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Today's NFL Pick
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21
Time Posted: 10:00 p.m. EST (10/16) Game 423-424: Minnesota at NY Giants (8:40 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Minnesota 127.329; NY Giants 123.995
Dunkel Line: Minnesota by 3 1/2; 50
Vegas Line: NY Giants by 3 1/2; 46
Dunkel Pick: Minnesota (+3 1/2); Over -
DCI Pro Football
Week 7 Scores/Predictions
Monday, October 21, 2013
Minnesota 29.5 at N.Y. GIANTS 25.9, 8:40 pm ETComment
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Playbook:
4* NYG over Minny by 14Comment
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Hondo
giantsComment
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Metric Sports
MIN +3.5 (-120)Comment
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Monday Night Football betting: Vikings at Giants
Minnesota Vikings at New York Giants (-3.5, 47.5)
The quarterback carousel continues to spin in Minnesota and the latest man up is newly acquired Josh Freeman, who will draw the start when the Vikings visit the winless New York Giants on Monday. Freeman, who opened the season with Tampa Bay and quickly fell out of favor, will be the third quarterback to start this season for Minnesota. Backup Matt Cassel failed to get the team into the end zone until the final minute in last week's 35-10 home loss to Carolina.
New York, one of three winless teams remaining, had an 11-day break between games following a 27-21 defeat at Chicago - a division rival of the Vikings - on Oct. 10. That marked the lowest point total allowed by the Giants, who have surrendered a staggering 34.8 points per game, dead last in the league. Eli Manning has thrown an NFL-high 15 interceptions - matching his number from last season - and is a big reason why the Giants have committed a league-worst 23 turnovers.
TV: 8:40 p.m. ET, ESPN.
LINE: The Giants opened as 2.5-point faves and are now -3.5. The total opened at 47 and is currently 47.5.
WEATHER: Temperatures will be in the high-50s with sunny skies. Wind will blow toward the N endzone at 5 mph.
ABOUT THE VIKINGS (1-4): Freeman's elevation to starter appeared to be a formality once he was signed less than two weeks ago following his release by the Buccaneers. "He's done enough for us to say we want to give him this opportunity, which is something we had in mind when we acquired him," Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said. Freeman does have the luxury of leaning on standout running back Adrian Peterson, who is fourth in the league in rushing (483) but was limited to a season-low 62 yards last week following the death of his 2-year-old son two days earlier.
ABOUT THE GIANTS (0-6): New York is in the midst of its worst start since dropping nine in a row to start the 1976 season and the problems are widespread. Manning has been the biggest culprit in committing a stream of turnovers and that, combined with a non-existent running game, has placed inordinate pressure on a defense that sits at the bottom of the league with a mere five sacks. "Right now we're careless with the football and it strikes right at my gut because that's one of the things that we preach about the most," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said.
TRENDS:
* Vikings are 4-1 ATS in their last five meetings in New York.
* Vikings are 0-5 ATS in their last five Monday games.
* Giants are 1-5 ATS in their last six games overall.
* Over is 7-1 in Vikings last eight Monday games.
EXTRA POINTS:
1. Giants RB Brandon Jacobs ran for 106 yards and two TDs last week but is dealing with a hamstring injury, necessitating the signing of RB Peyton Hillis.
2. Freeman threw for 27 TDs and more than 4,000 yards in 2012, but he completed only 45.7 percent of his passes with Tampa Bay this season.
3. The Giants ended a four-game losing streak in the series with a 21-3 win in December 2010, a game played at Detroit's Ford Field after snow caused the roof to collapse at the Metrodome in Minneapolis.Comment
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College football odds: Week 9 opening line report
The Florida State Seminoles are rolling.
The Seminoles (6-0 straight up, 5-1 against the spread) hammered the No. 3-ranked Clemson Tigers (6-1 SU, 3-4 ATS) by a score of 51-14 in South Carolina. This just one game removed from a 63-0 thumping of the Maryland Terrapins.
Redshirt-freshman quarterback Jameis Winston was sensational versus Clemson, going 22-for-34 for 444 yards and three touchdown passes and is currently in the process of making a serious claim for the Heisman Trophy.
Next up for State is a visit from North Carolina State (3-3 SU, 3-3 ATS) who bring an 0-3 conference record to Doak Campbell Stadium.
