The Philadelphia Eagles had a few extra days off to seethe and regroup after a humiliating loss to the New York Giants.
The Minnesota Vikings (3-2) had an extra week off to rest, prepare and let their ailing quarterbacks heal up.
Critics were bashing Philadelphia (4-2) after a 4-0 start because an offense featuring Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and A.J. Brown looked stagnant and predictable. The defending Super Bowl champions are hearing even more criticism
following losses to Denver and New York.
It won’t get easier for Hurts and Co. against Minnesota’s defense.
The Vikings are 2-1 with Carson Wentz. He’s dealing with a shoulder injury and would face the team that drafted him if he can play and J.J. McCarthy can’t. McCarthy is trying to return from an ankle injury after splitting his first two career starts.
The Eagles are 2-point favorites on the road, per BetMGM Sportsbook. Pro Picks sees Philadelphia rebounding no matter who is under center in Minnesota.
BEST BET: EAGLES 26-18
Line: Chargers minus 1 1/2
Daniel Jones has revived his career in Indianapolis and Jonathan Taylor is having an outstanding season. He’ll be running against a defense that allowed De’Von Achane to average 8.0 yards per carry last week. Justin Herbert rallied the Chargers to a win at Miami and third-string running back Kimani Vidal had a breakout game. A depleted offensive line needs to protect Herbert, though the Colts have the fewest sacks in the NFL. Jim Harbaugh hasn’t lost four straight games against the spread in his career.
UPSET SPECIAL: COLTS: 23-21
Line: Steelers minus 5 1/2
Aaron Rodgers vs. Joe Flacco. Advantage goes to the Steelers, who can increase their lead in the AFC North with a victory over the reeling Bengals. Steelers coach Mike Tomlin is 4-1 straight up and ATS against Bengals coach Zac Taylor when Joe Burrow isn’t playing. But Pittsburgh is 2-8 straight up, 3-7 ATS on Thursday nights under Tomlin.
STEELERS: 23-18
Line: Rams minus 3
A stingy defense led the Rams to a victory last week, but they’ll need Matthew Stafford and the offense to get on track against the Jaguars. Trevor Lawrence needs better protection, especially against a fierce pass rush. Jacksonville won’t have linebacker Devin Lloyd, who was the AFC defensive player of the month in September. Los Angeles is 2-0 in international games under coach Sean McVay. The Jaguars are 7-6 abroad.
RAMS: 24-20
Line: Chiefs minus 12
Geno Smith, Ashton Jeanty and the rest of the Raiders' offense is underachieving. But they’ve played well against Kansas City in recent years, winning twice on the road since 2020. The Chiefs are back after an 0-2 start, and looked like contenders in a convincing win over Detroit. Rashee Rice is returning to give Patrick Mahomes another playmaker. The Chiefs are 9-0 straight up, but 1-7-1 ATS under Mahomes as a favorite of six points or more over the past two seasons.
CHIEFS: 27-16
Line: Bears minus 5 1/2
The Saints have been competitive in losses. They haven’t started 1-5 since 1999 and have defeated the Bears eight straight games. Coming off an impressive Monday night win at Washington, Caleb Williams and the Bears have to avoid a letdown on a quick turnaround. They’re 0-4 with Williams on short rest.
BEARS: 20-17
Line: Browns minus 3
Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel is on the hot seat and a loss to the Browns could be the final straw. Tua Tagovailoa needs to put up after calling out teammates. Won’t be easy against Myles Garrett and a tough defense. Rookie Dillon Gabriel makes his third start for Cleveland, which has scored 17 points or fewer in 11 straight games. The Browns are 0-5 straight up as favorites the past two seasons.
BROWNS: 19-17
Line: Patriots minus 7
Mike Vrabel goes back to Tennessee with his first-place Patriots in the first game since the Titans fired the coach who replaced him. Drake Maye is playing at a high level under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. Cam Ward has an interim coach for the next 11 games. It’s a bad situation for a rookie quarterback.
Patriots 24-13
Line: Panthers minus 2
Rico Dowdle has helped the Panthers win two in a row to even their record. He has 473 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in the past two games. The Jets had a chance to upset the Broncos in London but Justin Fields struggled and Aaron Glenn made questionable coaching decisions. Carolina is 0-10 straight up and ATS as a favorite since 2021.
PANTHERS: 24-17
Line: Broncos minus 7
Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo have brought excitement and a pair of wins to New York, and the Giants have a formidable front four. Defense has carried the Broncos, who need more from their offense after a lackluster performance in London. Denver is 4-0 ATS the week after scoring fewer than 14 points under Sean Payton.
BRONCOS: 24-16
Line: Commanders minus 2
The Commanders aren’t playing like the team that reached the NFC championship game last season. Jayden Daniels and the offense need to get going. Playing against the worst defense in the NFL should help. But Washington’s defense has struggled, too. The Cowboys present a major challenge offensively. Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP level so this could be a shootout.
COMMANDERS: 33-30
Line: Packers minus 6 1/2
Jordan Love and Josh Jacobs have been productive, and Micah Parsons has been a disruptive force yet the Packers haven’t been dominant the past three games. Jacoby Brissett nearly led the Cardinals to an upset in Indianapolis while filling in for Kyler Murray. Quarterback controversy? Not really. The Packers are 16-2 straight up under coach Matt LaFleur against backups.
PACKERS: 30-19
Line: 49ers minus 2
Michael Penix Jr. and Bijan Robinson were impressive in a Monday night win over Buffalo. The Falcons have a quick turnaround for a trip to the West Coast to face a 49ers team decimated by injuries. Losing All-Pro linebacker Fred Warner for the season was a crushing blow for San Francisco. If Brock Purdy and George Kittle return, that’ll be a major boost.
49ERS: 23-20
Line: Lions minus 5 1/2
Baker Mayfield is doing whatever it takes to win games for the Buccaneers, who will be missing at least three of their top four receivers and possibly all four if Mike Evans doesn’t return. The Lions have injuries in their secondary and Brian Branch is suspended so that could help even things out. Jared Goff and Detroit’s dynamic defense struggled in Kansas City. Now, they have to face Todd Bowles’ defense.
LIONS: 30-27
Line: Seahawks minus 3 1/2
The Texans have won two in a row after opening 0-3 and will have gone 15 days between games by the time this one kicks off. Houston has the league’s stingiest defense, allowing 12.2 points per game. The Seahawks are 10-1 on the road and only 4-8 at home under coach Mike Macdonald. But Sam Darnold is 14-4 when facing teams that allow fewer than 20 points per game.
SEAHAWKS: 21-16
___
Last week: Straight up: 11-4. Against spread: 8-7.
Overall: Straight up: 66-26-1. Against spread: 47-45-1.
Prime-time: Straight up: 11-10-1. Against spread: 9-13.
Best Bet: Straight up: 5-1. Against spread: 4-2.
Upset Special: Straight up: 5-1. Against spread: 5-1.
___
Pro Picks is a weekly column where AP Pro Football Writer Rob Maaddi shares his picks for upcoming games. For all previous Pro Picks, head here.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
