Take Eagles Over Falcons — and Take the Over
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SPORTS | VEGAS VIC Take Eagles over Falcons —and take the over Eagles (—3) over FALCONS Whydid the preseason have to end? The Birds crushed the first three contests (averaging 38 points per), and then went into sleep mode in the last game againstthe Jets to prevent any silly inju- ries. We knowthey don’t giveout rings for the exhi- VEGAS VIC bition season, but Chip Kelly’s well-oiled Green Machine looks crazy-fast and silky smooth. And howcan younot be excited with the addition of the OffensivePlayerofthe Year DeMarco Murray? D-Marcgobbled up 1,845 yardsand had 13 TDs last 2014 RANKINGS year with 449 touches, 76 morethan anyother OFFENSE DEFENSE player. AhealthyMurray should put the Eagles Tot. RPTot. RP back in the playoffs. And if Chip’s offense can Arizona 28 30 16 24 830 Atlanta 724532 18 32 make Mark Sanchez look good, ahealthy Sam Baltimore 11 7149428 Bradford could have abanner season, just likehis Buffalo 24 25 18 4133 2010 Rookie of the Year campaign. Nowifyou like Carolina 14 81910199 playing totals (the over/under is 55.5 points), we Chicago 20 26 13 30 16 31 gotta think “over,” since Atlanta had the worst de- Cincinnati 15 5t-22 22 23 16 Cleveland 21 17 21 23 32 7 fense in the NFL last season, allowing 398.3 yards Dallas 8217 16 923 per game. Gimme the Birds and over. Denver 41643212 CARDINALS (—2.5) over Saints Detroit 18 27 11 2113 Green Bay 611712 22 10 Being healthyequals winning in the NFL. Check Houston 17 426211124 this out: Last season, Arizona blew out to a9-1 Indianapolis 321119 15 18 start, then starting QB Carson Palmer suffered a Jaguars 30 23 30 27 27 20 season-ending ACLtear. They finished at 11-6, Kansas City 22 10 28 7282 dropping fiveofthe final seven, including awild- Miami 16 14 15 8244 Minnesota 26 15 27 15 25 8 cardloss to the Panthers. With Palmer now New Orleans 112331 29 29 healthy, the Cardinals should hit double-digit New England 10 18 8131221 wins again. Whynot? Since taking over in the N.Y. Giants 12 22 10 28 30 17 desert, Bruce Arians posted a10-6 recordin2013 N.Y. Jets 27 3326515 to go along, with 11 W’s last season. And ’Zona is Oakland 32 32 25 17 21 14 Eagles 596251725 very tough at home, winning 13 of the last 16. Turn Pittsburgh 213220 627 toward New Orleans, and thereare huge holes to Seattle 9129 131 fill. The Saints traded All-Pro tight end Jimmy Gra- YONG KIM /STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER San Diego 19 29 911266 ham and released top pass rusher Junior Galette. Eagles’Sam Bradford should playwellagainst an Atlanta defensethatwas terrible last San Francisco 23 631575 New Orleans also lost RB Pierre Thomas and WR season and has shown no signs of great improvement. St. Louis 25 19 24 18 14 19 Kenny Stills,who led all receivers with 63 catches TampaBay 31 31 t-22 26 20 26 Tenneessee 29 28 20 29 31 11 for 931 yards, plus LB Curtis Lofton,who had a CB Byron Maxwell is wearing Philly green, S Kam campaign, passing for 2,919 yardsand 14 TDs. Not Washington 13 20 12 14 10 22 team-high 125 tackles. Toomanyholes to fill and Chancellor is still holding out, and S Earl Thomas exceptional, but he nowhas all-world RB Adrian not enough spackle, which makes this my Best is coming off ashoulder operation and might not Peterson on his shoulder, and this dynamic duo 2014 TURNOVERS Bet. be 100 percent. Perfect spot for old friend Nick should have no trouble covering this spread. NATIONAL FOOTBALL CONFERENCE Colts (—2.5) over BILLS Foles to showSt. Loofans whyherocked 27 TDs Takeaways Giveaways Net BEARS (+7) over Packers Int.Fum. Tot. Int.Fum. Tot. Diff. First the likes ...LikeBuffalo’s defense, but against only twointerceptions in 2013, when he Chicago has been crazy good in home openers, Green Bay 18 9276713+14 there’s a300-plus-pound hole in the middle, with washealthy. winning eight of the last 10 and losing twice by Seattle 13 11 24 7714 +10 Arizona 18 72512517 +8 All-Pro T Marcell Dareus serving aone-game sus- RAIDERS (+3.5) over Bengals only three points. pension. Also like Rex Ryan.Now for the Detroit 20 72712820 +7 Oakland probably will not be “Oakland” next Chiefs (+1) over TEXANS