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Free NFL Picks: Ravens at Bengals Week 17 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/24/2013

The Baltimore Ravens are the only team in the NFL to win a playoff game each of the past five seasons, but that streak is in major jeopardy on Sunday should Baltimore lose at Cincinnati. The Bengals have been dominant at home this season and also have something to play for despite having clinched the AFC North.

Monday Night Football Predictions: Falcons at 49ers Week 16 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/20/2013

When the NFL schedule was released in the spring, the "Monday Night Football" finale between the Falcons and 49ers looked like one of the games of the year. It was to be a rematch of the 2012 NFC Championship Game -- won in thrilling fashion by the Niners at the Georgia Dome -- as well as the final regular-season game at historic but ancient Candlestick Park. One of those is still true.

Free NFL Picks: Patriots at Ravens Week 16 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/18/2013

The NFL really got it right in Week 16 as there are only three games that involve two teams with no playoff chances: Tampa Bay at St. Louis, Cleveland at the NY Jets and Tennessee at Jacksonville. I was planning to preview the flexed prime-time game between the Bears and Eagles in Philly, but I opted for Patriots-Ravens for a few reasons. First, the Eagles might not have anything to play for. Should Dallas win early Sunday in Washington, the Week 17 Eagles at Cowboys game will be for the NFC East no matter what Philly does against Chicago.

Monday Night Football Picks: Ravens at Lions Week 15 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/12/2013

The Monday Night Football schedule stunk for the first eight weeks or so but has rallied nicely of late, and the penultimate MNF game of the season this week, Ravens at Lions, is arguably the most intriguing matchup of Week 15. Enjoy it because the finale next week, Falcons at Niners, should be a blowout.

Free NFL Picks: Chargers at Broncos Week 15 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/10/2013

I'm assuming NFL players don't celebrate when players on other teams get hurt, but I don't think the Broncos are all that heartbroken that the Patriots lost Pro Bowl tight end Rob Gronkowski to a season-ending injury on Sunday. That obviously hugely weakens New England, which is a game behind Denver for the top seed in the AFC but holds the tiebreaker. Gronk's loss makes it more likely that New England loses this week at Miami or next at Baltimore, so Denver is looking good for that top seed.

Monday Night Football Predictions: Cowboys at Bears Week 14 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 12/5/2013

In my opinion, if you were to rank the most popular teams in the NFL since the advent of the Super Bowl, the Chicago Bears and Dallas Cowboys might be Nos. 1-2. I think the only team that might squeeze out one of the two would be Green Bay, but it's close. The Bears had perhaps the most popular team in league history, the 1985 “Super Bowl Shuffle” champions. Dallas is of course known as “America's Team”.

Free NFL Picks: Texans at Jaguars Odds for Week 14
by Alan Matthews - 12/3/2013

They say the NFL is ratings gold, that the matchup doesn't matter and people will watch because it's football. I'm guessing that will be put to the test in a big way this Thursday night when Houston visits Jacksonville, a matchup of teams a combined 5-19. It will still probably win the night because sports-wise there's not much else.

Monday Night Football Picks: Saints at Seahawks Week 13 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/29/2013

For all the bad football we have been subjected to this season on "Monday Night Football" -- and there is some talk that there could be games flexed to MNF in a season or two -- it all gets forgotten this week when Seattle hosts New Orleans. I fully expect this to be a preview of the NFC Championship Game. Where that is held likely will be determined by Monday's winner.

Free NFL Picks: Broncos at Chiefs Odds and Week 13 Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 11/27/2013

It's pretty simple for the Denver Broncos on Sunday: Beat Kansas City for the second time in three weeks and the Broncos will have a great shot at the top seed in the AFC for the second year in a row -- not that it did much good for Peyton Manning and Co. last year. At worst, a win will all but assure Denver the second seed in the AFC, the first round off and at least one home game.

Monday Night Football Predictions: 49ers at Redskins Week 12 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/21/2013

Around this time last season in the NFL, we were supposedly witnessing an offensive revolution. The read-option was tearing up opposing defenses. And the two best dual-threat QBs were Washington's Robert Griffin III and San Francisco's Colin Kaepernick, both first-year starters. RGIII would lead Washington to a season-ending seven-game win streak and its first NFC East title in 12 years. Griffin became one of the league's most popular players and beat a stellar class for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Free NFL Picks: Saints at Falcons Week 12 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/19/2013

The New Orleans Saints (8-2) look pretty invincible at home this season, much like they were in 2011, but very ordinary on the road. Thus, it seems vital that at worst the Saints get the NFC's No. 2 seed and guarantee themselves at least one playoff game at the Superdome. With the red-hot Carolina Panthers on their tail in the NFC South, the Saints can ill afford to get caught in a trap game at Atlanta on Thursday night as the Saints visit current NFC No. 1 Seattle in Week 13 and then host Carolina the following week.

