Pro Football Denver Broncos at Oakland Raiders (O/U 41) (10:15PM ET) (ESPN)
DeMarcus Russell is the Raiders first year starter but the Raiders haven’t give him many weapons in the passing game. The Raiders are solid running team and I expect the Raiders to test this Bronco defense, which had a problem stopping the run. Also the Broncos have two really good cover corners so passing yards will be hard to come by. So expect a lot of runs by Justin Fargas and rookie Darren McFadden but the Broncos will most likely be ready for this because they wont respect the Raiders passing game. Jay Cutler will be without his top receiver in the passing game as Brandon Marshall is serving a 1 game suspension. The Raiders defense was very poor in stopping the run last year so I expect the Broncos to try and pound the rock here because the Raiders have a pretty good secondary. There will be a lot of running plays and the clock will be running. Hey if you like punts watch this game because there will be tons of them. Play Oakland and Denver under 41.
Pro Football Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers (-2 ½) (7:00PM ET) (ESPN)
I am not a big fan of Tavares Jackson at quarterback. He holds back the team with his poor quarterbacking skills and the Vikings haven’t done much to help him with this current group of receivers. Jackson also banged up his knee during preseason. During the Mike McCarthy era at Green Bay he is 4-0 straight up against the Vikings and his defense has only given up 40 points in those 4 games and only 7 points in two home games against Minnesota. They key here is that Rodgers is at home and has a good set up receivers in Donald Driver and Greg Jennings. The Vikings were the worst pass defense in the league last season and it’s always easier to throw the ball at home. Green Bay has a very good defense which allowed only a bit over 18 points per game and that was second in the league. Rodgers is getting the start here but he has 3 years in the system backing up Favre. Play Green Bay –2 ½.
Pro Football Arizona Cardinals at San Francisco 49ers (+2 ½) (4:15PM ET) (FOX)
Kurt Warner gets the start here for the Arizona Cardinals because head coach Ken Whisenhunt wants to win now. San Francisco starter JT O’Sullivan is getting the start and was a third string guy at Detroit last season. There is an advantage here for the Cardinals with an experienced quarterback who knows how to read defenses and has built chemistry with his solid receiving corp. The 49’ers 3-4 scheme will be tested on the ground as Edgerrin James and Tim Hightower will find space on the ground. This will set up play action opportunities and big plays from Warner in the passing game. This is a circle game for the Cardinals having being swept last season. The Cardinals have done a good job of building depth on defense and Martz does not have enough pieces in place. Also expect the 49’ers defense to be on the field a lot in this game as the Cardinals will win the time of possession battle and the Niners haven’t built enough depth behind starters who will be a tired unit in the second half. Play Arizona – 2 ½.
Pro Football Carolina Panthers at San Diego Chargers (-9 1/2) (4:15PM ET) (FOX)
Wide receiver Steve Smith will sit this one out with a suspension. But Jake Delhomme will have Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett out wide and has a two headed monster at running back with DeAngelo Williams and Jonathon Stewart with bruising fullback Brad Hoover hitting the line hard creating space. The Panthers played well prior to Jake Delhomme’s season ending injury last season, which occurred much early on, and not late in the season like the injuries to Ladainian Tomlinson, Phillip Rivers and Antonio Gates. Delhomme has had more time to heal. The Panther offense will be balanced. Staring center Nick Hardwick will not start here as he recovers from injury and is a solid run blocker for the Chargers. The defense looks improved for the Panthers as the first team allowed only 3 points during the preseason. Carolina keeps this one close. Take Carolina +9.
