aNewDomain — How about a do-over?
A bad week started that way and ended the same. From the Steelers’ touchdown with 2 seconds left that secured a push with the Patriots, to the Monday night thrashing the 49ers put on the Vikings, it was a tough opening weekend for the aNewDomain Picks team.
Try 5-10-1 bad. NFL means Not For Long when your picks are this bad.
It was easy to name our winners from Week 1. Thank you, Packers, Dolphins, Rams, Cardinals and Giants.
Nowhere to go but up, right?
Let’s get it started by dishing out a few Week 2 winners. It all starts Thursday night. All times listed are Eastern.
Denver +3 at Kansas City (Thursday, 8:25 p.m., NBC)
Peyton Manning’s lesser role in the Broncos’ offense was on full display in a 19-13 win over the Ravens. Denver starts with “D” these days. Manning is 11-1 in his career against the Chiefs and that should continue Thursday night.
Houston +3 at Carolina (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS, DTV 706)
One more week without running back Arian Foster puts the Texans at a disadvantage. But we believe they’ll come out much stronger than their sad opener against the Chiefs last week. The Panthers continue their run against football’s weakest division after beating Jacksonville on Sunday.
New Orleans -10 vs. Tampa Bay (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX, DTV 711)
When there’s a rout in this series, it’s usually the Saints handing out the whipping. They beat the Bucs 42-17 in 2013 and 27-16 in 2011. Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston was unimpressive in Week 1 and the Saints need a win after losing at Arizona on Sunday.
Pittsburgh -6 vs. San Francisco (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS, DTV 713)
Before their Monday night rout of the Vikings, the 49ers went six consecutive games losing against the number. The Steelers are playing their home opener, which is good news for their fans. They are 5-2 against the spread in their last seven at Heinz Field.
Detroit +2.5 at Minnesota (Sunday, 1p.m., FOX, DTV 710)
The Lions won both meetings with their division rivals last season. Minnesota looked extremely unimpressive in a brutal loss to San Francisco on Monday night. Could the Vikings be a little overrated after their surprise finish last season? They are 8-3 in their last 11 games against the spread. One of those losses came last week.
Buffalo +1.5 vs. New England (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS, DTV 705)
Oh, no, we’re jumping on the Bills’ bandwagon for a week. It just feels wrong. While the Patriots have won 21 of the last 23 in the series, Buffalo seems primed to break through Sunday.
Arizona -2.5 at Chicago (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX, DTV 709)
We have a lot of confidence in the Cardinals with Carson Palmer at quarterback. They are 10-4 against the spread in their past 14 games. Chicago, meanwhile, is 4-14-1 ATS in its past 19 home games.
Cleveland +1 vs. Tennessee (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS, DTV 708)
Titans rookie quarterback Marcus Mariota was hot in his debut, going 16 of 19 with four TD passes. The Browns, on the other hand, looked lost in the second half at the Jets. So, naturally, we like underdog Cleveland at home in a low-scoring game.
San Diego +3.5 at Cincinnati (Sunday, 1 p.m., CBS, DTV 707)
Getting that extra half point makes us lean toward the Chargers here. This pick goes completely against recent history that has seen the Bengals go 13-4-1 in its past 18 home games.
St. Louis -4 at Washington (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX, DTV 714)
The Rams beat the Redskins 24-0 in Washington last season. St. Louis has gotten better and Washington looks worse (if that’s possible).
New York Giants -1.5 vs. Atlanta (Sunday, 1 p.m., FOX, DTV 712)
This game’s line is going in the Falcons’ direction, no doubt because of their comeback home win on Monday against the Eagles. We still like the Giants giving less than a field goal at home.
Baltimore -6.5 at Oakland (Sunday, 4:05 p.m., CBS, DTV 716)
Raiders quarterback Derek Carr will play despite having a bruised thumb on his throwing hand. The Ravens are smarting after losing a game they should have won in Denver last week. Lay the points, of course.
Jacksonville +6.5 vs. Miami (Sunday, 4:05 p.m., CBS, DTV 715)
Another one of those picks that leaves us shaking our heads. While Miami has won four of its past five against Jacksonville, the Dolphins are 1-5 ATS in their past six games. The Jaguars, who have won just three of their past 20 straight up, are 4-2 versus the number in their past six.
Dallas +5.5 at Philadelphia (Sunday, 4:25 p.m., FOX, DTV 717)
The Cowboys have won four of their past six against the Eagles but will be missing receiver Dez Bryant for possibly half the season. How will DeMarco Murray respond playing against his former team? He had just nine yards on eight rushes against Atlanta on Monday night.
Seattle +4 at Green Bay (Sunday, 8:30 p.m., NBC)
The Seahawks lost last week because the Rams’ defensive front put pressure on Russell Wilson, creating a bad matchup. Seattle has won the last three games in the series, including the 2012 game with horrible officiating from replacement refs and last season’s NFC title game and the brutal onside kick flub by Brandon Bostick, who was released not long afterward. We’re going with the Seahawks and the points.
Indianapolis -7 vs. New York Jets (Monday, 8:30 p.m., ESPN)
It’s hard to imagine Andrew Luck and company flopping as hard as they did at Buffalo on Sunday. The Jets’ defense will be challenged much more this week than in a home victory over the hapless Browns.
For aNewDomain, I’m Rodney Campbell.
Photo of Russell Wilson: By Mike Morris via Flickr.
Photo of Carson Palmer: Courtesy of Jeffrey Beall. All rights reserved.
