NFL Picks Week 8: Don't Trust Any Of These

When it comes to predicting NFL games, I am sort of the Mike Greenberg of NFL bloggers. If you listen to ESPN Radio's 'Mike & Mike In the Morning,' you know that Greenberg's 'Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks' are anything but.

Greenberg is 2-11-1 picking 'Locks' this season and that, historically, is how I am when I try it.

Nonetheless, I thought I would give picking NFL games a whirl the rest of the NFL season. SB Nation has teamed up with the folks from Odds Shark to produce odds pages for all major sports, so please check out the SB Nation NFL Odds page. You can also go directly to Odds Shark.

I am going to pick five games each week, so let's see how I do.

Here, by the way, are all of the odds from the SB Nation NFL Odds page.

• Miami at Cincinnati (-1.5)
• Washington at Detroit (-3)
• Green Bay at NY Jets (-6)
• Carolina at St. Louis (-3)
• Jacksonville at Dallas (-6.5)
• Buffalo at Kansas City (-7.5)
• Denver at San Francisco (-1)
• Tennessee at San Diego (-3.5)
• Minnesota at New England (-5.5)
• Tampa Bay at Arizona (-3)
• Seattle at Oakland (-3)
• Pittsburgh at New Orleans (-1)
• Houston at Indianapolis (-5.5)

So, here we go with my five choices for the week. If you bet the mortgage money on any of these, you are clearly not well.

1. Tennessee (+3.5) at San Diego: The 2-5 Chargers are, as usual, one of the league's most under-performing teams throughout the first seven games of the season. Only this time I just don't see them digging their way out of the mess Norv Turner has created. Tennessee is 5-2 and playing well, regardless of whether Vince Young or Kerry Collins quarterbacks. Pick: Titans

2. Miami (+2) at Cincinnati: The Bengals are another disappointing team. Maybe I am rooting for the Dolphins here just because I want to see what happens with Terrell Owens and Chad Ochocinco when Cincinnati's season goes down the toilet. I think, though, that Miami is better. Pick: Dolphins

3. Washington (+3) at Detroit: I am not buying the Redskins as a contender yet. They are better than a year ago, but not that good yet. Detroit is much better than their 1-5 record would indicate. The Lions never win on the road, but they can win here. Pick: Lions

4. Minnesota (+5.5) at New England: Will Brett Favre play? Won't he play? Can he actually do anything with busted-up feet, anyway? Does it matter? The 2-4 Vikings are on the verge of disarray, and I'm thinking Bill Belichick and the Pats will push them farther down that path. Pick: Patriots

5. Houston (+5.5) at Indianapolis: No Dallas Clark for Peyton Manning to throw to. The Texans have already defeated the Colts once this season. Both teams are 4-2, so this one shapes up as a good one. I just think 5.5 points is too many. Pick: Texans