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Week 15. Now, it’s Getting Serious.

Posted on December 17, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

Week 15 in the National Football League starts tonight with the unbeaten Indianapolis Colts at Jacksonville. 7:20 on Rogers SportsNet.

This is a big week for a number of NFL teams. If the San Diego Chargers beat Cincinnati, they clinch a playoff berth. If they win and Denver loses to Oakland, the Chargers lock up a first round bye. With a win over San Diego, the Bengals lock up the AFC North title. Green Bay clinches a playoff berth with a win at Pittsburgh and a loss by either the Giants who play Washington or Dallas who plays New Orleans. And Arizona is NFC West champion with a win at Detroit and a 49ers loss to Philly.

Meanwhile, with just three weeks to go, only three teams have clinched playoff berths: Minnesota and New Orleans in the NFC and Indianapolis in the AFC. However, if the playoffs started today here’s how it would look:

In the AFC, Indy and San Diego would have the first-round byes while Jacksonville would play at Cincinnati and Denver would play at New England. In the NFC, New Orleans and Minnesota would have the byes while Dallas would play at Philly and Green Bay would play at Arizona. Wouldn’t be a bad thing if the standings didn’t change.

Meanwhile, I love Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell. That’s because Caldwell made it pretty clear yesterday that he’s going after a 16-0 season.

Caldwell said that if his players are healthy they will play. In other words, if Reggie Wayne, Peyton Manning, Austin Collie, any of them, can start the game they will play to win and they’ll do it from now until the end of the season. This team is trying to go 16-0 and good for them.

Those who think resting star players for the playoffs is a good idea have not been paying attention. It just doesn’t work. And, historically, coaching scared is a lot worse for a team that coaching recklessly.

As Herman Edwards always said: “You play to win the game.” You don’t play to rest your quarterback. And what the hell, in the NFL of 2010, the officials make sure that today’s quarterback is wearing a skirt, anyway.

Let’s take a closer look at Week 15.

THURSDAY NIGHT

Indianapolis Colts 13-0 at Jacksonville Jaguars 7-6 (+6.5)

These Colts-Jaguars games are always close, 13 of the past 15 meetings have been decided by eight points or less. However, despite the tightness of those games, Indianapolis has prevailed 11 times.

Dr. Sports: Colts to win and cover.

The Coach: Colts to win and cover.

SATURDAY NIGHT

Dallas Cowboys 8-5 at New Orleans Saints 13-0 (-6.5)

The Saints barely escaped against the Redskins and Falcons, but that was on the road. They are so much better at home. As hosts, they’ve beaten every opponent this year by eight or more points. The Superdome will be rocking and will be as loud as ever Saturday night. The choking Cowboys, who have shown no sense of urgency after Snowmo returned from his unwarranted post-Thanksgiving trip to Vegas, won’t know what hit them.

Dr. Sports: Saints to win and cover.

The Coach: Saints to win and cover.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Chicago Bears 5-8 at Baltimore Ravens 7-6 (-9.5)

Chicago hasn’t covered since Nov. 1. That trend will continue, especially after the huge emotional loss to the Packers after leading at half time.

Dr. Sports: Ravens to win and cover.

The Coach: Ravens to win and cover.

New England Patriots 8-5 at Buffalo Bills 5-8 (+6.5)

Tom Brady might have a broken finger. His ribs could be cracked. And if that wasn’t enough, he now has an unhappy receiver.

Dr. Sports: Patriots to win, but not cover.

The Coach: Patriots to win and cover.

Arizona Cardinals 8-5 at Detroit Lions 2-11 (+10.5)

Arizona has shown that they slack off in December if they don’t need to win. Even after a loss to the 49ers, this game is pretty meaningless for the Cardinals.

Dr. Sports: Cardinals to win but not cover.

The Coach: Cardinals to win and cover.

Cleveland Browns 2-11 at Kansas City Chiefs 3-10 (-1.5)

The Browns are coming off a win over the defending Super Bowl champs, teams in that type of scenario usually don’t perform well. However, the Chiefs absolutely stink and should not be favoured. The Browns, meanwhile, have played a lot better since their bye and have covered four consecutive games.

Dr. Sports: Browns to win.

The Coach: Browns to win.

Atlanta Falcons 6-7 at New York Jets 7-6 (-5.5)

The Jets are riding a three-game winning streak, and they didn’t even have the services of QB Mark Sanchez (knee) for last week’s win over Tampa Bay. Sanchez is expected to practice this week and could be back for this game.

Dr. Sports: Jets to win and cover.

The Coach: Jets to win and cover.

