Thursday Night Football is back once again in the NFL this week, and two teams that are fighting and clawing to stay in the playoff race in their respective conferences will do battle, as the Miami Dolphins play host to the Chicago Bears. Check out these NFL props picks for the showdown in South Beach that could be extremely exciting on the NFL Network.

Will Devin Hester Score a Touchdown?
Don’t kid yourself. Though Hester is getting fewer touches this year, if you bet this prop at this price every single game this season, you’ve done fairly well, picking up 1.8 units. Remember that you get punt return touchdowns as well as scores, as any TD is a TD. Hester is probably going to get a ton of chances to return punts in this one, as the Dolphins have plenty of offensive problems to deal with. It only takes one stroke of genius to win this prop, and though we hate betting things like this, we also realize that there are times that the oddsmakers are just off. This is one of those times. Go with Hester to Score a Touchdown (+170 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Total Punts Over/Under 9.5
This is a fairly standard prop at a very standard price, but this isn’t such a very standard game that we’re dealing with. These two defenses are built like rocks and are specifically designed to stop the other. Miami has a tremendous pass rush and is good enough up the middle of the defense to be able to hold down a Chicago offensive line that is just atrocious at run blocking. The Bears have the No. 2 rush defense in the game and clearly have the best unit against ground games aside from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Brad Maynard, Chicago’s punter, has booted the ball at least four times all but once this year, and he has kicked at least five punts in six of the Bears’ nine games. This is an incredibly high number of punts for a punter right now. Miami’s punter, Brandon Fields, hasn’t had nearly as much work this year, as he only has booted the pigskin away more than four times twice. However, this could be the ugliest game that either team plays all season long. With NFL odds like this, we have no choice but to go with there to be Over 9.5 punts (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Anthony Fasano Over/Under 2.5 Receptions
We’re so afraid on NFL props like this one, because we never really know whether recent trends are going to hold true or not. However, we have no choice but to believe here, as Fasano has caught at least three balls in four straight games and has really become a great check down option when things are getting rough. You can bet with the Bears bringing heat off the corner with DE Julius Peppers and company, that QB Tyler Thigpen, assuming that he is the starter, is going to really want to force the ball in to Fasano’s hands at least a few times just to get the big tight end involved and to loosen up the pass rush just a tad. We have to get to at least three catches, right? We’ll take Fasano Over 2.5 Receptions (-130 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

The Dallas Cowboys are just a few hours away from kicking off their first game in the Jason Garrett era. After the removal of HC Wade Phillips, we know that the Cowboys are going to have their work cut out for them to get back to the top in the NFC East. Garrett has the interim tag for the rest of the season, and he is the first man in the history of the Dallas franchise to have that title. We take a look at the prospects and the NFL odds for who will be the next coach of the Cowboys in the first week of the 2011 season!

Bill Cowher 4 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
We do know that Jones has spoken to some men that have shown interest in this job that have previous Super Bowl winning experience before, but we aren’t so sure that Cowher is one of them. The former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach doesn’t really seem to fit in Dallas all that well, and we’re not so sure that he has what it takes to transform this passing team into one with the vicious ground game that he desires. We’ll see him with the Carolina Panthers or back in the booth once again next year.

Bill Parcells 10 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Been there, done that. Dallas isn’t going there again. The Big Tuna has had enough of coaching.

Brian Billick 25 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Interesting odds here on Billick, because he definitely does fit the mold as a potential man that has won the Super Bowl. Though we aren’t so sure that Jones is really willing to sign a man that has been out of football for so long, these are definitely some intriguing NFL odds with the information that we currently have to deal with.

Jason Garrett 2.5 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
If Garrett can find a way to go 5-3 or better in the second half of the season, it’s going to be really, really hard for Jones to take the job away from him. Truth be told, the offense really hasn’t been a problem here in Dallas over the years. The defense has really been the unit that has let the team down. Garrett isn’t at fault. Truth be told, this was the man that Jones wanted to hire when he hired Phillips as his head coach, but there was speculation about whether he was really ready to guide a team to the Super Bowl. Garrett has been a lifetime Cowboy having played quarterback as Troy Aikman’s backup for years, and he clearly makes the most sense to take over next year.

