I saw less of week 8 live than any other this season, mostly due to us being deep in our cups at Wembley. Whilst that game was not a scintillating 4th quarter battle, there were plenty elsewhere in the league to take in despite there being far too many bye weeks.
It turned out to be a very solid week for my predicting, with 11-2 outright and 8-5 on the spread, plus my SFBOTW hitting comfortably. Shame Gnome blew her perfect record, but you can't win 'em all.
Week 9 looks like a cake walk in terms of the outrights, but let's take a closer look at the handicaps.
Week 8:
Outright = 11-2
Spread = 8-5
SFBOTW = 1-0
Animal Corner = 0-1
2013/14:
Outright = 80-40
Spread = 60-57-3
SFBOTW = 5-3
Animal Corner = 3-1
All Time:
Outright = 246-131
Spread = 200-171-6
SFBOTW = 13-11-1
Animal Corner = 7-3-1
Thursday Night
Bengals @ Dolphins +1 Sky Sports 1
Cincy well and truly smashed the Jets, and the Dolphins are fast losing sense of their pre and early season hype. Whilst away @ Miami on a short week isn't the easiest trip in the league, this is still one the Bengals should expect to win.
The spread is attractively low, and should be as despite being a better team they really haven't been (last week aside) blowing teams out. I love this game as basically a pick 'em.
Bengals -1
Sunday First Wave
Chiefs @ Bills +3
The Chiefs are officially 8-0. They are, technically at least, the best team in the league. This is some jump for the 2-14 worst team in football last year. What a difference a good coach and QB can make. At Buffalo this shouldn't be the game that tarnishes their perfect record, especially with the hosts coming off a blow out loss to the Saints.
Another attractive spread for a team that doesn't usually tend to win big. Chiefs all day here.
Chiefs -3
Falcons @ Panthers -9.5
Carolina are one of the strongest teams in the league right now, and a down and out Atlanta shouldn't be too much of a tougher test than what they've faced in recent weeks. That said, it's a divisional game so anything could happen.
9.5 is way too many points for a divisional match-up.
Falcons +9.5 (Panthers win)
Vikings @ Cowboys -10
Minnesota will be hoping they can get Freeman back, and on target, for this game. However even if he plays and is improved they face a tough test against a strong Cowboys side. Don't let last week's narrow loss to Detroit fool you, they are still a contender.
10 points is large, but the Vikings have been truly terrible lately.
Cowboys -10
Chargers @ Redskins +1
Very interesting match up here with a tough road test for an in form Chargers side. The Redskins are no pushovers despite their poor record, and are improving each week, but I still like San Diego's top 5 offence to make life difficult for a struggling 'Skins pass defence.
At essentially a pick 'em no surprises here.
Chargers -1
Saints @ Jets +5.5 Sky Sports 2
NY just got killed by the Bengals, but they have been wildly inconsistent this year so a strong turnaround at home isn't out of the question. However, the Saints are as tough an opposition you can find right now, and fresh off a beat down of Buffalo they should continue their winning ways here.
5.5 is a decent chunk of points, but I like NO to win by a score.
Saints -5.5
Titans @ Rams +3
The Rams defence played exceptionally versus the Seahawks, but their offence was equally poor. This game should be another tight defensive struggle, facing off against a consistently strong Titans side. I like Tennessee to continue their winning ways here against a Rams side that will struggle to score points for the rest of the season with Bradford out.
Titans -3
Sunday Second Wave
Eagles @ Raiders Pick 'em Sky Sports 2
Intriguing game with two very different sides facing off here. The Raiders have surpassed their historically low expectations at 3-4, and seem to have found a potential future star in Terrelle Pryor. The Eagles meanwhile have fallen off their early season promise, and last week's loss to the Giants makes this a close encounter. I like the Raiders to grab another W here, and Pryor to continue to impress.
