That's more like it. For this race to remain a race, Joe needed to capitalize if Nathan ever gave him an opportunity and we finally saw it in Week 15. Going just 5-11, Nathan fell into a funk and let Joe's 9-7 week close the gap to just three games.
With two weeks to go, this contest is as tight as it's been since early in the year and it's now solidly up for grabs.
Season to date:
Nathan: 104-107-10 (32-22-3 locks)
Joe: 101-110-10 (24-23-2 locks)
Cleveland @ Baltimore -13.5
Nathan: The Ravens just don’t consistently score enough points for me to like them to win by this much. Pick: Cleveland and the points
Joe: The Browns have been playing well, but the Ravens really need this one. Expecting them to really come out firing after the beat-down they were handed by the Chargers. Pick: Ravens to cover
Denver -3 @ Buffalo
Nathan: The Bills just keep losing, and the Broncos just keep winning–except for last week. Denver has all the motivation, and I can see their defense dominating the Bills offense. Pick: Denver to cover◄
Joe: The Bills season has been very disappointing with all the injuries really derailing what looked to be a promising year. Buffalo has seemed to settle in a bit over the last couple weeks, and it doesn’t take an outstanding effort to beat the Broncos. Pick: Buffalo and the points◄
Tampa Bay @ Carolina -9
Nathan: Carolina has looked good in recent weeks, keeping it close against good teams, and beating the poor teams. Just a few weeks back the Panthers beat the Buccaneers on the road by 19, and now they are at home. Pick: Carolina to cover
Joe: The Bucs were overwhelmed by the Cowboys, but they showed some signs of life. I think they give the Panthers a good shot, and we get a close one. Pick: Tampa Bay and the points
Arizona @ Cincinnati -4
Nathan: I hesitated to pick the Bengals to win because of how well the Cardinals have played recently. The few points is enough for me to change my pick for this. Pick: Arizona and the points
Joe: Arizona has been playing well, and they get a Bengals team that is out of sorts. Its hard to pick these types of matchups here in the late weeks, but I will try the points. Pick: Arizona and the points
Oakland @ Kansas City -1
Nathan: The Chiefs completely dominated the Raiders earlier in the year. Kansas City is looking good again, so I expect them to at least win by one Pick: Kansas City to cover
Joe: The Chiefs put a wrench in the Packers plans for an undefeated season, but they still are not that good. I will take Oakland in this matchup as they seem like the better team overall. Pick: Oakland and the points
Miami @ New England -10
Nathan: While New England has been winning, there have been a lot of close games. Recently they barely beat the Redskins and Colts. The Dolphins have been playing well recently, so this should stay somewhat close. Pick: Miami and the points
Joe: The Dolphins have been playing well, and the Patriots aren’t a team that has been blowing people out. That said, Miami’s secondary really isn’t that great, and the coaching problems may catch up to them here. Pick: New England to cover
New York Giants @ New York Jets -2
Nathan: This is around the time that the Giants typically collapse. The Jets have a chance to better their playoff chances as well as showing they are the class of New York. Pick: Jets to cover
Joe: The Jets are much better than their overall record, and have been playing decent. I took the Eagles big last week, but I will admit that game played a bit closer than the score would suggest. The Jets are the much better team here, but the Giants do have a shot if they can really shut down the run with that D-line. Pick: Jets to cover◄
St. Louis @ Pittsburgh -17 (*moved to -12)
Nathan: With Ben Roethlisberger’s injury, I expect the Steelers to make sure that they win and not much else. 17 points is too much for a team with injuries. Pick: St. Louis and the points
Joe: The Steelers are banged up, but they should still be able to air it out enough to blow out the Rams. Pick: Pittsburgh to cover
Jacksonville @ Tennessee -7
Nathan: The Jaguars are just too banged up, and Tennessee desperately needs this win to stay alive. Pick: Tennessee to cover
Joe: The Jags have been crushed by injuries, and the Titans need this win bad. This might be a lot of points to lay with the Titans, but we will try it. Pick: Tennessee to cover
Minnesota @ Washington -7
Nathan: The Redskins have been very unpredictable all season, and this is a chance for Minnesota to get another win. I expect the Redskins to win, but Minnesota could easily make this interesting. Pick: Minnesota and the points
Joe: The Skins are finally playing well again, but it’s a bit too late. They proved a little something in their last matchups, but reality hits home this week and not much reason to get up for the Vikings. Pick: Minnesota and the points
San Diego @ Detroit -2
Nathan: Both of these teams have gotten their acts together when they need it the most. I think the Lions' defensive line will cause far too many problems for the Chargers offensive line. Pick: Detroit to cover
Joe: Two tough teams to figure out, but the Chargers have a bit more balance on the offensive end. I will take the points with Rivers in what could be a shootout. Pick: San Diego and the points◄
Philadelphia @ Dallas -1
Nathan: The Eagles dominated the Cowboys the first time around, and they’ve been looking good recently. Pick: Philadelphia and the point
Joe: The Eagles really dominated the Cowboys last time, but I really don’t have a great feel for this one yet so right now I will just fade the Eagles as they are extremely overrated at this point. Value lays with the Boys at home, and that is good enough late season here. Pick: Dallas to cover◄
San Francisco -3 @ Seattle
Nathan: I know how well the Seahawks have been playing recently, but the 49ers have been playing even better recently, and are fighting for the first round bye still. Pick: San Francisco to cover◄
Joe: Seattle has been very good at home, but the Niners might be a bit too much for them. Pick: San Francisco to cover
Chicago @ Green Bay -13
Nathan: The Packers will have a national stage to redeem themselves after their recent loss. The Bears are without their best quarterback, running back and receiver. Pick: Green Bay to cover
Joe: Chicago really hasn’t been able to compete as much without Cutler. The Packers will be looking to get the train rolling again heading into playoffs. Pick: Green Bay to cover
Atlanta @ New Orleans -7.5
Nathan: The last four times these teams have met, the away team has won by three. While that might not be true this time around, I don’t think the Saints are all that much better than the Falcons. Pick: Atlanta and the points◄
Joe: Atlanta is playing very good right now, and these games are usually close. I think it is worth mentioning that the Saints defense is playing a bit better right now than they have been in the past, and that could be why we see this line so high. I will still take the points Pick: Atlanta and the points
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