NFL Pointspread Contest: Week 3

[Anthony]

Sunday, September 24:

BUFFALO 6 over N.Y. Jets (1:00 PM ET)
PITTSBURGH 2 over Cincinnati
MIAMI 10 1/2 over Tennessee
Carolina 3 over TAMPA BAY
DETROIT 6 over Green Bay
INDIANAPOLIS 7 over Jacksonville
Chicago 3 over MINNESOTA
Washington 3 1/2 over HOUSTON
Baltimore 6 over CLEVELAND (4:05 PM ET)
ARIZONA 4 1/2 over St. Louis (4:15 PM ET)
Philadelphia 6 over SAN FRANCISCO
SEATTLE 4 over N.Y. Giants
NEW ENGLAND 6 over Denver (8:15 PM ET)


Monday, September 25:

Atlanta 3 over NEW ORLEANS (8:30 PM ET)


BYES: Dallas, Kansas City, Oakland, San Diego


Home team in CAPS; tie-breaker games in red.

Don't forget to designate three games as Best Bets.

For complete contest rules, click here (http://www.sports-central.org/community/boards/showthread.php?threadid=12547).

[Ellis]

1

N.Y. Jets
Cincinnati
Tennessee
Carolina
Green Bay
Jacksonville
Chicago
Washington BB
Baltimore BB
ARIZONA
Philadelphia
N.Y. Giants
NEW ENGLAND
Atlanta BB

[Anthony]

2

Last week: 6-10. Season totals: 14-18, Pct. .438. Best Bets: 1-5, Pct. .167.

Home team in capital letters; point spreads (opening line) in parentheses after underdog team; selections with point spreads in bold.

SUNDAY

BUFFALO 20, N.Y. Jets 10 (+6) - What a difference a week makes: Home teams, who went 5-11 in the opening week, were 12-4 in Week 2 - and the host side has won seven in a row in this rivalry, which Mario Cuomo does not consider to be an intrastate rivalry.

SEATTLE 24, N.Y. Giants 17 (+4) - If the Seahawks can reach their bye week 4-0, it could be a sign that the Super Bowl Runner-Up Jinx will finally be broken (no such team has opened the following season with four victories since Green Bay did so in 1998). Deion Branch is expected to make his Seattle debut and the Giants could find themselves in letdown land after what transpired last Sunday; also note that as in the case of the game involving New Jersey's other team, the home team has won seven straight here as well.

PITTSBURGH 27, Cincinnati 21 (+2) - One of the weirdest trends applies in this matchup: In the first yearly meeting herein, the Steelers cover, and in the second meeting, the Bengals cover. Not always, just almost always - in 14 of the last 15 games.

MIAMI 10, Tennessee 3 (+10 1/2) - Tennessee's rigor mortis vs. teams with winning records was documented in these lines last week but now one has to wonder whether the Dolphins will in fact be such a team this year and the Joey Harrington chants have already started at The Pigeon-Toed Orange Bowl. Take the points.

DETROIT 17, Green Bay 13 (+6) - This Maiden Coaches Bowl features two guys who are infinitely more qualified to be a head coach in this league than Ted Cottrell. Yeah, whatever.

TAMPA BAY 10 (+3), Carolina 9 - A month ago who'd have thought this game would have greater implications for the Brady Quinn Derby than the NFC playoff picture? And how effective will Steve Smith be even if he does play?

INDIANAPOLIS 27, Jacksonville 14 (+7) - Few if any defenses have looked more impressive than Jacksonville's thus far, but they haven't faced this kind yet and you might want someone to take Peyton Manning's temperature before kickoff; if it's not 104, lay the number.

MINNESOTA 23 (+3), Chicago 13 - Vikings not racking up many style points but the home team in this series owns a stylish eight-game winning streak and the Bears have won only two of their last eleven both indoors and on artificial turf. Best bet.

Washington 17, HOUSTON 10 (+3 1/2) - At least the Redskins can play some defense, whereas the Texans can't do anything; plus Clinton Portis is expected back and rain would further help Washington's cause by forcing the closure of the retractable roof at Reliant Stadium, as the Skins have won and covered their last five inside NFL domes.

Baltimore 15, CLEVELAND 3 (+6) - Ravens offense has a case of field-goal-itis, but they can afford that with their defense yet to allow a TD this year and chances are won't give up one this week either.

ARIZONA 20, St. Louis 17 (+4 1/2) - This could be a strange game for the Rams, in that it's on natural grass but also indoors. Not ready to give the Cards the stamp of approval just yet.

SAN FRANCISCO 35 (+6), Philadelphia 13 - Remember when the stock market opened for the first time after the 9/11 attack? The question was not whether the market would go up or down, but rather how low it would go. The same situation pertains here; and with the 6'3" Antonio Bryant roaming the Lilliput otherwise known as the Philadelphia secondary it doesn't figure to be pretty.

NEW ENGLAND 17, Denver 14 (+6) - Patriots are highly limited on offense right now and Denver is one of three NFL teams that have not allowed a touchdown in 2006 (Atlanta and Baltimore being the other two). No reason not to take the six points.