Jim Harbaugh 8 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Harbaugh has been the main man in college that has been rumored to jump to the NFL as a head coach, and it really only seems like a matter of time until that happens. This would be a very sexy pick for Jones to make, as it would come with glitz and glamour. Having “Captain Comeback” as your head coach would certainly draw a lot of attention. The only question in our minds here is whether Harbaugh, a West Coast guy, is willing to trade in his sunglasses for a pair of cowboy boots. We’re not so sure that he is going to lead “The Farm” this year, as the Stanford Cardinal really are on the verge of something special. If he does go to the pros, he might want to go to a place where his QB Andrew Luck is going as well.

John Fox 3.5 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Of the coaches that are currently in the NFL, Fox is the only one that makes a lot of sense for the Cowboys. Though he has never won the Super Bowl, Fox did guide the Carolina Panthers to one back in 2003-04, and many think that he has just been given a raw deal on Tobacco Road with a team that just isn’t all that talented. Dallas certainly doesn’t have that problem. If you’re a believer that Jones is going after a coach with a lot of experience, this is your man.

Jon Gruden 2.5 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
You know with Gruden, you’re getting a workhorse that is going to sit there and study tape for hours on end for your team. The argument could be made that Gruden would still have his job had the Bucs beat the Oakland Raiders two years ago on the final day of the regular season. You know that he wants to get back in the coaching ring but would only take one of a handful of jobs. This is certainly one of them. Again, this is another coach that has won the Super Bowl in the past and could do it again in Big D. If Garrett flounders, this could be the man for the Cowboys.

Leslie Frazier 10 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
So let’s get this straight. You think that Jones is going to be bringing in a guy with no head coaching experience to run his club? Dream on.

Marty Schottenheimer 15 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Though we know that Schottenheimer got a raw deal in San Diego, he could never win the big game. It’s Super Bowl or bust for the Cowboys. This isn’t the man that can win a championship for this city.

Marvin Lewis 5 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Haha! Lewis can’t even make it with the Bengals, let alone with the Cowboys. He might get an interview after he gets fired by Cincinnati this year just as the token minority coaching candidate, but Lewis has absolutely no chance of actually landing this job.

Mike Zimmer 15 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Zimmer is a combination of a dud with the Bengals and an assistant with no head coaching experience. No thank you.

Tony Dungy 25 to 1 at Hollywood Sportsbook
Though we are fairly sure that Dungy is staying retired, we know that this would be the man that Jones would want grazing his sidelines as the head coach. Yes, Dungy is a past Super Bowl winning coach, and yes, he does fit the bill as a perfect man for Jones. And yes, it’s even true that Dungy would probably be No. 1 on Jones’ list. But let’s be realistic here. Dungy is retired for a reason. He is a family man that wants to continue to do good for a his children and his community. Picking up and moving to Dallas just doesn’t make any sense whatsoever, and that’s why the pro football odds are so long on him becoming the next coach of the Cowboys.

The Washington Redskins could have their 2010 NFL betting campaign put on the line on Monday Night Football, as they are taking on their divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles at home in a huge encounter. We here at Bankroll Sports, have all of our Monday Night Football prop picks available for you for the upcoming MNF tussle.

Longest Field Goal Over/Under 44.5 Yards
This isn’t a prop that we go after often, but we’re talking about two kickers here that have some very strong legs and aren’t going to miss many from this type of a range. K David Akers has blasted six field goals already this year of at least 40 yards, and he has had four games in which he booted one from at least 45 this year. For his career, Akers is 94-for-143 from 40+ yards, and we know that he is going to be given a great chance to do his thing at some point during this game as long as the Washington defense doesn’t just roll over and die. However, we have confidence in K Graham Gano as well for Washington. Gano hasn’t had all that many chances this year to connect from 40+ yards, but he has taken advantage, going 5-for-6 from 40-49 yards. Though he is 0-for-2 from 50+ yards, we know from his days with Florida State that he can boot it 60 if need be. He has four games this year with at least one 45 yard boot as well. This is probably somewhere between a 66% and 75% chance of winning this prop, and we only have to pay -120 for it. You betcha. The longest field goal of this game will be Over 44.5 Yards (-120 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Monday Night Football.

