SR NFL Week 9: Preview and Predictions

SR NFL Week 9: Preview and Predictions

Featured

 

 

9:30 AM EST

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (London)

 

In a game where both teams need a win to maintain their playoff hopes, this should be a slobber knocker in London. Deshaun Watson’s coming into this game a little banged up but he’s been playing lights out. The team will be without Will Fuller again which means that Watson will be targeting his main receiver, DeAndre Hopkins. Hopkins has been soaking up all the targets and expects to get into the end zone in London against a Jags team that doesn’t have Jalen Ramsey anymore. The Texans defense took a big step back as they lost JJ Watt for the season last weekend and will have their hands full trying to stop Leonard Fournette in London. We all know the offense moves the way Leonard does and with Gardner Minshew slinging that football any and every way look for him to get DJ Chark involved as quickly as possible. This should be a great shootout in London and this game will be huge moving forward for playoff implications.

Score Prediction: Houston Texans Win (38-28)

 

 

1:00 PM EST

Chicago Bears @ Philidelphia Eagles

 

The Chicago Bears have been struggling on the offensive end and will need to figure things out fast. The NFC North Division is stronger than ever and the Bears are being left behind. They will need to continue to use David Montgomery in the running game like they did last week in order to beat the Eagles. Mitch Trubisky hasn’t got the job done throwing the ball this season and he may need to showcase some of that speed with his legs against that Eagles defense. If he can find Allen Robinson and get past that Eagles secondary they could be in good shape. The Eagles have had some locker room issues as of late but will be looking to get back in that winning column ASAP as they need to find a way to get their playmakers the ball in open space. Carson Wentz will need to find Ertz and Jeffrey in the passing game against that Bears defense as it could be tough on the ground for Jordan Howard. Both teams need a win badly and will need to use all three phases of the game to get the win in a matchup that should be rugged and hard-hitting.

Score Prediction: Chicago Bears Win (20-17)

 

Indianapolis Colts @ Pittsburgh Steelers

 

The Colts will be on the road going against the Pittsburgh Steelers who will be without their starting RB James Conner. Conner has an AC Joint Sprain and that will leave the running duties to Jaylen Samuels. The Colts haven’t been able to stop the run but they will try and make Mason Rudolph work hard by trying to beat them in the air. The Colts will be without TY Hilton against the Steelers and this will mean that Jacoby Brissett will depend on his tight ends Ebron and Doyle to come through. The good thing for the Colts is that they will have a healthy Marlon Mack in the backfield. Both defenses have been a little shaky this season and will try to slow down the opposing offenses. This could be the big Juju game that everyone has been waiting on including the Steelers. Without Conner look for the Pittsburgh to rely on the arm of Rudolph if they’re going to get the job done. The Colts are trying to get to 6 wins on the season and the Steelers are trying to stay in the mix in their division so this should be a close one.

Score Prediction: Indianapolis Colts (24-17)

 

Minnesota Vikings @ Kansas City Chiefs

 

Patrick Mahomes has been ruled as questionable for this matchup against the red hot Vikings. With that being said Mahomes has been taking snaps with the 2nd unit and should be ready to go for Week 10. The Chiefs will be going with Matt Moore against the Vikings defense that has come alive in the last couple of weeks. In order for the Chiefs to get a win at home, they will need to get Tyreek Hill involved quickly and in any way they can. Hill should be lined up in the slot and the backfield against Minnesota because they need the ball in their playmaker’s hands. If Moore can find Travis Kelce in the secondary they should have a good outing like last week. This is the Vikings team that we expected especially after last year as they’re playing lights out. The Vikings star wide receiver Adam Thielen will be a game-time but the way they’re playing they might not need him. This Vikings offense has been driven all season by the play of Dalvin Cook. Cook has been able to score anytime he wants and has been a beast in the backfield running/catching. With his play and the addition of Stefon Diggs playing like a pro bowler, it should be a good afternoon for Minnesota fans.

