Minnesota -

The best thing to happen for this game is to get the Vikings on the road so the shine is not so bright in Minneapolis where the Miracle happened last week. The Minnesota Vikings registered a thrilling 29-24 home win over the Saints in their path to their first NFC Championship game since 2009 and look to win this game and return to their home field for the Super Bowl. This game may be made up of 80% defense for the game. Minnesota finished with the number one total defense in the NFL the season, holding opponents to an average of 15.8 points. Minnesota scored an average of 24 points in the regular season, placing them 10th in the NFL but they will have difficulty getting to that number but can put up enough to win 21-17 or 14-10, 17-10 or 17-13. This game will be played on either side of midfield with few chances in the red zone. Minnesota had little problem containing the Saints strong running game and that should transfer to holding LeGarrette Blount and Jay Ajayi under 85 yards in total. Defensive end Everson Griffen was tied for fourth in the league with a career-best 13 sacks this season. Philadelphia hasn't hosted an NFC Championship Game since the 2004 season and with a 14 year drought, their fan base can be absolutely brutal adding a ton of pressure to their own team. Case Keenum is a good quarterback and has all the tools to win this game by playing a smart game and putting this victory in the hands of the defense as the Purple People Eaters did years gone bye. 

-New England -

We know that Tom Brady cut his hand on a helmet during practice requiring 3 stitches. The cut is in the web between his thumb and index finger. He will wear two gloves on that right hand. The outer one so no one will be able to see if it starts bleeding again. Brady will do more from the shotgun than usual as the center's snap takes a toll. As for the Jags there are some reason and history on what teams can accomplish. First of all, the public has lowered the number for us giving tremendous value. Secondly, they have traveled to San Francisco, Tennessee, Pittsburgh and now to New England resulting in four games of their last five on the road with a poor performance game at home against Buffalo sandwiched in between. Third, teams that score over 40 points their previous game are 5-25 ATS the following week and they put up 45 last week. It's believed that with the disrespect that Pittsburgh showed them last week, there heart, focus and their super bowl may have all been spent winning that game and left on the gridiron. How much can one have in their tank after last week and this being a long five weeks of effort trying to prove themselves over and over is a major issue. The evidence may be in last week's passing yards allowed at 469 yards to the Steelers. The Patriots defense has allowed just 15.1 points per game since week three. Dion Lewis is up against an average rush defense as the Jags are ranked 21st. The Patriots limited Derrick Henry to an average of only 2.3 yards per carry last week and are confident they can contain Leonard Fournette leaving Blake Bortles holding the game in his hand trying to figure out what to do against what Coach Belichick has already figured out. New England averaged 28.6 points this season, good for second in the NFL and will put on a show on both sides of the ball and a major show of coaching from the sidelines and any second half adjustments needed. 

Jacksonville +

Tennessee +

Desperation effort is hard to measure. It's often overlooked or ignored. Tennessee won their last game of the season against Jacksonville and then rallied from down 21-3 and defeated Kansas City on the road. It certainly shows heart and great fundamentals. Truth be known, those two wins were equal to two playoff wins. As far as New England is concerned, the Patriots have been dealing with controversial questions all week as the Titans just prepare. The New England defense is spending the week preparing for mobile quarterback Marcus Mariota, a third-year pro who can make things happen with his legs. Mariota is also sixth in the NFL (Brady was first) in third-down passer rating. Defense and a strong running game wins playoffs games. The Titans have both. Titans’ leading rusher Derrick Henry played a key role in the win against the Chiefs, accumulating a season-high 156 rushing yards and averaged a dazzling 6.8 yards per carry. Look for Henry to see a heavy workload again this week. Remember that we are looking for a pointspread cover and line value. Not necessarily looking for an outright win of which is possible. Brady and the Patriots are very good but not that great team from the past as injuries have had their tow and Brady is 40 years old.  Delanie Walker also had a big game last week, making six catches for 74 yards. Walker will be one to watch in this one as the Patriots do have a weak pass defense. This is a large spread and confident the Titans can do enough on both sides of the ball to keep this one close. The Titans defense showed great character by shutting the Chiefs out in the second half last week. Tennessee features a stifling rush defense that is only allowing 188 rushing yards per game. After 17 games of the regular season the numbers speak loud and clear. This is a pass oriented league and the Patriots pass defense is allowing an average of 251 passing yards per game, ranking them 30th in the NFL. Bottom line is that a stout defense, a strong rush, a mobile quarterback and a porous opponents defense is the recipe for the upset. 

