And we’re only going into week 4. The Eagles early season form has been extremely poor, which is in no small part to the poor form of QB Carson Wentz. If Philly are to salvage their season, they need Wentz to turn it around pretty soon. They also need guys to step up and help him, because he can’t do it by himself. His offensive line is a complete liability and between injuries and other issues, nobody has provided a reliable option to take the pressure off him.

The 49ers stand at 2-1 at the moment which could have been worse given the problems they’ve had with injuries. They’ll thank their lucky stars their last 2 games were against the Jets and Giants and have another winnable one this weekend.

PP Betting:
Money line: Eagles 5/2 49ers 3/10
Points Spread: 49ers -7
Over/Under: 46

Personally, I’d be inclined to avoid putting money on this game altogether. I wouldn’t put either team in an acca. If I was to bet, it would be low risk/high reward. I can’t hang my hat on anything with confidence here. Too much unknowns heading into the game.

Fantasy Football:
QB’s
We still don’t know if Jimmy G is likely to suit up for SF as he recovers from a high ankle sprain. Nick Mullens had a good showing against the Giants but isn’t someone you really want to be relying on. Not a bad shout if you’re in a pinch for this week, assuming he plays.
Carson Wentz’s form has already been mentioned. He has thrown 6 interceptions to 3 Touchdowns over the first 3 game, although he added 2 rushing TD’s too. The talent is still there but the confidence and composure may not be at the moment. As stated, the help around him must improve too.
RB’s
The 49er Running Back committee is hurting. Tevin Coleman is gone for the season and Jerick McKinnon and Raheem Mostert are both dinged up. Somehow you just don’t put it past Kyle Shanahan to engineer a productive run game with whoever is there. It is worth checking late injury updates to see who is available here.
Philly may try to lean heavily on Miles Sanders in this game. He has shown an ability to carry their ground attack and unless they end up trailing big early, he could see a lot of the ball.  

WR’s
Nobody stands out in the San Fran receiving group, especially with Deebo Samuel out. If you’re really stuck for someone to plug into your line up, you could do worse than picking up Brandon Aiyuk if he’s available in your league.
Alshon Jeffery is back in practice and hasn’t yet been ruled out of returning for this game. He would slot back in as the Eagles main receiver if he does return. DeSean Jackson is a big play threat as always should his fitness hold up. JJ Arcega-Whiteside has been a swing and a miss so far in his Eagles career.

TE’s
Fantasy monster George Kittle is a doubt for the game after sitting out the last 2 weeks with a knee injury. Jordan Reed took over while Kittle was out, but he now finds himself in a position he is all too familiar with, IR. With nobody of note behind them in the depth chart, SF will give Kittle every chance to prove he can play before sitting him again.
Dallas Goedert is among the latest Philadelphia Eagles to be bitten by the injury bug and he will miss at least 3 weeks. That may come as good news for Zach Ertz’s fantasy owners as his value to that passing attack goes up. Should Wentz snap out of the slump he’s in, Ertz will probably be the biggest beneficiary.

My Prediction:
This will be an uphill battle for Philadelphia but that isn’t anything they aren’t used to. They dragged themselves to topping a brutal NFC East last year despite being huge injury problems on both sides of the ball. So, it wouldn’t be wise to write them off regardless of how bad they have looked so far. That said, I think the 49ers might just have too much for them in this one. 

Niners by 4

The post Philadelphia Eagles @ San Francisco 49ers – Preview, Predictions, and Fantasy Advice appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The Bills come into the game with an unblemished 3-0 record after seeing off the hapless New York Jets, won a close game at the Miami Dolphins and survived a late comeback against the Los Angeles Rams last week. They have QB Josh Allen playing like a man possessed and have one of the leagues best defences.

The Raiders started out 2-0, including marking the opening of the Allegiant Stadium in style with an impressive victory over the New Orleans Saints. They suffered their first defeat at the hands of Cam Newton and the New England Patriots last week however, and have a big job on their hands if they are to bounce back this week.

Betpat Betting:

Money line: ​​Bills​​1/2​​Raiders​​8/5
Points Spread: ​Bills -3​
Over/Under:​​53

The Bills are rightly favourites here and I wouldn’t bet against them. Darren Waller is good odds for 1st TD scorer at 9/1, but if you’re looking for something even more ambitious, you can get the Buffalo Defense/Special Teams at 22/1 and Isaiah McKenzie at 80/1 is one for those feeling particularly lucky.

