NFL Week 4 Game Preview: San Francisco 49ers @ Philadelphia Eagles

Online Betting Overview

The Philadelphia Eagles are in huge trouble. Aside from being 1-2 to start the season, the Eagles are incapable of protecting quarterback Michael Vick. Philadelphia and Vick can complain about the officiating all they want. But if the offensive line takes the steps to put a stop to late hits, then those hits are less likely to happen. Many of those “late hits” are also follow-throughs from defensive linemen making legal and clean plays. The worst hit Vick has sustained this season was from his own offensive lineman who was standing around as Vick was being thrown to the ground. The offensive line and Michael Vick are not working together and it is causing all kinds of problems. Running back LeSean McCoy doesn’t seem to be having any issues with the offensive line as he is averaging more than 100 rushing yards and a touchdown per game. Once the Eagles figure out its problems on offense, then it is time to figure out the issues on defense.

The San Francisco 49ers has a lot of interesting NFL betting lines coming up this season. This game is interesting because it pits the athletic and quick San Francisco defensive line against the weak Eagles’ offensive line. But the 49ers are still having problems on offense. New head coach Jim Harbaugh is the third San Francisco head coach to see some sort of potential in quarterback Alex Smith and, once again, Smith is unable to deliver. Harbaugh was a quarterback himself in the NFL during his playing days, and it leads people to wonder if Alex Smith really can play or if the 49ers keep grasping at straws at the quarterback position.

Philadelphia Eagles

NFL fans in Philadelphia had huge plans for their team this season. Playoff plans were being made and Super Bowl hotel reservations had already been called in. But with the 1-2 start that the Eagles have gotten off to, many of those plans may have to be changed. Yes, the Eagles have some of the best offensive talent in the league at the skill positions. But football games are won at the line of scrimmage, and the Eagles just do not stack up at the line on offense or defense. Philadelphia has shown time and again that it cannot protect Michael Vick and it also cannot sustain pressure on the opposing quarterback. The Eagles have great skill players, but it lacks the role players a team needs to win.

San Francisco 49ers

The 49ers are fishing games out from last season to try and find out what is wrong with its offensive line. The problems for San Francisco on offense are a combination of quarterback Alex Smith’s inability to make good decisions and the offensive line’s inability to run block. When you put those two factors together, you get an offense that is not going anywhere. The 49ers cannot live off of its defense forever, and this game will be proof of that.

The Bottom Line

This is one of the more difficult NFL picks for the week because everyone wants to bet against the Eagles. The 49ers have improved drastically over last season, but it still lacks key players in key positions to stop a team like the Eagles. The San Francisco linebackers are tough and aggressive, but the secondary tends to give up big plays. When you bring together the 49ers’ weak offensive line with its sketchy secondary, you get a combination Michael Vick can beat.

Pick: Philadelphia Eagles

Champions League Betting: Bayern v Man City

Bukomir's Predictions

27 September, 2011

Allianz-Arena

Bayern vs Man City

ko 19:45 BST

The new kinds on the block are messing with the in form, four time European champion - it should be a 100 % entertainment on Tuesday night and I will add some more by placing a small bet on the game.

Last game

Bayern easily took all the points at home against another Champions League competitor - Bayer Leverkusen (3:0). City beat Everton 2:0 and are still unbeaten in England.

My thoughts

Top placed Bayern is welcoming the new boys Man City in a clash that should answer some questions in this Group A. The home side is flying on the wings of 9 wins in a row in all competitions while also managed to keep clean sheets in all of them. Bayern beat Villarreal 2:0 in the opening fixture and another win on Tuesday night will leave them at the top of the group. The pressure is clearly on visitors side and that can reflect in open game with lots of chances in front of Joe Hart. Bayern will surely score a goal here - the team has a massive attacking power and I can't see a way for City to keep the clean sheet.

The question is can Man City fight back? I think, yes. Dzeko and Aguero are in very good shape and the whole team is playing more offensively than last year. I am not convinced City have enough to steal all the points here but they can surely try to score one or two and see what happens.

Bet selection:
I will take "Both teams to score" - 1.72 @ bet365.

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Bookmakers of choice:
This season I will use mainly the following bookies to bet on UEFA Champions League as I find them secure, trusted and user friendly:

bet365 or Bet-at-home.


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NFL 2011-2012 Week 2 Preview: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Minnesota Vikings (-3)

Online Betting Overview

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were beaten by the developing offensive juggernaut in the Detroit Lions in week one. The Bucs could have given up a lot more points in that game if it had not played better defense in the second half. The fact that the Buccaneers were able to identify the issues it was having defensively with the Lions and adjust at half time says a lot about the development of Tampa. The only problem for the Bucs was their inability to pick up points in the second half. The Detroit defense is aggressive and angry and it seemed to overwhelm the Tampa offensive line at times. The Minnesota defense is equally as aggressive, but the Vikings are more calculating on defense. They think about things a lot more than most other defenses do, and that may be a problem for Tampa.

