A 1-2 mark with my underdogs picks last week leaves my overall record at 22-20 for the season. COVID-19 has been wreaking havoc in the NFL of late, which makes this a bit of a tricky week on the betting front. With that in mind, here are three DraftKings Sportsbook underdogs to consider taking a chance on.
Place your NFL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Tennessee Titans: Steelers +1
The Titans needed a win coming out of their bye last week and it certainly helped their cause that they were able to face the struggling Jaguars. The Titans held them scoreless, scoring 20 points of their own in a victory. Their injury-riddled offense received some help when Julio Jones was activated from IR, although he only caught four passes for 33 yards.
Things should be significantly tougher for the Titans this week against the Steelers. Although they are 1-3 across their last four games, all three of their losses came on the road. Their one win during that stretch came in Pittsburgh, where they are 4-2-1 this season. The Steelers will have also had added rest for this game since they played on Thursday Night Football in Week 14, so don’t be surprised to see them add to their win total.
Houston Texans at Jacksonville Jaguars: Texans +3.5
Talk about a boring game. These two teams are awful, sporting a combined record of 4-22. Their offenses have been dreadful, scoring a combined 357 points. To put how bad that is into perspective, six individual teams have scored more points this season than these two teams have combined for. Their defenses haven’t been any better, either, allowing a combined 696 points.
Why not try to add some life to this game by placing a wager on it? The Jaguars haven’t been competitive in games, losing three of their last four contests by at least 20 points. When these two teams met earlier in the season, the Texans won by 16 points. Even with Urban Meyer finally gone for the Jaguars, I like the Texans’ chances of keeping this close.
New York Jets at Miami Dolphins: Jets +9.5
Editor’s Note: Dolphins RB Myles Gaskin and RB Salvon Ahmed have cleared COVID-19 protocols.
The Jets suffered yet another lopsided loss last week, falling by 21 points to the Saints. They only managed to score nine points, and could continue to have problems in that department with wide receivers Elijah Moore (quadriceps) and Corey Davis (groin) on IR. If there is a bright side, it’s that running back Michael Carter could be activated off IR for this game.
The reason to maybe take a chance on the points here is the COVID-19 outbreak that is currently plaguing the Dolphins. The have been hit the hardest at running back with Myles Gaskin, Phillip Lindsay and Salvon Ahmed all on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Wide receiver Jaylen Waddle was added to the list Thursday, further complicating matters. Safety Jevon Holland is the only defensive player on the list right now, but things can still change leading up to Sunday. This has the potential to be a low-scoring affair, so this is a big spread for the Dolphins to try and cover.
Place your NFL bets at DraftKings Sportsbook and bet online by downloading the DraftKings Sportsbook app.
Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game.
All betting odds provided by DraftKings Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.
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 do not constitute a representation that any particular strategy will guarantee success. All customers should use their own skill and judgment in building lineups. 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.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL).
Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (IN/MI/NJ/PA/WV/WY), 1-800-522-4700 (CO/NH), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA), 1-800-NEXT STEP (AZ), call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN), or 888-789-7777/visit ccpg.org/chat. (CT).
21+ (18+ NH/WY). AZ/CO/CT/IL/IN/IA/MI/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/WY only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions.