NFL Best Bets for Week 7
October 20th 2018 - Old Man Winner

NE -3 at Chi

I'm Just Not There Yet . . .

When handicapping games, you have to fight the urge of always assuming the good teams will continue being good and the bad teams bad. If you don't do that you will always be chasing the past. However, some weeks its hard to see that the likes of Green Bay or Pittsburgh just aren't what they were last year. Or that Cleveland or Miami can be very good on any given week. However, this week, I just can't get past these teams and their past.

I get why the Bears deserve the respect that they are now receiving with a much improved defense, a lot more weapons on offense, and a young, rapidly improving quarterback. But only getting 3 points against the perennial monsters from New England? I'm just not ready to swallow that!

We're not in weeks 1-4 anymore, when the Pats are in pre-season mode where they test players and schemes. No, we're almost to the midway point in the season. The point where Hoodie/Brady start to hone in on things and their winning cadence begins to solidify. And they are at full strength with Edelman back in the mix, Sony Michel coming into his own, and Josh Gordon starting to learn the offense.

The Bears may give them a game and I'd feel much better about it if Khalil Mack was 100%, but he's banged up and even if he plays, he will likely not be at 100%. I expect the Bears to hang for about a half or so before the Pats make their halftime adjustments and pull away.

NE 31 Chi 20