Showdown: The Stat Guru vs The Gambler, Week 15
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With just three weeks of the regular season left, Joe made a small dent into Nathan’s lead, going one better at 8-8 last week. However with such little time left, will he be able to catch him or will his late season run prove futile?
Season to date:
Nathan: 99-96-10 (30-20-3 locks)
Joe: 92-103-10 (21-22-2 locks)
Jacksonville @ Atlanta -12
Nathan: While I certainly like Atlanta to win this, 12 points is just a bit too much for my liking. The only team that Atlanta has beat by that much is the Colts, and the Jaguars are a little bit better. Pick: Jacksonville and the points
Joe: Take the points with Jacksonville. The Falcons do not pile on the points, and the Jags have shown life after their embarrassing performance on MNF. Pick: Jacksonville and the points
Dallas -7.5 @ Tampa Bay
Nathan: Tampa Bay has been terrible in recent weeks, and Dallas really needs a win. Pick: Dallas to cover
Joe: Dallas really needs the win, but they are coming off a couple of tough losses. I have a bad feeling about this game so I will try the points. Pick: Tampa and the points
Miami @ Buffalo PK
Nathan: Miami completely dominated the Bills a few weeks back. Even though the game has moved to Buffalo, I expect the Dolphins to at least win. Pick: Miami◄
Joe: Buffalo is starting to settle in a bit with all the injuries they have, and Miami’s secondary is still not very good. Take the Bills at home here. Pick: Buffalo ◄
Seattle @ Chicago -3
Nathan: Seattle has looked good in a number of their home games, but the road games have been another issue. Chicago is at home, and needs to win to stay alive in the wild card race. Pick: Chicago to cover◄
Joe: Seattle has been playing well, but they offense is not very good. Chicago’s defense should be able to do enough here. Pick: Chicago to cover
Carolina @ Houston -7
Nathan: Carolina has won against some weak teams in recent weeks, and put up a good fight against the Falcons, but the Texans are a completely different story. Pick: Houston to cover
Joe: I am not sure how the Texans can keep playing at this level without some of their key guys. Carolina has disappointed, but maybe prime for an upset. Pick: Carolina and the points
Tennessee -7 @ Indianapolis
Nathan: The Titans won by 17 points earlier in the year at home. Every game since then they have either won or kept close. I don’t trust the Colts to keep up. Pick: Tennessee to cover◄
Joe: Indy is home, and this is a divisional game. I will try the points here, and hope for the best. Pick: Indianapolis and the points
Green Bay -14 @ Kansas City
Nathan: Usually I would find 14 points to be too much, but the Chiefs quarterback situation is a mess, and Green Bay has been playing great against good teams. It will be interesting to see how they do against a weak team. Pick: Green Bay to cover
Joe: The Chiefs have been terrible, and Rodgers smells an undefeated season. Now with the NFL this might be a great spot for the Chiefs, but I am not feeling it. Pick: Green Bay to cover
New Orleans -7.5 @ Minnesota
Nathan: New Orleans is fighting for the first round bye, while Minnesota’s secondary is very banged up. This could be another huge passing day. Pick: New Orleans to cover◄
Joe: I think New Orleans could name their score here, and see no way the Vikings can keep up. These late season games are tough to gage though. Pick: New Orleans to cover
Washington @ New York Giants -7
Nathan: While I expect the Giants to win, they typically find ways to choke late, while the Redskins looked very good against the Patriots. Pick: Washington and the points
Joe: I liked the Skins a lot last week against the pats. I don’t like the Skins nearly as much this week, but will still take the TD in this matchup. Pick: Washington and the points
Cincinnati -7.5 @ St. Louis
Nathan: I have watched enough Rams games to know I can’t trust them. The Bengals need a break from playing the elite teams in the AFC like they have four of the past five weeks, and now can rebound with a huge game. Pick: Cincinnati to cover
Joe: The Rams really need a win, and the Bengals have to be at their lowest point of the season. Good time for Bradford to take advantage here. Pick: St. Louis to cover◄
Detroit -1 @ Oakland
Nathan: Since being the one team to stop Tebow, the Lions have lost against the good teams, and have only beaten the Panthers and Vikings. I like the Raiders Pick: Oakland and the point
Joe: Lions just are not playing well, and I don’t see that changing on the road against the Raiders. Pick: Oakland and the points
Cleveland @ Arizona -7.5
Nathan: The Browns haven’t shown me nearly enough this season to trust them at all, while Arizona has surprised me. Pick: Arizona to cover
Joe: Arizona has been playing better, but so have the Browns and this is a lot of points. Pick: Cleveland and the points
New England -5 @ Denver
Nathan: While I picked the Patriots to win, I had a very tough time with how well the Broncos defense has been doing compared to the Patriots defense. Pick: Denver and the points
Joe: Broncos might keep it close, but I firmly believe if the Patriots truly want this game they can name their score. Pick: New England to cover◄
New York Jets @ Philadelphia -1
Nathan: The Eagles have yet to string together two good games in a row, and with the playoffs out of reach I don’t see how the Eagles can pull it together. Pick: New York and the point
Joe: The Jets are much better than their record would indicate, and really need to pick this one up. Problem is I see the Eagles playing a bit of a spoiler at home here. Pick: Philadelphia to cover
Baltimore -3 @ San Diego
Nathan: Baltimore has won each of its last four games by more than three points, and some of them have come against better teams than the Chargers. Pick: Baltimore to cover
Joe: I have been high on the Ravens all year, but for some reason this game is really scaring me. I think the Chargers find a way to win this one at home. Pick: San Diego and the points ◄
Pittsburgh @ San Francisco -3
Nathan: Although the Steelers have been winning recently, they have been close games against teams that aren’t as good as the 49ers. Pick: San Francisco to cover
Joe: The 49ers have come down the earth a bit, but I still feel they are slightly overrated. Alex Smith should have a tough time against this Steeler defense. Pick: Pittsburgh and the points
