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Detroit at Baltimore – Wow, what a game this should be! The Lions just may be the hottest team in the league at the moment. Yes, the Lions! As of right now, they are tied with numerous other teams (49ers, Dolphins, Chiefs, and Eagles) for best record in the league at 5-1. That said, they will have their work cut out for them this time around. The Ravens are tough, and this should be extra challenging, since the Lions will be going on the road. My pick: Baltimore
Atlanta at Tampa Bay – The Bucs got off to a hot start, and are tops in the NFC South at the moment. They have a chance to solidify their superior status in the division considerably with this game, coupled with the Saints loss this past Thursday. It is an opportunity which, I suspect, they will not miss. My pick: Tampa Bay
Washington at NY Giants – Both teams have shown some signs recently of improvement. Washington has looked good in recent weeks, and the G-Men very nearly pulled off a huge upset at Buffalo last week. But what worries me with the G-Men is the recurring issues with their O-line. They are not even very healthy, so nowhere near full strength, which means it should be very compromised. And without Daniel Jones, who seems to be set to miss this game, the Giants offense will likely look quite geriatric. Expect a low-scoring affair in this one. My pick: Washington
Buffalo at New England – Having just escaped a serious threat of an upset to the Giants, Buffalo should be extra motivated to win this divisional game against an opponent who is really struggling at the moment. It is weird, after so many years of astonishing success, to see the Pats having fallen so low. But their struggles are real, and the Bills really should be able to pull this one out. My pick: Buffalo
Cleveland at Indianapolis – After an amazing upset win over the previously unbeaten 49ers, the Browns should be feeling supremely confident. This could be a tricky game, because the Colts can surprise some people on any given weekend. Still, I suspect the Browns manage to pull this one out on the road today. My pick: Cleveland
Las Vegas at Chicago – This is a favorable stretch of games for the Raiders this season, offering a chance to bounce back from a bad start and actually earn a winning record. They could even position themselves to reach the playoffs. But they are not such a good team that they can afford to overlook a winnable game against a weak opponent like this. Also, the Bears have been playing much better in recent weeks, after that embarrassment against the Chiefs at Arrowhead. My pick: Las Vegas
Pittsburgh at LA Rams - A tough game to pick. The Steelers feel like the better team overall. But the Rams should feel motivated to win and at least remain among the relative contenders. Plus, they are at home. This one could go either way. Expect a tough, probably low-scoring game that should remain competitive right to the end. My pick: LA Rams
Arizona at Seattle – The Cardinals have shown some resolve and fight at times this season, even though it already feels like a lost cause. But the Seahawks have a chance to be serious contenders this season. They are the better team, and playing them at their home stadium is never easy, with that 12th man home field advantage. Look for the Seahawks to earn a sound win this week. My pick: Seattle
LA Chargers at Kansas City -This could be the game where the Chiefs almost de facto clinch the division title, even before the official midseason point. That would especially true if both the Chiefs win and the Raiders lose, as well. Right now, the Chargers have just been too inconsistent to assume that they can pull off some kind of major upset like this on the road. They may do some interesting things, just out of familiarity. That said, the Chiefs seem clearly the better team, and should be able to pull this one off. My pick: Kansas City
Green Bay at Denver – Both of these teams desperately want this one. The Broncos are still reeling from a sluggish start, and also still smarting from that embarrassing loss in particular to the Dolphins, when the defense allowed Miami to run up 70 points on them. The Packers, meanwhile, have dropped two straight and have a losing record. The jury is still out on Jordan Love, and whether he is the answer or not for the Pack. But they are coming off a bye week and should be well rested, and that might be enough to prove the difference. My pick: Green Bay
Sunday Night Football – Miami at Philadelphia – Wow, another really intriguing match-up! Two of the hottest teams in the league meet, in what could possibly be a Super Bowl preview. But let's not get ahead of ourselves just yet. The Dolphins have looked impressive, to say the least. Their offense is the hottest in the league, and could potentially explode on any given week. And while the Eagles are not looking quite as awesome as they did at this point last season, they are still very good, particularly at home, I suspect. So this one should be a very good, very tough game for both teams. It could go either way, but my expectations are for the home team to pull it out. My pick: Philadelphia
Monday Night Football – San Francisco at Minnesota – This likely would have been a much better game if it had been played last season. The Vikings have been rebounding a bit, and they honestly didn’t look terrible this season in most games. It’s just that they kept losing. This games feels like it will probably be more of the same. The Vikings may, at best, be able to keep this game close. But will they be able to beat one of the best teams in the entire league, a week after that team suffered a surprising upset loss? Not likely. Look for the Vikings to keep within striking distance in the first half, but for the 49ers to put the game away in the second half. My pick: San Francisco
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