1)  Raiders -3.5 vs. Buccaneers

JUSTIFICATION: The Bucs have given up nine QB sacks so far this season, which leads the league. The Raiders had seven sacks against the Bills last week. They also have nine sacks in their two games, which would put them on a pace to break the NFL record of 72 set by the '84 Chicago Bears. The Bucs defense is still very formidable but the offense has been putrid. Only Jacksonville and Arizona have fewer yards than the Bucs. The Bucs are still living off of their reputation after their Super Bowl victory. However, a cursory look at more recent accomplishments shows that they are a measly 4-9 straight up over their last 13 games. The Raiders have a very potent offense this year, again, and the second ranked defense in the AFC. I expect the Raiders to win by at least a TD.

2)  Dolphins -1 vs. Steelers

JUSTIFICATION: The Dolphins are playing with a lot of heart, considering all that they have been through. They had a very good shot at beating the Bengals last week but the offensive line couldn't handle the Bengals pass rush so, they came up just bit short. This week they will play a much weaker Steelers defense which doesn't have nearly the pass rush the Bengals have. That should mean that the Dolphins offensive line should be able to give Feeley a bit more time. He will be able to find multiple receivers open as the Steelers secondary is very weak. With an inspired performance from the Dolphins defensive players, going up against a true rookie, making his very first NFL start, the Dolphins should be able to pull out a home victory. Remember, even though the Dolphins aren't the same team of years past, they still have a very formidable record playing in the south Florida heat in September.

3)  Titans -6 vs. Jaguars

JUSTIFICATION: The Jags could just as easily be 0-2 as they are 2-0. Their defense has done a wonderful job of stopping other teams from scoring but, they are giving up nearly 300 yards per game. That, in and of itself, wouldn't be that bad except that the offense is dead least in yardage in the AFC. The Titans have a very balanced offense and don't make silly mistakes.  They are coming off of a very big loss against the Colts which basically embarrassed them on national TV. They have to rebound here before they go on the road for a two game road trip. I expect that the Jags bubble will burst this week and reality will start to set in. Titans win this game by double digits.

4)  Giants -2 1/2 vs. Browns

JUSTIFICATION: Picking the Giants is a tough proposition. You don't know which team will show up. The one the looked just awful in week one or the one that looked pretty good in week two. However, the Browns make this a bit easier pick because they lost six starters in last week's game, including two on the offensive line and two on the defensive line. The Giants should be able to put some pressure on QB Garcia who has been abysmal so far this season with a 42.2 Quarterback Rating which is only ahead of two backup QB's with a combined 14 pass attempts between them. The Giants should be able to establish the run and control the ball in this game due to the injuries on the Browns defensive line. If the Giants can avoid turning the ball over three or four times this should be an easy victory for them. This line opened at minus two and has already moved to 2 1/2. It will probably move to at least 3 and maybe even 3 1/2 by game time. Jump on it now before it goes any higher.

5)  Ravens -3 vs. Bengals

JUSTIFICATION: The Bengals are almost playing the Dolphins' twin this week.  A team with a stellar defense and a questionable offense. The Dolphins showed everyone how to exploit the Bengals pass blocking schemes and the Ravens have just the weapons necessary to do just that. The Bengals have to consider themselves lucky to come away with a victory last week versus Miami. The Ravens found a bit of offense last week against Pittsburgh and the Steelers actually have a slightly better defense than the Bengals.  Jamal Lewis had a rather mediocre week last week but going up against the forth worst rush defense in the AFC, I expect that he will do much better this week, which will allow Boller to play within his means. Carson Palmer will need to have his head on a swivel this week as he will be pressured from the opening kickoff. This should be a rather low scoring game but the Ravens, at home, should be able to pull off the victory, and more importantly, the cover.



Don Pinchin
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