Panthers-Cowboys Preview

NFL Football Betting Preview by Jay of BangTheBook.com
Carolina Panthers (0-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Monday, September 28^th, 8:35PM Eastern

Online Sportsbook betting line – Dallas -9.5, 47.5 O/U

The Dallas Cowboys fell to the New York Giants, 33-31, in the regular season debut at the new Cowboys Stadium in Week 2.

The Cowboys must put the tough loss behind them and focus on Week 3, when they host the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football. In 2008, Carolina shared the best record with the Giants with a 12-4 mark.

However, the Panthers have taken a different path early in 2009 dropping by their first two games.

The Panthers have glaring holes on both sides of the ball heading into Monday night. Linebacker Na’il Diggs, strong safety Chris Harris, fullback Brad Hoover, and rookie defensive end Everette Brown are all not expected to play due to injury.

The Panthers—who were considered by some to be the best team in the NFC South—cannot afford to drop to 0-3.

They have a tough mountain to climb without some key starters and a struggling offense that has yet to play well.

QB Jake Delhomme threw four interceptions in the Panthers opening blowout loss to Philadelphia. Delhomme has been under the microscope since throwing five picks in the 2008 NFC Divisional Round against Arizona.

Delhomme bounced back somewhat last week, completing 61 percent of his passes for 308 yards.

However, Delhomme was only able to throw one touchdown and tossed another interception. The Panthers quarterback has now thrown 10 picks in his last three games dating back to 2008.

However, hopefully Delhomme can shake early season troubles against a defense that produced just eight interceptions all of last season (third worst in the NFL).

If the Panthers offense is to establish success, it will likely happen on the ground. DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart may be the best duo in the NFL, combining for over 2,300 yards in 2008.

Williams is the most explosive of the two and will get the most touches. However, that is not to downplay Stewart, who is averaging 5.0 yards per carry on 20 attempts this season. Carolina needs both to have a big game and to take pressure off of the passing game.

Still, when Delhomme does drop back, he will be looking to get the ball in the hands of Steve Smith. Smith is an electric playmaker who has carried the passing game on his back for some years.

Smith has reached the 1,000-yard plateau in four straight seasons and knows how to find the end zone. Expect the Panthers to try to get him the ball to create an offensive boost. 

The Cowboys on the other hand have to be careful given their condition.

They are coming off a last-second loss to the division rival Giants and are now taking on a struggling 0-2 team. However, the Panthers are still a solid bunch who cannot be taken lightly.

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the defense has been their inability to get into the backfield. The Cowboys led the NFL with 59 sacks in 2008 and OLB DeMarcus Ware also led the league with 20 solo sacks.

However, Dallas is the only team in the NFL yet to record a sack. It is imperative they get into the Panthers backfield and force Delhomme to make mistakes.

The Cowboys have been less than stellar on the defensive side of the ball, allowing 438 ypg in just two outings as well. Early season statistics can be misleading, but the Dallas defensive front has not lived up to its potential. 

One of the big concerns in Dallas was who would provide the big play at the wide receiver position.

The question still may have not been answered. However, the Cowboys have gotten solid production from Patrick Crayton, Roy Williams, and always reliable TE Jason Witten.

Witten leads the team with 10 catches, but Crayton, Williams, and Miles Austin are all averaging 20-plus yards per catch.

Romo has been scrutinized for not being the superstar that media has perceived him to be. Romo threw three picks in last week’s loss.

The Dallas quarterback has not thrown an interception in just six games, dating back to the end of the 2006 season. Romo needs to limit his habit of throwing dangerous passes and give the Cowboys offense a bit more ball control.

Also, keep an eye on the Cowboys rushing game. Marion Barber may sit out due to a quadriceps injury, which would give the workload to Felix Jones and Tashard Choice.

Jones has just 13 carries on the year, but has amassed 113 yards. The loss should not hurt the Cowboys unless Jones wears down late in the game when Barber is known for playing his best football.

BTB’s NFL Pick – Dallas owns the series, winning the last seven regular season meetings. However, given the letdown effect, the game will be closer than expected. Cowboys should win, but likely they do not cover the points. Take Carolina +9.5.