Raiders
Buccaneers @ Seahawks -16.5
This is an open and shut case. Tampa are wallowing in joint last with a lame duck coach, Seattle are maybe the best team in football (even despite last week's struggle against St. Louis). Russell Wilson has never lost at home, and there's no chance it will be at the hands of Tampa.
16.5 is a huge spread, but one that I wouldn't bet against the Hawks covering.
Hawks -16.5
Ravens @ Browns +1
Less than electrifying divisional encounter between two of the duller teams in the league right now. I can't think of game that I'd be least enthused to watch this week, but that doesn't mean it won't be a close one. Despite that, I think Baltimore have the advantage here, with an offence that should score more readily even against a stout Browns D.
Ravens -1
Steelers @ Patriots -7
This shouldn't be a close one, with a struggling Pittsburgh side facing off against a Pats team coming off the back of a crucial divisional win versus Miami. NE have had their struggles, but with Gronk getting healthier every week, and the promise of Amendola back, Brady should have more to work with.
7 points is a decent spread, but one I'd expect the Pats to cover.
Patriots -7
Sunday Night
Colts @ Texans +1
A big divisional game, and one in which the Colts will be looking to tighten their stranglehold on the division and set the Texans back to perennial runners up. Case Keenum did not look terrible by any means in his début start 2 weeks ago, but this is a game that Luck and co. should not be losing if they want to prove they are a legitimate threat, and not still a few pieces away.
-1 is nothing, the Colts are legit.
Colts -1 SFBOTW
Monday Night
Bears @ Packers -10.5
Chicago's struggles without Cutler are set to continue, and the Pack will take advantage here, extending their lead in the division with a key home win. Even without a lot of his main targets, Rodgers is plenty capable of controlling this game.
10.5 is a big one and I think this could be kept within reach. It's a divisional game, and the Bears won't roll over even down their QB1.
Bears +10.5 (Packers to win)
A very solid week outright, but a woeful 6-9 on the spread and my SFBOTW losing means week 7 was extremely disappointing. The mixed blessing is that Gnome is still undefeated (#catofdestiny), which is both good and also bad as it shows a dumb animal has a better chance of predicting outcomes than me.
Let's move on to week 8, which should be another intriguing few days in the football world.
WARNING - Don't forget the clocks go back Saturday night in the UK, so the First Wave starts at 5pm and the second at 8pm etc.
Week 7:
Outright = 10-5
Spread = 6-9
SFBOTW = 0-1
Animal Corner = 1-0
2013/14:
Outright = 69-38
Spread = 52-52-3
SFBOTW = 4-3
Animal Corner = 3-0
All Time:
Outright = 235-129
Spread = 192-166-6
SFBOTW = 12-11-1
Animal Corner = 7-2-1
Thursday Night
Panthers @ Buccaneers +5.5 Sky Sports 1
The Panthers have quietly got themselves on a bit of a run, with confident wins over Minnesotta and St. Louis. Tampa, meanwhile, are stuck winless in the Schiano soap opera, and don't look like causing too much more of a challenge for a team that is finally getting its talent in position to fulfill their potential. I only see one outcome here, even despite it being in Tampa and a divisional game.
5.5 is easily comfortable enough for me to side with the visitors here.
Panthers -5.5 SFBOTW
Sunday First Wave
Cowboys @ Lions -3
Two dangerous 4-3 teams go head to head here, with Dallas coming off a crucial divisional win over Philly and the Lions losing out at home to Cincy. This should be an offense dominated shoot out from the get out, and I'm loath to call a winner either way. That said, I think Dallas are the more convincing 4-3 team having lost narrowly to strong Denver, KC and SD teams (how about that AFC West) in all three of their defeats.
What with picking Dallas to win, I'm obviously going to be lapping up the +3 points here.
Cowboys +3 (and to win)
49ers @ Jaguars (Wembley) +17 Sky Sports 2
The second international series game is here, and whilst it is unlikely to be the close encounter the Steelers/Vikings game was, it should still be an entertaining game. The 49ers are clawing back to form after a shakey start with a nice win over Tennessee on the road (no easy matter), whereas the Jaguars' troubles continue with another convincing defeat to the Chargers. Open and shut case in terms of the winner here, I'm afraid.
