NFL Odds - Patriots vs. Giants

Thank you, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. He's the one who ultimately decided to put the historic Patriots-Giants game on national TV for American viewers when it appeared much of the country would be shut out when it was only on the NFL Network.

So will we see history? The Patriots go for 16-0, but is that worth risking a big injury for the playoffs?

The Giants are locked into the No. 5 seed in the NFC as a wild card and literally have nothing to play for - other than momentum. New England is a 13.5-point favorite on WagerWeb.com (over/under of 46.5).

If you believe both coaches, the starters will play this week, which is as it should be with history on the line.

"Our objective is to win," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. "That's what we work for, that's what we prepare for, that's what we practice for. And it will be no different this week.

"We are all aware of the circumstances," Coughlin said. "We have won 10 games. We are in the playoffs. We are all aware of that."

Thus, all the starters are practicing and are expected to play. They view Saturday's game as a serious dress rehearsal for the playoffs.

"We're in the mind-set that we've got to get better," QB Eli Manning said.

And Pats coach Bill Belichick, constantly reminding his team of its flaws, will play to win - as usual.

"I'll do what's best for the football team," Belichick said. "This week, I hope we can go on a one-game winning streak."

"I think we all realize what a win would mean," QB Tom Brady said. "Being 16-0 would be a very special achievement, one that no other team has ever achieved. We're finally at that point."

The matchup to watch, obviously, is whether the Giants defense can shut down the New England offense.The Patriots have scored 551 points, a touchdown short of breaking the record of 556 set by the 1998 Vikings.

Randy Moss' 21 touchdown receptions leave him one shy of the season record set by Jerry Rice in 1987.

And Brady has 48 touchdown passes - one behind Peyton Manning's 2004 record - and only eight interceptions.

The Patriots have surpassed 30 points 11 times this season, but the Giants have one key advantage: They lead the league with 52 sacks, 13 by Osi Umenyiora.

"We can rush the passer," he said. "That is what we've done all year. Any time you go up against an offense that likes to pass the football a lot, you also have to have a strong pass rush in order to match up well.

They are the best passing team in the league, and we're probably the best defensive rushing team in the league, so it's a pretty good matchup."

The Patriots offensive line has only given up 20 sacks on the season.

On offense, the Giants would need a perfect game from Manning, who has completed only 45.4 percent of his passes in the past five games, throwing four touchdown passes and eight interceptions.

The Giants are averaging 138.1 yards rushing and you know they would like to pound the ball. In fact, they rushed for 291 yards last week in a win at Buffalo, their most since 1959. Brandon Jacobs ran for a season-high 145 yards, one week after rushing for 130 against Washington. And the Pats, while allowing only 99.5 yards rushing on average this season, have weakened, allowing an average of 136.3 yards per game and 5.0 per carry this month.

Prediction: The Giants could be the perfect team to try and gash the Patriots and play ball control, which would be perfect especially in inclement weather.
That, unfortunately, will not be the case. And New York has not won a home game since Oct. 21 against San Francisco, losing three in a row. In fact, at 3-4, New York is the only team to have qualified for the playoffs that does not have a winning home record.

Expect Belichick to make sure Brady gets his record and for the Giants to begin resting starters in the second half. New England 31, Giants 21.

Betting Trends

The Patriots are 10-5 ATS.
The Patriots are 5-2 ATS away.
The Patriots are 10-5 ATS as the favorite.
The Patriots are 5-2 ATS as an away favorite.
The Giants are 9-6 ATS.
The Giants are 3-4 ATS at home.
The Giants are 4-2 ATS as the underdog.
The Giants are 1-1 ATS as a home underdog.

More NFL Trends.

College Football Odds - Alamo Bowl

What: Alamo Bowl
Who: Penn State (8-4) vs. Texas A&M (7-5)
Where: Alamodome, San Antonio
When: Saturday, 8 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Penn State -5 (51.5)

If you aren't going to watch the New England Patriots go for NFL history on Saturday night, then this game between the Big Ten's Nittany Lions and Big 12's Aggies is your other football option.

Interesting coaching dichotomy in this one: Penn State's Joe Paterno will coach his 500th game for PSU; Paterno is 8-2 in bowl games since Penn State entered the Big Ten in 1993 and will coach the Nittany Lions in their 34th bowl game.

The Aggies, meanwhile, have dropped six of their seven bowl appearances since 1997. Gary Darnell will lead the team pending Mike Sherman's arrival from the Houston Texans; Darnell, the Aggies' defensive coordinator for the last two seasons, took over after coach Dennis Franchione resigned about an hour following a 38-30 home win over Texas in the regular-season finale on Nov. 23.

The ground games will play big roles in this matchup.For PSU, senior tailback Rodney KinlawAustin Scott and finished with 1,186 yards rushing and 19 TDs, and he has five 100-yard games this season. Penn State went 4-1 when Kinlaw ran for more than 100 yards.

Penn State also went 7-1 this season in games when inconsistent QB Anthony Morelli threw for at least 195 yards; he threw two TD passes and four picks in the Nittany Lions' four losses. A&M ranks 100th nationally in pass efficiency defense.

The Aggies' offense revolves around Stephen McGee. The quarterback led Texas A&M in rushing this season with 858 yards. He threw for a career-high 362 yards and three touchdowns while completing 25 of 36 passes in the season finale against Texas.

And A&M features power back Jorvorskie Lane and speedster Mike Goodson. Lane averages 4.7 yards per attempt and has 16 TDs this season. Goodson averages 4.6 yards per carry. Texas A&M is No. 12 nationally in rush offense at 215.6 yards per game, but Penn State is No. 6 nationally in rush defense at 87.9 yards per game. Penn State has allowed just four foes to rush for 100 yards in a game - but in those four (all losses), the Nittany Lions surrendered 181.8 yards per game and five rushing TDs (PSU allowed just seven rushing TDs this season).

Because of off-the-field issues, Penn State will be without five players, including starting defensive tackle Chris Baker, for the game.

The Nittany Lions lead this series 2-1, with the last meeting in the 1999 Alamo Bowl, a 24-0 victory.

Prediction: A&M's three-headed ground attack, and big home-type crowd, leads the upset. A&M 24, PSU 21. became the team's primary ball carrier midway through the season after the suspension of

College Football Odds - Liberty Bowl

What: Liberty Bowl
Who: Central Florida (10-3) vs. Mississippi State (7-5)
Where: Liberty Bowl, Memphis
When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Central Florida -3 (55.5)

A somewhat nondescript bowl between Conference USA's UCF Golden Knights and the SEC's Mississippi State Bulldogs is worth watching for one reason: running back Kevin Smith.

UCF's Smith, the national rushing leader, is the best player you may never have heard of. Smith needs 181 yards to beat the I-A season record of 2,628 by Barry Sanders of Oklahoma State in 1988. And the junior already said he would return to school for his senior season.

