Football expert Phil Steele is the owner and publisher of Phil Steele’s College Football Preview, regarded as the college football bible. Get in-depth coverage of college and pro football 24/7/365 at PhilSteele.com.
Texans (+1) over BEARS: Texans rate the edge in this battle of 7-1s with their No. 12 offense and No. 3 defense, while the Bears come in with the No. 25 offense and No. 6 defense. It’s vital, also, to compare those numbers against the opponents they’ve faced — and Houston has played the 18th-toughest schedule, Chicago the 30th-toughest.
Giants (-4) over BENGALS: The Giants are a missed field goal in Philly from being 4-0 on the road. They know an impressive, energy-packed performance may get them some relief from Tom Coughlin during their upcoming bye, and the only thing that could make this stronger is if by some chance the QB had a brother who played this team last week and could share information after throwing for 291 yards and 77-percent completions.
LAST WEEK (NFL): 2-0. SEASON: 11-7.