For fans of the NFL, Week 7 was difficult to watch. Not only for the atrocious Monday Night Football we were forced to endure, but for the fact that, throughout the league, bodies crumbled and players were sent to the infirmary one-by-one. Luckily, none of these were among the worst sports injuries of all time.
While some teams have been lucky in terms of health and depth, there are a handful of teams that haven’t been as fortunate. They’ll have to dig deep into their will and their roster with many key players out for lengthy stretches of this aging season.
For bettors, these injuries are going to affect the way they should see the spreads and how they should wager.
Here’s the latest on the NFL’s injury riddled squads:
1. Chicago Bears
Just when the Bears were gaining ground on the NFC North, the injury bug hit.
The Chicago Bears got bad news when Jay Cutler went down with a groin tear last Sunday, putting him out for four weeks. More bad news: seven-time Pro-Bowl linebacker Lance Briggs will miss six weeks due to shoulder injury. [sc:NFL240banner ]
The Bears are 4-3 SU, tied for second in the division. Luckily they are on their bye week, but it won’t be easy after their break as they have Green Bay and Detroit waiting for them.
The Bears got a reassuring performance from back-up quarterback Josh McCown, who went 14-of-20 for 204 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions. He did everything you could ask of a backup and more in a 45-41 shootout loss against Washington.
They’re likely happy with McGown, but with Briggs out, the defense, which is already looking bad, is going to get even worse. They have to fix it in order to stay within a game of the NFC North lead. The total has gone OVER in four of their last five games, and with a weaker defense, that trend could very well continue.
2. Indianapolis Colts
Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts made a huge statement on Sunday Night Football by knocking off the previously undefeated Denver Broncos. Luck won the “War of 1812,” the showdown between Luck and Peyton Manning, Colts legend and current Broncos quarterback.
However, it came at an incredibly high cost: wide receiver Reggie Wayne was lost for the season with an ACL injury.
The injury to No. 87 is a punch to the gut for the Super Bowl contenders. Wayne means a lot to the Colts offense and to the development of this young team with Andrew Luck, Trent Richardson and T.Y. Hilton as franchise cornerstones. His big-time presence gave the Colts a 3-0 ATS record as underdogs, beating the 49ers, Seahawks and Broncos. Free-agent disappointment Darrius Heyward-Bey must now fill the void.
The Colts have a soft schedule after their bye and the size of the spread on their games will likely be dictated by how the injury affects their overall offensive performance. However, with Wayne out, will the Colts have enough to compete as the season goes?
3. Buffalo Bills
E.J. Manuel was a having a terrific season until a trip to Cleveland pulled the plug.
The rookie quarterback injured his knee in the Bills’ Week 5 match-up with the Browns and will be out for six to eight weeks.
Fortunately, third-string quarterback Thad Lewis has kept Buffalo afloat for the past two games. The Bills are surprisingly two-games behind the AFC lead at 3-4 SU, and are exceptional against the spread at 5-2 — a record that includes two-straight ATS wins.
Their next two games will be against division leaders (New Orleans, Kansas City), and then it’s a soft schedule for the Bills up to Week 17. With their solid defense and the steady play of Lewis, you can bet on the Bills to hang around this season before Manuel comes back in December.
4. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons have experienced a lot of hindrances to their Super Bowls hopes. They got off to rough start at 2-4 SU and 2-4 ATS. The slow start was mainly caused by injuries to three of their best offensive weapons.
Although the Falcons had no problem beating the Bucs, they will go through a difficult stretch in their next three games: a road game against the Cards, a visit to Cam Newton and the Panthers, and a home game against the Seahawks. They’re already 1.5-point underdogs this week. Now, depending on the performances of their next opponents this week and whether White and Jackson are able to return soon, expect these underdog Falcons to garner friendly spreads.
5. Dallas Cowboys
Much like the Falcons, the Dallas Cowboys have to go on without three of their best players for a while.
Miles Austin, DeMarco Murray and DeMarcus Ware will have to miss some time while the Cowboys try to hold on to their lead in the NFC “Least.”
Remarkably, the NFC East has been terrible this year. Big D sits at 4-3 SU, but at least they’re doing great against the spread at 6-1 thanks to Tony Romo, who is playing his best football so far.
Although it’s safe to say that the Cowboys will win their division, bettors should look out on their non-division match-ups, as they face the deep NFC North and the Saints later in the season.
6. St. Louis Rams
Just as the St. Louis Rams were finally getting into their groove with two-straight wins both straight-up and against-the-spread, disaster struck with their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, tearing his ACL. He’s done for the season.
Kellen Clemens will now have the opportunity to show what he can do with Tavon Austin, Jared Cook and Zac Stacy. Furthermore, the Rams added former Browns first-round pick Brady Quinn and Austin Davis to compete for the starter job.
The Bradford injury will affect the spread on Rams’ games. The Rams were poised to be a much-improved team, especially after going undefeated against their division mates. Now, they will have to claw their way back into the mix this season.
They’re currently listed for their Monday night game against the Seahawks as 9-point underdogs. After Week 8, their schedule will be tougher as games against Indianapolis, Chicago, New Orleans and their division mates are on the horizon. Expect the Rams to be huge underdogs the rest of the way.
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers are more doomed than ever this year.
With star running back Doug Martin now out for the season with a shoulder tear, the Bucs will have to rely on will and determination to get their first win. They’ve failed to cover the spread in five consecutive games. They enter their Thursday night game against the Panthers as 6-point underdogs.
Truth is, this Buccaneers team shouldn’t be 0-6 with the talented line-up they have. Tampa has one of the best defenses in the league with Gerald McCoy, Darrelle Revis and Dashon Goldson leading the way. The offense is now progressing with Mike Glennon under center. But without Martin, the pressure now lies on Glennon to help them get the first W and it won’t be easy looking at the rest of their schedule.
The Bucs won’t likely be favored in the spread for the rest of the season. They’ll go into some games as huge underdogs, but their defense can compete with anyone in the league. As they gain more points in the spread, look for the Bucs to win a few more ATS.
Maybe, just maybe, they can get a win straight-up as well.
8. Houston Texans
Houston, the Texans have a problem.
The Texans are in “panic mode” and up until now, they’re still looking for the answer to their playoff hope woes.
The stars have not aligned for Houston this season as Gary Kubiak’s team is going down one-by-one. Their running back duo of Arian Foster and Ben Tate has been limited. Matt Schaub is out with an ankle injury after throwing pick-sixes. Andre Johnson is playing through a shin injury. J.J. Watt got dinged up last Sunday and star linebacker Brian Cushing tore his ACL and is done for the season.
They have lost five consecutive games, and are 1-6 against the spread. Amazingly, Case Keenum, the third-stringer, gave Houston a chance against the undefeated chiefs until a late fumble cost them, but they finally beat the spread last Sunday.
Hopefully the bye week will allow the Texans’ starters to heal faster and regroup in time. They have a mixed bag for their next five games, going against the Colts, Cardinals, Raiders, Jaguars and Patriots. If the Texans’ back-ups can take their opponents to the limit, maybe they can hold their own against the Colts and Pats.