Fantasy Football:

Bills:
The 2 big name fantasy guys for Buffalo are dual threat QB Josh Allen and WR Stefon Diggs. Allen has been on fire as of late, throwing for over 1000 yards and 10 TD’s in the first 3 games. He added 2 more rushing TD’s but does have 3 fumbles to his name too.
One of the reasons for Allen’s high performance is the newly acquired Stefon Diggs who gives Allen a reliable target. He has 20 catches for nearly 300 yards and 2 Touchdowns through 3 games and will likely figure prominently against the Raiders.
Digg’s partner in crime, John Brown, has had a good start to the season too and if you’re lucky enough to still find him on waivers in your league, is worth picking up if you’re in need of receiver depth.

Raiders:
For Las Vegas, Tight End Darren Waller is a name you should be familiar with by now. After a lacklustre first 4 years in the league, including a year long suspension in 2017, he had a break out year last year, racking up 1100 yards and 3 TD’s, making him one of the top fantasy Tight Ends last season. He was instrumental in the win over the Saints and with Bryan Edwards out and Henry Ruggs doubtful, he could be front and centre in the Raiders game plan this week.

Their run game is built around the impressive 2nd year former Alabama star Josh Jacobs. Jacobs has taken to life in the NFL like a duck to water with his tough running style earning him rave reviews. He opened this season with 93 rushing yards and 3 Touchdowns and another 46 yards receiving against the Carolina Panthers but while his yardage has remained respectable, he has failed to find the end zone again in the following 2 games. The already mentioned injuries may force John Gruden’s hand to focus on relying on Jacobs to run the ball early and often to keep them in this game. That will be no easy feat against a nasty Buffalo defensive front though.

My Prediction:

Injuries may have killed what was looking like a really interesting matchup. Any chance the Raiders have may hinge on Henry Ruggs being available, and right now that doesn’t look likely. Safety Johnathan Abram and cornerback Damon Arnette are also out which isn’t ideal when you’re facing the Allen led Bills attack. Hard to see past Buffalo winning this.

Bills by 10

The post Buffalo Bills @ Las Vegas Raiders – Preview, Prediction, and Fantasy Advice appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

BetPat Betting:

Money line: Browns 9/5 Cowboys 9/20
Points Spread: Cowboys -4.5
Over/Under: 56.5

Nothing sticks out to me in the betting. CeeDee Lamb for first TD scorer at 11/1 is probably the best value I have seen in for this game and even that’s not great.

Fantasy Football:

QB’s
Expect Dak to have another strong outing. His protection might get more solid this week too with Tyron Smith in contention come back and with the prospect of facing Myles Garrett, that would be a welcome return. The receiver corps has a clean bill of health so no reason Dak can’t continue his excellent fantasy form.
Hard to know how to call it with Baker Mayfield though. On one hand his fantasy output hasn’t been great but on the other hand that Cowboys defense is there to be thrown on. And with weapons like Landry, OBJ and Hooper at his disposal, don’t count him out from being a top 10 fantasy QB this week.

RB’s
2 of the top RB’s in the league in this one. But both are up against good defensive lines. The small worry for Zeke is that if Cleveland start quickly and open up a lead, Dallas have a tendency to abandon the run game too quickly. I think Chubb will get a healthy workload either way, so I’d slightly favour him here, but you’re fairly solid if you have either.  

WR’s
This game also sees 2 of the stronger receiving corps in the league go at it. The biggest difficulty is narrowing down where the volume of targets will go. Dallas have the 3 headed monster in Cooper, Lamb and Gallup all vying for a piece of the pie. And Cleveland’s receivers could be held back by a run centric game plan and erratic QB play.

TE’s
Neither tight End has produced much so far this season, but Austin Hooper has much higher potential, especially short term. If you are really stuck for a TE this week, he’s worth taking a chance on.

