The Linemakers on Sporting News offer our opinions and picks on Sunday’s card. The lines and totals listed below are the Vegas consensus as of Saturday. You can check updated NFL point spreads and totals on our live odds page . Browns vs. Falcons (-3, 47), 1 p.m. ET, CBS While both teams ride six-game UNDER streaks, The Linemakers’ Brian Blessing is going the other way on this one. Richie Baccellieri, meanwhile, likes the Falcons at home ....
It’s the fourth time the Rams visit the British capital, but their first chance to play in Britain’s biggest stadium since relocating to Los Angeles. The franchise’s only visit to Wembley dates all the way back to 2012 when the then-St. Louis Rams were on the receiving end of a 45-7 shellacking from the New England Patriots. In 2016, the Rams lost 17-10 to the New York Giants and a year later they thrashed the Arizona Cardinals 33-0, but both games were played at Twickenham—the home of England’s rugby team....
Just like in free agency, the tone of the NFL Draft will be set by how several teams choose to address quarterback. Since the first mock, there also have been multiple trades that will have big ripple effects for the top dozen picks. Although there will be more such deals to come, and it’s not a mock draft without taking those into account, here’s going through the first round as it stands now....
Oklahoma’s group of NFL prospects doesn’t have the depth of 2019 when eight players were drafted, but the 2020 class has just as much early firepower. CeeDee Lamb headlines a group that could make an early impact, especially if they end up where Sporting News’ Vinnie Iyer has them projected. Kenneth Murray and Neville Gallimore helped lead a much improved Sooner defense in 2019, and quarterback Jalen Hurts finished second in the Heisman after a senior season that is statistically equivalent to the last two No....
Jackson was confirmed as the MVP of the 2019 NFL season in Miami after starring for the 14-2 Ravens in his first full year as a starter. He broke Michael Vick’s single-season rushing record for a quarterback and led the league with 36 passing touchdowns as he delivered a series of astounding plays with his legs and arm. His performance earned him all 50 MVP first-place votes, making him only the second unanimous winner after Brady in 2010....
With his team’s success, coupled with monster numbers, it’s no surprise to see Rodgers as the odds-on favorite to win the 2014 season’s MVP award. Betting on who will win such awards is not allowed in Las Vegas, but we’ve come up with a set of mock odds ahead of Week 15 for your perusal and debate. Since 2000, only four non-QBs took home MVP honors. Adrian Peterson was the last one in 2012, but outshining the game’s best quarterbacks remains a rare feat....
The early odds, released by Bovada, feature the usual suspects: Quarterbacks Aaron Rodgers of the Packers (13/2), a two-time winner, and Tom Brady of the Patriots (7/2), the three-time and reigning MVP, stand out as favorites. Behind them is the Eagles’ Carson Wentz (19/2), who finished third in the voting behind Brady and Rams running back Todd Gurley last season. MORE: Watson injury update: Knee ‘doing good’ Gurley (40/1), following 2017, is only tied for 17th, with the other first two running backs on the board — Steelers RB LeVeon Bell and Cardinals RB David Johnson....
First proposed in the new collective bargaining agreement that was ratified by both teams and the NFL Players Association, the revamped playoff format will feature 14 teams as opposed to the 12 that have qualified for the postseason each year since the league last altered its playoff format in 1990. The changes mean the wild-card weekend will feature an additional two games, while only the top seed in each conference will have the luxury of a bye in the second round....
Meanwhile, one player is taking the opportunity to remind people he’s still looking for a job. Three things that matter Ezekiel Elliott ends holdout after getting Cowboys extension Just hours after Jared Goff signed a record-breaking deal with the Rams, Elliott got the contract he’s been holding out all offseason for — a six-year deal worth $90 million in new money that included $50 million guaranteed to make him the NFL’s highest-paid running back....
In total, the tablets will be used in 10 games during the first three weeks of the preseason. MORE: Why NFL replay expansion did not pass “The goal of experimenting with the Tablets is to be more efficient in administering replay reviews,” NFL Vice President of Officiating Dean Blandino said in a release. “We would like to determine if we can streamline the process.” The league used tablets for reviews for the first time in the Pro Bowl in January....