Monday Night Football Picks: Patriots at Panthers Week 11 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/14/2013

Now we are talking! After being subjected to a pretty lousy “Monday Night Football” schedule all season, we get a potential Super Bowl preview this week when red-hot Carolina and its dominant defense hosts New England. That potential Super Bowl matchup is +8000 on Sportsbook.ag. Yes, it's true that neither is likely to be the top seed in its conference, but if you have noticed, top seeds aren't exactly making a lot of Super Bowls lately, much less winning them (last: 2009 Saints).

Free NFL Picks: Jets at Bills Odds for Week 11
by Alan Matthews - 11/13/2013

I'm well aware that the unbeaten Kansas City Chiefs visit the Denver Broncos in the game of the week on Sunday. However, I'll be focusing on the Broncos, no doubt, next week when they visit New England in another Peyton Manning-Tom Brady matchup, so I'm not going to do Denver now. Really, the second meeting between the Chiefs and Broncos is likely to be more important anyway.

Monday Night Football Predictions: Dolphins at Buccaneers Week 10 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/7/2013

Sad to say, I've never played professional sports. I have played in high school and college, so I'm familiar with what goes on in a locker room. I've been the victim of pranks/hazing and certainly helped put the occasional freshman in line as well. Frankly, what the Miami Dolphins' Richie Incognito apparently did to Jonathan Martin sounds tame compared to what I had to endure as a fraternity pledge.

Free NFL Picks: Redskins at Vikings Week 10 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 11/5/2013

Back when I did some NFL team previews this summer, I wasn't high on the Redskins or the Vikings. They both made the playoffs last season as 10-win teams, but both looked severely flawed. Minnesota had major questions at quarterback and was much too reliant on running back Adrian Peterson. Washington didn't have a very good defense and was much too reliant on quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Monday Night Football Picks: Bears at Packers Week 9 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 10/31/2013

It's really a shame that injuries are going to cost football fans what should have been one of the best "Monday Night Football" matchups of the season. It's Week 9, so every team is dealing with injuries as it's a part of football, but perhaps no two teams are in worse shape in terms of lost star power than the Bears and Packers.

Free NFL Picks: Bengals at Dolphins Odds for Week 9
by Alan Matthews - 10/29/2013

The Cincinnati Bengals haven't won a playoff game since the 1990 season, and I wasn't overly optimistic entering this season that they would in 2013. Sure, I thought they might win the AFC North and had a terrific defense. I loved their draft in landing Notre Dame tight end Tyler Eifert and North Carolina running back Gio Bernard. My concern was that Andy Dalton wasn't a good enough quarterback to win playoff games.

Monday Night Football Picks: Seahawks at Rams Week 8 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 10/24/2013

I think the St. Louis Rams are desperately seeking any and all publicity. The team doesn't draw well and is third fiddle in town behind the Cardinals and Blues. There's been some talk the franchise could move back to Los Angeles. Team ownership didn't get some $700 million in public funds to renovate the Edward Jones Dome, and the Rams' lease can be up after next season should they chose. Maybe the London Rams?

Free NFL Picks: Browns at Chiefs Odds and Week 8 Predictions
by Alan Matthews - 10/23/2013

You could make an argument that we in a golden age of NFL quarterbacks. There are the lock Hall of Famers still going strong like Denver's Peyton Manning, New England's Tom Brady and New Orleans' Drew Brees. Aaron Rodgers is well on his way to Canton and has an MVP and a ring. Pittsburgh's Ben Roethlisberger and the NY Giants' Eli Manning each have two Super Bowl rings. Then you have the really exciting up-and-coming guys such as Andrew Luck, Colin Kapernick and Robert Griffin III.

Monday Night Football Predictions: Vikings at Giants Week 7 Odds
by Alan Matthews - 10/18/2013

I've started a petition at Change.org for Major League Baseball to begin the World Series on Monday night instead of Wednesday. Because otherwise I'm going to have to watch the 1-4 Minnesota Vikings play the 0-6 New York Giants in certainly the worst “Monday Night Football” matchup of the season -- it makes the recent Jets-Falcons matchup look like a Super Bowl preview. I guess there's always hockey.