Score Prediction: Minnesota Vikings Win (31-17)

 

New York Jets @ Miami Dolphins

 

 

Both the Jets and Dolphins are struggling this season and it’s been tough to watch as a fan of either team. Combined the two teams have 1 win on the season and they’re in a division dominated by the New England Patriots. The Jets will have the upper advantage in this game as they have the better defense. The Jets were listening to calls on their two best players this past week (Adams & Bell) and they will probably come out pissed off while taking it out on the Dolphins. This should be a huge game for Leveon Bell as he has been asking for more touches and this should be the game the Jets offense does just that. Sam Darnold will have all of his weapons on full display and with the lack of effort on Miami’s side, it should be easy pickings. The Dolphins have been struggling all season and this game should no different on the road or at home, it doesn’t matter. It seems like everyone that leaves Miami gets better just ask Kenyan Drake who looks happy in Arizona. The Dolphins need to hope that they have a lot of Fitz-Magic going on at home in this one because they will need it and they will need a huge game from Mark Walton as well.

Score Prediction: New York Jets Win (28-10)

 

Washington Redskins @ Buffalo Bills

 

The Buffalo Bills are looking to bounce back in this game against the Redskins at home. Buffalo has the running game going and they came up just short last week. The Bills will look to use Josh Allen, Devin Singletary, and Frank Gore in this game a lot if they want to succeed against the Redskins. Josh Allen has evolved into an amazing young quarterback and he will be looking for his number one target John Brown in the passing game. This Bills team is very complete and they have a defense that can get it done in the passing game and running. The Redskins have benched Case Keenum and went with Dwayne Haskins for this week in Buffalo. This will be a tough task for a rookie to go into Buffalo to get a win but if it’s going to happen he will need to lean on Adrian Peterson and Terry McLaurin to get through the game. The Redskins still haven’t been able to get Trent Williams on the field yet and that will hurt them against a team hungry for a win to stay in the playoff hunt.

Score Prediction: Buffalo Bills Win (24-7)

 

Tennesee Titans @ Carolina Panthers

 

Kyle Allen has led this Carolina team to 4 wins on the season and if he wants to make it 5 wins he will need to keep feeding Christian McCaffrey. Allen has made some great throws off the weeks but got rocked by the undefeated 49ers last week. He will look to bounce back and get his guy Run CMC back in the mix as they play against a Titans team that is trying to get back into the win column. The Panthers have a lot of playmakers on the offense and will need to try to get Moore & Samuels involved early to get things going in the right direction. A lot of teams game plan for CMC and they need to have an alternate route especially if the Titans defense is on their game early. Christian can easily be in the MVP discussion because he means that much to this team and the way he plays dictates their fate. On the flip side, the Titans are still trying to find their identity with Ryan Tannehill at quarterback now. He’s been able to get the job done but they need a complete game on both sides of the ball as a team and that has yet to happen. They need to get the ball into Derrick Henry’s hands and make sure that they ride his hot hand throughout the game. The Titans have a young receiving core but they have emerged while Ryan has been under center. Both teams are scrappy and will try to get this win any way possible.

Score Prediction: Carolina Panthers Win (30-20)

 

4:05 PM EST

Detriot Lions @ Oakland Raiders 

 

This game has shootout written all over it as both teams like to throw the ball. The Lions have been throwing the ball a lot more because of the injury to Kerryon Johnson. Once he went to the IR it seemed like Matthew Stafford was like it’s time to put on the cape and start throwing like 30+ times per game. The Lions have some great receivers in Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones Jr. they will be using them to try to throw off the Raiders secondary. The Lions have some playmakers but they need to be able to have them on the field a lot if they want to win. That being said the defense needs to get to Derek Carr and make sure he doesn’t have time to pick them apart. Carr has Williams, Waller, and Jacobs on the offensive end. The Raiders have shown some glimpses of being a team that can have a lot of potential for the future but being 3-4 on the season they will try to outscore the Lions to win. Both defenses have a lot of injuries and they will try to stop these offenses but it will be a tough task as both teams like to throw a lot.

