Mike Anthony
Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions
Play: Detroit Lions -7.5
The refs will need to keep control of this tough divisional game. Detroit Dline matched up against the Bears Oline will have to be something watched. Golden Tate vs the middle of the field is always a fun watch. Matthew Stafford has already been getting big yards when playing Chicago in the last several matchups- and he is playing his best ball of his career right now. Detroit is playing great football, no issues here at home. The king is going to be decided in this NFC North game. I just don't believe in Chicago to play the spoiler nearly enough to get it done. It will be interesting to see if anyone can cover Tate across the middle. Chicago has only gotten 5 picks this season - they cannot cover anyone - this is a nightmare. They also get abused when trying to stop crucial 3rd downs this season, and it will be in full effect again here. Lions are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games overall Detroit wins this one by double digits
Jim Feist
Knicks at Lakers
Pick: Under
A long road trip for a New York team trying to improved its defense. The Knicks are 39-19 under the total against the Western Conference. The Lakers, too, are trying to improve on defense for their coach, 11-5 under against the Eastern Conference. And the under is 5-2 when these teams clash.
DAVE COKIN
SEAHAWKS AT PACKERS
PLAY: PACKERS +3
Last stand for Green Bay here, as they have to win this game to have any hopes of winning its division. I like their chances.
The weather is expected to be nasty, and that should be a plus for GB as it could slow down the Seattle defense. The Seahawks have been awesome at home, winning all six of their games, but they have only two road wins, so I’m really not worried about trying to beat them here.
As for the Packers, they’re clearly a flawed football team and even in the win last week against Houston, there were some things not to like. But playing at home in December with their season on the line, I would definitely expect the Packers to give the Seahawks a tremendous battle and getting a field goal is something I don’t want to pass up. Packers plus the points is therefore a play for me.
Ben Burns
Florida vs. Florida St
Play: Florida St -3
The Gators bring the higher ranking into this afternoon's game. However, I feel that the Seminoles are favored for good reason. While the Gators are always tough, this year's Seminoles have both depth and talent.
Florida coach Mike White said this of the Noles: "Defensively, they’re the longest, fastest, quickest, most athletic defense I think arguably that we'll play this year. Second-biggest team, I think, numbers-wise in college basketball. They can throw 7-footers at you, 6-foot-10 long fours (power forwards) that can switch on the guards. They're really playing hard. They're pressuring even more than a year ago, pressing even more."
The Noles are perfect on their home floor, outscoring teams by a 96.9 to 68.7 margin here. The Noles have hit better than 54% of their shots here; visiting teams have connected on only 37% of theirs. They've scored 98 or more points five times already this season.
While Florida is already 0-2 ATS as an underdog this season, Florida State is 6-2 ATS as a favorite. Admittedly, recent meetings in this series have been extremely close, the underdog "getting the cash." That said, this pointspread is smaller than it was for those games. With the Gators off a (potentially draining) 10-point loss to Duke, I feel that the surging Seminoles have an excellent shot at covering the small number.
Mike Lundin
Saints vs. Bucs
Play: Under 51
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will take on the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium Sunday afternoon, and I think we'll see a relatively low-scoring affair.
The Saints struggled offensively in a 28-13 home loss to the Lions last week. Drew Brees threw for 326 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions, and he's generally much better at home than on the road. Under is 6-2 in the Saints last eight road games, and while the Saints' D is not much to cheer for, keep in mind that Tampa Bay's QB Jameis Winston threw for just 182 yards in a 24-17 loss to New Orleans last year.
Each of the last three meetings have gone under the total.
Dwayne Bryant
New Orleans at Tampa Bay
Play: New Orleans +2.5
Key NFC South battle taking place in Florida on Sunday, as the 7-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the 5-7 New Orleans Saints. I am recommending a play on NEW ORLEANS +2.5 (+100).
This is the perfect "buy low, sell high" spot. We are "buying low" on New Orleans off a double-digit home loss to Detroit last Sunday. We are also "selling high" on Tampa Bay off four straight wins that have catapulted them into a first-place tie with Atlanta.
The Saints embarrassing home loss to the Lions last Sunday came on the heels of a 49-point outburst against the Rams the week prior. The Saints are now 0-3 this season when coming off a 40+ point performance. Time to bounce back against their division-leading rival, and the Saints know they can't afford another loss if they want a chance at a playoff spot.
The Buccaneers' four-game winning streak includes wins over the Chiefs in Kansas City, Seattle, and at San Diego. Not too shabby. That recent success leads them to being a small favorite over Drew Brees and company in this one. The chalk role is not a role that Tampa Bay handles very well, as they are just 2-7 SU and ATS in that role since the start of the 2014 season.
