Doc’s had a rough go of it lately on his top 3, but his picks against the spread and straight up have still been solid. Picking the Seahawks to win straight up Thursday night was a strong start to the week. Hopefully we can take advantage of a few road favorites to come out on top this week. Analysis of the picks after the chart.
(ATS = Against the Spread, SU = Straight Up)
The Broncos have treated the Doc quite kindly since Tim Tebow took over. There is a concern about Von Miller potentially missing the game. He’s been the biggest force on Denver’s defense, so if he misses the game, that will be a plus for Christian Ponder. Still, we don’t think very highly of Ponder, and Denver should handle the Vikings easily — especially with Adrian Peterson out. Denver’s offense should also be able to move the ball enough to put up the requisite points to beat Minnesota. They shouldn’t need very many.
Third-string quarterback T.J. Yates may turn out to be effective for the Texans, but the Doc has to see it first. Atlanta’s been playing very well lately and they should continue that pattern in Houston. The only concern with Atlanta’s offense is Michael Turner’s groin, but even if he can’t go, Jason Snelling and Jacquizz Rodgers should do fine. Likewise, Julio Jones is questionable, but he should give the Falcons a big boost if he plays. In the end, this is a pick against T.J. Yates who we anticipate having difficulty in his first NFL start.
The Jaguars have a good defense that has the potential to slow down the Chargers. The problem for Jacksonville is that their offense has been pretty pathetic. The Doc doesn’t see them scoring many points against San Diego. There is always the fear that their defense dominates the way it did the last time they were on Monday Night Football, but we’ll take our chances with the Chargers. The good news is with Malcolm Floyd back, San Diego’s weapons should be all healthy for the game.
