MINNEAPOLIS — Oh my goodness, there are a number of big games this week – Dallas at Philadelphia, Houston at Indianapolis, Miami at New England and Baltimore at Cioncinnati, and here I am in the Twin Cities watching hockey.
Oh well, I’ll be back in front of the 52-inch HD screen to watch the biggest game of Week 9: Pittsburgh at Denver on Monday Night.
The Steelers have Troy Polamalu back and are starting to look like the defending Super Bowl champs again. The 6-1 Broncos got hammered in Baltimore last week, but they’re playing at home and they’re steaming from last week’s loss.
This will be an outstanding Monday Nighter.
Of course, the rest of the week won’t be bad either, even without our beloved Minnesota Vikings on the sked. The Vikes have this week off and won’t play again until next Sunday when that juggernaut known as the Detroit Lions, invade the Metrodome.
Along with the Vikes, the Bills, Browns, Jets, Raiders and Rams have the byes in Week 9.
Let’s take a closer look at the final six-team bye week of 2009:
SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Washington Redskins 2-5 at Atlanta Falcons 4-3 (-9.5)
The Falcons get a bit of a break from the tough part of their schedule with the sad-sack Redskins coming to town. Atlanta showed Monday night it could play with the best teams in the league. Washington can’t.
Dr. Sports: Falcons to win and cover.
The Coach: Falcons to win and cover
Arizona Cardinals 4-3 at Chicago Bears 4-3 (-2.5)
Here’s how Dr. Sports looks at this one: “Of both of these teams’ weaknesses, I think the Bears’ offensive line is the most obvious. If they couldn’t block the Browns and Antwan Odom-less Bengals, how are they going to keep the Cardinals out of the backfield? The Bears did play well last week against Cleveland, but who doesn’t? The Cardinals will bounce back from their disaster last week against Carolina to pull the road upset.” I disagree. The Bears are outdoors at home.
Dr. Sports: Cardinals to win.
The Coach: Browns to win and cover.
Baltimore Ravens 4-3 at Cincinnati Bengals 5-2 (+2.5)
Agains, Dr. Sports: “These teams are evenly matched. The Bengals have the better record and they’ve beaten some really good squads, including these Ravens on the road. Cincinnati has been a team that always pulls through when no one believes in them. As home underdogs, to a team they’ve already beaten, I think they’ll be playing for respect – which is an important angle in the NFL.” I disagree. Ray Lewis will be pissed.
Dr. Sports: Bengals to win.
The Coach: Ravens to win and cover.
Houston Texans 5-3 at Indianapolis Colts 7-0 (-8.5)
Once again, our own Dr. Sports: “Even though you must take the Texans seriously now, it ain’t gonna happen for them this week. The Colts stumbled a little against the 49ers last week, that’s why I think that this week they regroup and blow out their division rival.” I kind of disagree. I think the Colts will win, but not by nine.
Dr. Sports: Colts to win and cover.
The Coach: Colts to win but not cover.
Kansas City Chiefs 1-6 at Jacksonville Jaguars 3-4 (-6.5)
Dr. Sports likes the Jaguars in a cake walk. “Look for Mike Thomas, the Pac-10′s career leader in receptions, to have a breakout game. Also look for Larry Johnson to lay off the Twitter.” I’ll look for it, but this is what I’ll see: A dreadful Chiefs team against an equally dreadful Jags outfit.
Dr. Sports: Jaguars to win and cover.
The Coach: Jaguars to win and cover.
Miami Dolphins 3-4 at New England Patriots 5-2 (-10.5)
Bill Belichick and the Pats coaching staff have had two weeks to prepare for the Dolphins, their rookie quarterback and their Wildcat offense. The last three times they’ve had two weeks to prepare for an opponent in the regular season, they’ve covered the spread by an average of 14.6 points.
Dr. Sports: Patriots to win and cover.
The Coach: Patriots to win and cover.
Green Bay Packers 4-3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-7 (+9.5)
Check out this stat: The Bucs have played four teams that currently have winning records (Eagles, Giants, Cowboys, Patriots). In those four contests, they’ve been outscored 126-42! Green Bay has a winning record and they have something to prove after getting thumped by the Vikings.
Dr. Sports: Packers to win and cover.
The Coach: Packers to win and cover.
Carolina Panthers 3-4 at New Orleans Saints 7-0 (-13.5)
Even though the Panthers have won six out of the last seven against the Saints, I can’t see New Orleans losing at home to them. The Panthers do have a tremendous ground game with Williams and Stewart and will keep it close.
Dr. Sports: Saints to win, but not cover.
The Coach: Saints to win but not cover.
Detroit Lions 1-6 at Seattle 2-5 (-9.5)
Remember Seattle’s 41-0 thrashing of Jacksonville a few weeks back? We both think history will repeat itself.
Dr. Sports: Seahawks to win and cover.
The Coach: Seahawks to win and cover.
San Diego Chargers 4-3 at N.Y. Giants 5-3 (-3.5)
Here again is Dr. Sports: “The Giants have legitimate problems. A good team doesn’t get blown out three times in a row. Eli is hurt and the defence stinks.” I disagree.
Dr. Sports: Chargers to win.
The Coach: Giants to win and cover.
Tennessee Titans 1-6 at San Francisco 49ers 3-4 (-3.5)
Wow! Here’s Dr. Sports: “For as awful as the Titans have been this season, they’re still riding a five-game winning streak against the NFC. Look for Jeff Fisher to get the best of his former Chicago Bears teammate Mike Singletary in an upset on the road Sunday. Chris Johnson outshines Frank Gore in a meeting between two of the league’s best young running backs.” I really disagree. By a lot.
Dr. Sports: Tennessee to win.
The Coach: San Francisco to win by two touchdowns.
SUNDAY NIGHT
Dallas Cowboys 5-2 at Philadelphia Eagles 5-2 (-2.5)
Dr. Sports loves the Eagles this one. They’re playing with fire and confidence right now. The Cowboys, meanwhile, will be going on the road for the first time in nearly a month. The Eagles are 5-1 against the spread versus Dallas the past three years.
Dr. Sports: Eagles to win and cover.
The Coach: Eagles to win and cover.
Pittsburgh Steelers 5-2 at Denver Broncos 6-1 (+2.5)
Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 4-0 in Monday night games, and Pittsburgh’s looking to win its fifth straight after a somewhat rocky 1-2 start. The Denver bandwagon emptied a bit after their 30-7 loss in Baltimore last weekend. The dream is over for Bronco fans.
Dr. Sports: Steelers to win and cover.
The Coach: Steelers to win and cover.
The Doc is 72-44 overall and 61-55 against the spread. The Coach is 73-43 straight up and 60-56 against the spread.
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