-Philadelphia +

It seems that this may be an all time first finding the #6 seed is favored on the road against the top seed. Philadelphia became the first No. 1 seed to open as an underdog in the playoffs ever. Let's start at the top. Eagles coach Doug Pederson is incredible and don't discount his value on this two week layoff to implement a solid game plan. The only reason that Atlanta is favored (wrong team favored) is perception. The drop off from Carson Wentz to Nick Foles is not worth six points. Foles not only can get the ball downfield, he can do so very well. He's aggressive in his mindset and plays as such. He's looking to throw the ball down the field. Some guys are the dink-and-dunk kind of guys. That's not Nick. Nick Foles is aggressive and will not disappoint Eagle fans. The Falcons began this week with their two stars (QB Ryan and WR Jones) both missing practice. This follows a cross country trip from Los Angeles and a shorten week having to play Saturday. Ryan is 1-3 all-time against the Eagles in Philadelphia. This is the Falcons fourth trip in five weeks and a southern dome team moving north to play outdoors in the cold. Watch the Eagles go for the running game. They feature a dangerous duo of Jay Ajayi and LeGarrette Blount who combined for 1639 rushing yards. The Eagles own the number three ranked running game in the NFL. If Foles can hand the ball off, his amount of play is marginal at best. The Eagles are scoring an average of 28.6 points, good for third in the NFL. The Eagles defense had a spectacular season, and they feature the number one rush defense in the NFL. Philadelphia is allowing an average of 18 points, ranking them fourth in the NFL.

Denver -

The Chiefs rest at least a few starters which could make it tough for them on both sides of the ball. Don't look for KC quarterback Alex Smith. He's on the scout team this week. First-round draft pick Patrick Mahomes II will make his NFL debut at quarterback for the Kansas City Chiefs. It makes sense for starting quarterback Alex Smith and many of the other regulars to get a week off before the playoffs. Denver can still play defense. Especially against their backup players. The Broncos do own the third-ranked rush defense and fourth-ranked pass defense in the NFL, so they can contain the Chiefs offense. Furthermore, Broncos running back C.J. Anderson has rushed for a combined 266 yards in his last two games, and the Chiefs will give up yards on the ground, allowing an average of 119 rushing yards per game. The Broncos had a solid game on the ground in their week eight battle against the Chiefs. The Broncos will start Paxton Lynch at quarterback since he's finally healthy. They want him with all the tools he needs to see how he plays in this final game. Defensively, the Chiefs’ backup defensive backs will be no match for the Broncos’ receivers. 

Tennessee -

Look no further than the stakes at hand. Certainly the Jaguars could win at will being they are in the top two in offense and defense. No questioning that. This is a follow the "real" money. It comes down to this. The Jags get a free roll. If they win; number 3 seed and play at home. If they lose; number 3 seed and play at home.  So it comes down to whom they choose to play. The choices are to play Tennessee by losing Sunday or play the Chargers by winning on Sunday. Nobody wants to play Philip Rivers. No one wants to have to chase down Melvin Gordon. Why play that when Marcus Mariota is playing hurt? Or DeMarco Murray is hurt? Neither will be at back to full strength in a week for the wild card game. So the Jags have the opportunity to avoid the Chargers and play the Titans in Jacksonville in the wild card game. They plan to play their starters for 20 snaps for their game day workout. This is a very situational selection and really has little to do with the play on the field. Remember, the NFL is a nasty business so look for the Titans to win. 

Houston

San Francisco +

The current longest winning streak in the NFL stands at three games. The 49ers have won three in a row and four of their last five. San Francisco is looking at the new era of no more interest in a Kirk Cousins $100M contract and a franchise quarterback with Jimmy Garoppolo. He was groomed by the best, Tom Brady. The headlines belong to the 49ers field goal kicker. Robbie Gould is responsible for 52% of their team's total points. He was six for six last week and 36 for 38 on the season. San Francisco has defensive talent to stay in most games. Naturally, they would like more scoring in the red zone and that will certainly come. This game sets up to be a classic score for score battle. It's doubtful that either team will ever get anything more than a single digit lead. Last to score should win this game. Look for s 21-20 final. Frightening contest for gamblers but with San Francisco having two ways to win. I predict outright! 

Tennessee +  

The past four of five weeks, the Rams played the Vikings, Saints, Eagles and Seahawks. They have to feel the pain of those hits. These are all top rated defensive teams and it starts to take it's toll by the end of the season. Now they get to travel 2500 miles east to play in an early start game and lay 6.5 points. Few teams can survive that stretch of hard hitting contest. Tennessee does play well at home as evidenced by their 5-1 home record. It's not like the Rams "have to win" this game. L.A. is in great shape in the playoff picture, holding a two game lead over the Seahawks and can clinch the division title with one more win, or one more Seahawks loss. Not only have they played difficult defensive teams they've played at the highest level offensively. The Rams have scored 32 or more points in three straight games and don't expect that to continue. The Titans will put on their best performance of the season today and this will come down to who scores last. 

