With the 2015 NFL season entering Week 10, several teams face pivotal games as they try to stay in the playoff hunt. With teams like the Bills and Raiders having .500 records and little chance to win their division, picking up victories this week could be crucial.
Underdogs performed well in Week 9, going 7-6 against the spread with five wins straight up. In Week 10, five favorites are laying three points or less, according to vegasinsider.com.
Below are picks against the spread for every game in Week 10, as well as updated betting odds at Las Vegas casinos.
Buffalo Bills (+2.5) at New York Jets
With the betting line at less than a field goal, the Jets are the smart pick. The Bills are finally healthy on offense, but they have been very inconsistent this season. Buffalo is 0-3 against winning teams, having lost each game by at least eight points. It’s almost impossible for the Jets’ running game to not play better than it has recently, and New York should be able to win a close game at home.
Prediction ATS: New York
Detroit Lions (+11.5) at Green Bay Packers
The Packers remain the NFC Super Bowl favorites, but they haven’t played like an elite team. Two of their wins have come by more than 10 points, but neither were necessarily dominant performances. The Lions might be the NFL’s worst team, but 11.5 points is too many to lay, considering the Packers have lost two games in a row and aren’t playing their best football.
Prediction ATS: Detroit
Dallas Cowboys (+1.5) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Without Tony Romo, the Cowboys are just a bad football team. They are 0-6 without their starting quarterback, and they’ll have to suffer for one more week with Matt Cassel at the helm. It’s not that difficult to throw against Dallas, who ranks 21st in opponents’ passer rating, and Jameis Winston hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 4.
Prediction ATS: Tampa Bay
Carolina Panthers (-5.5) at Tennessee Titans
Carolina has proven to be the NFC’s best team at the moment, and they should be favored by at least a touchdown against Tennessee. The Titans essentially have no home-field advantage, and they’re still one of the AFC’s worst teams. Marcus Mariota threw four touchdown passes against the Saints last week, but that doesn’t mean much since New Orleans gave up six touchdowns the previous week. Tennessee will look much more like the team that scored 13 or fewer points in four straight games.
Prediction ATS: Carolina
Chicago Bears (+7) at St. Louis Rams
With the point spread moving to seven points, the Rams are the smart choice. They only have a .500 record because their schedule has been so difficult, and they’ve gotten impressive wins over the Seahawks and Cardinals. St. Louis has difficulty scoring with Nick Foles at quarterback, but their defense will provide scoring opportunities, especially with Robert Quinn and T.J. McDonald back at practice. The Bears are playing better as of late, but Jay Cutler might be forced into making a few costly mistakes.
Prediction ATS: St. Louis
New Orleans Saints (-1) at Washington Redskins
The Saints have been one of the most unpredictable teams in football, scoring 52 points against the Giants and easily beating the then-undefeated Falcons, but also losing home games to the Buccaneers and Titans. However, Washington’s defense has been awful, allowing 29 points per game in their last four contests, and Drew Brees should be poised for another big performance.
Prediction ATS: New Orleans
Miami Dolphins (+6) at Philadelphia Eagles
The Dolphins looked good in their first two games under interim head coach Dan Campbell, but it’s become clear that it was more the quality of Miami’s opponents than anything. When Miami loses, they lose big, suffering each of their last four defeats by an average of 21 points. Philadelphia’s last two home wins have come by an average of 21 points, and Sunday’s game might not be close at all.
Prediction ATS: Philadelphia
Cleveland Browns (+4.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers
Landry Jones has filled in admirably when playing quarterback for the Steelers, and he’ll likely be good enough to beat the Browns. Cleveland has lost three straight games by at least 14 points, so a five-point win might not be difficult to come by for Pittsburgh.
Prediction ATS: Pittsburgh
Jacksonville Jaguars (+5.5) at Baltimore Ravens
Every single one of Baltimore’s games has been close this season. All six of their losses have been by one possession, and their only two wins have come by three points on field goals as time expired. Jacksonville can put up points, and the game should be close, no matter who wins.
Prediction ATS: Jacksonville
Minnesota Vikings (+3) at Oakland Raiders
With Teddy Bridgewater expected to play on Sunday, the betting line shouldn’t move much over the course of the week. Minnesota has won two more games than Oakland, but the Raiders are better than their 4-4 record might indicate. Three of their four losses have come against winning teams, and they aren’t easy to beat at home. This point spread has push written all over it, but Oakland could win with a late touchdown, giving them the edge.
Prediction ATS: Oakland
Kansas City Chiefs (+6) at Denver Broncos
Peyton Manning hasn’t lost to the Chiefs since joining the Broncos, and he won’t start now that he’s playing with the best defense of his career. Without Jamaal Charles, Kansas City will have trouble moving the ball. Denver has won 11 of their last 12 home games, and five of their seven wins this season have come by at least six points.
Prediction ATS: Denver
New England Patriots (-7) at New York Giants
A lot of the numbers favor a cover by the Patriots. New England has won every game by at least seven points, and Tom Brady could have a field day against the Giants’ No.31-ranked pass defense. But New York is the one team that has outplayed New England in the last decade, and Sunday’s game could come down to the wire. The return of Jason Pierre-Paul gives the Giants an improved pass rush, which could take advantage of a banged up Patriots offensive line. New England will likely lose one game this season, and there’s at least a chance that loss comes this Sunday.
Prediction ATS: New York
Arizona Cardinals (+3) at Seattle Seahawks
After a slow start last season, the Seahawks got their act together and reclaimed their spot atop the NFC. After two straight dominant defensive performances, the same could be happening this season. The Seahawks haven’t allowed a touchdown in their last two games, and they still have a terrific home-field advantage. Seattle has already lost one game at home in 2015, and it isn’t likely to happen again.
Prediction ATS: Seattle
Houston Texans (+10.5) at Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati has proven themselves to be the NFL’s second-best team, and they shouldn’t have much trouble with the Texans, who are just 3-5. The Bengals continue to dominate subpar competition, winning by at least 13 points against their last three opponents that have a record under .500. Houston is 0-2 against teams with winning records, and that should move to 0-3 on Monday night.
Prediction ATS: Cincinnati
Season Record: 70-57-5
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