Tag: Spread

NFL Week 6: Thursday Night Football Pick & Prediction

New York Giants @ New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Patriots -17, O/U: 41.5)

The Giants have been hanging in this season despite their absolutely horrendous defense. Their defense ranks 34rd to last in yards allowed with 2,047 yards however their offense are tops in the league with the highest percentage of drives that end in a turnover (20.4%).  That puts tired defenses back on the field to get torched.  Their defense still has output (5 picks, 6 fumbles recovered and 13 sacks) but when you’re on the field all the time, you’re bound to make plays but give up a ton of yards.  The Giants are also down to their 3rd string running back (Jon Hillman) with Saquon Barkley being out with a severe ankle sprain and Wayne Gallman has a concussion and is ruled out.  Daniel Jones is completing 64% of his passes but only averaging 248 yards in his 3 starts.  Barkley surely has made defenses solely focus on Jones as his yards have steadily declined with each game he’s started, 336 yards against the Buccs with Barkley, 225 against the Redskins & 182 yards against the Vikings, both games without Barkley.  Expect more of the same as he’s thrown his 3 picks in games without Barkley.

The Patriots absolutely destroy teams with bad defenses and they don’t ever let up against division rivals or teams that they have a grudge against. If you think the Pats forgot about the 2 super bowls that Eli stole from them, you’re sadly mistaken.  Eli has always played them tough and this will be the first meeting since before 2007 where the Giants will face the Patriots without Eli.  The Pats against Eli were 2-3 with the average game being decided by a mere 3 points!  The Patriots are the leagues top defense, which is rare for them at this point of the season and have only allowed 34 points in 5 weeks which is nearly half of the 49ers who are 2nd.  They’ve allowed the 2nd least amount of yards but tops in average yards allowed per play and are tied with the Steelers for the most turnovers created with 11 picks, 1 fumble recovered and an amazing 24 sacks (leading the NFL).  Brady hasn’t needed to be relied upon as much as the Pats usually do early in the season.  He still has top 10 stats in most categories and protecting the ball as he does with 10 TD’s against 2 picks.  Now, granted, they’ve probably had the softest schedule of any NFL team, outside of playing the Steelers and Bills, they’ve played 3 of the leagues worst and you might as well add the Giants to that since they are bottom half of the league in most categories.  Lastly, Brady passed Brett Favre on the all-time yards list last week, it’s Favre’s 50th birthday today and tonight Brady only needs 18 more yards to pass Peyton Manning for 2nd all-time (how ironic).

Take the Patriots to cover in the under, Patriots 31-10.

NFL Week 5: Monday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Cleveland Browns @ San Francisco 49ers, Levi’s Stadium, 8:15 PM, ESPN (49ers -4.5, O/U: 48.5)

The Browns are hit or miss.  There’s a lot of characters involved with that roster, the big ego’s on the offense (Baker & OBJ) are exhausting and smothering the news on this team.  Baker has his moments but still makes poor “gunslinger” throws that get picked because he’s no Favre.  He’s completed just 59% of his passes and has 4 TD’s to 6 picks.  He can make plays, he can be fluid in the pocket, albeit better to the right than left.  Decision making is his big fault.  He does thrive on hyped up games where his talent is called into question which is what I feel his performance last week was based on adrenaline due to the comparison to Lamar Jackson and the story being pushed, who was a better draft pick?  OBJ was kept silent while the other big threat, Landry went off for season high 8 catches and career best 167 yards before sustaining a concussion to which he was released from concussion protocol late last week so expect to see him on the field.  The Browns defense are middle of the road for points and yards allowed however they are doing very well for themselves on the turnover side of things with 4 picks, 3 forced fumbles, 4 recovered fumbles and then 14 sacks to top all of that.  

Jimmy Garappolo is having a good start to the season as he’s completed 69% but his yardage is light with just 739 yards in 3 games and 5 TD’s to 4 picks but you have to remember, he was out all last year basically so the rust is expected.  Kyle Shanahan will have him up to speed starting with this game as he’s going to need to be extra sharp with the Browns defense even minus Ward in their secondary.  The team is surprisingly near the top in points scored, 2nd in the league with 96 in just 3 weeks as well as being 4th in team yards.  The defense has also been surprisingly strong, near the tops in the league in most team defensive stats including 3 picks, 3 forced fumbles, 5 recovered fumbles and 9 sacks.  Breida and Mostert will need to continue their tag team style who have combined for 428 yards on 75 carries, averaging 5.7 yards per carry.  Expect to see a strong outing for a fresh 49ers team at home.

