NFL Pointspread Contest: Week 4

[Anthony]

Sunday, October 1:

Indianapolis 9 over N.Y. JETS (1:00 PM ET)
BUFFALO 1 over Minnesota
CAROLINA 7 1/2 over New Orleans
ATLANTA 7 1/2 over Arizona
San Diego 2 1/2 over BALTIMORE
Dallas 9 1/2 over TENNESSEE
Miami 4 over HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY 7 over San Francisco
ST. LOUIS 5 over Detroit (4:05 PM ET)
Jacksonville 2 1/2 over WASHINGTON (4:15 PM ET)
CINCINNATI 6 over New England
Cleveland 2 over OAKLAND
CHICAGO 2 1/2 over Seattle (8:15 PM ET)


Monday, October 2:

PHILADELPHIA 10 1/2 over Green Bay (8:30 PM ET)


BYES: Denver, N.Y. Giants, Pittsburgh, Tampa Bay

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

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

For complete contest rules, click here.

[The Pirate Bob]

1

Indianapolis -9
BUFFALO -1
New Orleans +7.5
ATLANTA -7 1/2
San Diego -2 1/2
TENNESSEE +9.5
Miami -4 BB
KANSAS CITY -7
ST. LOUIS -5
Jacksonville -2 1/2
Cincinnati -6
Cleveland -2 BB
CHICAGO -2 1/2 BB

PHILADELPHIA -10.5

[bama4256]

2

N.Y. JETS
BUFFALO
New Orleans
Arizona
San Diego
Dallas
HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY
Detroit
Jacksonville
New England-BB
Cleveland
CHICAGO-BB


Monday, October 2:

PHILADELPHIA -BB

[themush]

3

Indianapolis -9
BUFFALO -1
New Orleans +7 1/2 (BB)
ATLANTA -7 1/2
BALTIMORE + 2 1/2
TENNESSEE +9 1/2
Miami -4
KANSAS CITY -7 (BB)
ST. LOUIS -5
WASHINGTON + 2 1/2
CINCINNATI -6
OAKLAND +2
CHICAGO -2 1/2 (BB)
PHILADELPHIA -10 1/2

[Ellis]

4

Indianapolis
Minnesota BB
CAROLINA
ATLANTA
Baltimore
Dallas
Miami
KANSAS CITY
ST. LOUIS
Jacksonville
CINCINNATI BB
OAKLAND
CHICAGO BB
Green Bay

[Ricky Dimon]

5

Indianapolis
Minnesota
New Orleans BB
Atlanta
Baltimore
Tennessee
Miami BB
Kansas City
St. Louis BB
Washington
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Chicago
Philadelphia

[Marc]

6

Indianapolis
Minnesota
CAROLINA
ATLANTA
San Diego (BB)
Dallas
Miami
KANSAS CITY
ST. LOUIS
Jacksonville (BB)
CINCINNATI
Cleveland
CHICAGO (BB)
PHILADELPHIA

[Bran]

7

Indianapolis
BUFFALO
CAROLINA
ATLANTA (BB)
BALTIMORE
Dallas
Miami (BB)
KANSAS CITY (BB)
ST. LOUIS
WASHINGTON
CINCINNATI
Cleveland
CHICAGO
Philadelphia

[#99]

8

Indianapolis
Minnesota (BB)
New Orleans
ATLANTA
San Diego
Dallas
Miami
San Francisco
ST. LOUIS
Jacksonville (BB)
CINCINNATI
OAKLAND
CHICAGO
PHILADELPHIA (BB)

[Anthony]

9

Last week: 7-5-2. Season totals: 21-23-2, Pct. .478. Best Bets: 1-7-1, Pct. .167.

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

SUNDAY

Indianapolis 27, N.Y. JETS 20 (+9) - The Jets will be trouble for virtually any team they play so long as Chad Pennington's shoulder holds up (and maybe even if it doesn't because Patrick Ramsey is a capable backup, something they sorely lacked last year) and Indy's offense does not match up favorably with a Jet defense that is distinctly tougher against the pass than the run so feel free to take the points in this one.

Minnesota 24 (+1), BUFFALO 14 - Brad Johnson obviously is not what he once was, but even now he's leaps and bounds better than J.P. Losman and the Bills won't run all over the Vikings the way they did last week on the Jets, and still lost.

CAROLINA 23, New Orleans 20 (+7 1/2) - They say you're supposed to stick to your winter flannels until they stick to you, but it seems as if the oddsmakers are sticking to last year's conceptions of both teams way too long - and the road team in this series has covered an imposing nine in a row.

