Sunday, October 3, 2010

Last Minute Week 4 NFL Picks



Week 4, here we go. The first of the bye weeks, so, the slate isn't all that great.

Denver at Tennessee (-6.5)

I don't trust the Titans quite enough to definitively say they're gonna win this game by more than the spread. If Chris Johnson isn't playing at a high level, the Titans have trouble moving the ball. Still, today they face the Broncos, who have a potent passing offense. They simply keep chucking it. I think they stay in the game and cover the spread, but the Titans win.

Baltimore at Pittsburgh (-2.5)

Probably the game of the day, this one is sure to be hard hitting. The Ravens offense has shown some potency, but have also been very inconsistent (Flacco's 4 pick performance comes to mind). The Steelers, even without Big Ben, have been phenomenal and have built up a lot of Super Bowl hype. I think the Ravens will struggle against the Steelers fearsome defense, the Steelers will score enough to win and cover.

Cincinnati (-2.5) at Cleveland

The battle for Ohio! Cinci still can't quite move the ball as well as they'd like, but the defense holds and they can score as much as they need to win. Cleveland is still Cleveland. Not impressive. Since LeBron left, this city has become oh so Buffal-ish. The two sides of the Erie, united by depression. The Bengals win and cover (why is this spread so low?).

Detroit at Green Bay (-15)

File this one under uninteresting division matchups. The Packers will be angry after they let the game last week slip away from them, and take it out on the Lions. The Lions aren't 0-16 bad, so I think they cover this really big spread. But Packers win comfortably.

Carolina at New Orleans (-13)

New Orleans has not looked nearly as good as last year, but were only a shanked field goal from winning last week. Jimmy Clausen and Carolina look terrible. I think the Saints take this one, but Carolina covers. What can I say, 13 is a big spread for a Saints team that has played merely ok.

San Francisco at Atlanta (-7)

Snooze. San Francisco, despite what I thought last week, is in a world of trouble. Atlanta looked very solid against a team that beat the 49ers while not even playing their best (the Saints). Atlanta wins and covers. Mike Singletary...YOU ARE ON THE HOT SEAT

Seattle (-2) at St. Louis

But this, this, this is really the hell game. Not a surprise it comes from the NFC West. The Seahawks are TERRIBLE on the road, so I'm actually gonna pick the Rams to win this one. Sam Bradford didn't look so bad last week, as the whole team also didn't look so bad in beating the Redskins. Oh yeah, Joe Buck is announcing with Tim McCarver and Tony Siragusa, and The Dark Lord is also making you watch him play Madden.

NY Jets (-6) at Buffalo

The Jets looked really good in beating the Dolphins last Monday (with some luck), and Buffalo looked improved playing against the Patriots. The spread here is too low, though, so I'll pretty confidently take the Jets to win and cover. The Bills- how many running backs does it take to win a game!?

Indianapolis (-7) at Jacksonville

The Jaguars haven't been playing well, with no offense to speak of, really. TRENT EDWARDS COULD FIX THAT!!! But not yet. Indianapolis has recovered well after their week 1 blip against the Texans. They'll win easily and cover.

Houston (-3) at Oakland

Here's a spread that makes no sense. The Raiders are still one of the worst teams in football, and even the Andre Johsnon-less Texans will be able to trample the Raiders. Look for Arian Foster to have a big game, as Houston wins and covers.

Arizona at San Diego (-9.5)

San Diego has been an enigma, losing games that their regular season champion style selves would win. Arizona is lost in the desert, though. Bad Quarterback, no longer an explosive offense (sorry Larry Fitzgerald), and a defense that is nothing special. San Diego wins, but Arizona manages to cover. The Chargers will allow that in their soft style of play so far.

Washington at Philadelphia (-5)

McNabb returns to Philadelphia, where, inexplicably, he was never really loved, despite leading the Eagles to the Super Bowl and a bunch of NFC Championship games. Now he's in Washington, and...they're not that good. Vick has been lighting it up with Philly, and he'll continue. Kevin Kolb will continue to feel really awkward. Eagles win and cover.

Chicago at NY Giants (-3.5)

WHY ARE THE GIANTS FAVORED? They have been overwhelmingly decent. I don't care if they're desperate. They just have not played well. The Bears are brimming with confidence and seem to be on a roll. If that continues throughout the season remains to be seen, but I think the Bears will win, or at least, if they really screw up, cover.

New England (-1) at Miami

Another exciting game, but I have to wonder at the spread. The Dolphins played pretty well against the Jets, unlike the Patriots. The Patriots just slipped by the BILLS last week and have a terrible, terrible defense. Chad Henne of all people should be able to light them up, and I think the Dolphins win. The Dolphins defense will not be as porous as the Bill's, so the Patriots won't be able to put up as many points as last week, and the Dolphins will be able to put up some points.

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