This Football Blog

NY Jets (+10) at Buffalo
It’s tough to imagine the Bills getting swept in the season series by the Jets. Not impossible, mind you. Just tough. Buffalo by four.

Cleveland (+5.5) at Cincinnati
The Bengals are doing what championship teams do, playing their best football as the regular season pushes into its final weeks. If the Browns haven’t already shifted their focus to the draft and the 2023 season, they’ll get there soon. Still, division games rarely prove to be as easy as the matchups suggest they should be. Cincinnati by four.

Houston (+17.5) at Dallas
This is like one of those college football games where the home team pays the visiting team millions of dollars to come in and get the stuffing beat out of them. Only a true sucker actually bets a game like this, of course. The outcome is predetermined, but the margin of victory depends on whether and when the Cowboys take their foot off the gas. I’m thinking the difference is likely around 20, but who the hell knows?

Minnesota (+2.5) at Detroit
I know I’m supposed to be impressed by how “well” the Lions have been playing of late. But I’m not sure I’ve seen real evidence yet that Detroit can run with good teams. Vikings by four.

Jacksonville (+3) at Tennessee
Three? Not sure what I’m missing here. Three might make sense four weeks from now in Jacksonville. But it doesn’t fit here. Titans by a touchdown.

Philadelphia (-7) at NY Giants
The Giants may yet right the ship in time to sneak into the tournament. But not this week. Eagles by six.

Baltimore (+1.5) at Pittsburgh
The 2022 Steelers are a hard team to figure. But there’s no question about whether they’ll be up for the opportunity to hand a costly loss to the hobbled Ravens. Pittsburgh by three.

Kansas City (-8.5) at Denver
This is not going to be pretty. Kansas City by 21.

Tampa Bay (+3.5) at San Francisco
Yeah, that Niners’ defense is killer. But not having a quarterback is going to be a problem for the home team. Buccaneers by three — at the buzzer.

Carolina (+3.5) at Seattle
Assuming the Seahawks are for real, they should put this one away early. Seahawks by 13.

Miami (-3) at LA Chargers
The Dolphins really aren’t that much better than the Chargers. But the Dolphins have a knack for finding ways to win, while the Chargers have a knack for exactly the opposite. Miami by a point.

New England (-1.5) at Arizona
The 6-6 Patriots will have to win out if they’re to have any hope of making the postseason. That’s probably not happening. And if they can’t get their offense untracked against the defense-deficient Cardinals, you can change that “probably” to definitely. New England by nine.