about him. He signed an extension last summer that guaranteed him $20 million. Not a bad deal for 8 touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 12 games for 2009.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-12 SU)
The Bucs are hitting the basement after going through the biggest overhaul a team has seen in recent years. They literally cleared the house of every veteran outside of Ronde Barber and jettisoned Jon Gruden. This is likely the most attractive destination for Cowher for a number of reasons, and the main one being that this team has reasonable offensive weapons.

Josh Freeman, Kellen Winslow, Antonio Bryant (who will have to be re-signed), Cadillac Williams and many others give this offense the same type of punch that Cowher is used to working with. On top of that, Tampa as a city is a much better city to live in than Buffalo. The Bucs, who have a first year coach in Raheem Morris already in the wings will have to do some politicking to keep Morris, but if it came down to nabbing Cowher, Morris would be out of Tampa in a flash.

The Furious Verdict: Cowher will end up in Tampa because the Glazers are one of the most free spending teams in the entire league. The Bucs have an attractive, young team that needs a veteran leader and Cowher will have a top-5 draft pick to help rebuild a defense that used to be legendary. Oddly enough, the NFC South has a strange record where the last place team from the year before ends up first the following year. Could that happen to the Bucs? Only if Cowher is on board.

NBA Betting Preview – LA Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

The oddsmakers are banking on the Lakers and Suns going in to a scoring fiesta on the first day after the Christmas weekend. It hasn’t been a kind weekend for either team. The Lakers lost on Christmas as LeBron James powered the Cleveland Cavs past L.A. to the tune of 102-87. The next day, the Suns lost to the Golden State Warriors 127-132. Even though Kobe notched a win over Sacramento on Saturday, the Lakers must keep the ball rolling. As the fans let him know on Christmas, they won’t tolerate losing to big ticket teams and Phoenix is one of those radar teams.

The Lakers have been underachieving on the betting line recently going 3-6 ATS in their last 9 games. Though they’re 8-3 ATS in their last 11 games against Phoenix and undefeated in their last five games on the road overall, the Lakers have had trouble against Phoenix when playing the role of visitor. The Lakers are 4-13 SU when playing at the US Airways Center and if the TOTAL looks staggering, let’s not forget that the OVER has been the bet to make in this matchup in 4 of the last 6.

Los Angeles pk -100 vs Phoenix >> Join to Bet Now

The Suns are just 2-4 SU/ATS in their last 6 games overall, and are struggling for consistency and balance, but they’re a stiff 20-2 SU at home. It won’t come easily against the Lakers. Kobe Bryant has averaged 38.0 points in three games this season against the Suns. For their part, Phoenix has given up an average of 112.8 points per game in their last four matchups.

Los Angeles Lakers (24-5) vs. Phoenix Suns (19-12)

Monday, December 28th
US Airways Center, Phoenix — 9:00pm EST

NBA Betting Line: PK (215.5)

The big question mark for L.A. is the condition of Ron Artest, who is nursing a concussion. He was brought on board to terrorize the big men of opposing teams, and that’s exactly what he did against Amare Stoudemire. Artest notched 15-5 and 5 steals when he played Amare last.

Kobe Bryant also has a lingering elbow injury from the Sacramento game but is very likely to play. Considering that he performs so well against the Suns, and that this game will have the tiniest betting spread imaginable, the Lakers are a solid pick.

You might think that Nash will be able to run circles around the Lakers, but the Suns are winless in their last six games when Nash plays against L.A. Take the Lakers and enjoy the countdown to the New Year.

Furious Free Pick: Lakers (UNDER)

NFL – Caldwell Costs Colts Perfection

The champagne was flowing for the 1972 Dolphins as Peyton Manning and the Colts finally lost in 2009. At 14-1 SU and 10-5 ATS the Colts have secured the number-one seed in the AFC and will have the privilege of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. With perfection out of their grasp for the remainder of the 2009-10 betting season, how the Colts respond to the loss will be definitive for how they carry themselves through the playoffs.

