Raiders can be defeated with emotional steelers
Scott Pianowski, Yahoo fantasy football analyst, reveals his weekly NFL betting tip in his Throwing Darts column. You can see where he has placed his jelly beans in Week 15. All lines are courtesy of BetMGM.
We’re coming off an ordinary 2-2-1 week, though the seasonal record sits at a lovely 46-25-4 ATS. However, none of this will change the ethos nor the approach. Keep your head down and keep going.
Steelers -2.5 vs. Raiders
I locked in at the -2.5 number earlier in the week; it’s down to -1.5 now. You take the better number, but I’ll obviously grade at the higher one. Steelers will empty the emotional tank to honor Franco Harris, the franchise and the city. Home field doesn’t matter everywhere in the NFL these days, but this is one city where it’s still potent. Derek Carr Does not have a strong track record in cold conditions.
Browns -3 against Saints
I don’t have a lot of faith in either club, but give me the cold-weather home team over the traveling dome team from the south. Cleveland boasts capable running backs. No. 8 rushing game in DVOA. In this statistic, the Saints are 23rd. The Saints rank 23rd in this stat. New Orleans is better at stopping the run, but the gap between defenses and offense is much smaller. Cleveland wins the rock battle.
Titans -3.5 vs. Texans
Houston has been a great team in recent weeks and could easily have won its three previous games. It was the Cleveland return touchdowns that were the problem, then it became a bad game in Dallas. But last week’s overtime loss to Kansas City was misleading — the Chiefs outgunned the Texans by a 502-219 tally — and I suspect Derrick Henry’s going to trample the Houston defense for three hours. It’s a correction week.
Falcons +7 at Ravens
Atlanta is a team plagued by problems. But, nothing about the Ravens’ current team suggests Baltimore should be celebrating a touchdown. The Falcons will run the ball to shorten the game. That is good news for the underdog that caught seven points. Baltimore didn’t address its wide receiver problems in the offseason. Now, it is paying the price.
Patriots +3.5 vs. Bengals
Sometimes it’s as simple as taking a competitive team after an embarrassing loss. Although New England suffered some setbacks at Las Vegas, it was a major win. Bill Belichick will have his team’s attention this week.
Cincinnati rallied to win at Tampa Bay but that was more about the Buccaneers imploding — the Bengals had just 237 yards of offense. New England’s defense is still respectable, so let’s ride with a home underdog.
Last Week: 2-2-1
Season: 46-25-4
Pianow’s Throwing Darts record, only two losing seasons over 13 years, and 2022 weekly results are listed here.