Beleaguered Eagles Head to Baltimore

Football Betting Lines

11/21/2008 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After six days of finger-pointing and second-guessing in the local media and among their always-vocal fan base, the Philadelphia Eagles will be glad to be back on the football field on Sunday.

The goal for the Eagles in their tilt against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium won't be just to quiet the angry throng, but also to improve their standing in the crowded NFC Wild Card race.

Philadelphia's week of discontent didn't even follow a loss, though it sure had to feel that way for Andy Reid's squad. The Eagles finished in a 13-13 deadlock with the one-win Cincinnati Bengals, with quarterback Donovan McNabb throwing three interceptions in his worst outing of the season, then doing little to earn the respect of league observers in the game's aftermath.

In comments to reporters, McNabb expressed that he was unaware that an NFL game could end in a tie, despite the fact that the league's previous tie had occurred in 2002, his fourth year in the league.

But the five-time Pro Bowl quarterback's ignorance toward the league's overtime rules were ultimately just a tangential issue in the wake of a result that put the Eagles' playoff hopes on life support.

Philly dropped to 5-4-1 and into sole possession of last place in the NFC East, and enters Week 12 fifth in the chase for one of two Wild Card spots in the conference. Two teams that the Eagles trail - the Cowboys (6-4) and Redskins (6-4) - are in their own division, and Philadelphia's current 0-3 division mark makes any tie-breaking scenarios within their division problematic.

Also an issue is the team's arduous schedule over the final six weeks, which begins with a Baltimore team still in full control of its playoff fate.

The Ravens also come off a disappointing Week 12 result, a 30-10 loss at the defending Super Bowl Champion Giants that dropped Baltimore a full game back of division-leading Pittsburgh in the AFC North.

While trying to lead his squad back into the win column on Sunday, head coach John Harbaugh will also be facing an Eagles club for which he served as an assistant coach for 10 seasons (1998-2007). Harbaugh was special teams coach in Philadelphia for his first nine years with the organization, before switching over to the secondary last season.

SERIES HISTORY

The Eagles hold a 1-0-1 edge in their all-time series with the Ravens, including a 10-10 tie at Memorial Stadium in 1997 and a 15-10 win at Lincoln Financial Field in 2004.

Philadelphia last won a meaningful game in Baltimore in 1978, and last lost a contest in Charm City in 1970.

Reid is 1-0 in his career against the Ravens, while Baltimore's Harbaugh will be meeting his former employer the Eagles for the first time as a head man.

WHEN THE EAGLES HAVE THE BALL

Though McNabb (2711 passing yards, 14 TD, 8 INT) and Reid have been the focus of Eagles fan hostility, there is no disputing that the recent performances of Pro Bowl running back Brian Westbrook (508 rushing yards, 32 receptions, 8 TD) have not been a credit to the offense. Westbrook, who has dealt with both rib and ankle issues this season, has averaged fewer than 50 rushing yards in his past three games and has not scored a touchdown over that span. The Villanova product has also been something of a non-factor in the passing game, including last week when his three catches went for just 11 yards. Westbrook is questionable for Sunday due to the ankle problem, and if he can't go, Correll Buckhalter (233 rushing yards, 21 receptions, 3 TD) would get the backfield call. Rookie wideout DeSean Jackson (42 receptions, 3 TD) has been the Birds' most dependable receiver all year, and Kevin Curtis (19 receptions, 1 TD) and Hank Baskett (22 receptions, 3 TD) both totaled 60-plus yards in Cincinnati. Tight end L.J. Smith (18 receptions, 3 TD) scored the team's only touchdown of the day. Despite their recent struggles, the Eagles go into Baltimore ranked sixth in NFL total offense (363.8 yards per game).