My Prediction:

As I said last week, the pattern with the Cowboys is that they walk all over the weak teams but don’t hold up against the stronger ones. A big question in this game is whether Cleveland are ready to show they’re a good team or are they still in that ‘wannabe’ phase? I was one of those who bought in to what they were doing before the season started and while I’m not ready to completely give up on them yet, they haven’t quite shown enough for me to pick them over the Cowboys

Cowboys by 5

The post NFL Cleveland Browns @ Dallas Cowboys – Preview, Predictions, and Fantasy Advice appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Week 4 in the NFL begins with a battle of two 0-3 teams as Denver travel to the Metlife to face the New York Jets. The Broncos will be bitterly disappointed with how the season has gone so far as they have put a promising squad together. However, that squad has already been decimated by injuries. Despite that, they will still surely look at this game as one that is very winnable.

The New York Jets are seen by many as the worst team in the NFL right now and not without good reason. A squad that was already devoid of much talent were hit by the Covid opt-out of star linebacker C.J. Mosely and the Adam Gase related departure of Jamal Adams. This team needs a big performance and soon.

Betpat Betting

Money line: Broncos 10/11 Jets 10/11
Points Spread: Broncos -1.5
Over/Under: 39.5

I like the Broncos to cover the 1.5 spread. The injury issues they’re going through will have narrowed their odds considerably but the Melvin Gordon led ground game is still more than enough to see off the Jets in my opinion.

Fantasy Football Denver Broncos @ New York Jets:

QB’s
Make no mistake, Sam Darnold is a talented QB. But some very questionable decision making, a less than stellar offensive line and a very limited receiving corps hold him back from being a reliable fantasy quarterback. You will get a couple of big weeks out of him each season but nothing consistent.#

With Drew Lock out, the Broncos QB situation is a mess. Jeff Driskell was given the task of taking over but he was hauled off for Brett Rypien in week 3’s collapse to the Buccaneers. The word is Rypien is in line to start, naturally, but my expectations aren’t high. 

RB’s

It’s 2020 and the Jet’s starting RB is Frank Gore. No matter how many times I say, see or hear that, it doesn’t get any less strange. Unfortunately for the Jets, and those who spent some of their waiver wire budget on him, Gore hasn’t exactly been racking up big numbers.

Don’t be surprised if Gase turns to rookie Lamical Perine more as the game goes on.
For the Broncos, Melvin Gordon is in a good position to improve on his early season production. Philip Lindsey is in contention to return but the word is his snap count will be limited. If the Broncos can establish a lead, Gordon will surely see a lot of carries to kill the game and put up a monster day.

WR’s

Jet’s will be without deep threat Breshad Perriman again this week but haven’t ruled out slot receiver Jamison Crowder from returning. Crowder can rack up a lot of catches on a good day and is a favoured target of Sam Darnold. Ex Patriot Chris Hogan had some excellent fantasy days in his time as a Patriot, but tough to see him having close to the same impact with NY. What could be worth keeping an eye on, especially for dynasty league players, is the development of Braxton Berrios.

In the absence of Courtland Sutton, Jerry Jeudy carries the main receiving threat for the Broncos, but Tim Patrick has looked like he can be a capable sidekick too. Either can get respectable numbers but are relying on a back-up QB and competing with Noah Fant for targets in what should be a run heavy game plan.

TE’s
The Jets’ Chris Herndon hasn’t shown the type of production they would have been hoping to get from him, but it’s hard to call just how much of that is his fault. They could certainly do with him establishing as a safety blanket for Darnold, but until that happens, don’t expect much out of him.

Noah Fant on the other hand has been showing flashes of why he is so highly rated. He will be looking to add consistency to that but it’s clear the talent is there. The uncertainty at Quarterback might make him more of a gamble than he would have been, but don’t be in a hurry to write him off just yet.

My Prediction  Denver Broncos @ New York Jets:

This is probably the Broncos’ game to lose and if they can get any kind of stability and rhythm on offense, I would expect them to come away with the W. I can see the Jets making it tough for them though. Greg Williams won’t be happy with the lack of intensity his defence has shown so far and will be demanding a lot more fight from them this week.

I don’t know if Darnold has the fire power around him to find a way to pull out their first win of the season though in what could be Adam Gase’s last stand if some rumours are to be believed.  22-13 Broncos

The post NFL Denver Broncos @ New York Jets – Preview, Predictions, and Fantasy Advice appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

At least three new players, and five new personnel of the Tennessee Titans have tested positive for COVID-19 according to reports

“Out of the abundance of caution, the organization has decided to work remotely today as we follow NFL protocols related to the Covid-19 virus. “Several tests have come back positive and are working through the process of confirming them. We will have more information tomorrow.”

