Week Eleven Thursday Night
Once again this week, I’m not gonna have time to get all my picks done before the Thursday night game kicks off. So I’ll get to the rest tomorrow. Here’s what not to expect tonight.
Chicago (+1.5) at Miami
Is there anyone out there who can help me understand how in the world the Dolphins are favored in this game? I mean, yeah, they’re at home. I get that part. But I’m looking at a home team that will be starting its third-string quarterback facing a visiting squad that features arguably the best pass defense in the NFL (the Bears surrender less than six yards per passing attempt and have allowed only six passing TDs this season while picking off 14 balls). Miami doesn’t run very well, either, so it’s not like all Tyler Thigpen needs to do is hand off and protect the ball. And, sure, the Dolphins have a decent D themselves – and the Bears offense (particularly their O line) is decidedly sub-par – but you can’t reasonably expect any defense to hold up over the course of a game if it has to spend 40 minutes on the field. I expect this one to develop slowly during the first half, but it should be out of hand by the start of the fourth quarter. I’m looking for a Chicago victory by a margin of 10 or more.
