We're back for another round of NFL picks against the spread! I'm off to an 0-1 start this week thanks to the Atlanta Falcons taking their first loss. Their two fumbles were a problem, but their defense is just not looking that good right now. Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints offense seemed to be on the downhill slide, but I suppose we can always count on a rivalry game to get it going.
For the second straight season, I am back for the LVH SuperContest. SB Nation's partners over at Odds Shark are sponsoring my entry again. The contest requires selecting 5 games each week and picking them against the spread. This year's contest is expected to have nearly 1,400 participants, including myself, Matt Ufford and Eric Sollenberger from SB Nation. Everybody picks their own five games and there will be a running leaderboard HERE. You can follow my standings under the name "Fooch".
Last year, I finished 39-45-1. This year, I'm off to a decent start. I put together three straight 4-1 weeks, slipped to 3-2, and then went 3-1-1 last week. I had to sweat out the week in a big way. The Bengals had a huge comeback to force an overtime push against the Seahawks. Later in the afternoon, the Broncos needed a pick-six to get the cover. I am currently 18-6-1 through four weeks. The cushion remains for my inevitable fall! I went 9-3-1 overall ATS with my picks.
Here are my SuperContest picks for Week 6:
BROWNS (+4.5) over Broncos
JETS (-6) over Washington
Cardinals (-3) over STEELERS
49ERS (+2.5) over Ravens
Patriots (-7.5) over COLTS
Yep, I'm going with the 49ers. I picked them to beat the Minnesota Vikings, but had not planned on spending much time on them moving forward. They do not have a lot of winnable games on their schedule, but this Ravens game is one of them. Of course, this probably means they get waxed, but I'm going to roll the dice. The offense is coming off a solid game, and faces a bad Ravens secondary. The defense got shredded, but they've done fairly well at home against the Vikings and Packers. We'll see whether or not the 49ers burn me. Fingers crossed!
I'm not sure it is a good idea to go with the underdog Browns for a second week in a row, but here's hoping they can catch the Broncos looking ahead. Denver faces the Green Bay Packers next week, and I'm just hoping they're caught snoozing. And maybe the dreary Cleveland weather can help. I'm not overly comfortable with this pick.
I like that Jets defense against Kirk Cousins and Washington. Add in Washington being without their starting corners, and I think Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker can put together a solid effort. The Jets are a different team under Todd Bowles, and I think they can put together a strong effort coming off a bye week.
Here are all my picks for Week 6
SAINTS vs. Falcons (-3.5): Falcons - Loss
BROWNS vs. Broncos (-4.5): Browns
BILLS vs. Bengals (-3.5): Bills
VIKINGS vs. Chiefs (+4): Chiefs
JAGUARS vs. Texans (PK): Jaguars
LIONS vs. Bears (+3): Lions
JETS vs. Washington (+6): Jets
STEELERS vs. Cardinals (-3): Cardinals
TITANS vs. Dolphins (+2): Dolphins
SEAHAWKS vs. Panthers (+7): Seahawks
PACKERS vs. Chargers (+10.5): Packers
49ERS vs. Ravens (-2.5): 49ers
COLTS vs. Patriots (-7.5): Patriots
EAGLES vs. Giants (+4.5): Giants