Posts tagged Week 7 NFL Picks

Week 7 NFL Picks

Seattle -5.5 At Arizona
The Cards have a good thing going on D and should be able to shut down Seattle’s passing attack.
Pick: Seahawks -5.5

New England -3.5 At NY Jets
The Pats keep rolling and maintain their hold on the division.
Pick: Pats -3.5

San Diego -7.5 At Jacksonville
The streak of the Jags covering the spread ends after one week.
Pick: Chargers -7.5

At Kansas City -6 Houston
Houston has problems. The Chiefs are flying high. With a new QB under center going up against a fantastic defense in a hostile, record-breakingly loud environment, odds are the Chiefs winless streak will continue.
Pick: Chiefs -6

At Detroit -2.5 Cincinnati
The Lions seem like a different team when they’re playing in the comfort of their own dome. The Bengals seem a bit weaker on the road. Close game edge goes to the Lions.
Pick: Lions -2.5

At Miami -7.5 Buffalo
The Dolphins have lost two straight but now they get a chance to get back to their early winning ways. They can outscore a Thad-led Bills team.
Pick: Dolphins -7.5

At Washington PK Chicago
The Bears are the better squad. More efficient, more consistent and more than capable of beating a Skins team that can’t seem to put it all together week in and week out.
Pick: Bears

At Philadelphia -3 Dallas
Nick Foles looked pretty good leading that offense. Vick’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time. If he doesn’t get back on the field soon, he may not have a starting job to reclaim. I think Foles will take full advantage of a favorable matchup against a not-so-stout pass D.
Pick: Eagles -3

At Carolina -6 St. Louis
The Rams got a huge win over the Texans to move to 3-3. Their offense leaves a lot to be desired, but this defense can keep them in it, even on the road.
Pick: Rams +6

At Atlanta -7 Tampa Bay
The Falcons get win number to as the Bucs continue to search for answers.
Pick: Falcons -7

San Francisco -4 At Tennessee
Locker’s return won’t stop the hurt. Niners win on the road.
Pick: Niners -4

At Green Bay -10 Cleveland
It woulda been nice to see what the Browns season could have been with Hoyer under center, but Weeden ball is back and the optimism has dissipated. Green Bay may have some banged up weapons on offense, but with a new found balance they should be able to cover at home.
Pick: Packers -10

At Pittsburgh -2 Baltimore
The Steelers are back. With a viable option at running back and a defense that’s suddenly capable of creating turnovers, the Steelers will win their second game against a familiar foe.
Pick: Steelers -2

Denver -6.5 At Indianapolis
Jim Irsay’s attempts to irk Peyton backfire as Manning unleashes his full fury in front of familiar faces.
Pick: Broncos -6.5

At NY Giants -3.5 Minnesota
What a terrible game to feature in primetime. Must’ve looked good on paper in the offseason. Josh Freeman gets the chance to take over starting duties this week. But the Giants have been off long enough to get their shit together and finally pull off their first win.
Pick: Giants -3.5

Last Week: 7-9
Season: 43-48-2
Last Season: 136-121-5

Oct 17th

Posted by Chris Stout in Sports

Week 7 NFL Picks

Thursday’s pick was the right call thanks to some Vegas-busting decision making by John Harbaugh. 1-0 so far in Week 7 with twelve more games to go…

At Buffalo -3.5 Tennessee
Chris Johnson’s working on a mini-resurgence here. He put up 141 rushing yards against Houston and 91 yards on Pittsburgh. Now he gets to face a defense that gives up a league-worst 5.8 yards per carry. The Bills didn’t look all that shoddy on defense last week though, when they ended Arizona’s eight game home winning streak. For all the drama on defense this season, the Bills are still in the hunt in the all-tied-up AFC East. They can build on last week’s win. The Titans haven’t won on the road yet.
Pick: Bills -3.5

At Minnesota -6.5 Arizona
Two 4-2 teams both coming off losses. The Vikings haven’t lost at home yet, and I’m tempted to think that streak will continue.
Pick: Vikings -6.5

At Indianapolis -2.5 Cleveland
Richardson is optimistic he’ll be back this week which is good news for the Browns, as the Colts are allowing 159 yards a game and 5 yards per carry. Andrew Luck plays well at home, but there’s just something about this Brown’s team that gives them the edge. Maybe it’s their trio of rookie playmakers (Weeden, Richardson and Gordon). Maybe it’s the fact that Joe Haden’s back. I dunno what it is, but I like this team. Playing in Indy will be a true test, because that home crowd is all high on Chuck Strong vibes. If the Browns can get the win this weekend, they’re no longer going to be an easy out for anyone.
Pick: Browns +2.5

