Odds provided by Bovada.lv 
Washington Redskins at Atlanta Falcons -7 Total: 50.5
This game certainly will not be a heavily watched matchup from the national audience, and even perhaps in local markets, as the hapless Redskins head to the Georgia Dome to take on the Falcons.
For Washington, the biggest change this week will be under center as head coach Mike Shanahan has benched Robert Griffin III in favor of Kirk Cousins. Shanahan cited Griffin’s health as the reason for the move, and it is expected that he will sit out the last three weeks of the season. He will not be inactive but will be behind Cousins and Rex Grossman on the depth chart.
The Redskins continued their downward spiral this season with another crushing defeat last week at the hands of Kansas City at home. Griffin threw for just 59 yards in the 45-10 loss, dropping the franchise to 3-10.
Atlanta hosts Washington with an identical record at 3-10 after losing a disappointing game to the Green Bay Packers last week, 22-21. The Falcons were up 21-10 at the half, but failed to score the rest of the game.
Key injuries have derailed the Falcons season, which has been a enormous letdown, especially for a franchise with Super Bowl aspirations this year. Their defense, like Washington’s has been terrible, as well. They rank 29th in points allowed and have -11 turnover ratio, which ranks second to last in the NFC.
I usually stay away from unknown factors when capping games, but the insertion of Cousins as starting QB should help Washington’s offense. RG3’s performances over the past few weeks have been downright terrible, and almost anyone would be an upgrade over him at the position. With that said, I like his chances to perform well. He has only had limited action this season but shined last year as a backup.
Also, the Skins will likely rely on running back Alfred Morris to carry the load. “Alf” has been supremely underrated this season and has been game planned out of ballgames due to Washington being down by double-digits so quickly. I do not think that happens in this one. Morris should get a full load of carries and dominate against the Falcon’s terrible front seven.
Neither of these teams is any good, but this number is way off. Atlanta has no business being favored by seven points against anyone in this league, even at home. Take the points.
Pick: Redskins +7
New York Jets at Carolina Panthers -11 Total: 41
The Panthers welcome the Jets to town after suffering a rough defeat the hands of the New Orleans Saints. Carolina’s nine-game win streak ended last week at the Super Dome in a 31-13 loss. The game dropped them to 9-4 on the season, and second in the NFC South, one game behind division-leading New Orleans.
Carolina could clinch a playoff spot with a win on Sunday against the Jets if some other games go their way. The Jets will need all the help they can get it when it comes to their playoff chances. At 6-7, they are chasing a host of teams for the last Wild-Card spot in the AFC.
New York broke a three-game losing streak with a 37-27 win last week against Oakland at home. The 37 points were their highest point total of the season, the win did wonders for rookie quarterback Geno Smith, who was in danger of losing his starting job with another bad performance.
Offensively, New York has had serious issues scoring and is ranked 31st in total offense. Their point totals have been even worse on the road. They average just over 17 points at home, but are scoring 13.2 on the road, where they have a 1-5 record.
Few teams can muster much offense against Carolina’s ferocious defense, which is allowing a league-low 14.5 points per game. Their performance last week was their worst of the season, and there is no doubt they are looking to bounce back in a big way against the Jets.
New York’s defense is decent but has struggled as of late. They are much better against the run than the pass, but no one has figured out a way to stop Cam Newton from running this year. His dual threat ability keeps defenses honest and should open up the downfield passing game.
11 points are a lot, but I can’t imagine the Jets scoring more 14 points in this game and their total could be much lower. I could easily see this game finishing 31-7 with a potential blowout at halftime. Carolina should feast on Geno Smith, who has, save for last week, been the worst quarterback in the league for the last five weeks.
Pick: Panthers -11
New Orleans Saints at St. Louis Rams +7 Total: 47
The Saints can secure a playoff berth with a win on Sunday against St. Louis, a team that has been struggling mightily over the past few weeks.
New Orleans rebounded emphatically last week from their loss against Seattle on Week 13, dispatching the Carolina Panthers 31-13. The win kept the Saints home record at a flawless 7-0 and improved their record to 10-3 overall. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for over 300 yards and four touchdowns in the victory.
Defensively, the Saints have improved drastically from last year’s team and are 6th in the NFL in yardage allowed. However, they have been much worse on the road. New Orleans has lost three out of their last four games away from home.
Few things have gone right for the Rams this year. Their last win was a 42-21 victory over Chicago in late November, since then, they have had back-to-back losses to San Francisco and Arizona. Last week’s loss at Arizona as particularly rough, the Rams were lifeless offensively in a 30-10 defeat at Cardinals Stadium.
As bad as the Rams have been in recent weeks, their ability to rush the passer defensively is hugely valuable in this matchup. Teams with decent pass rushers do affect Brees, and St. Louis has two of the best in Quinn and Long. While their secondary is terrible, I think Brees gets hit a few times, and this turns into competitive game.
The Saints rush defense is one of the worst in the league and the Rams will no doubt go to the ground to attack this defense. Rookie running back Zac Stacy has been quiet the past few weeks, due to some nagging injuries and bad matchups. I expect an epic day rushing day for Stacy as he helps the Rams control the clock and keep Brees off the field.
The public is all over the Saints in this game, but they are not seeing the full picture. With a rematch against Carolina next week in Charlotte, New Orleans could potentially be writing off the Rams. Either way, it is not a great spot for the Saints on the road, where they have struggled all-year long.
Pick: Rams +7(-120)
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