This week, Danny gave “Pic’s Picks” for Week 10 in the NFL:
I went 2-3 against the spread in Week 9, bringing my record to 26-13-1 on the season, from when I began making my 2020 NFL picks in Week 2.
It’s already Week 10, which means before you know it, we’ll be breaking down the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs. Ok, I’ll stop rushing your life away. But let’s be honest here. We should all want to be rushing out of 2020 as fast as we can.
Here are my picks for Week 10:
LAS VEGAS RAIDERS (-5) over Denver Broncos
-The 5-3 Raiders host the 3-5 Broncos on Sunday at 4:05 p.m. It’s the first of two games between these AFC West foes this season. Denver has shown flashes of promise that could make them a playoff team in the very near future, but Las Vegas seems like a playoff team right now. The Raiders have won two straight, and find themselves in a dog fight for an AFC Wild Card spot. No, it’s not too early to look at that. And because Kansas City has a commanding lead in the AFC West playoff race, it looks like a Wild Card spot will be the Raiders’ only realistic route to the playoffs. A home loss to the Broncos would be a devastating blow. I don’t see that happening. Make it three straight for the Raiders with a 10-point win.
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-2) over Buffalo Bills
-This game is Sunday at 4:05 in Arizona. The 7-2 Bills are looking for their fourth straight win after a huge win over the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday. The first-place Bills look to be for real. Meanwhile, the 5-3 Cardinals are coming off a home loss to the AFC East’s Miami Dolphins last Sunday. This is Arizona’s third straight home game, and I think they bounce back strong with a win over Buffalo. Given the tight race in the NFC West, it really is a must-win for the Cardinals. With a low spread here, Arizona by three is a no-brainer.
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-7) over New England Patriots
-I miss looking at the AFC Playoff picture and seeing the Patriots at the top of race. Now, at 3-5, they’re not even in the mix. Sure, New England is coming off a win over the winless Jets on Monday Night Football. But they just barely won. Did that impress you? It didn’t impress me at all. I think this Patriots team stinks. The 6-2 Ravens come to an empty Gillette Stadium for Sunday Night Football. And I’m actually shocked this spread is not in the double digits. Are the Patriots getting too much credit here? I think so. I guess there’s always the potential for Bill Belichick to surprise us. But at the end of the day, when it comes to the Patriots, I’m already on to 2021. Give me the Ravens by two touchdowns.
CHICAGO BEARS (+2.5) over Minnesota Vikings
-The 5-4 Bears and 3-5 Vikings look to be going in different directions at the moment Chicago has lost three straight, while Minnesota has won two straight. It might seem like a crazy idea to put money on the Bears offense right now, but they still have a top-10 defense in the NFL. And I expect this NFC North battle on Monday Night Football, in Chicago, to be tight. So I’ll take the underdog Bears at home by a field goal.
LOCK OF THE WEEK: TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (-4.5) over Carolina Panthers
-What in the world happened to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers last Sunday night against the Saints? New Orleans went into Tampa Bay and gave the Bucs a prime time beatdown, 38-3. Brady and the Bucs are now 6-3. They head to Carolina for another NFC South showdown this Sunday at 1. This is a rematch from Week 2 in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers won the first game, 31-17. The Panthers are 3-6 and have lost four straight. I expected this spread to be at least 7 points. But I guess that loss to the Saints last Sunday night has people down on Tampa Bay. I’m not. Give me a big bounce back performance by Brady, who’ll lead the Buccaneers to a two-score win on the road.
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