NFC

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New York Giants (-3) vs. Atlanta Falcons – This game is about as even as they come. And the 3 point betting line suggests that the odds makers think just that.

The edge however lies with the home team as Atlanta, who plays in a dome, must play outdoors in what figures to be a chillier Sunday afternoon.

So, look for the Falcons to try and run the ball with RB Turner to set up the passing game, which should find success against a less than stout Giants secondary.

There will be opportunities for WR Julio Jones or WR Roddy White to hit the big play.

When New York has the ball, the Giants will use the pass to set-up the run. The Falcons play a lot of zone so look for Eli to use the short to mid range passing game before getting Bradshaw and Jacobs involved.

And once the Falcons bring their Safeties closer to the line, the Giants will target Nicks and Cruz deep, where they’ve been deadly all year.

The contest will be close throughout but look for New York to secure the win in the 4th quarter by more than a FG.

AFC

Pittsburgh Steelers (-8.5) vs. Denver Broncos – Even with the large spread, it’s just very difficult to go with Denver right now. Tim Tebow is playing horribly and likely will not top 100 yards passing this week.

Pittsburgh’s defense is fast enough to keep him contained while getting after him, which makes Tebow a very likely candidate for a turnover which is returned for a TD.

When Pittsburgh has the ball, QB Ben Roethlisberger’s bad ankle and all, expect them to find success down the middle of the field with S Brian Dawkins out. He’s been a big loss to the Broncos D over the three game losing streak and leaves a HUGE hole in the secondary.

That will open up the running game for RB Isaac Redman and the passing game to WR Mike Wallace, WR Antonio Brown and TE Heath Miller.

It was a nice, magical, some say supernatural run while it lasted, but the Broncos season comes to an end on Sunday.

Look for the 17-3 Steelers romp as they advance to round 2

Best Bet

1. San Diego Chargers (+2.5) vs. Det – See money line bet.

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2.  Carolina Panthers (-7.5) vs. TB – The Bucs have regressed horribly in 2011.

They’re in the midst of an eight-game losing streak and the heat is on their head coach, Raheem Morris. The Panthers on the other hand are on the upswing and Cam Newton will lead them to an easy victory here.

3.  Seattle Seahawks (+2) vs. SF – The point spread is less than a FG because the Niners are on the road and on a short week. But the Seahawks are also much better now than they were earlier in the year, especially on defense.

Expect a close, low scoring game, which Seattle may very well pull out in the end.

4. Miami Dolphins (+10) vs. NE – There’s always the possibility of the Patriots suffering a minor letdown after last week’s big win over Tim Tebow and Co. The Fins have also been competitive in nearly every game since the midpoint of the season.

The Rest

Denver Broncos (-3) vs. Buf – The Broncos will move one step closer to wrapping up the AFC West after Sunday’s win.

Arizona Cardinals (+4) vs. Cin – The game has plenty of importance to the Bengals playoff hopes, but the Cards are streaking at the right time. Expect them to keep the final score to within three points.

Kansas City Chiefs (-2) vs. Oak – The Raiders looked poised for an AFC West crown just a few weeks ago but those dreams have disappeared after three straight losses. It’ll be four after Saturday.

Money Line Bet

San Diego Chargers (+120) vs. Det – The Chargers are on fire since the Jacksonville game. The resurgence of Philip Rivers can primarily be attributed to the raised level of play from the offensive line, and San Diego has moved to 7-7 on the season.

The Lions on the other hand still feature an explosive offense but their defense has become ordinary.

Look for the Bolts to win their 4th in a row in a high scoring game on Saturday.

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Top Pick

1. Seattle Seahawks vs. Stl – The Rams are beat up, demoralized and ready to get the season over. They’re also playing on the road where they’ve been horrible in 2011.

Look for Seattle to continue its winning ways at home and roll the Seahawks on Sunday.

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2. Denver Broncos vs. Chi – The Bears are in dire straits these days. First Jay Cutler was lost and now RB Matt Forte is out… and there’s only so much a defense can do before it begins to break.

The Broncos, who are getting a huge lift from its defense and Tim Tebow, will easily cover the point spread and blow out the Bears.

3. Baltimore Ravens vs. Ind – If you haven’t used the Ravens yet in your suicide pool now would be a great time. The Colts pursuit of imperfection is moving along brilliantly and Baltimore will annihilate them by 20 points at home on Sunday.

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Top Pick

1. San Francisco 49ers vs. Stl – The Rams chances of upsetting the 49ers are smaller than the wealthiest percentage of people in this country (.01%). The Niners are on 10 days rest, at home, and virtually everyone is healthy.

The same can’t be said for the Rams. Everything that could go wrong in 2011 has gone wrong and that will continue once again this week.

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2. Denver Broncos vs. Min – Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos are a great story and they’ve won five of their last six games. That moves to six out of seven when they head to Minnesota in Week 13.

The Vikings may or may not have RB Adrian Peterson back but it will not matter. Denver is playing too well defensively and Tebow is making enough plays late to secure the win.

3. Atlanta Falcons vs. Hou – The ride was nice in Houston while it lasted, but without Matt Schaub the party will end sooner than expected. And against good teams they will not be able to win with Tyler Yates at the helm. Look for the Falcons to stack the box against RB Arian Foster and win this by at least a TD.

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.