This season’s just never going to make sense to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just isn’t.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could try to explain it away (believe me when I tell you I have tried<\/em> to explain it away to myself), but it doesn’t matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I’m clueless. As my 6-8 finishes straight up and against the spread in week six demonstrate. For the season, I’m not 58-32-1 (.643)straight up, 37-51-3 (.423) with the points. But I’m off to a 1-0 start across the board in week seven. So that’s awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s what not to expect on Sunday and Monday (and whatever days they end up postponing games to at the last minute).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Detroit<\/a> (+2) at<\/strong> Atlanta<\/a><\/strong> Cleveland<\/a> (-3) at<\/strong> Cincinnati<\/a><\/strong> Pittsburgh<\/a> (+1.5) at<\/strong> Tennessee<\/a><\/strong> Carolina<\/a> (+7) at<\/strong> New Orleans<\/a><\/strong> Buffalo<\/a> (-10) at<\/strong> NY Jets<\/a><\/strong> Dallas<\/a> (+1) at<\/strong> Washington<\/a><\/strong> Green Bay<\/a> (-3.5) at<\/strong> Houston<\/a><\/strong> Tampa Bay<\/a> (-4.5) at<\/strong> Las Vegas<\/a><\/strong> Kansas City<\/a> (-7.5) at<\/strong> Denver<\/a><\/strong> San Francisco<\/a> (+3) at<\/strong> New England<\/a><\/strong> Jacksonville<\/a> (+7.5) at<\/strong> LA Chargers<\/a><\/strong> Seattle<\/a> (-3.5) at<\/strong> Arizona<\/a><\/strong> Chicago<\/a> (+6) at<\/strong> LA Rams<\/a><\/strong>
Neither of these teams is good. But the matchup of a pass-based Atlanta offense vs. a Detroit D that’s mostly vulnerable on the ground favors the slightly less bad road team. I think. Lions by a field goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It holds up year after year: When the worst team in the AFC North isn’t the Browns, it’s the Bengals. Cleveland by a touchdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If I were smart, I’d pick the home team. But I must not be smart, because I keep thinking about how little opportunity the Titans have had to prepare for this match. And about how I suspect the Pittsburgh O is going to be able to wear down the Tennessee D on the ground. Steelers by two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I’ve seen nothing that leads me to believe that either of these teams is anything other than solidly average. That favors the home team, though not by a touchdown in a division game. Saints by four.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bills clearly aren’t great. But they’re very good. And the Jets are very, very bad. Buffalo by nine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ummmm. Yeah, I don’t know. Dallas? By a field goal?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In which the Packers perform just well enough against weak opposition to allow the ever-fawning football media to declare that all is right with the world. Green Bay by six. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This might have been a fun game to see if it had stayed in prime time. Or it might not have been. It all depends on whether the Raiders offense can keep Las Vegas in the game. I suspect they’ll manage through around the middle of the third quarter. In the end, though, it’s Tampa by 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Look, everybody, it’s the Chiefs! The wonderful, wonderful, unstoppable Chiefs! Kansas City should win by two touchdowns, but ends up winning by two field goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We’ll have a better sense of who the Patriots are when this game is over. With a full week of practice, New England should be able to handle a banged-up and ultimately average San Francisco squad. Might take them a good half of football to get going, but the Patriots should come out ahead by at least a touchdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Seven and a half strikes me as not quite half enough. Chargers by 16.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There seems to be an expectation out there that the Seahawks roll in this game. I’m not buying it. I suspect Seattle wins. But I think it’s a shootout, and I’ve got a feeling it could come down to a turnover. Seahawks by a point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sooner or later, reality is going to catch up with the 2020 Chicago Bears. It may as well start here. Rams by seven.<\/p>\n