Each week I pick the winners of all the NFL games (or try to, anyway) without point spreads and without bias, either.
I was SO close on SO many scores!
I’m usually just happy with the wins, but my score picks have been right in the neighborhood this year. Last week, I was 11-5, bringing my two-week mark to 21-10 (.677). But if the Ravens had made one more field goal against Cleveland, I would have hit that score right on the nose.
On to Week 3….
(NOTE: All games are played on Sunday afternoon unless otherwise noted.)
Los Angeles Rams 20, San Francisco 3 (THURSDAY NIGHT): The only real narrative here is the “Los Angeles doesn’t care about the NFL” storyline. It shouldn’t be much of a game.
Jacksonville 16, Baltimore 12 (SUNDAY MORNING, LONDON): I know Blake Bortles isn’t very good (and he won’t have the injured Allen Robinson as a target), but the Ravens usually struggle against the Jags … plus, Baltimore isn’t as used to the London routine as Jacksonville is.
Pittsburgh 31, Chicago 13: Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell should start slowly rounding into form in what should be a big road win.
Denver 29, Buffalo 10: Like Pittsburgh, the Broncos are another road team that shouldn’t have any problems.
Carolina 23, New Orleans 20: The Panther defense, playing at its 2015 Super Bowl level, will face a stern home test against the prolific Saints’ offense.
Cleveland 13, Indianapolis 9: How does one choose between two lowly teams that will be drafting rather high next spring? I’ll take the road team in what should be an ugly game.
Atlanta 34, Detroit 31: A pair of exciting offenses will take to the turf in an indoor, fast-track game at Ford Field. The problem for the Lions is that the Falcons know how to win. Lions don’t.
Tampa Bay 20, Minnesota 19: The Vikings bring an underrated defense and home-field edge to this game. But they’ll be tested by Jameis Winston and the resurgent Bucs.
New England 31, Houston 20: Is this game a playoff preview? Perhaps. But the Patriots are one of the league’s best home teams and rate a heavy edge at quarterback — no matter who lines up for the Texans.
Miami 24, New York Jets 10: The Dolphins have to be thanking their lucky stars. They escape with a win in Los Angeles due to a wayward, last-second kick. Now they get to play the Jets.
Philadelphia 23, New York Giants 13: This very underrated NFC East rivalry should be one of the more entertaining games of the day. The problem is that the Giants’ offense can’t match anybody right now.
Tennessee 23, Seattle 7: Where in the world is the Seahawks’ offense? It’s not in Seattle and they won’t find it in Nashville, either.
Green Bay 30, Cincinnati 10: The Bengals had a glorious first half of the decade when they made the playoffs five straight years (2011-15). Now that window has slammed shut, breaking Marvin Lewis’ fingers in the process.
Kansas City 30, Los Angeles Chargers 21: The snakebitten Chargers play as if they care about winning football games–despite fan apathy. The problem in this game is, well, the Chiefs.
Oakland 28, Washington 13 (SUNDAY NIGHT): The Redskins are lousy in prime-time games and West Coast teams usually don’t win when they travel east. But since it’s a night game, the latter factor won’t be as relevant.
Dallas 23, Arizona 16 (MONDAY NIGHT): The Cowboys are eager to get rid the bad taste in their mouths from a surprisingly sorry showing in Denver. Arizona features a tough defense, but it’s older and not as good as the Broncos’.
