Top Pick

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Phi – The Bucs are still alive in the Wild Card race and each game from here on out is crucial. The Eagles are playing out the season. Look for a convincing win at home by Tampa Bay and they are the top suicide pool pick.

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2. Cleveland Browns vs. KC – The Chiefs rallied last week in the wake of LB Jovan Belcher’s suicide to beat the Panthers. The effort will not be repeated here. The Browns defense has become stingy as the season has progressed and its offense is  improving each week.

3. Indianapolis Colts vs. Ten – Andrew Luck is playing lights out and has his team at 8-4. The Titans are moving in the opposite direction and will inch towards a higher NFL draft pick this week.

There were some upsets in Week 1 that ended many people’s suicide pools for 2012… New Orleans and Seattle top the list, with Carolina right behind. The Eagles also gave more than a few a scare.

Now it’s on to Week 2 of the suicide pool.

Top pick

1. New England Patriots vs. Arz – This is the easiest pick on the board. The Pats get to face Kevin Kolb in their home opener and should win going away 40-17 . Tom Brady and Co. will toy with the defense.

2. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cle – The Bengals got pummeled pretty thoroughly on Monday Night by the Ravens. But the Browns are just the team to get them back on track.

Facing rookie QB Brandon Weeden, expect the defense to get healthy quickly and force multiple turnovers, while limiting the Browns point total. Offensively, the Bengals will put up between 24-30 points.

3. Oakland Raiders vs. Mia – The Dolphins are bad, and they’re going to be bad for a while.  Expect the Raiders to have fixed their long snapping woes but regardless, the Raiders D will make life miserable for Ryan Tannehill all day.

1. Philadelphia Eagles (-8.5) vs. Cleveland Browns – The Eagles historically start out hot on opening day in the Andy Reid era, and this is a great match-up in Week 1. The Eagles have a lot of talent up and down the roster and face an inexperienced Browns team with a roster littered with rookie and 2nd year players on the offensive side of the ball. The Eagles will win this game going away and easily cover the point spread.

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2. Buffalo Bills (+3) vs. NY Jets – See money line analysis.

3. Oakland Raiders (-1) vs. San Diego Chargers – The Chargers are banged up at key skill positions and will be starting a rookie FA LT to protect Philip Rivers’ blind side. The Raiders will be fired up in head coach Dennis Allen’s debut and pull out the close victory late.

4. Green Bay Packers (-5.5) vs. San Francisco 49ers – The 49ers are tough as nails, but not really equipped to play from behind nor stop a potent passing offense. That is what GB brings to the table. No one does it better than Aaron Rodgers so look for GB to come out firing and pull out the 24-14 win.

The Rest

New Orleans Saints (-7.5) vs. Wash – The Saints are extremely tough at home.

Denver Broncos (-2) vs. Pitt – The Steelers are dealing with a lot of injuries as they head into Denver for Peyton Manning‘s debut.

St. Louis (+7.5) vs. Det – Jeff Fisher’s crew will keep this game a lot closer than people think.

Money Line Bet

Buffalo Bills (+120) vs. NY Jets – It’s been an offseason of turmoil and hoopla for the Jets. And while we shouldn’t base our decisions off of the pre-season alone, it’s safe to say it is going to take this offense some time to find its identity. The Bills made big splashes in FA (DE Mario Williams) to solidify their defense, to go along with an already talented offense. Look for Buffalo to head into Metlife stadium in Week 1 and pull out the 3-7 point victory.

But we think the move is both calculated and smart.

Honestly, this was going to be the last year that the Eagles could get anything for the 11- year veteran. After 2010, his contract was up, and Philly, one of the most frugal organizations around, wasn’t going to be ponying up $20M+/year to keep an aging No. 5 around.

They also realized that he was never going to bring a Championship to the City of Brotherly Love.

So they moved him, and will insert Kevin Kolb in as the starter.