The Ravens' defensive reputation took a massive hit last week, when the Giants ran over Rex Ryan's group to the tune of 207 ground yards. Baltimore, which was allowing just over 65 ground yards per game coming into the Meadowlands, had not been gutted for 200-plus rushing yards since the 1997 season. Charged with bouncing back from that result will be a front seven including tackles Haloti Ngata (34 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) and Justin Bannan (32 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) along with linebackers Ray Lewis (73 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) and Bart Scott (49 tackles, 1 sack), all of whom have played a key role in the run-stopping effort this season. Meanwhile, a Ravens secondary that has already lost cornerback Chris McAlister (knee) for the year lists both corner Samari Rolle (shoulder) and safety Ed Reed (neck) as questionable on this week's injury report. If neither can go, it will place more pressure on a pass rush that has a modest 20 sacks on the year so far, including a team-high five from outside linebacker Terrell Suggs (46 tackles, 2 INT).

WHEN THE RAVENS HAVE THE BALL

Though two interceptions by quarterback Joe Flacco (1813 passing yards, 8 TD, 9 INT), including one returned for a critical pick-six in the third quarter, helped sink the Ravens' upset bid against the Giants last week, the lack of a running game was also a hindrance to Baltimore's efforts. The running back triumvirate of Willis McGahee (481 rushing yards, 5 TD, 16 receptions), Ray Rice (375 rushing yards, 24 receptions), and Le'Ron McClain (371 rushing yards, 18 receptions, 6 TD) combined for just 47 yards on 19 combined carries (2.5 yards per attempt), though McClain did add value by scoring the team's only touchdown on a 10-yard pass play in the second half. Flacco, who finished 20-of-33 for 164 yards with the touchdown and two picks, also rushed for a team-best 57 yards in the loss. No. 1 receiver Derrick Mason (53 receptions, 2 TD) continued his renaissance with seven receptions for 82 yards, but running mate Mark Clayton (21 receptions, 1 TD) had a quiet afternoon with just one catch. Of some concern for the Ravens this week is the health of offensive linemen Jared Gaither (shoulder) and Willie Anderson (ankle), both of whom are uncertain to go on Sunday. The Ravens remain 19th in the league in total offense (318.3 yards per game).

Job number one for Flacco will be avoiding an Eagles pass rush that has generated 36 sacks on the year, tied with Pittsburgh for the top figure in the league as Week 12 begins. The Birds dropped Cincinnati's Ryan Fitzpatrick eight times last week, with Darren Howard (18 tackles, 8 sacks) and Trent Cole (51 tackles, 6 sacks) leading the hit parade with two sacks apiece. Coverage, however, was something of an issue for Philadelphia on a week when Cincinnati's wide receivers went for over 200 yards. Cornerbacks Asante Samuel (26 tackles, 3 INT) and Sheldon Brown (31 tackles, 1 sack) will need to bounce back against Mason and Clayton, with safeties Brian Dawkins (50 tackles, 2 sacks) and Quintin Mikell (59 tackles, 2 INT, 1 sack) adding help over the top. The Eagles shut the Bengals running game down to the tune of 47 yards on 25 combined carries for three running backs, with linebacker Stewart Bradley (76 tackles, 1 sack) and tackle Brodrick Bunkley (33 tackles, 2 sacks) combining for 18 tackles to help fuel the effort. Philly is currently 11th in the NFL against both the run (98.7 yards per game) and the pass (194 yards per game).

FANTASY FOCUS

Eagles like McNabb and Westbrook have long been fantasy must-starts, but given their recent performances and strength of the Baltimore defense, you might want to consider utilizing other options this week. Of the other offensive players, the rookie wideout Jackson is a worthy flex option. The Eagles defense remains a must-play in leagues that reward sacks, and going up against a rookie quarterback should help their point total. Kicker David Akers has missed some field goals this year, but leads the NFL in scoring.

The Ravens don't have a lot of terrific fantasy plays, apart from the always- stout defense, of course. McGahee and Mason have had more prolific moments than anyone else on the roster, but counting on either having a huge game is foolish.

OVERALL ANALYSIS

McNabb and the Eagles offense need a positive showing in the worst way after last Sunday's plodding performance against a one-win team, but unfortunately for Philadelphia, it faces the Baltimore defense at the worst possible time. The pundits are questioning the Ravens' defensive strength after the ground- game tap-dance the Giants did on them last week, and questioning the viability of a group led by Ray Lewis is likely to yield some scary results. McNabb and Reid may show better than their usual questionable level of emotion, but it won't match that of the Ravens, who will be fired up to wash away last week's sins and keep pace in the AFC playoff race.

