In Week 11, The Chiefs had Giant problems

Things did not go well for Alex Smith and the Chiefs. Peter Aiken/Getty Images

Death, Taxes, and Wins for Andy Reid following the bye week, are things you can guarantee in life. Well, almost. Coming into Sunday, Andy Reid owned a stellar record going 16-2 straight-up and 13-5 ATS when coaching with an extra week to prepare. Attach those numbers to the New York Giants 0-3 ATS record in the last three games losing all those games by ten plus, and the double-digit spread was justified.

Ben McAdoo promised the Giants aficionadi, a “great show" for those who made it out to MetLife Stadium Sunday. "Great" can be questioned by standards, but after losing to the winless 49ers the prior week, a win in front of the hopeless fans might have bought Coach McAdoo, a few more weeks. The Giants coach pulled out all the tricks, converting a fake punt in the first half. The Chiefs also tried what looked to be a tight end screen to Travis Kelce. The tight end caught the Alex Smith pass behind the line of scrimmage and heaved a bomb down the field that was intercepted, setting up the Giants for a 1-yard score on the ensuing drive. The game went into overtime, and with the latest NFL overtime rule that shortened the extra period from 15 minutes to 10, the game looked to be headed to 2017's first stalemate. However, Giants Wide receiver Roger Lewis made an insane catch inside the final two and a half minutes on a 4th down, setting up a 23-yard game-winning field goal. The game ended 12-9, completing the double-digit underdog victory and cashing the money line tickets of +350. This year's Giants have been more unpredictable than Donald Trump's twitter account. Their last win came back on Oct.15, where they also won as a double-digit underdog in Denver under the lights in a primetime game.

Most bet teams:

Patriots 89%

Eagles 86%

Lions 80%

Chiefs 74%

Jaguars 70%

The Giants may have taken home the honor of upset of the week, but again, the favorites prevailed. Teams favored went 11-3 straight up and 9-4-1 ATS. Teams favored now hold the edge 77-71-8 in 2017. Also, after week 11, the Home vs. Away record vs. the spread is split down the middle 73-73-8.

Totals:

The over/under went 7-7 in Week 11.

The worse bad beat for totals came in the Tampa Bay vs. Miami game. Under bettors were ordering top-shelf as the Buccaneers kicked a game-winning field goal with four seconds left to put them up 23-20. What happened next looked like a backyard game of kill the man with the ball. A series of backward laterals later, and Tampa Bay recovered the ball for a touchdown pushing the total over, ultimately landing on 50. If you had an over ticket, go to church Sunday.

Play, Action or pass went 7-3 in week 11. We are now 20-16-2 in 2017.

Patriots-7 WIN

Eagles Team Total Over 26.5 WIN

Saints Team Total over 29.5 WIN

Patriots Team Total over 30 WIN

Texans/Cardinals Under 43 LOSS

Buccaneers/Dolphins over 41 WIN

Teasers:

Patriots PK/ Saints(2x) WIN

Patriots PK/ Saints WIN

Patriots Pk/ Chiefs -3.5 LOSS

Saints-1-/ Chiefs -3.5 LOSS

What we learned in week 11

- That you cannot trust a thief, and that is precisely what the fraudulent Browns have been to bettors. Just a week out from giving their backers and fans ulcers, the Browns blew a late game spread once again. The play came on a strip sack of the Brown's Deshone Kizer that was recovered by linebacker Telvin Smith in the end zone scoring a touchdown for the Jaguars. The score put the Jaguars in front, 19-7 with 1:14 remaining in the game, covering the 7.5 point spread and cashing tickets for the Jacksonville faithful. Just how bad are the Browns? They outgained the Lions the previous week and still failed to cover as a double-digit dog. If you were to bet blindly vs. the Browns this year both for the first half and full game, you would be 13-5. This trend goes back to last year, where being on the opposite side of Cleveland, would have you in the green with a 19-6 record.

- The Patriots came in well prepared, the Raiders, not so much. Tom Brady came out scorching hot completing his first twelve passes, eight of those coming on the first drive capped by a 15-yard score by Dion Lewis. The Patriots came out in the no-huddle offense from the opening whistle, and although the Raiders were the team coming off a bye week, it was New England that looked the fresher of the two. Oakland never stood a chance and Brady was unstoppable in the first half, completing 20-of-24 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. The Patriots coasted to a 33-8 victory pushing them to 8-2 overall on the year with Division Foe Miami, on deck.

