It's gameday for the second time in less than a week as the Chiefs take on Miami Dolphins today at Arrowhead. Will this be a letdown spot for the Chiefs, after such an emotional win on Monday night? Will the Dolphins continue to compete and stay in games? Will the crowd be able to bounce back and bring the intensity to Arrowhead after such draining victory? We will find out the answers to those and many other questions in a little more than an hour.
On Tuesday in The Opening Line, we saw that the Chiefs opened as 5.5 point favorites and the total was at 39.5. Did that change at all and does it look like the money is coming in on our side? Let's find out that and more in our Week 9 edition of The Closing Line.
I use a variety of websites to track information regarding the point spread and other handicapping information. With that said, approximately 3/4 of the betting public are on Kansas City today. That's the good news. The bad news is that with that in mind, the spread has dropped from 5.5 to 4 points where it has sat for a few days. When the public is in favor of a team this heavily, the line normally moves the other way. Therefore, there have been enough very large bets on Miami to pull the line the other way. Most people would agree that "follow the money" is a very good strategy, but as I scour the internet even the most seasoned handicappers are still not believers in the Chiefs. Some would say that they are smart, but I disagree. These "experts" consistently rely on Chiefs statistics that include those first two games, which I think any Chiefs fan would agree, do not accurately reflect the true nature of the squad. Regardless, I am still as confident as I have been all week that the Chiefs will win and cover this number. The total moved up a whole point as well to 40.5 but I am not advising a bet on this. Gun to my head, I would take the over today.
Fantasy Football Update
Ruled out before Sunday: WR Danario Alexander (hamstring), RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), QB Jason Campbell (collarbone), RB Tashard Choice (hamstring), WR Lee Evans (ankle), RB Montario Hardesty (calf), RB Peyton Hillis (hamstring), RB Mark Ingram (heel), WR Andre Johnson (hamstring), RB Felix Jones (ankle), QB Peyton Manning (neck), RB Darren McFadden (foot), WR Santana Moss (hand), WR Hakeem Nicks (hamstring), RB Jerious Norwood (hamstring), WR Emmanuel Sanders (knee).
Early games (1 p.m. ET)
RB Joseph Addai (knee, questionable)
WR Plaxico Burress (lower back, questionable)
TE Dallas Clark (knee, questionable)
TE Fred Davis (ankle, questionable): active
RB Daniel Thomas (hamstring, questionable): active
Late games (4 p.m. ET)
QB Sam Bradford (ankle, questionable) will be a gametime decision via twitter
WR Malcom Floyd (hip, questionable)
RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis (toe, questionable)
TE Jermaine Gresham (hamstring, doubtful)
TE Aaron Hernandez (knee, questionable)
K Sebastian Janikowski (left hamstring, questionable)
QB Kevin Kolb (toe, doubtful)
RB Ryan Mathews (groin, questionable)
WR Wes Welker (neck, questionable)
RB Beanie Wells (knee, questionable)
Steve's Selections:
I have been doing well of late in the NFL and hope to have another winning week. Best of luck to all of you as well if you place any wagers today! I do not advocate taking a lot of teams like this every week, but I feel very good about this card overall.
KANSAS CITY -4
BUFFALO -2
NEW ORLEANS -8.5
WASHINGTON +5
DENVER +7
TENNESSEE -2.5
ST. LOUIS +2.5
GREEN BAY -5.5
There you have it. Another week in the books. One hour till game time and it's time to get ready. I'll leave you with this:
"We will overcome this ... 5-3 at the end of (the second) quarter of the season." - Le'Ron McClain