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Week 11 NFL Picks

Rock Henderson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:22:05 +0000

The Buffalo Bills will be under new direction when they take on the upstart Jacksonville Jaguars this weekend. These two teams are not that far a part in terms of talent, but Buffalo has one of the worst run defenses in the league. That is where Jaguar running back Maurice Jones Drew comes into play. I think the Bills play inspired ball this weekend and try to get their former defensive coordinator his first win as a head coach. Play: Bills +8.5

Baltimore hosts Indianapolis in one of the better match-ups on Sunday. This line jumps out to me that Vegas could be setting a trap as the Colts are without a doubt the better team on a neutral field. Coming off an emotional win and facing a desperate Ravens team is a tough spot, but if anyone can pull his team together in a tight spot it is Peyton Manning. Play: Colts +1

Alright, the Giants are finally going to show up this week against the Falcons after a much needed bye week allowed them to collect themselves. They should get back to running the ball with physicality and using the play action game to rip off big chunks of yardage. Atlanta’s Michael Turner is questionable and without him they will have a fullback playing the running back position. Play: Giants -6.5

The NFC will have one less playoff contender most likely with the loser of the 49er/Packers game being an after thought. Green Bay’s defense came to play with a different attitude against the Cowboys and if they bring that to the table the rest of the year they should be successful. Aaron Rodgers will face a tough secondary, but has enough weapons to cover this number. Play: Packers -6.5

Vegas has struggled setting a number in any game involving New Orleans lately and the one against a feisty Tampa Bay team seems to be too high once again. The Bucs actually haven’t played bad football the last couple weeks and rookie QB Josh Freeman has looked impressive. New Orleans has struggled to put mediocre teams away and they will be flat in this match-up also. Play: Tampa Bay +11

The Patriots and Jets hook up in a AFC East clash at New England. Tom Brady should have learned from his mistakes he made against the Jets D in their first meeting. New York has won the last two meetings between these two rivals, but are heading in opposite directions this season. The final score in this one could result in more tears from Jets head coach Rex Ryan. Play: Patriots -10.5

It will be the high octane passing attack of the Houston Texans vs. the electrifying running of Titans RB Chris Johnson. Jeff Fisher’s team is finally healthy on the defensive end and no one has an answer on how to stop Johnson. Houston has had two weeks to prepare for this game, but Tennessee is riding a wave of momentum right now. Play: Titans +5

Other Plays

Eagles -3 @ Bears

Cardinals -9 @ Rams

Vikings -10.5 vs. Seahawks

Steelers -10 @ Chiefs

Eagles vs Bears NFL Betting Lines

Rock Henderson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:19:07 +0000

Two teams desperate for a win will hook up in the Windy City Sunday when the Bears take on the Eagles at Solider Field. The Bears have issues at the quarterback position as the expected upgrade with Jay Cutler coming to town has not come to fruition and actually has Bear fans wishing Kyle Orton was still with the team. Philly is coming off two consecutive losses, but only sits one game out of the division lead with a 5-4 record. Someone besides Donovan McNabb will need to step up if the Eagles want to turn their season around and reach the playoffs. The Eagles are a 3 point favorite with a total set at 45.

Philadelphia has arrived at a crossroads for their season. A loss here would definitely put them behind the eight ball for the rest of the year. They are going through a transformation at running back as reliable veteran Brian Westbrook is battling concussion issues and might not return. Rookie RB LeSean McCoy has filled in nicely, but is not the receiving threat out of the backfield that Westbrook is for the pass happy Eagles. McNabb is putting up big numbers even though he missed a couple games earlier this season after an injury against Carolina. He has thrown for 1685 yards and 12 touchdowns against four interceptions. WR DeSean Jackson has emerged as one of the most electrifying playmakers in the NFC as he is a factor in the passing game and on special teams. Jackson leads the team in receiving yards with 621 and is second in touchdown receptions with four. TE Brent Celek is a favorite target for McNabb and has a team high 46 catches in which five have went for scores. The Eagles defense has plenty of talent and the same scheme that former defensive coordinator Jim Johnson ran, but they have given up too many points in recent weeks.

