Week 10 Picks

I'm going to have to adapt to the Thursday night games happening for the next couple of weeks (months?), but due to last week's "great success," I'm sticking with the numbers formula I used last week—with only a few exceptions.

Have a look:

14 points
New York Jets (5-3) over St. Louis Rams (2-6)
+27/-2 : +74/76/-2 : 0/+47

Right off the bat, here's a game I flirted with picking the other way on and going real low with an upset. But the Jets are at home and coming off probably their best game of the year, while the Rams have seemingly lost that post-Linehan bounce they had going for a couple weeks.

13 points
Carolina Panthers (5-3) over Oakland Raiders (2-6)
+24/-7 : +51/58/-7 : 0/+27
<<<================

I didn't have to second-guess myself about where to put the suicide pick this week, seeing as the Raiders' offense last week would have gained more yards in the first half if they had not taken the field. Bonus reason: They're spending practice time celebrating end zone dances.

Bonus irony: The nine touchdowns they've scored is the lowest total in the league. Nice.

12 points
Arizona Cardinals (5-3) over San Francisco 49ers (2-6)
+25/+9: +67/57/+10 : +1/+42

I'm always a little bit hesitant to bet big on the Monday night game, but I'll look the other way this week.

11 points
New York Giants (7-1) over Philadelphia Eagles (5-3)
+74/-3 : +84/49/+35 : +38/+10

I really like Philly but the way the Giants manhandled Dallas last week was pretty convincing.

10 points
Tennessee Titans (8-0) over Chicago Bears (5-3)
+19/-19 : +18/35/-17 : +2/-1

My heart is screaming, "THE TITANS' SPECIAL TEAMS ARE TERRIBLE AND THIS IS THE WEEK DEVIN HESTER BREAKS OUT OF HIS FUNK!"

My head, however, concludes that this is not the best team Rex Grossman could have found himself starting against. My over/under is three interceptions.

9 points
Miami Dolphins (4-4) over Seattle Seahawks (2-6)
-4/-5 : +24/30/-6 : -1/+28

Either Miami renews a little trust in them for me, or they become yet another team from Florida I can't stand (Hello, Jacksonville).

8 points
San Diego Chargers (3-5) over Kansas City Chiefs (1-7)
-3/+4 : +20/29/-9 : -13/+23

Like I've been saying, I expect the Chargers' march to winning the AFC West to begin this week.

7 points
Baltimore Ravens (5-3) over Houston Texans (3-5)
+20/-5 : +50/28/+22 : +27/+30

The Ravens are still alive in the AFC North and can't afford to drop games like this if they're hoping to make the playoffs.

6 points
Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) over Indianapolis Colts (4-4)
+34/-8 : +37/24/+13: +21/+3

One of those games where I can see either team winning and can't be fully satisfied with whomever I pick.

5 points
Denver Broncos (4-4) over Cleveland Browns (3-5)
-4/0 : +8/16/-8 : -8/+12

Your AFC West-leading Denver Broncos, everybody. I still have yet to pick them to lose, but it's coming. Just not this week.

4 points
Atlanta Falcons (5-3) over New Orleans Saints (4-4)
+14/-6 : +27/15/+12: +18/+13

I'm still not fully sold on the Falcons, but I'm really starting to come around to it.

3 points
Minnesota Vikings (4-4) over Green Bay Packers (4-4)
+19/+10 : +31/15/+16 : -4/-2

I have little doubt that I'll be looking at this game on Sunday and watching the lead change more than a few times, or at the very least, see a very close one.

2 points
New England Patriots (5-3) over Buffalo Bills (5-3)
+15/+1 : 0/12/+12 : +11/-15

And so we have the first game this week where I'll go against the numbers. I think the real Buffalo team is starting to come out now, or, in other words, the one we're expecting to finish third or even fourth in the East.

1 point
Detroit Lions (0-8) over Jacksonville Jaguars (3-5)
-10/+84 : -21/77/+56: -18/-11

Again, a Jaguars win scenario is the highest score on my little meter. But again, I'm picking against it. Hey, it worked last week and while it's hard to imagine a team losing to the league's last two winless teams for consecutive weeks, I politely offer that these are the Jags we're talking about. With them, disappointment has been something they've excelled at this season.