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NFL Week 12: Thursday Night Game Pick & Prediction

Indianapolis Colts @ Houston Texans, NRG Stadium, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Texans -3.5, O/U: 46.5)

The fight for the top of the AFC South is on tonight. Both teams come into this one 6-4 with the Titans on their heels at 5-5 and the Jags within striking distance at 4-6.

The Colts won the first meeting between the 2 at home which came off of a bye. Brissett threw over 300 yards and for 4 TD’s in the game. He has since slowed a bit while also going down during the Steelers game that next week, missing the dolphins game and had a mediocre game last week against the Jags. Marlon Mack went off last week to supplement Brissett as he only has 14 carries but for 109 yards and a touchdown, averaging over 7 yards per carry.

The Texans are coming off a week that saw them get blown out on the road against a red hot Ravens team who covets the top rated offense. The Texans were seen as a team that was going to get into a shootout with Lamar Jackson but they were duds. They’ve found their identity however with Duke Johnson and Carlos Hyde splitting carries and keeping the balance of the offense while Watson finds those opportunities for chunk plays down field that can cut the field in half with 40-50 yard completions.

Short week tends to favor the home team and with the extra motivation after getting drubbed on the road, the Texans have the motivation despite how well the Colts have played on the road. Take the Texans to cover in the over, Texans 27-21.

NFL Week 10: Monday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Seattle Seahawks @ San Francisco 49ers, Levi’s Stadium, 8:15 PM, ESPN (49ers -6, O/U: 46.5)

Russell Wilson will continue his road to the Super Bowl amidst an MVP race while having the Seahawks in prime position to take over the NFC West with a win against the 49ers tonight. Wilson has been the main reason this team is still 7-2 with his abilities to create more time for broken plays and his pinpoint accuracy when scrambling despite being a half a foot or more shorter than most all of the linemen on the field directly in front of him. He boasts a ridiculous 68% completions while only throwing 1 pick for the 22 TD’s he has under his belt to pair with his 2,505 yards. Locket has been his top and clear favorite receiver who has 59 catches for 767 yards and 6 TD’s. Rookie stud DK Metcalf has been a real surprise being second on the team in receiving (29 catches, 525 yards and 5 TD’s). The offense has a running game that can help exploit defenses again as Chris Carson has piled up 764 yards on 175 carries while also adding 3 scores. Every game has seemed like a shootout though given that the defense isn’t what it used to be even with Bobby Wagner leading the way.

Jimmy G is coming into this one missing his top receiver George Kittle as he is listed out for his knee injury that made him leave last Thursday’s game early before returning noticeably in pain. The 49ers will rely on rookie Deebo Samuel and Marquise Goodwin to absorb the targets given to Kittle in spite of the fact that their combined season targets (48) still don’t add up to the 57 Kittle saw. The 49ers will more than likely turn the offensive focus to the run game that helped them early on in the season with the 3 headed monster of Breida/Coleman/Mostert. Breida leads the tandem with 99 carries for 524 yards but Coleman leads in rushing scores with 5 and Mostert leads them all in average yards per rush (5.58). Combined they have rushed the ball 237 time for 1,186 yards (5 yards per carry) and 7 TD’s. The defense has been the turnaround story of the year as they only generated 2 interceptions all of 2018 and this year they have a combined 10 interceptions with 2 of them being returned for TD’s. Nick Bosa has been a monster, providing an outside rush similar to his brothers and the best in the league, recording 7 sacks and a forced fumble.

This will be an excellent game to watch as we see a back-alley brawl between the top 2 NFC West teams. The difference maker is Kittle not being available for this one and the fact that Wilson and the Seahawks travel very well and have proven themselves big time road warriors over the years. Take the Seahawks to cover and win outright in the under, Seahawks 24-20.

