NFL Week 8 Picks

Well I didn't wake up early enough to make a pick for the Lions Falcons game in London. That's probably a good thing because I didn't have the Falcons winning. I love London football again. Need a team over there pronto.

Overall: 57-46  Spread: 15-14-1

Chiefs 27, Rams 21 --- STL +7 Both teams are off an upset victory. I don't believe that the Rams are a very good team but I think the Chiefs are pretty decent. I'll take them at home but it could be a close one.

Texans 30, Titans 21 --- It's the start of the Zach Mettenberger era in Tennessee. Unfortunately for the rookie quarterback he will be introduced to J.J. Watt today. He doesn't run and he doesn't leave the pocket. The Texans get the win.

Bucs 17, Vikings 14 --- Three games into the Teddy Bridgewater era, the Vikings are 1-2 and Teddy has five interceptions to only one touchdown. The Bucs are 0-3 at home but they are off their bye. I'll give the edge to Tampa.

Seahawks 31, Panthers 24 --- I won't give out anymore Seahawks spreads because they embarrassed me last week when I said they'd crush the Rams. I'll pick them again because I still think they are a very good team and the Panthers defense has been brutal in recent weeks.

Ravens 27, Bengals 24 --- The Bengals shutdown the Ravens and Joe Flaccccooo in week one. Since then the Bengals were being hailed as the best team in the AFC and the Ravens dealt with a bit of a controversy. Now the Bengals are turning into the Bungals again and the Ravens are 5-2. I'll take the Ravens to win and take control of the AFC North.

Dolphins 26, Jaguars 17 --- I think I am actually to going to get a Dolphins pick correct today. They have to go into Jacksonville and get a win. The Phins should be able to force a few Blake Bortles interceptions and get the victory.

Patriots 30, Bears 20 --- NE -6.5 Jay Cutler has played against the Patriots twice in his career. He has lost both of those games by 34 and 29. Brian Urlacher called him out this week. The Bears are fighting with each other. The Patriots are 3-0 at home and haven't played since last Thursday. I'll take the Patriots to improve to 6-2.

Jets 24, Bills 20 --- NYJ -3 At 1-6 the Jets playoff chances are pretty much over but they aren't that bad of a team. Their six game losing streak was against good, if not great, competition. Packers, Bears, Lions, Chargers, Broncos, and Patriots. Should they have gotten a win or two? Sure but they aren't what their record says they are. I think they get the win today over the Bills at home.

Cardinals 27, Eagles 24 --- I'm starting to believe that the Cardinals are the real deal. They have only thrown one interception this year. That's right a team with Carson Palmer playing quarterback has thrown one INT in six games. I'll take the Cardinals because I think they have the ability to shut down Shady McCoy. As long as they can put up enough points they could be the team that gets to 6-1.

Browns 24, Raiders 20 --- The Browns are in danger of becoming the Brownies again. They lost to Jacksonville last week, they couldn't possibly lose again this week to the 0-6 Raiders. If they do though I'm proclaiming it time for Johhny Football to play.

Colts 27, Steelers 24 --- PIT +4 I really think the Steelers might win this game. I'll take the Colts but I have a feeling the Steelers are going to play well today. I could be dead wrong and Andrew Luck shreds the Steelers poor secondary but if the Steelers win, I'm taking credit for it so it's a win/win situation for me now.

Saints 34, Packers 31 --- The Saints absolutely need to win this game. Despite being at 2-4, they are still right in the hunt for the NFC South crown. They are 2-0 at home and always play better in the dome. Aaron Rodgers has been great and could put up a ton of points against the Saints but I think Drew BREEEEESSSS will play well tonight.

Cowboys 28, Redskins 17 --- Good for Colt McCoy getting another opportunity to play in the NFL again. Too bad for him he's playing in Jerry World on Monday night. DeMarco Murray will probably rush for 100 yards again. The Redskins aren't too good and the Cowboys are.

Enjoy the games people.

NFL Week 7 Picks

While some people complained about Geno Smith and Kirk Cousins throwing pick 6's to end their respective games being so awful because they led to bad beats, I was extremely pleased because it gave me two covers as I went 3-1 for my third straight winning week. Let's hope I can keep that streak going and hopefully the Steelers don't get embarrassed on Monday night. Onto the picks...