Led by Smith, UCF is the 13th highest scoring team in the nation (38.4 points per game). He leads all FBS players with 2,448 rushing yards and 30 touchdowns, and became the first player in school history to earn All-America honors.

In the C-USA title game against Tulsa, Smith also set the NCAA all-time single-season record in rushing attempts with 415, 12 more than Marcus Allen had at USC in 1981.

The Knights, C-USA's champs, could be staring at a Top 25 finish with a win, which would be their first in a bowl. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, earned their first postseason spot since 2000.What coach Sylvester Croom as accomplished at Mississippi State is also impressive. He took over a program that went just 8-27 from 2001-03, and things didn't get much better. The Bulldogs went 9-25 in Croom's first three seasons, and were once again picked to finish last in the SEC West Division before the start of this season.

After just five conference wins in their last five seasons, the Bulldogs finished 4-4 in SEC play, tied for third in the West, and will be playing in their first bowl game since defeating Texas A&M 43-41 in the 2000 Independence Bowl.

"It's an affirmation first of all of the commitment to diversity that our university has, a commitment to building a program the right way," said Croom, who was named the SEC coach of the year. "This has not been an overnight kind of deal. It's been a gradual building process."

Croom's run defense will need to improve upon its 4.2-yard-per-carry average to slow Smith. Mississippi State has allowed an average of 159.0 rushing yards this season, and has given up more than 200 yards on the ground in four of its last six games.

The Bulldogs have not had much success on the offensive side of the ball this season, as they are averaging only 22.4 ppg and 305.3 total ypg. Tailback Anthony Dixon, however, has enjoyed a solid campaign and he leads MSU with 980 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns (13 rushing). Dixon, though, is averaging just 3.7 yards per carry and has rushed for a total of just 66 yards over his last two games.

True freshman Wesley Carroll started the last seven games at quarterback for the Bulldogs and he led the team to a 4-3 record during that span. In eight starts and 12 appearances for the season, Carroll has completed 53.2 percent of his throws for 1,353 yards with nine touchdowns and six interceptions.

The teams have met once before, with MSU beating UCF 35-28 in 1997.

College Football Odds - Meineke Car Care Bowl

What: Meineke Car Care Bowl
Who: No. 25 Connecticut (9-3) vs. Wake Forest (8-4)
Where: Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, N.C.
When: Saturday, 1 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Wake Forest -1.5 (47.5)

Two basketball schools that have made surprising splashes on the national football scene the past season or two meet Saturday afternoon when the Big East's UConn Huskies face the ACC's Wake Forest Demon Deacons.

Connecticut, which tied for the Big East title with West Virginia, is in its eighth season of Division I-A football and is going to its second bowl. This season -- the Huskies' sixth with a full complement of 85 scholarships and fourth as a football-playing member of the Big East -- produced several defining moments: When Connecticut beat 11th-ranked South Florida 22-15 in October, it was the program's first win against a top-20 team; when the Huskies were ranked 16th in The Associated Press poll Oct. 28, it was their first top-20 ranking; and, of course, the sharing of the Big East title with the Mountaineers.

"It's been very gratifying," Connecticut coach Randy Edsall said. "It's a great feeling to know the plan you came in with, the plan you tweaked along the way, the plan you knew if you stuck with this would happen -- all of that is very rewarding."

Meanwhile, this is just the Demon Deacons' eighth postseason appearance. There are signs, though, that the Deacons are developing consistency.Wake won the ACC last season despite being around for 100-plus years of football. Wake is looking to finish in the top 25 for the second season in a row. This postseason appearance is the first time in school history Wake has been to back-to-back bowls.

Wake QB Riley Skinner holds the nation's second-best completion percentage of 71.9 but has 12 picks and 11 TD passes. Six of his 12 picks came in September and he threw for more than 221 yards just once this
season, in the opener against Boston College. But over the past five games, Skinner has thrown only three interceptions and five touchdown passes.

Despite missing two games early in the season with a separated shoulder, he threw for 1,936 yards. In just his second season, Skinner has already won 17 games as the team's starting quarterback. The school record in Winston-Salem is only 18.

Skinner's favorite target is All-ACC wide receiver Kenny Moore, who caught 87 passes for 899 yards this season. And using a rejuvenated running game behind freshman Josh Adams, who led the team with 887 rushing yards and 10 scores, Wake scored 38 and 31 points in beating North Carolina State and Vanderbilt to close the regular season.

Adams will get to face a Huskies defense that allows 158.5 rushing yards per game. In the regular season finale vs. the Huskies, West Virginia rushed for an absurd 536 yards - and seven rushing TDs. For the season, UConn allowed just 13 rushing TDs. In the six games before the WVU loss, UConn had surrendered an average of 156.5 rushing yards. UConn does have a solid pass defense, ranking near the top of Division I with 22 interceptions.

UConn is led at QB by big left-hander Tyler Lorenzen, who completed 184 of 321 passes this season for 2,269 yards, 13 touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 304 yards on 123 carries.

Donald Brown (749 yards, eight TDs) and Andre Dixon (809 yards, three TDs) split time as UConn's feature back. Wake, meanwhile, has been stout against the run, allowing just 108.9 yards per game. The Demon Deacons have allowed just four teams to rush for at least 100 yards.

UConn and Wake Forest have split two meetings, with the Deacons taking the last one 24-13 on Sept. 16, 2006.

College Football Odds - Emerald Bowl

What: Emerald Bowl
Who: Maryland (6-6) vs. Oregon State (8-4)
Where: AT&T Park, San Francisco
When: Friday, 8:30 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Oregon State -5 (47)

Two up-and-down teams from BCS conferences square off in a baseball park on Friday night as Maryland of the ACC faces Oregon State of the Pac-10.

Maryland recorded upsets of Rutgers and Boston College, both ranked in the top 10 at the time, but also had a three-game midseason skid. The Terps did end the regular season with a resounding 37-0 victory
over North Carolina State.

And Maryland has outscored its last three bowl opponents 96-17. After losing to Florida in the Orange Bowl in coach Ralph Friedgen's first season, the Terps beat Tennessee 30-3 in the 2002 Peach Bowl, West Virginia 41-7 in the Gator Bowl in 2006, and Purdue 24-7 in last season's Champs Sports Bowl. However, Friedgen also started with three consecutive 10-win seasons and an ACC championship from 2001-03.

As for Oregon State, it found its stride late in the year. The Beavers were just 2-3 after a 40-14 loss to UCLA this year, then won six of their final seven games, losing only to USC. That included a 31-28 upset at then-No. 2 California. The top matchup could be Oregon State's stingy run defense, ranked second in the nation, against Maryland tailbacks Keon Lattimore and Lance Ball. Lattimore and Ball rushed for a combined 1,552 yards and 25 touchdowns this year.