Michael Vick Over/Under 240.5 Passing Yards
When the Eagles faced the Redskins the first time, all that Joe Buck and Troy Aikman kept mentioning is how bad this Washington secondary really is. They’re a bunch of gamblers there that are prone to giving up the deep ball. After Vick left the game injured in the second quarter, QB Kevin Kolb had no desire to try to push the ball up the field. However, when you’ve got a cannon for an arm, WR DeSean Jackson, and WR Jeremy Maclin to work with, you just absolutely have to use those weapons and test those biting corners. This is a great spot for Vick to really shine and show off his arm. We wouldn’t be all that surprised if he hit three or four real bombs in this game, and in spite of the fact that he might not complete all that many passes, we have confidence that he will use these weapons to the fullest and go Over 240.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Will DeSean Jackson Score a Touchdown?
Interesting line here. We tend to want to stay away from these props, as the sportsbooks generally have these right, but this is a big game in which big plays are going to have to be made. Jackson is the best candidate to catch a TD, run for a trick play, or run a kick or punt back the distance as well. Remember, don’t just focus on what the Cal Golden Bear can do as a wide out. Any touchdown that isn’t a passing score does it for us here. Do you really think that Jackson isn’t scoring at least once in the biggest game of Philadelphia’s season? Knowing if he only does it half the time gives us some tremendous profitability, we have no hesitations going with Jackson to Score a TD (+115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) against the Redskins.

Jeremy Maclin Over/Under 54.5 Receiving Yards
Remember the argument that we made for Vick to go ‘over’ his total number of passing yards? We’re going to use the exact same argument that supports Maclin exceeding this relatively low total. One well place deep ball could get Maclin there by itself, and we know that Vick is going to be using him quite a bit in this game. There are no doubts in our minds that Maclin will go Over 54.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Week 10 of the NFL season is right around the corner! The handicapping experts of Bankroll Sports have key releases for you this weekend. Props and free picks will be available to you on our sports blog as well. However, to kick off this NFL betting week, we’re going to take a look at the most important NFL trends and matchup histories for the Week 10 NFL matchups.

Thursday, November 11th, 8:20 ET: Baltimore Ravens @ Atlanta Falcons
NFL Trends of Note
The Falcons are 9-4-1 ATS in their L/14 games played in Week 10 of the season
Baltimore is 18-6-2 ATS in its L/26 as road pups of a field goal or less
The Ravens are just 1-4-1 ATS in their L/6 following an SU win of at least two TDs

Series History
There’s a ton of preseason history between these two intra-conference foes, but not a heck of a lot of regular season experience. The two have only met eight times since 1981, and it’s all bad news for the Falcons. Atlanta is just 2-6 SU and is 0-8 ATS, but both of those wins have come here at the Georgia Dome.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 ET: Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars
NFL Trends of Note
The Jags are 7-1 ATS in their L/8 years in Week 10
Jacksonville is just 8-27 ATS in its L/35 played on grass
Houston is 11-5 ATS in the L/8 years in this series

Series History
The Texans might have gotten swept by their divisional rivals last season, but recent history suggests that Houston is going to be running away with these games. The Texans have had Jacksonville’s number in the past no matter how good the Jags have been, but really not until last year, were these teams considered to really be on a relatively even playing field.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 PM ET: Minnesota Vikings @ Chicago Bears
NFL Trends of Note
The Vikes are 5-2-1 ATS in their L/8 against the NFC North
Chicago is 2-7 ATS in its L/9 played at home
The Bears are 3-9 ATS in their L/12 played on grass

Series History
If you’re a fan of high scoring games, this might be the series for you! The winning team has scored at least 34 in the L/4 games in this rivalry, while the loser has scored at least 30 in three of the L/6. The home team has won five in a row, including last year at the end of the regular season when the Bears upset the Vikes 36-30 in OT to help spoil any chances that Minnesota had to capture the No. 1 overall seed in the NFC playoffs.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 PM ET: Tennessee Titans @ Miami Dolphins
NFL Trends of Note
Tennessee is 2-6 ATS in its L/8 against AFC foes
The Dolphins are 1-6-1 ATS in their L/8 played in Week 10
The home team has covered three straight in this series

Series History
These two teams have a very even history with one another in spite of the fact that they don’t really see each other all that often. Tennessee captured a 27-24 OT win last year at home against the Fins, but the two are split right down the middle at 5-5 ATS since 1992. The Dolphins hold a 7-3 SU edge, but all three of Tennessee’s wins have come since 2003.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 PM ET: Cincinnati Bengals @ Indianapolis Colts
NFL Trends of Note
The Bengals are 3-13 ATS in their L/16 overall
The Colts are 6-2 ATS in their L/8 against teams with a losing record
Indy is 10-4-1 ATS in its L/15 against teams from the AFC

