Randall The Handle
Eagles (4-6) at Lions (3-7)
LINE: DETROIT by 2
Simply put, we want no part of this dysfunctional Philadelphia team at the moment. There is reported discord at every level and the product on the field is a joke. Coach Chip Kelly is likely to go back to the college ranks in a few weeks, leaving behind a pile of garbage that he compiled for some other shmoe to clean up. At time of this writing, we aren’t certain who will be quarterbacking the Eagles, but while Sam Bradford may be less prone to mistakes than Mark Sanchez, Bradford’s 11-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio along with his 25th-ranked passer rating is nothing to cheer about. The Lions have troubles of their own, but are at least showing some spunk recently with back-to-back wins over the Packers and Raiders. Spearheading this mini-streak is Detroit’s defence, which has been noticeably better, holding Green Bay to 16 points while allowing Oakland just 13 points. Eagles just lost home games to the Dolphins and Bucs (45-17!). No reason to believe they should win here.
TAKING: LIONS -2
Panthers (10-0) at Cowboys (3-7)
LINE: DALLAS by 1½
Something’s got to give. Cam Newton’s Panthers are a perfect 10-0 on the season while the Cowboys are 3-0 when Tony Romo is at quarterback. While Dallas is going to have to fight like mad to get to the post-season, Carolina is firmly in place for its playoff participation. However, that doesn’t mean the Panthers will take this game lightly. Firstly, they are insulted that the 3-7 Cowboys could be favoured here. Secondly, a national audience presents an opportunity for the Panthers to prove to any doubters that they are the real deal. Back to the pointspread, the public are all giddy over the Cowboys now that Tony Romo is back and while we appreciate his talents and what he brings to his team, knocking off the pathetic Dolphins in his return is not enough for us to believe that the Cowboys should be the favourite for this one. Carolina has won 14 straight regular-season games dating back to last season. Why would we buck that record, especially when we don’t have to give anything away?
TAKING: PANTHERS +1½
Bears (4-6) at Packers (7-3)
LINE: GREEN BAY by 8½
The Bears have not lost a game by more than three points since the September when they were still buying into newly hired coach John Fox’s systems. While some of Chicago’s opposition may not have been cream teams, there are an awful lot of points being dangled here against a Packers squad that has lost three of their past four. Granted, Green Bay repaired some things in a big win over the Vikings last week, but there are still issues with mediocre playmakers surrounding QB Aaron Rodgers. What may come as a surprise is that Chicago actually leads its long-standing rival in both yards gained and yards allowed, Green Bay ranking 21st in both categories while Chicago is 16th and 14th, respectively. Aiding the Bears will be the return of both RB Matt Forte and WR Alshon Jeffrey after each missed last week with both being key components to Jay Cutler’s revitalization. These two met on opening week and the Packers were fortunate to win even with all the newness in Chicago. Expect another battle today.
TAKING: BEARS +8½