The Bears defense held the 49ers to just 10 points last week so one would expect the Chicago offense to be able to muster up enough points to get a road victory. Jay Cutler had other plans as his five interceptions led to a 10-6 loss and brought every critic in Chicago out of the wood work. The strong armed QB still makes questionable decisions that has led to 17 interceptions in nine games. He has tossed 14 touchdown passes and thrown for over 2353 yards, but no one is focusing on the good just the ugly. The Bears have pretty much abandoned the running game with their prize acquisition in the off season. Matt Forte has just 482 yards rushing and has become mainly a receiver. He has 379 yards receiving although all four of his touchdowns have came on the ground. TE Greg Olson has became a major threat in the red zone as he leads the team in touchdown receptions with six. WR Devin Hester has turned into more than just a return specialist finally and is the Bears version of DeSean Jackson. Chicago needs to get back to Bears football where they used a power running game to setup big plays in the passing game. If they don’t, Cutler could be on his way to 25 plus interceptions.

Philly is a tough team to peg as they looked like a Super Bowl contender before these past two games. The Bears were a dark horse before the season began to challenge in the NFC, but no one could have predicted the awful play of Cutler. Philadelphia is the better team top to bottom and they know they cannot afford to drop three straight in the NFC East. Ride the Eagles to a cover. Play: Eagles -3

Jets vs Patriots NFL Odds

Rock Henderson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:16:23 +0000

The New England Patriots will try and avenge a Week 2 16-9 loss to the Jets when they host their divisional rival on Sunday. New York has gone 2-5 since that win and has a 4-5 record currently. Rookie QB Mark Sanchez’s has came back down to earth after a 2-0 start had the New York faithful calling him the next Broadway Joe. New England is still answering questions about their last second loss at Indianapolis. They will look to move on and forget about last week’s game with a dominating performance this weekend. The Patriots are a 10.5 point favorite with an over/under set at 45.

Head coach Rex Ryan was brought to tears on Monday after his Jets lost a key game at home to the Jacksonville Jaguars on a made field goal as time expired. Frankly, the Jets play recently would bring any coach to tears. No matter how much the media wants to talk about Mark Sanchez’s upside and maturity, he has still played like a rookie for the majority of the season. He has three more interceptions, 12, than touchdown passes and is only completing 53% of his passes. His QB rating is reaching the Mendoza line, but the Jets are still sure that he is the future of their franchise. RB Thomas Jones has been a bright spot for the team, rushing for 781 yards and eight touchdowns. With the season ending injury to backup Leon Washington, rookie Shonn Greene has filled in nicely with over 200 yards on the ground and two scores. Acquiring troubled WR Braylon Edwards has not paid dividends to date as he has just 16 catches and 271 yards since coming over from the Browns. The Jets run defense has went down the tubes since massive DT Kris Jenkins was lost due to injury, but shut down CB Darrelle Revis still leads a strong secondary that ranks 3rd in the league in passing yards allowed.

Sitting at 6-3, the New England Patriots all but lost a chance to secure home field advantage throughout the playoffs with their loss to the Colts. QB Tom Brady has returned to pre-injury form throwing for over 2700 yards and 19 touchdowns with only six interceptions. Much maligned RB Laurence Maroney has emerged as a capable starting back for the Patriots as the former first round pick has rushed for 378 yards and four scores in limited duty. 3rd down back Kevin Faulk is still a huge part of this team as his 25 catches ranks third. All-Pro wide receiver Randy Moss is his usual big play self. He has grabbed 58 balls for a team high 891 yards and hit pay dirt seven times. Moss torched the Colts secondary for 179 yards and two scores. Coach Belichick showed little faith in his defense last week by going for it on 4th and 2 in their own territory. Granted it was a decision based on stopping the best QB in the league, but his defense has actually been good for the most part this season in all facets.

