NFL Picks: Broncos, Vikings, Bills, Raiders and Seahawks

NFL Picks: Broncos, Vikings, Bills, Raiders and Seahawks

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

Pianow won the week at 10-5, to take a three-game lead at 18-12-2 on the year. No one else is over .500. We have a lot of picks in common this week, including five consensus choices and six instances where the split was 4:1.

Enjoy the games.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Jaguars +3.5 at PanthersPanthersJaguarsJaguarsJaguarsPanthers
Broncos +7 at TitansBroncosBroncosBroncosBroncosBroncos
Texans +4 at SaintsTexansTexansSaintsSaintsSaints
Lions -3.5 at VikingsVikingsVikingsVikingsVikingsVikings
Giants +5* at EaglesGiantsGiantsGiantsEaglesEagles
Patriots -9 at BillsBillsBillsBillsBillsBills
Dolphins +2 at BrownsBrownsBrownsBrownsDolphinsDolphins
49ers +2.5 at BengalsBengalsBengalsBengals49ersBengals
Jets -3.5 at RaidersRaidersRaidersRaidersRaidersRaiders
Ravens -4 at RamsRavensRamsRamsRamsRams
Chiefs +15 at ChargersChargersChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Falcons +1 at BuccaneersFalconsBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneers
Packers -3.5 at BearsBearsPackersBearsBearsBears
Cardinals -3.5 at SeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawks
Steelers -11 at ColtsSteelersColtsColtsColtsColts
Redskins +4.5* at CowboysCowboysRedskinsRedskinsCowboys Cowboys
Best BetSeahawksBillsVikingsBroncosBengals
Last Week's Record9-6-110-5-16-9-16-9-16-9-1
2011 Record15-15-218-12-214-16-215-15-213-17-2
Best Bet Record1-10-1-11-11-11-0-1
Consensus Pick Record1-3
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5126-125-5136-115-5134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3131-122-3130-123-3126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10124-122-10

Pianow won the week at 10-5, to take a three-game lead at 18-12-2 on the year. No one else is over .500. We have a lot of picks in common this week, including five consensus choices and six instances where the split was 4:1.

Enjoy the games.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Jaguars +3.5 at PanthersPanthersJaguarsJaguarsJaguarsPanthers
Broncos +7 at TitansBroncosBroncosBroncosBroncosBroncos
Texans +4 at SaintsTexansTexansSaintsSaintsSaints
Lions -3.5 at VikingsVikingsVikingsVikingsVikingsVikings
Giants +5* at EaglesGiantsGiantsGiantsEaglesEagles
Patriots -9 at BillsBillsBillsBillsBillsBills
Dolphins +2 at BrownsBrownsBrownsBrownsDolphinsDolphins
49ers +2.5 at BengalsBengalsBengalsBengals49ersBengals
Jets -3.5 at RaidersRaidersRaidersRaidersRaidersRaiders
Ravens -4 at RamsRavensRamsRamsRamsRams
Chiefs +15 at ChargersChargersChiefsChiefsChiefsChiefs
Falcons +1 at BuccaneersFalconsBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneersBuccaneers
Packers -3.5 at BearsBearsPackersBearsBearsBears
Cardinals -3.5 at SeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawksSeahawks
Steelers -11 at ColtsSteelersColtsColtsColtsColts
Redskins +4.5* at CowboysCowboysRedskinsRedskinsCowboys Cowboys
Best BetSeahawksBillsVikingsBroncosBengals
Last Week's Record9-6-110-5-16-9-16-9-16-9-1
2011 Record15-15-218-12-214-16-215-15-213-17-2
Best Bet Record1-10-1-11-11-11-0-1
Consensus Pick Record1-3
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5126-125-5136-115-5134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3131-122-3130-123-3126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10124-122-10125-121-10130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129127-120N/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/A139-108N/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/A127-120N/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/A130-118N/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129124-123N/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126141-108N/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120118-119N/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106141-99N/AN/A
Consensus Picks

This week we have five consensus picks: the Broncos, Vikings, Bills, Raiders and Seahawks. We went 1-0 on consensus picks in Week 2 to put us at at 2-3 on the year. We went 32-21-1 on consensus picks in 2010.

Comments:

WriterComment
EricksonGoing really ugly with the best bet, but the Seahawks have one of the best home field advantages in the game, and what has Arizona really done to merit being a road favorite, with a half-point hook no less? ... Call me a square, but I would have gone up to 17 points at least on the Chargers. ... Weirdly enough, the toughest pick for me was the Steelers-Colts game. That line is so high, it just wants to make you take the Colts - it's a trap line. So I'll go along with what will probably end up being the public line.
PianowskiNew England's such a public darling; you'll have to pay the freight all year if you want to back them. The Bills have their holes and issues, but this offense is pretty good, and it should score 20-plus on the Pats . . . Home field never seems to mean that much in NFC East games. Happy to take points in those matchups, especially when the line is over 3.
LissTons of home dogs, not sure I can pass them up two weeks into the season where so much is still unknown.
StopaThis week had a recurring theme - lines of 3.5 or 4 where the team giving the points is better and, in many cases, significantly better. These all strike me as traps. I mean, what's 3.5 points when the Panthers, Jets, Ravens, Lions, Packers and Cardinals are better than the Jaguars, Raiders, Rams, Vikings, Bears, and Seahawks, respectively? Well, that's what I thought about Broncos/Bengals, Bills/Raiders, and Cardinals/Redskins last week, and despite being correct in each instance about who would win the game, the 3.5 points caused me to lose ATS. More than a FG matters, especially at home (as 4 of those 6 are home dogs). I'll take more than a FG with dogs that the public doesn't want. Remember, Vegas isn't giving it away. ... Bills/Pats is interesting because a significant majority of the public is on the Pats, as usual, yet the line has gone from 10.5 to around 9. That means the sharps are on the Bills (perhaps recognizing the Pats are 31st in the NFL in defense), so I'll side with the sharps and trust the Bills to keep it close at home. ... Similar dynamic with the Chiefs and Colts, where the line has gone down despite the public being on the Chargers and Steelers, respectively, so I'll hold my nose. ... Best bet is Broncos, who strike me as similar to the Titans yet getting more than a TD because the Titans had what will likely go down as their best game of 2011. I also love how that line moved from +4.5 to over 7.
Del DonIt feels weird giving 3.5 points with a team that's 2-16 over their last 18 games, but such is the case with the Panthers...I actually expect the Raiders to beat the Jets outright this week...The Seahawks look like a true doormat, but I can't see Arizona laying more than a field goal having to play in a tough Seattle environment...After being just three-point dogs (which turned out to be spot on) last week against the Cowboys, the 49ers are getting less than three in Cincinnati? Clearly, Vegas respects San Francisco more than I do.

The players:

Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Value Meter. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to Rotowire.com. 2009 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006 Staff Picks Champ, 2003, 2004 co-champ. Writes East Coast Offense, Beating the Book and Surviving the Week in addition to Staff Picks. Covers and roots for the Giants.

Mark Stopa: Staff Writer, 2010 Staff Picks Champ, Writes Working the Wire. Roots for the Bills.

Dalton Del Don: RotoWire Senior Staff Writer. 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Game Capsules and the Barometer. Covers the Eagles and roots for the 49ers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Liss
Chris Liss was RotoWire's Managing Editor and Host of RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today on Sirius XM radio from 2001-2022.
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