Overall: 49-40  Spread: 14-10-1

Ravens 34, Falcons 21 --- Joe Flaccooooo was awesome last week in Tampa Bay. He had five touchdown passes in 16 minutes. That performance can only mean he's due to lay an egg today. That being said, I'll still take the Ravens to win because the Falcons are a gosh darn debacle on the road.

Redskins 27, Titans 20 --- The Titans and the Redskins depress me. The fact that I'm not sure who to pick because Jake Locker is questionable is ridiculous. Jake Locker?!? He's not even that good. He's better than Charlie Whitehurst though. Hell, he might even be better than Kirk Cousins. His pick six against the Cardinals last week was great for me but who was he throwing that ball to? I think he had money on the Cardinals to be honest. These teams stink. This game is not worth watching. Give me the Skins at home.

P.S. I'm starting to be on the side that the Redskins is a horrible name for a team, same with the Indians. I'm not requesting them to change their name, I don't care that much, but if you really think about it Redskins just doesn't sound like a respectful tribute to Native Americans.

Seahawks 35, Rams 17 --- SEA -6.5 This is probably a square pick but give me the Seahawks today. I'd take them if they were minus 14. There is no way they lose two in a row. The Seahawks have won 16 of the last 18 games against the Rams.

Browns 24, Jaguars 17 --- It would be such a Brownies move to lose this game to the Jaguars. They looked very good last week when they crushed the Steelers and my self confidence. Johnny Football is an afterthought due to the play of Brian Hoyer. I'll take the Browns as they should win this game but when they lose I'll have a good chuckle.

Colts 27, Bengals 23 --- The Bengals haven't won in Indianapolis since 1997. They also haven't won a game in nearly a month. Meanwhile the Colts have won four in a row. Another reason why I like the Colts is that they are off a long week after beating the Texans on a Thursday night and the Bengals are off a tie to the Panthers. The Colts could be fresher and they are at home.

Bills 20, Vikings 17 ---I have no idea who will win this game. I'll take the Bills since they are at home. Also if Teddy Bridgewater throws three interceptions and has a QBR of 2.5 again like he did last week against the Lions the Vikings have no chance. He probably won't be that bad but I think Kyle Orton is less likely to turn the ball over multiple times than Teddy.

Bears 28, Dolphins 24 --- I'm 1-5 picking Bears games and I'm 1-4 picking Dolphins game. If I pick either team to win, they lose. If I pick them to lose, they win. The chances these two teams tie is very possible because they have my mind in a pretzel. I'm not even sure why I'm picking this game.

Lions 23, Saints 17 --- The Lions defense is sneaky really good. They have allowed the second fewest yards and they have the allowed the fewest points in the league. No team has scored more than 17 points against them. The Saints are off a bye but they are awful on the road. They are indoors though and the Lions offense hasn't been great especially without Calvin Johnson but I'll give them the edge today.

Packers 30, Panthers 20 --- Aaron Rodgers has been great at home this year. Frankly he's been amazing anywhere this year. 15 touchdowns to only one interception with a QB rating of 111.4 is remarkable. He could be the favorite to win the MVP right now. I'll take the Packers at home over a Panthers defense that hasn't been all that great this year.

Chargers 34, Chiefs 21 --- SD -3 The Chiefs have not won in San Diego since 2007. They have also lost four straight and 11 of 13 against the Chargers. The Chargers are really good and are winning games they are supposed to win this year. I'll take them at home.

Cardinals 31, Raiders 21 --- ARZ -3.5 This line stinks. Why are the 4-1 Cardinals only 3.5 point favorites against the 0-5 Raiders. Sure the Raiders looked alright last week against the Chargers. Derek Carr played very well but I don't see that happening two weeks in a row. The Cardinals can't lose to the Raiders if they have plans on possibly winning the NFC West.

Giants 31, Cowboys 27 --- NYG +6 Stone cold lock. Giants outright in this one. The Cowboys are off their biggest win in about a decade. The Giants got molly whopped by the Eagles last week. It just makes too much sense for the tables to turn. Both teams aren't as good or as bad as they were last week.

49ers 27, Broncos 24 --- SF +7 Remember the Super Bowl? Yeah? Well, the Broncos got crushed by the Seahawks, a team that barley defeated the 49ers to advance to the Super Bowl. People have been so down on the Niners because of the Jim Harbaugh situation but guess what they have won three in a row. Peyton Manning might break Brett Favre's touchdown record today but he won't get the win.

