Atlanta Falcons vs. Dallas Cowboys Football Picks

The Dallas Cowboys come into this game as the favorites, but they have looked like an inferior team so far in the season.

After almost losing to the Kansas City Chiefs before the bye week, many fans have started to doubt them. They have a lot of talented players, but getting it all on the same page is difficult.

The Falcons have done well so far in the season with a 4-1 record and somehow they are the underdogs.

If the Cowboys can play up to their potential, they can win the game. If they don’t, the Falcons could beat them handily. So what should we expect in this game as far as Free NFL Picks go?

The Cowboys are coming off of one of the worst stretches of the season. They lost to the Broncos and then nearly lost to the Chiefs in overtime.

If the Chiefs could have scored after starting at the 49-yard line in overtime, the Cowboys would have lost again.

Things are clearly not going well in Big D. They can move the ball well, but they always seem to shoot themselves in the foot.

Against the Chiefs, they had a muffed punt, a fumbled snap, and several key penalties that allowed the Chiefs to hang around. If they could ever stop beating themselves, they would be a great team.

The Falcons, on the other hand, are a well-coached team. They have a smart leader at quarterback in Matt Ryan.

The addition of Tony Gonzalez has been huge for their offense. Not only do they have Roddy White to stretch the field and Michael Turner to pound away, they now have a threat over the middle.

Anytime you can add the best player in the history of the league at their position to your team, you’re going to be better off, and so far it’s working well. If the Cowboys show up to play, expect a great game in the NFC.

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Picks for Week 7.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Minnesota Vikings Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Football Picks

This weekend, the Vikings will square off with the Steelers and it should be one of the best games of the week. The Vikings are actually the underdogs in this one even though they are undefeated on the season.

The Steelers come into the game with a record of 4-2. They’ve had a bit of an up and down season so far with losses to the Bengals and Bears. So what should we expect in this game as far as Free NFL Picks go?

For the Vikings, they bring with them a very talented team to Heinz Field. Brett Favre has played great the last month and he looks to continue on his roll. He has looked like he’s still in his prime at time at times. He has a solid offensive line and an amazing running game to support him.

Anytime a team can run at will on most other teams, the quarterback will be much more productive. He will have time to throw and the safeties can’t sit back and play center field. They Steelers secondary will have to stay honest if they have a hope of containing Adrian Peterson. At that point, Favre can pick apart the secondary with his rocket arm.

As for the Steelers, they have been all over the map. At times, they look very strong. At other times, they look lost. In the last few weeks, Rashard Mendenhall has started running the ball effectively and it’s helped out the offense a lot. Before that happened, they mostly moved the ball by passing.

With a more balanced attack, the Steelers become much more dangerous. As always, they still have a stellar defense to rely on. The matchup between their defense and the Minnesota offense will be something special to watch. Who gets the upper hand in that matchup should win the game.

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Betting Picks for Week 7.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Minnesota Vikings Vs Pittsburgh Steelers Football Picks

This weekend, the Vikings will square off with the Steelers and it should be one of the best games of the week. The Vikings are actually the underdogs in this one even though they are undefeated on the season.

The Steelers come into the game with a record of 4-2. They’ve had a bit of an up and down season so far with losses to the Bengals and Bears. So what should we expect in this game as far as Free NFL Picks go?

For the Vikings, they bring with them a very talented team to Heinz Field. Brett Favre has played great the last month and he looks to continue on his roll. He has looked like he’s still in his prime at time at times. He has a solid offensive line and an amazing running game to support him.

Anytime a team can run at will on most other teams, the quarterback will be much more productive. He will have time to throw and the safeties can’t sit back and play center field. They Steelers secondary will have to stay honest if they have a hope of containing Adrian Peterson. At that point, Favre can pick apart the secondary with his rocket arm.

As for the Steelers, they have been all over the map. At times, they look very strong. At other times, they look lost. In the last few weeks, Rashard Mendenhall has started running the ball effectively and it’s helped out the offense a lot. Before that happened, they mostly moved the ball by passing.

With a more balanced attack, the Steelers become much more dangerous. As always, they still have a stellar defense to rely on. The matchup between their defense and the Minnesota offense will be something special to watch. Who gets the upper hand in that matchup should win the game.

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Betting Picks for Week 7.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Expert Picks: Week 7 Predictions

Although it seems like we just got started, we’re getting close to the midpoint of the season. We’ve had a few preseason contenders turn out to be pretenders and vice versa. However, it’s still early in the season and there is a lot of football left to be played. So what can we expect as far as Free NFL Football Picks go in Week 7 of the NFL season? Here’s a preview of this week’s action.

 

San Diego vs. Kansas City (San Diego -5). The Chiefs finally got their first win of the season last year and will officially not join last year’s Detroit team as one of the worst of all time. They beat a solid defense and a terrible offense in Washington. This week, they get the exact opposite in San Diego. Their defense looks shaky and the offense is pretty talented. The running game for San Diego has not looked that good this season so far. If the Chiefs can contain Rivers early on, they have a chance to win this game. The Chargers are the more talented team, but they could have said that a few times this season, only to come away with losses.

