LOCK: Pittsburgh (-10.5) over DETROIT

The Lions will likely be without both QB Matthew Stafford and WR Calvin Johnson, leaving them only RB Kevin Smith as an offensive weapon. He will probably still do well, but the Lions aren’t going to stop the Steelers’ offense in this one.

PHILADELPHIA (-14.5) over Tampa Bay

The Bucs are a team in shambles, and the Eagles have been playing extremely well without Donovan McNabb. He will be back Sunday, but no matter who they play at quarterback, the Bucs will be hard-pressed to score more than once against Philly’s stout defense.

Minnesota (-10.0) over ST. LOUIS

No-brainer here. Minnesota is playing great football lately, while the Rams look like the worst team in the NFL. Then again, every powerhouse team has a bad week at least once during the regular season. My answer would be that even a bad week from the Vikings would cover the spread against the horrendous Rams.

New England (-3.0) over DENVER

I’m picking this one just because the other three games are such easy games; I had to pick one tough choice. But I don’t see the Broncos winning this game, even though they will hold New England to fewer points than they’re used to. It’s time for the Broncos to lose one.