Welcome to my Week 8 NFL Picks.  Last week, I went 8-6, putting my overall record at 60-45-1 (61-45-1 after Week 8 TNF).  It’s right around the middle of NFL season, and this is the time of year when teams have the chance to turn around their season.  This will come in the form of many upsets. Which upsets am I picking? Keep reading to find out what I think.

Lock of the Week

This won’t even be close.  The Bengals are 0-7, and with WRs A.J. Green and John Ross out, the Bengals have been even worse these last few weeks.  Look for QB Jared Goff and his receivers to turn it around in this one, making the Rams look like one of the best teams in the NFC.  The Rams D will outmatch Cincy in every aspect, leading to a blowout.

Upset of the Week

WR Sterling Shepard is back in the concussion protocol and will miss this game, but RB Saquon Barkley and TE Evan Engram will be at full health this week, giving QB Daniel Jones all the weapons he needs against an imbalanced Lions D.  The Lions run defense will struggle to contain Barkley, allowing him to have his best game yet. Engram will also thrive as CB Darius Clay closes in on WR Golden Tate. The Lions will put up a fight, but without RB Kerryon Johnson, their offense won’t have enough to take down New York.

The Other Games

TNF (Posted to Twitter)	The Redskins don’t have much on the Vikings D.  WR Terry McLaurin is no match for CB Xavier Rhodes, and the rest of the offense has been terribly inconsistent.  I don’t expect a blowout here, but in a low scoring game, the Vikings will still win with ease.
	Look for the mortal opposite of TNF here.  In this game, young QBs Gardner Minshew and Sam Darnold will prove themselves as some of the best QBs their age.  The Jags will rely on RB Leonard Fournette, but Minshew will throw the ball plenty as well against a shallow Jets secondary.  The Jets will see a similar situation, as RB Le’Veon Bell anchors the offense, but Darnold’s receivers thrive against a Jags secondary that lost CB Jalen Ramsey.
	WR DeSean Jackson is still missing, and with QB Carson Wentz lacking weapons, he will be held back a bit against a tough Bills D.  But I expect the Eagles defense to step it up here, holding Buffalo to just 13 points as S Malcolm Jenkins makes a big impact for the secondary.
	With Titans star TE Delanie Walker out, I expect the Bucs to pull the upset here.  QB Jameis Winston will rely on his elite WR duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Meanwhile, the Bucs front seven will step it up, causing QB Ryan Tannehill to struggle under pressure.
	This game will be closer than people expect.  But the loss of WR Emmanuel Sanders is a huge one for Denver.  QB Joe Flacco won’t do as well without Sanders, even though his receivers have easy match-ups against a young Colts secondary.  Meanwhile, QB Jacoby Brissett will step it up again, finding a way to win comfortably as he leans on his TE duo.
	The loss of WR Keenan Allen hurts, but I think the Chargers can handle this Bears defense.  Not many teams have beat the Bears this season, but look for QB Philip Rivers and TE Hunter Henry to step it up in Chicago and help LA begin to turn their season around.  Meanwhile, QB Mitch Trubisky will struggle against an improved, balanced Chargers D.
	Even without RB Alvin Kamara, the Saints have a huge edge here with QB Drew Brees returning.  Brees will rely on his receivers as well as RB Latavius Murray against a weak Arizona D. Meanwhile, QB Kyler Murray will make rookie mistakes in New Orleans as he takes on an elite Saints squad.
	Even with QB Matt Ryan out, I expect the Falcons to pull the upset here.  With WR Mohamed Sanu out of Atlanta, WRs Julio Jones and Calvin Ridley will have more opportunities, especially against weak secondaries like Seattle’s.  QB Russell Wilson will find a way to put up points, but it won’t be easy against an Atlanta D that will step it up on home turf.
	WR Emmanuel Sanders might be the last thing the Niners needed to become legitimate contenders.  With Sanders on board, their undefeated status could last longer. QB Jimmy Garoppolo will throw the ball frequently now that he has more reliable weapons in the lineup.  Carolina will put up a fight as always, with RB Christian McCaffrey putting up a huge game. But it won’t be enough for San Fran regardless of who plays QB.
	WR Josh Gordon’s days in New England are over, so we won’t see his revenge game against Cleveland.  Regardless, the Patriots will win as QB Tom Brady relies on his favorite targets, WRs Julian Edelman and Phillip Dorsett.  Cleveland will put up a fight, led by RB Nick Chubb. But it won’t be enough as the elite Pats defense gets to QB Baker Mayfield’s head.
	Houston was once defined by their elite defense.  Now they might have the best offense in the league, and everyone will put up a big game against the Raiders D, even though QB Deshaun Watson is without WR Will Fuller V.  WRs DeAndre Hopkins and Kenny Stills will continue to make up for the loss of Fuller in an easy Texans victory. The Raiders will score a couple TDs as well, but it won’t be enough, as Houston still has something good going on defense.
	This would’ve been a battle between the two best QBs right now, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers.  But Mahomes is injured, and so is Green Bay’s #1 receiver Davante Adams. Both offenses will find a way to put up a good number of points, as RB Aaron Jones leads Green Bay and QB Matt Moore utilizes his elite receivers.  But the Chiefs will come out on top at home, led by WR Tyreek Hill and TE Travis Kelce.
	This will be closer than people expect.  The Dolphins may be tanking, but without QB Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh isn’t on top of their game either.  RB James Conner will be the one who leads the Steelers offense. But this will be a defense heavy game, as Pittsburgh holds Miami to just 1 TD.