The Saints should not only be highly motivated off that embarrassing home loss, but they should also hold a bit of a psychological edge over the Bucs. After all, the Saints have won eight of the last nine meetings, including the last four at Raymond James Stadium.
I love backing top QBs who are off poor performances. Drew Brees is in that situation here, as he threw 3 interceptions and NO TD passes last Sunday. Brees will be on a major mission in this one.
Mike Rose
Atlanta Falcons at Los Angeles Rams
Play: Los Angeles Rams +6
Though just 1-1-1 ATS as home underdogs this season, the Rams had gone 4-1 straight up and against the spread in that role the previous two seasons. On the flipside, Atlanta checks in 4-2 straight up but a bankroll killing 2-4 against the spread the last six times it was installed road favorites. It’s also 3-8 against the spread following its last 11 outright defeats. I personally don’t think much of either of these teams, but with the home team 6-2 against the spread in the last eight meetings and the Rams playing with absolutely nothing to lose, I’ll take the extra cheddar and look for LA’s defense to come up with just enough stops to keep this one competitive all the way through.
The Prez
Denver Broncos at Tennessee Titans
Play: Tennessee Titans -1
The Denver Broncos take to the NFL Sunday gridiron as a visitor for the second straight week in a scheduled contest against the Tennessee Titans that kicks at 1:00 p.m. ET and takes place on Nissan Stadium field in Nashville, Tennessee. The Broncos currently hold the final wild card slot in the AFC and are under pressure from Miami and Pittsburgh, who are a game behind Denver in the AFC Playoff picture.
The Broncos quarterback situation is a mystery. The team has yet to announce which of their top two signal-callers will start Sunday against the Titans. No #1 QB Trevor Siemian missed last week's win over Jacksonville due to a foot injury and has been limited in practice this week. Regardless of what you hear from the sports media or read on the internet there is a significant difference in ability between Siemian and backup Paxton Lynch..
Tennessee also has a lot at stake in this Week #14 affair. The Titans rest atop the AFC South in a three-way tie with Houston and Indianapolis.
Don't believe for one minute that the Broncos gameday success or failure rests solely on their defensive performance. A big part of the final results of Sunday's event in Nashville depends on whom starts behind center for the Broncos. At this point and time my information has me leaning towards rookie quarterback Lynch as the Broncs starter. Denver has been an ATS cover machine in the month of December. They have cashed 13 of its last 18 holiday time games.
Sleeping on the Titans would be a mistake, however, as QB Marcus Mariota has matured and grown with leaps and bounds into his leadership role for this team. He has completed two-plus touchdown passes in eight straight games, in games against Green Bay, San Diego, Miami, Chicago, Jacksonville and Indianapolis, twice. Granted, the defensive secondaries for the aforementioned teams are squatters compared to that of the Broncos but this Denver defense cannot win games on their execution alone.
With Lynch starting for the Broncos the play on Sunday afternoon at Nissan Stadium is the home town Titans. The Broncos are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 meetings against Tennessee but with those wins the Broncos have performed at a high level offensively. The totals in those five games have exceeded the oddsmakers closing number on four occasions.
With Lynch under center and directing the Broncos offense putting points on the scoreboard is an issue for Denver. And despite the superior player personnel on the defensive side of the ball for Denver they can't do enough, with Lynch, as the Titans can with Mariota leading the Tennessee offensive scheme.
Buster Sports
Washington Redskins at Philadelphia Eagles
Play: Washington Redskins -2
The Washington Redskins have lost 2 games in a row against very tough opponents in Arizona and Dallas on the road. Today they face a Philadelphia team that has all kinds of problems as of this year. Carson Wentz looked like a miracle worker at the beginning of the year but the last bunch of games has proven he is just a normal QB. Really like the Redskins here as they need this victory to have a chance at making the playoffs in the NFC. The Redskins beat the Eagles in their first matchup 27-20 and we see a similar result today.
Dwayne Bryant
Cincinnati Bengals at Cleveland Browns
Play: Cleveland Browns +5.5
The second meeting this season between these AFC North and Ohio rivals. The Bengals took the first meeting in Cincinnati, 31-17. I am recommending a play on CLEVELAND +5.5 in this rematch.
I know, it's the winless Browns. I get it. It's one of those "hold your nose" plays, but sometimes those are the best bets to make. And we don't need them to win outright, although they just might.
This looks like the Browns' best chance to get a win this season. The rest of their schedule includes trips to Buffalo and Pittsburgh with a final home game against the Chargers wedged in between. Like I said, this looks like Cleveland's best chance to get a W.
