Free NFL Picks For Today, Saturday 8/17/2024
Atlanta Falcons vs. Baltimore Ravens NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Falcons at Ravens—Atlanta comes off the 20-13 road defeat at Miami. Rookie Michael Penix had a good showing hitting 9 of 16 for 104 yards. Nathan Rourke and Taylor Heinicke were ineffective. They converted only 2 of 17 on third down and finished with 226 yards. The Falcons allowed 265 yards to the Dolphins with only 12 of 33 passing. Baltimore fell 16-13 at home to Philadelphia. Josh Johnson went 4 of 12 for 62 yards. Devin Leary hit 6 of 10 for 37 yards. The Ravens finished with 11 first downs and went 2 of 12 on third down finishing with 164 yards. Baltimore allowed 259 yards to the Eagles with 146 rushing yards with 3.8 yards a carry.
The Pick:
Lamar Jackson will sit as will the rest of the starters. Josh Johnson, Devin Leary and Emory Jones will get a look here. Michael Penix is expected to see the bulk of the action for Atlanta. Behind him are Taylor Heinicke and John Paddock. Will give the edge at quarterback to the Falcons here. They may surround Penix with some starters. Play Atlanta +1.
New York Giants vs. Houston Texans NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Giants at Texans—New York comes off the 13-3 home win to Detroit in their opener. Tommy Devito was 8 of 15 for 92 yards. Drew Lock hit 4 of 10 for 95 yards and an interception. They ran effectively for 155 yards averaging 5.7 yards a carry and two touchdowns. They limited the Lions to 228 yards with 5 of 17 on third down and four sacks. Houston defeated Pittsburgh 20-12 on the road. CJ Stroud saw limited work, going 2 of 4 for 41 yards and a touchdown. Davis Mills hit 8 of 13 for 89 yards. Case Keenum and Tim Boyle saw limited work. Houston allowed 344 yards to the Steelers but only 2 of 9 conversions on third down.
The Pick:
Houston head coach Ryans stated to the media that he will play starters in this their third preseason game. There is a battle for the backup job with Davis Mills and Case Keenum competing. Tim Boyle is also on the roster. Daniel Jones is expected to see some action. Drew Lock is banged up and Tommy DeVito may see the bulk of the action here. Ryans is 3-1 to the spread in preseason and would be 4-1 if they held their big lead against the Bears should the game resumed. The Texans defense and the backup QB battle the key here. Play Houston -2.5.
Cincinnati Bengals vs. Chicago Bears NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Bengals at Bears—Cincinnati drops a 17-14 decision at home to Tampa Bay. Joe Burrow went 5 of 7 for 51 yards and a touchdown. Jake Browning was 10 of 18 for 52 yards. Logan Woodside converted 8 of 12 for 149 yards and a touchdown. They rushed for only 36 yards. Cincinnati gave up 390 yards to Tampa Bay with 254 passing and 136 on the ground. Chicago beat Buffalo 33-6 on the road. Caleb Williams in his debut went 4 of 7 for 95 yards. Tyson Bagent was 5 of 8 for 47 yards. Austin Reed and Brett Rypien combined for six passes. The Bears rushed for 141 yards with 4.7 yards a carry. They limited the Bills to 200 yards and only 3.1 yards per play.
The Pick:
Both teams were head-to-head in joint practices this week. Starters will sit for Cincinnati. Backup Jake Browning is banged up. The healthy options at quarterback at Logan Woodside and Rocky Lombardi. Chicago will play Caleb Williams and starters here briefly. Behind Williams are Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien and Austin Reed. Bengals QB situation concerning. There is some familiarity for the defenses here having gone through joint practices. Play Cincinnati and Chicago under 36.5.
