The NFL has been incredibly unpredictable over the past two weeks due to COVID-19, but the changes the league has made in protocols should help bettors, fans and teams moving forward. #DajaniDimes went 9-7 against the spread last week, which isn’t something to be proud of but it felt OK considering every pick was a shot in the dark due to the virus.
A quick appreciation of John Madden, who passed away Tuesday at the age of 85. I wouldn’t be writing this column or working for CBS Sports if it wasn’t for him. The impact he had on the game of football during his coaching career and after truly can’t be measured. The ‘Madden’ video game brought more fans to the table than you would imagine.
Let’s jump into the picks. Peep the season stats below.
Top five picks record: 42-38
Overall ATS record: 114-125-1
Straight up record: 149-90-1
2020 ATS record: 125-120-9 (2 official picks missed due to COVID rescheduling)
All NFL odds are via Caesars Sportsbook
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Latest Odds:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
-14.5
The Buccaneers may not have head coach Bruce Arians on the sideline this Sunday but that’s fine because Tom Brady is an assistant head coach. The Buccaneers are missing several key players like Chris Godwin, Lavonte David and Leonard Fournette, but how much does that matter when they are facing a bad opponent? The Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers by 26 last week. Ke’Shawn Vaughn scored a 55-yard touchdown, Antonio Brown caught 10 passes for 101 yards and Cyril Grayson flashed with 81 yards on three receptions.
Credit to the Jets for beating the Jacksonville Jaguars last week and losing to the Miami Dolphins by less than double digits the week prior, but the Buccaneers are just different.
The pick: Buccaneers -13
Projected score: Buccaneers 30-13
Which NFL picks can you make with confidence, and which Super Bowl contender will go down hard? Visit SportsLine now to see which teams win and cover the spread, all from a proven computer model on a 134-96 roll on NFL picks.
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET (CBS)
Latest Odds:
Houston Texans
+13.5
The Texans are coming off of a surprising 41-29 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Rex Burkhead rushed for 149 yards and two touchdowns. While he’s known for his time with the New England Patriots, he’s actually having a career year at the age of 31! This Texans team isn’t one of the best in the league, but you absolutely can’t sleepwalk past them. Keep an eye on rookie quarterback Davis Mills, as he’s making a case to be a part of the team’s future.
49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo reportedly suffered a chipped bone and torn …….