NFL Picks: Week 6

Last week
Andy: 9-5
Figgs: 6-8
Nick: 5-9
Nick's Money Picks ($): 2-2
Nick's teaser: 0-1

Year to date
Andy: 44-32 (boo-ya)
Figgs: 40-36
Nick: 40-36
Nick's Money Picks ($): 9-6
Nick's teaser: 2-3

Sunday games
1:00 pm kickoffs

Browns (+14) vs STEELERS
Andy: God fucking damnit, I hate when we play the Steelers. I'll write them in all caps to preserve convention, but I'll be damned if they get listed before us. I betcha one of us here at FCF will be a Nancy and pick Pittsburgh, then have to not-so-secretly hope they cover late in the game. That's right, Nick - if we're trailing by 13 with very little time to play, you will be rooting for Pittsburgh to score against Cleveland to get your pick right. I won't. Browns. BROWNS!
Figgs: Why not, Browns. [With very little confidence] Maybe we keep it kind of close?
Nick: Steelers. Nancy's my word, Francis. I'm even putting money on it. You're wrong about who I'll be rooting for, though. I'd gladly trade much more than $25 for us to beat Pittsburgh. This is largely a hedge bet. ($)

BENGALS (-4.5) vs Texans
Andy: Love the Bengals here - maybe my favorite pick on the board. They're confident, they have a chip on their shoulder because Nick still doesn't believe in them and they can't sell out their stadium, and Houston is crummy on the road. Yes, this means I'm going against my deal last week where I said I'd always pick the Texans in the direction that moves them closer to .500, and they're currently 2-3, but I'll hook up with them the next two weeks, alright?
Figgs: Cinncy.
Nick: Bengals. Surprised this isn't higher, and the bad weather should bug Schaub.

VIKINGS (-3) vs Ravens
Andy: What to make of Baltimore after a couple of close losses? A team that will struggle against Minnesota's front four in the Metrodome is what I make of them. Also: a team I fucking hate. Vikes.
Figgs: I think the Ravens are a much better team than 3-3, but I'll go with the Vikes because of the dome.
Nick: I also like the Vikings here. This line should be five or six.

PACKERS (-13) vs Lions
Andy: Big line here. How cold will it be? Is Stafford playing? Do I have to pick this? The Packers strike me as enigmatic, but I think I have to take them.
Figgs: Lions keep this under 10. They're much better than people give them credit for.
Nick: Gotta go Packers here, especially if the Staff(ord) Infection is still on the shelf. On an unrelated note, I think he's looked pretty good so far.

SAINTS (-3) vs Giants
Andy: Now THIS is a game. If this isn't broadcast here on Fox, someone needs to be fired. I like the Saints here because they're at home, coming off a bye, and Eli Manning may not be at full strength for the G-men. Plus, I saw a feature on Drew Brees' pregame fire-up-the-troops huddle and found myself with a strong desire to watch the Saints kick some ass, and I'm not even a Saints fan. I'm surprised at how good I feel about picking against a 5-0 team that has been steamrolling foes, but that's how it goes.
Figgs: I skipped this game and came back to it last, hoping that in the last 8 min I would have a sudden revelation that would tell me who to pick. This did not happen, and I still have no idea. Giants, I guess.
Nick: Love the Giants here, although not quite enough to bet on them. Eli Manning is really good on the road and indoors (no wind). The Giants are the deepest and most balanced team in the league, and they should not be getting three points.

BUCS (+3.5) vs Panthers
Andy: Now THIS is garbage. Carolina is one of my least favorite teams to evaluate each week. Consider this: they barely managed to squeak by Washington by 3 at home, and the Redskins are lousy. I kinda like the Bucs here, enough to take the FG+.
Figgs: Cats. The Bucs are terrible.
Nick: Panthers. My betting strategy is to feast on the remains of the league's worst teams. ($)

REDSKINS (-6.5) vs Chieves
Andy: KC. This is 2.5 more points than I thought I'd get, and I think KC might take this one outright.
Figgs: KC. What they said.
Nick: Chiefs. I also wouldn't be surprised to see them win outright. They have a little fight in them. I like that.

JAGS (-9.5) vs Rams
Andy: Yuck. I mean, can I really lay almost 10 points to take a team that lost 41-0 in Seattle last week? St. Louis is bad, but I dunno. The Jags are bipolar. Jags. That was horrible writing.
Figgs: Jax.
Nick: Jags. The Rams are averaging the least points scored per game and the most points allowed, and the Jags are back in sunny Florida. ($)

4:00 pm kickoffs

SEAHAWKS (-3) vs Cards
Andy: Bo-ring. I'll take Seattle at home - Arizona on the road is not something I relish.
Figgs: I picked against Seattle last week and they won by 6 touchdowns. To punish them for my embarrassment, I will go against them again. Cards.
Nick: She-Hawks. Seattle is a totally different team at home and when Seneca Wallace isn't playing quarterback.

RAIDERS (+14) vs Eagles
Andy: Why am I taking Philly (-14)? Because Vegas isn't making me take them -21, that's why. JaMarcus Russell is becoming one of the league's most comedic storylines. I guarantee Charlie Frye could do better than this. I'm starting to wonder if Browns-Raiders is going to be as bad as Browns-Bills.
Figgs: Philly.
Nick: Philly, in my lock of the week. The Raiders haven't kept a game close in a long time. ($)

PATRIOTS (-9) vs Titans
Andy: Remember last week when I bailed on the Titans to back the Colts and it worked out great? Even though I think this is a lot of points, I'm sticking with that and going New England here.
Figgs: Pats. Both starting CB's are out for Tennessee. Brady is gonna have a field day and get me some big time fantasy points.
Nick: Patriots. I'm going to keep picking against Tennessee until I have a reason not to. The Titans were arguably the best team in the league last year; how is this team going to get up for games anymore?

JETS (-9.5) vs Buffaloes
Andy: At one point, I'd written down Buffalo in my notebook for this game. My theory is that my brain has repressed all memories of last week's contest against Cleveland, making me unable to comprehend the true badness of Buffalo. So what I did was, I re-read about some of the Buffaloes' exploits, to be able to properly gauge their level of ineptitude. Jets.
Figgs: Jets. I like Nick's way of thinking.
Nick: Jets. The Browns suck. The Browns beat the Bills. The transitive property suggests that the Bills really suck. ($)


8:20 pm kickoffs

FALCONS (-3.5) vs Bears
Andy: Color me impressed with the Falcons after completely waxing a solid 49er team in San Francisco. I always like the Falcons at home, and I see them winning this game easily.
Figgs: I'm still riding the Falcon wave from '08.
Nick: Falcons. The Bears look like a paper tiger. You can move the ball on that defense, and their offense hasn't really clicked yet. ($)

Monday Night Game
8:30 pm kickoff

CHARGERS (-3.5) vs Broncos
Andy: I would have taken Denver anyway, but I'm pleased to see I get the field goal plus instead of the single point I would have guessed.
Figgs: Denver. I ate a whole lot of crow after back-to-back impressive wins by Denver after I said they were not for real over and over again.
Nick: Broncos. How are the Chargers favored again? They seem to get a little extra juice for Vegas when they're at home, but they look exceedingly mediocre this year.