Vegas Dave's Oakland @ San Diego Pick
I'd advise staying away, but here's my take;
Oakland (+9.5) @ San Diego (-9.5)
When the NFL network decided to start broadcasting games on Thursday nights, it upset a lot of fans that didn't have the network, because it forced them to either miss the game or go to a bar/restaurant to watch it. Tonight, fans without NFL network are the lucky ones. Us poor saps that have it will be forced to watch at least parts of this game, and it will be ugly. There really isn't any way to know which way this game is going to go because it is impossible to know who will show up. For Oakland, last week's fake punt blunder that cost them the game was the type of deflating moment that very well could be the moment that the team just gave up on the rest of the season. For San Diego, I'd love to play the "must win at home" card, but vs. Indy two weeks ago was the same thing, and last week against Atlanta was DEFINITELY the same thing. The team just hasn't responded. People keep waiting for San Diego to "wake up", but after 12 games, its about time to accept that this team is what it is and they aren't miraculously going to turn into a playoff contender overnight. I'm going to take Oakland here simply because I believe they are receiving too many points. For San Diego the motivation is obviously must win for a playoff spot, but that same motivation hasn't helped them with losses in 5 of their last 6 games (and their only win a 1 point victory over Kansas City). As for Oakland, they might mail in the season, but they might also look at this as an opportunity to do a few things. One, they have been the doormat of the AFC West for years now, but this year they got wins @KC and @Den. A win @SD means they split against division rivals, a huge stepping stone into next season. Two, a win here gives them the same record as the Chargers, another impressive feat even if it is a dismal record. Lastly, they can put an end to a hated rival's playoff hopes by beating them for the first time in 5 years. All that, I believe, is more than enough reason to take the 9.5 points over a team that has shown no heart in "must win" situations all year.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego
Good luck!
Oakland (+9.5) @ San Diego (-9.5)
When the NFL network decided to start broadcasting games on Thursday nights, it upset a lot of fans that didn't have the network, because it forced them to either miss the game or go to a bar/restaurant to watch it. Tonight, fans without NFL network are the lucky ones. Us poor saps that have it will be forced to watch at least parts of this game, and it will be ugly. There really isn't any way to know which way this game is going to go because it is impossible to know who will show up. For Oakland, last week's fake punt blunder that cost them the game was the type of deflating moment that very well could be the moment that the team just gave up on the rest of the season. For San Diego, I'd love to play the "must win at home" card, but vs. Indy two weeks ago was the same thing, and last week against Atlanta was DEFINITELY the same thing. The team just hasn't responded. People keep waiting for San Diego to "wake up", but after 12 games, its about time to accept that this team is what it is and they aren't miraculously going to turn into a playoff contender overnight. I'm going to take Oakland here simply because I believe they are receiving too many points. For San Diego the motivation is obviously must win for a playoff spot, but that same motivation hasn't helped them with losses in 5 of their last 6 games (and their only win a 1 point victory over Kansas City). As for Oakland, they might mail in the season, but they might also look at this as an opportunity to do a few things. One, they have been the doormat of the AFC West for years now, but this year they got wins @KC and @Den. A win @SD means they split against division rivals, a huge stepping stone into next season. Two, a win here gives them the same record as the Chargers, another impressive feat even if it is a dismal record. Lastly, they can put an end to a hated rival's playoff hopes by beating them for the first time in 5 years. All that, I believe, is more than enough reason to take the 9.5 points over a team that has shown no heart in "must win" situations all year.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego
Good luck!