Thursday, September 16, 2004
Sports: Week Two NFL Picks
All lines taken from America's Line.
[0-1] Miami at [0-1] Cincinnatti (-5): Have faith, Phin fans. Your running game has a savior! Well, no, your running game has Lamar Gordon. He's better than Travis Minor, I suppose, but what can you do? No matter who you bring in, you're downgrading the position. And what about that pitiful QB situation? Steamin' Willie Beamon those guys ain't. Bengals 21, Dolphins 13
ATS: Cincinnatti
[0-1] Carolina at [0-1] Kansas City (-6): If John Fox remembers that he has two solid RBs, then maybe Carolina has a chance. But remember what Ahman Green did on Monday night, and then keep in mind that the Panthers now face Priest Holmes. The Chiefs have won thirteen in a row at home, by an everage score of almost twenty points. Great googly-moogly! Chiefs 27, Panthers 16
ATS: Kansas City
[1-0] Denver (-3) at [1-0] Jacksonville: Quentin Griffin treated the Chiefs the way he used to treat Texas, but Jacksonville hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in sixteen games. Jake Plummer won't get away with left-handed interceptions from his own end zone this week. The Jags squeak out a defensive win at home. Jaguars 17, Broncos 14
ATS: Jacksonville
[0-1] Indianapolis at [1-0] Tennessee (-1): Who was the last Super Bowl champion to open 0-2? Dallas in 1993? Though the game features two of the best QBs in football, a pair of Week One 100-yard RBs wil decide the outcome? Edgerrin James fumbled away a win last week against the Pats (I bet he would have hung on had it been a bag of KB instead of a football), while Chris Brown proved how valuable Eddie George wasn't. Brown outduels the Edge in Nashville. Titans 26, Colts 23
ATS: Tennessee
[0-1] Chicago at [1-0] Green Bay (-8.5): There are three times I'd never bet against Brett Favre: (1) on Monday Night Football, (2) at home against the Bears, and (3) in a beer-drinking contest. He got number one out of the way last week, and like clockwork, he'll take care of number two this weekend (literally, if he combines it with number three). Expect vintage Fav-ruh this weekend against a Bears' secondary that ceded 185 yards to Joey Harrington. Packers 31, Bears 14
ATS: Green Bay
[0-1] Houston at [1-0] Detroit (-3): This is a tough one. The Texans disappointed with their first opening day loss in three years, against San Diego. The Lions surprised with their first road win since the Clinton administration, against Chicago. Conventional wisdom says the Lions should roll, right? In the NFL, though, conventional wisdom is worth about as much as an aging veteran's contract. Houston 20, Detroit 17
ATS: Houston
[1-0] Pittsburgh at [0-1] Baltimore (-3.5): Something tells me that Jamal Lewis will bounce back from last week's 57-yard outing against Cleveland. The Steelers gave up just 61 on the ground to Oakland, but Tyrone Wheatley and Huggy Bear, Jr., are not Jamal Lewis. Jerome Bettis put up one of football's strangest stat lines last week: senev carries, one yard, three TDs. The Ravens won't give him that many goal-line opportunities. These two teams hate each other, and I feel bad for any man that draws the ire of Ray Lewis. Ravens 16, Steelers 13
ATS: Pittsburgh
[1-0] St. Louis at [1-0] Atlanta (-2.5): St. Louis hasn't lost to Atlanta since 1998. They might not be the Rams of a few years ago, but Mike Martz can still throw some weapons at you. Mike Vick, while potent, is struggling with the West Coast offense. Rams 30, Falcons 20
ATS: St. Louis
[1-0] Cleveland at [0-1] Dallas (-4.5): Did the Browns trade for Randy Moss this week? No? Whew. Cleveland shut down Jamal Lewis last week, and that's an impressive feat. But Old Man testaverde has life left in that arm, and if Cleveland expects to face another one-dimensional offense, then another 300-yard passing game could be in the cards. Julius Jones' availability will be the key for Dallas. Cowboys 21, Browns 17
ATS: Cleveland
[1-0] Minnesota at [1-0] Philadephia (-3.5): Since the ground has yet to freeze, I'm inclined to take the Vikes. Both QBs will probably light up the Philly skyline, but I think Daunte Culpepper is heads and shoulders better than Donavan McNabb. He only needs to be a little better for Minnesota to win this one. Vikings 31, Eagles 27
ATS: Minnesota
Season records:
7-3 ATS
