NFL Game Picks: Week 10

Story posted November 9, 2017 in CommRadio, Sports by DJ Bauer

NFL Game Picks: Week 10

Now that the NFL season has reached its latter half, we’re beginning to see which teams are real contenders for the playoffs, and important questions are beginning to arise. Can anyone catch the Eagles? Who’s for real in the AFC? Which teams will make the playoffs in a tight NFC race? All these questions and more will be answered in the coming weeks.

Now, let’s look ahead to Week 10:

Seattle Seahawks (5-3) @ Arizona Cardinals (4-4)

It’s crazy to think that a great team like the Seahawks is starting to feel the heat in the boiling NFC. Just one slim loss has the ‘Hawks playing catch-up to the red-hot Rams. Arizona is still in the conversation too, but it’s difficult seeing this battered Cardinals team making a run for the playoffs. Games between these two teams are usually close, but Seattle is the favorite here.

The pick: Seattle, 23-17.

New Orleans Saints (6-2) @ Buffalo Bills (5-3)

The Saints are for real. After six straight wins, this team looks unstoppable, especially on defense. Rookies like Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore have helped to make the difference. Buffalo still has some questions, especially after a double-digit loss to the Jets. They could just as easily turn it around though. Here’s hoping for a gem in Buffalo on Sunday.

The pick: New Orleans, 33-28.

Green Bay Packers (4-4) @ Chicago Bears (3-5)

The season is starting to look shot for the Packers, who have lost their last three in a row. Brett Hundley hasn’t been terrible, but he’s no Aaron Rodgers. Chicago is on the uptick, but their efforts may be too little, too late. Still, Green Bay’s blowout victory back in Week 4 seems like an eternity ago. Look for Chicago to beat the Packers at home for the first time since 2010.

The pick: Chicago, 19-14.

Cincinnati Bengals (3-5) @ Tennessee Titans (5-3)

It’s been an up and down season for the Bengals, who find themselves far out of the AFC North with a loss in Jacksonville. Luckily for Cincinnati, A.J. Green was not suspended for his outburst against Jalen Ramsey. Tennessee came away with a close win over Baltimore, but they need to win again to fend off the Jaguars in the AFC South. They should be able to get that win at home.

The pick: Tennessee, 26-16.

Cleveland Browns (0-8) @ Detroit Lions (4-4)

The rain never stops for the Browns. The botched trade for AJ McCarron is about as bad as it gets, and that’s saying something. On the plus side, Josh Gordon will be returning soon, but one man can’t turn around the woes of a franchise. With Detroit looking to get back on track in the NFC race, this shouldn’t be a pretty one for Browns fans.

The pick: Detroit, 36-13.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-2) @ Indianapolis Colts (3-6)

Last week’s last-second goal-line stop was a positive sign for the Colts, but at 3-6, it’s unlikely they’re going to be taking that anywhere, especially in the shadow of the Steelers, whose Week 8 game against the Lions saw goal-line stop after goal-line stop after goal-line stop. If the defense continues to play at this level, Pittsburgh will be a real contender for the AFC crown.

The pick: Pittsburgh, 34-18.

Minnesota Vikings (6-2) @ Washington Redskins (4-4)

A hard-fought win over Seattle last week is exactly what Washington needed to stay afloat in the NFC, especially with that 0-3 division record looming large. Now they have another daunting task ahead as they take on the Vikings at home. Minnesota has been an unstoppable force on both offense and defense, but this scrappy Washington team is up to the test.

The pick: Washington, 25-24.

New York Jets (4-5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6)

The Jets continue to shock the world by keeping pace in the playoff race with a big win over the Bills last Thursday night. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is stuck at dead last in the NFC South. The one-game suspension of Mike Evans is just salt in the wound. All signs point to a Jets victory, but this is exactly the type of game where the unexpected can occur.

The pick: Tampa Bay, 17-13.

Los Angeles Chargers (3-5) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (5-3)

Jacksonville’s defense has been dominant, but this nothing new. In their previous two games, the Jaguars held Cincinnati to a touchdown and completely blanked Indianapolis. Los Angeles comes to town fresh off a bye week, and Philip Rivers and company are not going down easy. Expect a climactic clash in Jacksonville on Sunday afternoon.

The pick: Los Angeles, 29-26.

Houston Texans (3-5) @ Los Angeles Rams (6-2)

Deshaun Watson was the Texans’ last glimmer of hope, and now that he’s gone for the year, that hope is fading fast. Houston missed out on a prime opportunity to inch closer to the AFC South title by losing to Indianapolis last week. Meanwhile, the Rams are doing the same thing they’ve been doing all year: making opponents look silly. Los Angeles’ success continues here.

The pick: Los Angeles, 37-12.

Dallas Cowboys (5-3) @ Atlanta Falcons (4-4)

It’s safe to say that this season has not gone the way the Falcons wanted it to go. Having dropped four of their last five games, Atlanta is in dire need of a win. That’s not going to be easy, as Dak Prescott and the Cowboys come to town, high off a win over Kansas City. This one will likely turn out to be one of the best and most impactful games of Week 10.

The pick: Atlanta, 31-30.

New York Giants (1-7) @ San Francisco (0-9)

Obviously, 2017 has not been kind to either of these teams. The Giants had high expectations coming to this season, and now they’re among the basement dwellers. San Francisco did not have high expectations, but no one was imagining an 0-9 start. With turmoil taking place in the New York locker room, this may be the Niners’ best chance to grab a win this year.

The pick: San Francisco, 21-17.

New England Patriots (6-2) @ Denver Broncos (3-5)

Oh, how time changes everything. At the beginning of the season, this looked the kind of game that would decide the structure of the AFC. Now, it looks nothing but lopsided. It doesn’t help Denver’s cause that the Patriots are going to be refreshed coming out of the bye week. It’s looking a lot like a stinker on Sunday night, but you can never really be sure.

The pick: New England, 39-16.

Miami Dolphins (4-4) @ Carolina Panthers (6-3)

The Dolphins are back in the spotlight for the third week in a row, dropping their previous two. Last week’s outing against Oakland was an improvement to that embarrassment in Baltimore, and Jay Cutler looked much better than he has recently. With the 6-3 Panthers looking like heavy favorites, it seems like Miami could pull off an upset victory on Monday night.

The pick: Miami, 22-14.

Byes: Kansas City Chiefs (6-3), Oakland Raiders (4-5), Philadelphia Eagles (8-1), Baltimore Ravens (4-5).

DJ Bauer is a freshman majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email metakoopa99@gmail.com.

About the Contributors

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DJ Bauer

Senior / Broadcast Journalism

David “DJ” M. Bauer Jr. is a senior from Valencia, Pennsylvania majoring in broadcast journalism at Penn State. He is an editor, writer, producer, and play-by-play announcer for the CommRadio sports department. His writings include the Weekly NFL Game Picks series, Bauertology, and the NCAA Bubble Watch series. He is the co-host of the CommRadio talk show 4th & Long alongside Jeremy Ganes. Alongside Andrew Destin, Andrew Field and Zach Donaldson, he is one of CommRadio’s Penn State football insiders, a group of elite writers who cover Penn State football in depth during the 2020 season. He was also a production intern for the Frontier League’s Washington Wild Things baseball club. If you’d like to contact him, email him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).