Tampa Bay

Oakland +

The Raiders’ inability to run the ball this season has been putting a lot of pressure on quarterback Derek Carr. But look for the Raiders game plan to switch gears to help out. Lynch got only seven carries in last weekend’s 26-15 setback against AFC West rival Kansas City. Expect more rushing attempts to ease the pain. Dallas is coming off consecutive hard fought division game victories over Washington and the Giants. Those expended a lot of energy. At 7-6, the Cowboys hardly scare anyone, especially on the road. Dallas has little in terms of running the ball which puts a load on Dak Prescott. The Cowboys are just an average team unsure what their playoff hopes are at this moment. The Cowboys have had 4 to 5 key players sit out almost on a weekly basis so they generally have new issues to deal with regularly. This is Zek Elliott's last game to sit. Amari Cooper is out for Oakland so his replacement has gotten all the practice this week which certainly helps. It’s going to mean that Cordarrelle Patterson and Johnny Holton are going to be asked to carry a much heavier workload and also beat the Cowboys secondary over the top. Laying points on the road is not easy. This spread really is unjustified as these two teams are basically equal due to each teams set of circumstances at present. If they are equal, then the Raiders should be a three point favorite. This is a oddsmakers over-lay based on Dallas winning two in a row and the Raiders huge loss at Kansas City. The Raiders can move to 7-7 and in second place with a win. Michael Crabtree is going to be the “move the chains guy,” as is Jared Cook, so realistically the biggest changes to expect will be for Carr to take more chances on deep passes in 1-on-1 situations. The key is In games when Carr has averaged over eight yards per attempt, they’ve posted a record of 5-0. The offense has to find a way to open up the field if they want to beat the Cowboys. GO DEEEEEEP!

Pittsburg +

The Steelers have lost four straight games to the Patriots. But streaks are made to end. Even if this end comes with an asterisk by it. Note that the Patriots are a bandaged squad. That their continuity has been interrupted over and over. That this is their fifth road game in six weeks late in the year where few are fresh. Maybe Roger Goddell made their schedule. For Big Ben; after his five interception performance, he's been fantastic. His offensive line has also been beyond great. Ben threw it 60 times last week and a good Baltimore defense only sacked him twice. Pittsburgh may not have a better chance to stop the Patriots from owning them in these huge meaningful games more than what's at stake for them Sunday and throughout the upcoming playoffs. Last week at Miami, New England was an unbelievably bad 0-for-11 on third downs as its offense an anemic 248 total yards; 223 through the air and a hopeless 25 on the ground. The Patriots ran the ball a mere 10 times, five by Dion Lewis and five for Rex Burkhead. The Patriots normally comeback from that occasional off night and bounce back. But Brady looks off at times with misplaced throws and interceptions that are cropping up more of late against Buffalo and Miami. The Steelers are even better defensively so at 40 years old, maybe Tom Brady is running out of bounce back performances. The facts are, and must be acknowledged, that the Patriots are not playing well right now and probably need some rest and a homestretch before the playoffs. On the other hand, the Steelers extended their winning streak to eight games when they survived a thriller against Baltimore and look to get this monkey off their back with a team vendetta to win this game. This is the game everyone’s been waiting to see, and the hot team playing at home AND getting points is the correct play. Look for Pittsburgh to come up big and make Sunday's game look easy. 

Kansas City Chiefs

The biggest question of the day is split: What has more intrigue? The home team advantage for Kansas City playing at one of the most revered venues in the NFL known as Arrowhead Stadium? Or why are the LA Chargers a one point favorite on the road at Arrowhead? Both are a mystery except to the sharpest of bettors. A special Saturday night AFC matchup for the top of the heap has all the makeup of a Chiefs win. Maybe the Chiefs should just play the game film from earlier this year where they won in LA by a score of 24-10. When the Chiefs were thought to be the Super Bowl lock at 5-0, they had Kareem Hunt running the ball which in turn set up the easy pass plays for Alex Smith. They have headed back to that game plan. He rushed for 117 yards last week which was a throwback to the first one third of the season played. He rushed for 172 yards in their first meeting. After 13 games this season, the Chargers checks in at #29 against the run. Bingo!!! Running the ball and a strong defense is the mark of a division leader. Unfortunately, defense has the Chiefs at #15 in points allowed at 22 ppg so an exceptional effort and taking advantage of their difficult home field and fans is paramount to this win. The Chiefs have the perfect formula to defeat the Chargers. Rushing the ball. Ball control. Keeping Philip Rivers on the sidelines. The Chiefs early season game plans are back. Kansas City is 14-3 ATS in their last 17 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game and 8-1 ATS in their last 9 vs. the AFC West. This should continue tonight. The Chargers are just 2-6 the last eight games in this series because of the same coaching strategies by Coach Andy Reid. The line should move from KC +1 to pick to KC -1. 

