It is no secret that the National Football League has been trying to expand into the international market for quite some time. The National Basketball Association (NBA) has a large fan base all around the world and the NFL sees no reason why American Football can't be just as popular outside the US.
There are many hurdles for the NFL to overcome before it can reach a global appeal. For one, most international sports fans consider football to be a game played kicking a round ball into a goal. The whole concept is relatively foreign and probably confusing for these fans. The other major hurdle is that NFL athletes have voiced considerable objections to playing in the International Market. An NFL franchise in say London would have a very difficult time signing top players to their roster and would probably need to pay a premium. Regardless of these hurdles, the NFL is still full speed ahead in their quest to become a globally recognized trademark. This Sunday of Week 4, the Minnesota Vikings will cross the Atlantic to battle the Pittsburgh Steelers in London Town. They even got Gene Simmons on board to sing the National Anthem. The American National Anthem that is! I have a few questions to ask about this booking: 1. Why would the new owner of an Arena Football Franchise (LA Kiss) agree to promote a rival Football League? 2. Why in the world would anyone think Gene Simmons has the singing ability to pull off the national anthem? 3. How much alcohol is going to be served to the Brits to make all of this entertaining? Would love to hear some of your answers in the comments below. San Francisco 49ers at St. Louis Rams (+3, 41.5) Less than eight months removed from a Super Bowl appearance, the San Francisco 49ers are immersed in controversy on and off the field heading into Thursday night's matchup at the St. Louis Rams. San Francisco has dropped two straight, including a stunning 27-7 defeat at home to the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. No team played the 49ers tougher last season than the AFC West rival Rams, who battled to a 24-24 tie in San Francisco and beat them in overtime in St. Louis. The 49ers' issues go beyond back-to-back inept performances - the team is under siege for allowing sack specialist Aldon Smith to play in Sunday's game only two days after he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Smith, who has a history of off-field issues, will enter a rehab facility to receive treatment and will miss Thursday's game. St. Louis is seeking a bounce-back effort after it was demolished by the Dallas Cowboys 31-7. TV: 8:25 p.m. ET, NFL Network. LINE: The 49ers opened as a 3.5-point road favorites and have been bet down to -3. The total opened as high as 43.5 and has been moved down to 41.5. WEATHER: N/A PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: 49ers (-2.5) + Rams (+5.0) + home field (-3.0) = St. Louis +4.5 ABOUT THE 49ERS (1-2, 1-2 ATS): Losing in Seattle in Week 2 wasn't a surprise for San Francisco, but getting bulldozed by the Colts on both sides of the ball sent shock waves through the league. Colin Kaepernick turned in a breathtaking performance by throwing for 412 yards in the season opener but has tossed four interceptions and been limited to a combined 277 yards while leading the 49ers to only 10 points in the past two weeks. The absence of tight end Vernon Davis (hamstring) hurt versus the Colts, while the normally stout defense saw All-Pro linebacker Patrick Willis exit Sunday's game with a groin injury. ABOUT THE RAMS (1-2, 0-3 ATS): St. Louis posted a gritty comeback victory over Arizona in its season opener but has fallen behind by at least 21 points in back-to-back road losses to Atlanta and Dallas. Quarterback Sam Bradford threw for a season-low 240 yards and was sacked six times against the Cowboys while receiving little help from a ground game that saw starting running back Daryl Richardson play only one snap due to a foot injury. Rookie wideout Tavon Austin, the team's first-round draft pick, has six receptions in each of the first three games but is averaging only 6.6 yards per catch. TRENDS: * Home team is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings. * Under is 5-2 in the last seven meetings in St. Louis.. * 49ers are 1-5 ATS in their last six meetings. * Rams are 7-1 ATS in their last eight vs. NFC West. EXTRA POINTS: 1. Kaepernick made his third career start at St. Louis last season and had a safety and lost a fumble that was returned for a TD. 2. The Rams tied for the lead league with 52 sacks last season, but have only seven through the first three games. 