TDL’s Sports, Wrestling, & Otherwise

Thursday
New York Jets +3.5 at New England Patriots: Great, heavyweight fight for those of us blessed enough to see it. Just to note: I’ll get it on TWO channels while most of the nation will get it on 0. Let me put it this way - If the Jets can’t pull out a win here, I will never pick them against the Patriots while these two coaches are still in play. Jets outright.

Sunday
Denver Broncos +5.5 at Atlanta Falcons: I can’t believe in such a short time that the Falcons have not only reached “respectable” but “borderline playoff team”. Also, in only one year, it’s possible that a 10 win team is going to get left out of the playoffs in the NFC and it’ll be the NFC fans’ turn to moan that the playoff rankings are unfair when a 10 win team gets left out in favor of an 8-8 team in the other conference while the AFC fans defend it. Falcons cover.

Baltimore Ravens +5 at New York Giants: I’ll say - I’m really happy that the Giants are getting these guys at the end of a 3-week road trip. If the Giants weren’t as balanced as they are, I’d be a little more worried about this… but I see a lot of 3rd and shorts going to Domenik Hixon and Fake Steve Smith. Giants probably win this in a tight game. Ravens +5.

Houston Texans +9.5 at Indianapolis Colts: For whatever reason, the Texans usually manage to play the Colts pretty tough. This also is just south of the “double-digit spread, mediocre team” rule. Besides the fact — the Colts don’t really blow the doors off of teams any more. they’ve only beaten one team by 10+ this year. Texans +9.5.

Oakland Raiders +11.5 at Miami Dolphins: I feel there needs to be a caveat on the “double-digit spread, mediocre team” rule when the opponent might have a tough time running the table in the Mid-American. Dolphins cover.

Tennessee Titans -3 at Jacksonville Jaguars: I’m done picking against them until they give me a reason to. I’m done trying to outthink them. This obviously means they will lose this week. Titans cover.

Chicago Bears +5.5 at Green Bay Packers: I love when the Packers “Lambeau Mystique” gives them an absurd spread. Bears outright.

Philadelphia Eagles -9 at Cincinnati Bengals: Absolute must-win game for the Eagles considering Washington and Dallas’s game against each other this week. The Eagles have been pretty good at getting up for must-wins this year so I expect they’ll do it again here and throw a hurtin on a bad team. Eagles cover.

New Orleans Saints -4.5 at Kansas City Chiefs: I had the benefit of seeing Jeremy Shockey on the sidelines yelling at Drew Brees last week. Nope… don’t miss him. At full-strength, this is absolute must win for the Saints. If the team doesn’t fire this week, you can cancel their ticket to the playoffs. It might even be canceled already considering the relative strength of the NFC South and the six-team dogfight for the 2 NFC Wildcards. Saints cover.

Detroit Lions +14 at Panthers: Of course, I make a caveat and immediately it gets tested in two games in one week. I amazingly talked myself in to the Lions last week. I just can’t ever buy the Panthers in a blowout. Lions +14

Minnesota Vikings +4 at Tampa Bay Bucs: Bucs are home. Bucs are infinitely better than the Vikings. I feel like this isn’t even a question. Bucs cover.

St. Louis Rams +3.5 at San Francisco 49ers: A week following a massacre in the Meadowlands… you’d expect them to bounce back a little. I just think the Niners are a better bad team. Niners cover.

Arizona Cardinals -3.5 at Seattle Seahawks: Don’t really understand this spread, other than it’s a divisional game. Seattle is terrible, they’ve shown no ability to beat teams with even a modicum of talent, Seneca Wallace is still their quarterback, they have basically no defense, and their running game is terrible. I understand Arizona’s defense is kinda terrible but that only matters if the opposing offense can score. Cardinals cover.

San Diego Chargers +3.5 at Pittsburgh Steelers: Everyone keeps expecting the Chargers to fire and start piling up some wins. Until they actually win a big game, I find it difficult to take them in a big game. Steelers cover.

Dallas Cowboys +2.5 at Washington Redskins: Ah DC, where you have 100k seat stadium and all transplants. A few weeks ago, the Steelers practically had home field advantage at FedEx. Cowboys fans are even more vermin-like in their ability to invade visiting stadiums. All that said, the Cowboys are three years strong in not having an answer for Santana Moss. Even without Clinton Portis, I really like the ‘Skins chances of driving a stake in to the Cowboys’ collective hearts. Redskins cover.

Monday
Cleveland Browns +4.5 at Buffalo Bills: As much as Thursday night was a must win for the Jets, the Bills need to win this game if they have any prayer of preventing the Jets from taking this division going away. I think the Bills will get up for a national game at home. I don’t think they’re quite so bad as they’ve been playing and I think Brady Quinn’s got a few more speed bumps to get over. Bills cover.

Five Good Spreads

5 points - Falcons -5.5 over Broncos
4 points - Steelers -3.5 over Chargers
3 points - Redskins -2.5 over Cowboys
2 points - Bucs -4 over Vikings
1 point - Saints -4.5 over Chiefs