expert picks – Page 3 – Syndication Server

Experts remain split on Steelers vs Chargers

The Steelers host the Chargers this week in an old-school matchup of undefeated teams.

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Los Angeles Chargers are two of the nine remaining undefeated teams in the NFL and they square off this week in the Steelers home opener this week.

This week’s game is a showdown between the two best defenses in the NFL and two teams who play smash-mouth football on offense. It’s going to be a game old-school fans will love.

This is also a game of two teams who match up very well with each other making this one a tough call despite the game being in Pittsburgh. The experts shared this sentiment as well. We looked to our friends at NFL Pick Watch to see which way they are leaning. NFL Pick Watch aggregates picks from all over the internet and puts them all in one spot.

According to NFL Pick Watch, 46 percent of the experts are taking the Steelers with 54 percent leaning toward the Chargers. It doesn’t get much closer than that.

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NFL Week 2 picks: The experts overwhelmingly believe the Commanders defeat the Giants

The picks are in: Experts believe Commanders finally beat the Giants.

The Washington Commanders (0-1) host the New York Giants (0-1) on Sunday in the home opener. There’s a lot of new for the Commanders in this game. It’s the first home game for quarterback Jayden Daniels and head coach Dan Quinn.

It’s also the first game at Washington’s longtime home stadium under the Northwest Stadium moniker. The former FedEx Field was briefly called Commanders Field until the franchise reached a naming rights agreement with Northwest Federal Credit Union.

So, can Washington’s recent luck against the Giants change? New York has won eight of the previous 11 meetings. The Commanders head into this game as a slight betting favorite.

The betting odds favor Washington, and so do the experts. According to NFL Pickwatch, 81% of the expert picks favor the Commanders. It’s a different position for Washington, which was a significant underdog last week against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Tampa defeated Washington 37-20.

Do you agree with the experts? Will the Commanders finally beat the Giants this week?

Here’s what the experts are saying about Notre Dame at Purdue

Here’s what the experts say as Notre Dame looks to win a bounce-back game.

Last week, the experts (and your author) all expected Notre Dame to cruise over Northern Illinois. Well, we all have some egg on our faces after the 16-14 upset by the Huskies.

So what are the experts saying about the Fighting Irish as they prepare to play Purdue in a game that could determine their College Football Playoff fate?

CBS Sports’ Shehan Jeyarajah has the Irish winning a close game in which Purdue will cover the spread. Why? In part because Boilermakers quarterback Hudson Card could play well if the Irish can’t get pressure, and in part because the Irish might be rattled by the loss to NIU.

“Many successful coaching tenures at Purdue were highlighted with historic wins over Notre Dame, and this certainly appears to be a fallible version. If the Boilermakers can protect quarterback Hudson Card, he represents one of the best quarterbacks the Fighting Irish will defend this season. Notre Dame will pull away for a victory, but Purdue will give the Irish their best shot,” he writes.

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Who are the experts picking in Panthers vs. Saints?

Who do the experts think will draw first blood on the season in Sunday’s matchup between the Panthers and Saints?

Unfortunately, the football world won’t be too high on the Carolina Panthers right now. Between last year’s NFL-worst 2-15 record and this year’s step into a new direction, it’s fair not to put too much of an expectation on 2024.

But do at least a few folks think they can sneak one out of New Orleans to kick off the campaign?

Here are the expert picks for Week 1’s matchup between the Panthers and Saints:

USA TODAY: Saints (5-1)

Panthers (1): Chris Bumbaca

Saints (5): Jarrett Bell, Nate Davis, Tyler Dragon, Mike Middlehurst-Schwartz, Lorenzo Reyes

NFL.com: Saints (8-2)

Panthers (2): Daniel Jeremiah, Eric Edholm

Saints (8): Colleen Wolfe, Maurice Jones-Drew, Adam Rank, Marcas Grant, Bucky Brooks, Grant Gordon, Nick Shook, Kevin Patra

ESPN: Saints (8-3)

Panthers (3): Jeremy Fowler, Dan Graziano, Kimberley A. Martin

Saints (8): Stephania Bell, Matt Bowen, Mike Clay, Kalyn Kahler, Eric Moody, Jason Reid, Lindsey Thiry, Seth Wickersham

CBS Sports: Saints (5-3)

Panthers (3): Will Brinson, Jared Dubin, Tyler Sullivan

Saints (5): Pete Prisco, Ryan Wilson, John Breech, Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg

Bleacher Report: Saints (5-3)

Panthers (3): Brad Gagnon, Vince Michelino, Brent Sobleski

Saints (5): Gary Davenport, Ian Hanford, Kristopher Knox, Maurice Moton, Wes O’Donnell

Pro Football Talk: Saints (2-0)

Panthers (0):

Saints (2): Mike Florio, Chris Simms

Overall

Panthers: 12

Saints: 33

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NFL Week 1 picks: The experts overwhelmingly believe the Bucs will beat the Commanders

Can the Commanders upset the Bucs?

