Week Ten NFL Picks

THU, NOV 8        Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville Jaguars

8:20 PM                TV: NFL

Amazing what making a good number one pick can do for a team. The Colts have moved from among the NFL’s worst to a team that is a few breaks away from possibly making the playoffs. Jacksonville is heading in the opposite direction, which makes this pick a no-brainer in our mind. Colts have the offense working well, and with how bad the Jags offense is, it should be a runaway. If you’re into sports betting, Colts by 13.

SUN, NOV 11     Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

1:00 PM                TV: CBS

With the Patriots dynamic offense and their commitment to running the ball this season, the Bills run defense will face a huge challenge.  Buffalo did a decent job at containing Arian Foster last week, but the Patriots offense is a different animal, even if the running backs aren’t as talented as Foster. Defensively, neither of these teams brings much to the table which tells us it will be a shootout and we never bet against Tom Brady in a shootout.  Patriots by 10.

SUN, NOV 11     New York Giants at Cincinnati Bengals

1:00 PM                TV: FOX

We have seen back to back games where Eli Manning didn’t play like the Super Bowl winning quarterback that he is. The Giants played poorly in both games, and actually lost the most recent one against the Steelers. I would expect the Giants to put out a game plan that gets Manning started early and keeps the pedal to the metal all game long. New York will need to put up big points against a Cincinnati team that can score quickly with Dalton and AJ Green. We caution anyone who sleeps on Cincy, despite them losing 4 in a row. Still think NY has this one, they just need to be careful. Giants by 6.

SUN, NOV 11     Tennessee Titans at Miami Dolphins

1:00 PM                TV: CBS

The Titans are one of the more difficult teams to project week in and week out. One week they can feature a great offense and a solid defense, and then another week, they can give up 51 points to the Bears and turn the ball over half a dozen times. The Dolphins have been much more consistent with their play, even if it has only led to a 4-4 record. They haven’t been blown out yet and it took a record setting performance last week for the Colts to beat them. We have to take consistency over potential in the NFL. Dolphins by 10.

SUN, NOV 11     Detroit Lions at Minnesota Vikings

1:00 PM                TV: FOX

The magic might be over for these Minnesota Vikings as they have not only let their first place standing slip, but their second place spot as well. If they lose this week to the Lions, they will fall all the way to the cellar of the division, not a place they want to be. The Vikings offense is proving to be one-dimensional and the Lions offense showed last week that it is more than just Stafford and Megatron. It won’t matter who scores the touchdowns for Detroit, there’s almost no way that Minnesota can keep up. Lions by 13.

SUN, NOV 11     Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints

1:00 PM                TV: FOX

The Falcons are the sexy new leaders in the NFC South, but they need to be careful playing against the Saints this weekend. The game is in New Orleans and the Superdome is always popping off. Atlanta hasn’t really been tested yet this year, as only one of their previous opponents has a winning record at this point in the season. The Saints don’t have one either, but this team is not to be underestimated. We call New Orleans in an upset. Saints by 7.

SUN, NOV 11     San Diego Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

1:00 PM                TV: CBS

Is it possible that the #’s 1 and 2 overall picks might get upstaged when it comes time for Rookie of the Year voting? Doug Martin is making a strong case and this offense is resting on his shoulders. San Diego’s record matches that of the Bucs (4-4), but we have to go with the team that is playing better at the moment and that team is Tampa Bay. Buccaneers by 6.

SUN, NOV 11     Denver Broncos at Carolina Panthers

1:00 PM                TV: CBS

The Broncos had a bit closer of a call against the Bengals last week than they would have liked. Still, we like this team’s offensive rhythm and we know that the defense is capable of playing well.  Carolina, on the other hand, got another win last week, but has yet to impress us at all this season. The Panthers offense is spotty and their defense can be really shaky. Peyton should have no problems exploiting the holes in their secondary. Furthermore, Cam should take notes from Peyton on how to act like a true professional. Broncos by 13.

SUN, NOV 11     Oakland Raiders at Baltimore Ravens

1:00 PM                TV: CBS

After the week that Doug Martin had against this Raiders defense, Ray Rice has to be absolutely giddy. You can bet that Baltimore will try to control the ball as much as possible to keep their battered defense off the field. Oakland has some weapons that might be able to take advantage of this banged up Baltimore defense, but we don’t think that they will get the chance to use the weapons with Ray Rice running the football. Ravens by 10.

SUN, NOV 11     New York Jets at Seattle Seahawks

4:05 PM                TV: CBS

The Jets defense will be tested, following their bye week. Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks are actually featuring a surprisingly efficient offense and the Jets defense has been less than spectacular this season. Expect the Seahawks to run the ball often.  The Jets have some major holes at wide receiver, and what receivers they do have will be going up against some of the best cover corners in the game. Expect a lot of rushes from both offenses and a quick, low scoring game. Seattle will prevail in the end. Seahawks by 7.

SUN, NOV 11     Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles

4:25 PM                TV: FOX

These teams had such high hopes when the season started. The NFC East was supposed to be the class of the NFL and the Cowboys and Eagles were to be competing for supremacy. That dream is no longer, as both of these teams have struggled with turnovers and penalties and defenses that struggle at inopportune times. This is actually a pretty tough game for us to pick since both teams are so unpredictable, but we will take Dallas in this one. We think that the Cowboys have a stronger defense and can get a few game deciding turnovers against Vick & the Eagles. Cowboys by 10.

SUN, NOV 11     St. Louis Rams at San Francisco 49ers

4:25 PM                TV: FOX

It will be interesting to see how St. Louis responds after the thumping they took in London two weeks ago. They had a bye week to sort things out, but their offense, which struggled to move the ball against a porous Patriots secondary, now faces one of the league’s top defenses. It appears that all of the pretenders have fallen by the wayside in the NFC West and San Fran stands alone.  Niners by 16.

SUN, NOV 11     Houston Texans at Chicago Bears

8:20 PM                TV: NBC

This is far and away the game of the week, and not only features two teams with outstanding records, but two teams who excel at particular facets of the game. The Texans have the league’s top rushing attack while the Bears have the league’s best scoring defense.  The Texans do have a better overall offense, however, as the Bears have struggled recently to move the ball and get any points aside from what their defense and special teams creates. The home field advantage favors the Bears, the overall strength of the team favors the Texans. We have to take defense in this one, though. Bears by 3.

MON, NOV 12   Kansas City Chiefs at Pittsburgh Steelers

8:30 PM                TV: ESPN

I remember a time when Monday Night Football was consistently the best matchup of the week.  Lately it has featured some of the least appealing games of the week and this week is no exception.  Pittsburgh seems to be over their early-season funk and has been playing some great football of late. Kansas City is a team that looks to be playing for nothing more than the #1 pick in the draft next year. Steelers by 20.