Week 13 KEY NFL TRENDS - 'Is 13 Truly Unlucky?'
Written by The Director
Thu, 29 Nov 2007
Category sportsbook
Feedback Rating - no votes
AT FIRST GLANCE...there are games that always look 'Tasty' ATS in many publication as a 'Bullet' trend only to 'trap' upon further review. In 2006, The Director looked for the first time to clear the way for you to understand which team has the real 'ADVANTAGE' against the 'Trend'. Week 13, The Director highlights 'Is 13 Truly Unlucky?':
Is 13 truly 'unlucky'? We will see as almost half of the games will be rematches of early season rivalries. The fireworks beginning as early as Thursday Night as the as the Green Bay Packers and DALLAS COWBOYS, both coming off easy Thanksgiving turkey feasts, battle for the first time since 2004; in a different coaching era, the Packers were able to take the ADVANTAGE, and steal one at Home by 21 points. With Garrard back at the helm, and now the INDIANAPOLIS COLTS facing injuries, the Jaguars will hope this week is unlucky for the Colts, as they look to regain their ADVANTAGE in their favorite role as Underdog. They return to Indianapolis where they are only .5 points away from being 3-0 ATS in their last three matchups there. With Ahman Green, the engine behind any victory that the Houston Texans will produce, the struggling Titans will welcome visiting Houston to take ADVANTAGE of a team that they are not only on a 3-0 run ATS in their last three matchups, but have averaged over 30 points per game. If Coughlin didn't think he was unlucky enough as Manning handed the ball repeatedly to the Minnesota defense, he enters Chicago where a Bears team reinivigorated after a big victory against Denver have held the ADVANTAGE going 2-0 ATS over the last three years versus the Giants since his arrival in New York.
With the Minnesota Vikings beating the NY Giants, and the Detroit Lions defense run over by the Packers, the rivalry returns to Minnesota. Having snapped the historical trend in Week 2 with a SU victory, the Lions, who have lost 3 of their last 5 ATS overall will have an uphill climb here. Including the Week 2 push, the Vikings are now 4-0-1 in their last five matchups with the Lions, including a 10-1 run SU in their last 11 games; the Lions had not won since Dennis Green was at the helm of the Vikings in 2001. Continuing their run, the Lions will be wrapping their eleventh year in a row as the Underdog. The Lions, who came closest in a loss here by only 3 points, will try to contain an offense that has outscored them by as many as 13 points twice here over the last 5 years.
ADVANTAGE VIKINGS
Now that Gruden has survived the front page coverage of the franchise's return to glory, the TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS will look to Gradkowski, who while struggling with only 9 completions last week knows that he was able to put up 225 passing yards here last year as the Bucs a season high 406 yards in the SU loss. Relying on their defense, Gruden will look to parlay the early season trouncing of the Saints in Tampa in Week 2, and continue the 2-0-1 run ATS in the Superdome over the last three years.
ADVANTAGE BUCCANEERS
If there were ever two franchises that were unlucky, it is in New York and Miami. In a game that will atttract few national advertisers, the NY Jets, whose spotlight dimmed to dark versus the Cowboys, will look to take ADVANTAGE of the MIAMI DOLPHINS, who are the definition of unlucky with their latest loss of Williams with a chest injury. Driven now by Beck and Cobbs, the Dolphins enter 0-7-1 versus the Jets in their last 8 matchups; the push finally coming earlier this season. Having combined for 59 points in Week 3 with 424 offensive yards from Green and Brown, the Jets, who have not been favored here since 2004 will look to navigate Joey Porter, and continue Mangini's 2006 winning streak here.
ADVANTAGE NY JETS
Having upset the path of historical trends with their upset victory of Kansas City last week, the Raiders, who battled the Broncos to the brink in Week 2 hope that Denver will be unlucky. Having gone 0-4 SU, 1-3 ATS in their last four matchups with Denver, they will hope that the Broncos are hungover from another second half collapse versus the Bears Although the Raiders broke the losing streak once in 2006, interestingly, the Broncos have outscored the Raiders by 18+ points when they enter Oakland as 3 or less point favorites over the last 4 years.
ADVANTAGE BRONCOS
With Croyle now falling in line on the injury list, the SAN DIEGO CHARGERS, who 'believe it or not' continue to lead the AFC West by quietly beating powerhouses like the Baltimore Ravens in going 5-1 ATS at Home will hope that without Huard, who passed the Chiefs to victory versus the Chargers in Week 4, the unlucky streak for the Chiefs will contiue at Qualcomm where the Chargers are on a 4-0 run ATS in their matchups outscoring the Chiefs by an average of 6 points per game.
ADVANTAGE CHARGERS
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