Previous Week Plays – 2-1
Season Record – 11-16
Week 8 Recap:
We were looking for a much needed sweep in week 8, but our teaser bet sunk us yet again, as the Jets could not defeat the lowly Patriots. We did win fairly comfortably with both the over in the Bengals and Eagles game, and the Falcons team total over, which was a late add to our slate. With the way our 2024 season has been going, we’ll take a 2-1 week, even though we really could have used that 3-0.
Week 9 Picks:
We finally took our own advice and are avoiding a teaser bet this weekend. It’s so tempting to take the Eagles and Bills, but we’re not going to do it. We’ve got four games picked, with a total of six wagers. A couple of favorites, an underdog on Sunday Night Football, and some team totals. I love Ted. We will be adding something additional late, so don’t forget to follow @TheBetCrushers on X (Twitter).
Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Philadelphia Eagles
vs. 
Jacksonville Jaguars (2-6) vs. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)
Sunday November 3rd
4:05pm
Lincoln Financial Field – Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia Eagles -7.5 (-110)
Over/Under 46 (-110)
The Jacksonville Jaguars extend their disappointing season on the road in Philadelphia against an Eagles team that may be peaking at the right time. The Jags are coming off a tough loss against the Packers, as the Eagles are fresh off a clean beatdown of the Cincinnati Bengals. On paper, this game seems like a bit of a mismatch. Although both of these teams have had a Jekyl and Hyde personality during this season.
The offense for the Jacksonville Jaguars showed some flashes a week ago of what many thought they would be throughout the 2024 season. Unfortunately for them, it’s been way too far and in between, and now the unit is really banged up. The left side of the offensive line will be tested as guard Ezra Cleveland will miss the contest, and Walker Little will go back to starting at left tackle after the team traded away Cam Robinson. Center Mitch Morse and right guard Brandon Scherff are fine, but the other three starters are just flat out not great players at this point in time. The Eagles should be able to crank up what’s been a subpar pass rush, and have little trouble slowing down the running game of Travis Etienne, Jr. and Tank Bigbsy. At this point, it’s unclear if either will go, but regardless, they’re both ailing a bit. The receiving corp is also in flux as Christian Kirk was lost for the season, and starting wideouts Brian Thomas, Jr. and Gabe Davis are both true game-time decisions to go. The Eagles pass defense looked much better a week ago, holding Joe Burrow and the Bengals down about as much as you can hope to. They’ll be without starting corner Darius Slay, but that shouldn’t impact them too much, as the veteran has actually not graded out well this season in coverage. Rookie Quinyon Mitchell on the other hand looks like a star in the making. One area to watch will be tight end Evan Engram, who could be a busy man again this week. If the Eagles can contain Engram, it’s tough to see where the passing yards, or yards at all will come from for Jacksonville.
On the other side of the ball, the Eagles offense was what many felt they’d be all year last weekend. The were dominant with their offensive line, ran the ball hard, and used their talented wideouts to make big plays. That formula should work fine again for Philly against a Jaguars defense that has been pretty bad all season. The Jags do have the benefit of having basically their projected starting defense on the field really for the first time healthy all year, as cornerback Tyson Campbell does give them a boost in the secondary. This Eagles offense truly runs through Saquon Barkley now though, and he should do his usual damage on the ground. Jacksonville has been softer than expected against the run, which is not good in a matchup like this one, against a player playing as well as Barkley. Jalen Hurts will need to make some plays with his legs, as he did a week ago, and of course we should see plenty of A.J. Brown and Devonta Smith. Jacksonville has given up some big plays in the passing game, which is also not good in a matchup against Brown and Smith. Overall, the Eagles should have very little trouble moving the football, and this is the type of matchup where they can probably only be stopped by themselves. As long as they’re careful with the football and not hurting themselves with penalties, they should get plenty of points on the scoreboard.
