Category Archives: NFL

JD Duarte sees a big future for NFL in Latin America

The gambling industry has been a driven fan engagement in new markets for global brands, and the NFL is no exception. Betcris CEO JD Duarte is excited by the future of the NFL in the Latin American market, and he sat down with our very own Becky Liggero Fontana to share his excitement of giving America’s favourite past time exposure into South America.

While Latin America is still considered to be an emerging market by most major sports brands and gambling operators, it continues to show massive potential for engagement. Duarte believes that sports betting has yet to fully explode in the region as people consider sports betting still to be a novelty for entertainment in the region.

Duarte believes that the NFL is the perfect product to change people’s perceptions of sports betting. “The NFL is probably one of the most entertaining sports to watch on TV,” he said. “The whole situational aspect of what’s going to happen next makes it a really great sport for live betting.”

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Seahawks take down the Eagles as DK Metcalf has best game ever

There were several takeaways from the Monday Night Football (MNF) game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Philadelphia Eagles last night, but one will stand out among the rest for the next several seasons. Don’t make DK Metcalf angry – you won’t like him when he’s angry. The Seahawks wide receiver had the best night of his career last night and was a definite factor in his team’s win over the Eagles. His personal best performance came off of a single comment he received before the game, which apparently was enough to get him fired up.

Metcalf, in his second year in the NFL, recorded ten passes for 177 yards, beating his previous 160-yard game last January. That was an NFL rookie record, and everyone’s eyes are now clearly focused on the 6’4” big man. Prior to the game, he reportedly had a little pow-wow with Eagles defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz that didn’t please Metcalf, prompting his outstanding performance. The receiver explained after the game, “[Schwartz] came up to me and made me mad that he was like, ‘I was in Detroit with Megatron [receiver Calvin Johnson], but you aren’t there yet.’ In my mind, I am not trying to be Megatron. I am trying to be me. I had a little chip on my shoulder the whole game.”

Partly because of that chip, Seahawks QB Russell Wilson ended the night with 230 yards in the air, connecting with, in addition to Metcalf, Tyler Locket, Chris Carson, Jaco Hollister and Carlos Hyde for positive yardage. On the ground, Carson and Hyde helped push the chains down the field, with Carson adding a touchdown to his credits. Wilson is now 29-8-1 in primetime games and 10-2 on MNF. According to ESPN, that’s the best record for any starting QB with at least 20 starts since 1950.

The Seahawks defense was on fire, as well. It took out the Eagles series after series, sacked QB Carson Wentz six times and wouldn’t allow Philly to put more than nine points on the board until the team finally went for, and completed, a Hail Mary to add another score. It wasn’t enough, though, and the Eagles fell 23-17. With that, the Seahawks are in great shape in the NFC West, taking a one-game lead over the LA Rams, who just lost to the then-4-6 San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday. The NFC postseason race is heating up as Week 13 begins, and the playoff picture is going to prove to be hot.

NFL Week 12 action leads to more uncertainty in the playoff race

The NFL made it through 11 weeks of football with only minor problems from COVID-19.  The Tennessee Titans suffered an outbreak earlier in the season that forced a few changes to the schedule, but everything was relatively smooth since then – until last week.  The Baltimore Ravens have seen a major outbreak that led to their Thanksgiving game against the Pittsburgh Steelers to be postponed until tomorrow, but that is now in jeopardy, as well.  While this important game will have to sit on the back burner, the rest of the Week 12 action found a few surprise outcomes that are making sports fans, and gamblers, question their predictions on who will land where in the newly-expanded playoffs. 

It looked like the New England Patriots were going to go down once again.  They got off to a very slow start against the Arizona Cardinals, with quarterback Cam Newton held to less than 40 yards passing in the first half.  He didn’t get much better in the second half and ended the day with no touchdowns and two interceptions, connecting with receivers for only 84 yards.  The Cardinals had the better stats throughout the game, but the Pats still managed to pull off the win.  It took a 50-yard field goal by Nick Folk with four seconds on the clock to break the 17-17 tie, but it was enough to keep the Pats alive for the postseason.  Gamblers who backed the Pats scored, as well, as the +100 moneyline at BetRivers.com gave them some extra holiday spending money.