I’ll be honest about coach Jim Caldwell. I didn’t even bother to learn his name until about two weeks ago because I thoroughly believed that this was Peyton Manning’s team to coach and motivate. Caldwell made the decision to pull his starters in the third quarter of the game, essentially tossing in the towel as the Jets were pulling away with the game. The coach believes he made the right call, but almost everyone across the board disagrees.

Perfection is the hardest thing to attain in the world of sports and the NFL remains the only league where it is even imaginable that a team could go undefeated. It may not have been an outspoken mandate of the team, but the grimace on Peyton’s face during the fourth quarter of the game on Sunday told the entire story: losing was enough to take away the smile, but throwing away a perfect season meant much more to this team then they let on.

Coach Caldwell reaffirms that he pulled his starters in the third quarter to take away the possibility of injury. To me, all that says is that he’s terrified of losing the Super Bowl. Rarely does a team ever have a legitimate shot at going perfect. It’s why the ’72 Dolphins celebrate so vigorously and annoyingly that their spot in history is theirs alone. With the Colts knocking on perfection’s doorstep, it was nothing short of cowardly for Caldwell to pull his starters and toss away a shot at history. That’s simply not how you receive respect from fans or opponents.

The players backed their coach’s decision but fans rightfully are angry about the loss. It’s not that it affects the team’s post season chances, but when a team has the opportunity to go after perfect, you simply just go for it. You don’t throw in the towel. You don’t forfeit. You don’t retreat. You attack until that win is stripped from your dying hands. It’s then that you wipe the loss from your memory and move on to the next game.

Doing that in the middle of a game is inexcusable. The veterans on Indy wouldn’t throw their coach under the bus because, let’s face it, they’re professionals. But be very honest to yourself – has Jim Caldwell made any game winning decisions, notable press conferences or adamant statements that would’ve have cemented his legacy.

Instead, he made a decision that will make him “the guy that cost the Colts perfection”. Not exactly how you achieve job security, especially when guys like Mike Shanahan and Bill Cowher are announcing their intentions to return to coaching next season.

The Colts will close their season out against Buffalo in Week 17 betting and it remains unclear if Jim Sorgi will get the start over Peyton. Keep tuned to the BetOnline.com locker room for your weekend picks coming Thursday as will filter through all the news and hype to give you the best advice out there. And you can count on us, because unlike Caldwell, we won’t be scared to make the tough calls.

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Monday Night Football Betting – Minnesota Vikings vs. Chicago Bears

A curious thing has happened to the Minnesota Vikings late in the season. Not only is there a sudden power struggle between Brett Favre and Brad Childress, the Vikings are being pressed by Arizona for the first-round bye in the playoffs.

Oddly enough, the New Orleans Saints have given them a shot at the number-one seed in the NFC after losing to the Bucs in overtime. The most immediate obstacle standing in the way of Favre and the Vikes is the reeling Chicago Bears.

Winless against the spread in five games and just 1-6 SU in their past 7 overall, the Bears have been a veritable disaster this entire season. Jay Cutler leads the league in interceptions largely because nobody in his receiving corps has emerged as a viable top option. Matt Forte and the running game has absolutely vanished, ranking just 24 th in the league with 105.7 yards per game on the ground at home. Not boosting any confidence in Chicago this weekend is the recent memory of a 36-10 blowout at the hands of Minnesota just three weeks ago.

Chicago, however, is 7-1 SU in their last 8 games when hosting Minnesota and are 4-1 ATS at Soldier Field as well. Those NFL betting trends, however, do not take in to consideration Brett Favre who has not played at Soldier Field as a member of the Vikings yet.

Minnesota Vikings (11-3) vs. Chicago Bears (5-9)

Monday, December 28 th — Soldier Field, Chicago — 8:30pm EST

NFL Betting Line: Minnesota -8 (41)

Brett Favre hasn’t been a stud in December, as his betting backers over the last five years will tell you. The recent transgressions behind the scenes in Minnesota also have the Vikings betting investors plenty worried. Despite all the problems in the locker room, however, Minnesota is 4-1 SU when playing Chicago overall and 7-3 SU in their last 10 road games.