The Steelers released a statement saying:

“We have been in contact with the NFL regarding the positive COVID-19 tests with the Tennessee Titans. We have been informed to proceed with our game preparations for Sunday’s game until we are informed.”

Head coach Mike Tomlin’s weekly press conference has been postponed until further notice.

ESPN reports that the Titans’ facility will be shut down until at least Saturday.

The post Pittsburgh steelers game against Titans in doubt appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

THURSDAY NIGHT GAME:

Miami Dolphins @ Jacksonville Jaguars

The week starts in Jacksonville as the Jaguars host the Miami Dolphins. Doug Marrone’s troops will be looking to continue their rather surprising form which has seen them shock the Indianapolis Colts and narrowly fall short against the Tennessee Titans. Gardner Minshew’s cult hero status is only growing even more in Duuuval as the 6th round pick in 2019 keeps impressing.
The Dolphins come into this game looking to rally themselves after suffering losses to 2 in division rivals in the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills. Their big spending spree in the offseason has yet to yield the returns they would have been looking for and Brian Flores will be eager to steady the ship and rediscover their late season form from last year as quickly as possible.

PP Betting:
Money line: ​​Dolphins​​11/8​​Jaguars​6/10
Points Spread: ​Jaguars –2.5​
Over/Under:​​47

The Dolphins are a decent bet here at 11/8. They lost to 2 very tough teams but didn’t look totally out of place. Jacksonville are playing at a much higher level than anyone could have predicted but the inevitable question is how long will it last.

Fantasy Football:
QB’s
Gardner Minshew has been a revelation so far for the Jags but is still surprisingly available in quite a lot of fantasy league. If you’re stuck for a QB, he’s definitely a good option this week.
Who know what you will get from Fitzmagic on any given week. He has decent weapons, especially if Parker is fit, and isn’t shy to run the ball home himself from close range. Turnovers are a big issue for him however.
RB’s
James Robinson has put up over 160 yards and a TD running the ball over the first 2 games and he will fancy his chances on improving on that against a Dolphins defense that don’t defend the run game impressively.
2 of the bigger name acquisitions for Miami in the off season were Jordan Howard and Matt Breida, but so far both have surprisingly fallen behind 2nd year man Miles Gaskin in the pecking order. But despite leading the team in snaps, he has only recorded 16 carries and 10 receptions for the season. You may want to stay clear of Miami Running Backs, unless one can separate themselves at the top of that depth chart.

WR’s
DJ Chark has established himself as a good fantasy receiver. And with the Dolphins possibly lacking Byron Jones for the game, he has a chance to shine. He is supported by promising rookie Laviska Shenault and Keelan Cole but Chark is the one you need to be targeting.
The Dolphins receiving corps somehow manages to look overrated and underrated at the same time. Devante Parker finally showed last year why he was taken in the first round in 2015 and is a threat to put up good numbers any given week. He also has a talented running buddy in Preston Williamsthough he is coming off a game he would rather forget. Health has been an issue for both players however and the depth chart behind them is less than inspiring.

TE’s
Tyler Eifert is an extremely talented Tight End for the Jags but unfortunately his story so far is on of ‘what could have been’. His career has been blighted by injury after injury and he can’t seem to catch a break. He did manage to play all 16 games last year and if he can stay on the field, he is an excellent under the radar option.
For the Fins, Mike Gesicki has picked up where he left off last year against the Bills, racking up 130 yards and a TD. Physically gifted, if he can continue developing, he can be a fantasy beast.

My Prediction:
2 teams here who I am very unsure of what to expect from. The Dolphins should be the favourites on paper, but the Jaguars have defied all expectations thus far. This game may centre around the Jags ability to get the run game going vs the Dolphins ability to tighten up that side on defense. I gut is usually to go to the team that has more talent, so I’ll predict a narrow Dolphins win,

28–25 Dolphins

SUNDAY 6:00pm GAME

Los Angeles Rams @ Buffalo Bills

The Rams make the long trip from LA to Buffalo in search of a 3rd straight win but will face arguably the toughest test they’ve had this season, no offence to the Eagles or Cowboys (more on them later). An offense that was heavily reliant on the running ability of Todd Gurley now has a more balanced feel to it, and Sunday will be a good gauge of how far along the transformation is coming. Because they take on one of the premier defences in the league in the Buffalo Bills. They too are looking to stay unbeaten and with Josh Allen in the form he is in early doors, they won’t be lacking any confidence. This one could be a cracker.

