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The Oakland Raiders have a ton of needs and had only three picks in the first five rounds.

It was widely known that they were interested in trading down and they did.

Moving up to the third-overall pick, the Miami Dolphins selected Oregon outside linebacker Dion Jordan to give the Dolphins another pass-rusher opposite Cameron Wake, who ranks third in sacks (37.5) in the NFL over the past three seasons.

As a converted receiver and tight end, Jordan is a bit raw and coming off surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. That said, he is an explosive and smooth athlete with a lot of upside that can rush the passer or drop in coverage. One of the players to whom he has been compared is former Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor.

The Eagles are on the clock with the fourth-overall pick.

Posted by Kevin Hanson at 08:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 11 NFL picks against the spread:

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) over Detroit Lions

As a general rule, I try not to get goaded into what is historically one of the worst bets in football: small road underdogs. However, my feeling is that the Packers should be a larger road favorite because there is a greater distance between these two teams than their records indicate. Aaron Rodgers is back to playing like the MVP of the league, and Green Bay is coming off a bye.

On the other hand, the Lions were starting to salvage their season before getting beaten pretty soundly by their division-rival Minnesota Vikings. The game ended with the Vikings winning by 10, but Minnesota had control of the entire game.

With Detroit playing inconsistent ball, I like the Packers to cover the small spread in a 31-20 type game.

Continue reading "Week 11 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 10 NFL picks against the spread:

Buffalo Bills (+13) over New England Patriots

The Patriots have been a bit tough to figure out this year. There are obvious signs that the rest of the league has caught up with them, and they're no longer the clear cut favorite to make the Super Bowl.

That said, they still have Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, and New England can still run up the score against an inferior squad.

In fact, they steamrolled Buffalo earlier in the year by the score of 52-28. I do still like the Pats to win, of course, but 13 is a big number, and I like the Bills to keep it a bit closer this time.

Continue reading "Week 10 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 06:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 10 NFL picks against the spread:

New England Patriots (-12.5) over Buffalo Bills

The Patriots have always owned Buffalo, and that is a fact as they have gone an impressive 14-1 in their last 15 games. Not only has New England been impressive straight up, they have also have posted a 4-2 mark against the Bills and the number in their last 6 games.

The Patriots offense will have it's dream day, as they go against a Buffalo defense that allows 170 yards rushing and 248 yards passing per game. The Patriots had two 100 yard rushers earlier this year when the two teams met, and also Brady will exploit their weak secondary that has given up 16 touchdowns this year.

I love the small line of just 12.5 when these teams are involved, and it's one of the rare cases where I will lay 12.5 points.

Continue reading "Week 10 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Yanotchko)" »

Posted by Dan Yanotchko at 03:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 10 NFL picks against the spread:

Houston Texans (+1.5) over Chicago Bears

The sports-commentating world seems pretty equally divided into two camps on Chicago: those that believe and those that don’t believe. I firmly fall into the camp of the non-believers.

The Bears feast on bad teams and turnovers to fuel the scoring, but their offense has been underwhelming. In the first quarter last week, the Bears put up 28 points against the Titans on 40 yards of offense – I’ll repeat that: 28 points with only 40 yards of offense.

This is a Chicago team that is opportunistic, but a sound team like the Texans won’t give the Bears those opportunities. The Texans special teams won’t give up the huge returns that set up short fields, and the offense will control the ball without turning it over.

Chicago’s D could keep them in the game, but I expect the Texans to travel to Chicago and come away with a win.

Continue reading "Week 10 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Woodhull)" »

Posted by Steve Woodhull at 02:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 9 NFL picks against the spread:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+2) over Oakland Raiders

The Buccaneers have had quite a turnaround recently, and now this week they head to Oakland to take on the Raiders. The Bucs have been a great team against the number this year, as they have posted an impressive 5-2 mark.

Tampa has built quite the rushing attack behind Doug Martin, who torched the always-tough Vikings front-seven for 135 yards last week. I love the the matchup of the Buccaneers going up against an Oakland defense giving 102 yards on the ground and 246 yards through the air.

The Bucs are too physical, have a better rushing attack and Oakland cannot cover Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson, so take the two points here.

