New England Patriots – VegasTopDogs Sports Blog

Super Bowl LIII-Playing the Popular Props

January 30, 2019Posted in NFL Football, Sports Handicapping Betting TipsTagged LA Rams, New England Patriots, Online Sportsbooks, Props, Sports betting, super-bowl1 Comment

With each Super Bowl comes a level of excitement for the NFL bettor. As fans we want our team to make it to the big dance but unfortunately that doesn’t often happen. Unless of course, you are a Patriots fan! If you happen to be a Patriots fan, then you are one of the lucky ones because this is Tom Brady’s 9th. Count them, 9! That’s a pile of Super Bowls and the even better news for Pats fans is the five wins. Brady has proven himself to arguably be the best quarterback to have ever played this game and he is going for number 6.

NFL Team Props – Betting for profit

What every fan wants to know is “how to bet”. There are literally dozens and dozens of ways in which to bet this contest and many folks feel as if they need to be a handicapper or have some kind of inside information. Now, let’s be honest, handicapping the game certainly goes a very long ways towards winning and if you are betting blind; that almost never works out. Do yourself a favor and don’t bet blind, come into this affair well-armed.

America’s Bookie, you’ll find a sportsbook that has a nice list of props that you can bet on

Betting the many props that are available from your online bookie is not only a fun and exciting way to go, it can be a huge money-maker. If you are tired of losing on the spread, money line or totals, then look to the great prop lines this year. Let’s take a look at some of the more popular proposition bets that are available.

Team to score first—This is a great one and this year the line is set at Patriots -120, now remember, any line can change so be sure to check with your favorite bookie for the latest odds and/or line movement. The Rams are -110. Who does score first? Typically, the Patriots are a slow starting team and they often are trailing at half time. This is certainly something to think about when betting on this prop. No matter who you chose, the one thing for sure, it’s going to make the first few minutes a very worthy watch.

Time of first score—This is a fun bet that goes hand in hand with the “team to score first”. If you play your cards right, you can kill two birds with one stone and win both bets in one shot. This bet is a yes or no. You will have the option to bet yes, there will be a score within the first five minutes, or no there will not be a score within the first five minutes. Any score counts so make your pick count. Yes +115, No -145.

First score of the game—How will it be scored? The first score is a TD, -180, any other score, +150. Plus 150 on any other score is a fantastic number and very attainable. There could easily be a field goal or even a safety for that matter.

Build Your Online Sportsbook Betting Plan for Super Bowl

These are a few of the popular prop bets that will be available for you to bet on. There are dozens and dozens more and you certainly have your pick from team props to player props and special props, such as special teams and defense, even the distance of field goals and the longest touchdown and longest rushing touchdown.

First and foremost, have fun. Make the Super Bowl something besides rooting for one side. That’s nerve racking. Live a little, put yourself in a position to win a stock pile of money. The Super Bowl only comes around once a year, make the most of it with prop bets.

NFL SUPER BOWL GAME BREAKDOWN

January 28, 2019January 28, 2019Posted in Daily Sports Newsletter, NFL Football, Sports Handicapping Betting Tips, VegasTopDogs.com ReportsTagged LA Rams, New England Patriots, NFL Football, super-bowl, VegasTopDogsLeave a comment

The Super Bowl is on its way, along with all the hype and analysis
that comes with it. We get the New England Patriots, who are in their
4th Super Bowl in the last 7 years, vs the LA Rams, the team that has
gone through 13 losing seasons since 2004, but now have a new winning
and confident culture led by 33 year old Head Coach, Sean McVay.

New England has shown faith and resiliency with their aging QB, yet
again. The Rams are the hot young team with a flashy Head Coach, and
their young QB. What we are going to do, is a breakdown of each team
with their best attributes and possible weaknesses. To take a good
look at what they bring to the game, and who has the potential upper
hand in this seasons finale.

New England Patriots / 11-5
HEAD COACH: Bill Belichick
PPG / NFL RANK: 27.3 / 4th
OPPG / NFL RANK: 20.3 / 7th

PROS:
They have the man who fights all comers and wins, they have a player
who just keeps churning out W’s and still keeps putting up 4000 YDs
and 30TDs / year in Brady. Any team with Tom Brady on their roster has
a better chance to win than most.

New England has been in 16 postseasons over the last 18 seasons, this
is their 4th big game in the last 7 seasons. Regardless of if you like
them, hate them, or feel complete apathy towards them, this is still
their league, until they are buried for one and for all. At least
until Tom Brady retires, will the rest of the league feels like they
are the team to beat.

CONS:
Away from their home, the Patriots have not been great. With a 3-5
record and putting up just 21ppg, 6 below their average, and giving up
24ppg, 4 more than average. Although this game wouldn’t be considered
an away game, no more than away for both teams, and New England likely
have a larger fanbase than the Rams – but they still aren’t in in
their own stadium.

The run defense of New England is a very real problem. This season
having given up 4.9 YPC, and 6 games of 130 or more on the ground to
opponents, and the Rams certainly have a brutal running attack with
Gurley and Anderson running the rock. Which makes strength vs weakness
a classic and intriguing story to watch here.

