New England (-3) vs. Baltimore – The Patriots opened as 3 point home favorites, though quite a few books have already dropped to 2 ½ points. New England is coming off their bye after stomping the Dolphins in Miami. The big news, of course, is the absence of Randy Moss. Will Wes Welker be successful without a scary deep threat? What about the running game? The Ravens had their way with Denver this past Sunday. When Ray Rice and the Baltimore running game are that successful, the Ravens are nearly unstoppable.
Pittsburgh (-13 ½) vs. Cleveland – The Steelers started as 13 ½ point favorites, but books are currently hovering between 14 and 15 ½ points. Pittsburgh fans are excited for the return of Ben Roethlisberger, who’s back from his 4 game suspension. The Steelers had their bye last week, and should be well prepared for the Browns. Cleveland had a shot against the Falcons, and then they put in Jake Delhomme. How long before Browns fans are calling for Seneca Wallace to be the man?
San Francisco (-6) vs. Oakland – The Battle of the Bay goes down in San Francisco this Sunday afternoon. The home Niners opened as 6 point faves, and while the line has held mostly steady, a few have gone to 6 ½ or 7 points. San Fran has been the League’s biggest disappointment so far this season. They lost to the Vick-less Eagles last Sunday night. Oakland is coming off a huge upset win over the San Diego Chargers, even without Darren McFadden. Michael Bush ran well, and 2 blocked punts decided the game. If the Raiders win this game, they can somehow make a claim to being the best team in California.
Indianapolis (-4) at Washington – The Colts opened as 4 point road favorites at Washington, though books have come down to 3 points. Indy took down the upstart Chiefs in a low scoring battle. Peyton Manning had no touchdown passes – how often does that happen? The Colt defense held KC to 3 field goals. The Redskins won as 3 point ‘dogs last Sunday against the visiting Packers. Donovan McNabb looks to be settling in, and the ‘Skins defense is getting better. But the running game is cause for concern.
Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville – The Titans travel to Jacksonville for the Monday night game. Tennessee started as a 3 point road favorite, and a couple books have come down to 2 ½ points, but most are sticking at 3. The Titans took it to the Cowboys in the Big D. The defense didn’t look too hot, but the offense was rolling. Chris Johnson is much better when Vince Young is completing passes. The Jags beat the Bills in Buffalo to move above .500. It’s hard to get a read on Jacksonville – they can be surprisingly good or unreasonably terrible. They’d better be ready to hit on Monday night because the Titans are one of the League’s most physical teams.