 

Indianapolis vs. St. Louis (Indianapolis -13). The way the Rams are playing, this spread might not be big enough. Although they did put up a decent showing against the Jaguars, the Colts are no Jaguars. Peyton Manning should pick this defense apart. As if the Rams weren’t bad enough on defense, they traded away Will Witherspoon this week to the Eagles. If this plays out like it should, we’ll be looking at a blowout score.

 

Chicago vs Cincinnati (Cincinnati -1.5). This is one of the closest games of the week according to Vegas. This game features two fairly solid teams in what should be a good game. Carson Palmer seems to finally be coming back to solid form. Although the Bengals pass rush was devastated with the season-ending loss of Antwan Odom.

 

Green Bay vs. Cleveland (Green Bay -7). Green Bay is the favorite in this one and they are clearly the better team. However, with Derrick Anderson at quarterback, the Browns tend to open it up a little more now. Aaron Rodgers has been playing great this year and he should pick apart the secondary of the Browns if given enough time.

 

Minnesota vs. Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh -4). Despite being undefeated, the Vikings come into this game as the underdog. Apparently the oddsmakers put a lot of stock into Heinz Field. However, the Vikings appear to be a better team in almost every area. We know that the Vikings and Brett Favre will be able to pass on the Steelers defense. However, if Adrian Peterson can get the run game going against them, it will be a long day for the Steeler faithful.

 

New England vs. Tampa Bay (New England -14.5). The Patriots put up 59 points on the Tennessee Titans last week. Does that mean we should expect them to beat the Bucs by 80? While they probably won’t score that much, if they play like they did last week, this should be over by halftime.

 

San Francisco vs. Houston (Houston -3). If Matt Schaub keeps playing as well as he has been, there will be no stopping the Texans aerial attack. He has been one of the best quarterbacks all season behind Drew Brees and he should have a good game against the Niners. The question still remains of whether or not Steve Slaton can run on the 49ers defense though. This game will also mark the first game of the Michael Crabtree era. It’s time to see if all of the hype is real.

 

New York Jets vs. Oakland (New York -6). Somehow the hapless Oakland Raiders managed to beat the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Philly still doesn’t know what happened other than they played awful. The Raiders will more than likely come back down to Earth this week and play terribly again. But this is the NFL and anything can happen.

 

New Orleans vs Miami (New Orleans -6.5). The Saints just dismantled one of the other undefeated teams in the league last week and somehow they are only 6.5 point favorites against Miami. The Dolphins are somewhat solid, but they should not be able to compete with Drew Brees and the New Orleans offense. However, they always seem to hang around in games regardless of who they are playing.

 

Atlanta vs. Dallas (Dallas -4). The Cowboys are in a little bit of disarray lately. They lost to the Broncos and almost lost to the Chiefs in overtime. Then they got a bye week. Who really knows what to expect from the Cowboys at this point? They are talented, but they always seem to play below their talent level. The Falcons are still a solid team and should give them a good test.

 

Arizona vs. New York Giants (New York -7). The Giants just took a beat down last week at the hands of the Saints. However, now they face a team that has struggled a little bit on offense. The Cardinals are still good, but they haven’t been able to click on all cylinders yet this season. This should be a close game between two good teams.

 

Philadelphia vs. Washington (Philadelphia -7). This game features two teams coming off of bad losses to AFC West teams. The Eagles lost to the team known as the“laughingstock of the NFL”—Oakland Raiders. It was one of the worst games they’ve played in a long time. Donovan McNabb couldn’t get in a rhythm all game long after being blitzed for most of the game. Either Oakland uncovered the blueprint to slow down the Eagles offense or they just got lucky. On the other side, the Redskins looked downright awful last week against the Chiefs. They didn’t score a touchdown and despite a long run by Clinton Portis that should have been called back for holding, the offense didn’t do anything. Will the Redskins bounce back or will the Eagles start soaring again?

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Football Picks for Week 7.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Expert NFL Sports Betting Picks: Week 5

It’s hard to believe that it is already the fifth week of the NFL season. The team’s identities are starting to be formed and we’re getting a better idea of who will be good. If you want to know who will cover the spread, check out these free NFL picks. Here is a preview of what you can expect in Week 5 of the NFL season.

Minnesota vs. St. Louis (Minnesota -9.5). This is one of the most lopsided games of the weekend as the tough Vikings take on the laughable Rams. The Rams are without several players including Marc Bulger because of injury. They will really have to play well to be competitive in this game. Brett Favre looked like he was 10 years younger on Monday night and the Vikings are on a roll.

Dallas vs. Kansas City (Dallas -8.5). The Chiefs come into this one 0-4 and have looked ugly most of the year. They’ve played solid at times, but are yet to put a whole game together. If they can get the home crowd at Arrowhead into it this week, it could be a tough outing for Tony Romo and the Cowboys. Romo is usually good for a couple of mistakes per game and the Chiefs will hope to take advantage of them.