Indianapolis 

Wait a minute. The Denver Broncos broke an 8-game losing streak with a 23-0 win over the New York Jets and are now a favorite? On the road? This is the same team that during that losing streak had five losses by double digits in a row. History being made! They averaged just 13.5 points and allowed 22.3 points per game in that span. Not exactly your Elway QB era. They are lead by Trevor Siemian who has completed just 59.1 percent of his passes for 2,218 yards with 12 TDs and 13 picks this season (74.4 QB rating). Again, not your Elway QB. For the Colts, Jacoby Brissett is turing into a decent replacement that offers off season options concerning Andrew Luck. But for tonight, let's roll back the calendar and pencil in two old veterans for the home team. Frank Gore was in beast mode last week plowing for 160 yards in a huge snow storm. Another veteran that will make his presence felt is kicker Adam Vinatieri. The Colts lost to Tennessee and Pittsburgh at home by a combined seven points. This is a below average team going nowhere but neither is Denver. There seems to be something wrong with the Broncos entire organization beginning at the top. The short week home team playing Thursday night has added benefits. Finally, save yourself from saying the Broncos have a great defense. They still lost eight in a row and did beat the Jets but only after the Jets QB, Josh McCown left with a broken hand. 

Jacksonville -  

Before we get into this game, let's acknowledge that Russell Wilson is a top 3-5 ranked quarterback. He's their entire offense. The has thrown three touchdown games multiple times this season. His total rushing yardage is twice at much as their second best running back. Of 31 teams he may face, he is almost untouchable at any given time. But there is one defense he will have a problem with. The quickest, fastest defense in the entire NFL; Jacksonville's defensive front. No team has a faster step off the snap. He won't be able to win this game by himself but his offensive line is very porous and the Jags will be in his face all day long. The Seahawks have not been able to establish their running game this season and it will not happen today. Blake Bortles had a good game last week. He connected on 26 of 35 passes for 309 yards with two touchdowns against zero picks. Jag’s leading rusher Leonard Fournette needs to step it up somewhat. Since he returned the past two weeks he has not been very productive. But he is a great running back so defenses may have been keying on him. The Jags are extremely balanced with Bortles, Fournette and WR Marquise Lee. Jacksonville owns the number one ranked defense in the NFL and that will put the Jags over the top in games such as this. Seattle is down defensively in their secondary due to injuries. Let's not forget that their win against the Eagles was huge but played in Seattle. Not having Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril and with the Seahawks traveling across country to play is huge for the Jags. This game will play smoothly in favor off Jacksonville. 

Cleveland +

The Browns are running out of teams left on their schedule to beat. The Browns remain the only winless team on the season at 0-12. They do NOT want to go winless for the season. They get the Packers without Aaron Rodgers. Heading into the game against Tampa Bay last week, Green Bay has lost five of their previous six. The Packers running back, Aaron Jones may be limited with a knee injury today. They beat the Bucs in OT but not because of their quarterback play. Quarterback Brett Hundley had just 84 passing yards on 13-of-22 passing with no touchdowns and a pick. For Cleveland, they've held four teams to under 20 points in their last eight games. They have an adequate defense to win this game at home. One would have to think that DeShone Kiser has improved somewhat. Maybe the return of Josh "Flash" Gordon will give him a better target now that he's had two weeks back to get player ready. Lastly, can you imagine the incredible pressure the Green Bay Packers QB Hundley is under knowing he cannot lose today with Aaron Rodger back next week? Not a good spot for him. 

Atlanta 

Cincinnati 

Arizona +

The Rams and the Cardinals are both coming off a victory last week with the Rams ending New Orleans’ long winning streak and Arizona knocking off upstart Jacksonville. Most are familiar with the Rams high-scoring offense led by Jarad Goff and it has been a constant. They did struggle last week on third down over and over and that was with New Orleans have both cornerbacks out. For Arizona, Quarterback Blaine Gabbert was more than serviceable last week against a good Jacksonville defense completing 22-of-38 passes for 241 yards, two scores, and a pick. He was only sacked once for five yards. The entire team is playing with a lot of heart and can beat any team on any given day. Placekicker Phil Dawson was the hero at the beginning and the end of the game last week hitting three field goals of 42 or more yards and with the game winner of 52 yards. His success allows the Cardinals to chip away all throughout the game as a field goal is another weapon for the Cards. Gabbert has Jaron Brown and Ricky Seals-Jones as his receivers and may rely on them much more today due to the lack of running back injuries. This looks to be anyone's game but with home field advantage and getting a touchdown in points, maybe Phil Dawson will get another chance to win it for Arizona. 

Carolina +

Revenge in a division game within the same season is something to consider. Especially after judging how the two teams are playing right now. The Panthers recorded a 35-27 road win against the Jets last week, and the Saints are coming off a rough 26-13 road loss to the Rams. The Saints recorded a 34-13 road win over the Panthers in week three. That road win was when the Panthers may have overlooked the Saints and their 0-2 start. They were playing with that desperation of having almost no shot of making the playoffs if they lost and went to 0-3. Things are much different today. Both teams are 8-2. The oddsmakers jacked up the line because New Orleans is coming home off a loss and bettors think it's impossible to lose back to back games so they lay the points. But this line is highly inflated over two "key" numbers of 3 and 4. This has a three or four point final score that either team could get. This is not a blowout type of division game by either side. It's a close to the vest kind of game with two equal quarterbacks with the Saints having home field advantage but being offset by Carolina's defense. Both teams are running the ball like there's no tomorrow. This line should have been -3 Saints at the most. For Carolina, Christian McCaffrey and Jonathan Stewart will keep Drew Brees on the sidelines eating up at least one extra Saints possession. Carolina has pulled off four straight wins and are now tied for first place with the Saints in the NFC South due to their defense and averaging 140 yards rushing the ball during that span. That is the recipe for a top ranked team. Their defense is very good at stopping the run and few would admit that they knew that the Saints now features the third-ranked running game in the NFL. It's doubtful that they would be ranked this high if they had played teams like the Panthers weekly. They have been known as a passing team for years. The Saints defense has been shaky defensively in two straight games against Kirk Cousins and Jared Goff last week in their loss to the Rams. Cam Newton hasn't been real sharp but that may change today as the Saints top two corners, Marshon Lattimore and Ken Crawley, are questionable for this game. This game is a showdown; not a shootout. In almost every facet for this game, I give every necessary edges to Carolina. Especially getting this many points. 

Dallas +

Concerning the Dallas Cowboys, this is not exactly the same team that went 13-3 last year. They obviously are in a slump and now you get +2 points with Dallas playing at home against a mediocre extremely injured Redskins team. This is a huge division rivalry so throw out the stats sheets and the injury reports. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives at 5-6straight up. By now, the Cowboys have gotten used to not having Zek Elliot and the show must go on. The bettors get pointspread value in this game as the line movement is off the charts. The line has swung from Dallas -2.5 to Dallas +2. The Cowboys might be catching Washington at the perfect time. The Skins are more than skinned up. The absence of RB Chris Thompson really hurts Cousins ability to set up the pass with the run. Finally, desperation may be the theme tonight for Dallas in front of their home crowd. This is not your Troy Aikman, Randy White or Roger Staubach's team but they sure as hell will play like it against their most hated rival. 

Baltimore 

LA Rams -

It can't be an easy task to go on the road against a team that's playing great football on both sides of the ball and win your ninth consecutive game. A very rare feat indeed. I love the timing of having the Rams coming off a loss on the road and returning to the Coliseum expecting a crowd approaching the attendance numbers that USC gets. Let's take a look at some timing that the Saints have also enjoyed. Many believe that the Saints have found a defense. Compared to what their norm is, it's an easy conclusion. However, when facing an offensive team like the Redskins last game, they allowed 31 points. The numbers are further skewed when you also look at three other recent contest. New Orleans has faced some low-scoring teams as of late, as they played the Packers without Rodgers, followed by the Bears, Bucs, and Bills. Not exactly your scoring juggernaut. The Saints really don't matchup well with the Rams. The Saints will give up yards on the ground, so look for solid afternoon from Todd Gurley. Also, the Rams defend the pass well and they should at least contain Drew Brees. Overall the Rams defense has been terrific for a majority of the season and we can expect a gargantuan team effort to remain at the top and to establish confidence defeating a team headed to make the playoffs. Jared Goff, the Rams franchise 23-year old quarterback is having a breakout season, accumulating 2610 passing yards with a 16:4 TD to INT ratio. RB Todd Gurley is over 1200 combined rushing and receiving yardage giving the backfield perfect balance while also allowing Goff to hook up with Robert Woods downfield. The Saints will be marching out with a loss today.