MONDAY NIGHT

Atlanta 23, NEW ORLEANS 10 (+3) - All week long the story line for this game is going to be all Hurricane Katrina, all the time. Me? I'd rather focus on how the Falcons have done in New Orleans - an almost inconceivable 18-2-1 against the spread in their last 21 visits! (Last year's away game for Atlanta was played at San Antonio and ended in a push against the line, not included in that record). Jim Mora Jr.'s defense has been nothing short of phenomenal and will be ready for Reggie Bush, who has been sensational in his own right the first two weeks but now has a nasty scandal involving both himself and his family to live down.

BEST BETS: MINNESOTA, SAN FRANCISCO, ATLANTA

[bama4256]

3

N.Y. Jets
Cincinnati
Tennessee
Carolina-BB
DETROIT
Jacksonville
Chicago
Washington
CLEVELAND
ARIZONA
Philadelphia-BB
N.Y. Giants
Denver-BB


Monday, September 25:

NEW ORLEANS

[themush]

4

BUFFALO -6
Cincinnati +2
Tennessee +12.5 (BB)
Carolina -3
DETROIT -6
Jacksonville +7 (BB)
Chicago -3
Washington -3 1/2
Baltimore -6 (BB)
St. Louis +4.5
Philadelphia -6
N.Y. Giants +5
NEW ENGLAND -6
Atlanta -3

[#99]

5

N.Y. Jets
Cincinnati
Tennessee
Carolina
Green Bay
Jacksonville (BB)
Chicago
Washington
Baltimore (BB)
ARIZONA
SAN FRANCISCO
N.Y. Giants
Denver
Atlanta (BB)

[The Pirate Bob]

6

BUFFALO -6
Cincinnati +2
Tennessee +10.5
Carolina -3 BB
Green Bay +6
Jacksonville +7
Chicago -3 BB
HOUSTON +3.5
Baltimore -6
St. Louis +4.5
SAN FRANCISCO +6
New York +4
NEW ENGLAND -6 BB

NEW ORLEANS +3

[Dublin Mike]

7

N.Y. Jets
Cincinnati
MIAMI
Carolina
DETROIT BB
INDIANAPOLIS
MINNESOTA
HOUSTON
Baltimore BB
ARIZONA
Philadelphia
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
Atlanta BB

[Jeff Boswell]

8

New York Jets
Pittsburgh
Miami
Carolina (BB)
Detroit
Jacksonville (BB)
Chicago
Washington
Baltimore (BB)
Arizona
Philadelphia
Seattle
New England
Atlanta

[Bran]

9

BUFFALO
PITTSBURGH
MIAMI
Carolina
Green Bay
INDIANAPOLIS (BB)
MINNESOTA (BB)
Washington
Baltimore (BB)
ARIZONA
Philadelphia
SEATTLE
Denver
Atlanta

[Seth D]

10

BUFFALO
Cincinnati
MIAMI (BB)
Carolina
DETROIT
Jacksonville
Chicago
HOUSTON
Baltimore (BB)
ARIZONA
Philadelphia
N.Y. Giants
NEW ENGLAND
Atlanta (BB)

[Nate]

11

BUFFALO
PITTSBURGH
MIAMI
Carolina
DETROIT
INDIANAPOLIS
Chicago (BB)
Washington
Baltimore (BB)
ARIZONA
Philadelphia
SEATTLE
Denver
Atlanta (BB)

[Marc]

12

N.Y. Jets
Cincinnati
MIAMI
Carolina (BB)
Green Bay
INDIANAPOLIS
Chicago
Washington
Baltimore
ARIZONA (BB)
Philadelphia
SEATTLE
NEW ENGLAND
Atlanta (BB)

[Anthony]

Who let The Dude out? After enduring a last-place finish in Week 2, he will win Week 3 if the Falcons cover. If either the Saints cover or there is a push, the week will be won by bama4256, who finished last in Week 1.

Complete results after Monday night's game.

[Anthony]

1st 3 bama4256: 8-4-2 ... 55 points
2nd 2 Anthony: 7-5-2 ... 18 points
3rd 1 Ellis: 6-6-2 (1-2) ... 10 points
4th 5 #99: 6-6-2 (0-2-1) ... 4 points
5th 12 Marc: 6-6-2 (0-3) ... 3 points
6th 4 themush: 5-7-2 (1-1-1) ... 2.5 points
7th 9 Bran: 5-7-2 (0-1-2) ... 2 points
8th 6 The Pirate Bob: 5-7-2 (0-2-1) ... 1.5 points
9th 11 Nate: 4-8-2 (0-2-1) [2-2-1] ... 1 point
10th 8 Jeff Boswell: 4-8-2 (0-2-1) [1-3-1] ... 1 point
11th 7 Dublin Mike: 4-8-2 (0-3) ... 1 point
12th 10 Seth D: 2-10-2 ... 1 point

(Best Bet Record)
[Record in Tie-Breaker Games]

For updated standings, click here (http://www.sports-central.org/community/boards/showthread.php?postid=179685#post179685).