Vinnie finally received instead of gave $$ to the book last week. An aberration or a new trend (winning).

Quick recap
Went 2-1 last week. A debacle of the Broncos (very unexpected), however the Seahawks covered (and almost won), and the Titans won a tight battle with the Ravens. Remember I said bet on Steve McNair over Anthony Wright. It turned out to be that sort of game.

This week
Carolina +7 @ St. Louis. First, I’m very surprised, the line is not 7.5 That extra half point means a lot. Secondly, the Rams kill opponents at home on the turf, and Carolina is an outdoor team. I had planned to take Carolina here as John Fox has the Panthers D performing very well, and Bulger is untested in big games. Add in the fact that Martz is not a good game manager, and I could see an upset here. Of course, there could always be a blowout also, but I doubt it. I lean towards the Panthers, but won’t make a bet until the Panthers get that extra half a point. No way do I lay 7 with the Rams right now.

Tenn +6 @ New England. New England is rested (good or bad), Titans are off a physical, tight game with the Ravens. Bill Belichek and Jeff Fisher are good game coaches, but in the end, the Pats should walk away with the win. I expect the Pats defense to throw multiple formation at McNair, and he will be confused, and throw some picks. Likewise, Ted Washington should clog the middle, and let Bruschi with his quickness contain McNair. I lean towards the Pats here, but Adam Vinateri has been inconsistent lately. Plus, I’m a HUGE Pats fan right now (since I bought the future from Sportsbetting.com back in March). So, PASS, but LEAN towards Pats

Indy +3 @ Kansas City. Wow, this is a rough matchup to call. The Chiefs have a huge homefield advantage. Also, Kansas City, has a very potent offense. But, this game will come down to stopping the run. Can Indy contain Priest Holmes? Can Kansas City contain Edge? I’ll wait until halftime, see which running back has a better yards per carry, and place a second half bet at sportsbetting.com Sometimes, it’s easier to see which team is more prepared in the playoffs, and back them in the second half. So, again, PASS. One quick thought, the Colts have a GREAT FG kicker this year, and if you play the colts, think about playing them on the $$ line as Vandy could get a chance to win the game outright. However, I’m also weary of jumping on the bandwagon after the preseason warmup the Colts put on against the Broncos last week.

Green Bay +5.5 @ Philly. Yes, Philly has some injuries, but Philly also wants to prove they can win at home. They do NOT want the homefield advantage to be wasted. Look for Favre to come back down to earth, and for Philly to win this game solidly. Philly –5.5 **

So, that’s about it
Lean towards Carolina +7, but bet the game if you can get +7.5
Philly –5.5 solid, 2 star play.
Indy/KC, lean towards Indy straight up, but Pass for now (will bet the second half)
Lean towards New England –6, but I have enough invested in New England right now.

G'luck!  Vinnie