The Washington Commanders begin the 2024 NFL season on the road Sunday against the defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers opened as a 3.5-point favorite over the Commanders. Tampa Bay signed quarterback Baker Mayfield to an extension in the offseason after the 2018 No. 1 overall pick had his best NFL season in his first year with the Bucs.

Conversely, Washington begins a new era with No. 2 overall pick Jayden Daniels under center. There is a lot of excitement surrounding Daniels in new offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury’s offense. However, Daniels faces a stiff test against Todd Bowles’ defense.

So, who wins?

According to NFL Pickwatch, 85% of expert pickers believe the Buccaneers will defeat the Commanders.

Washington was often a huge underdog last season and would go on to lose. However, this is a different group. The Commanders have a new coaching staff, and over half of the roster is new. Can the Commanders shock the NFL world on Sunday?

Florida football seen as ‘underrated’ by CBS Sports expert

This CBS sports expert views the Gators as one of the more underrated teams in the SEC.

With the Florida football season just a little over a week away, head coach Billy Napier and his staff are putting together their final preparations as they open their season against the 19th-ranked Miami Hurricanes in the Swamp.

Despite the spotlight often shining on its SEC counterparts, the Gators can make a case as one of the conference’s most underrated teams according to CBS sports writer Richard Johnson.

Johnson predicts the Gators will finish as the eighth-best team in the SEC which is higher than where the other experts predict Florida will finish. The majority have the Gators as the 12th-best team in the SEC just behind the Auburn Tigers.

You can view CBS Sports’ SEC expert picks for the 2024 season here.

What Johnson said about the Gators

“The most popular refrain in preseason analysis this summer has been that Florida’s schedule is the hardest in college football history,” Johnson wrote. “But … what if it’s not? In a sport where top 15 teams finish unranked every single year, the odds are that we will not consider Florida’s schedule as much of a murderers row in December that we think about it as in September.”

Johnson went on to add, “Florida will also be improved enough on the line of scrimmage to be dangerous in at least some of its hardest run. They aren’t a 10-win team, but the Gators aren’t a five-win team either.”

Florida’s season opener for 2024

The Florida Gators and No. 19 Miami Hurricanes square off on Aug. 31 in Gainesville, Florida to open their schedule for the 2024 season. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC Sports.

Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.

Colts vs. Texans: NFL experts make Week 18 picks

The experts are leaning heavily to one side in Week 18.

The Indianapolis Colts (9-7) will be playing for the life of their season when they host the Houston Texans (9-7) at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night.

After Indy bounced back in a Week 17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, they are locked into a win-or-go-home game against the Texans. The winner of this game will be guaranteed at least a wild-card spot with the chance to win the division if the Tennessee Titans pull off the upset over the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Vegas has the Colts sitting as 1-point home underdogs in this matchup, according to BetMGM.

Here’s how the experts around the league see this matchup shaking out:

Expert	Pick	Score (if applicable)
Nate Davis (USA TODAY)	Texans	30-27	Link
Jarrett Bell (USA TODAY)	Texans	27-24	Link
Lorenzo Reyes (USA TODAY)	Texans	24-20	Link
Mike Clay (ESPN)	—	—	Link
Dan Graziano (ESPN)	Texans	—	Link
NFL Network	Texans	27-24	Link
Bill Bender (Sporting News)	Texans	28-20	Link
Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News)	Texans	23-20	Link
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports)	Texans	31-26	Link
Cam DaSilva (Sportsbook Wire)	Texans	—	Link
Josh Kendall (The Athletic)	Texans	—	Link

Over at Tallysight, 71% of the analysts have the Texans coming away with a road win. In terms of the 1-point spread, 24% of analysts believe the Colts will cover.

According to BetMGM, the numbers also favor the Texans. As of this writing, 72% of the bettors are taking the Texans (-120) moneyline while 42% have the Colts covering a 1-point spread (-110). Meanwhile, 52% believe the game will hit the under on a 47.5-point total (-110).

This game is for all the marbles. The winner gets into the playoffs while the loser goes home and prepares early for the offseason. The fact that both of these teams are in this situation is a testament to the new coaching staffs. At this point last season, the conversation between these two teams was about draft capital.

The Texans certainly have improved on both sides of the ball. The emergence of C.J. Stroud as one of the game’s most efficient passers has given life to the Texans offense while DeMeco Ryans’ impact on Houston’s defense should not be overlooked.

