NFL Expert Picks Week 10: Update!
By Jeff Ellis
UPDATE! I have to change my Lions @ Vikings pick. Vikings WR Percy Harvin is inactive for today’s game. He is the Vikings’ #1 wide receiver and without him their chances of beating the Lions are severely diminished. I now believe the Lions will win the game.
Part One
Bang! 11-3 last week! …and that’s how we do it at GmenHQ.com. That puts me at 88-45 for the year which makes me the sole owner of third place against the ESPN “Experts”. Wickersham is first at 94-38 and Mortensen is second at 92-40. Next season we may need to start our own panel of experts.
There are lots of fun games this week, let’s discuss three games right now.
Colts @ Jaguars The Colts will win. Colts are 5-3 and getting better every week. The Jaguars are 1-7 and I see no improvement. Jacksonville may get a few wins when star RB Maurice Jones-Drew returns but for now this team has no life. This sounds crazy but I might let MJD rest and recover for the entire season at this point. Why risk another injury when there is nothing to gain. Thinking like that is why I’m not a coach. Of all the things I’ve lost I miss my mind the most.
Giants @ Bengals Giants win. The Bengals are giving up 27.3 points/game and they are 1-3 at home. Giants are scoring 28.2 points/game and are 3-1 on the road. The Giants have been struggling a bit recently but those struggles have come against teams with much more power than the Bengals. Also, Giants are +14 takeaways and Bengals are -5, so look for the Giants to capitalize on the Bengals’ sloppy play.
Titans @ Dolphins Dolphins will win. The Dolphins D is giving up just 18.6 points/game compared to 34.2 point/game for the Titans D (worst in the league). The Dolphins are 2-1 at home and the Titans are 1-3 on the road. I expect to see a big game from Miami RB Reggie Bush.
Enjoy the game tonight. More picks tomorrow…
Part Two
Lions @ Vikings I’m taking the underdog Vikings. The Vikings are 4-1 at home and Detroit is 2-3 on the road. The Lions’ Stafford-Johnson connection may be heating up but the Vikings defense is ranked third in passing yards giving up just 188.6 yds per/game. Lions WR Calvin Johnson is listed as questionable today but it looks like he will be able to play. I believe his knee injury will slow him down enough for the Vikings to keep his numbers down.
Bills @ Patriots The Patriots will dominate this game. The Patriots are +13 turnovers and the Bills are -7 turnovers. The Bills are giving up 31 points/game, second worst in the NFL, and the Patriots are scoring 32.8 points/game, first in the NFL. The Patriots beat the Bills 52-28 in week 4.
Falcons @ Saints The Falcons will win. The Saints are improving their defense but it hasn’t improved enough to stop the 8-0 Falcons.
Chargers @ Buccaneers I like the Buccaneers. The Buccaneers have a lot of fight in them, the offense is scoring 28.3 points per game, and they’ve won three of the last four games. Tampa Bay has +9 turnovers and San Diego is even at 0 turnovers. The Chargers have good talent but I don’t think Norv Turner knows what to do with it.
Broncos @ Panthers Broncos win. Peyton Manning has his team performing at a high level. Cam Newton has lost faith in his team and his coaches.
Raiders @ Ravens Ravens win. The Ravens are 6-2 for the season and 4-0 at home. Raiders are 3-5 for the season and 1-3 on the road. Need I say more?
Jets @ Seahawks The Seahawks win.The Jets are missing key players to injuries and some of the healthy players are missing even when they are the field. Seattle is 5-4 for the season and 4-0 at home.
Cowboys @ Eagles Cowboys win. Both teams have many problems. The difference is the Cowboys seem to have a much stronger sense of self-preservation. They actually believe that they can turn the season around and put some wins together. The Cowboys D kept the high-powered Falcons offense to 19 points last week which tells me the Cowboys can control the Eagles offense and eek out a win.
Rams @ Niners The Niners are 6-2 and making a run at the playoffs. They are a well rounded team and should defeat the Rams easily. Rams are 0-3 on the road and Niners are 3-1 home. This game is the last chance for the Rams to get their offense moving and make a difference in the NFC West.
Texans @ Bears I am going with the Bears. Sunday night we will find out what happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object. Both teams have great defenses and great offenses. Both teams are 7-1. Bears are undefeated at home and Texans are undefeated on the road. I give the edge to the Bears because they are playing at home and have +16 turnovers versus the Houston’s +8 turnovers.
Chiefs at Steelers Steelers win. This could be the most lopsided Monday Night Football game ever. The Steelers are 3-0 at home, 5-3 for the season, and have a three-game winning streak. The Chiefs are 1-7.