NFL WEEK 4

Bears -2.5  (-120)   3 stars

Jags  -7   (-115)  2 stars

Raiders/Browns OVER 44.5  1 star

NCAA

NC State -6  3 stars

Oregon -2  3 stars

San Jose St +10  1 star

HEDGIE ALERT - NFL 5 STAR ..THURSDAY NIGHT

THE VIKINGS (and Rams )  have been POINTING to this game all offseason.  It's the biggest  THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL game in awhile. It will have big impacts on the NFC playoff picture.  This could also explain a little bit about the Vikings abysmal performance last week vs the visiting Bills.  The Hedgie thinks there are 2 reasons for this :

1)  The classic LOOK AHEAD game to Thursday night with powerhouse Rams.  It's not easy to get up for a game where you are  17 point favorites and everyone telling you how you will demolish the Bills

2)  EVERSON GRIFFEN -  the Vikes teammate has been ordered to have a mental health assessment.  He was basically holed up in a Minneapolis Hotel and acting crazy.  He also apparently tried to break into a teammate's house on a separate incident. This HAD to have an impact on his teammates and clearly caused some distractions.

THAT WAS LAST WEEK. NOW THE VIKINGS ARE BACK TO FOOTBALL AND WILL BE FOCUSED.  THIS IS THE REASON THE VIKINGS  SIGNED KIRK COUSINS. THEY NEED A QB THAT CAN BE A LEADER AND PLAY STEADY ON THE ROAD.  THE VIKINGS GET STARTING CENTER , PAT ELFLEIN, BACK AND DALVIN COOK APPEARS READY TO RETURN AS WELL.

On the Other side of the ball the Rams are the betting public's darling.  They bet em heavy and vegas  as a result has to keep an inflated line.  The public however, are NOT paying much attention to the recent injuries.  BOTH STARTING DBS ARE BANGED UP .   Aqib Talib will have ankle surgery and is OUT  and Peters has a strained calf.  He says he might play but Hedgie thinks not . If Peters does play then he becomes a target .

Vegas  opened this line at Rams -7 . The wise guys have been grabbing the +7  but there are still some 7s out there as of tonight.   Run to the windows to grab 7 if you can.  If not  don't fret ; the betting public will pile on and bet the Rams  so you'll be able to get 6.5   6 at the worst case.

Getting great value here with a very good Vikings team

VIKINGS +7   5 STARS

MNF

Fitzmagic is about to end ......  The Steelers come into tonight a wounded dog . They are a desperate 0-2 team and know very well that makin the playoffs from 0-3 is almost impossible.  The media is overplaying  the locker room drama in Pittsburgh. Tonight Hedgie thinks the Steelers will play inspired ball.  Fitzpatrick is playimg well but the Bucs have a banged up  secondary  and won't be able to match the Steelers on the scoreboard....

STEELERS +2    3 stars

The Hedgie is SPEECHLESS about the Ducks..but must move on...

Appropriate considering the Ducks could have knelt and won....

NFL:

CARDS +6   4 stars   (Bears traveling off a short week. There will be a David Johnson siting)

Bengals +3   2 stars

Raiders/Dolphins OVER 44.5  2 stars

Seahawks -1.5  1 star

The Hedgie has a BIG CARD SATURDAY and the first 5 star of the year ....

ESPN Gameday comes to Oregon and the #20 ranked Ducks find themselves a home dog vs #7 Stanford. This Ducks team needs a W in the  primetime spot to make their season worthwhile. It's a night game and the crowds will be crazed.  Home Dog wins  Outright  

OREGON +3 (-115)  5 STARS

Missouri +15     3 stars  (mizzou has a great offense and will hang here at home)

Clemson -16 3 stars  (Clemson's best DLINE yet will destroy the option attack -  blowout)

Nebraska +18   2 stars (Cornhuskers get QB back , still fading Michigan as a powerhouse this yr)

Vanderbilt +3  (-115)  2 stars  

Texas +3.5  2 stars

Marshall +6  1 star  (veteran team , home dog)

‘LOOKING AHEAD’ to this weekend ... there’s a play tonight

ILLINOIS +27    1 STAR

Penn state has Ohio state on deck next week & will not have a max effort tonight on a short week vs an inferior team.  Fighting Illini will do just that  as they’ve covered 7 of past 10...

HEDGIE THURSDAY

Rookie QB  Sam Darnold was harrassed by a Dolphins defense and now has had just 100 hours to prepare for a BETTER BROWNS DEFENSE.   D Coordinator G. Williams will bring the heat with his blitz schemes and force the Rookie into a couple costly mistakes.  Although veteran QB  Taylor has not played  well he's an experienced pro. Big Edge for Browns at home .

  BROWNS -3    1 star

The Hedgie has started 10-0 Star Weighted in the NFL and tries to remain undefeated today ...

