6* Sunday NFL *Total* Annihilator on Giants/Seahawks UNDER 47.5

The Key: I like that the Seahawks have gotten back to running the football more in recent weeks.  They have taken the pressure off their defense, and it has helped that they got their best RB back in Chris Carson.  They have ran the ball 30-plus times in each of their last two games.  The UNDER is 3-0 in Seattle’s last 3 games with combined scores of 39 points against the Rams, 49 against the Cardinals and 40 against the Eagles.  Their defense is really stepping up in allowing just 317.7 yards per game in their last three games against three pretty good offenses.  Now they face a terrible offense in the Giants who will be without starting QB Daniel Jones.  They now have to turn to backup Colt McCoy, who is no more than a game manager and will help us get this UNDER.  And this is a Giants defense that has been playing great for weeks, allowing 25 or fewer points in six straight games and an average of only 20.0 points per game.  They held the Bengals to 155 total yards last week.  The UNDER is 5-0 in Giants last 5 games off an ATS loss.  The UNDER is 4-0 in Seahawks last 4 against a team with a losing record.  Take the UNDER.

7* Ravens/Steelers AFC North *HEAVY HITTER* on Pittsburgh -10

The Key: The Baltimore Ravens are missing too many key pieces to even be competitive today against the Pittsburgh Steelers.  They are without the likes of Lamar Jackson, Mark Andrews, Pernell McPhee, Mark Ingram, JK Dobbins, Brandon Williams, Nike Boyle, Ronnie Stanley and Calais Campbell.  And they are without several others that aren’t big names like those.  They are having to pull up several players from the practices squad just to be able to play in this game.  And they have really pissed off their rivals here in the Steelers, who won’t have any problem pouring it on the Ravens.  They will be trying to sweep the season series for just the 2nd time in 12 years here in 2020 and will relish the opportunity.  And the Steelers have beaten the Bengals and Jaguars by a combined 50 points the last 2 weeks so they have shown the ability to run it up.  The Steelers are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 against AFC opponents.  Pittsburgh is 4-0 ATS in its last 4 games as a home favorite.  The Steelers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games overall.  The Ravens are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  Take Pittsburgh.

7* Seahawks/Eagles NFC *Total* Annihilator on OVER 49

The Key: It’s going to be over 60 degrees with minimal winds in Philadelphia Monday.  This total is too low for a Seattle team that has one of the best offenses in the NFL but also one of the worst defenses.  The Seahawks score 31.8 PPG on offense but give up 28.7 PPG and 435 YPG on defense.  They have the single worst defense in the NFL from a yardage standpoint.  And the Eagles have gotten a lot healthier offensively in recent weeks with several key playmakers returning for Carson Wentz.  He should have one of his best games of the season against this Seattle defense to keep pace with Russell Wilson and company. And the Seahawks get back RB Chris Carson this week, adding to their dynamic offense.  Take the OVER.

7* AFC South Game of the Year on Tennessee Titans +3

The Key: The Tennessee Titans are looking to avenge their 17-34 loss to the Colts just a two weeks ago.  They led that game 17-13 before a shanked punt and a blocked punt return TD directly led to 14 points for the Colts on special teams mistakes.  That was really a 3-point game that turned into a 17-point loss and looks worse than it was.  But the Titans rebounded with a dominant 30-24 win in Baltimore last week in which they gained 423 yards and held the Ravens to just 306 yards.  Derrick Henry became the league’s first 1,000-yard rusher last week, and his job just got a lot easier here with the Colts missing arguably their most important player on defense in DeForest Buckner due to Covid-19.  In fact several players are out for the Colts due to Covid-19, including starting RB Jonathan Taylor.  The Titans are getting healthy at the right time and will be in much better shape to beat the Colts than they were 2 weeks ago.  Philip Rivers is nursing a toe injury, and he’ll be without starting C Ryan Kelly.  NFL teams that won last week after trailing by 11-plus at halftime are 26-38-1 SU & 19-45-1 ATS in their last 65 tries.  The Colts came back from 14 down to beat the Packers last week and will be fatigued.  They also benefited from 4 turnovers by the Packers, which is uncharacteristic for Aaron Rodgers and company.  The Titans are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 road games against a team with a winning home record.  Take Tennessee.

6* Cardinals/Patriots Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on OVER 49

The Key: It’s going to be good weather in New England for this time of year.  It is expected to be 50 degree temps and little to no wind.  The Cardinals have scored 30 or more points in 5 of their last 6 games overall.  But they’ve also allowed 28 or more points in each of their last 4 contests.  The Patriots have yielded 24 or more points in 4 of their last 5 games overall.  But their offense has been much better as of late with 20 or more points in 4 straight.  Cam Newton threw for 349 yards on the Texans last week and should be able to keep pace with Kyler Murray in a shootout.  The OVER is 6-1 in Cardinals last 7 November games.  The OVER is 4-1 in Patriots last 5 games as a home underdog.  Take the OVER.

6* Chargers/Bills AFC *CA$H COW* on OVER 52.5

The Key: The OVER is 7-0 in Chargers last 7 games overall with at least 57 combined points scored in 6 of those and an average of 60.5 PPG.  Their defense has yielded 28 or more points in all 7 games.  And the Bills will hang a big number on them here after averaging 37 PPG in their last 2 contests.  Both teams are pass-happy which will lead to more clock stoppages as the Chargers are 2nd in the NFL in passing offense while the Bills are 3rd.  And the weather will be good for an OVER with nearly 50 degree temps in Buffalo and little wind today.  Take the OVER.

6* Washington/Dallas NFC East *CA$H COW* on Washington +3

The Key: The wrong team is favored in this matchup.  The Washington Football Team is clearly better than Dallas and proved it a few weeks back in a 25-3 victory over the Cowboys, who started Andy Dalton in that game.  They outgained the Cowboys by 255 yards and held them to just 142 yards in the win.  Washington has now outgained 5 straight opponents by an average of 110 YPG.  They have an elite defense and that is going to be the difference in this game.  Alex Smith can manage the offense and has shown he can move the ball down the field when he needs to as he has thrown for nearly 900 yards in the past 3 games.  The Cowboys go from being 14-point dogs to the Steelers to 7-point dogs to the Vikings to now 3-point favorites this week.  I cashed in the Cowboys as my NFC Game of the Year last week over Minnesota, but this is too big of an adjustment, and now it’s time to go against them this week.  The Cowboys are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games as favorites.  Take Washington.

7* Rams/Bucs MNF *Total* Annihilator on OVER 47

The Key: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are rolling offensively this season.  They are scoring 29.6 PPG on the year and coming off a 46-point, 544-yard effort against the Panthers last week in which they did not have to punt once.  The Rams will offer more resistance defensively than the Panthers did, but the Bucs are going to get their points.  And Jared Goff and company are going to have to try and keep up.  The Rams have actually been their best offensively on the road this year.  They are scoring 26.4 PPG and averaging 427.6 YPG on the highway.  Bets on the OVER on any team where the total is 42.5 to 49 a good passing team (6.7-7.3 YPA) against a good passing defense (5.3-5.9 YPA) after 8 or more games after gaining 8 or more YPA last game are 29-7 since 1983.  The OVER is 5-0 in Rams last 5 games as underdogs.  The OVER is 6-1 in Bucs last 7 games as home favorites.  It’s expected to be 72 degrees with less than 10 MPH winds Monday night in Tampa Bay.  Take the OVER.

7* NFC Game of the Year on Dallas Cowboys +7.5

The Key: The Cowboys have been much more competitive in their last 2 games against the Eagles and Steelers.  And now they have a bye week to get ready for the Minnesota Vikings.  They still have a shot to win the NFC East because the division has been so poor, so look for them to be revived off their bye week.  The Vikings are on a short week after playing the Bears Monday night.  So the situation really favors the Cowboys, and I like the price with them catching more than a touchdown.  There’s a good chance Andy Dalton returns at quarterback and either way they’ll be fine as Garrett Gilbert played well against the Steelers.  Bets against home favorites after covering 6 or 7 of their last 8 games, with a winning percentage between 40% and 49% on the season are 24-5 ATS since 1983.  Take Dallas.

6* Packers/Colts Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Green Bay +3

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Packers as road underdogs to the Indianapolis Colts.  They are coming off a shaky performance against the Jaguars that looked closer than it really was.  The Packers only won 24-20 despite outgaining the Jaguars by 135 yards.  The Colts are also coming off a misleading 34-17 win over the Titans last week in which they trailed at halftime, but they got a shanked punt and a blocked punt return TD that set up 2 quick scores in the 2nd half.  I’ll take Aaron Rodgers over Philip Rivers all day.  And Rodgers gets one of his top weapons back this week in Alan Lazard from an abdominal injury.  Bets against home favorites after allowing 5.5 or fewer passing yards per attempt last game against an opponent that has gained 7 or more passing yards per attempt in 3 straight games are 27-7 ATS over the last 10 years.  The Packers are 48-23-1 ATS in their last 72 games off an ATS loss.  Take Green Bay.

6* Dolphins/Broncos AFC *CA$H COW* on Miami -3

The Key: The Miami Dolphins are 5-0 SU & 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games overall.  This team just keeps flying under the radar and hasn’t missed a beat with Tua at quarterback.  They’ve beaten 2 of the better teams in the NFL in the Cardinals and Rams with Tua while also making easy work of the Chargers last week.  And now they face a struggling Denver Broncos team that has trailed by 21 or more points in 4 straight games coming in.  The Broncos have issues at quarterback and on defense.  Drew Lock has been a bust and a turnover machine, and their defense has yielded 36 PPG in their last 4 contests.  The Broncos have yielded 26 or more points in 7 of their last 8 games overall.  Bets on any team like Miami that committed 1 or fewer turnovers last game against a team that had a turnover margin of -3 or worse last game are 72-37 ATS over the last 5 years.  Take Miami.

