Carolina Panthers at New Orleans SaintsSunday, November 9 at 4:05 p.m. ET
NFL odds: Saints -13
New Orleans is a heavy favorite, but it may not be warranted. Though undefeated, the Saints defense has been shredded over the past few weeks. Miami and Atlanta combined for almost 300 yards and six touchdowns, and the Saints were lucky to escape in both games. A dominant offense is covering up some serious weaknesses right now.
The Panthers have won three of their last four games. Many thanks belong to the running game, which is cranking out over 200 yards per game in the Panthers' last three tries. DeAngelo Williams is running like a man possessed with 399 yards and three scores during that stretch.
At 13 points, this spread simply favors the Saints too much. They've narrowly escaped defeat the past two weeks thanks to mean, bruising running games—something Carolina has in spades right now. Is it enough to topple New Orleans outright? Not likely. The Saints' pass defense is better than anyone in the NFL at making interceptions—and Panthers quarterback Jake Delhomme might be better than anyone at throwing them. New Orleans has the offense to outgun Carolina but it will get gouged on the ground. Pick the Panthers to cover on your NFL picks.
Houston Texans at Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, November 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET
NFL odds: Colts -9
After three straight wins, the Texans bandwagon is getting crowded. Houston creamed Buffalo 31-10 last week with a huge second half. The key story was Steve Slaton's benching and the sudden emergence of Ryan Moats. The former Eagle racked up 126 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, and he'll join the regular rotation this week. The focus will remain on Matt Schaub, though, who is tied for the NFL lead in touchdown passes.
Speaking of great quarterback play, Peyton Manning remains brilliant. He was held without a touchdown pass against the 49ers last week, though, and the Colts offense managed just 18 points in the victory. It was nice to see the defense step up in a low-scoring game and bail out the offense; Indy has allowed the fewest points in the NFL this season and looks like a true Super Bowl threat on your sports picks.
Houston is solid if unspectacular on defense. It doesn't really excel at anything in particular, but it has been vulnerable to longer passes, giving up 22 completions of 20 yards or more this season. That's the kind of defense Peyton Manning can feast upon. The Colts, on the other hand, have the seventh-best pass "D" in the NFL. Schaub will be slowed down; Manning won't be. Take Indy to win and cover if you bet on sports this weekend.
It’s not just NFL odds that will get more attention with the baseball season over. Bowl games loom in college football and we can expect to see lots of action at sportsbooks in the coming weeks. A big game this Saturday pits two top-10 teams against each other as LSU visits Alabama. Can the Crimson Tide stay undefeated and remain a major part of the BCS discussion? (9) LSU Tigers @ (3) Alabama Crimson Tide
Saturday, November 7, 7:30 p.m. ET
Online betting favorite: Alabama -9
Fresh off a bye, Alabama wants to make a statement. There’s clearly nothing wrong with being undefeated – literally nothing wrong – but Alabama still wants a convincing performance this week to leapfrog Texas in the BCS top two. It was fading before its bye week, having barely escaped a home game versus Tennessee. In the Crimson Tide’s mind, the LSU Tigers are pretenders; their best efforts came against pushovers like Tulane while they sputtered against Georgia and Mississippi State. Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide may put the pedal to the metal at home in an attempt to expose LSU.
Offensively, Alabama is the superior team most days of the week. Quarterback Greg McIEroy has experienced growing pains but was likely just tiring in his first season as a starter; don’t be surprised if he emerges from the bye with newfound confidence and, let’s remember, he only has to play a decent second fiddle to Mark Ingram. The standout running back averages 125.5 rushing yards per game and has 11 total touchdowns.
It’s not that LSU lacks athleticism or playmaking ability; it just needs more consistency. The Tigers’ key pieces, like quarterback Jordan Jefferson and running back Charles Scott – put up big numbers against weaker foes but disappear in big games at times. Alabama’s defense is a powerhouse with high-impact players everywhere; LSU, on the other hand, had a strong secondary but struggles to pressure the quarterback; that means McIEroy shouldn’t feel too uncomfortable in the pocket.
It’s been a nice season so far for LSU but it’s simply not on Alabama’s level. Expect the Crimson tide to cover the NCAA football betting spread at home fairly easily. Make them your sports picks.
Pick: Alabama -9
Now that all the NFL odds for Week 9 are posted, it’s time to peruse more games. Earlier this week we tried to sell on you on the Cardinals and Eagles; here are some more NFL picks to consider. Washington Redskins @ Atlanta Falcons (-10)
Sunday, November 8, 1:00 p.m. ET
Finally, a break for the Falcons. As much as they’ve stumbled in recent weeks, their last five opponents were New England, San Francisco, Chicago, Dallas and New Orleans. Four of those games were on the road. It’s not that the Falcons will necessarily light up the Redskins; Washington actually ranks second in the NFL in pass defense and Matt Ryan has been easily rattled in the pocket of late. It’s that Washington just won’t score. The Falcons rank near the bottom of the league in total defense but that stat partially reflects their tough schedule. They showed the Saints in Week 8 that they can pressure a quarterback and they’ll be very successful if they do that to the jittery Jason Campbell. The game may not be a barn burner but the Falcons should cover.
Online betting pick: Falcons -10
San Diego Chargers @ New York Giants (-4.5)
Sunday, November 8, 4:15 p.m. ET
Even against the struggling Giants, the Chargers will get exposed as pretenders this week. Forgive me for not getting excited about a team whose four wins came against Oakland (twice), Miami and Kansas City. The Giants will gobble up the Chargers’ anemic rushing attack and, more importantly, they should run wild themselves. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are due to bust out and the Chargers, who allow 132.1 rushing yards per game, are the perfect facilitators. Don’t be surprised if the Giants run 40 times on Sunday as they get back in the win column and cover the 4.5-point spread quite easily. They’re excellent sportsbook options this week.
Online betting pick: Giants -4.5
