Week 9 Recap

A big card that was in the end, a loser.  I went 3-4 this week, though I should have been 4-3-- the Bears - Packers game went as expected, but with Aaron Rodgers getting injured, Seneca Wallace wasn't up to the task of pushing the number over.  That game had 34 - 27 written all over it, as the Bears moved up and down the field all night on the Packer's D.  That 9 minute, run-heavy drive in the fourth quarter was killer for the over, as the Bears were more than content to inch down the field and chew clock and settle for the field goal to go up 27 - 20.  That's why they call it gambling!

The other games were hit and miss.  The Pats blew the under without any help from the Steelers, and Philly hit the over without needing Oakland's contributions, as Foles went nuts.  The Falcons have packed it in; this is a game I really thought they'd be competitive in, but couldn't cover the +7.5 in a divisional game.  I did, however, get lucky to not push the total on the San Diego - Washington game, so 3-4 is better than 2-4-1 for the week.  And the Cincinnati thing; well, yeah.  That was a trap game and I totally missed it.

Speaking of trap games, there were three games that had a lot of chatter and a lot of sharp money.  The KC - Buffalo game was a huge sharp play this week, and the sharps had the right side and lost.  The Bills had gobs of offense, but couldn't handle the ball.  The Bills should have won this game out-right (and many smart bettors were all over this pick), but the inability to hold on the ball in key situations sent the Chiefs to 9-0.  I was off this game because of the QB situation, and I'm glad I did.  Still, Buffalo should have won this one.  Vegas killed the public on the Saints, another game I stayed off of-- I would have played the Jets around +9, but Vegas outwitted the public and had the Saints as a short favorite and built up a huge win with the Jets winning outright.  The Indy - Houston game was another one-- Indy had a lot of action as a short road favorite, especially since Houston has imploded.  The sharp play was the Texans, but I just can't go against Luck and his penchant for the late rally and cover.  And rally they did-- the script was perfect for Houston after the first half, but the Colts came back, in no small measure due to T. Y. Hilton getting over his butterfingers and looking like an elite receiver for the first time all season.  

How about those Cleveland Browns?  It's nice to see the Bengals and the Browns in the two top spots in that division, after so many years of dominance between the Steelers and Ravens.  The Browns and the Titans are quietly decent teams, along with Arizona.  There should be some value there in the weeks to come, in the right spots.  

NFL 2013 Week 9: 3-4
NFL 2013 Season Total: 15-10