Each week Arif Hasan of the Daily Norseman and Mario Mergola of XN Sports/AOL.com make their picks on NFL Pickwatch. Arif is one of the best straight up pickers in 2015, residing in the top 30, while Mario is in the top 5 of our Against the Spread standings after winning last year.
If you agree or disagree, make your own picks right here.
You can see the Week 10 Against the Spread Picks here
Straight Up Picks
Arif Hasan
Arif Hasan has been writing about the Vikings and NFL for four years and has had his work in the LA Times, International Business Times, Forbes, MSN, Star Tribune, Bleacher Report, and various other outlets. You can find his work at the Daily Norseman or his podcast (Norse Code).
Mario Mergola
Mario Mergola is a writer for XN Sports, featured on AOL Sports. He finished first in NFL Pickwatch's standings for picks against the spread throughout the regular season and playoffs in 2015, and he specializes in finding upsets and trap games. If you wish to view Mario's ATS picks, please click here
Matchup
The Pick
The Verdict
The Pick
The Verdict
BUF vs NYJ
Tyrod Taylor returning as the starting quarterback has should revive Buffalo, but it will be a close one—with NYJ carrying the advantage at the line and playing at home.
When former head coach Rex Ryan comes to town, he will be looking for revenge against his previous employer. So will they. Rex's decision to name IK Enemkpali as a captain for the game is not only another cheap shot at the Jets, but an admittance that his Bills simply aren't good enough to win without external influences.
DET vs GB
This shouldn't be particularly close and with GB's only losses to undefeated teams, a struggling 1-7 Lions team with a bad offense and defense will not keep up.
If losing back-to-back games seemed unlikely for the Packers, then dropping a third consecutive contest - especially to the one-win Lions - appears impossible. Like division teams tend to do, Detroit will make it tough, but the Packers will be prepared to use brute force, if necessary.
DAL vs TB
Dallas is still waiting on Tony Romo, but Dez Bryant's return will help against one of the worst defenses in the NFL. A punishing OL and revived defense will allow Dallas to control the game.
Surely, the Cowboys must believe that, if they were ever to win a game without Tony Romo, this would be the one. But, isn't Tampa Bay thinking basically the same thing, just in reverse? The Buccaneers have played far better of late than their 3-5 record suggests, and were a last-second, crazy touchdown away from playing their fourth consecutive one-score game. Tampa Bay breaks through on Sunday.
CAR vs TEN
Carolina may have "proved" themselves, but they really wouldn't have needed to in order to enter the game as heavy favorites. With that defense and Cam playing as well as he has, Tennessee doesn't stand much of a chance.
Even including the game against the Packers, nearly everything has been wrapped up in a gift for Carolina. With a first-half schedule that currently does not include a team with a winning record, and three straight home games, the Panthers actually face a tough task, even if only due to the change in routine. The Panthers still outslug the Titans, but they aren't as clean as their record.
CHI vs STL
Chicago is playing better than most people expected, and Cutler is leading that charge. But St. Louis is as well, and their defense is crushing. With their defensive ends returning, it will be tough to get much going in the passing game.
The Rams are exactly what their record infers - an average team capable of playing well at a given time. When they host a Bears team that has steadily been improving, the Rams will make another push towards the upper half of the league.
NO vs WAS
It is possible that one could have picked the other way in a different part of the season, but both the Saints' defense and offense have picked up from where they were and Washington's units have gone in the other direction. For now, both sets of moves look to sustain themselves.
In the end, the 2015 Saints are still the 2015 Saints. That is, another disappointment. While the Saints struggle with their identiy, the Redskins quietly play solid football, and go unnoticed throughout the league. They make a statement on Sunday.
MIA vs PHI
The Dan Campbell Tour goes to Philadelphia, a team that is fundamentally difficult to figure out. Nevertheless, a functional offense with surprising playmakers on defense should allow the home team to press its advantage.