According to Peter Korner, founder of the Nevada-based odds service The Sports Club, he and his team of oddsmakers - who sent out the 'Noles as big faves - don't foresee the Seminole Express slowing down any time soon.
"Florida State is playing well and should have no problem with North Carolina State," Korner told Covers. "All of us were in and around Florida State -30 and that's just what we sent out. Garbage time will decide this one."
Texas Tech Red Raiders at Oklahoma Sooners (-10)
The Red Raiders (7-0 SU, 5-2 ATS) improved their unbeaten record Saturday with a 37-27 win over West Virginia. Behind the QB-pairing of Bakery Mayfield and Davis Webb, Tech has the nation's second-best aerial attack at 416.4 yards per game.
The Sooners (6-1 SU, 3-4 ATS) bounced back with a win over the lowly Kansas Jayhawks after their loss to Texas in the 2013 edition of the Red River Rivalry. The Sooners are led by a stingy defense that allows just 17.1 points per game - good enough for ninth in the country.
"We were scattered on this one," Korner says. "The range of numbers went from a low of -7.5 to a high of 13. I preferred the higher number but was talked down and we released Oklahoma -10. Offshores released lower but we think the money will be on the home team come kickoff."
South Carolina Gamecocks at Missouri Tigers (-1.5)
It was a banner week for the surging Missouri Tigers (7-0 SU, 6-0-1 ATS) as they - led by freshman QB Maty Mauk - dispatched the Florida Gators by a count of 36-17 and upped their SEC record to 3-0 on the season. If the Tigers get by the Gamecocks (5-2 SU, 2-5 ATS) in Week 9, they have a real chance of being undefeated when they host Texas A&M on Nov. 30 to conclude their regular season schedule.
The Gamecocks are coming off a tough 23-21 loss at the Tennessee Volunteers and are now 3-2 in the conference play. Starting QB Connor Shaw left the game in the fourth quarter with a knee injury and is now a doubt to play against Missouri.
"Two evenly matched teams and our numbers supported that," Korner stated. "We had a low of a Pick and a high of Missouri -4. We settled on sending out Missouri -1.5 which is nothing more than a little less than home field advantage. South Carolina can certainly take his one straight up so we didn't want to be too generous."
Stanford Cardinal at Oregon State (+7)
Another team with a great bounce back week was Stanford. The Cardinal (6-1 SU, 3-4 ATS) took one on the chin from Utah back on Oct. 12, but dusted the dirt off with a 24-10 win over previously unbeaten UCLA. RB Tyler Gaffney was excellent against the Bruins, carrying the ball a whopping 36 times for 171 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Another Pac 12 foe awaits as the Cardinal will travel up the Pacific coast to face Oregon State. The Beavers (6-1 SU, 4-3 ATS) own the top passing attack in the country with 442.1 yards per game. They thumped Cal 49-17 to extend their winning streak to six games and are 4-0 in conference play.
"Oregon State knows how to put up points and we're very aware of that but Stanford is the better team for sure," Korner explained. "We had a low of Stanford -4 and a high of -9 and we sent out -7 knowing in a later game, the money seems to find all of the favorites. The offshore number was a bit lower but that's not good booking at this point. No need to be cheap on the favorites."Comment
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Premier League betting: Crystal Palace v Fulham
This week's Barclay's Premier League fixture list concludes with an all-London affair as Fulham faces Crystal Palace from Selhurst Park. The two clubs are toiling in and around the relegation zone and both will be desperate for three points.
We talk to Aron Black of Bet365 about the action coming in on this London Derby.
Crystal Palace v Fulham (+175, +230, +180)
Why bet Crystal Palace: Palace has just one victory on the season but it did come on the club's home pitch. Granted, it was a victory over dreadful Sunderland, but three points is three points. The Eagles have lost four straight, but each has come at the hands of a top-11 side in the table. Palace's main goal is to stay in the top flight, so three points at home to Fulham is mandatory.
Key players out/doubtful: Glenn Murray, Jonathan Williams, Jack Hunt, Patrick McCarthy
Why bet Fulham: The Cottagers are four points ahead of Palace in the league table, but when you look at the squad, they should be much better. The strike force of Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent has not worked for Martin Jol's side. But perhaps it's playmaker Bryan Ruiz who has let the side down most. The Costa Rican has been hit-or-miss to start the season, but played well versus Stoke in his last match and must find consistency.
