FOOTBALL NFL ARTICLES

The Detroit Lions are among a muddled group of teams in the NFC hovering around .500 and fighting for playoff positioning. They need to keep piling up the wins and have a chance at a road victory in Week 11 against the Chicago Bears.Chicago has been inconsistent this season and it’s hard to know how it will do on defense against a solid Lions’ passing game. However, the temperatures are dropping, and if the weather becomes a factor that will help Chicago.... 

A pair of teams hoping to make a playoff push this season have been ravaged by injuries. They will face off in Week 11 when the Arizona Cardinals hit the road for a matchup against the Houston Texans. Houston is on its backup quarterback since Deshaun Watson is out for the season with a torn ACL, and is also missing superstar defensive end J.J. Watt.The Cardinals’ best-case scenario will have their backup quarterback, Drew Stanton, in the game, although that’s in doubt because he suffered a sprained knee last week in a loss to the Seahawks. This one will likely come down to which defense dominates the most in a low-scoring affair.... 

The Carolina Panthers look like they are ready to put a down 2016 behind them. After a Super Bowl run two years ago it never came together for this team last season, but the Panthers are playing well now. They are 6-3 and will aim for another victory when they host the Miami Dolphins in Week 10 of the regular season.The Dolphins are 4-4 on the year but have a poor scoring differential and aren’t as talented as their record would suggest. Miami would be pulling a major upset if it can claim this game. The more likely scenario is Carolina coming away with a victory and it’s an important one as the Panthers aim to keep pace in a competitive NFC South.... 

The Los Angeles Rams have officially switched from surprising turnaround to legitimate NFC contender. The team has taken off under new coach Sean McVay and hopes to keep rolling in Week 10 against the Houston Texans. Los Angeles dominated the New York Giants on the road last time out and will be the presumptive favorite to stay atop the NFC West by knocking off Houston.The Texans were much more intriguing a couple weeks ago but have lost star quarterback Deshaun Watson to a season-ending knee injury. Houston is going to be hard-pressed to win this game with Tom Savage at the helm.... 

Denver is at home so it is not out of the realm of possibility, but it will still be a tough task. The defense has not been as stingy in past years while the offense is really struggling, which isn’t a good combination against such an impressive opponent.New England was shaky early in the season but has ironed out those wrinkles and has quickly ascended to the team to beat in the AFC. The Patriots will aim to boost their chance at the top seed in the conference in the playoffs with a victory.... 

The 49ers have a legitimate shot at their first win of the season in this game, and it will be interesting to see if new quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo starts at quarterback. San Francisco traded for the promising signal-caller last week but he watched from the sideline in his first game with the 49ers.San Francisco isn’t expected to rush Garoppolo into the job, so it’s possible C.J. Beathard remains the quarterback in this matchup. The Giants have a veteran quarterback in Eli Manning but few weapons around him.... 

The Jacksonville Jaguars have put their losing past in the rearview mirror, and have begun to emerge as one of the more dangerous teams in the AFC. The Jaguars are hoping to pull ahead of the Tennessee Titans for AFC South supremacy, and a win this week over the Los Angeles Chargers would set them in that direction.The Chargers started slowly but have played pretty well of late. They aren’t a pushover and have the superior quarterback, but Jacksonville’s defense is so elite that the Jaguars will definitely be favored in this contest.... 

Dallas has picked it up of late and sits at 5-3 on the season. It’s unlikely the Cowboys will catch the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East but they are still in line to make the playoffs as a wild card. The Falcons are 4-4 on the season but still hanging around both in the NFC South and in the wild card race.The Falcons made it to the Super Bowl last season and have basically the same personnel on offense, but there have been hiccups all year. This team should be able to pick it up and could badly use a victory in this tough matchup.... 

The Browns attempted to make a trade for Bengals quarterback AJ McCarron in exchange for a couple of draft picks last week, but the deal fell through when Cleveland failed to submit trade notification in time, coming up just moments short. It’s another blow for Browns who have struggled with rookie DeShone Kizer behind center. Cleveland will aim to drum up some offense but it won’t be easy in this matchup.Kickoff for this regular season Week 10 game is set for Sunday, November 12, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Ford Field.... 

It’s not like Green Bay Packers fans needed convincing of the impact that an elite quarterback like Aaron Rodgers can have on a team, but his absence has surely highlighted his importance. Since Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in Week 6 against the Vikings, the Packers have gone 0-3 and have dropped to .500 after a hot start. Their playoff hopes are slipping away and they have to win a Week 10 home game against the Chicago Bears to keep hope alive. The dropoff has been dramatic with backup Brett Hundley at the helm, which was to be expected when a team loses a star of that magnitude. The Bears don’t have a great quarterback situation, either, as rookie Mitchell Trubisky is still learning on the fly, but Chicago is more well-rounded. This will be an intriguing matchup.... 

The Minnesota Vikings come into this matchup off a bye week and with a four-game winning streak in tow. They are in first place in the NFC North with the chance of regaining the services of quarterback Teddy Bridgewater this week if he is needed. Washington will need a couple more surprises like the one it saw Sunday to secure a playoff spot and with almost the entire Redskins offensive line banged up, it won’t be easy to pick up a win in this matchup.... 

