Steve Maltepes, known as “The Philly Godfather,” is one of the nation’s hottest sports betting experts who appears weekly on national radio, including Jakib Media. Each week, he will impart his gambling wisdom on the Eagles and where the smart money is going.
NFL Week 9
Philadelphia Eagles (7-0) at Houston Texans (1-5-1), 8:15 p.m. Thursday
The Line: Eagles minus-14/Total: 45
What is the line telling you: The Eagles are big 14-point favorites even though Houston has lost by more than 13 points once this year, to the Raiders, it’s a short week. This Texans team has won only one game this season and they have a negative-38 point differential. They come into this game with star wide receiver, Nico Collins, out, Brandin Cooks is questionable and their starting defensive tackle Maliek Collins is out, as well. Offensively, expect Miles Sanders to have a monster game against a defense that allows 5.6 yards per rushing attempt, and that’s appealing for some Sanders’ scoring props.
Bottom line: We like the Eagles here minus-14 on the short week. We also like the under 45.
Las Vegas Raiders (2-5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6), 1:00 p.m. Sunday
The Line: Raiders minus-1.5/Total: 48
What is the line telling you: Both teams’ offenses seem to be really healthy going into this game. The Jags allow 238 passing yards a game, which ranks 22nd in the NFL, and they also allow 10.6 yards per completion, which ranks 20th. Both teams’ defenses rank in the basement of the NFL in the yards-per-pass-attempt metric.
Bottom line: The smart money likes the over 48 and the fact Derek Carr is going to have a healthy Darren Waller back on Sunday to join All-Pro talent Davante Adams.
Carolina Panthers (2-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-4), 1:00 p.m. Sunday
The Line: Bengals minus-7.5/Total: 42.5
What is the line telling you: We saw how bad the Bengals’ offense looked against the Browns last week. They only managed 229 total yards in getting blown out by Cleveland. The Bengals have done well against teams that don’t defend the pass, and put pressure on the quarterback, but have struggled against teams with good pass rushes. Carolina has a very strong pass rush. The Panthers have an excellent defense.
Bottom line: We think the Panthers can cover. We like Carolina plus 7.5.
The Philly Godfather can be followed on Twitter @Phillygodfather & his website is www.thephillygodfather.com.
