In Between the Lines: Chapter 7
Football is flying by, as the NFL is going into Week 11 and NCAA Football is going into Week 12. And hope you didn’t miss the 2020 NBA Draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Anthony Edwards with the first pick. James Wiseman and LaMelo Ball followed as second and third to the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Hornets, respectively.
With a stacked sports schedule comes fervent sports bettors. “In Between the Lines” gives avid fans and sports bettors exactly what they want. Looking ahead to the upcoming week in sports, “In Between the Lines” offers inside analysis on line movements and key stats.
Here’s what you absolutely can’t miss this upcoming week in sports:
1. NFL – Green Bay Packers at Indianapolis Colts (11/22/20 at 4:25pm)
This will definitely be one you won’t want to miss on Sunday. Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers comprise one of the top offenses in the NFL. And they will face the Indianapolis Colts, who have one of the top defenses in the league.
The Packers lead the NFC North, while the Colts lead the NFC South. This will be only the fourth time Rodgers and Colts quarterback Philip Rivers play against each other. The Colts are currently a 2.5-point favorite, and the over/under is set at 50.5. The Colts are -130 on the moneyline, while the Packers are at +105. The Colts have covered the spread in seven of the last nine matchups. Out of those games, the Colts have won six outright, which includes the most recent back in 2016.
However, don’t sleep on the Packers. The underdogs have not only covered three straight times in the series, but also seven out of nine times overall. I like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers on the moneyline in this one.
2. NFL – Kansas City Chiefs at Las Vegas Raiders (11/22/20 at 4:25pm)
Now, the Las Vegas Raiders did defeat the Kansas City Chiefs back in Week 5, giving them their only loss of the season thus far. But guess what? Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and the rest of the Chiefs are coming off a…BYE! Unfortunately for the Raiders, heading into this game against the Chiefs, 11 of their players will be on the COVID-19 reserve list.
A little bit of fun sports history for you, the Chiefs-Raiders rivalry is considered to be one of the NFL’s most bitter rivalries. Although the Raiders and Chiefs first met in 1960, the rivalry wasn’t as apparent until 1967.
This will be the fourth time in five seasons that the Chiefs have a bye before playing the Raiders. The Chiefs won all of those games. Andy Reid is 18-3 after coming off a bye in the regular season. I like the Chiefs on the moneyline at -370 and also covering the 7.5-point spread.
3. College Football – No. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys at No. 18 Oklahoma Sooners (11/21/20 at 7:30pm)
It’s the Bedlam game that has some serious Big 12 Championship implications on the line. If the Cowboys, also known as the Pokes, can come out with a win, the rest of the season should be a walk in the park. After Oklahoma State faces the Sooners, all they have left is Texas Tech, TCU and Baylor. All of those schools combined have a record of 7-14.
However, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy has only two wins against the Sooners in nearly 16 seasons. Oklahoma is coming into this one ranked sixth nationally with 46.1 points per game. However, Oklahoma State has a hot defense, tied 14th nationally at 17.8 points per game allowed. Will Oklahoma State’s defense be enough to hold off a fantastic Oklahoma offense?
Despite the Sooners winning the last five straight Bedlam games, I am liking Oklahoma State as an underdog. Oklahoma State is currently a 6.5-point underdog and +220 on the moneyline. The over/under is set at 58.5. I am liking Oklahoma State against the spread.
4. College Football – No. 9 Indiana Hoosiers at No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes (11/21/20 at 12pm)
The 4-0 Indiana Hoosiers have had an impeccable season so far. A lot of that has to do with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. If you watched the Indiana-Penn State game, I am sure you saw Penix’s push for the pylon. Indiana was 1-22 against Penn State. 1-22. They had also lost 24 games in a row to Michigan but were able to beat them this season.
The Big Ten East is at stake. Although the Hoosiers have accomplished the unimaginable, they still have a lot to prove and a long way to go. A win against Ohio State would be diamonds and gold. However, Justin Fields and the Buckeyes, who are undefeated at 3-0, have been looking stellar. Fields has thrown only three interceptions in 837 Ohio State attempts. He also has an 86.7 completion percentage.
The Buckeyes are a 20.5-point favorite. No, I didn’t mistype that. They are also -1000 on the moneyline. The over/under is currently set at 66.5. Even if the Hoosiers don’t win this one, I still like them against the spread in this one.
