Before the start of the Premier League season, it would have been difficult for people who bet on EPL results to imagine that Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal would all be out of Champions League spots going into December. But after 12 weeks of play, three of England’s glamour teams are on the outside looking in. While there is a long way to go in the Premier League campaign, all three teams have plenty of work to do – and impressive teams to climb past – if they are going to book familiar spots in Europe’s biggest competition next season.

This past weekend’s premier matchup for people gambling on EPL matches was the clash between Chelsea and Liverpool, with both teams in serious need of three points. The match was entertaining if somewhat sloppy, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. In particular, Chelsea’s backline was put into disarray time after time, and the team once again conceded the opening goal. Liverpool dominated play, but it looked as if their inability to finish would cost them until Glen Johnson turned in a superb solo effort late to earn the home side the 2-1 victory.

The loss was particularly tough for Chelsea, which has dropped three of their last four matches and has kept a clean sheet just twice this season. New signing David Luiz has come under fire for some poor decision-making over the past few weeks, but the match against Liverpool highlighted the inability of the entire backline to mesh – dangerous when playing the high line that Chelsea prefers. Chelsea should be able to use a home match with Wolves to get back on track.

Meanwhile, Liverpool will have little time to celebrate their win, as they host league-leaders Manchester City in a huge clash. Manchester City continued their stranglehold on the Premier League this past weekend, claiming a 3-1 win over a persistent and somewhat unlikely Newcastle side. However, Manchester City’s loss to Napoli in midweek Champions League action shows that the Blues are far from invincible. The fact that Manchester City hasn’t won at Anfield since 2003, including last season’s 3-0 drubbing by Liverpool, might give people gambling on sports a reason to pick Liverpool as an underdog to watch.

One of the big winners from last week’s matches was Tottenham Hotspur, who moved into a tie for third place in the Premier League after a 2-0 victory over a listless Aston Villa side on Monday night. The easy win was a nice homecoming for manager Harry Redknapp, who returned to the bench for the first time since minor open heart surgery. With a game in hand thanks to the postponement of their opening match against Everton due to the London riots, Tottenham has a chance to make up even more ground later in the season.

In fact, Redknapp is even talking about Tottenham as potential title contenders despite trailing Manchester City by nine points. While that still seems like a pipe dream, the fact is that no team is playing better than Tottenham. After dropping their first two matches to the Manchester sides, Tottenham have earned 25 points in their last nine matches. With relatively easy matches on the horizon against West Brom, Bolton, Stoke City and Sunderland, people gambling on EPL results might want to consider placing some money on Tottenham finishing in the top four – or even higher.

Standing between Tottenham and the league leaders is Manchester United, who did little this week to quell concerns that they aren’t up for challenging their city rivals. The Red Devils claimed three points on Saturday, but it wasn’t easy against a determined Swansea side. An early Javier Hernandez goal was all the scoring that Manchester United needed to claim their first-ever win at Swansea. But the Swans squandered several scoring chances of their own, including a Scott Sinclair miss in front of an open goal that would have leveled the score. Coming off a disappointing home draw to Benfica in Champions League play, Manchester United will need to be on-guard against a letdown against a gritty Newcastle side at Old Trafford if they want to keep pace with Manchester City.

So who are the true contenders for the Super Bowl? That’s what people who bet on NFL games want to know after a chaotic and dramatic Week 10 of the NFL season. Several teams missed out on chances to separate themselves from the pack with wins over tough opponents. Instead, a serious of results leave the battle for supremacy perhaps more muddled than ever.

A glance at the NFL standings at the midway point of the season shows just how unpredictable the 2011 season has been. Seeing the Green Bay Packers with the best record in the league is hardly surprising; after all, they are the defending Super Bowl champions and are loaded with young talent. But the team with the second-best record in the league is a shock: the San Francisco 49ers. Coming off a 6-10 season in 2010 that led to their coach being fired, the 49ers have bounced back and are closing in on clinching the NFC West title before Thanksgiving.

How did this happen? People who bet on NFL games thought that the abbreviated offseason caused by the summer labor stoppage might cause some uncertainty, but it was also expected that veteran teams with a track record of success would better cope with the lack of preparation time. The 49ers certainly did not fit that profile, with a head coach in Jim Harbaugh making the leap from the college game.

