GAME OF THE MONTH (NFL)

The Jacksonville Jaguars defense put up another outstanding performance when the Jags recorded a 10-3 home win against the Bills in the Wildcard game last week. I think their tremendous D will keep this AFC Divisional playoff matchup with the Pittsburgh Steelers a close game, and getting a touchdown here is well worth a max bet.

This will be the second meeting of the season and Jacksonville won the first encounter 30-9 here at Heinz Field in Week 5. The Jags forced five interceptions from Ben Roethlisberger in that matchup and limited the Bills to 263 total yards (including only 133 passing yards) and picked off the Buffalo QB twice last week.   

Jacksonville has allowed only 15.9 ppg on the season while the Steelers defense wasn't particularly sharp in the final stretch of the regular season, giving up rather big numbers to Baltimore, New England and Cleveland among others. Jacksonville features the top-ranked running game in the NFL led by Leonard Fournette who accumulated 181 rushing yards in the triumph over Pittsburgh earlier this season. 

We can also note that Pittsburgh star receiver Antonio Brown is questionable after he missed the last two games of the season with a lower leg contusion suffered against New England on Dec. 15.

My NFL Game of the Month is a 10* play on Jacksonville Jaguars. 

TOP RATED 10* PANTHERS @ SAINTS ATS ANNIHILATOR

The New Orleans Saints have already defeated the Carolina Panthers twice this season, the most recent a 31-21 triumph here in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome back in December. They're coming off a 31-24 loss at Tampa Bay but are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games after allowing more than 30 points in their previous game and 23-4 ATS in their last 27 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. The Panthers fit the bill coming into this contest with a 5-3 road record for the season, but they took a 22-10 loss at Atlanta in their regular season finale and are 0-6 ATS in their last six meetings with New Orleans.

The Saints own the league’s No. 2 offense and they've been able to torch Carolina on the ground in both meetings this season, gaining 148 and 149 yards respectively. New Orleans’ defense meanwhile turned in two of its best performances of the season against the Panthers. 

My selection is a 10* play on New Orleans Saints. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL)

I think Atlanta Falcons plus the points look like excellent value here in their Wild Card game against the LA Rams. The Falcons have been in playoff mode for weeks while the Rams need to find a way to light their fire again after sitting QB Jared Goff, RB Todd Gurley, WR Cooper Kupp and DL Aaron Donald in the regular-season finale (a 34-13 loss to the Niners).

The Rams have had a tremendous season considering this is a team that finished 4-12 last season, but they're still unproven in the playoffs while Atlanta has plenty of experience. 

Sure, Atlanta QB Matt Ryan has had a poor season, but this is still pretty much the same offense that carried the Falcons to the Super Bowl last year and its defense really stepped up in its 22-10 triumph over Carolina in the regular-season finale. 

My NFL Wild Card Game of the Week is a 10* play on Atlanta Falcons. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL)

The San Francisco 49ers will be looking to close out the season with a fifth consecutive victory. They've looked like a completely different team since installing Jimmy Garoppolo under center and scored 44 points on one of the top defenses in the league in Jacksonville last week. 

"Since Jimmy G. got here, things have been a lot different," 49ers running back Carlos Hyde said. "Things have been feeling really good around here. It's been a good vibe. That energy in the locker room right now is really good. Guys are teeing off that and ready to play." 

I expect the Niners to keep rolling here when they visit the LA Rams Sunday afternoon. 

The Rams have played well lately, coming off back-to-back triumphs at Seattle and Tennessee to make it four win their last five games. They've clinched the NFC West championship and at least one home playoff game already though, and coach Sean McVay is expected to sit most of his key players here to ensure their health for the postseason. Quarterback Jared Goff, star defensive lineman Aaron Donald and even MVP candidate running back Todd Gurley are all expected to get some rest. 

The Rams defeated the Niners 41-39 at San Francisco back in September. Expect revenge for the Niners today. 

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on San Francisco 49ers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL) 

The Carolina Panthers (10-4) are coming off impressive back-to-back triumphs against Minnesota and Green Bay to make it six wins through their last seven games. There's no time for rest though as they enter the week with the same record as the Saints at the top of the NFC South, but losing the head-to-head tiebreaker. 

Here they'll host a Tampa Bay Buccaneers that stood up well in Monday night's 24-21 loss to the Falcons, but this will be tough playing on short rest, facing a Carolina offense that is firing on all cylinders and averaged 32 points through its last five games. 

The Panthers have had plenty of success running the ball all season (4th in the NFL with an average of 135 rushing yards per game) and accumulated 151 rushing yards against Green Bay. The Bucs were just torched for 201 rushing yards by Atlanta. 

These two teams squared up in Week 8, a game the Panthers won 17-3 while holding Jameis Winston to only 210 passing yards with zero touchdowns against two interceptions.

Motivation beats class, but the Panthers have the advantage in both aspects in this matchup with the 4-10 Bucs just looking to play spoiler in their last two games of the season. 

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Carolina Panthers. 

TOP RATED 10* MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL MONEYMAKER

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been torn apart defensively in recent weeks, giving up a total of 84 points through three consecutive losses while going 0-3 ATS. Here they'll host an Atlanta Falcons team that has won four of its last five games (lone loss against Minnesota) to put itself in a position where it still controls its own playoff destiny. The math is simple; If the Falcons win out in their last three games they will claim the NFC South title. 

The Falcons defeated the Bucs 34-20 home in Atlanta on Nov. 26 in a matchup where Matt Ryan was 26-of-35 for 317 yards while receiver Julio Jones had 12 receptions for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Tampa Bay's defense has struggled on the pass rush all season and ranks 32nd in the NFL with 17 sacks.

Buccaneers are 2-9-1 ATS in their last 12 games overall. Falcons are 4-1 ATS in their last five games overall. Favorite is 7-2 ATS in their last nine meetings.

My selection is a 10* play on Atlanta Falcons. 

GAME OF THE YEAR (NFL)

The New England Patriots took a shocking 27-20 loss as a 10.5-point underdog at Miami on Monday, but I really expect them to show up here at Pittsburgh in a matchup that will likely decide home field advantage in the AFC.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have won eight in a row, but they've needed late field goals to defeat Cincinnati and Baltimore the last two weeks. The Patriots are 8-1 ATS in their last nine road games vs. a team with a winning home record and had covered the spread in six straight games before last week's defeat. The Steelers are 1-4 ATS in their last five overall.

Bill Belichick won't allow the Pats to lose this game, especially after the debacle at Miami last week. 

My NFL GAME OF THE YEAR is a 10* play on New England Patriots. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL NO-BRAINER

The New England Patriots will be without suspended Rob Gronkowski, but I still they'll put away the Dolphins at Miami Monday night relatively easy. The Phins had lost five straight before defeating the reeling Broncos 35-9 last week. Miami took a 35-17 beating by the Pats on Nov. 26 and here it'll face a fired up Tom Brady looking to bounce back from a sub-par outing (not a single touchdown pass) in last week's 23-3 win at Buffalo. The Pats defense has been outstanding lately while Miami conceded a staggering 177 points during its five-game slide. 

