So last week I managed to pull together a solid showing for the first week of the season. It’s usually a total crap shoot for gamblers and fans alike. Against the Spread I managed a 10-5 mark and split the Over/Under with a 7-7-1 mark. The OMNI picks came in at passable 3-2.
This week is a strange one with some huge spreads and lots of big home faves. Lets take a look see.
Sunday, Sept 17th
EAGLES 3 Giants 34½
I wish I’d have watched more of the Manning Bowl, sadly I was otherwise indisposed. I did however watch the Eagles game and they looked every bit as good as I thought they might. Considering I staked a fair portion of my fantasy team’s fate on that fact it’s a relief. I was shocked to see how quickly Donte Stallworth was integrated into the system, but I guess it makes sense since his speed and height make him a fair poor-mans TO. Playing a piss-poor Texans D didn’t hurt either. I’m a little surprised the Eagles are favored here, thought perhaps it’d be a pick ‘em, but it is a pretty solid homefield advantage. The loss of Lito Sheppard cannot be overstated here. His match against Plaxico could have been the deciding factor in this game and without him I’m thinking Eli will be able to work his offense with a little more freedom. The balance that the Tiki-Jacobs assult will provide should keep that Eagles defense on it’s hells. I like the Over here, but I’m going to side with the G’ints getting 3.
The Pick: Giants, Over
COLTS 13 Texans 46
A little strange that these two teams are playing the same week as the Eagles and Giants, their respective opponents last week. Makes the whole prediction thing pretty easy, in a round about way. Considering I’m on the fence about that NFC East tilt, it’s pretty logical that I’ll be taking the Colts here. It all boils down to those 13 points and with the Colts at home, you know they’ll be going after it. This works as a nice tune up for the Colts to work out their running game issues. I’m wagering they are successful there and
Rhodes puts up nice numbers and Freeney gets to Carr about 4 times.
The Pick: Colts, Under
RAVENS 11½ Raiders 35½
It’s a bit of a mystery why this one’s a smaller spread than the Colts tilt. The Ravens looked downright scary last week against a pretty solid team and they are facing one of the most screwed up teams the league has seen in years. McNair is settling right into that offense and he’s facing a guy who was sacked more times than passes completed. And are we supposed to think the Ravens D won’t eat that up at home? Um, yeah.
The Pick: Ravens, Under
BENGALS 10½ Browns 41
I was trying to talk myself into calling this game for the Brownies just on gut instinct. Something about this one feels like a let-down possibility for the Bengals. Then, after looking for a reason to justify that argument, I was stumped. The Bengals are at home and are facing a team that was pretty well handled by the New Orleans offense. The Bengals have so many weapons; they won’t be contained by that roster filled with holes. I was going to argue that the Browns offense has enough talent to keep this game within 10 points but they lost Jurevicius who’s better than most people realize. The Winslow/Edwards combo may be formidable some day, but for a team that just handled Gonzo and LJ it’s a stretch here. Big picture, I think we’ll see more of last weeks second half Bengal offense than the first half. Even if the Browns make some big plays, they won’t stay within single digits.
The Pick: Bengals, Over
DOLPHINS 7 Bills 34½
What are we to make of Culpepper? So many people thought he’d have a huge year. An equal number were saying he’s a bum and that without Moss he’s hopeless. Last week seemed to lend credibility to the latter argument, but before getting carried away we should remember he played against the Super Bowl champion defense on the road in as hostile an environment as possible. It’s fair to mention he’s still off a major knee injury too, and what he did in Week 1 might be vastly different from Week 5 and Week 14. I was leaning towards thinking he’d have a big season but so many of his mistakes in that game seem self-inflicted and I’m really hedging my bets. This week he’s got a much softer challenge, he gets to play at home (remember he played college ball here too) versus the rival Bills who lake a really powerful defense. In addition the Bills defense is dinged up, most notably Takeo Spikes. They’ve got some questions in the middle and in the secondary. The key factor to me is that the Pats turned the tide last week with the running game, and the Dolphins have a better running attack than the Pats did.
The Pick: Dolphins, Over
BEARS 8½ Lions 46
Man, lots of big favorites at home, huh? I obviously have quite the interest in this game and things got juiced up a little big on Monday when the utterly insane Roy Williams said he thought the Lions were just inches from putting up 40 points (instead of the 6 they actually managed) and guaranteed a win in Soldier Field this week. I’m a little disappointed to report that the Bears basically laughed it off and are paying only a little attention to it. Usually I think the manufactured insults and “disrespect” card are played to often by teams, but the Bears have shown an occasional tendency to get a little too pleased with themselves on defense. They are great and deserve the hype, they should be confident, but they are best when playing with a big chip on their shoulder. The Lions aren’t a slouch either; they’ve got a damn good defense and have for a long time. If the offense weren’t so inept season after season they’d be scary in close games. I expect that to change with Martz and Kitna in control. My primary worry is that the Bears running game will struggle putting a heavy burden on Grossman. Last week he showed he’s up to the challenge, but I doubt a one-dimensional offense will be enough to cover that spread.
The Pick: Lions, Under The Bears still win the game though.
Panthers 2½ VIKINGS 45
OK, last week I got burned by ignoring the impact of Steve Smith’s injury. I assumed he’d play; I’m not making the same mistake this time around. At the same time, I was right about the Vikings defense. This one brings the Vikes back home to the dome which some teams just have all kinds of trouble with. Frankly, I’m putting this game on the shoulders of the Vikings WRs. If they drop as many balls as last week, which was an insane number, they won’t beat a team like the Panthers with or without Smith. I’m confident that they’ve focused on that during practice this week and that the pressure of MNF opening night on the road played a big role. The Falcon defense that dominated the Panthers is better than Minny’s but not by much, could be another rough week for everyone’s Super Bowl sweetheart.