San Francisco 49ers 6-7 at Philadelphia Eagles 9-4 (-8.5)

If Philly is expecting an easy game here, they’re mistaken. The 49ers are playing well and have tons of momentum off their victory over Arizona. However, the Iggles are at home.

Dr. Sports: Eagles to win but not cover.

The Coach: Eagles to win and cover.

Green Bay Packers 9-4 at Pittsburgh Steelers 6-7 (-1.5)

The Packers are red-hot while the Steelers have major problems in all phases. Pittsburgh offensive line is porous; without Troy Polamalu, their secondary is a shadow of its former self; and the kickoff coverage surrenders huge returns every week. But they’re still defending Super Bowl champions.

Dr. Sports: Packers to win.

The Coach: Steelers to win and cover.

Houston Texans at St. Louis Rams 1-12 (+9.5)

The Texans are a pretty easy team to figure out. When the pressure’s on, they choke, and when they play crappy teams, they win and cover. There definitely won’t be any sort of pressure here in an empty Edward Jones Dome. With the Rams hobbled with injuries on offense and defence, this should be a Houston blowout.

Dr. Sports: Texans to win and cover.

The Coach: Texans to win but not cover.

Miami Dolphins 7-6 at Tennessee Titans 6-7 (-2.5)

Without using the Wildcat formation for the past two games, Dolphins Ricky Williams rushed for his fourth 100-yard game in the last five. The Titans could be without QB Vince Young, who is listed as day-to-day with a hamstring injury. If Young is not able to play, Kerry Collins will start (expect Young to play). The Titans could continue to lean on RB Chris Johnson, but might have to throw more often since the Dolphins’ defence has been solid against the run.

Dr. Sports: Dolphins to win.

The Coach: Titans to win and cover.

Oakland Raiders 3-10 at Denver Broncos 9-4 (-12.5)

The Broncos are obviously the better team, but this just seems like a lot of points. Outside of a blowout over Kansas City, Denver has scored 16, 26, 3, 17, 10 and 7 points since their bye. How can the Broncos cover 13 points if they may not even score 13 points?

Dr. Sports: Denver to win, but not cover.

The Coach: Denver to win, but not cover.

Cincinnati Bengals 8-5 at San Diego Chargers 10-3 (-6.5)

Chargers are red hot and the Bengals are still crying in their beer after getting thumped by the Vikes. Now with the death of teammate Chris Henry in that accident in North Carolina, we don’t really know where the Bengals heads will be. The second straight road game doesn’t help the Ohio Tigers either.

Dr. Sports: Chargers to win and cover.

The Coach: Chargers to win and cover.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2-11 at Seattle Seahawks 5-8 (-6.5)

Matt Hasselbeck finished with 247 yards and one touchdown against the Texans last week, but due to subpar protection, he was hit nine times, three of them sacks. Don’t expect the Bucs to get to him once.

Dr. Sports: Seahawks to win and cover.

The Coach: Seahawks to win and cover.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Minnesota Vikings 11-2 at Carolina Panthers 5-8 (+7.5)

The Vikings secured themselves a spot in the playoffs last week with a win over the Bengals, and this week, they can clinch the NFC North and potentially a first-round bye if they beat the Panthers. Adrian Peterson ran for 97 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns against a solid Bengals defence last week. He’ll try to improve upon that against a Panthers defence that is No. 26 in the NFL against the run.

Dr. Sports: Vikings to win and cover.

The Coach: Vikings to win and cover.

MONDAY NIGHT

New York Giants 7-6 at Washington Redskins 4-9 (+2.5)

This is a huge game for the Redskins. It’s Monday night, so they’ll feed off the crowd’s emotion just like the 49ers did last week. Washington obviously can’t make the playoffs, but beating the Giants here and the Cowboys next week is what the players are focusing on. Defeating their divisional rivals will really build momentum for next year. Of course, the Giants MUST win, too. Should be a great game.

Dr. Sports: Redskins to win.

The Coach: Giants to win and cover.

The Doc is 139-69 overall and 110-98 against the spread. The Coach is 131-77 straight up and 108-100 against the spread

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Week 13. Lucky 13, For Sure.

Posted on December 2, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

JACKSONVILLE — We’re in Jacksonville this week for the Texans and Jags. Everybody else will probably be watching the Vikings in Arizona or the Cowboys at the Giants.

Heading into lucky Week 13, there are two big stories:

1) Tennessee runningback Chris Johnson is clearly one of the finest young backs in football, but at the pace he’s set, Eric Dickerson’s single season record of 2,105 rushing yards is in jeopardy of being surpassed.

