Dave Price
Giants vs. Broncos
Play: Under 39½
I just don't know where the points are going to come from in this game to get to 40 combined points. The Giants certainly aren't going to contribute many as they will be without their top 4 receivers due to injury. Now the immobile Eli Manning will be throwing to receivers off the street against a Denver defense that has been the top unit against the pass over the last five years. And the Giants don't have a running game either as they average just 78 rushing yards per game behind a suspect offensive line. I expect the Broncos to shut down the Giants, and for their offense to take a conservative approach knowing that as long as they don't turn it over, there's no way they lose this game. The Broncos don't have a high-powered offense at all, and the Giants are at least respectable defensively. Denver is 8-1 to the UNDER in non-conference games over the last 3 seasons.
Doug Upstone
Rams vs. Jaguars
Play: Jaguars -2
Two of the surprise teams in the NFL this season are the L.A. Rams and Jacksonville and they collide today. The Jaguars would seem to have the edge since home favorites who have won two out of their last three games, a marginal winning team (51% to 60%), playing a winning team are 26-5 ATS, 83.9%, the last 34 years in this rare situation.
Frank Jordan
Dolphins vs. Falcons
Play: Falcons -13.5
Miami is just 2-2 with an odd four games winning 19-17 over the Chargers and 16-10 over Tennessee but their two losses in-between lost 20-6 to the Jets and 20-0 to New Orleans. Atlanta is in first place at 3-1, but after starting 3-0 (with wins over Chicago, Detroit and Green Bay) Atlanta played a non NFC North team in Buffalo at home and fell short 23-17. To make the loss worse it was leading into their bye week meaning they have had to wait two weeks to get back on the field and oddly enough they play another AFC East team. Atlanta moved back into first place Thursday night with Carolina losing to Philadelphia and dropping to 4-2. Cutler is 32-37 in his career on the road, 5-6 against the NFC South, but a surprising 3-1 against Atlanta. Matt Ryan excels at home having gone 49-23 in home games, is 4-5 against the AFC East despite 14 touchdowns to just four interceptions and is 1-1 against Miami with four touchdowns and a single interception. Atlanta is eager to get back to winning especially at home so look for them to jump up early and score often as they win a blowout 38-20.
Andy Iskoe
Rams at Jaguars
Play: Rams
Jacksonville has played a pair of brilliant games away from home this season, routing Baltimore in London and doing almost the same last week in Pittsburgh, intercepting Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger 5 times. The Jags ran for 231 yard while passing for just 82. The Rams lost 16-10 at home to NFC West rival Seattle despite holding the Seahawks to just 241 total yards. 2 interceptions and losing 3 fumbles did in the Rams who continue to show they are a much improved team from last season with new head coach Sean McVay. Beware of home teams favored in that 2 to 2 ½ point range – numbers that ‘tease’ you into backing home teams laying just under a FG. History over the past several seasons shows those short priced road underdogs have better than expected success. We saw it three times last week with Detroit, Dallas and the Rams themselves all losing at home in that price range. Both teams are much improved but we should not be surprised if the Jags regress from last week’s effort much as they did when they returned from London and lost at the Jets. The Jags have alternated wins and losses over the first 5 weeks this season and are off of last week's upset win at Pittsburgh.
The Real Animal
49ers +11
Sure San Francisco is 0-5 but four of those losses were by three-points or less. The 49ers have thrown for over 300 yards in two of their last three game. Washington historically is a miserable home favorite. The Redskins have cashed just eight of 28 at home when laying more than 7 1/2-points. Plus the Skins have become vulnerable defensively without corner Josh Norman in the lineup. Remember they are already missing DeAngelo Hall and safety Deshazor Everett is listed as doubtful. Offensively Trent Williams, their best lineman, is iffy with a knee injury and running back Rob Kelley is doubtful. This team has no business giving double-digits. Washington under Gruden has covered once in five tries when giving more than six points. Pierre Garcon returns to the nation's capitol and he along with Marquise Goodwin have been a nice receiver combo for the Niners.
OC Dooley
Lions +6
As of this typing at twelve-thirty in the eastern zone there has been a last second OFFSHORE surge towards New Orleans who opened at most locations (-3) a full three points lower than what we are looking at right now. Admittedly the Lions have lost twice in the past 3 games but by only a COMBINED "seven" points which makes them a dangerous underdog especially when you consider that have a NUMBER TWO NFL ranking in the critical TURNOVER MARGIN category (plus 8 ) as the team has been very opportunistic. I am aware that New Orleans has not committed a single turnover in 4 games played (just third team in league history to pull it off) but they are off a momentum-cutting "bye" week. In this "series" the ROAD underdog has successfully COVERED the spread in each of the most recent 3 clashes