By Chris Rattey and Steve Silva

Boston.com Staff

October 9, 2014 4:24 PM

Welcome to Week 6 of BDC Sports’ Best Bets, the Tin Foil Armor and Dirty Dancing edition—a weekly presentation by Steve Silva and Chris Rattey—that focuses on a few NFL match-ups you might want to invest in if this is the kind of thing you are into.

Nobody puts Silva in a corner. Accept BDC management.

Rattey ripped a page out of Silva’s near flawless playbook and ran the table last weekend, going a perfect 5-0, climbing a few rungs in the standings ladder as Silva put together a very pedestrian 2-3 effort. Controversy is apparently brewing, according to Silva, who was whining about something this morning in his corner … blah, blah, blah. Tune into RadioBDC tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the Podcast version of Best Bets titled Pro Picks presented by Foxwoods Resort Casino. Check out last week’s show.

In case you are new to Best Bets and slithered out from under that rock of yours, Silva and Rattey will predict three outcomes ATS, one over/under special, and also offer up the STINKY CHEESE SPREAD UPSET LOCK OF THE WEEK. Of course, the Patriots must be worked into the mix every week. Here’s a link to Rattey’s perfect predictions from last week.

Silva record last week: 2-3 (13-5 overall)
Rattey last week: 5-0 (12-5-1 overall)

Now on to the picks …

Rattey Pick 1: @ Bengals [7] over Panthers
The Skinny: The Bengals continued to prove that they cannot take the pressure of the bright lights and failed YET AGAIN on the national stage for all the world to see. So much for backing up their supporters, some of which were calling the Bengals one of the best in the AFC. But the Bengals – who are actually a pretty talented football team—do return to a nice, cozy 1 p.m. Sunday slot. Including Sunday, the Bengals defense has not given up a ton of points (avg. 19, good for 8th in the NFL). Cinci has given up their fair share of yards on the ground this season, but Carolina’s response to that is a 74.7 average rushing yards per game – good for 30th in the NFL. The Bengals are also my embarrassed, pissed off pick, which has come through for me each week. The Pissed Off Pick (P.O.P) has become a thing.

Silva Pick 1: Colts [-2.5] over @ Texans
The Skinny: Some guys have all the Luck. And those guys are the other 10 players on offense for the Colts. Luck has been mostly phenomenal this season (as my fantasy team can attest), leading the league with 14 TD passes, and I expect him to find ways to avoid J.J. Watt Thursday in Houston. Even when Luck was just average, the Colts running game showed its chops against the Ravens last week, rushing for 117 yards. The Colts are 8-4 in Houston and 24-4 in the last 24 games against the Texans. The Colts love Thursday night football as they are 10-1-1 ATS in their last 12 Thursday games. Houston QB Ryan Fitzpatrick doesn’t scare anyone. And with the improved Colts defense, let’s just say workhorse running back Arian Foster is going to hate Thursday night football a whole lot more come Friday morning when the Texans fall to No. 2 in the AFC South.

“I’m the … No. 1 Raiders fan?”

Rattey Pick 2: Chargers [-7] @ Oakland
The Skinny: I’m picking against Oakland because I don’t believe in tin foil armor. I mean, look at those fools to the right. You can see the hesitation in that dude raising his No. 1 finger in the air, because he knows deep down inside what he’s doing is the basis of how the word asinine was actually defined. Costume building aside, San Diego is looking to be a legit club, and carry an astounding 5-0 record ATS into this week’s game. They are the last undefeated ATS boat floating in a sea of NFL parity with a 5-0 record, while Oakland has yet to win one on their own “dangerous” turf ATS. Expect Phillip Rivers to continue to roll and the Chargers to maintain their spot atop the AFC West.

Silva Pick 2: @ Falcons [-3] over Bears
The Skinny: Love, love, love the Falcons in the friendly confines of the Georgia Dome where Matt Ryan is 38-10 over his career. Atlanta has outscored their opponents 93-48, and they’re 2-0 ATS. And I’m punishing Jay Cutler and the Bears with this pick for blowing the Panthers game for me last weekend with careless turnovers on their final three drives. Even if Cutler doesn’t stumble and bumble his way to more fumbles and interceptions, he won’t be able to keep up in a shootout with Ryan and All-World receiver Julio Jones, who is banged up but always finds a way to get on the field for game day. And watch for Devin Hester to raise the roof on the Dome with an electric return or two against the team he spent eight years playing for.

