Cover photo taken from Tom’s Guide.
Last Week: 10-3
Season Total: 80-54-1
Panthers 23-20 Falcons 
Thursday, 8:15 PM EST, Prime Video
If this game has a fraction of the drama of the first meeting between these two teams, then TNF will be appointment television. While I don’t see that being the case, I think this game will be pretty close if nothing else. The Panthers will likely be out for revenge on the Falcons, considering they should have beaten them two weeks ago if it weren’t for the penalty on DJ Moore after he caught PJ Walker’s late touchdown. This is a team that has played solid since they started blowing it up except for last week’s collapse in Cincinnati. I think they’ll be able to come back home and bounce back against an Atlanta team that I just have no idea what to make of at this point.
Seahawks 21-16 Buccaneers 
Sunday, 9:30 AM EST, NFL Network
I understand why the Buccaneers are favored in this game. It’s pretty hard to pick against them here. They’re coming off a much-needed win, and the energy around the team feels different now. Their defense is playing great ball as well. But, all of that can be said about Seattle, who is riding a 4-game winning streak, playing great defense themselves, and is much better offensively. I need to see them be stopped to believe that they can be stopped. I’ve been raving about their winning formula for weeks now, and I think it’s going to carry them to victory once again. If the Seahawks can wear Tampa down with Kenneth Walker and Geno Smith doesn’t make mistakes, they should be able to win this one with ease.
Bills 27-17 Vikings 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I think the Vikings are a good team. A great team even. I don’t think their 7-1 record is as much of a fugazi as everyone else does. That being said, I think they’re going to be completely overmatched in this game. The Bills are coming off a very tough road loss to a divisional opponent and have played pretty subpar football for the last six quarters. I think this is a tremendous opportunity for them to come back home and smack a great team to get back on track. Minnesota’s pass defense hasn’t been great all year long, so Josh Allen should have a field day after struggling against the Jets last week. Both of these teams need this win to show us all that they’re capable of being as great as we think they can be, but I’d wager that Buffalo needs it more. In this circumstance, I think they’re going to get it in dominant fashion.
Bears 23-20 Lions 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
The Bears are playing great offense right now thanks to the surge of Justin Fields as both a thrower and a runner. Their defense has been struggling since trading away their key pieces, but considering their opponent this week, they should have a bounce back day. The Lions are utterly incompetent offensively on the road, and while these divisional games are always tight, I don’t trust the Lions to overcome their own offensive woes. Moreover, I just think Fields will be too much for their defense to handle. He has been sensational in recent weeks, but they only have one win to show for it. Chicago deserves this one.
Broncos 17-14 Titans 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
I don’t even know what the total is in this game, but no matter what it is, just take the under. This game is going to be dominated by the two sensational defenses. We still don’t know if Ryan Tannehill is going to suit up for the Titans, but even if he does, I don’t trust him or this Tennessee offense to move the ball on Denver. And I simply never trust the Broncos offense to do anything, even off a bye. The reason I’m picking the Titans is because they’re at home and are coming off a very tough road loss. I think they’ll use this game as an opportunity to bounce back from their 5-game winning streak being snapped and ride their defense to get back in the win column.
AUDIBLE: Tennessee is going to be without major pieces on their defense such as Jeffery Simmons and Bud Dupree, so I’m simply swapping the pick to Denver instead. They’re a popular bet this weekend for a reason, and that reason just got a lot more convincing.
Chiefs 31-14 Jaguars 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
There’s not much to this one. The Jaguars have been playing well as of late, but it means nothing. They typically can’t even overcome themselves, so how are they supposed to overcome the Chiefs at Arrowhead? Patrick Mahomes is going to shred this team alive. I think the X factor here is Travis Etienne for Jacksonville. If he can produce like he usually does against a stout Chiefs front, then maybe the Jags have a chance. But if he gets stifled, then this one will be over quickly.
Dolphins 26-20 Browns 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
The Browns played their best game of the season going into the bye and now come out of it with a road trip down to Miami. It feels like a good matchup for them on paper, so I think this one will be close for the most part. But it’s simply impossible for me to pick against the Dolphins with how scorching hot they are offensively. While Cleveland has a solid defense, nobody has been able to stop these WRs all year long. I doubt they’ll be the first. I don’t love Miami’s defense, and I think Nick Chubb is about to feast on them all game long, but I think they can make enough plays in the secondary against Jacoby Brissett to win this one in the end.