But the 49ers have taken on the hard-nosed, fiery identity of Harbaugh and have adopted a smash-mouth style of play that has helped them to win some close games. It’s the opposite approach of the Packers, who have relied on the outstanding play of quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his talented group of receivers to roll to a perfect record midway through the season. With the Green Bay offense averaging a league-best 34.4 points per game, it’s easy to see why people gambling on NFL futures have made them the favorite to win Super Bowl XLVI at 3-to-2 odds.

The 49ers haven’t been the only team to exceed expectations in the first half of 2011. No one would have predicted that the Buffalo Bills would own a share of the AFC East lead halfway through the season, but they stand at 5-3 along with preseason favorites New England and the New York Jets. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and running back Fred Jackson have guided a balanced offense that ranks in the top five in the league in scoring. Another team off to a surprise start is the Cincinnati Bengals, who are tied atop the AFC North with a 6-2 record thanks to the surprise play of rookie quarterback Andy Dalton. They’ve also been a moneymaker for people gambling on sports this season, with a 7-1 record ATS.

People expected Green Bay to be strong this season, and they certainly have delivered. But other teams have cracked under the pressure of expectations and mounting injuries. No team has faltered more abruptly than the Indianapolis Colts, whose season was over before it started after they discovered that star quarterback Peyton Manning’s neck injury would keep him out for most or all of the season. With Manning no longer running the offense, the Colts have collapsed, going 0-9 while being outscored by more than 17 points per game. Even with Manning, the Colts might have fallen on hard times, as the defense has been just as poor as the offense.

The Colts are just one of several teams that are part of the “Suck for Luck” sweepstakes, as the team with the worst record in the league will have the first crack at Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck in the 2012 NFL draft. Another contender for the No. 1 overall pick is the St. Louis Rams, who are a season removed from nearly making the playoffs. Rams QB Sam Bradford has regressed, although he hasn’t been helped by the lack of playmakers at the skill positions. The Rams sit at 1-7 along with the Miami Dolphins, who also appear to have a lack of dynamic players on offense.

While some teams are already planning for next season, a few teams are currently at the brink of either being legitimate playoff contenders or out of the hunt. One of these teams is the San Diego Chargers, who most people thought would cruise in the AFC West and finally become a Super Bowl threat. But injuries and a shocking rash of turnovers from QB Philip Rivers have dropped the Chargers to 4-4 and a tie with the Kansas City Chiefs and Oakland Raiders in the standings. Even the Denver Broncos, with their controversial QB Tim Tebow, are only a game out of things in the wacky AFC West. Clearly, all four teams have something to play for over the next few weeks.

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As most NFL teams started the “second quarter” of their season on Week 5, the weekend’s games give fans and people who bet on sports a chance to reflect on which teams are true playoff contenders and which ones are pretenders. And while the results of Sunday’s games might not give the full perspective on a team’s overall chances, fans and those who bet on NFL games were able to get a strong idea about where certain teams are after this week’s action.

No game exemplified that more than the Buffalo Bills’ 31-24 win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the fact that the Bills came into the game 3-1 and the Eagles were 1-3, people gambling on NFL games didn’t have faith in Buffalo’s ability to win, installing Philadelphia as -3 favorites on the road. But the same problems that have plagued Philadelphia all season came back to haunt them again on Sunday against Buffalo, starting with a lack of discipline. The Eagles turned the ball over five times, and committed a terrible offside penalty on a 4th-and-one last to seal the game for Buffalo. Meanwhile, the Bills were efficient and effective on the ground and continued to show that they are a solid play each week for people gambling on sports.

Another team with something to prove was the Oakland Raiders. Coming off a tough loss to New England, the Raiders needed to win against Houston to get back above .500 and show that they are a legitimate contender in the AFC West. And in honour of owner Al Davis, who died the day before, the Raiders were able to “just win, baby” as they went into Houston and claimed a 25-20 victory over the Texans. Houston was without star WR Andre Johnson and weren’t able to put Oakland away. Matt Schaub threw for 416 yards but his pass into the end zone was intercepted on the final play – a potentially heart-stopping moment if you bet on sports.