Take the 49ers to cover in the over, 49ers 28-21.

NFL Week 5: Sunday Games Picks, Predictions & Colin Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5

Arizona Cardinals @ Cincinnati Bengals, Paul Brown Stadium, 1:00 PM (Bengals -3, O/U: 46.5)

The Cardinals have looked choppy at times through games, mostly in the first half but have seemingly come out in the second half and putting things together on offense. The Bengals are going to be without Green and Ross on the outside and thus basically have no weapons. Both teams have bad offensive lines but Murray has the ability to move out of the pocket and still has Kirk and Fitzgerald to throw to. Take the Cardinals to cover and win outright, in the under, Cardinals 24-17.

Atlanta Falcons @ Houston Texans, NRG Stadium, 1:00 PM (Texans -4, O/U: 49.5)

No one can explain why the Falcons aren’t performing well with the personnel they have. Quinn seems to be on the hotseat given the weak start by the club. Their redzone figures are horrendous and their running game is non-existent which is why Ryan has thrown for over 300 yards in all 4 games. The Falcons have also committed the most penalties in the league. The Texans are coming off a bad loss to a backup quarterback at home. The Texans couldn’t move the ball and Watson was sacked 6 times which brings the season total to 18 times sacked in 4 games. Watson has taken care of the ball while completing 65% of his passes with 6 TD’s and 1 pick. The defense has been pretty good, ranking 10th in least points allowed while also forcing 8 fumbles, recovering 8 fumbles and snagging 13 sacks. Take the Texans to cover in the win and in the over, 28-23.

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz Field, 1:00 PM (Steelers +3, O/U: 43.5)

The Ravens are coming off of 2 losses where Jackson has looked more human. He’s thrown for 596 yards for 7 TD’s and zero picks against the Dolphins and Cardinals but in the last 2 games against the Chiefs and Browns (better defenses) he’s thrown for 517 yards, 3 TD’s and 2 picks. They are still scoring (top ranked offense) but are allowing big time yardage on defense (bottom 3rd in the league on defese). The Steelers have been bottom 3rd in the league on offense as it’s evident that missing Ben, Bell and Brown have significantly hurt. Conner woke up a bit against the Bengals however it didn’t blow anyone away. The defense has kept the Steelers in 2 of 3 of their losses even though they’ve even been middle of the road compared to the rest of the league. Take the Ravens to cover in the over, Ravens 28-17.

Buffalo Bills @ Tennessee Titans, Nissan Stadium, 1:00 PM (Titans -3.5, O/U: 39.5)

The Bills Defense has really stepped up this season. They’re 5th in the league in least points allowed and 2nd in yards allowed. They’re passing has been middle of the road but the rushing duo of Gore and Singletary has been top 5 in most rushing categories. Allen has been shacky to start the season, with only having 3 TD’s against 6 picks. The Titans are an up and down team offensively, very inconsistent. The one consistent that has been very evident is that Mariota has thrown for 7 TD’s and zero picks. The offense has been pretty efficient, ranking 25 in yards but 13 in points scored. The defense is also ranked in the top half of the league. The one thing the Bills can do is make offenses make mistakes or stall their drives. Take the Bills to win outright and cover in the under, Bills 21-17.

Chicago Bears @ Oakland Raiders, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – London, 1:00 PM (Raiders +6, O/U: 40.5)

Take the Bears to win but the Raiders cover in the under, Bears 20-17.

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Carolina Panthers, Bank of America Stadium, 1:00 PM (Panthers -3, O/U: 40.5)

Take the Jaguars to cover in the win in the over, Jags 24-21.

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants, MetLife Stadium, 1:00 PM (Giants +6, O/U: 43.5)

Take the Vikings to win but the Giants to cover in the over, Vikings 27-24.

