Spooky's welcome to the future weekly express

[Spooky]

Have not had as much time to post as I would like and have a bunch of stuff I am dealing with. So hopefully more people can contribute here.

Monday's List of 13: Wrapping up an NFL Sunday.........

13) New York Giants are 4-0, seem to be rolling along, but Eli Manning had a non-contact heel injury, so lot of people are holding their breaths down in New Jersey. If Eli goes down, the Giants go down with him.

12) Kansas City averaged 2.4 yards per pass with their expensive free agent QB, Matt Cassel, converted 2-15 on third down, had 88 passing yards. Wasn't Tyler Thigpen better than that last year?

11) Now that Tennessee is 0-4, don't they need to find out whether or not Vince Young is an NFL quarterback? If they don't, does that mean they've given up on him and will look for a different QB of the future?

10) Ravens have held their last 39 opponents without a 100-yd rusher.

9) Tony Romo is the most overrated quarterback in the league.

8) The Rams have the worst offense I've seen since the '76 Buccaneers, and the Raiders aren't much better.

7) Cincinnati did nothing from the time they went up 14-0 to their tying drive in the last minute, but credit to them for finding a way to win in a divisional road game. The last couple years, the Bengals lose this game.

6) For someone to rough the passer, don't they at least have to hit him? Baltimore got called for one roughing call where the guy tried to hit Tom Brady low, but he missed, just brushing him. Good Lord man, the guy has a helmet and shoulders pads on. Its not a penalty to touch him.

5) Of the eight teams that did it Sunday, Chargers, Ravens were the only teams to score a defensive/special teams TD and not win. Saints had a pair of defensive TDs, 49ers had two defensive and a special teams TD.

4) You almost never see extra points blocked in the NFL, but Browns, Buccaneers both did it Sunday. Cleveland's block forced overtime, after Bengals had scored a last-minute TD to tie the game.

3) Favorites were 8-5 against the spread Sunday, over was also 8-5.

2) The better the Saints play defense, the more the phrase "Drew Brees, game manager" becomes a nightmare for his fantasy league owners.

1) After four Sundays of games, there is a large gap between the best and worst NFL teams, that much is obvious. There are a few teams that look totally hopeless right now.

[Spooky]

Spooky's Fab Five for Monday, October 5, 2009

Happy Monday everyone.

1. Quick Hits

Minnesota and Detroit finish the regular season tied for first in the AL Central. They will have a one game playoff tomorrow night in Minnesota. The winner will face the Yankees Wednesday in the playoffs.

Only four NFL teams are 4-0. The Colts, Giants, Saints and who would have thunk it, the Broncos?

Brett Favre faces his old Green Bay team tonight in Minnesota. If he wins the Vikings will also be 4-0.

2. What "A-Year"

So the baseball season began with Alex Rodriguez concocting a steroid story. He then missed the first month with hip surgery, and still finished the season with 30 homers and 100 RBIs. He got to 100 by hitting a 3 run homer in the 6th inning yesterday against Tampa Bay,
and then hitting a grand slam in the same inning. He thus set an American League record for RBIs in an inning (7).

3. The Road To Rio

I always thought Rio should get the 2016 Olympics. South America has never hosted the games and fans there are sports-crazy. But I can't help but feel the early exit for Chicago was a tad political. The opening ceremony in Brazil should to be the most colorful and lively on record.

4. Hail to the Chief

Many viewed this as a "failure" for President Obama. If you want to get really serious about this issue, you could make the case that George W. Bush had something to do with it as well. But lets take the high road. I salute the President for making the effort. If he had sat in the Oval Office and not gone to Copenhagen, the same critics who
claimed he "failed," would be trashing him for staying home.

5. Monday Musings

Cheer up Mets fans, your long national nightmare is over. And look at the bright side. No heartbreaking last day elimination, and there were some real positives at Citi Field. For two, Shake Shack burgers and Paul McCartney.

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How sick is the Ted Williams story? Workers at a cryogenics lab in Phoenix treated his frozen head like a pinata? Shut down that place!

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They finally caught that creep who shot the peep-hole video of an ESPN sportscaster. Thank God the world is safe again. Now about that Bin Laden guy.....

Happy Birthday: Hockey great Mario Lemieux. 44.

Bonus Birthday: Oscar winning actress Kate Winslet. 34.

Today in Sports: Brooklyn's Al Gionfriddo robs Joe DiMaggio in deep left field at Yankee Stadium in game 6 of the World Series. Joe kicks the dirt near second base, a complete meltdown in DiMaggio terms. 1947.

Bonus Event: The first radio broadcast of a World Series game from the Polo Grounds between the Giants and Yankees. The announcer wasn't actually at the game. He took accounts from a newspaper guy over the phone and then recreated the game. 1921.

[Spooky]

The Worst Of Week 4 in the NFL from Spooky

Even with the start of the bye weeks, there was still enough shitty ass play to go around and discuss. I must do my duty and call out the worst of week four.

5. Jim Zorn Haters - Suck on that sweet, sweet redemption, haters! The Skins are back! On "hump day" of their 5 straight weeks of playing teams with no wins (seriously), the Skins dominated a great Bucs team. OK, so that is not true, but you finally saw some glimpses of decent play in the second half. It took them 14 quarters, but things at least appear to be looking somewhat up. With the Panthers and Chiefs coming up the next two weeks, who knows, maybe they can be 4-2 heading into Philly. I'm not saying that the Skins are Super Bowl bound, but I do think that they can be competitive and finish ahead of Dallas. Zorn is still going to be replaced by Mike Shanahan next year.

4. Jeff Fisher and the Tennessee Titans - All week, people were saying that this was the best 0-3 team of all time. You know, maybe they just suck. They haven't just been losing, they have been getting destroyed. Getting dick-raped by someone called Mike Sims-Walker does not tell me that they are just a victim of bad breaks. They are who we thought they were (at least now)...a team destined for a top 8 pick in the draft. Speaking of the AFC South, how awesome are the Colts? I have never understood how Indianapolis was considered a southern locale, but Indy is killing everyone. Have they wrapped up the division yet?