3. LB Smith was second in the league with 19.5 sacks in 2012 and has registered 37 in 35 games. NFL Week 3 Cheat Sheet and Betting Trends & Analysis Houston Texans at Baltimore Ravens (+1, 45) Star receiver Andre Johnson suffered a concussion in the game against the Titans but is expected to be cleared to play. Johnson is tied for the NFL lead with 20 receptions and Houston appears to have found a sensational complement in first-round pick DeAndre Hopkins (12 receptions, 183 yards). Baltimore has a key player ailing in running back Ray Rice, who injured his left hip flexor in the contest against Cleveland and hasn’t participated in practices. “He’s not going to need the practice to play in the game,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said. LINE: Houston opened -2.5 and moved to -1.5. Total moved from 44.5 to 45. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Houston (-5.0) - Baltimore (-1.0) + home field (-3.0) = Ravens +1 WEATHER: Temperatures mid 70s, partly cloudy, winds NNW 11 mph. TRENDS: * Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings.Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last 7 meetings. * Texans are 0-4 ATS in their last four road games. * Ravens are 5-1 ATS in their last six games overall. New York Giants at Carolina Panthers (+1, 46.5) New York's 10 turnovers - seven of which have been Eli Manning interceptions - are a major cause for concern and have put the defense in a tough spot. The offense has been effective at moving the ball, mostly through the air, and ranks fifth in the league in total yards, but the ground game has to come along and the Giants need to hang onto the ball. The Panthers find themselves in an 0-2 hole after losing their first two games by a combined six points, including a 24-23 defeat against Buffalo last week. The Panthers have been balanced on offense but they've been far from explosive, ranking 27th in the league with 280.5 total yards per game. LINE: Carolina opened -1 and moved to +1. Total moved from 45.5 to 47. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: New York (-1.0) + Carolina (+3.0) + home field (-3.0) = Panthers +1 WEATHER: Temps mid 70s, 22 percent chance of early showers, winds 5 north 5 mph. TRENDS: * Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings. * Over is 4-1 in the last five meetings. * Road team is 5-2 ATS in their last seven meetings. Detroit Lions at Washington Redskins (Pick, 48.5) Detroit is 2-0 against Washington under coach Jim Schwartz, with both victories coming at home. Calvin Johnson had 101 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-25 triumph over the Redskins in their last meeting on Oct. 31, 2010. Facing a large deficit, the Redskins have been offensive juggernauts in the fourth quarter, outscoring Philadelphia and Green Bay by a combined 26-0 over the final 15 minutes. LINE: Open pick bounced between -1 and +1. Total moved from 48 to 49. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Detroit (+1.0) - Washington (+2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Redskins -1.5 WEATHER: Temps mid 70s, partly cloudy skies, winds NNW 12 mph. TRENDS: * Under is 6-1-2 in the last nine meetings. * Home team is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings. * Lions are 0-4 ATS in their last four meetings in Washington. San Diego Chargers at Tennessee Titans (-3, 43.5) Philip Rivers leads a rejuvenated offense that is averaging more than 30 points per game. The only problem: San Diego has allowed as many points as it has scored, thanks to a defense that has surrendered the most passing yards in the league through two weeks. The Tennessee Titans' defense has helped compensate for a sluggish offense through the first two games of the season. Titans RB Chris Johnson comes into the week ranked sixth in rushing yards (166) but second in attempts (50), averaging just 3.3 yards per carry. LINE: Opened Tennessee -1 and moved to -3. Total steady at 43.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: San Diego (+2.0) - Tennessee (+3.0) + home field (-3.0) = Titans -2 WEATHER: Temps mid 70s, clear skies, winds NNE 7 mph. TRENDS: * Chargers are 8-0 ATS in their last eight meetings. * Over is 5-1-1 in the last seven meetings. * Favorite is 5-1 ATS in their last six meetings. Arizona Cardinals at New Orleans Saints (-9, 49) Carson Palmer has injected some life into Arizona's passing game, but the ground game hasn't been as effective and running back Rashard Mendenhall (toe) is questionable. Palmer should have tight end Rob Housler back in the lineup after missing the first two games with a sore ankle, and the Cardinals have eased receiver Larry Fitzgerald along in practice in hopes he can play through a hamstring injury. While the Saints' offense has struggled to find the end zone, coordinator Rob Ryan's revamped defense has limited its first two opponents to 320 yards and 15.5 points per game. The overhauled defense did a solid job against Atlanta in Week 1 but was dominant in a 16-14 win versus Tampa Bay, allowing 273 total yards - the Saints' lowest total since Week 15 of the 2011 season. LINE: Arizona opened -9.5 and moved to -7. Total moved from 48.5 to 49. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Arizona (+3.5) + New Orleans (-3.0) + home field (-3.0) = Saints -9.5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings. * Home team is 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings. * Cardinals are 2-5 ATS in their last four meetings. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New England Patriots (-8.5, 43.5) Quarterback Josh Freeman is under siege after consecutive subpar outings - he was only 9-for-22 for 125 yards with one touchdown and one interception against the Saints - to spark speculation that he could lose his starting job to rookie Mike Glennon. The Buccaneers have dangerous weapons in second-year running back Doug Martin (209 yards rushing) and wideout Vincent Jackson (231 yards receiving), and the defense has been stout in allowing an average of 17 points. With wideout Danny Amendola (groin) and running back Shane Vereen (wrist) set to miss a second straight game and tight end Rob Gronkowski still rehabbing from multiple offseason surgeries, Tom Brady has been forced to lean on Julian Edelman (20 receptions) and untested rookies in the receiving corps. Starting running back Steven Ridley has rushed for only 86 yards in two games while the defense has forced six turnovers to tie for second in the league. LINE: Open New England -7 and moved to -8.5. Total moved from 45 to 43.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Tampa Bay (+4.0) + New England (-4.5) + home field (-3.0) = Patriots -11.5 WEATHER: Temps low 70s, 83 percent chance of rain, winds WSW 7 mph. TRENDS: * Buccaneers are 7-2 ATS in their last nine road games. * Patriots are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games overall. * Over is 7-3 in Patriots' last 10 home games. Green Bay Packers at Cincinnati Bengals (+2.5, 49) While Aaron Rodgers' Week 2 performance was typical, the Packers got a surprising 132-yard effort on the ground from running back James Starks, who replaced Eddie Lacy after the rookie left the game with a concussion. The Packers were forced to juggle their secondary last week after three DBs suffered hamstring injuries. All are questionable for Sunday. Cincinnati has won the past two meetings against Green Bay and sacked Rodgers six times in its most recent game (2009) but it will be without veteran defensive end Robert Geathers who joined three Bengal linebackers on injured reserve. While questions still abound on Andy Dalton's deep passing ability, he has thrown for 280 and 282 yards in his first two starts and unveiled a new weapon in athletic rookie tight end Tyler Eifert on Monday. LINE: Cincinnati opened +1 and moved to +2.5. Total moved from 46.5 to 49. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Green Bay (-6.0) - Cincinnati (-1.5) + home field (-3.0) = Bengals +1.5 WEATHER: Temps high 60s, clear skies, winds NNE 6 mph. TRENDS: * Packers are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games. * Bengals are 7-1 ATS in their last eight games in Week 3. * Over is 5-1 in Packers last six games overall. St. Louis Rams at Dallas Cowboys (-3.5, 47) St. Louis is attempting to start 2-1 for the first time since 2006. The Rams will look for more consistency out of high-priced free agent signing Jared Cook, who caught seven passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns in Week 1 but managed only one grab last weekend. The last time the Cowboys faced the Rams, DeMarco Murray rushed for a franchise-record 253 yards on Oct. 23, 2011. However, Murray only managed 25 yards on 12 attempts in last week's loss to the Chiefs, a game in which Dallas was unable to force any turnovers after creating six miscues against the New York Giants in Week 1. LINE: Dallas steady at -3.5. Total moved from 46.5 to 47. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: St. Louis (+2.5) + Dallas (-2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Cowboys -3 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings. * Rams are 6-1 ATS in their last seven road games. * Cowboys are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 home games. Cleveland Browns at Minnesota Vikings (-6.5, 40.5) Cleveland was already struggling to produce offense with just 16 points in two games and trading RB Trent Richardson, who recorded 950 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns as a rookie, gives an offense starting a third-string quarterback even fewer options. Brian Hoyer starts in place of Brandon Weeden, who injured his thumb in last week's loss to Baltimore. Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder, who was 16-of-30 against Chicago, is reportedly on the hot seat and could lose snaps to backup Matt Cassel unless his play improves. Ponder is 88-for-127 passing with five touchdowns and two interceptions in his last four games against AFC opponents. LINE: Minnesota opened -4 and moved to -6.5. Total moved from 41 to 40.