In terms of how close it will be, 17 points is obviously a generous margain, and one I'm loath to call either way. On the one hand SF are clearly 17 points better than their opponents, but will their longer travel affect them worse, and will the Jags raise their game in the spotlight, the same way they did versus Denver. I'll hand this over to #catofdestiny
 |
| 49ers Jaguars |
No surprises really as she goes with the feline choice again.
Jaguars + 17 (49ers win)
Browns @ Chiefs -7.5
Nobody saw the Chiefs being the only undefeated team at this stage early in the season, and whilst their schedule has been soft (only one win over a + .500 team) they are a far cry from last years Arizona, grabbing wins off both a suffocating defence and solid, reliable, offence. Things won't get much tougher here with a visit from the Browns, who are a whole different team without Hoyer, and wholeheartedly failed to keep pace with GB last week.
7.5 is fairly hefty for a low scoring team, but I can't see the Browns getting more than 2 touchdowns on them. I'll take it all day.
Chiefs -7.5
Dolphins @ Patriots -7
Miami managed to lose out to hamstrung Buffalo, and seem to have fallen off the pace after their promising start. They will have a much tougher divisional test this week with a trip to Foxborough. The Patriots meanwhile managed to lose to the Jets despite having Gronk back (and performing), partly thanks to a rather obscure special teams flag. Despite their conflicting results, I can't see NE losing back to back divisional games.
I'm very torn over this spread, as whilst I definitely think the Pats will win, I'm not sure they'll make it convincing. That said, it is still only one score, so I think I'll grudgingly side with them to bounce back.
Patriots -7
Bills @ Saints -12.5
Buffalo are coming off a win over Miami, and are performing better than most would after losing their starting QB. New Orleans meanwhile are cementing their place as one of the strongest teams in the league with Sean Payton back. In NO this should be a fairly one sided battle.
12.5 is fairly hefty spread, despite my belief the Saints will win convincingly. Not one I'd like to have to call either way, but it's just big enough for me to think the Bills could cover.
Bills +12.5 (Saints to win)
Giants @ Eagles -5
NY finally get off the starting block this season, but it was far from a polished performance against an equally torrid Vikings side. That said, a win is a win, and the lack of turnovers make it an encouraging one for big blue. Philly meanwhile look to be regressing from their early season promise, and losing Vick could hurt them more than initially suspected. I think this will be a close run thing, but one the Eagles ultimately squeeze out.
5 points is a healthy margin in what I think will be a nail biter. I'll take the points here.
Giants +5 (Eagles to win)
Sunday Second Wave
Jets @ Bengals -6.5
Geno and the Jets are one of the more inconsistent teams in the league right now, seeming to either play at the turnover prone, ineffective level we are used to, or pulling games like Sunday or versus Atlanta out of nowhere. As such it's hard to guess which team will be playing versus the Bengals this week, but as their hosts are a defensively built, powerful team coming off an impressive road win over Detroit, it's hard to go against them.
6.5 is easily comfortable enough to back that up with the spread.
Bengals -6.5
Steelers @ Raiders +1
I remember the Steelers getting upset in this game last year, and how surprising it was at the time. This year, it would not be a shocker if the Raiders won - they are been playing far above expectations and the Steelers have under performed from their usual standards. This is a tough one to call, as the Raiders are not a good team on paper, but thanks to an inventive defensive coordinator and a surprisingly capable Pryor they are no easy opponent. Pittsburgh meanwhile look a different team with Leveon Bell back in the fold, and handled the Ravens in a typically tight encounter last week. I'm going to call the slight upset and say the Raiders notch another win here.
The spread isn't as high as I'd like, and it's effectively a pick 'em. I'll be avoiding this one.