Steelers 20, Texans 17 --- Zero confidence in this pick. J.J. Watt might destroy the Steelers o-line all night. The Steelers offense has been a mess. Their defense isn't that good either. I'm taking the Steelers because they have been alternating wins and losses and this is their week to win. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.

5 spreads this week. Enjoy the games people.

NFL Week 6 Picks

I had a pretty good week five going 10-5 outright despite picking the Chiefs and Texans to win o
outright. I also went 2-1-1 for spreads, so hopefully I can keep it going today.

Overall: 42-34   Spread: 11-9-1

Browns 27, Steelers 24 --- Sadly, I don't think the Steelers are going to beat the Brownies today. They were lucky to hold off the Browns for their week one victory and I think playing in Cleveland today, the Steelers will have a tough time stopping the Browns up-tempo offense. I could be wrong and the Steelers will play like they did in the first half of week one but I think Hoyer leads the Brownies to their third win.

Titans 12, Jaguars 10 --- Welcome to the first edition of the 2014 Toilet Bowl. The Titans have lost four in a row, while the Jaguars have not won this year. In the battle for last place in the AFC South, I'll give the edge to the Titans since they are at home but if Blake Bortles doesn't turn the ball over today, the Jags will have a chance to get their first win.

Ravens 30, Bucs 24 --- Last week I said I was all-in on the Ravens and sure enough they laid an egg against the Colts. I think they'll bounce back today in Tampa against the 1-4 Bucs.

Broncos 34, Jets 7 --- DEN -9.5 Does the 9.5 road favorite line scare me? A little but I'm taking it. The Jets offense is a mess at the moment and Peyton Manning should exploit the Jets secondary. If the Jets can get to Peyton Manning and make him uncomfortable, then maybe they can keep this game somewhat close but right now I don't see that happening.

Vikings 30, Lions 27 --- MIN -2 I'm all in on Teddy Bridgewater. He played very well in his first start against the Falcons. The Lions continue to be the mystifying Lions as they followed a two game winning streak with a loss to the Kyle Orton lead Bills in Detroit. The Lions have 8-8 written all over them. I'll take the Vikings in the state of Minnesota today.

Patriots 24, Bills 20 --- Lord Brady is 22-2 against the Bills. The Pats are off a much needed win over the Bungals last Sunday night. I don't necessarily think they have everything figured out and are on their way to another Super Bowl but I think they will win today to start cementing themselves as the AFC East division leaders once again.

Bengals 24, Panthers 21 --- CAR +7 No A.J. Green for the Bengals will be a challenge for Andy Dalton. Thankfully they are at home, where they have been very good in recent history. The Panthers have been up and down. I'll give the edge to the Bengals because their defense has the potential to stop Cam Newton but I don't think it'll be a blowout.

Dolphins 27, Packers 24 --- An upset special that I'm sure Seth Reale won't like because I'm picking the Dolphins to win. The Fins get Mike Pouncey back and will play him at guard. Knowshon Moreno will also play for the first time since week one. The Packers have scored 80 points in the past two weeks, so they are due for a down week I'd assume. If the Dolphins can keep Aaron Rodgers to under 30 points, the Dolphins might just pull off the upset.

Chargers 31, Raiders 20 --- I don't think the Raiders end out with a win and they might get blow out but it would not shock me at all in the Raiders show up today and give the Chargers a game. Tony Sparano could give them a morale boost in their first game since Dennis Allen was fired.

Seahawks 28, Cowboys 21 --- If the Cowboys want to get their fifth straight win they are going to need DeMarco Murray to have another great game. The Cowboys can easily win this one or at least keep it close if they can run it. If they can't though, add another home win to the Seahawks resume.

Cardinals 35, Redskins 21 --- ARZ -6 Carson Palmer or not the Cardinals are going to want to bounce back from their loss last week to the Broncos. At home against the Redskins is a good way to get back on track. I think Kirk Cousins will throw a few interceptions that will allow the Cardinals to get the win at home.

Falcons 31, Bears 27 --- The Falcons are very good at home and Jay Cutler has not been too good this year. Cutty has thrown four picks over the past two weeks. My guess is whichever quarterback has less turnovers will be on the winning side of this matchup.

Giants 34, Eagles 30 --- Over the past three seasons, each team has three wins against each other. Since 2011 though, the Giants are 2-1 at the Linc. The G-Men have won three in a row and Eli Manning might not be the worst quarterback in the league anymore. Similar to the Falcons/Bears game, I think which ever QB turns the ball over less will give his team a great chance to win.

