Nathan's methodical march toward the crown continues.
A fairly solid nine more wins last week created even more space between himself and Joe and has him feeling pretty safe as we enter the final five weeks. Unable to sustain any kind of momentum all season long – and not having many openings to take advantage of anyway – Joe is being body-blow'd into submission by Nathan's steady efforts.
Time to turn it up or ready to roll over? We'll see if Joe has any magic in store for the home stretch … or if Nathan will step on the throat and end this thing with one dominant week.
To Date:
Nathan: 84-79-10 (favorites 26-16-3)
Joe: 76-87-10 (favorites 19-20-2)
Philadelphia -3 @ Seattle
Nathan: I’m picking Seattle to win, since their defense is still playing well, and I don’t see how the Eagles can keep trying to turn their season around each week. Pick: Seattle and the points
Joe: The Eagles are banged up, and have yet to get it going this season. I will have to take the Seahawks here. Pick: Seattle and the points
Tennessee @ Buffalo PK
Nathan: Buffalo has only won one of their last six, while the Titans have either been winning or keeping things close, and are still in the playoff race. Pick: Tennessee◄
Joe: Buffalo still has just too many injuries, and the Titans are playing well. Tennessee gets it done on the road. Pick: Tennessee
Kansas City @ Chicago -7
Nathan: Matt Forte can have some big plays against the Chiefs defense, while the Bears defense can cause a lot of problems for the Kansas City offense Pick: Chicago to cover◄
Joe: The Chiefs haven’t been playing well at all, and the Bears defense should be able to do enough to get the cover. Pick: Chicago to cover
Atlanta -1.5 @ Houston
Nathan: A loss for Atlanta would be more costly than a loss for Houston, and with Yates at quarterback it makes it hard for me to like them until I see him play more. Pick: Atlanta to cover
Joe: This should be a great game even with the Texans misfortunes at quarterback. I will try going with the Texans in this one digging deep, and finding a way to win. Pick: Houston and the points
Oakland @ Miami -3
Nathan: While Miami has been playing well recently, Oakland is also riding a three game winning streak. They need to hold off Tim Tebow, so I’ll give it to Oakland. Pick: Oakland and the points
Joe: Oakland seems like they are settled in with Palmer, and I think Miami’s run has come to an end. Pick: Oakland and the points
Denver @ Minnesota PK
Nathan: With how well Denver’s defense is playing and Adrian Peterson hurting while Michael Jenkins has landed on IR. If Denver doesn’t blow the Vikings out, they will at least keep it close for Tebow to win in the end. Pick: Denver◄
Joe: This might be one of the only games I look at this weekend as I don’t really like many of the matchups. Denver has caught teams at the right time, and have been very lucky along the way. The Vikings defense is a good match to contain this Denver offense, and Vikings send the Tebow down to earth. Pick: Minnesota◄
Indianapolis @ New England -22
Nathan: I fully expect New England to win, but with the rivalry I could see Indianapolis keeping it closer than 22 points. Pick: Indianapolis and the points
Joe: 22 points is a lot for any team so I will take the points, and see what happens. Pick: Indianapolis and the points
Cincinnati @ Pittsburgh -7.5
Nathan: While the Bengals have been losing recently, they have been keeping the games close. They have yet to lose a game by more than seven points. Pick: Cincinnati and the points◄
Joe: Too many points to give a Bengals team that has been playing well. Look for them to possibly give Pittsburgh a scare. Pick: Cincinnati and the points
Carolina @ Tampa Bay -3
Nathan: Tampa Bay’s season has basically fallen apart, but the Panthers season has fallen apart even more. Pick: Tampa Bay to cover
Joe: Tampa is home here so I will try them in this one. Pick: Tampa Bay to cover
New York Jets -3 @ Washington
Nathan: Outside of losing to the Patriots and Tim Tebow, the Jets have looked just fine these past two months, while the Redskins have looked anything but fine. Pick: New York to cover
Joe: The Jets are a much better team, and will show it this weekend. Pick: New York to cover◄
Baltimore -7 @ Cleveland
Nathan: I don’t see the Browns scoring very much if at all against this Ravens defense, while the Baltimore offense is capable of putting points on the board. Pick: Baltimore to cover
Joe: I don’t like laying so much with the Ravens, and the Browns have been playing better lately. Pick: Cleveland and the points◄
Dallas -7 @ Arizona
Nathan: These two teams combined have won seven of their last eight games, but Dallas has by far more talent, and more of a reason to win. Pick: Dallas to cover
Joe: Dallas is just not a team you can lay points with, and feel comfortable. They should win, but I will try the points with Arizona playing at home. Pick: Arizona and the points
Green Bay -8 @ New York Giants
Nathan: The Packers are hurting on the offensive line and inside linebacker, so if there is any week that they lose in the regular season it’s this one. Pick: New York and the points
Joe: One of the few plays I like this weekend I think the Giants might give the Packers a scare. Rodgers is amazing, but Eli has really had a great year. Pick: New York and the points◄
St. Louis @ San Francisco -14.5
Nathan: San Francisco should win this game, but they just don’t score enough points for me to like them by this many points. Pick: St. Louis and the points
Joe: I like St Louis getting so many points from a San Francisco offense that is not that great. Pick: St. Louis and the points
Detroit @ New Orleans -9
Nathan: Although Detroit is on a losing streak, the Saints defense has been playing poorly enough that the Lions will have a fair amount of offensive firepower to keep things close or maybe even win. Pick: Detroit and the points
Joe: Detroit has been disappointing, but 9 points is a lot with a defense that is just not all that great. Pick: Detroit and the points
San Diego -1.5 @ Jacksonville
Nathan: I just refuse to believe that San Diego can have so much talent on the roster, and lose a game like this. Pick: San Diego to cover
Joe: San Diego really just has some major problems, but they should still beat Jacksonville. Pick: San Diego to cover
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