Another reason why I don’t think they were afraid to trade him within the division is because they know everything strength and weakness he has, and Sean McDermott will have an excellent game plan ready to stifle No. 5 when the teams face off.

Remember, Andy Reid has built McNabb into the player that he is over his entire NFL career.

Insight and knowledge of that kind can be leveraged to make good players look very ordinary.

At the end of the day, both teams did what they had to do and will be better off because of this gamble.

The Redskins needed to bring in a proven QB and the Eagles needed to unload McNabb while they could still get value for him.

Beginning with their 24-17 upset of the then 13-0 Saints, the Cowboys are on a four game winning streak and peaking at the right time.

The same can’t be said for the Vikings. Although they demolished the Giants 44-7 in Week 17, let’s not forget that New York had packed its bag for the winter vacation a week earlier.

Minnesota, after beginning the season 11-1, stumbled badly to end the season and only received the No. 2 seed after the Eagles choked away their chance in the final week of the season.

Onto the match-up:

When the Cowboys have the ball, they’ll come out throwing. The Vikings possess a formidable front four so a quick passing game neutralizes the effectiveness and Jared Allen and Co.

It’ll also set up the running game which the Cowboys will certainly make use of.

Once a dominating group against the run, the loss of E J Henderson to the middle of the defense has negatively impacted the unit’s ability to stop the ground game. Both Chris Wells and Jonathan Stewart had a lot of success in consecutive weeks.

Look for Felix Jones, Marion Barber and Tashard Choice to all play key roles in the running game on Saturday.

And once they begin to find success, and force the Vikings Safeties up, Tony Romo will key on Jason Witten, Miles Austin and Roy Williams. The injury to Antoine Winfield has affected his coverage skills and teams are attacking his side (of the field) frequently.

When Minnesota has the ball, it all starts with Adrian Peterson and the rushing attack in this one.

The ground game fell off precipitously late in the season and it’s a must that it gets going here. If it doesn’t, it’s going to be a long day for the Vikings.

The Cowboys possess two of the best pass rushing players left in the playoffs (DeMarcus Ware, Anthony Spencer), and the Vikings can ill afford to have Favre dropping back in the face of constant pressure.

So look for a lot of No. 28.

However, in order to win, the Vikings will need to do their damage in the passing game.

The running game should provide the necessary balance to make the play-action effective, and that’s where Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin will come into play.

Both are big play receivers – Harvin with his speed, Rice with his size and route running ability – and both will have an opportunity to pick up big yards after the catch.

And once in the red zone, keep an eye on TE Visanthe Schiancoe because Favre loves to look his way near the goal line.

When this one is all said and done, expect the Cowboys, currently 2.5 point underdogs, to prevail with a 27-17 win.

The Super Bowl is the only reason Favre came back, and he’s put his team into a position to reach its goal, but the Vikings are going in the wrong direction at the wrong time.

The offensive line is not creating holes for AD, it’s not pass blocking for Favre as well as earlier on, and the defense has been average since the loss of E.J. Henderson.

And that’s not the recipe for success against a surging Cowboys team playing great defense.

Best Bet

1. New England Patriots (-3.5) vs. Baltimore Ravens

The only way Baltimore can win this game, and cover the point spread, is by establishing the running game. But Belichick is smart enough to recognize this and will scheme to take Ray Rice and Willis McGahee away.

Joe Flacco has been horrible at times down the stretch and that inconsistency will lead to a few picks on Sunday.

The Pats won’t light up the scoreboard either, but Brady and Co. will make enough plays to get it done. Keep an eye on Randy Moss whose deep speed could prove too much for the Ravens Secondary.

The Pats have been here before and are hard to beat at home in the playoffs. Look for them to win by a TD.

Next In Line

2. Arizona Cardinals (+2) vs. Green Bay Packers

This is the most difficult game on the board to pick. Both offenses are going to move the ball through the air against each other and it will come down to which team can make the big play/stop on defense.  Our money is on Arizona.