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New York Giants at Dallas Cowboys Preview and Pick

NFL Football Betting Preview by Jay of BangTheBook.com
New York Giants (1-0) at Dallas Cowboys (1-0)
Sunday, Sept. 20th, 8:20PM Eastern

 

Bookmaker betting line—Dallas -3, 45 O/U

The hardest division in football will kick off action this weekend when the Dallas Cowboys host their first regular season game inside the new Cowboys Stadium when they host the New York Giants Sunday night. Both teams captured wins in their openers. The Giants withstood a tough challenge from the Washington Redskins.

However, in the end Eli Manning and the passing game got the job done holding onto a 23-17 victory. The Cowboys took on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. Tony Romo had a big game with the help of some emerging Cowboys receivers. Romo threw for 353 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Cowboys to a 34-21 victory. However, both teams real test will come this weekend when the always important record in the division makes its first tally on the standings page.

The game features two offenses who are both trying to overcome big losses. Eli Manning lost favorite target Plaxico Burress while Tony Romo lost an equally dangerous Terrell Owens on the outside. The Giants also lost a part of their running threat that was apart of the most dangerous duo in the NFL in 2008. Derrick Ward parted ways to Tampa Bay after a 1,000 yards season sharing time with Brandon Jacobs in the backfield.

Jacobs the primary back also was over the 1,000 yard mark in 2008 and will be the main threat on the ground for the New York rushing attack this season. Jacobs did not get off to an overwhelming great start last week carrying the ball 16 times for just 46 yards. If the passing game starts to struggle like they did at the end of 2008, Jacobs will have to be a bigger contribution to the offense.

The offense will still rely on QB Eli Manning to get the job done. Manning has some talented young guys in the arsenal, but they really need one of those guys to step up to be a big playmaker since they are without a big play threat at the receiving position. Steve Smith is the most likely candidate after six catches for 80 yards last week. It is jus Smith’s third year in the league and with Burress out there is a good chance that Smith could have a breakout year.

Manning had some accuracy issues last year struggling with interceptions, but looked solid last week completing 70 percent of his passes. Still, the Cowboys got to the quarterback more than any other team in 2008 sacking the quarterback 51 times and it will be interesting to see if Manning can stay effective if the guys with the stars on their helmets start getting into the backfield.

The Cowboys as noted earlier are also trying to find some wide receivers to emerge into big play threats. Romo still has one of his favorite targets in tight end Jason Witten who caught more passes than anyone in their opener (five). Witten has racked up over 2,000 yards receiving over the last two years and is one of the most effective pass catching tight ends in the NFL. Still, Romo is awaiting a wide out to really add the big play threat. Roy Williams was brought over from Detroit to fill that void and revive his career. However, Williams is yet a 100 yard receiving day for the Cowboys. Williams did catch three balls for 86 yards last week, but the Cowboys offense could truly be dynamic if he could become a big threat week in and week out.

The other candidate on the outside is Patrick Crayton. Crayton has decent speed and a knack for getting behind defenders as seen last week on an 80 yard touchdown pass. Crayton ended the day with a team high 135 yards of receiving. If the Cowboys can get that kind of results out of Crayton, then it will not matter how Williams performs. Still, the Cowboys offense was up against a fairly weak defense last week and it will be interesting to see how they are able to move the ball against one of the best defenses in the NFC.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys played very well during the second half of 2008. The defense was expected to perform better than expected this year if you ask Cowboys faithful. However, they were not overly impressive last week allowing 450 total yards from an average offense. The defense must be better throughout the remainder of the season. Also, even more shocking the defense failed to bring down the quarterback at all last week. The Cowboys racked up more sacks than any other team in the NFL last week and failed to pick up a single sack against what many would consider a weak offensive line.

Considering how well the Giants offensive line is as an entire group. If the Cowboys defensive line does not penetrate, Manning will have all day to throw the ball and Jacobs could run wild. The Cowboys allowed over 170 yards on the ground last week. If they play that way against the Giants, Jacobs will have 300 yards by the time the whistle blows. Rest assured the defense is aware they have to play better, but will they play better enough to stop the run and get the victory?

