Del took a beating against the spread in Week 13 with a 7-9 record, but the good news is we hit our one lock of the week and have finally gotten back to .500 with locks. We’ll be looking to finish strong with those over the final four weeks of the season while keeping the overall ATS record in the green.
Week 14 is absolutely brutal for spreads (at least on Yahoo), with six games that have a posted number of 3.5 or 7.5. All of those games feel like field goal or touchdown games, so the hook makes it close to impossible pick a side. As usual, we’ll do our best.
(ATS = Against the Spread, SU = Straight Up)
Del really likes the Seahawks this week, even if it feels like a trap because it seems so obvious. Believe it or not, the Ravens are crossing their fingers that Matt Schaub will be able to play this weekend, and he hasn’t practiced all week. All signs point to Jimmy Clausen, who was claimed off waivers a few weeks ago, starting against a Seattle defense that looked dominant on the road against the Vikings last week. Playing back-to-back road games is tough, but how can Clausen and the injury-ridden Ravens keep it close against the Seahawks? I see no way that they can.
Some other notes: I like the Bengals to find a way to pull off the season sweep against the Steelers, but these games are always close. You almost have to take the field goal.
The Panthers have to slip up at some point, but will it be against a Falcons team that has completely lost its identity? If I pick Atlanta and the score ends up being 27-10, I’d have no one to blame but myself. Let the Falcons prove me wrong.
The Patriots still aren’t healthy and Rob Gronkowski likely won’t play, but everything in my gut tells me Bill Belichick will have his team prepared to face a mediocre Texans team on the road. If New England wasn’t coming off back-to-back losses, this would have been a prime spot for a letdown. I just can’t see the Patriots losing three in a row, though the hook will come into play if they win by a field goal.