The Eagles continue to hint that they are on the verge of putting it all together, only to stumble along the way. If Philadelphia wants to make a legitamate move to the top of the division, games aganst the Dolphins, Buccaneers, and Lions are crucial.
CLE vs PIT
Ben Roethlisberger is back, though he doesn't look like he did at the beginning of the season. Luckily, Cleveland will help him get there. Despite Cleveland's advantage in the trenches, Pittsburgh outpaces them everywhere else.
After a while, the Pittsburgh Steelers have to see their record suffer. The injuries continue to pile up, and the Steelers have done an admirable job surviving, so far, but it cannot continue forever. Factor in that Cleveland had been playing well prior to Josh McCown's injury in Week 7, and you have the recipe for a division upset.
JAX vs BAL
The Ravens are a much worse team than they're given credit for and the Jaguars are a little better than nationally perceived. Still, this was a tough matchup to pick, and Baltimore has performed better against tougher opponents than Jacksonville has. Until the Jaguars can pull all of the pieces together and play to their talent, they don't deserve the benefit of the doubt, especially on the road.
If the Baltimore Ravens cannot return from a bye week and beat the Jaguars at home, they might as well end the season now. Granted, Jacksonville is better than a 2-6 squad, but Baltimore historically performs well when it needs a victory to stay alive.
MIN vs OAK
This may depend entirely on Teddy Bridgewater passing concussion protocols, which he's well on his way doing, but the more important matchup may be Derek Carr and Latavius Murray against a stellar but injured Vikings defense. Both are playing lights out, but don't be surprised if Carr and Murray put up more points than the Vikings do on the road.
The Raiders are good. The Vikings are better. As Oakland returns home from a tough loss in Pittsburgh, the Vikings travel west in an attempt to secure another win before its divisional showdown against the Packers. Minnesota hasn't fallen into a 6-2 record by accident, and its stingy pass defense is a bad matchup for the Raiders' offense.
NE vs NYG
New England is on a tear and they seem to be getting better. New York is generally hard to predict, but betting against a team quietly putting up some of the best offensive numbers in history with solid defense is foolish.
For a non-conference game, New England has a lot to avenge when it travels to MetLife Stadium to play the Giants - two Super Bowl losses and the end of a perfect season. Clearly, New York has played the Patriots well, and most of the key pieces are still in place - namely, the head coach and quarterback. With that, another competitive game should be in the works, but the Patriots are simply too powerful to lose, right now.
KC vs DEN
Denver's defense is stifling and their offense is functioning, while Kansas City can't say the same despite the talent they have throughout their defensive corps. This should be an easy win for the Broncos
Not only might the Chiefs be turning their season around, but they return from their bye week after back-to-back wins and have two weeks to prepare for revenge against their rivals in Denver. After losing an absolute heart-breaker in Week 2, the Chiefs have the recipe to beat the Broncos, and the hunger to unleash it.
ARZ vs SEA
The last time Carson Palmer played in Seattle, he won—and Seattle's home record isn't as sacrosanct as it used to be after the loss to Carolina. The Seahawks may have more talent than their .500 record shows, but it won't bear out with a win against Arizona unless their offensive line suddenly becomes good. Unlikely.
The Seahawks simply do not lose at home in primetime. The Cardinals may be the favorite to emerge from the NFC West, but Arizona's six wins have come against teams currently with losing records. If Seattle wants to enjoy the same success it has seen in recent years, it starts with a win on Sunday Night Football.
HOU vs CIN
There are a lot of matchups this week where one of the best teams in the NFL takes it to one of the worst. I don't expect Cincinnati to fold under the bright lights like we did in years past and I don't expect Houston to have the capabilities of taking advantage of any mistakes.
How long can we expect the winning to continue? More accurately, how long can we expect the dominant winning to continue? The Bengals are easily a class above the Texans, but Cincinnati looks like it might be entering cruise control with an 8-0 record. Their superior talent earns the Bengals a win, but we might be watching a 'letdown' game, regardless.
Week
1-0
Week
0-1
Season
87-46 65%
Season
80-53 60%
