INSIDE THE MATCHUPS
FALCONS at JETS 1 p.m., Ch. 5, Falcons by 4½, 46½
HANK’S HONEYS: Give Todd Bowles credit for having his team still in the playoff hunt after minimal expectations, but that push could soon become a pipe dream. Not sure what’s wrong with Falcons offense lately — Kyle Shanahan is missed for sure — but if they suddenly wake up, this is a bad matchup for the Jets. Jets D presents Falcons with perfect opportunity to get back on track, primarily because they give up so many big plays. Jets don’t rush the passer very well and that will allow Matt Ryan to get the ball down the field. The Jets have been a bettor’s darling at 4-2-1 ATS but after back-to-back heartbreakers, take the MVP caliber QB, RB, and WR against a below average defense all day long. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Falcons and the over.
CHARGERS at PATRIOTS 1 p.m., Patriots by 7½, 48½
HANK’S HONEYS: Red-hot Chargers have won three straight on the strength of their pass rush with Chris McCain, Melvin Ingram and Joey Bosa (21 sacks between them). Best way to nullify Tom Brady is to let him know he’s getting hit and Pats have had problems with communication along the O-line. Brady has made adjustments by getting ball out quicker but Bolts play in-your-face man defense that will make that tougher. Question is do you think Pats’ defense turned the corner? Philip Rivers is more than capable here and he’s played well in Foxborough before. Chargers have kept things close in three of their four losses. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Chargers and the over.
49ERS at EAGLES 1 p.m., Eagles by 13, 46
HANK’S HONEYS: Big spread here with Eagles possibly ripe for a letdown after a big divisional win Monday night. Niners, though, appear to be running out of emotional gas after getting beat up by the Cowboys. Losing takes its toll. So does a second crosscountry trip in three weeks and another 10 a.m. Pacific time kickoff. Eagles will miss Jason Peters at LT but not necessarily here against Niners’ mediocre pass rush. And if Carson Wentz has time, his big arm should continue to find receivers downfield. Niners can keep this relatively close by pounding Carlos Hyde, their one offensive bright spot. Eagles, however, stop the run fairly well. Given S.F. ’s dysfunctional QB situation, that could lead to this getting out of hand in a hurry. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Eagles and the over.
COWBOYS at WASHINGTON 4:25 p.m., Ch. 5, Cowboys by 2, 50½
HANK’S HONEYS: Cowboys came out fresh and strong after their bye and look ready to go on a roll, banking wins as long as they have Ezekiel Elliott. Washington’s defense has been slipping, even had problems containing Niners. Washington, on a short week, came out of the Eagles game banged up on O-line, including LT Trent Williams and OG Brandon Scherff, with just one starter healthy. Dallas D-front had five sacks last week. Best way to combat Cowboys is to run the ball but Washington has problems doing it. These games are always close but with the line under a field goal, go with the probable winner and that’s the Boys. Esoteric trend: Visiting team has won last six ATS. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Cowboys and the over.
BEARS at SAINTS 1 p.m. Saints by 9, 47½
HANK’S HONEYS: Nothing against the Bears defense. They’ve been great. They’ve also been responsible for a good portion of the Bears’ points as opposing QBs struggle. Not here. Like last week against Brett Hundley, this is another QB mismatch in favor of Drew Brees. Plus, it’s at home, where Saints can get away from teams in a hurry. This is no place for Mitch Trubisky to be playing catchup and that’s the kind of game the Saints make you play. Saints seem to have picked it up after a slow start, particularly on defense. Bears are 3-8 ATS in their last 11 road games. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Saints and the over.
RAIDERS at BILLS 1 p.m., Bills by 3, 45½
HANK’S HONEYS: Who needs Marshawn Lynch? Not the offense the Raiders put on display last Thursday night. Derek Carr came up with a big night against the Chiefs with dropprone Amari Cooper finally busting out. While the Bills’ defense has been coming up with interceptions, it’s also allowed a string of 300-yard passers. The way the Raiders beat the Chiefs could propel them on a winning streak. Bills’ offense is centered on Shady McCoy and the Raiders have a top-flight run defense that will force Tyrod Taylor to make plays to keep up with Carr. Raiders are 5-0 ATS on last five trips to Western New York. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Raiders and the under.
STEELERS at LIONS 8:30 p.m., Ch. 4, Steelers by 3, 45½
HANK’S HONEYS: Lions are a good team gone bad. Steelers have found their groove only to face new locker room drama with Martavis Bryant’s Instagram benching. Matt Stafford needed the bye week to rest his ailing ankle. But he’ll likely be missing his top receiver, Golden Tate, and can his battered O-line protect him against a team with 24 sacks, second in league? No team gives up fewer passing yards than Pittsburgh. Detroit D averages over two turnovers a game and Ben Roethlisberger tends to throw INTs on road. Steelers have won eight of last nine SU in Detroit where Le’Veon Bell and Antonio Brown have college homecomings. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Steelers and the over.
BRONCOS at CHIEFS Mon., ESPN, 8:30 p.m., Chiefs by 7, 43
HANK’S HONEYS: Big number for divisional game where the favored Chiefs have lost two straight. But so has Denver and in more alarming fashion. Trevor Siemian has been exposed by the Giants and Chargers’ defenses and the Broncos, who will be missing Emmanuel Sanders again, have scored 10 points in those two games. K.C. may have hit a bump in the road but Alex Smith continues to play well. Chiefs are 3-7 ATS in last 10 home games against Broncos but Denver had Peyton Manning in several of those. Andy Reid seldom loses two straight games, let alone three. His team really needs a win and should bounce back in a big way this week. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Chiefs and the under.
TEXANS at SEAHAWKS 4:05 p.m., Ch. 2, Seahawks by 6, 45½
HANK’S HONEYS: Seahawks have come back from slow starts before and they look like their championship pedigree is ready to come through as they make second-half push. Deshaun Watson has to go on road against a tough defense. Biggest criticism of Watson is that he holds onto the ball too long and the Seattle secondary can cover man-to-man as well as any team. Onus is on Texans to run the ball effectively, another tall order against this D. Houston defense has problems when it can’t get to the QB (23rd in passing yards allowed) and with the Texans missing their two best pass rushers, Russell Wilson’s mobility will play a factor. Red flag is that Texans went into snake pit in Foxborough and covered. Not twice. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Seahawks and the over.
COLTS at BENGALS 1 p.m. Bengals by 10, 41½
HANK’S HONEYS: Yes, it’s a lot of points but Colts have failed to cover in three previous road games this year and are allowing an NFL-worst 31.7 ppg while stagnating on offense. They seem to be getting worse every week and with Chuck Pagano’s days already numbered, they have the look of a dead team walking. Bengals don’t inspire a lot of confidence but they have to be in a bad mood after flopping in Pittsburgh. Before that, Andy Dalton was playing pretty well. He’ll be looking for A.J. Green in a mismatch against the Indy secondary, which continues to give up big plays. IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Bengals and the over.