Week 17 Key NFL Trends: "Farewell To 2007"

This is the time of the year when some teams rest for the playoffs and others are forced to look to start their course for the 2008-2009 season. A team looking at the dawn of a new era for 2008-2009 are the Chicago Bears, who in plugging in Orton, who looks like he belongs in 1977 as opposed to 2007, putting up a 71.4 rating on 5.5 yards per attempt, and now faces off against the injury ridden NEW ORLEANS SAINTS, who themselves fell on the short side of the rejuvenated Philadelphia Eagles. Still reelin' from last year's playoff loss, Brees and the Saints arrive 0-1-1 ATS over the last three years trying to take the Bears' ADVANTAGE back.

With one of its best offensive efforts in weeks in St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Steelers visit one of the AFC's worst teams in the BALTIMORE RAVENS, ranked 27th in the NFL with 16.5 points per game. Still sporting one of the top ranked rushing defenses, the Ravens will welcome the Steelers, who while embarrassing them on Monday Night earlier this year, have not won here in Baltimore since 2002. 4-0 ATS in Baltimore versus the Steelers, the Ravens will hope that their defense that has allowed only 9 points per game in their last four matchups here against the Steelers, can parlay their ADVANTAGE, and point them in the right direction as folks here starting thinking about the Orioles.

After suffering a Week 5 loss at the hands of the Chicago Bears, Favre was able to bounce back against Washington. After a big defeat in Week 16 last year, Favre rallied with one of his memorable performances against these same Chicago Bears. After getting hammered, the GREEN BAY PACKERS, who have lost home field advantage, return Home to play their ADVNTAGE as they face a much kinder, gentler opponent in the Detroit Lions, who were much more 'turkey' than 'King of the Jungle' in their Thanksgiving Day matchup losing by 11 in a lopsided affair. Unlike the Bears, who turned the tide in 2007 versus the Pack, the Lions, who had lost four in a row before beating Kansas City with their 30th ranked rushing attack, enter 0-3 ATS in their last three matchups with the Pack, outscored by over 8+ points per game.

KING TRENDS

If there was ever a team looking for traction, it is the OAKLAND RAIDERS, whose quarterbacks rank 31st with a 69.4 rating, who in playing games that look more like preseason training camp lately with an endless mix of players, face off against the streaking San Diego Chargers, who not only powered out an undefeated 5-0 record ATS, and 4-1 record SU in Oakland under Marty Schottenheimer's reign, but outscored the Raiders by over 25 points per game in the last two matchups in Oakland Stadium.
ADVANTAGE CHARGERS

Coming off a slim victory with the NY Jets, the TENNESSEE TITANS, who are quietly powering the 5th ranked rushing offense and defense, will welcome the sight of the streaking Indianapolis Colts, whose 17th ranked rushing defense will be pushed to the limits this week. The Titans enter 3-0 ATS versus the Colts after going 0-6 ATS during the three previous years. The catch here is that in those games, the Titans have been an Underdog by an average of 10.5 points. The last time the Titans were favorites was back in 2003 in a 2 point loss here in Tennessee.
ADVANTAGE TITANS

DON'T BE FOOLED BY THE MEDIA HYPE

This has been the year that has allowed sportswriters to tout a different team each week. The flavor of the week is the WASHINGTON REDSKINS, who have outscored their opponents by over 10 points on 26 points per game in their last three. If there has every been a man to steal Romo and McNabb's thunder it has been Todd Collins, who is powering a 107 rating on a 0% interception percentage. Beware. As you when you read through the lines, the Redskins have not been favored by 7 or more points since 2002 enter 1-1-1 ATS in Washington versus the Cowboys under Gibbs' reign; with the average spread between -1.5 to +3, the Redskins will hope to repeat their big 2005 28 point victory versus a Cowboys team that is 0-3 ATS in their last three on only 18 points per game.


© M.O. Productions 12.26.07

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