The Chiefs' explosive offense should see them win a shootout against the Cowboys, and they head our picks for the weekend.
Carolina Panthers to beat Atlanta Falcons – {ODDS:205304767:5/6}
The Falcons scraped past the New York Jets last Sunday, and haven’t looked like the defending NFC champions all season.
Their offense – the best in the league last year – ranks just 16th in points per game and has scored over 25 only once.
Expect them to struggle against the Panthers, who held the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to three points in a win last week and currently rank fifth in scoring defence.
Carolina quarterback Cam Newton has thrown too many interceptions this year, but shouldn’t have too much to worry about considering the Falcons have only generated four turnovers all season.
If he takes care of the ball, the Panthers’ defence should do enough to pick up the win.
New Orleans Saints to beat Tampa Bay Buccaneers – {ODDS:205304448:1/3}
The Saints kept rolling against the Chicago Bears last week, picking up their fifth consecutive win and taking the lead in the NFC South.
They should thrash a Buccaneers team that have lost four in a row and are yet to win on the road.
New Orleans have relied on their offense for years, but it’s their defence that has been excellent during this winning run, with four of their last five opponents scoring 17 points or fewer.
Despite the emphasis on the other side of the ball, the Saints are still scoring more points per game than all but five teams, and will likely put up big numbers again on Sunday.
Kansas City Chiefs to beat Dallas Cowboys – {ODDS:205305453:10/11}
Kansas City have been one of the league’s best offensive teams this season, averaging the third-most points in the NFL and scoring 29 against the Denver Broncos’ excellent defence last week.
Expect a shootout when they travel to Dallas to face a Cowboys defence that have allowed 30 points or more in all three of their defeats so far.
Dallas have been almost as good as the Chiefs offensively this season, but their defence has let them down and they’ll surely struggle to contain Kansas City’s array of offensive weapons.
The Cowboys have only won once at home, while the Chiefs have won three of four on the road.
Detroit Lions to beat Green Bay Packers – {ODDS:205305751:20/27}
The Lions have only won one of their last 26 games at Lambeau Field, but the absence of Aaron Rodgers means that will change on Monday night.
Brett Hundley stepped in for the injured Packers quarterback in their last game against the Saints and struggled, passing for just 87 yards, no touchdowns and an interception.
Green Bay’s running game looked good early on against New Orleans, but they were shut down completely when the Saints stuffed the line of scrimmage and forced Hundley to make plays through the air.
The Lions will take a similar approach, and will rely on their top-10 ranked offense to take what should be a comfortable win.
