Sometimes betting on the NFL can get strange. If I was taking early action on bets – which are just as valid as those made at noon on Sunday – once the house meteorologist was consulted I would have taken the Buffalo Bills- Cleveland Browns game off the board.
It remained there until Thursday afternoon with an Over/Under of 43 points, anticipating epic bad weather. Then, the NFL announced the game was being moved to a domed stadium farther west along the Great Lakes in Detroit. Suddenly, the game is taken off the board. Seeing as I realized that possibility existed, it stuns me that the sportsbooks didn’t. Yet, no revised numbers were immediately available. I guess we’re seeing another week with the Bills of playing wait-and-see to place your bets.
5
Take Minnesota Vikings on the moneyline (+110) vs. Dallas Cowboys
The Vikings are 8-1 and have won seven straight games. Yet, the Cowboys are 2.5-point favorites in Minnesota, where the crowd makes calling audibles almost impossible and communication between offensive players difficult. When point spreads are set, it isn’t a prediction of winning and losing, it’s a prediction of where a line has to be to get equal betting on both sides. Minnesota has won a ton of close games, and the Cowboys have allowed their three highest point totals of the season in their last four games. This won’t be an upset if Minnesota wins.
4
Take Philadelphia Eagles and lay 6.5 points (-114) vs. Indianapolis Colts
The Eagles did everything they could to hand a win to Washington to end their perfect season. When legitimate Super Bowl contenders have a brutal game, their next opponent tends to pay for it. The Colts are good enough to hang with the Eagles for a while, but Philly likely isn’t going to take its foot off the gas if it gets an early lead, which would help negate Jonathan Taylor and the damage he could do.
3
Take Cincinnati Bengals and lay 4 points (-107) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
When the Bengals are winning, they tend to run away from opponents. Their five wins have come by totals of 15, 12, 4, 18 and 21. Coming off a Week 1 loss to the Steelers that has had the Bengals struggling to distance themselves from the .500 mark, Cincinnati has the better personnel on both sides of the ball. Barring multiple turnovers, Cincy should be able to dictate the pace and take advantage of a Steelers roster beset with injuries that will struggle if the Bengals get out to any early lead.
2
Take New York Giants and lay 3 points (-115) vs. Detroit Lions
The Giants keep getting disrespected when it comes to points spreads. Not only is their record 7-2, but they’re also 7-2 against the spread. They keep games close by design, but their last five wins have come by four points or more. The Giants are 4-1 at home, while the Lions are 1-3 on the road. This line doesn’t make sense to me, because it should be higher – and might be by the time we get to Sunday.
1
San Francisco 49ers vs. Arizona Cardinals: Take Over 43.5 points (-107)
The Cardinals have hit the Over on this number in each of their last four games, and a strong case can be made that the 49ers are better offensively than any of the other four (Saints, Vikings, Seahawks and Rams). San Francisco is still trying to find a way to fully incorporate Christian McCaffrey into the offense. The 49ers are quite capable of scoring 27 points, and the Cardinals won’t be able to run the ball, so points will come quicker if they’re one-dimensional and passing 40 or more times. Keep tabs on the Arizona QB injuries, though.
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