Add one to the popular Meat Loaf song from years ago and you have three out four ain’t bad. That’s what we had on our teaser picks last week, but unfortunately it wasn’t a winner as the Ravens defense made sure of that. We expected more from the Ravens, or maybe less of the Carolina Panthers. Either way, we didn’t get what we needed and that game cost us a winning ticket. The other wagers were fairly straightforward and came through for us. Aaron Rodgers kept the Packers within striking distance, the Jags continued their meltdown and the Pats took care of Buffalo. We should do better by moving the spread or total by as much as six-points in our favor. Undeterred we’ll give it another go in Week 9 as we try to beat the house with our teaser picks.
Chicago Bears at Buffalo Bills
Opening Line: Bears -9
Teaser Line: Bears -3
The Bears have become one of the most exciting teams in the league with playmakers on both sides of the football. They snapped a 2-game losing streak last week by throttling the Jets without Khalil Mack, jumping back into first place in the NFC North. We are halfway through the season so it’s safe to say the Bears are a contender. The same can’t be said about the Bills, who have gone just about nine quarters without scoring a touchdown. Buffalo last hit paydirt early in the fourth quarter of its game with Houston and the Bills have managed to score just 11 points in the last two games. The Bears may not have Mack available for this game as he mends from an ankle injury, but they probably won’t need him. And the Bills are coming off an emotional Monday night game that will be more of a letdown.
Kansas City Chiefs at Cleveland Browns
Opening Line: Chiefs -9
Teaser Line: Chiefs -3
This is another line that’s just too good to pass on after teasing it. The Chiefs have been dominant all season and Patrick Mahomes is the real deal. We keep waiting for him to deviate to the mean, but it hasn’t happened and it may never. And talk about an abundance of weapons, Mahomes has them at his disposal and he utilizes all of them effectively. Mahomes tossed four scoring passes in a win over Denver last week, his third straight outing with that many, and he leads the NFL with 26. The Browns have proven they are a scary club but recent woes forced a coaching change, sending Hue Jackson and offensive coordinator Todd Haley to the unemployment line. You never know how a team is going to respond after that kind of upheaval, but it isn’t going to affect the Chiefs, and grabbing them at -3 on a teaser bet is a good call.
Houston Texans at Denver Broncos
Opening Line: Texans +1.5
Teaser Line: Texans +7.5
Behind Deshaun Watson and a talented defense, the Texans are playing their best football of the season with five consecutive victories to take a stranglehold on the AFC South. There were some concerns when Will Fuller was shelved for the season with a knee injury in last week’s game, but the Texans addressed that hole by acquiring Demaryius Thomas. Low and behold, Thomas’ first game will be in Denver against his former club, which should make for an intriguing battle. We’ve watched the Texans get better on both side of the football in recent weeks, and that’s a scary proposition for other teams in the league. Watson threw five touchdowns on just 20 attempts in a win over Miami, and he had a few additional days to recover from some lingering ailments. I’ll take that and 7.5-points against a suspect Broncos team.
Tennessee Titans at Dallas Cowboys
Opening Line: Cowboys -6.5
Teaser Line: Cowboys -0.5
We’re still not sure about the Cowboys, but we’re less sure of the Titans. Dallas will get a chance to show off its new weapon and hopefully improve an anemic pass game that’s struggled all season. It was a concern in training camp after Dez Bryant was released and Jason Witten retired and never improved. Now the Boys have former first-rounder Amari Cooper as their go-to guy, and he should help open things up for Ezekiel Elliott. That’s the plan at least, and it will be tested against a Titans squad that has its own issues moving and scoring the football. Both teams are coming off a bye and both have strong defenses. However, the Boys have Zeke, and now they have Coop to aid Dak Prescott and the offense. This week that’s a winning combination, especially in a game that has been teased to a pick ‘em.
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