The public is still often overreacting to early-season results, so Week 5 once again presents some opportunities to go against popular picks with the odds on your side. This analysis is brought to you by PoolGenius – the only site that provides customized picks that maximize your edge in football pools. Check out their Football Pick ’em Picks, NFL Survivor Picks, and NFL Betting Picks. For a limited time, PoolGenius is also offering a free trial to Sporting News readers....
There also was one team, the Colts, that changed its potential identity from earlier in the week to becoming something old/different later in the week. At this point in the season, it’s about finding teams that more predictable in the sea of unpredictability. Here’s are Sporting News’ picks against the spread for every NFL Week 11 game. (Odds courtesy of Sports Interaction) NFL POWER RANKINGS: Chiefs overtake sliding Bills atop AFC...
There are some double-digit point spreads in Week 6, at least, per Sportsbook Review. The Ravens and Cowboys opened as such favorites over the Bengals and Jets, respectively. Those easy picks offset the five toss-up games that opened with point spreads of three or fewer points. MORE: Get the latest NFL odds at Sportsbook Review Though the NFL playoff picture is not a factor at this point in the season, Week 6 features a handful of key games that will impact division and wild-card races, particularly in the NFC....
The NFC East champion Washington Football Team claimed the NFC’s No. 4 seed and will host the Buccaneers in the wild-card round. The Chiefs and Packers got each conference’s lone bye. The Dolphins, Cardinals and Cowboys had costly Week 17 losses. And the Bills and Rams showed they can win even without their best players on the field. Beginning Jan. 9, the NFL will show off its expanded 14-team playoff bracket (up from the usual 12 for the first time this season)....
Entering the primetime games in Week 16, there are 10 teams outside of playoff seeding still in the hunt for a berth — and all of them are under .500. The Patriots, Jets, Titans, Steelers and Raiders are still alive in the AFC with all of their Week 16 matchups played. Of those teams, the Raiders stand the biggest outside chance at 6-9 entering Week 17 — and they still have a chance after the Dolphins lost to the Packers on Christmas....
It should come as no surprise that the two teams with 10-1 records, the Patriots and 49ers, are among those that have the year’s first chances to clinch spots in the NFL playoff picture. New Orleans (10-2) became the first team to clinch a playoff spot, securing the NFC South title for a third consecutive year with a win over Atlanta on Thanksgiving. MORE NFL STANDINGS:Current playoff picture | Updated draft order...
In the NFC, the Los Angeles Rams and the New Orleans Saints are positioned to take the first two seeds. Chicago also is looking like a very solid pick to make the postseason right now. Seattle, Minnesota, Dallas and Philadelphia are the top four teams fighting for the last three spots. There’s very little chance of Green Bay running the table, despite what Aaron Rodgers thinks, or Washington playing its way into the playoffs with backup quarterback Colt McCoy....
Here’s the update with four more weeks left in the 2018 regular season. MORE: NFL standings | Week 13 scoreboard NFL playoff picture AFC Who would be in: Chiefs (10-2), first in AFC West The Chiefs stay here after beating the Raiders, with a full game lead on both the Texans and Patriots. They have the tiebreaker for now over Houston, but they would lose it to New England based on a head-to-head loss....
After a wild-card weekend that was anything but wild, the NFL’s four divisional-round games combined to create what was, arguably, the best weekend in NFL playoff history. Each matchup was decided by a game-winning score on the field play, with the Bengals, 49ers and Rams all notching walk-off field goals and the Chiefs capping off a miraculous comeback with an overtime touchdown. Now, the four remaining teams will do battle to see who has the right to go to the Super Bowl....
In our last Sporting News power rankings before the playoffs, there’s another shakeup near the top based on the results of last week’s games. With a few more upsets, the middle and bottom also have a few more key changes. MORE: NFL playoff picture | Updated draft order Where does you favorite team stand or fall going into the final week? Without further ado, here’s the latest look at the NFL power structure, from No....