Patriots are 10-1 ATS vs. a team with a losing record and 6-2-1 ATS in their last nine Monday night games. Dolphins are 1-5 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and 0-8 ATS in their last eight Monday night games.

My selection is a 10* play on New England Patriots. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL)

The Baltimore Ravens have quietly won three in a row to move to the second wild card spot in the AFC. They'll visit the Pittsburgh Steelers Sunday night, and I think Baltimore should be able to keep this a close game. Note that the Ravens are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games against AFC North rivals and 9-3-2 ATS in their last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record. 

Pittsburgh came back from being down 17-0 to beat the Bengals 23-20 Monday night thanks to a last second field goal. Here it'll have to do without linebacker Ryan Shazier who was carted off the field early in that game with a back injury. I did not like what I saw from the Steelers on Monday, and we can note that they're just 2-5-1 ATS in their last eight games when playing on Sunday following a Monday night game.

My selection is a 10* play on Baltimore Ravens. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL) 

I expect both teams to pile up the points when the 8-3 New Orleans Saints host the 8-3 Carolina Panthers in an important battle for first place in the NFC South Sunday afternoon. 

The Panthers are riding a four-game win streak and they've scored a total of 80 points in the last two games alone. Over is 9-3 in Panthers last 12 road games vs. a team with a winning home record, and the Saints fit the bill entering this contest with a 4-1 home record. They've averaged 31.2 pgg home in the Superdome and the Saints will be eager to bounce back from a 26-20 loss at the Rams last Sunday after winning eight straight games prior to that setback. Over is 4-0 in Saints last four games following a straight up loss and 13-5-1 in their last 19 home games.

Carolina’s defense has allowed plenty of passing yards in recent games and the Saints QB Drew Brees has averaged 313 passing yards with 12 touchdowns against three interceptions in his last four encounters with the Panthers.

The Saints won the last meeting 34-13 at Carolina back in Week 3 and five of the last six meetings have gone over the total. 

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on CAR @ NO Over. 

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The San Francisco 49ers picked up their first win of the season in a 31-21 home triumph against the Giants in Week 10 before enjoying their bye week. I think they'll put a good fight when hosting the Seattle Seahawks Sunday afternoon.

San Francisco Quarterback C.J. Beathard is coming off his best game of the season as he threw for for 288 yards with two touchdowns against one interception. Their defense ranks 29th in scoring defense and 27th in total defense, but they've looked better on the defensive side of the ball in recent weeks. We can also note that their biggest weakness is defending against the run, but the Seahaws does not pose much of a threat on the ground with QB Russell Wilson accumulating nearly three times as many rushing yards as offseason acquisition Eddie Lacy. 

Seattle has dropped two of its last three games and it took a 34-31 home loss to the Falcons last week. It won just 12-9 when hosting the 49ers in the season's first meeting and this should be another tight affair.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on San Francisco 49ers. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Philadelphia Eagles had reeled off seven straight wins before entering their bye week, and I think they'll pick up right where they left off and take down the Cowboys at Dallas Sunday night.

The Cowboys will have to do without their star running back Ezekiel Elliot due to suspension, and they really missed him in last week's 27-7 loss at Atlanta. They had won three straight prior to that, but their offense became way too one-dimensional without Elliott and QB Dak Prescott is likely to be under heavy fire once again here against a solid Philadelphia D.  

The Cowboys are just 2-8 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and I don't see them hanging around with the 8-1 Eagles. 

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Philadelphia Eagles. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The New Orleans Saints started the season 0-2, but they've reeled off six straight victories since and I think they'll make it seven in a row when they visit the Buffalo Bills Sunday afternoon. 

Buffalo does not have much to offer offensively, and the Bills have struggled on the defensive side of the ball lately as well. They gave up 34 points in last week's loss to the Jets and their D enters Week 10 ranked No. 20 in the overall NFL rankings and No. 26 against the pass. I don't see the Bills being able to stop QB Drew Brees and the rest of the Saints who rank 2nd in the NFL for total offense at 392.5 yards per game, and they're equally dangerous through the air and on the ground. 

The Bills are the only team in the AFC that's still undefeated at home this year, but the Saints got something special brewing this season. Als note that Bills are 12-26-2 ATS in their last 40 home games vs. a team with a winning road record while Saints are 12-2 ATS in their last 14 road games.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on New Orleans Saints. 

TOP RATED 10* MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL DET @ GB

The Detroit Lions have lost three straight games (0-3 ATS) following last week's 20-15 setback against Pittsburgh. They did not score a single TD despite five trips to the red zone and QB Matthew Stafford completing 27-of-45 passes for a total of 423 yards, but I think they'll do much better here against a Packers D that is allowing 348.9 total yards per game. 

Green Bay has even bigger offensive woes with QB Aaron Rodgers out for the season, and Rodgers' replacement, Brett Hundley, has four interceptions in his two games. Here he'll face a Detroit team that is third-best in the league with 10 interceptions and 16 overall takeaways, so this should be another tough matchup for the 24 year old. 

Hundley might not get much help from the Packers ground game either as Detroit's defense ranks fifth in rushing yards allowed per carry and seventh in rushing yards allowed per game. 

My selection is a 10* play on Detroit Lions. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL) - MIKE'S TOP RATED 10* [email protected] BEST BET

The Baltimore Ravens had lost two straight and four of their last five before a 40-0 rout of Miami their last time out. They generated just 296 yards of total offense but capitalized on a pair of pick-sixes. I predict a much tougher matchup when they visit the Titans at Tennessee Sunday afternoon.

The Titans have won two straight to climb into a tie with the Jaguars for the top spot in the AFC South. They expect to have dynamic wide receiver Corey Davis back from a hamstring injury after missing the last five games while the Ravens' QB Joe Flacco is banged up after suffering a concussion last week. Bad news for a Ravens offense that ranks 27th in total offense and their passing game is dead last at only 1,223 yards.

The Titans are coming off their bye week which should have given Marcus Mariota time to heal a minor hamstring injury.

Ravens are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a straight up win of more than 14 points. Titans are 6-1 ATS in their last seven home games.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Tennessee Titans.  

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL) MIKE'S MAJOR WAGER

The Chicago Bears are coming off back-to-back victories and scored two defensive touchdowns in last week's 17-3 win against the Panthers. It goes without saying that it's hard to beat (nevermind covering the spread against) a team that allows just 301.3 yards per game, and I think the New Orleans Saints are asked to cover way too many points here.

Sure, the red hot Saints have won four on the bounce and covered the spread in each game, but that's also the reason why we're seeing an inflated line for this contest. 

Note that the Bears are 7-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record while the Saints are 3-7-1 ATS in their last 11 home games vs. a team with a losing road record.

My NFL Game of the Week is on the Chicago Bears. 

TOP RATED 10* THURSDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL - [email protected]

The Miami Dolphins will visit the Baltimore Ravens Thursday night, and I'm well happy to take the points on the visitors in this matchup.