Talented S Adrian Wilson will be all over of the field and his presence in the box will ensure Ryan Grant doesn’t get going. Their creative defensive packages will also account for the Packers receivers, something very difficult to do, and although we see Rodgers and Co. having success passing the ball, we expect Arizona, playing at home, to come up big when it counts.

This team did it last year throughout the Playoffs and look poised to make a run this year too.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (-2.5) vs. New York Jets

Don’t let the 37-0 whooping mislead you; there were many reasons for that lopsided score. The bottom line is the Bengals didn’t need that game and didn’t show much in it either.

Look for Cincinnati to focus heavily on its running game (Cedric Benson) to set up the pass and for the other receivers (outside of Ochocinco), Caldwell and/or Coles, to step up and make plays in the passing game.

New York will attempt to run the ball but the Bengals will scheme to take this away. And Mark Sanchez won’t be able to beat the Bengals, and its talented CBs, through the air.

The Bengals will bounce back this week with a big 17-13 win playing in their homepark.

4. Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) vs. Philadelphia Eagles

A week ago, we chose the Eagles straight up and were burned. Dallas had their way with Philly although Reid shut things down once it was apparent that they were not going to win.

The more we analyze this match-up, it’s hard to envision the Eagles keeping this game to within a FG. They can’t  - don’t – run the ball, and by failing to do so, McNabb is put into precarious spots. DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer are then able to pin their ears back and go after No. 5.

The inability to go play-action also limits DeSean Jackson’s effectiveness.

On offense, Marion Barber and Felix Jones will run the ball at will on the Eagles smaller defense and when Philly tries to bring up Safety help, Romo will make them pay.

Look for the Cowboys to sweep all three games this season with a 24-17 win on Saturday Night.

In their game last Sunday, Dallas smothered Philadelphia’s offense and routed them 24-0. While Philly certainly came to play, having the No. 2 seed and a 1st round bye in their sights, it’s highly likely that after the Cowboys jumped to a 17-0 1st half lead, Reid turned things off and decided not to show everything before the Wild Card Round.

But aside from the fact that it’s very difficult to beat a team three times in a single season, something which the Cowboys are attempting to do, there’s not a lot of reason to believe that the Eagles are going to win this game.

Now to the rematch and how we see things playing out on Saturday.

When the Cowboys are on offense, expect them to run the ball extensively with Marion Barber and Felix Jones. They’re able to run at will because Philly is severely lacking at the Linebacker position. Look no further than Jeremiah Trotter to realize the truth in that statement.

So DC Sean McDermott has to pick his poison. If he opts to bring a heavy blitz package or keep an extra man in the box, he leaves his CBs in man coverage. And for as talented as Asante Samuel and Sheldon Brown are, they’ve yet to prove they can handle Miles Austin and Co.

So look for the Cowboys to continue to run the ball which will have two effects: it will wear out the Eagles smaller defense and set up the play-action pass for Romo, who’s deadly when given time.

When the Eagles are on offense, they’ll need to place more of an emphasis on the running game or they’re in trouble. In last week’s loss, the pass to run ratio was once again lopsided (10 rushes and 36 pass attempts).

If they can run the ball 45% of the time, not only will they pick up important yards on the ground, it’ll also set up the passing game to TE Brent Celek and make WRs Jeremy Maclin and DeSean Jackson that much more effective. Without it, the Cowboys can keep an extra man up top which limits Jackson’s effectiveness.

In their two games this year, No. 10 did nothing.

The threat of a running game also keeps DeMarcus Ware and Anthony Spencer off McNabb as the Eagles play calling won’t be so predictable.

Unfortunately for Philly, Reid’s a creature of habit, and that means he’ll employ a pass heavy attack which will limit McNabb and the offense’s effectiveness and end up being the Eagles undoing.

While it won’t be as lopsided as Week 17, expect a hard fought 24-17 win by Dallas to advance to Round Two.

They’ll also cover the 4 point spread the bookmakers currently have them at.

