NFL WEEK TWO PICKS
This week, and for the rest of the season, Neate Sager, from over at Out of Left Field, joins in the tomfoollery that is NFL prognostication.
DISCLAIMER: These picks are for recreational use only. I am not Brandon Lang nor Chris Schultz. I am a sports fan who loves football and making an occasional bit of money.
Point spreads are courtesy of Covers.com and are as of 12:30 EST Sept 14.
Sunday, September 17 – 1:00pm
Buffalo (plus 6.5) at Miami (over/under 37)
Buffalo is coming off a close loss to the New England Patriots, while Miami fell in week one to the defending Superbowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Neither of these teams looked particularly great in the second-half of their games. And Miami’s loss could be attributed to coach Nick Saban’s fourth-quarter gaffe. The Dolphins will win this one, but an improved Bills team will keep it close.
Pearce’s Pick: Miami 24-21. (Bills cover)
Sager's Pick: Miami 23-20. (Bills cover)
Carolina (minus 1) at Minnesota (o/u 37)
Carolina is coming off a game where the offense stumbled against the Falcons tough defense, while their defense was ineffective at stopping the run. More importantly, there defense suffered the loss of two starters: middle-linebacker Dan Morgan is out with a concussion and left-tackle Travelle Wharton is done for the year with a torn ACL and MCL. With Steve Smith still sidelined, the team that was a preseason favorite to win the Superbowl is still looking for their first win. They will still be looking for it after their tilt with the Vikings, who came away with a narrow victory over the reeling Washington Redskins. The Vikes ran for only 86 yards last week, but against the depleted Panthers defense, they should easily surpass that.
Pearce’s Pick: Minnesota 21-17.
Sager's Pick: Carolina 24-17.
Cleveland (plus 10) at Cincinnati (o/u 42)
Neither Cleveland or Cincinnati had stellar passing games last week, with the teams combining for only 221 yards. The Browns defense gave up 170 passing yards and 156 rushing yards. With Carson Palmer looking for comfortable, and Rudi Johnson in the backfield, the Bengals have a good opportunity to go to 2-0 on the season.
Pearce’s Pick: Cincinnati 30-17.
Sager's Pick: Cincinnati 28-20. (Browns cover)
Detroit (plus 9.5) at Chicago (o/u 32)
Detroit gave up 264 total yards to one of the most potent offenses in the league last week, losing a boring 9-6 game to the Seahawks. This week, they are going up against the Bears, who are not usually noted for their offensive skills. Can Jon Kitna duplicate last weeks 213 yards passing? How will the addition of Az-Zahir Hakim affect the Lions offense? It doesn’t matter as the Bears defense, while not as dominant in years past, will smother the Lions lackluster running game.
Pearce’s Pick: Chicago 17-10. (Lions cover)
Sager's Pick: Chicago 19-9.
Houston (plus 13.5) at Indianapolis (o/u 47)
The Texans are in trouble this week. After holding their own in the first-half against the Eagles, they could not put together a scoring drive in the second. They finished 3-11 in third-down situations, and you are not going to win a lot of football games if you don’t convert these chances. Indy’s run game wasn’t that great, and as I have said before, they are going to miss Edgerrin James more than they think. That said, they did gain 272 yards passing and it is likely to be the same thing this week. Bet on Indy and the spread.
Pearce’s Pick: Indianapolis 42-17.
Sager's Pick: Indianapolis 31-17.
New Orleans (minus 2) at Green Bay (o/u 38)
New Orleans is favored by two points, meaning odds-makers think Green Bay actually has a chance in this one. Unfortunately, the Packers defense had but one sack last week, and I expect Reggie Bush to have his first “big” game this week against the hapless Packers defense, who gave up 361 yards last week.
Pearce’s Pick: New Orleans 24-7.
Sager's Pick: Green Bay 24-20.
N.Y. Giants (plus 3) at Philadelphia (o/u 42)
This is going to be the game of the week. The McNabb and Co. looked like the Eagles of old last week and Dante Stallworth is making his presence known. On the other side, the Giants, while 0-1, lost to Superbowl favorites Indy, but they kept it relatively close. This game will be fun to watch and I expect a high score on both sides of the ball.
Pearce’s Pick: Philadelphia 35-33. (Giants cover)
Sager's Pick: Philadelphia 23-13.
Oakland (plus 12) at Baltimore (o/u 34)
Baltimore is coming of a 27-0 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Bucs. The defense was outstanding, giving up only 142 yards of total offense. Combine this with Oakland’s offense, which finished last in week one, and their poor run defense, and it is another big win for Jamal Lewis and the Ravens.
