Mike Ivcic’s Week 11 NFL Preview and Free Picks

By Mike Ivcic, UltimateCapper Contributing Writer

Week 11 predictions from Mike Ivcic:

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Miami Dolphins @ Buffalo Bills
Thu, 8:20pm, NFLN
Line: Dolphins by 2
If the Dolphins want to make the playoffs, this is a game they have to win. I’ll always go with the desperate team in situations like this.
Pick: Miami 20, Buffalo 17

Arizona Cardinals @ Atlanta Falcons
Sun, 1pm, FOX
Line: Falcons by 10
Bounce-back game coming for the Falcons, who will use last week’s loss to the Saints and the tremendous homefield of the Georgia Dome to rout the Cardinals.
Pick: Atlanta 31, Arizona 10

Cincinnati Bengals @ Kansas City Chiefs
Sun, 1pm, CBS
Line: Bengals by 3.5
KC put up a fight against Pittsburgh last week and they should have won the game. Unfortunately that isn’t going to win a division or save their coach’s job, so Romeo Crennel and company will play out the string while the Bengals pick up a critical win for the AFC wild card race.
Pick: Cincinnati 21, Kansas City 13

Cleveland Browns @ Dallas Cowboys
Sun, 1pm, CBS
Line: Cowboys by 8
Dallas never blows anyone out, and the Browns have been quite frisky recently, so I’ll take the Cowboys to win but Cleveland to cover.
Pick: Dallas 24, Cleveland 20

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Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions
Sun, 1pm, FOX
Line: Packers by 3.5
Three and a half points for this game? Really? Packers, Packers, and more Packers please – just call it an early Thanksgiving treat.
Pick: Green Bay 34, Detroit 16

Indianapolis Colts @ New England Patriots
Sun, 1pm, CBS
Line: Patriots by 9
True, this isn’t Peyton Manning’s Colts team, but it wouldn’t shock me in the least to see the Colts win this game. A weak Jets team took the Pats to overtime in Foxboro last month, and Arizona’s already won a game there this season. The aura of invincibility is slowly leaving the Belichick and Brady duo, and while I think they win this game, it will be just that – a game.
Pick: New England 27, Indianapolis 24

Jacksonville Jaguars @ Houston Texans
Sun, 1pm, CBS
Line: Texans by 15.5
I tend to shy away from huge lines, but one of the philosophies I’m following for the rest of the season is to take every team against Jacksonville, no matter what Vegas says. So…
Pick: Houston 38, Jacksonville 7

New York Jets @ St. Louis Rams
Sun, 1pm, CBS
Line: Rams by 3.5
Clearly Brian Schottenheimer wasn’t the issue with the Jets offense last year. He will be the reason the Rams win this year.
Pick: St. Louis 23, New York 13

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Philadelphia Eagles @ Washington Redskins
Sun, 1pm, FOX
Line: Redskins by 4
Nick Foles will be getting all of the attention because it’s his first-ever NFL start, but let’s not forget the other team’s QB is also still a rookie. Oh, and Robert Griffin III is a really good player.
Pick: Washington 30, Philadelphia 21

Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ Carolina Panthers
Sun, 1pm, FOX
Line: Buccaneers by 2
Carolina needs a lot of help, so the better the draft pick in April, the better the chance the franchise has of returning to the playoffs next season. Combine that with a rising Tampa squad, and it’s a bad formula for the home underdog.
Pick: Tampa Bay 24, Carolina 16

New Orleans Saints @ Oakland Raiders
Sun, 4:05pm, FOX
Line: Saints by 6
A New Orleans win here brings them all the way back from that ghastly 0-4 start. Drew Brees has to be drooling over facing this Raiders defense.
Pick: New Orleans 33, Oakland 10

San Diego Chargers @ Denver Broncos
Sun, 4:25pm, CBS
Line: Broncos by 8
Consider this Norv Turner’s swan song for the Chargers. Assuming Manning and company put up the same performance as they have over the past few weeks, this will all but eliminate San Diego from playoff contention and make this the perfect landing spot for Andy Reid next season once Philly lets him go as well.
Pick: Denver 37, San Diego 23

Baltimore Ravens @ Pittsburgh Steelers
Sun, 8:20pm, NBC
Line: Ravens by 3.5
Ben Roethlisberger! Ray Lewis! It’s the Steelers and Ravens on Sunday Nig… oh wait. You mean it’s Byron Leftwhich against a defense of 11 guys no one knows? How exciting!
Pick: Baltimore -12, Pittsburgh -16

Ok, ok, in reality, let’s go with…
Pick: Baltimore 14, Pittsburgh 13

Chicago Bears @ San Francisco 49’ers
Mon, 8:30pm, ESPN
Line: 49’ers by 5
At posting, almost every book in Vegas has this game off the board, but USA Today has one book with this game listed at -5, so we’ll go with it and assume Cutler’s not playing. And once we do THAT… we take the Niners.
Pick: San Francisco 27, Chicago 20

Straight-Up: 92-53-1
Against Spread: 67-76-3

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