Jacksonville to continue their recent upwards surge plus four other picks who should see their season extended with victory on Sunday
5/8 – Jacksonville Jaguars to beat the Atlanta Falcons
Where this is a will, there is a way and that will certainly be the feeling in Jacksonville at the moment.
They never looked like contenders in the AFC South but even with a 5-8 record and an up-and-down season, they still have a chance.
Their offence has really emerged this season thanks to the likes of quarterback Blake Bortles – who has created 30 touchdowns this season – and receivers Allen Robinson and Allen Hurns, who have scored on 12 and eight of those touchdowns respectively.
The Atlanta Falcons have fallen from a 5-0 start to 6-7, losing their last six games in a row including a crushing defeat against the Panthers last weekend where they failed to score.
Their season has nose-dived after an initial kick from their new head coach but even Dan Quinn can’t teach bad players how to play stern defence and that will cost them in this one.
4/9 – Carolina Panthers to beat the New York Giants
On current evidence and looking at the upcoming schedule, it’s very difficult to see the Carolina Panthers losing another game this season.
They’ve trampled on opponents, grinded out big wins and even come from behind more than once – they simply are too confident on both sides of the football.
The Giants have a dynamic offence but their abysmal defence – that has allowed more pass yards than any other team – will be torn apart by Cam Newton.
This one isn’t even close to call – the Panthers simply have too much for most side to deal with, never mind a team that can only get it going on one side of the ball and only if it’s in the air.
10/17 – Green Bay Packers to beat the Oakland Raiders
It’s finally looking like the Packers have their mojo back.
Their offence is clicking and they are getting a head of steam late on yet again.
Aaron Rodgers is fully capable of taking any team the distance and if they can get everyone back soon, they could be a real contender after handing out a beating to the Dallas Cowboys last week.
The Oakland Raiders upset the apple cart last week by beating the Broncos with a very special performance by defensive tackle Khalil Mack and they will be a force next season.
Derek Carr has improved and this offence is growing, but they will come up against a team who they will be looking to emulate in the future since they are not in a position to surpass them on Sunday.
5/11 – Cincinnati Bengals to beat the San Francisco 49ers
Bengals fans might still have their hearts in their mouths with Andy Dalton on the shelf until the play-offs at least, but they should thank the football gods that they still have the 49ers to play.
Despite losing a potential MVP candidate, they still have weapons that AJ McCarron can find if he can keep the ball safe and lean on a stubborn defence.
The 49ers will be in reset mode already, with players fighting for a chance to be on this team next season as a big rebuild may soon be underway.
Blaine Gabbert has been surprisingly good but the Bengals defence will be too much for him to handle.
San Francisco’s defence is not the behemoth that it once was and being second-worst in the NFL against the run and facing a team with two good runners is a recipe for disaster.
21/10 – Denver Broncos to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers
Denver would have been extremely disappointed to have lost the game to Oakland last week and that should fire them up to get back on track against the Steelers.
They have a lot of offensive power on their day – Brock Osweiler has proven he is at least serviceable and this defence is elite given that almost nobody can score heavily on them.
Not even the high-powered Pittsburgh Steelers, who have been putting the hurt on a few teams this season.
However, the rule of thumb is that a top defence beats a top offence and when you only allow 17.3 points per game, Gary Kubiak should be able to secure his team’s passage to the play-offs.
A £10 bet on this five-fold accumulator returns £168.09*.
*Odds and amounts correct at time of publication but subject to change. See site for latest.