6* AFC *Total* Annihilator on Jets/Chargers OVER 46.5

The Key: The Chargers are an OVER bettors’ dream.  They are 6-0 OVER in their last 6 games overall and all 6 games have seen 50 or more combined points and an average of 60.3 PPG.  This 46.5-point total is just too low here.  The Jets scored 27 points against the Patriots and now have a bye week to game plan for the Chargers.  The Chargers have allowed 29 or more points in each of their last 6 contests.   Bets on the OVER on any team that has lost 3 of their last 4 games, in a game involving 2 terrible teams that win 25% or less of their games on the season are 53-23 over the last 10 years.  The Jets are 12-4 OVER in in their last 16 games against a team with a losing record.  The OVER is 6-0 in Chargers last 6 games against a poor pass defense that allows a completion percentage of 61% or worse.  Take the OVER.

6* NFL Non-Conference *Total* Annihilator on Bengals/Washington OVER 46.5

The Key: Sunday’s forecast looks ripe for scoring in Washington with nearly 60 degree temps and almost zero wind.  Washington has gotten its offense going behind Alex Smith, who has had 2 straight 300-yard games and a total of 715 passing yards in his last 2 contests.  And the Bengals don’t offer much resistance defensively as they give up 27.8 PPG this year.  The Bengals have scored 30 or more points in 4 of their last 8 games and Joe Burrow is having a great rookie season.  The OVER is 7-1 in Bengals last 8 games off a loss.  Bets on the OVER on any team that has lost 3 of their last 4 games, in a game involving 2 terrible teams that win 25% or less of their games on the season are 53-23 over the last 10 years.  Take the OVER.

7* Cardinals/Seahawks NFC West *HEAVY HITTER* on Seattle -3

The Key: The Seahawks will be extra hungry tonight after losing 3 of their last 4 following that 5-0 start.  One of those losses was to the Cardinals in overtime back on October 25th. And all 3 losses were on the road.  The Seahawks are back home now where they are 4-0 this year.  And with the division title possibly on the line here, I think we get the best version of the Seahawks and Russell Wilson.  The Cardinals have allowed 30 or more points in 3 straight games and a lot of that has to do with losing their best defender in DE Chandler Jones to injury.  Seattle is 32-15-4 ATS in its last 51 games off an ATS loss.  Pete Carroll has gone 12-2 ATS after 2 or more straight losses as the coach of the Seahawks.  Bets against dogs or PK who went over the total by 28 or more points in their last 3 games, in division games are 35-8 ATS over the last 5 years.  Take Seattle.

7* Vikings/Bears MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Chicago +3

The Key: The Chicago Bears are hungry for a win coming off 3 straight losses.  Those 3 losses were to 3 of the best teams in the NFL in the Saints, Rams and Titans.  Now they take a step down in competition here against the 3-5 Minnesota Vikings.  This is a very bad Vikings defense that yields 29.3 PPG and 413 YPG.  And while the Minnesota offense has put up good numbers this year, it has come against awful defenses outside the Colts, who they only managed 11 points against.  And the Bears are the Vikings’ kryptonite.  Chicago only gives up 21.1 PPG and 335 YPG this year.  The Bears are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 matchups with the Vikings while yielding only 16.3 PPG in those 6 contests.  They have won the last 4 outright.  Take Chicago.

6* Ravens/Patriots AFC *BAILOUT* on Baltimore -7

The Key: The Baltimore Ravens are 6-2 this season with their 2 losses coming to arguably the 2 best teams in the NFL in the Steelers and Chiefs.  Their 6 wins have come by 17.2 PPG this year so they are blowing out the teams they are supposed to.  And they should blow out the awful Patriots tonight.  New England has lost 4 of its last 5 with its only win coming on a last-second field goal over the Jets on Monday night.  Now the Patriots are on a short week with less time to prepare to try and stop Lamar Jackson and company.  That’s a huge disadvantage.  The Ravens should be able to run wild on this soft Patriots defense and name their score.  The Patriots are really lacking weapons on offense this season, and Cam Newton has been terrible.  New England QB’s have just 3 touchdown passes and 11 interceptions this year which is awful in today’s NFL.  The Ravens are 9-1 ATS in the 2nd half of the season over the last 2 years.  The Patriots are 0-6 ATS against good rushing teams that average 130 or more RYPG over the last 2 years.  Take Baltimore.

6* Bills/Cardinals Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Arizona -2.5

The Key: I like the situation for the Cardinals this week.  They were a little fat and happy coming into their bye week off their big win over the Seahawks the week prior.  And they laid an egg in an upset loss to the underrated Miami Dolphins last week.  They will be back focused this week.  Now they catch a fat and happy Bills team coming off an upset win of their own over the Seahawks.  That came after beating their biggest rivals in the Patriots the week prior.  They have a bye on deck next week and I think they could be looking ahead to it and not giving the Cardinals the proper attention they deserve.  This is a Cardinals offense that has put up 30-plus points in 4 straight and one that can out-duel Josh Allen and company.  The Cardinals also have the better defense as they yield only 22.5 PPG this year while Buffalo gives up 25.9 PPG.  The Cardinals are scoring 29.3 PPG while the Bills are scoring 26.9 PPG.  The numbers indicate the Cardinals should be more than 2.5-point home favorites, and the situation dictates it as well.  Arizona is 7-0 ATS in its last 7 games against poor pass defenses that allow 7 or more YPA.  The Cardinals are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 home games with a total of 49.5 or higher.  Take Arizona.

7* NFC East Game of the Year on Philadelphia Eagles -3.5

The Key: The Philadelphia Eagles are off their bye week and getting healthy to make a run in the 2nd half of the season.  They now have 4 playmakers back that they didn’t have before in RB Sanders, WR Jeffery, TE Goedert and WR Raegor.  They also have their 2 best offensive linemen back and healthy now in Johnson and Peters.  They didn’t have any of these guys when they played the Giants the first time.  They still managed to beat the Giants and put up 422 yards on them while limiting the Giants to just 305 yards.  That’s nothing new in this series as the Eagles are 8-0 SU in their last 8 matchups with the Giants.      The Giants only have 2 wins all season, and they both came against Washington by a combined 4 points.  And they only beat Washington by 3 last week despite being +5 in turnovers.  The Giants are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games as home dogs of 7 points or less.  Take Philadelphia.

7* Colts/Titans AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Tennessee +1

The Key: The Tennessee Titans have picked up right where they left off last season.  They have gone 6-2 after making it all the way to the AFC Championship last year.  And for some reason this team just keeps flying under the radar.  Ryan Tannehill has played like an MVP since taking over at starting QB, and AJ Brown is one of the best receivers in the NFL.  Derrick Henry gets better as the season goes on and will be a big factor for them in the 2nd half of the season here.  The Colts have played the 32nd-ranked schedule in the NFL.  Their two toughest games they lost to the Ravens 10-24 at home and the Browns 23-32 on the road.  They also lost to the Jaguars in the opener.  I know the Colts have a great defense, but their offense leaves a lot to be desired as Philip Rivers just isn’t playing well at all.  Rivers has 10 touchdowns against 7 interceptions on the season.  Tannehill has 19 touchdowns and only 3 picks this year.  Henry has 843 yards and 8 touchdowns in 8 games and is on pace to lead the NFL in rushing.  The Titans are 4-1 at home this year with their only loss to the Steelers, who are 8-0 this year.  Take Tennessee.

7* Patriots/Jets MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on New England -7

The Key: The New York Jets are 0-8 SU & 1-7 ATS this season.  They are losing by 18 PPG and all 8 losses have come by 8 points or more.  The Patriots still have hope to get back in this division race even after their loss to Buffalo last week.  It’s not like the Bills are playing great right now, and the Patriots had their chance to beat them, only losing by a field goal after Cam Newton fumbled.  The Patriots should get back on the winning track here against the Jets, who they have owned through the years.  That should continue in 2020 with the Jets being easily the worst team in the NFL right now.  Take New England.

7* Saints/Bucs NFC South Game of the Year on Tampa Bay -4.5

The Key: The Tampa Bay Bucs have gone 6-1 in their last 7 games overall and have outscored those 7 teams by 13.3 PPG.  They have been a completely different team since losing to the Saints in the opener, and now they are out to prove it and grab a stranglehold on this division as they get revenge at home.  The Bucs have scored at least 25 points in all 6 of their wins this year with an explosive offense.  They give up only 20.6 PPG and less than 300 YPG on the season with one of the top defenses in the NFL.  The Saints have won 4 straight games by 6 points or less and have been very fortunate.  They have a leaky defense that allows 28.1 PPG this year.  And Drew Brees isn’t what he used to be and is dealing with a shoulder injury right now.  The Saints are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games off 2 consecutive wins by 3 points or fewer.  Take Tampa Bay.

6* Dolphins/Cardinals Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Miami +4.5

The Key: The Arizona Cardinals had everything going their way going into their bye week with 3 straight victories.  So the bye week only could have hurt them from a mental perspective because it halts their momentum.  And their huge win over the Seahawks going into the bye probably has their heads a little bigger than they should be right now.  Miami is the type of team that nothing comes easy against.  The Dolphins are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games overall and have upset wins over the 49ers and Rams recently, 2 teams in the toughest division in the NFL.  They also played the Seahawks very tough, and now they get their shot at these Cardinals.  The Dolphins have the way better defense here giving up just 18.6 PPG this season.  They have also put up 26.9 PPG on offense and should unleash Tua this week at quarterback.  He didn’t have to do much last week because they jumped out to a 28-7 lead over the Rams.  The Dolphins are 7-0 ATS in Weeks 5 thru 9 over the last 2 years.  Take Miami.

6* Raiders/Chargers AFC West *CA$H COW* on Los Angeles PK

The Key: The Chargers might be the best 2-5 team I’ve ever seen, but they are now 0-3 in games in which they’ve had a 17-point lead or greater in 2020.  They blew another 21-point lead to the Broncos last week as things just spiraled against them.  But this is a young, resilient team that will try to bounce back this week and beat the Raiders.  The Chargers outgain their opponents by 53.1 YPG on the season, which is one of the best marks in the NFL.  The Raiders only outgain their opponents by 1.0 YPG on the season.  The Chargers are the better team, and we’re getting them at home as a pick ‘em.  This is a great value because the better public doesn’t want anything to do with them with their 2-5 record and all these blown leads.  That’s why you have to dig deeper into the numbers in the NFL and realize the Chargers are much closer to a 5-2 team than a 2-5 one.  Bets against all teams where the line is +3 to -3 after allowing 6 points or less last game against an opponent that is off a loss by 3 points or less are 34-8 ATS since 1983.  Take Los Angeles.

