Chicago v. Detroit
Detroit gained a certain measure of confidence last week when they took out the Oakland Raiders at home by a comfortable 10 point margin. Now the Lions can go out and avenge a loss they suffered in Chicago just two weeks ago. They were dominated by the Bears for most of the game but it seemed that the Lions caught on to something in the fourth quarter of that game and can use that to their advantage here. Look for the Lions to build off of their successes late in that game and parlay it into a win. Detroit has not done much winning this season but they have played decent defense over the last six weeks. Only one team has scored more than 24 points on them over that six week period. Look for Detroit to play good defense and to gel offensively in this contest.
Chicago has put together back to back wins and they are feeling very good about it. However, both of those wins have come at home and now they are on the road where they are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS. Chicago is still anemic offensively even with Chandler under center. A poor offense has been Chicago´s bugaboo for the last few years. There have not been enough efforts, in my opinion, to fix this problem and it will plague them in this contest. Their will be the usual gamut of poor play calls and bonehead plays by the Bears and when all is said and done, they will be on the short end of this game.
Detroit 23 Chicago 14
Tenn v. Miami
Miami comes in highly motivated as well as upset after taking a loss to the Indianapolis Colts last week. Miami is starting to feel the sense of urgency. 5-3 is not where they like to be during this time of year. Miami knows that life during December gets tough for them especially when they are on the road. It was an intense week of practice for them and their defense is ready to get after Steve McNair and company. The Dolphins and particularly their defense have had great success vs. McNair and the Titans in recent history. Expect them to employ alot of those successful techniques and schemes in this game to get them a much needed win. You have to like a winning team off of a loss in this situation catching more than a field goal.
Tennessee has been on a roll lately winning four games in a row and scoring 27 points or more in seven straight. As hot as they were, this was a bad time for them to have a bye week. Now they have had a chance to relax and now they have to rev the engine up again to face a strong defense and a motivated team. This could be tough for them. Oddsmakers are starting to catch up with the Titans and what they have accomplished thus far. This game would ordinarily be Tennessee by a field goal. They will pay the price for the extra point on this one. Take Miami.
Miami 20 Tennessee 17
Buffalo v. Dallas
The Bills were completely hammered two weeks ago in Kansas City as they were trashed 38-5. They have had a week off to think about it and I would expect the Bills to come into this game a lot more prepared than they were for Kansas City. Another thing working for them in this game is the fact that a lot of NFL teams tend to make adjustments, change the way they do things or make additions in bye weeks after a bad loss or losing streak. When doing this, their opponent the next week has problems adjusting and picking things up. You can bet that Buffalo has made some adjustments and changes that the Cowboys have not yet seen. This will create problems for the Cowboys and I expect Buffalo to take full advantage.
Yes, the Cowboys are 6-2 and they covered 4.5 points as a favorite last week. However, Dallas is not a team that you want to trust too often with this kind of number. The Cowboys tend to play game close to the vest. They like running the football and playing defense. This lends itself to a lot of close games won by field goal kickers. Buffalo has a solid defense and I think they will give the Cowboys some trouble. The Bills have a pair of corners that can cover one on one and this will allow the front seven to take away the run. I see the Cowboys´ offense struggling and for Bledsoe and company to start to get back on track. Take Buffalo.
Buffalo 23 Dallas 20
NY Jets v. Oakland
This just in.... The Raiders are not a good football team. However, they have not reached the point where they are going to get points at home from a team that is also 2-6. This line is out of whack. Rick Mirer is not Rich Gannon and he is certainly not the second coming of Joe Montana as some proclaimed in his rookie season. However, Mirer is adequate enough with the other players around him to bring the Oakland losing streak to a halt at four games. Oakland is most certainly a better team at home where they are 2-1 on the season. Their lone loss was by a touchdown to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Oakland is sick of losing and they are definetley offended by the fact that they are underdogs at home to a Jets team that is struggling as much as they are. Look for a crisp Oakland team with new wrinkles to support the skills of Rick Mirer. Also, expect the Oakland defense to step up vs. a Jets team that they love to beat.
The Jets are 1-4 on the road this season and I am not sure how that translates into them being favorites in this contest. New York´s lone win on the road came against the Houston Texans and they had to come from behind in the final two minutes to get that win. Yes, Chad Pennington is back in the line up but he´s been back for two weeks and the Jets are 0-2 during that time. Perhaps he will play well but I don´t think New York as a team will play well enough to win on the road as a favorite.
Oakland 24 NY Jets 14
Baltimore v. St. Louis
Baltimore has wanted to face the St. Louis Rams for the last three years. Ever since Baltimore proclaimed themselves to have a the best defense in history after their Super Bowl victory. Some have questioned what they would have done against the "Greatest Show on Turf". Eventough some of the personnel and factors have changed for both teams, the Ravens are still out to prove that a great defense will be a great offense every time. Look for the Ravens to be full of intensity in this game and expect them to also be fired up at the fact that they are underdogs of a touchdown in this game. The hard running of Jamal Lewis will also help out the Ravens´ defense in this game and this St. Louis defense most certainly can be run on. Look for a happy dose of Lewis and safe passing by Baltimore for them to control the pace of this game.
St. Louis is back home after getting hammered in San Francisco last week. The fact that they lost by 20 points has many believing that they are going to kill the Ravens. I tend to think that last week´s loss exposed St. Louis on several fronts. Expect Baltimore to take something from the San Francisco game films on how they should go about defending this Rams attack. Baltimore certainly has the parts to execute a solid defensive game plan and right now, I just don´t see the Rams being a full touchdown better than Baltimore.
