posted November 25, 2009 at 17:00 EST in NFL Free Picks
NFL Thanksgiving Thursday XBOX Simulation Picks
by Mike Rose
Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions 12:30 ET
The Packers looked well on their way towards winning and covering the spread after the first 30 minutes of play. Green Bay struck for a pair of quick scores in the 1st quarter when QB Aaron Rodgers navigated the Packers right down the field on their opening possession.
RB Ryan Grant capped the drive off with a 2-yard plunge, and it was followed by a Rodgers TD pass shortly after DET turned the ball over on their second possession of the game. The Lions erupted with 10 unanswered points to start the 3rd quarter with a K Jason Hanson FG and a TD pass from QB Culpepper to WR Bryant Johnson.
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
FINAL |
|
GREEN BAY |
14 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
27 |
DETROIT |
3 |
3 |
10 |
8 |
24 |
They then looked poised to take the lead before Culpepper threw a crucial INT that was returned all the way back for a score by FS Nick Collins. Ford Field let out an awful sigh of frustration when it occurred, but their Lions didn’t give up.
RB Kevin Smith rushed like a man possessed and got the Lions into Packers territory in the blink of an eye. Before you knew it, he capped the drive with a 2-yard TD plunge and the Lions were only down 2. HC Jim Schwartz raised two fingers and Culpepper complied by running his patented goal line draw out of the shotgun formation. He was met with stiff resistance at the goal line, but managed to bowl his 260 pound frame passed the goal line to tie it up.
Now tied for the first time since the opening kick, Rodgers looked dead set on getting the Pack into FG range at all costs. He did exactly that, as GB picked the Lions “D” apart and got to their 25-yard line with just 10 seconds left. HC Mike McCarthy called on K Mason Crosby, and the Colorado product executed the game winning kick as time expired. Though they didn’t win SU, the Lions finally got the football gambling cover for the first time since playing close to Pittsburgh back on October 10th.
Take Detroit (+11) -110 and Over 47.5 –110 in the BetUS Sportsbook
Oakland Raiders vs. Dallas Cowboys 4:15 ET
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
FINAL |
|
OAKLAND |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
DALLAS |
0 |
10 |
7 |
10 |
27 |
The Cowboys continued their lackluster offensive play at the start of the game. They went three and out on their first three possessions, and actually found themselves down 3-0 in the 2nd quarter. However, after the game returned from commercial break, Dallas finally started to look like the team that went into Philly and shocked the Eagles a couple weeks back.
QB Tony Romo found huge passing lanes after RBs Marion Barber and Felix Jones finally started shredding the Raiders woeful run “D”. DAL finally got on the board at the nine-minute mark when Barber galloped into the EZ from 7-yards out to give the Boys a 7-3 lead. After the “D” forced a punt three minutes later, Romo navigated the offense right back down the field in enough time to allow K Folk a FG opportunity. He nailed it, and DAL went into the break up 10-3.
After OAK cut the lead to four on another Janikowski FG, Dallas seemingly had its way the rest of the game. They held onto the ball for 22 minutes of the second half and didn’t allow Oakland to get passed its own 39-yard line. WR Roy Williams hauled in a pair of Romo TD passes, and the Boys ground attack ended up running for over 150 yards. The 21-point win got DAL backers the NFL point spread cover, and halted the Cowboys ATS losing streak at two. Jerry Jones can now enjoy his turkey dinner!
Take Dallas (-13.5) -110 and Under 40 –110 in the BetUS Sportsbook
New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos 8:20 ET
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
FINAL |
|
NEW YORK |
0 |
10 |
7 |
3 |
20 |
DENVER |
7 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
21 |
The Broncos came out very intense and set the tone of the game on their very first drive. RB Knowshon Moreno rattled off a pair of 10+ yard runs on his first three carries, and the Broncos were passed midfield just a minute into the game.
NY’s “D” stepped up to force a 3rd and 1, but gimpy QB Kyle Orton managed to move the chains on a plunge. WR Brandon Marshall stepped up on the very next play when he outleaped a Giant defender in the end zone and came down with the 38-yard TD catch. Denver’s “D” kept the Giants off the scoreboard in the 1Q, but it was all NY during the next 15 minutes of action. K Tynes got the G-Men on the board with a 39-yarder, and then after the Giants held on “D”, the offense scored its first tuddy of the game when QB Eli Manning connected with WR Mario Manningham from 9-yards out. NY took a 10-7 lead with it into the break.
The Giants got ahead of the spread 10 minutes into the 3rd quarter when Manningham hauled in his second TD catch of the day. However, it was the spark needed to get Denver’s offense back on track. Orton sprayed the ball all over the field by completing short range high percentage passes. When the Giants countered, by making their secondary play man press, it opened up the middle of the field for RB Moreno who took a draw to the house from 32-yards out to cut the lead to three.
The Giants failed to put the game away late in the 4th quarter, and it cost them dearly. After settling for a FG to go up 6-points with 3:30 remaining, Denver took over and looked to win the game. They did exactly that when WR Jabar Gaffney turned a quick WR screen into a 38-yard TD gaunt to give Denver a 1-point lead with under a minute left. NY ran its no huddle to perfection to get to midfield with 17 seconds remaining. After Manning hooked up with WR Steve Smith for a 17-yard pass and catch, they had gotten into Tynes FG range with a couple ticks left. Tynes set up from 51, but McDaniels called TO just before he kicked it. The FG attempt would have been good. Take 2, Tynes lined up again for the game winning kick. But this time, it sailed wide left and the Broncos held on for the 1-point home win and football gambling pointspread cover.
A second helping of turkey is in order for Denver and Under backers!!!
Take Denver (+6.5) -110 and Under 42 –110 in the BetUS Sportsbook