Washington vs. Carolina (Carolina -3.5). The Redskins have looked pretty bad so far this season and barely managed to beat the Bucs. With that being said, the Panthers haven’t exactly set the world on fire yet either. Jake Delhomme has been downright awful through the first three games. If he can pull it together, the Panthers are the more talented team in this one.

Tampa Bay vs. Philadelphia (Philadelphia -14.5). This is one of the biggest spreads of the week. The Philadelphia Eagles are much more talented and better coached than the Bucs. If the Eagles show up to play, this spread is not big enough the way it is. However, that is why they play the games. McNabb is back and whether or not he is healthy enough to be effective remains to be seen.

Cleveland vs. Buffalo (Buffalo -6). This could be the worst game of the week as two teams that are not very good face off. The Bills are in better shape than the Browns, but not by much. T.O. is yet to do anything this year and the defense has not looked good either. The Browns just shipped off receiver Braylon Edwards, so we don’t know how that will affect their offense.

Cincinnati vs. Baltimore (Baltimore -8.5). This should be a pretty good divisional matchup to watch. The Bengals have looked solid through the first few games. The Ravens are considered one of the best teams in the league, however, they are coming off of a loss to the Patriots. This one will come down to whether or not Carson Palmer can move the ball against the stingy Ravens defense.

Pittsburgh vs. Detroit (+10.5). The Steelers rebounded nicely in a win over the Chargers last week. Now they face the Detroit Lions who may be without quarterback Matt Stafford. If Stafford plays the Lions will have a shot to compete. The Steelers have looked anything but unbeatable this year.

Atlanta vs. San Francisco (San Francisco -2.5). The Niners have looked good in the early part of the season. They come into the game at 3-1 against a pretty tough Falcons team. The Matt Ryan to Tony Gonzalez connection has looked tough early on and it remains to be seen whether the Niners can stop it.

New England vs. Denver (New England -3.5). New England is coming off a strong win against the Ravens. While Denver is undefeated, they are by far the most overrated team in the league. The Patriots are the better team, but anything can happen in Denver.

Houston vs. Arizona (Arizona -5.5). The Cardinals are coming off of a bye week and are well rested. Both teams have a great aerial attack and questionable defenses. Therefore, this could be a high scoring shootout in the desert. The Cardinals offense has looked a little shaky thus far and they’re hoping Kurt Warner can get the team going again.

Indianapolis vs. Tennessee (Indianapolis -3.5). If you were to only compare records coming into this game, you would say the Colts would win the game easily. They come in at 4-0 while the Titans come in at 0-4. However, this is a close spread because these two teams are both good. They always play a close game and this should be no exception.

New York Jets vs. Miami Dolphins (New York -1.5). The Jets looked like world beaters until the Saints brought them back down to Earth last week. Now they go into Miami to play a Dolphins team that just embarrassed the Bills last week. The Miami ground game got it going and the defense shut down the Bills. This should be a pretty evenly matched game between two tough teams in the same division.

New York Giants vs. Oakland (New York -15.5). The Giants come into this game looking like a very solid, well-coached team. The Raiders come into this game looking like a dysfunctional team that might have their head coach in jail soon. The Raiders are a mess with a joke at quarterback. This is one of the most lopsided games of the week.

Seattle vs. Jacksonville (Seattle -1). The Seahawks are actually favorites in this game despite looking pretty pedestrian so far. The Jaguars appear to be getting things going with the emergence of Mike Sims-Walker. If the Jaguars can keep their aerial attack going while Maurice Jones-Drew runs the ball, they will be a tough out.

When you’re looking for expert NFL picks, the games this week should be interesting, so pay attention once the ball is kicked off on Sunday and you can make some good money with your NFL half-time wagers.

 Check out Vernon Croy’s Top NFL Picks for Week 5.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Sports Betting Picks Recap: Week Four

The fourth week of the NFL season is in the books, and there were a lot of good games. Several favorites covered the spread, while others didn’t manage to do so.

Let’s take a look at what went down in Week Four with these Free NFL Picks.

 

Detroit vs. Chicago

The Lions and Bears squared off in this one, and the end result was not pretty. Matthew Stafford went down with an awful-looking knee injury, although later we learned it wasn’t as bad as it seemed. He should be back soon for the Lions.

The Bears were the favorites in this game, and they covered easily. Johnny Knox continued to impress for the Bears as he ran back a 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

 

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland

Carson Palmer continued to show that he is fully back after a knee injury last season. The Bengals and Browns went into overtime before the Bengals finally pulled off the win with a field goal. The Bengals won the game but did not end up covering the spread. This was one of the more exciting games of the week.

 

Oakland vs. Houston

This game was over before it started as the Texans jumped all over the Raiders. JaMarcus Russell continued to look like a middle school quarterback as he went 12-of-33 on the game. The Texans looked pretty good on offense as Steve Slaton got in the end zone for the first time this season. The Texans covered the spread easily in this game.

 

Seattle vs. Indianapolis

The Colts were 10-point favorites going into this game, and the game was not that close. They won the game by 17 points as Peyton Manning continued his blistering pace on the season. The Colts looked very tough in this game compared to a struggling Seattle squad.

