Every Sunday, Kevin Cusick makes his predictions against the latest Las Vegas point spread, the way God intended …
Lions at Vikings (-2½)
All of Detroit was stunned last week when all-pro pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson suffered a grotesquely broken leg, ending his season. He was visibly in such excruciating pain that it’s been compared to what American voters will experience in a couple of weeks when they see the choices on their presidential ballot.
Pick: Lions by 7
Ravens at Buccaneers (+3½)
ABC is adding six additional Monday NIght Football simulcasts to its schedule over the rest of the season. The games will fill the void created when the network proved unable to greenlight the new spinoff “Terminally Ill Bachelor.”
Pick: Ravens by 7
Dolphins at Colts (-3½)
Miami coach Mike McDaniel says he does expect Tua Tagovailoa to play again during the 2024 season. What he doesn’t know is whether his quarterback will next be knocked out by a crushing tackle, a hard fall or a stiff breeze of autumn wind.
Pick: Colts by 7
Raiders at Rams (-5½)
New part owner Tom Brady is going to have a “prominent voice” in Raiders decisions, according to majority owner Mark Davis. That’s not too encouraging for fans who have already tired of hearing Brady’s voice on FOX broadcasts.
Pick: Rams by 7
Jets at Steelers (pick ‘em)
New York traded for wideout Davante Adams after they lost to Buffalo in another mediocre performance by Aaron Rodgers. While their NFL playoff chances may be fading, the quarterback is likely to land the Jets an at-large berth in the next Sarcastaball tournament.
Pick: Jets by 3
Patriots vs. Jaguars (-5½)
Embattled Jacksonville coach Doug Pederson says his Jags need a culture change after losing for the 10th time in their past 12 games. Shahid Khan’s team now ranks as the third biggest disaster to hit Florida, trailing only Milton and Helene.
Pick: Jaguars by 3
Bengals at Browns (+4½)
Cleveland traded away star receiver Amari Cooper to Buffalo. It was a very poignant farewell ceremony in the Browns’ locker room Tuesday when Cooper’s quarterback, Deshaun Watson, handed him, as a going-away present: a gift certificate from Massage Envy.
Pick: Bengals by 7
Eagles at Giants (+3½)
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni apologized after ripping Philadelphia fans after their narrow win over Cleveland last Sunday. It’s a smart move since Sirianni will be depending on those same folks for tips in his next job driving for Door Dash.
Pick: Eagles by 7
Chiefs at 49ers (-1½)
These familiar foes meet again in a rematch of Super Bowls LIV and LVIII. This regular season matchup will likely be far different than those two games in that its highly unlikely the Niners will ever build a double-digit lead.
Pick: Chiefs by 3
Seahawks at Falcons (-3½)
Atlanta this week was awarded Super Bowl LXII in 2028 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. So it’s even money on what Falcons fans will see first: the Super Bowl in their own home stadium, or Michael Penix playing in a game.
Pick: Falcons by 1
Other games
Panthers at Commanders (-7½):
Pick: Commanders by 7
Titans at Bills (-8½):
Pick: Bills by 7
Texans at Packers (-2½):
Pick: Texans by 3
Chargers at Cardinals (+2½):
Pick: Cardinals by 3
Bye week
Cowboys, Bears
Record
***Week 6
13-1 straight up
12-2 vs. spread
*** Not a typo … Just a Nostradamus-like weekend
Season
59-33 straight up (.641)
54-38 vs. spread (.587)
All-time (2003-24)
3,690-2053-14
straight up (.643)
2,814-2799-144
vs. spread (.501)
You can hear Kevin Cusick on Wednesdays on Bob Sansevere’s “BS Show” podcast on iTunes. You can follow Kevin on Twitter — @theloopnow. He can be reached at kcusick@pioneerpress.com.