4 Expert Predictions for Early Slate, Including Bears vs Vikings, Steelers vs Bills

Follow Chris Raybon within the Action App to get all his having a bet choices.


NFL Picks


For the newest NFL odds, click on right here.


Pick
Under 44
Best Book
Time
1 p.m. ET

About the one factor going for the over on a complete this excessive is this sport will likely be performed indoors. Still, this can be a hefty quantity for a Vikings squad this is averaging 21.5 issues in step with sport and permitting 20.0, or 41.5 blended — to not point out a Bears squad averaging 16.0 and permitting 19.3 (35.3 blended).

The Bears are averaging a league-low 20.8 dropbacks in step with sport, and 4.0 of the ones finally end up in sacks. That way the clock received’t prevent incessantly when the Bears have the ball.

When Minnesota has the ball, they have got performed at a quick tempo (25.81 seconds in step with play, 3rd), however that tempo drops to league moderate once they’re main by means of seven or extra issues (28.58, thirteenth), which is related for the reason that Vikings are 7.5-point favorites. We may just additionally see a sleepy model of this Vikings offense that performed final week in London.

Regardless of what the Vikings do on offense, that is most commonly a chance at the Bears loss of offense with Fields on the helm. In Fields’ 14 profession begins, Bears unders are 10-4, excellent for a canopy price of 71.4%. That development comprises a super 5-0 mark when the full is above 43.


» Return to the desk of contents «


Pick
Steelers +14
Best Book
Time
1 p.m. ET

This is a “hold your nose” play, however it is going to at all times be successful to be at the facet of the canine with large spreads like this. Since 2017, highway canine by means of greater than 13 are 30-22 (58%) ATS.

And highway canine of +11 or extra when the full is 46 or beneath are 132-100-2 (57%) since 2003, because it’s tricky to construct a big lead in what is predicted to be a moderately low-scoring sport, even for a crew this is appreciated at house.

(*4*)

But there are a selection of matchup-related causes to love the Steelers right here.

For one, this has the entire makings of a lure sport for Buffalo. The Bills are coming off two instantly shut, emotional video games at the highway. Coming off a win over a Baltimore crew that it will see once more within the AFC Championship Game, it’s best herbal to put out of your mind the 1-3 Steelers. And with the Chiefs on deck, it is just herbal for Buffalo to seem previous the Steelers.

FanDuel Quickslip: Bet Steelers +14

Secondly, the insertion of Kenny Pickett for Mitch Trubisky offers the Steelers offense much more upside. Though Pickett threw 3 interceptions (that have been now not all his fault) in his debut, he finished 77% of his passes, which is much more spectacular making an allowance for his moderate throw traveled 13.2 yards previous the road of scrimmage – greater than 3 yards greater than Trubisky’s moderate throw this season.

Pickett additionally provides a dashing component, scrambling 3 times and scoring two times at the floor on designed runs. He very much will increase the Steelers’ probabilities of getting a backdoor duvet overdue.

Thirdly, the Bills are extraordinarily banged up at the present time, which can most likely impact now not best their on-field efficiency, but additionally their willingness to run up the rating overdue if they have got a lead.

The Bills have 4 avid gamers on IR (together with one-half in their elite protection duo in Micah Hyde), two extra at the PUP record (together with best nook Tre’Davious White), 4 avid gamers dominated out (together with the opposite 1/2 in their elite protection dup in Jordan Poyer, and beginning TE Dawson Knox), 4 extra indexed as questionable (together with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds), and 8 avid gamers in all that didn’t observe Friday.

Finally, this can be a vintage Tomlin spot. Under Mike Tomlin, the Steelers are 46-24-3 (66%) as an underdog, together with 16-8 (67%) towards the unfold (ATS) as a ‘canine coming off of a loss.

Most impressively, Pittsburgh is 23-7-1 (77%) ATS underneath Tomlin as a ‘canine when going through an opponent with a greater straight-up document.

 


» Return to the desk of contents «


Pick
Buccaneers -10
Best Book
Time
1 p.m. ET

This is a significant letdown spot for a Falcons crew coming off two instantly wins and 4 instantly covers.

Click Here: Bet Buccaneers -10 on FanDuel

Atlanta has to stand a motivated Bucs crew that’s coming off two instantly losses and on its 3rd instantly house sport. The explanation why for the Falcons’ surprising luck early this season has been their offense, which is averaging 25.8 issues in step with sport, 8th within the NFL. However, they’re going to be with out two in their best offensive avid gamers in RB Cordarrelle Patterson (IR-knee) and TE Kyle Pitts (out-hamstring).

With a rating of 3rd in defensive DVOA and 6th in issues allowed in step with sport (17.6), the Bucs constitute simply the hardest matchup the Falcons offense has confronted. Even with Tampa Bay’s offense in disarray over the primary two weeks of the season, it was once in a position to safe two double-digit wins because of the protection earlier than going through two of the best QBs of all-time in Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes — and so they held Rodgers and the Packers scoreless to fourteen issues, together with none on their ultimate 9 drives of the sport.

Even even though Tom Brady threw for 385 yards and 3 rankings final week, this sport will have to finally end up taking place because the Bucs perfect offensive efficiency so far. The Bucs are after all wholesome on offense so far as their studs move, with WR Chris Godwin and LT Donovan Smith now not even indexed at the ultimate damage file, even though Russell Gage and Julio Jones are questionable. Brady will have to have a discipline day towards a Falcons offense that ranks thirtieth in force price (14.3%, in step with Pro Football Reference).

Since 2003, Brady is 66-37-2 (64%) off an ATS loss. Off a straight-up loss, he’s been even higher at 43-17 (72%), masking by means of a mean of 6.4 issues in step with sport.

That mark comprises 8-2 (80%) ATS off a multi-game dropping streak with a mean protection margin of that defies trust at 13.6 issues in step with sport.

Home groups that made the playoffs the season prior going through an undefeated ATS crew are 65-50-3 (57%) ATS since 2004. And when Brady faces a crew coming into the sport with an undefeated ATS document, he’s 15-6 (71%), making him essentially the most successful QB on this spot in our complete Action Labs database.

On moderate, Brady’s groups have lined the unfold by means of 7.5 issues in step with sport on this spot.


» Return to the desk of contents «


Pick
Breece Hall Over 2.5 Receptions (-110)
Best Book
Time
1 p.m. ET

Hall is averaging 6.8 objectives and three.8 catches in step with sport. The catches will have to be a lot upper, as he has 5 drops and a catch price of 55.6%, which will have to regress to the imply (RBs in most cases catch 75-85% in their objectives).

Hall’s function within the passing sport is expanding, as he noticed a season-high 61% direction participation price final week. He faces a Dolphins protection which has allowed 6.0 receptions in step with sport to RBs, tied for fifth-most within the league.


» Return to the desk of contents «


Leave a Comment