San Francisco 23 629101222+7 loves... Love Indy’s star QB Andrew Luck.Don’t Dallas 18 13 31 11 14 25 +6 season, but no matter wherethe Silver &Black Our old buddy Andy Reid and KC have covered carefor his new TV commercial, but, man, can he Atlanta 16 12 28 15 823+5 land (most likely the LosAngeles area), they have seven of the last 10 as an underdog. Carolina 14 12 26 12 11 23 +3 sling. He had an NFL-best 40 TDs last season, with abudding star in QB Derek Carr who threw for Minnesota 13 61918220 —1 4,761 yardsthrough the air, and nowhegets All- JETS (—3) over Browns St. Louis 13 12 25 16 11 27 —2 3,270 yardsand 21 TDs last season. ProWRAndre Johnson’s hands and RB Frank With Cleveland winning only six of the last 34 on N.Y. Giants 17 926141428—2 Vikings (—2.5) over 49ERS the road, this looks likeagood spot for an NY win. Chicago 14 10 24 19 10 29 —5 Gore’s feet. Youcannot contain these Horse- Eagles 12 16 28 21 15 36 —8 shoes! MinnyQBTeddy Bridgewater had asolid rookie Panthers (—3) over JAGUARS TampaBay 14 11 25 20 13 33 —8 Washington 71219181331—12 Dolphins (—3.5) over REDSKINS Cam Newton might not be Superman, but he sureisatleast aFGbetter than Blake Bortles. New Orleans 12 517171330—13 Howmanytimes can yousay disaster? Just be- 2014 SPREAD RECORDS AMERICAN FOOTBALL CONFERENCE cause he has the same last name as his brother Through Week 17/vs.Spread in Friday’s Daily News CHARGERS (—3) over Lions Takeaways Giveaways Net NFC W- L-P O- U-P AFC W- L-P O- U-P San Diego has coveredfour of its last fivehome Int.Fum. Tot. Int.Fum. Tot. Diff. Jon, it doesn’t mean Jay Gruden can coach. Wash- Arizona.1 .............. 1- 5-0 6-10-0 Baltimore..............8-7-1 7- 9-0 Houston 20 14 34 13 922+12 ington went 4-12 in his first year and has covered Atlanta.8 ................ -8-0 6-10-0 Buffalo.9 ................ -7-0 3-13-0 openers and, at 80 percent, it’s the side youwant. New England 16 9259413+12 only three of the last 12 at home. The swirling RGIII Carolina.8 .............. -8-0 7- 9-0 Cincinnati.8 ............ -8-0 6-10-0 TITANS (+3) OVER BUCCANEERS Buffalo 19 11 30 13 10 23 +7 Chicago.7 ................ -9-0 7- 9-0 Cleveland.8 ........... -7-1 5-11-0 Cleveland 21 82916723 +6 fiasco seems to have split the locker room, while Dallas.1 ................. 0- 6-0 9- 7-0 Denver..8.................-8-0 9- 7-0 Standardhandicapping rule: Alwaystakethe Denver 18 72515520 +5 Miami has added All-Pro Ndamukong Suh to asol- Detroit .7................. -9-0 4-12-0 Houston.9 .............. -7-0 7- 9-0 points whenthe No. 1and No. 2draft choices meet. Baltimore 11 11 22 12 820+2 id defensivefront. With QB Ryan Tannehill improv- Green Bay............8-7-1 11- 5-0 Indianapolis.1 ...... 1- 5-0 8- 8-0 Miami 14 11 25 12 11 23 +2 Minnesota.9 .......... -6-1 6-10-0 Jacksonville.7 ....... -9-0 6-10-0 Ravens (+4.5) over BRONCOS Pittsburgh 11 10 21 10 11 21 0 ing each year, look for the Fish to swim into the N.Y. Giants.7 ............ -9-0 10- 6-0 Kansas City.1 ...... 1- 5-0 5-11-0 Denverhas coveredonly three of the last 11 in Cincinnati 20 62617926 0 winner’s circle. New Orleans.6 ....... -10-0 9- 7-0 Miami .7.................. -8-1 8- 8-0 games outside of the relatively weak AFCWest. Kansas City 6814 61117—3 Eagles.8................... -7-1 10- 6-0 N.Y. Jets.7 ............... -8-1 7- 9-0 Indianapolis 12 14 26 16 15 31 —5 RAMS (+4) over Seahawks San Francisco.4 ..... -10-2 5-11-0 New England.9 ....... -7-0 9- 7-0 Giants (+6) over COWBOYS San Diego 7111818523 —5 St. Louis stunned Seattle last season, 28-26, and Seattle.9.................. -6-1 8- 8-0 Oakland.8 .............. -8-0 10- 6-0 No salsa from Victor Cruz,but the G-Men will Jacksonville 6142018826 —6 St. Louis.8 ................ -8-0 8- 8-0 Pittsburgh.9 .......... -7-0 9- 7-0 Tennessee 12 416161026—10 while the Seahawks will look for revenge, they TampaBay.7 .......... -9-0 5-11-0 San Diego.7 ............. -9-0 7- 9-0 stayclose with plenty of Odell Beckham Jr. and Eli N.Y. Jets 6713 15 924—11 might not have enough “Legion of Boom” to get it. Washington.5 ......... -11-0 8- 8-0 Tennessee.3 .......... -13-0 6-10-0 Manning all night. Oakland 9514 16 13 29 —15 Page64 PHILADELPHIA DAILY NEWS —Philly.com Friday,September11, 2015.