The Carolina Panthers were able to get QB Teddy Bridgewater back in the game following an injury that kept him out for a couple of weeks and he gave everything he had to try to beat the Minnesota Vikings.  He had a lot of help, too, as safety Jeremy Chinn picked up two fumbles on two consecutive series, running them both back for touchdowns.  It wasn’t enough, though, and the Panthers lost 28-27 after the Vikings came from behind with less than a minute on the clock to move ahead.  For Vikings backers, they did well, with their team sitting on a moneyline of -157 ahead of the game.

Someone forgot to tell the Las Vegas Raiders they had a football game yesterday.  That’s about the only explanation for the horrible performance they gave against what, by all accounts, is a massively inferior team.  However, the Atlanta Falcons found their stride and dominated in almost every stat.  The Raiders recorded four lost fumbles and one interception and allowed their QB to be sacked five times as the Falcons walked away with a 43-6 win.  The Raiders were getting -175 ahead of the game and most of the money was put on them to win, but the few diehard Falcons fans who took their team at +150 picked up a nice payday.

Thanksgiving Day NFL games give football fans a fun-filled afternoon

It could be said that the NFL games featured on Thanksgiving Day yesterday were not among the most popular ones that could have been selected, but they both still proved to keep football entertained. With COVID-19 keeping holiday plans to a minimum, at least there was a great way to spend several hours watching four teams tear it up on the gridiron. If it hadn’t been for the Baltimore Ravens, there would have been six teams.

The Detroit Lions, featuring Matthew Stafford and his record for most Thanksgiving Day yardage, and the Houston Texans met up yesterday, and the game started with the Lions jumping out to a 7-0 lead a little more than halfway through the first quarter. The Texans responded almost immediately, thanks to their big defensive man J.J. Watt, who snagged a Stafford pass out of the air and ran it into the end zone for a touchdown. As the Lions got the ball back following that embarrassment, they fumbled on the series and the Texans scored another TD – two in about a minute and a half. Before heading to the lockers for the mid-game break, the Lions would rack three consecutive turnovers.

After that, it was a Texans ball game for the rest of the afternoon. Starting in his first Thanksgiving Day game as quarterback for Houston, Deshaun Watson ended his day with four touchdown passes and a passer rating of 150.4, the fourth-highest for Thanksgiving NFL football. Detroit continued to become unglued in the second half, and all the team could do was try to hold on until the clock ran out. By the time it did, they were looking at a 41-25 loss.

The Washington Football Team continues to fight in order to show its appreciation for head coach Ron Rivera, who has been battling cancer. As they took the field against the Dallas Cowboys yesterday, they showed no mercy. The defense sacked Cowboys quarterback Andy Dalton three times, intercepted him once for a touchdown and otherwise just had one of the best games it has had all year. The offense did an excellent job, as well, with rookie running back Antonio Gibson recording 20 carries for 115 yards and three touchdowns.

Soccer games get a kick from Bodog bettors this past weekend

The trend that started when NFL and college football action got underway continues on Bodog, with the sportsbook seeing most of the action on football games this past weekend. However, soccer matches in both North America and Europe also proved to be enticing and made an impact on the final numbers. Although they didn’t capture nearly as much attention as football, they still accounted for five of the top ten spots on the sportsbook. 

Heading the top-ten list on Bodog this weekend, the NFL maintained its usual spot with 42.64% of the wagers. Only slightly behind was college football, which captured 42.01% of the bets. Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), which featured Deiveson Figueiredo and Alex Perez in the flyweight main event (and even Beyonce’s “Halo”), was a distant third at 4.37%. The ATP World Tour Finals took 3.41% as Daniil Medvedev overcame Dominic Thiem on Sunday for the single’s title. 

Soccer was then responsible for five of the remaining six spots, broken up only by table tennis, with 1.17%. Major League Soccer in North America grabbed 1.76% of the wagers, followed by the Premier League with 1.65%. Premier League Live wagers proved interesting, as well, getting 1.06% of the attention on Bodog. Germany and Spain made it on the list, as well, even if they only squeaked on. The German Bundesliga took 0.97% of the wagers, while Spain’s La Liga was responsible for 0.93%. 