XFACTOR:
James White and his sneaky ability to run for key yards and be able to
move the ball with surprising ease is going to be key. White is a guy
with great ability to get into open pockets and a smooth ability to
make big plays vs defenses, and Belichick loves to use him when teams
are on the backpedal. When White has 5 or more carries the Pats are
10-0.

========================================

Los Angeles Rams / 13-3
HEAD COACH: Sean McVay
PPG / NFL RANK: 32.9 / 2nd
OPPG / NFL RANK: 24.0 / 20th

PROS:
The balance between passing and running the ball is a distinct
advantage Los Angeles has here. With 2 WRs with 1200+ yard receiving
years, an aerial attack with a QB who can light it up for 300 in a
flash, along with a running game that ranked 2nd in the league with 23
TDs on the ground and had over 2200 YDs on the ground.

The brutal RB tandem of Todd Gurley and 230lb RB, C.J. Anderson is
awesome. Gurley is a really special back, who has produced double
digit TDs on the ground for 3 of the last 4 seasons, and had a total
of 1831 yards, including 580 in the air. Anderson has been a fantastic
find for Los Angeles – Anderson brings the punishment factor, that can
beat on or run through a weakened and tired Dline.

Aaron Donald and his relentlessness is coming, beware New England. The
27 year old DT brings a pass rush that the Pats will struggle to stop,
he is a game changer, and is a huge problem to deal with for any team,
and will be here vs the Pats. Bringing his league leading 20.5 sacks –
he will be awfully tough to control at the line.

CONS:
The Rams team with big named DBs, Marcus Peters and Aqib Talib lack a
great passing defense. Giving up 31 TDs in the air this year they have
shown a lack of discipline when defending WRs. Which if you are a Pats
fan, you are ecstatic to have Julian Edelman and Brady clicking the
way they have been over the last 2 games. 16 catches, 247 YDs, and
15.4 YPC is going to be awfully hard for the Rams DBs to handle.

Sean McVay and his 24 year old QB, Jared Goff, can get pass heavy at
times. With 5 games where he threw 40 or more times, and 6 games of
running for less than 95 yards, they are not true to form and lack the
punch when they don’t move the ball on the ground. When they fall into
basing their offensive game scheme behind Goff and throwing the ball –
they are 2-3, the Rams and Goff need to run the ball. Gurley is still
the heart and soul of this team, and will be key here in this huge
matchup.

XFACTOR:
How the Rams and Wade Phillips defend the run game is going to be
enormously important. When they give up 110 or less on the ground,
they are 11-0, if they keep the running game of the Pats to those kind
of numbers or less, lock this in, the Los Angeles Rams will roll. But
if the Pats start dictating the pace and the Oline here with White and
Sony Michel, the Pats will likely be holding the trophy at the end.

What is the definition of a sports dynasty

January 29, 2018January 29, 2018Posted in Daily Sports Newsletter, MLB Baseball, Sports Handicapping Betting TipsTagged Boston celtics, Dallas Cowboys, MVP, New England Patriots, NY Yankees, VegasTopDogs1 Comment

We as sports fans have watched a multitude of great teams come and go over many tears of watching the amazing sports that we love. Teams like the Boston Celtics, the New York Yankees, Dallas Cowboys and most recently, the New England Patriots. What is one thing that we could all actually be in agreeance on. Odds are, they have been consistent historical winners, and oftentimes, the sheer mentioning of these teams brings anger and frustration to fans of other teams, and opposing fan bases get annoyed and aggravated when hearing about them.

Because they have been incredibly successful. They had a period where they were dominating their division, their conferences, and their leagues for a lengthy amount of time, and this in itself, angers others. And if we are being completely honest with ourselves, as fans, they are the teams that we wish our teams could emulate. Who wouldn’t love their underachieving, yet steady 7-9 football team to rack up 12 wins in the season every year, like the New England Patriots or have the reputation and great players, seemingly always, like Pittsburgh and be a preseason favorite to win it all, before the season even begins? We all would love that.

By definition from dictionary.com – a dynasty is regarded as a noun 1. a sequence of hereditary rulers: an Egyptian dynasty or 2. any sequence of powerful leaders of the same family: the Kennedy dynasty
But is that what you, as a sports fan consider as a dynasty?
A ruler?
Lets examine.

A teams season wins count for something. A winning team that has been putting up a large amount of wins a season for a lengthy and long period of time is a huge component for being called a dynasty. In the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers have racked up a .654 win pct over the last 3 seasons – which is far ahead of the next best teams in the Eastern conference like hot teams like the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics. Winning is hard anyway you look at it, but winning 65% of your games for a lengthy period of time is pretty impressive. Not having the oddball eye opening season of big wins, like the New York Giants or the Portland Trail Blazers – but the 15 straight seasons of 10 wins or more like the New England Patriots or 8 of the last 11 seasons, like the Pittsburgh Steelers is something to be admired.

