Weekend NFL Betting Preview
The New England Patriots will put their 3-1 ATS record on the line late on Sunday afternoon as they play host to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in one of the weekend's marquee NFL betting matchups.
The Patriots are just 2-2 straight-up but have managed to cover the posted spread on the NFL lines at the sportsbooks in three of their four games so far this season, and they'll be taking on a Broncos team on Sunday afternoon that they went 2-0 both SU and ATS against last season – including a 45-10 drubbing in the playoffs.
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The Broncos have started their Peyton Manning era at 2-2 both SU and ATS, and the quarterback was sharp last week in the team's 37-6 home win over the Raiders – 30 of 38 passing for 338 yards with three touchdown strikes. Manning has a QB Rating of 96.9 during this comeback season; his career QB Rating is 94.9.
The 5Dimes lines for the Patriots/Broncos game on Sunday favors New England, with the Patriots set at -7.5 and the OVER/UNDER at 51.5 points. Kickoff is at 4:25pm ET.
That's one of five matchups on the NFL betting schedule for late Sunday afternoon this week, with those games also including Chicago at Jacksonville (+7), Buffalo at San Francisco (-11), Tennessee at Minnesota (-5.5), and Seattle at Carolina (-2.5). The Seahawks have been the top UNDER wager in the league this season at 0-4 OU.
The early afternoon games on Sunday's slate this week are then Miami at Cincinnati (-3), Cleveland at the Giants (-10), Green Bay at Indianapolis (+7.5), Atlanta at Washington (+2.5), Baltimore at Kansas City (+5), and Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (-3).
Both the Eagles and the Steelers have had difficulty paying off on the NFL betting lines at the sportsbooks so far in 2012, with Philadelphia at 1-3 ATS (3-1 SU) and Pittsburgh at 1-2 ATS (1-2 SU). The Pennsylvania rivals last met in the regular season back in 2008 in Philadelphia, with the Eagles winning 15-6 as a 3.5-point favorite at 5Dimes.
Sunday night then offers up San Diego at New Orleans (-3), while the Monday nighter this week is Houston at the Jets (+9). The Texans are the only team in the NFL at 4-0 both SU and ATS heading into Week 5 of the season; they last faced the Jets (2-2 SU, 2-2 ATS) in a 30-27 road loss as a 6.5-point underdog on the betting lines in 2010.