It’s possible that, one day, soccer or basketball could prove to be as strong with gamblers as football, but that won’t happen anytime soon. On Bodog, the NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Las Vegas Raiders saw the most action, grabbing 26.53% of the share. As expected, the Chiefs won, but only by a four-point margin. The matchup between the Green Bay Packers and the Indianapolis Colts was also a hot one, taking 14.42% of the wagers. The Colts, favored to win at -125, pulled off an OT victory and now have their eyes firmly on a playoff spot.

Tom Brady “forgets” NFL rules as the Bucs take another loss

No one can say that Tom Brady isn’t one of the best football players of all times. He has six Super Bowl rings, is a four-time Super Bowl MVP, four-time NFL passing touchdown leader, three-time passing yards leader (about to be four after this season) and plenty more accolades on his resumé. However, after 20 years in the league, some are beginning to wonder if his memory is starting to go. He may have shown a hint of that yesterday as his Tampa Bay Buccaneers took on the LA Rams, or, maybe, he knew exactly what he was doing and thought he could get away with a little in-pocket trickery. Either way, Brady will always be the GOAT, even if the Bucs couldn’t fight back to defeat the Rams yesterday.

The first half of Monday Night Football’s game saw both teams waging offensive and defensive wars that kept the score equal on both sides. The second half, however, found them running a little more sluggish and making unforced errors that cost valuable position on the field. Interceptions on both sides, missed field goals, sacks and more were the norm as the game wore on. In the midst of all that, Brady managed to throw two forward passes on a single play – one failed, but the other connected. Unfortunately for him, that’s not how football is played and, even though he got the ball to wide receiver Mike Evans, the play was called dead. 

That happened in the fourth quarter when the Bucs were desperately looking for ways to overcome a Rams defense that had kept them on their heels since the beginning of the second half. Brady threw the ball on a third-and-ten, but it was stopped by the Rams defense. However, that block returned the ball to Brady’s hands and he quickly threw a second pass to Evans. Whether he forgot the rules of football – no two forward passes allowed on a single play – or thought he could get away with it, we may never know. Several weeks ago, Brady allegedly forgot that it was fourth down on a crucial play against the Chicago Bears, and some began to question whether his mind is still as strong as his throwing arm. 

Jared Goff was on fire for the Rams last night, completing 39 of 51 attempts for a total of 376 yards. However, his two interceptions thrown were a huge blight on an otherwise awesome game. He routinely connected with receivers Cooper Kupp and Robert Woods, who picked up a combined 175 yards across 23 receptions. Big offensive plays throughout the game, coupled with the second-best defense in the league, are what kept the Rams going as they took a 27-24 lead with only minutes left in the game.

NFL Week 11 Sunday action full of surprises for football fans

Week 11 in the NFL will complete its last game tonight as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the LA Rams and the roundup of games is showing football fans that anything – and everything – is still possible this season. From blowouts to upsets, the NFL continues to keep everyone entertained. There’s a good chance many sports gamblers aren’t happy with the results of a few of yesterday’s contests, but, if winning were easy, everyone would do it.

Someone put something in the Houston Texans’ Gatorade yesterday. Quarterback Deshaun Watson connected for 344 yards and three touchdowns against the New England Patriots, on the way to building a 27-20 lead with less than four minutes on the clock. Pats tried to get back into the game, but QB Cam Newton couldn’t overcome a determined, but tired, Texans defense and couldn’t find his way to advance a last-minute drive.

The Tennessee Titans met the Baltimore Ravens in Baltimore and both teams fought hard from the first play. However, it was Derrick Henry who will go down as the man who saved the day for Tennessee. The Titans and the Ravens went back and forth throughout the game, leaving the score tied at 24 when regulation play ended. Now headed into overtime, it was the running back who, starting at the Ravens’ 30, took a handoff from QB Ryan Tannehill, busted through the defensive line and ran into the end zone for a touchdown and the OT win. That win gave the Titans a little bit of a boost in the AFC South that is going to prove key later on this season.

There isn’t too much to say about the Pittsburgh Steelers/Jacksonville Jaguars (mix)matchup. The Jaguars are not having anything that resembles a decent season, sitting last in the AFC South, and took a beating from QB Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers yesterday as they were thrashed 27-3. The Steelers are now comfortably on top of the AFC North and remain the only undefeated team in the league this season.