7* Packers/49ers NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Green Bay -2.5

The Key: The Green Bay Packers are hungry for a couple of reasons here Thursday night.  They want to erase the taste of their upset loss to the Vikings last week, who were in a good spot coming off their bye week and the Packers just couldn’t stop Dalvin Cook.  And they also want revenge after losing to the 49ers in both matchups last year.  They were eliminated in the playoffs by a very good 49ers team.  But this 2020 version of the 49ers is a mash unit with all of their injuries.  It only got worse in their loss to the Seahawks last week with both Jimmy G and George Kittle having to leave the game with injuries.  I’m not even going to list all of their injuries because it would take too long.  Let’s just say their current roster has little chance of even being competitive against this 2020 Packers team.  The Packers are 3-1 SU & 3-1 ATS on the road this year with their only loss to the Bucs, who might be the best team in the NFC.  They beat the Saints, Vikings and Texans by a combined 31 points.  The 49ers are 1-3 SU & 1-3 ATS at home this year with upset losses to the Cardinals, Eagles and Dolphins.  Bets on road teams off 5 straight games where they force 1 or fewer turnovers against an opponent that is coming off a game with a turnover margin of -2 or worse are 36-13 ATS since 1983.  Take Green Bay.

7* Bucs/Giants MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on New York +11

The Key: All the value in backing the Bucs has gone by the wayside the last 2 weeks with their blowout wins over the Packers and Raiders.  Now they find themselves laying double-digits on the road against the New York Giants this week.  You just don’t want to be laying double-digits on the road in the NFL.  The price is right to back the Giants, who continue to play in close games and show up every week.  That’s why the Giants are 4-2 ATS in their last 6 games overall and have been a nice money maker.  They only lost by 4 to the Bears, by 8 to the Rams, by 3 to the Cowboys and by 1 to the Eagles and covered the spread in every one of those games.  One of their non-covers was a 20-19 win over Washington as 2-point favorites.  So, 5 of their last 6 games have been decided by 8 points or fewer.  They have a sneaky good defense that can keep them in games.  And Daniel Jones just got back his favorite receiver in Sterling Shepard from injury last week and he made an immediate impact.  Shepard has 6 receptions for 59 yards and a touchdown in a 21-22 road loss to the Eagles last Thursday.  That also means the Giants have extra time to prepare now after playing last Thursday.  New York is 10-1 ATS in its last 11 games after playing a Thursday game.  Bets against road favorites who are outscoring opponents by 10 PPG or more off a win by 10 points or more are 51-20 ATS over the last 10 years.  Take New York.

7* AFC North Game of the Year on Baltimore Ravens -3

The Key: The Baltimore Ravens are rested and ready to go coming off their bye week.  They won’t be lacking any motivation this week with their hated rivals in the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to town.  Having that opponent I’m sure made the Ravens sharp on their bye week.  And John Harbaugh is one of the best coaches in the NFL to back on extra rest.  He is 9-2 ATS off a bye as the coach of Baltimore.  The Ravens are 5-1 this year with their 5 wins coming by 17.8 PPG and their only loss coming to the Chiefs.  They will now hand the Steelers their first defeat of the season Sunday.  Take Baltimore.

6* Colts/Lions Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Detroit +3

The Key: The Detroit Lions have quietly gone 3-1 in their last 4 games overall.  They will be playing with a ton of confidence after knocking off the Falcons on the final play of the game last week.  And Matthew Stafford is enjoying having Kenny Golloday back at receiver after he missed the first 2 games of the season.  The defense is allowing just 18 PPG the last 2 weeks and things are looking up in Detroit.  The Indianapolis Colts are 4-2 but it has come against one of the easiest schedules in the NFL.  They have played the 32nd-ranked schedule thus far.  And the only teams they faced that have a winning record are the Bears and Browns who are both not as good as their records.  And they lost to the Browns.  The Lions have played 4 of their first 6 games on the road and have faced 4 winning teams.  Take Detroit.

6* Titans/Bengals AFC *CA$H COW* on Cincinnati +6

The Key: The Cincinnati Bengals continue to be a money maker due to their 1-5-1 SU record.  But they are 5-2 ATS with 6 of their 7 games decided by one score.  And all but one of their losses was by 5 points or less.  Their only blowout loss came at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens, which is understandable.  The Bengals now play the 5-1 Tennessee Titans who are nowhere near as good as their record.  The Titans are 4-1 in games decided by 6 points or less this year, so they have been very fortunate in close games.  And after losing after missing a last-second field goal to the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers last week, it’s one of those losses that could lead to a hangover here.  There’s no way the Titans will be as hungry to face the Bengals as they were the Steelers.  And we’ve seen bad teams like the Broncos, Jaguars, Vikings and Texans all take the Titans to the wire this season, so the Bengals are more than capable of doing the same.  Joe Burrow is having a huge rookie season and just threw for over 400 yards on the Browns last week.  He can keep them in games with all of the weapons he has on offense.  And he should find plenty of success against a soft Tennessee defense that yields 25.5 PPG and 402 YPG.  Bets on dogs of 3.5 to 10 points off a close loss by 3 points or less to a division opponent, a team that wins less than 25% of their games playing a team with a winning record are 31-9 ATS since 1983.  Take Cincinnati.

6* Rams/Dolphins Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Miami +4.5

The Key: Most people want to downgrade the Dolphins for switching from Ryan Fitzpatrick to Tua Tagovailoa.  While it is a questionable move, if you were going to do it, now is the time.  The Dolphins had a bye week to get Tua ready to run the offense.  And now the Rams have no idea what to prepare for this week.  I’m not downgrading the Dolphins like everyone else just yet.  This is a terrible spot for the Rams.  They are on a short week after beating the Bears on Monday Night Football.  And now they have to travel out East and face a 10:00 AM body clock game here against the Dolphins.  This is a Dolphins team playing well coming off back-to-back blowouts over the 49ers (43-17) and Jets (24-0).  Miami’s defense gives up just 18.8 PPG and is better than it gets credit for.  The Dolphins are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games off a bye week.  Take Miami.

6* Sunday NFL *UPSET SPECIAL* on Las Vegas Raiders +2.5

The Key: The Cleveland Browns are nowhere near as good as their 5-2 record would suggest.  Their 5 wins have come by a combined 32 points while their 2 losses have come by a combined 63 points.  They are actually getting outscored by 3.0 PPG this year.  The Las Vegas Raiders have faced a gauntlet of a schedule.  They have played 4 teams with winning records in the Saints, Bills, Chiefs and Bucs, and 2 teams at or around .500 in the Patriots and Panthers.  And they even upset the Saints 34-24 as 4-point dogs and the Chiefs 40-32 as 10-point dogs.  Football Outsiders shows the Raiders as having faced the single-toughest schedule in the NFL thus far.  They had some Covid issues last week that didn’t allow their offensive line to practice all week, plus they lost their best player on D in safety Johnathan Abram.  And it was a 24-20 game with the Bucs into the 4th quarter before things unraveled late.  Well, neither of those things will be an issue this week as they prepare to face the Browns.  Cleveland has the worse injury problems, especially now that they’ve lost their best receiver in Odell Beckham Jr. to a season-ending ACL tear suffered last week against the Bengals.  Bets on all teams with a line of +3 to -3 off 5 or more consecutive overs, an excellent offensive team that scores 27 PPG or more are 24-5 ATS since 1983.  The Raiders are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games.  Take Las Vegas.

7* Falcons/Panthers NFC South *HEAVY HITTER* on Carolina -2.5

The Key: The situation couldn’t be much worse for the Atlanta Falcons this week.  They are coming off a 22-23 loss to the Lions when they had the game in the bag if they had just executed.  But they scored a TD instead of running the clock out and kicking a chip shot FG, opening the door for the Lions to win on the final play of the game.  Now the Falcons are 1-6 with nothing to play for the rest of the way.  The Panthers are 3-4 right now and could easily be 6-1.  They still believe they can make the playoffs and this is a huge game for them.  Teddy Bridgewater is playing great football and threw for 313 yards and 2 touchdowns in their 23-16 win in Atlanta earlier this year.  The Panthers could get Christian McCaffrey back this week.  This will only be the 2nd outdoor game for the Falcons this year.  They lost by 14 to the Packers in their only other outdoor game and are now 0-5 ATS in their last 5 grass games.  The Panthers are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games after yielding more than 350 yards in their previous game.  The home team is 11-5 ATS in the last 16 matchups.  Take Carolina.

7* Bears/Rams MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Los Angeles -5

The Key: The Chicago Bears are a paper tiger.  They are 5-1 and could easily be 1-5 instead.  They came back from 17 down to beat the Lions and 16 down to beat the Falcons in the 4th quarter of both those games.  They came back from 13-0 down to beat the Bucs.  They needed a late stop to beat the Giants 17-13.  And last week needed a late stop to avoid OT against the Panthers.  They were beat worse than the 19-11 score against the Colts would indicate.  And they are getting outgained by nearly 25 YPG this year, which isn’t what you would expect from a 5-1 team.  They will get exposed by the Rams, who are 4-2 and outgaining their opponents by nearly 70 YPG on the season.  It is a Rams team that will be playing hungry after losing to the 49ers last week.  The Rams have actually been better defensively than the Bears this season in giving up 318 YPG compared to 337 YPG for the Bears.  And the Rams have the way better offense in averaging 388 YPG compared to 313 YPG for the Bears.  The Rams are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games off an ATS loss.  They will win this game by a TD or more Monday night.  Take Los Angeles.

