Top pick

1. Detroit Lions vs. Arz – When you’re forced to turn to rookie QB Ryan Lindey, it’s bad. Real bad. Even the Lions, in the midst of a long losing streak themselves, will roll easily here.

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2. St. Louis Rams vs. Min – QB Christian Ponder is not to be trusted on the road (or home for that matter). The Rams have a decent shot of winning out.

3. Cleveland Browns vs. Was – If QB RGIII doesn’t play, this prediction looks a whole lot better. If he does, the Browns still have a great shot at winning as they’ve been very hot over the past month.  The Skins are ripe for a letdown.

1. San Francisco 49ers (-10) vs. Mia – 10 points is a lot to give but Miami, outside of their win over Seattle, has regressed the past month. And the 49ers D will be very tough on QB Ryan Tannehill Sunday.

Expect a convincing win and for the 49ers to easily cover the point spread.

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2. Cincinnati Bengals (-3) vs. Dal – The Cowboys don’t match up very well with the surging the Bengals. Look for Cincy’s D to make life miserable for Romo and Co. at home.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-7.5) vs. Phi – The Eagles are racing towards a top 5 NFL Draft pick. The Bucs will roll in this one.

4. Baltimore Ravens (+2.5) vs. Was – See Money Line Bet.

The Rest

Arizona Cardinals (+10.5) vs. Sea – John Skelton scares nobody, but he’s competent enough to put some points on the board while the defense keeps this game within 10.

Cleveland Browns (-6.5) vs. KC – The Chiefs rallied a week ago to pull off the small upset vs. the Panthers. The Browns will show this week that that was an aberration.

St. Louis Rams (+3) vs. Buf – This game will be close throughout and the Rams have a decent chance to pull off the mini upset.

Money Line Bet

Baltimore Ravens (+120) vs. Was – The Skins have won three in a row – all vs. the NFC East – and RGIII is on fire. Their last win was an emotional one over the New York Giants on Monday Night.

The Ravens lost a heated game vs. hated rival Pittsburgh and will get back into the win column on Sunday. We think it’ll be hard for Washington to carry that emotion over to another game and they’re ripe for a letdown.

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Mia – Ryan Tannehill and Co. will be severely over-matched this week.

2. Seattle Seahawks vs. Arz – Any D facing Ryan Lindley will be near the very top. And Seattle is a tough place to play.

3. Denver Broncos vs. Oak – The Raiders are a mess right now.

4. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. SD – The Steelers will force Philip Rivers into multiple mistakes.

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Chicago Bears vs. Min – Christian Ponder scares no one.

Cleveland Browns vs. KC – The Chiefs offense has been one of the most anemic units this season.

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Dal -The red hot Bengals will be tough on the Cowboys this week.

The Rest

New York Jets vs. Jax – The Jets D thrives so long as Mark Sanchez doesn’t kill them with turnovers.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Sea – This is still a solid unit despite the horrific offense of late.

St. Louis Rams vs. Buf – The young Rams D is beginning to round into form.

San Diego Chargers vs. Pit – Only play them if Batch is under center.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Phi – The Eagles are good for multiple turnovers each week.

New York Giants vs. NO -The Saints offensive line woes could prove costly on Sunday.

Buffalo Bills vs. Stl. – The Bills are a fantasy sleeper at home.

1. Chicago Bears (-3.5) vs. Sea – Although the Seahawks have played the Bears tough in Chicago in recent years, that won’t be the case on Sunday. Chicago’s D will prove too much for QB Russell Wilson who has struggled on the road all season.

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2. New England Patriots (-8) vs. Mia – Before the Seahawks game, QB Ryan Tannehill and the Dolphins were really struggling. That will start again here.

3. Cincinnati Bengals (-1.5) vs. SD – If there’s one thing the Chargers have proven in 2012, it’s that they know how to lose close games. It’ll happen again Sunday against the surging Bengals.

4. St. Louis Rams (+7.5) vs. SF – See money line bet.

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Dallas Cowboys (-10) vs. Phi – Dallas has played horribly in 2012 and still are double digit favorites.  And they’ll cover.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+6) vs. Buf – Two games playing with Chad Henne and The Jags nearly beat the Texans and then did beat the Titans.  They could pull a minor upset here but will at least cover the point spread.

New York Giants (-2.5) vs. Was – The Giants have a chance to put some distance between themselves and everyone else in the NFC East. They know how to win these type of games.

Money Line Bet

St. Louis Rams (+280) vs. SF – They should have beaten the 49ers last time in SF.  Now, the 49ers are likely to come out very focused for this one, but, the Rams have been excellent in NFC West games this year and San Francisco has not put together three consecutive strong performances yet in 2012.

1. Cincinnati Bengals (-8.5) vs. Oak – The Raiders have given up 42, 55 and 37 in the last three weeks. It’s also safe to assume that the Bengals know Carson Palmer VERY well from his years in Cincy and will dominate and cover the point spread in this one.

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2. Tennessee Titans (-4) vs. Jax – The Jags are likely emotionally spent from their thrilling OT loss to the Texans a week ago. The Titans, coming off the bye, are well rested after shellacking the Dolphins 37-3 in Miami.