And petty skirmishes between a coach and a quarterback have to be put aside when a shot at the top spot in the NFC is ripe for the picking. New Orleans plays a surging Carolina team next weekend, and Minnesota must win against Chicago Bears to retain its legitimate shot at top billing in their conference. A loss would take away a season’s worth of momentum, and give the Arizona Cardinals an opening to grab the second seed in the NFC as well.

Chicago has only been able to beat St. Louis in the past five games, and have are facing the 9 th best scoring defense in the league. Minnesota gives up just 19.2 points per game and Jared Allen is going to remind everyone just why he became a mid-season candidate for the MVP award alongside teammate Brett Favre.

The problems in Minnesota are far outweighed by the unmitigated hazard warnings coming out of Chicago. New Orleans and Arizona will be glued to the TV to see just how Minnesota responds to the sudden opportunities in the competitive NFC. The Broncos, meanwhile, will be praying for another Chicago loss to bolster their shot at a top-10 pick in the NFL draft. Denver, at least, will have something to celebrate by the end of this game.

Furious Free Pick: Minnesota -8 (OVER)

College Hoops Week 8 Rankings – ACC Power Poll

The college basketball betting season is approaching conference play, and the teams in the ACC are already off to a hot start! Check out how the teams in one of the top conferences in the country stack up in this week’s BetOnline college basketball power rankings…

1: Miami Hurricanes (5-1 ATS, 12-1 SU) (LW: 1) The Hurricanes had no trouble dispatching North Carolina A&T this week to stay atop the college basketball power rankings. An odd roadie across the country will kick off the New Year.

On Deck: Home vs. Bethune Cookman, Away @ Pepperdine

2: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (5-2 ATS, 9-2 SU) (LW: 2) The Jackets wrapped up their pre-holidays college basketball betting slate with an 80-55 win over Kennesaw State. Don’t expect to see any more troubles for this team before ACC play gets going again on January 9th.

On Deck: Home vs. Winston-Salem, Away @ Charlotte

3: Duke Blue Devils (6-3 ATS, 9-1 SU) (LW: 3) The Dookies didn’t have a game last week. Many will argue that they don’t have a real match-up again until Sunday when Clemson comes to town even though this is a rare three-game week ahead.

On Deck: Home vs. Long Beach State, Home vs. Penn, Home vs. Clemson

4: Clemson Tigers (7-4 ATS, 11-2 SU) (LW: 4) A 79-57 win over Western Carolina marked the fifth straight cover for the streaking Tigers. A tune-up against South Carolina State is the last hurdle before the trip to Cameron Indoor.

On Deck: Home vs. South Carolina State, Away @ Duke

5: North Carolina State Wolfpack (6-4-1 ATS, 8-3 SU) (LW: 5) NCSU will be kicking itself for losing at Arizona last week, but at least Wolfpack bettors can take solace in a cover. Anything less than wins in their next five will have the Pack reeling come March Madness.

On Deck: Home vs. Winthrop, Away @ UNC Greensboro

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6: Wake Forest Demon Deacons (4-3 ATS, 8-2 SU) (LW: 6) The Deacs rested over the holidays and will get ready for a tricky ending to the non-conference schedule. A home date against the Musketeers could go a long way in deciding whether Wake is good enough to go dancing this year or not.

On Deck: Away @ UNC Greensboro, Home vs. Richmond, Home vs. Xavier

7: Virginia Cavaliers (3-3 ATS, 6-4 SU) (LW: 7) Two easy OOC victories had to be morale boosters for the Cavs. Reality probably still won’t set in for another week or so even though the Blazers have been red hot.

On Deck: Home vs. UAB

8: North Carolina Tar Heels (5-5 ATS, 9-3 SU) (LW: Carolina cruised against Marist and destroyed a very disrespectful 13-point spread at home. Two more cupcakes will come to the Dean Smith Dome this week.

On Deck: Home vs. Rutgers, Home vs. Albany

And the rest…

9: Virginia Tech Hokies (3-4 ATS, 10-1 SU) (LW: 11)

10: Boston College Eagles (4-6 ATS, 8-4 SU) (LW: 9)

11: Maryland Terrapins (3-5 ATS, 8-3 SU) (LW: 10)

12: Florida State Seminoles (4-6 ATS, 11-2 SU) (LW: 12)

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