Raiders +1 (and to win)
Falcons @ Cardinals -2.5
Atlanta managed to hold off the Buccs despite being decimated by injuries, whereas the Cardinals got convincingly beaten by a strong Seattle side at home. That acknowledged, the Cardinals are my choice to win this game. With Patrick Peterson matched up on (at best) a less than 100% Roddy White, this should be a tough game for the Falcons offence against one of the most talented defences in the league. Offensively the Cardinals win need to play better than they did versus Seattle to win, but the Falcons defence is not on the same level that the 'Hawks is.
The spread is easily comfortable enough to be happy with.
Cardinals -2.5
Redskins @ Broncos -13.5 Sky Sports 2
The Redskins could be finally getting back to form (too little too late?) with a win over the Bears (albeit minus Cutler for most of the game), whereas Denver showed some huge chinks in their armour versus the Colts, so this should be an interesting game. Despite those conflicting results the Broncos are still the favourites, and the match up of Peyton Manning on a soft Redskins defence (their secondary can't play the same aggressive man coverage that plagued Manning in Indy) is a very favourable one. For the Skins to win, RG3 will have to be let off the leash and put up some serious numbers.
13.5 is a very large spread, but it could easily get that one-sided. That said, I'm expecting a shoot out - so I'll take these points.
Redskins +13.5 (Broncos to win)
Sunday Night
Packers @ Vikings +10
Green Bay handled the Browns better than expected, and Freeman's first start for the Vikings was not a smooth one, losing to the 0-6 Giants. His accuracy was not good, but some of that can be put down to not having time to gel with the Vikings WRs, and get in sync with their offence. Excuses aside, those problems won't get fixed in a (short) week, so I don't see his first start in Minnesota being much more favourable.
10 points is large margin, but one they should comfortably cover, even in a divisional game.
Packers -10
Monday Night
Seahawks @ Rams +10.5
The loss of Bradford is obviously huge for St. Louis, and changes this from what would have been an interesting match up to what could be a blowout. There is no chance the Rams can get moving on offence versus a brutal defence without him, and Seattle being the ruthless competitors they are will not let up an inch.
It's a large spread, but they'll cover, probably with a fake punt 24 points up.
Seahawks -10.5
Week 6 included the most one-sided games, going into it, that we've seen in a while, so it's not surprise I bounced back with a solid 11-4 outright. However, despite me picking the winners more often than not, a lot of teams broke the spread against me - whether it was Jax or Buffalo playing their opponents closer than I anticipated, or teams like SF winning more convincingly than I predicated.
Still, despite a paltry 8-7 outright, both my key markets hit with my SFBOTW coming in comfortably and Gnome going 2-0 this season.
Week 7 should be a hard week on the face of it, with nothing in particular catching my eye... but let's get into it.
Week 6:
Outright = 11-4
Spread = 8-7
SFBOTW = 1-0
Animal Corner = 1-0
2013/14:
Outright = 59-33
Spread = 46-43-3
SFBOTW = 4-2
Animal Corner = 2-0
All Time:
Outright = 225-124
Spread = 186-157-6
SFBOTW = 12-10-1
Animal Corner = 6-2-1
Thursday Night
Seahawks @ Cardinals + 6 Sky Sports 1
The Cardinals just lost to the SF, whereas the Seahawks struggled at home to beat the Titans. Despite those conflicting results this should be a very interesting encounter, and a divisional game on the road is never one where you want to hand the win to an albeit stronger team.
I definitely think the Cardinals have the potential to run the Hawks close, even if they probably won't come away with the win. Not one I'd like to bet on either way, but I'll take the points here.
Cardinals +6 (Seahawks win)
Sunday First Wave
Buccaneers @ Falcons -9.5
The Glennon era in Tampa is not off to a great start, but the Falcons are in as bad shape having lost star WR Julio Jones for the season. I have few misgivings about picking Atlanta to win at home here, even with their injuries they have enough weapons to get the job done.