Anything can happen in this type of high-pressure game, especially between two division-mates. It should make for a fun Saturday night.

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NFL Week 17 picks: Zero experts believe the Commanders can beat the 49ers

Not one person believes the Commanders can beat the 49ers.

The Washington Commanders (4-11) host the San Francisco 49ers (11-4) on Sunday in what’s expected to be one of, if not the most lopsided matchup of Week 17.

Washington enters Sunday having lost six games in a row and is two weeks away from owner Josh Harris completely cleaning house. Meanwhile, the 49ers are arguably the best team in the NFL but head into Week 17 an angry bunch after Monday’s Christmas Day loss to the Baltimore Ravens.

As expected, the Commanders are a big underdog. San Francisco is a 14-point favorite for Sunday’s game. Additionally, Washington announced several starters would miss Sunday’s game, including three from the secondary. On Saturday, the Commanders placed left tackle Charles Leno Jr. and center Tyler Larsen on injured reserve.

Is there any chance Washington could pull off the upset?

Not according to the experts. Generally, there’s a trendy upset pick every week. According to NFL Pickwatch, that trendy upset pick will not be the Commanders, as 100% of the picks are in and all favor the 49ers.

The NFL is truly a “any given Sunday” league, but not this Sunday for Washington.

The result will likely be the same whether it’s Jacoby Brissett or Sam Howell under center for the Commanders.

Colts vs. Raiders: NFL experts make Week 17 picks

The experts have made their picks for this Week 17 matchup.

The Indianapolis Colts (8-7) are just about set to host the Las Vegas Raiders (7-8) for a crucial Week 17 matchup at Lucas Oil Stadium on Sunday.

As the Colts are looking to bounce back from arguably their worst loss of the season, the Raiders have been enjoying some success under interim head coach Antonio Pierce, most recently coming off a surprising road win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

Vegas has the Colts sitting as 3.5-point home favorites in this matchup, according to BetMGM.

Here’s how the experts around the league see this matchup shaking out:

Expert	Pick	Score (if applicable)	Link
Nate Davis (USA TODAY)	Raiders	20-17	Link
Jarrett Bell (USA TODAY)	Raiders	26-22	Link
Lorenzo Reyes (USA TODAY)	Raiders	17-15	Link
Mike Clay (ESPN)	Colts	—	Link
Dan Graziano (ESPN)	Raiders	—	Link
NFL Network	Raiders	23-20	Link
Bill Bender (Sporting News)	Raiders	24-20	Link
Vinnie Iyer (Sporting News)	Colts	17-13	Link
Pete Prisco (CBS Sports)	Raiders	23-15	Link
Cam DaSilva (Sportsbook Wire)	Raiders	—	Link
Bleacher Report	Raiders	23-21	Link

Over at Tallysight, 58% of the analysts have the Colts taking a win at home. In terms of the spread, 66% of analysts believe the Raiders will cover.

According to BetMGM, the numbers also favor the Raiders much more heavily. As of this writing, 57% of the bettors are taking the Raiders moneyline while 65% also have them covering a 3.5-point spread. Meanwhile, 65% believe the game will hit the over on a 42.5-point total.

The Colts currently hold the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoff picture and are playing for their spot as either a wild-card team or potentially as the leaders in the AFC South if things bounce their way.

Meanwhile, the Raiders suddenly find themselves clinging to slight hopes of making the playoffs considering they are 4-3 under Pierce as the interim head coach. They just got their first win on the road with him leading the team in a 20-14 upset over the Chiefs.

These two teams have played each other in each of the last five seasons with the Colts holding a 3-2 record during that span and each team trading off wins every other year.

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NFL Week 16 picks: The experts favor the Jets over Commanders

The experts believe the Jets will win, but it’s close.

The Washington Commanders are one week closer to a new era. But before the Commanders finish another disappointing season, they have three games remaining.

On Sunday, the 4-10 Commanders make their second trip to MetLife Stadium this season. Only this time, Washington faces the New York Jets. Things didn’t go well the first time, as the Commanders looked terrible in a 14-7 loss to the Giants.

The Jets are having an equally disappointing season, sitting at 5-9, but their lack of success can be blamed on losing quarterback Aaron Rodgers for the season.

Washington has lost five consecutive games and seven of eight, while New York has lost five of its last six.

The Jets are favored, but what do the experts think?

According to NFL Pickwatch, 55% of the experts have weighed in and believe the Jets, with Trevor Siemian, will defeat the Commanders.

A Washington win would feel like a loss for fans. With a new GM and coach expected, the Commanders need to pick as high as possible in the 2024 NFL draft if they plan on being in the quarterback market.

Washington currently holds the No. 4 position in the draft, with the Jets right behind at No. 5.