By and large, we continue to be mostly bunched together, but we have a solo leader in the clubhouse through 80 games (it's me, I'm the solo leader in the clubhouse.) Last week I took four of six disputed games from Adam, swept the four disputed with Joe, and Adam took four of six from Joe. The result is me sitting a game up on the nearest people, though Adam is right with us just a couple games out of first.
You can view how we've all picked in relation to each other here. We've improved slightly on consensus picks, while hero games are still going strong at 20-10 combined through five weeks. Adam also went ahead and broke down how we've all done with regards to picking against the spread both at home and on the road, as well as our records by time slot.
So as we now look ahead at the coming week and its four byes, Adam and I disagree on five games out of 14, Joe and I on four, and Adam and Joe on three. Let's get to it!
Thursday Night
Washington Commanders @ Chicago Bears (-0.5)
Lucas: Bears. Abolish Thursday Night Football.
Adam: Bears. I mean come on, this is just the next in a series of very very bad Thursday Night Football. I do think we get a slightly better game than the [expletive]SHOW that was last week. And on paper we are in store for a sack fest. I am setting the line at 12.5. I’ll take the over but just. Lucas? Anyway, in a sloppy grind it out game I’ll take the Bears at home.
Lucas note: I'm gonna take the under, but only because Bears quarterbacks have suffered enough... or will suffer enough, given my recent Madden playthrough where Chris Andrews, quarterback of the 2029 Bears, got sacked an NFL-record 32 times by Green Bay defenders in a 213-10 romp.
Joe: Bears. Justin Fields and the Bears' defense are a lot better than the Commanders. Plus, Bears at home.
Sunday, Early Afternoon
San Francisco 49ers @ Atlanta Falcons (+5.5)
Lucas: 49ers. Mainly because of the product on the field, but also because if Carl Cheffers is going to make another asinine roughing the passer call, it's going to benefit Jimmy G before it would ever benefit Marcus Mariota. By the way, it's 2022 and we're still talking about this [expletive].
Adam: 49ers. I can go either way in this game, and Atlanta played decent last week against Tampa, but I like what San Francisco has got with Jimmy G back under center for the past few weeks. I’ll lay the 5.5 hoping for a game that is all but over by the half.
Joe: 49ers. I like the spread on this game. Atlanta is starting to show they can be a tough team to beat even though they are 2-3; look what they did in Tampa last week.
New England Patriots @ Cleveland Browns (-2.5)
Lucas: Patriots. Maybe I'm overreacting to how they've played against a struggling Packers team (more on that in a moment) and against a Lions team that can't defend anything... but is Bailey Zappe the reincarnated Tom Brady?
Adam: Browns. Funny old tweet I saw was claiming Johnny Manziel would be more famous than LeBron. Funny, I think it should have said infamous. Didn’t Johnny Manziel make a music video once...?
Joe: Patriots. I am going with the 52% of folks picking on this game.
New York Jets @ Green Bay Packers (-6.5)
Lucas: Jets. Have... have the oddsmakers been watching the Packers the past month? They should not be a touchdown favorite against anyone, and until Matt LaFleur gives Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon like 30 touches minimum a game consistently and Joe Barry stops playing the best corner in football along with his wingmen 10 yards off the line every freaking snap, I'm gonna keep picking against this team. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.
Adam: Packers. I will not overreact to the Jets' win and the Packers' loss. The MILF hunter will not be on the prowl in Green Bay... I mean, have you seen the MILFs from the UP (sorry not sorry)? Slim pickin’s, just like the Jets' chance of winning or even just covering this week.
Lucas note:
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Indianapolis Colts (-1.5)
Lucas: Jaguars. Betting on continued Indy PTSD with their division rival. If it were up to me though I'd abstain from this game because Jerome Boger is somehow still an NFL referee.
Adam: Jaguars. I like Sunshine to bounce back there. Indy has just not impressed like I thought they may and, sorry, every time I look at Matty Ice in his helmet he just looks lost. That face...
Joe: Jaguars. Sunshine will be the ray of sunshine to pull out this win for Douggie Peterson.
Minnesota Vikings @ Miami Dolphins (+2.5)
Lucas: Vikings. The Dolphins deserve 99 percent of the bad things happening to them. The one percent is Teddy Bridgewater getting hurt again. Dude doesn't deserve this.
Adam: Vikings. Is Justin Jefferson even human? He is averaging over 100 yards a game, more than twice the next best receiver. It is Week 6 and he is more than halfway to a 1000 yard season.
Lucas note:
Cincinnati Bengals @ New Orleans Saints (+1.5)
Lucas: Bengals. I mean, unless Taysom Hill goes bonkers again...
Adam: Saints Bengals. Not much to say here. I am sure Taysom Hill will be the starting everything by the end of the year; Run, Pass, Catch, Block... I mean, he is a one man show. Calling an audible and switching to Cincy from NoLo.
Lucas note: Adam got this change in on Sunday morning prior to kickoff. This is his first mulligan of 2022.