Pro Football St Louis Rams at Philadelphia Eagles (-7 ½) (1:00PM ET) (FOX)
Donovan McNabb is healthy. Brian Westbrook is healthy. The Eagle defense is healthy and added Ammante Samuel to the secondary. And when they add a nickel back you have Lito Sheppard coming into the game. Look out for the Eagles. Looking at McNabb during the preseason and late last season he looked much more mobile and was able to move well out of the pocket to avoid pass rushers. The Eagles are thin at the receiver position with injuries to Kevin Curtis who will miss week 1 and Reggie Brown who may play though a bad hamstring. DeSean Jackson should get some time at wideout and had a good preseason. Tight end JT Smith is healthy and will be a target for McNabb on Sunday. Michael Westbrook is also a threat in the passing game. The Rams are young on defense and face a tough test on the road here. The Rams will improve as the season progresses. Rams running back Stephen Jackson was a holdout until August 20th and missed most of training camp. The Rams offensive line will be tested trying to protect Marc Bulger who was smacked last season. The Eagles want blood here because they are out to prove to the league that they will contend in 2008. Take Philadelphia –7 ½.
Pro Football Cincinnati Bengals at Baltimore Ravens (+1 ½) (1:00PM ET) (CBS)
Raven quarterback Kyle Boller injured his shoulder in preseason and is lost for the season. Backup Troy Smith has been battling infected tonsils. So Joe Flacco has been inserted here as the starting quarterback against Cincinnati. Flacco played last year for Delaware, which is a team from the College Football Championship Subdivision formally known as Division 2. There is a big difference between being a quarterback in the Subdivision than in Major College Football. All you need to do is ask Tavares Jackson. The defenses are much, much better and faster. Flacco will struggle here making his first start in the regular season against an NFL secondary. Cincinnati has won 4 straight openers and has beaten Baltimore in 6 of their last 7 meetings. It’s worth noting that Cincinnati starting quarterback Carson Palmer is 3-1 straight up at Baltimore. T.J. Houshmandzadeh told the Bengal’s official website that he will be ready for the opener and Chad Johnson will play through his shoulder issues. Chris Perry will carry the rock for the Bengals and will also give them a back out of the backfield that can contribute in the passing game. The Ravens will look to run the ball with Rice and McGahee. But McGahee had arthroscopic knee surgery during training camp and if available on Sunday will most likely get limited carries. Cincinnati defense will have success against an inexperienced quarterback making a huge step up in class. Take Cincinnati –1 ½.
Pro Football Seattle Seahawks at Buffalo Bills (PK) (10:00AM ET) (FOX)
Buffalo has been very good at home for bettors as they are 10-3 against the spread in their last 13 home games. Second year quarterback Trent Edwards said his leg is fine and makes good decisions with the ball. The receiving corps is fine with Lee Evans, Josh Reed and 6 foot 5 James Hardy will give Edwards a big target in the red zone and in third down situations. Marshawn Lynch is a solid back coming off a 1000-yard season. But the Bills really loaded up on defense during the offseason acquiring Marcus Stroud at defensive line and Kawika Mitchell at linebacker. Matt Hasselbeck lost many of his weapons in the passing game, as Bobby Engram is hurt and D.J. Hackett lost in free agency. Deion Branch is coming off knee surgery and has been rehabbing this injury ever since with work at all during the preseason. It’s doubtful he makes it to the field on Sunday. They will be without nickel back Jordan Babineaux and starting defensive tackle Rocky Bernard who both will be serving a 1 game suspension. The Seahawks are breaking in a new kicker, as clutch kicker Josh Brown was lost in free agency. The running game is still in question with Maurice Morris, Julious Jones and T.J. Duckett in the backfield. I also have a question how the Seahawks run receiving corps will deal with the crowd noise in Buffalo?
