Picks of the Week

Tough year, in which all sorts of craziness is happening.  But, we have fought tough through the first half, and I think we have this figured out.  Looking forward to a good second half run to get us back up in the black.

Minnesota Vikings +1 v. Washington Redskins
I didn't think I could truly pick Minnesota, but the Redskins defense is so awful, and Minnesota was at home.  I got lucky on this pick.

Seattle Seahawks -4 at Atlanta Falcons
Seattle is not the same team away from home, but the Falcons are not the same team that we thought they were as Super Bowl contenders coming into this season.  Roddy White might play, but his first game back he is welcomed by Richard Sherman.  Not the way to ease yourself back into the lineup.

Chicago Bears pick 'em v. Detroit Lions
The Bears defense is absolutely scary bad, but Reggie Bush is not the pound it out type of back that Eddie Lacy is.  Yes, Bush trounced the Bears defense earlier this year, but, the one plus with the young linebackers Bostic and Greene starting, is that they have more speed to cover backs out of the backfield.  Gulp - I hope!

Green Bay Packers + 1 1/2 v. Philadelphia Eagles
The list of the best Seneca's of all time:  (1) Seneca the Younger; (2) the Seneca Casino; (3) Seneca Tribe; (4) Seneca, South Carolina; (5) Seneca Falls Convention; and (6) Seneca Wallace.  That being said, the Eagles defense is horrible.  Expect 150 yards from Eddie Lacy.  Plus, there is no way that Nick Foles throws for 7 touchdowns in this game.

St. Louis Rams +9 at Indianapolis Colts
Zac Storey has resurrected the Rams running game, and although I do not have confidence that St. Louis will win, I do think they might be able to keep the ball moving enough to keep Andrew Luck off the field - and keep this game close.

New York Giants -7 v. Oakland Raiders
I have no faith in the Giants, and the Raiders have been serviceable this year but, I do have faith in the fact that west coast teams travelling east and playing at 1:00 almost never win.  (Please ignore my Seattle pick from above - as there are more issues at play than just travel).

Buffalo Bills +3 at Pittsburgh Steelers
E.J. Manuel probably still feels that his job is threatened by Jameis Winston, so I look for him to play a pretty good game against a team that is a shell of their former selves.

Jacksonville Jaguars +13 at Tennessee Titans
Jacksonville has to cover at some point, don't they?

Carolina Panthers + 5 1/2 at San Francisco 49ers 
 Carolina is the hottest team not named Kansas City, Seattle or San Francisco.  The Panthers defense is playing phenomenally and this team can play with San Francisco.  San Francisco's team turned around when they realized that for Frank Gore to be good they had to utilize him.  This might be the best game of the day to watch.

Houston Texans +3 at Arizona Cardinals
Big blow for the Texans in losing Arian Foster for the year.  They do have a lot of talent at running back, and Case Keenum has been surprisingly dangerous - especially in throwing the long ball.  Andre Ellington has been a nice player for the Cardinals recently, but the Texans just have too much talent.

Denver Broncos - 7 at San Diego Chargers
When I think the Chargers are bad, they beat good teams.  When I think the Chargers might be good, they lose to bad teams.  Just ridiculous.  I am hoping that Denver just takes care of business today.

New Orleans Saints -6 1/2 v. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys are unpredictable, and they definitely have the firepower to compete with the Saints, however the difference for the Saints will be their defense - which has played great this year.  The Cowboys secondary is suspect, and the Saints, adding Kenny Stills to all of their weapons, will score a ton against that secondary.

Miami Dolphins -3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This game is impossible, as it is hard to predict how these teams are going to play, especially how the Dolphins are going to gel after the Richie Incognito - Jonathan Martin situation.  I think the team rallies around Tannehill, at least this week.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Cincinnati Bengals -1 at Baltimore Ravens
We know how I feel about road favorites, and here I just picked two of them in a row.  Until the Ravens realize that Ray Rice is a weapon, they are not playoff hopefuls.  Cincinnati talent wise is as good on both sides of the ball as any time in the league.  A.J. Green is the best non-Calvin Johnson receiver in the game.

Last Week:  7-6
Year to Date:  55-57-3
Big Bet Last Week:  0-1
Big Bet Year to Date:  5-4
Winnings (Losses) Last Week:  ($125)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date:  ($510)