NFL Week 2 Live Betting Weekend & MNF Preview At Bovada
Of Bovada's three live play-by-play betting games Sunday in Week 1, the road underdogs paid off nicely for bettors in two of them. Behind a record-setting debut from rookie quarterback Robert Griffin III, Washington (+8) pulled the upset of the opening weekend, 40-32, in New Orleans, where the Saints were 8-0 ATS in 2011. That was a 1 p.m. ET kick.
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The 4:15 p.m. live betting game was the other big surprise of Week 1 as San Francisco (+6) won 30-22 at Green Bay, handing the Packers their second straight loss at Lambeau after they had gone unbeaten there last regular season. The home team did cover in the Sunday night NBC game as Denver (-2.5) beat visiting Pittsburgh 31-19 in QB Peyton Manning's return to the NFL after missing all of 2011.
This week, the Sunday live betting games are all potential playoff matchups: Baltimore at Philadelphia (Super Bowl), the New York Jets at Pittsburgh and Detroit at San Francisco. Here's a look at each:
*-Ravens at Eagles (-3, 47): Philadelphia is 1-0 but had one of the most disappointing efforts of Week 1, a 17-16 win at Cleveland as a 9-point favorite. Michael Vick barely played in the preseason and it showed as he was picked off four times by the Browns. It was the most picks by a Philly quarterback in an opener since 1941. But the Iggles survived thanks to a terrible performance by Cleveland rookie QB Brandon Weeden, one of four rookie QBs to lose in Week 1. Weeden was 12 of 35 for 118 yards, four interceptions and a rating of 5.1. That was one of the worst ratings of any QB in a season opener since the AFL-NFL merger. The ugly effort dropped Philadelphia to 16/1 to win the Super Bowl and 15/2 to win the NFC.
Baltimore has long had one of the NFL's top defenses but might now finally have a top offense in the wake of Monday night's 44-13 victory over Cincinnati, easily covering the 7-point spread in Week 1's biggest blowout. Ravens QB Joe Flacco threw for 299 yards, two TDs and no picks and didn't play more than half of the fourth quarter. But now the Ravens have to play another contender on the road and on a short week, and Baltimore has covered just two of its past 10 games after a Monday nighter.
*-Jets at Steelers (-6, 41.5): Perhaps the biggest surprise in Week 1 was the offensive output of the Jets after a preseason in which the offense scored one touchdown. New York led the NFL with 48 points in Week 1 in a 20-point win vs. Buffalo. QB Mark Sanchez kept Tim Tebow on the bench - other than five insignificant carries - by throwing for 266 yards and three touchdowns. New York was one of five teams to score at least 40 points on opening weekend, an NFL record.
Pittsburgh ended its 2011 season with a loss in Denver (and Tebow) and opened 2012 with the same outcome. The Steelers actually controlled the ball for 10 minutes more than Denver thanks to going 11-for-19 on third-down conversions. But the Broncos got the game's two big plays: a 71-yard Manning pass to Demaryius Thomas and a Tracy Porter 42-yard interception return for a score. Pittsburgh, which hasn't started 0-2 in a decade, has won nine straight home openers.
*-Lions at 49ers (-7, 47): Detroit was a 9-point home favorite in Week 1 vs. St. Louis but needed a Matthew Stafford 5-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to avoid the big upset. Stafford tied Drew Brees' NFL record by passing for at least 350 yards in his fourth straight regular-season game, but he also had three interceptions and St. Louis scored 13 points off those.
The 49ers became the 7/2 NFC favorites with that impressive Week 1 win in Green Bay. The NFL's best rushing defense held the Pack to 45 yards on the ground. The Niners had arguably the worst receiving corps in the NFL last year, but new additions Randy Moss and Mario Manningham both contributed in Week 1, with Moss catching a 14-yard score. The 49ers rallied from a 19-15 fourth-quarter deficit last year in Detroit for a 25-19 win.
Monday Night Football: Peyton Hits The Road
Manning used to play at least half of his games in a dome while with Indianapolis. However, the Broncos are scheduled for just one dome game in this regular season and it's Monday night at Atlanta. The way both teams looked in Week 1, this could also be a Super Bowl preview - Broncos are 12/1 and Falcons 16/1 to win it all.
Manning was a coolly efficient 19-for-26 for 253 yards, two scores and no interceptions in Week 1 against a Pittsburgh defense that led the NFL in 2011. He also joined Dan Marino and Brett Favre as the only QBs with 400 career touchdown passes, and Manning reached that mark faster. He could pass Marino in October. Manning is 11-3 all-time in Monday night games.
Atlanta was a 1-point favorite at Kansas City last Sunday and rolled the Chiefs 40-24. Matt Ryan threw for three touchdowns and ran for another. To be fair, the Chiefs' defense was missing four starters. Kansas City actually outgained the Falcons, ran 14 more plays and was 11-for-16 on third downs. But Atlanta forced three turnovers.
As for facing the Broncos, Ryan has lost just once in eight tries at home vs. AFC teams and his Falcons are 3-point favorites. But Atlanta has covered just once in its past six MNF games.
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