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Play Philadelphia for $200 from The Player's Advantage of The Handicapper's Report Card. and Play NBA selection below for $100.
12/25/2006
5:00:00 PM Philadelphia Eagles (+7)
over DALLAS COWBOYS
2* (Top Play) Philadelphia Eagles (+) @ Dallas @ 5:00 ET - There is
tremendous line value here with the Eagles plus the big points.
That's because it would not surprise us at all if they win this game
outright in Dallas. The Cowboys are getting all the hype but it
should be noted that Jeff Garcia's passer rating is actually higher
than that of Pro Bowl bound Tony Romo. We also will have more on
Romo's questionable numbers in a minute. Many felt the Eagles were
done when Donovan McNabb went down and Philly was 5-5 on the season
at that point. However, the Eagles have rallied around Garcia as it
seems like every one has stepped up the level of their game to
compensate for the loss of McNabb. The result is that the Eagles have
won 3 of 4 since Garcia took over the controls and the Eagles take
the driver's seat in the NFC East with a win over Dallas Monday.
That's because the Eagles already beat Dallas earlier this season and
would be tied in the standings with another win over the Cowboys on
Christmas Day. The Eagles are already a solid 4-1 in NFC East play
and they would be undefeated if not for that unbelievable loss in OT
to the Giants early this season when the Eagles blew a huge lead in
the fourth quarter! The Eagles offense has been surprisingly
effective with Garcia at the helm and they are currently ranked third
in the league. This is going to put big time pressure on a Dallas
defense that has struggled over the last 3 weeks. The Cowboys are
allowing an average of 30 points per game and 436 yards per game over
the last 3 weeks. Look for Brian Westbrook to have a big game as the
Cowboys defense is simply not playing like it was when they held
Westbrook in check earlier this season. Also, Westbrook is now
healthy and yet he was snubbed for the Pro Bowl and he will respond
with a huge showing in this key NFC East battle. Defensively the
Eagles can create a lot of pressure on the quarterback. They did it
to Drew Bledsoe the first time these teams faced off earlier this
season and they will also do it to Romo. We are well aware of the
fact that Romo is much more mobil than Bledsoe but the fact is the
Eagles dominated the line of scrimmage and their blitz packages are
some of the best in the league. Jim Johnson is one of the best in the
business as defensive coordinator of the Eagles. Cowboys QB Tony Romo
finally had a good game against a decent team last week in playing
well against the Falcons. Still his overall numbers show that he has
padded his stats against the weak teams and he's struggled against
the better teams. Of course Philly is a better team and Romo is in
trouble this week! Let's take a look at the numbers. Against Tampa
Bay, Arizona, and Washington Romo threw for 9 TDs and 0 INTs. Against
the Giants, Carolina, Indianapolis, Atlanta, and New Orleans Romo has
thrown for just 6 TDs and 10 INTs. All the sudden Jeff Garcia's 9 TDs
and 1 INT on the season look pretty damn good! The fact is the
Cowboys and Romo get all the hype but the Eagles and Garcia just keep
winning. Dallas wide receiver Terrell Owens continues to be a
distraction (throwing in a little spit for good measure). Mr Owens
only managed 3 catches and had numerous drops against an Eagles pass
defense that is very solid and has some big hitters. Owens is just
plain scared to go up for the ball against the Eagles because there
is still a lot of animosity between him and the Eagles players. Quite
frankly, they despise him and they remember well his lockerroom fight
with McNabb when TO was a member of the Eagles. Philadelphia
continues to use McNabb as a rallying point and it seems to be
bringing out the best in each and every player. The Eagles defense
does give up some decent yardage but they have very successfully
employed a "bend but don't break" mentality. In other words, teams
move the ball on them some, especially on the ground, but the Eagles
do a good job of eventually stopping drives or holding the opposition
to field goal attempts. This Eagles defense will be extra fired up
with a shot at TO and the rest of the Cowboys. Keep in mind that
playing on the road can actually be an advantage on Christmas Day
because the players are away from the distractions of the "holidays
at home". The Eagles are fully focused, well coached, and playing
with a lot of confidence. The Cowboys got pummeled here by the Saints
in their last home game. This Dallas team is not without some self
doubt and they will be exposed by an Eagles team playing without the
pressure. The pressure is clearly on the Cowboys here to try and sew
up the division. That's a lot of pressure in this heated rivalry and
we look for Romo to continue to make mistakes against good teams! The
Eagles are talented enough to take advantage and capitalize on those
mistakes. Play Philadelphia plus the points as a Top Play selection.
Pro Basketball Picks
12/25/2006
2:30:00 PM 1.5,LOS ANGELES LAKERS
-vs-Miami Heat
1* (regular play) Los Angeles Lakers (+)@ Miami @ 2:30 ET Monday -
This Christmas Day battle should be a good one and yet we see the
Lakers being the ones eventually coming out of it with a solid win.
The Heat are coming off of a Saturday night win over Golden State.
However, the Warriors are no "road warriors" and actually were
playing their fifth game in seven nights and all five of the games
were on the road! This was a tough spot for Golden State and they
simply fell short. Miami's only recent wins have been at home against
weaker teams that struggle on the road. Monday's situation will be a
tough one for the Heat. They are facing a Lakers team that is rolling
right now and will be well rested for this game. Los Angeles hasn't
played since Friday and that will ensure that Kobe Bryant is at his
best. It's been the Lakers hot shooting and a solid bench that has
led them in covering three straight road games and winning the last
two outright. The Lakers are brimming with confidence right now and
they feel they can win no matter what the score may be early in the
game. For proof just witness the big win they had at Minnesota on
Wednesday night even though they were down by double digits entering
the fourth quarter. The fact that the Lakers are without Lamar Odom
is less of a factor when you consider that they are facing the
"Shaqless" Heat. Also the Lakers have actually "gelled" since Odom
went out of the lineup. Los Angeles is getting some nice rotations
set up and getting great production from their bench as a result. We
feel that playing at home is not much of an advantage around the
holidays as the distractions of home can be a lot for a player to
deal with at this time. That said, the Lakers are a long way from
home and they are fully focused on playing basketball. Kobe Bryant
knows he's on center stage with plenty of Christmas Day viewers tuned
into this nationally broadcast game. Look for Kobe to put in a huge
effort and right now he has a little more help from his supporting
staff than Dwyane Wade has with the Miami Heat. Play the Los Angeles
Lakers as a regular selection on Monday.
I hear you 'Breaker..........With all of that good stuff, why in th f*uck is the spread 7 points?..............I love this, when these guys use a whole page of reasons why a team should win.................I you like 'em, just bet 'em..............No explanations needed !!!
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