NFL FOOTBALL PICKS ATS - FREE WEEKLY EXPERT PREDICTIONS

On paper this game doesn't appear to be close. Seattle finished 10-6 but is clearly playing their best ball of the season. The return of Lynch will help the offense as will the return off SS Kam Chancellor. Bridgewater threw only 9 picks on the year but he only tossed 14 TD passes. The Seattle defense surrendered 14 TD passes but also had 14 interceptions (10 in the last 6 games). Wilson is playing at a level few expected as he has quickly risen from a 'running' QB who handed the ball off to Beast Mode to a QB who threw for 4,024 yards and 34 TDs (to only 8 interceptions). The advantage the Seahawks have at QB is huge and they have the best defense as well. The Vikings need to pressure Wilson consistently throughout the game, get 100+ plus yards out of Peterson and for Bridgewater to play at a near-perfect level. I don't expect all three of those things to happen and like Seattle to be an easy winner on the road, where they have won their last 5 decisions.

There is little doubt that these two teams are very familiar with one another, which could give the slight edge to the home team. I still see Cincinnati ending its streak of playoff losses with the SU win, but I am not willing to bet on it. Instead, I am going with the OVER 47 on the total line as my "best bet" pick in this one.

The Chiefs' defense is playing at a high level right now and hasn't allowed any opponent to reach 23 points since Week 4. The return of Houston is bound to help the pass rush and Hoyer may need to throw the ball quicker than he would like. I think Kansas City can do enough offensively to get into the end zone and if they can take Hopkins away on defense, they'll force the Texans to try to make big plays with players who haven't done much on the season. It has been a good year for Houston but I'll take the Chiefs in this one as their offense and defense are both playing well at this stage.

The Chiefs got a 34-20 victory in their earlier match up, but the score doesn't accurately reflect the game. The Raiders held a 6-point lead going into the fourth quarter before the Chiefs got two offensive scores to take the lead and a late pick 6 for a TD. Oakland out yarded Kansas City 361-232 in this tight affair that could have easily gone the other way. The Chiefs have a shot to improve their playoff position and while I think that they will get the win the point spread is a different story. Kansas City has scored an adequate 23.75 points per game in their last four, but they have managed just 274 yards per game and have been fortunate to reach those scoring numbers. That gives the visitor some value here getting 7 from a team who has not moved the ball well for weeks.

Time and time this season, Jacksonville has proved it is never out of the game no matter how slow its starts out of the gate. While I would have to lean towards Houston in this matchup given what is on the line, my "best bet" pick in on BetOnline's 46-point total line with a play on the OVER.

The Bills would love to play the role of spoiler against their bitter rivals, but I do not see them getting the chance. New York is playing its best ball at the right time of the year, so I am laying the 2.5 points on the road with a "best bet" pick of the Jets covering.

You have to give credit to Minnesota for turning the NFC North into a legitimate race this season following Green Bay's fast start, but the rubber meets the road at Lambeau Field this Sunday night with the Packers coming out on top both SU and ATS.

New York cannot improve its playoff position with a victory on Sunday, but it would still love nothing better than to eliminate its division rival from the postseason, so look for a full four-quarter effort to win this game. The Redskins already won the first meeting this season on the road, so they should have the slight edge this time around on their home field.

Both teams have demonstrated to ability to move the ball quickly down the field when their quarterback gets hot. I think that Manning and Cousins are each set up to have a good day throwing the ball in a game that should go OVER the current 49-point line.

This matchup should be a real grinder that is dictated by each team's defense. Scoring will be at a premium and despite the fact that the total is already set unusually low at 40.5, I am going to take BetOnline's bait with a "best bet" play on the UNDER.

The Giants could be out of playoff contention by the time this game is played if Washington beats Philadelphia on Saturday night, but even if they are still alive in the NFC East title race it will be tough to come away with a SU road win against the Vikings. What I do like is New York's chances to cover with the six points even if Beckham remains out of the lineup. This team still has a way of keeping games close to the end and that should be the case again this Sunday night. 

Free Chicago at Tampa Bay ATS Pick Neither of these teams is playing well right now but the Colts still have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Miami's season ended several weeks ago. In their last 6 losses the Dolphins are allowing an average of 32 ppg. Indy was routed by Pittsburgh and Jacksonville before last week's tough loss. If the Colts open up the offense, they should be able to make plays against a team that is just waiting for the season to end.