New England Patriots @ Washington Redskins, FedEx Field, 1:00 PM (Redskins +16, O/U: 41.5)

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

New York Jets @ Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field, 1:00 PM (Eagles -14, O/U: 43.5)

Take the Eagles to cover in the under, Eagles 27-9.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints, Mercedes-Benz Superdome, 1:00 PM (Saints -3, O/U: 47.5)

Take the Saints to cover in the under, Saints 27-20.

Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers, StubHub Center, 4:05 PM (Chargers -5.5, O/U: 44.5)

Take the Chargers to cover in the over, Chargers 31-24.

Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, 4:25 PM (Cowboys -3.5, O/U: 46.5)

Take the Packers to cover in the win, in the over, Packers 27-24.

Indianapolis Colts @ Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium, 8:20 PM, NBC (Chiefs -10.5, O/U: 55.5)

Take the Chiefs to cover in the over, Chiefs 35-23.

Colin Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5:

  • Arizona at Cincinnati – Arizona (+3)
  • Tampa Bay at New Orleans – New Orleans (-3)
  • Minnesota at NY Giants – Minnesota (-4.5)
  • Chicago at Oakland – Chicago (-4.5)
  • Green Bay at Dallas – Green Bay (+3.5)

NFL Week 5: Thursday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Los Angeles Rams @ Seattle Seahawks, CenturyLink Field, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Seahawks -1.5, O/U: 49.5)

The talk of the town has been how the Rams might have the super bowl hangover.  Goff is 6 TD’s to 6 picks and only just passed for 300+ yards just last week in a shootout with the Buccs of all teams.  Goff finished with 517 yards and threw 68 passes mainly because Todd Gurley has been in a massive decline.  Gurley has steadily declined in yards each of the first 4 games of the season and only carried the ball 5 times due to lack of effectiveness and because they were behind big early.  Goff has had trouble in his career against the Seahawks, averaging less than 200 yards and averaging 1 TD and 1 pick in 6 meetings.  but the defense has kept them in all of their games as they’ve recovered 3 fumbles, picked 4 passes and added 10 sacks.

What can I say about Russell Wilson?  Everyone wrote this team off before the season and after nearly losing to the Bengals in week one but Wilson has protected the ball and made this offense work with a bunch of no name guys and rookies.  Completing 73% of his passes with 8 TD’s and zero picks while still pushing the ball down the field averaging 9.8 yards per attempt/11.8 yards per completion. has lead the team to a 3-1 start.  Russell doesn’t usually throw for a ton of yards because they do like to use the power run game and he likes to scramble a bit so his averages in 14 games doesn’t really matter but the record does.  He’s 2-4 against Goff and 6-8 overall against the Rams.  The defense has also been a turnover machine with 2 picks (including Jadeveon Clowney’s pick 6) and 7, yes count them, 7 fumble recoveries.  They’ve been average everywhere else on pass and rush yards allowed.  Keep an eye on rookie standout D.K. Metcalf who has 10 catches for 223 yards and a TD.  He’s only averaging about 5 targets per game but only had 1 catch for 6 yards last week.  They may need to air it out more than usual and he’s a big time deep threat.

Expect the Seahawks to defend the 12th man better than their previous 2 home games.  Take the Seahawks to win in the over, Seahawks 27-24.

NFL Week 4: Monday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Cincinnati Bengals @ Pittsburgh Steelers, Heinz Field, 8:15 PM, ESPN (Steelers -4, O/U: 45.5)

The Bengals are reeling after another tough road loss against the Bills last week. Only being blown out at home against the 49ers, the Bengals have lost their 2 road games by a combined 5 points. Andy Dalton is 4th in the league in passing with 979 yards, 5 TD’s and 3 picks while completing 63% of his passes. He’s been without AJ Green (who is expected to be out until at least week 7) but have had John Ross (13 catches for 292 yards, 3 TD’s) and Tyler Boyd (24 catches for 250 yards) step up to fill his shoes together. Their issues have been lack of Mixon’s rushing game (87 yards on 32 carries) and their rush defense which has given up 168.7 yards per game)

The Steelers are living a very similar story where they’ve had 2 close loses of 6 points combined yet were blown out by the Pats in week one. Shockingly, with Big Ben getting hurt in week 2, the Steelers have managed to stay in both games with their backup, Mason Rudolph. Mason has only completed 57% of his passes but has limited turnovers with 4 pass TD’s and 2 picks. Still, the offense has struggled mightily, averaging 204 yards through the air and 64 yards rushing with Conner only averaging 2.9 yards on 34 carries and 97 yards. The offense isn’t the only one struggling as the defense has given up 303 yards through the air and 139 yards on the ground per game. It has been an ugly start with seeing Big Ben go out with injury, Bell and Brown leaving the offense all in the same season. The Steelers are struggling in a way that could hamper them until the end.