Key Stats and Trends
– The Jaguars are 0-7 straight up in their last 7 road games
– The total has gone over in 5 of the last 6 games for the Jaguars
– The Eagles are 4-1 straight up in their last 5 games
This game truly has blowout written all over it as the Jaguars are injured and their season essentially ended when they couldn’t grab the win last weekend. The Eagles seem to be rounding into form, and should be able to control both lines of scrimmage. The weird thing is, these tend to be the games where the Jaguars perform well, and the Eagles play down to their level of competition. The Eagles have been insanely slow starters in the first quarter, to where it’s almost mind boggling. Despite this, we’re going to back them with a first half cover, as they should be able to do enough to take a touchdown lead into the half. We’re also going to play on their team total, which is still available at several books, including Draftkings at over 26.5 points. Let’s go Eagle TD’s, no field goals please.
BetCrushers Take: Philadelphia Eagles 1st Half -4 / Philadelphia Eagles Team Total – Over 26.5
Eagles 28, Jaguars 22 First Half – Eagles 14, Jaguars 6
Chicago Bears vs. Arizona Cardinals
vs. 
Chicago Bears (4-3) vs. Arizona Cardinals (4-4)
Sunday November 3rd
4:05pm
State Farm Stadium – Glendale, AZ
Arizona Cardinals -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under 44.5 (-110)
After a devastating last second loss to the Commanders, the Chicago Bears now head to Arizona to face a formidable Arizona Cardinals team. Quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Kyler Murray are both used to the accolades and criticism that come with being top picks and franchise quarterbacks. The winner of this game has a really legitimate shot at making a playoff run, while the loser could look back on this as a “what could have been” game in their season.
Forget the ending of last week and let’s focus on the bigger head scratcher. Why did Caleb Williams completely disappear after showing some much progress the previous month of the season? We’re going to say it’s just one of those rookie things, and he’ll have a good chance to rebound against the Cardinals defense. The Arizona defense has actually not been terrible, but there still far from an elite unit in the league. Chicago should be able to run the ball behind D’Andre Swift, who has looked like a totally different player the last three weeks. The Bears will need to figure out a plan at left tackle as Braxton Jones won’t be suiting up. The best plan they could possibly due is get the ball out of Caleb William’s hand quickly, and attack a very beatable secondary. D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen, and tight end Cole Kmet should all have opportunities in this game if Williams can make precise and quick reads. Arizona has also shown trouble stopping running quarterbacks, so this could be a Caleb Williams running game if he can identify the right times to tuck and take off. In a very generic summary, this is about whether or not a mediocre veteran offense can do enough to confuse and outperform a talented but still largely unproven offense.
The Cardinals offense is beginning to look better and better, as you might expect when bringing back a mobile QB from injury and adding in a rookie wide receiver. Arizona hasn’t been lighting it up offensively, but they’ve been solid, and doing enough to get W’s in the left hand column. For starters, their offensive line is no longer a liability, as they’re good in run-blocking, and good enough in pass blocking. James Conner continues to be one of the most consistent and underrated running backs in the league, and he should find some lanes against the Bears. Chicago’s defense is a good unit as a whole, but they have definitely given up some yards on the ground. With Conner moving the chains, the excuses are gone for quarterback Kyler Murray, who has all of his weapons at his disposal. Marvin Harrison, Jr. will probably see a lot of Jaylon Johnson, which means someone else is going to need to make some plays. At times, Michael Wilson and Greg Dortsch have done that, but can they do that against a good Bears secondary? The obvious target to step up is tight end Trey McBride, who is coming off of a massive game a week ago. The Bears will be without starting safety Jaquon Brisker, which should help McBride find the openings in the zones and middle of the field.