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NFL Week 10: Thursday Night Football

 Los Angeles Chargers @ Oakland Raiders, Oakland Coliseum, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Raiders +1.5, O/U: 48.5)

Where did last week’s Chargers come from? Home underdogs to the Packers and they blow them out in a huge upset. Rivers had a bunch of yards passing in the game but no scores and no picks, Mike Williams went off with only 3 catches but for 111 yards and Melvin Gordon finally came to life with 80 yards and 2 TD’s coupled with Ekeler’s 70 yards. It was powerful, smashmouth football. Ingram and Bosa beasted for 1.5 sacks each on Rodgers and kept him frustrated most of the night. The Raiders have been a shocking solid football team with a few close but good losses. A big win against the Lions at home after being away from home for well over a month and a half and they didn’t disappoint their fans with a big win against the Lions. Carr stayed efficient while throwing for 2 TD’s with Josh Jacobs rushing for over 100 yards and 2 scores. Granted the Lions don’t have a running game and Stafford was forced to throw 40 times, racking up over 400 yards through the air, the defense got after him a bit sacking him twice and picking him off once. Take the Raiders to cover in the win, in the over, Raiders 27-24.

NFL Week 9: Monday Night Football

Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants, MetLife Stadium, 8:15 PM, ESPN (Giants +6.5, O/U: 48.5)

The Cowboys are coming off a huge win against divisional foes, the Eagles and are rejuvenated a bit with their bye week last week. Coming in fresh against a Giants team that is on a 4 game slide after some tough games against the Vikings, Patriots, Cardinals and Lions, the Giants look for momentum as they inch closer to their week 11 bye. Daniel Jones has looked rough in most of his starts with exception to week 3 and last week, in which last week he was 28/41 for 322 yards, 4 TD’s and zero picks. Barkley started the year hot, averaging over 10 yards until his high ankle sprain, has been average in the last 2 starts averaging less than 70 yards in both games. The Giants need to find him the ball more as he only has 3 scores (2 rushing, 1 receiving). Dak seems to be on a similar streak as he started off hot but as he’s played tougher teams (Saints, Packers and Eagles), he’s looked mediocre. In those 3 games, he has completed 67% of his passes for 925 yards but for only 3 TD’s and 5 picks. Those teams are a combined 19-7 while In his other 4 starts against teams with losing records (5-28), he’s completed 83% of his passes for 1,198 yards, 9 TD’s and 2 picks. Better teams means he’s just your run of the mill, middle of the pack starter but against weaker teams, he looks like an all-star. Take the Cowboys to win and cover handedly in the over, Cowboys 31-19.

NFL Week 8: Monday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Miami Dolphins @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz Field, 8:15 PM, ESPN (Steelers -14, O/U: 43.5)

The Dolphins traded away another key piece of their team this morning as they traded away Kenyon Drake for a 6th round pick that can turn into a 5th round pick if conditions are met. Ballage and Walton will be the backs behind the lines tonight. Fitzpatrick has been fiery for the Fins and has kept them in games with the equally ugly Redskins and within 10 of the Bills. Some guys play hard for primetime games especially if they are unsure of their roster status for the next season.

The Steelers get impressive young QB, Mason Rudolph back from his concussion suffered a few weeks ago. He’ll be licking his chops as he doesn’t have to face Minkah Fitzpatrick as they had pulled him away from the Dolphins in a trade. The Dolphins give up an average of 35.2 points per game which could give a moral boost for a team who only scores 20.5 points on average per game. James Conner still has yet to pick up steam and JuJu Smith-Schuster has had a very slow start to his first year as the guy on the outside. The Steelers defense is starting to pick up the pace as they have come up with 15 takeaways, 8 of them picks. Look for them to turn up the pressure on a weak Dolphins offense.

Take the Steelers to cover in the over, Steelers 31-13.

