It was a sister-kisser week, as my picks went 5-5-2, bringing my season ledger to 19-17-2, with best bets going 3-3. The highlight of the week was getting a night game right for the first time, as the Ravens pounded the Saints on Monday night. With that little jinx out of the way, it’s time to get back in the winning ways.
All odds from yahoo!sportsbook with home team in bold. This is for entertainment purposes only.
Seattle (+2.5) over Tampa Bay – No, not Tampa, not even London. This Bucs home game is in Germany. Looks like bettors are jumping back on the Tom Brady train after he engineered the late comeback win last week in the matchup of two of this year’s most disappointing team with the Rams. Or maybe Brady is the second coming of David Hasselhoff in Germany – who knows. Either way avoid the bandwagon with 25 Kaiserkellers on the Seahawks.
Buffalo (-6.5) over Minnesota – Will Josh Allen play for the Bills? The line went down to 3.5 at one point and now it’s back at 6.5 so Vegas thinks he will. It may not make any difference. The Vikings got demolished in the one game they played against a good team in the Eagles. And the expected cold weather probably doesn’t help them, either. Put 25 Diggs on the Bills.
Pittsburgh (+1.5) over New Orleans – The Saints have to travel to Pittsburgh after a home loss on Monday night. The Steelers aren’t very good but at least they’re getting T.J. Watt back on defense. Feed 25 Swanns on the home team.
New York (-4.5) over Houston – The schedule does the Giants a nice favor, giving them the lowly Texans at home after a bye week. They’ll need to win to keep pace in the tough NFC East. Put 50 Bavaros on the home team.
Miami (-3.5) over Cleveland – The Dolphins come in having won three straight games but also having allowed 59 points combined in the past two weeks to sub-.500 teams in Chicago and Detroit. But those games were on the road. Meanwhile, the Browns snapped a four-game losing streak last time out but that was a home game for them. Go with the home team and put 25 Grieses on the Dolphins.
Kansas City (-9.5) over Jacksonville – The Chiefs barely squeaked by the Titans last week and take out their frustrations on a mediocre Jaguars squad. That half point under 10 spread feels like a gift. Place 25 Podolaks on the home squad.
Tennessee (-2.5) over Denver – The Broncos have been keeping the score close in seven of their eight games, despite their 3-5 record. But 2.5 points just isn’t a lot against a team that just stood toe to toe with the Chiefs and now is likely to get their starting QB back. Wager 50 McNairs on the Titans.
Chicago (-3) over Detroit – The Lions are 0-3 on the road this year and have scored just 30 points in those away games. And 24 of them came in a dome against the Vikings. In two games in outdoor stadiums, Detroit has been outscored, 53-6. Meanwhile, Justin Fields has led the Bears to 94 points in the past three games. Flip 50 Fenciks on the home team.
Indianapolis (+4.5) over Las Vegas – Everyone seems up in arms about the Colts firing their head coach mid-season and replacing him with a guy who has never been a head coach in either the NFL or college. And this comes on the heels of benching their starting QB two weeks ago and firing their O-Coordinator last week. Everything points to the Raiders winning in a blowout. But do you want to back a 2-6 Las Vegas squad? Me neither, so toss 25 horseshoes on the Colts.
Arizona (+2.5) over Los Angeles – Neither of these teams are very good right now but at least the Cardinals can score. Arizona has put up 89 points in their last three games compared to 51 points by Los Angeles. And it’s not like the Rams’ offensive woes are limited to the past three weeks, either. The three weeks before that they managed only 39 points. Throw down 25 Fitzgeralds on the visitors.
Dallas (-4.5) over Green Bay – The Packers have dominated this series recently, having won eight of nine head-to-head games dating back to 2009. But these aren’t your older brother’s Packers. You’ve got to place a lot of faith in the Lambeau mystique to believe Green Bay can keep this one semi-close. It’s supposed to be cold but sunny, with no snow in the forecast. Pour 50 Pughs on Dallas.
San Francisco (-7.5) over Los Angeles – The Chargers have won three of their last four games. But those three wins have been by a combined eight points against teams that are a combined 10-16. Their only loss in the last four was against the only team they played with a winning record. And they lost that one to the Seahawks by 14 in a home game. Go 50 Nortons on the 49ers.
Philadelphia (-11) over Washington – When these two teams met in Week 3, the Eagles notched a 16-point road win. It’s hard to imagine that things have changed so much for these two squads that the Commanders would be able to keep it closer in a road game. Washington’s defense has been solid but its offense has scored just 104 points in the past seven games, an average of just under 15 a game. Bet 25 Spagnolas of the home team.