Baltimore 21 St. Louis 20
Detroit gained a certain measure of confidence last week when they took out the Oakland Raiders at home by a comfortable 10 point margin. Now the Lions can go out and avenge a loss they suffered in Chicago just two weeks ago. They were dominated by the Bears for most of the game but it seemed that the Lions caught on to something in the fourth quarter of that game and can use that to their advantage here. Look for the Lions to build off of their successes late in that game and parlay it into a win. Detroit has not done much winning this season but they have played decent defense over the last six weeks. Only one team has scored more than 24 points on them over that six week period. Look for Detroit to play good defense and to gel offensively in this contest.
Chicago has put together back to back wins and they are feeling very good about it. However, both of those wins have come at home and now they are on the road where they are 0-4 SU and 1-3 ATS. Chicago is still anemic offensively even with Chandler under center. A poor offense has been Chicago´s bugaboo for the last few years. There have not been enough efforts, in my opinion, to fix this problem and it will plague them in this contest. Their will be the usual gamut of poor play calls and bonehead plays by the Bears and when all is said and done, they will be on the short end of this game.
Detroit 23 Chicago 14
Tenn v. Miami
Miami comes in highly motivated as well as upset after taking a loss to the Indianapolis Colts last week. Miami is starting to feel the sense of urgency. 5-3 is not where they like to be during this time of year. Miami knows that life during December gets tough for them especially when they are on the road. It was an intense week of practice for them and their defense is ready to get after Steve McNair and company. The Dolphins and particularly their defense have had great success vs. McNair and the Titans in recent history. Expect them to employ alot of those successful techniques and schemes in this game to get them a much needed win. You have to like a winning team off of a loss in this situation catching more than a field goal.
Tennessee has been on a roll lately winning four games in a row and scoring 27 points or more in seven straight. As hot as they were, this was a bad time for them to have a bye week. Now they have had a chance to relax and now they have to rev the engine up again to face a strong defense and a motivated team. This could be tough for them. Oddsmakers are starting to catch up with the Titans and what they have accomplished thus far. This game would ordinarily be Tennessee by a field goal. They will pay the price for the extra point on this one. Take Miami.
Miami 20 Tennessee 17
Buffalo v. Dallas
The Bills were completely hammered two weeks ago in Kansas City as they were trashed 38-5. They have had a week off to think about it and I would expect the Bills to come into this game a lot more prepared than they were for Kansas City. Another thing working for them in this game is the fact that a lot of NFL teams tend to make adjustments, change the way they do things or make additions in bye weeks after a bad loss or losing streak. When doing this, their opponent the next week has problems adjusting and picking things up. You can bet that Buffalo has made some adjustments and changes that the Cowboys have not yet seen. This will create problems for the Cowboys and I expect Buffalo to take full advantage.
Yes, the Cowboys are 6-2 and they covered 4.5 points as a favorite last week. However, Dallas is not a team that you want to trust too often with this kind of number. The Cowboys tend to play game close to the vest. They like running the football and playing defense. This lends itself to a lot of close games won by field goal kickers. Buffalo has a solid defense and I think they will give the Cowboys some trouble. The Bills have a pair of corners that can cover one on one and this will allow the front seven to take away the run. I see the Cowboys´ offense struggling and for Bledsoe and company to start to get back on track. Take Buffalo.
Buffalo 23 Dallas 20
NY Jets v. Oakland
This just in.... The Raiders are not a good football team. However, they have not reached the point where they are going to get points at home from a team that is also 2-6. This line is out of whack. Rick Mirer is not Rich Gannon and he is certainly not the second coming of Joe Montana as some proclaimed in his rookie season. However, Mirer is adequate enough with the other players around him to bring the Oakland losing streak to a halt at four games. Oakland is most certainly a better team at home where they are 2-1 on the season. Their lone loss was by a touchdown to the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs. Oakland is sick of losing and they are definetley offended by the fact that they are underdogs at home to a Jets team that is struggling as much as they are. Look for a crisp Oakland team with new wrinkles to support the skills of Rick Mirer. Also, expect the Oakland defense to step up vs. a Jets team that they love to beat.
The Jets are 1-4 on the road this season and I am not sure how that translates into them being favorites in this contest. New York´s lone win on the road came against the Houston Texans and they had to come from behind in the final two minutes to get that win. Yes, Chad Pennington is back in the line up but he´s been back for two weeks and the Jets are 0-2 during that time. Perhaps he will play well but I don´t think New York as a team will play well enough to win on the road as a favorite.
Oakland 24 NY Jets 14
Baltimore v. St. Louis
Baltimore has wanted to face the St. Louis Rams for the last three years. Ever since Baltimore proclaimed themselves to have a the best defense in history after their Super Bowl victory. Some have questioned what they would have done against the "Greatest Show on Turf". Eventough some of the personnel and factors have changed for both teams, the Ravens are still out to prove that a great defense will be a great offense every time. Look for the Ravens to be full of intensity in this game and expect them to also be fired up at the fact that they are underdogs of a touchdown in this game. The hard running of Jamal Lewis will also help out the Ravens´ defense in this game and this St. Louis defense most certainly can be run on. Look for a happy dose of Lewis and safe passing by Baltimore for them to control the pace of this game.
St. Louis is back home after getting hammered in San Francisco last week. The fact that they lost by 20 points has many believing that they are going to kill the Ravens. I tend to think that last week´s loss exposed St. Louis on several fronts. Expect Baltimore to take something from the San Francisco game films on how they should go about defending this Rams attack. Baltimore certainly has the parts to execute a solid defensive game plan and right now, I just don´t see the Rams being a full touchdown better than Baltimore.
Baltimore 21 St. Louis 20