Pearce’s Pick: Baltimore 24-10.
Sager's Pick: Baltimore 26-3.
Tampa Bay (plus 5.5) at Atlanta (o/u 36)
Is this the year of Michael Vick? Or is it the year of Warrick Dunn? Vick threw two touchdowns last week, Dunn ran for 132 yards, and the defense played superb against a Panthers offense without it’s star-impact player. The Bucs are coming off an embarrassing loss to Baltimore and without an true-impact player of the calibre of a Steve Smith, the Bucs are in for another loss. Although, the tight defense of both these teams will keep the game close and the scores relatively low.
Pearce’s Pick: Atlanta 20-10.
Sager's Pick: Atlanta 17-14. (Bucs cover)
Sunday, September 17 – 4:05pm
Arizona (plus 7) at Seattle (o/u 47)
Seattle is coming off a 9-6 win against the Detroit Lions, in which neither team found the end-zone. Don’t expect the same thing this week. The Cardinals looked like a different team last week, but it may have had something to do with their opponent. Warner will not put up similar numbers to last week and the defense will not be able to contain Alexander and the Seahawk’s offense. Oh ya, do I even need to mention the addition of Deion Branch? Look for Seattle to win easily against the spread.
Pearce’s Pick: Seattle 27-14.
Sager's Pick: Seattle 28-24. (Cardinals cover)
St. Louis (minus 3) at San Francisco (o/u 43)
St. Louis did not score one touchdown last week, yet took advantage of 5 Bronco turnovers to win 18-10. The 49ers are coming off a loss, and we should all get used to saying that phrase this season. Look for Steven Jackson to have another solid week, and the St. Louis Rams to put up another win.
Pearce’s Pick: St. Louis 17-10.
Sager's Pick: St. Louis 27-10.
Sunday, September 17 – 4:15pm
Kansas City (plus 10.5) at Denver (o/u 40)
Another game that has the making’s of a good one. The Broncos are coming off a loss in week one where they did not give up one TD, yet they still lost the game. KC did not play that great at home to the Bengals, but more disconcerting is that QB Trent Green is sidelined with a concussion. Is Damon Huard the guy that’s going to lead KC to the playoffs? Not so much. But Denver won’t be the spread.
Pearce’s Pick: Denver 27 -17. (Chiefs cover)
Sager's Pick: Denvers 27-7.
New England (minus 6) at N.Y. Jets (o/u 37)
Despite coming off a win over the Titans where starting QB Chad Pennington threw for 319 yards, the New York Jets are still 6 point underdogs to division rival New England. The Pats are coming off a three-point victory over Buffalo that was closer than many had anticipated. The question in this game is whether the Jets will be able to stop the run. They allowed 86 yards last week against the Titans, but this week, they will be up against the pounding Corey Dillion, Kevin Faulk, and the surprising Laurence Maroney. I believe they will.
Pearce’s Pick: New York 17-14.
Sager's Pick: New England 26-14.
Tennessee (plus 11.5) at San Diego (o/u 38)
The Chargers crushed the Raiders last week, and up against a similarly offensively-challenged team, expect much of the same.
Pearce’s Pick: San Diego 34-14.
Sager's Pick: San Diego 31-17.
Sunday, September 17 – 8:15pm
Washington (plus 6) at Dallas (o/u 37)
Both teams are 0-1 coming into week 2 after losing games they were both supposed to win. Both teams had similar defenses last week, while Dallas had a more potent offense. With an impact player like Terrell Owens able to break off for a TD at any moment, it is hard to pick against them. With Shawn Springs injured, it looks like it will be up to Carlos Rogers to cover T.O. I think this favors Owens.
Pearce’s Pick: Dallas 24-21. (Redskins cover)
Sager's Pick: Dallas 20-16. (Redskins cover)
Monday, September 18 – 8:30pm
Pittsburgh (minus 1.5) at Jacksonville (o/u 36.5)
Both teams are coming off big wins in week one, and the Steelers are given a very soft spread. Does this mean the game will be close? Last week, the Steelers gained 342 yards of total offense while the Jags gained 307. On the other side of the ball, the Steelers allowed 278 total yards and the Jags allowed 323. So the edge is to the Steelers, but their victory last week was partially due to Nick Saban’s lapse in throwing ability (a flag that is). Will Leftwich be able to have another solid outing like last week? I think no.
Pearce’s Pick: Pittsburgh 23-19.