This game will be absolutely nasty as both teams are looking up at the Pound Puppies leading the division…yes, you read that right, 4 weeks in, the Browns are leading the division. Take the Bengals to finally get a road win against a virtually hapless Steelers, Bengals cover in the under, Bengals 20-14.

NFL Week 4:Thursday Night Football Pick & Prediction

Philadelphia Eagles @ Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, 8:20 PM, FOX/NFLN (Packers -4, O/U: 47.5)

The Eagles are coming off of a tough loss at home against the Lions where they had a second dropped pass that could’ve lead to a win (first happened in week 2 at Atlanta).  Alshon Jeffery is back in the lineup tonight after missing last week and most of the Falcons game, coming out early in the first quarter with a calf injury. Nelson Agholor was looked at often in Jeffery’s absence, seeing about a dozen targets the last few weeks and hauling in 3 scores.  They’ll expect him to continue to contribute, but hopefully with less drops.  The defense is lacking however and will be without Ronald Darby which will hurt the secondary even more as they’re ranked 29th in pass yards allowed.  Wentz by the numbers: 2019, 61 completion %, 803 yards, 6 TD’s and 2 INT’s.  He’s a career 2.5:1 TD to INT ratio and on Thursday nights he’s 3-0 with 61 completion % with 7 TD’s and 1 INT and a 104.5 QB rating.  His road numbers however are 8-13 with a 1.78:1 TD to INT ratio.

The Rodgers led Packers isn’t hyped by a high flying offense this year even though they woke up a bit last week.  The defense is showing off with having the 2nd best defense in points allowed with just 35.  They recorded 12 sacks and 6 turnovers in the first 3 weeks.  The Packers at home on Thursday nights since 2012 are 4-0 and won each game by at least 13 points (2012 v Bears 23-10, 2014 v Vikings 42-10, 2016 v Bears 26-10 & 2017 v Bears 35-14). Rodgers by the numbers: 2019: 61 completion %, 647 yards, 4 TD’s and 0 INT’s.  Over his career he’s just over 4:1 TD to INT ratio.  Thursday nights he’s 9-4 with a 67 completion %, a 6.75:1 TD to INT ratio and a 106 QB Rating.  At home he has a 66 completion % and a 5.57:1 TD to INT ratio and 107.7 QB rating with a record of 66-17-1.

The stats and recent history lean heavily in Green Bay’s favor.  Take the Packers to cover in the over, Packers 31-24.

Week 3: Monday Night Football

Chicago Bears @ Washington Redskins, FedEx Field, 8:15 PM, ESPN (Redskins +5.5, O/U: 41.5)

The Bears should scare you.  Their defense surely should scare you because they’re pretty good but this offense should scare you as in anemic, hard to watch, lacking.  Trubisky has yet to throw a touchdown but has a pick.  He’s only accumulated 348 passing yards and averaging only 4.8 yards per attempt while only completing just 58% of his passes.  That means he’s relegated to dink and dunk passes and still can’t get the offense going.  The rushing game hasn’t been there either with only amassing 118 yards on 36 carries for 3.2 yards per rush between 3 backs.  The Redskins have an 0-2 record but given the 2 divisional juggernauts (Eagles week 1, Cowboys week 2), and how they weren’t necessarily blown out of either game, things aren’t looking too bad after losing Alex Smith late last year.  Keenum’s numbers look like his 1 really good year with the Vikings, completing 69% of his passes for 601 yards, 5 TD’s and no picks.  Terry McLaurin has been the early favorite target as he has 10 catches fro 187 yards and 2 TD’s.  The rushing game has yet to come through as Guice is back to being injured after week 1 and AP couldn’t get going last week either after being marked as a healthy scratch week 1.  Given the Redskins defense ranking 30th in points and yards allowed, this one might get ugly but the Bears might be on the losing side of this one when the clock hits 0 because of their inept offense.  Take the Redskins to cover in the under, Redskins 24-17.