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Cleveland (+5.0) - Minnesota (+2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Vikings -5.5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Browns are 0-5 ATS in their last five games overall. * Vikings are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven home games. * Under is 5-1 in Browns last six road games. CNBC’s push into reality programming has yielded modest ratings results so far, with last week’s launch of sports betting show “Money Talks” drawing very small numbers. Nielsen estimates that Tuesday’s premiere of the show about sports handicapper Steve Stevens averaged 127,000 viewers, including 65,000 in the adults 25-54 demo — 40% lower in overall viewership and 34% lower in the demo than the network’s year-to-date averages in the same 10 p.m. timeslot (212,000 and 99,000).
The show has raised a lot of eyebrows in the sportsbook industry. Sports betting website Prime Wagers, which is “proud to be the most trusted online sportsbook site” and is focused on transparency, posted an article earlier this month saying we've "never heard of Steve Stevens", who runs VIP Sports out of Las Vegas and claims to be winning more than 70% of his picks. Ever since Tim Tebow got dropped by the New England Patriots, his fans around the country have been wishing he would get signed to their teams. Jacksonville Jaguars' fans have taken that a step further and organized on Monday afternoon (3:16pm to be exact) and held a "Tebow Why Not?" rally to get the attention of the Jaguars front office. The rally was scheduled to last three hours and 16 minutes. The starting time of the rally and the planned duration are nods to a bible verse, John 3:16, which Tebow had inscribed on his eye black for the 2009 BCS title game. James Stewart, a 56-year-old Jacksonville native and Jaguars fan who is one of the event's organizers, said about 20 people participated in the rally, while 30 media members covered the event. The website Jags-Tebow.com registered by James Stewart later read "THE RALLY ON SEP 16TH WAS A START. IN ALL THERE WERE APPROX 100 SUPPORTERS." The group now also has a volunteer to make signs and bumper stickers and have someone to handle its Twitter account in an attempt to publicize its Tebow campaign. "We've accomplished what we had hoped for the first time out," Stewart told ESPN.com. Stewart said that Monday's rally likely would be the first of many. He said he expects to have a rally every Monday afternoon. "The Jaguars' season is really in the tank," Stewart said. "They don't have a lot of promise. There's not a lot to watch. We're consumers and the Jaguars are a product, and there's a lot of room for improvement. Tebow we think would be value added if he were to be signed and given an opportunity at quarterback. Ironically, James Stewart is also the name of a retired Jacksonville Jaguars' Running Back. James Otis Stewart, played solidly for the Jaguars, and still holds the franchise record for the most points in a single game (30). He also holds the Jacksonville Jaguars franchise record for the most touchdowns in a game with 5 rushing touchdowns. Both these records were obtained on October 12, 1997 against the Philadelphia Eagles. What do you think - Should the Jaguars sign Tim Tebow? Tell us in the comments below. Chicago will try to be nasty hosts on Friday when the Cleveland Indians pay a visit to U.S. Cellular Field. Join Now & Get $500 to Bet on Baseball.Chicago sends Hector Santiago out against Danny Salazar for the Indians in this game. Santiago is 4-6 with a 3.37 ERA on the season, while Salazar is 1-2 on the year and has a 2.92 ERA.
NFL Week 1 Cheat Sheet and Betting Analysis New England Patriots at Buffalo Bills (+9.5, 51) The Bills are beginning a new era with first-year head coach Doug Marrone and rookie quarterback E.J. Manuel. Manuel underwent knee surgery on Aug. 18 but is ready to go for the season opener, pushing rookie free agent Jeff Tuel back to the bench. Tom Brady lost most of his receiving corps with Aaron Hernandez in jail, Wes Welker in Denver and Brandon Lloyd off to free agency. The perennial Pro Bowler has a slew of rookies at wide receiver to go along with import Danny Amendola until Rob Gronkowski recovers from back and forearm surgeries. LINE: Buffalo opened as a 6.5-point home underdog but has been bet up as high as +9.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Patriots (-6.0) + Bills (+6.0) – home field (-3.0) = Bills +9.0 WEATHER: Temperatures in the mid 60s, 29 percent chance of rain, winds NNE 7 mph TRENDS: * Over is 4-0 in the last four meetings. * Patriots are 19-8-1 ATS in their last 28 meetings. * Road team is 7-2 ATS in their last nine meetings. Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers (-7, 42) Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has taken the Steelers to three Super Bowls - winning two - in his nine seasons, but he missed three games to injury in 2012 and starts the year with questions in the receiving corps and running game. Titans counterpart Jake Locker sat out five games a year ago and has yet to prove he is the answer after being drafted No. 8 overall in 2008. Both teams have major questions on defense - the Steelers allowed nearly 100 points more last season than in 2011 and Tennessee was shredded for an NFL-worst 471 points. LINE: Pittsburgh opened a 7.5-point favorite and has moved to -7. The total has dropped from 43.5 to 42. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Tennessee (+4.5) + Pittsburgh (-2.0) + home field (-3.0) = Steelers -9.5 WEATHER: Temperatures in mid 70s, 27 percent chance of showers, winds NNW 5 mph TRENDS: Over is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings in Pittsburgh. Over is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings. Underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings. Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (-3, 54) The Saints have dominated the series in recent years, winning 11 of the past 14 meetings, but they missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2008. With head coach Sean Payton returning after being suspended last season for his role in the team's bounty scandal, New Orleans hopes to regain its supremacy over the division. Granted, the Saints handed the Falcons their first loss last year, a 31-27 defeat in Week 10 in New Orleans, and it did little to slow Atlanta on its way to the NFC Championship Game. The Falcons returned the favor in Week 13 in Atlanta, picking off Drew Brees five times in a 23-13 win. Atlanta upgraded its offense by signing running back Steven Jackson and also coaxed tight end Tony Gonzalez back for one more season. LINE: New Orleans opened as a 2-point favorite and moved to -3. The total has remained steady at 54. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Atlanta (-4.5) - New Orleans (-2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Saints -5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings in New Orleans. * Falcons are 1-4 ATS in their last five meetings. * Underdog is 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings. Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Jets (+3.5, 39.5) New York coach Rex Ryan looks to exploit a Buccaneers pass defense that allowed an NFL-worst 297.4 yards per game last year with rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who earned the starting nod after Mark Sanchez injured his shoulder during the fourth quarter of a preseason game . Bucs RB Doug Martin looks for an encore after rushing for an impressive 1,454 yards and 11 rushing touchdowns during his rookie campaign. Greg Schiano's first year with Tampa Bay also saw Josh Freeman throw for a franchise-record 4,065 yards and 27 touchdowns - although nine of his 17 interceptions came in the final three games. LINE: New York opened as 1.5-point underdogs and moved to +3.5. Total opened at 41.5 and moved to 39.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Tampa Bay (+3.0) - New York (+6.0) + home field (-3.0) = Pick WEATHER: Temperatures in mid 70s, 15 percent chance of early showers, winds NNW 14 mph TRENDS: * Buccaneers are 0-4 ATS in their last four meetings. * Buccaneers are 18-7-1 ATS in their last 26 road games. * Under is 4-1 in Jets’ last five games overall. Kansas City Chiefs at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5, 41) Sunday is the debut of two new head coaches, as Gus Bradley takes over in Jacksonville and Andy Reid guides the Chiefs after a long tenure in Philadelphia. It's the first meeting since 2010, when the Chiefs clobbered the Jaguars 42-20 in Kansas City, avenging a 24-21 loss in Jacksonville a year earlier. Both did their best to address issues through the draft and free agency and have playoff hopes - however unrealistic they are. Among the key matchups will be Jacksonville's ability to establish the run and take some pressure off quarterback Blaine Gabbert and the Jaguars' ability to slow down Jamaal Charles and force quarterback Alex Smith into third-and-long situations. LINE: Jacksonville opened as a 1.5-point underdog and has moved to +4.5. The total climbed from 41 to 41.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Kansas City (+2.0) – Jacksonville (+7.5) + home field (-3.0) = Jaguars +2.5 WEATHER: Temperatures in mid 80s, partly cloudy skies, winds East 8 mph TRENDS: * Chiefs are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in Week 1. * Jaguars are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 games in Week 1. * Under is 4-0 in Jaguars’ last four home games. Seattle Seahawks at Carolina Panthers (+3.5, 44.5) The Seahawks won their final five regular-season games and even notched a playoff win behind quarterback Russell Wilson and now face high expectations. Carolina finished with a flurry last season with four consecutive wins and the pressure is on third-year quarterback Cam Newton to deliver the franchise’s first playoff spot since 2008. Carolina coach Ron Rivera needs a winning season in his third year at the helm after going 13-19 over his first two seasons. Mike Shula is the Panthers’ new offensive coordinator after Rob Chudzinski left to become head coach of the Cleveland Browns. LINE: Carolina opened as a 3.5-point underdog and moved to +4.5. Total opened at 45.5 and moved to 44.