Score Prediction: Oakland Raiders Win (34-31)

 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Seattle Seahawks

 

The last time we saw Jameis Winston he threw 2 touchdowns but also had 2 interceptions. If he’s going to lead his team in Seattle he will need to cut down those interceptions and fumbles. Jameis has shown a lot of growth this season but he will need to trust in his line to give him enough time to get the ball to Godwin and Evans. The Bucs have one of the best WR duos in the NFL and will need them both to step up big time in Seattle. The Bucs running game is hit or miss that’s why Jameis forces a lot of throws but they will need to execute almost perfect going into the land of the 12th man. The Seahawks defense has got better over the weeks with Clowney and Wagner being on the same page so it looks like Jameis could be on the run a lot. On the other side of the Seahawks, you have Russell Wilson who has been playing lights out as one of the MVP candidates. The Bucs defense hasn’t been consistent and Wilson will make it tough on them with every run or throw. Wilson has his own talent but he also has some playmakers in Carson & Lockett. Both of them can beat anyone on the defense at any moment and this team will be even scarier when they get Josh Gordon out there in the next couple weeks.

Score Prediction: Seattle Seahawks Win (31-17)

 

4:25 PM EST

Green Bay Packers @ LA Chargers

 

The Chargers are struggling and playing some of their worst football that we can remember in Phillip Rivers era as the quarterback. It’s crazy that the Chargers are 3-5 but they have one of the most stacked teams on both ends of the ball. The Chargers will need to get the running game going against the Packers. Since Melvin Gordon has come back they haven’t run the ball as much and they’ve been behind so much they needed to pass. It’s nice passing the ball to Keenan Allen and Mike Williams but they need to get back to using their running backs properly. The Chargers defense has been banged up and this isn’t the best spot for them going against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers with the run they were on. The Packers are 7-1 and playing the best ball of the season right now. The dynamic duo of the Aaron’s have been on a tear and it hasn’t been fair on defenses. The Chargers will have to try to stop Aaron Jones and they will need to try and stop Adams if he suits up. This is a tough matchup for a Chargers team that needs a win badly but they will need to earn this one and prove they’re still the same team from last year. This game could go either way but it depends on which Chargers team we see on the field and judging by the past couple of weeks it will be tough to watch if you’re a Chargers fan as it will be tough slowing down Mr. Discount Double Check.

Score Prediction: Green Bay Packers (38-24)

 

Cleveland Browns @ Denver Broncos

 

The Cleveland Browns are in need of a serious win and that may happen on Sunday. It all depends on the Denver Broncos Defense because if they can get to Baker Mayfield before he can get the ball to OBJ or Landry it could be a long day. The bright spot for the Cleveland Browns this season has been Nick Chubb and even though he had a tough outing in New England last week look for him to bounce back. This offense is wrapped around Chubb and when he’s running and catching everything the Browns look really good. The Broncos will need Von Miller to get in the face of Baker all day to make anything happen. The Broncos announced earlier this week that Joe Flacco will be on IR and they will start Brandon Allen. The Browns defense should be licking their chops at the new quarterback and they should be able to make it tough on him. Look for the new quarterback to try and get the ball in his running backs hands as much as possible. The Browns should be in full control of this game and they will need it to get back in the mix in their division if they want to catch the Ravens.