Key players out/doubtful: Maarten Stekelenburg, Matthew Briggs
2012-13 fixture result: N/A
Key betting note: Fulham has played under the 2.5 goal total in seven of its last eight away games in the league.
Where the action is: "There are not going to be many teams who will be offered up at the likes of +180 at Selhurst Park, so its natural that Fulham see the bulk of the action, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the price on them goes shorter before kickoff on Monday. Over 2.5 goals will appeal to many at +108, as well as both teams to score at -125. For the scorers, Fulham strikers Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Bent lead the First Goalscorer market at +600 and +700 respectively for Fulham, with the Eagles Dwight Gayle also in that mix at +650."Comment
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Pucking the trends: This week's best NHL bets
Every week, we update you on who's hot, who's not and situational betting spots in the National Hockey League.
For the week of Oct. 14-20
Hot team
Anaheim Ducks (3-0 SU)
Following Sunday night's 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars, the red-hot Anaheim Ducks have now won seven-straight hockey games and posted three victories over the course of the week. The Ducks embark on a tough eight-game road trip with stops this week at Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Columbus. If they come out on top, we'll find out if the Bruce Boudreau's Ducks are for real.
Cold team
Philadelphia Flyers (0-2 SU)
Philly is in a bad spot. Plain and simple. They handed Peter Laviolette his walking papers on Oct. 7 due to a poor start and promptly won Craig Berube's first game as boss on Oct. 8. Since then, the Flyers have dropped four-straight games. Just the two losses for the dismal Flyers this past week, and the Broad Street Bullies are off until Thursday when they host the equally poor New York Rangers and then have an away game at the New York Islanders Saturday.
Best Over play
San Jose Sharks (3-0 Over/Under)
Not only are the Sharks one of the hottest teams in the league, but they have been lighting the lamp at a frenetic pace. The Sharks lead the NHL with 4.9 goals per game and posted two games where they scored six goals this past week, and of course the nine-goal outburst versus the Rangers back on Oct. 8. The Sharks upped their O/U record to 4-3-1 on the season after going 3-0 this past week. San Jose heads out to the east coast for a busy week which includes games at Detroit, Boston, Montreal and Ottawa.
Best Under play
Chicago Blackhawks (0-3 Over/Under)
The defending Stanley Cup champions have played eight games thus far and five of them have finished 3-2. They have a record of 1-7 O/U and played under the total in all three matchups this past week. The Hawks are fifth in the league in goals against (2.1) and score a middle-of-the-pack 2.8 goals per game. The Hawks head to Sunshine State for tilts at Florida and Tampa Bay before closing the week at home against the Minnesota Wild Saturday night.
Surveying the schedule:
- The Vancouver Canucks are in the midst of an extended road trip out east. They started the seven-game tour with a 2-1 SU record through the first three games with the fourth in Columbus Sunday night. They'll conclude the road tour at the New York Islanders, New Jersey Devils and in St. Louis Friday.
- The Colorado Avalanche have had an amazing start to the season and are an excellent 4-1-0 against Eastern Conference foes. Their success against the other conference will once again be put to the test as the Avs are in Pittsburgh Monday and host the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday.Comment
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NHL
Hot teams
-- Sharks won seven of their first eight games. Detroit won four of last five.
-- Colorado/Pittsburgh both won seven of their first eight games.
-- Kings won five of their last six games.
Cold teams
-- Flames lost three of their four road games this season.
Series records
-- Sharks won six of last eight games with Detroit.
-- Penguins won their last three games with Colorado.
-- Kings won their last four games with Calgary.
Totals
-- Last three San Jose games went over the total.
-- Three of last four Colorado games went over the total.
-- 14 of last 17 LA-Calgary games stayed under the total.Comment
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Football Crusher
Minnesota Vikings +3.5 over NY Giants
(System Record: 27-2, lost last game)
Overall Record: 27-21
Hockey Crusher
San Jose Sharks -110 over Detroit Red Wings
(System Record: 7-0, won last 2 games)
Overall Record: 7-4
Soccer Crusher
Crystal Palace + Fulham UNDER 2.5
This match is happening in England
(System Record: 473-17, won last 4 games)
Overall Record: 473-405-65Comment
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Cappers Access
Giants -3.5Comment
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DOC SPORTS
4 Unit Play. #424 Take OVER 46.5 - Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants (Monday 8:45 pm ESPN) Top NFL Game of the Week.