Detroit Lions vs. Kansas City Chiefs NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Lions at Chiefs—Detroit drops a 14-3 road decision to the Giants in their opener. Nate Sudfeld went 13 of 24 for 96 yards and an interception. Hendon Hooker saw work and completed 5 of 9 passes for 36 yards. Detroit finished with 228 yards and went 5 of 17 on third down. On defense the Lions held the Giants to 250 yards with only 2 of 11 conversions on third down. But Detroit allowed 155 on the ground for 5.7 yards a carry. Kansas City lost to Jacksonville 26-13 on the road. Patrick Mahomes saw limited work, hitting 3 of 4 for 27 yards. Carson Wentz was 4 of 4 for 26 yards. Chris Oladokun and Ian Book combined for 15 of 19 for 131 yards. The Chiefs were 2 of 13 on third down and gave up five sacks. KC defense gave up 348 yards with 246 through the air.
The Pick:
Media reports point to the Lions not playing many starters here. The QB rotation looks like Nate Sudfeld, Hendon Hooker and Jake From. KC will play starters for the first half. Behind Mahomes for the second half will be Carson Wentz, Chris Oladokun and Ian Book. We have the Chiefs first strings against the Lions backups for the first half. Play KC -7.
Minnesota Vikings vs. Cleveland Browns NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Vikings at Browns—Minnesota beat Las Vegas 24-23 last week at home. J.J. McCarthy suffered a knee injury and was lost for the season. Sam Darnald was 4 of 8 for 59 yards. Jaren Hall hit 7 of 16 passes for 63 yards. The Vikings accumulated 452 yards in the game with 142 rushing for 7.6 yards per run. They did give up 308 yards to the Raiders with 188 yards through the air. Cleveland fell to Green Bay at home 23-10. Dorian Thompson Robinson hit 14 of 18 for 134 yards. Jameis Winston hit 4 of 5 for 30 yards. Veteran Tyler Huntley connected on 6 of 9 for 41 yards. The run game generated only 2.7 yards a carry. Cleveland finished with 244 yards. They allowed 375 yards to the Packers with 220 passing and 155 on the ground for 4.6 yards a carry.
The Pick:
Kevin O’Connell reported early to the media this week that Sam Darnold was unlikely to play. There is a battle for the backup between Nick Mullens and Jaren Hall. The starters sit for Cleveland. Dorian Thompson Robinson will be the starter. Tyler Huntley backups and reports are that Winston does not play. A lot of the offense for the Vikings last week was generated by J.J. McCarthy who is not out for the season. Both teams are going deep into their quarterback rotation here in terms of playing time. Play Minnesota and Cleveland under 34.5.
Arizona Cardinals vs. Indianapolis Colts NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Cardinals at Colts—Arizona comes off the 16-14 home defeat to New Orleans. Clayton Tune went 15 of 24 for 163 yards and a touchdown. Desmon Ridder hit 4 of 9 passes for 43 yards. The Cardinals had success on the ground with 145 yards with 4.7 yards per attempt. Arizona allowed 286 yards to the Saints with 185 coming through the air. Indianapolis lost at home to Denver 34-30 last week. Anthony Richardson saw limited work going 2 of 4 for 25 yards. Sam Ehlinger connected on 5 of 6 for 80 yards and an interception. Bean, Slovis and Flacco also saw work in this game combining for 10 of 16 for 118 yards and a touchdown. Indy surrendered 410 yards to the Broncos offense with 279 yards passing.
The Pick:
These teams met in two joint practices this week. Neither team will play starters. Backup quarterback Joe Flacco will not play. Ridder and Clayton Tune expected to play for Arizona as they compete for the backup job behind Kyler Murray. Sam Ehlinger and Kedon Slovis are the two quarterbacks seeing action for the Colts. The battle for the backup in Arizona is the key here. Ridder has lots of recent starting experience. Play Arizona +1.
Seattle Seahawks vs. Tennessee Titans NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Seahawks at Titans—Seattle comes off the 16-3 road win at the Chargers. Sam Howell saw extended time going 16 of 27 for 130 yards and a touchdown. PJ Walker hit 4 of 10 for 60 yards. The Seahawks rushed for 157 yards for 4 yards a carry. On defense they held the Chargers to 198 yards and 2 of 13 on third down. Tennessee defeated San Francisco 17-13 a week ago. Mason Rudolph hit 10 of 17 for 126 yards. Malik Willis went 5 of 7 for 38 yards with Will Levis hitting 4 of 5 for 35 yards. The Titan finished with 336 yards for the game. On defense they allowed 286 yards to the 49ers with 219 passing.
