Just like last couple of weeks with the London games, we have yet another aspect of the NFL schedule starting up this week, this one having a bit more of an effect on a confidence pool– bye weeks!
This can play big in your season long pools. If you have had a solid start and are sitting comfortably towards the top of the standings, you are loving bye weeks as the top numbers aren’t in play! You can’t have 15 and 16 point games where there are only 14 games played in a week!
On the flip side, if you need to make up ground, you need to make sure you hit as many picks as you can in a week.
Lucky for you, you’re reading my picks, so you’re good to go ?
Week 6 – HERE WE GO!!!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
14 – LOS ANGELES RAMS over Carolina – This is obviously less about how good the Rams are doing and more about how God-awful the Panthers are doing.
13 – GREEN BAY over New York Jets – The Jets have definitely made progress this season - they’re just not at a “win at Lambeau” level yet.
12 – San Francisco over ATLANTA – Jimmy G has the 9ers on a roll that dwindling Falcons can’t keep up with.
11 – LOS ANGELES CHARGERS over Denver – Ah I remember a time not too long ago when everyone laughed at me and brushed me off when I said trading for Russell Wilson was a huge mistake for the Broncos
10 – Cincinnati over NEW ORLEANS – Look for this to be a game where the Bengals start to make their 2022 comeback
9 – SEATTLE over Arizona – The Cardinals have to be counting the seconds at this point for DeAndre Hopkins to come back.
8 – CLEVELAND over New England – Continuously handing the ball to Nick Chubb seems like it would be a solid offensive strategy.
7 – INDIANAPOLIS over Jacksonville – The Jags have the Colts number in Jacksonville…in Indy…not so much.
6 – Tampa Bay over PITTSBURGH – How lucky are the Bucs that they are in the NFC South? My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that even with the slow start, THE BUCS WILL CLINCH THE NFC SOUTH BY WEEK 12
5 – Minnesota over MIAMI – It would be a fun story for Skylar Thompson to come in and beat the Vikings…just won’t happen
4 – Dallas over PHILADELPHIA – …still not sold on the Eagles…
3 – Buffalo over KANSAS CITY – I’ve decided to bite my tongue regarding my thoughts on the city of Kansas City…
2 – NEW YORK GIANTS over Baltimore – Are…are the Giants for real?
1 – CHICAGO over Washington – Was going to have a Commanders win here until hearing that Carson Wentz’s arm isn’t 100%
The number 13 has an odd aura around it.
The NFL seems to be doing its part to add to that way of thinking with some of the matchups in Week 13.
This season, Week 13 gives us plenty of matchups that are simply toss-ups. Sure, we still have a couple that are sure things and a couple that deserve to be at the bottom of the list, but there are a LOT in the middle that can go either way!
So, in times like this, we know that this is where we are going to further the gap between us and second place!
Week 13 – HERE WE GO!!!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
15 – BALTIMORE over Denver – Russell Wilson’s contract info made the rounds on the internet this week. As a Raiders fan…it made me very happy!
14 – DALLAS over Indianapolis – Jeff Saturday seems to be learning on the job. AT&T Stadium isn’t the best place to still have to bring your textbook.
13 – TAMPA BAY over New Orleans – This is more of a having no confidence in the Saints than it is having confidence in Tampa.
12 – MINNESOTA over New York Jets – Hard to think that even a Jets team led by top-tier quarterback Mike White can keep up with the Vikes.
11 – SAN FRANCISCO over Miami – Over…take the over…
10 – PHILADELPHIA over Tennessee – Super Bowl preview? I mean, probably not, but makes it sound a little more exciting, right?
9 – NEW YORK GIANTS over Washington – This will be a solid NFC East battle…yet, somehow, still just has the aura of a game that I just don’t care about.
8 – LAS VEGAS over Los Angeles Chargers – This was supposed to be a matchup to see who would be the real one to challenge Chiefs for the division…maybe next year, I guess.
7 – CINCINNATI over Kansas City – I feel like the Bengals have been motivated by the shots I have taken at their expense. My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is even after the slow start, THE BENGALS WILL MAKE IT TO (at least) THE AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
6 – Buffalo over NEW ENGLAND – There’s just something about this one that has me putting the Bills lower than they probably should be – follow your hunches, folks!
5 – DETROIT over Jacksonville – I can’t be the only one that thinks this could actually be an intriguing and entertaining game to watch, am i?
4 – ATLANTA over Pittsburgh – I’d like to welcome the Steelers to the world of games being decided just by who the home team is.
3 – Seattle over Los Angeles Rams – Oh, poor Rams! Literally, poor Rams – they’ll have hundreds of millions of dollars injured and sitting on the sidelines for this one.
2 – HOUSTON over Cleveland – I would say that Deshaun Watson may need to “shake off” the rust in his return to the league…but that may sound a little too suggestive for his return to Houston.
1 – CHICAGO over Green Bay – This is obviously if Aaron Rodgers can’t go this week. If the Bears’ majority owner can go, then you’ll definitely want to switch this, but still keep the Pack on the one-point line.
