Sunday's Top Action
DETROIT LIONS (1-0) at CAROLINA PANTHERS (1-0)
Line & Total: Carolina -3, Total: 43.5
Opening Line & Total: Panthers -3 & 44
Two 1-0 teams square off in Charlotte on Sunday with the Panthers hosting the Lions.
Detroit debuted its new offense at home Monday night and it was a major success. The Lions racked up 417 yards of total offense and defeated the Giants 35-14. WR Calvin Johnson had seven receptions for 164 yards and two touchdowns. Carolina played its opening game without QB Cam Newton (ribs), who will likely be the starter in Week 2. The Panthers went into Tampa Bay and stole a road win 20-14, and their defense will look to make Lions QB Matthew Stafford as uncomfortable as possible. However, Newton will also be up against a dominant front seven. He could be in trouble if he’s not moving as well after fracturing his ribs in the preseason.
These teams have played six games since 1995. The Panthers are 4-2 SU in those meetings (3-1 SU at home), but Detroit has covered in five of six. The Lions are 3-15 ATS off one or more straight Overs in the past three seasons. Carolina is 3-1 ATS off an upset win as a road underdog during that time. Lions S Don Carey (hamstring) is questionable for the game on Sunday and RB Reggie Bush (knee) is probable, but there are no other significant injuries for either team.
The Lions were dominant on Monday night against the Giants and a lot of that had to do with the play of QB Matthew Stafford. While WR Calvin Johnson hauled in two first-quarter touchdowns, Stafford made some excellent plays using his footwork that allowed him to find his go-to guy down the field. Stafford threw for 346 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions in the game. He also rushed for a touchdown. WR Golden Tate made his Lions debut in the game and he certainly didn’t disappoint. Tate caught six passes for 93 yards working opposite of Johnson.
The offense, however, can’t take all the credit for the win, as the defense caused two turnovers and sacked Eli Manning twice for a loss of 19 yards. They could give the Panthers’ fits defensively. Carolina is rolling out a brand new receiving corps and just played a game with their backup quarterback. The Lions will need to take advantage of the Panthers’ adjustment to the arrival of Cam Newton.
With Newton out for Week 1, the Panthers turned to veteran QB Derek Anderson. Anderson has never been much of a threat as a quarterback, but he managed the game against Tampa Bay beautifully. Filling in for Newton is no easy task, but Anderson threw for 230 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions. He took care of the ball and gave his team a chance to win the game. Rookie WR Kelvin Benjamin looked great in his NFL debut, hauling in six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown. He will face a shaky secondary with the Lions and could be in for yet another big game.
TE Greg Olsen was targeted 11 times against the Bucs and finished with eight receptions for 83 yards and a touchdown. He is the most experienced pass catcher on this team, and Newton will certainly look his way often all season. The Panthers defense, however, was the story in the opening week. They forced three turnovers in the game and had the Buccaneers offense confused all day. They now face a very difficult task in stopping a potent Lions offense.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (1-0) at NEW YORK GIANTS (0-1)
Line & Total: Arizona -3, Total: 43
Opening Line & Total: Giants -2.5 & 44.5
The Giants look to avoid an 0-2 start when they host the Cardinals in their home opener on Sunday.
Arizona scored just six points in the first half of their opening week game despite some big plays. In the fourth quarter, the Chargers had a 17-6 lead before the Cardinals started to click. QB Carson Palmer led two touchdown drives with the second one coming with just over two minutes left to give Arizona the 18-17 victory. The Giants, however, were demolished in Detroit, as QB Eli Manning threw two interceptions in a 35-14 loss. This Giants defense could struggle with Carson Palmer after allowing Matthew Stafford to throw for 345 yards and two touchdowns. The Cardinals defense, on the other hand, made timely stops against Philip Rivers and the Chargers.
Since 1992, the Giants are 9-3 SU and 6-5 ATS when hosting the Cardinals in New York. Even with last week's non-cover, Arizona is still 6-1 ATS in the first two weeks of the season since 2011. Tom Coughlin, however, is 43-28 ATS in the first half of the season as head coach of the Giants. S Tyrann Mathieu (knee) and LB Alex Okafor (thigh) are listed as questionable for the Cardinals, while LB John Abraham (concussion) is out indefinitely. New York WR Odell Beckham (hamstring) is out indefinitely, and a couple of linemen are both questionable in DT Markus Kuhn (ankle) and OT James Brewer (back).
