VSiN By The Books | October 19, 2026 | Hour 2

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

This is VSiN, the SportsBetting Network. This is VSiN By The Books on VSiN, the SportsBetting Network.

Dave Ross (0:24)

I'm Dave Ross right here at the Midgaming Hall, Franklin, Kentucky, inside our VSiN studio overlooking beautiful circuit sports. Here's our closer Jensen Lewis back home in the city of Cleveland and maybe Ohio, with Ohio State and the Guardians and certainly the Brownies. I don't want to say the epicenter of the sports world, but you guys have had a lot going on here lately here, Jensen, and weather altering some of that baseball that we'll get to as well. But we do have to start here, Jensen, before we get to Marty Hurney later on in this very hour, RGM, with what we saw last, last night, and it didn't look good for America's team, that's for sure. That's where we begin, our highlights and headlines.

SPEAKER_1 (1:00)

Help your bottom line with today's highlights and headlines.

Dave Ross (1:08)

Monikers are always funny with fan bases as well, because Jensen, back in the day, Packer fans would tell you that they truly are America's team when you win those first couple here with Vince Lombardi. That's why the trophy is named after Vince Lombardi, but somehow the Cowboys got that moniker decades ago, but it's the Packers that run Roughshad last night, 23-13. In a game, cosmetic touchdown there at the end for the Cowboys.

Look, I think this is, to me, more about the Packers at 4-2 surviving without Micah Parsons. We'll find out when he comes back. You can make the argument that that could be the equivalent of a trade deadline acquisition here before you get there, how impactful that could be. And the Cowboys got beat up upfront on their offensive line without Micah Parsons. And to me, Jensen, that was the biggest disappointment if you're back in the guys with the stars on their helmets.

Jensen Lewis (1:58)

Yeah, I would agree. Let's start with Green Bay, right? Because not only their win and their decimation of the Bears just a week ago, does that come in handy with what happened last night.

If the playoffs were to start today and they don't, but we're looking at this first collection of data points, they're 4-2 and Dave, they would be the top wild card team right now in the NFC playoff picture. They are a critical 3-2 in the NFC as far as against conference opponents. Again, always one of those metrics you want to look at when you're considering future prices here. And it's the way they've looked the last couple of weeks, right? Yes, you take advantage of a Green Bay Pack or a Chicago Bear team with a backup quarterback. What would that look like? And we'll find out later on this year when hopefully it is Caleb Williams leading that Chicago Bear team. But I think Matt LaFleur has acquitted himself now after the first couple of weeks, people talking about, hey, is he going to last the season? Not only is he going to last, but Jordan Love has now found two reliable targets, Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, a superb passing performance yet again. And that might be the recipe.

They're going to get Josh Jacobs back down and get him re-engraviated into this offense, but a really statement victory by the pack last night, a very big NFC tilt.

Dave Ross (3:15)

Yeah, kind of like Jalen Hurts in Philadelphia. Sometimes, I don't know if Jordan Love gets enough acclaim for what he does. He's one of the best deep ball throwers out there in the game that we have right now. And he's got weapons to go to, and they didn't even really need them in that 23-13 win last night over the Cowboys. The stunner of stunners, at least, it's not so much that the Rams lost to the Cardinals on all field goals, by the way. I mean, you should not get beat by a road team. 18-16 with six field goals, but that's what the Cardinals did if you're a Rams backer. But it's more about the totality of the two and four start. Remember, they were 5-1 to win the Super Bowl all summer long, and the next betting choice was 10-1? They were doubling up the field. And Jensen, even with this start, they're not drifting that far. And I'm wondering now, do people, at least in what we do in our business, have to kind of look at the Rams again and say, what is this? Because it doesn't look great.

Jensen Lewis (4:11)

The chalk, yet again, goes down. And especially if you're in contests across the country, at least for Circuit Survivor, number one choice, gone. The Colts also losing to the Titans, knocked out a fair amount. So you had what? 1,604 entries just on the Rams and the Colts that were eliminated in Circuit Survivor. That leaves just 1,158 safe entries with 119 pending on the 49ers. So again, Dave, beginning of the year, 25,000 plus. We're down to just a little over 1,100 and we're not even finished with 6 weeks of the NFL season. I know people following on social media saw this huge issue with Circa Grandisimo.