By Zack Cimini
Notjustagame23@gmail.com

How are you going to stay above .500 and defeat Vegas? Let Notjustagame give you some solid choices to help you out with your selections this week.

Oakland at Houston (-9.5)- Pick Houston
The Texans have done one thing well and that’s score. The Raiders can not match them in that department and will get down early. Jamarcus Russell and the Raiders have no chance to win through the air. Their game plan will be to run the ball with McFadden and Bush as often as possible. Still, the Texans should create a few turnovers and capitalize off of those. We like the Texans to cover this matchup.

Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville- Pick Tennessee
Kerry Collins and the Titans have all the pressure on them in this must win situation. They’re the better team and should be able to disrupt the Jaguars new founded passing attack. Offensively the Titans receivers must be able to hold onto the football. Too many dropped balls and poor special teams play cost them the game last week against the Jets.

Baltimore at New England (-2)- Pick Baltimore
We’re still not buying into Brady and the Patriots. Fred Taylor was the reason they were able to move forward and get a win in the second half against the Falcons. We all know that they’ll have no chance at running the football against the Ravens. Joe Flacco and the Ravens are just a bad matchup for the Patriots.

Cincinnati (-5.5) at Cleveland – Pick Cleveland
The Bengals are one of those teams that are currently over rated. Offensively Cedric Benson is getting praised but isn’t doing anything nifty. He is running hard with the football and taking a beating for it. He’ll begin to wear down with that type of running style. Cleveland has went to Derek Anderson and the team should respond better with that move. It should be a close game decided by a field goal.

NY Giants -8.5 at Kansas City- Pick NY Giants
The Giants will cover by a wide margin for the second week in a row. Matt Cassel is still in preseason form and Larry Johnsons career seems dead in the water. Eli Manning will be resting by the middle of the 4th period.

Detroit at Chicago (-10)- Pick Chicago
It’s only a matter of time before Cutler gets to really pick apart defenses once they get an established ground game. Matt Forte will answer the bell this week and have a breakout game. This should be the Bears best offensive performance thus far this season.

Tampa Bay at Washington (-7)- Pick Washington
A rookie quarterback means the Buccaneers will try to get their running backs of Cadillac Williams, Derrick Ward, and Earnest Graham heavily involved. Either way this is an angry Redskins team that has to show up in a major way. A blow out is the only option for the Redskins.

NY Jets at New Orleans (-7)- Pick New Orleans
There is going to be a week where the rookie has to go through his growing pains. This will be the week, and he’ll get a chance to watch the best in the game pick the Jets defense apart.

Buffalo (-2.5) at Miami- Pick Buffalo
The pressure is on Trent Edwards. Miami has too many concerns going on with Pennington out, a new quarterback starting, and Joey Porter ailing on the defensive side. With Marshawn Lynch back the Bills will grind it out with Lynch and Jackson. Miami has always giving up the big pass play to the Bills, especially Lee Evans in recent years. Once the Dolphins are down the wildcat and run game will be thwarted.

St. Louis at San Francisco (-9.5)- Pick St. Louis
Were assuming Kyle Boller gets the start here. San Francisco doesn’t seem to be a big cover team this year. They settle too much offensively, and that was with Frank Gore in the lineup. With him out we like the Rams chances to hang around in this game. Definitely too many points are being offered up here.

Dallas (-3) at Denver- Pick Denver
Denver’s defense has been playing exceptional and should have no problem shutting down the Cowboys passing game. They’ll put pressure on Romo and force him into bad decisions. They’re been relying heavily on the ground game just like the Broncos, and that’s where the Broncos have the edge in this game. Dallas has a banged up Marion Barber and Felix Jones out with a knee sprain. That means Tashard Choice will have to carry the load, and will be halted with ease. Roy Williams step up and show that you’re worth all those draft picks the Cowboys traded you for.

San Diego at Pittsburgh (-6.5)- Pick Pittsburgh
LT playing or not is the main factor on this pick. Philip Rivers has been able to win at the onset of this season with his arm, as Darren Sproles is proving to be too small to be an every down back. That type of play will get you wins over teams like Miami and Oakland but not Pittsburgh. This is also a big distance traveler for the Chargers, against a Pittsburgh team amped and ready to get back on the field after an embarrassing loss.

Green Bay at Minnesota (-3.5)- Pick Minnesota
Favre was just warming up that arm that wasn’t on display the first few weeks of the season. He tested it against the 49ers and now the dream matchup he has wanted will come to fruition. This is going to be a MNF classic high scoring game, but in the end Favre and company will pull it out. Definitely spend the extra dough on securing yourself from a half point loss.

Currently OTB

Seattle at Indianapolis- Indianapolis

We’ll set this line at 9.5 and see how close we end up being. Obviously the wait here is on the status of Matt Hasselbeck. He’ll likely sit out again and that means Seneca Wallace will earn his 13th start. He didn’t do bad against the Bears but there was room to close out the Bears and he didn’t get it done. When Manning is in a zone as he has shown the past few weeks, it leads to a tear that can’t be stopped. His onslaught games against the Dolphins and Cardinals were both on the road. Imagine what he’ll do at home.