Johnson has 1,396 yards rushing in 11 games this season, which puts him on pace for 2,030 over the course of 16 games. But with five games left, and with all his speed and talent, Johnson could easily get to 2,200.

2) Brett Favre was the NFL’s player of the month for November. It’s the sixth time in his career he’s won the award. Based on what Favre did in November, this is no scoop.

In four games, beginning with his return to Lambeau Field on Nov. 1, Favre threw 130 passes, completed 91 of them for 1,193 yards. He threw 12 touchdown passes and not one interception. The Vikings went 4-0 and Favre turned 40. Nice month.

He can keep things going in Phoenix on Sunday night.

Let’s take a closer look at Week 13:

THURSDAY NIGHT IN TORONTO

New York Jets 5-6 at Buffalo Bills 4-7 (+2.5)

This contest will be played in Toronto, where barely anyone showed up last year. This is technically a home game for Buffalo, but I don’t see how the team can get any motivation when most of the fans won’t even be there. The Jets, meanwhile, are not as good as the New York-based TV media continues to suggest.

Dr. Sports: Jets to win and cover.

The Coach: Bills to win.

SUNDAY AFTERNOON

Philadelphia Eagles 7-4 at Atlanta Falcons 6-5 (+4.5)

A critical match for the NFC wild card. The Falcons are undefeated at home but they are without starting quarterback Matt Ryan.

Dr. Sports: Eagles to win and cover.

The Coach: Eagles to win and cover.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1-10 at Carolina Panthers 4-7 (-6.5)

Just when you thought it was safe to believe in the Panthers, they go and lose to the Jets. Still, Tampa Bay is terrible. We could see about seven interceptions in this game, which could be fun. Panthers won by a touchdown when these two teams met in Tampa in October.

Dr. Sports: Panthers to win and cover.

The Coach: Panthers to win and cover.

St. Louis at 1-10 Chicago 7-7 (-8.5)

First of all, who are the Bears, to be laying nine points? They stink. Their offensive line can’t block and their defence can’t stop anyone. They haven’t won a game in more than a month. How can they beat a 9-point spread if they can’t even get a victory? After getting blown out by the Vikings, they might play a little better, but they won’t win by much. The only thing Chicago has going for it is the fact the Rams couldn’t even beat dog-ass Seattle in its own building.

Dr. Sports: Bears to win but not cover.

The Coach: Bears to win and cover.

Detroit Lions 2-9 at Cincinnati Bengals 8-3 (-12.5)

This is a really tough spot for Cincinnati for two reasons. First, this is a meaningless contest against a non-conference foe. The Bengals are three in front of the Steelers and Ravens (they have the tie-breaker), so they don’t need a victory. And second, they have the Vikings and Chargers after this “easy game.” Why would Cincinnati be focused here?

Dr. Sports: Bengals to win but not to cover.

The Coach: Bengals to win and cover.

Tennessee Titans 5-6 at Indianapolis Colts 11-0 (-6.5)

Sure, the Titans are on a roll right now, but the Colts just keep finding ways to win and I don’t think the Tennessee defence can keep Manning and company out of the end zone.

Dr. Sports: Colts to win and cover.

The Coach: Colts to win and cover.

Houston Texans 5-6 at Jacksonville Jaguars 6-5 (PK)

The Texans are the better team, but that didn’t stop them from losing last time and we don’t like their chances here either. They just lost their Super Bowl. Once 5-3, they now sit at 5-6, meaning that their season is over.

Dr. Sports: Jaguars to win.

The Coach: Jaguars to win.

Denver Broncos 7-4 at Kansas City Chiefs 3-8 (+4.5)

Granted, the Broncos just demolished the Giants, but they shouldn’t be favored by this much on the road. They had lost four games in a row before Thanksgiving and were lucky enough to catch New York traveling on a short work week. The Chiefs have been blown out just twice since the beginning of October – and both times it was against San Diego. Remember, Kansas City just beat the Steelers two weeks ago.

Dr. Sports: Broncos to win, but they won’t cover.

The Coach: Chiefs to win.

Oakland Raiders 3-8 at Pittsburgh Steelers 6-5 (OFF)

The Steelers aren’t a great football team in 2009. Injuries to important players have seen to that. Fortunately for Pittsburgh, they’re playing a very bad football team. Then again, the Raiders only show up when playing good opponents.

Dr. Sports: Steelers to win (and cover).

The Coach: Steelers to win (and cover).

New Orleans Saints 11-0 at Washington Redskins 3-8 (+9.5)

The Redskins have decided in the past month that they’re ready to actually play football but do you really think Washington can keep the Saints from scoring at least 40 points?

Dr. Sports: Saints to win and cover.