Score Prediction: Cleveland Browns Win (24-13)

 

 

Nov 3, 2019 No Comments
Oklahoma City’s Well Balanced Attack Helps Defeat The Pelicans (115-104)

Oklahoma City’s Well Balanced Attack Helps Defeat The Pelicans (115-104)

Featured

The Thunder have been in all of the games that they’ve played this season and it didn’t stop tonight. Coming into this game against the Pelicans they knew they would have to limit turnovers and get back to the ball movement. This was the most complete offensive attack that the Thunder put out tonight as it seemed as though no one on the Pelicans could stop it. One of the bright spots for the Thunder was the fact that Darius Bazley was able to display some of the confidence that his coaches and teammates talk about all the time. Bazley was able to notch his career-high in points tonight against the Pelicans as he was able to beat them inside and outside. Bazley finished with 17 points on the night and 3/6 from the 3 point line. Darius Bazley has a lot of raw potential that has yet to be tapped into this season and if he continues at this rate anything is possible for him. Bazley has developed into a true slasher and has got better on the defensive end as it seems as though the rookie has no jitters at all. Another player that has been able to take his game to another level has been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This season SGA has made a huge jump in points as he’s averaging 10 points more per game this season than last season in LA. Coming to OKC has helped his game and he’s been able to have the green light and not slow down at all. The Pelicans tried to stop Shai with Jrue Holiday on the defensive end and it was a clear mismatch. Shai finished the game with 23 points and has shown everyone in the NBA that he’s a bonafide scorer and someone that teams will need to gameplan on. When Shai gets the angle to get to the rim he’s bound to make a beautiful finish at the rim or he’s going to get his teammates involved.

 

 

 

The Oklahoma City Thunder had 6 players in double figures tonight against the Pelicans who couldn’t stop them on defense. The Thunder played without Steven Adams for the second straight game and for the second straight game Nerlens Noel has stepped up. The defense that Nerlens has brought to the table has helped jumpstart the offense in fastbreaks as well. The player that has been consistently helping the Thunder on that second unit has been Dennis Schröder who finished this game with 17 points. Dennis has been one of those players that have been changing the game with his energy and his play. Dennis knows where his teammates are going to be and he also knows when to get his offense going as well. His play has been a huge help to the Thunder as it looks like they have the Dennis Schröder from Atlanta in OKC. The game really changed in a great way for the Thunder when they had the 3 guard lineup of Paul, Alexander, and Schröder. When the Thunder have those three on the court at the same time it seems to be a really good decision for the team. Those three will have to lead the Thunder all season and with the team beating the Pelicans to get their 2nd win on the season anything is possible moving forward.

The Pelicans were able to keep the game close against the Thunder but they didn’t have Brandon Ingram to finish the game. Ingram looked like he was on his way to having one of those good games that we’ve seen from him recently until his head injury. Once Ingram went out the game the Pelicans were leaning on Jrue Holiday, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart to get it done. All three of them combined for 38 points on the night but it wasn’t enough to get over the hump against the Thunder. Jahlil Okafor did play really well tonight as he added 15 points but he had some turnovers and fouls that didn’t help the case for them winning. This Pelicans team has a lot of potential and they will be a force to be reckoned with when Zion Williamson comes back from his knee injury. The Pelicans fell short against the Thunder tonight and now OKC will try to get another win against the Magic as they come to town on Tuesday night.

Nov 3, 2019 No Comments
SR Fantasy Football Week 9: Start/Sit & Love/Hate

SR Fantasy Football Week 9: Start/Sit & Love/Hate

Featured

Start:

  • Jonnu Smith, TE, Tennessee Titans

Tennessee looks to be without starting TE Delanie Walker once again, which opens the door for another strong performance from Jonnu Smith. With 9 receptions, 142 yards and one score over the last two weeks, Jonnu Smith is a very viable starter this week. His match up against the Panthers isn’t ideal, but new starting QB Ryan Tannehill has shown that Smith is one of his go-to targets. If you roster Delanie Walker or any TE on a BYE, look no further than Jonnu Smith. 

  • David Montgomery, RB, Chicago Bears

Coming off of a monster performance last week in the loss vs the Chargers, David Montgomery looks to continue his strong play against the Eagles this week. The Eagles rank 6th in the league against opposing running backs, but Montgomery just logged his most snaps yet in any game. Matt Nagy knows he needs Montgomery on the field, especially if they want to establish any presence on the ground. Tarik Cohen will still be a factor in the passing game, but as long as the Bears aren’t down big early, Montgomery will be the Bears RB you want. 

