SEC Week 11 Predictions

                                                                         Courtesy of usathebiglead.com

Welp, last week showed us that playing Arkansas during overtime is not a wise decision.  After the 4th and 25 play that has gotten about as much attention in Oxford as the Zapruder film, the Hogs were able to pull off an overtime win on the road to get to 5-4.  Ole Miss dropped to 7-3, and now in a complete twist of irony, will be cheering for the Mississippi State Bulldogs to upset the Crimson Tide, to keep their hopes of getting to Atlanta alive.  

                                                       Courtesy of al.com

In the rest of the SEC, Leonard Fournette found kryptonite in the name of the Alabama defense, as the Tigers lost to the Tide 30-16.  The real star of the show was Derrick Henry, who rushed for 210 yards and 3 Touchdowns.  He may have jumped Fournette as the front runner for the Heisman with that performance.  Auburn got back on track as they jumped up to 5-4 with a win over Texas A&M.  On the other side of the conference in the SEC East, Florida clinched a trip to Atlanta, after sleepwalking through 3 1/2 quarters against Vandy, but the Gators just aren't the same without Will Grier.  No matter who they face out of the West, they'll likely be an underdog. To close out the rest of the SEC, Georgia took care of business against a Kentucky team that needs to win 2 of its last 3 to get to a bowl, and Tennessee outlasted South Carolina 27-24 in Knoxville.

                                          Courtesy of mythicalmonkey.blogspot.com

This week sees a rematch of the Prayer at Jordan-Hare, with Georgia headed to Auburn.  Bama heads to Starkvegas in a game that could decide who goes to Atlanta, and Arkansas heads to Baton Rouge in the Battle for the Golden Boot.  So, let's get to some games!

                                                                    Courtesy of bleacherreport.com

Georgia
at Auburn   Even

The Deep South's Oldest Rivalry kicks off at noon today on CBS.  It's likely that both Malzahn and Richt will play multiple QBs in this game, so that makes it even less predictable.  If this game was in Athens I'd go with Georgia, but being that it's on The Plains, I'm going with the Tigers to win a close game.  Jeremy Johnson looked a lot better against Texas A&M, and Georgia has struggled against almost every SEC team not named Kentucky this year.   Auburn pulls out a close victory 27-24.

                                  Courtesy of gatorbytes.blog.palmbeachpost.com

Florida    -7.5
at South Carolina

The Battle for Steve Spurrier's Heart takes place in Columbia today.  Florida clinched the SEC East last week, despite a weak performance against Vandy, while South Carolina gave Tennessee a scare in Knoxville.  If Florida wants to go to more than just the Sugar Bowl they're going to have to keep winning and I think they'll continue that today in Columbia.   This game will ultimately come down to talent and Florida has more of it than the Gamecocks.  They'll play conservative and rely on running the ball and their defense, but that should be enough to get the win as the Gamecocks see their postseason hopes come to an end, dropping to 3-7.  Florida 24 South Carolina 16.

                                                             Courtesy of bleacherreport.com

North Texas
at Tennessee  -41

41 POINTS!  Normally, I'd say go with North Texas, but after looking a little closer at North Texas, I saw they are 1-8, and they lost 66-7 to Portland State....at Home!  Go with the Vols, to get an easy win in a game that should be over as soon as Tennessee scores the first touchdown.  The Vols get bowl eligible today in a blowout.  Tennessee 55 North Texas 10.

                                                                          Courtesy of sports.yahoo.com

Alabama   -8
at Mississippi State

Alabama took care of business against LSU last week, and they'll head to Starkvegas this week in The Battle of Highway 82.  This is probably one of the quietest rivalries in the SEC, but both teams have some of the most passionate fans in college football, and you can guarantee that the cowbells will be ringing today.  If State hopes to have any chance, they are going to have to throw the ball down the field with accuracy.  Alabama will stack the box and make Dak beat them with his arm.  I think he'll have a good game, but I question whether that Mississippi State defense can stop Henry and the Tide.  Alabama has a 2 score lead late in this game, but State scores a late touchdown to cover the spread.  Alabama 30 Mississippi State 24.