The Coach: Saints to win and cover.

San Diego Chargers 8-3 at Cleveland Browns 1-10 (+12.5)

Anybody picking the Browns in this one? Anybody? Dr. Sports would  rather listen to Vic Grant for three hours than watch the Browns play football.

Dr. Sports: Chargers to win and cover.

The Coach: Chargers to win and cover.

Dallas Cowboys 8-3 at New York Giants 6-5 (+2.5)

After watching Romo and company destroy Oakland on US Turkey Day, and with reports that Eli Manning’s foot is worse than we’re being let on, how do you pick the Jints?

Dr. Sports: Cowboys to win and cover.

The Coach: Cowboys to win and cover.

San Francisco 49ers 5-6 at Seattle Seahawks 4-7 (PK)

Neither of these teams are very good, but the Seahawks still have a great home field advantage. With Hasselbeck under center, they are 3-1 at Qwest Field this year, losing only to Arizona. They also own this rivalry, having won nine of the past 13 meetings.

Dr. Sports: Seahawks to win.

The Coach: Seahawks to win.

New England Patriots 7-4  at Miami Dolphins 5-6 (+5.5)

To quote Mike Tomlin, New England will “unleash hell” in Miami.

Dr. Sports: Patriots to win and cover.

The Coach: Patriots to win and cover.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Minnesota at Arizona (OFF)

This isn’t really a major game for either team. A loss wouldn’t hurt the Vikings or Cardinals. Perhaps Arizona will want revenge after the trashing they took last year, but that’s not a major edge.

Dr. Sports: Vikings to win but by only a FG.

The Coach: Vikings to win.

MONDAY NIGHT

Baltimore Ravens 6-5 at Green Bay Packers 7-4 (-2.5)

Despite their best efforts, the Ravens managed to beat the Steelers on Sunday night. Baltimore’s pass rush should keep Aaron Rodgers from sleeping all week long as he plays behind a terrible, terrible offensive line. With that said, the Ravens will probably manage to lose the game on a botched field goal.

Dr. Sports: Packers to win but not cover.

The Coach: Packers to win and cover.

The Doc is 116-60 overall this season and 96-80 against the spread. The coach is 111-65 straight up and 90-86 against the spread.

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NFL Picks for Week 9: A Great Monday Nighter.

Posted on November 5, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

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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Ravens-Vikings, Giants-Saints: The Big Games of Week 6 in the NFL.

Posted on October 16, 2009 by Scott Taylor| Leave a comment

TAMPA, Fla. — It’s Week 6 in the National Football League and this season, that means five potentially great football games.

If you have Sunday Ticket, lock on to Baltimore at Minnesota – there will be about 5,000 Winnipeggers in Minnie for this one – the Giants at the New Orleans Saints, Chicago at Atlanta, Arizona at Seattle and Monday night’s 5-0 Denver at 2-2 San Diego. Oh, it’s going to be a great week.

This week, the Coach will be live in Tampa for a matchup of titans — and yes, these teams are as bad as the Titans — as the 1-3 Carolina Panthers take on the 0-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Sorry, it didn’t look all that when I was planning a trip through the NFL.

This has been a season in which the good teams have separated themselves from the bad ones and the concept of parity is a thing of the past. There are currently five undefeated teams — the Giants, Vikings, Saints, Broncos and Colts — and four winless teams — the Titans, Chiefs, Buccaneers and Rams. By the way, Congratulations to the Cleveland Browns who left the Winless Club with that stirring 6-3 win over Buffalo (which plays like a winless team).

So, as we said last week, with all this undefeated good news comes all that winless bad news as well, as the good teams separate themselves from the really, really awful ones. (Remember, the Cowboys, Colts, Dolphins and 49ers have the byes).

How many zeroes in the standings at the end of this week? Let’s take a closer look at Week 6…

Houston Texans 2-3 at Cincinnati Bengals 4-1 (-4.5)

The Bengals are obviously the better team, but Dr. Sports really loves Houston this week (I know, I don’t get it either). Cincinnati is coming off an emotional victory in Baltimore and according to the Good Doctor “will probably be flat as a favourite over an inferior Texans squad.”

Dr. Sports: Bengals to win but not to cover.

The Coach: Bengals to win and cover.

Detroit Lions 1-4 at Green Bay Packers 2-2 (-13.5)

Detroit really has been more competitive lately. The team lost by eight to the Steelers and had a legitimate shot at tying the game late in the fourth quarter. A week earlier, the Lions and Bears were tied at halftime. And a week before that, Detroit knocked off the Redskins.

Dr. Sports: Packers to win but not to cover.