 

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville

Although Tennessee came into the game at 0-3, they were still favored in this game. Favored by three points, they ended up losing by 20 points in the game.

No one would have believed that Tennessee would be 0-4 this season, but that is exactly where they are this week. The Titans are not looking good at this point, and they have a big hole to climb out of.

 

New York Giants vs. Kansas City

This game looked to be a lot uglier than it turned out towards the beginning. Anytime you fumble the opening kickoff and give the ball to the Giants on the 15-yard line, you know it’s going to be a long day. While the Chiefs were down big, they almost battled back and covered the spread. However, the Giants ended up covering by two points.

 

Baltimore vs. New England

The Patriots came into the game as mere one-point favorites, and they ended up covering by five. This was a classic AFC battle that literally went down to the final minute. The Ravens were driving the length of the field and dropped a fourth down pass inside the 20-yard line. The Patriots ran out the clock and gave Baltimore its first loss of the season.

 

Tampa Bay vs. Washington

Despite losing to Detroit last week, the Redskins came into the game as 9.5-point favorites in this one. They failed to cover the spread as they only won the game by three points. This one came down to the wire, and they barely beat a terrible Tampa Bay team. Things are not looking very promising in Washington at the moment.

 

Miami vs. Buffalo

The oddsmakers thought this was going to be a pretty even game considering they only had Miami as one-point favorites. By the time it was said and done, they won the game by 28 points.

The Bills looked pretty bad in this one and seem to be regressing as the season goes along. They started off well against the Patriots but haven’t looked very good since.

 

New York Jets vs. New Orleans

This was supposed to be the marquee game of the young season so far featuring two undefeated teams. By the time it was over, the Jets took a beating by 14 points. The Saints defense made the difference in this one to go along with some good rushing by Pierre Thomas.

 

Dallas vs. Denver

The Cowboys came into the game as favorites even though the Broncos were undefeated on the season. The Broncos offense couldn’t get much going for the majority of the game until Brandon Marshall made a spectacular 51-yard touchdown catch and run. The Cowboys then ended up driving down the field to inside the five-yard line but did not convert on fourth down. The Broncos covered the spread in this one.

 

St. Louis vs. San Francisco

The Niners were 9.5-point favorites going into this game and covered the spread in spectacular fashion. They won the game 35-0, and the Rams couldn’t have looked more inept against the 49ers defense. Patrick Willis was a monster in this game with 2.5 sacks and a touchdown. Can things get much worse for the Rams?

 

San Diego vs. Pittsburgh

This game almost saw one of the greatest comebacks of all time. With less than two left minutes in the third quarter, the Chargers were down 28-0. The final score of the game was 38-28 Pittsburgh. If the Steelers had missed a 40-plus-yard field goal, the Chargers would have had the ball with a minute to tie it up. A great effort by the Chargers, but ultimately the Steelers came out on top.

 

Green Bay vs. Minnesota

This game was all about the Brett Favre saga. Obviously he played for the Packers forever, and this was his first game against his old team. He looked fantastic all night long and really took it to the Packers.

If you were on some NFL sports betting picks, you would know that the Vikings were 4.5-favorites in this game and ended up covering by 2.5. The Minnesota defense harassed Aaron Rodgers all night long, with Jared Allen in particular looking great. The Vikings look like a legitimate contender at this point in the season.

 

Make sure you check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Picks for Week Five!

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Expert NFL Sports Picks: Week Four Predictions

This weekend will mark the quarter mark of the season for many teams and it seems like it has gone by extremely fast. While we’re learning a lot about some teams, the truth is we still have a long way to go.

Many of the teams that look good now will not look so good at the end of the year, and vice versa. Therefore, don’t underestimate an underdog at this point. You never know when an underdog is just starting to gel and start winning.

What should we expect from the Free NFL Sports Picks this week?

 

Oakland vs. Houston (Houston -9.5)

As long as the Raiders have JaMarcus Russell at quarterback, don’t expect them to do much in the way of offense. While they looked decent in the first half of Week One, they haven’t looked good since. Although they seemed like a good running team, they haven’t even been able to run much with the terrible play of JaMarcus Russell under center.

The Texans are looking good on offense, but it remains to be seen whether they can stop anyone.

 

Tennessee vs. Jacksonville (Tennessee -3)

The AFC South is one of the hardest divisions to play in in the league. Every week, there is some “knock-down, drag-out” matchup that comes down to the wire. Last week, it was Jacksonville and Houston, and this week should be about the same with this game.

Will Maurice Jones-Drew be able to continue his magic against the Titans defense? Chris Johnson should have a big game against the Jacksonville defense.

 

New England vs. Baltimore (New England -2)

The Patriots put up a good game last week against the Falcons, winning easily. However, their opponent this weekend will not go down without a fight. Many believe that the Ravens are the best team in football, and this should be a great game.

Can Tom Brady start to get in-sync with his receivers again? Or will Ray Lewis and the Baltimore defense seize the day?

