1. NEW YORK GIANTS (-3.5) VS. New York Jets********WE HAVE A STRONG OPINION ABOUT THIS GAME.
2. TENNESSEE TITANS (-8) VS. Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons got on the board last week with a nice home win over Houston. Now they head to Tennessee to take on the out-and-out Titans who impressively beat the Saints in New Orleans on MNF. The Titans have now covered their last 8 games and have always put in a good effort that shouldn’t be any different against Atlanta. If the Titans weren’t coming off a bye, they might have been susceptible to disappointment, but the bye week only strengthens their chances against a still-weak Falcons squad. The Falcons are also in a bed spot as they qualify in a disappointing 53-104-4 road situation here. The Titans’ defense is playing very well and they should stifle the resurgent Joey Harrington, who has done most of his damage the past two weeks against poor secondaries. THE NATIONAL TEAM: Tennessee Titans (-8)
3. WASHINGTON REDSKINS (-3.5) VS. Detroit Lions: The Lions head to Washington to take on a Redskins team that continues to struggle scoring points, but has been playing defense well outside of a second-half meltdown against the Giants. Meanwhile, the Lions are coming off a tough win at home against the Bears and will likely be susceptible to disappointment here against a non-division opponent. The Redskins have had the advantage of the bye week to jump-start their offense and this team has weapons in RB Clinton Portis and Ladell Betts to accompany wide receivers Santana Moss and Antwan Randle-El. The Lions are terrible defensively and that will further help the ‘Skins in their effort to get going offensively. This is still a tough question to decide as these teams are close in ability, but go with the home team that has had the extra week to prepare. THE PICK: Washington Redskins (-3.5)
4. Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) VS. S T. LOUIS RAMS********WE HAVE A STRONG OPINION ABOUT THIS GAME.
5. NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-16.5) VS. Cleveland Browns: Another big plus for the unstoppable Patriots here and the only thing that could keep them from covering is the fact that they’re in a disappointing spot after a dominating MNF win over the Bengals. The Patriots are clearly the elite of the NFL right now and the talent disparity between these two teams is huge. The Patriots have already covered such a high differential this year when they beat the Bills in week 2, so they’ve shown no mercy to anyone thus far. The Browns also apply to a negative 53-104-4 ATS situation on the road and at this point you shouldn’t bet against the Patriots under any circumstances. THE NATIONAL TEAM: New England Patriots (-16.5)
6. HOUSTON TEXANS (-5.5) VS. Miami Dolphins*****THIS GAME IS ONE OF OUR TOP BETS FOR THE WEEK.
7. NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-3.5) VS. Carolina Panthers: The Saints need to take a stand and do it fast because their season is spiraling out of control after they were embarrassed in MNF at home against Tennessee. The Panthers find themselves in a similar situation as they are coming off a terrible home loss to the Bucs and will once again be playing without quarterback Jake Delhomme. It would be hard to see the Saints lose back-to-back games at home, but the extra half point is the problem with this one. The Panthers seem to play better on the road and are a well-coached group that should respond with their near-brink season. The Panthers are in a good spot here as well, qualifying in a 40-9-3 ATS comeback scenario. The Saints should win the game but it will be by only 3 so take the points. THE NATIONAL TEAM: Carolina Panthers (+3.5)
8. PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-5.5) VS. Seattle Seahawks******THIS GAME IS ONE OF OUR TOP BETS FOR THE WEEK.
9. Jacksonville Jaguars (-2) VS. KANSAS CITY CHIEFS********THIS GAME IS ONE OF OUR TOP BETS FOR THE WEEK.
10. INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-10) VS. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Colts remain at home after an impressive kill by the Denver Broncos on Sunday, while the Bucs maintained their status as the biggest upset of 2007 by beating the Carolina Panthers on the road. Back-to-back road games are always tough, but quarterback Jeff Garcia has this team believing they can win against any opponent. The Bucs’ defense has also played very well and they look like the stout units that dominated the league from 1998-2003. The Colts are firing on all cylinders offensively as usual, but they will come into this one battered with RB Joseph Addai and the WR Marvin Harrison dealing with injuries. While both should play, this could serve to dampen Indy’s mechanical offense a bit. The Bucs are in a bad spot though, as they qualify at a negative 67-132-3 ATS situation on the road. It’s hard to pick here due to injuries on both sides, so it’s best to steer clear if you can do without picking this game. THE NATIONAL TEAM: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+10)
11. Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) VS. SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS******WE HAVE A STRONG OPINION ON THIS GAME.
12. DENVER BRONCOS (-1.5) VS. San Diego Chargers*****WE HAVE A STRONG OPINION ABOUT THIS GAME.
13. GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.5) VS. Chicago Bears: The Bears are a mess and now they have to go to Green Bay to take on the 4-0 Packers. Green Bay is rolling behind big play quarterback Brett Favre and a solid defense that has played better than many might have expected from this young group. The Bears will stick with Brien Griese at QB, but no matter who plays, this offense can’t seem to get out of its own way. The Bears do qualify in a very profitable 47-10-4 ATS scenario on the road, but the Packers will be encouraged to kick a major division rival while in the dumps. The Bears are also in the negative situation of playing back-to-back road games, so this is one draw you shouldn’t bet on. THE SELECTION: STEP
14. Dallas Cowboys (-10) VS. BUFFALO BILLS*****WE HAVE A STRONG OPINION ABOUT THIS GAME.