However, Oregon State only allows 2.1 yards per carry, and the Beavers have a star runner of their own in Yvenson Bernard. He underwent knee surgery the last week of the regular season and missed the Oregon game but is expected to start. He averages 103.7 rushing (third in the Pac-10) and had 12 touchdowns this season.

He recently passed Steven Jackson for second place on the Beavers' all-time career rushing list, and 140 rushing yards against Maryland would move him up to No. 6 in Pac-10 career rushing yardage.

"That's all cool, but it comes down to what you can do for your team in a game," said Bernard, who also caught 36 passes, second best on the team, and his 118 career catches rank ninth on the school's all-time list.

The Beavers also have a wild card on their side: Mike Riley is 6-0 in bowl games - 3-0 as Oregon State's head coach and 3-0 when he was USC's offensive coordinator.

"I don't think there's anything magical," Riley said.

"It's more a carryover from the improvement of the team during the season."

Prediction: It's hard to know which Maryland team you will get, and Friedgen obviously gets his club well-prepared by his bowl record. Still, with a healthy Bernard, the Beavers were arguably the second-best team in the Pac-10 by the end of the season. OSU 20, Maryland 14.

College Football Odds - Texas Bowl

What: Texas Bowl
Who: Texas Christian (7-5) vs. Houston (8-4)
Where: Reliant Stadium, Houston
When: Friday, 8 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: TCU -6 (57.5)

Unless you live in the Lone Star State, it may be difficult to be too fired up about Friday night's matchup of TCU from the Mountain West and Conference USA's Houston Cougars.

Houston is one of a few bowl teams that will be playing without their regular season coach. The Cougars lost Art Briles in late November when he left to replace Guy Morriss at Baylor. Kevin Sumlin was hired as Briles' permanent replacement two weeks ago, but for now he's still Oklahoma's offensive co-coordinator and Chris Thurmond, the secondary coach, is in charge on an interim basis.

"Players and coaches are expected to win no matter when it is," Thurmond said. "We aren't looking back.

We are just trying to get ourselves in a position to beat TCU. We don't talk about that. We only talk about things that give us a chance to play well in this game."

TCU is looking to win a third consecutive bowl and is playing in this bowl for the second time in three seasons after beating Iowa State in 2005 when it was known as the Houston Bowl. It is the Horned Frogs' ninth bowl appearance in the last 10 years, while the Cougars seek their first postseason win since beating Navy 35-0 in the Garden State Bowl in 1980.

Houston does it with offense: averaging 513.2 yards and 36.3 points per game. The star is running back Anthony Alridge, who has rushed for 14 TDs and 1,568 yards, an average of 130.7 yards per game. Alridge is 190 yards from setting Houston's season rushing record.

QB Case Keenum was named Conference USA's freshman of the year. He passed for 1,924 yards and 13 TDs despite sharing time with Blake Joseph. WR Donnie Avery has 81 catches for 1,336 yards and 7 TDs.

TCU has allowed 109.4 yards per game on the ground (18th in Division I) but has allowed 12 or fewer points in five of its seven wins. And TCU won three of its last four games.

On offense, the Horned Frogs are led by redshirt freshman QB Andy Dalton. He holds TCU's freshman passing mark with 2,210 yards but has as many interceptions (10) as TD passes. Tailback Joseph Turner came on late in the year, and a ground game could be important for the Frogs: They are 5-0 when rushing for more yards than passing.

Houston won the first eight meetings in a series that began in 1976, but TCU has claimed the last seven.

Prediction: TCU was ranked to start the year and all of its losses but one was by seven points or less.

Hard to see how Houston will function as well minus Briles.
TCU 24-17.

College Football Odds - Champs Sports Bowl

What: Champs Sports Bowl
Who: No. 14 Boston College (10-3) vs. Michigan State (7-5)
Where: Citrus Bowl, Orlando
When: Friday, 5 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Boston College -5 (56)

The ACC's Boston College Eagles, once the No. 2 team in the country, face the Big Ten's Michigan State Spartans in a game that has potential upset written all over it.

BC reached the ACC Championship Game this season (losing 30-16 to Virginia Tech) under first-year coach Jeff Jagodzinski, finishing the regular season with 10 wins for the just the second time in school history.

In addition, BC is playing its school-record ninth straight bowl game and has won a nation-high seven bowl games in a row (tied with Utah).

But will the Eagles be going through the motions in this run of the mill bowl after opening 8-0 and being ranked No. 2 as late as the Oct. 28 poll, with quarterback Matt Ryan a Heisman Trophy candidate?

"I don't think you look at it as a consolation," Jagodzinski said. "I'm looking forward to taking my team to a bowl."

Well, perhaps that bowl winning streak is enough motivation - BC has gone unbeaten in college football's postseason since a 62-28 loss to Colorado in the 1999 Insight.com Bowl.

Michigan State will be thrilled to be in Orlando as the Spartans last played in a bowl game in 2003. Under first-year coach Mark Dantonio, the Spartans closed the regular season with two straight wins to finish 7-5 and to earn their first bowl since dropping a 17-3 decision to Nebraska in the 2003 Alamo Bowl.

The Spartans will have to stop BC's Ryan to have a shot at the upset. Ryan was fifth in the nation with 327.5 passing yards per game, and won the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award as the country's top senior quarterback. He also set school passing records with 4,258 yards and 28 touchdowns this season. Ryan has completed 60.3 percent of his tosses, although he did throw 18 interceptions.

Perhaps BC will use its ground attack heavily against MSU as the Spartans have allowed an average of 179.8 yards on the ground in their last five games. That could mean plenty of senior Andre Callender, who leads BC in catches (72) to go along with 705 receiving yards and four touchdowns. He also has rushed for 936 yards and nine more scores.

As a team, BC is averaging 28.6 ppg and 434.5 total ypg this season.

Michigan State is an even better offensive team in some respects, averaging 34.1 ppg and 426.2 total ypg for the season. The offense was balanced well between the run (200.3 ypg) and pass (225.9 ypg), QB Brian Hoyer was second in the Big Ten with a 138.9 quarterback rating, RB Javon Ringer ranked third with 1,346 rushing yards and WR Devin Thomas topped the conference with 1,226 receiving yards. Ringer and Jehuu Caulcrick give Michigan State a formidable one-two punch in the backfield; Caulcrick has rushed for 21 touchdowns this year.BC is holding its opponents to 20.3 ppg and only 329.2 total ypg. The Eagles have been especially tough against opposing ground attacks, yielding a nation-low 68.1 rushing ypg.

The Eagles are 3-1-1 all-time against Michigan State, but the programs haven't played since 1995. That year, the Spartans earned their only win against BC, 25-21 at home.

Prediction: Michigan State will have about 20,000 more fans and seems much more excited to be playing in this game. The Spartans pull the upset as they give notice they will be a force in the Big Ten next year. MSU 27, BC 24.

