NFL Football Picks

The Chicago Bears are in as much disarray as any NFL team we’ve ever seen take the field. The Denver Broncos just lost by a million at Miami last week. What the heck is going to happen here? Get Loot’s Den/Chi pick here!

Two teams we thought would win last week didn’t – The Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars. The Falcons struggled to move the ball vs. a mediocre defense and the same can be said for the Jags. Who covers in Week 4? Get our Atl/Jax pick here!

The Chargers have been very tough at home since losing to the high-powered Chiefs in week one. Even so, after two straight on the road, the Chargers could be a bit weary. There have been some close calls recently. And even against the woeful Raiders last week, they didn’t get their act together until later in the game and had their season-low in total yardage. Can the Bolts get it together at home or will Loot Levinson convince you to pick Broncos plus the points?

The idea of forfeiting 14.5 million dollars might seem kooky to us and maybe it is, but that’s just what Le’Veon Bell has done by not reporting to the Pittsburgh Steelers by Tuesday. He will sit out the rest of the 2018 NFL season and presumably part ways with the team where he made his bones. Bell will be 27 in February and when he’s in in the game, he’s perhaps the biggest offensive difference-maker in the league. He’s always at the top of the league in rushing, with ball-catching stats that would be the envy of a lot of receivers. So he won’t come cheap. Books are starting to put up prop bets for which team Bell will sign with for the 2019 NFL football season. Let’s take a look at each team on the board, the odds, and how likely it is for each team to land the dominant back!

Sportsbooks have the Saints valued heavily at -7.5. Last week the Eagles failed to establish the run against Dallas and it’s one of the reasons they came up short. In the Jacksonville win they mixed things up well, attempting 30 passes to 28 runs. It was the opposite against the Cowboys, 44 passing attempts to just 16 runs. Which Eagles offense shows up Sunday? Rick Wise has his prediction.

While it took some time to come to fruition with a slow start to the season, the Minnesota offense is starting to look good and it could get even better. Kirk Cousins looks like he’s going to pay off this season, as he is getting a lot of his key guys involved. But the Chicago defense is getting better every game and Bears backers only need a FG to beat the bookmaker. Levinson has your NFL selection.

Atlanta’s defense is still banged up and still not playing at a high level and the Dallas Cowboys should take advantage. It’s starting to become evident that Dak Prescott is not the 2nd Coming of Troy Aikman and he is prone to making mistakes. The Dallas offensive success rests on their offensive line and the running of Ezekiel Elliott. If Dallas can get the run game going, that is when Dak is at his best. Can the Dallas offense move the ball and stay within 3? Bob Clark breaks down the game and gives his NFL pick.

There is always a chance with the Steelers when they are favorites – especially on the road – that they will lay an egg and outright lose a game they should win. But in this case, they have revenge on their minds. The Jags came into Steel City twice last year and beat the Steelers, including the playoff game that ended the Steeler season. The Jags had no hesitation about trash talking after both of those games, which should still be fresh in the Steelers minds. Is this narrative enough to give your bookie action on the Steelers -6? Keith Allen gives his NFL pick.

Sportsbooks say the Rams are more than a FG better but do the numbers align with this thinking? The key stat that separates these teams and the only statistical blemish for the Rams is red zone efficiency. This is the chink in the Rams armor that may end up holding them back down the stretch. They are only scoring touchdowns on 56% of their trips to the red zone, good for only 16th in the league. The Chiefs are scoring touchdowns at a 71% clip, good enough for 6th in the league. In the Rams game against the Saints 2 weeks ago LA also struggled converting on third down, converting only 37% of third downs and also were 0 for 2 on 4th downs. The Rams fill up the stat sheet and remind us of the Greatest Show on Turf, but they are not converting when they need it most. Keith Allen takes a deeper look at the matchup and gives his prediction.

The Texans have some young and dynamic talent in their ranks, including one of the game’s best receivers DeAndre Hopkins. D-Hopkins has been supreme in 2018 as he already owns seven scores and 894 receiving yards just past the half-way mark of the season. He serves as quarterback Deshaun Watson’s primary target in a passing offense that accrues 248.9 yards per game. But the bread and butter of Houston’s game is their rushing attack which compiles 120.2 yards on the ground per game (11th in the NFL). The sportsbooks have set the line at Texans -3. Will this offense be enough to cover against the spread? Keith Franks has the NFL prediction.