The Bengals are beat up. They lost two of their best offensive weapons, WR A.J. Green and RB Giovani Bernard. They've only scored about 17 points per game on the road this season, and most of that was with Green & Bernard.
The Browns get RGIII back under center for this one. I'm sure he will be rusty, but I expect the Browns to lean on the ground game in the cold, wintry conditions anyway.
The Browns are off their bye, so they are rested and should be well-prepared. And their head coach, Hue Jackson, knows the Bengals well. He was their offensive coordinator before coming to Cleveland this season.
The Bengals already beat the Browns by two TDs this season, and they know Cleveland is winless. Off a blowout win over the Eagles and with their bigger rivals from Pittsburgh on deck, nobody could blame the Bengals for looking past the Browns in this one.
Ross Benjamin
New Orleans @ Tampa Bay
Play: New Orleans +2.5
Dating back to 12/6/2015, New Orleans is a perfect 9-0 ATS as an underdog, and won 5 of those contests straight up. Their 4 straight up losses in that sequence came by a combined 15-points. Conversely, since 12/19/2012, Tampa Bay has gone an abysmal 1-10 SU&ATS as a favorite of 2.5 or more. This will be just the 2nd time in 13 games that Tampa Bay has been installed as a favorite this season.
New Orleans is coming off a 28-13 loss to Detroit last Sunday. The Saints have now gone 14-18 over their last 32 games played, including 5-7 this season. Tampa Bay is coming off a 28-21 win as a 3.0-point underdog at San Diego last week. That win improved Tampa’s record to 7-5. When combining these results and statistical data, it leads us to a never lost NFL betting angle illustrated below.
Any underdog of 3.0 or less playing in a division game following a non-division contest, possessing a losing record, and has won 22 or less of its last 32 games, versus an opponent with a winning record and coming off an away underdog straight up win, resulted in those underdogs going 14-0 SU&ATS since 1981. The average margin of victory in those 14 contests was 9.3 points per game.
Bob Balfe
Cardinals -2.5
The game plan should be simple for the Cardinals. Run the football and take advantage of a banged up Miami Defense. All three original starting linebackers are out of this game for Miami. This is not a good defense at stopping the run so if Arizona can be balanced they should be able to hit their home run passes. Mike Pouncey being out is a game changed for this Dolphins Offensive Line. Arizona has a great defense and are in desperation mode right now trying to fight for a playoff spot. I like the Cardinals to be the more physical team today on the road.
Andy Iskoe
Bills +3
This game could have Wild Card implications with Pittsburgh at 7-5 and the Bills at 6-6. Buffalo lost 38-24 at Oakland in which they led 24-9 in the third quarter. The Bills rushed for 212 yards, the fifth straight game in which they've topped 150. Buffalo has a favorable schedule with 2 more home games followed by a Week 17 game at the Jets. After 4 straight losses (SU and ATS) the Steelers have won (and covered) 3 in a row. Last week's win over the Giants was not pretty but Pittsburgh was clearly in control. The defense played extremely well for a third straight week. Both offenses excel at avoiding turnovers, portending a cleanly played game. Buffalo's a home dog for just the second time this season. Their running game, including the mobility of QB Taylor, lends support for playing a home dog that rates extremely high in our ranking of categories that point to both SU and ATS success.
Ray Monohan
Cowboys vs. Giants
Play: Giants +3.5
The Giants-Cowboys rivalry continues on SNF and the Giants plus the points are worth the move.
This is a bounce back scenario for the Giants and Eli Manning. After getting knocked around by Pittsburgh last week, New York returns home where they've been playing extremely well.
New York is the only team to beat the Cowboys this year and with how good the rush defense is, they are a team that can slow the Cowboys down.
Some trends to note. Cowboys are 0-4 ATS in their last 4 meetings vs. NY. Cowboys are 0-3-1 ATS in their last 4 games in December. Giants are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 250 total yards in their previous game. Giants are 4-0-1 ATS in their last 5 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game.
Look for New York to dominate the line of scrimmage. With that, the Giants will have a chance to win this one outright with it being decided late.
Kevin Thomas
Seahawks vs. Packers
Play: Packers +3
Lot's of stuff jumps off the page in the Seahawks Packers game when I'm looking at games for us to make money on. The Seahawks have not won in Green Bay since 1999 and They will lose again Sunday. There are some great angle trends supporting the Packers Sunday. Arron Rodgers is 12-3 80% ATS in the month of December at home and he is perfect 7-0 versus the good teams in that same month at home if they are over.500. Packers need the win badly as they are just 6-6.