Series History
The last time the Bengals came here to Indianapolis in a game that counted, it wasn’t exactly the prettiest thing in the world. Cincy was crushed 35-3. You have to go back well into the 2000s before you find the last Cincinnati win over the Colts in this series, and many of the scores have been incredibly lopsided. Think that Peyton Manning likes playing against these guys? He’s thrown for almost 1,000 yards and ten TDs in his last three duels against the Bengals.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 PM ET: Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
NFL Trends of Note
The Panthers are 2-6 ATS in their L/8 overall
Carolina is 8-3 ATS in its L/11 against teams with winning records
The Bucs are 3-14 ATS in their L/17 home games

Series History
The Bucs have never really had much luck against the Panthers, as they only snapped a three game losing streak both SU and ATS earlier this year at Bank of America Stadium. Tampa Bay doesn’t have a win against the Panthers at home since ’08 and hasn’t won two straight in this series in a number of years. With QB Matt Moore out of the lineup, this is likely to be the first time that QB Jimmy Clausen sees Tampa Bay as a starter in his career.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 PM ET: New York Jets @ Cleveland Browns
NFL Trends of Note
New York is 8-2 ATS in its L/10 road games
The Browns are 9-2 ATS in their L/11 against the AFC
Cleveland is 11-4 ATS in its L/15 overall

Series History
There have only been four meetings between the Browns and Jets all-time, and three of the four meetings went the way of Cleveland. The Browns scored wins of 24-18, 20-13, and 24-21 in 2007, 2007, and 2002 respectively, while New York’s only win in this series was a 10-7 decision here at Cleveland Browns Stadium in 2004.

Sunday, November 14th, 1:00 PM ET: Detroit Lions @ Buffalo Bills
NFL Trends of Note
The Lions have the best record in the NFL this year at 7-1 ATS
Buffalo is 5-15-1 ATS in its L/21 played at Ralph Wilson Stadium
The Bills are 27-11-1 ATS in their L/39 against teams with a losing record

Series History
Dating back into the 1990s, there are only five regular season meetings between the Bills and Lions. The home team has won all four clashes since 1994, but all five of the games have been separated by 14 points or less. The Bills are only 2-3 SU and 1-4 ATS in this series since 1991, but Detroit hasn’t won a game here at Ralph Wilson Stadium since that ’91 campaign.

Sunday, November 14th, 4:05 PM ET: Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos
NFL Trends of Note
The Chiefs are 7-2 ATS in their L/9 played on grass
Kansas City is 7-3 ATS in its L/10 road games
The Broncos have the worst ATS record in the AFC at 2-6 ATS

Series History
Think there’s a little bit of history here? There’s a heavy serving of payback that the Broncos would love to get on Sunday, as last season here at Mile High, KC knocked off Denver 44-24 to keep it out of the playoffs. The road team dropped 44 points in both games last season. The Chiefs are 6-3 ATS in the L/9 meetings, but Denver holds a 5-4 SU edge in that time span.

Sunday, November 14th, 4:15 PM ET: Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants
NFL Trends of Note
The Cowboys are 13-5 ATS in their L/18 played in the month of November
The Giants are 10-4 ATS in their L/14 played on field turf
New York is winless ATS in its L/5 home games against teams with a losing road record

Series History
This rivalry took a whole new turn just a few weeks ago when the G-Men knocked out QB Tony Romo for what probably will amount to be the rest of the season. New York won that day 41-35, improving it to 5-1 SU and ATS in this saga since the 2008 playoffs that sparked the magical run to the Super Bowl title for QB Eli Manning and the Giants. The ‘over’ is 7-2-1 ATS in the L/10 in this series.

Sunday, November 14th, 4:15 PM ET: Seattle Seahawks @ Arizona Cardinals
NFL Trends of Note
The Seahawks are 1-8 ATS in their L/9 played on grass
Arizona is 2-6 ATS in its L/8 when favored
The Seahawks are 17-35-1 ATS in their L/53 road games

Series History
This hasn’t been a particularly pretty series of late for the Seahawks, though they did claim a 22-10 win over the Redbirds back on October 24th at Qwest Field. They haven’t won here in the desert since 2005 and were just 1-6 ATS in the L/7 meetings before this year. Though nine of the L/13 have gone past the ‘total’ in this series, these teams have never both ranked this poorly offensively. Seattle and Arizona rank No. 30 and No. 31 overall in total offense in the NFL.