At Houston -6.5 Baltimore
The Ravens just own people at home, but the team is much less dominant on the road. The Texans have to be bitter about their big loss to the Packers. I think they’ll run the ball right down Baltimore’s throat. Suggs may be back soon, but this defense isn’t as fearful as it used to be.
Pick: Texans -6.5

Green Bay -5.5 At St. Louis
The Rams haven’t lost yet at home, but that ends this week. The Packers needed a big win to get things rolling again. They’ll keep throttle going and pick up where they left off last week. Lock of the week material, this.
Pick: Packers -5.5

Dallas -2 At Carolina
In the battle of the leagues two most inconsistent teams, it’s hard to be confident about either side. When the Panthers are running the ball well, they can do some damage. When the Cowboys are moving the chains through the air, they look like they can hang with anyone. Too often it’s stalled drives, self-inflicted wounds and untimely turnovers that derail both of these teams. I’m thinking Dallas can put together a solid game to remind people that they still have the talent to find a sweet spot from time to time.
Pick: Cowboys -2

At NY Giants -6 Washington
The Skins beat the Giants twice last year, and that was without RG3. New York’s only two losses have come within the division. If the G-Men want to maintain their lead status in the NFC East, they need to take care of business at home. Look for Coughlin’s squad to come out prepared for the importance of this game.
Pick: Giants -6

New Orleans -2.5 At Tampa Bay
The Saints really have some issues on defense, and activating Vilma’s not going to change all that. The Bucs are going to run all over the Saints, but I just can’t close the books on Brees and company bouncing back after a dreadful start to the season.
Pick: Saints -2.5

At New England -10.5 NY Jets
The Pats will remind everyone that the AFC East isn’t as wide open as it seems.
Pick: Pats -10.5

At Oakland -4 Jacksonville
This is going to be the type of game that makes you wonder whether the Raiders can be a really great team. They’re not obviously, but they’ll sure look like a great team this Sunday. Bank on big plays in the passing game from Palmer and big takeaways from Oakland’s D.
Pick: Raiders -4

Pittsburgh -1 At Cincinnati
Man, the Steelers looked like shit last Thursday. RBs and O-lineman we’re dropping like flies. Ike Taylor was getting worked over and the Man of Troy was sorely missed. The Steelers have had time to rest up, but Big Ben tweaked an ankle during practice on Thursday. I’m sure it won’t be a big factor, but still, this team is missing key players, sitting at 2-3 and Polomalu-less heading into this weekend. Cincy’s going to make some big plays against this suspect secondary. With makeshift lineman in there, it’s going to be hard for spot starter RB Jonathan Dwyer to make some plays, but I think Ben’s gonna fling it around to his playmakers and get enough points on the board to get the Steelers back to .500.
Pick: Steelers -1

At Chicago -6 Detroit
The Lions have a banged up secondary and Jay Cutler is coming off back-to-back good games. Factor in some extra rest for Matt Forte (who typically performs well against Detroit) and the Bears should be able to take this one at home.
Pick: Bears -6

Last Week: 4-10
Season 42-48-1
Last Season: 140-120-12

Oct 20th

Posted by Chris Stout in Sports

Week 7 NFL Picks

Chicago -1 Tampa Bay (At London)
Last week I complained about how much I hate picking against the Bucs. They bounced back from an absolute beat down loss at the hands the 49ers to pull off an upset win against the Saints. Chicago blew out the Vikings in a hard-to-watch contest that was never really close. The Bucs traveled to London early while the Bears are treating this like any other week. Bears players are getting antsy with management over things like Matt Forte not getting paid. Lance Briggs is saying that the issues with management are starting to impact how players prepare. I don’t like the sound of that. The Bucs will be well rested and ready to take on Chicago.
Pick: Bucs +1

At Carolina -2.5 Washington
The John Beck era begins in DC, but how much of an upgrade is he over Grossman? He’s kind of an unknown entity at this point, but he gets a chance to prove it against the 1-5 Panthers. Expect the Skins to rely heavily on the run to ease their QB in and take advantage of a defense that gives up 140.3 yards per game on the ground. If you’ve watched Cam Newton and the Panthers this year, it’s hard to believe they only have one W. Carolina keeps ‘em close, and they’ll do enough to finally earn a second win.
Pick: Panthers -2.5

San Diego -2 At NY Jets
Rex and Norv are in full blown bulletin material mode. LT’s getting the start against his old team, but Shonn Green should still get plenty of touches. The Chargers are moving the ball well, but they haven’t faced a defense this good all year. The Chargers seem like the stronger, more efficient team here, but the Jets can’t take too kindly to being underdogs at home. Gates didn’t practice on Thursday, so who knows if he’ll be a factor. It’s strength vs. strength here, and I’ll take New York’s D over San Diego’s O.
Pick: Jets +2