NY Jets +

The Jets are well rested after their bye week and play Carolina coming off consecutive victories over Tampa Bay, Atlanta, and Miami. Winning streaks of more than three games in a row are not your every day occurrence in the NFL. The Jets have played much better than many had planned this season. They had 14 point leads on New England and Miami and a halftime lead on Atlanta in addition to winning four games so far. The Jets are just one game out of the dismal AFC playoff race. A colossal eight teams in the four AFC divisions have teams either 5-5 or 4-6. The Carolina Panthers have been a nightmare for the sportsbooks having gone 6-1 ATS in their last seven games on the road. But many more times than not, the oddsmakers seem to get the pointspreads to adjust the second half of the season. They are much more inclined to make you pay an inflated price on a popular team with a very recognizable named quarterback as in Cam Newton. As far as the bottom feeder teams like the NY Jets, the oddsmakers anticipate one sided action on the favorite when the Jets play and as expected, we see just below 85% of the public wagering on the Panthers. But backing the Jets has a huge upside to it in the past as they are 21-6 ATS in their last 27 home games (78%). Josh McCown and the entire team have shown they know how to get a lead. Playing at home after a bye week has them energized. Getting this win today is monumental for this young team. The game plans indicate a low scoring game thus bringing the points into play. Look for an enormous herculean effort by the J-E-T-S to get the win and cover. 

Dallas +  

There's an old rule of thumb in the NFL. Actually, there are many the seasoned professionals use but for this game, a very strong one applies. It goes like this:  When you go to the betting window to bet a NFL game and betting that game makes you want to throw up, you're almost always on the right side. As for the betting, 85% are on the Eagles and 80% of the bets are on the over. Just what Vegas doesn't need. Every Joe on the favorite and the over on parlays to get bailed out on the Sunday Night game. Not happening! Dallas looked absolutely brutal last week against the Falcons. But they had a week to make adjustments and Philadelphia is coming off a bye week so anything can happen. The entire free world is aware of the Dallas problems so listing them here is unnecessary. The two keys are Sean Lee is out but he's been out  half the season. Alfred Morris will have to step up and take over Zek's job. Dak Prescott has 16 TD's against 4 INT's with 2000 yards in passing yardage. Terrance Williams and Cole Beasley are strong options on offense as well as TE Jason Witten. Winning a rivalry game within this division on the road is more difficult than untangling 2000 feet of Christmas lights as some will find out soon enough. You might think it's going to be easy until you open the box. Perhaps under different circumstances, they split two meetings last season with each team prevailing at home. So the question is this; is the oddsmakers line set properly knowing that most every gambler and certainly every losing bettor is going to bet the Eagles? Is Vegas trying to be Mr Nice Guy? 

Chicago +

If there are any two teams with history that can be repeated, it's with these two. The Bears won the first meeting last season by a 17-14 score, and the Lions answered with a 20-17 win in the second meeting. Chicago does have a strong pass defense so they can create some havoc for Matthew Stafford. The winds are expected to be 21 mph with temperatures just below freezing.  Note that the Lions are an indoor team. Last week, the Lions defense was not at their best in the win over the Browns, conceding 413 total yards. The Bears are a solid cold winter day rushing team. The Lions are also on a short week as they play Thanksgiving Day against NFC North division leader, Minnesota Vikings. For the Bears, Mitchell Trubisky was solid, connecting on 21 of 35 passes for a season-high 297 yards with one touchdown against zero interceptions last game.  Along with Jeremy Howard, some key passing, solid defensive play and the Soldier Field crowd, the Lions may overlook this game and lose it outright. Reminder: the Bears did defeat the Steelers and Panthers at Soldier Field. 

Pittsburgh 

Denver +

In his career, Tom Brady is just 3-7 in Denver – regular season and postseason combined. Brady comes to Denver on Sunday night with another opportunity to exorcise his demons in the Mile High City. Long considered “Brady’s House of Horrors,” Sports Authority Field at Mile High has indeed given the sure-fire, first-ballot Hall of Famer fits over the years. And he gets to lay more than a touchdown on Sunday evening. Two years ago in Week 12, Brock Osweiler  making just the second start of his NFL career – led the Broncos to victory over Brady and the Patriots on a snowy November night in Denver. Tonight, in full view of the nation, the Patriots, add WR Hogan and LB Hightower to the rododex of injured New England starters. That list is quite extensive. For the Broncos, you can bet that CJ Anderson and Jamaal Charles will be running the ball quite often. It's doubtful that the combination of Osweiller to Demaryius Thomas for huge yards will be chanced. It's difficult to bet against Brady but coming off a bye week to a venue his has only won 30% of the time and having to lay more than a touchdown is never easy. One must ask, what if it really was the thin air of mile high Denver that is the main culprit for his lack of success? The home team crowd will certainly help as a 12th man tonight. 

