/ Week

Super Five Picks - Week 9

We will have to make this quick as the game swill start in a couple of hours.

For the season, here is how we are doing.

Super Five: 17-20-3
Against the Spread (all games): 59-57-3
Straight Up: 76-43
Over/Under: 55-61-3

We now enter the second half of the season so it's time to take all of the data that is in front of us for this season and make sense of it all. Well ... here we go!

Baltimore +5
New Orleans -7
LA Rams -3.5
Indianapolis +13 (before DeShaun Watson's injury)
San Francisco +2

We will rattle off our reasons right now.

  • Baltimore probably will lose but probably by a field goal. They have had extra time to rest, Flacco will play, and the defense is looking good after their 2nd shutout of the season. Tennessee is a funky team. Sometimes the offense lights it up and sometimes it is dormant. The game is in Tennessee but making them a 5 point favor when they are at best a mediocre team playing an experienced team like Baltimore makes no sense. Prediction: Tennessee 20 - Baltimore 17.

  • New Orleans is at home where they play very well. Tampa Bay defense is awful, especially against the pass. They are even worse on the road giving up 30+ points in each of their three road games this season. The pass rush is non-existent ranking dead last according to Football Outsiders. Giving up a TD can be tough but this Saints team is winning the war in the trenches. Bucs have no chances. Prediction: New Orleans 30 - Tampa Bay 20.

  • The Rams are no fluke. They have been consistently good this year and it looks like a change in coaching is all they needed to realize their fullest potential given the plethora of talent on this team. The NY Giants pretty much have no offense and the Rams defense has been coming on. The Rams have had a week off to rest so they should be ready for a physical battle in the Big Apple. The Giants season is lost and this game will be a lost cause for them as well. Prediction: LA Rams 27 - NY Giants 20.

  • I don't think we have seen a line move like the Indy - Houston game. That shows you the importance of a good QB when he is out due to injury. What a bummer since DeShaun Watson was so much fun to watch these past few weeks. If you got the line at +13 for Indy, good for you! Still, you are getting good value at +6. These are pretty much two even teams with both star QBs out for the season and injuries elsewhere. Indy should keep this one close. Prediction: Houston 27 - Indianapolis 24.

  • The 49ers have looked terrible these past couple of weeks after being competitive in all of their games from Week 2 - 6. However, you will look terrible when you lay stellar teams like Dallas and Philadelphia. Arizona is not a stellar team and the 49ers seem to do well against Arizona. This should be the 49ers first win and this team will feel galvanized with the acquisition of Jimmy Garoppolo even though he may not play today. Getting the 49ers as a home dog, especially against another weak team is just too good to pass up. Prediction: San Francisco 24 - Arizona 23.

OK, there you have it! 4 early games and 1 late game! Parlay the early ones and then press your winnings on the 49ers!

Here are other predictions.

Buffalo 21- NY Jets 17 (Looks we were way off on that one!)
Philadelphia 27 - NY Giants 13 (Two teams on opposite paths so expect Eagles to win another easy one.)
Atlanta 21 - Carolina 21 (Yes, we are predicting a tie!)
Jacksonville 24 - Cincinnati 10 (Just like Philly - Denver, two teams going in different directions.)
Seattle 26 - Washington 17 (The Seahawks still keep finding ways to win and Redskins will struggle in perhaps the hardest place to win on the road.)
Dallas 31 - Kansas City 30 (Buckle up and enjoy the ride! Wild west shootout!)
Oakland 21 - Miami 21 (Yes, predicting another tie! too bad the NFL can't flex KC - Dallas to Sunday Night.)
Detroit 21 - Green Bay (OK, this probably won't happen but why not predict three ties for this week!)

Good luck!