Seahawks survive fight with the Cardinals to rule the NFC West

There has been talk that the Seattle Seahawks might part ways with defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. after the end of the current NFL season. If his line gave any indication last night against the Arizona Cardinals, the three-time Super Bowl champ and three-time Pro Bowler just gave himself a little more job security. The Seahawks defense was able to break through the Cardinals offense again and again to put pressure on quarterback Kyler Murray, becoming a major reason for the Seahawks’ 28-21 win. With that, Seattle improves to 7-2 and is on top of the NFC West, with only six weeks left in the regular season. 

Thursday Night Football found two NFC West teams vying for position and it was a case of “anything could happen” before the game. Both the Seahawks and the Cardinals have turned up the heat as the season progresses and the two teams came into the game ready to battle to the death. Seattle got out to an early lead as quarterback Russell Wilson and wide receiver DK Metcalf became a perfect combination, and the three sacks recorded by the Seahawks defense kept Arizona scrambling. 

The Cardinals had some tricks of their own last night. They also recorded three sacks as they dropped to 6-4 on the season, but Murray was still able to put up two touchdowns as he racked up 269 yards in the air. He found open receivers, like Larry Fitzgerald, Jr. and DeAndre Hopkins, to make several key advances, but the touchdowns by Chase Edmonds and Dan Arnold were the biggest threats to Seattle’s dominance. 

A couple of errors in the game could have had the score going either way. The Cardinals picked up 115 yards in penalties, including a questionable holding call in their own end zone that led to a safety. However, they were down by just a touchdown after recovering from the sting, and were able to come knocking on the Seahawks’ door with a series of plays that was setting them up for a potential game-tying score. With under a minute to go and no more timeouts, and well behind midfield, the Cardinals attempted several long passes to pick up the touchdown, but were denied each time. Looking at fourth and ten, Murray was taken down by defensive end Carlos Dunlap. 

Buccaneers, Patriots show their stuff in Week 10 Sunday action

First, the good news. There is still plenty of football left in the season and, with the NBA season beginning on December 22, sports fans are going to have a lot of action coming up. The bad news, though, is that we’re already more than halfway through the 2020 NFL season, which means the countdown to the end is running. Teams are running out of time if they plan on making an appearance in the playoffs, and yesterday’s slate of games may have given a preview of what to expect. 

The Tennessee Titans were forced to take a loss yesterday after they couldn’t get anywhere against the Indianapolis Colts. The two teams swapped places on top of the AFC South as a result of the 34-17 game after Colts quarterback Philip Rivers threw for 308 yards and a touchdown, while the Titans were falling apart. Both teams are now 6-3 after the Titans logged their third loss in four games. Neither team has it easy in Week 11, as the Colts are set to play the Green Bay Packers and the Titans take on the Baltimore Ravens. 

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made up for their embarrassing loss to the New Orleans Saints when they made easy work of the Carolina Panthers. Quarterback Tom Brady and the rest of the Bucs squad got off to a slow start and Carolina made sure it took advantage of every opportunity. However, things flipped in the second half, with Brady ending the day with 341 yards and three touchdowns to secure a 46-23 win. The Panthers defense was dominated completely during the last two quarters, with the Bucs able to record a total of 544 offensive yards in the game, including a 322-35 differential in the second half. With that, the Bucs gave themselves a boost to threaten the NFC South leaderboard, which currently has the Saints just slightly ahead of them.

The Saints aren’t too considered, at least not yet. They faced a beat-up San Francisco 49ers team yesterday, easily taking the win with a score of 27-13. It was a costly victory, however, as quarterback Drew Brees was taken out by a shot to the ribs in the second quarter. He almost immediately headed out for an MRI, allowing backup QB Jameis Winston a chance to come in and show his stuff. That wasn’t the last of the injuries for the Saints, however, as wide receiver Tre’Quan Smith and tight end Josh Hill suffered concussions, and three other players were forced to leave the game. 

