NFL Afternoon Tea – AFC Teams to Light up the Board

Houston Ready to Unleash Against Detroit

Houston got on the right track last weekend, correcting for a flurry of defensive miscues and offensive stumblings. Matt Schaub willed the Texans to a gutsy win over the surprising Miami Dolphins after throwing two early picks. He ended the game with 379 yards and two touchdowns. Schaub’s load gets a lot lighter when he faces a paper thin Detroit defense.

And now that Roy Williams is off to cause problems in the delinquency of Dallas’s roster, the Lions have one lone offensive threat with no quarterback to throw to him. Calvin Johnson may be a superstar in the making, but he’s going to have to get his hands on the ball first. With an extinct rushing attack, Detroit doesn’t stand a chance on the road, which they’ve proven by going 1-6 ATS in their last 7 games on the road.

NFL Free Picks: Houston -9.5 (UNDER 47))

Browns To Keep Momentum Going On The Road

It took nearly two months, but Derek Anderson has finally gotten his groove back. The Browns sunk to a 2-3 SU record, but rewarded their few betting faithful by stunning the Giants at Browns Stadium. Cleveland is now 12-4 ATS and was able to drop 33-points after averaging 16.2 points this season. Against a Washington pass defense that is known for its mistakes, Derek Anderson has the chance to keep the momentum going.

I never trusted Washington from the get go. And a loss to the woeful Rams doesn’t help instill any betting faith from me. Washington is 4-1 SU and ATS in their last 5 games at home, and Clinton Portis has a nagging hip injury. On top of that Fred Smoot and Charles Rogers, the stud corners for the Skins, are both dealing with lower body injuries that could prevent them from properly containing Braylon Edwards.

Washington has done a nice job of rewarding their betting investors this season, but I have a hunch that Cleveland is starting to pull it together. They’ll carry a 2-0 ATS winning streak in to Washington, and keep that momentum train rolling.

NFL Free Picks: Cleveland +7.5 (OVER 42)

Jets To Crush Raiders (No Surprise There)

If Lane Kiffen gets to file a grievance, then the Raiders’ fans should too. This team has been mulling in mediocrity for quite some time and it’s no surprise that they can’t string a series of wins together without keeping a good head coach employed. The Jets will be looking to maintain a 4-1 ATS road record going when they visit Oakland. The Jets are unhappily 2-3-1 ATS in their last 6 games when visiting the Raiders.

But what is going to inspire you in this game to bet on Oakland? They’re 2-5 ATS in their last 7 games and the coach is calling for the heads of Javon Walker and Ronald Curry, who have “helped” the Raiders average 141.0 passing yards. Even a genetic mutant like Russell can’t overcome receivers running poor routes.

Brett Favre has always had big games against Oakland, as many can remember his monster performance following the death of his father. Expect him to experience the same comfort level against a Raiders defense that allows 233.8 passing yards a game, while Thomas Jones gets to unload early and often against a rush defense that gives up 115.2 yards against.