Sunday, November 14th, 4:15 PM ET: St. Louis Rams @ San Francisco 49ers
NFL Trends of Note
The Rams have the second best ATS record in football at 6-2 ATS
San Fran is 5-2-1 ATS in its L/8 home games
St. Louis is just 8-20-2 ATS in the L/30 meetings in this series

Series History
Needless to say, the Rams have to buck the NFL odds if they want to stay in first place in the NFC West. This is the first time in which St. Louis has been favored in a game in this series since ’07. The Niners are 4-0 SU and 3-1 ATS over the L/2 seasons, including having whacked the Rams by margins of 28-6 and 35-0 last year.

Sunday, November 14th, 8:20 PM ET: New England Patriots @ Pittsburgh Steelers
NFL Trends of Note
Pittsburgh is 2-5-1 ATS in its L/8 against teams with a winning record
The Steelers are 5-2-1 ATS in their L/8 played on natural grass
New England is 7-2 ATS in the L/9 in this series

Series History
New England has just found out what makes Pittsburgh tick and has exploited it for years. Really, ever since QB Tom Brady has come into control of this offense, the Pats have been dominant in this series, even while playing in one of the hardest venues in the NFL to be as a visitor, Heinz Field. A three game winning streak both SU and ATS stopped two years ago when the Steelers won 33-10, but that was with QB Matt Cassel under center for New England.

Monday, November 15th, 8:30 PM ET: Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins
NFL Trends of Note
The Eagles are 3-8 ATS in their L/11 overall
Washington is 7-1-4 ATS in its L/12 played on grass
The ‘Skins are just 5-12-1 ATS in their L/18 home games

Series History
This series has been all about home teams and underdogs of late, as they are both 6-1-1 ATS in their L/8 meetings, including this year when the Skins knocked off the Eagles 17-12 in the City of Brotherly Love. Dating back to the end of the ’06 season, Washington owns a 5-2-1 ATS edge in this rivalry and will be looking to improve upon that with QB Donovan McNabb looking to exact some revenge against his old team.

The NFL makes its first appearance on Thursday Night Football on the NFL Network this weekend, and there is a doozy of a game that we have to look forward to. The Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons both are tied atop their respective conferences and have the best records in the NFL at 6-2 apiece. Both teams know that the winner will be by itself in first place in its division, while the loser is slipping back either into a tie out of first place. Check out some of the Thursday Night Football props for one of the biggest nationally televised NFL betting affairs of the season!

Joe Flacco Over/Under 255.5 Passing Yards
This Atlanta secondary is clearly the Achilles heel of the squad this year, as it ranks just No. 26 in the league and is allowing well over 250 yards per game. Flacco is on pace to throw for over 4,000 yards this year, and we all know that he has a dangerous crop of receivers that is only getting healthier with WR Donte Stallworth eligible to come back to the fray this week. HC Jon Harbaugh certainly isn’t an idiot. He knows what he has to do to get the job done against this black and red defense, and if that means putting the ball in the air 35-40 times, then so be it. We have no reservations that Flacco is going Over 255.5 Passing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Thursday Night Football.

Will Ed Reed Intercept a Pass?
This isn’t a prop that requires much in the way of explanation. The bottom line here is that there is no way that Reed is really intercepting a pass in more than one out of three games that he plays in for the life of his career. Sure, we know that he has three picks in his first two games back in the lineup after recovering from his offseason surgery, but those came against a man that started the year as a backup quarterback (Ryan Fitzpatrick) and one that has now been demoted to a backup quarterback (Chad Henne). Needless to say, QB Matt Ryan is going to do a better job of protecting the pigskin than these two more often than not. If Reed beats us, he beats us. However, we’ll certainly take our chances that he does Not Intercept a Pass (-200 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Matt Ryan Over/Under 1.5 Touchdown Passes
In order for you to throw for two TDs in a game, your team has to score two TDs, right? Sure, Matty Ice and the gang have a high flying offense, and yes, with 13 TD passes in just eight games, we feel like we’re playing with a little bit of fire here with Ryan. However, the Baltimore defense is coming off of a superlative effort against the Miami Dolphins in which it allowed just ten points, and more importantly, just one touchdown. Just like Reed, if Ryan beats us, more power to him. However, we’ll take our chances that more often than not, he’ll end up throwing for Under 1.5 Touchdown Passes (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Michael Jenkins Over/Under 45.5 Receiving Yards
This is the one man that we really like offensively against the Ravens stout ‘D’, and the reason for that is that we aren’t so sure that Baltimore is going to pay all that much attention to where he is on a regular basis. The former Ohio State Buckeye has only been back in the fold three weeks, and he has watched, as 21 balls have traveled his way over those three games. Jenkins is clearly a man that can break some big gainers, and with him getting his feet back underneath him, we have no reason to believe that Flacco won’t force some balls in there to him, and the former Delaware Blue Hen might look for him on some deep routes against the aggressive defense on the other side of the ball as well. Go with Jenkins Over 42.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

