Bob Balfe:
Texans -10.5 over Cardinals
The Cardinals hit the road, already eliminated from the playoffs, facing off against a Houston team that is in a good spot now, but their goal is to win the division, as they are a game behind the Jaguars and can’t afford to lose games they are favored to win, especially in their own building. Arizona has endured injuries across the board this year, as they are on their backup quarterback. The running game never had a chance to hit stride with James Connor and Trey Benson landing on IR early in the year. The offensive line has a few starters on IR, and today will be without Paris Johnson and Evan Brown. It’s hard to win on the road without a full arsenal of running backs and without a full complement of offensive linemen. Arizona is also without a few starters in the secondary. Houston is much healthier at this point in the season and has the more talented roster on both sides of the football. Look for Houston to run the ball with Woody Marks, which will set up CJ Stroud to find his receivers. Take the Texans.
NFL
1:00 PM EST
Rotation # 460
Jaguars -14 over Jets
The Jags are in a dog fight and currently hold the top spot in the AFC South. It goes without saying that they must take care of business at home against an eliminated team with all kinds of injuries. The Jets will start Brady Cook this afternoon as he makes his first NFL start. It’s unfortunate for Cook that his receivers’ room looks like a MASH unit. The Jets are not in much better shape on defense, as they traded away many secondary players, along with players on IR. Azareye’h Thomas will not play today, making New York very thin at cornerback. Jacksonville QB Trevor Lawrence must take advantage. I don’t see Brady Cook getting through the afternoon without a few major mistakes that cost his team dearly. The Jags are better on both sides of the ball and should win by double-digits. Take the Jags.
NFL
1:00 PM EST
Rotation # 462
Bears -7.5 over Browns
Browns QB Shedeur Sanders only has a few games under his belt, and it doesn’t help that the offensive line is missing so many key players. Will the center-to-QB exchange be clean today? The Browns are also missing Wyatt Teller and Jack Conklin, in addition to Cam Robinson being a no-show at practice with a knee injury. Bad football teams with young QB’s on the road with makeshift offensive lines typically don’t do well. The Bears are in an interesting spot: a few weeks ago, they were the top team in the NFC. Now, a loss will have them on the outside of the playoffs looking in. Chicago must win today. It will be cold today, nothing either team is not used to, but it will feel a lot colder for a Cleveland team whose playoff dreams were busted weeks ago. Chicago should run the ball with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangau, which will allow Caleb Williams to find any of his capable receivers. The Bears are better on both sides of the football and, over the course of 60 minutes, should do enough to win by double digits. Take the Bears.
NFL
1:00 PM EST
Rotation # 469
Commanders +2.5 over Giants
It’s been a tough year for both teams, but it’s still an NFC East rivalry game, so the players still have pride to play for. The Commanders dominated the Giants in the opener this season. New York got rid of their head coach and made a switch at Quarterback. The Giants also lost running back Cam Skattabo for the season, and on a cold and windy day in East Rutherford, NJ, nothing about their current running game excites you. The Giants are coming off their bye week after a MNF loss to the Patriots in a game where the Giants ran the ball in a boring attempt to get out of the game at full strength. Jaxson Dart made a few silly runs that almost got his head knocked off, so I expect the coaching staff to have him tone it down to keep him healthy for next year. The Commanders have more of an identity as their coaching staff nears the end of their second full season. QB Marcus Mariota isn’t much of a downgrade from Jayden Daniels, as he has the experience to run the same offense. Terry McLaurin is always good for big plays down the field. Deebo Samuel is dealing with an illness, but should play today. I like the Commanders’ running game and passing game a bit more. The Giants have too many injuries to the defensive front-seven for my liking. Take the Commanders.
NFL
4:25 PM EST
Rotation # 479-480
Titans/49ers Over 44.5
The 49ers were hit hard with the injury bug this season, but Kyle Shanahan and his staff did a tremendous job to have them in the driver’s seat to make the playoffs. The Titans have the worst record in football and fired their coach midseason, but they have a future with QB Cam Ward. Growing pains are natural for just about every young QB who steps into a starting role. Ward will have a good chance to make big plays today against a 49ers defense that is missing a lot of talent due to injury. The San Francisco front seven has been without Nick Bosa and Fred Warner, and today will also be without Sam Okuayinonu. There aren’t many players participating today who can get to the quarterback. More time means more chances for big gainers down the field. Tennessee should cash in on a few plays. The 49ers offense is well-balanced, running the ball, and has one of the most talented receiver rooms in football. The Titans don’t have much talent in the secondary due to injuries and a few midseason trades. Brock Purdy should be able to find busted coverages for big yardage. Both defenses have glaring weaknesses, making the total a decent play. Look for a higher-scoring contest. Take the Over. We look forward to seeing you on Monday at 4 PM EST.
50+ +200 (1u) 60+ +320 (1u) 70+ +520 (0.5u)
