Pigskins and Ponies: Tough Road Game for Rams, Santa Anita Action

Gambling

If you like betting both football and horse racing, you've come to the right place!

Each week in Pigskins and Ponies you'll find analysis and key football bets from Payne Insider and Todd Fuhrman plus racing picks from Jose Contreras.

Professional bettor Payne Insider and former oddsmaker Todd Fuhrman are founders of Bet the Board, a cutting edge sports betting company focused on written and digital content. You can listen to Bet The Board podcast every Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday during football season on iTunes and Soundcloud.

Handicapper Jose Contreras is an analyst for horse racing network TVG and a regular contributor to America's Best Racing.

Get this week's picks below, and be sure to check back for new selections each week. Happy betting!


Pigskins

Los Angeles Chargers @ Cleveland Browns 1H Under 23 (-119):  

The Browns have excelled on the defensive end this year, with the fourth most efficient defense to this point (opponents include the Pittsburgh Steelers, New Orleans Saints, Oakland Raiders, Baltimore Ravens). While the Chargers didn’t start well on that end of the ball, getting Corey Liuget back from suspension should bolster this run defense, forcing Browns QB Baker Mayfield to beat them down the field. Both teams rank below average in offensive pace, and we could see the defenses dominate early. The full game total opened 46.5, and has fallen to 44.5 at BetOnline.Ag sports book.

Carolina Panthers @ Washington Redskins -1 (-110):

The Redskins took a beating on Monday Night Football, while Carolina snuck by the New York Giants via a 63-yard field goal by Graham Gano at the bell that still hasn’t landed. Carolina is 3-1, with a +5 turnover margin and -0.9 yards per play, while Washington is +0.2 yards per play despite the pathetic effort on Monday. Carolina continues to struggle defending through the air (27th in Pass Success Rate), while Washington totes the fourth most efficient passing offense. Even with the return of linebacker Thomas Davis for Carolina, we expect a bounce-back effort from Washington … and this number is more likely to trend toward -3 than back to PICK’em.    

Los Angeles Rams @ Denver Broncos +7 (-115):

Denver opened a 7-point underdog Sunday night, and we’ve seen some early movement on the juice toward the Broncos. If the Rams have a weak point, it’s their inability to effectively stop the run, ranking just 23rd in rush defense efficiency. What’s the strength of this Broncos team, you ask? That’s right, they’re extremely effective running the ball, second in the league. I’d be shocked if we saw a different game plan than the one utilized versus the Kansas City Chiefs a few weeks back, and this time Denver might be able to get the job done. Rams wide receivers Brandin Cooks and Cooper Kupp may not play, like Bet the Board podcast suggested, and the frigid temperatures could give the boys from Los Angeles some trouble here. The value lies with Denver +7.

Colorado @ USC -7 (-105):  

Colorado comes into this contest 5-0, ranked 19th in the AP poll, and has full public support in its showdown against the Trojans. This is a tough spot for the Buffaloes as their strength of schedule has been one of the weakest in the country for any Power 5 team. USC is coming off of a bye and possibly starting to hit stride with back-to-back wins. USC can make Colorado one dimensional, and force QB Steven Montez to beat its secondary. This will be the best team Colorado has played all year, and it is a great spot for the Trojans. USC-6.5/-7 should get there late Saturday night.

Best Bet: [270] Denver +7 (-115)


Ponies

Saturday, Oct. 13

Santa Anita Park, Race 6, 6 p.m. ET

Whata Flirt (#9) chased the leader through the opening quarter-mile, took the lead at the top of the stretch, and battled gamely to the finish line for a second place in her most recent start. She finished about four lengths clear of the third-place finisher. That was her first race at this level of competition, and I think she’s going to be tough if she repeats that effort.

Sunday, Oct. 14

Keeneland, Race 7, 4:24 p.m. ET

Mary Celeste (#10) broke well from the outside post in a field of 11 runners settled into a good position chasing the leaders last time. She continued to press the pace while being about four wide around the bend and accelerated nicely down the stretch to finish second. I thought it was a very good debut over the unique Kentucky Downs course. I think she’s going to love the extra distance.

Total picks: 12

Total winners: 1

Total money returned with $2 to win on each pick: $-16.20

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