3. Kyle Boller - Jesus. This guy is terrible. If you aren't betting against the Rams every week, you should be committed. Remember when Brian Billick made this guy the face of his offense and banked on his success? That was hilarious. At least he can throw a ball 80 yards when he's sitting down. That is a skill that all QB's need! By the way, to all of you out there who think that wagering on NFL games is a crapshoot, let me give you a tip: bet against the Chiefs, Raiders, Rams, and Browns every week and you will make a ton of money. They can't set these lines high enough.

2. Mark Sanchez/Drew Brees - What a disappointing "shootout" this turned out to be. I am so thankful that the Sanchez lovefest can finally slow down. It was making me nauseous. And Drew Facemole, this is now two straight weeks without throwing a touchdown. Knock it the fuck off. Use your bye week to get your shit straight because if you continue this inconsistent play, you will be murdered by fantasy owners. That being said, the Saints are not just winning, but they are killing teams. This is most definitely a Super Bowl contender. Gregg Williams, even as a defensive coordinator, may have been the best free agent signing of the offseason.

1. Tony Romo - I fucking love watching this guy suck. And he does it oh so often these days. Tony Dorsett was right. Exactly who deemed this loser a superstar anyway? He has accomplished nothing in his career thus far (and never will) and actually was outplayed by The Kyle Orton Express yesterday. You know who gets outplayed by The Express? Kyle Boller and other people of that ilk...which now you can add Tony Romo to. This is delicious. Let's see here, Romo got Roy Williams killed with continuous high passes. He kept throwing crucial passes to something named a Sam Hurd. And on the biggest plays of the game, HE WAS THROWING AT CHAMP BAILEY!!! No one throws at Champ Bailey. He has been the best cornerback in the league for a decade now. Wherever you see him on the field, you throw to the other side. Stupidity. I love it.

There you go. Tough break for the Brownies yesterday. They outplayed the Bingles (Phil Simms-speak) and lose their tenth in a row (on their way to the record!). I really, truly believe that Graham missed that kick in overtime. Whatever, you still suck. At least it's obvious that DA gives you the best chance to win and it's time to start shopping that loser Quinn. But you know what doesn't suck? Me having a great day on my wagers if not here on the express.

I am REALLY pumped for the Monday Nighter tonight. GO PACK GO!!! BREAK FAVRE's LEG!!! I will talk some tomorrow about some playoff baseball.

[Spooky]

Quick Six-pack for Tuesday

-- NFL home underdogs are 3-10 vs spread this year in non-divisional games, but 6-2 in divisional matchups.

-- Oakland Raiders' total yardage the last three games: 166-137-165.

-- Major league baseball attendance was down 6% this season.

-- Chiefs are 9-51 (17.6%) on third down conversions this year; their opponents are 25-58 (43.1%).

-- Brett Favre has thrown 35 one-yard TD passes in his career, more than anyone else in league history (Marino, 22).

-- NFL home favorites are 15-10 vs spread this year in non-divisional games, 7-8 in divisional matchups.

[Spooky]

Tuesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but..........

13) Did anyone else notice that when Ray Lewis was ranting about the officiating after the game in Foxboro Sunday, he was wearing the same stylish fedora Tom Landry wore when he coached the Cowboys?

12) NFL referees should be allowed to ridicule stupid replay challenges.

11) If you look at the first drives by each team in their first four games, the Steelers have outgained opponents 252-0, outscored them 17-0.

10) Sometimes you can tell right from the start its going to be a long day; both Kansas City and Baltimore fumbled the opening kickoff Sunday, and the Rams ran the opening kick back for a TD, but had it called back by a penalty. All three teams lost.

9) Rams are 0-4 and struggling mightily, but in three of their four games, they've tried a field goal when the game was scoreless. Despite having a very high-paid kicker, they've missed all three kicks, and never led in any of the three games, getting shut out twice.

8) Steelers have forced only one turnover in three games since Polamalu has been out injured.

7) Cleveland Browns turned ball over on their first drive of 3rd quarter in all four games this season.

6) Redskins have been outscored 47-13 in the first half this year, but in the second half, they've outscored those same opponents 43-15.

5) In their last two games, six of the seven TDs Tennessee allowed came on drives that started in their territory; Titans have lost average starting field position in all four games: -11/-8/-14/-25. Next up for them are the Colts and Patriots. Hard to believe they won't be 0-6 soon.

4) Jets' defense has allowed three touchdowns in four games. Problem is, so has their offense.

3) Houston Cougars had 42 first downs in their loss at UTEP Saturday; cannot remember seeing a team get 42 first downs in one game before.

2) In two games so far, Detroit has been scored upon on the first drive in six of eight halves, and they stopped the Redskins on the 1-yard line on another drive.

1) If I was a Green Bay Packers' fan, I'd be damned glad my team had a coach and GM who had the onions and made the tough decision to deal Brett Favre away. No one can know how it will turn out, but since they thought Aaron Rodgers was the real deal, they had to cut Favre loose.

[Spooky]

Hump Day List of 13: Our NFL List of 13:

13) 49ers-- Willis is a great linebacker; Niners play solid defense, Hill doesn't make any big mistakes. They have momentum right now.

12) Bears-- Gave up 21 points in first half to Detroit, a red flag.

11) Steelers-- Defense late in games has been shaky-- they've taken ball away once in three games Polamalu has missed.

10) Eagles-- Interesting to see how much more involved Vick will be in the offense after the bye week.

9) Bengals-- Found ways to win late last two weeks, always a good sign.

8) Falcons-- Wonder when coaches prefer to have their bye week? This seeems a little early, having bye before the baseball playoffs.

7) Patriots-- A fan asked Tom Brady for his autograph Sunday night; he was immediately flagged by an offical for unnecessary roughness.

6) Ravens-- Sometimes the better team loses. This was the case Sunday but now Baltimore players have to put it behind them.

5) Broncos-- Got lucky in opener at Cincinnati, were gritty in close win over Cowboys. Nolan has them playing terrific defense.

4) Colts-- Passing game is better with younger legs running patterns.

3) Vikings-- Before everyone gets all Favre-tastic, remember Jets had an 8-3 record last year before things got ugly. So far, so good though.

2) Giants-- The one place they don't have depth is quarterback. Lot of podiatrists are probably angling to get on radio talk shows in NYC.

