I went 1-4 last week, but it’s not that important because Week 9 was the final one of Q2, and I wasn’t in line to win anything anyway. This week, however, is the start of Q3, and I would very much like to go 5-0 or 4-1 to be drawing live for that prize.
Here are my picks, YTD:
And here are this week’s picks:
Patriots +3 vs Lions (in Munich)
The Patriots beat the Bills and destroyed the Steelers earlier this year, so they are still capable of playing at a high level. Drake Maye has struggled badly against good defenses but played great against weak ones, and the Lions are the latter. Plus, it just feels like a nice buy-low.
Chiefs -3.5 at Falcons
This was my fifth out of five — the Falcons showed they can match up with top teams at home with their win over the 49ers, but they’re coming back from Madrid, and the Chiefs defense is pretty good. The only thing that gave me pause is KC doesn’t rush the passer very well, and Michael Penix is much better when he can sit in the pocket.
Texans -4.5 at Browns
This was just a feel pick. The Browns are scraping by, showing up for most games, but the Texans are in a higher tier, despite their losing record.
Rams -9.5 at Cardinals
The Cardinals BEAT the Rams outright in LA, but I like that this is a huge line anyway in AZ. Myles Garrett seems to be 100 percent healthy, and it could be a tough debut for Carson Beck with no experienced receivers.
Steelers +3.5 at Bengals
The Steelers are coming off a bye, while the Bengals are coming back from Madrid. Bad scheduling to match those two things up, and while the Bengals are probably better, that plus 3.5 is enough.