There’s no sugar coating it, last week did not go well. I went 0-3 with my underdog picks, dropping my season record to 9-11-1. Let’s try to get back on track this week with three underdogs to consider. All odds were obtained from DraftKings Sportsbook.
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Pittsburgh Steelers at Baltimore Ravens: Steelers +4
This is the marquee game of the week. These two teams are a combined 11-1 with the Steelers being the only undefeated team in the league. The Ravens’ only loss came against the defending champs when they lost to the Chiefs in Week 3. Outside of that, they’ve had a fairly easy schedule with four of their five wins coming against the Texans, Bengals, Eagles and Washington, who have combined for six wins.
The Steelers haven’t exactly faced a daunting schedule, either, with four of their wins coming against the Broncos, Texans, Eagles and Giants. However, they did have a signature win last week over the Titans on the road. Overall, this matchup with the Ravens has the makings of a low-scoring affair with both teams allowing 19.7 points per game or fewer. With Ben Roethlisberger healthy and an emerging wide receiver trio of JuJu Smith-Schuster, Dionte Johnson and Chase Claypool, the Steelers will be a tough test for the Ravens. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Steelers win this game outright, so give me the points.
Las Vegas Raiders at Cleveland Browns: Raiders +2.5
The Browns enter this game with a 5-2 record despite having a -21 point differential. The reason for that startling stat is that their two losses were by a combined 63 points against the Ravens and Steelers. Meanwhile, two of their five wins have come against the Bengals by a combined eight points. They aren’t exactly a convincing 5-2 team and things could be more difficult for them moving forward with Odell Beckham Jr. (knee) out for the season. It doesn’t help their cause that Nick Chubb (knee) and Austin Hooper (appendix) will also be out.
The Raiders have had a brutal schedule, so their 3-3 record isn’t all that bad considering they have faced the Saints, Bills, Chiefs and Bucs. Their 40-32 win over the Chiefs was as good as it gets, especially since it came on the road. In fact, two of their three wins have come on the road this season. With the Browns battling so many injuries, this is a prime spot for the Raiders to not only keep things close, but maybe even come away with a win. Their offense, in particular, could be in for a big afternoon since the Browns have allowed an average of 31.6 points per game.
Detroit Lions vs. Indianapolis Colts: Lions +3
It’s not easy to have a lot of confidence in the Colts, even with their 4-2 record. Philip Rivers hasn’t been much of an upgrade at quarterback, throwing seven touchdowns and six interceptions. Three of his touchdowns came in their last game in Week 6 against the porous Bengals’ defense, so to say that he has struggled would be an understatement. They’ve been able to produce a winning record thanks to their defense, which has allowed an average of 19.2 points per game.
The Lions started off their season with two losses to divisional foes, but have rebounded to win three of their last four contests, one of which came against a very strong Cardinals team. Playing this game at home is noteworthy since Matthew Stafford has a career 40-37 record there compared to just 32-45 on the road. Given Rivers’ struggles, Stafford and company could do just enough to earn the win in this matchup, so taking the points could turn out to be a profitable wager.
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I am a promoter at DraftKings and am also an avid fan and user (my username is mbarner51) and may sometimes play on my personal account in the games that I offer advice on. Although I have expressed my personal view on the games and strategies above, they do not necessarily reflect the view(s) of DraftKings and I may also deploy different players and strategies than what I recommend above. I am not an employee of DraftKings and do not have access to any non-public information.
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