Two former Philadelphia Eagles quarterbacks duel in Week 5 when Kevin Kolb and the Arizona Cardinals travel to Minnesota to take on Donovan McNabb and the 0-4 Vikings.
I bounced back with a nice Week 4 but Week 5 will be no easy task. Many of this week’s spreads look positively treacherous on paper. Let’s see if I can find some viable ones to try.
Nobody was expecting the Indianapolis Colts to put up such a strong fight against the Pittsburgh Steelers in a game that ended with a game-ending field goal in the dying seconds to cost the home side on Sunday Night Football.
The Steelers and the Texans both enter this week’s matchup at 2-1. Both of those teams have high hopes for this season. The Texans are looking to get over the hump and get into the playoffs.
When the New England Patriots fell short on the road against the Buffalo Bills last week in a loss that ended their 15-game winning streak over their AFC East rivals, there were more than a few heads that turned as a result of the final score.
The New York Giants, coming off their most impressive performance in the young season travel east on Sunday to take on a Cardinals team that is coming off perhaps their worst performance of the year.
The St. Louis Rams will be looking for their first win of the season on Sunday when they take on a Washington Redskins team that fought hard but came out on the losing end on Monday night. While Washington continues to surprise in the NFC, St. Louis continues to disappoint.
The Seattle Seahawks have to be pleased to get their first win of the season out of the way. Now comes the real test – maintaining some improved play against an elite team that finds themselves at the bottom of their own division.
Week 3 showed how dangerous the dreaded double-digit point spread can be, as I got burned by picking San Diego and Pittsburgh to cover huge numbers. I won’t make that same mistake this week.
NFL Gambling Online – Week 3
WEEK 2 ATS PICKS RECORD: 1-3
SEASON ATS PICKS RECORD: 7-3
After a powerhouse first week, I came back to Earth on my ATS picks in Week 2. The supposed “slam dunk” Ravens game reminded me that anything can happen in the NFL. Let’s look at four more games for Week 3 and bounce back. The speciality this week: the always-tricky “big spreads.”
Sunday, September 25, 1:00 p.m. ET
NFL betting favorite: Patriots -9
Who could’ve imagined just a few weeks ago that Patriots/Bills might be Week 3’s most exciting game? I’m sure everyone knows what Tom Brady has done through two weeks. He’s averaging 470 passing yards per contest thus far, he has seven interceptions versus one pick and he’s completed 71.6 per cent of his passes. Just hand him the MVP award already.
However, we can’t lose sight of what Buffalo’s Ryan Fitzpatrick has done in 2011. Once again flourishing in head coach Chan Gailey’s quarterback-friendly system, he’s been as impressive as any signalcaller not named Brady, tossing seven touchdown passes of his own. The Pats are allowing 381 passing yards per game so far this season; I don’t think they’ll slow Fitzpatrick down.
I still like New England to win but the Bills should keep it relatively close in what should be a shootout in Buffalo on Sunday. Yes, I’m aware that this is essentially the same situation New England faced in San Diego last week, and that it’s against an inferior “D,” but divisional games often play closer.
Pick: Bills +9
Sunday, September 25, 1:00 p.m. ET
NFL betting favorite: Panthers -3.5
Cam Newton’s epic rookie debut against the Arizona Cardinals was the talk of the town. But he was supposed to fall flat on his face against the defending champion Green Bay Packers last week. He didn’t, again topping 400 passing yards. This time, he made a few bonehead mistakes, but that was partly because he was so fearless and unflappable. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
In Jacksonville, he gets a front seven as toothless as any in the league. Newton might be in for another huge day. While the Panthers defense is just as much of a joke as Jacksonville’s it may feast on another rookie quarterback: Blaine Gabbert.
Obviously, if Newton could be so successful, we can’t write Gabbert off entirely, but the situation is different. Newton is getting by on a level of athleticism Gabbert doesn’t possess. He should experience growing pains on Sunday.
Pick: Panthers -3.5
Sunday, September 25, 4:05 p.m. ET
NFL betting favorite: Chargers -14.5
Here’s another scary spread to contend with. The Chiefs have been epically bad, outscored 89-10 so far. It doesn’t seem like a trip to San Diego, a team with the NFL’s No. 1 offense and defense in 2010, will remedy their problems. I know there’s the divisional-game factor to worry about, as I explained above with Buffalo. But the Bills are at home. They’re also not missing their best offensive player (Jamaal Charles, out for season) and defensive back (Eric Berry, out for season), as the Chiefs are.
I have to think the Chargers make this one ugly as they try to bounce back from the beating Tom Brady gave them.
Pick: Chargers -14.5
Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts
Sunday, September 25, 8:20 p.m. ET
NFL betting favorite: Steelers -10.5
A double-digit spread on the road is usually frightening. But you know what’s more frightening? Kerry Collins against the Steelers’ front seven. Will they literally murder him on national TV? At least there won’t be too many eyes glued to this dud of a game. I’ll be watching the season premiere of Boardwalk Empire instead. Then again, we may see more blood and death if we watch Indy try to move the ball on Pittsburgh. Tough decision.
Pick: Steelers -10.5
This is the Week 3 series of free NFL Pick articles by our experts here at CappersPicks.com. Check back with us all NFL Betting season long, and keep on winning those NFL Bets folks!
If you took my advice in Week 1, you ran the table with your picks. Can we keep the magic going with some solid Week 2 picks? Let’s give it a shot.
This is installment #5 in the Pre-season series of free NFL Pick articles by our experts here at CappersPicks.com.
Are you ready for the NFL’s free agent frenzy? The lockout appears set to end any day now and, rumor hasn’t, the free agency NFL gambling crapshoot will begin on July 28. It should be madness.
The third instalment of our NFL Week 1 breakdown crosses over into late-game action.
Our look ahead to Week 1 of the 2011 NFL season continues with NFL betting picks for four more early games.
I refuse to accept that there won’t be NFL football in 2011. I’m going forward with picks on NFL Week 1 point spreads no matter what happens.
