Hammering it home

Here are three home teams I’m backing this weekend to cover:

Chicago is a 7-point favorite over Detroit. With Khalil Mack’s return to the defense, I like the Bears to win here by seven or more.

Indianapolis is giving only three points to the Jaguars, which indicates to me that the bookmakers have not caught up with what’s happening at Indy. The Colts offensive line protecting Andrew Luck has allowed only 10 sacks through eight games, the second-fewest in the NFL behind the Saints’ nine. The Colts have not given up a sack in their last three games. Behind that line, Luck has thrown for 23

touchdowns, the secondmost in the NFL. Indianapolis is only one victory away from matching its win total from last year, when it went 4-12.

Finally, on Monday night, I hope I’m not too late to find the 49ers –3, but at some places it’s already gone to 3½ against the struggling Giants. The Giants are about to use their 10th offensive lineman, and that to me spells big trouble for protecting Eli Manning. When the 49ers buried the Raiders on a Thursday night, I came away from that game thinking that they are better than their record. The power rankings I use show the Niners 5.8 points better than the Giants. Count me in.

THE PLAYS: Bears, Colts, 49ers. Brent Musburger hosts “My Guys in the Desert,” from 6-8 p.m. weekdays on VSiN.com, fuboTV and SiriusXM 204.