College Football Odds: Holiday Bowl

What: Holiday Bowl
Who: No. 12 Arizona State (10-2) vs. No. 17 Texas (9-3)
Where: Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego
When: Thursday, 8 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Texas -2.5 (62)

The Pac-10's Arizona State Sun Devils and Big 12's Texas Longhorns meet in one of the best non-BCS bowl games out there. However, what should be a great matchup has been tempered somewhat by disappointment on both sides, as both had BCS dreams.

First-year ASU coach Dennis Erickson guided the Sun Devils to their most wins since getting 11 in 1996 -- the last time they won the Pac-10 title. However, with USC heading to the Rose Bowl this season as the Pac-10 champ, thanks to a 44-24 win over Arizona State on Nov. 22, Arizona State was relegated to the Holiday Bowl after the nearby Fiesta Bowl wasn't allowed to choose the Sun Devils.

Then there's Texas, which is headed to its fourth Holiday Bowl in eight years. The four appearances by Texas are the second most of any team behind BYU, which has made 11 trips since the bowl originated in 1978. Incidentally, the Longhorns' three visits have been decided by a total of 17 points. Their lone win, a 47-43 shootout with Washington in 2001, was sandwiched by losses to Oregon (35-30) in 2000 and Washington State (28-20) in 2003.

Yet both coaches know that once their kids strap it up, motivation won't be a problem.

"When you think about college football, you think about SC, you think of Ohio State, you think of Texas," Erickson said. "That's a perennial power. So for our guys to have the opportunity to play a storied program like that is great."

"What you want to do in a bowl game is play somebody that you have great respect for," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "That doesn't always happen. We feel like we're very, very fortunate to be playing a BCS-caliber football team."

Brown and Erickson, longtime friends who have combined for three national titles, have never faced each other, and this will be the first meeting between the schools as well.

Sophomore quarterback Colt McCoy and All-Big 12 tailback Jamaal Charles are the key pieces in Texas' offense, which ranked 13th nationally in total yards (426.0), 19th in scoring (36.0) and 25th in rushing yards (199.8). The Longhorns produced at least 400 yards of total offense in eight games and scored 30 points or more eight times.

McCoy passed for 3,129 yards and 21 touchdowns, but his 18 interceptions should be a concern against an Arizona State defense that picked off 17 passes - six by safety Troy Nolan.

Charles topped the Big 12 and ranked among the national leaders with 121.5 yards per game. He averaged 184.0 yards in his final four games, including a career-best 290 against Nebraska on Oct. 27.

While Texas, in its 47th bowl (second to Alabama) certainly will look to establish Charles early on, it might be easier said than done vs. a Sun Devil defense than ranks 13th rationally.

Sun Devils quarterback Rudy Carpenter could be poised for a big performance against the Longhorns, who allowed 275.5 passing yards per game -- one of the worst marks in the country. Carpenter has thrown seven touchdown passes and only one interception in his last five games. But only two teams have allowed more sacks than Arizona State's 51 this season.

The Sun Devils are 12-9-1 all-time in bowl games.

Prediction: The Longhorns have won three straight bowl games and will make it four in what should be an entertaining shootout: 41-27

Arizona State vs. Texas Betting Trends:

Texas is 5-1 SU in its last 6 games

The total has gone OVER in 8 of Texas's last 11 games

Arizona State is 1-4 ATS in its last 5 games

Arizona State is 10-2 SU in its last 12 games

More College Football betting trends.

College Football Odds - Music City Bowl

What: Music City Bowl
Who: Purdue (7-5) vs. Central Michigan (8-5)
Where: Ford Field, Detroit
When: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m.
WagerWeb.com line: Purdue -7.5 (71.5)

The Boilermakers, who finished seventh in the Big Ten, have a rematch with the Mid-American Conference champion Chippewas.

These two teams met in September and put up plenty of offense, with Purdue winning 45-22 - Purdue led 38-0 at one point. The teams combined for 1,048 yards, including 724 in the air. Purdue QB Curtis Painter and CMU QB Dan LeFevour combined to complete 64 of 95 passes, with five touchdowns and one interception.

The teams average a combined 871.2 yards and give up a combined 835.6. Central Michigan is particularly soft on defense, ranking 106th in the nation in total defense and 107th in scoring defense at 35.9 points a game.

However, the Chippewas enter this game as the hotter team, having won four of their last five games.

LeFevour was the MAC Player of the Year with 3,360 passing yards and 1,008 rushing, with the sophomore joining Vince Young as the only quarterbacks to ever throw for 3,000 yards and rush for 1,000 in the same season. LeFevour ranks fifth nationally in total offense, averaging 336 yards per game. He ranked 14th nationally with his yardage total and completed 66.4% of his passes with 23 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

LeFevour's favorite receivers are Antonio Brown and Bryan Anderson. Brown has 98 receptions for 909 yards and Anderson has 83 catches for 1,003 yards.

"He's a very good player and very athletic," Purdue defensive coordinator Brock Spack said of LeFevour."You've got to slow him down, because he's going to run the ball, throw it and make all kinds of plays. The guy is their whole offense."

Purdue's Painter threw for 3,300 yards with 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He completed 29 of 39 passes for 360 yards with three TDs and one interception in the first meeting with Central.

Painter will count on the tailback tandem of Kory Sheets and Jaycen Taylor, who have combined to rush for 1,389 yards. Purdue's leading receivers are Dorien Bryant, with 82 catches for 871 yards, and tight end Dustin Keller (62-745).

However, note that Purdue lost its last three games (to Penn State, Michigan State and Indiana, while allowing 101 total points) and five of its past seven.

The Boilermakers have also lost their past three bowl games.

Purdue hasn't played an opponent twice in a season since 1898, and it hasn't happened to CMU since World War II. This is Central's second straight trip to the Motor City Bowl and first under coach Butch Jones, who is a candidate for the West Virginia job.

"We know from firsthand experience that this game is going to feature two dynamic offenses," Jones said.

"It might come down to whichever defense can make a play."

Prediction: CMU covers but loses a close one - 38-35.

NFL Odds - Broncos vs. Chargers

The final "Monday Night Football" game of the 2007 NFL season should be another of Week 16's mismatches as the AFC West champion San Diego Chargers (9-5) host the disappointing Denver Broncos (6-8), with San Diego an 8.5-point favorite (over/under: 47) on WagerWeb.com.

San Diego, which has won five in a row, is in the playoffs, but its seeding is still to be determined.

If the Chargers win their final two games, they would get the No. 3 spot in the AFC playoffs and avoid New England until the conference championship game if both make it that far.

Since starting 1-3, San Diego has won eight of 10, a streak that got its start with a 41-3 win at Denver on Oct. 7. In that rout, Philip Rivers had a career-high 151.4 passer rating, Michael Turner rushed for 147 yards, LaDainian Tomlinson had 140 total yards, and Antonio Gates (113) and Vincent Jackson (84) combined for nearly 200 receiving yards.

The Chargers finished with 484 total yards.

"I just think we have grown as a team," said Gates.

"The first couple of months we were learning each other. I think right now, it's like we build, we build, and now we're playing our best football around this time where we need it the most."

A win over the Broncos would give the Bolts a 10-win season, their third in the last four years and their 11th in team history. A win would also give the Chargers four straight wins against the Broncos; their third season sweep since 1982 and their ninth season sweep since the series began in 1960.

Tomlinson has been on fire for San Diego, gaining 439 yards on the ground in his last three games and now has 1,311 yards rushing on the season, just six behind Pittsburgh's Willie Parker entering Week 16 for the league lead. Tomlinson has run for five TDs and caught one in that span.Tomlinson leads the NFL with 14 rushing touchdowns and needs just one more for his fourth straight 15-touchdown season. It would be the longest active streak in the NFL.

He's also closing in on his fourth career 1,500-yard season, needing just 189 yards over the last two games.

Meanwhile, receiver Chris Chambers has helped steady the San Diego passing game since his arrival via trade from Miami in October. Chambers is just 150 yards shy of his second career 1,000-yard season. He has eight catches for 159 yards in the Bolts last two games, as he's gotten more comfortable with Rivers. The Chargers are 6-2 since he joined the team. In eight games San Diego, Chambers is averaging 15.5 yards per catch.

Meanwhile, Denver second-year QB Jay Cutler has been solid: 64.6 percent completions, 18 TDs, 90.8 rating, but the Broncos rank 17th in the league in points scored. They've had five games of 27 or more points, but six games of 15 or fewer despite being sixth in the NFL in yards. And the Broncos won't have a 1,000-yard rusher for the first time since 2001, yet they rank eighth in the league in yards rushing per game and third in yards per carry.

It's the Denver defense that has been the biggest problem. Only the Raiders have allowed more yards per carry than Denver (4.5), and only the Dolphins and Lions have allowed more points than the Broncos (367).

The lowdown: Chargers CB Antonio Cromartie has a league-high 10 interceptions. ...

The Broncos will watch the playoffs in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2001-02. ... The Chargers are the 11th team since 1990 to start 1-3 or worse and still win their division. ... The Chargers currently lead the NFL with 35 takeaways, and their 34 sacks rank ninth in the league. ... In the last three games of the series, the Chargers have outscored Denver 124-50

That's a trend, folks. Chargers cover on Monday.

Betting trends

The Broncos are 4-10 ATS.
The Broncos are 1-6 ATS away.
The Broncos are 2-4 ATS as the underdog.
The Broncos are 1-4 ATS as an away underdog.
The Chargers are 9-5 ATS.
The Chargers are 6-1 ATS at home.
The Chargers are 6-3 ATS as the favorite.
The Chargers are 5-1 ATS as a home favorite.

More NFL Trends.

NFL Odds - Redskins vs. Vikings

The only NFL Week 16 game to match up two teams with playoff hopes takes place Sunday night in Minneapolis, as the 8-6 VikingsRedskins, with Minnesota a 6.5-point favorite (over/under: 40.5) on WagerWeb.com.

The Vikings are coming off a short week after winning ugly against the Bears on Monday night. It was Minnesota's fifth straight victory, and the Vikings can clinch a spot in the postseason with a win, coupled with a loss or tie by New Orleans against Philadelphia on Sunday.

Washington, meanwhile, has won consecutive games, against Chicago and the Giants, following a four-game losing streak as it tries to secure a playoff berth for the second time in three seasons.

"The last two weeks I felt like was a huge deal for us," Redskins coach Joe Gibbs said. "Chicago had to have it. That was kind of like a playoff game. The Giants needed it, so that was a big deal too. I'm really proud of our guys."

The Redskins must win their final two games -- including a season-ending home contest against the Dallas Cowboys -- plus have New Orleans lose one of its last two games or the Giants lose their final two.

Both teams are coming off wins that left plenty of room for improvement.

Against the Bears, Tarvaris Jackson threw for a career-high 249 yards, but was intercepted three times and did not throw a touchdown pass. he also botched a handoff with Adrian Peterson that created another turnover.

"I think he'll progress from that," Vikings coach Brad Childress said of Jackson, who had thrown for four of his six TDs the previous three games. "Unfortunately those are hard lessons to learn."

As he prepares to start his 11th game this season, Jackson's teammates are confident he will bounce back.

He is, after all, 8-2 as a starter."He's been calm in a lot of situations," tight end Jim Kleinsasser said. "He feels more comfortable back there and I think the whole team is feeling a lot more comfortable with each other. That's the big thing."

Once again, expect huge doses of Peterson, who finished with 78 yards on 20 carries and two TDs against the Bears, and Chester Taylor on the ground.

The Vikings are the top-ranked rushing team in the league.

Washington's run defense is among the best in the NFL, ranking ninth. Washington gives up 98 yards per game on the ground.

The Redskins rode their ground game to a 22-10 victory over the Giants last Sunday night. Clinton Portis rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown, easing the burden of quarterback Todd Collins, who won while making his first start in 10 years.

The 36-year-old Collins went just 8-of-25 without a touchdown, but he did throw for 166 yards and led five scoring drives starting in place of the injured Jason Campbell, who is out for the rest of the season with a dislocated kneecap. Collins will go against a Vikings' pass defense that gives up 266.4 yards per game, last in the league. Of course, Minnesota also leads the NFL in rushing defense.

The lowdown: Minnesota has won three of the last four against Washington, including last year's 19-16 road victory. This is their first meeting at the Metrodome since the Vikings' 41-7 victory in 1998. ... The Redskins rank 16th in total offense, the Vikings 20th in total defense. ... The Vikings rank 11th in total offense, the Redskins 10th in total defense. ...

Washington starting OLB Rocky McIntosh is out for the season after injuring his knee in the win over the Giants. ... Vikings starting cornerback Antoine Winfield and rookie wide receiver Sidney Rice both could miss the game with injuries. ... The best bet in this will be the under, as it's hard to imagine these two quarterback-challenged squads combining for 40 points.

Betting trends

The Redskins are 5-7 ATS.
The Redskins are 3-3 ATS away.
The Redskins are 3-2 ATS as the underdog.
The Redskins are 3-2 ATS as an away underdog.
The Vikings are 7-5 ATS.
The Vikings are 4-3 ATS at home.
The Vikings are 4-1 ATS as the favorite.
The Vikings are 3-1 ATS as a home favorite.

More NFL Trends.
host the 7-7

NFL Odds vs. Bucs - 49ers

Another of the many games that have one team with everything to play for and one with nothing takes place Sunday in San Francisco, where the NFC South champion Buccaneers (9-5) face the 49ers (4-10), with Tampa Bay 6-point favorites (over/under: 36.5) on WagerWeb.com.

