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Wunderdog NFL Picks and Pro Football Predictions 2002 Weekly NFL Picks Regular
Season Week 5 Welcome
to the 2002 Week 5 Wunderdog NFL Newsletter Well,
after an 8-0 start, it is back to reality with a 4-2
week. Still happy to be sitting at 12-2 (86%) for
the season.
Cincinnati
got blown out and Chicago lost on yet another Drew
Bledsoe overtime TD pass. On the positive side, San
Diego, Kansas City, Detroit and Denver all covered
and won outright as dogs of 3 to 9 points! If it isn't
obvious by now, playing the money line has been very
profitable with the Wunderdog picks so far this year.
In fact, of the 14 underdogs selected so far this year,
11 have won the game straight up! The money-line on
these games has paid between 1.4 to 1 and 3 to 1.
As
promised, San Diego showed they are for real, Detroit
confirmed that no team (in this case New Orleans) can
play at the top of their game every week, and Denver
was exposed (yes, they're asking for Griese's head
on the Denver talk shows).
On
to Week 5...
Isn't
it fitting that in Week 5, the Wunderdog has sniffed
out five great puppies? Let's get to 'em...
Green Bay +1.5 over Chicago Another
Monday night upset? You bet! The Pack has been
relatively disappointing this year. They barely
beat Detroit and Carolina and have not covered
the spread yet this year. GB however, historically
owns the Bears. Favre is 9-1 in Chicago and 16-4
against the Bears. He and the Pack handed Chicago
two of its three losses last year. Favre also
relishes the spotlight and plays his best under
the national TV spotlight. He has this offense
ticking (averaging 28 points per game) and should
be able to take advantage of the fact that the
Bears' defense is missing four starters
due to injuries (this defense gave up 62 points
in the last two games). I expect Green Bay to
score a lot and don't see Jim Miller staging
a successful come-from-behind win. Green Bay
averages more points, passing yards, and rushing
yards than Chicago and should walk out of
Champaign with a win.
Jacksonville
+3 over Philadelphia
Philadelphia
looks tough. They have won big three weeks in
a row, but the wins have come against opponents
with a .33% win rate. Their loss was to what
has been proven to be a mediocre Tennessee Titans
team. Philadelphia is overconfident and
is due for a letdown. Jacksonville on the other
hand, is coming in with a lot of deserved confidence
after two straight wins including a win against
a very good Kansas City club and a pounding of
the Jets 28-3 last week. Head coach Tom Coughlin
is known for preparing his teams well. Philly's
defense is stingy to be sure, but Jacksonville
has the offensive firepower to match up well.
Fred Taylor is averaging a very impressive 5.2
yards per carry and pro-bowl WR Jimmy Smith is
having a career year. Take the home team to pull
the upset!
The
Falcons are well rested and focused, coming off a
bye while the 3-1 Bucs are overconfident. Yes,
TB has had some impressive wins, but against who?
Their opponents are a stellar 1-10 straight-up. Last
week Baltimore demonstrated that poor teams coming
off a bye are great bets. Warrick Dunn will be pumped
up in his first meeting against his former team.
Vick gets better every week. The spread is bloated
here as Atlanta should be a small favorite.
Buffalo
+3 over Oakland
Two
of the league's top QB's
matchup as undefeated
Oakland visits 2-2 Buffalo. Despite
two losses, this Buffalo
team is supremely confident
- and for good reason. Bledsoe,
the league's second-highest
rated quarterback shows no
signs of slowing down.He
seems to be in the zone,
still motivated by bench-warming
last year. He gives this
team a chance to win every
single week. The Buffalo
fans know it, sense great
things, and will be
in high spirits on Sunday.
Expect the Bills' potent
pass offensive (3rd in the
league) to have repeated
success against Oakland's
porous pass defense (25th
in the league, suffering
without Pro Bowl CB Woodson).
The Raiders are due for a
letdown after three straight
wins (against average/poor
teams). Don't buy those SuperBowl
tickets in Oakland, yet!
St.
Louis +7 over
San Francisco
It
seems that all
hope is lost
in St. Louis.
Who would've
guessed at the
beginning of
this season that
they would be
a touchdown
dog at any time
during the 2002
season? They
are 0-4, having
lost their last
game as a 12
point favorite.
It doesn't get
much worse than
that, folks.
But, to make
matters worse,
their star QB
is out. What
perfect timing
for the
unexpected! Teams
that have failed
to cover the
spread for several
games in a row
are excellent
bets. After being
humiliated last
week, expect
them to come
out fighting.
Remember what a
humiliated Dallas
club did
the week following
an excruciating
loss to the expansion
Texans in week
1? They came
out and whooped
a favored Titans
team. The shake-up
of a new QB may
not be such a
bad thing right
now as Warner
was playing horribly.
It will be hard
for San Francisco
not to take this
battered St.
Louis team somewhat
lightly. For
the first time
this season,
the Rams have
hit rock-bottom and
I expect them to
come out playing
their best.
Good luck!
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