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Seattle (-8.0) + Carolina (+1.5) + home field (-3.0) = Panthers +6.5 WEATHER: Temperatures in the high 80s, partly cloudy skies, winds ENE 9 mph TRENDS: * Seahawks are 4-0 ATS in their last four road games. * Panthers are 2-5 ATS in their last seven home games. * Over is 6-2 in each Panthers and Seahawks’ last eight games overall. Cincinnati Bengals at Chicago Bears (-3, 41.5) With a brand new coach and a healthy Cutler on board, the Bears begin the slow climb back to playoff contention. Replacing Lovie Smith is offensive guru Marc Trestman, who is coming off a successful coaching stint with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. Bengals QB Andy Dalton and the offense faded down the stretch in 2012 and was held to 198 total yards in a first-round playoff loss to the Houston Texans.. The Bengals have won five of their last six on the road against NFC teams and are 4-1 all-time at Chicago. LINE: Chicago opened as a 3.5-point favorite and has moved to -3. The total opened at 43.5 and moved to 41.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Cincinnati (-1.0) – Chicago (-2.0) + home field (-3.0) = Bears -4 WEATHER: Temperatures in low 70s, partly cloudy skies, winds NE 13 mph TRENDS: * Bengals are 1-4 ATS in their last five games in Week 1. * Under is 7-2 in Bears last nine games in Week 1. * Bears are 1-5 ATS in their last six home games. Miami Dolphins at Cleveland Browns (Pick, 41) This game marks the debut of Browns head coach Rob Chudzinski, who spent the last two years as the Carolina Panthers’ offensive coordinator. Chudzinski and new offensive coordinator Norv Turner could rely heavily on RB Trent Richardson with top WR Josh Gordon suspended for violating the league’s drug policy. Miami quarterback Ryan Tannehill threw 12 touchdown passes as a rookie, though only three of those scoring aerials were to wide receivers. There will be no excuses for that this season, as the Dolphins signed former Steelers wideout Mike Wallace to generate big plays in the passing game. LINE: Game opened pick and some books are dealing Cleveland -1.5. The total has moved from 41 to 40.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Miami (+1.5) – Cleveland (+4.0) + home field (-3.0) = Browns -0.5 WEATHER: Temperatures in the low 70s, 25 percent chance of thunderstorms, winds NNE 13 mph TRENDS: * Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings. * Dolphins are 0-4-1 ATS in their last five meetings. * Browns are 1-7 ATS in their last eight games in Week 1. Minnesota Vikings at Detroit Lions (-5, 46.5) Vikings RB Adrian Peterson has vowed to shatter the single-season rushing mark this season. Minnesota’s offense is still a major question mark. Christian Ponder, who has surpassed 300 yards only twice in 26 starts, may be on a short leash. Minnesota swept the season series a year ago, including a 20-13 victory in Detroit. Detroit added Reggie Bush to bolster a backfield that's been non-productive for several seasons. Bush's dual-threat presence should take some of the onus off the oft-weary shoulders of quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw just 20 touchdown passes last season after tossing a career-high 41 in 2011. Detroit enters the season riding an eight-game losing streak. LINE: Detroit opened as a 3-point favorite and has moved to -5. The total has moved from 47 to 46.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Minnesota (+1.0) – Detroit (+1.0) + home field (-3.0) = Lions -3 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Vikings are 3-0-1 ATS in their last four meetings. * Under is 7-3 in the last 10 meetings. * Underdog is 3-0-1 ATS in their last four meetings. Oakland Raiders at Indianapolis Colts (-10.5, 47) The athletic but unproven Terrelle Pryor has reportedly won the Raiders QB competition with Matt Flynn and is poised to establish himself for a squad that ranked 26th in the NFL in scoring last year. Pryor threw for 150 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 49 yards and a score in Week 17 last season in his only career start. Colts QB Andrew Luck was 7-1 at home in 2012, winning the last six. Seven of the eight home contests were decided by a touchdown or less, giving Luck plenty of time to display his abilities in the clutch. Luck's favorite target again figures to be 13-year standout Reggie Wayne, who amassed 106 catches and 1,355 yards last season. LINE: Indianapolis opened as a -8.5 favorite and moved to -10.5. The total moved from 49 to 47 points. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Oakland (+8.0) - Indianapolis (+1.0) + home field (-3.0) = Colts -10 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Colts are 6-0 ATS in their last six home games. * Raiders are 2-7 ATS in their last nine games overall. * Under is 11-2 in Colts last 13 home games. Green Bay Packers at San Francisco 49ers (-4.5, 48.5) Green Bay fell 45-31 to San Francisco in the NFC divisional round but is in good shape heading into 2013 with QB Aaron Rodgers in his prime and a host of receiving weapons at his disposal. He'll be put to the test in Week 1 against a vaunted 49ers defense that finished second in the league in fewest points against. The San Francisco offense belongs to quarterback Colin Kaepernick. The Green Bay defense is ready to go after the nimble QB, who racked up 181 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Green Bay in their playoff showdown. LINE: San Francisco opened -5 and has dropped to -4.5. The total has been adjusted from 50.5 to 48.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Green Bay (-6.5) – San Francisco (-8.0) + home field (-3.0) = 49ers -4.5 WEATHER: Temperatures in low 70s, clear skies, winds WSW 6 mph TRENDS: * Over is 5-0 in the last five meetings. * Packers are 5-1-1 ATS in their last seven meetings in San Francisco. * Packers are 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 meetings. Arizona Cardinals at St. Louis Rams (-4.5, 41.5) Longtime Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher is back for his second season with the Rams while Bruce Arians takes the reins for the Cardinals. He will be charged with reviving a team that produced an NFC-low 250 points and lost 11 of its final 12 games after bolting out to a 4-0 start last season. St. Louis, surprisingly, had the best record within its division and looks to continue its ascent behind a youthful squad that features electrifying rookie receiver Tavon Austin. Daryl Richardson gets first crack at replacing free-agent departure RB Steven Jackson in the backfield and will run behind a beefed-up line that added former No. 1 overall pick Jake Long. LINE: St. Louis opened as a 5-point favorite and moved to -4.5. The total has moved from 41 to 41.5 points. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: Arizona (+5.0) – St. Louis (+2.5) + home field (-3.0) = Rams -5.5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Under is 4-1 in the last five meetings in St. Louis. * Under is 8-2 in the last 10 meetings. * Rams are 7-0 ATS in their last seven vs. NFC West. New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys (-3.5, 48.5) The New York Giants attempt to continue their dominance at Cowboys Stadium Sunday night. New York has won all four of its games in Dallas' new stadium since it opened in 2009, including a 29-24 triumph on Oct. 28. The Giants have captured six of the last eight overall meetings between the NFC East rivals. New York hopes to have Victor Cruz in the lineup as the wide receiver suffered a bruised heel in the second week of the preseason and just returned to practice on Monday. Dallas looks to improve upon the 19th-ranked defense in the league in 2012. In an effort to accomplish this goal, the club replaced defensive coordinator Rob Ryan with Monte Kiffin and switched to a 4-3 alignment. LINE: Dallas opened as a 3-point favorite and has moved to -3.5. The total has moved from 49 to 48.5. PRIME WAGERS POWER RANKINGS: New York (-3.0) - Dallas (-1.5) + home field (-3.0) = Cowboys -4.5 WEATHER: N/A TRENDS: * Giants are 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings in Dallas. * Giants are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings. * Over is 6-2 in the last eight meetings. Los Angeles Galaxy got their fifth win in a row after Landon Donovan scored early against the Vancouver Whitecaps to put them up 1-0 Saturday night. The two teams to watch in the Western Conference are the Seattle Sounders and LA Galaxy. Bet on MLS Soccer Vancouver, British Columbia - Landon Donovan scored in the third minute and the Los Angeles Galaxy held on to beat the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 Saturday night for their fifth straight win.
