The race to the playoffs is heating up as all of the teams are scrambling to secure their postseason positions. Check out my thoughts on the upcoming games, and then get to BetUS to put down a wager or two.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Miami Dolphins @ Carolina Panthers
These two teams were pronounced dead by Week 5 of the season, but have bounced back to become real playoff contenders. They are similar teams with a similar powerful ground game. The Dolphins might suffer a little this week as they are missing Ronnie Brown, but the defense should see a boost as linebacker Joey Porter returns. They will certainly have a tough game against Carolina whose offense is led by a much-improved Jake Delhomme. Expect a close game, but ultimately I think the Panthers will take it on the home field.
Pointspread
Dolphins: +3 +105
Panthers: -3 -125
Moneyline
Dolphins: +150
Panthers: -170
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 22
Cleveland Browns @ Detroit Lions
This game is of little consequence as these are the two worst teams in the league. Though it could affect the future draft pick order. It seems to me that with the home field advantage, Detroit should make this their second win of the season.
Pointspread
Browns: +3 ½ -110
Lions: -3 ½ -110
Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars
The problems for the Bills keep on getting worse. First they get the finger from Titans owner Bud Adams, and then they fire their head coach. If the Jaguars want to keep any hope of securing a wild card spot alive, they will need to take advantage of this opportunity. With the Bills suffering further coaching troubles, the Jags should grab a win at home.
Pointspread
Bills: +8 ½ -110
Jaguars: -8 ½ -110
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Kansas City Chiefs
The Steelers lost their divisional lead last week and will likely be hoping to bounce back with an easy win against the Chiefs. On the other side of the field, the Chiefs are coming off a big win against Oakland. Jamaal Charles delivered in the absence of Larry Johnson, but all the good momentum in the world wouldn’t deliver a win for the Chiefs in this one.
Pointspread
Steelers: -10 -110
Chiefs: +10 -110
Indianapolis Colts @ Baltimore Ravens
This will be a pretty great game between two tough teams. The Colts held onto their undefeated season by the skin of their teeth last week, and they will face another test in Baltimore. Quarterback Peyton Manning is once again leading the league and he will definitely be the team’s biggest asset in this game. The Ravens will need to beat teams like Indianapolis if they want to gain their spot in the playoffs. It should be very close, but in the end I’m going to pick the Colts.
Pointspread
Colts: -1 -110
Ravens: +1 -110
Atlanta Falcons @ New York Giants
This is a key game for both of these teams. They were former favorites to win their divisions and now they are posting 5-4 records and hoping to stay in contention. The Giants had a bye week, which hopefully meant some rest for Eli Manning’s injured foot. However, considering the inconsistency since the Giants’ loss to New Orleans, it seems there’s much more to fix than Manning’s foot. The Falcons are also having troubles with their quarter back Matt Ryan who is struggling to say the least. They’ve lost Michael Turner just when he was starting to look good. I think the Giants have the edge in this one. Expect a win in New York.
Pointspread
Falcons: +6 ½ -110
Giants: -6 ½ -110
San Francisco 49ers @ Green Bay Packers
San Fran and Green Bay will both need to win this game if they want to realistically stay in contention for the playoffs. Alas, there will only be one winner. I think the 9ers have the potential to pull off the upset in this one, but it will likely be the cold weather at Lambeau Field that wins it for the Packers.
Pointspread
49ers: +6 ½ -110
Packers: -6 ½ -110
Seattle Seahawks @ Minnesota Vikings
The Seahawks are still trying to find their feet this season. They suffered yet another loss against the Cardinals last week, and will likely have more than they can handle as they head to Minnesota. Expect another easy win for the Vikes.
Pointspread
Seahawks: +11 -110
Vikings: -11 -110
Washington Redskins @ Dallas Cowboys
The Redskins surprisingly handed the Broncos a loss and will be looking to do the same to the Cowboys. They boosted their running game by replacing Clinton Portis with Ladell Bretts, but the offense is still struggling. The Cowboys should be able to pull off a win in this one, but if the Skins can hang in there long enough, they might just wear the Boys down.
Pointspread
Redskins: +11 -110
Cowboys: -11 -110
New Orleans Saints @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay shocked a few NFL fans by pulling off a massive win against Green Bay and holding their own against Miami. They’ve started to gain some offensive power under the surprising leadership of rookie QB Josh Freeman. Though they are looking stronger, and the Saints are looking like they’re losing a bit of steam as the season rolls on, the Bucs aren’t quite there yet. Expect a win for New Orleans.
Pointspread
Saints: -11 -110
Buccaneers: +11 -110
Arizona Cardinals @ St Louis Rams
A win for the Rams seems unlikely, especially when you consider how familiar Arizona QB Kurt Warner is with this field. He’s likely going to use that to Arizona’s advantage to give them an even bigger edge. The Rams offense has seen some improvement with the focus shifting to running back Steven Jackson, but I’m afraid they’re just not good enough.
Pointspread
Cardinals: -9 -110
Rams: +9 -110
New York Jets @ New England Patriots
I’ve given up on the Jets. They let me down for the last time last week by losing to the Jaguars, and this week, they will be facing a much tougher test in New England. Though New York beat the Pats the first time these teams met, it will most definitely be the opposite outcome this time around. The Patriots had a close call last week. They would have won if not for coach Belichick’s odd 4th down call. With the Jets entire game unraveling, expect New England to bounce back in a big way.
Pointspread
Jets: +10 -110
Patriots: -10 -110
Cincinnati Bengals @ Oakland Raiders
Then Bengals marched into Pittsburgh last week and left with the AFC North division lead. They’ll likely be looking to extend that lead by grabbing a win against the Raiders this week. If they can keep their focus on strong, consistent playing they should do well as Oakland has little to offer that would suggest an upset. Expect a win for Cincinnati.
Pointspread
Bengals: -9 ½ -110
Raiders: +9 ½ -110
Philadelphia Eagles @ Chicago Bears
Both of these teams are dangerously close to missing out on the playoffs. In fact, Chicago may have already dashed their hopes with their loss against the 9ers last week. They’ll both want a win in this one to make up some ground. It’ll be a night game in Chicago, which is bad news for QB Jay Cutler. As if he wasn’t having enough trouble with interceptions, that number dramatically increases once you throw after dark games into the mix as he’s thrown 11 picks in three night games. The Eagles have lost Brian Westbrook, which is a huge blow, as their running game will likely suffer without him. If they can fill that hole in the offense, Philly should do all right in this one.
Pointspread
Eagles: -3 -105
Bears: +3 -115
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans
The Titans are on a roll, posting their first three consecutive wins of the season. And though a win against the Texans would be great for the team, it will be a tough test. The Texans have a surprisingly potent offense lead by QB Matt Schaub and they are definitely hungry for their first spot in the playoffs in franchise history. Expect a pretty close game, though I’m going to give this one to the Texans.
Pointspread
Titans: +4 ½ -110
Texans: -4 ½ -110
Be sure to visit BetUS to take a punt on the abovementioned odds.
