Five on a Sunday
Five games strike my fancy today. The New England game is not one of them, but I will obviously be watching with interest. My feeling is that this is the game where the Pats get back into spread covering form. I don’t particularly believe in the Steelers, especially on the road. I don’t have enough faith in that particular conviction to bet on it, though. Here are the five:
Oakland (-11) at Green Bay – I can’t believe I am actually going to take the Raiders, but it’s true. I think that 11 points is too many here. The Raiders have won two in a row, and they are running the ball very well. Until he proves me wrong I can’t believe that Favre is 100% healthy after his injury last week. I think that the Packers will win, but this is too many points. Pick: Oakland.
Tampa Bay (-3) at Houston – The Texans are not in a good place right now. They have lost two in a row, and they haven’t looked good doing it. Tampa Bay has had every reason to struggle this year, but they keep finding ways to win. Jeff Garcia may be back in action this week, and even if he isn’t Tampa Bay finds ways to get by. They are hungry and eager to put their division out of the grasp of others, and that should be enough to cover here. Pick: Tampa Bay.
Minnesota (-8.5) at San Francisco - I have a soft spot for San Francisco, but they are in a terrible spot here. Minnesota is incredible on the ground, and they have more confidence offensively than almost any team in the league right now. The Niners are weak on defense, and essentially incompetent against the run. Minnesota’s sprint to the playoffs continues here in a big way. Pick: Minnesota.
Cleveland (-3) at New York Jets – Cleveland has to be upset, because Kellen Winslow was the victim of a bad call that cost them the game last week. They are a proud team, and they are still very much in the playoff hunt. They need a win here, and I expect them to come out very hungry and feast on a vulnerable New York team. Pick: Cleveland.
San Diego (pick) at Tennessee – I have no faith in the Titans. San Diego is suddenly playing with confidence and passion that was lacking early. The combination of those two factors make the Chargers very attractive at this price. Pick: San Diego.
UPDATE: Nice wins by Minnesota, Cleveland and San Diego overcame incompetent performances by Tampa Bay and Oakland to move me to 3-2 on the weekend. I’ll certainly take that.
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