Oh this is going to be a fun week!
To clarify, this will be a “fun” week.
This is the kind of week where it looks like there are a decent amount of sure-fire picks…but you know we’ll see at least one upset. It’s football, we always do. All because some jerk once coined the phrase “Any Given Sunday.”
We’re not worried about that here though so let’s get some confidence!
Week 3 – HERE WE GO!!!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
16 – JACKSONVILLE over Houston – (embracing my inner-Billy Madison) I put the Jags on the 16 because I’ve never seen the Jags on the 16 and wanted to see the Jags on the 16,
15 – KANSAS CITY over Chicago – What in the holy hell is going on at Halas Hall???
14 – MIAMI over Denver – I trusted the Broncos last week…not making that mistake again anytime soon
13 – SAN FRANCISCO over New York Giants – No Saquon = no win…that simple
12 – SEATLLE over Carolina – Something clicked for the Seahawks last week and the Panthers don’t have what it takes to…um…unclick it…yeah that works
11 – Dallas over ARIZONA – The Cardinals have looked surprisingly competent running the NFC East Gauntlet so far…that comes to an abrupt stop this week
10 – BALTIMORE over Indianapolis – Anthony Richardson is looking impressive early in his career…just can’t find a way to stay in the game long enough for a win
9 – LAS VEGAS over Pittsburgh – The Steelers won’t be able to score multiple defensive TDs every week
8 – DETROIT over Atlanta – Who knew this time last year that this would be an intriguing, and probably fun, game to watch??
7 – CLEVELAND over Tennessee – As intriguing as that last game should be, that’s how boring this one should be
6 – MINNESOTA over Los Angeles Chargers – An 0-2 Kirk Cousins will be mad…you won’t like him when he’s mad! My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that KIRK COUSINS WILL THROW FOR OVER 400 YARDS.
5 – GREEN BAY over New Orleans – The atmosphere of a Packers home opener will be too much for the Saints to handle
4 – CINCINNATI over Los Angeles Rams – All faith in the Bengals this year will be lost if they lose this one
3 – Buffalo over WASHINGTON – I don’t have nearly as much confidence on this one as I probably should
2 – NEW YORK JETS over New England – This is your weekly “Team X will win because they’re the home team”
1 – TAMPA BAY over Philadelphia – Hunch…pure hunch…hunches like this belong on the one point line
And what a difference a week makes!
Last week, we had a decent amount of games that were sure fire picks. This week, we have a LOT more games that are pick’em’s to say the least!
Well, last week a few too many “sure fire’s” were apparently not that sure a thing…maybe more toss-up’s will mean more correct picks this week!
Week 4 – HERE WE GO!!!!
(HOME TEAM IN CAPS)
16 – SAN FRANCISCO over Arizona – When you are a team that looks unbeatable, a home game against the Cardinals is not necessarily something to be worried about.
15 – Kansas City over NEW YORK JETS – Aaron Rodgers being replaced on this Sunday Night Football broadcast by Taylor Swift probably won’t help the Jets too much.
14 – DALLAS over New England – Losing to Arizona last week only upset the Cowboys defense. My BOLD PREDICTION for this week is that THE COWBOYS DEFENSE WILL SHUTOUT THE PATRIOTS WITH AT LEAST FIVE SACKS, TWO ITERCEPTIONS, A FUMBLE RECOVERY.
13 – PHILADELPHIA over Washington – I said the Eagles were going to be better than they were last year … I was right.
12 – LOS ANGELES CHARGERS over Las Vegas – I can verify that Raiders fans are already looking at 2024 Mock Drafts.
11 – NEW YORK GIANTS over Seattle – The Giants still win if Saquon doesn’t play here…but drop them down below the five point line
10 – Baltimore over CLEVELAND – Take the over on this one.
9 – Minnesota over CAROLINA – I just can’t see the Vikings starting the season 0-4…can you?
8 – GREEN BAY over Detroit – It will be interesting to see how Jordan Love responds to the national spotlight.
7 – INDIANAPOLIS over Los Angeles Rams – Id’ say drop the Colts down a few if Richardson doesn’t play again…but it didn’t seem to matter last week.
6 – BUFFALO over Miami – This is just going to be fun to watch!
5 – NEW ORLEANS over Tampa Bay – I’m not saying that Jameis Winston went to the locker room kicking Derek Carr so he could play against Tampa this week … buuuut I’m not NOT saying it either.
4 – HOUSTON over Pittsburgh – I feel legally and morally obligated to pick Houston to win after picking them to lose in the 16 point slot last week.
3 – Atlanta over JACKSONVILLE – And on that note, I feel the same about picking the Jags to lose after picking them to win in the 16 point slot last week.
2 – Cincinnati over TENNESSEE – This was a playoff matchup not too long ago…just gonna leave that there…
1 – CHICAGO over Denver – I don’t care who you pick, just keep it on this line – neither team deserves to be higher than the one point line