Tampa Bay is attempting to earn the No. 3 seed in the NFC. The Buccaneers are currently fourth behind NFC West champion Seattle (9-5), which Tampa Bay can overtake only by finishing with a better record than the Seahawks thanks to a Week 1 loss in the Pacific Northwest.

"We want to win and to do that you have to play your best players," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said, making it clear he wouldn't be resting anyone for the playoffs.

"We are still playing for something. Some of these young guys need to play to get ready for the playoffs."

A big storyline this week is Bucs QB Jeff Garcia's return to San Francisco.

Garcia, 37, passed for 13,704 yards and 113 touchdowns with the 49ers, who have gone downhill since he left.

This season, Garcia has completed a career-high 64.2 percent of his passes for 2,244 yards and 12 TDs, while being picked off only four times. He is ranked seventh in the NFL with a quarterback rating of 93.6.

But the surprising star of the Tampa offense has been Earnest Graham, once the third-string running back.

Thanks to injuries to Cadillac Williams and Michael Pittman, Graham has stepped in and has rushed for 877 yards and 10 touchdowns. He has rushed for a TD in a franchise-record six straight games.

"You can't say enough about what he's done," Gruden said of Graham, who will be facing a 49ers team that ranks 23rd in the NFL in rushing defense, allowing 119.0 yards per game.As a team, the Bucs are ranked 10th in the league with an average of 121.3 yards per game on the ground.

The 49ers' run defense has shown flashes the past two weeks, limiting Cincinnati to just 61 yards on the ground last Saturday while holding rookie of the year candidate Adrian Peterson of Minnesota to 3 yards on 14 carries the previous week.

Meanwhile, San Francisco found its rushing game against the Bengals. Frank Gore enjoyed his most productive game of the year and gained 138 yards with an average of 4.8 yards per carry. As a team, the 49ers are ranked 27th averaging 90.6 yards per game, but their 4.2 yards per carry is 10th in the NFL.

The Buccaneers own the 14th ranked run defense giving up 103.5 yards per game, but opponents are only averaging 3.7 yards per carry against Tampa Bay.

Shaun Hill gets the start again at QB for the 49ers.

The relative unknown has been solid in his two stats: against the Vikings he connected on almost 81.5 percent of his passes with one touchdown and no interceptions while this past week against the Bengals he connected on 75 percent of his passes with another touchdown and no interceptions.

The lowdown: This will be the first meeting between San Francisco and Tampa Bay since Oct. 30, 2005, when the 49ers won 15-10 at home. ... Tampa Bay is 0-5 on the West Coast since winning the Super Bowl in San Diego in Jan. 2003, including the loss in Seattle in the season opener. ... The 49ers' 10 interceptions rank them at 29th in the NFL while their 26 QB sacks put them at 25th. ... Hill is the fifth different starting quarterback - and sixth overall - since Garcia left San Francisco after the 2003 season.

... Tampa Bay's offense is nothing special, and giving up 6 points on the road is worrisome. Still, the Bucs' defense should do enough to ensure a Tampa cover.

Betting Trends

The Buccaneers are 9-5 ATS.
The Buccaneers are 3-4 ATS away.
The Buccaneers are 6-2 ATS as the favorite.
The Buccaneers are 1-1 ATS as an away favorite.
The 49ers are 4-10 ATS.
The 49ers are 2-5 ATS at home.
The 49ers are 4-9 ATS as the underdog.
The 49ers are 2-4 ATS as a home underdog.

More NFL Trends.

NFL Odds - Dolphins vs. Patriots

If you are reading this story expecting me to somehow formulate a way that the 1-13 Miami Dolphins can upset the 14-0 New England Patriots on Sunday in Foxboro, stop reading.

It's just a matter of whether Miami can cover the 22-point spread (over/under: 45) on WagerWeb.com.

New England has nothing to play for, having clinched the No. 1 seed in the AFC. But coach Bill Belichick has said he doesn't plan to rest his starters much over the next two weeks, wanting to keep his players fresh and keep the momentum going as the playoffs approach.

"We'll play the same way. We'll do what we always do," Belichick said.

"I hope I play every snap," said Pats QB Tom Brady, who is 320 passing yards shy of Drew Bledsoe's 1994 club record of 4,555. "That's the most exciting part of my job is playing, not practicing."

New England still has much to play for. The Patriots have won 17 consecutive regular-season games dating to last year, one shy of their NFL record of 18 in a row set in 2003-04. Brady needs four touchdown passes to match the league record of 49 set by Peyton Manning in 2004. Randy Moss is three scoring receptions away from the mark of 22 set by Jerry Rice in 1987.

Oh, and there's the revenge factor! Believe it or not, the Dolphins are the last team to beat New England.

The last loss was a 21-0 defeat in Miami on Dec. 10, 2006. Of course, Miami followed that up with 16 straight defeats before beating Baltimore 22-16 in overtime last Sunday.

Maybe Miami will be motivated by the Oct. 21 game against the Patriots. New England led 42-7 at alftime and won 49-28 in Miami. But what angered many Dolphins was after Miami cut the deficit to 42-21 with 10:30 left. Belichick then put Brady back in the game, and he threw a TD pass.

Actually, the Patriots have looked somewhat human of late.

After having at least three TD passes in each of New England's first 10 games, Brady has not thrown for more than two in three of the last four games. Moss has averaged 72.8 yards receiving in that span while
catching three touchdown passes, compared to a 105.2 average and 16 TDs through 10 games.New England won each of its first eight games by at least 21 points. Four of the last six games have been decided by 10 points or less.

The Patriots did run for 131 yards last week against the Jets, their highest total since October, and Laurence Maroney had his second 100-yard game of the season as he was given a season-high 26 carries. A lot of that had to do with the blizzard they were playing in.

Maroney may get a workout this week, as he faces a Miami run defense that's allowing a league-worst 155.9 yards per game. The Dolphins have given up at least 163 rushing yards in three straight games.

But Belichick may also want to get Brady the TD record on Sunday against a bad team rather than the following week against the Giants.

Brady is the league's top rated QB with a rating of 119.7 and has thrown 10 more TDs than any other QB.

Despite throwing the ball 503 times, Brady has only been intercepted six times, the least for anybody over 400 passes.

The lowdown: No team has won its first 15 games since the league adopted a 16-game schedule in 1978.

... New England owns the most explosive passing attack in the NFL. With nearly 300 yards a game coming through the air, the Patriots are gaining over 10 yards more a game than second place Green Bay. But Miami owns the fourth-best pass defense. Yet the Dolphins are 21st in the NFL with 27 QB sacks while their interception total of 11 puts them at 26th. ... The Dolphins own the 20th-ranked run game (98 yards per game), but their 4.0 yards per carry ranks 13th. ... The Dolphins have one of the worst passing attacks in the league, averaging just 189 yards per game. The Patriots have the fifth-ranked pass defense, allowing just 191 yards per game. Their secondary has come up with 18 (fifth in the league) interceptions and their pass rush has produced 39 sacks (third in the league).