9.5 is far too large a spread to feel comfortable with though, so I definitely like the Buccs to cover.
Buccs +9.5 (Falcons win)
Rams @ Panthers -5.5
I don't think many foresaw the Rams smashing the Texans like that, but the Panthers overcome the hapless Vikings comfortably in their game. At home this looks to favour Carolina, but St. Louis are no pushovers.
5.5 makes me a little nervous either way, and I'll definitely be avoiding this game like the plague. Over to the beast.
A nose towards St. Louis before settling on Carolina. Clearly she shares my misgivings.
Panthers -5.5
Bengals @ Lions -1 Sky Sports 2
Another tough one to call, with both coming off road wins even if Detroit's was the more convincing. At home I wouldn't hesitate to take Cincy here, but they have struggled away. The Lions have been equally inconsistent, so I am really torn.
I think I'll side with who I think are the better team, even if recent results give me fair cause for concern. Definitely one to avoid.
Bengals +1 (and to win)
Bills @ Dolphins -8
The Bills shocked me by running Cincy close, and fair play to Thad Lewis - the kid can play. @ Miami coming off a bye will be a fair tougher prospect however, so I don't expect them to slip up to Buffalo here.
8 points is a large margin though, especially for a team that isn't necessarily one of the strongest in the league. I like Buffalo to just cover.
Bills +8 (Dolphins to win)
Chargers @ Jaguars +9.5
I didn't think a Chargers win on MNF was out of the question, but a win built on a strong ground game, stingy defence, and the secondary closing out the game? That's just not Chargers football. At Jacksonville they should improve to 4-3, which may surprise some people, but not me.
9.5 is very healthy, but I like the Bolts to win by more than a score, Jacksonville raised their game against much favour Denver, but they won't play at that level week in week out.
Chargers -9.5
Patriots @ Jets +4
Brady proved again why he is one of the very best at game winning drives, despite not getting a lot of help from his WRs. The Jets fell to Pittsburgh in an ugly game at home, and there's no reason to think NE will be any less of challenge, even if they came close last time they played.
Patriots -4
Cowboys @ Eagles (Pick 'em)
Key NFC East match up here, with a divisional title to stake a claim on. Even away I like the Cowboys matching but with a weak Eagles secondary, but the Eagles fast paced offence should quickly tire and already decimated 'Boys defensive line. If Foles can limit turnovers this should be very interesting, and I'm going to make a controversial selection and take them to edge Romo out off the back of more explosive running from Shady.
Eagles
Bears @ Redskins (Pick 'em)
Another even encounter, but one I feel far more confident in with a dominant Bears team travelling to struggling Washington. Whilst the 'Skins have the potential to win most games, Chicago should look to continue their offensive hot streak against a terrible secondary.
Bears
Sunday Second Wave
49ers @ Titans +4
Tennessee held the Seahawks to within a score at Century Link, no mean feat. The 49ers eased into a lead against the Cardinals that is not a great indication of what was a back and forth game. I like the Titans at home to give anyone a game, but SF not winning here would definitely constitute an upset.
4 points being the marginal spread that it is I'll stick with the Niners.
49ers -4
Texans @ Chiefs -6.5 Sky Sports 2
No definite confirmation yet of whether Schaub's injury will sideline him versus KC, but either way I like the Chiefs (fresh off of a divisional beat down of Oakland) to continue their winning ways at home. Kansas City are playing great football right now, and as one of only two undefeated teams left standing they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender. It is fairly shocking that the AFC West could well be following in the NCF's footsteps as going from one of the worst divisions in football to one of the best.
I like the Chiefs to win by a score here, off the back of their great defence and low risk, high reward offence.
Chiefs -6.5
Browns @ Packers -11
Cleveland showed they are back to their old selves minus Hoyer, whereas GB squeezed past Baltimore despite taking hits on the injury front. It is very hard to look past the Packers at home in this one, but I don't think it will be a blow out.