Continue reading "Week 9 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Yanotchko)" »

Posted by Dan Yanotchko at 04:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 9 NFL picks against the spread:

Dallas Cowboys (+4) over Atlanta Falcons

For whatever reason, I can't stop picking against the Falcons against the spread (ATS). Earlier in the season, I loved the Panthers to cover seven in Atlanta, which they did, and just last week, I loved the Eagles to cover over the Falcons, which they did not. Still, while Atlanta is 7-0, they are just 2-2 ATS in their last four games, and 0-2 in home games.

This week, the Cowboys, who are desperate for a win to stay in contention in the NFC East, are coming to town. In an odd fact, the Cowboys are undefeated since 1991 when playing teams that are at least 7-0. I'm not a big fan of stats like that, but I do like this year's Dallas team to continue the trend.

The Cowboys are their usual up-and-down selves this year once again, but they often come to play when you don't expect they will. After falling behind 23-0 to the Giants early, the twitter-verse had them dead and buried. Then they ran off 24 unanswered points, and ended up losing a heart-breaker by Dez Bryant's fingertip.

I may not be giving Atlanta enough credit, and they certainly are coming off an impressive win in Philadelphia, but three of the wins could have easily gone the other way, and they just don't seem to be on par with some of the last remaining undefeated teams of years past. I give Dallas a decent chance to win outright, and like the Cowboys getting four.

Continue reading "Week 9 NFL Picks Against the Spread (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 07:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 9 NFL picks against the spread:

Detroit Lions (-4.5) over Jacksonville Jaguars

For all the problems Detroit still has on special teams, last week they at least found some continuity and the ability to utilize players not name Calvin Johnson in the offense. Spreading the ball around has re-ignited some of the explosiveness we saw last year. The Lions continue to struggle early and fall behind in the fourth quarter, but against the atrocious Jags offense that may not be a problem. Maurice Jones-Drew was the only semblance of offense that Jacksonville has had all year, and as he sits out another week with a sprained foot Jacksonville will struggle to generate offense. The Lions have too much firepower and cover easy.

Houston Texans (-10) over Buffalo Bills

Only one thing you need to know about this game – Buffalo gives up 176 rushing yards per game, worst in the NFL. I can see both Arian Foster and Justin Forsett (since Ben Tate is not expected to play) breaking the century mark in this game. Houston reasserted their dominance of the AFC when they overwhelmed the Ravens and I don’t see them letting off the throttle. The Texans will control the game from start to finish and the only concern about giving double digits is a back-door cover on a late, meaningless, garbage-time score.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) over the NY Giants

The Steelers still have some offensive line woes, which can be a scary proposition against arguably the best pass-rushing D-line in the NFL. However, under Todd Haley as offensive coordinator, the Steelers offense is more geared to short passing, and, of course, running the football. In theory, this should neutralize the Giants pass rush and the Steelers after a rocky start have started to get on a bit of roll, both offensively and defensively. On the other hand, the Giants are due for let-down game after a couple of big division wins. On defense, the Steelers will be without Troy Polamalu, however, they will have Ryan Clark at the other safety active, and he is the better of the two in pass defense, which will be critical against Eli Manning.

All of our Week 9 picks will be posted on The Weekly Blitz page as they are made. Also, check out our Week 9 NFL consensus power rankings.

Posted by Steve Woodhull at 07:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 8 NFL picks against the spread:

Denver Broncos -6 (vs. New Orleans Saints)

Although the Saints have won two straight, their defense is the reason why they are only 2-4 for the season. Peyton Manning and the Broncos offense should have no problem throwing all over the third-worst passing defense in the NFL.

The Saints typically struggle on the road on grass, and the Broncos are usually money after a bye week going 8-2 ATS in their past 10. This game will be filled with a ton of big plays, but Denver makes a few more than New Orleans.

Broncos win, 38-27.

Indianapolis Colts +3.5 (at Tennessee Titans)

The Titans are on a hot streak winning 2 straight games, and many are saying it is because the change at QB. I definitely am not one of those guys. Right now Matt Hasselbeck is a good backup quarterback, but there is no way he should be starting if Jake Locker is healthy which I think he is.