The Ravens have lost four of their last five games and were outgained by a total of 149 yards in last week's 24-16 loss at Minnesota. They gave up 169 yards on the ground in that contest and they have the worst run defense in the NFL this season, giving up an average of 145.3 yards rushing per game. That will surely spell trouble here against the Dophins and Jay Ajayi who must look forward to run against Baltimore after a slow start to the season. 

QB Jay Cutler is out injured for the Dolphins, but Matt Moore is a capable backup. He came off the bench last week to help Miami rally from a 14-point deficit and record a 31-28 victory over the Jets. We can also note that the Ravens have even bigger injury woes with 15 players listed on their injury report, and QB Joe Flacco is struggling to find his targets. 

The Dolphins are 0-7 ATS in their last seven meetings, but this is a great spot for them to end that streak. 

My selection is a 10* play on Miami Dolphins. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL SUNDAY NFC SHOWDOWN

The San Francsco 49ers are 0-6 on the season, but each of their last five have been  determined by three points or less and they've covered the spread in four of those games.

They could easily have beaten the Redskins at Washington last week, and rookie quarterback C.J. Beathard earned a start here with a fine performance under center after replacing Brian Hoyer. Carlos Hyde added two rushing touchdowns and is tied for third in the NFL with four rushing touchdowns. 

The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a bye week, but they've dropped back-to-back games and three of their last four, surrendering 35 points or more in each defeat.

This will be the Niners first home game since Sept. 21, so you better believe they'll be fired up Sunday afternoon. 

49ers are 4-0 ATS in their last 4 vs. NFC. Cowboys are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 vs. NFC.

My selection is an 10* play on San Francisco 49ers. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL) - MIKE'S MAJOR WAGER ALERT - [email protected]

The Kansas City Chiefs have a 5-1 record as they're coming off their first defeat this season in last week's 19-13 home loss against Pittsburgh. I like the Chiefs to bounce back strong here when they visit the Oakland Raiders Thursday night. 

The Raiders are in bad shape, entering the game on a four-game losing streak during which they've averaged only 13.2 points per game. Quarterback Derek Carr  was 21-of-30 passing for just 171 yards with one TD and two picks in Sunday's 17-16 home loss to the Chargers. He missed the previous game due to injury and playing on short rest here won't do him any good.    

The Chiefs are perfect 9-0 ATS as a favorite on the road dating back to Nov. 22, 2015. They've won five straight meetings with the Raiders and covered the spread in all but one of those games. 

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Kansas City Chiefs. 

TOP RATED 10* M.N.F. BOOKIE BREAKER

The Tennessee Titans put up just 10 points in a loss at Miami without injured quarterback Marcus Mariota last week. He's questionable when the Titans host the Indianapolis Colts Monday night, and it doesn't seem like the Titans want to gamble with his health: "I want to be very smart about how we do this. It's more than this game, it's a lot of games, that we've got to be concerned about," Tennessee coach Mike Mularkey said of Mariota. 

As a big home favorite the Titans might feel they can afford to give their star QB more time to recover. With or without Mariota, I think Tennessee is asked to cover way too many points in this contest. 

The Colts will be looking to build on the momentum they picked up with their second win of the season in a 26-23 OT triumph against the Niners last week. They pounded their opponent on the ground and rushed for a total of 159 yards on 35 attempts with two scores. Veteran RB Frank Gore has four touchdowns in his last three games against Tennessee and we can note that the Titans have surrendered 273 rushing yards in their last two games combined (both losses). 

The Colts are 11-0 SU and 10-1 ATS in the last 11 head-to-head meetings and they won 34-26 here at Tennessee last season.

My selection is a 10* play on Indianapolis Colts. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL NO BRAINER

This looks like a terrific spot to back the under in Miami Dolphins vs. Atlanta Falcons Sunday afternoon. The Falcons took a 23-17 home loss against Buffalo prior to their bye week, and I have no doubt that their elite defense will be fresh and ready to shut down the Dolphins here. 

There's no telling how Miami's offense will do in this contest as offensive line coach Chris Foerster resigned Monday, a day after a video surfaced of him snorting a white substance while apparently working for an NFL team. I'm pretty sure it won't have a positive impact though, and let's keep in mind that this is an offense that has averaged NFL worst for both points and yards through the first five weeks ... The Dolphins do have a 2-2 record though, thanks to a defensive unit that's allowed only 309.5 ypg and 16.8 ppg.  

Under is 11-3-2 in Falcons last 16 games in Week 6. Under is 5-0 in Dolphins last five games overall.

My selection is a 10* play on Under. 

GAME OF THE WEEK (NFL) MIKE'S EAGLES/PANTHERS T.N.F. BEST BET

Two red hot teams will clash at Bank of America Stadium on Thursday Night Football. I think we'll see an entertaining shootout between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Carolina Panthers, and the keys are the quarterbacks. 

The Eagles have scored a total of 60 points through their last two games, wins at Chargers and at home against Arizona. 

QB Carson Wentz threw three touchdown passes in the first quarter alone in last week's 34-7 drubbing of Arizona and he finished the game completing 21-of-30 passes for 304 yards with four TDs and one pick. Wentz has already thrown 10 TDs through the first five weeks, a big improvement from last season which he finished with 16 TDs and 14 picks. Philly has some defensive issues though and rank 22nd in the NFL with 346 yards per game allowed. 

The Panthers defeated the Patriots 33-30 in Week 4 and followed that up with a 27-24 win at Detroit last week. QB Cam Newton threw for a combined 671 yards and six touchdowns in those two games and now there's no longer any doubt that MVP Cam is back to 100% from his off-season shoulder surgery. 

Carolina's defense held Detroit to just 242 yards last week, but note that over is 13-3 in Eagles last 16 road games and 6-2 in their last eight Thursday night games.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Eagles/Panthers Over. 

NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Buffalo Bills (3-1) stunned the Falcons last week as when winning 23-17 as an 8-point underdog at Atlanta. They've covered the spread in each of their four games on the season, and here they'll face a Cincinnati Bengals team they defeated 16-12 as a road dog last season. 

The Bengals (1-3) finally recorded a win last week, but beating up on the Browns doesn't deserve a lot of credit. They've struggled to move the ball against the more accomplished teams in the league and note that Buffalo's defense ranks number one in the NFL, allowing only 13.5 points per game (4th in total defense 284.3 ypg). 

The Bills offense meanwhile has scored at least 21 points in three of its four games, and I like the visitors to dominate on both sides of the ball in this contest.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Buffalo Bills. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The Tennessee Titans opened the season with a disappointing 26-6 home loss against Oakland, but they've come back strong with impressive wins against Jacksonville and Seattle. They pounded the Seahawks on the ground in last week's 33-27 victory as DeMarco Murray rushed for 115 yards and a score while Derrick Henry added 54 yards on 13 carries.

This Sunday the Titans will take on a Houston Texans team that gave the Patriots a real scare at Foxboro last week, but I'm not convinced they can come up with another performance like that two weeks in a row. Houston is known as a defensive team, but it gave up five touchdown passes to Tom Brady and has allowed 29 points or more in two of its three games. The Texans run defense is just 17th in the league and I think the Titans will wear them with their ground game. 

