Week Ten is here and that means that we have our first Thursday game of the season. In turn that means I can’t slouch and wait until Thursday anymore.
Thursday
8:20 – Bears @ 49ers -3
A match-up of two chameleons–you never know what team will show up. The Niners were sitting pretty until losing their last 4. The Bears haven’t done much better, winning 1 of their last 4 (against the Browns). The three-points means that the odds makers believe that these teams are equal and those 3 points are given to the home team.
This line has not moved on almost any of the major books. This goes to show how uncertain these teams performances are from week to week.
Sunday
1:00 – Bengals @ Steelers -7
The Bengals showed that their first win against their division rival Ravens was no fluke. This week they must do the same against the Steelers. The odds makers aren’t buying it and have the Steelers giving a touchdown. Interestingly, in this rivalry the road team is 11-4-1 against the spread in their last 16 meetings. If ever there was a time to believe that the Bengals could keep it close…
1:00 – Falcons @ Panthers +2
How the mighty Falcons have fallen. Now only a 2-point favorite on the road in Carolina. Their two loses in their last 5 games are to good teams (Saints and ‘Boys). At the same time the Panthers have put together a nice run with 3 wins in their last 5. The only negative in these 5 games is a bad loss at home against Buffalo.
I thought that the Falcons were the better team and, for me, it’s hard to get behind Delhomme. Thus you would think giving just 2-points would be a dream. I am not that confident Matty Ice and his Falcons but they need to win this one and they should.
1:00 – Bucs @ Dolphins -10
This would appear to be one of those games where a bad team is coming off a big win, while the better team is coming of a bad loss. The Dolphins are 10-points better than the Bucs. That Bucs win was an anomaly against an overrated Aaron Rogers’ led Packers. TOLD YOU SO.
4:15 – Eagles @ Chargers – 2.5
Are the Eagles on this “hot” streak (minus this past week) due to poor NFC East teams or is it legit? The Eagles haven been a big “cooler” this season with a loss against the Raiders and their destruction of the Giants among others. I like the Chargers at home by the field goal.
4:15 – Cowboys @ Packers +3
As I stated earlier, the Packers have been exposed numerous times as frauds. When a home team is getting points it is always a big tip, especially when it comes against a team that has been fighting their way out of peoples doghouse. The ‘Boys have, for the moment, turned things around. If they want to keep control in the NFC East another win here against a struggling Pack would do them well.
8:20 – Patriots @ Colts -3
It’s one of the biggest games of the season. It’s one of the biggest games of most of the seasons this past decade. This is the game that often decides home field in the AFC. Look back at history and when the Patriots have held home field Peyton hasn’t faired so well. Look back again, when the Colts won the Super Bowl they had home field.
Continuing with the home field discussion; the odds makers have this one coming down to home field as being a deciding factor for betters; 3 points.
