NFL FOOTBALL PICKS ATS - FREE WEEKLY EXPERT PREDICTIONS

Minnesota may be just a half-game in back of Chicago in the NFC North, but the current gap between these two teams appears to be much broader than that. The Bears have played especially well at home, and they know just how important this game is to their division title hopes.

I see the UNDER trend in this matchup holding up on Sunday night, but I am betting on Chicago to cover the three points at home.

Another argument offered by many is that the Giants have a home-field advantage. It is a bit of an ironic statement considering that Big Blue has yet to win a game in the Meadowlands, all year. This situation doesn’t seem to be ideal for them to get their first. In the late stages of the game, Tampa Bay will pull away as their skill players will begin to eat up yards from a scrimmage against a beleaguered defense. The Giants’ offense is too suspect to bank on regardless of the match-up.

Each of these teams desperately needs a win on Thursday night to keep any outside hope of a postseason berth alive. I would give the overall advantage to Seattle playing this game at home, but it could be a three-point game either way.

Given how the Seahawks were able to move the ball against the Rams along with some softer play from their defense than expected, my ‘best bet’ pick for Thursday’s matchup is the OVER on the current total line.

In a matchup between two teams that have basically forgotten how to win, it is hard to know which way to lean in this one. New York is well-rested coming off a bye, and the 49ers are playing at home coming off their best game of the year.

The Giants actually appear to be worse off given some level of team dissension over the quarterback position, while Mullins gives his team a ray of hope moving forward. Lay the three points and take San Francisco SU and ATS on Monday night.

A loss on Sunday night would pretty much have the Cowboys riding out the string. Despite the dire situation, it is going to be very hard to go on the road on a short week and get one against a well-rested Eagles’ team that may have turned the corner with its play the last time out.

I like Philadelphia's chances to get the straight up win, and the half point on the current spread is in its favor in a seven-point game. Lay the 6.5 points and take the Eagles on Sunday night ATS.

The Rams have shown signs of weakness in their last few games, and their defense got torched by the Saints in week nine. Todd Gurley and Jared Goff have been impressive on offense all season long, but LA needs more consistent play overall. The Seahawks have started to figure things out and should be competitive in this game. The Rams will win this game at home, but Seattle will keep it close.

The Redskins should rebind marvelously here against a Tampa Bay team that remains in a state of disarray. We will go ahead and trade away the points here and take the Skins on the Money Line to enhance our return. From the opening tick, the Skins will run all over the Bucs and keep their one strength (their league-leading passing attack) at bay by limiting their possessions. Washington wins this one by much more than a mere field goal.

There is plenty of backdoor potential with this number should the game get out of hand but chances are it won't come down to that. Kansas City's defense has been a question mark all season and entirely it simply it is not good enough to be entrusted to hold such a large lead even if the Chiefs have blown out opponents on several occasions this season. The Cards seventh-ranked passing defense should allow Arizona enough breathing room to keep this one close enough to come in under the number.

Carolina continues to find ways to win games despite a few slow starts and some sloppy play on defense. The biggest plus has been the ability to put points on the board when it needed them the most. Pittsburgh is finally living up to expectations during its current four-game winning streak (SU and ATS). Playing this game at home should keep that momentum rolling right along.

Give the Panthers credit for their play in the first half of the season, but I see them struggling to keep pace on Thursday night. The OVER on the total line is a solid play, but I think Pittsburgh ATS is the ‘best bet’ pick in this one.

The Titans have taken a step backward from their fast start, but this is still a team that has some quality wins on its 2018 resume. Dallas should win this game SU, but the current 6.5-point betting line is somewhat inflated in light of the anticipated money coming in on the Cowboys.

I am not sure Dallas can beat any team by a touchdown or even a couple of field goals given its current form on offense, so I will take the bait and take the points on the Titans to cover ATS.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remained the only NFL team to complete an entire season undefeated and untied from the opening game through the Super Bowl. With that said, this is by far the Rams toughest matchup of the season and traveling to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome to take on Drew Brees, and the Saints is never a walk in the park. We're taking the home Saints team this week to upset the Rams and end their undefeated season.

After this week, Minnesota gets a bye to get itself ready for the second half of its 2018 campaign. They open with a pivotal match-up on the road at Chicago, and then they host Green Bay. This is a Minnesota football team that was touted by many to be a potential Super Bowl participant in the pre-season. The Vikings can all but put them in prime position to win the division yet again if they take care of business in their next three outings. We have to like the motivation for Minnesota to do so at home against the weakest of the lot in the NFC North. Swallow the points.

If the Bucs defense can show up and the offense can finish drives with touchdowns and not turnovers, then the Bucs might have a chance to upset the Panthers in this game. Carolina is favored -7 at home this week against the Bucs and have won three of their last five games against Tampa Bay. With the momentum of defeating the Eagles and Ravens, it's hard not to take the Panthers at home in Week 9 against the Bucs.

New York will enter this contest looking to avenge the defeat they suffered against Miami earlier at home this season and furthermore end their supremacy as of recent in this rivalry series. This contest has upset written all over it if you even want to call it that. Jets on the Money Line is the right call here.

Trying to figure out what happens on Thursday night is hard to do. Both offenses could stink up the joint given their current form, or they could each have success against two of the worst defenses in the league. My ‘best bet' is the game becomes hard to watch for even the most avid NFL fans.

As far as actually betting on this game with 5Dimes, take the Raiders and the three points in a contest that could go either way depending on mistakes and turnovers.

New England is back on track after a shaky start, but that does not surprise anyone. The Patriots should be able to win this game with relative ease, but laying two touchdowns on the road against a division opponent always comes with some level of risk no matter how bad the Bills have looked in recent weeks.

None the less, New England is going to score some points on this Bills’ defense with Buffalo adding just enough points on its own to take the total OVER 44 points.

As much as Blake Bortles has struggled for the Jaguars, he does give them the best chance to beat the Eagles. Now, if he does struggle than he could be replaced once again for Kessler and with that uncertainty, we can't trust the Jaguars this week.