My NFL Game of the Week is on Tennessee Titans.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on Tennessee Titans. 

TOP RATED 10* M.N.F. BOOKIE BREAKER

Both the Arizona Cardinals and the Dallas Cowboys enter Monday night 1-1 on the season. The underdog is 4-0 ATS in their last four meetings while the home team is 8-2 ATS in their last 10 meetings, and I really like Arizona in this spot. 

Dallas' secondary is mighty banged up, and Arizona has a solid QB in Carson Palmer who threw for 332 yards and a touchdown in last week's 16-13 OT win at Indianapolis. 

The Cardinals outgained the Colts by 123 yards while the Cowboys were outgained by 112 in their 42-17 loss at Denver last week. The Cowboys struggled on both sides of the ball and it's quite possible both of last season's rookie sensations Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott will have a let-down year. 

Prescott threw for just 238 yards with a pair of touchdowns and two picks against the Broncos while Elliott was held to eight rushing yards on nine carries. 

My selection is an 10* play on Arizona Cardinals. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL GAME OF THE WEEK

The 1-1 Washington Redskins will host the 2-0 Oakland Raiders at FedEx Field Sunday night. These are two teams relying on their explosive offense to win games, and I think we'll see plenty of scores for both sides in this contest. 

The Raiders have averaged a league-best 35.5 points per game in defeating the Titans and the Jets. Derek Carr has yet to throw and interception and has connected on 45-of-60 passes for a total of 492 yards with five touchdown passes. Carr has plenty of go-to playmakers and offseason RB signing Marshawn Lynch has done a lot of damage on the ground. This is without a doubt one of the most balanced offenses in the NFL, and Washington does not have the defense to stop it. 

The Raiders have some defensive woes of their own though. They may have held the Jets' Josh McCown to 166 yards passing in last week's 42-20 victory but here they'll face a much more competent QB in Kirk Cousins. who has completed 41-of-67 passes for a total of 419 yards with two touchdowns on the season. The Skins pounded the ball on the ground in last week's 27-20 victory against the Rams and ran the ball 39 times for a total of 229 yards. Note that the Raiders gave up 126 yards on the ground last week, so there are definitely holes to exploit. 

Over is 7-2 in Raiders last nine games in September. Over is 5-1 in Redskins last six games in September.

My NFL Game of the Week is a 10* play on OAK/WAS Over. 

TOP RATED 10* NFL GAME OF THE MONTH

The reigning Super Bowl champions New England Patriots took a 42-27 beating as an 8-point favorite after a second half collapse against the Chiefs on Thursday in Week 1. 

I can't stress enough how much I like the Pats to come back and totally destroy the New Orleans Saints here in Week 2. The Patriots are 9-2 ATS in their last 11 games following a straight up loss of more than 14 points and Bill Belichick has had more than a week to get things right from the season opener. 

The Saints looked hapless in their 29-19 loss at Minnesota. If you allow Sam Bradford to throw for 346 yards and three touchdowns against you there's no telling how much damage a pissed off Tom Brady will do. The New England QB was 16-of-36 passing for 267 yards and no touchdown passes, and expect the GOAT to show why he's the GOAT as he gets back to his best in this contest.  

The Patriots are 5-1 ATS in their last six games in September. The Saints are 2-5 ATS in their last seven games in September.

My NFL Game of the Month is a 10* play on New England Patriots.

Top Rated 10* Super Bowl LI *BEST BET*
Play: New England Patriots
Rating: 10/10*

The big game is finally here as the Atlanta Falcons will do battle with the New England Patriots for the Super Bowl LI title. The Falcons offense have impressed throughout the whole season, but they've not faced a D quite like the Patriots yet here in the playoffs. Add the perfect combo of Tom Brady and Bill Belichick and I think New England will draw up offensive schemes to blow a hole in an Atlanta D that I rate way below the Patriots'. 

A small advantage on the offensive side of the ball for the Falcons, but a big defensive edge for the Pats. Defense wins championships as we saw with the Broncos last year, and I like New England to lift the trophy this time around. 

Top Rated 10* AFC Championship Game *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: New England Patriots
Rating: 10/10*

The Pittsburgh Steelers are 7-1-1 ATS in their last nine games overall, but I think they'll come up short against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game. New England beat Pittsburgh 27-16 at Heinz Field back in Week 7, and the Pats are 11-4 ATS in the last 15 meetings.

The Patriots defense was phenomenal against the Texans in the Divisional Round, allowing just 285 yards while making three interceptions. Pittsburgh's QB Ben Roethlisberger is of course far better than Brock Osweiler, but he's banged up and has not been able to put up big numbers here in the playoffs. The Pats have held opponents to an average of only 88.6 rushing yards per game on the season so I think they'll be able to contain the red hot Steelers RB Le’Veon Bell. Advantage New England on both sides of the ball, and on the sideline in Bill Belichick vs. Mike Tomlin. Lay the points. 

Top Rated 10* NFC *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Green Bay Packers
Rating: 10/10*

The Green Bay Packers will clash with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC Championship game Sunday afternoon. The Packers are undefeated through their last eight games, and I'm well happy to take the points here. Atlanta's QB Matt Ryan has been sharp, but so has Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers as well and Atlanta's D has been vulnerable against the pass all season (28th in the NFL allowing 266.7 passing yards per game). Note that the Packers are 5-0 ATS in their last five playoff games while the Falcons are 1-6 ATS in their last seven playoff games. Take the points. 

Top Rated 10* NFL
Play: Green Bay Packers
Rating: 10/10*

The Green Bay Packers are arguably the hottest team in the NFL as they wrapped up the regular season with six consecutive wins. They then handed the New York Giants a 38-13 defeat in the wild card game last Sunday, and I think they'll give the Cowboys a tough game here. The 13-3 Cowboys have done surprisingly well this season behind rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, but who knows how they'll play in a postseason game. The Packers have no such worries with experienced Aaron Rodgers at the helm, and he'll come up against a Dallas pass defense that ranks 26th in the NFL.

Packers are 6-1 ATS in their last seven playoff road games, Cowboys 3-7 ATS in their last 10 playoff games and 0-4 ATS in their last 4 home games vs. a team with a winning road record. Take the points. 

Top Rated 10* NFL
Play: Seattle Seahawks
Rating: 10/10*

The Seattle Seahawks defeated the Falcons 26-24 on Oct. 26, and I like the points on the underdog here in the divisional round. Atlanta has an explosive offense led by QB Matt Ryan, but keep in mind that Seattle has held opponents to an average of just 17.5 points and 313.5 yards per game this season. The Seahawks cruised past Detroit with a 26-6 victory in the wild card round, and Thomas Rawls rushed for a new franchise playoff-record with 161 yards. The Seahawks are 15-6-1 ATS in their last 22 road games vs. a team with a winning home record while the Falcons are 0-6 ATS in their last six playoff games, and Matt Ryan has a 1-4 playoff record lifetime. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Green Bay Packers
Rating: 10/10*

The Green Bay Packers will open the new year with a visit the Detroit Lions, and this is no doubt a massive matchup for both teams. The winner of the game will take down the NFC North, and I like the Packers to be the team to come out ahead. The Lions D got manhandled in a 42-21 defeat to the Cowboys last week, and here they'll face a Packers team that put up 38 against the Vikings top rated defense last week and has scored 30+ points in three consecutive games. The Packers are 8-3 ATS in their last 11 meetings and I think they'll run away with this game comfortably in the end. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Green Bay Packers
Rating: 10*

The Minnesota Vikings are just 2-7 SU and 3-6 against the spread in their last nine games. They're coming off a 34-6 home loss to the Colts, and I think they'll struggle big time here against the surging Green Bay Packers. 