PP Betting:
Money line:​​​Rams​11/10​​Bills​​3/4
Points Spread:​​​Bills –1.5
Over/Under:​​​47.5

Nothing sticks out betting wise here.

Fantasy Outlook:
QB’s
Josh Allen has begun the season lighting it up. He has developed instant chemistry with Stephon Diggs and looks far more comfortable in the pocket than he did in previous seasons. He is also a threat to rack up yards on the ground, but with Aaron Donald knocking around, he may not take too many chances.
Don’t expect Jared Goff to set fantasy alight this week. He is not usually known as a big Fantasy scorer and playing against Buffalo won’t help his chances.

RB’s
No major players here I’m afraid. Even though Devin Singletary is the lead back in Buffalo he doesn’t get the volume of work needed to make a big impact, and he isn’t known as a big play back.
There is a committee forming in the Rams backfield and shares on carries might be evenly spread out or just go to the hottest hand each week. You don’t want to be relying on any of these right now.

WR’s
Stephon Diggs is the stand-out name to me in this game from a receiver standpoint. Him and Josh Allen already seem to be on the same page. Smokie Brown is always a threat to make something happen too but is a very boom or bust player for fantasy.
Cooper Kupp was an excellent target for Goff last year and he can put up good numbers on any given week. But he hasn’t exactly come flying out of the blocks this year and has been somewhat upstaged by Robert Woods and Tight End Tyler Higbee.
Hard to have much confidence in anyone apart from Diggs.

TE’s
The afore mentioned Tyler Higbee had a huge week last time out against the Eagles notching 3 touchdowns, but that already matches his career best for a season. Was that a breakout performance or an outlier?
For Buffalo, Dawson Knox isn’t a big focal point of their offense. Hard to see him making a big impact.

My Prediction:
Big game for both teams and very tough to call. I edge it to the Bills, purely because I think 1 or 2 big plays could go a long way to deciding it, and the Bills have more playmakers.

20-16 Buffalo

SUNDAY 9:25pm GAME

Dallas Cowboys @ Seattle Seahawks

Another NFC West team are in action straight afterwards as the 2-0 Seattle Seahawks host the 1-1 Dallas Cowboys. The Cowboys will arrive in Seattle in great spirit after last weeks’ insane comeback victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Defensive frailties and early turnovers made that game much tougher than it should have been for them and they will need to tighten up to get anything from this game. The Seahawks squeezed out a win against the Patriots and the form of Russell Wilson will have the rest of the NFL on notice.

PP Betting:
Money line:​​​Cowboys​2/1​​Seahawks​​2/5
Points Spread:​​​Seahawks -5
Over/Under:​​​55.5

I like the Seahawks to cover the 5 point spread. The Cowboys’ record against playoff standard teams hasn’t been impressive in recent years and it’s hard to see that being any different for this game.

Fantasy Outlook:
QB’s
Russell Wilson has already amassed over 600 yards and 9 Touchdowns in 2 weeks and goes up against a suspect defense on Sunday.
Dak Prescott might be in for another big day if the Cowboys are playing from behind as I expect again this week. His 450 yards and 1 Td in the air was also boosted by 3 Rushing TD’s on goal line scrambles against Atlanta. A repeat of that kind of stat line is highly unlikely but he should have plenty of opportunity to put respectable numbers up.

RB’s
Ezekiel Elliott looks back to his terrifying best and the longer the Cowboys can stay in the game, the more likely he will be to have a massive day running the ball.
Chris Carson carries the ground game for Seattle but not to the same level Elliott does for Dallas. He’s a solid option on a good day, and this just might be one of those.

WR’s
Dallas are armed to the teeth with weapons at receiver. The law of diminishing returns might hurt their individual fantasy production, however. Counting on any one of them to rack up enough targets for a big game is dangerous when there are that many mouths to feed.
DK Metcalf is Seattle’s primary weapon and his size/speed combination is a nightmare for opposing offenses. Tyler Lockett is his trusty sidekick and he can never be counted out of making some big plays on any given day.

TE’s
Neither team boasts a game breaking Tight End.

