NFL FOOTBALL PICKS ATS - FREE WEEKLY EXPERT PREDICTIONS

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.

While we know that Aaron Rodgers and the offense will be able to produce points, the main question is can the defense hold up against such a lethal Rams offensive unit. The Rams offense flows through Todd Gurley, and the Packers currently give up 116.5 yards per game on the ground ranking them 20th in the league.

Perhaps the bye week gave head coach Mike McCarthy and the team enough time to come up with a pristine game plan against the league’s best. We’re still taking the red-hot Rams over the Packers this week in a game where Aaron Rodgers opens as biggest underdog of his career.

The Broncos recall squandering a 10-point lead to Patrick Mahomes and company who led The Tribe back to break Denver's hearts. This will serve as a motivating factor for sure. Furthermore, Denver had Kansas City on the ropes, but by virtue of the performance portfolios of both teams combined with KC's recent scourge of wins in this series, we see Kansas City taking back what is almost certainly an inflated number.

The Bengals will go forth and silence the skeptics in perhaps their most proficient offensive performance of the year. Given the contrast in the climate when comparing the lukewarm temperatures of Tampa, Florida to the blustery conditions of Cincinnati, Ohio, Tampa Bay's high-octane offense will likely sputter and stall a bit more than it would like. This is Tampa's only calling card to keep the game close, but given these variables, that seems very unlikely. Cincy in a rout.

Each of these teams has played exceptionally well at times this season, and each one has also won a few games it probably should have lost. Houston is riding a four-game winning streak, but the spread in this conference clash is a bit too wide to ride the home team.

I am going to take the points and Miami to cover ATS. Right now, the extra half-point on the touchdown spread makes all the difference in the world for the road team on Thursday night.

New York sunk as about as low as possible in last Thursday’s loss to Philadelphia which could mean it has nowhere to go but up. Atlanta has lost a few tough games this season, but it has also shot itself in the foot to lose twice as many games as it has won. I would still give the overall edge to the Falcons playing this game at home. However, that edge is thinner than the generous 5.5-point spread.

Each team has given up quite a few points on defense, but the inflated total line has scared me away from the OVER as a solid play given the Giants’ play on offense. I am betting that New York does not play as bad as most people think, especially against a team it could actually beat. I will take the Giants and the points to cover on Monday night.

What the big question for Bengals' fans heading into Sunday night's conference showdown would have to be is their team ready for the prime time spotlight as a legitimate playoff contender in the AFC. The Chiefs have already proven they belong in this elite group and they will be ready for an all-out aerial assault that should continue to light up the scoreboard.

Cincinnati should be able to score its fair share of points as well pointing me towards the OVER in this matchup. However, I have Kansas City winning this game by at least seven points as my “best bet” pick.

This market opened with the Rams spotting a double-digit point total to the Niners. Despite indications of all the public money coming in on Los Angeles (73%), we have seen a reverse line movement which means only one thing: the smart money is on the Niners. We’ll go ahead and take the same position.