Green Bay has won four on the bounce, covering the spread in all but one of those games. The Packers will be looking to revenge a 17-14 loss at Minnesota in Week 2, and they would take down the NFC North by beating the reeling Vikings here and winning at division-leading Detroit in Week 17.

The Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has 10 touchdown passes and zero interceptions in the last five games, and running back Ty Montgomery rushed for 162 yards and two touchdowns on only 16 carries while adding four catches for 57 yards last week. We can note that the Packers are 8-2 ATS in their last 10 games after accumulating more than 150 yards rushing in their previous game, and I don't think the offensively challenged Vikings will be able to keep up with the Packers here. Green Bay to win by double digits. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Pittsburgh Steelers
Rating: 10*

The Pittsburgh Steelers are playing excellent football at the moment, and they really impressed me in last week's 27-20 win at Buffalo. The Steelers dominated the game from start to finish, and star running back LeVeon Bell rumbled for 200 yards and three touchdowns. It's noteworthy that Cincinnati ranks just 25th in the NFL against the run, so expect another big game from Bell here. 

Cincinnati is coming off back-to-back wins against Philly (32-14 at home) and Cleveland (23-10 on the road), but neither of those results are that impressive. The Bengals are 0-6-1 ATS vs. a team with a winning record and the Steelers are 16-4-2 ATS in their last 22 meetings in Cincinnati.

The Bengals are banged up offensively playing without both wide receiver AJ Green and running back Giovanni Bernard, and we can note that Pittsburgh has allowed just a total of 50 points through its last four games. Nah, the Bengals won't stand a chance here, and I'm firing a BIG BET on the Steelers. 

Top Rated 10* MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Play: Under
Rating: 10*

The 7-5 Baltimore Ravens will visit the 10-2 New England Patriots Monday night, and I think we'll see a low-scoring affair. 

Baltimore is coming off a 38-6 win against Miami, and the team has allowed just a total of 20 points through back-to-back victories. The Ravens D ranks best in the NFL for total yardage allowed at 296.1 per game and they're tied for second with the Patriots regarding points allowed at 17.3 per game. 

The Pats obviously have an explosive offense with plenty of options on the ball, but Tom Brady's top target tight end Rob Gronkowski is out for this game and for the season. 

Under is 7-4-1 in games involving the Ravens and 8-4 in games involving the Pats this season. The oddsmakers seem to have a hard time adjusting the totals to these terrific defenses, and I think the total is set too high for this contest as well. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Pittsburgh Steelers
Rating: 10*

The Buffalo Bills have dropped four of their last after last week's 38-24 loss to Oakland. They struggled to stop Derek Carr, and now they'll face another top QB in the game in Ben Roethlisberger. Add running back Le'Veon Bell (Buffalo gives up 116,2 rushing yards per game) and top notch receivers to the mix and you have a very dangerous offense. 

The Steelers D has also stepped it up a notch in recent weeks, holding Cleveland, Indianapolis and New York Giants to a combined 30 points through three consecutive wins. The Bills rank dead last in the NFL in passing yards per game and quarterback Tyrod Taylor completed just 18 of 35 for 191 yards with no TDs and a pick last week. Buffalo leans on LeSean McCoy to move the chains on the ground, but the Steelers allow just 92 rushing yards per game, 6th best in the NFL.  

The Steelers are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 games in December and 7-1 ATS in the last eight meetings with the Bills.

Top Rated Thursday Night Football *BIG TICKET*
Play: Oakland Raiders
Rating: 10*

The 10-2 Oakland Raiders will visit the 9-3 Kansas City Chiefs Thursday night, and this looks like an excellent spot to take the points on the visitors. 

The Raiders are coming off six consecutive wins and defeated the Bills 38-24 last Sunday, thanks to scoring 29 unanswered points. Derek Carr had another solid game with 260 yards and a pair of touchdown passes while Latavius Murray rushed for two scores. The Raiders D defended the pass well but surrendered 212 on the ground. The good news is that Kansas City ranks just 25th in the NFL with 98.8 rushing yards per game. 

The Chiefs have won six of their last seven, but each of their last four games have been decided by three points or fewer. KC allowed 418 yards of total offense with 297 yards passing and a touchdown to Matt Ryan in a 29-28 win at Atlanta last week. Oakland has an offense pretty similar to Atlanta, and I think the Raiders will put up big numbers on the offensive side of the ball here. 

The Chiefs defeated the Raiders 26-10 on October 16 in the last meeting, Oakland's last defeat. The Raiders will be hungry for revenge, and we can note that while KC is 4-1 straight up at home it's just 1-4 ATS. The Raiders are a perfect 5-0 SU and ATS on the road. Take the points on the Raiders and get ready to cash a BIG TICKET. 

Top Rated 10* NFL MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*
Play: Indianapolis Colts
Rating: 10*

I like the Indianapolis Colts here with Andrew Luck behind under center. The Colts had no Luck in a 28-7 home loss to Pittsburgh last week, but we can note that they're 9-2 ATS in their last 11 road games vs. a team with a losing home record. The 3-8 Jets are just playing out the season while the 5-6 Colts still have a shot at winning AFC South. A win here would see them tie the 6-6 Texans and Titans at the top of the division.

The Jets are doing OK against the run but they struggle against the pass. I give the Colts the edge here with Luck back on the field. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Oakland Raiders
Rating: 10*

The 9-2 Oakland Raiders enter Week 13 riding a five-game winning streak. They had covered the spread in each game during that stretch prior to coming up just short in a 35-32 victory against the Panthers last week. Take a look at the teams Oakland has beaten up on lately; Tampa Bay, Denver, Houston and Carolina. Not exactly easy opponents. Teams are struggling to slow down quarterback Derek Carr, and he should be good to go even though he suffered an injury to his pinky last week. Oakland does not have much of a running game, but it really doesn't matter when Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper are such reliable targets for Carr.

The 6-5 Buffalo Bills are coming off back-to-back wins ... against Cincinnati and Jacksonville. It's worth noting that Buffalo is 1-4 ATS in its last five games and the Raiders are 4-0 ATS vs. a team with a winning record this season. It's not always pretty, but the Raiders are getting the job done more often than not and I think they'll run away with this game, covering the spread in the process. 

Thursday Night Football *BLOCKBUSTER*
Play: Dallas Cowboys
Rating: 10*

The Dallas Cowboys are undefeated since their Week 1 loss to the Giants. They're 9-1 ATS in their last 10 games overall, and I like them to win and cover the spread here against the Minnesota Vikings. 