Pick—The first meeting between these two every year have a history of being a shootout. Considering both defenses have not started clicking yet, the trend may continue. Take the over 45.

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Titans-Steelers: Week One Pick

NFL Pick and Preview by Jay Horne of Bangthebook.com
Tennessee Titans at Pittsburgh Steelers
Thursday, Sept. 10 8:30 PM Eastern

 

Online Sportsbook Opening line—Pittsburgh -6, 34.5 O/U

The defending Super Bowl champions known as the Pittsburgh Steelers will step on the field for the first time this season to defend their crown against another AFC powerhouse in the Tennessee Titans Thursday night.

The Steelers won their record sixth Super Bowl last year and will have the luxury of hosting the site of the NFL’s first game of the season when the Titans come rolling into town.

Tennessee also had a big year in 2008 with a perfect 10-0 start as the surprise team of the year. The Titans stumbled slightly down the stretch while suffering a disappointing loss to the Ravens in the first round of the postseason.

However, both teams are back to build off last year’s campaign and should provide a brilliant opening grudge match Thursday night.

The game will feature two of the best defensive teams in the league. Of course, the Steelers’ defense put up some of the best all around numbers in the last decade in 2008. Pittsburgh ranked first in every major defensive category outside of rushing yards allowed, where they finished a respectable third in that particular category.

The Steelers’ juggernaut defense held teams to just 237 yards per game while allowing a mere 13.9 points per game on the season. The ferocious defense will be back again this season and with the majority of the same guys intact, don’t expect offenses to see a whole heap of success against the Steelers’ defense again in 2009.

However, the offense still holds some concerns. The Steelers were not an overpowering offense in last year’s championship season, but they moved the ball and scored just enough points at the right times. Willie Parker did not have the success the Steelers desired on the ground.

Parker rushed for three straight seasons over 1,200 yards before a dismal 791 yards last season as the Steelers fell from third in rush offense in 2007 to 23rd in the league. Considering how well the defense continues to play, if the running game could get back on track, they would be unstoppable with that type of ball control.

QB Ben Roethlisberger made some big plays last year, especially in a few game-winning drives toward the end of the year.

However, with Big Ben, interceptions always seem to loom overhead. Going back to the ball control game, if the Steelers do not turn the ball over, they will be very tough to beat. Still, the Pittsburgh offense would love to score more points this year to become an even stronger all-around team.

Tennessee had very similar success in the same way last season. The Titans’ strong defense and ball control type play was a big reason they were among the biggest surprises in the NFL. Tailback Chris Johnson definitely helped things, racking up over 1,200 yards on the ground to go along with nine touchdowns.

The power running threat of LenDale White made things even tougher for opposing defenses. White tallied in an additional 773 yards and 15 touchdowns.

The improved running game was perhaps the biggest key to the Titans’ success. Veteran quarterback Kerry Collins was fairly effective through the air even though the numbers posted were not very impressive. Collins threw for just 2,676 yards with 12 touchdowns and seven picks on the season.

However, the Titans did not have to throw the ball very often due to their running success.

Also, the defense kept the offense at ease with their stellar play as well. The Titans’ defense ranked seventh in yards allowed, but were nearly the best in the NFL, ranking second in scoring defense and holding opponents to just a little over 14 points per game.

However, the Titans lost the anchor to the defense over the offseason in DT Albert Haynesworth. Haynesworth is without a doubt the best DT in the NFL and perhaps the best in the league has seen for a few years. Haynesworth parted ways after being franchised by Tennessee in 2008 to find a home in Washington.

The Titans defensive front will now face a big task picking up the slack among the front four.

The uncertainty surrounding this year’s defense is the main reason many expect Tennessee to take a step back this season. While they will still be a solid group on the defensive side of the ball, will they get the sacks and pressure up front without two offensive tackles doubling on Haynesworth this season?

The Titans may have the running power not only to contend this season, but to try and take down the defending champs this Thursday night. Look for a low-scoring, defensive grudge match that could be won on one or two big plays. The question is who will make those big plays?

 

Pick

The Steelers should be able have enough success on offense to control the tempo of the game. Their defense will not take any steps back like the Titans may experience and will again carry the Steelers to a win. Take Pittsburgh (-6).

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