1) Saints-- These are not last year's Saints; they run ball well, are tough on defense. Brees trying to become third Purdue QB to win Super Bowl.

[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for a busy Wednesday, October 7

Patriot games

For the fifth time in as many weeks, the New England Patriots will be playing an unbeaten team when they visit the Denver Broncos. New England played Buffalo in its opener, lost to the New York Jets in Week Two, beat 2-0 Atlanta in Week 3 and knocked off 3-0 Baltimore in Week Four. The Patriots are giving three points to the Broncos (4-0).

Dub mix

Two things to keep in mind for Game Four of the WNBA Finals. Indiana has won five straight home games (2-3 ATS), but its last home loss was to Phoenix on Sept. 2. The Mercury also had the league's best home record at 11-6 during the season (11-6 ATS) and are 1-2 in the postseason (2-1 ATS).
The Fever are giving two points with a total of 178.

Sam I am - playing?

Oklahoma's Heisman-winning QB Sam Bradford is optomistic about his return from a shoulder injury suffered in Week 1 of the season. Bradford told reporters he could suit up when the Sooners face the Baylor Bears this weekend.

"I guess I'm clear. Obviously, I guess it really just has to go through the week without any excess soreness after the throwing. That's the big deal," said Bradford, who has been doing light throwing the past two weeks.

"I have to be able to make it through a week without taking any steps back. As long as that happens, then the doctors are fine," Bradford said.

Oklahoma is a 25.5-point home favorite Saturday. News of Bradford's return would likely drive this spread into the 30-point range.

Price is right

The Montreal Canadiens gave goaltender Carey Price the night off Tuesday so that he could be in top form against the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday. Price, a native of British Columbia, will have a homecoming of sorts against the Canucks. He has never started against Vancouver and has played just eight minutes versus his home-town club in his career, coming off the bench in the third period of a 4-2 Canucks win in which Price turned away the only shot he faced.

Price is off to a strong start this season, posting a 2-0 record and 1.89 GAA. Montreal is priced as a +160 road underdog while the total is set at 5.5 goals.
Extra rest

The New York Yankees had the option to choose when their American League Division Series started and chose a Wednesday start. That decision has two benefits. The first is that it gives Minnesota no rest before the start of the best-of-five series. The second benefit is that the series has three potential days off - Thursday, Saturday and Tuesday - which means the Yankees could need just three starters and use Joba Chamberlain out of the bullpen. The Yankees are 10-13 to win the AL pennant and 3-2 to win the World Series.

Notable quotable

"I guess that people want Bobby (Bowden) to step down gracefully, and I want what's best for Florida State University. I'm just really saddened by where we are. I'm hurting as much as all the Seminole Nation. It's bad."

-- Former FSU wide receiver Ron Sellers, talking about the problems with the football team at his alma mater. The Seminoles are 2-3 for the first time since 1976, Bowden's first season at the school.

[Spooky]

Spookys helpful tips for Thursday, October 8

I will do my best to post some today but gone for most of the afternoon
Flames on fire

Calgary finally seems to be putting it together. The Flames have used their wide-open style to surge to the top of the Western Conference, winning all of their games by scoring a conference-best 13 goals with no player netting more than two. And don’t expect them to cool off anytime soon. Calgary plays Edmonton on Thursday night, and the Oilers have allowed eight goals in only two games. The Flames are +102 and the over/under is 5.5.

Who’s No. 24?

That would be the Missouri Tigers. And why does it matter? Because Nebraska doesn’t show up on the road against ranked opponents. The Huskers have dropped seven in a row and 14 of 15 overall on the road against ranked foes. Nebraska's most recent defeat away from Lincoln to a ranked squad was a 16-15 loss to Virginia Tech earlier this season. The Tigers, however, are 3.5-point dogs Thursday night.

Hamels getting hammered

Phillies ace Cole Hamels needs a big performance against the Rockies on Thursday to give his team a 2-0 lead. The numbers say he won’t get it. Hamels (10-11, 4.32 ERA) has allowed a staggering 13 earned runs over his past 16 1-3 innings. In his only matchup against the Rockies this year – his first start of the season – he was tagged for seven earned runs on 11 hits in just 3 2-3 innings. The Phillies are listed at -155 with the over/under line set at 8.5

[Spooky]

Six-pack for Thursday

Some NFL trends for Week 5

-- Raiders covered four of last 13 as a double digit underdog.

-- Chiefs covered three of their last 15 home games.

-- Eagles covered 12 of last 15 coming off a bye.

-- Browns covered two of their last ten games.

-- Bills covered one of last six as a home favorite.

-- Ravens covered nine of their last eleven home games.

[Spooky]

Thursday's List of 13: Cleaning out a cluttered mind.........

13) Rockies, Phillies' fans got short end of the stick, as far as their series being played Wed-Thurs afternoon; hard to take two afternoons off of work. Some Phils' players weren't happy about being left out of prime time, considering they are the world champs and all..........

12) I know its not Derek Jeter's fault, but I swear to God there's a rule in TV that says Jeter has to be shown on camera every three minutes, and it doesn't matter whats happening at the time. Whether he goes 4 for 4 or 0 for 4, it makes no matter. You get sick of the guy after a while.

11) Oddsmaker has posted lines for the two UFL games this week; good luck handicapping the first week in a brand-new league where the teams didn't play any preseason games. How do you not bet the underdogs?

10) Former Saints/Rams coach Jim Haslett is coaching Florida Tuskers in the UFL; I hope Haslett writes a book someday- he coached the Saints the year Hurricane Katrina hit, then he was the interim coach last year in St Louis, which had to be a joy, now he is coaching in a new league. He must have some great stories to tell.

9) 26 quarterbacks have won the Super Bowl. 34 have lost it, showing if you lose in your first appearance, its harder to get back to the big game.

8) Miami Ohio QBs (Roethlisberger) are 2-0 in Super Bowls, Miami FL QBs (Kelly) are 0-4 in Super Bowls.

7) In their last three games, Bears allowed TD drives of 92-57-73 yards on the first drive of the game, which isn't good. They miss Urlacher.

