Alright so we're going to call a little audible here, and rather than going through every game on this weeks NFL slate I will just give you my 5 best bets for the week. If you do want to see my picks for the other games just head on over to the Heart of Ohio Sports Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and now we are up and running on Spotify as well! So with that being said lets get right into it...
- 49ers -6.5 @ Carolina Alright so lets be real here the 49ers looked exactly how I predicted almost two weeks ago when I called them Super Bowl Contenders. They took on the Rams Monday Night and absolutely embarrassed them, and myself since for some reason I took the Rams and the 49ers absolutely mushroom stamped not only the Rams, but all Rams betters as well. That defense looked absolutely ferocious, and the offense was the best we've seen all season long. Deebo Samuel is an absolute freak on nature who just seems to be good at literally everything he does, and I feel like it definitely has something to do with the boombox they have before games. Now I know this sounds crazy but if you haven't noticed every time the 49ers are carrying that gigantic boombox on their walk to the field they absolutely dismantle teams, and when they don't they become a very average team. Good news for them is that they won't need the boombox to cover in this one because the Panthers are absolutely pitiful. Baker has been by far the worst quarterback in the league so far this season, and Matt Rhule looks like he is actively trying to get himself fired, but David Tepper the Panthers owner just refuses to fire this bozo of a Head Coach. The defense for the Panthers hasn't been that terrible they're just on the field so much that in the fourth quarter they are giving up an astounding 10.5 points. I just don't see this being a close game whatsoever I mean the 49ers are starting to heat up, and the Panthers are already planning their vacations when the season is over so don't be surprised when this game gets out of hand.
- Eagles -5 @ Cardinals Okay so the Eagles are on track to become a very very very dominant team in this league, and should be at no surprise because they are loaded at absolutely every position. The offense with Jalen Hurts has looked damn near unstoppable, and the defense is playing at an extremely high level. I'm not sure what Jalen Hurts did this offseason but holy shit every dual threat type of quarterback in this league should be working out with him this offseason, or doing a similar training regiment that he did because he has got to be your MVP front runner so far. Yes I understand we are only 4 games in, but this dude is literally doing it all wether it's with his arm or his legs. Hurts is completing 66% of his passes for just over 1,100 yards and 4 touchdowns while also rushing for 205 yards and 4 touchdowns as well. I am not sure how a depleted Cardinals defense is going to hold up to this Eagles offense but only time will tell. Now on the other side of the coin you have the Cardinals are coming off a win against the Panther which isn't surprise because the Cardinals are a team where they will beat the piss out of the shitty teams like the Panthers, and then not even be competitive when they play real teams like the Eagles. They are one of the NFL's worst offenses on third down converting at a rate of of only 31%. Philadelphia is also the second best team in the league against the spread, and I think they keep up the same pace of covering in this game.
- Titans -2.5 @ Commanders It is that time of the year where the Titans start figuring it out, and that is very scary for the Commanders because they are giving up 112 rushing yards per game against one of the leagues best running backs. I'm not sure why every year it takes the Titans a whole month to remember they have Derrick Henry, but it seems like once they do that they become a real force in the league, and a scary matchup for anyone. What also is something to watch in this game is the lack of pass defense on both sides which should favor the Titans as well because with their heavy run attack this could be a game where we could see Ryan Tannehill get back on track and start throwing the ball down the field since the Commanders will be forced to load the box to stop the run attack, so if the Titans are getting a loaded box watch out for old Tannehill to start slinging the rock around and really start putting up some points. I think this game won't be a blow out, but I do think this is an easy cover here for the Titans.
- Lions +3.5 @ New England So typically I am totally against betting against Bill Belichick at home as an underdog, but with their current situation at quarterback I'm riding with the Lions. Yes I know the Lions have given up the most points in football, but this Patriots offense is just flat out not good at all. Now they may be starting Bailey Zappe at quarterback due to injuries to Mac Jones and Brian Hoyer. Now on the other side of the ball the Lions offense has been off the charts this season leading the league in points per game at 35, and Jared Goff has shown he's a real quarterback in this league. Detroit is also a top 10 rushing offense in the league as well averaging about 164 yards per game, and through the air they average about 273 yards per game where Jared Goff is tied for first in the league with 11 passing touchdowns. Although both defenses aren't very good I think this comes down to the offenses where Detroit has become one of the premier offenses in the league. I think to be safe you buy an extra half point here and ride with the Lions +3.5.
- Raiders @ Kansas City -7 So my final best bet for the weekend is coming on the Monday night game, and it's an absolute no brainer. The Chiefs have looked like the dominate team they have been for the past couple of years which is scary to think about since they lost Tyreek Hill this past offseason. Where the Chiefs have shown major improvements is on the defensive side of the ball where they are drastically better than last year. Mahomes is still Mahomes where he is top 10 in yards, attempts, completions, and touchdowns. If you want to call it a weak point its their only spot not in the top 10 and that's their rushing game where they rank 11th in the NFL at 117 yards per game. Now the Raiders have not lived up to the hype whatsoever starting off the year 0-3, and finally captured their first win last week against the Broncos. What is not a good sign for the Broncos is the fact they're the 22nd rated pass defense against obviously a top rated passing offense so if you're a Raiders fan I am deeply sorry for the ass whooping Mahomes is about to give y'all lay the points and ride with Mahomes at home in a prime time game and watch Derek Carr fall miserably on his face.