6* Jaguars/Chargers Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Los Angeles -7.5

The Key: Without question, the Los Angeles Chargers are the best one-win team in the NFL this season.  They could easily be 4-1 instead.  They lost to the Chiefs by 3 as 9-point dogs, lost to the Panthers by 5, lost to the Bucs by 7 and lost to the Saints by 3.  Those are four teams who are all .500 or better this season, so they have played a brutal schedule.  Now they have had 2 weeks to regroup, rest and prepare to face the 2nd-worst team in the NFL in the Jacksonville Jaguars.  The Jaguars had a fluky win in their opener over the Colts in which they were outgained by more than 200 yards.  They have since gone 0-5 with those five losses coming by an average of 12.6 points per game.  Their leaky defense has allowed at least 30 points in all 5 defeats.  Justin Herbert is proving to be a steal in the draft as he has been nothing but impressive.  He is completing 68.8% of his passes and 8.5 YPA with 9 touchdowns against 3 interceptions.  He will light up this soft Jacksonville defense as the Chargers let out some frustration here with a blowout victory off their bye.  Bets against dogs of 3.5 to 10 points after allowing 30 points or more in 2 straight games against an opponent that scored 17 points or more in the first half of 2 straight games are 26-6 ATS since 1983.  Take Los Angeles.

7* Bucs/Raiders Sunday Night Game of the Year on Las Vegas +3

The Key: The Las Vegas Raiders have wins over the Saints 34-24 and the Chiefs 40-32.  If those two results don’t tell you how capable this team is, I don’t know what will.  Yet the Raiders are once again getting overlooked as 3-point home dogs to the Tampa Bay Bucs.  This is a letdown spot for the Bucs off their huge win over Aaron Rodgers and the Packers last week.  And we saw the Bucs go on the road and get beat by the Bears the last time they traveled as similar 3-point favorite.  The Raiders have an elite offense that score 30.2 PPG and will test this Tampa defense.  They are led by Derek Carr, who is having a career year with 73.1% completions and 11 touchdowns against only 1 interception this year.  He and Jon Gruden are on the same page right now.  The Bucs are 0-6 ATS in road games against teams that win 60% to 75% of their games over the last 3 years.  Take Las Vegas.

6* Panthers/Saints NFC South *CA$H COW* on Carolina +7.5

The Key: The Carolina Panthers had won 3 straight before laying an egg last week in a 16-23 home loss to the Chicago Bears.  It was a team not used to success, and they basically threw a pick-6 on their first drive and were chasing that 7 points the rest of the game.  They will had a chance to force OT at the end but came up short.  Look for them to come back with much better focus this week against a division rival in New Orleans.  And Teddy Bridgewater wants to prove to his former team that they made a mistake by going back to Drew Brees last season after Bridgewater had strung together several wins for them and looked impressive in doing so.  He might be the single-most underrated QB in the NFL today.  And Brees looks like a shell of his former self with terrible arm strength.  They lost to the Packers ar home and should have lost to the Chargers at home, but escaped with a 3-point victory.  They are beatable here in New Orleans, especially with the lack of fans due to the pandemic.  I think they are getting too much respect for home-field advantage here when there’s definitely not 7.5 points between these teams on a neutral.  Take Carolina.

7* Giants/Eagles NFC *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 43.5

The Key: The Giants are built for UNDERS right now.  They have a pitiful offense that is missing their two best players in Saquon Barkley and Sterling Shepard.  They are averaging just 16.8 PPG and 275 YPG on the season.  But their defense has been solid in yielding only 342 YPG.  The Eagles are struggling offensively because they are missing 9 starters due to injury.  They average just 329 YPG and give up 355 YPG.  Bets on the UNDER on road teams where the total is 42.5 to 49 versus division opponents, off a no-cover where they won straight up as a favorite are 25-5 over the last 10 years.  The Giants are 31-11 UNDER in their last 42 games off a win by 3 points or less.  The Eagles are 7-0 UNDER as a home favorite of 3.5 to 7 points over the last 3 years.  Take the UNDER.

7* Chiefs/Bills MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Buffalo +5

The Key: This was only going to be about a 1-point spread before the Bills played the Titans on Tuesday.  Well, the Bills lost that game 16-42, but it was a misleading final score. The Bills actually outgained the Titans by 36 yards in that game but gave it away with turnovers.  Now the Bills come back as 5-point home dogs to the Chiefs, which is a 4-point adjustment.  The price is right to back the Bills now.  The Chiefs were exposed last week in their 32-40 loss to the Raiders, and there was nothing fluky about it.  The Raiders gashed the Chiefs for 490 yards and outgained them by 77 yards.  Speaking of gashed, the Chiefs are giving up 158 rushing yards per game and 5.0 yards per carry.  The Bills can run the football and keep Patrick Mahomes off the field, which is a great game plan.  And Buffalo can match Kansas City score for score offensively as these offenses have put up similar numbers.  The Bills are averaging 27.8 PPG and 401.8 YPG while the Chiefs are putting up 29.8 PPG and 407.2 YPG.  This is a much closer game than this 5-point spread would indicate, and you have to give the Bills some home-field advantage here too.  Take Buffalo.

6* Packers/Bucs NFC *CA$H COW* on Tampa Bay +1

The Key: I like the price we are getting on the Tampa Bay Bucs as home underdogs.  Bruce Arians is 9-1 ATS as a home dog of 3 points or less as a head coach in this league.  And it’s rare you get the chance to back Tom Brady as a home dog.  I like that combination.  The Packers don’t get the normal benefit of a bye week because the Bucs also had a makeshift bye of their own after playing the Bears last Thursday.  Aaron Rodgers is having an MVP season, but he’ll be up against an underrated Tampa Bay defense that only yields 298.2 YPG and 5.2 YPP this year.  To compare, the Packers give up 6.4 YPP on defense.  And I think both offenses will have success, but it’s the Tampa Bay defense that I trust to get the critical stops to win this game.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* AFC South Game of the Year on Houston Texans +3.5

The Key: This is a terrible situation for the Tennessee Titans.  They are coming off a huge win Tuesday against the Buffalo Bills.  It was a misleading 42-16 final because the Bills actually outgained them by 36 yards but gave the game away with turnovers.  And now the Titans are working on an extra short week having to get ready for another game Sunday.  They won’t be ready, and keep in mind they were fortunate to win their first 3 games of the season against some bad teams.  They beat the Jaguars (33-30), Vikings (31-30) and Broncos (16-14) by a combined 6 points.  Those 3 teams are a combined 3-11 on the season.  The Texans were rejuvenated with the firing of head coach Bill O’Brien last week.  Romeo Crennel took over and led them to a 30-14 win over the Jaguars.  Their offense racked up nearly 500 total yards in the win.  That Houston offense should be able to do whatever it wants to against a Titans defense giving up 409.3 YPG and 6.3 YPP on the season.  And the Texans need this game more if they want to stay alive in the division with the Titans being 4-0 and the Texans being just 1-4.  The Texans have played the much tougher schedule though with their 4 losses coming to the Chiefs, Ravens, Steelers and Vikings.  They are undervalued right now because of that tough schedule.  Take Houston.

6* Lions/Jaguars Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Detroit -3

The Key: The Detroit Lions’ 3 losses this season have come to the Bears, Packers and Saints who are a combined 11-3 on the season.  They also went on the road and beat the 3-2 Cardinals.  No team has played a tougher schedule than them.  And now they finally get a break and a bye week to get ready for the Jaguars.  This is a Jacksonville team coming off 4 straight losses by an average of 11.3 PPG.  The Lions are 7-1 ATS in their last 8 games off a bye.  Take Detroit.

7* Bills/Titans AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Buffalo -3

The Key: The Buffalo Bills are better on both sides of the football in this matchup with the Tennessee Titans.  While the Bills have pretty much dominated and led almost the entire way during their 4-0 start, the Titans have not looked near as dominant in their 3-0 start.  Their 3 wins came against teams who are a combined 3-11 and they came by a combined 6 points with a 2-point win over Denver, a 3-point win over Jacksonville and a 1-point win over Minnesota.  The Titans gave up an average of 422.3 YPG against those 3 offenses and now have to face a dangerous Bills offense that averages 30.8 PPG and 409.8 YPG this year.  The Titans have been shredded on the ground for 166 RYPG and 5.8 YPC.  The Bills should be able to move the football at will on them either on the ground or through the air.  Bets against dogs of 3.5 to 10 points who allowed 30 points or more in 2 straight games against a team that scored 17 points or more in the first half of 2 consecutive games are 26-6 ATS since 1983.  The Bills are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as favorites.  Buffalo is 8-2-2 ATS in its last 12 road games.  Tennessee is 3-7-1 ATS in its last 11 home games.  Take Buffalo.

7* Chargers/Saints MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Los Angeles +8

The Key: Los Angeles rookie QB Justin Herbert has been awesome in his 3 starts this season.  He is completing 72% of his passes and averaging 310.3 passing yards per game.  With him under center, the Chargers have a good chance of going on the road and knocking off the New Orleans Saints this week, who have a ton of key injuries on both sides of the ball.  And the Chargers have a pretty underrated defense with Bosa and Ingram leading the way as pass rushers.  Herbert and that defense have been keeping Los Angeles in games this season as all 4 of their games have been decided by 7 points or fewer.  The Chargers are 33-15-4 ATS in their last 52 games as road underdogs.  The Saints are 4-10 ATS in their last 14 games as home favorites.  Take Los Angeles.

6* Dolphins/49ers Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Miami +9

The Key: The Miami Dolphins haven’t lost by more than 10 points this season despite being 1-3.  Those 3 losses came to the Bills, Seahawks and Patriots who have combined to go 10-2.  They were in every game, and they will certainly be in this game against the 49ers, who are worse than all 3 of those teams due to all their injuries.  And the 49ers have been terrible as home favorites over the years.  They are 2-10 ATS in their last 12 games as a home favorite of -6.5 or more, which includes outright losses to both the Cardinals and Eagles this season.  Their only 2 wins this year came against the Giants and Jets, and I think most can agree those are the two worst teams in the NFL.  Take Miami.