6) St Louis Cardinals used 136 different lineups in 162 games this year.

5) Listening to Dick Stockton call a ballgame after listening to the awful Chip Caray makes Stockton sound like the great Vin Scully.

4) Oklahoma State's star receiver Dez Bryant is ineligible after he lied about working out, having lunch with Deion Sanders last May. Guess that violates one of the hideous NCAA's rules- they have too many of them, for sure. Bryant will appeal the ruling next week.

3) Someone has to explain to me how Jason Witten was blocking on last two plays at Denver Sunday, instead of being out on the pattern? They don't have a second tight end who can block? Witten is Romo's favorite receiver, the guy he looks to when things break down. Poor planning to have him as a blocker on the game's most important plays.

1) Its going to be a long winter for the Detroit Tigers and their fans; it is not a young team in Detroit-- to collapse in September may send them down the same path the Mets are on, which isn't a good one.

[Spooky]

NFL Week 5 games

Vikings (4-0) @ Rams (0-4)-- Road game off of Monday night rivalry win for unbeaten Vikings; expect them to pound run (only 63 yards on 30 carries vs Green Bay) against winless Rams, who've been outscored 59-3 in second half of games this season. Vikings are 18-34 on third down last two games- they're scoring 29.5 ppg, are 3-1 vs spread as favorite this year, but 5-6 as favorite on road vs non-divisional opponents. Rams are 4-10 vs spread as home dog, but are 5-3 in last eight games as double digit dogs. NFC North road favorites are 3-0 vs spread in non-divisional games. NFC West home teams are 0-3.


Cowboys (2-2) @ Chiefs (0-4)-- Dallas has two TDs, two FGs in seven red zone trips last two games; they've turned ball over six times in two losses, has no giveaways in their two wins- they should have their way against Chief team that scored 13.3 ppg in Cassel's three starts, gave up 156 rushing yards in loss to Giants last week. KC covered four of last 12 as home dog, are 3-11 as home dog in non-divisional games since 2001. Cowboys are 12-9 as road fave since '03, 14-6 in last 20 games as single digit favorite. NFC East road favorites are 4-2 vs spread in non-divisional games. AFC West underdogs are 2-5.


Redskins (2-2) @ Panthers (0-3)-- Washington playing fourth poor team in a row, allowing 13 ppg in winning two of last three; they're 7-4-2 vs spread in last 13 games as road underdog, but just 2-5-3 as non-divisional underdog on road. Skins having trouble defending run, allowing 136.3 ypg last three games. Washington hasn't scored first half point in last two games, was outscored by 47-13 in first half, but outscored foes 43-15 after the half. Carolina turned ball over 12 times in three losses, is just 11-36 on 3rd down. Delhomme has been sacked nine times. NFC South faves are 5-0 vs spread in non-divisional games.

Buccaneers (0-4) @ Eagles (2-1)-- Bucs lost 16-13 in Maryland despite four takeaways; not many NFL teams win when they turn ball over four times, but Tampa gained just 229 yards in Johnson's first NFL start, averaging 4.0 yards per pass attempt- it was Tampa's first cover in four games. Eagles have wins by 28-20 points; McNabb expected to return here, after Kolb averaged 7.0/9.1 ypp in his two starts. Philly covered seven of last nine as home favorite; all three of their '09 games went over. NFC East home favorites are 6-4 vs spread in non-divisional games. NFC South underdogs are 1-6, 1-3 on foreign soil.


Raiders (0-4) @ Giants (4-0)-- Mismatch on paper, not sure how Manning's sore foot changes things here; expect Big Blue to try and run ball more to keep Eli out of harm's way. Oakland lost last two games by combined score of 52-9; they've got ton of distractions, including potential assault charge against Cable for breaking assistant coach's jaw. Raiders allowed 173-215-120 rushing yards in last three games, bad news vs Jacobs/Bradshaw rushing tandem that rushed ball for 226-156 yards in last two games. Giants are 6-3 vs spread in last nine games as home favorite, but since 2003, they're 2-4 as double digit favorite.

Browns (0-4) @ Bills (1-3)-- Hard to endorse either side here; Cleveland lost its two road games 27-6/34-3; they're allowed average of 176 yards rushing a game, are already -7 in turnovers. Buffalo lost its last two games by combined 65-17 score, allowing 222-250 rushing yards. Bills went 3/out on 11 of last 23 drives. AFC East home favorites are 4-0 vs spread in non-division games. AFC North underdogs are 2-3. Buffalo is 15-9 vs spread in last 24 games as a home favorite. Browns are 15-21 vs spread in last 36 games as road underdog. Three of four Buffalo games went over the total. Not much to pick from here.


Bengals (3-1) @ Ravens (3-1)-- Interesting to see if Ravens put tough loss to Patriots behind them; after scoring 38-31-34 points in first three games, they were held to 21 in Foxboro, running ball only 17 times whole game. Baltimore covered seven of last eight as home favorite; they're 9-5-1 vs spread in last 15 games as divisional home favorite. Cincy is 10-7 in last 17 games as road dog. Bengals won six of last nine series games- underdog covered all four of their '09 contests. Home favorites are 8-8 vs spread in divisional games so far in 2009. Both teams have seen three of their first four games go over the total.


Steelers (2-2) @ Lions (1-3)-- Culpepper will start at QB if Stafford (knee) is unable to go; Detroit's three losses this year are by 18-14-24 points- they have been outscored 61-12 in second half of last three games, after outscoring foes 44-28 in first half. Steelers are 4-8 vs spread in last 12 games as road favorite. Pitt is 3-8 vs spread in last 11 games as double digit favorite, 2-7 in last nine as non-divisional road favorite- they were outscored 58-31 in second half of last three games, forcing just one turnover in three games Polamalu missed. Lions converted 17-35 on 3rd down in last two games, they're shown some spark.


Falcons (2-1) @ 49ers (3-1)-- San Francisco won its last five home games by 19-10-3-13-35 points; they lead NFC West, held all four opponents under 100 rushing yards (average of 73.5). 49ers are 4-1-1 vs spread in last six games as a home favorite. Hard to tell much about Falcon team that had early bye- they've scored only one second half TD in three games. Since 2006, Atlanta is 12-9 as road dog. Three of four Niner games stayed under total. NFC South underdogs are 1-6 vs spread in non-divisional games. Atlanta has home Monday nighter with Chicago next week; 49ers have their bye next week.