49ers 26, Rams 20 --- Two years ago the Rams won the season series 1-0-1. However last year the Niners won both games by an average of 17 points. Austin Davis hasn't been too bad for the Rams at quarterback but I trust Colin Kaepernick's ability to get the job done more. Niners win.

Enjoy the games people.

NFL Week 5 Picks

It's official, I am horrible at picking games. I went 4-9 outright last week but I did go 3-1 for spreads somehow. There are some pretty good games today, unfortunately for me I'll be at a wedding this afternoon, forcing me to miss the end of the 1 o'clock games and probably the entire slate of 4 o'clock games. Who gets married on a Sunday in October?!? Have these people never heard of the NFL?

Overall: 32-29  Spread: 9-8

Steelers 24, Jaguars 14 --- Just beat the Jaguars.

Bears 27, Panthers 20 --- The Bears and the Dolphins are two teams I have no idea how to pick for. I say one thing and they do the opposite. I'll take the Bears over the Panthers because the Panthers have looked bad the past two weeks on defense. As long as bad Jay Cutler doesn't show up today the Bears should score enough points to win this one.

Browns 20, Titans 13 --- The Browns are 1-2 and coming off a bye. They could easily have more than one win, since both of their losses have come by a last second field goal. The Titans have been miserable since their week one victory. The Browns are the better team and I think they'll find a way to win this one.

Eagles 30, Rams 20 --- What's wrong with LeSean McCoy? He has only 39 rushing yards in his past two games. I think the Eagles will try to get him going today against a Rams team that is a little beat up on defense. Eagles should win this at home.

Giants 28, Falcons 20 --- NYG -4 The Falcons are 1-9 on the road in their past ten games. The Giants have won two in a row and seem to have figured things out on offense. I'll take the G-Men at home in this one.

Saints 31, Bucs 20 --- Thankfully for the Saints they get to play a home game. The Bucs are off a win so it wouldn't shock me if they start a little slow. Drew BREEEESSS and the offense should carry New Orleans in this one.

Texans 24, Cowboys 21 --- HOU +6.5 Upset special! Give the Texans outright in the battle of Texas. The Cowboys have been impressive over the past three weeks. DeMarco Murray seems unstoppable and their offensive line has been a pleasant surprise. I think the 3-1 Texans have a chip on their shoulder and winning in Jerry World would be a big win for them.

Lions 26, Bills 21 --- Believe it or not but I think Kyle Orton gives the Bills a better chance to win than EJ Manuel. Will they win today against the Lions? Maybe not but I think they will score over 17 points for the first time in three weeks.

Ravens 27, Colts 24 --- Like I said on Thursday, I'm pretty much all-in on the Ravens. I think they are really good now that they have a steady run game. The Colts have won two in a row but those wins came over the Jaguars and Titans. It'll be interesting to see how good the Colts actually are but I think the Ravens end out with the win.

Broncos 31, Cardinals 24 --- ARZ +7.5 Who would have thought at the beginning of the year that the undefeated team in this matchup would be the Arizona Cardinals? Both teams are off a bye, so there is no edge there. The spread is 7.5, which is pretty big. I think they Cardinals are good enough to keep this one within a touchdown, especially if they can get to Peyton. In the end though, I'll take the Broncos.

Chiefs 24, 49ers 21 --- KC +5 Another upset special in the Alex Smith Bowl. Maybe I'm overreacting to the Chiefs victory over the Patriots but they looked very good on Monday night. The Niners beat the Eagles after shutting down Chip Kelly's offense. Colin Kapernick has not been great this season and I think Alex Smith's game management skills could be the difference in this one. If the Chiefs win the turnover battle they could get the road win.

Chargers 31, Jets 17 --- Some people think the Jets will keep this one close. I don't see that happening. Even if the Jets are able to run the ball and stop the Chargers running game the QB's in this game will be the difference. Phil Rivers has been great this year, throwing 9 TD's and only 1 INT. Geno Smith on the other hand may lose his job by the end of the month. Chargers win big.

Patriots 24, Bengals 20 --- I don't know what it is but I can't pick against the Patriots. They stunk on Monday night and they stunk against the Raiders. TFB has looked average. They have no weapons on offense. And the Chiefs ran all over their defense. The Bengals are off a bye and last year the Bengals beat the Patriots and didn't let Lord Brady into the end zone. Everything points to a Bengals win but my brain won't let me pick the them to win.