 

That’s all for my picks this week.  Stay tuned for more NFL articles soon.

Welcome to my Week 7 NFL Picks.  Just 4 CBS Sports and ESPN experts are ahead of my current record of 52-39-1 (53-39-1 including Week 7 TNF).  This week, I expect the trend of road teams winning to continue.  Home field advantage has not had as big an impact this year, and a lot of this week’s road teams outmatch their home opponents.  Which teams will hold on for home victory, and which road teams will prove themselves? Keep reading to find out what I think, and as always, feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Lock of the Week

The Lions have been fairly competitive so far this season, but expect a rude awakening against the elite Vikings defense.  QB Matthew Stafford has some nice assets around him, but the Lions offense is far from elite.  Meanwhile, Minnesota will make the most of a favorable match-up against Detroit’s defense, allowing RB Dalvin Cook to lead the way to a big Vikings victory.

Upset of the Week

The Titans made a switch to Ryan Tannehill at QB, but it won’t be enough for victory, even as they host a banged-up Chargers offense. QB Philip Rivers will rely on the WR duo of Keenan Allen and Mike Williams, as S Kevin Byard contains TE Hunter Henry and the Titans run defense thrives. But LA’s defense will look pretty good themselves, causing the run game to continue to struggle and holding QB Ryan Tannehill and his offense to just 17 points. This will allow the Chargers offense to lead the team to an upset victory.

TNF (Posted Thursday Night, Actual Score: 30-6 Chiefs)

Expect a close game. QB Patrick Mahomes and his receivers will dominate against a declining Broncos secondary. But QB Joe Flacco will step it up and make it a close game at Mile High. Utilizing second year breakout WR Courtland Sutton, the Broncos will come within 1 TD of a victory. But it won’t be enough to outplay Mahomes.

The Other Games

Expect another easy victory over Miami here.  The Bills have been one of the AFC’s best teams so the Dolphins will not slow them down much offensively.  Meanwhile, an underrated, rising Bills defense will shut down QB Ryan Fitzpatrick in his return to the starting lineup after.

QB Gardner Minshew has not let Jacksonville down yet. I couldn’t see QB Nick Foles doing any better than Minshew has so far this year. So right now, the Jaguars have a decision looming with Nick Foles practicing again. That decision will get tougher as Minshew and his receivers thrive against a banged-up Bengals secondary. QB Andy Dalton will lean on his RBs and help Cincy put up a fight, but Jacksonville will pull ahead early and hold on.

This will be a very close game, as QB Deshaun Watson is dominant as usual and QB Jacoby Brissett makes it competitive in a surprisingly strong game against a weakening Texans defense.  Brissett put up 27 points in his debut with the Patriots when Houston had one of the best defenses in the league.  He can definitely put up a fight against the Texans but Watson will lead the Texans to victory in overtime. 

The Raiders have really surprised on offense this season, and I expect them to put up a fight here.  But despite a lack of depth and no shortage of injuries among QB Aaron Rodgers’ receivers, Rodgers has continued to find ways to lead Green Bay to victory.  At Lambeau field, that should be easy as he relies on his RBs against a weak Oakland front seven that’s without LB Vontaze Burfict. 

Look for QB Daniel Jones and the Giants to edge out a victory against a weak Cardinals defense, as Jones relies on RB Saquon Barkley and TE Evan Engram who are returning from injuries.  QB Kyler Murray will fail to put up much of a fight, but WR Christian Kirk’s return will significantly benefit the Cardinals and help make this close as Murray utilizes multiple reliable weapons.