Joe: Bengals. Kevin started slow the first two or so weeks. Now they are starting to roll. Another tight spread against the Saints. Bengals pull this one out.
Baltimore Ravens @ New York Giants (+4.5)
Lucas: Giants. I mean, yes, the Ravens have the human cheat code in Justin Tucker, but that won't save you if you're four and a half point favorites. Taking the underdog Giants who are... oh God, they're actually good.
Adam: Giants. I like getting the points here. Coming off the big win over the pond should give them a nice early spark. I don’t like them for the win, but I think they keep it close and cover.
Joe: Ravens. I think this will be a tough game for both teams here. I hope the Giants' kicker gets out of London on time to make the game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Pittsburgh Steelers (+7.5)
Lucas: Buccaneers. I'm not touching the "The NFL is protecting Tom Brady" takes because they're mostly accurate even when you factor in the whole witch hunt thing from 2014. Anyway, Stillers are naht gahnta Super Bowl.
Adam: Buccaneers. How long until the Steeler fans are screaming for the Biscuit to come back in? I jest, but as a Bears fan I know that feeling all too much. But Tommy Boy finds his way, starts kicking some a$$ rather than the lineman that just sac- *check notes* *watches replay* *asks if that was really roughing the passer** Ehmem, I guess that was roughing the passer.
Joe: Buccaneers. Tom Brady should have a solid game against a horrible Steelers team. The defense will make Pickett’s day a tough one.
Sunday, Late Afternoon
Carolina Panthers @ Los Angeles Rams (-10.5)
Lucas: Panthers. Partially because the Rams suck and shouldn't be double digit favorites, and also because this Panthers team may get a spark now that Matt Rhule was jettisoned into the sun.
Adam: Rams. I hate touchdown-plus lines. There is just so much that has to happen for them to cover. I seem to always notice that when the lines are that high the end result is either a 1 point game or a 21 point game, no in-between. Carolina is a dumpster and the Rams are looking for some vengeance after two losses to much better defenses.
Joe: Rams. First game without their head coach, consider their season already done. Teams are already trying to trade for Moore and McCaffery, and Baker is out as well for this game.
Arizona Cardinals @ Seattle Seahawks (+2.5)
Lucas: Cardinals. I think if this line were a point higher I'd opt to go the other way. Well done, oddsmakers.
Adam: Cardinals. Earlier this year I would have taken Arizona in a heartbeat with this line, but Seattle has shown they can hang better than I expected. So I like Arizona to win and cover, but it could be an interesting divisional game.
Joe: Cardinals. Close game in Seattle, but I feel like after last weeks game against the Eagles, Murray makes a come back here.
Buffalo Bills @ Kansas City Chiefs (+2.5)
Lucas: Bills. I would love if we get a repeat of the playoff matchup.
Too much time for Mahomes, but Mahomes might score so fast, he'll leave too much time for Allen, who might score so fast, he'll leave too much time for Maho
— Benjamin Solak (@BenjaminSolak) January 24, 2022
Adam: Chiefs. My head says Buffalo, my heart says buffalo, but my gut says KC. And how can you not appreciate the four touchdowns on 25 yards from Kelce? Wow. Just Wow.
Joe: Chiefs. The Bills have to go play against the BAAAAAAAAD MAN. This is going to a great game: two MVP QB's going at it. Great defenses as well. Home team gets the points and the win. Kelce gets 3 touchdowns this game; I called it here first.
Sunday Night
Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5)
Lucas: Cowboys. Don't bet against Cooper Rush at night...?
Adam: Eagles. Hurts is going to put a hurt on the Dallas ego. Knock Jerra down a peg or two.
Lucas note: God, I hope so.
Joe: Cowboys. This defense is looking finger licking good as Michael Irvin says on ESPN. Rival game in Philly on Sunday night. Rush under center, let's see what happens.
Monday Night
Denver Broncos @ Los Angeles Chargers (-5.5)
Lucas: Chargers. I can't figure out how much of the Broncos issues stem from Russell Wilson being cooked versus Nathaniel Hackett not being cut out for this...
Adam: Chargers. How is Wilson getting all of these primetime games? I swear he has already had 3 this year, but maybe I am just imagining it because all I get to see is how “GOOD” he is, lol. Broncos Country Lets Fly Ride. Yeah, go Sea Broncos.
Adam note: I just checked, opened Week 1 with MNF, then had SNF Week 3, then TNF Week 5, and now MNF week 6. So I am not dreaming.
Joe: Chargers. The way the Broncos have been playing, they are awful. Russell Wilson doesn’t look like the quarterback we all know. The Chargers should strike down the Broncos with an easy win.
Records So Far
Lucas: 35-45 (9-7 last week)
Adam: 33-47 (7-9 last week)
Joe: 31-49 (5-11 last week)
Geoffrey: 31-49 (7-9 last week)
Jim: 34-46 (9-7 last week)
Tom: 34-46 (6-10 last week)
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