Rattey Pick 3: Patriots [ -3] over @ Buffalo
The Skinny: EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!!!! I had never been more confident than betting on the Patriots last weekend against the Bengals, and that swagger paid dividends. Look for the same type of treatment this weekend, and a lockdown performance by the New England defense. Buffalo’s defense is nothing to scoff at, featuring a smothering run defense ranked 2nd in the NFL (71-yard average). But look for the Patriots to continue to foster the one-two punch of Stevan Ridley thunder between the tackles and Shane Vereen lightning out in space. I just can’t see that paltry Buffalo offense mustering enough of an attack to hang with rejuvenated Tom Brady and Company. Patriots win by at least a touchdown.

Silva Pick 3: @ Arizona [-3.5] over Washington
The Skinny: The Cards could not keep up with Peyton Manning and the Broncos last Sunday in Denver but it will be a different story against Washington at University of Phoenix Stadium. The ‘Skins defense has allowed an average of 36.1 points in their last three games, all losses. Washington’s offense has been up-and-down this year, and quarterback Kirk Cousins has yet to post a victory despite their improved passing game. Worries? Yes, there are a few. Quarterback Drew Stanton’s availability is up in the air at time of publishing after suffering a concussion last week and no one knows when Carson Palmer will be able to return. Putting my faith in third-string quarterback Logan Thomas is a precarious proposition at best. Arizona also comes into the game with the second worst passing defense in the league. And the injury to defensive end Calais Campbell isn’t going to help matters. Still, I believe in the Cards on Sunday.

Rattey Over/Under Special: Pittsburgh @ Cleveland over [47]
The Skinny: Did you just do a double take? Pittsburgh and Cleveland going over … no way. Those two AFC North rivals will slug and claw through a brutal snoozefest en route to some lame 16-12 final score. But the numbers predict a different story, people. Both teams can put up the yards—each are in the top 10 of the NFL in total yards and rushing yards – and the math puts these teams average scores over the 47 mark. Who’s got Antonio Brown in fantasy? This could very well be the most entertaining game of the weekend in the NFL, as both teams need a win to keep pace in a very competitive division.

Silva Over/Under Special: New England @ Buffalo over [45]
The Skinny: It’s not over ‘til it’s over, but this one should go way over. A high scoring affair has been the standard when these two teams match up. The last eight games between the Patriots and Bills have yielded an average total of 60.75 points per game. Defense anyone? Hoping for a result similar to the 2012 matchup at Ralph Wilson Stadium when the Patriots and Bills put up a combined 80 points in New England’s 52-28 win.

STINKY CHEESE SPREAD UPSET LOCK OF THE WEEK

Rattey: Cowboys (+8) over @ Seattle
The Skinny: GAME WITHIN A GAME ALERT! The match-up of the weekend pits the powerful Seattle run defense (tops in the NFL, averaging just 62.2 yards per contest) against the Cowboys’ terrific offensive line and stout 160-yard rushing average. I do believe Seattle will continue to roll and win this game, but I love the eight points. I know I’m taking huge risk in that Tony Romo MUST perform at a very high level in order to keep this within a touchdown. But that’s what we’ve seen so far this season, and with the protection he’s getting along with a steady dose of powerful running to balance the attack, the Cowboys have put themselves in a position to compete for the top of a crowded – and weird – NFC East. I hate the NFC East. Take that Cheez Whiz and stuff it, Paul Driscoll.

Silva: Steelers [+2] @ Browns
The Skinny: In this big divisional matchup, Big Ben Roethlisberger is 18-1 against the Browns over his career. And I’ll be saying, ‘Hey 19!’ after Sunday’s minor upset. Old friend Brian Hoyer may be the comeback kid this year, but the former Patriots backup will come back to earth at home against the Steel Curtain defense. I realize the Browns nearly knocked off the Steelers in their Week 1 matchup in Pittsburgh, losing 30-27, but the Steelers are also 5-1 ATS in their last six road games. Even though Cleveland rushed for 191 against the Steelers defense in the opener, Pittsburgh’s defense has clamped down on the run lately, giving up an average of 53.7 yards rushing in the last three games. Browns go down.