Picks for 9/22/24
NFL
1:00 PM EST
Rotation # 456
Vikings +1.5 over Texans (win)
Week three action will start to separate good teams from great ones. The Texans and the Vikings are 2-0, looking to remain flawless. Houston takes to the road without their top two starting running backs, Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce. The running game will suffer, and so will the short passing game. The Texans are already thin at tight end. CJ Stroud might have trouble with easy check-down plays. Not being at full strength on the road is not the best formula for victory. Sam Darnold has been a great addition to the Vikings. Aaron Jones is running the ball well behind a solid offensive line. Jordan Addison will miss today’s game, so Justin Jefferson should get more reps. I like Minnesota a bit better in the trenches, and I believe they win the outright win at home. Take the Vikings.
NFL
4:05 PM EST
Rotation # 465-466
Panthers/Raiders Over 40 (win)
The Panthers have been the league’s weakest team to start the season and are moving on from Bryce Young at quarterback and giving veteran Andy Dalton a crack at QB1. Carolina has a lot of talented offensive players, but not getting them the ball. Dalton should be able to do so today. Running backs Chubba Hubbard and Miles Sanders should loosen up Vegas’ Defense just enough. Neither team has stopped the run this year, so there will be opportunities for big plays. The Raiders were not aggressive in their week one loss and flipped the script last week to get a hard-earned victory in Baltimore. Garner Minshew should get more time to throw with a few injuries on the Panthers’ front seven. Both teams have little depth on defense. The oddsmakers made a mistake with this total. Take the Over.
NFL
4:05 PM EST
Rotation # 473
49ers -6 over Rams (loss)
It’s only week three of the season, but both team’s injury lists look like they would in January. The 49ers are without Christian McCaffrey and Elijah Mitchell at running back. Jordan Mason has filled in quite well. Deebo Samuel is out, and so is George Kittle. The good news is the 49ers offensive line is stacked with talent and can give Brock Purdy enough time to find other receivers and open up running lanes. The injuries to the Rams are worse because their offensive line is battered. LA gets some relief with Alaric Jackson returning from suspension, but I doubt he is in game shape. The Rams are without Puka Nacua, Cooper Kupp, and Tyler Higbee. Matthew Stafford looks like a Pop Warner QB behind a makeshift offensive line. Sofi Stadium isn’t the best home crowd, and the 49ers fans travel well, so it’s not a proper road game environment. It’s hard to fathom the Rams starting the season 0-3, but equally hard to picture would be the 49ers starting 1-2. San Francisco is much better in the trenches on both sides of the ball and should dominate. Take the 49ers.
NFL
8:20 PM EST
Rotation # 475-476
Chiefs/Falcons Over 46.5 (loss)