Even with a solid defense on the field, the NFL betting lines are still a little shaky in Minnesota because of the offense. As expected, running back Adrian Peterson was a dominant part of the Vikings offense in week one against the San Diego Chargers. But the reasons why the Washington Redskins traded veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb were evident immediately. McNabb was 7 of 15 for the game with 39 total passing yards. He did throw a touchdown pass, but he also threw an early interception that eventually resulted in a touchdown. The Vikings scored 0 points in the second half and showed little cohesiveness on offense.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

The biggest problem that the Bucs will have in this game offensively is dealing with the Minnesota pass rush. NFL fans in Minnesota know that the one thing their team consistently has is a good defense. But Tampa likes to throw the ball, and that is where the Vikings are weakest on defense. Once you get past the defensive line, the Vikings become vulnerable. The Tampa running game was frustrated at its lack of carries in the opener against Detroit and, unfortunately for them, it will not be getting better against the Vikings. The Bucs will be throwing the ball deep to test that Minnesota secondary. On defense, the Bucs will keep bringing pressure and counting on its young secondary to stay with the Minnesota receivers.

Minnesota Vikings

This is not an easy NFL pick this week because Donovan McNabb could explode for a 300-yard passing day. But without any real deep threats to throw to, the Vikings make it easy for a defense to key in on the pass rush. The Bucs’ run defense is not nearly as good as the Chargers’, which means that running back Adrian Peterson could have a good day. If McNabb bombs in front of the home town crowd, then head coach Leslie Fraiser may not have any choice but to go with the rookie Christian Ponder. But it is debatable as to whether or not that will make things any better.

The Bottom Line

Brett Favre is out there bass fishing somewhere and he is on the minds of Minnesota Vikings’ fans. The abbreviated training camp due to the lockout has something to do with the poor play of the Vikings’ offense, but McNabb has to take some of the blame. While the Vikings are favored in this contest, this could be a victory for the young Buccaneers.

Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers

NFL 2011 Preseason Week 4 Preview: Houston Texans @ Minnesota Vikings

Online Betting Overview

It is déjà vu all over again for the Houston Texans as many football experts are picking this to be the year that the Texans replace the Indianapolis Colts as the top team in the AFC South. Many of the same experts said the same thing last year and the Texans did not make the playoffs. The Colts are an easy target right now. They just lost pro bowl cornerback Bob Sanders to the Chargers and starting quarterback Peyton Manning may not be able to play in the first week or two of the regular season. But the Texans have a lot of areas to address before it can sit atop the AFC South and call itself a division champion. There are reasons why Houston missed the playoffs last year. Some of those reasons are being addressed in this preseason, but others are being glossed over.

The Minnesota Vikings are probably Donovan McNabb’s last chance at being a starting quarterback in the NFL. His reputation took a beating in Washington when head coach Mike Shanahan continually questioned McNabb’s abilities. If McNabb wants to affect NFL betting lines again, he will need to step up his play. It looks like McNabb will be the starter when the Vikings open the season. But rookie quarterback Christian Ponder is making good on his statement that he wants to challenge for the starting job. Ponder is the future of the Vikings while Donovan McNabb fights to be the present.

Houston Texans
The biggest concern for NFL fans in Houston is the offensive line of the Houston Texans. The running game is overflowing with talented running backs and Andre Johnson will once again elevate the Houston passing game to new heights. But if the running backs do not have any holes to run through and quarterback Matt Schaub does not have time to throw, then the offense will still struggle. The Texans made some bold moves on defense that included moving defensive line Mario Williams to linebacker which should help improve the defense. The defense was a major issue last season, but if the Texans do not find a way to solidify the offensive line, then the major changes on defense may not lead to a playoff spot.

Minnesota Vikings
One of the more interesting NFL picks in the 2011 draft was quarterback Christian Ponder by the Minnesota Vikings. At the time of the pick, the NFL lockout prevented the Vikings from trading for veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb. Some fans started to assume that Ponder would be the starter. When McNabb entered the picture, Ponder went on the offensive saying that he would compete for the starting job. Ponder has been impressive, but after Donovan McNabb’s performance in preseason week three against the Dallas Cowboys, it became obvious that the veteran would at least start the season as the number one. Running back Adrian Peterson also looks ready for the regular season but may not play a lot in this final preseason game.

The Bottom Line
Houston has some great bass fishing and some high expectations for its football team. This last game of the preseason will feature mostly depth players for both teams, but Texans’ fans will want to keep an eye on how all of the offensive line players perform to see if Houston can fill in that last piece to become a playoff team.

Pick: Houston Texans