7* AFC West Game of the Year on Las Vegas Raiders +13

The Key: The Raiders have looked very good against a very tough schedule this year.  They are 2-2 but could easily be 4-0.  They beat the Panthers on the road in Week 1, upset the Saints at home in Week 2, and then lost to the Patriots and Bills.  But they had their chances to win both of those games as they were only outgained by 31 yards by the Patriots and outgained the Bills by 46 yards.  I liked the fire I saw from QB Derek Carr after that loss to the Bills saying he’s tired of losing, and this team is too good for this.  Look for the Raiders to give the Chiefs a run for their money this week.  This is a tough scheduling spot for the Chiefs.  They are coming off 2 straight huge Monday Night Football wins over the Ravens and Patriots.  They were outgained by 34 yards by the Patriots last week, who were playing without Cam Newton too.  And now they are on a short week here.  You’re paying a tax to back the Chiefs now, and the tax is too steep this week.  Take Las Vegas.

6* LA/Washington NFC *CA$H COW* on Washington +7.5 

The Key: The Washington Football Team has new life with Kyle Allen replacing Dwayne Haskins.  Haskins was the worst starting quarterback in the NFL and turned the ball over too many times for Washington to have any chance of winning games.  The only game he didn’t turn it over they upset the Eagles.  Allen can only be an upgrade.  The Rams have one of the toughest early travel schedules that I’ve ever seen.  They have to go out East for the 3rd time in 4 weeks here after previously traveling to Philadelphia and Buffalo.  This is an early start time and a 10 AM body clock game for the Rams, which is always tough for West Coast teams.  Especially when having to do it 3 times in 4 weeks.  And the Rams showed signs of fatigue last week as they had to fight tooth and nail to beat the Giants 17-9 as 13-point favorites.  Their offense only had 240 total yards in that win.  And now they are up against another underrated defense here in Washington that should have Chase Young back healthy this week.  The Rams are 2-13 ATS after a home game in which they won SU but did not cover the spread.  Take Washington. 

7* Bucs/Bears NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Tampa Bay -3.5

The Key: The Tampa Bay Bucs are averaging 32.3 PPG in their last 3 games, all victories by 7 points or more.  And they have a huge edge on offense here over the hapless Bears, who can’t decide whether Nick Foles or Mitch Trubisky is the man to lead their offense.  They have a good defense, but their offense just isn’t good.  They only managed 3 points for the first 58 minutes against the Colts last week in Foles’ first start with the team.  And it’s not going to get much easier against this improved, fast Tampa Bay defense tonight.  The Bears are 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games against a team with a winning record.  Their 3 wins this year came against the Lions, Giants and Falcons, three teams that are a combined 1-11.  Take Tampa Bay.

7* Falcons/Packers MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Atlanta +7

The Key: The Atlanta Falcons are desperate for a win after opening 0-3 this year.  I like backing desperate teams.  They should be 2-1 as they blew a 15-point lead against the Cowboys and a 16-point lead against the Bears both in the 4th quarter.  But since they are 0-3 we are getting a good price on them.  The Packers are 3-0 and need to be faded this week, especially since Aaron Rodgers may not have Devante Adams and Allen Lazard.  Lazard is for sure out, while Adams sat out last week and is questionable with a hamstring. The Falcons are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games as underdogs.  The Falcons are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 road games.  This is the role they are good in.  Take Atlanta.

6* Saints/Lions NFC *CA$H COW* on Detroit +4.5

The Key: Drew Brees is just a shell of his former self.  He has lost a ton of arm strength and that has been on display this season.  They were fortunate to beat the Bucs in Week 1, then their defense got gashed in 24-34 and 30-37 losses to the Raiders and Packers.  They have impact injuries on both offense and defense.  Matthew Stafford is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the NFL.  He guided the Lions to a gutsy 26-23 win at Arizona last week.  He did everything he could to avoid a 23-6 collapse against the Bears in Week 1 by driving the Lions down and throwing a perfect pass that was dropped in the end zone that would have been a game-winner.  And Stafford just got his favorite receiver in Kenny Golloday back from a 2-game absence last week against the Cardinals, so he now has his full compliment of weapons.  Take Detroit.

6* Sunday NFL *Total* Annihilator on Seahawks/Dolphins OVER 54

The Key: The Seahawks are 3-0 to the OVER in 2020 with combined scores of 63, 65 and 69 points.  This one should see 60-plus too.  Russell Wilson has been the MVP of the league thus far in leading the Seahawks to 37 PPG.  They have really opened up their passing game this year and let Wilson shine finally with 2 of the best weapons in the NFL in Metcalf and Lockett.  But Seattle gives up 28.7 PPG and 497.3 YPG defensively.  They have injuries all over their defense and are a far cry from the legion of boom D they had back in the day.  Ryan Fitzpatrick will keep the Dolphins in this game and match Wilson score for score.  He completed 90% of his passes against the Jaguars last week.  He put up 28 points on the Bills and 31 points on the Jaguars the last 2 weeks, and he should reach or exceed both of those numbers again here.  Seattle is 6-0 OVER when eh total is 49.5 or higher over the last 3 years.  Miami is 8-1 OVER as a home dog of 7 points or less over the last 3 years.  Miami is 12-0 OVER in its last 12 against good rush defenses that give up 70 or fewer rushing yards per game.  Take the OVER.

7* Broncos/Jets AFC *Total* Annihilator on OVER 40.5

The Key: Both the New York Jets and Denver Broncos have been up against some very good defenses this season.  The Jets have faced the Bills, 49ers and Colts while the Broncos have faced the Titans, Steelers and Bucs.  This is the chance for both offenses to open things up against the worst defenses that they will have faced yet.  The Broncos give up 23.3 PPG and 380 YPG and have injuries all over their defense, most notably to Miller, Casey and Bouye.  The Jets give up 31.3 PPG and 372 YPG and have just been gashed defensively.  This is a very low total for today’s NFL and there’s definitely some value with the OVER.  Take the OVER.

7* Chiefs/Ravens MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Baltimore -3.5

The Key: The Baltimore Ravens have blown the doors off their first 2 opponents with a 38-6 win over Cleveland and a 33-16 win at Houston.  The Kansas City Chiefs also beat the Texans 34-20, but they only outgained them by 9 yards in that contest.  And the Chiefs were outgained by 65 yards last week in a fortunate 23-20 (OT) win over the Chargers in which they gave up 479 total yards to rookie QB Justin Herbert and company.  The Ravens have lost their 2 matchups with the Chiefs by a combined 8 points over the last 2 seasons. It’s revenge time here as the Ravens prove they are the best team in the AFC Monday night.  Take Baltimore.

6* Lions/Cardinals NFC *CA$H COW* on Detroit +6

The Key: Teams failing to cover by 5 PPG or more who are also 0-2 ATS have gone 57-28-1 ATS in Week 3.  Teams like the Lions are undervalued after a poor start to the season.  They blew a 23-6 lead against the Bears in Week 1 and a 14-3 lead against the Packers in Week 2.  They aren’t as bad as their 0-2 record, and the Cardinals aren’t as good as their 2-0 record, beating a poor Washington team and taking advantage of a banged-up 49ers team.  Bets on road dogs or PK who allowed 335 or more total yards per game last season, after allowing 450 yards or more last game are 24-4 ATS since 1983.  The Lions are 24-9 ATS in their last 33 road games off a loss by 14 points or more.  Take Detroit.

7* Cowboys/Seahawks NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Dallas +5

The Key: Seattle’s defense is way too poor to trust the Seahawks to be laying 5 points to the Dallas Cowboys, who have one of the best offenses in the NFL.  That was on display last week when the Cowboys racked up 40 points and 570 total yards on the Falcons.  The Seahawks give up 27.5 PPG and 485 YPG this season.  The Cowboys are 16-4 ATS in their last 20 road games after trailing at halftime by 14 points or more last game.  Take Dallas.

6* Sunday NFL *UPSET SPECIAL* on Minnesota Vikings +3

The Key: Teams failing to cover by 5 PPG or more who are also 0-2 ATS have gone 57-28-1 ATS in Week 3.  Teams like the Vikings are undervalued after a poor start to the season.  They go from being favored by nearly a FG at home against the Packers in their opener to now 3-point dogs to the Titans in Week 3, basically a 6-point adjustment.  It’s time to buy low on the Vikings, and sell high on the 2-0 Titans who have beaten 2 bad teams in the Broncos and Jaguars by a combined 5 points.  The Vikings are better than both those teams and will likely win this game outright to get back on track.  Take Minnesota.

7* Dolphins/Jaguars AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Miami +3

The Key: The Miami Dolphins hung 28 points on the Buffalo Bills last week and gave them everything they could handle.  They also hung tough with the New England Patriots on the road.  They are going to be able to score at will on this awful Jaguars defense that gave up 33 points to the Titans last week and that is giving up 400 YPG this year.  The Dolphins are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games off a SU loss.  The Jaguars are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games as favorites.  Bets on road dogs who gave up 335 or more YPG last year after allowing 450 or more yards in their previous game are 24-4 ATS since 1983.  Take Miami.

7* Saints/Raiders MNF *HEAVY HITTER* on Oakland +5.5

The Key: All the playmakers the Raiders added in the offseason paid off in a big way against the Panthers in Week 1.  Las Vegas scored 34 points and will be a tough team to stop offensively all season.  Their defense is better than it showed against the Panthers and played well in giving up only 15 points through 3 quarters, but Carolina made a comeback in the 4th.  The Saints did not beat the Bucs as badly as the 34-23 final would suggest.  They only had 271 total yards but forced 3 turnovers and didn’t give the ball away once.  They slowed down without Michael Thomas, who suffered an ankle injury in that game and is now out this week.  There’s just no replacing what Thomas does for this offense.  He had 149 receptions for 1,725 yards and 9 TD in 2019 after having 125 receptions for 1,405 yards and 9 TD in 2018.  He is arguably the best receiver in the NFL.  Take Las Vegas.

7* AFC South Game of the Month on Jacksonville Jaguars +9

The Key: The Jacksonville Jaguars were singled-out as the worst team in the NFL in the offseason by most media outlets.  They are taking it personally.  They respond with a 27-20 win over Indianapolis as 7-point dogs in Week 1.  I was on them in that game, and I’m back on them again this week as 9-point dogs to the Tennessee Titans.  Gardner Minshew continued proving his doubters wrong, completing 19-of-20 passes against the Colts with his only incompletion being a catchable ball.  With Minshew at QB, they will be able to compete.  The Titans are over-hyped after making the AFC Championship last year.  They barely beat the Broncos 16-14 on Monday Night Football, which means they are now on a short week while the Jaguars have an extra day to get ready.  The Titans are 2-11 ATS in their last 13 games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game.  The Jaguars are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 September games.  Take Jacksonville.

