Despite an 8-4-1 week, Nathan dropped a game off of his lead as Joe posted his top card of the season so far.
Picking nine winners in Week 8 (including all four of his favorites), Joe's claim that he'll climb back into this contest seems to be coming true. He trails Nate by just five wins now and this week offers an opportunity for him to take a huge leap forward (or a crushing tumble back) as the two have turned in 12 games worth of conflicting selections.
To date:
Nathan: 55-53-8 (18-9-2 locks)
Joe: 50-58-8 (11-16-2 locks)
New York Jets @ Buffalo -3
Nathan: The Jets have been disappointing too many times this year, especially on the road. Pick: Buffalo to cover◄
Joe: Buffalo has some key injuries, and the Jets are finally coming together. I will be trying to look into this one further, but right now I would feel good about playing the Jets. Pick: New York and the points.◄
Seattle @ Dallas -13
Nathan: After losing to a team by 27 points, I find it hard to pick them to win the following week by more than 13 no matter who they’re playing. Pick: Seattle and the points
Joe: Dallas caught Philly at the absolute worst time, and then didn’t even show up with the intensity needed which made it even worse. It is very hard to lay so many points with Jason Garret calling the plays, but Cowboys do have the ability to spread teams out and if they do, Seattle will pay dearly. Pick: Seattle and the points◄
Cleveland @ Houston -12
Nathan: Houston has been playing well, while the Browns just haven’t had the offense. Pick: Houston to cover
Joe: The Browns are pretty bad, but like I have said before its really rare I dive into games with big spreads. So for this game I will look at last weeks results where the Browns should have covered, and the Texans were lucky to cover. Maybe there is value with the Browns. Pick: Cleveland and the points
Atlanta -9 @ Indianapolis
Nathan: Picking against the Colts always seems like a safe bet. Pick: Atlanta to cover
Joe: The colts have looked really bad, but there have been some bright spots. People are forgetting how competitive this team has been at times, and they're now getting over a touchdown from a team that doesn’t pack on the points. Pick: Indianapolis and the points◄
Miami @ Kansas City -4.5
Nathan: Kansas City is riding a four-game winning streak and playing a team who hasn’t won yet, they're at home, and they're only picked to win by 4.5. Easy Pick: Kansas City to cover ◄
Joe: Miami is on its second road game after two tough loses in games they were in til the end. This should still be a close one, and even though I don’t like laying more than a FG with KC, I will go with them. Pick: Kansas City to cover
Tampa Bay @ New Orleans -9
Nathan: Both teams have three losses, it’s a division game, and the Saints just lost to the Rams. Nine points seems like a bit much. Pick: Tampa Bay and the points◄
Joe: The Saints will rebound after not showing up last week, and beat their division foe handily in a revenge game. Pick: New Orleans to cover
San Francisco -5.5 @ Washington
Nathan: Washington looks like they can’t do anything right, while the 49ers look like they can’t lose. Pick: San Francisco to cover◄
Joe: San Francisco has been a team I jumped on at times early this year, but right now I feel they are a bit overvalued. The Redskins will be sore after such a poor outing last week, and they should be ready to put that behind them. I would feel better if Shanahan didn’t throw Grossman to the gutter so fast though. Pick: Washington and the points
Denver @ Oakland -8
Nathan: I find it hard to pick the Raiders to win by this much after their six interception show in their last game. Pick: Denver and the points
Joe: Denver is in trouble as long as they keep playing Tebow at QB. Oakland has their own problems, but I'll still lay the points and see what happens. Pick: Oakland to cover
Cincinnati @ Tennessee -2.5
Nathan: This is a very difficult game, as both are quietly doing well. In these cases, I typically take the points. Pick: Cincinnati and the points
Joe: Cincinnati has been a very solid team this year, but I am not quite ready to lay the points here on the road in back-to-back games as Dalton just isn’t there yet in my opinion. Pick: Tennessee to cover
St. Louis @ Arizona -1
Nathan: In a game like this, it will be the star players that will make the difference. The biggest star in the game is Larry Fitzgerald. Pick: Arizona to cover
Joe: Arizona just had a really tough loss against the Ravens, and the Rams upset the Saints. This line would really scare me if I was thinking about playing the Cardinals so tread carefully. Pick: Arizona to cover
New York Giants @ New England -9
Nathan: I find it hard to pick a 5-2 team to win by more than nine points. Pick: New York and the points
Joe: The Giants are one of the most overrated teams in the league right now, and barley escaped Miami at home off their bye week. The Patriots, on the other hand, just got manhandled by the Steelers, and will look to take their frustration out on the team that took another ring from Brady. Pick: New England to cover◄
Green Bay -5.5 @ San Diego
Nathan: San Diego is coming off of a short week after playing on Monday Night Football, while the Packers are coming off a bye. Plus the Packers are just playing too well. Pick: Green Bay to cover
Joe: San Diego has been very disappointing this year, and MNF really was just fitting for how their season has gone. The Chargers have another week to iron out the kinks, and should be able to keep it close against the Pack. Pick: San Diego and the points
Baltimore @ Pittsburgh -3.5
Nathan: While the Steelers' defense is hurting, the Ravens haven’t been able to do much against weaker defenses. Pick: Pittsburgh to cover
Joe: The Steelers are finally hitting their stride, but they are really banged up. The Ravens have been struggling a bit, but the comeback againstArizona could be good momentum heading into this game. Pick: Baltimore and the points
Chicago @ Philadelphia -9
Nathan: While the Dream Team seems to be back, the Bears' three losses have come against the best of the NFC. It’s time to see if the Eagles are among the best, but for now I’ll take the points. Pick: Chicago and the points
Joe: The Eagles have had two good performances this year: against Atlanta and the Cowboys. I have to think they're now determined to keep it going. It is hard to lay this many points against the Bears, but I will for now. Pick: Philadelphia to cover
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