Thursday Night Football finds a come-from-behind victory

Thursday Night Football (TNF) featured two AFC South teams vying for position and a solid shot at the playoffs after the NFL’s regular season wraps up. The Tennessee Titans hosted the Indianapolis Colts and, ahead of the game, even oddsmakers were unclear on who might come out on top. When the game got underway, the Titans came out strong, but the Colts weren’t having it. They rebounded from a 17-13 halftime score to take complete control of the second half, and never looked back. 

The Titans led the AFC South heading into the game, but the Colts were on a mission. They kept Tennessee out of the end zone for the entire second half as they cruised to a 34-17 victory. In doing so, they toppled the Titans and took over the division while, at the same time, picking up bragging rights for being able to go 3-0 against Tennessee in their last three games. 

Colts running back Nyheim Hines deserves some of the credit for firing up his squad. He scored his second touchdown on the night when Indianapolis launched its offensive surprises in the third quarter, giving his teammates a shot of energy. That was compounded later when linebacker E.J. Speed blocked a punt that allowed cornerback T.J. Carrie to scoop up the ball and head into the end zone to add six to the Colts’ score and continue the team’s onslaught. That punt attempt was made by Trevor Daniel, making his debut with the Titans, and the decision to put him in the game proved costly.

The Colts defense, ranked first in terms of fewest yards allowed, continuously threatened Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill, forcing him to throw one incomplete pass after another. He ended the night just 15 for 27 with 147 yards and only one touchdown, not being able to produce the results that had led the team to a 6-2 record. He also took a hit from Colts defensive end Denico Autry for a sack, adding to the difficult night Tannehill was having. 

NFL odds roundup: Week 10 lines & trends

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

It was a no-brainer for the Cincinnati Bengals to pick LSU quarterback Joe Burrow with the No. 1 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft after Burrow had a record-setting Heisman Trophy-winning season last year. Who was the second-best quarterback prospect in the draft? Some scouts preferred Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and others Oregon’s Justin Herbert.

With the No. 5 overall pick, the Miami Dolphins took Tagovailoa even though he had some injury red flags over Herbert, who was considered the more prototypical NFL signal-caller but also raw. Herbert went with the next pick to the Los Angeles Chargers. On Sunday at 4:05 p.m. ET, Tua and the Fins host Herbert and the Bolts in what could be the beginning of a terrific rivalry. Tua and Herbert never faced off in college. Miami is a 3-point favorite and has won 20 of its past 24 at home against west coast teams.

The San Francisco 49ers are missing almost an unprecedented number of players due to injury so they will not be repeating as NFC champions or likely even make the playoffs. The Niners partially earned the NFC’s top seed last year with a wild 48-46 victory in New Orleans in Week 14 of the regular season. That proved a crucial tiebreaker for San Francisco, which is back in the Big Easy on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET. The Saints are -9.5 but 2-7 ATS in their past nine at home.

The Jets squeak in a loss to the Patriots to remain undefeated

That was a close one. The New York Jets almost screwed up their perfect record by coming close to beating the New England Patriots in Monday Night Football (MNF). The team is now 0-9 on the season, which is very good news for them as they look to next season. A win would have made it difficult to be able to take the first pick in next year’s NFL Draft and it would have also served no purpose for the current season. Fortunately, the Jets managed to pull off a last-second loss to keep their streak going. 

The Pats were -435 favorites heading into last night’s game – that’s how strongly all the books felt about their chances. However, they didn’t prove they were worth it and got stomped on by the Jets almost for the entire game. It wasn’t until Nick Folk, the Pats’ kicker, put up a 51-yard field goal with three seconds left in the game that New England could claim the victory, winning 30-27. While neither team has been great this season, coming that close to losing to a team that hasn’t won a single game has to be somewhat embarrassing. 

Pats quarterback Cam Newton finally did something he hasn’t done all season – score a first-quarter touchdown. It was also his own, as he ran the ball into the end zone for the score. However, apart from that, he was relatively unsuccessful for most of the game and the Jets would go up 20-10 by the end of the half. The New England defense wasn’t too much better, repeatedly allowing key plays and unable to drop Jets receivers to the turf. 

After the halftime break, the Pats came back and added a touchdown to open the third quarter. However, the Jets, led by quarterback Joe Flacco who was in for the injured Sam Darnold, responded with their own score late in the quarter to make it a 27-17 game. It suddenly looked like the Jets would pull off a win as the teams headed into the last quarter. 

