I should be getting better at this by this point in the season. I usually do as the stats add up. But not so much so far this year.<\/p>\n
I went 8-7 picking straight up in week six, 8-6-1 against the spread. For the season, that gets me to 54-37-2 (.591) straight up, 41-47-5 (.468) with the points.<\/p>\n
Maybe this is my week. But it probably isn’t.<\/p>\n
Here’s what not to expect.<\/p>\n
Denver<\/a><\/strong> (-1.5) at Arizona<\/a><\/strong> Tennessee<\/a> (+6.5) vs.\u00c2\u00a0LA Chargers<\/a><\/strong> at Wembley Stadium, London New England<\/a> (-3.5) at Chicago<\/a> Cleveland<\/a> (+3) at Tampa Bay<\/a><\/strong> Detroit<\/a> (-3) at Miami<\/a> Carolina<\/a> (+4.5) at Philadelphia<\/a> Buffalo<\/a> (+7.5) at Indianapolis<\/a><\/strong> Minnesota<\/a> (-3) at NY Jets<\/a> Houston<\/a><\/strong> (+4.5) at Jacksonville<\/a> New Orleans<\/a> (+2.5) at Baltimore<\/a> Dallas<\/a> (+1.5) at Washington<\/a> LA Rams<\/a> (-10) at San Francisco<\/a> Cincinnati<\/a> (+6) at Kansas City<\/a><\/strong> NY Giants<\/a> (+5.5) at Atlanta<\/a><\/strong><\/strong>
\n<\/strong>It’s entirely possible, as the teams with the worst run defenses in the league square off, that neither offense will need to call a pass play all night. And for the Broncos, that certainly would be one way for to limit Case Keenum<\/a>‘s interceptions. It would also get the rest of us out from under this battle for 2019 draft position a bit earlier, which sounds good to me. The Cardinals are pretty awful, but I still like them to win this game by a field goal.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I expect to see Melvin Gordon<\/a> carry the Chargers for a second straight week. Los Angeles by 13.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Bears are an illusion. New England by 10.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The Buccaneers are awful. The Browns are just garden variety bad (which, you know, is actually a step in the right direction for Cleveland). But I don’t think the difference is quite enough to overcome home field. Tampa Bay by a point.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I wonder who’ll be the Dolphins’ starting quarterback next season. Lions by two.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I haven’t been particularly impressed with either of these teams. (Sorry. I know the narrative is that Philadelphia has started to turn it around, but I’m just not sure I’m ready to view stopping a two-game skid with a win over the Giants<\/a> as season saving.) But the Eagles are playing at home on 10 days rest while the Panthers are playing a second straight game on the road. And, more important, I suspect Philadelphia will be able to limit Carolina’s production on the ground and render the Panthers offense one dimensional. I think that should prove just enough. Eagles by three.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I’m sure Derek Anderson<\/a> will be every bit as good as Josh Allen<\/a> and Nathan Peterman<\/a> at getting the snot knocked out of him. Colts by two touchdowns.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If the Jets can win the turnover battle, they may very well be able to make this a game. But can they win? Probably not. Vikings by six.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>If the Texans had an offensive line, I might actually be tempted to pick them. (Or maybe not. Maybe if the game were being played in Houston.) But they don’t. And I’m setting the over\/under on the number of Texans QBs knocked out of this thing at two. Hope you’re ready to go, Joe Webb<\/a>. Jaguars by three.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Balance. Baltimore. By four.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>Can I just predict a home-home split in the season series right now and avoid dealing with this showcase of mediocrity when it repeats in Dallas five weeks from now? Racists by three.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>I’ll be shocked if this is still a game at the end of the first quarter. Or, rather, I’ll be shocked if I find out after the fact that this was still a game at the end of the first quarter. I know I won’t be paying attention in real time. Rams by 21.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>This week, it’s the Chiefs’ turn to win the Sunday night game 43-40<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n<\/strong>The only thing likely to slow down either offense in this game is the Giants offense. Falcons by eight.<\/p>\n