The Patriots are an angry bunch after a tough loss and don’t think the New England offense doesn’t remember how they were dominated by the Jets D in Week 2. This is a different Patriot team and it is also not the same Jets defense. A large number has been set for a match-up that has been won the last two times by the team getting 10.5 points. I think the Pats put a beat down on the reeling Jets and send a message to the rest of the division. Play: New England -10.5

NFL Odds: Chargers vs Broncos

Rock Henderson — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 20:10:14 +0000

A key AFC West match-up will take place in Denver this Sunday when the San Diego Chargers look to avenge a loss earlier this season to the Broncos. The Chargers come into this game riding a four game winning streak, while the Broncos have lost three in a row and the status of starting QB Kyle Orton is uncertain. San Diego’s last loss was in Week 6 as Denver walked to a 34-23 victory in Qualcomm Stadium. Whoever is victorious this weekend will have an inside track to winning the division. The Broncos are getting 2.5 points at home with a total set at 44.5.

The Chargers have always been on of the most talented teams in the NFL, but have never seemed to put it all together from start to finish during the season. Once again they started off slow and have went on a nice run to put themselves in contention once again. QB Phillip Rivers has been his usual self, throwing for 2476 yards and 16 touchdown passes through nine games. He has thrown only six interceptions and spreads the ball around to his many weapons. RB LaDainian Tomlinson had been non-existent until last week when he rushed for over 100 yards and scored two times. He has five touchdowns in all this year, but is still averaging only 3.3 ypc. TE Antonio Gates leads the team in receptions with 49 and is second in yards at 668. He has given way to WR Vincent Jackson as the main red zone target to get touchdowns. Jackson has seven touchdown catches and has become the big play threat for San Diego’s offense. The defense has been an area of concern for the team, but has played well enough in recent weeks to earn wins. Giving up 34 points to a suspect Broncos offense can’t sit well with this squad. They have done a nice job shutting down either the run or pass, but need to play well against both if they want to be a contender.

Life was good in Denver when the Broncos bolted to a 6-0 start in one of the more shocking revelations at the beginning of the year. Three bad losses later and many are wondering how a team that looked so impressive can do a complete 360 and be in danger of falling out of first place in their division. Much blame can be placed on a defense that was dominant throughout the first part of the season, but has given up at least 27 points their last three outings. Maybe too much was expected out of this unit since they held their first four opponents to 10 points or less. QB Kyle Orton might not play in this game as he missed the second half against Washington with an injured ankle. Backup Chris Simms was ineffective at moving the ball against the Redskins and will get the start if Orton is unable to go. WR Brandon Marshall has been the lone bright spot during the losing streak as he caught two touchdowns last week and has six receptions for scores this year. Denver needs to get back to running the ball efficiently and playing stout defense if they want to return to the winners circle.

This line could really move if it is announced that Kyle Orton will be unable to play. The Chargers come into this game with a ton of confidence and if LT continues to perform like he did last week they are going to be tough to beat. Denver handled them fairly easily on the road, but they are heading in a opposite direction during a critical part of the season. Make it four losses in a row for the desperate Broncos. Play: Chargers -2.5

Falcons at Giants NFL Betting Odds

Kyle Hunter — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:39:38 +0000

The Atlanta Falcons are likely without the services of their star running back Micheal Turner this weekend, but this is a very key game for as well as the New York Giants if they want to stay in the playoff hunt. The Falcons have lost three of their last four and the Giants have lost four straight, so both teams need to turn things around in a major way. The spotlight will be on the two quarterbacks, but the game may well be won by which team controls the line of scrimmage. Get an unlimited 10% bonus to bet on football when you sign up at Bodog and fund your account.

The Atlanta Falcons were set back quite a bit when Michael Turner went down with an ankle injury last weekend, but they need to get things and get a big win. Matt Ryan is having a bit of a sophomore slump this year, throwing 12 interceptions already in just 9 games, one more than he threw all of last season. Ryan has thrown 6 interceptions in the last 3 games. The Falcons will likely look to Jason Snelling at running back, but he has very little experiences and it is hard to say how much they will get out of him. The receiving corps is definitely improved as Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Michael Jenkins form a pretty good trio of players to throw it to. The defense for the Falcons has given up a lot of yards this year, but they have done well forcing teams into turnovers or holding them to field goals.

