HOUSTON TEXANS @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES
Line: Eagles -8
O/U: 51
I'm not sure how to call this game...on one hand, Houston is the type of team I expect to hover around .500 all season long, and at 5-6, a loss makes them much less likely to hit 8-8 by the end of the season. On the other hand, they've been horribly inconsistent and have showed very little defensively, which doesn't bode well for a team that's about to face Michael Vick. Especially after the Eagles' loss to the Bears last week. The Eagles' D wasn't great against the Bears, and although I expect them to step up against the Texans, Houston is dangerous enough to turn this game into a shootut. Philly may win by a lot, but I think the odds are in favor of it being a bit closer.
My Pick: Texans +8. Philly wins 38-33.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS @ CINCINNATI BENGALS
Line: Saints -6.5
O/U: 46
Cincy plays well against certain teams (i.e. the Ravens...), but I don't think New Orleans is the type of team they'll be able to keep it close against. Bush is back, and I expect him to see quite a few more touches this week. The Saints looked dominant at times (seemingly whenever they needed to...) on Thanksgiving, and I think they have the ability to dominate on a more consistent basis. They just need to remain focused on the task at hand. Hopefully they'll be focused this week.
My Pick: Saints -6.5. New Orleans wins 38-17.
CHICAGO BEARS @ DETROIT LIONS
Line: Bears -3
O/U: 44.5
The Lions owe the Bears a little payback after apparent victory slipped through their fingers in week one. The Bears have become a very solid team, however, and I'm not sure if the Lions, at least without Stafford, will be able to keep up offensively.
My Pick: Bears -3. Chicago wins 27-23.
SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS @ GREEN BAY PACKERS
Line: Packers -9
O/U: 41.5
The 49ers played well against the NFC North last season, which is why this isn't an open-and-shut pick for me. San Fran has been downright awful this season, though...after being blown out by the Bucs, I'm not sure why I'd expect them to hang around with a very good Packers squad. Note: If I'm wrong on this one, it's because I followed by brain and not my gut...
My Pick: Packers -9. Green Bay rolls 34-17.
DENVER BRONCOS @ KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
Line: Chiefs -9
O/U: 48.5
Kansas City got CRUSHED a few weeks ago at Denver...why the sudden change? Denver has some issues to deal with, especially the off-the-field discussions about their head coach's future with the team, but after such a solid effort against the Chiefs at home, I don't see a KC blowout. Then again, it is the AFC west...weird things tend to happen in home-and-home series in that division...
My Pick: Broncos +9. Kansas City wins 20-19
CLEVELAND BROWNS @ MIAMI DOLPHINS
Line: Dolphins -4.5
O/U: 43
Miami stinks at home and Cleveland has been playing pretty solid football lately, especially against the AFC East. Despite the possibility of a Browns win, I'm going with the Dolphins for 2 reasons: 1. They don't want to be left out of the AFC East discussion; 2. It's time for a DelHomme game! Every season I pick a game where I think DelHomme will get careless and throw 4 picks...this is the one!
My Pick: Dolphins -4.5. Miami wins 30-13.
BUFFALO BILLS @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS
Line: Vikings -5.5
O/U: 45
Nobody...circles the Wagons...Like the Buffalo Bills! B-Lo has been playing great football lately. They're one of the best 2-9 teams I've ever seen. Minnesota is going to have their hands full, especially given how much they've struggled lately. AP is a last-minute decision, which means that even if he does play, he'll be banged up. Jairus Bird has 0 INTs this season, after showing some excellent ball-hawk skills last year. If Favre gets careless (which he usually does at least a few times each game...), the Bills will make him pay. Never bet against the team with more "fight" in them...
My Pick: Bills +5.5. Buffalo loses another close game 17-13.
WASHINGTON REDSKINS @ NEW YORK GIANTS
Line: Giants -7
O/U: 43.5
There are a lot of question marks going into this game...with NY's top two receivers out, will they be forced to run Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw too much? Can the Skins key on the run and stop the G-men? Their run defense hasn't exactly been stellar. Odds are that this will be a typical NFC East slugfest...not a Giants blowout.