Minnesota has dropped five of its last six games and fell 16-13 at Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Sam Bradford completed 31 of 37 passes for 224 yards with an interception. Dallas ranks 31st in pass defense giving up 280.4 yards per game, but Bradford poses very little threat and keep in mind that the Cowboys are holding opponents to 19.4 points per game, not far off Minnesota's 17.5. The Vikings rank dead last yardage-wise in the NFL, and they have virtually no running offense at all with Adrian Peterson sidelined.  

What the Cowboys do have is probably the best QB/RB duo in the NFL in rookies Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, and they're protected by a phenomenal offensive line. Dallas ranks fifth in terms of total yards gained this season and it averages 28.7 points per game, a number which can be compared to Minnesota's 19.8. 

There's more desperation in the Vikings' camp compared to the Cowboys', but I would not go against the hottest team in the NFL in this game. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: New York Giants
Rating: 10*

The 7-3 New York Giants are going for a sixth consecutive win when they visit the 0-11 Cleveland Browns Sunday afternoon. Surely the Giants must win, and surely they must cover the spread. 

The hapless Browns are 2-9 ATS on the season and 0-5 home at FirstEnergy Stadium. They've scored just a total of 26 points through their last three games and will take on a Giants team that has gotten the job done on both sides of the ball in recent weeks. Quarterback Eli Manning has at least three touchdown passes in three of his last four games and Odell Beckham Jr. has made all of his team-leading six touchdown catches over the last six games. 

None of the Giants wins during their winning streak have come by more than seven points, and each of their 10 games this season have been within one score in the fourth quarter. Well you know what, I think the team is poised for a blowout win, and Cleveland has lost each of its last three games by at least 15 points. If the Giants only want to and care enough they'll win this by double digits with ease, and that's what I'm putting my money on them to do. 

Top Rated 10* Monday Night Football
Play: Oakland Raiders
Rating: 10*

The Oakland Raiders will take on the Houston Texans at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City in NFL Week 11's Monday Night Football matchup. Both teams are going strong sitting top of their respective division, but I like the Raiders to come through with a win big enough to cover the spread here. 

Oakland is a perfect 5-0 both SU and ATS on the road this season, and it has had plenty of time to prepare for this game coming off a bye week. The Raiders had reeled off wins at Jacksonville and Tampa Bay before a 30-20 home win against Detroit just before the break, averaging 31 points during the winning streak. 

Houston is coming off a 24-21 road win a Jacksonville, but the team has been dominated in total yardage in each of its last three games. Houston has the league's worst passing attack with an average of 187.3 yards per game, and Brock Osweiler threw for only 99 yards against the Jags and has registered only a total of 416 passing yards through his last three games. The Raiders Derek Carr is a machine and has a fantastic 17-3 TD/INT ratio on the season, numbers that can be compared with Osweiler's 11/9 ratio. Oakland can not only hurt teams through the air, but running back Latavius Murray is also a factor and he rambled for 114 yards and three scores in his last game.  

The Texans have a pretty clear advantage on the defensive side of the ball, but I expect the Raiders to generate enough offense to run away with this game. I expect a BIG OAKLAND WIN, and I'm backing up my words with a BIG BET.  

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: Arizona Cardinals
Rating: 10*

The Minnesota Vikings opened the season with five straight wins. They've lost all momentum since their bye week though, losing four straight games outright despite entering each contest as a favorite and scoring just an average of 14 points per game during the skid. They host the Arizona Cardinals Sunday afternoon, and I expect a big win for the visitors.  

Arizona sits at a disappointing 4-4 record, but the Cardinals head into this contest with a 3-1-1 record in their last five games, outgaining three of their last four opponents by at least 160 yards. Arizona has a balanced offense behind the arm of Carson Palmer and the legs of David Johnson, and while Minnesota's D has received a lot of well deserved praise, keep in mind that Arizona has allowed fewer yards per game (311.8 yards vs. Minnesota's 326.4 yards). Minnesota has virtually no running game at all, and while QB Sam Bradford rarely gets picked off, he's not exactly a man known for his big plays either.

Minny gave up 26 points and a total of 368 yards in a loss at Washington last week. I just don't see Vikings being able to compete with the Cardinals in their current state. 

Top Rated 10* Thursday Night Football *Saints/Panthers*
Play: New Orleans Saints
Rating: 10*

Two teams that cost us a large chunk of change with a pair of late hiccups last Sunday. I still like what I saw from the Saints in their loss to Denver better than Carolina's effort when it let a 14-point fourth-quarter lead evaporate in a 20-17 loss to Kansas City. The Saints beat the Panthers 41-38 on Oct.16, and I'm taking the points on the visitors here. 

The 3-6 Panthers are nowhere near as strong as they were last season, but the bookmakers are still asking them to ask spreads above the key numbers. While the Panthers are 2-6-1 ATS on the season, the Saints have often been underrated and are a solid 6-3 ATS which includes a 4-0 ATS record on the road. Drew Brees is having a terrific year under center and is NFL second-best with 2,992 yards, and he has a solid 24/7 TD/INT ratio. Carolina's Cam Newton has been underwhelming, throwing for 1994 yards, just 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions. 

Overall an edge for Carolina on the defensive side of the ball, but that didn't help the Panthers in the first game when Brees torched them for 465 yards and four touchdowns. We can also note that the Saints are a plus-2 in turnover ratio while the Panthers are minus-7 (fourth-worst in NFL).

Saints are 4-1 ATS in their last five head-to-head meetings, and I'm looking for the Saints to cover the spread again Thursday night.

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE MONTH*
Play: Dallas Cowboys
Rating: 10*

Not even the return of Ben Roethlisberger could end the Pittsburgh Steelers slide as they came up short for the third game in a row in a 21-14 loss at Baltimore last week. I think they're in for another tough game here against the surging Dallas Cowboys. Dallas is coming off a comfortable win as it defeated the woeful Browns 35-10. Dak Prescott is coming off yet another impressive game with three TDs and only six incompletions. The Cowboys are now 7-0 ATS in their last seven games, and while they have a great chance to win this game outright, why not take the points as a little insurance. Great value on Dallas here, and I'm firing a BIG BET against Big Ben. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*
Play: Over
Rating: 10*

The Oakland Raiders host AFC West rivals Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football, and the total for this contest looks a little low to me. Yes, Denver has a great defense, but Oakland does not. The team is giving up 410.4 yards per game and only the lowly Browns are worse in that aspect, while the Raiders 25.4 points allowed per game rank in the bottom third of the NFL. The Raiders have looked terrific on the ball though. Derek Carr is coming off of a 450+ yard game in last week's 30-24 OT win against Tampa Bay, and he's thrown for 2,321 yards with 17 TDs on the season. Over is 12-3 in Raiders last 15 games following a straight up win and 10-4 in Broncos last 14 road games vs. a team with a winning home record.