The Cincinnati Bengals could have their 2010 NFL betting campaign put on the line on Monday Night Football, as they are taking on their divisional rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers at home in a huge encounter. We here at Bankroll Sports, have all of our Monday Night Football prop picks available for you for the upcoming MNF tussle.

Terrell Owens Over/Under 67.5 Receiving Yards
The Bengals know that they are going to have to throw the football if they plan on beating this Pittsburgh defense. The interesting question here is whether it is going to be WR Terrell Owens or WR Chad Ochocinco that really gets coverage rolled his way in this one. Either way, the Steelers don’t have the corners to be able to stick with either man. When the lights start rolling on Monday Night Football, you know that Owens wants to be the star of the show. This is the top statistical receiver on the team, and he is going to have no choice but to have a big time game on Monday Night. You’d better get your popcorn ready. TO is going Over 67.5 Receiving Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook) on Monday Night Football.

Cedric Benson Over/Under 63.5 Rushing Yards
Benson is having a down year this season, as he only has two total touchdowns to speak of. His rushing total is up there, and at least on the average night, he should have no problem eclipsing this type of a number on the ground. However, let’s be real. This is the Pittsburgh defense that he is running against, not a bunch of rag tag guys just trying to hold on for dear life. The Steelers are out to really punish your running back, and this isn’t going to be an exception. Benson is easily flustered when things aren’t going his way, and with the Steelers averaging allowing less than three yards per carry on the season, it is probably going to take at least 18-20 carries to get Benson to this type of figure. Dream on. The University of Texas standout probably stands little chance in this one, so go with Benson Under 63.5 Rushing Yards (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Jordan Shipley Over/Under 3.5 Receptions
Shipley is becoming the receiver du jour for QB Carson Palmer at times, and for good reason. The former Texas Longhorn has great hands, isn’t afraid to go over the middle, and will do all of the dirty work for your team. Consider him like the New England Patriots’ Wes Welker. He’s really the same exact player, just Cincinnati’s form of it. Palmer isn’t going to have much time to figure out how to reach Owens and Ochocinco with deep balls, so we tend to believe that he is going to be forced to check down on those five yard curls and quick slants to the inside. That’s right up Shipley’s alley. As long as Palmer doesn’t try to do too much against this black and gold defense, Shipley should go Over 3.5 Receptions (-115 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Will Ben Roethlisberger Throw an Interception?
These are some absolutely stellar odds that Big Ben isn’t going to get picked off. The Bengals just don’t get enough pressure on opposing quarterbacks for it to really make much of a difference. Cincinnati is dead last in the NFL with just six sacks this year, and at that point, and only thing separating Roethlisberger and a solid game without a blunder is staying away from DB Leon Hall, who leads the team with four INTs on the year. Especially if the Steelers get up early in this game, if you can survive the first half, you’ll have this prop free and easy the rest of the way, as RB Rashard Mendenhall should once again just be pounding the rock in the second half. We’ll say that Roethlisberger does Not Throw an Interception (+160 at Hollywood Sportsbook).