The Pick:
The teams met in two joint practices this week. Seattle is expected to rest starters. Tennessee will sit starters. Malik Willis will get the start. Mason Rudolph is ahead of Willis on the depth chart as the number two. Sam Howell and PJ Walker are the two quarterbacks for Seattle. Rudolph has starting experience in his time with the Steelers. Prefer the Titans quarterback rotation here with Willis a threat with his legs to extend drives. Play Tennessee +1.
NY Jets vs. Carolina Panthers NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Jets at Panthers—NY comes off the 20-17 home win to Washington. Adrian Martinez went 6 of 10 for 104 yards. Andrew Peasley hit 8 of 11 throws for 73 yards. Veteran Tyrod Taylor attempted two passes. They rushed for 4.1 yards a carry. They allowed the Commanders 331 yards with 212 coming through the air. Carolina was defeated at New England 17-3. Jack Plummer hit 11 of 21 passes for 86 yards. Jake Luton went 7 of 9 for 38 yards. The Panthers had just 151 yards and went 2 of 14 on third down. On defense they allowed 274 yards to the Patriots with 161 passing.
The Pick:
Both teams competed in joint practices. Aaron Rodgers is expected to sit in the preseason. Third stringer Jordan Travis is out. NY has two quarterbacks for this game in Tyrod Taylor and fourth straight Andrew Peasley. Adrian Martinez is also an option. Carolina has been quiet about starters playing here. The backup QB behind Young is Andy Dalton, Jack Plummer and Jake Luton. Peasley is a running style quarterback. The Panthers offense has performed poorly in preseason the past two seasons. Play NY at pick.
Buffalo Bills vs. Pittsburgh Steelers NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Bills at Steelers—Buffalo drops a 33-6 home decision to Chicago. Josh Allen attempted three passes in the opener. Mitch Trubisky connected on 10 of 18 passes for 82 yards. Shane Buechele went 6 of 10 for 43 yards and a pick. The Bills ended with only 200 yards. They allowed 340 yards to the Bears with 199 passing and 4.7 yards per carry on the ground. Pittsburgh fell 20-12 at home to Houston. Kyle Allen connected on 17 of 23 throws for 193 yards. Justin Fields hit 5 of 6 for 67 yards. The Steelers finished with 344 yards but only 2 of 9 on third down. They held the Texans to 255 yards with 175 passing.
The Pick:
The teams met in a joint practice on Thursday. Starters are expected to see some action for Buffalo. The available quarterbacks for Buffalo behind Allen are Mitch Trubisky and Ben DiNucci after the injury to Shane Buechele. Pittsburgh starters will play four drives. Russell Wilson to start at quarterback. The backups are Justin Fields, Kyle Allen and John Ryhs Plumlee. There is a battle between Fields and Allen for the backup position. Expect a bounce back from the Steelers as Tomlin was not happy with last week’s performance. Tomlin is 40-25 straight up in the preseason. Play Pittsburgh -1.
Washington Commanders vs. Miami Dolphins NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Commanders at Dolphins—Washington drops a 20-17 road loss at the Jets. Jayden Daniels hit 2 of 3 passes for 45 yards. Sam Hartman went 8 of 13 for 83 yards. Veteran Jeff Driskel saw work hitting 7 of 15 of 87 yards. They finished with 331 yards. On defense the Commanders allowed 292 yards to the Jets with 174 passing. Miami defeated Atlanta at home 20-13. Skylar Thompson was 8 of 19 for 95 yards with a touchdown and pick. Mike White was ineffective. The Dolphins rushed for 144 yards with 4.1 yards a carry. Miami held Atlanta to 226 yards and 2 of 17 on third down.