3. St. Louis Rams (+3) vs. Arz – Both teams are shaky, but one is on a 6-game losing streak and now starting a rookie, late round pick at QB. The Rams actually enter this affair in better shape.

4. Buffalo Bills (+3) vs. Ind – See money line bet.

The Rest

Atlanta Falcons (-1) vs. TB – The Falcons are not currently playing their best ball, but still one of the Super Bowl betting favorites in the NFC.  They’ve also performed better on the road this year.

Cleveland Browns (+1) vs. Pit – This will be a low scoring affair but tough to see 37-year old Charlie Batch leading Pittsburgh to victory.

Denver Broncos (-10) vs. KC – These games are usually close in KC, but won’t be this year. The Chiefs are that bad.

Money Line Bet

Buffalo Bills (+130) vs. Ind – The Colts are 6-4 and in the playoff race, but way ahead of schedule from where most thought they would be in Andrew Luck’s 1st year. With wins meaning more to the Colts from this point on, look for Indy to fall short on Sunday.

1. Denver Broncos vs. KC – The Broncos will keep the Chiefs to a TD or less and will have 5 sacks with multiple turnovers.

2. Seattle Seahawks vs. Mia – QB Ryan Tannehill is in a slump and the well rested Seahawks will exacerbate it.

3. Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cle – The Steelers D is still relatively intact. They’ll keep the Browns point total low.

4. Chicago Bears vs. Min – The Bears will get after Christian Ponder this week.

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Houston Texans vs. Det- Figure last week was a trap game. Matt Stafford has been inconsistent and will throw a few picks.

Arizona Cardinals vs. Stl – Look for the Cards to follow up their 6 turnover effort with another multi turnover game vs. the Rams.

Carolina Panthers vs. Phi – Even the lowly Panthers are a good play against the Eagles.

The Rest

Cincinnati Bengals vs. Oak – A pick six is likely for the Bengals this week.

New England Patriots vs. NYJ – The Patriots D is starting to create turnovers that result in points.

San Francisco 49ers vs. NO – This is a tougher match-up but the 49ers D is stout. Look for a few sacks and turnovers.

St. Louis Rams vs. Cards – Arizona has no QB and the worst offensive line in football.

Cleveland Browns vs. Pit – Pittsburgh’s down to their No. 3 QB and on the road.

Dallas Cowboys vs. Was – Dallas is a tough place to play for RGIII on three days rest.

Green Bay Packers vs. NYG – The Giants were in an offensive slump prior to the bye. Green Bay is great at forcing turnovers.

Top Pick

1. Denver Broncos vs. SD – The Chargers are reeling and the writing is on the wall for Norv Turner.

The situation is vastly different for Denver. Since its improbable comeback vs. San Diego a month ago, after being down 24-0 at the half, it has won every game since and will continue that trend this week.

Look for the Broncos to easily cover the point spread and advance you to Week 12 of your suicide pool.

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2. Washington Redskins vs. Phi – Things have unraveled quickly for the Eagles who are on a 5-game losing streak and likely without QB Michael Vick for this one.

While that is not necessarily a bad thing,  it’ll be difficult for rookie QB Nick Foles to end the skid.

Look for the Redskins, who are coming off of their bye, to follow RGIII’s lead to a win on Sunday as Andy Reid‘s seat gets that much hotter.

3. St. Louis Rams vs. NYJ – The Rams might still be emotionally drained from their 24-24 tie to the 49ers, but they will have enough left in the tank to win here.

The Jets are in disarray, Tim Tebow somehow is still the most talked about topic in town, and Mark Sanchez has regressed tremendously in 2012 which is putting the defense in bad situations. Look for the Rams to pull out the win by a TD at home.

1. Dallas Cowboys (-3) vs. Sea – Normally we’d take the Seahawks who are very tough at home, but not this week. Seattle is playing rookie 3rd pick Russell Wilson at QB and he’ll be in for a long day vs. the Cowboys D.

Offensively, there will be a few big plays for Tony Romo and Co. and the Cowboys will cover the point spread with a TD win.

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2. Oakland Raiders (-2.5) vs. Mia – The Dolphins are in rebuilding mode and will be at or near the bottom of the league for a while. The Raiders, minus their long snapping woes, will head into Miami and pull out the convincing win on Sunday.

3. Baltimore Ravens (+2) vs. Phi – The Eagles offensive woes are not completely an aberration; Michael Vick is one of the most overrated QB’s in the league and still has trouble reading defenses.

The Ravens D is also substantially better than the Browns. Offensively, the Ravens will put points on the board en route to the 24-17 win.

4. St. Louis Rams (+3) vs. Was – See money line bet.

The Rest

New England Patriots (-13.5) vs. Arz – The Pats will prove far too much for the Cardinals and win 34-10.

San Francisco 49ers (-6.5) vs. Det – If SF turns Detroit one dimensional offensively which they should be able to do, it will force Stafford into mistakes. Look for the 49ers to win by 10.