 

Cincinnati vs. Cleveland (Cincinnati -5.5)

Will the Cleveland offense ever be able to move the ball? This week “ Man-Genius” will try get things going by starting Derrick Anderson. Will Anderson actually make a difference?

For the Bengals, Carson Palmer looks like he’s back at full strength and should be able to move the ball against Cleveland. Look for this division rivalry to be a close game.

 

New York Giants vs. Kansas City (New York -8.5)

The Chiefs looked terrible last week against the Eagles. However, just because they looked bad, don’t count them out against the Giants. How many times have you seen a team look completely awful and then come out the next week and look like world-beaters? It happens all the time in the NFL.

This might be another blowout, but don’t rule out a close game at Arrowhead.

 

Detroit vs. Chicago (Chicago -10)

Detroit got its first win in the last two seasons last week. This week they get a much better Chicago team that has already knocked off Pittsburgh. Matt Forte should have a great game against the Detroit defense and get the ball in the end zone.

Will Matt Stafford be able to keep his offense moving against the Bears?

 

Tampa Bay vs. Washington (Washington -7)

This could be the least attractive game on the schedule this week. Both of these teams look terrible and they’re actually going to play each other this week. Anytime you’re an underdog to a team that just lost to the Lions last week, things are not looking good. That is the position that Tampa finds itself in this week after benching Leftwich.

 

New York Jets vs. New Orleans (New Orleans -7)

This could be the best game of the week as two unbeaten teams match up. The Jets look to keep things going behind rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez. On the other side of the field, the Saints have the best quarterback in the league in Drew Brees.

Will the Jets defense be able to slow down the vaunted Saints offense? Look for an entertaining game in this one.

 

Buffalo vs. Miami (Buffalo -2)

Miami looks like they’re out to prove that last year was a fluke as they have stumbled out of the gate to an 0-3 start. The Bills haven’t exactly been lighting the world on fire, but they’ve looked better than Miami so far. Last week, T.O. was held without a catch for the first time in 13 years and he probably won’t be happy about it this week.

Look for him to start a new streak this week.

 

St. Louis vs. San Francisco (San Francisco -9.5)

The Rams look like they might challenge last year’s Detroit team for the worst in the league. They lost their quarterback and haven’t looked very good at any point this season. The Niners, on the other hand, have looked good for all but the last play of their third game.

On paper, this doesn’t look like a very even matchup, but anything can happen.

 

Dallas vs. Denver (Dallas -3)

The Cowboys have looked like a juggernaut at times and awful at others. A lot of it depends on how Tony Romo is playing in each game. If he can keep from throwing picks, look out for the Cowboys. This should be a good test to see if Denver’s defense is for real or just a mirage of bad scheduling.

 

San Diego vs. Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh -6.5)

Pittsburgh comes into this game as the favorite even though they are 1-2 on the season. Usually the oddsmakers give you the benefit of the doubt when you just won the Super Bowl. This should be a pretty even game as the Chargers are a talented football team. Look for a game that goes right down to the wire here.

 

Green Bay vs. Minnesota (Minnesota -3.5)

This game is all about the Brett Favre saga, but it should actually be a pretty good game between two teams. This one will be talked about all week, leading up to the game.

 

Make sure you check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Sports Picks for Week Four of the NFL season.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

NFL Sports Betting Picks: Week Three Recap

The third week of the NFL season was exciting and filled with action as usual. We saw the return of Michael Vick (even though it was pretty anti-climactic), and the Detroit Lions finally won a game. Let’s see who covered the spread and who didn’t with the NFL Sports Picks in Week Three.

Cleveland vs. Baltimore- This one played out pretty much like everyone in the world thought it would. Cleveland looked like the worst team in football and Baltimore looked superior. The Browns tried Brady Quinn and Derrick Anderson at quarterback, but nothing worked. The Ravens covered by 17.5 points, but it looked a lot worse than that.

New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay- This one was pretty much a blowout from the kickoff as well. The Giants looked like a very good team against the Bucs. The terrible game ended up getting Byron Leftwich benched for the rest of the season. The Giants covered easily in this one.

Green Bay vs. St. Louis- Green Bay was favored by 6.5 in this one and they covered by 12.5. The Rams looked terrible again and they even lost their starting quarterback, Marc Bulger, to a shoulder injury. Things look like they’re going from bad to worse for the St. Louis Rams again this year.

Kansas City vs. Philadelphia- Although it seems like a recurring theme over the first four games here, this was another case of a team looking overmatched and getting blown out. The Chiefs showed that they need a lot of help on the offensive line. The Eagles covered easily in this game. While all the media wanted to talk about was Michael Vick, he was largely a non-factor in this game.

Atlanta vs. New England- New England was the favorite, but this was one of those games that a lot of people thought was a toss-up. The Falcons are a good team and many thought that they could challenge the Patriots, who were coming off of a loss. However, when it came time to play the game, the Falcons didn’t really show up. New England covered this one by 11.5.

