Sunday’s 6/1 NFL Accumulator

Houston are the feel good team of the NFL right now. Nearly everyone is on board the CJ Stroud hype train as he campaigns for offensive rookie of the year and his weapons in Tank Dell, Dalton Schultz, Nico Collins and Noah Brown are shining. The Texans are +1.5 in this matchup but we are taking them to cover a field goal.

DeMeco Ryans’ Texans outfit have covered this line in 8 straight games including a 30-27 win over the then high-flying Bengals led by Joe Burrow. Stroud proved he could go toe to toe with the best and before last week had thrown just two interceptions on the year. Dell, a fellow rookie, had nearly 150 yards receiving last week as this offence continues to dominate through the air.

On the other side of things, the Jacksonville Jaguars have been somewhat underwhelming this year. They are 7-3 and sit at the top the AFC South but they were expected to blow this division out the water. A Texans win would send them top today. Trevor Lawrence has been average but nothing special as the offence struggles for any consistency. Travis Ettiene and Calvin Ridley can be impressive but struggle to be consistent. Houston’s firepower is enough to turn this game and we expect them to win outright.

This isn’t the most thrilling battle in the NFC West but it’s a gritty game that the Rams should come out on top in. Matt Stafford is back quarterbacking the offence and even though it wasn’t pretty last week, they still got the job done over Seattle.

The Cardinals have Kyler Murray back as well. However, their objectives are different. With no shot at the playoffs and a realistic shot at the number 1 overall pick in next year’s draft, losing isn’t a disaster for them. Arizona are 2-9 and managed to lose to the Texans last week despite having 3 interceptions.

The Texans were able to rack up 338 passing yards v Arizona, mainly from CJ Stroud. Beating the Cardinals through the air is the way to go and that’s where Matt Stafford’s return is important. Stafford also will have Cooper Kupp available alongside Puka Nacua in this electric offence. Expect the Rams to start fast and come out on top of this divisional matchup.

The Cleveland Browns are down their starting QB but that surprisingly shouldn’t affect them. At 7-3, Cleveland has had one of the best defensive seasons so far historically. They showed this last week with a 13-10 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. The Steelers had just 106 passing yards v CLE and relied on a breakaway touchdown from Jaylen Warren to get any real points on the board.

It’s been a theme of the season that the Browns win games off their defence. The Cardinals failed to score a point, both the Titans and Bengals managed just 3, while the high-flying 49ers who had scored 30+ in every game managed just 17. Their pass rush, led by DPOY favourite Myles Garrett causes problems for any team in the league and the Broncos’ O line won’t hold out.

Even if Denver manages to win, they won 3 of their last 4 by 1 or 2 points and this electric defence won’t allow a blowout. DTR as a backup QB helps establish the run game even if unremarkable through the air. The Broncos may be 5-5 but they don’t fill you with confidence, they haven’t covered the spread as a favourite this season and can’t string any consistency together. They have the advantage at QB in theory but when Russ is disrupted by the Browns’ defence it shouldn’t be as lopsided. The browns should cover this line and win outright.

In the game of the week, we are taking the Philadelphia Eagles with the best record in the NFL to beat an underperforming and out-of-sorts Buffalo Bills. The Bills, widely seen as a contender at the start of the year, now sit at 6-5 which compared to the Eagles’ 9-1 record is underwhelming.

Buffalo got things back on track last week. They dominated a sorry New York Jets outfit in a 32-6 victory. Before that, they were beaten by both the Bengals and the Broncos, two games they would expect to win. The Jaguars, Patriots and somehow the Jets have all managed to defeat Buffalo this year as well. The problems on offence come with turnovers. Josh Allen has 12 interceptions on the season, including 1+ in each of his last 7.

The turnover struggles are a recipe for disaster against this Eagles’ defence. The Eagles have playmakers on all 3 levels, highlighted in particular by Jalen Carter’s attempted interception v Patrick Mahomes last week. Philly kept Mahomes and co in check as they ran out 21-17 winners with Jalen Hurts punching in two rushing touchdowns. The Eagles are so versatile on offence and defence having so many different stars to wear you down with. Beating Philly requires no lapses in concentration, something the Bills have struggled with.