The Cardinals faced a lot of question marks heading into Monday night, but they responded with a big 18-17 victory in their home opener. The Arizona defensive line was dominant all night, allowing just 52 yards on the ground on 24 carries. They allowed 238 passing yards, but when they needed stops, they got them. The offense wasn’t nearly as consistent, struggling during the first half before eventually getting it going. QB Carson Palmer threw for 304 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. Both touchdowns came in the fourth quarter on drives of 10 plays and 11 plays respectively.
Top RB Andre Ellington was a question mark coming into the game, but he looked great despite his injured foot. Ellington rushed for 53 yards on 13 carries and also added five receptions for 27 yards through the air. WR Larry Fitzgerald was held to just one reception for 22 yards, but fellow WR Michael Floyd stepped it up with a huge performance. Floyd had five receptions for 119 yards, including a 63-yard reception when the Cardinals were pressed up against their own goal line. They now have a matchup against a Giants offense that really struggled against the Lions.
New York's debut of its Green Bay Packers-inspired offense could not have gone worse. QB Eli Manning struggled behind a faltering offensive line, throwing for 163 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions. He did not seem to have the timing down with his receivers that is required in this offense. New RB Rashad Jennings, however, had a very solid debut for the Giants. Jennings rushed for 46 yards and a touchdown while also hauling in four receptions for 50 yards. He will have a gigantic role in this offense this season. WR Victor Cruz was targeted six times in the passing game, but was able to bring in only two catches for 24 yards. The Giants defense really didn’t give Manning much of a chance though. They allowed Matthew Stafford to throw for 346 yards and were unable to cause a single turnover in this contest.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (0-1) at DENVER BRONCOS (1-0)
Line & Total: Denver -12.5, Total: 51.5
Opening Line & Total: Broncos -12.5 & 52
Two AFC West rivals collide on Sunday when the Broncos host the Chiefs.
Kansas City got off to a terrible start in Week 1, getting embarrassed 26-10 by the Titans in Arrowhead Stadium. QB Alex Smith struggled with 3 INT in his team’s defeat. Denver, on the other hand, took down the Colts 31-24 behind 269 yards and three touchdowns from QB Peyton Manning. If the Chiefs defense had that much trouble against Jake Locker and the Titans, they’ll be in for a long day facing the best offense in the league. The Broncos defense also looked excellent at times against the Colts, so Alex Smith will really need to get his offense going.
Last season, the Broncos won-and-covered in both meetings with Kansas City, including a 27-17 victory as a 7.5-point favorite at home. The Chiefs are 16-5 ATS as a double-digit underdog since 1992. Denver, however, is 19-7 ATS in games played on a grass field over the past three years. In addition to the absorbing a loss in the standings, Kansas City also lost both LB Derrick Johnson and DE Mike DeVito with season-ending Achilles injuries. Also, S Eric Berry (quad) and Husain Abdullah (quad) are listed as questionable for the Chiefs, but the Broncos have no significant new injuries.
After signing a big contract extension in the offseason, Chiefs QB Alex Smith had a horrible season opener, throwing for 202 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions. Smith had not thrown that many picks in a regular-season game since October 14, 2012, and he will need to make better decisions against an improved Broncos secondary. Head coach Andy Reid must also call the game better from the sidelines, as he completely dropped the ball with his opening week gameplan with allowing star RB Jamaal Charles to get only seven carries in the game.
If the Chiefs are going to have any chance against the Broncos, Charles will need to have a great game. WR Donnie Avery led the team in receiving with seven catches for 84 yards, and the return of suspended WR Dwayne Bowe should really help open up the field for the rest of this offense. The Chiefs defense was a major letdown in the opening week, but it could get worse as they face the best offense in the NFL.
Peyton Manning’s season started off the right way with the quarterback picking up right where he left off from his record-setting 2013 season when he threw for 5,477 yards and 55 TD. He’ll look to exploit a Kansas City defense that is now depleted with injuries and coming off a game where they made the Titans look unbeatable. RB Montee Ball is now the featured back in this offense and he started off the year with 23 carries for 67 yards and a touchdown. He also caught two passes for 16 yards.
TE Julius Thomas, however, was the Broncos’ most utilized weapon. Thomas caught all three of Manning’s touchdown passes and finished with seven receptions for 104 yards. With WR Wes Welker suspended, Denver made it a goal to force the ball to the athletic tight end. DE DeMarcus Ware’s Broncos debut was a good one, as he had 1.5 sacks and two QB hits in the game. He will add a pass-rushing element to this defense that the team lacked a year ago. Rahim Moore was also excellent for Denver. The safety intercepted Andrew Luck twice in the opener, and will make Alex Smith pay if he makes any mistakes like he did in Week 1.
w-thumbs!^