The knock on Locker was his accuracy, yet if you look at the numbers he is beating Hasselbeck in pretty much every category. Locker can also make big plays with his legs. He was the team's leading rusher through the first three games of the year. I think Mike Munchak doesn't have the balls to switch back, because he will get ripped if the Titans lose on Sunday. They won't lose because of QB play, even though I think Hasselbeck is awful.

They will lose because of their defense, which ranks last in the NFL giving up 34 points per game. This is a game everyone is expecting the Titans to win, but I think the Colts pull the upset, 31-27.

Philadelphia Eagles -2 (vs. Atlanta Falcons)

I predicted it last week that the Falcons perfect season comes to an end at Philly Sunday and I am sticking to my pick.

The Eagles have been one of the hardest teams to figure out all season, for sure. If Michael Vick wasn't a turnover machine, the Eagles would be 5-1 and on top of the division. Instead they are sitting at 3-3.

Andy Reid and the Eagles are money coming off a bye week going 5-1 ATS in their last six. I think Andy Reid and Michael Vick are playing for their career this weekend in Philly. If the Eagles find a way to lose this game, both will be out by year's end.

The Eagles finally put this one together and whoop the Falcons at home, 27-13.

All of our Week 8 picks will be posted on The Weekly Blitz page as they are made. Also, check out our Week 8 NFL consensus power rankings.

Posted by Sean Beazley at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 8 picks against the spread:

San Diego Chargers -3 (vs. Cleveland Browns)

Much like Halloween, the Chargers have provided both tricks and treats in October, and will now travel to Cleveland after a bye to right their ship. The Browns have been frisky as of late, but as is the case with all young teams, they struggle to find ways to finish. I love Philip Rivers going into Cleveland and playing the 28th-ranked passing defense that gives up 277 yards per game, 25.7 points per game and 15 passing touchdowns.

The Browns also have been struggling with health issues, as star running back Trent Richardson has been dinged up the past few weeks. I love laying just the field goal in this one, as the Chargers are the much superior team and it will show this week.

Atlanta Falcons +2 (vs. Philadelphia Eagles)

I know Andy Reid is almost unbeatable after the bye week, but I am not sure if having just one week off was enough to solve their problems. The Eagles fired Juan Castillo, although truth be told it is the offense that has been lacking for the Eagles.

The Falcons last performance against the Raiders did indeed leave much to be desired, but they are still 4-2 against the spread, while the Eagles are 1-4-1. I love the No. 8-ranked Falcons passing defense going up against a turnover-prone Mike Vick, and a team defense that only allows 18.8 points per game.

The Falcons are certainly a superior team to the Eagles this year, and if I can get two points in the bargain, then sign me up for this deal. The Falcons have too much firepower with Matt Ryan, Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez. Take the points here.

New Orleans Saints +6 (vs. Denver Broncos)

Talk about your almost good-versus-evil matchup here, as the Saints have been vilified all year with the bounty scandal, and the feel-good story in Denver with the return of Peyton Manning.

The Saints will actually be getting a huge boost this week, as interim coach Joe Vitt will be off suspension and this allows Steve Spagnuolo to concentrate totally on his defense. The Saints are still not out of the playoff hunt, and the Broncos still have a weak defense that allows 23 points per game.

Denver has made it a habit of being the comeback kings all year, as they start games slow and rally at the end. I know you should never go against Peyton Manning in primetime, but when you are giving Drew Brees and the quick-strike Saints offense six points, I will gladly grab it. When you have the No. 1 passing game and a six-point cushion to work with, take the team that hasn't lost by more than eight points in their four losses.

All of our Week 8 picks will be posted on The Weekly Blitz page as they are made. Also, check out our Week 8 NFL consensus power rankings.

Posted by Dan Yanotchko at 05:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my three NFL picks for Week 8:

Cleveland Browns (+3) over San Diego Chargers

You may recount my high expectations of the Browns in my preseason write-up, projecting 8-8. After starting 1-6, I need a near miracle of seven wins in their last nine games to hit .500 for the season. Also, if you’ve been following my picks on this site, you’ll probably notice I rely a lot on statistics. The Browns rank near the bottom in both total defense and total offense, so it’s probably a few weeks late on me giving up on my thought that the Browns would have a turnaround season this year.