San Francisco vs. Minnesota- This game came down to the final play as Brett Favre showed everyone what all the fuss surrounding him was about. He threw a last second touchdown to give the Vikings a come-from-behind win. While the Vikings won the game, the Niners covered the spread by four. The 49ers looked like they were going to pull off a tough win until the final play of the game.

Jacksonville vs. Houston- This game saw Maurice Jones-Drew go off to the tune of three touchdowns, and the Jacksonville Jaguars win the game. They covered the spread by 11, and the Texans continue to struggle on the defensive side of the ball. Their offense is tough, but they can’t stop anyone to save their lives.

Washington vs. Detroit- Although Washington was favored, this was a game that a lot of people thought Detroit could win. The Redskins have been laughable on offense so far and the Lions finally got their act together and got a win. This could be the beginning of the end for the Jim Zorn era in Washington. Detroit covered big in this one.

Tennessee vs. New York Jets- This was a very entertaining game that went right down to the wire. Rex Ryan’s defense in New York looks to be very good and the Jets beat Tennessee, sending them home with an 0-3 record. The Jets were favored and they ended up covering the spread.

New Orleans vs. Buffalo- Who would have thought that this game would turn out to be a defensive battle? What a strange game to watch. Drew Brees torched the Eagles’ defense last year and then doesn’t do anything against the Bills? T.O. was held without a catch for the first time since 1996 as well. This was just a strange game that no one expected to play out like it did. The Saints were favored and won big, but they didn’t do it through the air.

Chicago vs. Seattle- Chicago came into the game as a mere one point favorite and they covered. Matt Hasslebeck did not play in this one and the Seattle offense never really got in a flow. Seneca Wallace was largely ineffective and inaccurate. The Bears are off to a good start on the year.

Denver vs. Oakland- The Broncos got their third win of the year and covered the spread in grand fashion. The Raiders were anemic on offense and Jamarcus Russell looked like a complete bust again. In the second half of the game, he had more sacks against (three) him than he did passing yards (one). The Raiders should cut their losses and end the Jamarcus Russell Quarterback Experiment as soon as possible.

Miami vs. San Diego- San Diego won by 10 in this game and covered the spread by 4.5. Miami is off to a bad start and proving that last year was indeed a fluke. The Chargers didn’t even really look that great, but still won easily in this one.

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati- The Bengals actually managed to beat the Steelers here on a last second score. Not many saw this one coming and the Bengals covered the spread here. It appears that Carson Palmer will help the Bengals get back to respectability again soon.

Indianapolis vs. Arizona- The Colts asserted themselves on offense this week and managed to put up some pretty impressive stats. Peyton Manning looked great as well as receivers Reggie Wayne and Pierre Garcon. The Colts were underdogs, but ended up covering by 24 points. Warner and the Cardinals’ offense looked out of sync as a whole for most of the night.

Carolina vs. Dallas- Dallas managed to bounce back after a disappointing loss to the Giants last week. They were favored by nine and covered that with a win over the Panthers. The Panthers’ offense just looks awful right now. The Cowboys are hoping they can keep things rolling for the rest of the year.

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Picks for Week Four of the NFL season.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Expert NFL Sports Betting Picks: Week Three Preview

The first two weeks are officially in the books and have started to tell us a few things about the teams that we cheer for. With that being said, it’s only the third week and we have 14 games left for each team.

What will happen toward the end of the season is still a mystery, as we’ve seen some pretty crazy things already. So what should we expect out of the Free NFL Picks in the third week of the season?

 

Tennessee vs. New York Jets (New York -2.5). This should be another tough game for the Titans. Even though they’re obviously a pretty good team, they have started out 0-2 on the year. The Jets’ defense appears as if they are for real under the tutelage of Rex Ryan.

Mark Sanchez has also been great through two games, even managing to beat the Patriots already.

Chris Johnson went off last week against Houston and made a lot of fantasy owners happy. Will he be able to keep it up?

Jacksonville vs. Houston (Houston -3.5). If Houston plays like it did against the Titans, the Jags really don’t have a chance in this game. However, that’s the reason they play the games out. Houston probably won’t hit on all cylinders in the passing game like they did last week.

The Jaguars had a nice contribution from Mike Sims-Walker last weekend and they hope he continues to grow into his role. It will be interesting to see if Matt Schaub can continue the blistering pace that he started last week.

Cleveland vs. Baltimore (Baltimore -13). According to the oddsmakers, this is the biggest mismatch of the week. However, just when you start to count out an underdog, that’s when they start to surprise you. Therefore, the large spread should increase betting on the Cleveland side this week.

If Baltimore keeps playing the way they have been, they will definitely win the game, but will they cover the huge spread?

New York Giants vs. Tamba Bay (New York -6.5). Eli Manning is definitely learning how to spread the ball around without Plaxico Burress by his side. On the other side of the ball, Byron Leftwich is proving that he is still a capable player in his own right. The Bucs also have a good two-headed running attack with Derrick Ward and Cadillac Williams. Can the Bucs stop the vaunted ground game of the Giants though?