Sit:

  • LeSean McCoy, RB, Kansas City Chiefs

With four straight games of less than 10 Fantasy Points (.5 PPR), there is no way you can trust McCoy in fantasy. It seems as though Matt Moore will remain the starter in week 9 against the Vikings, which doesn’t help McCoy’s value whatsoever. The Vikings defense has been sturdy against the run, ranking 5th in the league against opposing RB’s, but their secondary has struggled heavily. WIth this in mind, McCoy should remain on your bench in week 9. 

  • Peyton Barber/Ronald Jones II, RB, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

With a match up against the Seahawks in Seattle, the Bucs will be leaning on the passing game to produce points. Tampa Bay holds the 5th highest pass percentage when on the road, which shows how their play calling has been this year. Expect the Seahawks to jump out to an early lead, with Jameis having to air it out to make it close in the second half. 

Love:

  • Josh Jacobs, RB, Oakland Raiders

With four straight games with over 15 carries, Josh Jacobs has a solidified floor each and every week. His week 9 matchup offers enticing fantasy value, as the Lions rank 31st against RB’s. His current fantasy projection is 16.5 points (.5 PPR) which is already high, but expect to see a lot of Jacobs this week. Expect Jacobs to total over 100 yards and at least one touchdown here against the struggling Lions defense. 

  • Amari Cooper, WR, Dallas Cowboys

In a primetime match up against the reeling Giants, I love Cooper against the 3rd worst defense against opposing WR’s. Cooper has totaled over 12.4 points in all but two performances this year, one of which he got hurt early in the game. Expect Cooper to exceed his projection at 12.6, with around 100 total yards and a touchdown. 

Hate:

  • Mark Ingram, RB, Baltimore Ravens

It’s tough to have faith starting anyone against the Patriots, as their defense has been historic so far this season. Mark Ingram has been great so far this year for the Ravens, but his snap and touch count per game has been on the decline the last four weeks. With a lower projection of 10.8, I still can’t see Ingram getting to double digits unless he falls into the end zone. If anyone will score on the ground this week, it will be Lamar Jackson.

  • Dwayne Haskins, QB, Washington Redskins

With Haskins being named the week 9 starter and a match up against the Bills in Buffalo, the question of Haskins fantasy value becomes relevant. Although he definitely has the skills to produce, this week won’t be it. The Bills have one of the best defensive units in the league, ranking 5th against QB’s. Stay away from Haskins for now, as there are many better QB options on the waiver wire. 

 

Nov 2, 2019 No Comments
SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers Vs Dallas Mavericks

SR – NBA Primetime Preview: Los Angeles Lakers Vs Dallas Mavericks

Featured

For ESPN’s second game of the night, the Los Angeles Lakers (3-1) travel to the Lone Star State to duel with 20-year old phenom Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks (3-1) at 9:30 p.m. on Friday at the American Airlines Center.

The Mavs are a perfect .500 at home and have dazzled in this young season and exceeded expectations with Rick Carlisle’s new all-European tandem of Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. Los Angeles is favored by a point and a half in the latest Lakers vs. Mavericks odds, while the over-under is set at 216.5, according to SportsLine.

It shouldn’t take a basketball connoisseur to envision the duo of new Laker Anthony Davis and LeBron James frolicking in the prosperity of a high winning percentage throughout the young season, because it already looks like they have gotten a bit of a headstart on that. Anthony Davis already set his season-high (soon to be toppled, presumptuously) in points and rebounds, putting up a hefty 40-point, 20 rebound stat line against the Grizzlies on Tuesday night inside the Staples Center.