My Prediction:
You are what you consistently show you are, and for the Cowboys that is a team who beats up on the lower ranked teams but doesn’t get it done against the big lads. I don’t see that changing here, Seattle for a straightforward win

32- 20 Seattle

SUNDAY NIGHT LATE GAME:

Green Bay Packers @ New Orleans Saints

2 teams that will have a chip on their shoulders face off late Sunday. The Packers have been hearing the critics hammering their decision to draft a QB instead of a receiver ever since the draft happened. So far, they’ve responded exactly the way you would expect a franchise like the Packers to respond, by wrecking whoever has been in front of them. The rise of Saints’ critics has been a more recent affair, following their defeat to the Las Vegas Raiders on Monday Night. Questions of the effects of Drew Brees’ advancing age and the ability to deal with the absence of Michael Thomas have been the talk of the week and the Saints will be desperate not to give doubters a 2nd successive week to throw those questions out there.

PP Betting:
Money line:​​​Packers​6/5​​Saints​​4/6
Points Spread:​​​Saints -2.5
Over/Under:​​​54

Over 54 is surely a good bet. Both offenses are capable of putting up the bones of 50 points by themselves on a good day. Both defences could be in for long days.

Fantasy Outlook:
QB’s
2 of the all-time greats who have a reason to remind everyone of why they are all-time greats. Aaron Rodgers began his ‘Scorch the Earth’ tour week 1 and has lodged over 600 yards and 6 TD’s in the 2 games. He still clearly has the talent to dismantle anyone he plays.
Brees, as mentioned earlier, is dealing with the inevitable questions raised after the Raiders game but I would suggest giving someone the calibre of Brees far more time before writing him off. He is still a top tier QB until he proves he isn’t, and I need more than 1 game as proof.

RB’s
2 big time players in this respect too. Alvin Kamara and Aaron Jones are both capable of destroying teams when their number is called. Can’t go wrong with either.

WR’s
Devante Adams is the headline receiver in this game with the absence of Michael Thomas. But the Saint’s Marshon Lattimore won’t be in the mood for letting him have it all his own way so don’t be surprised if Adams is a bit quieter than usual. That will be a very intriguing battle all day. Don’t underestimate Marquez Valdez-Scantling either. Rodgers clearly has a lot of trust in him.
Emmanuel Sanders was the one most people, including me, expected to gain the most from Thomas’s injury but it was Tre’Quan Smith that showed up more vs LV. It will be interesting to see if that continues.

TE’s
Jared Cook has been around a while and for good reason. He’s a steady who has been playing the best football of his career the last couple of years.
Journeyman Marcedes Lewis tops the depth chart over rookie Josiah Deguara in Green Bay but if you have either in your team, it’s safe to say you need an upgrade.
My Prediction:
I’m not buying the theory that Drew Brees’ age is having the effect being speculated. He looked fine against Tampa Bay in week 1. Whether not having Michael Thomas has a significant effect on this offense is another question though. Thomas’ production is borderline impossible to replace, the first question is whether the Saints can find other ways to get the job done. And the other question is will they have any more success slowing down Aaron Jones than they did with Josh Jacobs? Because if the Packers can run a balanced attack, they won’t be stopped. I’m leaning towards a Packers win.

45-38 Green Bay

MONDAY NIGHT GAME

Kansas City Chiefs @ Baltimore Ravens

The week finishes in style as we get the 2 joined SuperBowl favourites going head to head in a mouth-watering encounter. Unsurprisingly, both teams come into the game with unblemished records so this will be a big scalp to take for whoever comes out on top in this one. The play making abilities in both offenses sets this up to potentially be one of the most explosive games in recent memory.

PP Betting:
Money line:​​Chiefs​​8/5​​Ravens​​1/2
Points Spread:​​Ravens -3
Over/Under:​​53.5

Seeing the Chiefs as underdogs doesn’t happen often these days and I’d be inclined to take advantage of it whenever possible. The big question is obviously whether they can contain Lamar Jackson and force him to beat them from the pocket. Their tendency to start slowly on offense and give up double digit leads could be their Achilles’ heel though, as when the Ravens smell blood, they aren’t the type to let up.  

Fantasy Outlook:
QB’S
Neither Quarterback needs any hyping at this stage. Both are among the top fantasy QB’s in the game. I’d maybe favour Jackson over Mahomes in this battle as Baltimore have a very dangerous secondary and are likely to make it more difficult for Mahomes than the Chiefs will for Jackson.