Both of these coaches are squarely on the hot seat, and the teams have one combined win. That being said, we will not worry about which team comes out on top and just expect a high-scoring shootout as both team can move the football. They also are prone to turnovers, and that should give a short field to both teams. Minnesota has gone over the posted total in five straight games and seven of their last eight Monday Night Football games. New York has gone over the posted total in four straight home games.Comment
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Vikings visit winless Giants on Monday night
by Zach Cohen
Kickoff: Monday, 8:40 p.m. ET
Line: New York -3.5, Total: 46.5
The Josh Freeman era begins on Monday night when his Vikings visit struggling Eli Manning and the Giants.
New York has yet to win a game this season, but finally covered a spread in a 27-21 Thursday night road loss to the Bears. The Vikings started Matt Cassel at quarterback versus the Panthers last week and were blown out 35-10, prompting the move for Buccaneers cast-off Josh Freeman to take the reigns of the Vikings offense. In the past five meetings between the Vikings and Giants, Minnesota is 3-2 ATS and 4-1 SU with the most recent game being a 21-3 Giants victory in Minnesota in 2010. To start the season, Minnesota is 2-3 ATS while New York is just 1-5 ATS. Since becoming the coach of New York, Tom Coughlin is 25-11 ATS (69%) in October games. Over the last three seasons, however, Minnesota is 5-1 ATS (83%) coming off an upset loss as a favorite. The Giants will again be without top RB David Wilson (neck) in this game and starting CB Corey Webster (groin) is listed as questionable as well. CB Xavier Rhodes (ankle) is listed as questionable for the Vikings, while S Harrison Smith (toe) is out and LB Desmond Bishop (knee) is on IR.
The Vikings appear to be moving on from Christian Ponder as they are starting Josh Freeman, fresh after signing him two weeks ago. Before being released by Tampa Bay, Freeman threw for 571 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. His completion percentage was a miserable 45.7%. After playing through the tragedy of his 2-year-old son being killed, RB Adrian Peterson rushed for 62 yards on 10 carries against the Panthers while also catching three passes for 21 yards. With 483 yards (4.7 YPC) and 6 TD this season, Peterson will be relied on heavily, but more so this week, as the team tries to ease Freeman into their offensive system. TE Kyle Rudolph led the way for the Vikings in receptions with nine catches for 97 yards and a touchdown. Rudolph should benefit from Freeman in the lineup as he is capable of making plays and Freeman has a big arm, something both Christian Ponder and Matt Cassel do not have. When Freeman faced the Giants on the road in Week 2 of last year, he completed 15-of-28 passes for 243 yards, 2 TD and 2 INT, but his Bucs team lost 41-34. The Vikings passing defense has been atrocious this season as they’ve allowed 308.0 passing YPG (29th in NFL), but they will be going against Eli Manning who has made quite a few mistakes this season, to say the least. The Vikings have already forced 12 turnovers this year, with four games of 2+ takeaways. Minnesota's rushing defense should fare well as it allows just 110.0 rushing YPG (T-17th in NFL) and will be going against mostly past-his-prime plodder Brandon Jacobs, as New York's top two backs, David Wilson and Andre Brown, deal with injuries.
The 0-6 Giants have gotten off to a terrible start this season and would really need a miraculous turnaround to put themselves into playoff contention. In last week's loss in Chicago, QB Eli Manning threw for 239 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Manning now has 15 interceptions on the year, which leads the league by a wide margin. To say he needs to take better care of the ball would be an understatement. With RB David Wilson out (neck), Brandon Jacobs handled the workload at running back and actually played a great game. Jacobs rushed 22 times for 106 yards (4.8 YPC) and two touchdowns. He will now be joined in the backfield by RB Peyton Hillis, who was signed after a tryout this week. Hillis' last NFL action came last December with the Chiefs when he rank for 101 yards on 15 carries versus the Colts. WR Reuben Randle led the Giants last week in receiving with three catches for 75 yards and a touchdown. He will continue to benefit from the extra attention that WRs Victor Cruz (35 rec, 541 yards, 4 TD) and Hakeem Nicks (25 rec, 442 yards) draw on a nightly basis. The Giants defense is going to have to improve greatly in this game, as they have allowed 268 YPG through the air (20th in NFL) and 123.3 YPG on the ground (26th in NFL). If their run defense doesn’t show up to play, it is going to be a long night for Giants fans as Adrian Peterson is ready to explode after his limited carries in Week 6.Comment
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