Looking to string together back-to-back winning weeks, but there are a lot of big ugly dogs this week that I have no interest in. Kirk returning to Minnesota? No thanks. Rodgers and the Jets hitting the road against a rested Dolphins team? Pass. The Raiders heading to Tampa after coming so close to winning in KC? Uh uh.
But fear not, I found three lively puppies that I think can rise up and put a scare into their favored opponents this weekend.
Rams +3½ vs. Bills
Everyone’s high on the Bills right now. They’re the Super Bowl favorites to come out of the AFC and their QB might just win the MVP. Feels like the right time to fade them as they hit the road for games against the Rams and Lions.
Of course, this won’t feel much like a road game, as Bills Mafia will likely take over SoFi. But the Rams come in with much more to play for in the wacky, mediocre NFC West. The Bills have clinched their division and have designs on the No. 1 seed, but they won’t match LA’s desperation.
The Rams have won five of the last seven, and their young defense is improving every week. The high-flying Bills will obviously challenge them, but Matthew Stafford’s passing numbers are very similar to Josh Allen’s, and he should find his talented receivers against Buffalo’s zone defense. I say they keep it close.
Bears +3½ at 49ers
Most of you probably believe the 49ers have hit rock bottom after getting blown out in Green Bay and Buffalo. Now that they’re back home, they’ll take out their frustrations on the Bears.
I think there’s more bottom there. San Fran will still be without two of its best players, Trent Williams and Nick Bosa and lost running backs Christian McCaffrey and Jordan Mason to season-ending injuries.
Meanwhile, Chicago has had extra rest after a resurgent second half in Detroit saw them put a scare into the Lions. They should get a bump after firing their head coach — teams tend to rise up in their first game with a new voice leading the way. It pains me to trust the Bears in a road game, but I think they’ll compete for 60 minutes.
Cowboys +5½ vs. Bengals
The Bengals may believe they still have a path to the AFC wild card, but at 4-8, they would need to run the table and get some help. Maybe some of the guys realize this and are ready to pack it in. We’ll see what kind of effort we get on Monday night.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys are getting healthier defensively and may be feeling themselves a bit following their win on Thanksgiving Day. The Bengals defense is a trainwreck and just lost their best linebacker, Logan Wilson, for the season to a knee injury.
Bottom line, Cincinnati shouldn’t be favored by more than a field goal against anybody, especially on the road. Gimme the points.
Last Week: 2-1
Season: 17-22