NFL Week 8: Thursday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Washington Redskins @ Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Vikings -16.5, O/U: 41.5)

The Redskins have been a mess with the only bright spot being a win against the lowly Dolphins. Former Vikings quarterback Case Keenum gets the nod in a welcoming back to Minnesota to a place where he nearly took the Vikes to a super bowl birth just a few short years ago when he led them to an 11-3 record. Peterson and Thompson are both dealing with injuries so the Redskins will be relying heavily on Keenum. Kirk Cousins has seen a resurgence after his last prime time appearance. After being called out and apologizing to Adam Thielen, Cousins has thrown for at least 300 yards and have at least a 135 passer rating or better in three straight games, which makes him the first NFL quarterback to do so in history. The offense is firing on all cylinders these days as Cook has 5 games over 100 rushing yards and is right behind CMC in many statistical categories and Diggs has enjoyed 3 straight 100+ yard games after a slow start due to Cousins. This one is bound to get ugly. Take the Vikings to cover in the under, Vikings 31-10.

NFL Week 7: Monday Night Football Pick & Prediction

New England Patriots @ New York Jets, MetLife Stadium, 8:15 PM, ESPN (Jets +10, O/U: 43.5)

The Patriots are flying high with an unblemished record, the leagues top scoring offense and the leagues best defense (although not far ahead of the 49ers). The Patriots defense has only been backed up against their own endzone 4 times and have allowed just 1 TD. That conversion percentage equals that of the 49ers for the best in the league (25%). Brady is 6th in yards and is completing 65% of his passes. Edelman leads the receiving corps with nearly 450 yards and Michel is leading the ground works with nearly 350 yards to balance out the offense. Their defense will be key as they lead the league as the only team in double digits in picks with 14, which will be a tough test against Darnold who looked as if he hadn’t been out for a month.

The Jets had a pleasant surprise when Darnold came back and single handedly beat the Cowboys by throwing and throwing often. Darnold snapped back by completing 72% of his throws for 338 yards, 2 TD’s and a pick in a shocking win against the Cowboys last week. Robby Anderson was happy to see Sam back as he hauled in 5 of his 8 targets for 125 yards, one being a long 92 yard TD. The defense, which all season has been suspect, held Prescott to less than 300 yards, didn’t allow him to throw a TD which helped them try to focus on Elliott. The Jets have their hands full tonight however as they have to take a below average receiving corps up against the best performing secondary in the league. Adam Gase will have to try and out coach the best coach the game has ever seen. Yeah, good luck.

Take the Jets to cover but the Patriots to win in the over, Patriots 28-20.

NFL Week 7: Thursday Night Football

Kansas City Chiefs @ Denver Broncos, Broncos Stadium at Mile High, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Broncos +3, O/U: 49.5)

The Chiefs are reeling after a second straight loss after opening up the season 4-0. Mahomes had been dealing with a banged up ankle the last few weeks as well as having top receivers out with injuries. It was evident that he missed Tyreek Hill as he hit hill on a massive 46 yard TD early in the game, throwing short into double coverage as Tyreek leaped over the underneath defender to catch the ball and twist into the endzone. Hill would go on to lead the team in targets with 10, hauling in 5 for 80 yards and 2 TD’s. The Chiefs deficiencies on defense would lead to their demise however, when leading in the 2nd quarter 17-3, they allowed the Texans to score 20 unanswered points on 3 straight drives which totaled 204 yards. The Chiefs allowed nearly 500 yards of offense and allowed nearly 40 minutes of possession time keeping the high powered offense off the field and limited once they got on to the field. Regardless, the offense ranks 5th in points scored and 3rd in yardage when they are on the field.

The Broncos are coming off back to back wins after starting off 0-4. The convincing win against the roller coaster Titans was exactly what the team needed for a confidence boost heading into this matchup especially given that this offense has struggled even with the veteran Flacco and the young stud Phillip Lindsay. Flacco has been unimpressive in his 6 starts as he averages under 250 yards per game while also throwing only 6 TD’s but 5 picks. Lindsay has done what he can with his 397 yards and 4 TD’s but a poor 3rd down conversion percentage (33%) stalls drives early and puts the defense on the field for longer than they should be out there. Luckily even with all of that time spent on the field, they rank in the top 10 in points allowed (7th) and top 5 in yards allowed (4th). Still, beating a banged up Chargers team in their home isn’t special since the Chargers home games seem like road games to them and the Titans went ahead and benched Mariota even though he hadn’t thrown a pick all year coming into the game.