Donovan got his fourth goal in the last three matches to help the Galaxy (12-9-4) secure sole possession of second place in the Western Conference. Donovan scored after A.J. DeLaGarza's pass hit Whitecaps central defender Johnny Leveron and came to him. The Galaxy captain planted a high shot in the left corner of the net over Whitecaps goalkeeper David Ousted. ''It helps a lot when you're on the road,'' Donovan said of the early goal. ''It puts your team in a really good position, and even if they score a goal, you're back where you started, so it's a nice way to start a game. ''We can play a little more cautiously and just worry about defending and trying to counter - and it really played to our advantage tonight.'' Donovan needs four more goals to become the all-time leading scorer in MLS history. Los Angeles goalkeeper Jaime Penedo recorded his first MLS shutout in only his second career league appearance and third overall with the Galaxy. ''It was a grind-out road victory, one that we haven't had all year, so it was good to get one,'' Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena said. The Whitecaps (10-9-6) lost their second straight overall and just their second at home this season. ''It was obviously a bad start, the worst start you could have got, with the goal so early,'' Whitecaps coach Martin Rennie said. ''That was disappointing. ''But after that, I thought that we played well. We got forward and created a number of good chances.'' Usually prolific offensively at home, Vancouver struggled against Los Angeles. Whitecaps striker Camilo, who entered the game tied for the MLS scoring lead with 14 goals, began the game on the bench due to a slight groin strain sustained last weekend against Colorado, and stayed there throughout. ''So that was disappointing,'' Rennie said. ''And, obviously, in a game like that today that was really tight, a player like Camilo is someone who could make a difference and could perhaps get us a goal.'' It ended Camilo's string of 17 consecutive starts in league games dating to April 27. Darren Mattocks, who recently returned from a knee injury that required minor surgery, started in his place. It was the Jamaican international's first start since the last meeting between the teams at Vancouver on May 11, when he scored. But he did not do much this time, rarely touching the ball before he subbed out in the second half. The Whitecaps almost tied it in the 10th minute, but Gershon Koffie's shot from about 30 yards sailed wide of the right post. Vancouver had another chance in the 15th minute, but Mattocks' pass to Kenny Miller inside the box inadvertently hit him in the hand, nullifying the opportunity. Los Angeles had a chance to increase its lead in the 25th minute, but Keane's shot off a throw-in went just over the crossbar. The Irish international had another chance from just outside Vancouver's box after a giveaway about seven minutes later, but his left-footed shot went just wide of the right post. Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University have promising news for gamblers, economists and impatient sports fans: You can predict the results of NFL football games with Twitter. It’s the latest research in the budding field of Twitter modeling, and as with much in statistics, it sounds a bit like magic. The researchers pulled several million football-related tweets from the Twitter fire hose during the 2010, 2011 and 2012 seasons. They then analyzed and cataloged the sentiment by team, ran the data set through a number of statistical models, and came upon several that either matched or beat traditional forecasts.
Conventional, non-Twitter prediction methods predict the winning team around 58 percent of the time. But by combining conventional methods with Twitter-based models, the researchers were able to predict the game winner with 65.9 percent accuracy. Models that used both Twitter and traditional data also made the most accurate predictions on other sports-betting metrics, like the combined number of points both teams scored. “We find that simple features of Twitter data can match or exceed the performance of the game statistical features more traditionally used for these tasks,” the researchers conclude. “It is hoped that our approach and dataset may be useful for those who want to use social media to study markets, in sports betting and beyond.” That, ultimately, might be the coolest takeaway from this research — the implication that economists could keep plumbing Twitter for insight on a yet-unimagined range of topics and fields. Twitter modeling isn’t exactly new, of course: We’ve already seen the network predict elections, the stock market, box office revenues and the spread of contagious disease. But there’s a suggestion here that we’re just beginning to unlock Twitter’s predictive potential: The network could predict any number of real-life phenomena — from whether your home team wins its next big game to when hit-and-runs will occur. In an opinion piece for the Washington Post Sunday, sociologist Fabio Rojas (who has done a bit of work in this field himself) concluded that social media modeling will be the death of the political polling industry — it’s far more accurate, he argues, to analyze tweets than poll results. That augurs an intriguing new world where social media-fueled predictions are both more common and accurate. Thanks to Twitter, we could someday guess any number of details about the future ahead of time — down to the results of football games before they’re even played. Article By: Caitlin Dewey Source: Washington Post |