This is a very generous spread, considering the Packers are down to bare bones at WR. They'll look to rely on Lacy more in the ground game, but even with Cleveland not looking likely to put up numbers, or many points, their defence should keep close enough to break this.
Browns +11 (Packers to win)
Ravens @ Steelers -1
It's a divisional game, and the Ravens may be coming off a loss compared to the Steelers finally getting a win, but I still think there is a big gulf between these two sides. The reigning champs are by no means the best in the league, but they are a solid team - and should take advantage of an injured and sub-par Pittsburgh squad, albeit one that is slowly clawing its way back to form.
A very attractive spread with the Ravens underdogs makes this my SFBOTW.
Ravens +1 (and to win) SFBOTW
Sunday Night
Broncos @ Colts +5.5
The marquee game of the week sees Peyton Manning return to his old stomping grounds in what will be a very warm reception for the league's most dominant passer. Luck and the Colts will be looking to bounce back from a MNF loss that was as much due to their own miscues as it was great play from San Diego, but even so I like the Broncos to take this one and remain perfect.
The spread is comfortable I feel, but the Colts are always capable of pulling off an upset - and if any organisation is set up with the knowledge to out scheme Manning it is his former employers.
Broncos -5.5
Monday Night
Vikings @ Giants -3.5
Two floundering squads, both desperate for a win, makes this an intriguing game. The Vikings got well and truly stomped by Carolina last week, whereas the Giants continued their sloppy play in a loss to Chicago, albeit not by as much as I anticipated. I do think the Giants are finding their feet faster, but should Josh Freeman get the nod this week it could be Minnesota the shot in the arm they so sorely need.
I like the Giants to take this one at home and finally get off the mark, but the spread makes this an easy choice for the Vikes.
Vikings +3.5 (Giants to win)
I wasn't expecting much from last week as it was a brutal slate of games to call, but I would have liked a little better than 8-6 outright and 6-8 on the spread. Particularly vexing was San Diego's convincing loss to Oakland, sending my SFBOTW category back to comparative levels with my regular guesses.
At least Gnome proved she is an astute pundit, nailing her first choice convincingly. It is both funny and a little depressing that the animals have a higher hit percentage than my well informed choices.
Week 5:
Outright = 8-6
Spread = 6-8
SFBOTW = 0-1
Animal Corner = 1-0
2013/14:
Outright = 48-29
Spread = 38-36-3
SFBOTW = 3-2
All Time:
Outright = 214-120
Spread = 178-150-6
SFBOTW = 11-10-1
Animal Corner = 5-2-1
Thursday Night:
Giants @ Bears -9.5 Sky Sports 1
The Giants have been my most consistent team this season - I've gone against them every week and am 5-0. This week's match up is no easier for the floundering team, with a turnover hungry Bears' defence facing an offence that seems to enjoy giving the ball away. 9.5 is a large amount, but in Chicago I think the Bears should just about win by 10.
Bears -9.5
Sunday First Wave:
Packers @ Ravens +1 Sky Sports 2
One of the more attractive spreads on the face it, in my opinion. Even with Matthews out for the foreseeable future, the Packers should score enough points to outpace Flacco and the Ravens. I like GB to come in and win by at least a score.
Packers -1
Bengals @ Bills +7.5
With EJ Manuel out this game should be fairly one-sided. The Bengals weren't exactly prolific in their 13-6 win over NE, but their defence shut down Brady for almost an entire game. Even with limited weapons, that's an impressive feat, and they should win here by a solid margain.
Bengals -7.5
Lions @ Browns +1
Even with Megatron questionable to play, I still fancy the Lions' chances here. A Weeden led Browns team is far less dangerous than one with Hoyer at the helm, and whilst their defence played outstandingly in the second half versus Buffalo, having a QB who can actually throw the football attempting to score against them will be slightly more challenging.