San Francisco should win with ease here, as their young, underrated defense shuts down Washington.  But it will be closer than people think, as CB Josh Norman, edge rusher Ryan Kerrigan, and S Landon Collins step up to lead the Redskins defense to a successful day. They will hold the Niners to just 13 points (1 TD), significantly limiting TE George Kittle, WR Dante Pettis, and RB Tevin Coleman.

This will  be an exciting game, as two high-powered offenses face off.  Atlanta’s defense will struggle to contain QB Jared Goff and his elite group of WRs.  Atlanta will have a pretty strong game themselves against a banged up Rams defense.  But the Falcons will still struggle to keep up as LA’s defense limits RB Devonta Freeman and WR Julio Jones successfully.

This will be a very close game. The Seahawks will rely on RB Chris Carson and the rest of the run game. Meanwhile, QB Lamar Jackson will be forced to throw in order to make this close, as LB Bobby Wagner, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, and others stuff the run successfully. Jackson will have some success throwing the ball, but it won’t be enough to beat the Seahawks at CenturyLink. However, Baltimore will make it close, and I could even see this going to overtime.

Look for the Bears to win with ease here. QB Mitch Trubisky isn’t the best of the best, but he’ll find a way to put up some points, even against a pretty good Saints defense. At Soldier Field, Trubisky will put up enough points to allow the defense to do its thing and lead Chicago to victory. Despite a very strong season so far filling in for QB Drew Brees, QB Teddy Bridgewater will struggle to break single digits against an elite Bears defense. The absences of RB Alvin Kamara and TE Jared Cook just makes things harder.

SNF

This will be one of the most exciting prime time games all season. Both these teams are contenders, but both have struggled of late. QBs Carson Wentz and Dak Prescott will make it a neck and neck battle, as Wentz is too much for a young Dallas defense and Prescott utilizes whatever receivers get has healthy to lead the Cowboys against a weak Philly secondary. Expect this to go to overtime and even potentially come close to a tie, but I think the Eagles will edge out a victory in the final minutes.

MNF

Without WR Josh Gordon, QB Tom Brady will not be able to lead the Patriots to victory alone. He’ll need the Patriots defense to shut down QB Sam Darnold and the Jets, which I think they are definitely capable of, even without DE Michael Bennett. Darnold will make this close, relaying heavily on RB Le’Veon Bell, but it won’t be enough against one of the best defenses in the NFL.

That’s all for my NFL Picks. Stay tuned for more NFL coverage and NBA coverage soon, including my Week 8 Picks and my NBA season predictions.

Welcome to my Week 6 NFL Picks.  Last week, I went 7-8, putting my overall record at 44-33-1 (45-33-1 including Week 6 TNF).  However, I’m still beating 3 of 20 (tied with another 2) experts from CBS Sports and ESPN. A lot of teams have struggled to a surprising extent so far this year.  But this week, I feel like some of these teams will turn it around. Keep reading to find out which teams I have proving themselves competitive, and which teams I have asserting themselves as the league’s best.  As always, feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Lock of the Week

QB Matt Ryan and the Falcons offense have struggled this season.  Both Ryan and RB Devonta Freeman have shown signs of regression. But against a weak Arizona defense, expect the Falcons to look like their old selves, as Ryan leans on his elite trio of wide receivers.  The Cardinals will struggle significantly against a mediocre Atlanta defense, exposing them as one of the league’s worst teams.

Upset of the Week

QB Sam Darnold is back, and I have him coming back with a bang.  He will utilize slot WR Jamison Crowder, who has emerged as Darnold’s favorite target, though WR Robby Anderson and TE Chris Herndon will also look strong in this game against a young, inexperienced Dallas defense.  RB Le’Veon Bell will be held back a bit by DE DeMarcus Lawrence and the rest of the Cowboys run defense, but in this game, stopping Bell won’t be enough to stop the Jets. Dallas will put up a good fight in this close one, as RB Ezekiel Elliott leads the offense and QB Dak Prescott works more with his other receivers as opposed to just WR Amari Cooper.  But the Jets will still come out on top, led by a healthy Darnold.

