theScore Staff

51m ago

Each week, theScore’s NFL staff puts on their prognosticator hats and offers up selections against the spread for every game, highlighting several marquee matchups.

Game	Thomson	McClymont	Sanderson
Cardinals at 49ers	ARI -4	ARI -4	ARI -4
Patriots at Browns	NE -10.5	NE -10.5	NE -10.5
Eagles at Lions	PHI -3	DET +3	PHI -3
Bears at Colts	CHI +4.5	CHI +4.5	IND -4.5
Titans at Dolphins	TEN +3.5	MIA -3.5	TEN +3.5
Redskins at Ravens	BAL -3.5	WASH +3.5	BAL -3.5
Texans at Vikings	HOU +6	HOU +6	MIN -6
Jets at Steelers	NYJ +7	NYJ +7	PIT -7
Falcons at Broncos	ATL +6	ATL +6	DEN -6
Bengals at Cowboys	CIN -1	CIN -1	CIN -1
Bills at Rams	LA -2.5	BUF +2.5	LA -2.5
Chargers at Raiders	SD +3.5	SD +3.5	OAK -3.5
Giants at Packers	NYG +7.5	GB -7.5	NYG +7.5
Buccaneers at Panthers	CAR -7	TB +7	CAR -7

Marquee Matchups

Texans at Vikings

Michael McClymont:? The Vikings are on a wave. Riding high after a 4-0 start, they may just get their fifth win Sunday against Houston, but expect them to have a tougher time than usual putting the Texans away ahead of a bye week. Texans +6

Mitch Sanderson: The Texans’ offense was truly atrocious the last time they faced a top-tier team, and the Vikings’ defense is a level above New England’s. Not to mention how much Minnesota likes playing in its new building. Vikings -6

Joe Thomson: The Vikings have been impressive with Sam Bradford under center, but six points is still too much respect with the feisty Texans coming to town. Texans +6

Falcons at Broncos

Sanderson: The Falcons are off to a good start but they’ve had the luxury of facing mediocre-to-bad defenses each week. The Broncos’ tenacious unit will give them a completely different challenge in Denver. Broncos -6

Thomson: The Falcons are surprising everyone right now, putting together three straight impressive wins. They’ll keep it close in this one, propelling themselves into the conversation as NFC contenders. Falcons +6

McClymont: The Broncos’ defense gets its stiffest test yet against the No. 1 offense in the league. Atlanta’s defense is terrible, so it’ll be a higher scoring game than Denver’s used to. Falcons +6

Giants at Packers

Thomson: It’s hard to know if either of these teams are actually good, but recent evidence suggests the Giants will be an up-and-down squad this season. Still, it’s too early to trust the Packers with this kind of spread, even at home. Giants +7.5

McClymont: Green Bay’s had a week to prepare and the Pack love the Sunday night spotlight. Meanwhile, the Giants have internal issues to contend with and a secondary on life support. Packers -7.5

Sanderson: Both teams are jockeying for position early in the year, and will be looking to make a statement. While the Packers are expected to make good with their prime-time home game, it will be less than a TD that separates these teams. Giants +7.5

Wild-Card Selections

Patriots at Browns

Thomson: Despite a loss to the lowly Bills last week, 10.5 points seems like an easy spread for the Pats to cover. This will be a massive blowout and free money. Patriots -10.5

Buccaneers at Panthers

McClymont: The Bucs are a beaten 1-3 team, but they get up for divisional games. Jameis Winston and Mike Evans will do their best to replicate the Falcons’ success against Carolina last week, and at the very least keep the final score close. Buccaneers +7

Chargers at Raiders

Sanderson: The Raiders are on their way to becoming California’s team, while the Chargers are on their way down after handing a win to their former quarterback last week. Only 3.5 points at home seems like a mistake. Raiders -3.5