Week 9 of the NFL season is right around the corner! The handicapping experts of Bankroll Sports have key releases for you this weekend. Props and free picks will be available to you on our sports blog as well. However, to kick off this NFL betting week, we’re going to take a look at the most important NFL trends and matchup histories for the Week 9 NFL matchups.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 ET: New Orleans Saints @ Carolina Panthers
NFL Trends of Note
The Saints are 8-3-1 ATS in their L/12 games played on grass
New Orleans is 5-2-1 ATS in its L/8 played in Week 9
The Panthers are 8-2 ATS in their L/10 against teams with a winning record

Series History
It was only a month ago that the Panthers scared the wits out of the Saints in one of the first career appearances for QB Jimmy Clausen. That marked the fifth straight cover in this series for Carolina, and the seventh in the L/8 meetings dating back to the end of the 2006 campaign. There is good news for the men from the Bayou, though. The road team is 17-4 ATS over the L/11 years of meetings of these AFC South rivals.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: San Diego Chargers @ Houston Texans
NFL Trends of Note
The Chargers are just 2-6 ATS over the L/8 seasons in Week 9
San Diego is 7-3 ATS in its L/10 against teams with a winning record
The Texans have failed to cover three straight NFL betting lines

Series History
There isn’t much to talk about here, as these teams have only met three times in the brief history of the Houston franchise. The Texans have never won a game in this series and have never been favored either. This week is no exception. The Chargers won 35-10 in the last clash at Qualcomm Stadium and were 27-20 victors in their lone visit to Reliant Stadium in 2004.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: Chicago Bears @ Buffalo Bills
NFL Trends of Note
The Bears are just 5-11 ATS in their L/16 games overall
Chicago is only 2-7 ATS in its L/9 following an SU defeat
The Bills are winless in their L/5 ATS as dogs of a field goal or less

Series History
The annual trek for the Bills to Toronto should be quite the interesting one this year, as this might be their best chance to win a game for the rest of the season. Chicago won the last meeting of these teams in the regular season by a hefty final of 40-7, though the Bills did win the previous two encounters dating back to 2000. The home team is 4-1 ATS in the L/5 in this series as well.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: Arizona Cardinals @ Minnesota Vikings
NFL Trends of Note
The Redbirds are a woeful 7-22 ATS in their L/29 on the road against teams with a losing home record
Minnesota is 7-1-1 ATS in its L/9 as home favorites
The Vikes are 10-4 ATS in their L/14 following an SU defeat

Series History
It wasn’t all that long ago that the Cards beat the Vikings 18-17 in 2003 to keep the men in purple out of the postseason. However, the key in this series has been the dominance of the home team. Arizona won 30-17 last year in the desert when these two teams met to help it win the NFC West. The Cardinals haven’t won a game in Minnesota since moving to Phoenix though, and that includes a dreadful 1-4 ATS mark since the 1999 playoffs.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: New England Patriots @ Cleveland Browns
NFL Trends of Note
The Pats have covered every game in this series dating back to 2001
The Browns are 8-2 ATS in their L/10 against AFC foes
Cleveland is 10-4 ATS in its L/14 overall

Series History
HC Bill Belichick has only gotten the privilege of coming back to his old stomping grounds once in his career, and there was certainly a stomping going on all right… New England won 42-15 in the most lopsided victory in the history of this series. These teams have only met six times since the reformation of the Browns, and Cleveland is just 1-5 SU and 1-4-1 ATS to show for its work.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: Miami Dolphins @ Baltimore Ravens
NFL Trends of Note
Miami is 16-5 ATS in its L/21 road games
The Dolphins are 6-2 ATS in their L/8 against teams with a winning record
Baltimore is 2-5-1 ATS in its L/8 against teams with a winning record

Series History
These two teams have met in some vastly differing spots in recent history. The Ravens won 27-9 two years ago in Miami in the playoffs and snared a 27-13 victory there earlier in the season. The last meeting in the big Crab Cake came back at the end of the ’05 season, when the Ravens scored a 30-23 victory. Even though these teams have met eight times since the Browns moved to Baltimore, that was the only meeting in which Miami was the underdog before Sunday. The 2007 meeting was a mighty interesting one, as the 22-16 win for the Dolphins was their only ‘W’ of the season in that dreadful 1-15 year.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Atlanta Falcons
NFL Trends of Note
The Bucs are 3-0 SU and ATS on the road this season
Atlanta is 8-3 ATS in its L/11 overall
The favorite is 6-2 ATS in the L/8 clashes of these rivals

Series History
Though that last stat is true, we have to make note of the fact that the Bucs had covered five straight in this series until the Falcons won 20-10 on the last day of the season last year in a game that was only played for pride. Atlanta has won three straight SU. The L/4 meetings have all produced ‘under’ games. The losing team hasn’t scored more than 17 in a game in this series since the end of the 2005 campaign, while no team has scored more than 20 since the first clash in ’08.