The Chiefs will have a tough time against the Broncos defensive front but with Hill back, don’t expect Mahomes to be under pressure all night once they start airing the ball out. Take the Chiefs to cover in the under, Chiefs 31-17.

NFL Week 6: Monday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Detroit Lions @ Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, 8:15 PM, ESPN (Packers -3.5, O/U: 46.5)

The Lions are coming off an early bye week in time to head to Green Bay with 2 weeks to prepare for the new look Packers offense. The Lions have been slow out of the gate as they’ve had some tough matchups early on and faired pretty well, especially in the Chiefs game. Even so, they’re middle of the road in most team statistical categories. The Lions defense however has stepped up to the plate this year ranking 10th in points allowed and in the top half of the league in turnovers caused and stingy in the redzone only allowing 8 TD’s in 16 trips (50%). Stafford has protected the ball well early and has looked fairly sharp (62.4% completions, 1,122 yards, 9TD’s and only 2 picks. Stafford’s line has done well protecting him as well, better than in years past as he’s only been sacked 7 times and has been able to conduct 2 4th quarter comebacks with 1 game winning drive in his 4 games. They need to get Kerryon Johnson going however as he’s only rushed for 264 yards, averaging 3.4 yards per carry and only 1 rushing TD.

The Packers are coming off another emotional win in Dallas as they move back home for a divisional rival game against an always tough Lions team who have had the better of the Pack in recent years. The Packers have quietly kept in the top half of the league on offense and only recently picked up the rushing game with the explosive performance given by Aaron Jones last week that culminated in 4 TD’s. The one aspect that the Packers have been killing teams is their redzone conversions. They rank 6th with 13 TD’s on 19 trips (68.4%). Rodgers is shockingly outside of the top 10 in passing due to a slow start and having an actual rushing game to utilize more. He’s protective as always with the ball with a 6TD to 1 pick ratio. Aaron Jones may only be averaging 60 yards a game but he’s making the most of his carries averaging 4 yards per carry and more than a 4th of them gaining key first downs but the shocking stat is his league leading 8 TD’s. Davante Adams is supposedly out a few weeks with a turf toe injury so that means more opportunities coming to the rest of the receiver depth like Valdes-Scantling, Allison, Graham, Lewis. The defense bounced back after a disappointing loss to the Eagles who took Green Bay’s rush defense to the woodshed in front of their own fans. It hasn’t negated the fact that they are still a top 10 defense. They are tied for 3rd in the league with 11 turnovers (7 off picks), and top 10 in sacks with 15.

Packers home field advantage is unlike 99% of the league where Vegas gives them a 4 point advantage instead of the traditional 3. Take the Packers to cover in the over, Packers 27-23.

NFL Week 6: Sunday Morning London Game Pick & Prediction

Carolina Panthers @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – London, 9:30 AM (Buccs +1, O/U: 47.5)

Kyle Allen has been keeping the Panthers season alive in the absence of Cam. He’s completed 67% of his passes and has been very careful with the ball, throwing 5 TD’s and 0 picks. The team has put a lot of work on Christian McCaffrey as well as he leads the league in yards from scrimmage (866) while leading the league in rushing yards (587) and tied for second in rushing TD’s (6). The defense is the 4th best against the pass, allowing just 985 yards. The Buccs have been keeping things interesting in the NFC South with wins against the Panthers and Rams. Jameis has been up and down but has looked better than seasons past under Arians (61.4 % completions, 1,371 yards and 11 TD’s with 5 picks). The big difference in this offense is that their efficient in passing downfield, averaging 13.4 yards per completion. The line needs more work as they’ve allowed 18 sacks (tied for 4th in the league). The emergence of Ronald Jones has been much needed for the run game. The team is middle of the league in rushing but Ronnie has shown flashes of what he can do when the line blocks well as he’s averaged 4.6 yards per carry. Their defense has been suspect however as they’ve allowed the 5th most points and yards in the league (148 and 1,967 yards) but caused 10 turnovers which ironically is also the 5th best in the league.

Take the Panthers to cover in the over, Panthers 27-24.