Two weeks ago the Giants lost a heart breaker to the Chargers at home. They need this game in a big way, so expect a better effort from the Giants this game. Eli Manning has been pretty good for the Giants, throwing 15 touchdowns to just 8 interceptions this season and completing 60% of his passes. Brandon Jacobs hasn’t really had the kind of season many Giants fan had hoped. Jacobs has just 2 touchdowns and is only averaging 4.1 yards per carry on the season. Steve Smith has emerged as a clear number one receiver and Mario Manningham has shown flashes of brilliance as well. The defense of the Giants has been decent, but not up to their normal standards. This weekend they expect to get Aaron Ross back, so that should help the secondary quite a lot.

The NFL betting lines for this weekend show the Giants as a 6.5 point home favorite in this key match up. The posted total is set at 46 points. If you are looking to make NFL picks on this game, consider that the Falcons are 4-0 against the spread in their last four games in New York. Also, the under is 5-0-1 in these teams last 6 meetings.

The Falcons need Matt Ryan to play his very best to win this game. The Giants will want to put a lot of pressure on Ryan and try to force some more errant throws and interceptions. Making football predictions on these two teams that are in such a tailspin is a tough call, but I do think the Giants will probably pull out this much needed victory.

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NFL Predictions for Week 11

Hector Garza — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:37:21 +0000

Miami pulled out the 24-17 win last night against the Carolina Panthers, and this Sunday promises more exciting play. To get in on some of your own action, look into Bookmaker’s 20% Deposit BONUS, or check out the NFL odds on all the games.

The undefeated Saints look poised to put a stranglehold on the NFC South as they take on the one game winner Tampa Bay. The Bucs are playing at home but won’t be able to put up the points. Prediction: New Orleans 35 Tampa Bay 14

The Redskins showed signs of life after beating Denver last week, and they hit the road to take on the Cowboys in a NFC East matchup that is up for grabs. Dallas is coming off a loss to Green Bay where they were limited to 1 td, and Tony Romo and company will bounce back strong. Prediction: Dallas 28 Washington 21

Speaking of the NFC East, Philadelphia has lost two straight and is looking to right the ship this week as they travel to take on Chicago. If Cutler’s 5 picks last week are any indication of how his season is headed, the Bears could finish with a losing record. Prediction: Philadelphia 20 Chicago 14

The New York Jets look to repeat their earlier win against New England this season. To stay in the AFC East race they need a win, and the Patriots are reeling after a 35-34 loss to Indianapolis on Belicheck’s controversial 4th down call. I don’t expect coach Rex Ryan to come away with a victory, even if he cries real hard. Prediction: New England 33 New York 16

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Peyton Manning proved why he’s one of the all time greats by overcoming a 17 point 4th quarter deficit. His 1 yard td pass with 13 seconds left capped the rally and they take their perfect record to Baltimore where they hope to avoid a let down. The Ravens are 5-4 and won last week against woeful Cleveland. Prediction: Indianapolis 22 Baltimore 17

Cincinnati’s defense has been a pleasant suprise as they’ve held their last 3 opponents to an average of 9.7 ppg. Interestingly enough, it’s the same average that the Raiders have managed to score all year long. Oakland has struggled with QB Jamarcus Russell, and won’t be pulling off an upset anytime soon. Prediction: Cincinnati 28 Oakland 6.