NFL Week 3: Sunday Picks, Predictions & Colin Cowherd’s Blazin’ 5

Atlanta Falcons @ Indianapolis Colts, Lucas Oil Stadium, 1:00 PM, CBS (Colts -1.5, O/U: 47.5)

Brissett is off to a great start even though he’s only thrown for 336 yards but he has completed 64% of his passes with 5 TD’s and only 1 pick. TY has been his biggest target, nearly racking up half of those passing yards and 3 of those TD’s. TY is listed as questionable but it’s the Colts’ first home game without Luck so expect that crowd to be very supportive of a 1-1 team looking to beat a solid Falcons team to move above .500. The Falcons looked horrible in Minnesota and barely held off a very banged up Eagles team at home. With essentially no running game, they’ve had to heavily rely on Matty-Ice very early on and he’s been up and down. Ryan has completed 67% of his passes but is 1:1 on the TD/INT ratio (5/5). Take the Colts to cover in the win, in the under, Colts 23-20.

Baltimore Ravens @ Kansas City Chiefs, Arrowhead Stadium, 1:00 PM, CBS (Chiefs -5.5, O/U: 52.5)

You can’t crown Lamar Jackson just yet. He’s taken it to the weak Dolphins and barely pushed past the lacking Cardinals. He’s played well, completing 72% of his passes for 596 yards, 7 TD’s and no picks. He’s going to go pass for pass with Mahomes but Mahomes has better weapons. It might not have looked like it but the Chiefs struggled 3 out of 4 quarters against the Raiders. A massive record breaking 2nd quarter pushed Patrick and the Chiefs to a lead they would hold the rest of the game. Back at home, the Chiefs will look to assert their explosiveness again. Take the Chiefs to cover in the win, in the over, Chiefs 34-24.

Cincinnati Bengals @ Buffalo Bills, New Era Field, 1:00 PM, CBS (Bills -6, O/U: 43.5)

I don’t know what to make of the Bengals. Dalton has over 700 yards, 4TD’s/1 INT and completed 66% of his passes. The running game has lacked severely which only has 54 yards between their 2 backs. John Ross has emerged as the top target in Green’s absence. A close lose to the Seahawks on the road but a bad loss at home vs the 49ers has everyone wondering who they really are. The Bills will be without stud rookie running back Devin Singletary. Josh Allen has been grinding through the first 2 games, not playing stellar but efficient enough to win both games on the road. The Bills Mafia will be in full hysteria over a 2-0 start. Take the Bills to win but the Bengals to cover in the under, Bills 20-17.

Denver Broncos @ Green Bay Packers, Lambeau Field, 1:00 PM, FOX (Packers -7.5, O/U: 43.5)

The Broncos have had a rough start to the season after an opening night loss to the Raiders and a heartbreaking loss to the Bears last week. Flacco has looked every bit as mediocre as his time in Baltimore but have had good support from the running game with the surprise leading rusher being Royce Freeman. The defense has not been able to record a sack even with star Von Miller. The Packers are off to a fast start even though the first game was very rocky for the new offense but to start 2-0 against a very good Bears and Vikings defenses is a huge start. A big issue with the offense is the sacks allowed and the pressure Rodgers has seen early on. They’ve allowed 7 sacks for negative 55 yards which has contributed to being 7/27 on 3rd downs and 9 three and out drives. The defense has proven how much their improved and that’s really what has helped them stay in games as they continue to get in sync with the new offense. Take the Packers to cover in the win, in the over, Packers 30-21.

Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles, Lincoln Financial Field, 1:00 PM, FOX (Eagles -5.5, O/U: 45.5)

The Lions are coming off a hard fought win against the Chargers at home. Stafford has been very efficient early on as Kerryon Johnson has a slower start to the season than he would like. Stafford has been hooking up with Golladay and rookie tight end sensation TJ Hockenson (even though he only had 1 catch on 3 targets for only 7 yards in week 2). The defense is off to a fast start with 6 sacks and 2 picks. The Eagles are really banged up, so banged up that they had to cancel practice and just do a walk through during the week. No Desean Jackson, Jordan Mailata, or Corey Clement after last weeks rash of injuries. Still banged up but at least probable or questionable to play is Alshon Jeffery and Dallas Goedert. All of whom were injured, most in the 1st quarter of last weeks game. Wentz has been rusty to start and even took a few shots that fans were hoping he’d be ok from but with fast starts with Jackson, Ertz and Agholor, it’s only a matter of time until he is on fire, so long as he can stay healthy. Take the Lions to cover in the win, in the under, Lions 23-21.

