Saints are still marching
After Chiefs-Rams game, it’s easy to forget Brees and Co.
Now that we’ve seen Big 12 football break out in the NFL — Rams 54, Chiefs 51 — can we get a college hoops score out of the Saints? The Who-Dats will be rocking the Superdome on American Thanksgiving, with New Orleans facing its archrival, the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints are running away with the NFC South and the Falcons have faltered badly, but this is almost always a tense, close affair. Except the Saints have manhandled opponents this season, outscoring them 378-239 as Drew Brees, well, breezes through the best year of his superb career. “Just focus on winning,” Brees says. “And if it takes 20 points to do that or if it takes 50 points to do that, you just focus on winning and everything else takes care of itself. But we’re just trying to stay in the moment right now.” New Orleans is a 13-point favourite. At home, that doesn’t seem too charitable. SAINTS, 44-28
New England (-9) at New York Jets Angry and rested Patriots are not an opponent the Jets want to face. Best bet: Patriots, 37-13 Cleveland (+3½) at Cincinnati The football power in Ohio is changing area codes, if there really is any football power there. Upset special: Browns, 26-24 Chicago (OFF) at Detroit, Thursday Unknown status of Bears QB Mitch Trubisky means two picks: With Trubisky: Bears, 24-17 Without Trubisky: Lions, 17-13 Washington (+7½) at Dallas, Thursday Don’t underestimate Colt McCoy and don’t overestimate Cowboys. Still ... Cowboys, 20-16 Seattle (+3½) at Carolina Winner here has inside track to wild card. Seahawks, 27-22 Pittsburgh (-3½) at Denver Steelers got lucky in Jacksonville despite poor performance. Steelers, 30-27 Green Bay (+3½) at Minnesota Vikings have lost three prime-timers. This won’t be a fourth. Vikings, 31-24 Miami (+10) at Indianapolis How good has Andrew Luck been in his return from injury? Colts, 36-23 Arizona (+11) at L.A. Chargers Teams coming off ugly collapses. Chargers are better than that. Chargers, 37-20 N.Y. Giants (+6) at Philadelphia Eagles are going to get things right eventually, aren’t they? Eagles, 27-26 Oakland (+11) at Baltimore Lamar Jackson might actually throw a bit more this week. Ravens, 20-15 Jacksonville (-3) at Buffalo Biggest question is whether Jags can handle cold temperatures. Jaguars, 20-10 San Francisco (+3½) at Tampa Bay Is it Jameis Fitzpatrick or Ryan Winston at QB for Bucs? Buccaneers, 31-23 Tennessee (OFF) at Houston, Monday Had there been a line, we would have laid the points. Texans, 23-13
Last week: Against spread, 6-5-1; straight up, 8-5 Season totals: Against spread, 7873-6; straight up, 106-53-2 Best bet: 3-8 against spread, 7-4 straight up Upset special: 7-4 against spread, 6-4-1 straight up