By Jeff Frank Sep 14, 2007, 17:59 GMT
Philadelphia, PA - There are two weeks in the NFL season that gamblers can come out ahead of the game with ease. It also doesn't take any research or number crunching. All one has to do is put his/her bets in and sit back and relax. Maybe go out shopping, get a bite to eat or watch the latest Professional Bowlers Association match on the competing network.
Want to know when the two weeks are and what they entail?
Here it is. The UNDER has come out on top 63% of the time with a record of 39-23 over the past four years in week one of the NFL season. In the last two years alone, the winning percentage stands at an unbelievable 72% with a 23-9 mark. Yes, I know opening week has already passed, but this knowledge will come in very handy when 2008 rolls around.
What's the other huge week to set your sights on, you ask? None other than week two, which to no one's surprise, also involves betting the UNDER and you won't have to wait until next year to cash in.
Since the '04 season, the UNDER has been the right side in the second week of action in 30 of the 48 games played with one push. That figure amounts to a winning percentage of 64%. Not too shabby.
Gambling on point spreads in the NFL is a challenge. It's a much harder way to make money than betting on the college game. The latter lends itself to constant opportunities due to lack of competition from so many of the 119 FBS schools. The National Football League, on the other hand, lives on parity, and the old adage of - any team can be beaten on any given Sunday - holds true more often than not. Having the chance to win over 60% of the time without spending more than two minutes getting your wagers in is a sure fire way to beat the game.
WEEK ONE NOTES
There were seven teams favored by five points or more in the opening week and six of them covered. Jacksonville was the only squad to fell prey to the upset and the Jags were the heaviest favorite of the week at -8. Jacksonville lost 13-10 at home to Tennessee, which was the Titans' eighth cover vs. the Jaguars in the last 12 meetings.
Tennessee was the right side to take in that game, especially since the Jags were favored by more than a touchdown,. Five of the previous seven meetings were decided by seven points or less, including three by a field goal.
The Sunday night contest was a wild and wacky affair as Dallas and the New York Giants totaled up 916 yards in the Cowboys' 45-35 victory. It wasn't a back-and-fourth type game in straight up terms, but for those who had money on either side, it was heart-stopping action to say the least. It seemed every time Dallas scored to stretch the lead past the 6.5-point spread, the Giants found a way to come back.
With Dallas up by 10, midway through the fourth after a G-Men touchdown, the Cowboys' first play from scrimmage was a Tony Romo interception. It took New York five plays to tally another TD, and all of a sudden, after trailing by 16 earlier in the quarter, the Giants were within a field goal of tying the game!
Unfortunately, they could not stop the 'Romo Express,' as the Cowboys quarterback threw his fourth touchdown of the game, this one a 51-yard strike to Sam Hurd, with about three minutes left to seal the win and, more importantly, the cover.
WEEK TWO PLAYS
Take the UNDER in every game.
Besides rooting for low scoring action all weekend long, there are three games that have my brain overflowing with excitement.
The Titans, besides playing the Jaguars tough, gave the Colts fits last season and even defeated them at home in early December, 20-17. The first meeting was also a close game, with the undefeated Colts needing a fourth quarter Peyton Manning touchdown pass to get past the winless Titans, 14-13, in Vince Young's second career start.
The first-round draft choice finished with 10 completions in 21 attempts for 63 yards and one interception. The second time the two teams met, Young was 15-of-25 for 163 yards and two touchdowns. More importantly, Tennessee's defense held Manning to 166 yards passing in the loss and picked him off twice in the win.
Take the Titans plus the points.
The Lions are nine wins away from Jon Kitna's prediction of at least 10 victories. They took care of business at Oakland, winning a road game for just the fourth time since the beginning of the 2005 season. Now they return home to face the 1-0 Vikings.
Minnesota ripped apart the Michael Vick-less Falcons, 24-3, but of the 24 points scored, only 10 came from the offense. (The Vikings hit paydirt twice on Joey Harrington interceptions.) Detroit's offense will provide enough firepower to defeat Minnesota for the first time since 2001.
Take the Lions minus the points.
The Giants host the Packers at the Meadowlands, and New York is actually the favorite. Maybe the public feels that Eli Manning will play after all. Even if Peyton's kid brother does hit the field, the Giants are still a shell of their former self. They are 1-4 straight up and 0-4-1 ATS in their last five home games, and 3-7 SU and 2-7-1 ATS in their last 10 overall.
Green Bay received a gift victory vs. the Eagles, but the Packers have won their last five contests going back to last year. The defense shut down Donovan McNabb, holding him to 184 yards and a 45.5% completion percentage. Green Bay can win on the road (5-3 in its last eight) and will be 2-0 after defeating the hapless Giants.
Take Green Bay over New York.
© 2007 The Sports Network
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