Patriots (3-1) @ Broncos (4-0)-- Teacher vs pupil, as McDaniels is the former Patriot offensive coordinator; Broncos ran ball for 171.2 ypg last three games, haven't allowed second half point in last three games. Denver is surprise team of NFL, allowing just 6.5 ppg (two TDs/43 drives), with +7 turnover margin. Patriots scored 25-26-27 points in their three wins, didn't score TD in the 16-9 loss at Jets, their only road game so far. AFC East underdogs are 1-5 vs spread in non-divisional games. New England has three TDs, nine field goals on last 13 drives in opponents' red zone. All four Bronco games stayed under total.


Texans (2-2) @ Cardinals (1-2)-- Arizona hasn't scored first half TD in its two home games, outscored 34-9; they averaged just 5.5/5.2 ypp in two losses, 8.3 in its win at Jacksonville. Raiders are only one of four opponents Texans held under 6.1 ypp. Houston scored 34-24-29 points in last three games (nine TDs on last 26 drives); they allowed 153.5 rushing yards/game in first three games before holding lowly Oakland to 45 last week. AFC South teams are 5-3 vs the spread out of division; NFC West teams are 3-4. Texans are 5-3 vs spread in last 8 games as road dog. Arizona is 10-6 in last 16 games following a loss.


Jaguars (2-2) @ Seahawks (1-3)-- Seattle lost last three games, scoring just 36 points in ten quarters since Hasselbeck broke rib running near goal line out in SF. Last two Seattle foes averaged 8.0/8.6 ypp (combined 52-68/586 yards). NFC West home teams are 0-3 vs spread in non-division games, AFC South road teams are 3-1. Jacksonville crushed Tennessee 37-17 last week, running ball for 137 yards in game both starting tackles missed- they scored 68 points in winning last two games, after scoring 12-17 in losing their first two games. Last three Jacksonville games all went over the total.

Colts (4-0) @ Titans (0-4)-- Desperate times for Tennessee squad that plays Patriots next week and is staring 0-6 start in face; they lost only home game 34-31 to Texans, after blowing 21-3 lead. Titans covered seven of last nine as a home underdog. Colts are rolling, with younger legs at receiver helping juice up passing game- they scored 30.7 ppg in last three games. Indy averaged at least 7.5 ypp in all four games, gaining 12.3/10.8 in its two road games (wins by 27-23/31-10 scores). Home underdogs are 6-2 vs spread in divisional games this season. Last three Tennessee games all went over the total.


Jets (3-1) @ Dolphins (1-3)-- Two starting QBs have combined five starts in NFL; Jets covered just one of last five games as road favorite, while Miami is 5-7 vs spread in last dozen tries as home dog. Fish can run ball, gaining 239-149-250 yards on ground last three weeks- they converted 9-17 on third down in Henne's first start. His stronger arm allows Miami to stretch field more than they could with Pennington under center. Saint defense scored two TDs in last weeks win over Jets, as Sanchez finally made some rookie mistakes. In last ten seasons, Jets are 4-0 against the Dolphins on Monday Night football.






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[Spooky]

Spooky's helpful tips for Friday, October 9

Technical difficulties

Louisiana Tech appears to be a different football team when it goes on the road. At home, the Bulldogs are 2-0 straight up and against the spread, outscoring foes 75-19. On the road, they are 0-2 SU and ATS, outscored by 69-27. Tech travels to face Nevada, which has won the last four meetings, averaging 40.8 points. The Bulldogs are getting 10.5 points with a total of 58.

In the black

The Minnesota Twins have won the last four games started by Nick Blackburn, who starts Game Two of the ALDS against the New York Yankees. Blackburn is 2-0 with a 2.30 ERA in that span. The Twins are 5-2 with Blackburn as an underdog, although one of the losses was at Yankee Stadium in extra innings. The Twins are +270 with a total of 10.

QB or not QB, college style

Heisman Trophy winners Tim Tebow of Florida and Sam Bradford of Oklahoma still have not been named starters for their games Saturday. Florida coach Urban Meyer said Tebow (concussion) likely would be a game-time decision vs. LSU, even though he still has not been cleared for contact. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops said the progress of Bradford (shoulder) in practice has been "positive, but I don't want to speculate."

John Brantley would replace Tebow for the Gators, who are giving 7.5 points at LSU with a total of 44.5. Landry Jones has been starting in place of Bradford for Oklahoma, which is giving 26 points to visiting Baylor with a total of 54.

For all the marbles

The Indiana Fever and Phoenix Mercury play the decisive Game Five of the WNBA Finals. The teams have played six times this season, and in every game, the underdog has covered, winning outright four times. The teams also have played to the under in the last three games. Phoenix is giving 5.5 points with a total of 178.

Dizzy without Dez

Oklahoma State moves into its Big 12 Conference schedule without star wide receiver Dez Bryant, who was ruled ineligible Thursday for violating an NCAA bylaw. Bryant, considered the best NFL prospect among all college receivers, was averaging 19 yards a catch and led the Cowboys with four TDs. His receptions (17), yards (323) and TDs equal or surpass the combined total of OSU's next three leading receivers. The Cowboys are giving 5.5 points at Texas A&M with a total of 61.

No place like the road

The road team has won outright in the last four meetings between the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos. BC gets back kicker/punter Paul McCallum, who has not played since July. Edmonton is 2-5 against the spread in its last seven home games and 1-5 ATS in their last six anywhere. The Eskimos are giving four points with a total of 53.

Scorching the nets

Only the Washington Capitals have scored more goals than the Calgary Flames, who are 3-0 straight up and against the over. Goaltender Miikka Kiprusoff is just 16th in save percentage and 21st in goals-against average. In town are the Dallas Stars, who are having trouble scoring but are getting plenty of shots, averaging 37.0, third in the NHL. Calgary is -163 with a total of 5.5.

Notable quotable

"I don't think anything's wrong with him. People are going to talk. Everybody's got their opinion. Nobody really cares about anybody's opinion because their opinion is not the reality. I don't think him or anyone else cares about what anybody else thinks."

