LOCK: CINCINNATI (-7) over St. Louis: The Rams have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, as Dante Hall is the latest victim to go down, the 11th player to be placed on injured reserve this season for St. Louis. And while the Bengals are coming off a tough loss, only scoring 10 points at Pittsburgh, Cincinnati has scored 21 points or more in their previous four games. The Bengals defense has been suspect, but their offense should be enough to win and cover easily.
PICKS:
Cleveland (-3.5) over JETS: The Jets are coming off an impressive 40-spot against the Dolphins and will be facing the worst-ranked defense in the league. But the Browns have a top-10 offense and are coming off a disappointing loss to Arizona. Sitting a 7-5 and still vying for a playoff, the Browns will be inspired, and while both defenses are weak, Cleveland should be able to outscore the Jets.
NEW ENGLAND (-10) over Pittsburgh: It’s a classic matchup with the best offense against the best defense. But the Patriots’ defense is third in the league, and that will be the difference in the game. With the Jets coming next week, the Patriots don’t have to worry about looking ahead and can focus on the task at hand. Plus, the NFL is a scam and they’ll do whatever it takes to make sure the Patriots win so all I have to do is hope they cover.
Giants (+3) over PHILADELPHIA: Coming off a huge win at Chicago, the Giants are going to have to play strong football for all four quarters as they are facing an Eagles team that has lost two close games in the previous two weeks, one against the Patriots. The Giants won 16-3 in the teams’ matchup earlier in the year. Look for it to be another close one with the Giants hopefully finishing on top.