Sportsbook Betting Lines Predicted Outcome: Ravens 23, Eagles 16

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SPORTS BETTING - Tennis is an underrated and under-utilized bettors' sport.

Ten years ago, at just about this time, I called Alan Boston in Vegas and left him a voicemail that went something like this (abridged version): "Hey Alan, Chad Millman from ESPN The Magazine calling. I want to do a book about wise guys, you in?"

A couple weeks later I got a message back (abridged version): "I don't know, maybe," Boston said. "Call me and we'll talk about it. But not later today. I got $1,000 on Andre Agassi to win the French Open at 40-1, and he's in the finals."

Here's what happened next (abridged version): Agassi won his tourney. Boston won his $40,000. I wrote sportsbook.

In the ten years since, how much has been wagered on the big-time tennis events? Put it this way: The Nevada Gaming Commission doesn't even track the number year by year because it's so small.

"Tennis makes up about one-tenth of one percent of our take," says Lucky's bookmaking boss Jimmy Vaccaro. "The last big golf major we probably had $100,000 worth of bets. In tennis, we might have written two big tickets."

Tennis' lack of popularity amongst the American bettoratti is no surprise, really. For starters, the biggest sports betting holidays -- the Super Bowl, the NCAA tourney -- are must see TV. People, at least the degenerates I know, plan vacations around watching those events in Vegas sports books.

But Wimbledon? Doesn't exactly reel in the whales. "Seriously, it's the nuts as an event," says Boston. "But who even knows when it's on?"

Here's another reason that helps explain why golf gets traction, something I call "The Bubbe Theory." My Bubbe is pushing 95 and has cataracts so bad that, to her, even the most crystalline Chicago day is mostly cloudy. But she still listens to the Cubs games, and she still calls me in a fit if she disagrees with something Rick Telander writes in the Chicago Sun Times. She's a sports fan. If she doesn't know you, you're just filling a niche. And niche players, even historically good ones like Roger and Raf, don't drive betting volume. Only the highest profile names attract square money, which inflates wagering totals like a shot of saline to the lips. Bubbe, and the public, loved Agassi, tennis' last cross-the-rubicon, mainstream draw. She also has a crush on Tiger. She's given me standing orders to put a sawbuck on the big cat whenever I walk through a sports book (or mistakenly tap into one via my Internet machine.) That explains why the Masters is getting $100K in action at some books while the four tennis majors might not get that combined this year.

This isn't a case of tennis being a difficult sport to bet. In fact, in Europe, it's probably the second most popular sport for gambling after soccer. Granted, as the WSJ football betting last week and The Mag's Shaun Assael examined in even greater depth last year, that might be because gamblers across the pond see it as an easy game to fix. But it could also be because, over there it holds the kind of sway the big two do over here.

Street corners in Spain are peppered with public courts and kids doing their best Raffy impressions. In some war torn parts of Eastern Europe poverty-stricken kids view tennis as an escape route, like football or basketball here. A couple years ago The Mag's Lindsay Berra wrote a great piece about Belgrade's Jelena Jankovic, Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. They learned the game as kids while bombs were raining down on their homeland. They practiced in drained swimming pools. Not exactly Nick Bolletierri conditions.

In the United States, casual fans think tennis is played four times a year. But on the tightly packed European continent, national interest in homegrown talent runs deep every weekend. Of the ATP's current top 20 players, only two, tennis betting and James Blake, are American. Fourteen are from Europe, representing six different countries.

No wonder fans from Lisbon to Bhudapest get jacked up for the net game, whether it's Wimbledon or a low-level tourney like the Estoril Open in Portugal (congrats to Spain's Albert Montanes for winning that one, btw). Chances are good that someone representing their flag will not only be playing, but have a shot at winning.

And that's all any bettor can ask for.

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