Football Stats Check – December 13
Who said there was no college football this weekend? Our Top 10 gridiron stats and factoids will visit the two FCS semifinal games and the Division II championship, all three of which are being shown on the Worldwide Leader with betting lines attached.
College
Montana at James Madison: The Montana Grizzlies are 66-17 SU since 2001 when less than 40 points are scored in a game. The James Madison Dukes are only 37-35 SU in the same circumstances. Both teams have offense to burn, but Montana has allowed 16.6 points this year to JMU’s 22.2.
Minnesota-Duluth at Northwestern-Missouri: There’s a flood watch in Florence, Ala. A tropical depression will dump rain and snow (yes, it snows in North Alabama) on Braly Municipal Stadium before clearing up in time for Saturday’s Division II title game.
College football lines in the Bodog Sportsbook.
Richmond at Northern Iowa: Richmond Spiders DE Lawrence Sidbury had his string of games with a sack snapped at four by Appalachian State. But Richmond still picked off QB Armanti Edwards five times in the second half en route to a 33-13 upset of the Mountaineers, ending their run of three straight FCS titles.
NFL
Tampa Bay at Atlanta: The Bucs are 8-20 ATS in their last 28 road games against winning teams. The Falcons are 8-5 SU and ATS this year and 5-1 ATS at home.
Tennessee at Houston: Texans QB Matt Schaub has topped the 100 mark in passer rating in four of his last six starts. The victims: Jacksonville, Detroit, Cincinnati and Green Bay. The Packers have the only decent pass defense of the four. 
San Diego at Kansas City: The Chargers join the Packers at 5-8 SU (5-7-1 ATS) despite a +43 point differential on the season, four points better than the 9-4 SU Colts. Kansas City is last in the AFC West at 2-11 SU (7-6 ATS) and minus-131.
New England at Oakland: Pats QB Kevin O’Connell was the second-fastest pivot at the 2008 NFL Combine, running the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds. Josh Johnson (now with Tampa Bay) was first at 4.55 seconds. O’Connell may start for Matt Cassel, whose father passed away this week.
Bet on NFL odds in the Bodog Sportsbook.
Pittsburgh at Baltimore: Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger is ranked No. 30 in efficiency among QBs with at least 100 pass attempts, according to Football Outsiders. Big Ben’s 22 DYAR (Defense-adjusted Yards Above Replacement) is down sharply from last year, when he was ranked No. 11 in the league at 743 DYAR on the season.
Denver at Carolina: The Panthers are 22-10-2 ATS in their last 34 games after allowing less than 90 yards rushing. Carolina held Tampa Bay to 86 rushing yards last week, and Denver RB Peyton Hills is out for the year with a torn hamstring.
N.Y. Giants at Dallas: Adam Jones leads the Cowboys with seven passes defended despite playing just seven games. He may never play again after suffering a neck injury against the Steelers last week. Jones will reportedly miss the Giants game and almost certainly the rest of the season.
