Odds provided by 4Flush.com, courtesy of Bovada.lv
| Sportsbook | Website | USA | Bonus | Join |
 |
www.Bovada.lv | Yes | 100% / $1000 |  |
Jacksonville Jaguars at Houston Texans -10(-105) Total: 43.5
Pick: Jacksonville +10(-115)
Many would not be shocked to see the Jacksonville Jaguars coming into Week 12 with 1-9 record, but I’m sure no one thought that at the beginning of the season that the Texans would almost be the same boat.
Houston sports a 2-8 record coming into this AFC South bottom-feeders matchup as they look to break a franchise-worst eight-game losing streak. The Texans fell to the Raiders in a home loss last weekend, losing 28-23.
There was plenty of controversy in the loss and rumors in the past week of head coach Gary Kubiak’s job being in jeopardy. Kubiak benched Case Keenum at halftime in favor of Matt Schaub which drew the ire of much of the locker room and fan base, alike. Schaub and receiver Andre Johnson argued on the sidelines during the loss and running back Ben Tate criticized fans for booing Schaub on a radio show during the week.
Defensively, the Texans have been strong, ranking first in the league in yards allowed per game with just over 286. They rank much worse in scoring defense at 28th, but much of that total is due to them allowing a league-high 96 points off turnovers.
The Jaguars snapped a 13-game losing streak dating back to last season with a 29-27 win at Tennessee on Nov. 10th. However, they came back last week with a lackluster effort, losing 27-14 in a home loss to the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday.
Jacksonville has played better as of late but ranks in the bottom five in nearly all offensive and defensive categories. Their offense has been especially poor, scoring just 12.9 points per contest, last in the league.
This line seems fishy from a Vegas standpoint, especially after Houston was 7-point favorites last week and lost outright to the Jaguars. The Texans are not a talented football team by any stretch of the imagination but are the Jaguars so incompetent they that ar 10 points better? I don’t think so.
Houston has shown more and more vulnerability against both the pass and the run as the season progresses. Rashad Jennings has looked impressive this season for Oakland, but he was merely a journeyman running back before this season. He gashed Houston’s run defense for 150 yards on 22 attempts. Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew has been admirable, especially in this poor offense and is a superior talent compared to Jennings.
There is reason to think that Jacksonville will be able to put some points this weekend. If they can get to around 17-20 point mark, they should have little issues covering in this game. Similar to what I said last week, the Texans simply do not deserve to be double-digit favorites over anyone in this league.
Denver Broncos at New England Patriots +3 Total: 54
Pick: Over 54
In what will be the probably most highly anticipated game this Sunday, the Broncos and Peyton Manning face off against the Patriots and Tom Brady at Foxboro.
Denver is 9-1 on the year after a victory over the previously undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Manning threw for over 300 yards and a touchdown in the win and running back Montee Ball rush for two touchdowns in the 27-17 win at Arrowhead.
Denver’s offense is on a historic pace and Manning looks to be primed to break Tom Brady’s single season touchdown record. Most of this high powered offense is expected to play, but they did suffer some injuries last week. Wes Welker was concussed in the win against the Chiefs but did pace the concussion protocol on Wednesday, so it is likely he will suit up. Tight end Julius Thomas is also dealing with a nagging injury, and he is listed as probable, as well.
After putting up 55 points against Pittsburgh before their Week 10 bye, the Patriots lost Monday Night on a controversial play to end regulation giving Carolina a 24-20 win. Officials picked up a flag after originally calling for pass interference on an end zone pass from Brady to Gronkowski. After a conference, they waived off the penalty citing that the pass was uncatchable.
The Patriots offense has looked better in recent weeks after a slow start to their year, but their defense has been weakened by injuries. Linebackers Adrian Wilson and Jerod Mayo and nose tackle Vince Wilfork are out for the season. Cornerback Aquib Talib may be out for this contest after aggravating a hip injury that held him for three weeks leading up to that contest.
With injuries all over the defensive side for New England, one has to like Manning’s chances of carving up a defense that seems to get worse every week. Likewise, Denver’s defense is nothing noteworthy and with Brady’s full complement of weapons on offense it is going to for the Broncos to stop him.
Rob Gronkowski should have a field day in his best matchup of the year and Demaryius Thomas should feast on a secondary with a hobbled Talib. I rarely like to take the over on totals that are heavily influenced by public betting patterns, but in this spot I think it is justified. This one will be a shootout.
San Francisco 49ers at Washington Redskins +6 Total: 47
Pick: Redskins +6
Both Colin Kaepernick and Robert Griffin III were huge stories in last year’s NFL season. This season has not been as kind to the young signal callers with both playing at a much lower level..
The Niners come into the Monday Night matchup as preseason favorites to win the NFC and go back to the Super Bowl, but have stumbled several times this year. At 6-4, they are two and a half games behind Seattle in the NFC West.
Kaepernick is ranked 31st in completion percentage and has only thrown 11 touchdowns on the season. He was weak in their game last week at New Orleans, throwing for just 127 in the 23-20 loss.
Like Kaepernick, Griffin has struggled to move the ball effectively in many contests. The Redskins defense has also been horrible, so the offense is nearly always facing a deficit late. With that said, Griffin’s decision making has been questionable, at best, as of late.
He threw a terrible interception to end the game last week against Philadelphia, giving the Eagles the win, 24-16. He then seemed to blame his coaches for the miscue but then backtracked on his comments a few days later.
The headlines all week have been about the lack of leadership displayed by Griffin and how the Redskins and the fan base are unhappy with him. I still think the team is united behind him and will play their heart out on Monday Night. They have nothing to lose at this point with a 3-7 record, and the pressure is off.
San Francisco’s offense has been horrible this year, but they have an enticing matchup with Washington’s Swiss cheese defense. It’s a decent bet they will score some points in this game, but I don’t see them going off for enormous numbers. Kaepernick, Gore and company have had excellent matchups all season and have disappointed in countless games.
Finally, the skill players on Washington’s offense are tremendous and will be facing off against a 49ers defense that is still vastly overrated. They were a top 5 unit a year ago, but anyone who has played close attention to this team knows this is not the same defense.
I look for Pierre Garcon, and Alfred Morris to continue to make their mark on the stat sheet and keep this game close. The game might as well be the Redskins’ Super Bowl, a prime time matchup against the reigning NFC Champions. They will be ready to play this week – take the points at home.
100% up to $3,000 Bonus
Bovada is our most recommended ONLINE CASINO and POKER ROOM for US players with excellent deposit options. Get your 100% signup bonus today.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.