PACKING A WALLOP
Expect Green Bay to cover in Chicago
SUNDAY
Packers (+5½) over BEARS: The Packers are winless on the road this season. The Bears are fresh off destroying warm-weather Hollywood Rams and their Cal QB (Jared Goff) at frigid Soldier Field. The Bears need to stay in stroke to avoid tricky potential 4-5 wild-card matchups — though winning doesn’t guarantee covering against Aaron Rodgers. Titans (+2) over GIANTS: Besides a snappy win at Dallas, the Titans haven’t been primo away from home, though Tennessee harbors postseason prospects superior to Big Blue’s. Marcus Mariota is nursing a sore abdomen, but a lateweek announcement of another Odell Beckham Jr. no-show prompted late money to move to visitor.
BILLS (-2½) over Lions: The Lions should be greeted with temps in the high 30s. Note that Buffalo’s initial seasonal taste of favoritism didn’t work well against Jets. However, Bills QB Josh Allen is a dual threat with extreme mobility, and have to like the hosts’ stout passing defense, up against a beaten-up Matthew Stafford (back). RAVENS (-7½) over Buccaneers: Tampa Bay has gener-
ated minimal defensive passion away from home, yielding nearly 40 points per outing! Resourceful scrambler Lamar Jackson again gets the start for Baltimore, though Joe Flacco is on deck for Baltimore’s divisional title quest. The Ravens’ schedule is easier than Pittsburgh’s. Cardinals (+9½) over FAL
CONS: Even when Atlanta graced the Super Bowl two years ago, they were a sometime thing when asked to cover fat lays, frequently swapping points for time when closing out games. Now, the defense is a shipwreck. It’s no surprise they haven’t beaten a good team all season. The Cards are banged up, but Josh Rosen can toss it. BENGALS (-3) over Raiders: We’re laying, with a winless NFL QB, Jeff Driskel. The Raiders are coming off the latest gift the Steelers have distributed, leaving Oakland off a high — but traveling a long way east to face a foe who hardly inspires passion. COLTS (-3) over Cowboys: Dallas enjoys surface analytics edge. Visitors need one more win to lock down NFC East. The Colts carry legitimate intensity edge — in a sustained battle with the Steelers, Titans, and Dolphins for the AFC’s sixth seed — though you’re paying a price for that, and the Colts are off epic win at Houston. No Zack Martin for the Cowboys, but they may get the return of key LB Sean Lee.
VIKINGS (-7) over Dolphins: The Vikings are striving to protect their projected sixth seed in the NFC, after they disappointed away from home in past two. Minnesota’s offensive line remains a source of concern. But as good as Miami is at their Hard Rock home, they tend to get rocked hard when they wander far afield, especially without CB ace Xavien Howard (check status).
JAGUARS (-7¹/₂) over Redskins: Two disaster areas meet to play out the 2018 string. With Mark Sanchez out, the Redskins turn to Josh Johnson under center. We expect Johnson’s primary tangible league stint (with the Bucs, 2009-11), and recall a thrower whose confidence broadly exceeded his performance. At least Cody Kessler beat the Colts in his first Jags start two weeks ago, though price isn’t cheap.
49ERS (+4) over Seahawks: The Niners caught the Broncos adjusting off multiple critical injuries last week. Frisco has payback working for nine straight losses to this divisional foe, including an ugly outing at Seattle two weeks back. Seattle is cashing with the aid of savvy and opportunism — tough to do consistently, laying on the road.
Patriots (-2½) over STEELERS: Coming off trio of ugly losses, Pittsburgh might have a better shot at a win here than at New Orleans next week. But Bill Belichick has had the upper hand over Mike Tomlin since 2011. The Pats got considerable bad karma out of their system in last week’s comedy of errors in Miami.
RAMS (- 11) over Eagles: With Carson Wentz laid low this week because of a back fracture, expect Nick Foles to return to the saddle for the defending champs, though Wentz is listed as questionable and will make the trip to the Left Coast. Foles’ championship-winning form was great, but the Eagles’ Super Bowl hangover is taking a toll. With Vegas essentially a suburb of L.A., huge chalkline move in place.
MONDAY
PANTHERS (+ 6) over Saints: New Orleans enjoys a tiebreaker edge over the Rams in the race for the NFC’s top seed — but the Saints’ schedule is tougher, including this third stop on New Orleans’ final campaign road tour. Grass is not the visitors’ preference, and divisional foe Carolina knows the Saints well — but how much more can Cam Newton give? Close!
LAST WEEK: 8-7. SEASON: 92-96-2.