Green Bay Packers @ Dallas Cowboys

Packers +7
Green Bay should score, but so should Dallas. 7 points is a lot and with the Packer defense a little banged up, it will be a challenge for the Packers to keep pace. I have doubted the Packers all year, and they have proved me wrong. I am excited for the game, though hard for me or the scouts to love either team. Keeping the Packers at a 1-star

Tennessee Titans @ Cincinnati Bengals

Titans -1.5
There are 4 Value Picks this weekend, and this game is the only one where I am following the VP. The Dean’s line is Tennessee -4.5, but Vegas is only asking for 1.5, so I will gladly give it and take the Titans. Cincinnati is a team that is hurt, both physically and emotionally. You need to forget what you remember them doing and being the past couple years, this is not the same team. I also believe that the public looks at Tennessee’s poor showing in Denver last week as a sign that the Titans aren’t good enough to win on the road. I disagree. Let me also state for the record that I do not love Tennessee today, just sorta like them; hence, I am giving it 1-star.

Buffalo Bills @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars -8.5
You could’ve had Jacksonville at -7.5 if you jumped on them early in the week. The line has moved up, and for good reason. The Bills are a hard-working, but not very good team and on the road is NOT their favorite place to be. Jacksonville meanwhile is playing quietly well and is in good position to capture a first round bye in the playoffs. These two teams are going in opposite directions and that should stand out today.

Minnesota Vikings @ New York Giants

Giants -7
I have been saying all year that the Giants are over-valued and that is due in large part to their schedule. Well, the schedule continues to work in their favor, as does the injury to Adrian Peterson. The Giants suffered their first injury of the year last week losing DE Mathias Kiwanuka, but it won’t matter today as they face the one-dimensional Vikings. I also understand that Plaxico Burress is a little banged up, but the NYG defense will be able to carry the day, and the Giants running game will be enough to put the necessary points to cover. This game will add to the over-valuation of the Giants, which will set them up to be a 5-star bet-against in the coming weeks. Stay tuned. For today, they are a 4-star pick.

Baltimore Ravens @ San Diego Chargers

Chargers -8.5
Sometimes it pays to hold off on placing your wager; this game is an example. The line opened at Chargers -9.5 and has come down on most books at least 1 point. These two teams may seem tough to figure out, but in their matchup with each other there are two items to focus on. The first is the fact that the Baltimore offense is downright bad and they will struggle to put up even 10 points today. The second is that the Ravens defense is overrated. That will become evident today when the Chargers move the ball and score a bunch of points. Looking ahead, a Charger win today will make betting against the Chargers attractive in the coming weeks. I would like to go 4 stars on this game but Philip Rivers and Norv Turner are making me check myself, so San Diego gets 3-stars.

Houston Texans @ Cleveland Browns

OVER 51.5
I do not like playing Over/Unders but this game just JUMPS out at me. Two potent offenses against two below average defenses. The game should be close and the scoring should be plentiful. Due to my lack of love for Totals, I am giving it 2-stars.

Missouri Tigers vs. Kansas Jayhawks

Missouri +2
The winner of this game controls their own destiny on the road to a National Championship. Everyone is surprised at the significance of this game, though Kansas is by far the bigger surprise. The Jayhawks have been ripped for having a soft schedule, though I really don’t see it being that much softer than any other team out there. Bottom line is the Jayhawks are undefeated and that is impressive. Missouri has been equally impressive with their lone loss being a hard fought game at Oklahoma. If the Tigers can win today they will get a chance at revenge in the Big 12 Championship Game. There is so much non-football history around this game. Do yourself a favor and read about the history of this game.

On another note, here is a great article about Kansas coach Mark Mangino. As a former coach myself, I have a deep appreciation of the work ethic Coach Mangino showed. Click here to read the article.

Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions

Lions +3.5
Its been Green Bay’s defense that has carried the day for them, even though the media and everyone else wants to blow Brett Favre. I am working on getting over my dislike of the attention Favre gets and trying to focus on what matters. Here is what matters, the Lions have lost two in a row and dropped their first contest of the year at home. Favre has a history of poor performance in a dome and the Packers defense is going to face a lot of WRs that can stretch the field. If the Lions don’t find a way to run the ball more and more effectively it might not matter. I am banking on the Lions coming out pissed off from last week’s loss to the Giants and keeping it close if not winning it outright. A late FG win by the Packers wouldn’t surprise me, though a blowout Packer win would. Given that I believe the Packers are the most well-rounded NFC team, my confidence in this game is minimal. Therefore, I will take the Home Dog, but not for much.

New York Jets @ Dallas Cowboys

Cowboys -14.5
The tendency for people is to look at last week’s Jet game and think they have gotten better. In turn, people will see Dallas’ less than impressive win over the Redskins and think the Cowboys are vulnerable. Both conclusions would be wrong. The Jets are not back, and while the Cowboys do have vulnerabilities, the Jets will not be able to take advantage of them. Dallas has too many weapons and the short week benefits the more talented team. This game could get ugly, but even if it doesn’t, 2 TDs is not asking too much of Dallas. I feel good about this one, good enough to go 4-stars on the Cowboys.