-- Dallas Cowboys offensive lineman Leonard Davis on quarterback Tony Romo, who has taken a lot of heat for team's 2-2 start. Dallas is giving nine points at winless Kansas City on Sunday.



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Six-pack for Friday

Some college football trends for Week 5

-- Favorite covered nine of last ten Purdue-Minnesota games.

-- Oklahoma is 16-7-1 vs spread in its last 24 home games.

-- Michigan State is 3-7 vs spread the week after playing Michigan.

-- Florida State is 7-17 in last 24 games as a home favorite.

-- Wake Forest covered one of last five as a double digit favorite.

-- Louisiana Tech covered three of last twelve road games.




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Friday's List of 13: Food for thought on a football Friday......

13) Before we get to football knowledge, can someone explain to me how if the Minnesota-Bronx goes five games, there will be three off days in the series? How come there wasn't an off day before Game 1, when the Twins played at home the night before?

12) If the World Series goes seven games, Game 7 is November 5th- if the Rockies make the World Series, they'll need a Zamboni at Coors.

11) Speaking of bad ideas, the Mets are bringing back all their trainers in 2010; nothing like seeing incompetence get rewarded. Maybe by spring training they can have Jose Reyes healed from his May hamstring pull.

OK, now on to football.............
10) Best NFL red zone offenses so far, based on points per possession, are 49ers (5.5), Jets (5.4) and Chiefs/Bucs (5.33). Worst three are Giants (3.06), Redskins (3.33) and Rams (3.5).

9) Best red zone defenses: 49ers (2.17), Dolphins (3.31), Saints (3.36). Worst three: Texans (5.86), Packers (5.75), Giants (5.64).

8) Best offenses on drives that start 80+ yards from goal line: Colts (2.95), Vikings (2.92), Falcons (2.43). Worst three: Texans (0.23), Cards (0.25) and Redskins (0.27).

7) Best defenses on 80+-yard drives: Titans (0 points/9 drives), Saints (0.27), Jets (0.38). Worst three: Miami (2.52- four TDs/11 drives) Rams (2.38), Titans (2.29).

6) Patriots-Vikings-Falcons are the only three teams that haven't had an opponent start a drive in their territory yet.

5) Tennessee didn't score on its only drive that started on other team's side of the 50; their opponents scored seven TDs on the 12 drives that began in Titan territory.

4) Hard to believe the high-powered Cardinals have had 12 drives start 80+ yards from the goal line, and only have one FG to show for them.

3) None of the four AFC West teams have scored on opening drives this season, gaining a total of 222 yards on 73 plays.

2) On the opening drive of the third quarter, Chicago Bears outgained its opponents 117-2, outscored them 17-0.

1) On the opening drive of the eight halves they've played this year, San Francisco has allowed a total of 21 yards on 29 plays.



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COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYSIS

Friday's games


Nevada exploded last week vs rival UNLV, running ball 55 times for an astounding 559 yards in 63-28 win (was 21-21 at half), their first win in four games this season. Wolf Pack won its last four games vs Louisiana Tech, winning last two here, 37-27/49-10; they were -3 in turnovers vs UNLV, are now dismal -12 for season. Bulldogs lost their two games on road, 37-13 at Auburn (+12), 32-14 at Navy (+7). Tech covered three of last 13 as road dog. Nevada is 11-3 as recent WAC home favorite.

Saturday's games


Top games
Michigan State snapped 3-game skid with OT win vs Michigan; they've won nine of last 10 games vs Illinois, losing last meeting in '06. Average total in last four Spartan games is 58.3. Illinois is 0-3 vs D-I opponents, losing by 28-30-18 points- they're switching to McGee at QB this week. Home teams are 3-7 vs spread so far in Big 11 play. Three of Michigan State's last four games went over the total.

Boston College won three of last four regular season games vs Virginia Tech, but lost 30-12 in LY's ACC title game; Eagles are off pair of tough home wins (Wake Forest/Florida State)- they lost 25-7 at Clemson in its only road game. Hokies coasted past Duke 34-26 last week, after pair of big home wins (Nebraska 16-15/Miami 31-7); they're 6-2 vs spread last eight tries as road dog. Tech covered six of last 17 as home favorite.

Favorite covered nine of last ten Minnesota-Purdue games. Purdue lost last four games, all by seven or less points; they led 21-3 last week over Northwestern, but didn't score for last 48:00+; Boilermakers are 8-2 in last games vs Minnesota, 4-1 here- they've lost nine fumbles in last three games. Gophers lost last two home games, allowing 35-31 points; their last three games overall went over the total.

Underdog won last three UConn-Pitt games SU, with Huskies winning 34-14 in last viist here, but Pitt scored 36.8 ppg in winning three of four vs D-I foes, covering three of four as favorite this year. Huskies covered one of last six as Big East road dog. UConn had bye after I-AA game, so they could be rusty. Panthers scored 31 ppg with only two takeaways in last three games; this is best offense Wannstedt has had at Pitt.

Alabama won its last five games vs Ole Miss, with last four decided by four or less points; Tide won last two visits here, 27-24/13-10. Home teams are just 4-10 vs spread in SEC play this season, 2-3 as home dogs. Bama is 5-0 this year, covering last three games; they haven't won game by less than 10 points yet, and allowed just 12 ppg in last four games. Rebels scored only 33 points in splitting first two SEC games.

Houston was crushed at UTEP last week after upsetting Oklahoma St, Texas Tech; average total in those three games was 78.7. Cougars have allowed average of 221.7 rushing yards/game last three games, so chance for Mississippi State (186.7 rushing yds/last four games) to control ball and clock here. C-USA teams are 9-16 vs spread in its non-league games, 3-4 when favored. SEC non-league underdogs are 2-2, 0-1 at home.

Underdog won five of last six Arizona-Washington games SU; Wildcats won last two series games, 48-14/48-41- their QB is making second start after winning debut 37-32 at Oregon State (+2.5). Washington lost tough game last week at Notre Dame; they're 0-2 since USC upset, giving up 34-37 points. Clausen was 22-31/422 yards passing vs U-Dub defense. Huskies are 2-0 as home dog in '09 (were 7-12 under Willingham).