ATLANTA 17, Arizona 7 (+7 1/2) - Maybe now that they're playing some of their home games indoors the Cardinals will start playing better indoors on the road, but if the Falcons can get fewer dropped passes from their receivers and not get any kicks blocked this week they should be able to scrape out a cover.

BALTIMORE 13 (+2 1/2), San Diego 10 - Baltimore's top-ranked run defense should play at least on even terms with San Diego's second-ranked rushing offense and it may be a bit too soon to be laying points on the road with Philip Rivers attempting 35 or 40 passes.

Miami 27, HOUSTON 14 (+4) - We may have been wrong about the Eagles not being able to rebound last week, but blowing a 17-point lead at home to a defending division champion is one thing while allowing Mark Brunell to complete 22 straight passes against your defense is another thing entirely. Looks like get-well time for Daunte Culpepper.

Dallas 16, TENNESSEE 13 (+9 1/2) - I can just hear Donovan McNabb right now: "I wasn't the guy who tried to kill himself" - and the Cowboys are not the guys who frequently reward their backers on natural grass (6-13-2 against the line in their last 21 outings); take the points.

KANSAS CITY 12, San Francisco 3 (+7) - True, KC won't have Trent Green for at least two more weeks, but that's not as big an issue at home as it is on the road and Larry Johnson should do well running on a 49er 3-4 defense which features a woefully undersized front line. Besides, the home team has won the last six meetings here, covering in five.

ST. LOUIS 24, Detroit 6 (+5) - Never could figure out how Jon Kitna beat Josh McCown out for the starting QB job in Detroit, but both of them way very well be looking over their shoulders at Brady Quinn in training camp next summer. Of course Ted Cottrell couldn't have done any better. Perish the thought!

WASHINGTON 20 (+2 1/2), Jacksonville 13 - Fresh off his record-breaking display of passing accuracy, Mark Brunell gets a chance to stick it to the team that gave up on him - and stick it to them he will, providing his injured left elbow doesn't keep him from doing so.

CINCINNATI 24, New England 21 (+6) - New England's effort last Sunday night was too bad to be believed and the Bengals barely managed to beat Cleveland at home last year the week after they won in Pittsburgh; take it.

OAKLAND 16 (+2), Cleveland 10 - The Browns are actually favored to win a game on the West Coast! That shouldn't be, and it won't happen.

CHICAGO 24, Seattle 7 (+2 1/2) - Come on, you just had to know that breaking both the Madden Curse and the Super Bowl Runner-Up Jinx simply wasn't going to happen, didn't you?

MONDAY NIGHT

PHILADELPHIA 33, Green Bay 17 (+10 1/2) - The Packers have not won in Philly since 1962 (0-8 straight up, 1-7 against the line) and Donte' Stallworth could be back in action this week. But the Eagles' recent stamina problems make the risk of Green Bay covering with a late meaningless score considerable, precluding best-bet recommendation.

BEST BETS: MINNESOTA, ST. LOUIS, CHICAGO

[Jeff Boswell]

10

NY Jets
Minnesota
New Orleans (BB)
Atlanta (BB)
Baltimore (BB)
Dallas
Houston
Kansas City
St. Louis
Jacksonville
New England
Cleveland
Chicago
Green Bay

[Seth D]

11

Indianapolis (BB)
Minnesota
New Orleans (BB)
ATLANTA
San Diego
Dallas
HOUSTON
KANSAS CITY
ST. LOUIS
Jacksonville
CINCINNATI
Cleveland
Seattle
PHILADELPHIA (BB)

[Nate]

12

Indianapolis
Minnesota
New Orleans (BB)
ATLANTA
BALTIMORE (BB)
Dallas
Miami
KANSAS CITY
ST. LOUIS (BB)
Jacksonville
New England
Cleveland
CHICAGO
PHILADELPHIA

[Alex]

13

Indianapolis (BB)
Minnesota
New Orleans
Atlanta
Baltimore
Dallas (BB)
Miami (BB)
Kansas City
St. Louis
Jacksonville
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Chicago
Green Bay

[Dublin Mike]

14

Indianapolis
BUFFALO bb
CAROLINA
ATLANTA
BALTIMORE bb
TENNESSEE
Miami 4
KANSAS CITY
ST. LOUIS
WASHINGTON
CINCINNATI
Cleveland bb
CHICAGO

Green Bay