Playoff appearances have to count for a huge part of the equation, absolutely. For instance, New England has made the tournament for 9 straight seasons. The fact is, a team that has been able to utterly dominate their division and blow passed them, and get to the playoffs for so many years straight, is pretty impressive. Who wouldn’t want to feel they had a team that did that every single season? And making it to the championship of their sport is beyond comprehension for the vast majority of sports fans. It isn’t commonplace, which is sometimes misunderstood. What the Buffalo Bills did back in the 90’s was amazing, lets be completely honest about that. How many teams make the Super Bowl – let alone, 4 straight? I will tell you…. it doesn’t happen, that is why we always cherish the precious moment if our team makes it there.

Do you seriously consider the Bills a dynasty though? Or when you think of dynasties do you think of Troy Aikman and the Dallas Cowboys? You think of Dallas and I will tell you why. Not only did they win 3 Super Bowls during a 4 year timeframe, but they were one of the teams to beat for about a decade. And going back to an original statement – why do you think Dallas has so many fans that dislike the team? Because they won and they won for a long period of time.
That’s why.

Championships are the ultimate way to openly judge a dynasty. How many times have they won the top honors as the ultimate team to beat. The Yankees won 5 championships over 14 years from 1996-2009, and made it to the World Series 6 times in 8 years. The Patriots have made it to at least the conference championship at least 10 times over 15 seasons. And the Celtics hung up 11 titles from 1956 to 1968.

It’s trying for most of teams, especially those that are usually a middling organization, like the New Orleans Saints, the Detroit Pistons and the Indiana Pacers and you may question why or what happened, or the best of the hypothetical questions the “what if…” Trust me, we all have entertained those deep thoughts in our heads….but then reality comes back around, and who actually completed their goals and made the right draft picks and hired the right coaches.

Regardless of how you calculate the way you measure a teams success factor to be a dynasty. A team that wins and wins big consistently for a multitude of years, that’s what a dynasty is. A team that doesn’t play down to their opponents, a team that teams fear, and wins across their league – that is the true signs and key to being called a real dynasty. A team that seems to never get worse, a team that thrill their fans and infuriates fans of other teams, based on their immense amount of success, that is when your team has become a real dynasty.

In sports games we often judge a team, by their championships, or a player, often unfairly, by the 5 boxes that we look at. But a team that brings championships to teams, is the ultimate sign of success for an organization, and those are considered what makes a true dynasty.

NFL 2017 VegasTopDogs Playoff Info

January 7, 2018January 7, 2018Posted in NFL FootballTagged 2017 NFL Playoffs, New England Patriots, VegasTopDogsLeave a comment

The 2017 playoffs are almost here infesting our lives. The tears and the cheers begin now. The big payoff for the long tedious season, all the hopes and thrills that we shared with our teams, the end result is almost upon us. As we obviously know, not everyone can win the ultimate prize – but we all can dream of our team winning the trophy – and for some fan base this will become a reality. For the majority of fans, it will be another letdown and another season – thinking about next year, and what our team needs to do to get to the next level, what they need to do to be better. In some instances, fans will complain about bad calls, some will cheer to having the correct call being made after the ever so dissected instant replay. The fact is, good calls and bad calls will always happen, and we all know this going in. We will now take a look at the teams that will be representing their conferences in the 2017 NFL playoffs, and a grade rating for their respective positions, and outlooks.

** AFC **
******************************************
New England Patriots
Coach: Bill Belichick
13-3
ppg; 28.6
oppg; 18.5

PASSING
Tom Brady; 66.3% completion pct, 4577 YDs, 32 TDs, 8 ints, 102.8 passer rating
Brady has put up his 4th consecutive season with 28+ TD passes and 9 or less picks.
Grade: A

RECEIVING CREW
Rob Gronkowski; 69 catches, 1084 YDs, 8 TDs
Brandin Cooks; 65 catches, 1082 YDs, 7 TDs
Chris Hogan; 34 catches, 439 YDs, 5 TDs
Cooks has proven his big play ability, Gronk has been what was expected, Hogan, when healthy, is always a TD threat.
Grade: B

RUNNING GAME
Dion Lewis; 5.0 YPC, 896 YDs, 6 TDs
Mike Gillislee; 3.7 YPC, 383 YDs, 5 TDs
Gillislee has struggled with getting off the line, Lewis brings a utilitarian ability out of the backfield with soft hands.
Grade: C+

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Trey Flowers; 6.5 sacks, 62 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Kyle Van Noy; 5.5 sacks, 72 tackles
Deatrich Wise Jr.; 5 sacks, 26 tackles
Malcom Brown; 2.5 sacks, 49 tackles
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 7th / 42 sacks
Grade: C+

SECONDARY
Duron Harmon; 4 int, 7 passes defended, 23 tackles
Malcolm Butler; 2 int, 12 passes defended, 60 tackles
Patrick Chung; 1 int, 9 passes defended, 78 tackles
Grade: C

******************************************
Pittsburgh Steelers
Coach: Mike Tomlin
13-3
ppg; 25.4
oppg; 19.3

PASSING
Ben Roethlisberger; 64.2% completion pct, 4251 YDs, 28 TDs, 14 ints, 93.4 passer rating
Roethlisberger has quietly put up 26 or more TD passes in 5 of the last 6 seasons.
Grade: B