                                                                  Courtesy of vucommodores.com

Kentucky
at Vanderbilt   -3

3-6 Vandy hosts a 4-5 Kentucky team, that has lost 4 in a row after starting out 4-1.  The biggest challenge for Kentucky is going to be scoring against that Vandy defense.  With the exception of the Houston game, Vanderbilt hasn't given up 20 points in a game since September.  The problem is Vandy has only scored 20 points in a game once all year.  This game has low scoring defensive struggle written all over it.  Being that it's in Nashville, I'll go with Vandy to get the win.  Vandy 16 Kentucky 13.

                                                          Courtesy of tamu.247sports.com

Western Carolina
at Texas A&M   -36


The Aggies get back to winning this week against the boys from Cullowhee.  They should dominate the Catamounts in College Station in route to getting to 7-3, but that defense will still give up some points.  Texas A&M wins 48-17.

                                                              Courtesy of 1130thetiger.com

Arkansas
at LSU   -7

One team is coming off an exhilarating overtime win, while the other is coming off a crushing loss to their rival.  The Battle for the Golden Boot is the 7PM ESPN game live from Death Valley.  Fully understanding this is a Les Miles cliche, but LSU at night in Death Valley...it's where dreams go to die.  Believe me, I saw it last year, first hand.  Fournette was shut down last week against Bama, but he should have a better performance against an Arkansas team that gave up 52 points in Oxford.  The Tigers edge the Hogs to go to 8-1, and Arkansas has to wait another week to get bowl eligible.  LSU 31 Arkansas 24.

                                                       Courtesy of sportsonearth.com

BYU   -4.5
at Missouri   

Normally, I'd go with BYU, as Mizzou hasn't given any reason for anyone to show faith in them this year.  But this week has seen all eyes on the campus of the University of Missouri.  After a boycott by the Mizzou football team, and with news coming out yesterday that Gary Pinkel will retire after this year due to health issues, I think this is a game that rests solely on emotion.  The game will be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, and I think the "Win this one for Gary" effect gives Mizzou an upset win.  Mizzou 20 BYU 17.


After the horrible events in Paris last night, we could all use a little something to celebrate and make us remember what's fun about life.  Here's to what's hopefully an enjoyable Saturday.  Cheers!

NFL Week 9 Predictions

                                                 Courtesy of printableteamschedules.com


Cincinnati showed yet again on Thursday night that they're an elite team.  The Bengals hammered the Browns in the 2nd half winning 31-10 at home against Johnny Football.  Today's key games start with Green Bay heading to Carolina, as the Packers try and get back on track after a dreadful performance against the Broncos.  Speaking of the Broncos, they head back to the house that Peyton built as they go up against Andrew Luck and the 3-5 Colts.  Then the day ends with Chip Kelly and the Eagles heading to Dallas to try and keep their playoff hopes alive, while simultaneously knocking the Cowboys out of the race.  Let's take a look at how the games could play out this week.

                                                         Courtesy of foxsports.com

Green Bay  -2.5
at Carolina 

Both the Packers and Panthers got a scare last week.  The Packers realized they have some major issues, as they got thumped by the Broncos on the road.  The Panthers meanwhile choked away a 17 point 4th quarter lead at home to Indianapolis, only to make some huge plays in overtime to escape with a win.   The Panthers have a better defense, and running game.  The Packers have Aaron Rodgers, who almost never loses two regular season games in a row.  This game could be the preview for the NFC Championship game, as both teams seem headed for January.  The Panthers have been riding high, but they haven't been winning pretty, and I think Rodgers knows this is a must win game if the Packers want to get home field advantage, so they'll throw everything they have at Carolina.   I'm reluctantly going with the Packers in a close one, 24-21.