The Colts will be heavy underdogs in Week 10 when they host the Pittsburgh Steelers. It hasn’t been the smoothest season on or off the field but the Steelers are still one of the best teams in the AFC and will aim to pick up another win to improve their playoff standing.Watch this regular season Week 10 matchup live on Sunday, November 12, 2017, at 1 p.m. ET at Lucas Oil Stadium.... 

The Cardinals are 4-4, which is only one game back of Seattle, but have been hit hard by injuries to key players. They are without starting quarterback Carson Palmer and star running back David Johnson, which is why they will be the underdogs in this one despite being at home.Backup quarterback Drew Stanton had a nice showing for the Cardinals last time out as they beat the winless 49ers on the road, but this is a much tougher test with the Seattle defense full of stars and playmakers.... 

The Saints have been one of the most impressive teams in the NFC this year, as their high-powered offense has finally gotten help from the defense. If both sides of the ball continue to play well, New Orleans should be a contender in the conference.This is a clash of styles but it should be an entertaining matchup that could go either way.... 

Tampa Bay is at home and the computer projections posit the Buccaneers the favorite, so it will be interesting to see where the line is set. The Jets may be getting too much love as they are still a team that doesn’t have a lot of talent, although they have done more with less than most expected.New York would incredibly find its way into the playoff hunt with a victory in this game, something that seemed quite unlikely before the season began.... 

Cincinnati was trying to climb out of an 0-3 hole and reach .500 last time out before their loss in Jacksonville. Now, at 3-5, the Bengals’ chance at a postseason run could be squashed if they can’t find a way to win this game. Tennessee doesn’t plan on letting that happen.The Titans have looked good of late and will be favored to take care of business in this one and keep rolling forward.... 

Let’s be honest, there are some sites that can be a little confusing with their betting options.Pretty much everyone gets it right when it comes to the basics: betting on major sports such as football, baseball or basketball. However, some of the layouts are very confusing and don’t make a lot of sense if you are looking for anything more than straight bets on sides or totals. You might have to go through a separate Futures tab in order to try to find Game Props, or it might be a total pain to figure out how to string together a parlay or a teaser.... 

The Miami Dolphins may be the biggest mirage in the NFL this season. The team is somehow 4-3 on the season but their negative-60 point-differential portends plenty of losing in their future. The Dolphins are at home in Week 9 against a three-win Oakland team but are still the underdogs, which says plenty about the oddsmakers’ feelings about them.The Raiders have underperformed after a nice 2016 and need to pick it up quickly in order to have a shot at the postseason. Oakland has the more talented team but the home field advantage should make this one a competitive matchup.... 

The Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers have both dug themselves a hole in the race for the NFC North. One will take a positive step to get out while the other will fall further behind when they face off in a Week 9 contest. The Minnesota Vikings are ahead of both of them by multiple games and are in the driver’s seat for the division title.If the Packers or Lions have any plans to make the postseason, they need to turn it on quickly. That’s easier said than done for Green Bay, which is still attempting to stay afloat without star quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who could miss the rest of the season with a broken collarbone.... 

The Kansas City Chiefs have proven to be one of the best teams in the NFL in 2017. The Dallas Cowboys have the talent to join that upper echelon but has yet to put it all together, and now will be without star running back Ezekiel Elliott for six games. The Cowboys have won two straight games to get back above .500 on the season and a home win against an elite foe in the Chiefs in Week 9 would be a great sign for the future.It won’t be easy, as Kansas City is 6-2 on the year with a pair of losses to the Steelers and Raiders by a combined seven points. The Cowboys are a tough team but if the Chiefs play up to their capability they can win this game on the road.... 

As the weeks go on, the Philadelphia Eagles are looking more and more like legitimate Super Bowl contenders. A 7-1 start has certainly turned a lot of heads, and Philadelphia will aim to keep it up when they host the Denver Broncos in Week 9 of the regular season.... 

The Seattle Seahawks may not be playing like the same juggernaut of old, but they are still playing pretty well. Seattle found a way to win against the Texans last time out and will aim to keep it rolling in Week 9 when they host the Washington Redskins.... 

The San Francisco 49ers made a trade for a potential franchise quarterback on Monday, but he’s probably going to be a famous spectator in this one. Jimmy Garoppolo was acquired from the Patriots for a second-round pick right before the deadline. But it’s going to take Garappolo some time to learn the offense so it will likely be rookie Chase Beathard under center again in Week 9 against the Arizona Cardinals.... 

The Houston Texans may be the most impressive under .500 team in the NFL, but they need that to start translating into wins. The Texans will host the Indianapolis Colts in Week 9 in an AFC South matchup. Houston is in the mix for the divisional title but can’t afford to get upset in this contest.... 

The Ravens’ defense is playing well this season but its offense needs to pick it up if this team has a chance to make the playoffs. Joe Flacco has struggled this season and is now dealing with a concussion after a hard hit by Kiko Alonso on “Thursday Night Football.” Despite his struggles this year, Flacco’s availability will play a role in the spread in this game.Watch this regular season Week 9 matchup live on Saturday, November 5, 2017, at 2 p.m. ET at Nissan Stadium....