6-4 SU
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[0-1] Miami at [0-1] Cincinnatti (-5): Have faith, Phin fans. Your running game has a savior! Well, no, your running game has Lamar Gordon. He's better than Travis Minor, I suppose, but what can you do? No matter who you bring in, you're downgrading the position. And what about that pitiful QB situation? Steamin' Willie Beamon those guys ain't. Bengals 21, Dolphins 13
ATS: Cincinnatti
[0-1] Carolina at [0-1] Kansas City (-6): If John Fox remembers that he has two solid RBs, then maybe Carolina has a chance. But remember what Ahman Green did on Monday night, and then keep in mind that the Panthers now face Priest Holmes. The Chiefs have won thirteen in a row at home, by an everage score of almost twenty points. Great googly-moogly! Chiefs 27, Panthers 16
ATS: Kansas City
[1-0] Denver (-3) at [1-0] Jacksonville: Quentin Griffin treated the Chiefs the way he used to treat Texas, but Jacksonville hasn't allowed a 100-yard rusher in sixteen games. Jake Plummer won't get away with left-handed interceptions from his own end zone this week. The Jags squeak out a defensive win at home. Jaguars 17, Broncos 14
ATS: Jacksonville
[0-1] Indianapolis at [1-0] Tennessee (-1): Who was the last Super Bowl champion to open 0-2? Dallas in 1993? Though the game features two of the best QBs in football, a pair of Week One 100-yard RBs wil decide the outcome? Edgerrin James fumbled away a win last week against the Pats (I bet he would have hung on had it been a bag of KB instead of a football), while Chris Brown proved how valuable Eddie George wasn't. Brown outduels the Edge in Nashville. Titans 26, Colts 23
ATS: Tennessee
[0-1] Chicago at [1-0] Green Bay (-8.5): There are three times I'd never bet against Brett Favre: (1) on Monday Night Football, (2) at home against the Bears, and (3) in a beer-drinking contest. He got number one out of the way last week, and like clockwork, he'll take care of number two this weekend (literally, if he combines it with number three). Expect vintage Fav-ruh this weekend against a Bears' secondary that ceded 185 yards to Joey Harrington. Packers 31, Bears 14
ATS: Green Bay
[0-1] Houston at [1-0] Detroit (-3): This is a tough one. The Texans disappointed with their first opening day loss in three years, against San Diego. The Lions surprised with their first road win since the Clinton administration, against Chicago. Conventional wisdom says the Lions should roll, right? In the NFL, though, conventional wisdom is worth about as much as an aging veteran's contract. Houston 20, Detroit 17
ATS: Houston
[1-0] Pittsburgh at [0-1] Baltimore (-3.5): Something tells me that Jamal Lewis will bounce back from last week's 57-yard outing against Cleveland. The Steelers gave up just 61 on the ground to Oakland, but Tyrone Wheatley and Huggy Bear, Jr., are not Jamal Lewis. Jerome Bettis put up one of football's strangest stat lines last week: senev carries, one yard, three TDs. The Ravens won't give him that many goal-line opportunities. These two teams hate each other, and I feel bad for any man that draws the ire of Ray Lewis. Ravens 16, Steelers 13
ATS: Pittsburgh
[1-0] St. Louis at [1-0] Atlanta (-2.5): St. Louis hasn't lost to Atlanta since 1998. They might not be the Rams of a few years ago, but Mike Martz can still throw some weapons at you. Mike Vick, while potent, is struggling with the West Coast offense. Rams 30, Falcons 20
ATS: St. Louis
[1-0] Cleveland at [0-1] Dallas (-4.5): Did the Browns trade for Randy Moss this week? No? Whew. Cleveland shut down Jamal Lewis last week, and that's an impressive feat. But Old Man testaverde has life left in that arm, and if Cleveland expects to face another one-dimensional offense, then another 300-yard passing game could be in the cards. Julius Jones' availability will be the key for Dallas. Cowboys 21, Browns 17
ATS: Cleveland
[1-0] Minnesota at [1-0] Philadephia (-3.5): Since the ground has yet to freeze, I'm inclined to take the Vikes. Both QBs will probably light up the Philly skyline, but I think Daunte Culpepper is heads and shoulders better than Donavan McNabb. He only needs to be a little better for Minnesota to win this one. Vikings 31, Eagles 27
ATS: Minnesota
Season records:
7-3 ATS
6-4 SU
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