While Houston’s loss shouldn’t hurt them in the long run, other teams failed to get much-needed victories in Week 5 to turn around disappointing seasons. Much like the Eagles, the New York Jets came into the season as Super Bowl favourites, boasting a great running game and perhaps the most talented defence in the league. However, they’ve been unable to put together a solid game from start-to-finish this season, resulting in a 2-3 record. Sunday’s game against New England was no different, as the Jets were competitive in the first half but faded in the second half as the Patriots (4-1) won 30-21. New York has given up 34 second-half points in their last three games, a sign that the Jets’ defence may be getting older and not better. If you’re gambling on sports, you might want to keep a close eye on the second-half line next week when the Jets host the Dolphins, particularly the over.

The biggest upset of the week came from the other New York team, as the Giants fell 36-21 at home to the Seattle Seahawks. Despite being +10 underdogs and giving up 420 yards to Eli Manning, the Seahawks (2-3) were able to take advantage of five turnovers by the Giants (3-2) to cruise to a comfortable victory. Seattle’s win was the biggest upset of the season to date and proof that anything can happen when you are gambling on NFL games.

The football weekend wraps up on Monday night with a clash of NFC North contenders as the Chicago Bears travel to take on the Detroit Lions. It’s a chance for the Lions (4-0) to continue their perfect start to the regular season and show that they are a legitimate force in front of a national television audience. For the Bears (2-2), the game presents the opportunity to get above .500 after a poor start and keep touch with the Green Bay Packers within the division. Detroit is a -6 favourite, and with good reason: they are 8-0-1 ATS dating back to last season, while Chicago is just 1-3 ATS this season. If you bet on NFL games and are looking for a late-week score, this game could be one to jump on.

The Aussie Socceroos have defeated Malaysia 5-0 in their friendly international at Canberra Stadium last night. The win sets up the Aussies for next weeks World Cup Qualifier against Oman on Tuesday at Sydney's ANZ Stadium.

Luke Wilkshire opened the Aussie's account within the first 2 minutes after Rhys Williams sent a square pass into the middle after a strong run from full back. Malaysia were quick to respond when Safee Sali drove  a low cross-shot across the face of the Aussie's goal however Federici was able to hold off the visitors advances.

For the remainder of the match, the Aussie dominated possession, and in the 33rd minute Josh Kennedy would open his account with a lightning bolt volley that found the back of the net. Only 10 minutes later, Kennedy would lock in his second for the match after a brilliant Williams cross enabled him to easily volley it into the Malaysian goal. In the 38th minute Brosque opened his account after a Kennedy lay off allowed him to send one into the back of the net.

Going into the break, the Aussies were in complete control with a 4-0 lead. With the home side in such dominating position Holger Osieck decided to give a few of the other Socceroos a run in the second half introducing Coe for Federici, Matthew Spiranovic for Sasa Ognenovski, Adam Sarota for  Carl Valeri and James Troisi for Kennedy.

Just as the game was winding down, Brosque collected his second of the night after he sent a strong kick past Malaysian keeper Che Mat from the corner of the penalty box.

At the end of proceedings, the Aussie booked a very convincing 5-0 win over the Malaysian squad. The win sets up the Socceroos nicely for their World Cup Qualifier against Oman on Tuesday night in Sydney as they look to cement their place in the Brazil 2014 World Cup roster.

Australia 5 (Luke Wilkshire 2’, Josh Kennedy 33’, 45’, Alex Brosque 38’, 69’)
Malaysia 0

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The Frys.com Open in San Martin California is the centre of the Golf media at the moment, and while all eyes are on former world number one Tiger Woods, a handful of Aussies are in looming to take the glory and a slice of the $5,000,000 purse.

Sitting in equal second place at 3 under par are Aussies Rod Pampling, Aron Price, Matt Jones and Steven Bowditch. Only one shot behind that pace are fellow Aussie's Jarrod Lyle and Greg Chalmers who shot 69 for 2 under par and equal 3rd place in the overall standings.

While the media continue to focus on Tiger, the Aussies are positioning themselves well amongst a strong field. While Woods was an early favourite in the betting on Sportsbet, he has now dropped to an outside chance and is paying $17.00 for anyone looking to have a bet on golf.

Woods started off in typical Tiger fashion making an easy birdie on the first, but the remainder of the round would see the former world number one struggle with the putter all day. Woods finished the round with a 2 over 73 pushing him back into the pack.

Will Woods find his form around the greens and return to the glory days of old? Time will tell.

You can watch all the action live on Fox Sports One and Fox Sports 1 HD over the weekend with coverage starting from 8am on Saturday and into Sunday at the same time, and same channel.