Pro Football Washington Redskins @ NY Giants (-4) (7PM ET) (NBC)
The Giants offense has a solid run game with Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw and Derrick Ward. This offense returns all 11 starters from a year ago. The Giants will use their bruising backs to set up big plays in play action in the passing game and they have the running backs to wear the Redskins in the 4th quarter. Wide receiver Steve Smith played well late and came up with key 3rd down receptions for the Giants to keep the chains moving. Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka are now the starting defensive ends after Michael Strahan’s retirement and Osi Umenyioura. Tuck was second on the team in sacks last season. The Giants will have less depth on defense and it may be something that haunts them later in the season. Jason Campbell was only a 5-7 quarterback last season and rookie coach Jim Zorn coaches his first game and it’s against a division rival on the road. Zorn has to adjust to game management and the Redskins break in a new offensive and defensive coordinator. Jason Taylor sprained his knee on August 23rd and may not be available for Washington. The third preseason game is your dress rehearsal for the regular season, it’s the only preseason game that matters and the Redskins were pounded 47-3 at Carolina. The first string offense had 5 three and outs in 8 series in this game and Campbell was sacked 4 times. Both running backs ran for 100 yards against the Redskins defense. With starters playing for the first half Washington was behind 34-0. Not a good sign here for the rookie coach. Take the NY Giants –4.
Tony T here from Gamblers Television covering the NFL “Vegas Style” all season long.
The Indianapolis Colts were Super Bowl winners in 2006 and finished the 2007 regular season with a 13-3 record and were champions of the AFC South. The Colts hosted the San Diego Chargers in the AFC Divisional round of the playoffs and lost 28-24 as a 10-½ point favorite. Oddsmakers have set the 2008 regular season projected win total for the Indianapolis Colts at 11 wins.
Schedule:
The Colts play in the AFC South and that means 2 games against Jacksonville, Houston and Tennessee. The AFC South plays the AFC North and NFC North and that brings road games at Minnesota and Pittsburgh. As the AFC South champion last season they must play the two other first place AFC teams and that brings a road game at San Diego and they host New England.
Offense:
Peyton Manning went through off-season knee surgery to repair an infected bursa sac on his left knee. It forced the veteran QB to miss the entire preseason. He went through his pre game routine in week 4 of the preseason and Tony Dungy was confident in having his Pro Bowl quarterback ready to open the season. Manning reads opposing defenses as good as any quarterback who ever played in the NFL. With 11 seasons under his belt he is fully confident in his system and with his offensive personnel. Joseph Addai returns to the backfield after gaining over 1000 yards last season and running back Dominic Rhodes returns to the Colts and a system he is very familiar with. He averaged 4 yards per carry last year for the Raiders. The receiving corps is very solid with Marvin Harrison looking good in training camp. Reggie Wayne and Anthony Gonzalez compliment a strong unit. Tight end Dallas Clark is coming off a season with career high 58 receptions, which help inked him to a deal making him the highest paid tight end in the league.
Defense:
The defensive line will put even more pressure on the quarterback this season with a healthy Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis on opposite ends. The Colts have depth behind their front four to give them blows. The linebackers are young and promising. In the secondary Bob Saunders is returning from NFL Defensive Player of the year honors and safety Antoine Bethea is coming off a Pro Bowl season. Kelvin Hayden and Marlin Jackson are both strong and physical cover corners.
And now to my Selection:
The Colts were hit hard by injuries to impact players in 2007 as defensive ends Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis were hurt as well as wide receiver Marvin Harrison. The Colts were still able to pull out a 13-3 season. Much of the same players surround Peyton Manning on offense from a year ago. The running game will be better with Dominic Rhodes back in a Colts uniform. The offensive line will have new pieces but still should be able to protect Manning. The Colts will get to at least 12 wins this season.
Play the Indianapolis Colts over 11 wins for the 2008 season.
Selection: Play wins in 2008 Regular Season.
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Tony T here with our “Rockstar” quick hitter for Friday’s action.
The San Diego Chargers travel to San Francisco for a preseason game on Friday with the 49’ers a 2 point favorite. The Chargers will rest their starters and when they did this against the St Louis Rams they did not fare well. Also the Chargers are playing this game with 3 days rest off their Monday Night game against Seattle. You also have to factor the travel here for the Chargers and expect San Diego to bring nothing here. Take San Francisco –2.
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