THE 10 BEST GAMES TO BET
EAGLES at GIANTS
1 p.m., Eagles by 3 ½, 43 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The under is the play with both defensive units better. We’re not impressed with the Eagles’ inconsistent offense, and they now must contend with a Giants defense that is suddenly looking like a force. They should be rallying to the ball all night against old friend turned foe Saquon Barkley. Philly has been great on third down since Jalen Hurts became the QB. Not this season. The Eagles are converting at a 40% rate. Third and long could be a disaster for them. At the same time, Vic Fangio’s defense has been coming along now that it has had several weeks to adjust to Fangio’s scheme. The Giants’ O-line now has a big hole at left tackle with the irreplaceable Andrew Thomas out for the season. That’s going to speed up Daniel Jones’ reads, and we’ve all seen what calamities that can bring. All that said, neither side is likely to break this game open. As long as the hook is out there, grab it. This very well could be a field goal game.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Giants and the under.
JETS at STEELERS
8:20 p.m., Jets by 1 ½, 38
HANK’S HONEYS: Here’s an alarming stat for all those people who are throwing money at the Jets after the Davante Adams trade: The Jets are 0-13-1 SU in their last 14 games after playing the Bills. Adams isn’t a miracle worker, and the reason Rodgers can’t connect downfield is simple. Rodgers can’t escape the pass rush like he once did. Pass protection has become a Jets Achilles heel. Now, with Alex Highsmith returning, Rodgers will be up against two-headed monster with T.J. Watt on the other side. Russell Wilson replaces Justin Field this week and we have no idea how that’s going to work out. But Mike Tomlin is going to turn this into a typical Steelers game. That’s how they win games. The Jets may think they can play that way but they’re less suited to playing power football. They may have rushed for 112 yards last week, but the Steelers are a different animal than the Bills.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Steelers and the under
PATRIOTS vs JAGUARS in LONDON
9:30 a.m., Jags by 5 ½, 42 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: There’s wind and rain in the London forecast. If that holds up, it’s a strong bet to the under. The Pats always try to shorten the game given their offensive deficiencies while the Jags offense keeps beating itself with mistakes. While you may have to force yourself to give this many points in a game between two 1-5 teams, the Jaguars clearly have more offensive ability as well as the healthier roster. New England’s O-line is in shambles, and they’ll be without RB Rhamondre Stevenson. Jerod Mayo is trying to shake things up by making changes in the starting lineup, but at the same time this team doesn’t have that old Patriots vibe. The Jaguars should benefit from being in London for two weeks as opposed to the Patriots’ travel.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Jaguars and the under.
DOLPHINS at COLTS
1 p.m., Colts by 3 ½, 43
HANK’S HONEYS: The Colts could be caught looking past the lowly Fish toward their showdown with the rival Texans next week. Meanwhile, the Dolphins have had the bye game to sort out their issues, heal a few injuries and give Tyler Huntley more work in the offense. Outside of Tua Tagovailoa, the Dolphins are fully healthy. After getting the win before the bye, and with Tua’s return on the horizon, they can start to feel some optimism. Anthony Richardson seems to be on track to return at QB for the Colt, but Indianapolis may not have Jonathan Taylor (ankle) or Michael Pittman (back). Both absences would be critical. The Miami secondary is adept at limiting big plays, which is Richardson’s strength. It’s imperative, then, that the Colts be able to run the ball to avoid third-and-long situations. We also like the over here. Indy’s defense hasn’t stopped anyone.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Dolphins and the over.
BENGALS at BROWNS
1 p.m., Bengals by 4 ½, 43 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Browns may be going through a losing season, but this is their Super Bowl. The Bengals are hanging on to their playoff hopes by a whisker and the Browns have a chance to take their rivals down to their hopeless depths. The Browns get three key players back this week, starting with RB Nick Chubb, who plays after a year and a half absence, and their two starting safeties, Grant Delpit and Juan Thornhill. Deshaun Watson has been a disaster, but he’s also had to perform without a running game. Chubb’s presence against what had been a soft defense before last week, will alleviate some pressure. The Bengals have lost six straight games in Cleveland, even with Joe Burrow and that explosive offense. The reason? The Browns’ defense. Burrow’s offense line, which sprung all sorts of leaks against the Giants, can’t block Myles Garrett. That defense will be pumped this week. The points are a steal.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Browns and the under.