Key Stats and Trends
– The Bears are 5-1 straight up in their last 6 games vs. the Cardinals
– The total has gone under in the last 6 road games for the Bears
– The Cardinals are 4-13 straight up in their last 17 home games
– The Cardinals are 0-5 ATS in their last 5 games vs. NFC North opponents
It’s kind of tough to know how a team will perform coming off of a dramatic loss like the Bears did a week ago, but we’ll assume they can rebound and play a normal football game. If that’s the case, the Bears have a pretty obvious advantage in this game, especially on the defensive side of the ball. James Conner will get his yards, but Chicago should be able to limit Murray enough to give their offense a chance to win the game. The biggest question mark for Chicago is whether we will see the Caleb Williams that had shown clear improvement each week, or the one we watched last weekend who was completely inept? We’re going to get back on the Williams bus for this one as the Cardinals defense doesn’t offer the challenges many other teams do. Road team, NFL, yeah we get it. But the rosters are just different here, and the Cardinals have to give some ground back to the rest of the NFC West at some point, right?
BetCrushers Take: Chicago Bears +1.5
Bears, 23, Cardinals 20
Los Angeles Rams vs. Seattle Seahawks
vs. 
Los Angeles Rams (3-4) vs. Seattle Seahawks (4-4)
Sunday November 3rd
4:25pm
Lumen Field – Seattle, WA
Los Angeles Rams -1.5 (-110)
Over/Under 48.5 (-110)
With the 49ers struggling, this matchup between the Rams and Seahawks is critical in the race for the NFC West crown. Los Angeles has new life and looks like a different team as they’re healthier, while the Seahawks haven’t looked great over the past few weeks. Are these teams headed in opposite directions, and can either realistically win the division?
What a difference a top-tier wide receiver can make when you have Matthew Stafford as your quarterback. And what an insane difference 2 top-tier receivers can make. Welcome back Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua. The Rams offense all of a sudden looks downright scary with an offensive line that is as healthy as they have been, Kyren Williams continuing to chew up yards and score TDs on the ground, and a passing game that has to account for two of the best receivers in the league. That’s not great news for the Seahawks defense, which has been recently soft against the run, and has not been great against the pass either due to lack of a pass rush. The Rams pose this problem for opposing defenses of do you want to funnel them towards the run, or the pass? The Seahawks may have no answer for this, as they clearly aren’t equipped to go one-on-one in either capacity. Their corners are strong, but even great cornerbacks can only cover for so long.
The offense for Seattle desperately needs a healthy D.K. Metcalf back. Without the physical receiver on the outside, the Bills were able to focus on bottling up Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, as an aging Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba were not enough of a force. If Metcalf can go, that loosens things up for everyone, including the running game. This is a game where the Seahawks would undoubtedly like to feature Walker and the running game to control the tempo. But make no mistake, they’re going to need some chunk plays and offense from Geno Smith in the passing game. The Rams have struggled at the cornerback position, so if the Seahawks offensive line can give Smith any time at all, they should be able to sling it around. That’s of course a big “if” on whether or not they can give Smith time. The Rams use a plethora of young pass rushers in rotation and do a nice job of applying pressure.
Key Stats and Trends
– The Rams are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games vs. the Seahawks
– The Rams are 5-1 ATS in their last 6 road games vs. the Seahawks
– The Seahawks are 1-4 ATS and straight up in their last 5 games
The LA Rams were able to kind of tread water in the absence of some key pieces to their roster. They’re now able to utilize the talents of Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, and suddenly look a lot more like a playoff team, than a bottom-feeder. The Seahawks on the other end have struggled against the Rams in recent years, and it’s tough to see that changing in this matchup. Both teams will be able to put some points on the board, but the Rams just feel different with a healthy depth chart. Rams win a close one here, and we’ll double dip as we’re looking at a lot of points as well. The over is an option, but we’ll opt for just the Rams over in case D.K. Metcalf is unable to go or limited.
BetCrushers Take: Los Angeles Rams -1 / Los Angeles Rams Team Total – Over 23.5
Rams 27, Seahawks 23
Indianapolis Colts vs. Minnesota Vikings
vs. 
