Just three weeks to go in the NFL regualr season. Teams on the bubble need wins this week while those that are out of contention for a playoff berth just play for pride. We went with all favorites last week and paid the price by going 2-3 bringing our season total to 44-26. We’re going with two ‘Dogs this week and are looking to improve! Here are this week’s Five Best Bets-Good luck!
*Home team in CAPS
Giants over the FALCONS-
Our first underdog this week are the 8-5 Giants going up vs the 11-2 Falcons. There are actually more reasons to pick Atlanta than New York such as: the Falcons have won their last 10 straight home games, they are the least penalized team in the NFL, they rank eighth in offense, they give up 19.9 points per game on defense and Matt Ryan is 32-4 as a starting QB at the Georgia Dome. So why are we going with the Giants? They are the better team beating the 49ers 26-3 & the Packers 38-10 but more importantly they need this game much more than Atlanta does. If they lose they could miss the playoffs…
From left to right Osi Umenyiora, JPP, and Justin Tuck will need to pressure Matt Ryan to prevent the ball from sailing downfield on Sunday. Photo: nydailynews.com
Packers over the BEARS- The Bears are riddled with injuries; so much so that the team failed to have a practice on Wednesday! They started the season coasting at 7-1, winning many of those games on turnovers. They have gone 1-4 over their last five while the Pack is starting to ‘come on’. In their first meeting, the Bears only managed 168 yards of total offense at Lambeau Field and now given all their injuries, should not do much better.
Vikings over the RAMS- Minnesota, our second underdog this week, travels southeast to St. Louis and brings superstud Adrian Peterson with them. He needs 505 rushing yards over these next three games in order to match Eric Dickerson’s NFL record-setting 2105 rushing yards. Just over 150 yards per game and he’ll own that prestigious record. QB Christian Ponder needs to be able to throw the rock successfully so that AP and the Vikes will have a well balanced attack and a better chance at the upset.
#28 Star Vikings RB Adrian Peterson will be looking to add to his 1600 rushing yards vs the Rams. Photo: twincities.com
Seahawks over the BILLS- Seattle goes cross-country this weekend and even without the warm and noisy confines of CenturyLink Field, their defense could just be enough to help them dismantle the Bills. QB Russell Wilson has been on a tear and Ground Player of the Week, Marshawn Lynch, who ironically enough was drafted by these same Buffalo Bills in the 2007 draft, is one of the top five elite RB’s in the league. We don’t expect a high scoring affair but a Seahawks win nontheless.
TEXANS over the Colts- After an embarassing Monday Night loss 42-14 at the hands of the New England Patriots, the Texans should bounce right back just like they did after getting trounced on by Green Bay earlier in the season when they came back the following week to manhandle the Ravens by 30, 43-13. Colts QB Andrew Luck has had little of it on the road this season amassing 8 touchdowns while tossing 13 INT’s. Facing the league’s seventh ranked defense will not make it any easier for the 1st round pick. Texans by double-digits!
#12 Andrew Luck has had his problems on the road this year completing only 54.5% of his passes. Photo: nfl.si.com
FANTASY FURNACE 
Hank…I agree with your picks. The texans will not lose two weeks in a row, especially after that embarrassment in Foxboro. The G-men must beat Atlanta, and I really don’t see how the Falcons can win anymore than maybe one more game this year. And the Seahawks smell blood, they are pooring on the points with their new found confidence!
Good job, my man!
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Thanks Steven! Hope you’re right..
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I considered Adrian Peterson powering the Vikings to victory, but the Vikings are just terrible on the road, and the Rams seem to be the hotter team to me.
And I just think the Falcons are going to want to redeem themselves for losing to Carolina, and will come out playing hard. The Georgia Dome is a tough place for the visiting team. And I think the Giants are the better team too, but there’s a revenge factor from the playoffs last season where the Giants knocked the Falcons out. The Falcons can help return that favor by beating the Giants. So I’m just going with my gut on this one. I think the Falcons will pull it out.
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I just think that even though there’s more reasons why the Falcons should win there’s only one why the Giants will…they HAVE to!
Valid point on the Vikings, but AP has been a beast and I don’t see the Rams defense stopping him. We’ll see. Thanks for checking in Maurice! If everybody agreed with everybody nobody would comment, It’s what I love about doing what I do.
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What Adrian Peterson has done this year is nothing short of astounding. Just coming back from that knee injury would’ve put him at the top of my list of tough guys. But to dominate the way he has? I know it’s a long shot for him to reach Dickerson’s record, but I’d love to see it.
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Me too. The guy should win every award there is (and some that don’t even exist); MVP, Best offensive player in the NFL, Comeback player off the year, most gutsiest, etc…If that was mw having that surgery, I would still be learning how to walk in rehab!
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