RB’s
The Ravens backfield is pretty crowded with Mark Ingram and Gus Edwards now being joined by JK Dobbins. There are points to be had there but narrowing down how they’ll be spread out between them is a tough call.
No such complications on the other side, Clyde Edwards-Helaire is the main man in the Chiefs backfield and could be a factor both on the ground and in the passing game this week. Running yards could be tough to come by however against that Ravens defensive front.

WR’s
The Chiefs receivers have a tough task on their hands this week, but they certainly have the ability (and speed) to seriously test the Ravens highly touted secondary. The availability of Sammy Watkins is in question after he took a nasty shot to the head in last week’s game against the Chargers. That could open the door for Mecole Hardman to be featured more so if you’re stuck for a WR2/Flex option, he may be worth a punt.
For the Ravens, Marquise Brown is probably still their most reliable option although Miles Boykin is showing signs of developing into a really good receiver. This group might always be held back by how many times you can expect Lamar Jackson to pass the ball and also that Mark Andrews is by far his no.1 target.  

TE’s
Both Tight Ends are fantasy monsters. I also expect both to be focal points of their respective team’s game plans. Andrews, as already mentioned, is Lamar’s go to option, and that doesn’t look like changing anytime soon.
And Kelce could be in a prime position to have a huge week if Mahomes is reluctant to test the Ravens corners too often. He could look to use Kelce and Edwards-Helaire to soften them up.



My Prediction:
So tough to call a winner here. I think starting quickly must be a key factor for the Chiefs. But if they do, I think they scrape it.

45–43 Chiefs

We are in for another week of exciting action if these games live up to their billing

The post NFL Week 3 Sky Sports Live Games Fantasy and Betting Preview appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

SUNDAY 6:00pm GAME:

Minnesota Vikings @ Indianapolis Colts

Sunday’s televised games open with 2 teams who are looking to redeem themselves from disappointing week 1 performances going head to head. The Minnesota Vikings suffered a convincing loss at home to their bitter rivals the Green Bay Packers, with Aaron Rodgers launching an aerial assault that reminded everyone just what he is capable of.Indianapolis will be equally frustrated with themselves afterthey left Jacksonville empty handed in a game they were heavy favourites to win.

Both of these teams will have considered themselves playoff calibre teams and, needless to say, big improvements are needed from both if they are to avoid an 0-2 start.

PP Betting:
Money line: ​​Vikings​​6/4​​Colts​​8/15
Points Spread: ​Colts -3​5/6
Over/Under:​​48.5

The Over 48.5 looks like the best shout to me here. The inexperienced Vikings cornerback unit will still be reeling from last week, but they do have a very potent offense capable of making it a potential shootout.

Fantasy Football:
Must Start:
Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is the obvious standout name. If he is available to you, it’s a no brainer to start him.

Solid Options:
Rookie Jonathan Taylor will surely see a big increase in his usage after Marlon Mack suffered a season ending injury, and he has more than enough ability to be an RB2 candidate.
Adam Thielen had 110yds and 2 TD’s off just 6 receptions and Cousins will look to get him the ball as much as possible.

Breakout potential:
Justin Jefferson of Minnesota and Indy’s Parris Campbell are both very promising youngsters and could be in a position to take advantage of good match ups if given the chance.

My Prediction:
I think the Colts’ are in a better spot to put their week 1 issuesbehind them but this could go down to the wire.

32–28 Indianapolis

SUNDAY 9:25pm GAME

Baltimore Ravens @ Houston Texans

The 2nd game of the day has the Baltimore Ravens look to follow up in their annihilation of the Cleveland Browns as they travel to the Lone Star State to face the Houston Texans.The schedule certainly hasn’t done the Texans any early favours as they’re coming off an opening day defeat to last season’s Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs. This week’s task isn’t a whole lot easier and the Texans will need to bring their ‘A’ game to be in with any chance of bouncing back.

PP Betting:
Money line:​​Ravens​​3/10​​Texans​​5/2
Points Spread:​​Ravens -7
Over/Under:​​50

I find it very difficult to see the Texans staying within 7 points of the Ravens. My gut feeling tells me this could get ugly for Houston pretty quickly and the over/under could be decided simply by how much mercy Baltimore are willing to show them.