6* Lions/Packers NFC *CA$H COW* on Detroit +6.5

The Key: The Detroit Lions just blew a 23-6 lead over the Chicago Bears in the 4th quarter. They are the kinds of close losses dating back to last season, and they don’t want to be known as the team that cannot finish this year.  Look for them to be playing with a chip on their shoulder Sunday against the Packers.  And since the Lions have such a knack for losing close games, getting 6.5 points with them here is a nice price.  The Packers are over-hyped after beating up on a young, banged-up Minnesota defense last week, winning 43-34.  The Lions will offer a lot more resistance than the Vikings did on both sides of the ball.  Detroit is 4-2 SU & 6-0 ATS in its last 6 meetings with Green Bay with the 2 losses both coming last year by 1 and 3 points.  They have revenge in mind in this first matchup of 2020.  Take Detroit.

6* Rams/Eagles NFC *CA$H COW* on Philadelphia PK

The Key: Philadelphia blew a 17-0 lead against Washington last week and was outscored 27-17 the rest the way.  The offense stalled, and Carson Wentz had a poor game as he just didn’t have any time and was sacked 8 times.  Injuries on the offensive line contributed to it.  But the Eagles got good injury news this week as both G Jason Peters and T Lane Johnson will play Sunday, plus they get RB Mile Sanders back after missing last week.  Johnson means everything to the O-Line.  The Eagles are 36-17 with Lane under Doug Pederson, but just 6-12 without him.  The Rams played good enough to win over the Cowboys, who had all kinds of injuries hit their defense last week.  The Rams won that game 20-17.  Now they faced a pissed off Eagles team, and the challenge will be much tougher for them this week.  I love the price getting the Eagles as a pick ‘em at home as I still think they are the better team than the Rams.  Take Philadelphia.

7* Bengals/Browns AFC *Total* Annihilator on OVER 43.5

The Key: There are some key injuries on defense for both teams heading into this Thursday night affair.  The Browns are missing 3 starters in the secondary, and the Ravens diced them up for 38 points last week.  They also lost LB Jacob Phillips in that game and he is out this week.  The Bengals are without their best defensive player in DT Geno Atkins, plus starting S Shawn Williams.  The OVER is 4-0-1 in the last 5 matchups with combined scores of 44 or more points in all 5 games.  They combined for 46 and 56 points in their 2 matchups last year.  Take the OVER.

7* Steelers/Giants NFL *HEAVY HITTER* on Pittsburgh -6

The Key: The Pittsburgh Steelers did a great job of getting to 8-8 last season without Ben Roethlisberger.  They got there behind a defense that ranked 5th in total defense at 304.1 YPG and 5th in scoring defense at 18.9 PPG.  They were also 1st in sacks (54) and 1st in takeaways (38).  Rookie QB Daniel Jones had 23 turnovers last year, including 11 lost fumbles and he didn’t even play the entire season.  The Giants have a makeshift offensive line to start the season, so the Steelers will dominate the line of scrimmage defensively, and that will be the key to them winning and covering.  Big Ben just has to be decent for the Steelers to put away the Giants.  And all reports coming out of training camp is that he has great velocity on his balls and looks like the old Big Ben.  Take Pittsburgh.

6* Dolphins/Patriots AFC East *CA$H COW* on Miami +7.5

The Key: The Miami Dolphins came on strong at the end of last season under Brian Flores. They even upset the New England Patriots in Week 17.  And now the Dolphins have almost everyone back, plus brought in some talent on defense.  They will go with QB Ryan Fitzpatrick, who gives his team a chance to win every week.  The Patriots are in a world of hurt replacing Tom Brady with Cam Newton.  But they are even worse off on defense with all of the players that have opted out.  The Patriots can’t be favored by more than a TD here given their current state entering Week 1.  Take Miami.

7* NFL Game of the Week on Jacksonville Jaguars +8

The Key: The Jaguars have been getting trashed all offseason.  There is a lot of hype around the Colts with the addition of Philip Rivers.  That narrative has created some nice line value here to back the Jaguars catching more of a touchdown at home in their opener. Gardner Minshew had a great rookie season and should only build off of it this year.  The Jaguars are still loaded with talent on defense, and the offense isn’t that bad under Minshew.  Rivers is far past his prime and I don’t think he’ll be as good as everyone is expecting.  He had great weapons with the Chargers, and he has a downgrade in weapons with the Colts.  Take Jacksonville.

6* Jets/Bills AFC East *CA$H COW* on New York +7 

The Key: There’s a lot of hype on the Buffalo Bills after making the playoffs last year.  But they were 10-6 while the Jets were 7-9 and really not that far behind.  And I don’t think there is 7 points separating these teams entering Week 1 of 2020, so I like the price we are getting with the Jets here.  The Jets blew a big lead in Week 1 last year to the Bills and lost 16-17.  But they got revenge in a 13-6 win in Week 17.  And this game will likely be decided by a TD or less, just as the last 3 matchups have been.  Take New York.

6* Texans/Chiefs *Total* Annihilator on OVER 53

The Key: The Chiefs and Texans are 2 of the better offensive teams in the NFL this season, especially the Chiefs.  And both have suspect defenses, especially the Texans.  I think we see plenty of offensive fireworks in this Week 1 opener tonight to push this total OVER 53 points.  The Texans gave up 25.3 PPG and 393 YPG last year.  The Chiefs can score at will on them.  We saw that in the playoffs when the Chiefs won 51-31 for 82 combined points with the Texans.  Houston won the regular season matchup 31-24 for 55 combined points. This total is 53 is simply too low in today’s NFL and with these 2 teams.  Take the OVER.

7* 49ers/Chiefs Super Bowl *HEAVY HITTER* on San Francisco +1.5 

The Key: The San Francisco 49ers are the most compete team in the NFL this season and certainly deserve their spot in the Super Bowl.  They are 15-3 on the year and those 3 losses all came on the final play of the game.  And they battled through injuries all season and are now as healthy as they’ve been since the start of the year.  They buried both the Vikings and Packers early with a 27-10 win over the Vikings and a 27-0 lead over the Packers.  They are 4th in total offense and 2nd in scoring offense this year.  They are 2nd in total defense this year.  They simply have no weaknesses.  The Chiefs have plenty of weaknesses that the 49ers can exploit.  Kansas City’s offensive line isn’t very good and won’t be able to handle the best D-Line in the NFL.  That’s going to make Mahomes’ job a lot harder as he faces San Francisco’s #1 ranked pass defense.  The Chiefs are weak defensively up the middle as they are 26th against the run and 28th in YPC (4.9) allowed.  The 49ers are 2nd in rushing offense and just rushed for 186 yards on the Vikings and 285 on the Packers, who rank similar to the Chiefs in run D stats.  The 49ers are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games against a team with a winning reocrd.  The 49ers are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as underdogs.  Take San Francisco. 

6* Packers/49ers NFC *CA$H COW* on San Francisco -7.5 

The Key: The 49ers got 3 defensive starters back last week and held the Vikings to just 10 points and 147 total yards.  They have the best defense in the NFL and that was on display in the 1st meeting.  They beat the Packers 37-8 and held them to 198 total yards including 81 passing.  Green Bay has a terrible offensive line, especially up the middle where they will be overmatched by Armstead and Thomas.  And then you have Bosa and Ford on the outside as arguably the best pass rushing tandem in the NFL.  Not even a QB the caliber of Aaron Rodgers can overcome this elite San Francisco defense.  Take San Francisco. 

7* NFL Playoffs Game of the Year on Kansas City Chiefs -7 

The Key: The Chiefs dominated the first meeting with the Titans but found a way to lose 32-35.  That won’t happen again in the rematch, especially since it’s being played at Arrowhead Stadium.  And now the Chiefs feel invincible after coming back from 24-0 down to win 51-31 over the Texans last week.  The Chiefs outgained the Titans 530 to 371 in their first meeting.  Those kinds of numbers would usually result in a double-digit blowout.  The Chiefs are 7-0 SU & 7-0 ATS in their last 7 games overall winning by 17 PPG.  Take Kansas City. 

7* Seahawks/Packers NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Green Bay -4 

The Key: No write up Sunday. On vacation. 

7* NFL Playoffs Total of the Year on Vikings/49ers OVER 44 

The Key: No write up.  On vacation. 

7* NFL Wild Card Total of the Year on Seahawks/Eagles UNDER 45 

The Key: It’s hard to believe the books have set this total this high when you look at all the injuries to both offenses.  The Seahawks had Gordon suspended, are missing at least their top 2 running backs and could be without 2 starting offensive linemen.  Their offense has been broken in recent weeks because of it.  They scored 12 on the Rams, 13 on the Cardinals and 21 on the 49ers in 3 of their last 4 games.  The Eagles’ injury situation is worse.  They are without Lane Johnson, DeSean Jackson, Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor and could be without Zach Ertz again this week.  I think we see a similar game to the 17-9 final for 26 combined points that the Eagles and Seahawks just played earlier this season.  I like that they’ve already played each other this year because that familiarity favors the defenses.  The Eagles are 9-1 UNDER vs. good passing teams that average 235 or more yards per game over the last 10 seasons.  The Eagles are 7-0 UNDER in home games against poor defensive teams that allow 350 or more yards per game over the last 2 years. The Eagles are 7-0 UNDER in home games off a division game over the last 3 years.  The UNDER is 8-1-1 in Eagles last 10 playoff home games and 16-5 UNDER int heir last 21 home games overall.  The UNDER is 4-0 in the last 4 meetings.  Take the UNDER. 