Denver Broncos (+3) vs. Atl – The Falcons are high powered, but the Broncos are the more complete team and will pull out the close win on the road.

Money Line Bet

St. Louis Rams (+160) vs. Was – RGIII is receiving all sorts of hype in the NFL and rightfully so after his 1st career start, but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves. While he’s very talented, there will be growing pains along the way and the Rams feature a MUCH better defense than the Saints.

Look for the Rams to mix things up better than the Saints did and use their speed on D to create problems for Washington. Offensively, the Rams will struggle to put points on the board, but we see this as a lower scoring game which the Rams pull out by a FG.

1. New York Jets (-1.5) vs. New England Patriots – The Pats typically struggle playing in New Jersey. And while they’re coming off two losses, which would normally be

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worrisome, the Jets can play the style of defense that the Steelers and Giants employed against them. Look for Brady to have a long evening and for Sanchez and Co. to do enough on offense to pull out the win by a FG.

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2. Pittsburgh Steelers (-3) vs. Cin – The Bengals are an amazing story over the 1^st half of the season, but they’re going to be tested on Sunday. The Steelers are mad after blowing a game they had vs. the Ravens and Roethlisberger’s play will be the difference in this one.

Both defenses are excellent so don’t expect a high scoring game.

3. St Louis Rams (+3) vs. Cle – See Money Line Bet.

4. Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) vs. Ind – The Colts took firm control in the race QB Andrew Luck. And they’re not trying to relinquish it. Look for the well rested Jags to come into Indy and pull out the TD win.

The Rest

Houston Texans (-3) vs. TB – The Texans are on a roll and have been pounding mediocre teams lately. The Bucs are a mediocre team, so this bodes well for them on Sunday.

Seattle Seahawks (+7) vs. Bal – The Ravens are ripe for a letdown here. They’ve done it twice this season and are coming off an emotional last second win in Pittsburgh. The Seahawks, for as bad as they are, might catch them napping on Sunday.

Miami Dolphins (-4) vs. Was – The Dolphins convincing win over the Chiefs temporarily halted the Andrew Luck talk, and this week is another easy opponent for them. The Skins are in a tailspin and there’s still a long way down to go.

Money Line Bet

St. Louis Rams (+130) vs. Cle – The Rams should be on a two game winning streak if not for the amazing 99-yard OT punt return by Patrick Peterson last week. This week they head to Cleveland to face a Peyton Hillis-less Browns team that can’t get anything going on offense. For the Rams, WR Mark Clayton could make his return which would obviously benefit Sam Bradford.

Look for the Rams to pull out a win in a low scoring game.

1. Oakland Raiders (-7.5) vs. Denver Broncos – It’s really tough to lose to Tim Tebow. What the Dolphins managed to do over the final five minutes of their loss  two weeks ago was very impressive.

Nothing like that will happen this week. Look for the Raiders D to smother Tebow and keep the Broncos offense under wraps until midway through the 4th quarter when the game is out of reach.

Offensively, with two weeks to learn the system, expect Carson Palmer to lead the Raiders to an easy victory in Week 9.

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2. Chicago Bears (+8) vs. Philadelphia Eagles – The Eagles were very impressive on Sunday Night, but let’s not forget that it was the Cowboys (a team they thoroughly know) and the Eagles had two weeks to prepare. Andy Reid is nearly unbeatable after the bye.

The Bears offense will approach this game very differently than Dallas, ie they’ll run the ball, and their D won’t get abused as badly as the Cowboys did.

3. Dallas Cowboys (-11.5) vs. Seattle Seahawks – The Cowboys were embarrassed a week ago and are glad to be home. Expect them to regroup and blow Tavaris Jackson and the Seahawks out on Sunday.

4. Cincinnati Bengals (+3) vs. Tennessee Titans – See money line bet.

The Rest

New York Giants (+9) vs. New England Patriots – While the Patriots haven’t lost at home during the regular season since 2008, covering the point spread is all that matters to a bettor here. The Giants, even without WR Hakeem Nicks and / or RB Ahmad Bradshaw, will be able to move the ball and score points on the Pats D. And New York’s D should bring more pressure on Brady keeping this one close to the end.

San Francisco 49ers (-3.5) vs. Washington Redskins – The early start time seems to be the only thing keeping the point spread so low. The Skins are banged up on offense and coming off an atrocious performance against Buffalo. The Niners are playing sound football and will leave the east coast with a convincing win.

St. Louis Rams (+2.5) vs. Arizona Cardinals – Both teams could be without their starting QBs but we like the Rams to carry over momentum from last week’s upset of the Saints to extend their winning streak to two.

Money Line Bet

Cincinnati Bengals (+130) vs. Tennessee Titans – The Bengals don’t beat themselves. Rookie QB Andy Dalton is limiting his mistakes and the D plays sound football. The same cannot be said for the Titans who are having all sorts of trouble adjusting to the new coach / system in 2011.

Chris Johnson is one player who is missing Jeff Fisher’s style of offense.

Look for the surprising Bengals to move to 6-2 with a 17-10 win in Tennessee this weekend.