RECIEVING CREW
Antonio Brown; 101 catches, 1533 YDs, 9 TDs
JuJu Smith-Schuster; 58 catches, 917 YDs, 7 TDs
Martavis Bryant; 50 catches, 603 YDs, 3 TDs
Brown is the best in the NFL, Smith-Schuster is becoming a very serious NFL player
Grade: A

RUNNING GAME
Le’Veon Bell; 4.0 YPC, 1291 YDs, 9 TDs
James Conner; 4.5 YPC, 144 YDs, 0 TDs
Bell is the best RB in the game, with his patient style, and with 7 games of 80+ rushing YDs or more in a game this season.
Grade: B+

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Cameron Heyward; 12 sacks, 45 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Vince Williams; 8 sacks, 88 tackles
T.J. Watt; 7 sacks, 52 tackles, 8 passes defended
Bud Dupree; 6 sacks, 40 tackles
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 1st / 56 sacks
Grade: B+

SECONDARY
Mike Hilton; 2 int, 6 passes defended, 54 tackles
Sean Davis; 3 int, 8 passes defended, 89 tackles
Artie Burns; 1 int, 13 passes defended, 54 tackles
Grade: C+

******************************************
Jacksonville Jaguars
Coach: Doug Marrone
10-6
ppg; 26.1
oppg; 16.8

PASSING
Blake Bortles; 60.2 completion pct, 3687 YDs, 21 TDs, 13 ints, 84.7 passer rating
Bortles still has problems – with 8 games of completing 60% or less of his passes.
Grade: C

RECIEVING CREW
Marqise Lee; 56 catches, 702 YDs, 3 TDs
Keelan Cole; 42 catches, 748 YDs, 3 TDs
Marcedes Lewis; 24 catches, 318 YDs, 5 TDs
Jacksonville lacks a bigtime receiving threat for teams to be all that concerned about – with not onw WR with over 750 receiving YDs.
Grade: C-

RUNNING GAME
Leonard Fournette; 3.9 YPC, 1040 YDs, 9 TDs
Chris Ivory; 3.4 YPC, 382 YDs, 1 TDs
Fournette exploded on the league with aggression and power – Ivory brings the experience that the backfield needs.
Grade: B

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Calais Campbell; 14.5 sacks, 67 tackles, 3 forced fumbles
Yannick Ngakoue; 12 sacks, 30 tackles, 6 forced fumbles
Malik Jackson; 8 sacks, 39 tackles, 4 forced fumbles
Myles Jack; 2 sacks, 90 tackles
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 2nd / 55 sacks
Grade: A+

SECONDARY
A.J. Bouye; 6 int, 18 passes defended, 56 tackles
Barry Church; 4 int, 8 passes defended, 72 tackles
Jalen Ramsey; 4 int, 17 passes defended, 63 tackles
Grade: B+

******************************************
Kansas City Chiefs
Coach: Andy Reid
10-6
ppg; 25.9
oppg; 21.2

PASSING
Alex Smith; 67.5 completion pct, 4042 YDs, 26 TDs, 5 ints, 104.7 passer rating
Smith had his first season with 4000+ passing YDs, and a career high with 26 TD passes.
Grade: B+

RECIEVING CREW
Travis Kelce; 83 catches, 1038 YDs, 8 TDs
Tyreek Hill; 75 catches, 1183 YDs, 7 TDs
Albert Wilson; 42 catches, 554 YDs, 3 TDs
Hill is a real burner, but Kelce is the best threat for Kansas City.
Grade: B+

RUNNING GAME
Kareem Hunt; 4.9 YPC, 1327 YDs, 8 TDs
Charcandrick West; 4 YPC, 72 YDs, 2 TDs
Hunt is a great dual threat, West is a random carry guy who at one point himself was potential primary carry guy.
Grade: B

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Justin Houston; 9.5 sacks, 59 tackles
Chris Jones; 6.5 sacks, 32 tackles, 4 forced fumbles, 7 passes defended
Allen Bailey; 2 sacks, 38 tackles
Daniel Sorensen; 1.5 sacks, 88 tackles, 6 passes defended
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 24th / 31 sacks
Grade: B

SECONDARY
Marcus Peters; 5 int, 9 passes defended, 46 tackles
Terrance Mitchell; 4 int, 17 passes defended, 52 tackles
Ron Parker; 2 int, 4 passes defended, 67 tackles
Grade: B

******************************************
Tennessee Titans
Coach: Mike Mularkey
9-7
ppg; 20.9
oppg; 22.3

PASSING
Marcus Mariota; 62% completion pct, 3232 YDs, 13 TDs, 15 ints, 79.3 passer rating
Mariota has regressed this season, with a terrible 13 TD passes and 15 picks.
Grade: D

RECIEVING CREW
Delanie Walker; 74 catches, 807 YDs, 3 TDs
Rishard Matthews; 53 catches, 795 YDs, 4 TDs
Eric Decker; 54 catches, 563 YDs, 1 TDs
The Titans lack a dangerous receiving corps, Walker and Matthews cannot carry the receiving attack this team.
Grade: C