My Pick: Redskins +7. Giants win 20-17.
JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS @ TENNESSEE TITANS
Line: Titans -2
O/U: 41.5
Tennessee was awful with that Rusty guy playing QB...thankfully Collins is back, and they're playing a divisional rival - which means they'll be ready to play. Jacksonville has shown some fight this season, but I still don't think they're as good as their record indicates. The Jags only managed 3 points against Tennessee the first time around...The Titans' D hasn't had any issues...Still the same bunch...that doesn't bode well for the Jags.
My Pick: Titans -2. Tennessee wins 20-13.
OAKLAND RAIDERS @ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS
Line: Chargers -12.5
O/U: 45
The Chargers are likely looking for payback after losing to the Raiders in Oakland earlier in the year. Oakland has had a history of being blown out in San Diego, but this year's team seems a bit different...they tend to play well against their best opposition. They also scored 35 on the Bolts in round one, and I'd expect them to be able to put up a decent total once again. Which means the odds favor a closer-than-2-touchdowns game.
My Pick: Raiders +12.5. San Diego wins 34-24.
ATLANTA FALCONS @ TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Line: Falcons -3
O/U: 44.5
The Falcons have been very consistent all year long, losing only to their toughest opposition. Tampa is not included in that demographic.
My Pick: Falcons -3. Atlanta wins 27-17.
ST. LOUIS RAMS @ ARIZONA CARDINALS
Line: Rams -3.5
O/U: 43
After being embarassed on Monday Night, I expect the Cards to show a little fight against the Rams. St. Louis has been pretty solid, but they're still not good enough to be a sure thing on the road in the desert.
My Pick: Cards +3.5. Arizona wins outright 23-20.
DALLAS COWBOYS @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS
Line: Colts -5.5
O/U: 47.5
At this point in the season, I have to take both of these teams for what they truly are. In the pre-season, this could have been seen as a potential Super Bowl preview. Now it's a battle between two teams that may not even be in the playoffs. Dallas kept it close against a solid Saints team, and I think they're playing well enough to stay in the game against Indy as well.
My Pick: Cowboys +5.5. Indy wins 30-28.
CAROLINA PANTHERS @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Line: Seahawks -6
O/U: 40
Seattle has been good at home, and Carolina is having trouble with just about everything. Seattle has dropped 2 straight, and is hungry for a win - expect them to get it.
My Pick: Seahawks -6. Seattle rolls the Panthers 33-13.
PITTSBURGH STEELERS @ BALTIMORE RAVENS
Line: Ravens -3
O/U: 40
It's always a dogfight when these two teams come together. Both defenses will put on a show. My issue is with Roethlisberger...he's banged up, so my first thought is that he won't be as effective as he usually is. But I am also aware that the Steelers are 5-0 against the Ravens with Ben since '07 and 0-3 without him...those numbers make me want to side with the Steelers. Keep in mind that the Steelers lost to the Ravens earlier in the year as well...Pittsburgh is not and easy team to sweep...
My Pick: Steelers +3. Pittsburgh wins 17-13.
NEW YORK JETS @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS
Line: Pats -3
O/U: 45.5
The Jets won round one and haven't swept the Pats in 10 years. They've also been playing a lot of tight games lately, save for the one against Cincy on Thanksgiving. New England is strong, but are they strong enough to win the division? The team that wins this game has a projected 80% chance of winning the AFC East. The Jets seem to find a way to get wins every week, and though they've played some close games against questionable teams, the Pats LOST to the Browns. Yes New England, I am going to hold that against you for the rest of the season. In the end, the one thing that most influences my decision is the Pats' ability to shut down the Jets offense in the first half of game one. Belichick will know exactly what they did to stop Sanchez, and will employ that strategy throughout the game on Monday Night. I expect Sanchez to have a very mediocre game.
My Pick: Pats -3. New England wins 24-20.
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