But I’m stubborn – is there such a thing as a competitive 1-6 team? I’ve also held on to my preseason belief that the Chargers are a bad team and they are hitting a midseason slump. After dropping two straight games, the Chargers continue their swoon and Browns pick up their second win of the season.

Philadelphia Eagles (-2) over Atlanta Falcons

The Falcons have looked weak in their wins, but are the only remaining undefeated team in the NFL. The Eagles, despite having a couple of impressive wins (Giants and Ravens), have been turnover prone and have several bad losses through six games. The Eagles have enough talent to beat any team in the NFL, but they have been inconsistent and unable to close out opportunities due to ill-timed turnovers and mistakes.

Now, both teams are coming off the bye and will have worked on correcting some of the problems that plague each team. Despite the undefeated record, the Falcons have significant structural problems in their offense and defense. The Falcons can’t run the ball (29th in the NFL) nor can they stop the run on the defense (28th). Those numbers for the Falcons speak to the fact that they can’t control the game and why they had to squeak out close wins against bad teams like the Raiders and the Panthers.

Amazingly, despite the imbalance in win-loss outcomes, the .500 team, the Eagles are giving points in the match-up. I’m not buying into what the Falcons are selling and I must be a sucker as I’m willing to take the Eagles to win giving those points.

Tennessee Titans (-3.5) over Indianapolis Colts

And the rejuvenation of Chris Johnson continues! Almost 200 yards rushing for Johnson last weekend as the horrendous Buffalo defense has the ability to make any offense look good – just see what the Jets did to the Bills in Week 1.

As for more evidence that the real Chris Johnson will continue to step forward, next up for the Tennessee Titans is the almost as bad Indianapolis Colts defense. Almost as important though, the stability that Matt Hasselbeck brought to the Titans when he replaced the injured Jake Locker at quarterback. The Titans defense is still shaky, but I envision a game like last weekend and the teams trading touchdowns and the Titans push the win streak to three games, winning by a touchdown.

All of our Week 8 picks will be posted on The Weekly Blitz page as they are made. Also, check out our Week 8 NFL consensus power rankings.

Posted by Steve Woodhull at 05:13 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here are my Week 8 picks against the spread:

St. Louis Rams +7 (vs. New England Patriots)

I was more than a little surprised when this line came out. The Rams may not be a great team, but they're 3-1 at home this season, and have the 10th-ranked defense in the league. The Patriots are coming off a rather ho-hum victory in overtime against the rival Jets, a game in which they were double-digit favorites to win. New England's offense, for whatever reason, has been less effective than it has been in previous years, and the Rams defense should be able to keep them from really running up the score.

St. Louis has been one of the pleasant surprises this year, and could pull back to .500 if they can upset the Pats. New England already has two losses against the NFC West, losing to both Seattle and Arizona, and while the Rams may not actually pull off the victory, I'm taking the touchdown for the home team in this one.

Philadelphia Eagles -2 (vs. Atlanta Falcons)

This should be a pretty interesting game between two teams coming off a bye week. The Falcons haven't looked all that impressive in recent weeks, although they are the last undefeated team standing.

The Eagles have looked good neither in victory nor defeat, turning the ball over repeatedly, and putting up a mere 17.2 points per game, good enough for 30th in the league. As ugly as it's been for Philadelphia, they are still 3-3 and in the hunt early on. The bye week should have given them some time to work through some of their issues and the extra rest should help get the offense going a bit. We saw just how explosive they could be down the stretch at the end of last season.

I'm betting they still have that potential to unleash, and a big home win against unbeaten Atlanta could be a momentum builder in the coming weeks. Philadelphia is loaded with talent if they can merely execute, and ultimately, they need this one a lot more than the Falcons do. I like the Eagles to pour on some points and cover at home.

Carolina Panthers +7.5 (at Chicago Bears)

The Panthers have to be one of the most disappointing teams of the year, and Cam Newton's press conferences have gotten more and more depressing. After a 1-5 start, Carolina's playoff hopes are pretty much out the window. Still, Carolina is another one of those teams with an explosive offense that has been unable to put it all together.

On the other hand, the Bears have the best defense in the league, not only by points against, but also in scoring, with an impressive five defensive touchdowns. The Bears should be a sizable favorite here, but I like the Panthers getting more than a touchdown.