Arizona is currently battling for the NFC West, and will look to improve their division standings by playing St. Loius on the road. The Rams have been terrible this season, winning one game and getting shut out twice. The Cardinals will ride to another win on the impressive arm of Kurt Warner and by focusing their defensive efforts on stopping RB Stephen Jackson. It’s worked for almost everyone else so far. Prediction: Arizona 34 St Louis 24

The AFC west champion will be Denver or San Diego, and this week’s matchup will be a huge step for the winner. The Chargers have been hot with LT coming on and have won their last 4 contests since losing to Denver in week 6. The Broncos, meanwhile, have been been slumping. They’ve dropped their last three games, losing to Washington on the road most recently. They play at Mile High Stadium where they’re set to repeat. Prediction: Denver 27 San Diego 19

Week 11 NFL Lines

Rock Henderson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:39:52 +0000

The Miami Dolphins and Carolina Panthers get Week 11 started a bit early when they clash on Thursday night. Both teams sit at 4-5 and a sixth loss could all but seal their playoff hopes. Carolina has used their strong running back duo of DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart to win four of their past six games. Miami will be without star RB Ronnie Brown as Ricky Williams will get his first start in about a year. The Dolphins are getting 3 points.

Indianapolis will look to keep its perfect record in tact with a tough road test at Baltimore. The Ravens need this win to stay in the Wild Card race as a fifth loss would put them up against the wall for postseason play. Joe Flacco and Ray Rice will need to play well for the Ravens to win. Indy had their 9th win of the season gift wrapped for them as New England failed to get a first down on a 4th and 2 play inside their own territory. The Colts are laying 1 point on the road according to the latest NFL betting odds.

Divisional rivals Washington and Dallas will hook up for the first time this year. The Redskins picked up a nice win at home against a struggling Denver team, while the Cowboys failed to show up at Green Bay and lost 17-7. The Cowboys still have a one game lead in the NFC East, but a loss here could make things real interesting in the division. Washington scored over 17 points for the first time this season last week. The Skins are getting 11 points.

The Jets aren’t exactly catching the Patriots at a perfect time. New York already owns one victory over the Pats and they have to be fuming about their last second loss to Indianapolis. Jets head coach Rex Ryan was moved to tears after a loss at home against Jacksonville last Sunday sent the Jets record to 4-5. Now they face a tough task in traveling to Foxboro, MA and try to bring down the mighty Patriots for a second time this year. The Jets are a 10.5 point dog.

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Two of the more disappointing teams in the NFC hook up in Chicago when the Bears host the Eagles. Bears QB Jay Cutler has be scrutinized in the media for his questionable decision making and league leading 17 interceptions. Chicago’s brass might be regretting trading away Kyle Orton for one of the more overrated players in the NFL. Philly lost for a second week in a row, but are only one game out of the division lead and QB Donovan McNabb is coming off a 450 yard passing performance in a loss at San Diego. The Eagles are a 3 point favorite.

An interesting Monday night match-up will go down when the suddenly red hot Tennessee Titans take on the Houston Texans. The Titans have won three straight after opening the season losing six in a row. QB Vince Young is undefeated as a starter although he has not been asked to do too much in the passing game. RB Chris Johnson leads the NFL in rushing and can break the big one on opposing defenses in a split second. Houston will continue to make their playoff march as they have finished .500 the last two seasons. A win here would go a long way in capturing a spot in the playoffs. The Texans are a 4.5 point favorite.

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Colts at Ravens NFL Betting Lines

Rock Henderson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:04:54 +0000

The Indianapolis Colts continued their remarkable undefeated run when Peyton Manning secured a 35-34 win over the Patriots by throwing a touchdown pass with under 20 seconds to go. Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on 4th and 2 in their own territory and failing to get the first down led to the decisive touchdown. Indy will take on a hungry Baltimore Ravens team that sits at 5-4 and is currently three games out of first place in its division. The Raven defense dominated the Browns in a 16-0 victory on Monday night. Looking at the latest NFL spreads, Baltimore is a 1 point dog on their home turf.

