8 weekend best bets: Experts make picks on Chiefs-Lions, Oregon-Indiana
Pro sports bettor Chuck Edel was 25 seconds from running his record to 6-0 against the spread on his best bets in the Review-Journal.
That’s how much time was left Sunday when the Vikings scored a go-ahead touchdown to beat the Browns and cover the 3½-point spread in their 21-17 victory in London.
Likewise, the Chiefs were 23 seconds from a win and cover over the Jaguars on Monday night when Trevor Lawrence tripped and fell to the ground before getting up and scrambling for a 1-yard touchdown to give Jacksonville a 31-28 triumph.
The loss dropped Kansas City to 2-3. The Chiefs went 15-2 in the 2024 regular season and didn’t lose their third game until their Super Bowl loss to the Eagles.
Edel and fellow pro sports bettor Jeff Whitelaw are banking on Kansas City to bounce back as a 2-point home favorite over the Lions on “Sunday Night Football.”
“The Chiefs should outscore a Lions team with a depleted secondary,” said Edel (@chuckedel).
Detroit is on a roll, winning and covering four straight after a season-opening loss at Green Bay. But Whitelaw is backing the team in desperation mode.
“The Chiefs are in a desperate spot right now. They really need to win this game. If they’re 2-4, they’re in jeopardy of missing the playoffs,” he said. “The Lions are really great at home. They’re a very good team, but I just think the Chiefs step up here.”
Here are seven more weekend best bets (home team in CAPS):
PANTHERS (+3) over Cowboys
“The Cowboys beat up on a bad Jets team last week, and now you’re asking Dallas, which has an atrocious defense, to win its second consecutive road game,” Whitelaw said. “This should be much closer to pick ’em.”
Jets (+7½) over Broncos, at London
Two-time top-five SuperContest finisher “Dr. Alan” Dumond is off to a 9-1 start in Marc Lawrence’s Playbook Wise Guys contest. He predicted the Saints’ first win in this space last week and is backing another winless team in the Jets.
“Buy low and sell high is a basic investment strategy for financial assets. This can be applied to NFL teams as well,” he said. “The Broncos’ stock is at an all-time high coming off an emotional comeback win on the road over the Eagles.
“The Jets’ stock is at an all-time low as the only winless team left in the NFL coming off a home blowout loss to the Cowboys. New York should be the most motivated, desperate NFL team this Sunday.”
Seahawks (+1) over JAGUARS
“These are two solid teams in the exact spot that we want them,” said pro sports bettor Cris Zeniuk (@lasvegascris). “Seattle is off a tough loss and extra motivated against a Jacksonville team off beating mighty Kansas City and on a short week.
“Seattle is the better team, and this situation sets up well.”
STEELERS (-5½) over Browns
“Scheduling spot here,” said pro sports bettor Randy McKay (@RR39). “Pittsburgh is off a bye, and Cleveland is coming off a London trip, plus it’s Browns rookie quarterback Dillon Gabriel’s first road start.”
OREGON (-7) over Indiana
Indiana is 13-5 ATS under coach Curt Cignetti, but two of his losses have come as the betting underdog to Ohio State and Notre Dame.
Texas-based handicapper Paul Stone likes No. 3 Oregon to beat No. 7 Indiana by double digits at home and cover as a 7-point favorite in Saturday’s battle of unbeatens.
“I’m wildly impressed by what Curt Cignetti has done to this point at Indiana, but I need to see the Hoosiers step up in one of these big boy football games,” said Stone (@PaulStoneSports). “(Oregon quarterback) Dante Moore played lights out at Penn State, and I trust the Ducks more in this type of game.”
Wake Forest (-3) over OREGON STATE
The Beavers have lost all six games this season while going 1-5 ATS, and CBS Sportsline handicapper Bruce Marshall is fading them again this week.
”Wake is more than holding its own for new coach Jake Dickert and getting quality work from much-traveled quarterback Robby Ashford, who played his best game last week in the upset win at Virginia Tech,” he said.
USC (-2½) over Michigan
“To me, this is USC’s season,” Westgate SuperBook oddsmaker Ed Salmons said. “They lost their last game to Illinois and had the bye week. They either put up and win this game or their season is over. It’s one of those unranked teams favored against the ranked team. I always like those.
“USC should be able to score enough to win.”
Last week: 2-6
Season: 22-23-1
Contact reporter Todd Dewey at tdewey@reviewjournal.com. Follow @tdewey33 on X.