The Other Games

TNF (Posted before the game; Actual Score: 35-14 Patriots)	Led by their run game, look for New England to easily contain a banged-up Giants squad.  Aside from QB Daniel Jones and WR Golden Tate, this Giants offense doesn’t have much going for them.  The Patriots defense will shut them down and hold them TD-less. Meanwhile, the duo of RBs Sony Michel and James White will shine against a weak New York front seven, leading the way for New England.
Sunday, 9:30 AM EST (Posted before the game)	Expect an OT thriller here as QB Jameis Winston utilizes the great WR duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to lead the Bucs to last minute victory against an unbalanced Carolina defense.  QB Kyle Allen will make it competitive, relying on RB Christian McCaffrey once again. But Allen will face defeat for the first time as he fails to keep up with a strong Tampa offense.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	In a battle of two 0-5 teams, the Redskins will reign superior.  Washington has had a QB crisis this year without Alex Smith, but there’s bound to be 1 of the 3 QB’s on their roster that can handle the weak Miami defense.  Expect CB Xavien Howard to shut down WR Terry McLaurin, but the Redskins will still come out on top, as they lean on the RB duo of Adrian Peterson and Chris Thompson.  QB Josh Rosen and the Dolphins will show signs of improvement, but it won’t be nearly enough for Miami to win.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Cleveland’s offense is extremely overrated and they have really underperformed.  This will continue as the Browns host Seattle, but watch out for Cleveland’s D who will hold a shallow Seahawks offense to single digits.  Even QB Russell Wilson’s strong game won’t be enough to take down the Browns on their home turf.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Look for QB Lamar Jackson to rebound to an extent as he leads Baltimore past the Bengals.  The Bengals will make it close. QB Andy Dalton will struggle and throw a couple picks against a strong Ravens secondary.  However, RBs Joe Mixon and Giovani Bernard will anchor the Bengals offense here. It still won’t be enough for Jackson and his large group of reliable receivers.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	If you think last week’s Texans game was high scoring, just wait for this week.  We’re about to have Chiefs-Rams 2.0 on our hands. Expect QB Patrick Mahomes to dominate with all his receivers healthy.  QB Deshaun Watson will also put up another huge game, this time utilizing both WR DeAndre Hopkins and WR Will Fuller V. This will be a back and forth shootout, as each QB throws for over 400 yards and at least 4-5 TDs.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	QB Gardner Minshew will run out of magic here as the Saints defense steps it up and shuts his resources down.  This will allow QB Teddy Bridgewater to look like a capable starting QB and lead the Saints to a big victory in Jacksonville.  Teddy B. will utilize RB Alvin Kamara, WR Michael Thomas, and the rest of his dominant offensive surroundings.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	QB Kirk Cousins utilized the WR duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs in Minnesota’s last game, and it paid off.  If he can do the same under the pressure of the tough Eagles defense, that would be huge for him and huge for Minnesota’s season.  I have confidence in Cousins to perform well in this game as QB Carson Wentz and his receivers fall short up against one of the best defenses in the league.
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST	Even with RB Todd Gurley banged-up, I expect the Rams to handle the 49ers easily in LA.  The LA defense will step it up and hold QB Jimmy Garoppolo and his offense to just 1 TD and 10 points.  Meanwhile, the Rams WR trio will just be too much for the 49ers to contain. The Niners will definitely limit the Rams and LA’s offense will not quite look like their dominant selves against San Fran.  But it won’t be enough to prevent the Rams from an easy victory.
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST	With the Broncos D banged up, look for Tennessee to put up a big game, as QB Marcus Mariota utilizes his wide variety of receivers.  Denver’s offense will fail to compete or look like themselves as the Titans defense shuts them down, allowing the Titans to win with ease.
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST	With RB Melvin Gordon and TE Hunter Henry active tonight, the Chargers should easily take down Pittsburgh.  They will be limited by a decent Steelers defense. But with QB Mason Rudolph out, the Steelers offense will fail to do much of anything against a strong, balanced Chargers defense.
Monday, 8:15 PM EST	This one will come down to the wire as two surprisingly good offenses duke it out.  The Packers will rely on RB Aaron Jones and WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling with WR Davante Adams out, which will be enough for QB Aaron Rodgers to lead Green Bay to victory.  But the Lions will make this a close shootout, as they do surprisingly well on offense once again. The NFC North might be the most competitive division in this league, as two of the teams have the best defenses and the other two have an unbelievable offensive core.  This game will prove that.

That’s all for my picks this week.  Stay tuned for more NFL coverage in the coming weeks.

Welcome to my NFL Week 5 Picks.  Last week, I went 7-8, putting my overall record at 37-25-1 (37-26-1 with Week 5 TNF).  This week, I cannot see many upsets happening. This will be a week where the elite teams in the league continue to prove themselves as they put up big games and win with ease.  Which underdogs will put up the biggest fight, and what upsets will happen? Keep reading to find out what I think, and feel free to comment with your thoughts.

Lock of the Week

QB Chase Daniel did an even better job than QB Mitch Trubisky at leading this Bears offense.  Expect it to really show this week.  The Raiders snagged a victory in Indy against a weak Colts defense, but they’ll experience a rude awakening against Chicago in London as the Bears shut them out.