Tampa Bay +  

A pair of inter-conference foes will square off as the New York Jets Grapple with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Josh McCown used to play for the Buccaneers and Ryan Fitzpatrick used the play for the Jets. It's funny how these two quarterbacks have traded teams and while McCown is playing well, Ryan Fitzpatrick is a very capable journeyman and knows the Jets team as good as anybody. McCown has a QBR of 96.1 on the year, which is 10th in the league but incredibly New York has been poor on offense so far this year as they come in ranked 22nd in the league in total offense. So the big question is, will the Jets win this game with a great defensive performance? If we rely on their numbers and have history tells us their story, the Jets are not that impressive on defense either. On defense, they have been poor as they come in ranked 25th in total yards allowed (355.3 ypg), 20th against the pass (234.3 ypg) and 23rd vs the run (121.0 ypg), while allowing 23.0 ppg, which is 19th in the league. There are no free rides when it comes to betting the NFL against the Vegas numbers. The casinos don't like to get held up at the sportsbook cage and have 80% of the bettors present a (-1) betting slip on New York for that "gift" payday. There is something about this game that doesn't make sense. The Bucs offense was very good but with Winston at the helm but we have to throw out most of those numbers. Maybe their scheme on offense is set for Ryan Fitzpatrick to step in and he is able to manage a great game against his former team. 

Millionaires---Arizona 

Carson Palmer is out and Drew Stanton is in as quarterback for Arizona. Don't be worried if he's not a household name to yourself. He's 9-5 as a Cardinals starter and is off a road win last week. For Seattle, the injury report is on a platform that says to scroll. There are injury after injury that can impact the duration of the quality of play for the Seahawks. Their defense has holes in it. Their offense is one dimensional. They beat San Francisco and Houston by just three points. They are off a loss last week to Washington. If they lose tonight outright, they'll have the same record as Arizona. For the Cards, they'll give the ball to Adrian Peterson 35 times, chew up the yards and eat up the clock. Seattle is 15th against the run so AP will get his numbers. QB Stanton to WR Fitzgerald will get some surprise yardage against a depleted secondary and Jermaine Gresham will do damage from his tight end spot. The Seahawks Earl Thomas is missing from his safety position and that is really bad news. Seattle's offense line is shattered as rushed and hurried passes caused Russell Wilson two interceptions last Sunday. Let's look for a low scoring boring Thursday night game as the coaches will play this conference game very conservative and take few chances. I like Arizona to easily cover and has as good a chance to win outright as do the Seahawks. The underdog is 4-0 ATS in the last four games in this series.

Miami +

How many times does a team have to be reminded that they lost their last game 40-0?  I bet Miami head coach Adam Gase told them so many times they're sick of hearing it. He was so mad, he traded their star complainer to the Eagles to show he's not messing around and no job is safe. If there was ever a game that says "outright win", it's  this game. Even Jay Cutler got healed over night and will start. The Raiders are in a massive question and answer period of their own. And the return of Marshawn Lynch is not their answer. The veteran is averaging a career-low 3.7 yards per carry since coming out of retirement to join Oakland this season. Let's not forget that Miami is 4-3 even after that 40-0 meltdown. The Raiders Coach Del Rio, maybe a bit too nice to rework the Raiders confused season long attitude that they were a "shoe-in" for the Super Bowl. The Oakland Raiders have lost five of their last six games so let's not forget that. Chalk up that 40-0 beating in London to a gloom and doom vacation trip and watch the Miami defense to stop the entire Raiders offense while a bland Dolphins offense will have just enough to match up to a below average Raiders defense. Make an additional Money Line bet for added profit. 

New York Giants +  

If there ever was a game to get up for in front of your home fans, it's the arrival of the up and coming LA Rams. Knock them off and save some face. A win here would surely throw a wrench into the overall power ratings in the NFL. Few will see this one coming as the Giants offense comes into this game better prepared. It's really about the numbers game. Both teams are coming off their bye week allowing injuries to heal and replacements to adapt. The injury-ravaged New York Giants are hoping their bye week allowed for a few key players to heal up in time for this home matchup against the Rams today. Eli Manning has not played bad, especially considering the injuries, recording 1600 yards with a 10:5 TD to INT ratio. Sterling Shepard should be back for this one to help WR Evan Ingram and RB Orleans Darkwa. The Giants have had enough time to acclimate their offense since Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall got their season ending injuries. The strength of their team increases each week. The public and team numbers are still reflecting their game stats that followed those two key injuries which plummeted heavily, especially in the public perception category. Manning will have two wide receivers and a running game along with some players back to upset the Rams. Giants win as the last team to score. 