Washington vs. Detroit (Washington -6). Last week, the Redskins scared a lot of people by playing an extremely close game with the St. Louis Rams. They failed to cover then and many wonder whether they can do it this weekend. Their offense is anemic, and they really don’t have a quarterback. If Detroit plays like they did in the first half against the Vikings, they can surprise the Redskins.

Green Bay vs. St. Louis (Green Bay -6.5). As mentioned with the Redskins preview, the Rams battled hard with them last week. If Jackson can get it going on the ground again, this could be a closer game than people think.

After a promising start against the Bears, the Packers’ defense took a step back against the Bengals. Can they go back in the right direction against the lowly Rams’ offense?

San Francisco vs. Minnesota (Minnesota -6.5). Although the Vikings sputtered in the first half against the Lions, they came on strong in the second half and put them away. If the Vikings can put it all together for a full game, they will handily whip the Niners.

However, the Niners have quietly jumped out to a 2-0 record of their own. This should be a pretty good game.

Atlanta vs. New England (New England -4.5). The Patriots sputtered against the Jets last week and looked like a pretty mediocre team. They only put up nine points which is pretty much unthinkable for the Patriots of old.

On the other side, the Falcons have beat down the Dolphins and Panthers in their first two weeks. Tony G. is still doing damage to opposing defenses and they look like a legitimate offense. Expect a pretty close game in this one.

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati (Pittsburgh -4). The Bengals looked like a much improved team last week as they beat the Green Bay Packers. Carson Palmer looked better and Chad Ochocinco put up another good game. If they can keep improving, they will be a team to be reckoned with and might surprise the Steelers.

The Steelers are coming off of a tough loss at the hands of Chicago and are looking to bounce back.

Denver vs. Oakland (Denver -1.5). This is one of the closest spreads of the week, and for good reason. The Raiders are much improved over last season and the Broncos aren’t really as good as their 2-0 record indicates. Will the McD era in Denver keep rolling along with another win? Or will the Raiders win back-to-back games for the first time this season?

Indianapolis vs. Arizona (Arizona -2.5). Arizona shut up a lot of the naysayers last week when they trounced the Jaguars. Many people believed that they were a fluke last year, but Kurt Warner put an end to all of that talk with an amazing performance.

This one should be interesting because it pits two of the best quarterbacks that have been in the league for a long time against each other. Look for a shootout in this one.

Carolina vs. Dallas (Dallas -9). Carolina has started out terribly in the first two games. They got blown out against Philly and then lost to the Falcons last week. While both of those teams are good, it’s not a good sign that Carolina didn’t even look competitive. Can Delhomme turn it around and stop turning the ball over?

Dallas, on the other hand, is coming off of one of the most disappointing losses in quite some time at the hands of the Giants. If Romo can stop throwing interceptions, this could be a special team.

Chicago vs. Seattle (Chicago -1.5). The Bears look to continue on their promising win last week against the Steelers. Can they keep it going or will they be shut down by Seattle?

The Seahawks might have to go with Seneca Wallace at quarterback. This isn’t exactly an encouraging sign if you’re a Seahawks fan. The Bears hope to get Matt Forte rolling on the ground again after two sub-par games.

New Orleans vs. Buffalo (New Orleans -6). Drew Brees has been completely out of this world the first two weeks of the season. He has tied an NFL record with nine touchdown passes over the first two weeks of a season. They also get Pierre Thomas back at full strength this week, which should help the ground game.

T.O. found the end zone last week and the Bills looked a lot better. Can they keep the passing attack going against New Orleans?

Miami vs. San Diego (San Diego -5.5). This should be a pretty evenly matched game. The Dolphins controlled the clock against the Colts and still somehow managed to lose. They can run the ball and their defense is not bad.

On the other side, the Chargers look to rebound after a loss to the Ravens. Will Phillip Rivers be able to bounce back?

Check out all of Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Sports Betting Picks for Week Three of the 2009 NFL season.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

Expert NFL Football Picks: Week Two Predictions

Week One of the NFL season brought with it a lot of surprises and upsets, as well as a few injuries. Week Two should be no different. There will be unexpected NFL winners, and a few teams that shouldn’t lose will.

So what should you expect this time around? Let’s see what you should look out for in Week Two.

 

Oakland vs. Kansas City (Kansas City -3)

It’s been a while since the Kansas City Chiefs were actually favored to win a game, but when you’re playing the Raiders, it’s not hard to see why. The Chiefs went down to the wire with the Ravens last week, who went to the AFC championship game last season.

The Raiders looked strong in the first half against the Chargers, only to fade down the stretch. Expect a physical game that will probably be low-scoring. This should be the first game of the Matt Cassel era in Kansas City, which should help the offense.

 

Houston vs. Tennessee (Tennessee -6.5)

The Titans lost a heartbreaker against the tough Pittsburgh Steelers. Anytime you can go into Heinz Field and only lose by a field goal in overtime, you played a pretty good game overall.