Sager's Pick: Pittsburg 28-17.
DISCLAIMER: These picks are for recreational use only. I am not Brandon Lang nor Chris Schultz. I am a sports fan who loves football and making an occasional bit of money.
Point spreads are courtesy of Covers.com and are as of 12:30 EST Sept 14.
Sunday, September 17 – 1:00pm
Buffalo (plus 6.5) at Miami (over/under 37)
Buffalo is coming off a close loss to the New England Patriots, while Miami fell in week one to the defending Superbowl champs, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Neither of these teams looked particularly great in the second-half of their games. And Miami’s loss could be attributed to coach Nick Saban’s fourth-quarter gaffe. The Dolphins will win this one, but an improved Bills team will keep it close.
Pearce’s Pick: Miami 24-21. (Bills cover)
Sager's Pick: Miami 23-20. (Bills cover)
Carolina (minus 1) at Minnesota (o/u 37)
Carolina is coming off a game where the offense stumbled against the Falcons tough defense, while their defense was ineffective at stopping the run. More importantly, there defense suffered the loss of two starters: middle-linebacker Dan Morgan is out with a concussion and left-tackle Travelle Wharton is done for the year with a torn ACL and MCL. With Steve Smith still sidelined, the team that was a preseason favorite to win the Superbowl is still looking for their first win. They will still be looking for it after their tilt with the Vikings, who came away with a narrow victory over the reeling Washington Redskins. The Vikes ran for only 86 yards last week, but against the depleted Panthers defense, they should easily surpass that.
Pearce’s Pick: Minnesota 21-17.
Sager's Pick: Carolina 24-17.
Cleveland (plus 10) at Cincinnati (o/u 42)
Neither Cleveland or Cincinnati had stellar passing games last week, with the teams combining for only 221 yards. The Browns defense gave up 170 passing yards and 156 rushing yards. With Carson Palmer looking for comfortable, and Rudi Johnson in the backfield, the Bengals have a good opportunity to go to 2-0 on the season.
Pearce’s Pick: Cincinnati 30-17.
Sager's Pick: Cincinnati 28-20. (Browns cover)
Detroit (plus 9.5) at Chicago (o/u 32)
Detroit gave up 264 total yards to one of the most potent offenses in the league last week, losing a boring 9-6 game to the Seahawks. This week, they are going up against the Bears, who are not usually noted for their offensive skills. Can Jon Kitna duplicate last weeks 213 yards passing? How will the addition of Az-Zahir Hakim affect the Lions offense? It doesn’t matter as the Bears defense, while not as dominant in years past, will smother the Lions lackluster running game.
Pearce’s Pick: Chicago 17-10. (Lions cover)
Sager's Pick: Chicago 19-9.
Houston (plus 13.5) at Indianapolis (o/u 47)
The Texans are in trouble this week. After holding their own in the first-half against the Eagles, they could not put together a scoring drive in the second. They finished 3-11 in third-down situations, and you are not going to win a lot of football games if you don’t convert these chances. Indy’s run game wasn’t that great, and as I have said before, they are going to miss Edgerrin James more than they think. That said, they did gain 272 yards passing and it is likely to be the same thing this week. Bet on Indy and the spread.
Pearce’s Pick: Indianapolis 42-17.
Sager's Pick: Indianapolis 31-17.
New Orleans (minus 2) at Green Bay (o/u 38)
New Orleans is favored by two points, meaning odds-makers think Green Bay actually has a chance in this one. Unfortunately, the Packers defense had but one sack last week, and I expect Reggie Bush to have his first “big” game this week against the hapless Packers defense, who gave up 361 yards last week.
Pearce’s Pick: New Orleans 24-7.
Sager's Pick: Green Bay 24-20.
N.Y. Giants (plus 3) at Philadelphia (o/u 42)
This is going to be the game of the week. The McNabb and Co. looked like the Eagles of old last week and Dante Stallworth is making his presence known. On the other side, the Giants, while 0-1, lost to Superbowl favorites Indy, but they kept it relatively close. This game will be fun to watch and I expect a high score on both sides of the ball.
Pearce’s Pick: Philadelphia 35-33. (Giants cover)
Sager's Pick: Philadelphia 23-13.
Oakland (plus 12) at Baltimore (o/u 34)
Baltimore is coming of a 27-0 drubbing of the Tampa Bay Bucs. The defense was outstanding, giving up only 142 yards of total offense. Combine this with Oakland’s offense, which finished last in week one, and their poor run defense, and it is another big win for Jamal Lewis and the Ravens.
