Things are getting tight in the NFL, despite the fact that it appears the quality of the league is at an all-time low. It’s a super start to a more than likely super career for Elliot, but let’s not dub him the chosen one just yet. Instead, add these trends to your overall knowledge base as you go about your selections.
Oakland and Denver are 5-1 outside the division.
Year to date: 64-65-4. The Seahawks are 7½-point underdogs at New England on Sunday night, and the result of that game could shape public perception going forward.
Dallas has been the NFL’s best team behind only New England in 2016, and it’s hard to pass up the opportunity to grab almost three points.
Cleveland: Since 1983, National Football League road underdogs or pick-’ems are 34-9 ATS in November following at least six straight losses.
Joe Flacco threw three touchdown passes for Baltimore (5-4).
Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars: The Texans are winless on the road, and it’s time for that to end. Playing at home, with a refocused Cam Newton, the Panthers will win a must-win game to keep their playoff hopes alive. They have won five of the past seven versus the Steelers, who are coming off a road loss to the Ravens but are 7-2 straight up in their last nine games as favorites. The division is virtually unwinnable for New England’s foes, and the AFC West figures to have at least two wild-card teams reach double-digit wins.
Oct 30, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints running back Tim Hightower (34) breaks a tackle by Seattle Seahawks free safety Earl Thomas (29) during the second half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
In their three home games this season, the Eagles have outscored their opponents 84-23, and have absolutely stomped all over opposing offenses. He has 163 yards and two touchdowns his last two games, and could provide some of the big plays that have been sorely lacking in the offense all season. Denver is 4-0 straight up and 3-1 against the spread in the past four meetings with the Saints. Now that the earth has fallen out from under Minnesota’s feet, so has Zimmer’s coach-of-the-year odds.
Green Bay Packers minus-2.5 at Tennessee Titans Packers will be the most lopsided-bet team on the board, but would need more than a field goal to roll with the Titans. Cleveland, the former home of the Ravens showed signs of life in their early season matchup, but this game will go the same way. Kansas City is 4-0.
Tampa Bay: The Bucs are 16-41 ATS in their last 57 home games.
As always, I’d love to hear what you’d pick differently in the comments, or through participation in the weekly Pick 4 competition in the forums.
” What a weird deal in San Diego on Sunday“. Giants coach Ben McAdoo led his team to a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9, and unlike Ryan, he made no concessions after the game.
49ers at Cardinals (-13.5): It’s going to be really hard justifying keeping Chip around after this season, even with the bad roster he has in San Fran. With the 4-4 Steelers facing their own adversity, this feels like a must win in Pittsburgh. A New England-Dallas showdown, with a line of 7, would attract a lot of underdog action in a Super Bowl nearly sure to break Nevada’s record wagering handle of $132.5 million.
Time, TV: 8:30 p.m., NBC.
The Patriots had a bye week in week 9. So it may be only a matter of time before a rookie quarterback wins one, and there you have one of the prospective story lines for Super Bowl LI, if the Cowboys and Patriots continue on their collision course.
There’s no arguing that the New England Patriots are the best team in the National Football League, and they should win at home against Seattle.
Bengals at Giants (Monday night game) – The Bengals are coming off a tie against Washington and a bye week. The same goes for the surprisingly efficient Andy Dalton and Cincinnati, which recently returned star tight end Tyler Eifert from injury to complement the ever risky A.J. Green.