Odds provided by Bovada.lv
Tennessee Titans at St. Louis Rams +3
Pick: Titans -3 (EVEN)
Coming off their bye week, the Titans hope to get their season back on track after hip and knee injuries have hampered their franchise quarterback. Jake Locker now has full mobility and is bordering on being 100 percent healthy according to most reports. The third year QB has quickly become one of the best signal callers this year.
In their last game before the break, Locker’s first game back after missing two games due to injury, the Titans lost 31-17 to San Francisco. Locker looked rusty in the first half but did manage to throw for 326 yards and two touchdowns, but this was after the 49ers built a strong lead in the first half.
The Titans are relatively healthy going into this game, and the bye week has helped Shonn Greene to heal up after playing in Week 7. Chris Johnson and Green should get a large workload this week against the poor St. Louis run defense.
St. Louis’ season has gone by the wayside since the loss of quarterback Sam Bradford for the season due to a torn ACL. However, the Rams played a strong game last week against Seattle, despite the loss. Well, at least the defense did. They piled up seven sacks on Russell Wilson, held running back Marshawn Lynch to just 23 yards and the Seahawks as a whole to just 135 yards of total offense.
Still, they couldn’t get critical points on offense when it mattered, despite gaining 200 yards rushing. Quarterback Kellen Clemens looked horrific even when he got time to throw and threw two awful interceptions. He will go again this week, simply because the Rams don’t have anyone else.
St. Louis suffered a few losses last week. Guard Harvey Dahl will miss several weeks with a sprained MCL he suffered in the third quarter in Monday’s loss to the Seahawks. Rookie running back Zac Stacy, who suffered an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter, is expected to play, but it could up end being a game time decision. Darryl Richardson may see a larger workload depending on Stacy’s status.
Both of these teams have poor run defenses, and based on the recent quarterback play of Kellen Clemens, it is likely the Rams go with a run-first offensive attack. Likewise, the Titans should pound the rock with Johnson and Greene.
It is possible that the Rams’ defensive play from last week against the Seahawks boils over into this matchup with the Titans, but I don’t see it happening. The Titans will be able to move the ball and won’t have the protection problems Seattle did.
Tennessee’s secondary is rather underrated and should overpower the smaller wide receiver core of the Rams. If they can force the Rams to throw by putting up a few points early, this game could be over before half.
Any home dog is attractive, but I expect the crowd to be a lot less excited in this game, especially after last week’s loss to Seattle, a game they had every chance to win. The St. Louis Cardinals’ loss in the World Series also likely has St. Louis sports fans down in the dumps.
Kansas City Chiefs at Buffalo Bills +3.5
Pick: Buffalo +3.5
The Chiefs continue their unbeatable run as they head to Buffalo looking to go 9-0 for the first time 10 years. After finishing 2-14 last season, Kansas City is the first team to go 8-0 after owning the worst record in the previous season.
While the Chiefs offense, led by Jamal Charles has been impressive, it has been their defense that has gotten the job done. Kansas City improved to 8-0 in a competitive game against Cleveland last week, winning 24-17. The Browns tied for the most points scored on the Chiefs all season. The defense has allowed the fewest points per game in the league at 12.3 and leads the league in sacks with 36.
The Chiefs are battling a few injuries, but it seems like it is nothing too serious. Workhorse running back Jamaal Charles got treated for a sore knee in the win against Cleveland, and sat out practice Wednesday but he will be fine for Sunday’s contest. Wide outs Dwayne Bowe and Donnie Avery are practicing in full after dealing with nagging injuries the past few weeks.
The Bills currently sit at 3-5 on the year after dropping three out of their last four games and are dealing with a host of injuries. Buffalo was simply outplayed last week by the Saints in a 35-17 loss at New Orleans. Quarterback Thad Lewis looked flustered against New Orleans, throwing for 324 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also fumbled three times.
Lewis is questionable to play this week, making things even dicier for the Bills at quarterback. Jeff Tuel and Matt Flynn both split snaps with the first time during the week. However, neither is an excellent option. Fred Jackson continues to have trouble with his knee but is expected to play this week. The same can be said for wide receiver Stevie Johnson who is dealing with a hip flexor. Running back C.J. Spiller, one of the most hyped players coming into the season looks to play this week but is still questionable. He sat out last week.
This is one of those games that looks to be an easy win for Kansas City backers, but not so fast. The Chiefs have not covered the spread in their past two home games and have shown some cracks in their armor against two teams they should have handled easily at home, the Browns and the shorthanded Texans.
Here come the Bills, a team motivated to win despite their recent rash of injuries and one that has been excellent at home all season. Buffalo has not scored less than 20 points in any of any of their games so far at Ralph Wilson Stadium. Their defense is second only to the Chiefs in sacks this season, and though their offense is dealing with lots of injury issues, their defense is finally healthy.
I know the Chiefs are undefeated this season, but I’m still not buying it. Their strength of schedule has been among the easiest in the league, and they are not exactly blowing everyone out. I’m curious to see how this team will perform with a double-digit deficit in the second half.
Also, this is a classic look-ahead or trap game spot for Kansas City. They get their bye in Week 10 but then have a date with the Denver Broncos at Mile High Stadium. I think the Bills will catch them off guard this week.
Other Picks
The above plays are my favorite this week but here’s a few more I’m betting:
Baltimore -3(+105) at Cleveland Browns
Indianapolis at Houston Under 44.5
Cincinnati at Miami +3(-105)
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