The Pick:
The teams participated in a joint practice on Thursday. Two backup quarterbacks are out for Washington in Mariota and Hartman. Trace McSorley was signed this week. Media reports point to starters playing some here. Jeff Driskel is the other healthy option at quarterback. Starters are expected to see some action for Miami. The backup quarterbacks are Mike White and Skylar Thompson. Driskel should see bulk action for the Commanders and has plenty of regular season experience. Play Washington +5.
LA Rams vs. LA Chargers NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Rams at Chargers—LAR defeated Dallas 13-12 last week. Stetson Bennett went 24 of 38 for 224 yards with a touchdown and four interceptions. They finished with 316 yards going 4 of 14 on third down. The Rams allowed 309 yards to the Cowboys with 216 passing. The Chargers dropped a 16-3 home decision to Seattle. Easton Stick went 5 of 13 for 31 yards and an interception. Luis Perez was 5 of 12 for 61 yards. Max Duggan hit 4 of 7 for 41 yards. LAC had only 77 rushing yards and went 2 of 13 on third down. The Chargers allowed 325 yards to the Seahawks with 157 rushing for four yards a carry.
The Pick:
Sean McVey does not play starters in the preseason. Jimmy Garoppolo remains suspended. Another change for third string Stetson Bennett to try and move up the depth chart. Justin Herbert is injured. The Chargers backup situation is bad. Luis Perez is battling Stick for the backup spot. Max Duggan is also on the roster. The Rams have been plain vanilla in the preseason under McVey. Harbaugh is trying to improve this Chargers run game. Jim Harbaugh is 11-6 to the under in the preseason. Play Chargers and Rams under 33.5.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Buccaneers at Jaguars—Tampa Bay defeated Cincinnati 17-14. Kyle Trask hit 12 of 20 passes for 144 yards and an interception. John Wolford contributed 12 of 18 for 131 yards. They gained 136 rushing yards with 4.3 yards a carry and two touchdowns. They allowed 288 yards to the Bengals with 252 passing yards. Jacksonville defeated KC 26-13. Trevor Lawrence saw limited work hitting 3 of 4 passes for 42 yards and a touchdown. Mac Jones was 9 of 11 for 98 yards. CJ Beathard connected on 7 of 14 for 125 yards and a touchdown. They allowed 264 yards to the Chiefs with 2 of 13 on third down and collected five sacks.
The Pick:
The teams conducted joint practices this week. Baker Mayfield and the starters will not play. His backups are Kyle Trask and John Wolford. Each is expected to play a half. Jacksonville head coach Peterson said he wants Mac Jones and C.J. Beathard to each play a half. The Jaguars have the edge at quarterback with both Jones and Beathard with NFL regular season experience. Wolford has been a backup for some time playing little in the regular season and ineffective. Play Jacksonville -2.5.
Dallas Cowboys vs. Las Vegas Raiders NFL Pick Prediction 8/17/2024
Cowboys at Raiders—Dallas fell to the Rams last week 13-12. Trey Lance completed 25 of 41 passes for 188 yards. Cooper Rush hit 2 of 3 for 44 yards. They finished with 309 yards and rushed for 4 yards a carry. On defense Dallas held LA to 316 yards with 4 of 14 conversions on third down. Las Vegas drops a 24-23 decision at Minnesota. Aiden O’Connell hit 7 of 9 passes for 76 yards. Gardner Minshew connected on 6 of 12 throws for 117 yards and a touchdown. Anthony Brown threw three passes. Las Vegas rushed for 120 yards with 3.2 yards a rush. On defense the Raiders gave up 452 yards to the Vikings with 310 yards passing.
The Pick:
Dallas sits key starters in the preseason. The backup quarterbacks are Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. Gardner Minshew is expected to start at quarterback with Aiden O’Connell backing up. This is a battle for the starting job. Rush has NFL appearances and Lance was the third pick in the draft in 2021. Las Vegas defense the massive concern to lay these many points. Play Dallas +6.5.