The Bills are beat up on the defensive line and at LB and it has shown allowing 130.75 yards per game. over their last four. They've now allowed eight of their last nine opponents to run for more than 100 yards after holding four of the first five to fewer than 100 and all five to 102 or fewer. That could be an issue this week facing one of the better offensive lines in the NFL and this running game seems to be getting on track running for 133 yards against the very good run defense of the Jets last week. They'll have Kellen Moore behind center making his first start of his career, but the Cowboys didn't hold back on the play calling with Moore throwing 25 passes, so I don't think that Dallas will have him playing conservative against the Bills if they stack the box. Buffalo will be going up against a defense that has proven that they can stop the run on the road allowing 99.4 yards per game and will likely be without their top RB LeSean McCoy. That will put a lot of pressure on their passing offense which is short handed with their No. 2 WR Robert Woods out TE Charles Clay iffy to play.

Neither of these teams is playing well right now but the Colts still have a legitimate shot at the playoffs. Miami's season ended several weeks ago. In their last 6 losses the Dolphins are allowing an average of 32 ppg. Indy was routed by Pittsburgh and Jacksonville before last week's tough loss. If the Colts open up the offense, they should be able to make plays against a team that is just waiting for the season to end.

Some may figure that this is a good match up for the Bucs' offense with the Bears ranking 26th in run defense, but they've shown signs of turning it around holding their last two opponents to 3.6 or less yards per carry. Chicago has also gone under the radar with most with their past defense ranking third in the league allowing just 216 yards passing per game. The offense is an entirely different story for the Bears. They've scored a game high 21 points in their last five averaging 18 per game and on the season this unit has scored greater than 23 points just twice. They'll face a defense that has allowed 27 points per game at home, but they've improved on their scoring defense over their last four at Raymond James Stadium allowing 20.25 PPG. That number drops even more when you remove the 6 points scored by the Giants on fumble return on the last play of the game. Tampa Bay's problem has been with turnovers with 21 on the season and short fields and pick 6's skews their defensive scoring stats. That may not come into play with the Bears coming up with just 14 takeaways this season.

Six of the previous eight meetings between these heated rivals have been decided by 3 points or less including the earlier game this season. I don't see history repeating itself this week. Baltimore has been outscored 69-20 in the past two games as injuries have finally kept the team from fielding a competitive roster, especially on offense. HC John Harbaugh's teams always compete but the talent just isn't there. Pittsburgh is marching toward a playoff spot and can't afford a slipup here. Roethlisberger and the passing offense will be just too much for the Ravens to handle.

There is nothing on the line in this game for either team except for pride, which could actually set-up a pretty entertaining matchup. I look for both Stafford and Brees to light things up through the air in a game that goes OVER the current 50.5-point total line.

There are the legitimate playoff teams in the NFC and the ones in the NFC East fighting to get into the playoffs. Arizona is still not in a position where it can takes its foot off the gas as one of the top two seeds in the NFC so look for the Cardinals to continue to roll in a road victory that easily covers the 3.5-point spread.

The offense has been a problem for Atlanta failing to reach 20 points in a game over their last three, but they played a couple of good units (Minnesota and Carolina) in that stretch and should find the going easier this week. The Jaguars have the 30th ranked scoring defense allowing 27.5 points per game while not facing the most daunting schedule. On the other side of the line the jaguar offense has been impressive in recent weeks raking up 380 or more yards in their last three points and with some help from the defense lighting up the scoreboard for 38 points per game over the three games. They'll face an Atlanta defense that has allowed 26.25 points per game in their last four and has looked tired and uninterested last week against Carolina who got out to a 28-0 lead in the first half and coasted in the second of a 38-0 spanking.

Both teams find themselves losers of two in a row and three of their last four. The difference is in the quality of opponents. The Vikings two losses came against the 11-2 Cardinals on the road and at home against the fast rising 8-5 Seahawks. The Bears dropped back to back games that both were played at Soldier Field against the 4-9 49ers and the 6-7 Redskins. An important stat to consider is Chicago's run defense which ranks 30th for yards per carry allowing 4.7 and 26th for rushing yards per game with 125.7 allowed per game. Excluding their Week 1 loss to San Francisco, Minnesota's losses have come against teams that can stop the run and make them one dimensional on offense. The Bears are unlikely to be one of those teams. The point spread is on the high side and it is a divisional game, but the visitor has nothing to play for and the Vikings have proven that they can extend the margin with six of their eight wins by 6 or more points.

Kansas City, like the Jets, controls their own fate on the road to the playoffs. They host the Browns and Raiders in the next 2 weeks and can't afford to overlook the Ravens. Under HC John Harbaugh, Baltimore always plays hard but they are very limited right now. I expect the Chiefs to control the clock with their ground game and quick-passing attack. The Ravens are -12 in TOs while KC is +12 and I look for the Chiefs to convert some TOs into points and to get a tough cover on the road.