At Cleveland -3 Seattle
Charlie Whitehurst gets the nod here with Tarvaris Jackson still hurt. Hillis probably won’t roll for the Browns. He’s in some sort of hamstring/contract limbo right now. The Browns like Montario Hardesty, they still have trouble moving the ball on the ground, ranking 30th in the league with 81.6 rushing yards per game. Seattle’s no rushing juggernaut either, ranking just ahead of the Browns with an average of 83 yards per game. It’s going to be up to Whitehurst or McCoy to make it happen. My money says McCoy is better suited to make the extra play.
Pick: Browns -3

At Tennessee -3 Houston
Schaub’s banged up and Arian Foster is coming off a sorry output game against the Ravens. Andre Johnson’s still out of the mix and the Texans have dropped two in a row. The Titans are coming off an additional week to prepare and they’re playing at home. Chris Johnson has been a disappointment, but Hasselbeck’s been a pleasant surprise. I think this game is going to be close. It’s an important divisional matchup, and I think the Texans are going to find a way to right the ship on the road.
Pick: Texans +3

At Miami -1.5 Denver
Who knew that a game between two teams with a combined record of 1-9 could be so interesting? Tony Sparano is likely coaching for his job, and Denver fans finally get to see the Mile High Messiah lead the way. Will Tebow show that he’s a force to be reckoned with or will the Dolphins step up and play hard for their player-friendly coach on the brink? Judging by the way Matt Moore kept chucking the ball to the wrong team last week, I think the edge goes to Tebow taking over. Especially during a cushy road game where they’re honoring his former college team at halftime.
Pick: Broncos +1.5

At Detroit -3.5 Atlanta
You know Jim Schwartz is going to have his team fired up to play this week. Nobody puts the Schwartz in a corner. Detroit has some issues at running back. Jahvid Best is likely out after suffering another concussion. The Jerome Harrison/Ronnie Brown trade was voided cause Harrison has a brain tumor. It’s up to Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams to carry the load. Luckily, the Lions love to pass, and the Falcons love to give up passing yardage (283.3 yards per game). Lions bounce back.
Pick: Detroit -3.5

At Oakland -4.5 Kansas City
The Raiders gave up a lot for Cason Palmer. Will he be worth it? Can he come in and take over a team with less than a week to prepare? The Raiders have a lot going for them right now, but it’s never easy to replace your QB with an outsider who isn’t familiar with the offense. Not saying this is a Kerry Collins situation, but I don’t expect Palmer to just slide in and carry this team. He might not have to though. The Raiders are a run first, run second team. But the Chiefs have a new rushing weapon as well. Was Jackie Battle a one week wonder or can the career special teamer continue to spark KC’s offense? The Raiders can be quite gracious when it comes to giving up rush yardage, so Battle should be able to find space to run. Expect a low scoring, clock-eating contest here. I’m giving the edge to the home team.
Pick: Raiders -4.5

Pittsburgh -3.5 At Arizona
The Steelers seem to eek out wins that really should be blowouts, and they just can’t seem to put teams completely away. Expect that to change this weekend. The Steelers, in theory, should win this game easy. Mendenhall’s coming off a big game, Mike Wallace is lighting it up, Ward gets a couple first down grabs here and there and Antonio Brown has been wide open and overthrown in the end zone for like three straight weeks. The Steelers defense is rejuvenated as well, even if they’re not causing enough turnovers. Kolb should be in line for like at least two picks in this game, though. The Steelers need to finish off these easy wins ‘cause the schedule’s about to get a lot tougher.
Pick: Steelers -3.5

At Dallas -13 St. Louis
High ankle sprains aren’t fun. Neither is losing all the time. Sam Bradford’s gutting it out though, and he has a new, much needed weapon with Brandon Lloyd now in the fold. The Cowboys went toe-to-toes with the Pats, but they couldn’t come away with the W. Dallas will be testing out some combination of Choice and Murray against the worst run defense in football.
Pick: Cowboys -13

Green Bay -9 At Minnesota
McNabb was mercifully handed a clipboard this week, so Christian Ponder gets a chance to show what he can do. First assignment for the rookie is the defending champs.Maybe the rookie will be able to spark a struggling offense, but it’s hard to think that the Vikings can slow down a team that’s averaging a league-best 32.8 points per game.
Pick: Packers -9

At New Orleans -14 Indianapolis
Brees had a sloppy game last week against the Bucs. He’ll bounce back and take advantage of a favorable matchup. Painter’s going to have a chance to make plays against the Saints, but even if this game hits shoot-out mode, New Orleans should out shot Indy pretty easily.
Pick: Saints -14

Baltimore -7.5 At Jacksonville
The Ravens are playing scary football in a division that has no room for error. The Ravens D will take away MJD and force Gabbert into making some mistakes. Expect a big game from Ray Rice.
Pick: Ravens -7.5

Week 6: 7-5-1
Season: 50-36-8 ATS

Oct 21st

Posted by Chris Stout in Sports