A 9th win in a row to start the season and three game lead for home field advantage all but ensures that the AFC Championship will go through Indianapolis. Peyton Manning has the inside track to the league MVP award with his 2872 yards passing and 20 touchdowns against just seven interceptions. RB Joseph Addai has turned into another option in the passing game for the Colts as he has caught 36 balls for 236 yards and three touchdowns. He is the main running threat also and has six touchdowns on the ground, but the Colts will always be a pass first team with Manning under center. WR Reggie Wayne has flourished with the departure of Marvin Harrison. Wayne is having a Pro Bowl year with 69 catches for 879 yards and eight touchdowns. Considered league wide as one of the top players at his position, he has taken his game to another level as the #1 receiving option. TE Dallas Clark might be the most important player on this team as he can match-up against opposing linebackers and find room to work in the middle of the field. His 64 catches and 768 yards ranks second on the team. The Colts should get WR Anthony Gonzalez back soon which should bolster an already explosive offense. Gonzalez was starting opposite of Wayne before suffering an injury that has kept him out of action for the last two months. Indy’s D ranks first in the league in points allowed, but showed some holes that will need to be addressed in the New England game.

At this point in the year all teams care about is winning and it doesn’t have to be pretty. Winning ugly is what Baltimore did last week and they will need to play much better if they want to have any chance of taking down the Colts. RB Ray Rice has become the catalyst for the Ravens offense. The second year back has ran for 662 yards and six touchdowns while also leading the team in receiving with 49 catches for 451 yards and another score. He is a three down back that has aided the development of Joe Flacco. The Ravens have revamped themselves into a passing team with their big armed quarterback leading the way. Flacco has thrown for 2199 yards and 12 touchdowns. He is lacking a big play threat on the outside in the passing game, but veteran WR Derrick Mason is one of the best possession receivers in the league. Ray Lewis is still the rock of an intimidating Baltimore defense. He leads the team by a wide margin in tackles with 75 and has added two sacks. DE Jarret Johnson has a team high six sacks and provides constant pressure up front. Sign up for a new account with Bookmaker and deposit $300 or more to receive a 20% cash bonus that you can use for NFL betting this season.

This line is a stunner as I thought the Colts would be giving at least a field goal. I understand that Indianapolis is coming off an emotional win and the Ravens need this game much more, but how can one not play Indy with this gift of a line? Peyton Manning will show Joe Flacco a thing or two about the quarterback position as his team rolls to 10-0. Play: Colts -1

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Week 11 NFL Power Rankings

Rock Henderson — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:57:16 +0000

1.) Indianapolis Colts- Last second win against the Patriots solidifies them as the top team for now. Defensive secondary has some question marks.

2.) New Orleans Saints- Have not been impressive the past few weeks. Tough games with the Patriots and Cowboys could be where they slip up.

3.) Minnesota Vikings- Have the perfect balance of run and pass. If there defense keeps playing at this level they will be a tough out in the playoffs.

4.) Cincinnati Bengals- Really can’t believe I am putting them here but have no other choice after sweeping the Steelers and Ravens.

5.) New England Patriots- Had Indy down 21 heading into the 4th and they let em’ off the hook. Brady looks to have returned to full strength. Our NFL odds show the Pats as 10 point favorites against the Jets this week.

6.) Pittsburgh Steelers- Offense sputtered last week after five wins in a row. Must find a running game from either Mendenhall or Parker.

7.) San Diego Chargers- Huge divisional match-up with Denver this Sunday. If LT continues to play like he did against the Eagles they will be a major factor down the stretch.

8.) Arizona Cardinals- Might have found a running game with rookie Beanie Wells. Have been road warriors all season long.

9.) Dallas Cowboys- Probably the most complex team in the NFL. Just when you think you have them figured out they lay an egg at Green Bay.

10.) Denver Broncos- Three game losing streak has Bronco fans on the edge. A second win over San Diego would be huge for their playoff chances.

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11.) Baltimore Ravens- Win against Cleveland looked like an old Ravens game with a lot of defense and conservative play on offense.

12.) Philadelphia Eagles- Only one game out in their division. Health of RB Brian Westbrook is a huge concern.

13.) Atlanta Falcons- Falcons cannot afford to lose Michael Turner for an extended period of time as Matt Ryan continues to struggle.

14.) New York Giants- Bye week could not have come at a better time as the G-men need to make corrections if they want to make a second half run.

15.) Houston Texans- Sitting at 5-4, the Texans are on pace to once again finish 8-8. Need Matt Schaub to continue playing well and stay healthy.