                                                  Courtesy of washingtonpost.com

Washington
at New England  -14

The Tom Brady Revenge Tour continues this week in Foxboro as the Redskins come to town.  I don't think there's any question the Patriots will win this game, the only real debate is by how much.  Giving 14 points in the NFL is like giving 30 in College Football.   I hope Kirk Cousin's enjoyed his week off because he's not going to like what will happen this week.   Patriots 38 Redskins 17.

                                                              Courtesy of musiccitymiracles.com

Tennessee
at New Orleans   -7.5

The Titans let go of Ken Whisenhunt this week, and it was really the only decision they could make, as Whisenhunt was just deplorable as a head coach.  His record at Tennessee was an embarrassing 3-20.  Mariota didn't fit his system and they need a coach who can use Mariota's skill set to get the Titans back to respectability.  The reports are that Marcus Mariota will start today in New Orleans.  I don't think it matters, but I like Tennessee's chances with him under center rather than Mettenberger.  The Saints are 4-4 and I think despite their completely awful defense, they'll put up enough points to get the win at home against the Titans to go to 5-4.  As bad as the NFC South was last year, they could get 3 teams into the playoffs this season.  The Saints to win and cover 34-24.

                                                         Courtesy of bleachereport.com

Miami
at Buffalo    -3

The Bills crushed the Dolphins earlier this year in Miami, but that was when Joe Philbin was still employed.  This is essentially an elimination game, as the loser will drop to 3-5.  Tyrod Taylor is expected to start today, and that's good news for Bills fans, as EJ Manuel clearly isn't the answer.  The smart money would be on the Bills, but I'm going with Miami in the upset.  I think Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins will see this as a revenge game and get a gritty win on the road.  Miami 26 Buffalo 24.

                                                           Courtesy of sbnation.com

St. Louis
at Minnesota   -2

This might actually be the most important game of the week.  The Rams and Vikings are both fighting for Wild Card spots, and it's likely only one of them is going to have a shot to make it.  On top of the playoff ramifications, it's going to be fun to watch Adrian Peterson, the old guard of running backs go against Todd Gurley, who is seen as the new Adrian Peterson.  Gurley has been the best back in the league the last 4 games, and there's no reason to see why he should slow down now.  I'd normally go with the home team since this is a pick em game, but I'm going to go with the Rams based on their defense and youth to get an upset win at Minnesota.  Rams 30 Vikings 24.

                                                  Courtesy of nydailynews.com

Jacksonville
at NY Jets   -8

The Jets will start Ryan Fitzpatrick today against the Jags, even with the damage to his left thumb, because their other option is Geno Smith.  The real issue that should concern the Jets though is their defense, which got absolutely torched by Derek Carr and the Raiders.  I think the Jets bounce back this week and get a to 5-4 against the Jags.  The Jags had an exciting win against the Bills last week in London, but they'll get brought back down to earth today.  Jets 27 Jags 20.

                                                                  Courtesy of bleacherreport.com

Oakland
at Pittsburgh    -5.5

This game will give football veterans memories of the wars that existed between Madden and Noll in the 70s.  But it's Del Rio vs. Tomlin today in another game with Wild Card playoff implications.  It's fairly safe to say the Steelers and Raiders aren't winning their divisions, but they both have a chance to make the playoffs as a Wild Card team which means they may have an opportunity to play the winner of the AFC South.  I think the Steelers get it going this week against the red hot Raiders and eek out a victory at Heinz field.  Big Ben leads the Steelers on a late 4th quarter drive and Deangelo Williams has a big day filling in for Le'Veon Bell.  Steelers 32 Raiders 27.

                                                                     Courtesy of newsday.com

NY Giants      -2
at Tampa Bay

Eli Manning put on a show last week down in New Orleans, throwing for 350 yards 6 TDs and 0 Ints in a heartbreaking loss.  I don't think he'll have that kind of day against the Bucs, but I do think he'll do enough to get a win.  This game is a fantasy owner's dream as both the Bucs and Giants have trouble stopping the other team from scoring.  This one should be a shootout, but I'm going with the Giants to win and cover.  Giants 38 Bucs 34.

