导出博客文章LAS VEGAS -- A lot of other NFL polls are scrambling to move the New England
Patriots into their No. 1 spot to replace the Dallas Cowboys, but the NFL Vegas
Rankings here at Chalk have had the Patriots on top since Tom Brady returned
from his suspension after Week 4.The Patriots held onto that spot with a 30-23
win over the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football after closing as 6-point
home favorites. In last weeks rankings, we had New England rated 5 points better
than Baltimore on a neutral field, so we felt the line was correct when it was
-7.5 when last weeks poll was posted. If we had known the line was going to
plummet to -6, we would have made it a value play.The NFL Vegas Rankings are
compiled using the average of the power ratings from Chalk handicappers Erin
Rynning and yours truly, Dave Tuley, along with ESPNs Football Power Index.
Theyre intended to compare the relative strength of teams if they were to meet
on a neutral field and what the point spread should be for those matchups. Weve
also added the FPI and Massey-Peabody rankings to our chart for comparative
purposes and to show other viewpoints; while there are differences up and down
the rankings, we all continue to have the Patriots ranked highest.Heres a look
at the teams making the biggest moves up and down the NFL Vegas Rankings, and
then well look for some Week 15 value plays using this weeks power ratings:
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Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with
swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine
months.
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Capitals head coach Adam Oates said Ovechkin was injured in the first period
against the Vancouver Canucks on Monday and clarified it was not a head injury.
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. - After leading the Saints to a fourth playoff appearance in five seasons,
Drew Brees expressed confidence in the direction of his team and, perhaps more
importantly, showed a willingness to listen to contract proposals if the team
needs his help getting under the NFLs salary cap.
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Vancouver Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo had little trouble picking up his
first shutout of the season against a Buffalo Sabres team thats having trouble
scoring goals.
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China . PETERSBURG, Fla. SECAUCUS, N.J. -- This time, the Houston Astros
couldnt resist drafting Mark Appel with the No. 1 pick. Houston selected the
hard-throwing Stanford pitcher with the top choice in the Major League Baseball
draft Thursday night, a year after passing on the hometown kid and instead
choosing 17-year-old shortstop Carlos Correa from Puerto Rico. "I talked to him
and told him: Welcome home," Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow said. "Its a
kids dream to go first in the country, first in the draft and to be taken by
your hometown team. It just doesnt get any better than that. Its also really a
great opportunity for us." Appel, who grew up in Houston before moving to
California when he was 12, slid to Pittsburgh at No. 8 last year but turned down
a $3.8 million offer and returned to Stanford for his senior season. The move
paid off. After going 10-4 with a 2.12 ERA and 130 strikeouts in 106 1-3 innings
this season for the Cardinal, the 6-foot-4, 195-pound Appel is expected to fetch
about double the amount he passed up from the Pirates. "I dont think I
necessarily had an end goal in mind when I turned down the Pirates offer," said
Appel, who complements his mid-90s (mph) fastball with a nasty slider and
improving changeup. "My goals were to finish my degree and become a better
baseball player and better person and better teammate. As far as that goes, I
think I accomplished those things. "No matter what happened in the draft, I knew
I had done everything that was in my control to put myself in the best situation
possible." The deadline for teams to sign draft picks is July 12, but that
doesnt apply to Appel because he is a college senior. "Im very confident that
Mark Appel is going to put on an Astros uniform," Luhnow said. "Hes from here.