16.) Green Bay Packers- Defense showed up against the Cowboys. Have to battle for the wildcard as they are not catching the Minnesota Vikings.

17.) Jacksonville Jaguars- Nice road win at the Meadowlands. Maurice Jones Drew should run all over the Buffalo Bills Sunday.

18.) Miami Dolphins- Have turned their season around with a strong running attack. Thursday night game vs. Panthers could be an elimination game for postseason.

19.) Carolina Panthers- Jake Delhomme has stopped turning the ball over constantly and the Williams/Stewart combo has ran wild in recent weeks.

20.) San Francisco 49ers- The switch to Alex Smith at quarterback has yet to provide wanted results. Defense must continue to bail a lackluster offense out.

Bottom Feeders

21.) Tennessee Titans

22.) Chicago Bears

23.) New York Jets

24.) Seattle Seahawks

25.) Washington Redskins

26.) Buffalo Bills

27.) Kansas City Chiefs

28.) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

29.) Oakland Raiders

30.) St. Louis Rams

31.) Detroit Lions

32.) Cleveland Browns

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Dolphins vs Panthers NFL Spread

Kyle Hunter — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 19:04:28 +0000

The NFL Network’s Thursday night games are back again this week and it will be the Miami Dolphins traveling to take on the Carolina Panthers in what should be pretty good football game. The dynamics of the game have been changed a little by the news that Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown will miss the game because of an ankle injury, but the Dolphins do have Ricky Williams and both teams have plenty to play for in this one. Both teams enter at 4-5 and you have to think that whichever team loses this game will likely see any hope of a postseason berth dashed. Get a nice 20% bonus to bet on football when you sign up at Bookmaker and make an initial deposit.

The Miami Dolphins started the season 0-3, but they have since played pretty decent football and given themselves a shot to get back into the thick of things. Chad Henne has done a nice job stepping in for the injured Chad Pennington. Henne hasn’t necessarily been asked to do a lot, but he has shown poise and has led the team to two last minute come from behind victories, including last weekend against Tampa Bay. Ronnie Brown is the star of the offense, but since he will be out this Thursday Ricky Williams will shoulder much of the load. Williams is in terrific shape this year and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Expect the Wildcat to still be a force with Williams in the backfield. The defense of the Dolphins has been great against the run, but a little below par against the pass this year.

Just like the Dolphins the Panthers started 0-3 and have spent the last few weeks digging out of that hole. Jake Delhomme has had a forgettable season thus far, throwing 13 interceptions and just 7 touchdowns. It isn’t by accident though that in the last 3 games Delhomme has thrown 0 picks and the Panthers offense has scored 34, 20, and 28 points in those contests. The rushing attack for the Panthers is very strong with DeAngelo Williams leading the charge by averaging 5.1 yards per carry and scoring 7 touchdowns. On the outside the Panthers have big play wide receiver Steve Smith, who can change the way defenses play single-handedly. The Panthers defense is balanced and does well forcing turnovers and pressuring the quarterback.

The NFL betting lines for this week show the Panthers are a 3 point home favorite in this pivotal Thursday night match up. The posted total has been set at 43.5 points. If you are looking to make NFL football picks you might want to know a couple of strong trends that apply to this game. The Dolphins are 8-3 against the spread in their last 11 road games and the Panthers are 4-1 against the spread in their last 5 games overall, but they are just 1-5 against the spread in their last 6 home games.

Both teams are going to want to establish the run in this one. Without Ronnie Brown the Dolphins are missing a lot, but they will still have a formidable rushing attack. The Dolphins have shown they can stop the run so far this year, but the Panthers feature one of the best rushing games in the league so we’ll see how that plays out. The two quarterbacks will need to protect the ball in this one and guide their offense with precision. It should be a very good match up.

Keep an eye out for my football picks this weekend. Last weekend my college football picks went 6-1 and I went on a very nice 15-5 overall run on my sports. This weekend I will be picking winners from the NFL, college football, college basketball, and the NBA. Check out my premium subscriptions and packages to get on board!