Stanford won last three games, scoring 33.3 ppg, running for 235.3 ypg; they're 19-34 on third down in those games, despite playing freshman at QB (Luck's father played in NFL). Cardinal lost six of last eight against Oregon State, losing three of last four here. Beavers are hard to figure- they lost two home games, then won at Arizona State for first time in 40 years. OSU defense allowed 400.7 yards/game in last three games.

Georgia plays BCS opponent for sixth week in row; they scored 10-13 in its two losses, 41-52-20 in its wins. Vols gave up 23-23-26 points in last three games- their best defensive player is out for year. Dawgs won three of last four visits to Knoxville; underdog covered four of last five series games overall. Tennessee gave up 208-224 rushing yards in its two SEC games- they converted just 18 of last 69 on third down.

Florida State lost its last two games, getting outscored 31-6 in first half; they're 5-6 in last 11 games against I-A opponents- their young defense (14 of 22 on two-deep are frosh/sophs) has to stop Georgia Tech option offense that ran ball for 530 yards in last two games. Tech ran ball for 288 yards in their 31-28 win over Seminoles LY, clinching win in the last minute, when FSU fumbled inside the Tech 5-yard line.

Underdog covered six of last seven Oregon-UCLA games, with dogs 5-2 SU. Oregon won four straight games since debacle in Boise, scoring 40.7 ppg, now they go back on road, but Ducks won three of last four visits to Rose Bowl. UCLA playing low scoring games in absence of injured QB Prince; total in last three Bruin games is 35.3. All four UCLA games stayed under total. Three of last four Oregon games went over.

Underdog won six of last eight Arkansas-Auburn games SU; Tigers won last three visits here. Red flag for Auburn is 30-30-22 points they gave up last three weeks- if Crompton passed for 259 yards against Auburn, what will prolific Mallett do (averaged 290 PY in last three games, vs Georgia-Alabama-Tex A&M)? Road teams are 10-4 vs spread so far in SEC play. Auburn has +8 turnover ratio- they'll need to force more here.

LSU comes home after pulling out pair of SEC road wins last two weeks. Tigers got waxed 51-21 in Gainesville LY, getting outrushed 265-80 in Miles' worst loss at LSU. Tebow will play; Gators covered seven of last eight as road favorite, nine of last 11 SEC games overall. LSU is 0-3 as a home underdog since 2001; they're 17-32 vs spread in game following its last 49 wins, are 1-7-1 vs spread in last nine home games.

Underdog is 5-1-2 vs spread in last eight Michigan-Iowa games; once in last ten series games has Iowa won by more than 3 points. Wolverines won three in row, 10 of last 12 in series. Hawkeyes beat Northern Iowa, Arkansas State by combined total of four points, then won at Penn State by 11, so they're better against better teams. Michigan defense gave up 197 rushing yards in each of last two games, which is a red flag.

Other games

-- Syracuse already playing fifth home game; they lost last five games vs West Virginia by an average of 31-10. Orange is 4-9 in last 13 games as home underdog. West Virginia is -9 in turnovers their last three games.

-- Eastern Michigan is 0-4, but only the loss at Michigan was by more than 13 points. Central Michigan is 8-2 in last ten games as a home fave. Average total in last five CMU-EMU games is 80.8.


-- Duke had 359 passing yards in 34-26 home loss to Va Tech last week. NC State won last 11 games vs Blue Devils; they allowed 31-30 points in splitting their last two games. Wolfpack is 5-15 as a home favorite.


-- Maryland upset Clemson last week after losses by 39-1-21 points in first three games vs I-A teams. All four of Wake Forest's games vs D-I teams have been decided by seven or less points.


-- Indiana is road dog after losing to Michigan (36-33), Ohio St. (33-14) last two weeks. ACC home faves are 5-6 vs spread in non-ACC games. Big 11 dogs are 6-1, 3-0 on road. Virginia is 1-3 vs I-A teams.

-- Miami O is 0-5, 1-4 vs spread, losing three road games by a combined score of 125-45- they're -14 in turnovers for year. Northwestern is 4-16 vs spread in their last twenty games as a home favorite.


-- Kansas won last four games vs Iowa State by average score of 36-18; Jayhawks are 17-7 vs spread in last 24 games as home favorite. Iowa St. had tying extra point blocked in last minute of 24-23 loss last week.


-- Temple won its last two games by 24-12 points, covering both as the favorite. Ball State is 0-5, losing 37-30 last week when they allowed a 51-yard pass with 0:27 left, after they went ahead with 0:42 left.


-- Vanderbilt scored 9-3-7 points in its three SEC losses; their only win vs I-A team was 36-17 at Rice. Army lost three of its last four games, losing by 16-21-1- they're 2-10 in last twelve games as home dog.


-- New Mexico won eight of last nine games vs Wyoming, winning last two visits here 27-24/20-3, but Lobos are 0-5 this year, allowing four of five foes to score 37+ points. Wyoming won last two games by 3-2 pts.

-- Bowling Green is road favorite despite losing last four games, allowing average of 34.3 ppg with just three takeaways- they won seven of eight vs Kent State, winning last two visits here, 24-14/31-20.


-- Marshall won its last two games vs Tulane, 27-26/42-21; Green Wave had gutty win at Army last week- they're 4-11-1 in last 16 games as dog at home. Marshall is 0-5-1 as home favorite since 2004.


-- Texas Tech won last three games vs Kansas State, 35-25/59-20/58-28; Red Raiders are 6-8 as home favorite since '06. K-State covered five of its last seven as road dog, losing 23-9 at UCLA (+12) Sept 19.


-- Texas has Oklahoma game on deck, might hold back here after waxing UTEP 64-7 in last game; three of their four wins this season are by 31+ points. Colorado is 1-3 this season, losing by 6-16-11 points.


-- Wisconsin is 5-0 but allowed 28+ points in three of its last four games. Buckeyes covered two of last seven as home favorite. Badgers are 2-5 as a road underdog under Bielema. Big 11 home favorites are 3-4.

