Colin survived the first week of the NFL season with a winning record, going 3-2 in the toughest week to bet of the NFL season. He heads into this weekend with a better idea of where teams are at in 2018, and is hoping to get further into the black and start stacking some serious paper.
Here are Colin’s Week 2 Blazin’ 5 plays:
- Panthers at Falcons (-5.5) – Atlanta struggled in their road opener against the Eagles, but Colin likes them laying 5.5 against Carolina at home in Week 2. The Falcons have won three straight at home against the Panthers, and in those games Matt Ryan is has completed 70% of his passes for 1,126 yards with 6 TD’;s, only 1 INT, and a QB rating of 116.9.
Cam and the Panthers only managed 16 points at home against the Cowboys in Week 1, and only scored TD’s on 2 of 5 Red Zone opportunities. Take Atlanta, lay the 5.5. 27-20, Falcons.
2. Colts (+6) at Redskins – Colin loves the Colts getting 6 on the road in D.C. because he liked what he saw from Andrew Luck in his first game back from injury after more than a year away. Luck was picked on his first pass attempt, but was impressive the rest of the day. After the INT, he completed 70% of his passes for 319 yards, 2 TD’s, 0 picks, and a QB rating of 103.0.
The Colts were also 11 for 17 on 3rd down (64.7 %) in week 1 and will face a Washington D that ranked 31st on 3rd-down last season. Take the Colts, the points, and outright. 31-28, Indy.
3. Chiefs at Steelers (-4.5) – Colin likes the Steelers as 4.5 point home favorites against the Chiefs, mostly because Big Ben is a different QB in Pittsburgh. Since 2014, Roethlisberger’s home vs. away stats are night and day. He’s thrown for more Yards Per Game (333.2 home, 267.7 away), a higher completion percentage (67.6% home, 63.9% away), and has a better TD/INT Ratio (75-24 home, 36-31 away), better won/loss (20-6 home, 20-10-1 away), and a higher passer rating (106.9 home, 85.8 away) at Heinz Field.
The Chiefs were an offensive machine in Week 1 against the Chargers, but their D gave up an NFL high 541 total yards. Even with Le’Veon Bell still holding out, backup James Conner rushed for 135 yards and 2 TD’s on 34 carries against a decent Browns D. Take the Steelers, lay the 4.5. 31-26, Pittsburgh.
4. Patriots at Jags (+1) – Colin likes the Jags getting a point at home against the Patriots in an AFC Championship revenge game. Jacksonville’s defense was among the league leaders in Pass D (1st), Scoring D (2nd), and Total D (2nd), and should be effective against Brady and a Pats backfield that’s beat up with injuries to Jeremy Hill (ACL), Rex Burkhead (Concussion), and Sony Michel (Knee).
Take a motivated Jags, the point, and the outright win over Belichick in what’s historically his worst month. 26-23 Jacksonville.
5. Seahawks (+3.5) at Bears – Colin is rolling with Russell Wilson and the Seahawks getting 3.5 points on the road in Chicago. The Bears D was impressive in the first half against the Packers in Week 1, but collapsed in the second half, giving up 24 points, 299 yards, and allowing 9.7 yards/play.
Since the beginning of last season, the underappreciated Russell Wilson ranks 1st in the NFL in Pass TD’s, 9th in Passing Yards, and 2nd in QB rushing yards. He should be able to avoid Khalil Mack and the Chicago pass rush and make plays. Take Seattle, the 3.5, and outright. 24-23, Hawks.
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