-Detroit + 

The Steelers have won two games in a row at the expense of Kansas City and Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Detroit is coming in off a bye-week. Ben Roethlisberger’s is 2-0 since his five interception blowup game but the veteran signal-caller has just three touchdown passes while only getting picked off once in those two games. Three TD's in two games shouldn't add up to overconfidence from any Steelers backers. The problem with Pittsburgh comes from within. On the field, the offense has not been defined well enough. Is it Ben throwing short pass or longer ones to Brown? Did LaVon Bell screw up things with his holdout? He has finally rushed from 3.6 yards per carry to 4.7 ypc over the last two games. To go on the road as a favorite, your offense needs to be fine tuned. It's far to early to declare that any particular team is facing a must win game. The Lions are 4-2 and with the Vikings playing in London, the Bears at the Saints as a huge dog and the Packers on a bye with a quarterback problem, this is often how teams with less talent move upward in their conference standings. The Lions have the defense to cause just enough turnovers to win this game. They put forth an incredible effort late in the Saints game two weeks ago. I like the slight desperation that the Lions bring to the home turf. The Steelers are not in that have to win boat as they are 5-2 in the AFC North, comfortably ahead of the other three teams. Another potential problem may lay inside of the Steelers locker room. Coach Tomlin is in the news with far too many internal team locker rooms personalities to deal with. I get the feeling that this team while 5-2, is not that dominating Iron Curtain of Steelers Nation and at the first sign of turmoil, players will be playing the blame game. Look for a huge performance from that Lions gunslinger, Matt Stafford and a hard fought victory. 

Washington 

-Baltimore 

LA Chargers + 

The Chargers have lost four games but now they are on a two game winning streak having defeated the Giants and the Raiders. Their defense played great against Oakland. Oakland scored only six points in the second half and the Chargers put up a 10-spot in the fourth quarter to seal the comeback. Philip Rivers receives total respect on the gridiron as he regularly puts up enough points to win. They now have a defense that can match his efforts. The Broncos are coming off a dreadful setback against the previously winless Giants. Last week's Broncos loss was the single biggest win for the Vegas Sportsbooks this season. One gambler, lost $770,000 and is still trying to figure it out. When he sees that 90% of the public was on Denver, it may occur to him. Let's take advantage of some "key" Bronco injuries. Wide receivers Emmanuel Sanders and Isaiah McKenzie suffered right ankle sprains against New York and both will be sidelined from this week’s trip to Los Angeles. With the public seeing that the visitors are 6-0 ATS at StubHub, many will bet on that stat and the fact that Denver is coming off a loss. Meanwhile, Broncos quarterback Trevor Siemian–who left the recent loss for a brief time due to a shoulder injury–has also been cleared to play. Denver is coming in weak and the Chargers have all cylinders working at this time. 

Chicago +

The Bears have to feel good coming home to play today's contest. The Panthers come into this game off of a 28-23 home loss to the Eagles, while the Bears are off a 27-24 OT win over the Ravens on the road. What's not to like? Rookie QB Mitchell Trubisky , the second pick out of North Carolina, is a quarterback that his team can rally around. The Bears have a long way to go to get to the playoffs, but they have a good defense and a QB to build around, so they are on the right path. The Black and Blue Bears will win as they usually do. A huge defensive effort. On defense, they have been very solid so far as they come in ranked 6th in total yards allowed (302.7 ypg) and 8th against the pass (198.3 ypg). Just enough to get the outright win. Oh, let's not overlook one of the best running backs in the league; Jordan Howard. He'll get his yards AND take the pressure off his rookie QB. 

Pittsburg +  

Ben R is not done contrary to what he was whining about after last weeks performance against Jacksonville. I guarantee that last week will not be part of his legacy. What he really needs after doing everything in his 13 year old career are new challenges. His season might be just above average but as a highly seasoned veteran, he would like nothing better than to blowout the undefeated Chiefs in front of the Arrowhead crowd. Now that's a challenge for a champion. Look for Antonio Brown and Ben to hook up while their awesome defense holds the Chiefs to a bad memory. Ben R has gone 5-1 and has thrown for 1433 yards with 13 TDs and just three INTs while posting a 118.7 QBR in his career against the Chiefs. Steelers roll and it won't be a shock.

Minnesota + 

Minnesota edged the Packers 17-14 at home in the first meeting last season and have the perfect defensive secondary to make Aaron Rodgers somewhat ineffective. While we remember that Green Bay grabbed a win against the Cowboys last week, the Packers defense did not play well in the win against Dallas, allowing 408 total yards, and the Cowboys were able to go 7 for 12 on third downs. The Vikings defense is awesome and will be there all game to play. The Vikings defense is a force, allowing 17 or fewer points in three straight games and defense wins these vastly important games. Furthermore, the Vikings running game was terrific last week led by Jerick McKinnon, and the Packers have shown they will give up yards on the ground, allowing an average of 121 rushing yards per game. Case Keenum may be a backup QB but the important roles are the Vikings defense and their run game. If put to the test, his touchdown to interception ratio is better than the ratio of the overall Packers defense verses the opponents rushing. This is more than a "live" dog, this is your outright winner.