NFL picks: Will Brady’s bad hand hold back Bucs? Not likely
Tom Brady has a boo-boo. Well, a bit more than that: Brady’s right hand — the one he throws with — was wrapped up earlier this week after he injured it while demolishing Miami’s defence Sunday.
Will it impact his play Thursday in Philadelphia? Not likely. The joke going around the league is that Brady could lead the Buccaneers to victory as a lefty.
It’s unwise to downplay injuries to quarterbacks’ throwing arms or hands, of course. But it’s even more foolish to doubt the seven-time Super Bowl champion.
“It’s a little sore, but I expected it to be,” Brady said. “We signed up for a contact sport. You get different bumps and bruises throughout the year and we’ll just deal with it the best we can … I feel confident I’ll be able to go out there and do what I need to do.”
Tampa Bay, third in the AP ranking, is a seven-point favourite at No. 23 Philadelphia, according to FanDuel SportsBook. Pick: Buccaneers, 30-20.
SUNDAY
á No. 1 (tie) Arizona (plus 3) at No. 9 Cleveland. Soon, the Cardinals will lose. But the Browns are so banged up now.
Upset special: Cardinals, 22-20 á No. 5 Los Angeles Chargers (plus 3 1⁄2) at No. 6 Baltimore. It’s becoming impossible to pick against Lamar Jackson and the Ravens. It will be close, though.
Pick: Ravens, 30-28 á No. 15 Las Vegas (plus 3) at No. 17 Denver. Just a feeling the Raiders will respond with a strong performance. Pick: Raiders, 23-16 á No. 10 Kansas City (minus 6 1⁄2)
at No. 24 Washington. It’s time for the Chiefs to find their mojo, and Washington’s defence could accommodate them. Pick: Chiefs, 33-29 á No. 13 Cincinnati (minus 3 1⁄2)
at No. 31 Detroit. At some point, Lady Luck will decide she likes the Lions. Not this weekend. Pick: Bengals, 23-14 á No. 8 Green Bay (minus 4 1⁄2)
at No. 16 Chicago. The Packers could almost put away the division with a win here. Pick: Packers, 26-23 á No. 18 (tie) Minnesota (plus 1 1⁄2) at No. 14 Carolina. Minnesota makes things more exciting than they should be. Pick: Panthers, 20-19 á No. 7 Dallas (minus 4) at No. 20 New England. Jerry Jones’ voice isn’t the only one mentioning Super Bowl chances for his team. Pick: Cowboys, 23-20 á No. 4 Los Angeles Rams (minus 10 1⁄2) at No. 28 New York Giants. Another potential Best Bet, especially with New York so ravaged by injuries. Pick: Rams, 33-16 á No. 29 Houston (plus 10) at No. 25 Indianapolis. Houston doesn’t have the playmakers to threaten the disappointing Colts.
Pick: Colts, 31-17 á No. 21 Seattle (plus 4 1⁄2) at No. 22 Pittsburgh. Not sure Steelers have turned a corner, but they should win. Pick: Steelers, 20-13 á No. 27 Miami (minus 3 1⁄2) vs. No. 32 Jacksonville, at London. Two more bad teams that could spoil England’s taste for the NFL.
Pick: Dolphins, 15-13
MONDAY
á No. 1 (tie) Buffalo (minus 4 1⁄2) at No. 11 Tennessee. The Bills proved themselves at Kansas City in prime time. They’ll continue doing so. Best bet: Bills, 33-23 2021 RECORD
Last week: Straight up: 12-4. Against spread: 8-8. Season: Straight up: 49-31. Against spread: 42-36-2. The Associated Press