RUNNING GAME
DeMarco Murray; 3.6 YPC, 659 YDs, 6 TDs
Derrick Henry; 4.2 YPC, 744 YDs, 5 TDs
Henry is becoming a good RB – the Titans have a pretty good duo behind the line moving the ball on the ground.
Grade: C+

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Derrick Morgan; 7.5 sacks, 32 tackles
Brian Orakpo; 7 sacks, 44 tackles, 3 forced fumbles
Jurrell Casey; 6 sacks, 60 tackles
Wesley Woodyard; 4 sacks, 121 tackles, 5 passes defended
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 5th / 43 sacks
Grade: C+

SECONDARY
Kevin Byard; 8 int, 16 passes defended, 87 tackles
LeShaun Sims; 1 int, 3 passes defended, 30 tackles
Adoree’ Jackson; 0 int, 17 passes defended, 70 tackles
Grade: B

******************************************
Buffalo Bills
Coach: Sean McDermott
9-7
ppg; 18.9
oppg; 22.4

PASSING
Tyrod Taylor; 62.6% completion pct, 2799 YDs, 14 TDs, 4 ints, 89.2 passer rating
Taylor still hasn’t been the prime time QB that is needed for Buffalo.
Grade: C

RECIEVING CREW
Charles Clay; 49 catches, 558 YDs, 2 TDs
Zay Jones; 27 catches, 316 YDs, 2 TDs
Deonte Thompson; 27 catches, 430 YDs, 2 TDs
Buffalo is going nowhere with Charles Clay leading the team with 558 YDs receiving
Grade: D

RUNNING GAME
LeSean McCoy; 4 YPC, 1138 YDs, 6 TDs
Mike Tolbert; 3.7 YPC, 247 YDs, 1 TDs
LeSean McCoy having injury issues is the be all end all for this Buffalo team.
Grade: C+

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Jerry Hughes; 4 sacks, 44 tackles
Shaq Lawson; 4 sacks, 32 tackles
Lorenzo Alexander; 3 sacks, 65 tackles, 3 forced fumbles
Preston Brown; 0 sacks, 144 tackles
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 29th / 27 sacks
Grade: C

SECONDARY
Micah Hyde; 5 int, 13 passes defended, 82 tackles
Jordan Poyer; 5 int, 13 passes defended, 95 tackles
TreDavious White; 4 int, 18 passes defended, 70 tackles
Grade: A

** NFC **

******************************************
Philadelphia Eagles
Coach: Doug Pederson
13-3
ppg; 28.6
oppg; 18.4

PASSING
Nick Foles; 56.4% completion pct, 537 YDs, 5 TDs, 2 ints, 79.5 passer rating
Nick has a knack for putting the ball in the end zone, and has also struggled to push the ball downfield with the best.
Grade: C

RECIEVING CREW
Alshon Jeffery; 57 catches, 789 YDs, 9 TDs
Zach Ertz; 78 catches, 824 YDs, 8 TDs
Nelson Agholor; 62 catches, 768 YDs, 8 TDs
Ertz is the steadiest pass catcher on the team – but Agholor has had a great season, and Jeffery brings a huge catch radius.
Grade: A

RUNNING GAME
LeGarrette Blount; 4.4 YPC, 766 YDs, 2 TDs
Jay Ajayi; 5.8 YPC, 408 YDs, 1 TDs
Blount has been punishing on defenses, and Ajayi brought a big play ability to the team.
Grade: B

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Brandon Graham; 9.5 sacks, 47 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Fletcher Cox; 5.5 sacks, 26 tackles
Derek Barnett; 5 sacks, 22 tackles
Mychal Kendricks; 2 sacks, 73 tackles, 6 passes defended
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 15th / 38 sacks
Grade: B

SECONDARY
Patrick Robinson; 4 int, 18 passes defended, 45 tackles
Jalen Mills; 3 int, 14 passes defended, 64 tackles
Malcolm Jenkins; 2 int, 8 passes defended, 69 tackles
Grade: B

******************************************
Minnesota Vikings
Coach: Mike Zimmer
13-3
ppg; 23.9
oppg; 15.8

PASSING
Case Keenum; 67.6% completion pct, 3547 YDs, 22 TDs, 7 ints, 98.3 passer rating
Keenum has been Mr. Steady for Minnesota.
Grade: B

RECIEVING CREW
Adam Thielen; 91 catches, 1276 YDs, 4 TDs
Stefon Diggs; 64 catches, 849 YDs, 8 TDs
Kyle Rudolph; 57 catches, 532 YDs, 8 TDs
Minnesota has great route runners in Thielen and Diggs – they are quietly one of the most dangerous WR combos in the NFL.
Grade: A

RUNNING GAME
Latavius Murray; 3.9 YPC, 842 YDs, 8 TDs
Jerick McKinnon; 3.8 YPC, 570 YDs, 3 TDs
Murray has carried the team with power running, McKinnon is the teams quick footed utility back.
Grade: C

