One of the “great†moments in gambling history happened on Thursday night. With the line standing at SF -7 and the Niners up by that amount with less than a minute left on the clock, the Seahawks took a penalty in the end zone on a fourth-down attempt. That should have been a safety, right? Wrong.
San Francisco coach Jim Harbaugh turned down the penalty, getting the ball and kneeling out the 40-something seconds remaining on the clock. That, in case you were wondering, made the game a push and no bets won. I’m sure gamblers were thrilled/ticked off, depending on who you bet on.
But here’s the thing: There was no reason why Harbaugh shouldn’t have taken the extra two points!
It’s not like the Seahawks could have tried an onside kick after the safety; you have to punt the ball back to the other team. And even if the Niners fumbled that return, it would have been a two-score game and Seattle would have needed a touchdown and a field goal to win. That simply wouldn’t have happened with only one time out and the little amount of time remaining.
Simply put, Harbaugh may have won the game, but he made a bad decision.
The lines are from 5Dimes and the home teams are in CAPS.
BUFFALO -3 over Tennessee
The Bills probably should have lost in Arizona, but they’re a better home team and the Titans stink.
Arizona +7 over MINNESOTA
I know that this is backing John Skelton on the road, but this should be a defensive affair with the Cards at least being able to keep it close.
INDIANAPOLIS -2.5 over Cleveland
I don’t get it. The Colts are better than the Browns and have home-field advantage.
HOUSTON -7 over Baltimore
The Ravens just lost two of their key defenders and are bad against the run – which the Texans are amazing at.
Green Bay -5 over ST. LOUIS
The Packers finally hit their stride and did it against a great defence on the road. Why shouldn’t they roll against the Rams?
CAROLINA +2.5 over Dallas
Can you spell Cam Newton breakout game? It’s about time for one.
Washington +5.5 over NEW YORK GIANTS
The Redskins have a good recent history against the Giants who are up for a letdown after trouncing the Niners.
New Orleans -2.5 over TAMPA BAY
The Saints are coming off a bye after having found their rhythm. The Bucs aren’t that good.
New York Jets +12 over NEW ENGLAND
The Jets are pretty bad at throwing the ball, but the Pats are bad at stopping the pass. That should add up to a game that’s less than two scores apart.
Jacksonville +4 over OAKLAND
The Raiders, quite simply, shouldn’t be giving more than three against anyone.
CINCINNATI (pick) over Pittsburgh
The Bengals are a strong home team and the Steelers just might not be the good team that we thought they’d be.
Detroit +7 over CHICAGO
The Bears are clearly the better team and could dominate this game. But, the Lions have a great habit of coming back late and covering.
This week: 0-0-1
Last week: 6-8
This season: 38-51-3