Week 2 Picks

- Italicized for win

- Bolded for spread

Indianapolis @ Washington Redskins (-6) -  The Colts almost came away with a win against a playoff contender in the Bengals until Jack Doyle fumbled the ball which lead to a TD return that put the game out of reach at the end of the 4th quarter.  The Redskins theoretically will be tested more by Andrew Luck and TY Hilton than they were by the Cardinals' offense.  The Colts 1-7 record is concerning and even with Luck back at the helm, it will be his first start on the road in a couple of years.

Things could get very ugly for the Colts defense if Adrian Peterson is back to form.  The Colts were unable to contain Joe Mixon who had 5.6 yards per carry.  Overall Washington can be very explosive offensively especially if the Colts are unable to get pressure on Alex Smith. 

Carolina @ Atlanta Falcons (-6) - Both teams are banged up in what will be a game of attrition.  The Falcons will be without their star running back Devontae Freeman while the Panthers will be without their pro bowl tight end Greg Olsen and top passing target.  The Falcons red zone woes are worrisome, granted perhaps they will operate better on that end when returning back to Atlanta and do not have to play against the Eagles.  The Falcons have won their last three meetings at home against Carolina by at least a touchdown and they have had extra time prepare coming off a Thursday night game.

Minnesota Vikings @ Green Bay (+2.5) - Aaron Rodgers is banged up but he should still be a tougher test for the Vikings than Jimmy G.  Plus Rodgers appeared to have found his groove in the 4th quarter where the Packers mustered up 21 points of offense even if he is playing with a hobbled leg.  The Vikings offense in the meantime seemed a bit underwhelming especially in the 2nd half against a 49ers defense that was not very good last season.  In this division rivalry game, I am taking the home team.

LA Chargers (-7.5) @ Buffalo Bills - Nathan Peterman has been awful in his first two starts in his NFL career.  The Chargers do seem to better on the road than at home.  The weather in Buffalo will be warm which will favor the Chargers.

Houston (-2) @ Tennessee - Delanie Walker is out for the Titans.  I also expect Watson to overcome a lot of rust against the Titans.

Miami @ New York Jets (-3) - Both teams are coming off unexpected wins.  The Jets win against the Lions seems like a bigger deal since it was on the road and the rookie Sam Darnold completed 76% of his passes.

Philadelphia (-3.5) @ Tampa Bay - The Eagles defense will face a different challenge of facing a Bucs offense that has more multitude of passing targets than the Atlanta Falcons.  However, the Eagles defense is much better than the Saints.  I expect Foles to find a better rhythm against the Bucs.  Ryan Fitzpatrick has been very up and down in his career.

Kansas City (+6) @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Eric Berry is out which could make it a high scoring game.  Still, Leveon Bell is still out, while Big Ben has looked shaky, granted he usually bounces back from poor performances. The Chiefs could get more out of Kelce and Hunt if the Steelers defense focuses more attention on Tyreek Hill.

Cleveland @ New Orleans (-9.5) [LOCK]- This is a must win for the Saints.  Their offense put up 40 points against the Bucs.  Cleveland could struggle immensely on the road especially with Josh Gordon out.

Arizona @ LA Rams (-12.5)[LOCK] - The Rams looked like the best team in the NFL last week in the 2nd half against the Chargers.  The Cardinals may be putting in a good run for being the worst team in the NFL, if only the Buffalo Bills did not have Nathan Peterman.  The Rams have won 7 of their 17 games last week by 16 points or more since Sean McVay has become the head coach; 3 of those came against the Cardinals.

Detroit @ San Francisco (-6) - Jimmy G should perform better after a rough performance against the Vikings. The Lions' defense under Matt Patricia seems like a mess.

New England Patriots (-1.5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars- The Patriots look like the better team especially with Fournette out of the lineup. 

Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos (-6.5) - The Broncos offense looked pretty dominant against the Seahawks.  Gruden does not seem like a terrible coach but I don't think he can overcome average performances by Derek Carr and Amari Cooper on the road against a division rival.

New York Giants (+3) @ Dallas Cowboys - While Eli Manning is declining and Dak Presscot is a solid quarterback, I think the Giants have more weapons offensively including top end wide receiver in Beckham, a good tight end in Engram, and a better offensive line.  Barkley also looked solid against a very good Jaguars defense.

Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) @ Chicago Bears - Seattle did relatively well in what appears to be a possible playoff contender in the Denver Broncos.  Chicago looked great in the first half against Green Bay but really struggled in the 4th quarter.  I do not see Chicago's offense as being capable of generating big plays which ultimately cost the Seahawks the game against the Broncos.  Despite Doug Baldwin's inability to play in this one, I still think Seattle with Russell Wilson at the helm could be a enough to overcome Seattle's poor offensive line play.

Week 2 Against the Spread: 1-0
Week 2 Straight Up- 1-0

2018 Season against the Spread- 10-6-1
2018 Season Straight Up- 12-4-1
2018 Locks- 1-1

2017-18 Against the Spread- 221-225-7

2017-18 Season Straight Up - 167-92

2016-17 Against the Spread - 141-115-7
2016-17 Straight Up - 101-41

2015-16 Against the Spread - 140-10