With six teams on a bye this week it’s the least busy week of the entire NFL season.
What they are missing in quantity they are more than making up for in quality though with just about every game having some impact on the slowly firming playoff picture.
For the Raiders and Chargers, they kick off the week knowing that one more loss puts them firmly on the outside looking in while a win at least keeps the dream alive.
Over in the ultra-competitive NFC everyone is chasing the unbeaten 49ers and they have a massive divisional game against the Seahawks to close out Week 10 on Monday Night Football.
We’ve got previews and tips for all 13 games right here.
Any primetime game involving the Raiders used to be a great chance to go and take care of whatever other stuff you had to do but I’m quite looking forward to this one. The Raiders might not necessarily be good but they’re at least competitive and should give the Chargers a real run for their money here, especially in Oakland in front of the Black Hole. I’m a little worried about how their pass rush (or lack of) is going to trouble Phillip Rivers, especially with Melvin Gordon looking like a good running back again. It looks like the Raiders line might be getting a couple of key contributors back and that’s enough to give me some confidence to back them… and to possibly have them ruin that confidence by this time next week.
It’s been something a few people have known for quite a while but it seems like the general consensus is finally coming around to the idea that Mitch/Mitchell Trubisky is not a good NFL quarterback. Unfortunately for the Bears, they haven’t really got anyone better to turn to so they’re stuck with him or Chase Daniel. That vaunted defence is struggling to cover up the cracks on the other side of the ball in their four game losing streak and frankly, it’s as good of an excuse as any to back against the Bears. Sure that means taking the Lions but I’m honestly ok with that and I’ll throw in the overs for a same game multi since the Bears should at least be able to run the ball.
It’s the Battle of New Jersey at the Meadowlands as we are treated to our once every four years Jets v Giants regular season matchup. Unfortunately for the NFL, this should-be marquee matchup features two teams with a combined 3-14 record. It’s not even worth going into great detail about this game, the Giants are slightly less rubbish and it’s a small line so back them.
If you did a double take when you saw this line, you’re not alone. For some reason the 2-6 Browns are favoured over the 6-2 Bills. Yes the Browns a significantly more talented than the Bills and this game is in Cleveland but… the Bills beat bad teams and right now, Cleveland is a bad team. Baker Mayfield is going to spend quite a lot of time fleeing the Bills pass rush here and that’s not a recipe for offensive success.
Before I get into this game, I should probably clarify, this pick is being made under the assumption that Patrick Mahomes will play. He was reportedly close last weekend against Minnesota and based on how he looked celebrating the win, he probably will be close to his usual self, if he’s not at 100%. For the Chiefs their approach to this game regardless of who is the quarterback is simple, survive and advance. With two more games until their bye, Kansas City just has to win against a Titans team that probably won’t be able to match them point for point anyway. If the Chiefs have their MVP back they should be favoured by at least a field goal but I don’t see this game being all that close either way.
The NFL is a cruel business, just ask Andy Dalton. On his birthday, the Bengals announced he had been benched for something named Ryan Finley, a rookie from North Carolina State. It’s a big ask for him to come in and take on the Baltimore Ravens who have to be full of confidence after pantsing the New England Patriots last week. The only way that the Ravens don’t win this game is if they have spent this week overlooking the Bengals. Although even if they get off to a slow start, they should still handle a dreadful Bengals team.
This game is an almighty mismatch as the Saints will almost certainly hand the Falcons their eighth loss of the season. It’s the first of five straight divisional games for the Falcons and you wouldn’t rule out an 0-5 run in that time. Add in the fact the Saints have had two weeks to scheme up for this match and find a new way to humiliate their rival. Considering just how bad the Falcons defence is, the Saints could reach the 51 point total on their own.
Neither of these teams are destined for the playoffs so you may as well make the most of the entertainment they dish up pretty much every week. Tampa did just about everything right in Seattle and went down in overtime since their defence couldn’t get a stop. Of their last six games, the one with the fewest points had 50 in it and it seems like we’re headed for another shootout with Arizona. The Cardinals are more than capable of shredding this Bucs defence and turning this game into a battle of who scores last. Give yourself some insurance and just back the over.
It sure seems like the Colts have used their lucky horseshoe with Jacoby Brissett avoiding a serious knee injury last week. Although they could start Brissett, backup Brian Hoyer or 47-year old kicker Adam Vinatieri at quarterback and be able to beat the formerly winless Miami Dolphins. Sure the Dolphins beat the Jets last week but that’s not exactly a challenge at the moment. Miami is competitive enough to keep this close but if they are serious about getting Tua in the draft, they probably should fall away in the fourth quarter.
The Packers momentum hit a brick wall in Southern California last weekend, so now we can see if Aaron Rodgers is going to get his team back on track… oh & what nominal head coach Matt LaFleur can do as well. Carolina is rolling with Kyle Allen for the rest of the season with Cam Newton headed to IR, although that’s not a bad thing considering just how beaten up Newton looked. Carolina should be competitive here and that line is right in between that field goal/touchdown margin of victory so I’ll just back the Packers outright but with both of these teams having huge defensive holes I’ll also back the over for some value.
The final three games to cover this week are also the toughest to pick since you can make a pretty decent case either way. The Steelers are battling to the finish and are still a shot at a Wild Card if they can close strong. This might be a step too far though as I like the chances of Aaron Donald absolutely destroying the Steelers line and giving Mason Rudolph a hard time. That should keep the Steelers points down and put the Rams in a great position to win and cover.
Like quite a few games here you could make a pretty strong case for both teams here but in the end, it’s just too tempting to back against Kirk Cousins, in primetime and playing a team with a winning record. Dallas finished very well against the Giants and I’m really looking forward to seeing what their defensive line can do here. On the other side, there will be a lot of pressure on Dak Prescott but if he can avoid turnovers here, they should be more than fine.
If Seattle wants any hope of a home playoff game and avoiding a possible trip back to the Bay Area in the playoffs, they have to win this game. Russell Wilson gives them an excellent chance to do that and could also vault back into MVP favouritism with a strong performance here. The thing is though, he could have a 400 yard and three touchdown day but it might not be enough against a 49ers team that will find a way to march up and down on a questionable defence. Despite winning their last two, Atlanta and Tampa have had no problems moving the ball and with Kyle Shannahan’s creativity in the play calling, I have to back the 49ers to get over the line in a high scoring encounter.