Week 1 of the NFL Season had  NEW COACHES start 0-7 !   That's only happened 4 times  since 1970  when new coaches have not opened with a W.   This week The Hedgie thinks the New Head Coaches will have similiar results  except  perhaps  PAT SHURMUR 
The NY Giants head to Dallas for a Sunday Night showdown and Hedgie thinks Vegas has the wrong team favored.  Dallas is without it's starting Center  and in the offseason lost  WR Dez Bryant and TE Jason Witten.  Meanwhile,  The Giants have an improved  OLine and added star draft pick Saquon Barkley.  Pat Shurmur has been around the block and knows the right formula to Win.  
   NY GIANTS  +3     3 stars

Redskins  -5.5    2 stars  (Redskins look overlooked  with QB Alex Smith at the helm who Hedgie sees as an upgrade over  former  QB Cousins)

Falcons  -5.5   2 stars  (3 days extra rest and back at Home  Falcons should get back on track)

Eagles -3   2 stars  ( 3 days extra rest and catching good value on the line after Bucs upset Saints.  Eagles have a great defense and should give Bucs journeyman QB Fitzpatrick alot of trouble today)

49ers  -5.5    2 stars (fading Matt Patricia and Detroit's new coaching staff until further notice)

The Hedgie has released 4 Saturday Plays....

Senior QB  Dungey  should lead 'Cuse to an outright win over a struggling  Fla State team
     Syracuse +3    3 stars

Notre Dame -13.5    over Vanderbilt   2 stars

Washington/Utah  UNDER 47   2 stars

Ohio/Virginia  OVER 54  1 star

NFL SUNDAY WEEK 1

One of the biggest stories this season has been the contract holdout between  LeVeon Bell and the Pittsburgh Steelers.  LeVeon's teammates thought he would report to the team Wednesday and end his holdout in time for Week 1.  LeVeon did the same thing last year.  But this year he is taking a different approach and holding out to the tune of  $855,000 per game.  Many of his teammates were surprised and made comments that LeVeon is placing himself over the team.  Starting Guard  Ramone Foster tweeted this picture of  'WHERE's WALDO'  regarding Bell.  So this is clearly a DISTRACTION.  

On the other hand Cleveland is a revamped team with a new veteran QB in Tyrod Taylor and is a bitter focused rival.  The Browns have added alot of talent in the offseason.  They always play the Steelers tough.  The Hedgie thinks the key to this game is Tyrod Taylor.  He's an accomplished  Veteran QB.  He has a winning record in the NFL as a starting QB and the only QB  with a better  interception rate over the past 3 years is Tom Brady. Taylor has had  20 Ints  in 3 seasons.  He's a great game manager and has  talent around him.  Not only is will Tyrod be running the offense but  guess who his Offense coordinator is??  The old coordinator of the Steelers : TODD HALEY .  Haley is not only a good coordinator but you think he has some intel on the Steelers personelle ??

  The Browns will give the Steelers  all it can handle and may pull the outright win.

Browns  +5    4 stars

Another  Angle The Hedgie is playing in week 1  is  DEFENSES being AHEAD of the Offenses. This is typically the case as the season opens and you witnessed this in the Eags/Falcs game opening night.

JAGS/Giants UNDER 43   2 stars

VIKES/49ers UNDER 46  2 stars

Jags  -140  Moneyline (win outright) 1 star

Bengals +3    1 star 

THE HEDGIE is off to a 2-0 start and has 3 plays Saturday...

Navy has not started 0-2  since 2012  and the past  6 years is  4-1  as a home dog.  They lost a tough one at Hawaii last week  but getting a full TD at home is what makes this play.

  3 stars

Arkansas St +36.5  at Alabama    1 star

Simple but incredible Historical Trend.  Alabama is 1-10-1 against the spread  on week 2 .  They always play a TOUGH SEC opener then have a breather and have another tough game on deck.   Bama can pick the score here but it's unlikely Saban runs up the score late risking injury to any starters . Plus Arkansas ST has a decent team and a good QB. They should cover

Western Michigan +28  at Michigan  1 star

If you watched Notre Dame beat Michigan last week you witnessed a Michigan offense who can run the ball but will not put up crazy points.  They have a great defense but  Western Mich should be able to keep this within the large 4 TD number.

The Hedgie is waiting for some clear cut plays this saturday & sunday BUT tonight maybe 1 star can be seen through the rain in Philly..

A storm is moving past Philly and has caused a rain delay for the opening kickoff to approx  8:55pm...this fan looks like the typical philly fan and Hedgie wonders if he smiled or enjoyed the super bowl victory  (prob not)

This game was not clear at first but as we approach kickoff and the rain falls  The Hedgie has a lean on Falcons and UNDER.  The line has moved  from  eags  -5.5 last month all the way to Falcons -1. and the Total  from 48 to 45.   Both these moves  appear to be sharp action and the right side.  Nick Foles gets the start tonight and has looked poor in the preseason.  Alshon Jeffery will not play and the eags lost Trey Burton in the offseason.   The Falcons have revenge on the mind and Matt Ryan is staring his 2nd season with O coordinator  Sarkasian.  The Falcs drafted  Ridley (WR from Bama)  and their offense should be even more potent.  Both teams have strong defenses  .  
Hedgie will do a 1 star rain delayed  TEASER :   Falcons +7  and UNDER 52

note:  the line has moved quite a bit and is falcs -1 and 44.5 in some spots as well.  Hedgie is only playing this as a 7 point teaser with the pickem / 45 line  (-120)  
   

The Hedgie is BACK for the 2018-19 Season

The Fighting Irish are getting no respect in this game as all the money is on the Michigan revenge angle.  Earlier this year Notre Dame opened favored by 7. This line has come all the way  across pickem and you can now get  the Irish as a +3 underdog at home.  Irish Wins this game outright but grab the FG for insurance.

Notre Dame 3 stars