(This is "Winners Club," Sports Illustrated's Fantasy and Betting newsletter, which you can get delivered to your inbox every Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Click here to subscribe.)
Good morning! Thanks for waking up with Winners Club, and welcome to Week 10 of the NFL season.
Ravens vs. Dolphins Preview
Lamar Jackson and Baltimore have done seemingly everything it takes to win this season. Game-winning field goals, fourth-quarter comebacks, overtime victories, Jackson front flipping into the end zone—you name it, and the Ravens likely did it in one of their six wins. Miami, meanwhile, has found creative ways to lose on its way to the AFC basement. Despite their wildly different records, both teams are below .500 Against The Spread (ATS) this season. So how exactly should you approach betting this game? Our analysts have the answers.
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
TNF Betting Primer: The Ravens are the favorite against the Dolphins, but should you back them? How have they fared ATS and in recent games against Miami? Frankie Taddeo has all the answers to help you make your picks.
Baltimore-Miami Player Props: Miles Gaskin anytime TD at plus odds? Jen Piacenti likes Miami’s running back to find the end zone against the Ravens and she has several other player props for the game—as well as an Over/Under pick for you to tail.
Essential Reading
NBA SO/UP Picks: Our NBA betting series has been very successful so far, and it’s back for two more games Thursday night with guest picker Michael Shapiro helping to pick games between the Raptors and 76ers and the Pacers and Jazz.
Start ‘Em, Sit ‘Em: Fantasy football veterans are familiar with Cardinals running back James Conner. He’s in the midst of a resurgence in Arizona, coming off a 40-point outing, and he’s Michael Fabiano’s Start of the Week at running back! See which other players Fabiano believes you can’t keep out of your starting lineup.
College Football Composite Picks: Richard Johnson’s CFB model had its best performance last week, picking over 56% of games correctly. Week 11 is already upon us, along with plenty of games between ranked teams on Saturday capable of swinging the College Football Playoff Rankings. So where does the smart money lie? Check the model to get your answers.
Betting Breakdown for MLB Award Season: MLB announces the winners of its four major awards next week and Jen Piacenti has it covered. She analyzes the risk versus reward of betting the favorites, or putting a few bucks on a long-shot pick for Rookie of the Year, MVP, Cy Young and Manager of the Year.
College Football Futures: The Georgia Bulldogs keep on rolling as heavy favorites to win their first national championship since 1980. Frankie Taddeo checks in on UGA and the rest of the field’s path to the Playoff.
Butch Dill/USA Today Sports
NFL DFS Advice: Shawn Childs is advising you to add a couple of Steelers and Packers players to your DFS lineups this week. Check out their matchups ahead of Sunday’s games.
NFL Line Movement: Before you lock in your NFL bets, see which lines have moved and why. Frankie Taddeo follows the money and trends for Week 10.
Fantasy Football Player Projections: What should you expect from your players this week? Shawn Childs has detailed statistical projections to help you set your lineup—and expectations—for Week 10.
Play of the Day and What I’m Watching
The Baltimore receiver everyone is focused on is Marquise “Hollywood” Brown. The third-year pass-catcher is having the best season of his career, but he’s not a bargain in DFS, and that’s what I try to find every week in this newsletter. The bargain in the Thursday night game is Ravens rookie Rashod Bateman (FD: $5,500 | DK: $4,200). He caught a career-high five passes last week against the Bengals on eight targets. Bateman missed the beginning of the season while on injured reserve but he’s been incorporated into the offense quickly since making his debut. He’s had at least three catches and six targets in every game he’s played and I like the chances of him getting into the end zone against the hapless Dolphins.
Wake Forest lost its first game of the season last week. That’s right, the No. 12 Demon Deacons fell for the first time in November. They’re far and away the top team in the ACC and they get another chance to prove it Saturday against No. 16 NC State at 7:30 p.m. ET on the ACC Network. SI Sportsbook has Wake Forest as a two-point favorite against the Wolfpack, who have won two in a row.
Bob Donnan/USA TODAY Sports
Sunday evening brings a rematch from the Eastern Conference Finals between the Bucks and the Hawks. Both teams have struggled to start the season. Despite their records, Trae Young and Giannis Antetokounmpo remain two of the most entertaining players to watch and these two teams now have a history.
That’s all I’ve got today. I’ll be back Sunday morning to get you ready for another NFL Sunday.