From Dave Tuley DRF this week.
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=heading1>Remarkable run continues for favorites</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top align=left><TD class=content height=337>By DAVE TULEY
LAS VEGAS - Favorites went 8-6 against the spread in the NFL this past Sunday and Monday.
That's hitting at a 57 percent clip, which isn't overly impressive for a one-week sample of games. But for the first 10 weeks of the season, favorites have been hitting at the same ratio (not counting ties), at 80-60-4, which is pretty significant.
The avalanche of favorites has been especially noticeable the past five weeks. Last weekend's 8-6 mark actually dropped the recent run to 65 percent, at 44-24-2. In fact, there has not been a sub-.500 week for favorites since the third week of the season.
Favorites also continued their winning ways on the road, going 2-1 both straight up and against the spread to improve to 22-17-1 (56 percent). I've been on the wrong end of trying to buck this trend, but here are the six home underdogs this week: Bears +3 vs. Panthers, Titans +4 vs. Jaguars, Bengals +5 1/2 vs. Colts, 49ers +13 vs. Seahawks, Texans +6 1/2 vs. Chiefs, and the Ravens between +3 1/2 and +7 vs. the Steelers depending on whether Ben Roethlisberger starts.
In other league-wide betting trends:
* Home and road teams split 7-7 overall last weekend, with home teams still coming out ahead on the season at 75-64-4 (54 percent) and home favorites at 58-42-3 (58 percent).
* Double-digit underdogs finally came through, as the 49ers covered a 13-point spread in a 17-9 loss to the Bears and the Texans covered a 17 1/2-point spread in a 31-17 loss to the Colts. That improves double-digit dogs to 8-6 (57 percent) on the season. Teams getting 7 points or more are now 20-17 against the spread. This week's big dogs are the Saints +10 vs. the Patriots, Cardinals +9 1/2 vs. the Rams, Lions +8 1/2 vs. the Cowboys, 49ers +13 vs. the Seahawks, Bills +10 vs. the Chargers, Jets +13 vs. the Broncos, and perhaps the Ravens vs. the Steelers and the Eagles vs. Giants if Donovan McNabb is unable to play. McNabb hurt his groin in Monday's game against the Cowboys. * The over/unders split for the second straight week, and the under has a slight edge, at 71-68-5 on the season. With weather starting to have more of an impact, expect totals to start dropping. * Teams off their bye week won three of four games for the second straight week and are now 15-10-1 (60 percent) on the season. This is the last week to test that trend, with the Titans +4 vs. the Jaguars, Bengals +5 1/2 vs. the Colts, Saints +10 vs. the Patriots, and Chargers -10 vs. the Bills.
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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=1 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=heading1>Remarkable run continues for favorites</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top align=left><TD class=content height=337>By DAVE TULEY
LAS VEGAS - Favorites went 8-6 against the spread in the NFL this past Sunday and Monday.
That's hitting at a 57 percent clip, which isn't overly impressive for a one-week sample of games. But for the first 10 weeks of the season, favorites have been hitting at the same ratio (not counting ties), at 80-60-4, which is pretty significant.
The avalanche of favorites has been especially noticeable the past five weeks. Last weekend's 8-6 mark actually dropped the recent run to 65 percent, at 44-24-2. In fact, there has not been a sub-.500 week for favorites since the third week of the season.
Favorites also continued their winning ways on the road, going 2-1 both straight up and against the spread to improve to 22-17-1 (56 percent). I've been on the wrong end of trying to buck this trend, but here are the six home underdogs this week: Bears +3 vs. Panthers, Titans +4 vs. Jaguars, Bengals +5 1/2 vs. Colts, 49ers +13 vs. Seahawks, Texans +6 1/2 vs. Chiefs, and the Ravens between +3 1/2 and +7 vs. the Steelers depending on whether Ben Roethlisberger starts.
In other league-wide betting trends:
* Home and road teams split 7-7 overall last weekend, with home teams still coming out ahead on the season at 75-64-4 (54 percent) and home favorites at 58-42-3 (58 percent).
* Double-digit underdogs finally came through, as the 49ers covered a 13-point spread in a 17-9 loss to the Bears and the Texans covered a 17 1/2-point spread in a 31-17 loss to the Colts. That improves double-digit dogs to 8-6 (57 percent) on the season. Teams getting 7 points or more are now 20-17 against the spread. This week's big dogs are the Saints +10 vs. the Patriots, Cardinals +9 1/2 vs. the Rams, Lions +8 1/2 vs. the Cowboys, 49ers +13 vs. the Seahawks, Bills +10 vs. the Chargers, Jets +13 vs. the Broncos, and perhaps the Ravens vs. the Steelers and the Eagles vs. Giants if Donovan McNabb is unable to play. McNabb hurt his groin in Monday's game against the Cowboys. * The over/unders split for the second straight week, and the under has a slight edge, at 71-68-5 on the season. With weather starting to have more of an impact, expect totals to start dropping. * Teams off their bye week won three of four games for the second straight week and are now 15-10-1 (60 percent) on the season. This is the last week to test that trend, with the Titans +4 vs. the Jaguars, Bengals +5 1/2 vs. the Colts, Saints +10 vs. the Patriots, and Chargers -10 vs. the Bills.
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