I can’t be perfect every week. Last week was definitely the opposite of that. My confidence in the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers hitting the under was vanished by players like DJ Chark and Christian McCaffrey. The Dallas Cowboys actually were not ready to bounce back from a tough loss to the New Orleans Saints. The Cleveland Browns are not who we thought they were.
Learning from some of the mistakes of last week, I am back and ready to provide three new predictions that hopefully ring true by the close of the weekend.
The Panthers Are Ready To Avenge Their Early Loss To The Buccaneers
Tampa Bay’s offense is actually not that bad, but the team’s defense is atrocious. Even at home, three weeks ago, they gave up a whopping 32 points to the New York Giants in a loss. Yet, they somehow put up 55 points against the Los Angeles Rams in an away game, which was a very surprising win. That win, as well as an away win against the Carolina Panthers, sticks out against an otherwise not-so-special start to the season.
So with the Buccaneers playing the Panthers again, do you have to pick Tampa Bay? I say no, even though Tampa Bay beat the Panthers while away. Technically, this is another away game, with the teams playing in London. The Panthers have won all 3 games they’ve played since their loss to the Buccaneers. They are a completely different team at this point. The smart move is to give up the 2 points and roll with the Panthers.
Tough Matchup Between The Eagles And Vikings, But I’m Going With Minnesota
The Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles are very evenly matched going into their Week 6 matchup. Each team is 3-2 and both franchises are coming off fairly easy wins (with the Eagles blowing out the New York Jets by a score of 31-6). Typically, home field advantage should count for 3 points on the spread, and this game rightfully has the Vikings (the home team) as a 3 point favorite.
The Vikings have not yet lost a game at home, and have shown how strong their offense can be when they are playing in Minnesota. I don’t expect this game to be a blowout, but I do believe that the Vikings are positioned to beat the Eagles, despite the presence any off-field drama concerning Stefon Diggs. It could end up being a 24-20 game like the Eagles experienced earlier in the year against the Atlanta Falcons, which was also an away game for the Eagles.
I Expect The Green Bay Packers To Hand The Detroit Lions Their Biggest Loss Of The Season
The Detroit Lions are sneakily good this season. They are 2-1-1, with a win against the Eagles in Philadelphia. Their one loss was to a strong Kansas City Chiefs team by only four points, although that was a home loss. Now, the Lions travel to Green Bay for a Monday Night Football matchup against a Packers team that is also performing greater than many people thought, going into the 2019 NFL season.
The Packers impressed me last week with a 10-point victory margin against a Dallas Cowboys team that, as you know, I predicted would bounce back after losing to the Saints. I certainly like the Packers to win the game, but is giving up 4.5 points too much to a team that hasn’t lost by a margin greater than four points? Each of the Packers’ wins have been by more than the 4.5 point margin, and I’m banking on Davante Adams’ return, which should catapult the Packers to a win by more than those 4.5 points they are giving up.
Darren Heitner
Darren Heitner is the Founder of HEITNER LEGAL, P.L.L.C., where he serves as legal counsel to some of the most successful athletes, sports agents and other individuals and companies. He is the founder of Sports Agent Blog, a niche publication that covers the entirety of the sports agency industry. Darren contributed to Forbes for 6 years and Inc. Magazine for 4 years, covering the business of sports. He wrote published 2 sports law treatises published by the American Bar Association.