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If there was one thing that people who bet on NFL games learned this past weekend, it’s that there is no such thing as a safe lead. In game after game on Week 4, teams held big leads in the second half only to see them evaporate instantly. As fans gambling on NFL games know, offenses are producing points in bunches, meaning that teams can come back from big holes in a short period of time. And no game exemplified this trend more than the Detroit Lions’ 34-30 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

During the first half, it was all Dallas as they built a seemingly insurmountable 27-3 halftime lead, thanks to two touchdown receptions by Dez Bryant. But things came unraveled for the Cowboys in the second half, as quarterback Tony Romo again faltered in the clutch. He was responsible for two touchdowns in back-to-back series early in the second half – unfortunately for Cowboys fans and those gambling on sports that had money Dallas, they were both touchdowns for Detroit as the Lions returned two interceptions for touchdowns.

Late in the game, it was Detroit’s tandem of Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson that were the difference, combining for a pair of touchdowns in the final quarter to pull Detroit ahead. A final drive fell flat for Dallas, completing the biggest collapse in franchise history. Meanwhile, Detroit moved to 4-0 with a second consecutive 20+ point comeback, cementing their place as the feel-good story of the early part of the NFL season. People gambling on NFL futures will want to note that teams which start the year 4-0 make the playoffs 75 percent of the time, so a bet on the Lions to make the postseason seems like a strong play.

Meanwhile, there was nothing to feel good about in Philadelphia, as the Eagles fell to 1-3 on the season after dropping a 24-23 decision to the visiting San Francisco 49ers. Michael Vick’s career-best 416 passing yards wasn’t enough for the Eagles, who blew a 23-3 lead in the third quarter. The fourth quarter has been the Achilles Heel for Philadelphia in their recent three-game slide, as they’ve been outscored 36-0 during the stretch. Things won’t get any easier for Philadelphia as they have to travel to Buffalo next week.

If you bet on NFL games this season, you are used to the Bills giving you last-minute thrills, and their game on Sunday was no different. The difference was that unlike the last two weeks, it was Buffalo who fell to a late comeback as they were stunned by the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20 to end their hopes of a 4-0 start to the season. The Bills led 17-3 at halftime, but rookie Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton was able to lead Cincinnati to 20 second-half points with Mike Nugent’s 43-yard field goal as time expired serving as the difference. It was a trend-breaking win for the Bengals, as they had dropped their last 10 games against Buffalo.

Not every NFL game came down to the wire on Sunday. People gambling on sports were able to find comfort that the Patriots reclaimed their status as one of the league favorites after New England went into Oakland and walked away with a comfortable 31-19 victory. One week after a late-game collapse against Buffalo, New England had little trouble putting away a Raiders squad that moved the ball well but stalled out inside the red zone. Tom Brady directed the Patriots’ offense to a virtually flawless game with no turnovers, while Wes Welker continued his impressive early-season performance by catching nine passes for 158 yards and a touchdown. New England has a chance to claim favorite status back in the AFC East next week when they take on the staggering New York Jets, whose offense looked anemic in a 34-17 defeat to Baltimore on Sunday night.

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Arsenal manager Arsene Wegner might have been celebrating his 15th year leading his side on Sunday, but the results of his team’s north London derby against Tottenham left little to cheer about. Spurs were able to use a long-range shot from Kyle Walker midway through the second half to claim a 2-1 victory and keep Arsenal reeling at the bottom of the Premier League table. The Gunners now have just seven points from seven Premier League matches, a stunning early-season result for a team earmarked for possible championship glory by those who bet on Premier League futures before the season started.

Arsenal have slipped from one of the “Big Four” to a 50/1 shot to win the Premier League; in fact, people gambling on EPL action might be better served to take Arsenal as a 100/1 shot to be relegated at the end of the season. While it might seem implausible, people skilled at gambling on sports only need to look back at Newcastle United being in the Championship a few seasons ago to know just how quickly things can go wrong.

And there’s little doubt that things have gone very wrong with Arsenal in a very short amount of time. The back line – a source of problems for the season – mostly held its form against Spurs, although they looked shaky after Walker’s 30-yard strike broke the 1-1 score. Arsenal had several chances to add a second goal, but poor finishing helped to seal their fate. Even worse, Bacary Sagna broke his leg during a challenge with Benoit Assou-Ekotto, leaving the fullback out for three months. The injury is particularly damaging for Arsenal because of their already-thin back line. Fans gambling on EPL matches next week will want to keep this in mind ahead of the Gunners’ match-up against Sunderland, who drew 2-2 at home to West Brom and are keeping Arsenal company near the bottom of the table.

