By Nick Stasiak – Wannamakeabet Staff Writer
Vikings (-2.5) @ Panthers
This is a matchup between two teams who are currently in the playoffs. The Panthers hold a wild card spot while the Vikings pretty much have the NFC North locked up but are in a fight for first round bye. Dating back to an October 12th home game against the Eagles, Cam Newton has been much better at home than on the road. In three home games since then, Newton has thrown five touchdowns, 630 yards, and has a 73.2 QBR. He has also rushed for 252 yards in those games. Oddly enough, the offense seems to be clicking more since they traded away Kelvin Benjamin. For the Vikings, no one could have seen this season coming, especially from Case Keenum. Currently, they are a top five offense in the NFL, ranking 5th in total offense. Since a 2-2 start they have won eight in a row. But now they have to travel to Carolina where the Panthers have been playing like one of the best teams in football at home. The Vikings winning streak has to end eventually, right?
The Pick: Panthers +2.5
Raiders @ Chiefs (O/U 47.5)
This might be my favorite bet of the week. Kansas City’s offense turned it around last week and Oakland could be getting back both Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree. Also, both defenses aren’t the best. The Chiefs just got carved up by Josh McCown and the Jets. Their secondary is weak and they have suspended Marcus Peters for this game, not making things any better. The Chiefs rank 6th in total offense and the Raiders rank 16th. On the defensive side, the Chiefs rank 30th in total defense and the Raiders rank 22nd. When these teams met back in week seven, the final score was 31-30. All signs point to this matchup once against being a high scoring game.
The Pick: Over 47.5
Eagles @ Rams (-2)
Last week was the worst showing of the year by the Eagles. They came into the game riding high at 10-1 and then struggled in Seattle and lost 24-10. The Rams come into this game winning two in a row and sitting at 9-3. And obviously the big storyline in this one is Jared Goff vs Carson Wentz. Led by those two, both of these teams rank in the top five in total offense. The Eagles rank 3rd and the Rams 4th. One interesting thing the Eagles are doing is staying out west this week. They didn’t travel home after the game Sunday night, instead they are staying in California so they don’t have to travel all the way back there again. Both of these teams are very good ATS, the Eagles at 9-3 and Rams at 8-4. This game is intriguing on a lot of level, and I don’t know if I would bet on Wentz and the Eagles having a second straight poor performance.
The Pick: Eagles +2