Three picks for this NFL Sunday:1) Cleveland Browns +3.5 over the Cincinnati Bengals: We wrote last week that there is no better play in the NFL these days than a play against Romeo Crennel, Derek Anderson, and Co. in a must-win game. That was proven correct when the Ravens crushed them. Now the Browns are 0-3, and with their schedule, only the most relentless of optimists would say that their season isn't well on its way down the tubes. Now that we believe that the Browns are comfortably out of "must win" territory, we can feel comfortable backing them again. And we're especially comfortable backing them this week, because they're up against perhaps the only franchise that might be in worse shape than they are. The Bengals are a disaster. (You might enjoy reading this semi-thorough accounting of the wreckage.) That either of these train wrecks would be favored by more than a field goal against the other seems ridiculous. Coach Crennel should be encouraged by the fact that its the first game this season in which he might not be the worst head coach in the stadium. We'll play the odds that the Browns have at least a shred of pride left, and that Cinci's impressive showing against the Giants last week was an aberration that was especially for the Bad Action Bros. If the Browns don't beat the Bengals this week, they might not win a game all year.
2) New York Jets -1 over the Arizona Cardinals: This pick is based mostly on the fact that "the Cardinals drew added attention to [last week's] game at Washington and today's game at the New York Jets by spending a week in the East between games. The reason: to get acclimated to the three-hour time change and avoid a cross-country trip on the back end." This strategy sounds awfully JV to us, and sounds like something Butch Davis might do if he were still allowed to coach an NFL team. Aren't these guys adults? Is it really worth keeping them away from their families for an extra week to avoid potential "jet lag" from a three hour trip? Do the Cardinals mean to suggest that Dorothy was wrong when she said that there's no place like home? That seems like brazen idiocy to us, and seems consistent with Rick Reilly's bold yet seemingly supportable proclamation that the Cardinals are run by the "worst [owners] in the history of owning things." Plus, aren't the Jets due?
3) Oakland Raiders +7.5 over the San Diego Chargers: We're swayed by the way the action is going here. 90% at sportsbook is on the Chargers, which suprises us because the Raiders look like an attractive play on the surface. We don't think it's necessarily a bad thing for the Raiders that Child Ballcoach Kiffin has been on the hot seat this week. They have some exciting young talent on their roster, and despite their 1-2 start, appear to be on the upswing from the previous two seasons. And the Chargers appear to be moving in the opposite direction. It seems likely that Oakland can get a decent running game going against the Chargers' thus-far porous defense. If their talented secondary and the rest of the defense can slow down the Chargers offense, 7.5 is too many points to give the Raiders at home in this matchup of local rivals.
We might be back later with a pick for tonight's Eagles/Bears clash. Either way, enjoy the action, folks. Only 14 short weeks left until the playoffs.
2) New York Jets -1 over the Arizona Cardinals: This pick is based mostly on the fact that "the Cardinals drew added attention to [last week's] game at Washington and today's game at the New York Jets by spending a week in the East between games. The reason: to get acclimated to the three-hour time change and avoid a cross-country trip on the back end." This strategy sounds awfully JV to us, and sounds like something Butch Davis might do if he were still allowed to coach an NFL team. Aren't these guys adults? Is it really worth keeping them away from their families for an extra week to avoid potential "jet lag" from a three hour trip? Do the Cardinals mean to suggest that Dorothy was wrong when she said that there's no place like home? That seems like brazen idiocy to us, and seems consistent with Rick Reilly's bold yet seemingly supportable proclamation that the Cardinals are run by the "worst [owners] in the history of owning things." Plus, aren't the Jets due?
3) Oakland Raiders +7.5 over the San Diego Chargers: We're swayed by the way the action is going here. 90% at sportsbook is on the Chargers, which suprises us because the Raiders look like an attractive play on the surface. We don't think it's necessarily a bad thing for the Raiders that Child Ballcoach Kiffin has been on the hot seat this week. They have some exciting young talent on their roster, and despite their 1-2 start, appear to be on the upswing from the previous two seasons. And the Chargers appear to be moving in the opposite direction. It seems likely that Oakland can get a decent running game going against the Chargers' thus-far porous defense. If their talented secondary and the rest of the defense can slow down the Chargers offense, 7.5 is too many points to give the Raiders at home in this matchup of local rivals.
We might be back later with a pick for tonight's Eagles/Bears clash. Either way, enjoy the action, folks. Only 14 short weeks left until the playoffs.
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1 comments:
2/3 for sure, with only the raiders to screw it up for you. looking pretty strong
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