Week 10 in NFL betting features some interesting storylines, including some elite teams going head to head and a few bubble teams fighting for their lives. Here are some key notes for the marquee matchups of the week.
Ravens (6-2) vs Falcons (6-2)
The Ravens and Falcons are both relatively close to full strength entering the Thursday nighter. Roddy White, Matt Ryan’s top target, dinged his knee last week but insists he’ll be back for this matchup. If you can hold off on your pick, you may want to wait until close to game time to ensure he plays before betting on Atlanta. The Falcons are still without rookie linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, who hasn’t recovered from his knee sprain.
Vikings (3-5) vs Bears (5-3)
It was no Randy Moss, no problem for the Vikings passing attack last week; Brett Favre threw for a season-high 446 yards. He’ll have another favorite weapon of his back at his disposal this week, as Sidney Rice (hip surgery) will make his season debut. According to Brad Childress, however, Rice’s snaps will be limited. His return comes at a good time since his fellow wideout, Percy Harvin, is reportedly dealing with migraine issues again. The Bears enter this matchup fairly healthy. It appears Chester Taylor will again steal goal line work from Matt Forte should the Bears drive Minnesota.
Titans (5-3) vs Dolphins (4-4)
Early buzz around Titans camp suggests newly acquired Randy Moss has been a quick study. Reportedly, he’s learned the playbook well enough that he has a solid number of routes he can run. He’s expected to start opposite Nate Washington, filling in for injured Kenny Britt. Vince Young (ankle) is on track to start for the Titans, though he didn’t practice on Wednesday.
As for the Dolphins, where do we start? First off, there’s the quarterback situation. Tony Sparano has officially benched Chad Henne, largely because of Miami’s minus-7 turnover margin. He hopes replacement Chad Pennington can help the team protect the ball better with his accurate (but weak) arm. The Dolphins also cut starting corner Jason Allen this week and signed Green Bay castoff Al Harris to replace him.
Patriots (6-2) vs Steelers (6-2)
It’s easy to take special teams moves for granted when we make our sportsbook bets, but the Pats really shook up their special teams this week. They signed kicker Shayne Graham to replace injured Stephen Gostkowski and brought in a new long snapper, Matt Katula.
But let’s face it; guys like Tom Brady get the glory when it comes to doing our sports betting blog notes. And the truth is that Brady is worth watching closely before game time this week. He missed practice with a foot injury and the severity is totally unknown.
Ben Roethlisberger has to be sweating about his pass protection a little this week. He lost right tackle Willie Colon before the season started; he lost left tackle Max Starks for the season this week with a neck injury; left guard Chris Kemoeatu has a sprained MCL, too, and tight end Heath Miller has fluid in his knee. Who will make the blocks for Pittsburgh?