This article is part of our Beating the Book series.
Last week wasn't bad – 9-6-1 overall, a winning best bet (Ravens) and 4-1 in the Super Contest. I'm four games under .500 with a week to do, so an 11-5 week on the way out would be nice.
This week, I especially like the Bengals, Bears, Jets and Giants.
EARLY GAMES
Browns -2.5 at Bengals
I think these are roughly equal teams, and I like that the Bengals have locked up the No. 1 pick in the draft and can go all out. Take the home dog.
Bengals 23 - 20
Bears +1 at Vikings
The Vikings are locked into the sixth seed, so I'd expect them to pull their starters at some point. The Bears are playing for pride and are getting a point.
Bears 20 - 16
Falcons pick 'em at Buccaneers
I see these as roughly equal teams – if Mike Evans or Chris Godwin were healthy, I'd actually prefer the Bucs on a neutral field. As it stands, I'll still take the home team as a pick 'em.
Buccaneers 27 - 24
Saints -13 at Panthers
This is where I set the line. The Saints are playing for a first round bye, while Will Grier had a tough time last week against the Colts. It's a massive number on the road, but I'll lay the wood.
Saints 33 - 13
Jets +1.5 at Bills
The Bills are locked into the fifth seed, so I don't see why they'd play their starters the whole game or