1. Minnesota Vikings

Jay Cutler has been a turnover machine and his last road start (SF) saw him throw five picks. The Vikings are playing very well as a unit and we expect Allen and Co. to put continuous pressure on Cutler and force multiple turnovers. They’ll also sack him a handful of times and they’re our top fantasy football D/ST in Week 12.

2. Dallas Cowboys vs. Oakland Raiders

While the Cowboys offense has been MIA the past few weeks, the same can’t be said about its defense. The unit has stepped up and the front seven is generating more of a pass rush than earlier in the season. Expect that pass rush to create all sorts of problems for QB  Bruce Gradkowski and for the Raiders to have difficulty reaching 10 points on Thanksgiving.

3. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Cleveland Browns

The Bengals allowed a very winnable game to slip through their fingers in Oakland and will be ready to go in this one. The Browns are a complete mess offensively, the last game not being a true indicator of what this unit is, and we like the Bengals CBs (Joseph, Hall) to pick off two passes here. The front seven will sack Brady Quinn at least three times.

4. San Diego Chargers vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chargers defense has come together and just held the slumping Denver Broncos to three points in their home park. The pass rush has improved considerably and the secondary has played well all year. Look for Merriman and Co. to get after Cassel and force a few turnovers.

Sleepers

1. St. Louis Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks are a very poor road team and usually fail to show up offensively when they play away from home. In Week 11, it was 35 – 3 before they put up a late game TD at Minnesota. The Rams defense is playing better as a unit and this is a much easier test than the last two weeks (New Orleans, Arizona). They’re a solid fantasy sleeper in Week 12.

2. New York Giants vs. Denver Broncos

What happened to the New York Giants defense? Bill Sheridan is what happened. His defensive play calling is highly suspect and there’s a great deal of confusion amongst his players as to where people are supposed to be. That being said, this happens to a be a good situation for the Giants defense. The slumping Broncos are a mess right now and we expect Tuck and Co. to get after Orton.

Others We Like

Miami Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills

The Dolphins front seven has found its rhthym and Joey Porter is once again sacking QBs. The Bills offensive line is about as depleted – and poor – as it gets and we like Miami to control the line of scrimmage and thus, the Bills offense.

Green Bay Packers vs. Detroit Lions

After the loss to Tampa Bay, Dom Capers made adjustments to his defense and they’ve been playing both the run as well as the pass much better. They’ve also utilized creative blitz packages to get after the QB.  The Lions will probably have to go with Daunte Culpepper on Thanksgiving and his lack of mobility makes him an easy target.

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Redskins

The Skins might be forced to play this game with their 3rd string RB (Portis concussion, Betts torn ACL) and this means the Eagles will make them one dimensional. The Redskins desperately want to avoid putting Campbell into that position because the result will be multiple sacks and turnovers.

A Few More

Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

New York Jets vs. Carolina Panthers

Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Baltimore Ravens

1. Antonio Gates

Rivers favorite target had another solid game with seven catches for 78 yards in their win over the Eagles. He’s our top ranked fantasy football TE in Week 11 and he’ll find the end zone in Denver.

2. Dallas Clark vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Patriots did a good job taking Clark out of the game plan yet he still managed to finish with 65 receiving yards. He’ll have a much bigger impact in Week 11and we like him to top 100 yards with a TD.

3. Kellen Winslow vs. New Orleans Saints

Freeman’s favorite target had seven catches for 102 yards vs. the Dolphins on Sunday. It’s the second consecutive week that he was an integral part of the passing game. This trend will continue against a severely depleted Saints secondary.

4. Greg Olsen vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Cutler’s top target had another solid game vs. the Niners on Thursday. He’s the only reliable threat in Chicago and Cutler looks his way in crucial situations and near the goal line. The Eagles secondary is weak right now so look for a big game on Sunday.