                                                            Courtesy of 49ers.com

Atlanta   -7.5
at San Francisco 

If the Falcons lose this game, they have no one to blame but themselves.  The 49ers are practically handing the Falcons a win by benching Kaepernick and starting Blaine Gabbert.   The 49ers have officially gone from one of the best organizations in the NFL to one of the worst in less than 12 months.  Congrats Trent Baalke.  Give me Atlanta and the points.  Dirty Birds 30 Gold Diggers 13.

                                                               Courtesy of fansided.com

Denver    -4.5
at Indianapolis

Alright, here we go.  Peyton Manning vs. Andrew Luck.  The Colts showed a lot of heart and fight in their overtime loss to the Panthers on Monday Night, and their reward will be that they get to face an even better defense this week as the undefeated Broncos come to town.  Manning throwing in a dome against a weak Colts defense should really help Denver's chances.  Andrew Luck on the other hand is going to be running for his life all day as his extremely shaky offensive line is going to have their hands full stopping Denver's pass rushers.  Give me the Broncos to win and cover.  Denver 35 Indy 24.

                                           Courtesy of cowboysblog.dallasnews.com

Philadelphia   -3
at Dallas   

Matt Cassel will get the start again this week as Tony Romo still isn't healthy enough to warrant playing against the Eagles.  Being that the Cowboys have yet to win a game without Romo, and the Eagles got embarrassed at home against the Cowboys in Week 2, I think the Eagles return the favor in Dallas.  Kelly's team is still a half game behind the Giants for the NFC East, so this is almost a must win game to keep up with them as they face the Bucs today.  The real story this week was the photos leaked this week of Greg Hardy's ex-girlfriend's injuries, hasn't give Dallas much to cheer about this week, as they've continued to stand by him.  Dallas drops to 2-6 this week and their playoff hopes are likely gone.  Philly 31 Dallas 27.

                                                     Courtesy of youtube.com

Chicago
at San Diego   -4.5

Lastly, we come to the Monday Night Game between 2 teams who are looking to the draft.  With Keenan Allen now out for the rest of the season, the Chargers will have to replace his production by committee.  The Bears on their end will be without their best player as Matt Forte's knee was injured in last week's loss to the Vikings.  I think you'll see a lot of passing in this game with Forte out and the Charges unable to find a consistent running back.  Chargers Offensive Coordinator Frank Reich says he'll continue to give Melvin Gordon the ball, but he certainly hadn't produced like the Charges has hoped he would.  If this game was in Chicago I'd go with the Bears, but being that the game is on the West Coast, I'll go with San Diego to get the win.  Chargers 28 Bears 20.   

                                                               Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk

With the season half over, we're starting to get a look at how the playoffs could shape up.  Hopefully, this Sunday gives us some exciting games.  If your games don't go well today, you can always end the weekend with 007 as SPECTRE is now out in theaters, and though it's not Skyfall or Casino Royale, it's well worth the seeing.  Cheers. 

SEC Weeks 10 Predictions

                                                           Courtesy of www.nola.com 

Unless you've been living under a rock or don't have ESPN/SEC Network, you know that this weekend will see The Mad Hatter against Lord Saban.   These two teams have been the 1A and 1B of the SEC West since Saban came to Tuscaloosa.  They'll meet on Saturday Night in T-Town for what many consider to be an elimination game for the SEC West Championship. 

                                                        Courtesy of gamedayr.com

We'll get to that game in a minute, but let's look at the other SEC games starting with the Fighting Starkvillians against the We Are Completely Missourable Columbia Tigers!  Hey State, bold move to wear all white in a monsoon.  It didn't really matter though, because Missouri didn't tackle you enough to get them dirty anyway.  Mizzou, thank goodness you were wearing all black because your offense is clearly in mourning.  State dominated this game in Columbia, winning 31-13, but to be fair Missouri did actually score an offensive touchdown for the first time in a month, so there's some improvement.  The Dak Attack threw for 4 TDs against a supposedly good Mizzou defense, while Missouri mustered 107 yards through the air.  