LIONS at VIKINGS
1 p.m., Vikings by 1 ½, 49 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Vikings have to lose at some point, and this is their most difficult test to date. It could have been a letdown spot for the Lions after mopping up the Cowboys, but how do you not get up for this one, especially since it’s the Lions’ first NFC North game? There’s something about the Vikings’ play lately that has you being a little more cautious. They could have easily lost to the Jets in London. Brian Flores, as always, is going to blitz off the bus but Jared Goff ( 27-9 ATS indoors with Detroit) has a lot of outlet options, as well as the league’s best O-line. If Detroit’s game plan is as creative as it was last week in Dallas, it’s the Vikings defense that could be on their heels. The Lions are always an easy over bet when they play indoors, even moreso with the loss of Aidan Hutchinson, who had half their sacks and pressures. Both defenses are going to have issues trying to hold down the opposing attacks.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Lions and the over.
SEAHAWKS at FALCONS
1 p.m., Falcons by 2 ½, 50 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: We like the Seahawks to use their 10 days of rest to get right. They’ve lost three straight after a hot start but they are better than they have played and will be motivated. No so much Atlanta, as well as its offense has played. It’s just a flat spot in the Falcons’ schedule. They have played three straight divisional games (following a prime time date with the Chiefs) and have the divisional rival Bucs on deck. Geno Smith has been under siege lately, but the Falcons don’t rush the passer well and that will give him more time to stretch the field with DK Metcalf. The Falcons rank 31st in third down defense and are 26th in stopping the run so there will be opportunities for Kenneth Walker to get going.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Seahawks and the under.
TITANS at BILLS
1 p.m., Bills by 8 ½, 41 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Bills were lucky to beat the Jets last week and the stats don’t bear out giving this many points. With the short week, they are playing their fourth game in three weeks and fatigue could be a factor in any possible blowout. Will Levis is an obvious liability for the Titans at QB but their defense is still playing well. They are allowing a league-low 4.3 yards per play while excelling on third down and in the red zone. The Amari Cooper trade gives Josh Allen a true No. 1 receiver, but it doesn’t change much here. He’s going to need more than one week to integrate himself. The Bills did blow out the Jaguars in a prime time home game but the Jags quit that night. The Titans are still playing hard.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Titans and the over.
RAIDERS at RAMS
4:05 p.m., Rams by 5 ½, 43 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The bye week really helps the Rams here. Their O-line and D is getting back their health. Good coaches always use it as a chance to retool and Sean McVay is a good coach. Cooper Kupp has a chance to return this week and that will give Matthew Stafford, who has played phenomenally well despite so many missing pieces. He’s got to be feeling good watching the Las Vegas defense in the film room. The Raiders appear to be in a downward spiral with two straight blowouts. It’s time to fade them. The Davante Adams trade can’t help morale and owner Mark Davis has had to shut down trade rumors involving Maxx Crosby. It’s just too much of a perfect rebound situation for the Rams.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Rams and the under.
RAVENS at BUCS
Monday, 8:15 p.m., Ravens by 3 ½, 48 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: This should be an emotional game for the entire Tampa Bay area after Hurricane Milton’s wrath, with the night providing some welcome relief from the devastation. Put a gritty guy like Baker Mayfield into that environment and he’s going to produce. The Ravens’ defense hasn’t been the same stop unit of recent years and there will be opportunities to go toe to toe with Lamar Jackson, who has been murder against the NFC. This Ravens offense is crazy dangerous now between Jackson and Derrick Henry, but the one team whose middle you don’t want to test is Tampa Bay with Vita Vea at DT and Lavonte David at linebacker. Both the Ravens and Bucs have been over teams and with the total under 50, we’re leaning on that trend to continue.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Bucs and the over.
LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH
CHIEFS at 49ERS
4:25 p.m., Niners by 1 ½, 47 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: Both teams come into this Super Bowl rematch with extra rest, the Chiefs off the bye, and the Niners off a Thursday nighter. Usually, going with Andy Reid off the bye is an automatic bet. Plus, Patrick Mahomes is 11-1-1 ATS as a regular season underdog and 4-0 SU against San Fran with two wins in the Super Bowl. On the other hand, this is a much bigger game for the 49ers. They’ve got to make up some ground for playoff seeding in addition to the revenge angle and the chance to knock off an unbeaten team. The over seems like the better bet. We love what Brock Purdy has been doing but the 49ers defense has been leaky. This could be more of a shootout.
CAN’T HELP YOURSELF?: 49ers and the over.
BEST OF THE REST
TEXANS at PACKERS
1 p.m., Packers by 2 ½, 47 ½
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Packers and the over.
COMMANDERS at PANTHERS
4:05 p.m., Commanders by 7 ½, 52
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Commanders and the over.
CHARGERS at CARDINALS
Monday, 9 p.m., Chargers by 2 ½, 43 ½
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Chargers and the under.
* * *
WEEK’S BEST BET: Lions. Better team wins.
LAST WEEK: 7-6-1, 6-8 over/under
OVERALL: 41-48-3, 48-43-1 over/under
BEST BETS: 3-3