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Everson Griffen; 13 sacks, 45 tackles, 3 forced fumbles
Danielle Hunter; 7 sacks, 45 tackles, 2 passes defended
Linval Joseph; 3.5 sacks, 67 tackles
Eric Kendricks; 1 sacks, 114 tackles, 6 passes defended
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 17th / 37 sacks
Grade: B+

SECONDARY
Harrison Smith; 5 int, 12 passes defended, 78 tackles
Xavier Rhodes; 2 int, 10 passes defended, 56 tackles
Trae Waynes; 2 int, 11 passes defended, 63 tackles
Grade: B+

******************************************
Los Angeles Rams
Coach: Sean McVay
11-5
ppg; 29.9
oppg; 20.6

PASSING
Jared Goff; 62.1% completion pct, 3804 YDs, 28 TDs, 7 ints, 100.5 passer rating
Goff has been fantastic, with a career high 28 TDs.
Grade: B

RECIEVING CREW
Cooper Kupp; 62 catches, 869 YDs, 5 TDs
Robert Woods; 56 catches, 781 YDs, 5 TDs
Sammy Watkins; 39 catches, 593 YDs, 8 TDs
Kupp is coming into his own, Watkins has been awesome as the big threat.
Grade: B

RUNNING GAME
Todd Gurley; 4.7 YPC, 1305 YDs, 13 TDs
Tavon Austin; 4.6 YPC, 270 YDs, 1 TDs
Gurley is a true workhorse, with 279 carries.
Grade: B

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Aaron Donald; 11 sacks, 41 tackles, 5 forced fumbles
Robert Quinn; 8.5 sacks, 32 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Connor Barwin; 5 sacks, 34 tackles
Alec Ogletree; 2 sacks, 95 tackles, 10 passes defended
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 4th / 48 sacks
Grade: B+

SECONDARY
Lamarcus Joyner; 3 int, 9 passes defended, 49 tackles
Mark Barron; 3 int, 4 passes defended, 85 tackles
Trumaine Johnson; 2 int, 13 passes defended, 65 tackles
Grade: C+

******************************************
New Orleans Saints
Coach: Sean Payton
11-5
ppg; 28.0
oppg; 20.4

PASSING
Drew Brees; 72% completion pct, 4334 YDs, 23 TDs, 8 ints, 103.9 passer rating
Brees has completed 70%+ of his passes for the 4th time in his career.
Grade: A

RECIEVING CREW
Michael Thomas; 104 catches, 1245 YDs, 5 TDs
Ted Ginn; 70 catches, 787 YDs, 4 TDs
Brandon Coleman; 37 catches, 364 YDs, 3 TDs
Thomas has shown the NFL he is a top ended WR in the league, and should be defended as such.
Grade: B

RUNNING GAME
Mark Ingram; 4.9 YPC, 1124 YDs, 12 TDs
Alvin Kamara; 6.1 YPC, 728 YDs, 8 TDs
Ingram and Kamara create the NFL’s most dangerous and dynamic backfield in the league.
Grade: A

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Cameron Jordan; 13 sacks, 62 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Alex Okafor; 4.5 sacks, 43 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Craig Robertson; 2 sacks, 77 tackles, 1 forced fumbles
Tyeler Davison; 0 sacks, 31 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 7th / 42 sacks
Grade: C+

SECONDARY
Marshon Lattimore; 5 int, 18 passes defended, 52 tackles
Kenny Vaccaro; 3 int, 7 passes defended, 69 tackles
Marcus Williams; 4 int, 7 passes defended, 71 tackles
Grade: B

******************************************
Carolina Panthers
Coach: Ron Rivera
11-5
ppg; 22.7
oppg; 20.4

PASSING
Cam Newton; 59.1 % completion pct, 3302 YDs, 22 TDs, 16 ints, 80.7 passer rating
Newton continues to struggle with being able to complete passes with his 5th season completing less than 60%
Grade: C

RECIEVING CREW
Devin Funchess; 63 catches, 840 YDs, 8 TDs
Ed Dickson; 30 catches, 437 YDs, 1 TDs
Russell Shepard; 17 catches, 202 YDs, 1 TDs
Funchess is becoming a good WR, but Dickson and Shepard cannot be trusted nearly enough.
Grade: C

RUNNING GAME
Jonathan Stewart; 3.4 YPC, 680 YDs, 6 TDs
Christian McCaffrey; 3.7 YPC, 435 YDs, 2 TDs
McCaffrey isn’t used enough, Stewart is used too much.
Grade: C

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Julius Peppers; 11 sacks, 33 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Mario Addison; 11 sacks, 44 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Kawann Short; 7.5 sacks, 49 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Luke Kuechly; 1.5 sacks, 125 tackles, 3 ints
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 3rd / 50 sacks
Grade: B+

SECONDARY
James Bradberry; 2 int, 11 passes defended, 85 tackles
Daryl Worley; 2 int, 8 passes defended, 63 tackles
Mike Adams; 2 int, 12 passes defended, 69 tackles
Grade: B-

******************************************
Atlanta Falcons
Coach: Dan Quinn
10-6
ppg; 22.1
oppg; 19.7

PASSING
Matt Ryan; 64.7% completion pct, 4095 YDs, 20 TDs, 12 ints, 91.4 passer rating
Ryan has put up 4 games with 300 or more passing yards.
Grade: C+