Fantasy Outlook:
Must Start:
No prizes for guessing that Lamar Jackson is the premier asset in this game.

Solid Options:
Deshaun Watson may be in line for plenty of garbage time stats but turnovers could be a banana skin here.
Mark Andrews is arguably the top fantasy Tight End not named Kelce or Kittle.
And Marquise Brown is as dangerous of a home run hitter as you’ll find in the league.

Breakout Potential:
Keep an eye out for Jordan Akins. The Houston depth chart has him behind Darren Fells, but Watson wasted no time in looking for him when he was on the field last week.


My Prediction:
Only 1 way I see this going, a handy win for Baltimore. I’ll be surprised if it’s competitive.

36-16 Baltimore

SUNDAY NIGHT LATE GAME:

New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks

The late game Sunday night features a repeat of Super Bowl 49 between the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks. Both teams have undergone huge makeovers since Malcolm Butler stuck a dagger in the hearts of the Seahawks in Phoenix. They both come into this game feeling good after opening the season with a win and will be relishing the task of getting one over on an old foe.

PP Betting:
Money line:​​Patriots​8/5​​Seahawks​1/2
Points Spread:​​Seahawks -4
Over/Under:​​44.5

Nothing jumps out to me there; I think Paddy Power have called it pretty much spot on. The Patriots defense are still excellent, and I think Seattle can contain Cam Newton far better than the Dolphins did last week. So, 44.5 is realistic in my opinion. And I’m not sure I see more than 1 score between them. 13/2 on a Patriots – Seahawks Double Result is about the closest I could come to a bet I would be happy with.

Fantasy Outlook:
Must Start:
As highly as I rate Russell Wilson (most disrespected man in football) I just don’t think this will be the kind of game to get big points out of either him or Cam Newton. I don’t see anyone in this game you should feel the need to start.

Solid Options:
By all means start either Wilson or Newton if you don’t have anyone you feel really confident in, both team’s defences may be the best value options. DK Metcalf should be in WR2/Flex consideration too.

My Prediction:
Belichick is a defensive genius and I trust him to keep them in a tight game. But Seattle just have a bit too much for them I reckon

22– 20 Seattle

MONDAY NIGHT GAME

New Orleans Saints @ Las Vegas Raiders

The last game of the week marks a new era for the Raiders franchise as they finally have a stadium they are happy to call home. The impressive Allegiant Stadium cost $1.8 billion to build and has 65,000 seats but those seats will be empty for the entirety of their first season in Las Vegas. What may be an even more important factor this Sunday is they decided to put a roof on it because this week they welcome the New Orleans Saints and Quarterback Drew Brees to town. Brees is a sure–fire 1st ballot Hall of Famer and holds multiple notable NFL Career passing records and playing in a Dome certainly helps him, especially now given his advanced age and seemingly declining arm strength.


PP Betting:
Money line:​​Saints​​4/9​​Raiders​9/5
Points Spread:​​Saints -5.5
Over/Under:​​49.5

The big question for me here is how much will the absence of Michael Thomas hinder the Saints? If you’re feeling brave, the Raiders are a good underdog at 9/5. The Under 49 and a half could be worth a shout too. But this is being pretty optimistic.



Fantasy Outlook:
Must Start:
Alvin Kamara is an obvious choice. With Thomas out, he will surely be the Saints’ clear primary weapon.
Josh Jacobs is another one I wouldn’t be able to leave out.


Solid Options:
Darren Waller had an outstanding year last season and should be a big weapon for the Raiders gain this time around.
Emmanuel Sanders will be a prime candidate for more targets with Thomas on the side-line.
And we can’t leave out Brees himself.

Breakout Potential:
Not so much a “breakout” as he has been around a while but jack of all trades Taysom Hill is usually good for a big week or 2 every season. Don’t be surprised if this is one of them.
Those who know me know I’m very high on Henry Ruggs, he’s a threat to go to the house on any given play.
And it probably won’t be this early but it’s worth keeping an eye on Adam Trautman, who I thought was the best Tight End in the draft this year.

My Prediction:
Thomas’ absence makes this a tougher prediction than it would have been, but I still think the Saints have enough to deal with the Raiders.

34-20 Saints

The post NFL Sky Games Preview and Fantasy advice appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.