THE 10 BEST GAMES TO BET
BUCS at GIANTS
1 p.m., Bucs by 5 ½, 41 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: Giants fans are euphoric over the benching of Daniel Jones but let’s not forget that after the Tommy Cutlets glow faded last season, he averaged only 130 passing yards in his last three starts. We just don’t see him moving the needle. Todd Bowles will be blitzing off the bus and DeVito will get no more time behind that leaky O-line than did Jones. The Bucs may be 4-6 but they are set to make a move as they finally getting a break from their brutal schedule while getting back Mike Evans. Like the Giants, they will be coming off a much-needed bye with reinforcements arriving in the secondary. Unlike the Giants, they’re a much better team than their record.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Bucs and the under.
PATRIOTS at DOLPHINS
1 p.m., Dolphins by 7, 46
HANK’S HONEYS: The Dolphins have re-energized their playoff hopes with a path to the postseason open against some of the worst teams in the league. Enter the Patriots, who just exposed their secondary against the Rams last week. Now that Tua Tagovailoa has his timing back (the Fins have averaged 28 ppg over the last four), he should pick up where Matthew Stafford left off. Miami has covered eight straight against the Patriots, winning seven of those games SU. New England’s offense has more punch with Drake Maye at QB so we are pretty confident that this game will go over the total as well. Nevertheless, it’s a Miami rout.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Dolphins and the over.
CHIEFS at PANTHERS
1 p.m., Chiefs by 10 ½, 43
HANK’S HONEYS: The kick in the pants the Chiefs just received from the Bills should serve them well against this totally over-matched opponent. They’re now playing for home field advantage the rest of the way and the lowly Panthers, who have somehow won two straight, are the unfortunate first step in that process. Bryce Young’s biggest problem so far has been his inability to decipher defenses. Good luck with what Steve Spagnuolo can throw at him. K.C. doesn’t usually cover big spreads like this, at least not lately. They can’t help to cover in this one.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Chiefs and the over.
LIONS at COLTS
1 p.m., Lions by 7 ½, 50 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Lions are 8-2 ATS even though they are forced to cover monster spreads like this. People are trying to find reasons to bet on the Colts, i.e., it’s a flat spot for Detroit or how well Anthony Richardson played against the Jets. But Dan Campbell constantly rides herd on this team so they hardly ever experience a letdown — and he never takes his foot off the gas when he’s ahead. Jared Goff had his one putrid game when he threw five INTs against the Texans. He’s not going to have another against the seventh-worst pass defense in the NFL. Richardson is going to be forced to match points and he hasn’t shown that he’s consistent enough to do that. You’ll probably still make money betting on the Lions the rest of the year. So why fight it?
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Lions and the over.
VIKINGS at BEARS
1 p.m., Vikings by 3 ½, 39 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Vikings will be on the road for the third straight week, facing a Bears team that desperately needs a win. The Bears’ offense looked much better with Thomas Brown calling the plays against the Packers. Caleb Williams against Brian Flores’ aggressive defense is the key to the game but he has the legs to avoid the blitz and the arm to make the Vikings pay. Last week’s blowout win over the Titans was a bit of a mirage, with Tennessee being penalized 13 times to Minny’s three. Considering how good 3 ½ points have been to underdog teams this season, it’s Bears or nothing.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Bears and the over.
TEXANS at TITANS
1 p.m., Texans by 7 ½, 40 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: With the line over a TD, the Titans have to be the pick as a home divisional dog. There isn’t much left in the season for the Titans, except for this game against their divisional rivals. Odds are, they are going to give the Texans their best effort. Meanwhile, Houston is coming off its best game of the season against its in-state rivals where they made amends for blowing the previous game against the Lions. Tennessee actually has the NFL’s best pass defense based on yards per game. Will Levis has put his mind-boggling mistakes behind him and has been playing relatively well lately. In general, the Titans outplayed the Vikings last week but lost on penalties.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Titans and the over.
COWBOYS at COMMANDERS
1 p.m., Commanders by 10, 45
HANK’S HONEYS: It’s either Commanders or lay off. The Commander are on 10 days rest (that will help Jayden Daniels nurse his ribs) and the Cowboys have to travel on a short week. That’s a huge disadvantage. Then there’s the fact that the Cowboys absolutely stink. Since Dak Prescott was injured (not that he was doing much), the Cowboys have allowed over 34 points and scored under 10 points in two straight games. Washington has lost two straight games to two top teams, the Steelers and the Eagles, and is due to get back on track, especially with a chance to run it up against their biggest rival, one that may not have much left in the tank.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Commanders and the under.
49ERS at PACKERS
4:25 p.m., Packers by 1 ½, 47 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: What are we to make of the 49ers? They continue to suffer head-scratching losses, even after the return of Christian McCaffrey and it may just be time to admit that they’re just not that good. It’s a rematch from last year’s playoff, when the Packers blew a lead, but the Packers are better and the 49ers are worse. Brock Purdy, George Kittle and Brandon Aiyuk are all banged up for the Niners and keep on eye on the injury status of Nick Bosa. If he doesn’t play, it’s a big swing in the Packers’ favor, with Jordan Love trying to snap out of his slump. The under stands out here. Both offenses are struggling and both defenses rank in the league’s top 10.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Packers and the under.
CARDINALS at SEAHAWKS
4:25 p.m., Seahawks by 1 ½, 47 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: You have to believe more and more in the Cardinals, who will be seeking their fifth straight win. Above all, they are rested coming off a bye while the Seahawks are coming off an upset of the 49ers in a physical game. That sets them up for a letdown here. The Seahawks have won five straight games SU in the series but these two teams often play wacky games. Kyler Murray has never played this well in his career and, with both teams, expected to go up and down the field, we’ll go with the better offense.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Cardinals and the over.
RAVENS at CHARGERS
Monday, 8:15 p.m., Ravens by 3, 50 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Ravens have to make a coast-to-coast trip after a physical brawl with their rivals to face a team that is just as physical as the Steelers. The Chargers, with ex-Ravens everywhere, are built to beat them. They have yielded more than 20 points in a game only once — last week after building a big lead on the Bengals — and that’s because they grind teams down and control the clock. They’ll repeat that formula here to keep Lamar Jackson and his high-scoring offense on the sidelines. With the Chiefs finally losing, the Chargers have an outside chance at capturing the AFC West again. They proved their mental toughness last week against Cincy and that will serve them well here. Jim gets the better of John in this latest Harbaugh Bowl.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Chargers and the under.
LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH
EAGLES at RAMS
8:20 p.m., Eagles by 3, 49
HANK’S HONEYS: On the one hand, it’s a bad spot for the Eagles, with a coast-to-coast trip after taking control of the NFC East with two straight wins. Still, they are well-rested and playing their best football. This just looks like a game where Saquon Barkley thrives. The Eagles ran all over the Rams in last year’s meeting and that was without No. 26 in the backfield. Matthew Stafford has his full complement of receivers again and comes off a huge game in New England. But the Eagles have the best defensive numbers in the NFL since their bye under Vic Fangio, including 11 turnovers in their last four games.
CAN’T HELP YOURSELF?: Eagles and the under.
BEST OF THE REST
BRONCOS at RAIDERS
4:05 p.m., Broncos by 4 ½, 41 ½
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Broncos and the under.
* * *
WEEK’S BEST BET: Commanders. Boys will be Boys.
LAST WEEK: 6-8, 7-7 over/under
OVERALL: 74-88-4, 86-79-1 over/under
BEST BETS: 6-5