Masters betting preview: DeChambeau leads odds

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Usually, on a November weekend in the United States the sporting focus is on college football and the NFL. However, the biggest event this weekend is clearly the Masters, the most prestigious of the four major championships on the PGA/European Tours.

The Masters is usually held in early April at Augusta National Golf Club, but the coronavirus scuttled the event back in the spring. The tournament has never been held past the month of April so it will be very interesting to see if Augusta National plays any differently. Certainly, some of that will be determined by the weather. It will look a bit different, for sure, as the azaleas aren’t blooming this time of year.

One thing golf bettors will notice is earlier start times on the weekend both because of television rights owned by CBS and the fact that days are obviously a lot shorter in Georgia in November than they are in April. CBS has obligations to air an SEC game on Saturday evening and an NFL game on Sunday mid-afternoon so the Masters will finish earlier those days. If you are wondering, the Masters uses a sudden-death playoff format. The last one was in 2017 when Sergio Garcia beat Justin Rose.

Surprising blowout in Week 9 of the NFL has sports fans flustered

The Week 9 NFL action on Sunday left a lot of sports fans stunned. Even those who aren’t fans of a particular team and one of the oldest veteran quarterbacks in the league were surprised by a blowout loss that most could have never seen coming. By the time the action wrapped up yesterday, two things were perfectly clear about the 2020 NFL season – anything is possible, and nothing is ever guaranteed.

The Pittsburgh Steelers had difficulty overrunning a team that had expected to put up little resistance. However, the Dallas Cowboys gave their best effort and almost managed to walk away with a win. Cowboys linebacker Vander Esch will have to accept his role in handing his team the loss, as he took a shot at Steelers running back Anthony McFarland, Jr. late in the fourth quarter that gave Pittsburgh great field position and a new set of downs. That single egregious act gave new life to the Steelers, who subsequently punched into the end zone to come from behind and take the win, 24-19. 

The Carolina Panthers found themselves facing the league-leading Kansas City Chiefs yesterday and had some addition help with running back Christian McCaffrey finally able to get back on the field after an injury suffered in Week 2. He picked up 18 rushes for 69 yards and tacked on a touchdown to ultimately make things very difficult for the Chiefs. McCaffrey has proven his value to the Panthers offense by being able to return to the action, and the Chiefs had to fight to win, only taking the game in the final seconds when Carolina failed to convert. The 33-31 score shows how strong the Panthers played against the defending Super Bowl champions. 

The Arizona Cardinals were getting -223 before they suited up to take on the +190 Miami Dolphins yesterday. More than few sports gamblers who decided to back the underdog and rookie quarterback Tua Tagovailoa are enjoying fatter wallets today, as Tag went on to throw for 248 yards and picked up two touchdowns to give the Fins a 34-31 win that also included a Miami defensive touchdown. The Cardinals had a chance to come from behind with just under four minutes on the clock, but the offense couldn’t move the ball far enough and a 49-yard field goal attempt came up empty.

Packers take an easy win against the 49ers in Thursday Night Football

The Green Bay Packers had fun last night. From the start of their Thursday Night Football game against the San Francisco 49ers, they were in control and never seemed too concerned about the possibility of giving it up. NFL Week 9 got started with a blow-out game that found the Pack keeping the Niners down until just a couple of minutes were left in the contest. The final 34-17 score is only a hint of how badly San Fran was dominated. 

The Niners can’t be totally blamed for getting destroyed – they had to play without several key players, including starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and tight end George Kittle. These two joined a long list of injured Niners this week that also included receivers Brandon Aiyuk, Debo Samuel and Kendrick Bourne, as well as left tackle Trent Williams. Still, hopes had remained that San Fran would at least be able to give the Packers a challenge, but it never appeared. 

It could be said that, perhaps, the Packers decided to show a little mercy on their opponents as the game wore on. With five minutes left in the game, Green Bay was already up 34-3, with virtually zero chance of allowing a San Fran rebound. The 49ers finally put a touchdown on the board, and then were allowed back into the end zone with just seconds left on the clock to at least provide the appearance that this was a harder-fought game than those who watched it will remember. 

Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers put up 305 yards, including some impressive direct hits that led to four touchdowns. He and receiver Davante Adams have become the NFL’s tandem team, consistently producing great results. Adams had ten receptions for 173 yards and added a touchdown to his growing list of accomplishments and shared the wealth with receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling and tight end Marcedes Lewis, who combined for the other three touchdowns. 

NFL Sunday action gives football fans a smorgasbord of excitement

The NFL has almost wrapped up Week 8 action – tonight’s Monday Night Football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New York Giants will bring it home – and yesterday’s slate of games offered a little bit of everything. It’s becoming clear that several high-profile players don’t have the job security they may have thought they had and that some other players might need to consider anger management classes. As the season progresses, this week and next will give sports gamblers a pretty good idea of what to expect as the second half of the season comes into focus.

The Pittsburgh Steelers may have been put off as their game against the Baltimore Ravens got underway yesterday, but they didn’t let it get them down. On the very first possession of the game, Ravens linebacker Robert Spillane stole the ball for a pick-six that put Pittsburgh at a disadvantage. But, Ben Roethlisberger didn’t let it get him down and the quarterback bounced back to take control. Two second-half touchdown passes helped the Steelers overcome the interception and they went on to win, 28-24. With that victory, Pittsburgh can still claim to be the only undefeated team in the NFL this season, and the Ravens fall to 5-2.

The Green Bay Packers and the Minnesota Vikings gave fans a thrill yesterday. The first half saw both offenses working the field and scoring two touchdowns each, but the second half proved to be something different. The Packers suddenly found themselves scrambling against a defense that was sowing chaos at almost every turn, and the Vikings offense was in complete control. By the time it was over, the now 5-2 Vikings had handed the Packers just their second defeat of the season on their way to a 28-22 victory.

The Tennessee Titans were 5-1 going into their game against the 1-5-1 Cincinnati Bengals yesterday, and this game should have been an easy one for Tennessee to wrap up. The Bengals and quarterback Joe Burrow had other plans, though. The Titans were lackluster throughout the game and, after having gone 14-for-14 in red zone scoring this year, they suddenly found an unexpectedly tough defense that denied them from crossing the goal line. The Titans have now dropped two consecutive games as the Bengals improved to 2-5-1 with their 31-20 win.

The Falcons stun the Panthers in Thursday Night Football

If ever there were a time that the Carolina Panthers needed the services of running back Christian McCaffrey (CMC), it was last night against the Atlanta Falcons. Thursday Night Football in the NFL found these two NFC South teams pitted against each other, and the Falcons figured out the secret to stopping the Panthers offense, with CMC still out due to injury, almost from the start of the game. By all counts, it wasn’t a pretty contest, but the Falcons found their revenge after losing to the Panthers earlier in the season, and also found a little vindication after having become the butt of jokes for losing several games after having put themselves in a winning position.

The Panthers came out strong, but weren’t able to keep their offensive stamina up throughout the game. For the Falcons, they were able to continuously exploit Carolina’s defensive secondary to drop long passes right on their targets, leading to Matt Ryan picking up 281 yards in the game. The quarterback also ran into the end zone for his own touchdown, the first of the season, as the Falcons hammered away toward a 25-17 victory.

While the Panthers secondary seemed to be a little dazed and confused, overall, the defense did a decent job. Most of the Falcons’ points, with the exception of the touchdown by Ryan and one more by running back Todd Gurley, were off field goals. The Panthers were able to keep the Falcons from reaching the end zone throughout the game, but Ryan’s ability to find open receivers had done its damage – Atlanta repeatedly got close enough to allow Younghhoe Koo to kick the ball through the uprights. He went four-for-four on field goals, but also managed to miss a point-after kick that almost proved to be costly.

With just a little more than a minute left in the game, the Panthers and quarterback Teddy Bridgewater had a chance to threaten the Falcons, and Atlanta fans had to be stressing after watching their team give up several games this year after having a comfortable lead. However, cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson would save the Falcons by way of an interception, allowing Atlanta to capture just its second win of the season.

NFL odds roundup: Week 8 lines & trends

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Week 8 is actually a pretty good one in terms of teams on the bye because three of them in the Washington Football Team, Jacksonville Jaguars and Houston Texans are among the NFL’s worst clubs. The fourth off is a good Arizona Cardinals team.

