The lines are from covers.com and the home teams are in CAPs.
Las Vegas -6 over L.A. RAMS
You can only laugh at the Raiders’ ineptitude of losing to a team that essentially started a QB that just joined the team on Tuesday.
DETROIT -2.5 over Minnesota
It’s crazy, but it just might work. The 5-7 Lions are unlikely favourites against the 10-2 Vikings and we’re still going to go with Detroit. Then Lions defence has actually been impressive over the past four weeks, especially against the pass. While this could totally end up being a mismatch, the books might just know something we don’t.
New York Jets +9.5 over BUFFALO
With some snow in the forecast for Sunday, we could see offence take a hit in this one. If that’s the case, taking this large amount of points is a decent option. While the Jets fell short in Minnesota last week, they had two chances to win it late but came up empty. If that’s the case here, at least we’ll get a cover.
Baltimore +2.5 over PITTSBURGH
This line seems like a slight over-reaction to Lamar Jackson’s injury. He hasn’t exactly been lighting it up over recent weeks and Tyler Huntley has proven to be a capable replacement when called upon. While the Steelers have been able to get the ground game going in recent weeks, but haven’t faced a defence as good as Baltimore’s.
NEW YORK GIANTS +7 over Philadelphia
The Eagles were flying high against the Titans last week, but facing a division rival that is slowly sliding out of the playoffs is a different animal. These two sides hate each other and will be in fight mode. While the Eagles may just outclass the hosts, we’re backing the Giants for a backdoor cover.
CINCINNATI -6 over Cleveland
While the Browns lay a beating on the Bengals earlier this season, both teams are in different places right now. Deshaun Watson looked incredibly rusty in his debut last week while the Bengals are firing on all cylinders right now. Look for Joe Burrow and Co. to keep rolling.
Jacksonville +4 over TENNESSEE
Firstly, we’re only backing the Jags if Trevor Lawrence plays, because backing CJ Beathard on the road against a playoff team is a no-go. Derrick Henry hasn’t been getting a chance to really get going and with Treylon Burks in concussion protocol, the Tennessee offence struggles.
Houston +16 over DALLAS
Things are looking pretty grim for the Texans these days, who didn’t even get up for a game against hated ex-QB Deshaun Watson last week. But with a game against cross-state rival Dallas and Davis Mills back under centre, we think they at least have a little hope of covering this massive spread.
Kansas City -9.5 over DENVER
The Chiefs can’t give up any more ground if they want to grab the top seed in the AFC and a bye in the playoffs. The Broncos quite simply can’t score, with one of the worst offences in decades. Stopping Patrick Mahomes is going to be too tough a task for even this great defensive unit.
SEATTLE -3.5 over Carolina
The Seahawks are slowly sliding out of playoff contention and need to right the ship. Carolina isn’t lying down despite looking ahead to next year, but backing Sam Darnold on the road in Seattle is tough.
SAN FRANCISCO -3.5 over Tampa Bay
It’s Brock Purdy vs. Tom Brady, the matchup everyone wanted to see, right? The thing is that the QBs aren’t the main focus. The 49ers defence has been outstanding during their recent run and the weapons they have are difficult to contain. There’s also a big coaching advantage in San Fran’s favour.
Miami -3 over L.A. CHARGERS
The Dolphins stayed out on the West Coast to prep for this one and, by all accounts, there should be a lot of their fans in attendance at SoFi Stadium. The Chargers are just scraping by thanks to Justin Herbert’s heroics, but there are just too many concerns to back the hosts against this high-powered Dolphins offence.
ARIZONA +1.5 over New England
One of the big things that has caused the Patriots issues this season has been mobile QBs. If Kyler Murray can get out and running a bit, it will be bad news for the visitors. While Arizona’s home record is far from sparkling, we’ll take them as a dog here.
Last week: 8-7
This season: 92-97-6
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