Chopping Lines: The Purifying Restive of the Bye Week
READ MORE: Chopping Lines, NFL Betting, Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers
Sun, 1 p.m.
San Diego Chargers (3-3)
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Philadelphia Eagles (3-2)
This seems like a great underdog pick, especially with Ladainian Tomlinson pretty much doing everything at this point—including throwing touchdown passes. And the Eagles’ defensive line? Well, that’s not Reggie White and Clyde Simmons in there right now. Mike Golic, maybe. Everybody runs on the Eagles—this was a problem last season and then they moved a rejuvenated Jeremiah Trotter into middle linebacker and everything was fixed. But after the bye week, Andy Reid’s Eagles are pretty amazing. Yes, they suck against AFC teams and had they won two weeks ago in Dallas this would be a great pick for the Chargers. But the Eagles, after a loss, after a bye week are tough(6-0). And they’re at home. Say what you will about the Linc being soulless venue devoid of all the madness of Vet Stadium, but this is a Vet crowd edgy for victory right now and one exciting play can make them a ferocious bunch. Even if they are eating $9 cheesesteaks.
PICK!: PHI -3
Another Bullshit Night in Suck City
READ MORE: ALDS, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Monday Night Football, New York Yankees, Oddjack Betting, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers
Well, that was great. We dont’ feel too bad about the whole Angels/Yankees game because we’ve admittedly been horrrrible with the LDS picks so far this year. Hope everybody who saw we picked the Yankees made a huge killing on our incompetence and mush. Last night’s loss dropped us to 2-8 between all four series’. And then we totally went against our own hunch on Monday Night Football and followed the hot team regardless of that nagging feeling that Schottenheimer would some how make us angry. And it happened. The Steelers came with a much better game plan and Troy Polamalu is destined to be one of the best defensive backs ever to play football. Alas, this is what happens when we overthink these things too much. Sometimes it’s just best to follow a hunch instead of getting bogged down in ridiculous statistics about the ATS numbers after bye-weeks, defensive match-ups, coaching histories on Monday nights after an SU victory of 21 points or more, weather patterns, astrological signs, and the collective SAT scores of the defensive line. In two and a half words: Eff that shit.
Chopping Lines: Ride The Lightning
READ MORE: Chopping Lines, NFL Betting, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers
9 p.m.
Pittsburgh Steelers (2-1)
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San Diego Chargers (2-2)
A hot team, a riled up home crowd on Monday night, and Ladainian Tomlinson is pretty much all you need from a betting perspective. So, why are the San Diego Chargers, on the heels of two straight 40-plus point performances and the proclamations from many NFL experts that they’re playing the best football of anybody right now, only giving three points? It’s spooky and the only way to justify it is the Schottenheimer factor, who has had a history of completely imploding once his teams start to get the respect they deserve and enter the public consciousness. According to Covers, 60% of the public is taking the Steelers right now—is love for the Steelers and Willie Parker or is it the fact that the Chargers have already peaked? But, with a banged up Steelers defense, LT, and the practically uncoverable Antonio Gates this could get ugly real quick. We’ll climb on the San Diego Chargers bandwagon and bet on the blowout that most people are anticipating.
PICK!: SD -3
NFL Betting: Beware of the Under
READ MORE: NFL Betting, Pittsburgh Steelers, San Diego Chargers, Total
Tonight’s Monday Night Football slugfest between the San Diego Chargers and the Pittsburgh Steelers is showing a lofty 46 1/2 point total, but Covers’ says even though they’re both ball control offenses that bettors shouldn’t pile-on the under so quickly. Both the Chargers and the Steelers are averaging more than 21 points per game and San Diego is in the middle of an offensive cherry-pop averaging more than 40 their last two games. So, defensive bore fest or shoot-out? Who can say? However, we’re of the cracked-out mindset that both teams are out to showcase their offense and will probably come out slinging. Any guesses on the number of times Steelers’ coach Bill Cowher’s jaw juts or he implores his players to “Let’s Go!” after a play? We’re setting the total at 35.
Total Troubles: Sharps Stumped by NFL Number [Covers]
Pittsburgh Steelers at San Diego Chargers [Yahoo Sports]
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A Lesson in Undermining Courtesy of Covers
READ MORE: Covers, Green Bay Packers, Opinion Poll, San Diego Chargers
Chopping Lines: Staying Classy in San Diego
READ MORE: Green Bay Packers, NFL Pre-Season Betting, San Diego Chargers
8 p.m.
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Best Line: Chargers -2.5, o/u 37.5
What can we say about this Brett Favre that hasn’t already been said? The man’s tough. He plays through freezing cold. He plays through family tragedies. Yet, he’s also close to 47-years old. Tonight Favre will see only about a quarter of the action to make way for shell-shocked rookie Aaron Rodgers. Plus, Javon Walker has a bum hamstring, Ahman Green’s sweat problem will be in full bloom thanks to the humidity, and Najeh Davenport will be daydreaming about the next dorm room he can poop all over. We don’t expect much effort from the Pack this evening.
The Chargers, on the other hand, have a two quarterbacks in Drew Brees and Phillip Rivers who actually have something play for. Each is carrying a chip the size of Uzbekistan on their shoulders and they’ve got something to prove, dammit. Brees wants to show last year’s break out season wasn’t a fluke; Rivers wants people to stop calling him the-guy-they-traded-for-Eli Manning. And with last year’s laughable collapse against the New York Jets still fresh, the Chargers seem poised to want to make a statement more declarative than “It’s not our fault we’re coached by Marty Shottenheimer.”
PICK!: Chargers -2.5
NFL Betting: Packers/Chargers Line Goes Nuts
READ MORE: Green Bay Packers, NFL Betting, Pre-Season, San Diego Chargers
Remember when Thursday nights just revolved around The Cosby Show and Night Court? Well, now Thursdays are for football. And tonight’s pre-season game between the San Diego Chargers and the Green Bay Packers has seen a huge line shift in the past week—the Packers started off as 2 1/2 point favorites and are going into tonight as three point dogs. Covers blames it on San Diego’s two-headed monster of quarterbacks Phillip Rivers and Drew Brees in a position battle. We blame it on Terrell Owens walking out on Eagles mini-camp. Fuck that guy.
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