Traina's Weekend Blitz: NFL Week 9 picks – FOXSports.com
Welcome to another edition of “Weekend Blitz,” a column that will appear on FOXSports.com each Friday during the football season. Consider this one of your must-read features as you wrap up the week and head into a Saturday and Sunday filled with pigskin. We’ll be giving out NFL picks, possibly some college football picks and plug some of the best content from the world of sports and pop culture.
Please come back every Friday, check FOXSports.com/Buzzer or follow me, @JimmyTraina, on Twitter.
Our first losing week of the season (1-2) since Week 1 dropped our pathetic record to 18-17-1. We said that we hated the board, so we shouldn’t have been surprised by the result. We also got burned by Le’Veon Bell’s injury. More on that below, as we get to . . .
THE PICKS
PANTHERS +3 VS. PACKERS: We picked against Green Bay (which is always dangerous) last week and we’re doing it again. Something has been off with the offense for several weeks now, mainly because of injuries and an MIA Eddie Lacy. While we’re a little nervous about picking against the Packers after such a horrible game last week, especially for Aaron Rodgers, who threw for just 77 yards against Denver, Carolina is riding the “we don’t get any respect” angle to success every week. Obviously, a win against Green Bay would go a long way in quieting that crowd. Plus, you’re getting a field goal here, which you won’t even need.
JETS -7 VS. JAGUARS: With Ryan Fitzpatrick a go at quarterback, look for a big Jets win, who are out to erase last week’s blowout loss at Oakland from their memories. Fitzpatrick’s injury is on his non-throwing hand, so he shouldn’t have a problem connecting with Brandon Marshall and Eric Decker. Jacksonville comes into the game having given up the second-most points per game (29.6) in the NFL. Here’s the thing about the Jaguars. You often hear about how they’re improved and they have some weapons now. But guess what? They’re still an awful football team.
FALCONS -7 AT 49ERS: Atlanta had a wake-up call last week, losing at home to Tampa Bay. The perfect tonic for a bounce-back is facing Blaine Gabbert, who is 5-22 as a starter in his career. While Colin Kaepernick played horribly all season long, he was hardly the whole problem in San Francisco. The team’s defense is allowing more than 400 yards per game. The Niners‘ pass defense ranks 27th in the NFL, which should lead to a big day for Matt Ryan and Julio Jones. As for the offense, Gabbert won’t have Carlos Hyde in the backfield and wideout Anquan Boldin didn’t practice all week because of a hamstring injury.
RAIDERS +4.5 AT STEELERS: We watched every play of Pittsburgh’s game last week and can tell you this: The Steelers would’ve beaten Cincinnati if running back Le’Veon Bell did not get hurt. Once Bell left that game, the Steelers’ offense became completely inept. Anyone who watched Pittsburgh last week also knows that Ben Roethlisberger is far from 100 percent. The quarterback’s mobility is extremely limited. That will be a problem against a very active Raiders defense. Take the points.
OTHER ITEMS
* Here’s a good story on how MLB betting compares to NFL betting.
* This prop bet is being offered by Bovada.lv:
Will the Broncos and Patriots both be 11-0 when they play each other Week 12?|
Yes: +400
No: -700
* The early line for that Nov. 29 Patriots at Broncos game is Denver -4.
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