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Each week during the pro football season, Covers Expert Art Aronson of AAA Sports looks at the NFL odds and tells you which spread to bet now, which one to bet later, and which total to watch as the week plays out.
Game to bet now
Minnesota at Carolina (+3)
While Carson Wentz and the Eagles were hogging all the headlines the Vikings were quietly going about their business, and now Minnesota may be close to closing in on the No. 1 playoff seed in the NFC. If the Vikes can get it done this Sunday, they have very winnable games (Cincinnati, Green Bay, Chicago) over the last three weeks. First things first, though, and they need to avoid getting tripped up in Carolina, where the 8-4 Panthers – one game behind NFC South leader New Orleans - have motivation of their own. This game has already moved from Carolina +1 to Carolina +3, but barring injury news out of either camp is unlikely to change a second time.
Game to wait on
Green Bay at Cleveland (+3.5)
Incredibly, the Browns have scored more than 18 points in a game only twice this season, which has rendered moot some halfway decent defensive efforts. This might be the Browns’ last, best shot at a win this season, so if the offense has any tricks left, it would be a good opportunity to show them against a Green Bay team that is ranked 24th defensively and has been under stress and playing constantly from behind ever since Aaron Rodgers broke his collarbone in Week 5. Green Bay is still drawing early money from bettors who think that the Browns might have called it quits, and if the public continues to go hard on the Packers through mid-week, it could push the line to 4.
Total to watch
Dallas at New York Giants (41.5)
Eli was in, then he was out, and now he’s back in again and the coach and GM in New York are out. Just another day at the races in Gotham, where the Giants will try to figure things out over the final month of what has been a lost season. The Giants were one of the worst offensive teams in the league while Eli was playing, and the Geno Smith experiment didn’t work. And now here come the Cowboys, who saved what little playoff hopes they have by torching Washington for 38 after failing to score in double figures in their three previous games. At this point who has any idea what’s going on in Dallas?