Miami Dolphins @ Dallas Cowboys, AT&T Stadium, 1:00 PM, FOX (Cowboys -22, O/U: 46.5)

In my opinion, no analysis is going to persuade you in this one. Take the Cowboys to cover and in the under, Cowboys 30-10.

New York Jets @ New England Patriots, Gillette Stadium, 1:00 PM, CBS (Patriots -21, O/U: 43.5)

I have a similar feeling about the Jets as I do the Dolphins except the Jets have Le’Veon Bell. Like my prediction with the Pats/Dolphins last week, expect the Pats to run up the score on a divisional foe. With Belichick, the uglier the score, the better. Take the Patriots to cover and in the over, Patriots 35-13.

Oakland Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings, U.S. Bank Stadium, 1:00 PM, FOX (Vikings -9, O/U: 43.5)

Take the Raiders to cover but the Vikings to win in the over, Vikings 27-20.

Carolina Panthers @ Arizona Cardinals, University of Phoenix Stadium, 4:05 PM, FOX (Cardinals -2.5, O/U: 44.5)

Take the Cardinals to cover in the under, Cardinals 23-20.

New York Giants @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Raymond James Stadium, 4:05 PM, FOX (Buccs -6, O/U: 47.5)

Take the Giants to cover in the win, in the under, Giants 24-20.

Houston Texans @ Los Angeles Chargers, StubHub Center, 4:25 PM, CBS (Chargers -3 O/U: 49.5)

Take the Chargers to cover in the over, Chargers 28-24.

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks, CenturyLink Field, 4:25 PM, CBS (Seahawks -4.5, O/U: 45.5)

Take the Seahawks to cover in the under, Seahawks 27-17.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ San Francisco 49ers, Levi’s Stadium, 4:25 PM, CBS (49ers -6.5, O/U: 44.5)

Take the 49ers to win but the Steelers to cover in the under, 49ers 27-21.

Los Angeles Rams @ Cleveland Browns, FirstEnergy Stadium, 8:20 PM, NBC (Browns +3, O/U: 47.5)

Take the Rams to cover in the over, Rams 31-24.

Colin Cowherd’s Blazing 5:

  • Baltimore at Kansas City – Kansas City (-5)
  • Detroit at Philadelphia – Detroit (+6)
  • NY Giants at Tampa Bay – NY Giants (+6)
  • Pittsburgh at San Francisco – Pittsburgh (+6.5)
  • LA Rams at Cleveland – LA Rams (-3.5)

NFL Week 3: Thursday Night Football Prediction & Pick

Tennessee Titans @ Jacksonville Jaguars, TIAA Bank Field, 8:20 PM, NFLN (Jaguars +1.5, O/U: 38.5)

The Titans have been a bit unpredictable to start the season with clubbing the Browns and bursting their hype bubble in their own home to coming back home and falling to the Andrew Luck-less Colts. Mariota has been careful with the ball throwing zero picks but just barely cracked the 400 yard mark.  The workhorse has been Derrick Henry averaging just under 5 yards per carry and found the end zone 3 times (2 rushing TD’s, 1 receiving TD’s).  The defense has played well, holding opponents to being 8/24 on 3rd downs, have only allowed 365 passing yards through the first 2 games, caused 5 turnovers (4 INT’s, 1 fumble recovery)which leads the league in turnover differential (+5) and have only allowed 32 points which is good for 6th least allowed in the league.  Issues I see are that they’re only 3/20 on 3rd down, the o-line has also been sacked 8 times, and have allowed the 7th most yards per game on the ground.

There’s really not much I can say about the Jaguars other than that in most stat categories, they’re middle of the road or leaning towards the bottom 3rd in the league.  Gardner Minshew looked ok in his first NFL regular season action and has completed a fantastic 77.6% of his passes with 3 TD’s and a INT.  He’s also able to make up for the lack of rushing attack from once highly touted Fournette, with 7 carries for 62 yards and actually has a team long 21 yard carry.  DJ Chark (11-201-2TD’s) and Chris Conley (10-170-1TD) have been the teams leading receivers.  Big issues I see with the Jags are having a mediocre offense now being lead by a rookie, tied for the 3rd worst turnover differential (-3).