The Pick: Vikings, Under
FALCONS 5½ Bucs 39½
This game could closely reflect each team’s previous matchup. The Falcons defense looked dominant last week and that attacking, aggressive style had the Bucs playing like whipped puppies. The Bucs are similar to the Panthers in that their passing attack has questions and their offensive line is struggling. That a wordy lead in to this: Expect more of the same from both teams.
The Pick: Falcons, Under
Saints 2 PACKERS 37½
Man the Packers suck. It’s like music to my ears. Last season the Pack laid into the Saints with a serious spanking and there’s going to be more than a couple guys in that locker room reminding everyone about it. The Saints went on the road last week against a poor team and won and I see little reason to expect a change. Bush is going to be a little bit better this week and the Browns have a better line-up than the Packers do. The Saints have a formidable pass rush and it will prevent Favre from sitting back and gunning downfield.
The Pick: Saints, Over
Rams 3 49ERS 36½
Upset city. So far I’ve basically gone chalk and I only picked two road teams and have predicted most of the teams that won week one to go back-to-back in week two. I’m going to break stride with this one. The Rams played well last week against a overrated Broncos team. They also did so at home, but let’s not forget that they won a game by kicking 6 FGs. You simply aren’t going to win regularly in this league without turning 3 points into 7 about half the time. The Niners on the otherhand made a gutsy comeback against a team loaded with talent at home. The running tandem of Gore and Hocks were better than advertised and Alex Smith showed some flashes in connecting with Antonio Bryant. Take the Rams out of that dome and give the Niner fans reason for optimism and you’re looking at a upset. I don’t expect the Niners to commit 5 turnovers and I don’t expect Wilkins to go for 18.
The Picks: 49ers, Under
SEAHAWKS 7 Cardinals 35
So which game was the aberration? So far I’ve given props to the Lions, essentially giving the Seahawks a pass on that stinker, and I’ve given props to the Niners which implies that the Cards victory was especially impressive. If they are both right it makes this game a hell of a lot closer than the 7 point spread. I don’t think Deion Branch is going to have that much impact. One thing is for sure, you’d better take the over. The Cards rush defense is weak compared to the Lions so Alexander is apt to have a big day. The Cards offense is no joke and Warner is no Kitna. Edge isn’t going to be held 35 yards this week. Honestly I think the Seahawks will win this match up, they are at home and have too much pride to start the season 0-2. Still, this game is going to be close fought and I’m taking the points.
The Pick: Cards, Over
Patriots 6 JETS 37
Well, The Chad made a fool of me last week; I’m certainly not the only one though. He looked pretty good throwing the ball and he goes against another secondary that has some holes. The Pats on the otherhand really struggled in the passing game and allowed the Bills to move the ball on them. They are certainly the better team, and the whole teacher/mentor vibe on the sidelines tilts in their favor, but I’m not sure a OT win over the Bills warrants making them a 6 point fave on the road. The silver lining was the running of Dillon and Maroney who will be dominating games before too long. I really don’t want to put too much stock in a Jets victory over the awful Titans team, but the Pats look exceedingly beatable and 6 points is just too much. I have a hunch the Pats will find a way to win this game, but I’ll take the points again.
The Pick: Jets, Over
CHARGERS 11½ Titans 42½
Let me put it this way, the Titans are almost as bad as the Radiers. The Chargers slaughtered them and they get to play this game at home. Check please.
The Pick: Chargers, Under
BRONCOS 10½ Chiefs 48
What a difference a QB makes. The Broncos laid a serious turd last week and they are still a double digit fave over a team with arguably the best RB in the game. Curious don’t you think? I guess in the debate over a really iffy Jake Plummer versus a inexperienced, which is an understatement, Damon Huard the gamblers will take the Snake every time. I see the logic and I’m forced to recall the start of last season where the Broncos shit themselves on the road against the Dolphins and proceeded to follow that by winning 13 of the next 15 games. I really think the Broncos have issues this season, but the gamblers cardinal rule is to never wager on a shaky/rookie QB on the road. Especially in Mile High.
The Pick: Broncos, Under
COWBOYS 5½ Redskins 35
It seems that most experts are quitting on the Redskins at this point. They’ve looked shaky all preseason and didn’t improve much in week 1. Still, Drew Bledsoe looked terrible and the Cowboy defense wasn’t exactly that dominant force they are supposed to be. I think Clinton Portis will be much better this week, but at the same time I think TO and Glenn will shred the Skins secondary. The Redskins are going to put pressure on the Cowboys passing attack and Bledsoe just can’t get away from that nor can the Cowboys O-line stop it. Put simply, I think there’s going to be some serious drama in Dallas after this one. The Redskins aren’t turning it around here, but I think the Cowboys are just a little more flawed and the match-ups favor them.
The Pick: Redskins, Over
Monday, Sept. 18th
JAGUARS Pk Steelers 43
Normally I’d be all over the Jags here but the loss of their stud pass rush end and with Big Ben likely to play it feels like a bad play. Still, that Jags D is fierce and I like Leftwich with 3 very good targets. The Jags run defense will be much better than the Dolphins was and I suspect Willie Parker will struggle mightily, but with Ben Running the offense they could still squeeze just enough points out to win here. The Steelers D is great and they’ve got a really good scheme to limit the ball control passing system the Jags use. The Jags WR are a huge mismatch from a size standpoint for the Pittsburgh DBs. If the Jags are going to make a leap this year they’ll have to start right here, on Monday night against the champs in their own house. It’s a close one, and I’m not confident in it, but since it was a week ago I was honking the Jags I can’t quit on them now.
The Pick: Jags, Under
OMNI Picks: Chargers, Falcons, Colts, Ravens, 49ers