Super Bowl Favorite Odds

New England Patriots +310

Philadelphia Eagles +400

Pittsburgh Steelers +600

New Orleans Saints +800

Minnesota Vikings +1200

ESPN Week 12 Power Rankings:

1) Eagles

2) Patriots

3) Steelers

4) Vikings

5) Saints

For any questions or comments reach me at @JerryBoKnowz on twitter.

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The Longhorns host Georgia on Saturday night. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.

The Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense and scoring defense. They are top 10 in first downs allowed, tackles for loss and passing yards. Much of that is built against opponents starting former walk-on quarterbacks ( Michigan ) and freshmen ( Mississippi State and Oklahoma.)

But the level of quarterback play Texas will face, in both talent and experience, is about to get much better over the second half of the season.

Texas hosts No. 5 Georgia on Saturday night in the first matchup of top five teams in Austin since 2006, before playing the next week at Vanderbilt. Bulldogs senior Carson Beck was a preseason first team Associated Press All-America pick, and standout Vanderbilt transfer Diego Pavia has carried the Commodores to a surprising 4-2 start, including a historic win over then-No. 1 Alabama.

Quite simply, Texas hasn't defended this caliber of quarterback all season.

Beck is a player on the doorstep of the NFL, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.

“There's nothing in the throw game (Beck) can't do,” Sarkisian said. “He's played enough football now, too. It's kind of hard to confuse guys when they've played that much football.”

Texas (6-0, 2-0 SEC) has allowed just one team to pass for more than 200 yards this season. Beck passed for 459 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions last week in a 41-31 win over Mississippi State. His 36 completions set a Georgia record.

Even when Beck struggled early in Georgia's loss to Alabama, he rallied the Bulldogs to a late fourth-quarter lead. He finished with 439 yards in the loss where Georgia's rally ended with an Alabama interception in the end zone in the final minute.

Sarkisian recruited Beck when the Texas coach was an assistant at Alabama. Beck had initially committed to the Crimson Tide before switching to Georgia.

Beck is 18-2 in his career as a starter, and 6-2 against top 20 opponents.

The Bulldogs (5-1, 3-1) will need another exceptional game from him Saturday. A second SEC loss could threaten any chance of playing for the SEC championship, and raise the alarms on the College Football Playoff as well.

Texas has all but overwhelmed opposing quarterbacks so far.

In last week's 34-3 thrashing of rival Oklahoma, the Longhorns sacked Sooners freshman quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. five times, and held him to 27 yards on 20 carries. Texas allowed just 225 total yards.

Hawkins was the first Sooners freshman to start at quarterback against the Longhorns in the 120-year history of the rivalry and was quickly swallowed up by a relentless pass rush.

By the numbers, the Longhorns program is on pace for a historic season. Sarkisian has said his favorite stat is points allowed, which is not many.

Texas has surrendered only three touchdowns all season. Opponents have snatched four turnovers inside Texas territory, but none have produced points.

That ability to snuff momentum can drain an opponent, Sarkisian said.

“We're so composed as a defense,” Texas safety Michael Taaffe said. “We're so confident, that no matter what happens, everything is going to be alright.”

The only time Texas has trailed this season was a 3-0 early deficit against Oklahoma. Several Longhorns starters were still on the field when the Sooners' final drive stalled at the Texas 6-yard-line as the game ended.

The stars emerging for the Longhorns have been second-year linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and freshman edge rusher Colin Simmons.

Hill leads the team in total tackles (42), sacks (4 1/2) and tackles for loss (8 1/2). His sideline-to-sideline speed and move this season from the edge to the middle of the Texas defense has drawn comparisons to former Longhorns All-American Derrick Johnson 20 years ago.

Simmons has four sacks and 7 1/2 tackles for losses, second on the team in both categories.

“Size, speed,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said in summing up the Texas defense.

“They’re the complete package on defense," Smart said. "The consistency you watch them play with, it reminds me of some of our best teams here.”By any measure, from the official statistics to the informal eye test, top-ranked Texas' defense has been dominant.