Upset of the Week 

(TNF, posted to Twitter Thursday night, Actual Score: 30-29 Seahawks)

The Seahawks are only favored by a hair here, and I can’t see them succeeding against a strong Rams team.  QB Jared Goff and his receivers will put up a clinic against the inexperienced Seattle secondary.  QB Russell Wilson will put up a decent game, but the Rams defense will severely limit the Seahawks and come up clutch in preventing them from scoring multiple TDs.

The Other Games

Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	With TEs Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis hurt and concerns arising at QB, the Redskins offense won’t have much up their sleeve against an unstoppable Patriots defense.  The Pats offense will look a little better in Washington, but they won’t need to score too much to win here.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	The Jets are still without QB Sam Darnold, and they won’t be able to do much at all in Philly.  QB Luke Falk will rely on slot WR Jamison Crowder as Darnold has, but it won’t be enough as QB Carson Wentz and the Eagles utilize WR DeSean Jackson in his return and rely on star TE Zach Ertz.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	I don’t know why so many people are calling a Bills upset here.  The Bills offense really struggled against New England last week, and the Tennessee defense is capable of shutting them down in a similar fashion.  I also believe QB Marcus Mariota will step up against the Bills D.  I feel that Mariota is a good QB when healthy, and this game will prove it.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Look for Pittsburgh to put up a fight on their own turf, but I can’t see QB Lamar Jackson falling in this one.  He looked great in the first couple games of the season.  He’s faced some tough opponents and been outmatched in the last couple games, but QB Mason Rudolph and the washed-up Pittsburgh offense is no longer good enough to outmatch Jackson in the same way.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	Cincinnati started off the season 0-4, but their schedule only gets easier from here.  Against Arizona, QB Andy Dalton will turn it around and prove himself capable as he utilizes WR Tyler Boyd.  If he struggles against Arizona, they should consider Ryan Finley at QB.  But I can’t see that happening, as QB Kyler Murray will struggle against the underrated Cincy defense.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	The Texans were always a defense-first team in the past.  Now, the defense has lost some key pieces, but QB Deshaun Watson has stepped up big time.  It will show in this offensive shootout against Atlanta, one of the most offense-heavy teams in the league.  QB Matt Ryan will throw several TDs like Watson, but Watson will out-match Ryan in a battle of two elite QBs.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	QB Gardner Minshew and his receivers will have a decent game against a young Carolina secondary.  But the Panthers secondary has gotten better this year, and they will step it up.  Meanwhile, expect QB Kyle Allen to throw multiple TDs and lead Carolina to victory.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	WR Stefon Diggs may want out, but he’s still here now, and he will be utilized as QB Kirk Cousins steps it up at MetLife.  QB Daniel Jones is a great QB, but he’ll experience a rude awakening and make some rookie mistakes against an elite Vikes D.
Sunday, 1:00 PM EST	This will be the biggest shootout of the week, as QB Teddy Bridgewater steps up to lead New Orleans’ offense, but fails to outscore QB Jameis Winston and his receivers in regulation.  I see this game going to overtime, where Bridgewater will utilize his amazing surroundings to lead the Saints.
Sunday, 4:05 PM EST	The Chargers are missing some key pieces on offense, but they still have enough in them to take down Denver in LA, especially with edge rusher Bradley Chubb out for the year.  The Broncos are 0-4 so far, and their offense will continue to struggle as they face an elite defense on their home turf.
Sunday, 4:25 PM EST	Look for Green Bay to struggle without WR Davante Adams.  This will allow then Cowboys to rebound on their home turf as they face the weakened Packers squad.  They will also benefit from the return of their WR2, Michael Gallup.
Sunday, 8:20 PM EST	QB Patrick Mahomes will work his magic again as they host Indy.  Against a weak but underrated Colts defense, Mahomes will lean on the young duo of WRs Demarcus Robinson and Mecole Hardman.  TE Travis Kelce will put up an especially strong game as well.  QB Jacoby Brissett and the Colts will make this the best Sunday Night game all year as they put up a fight in a strong offensive performance, but they’ll be outdone by Mahomes.
Monday, 8:15 PM EST	This prime time match-up will be a close one too.  But I think this will be a defense-heavy game.  Both of these defenses improved significantly this off-season, and it will show here.  But the Niners will edge out the victory as they ride their momemntum coming out of the bye, boosted by the return of RB Tevin Coleman.

That’s all for this week’s games.  Stay tuned for more NFL coverage soon.