7* Bills/Texans AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Houston -2.5 

The Key: We’re getting the Houston Texans pretty cheap here in a game they basically just have to win to cover at home.  The Bills haven’t done well when they have stepped up in class.  They are 1-4 against playoff teams this year with their only win coming against the Titans when Marcus Mariota was their quarterback.  The Texans have gone 3-3 against playoff teams with wins over the Chiefs, Patriots and Titans.  One of their losses was to the Titans when they rested their starters in Week 17.  They should be fresh and ready to go, plus they get back JJ Watt and a few others from injury that makes them a stronger team going into the playoffs.  Bets on teams when the line is +3 to -3 who are a good passing team at 6.7-7.3 YPA against an average passing team 5.9-6.7 YPA after gaining 5.5 or fewer passing yards per attempt last game are 24-5 ATS over the last 10 years.  Take Houston. 

6* 49ers/Seahawks NFC West *BAILOUT* on San Francisco -3 

The Key: The 49ers are an elite team and a Super Bowl contender, while the Seahawks are a pretender.  The 49ers are +164 in point differential on the season while the Seahawks are only +12.  It’s a minor miracle the Seahawks even have a chance to win the division.  That chance will go by the wayside this week as the 49ers handle their business.  They have a healthy George Kittle and Emmanuel Sanders now, which they didn’t have in their 1st meeting with the Seahawks.  And Seattle will be playing with a lot of different players than they did in that 1st meeting with the 49ers due to their plethora of injuries up and down their roster.  I mean, they even had to sign Marshawn Lynch off the street they are so desperate.  Take San Francisco. 

7* NFC East Game of the Year on New York Giants +4 

The Key: The New York Giants are playing well here in their last 3 games and would like to knock the NFC East rival Eagles out of the playoffs.  The Giants are 2-1 SU & 3-0 ATS in their last 3 games overall.  They won 36-20 at home over the Dolphins and 41-35 on the road at the Redskins.  Daniel Jones was great as the Giants had 552 total yards on the Redskins last week.  And now the Giants want to avenge their only loss here down the stretch, a 17-23 (OT) loss at Philadelphia.  Now the Giants get the Eagles at home and are catching 4 points.  It’s a depleted Eagles team that will be without Zach Ertz, Nelson Agholor and several others.  Bets against favorites who are off an upset win as a home dog that win 51% to 60% of their games when playing a losing team are 26-5 ATS since 1983.  Take New York. 

6* Sunday NFL *UPSET SPECIAL* on Cincinnati Bengals +3 

The Key: The Bengals want to avenge their 19-27 loss at Cincinnati earlier this month.  The Browns have a lot more injuries since that meeting, and the Bengals are a lot healthier plus they have gone to Andy Dalton at QB.  Plus the Bengals should have won that game, anyway.  They had 451 yards in that game and outgained the Browns by 118 yards.  The Browns haven’t shown much interest in finishing the season strong at all after losing by 14 at Arizona and by 16 at home to Baltimore.  They were dominated in the stat department in both those games.  Take Cincinnati. 

7* Packers/Vikings NFC North *HEAVY HITTER* on Minnesota -4.5 

The Key: The numbers show the Vikings are the better team than the Packers despite having the worse record.  Well, the Vikings can pull even with the Packers for 1st place in the NFC North with a win.  They would still need some help next week, but first things first, and I think they handle their business at home tonight.  The Packers are 21st in offense while the Vikings are 10th in offense.  The Packers are 22nd in defense and the Vikings are 14th in defense.  The Vikings have outscored the opposition by 119 points this year, while the Packers have only outscored their opponents by 47 points.  Minnesota is 36-15-1 ATS in its last 52 home games and 22-8 ATS in its last 30 games as a home favorite of 7 or less.  The home team is 6-1 ATS in the last 7 matchups.  Take Minnesota. 

7* AFC West Game of the Year on Oakland Raiders +7.5 

The Key: The Chargers can’t be trusted to lay 7.5 points to the Raiders.  The Chargers aren’t a team that wins or loses many blowouts.  Though they did get worked 10-39 by the Vikings last week.  The Raiders had a bad loss to the Jaguars that they deserved to win.  But that has gotten us some extra value on them this week.  The Chargers have zero home-field advantage and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the Raiders have more fans attend this game.  The Chargers are 7-19-1 ATS in their last 27 home games.  Los Angeles is 0-5-1 ATS in its last 6 games as a home favorite.  The Raiders are 7-3 ATS in their last 10 trips to Los Angeles.  The underdog is 16-5 ATS in the last 21 meetings.  Take Oakland. 

6* NFL Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Jacksonville Jaguars +7.5 

The Key: The Falcons are off a massive upset win as 10-point dogs at San Francisco.  This is an obvious letdown spot for them now as they return home to host the Jaguars.  The Falcons have been awful at home this season.  They are just 2-5 at home this year.  The Jaguars showed some fight in coming back from a 16-3 deficit to beat the Raiders last week.  They clearly have not quit.  And now that the hated Tom Coughlin was just fired, players can breathe a sigh of relief.  I look for a great effort from them today.  Jacksonville gets back leading receiver DJ Chark from injury this week to help out the offense.  Atlanta has lost 7 straight and 12 of its last 13 to AFC opponents.  The Falcons are 0-14 ATS in their last 14 against AFC foes.  Take Jacksonville. 

6* Sunday NFL *Total* Annihilator on Panthers/Colts OVER 46.5 

The Key: Two teams who have been eliminated from the playoffs square off today in Indianapolis.  I don’t think the defenses of either of these teams will be too interested.  And the injuries to both defenses favors the OVER.  The Colts are missing potential 3 starters in the secondary.  The Panthers are missing a handful of guys along their front 7.  The Panthers have allowed 29 or more points in 5 straight games.  Carolina will let rookie Will Grier throw the ball as much as possible in this game to see what he can do, which also favors the OVER.  Carolina is 10-2 OVER in games played on turf over the last 3 years and 36-14-1 in the last 51 games on turf.  The OVER is 21-8 in Panthers last 29 games as a road dog.  Take the OVER. 

7* Rams/49ers NFC West *HEAVY HITTER* on San Francisco -6.5 

The Key: The Rams lost all hope of making the playoffs last week with their 44-21 loss to the Cowboys.  Now they’ll be officially eliminated after getting blasted by the 49ers for a 2nd time this year.  The 49ers won 20-7 on the road and held the Rams to just 165 total yards.  Now they’ll win by more than a touchdown at home today.  The 49ers will be hungry after their upset loss to the Falcons last week, which was predictable given the spot off 3 straight huge games and with the Rams and Seahawks on deck.  Now the 49ers can’t afford a loss if they want to get the #1 seed in the NFC.  Take San Francisco. 

6* Bills/Patriots AFC East *Total* Annihilator on OVER 37 

The Key: This is a sneaky good OVER bet with a very low total of 37 points.  It’s sneaky because you wouldn’t think it, but both Buffalo and New England have been pushing the pace offensively.  The Patriots are 1st in the NFL since Week 10 in amount of seconds between snaps, playing faster than anyone.  They will use some no-huddle here to try and negate Buffalo’s pass rush.  Buffalo is 7th in the NFL in offensive pace since Week 10, which coincided with OC Dabol moving to the booth to call plays.  My math model shows 42 points in this game, giving us 5 points of value on the OVER.  Take the OVER. 

7* Colts/Saints NFL *HEAVY HITTER* on Indianapolis +10 

The Key: The Indianapolis Colts don’t get blown out often.  They are still alive for the playoffs and will give the Saints all they can handle.  The Colts are 6-7 but only have one loss by more than 7 points this year, which was their 14-point loss to the Titans a few weeks back in a game they dominated up until having a blocked FG returned for a TD.  The Saints already have the NFC South title locked up and won’t be all that hungry here to finish the season.  Bets against home favorites of 3.5 to 10 points who have won 6 or 7 of their last 8 games that win 75% or more of their games in the 2nd half of the season are 34-12 ATS over the last 5 years. Take Indianapolis. 

6* Bills/Steelers AFC *BAILOUT* on Pittsburgh PK 

The Key: This play falls into an angle that I’m going to back this week in 3 games I like anyway.  When the line is between the 3’s, we’ll back a team off a SU & ATS win against a team off a SU & ATS loss.  This system has gone 22-4 ATS over the last 2 years.  Take Pittsburgh. 

6* Rams/Cowboys NFC *CA$H COW* on Los Angeles  +1

The Key: This play falls into an angle that I’m going to back this week in 3 games I like anyway.  When the line is between the 3’s, we’ll back a team off a SU & ATS win against a team off a SU & ATS loss.  This system has gone 22-4 ATS over the last 2 years.  Take Los Angeles. 

7* AFC South Game of the Year on Tennessee Titans -3 

The Key: This play falls into an angle that I’m going to back this week in 3 games I like anyway.  When the line is between the 3’s, we’ll back a team off a SU & ATS win against a team off a SU & ATS loss.  This system has gone 22-4 ATS over the last 2 years.  Take Tennessee. 

7* Jets/Ravens AFC *HEAVY HITTER* on New York +17 

The Key: The New York Jets have won 4 of their last 5 games and should not be catching 17 points against the Baltimore Ravens.  This is a good matchup for the Jets, who lead the NFL in giving up just 3.0 YPC and only 78.8 RYPG.  The Ravens lead the league in rushing, so it is strength against strength.  And the Jets get a hobbled Lamar Jackson who is nursing a quad injury, so the Ravens won’t be as potent as they have been in the past.  The 49ers held them to 20 points and the Bills held them to 24 points while both teams held them to near season lows in yardage.  The Jets will have success defensively against them, and Sam Darnold is playing some of the best football of his career during this 4-1 stretch.  Take New York. 