The teams are tied at the top of the division with 6-2 records. This will surely be an intense game, and I think offense will prevail, as so often when the Raiders are on the gridiron this season. Over is 6-2 in the Raiders eight games this season. This should be another one to fly over the total. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *GAME OF THE WEEK*
Play: New York Jets
Rating: 10*

The New York Jets are coming off back-to-back wins as they came from behind to beat the Browns 31-28 last week. The Jets had great success running the ball and Ryan Fitzpatrick had a solid game under center. They'll visit the Miami Dolphins Sunday afternoon, and I like the Jets to make it three on the bounce. They've won four of the last five meetings with their AFC East rival outright and they're 16-5 ATS in their last 21 meetings in Miami. Fitzpatrick threw four touchdown passes in a 38-20 victory in the last meeting. 

The Dolphins are also looking to make it three consecutive wins as they're coming off a bye week. They've defeated the Bills and the Steelers in recent weeks, which are indeed pretty impressive results. The bye week might have come at a bad time though interrupting the momentum, and this is a classic letdown spot for the Fins. 

Jets are 7-2-1 ATS in their last 10 vs. AFC East while the Dolphins are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 vs. division rivals. Miami could very well win this game outright, but by more than a field goal? I don't think so, and I'm putting in a BIG wager on the Jets. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL*
Play: Dallas Cowboys
Rating: 10*

The Dallas Cowboys will host NFC East rivals the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday night football. This looks like an excellent spot to back the home team IMO.

The Eagles are coming off an upset against the Vikings as they handed Minny its first defeat of the season. Can they follow it up here in Dallas? I think it sets up a let down spot here against a Cowboys team riding a five-game winning streak and coming off a bye week. Philly is perfect at home but 1-2 SU and ATS on the road. Teams are struggling to figure out how to stop Dallas' rookie duo Dak Prescott and Ezekiel Elliott, and I don't think the Eagles will have any success either. 

NFL *AFTERNOON APOCALYPSE*
Play: New England Patriots
Rating: 10*

EASY play on the New England Patriots here. Huge revenge spot after a 16-0 home loss to the Buffalo Bills on October 2. They've since defeated Cleveland (33-13) on the road, Cincinnati (35-17) at home and Pittsburgh (27-16) on the road last week. Buffalo had won four straight prior to a 28-25 loss at Miami last week. Patriots are 10-2 ATS in their last 12 meetings in Buffalo, and Bill Belichick will have his team fired up for this game. The Bills won't stand a chance ... 

Top Rated 10* NFL *BIG HITTER*
Play: New England Patriots
Rating: 10*

The New England Patriots were close to unstoppable with Tom Brady out, and they've looked even better with him back under center. The Patriots are coming off back-to-back wins against Cleveland and Cincinnati by a total of 38 points, and now they'll take on a banged up Pittsburgh Steelers team which will have to do without injured QB Ben Rothlisberger for a while. With 394.8 points allowed per game, the Steelers' defense ranks 28th in the NFL and this is arguably a team that needs its offense to bail out the D. That seems like mission impossible with Big Ben out. The Pats are 6-2 ATS in their last eight meetings in Pittsburgh, and I expect the visitors to win by a healthy margin. 

Top Rated 10* Super Early NFL *Giants/Rams at London*
Play: New York Giants
Rating: 10*

The New York Giants are 7-0 ATS in their last seven meetings with the LA Rams, and this looks like a good spot to back the Giants when the two teams clash at Twickenham Stadium across the pond. 

Both teams have split their first six games of the season, but the Rams are coming off back-to-back losses to Buffalo and Detroit while the Giants have some momentum after a 27-23 upset against the Ravens last Sunday. The Giants rank 3rd in the league in passing offense, and say what you want about Eli Manning, he moves the chains on a regular basis. Manning was picked off twice in last week's win, but he made up for it with 32-for-46 passing for a total of 403 yards and three scores, two of them to Odell Beckham Jr. who exploded for 222 yards after a slow start to the season. 

The Rams have a respectable D, but they rank 28th in both rushing and passing offense. I don't think they'll be able to keep up with the Giants high-powered offense here. 

Mike's Sunday Night *AFC SOUTH GAME OF THE YEAR* Colts/Texans
Play: Houston Texans
Rating: 10*

This looks like a GREAT spot to back the Houston Texans as they host AFC South rivals Indianapolis Colts on Sunday Night Football. 

The Colts are coming off a 29-23 win against the lowly Bears, but they're still looking for their first road win this season and are 1-4 ATS in their last five road games last year included.

The Houston Texans need a quick bounce back after an embarrassing 31-13 loss at Minnesota last week, where we won with the Vikings as a free pick. The Texans struggled to solve the Vikings' top rated D, but here they'll come up against a Colts secondary that's 28th in the league in passing yards allowed per game. Even Brock Osweiler should be able to throw plenty of touchdown passes against it, and I think we'll see an extremely lopsided affair in favor of the home team Sunday night. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL* BEST BET
Play: Carolina Panthers
Rating: 10*

Both the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Carolina Panthers head into this Monday Night Football clash with a 1-3 record. Carolina will have to do without Pro Bowl QB Cam Newton as he is in the NFL concussion protocol after getting banged up in last week's loss to Atlanta. Derek Anderson will replace Newton, and he went 17-of-23 passing for 172 yards with two TDs and two picks when he came in under center last week. 

Tampa Bay has dropped three in a row since a season-opening victory over the very same Falcons and they've been torched for a total of 104 points during their slide. The Bucs have covered the spread in just one of their last seven Monday night football games and 1-5 ATS in the last six meetings with the Panthers. 

Carolina is 8-1 ATS off back-to-back SU/ATS losses, and I like the Panthers to rally behind their backup QB and bounce back with a win in this NFC South clash. 

Top Rated 10* *SUNDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL* 
Play: Green Bay Packers
Rating: 10*

The Green Bay Packers are fresh off a bye week, a terrific spot for them as they're 10-3 ATS in their last 13 games following a week off. The New York Giants meanwhile suffered a 24-10 loss at Minnesota on Monday to fall to 2-2 on the season (0-3 ATS last three games). 

The Giants' secondary is banged up and they'll be without top cornerback Sam Shields (concussion) for this contest. Bad news as they'll come up against Aaron Rodgers who has seven touchdown passes and just one pick on the season. The Giants Eli Manning meanwhile has thrown for a lot of yards, but as many picks as TDs (4). 

It will be a very hostile environment at Lambeau Field, and I expect the home team to win and cover the spread in this NFC showdown. 

Top Rated 10* NFL Non Conference *GAME OF THE YEAR*
Play: Baltimore Ravens
Rating: 10*

We lost with the Baltimore Ravens last week when they came up short in a 28-27 home loss to Oakland. They're now tied with the Steelers at the top of the AFC North, both with a 3-1 record, and I expect a big bounce back game from the Ravens when taking on the Washington Redskins at M&T Bank Stadium. Baltimore actually played decent football last week and outgained the Raiders by a total of 151 yards while allowing just 62 yards on the ground. The Redskins meanwhile are coming off a 31-20 win over Cleveland, but it was a  real "inside-out" victory as they were outgained by 79 yards ... by the 0-4 Browns! Washington has been outgained by 50 yards or more in three of their four games on the season, and I think they'll run into plenty of trouble against the Ravens D that ranks fourth in total yards allowed. Kirk Cousins has six touchdown passes on the season, but three came last week against the lousy Browns and he has also tossed four picks on the season. 