He wants to play here. Hes been selected first in the draft. All the indicators
are pointing in the same direction, so I assume it will be a fairly
straightforward discussion and that hell sign sometime this summer." The draft,
which is held over three days and 40 rounds, started Thursday night with the
first two rounds at MLB Network Studios. Nine prospects attended and sat in a
makeshift dugout as they waited for their names to be called by Commissioner Bud
Selig in an event that has grown dramatically over the last few years. "It
really is terrific," Selig said. "This is what we had in mind. I love this
night. ... This is the way you build a baseball team. It was true when Branch
Rickey said it many, many years ago ... and its just as true today." It was the
second straight season that the first pick was uncertain going into the draft,
with Oklahoma right-hander Jonathan Gray and a pair of college third basemen --
North Carolinas Colin Moran and San Diegos Kris Bryant -- thought to be in the
mix for Houston. It was the fourth time the Astros had the No. 1 pick, and they
joined Tampa Bay (2007-08) and Washington (2009-10) as teams to have the top
selection in consecutive years. The draft order is determined by reverse finish
-- worst to best -- in the overall standings from last season. With the No. 2
pick, the Chicago Cubs selected Bryant, who led Division I college players with
31 home runs this season. The 6-foot-5, 210-pound junior is a Golden Spikes
finalist and Collegiate Baseball magazines national player of year. Grey went
third overall to the Colorado Rockies. The 6-foot-4, 245-pound flamethrower
helped pitched the Sooners into the super regionals of the NCAA tournament,
going 10-2 with a 1.59 ERA and 138 strikeouts in 119 innings. Colorado
apparently was not scared off by published reports that cited unidentified
sources who said Gray tested positive for the medication Adderall during
baseballs predraft drug testing program. "Im not going to talk about thhat right
now," Gray said.dddddddddddd "There will be a time for that. Right now, Im just
happy to be selected by the Rockies." The first high school player picked was
pitcher Kohl Stewart, who went to the Minnesota Twins at No. 4. A right-hander
from Tomball, Texas, Stewart has signed to play baseball and football at Texas
A&M -- where he would likely be a backup to Heisman Trophy winner Johnny
Manziel at quarterback. The Cleveland Indians followed by grabbing Clint
Frazier, a high school outfielder from Georgia who was in the studio to hear his
name called by Selig. "Ive had a lot of people tell me Im going to be a fan
favourite because of my red hair," Frazier said. "People put me on a pedestal,
like no one else has red hair." Of the draft prospects in attendance, Frazier
was the first to be selected. The second came when the New York Mets chose
sweet-swinging California high school first baseman Dominic Smith at No. 11.
Five picks later, Philadelphia took Smiths close buddy, California high school
shortstop J.P. Crawford -- cousin of Dodgers outfielder Carl Crawford -- who was
also at MLB Network Studios. The two hugged, with Smith in a Mets jersey and
Crawford wearing a rival Phillies jersey in a neat scene that also might have
made some New York and Philadelphia fans squirm. Crawford acknowledged that he
could be the future replacement for All-Star shortstop Jimmy Rollins. "Hopefully
I can learn something from him," Crawford said, "and someday take his place."
North Carolina third baseman Colin Moran, the nephew of former big league
All-Star B.J. Surhoff -- the No. 1 overall pick in 1985 by Milwaukee -- went
sixth overall to the Miami Marlins. Moran was the ACC player of the year and led
the offence for the NCAA tournaments No. 1 overall seed. "Its exciting to take
the next step in my career," Moran said, "but obviously there is business to
take care of this weekend." Boston, picking as high as seventh for the first
time since drafting Trot Nixon in the same spot in 1993, took Indiana high
school lefty Trey Ball. Stephen F. Austin slugging shortstop Hunter Dozier was
the No. 8 overall pick by the Kansas City Royals, who surprised some by taking a
player expected to go much later in the opening or second round. "We followed
him all throughout the year," Royals scouting director Lonnie Goldberg said. "As
we got in the room and put things together, he became our favourite player."
Pittsburgh, with the No. 9 pick it got as compensation for not signing Appel
last year, selected Georgia high school outfielder Austin Meadows. He grew up
playing travel ball with Frazier, but the two went to different high schools a
few miles apart in the same town of Loganville. "Hes one of my best friends and
weve been through this process together since we were like 9 years old," Frazier
said. "Im going to call him, and wherever he goes, Im going to support him."
Rounding out the top 10 picks, Toronto chose hard-throwing California high
school right-hander Phil Bickford. Edmonton left-hander Rob Zastryzny was the
first Canadian selected, taken in the second round, 41st overall, by the Chicago
Cubs. A few familiar names went in the opening round: University of Nevada
right-hander Braden Shipley, cousin of Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jordan
Shipley, went 15th to Arizona; and North Carolina high school righty Hunter
Harvey, son of former big league closer Bryan Harvey, was selected 22nd by
Baltimore. The New York Yankees had the most first-round picks with three and
selected Notre Dame third baseman Eric Jagielo at No. 26, 6-foot-7 Fresno State
outfielder Aaron Judge at No. 32 and California high school left-hander Ian
Clarkin to wrap up the round at No. 33. ' ' '
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