It’s rare that an NFL team makes major news during its bye week short of firing a head coach, but the Miami Dolphins hijacked the football news last week when they were off with the fairly shocking decision to make rookie No. 5 overall pick Tua Tagovailoa as their first-time starter for this Sunday’s home game against the Los Angeles Rams.

On the one hand, it makes sense to make that call during a bye week to give Tua plenty of reps in practice, but on the other Ryan Fitzpatrick was playing quite well and had led the Dolphins to three wins in their past four and into the AFC East race. Miami is a 4-point underdog but has won 19 of its past 23 when hosting West Coast teams.

The Bears and Rams duke it out in Monday Night Football

The LA Rams and the Chicago Bears were both drawing a lot of attention heading into Monday Night Football. The two teams have superior defenses, and NFL fans expected this to be a low-scoring game. They weren’t wrong, and the turf was alive with great hits on both sides of the ball. By the time the clock ticked down to zero, though, the outcome may not have been what some had hoped to see. 

The Rams defense was able to stop quarterback Nick Foles at almost every turn. It kept the Bears to under three points in the second half – the sixth time it’s pulled that off – and added a touchback and two interceptions to keep the Bears on their toes. The Rams, off the foot of punter Johnny Hekker, put the Bears inside the ten-yard line five times, making it difficult for the offense to develop.

That LA defense got some help from a better-than-normal offense, as well. Quarterback Jared Goff, hoping to bounce back from a sluggish performance in last week’s game against the San Francisco 49ers, rose to the occasion and put up back-to-back touchdown drives in the third quarter as he went 23 of 33 and picked up 219 yards in the game. Goff said after the game, “We did well; that defense is tough. There were a couple careless errors by me that we got away with, but that’s the game. I thought we were able to distribute the ball pretty well and make some plays.”

The Rams would lead 10-3 when the teams hit the lockers at the half, and would come out swinging in the second half. The Rams put up another touchdown as the third quarter was moving forward, and Hekker then planted the ball on the one-yard line, pinning the Bears and making it difficult for the offense to move. Foles tried, but fell short on one play and forced one of the game’s interceptions and the touchback that would then turn into another Rams touchdown. The Bears were now in a bad spot, down 24-3 and trying to figure out what to do. 

NFL Sunday brings everything from hot wins to freezing snow

This NFL season has already positioned itself in the history books as one of the oddest in recent memory. Divisions that are filled with losing records, massive amounts of injuries, upsets and a pesky COVID-19 that has threatened to call off the action have kept things interesting from Week 1. Yesterday’s Week 7 games added to the excitement, bringing everything from clutch plays for the win to blizzards. Sports gamblers had to like what they saw, too. 

The Green Bay Packers didn’t have too much to worry about with the Houston Texans, a team that is trying to find its direction after head coach Bill O’Brien was recently let go. Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed the day with 283 yards as he threw four touchdowns, two of which went to Davante Adams, on the team’s way to a 35-20 victory. Bettors expected a blowout, and BetRivers saw 87% of the action going to the Packers, with another 77% covering the -3 Packers spread. 

The Washington Football Team had no trouble as it faced the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy might be the second NFL coach in the Lone Star State to be fired this season after the embarrassing 25-3 loss that saw Washington control the course of the game from the start. The Cowboys were able to stop the WFT on the first drive at the goal line, but that was about the end of any defensive performance. This game went to the sportsbooks, with 78% of the bets on the spread were in favor of the Boys, and 76% had them winning the game. 

The New Orleans Saints and the Carolina Panthers met up in New Orleans, playing in front of just a handful of spectators, but it was enough to give the Saints a boost. Quarterback Drew Brees put up 287 yards, despite not having two top receivers, but the Panthers had their moments, as well. This game would be a battle all the way through and hinge on just one (controversial) play. Kicker Joey Slye was brought out to try a 65-yard field goal with two minutes still on the clock and almost pulled it off – it fell about a foot short, and the Saints would get the ball back to hold onto the 27-24 score. The good news for bettors is that the Panthers covered the spread, but the 61% of the bets on the Over/Under of 51 missed.