The Browns are excited about the return of Josh Gordon. That’s so sad! That’s all they have to look forward to.
Playoff race in both the AFC and NFC are starting to heat up. Here are my picks for week 12.
11/26 1:00 ET At Cincinnati -8 Cleveland 38: When Hue Jackson compares getting Josh Gordon to opening a Christmas present, you know life sucks as a Browns fan. The Bengals should cover as a favorite with ease.
11/26 1:00 ET At Philadelphia -14 Chicago 44: Taking a two touchdown favorite home or away can be scary. Not when it comes to the Eagles however. I think taking Philly is a no brainer in this game. Don’t over think it. The Bears will not cover as a dog.
11/26 1:00 ET At New England -16.5 Miami 47.5: Jay Cutler being out might actually be a blessing for the Dolphins. I think Matt Moore is a better fit for them and Adam Gase’s scheme. Miami will come to play but they don’t have enough to beat the Patriots.
Take the Patriots as a three score favorite at home. It makes all the sense in the world, especially given the way their defense is playing.
11/26 1:00 ET At Kansas City -10 Buffalo 46.5: Continuing with the theme of taking the home favorite, I like the Chiefs at home as a two score favorite. Buffalo’s defense has been putrid of late and the Bills offense hasn’t been much better. The Chiefs are facing a must win in this game. They should get the W.
11/26 1:00 ET At Atlanta -9.5 Tampa Bay 48.5: Could the Bucs be better with Ryan Fitzpatrick than Jameis Winston? I’m kidding! Obviously Winston is better but Tampa has played well the last two weeks under Fitzpatrick’s stewardship. That is why I like the Bucs in this game as a road dog. Atlanta will win but only by a field goal.
11/26 1:00 ET Carolina -5.5 At NY Jets 40: The Jets have scuffled offensively in the past month. That is a shame because they were actually fun to watch offensively at one point. Carolina has quietly played some of their best football in the past month and the Panthers are putting it together at the right time. I expect this game to be tight but Carolina will cover.
11/26 1:00 ET Tennessee -3 At Indianapolis 45.5: The Colts have fared much better at home than they have on the road which is why I am taking them as my upset special. I haven’t bought the Titans all season and I am not about to start to. I like the Colts as a home dog.
11/26 4:05 ET Seattle -6.5 At San Francisco 45.5: The Seahawks are banged up and have some issues defensively but it won’t matter. They should beat a Niners team that has very little offense outside of Carlos Hyde and the running game.
11/26 4:25 ET At LA Rams -2.5 New Orleans 53.5: I didn’t think either of these teams would play as bad as they did last week. The Rams lost to the Vikings while the Saints came from behind to beat the Redskins.
This game will be a shootout and could come down to which defense makes that key one to two stops in the fourth quarter. I like the Rams defense better so taking the Rams in this old score NFC West showdown.
11/26 4:25 ET Jacksonville -5.5 At Arizona 38: If the Jaguars are legit contenders, they need to win this game. The Cardinals are nowhere as good as they were two years. Jacksonville needs to take care of business in order to keep pace in the AFC. I like Jacksonville as a road favorite.
11/26 4:25 ET At Oakland -5 Denver 43: Both teams are breaking in new coordinators so expect some struggles early in this game from both teams. One has to wonder if the Broncos have quit on Vance Joseph. It certainly seems that way. This is a must win for both teams, especially the Raiders. That’s why I am taking them as a home favorite.
11/26 8:30 ET At Pittsburgh -14 Green Bay 43.5: it pains me to take the Steelers as a two touchdown home favorite but the fact of the matter is, the Packers are awful without Aaron Rodgers. They cannot score and their defense has regressed since Rodgers injury. The Steelers will roll in this game.
Monday Night Football Line
11/27 8:30 ET At Baltimore -7 Houston 38: Neither offense is very good. I think Baltimore will win this game but Houston will cover. I am taking the Texans as a road dog. It is a sensible pick considering how bad these two teams are offensively.