Elijah Southwick
@ecsouthwick
Atlanta Falcons (-3) @ Carolina Panthers
The Panthers have done nothing since the firing of Frank Reich to prove to me that they deserve to be three point underdogs to any team in the NFL. I still have a lot of hope for Bryce Young. I think the Panthers roster will improve this offseason. The Falcons, however, are a competitive football team, and they should have no issue taking care of the Panthers, even in a road divisional game.
Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
The situation in Pittsburgh is rapidly declining, but still, they sit above .500 at 7-6. They’re a very hard team to bet against, even when it seems like they’re at their lowest. The biggest factor in this game is the quarterback matchup. Gardner Minshew is a fringe starter in the NFL and he may have a chance to win a job in 2024. Mitchell Trubisky, however, has been miserable this season. The Colts are a top 10 scoring offense when playing at home. I’ll take them to win by more than a field goal.
Houston Texans (+3) @ Tennessee Titans
With CJ Stroud’s status unclear for this game due to a concussion, and the Titans coming off a remarkable primetime win against the Dolphins, this line feels pretty reactionary. Stroud didn’t practice Wednesday and remains in the NFL concussion protocol, but with the Texans in the playoff race and concussion timelines hard to predict, it feels like there’s a good chance Stroud will be out there with no limitations. Given the chance that he’s not, I’ll take the Texans and the points, rather than betting their moneyline.
Dallas Cowboys (+102) @ Buffalo Bills
The Cowboys are legit, and they look pretty unstoppable right now. They’ve beaten some bad teams and they’ve beaten some good teams. Their three losses have come against the 49ers, the Eagles, and the Cardinals all the way back in Week 3 on the road. The Bills have been cheap on the betting markets for several weeks now, but being favored at home against one of the best teams in football feels a bit ambitious, even though it’s virtually a pick ‘em. Give me the streaking team to keep it rolling against the inconsistent Buffalo Bills.