... Miami star DE Jason Taylor matched a team record by playing in his 128th straight game last weekend, and could break Hall of Fame center Jim Langer's mark Sunday if he gets on the field Sunday.

But he tore his left plantar fascia during last weekend's win over the Baltimore Ravens and may not play - or just sparingly.

... So, will Miami cover this game? In bad weather, maybe, but it's supposed to be nearly 50 on Sunday, so no help there. Patriots cover.

Betting Trends

The Dolphins are 4-8 ATS.
The Dolphins are 2-3 ATS away.
The Dolphins are 4-6 ATS as the underdog.
The Dolphins are 2-3 ATS as an away underdog.
The Patriots are 10-4 ATS.
The Patriots are 5-2 ATS at home.
The Patriots are 10-4 ATS as the favorite.
The Patriots are 5-2 ATS as a home favorite.

More NFL Trends.

NFL Odds - Eagles vs. Saints

The New Orleans Saints were the NFC runners-up last year and many experts' pick as the best team in the NFC heading into this season. But the Saints (7-7) must win out to return to the playoffs, beginning with Sunday's home game against Philadelphia (6-8), where New Orleans is a 3-point favorite (over/under: 47) on WagerWeb.com.

The Saints will be eliminated from the playoffs with a loss to Philadelphia and if Minnesota beats Washington on Sunday night.

As usual, most of New Orleans' success has come on the offensive side of the ball, a big reason it has won three straight games.

QB Drew Brees is coming off his second straight 300-yard effort and has eight touchdowns and no interceptions in his last three games.

"He's played at a very high level over the last two-thirds of this season," coach Sean Payton said, "and he's a big reason that we're still hanging around."

The New Orleans running game has picked up since Reggie Bush was lost to injury.

Aaron Stecker has stepped in the past two games as the starter, and he rushed for 100 yards at Atlanta and 95 yards at home against the Cardinals. He also had 46 yards receiving against Arizona.

However, Bush could return Sunday. Payton said if Bush does come back, Stecker would likely remain a key part of the offense.

"One encouraging thing is we've been able to run the ball in these last two games and it's given us some blance, which is something we've been looking for," Payton said. "Aaron's done a good job. We've done a
good job up front. So each week, depending on which team we're playing and what we're seeing efensively, we'll try to do what's best to score points."

"He may or may not play, but they have to prepare as if he's going to play," said Stecker. "If they don't repare for it and all of a sudden he shows up and plays, then they're just looking at themselves, saying, 'Why didn't we prepare?'The Saints offense will be facing an Eagles defense that has been playing well of late. The last three quarterbacks to face the Eagles have combined for 620 yards, three touchdowns and four interceptions.

Last week, the Eagles held Dallas QB Tony Romo to 214 yards and three interceptions on 13 of 36 passing. The Eagles rank sixth in the NFL in total yards allowed per game (311.8), 16th in passing yards allowed (217.1) and sixth in rushing yards allowed (94.6).

The Saints' offense ranks fifth (358.6), third (266.4) and 26th (92.2), respectively, in the same categories.

"Defensively, they're coming in with a lot of confidence," Payton said. "They just won a game against a very good offense. You hope to possess the ball and part of that is converting third downs, staying on the field, and establishing a balance.

The Eagles have been better than most people think offensively, with the 9th-ranked rushing attack and 13th best passing game in the NFL.

QB Donovan McNabb is completing 60 percent of his passes while throwing 15 touchdowns to only six interceptions.

The lowdown: Philadelphia dropped both visits to the Superdome last season by scores of 27-24 (the second one being in the playoffs). ... Last year in those two games against the Eagles, Brees threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns and 243 yards and one touchdown, respectively. ... Philadelphia lost linebacker Takeo Spikes to injured reserve with a torn rotator cuff.

Spikes was second on the Eagles with 139 tackles. ... The Saints have the 8th-ranked run defense in the NFL.

... New Orleans has 3rd-ranked pass offense in the NFL. ... Brees and Co. will be tested by a good Philly secondary, but New Orleans is rolling again. I love this game for the Saints to cover - but buy down to 2.5 to be safe.

Betting trends

The Eagles are 7-7 ATS.
The Eagles are 5-2 ATS away.
The Eagles are 3-1 ATS as the underdog.
The Eagles are 3-0 ATS as an away underdog.
The Saints are 6-8 ATS.
The Saints are 2-5 ATS at home.
The Saints are 5-7 ATS as the favorite.
The Saints are 2-5 ATS as a home favorite.More NFL Trends.

More NFL Trends.

NFL Odds - Packers vs. Bears

The Green Bay Packers got an early Christmas gift last week when the current NFC top-seeded Dallas Cowboys were upset at home by the Philadelphia Eagles.

That kept Green Bay alive for the No. 1 seed in the conference, but the Packers likely will need to win out, beginning Sunday in Chicago, where Green Bay is an 8.5-point favorite (35.5 over/under) on WagerWeb.com in the NFL's oldest rivalry.

If Dallas loses one of its final two games, at Carolina and at Washington, and the Packers sweep Chicago and Detroit, the Packers will finish with the best record in the NFC and host the NFC championship against the Cowboys if both teams make it that far.

"We're playing for home-field advantage, and that will be our focus," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said.

The Packers also have the revenge factor. One of the few bright spots this year for the Bears was a 27-20 win at Green Bay on Oct. 7. It is one of just four games this season in which Packers QB Brett Favre has had more interceptions (two) than touchdowns (one) as the Packers blew a 10-point halftime lead and had a season-high five turnovers in their first loss of the season.

"There's a lot of emotion," McCarthy said. "The importance of this game is very evident. It's probably the best rival football game in the National Football League, and we need to be 13-2 when we come back from
Chicago."

Favre leds an air attack that is one of the most explosive in the league, averaging 286.4 yards per contest. Favre is putting together his best season in three years and was named to his ninth Pro Bowl on Tuesday. He needs just 95 yards passing on Sunday to reach 4,000 for the fifth time in his career.

Favre has a career 13-2 road record against Chicago.

Green Bay's season really took off when running back Ryan Grant did. He has averaged 95.3 yards rushing a game and 4.7 yards a carry since becoming the Packers' primary back the last eight games.

Since Week 8, Grant has 772 rushing yards, second in the NFL behind LaDainian Tomlinson's 784.And the Bears defense has been porous against the run, allowing 124.1 yards per game on the ground. That unit did play well Monday night, holding Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, who had shredded them for 224 yards on 20 carries two months ago, to just 44 yards on his first 17 carries before he broke free for two key runs late in the 20-13 contest. The Bears also had four turnovers and two sacks.