Nah, this should be a blowout win for the Ravens, and I'm going BIG on this bet. 

Top rated NFL *AFTERNOON ASSASSIN*
Play: Carolina Panthers
Rating: 10*

The Carolina Panthers are at risk of starting the season with a 1-3 record. They suffered a 22-10 home loss to the Vikings as a hefty favorite in Week 3, but I like them to bounce back with a big game here against an NFC South foe.

The 2-1 Atlanta Falcons rank first in the NFL in offense by scoring 34.7 points and gaining 448 yards per game, but they've faced some rather mediocre defenses. The Panthers D is allowing just 273.3 yards per game while Atlanta's is giving up 433 yards per game. Carolina has a good chance of keeping Matt Ryan quiet while I can see the Falcons having plenty of trouble with Cam Newton who'll be looking to rebound from a poor display against Minny. 

Then we have the motivational factor. A loss here would be devastating for the Panthers as it would put them in a very tough spot in the division. That's not something this Super Bowl finalist can afford to happen, and they won't. 

Top Rated 10* NFL PRIMETIME *BANKROLL BUILDER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10*

This looks like a great spot to back the over when the Miami Dolphins visit the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday Night Football. 

Miami's QB Ryan Tannehill is playing well and has two touchdown passes or more in three of his last four games. He went 25-of-39 passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns when the Phins defeated the Browns 30-24 in overtime last Sunday. Admittedly not a very impressive result, but they'll come into this game strengthened by the win, their first of the season. The Bengals meanwhile suffered a 29-17 home loss to Denver last week. Andy Dalton is struggling and has one or zero touchdown passes in five of his last eight games. Miami has allowed opponents plenty of yards this season though, 415 per game to be exact, so this could be a good spot for Dalton and the rest of the Bengals to get back on track.

Cincinnati failed to shut down Denver's rookie QB Trevor Siemian who was allowed to throw for four touchdowns. I don't see them getting to Tannehill either, and the total for this contest look pretty low to me. You should also consider putting a few units at work on Miami +7 or better. 

Top Rated 10* NFL PRIMETIME *BOOKIE BREAKER*
Play: Over
Rating: 10*

The New Orleans Saints will host the Atlanta Falcons at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Monday night. I think we'll see a high-paced and high-scoring game between the two NFC South foes. 

Both of the 1-1 Falcons' first two games of the season have gone over the set total for this contest, and their QB Matt Ryan is on fire leading the league with a 121.4 quarterback rating. The Saints' secondary has been torched through the air for an average of 336.0 yards so far this season, so another big game for Ryan is very likely.

The Saints have started the season with back-to-back defeats, but they were a bit unlucky to lose their season opener to the Raiders despite putting up 34 points here at New Orleans. They like to put on a show offensively for the home town crowd, and the over is 6-0-1 in the Saints' last seven home games.

Both Atlanta and New Orleans are very much going by "The best defense is a good offense". That's not likely to change here on a primetime nationally televised game. 

Top Rated 10* NFL PRIMETIME *BOOKIE BASHER*
Play: Dallas Cowboys
Rating: 10*

The Dallas Cowboys minus less than a touchdown at home on primetime versus the lowly Chicago Bears? Yes Please! 

The Cowboys are playing well even with Tony Romo out as Dak Prescott has slotted in perfectly under center. He's set an NFL record for the most passes without an interception (75) in a player's first two games. The Bears starting QB Jay Cutler on the other hand is both getting blasted by the media and enter the game banged up after leaving Monday's 29-14 home loss to Philly with an apparent thumb injury. He's not getting much help from his O-line either and was sacked three times in that defeat and the Bears as a team is averaging just 271 ypg. The Bears are not in the best shape defensively either with several defensive players questionable.

The Bears are 1-6 ATS in their last seven following a loss of more than 14 points and 0-6 ATS in their last six in September. I don't like their chances here against a Dallas team strengthened by a 27-23 win as a 3.5-point dog at Washington last week. 

Top Rated 10* NFL *SUNDAY STEAMROLLER*
Play: Denver Broncos
Rating: 10*

The Denver Broncos have opened their title defending campaign with back-to-back wins against Carolina and Indianapolis. I like the Broncos to make it three in a row as they hit the road for the first time this season with a visit to the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday. 

Denver outgained the Colts 400 yards to 253 last week, including 134 yards on the ground, and C.J. Anderson put in a shift on the ground with 74 yards on 20 carries and one touchdown. The Bengals does not have much of a running game and the team’s leading rusher, Jeremy Hill, has just 53 yards on 20 carries for the season. Denver's secondary should be able to pick off Andy Dalton a couple of times, and I don't think the Bengals will be the team to hand Denver its first loss of the season. 

The Broncos are 5-0 ATS in their last five September games and the Bengals are just 1-3-1 ATS in their last five home games. 

Top Rated NFL *SUNDAY SLAUGHTER*
Play: New England Patriots
Rating: 10*

Tough opening schedule for the Miami Dolphins who lost 12-10 at Seattle in their season opener and head to Boston to take on the New England Patriots here in Week 2. 

The Dolphins produced just 222 yards of offense in their opening loss and points won't come easy here against Bill Belichick's Pats who defeated the Cardinals 23-21 on Sunday night, despite playing without not only Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski, but also without three starting linemen. Brady is still suspended, but I expect Gronk to be back for this contest, and even if he's not I don't see the Pats having any trouble scoring with Jimmy Garoppolo stepping up under center with plenty of reliable targets out wide. 

Dolphins are 2-9 ATS in their last 11 games after accumulating less than 90 yards rushing in their previous game and 2-7 ATS in their last nine games after scoring less than 15 points in their previous game. Home team is 8-0 ATS in their last eight head-to-head meetings and this looks like a great spot to back the Pats to cover a touchdown. 

NFL *GAME OF THE YEAR*
Play: Carolina Panthers
Rating: 10*

The Seattle Seahawks are lucky to even be here as they won 10-9 at Minnesota last weekend only thanks to a missed Vikings 27-yard field-goal attempt in the final minute. I did not like what I saw at all from the Seahawks in that game, and I think this is an excellent price on the Panthers. Carolina's QB Cam Newton has thrown for 21 touchdowns and only one interception over his last eight games and he has several reliable targets, among them Greg Olsen who hauled in seven passes for 131 yards when the Panthers won 27-23 at Seattle earlier in the season. Coming off a bye week, they've had plenty of time to find out how to torture the Seattle D once again. The Seahawks offense meanwhile struggled at Minnesota last week as Russell Wilson threw for only 142 yards, and even though it's rumored that star RB Marshawn Lynch could make a comeback here he's likely to be more than a little rusty. The Panthers have won 11 consecutive games at home, and I'm backing them as my Game of the Year Playoffs 2016 selection.