Giants 20-13 Texans 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, CBS
Look here! Another cakewalk of a victory for the Giants against an awful team! What a great schedule! By all accounts, the Giants win this one in a blowout. But, they never exactly look convincing, so I already know the Texans are going to hang around for a while in this one before New York uses a couple of 4th quarter drives to win it. It’s going to be extremely boring and remarkably predictable and I am going to hate it.
Steelers 17-16 Saints 
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST, FOX
I don’t want to pick this game at all. It’s a total nightmare for me. I want to pick the Saints because I think teams typically bounce back after awful primetime performances (see their TNF loss to Arizona and following shutout of Las Vegas). At the same time, I like Mike Tomlin’s Steelers at home off a bye. This is perhaps the worst Steelers team Tomlin has ever had, but to their credit, they’ve been very competitive at home, including a win over Tampa. I just don’t know what to make of the Saints at QB, and with the Steelers likely getting TJ Watt back, their defense should feast on New Orleans’ offensive line like Baltimore just did. I hate everything about this game, but I feel comfortable with this pick.
Raiders 27-10 Colts 
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST, CBS
This game is going to go one of two ways. Either the Jeff Saturday era in Indy begins disastrously thanks to a blowout at the hands of one of the worst teams in the NFL or it’s going to start surprisingly well by notching an unexpected, tough, hard-fought win. I personally think the former is more likely. I have absolutely no faith in the Raiders anymore, but surely they can win a game like this. Their offense is dealing with a ton of injuries and their defense is abhorrent, but come on. The Colts are an unmitigated disaster all around without a real head coach, playcaller, or QB, and they just got smoked last week. I don’t know what their winning formula is at this point. But maybe, just maybe, they show us something we haven’t seen before in this game. If that happens, then the Raiders franchise should just fold on the spot.
Cowboys 23-20 Packers 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX
Believe it or not, I actually really wanted to pick the Packers here. I think this is a huge spot for them, and them getting a win at home against a great team to turn their season around feels more likely than not. But then I remembered that they’re the 2022 Packers who do absolutely nothing well and are likely going to be put in a chokehold by Dallas and their great defense. So, I’m meeting in the middle. I see the Cowboys winning this one close after the Packers put up their best fight in months. I don’t know why I feel like the Packers are going to be competitive in this game seeing as though their last home performance was a blowout loss to the Jets. I just know that Aaron Rodgers always shows up against the Cowboys. This time, it won’t be enough. I like the Cowboys defense too much, and I think their offense will do just enough to put them over the top.
Rams 20-17 Cardinals 
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST, FOX
This might be the biggest mid-off of the entire season. Both of these teams are mid enough, but considering that both Matt Stafford and Kyler Murray are dealing with injuries and might not play in this game, it could get worse. Regardless of any of that, I simply think the Rams are a better team overall with a much better defense that should be able to win them this game. That’s about all I want to talk about here. I have no interest in this matchup between two disasters of teams whatsoever.
49ers 24-20 Chargers 
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST, NBC
This game looked a lot better on the schedule two months ago, but it could still be a fun one. I don’t have any faith in the Chargers to win this one, but I think they’ll be competitive at the very least. They always tend to make things interesting, despite their plethora of injuries. Justin Herbert seems to be healthy, and if he is, then LA can hang around in any game. But the 49ers will be too much to overcome. They’re at home and off a bye, still getting healthier and better on both sides of the ball. The last time we saw them, they destroyed the Rams and CMC looked unstoppable. I don’t see why they can’t replicate that here. It won’t be a complete wash, but I think San Francisco will control most of this game and get back above .500.
Eagles 27-17 Commanders 
Monday, 8:15 PM EST, ESPN
There is simply no way that the Commanders are going to win this game. They probably won’t even be competitive. For starters, the Eagles are the best team in the NFL and absolutely dismantled Washington in Week 3. This is also on Monday night, a situation where this franchise has struggled for *checks watch* ever. Taylor Heinicke is still the starting QB, so that sucks. The defense is playing well, but we all know they’re going to get gashed by one of the best offenses in football. The off-the-field drama is getting louder and worse by the day with lawsuits and controversy galore. This franchise is in total disarray right now, and it’s about to get worse with another blowout loss at the hands of a division rival. This time, the entire country is going to see it. It doesn’t get much uglier than this folks.
All stats taken from ESPN.
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