Lions -1
Rams @ Texans -9
Interesting one here, as the Texans are typically much stronger at home. I think the Rams can stay in this game enough to break the spread, even if it's a gritty Bengals/Pats kind of game, with both defences dominating.
Rams +9 (Texans win)
Raiders @ Chiefs -9.5
Pryor proved he was the real deal versus San Diego, despite playing behind a patchwork o-line. That o-line will face a much tougher test in this game, though, against a dominant Chiefs defence that boasts standout sack-master Houston. The Raiders own defence has also been playing well lately, but don't match up well against KC's explosive quick passing offence. I think 9.5 is a little generous for the Chiefs, but I'll still take it. They've proved to be one of the most consistent teams in the league, and the Raiders will need to feast on turnovers which the Chiefs just don't typically provide to be in with a chance.
Chiefs -9.5
Panthers @ Vikings -1
Josh Freeman provides an instant, and considerable, upgrade over Christian Ponder, but it takes more than a week to learn a new offence. The Panthers are coming off a tough loss to the Cardinals, but their elite front 7 should limit the Vikings' attack enough for Cam to do his thing.
Panthers +1 (and to win)
Steelers @ Jets -1
Geno smith looked the real deal versus Atlanta, and nobody was more surprised than me. He simply didn't look like the same QB who gifted Tennessee the game 2 weeks ago, and couldn't have asked for a much smoother encore to his heroics than hosting the struggling Steelers.
Jets -1
Eagles @ Buccaneers Pick 'em
It's Foles versus Glennon in what should be a very interesting game, which will come down to Philly's excellent offence versus Tampa's solid defence. I like Philly to get the win here, as he proved in leading them to their win over the Giants he can operate well in their explosive offence. Glennon should have an easier time than most weeks completely passes, but I don't think he'll be consistent enough to match scores. SFBOTW
Eagles
Sunday Second Wave:
Jaguars @ Broncos -26.5
Crikey, what a spread. Remember though, this is a historically bad team playing at a historically outstanding one. There is no chance Jax can keep pace the way Romo and the Cowboys did, and the only thing that makes me think Denver won't ease past this huge spread is the concern they might pull Manning and their starters long before the end.
Broncos -26.5
Titans @ Seahawks -13.5
Seattle will be hungry for revenge following their late loss to Indy, but Tennessee is no easy test. Whilst I think the 'Hawks will definitely win at home, the spread makes me a little nervous. I really can't decide on this one, so will hand it over to the lil' monster...
 |
| Titans Seahawks |
A tentative selection, she must share my misgivings, but nevertheless she's picked the Titans to run Seattle close.
Titans +13.5 (Seahawks to win)
Saints @ Patriots -1 Sky Sports 2
NE have fallen on hard times, despite their still impressive 4-1 record. This is another though game, with a rolling 5-0 Saints team coming to town. I like Brady to match scores with Brees, but ultimately his lack of weapons will cost him in a narrow loss.
Saints +1 (and to win)
Cardinals @ 49ers -11
The 49ers have not been consistently putting up big points, despite their demolition of Houston at the weekend. The Cardinals present a tough contest with a dangerous if not consistent offence, strong defence and deadly special teams. I like Arizona to keep this one close, being the divisional grudge match it is.
Cardinals +11 (49ers win)
Sunday Night:
Redskins @ Cowboys -6
Coming off the Cowboys impressively narrow (and wildly entertaining) loss to Denver, this seems like a no-brainer. My only concern is that it is a divisional encounter, and the Redskins had their number last season. I'll still take the Cowboys at home, but am not as confident on it as most will be.
Cowboys -6
Monday Night:
Colts @ Chargers +1
SD fell to rivals Oakland whereas the Colts orchestrated and impressive win over Seattle. Whilst the Chargers have the home field here, and an offence capable of matching scores with most in the league (when they don't put themselves in a 17 point hole), you can't look past the Colts here at such a neglible spread. I do think the Bolts are more than capable of winning this game though, so it's not SFBOTW worhy.
Colts -1