Sleepers

1.Kevin Boss vs. Atlanta Falcons

The Giants shift to a shorter passing game should positively impact Boss’s receiving numbers. Prior to the bye, he caught his second TD in as many weeks and we think he’s a great fantasy sleeper play vs. the Falcons.

2. Dustin Keller vs. New England Patriots

The Patriots will scheme to take Edwards and Cotchery out of the game and this will open up things underneath for Keller. Look for him to top 60 receiving yards and a TD on Sunday.

Others We Like

Tony Gonzalez vs. New York Giants

Opposing TEs have terrorized the Giants secondary all season. And even if they shored up some of their coverage issues over the bye, Gonzalez will still hurt them.

Brent Celek vs. Chicago Bears

Celek continued his impressive season and found the end zone again vs. the Chargers this past Sunday. He’s McNabb’s most reliable red zone threat and he’ll thrive in the Windy City.

Jeremy Shockey vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Shockey’s performance has leveled off as opposing teams have made adjustments to the Saints high powered offense. We don’t see that happening here. Expect Shockey to score a red zone TD against Tampa.

A Few More

Heath Miller vs. Kansas City Chiefs

Vernon Davis vs. Green Bay Packers

Jason Witten vs. Washington Redskins

1. Pittsburgh Steelers

The Baltimore Ravens showed the blueprint for keeping the Broncos offense in check: pressure. Since Orton’s not adept to throwing deep, if you bring the Safeties closer to the line, it limit’s Denver’s effectiveness. Look for Polamalu to play close to the line and the Steelers front seven to pressure Orton into sacks and turnovers. They’re our top ranked fantasy football D/ST in Week Nine.

2. Green Bay Packers vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

It appears that the Buccaneers are handing the reins over to rookie Josh Freeman and you can bet that DC Dom Capers will bring continuous pressure to confuse the young QB on Sunday. Look for a multi sack/turnover performance as the Packers should dominate defensively.

3. San Francisco 49ers vs. Tennessee Titans

The only player the Niners need to keep an eye on at all times is RB Chris Johnson. And while that’s not an easy thing to do, the 49ers do have a defensive weapon who we think matches up well: MLB Patrick Willis. Vince Young will be ineffective on the road and the Niners will take advantage of a few mistakes.

4. Atlanta Falcons vs. Washington Redskins

The Redskins are about as bad as they come on offense. Their offensive line is horrendous and Jason Campbell consistently makes poor decisions. Look for the Falcons to be opportunistic on Sunday and force multiple turnovers.

Sleepers

1. Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs offensive woes are well documented and all start with the problems along the offensive line. It neither gives Cassel the time to throw or the running game holes to run through. Expect Del Rio’s unit to play a physical game in Week Nine and for our top D/ST fantasy sleeper to create havoc all day.

2. Cincinnati Bengals vs. Baltimore Ravens

The Bengals defense completely dismantled the Bears two weeks ago and are well rested coming off their bye week. The Ravens are a tougher test than the Bears but these AFC North Divisional battles tend to be physical and close. Look for the Bengals corners to intercept a pass or two.

Others We Like

Baltimore Ravens vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The Ravens defense made adjustments over their bye week and completely stifled the Denver Broncos on Sunday. While the Bengals are a different beast offensively, namely due to their vertical passing game, the Ravens should be able to provide pressure up front and keep this a low scoring affair.

New England Patriots vs. Miami Dolphins

The Patriots allowed a total of seven points over their last two games and are well rested coming off their bye week. Look for their focus to be on stopping the Wild Cat because Belichick knows that Henne and the passing game will struggle against his third ranked pass defense.

New Orleans Saints vs. Carolina Panthers

The opportunistic Saints have already returned six TDs on defense this season. And facing Jake Delhomme in the Superdome, there’s should be an opportunity for their seventh. If the Saints take a commanding lead expect multiple sacks and a few turnovers.

A Few More

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Dallas Cowboys

Indianapolis Colts vs. Houston Texans

Seattle Seahawks vs. Detroit Lions