The Titans should be able to get their running game going a little better against the Houston defense. The Texans will look to rebound from a terrible performance in Week One against the Jets. Look for the Texans to get Steve Slaton and Andre Johnson involved in the game early.

 

New England vs. New York Jets (New England -3.5)

New England barely came back and beat the Bills on Monday Night Football last week. Will they be able to impose their will against the hot New York Jets? Mark Sanchez looked like a veteran under center in his first game and will try to continue with his solid play in Week Two.

The Jets defense looked pretty decent under new coach Rex Ryan. This one should be a pretty good game.

Note to Jets: If you see anybody with a camera in the huddle, you might want to make them leave.

 

Cincinnati vs. Green Bay (Green Bay -9)

The Green Bay defense appears to be for real. They were flying around like madmen against the Bears on Sunday night, and they look to be markedly improved. Throw in a stud quarterback in Aaron Rodgers and a healthy Ryan Grant, and you’ve got a recipe for success.

With that being said, Chad Ochocinco looked like he was ready to finally play again in Week One. If the rest of the team can play better, they can compete with anyone.

 

Minnesota vs. Detroit (Minnesota -10)

This line is no surprise, considering the Vikings are one of the best teams in the league and the Lions are the worst. Detroit made a lot of changes in the offseason, but you wouldn’t have known it watching them get dismantled against the Saints.

Maybe the Lions pull it together behind Matt Stafford and put up a good game. However, the Vikes look like they are going to be legitimate contenders this year.

 

Carolina vs. Atlanta (Atlanta -6)

Tony G’s first game in Falcon black looked pretty good. He added another dimension to the offense, even though Michael Turner couldn’t get going on the ground.

Matt Ryan played pretty well in the opener, and the defense did great. They made the Miami offense look ridiculous and held them to seven points.

Last week, the Panthers flat-out were embarrassed by the Eagles. Can Jake Delhomme rebound against the Falcons?

 

St. Louis vs. Washington (Washington -9.5)

Can the Rams actually score a point this week? They put up a big zero against the Seahawks last week. Can the Redskins rebound from a loss to the G-Men last week? Look for a low-scoring game in this one.

 

Arizona vs. Jacksonville (Jacksonville -3)

Arizona looked completely lost without offensive coordinator Todd Haley calling the plays. Will Kurt Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, and Anquan Boldin be able to right the ship?

Look out for a big game from Maurice Jones-Drew of Jacksonville. He is a threat to rush and receive and has a nose for the end zone.

 

Seattle vs. San Francisco (San Francisco -1.5)

According to the oddsmakers, this should be a pretty evenly matched game. Expect a pretty good game with a lot of big plays on both sides of the ball. The Seahawks seemed renewed with their quarterback back in the fold. The Niners played a pretty solid game under Mike Singletary.

 

Tampa Bay vs. Buffalo (Buffalo -5)

The Bills stood toe-to-toe with New England and almost came away with a win. The Bucs pretty much got embarrassed by the Cowboys as Tony Romo threw all over their defense. The running game for the Bucs looked solid with Cadillac Williams and Derrick Ward carrying the ball. This should be a pretty evenly matched game.

 

Cleveland vs. Denver (Denver -3)

Who was in charge of giving the Broncos the Bengals and the Browns in the first two weeks of the season? Nothing like giving a bad team an easier schedule to start out with.

The McD era started out pretty slowly in Denver, but a lucky fluke of a play gave them the win. Will they be so lucky against the Browns? Look for Brady Quinn to have a solid game against an overrated Denver D.

 

Baltimore vs. San Diego (San Diego -3)

The Ravens looked downright dominant at times last week yet still almost gave away the game. The Chargers looked a little out of sync but ultimately won the game against the Raiders.

The Ravens defense is still as good as ever, and if last week is any indication, Joe Flacco will be given the green light to pass. Look for a very good game in this one.

 

Pittsburgh vs. Chicago (Pittsburgh -3)

Although the Steelers win a lot of games, it seems like they always give the other team a chance to win. This one should be no different as Matt Forte and Jay Cutler look to rebound from a disappointing first game.

Cutler had a tough time with Green Bay’s defense, so what should we expect against the Steelers?

 

New York Giants vs. Dallas (Dallas -3)

Tony Romo rebounded from a poor 2008 to put up a monster game in Week One. The Giants also looked strong again. Look for a very good game between two good teams here.

 

Indianapolis vs. Miami (Indy -3)

Miami got off to a rough start last week, and it doesn’t get any easier against the Colts. Peyton Manning looked good as always. The loss of Anthony Gonzalez won’t help the offense, but they should still score some points.

 

Check out Vernon Croy’s Expert NFL Football Picks for Week Two.

Read more NFL news on BleacherReport.com

« Previous Page — Next Page »

NFL Sport Channel Latest

• Just How Far Would You Go?
• Sorry Rex, But It Isn’t Happening
• Super Bowl Predictions: Five Stat-Free Reasons Why the Eagles Will Reach The Super Bowl
• Seahawks Attempt to Turn Corner With Heavy Pursuit of Pete Carroll
• Bill Cowher Unlikely to Coach in 2010