Case of the Mondays: Tennessee Goes Down Again, Purdue Coach Gets the Boot

by Ricky Dimon - 10/17/2016

Quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers

Tennessee escaped certain doom on multiple occasions throughout its first five games of the season. In fact, the Volunteers stormed back from double-digits four times en route to a 5-0 record. But the 2016 campaign has taken a turn for the worse at the hands of SEC rivals Texas A&M and Alabama. As for Purdue head coach Darrell Hazell, his tenure took a final turn this past weekend because he was relieved of his duties.

Odds provided by BetOnline Sportsbook unless otherwise indicated.

Tennessee . On the heels of a five-game winning streak to begin the year, the Volunteers have suddenly lost two in a row. After succumbing at Texas A&M 45-38 in double-overtime, the Vols got blown out at home 49-10 by Alabama last Saturday. They were within 14-7 midway through the second quarter only to see the Crimson Tide reel off 35 of the contest's last 38 points. The good news for Tennessee is that the schedule could not be easier the rest of the way.

Darrell Hazell . Hazell won't complete his fourth season at Purdue. The 52-year-old was fired following last Saturday's 49-35 home loss to Iowa. Although the Boilermakers were a relatively respectable 3-3 this year, Hazell was 9-33 overall and 3-24 in the Big Ten. Among their results during the 2016 campaign is a 50-7 loss at Maryland. "While character is mandatory every day at Purdue, positive performance also must be there," athletic director Mike Bobinski said while praising Hazell.Purdue is a +24 underdog at Nebraska on Saturday.

Carolina Panthers . The defending NFC champions are 1-5. You cannot make this stuff up, folks. The Panthers paid a visit to the Saints in Week 6 and came away with a 41-38 loss after New Orleans kicker Will Lutz kicked a 52-yard field goal with 11 seconds remaining. Cam Newton threw for 322 yards and two touchdowns, but the defense gave up 523 yards to Drew Brees and company. Newton's press conference lasted only 90 seconds and he walked off the podium before anything else could be asked. Carolina's lone win has come at the expense of San Francisco, which is also 1-5. Since that Week 2 victory, the Panthers have lost to all three NFC South rivals (Atlanta, Tampa Bay, and New Orleans) in addition to Minnesota. They are +1000 to win the division (MyBookie.ag).

Colin Kaepernick . In response to Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the national anthem, t-shirts with a rifle sight trained on the 49ers' quarterback were being sold outside the stadium at Sunday's game between San Francisco and Buffalo. "I don't understand what is un-American about fighting for liberty and justice for everybody-forthe equality that this country says it stands for," Kaepernick said afterward. "To me, I see it as very patriotic and American touphold the United States to standards that it says it lives by." This whole story is, of course, grounds for an extensive debate. But there is no debate about this: the 49ers stink. With Kaepernick making his first start of the season, San Francisco fell to 1-5 after getting blown out 45-16. The former Nevada signal-caller completed only 13 of 29 passes for 187 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions. San Fran is a +2 home underdog against Tampa Bay in Week 7.

Toronto Blue Jays . Toronto was the hottest team in baseball during the first week of the playoffs. The Blue Jays took care of Baltimore in the wild-card game and swept Texas in three straight to reach the ALCS. Well, the Jays are undefeated in the postseason no more-not in the least. They dropped their first two contests on the road against the Indians last week, 2-0 on Friday and 2-1 on Saturday. Toronto scored 759 runs during the regular season and 27 in its first four playoff outings, but the bats have been silenced by Cleveland so far. The Blue Jays went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position in Game 1 before getting just three hits in Game 2. Toronto (Stroman) is a -183 home favorite over Cleveland (Bauer) on Monday.

Evander Kane .The Sabres' season opener last Thursday could not have gone much worse. Not only did they fall 4-1 at home to the Canadiens, but they also lost Kane for at least a few weeks. Their star forward sustained a rib injury after crashing into the boards during a battle for the puck with Montreal defenseman Alexei Emelin late in the second period. "Evander has three cracked ribs and we're looking at weeks," head coach Dan Bylsma lamented following last Friday's practice. "It's weeks, depending on the severity-and in the oblique area it's something you're going to deal with even when you come back with the rotation and the discomfort." Kane had 20 goals and 15 assists in 65 games last season with Buffalo. The Sabres are +1600 to win the Atlantic Division.

Carl Edwards . Heading into this past week, Kevin Harvick was dead last among the 12 drivers who are still alive in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Needing a win in the worst way, Harvick snagged the checkered flag at Kansas Motor Speedway on Sunday. He did it at the expense of Edwards, who watched Jimmie Johnson help push Harvick into the lead on a restart with 30 laps remaining. Edwards, a Missouri native and clear crowd favorite, led 61 laps before finishing second. "Kevin and Jimmie lined up on the bottom and they just got far enough ahead," Edwards explained. "I felt we had fastest car at the end and that's what makes it frustrating, because you should win when you have the fastest car. You should win-especially when you start on front row."

Start:	November 23, 2024 @ 8:00 PM
Expert:	Scott Spreitzer
Free $60 Account Sign Up

Most Recent Weekly Sports Betting and Handicapping