The NFL season rolls on, here are the picks for week 11. Last week, I went 1-4 (14-16 YTD) with the locks of the week and 6-8 overall (42-43-1 YTD).
Dolphins @ Jets
The Pick: MIA -3.5
I was chatting with a friend during TNF last week and I made the claim that if the Dolphins managed to beat the Ravens, Miami was gonna go on a run to get back to .500 on the year. Low and behold, the Dolphins did win and now it is time for the team to back up my prediction. Over their next four games, Miami will take on the Jets, Panthers, Giants, and Jets again (talk about cupcakes). The defense has been on point over the past two games and it looks like they can easily clamp down on the offensively weak opponents in the coming weeks. The Jets are once again in disarray as their savior (Mike White) turned out to be a fraud and now the team will be starting the oft-maligned Joe Flacco this Sunday. Interestingly, Miami has beaten New York in eight of the past ten matchups. The Dolphins are surging right now and the Jets have never left the basement, I'm gonna ride Miami this weekend.
Cowboys @ Chiefs
The Pick: KC -2.5
The Chiefs finally put it all together last weekend. The offense was clicking on all cylinders as Mahomes threw for over 400 yards and five touchdowns. The defense was effective while only giving up 14 points and forcing a couple of turnovers. The real test comes this Sunday though when the Cowboys roll into town, fresh off their 43-3 thrashing of the Falcons. Had Kansas City not put together a convincing win over the Raiders, I would have stayed away from this game, but since I believe that the Chiefs are getting hot right now I am gonna ride the Mahome train again. I am not a believer in the Cowboys' defense and I can easily see it getting shredded on Sunday. When the Chiefs get hot, it is hard to pick against them.
Colts @ Bills
The Pick: IND +7
The Colts' record against winning teams this season is well documented (0-4 to date). It is easy to write them off as frauds who only have the ability to beat garbage teams. However, I don't believe the Colts are frauds, Jonathan Taylor is having himself a year and the defense is solid. Additionally, it is worth noting that only two of their five losses this season have come by more than six points. The Bills are having a great year with plenty of blowout wins (although most of those came against garbage teams), but chinks have been found in the armor. The recent loss to the Jaguars shows that the Bills are not infallible. A visit from the rising Colts could cause Josh Allen and Co. some fits. Indianapolis will keep the game close and Jonathan Taylor will have a massive day.
Saints @ Eagles
The Pick: NO +2
Last week the Saints were three-point underdogs in Nashville, this week the team is only two-point underdogs in Philadelphia. So basically the oddsmakers are saying the Eagles are as good as the Titans.
All jokes aside, I have seen the Eagles play this year and I know that they are not a good team. The offense is starting to come together, but come on, they beat one overrated Broncos team and suddenly they get as much respect as the 8-2 Titans? This is such an overreaction. The Saints may not have a quarterback, but they have found ways to be competitive with Trevor Siemian at the helm. New Orleans is good enough to hang with the Eagles and maybe even steal one on the road. Fun fact, the Saints have lost their last two games by exactly two points apiece.
Lions @ Browns
The Pick: DET +11.5
I don't know why I have this urge to keep coming back to the Lions. It's like an old tennis racket I can't throw away, I know it's garbage, but it has charm to it so I must keep it. The Lions are garbage, but they are a likable team with young talent and a respectable head coach (who still needs his first win). I also know that the Lions are capable of playing close games because I have seen it happen quite a bit this season, look no further than the 16-16 tie with Pittsburgh last week. The Browns, on the other hand, are very inconsistent, they blew out the Bengals two weeks ago and then got blown out by the Patriots last Sunday. It is hard to get a read on them at this point, but one thing is for sure, you can't trust them. Mayfield might not even play and the running back corps is still not at full strength. I think that Detriot will keep this one close.
The Best of the Rest:
Patriots @ Falcons: NE -6.5
Texans @ Titans: TEN -10.5
The Football Team @ Panthers: CAR -3.5
Ravens @ Bears: BAL -4.5
49ers @ Jaguars: SF -6
Packers @ Vikings: MIN +1.5
Bengals @ Raiders: CIN -1
Cardinals @ Seahawks: SEA +2.5
Steelers @ Chargers: PIT +6
Giants @ Buccaneers: NYG +11