Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Keller's Picks, Week 6

Click here to view the current standings (week-by-week and YTD)

Well, continuing to bet against the Dream Team worked out.  I am going to keep riding their losing streak until they prove they can win.  I also picked the Giants to beat the Seahawks in my Survivor Pool, so I'm eliminated from that.  That just gives me more time to continue my Steelers N At Pick Em Domination.

St. Louis at Green Bay:

The Packers are an unstoppable force, the Rams are a moveable object.  This one is probably going to get ugly.  Since that's my prediction, I think that means that you shouldn't take the Packers if you're still alive in your Survivor Pool.

Jacksonville at Steelers:

If the Steelers play like they did in Week 5 against the Titans, this one could get ugly.  If they play like they did against Indy and Seattle, then they still win (and possibly cover).  Ben Roethlisberger saw his QBERT rating jump to 93.4.  Blaine Gabbert's rating has seen considerable improvement in the past few weeks, but he started at 8.7, so...

Philadelphia at Washington:

Same script as last week: Eagles have one win, opponent has one loss and is at home, yet Philly is somehow favored in this game.  I'm still not 100% sold on Washington, but I'm 100% sold on picking against the Eagles.  I know the Dream Team will eventually prove me wrong, but I don't think it's this week.  At least I hope it's not this week.

San Francisco at Detroit:

I'm sold on the 49ers, but I'm also sold on the Lions.  The game is in Detroit and Matthew Stafford and company really look like they want to prove they're for real.  A 6-0 start would go a long way towards proving that.  If the 9ers win, they will suddenly show up on the radar of a whole lot of people.

Carolina at Atlanta:

After weeks of trying and failing, the Panthers finally complete an upset.  Sure, they're 1-4, but they've been competitive in all their games, which is more than you can say for the Falcons.  Atlanta's pass defense and pass rush have been suspect and they won't be able to win a shoot out if Julio Jones can't play.

Indianapolis at Cincinnati:

The Curtis Painter Experiment is showing signs of improvement, but he hasn't faced a defense as good as the Bengals.  I can't believe I just typed that.  Also, Cincy would have a decent shot at the playoffs with a strong defense, AJ Green, and a weak schedule, if only they didn't have an uncoordinated ginger at quarterback.  Can't believe I just type that, either.  I think I should move on.

Buffalo at NY Giants:

I think I may be channeling my anger at the Giants because of the Survivor Pool thing and that is affecting my judgment.  But, I can't shake the feeling that the Bills have enough on offense to outscore the Giants.  I don't have enough doubt in my heart to pick the home team.

Houston at Baltimore:

I don't doubt that the hated Ravens will win this game.  I hate to say it, but they have a great team and they're tough at home.  They're also 3-0 in the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco era coming off a bye week.  Houston will probably be without Andre Johnson and Mario Williams.  But, I can't shake the feeling that they'll come out strong in the first half, build a lead, and finally run out of gas in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland at Oakland:

I'm going to stop picking against the Raiders as soon as they stop dedicating games to the memory of Al Davis.  They have a special kind of motivation right now and that makes them especially dangerous.  Plus which, they're at home and they're playing the Browns.

Dallas at New England:

Tom Brady has won 30 consecutive (regular season) games at home.  Not betting against that.  Then there's the fact that the Patriots are a way better team than the Cowboys, Dallas has a shaky pass defense, and Tom Brady has won 30 consecutive (regular season) games at home.

New Orleans at Tampa:

The Bucs got humiliated by the Niners on the road last week and Josh Freeman is incredibly competitive.  And they're at home.  These things make them very dangerous.  They do not, however, make them dangerous enough to beat Drew Brees and a very talented Saints team.

Minnesota at Chicago:

The Vikings looked good last week and the Bears looked... not so good... on Monday night.  But, the Bears were playing the Lions on the road and the Vikings were playing Steelers West at home.  The game is in Chicago and I think the Bears play just well enough to start the Christian Ponder era in Minnesota.

Miami at NY Jets:

I know the Jets are a mess, but the Dolphins are a bigger mess.  New York showed just enough fight against the Patriots to make me believe that they're not a total pile of crap.  That's not a glowing endorsement of them, but it's good enough to pick them to beat Miami.

Line of the Week:

Oakland (-6.5) over Cleveland.  The Raiders are at home and will still be playing for their dear, departed owner.  Also, they're playing the Browns.  They'll cover.

Moneyline of the Week:

Carolina (+166) over Atlanta.  The Upset Special.  Cam Newton is superhuman and the Falcons have proven themselves to be very, very human.  I don't care that the game is at home.  They could play in Matt Ryan's basement and the Panthers would still win.


Over/Under of the Week:

Rams at Packers (47.5), OVER.  Green Bay might break the Over all by themselves.  Throw in a suspect Packers pass defense and a well-rested Rams offense and this looks like a safe bet.

Green Bay over St. Louis
Steelers over Jacksonville
Washington over Philadelphia
Detroit over San Francisco
Carolina over Atlanta
Buffalo over NY Giants
Baltimore over Houston
Oakland over Cleveland
New England over Dallas
NOLA over Tampa
Chicago over Minnesota
NY Jets over Miami

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