Remember last week when I stated that I hardly ever wager on the Chicago Bears? I said it was nothing personal but decided to put action on them last week to win. Obviously, they had to burn me and make me look like a biased football fan of the Windy City's finest. A couple lessons here: the Bears are a non-consistent joke that you should never wager on, and, you should probably not put any action on games played in London. It seems that teams play a different game script across the Atlantic. It probably comes down to travel, food and wanting to take in the sights. Maybe trying to find the perfect gift while souvenir hunting? In other disappointing, NFL gambling results, I'm getting concerned about the Kansas City Chiefs. If their defense doesn't improve and they can't solidify the run game, I will re-think taking action on all of their future spreads. Maybe it's that time for a mid-season assessment on sportsbook-related, team trust.
NICK'S PICKS:
SEA -1.5 You would think if the Seahawks could beat the Rams by a point, that they could beat the hapless Browns by at least two ticks. After all, Russell Wilson is very good and Baker Mayfield is garbage. Nick Chubb seems to be the only bright spot on Cleveland's roster since they have no positive QB play. Seattle is on the road playing across the country, but the spread seems more than reasonable for them to attain.
LAC -6.5 This is a game that I lowered the spread down half a point. A touchdown victory for the Chargers is definitely within reason, especially since the Steelers have to start their third string QB and are without pass-catching RB Jaylen Samuels. Pittsburgh will also be playing on the road, across several time zones. Los Angeles should only have to be concerned about the Steelers' defense, which can look stout at times, but does lack consistency.
ATL -2.5 Look, I know the Falcons' defense can only hold their own as much as a wet, paper bag... but their offense is actually potent. QB Matt Ryan throws the ball a ridiculous number of times every game and has the weapons to haul in most of those targets. The Cardinals are starting to look a little better as the season plays out, but they still give up a ton of passing yards, especially to the TE position. I think overall team experience will win this one for Atlanta.
NICK'S NIX PICKS(stay away from these games if you like your $$$):
(CAR -2 / TB +2) Carolina has a great defense but they are on the road in a division matchup, against a rival QB with some very talented receivers. Ever hear of Chris Godwin and Mike Evans? These games make me nervous.
(WAS -3.5 / MIA +3.5) Probably two of the worst teams in the league. Miami had an extra week to rest(coming off a bye) and is at home. Do I smell a skunk or is it an upset?
(SF +3.5 / LAR -3.5) A tough division game with very good defenses, even though the Rams' D has slipped a little over the last few weeks. Todd Gurley is also a little banged up and his game status is in question. I'm still waiting to see what the 49ers are all about, especially since they've been lucky and played the Browns, Bengals, Buccaneers and Steelers so far this season. If they play a +.500 team and get a win, maybe I'll buy more Fog City stock.
(TEN +2.5 / DEN -2.5) If I had a gun to my head, I'd go with the Titans. Luckily, I don't play with firearms.
(NOS +1 / JAX -1) Flip a coin. Oh wait, I only have plastic on me.
(HOU +4 / KC -4) The Chiefs couldn't stop the Colts with home field advantage. They are at home again against Deshaun Watson, Deandre Hopkins and Will Fuller of the Texans. There should be a lot of offense. There should be...
NICK'S ULTRA MONEYLINE PARLAY PICKS:
(SEA -127 / MIN -168 / BAL -510)
(ATL -128 / DAL -337 / LAC -282)
CON-MAN CONFIDENCE(you can't get what I'm selling anywhere else):
* = WINNER
NEP* - 16 - NYG
CIN - 15 - BAL*
DAL* - 14 - NYJ
PIT - 13 - LAC*
DET - 12 - GB*
SEA* - 11 - CLE
SF - 10 - LAR*
ATL* - 09 - ARI
HOU - 08 - KC*
CAR* - 07 - TB
TEN* - 06 - DEN
NOS* - 05 - JAX
WAS - 04 - MIA*
PHI - 03 - MIN*