Sunday, November 7th, 1:00 PM ET: New York Jets @ Detroit Lions
NFL Trends of Note
The Jets are 8-1 ATS in their L/9 road games
New York is 6-1-1 ATS in its L/8 seasons in Week 9
The Lions have the best ATS mark in the league at 6-1 ATS

Series History
You have to go back to 2006 to find the last time these teams faced off, and the Jets knocked off Detroit that day 31-24. New York has covered two straight in this series, including the most recent meeting in Motown, a 31-14 triumph for the visitors. Detroit’s last win came in 2000 in the Meadowlands, and its last win at home was way back in 1997. The last cover at home was in 1991, a 34-20 win by the Barry Sanders led Lions.

Sunday, November 7th, 4:05 PM ET: New York Giants @ Seattle Seahawks
NFL Trends of Note
The Giants are 12-4 ATS in their L/16 as road favorites
New York is 21-9 ATS in its L/30 following an SU win
The Seahawks are 2-7 ATS in their L/9 against teams with a winning record

Series History
The L/2 clashes of these teams have resulted in some very high scoring affairs. New York won 44-6 in the most recent tussle in the Meadowlands, while the Seahawks stomped the G-Men 42-30 at Qwest Field in ’06. The hosts have won all ten meetings dating back to 1986 and have a 6-3-1 ATS record to show for it. Five of the L/7 meetings have eclipsed the ‘total’ as well.

Sunday, November 7th, 4:15 PM ET: Kansas City Chiefs @ Oakland Raiders
NFL Trends of Note
The Chiefs are 7-1 ATS in their L/8 played on grass
KC is 6-2 ATS in its L/8 against conference foes
The Raiders are just 17-36 ATS in their L/53 home games

Series History
We’ll bet that there aren’t many stats for the Raiders when they are coming off of scoring nearly 100 points in their L/2 games, though! The road teams has won seven straight in this series dating back to the end of the ’06 season, and it should come as no surprise that they are a perfect 7-0 ATS in those duels as well. Four straight and nine out of ten have stayed ‘under’ the number, and no team scored more than 23 in a game in this series since the end of the ’05 season.

Sunday, November 7th, 4:15 PM ET: Indianapolis Colts @ Philadelphia Eagles
NFL Trends of Note
The Colts are 8-1-2 ATS in their L/11 against teams with a winning record
Philly is just 3-7 ATS in its L/10 overall
The Colts have covered all four games in this series since 1996

Series History
Since 1990, these teams have only met a grand total of six times in the regular season. Indy has won five of the six both SU and ATS, and they have dropped some awfully lopsided finals on the board as well. Since ’96, the Colts have outscored the Eagles on aggregate 161-61, an average margin of victory of 25.0 points per game! Needless to say, all four games soared ‘over’ the ‘total’.

Sunday, November 7th, 8:20 PM ET: Dallas Cowboys @ Green Bay Packers
NFL Trends of Note
The Cowboys have the worst ATS record in the league at 1-6 ATS
Green Bay is 6-1-1 ATS in its L/8 against teams with a losing record
The Packers are 5-2-1 ATS in their L/8 at Lambeau Field

Series History
The home team is 9-1 ATS in the L/10 clashes of these NFC powerhouses, and the favorite is 8-2 ATS in that stretch as well. The exception to the “favorite” rule came last year at home, where the Pack stalled out Dallas 17-7 here in a cold day at Lambeau Field. The Cowboys do have a ‘W’ on the Frozen Tundra, but not this late in the season in years. In ’08, Dallas scored a 27-16 victory.

Monday, November 8th, 8:30 PM ET: Pittsburgh Steelers @ Cincinnati Bengals
NFL Trends of Note
The Steelers are 2-6 ATS in their L/8 against teams with losing records
Pittsburgh is 2-5-1 ATS in its L/8 against division rivals
The road team is 12-4-1 ATS in the L/17 meetings of these AFC North foes

Series History
In this do or die game for the Bengals, there is at least a little bit to grasp onto. Cincinnati did win both games in this series last year, taking an 18-12 decision at Heinz Field and a 23-20 final here at Paul Brown Stadium. The Steelers had won four straight in this series SU since the ’06 postseason both SU and ATS, and all but one of those four had come by double digit margins of victory.