A dominant display of height, wingspan, and ambidexterity with a flashy handle as a near 7-footer were just uncontainable for the young Grizz and LeBron who, albeit didn’t have his usual 30-point night, just let the 29-year old take center stage.

Tonight, a clash of 3-1 squads will take place in ESPN’s late-night slot and NBA fans will be treated to the battle of the two best stretch bigs in the land, as the synonymously dubbed “Unicorn” Kristaps Porzingis gets a shot to upset the favored Lakers and go toe-to-toe with AD.

On Friday afternoon ahead of tonight’s matchup, current “best player on the planet” (debatable) LeBron James was asked a precarious inquiry that surely made its rounds throughout the interwebs.

“Hey, LeBron, how do you plan to handle the Razzmatazz Hop Skiddily-Doo that Luka Doncic brings to every night?”

And that’s a pretty hard question to come up with an answer with one single pontification.

Doncic’s Razzmatazz, hop skidd- you know the rest, has been so substantial for the Mavericks’ early success. This kid has been playing like a grown man, averaging 25 points a game which is the 11th-highest scoring average in all of basketball so far. With such a complete game, he’s making MVP noise early in this young season and has really opened the eyes of Mavs fans, while confirming the good selection skill of Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, who happens to know a thing or two about scouting Euro talent.

The thing about these Mavs – they love fast starts. So much so, that they’ve been flying out of the gates in the four games they’ve played, averaging a league-high 66.2 first-half points per contest. Today, they host a Lakers team who have been a little slower to get rolling thus far averaging 52.2 first-half points.

With all of the factors that the Lakers have against them tonight, they now have one positive – Kule Kuzma is back. A healthy roster and solid rotation for Lakers coach Frank Vogel has the Lakers favored to get their fourth win tonight, but you just cannot be sure about these young Mavs when writing that prediction.

Nov 2, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Seattle Seahawks Claim Josh Gordon

BREAKING NEWS: Seattle Seahawks Claim Josh Gordon

Featured

Josh Gordon suffered a bone bruise to his knee chasing after a New York Giant defensive lineman in what would ultimately become his final game with the New England Patriots. His former team traded for Mohamed Sanu and designated rookie wide receiver N’Keal Harry to return from IR and that made Gordon expendable.

New England released him now that he was healthy enough to get back on the field. Since he was released after the trade deadline, he was subjected to waivers which means that the worse the record the higher they were in the pecking order to potentially claim Gordon.

The Seattle Seahawks are currently 6-2, tied for the fifth-best record in the league. That means many teams passed on the chance to add him.

Russell Wilson has been carrying the franchise on offense and even though the team drafted DK Metcalf in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft, Gordon represents the most talented target that Wilson has had in his time in the NFL.

With his acquisition coming at the tail-end of this week of practice before Sunday’s game it is unlikely that Gordon takes the field this weekend. However, Seattle doesn’t play until Monday in Week 10 and if all goes right then the newly acquired Gordon could play then.

Nov 1, 2019 No Comments
BREAKING NEWS: Kwon Alexander Out for the Season

BREAKING NEWS: Kwon Alexander Out for the Season

Featured

The San Francisco 49ers held on against the Arizona Cardinals in their 28-25 Thursday Night Football victory that moved them to 8-0. While their record may still be unblemished, their vaunted defense just took a big hit as an MRI revealed that linebacker Kwon Alexander suffered a torn pectoral muscle.

Alexander was a big-money offseason addition to the team that was coming off a knee injury. However, San Francisco was proven right during the first half of the 2019 NFL season as he was a huge reason for the defense’s performance to date.

Last night, the Cardinals scored an 88-yard touchdown after Alexander exited, which made it a one possession game late.

Without Alexander it will be interesting to see if anyone else can step into his cleats. He is all over the field for defensive coordinator, Robert Salah and made the big plays when needed. He injured himself stopping Kenyan Drake one-yard short of a first down on a 3rd and 17 play in the third quarter.

Nov 1, 2019 No Comments