RECIEVING CREW
Julio Jones; 88 catches, 1444 YDs, 3 TDs
Mohamed Sanu; 67 catches, 703 YDs, 5 TDs
Austin Hooper; 49 catches, 526 YDs, 3 TDs
Jones doesn’t get in the end zone nearly enough as one would expect, Sanu gets in more
Grade: C+

RUNNING GAME
Devonta Freeman; 4.4 YPC, 865 YDs, 7 TDs
Tevin Coleman; 4.0 YPC, 628 YDs, 5 TDs
Freeman and Coleman are a tough combo to hammer against
Grade: C+

DEFENSIVE FRONT
Adrian Clayborn; 9.5 sacks, 21 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Vic Beasley; 5.0 sacks, 29 tackles, 1 forced fumbles
Deion Jones; 1.0 sacks, 138 tackles, 3 ints
Takkarist McKinley; 6.0 sacks, 20 tackles, 2 forced fumbles
Team ranking in the league for sacks as a team; 13th / 39 sacks
Grade: B

SECONDARY
Desmond Trufant; 2 int, 12 passes defended, 41 tackles
Keanu Neal; 1 int, 6 passes defended, 116 tackles
Robert Alford; 1 int, 20 passes defended, 68 tackles
Grade: C+

This could be a really special playoff year – as the biggest games of the year are getting a lot closer.

The Steelers and the Patriots both have the proud history and look like the heavyweights, but they have both looked very beatable at times. With Carson Wentz out, the Eagles chances have changed drastically – they still are great in the trenches, but they are gonna be in for some tougher games after replacing Wentz with Nick Foles. No one other than Jaguars fans are seriously giving the Jags any real chance, but they need to be watched closely. The Vikings have become a dark horse favorite and they have had a quietly successful season themselves. Tennessee can struggle with not having a pounding 25 carry workhorse at RB and Henry hasn’t been entrusted quite yet to fully to get the gritty yards when it matters most for them.

This years playoffs are going to be amazing!

2017 NFL Draft Preview

April 24, 2017Posted in NFL FootballTagged Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Football, New England Patriots, NFL DraftLeave a comment

VegasTopDogs 2017 NFL DRAFT PREVIEW –
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With another NFL draft upcoming – that which has an excellent amount of skilled RBs in particular, with Leonard Fournette, Dalvin Cook and Christian McCaffrey, just to name s a few. And guys like Jonathan Allen, Kevin King and Myles Garrett coming out on the defensive side of the ball, this draft is going to be great.

The other positions, we have some guys who some are leery of buying fully in on. The position we are looking at, as one of the most questionable slots is the QB position. the very intriguing DeShone Kizer, Texas Tech big armed Patrick Mahomes and dual threat Deshaun Watson are looked at as some of the top QBs heading into the draft. They all have some pros, but all certainly have their obvious cons.

Kizer was only completing 58% of his passes on the season in 2016.
Mahomes had not been a great leader in 2016, losing 7 games, nothing to be too excited about.
Watson threw 17 picks.

Regardless – we are going to watch and we are going to cheer and sometimes complain at the picks. Here, we will take a projective look at the 1st rd Draft projections as to who will draft who.

Let’s get it underway!

1. Cleveland Browns: Myles Garrett – DE – Texas A&M

2. San Francisco 49ers: Jonathan Allen -DT – Alabama

3. Chicago Bears: Marshon Lattimore – CB – Ohio State

4. Jacksonville Jaguars: Solomon Thomas – DT – Stanford

5. Tennessee Titans (from Rams): Mike Williams – WR – Clemson

6. NY Jets: Deshaun Watson – QB – Clemson

7. LA Chargers: O.J. Howard – TE – Alabama

8. Carolina Panthers: Derek Barnett – DE – Tennessee

9. Cincinnati Bengals: Takk McKinley – DE – UCLA

10. Buffalo Bills: Malik Hooker – S – Ohio State

11. New Orleans Saints: Forrest Lamp – OG – W Kentucky

12. Cleveland Browns (from Eagles): Mitch Trubisky – QB – North Carolina

13. Arizona Cardinals: John Ross – WR – Washington

14. Philadelphia Eagles (from Vikings): Leonard Fournette – RB – LSU

15. Indianapolis Colts: Dalvin Cook – RB – Florida State

16. Baltimore Ravens: Corey Davis – WR – Western Michigan

17. Washington Redskins: Christian McCaffrey – RB – Stanford

18. Tennessee Titans: Jamal Adams – S – LSU

19. Tamps Bay Buccaneers: Reuben Foster – LB – Alabama

20. Denver Broncos: Garett Bolles – OT – Utah

21. Detroit Lions: Charles Harris – LB – Missouri

22. Miami Dolphins: Cam Robinson – OT – Alabama

23. NY Giants: TJ Watt – OLB – Wisconsin

24. Oakland Raiders: Gareon Conley – CB – Ohio State

25. Houston Texans: DeShone Kizer – QB – Notre Dame

26. Seattle Seahawks: Kevin King – CB – Washington

27. Kansas City Chiefs: Jarrad Davis – LB – Florida

28. Dallas Cowboys: Taco Charlton – DE – Michigan

29. Green Bay Packers: Quincy Wilson – CB – Florida

30. Pittsburgh Steelers: Marlon Humphrey – CB – Alabama

31. Atlanta Falcons: Malik McDowell – DL – Michigan State

32. New Orleans Saints (from Patriots): Patrick Mahomes – QB – Texas Tech

So let’s sit back get ready for our teams with hearts pounding, and await what names we hear called out to us from that podium.

