BREES-Y DOES IT: The Saints will cover in Oakland as Drew Brees continues his domination of the reeling Raiders. (Reuters)
Rex Ryan has tried his best to circle the wagons, which only will be possible if what happened this week is a sideshow and not the whole show.
Though the Jets have been portrayed as a traveling circus — possibly fairly, possibly not — they are still a football team that will play a football game Sunday against the Rams. It’ll be 3-6 vs. 3-5-1, an even matchup, so to pick it based on some nonsense that happened midweek is a curious idea.
The Rams rate an edge off recent performance, have a good pass rush and a dangerous receiver in Danny Amendola. But the Rams also have a terrible offensive line that Ryan possibly can exploit and blow up the game. Plus, the Jets will have that “enough is enough” attitude on their side.
The pick: Jets +3 1/2.
REDSKINS (-3 1/2) over Eagles: Nick Foles showed some signs he can play in his relief appearance vs. the Cowboys. If he gets the same hideous protection Michael Vick received, though, the Eagles will get the same painful results.
Packers (-3 1/2) over LIONS: Green Bay will be fresher after its bye but will be without Clay Matthews, whose nine sacks will be sorely missed here. Still, have to love Aaron Rodgers indoors on the carpet against a defense he so loves to torment.
FALCONS (-10) over Cardinals: Atlanta is 4-0 at home this season, with winning margins of six, two, three and six. So, risky giving the 10, but the Falcons should be able to pull away from a Cardinals team that has lost five in a row and doesn’t have much of a running option.
Buccaneers (-1 1/2) over PANTHERS: Buccaneers are averaging 35.6 points over their last five games (4-1). Even better, they are so balanced with Doug Martin on the ground and Josh Freeman/Vincent Jackson/Mike Williams in the air. Don’t see the Panthers’ D as the one to stop this march.
COWBOYS (-8) over Browns: Browns are 0-4 on the road but have consistently shown up, losing only once by more than this spread (by 14 to the Giants in a game they once led 14-0). Cowboys need this game to make a run at Big Blue, and can extend here if Tony Romo gets hot and the pass rush gets to Brandon Weeden.
Colts (+9 1/2) over PATRIOTS: Colts have won four in a row and five of six. They have the eighth-ranked pass offense in the NFL, which is a good match for the Patriots’ 29th-ranked pass defense. Fun game, possibly close, with back-door cover available.
Jaguars (+15 1/2) over TEXANS: Don’t like this betting predicament for the Texans — home game against a terrible Jaguars team nestled between a tough road Sunday nighter in Chicago and Thursday’s Thanksgiving game in Detroit. Survive and advance.
Bengals (-3 1/2) over CHIEFS: Kansas City covered against the Steelers but still played ineptly. Bengals stuck it to Giants and can keep climbing back into the hunt for an AFC wild card with another win here.
Saints (-5) over RAIDERS: In his last six games vs the Raiders, Drew Brees is 6-0 with 13 TDs and no interceptions. Carson Palmer will be able to gun-sling with him for a while, but eventually will make some mistakes because of the lack of a ground option with Darren McFadden and Mike Goodson still likely out.
Chargers (+7 1/2) over BRONCOS: Like Brees owns Oakland, Philip Rivers is similarly good in Denver (5-1 career). Revenge for the October game in which Chargers blew a 24-0 lead and lost 35-24.
Ravens (-3 1/2) over STEELERS: Line moved 7 1/2 points on Ben Roethlisberger’s injury. That’s fair based on how Byron Leftwich played in relief vs. Kansas City. Steelers will rally behind him, but Leftwich vs. Joe Flacco is a huge mismatch.
MONDAY NIGHT
49ERS (-5) over Bears: This line has climbed a little higher than you would expect, at least for now, because Alex Smith seems closer to being able to play than does Jay Cutler.
BEST BETS: Saints, Packers, Bengals
LOCK: Saints (Locks 2-8)
LAST WEEK: 8-6 overall, 1-2 Best Bets
LAST NIGHT: Bills (W)