                                                                      Courtesy of miamiherald.com

I still can't believe this team went from SEC East Champion in back to back years to the worst team in the SEC in less than 12 months.  Missouri gets BYU at home next week, while State hosts Alabama which means the Tide faithful will either be building another statute to Nick Saban or burning him in effigy depending how this week's game goes.  Let's see how the rest of the SEC games will play out.

                                                                     Courtesy of miamiherald.com

Vanderbilt
at Florida   -20.5

Spoiler alert.  Florida wins big.  Go ask Jim McElwain what he's doing to prepare for whomever the Commodores play at QB.  He'll tell you he's finishing his beer and hoping that the best lawyers in Florida can overturn Will Grier's suspension in time for the FSU game.  Give me the Gators to win and cover.  Florida 35 Vandy 10.

                                                     Courtesy of saturdaydownsouth.com

Kentucky
at Georgia   -16

The biggest debate in this game might be which fan base is more excited for football season to end.  I think Mark Richt's days are coming to a close in Athens.  It's tough to see a coach who's likely going to go 9-3 move on, because he's under appreciated, but he's also failed to win the SEC since 2005.  Georgia at home against a mediocre Kentucky team?  I'll go with the Bulldogs to win, but Kentucky somehow makes a backdoor cover.  Georgia 24 Kentucky 10.

                                                                    Courtesy of saturdaydownsout.com

Arkansas
at Ole Miss  -10

Thank you CBS for putting Verne and Gary on the Bama - LSU game.  Ole Miss and Arkansas fans couldn't be more thrilled and the rest of the country couldn't be more upset.  On paper Ole Miss should win this game big, but with the weather tomorrow in Oxford scheduled to be rainy, it could be a lot closer than it should.  I'm still going with the Rebels at home to get the win, but Arkansas keeps it close until the 4th quarter.  Ole Miss will have virtually everyone back on defense, so they should be able to stop Arkansas's power running game, and I don't think Arkansas's defense is good enough to stop the Rebels offense, even in the rain.  Rebels 34 Razorbacks 20.

                                                                Courtesy of tennessee.247sports.com

South Carolina
at Tennessee   -17

If Tennessee loses this game, God Help Butch Jones.   The good news is that it's highly unlikely.  The Vols should finish 8-4 in the regular season, with November games against South Carolina, North Texas, Missouri, and Vanderbilt.  If they don't go 4-0 in that stretch, Butch should be fired on principle alone.  Tennessee has far more talent than the Gamecocks and they'll roll at home in Knoxville.  Tennessee 42 South Carolina 14.

                                                           Courtesy of collegespun.com

Auburn
at Texas A&M   -7

The Battle of Overrated Coaches takes place in Aggie Land between Auburn and Texas A&M on Saturday night on the SEC Network.  The Aggies have finally solidified their QB in Kyler Murray, while the Tigers are likely going to go with a far less than healthy Sean White.  This game might actually be a decent contest, but being that the Aggies are playing at home and have a healthier QB, I'm going with Texas A&M to get the win and cover late.  Texas A&M 31 Auburn 22.  Those helmets last week were awesome though.  

                                                              Courtesy of al.com

                                                        
LSU
at Alabama   -7

Well, at least these two guys seems to be getting along.  Alright, here we go.  The loser of this game is pretty much done in the SEC West race.  Both teams have very good defenses, and focus their offense on their feature running back.  Additionally, both the Tigers and the Tide have QBs who can make plays when they have to, but aren't the strength of their offense.  All week the experts have pointed to Brandon Harris as the X factor, and I agree that if LSU is going to win, it's going to have to do so on the arm/legs of Brandon Harris.  Alabama's front 7 isn't going to let Fournette run all over them the way he has on other teams this year.  They'll stack the box, and put single coverage on Dupre and Dural and dare Brandon Harris to throw the ball down the field.  

