NFL Week 6 Home Dogs

It’s a light week for NFL home underdogs but let’s hope that some of them can perform a little better than the Detroit Lions do as a home dog. Let’s examine the four situations:

Chicago Bears @ Atlanta Falcons (+3)

The Atlanta Falcons have won both of their home games this season and will get a chance to make it all three on Sunday when the Chicago Bears come to visit. The Falcons and Bears might be similar squads but the public perceives the Bears to be superior because the Falcons are using a rookie quarterback.

But Ryan has completed 67.7% of his passes at home with two touchdowns and no interceptions, which indicates that he’s a lot further along than most rookie quarterbacks.

Both teams are 3-2 and since the Falcons are 4-1 in their last five games as a home underdog of three points or less, they are worth a play.

Football Free Pick: Falcons +3

Philadelphia Eagles @ San Francisco 49ers (+4.5)

The San Francisco 49ers didn’t perform so well as a home dog last week and there is little reason to believe they will turn it around.

Even with Frank Gore and DeShaun Foster onboard, the 49ers are averaging only 23.8 rush attempts per game. Offensive coordinator Mike Martz prefers to pass the ball and sometimes neglects the ground game.

The Eagles strength on defense is their pass defense. They have excellent cornerbacks and a quality pass rush. Look for them to get to J.T. O’Sullivan and force some mistakes.

Football Free Pick: Eagles -4.5

Dallas Cowboys @ Arizona Cardinals (+5)

The Dallas Cowboys opened up as a touchdown favorite against the Arizona Cardinals but the line has since come down to five points as the money pours in on Arizona.

The Cardinals have been lights out at home and have scored 72 points in their two home games. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have yet to score less than 24 in a game but fell asleep last week as the Cincinnati Bengals nearly pulled an upset.

You can expect a high-scoring game but look for the Cowboys to get to Kurt Warner and force some mistakes. The Cowboys have been a road favorite of 3.5 to seven points 17 times since 1992 and they have covered 13 of those times. Meanwhile, Arizona has covered just four of their last 13 contests against NFC East opponents.

Football Free Pick: Cowboys -5

New York Giants @ Cleveland Browns (+7)

The New York Giants are on cruise control right now and have not lost a game in the last 10 months. They typically play pretty well on the road and should get a spirited effort from Plaxico Burress, who was suspended last weekend.

The Browns are off a bye week but have they found their offensive rhythm? It looked like they did – sort of – in the second half of their last game, against the Cincinnati Bengals, but the Giants defense is a steep upgrade from the Bengals.

The Browns are 9-2 against the spread in their last 11 games against a team with a winning record and look for their best effort of the season. They’ve already lost two home games and can’t afford anymore losses if they have playoff hopes.

Football Free Pick: Browns +7