Pearce’s Pick: Baltimore 24-10.
Sager's Pick: Baltimore 26-3.
Tampa Bay (plus 5.5) at Atlanta (o/u 36)
Is this the year of Michael Vick? Or is it the year of Warrick Dunn? Vick threw two touchdowns last week, Dunn ran for 132 yards, and the defense played superb against a Panthers offense without it’s star-impact player. The Bucs are coming off an embarrassing loss to Baltimore and without an true-impact player of the calibre of a Steve Smith, the Bucs are in for another loss. Although, the tight defense of both these teams will keep the game close and the scores relatively low.
Pearce’s Pick: Atlanta 20-10.
Sager's Pick: Atlanta 17-14. (Bucs cover)
Sunday, September 17 – 4:05pm
Arizona (plus 7) at Seattle (o/u 47)
Seattle is coming off a 9-6 win against the Detroit Lions, in which neither team found the end-zone. Don’t expect the same thing this week. The Cardinals looked like a different team last week, but it may have had something to do with their opponent. Warner will not put up similar numbers to last week and the defense will not be able to contain Alexander and the Seahawk’s offense. Oh ya, do I even need to mention the addition of Deion Branch? Look for Seattle to win easily against the spread.
Pearce’s Pick: Seattle 27-14.
Sager's Pick: Seattle 28-24. (Cardinals cover)
St. Louis (minus 3) at San Francisco (o/u 43)
St. Louis did not score one touchdown last week, yet took advantage of 5 Bronco turnovers to win 18-10. The 49ers are coming off a loss, and we should all get used to saying that phrase this season. Look for Steven Jackson to have another solid week, and the St. Louis Rams to put up another win.
Pearce’s Pick: St. Louis 17-10.
Sager's Pick: St. Louis 27-10.
Sunday, September 17 – 4:15pm
Kansas City (plus 10.5) at Denver (o/u 40)
Another game that has the making’s of a good one. The Broncos are coming off a loss in week one where they did not give up one TD, yet they still lost the game. KC did not play that great at home to the Bengals, but more disconcerting is that QB Trent Green is sidelined with a concussion. Is Damon Huard the guy that’s going to lead KC to the playoffs? Not so much. But Denver won’t be the spread.
Pearce’s Pick: Denver 27 -17. (Chiefs cover)
Sager's Pick: Denvers 27-7.
New England (minus 6) at N.Y. Jets (o/u 37)
Despite coming off a win over the Titans where starting QB Chad Pennington threw for 319 yards, the New York Jets are still 6 point underdogs to division rival New England. The Pats are coming off a three-point victory over Buffalo that was closer than many had anticipated. The question in this game is whether the Jets will be able to stop the run. They allowed 86 yards last week against the Titans, but this week, they will be up against the pounding Corey Dillion, Kevin Faulk, and the surprising Laurence Maroney. I believe they will.
Pearce’s Pick: New York 17-14.
Sager's Pick: New England 26-14.
Tennessee (plus 11.5) at San Diego (o/u 38)
The Chargers crushed the Raiders last week, and up against a similarly offensively-challenged team, expect much of the same.
Pearce’s Pick: San Diego 34-14.
Sager's Pick: San Diego 31-17.
Sunday, September 17 – 8:15pm
Washington (plus 6) at Dallas (o/u 37)
Both teams are 0-1 coming into week 2 after losing games they were both supposed to win. Both teams had similar defenses last week, while Dallas had a more potent offense. With an impact player like Terrell Owens able to break off for a TD at any moment, it is hard to pick against them. With Shawn Springs injured, it looks like it will be up to Carlos Rogers to cover T.O. I think this favors Owens.
Pearce’s Pick: Dallas 24-21. (Redskins cover)
Sager's Pick: Dallas 20-16. (Redskins cover)
Monday, September 18 – 8:30pm
Pittsburgh (minus 1.5) at Jacksonville (o/u 36.5)
Both teams are coming off big wins in week one, and the Steelers are given a very soft spread. Does this mean the game will be close? Last week, the Steelers gained 342 yards of total offense while the Jags gained 307. On the other side of the ball, the Steelers allowed 278 total yards and the Jags allowed 323. So the edge is to the Steelers, but their victory last week was partially due to Nick Saban’s lapse in throwing ability (a flag that is). Will Leftwich be able to have another solid outing like last week? I think no.
Pearce’s Pick: Pittsburgh 23-19.
Sager's Pick: Pittsburg 28-17.
posted by Pattington at 10:07 p.m.
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