Teddy Covers
Game: (479) Los Angeles Chargers at (480) Kansas City Chiefs
Date/Time: Sep 26 2021 1:00 PM EDT
Betting Line Provider: Consensus Line
Play Rating: E units
Play: Los Angeles Chargers +6.5 (-110)
E% Big Ticket: Take the LA Chargers (#479)
NOTE: There’s NO URGENCY to bet this – there's a chance that we'll see +7's before kickoff. Even if we don’t, I'm NEVER going to encourage anyone to buy points in a game where the dog is live to win outright.
It’s not hard to make a case for the Chiefs as being a dramatically overvalued commodity right now, even with the best QB in the NFL. KC is 2-11 ATS in their last 13 ballgames dating back to last year with one of the two covers coming by a half point; consistently overvalued in the betting marketplace. The Chiefs struggled at home in their opener, lucky to rally back and escape with a non-covering win against Cleveland. It was a similar story last week -the Chiefs got gifted a pair of early interceptions (one returned for a TD, the other preventing a red zone scoring chance) and still lost the game in SU fashion as a favorite.
Through two games, the Chiefs defense is allowing 7.6 yards per play and whopping six yards per rush. No other team in the league is close to those dismal numbers. Teams that can’t get fourth quarter stops can’t lay prices as a favorite, plain and simple. KC struggled to run the football Week 1 and lost in Baltimore last Sunday Night because of a late game fumble. Teams that can’t run the football effectively during crunch time can’t lay prices as favorites, plain and simple.
This is VERY much a statement game for the road underdog that has struggled to win tight games in recent seasons, but doesn’t lose many games by margin in the Justin Herbert era. They’ve won their last three road games in SU fashion dating back to last year, including hanging 38 on the Chiefs in their win at Arrowhead last year. Brandon Staley’s defensive gameplan with the Rams gave KC fits for 3+ quarters in Super Bowl LIII, and this defense just showed us last week that they can slow down a high octane offense, holding the Cowboys to 17 points. And while LA’s offense has had some red zone issues early, make no mistake about it – this team has elite weapons and a quality QB too, primed to put up touchdowns in bunches.
LA has won on this field twice in the last three meetings here; KC has won at home by a TD or more only six times in their last 16 regular season home games. I want the Chargers off a tough loss in a game they should have won, had every break not gone against them. KC off a loss? Moneylosers over the last four seasons; as always, a team that is struggling to build and hold margins. This has all the makings of a one score game late. Big Ticket: Take the Chargers
Line Parameter: 5% at +5 or higher, 4% at +4.5 or lower
Game: (481) Atlanta Falcons at (482) New York Giants
Date/Time: Sep 26 2021 1:00 PM EDT
Betting Line Provider: Consensus Line
Play Rating: D units
Play: New York Giants -3.0 (-105)
D% Take the New York Giants (#482)
NOTE: No urgency to bet this right away – there’s a decent chance we’ll see -2.5’s before kickoff. I’ll grade the bet at -3 (obviously), but you might find better.
There’s a world of difference between the Giants and the Falcons right now; not reflected in this field goal pointspread. Here’s what I wrote about Atlanta last week, cashing a 5% Big Ticket betting against them:
“Experienced bettors know not to overreact to Week 1. That said, when Week 1 was exactly like the preseason, which was exactly like last year, bettors shouldn’t underreact either!
Atlanta was a bottom feeder in 2020, finishing with a 4-12 record. New head coach Arthur Smith’s preseason was even worse. The Falcons played starters in August – they tried. And they got bombed in all three games, losing 23-3, 37-17 and 19-10. Matt Ryan did not look comfortable in the new offense; the offensive line couldn’t protect him or open holes for any kind of a running game and, despite trailing from start to finish against the Eagles last week, the ‘unstoppable’ duo of Kyle Pitts and Calvin Ridley combined to catch eight passes for 82 yards, only eight of which came after the catch.
Defensively, this Falcons team has been a bottom feeder in every recent season, blown off the field again last week. Atlanta is a BOTTOM 5 NFL team right now, yet the betting markets are asking them to hang around against an elite team off a shoddy defensive showing with extra time to prepare. I’m not buying that argument.”
I know the Giants aren’t an elite team, but they ARE a talented and desperate team; playing for their season right here in Week 3. They too, like Tampa Bay last week, are coming off a shoddy defensive showing with extra time to prepare, off their devastating last second loss to Washington. This Giants team has weapons. They’re hungry. The defense has talent; far better than what we saw with a limited gameplan on a short week last Thursday. I expect it to show up here in a ‘win or go home’ kind of week for the coaching staff; a very different level of tension and urgency in Atlanta under first year head coach Arthur Smith.
Atlanta’s defense was badly outclassed in Tampa last week, with Tom Brady leading the Bucs on five relatively easy touchdown drives. The Falcons offensive line failed under pressure, leading to a pair of Matt Ryan pick six’s. And this team didn’t have all that much fight in them by the fourth quarter after fighting from a big deficit earlier. There’s a defensive class difference here, and quite possibly an offensive one too. Expect a win by margin. Take the Giants
Line Parameter: 4% at -3 or lower, 3% at -3.5 or higher
Game: (495) Green Bay Packers at (496) San Francisco 49ers
Date/Time: Sep 26 2021 8:20 PM EDT
Betting Line Provider: Consensus Line
Play Rating: C units
Play: Total Over 50.0 (-110)
C% Take Green Bay – San Francisco OVER (#495-496)
These two teams have met four times since 2018. The winner has scored 33+ in every game, and three of the four got into the 50’s and 60’s. And there’s little reason to expect a defensive scrum here, especially given the early season domination of Over bets on Sunday and Monday Night TV games (100% to the Over through the first two weeks).
Even off a subpar showing in Philly last week, and despite a cluster injury problem at running back, this 49ers offense is primed to put up points. Jimmy G still has plenty of weapons – let’s not forget how the Deebo Samuel/George Kittle pass catching duo combined for more than 260 receiving yards between them in Week 1; one big play after the next. And the Niners offensive line has given Garoppolo time throw, with balance -- they’ve rushed for 117 and 131 in the first two games, at least one of which came against a decent defense.
Green Bay found their offensive footing last week after a Week 1 debacle. Remember – Aaron Rodgers spent the offseason filming State Farm commercials and hosting Jeopardy – unlike, say, Tom Brady, he wasn’t working out with his receivers. And, after not seeing preseason time, I’m not shocked at all that it took Rodgers and the offense a little while to get going. That said, we know how potent and balanced this offense is as well, tough to stop when Rodgers is clicking.
Both defenses are vulnerable here. San Fran just lost their best cover corner, Jason Verritt to a season ending injury. CB Emmanuel Moseley, LB Dre Greenlaw is on IR, DL Kevin Givens is out, DL Arik Armstead and DT Javon Kinlaw are all banged up already. They just signed Josh Norman as an emergency replacement in their secondary, but HE got hurt last week, along with fellow cornerback Emmanuel Moseley. That’s a lot of defensive talent! Green Bay too, has some cluster injury issues at safety, and the 49ers offensive line they’ll face this week is head and shoulders better than the Lions offensive line that they dominated in the second half last week. Expect fireworks! Take the OVER.
Line Parameter: 3% at 51 or lower, 2% at 51.5 or higher