7* Giants/Eagles NFC East *Total* Annihilator on UNDER 45.5 

The Key: Weather is expected to be a factor in Philadelphia tonight in this NFC East rivalry game with the New York Giants.  There is a good chance for rain and winds will be around 13 miles per hour.  The Giants will be more restricted offensively with Eli Manning returning to the lineup in place of Daniel Jones.  This Giants defense is playing better of late in giving up just 294 yards to the Jets, 335 yards to the Bears and 322 yards to the Packers in their last 3 games overall.  The Eagles still have an elite defense that has yielded 17 or fewer points in 4 of their last 5 games overall.  They yield just 18 PPG at home this year and score only 21.3 PPG.  The Giants managed just 19.2 PPG on the season.  Philadelphia is 16-4 UNDER in its last 20 games after scoring and allowing 30 points or more last game.  The UNDER is 8-1 in Eagles last 9 games after allowing 6.5 YPP or more in their previous game.  The UNDER is 6-0 in Eagles last 6 home games against poor defensive teams that allow 350 YPG or more.  The UNDER is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings in Philadelphia.  Take the UNDER. 

6* Ravens/Bills AFC *CA$H COW* on Buffalo +6.5 

The Key: The Bills have the rest advantage in this one after playing last Thursday while the Ravens just finished a physical game with the 49ers on Sunday.  This line indicates the Bills would be 12.5-point dogs in Baltimore, which is absurd.  The Bills have the #3 defense in the NFL and will be able to slow down the Ravens.  I love the price we are getting with the Bills at home today because the Ravens have won 8 straight coming in.  Bets against road favorites off 8 or more straight wins in December games are 23-4 ATS since 983.  Take Buffalo. 

7* 49ers/Saints NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on San Francisco +2.5 

The Key: The 49ers are the better team in this matchup with the Saints and the numbers show it.  Wrong team favored here.  The 49ers are outgaining opponents by 127 YPG, while the Saints are only outgaining opponents by 38 YPG.  The 49ers rank 1st in the NFL in total defense and 1st in the NFL against the pass.  They have a dominant defensive line that will give the Saints’ banged-up offensive line troubles.  The Saints are without 2 starters on the O-Line and could be without a 3rd.  That’s not what you want when you’re up against the best defensive line in the NFL.  The 49ers are 5-1 on the road this year with their only loss coming at Baltimore by 3 points.  That effort showed they could play with anyone.  I like that the 49ers stayed in Florida after the Ravens game so they won’t have all that travel in between games.  When teams meet at a location to get ready for a game the next week, they usually come out and play well.  The Saints are 0-6 ATS in home games off a division game over the last 3 years.  Bets on road dogs off a close road loss by 3 points or less in the final 4 weeks of the regular season are 23-5 ATS since 1983.  Take San Francisco. 

6* Lions/Vikings NFC North *CA$H COW* on Detroit +13 

The Key: The Lions have the rest advantage after playing last Thursday while the Vikings played in Seattle on Monday.  Despite being 3-8-1 this season, the Lions have held a lead in all 12 games at one point or another. And all 8 of their losses have come by 12 points or less, including 7 by 8 points or fewer.  They will not be losing a game by 13-plus points for the first time all season Sunday.  I was impressed with David Blough and this extra practice time will get him ready for the Vikings.  Minnesota is still going to be without Adam Thielen, plus the other 2 top weapons on this team in Dalvin Cook and Stefon Diggs are banged up.  Bets on road teams who have failed to cover the spread in 3 of their last 4 games in December games are 42-16 ATS over the last 5 years.  Take Detroit. 

7* Cowboys/Bears NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Dallas -3 

The Key: The Dallas Cowboys are 1st in the NFL in offense and 8th in defense.  They sit at 6-6, but they are a sleeping giant because of their record.  They are way better than they’ve shown record-wise, and I think that comes to fruition tonight as the Cowboys blast the Bears.  This is a Bears team that has struggled to put away the Giants and the Lions the last two weeks.  And now they’ll meet their match in the Cowboys here tonight.  The Bears are 29th in offense and 7th in defense.  Their offense just cannot be trusted.  Chicago is 1-7 ATS in its last 8 games overall.  The Bears are 0-7 ATS in their last 7 games after yielding 350-plus yard in their previous game.  Take Dallas. 

7* Vikings/Seahawks NFC *HEAVY HITTER* on Minnesota +3 

The Key: The Minnesota Vikings are the better team in this matchup with the Seahawks and should not be underdogs.  The Vikings have won 6 of their last 7 and 6 of their 8 wins this year have come by at least 10 points, so they haven’t been getting lucky in close games like the Seahawks.  The Seahawks are 9-2 this year but 8 of those wins have come by one score.  They are 8-1 in one-score games this year, which is hard to keep up.  Mike Zimmer has 2 weeks to get ready for Russell Wilson as the Vikings are coming off their bye week.  Wilson has only averaged 161 passing yards per game in his 3 lifetime starts against Zimmer’s Vikings.    The Seahawks are 1-5 ATS in their last 6 home games.  Their 3 home wins this year have come by 1, 1 and 6 points with that 6-point win coming in overtime over the Bucs.  Take Minnesota. 

7* Pats/Texans AFC *BAILOUT* on OVER 46 

The Key: The Patriots will finally get their offense going this week after three straight weeks against good defenses in the Ravens, Eagles and Cowboys.  Not to mention the Eagles and Cowboys games were played in terrible weather.  It will be perfect conditions in Houston tonight for a high-scoring affair.  The Patriots have a good chance of getting both Sanu and Dorsett back at receiver after both players missed last week.  And the Texans have one fo the best offenses in the NFL when Will Fuller is healthy, which he is.  They basically have two #1 WR’s who are tough to tame.  Houston is 18-6 OVER in its last 24 games off 3 consecutive under.  The Texans are 30-15 OVER in their last 45 games as a home dog of 7 points or less.  The OVER is 8-3 in the last 11 meetings.  Take the OVER. 

6* Packers/Giants NFC *CA$H COW* on New York +7 

The Key: Daniel Jones is proving to the Giants that their move to get him in the 1st round was warranted.  He has played well and has kept the Giants competitive in most games.  Jones should dice up a Packers defense that just gave up 37 points to the 49ers last week.  The Packers have one of the worst defenses in the NFL.  They are 28th in total defense in allowing 380.5 YPG with only the Lions, Dolphins, Cardinals and Bengals being worse.  It’s hard to ask them to go on the road and win by more than 7 points with such a bad defense. The Giants are 9-1 ATS in their last 10 home games against teams that commit one or fewer turnovers per game in the 2nd half of the season.  The Giants are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game.  Take New York. 

6* 49ers/Ravens Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on San Francisco +6 

The Key: If there’s one team that can tame the Ravens, it’s certainly the San Francisco 49ers.  That’s because they have the top-ranked defense in the NFL.  The 49ers only allow 248 YPG on the year.  Their offense is clicking after scoring 37 points on the Packers last week and getting both Emanuel Sanders and George Kittle back from injury recently.  The Ravens are working on a short week after beating the Rams on Monday Night Football.  The 49ers will have the edge in rest and preparation as a result.  Baltimore is 4-13 ATS in its last 17 home games off a Monday Night game.  The Ravens are only 3-9 ATS in their last 12 home games overall.  Take San Francisco. 

7* Saints/Falcons NFC South *HEAVY HITTER* on Atlanta +7 

The Key: The Atlanta Falcons will show up today against the New Orleans Saints.  They hate the Saints more than any other team in the NFL.  And they just beat New Orleans a few weeks back 26-9 on the road as 14-point dogs.  Now the Falcons are at home catching 7 points.  The Falcons are 11-0 ATS in their last 11 home meetings with the Saints with a spread of +7.  They haven’t lost by more than 6 points to the Saints at home since 2007.  Take Atlanta. 

6* Bills/Cowboys Non-Conference *CA$H COW* on Buffalo +7 

The Key: The Buffalo Bills are 8-3 this season and have just one loss by more than 6 points.  That means they’d be 10-1 ATS in all games with a line of +7 for them.  I believe the Bills are one of the best teams in the NFL, but they don’t get the credit that other teams do.  The Cowboys are in a tough spot after a physical, rainy game against the Patriots on Sunday in a late-afternoon game.  Now they have to come back and play on a short week after facing the defending champion Patriots.  I usually like fading teams after playing the Patriots because it’s always a letdown spot.  And that’s the case here.  The Bills are 5-0-1 ATS in their last 6 road games.  The Cowboys are 1-6 ATS in their last 7 against a team with a winning record.  Take Buffalo. 

7* Ravens/Rams NFL *Total* Annihilator on OVER 47 

The Key: I like the OVER quite a bit tonight.  The Ravens are scoring 34.1 PPG this season and can take care of most of this OVER on their own.  The Rams get both Robert Woods and Brandon Cooks back at receiver this week after both missed last week.  The Rams are scary offensively when they have Woods, Cooks, Kupp and Gurley all healthy at the same time.  Bets on the OVER on road teams with a total of 42.5 to 49 who are good teams that outscore opponents by 4 PPG or more when allowing 3 points or less in the first half last game are 72-31 over the last 10 years.  Take the OVER.

6* Bucs/Falcons NFC South *CA$H COW* on Atlanta -3.5 

The Key: No team has been more impressive than the Falcons in the 2nd half of the season this year.  They came out of their bye and promptly upset the Saints 26-9 as 14-point road dogs.  They proved it was no fluke by following it up with a 29-3 win at Carolina as 4.5-point dogs.  And now they are home only laying 3.5 points against a bad Tampa Bay team that can’t seem to get out of their own way.  The Bucs are 1-5 SU & 0-6 ATS in their last 6 games overall.  Jameis Winston cannot be trusted to not turn the ball over.  The Bucs have committed 19 turnovers in their last 5 games overall, which is absolutely atrocious.  Winston will likely continue giving the ball to the Falcons today, an improved Atlanta defense that has allowed just 12 points total the last 2 weeks combined.  Take Atlanta. 

6* Steelers/Bengals AFC North *CA$H COW* on Cincinnati +6.5 

The Key: The Steelers are a mash unit offensively right now.  I just don’t see them being able to score many points against the Bengals today considering they are without starting C Maurkice Pouncey, RB James Conner and WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.  Those are arguably their 3 best players on offense.  The Bengals showed some fight last week in Oakland and only lost by 7.  They will certainly show some fight against a division rival in the Steelers this week, and there’s no doubt they want to end this losing streak against them.  The Steelers only managed 7 points against the Browns last week and committed 4 turnovers.  They’ll continue to struggle to move the football and score points this week.  Take Cincinnati.