                                                     Courtesy of totalprosports.com

Oh, the best part about this game is going to be the fans.  LSU and Bama fans at night in the rain in Tuscaloosa.  Surrender cobras and whiskey induced despair is going to be on full display tonight.  I'll say this, I hope things get Les Miles weird tonight.  Like T-Rexing for no apparent reason weird.

                                                         Courtesy of christypaul2013.wordpress.com


Alabama will hand off the ball to Derrick Henry 25-30 times, and tell Jake Coker to only make plays when he has to.  I don't see Saban allowing Lane Kiffin to open up the offense, unless LSU makes some big plays early and jumps out to a lead.   It'll be an extremely conservative game plan, especially with the weather being rainy, which should make for a low scoring game.   If this game was in Baton Rouge, I'd go with the Tigers at night, but I'd be shocked if Bama lost 2 games at home this year, to its two biggest opponents.  I'll go with the Tide to get the win, but LSU covers as Bama scores late to get a close victory.  Bama 20 LSU 17.

                                                     Courtesy of houzz.com

Here's to what should be a fun and rainy weekend.  Cheers.

NFL Week 8 Predictions

                                                                  Courtesy of dina.dreamwidth.org


If you're wondering how Dolphins fans feel after Thursday Night's woodshed visit to Foxboro, you need to look no further than the fact they're now referring to Tom Brady by saying, "It's Not Snowflake!"  Miami got pummeled 36-7, as they were the latest victim on the Tom Brady vs. The World Tour.  As for the rest of this week, we have a battle of undefeated teams between Green Bay and Denver, and an AFC North showdown that will see Big Ben return for the Steelers against Andy Dalton and the Bengals.  So, without further delay let's get to some games!

Courtesy of number6666.deviantart.com

Detroit
at Kansas City  -3.5

How are the Lions this bad?  This team went to the playoffs last year, they basically lost one Defensive Lineman, and now they're the worst team in football.  The Chiefs got a much needed win against the Steelers last week, while the Lions were beaten by the Vikings at home.  This will be the final game from London this year.  I'm probably going to regret this, but I'm going with the Lions in the upset win.  I just can't believe Detroit is this terrible.  Detroit 23 Kansas City 19.

                                                                Courtesy of pbstwimg.com


Tampa Bay 
at Atlanta   -7

Jameis Winston as Sebastian the Crab is pretty much the best Halloween costume in the NFL.  Under the Sea!  Under the Sea!  Darlin' it's better, down where it's wetter, take it from me! The Falcons at home vs. Sir Turnover?  Give me the Dirty Birds and Julio down by the school yard to get the win.  Falcons 31 Bucs 17.  

                                                               Courtesy of bleacherreport.com

Arizona    -6
at Cleveland  

This game could be a lot closer than it should be.  The Cardinals are clearly the better team, but they needed a last second play to beat the Ravens at home.   Palmer vs McCown?  I'm going with Carson to get the win on the road.  Fist bump ref.  Cards 22 Browns 13.

                                                              Courtesy of ramblinfan.com

San Francisco 
at St. Louis     - 8

If the Rams had a decent QB, they'd be a real playoff threat, but with Nick Foles under center they're looking at being a No. 6 seed at best.  Gurley is having a phenomenal year.  In the last 3 games, he's rushed for 146 yards, 159 yards, and 128 yards.  St. Louis keeps with the ground and pound theme and grit out a win against the 49ers.  Rams 22 49ers 16.

                                                               Courtesy of ibtimes.com

NY Giants
at New Orleans   -3

Eli's homecoming to NOLA.  This is somewhat of a unique game, because Eli, Odell, Rueben, and Brad Wing are all getting a chance to head back to the Big Easy and have their friends and family in attendance.  The Giants have been up and down, but I don't see them going into NOLA and coming out with a win.  It's going to be a long night for Eli.  Saints 31 Giants 20.

                                                           Courtesy of fatmanwriting.com

Minnesota      -1
at Chicago

Adrian Peterson and Matt Forte have almost identical statistics through the 1st half of the NFL season.  Peterson has 530 yards on 120 carries with 3 TDs, while Forte has 507 yards on 126 carries and 2 TDs.  The Vikings wins so far this season have come against the Lions twice, the Chiefs, and the Chargers.  Those teams have a combined record of 5-16.  Being that this is a divisional game, I'm going with the Bears to get a win at home.  Bears 24 Vikings 22.

