2009-12-04

If you’re looking for most of the big pointspreads on the NFL betting board for Week 13, you’ll find most of them in the 1:00 PM ET kickoffs. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago, and Orleans all play as near double-digit favorites or more. However, at least two of the 10 early games are expected to be competitive. Here is a look at those two contests, plus a BEST BET writeup from the StatFox Platinum Sheet on the Indy-Tennessee game. Be sure to click over to the LIVE ODDS, BETTING TRENDS, and TEAM STATISTICS pages on Sportsbook.com for all the latest info before confirming your Sunday plays.

(341) HOUSTON at (342) JACKSONVILLE

The Jaguars and Texans both maintain wildcard hopes but it is getting late for Houston, who is 5-6 after losing to Indianapolis. They are now 1-4 in divisional games this season, including a 31-24 home loss to Jacksonville back in September. That sets up a nice spot for HC Gary Kubiak’s team, who is on a 16-6 ATS run revenging a loss where the opponents topped the 28-point mark. HC Jack Del Rio’s team is off another horrible trip west, a 20-3 setback to the 49ers which dropped their record to 6-5. This starts a 3-game homestand for the Jaguars, who are desperate to improve a 2-11 ATS slid in home games over the last season-and-a-half. Houston, who has played surprisingly well on the road, 7-2 ATS in its L9, is also 5-2 ATS at Jacksonville since ’02.

(363) NEW ENGLAND at (364) MIAMI

Miami’s playoff hopes took a crushing blow when it lost in Buffalo. They may be relegated now to the spoiler role, and will try to do just that to New England’s quest to obtain the AFC’s #2 seed in the postseason. For HC Tony Sparano’s team, it was a first divisional ATS loss of ’09 (3-2 SU & 4-1 ATS). The Patriots are 3-1 in division game so far but just 1-3 ATS. That only loss, at New York, snapped a 6-game SU & ATS winning streak on the road vs. AFC East foes. This is the second h2h meeting of ’09, with New England having won the first at home last month, 27-17, failing to cover an 11-point spread. Favorites are on an 8-3 SU & ATS run in the L11 matchups between these rivals in Miami, and the Dolphins are 2-5 SU & ATS as a home dog under Sparano.

StatFox Steve had this to say about the Indy-Tennessee game: Indianapolis has been playing with fire of late, and if I recall correctly, the Colts have set a record for most come from behind wins in the fourth quarter of any season already. That could catch up to them this week against one of the hottest teams in football, the Titans. Tennessee has moved to 5-6 after winning its last five games and I have a hard time seeing them NOT being competitive in this one. The Titans will be backed by a powerful revenge angle: Play On - Road underdogs of 3.5 to 10 points (TENNESSEE) - revenging a loss against opponent, with a winning percentage of between 40-49% on the season. (29-8 over the last 10 seasons.) (78.4%, +20.2 units. Rating = 2*). These teams have played a tight series historically, and with the Colts having trouble separating at home, I’d be surprised if this game isn’t highly competitive. Play: Tennessee +7