After nine weeks of play, the NFL landscape remains as unpredictable as it has been all year; the Broncos are no longer unbeaten no thanks to Peyton Manning’s former team in the struggling Indianapolis Colts, and the Niners actually won a game with Blaine Gabbert as their starting quarterback.
A lot more surprises are in store for us this week, and we’re here with our predictions for five early underdogs looking to pull off upsets or at least cover relatively huge spreads against them. And if you’re in need of in-depth looks at a couple of Week 10’s marquee matchups, head on over to our previews for Patriots vs. Giants and Cardinals vs. Seahawks after this.
[sc:Football ]Top 5 NFL Week 10 Sleepers Predictions
Buffalo Bills (+3) at New York Jets (Thu, Nov. 12, 8:25 PM ET)
[sc:NFL240banner ]Why the Bills will win: Buffalo is finally healthy, and the offense is starting to roll once again. Running backs Karlos Williams and LeSean McCoy combined for 232 rushing yards and three TDs, while wideout Sammy Watkins had a career-high 168 yards and a TD on eight catches in the Week 9 win over the Dolphins. Also, the Bills have won the last three games over New York with a combined score of 118-40.
Why the Bills will lose: The Jets are simply different with Ryan Fitzpatrick as their starting QB, and he seems ready for another showdown in spite of having to nurse a sore thumb in the win over the Jaguars on Sunday. New York is 5-1 when Fitzpatrick is the team’s starter, and the Jets have also won four of the last five meetings against Buffalo that were held in East Rutherford.
Writer’s Prediction: Buffalo (+3) prevails with a solid 23-17 road victory.
Detroit Lions (+11.5) at Green Bay Packers (Sun, Nov. 15, 1:00 PM ET)
Why the Lions will win: The Packers are reeling with two-straight losses to Denver and Carolina. And in spite of Detroit’s miserable season, Matt Stafford is still doing enough in the air to keep his team in the thick of contests. The Lions are averaging 268 passing yards per game (good enough for eighth-best in the league), while Green Bay is just ranked 18th in the NFL in passing yards allowed.
Why the Lions will lose: The Packers are simply unbeatable in Lambeau, especially against their division rivals from the Motor City. In fact, the Lions have lost all 20 of their games played in Green Bay over the past two decades, and they have only covered the spread on just five occasions in that span as well.
Writer’s Prediction: Detroit hangs with the Packers throughout the contest to cover (+11.5), but still end up on the losing end of a 28-20 decision.
Jacksonville Jaguars (+6.5) at Baltimore Ravens (Sun, Nov. 1, 1:00 PM ET)
Why the Jaguars will win: Would you believe that Blake Bortles has five more touchdown passes than Joe Flacco this season? Not only does Bortles know how produce points through the air, but the Jags are also relatively careful with their possessions. The team only has 10 turnovers for the year, and the Ravens are the worst team in the league in creating such turnovers with just four total takeaways this season.
Why the Jaguars will lose: All of the Ravens’ games this season have been decided by a one-possession deficit for better and for worse, and the Jaguars’ two wins this year have both been decided by just three points. (Anybody up for another nail-biter?) Furthermore, Jacksonville has lost the past six of its games played in Baltimore, with its last win dating back to the 1999 season.
Writer’s Prediction: Baltimore with yet another narrow victory, 19-16, but in the process allows the Jaguars to cover (+6.5).
New England Patriots at New York Giants (+7.5) (Sun, Nov. 15, 4:25 PM ET)
Why the Giants will win: Every football fan knows that Tom Brady’s kryptonite is New York’s Eli Manning. The G-Men have won three-straight games against New England, with two of them being those unforgettable Super Bowl victories. Brady is 1-3 lifetime against Manning, and New York is also 3-1 at home this year.
Why the Giants will lose: New York is the worst team against the pass (315 yards allowed per game), while New England is second-best in the NFL with 329.3 passing yards per contest. And while the Giants are only second to Philadelphia for the NFL lead with their 17 takeaways for the season, the Pats have been the most careful team in protecting the football. New England has a league-best three turnovers this season, and Brady only has one pick to his 20 TDs (13 of New York’s takeaways are interceptions).
Writer’s Prediction: The Giants (+7.5) deal another heartbreaking loss to the Pats, 33-31, ending New England’s 11-game undefeated streak dating back to last season.
Arizona Cardinals (+3) at Seattle Seahawks (Sun, Nov. 15, 8:30 PM ET)
Why the Cardinals will win: The Cardinals are great on both sides of the ball, with their plus-110 point differential second only to the Patriots’ plus-133. In addition, Seattle’s Russell Wilson is not playing like the former Super Bowl MVP that he is. Wilson only has nine passing touchdowns to his six picks, and has yet to tally a rushing TD in spite of gaining 303 yards on the ground on 58 carries this season.
Why the Cardinals will lose: Arizona hates playing in Seattle, as the team has only won one of the last five games held in CenturyLink Field. Well, every NFL team virtually doesn’t want to face the Seahawks on their own home turf, period. They have only lost thrice at home since the start of their 2014 championship-winning season, will all three of those losses decided by just seven points or less.
Writer’s Prediction: The Cardinals (+3) prevail away with a statement win, 34-28, to further break away from the rest of the NFC West pack.
Create a betting account now to cash in on any or all of these sleepers in Week 10 of the NFL’s exciting 2015 season.
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