There were little surprises at the top of the table, as backing the favourites was the smart move this weekend for people who bet on Premier League matches. Both of the Manchester sides claimed victories, although Manchester United hardly looked convincing in their win over Norwich City. The 2-0 score was not a fair representation of the action, as Norwich City controlled much of the flow and had several chances to get on the board. In the end, goals by Anderson and Danny Welbeck made Norwich City pay for not finishing their chances. The Red Devils will have to improve their recent form if they want to stay on top of the table after this weekend – a trip to Anfield beckons, where they will face a Liverpool squad coming off an impressive 2-0 win at Everton. This match should be of great interest to both casual fans and those who bet on Premier League matches.

Manchester City stayed level on points with their rivals with a comfortable 4-0 victory at Blackburn Rovers. Manchester City was the dominant team from the opening whistle, but Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson was able to keep a clean sheet through halftime. However, Manchester City was simply too much in the second half. Mario Balotelli capped a solid afternoon with a goal in the 56th minute, opening up the floodgates for the Blues. Like Manchester United, they’ll be stepping up in class this weekend as they host an Aston Villa side creeping up the table following a 2-0 win over Wigan.

If you were gambling on sports this week, no Premier League result might have been more surprising than Fulham’s 6-0 thrashing of QPR at Goodison Park. Fulham came into the west London derby winless in Premier League play and having gone through a stretch of European and Carling Cup play. However, Andrew Johnson quelled any doubts by rebounding in a second chance off a Moussa Dembele just two minutes into the match to give the Cottagers an early lead. Johnson would end up with a hat trick to go along with goals by Danny Murphy, Bobby Zamora and Clint Dempsey to pull Fulham temporarily out of the relegation zone.

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People who bet on Premier League matches know that European club competitions can have a huge impact on what happens domestically. This week’s UEFA Champions League action has already proven this to be the case, as Manchester City left Germany in turmoil after their mid-week match. Not only were the Blues handled 2-0 in a shockingly easy win for Bayern Munich, the fallout from the loss might mean the loss of one of their biggest stars. Manchester City suspended Carlos Tevez for two weeks while it investigates allegations by manager Roberto Mancini that the volatile Argentine refused to come off the bench as a second-half substitute.

Mancini has insisted that Tevez is “finished” with the Premier League, proof that Manchester City might have been wise to heed Tevez’s transfer requests before the season started. Not having Tevez available might not be enough to undermine Manchester City’s chances this season, but it does cast a pall on their match this Saturday against Blackburn and might raise eyebrows for veterans of gambling on EPL matches. The good news for Manchester City is that Blackburn is stuck in reverse, and should pose little threat to a Manchester City side that had trouble gaining possession against Bayern Munich. Blackburn is missing three of their top-choice defenders to injury and Martin Olsson suspended, meaning that Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson could be under siege from the opening kick.

While Blackburn is struggling with missing players while trying to pull themselves out of the Drop Zone, Manchester United is dealing with similar issues at the top of the table. They are also dealing with a similarly shocking Champions League result from midweek as Manchester City – the Red Devils needed a last-minute Ashley Young header to salvage a 3-3 draw against Swiss side Basel at home. They’ll look to right the ship on Saturday with a home date against Norwich. Manchester United is the heavy favorites despite their struggles and injury problems – including the certain absence of Wayne Rooney and the possible loss of Javier Hernandez. Keep in mind that Norwich actually beat the Red Devils in their last Premier League meeting, a 2-0 win in April 2005. That – and the 14/1 odds against Norwich – are something to think about it you are someone looking for a big payout when gambling on sports.

Chelsea has a slightly better Champions League experience this week, but they were unable to do more than get a road point in a 1-1 draw at Valencia. Still, their matchup against Bolton has all the earmarks of a walk in the park. Bolton is currently at the bottom of the table, having dropped their last five matches while conceding 16 goals in that stretch. It could be a day to make a bet on Premier League side wagers such as Chelsea scoring three or more goals. With the leaky Wanderers’ defense and Chelsea lurking near the top of the table, the 15/8 odds could be a winning combination for people gambling on sports.