                                                           Courtesy of giphy.com

San Diego
at Baltimore      -3.5

The Chargers are 2-5, while the Ravens are 1-6.  Needless to say, neither of these teams are going to the postseason.  West Coast teams generally don't travel well to the East Coast.  Both Flacco and Rivers are going to have to throw the ball in this game, as the Ravens and Chargers have non-existent running games.   Give me the Ravens to get a win at home to get to 2-6.  Baltimore 30 San Diego 23.

                                                              Courtesy of thebiglead.com

Cincinnati   
at Pittsburgh     -1

Cincy is sitting at 6-0 and they've been impressive in those wins, but Pittsburgh has managed to stay in the playoff race at 4-3 without Big Ben.  Roethlisberger is back today for Pittsburgh, and he's supposedly a full go with no restrictions.  I think his return gets the Steelers a win at home against the Bengals in a close game.  I wouldn't be surprised to see a 4th quarter comeback victory.  Steelers 31 Bengals 30.  

                                                                   Courtesy of SBNation.com

Tennessee
at Houston     -4

Mettenberger vs. Hoyer.  Get excited.  It's pretty clear both of these teams are not very good, as their combined records are 3-10.  Here's something to give Texans fans hope though.  The AFC South is so bad, that if they beat the Titans today and the Colts lose on Monday Night Football, they'll be tied with the Colts for 1st place in the division at 3-5.  Hoyer's the better QB, and the Texans are playing at home.  Give me the Texans to win and cover.  Houston 20 Tennessee 13.

                                                                       Courtesy of genius.com

NY Jets          -3
at Oakland

Is Amari Cooper going to get stranded on Revis Island today?  Will the Jets be able to travel to the West Coast and come back with a win?  This might actually be one of the best games, if not the best game of the weekend.  Defense travels, and the Jets love to run the ball.  The Jets look like a playoff team, while the Raiders might be a year or two away.  Jets 23 Raiders 17.

                                         Courtesy of gameofzones.sportsblog.com

Seattle        -4.5
at Dallas  

Seahawks.   Dallas is 0-4 since Tony Romo left.  I know that Dez is scheduled to play this week, but I don't think it's enough against that Seattle defense and running game.  Give me the Seahawks to win and cover.  Seattle 34 Dallas 20.

                                                          Courtesy of uproxx.com

Green Bay       -2.5
at Denver

This is a battle of the unbeatens at Mile High.  Green Bay is the better team.  They have the better QB, and they'll go further in the playoffs this year.  Peyton doesn't have the arm strength anymore, but I think this is just one of those games, where the Broncos defense gets some key turnovers, and Manning plays well enough to get the Broncos a win at home.  They're going to need to get off to a fast start, because if the Packers get up by double digits, I don't think Peyton is going to be able to lead them on a comeback win.  Denver 27 Green Bay 24.

                                                                  Courtesy of buzzfeed.com

Indianapolis   
at Carolina      -7

The Monday Night Football match puts the 6-0 Panthers against the 3-4 Colts.  Andrew Luck has not been having a good year, while the Panthers have been winning games with defense and running the ball; novel concept.   Earlier in the year, Carolina looked at a 4 game stretch between the Seahawks, Eagles, Colts, and Packers and were hoping for 2-2 at best, but now it looks like 3-1 is very possible and 4-0 is not out of reach.  The Colts are in serious trouble, but they play in what is easily the worst division in the NFL so they can go 6-10 and still win the division.  The Colts have the worst defense in football, and they're going up against the best running team in the league, on the road.  Give me the Panthers to get a win on Monday Night and move to 7-0.  Carolina 31 Indy 20.

                                                           Courtesy of postaduk.com

This is the last London game for the season, so we'll have football start early again this morning. Cheers!