Week 5 was my best week yet. Some big underdog picks paid off (Bears, Raiders) and brought me a 10-4 record for Week 5. This coming week is a big one, as teams look to be settling in, and many games have that make or break feel. Let's get to the picks.
Season Record: 46-31
49ers Picks Record: 2-3
Best & Worst Picks of Week 5
My Best Pick: Raiders 31 - Chiefs 28
Final Score: Raiders 40 - Chiefs 32
My Worst Pick: Jaguars 26 - Texans 21
Final Score: Texans 30 - Jaguars 14
Week 6 Predictions
Bears @ Panthers (-2.5) - Neither team is as good as its record, but Panthers win at home Panthers 24 - Bears 23
Browns @ Steelers (-3.5) - Browns force Ben to turn it over, OBJ shines again Browns 27 - Steelers 24
Packers @ Buccaneers (+1.5) - Brady hands Rodgers and the Packers their first loss Bucs 31 - Packers 16
Chiefs @ Bills (+3.5) - The Bills shock the Chiefs and hand them their 2nd straight loss Bills 44 - Chefs 27
Jets @ Dolphins (-8) - And just like that, the Dolphins are back to .500 Dolphins 37 - Jets 6
Texans @ Titans (-5.5) - Titans pull it out in OT on a huge Henry run Titans 23 - Texans 17
Ravens @ Eagles (+8) - With fans in stands, Eagles get the upset of the week Eagles 31 - Ravens 27
Broncos @ Patriots (-9) - Whoever is QB, it won't matter Patriots 19 - Broncos 15
Bengals @ Colts (-8) - Colts defense is too much for a competitive Burrow Colts 26 - Bengals 23
Washington @ Giants (-3) - Alex Smith gets a heart-warming win here WFT 13 - Giants 10
Lions @ Jaguars (-3) - Can't pretend to care Lions 20 - Jaguars 17
Falcons @ Vikings (-3) - Talent alone wins the day here Vikings 37 - Falcons 20
Cardinals @ Cowboys (+2.5) - Cowboys receivers are too much for Cards secondary Cowboys 28 - Cardinals 20
Rams @ 49ers (+3.5)
Why SF Wins: The 49ers' chances rely completely on who is standing behind center come Sunday night. If the 49ers have a healthy Jimmy Garoppolo under center their chances of winning this game increase exponentially. That won't be enough to win, though. The 49ers must figure out a way to protect Garoppolo and slow down the passing game of the LA Rams. Prior to Week 5, the 49ers defense was a bright spot of a dismal 2020 season. If the defense can be the same defense from Weeks 1-4, the 49ers have a shot at keeping pace with a tough Rams squad. The 49ers must enter this game with confidence and urgency. Unlike their previous 3 home games, the 49ers cannot sluggishly take the field and just hope to win. If the 49ers can start fast, keep Jimmy Garoppolo upright and apply pressure to Rams QB Jared Goff, they could steal this game from their division rival.
Why SF Loses: The Rams are playing much better football than the 49ers right now. Aaron Donald is the perfect defender to abuse a bad offensive line and the 49ers have one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL. The Rams offense is guided by an intelligent play caller who can find the holes in a bad defense and exploit them consistently. On top of all these logical reasons why the 49ers will lose, the intangibles are working against them as well. The 49ers have looked like world-beaters when they're on the road (2-0, beating the Jets and Giants to the total of 67-22). Unfortunately this prime time battle is at Levi's Stadium. Also, the 49ers have zero chance to win if C.J. Beathard is playing QB.
Prediction: If Garoppolo plays he can silence all the doubters in prime time. If he doesn't, the 49ers will have fallen to 2-4 before the kickoff. It's going to be a difficult game no matter how you slice it, but pardon me for not having faith in this current coaching staff. Rams 27- 49ers 20