One of the marquee matchups of the weekend features Arsenal traveling to White Hart Lane to take on Tottenham. The Gunners have found their footing over the last week, with home wins against Bolton in Premier League action and Olympiakos in Champions League play. However, they’ll have to reverse their recent run of horrible play away from home if they want their streak to continue. The only thing consistent about gambling on EPL matches featuring Arsenal is their poor defense away from the Emirates Stadium. They’ve conceded 12 goals in their last two away matches in the Premier League, and have won just twice away from home in their last 16 matches in all competitions. Meanwhile, Tottenham have been able to defend their home turf when it matters most, as they’ve racked up a 9-0-6 record in the last 15 London derbies at White Hart Lane (their last loss at home to a London side was to Arsenal in September 2007).

Last week’s NFL action featured some shocking upsets, so it’s little surprise that picking the underdogs was a successful strategy for people who bet on NFL games. The underdogs went 9-5-2 ATS in Week 3, with several teams pulling off big victories over teams that entered the season as Super Bowl favourites. The results set up an intriguing week of gambling on NFL games, as bettors are faced with several teams that will have to maintain the momentum from big victories and prove they deserve to be considered among the elite teams in the league.

This includes the Buffalo Bills, who shocked the football world last week by coming back from a 21-0 hole to beat the New England Patriots. The 34-31 victory was the second huge comeback win in a row for the Bills and moved their record to 3-0. This week, the Bills travel to Cincinnati, where they will be in the unfamiliar role of being a -3 road favourite after having been underdogs in each of the first three games of the season. However, it’s the same spot they were in last season, when they traveled to Cincinnati as a -4 favourite and thumped the Bengals 49-31. With Ryan Fitzpatrick and Fred Jackson leading a balanced offence, there’s little reason for people gambling on sports to think that the Bengals can score enough points to keep pace with the high-flying Bills.

Another team with something to prove are the Detroit Lions, who travel to Dallas looking to keep their perfect season intact. Like Buffalo, Detroit had to rally to win last week, except they did it as favourites by coming back from a 20-point halftime hole to beat Minnesota in overtime. This week they head to Dallas to take on a Cowboys team coming off a bruising, sometimes ugly win over Washington on Monday. Conventional wisdom about gambling on NFL games says that Dallas could be in trouble with a short turnaround week, but that cliché hasn’t held so far this season: teams coming off Monday night games are 4-4 straight up and ATS so far this season.

Several other teams have a chance to make statement games this weekend, offering intriguing choices to make for people who bet on NFL action. With Peyton Manning-less Indianapolis going into the tank, the AFC South is up for grabs, and both Houston and Tennessee are looking to assert their rights to the division leadership. The Texans host Pittsburgh this week, with the Steelers being in the unusual roles of +4 underdogs. The Steelers were far from impressive in barely holding off a depleted Colts squad on Sunday night, and Houston’s offence has been humming. An amazing stat is that Pittsburgh’s defence has created just one turnover in three games – a sign that they are either getting old or have just been unlucky. Savvy veterans of gambling on sports might want to steer clear of the main bet and focus on the over/under of 45. Houston is a high-scoring team, and the over is 6-1 in the last seven Steelers games.

As the Bills look to keep their momentum alive from last week’s game, the Patriots are simply looking to get off the deck. However, they have a tough time when they travel to the “Black Hole” to take on a tough Raiders team looking to build a case for being AFC West contenders. Oakland’s rushing game is tops in the league, averaging 185 yards per game behind the electrifying Darren McFadden. However, Oakland’s defence is just 28th in the league against the pass, a stat that must have Tom Brady salivating. Oakland is +4 underdog at home in this game, but much like the Pittsburgh @ Houston game, the real value might be in the over/under. The total has been over in six of the last seven Patriots road games, while the over is 5-0 in the last five Raiders home games. Look for plenty of points to be scored and the 55-point over/under to be seriously threatened.

The Sunday night game has the potential to be very interesting as well, as the New York Jets look to rebound from their loss to Oakland last week by traveling to Baltimore. The Jets were smashed physically last week, with Mark Sanchez suffering a broken nose that shouldn’t keep him out of the lineup. There are still plenty of reasons to like New York to cover as +3.5 dogs – the Jets are 13-6 as underdogs in their last 19 games (proof that coach Rex Ryan can use being the underdog as motivation) while the Ravens are 0-5-1 ATS the week after winning by more than 14 points. Will a Ravens letdown happen? Only time will tell.