"On Monday night, they played with a different swagger," receiver Greg Jennings said. "Their defense was struggling earlier in the year, and now after watching them Monday night it looked like they were back to the same old Bears defense."

Making his first start since the 2005 season finale, Bears QB Kyle Orton completed 22 of 38 passes for 184 yards, no touchdowns and one interception in the loss at Minnesota on Monday. The Bears finished with 209 yards - their second-lowest total of the season.

Chicago also has been hampered by the worst rushing attack in football with 1,098 yards. It was especially bad Monday against the NFL's top-ranked rushing defense as the Bears managed a season-low 32 yards on the ground.

The Packers are solid derailing an opponent's ground assault, yielding 105 yards per contest. However, Green Bay did allow 173 yards in Week 15 against the Rams.

The lowdown: This is the 175th installment of this rivalry, the NFL's longest, which began in 1921 when Green Bay's Curly Lambeau and Chicago's George Halas ran the shows. The Bears enjoy an 89-79-6 lead in the series, but the Packers have dominated in the Brett Favre era, going 22-9 overall and 12-2 at Soldier Field since No. 4 grabbed the wheel in 1992. ... Under Lovie Smith, the Bears are 5-2 against the Packers.

... The Packers have 1,851 yards after the catch - most in the NFL. ... The Packers have allowed an opponent to rush for at least 105 yards four times in the last five games. ... Green Bay has everything to lose in this game, with the Bears nothing to gain.

Often, that is a dangerous mix, but the Chicago offense was terrible under Orton. Still, I could see a defensive or special teams TD keeping this as only a 7-point loss for Chicago.

Betting trends

The Packers are 11-2 ATS.
The Packers are 6-1 ATS away.
The Packers are 7-1 ATS as the favorite.
The Packers are 4-0 ATS as an away favorite.
The Bears are 5-9 ATS.
The Bears are 1-5 ATS at home.
The Bears are 3-4 ATS as the underdog.
The Bears are 0-1 ATS as a home underdog.

More NFL Trens.

NFL Odds - Cowboys vs. Panthers

What seemed a few weeks ago as a possible breather for the Cowboys is anything but Saturday night in Charlotte, when the Panthers host Dallas, which is a 10.5-point favorite (over/under: 43) on WagerWeb.com.

Dallas (12-2) lost 10-6 to Philadelphia on Sunday, ending its seven-game winning streak. In what could signal a bad omen, since the 1996 season, when they earned their last playoff victory, the Cowboys haven't posted a winning record in regular season games in December and January, going 16-29.

The big news surrounding that loss to Philly was Tony Romo's thumb - and girlfriend.

Romo, with Jessica Simpson watching, was just 13-of-36 for 214 yards and posted a career-low rating of 22.2. He bruised his throwing hand, but didn't miss any snaps and insisted that he is "fine" and will play on Saturday.

”It's a bruise. The swelling has gone down," coach Wade Phillips said. "We think he'll be able to do everything."

Said tight end Jason Witten: "He [Romo] hasn't said a whole lot. We all hope he does [play]. I'd be shocked if he didn't."

WR Terrell Owens, meanwhile, has only five catches and no touchdowns over the last two games, and didn't haul in a pass against his former team until the fourth quarter Sunday.

But in 13 games against Carolina, T.O. has 67 receptions for 1,035 yards and nine touchdowns. Of his 67 catches, 13 were for 25 or more yards.

In addition, Phillips is "hopeful" wide receiver Terry Glenn will make his season debut Saturday. Glenn has been practicing this week. He has missed all 14 games since choosing an arthroscopic procedure on his knee over season-ending microfracture surgery.

Dallas has already clinched a first-round bye and is tied with Green Bay for the best record in the NFC.

The Cowboys own the tiebreaker, so a win and a Packers loss in Chicago on Sunday will ensure Dallas home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

Meanwhile, Carolina's new starting QB has Dallas connections. Rookie Matt Moore began his career with the Cowboys as an undrafted rookie out of Oregon State.Moore went to training camp with the Cowboys and completed 21 of 29 passes for 182 yards and one touchdown with no interceptions for a 100.1 passer rating during the preseason. He was released Sept. 1.

The Panthers claimed him off waivers the next day.

In his first career start last week, Moore completed 19 of 27 passes for 208 yards and no interceptions in the Panthers' 13-10 win over Seattle.

"He did a great job," said guard Mike Wahle. "He's been doing a good job all year in practice. The kid's certainly not afraid of the spotlight, and I'm excited to see what he does on Saturday."

After a five-game slide from the end of October and throughout November, the Panthers have won their last two home games. Last week's victory over Seattle was the Panthers' first against a winning team this season.

"Carolina's playing well now," Phillips said. "They had trouble at home earlier in the year but they played real well the last couple games at home. We think it's going to be a tough game."

Under Moore's direction, the Panthers converted 9-of-18 third-down attempts and held the ball for nearly 35 1/2 minutes. The offense also did not commit a turnover for the first time since Week 6. Carolina stopped Seattle's offense by running 38 times and keeping the ball. Expect more of the same while being cautious with Moore.

Interestingly, the Panthers are 5-0 when RB DeAngelo Williams has had more than 10 carries this season, but are 1-8 when he doesn't reach that mark. Yet he's not the starter - DeShaun Foster is.

The lowdown: The Cowboys lead the all-time series 6-3, including last year's 35-14 win in Charlotte, though the Panthers are 2-0 against Dallas in the playoffs.

The Cowboys have won the last six regular season meetings with the Panthers since losing the first-ever matchup 23-13 on Dec. 8, 1997. ... Witten now has 1,068 receiving yards, a career-best and franchise record for a tight end. His 340 career catches surpassed Jay Novacek (339) for most by a Cowboys tight end. ... Carolina ranks 12th in the NFL in team defense and second in the NFC against the run. ...

Dallas likely will be without center Andre Gurode (knee) and safety Patrick Watkins (ankle), but defensive end Chris Canty and tight end Anthony Fasano should play after leaving Sunday's game against Philadelphia with injuries. Safety Roy Williams' appeal of his suspension was denied, and he won't play. ...

Don't think there's much doubt Dallas bounces back and wins this game, but a conservative Carolina attack - plus a nicked up Romo - should keep it somewhat close. The Panthers cover.

Betting Trends

The Cowboys are 9-5 ATS.
The Cowboys are 4-2 ATS away.
The Cowboys are 8-4 ATS as the favorite.
The Cowboys are 3-2 ATS as an away favorite.
The Panthers are 6-8 ATS.
The Panthers are 2-5 ATS at home.
The Panthers are 4-5 ATS as the underdog.
The Panthers are 1-2 ATS as a home underdog.

More NFL Trends.