The 2017 football season is gong to arrive eventually with mini-camps starting in just a few months – now it’s just time to be patient, and get through our all-too lengthy offseason, and wait to see who is unleashed on the league as rookie phenoms, and the inevitable expected busts, that we all know are going to be there.

NFL Playoffs: Conference Champions at Stake!

January 18, 2013January 18, 2013Posted in NFL FootballTagged New England Patriots, NFL Playoffs, SF 49ers, super-bowlLeave a comment

This is it, the final weekend of games before the Super Bowl. The last month we’ve been hearing about playoff seedings, bye weeks and home field advantage. Are all those things really important? Historically it has been during the second round of the playoffs. Teams with the bye have home field advantage and two weeks to prepare, both of which are usually important edges this time of year.

However, during the conference championship games that kick off this weekend, history shows us that the two remaining teams in each conference are often on fairly equal footing, both straight up and against the spread. You might think the team with the home field has a big edge, but that’s not usually the case this deep into the season. A year ago both underdogs covered in squeakers, with the underdog Giants beating the 49ers in OT (20-17) and the 7-point underdog Ravens nearly winning at New England, blowing a late field goal in a 23-20 defeat.

The last four years six of eight home teams (Colts, Saints, Cardinals, Pats, Steelers twice) won but went 4-4 ATS. Notice that since 1992, the home team has won just 22 of 40 NFL title games straight up, and the visiting team is 22-18 against the spread. Going 22-18 straight up is a slight edge for the home teams, though far from dominant than many might expect to find in the second-biggest game of the season.

Within those statistics remember that there have been plenty of road underdogs that not only got the money, but won the game and advanced to the Super Bowl, including the champion Giants a year ago. Five years ago both road teams covered. The Patriots topped San Diego, 21-12, but failed to cover, while the +7 underdog road Giants won at Green Bay, 23-20. Six years ago Pittsburgh was a road dog at Denver, but clobbered the Broncos 34-17.

In 1995, San Diego was a 9½-point dog at Pittsburgh, but pulled the upset 17-13. In 1999 Atlanta was an 11-point dog at 16-1 Minnesota, yet won 30-27 in overtime, while Tennessee flattened big home favorite Jacksonville, 33-14, in 2000. Nine years ago the Patriots were a double-digit dog at Pittsburgh but won 24-17, and seven seasons ago the upstart Panthers rained on the Eagles’ parade in a 14-3 NFC Championship game upset in a somewhat frustrated city of brotherly love.

Coming into this weekend, the dogs are 16-8 against the spread the last 12 years in the NFL title games. The NFC has seen the dog go 10-3 ATS the last 13 years, including the last three seasons with the Giants, the Packers covering at New Orleans and the Cardinals were a home do to the Eagles. Philadelphia’s trouncing of the Falcons in 2005, 27-10, ended a six-year run by underdogs covering in the NFC championship tilt.

Certainly you can’t discount home field advantage, something the Patriots used in consecutive years to beat up the indoor Colts, 24-14 and 20-3 in the Foxboro cold, with the Colts turning the trick at home in 2007. However, there is generally greater balance between teams simply because at this point in the season, the remaining four teams are very strong and often evenly matched. In mid-January, you rarely find a team that has glaring weaknesses, for example, ranking at the bottom of the NFL in some offensive or defensive category.

It’s difficult for teams with major weaknesses to make the playoffs in the first place, and if they do make it, opposing coaches will attack those weak spots to their own advantage. The cream rises, which is what competition is all about. You also know that teams will be playing at a high level of intensity, as there is so much at stake — the winners go to the Super Bowl, the losers go home and sulk about what might have been. After such a long season, teams that have come this close to the Holy Grail are going to give everything they have for four full quarters.

Slicing the history another way, we find that the favorites are 25-13 straight up in NFL championship games but 19-19 against the spread the last 19 years. The total is 22-16 “over” during that time (2-0 under last January). Oddly, there have been more blowouts by the underdog than the favorite. The NY Giants rolled 41-0 in 2001 over Minnesota as a 2-point home dog. In January of 2000, Tennessee ripped the Jaguars 33-14 as a 7-point road dog.

Several big favorites have struggled, as well. Still, before you jump on the live dogs, remember that the favorites had a nice run of their own from 1993-97 going 8-2 against the spread in the NFL title games. This is why looking at trends and angles must be approached with great caution. The current trend: the favorites are on a mild 6-4 ATS run in Conference Championship games.
Provided by VegasTopDogs.com

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