Seahawks 30, Redskins 21 --- The one thing the Redskins have going for them is that they are home. Other than that the Seahawks have edge. They are more rested and they have better players. Maybe an electric home crowd will give the Skins a boost to start the game but the Seahawks will win.

Enjoy the games people.

Week 5 Thursday Night Pick

Here are five takeaways from week four and also a pick for the Vikings vs. Packers game tonight.

1. Do the Patriots Stink?

After a luck luster performance against the Raiders, the Patriots got smoked in Arrowhead on Monday. They are 2-2 with wins over the Vikings (the week they lost Adrian Peterson) and the 0-4 Raiders. People are starting to realize that Bill Belichick has not done a great job as the GM getting talent for Tom Brady. On twitter it seemed like people were ready to give up on TFB in favor of Jimmy Garoppolo. I can't believe it but I'm on the side of defending Lord Brady, the greatest living American. When you are surrounded by no offensive weapons, a 50% GRONK, and a below-average offensive line the quarterback will struggle. Jimmy's new in town. Do you really think Jimmy is going to the lead the Patriots to the playoffs? The AFC East is still a very weak division and I still think Tommy will turn it around and get the offense going. Will they win the Super Bowl? Probably not but this isn't the demise of Brady just yet. 

P.S. The red Patriots jersey with Pat the Patriot on the helmet are great and the team should wear them full time. 

2. The Ravens Are Good

I'm starting to buy the Ravens as one of the best AFC teams. It pains me to say this but Joe FLACCCCOOO has actually been playing pretty well since week one. He is a jabroni though. The play last week where he fumbled the snap and then just whipped the ball into the end zone to Steve Smith was absurd. Was he throwing it away or was that the play? No Ray Rice has been good for offense as they have been running the ball very well with three different RB's. The defense has only allowed over 20 points once this year. Their remaining schedule doesn't appear to be all that tough, so at the moment it's hard to envision the Ravens missing the playoffs for the second straight year. 

3. Saints and Falcons Road Issues

The Saints and the Falcons are so bad on the road. The Saints are 0-3 on the road this year after going 3-5 away from home last season. 3-8 away from the SuperDome is not good. They thankfully have seven home games left and the NFC South appears to be winnable now that the Panthers have lost two in a row. The Falcons, who are tied for the division lead at 2-2, have gone 1-9 in their past ten road games. They haven't won an outdoor road game since November 2012. If that trend continues they are going to lose at least five of their remaining six games on the road, with the only road game under a roof being in New Orleans. 

4. DAA RAAYYYYDDAAASSS

Welp, the Raiders fired another coach making Tony Sparano the eighth Raiders coach since 2002 when Jon Gruden left. I make fun of the Brownies often, but the Raiders are such a mess. It's sad and I feel bad making fun of them. Hue Jackson was the right guy for the job going 8-8 in 2011 but he got fired for some reason. The Raiders are just a clueless organization at this point. Rumors are they want Jon Gruden to be their coach again. Why is God's name would Gruden want to leave the MNF booth to coach a horrible Raiders team? Why would anybody want to coach there? Dennis Allen will probably find another job in the league but that's probably the last head coaching job he will ever have. They might start 0-10 this year. Their next six games are home versus San Diego and Arizona, at the Browns and Seahawks, home to play the Broncos and then at San Diego. If they don't beat the Browns, their only other possible wins could be the Bills or Rams. Gonna be a long season in Oakland. 

5. Steelers?

"They are the definition of a Jekyll and Hyde football team. Their next two games are against Tampa Bay and Jacksonville. They should win those two games to get to 4-1, but for some reason I think they lose one of those games. In conclusion the Steelers have my mind in a pretzel."

That's what I said about the Steelers one week ago. They lost to Tampa Bay. They better not lose to Jacksonville on Sunday or I will cry. If they win though, I'm still fully expecting another 8-8 season. 

Thursday Night Pick

Packers 35, Vikings 21 --- Since 2010 the Packers are 7-1-1 against the Vikings. Teddy Bridgewater is questionable and might not play. If that's the case I don't expect Matt Cassel to do all that much. The Packers looked great last week against Da Bears. Aaron Rodgers has been great this season, other than the Lions game, throwing 9 touchdowns to only one interception in four games. I'll take the Packers to win relatively easily.