Take the Titans to cover in the win and in the under, Titans 21-13.

NFL Week 2 Recap with Splits

Week 2 seemed to have a theme in many games, INJURY!  I swear, in the picks I felt pretty good and sure about that were going to be “WOW” picks, key injuries mostly hurt my week.  Us fans even lose out on some big names, mostly at quarterbacks for weeks, months or even the whole season.  A flat week but not a losing week at 8-8 but lets break it down.  Here’s where I was right:

  • The Bills defense looks good and their young running back looks legit.  Josh Allen is the real deal and we could see the Bills vying for a wildcard spot at seasons end.
  • Brissett can lead this team.  Road games in back to back weeks to kick off their season right after Andrew Luck peaces out right before the end of the pre-season, and they take the Chargers to OT in LA and upset the Titans in their house to start 1-1 but 2-0 against the spread.
  • Green Bay’s defense and run game look alive.  Aaron is still working out the kinks in the new offense but hey, Packers are 2-0.
  • Patriots running up the score on wounded divisional animals, is nothing new.  They also love beating dead ones over and over which the Dolphins are, dead.
  • I can sit here and say I was right about the Rams -2 at home, which I was, but that game started off A LOT closer that I imagined.  Another blown call against the Saints didn’t help, as it took a score off the board for them.  Brees out early in this one helped as well.
  • Chargers are the best road team over the last few years but missing key guys that helped them win all of those road games in the past few years now hurts their chances at continuing that trend.
  • I’m not going to lie, flipped a coin on the Bears.  I didn’t like Colin Cowherd’s pick on this game and it almost bit me.  I hate to put my trust in Trubisky, especially given the Broncos defense and even after reading my write up on this game, it sounded like I was going to lean Broncos.  I’m just also not a Flacco fan.  Got lucky.

Now, Where I was wrong:

  • Cam is not looking good at all and maybe his shoulder is still bothering him but he looked awful and Winston outplayed him, which is sad.
  • The Ravens weren’t as explosive against the Cardinals.  They should be exciting all season to watch and I feel like this was just a fluke game against a below average team.
  • Texans barely made it past Gardner Minshew even with the high powered offense lead by Watson.  Watson was ducking sackers all game long and it seems much of the same as last year.  That line is bad for Watson and he might get hurt again because of it.
  • In a pick’em and after they nearly beat a good Seahawks team in Seattle, I thought the Bengals could at least beat a 49ers team that doesn’t have a good back or a decent/proven receiver for Jimmy G other than Kittle.  I was dead wrong and dead wrong by a lot!
  • Well, the injury bug put me behind the 8 ball in this one and as soon as Big Ben came out, I figured this one was all but done however, Mason Rudolph kept them in it, shockingly.  With Big Ben, I think this would’ve been a cover for me.
  • If you looked at this matchup and told me that the Raiders would hold the Chiefs scoreless in 3 quarters, I would’ve called you crazy.  Turns out, they only need one to blow the doors off the game but give credit to the Raiders for not letting this get ugly.  Take out the huge chunk plays/TD’s and you’ll see that this was a well fought game by the Black Hole.
  • Did I mention the injury bug already?  Yeah, that was evident in the Eagles game during warm ups when Goddert went down with a foot injury, then lost both Jeffery and Jackson in the 1st quarter, for the rest of the game.  Still, Wentz nearly brought this one to the win column for me on the final drive but it wasn’t meant to be.
  • Not many times will I expect a backup to still lead a team to cover a game but it was against the Browns.  Losing Siemian halfway through the 2nd quarter didn’t help (there’s that damn injury bug again), but Falk looked good.  It kick started the running game as they handed off to Bell the next 5 plays.  Falk couldn’t move the ball down the field however, only averaging 3.9 yards passing through the air before the catch is made, meaning lots and lots of short check down, dink and dunk passes.

We slipped this week to 8-8 but we’ll bounce back.  Check out the results and splits below.

NFL Week 2 Results

NFL Week 2 Results Splits