Hale's NFL Picks

Week 8 Picks

• Jacksonville - 1.5: Poor poor St. Louis. They've had their little butts kicked the past two games, and they finally face someone who they can handle, right? This Ram squad isn't a whole lot better than the lowly Jets, who Jacksonville just beat by 4 last week. The Rams, meanwhile, haven't covered since Week 1, against the Bengals in St. Louis. The Rams are also 1-10 in the underdog role, and are 6-13 overall against a team that just won. As an underdog, the Rams are 2-7 after two straight losses, and 1-7 after consecutive fails. The Rams don't have the statistical edge in any category. Meanwhile, the Jaguars have averaged 333 yards per game, and will face a defense that allows 340 (29th in NFL) in a rollicking victory.

• Houston + 1: Pittsburgh doesn't do well as a RoadFav: 0-5 when the spread is tight, 0-7 when the defense is decent. Houston is 13-4 as an underdog, including 6-0 when the spread is tight and 7-2 after a cover. HomeDogs who've won 2 straight and were RoadDogs the week before cover two-thirds of the time, going back 15 years. The Steelers have the edge in offensive matchups, and should make this a game. However, Hale expects the Oilers to want this one more after losing to Pittsburgh 16-30 in Week 5 as the Steelers might be a bit complacent with their recent winning ways. Houston wins outright.

Thursday's Pick

• Kansas City - 8.5: "The Chiefs are coming off of back-to-back losses for the first time since late 1994, and these Seahawks should be good for their morale, but not as good as the bye week to heal nagging injuries." Result: KC gets back on track with a convincing 18-point drubbing of the penalized and sacked Seahawks, 34-16.

As you probably already know, past success is not a guarantee of future results. While many hours of preparation and research go into each week's picks, Hale provides no warranty, implied or express, for their success. And anyone who can guarantee you a win is either lying or has ties to organized crime.