Cowboys out to see another "0" bite the dust
COWBOYS (+5) over Patriots
Apparently, New England's 5-0 is worth 5 points more than Dallas' 5-0. Why? The Patriots have blitzed their opponents by an average of 23-plus points per game, while the Cowboys were last seen escaping Buffalo Monday night, 25-24. The public pays attention to those things, and that's why the spread is 5. Neither team has really been challenged with a tough schedule. The Pats' five foes have a combined record of 7-17, while the 'Boys have built their 5-0 on the backs of teams with a 6-19 mark. So why make the Cowboys a best bet? They understand and thrive on a big stage. Last season, Indianapolis came strutting into Texas Stadium with a gorgeous 9-0 record, and left with a 21-14 black eye. Playin' big in big games. Nice! Finally, Wade Phillips coached Buffalo in 2000 and went mano-a-mano with Bill Belichick twice, and each game ended with a three-point margin.
Giants (-3) over FALCONS
Everyone saw what Osi Umenyiora did to Winston Justice and the Eagles 2 weeks ago (six sacks), and Osi is licking his chops for this matchup because he'll be toying with another youngster. Atlanta lost veteran left tackle Mike Gandy for the season with a torn ACL, and the Falcons will insert undrafted rookie, Renardo Foster. Big trouble! The Falcs already have another rookie (Justin Blalock) on the offensive line, as well as second-year man Tyson Clabo. Bigger trouble! Last season, the New Yorkers came down to Atlanta and sacked Michael Vick seven times, and that was a lightning-quick Michael Vick. Now the Falcons will use a combo of Joey Harrington and Byron Leftwich. We'll make the over/under on total sacks 8. One last stat you might enjoy: The visiting team in this matchup is working on an 11-0 run!
Eagles (-3) over JETS
An odd quirk in the schedule brings Philly back to Giants Stadium for the second straight game, and it can't get any uglier than the last one, can it? No, for two reasons. The Eagles are 8-0 coming off a bye week under Andy Reid, and own a 7-0 lifetime mark against the Jets. Obviously, Brian Westbrook's health is a huge key. If he's full steam, we would bump this up to a Best Bet. If not, downgrade it to an If You Must.
Vikings (+5) over BEARS
Even with the 27-20 win over Green Bay, we're still not convinced that Chicago is for real. Brian Griese had a decent outing (15-for-25, 214 yards), but the Bears still have no running game (82.6 ypg). Minnesota, despite a 1-3 record, will present the NFL's top rushing defense (62 ypg). That should be more than enough against this group of Bears that have covered just two of their last 11.
Raiders (+10) over CHARGERS
A 41-3 wipeout against Denver does not make San Diego a Super Bowl threat again. Not yet. Remember Norv Turner is still the coach. Among coaches with more than 3 years, Turner (60-85-1) has the worst winning percentage of all time. Speaking of coaches, rookie Lane Kiffin has Oakland headed in the right direction after an opening loss to Detroit, with a close loss at Denver (23-20) and wins over Cleveland and Miami.
PACKERS (-3) over Redskins
Brett Favre got a little too frisky against Chicago and it hurt. This week, he should settle back into a nice rhythm and lead Green Bay to its seventh cover in its last nine outings.
Rams (+10) over RAVENS
We're not suggesting that you take the money line and look for an outright upset, but Baltimore has an offense that averages less than 15 points per game and is 0-5 against the spread, so St. Louis should sneak in the back door.
I also like:
CHIEFS (+3) over Bengals
JAGUARS (-6) over Texans
Dolphins (+4) over BROWNS
BUCCANEERS (-3) over Titans
CARDINALS (-4) over Panthers
Saints (+7) over SEAHAWKS