Indianapolis Colts @ Atlanta Falcons

Colts -12.5
Too bad most people won’t be able to see this game, not because it will be a great game but because most people will be emerging from their food coma, going for more to eat or grabbing another drink, and we should be able to watch a football game. Instead, the NFL Network has this broadcast and most of us will be shut out. This is a lot of points for a banged up Colts team to cover, even against the Falcons. Atlanta is starting Joey Harrington today for whatever that is worth. Common sense says to go with the Colts, and so I will, but not for much. I am keeping this one at 2-stars.

Listen to The Dean and his scouts!

Tennessee Titans @ Denver Broncos

Titans +1
Some debate on the show with this game, the majority going with the Titans while Tripp is undecided and Dane is backing the Broncos. The Dean takes it all into consideration and makes the Titans a 2-star pick.

BUY Dallas Cowboys -15

Cowboys – BUY up to -15

This is a 4pm game, and its doubtful the line will jump more than 2 points from now until then, so you may want to let your 1pms play-out a bit; but after hearing reports of the Redskins WR corps not traveling to Dallas this game has become a BUY. You can feel confident buying up to Dallas -15.

Oakland Raiders @ Minnesota Vikings

Raiders +4.5
Everyone loves Adrian Peterson and for many good reasons, but we all saw what happens when he is not in the game last week in Green Bay. Peterson is not in this week and the Vikings offense will struggle. The Raiders are not on anyone’s radar but when you look closely at the Raiders this year you will notice a lot of close games and today should be no different. Without Peterson the Vikings go from not very good but dangerous, to just not very good. We encouraged you to take this game earlier in the week when the line was at 5.5, hopefully you did. But even at 4.5, the Raiders are a 5-star play.

San Diego Chargers @ Jacksonville Jaguars

Jaguars -3
Don’t believe the hype is the best way to sum up the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers win over the Colts is swaying the public to think there is a resurgence in San Diego. There isn’t. Philip Rivers is showing what he is all about and of course we all know what Norv Turner is all about. Now the Bolts fly across the country to face a tough nosed team that will make Rivers’ flaws more noticeable than a hairy-mole on a hot chick. The Dean and ALL his Scouts are salivating over this game, so it easily makes the grade as a 5-star play.

Pittsburgh Steelers @ New York Jets

Steelers -9.5
The only thing the Jets have going for them this weekend in terms of betting is that they are a huge Home Dog. Not even that can sway The Scouts and I away from backing the Steelers, and in a big way. The Steelers offense will have no trouble putting up points on the Jets inept defense. The one question that remains is will Clemens be able to put up some points the way Derrick Anderson and the Browns did last week? We say not. The crowd will have a strong Black and Gold feel to it, and the Jets just can’t compete with the Steelers. We are going big here as well, laying 5-stars on the Steelers.

Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens

Browns -2.5
The Ravens are overrated, but the Browns are scary. Scary to the good and sometimes scary to the bad. Cleveland as a road favorite is downright scary. I am doing my best to forget how inept this organization has been and focus on how they have played this year, which has been pretty good. The Ravens and their supporters are living in the past, thinking their defense is the best thing going. It isn’t. Put a horrible offense with an overrated defense and you can understand why the Scouts and I are backing Cleveland. With that, we are going to tread somewhat lightly and go 3-stars.

Notes and Such

There was debate on the show about the Bears and the Seahawks, with an almost even split. It is difficult to back the Bears with their offensive troubles, and making it even more troubling is the Rex Grossman has been named the starter. The Dean swayed some of his scouts with a story told by Ron Jaworski about being benched and then regaining your job. Jaws pointed out how liberated he felt when he regained his starting job, and expected Rex to play with less tension. Take that for what ever you feel it is worth. What I was focused on was that I don’t believe the Seahawks are very good at all, and the Bears will eventually get some of their defensive swagger back. What came to light yesterday was that Shawn Alexander is not going to play. Expect this line to drop before kickoff, and the Bears are a good value at +5.5 with the Alexander out . . . The Dallas Cowboys are home to the Washington Redskins and there is strong feeling toward the Cowboys. What works in the ‘Skins favor is that the Cowboys defense is vulnerable so perhaps Jason Campbell and the rest of the Redskins can put up some points. The question is, can they put up enough? The majority of the Scouts are in favor of Dallas outscoring the Redskins by plenty and covering the 11 points . . . . Miami visits Philadelphia today with the Dolphins looking to get their first win of the year. Not many believe the Dolphins are capable of winning this game, but from our vantage point winning comes second to covering! 10 points is a lot for the Eagles to cover. The Eagles offense has been erratic so for us at The Dean it is tough to give full support to them. What I and the Scouts want to point out is that the Dolphins have played a lot of close this year. Could be an interesting play.