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 13
Tennessee Titans (7-4) at Philadelphia Eagles (10-1), 1:00 p.m. Sunday
The Line: Eagles minus-6.5/Total: 44
What is the line telling you:
This line originally opened with the Eagles being a minus-6.5 home favorite and immediately we witnessed sharp money attack the sports betting screen and force bookmakers to lower this game a full two points to Eagles minus-4.5. The total has also seen a slight one-point dip in the market from 45 down to 44. The sharp money is all over the Titans this week. Recently, the Eagles defense has had a tough time stopping the run, and even though Tennessee only ranks 22nd in the league in yards per rush attempt, they do feature Derrick Henry and they’re two spots better than the Colts, and six spots better than the Commanders who ran all over the Eagles in two of the last three weeks. Then add the fact that the Titans defense ranks seventh in the NFL in opponent red zone scoring percentage, which is four spots better than the Eagles making this a close game.
Bottom line: Sharp money bet the Titans.
Jacksonville Jaguars (4-7) at Detroit Lions (4-7), 1:00 p.m. Sunday
The Line: Lions minus-1/Total: 51
What is the line telling you: The Detroit Lions opened as a two-point favorite vs. the Jags at home, but that number got blown up immediately as the sharp money started betting on Jacksonville. The current price has the Jags minus-1 on the road. The better defensive team here is the Jags. The Lions defense cannot stop anyone this season, allowing an average of 28 ppg (worst in the NFL) and an average of 414.5 total yards per contest, while the Jags’ defense ranks 14th in points allowed at 21 per game. Jacksonville’s strength on defense is against the run, ranked eighth in the NFL in opponent yards per rush attempt, which should slow down a Lions run game that ranks 13th in yards per rush attempt.
Bottom line: As long as the Jags don’t lose the turnover battle, they should win this game and cover. The sharp money likes the Jags.
The Philly Godfather can be followed on Twitter @Phillygodfather & his website is www.thephillygodfather.com.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter based in the Philadelphia area who has written features for SI.com, ESPN.com, NFL.com, MLB.com, Deadspin, and The Philadelphia Daily News. In 2006, he was nominated for an Emmy Award for a special project piece for ESPN.com called “Love at First Beep.” He is most noted for his award-winning ESPN.com feature on high school wrestler A.J. Detwiler in February 2006, and his breaking story on Carson Wentz for PhillyVoice on January 21, 2019. In 2015, he was elected president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