-- Oklahoma State had distractions this week, with star WR Bryant now ineligible; they've lost four of last five vs Texas A&M, losing last two at this site, 62-23/24-23. Aggies got humbled 47-19 by Arkansas last week.


-- Arizona State won last five games vs Washington State, winning last two visits to Pullman, 27-24/23-20. ASU lost its last two games, scoring 17 points in both- they're 6-3 as a road favorite since 2005.


-- Home team won last four Ohio-Akron games; Bobcats lost last couple visits here, 27-3/48-27. Ohio already has two OT wins on road this year, they're 3-1 in last four overall. Akron is 0-3 vs I-A teams (24-17-27 pts).


-- Utah won four of its last five vs Colorado State, taking the last three by 13-24-33 points; Utes are 11-9 in last 20 games as a road fave. Rams lost their last two games, allowing 42-31 points to BYU/Idaho.


-- Western Michigan won last three games vs Toledo, 31-10/42-28/27-17 but Broncos are 0-3 on road, losing by 24-4-35 pts. Rockets scored 31+ points in four of five games, winning three of last four (2-0 as favorite).

-- Louisville lost its last three games, allowing 32 ppg. Southern Miss is 3-1 as road dog under Fedora. Big East home favorites are 2-3 vs spread in non-league games. C-USA road underdogs are 4-9.


-- Home favorites are 2-7 against spread in SEC league play. Kentucky gave up 41-38 points in home losses to Florida-Alabama last two weeks; they lost 44-16/38-23 in last two visits to South Carolina.


-- Baylor beat Kent State last week with freshman 3rd-string QB making first start; Bears lost last three games vs Oklahoma, 36-10/52-21/49-17. Sooners lost at Miami last week, are at Texas next. Bradford still a ???

-- Navy won its last two games vs Rice, 14-13/41-9. C-USA underdogs are 6-12 vs spread, 2-4 at home. Middies are off 16-13 rivalry win over Air Force. Rice is 0-5, with all five losses by 17 or more points.


-- Home side won three of last four TCU-Air Force games; Horned Frogs are 4-2 n last six games as road favorite. Air Force has +13 turnover ratio but is 0-2 when scoring less than 26 points, losing by 7-3 points.

-- East Carolina won last two games vs SMU, 38-21/24-17ot; Pirates are 3-2, with wins by 5-5-4 points; they're 4-9 vs spread in last 13 games as road faves. C-USA home teams are 4-8 vs spread in league play.


-- Utah State is 0-3 vs I-A opponents, allowing 35-38-35 points; they're road favorite for first time in four years. New Mexico State is 1-3 against I-A foes this season, with losses by 15-26-17 points.


-- Memphis won last two games vs UTEP, 38-19/27-20; Miners crushed Houston last week, after losing three of first four games. Tigers are 0-4 vs I-A opponents, losing by 31-17-11-18 points.


-- Idaho is 4-1 for first time in 15 years; they've been underdog in all four games, but lost last four games vs San Jose State, losing last two visits here, 26-18/28-20. Spartans are 0-3 vs D-I teams, losing by 53-10-25.

-- UNLV gave up 559 rushing yards to previously winless Nevada last week; they've allowed 42 ppg in last three games. BYU won last four vs Rebels, taking last two visits here, 55-14/24-14.


-- Hawai'i QB Alexander is out for year; Warriors won last three games vs Fresno State, 68-37/37-30/32-29ot. Fresno lost its last three games, giving up 34-51-28 points, throwing six INTs with only one takeaway.


-- Florida International is road favorite despite being 0-4, giving up 40+ points three times; they're 1-1 as road favorite. Western Kentucky lost its three games vs I-A opponents by 56-22-16 points.


-- Road team won four of last five ULL-North Texas games; UNT won two of its last three visits here. Cajuns beat Kansas State here but then got crushed 86-3 next two games. UNT lost three in row, allowing 40.3.

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Spooky's Fab Five for Friday, October 9, 2009

TGIF everyone

1. Quick Hits

The Dodgers took a 2-games to none lead over St. Louis. The Rockies evened things with the Phillies one game apiece. The Angels beat the Red Sox 5-0 in game one in Anaheim.

Today's Schedule

Game 2 Minnesota @ Yankees 6:07pm ET TBS

Game 2 Boston @ Angels 9:37pm ET TBS

Are you really ready for Olympic golf and rugby? The IOC voted today to include them in the 2016 Olympics. Olympic golf? We don't have enough international competitions?

2. Sudden Death

Joe Torre used to say about the 1996 Yankees that "everyone wants to be the hero, but no one wants to talk about it." Left unsaid in sports, is that nobody wants to be the goat. Just ask Matt Holliday of St. Louis. He dropped the final out of a Cardinals win last night when
he lost the ball in the lights. And the Dodgers took the gift and parlayed it into two runs in the bottom of the 9th. So instead of the series being tied at 1, the Dodgers have a two games to none stranglehold. Holliday's mid-season trade helped the Cards win the division. His error may have torpedoed their season. Somewhere Bill Buckner is smiling, or not.

3. Epic Collapse

When the Tigers lost that playoff game to the Twins they became the first team to blow a 3 game lead with 4 games to go. Well, not exactly true. That's exactly
what the Yankees did with the Red Sox in the 2004 playoffs.

4. Quote of the Day
"There's a lot of hard work and effort and a lot of people beating you down. You have to have a stronger belief in yourself than the disbelief of others."

Cowboys' quarterback Tony Romo

5. Athlete of the Week

They'll run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday. David Kuhn will run in the race. He is legally blind after being struck by a drunk driver, so he needs a guide to run along with him. When his guide backed out, he put out the word asking if anyone could help him. Over 100 responded. He only needs one, but several will run along side anyway. He's running to raise money for homebound seniors. Talk about a win/win/win situation.

Happy Birthday: Mr. Hairdryer, Joe Pepitone of the Yankees. 69.

Bonus Birthday: John Lennon would also have been 69 today. His son, Sean Lennon, is 34 today.

Today in Sports: The Cincinnati Reds won the World Series against the Chicago "Black Sox." Several Chicago players "threw" the World Series. 1919.

Bonus Event: Cuddle up. The first electric blanket is sold in Virginia. (No wonder that state is for lovers.) 1946.


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