I think it's likely that the Bears offense does not score enough points to cover, and I think the Panthers can keep it close. I also think it's likely enough that the Panthers pull a backdoor cover, trailing for the bulk of the game, but scoring a late touchdown in garbage time to get the cover.

Overall, I still think the Panthers are much better than their record indicates. They stepped up and played a good game at Atlanta a few weeks ago, losing by two points late. This is another opportunity for them to go against another good team. Don't be surprised if Cam finally delivers and Carolina pulls the upset.

All of our Week 8 picks will be posted on The Weekly Blitz page as they are made. Also, check out our Week 8 NFL consensus power rankings.

Posted by John Trifone at 04:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Due to some other commitments, my picks come a little later than the rest of The Weekly Blitz crew but they are just as good.

Here are my three picks for Week 7:

Dallas Cowboys (-2) over Carolina Panthers

Something smells fishy with this one. Dallas isn't as bad as their record indicates and Carolina isn't very good at all. I don't want to call this one a must-win game for Dallas, but if they want any chance at making the playoffs this year, they have to beat bad teams. Dallas wins, 27-24.

New England Patriots (-10.5) over New York Jets

A swing and a miss last week vs. the Seahawks, but the Patriots are back at Foxboro for some home cooking vs. the Jets. The Jets destroyed the Colts last week, and played very well vs. the Texans the week before. This week it's a divisional game vs. the Pats. The Patriots sit at 3-3 and are one of the biggest disappointments of the year to me, but I think this is one of those statement games and the Pats go on cruise control the rest of the way in the AFC East. Pats win big, 41-20.

Detroit Lions (+6.5) over Chicago Bears

I think the Bears are one of the better teams in the NFC this year, but I think the Lions front four is going to give the Bears O-Line trouble, and I believe Calvin Johnson steals the show in primetime. I may throw in a moneyline play on this Monday night as I do think the Lions can win this one outright. Lions in a squeaker, 23-21.

See all of our picks for Week 7.

Posted by Sean Beazley at 06:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

I have flip flopped on the 1-2, 3-4 spots in this division at least a dozen times. I think this division as a whole is pretty solid. Only one team will make the playoffs from this division this year.

1. Atlanta Falcons (10-6)

I think the time is now for the Atlanta Falcons. Matt Ryan will not put up the flashy numbers like Drew Brees or Aaron Rodgers but there is no doubt he is just as valuable to his team as those players are to theirs. Ryan, I believe, will take his game to the next level and join that second tier of great QBs (Eli, Big Ben, etc.). Ryan has plenty of weapons to throw to including the greatest tight end of all-time, Tony Gonzalez, who is back for one more season. Julio Jones was a rookie standout last season, and you can pretty much pencil Roddy White in for another stellar season.

Michael Turner returns at running back, and I don't think he is done at all. Turner is no longer needed to carry this team on his back. This team has transitioned nicely from a ground & pound team to a team that can hurt you in the air. Atlanta didn't have a first rounder this year, but they did get first-round talent when they drafted center Peter Konz in the second round (see team draft history). Konz can be the anchor to that line for years.

The other big move the Falcons did in the offseason was to acquire Asante Samuel from the Eagles for a seventh-round draft pick. Atlanta is weakest on defense against the pass and acquiring Samuel was huge considering the other big boy QBs/WRs they will face in the playoffs. I think the Falcons will edge out New Orleans for the division.

Continue reading "2012 NFL Preseason Predictions - NFC South (Beazley)" »

Posted by Sean Beazley at 05:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

With all of the site's contributors making divisional picks starting with the AFC East, here is how I see the division finishing:

New England Patriots (12-4)

The Patriots are still the class of the AFC East, and will be favorites to make another run at the Super Bowl again this year. They added Jake Ballard from the Super Bowl Champion Giants (that's right Patriots fans, Super Bowl Champions), as well as Visanthe Shiancoe. (Of course, Ballard is likely to end up on injured reserve.) I have no idea what they'll do with all those tight ends, but Belichick seems poised to continue to revolutionize the position, and I'm not going to question it. It seemed to work out for Gronk and Hernandez.

Continue reading "2012 NFL Preseason Predictions - AFC East (Trifone)" »

Posted by John Trifone at 09:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)