Indianapolis Colts (4-4) vs. Minnesota Vikings (5-2)
Sunday November 3rd
8:20pm
U.S. Bank Stadium – Minneapolis, MN
Minnesota Vikings -5.5 (-110)
Over/Under 47 (-110)
A fast start to the season for the Minnesota Vikings has hit a speedbump, after a pair of recent losses. In what would have felt like a softer game on the schedule against the Indianapolis Colts just a few weeks ago, now seems a little shakier. The Colts are going with Joe Flacco in an effort to stack some wins, and U.S. Bank Stadium will be rocking in an effort to rattle him in a surprisingly exciting Sunday night showdown.
It’s a total reset for the Indianapolis offense with Joe Flacco behind center. The veteran signal-caller is basically the complete opposite of Anthony Richardson. He is accurate, poised, and unathletic. Don’t let the last adjective fool you into thinking he can’t be a very effective QB at this stage of his career. Since last season, Flacco is playing some of the best football of his entire life, not counting of course his ridiculous Super Bowl run with the Ravens. He’s got a tall task going up against the Vikings defense, a unit that likes to blitz and can be difficult for pocket passers. Flacco has really faced every blitz and defense imaginable during his time in the league though, so will Flores really be able to rattle him? The Colts are without starting left tackle Bernhard Raimann though, which means Jonathan Greenard and Andrew Van Ginkel could be game wreckers if Flacco isn’t careful. The Colt offense always flows best when it’s carried by running back Jonathan Taylor, who is healthy now, but Minnesota has done a nice job stopping the run this year. That’s a critical piece to their defense, as they want to hold Taylor down with their regular line, to allow the blitzing they need to do. While Indy doesn’t boast an elite wide receivers, the emergences of Josh Downs and improvement of Alec Pierce, to go along with Michael Pittman, Jr. give Flacco plenty of options in the passing game. The Vikings also boast three talented starting corners, so if you’re into individual battles, watch these matchups all day.
The Colts may not boast an elite receiver, but the Vikings certainly do with Justin Jefferson. The talented wideout has no issues getting open against top talent, which the Colts actually do not have in their secondary. This could be one of Jefferson’s top games of the year, unless the Colts can get a ton of pressure on quarterback Sam Darnold. That is possible, as Kwity Paye and DeForest Buckner will not have to face Vikings talented left tackle Christian Darrisaw, who was lost for the season a week ago. The Vikings wasted no time bringing in Cam Robinson from the Jaguars, but that’s still a downgrade from Darrisaw. The blueprint for Darnold is pretty simple. If he has time, he’s going to look like one of the top QB’s in the league. When he’s under pressure, he falls off drastically. Not just in this game, but how well Robinson plays is going to be key in Darnold’s effectiveness. Running the football with Aaron Jones will always be another key, and something the Colts were struggling with early in the season. With Buckner back in the lineup, and a healthy Grover Stewart, they’ve tightened up though and should be able to keep Jones at least somewhat in check. The Vikings will welcome back tight end T.J. Hockenson to the lineup for the first time since his knee injury to end last season. That will be another added dimension that will serve them well, but it may take just a bit of time to build the chemistry with Darnold.
Key Stats and Trends
– The Colts are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 games
– The Colts are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games vs. the Vikings
– The Vikings are 5-2 ATS this season
It’s not time to hit the panic button in Minnesota just yet, but things do change quickly in the NFL. The team made a very necessary move in adding Cam Robinson, however the falloff from Christian Darrisaw to Robinson is still pretty substantial. Darnold has played well this year, but still struggles against pressure. Keep an eye on the left tackle spot in particular and you may have your answer on how effective Darnold will be moving forward. The Colts are a legit team with Joe Flacco behind center. They’re not going to win the Super Bowl, but they have enough talent with Flacco slinging it to compete on any given Sunday. The Vikings defense can be really good behind Brian Flores, but a veteran like Flacco has seen it all and won’t be too phased. This should be a fun game, and the Vikings should find a way to get the win at home, but expect this one to be close. With the Colts being a cover machine so far this season, and with Flacco at the helm, we’ll back them.
BetCrushers Take: Indianapolis Colts +5.5
Vikings 26, Colts 24