The Coach: Packers to win but not to cover.

St. Louis Rams 0-5 at Jacksonville Jaguars 2-3 (-9.5)

The Rams will start Marc Bulger at quarterback, which should help a very inconsistent offense. However, they are on the road against a team that was embarrassed last week. That’s never good. Look for the Jaguars to bounce back.

Dr. Sports: Jags to win and cover.

The Coach: Jags to win and cover.

Baltimore Ravens 3-2 at Minnesota Vikings 5-0 (-2.5)

Despite their records, these teams are pretty much even. The difference is the strength of schedule (Baltimore’s has been much tougher) and that’s why Minnesota is only a 2 ½ point favourite.

Dr. Sports: Vikings to win and cover.

The Coach: Vikings to win and cover.

N.Y. Giants 5-0 at New Orleans Saints 4-0 (-2.5)

Wow, this is the game of the week! It’s evenly matched game and it should go right down to the wire. The Giants are a solid team that plays well on the road, but right now, nobody is better than Drew Brees. That’s right, not even Brett Favre.

Dr. Sports: Giants to win.

The Coach: Saints to win and cover.

Cleveland Browns 1-4 at Pittsburgh Steelers 3-2 (-13.5)

The Browns won a game 6-3 over Buffalo last week by completing only two passes. What do they get this week? Three?

Dr. Sports: Steelers to win and cover.

The Coach: Steelers to win and cover.

Carolina Panthers 1-3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0-5 (+3.5)

Carolina won for the first time last week. Tampa Bay hasn’t won yet and with all the controversy down here this week, it’s hard to imagine they’ll get the job done. Still, this is a matchup of two bad teams and the Buccaneers are at home.

Dr. Sports: Tampa Bay to win

The Coach: Carolina to win and cover.

Kansas City Chiefs 0-5  at Washington Redskins 2-3 (-6.5)

It’s tough to lay 6.5 points with the Redskins because they have trouble scoring but while Kansas City put everything it had into beating an inconsistent Cowboys outfit last week, they couldn’t close the deal.

Dr. Sports: Redskins to win and cover.

The Coach: Redskins win and cover.

Philadelphia Eagles at Oakland Raiders (+13.5)

The Raiders have lost their last three games by a combined score of 96-16. This isn’t because they’re just that bad (which they are), it also has a lot to do with the fact that head coach Tom Cable will be in jail soon. Sure, the spread is large, but the Raiders are one giant disconnect right now. Worse yet, Andy Reid has a history of winning on the West Coast; he’s 9-3 against the spread when flying the across the country.

Dr. Sports: Eagles to win and cover.

The Coach: Eagles to win and cover.

Arizona Cardinals 2-2 at Seattle Seaawks 2-3 (-2.5)

Hard not to like the Seahawks at home this week. With Matt Hasselbeck back, they’re playing with fire and out to prove that they’re a contender again.

Dr. Sports: Seattle to win and cover.

The Coach: Seattle to win and cover.

Tennessee 0-5 at New England 3-2 (-9.5)

Please do not allow children under the age of 12 to watch this massacre. Sure, this was a great matchup before the season started, but it ain’t much now. Tennessee is already done. and they have to go to New England and play a team that is still angry after last week’s overtime loss. Tom Brady will carve up that Tennessee secondary.

Dr. Sports: Patriots to win and cover.

The Coach: Patriots to win and cover.

Buffalo Bills 1-4 at N.Y. Jets 3-2 (-9.5)

Call 9-1-1! Call 9-1-1! The Bills lost 6-3 at home to Cleveland last week. Surprised Dick Jauron is still working.

Dr. Sports: Jets to win and cover.

The Coach: Jets to win and cover.

SUNDAY NIGHT

Chicago Bears 3-1 at Atlanta Falcons 3-1 (-2.5)

If the Giants-Saints or Ravens-Vikings are the two best games this week, this is No. 3. Interestingly, Lovie Smith is just 1-4 against the spread coming off a bye. The Falcons are really dominant at home; Matt Ryan has only lost one game at the Georgia Dome, which was a last-second defeat against the undefeated Denver Broncos.

Dr. Sports: Falcons to win and cover.

The Coach: Falcons to win and cover.

MONDAY NIGHT

Denver Broncos 5-0 at San Diego 2-2 (-3.5)

On paper, the Broncos should win this game, but football is a game of emotion and talent — and homefield advantage. San Diego has all of the upside and none of the down.

Dr. Sports: Chargers to win and cover.

The Coach: Chargers to win and cover

Doctor Sports is 53-23 on the season and 44-32 against the spread while The Coach is 54-22 straight up and 42-34 against the spread.

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