Halfway through the NFL season
We have an NFL record four undefeated teams after week 8. Will they all make it another week farther? Time to find out!
GAME OF THE WEEK – Green Bay Packers (6-1) at Carolina Panthers (7-0), GB by 2.5 – Once again, the Packers find themselves on the road against an undefeated team with a great defense. Once again they find themselves favored, though I’m not sure how the oddsmakers figure that after they shat the bed against Denver in front of the whole country. Maybe they figure, like me, that the Packers were going to win one of these two. I just figured it’d be Denver. But the Panthers had better clench their buttholes, because an angry Aaron Rodgers is about the worst thing any team wants to experience. Packers 27, Panthers 20
THURSDAY NIGHT – Cleveland Browns (2-6) at Cincinnati Bengals (7-0), CIN by 10.5 – This is a bit of an absurd point spread for a divisional game, considering how close AFC North teams tend to play each other. That being said, there’s no real reason for me to think the Bengals won’t win. Bengals 23, Browns 17
Oakland Raiders (4-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4), PIT by 4.5 – The Raiders’ offense ain’t nothing to fuck with. They’ve already shown they can win on the road this season. Without LeVeon Bell to take some pressure off the Steelers’ passing game, I think the Raiders can pull off the upset here and stay in the driver’s seat for a wild card berth in the AFC. UPSET! – Raiders 30, Steelers 20
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-5) at New York Jets (4-3), NYJ by 6 – After back-to-back losses for the Jets, a date with the Jaguars at home is just what the doctor ordered. Jets 23, Jaguars 10
St. Louis Rams (4-3) at Minnesota Vikings (5-2), MIN by 2.5 – These two teams very closely resemble each other. Up-and-coming, young clubs, excellent defenses, game-breaking running backs, game manager QBs and a young playmaker at WR. But the Rams struggle against teams outside their division, and they’re on the road to boot. Vikings 24, Rams 20
Miami Dolphins (3-4) at Buffalo Bills (3-4). BUF by 3 – This game could be the last stand for one of these two teams in the fight for a playoff spot. I’m going to take the Bills playing at home, but definitely not confident in that pick. Bills 20, Dolphins 17
Tennessee Titans (1-6) at New Orleans Saints (4-4), NO by 8 – We’ve seen other teams fire their coaches and come out on fire the next week. The difference is, I don’t think the Titans have the talent level to pull off that kind of surprise against a hot Saints team playing at home. Saints 34, Titans 10
Washington Redskins (3-4) at New England Patriots (7-0), NE by 14 – Lol. Patriots 42, Redskins 14
Atlanta Falcons (5-2) at San Francisco 49ers (2-5), ATL by 6.5 – Kaep is benched, which means Gabbert is playing, which means the 49ers don’t have a prayer. Falcons 30, 49ers 6
New York Giants (4-4) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-4), NYG by 2.5 – How the hell do you score 49 points and lose? The Giants have to be sick with themselves this week. The Bucs pulled off a shocker in atlanta, but I don’t see them doing that twice in a row. Giants 30, Bucs 17
Denver Broncos (7-0) at Indianapolis Colts (3-5), DEN by 3.5 – Peyton Manning is going to set the all-time wins record in Indianapolis, and the season will just keep getting worse for Andrew Luck and the Colts. How fitting. Broncos 24, Colts 6
Philadelphia Eagles (3-4) at Dallas Cowboys (2-5), PHI by 2.5 – You know what? Fuck it. I’m going for the upset here. I haven’t picked the Cowboys in a single game since Romo went down, but playing at home against a division rival anything can happen. UPSET! – Cowboys 24, Eagles 20
Chicago Bears (2-5) at San Diego Chargers (2-6), SD by 3.5 – CUTLER VS RIVERS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN FOUR YEARS. It’s been too long. I fully expect Laserface to get the better of him, but I know @Irin is looking forward to this one! Chargers 30, Bears 23
BYES: Arizona Cardinals, Baltimore Ravens, Detroit Lions, Houston Texans, Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks
