With seven weeks remaining in the season, the race remains tight between me and Jess Root for the coveted H-Bomb trophy awarded at the end of the year.
We were tied heading into Week 10 and while we both were victorious, I was able to inch one game closer in the direct hits tiebreaker, which is when the underdog wins the game outright. To be H-Bomb eligible, the point spread must be 6.5 points or more.
Jess picked the Broncos to cover against the Chiefs and my pick was the Panthers to cover against the Giants. Germany was good to me as Carolina won the game as an H-Bomb underdog for the second consecutive week.
Overall, it was another good week for underdogs. After three consecutive losing weeks, the record was 3-2 in Week 9 and then 5-2 last week.
In addition to the Panthers and Broncos, the other winners were the Patriots covering and winning over the Bears, the Buccaneers over the 49ers and the Jaguars over the Vikings. The only favorites to cover were the Chargers over the Titans and the Eagles over the Cowboys.
The five underdog victories brought the total to 30 over the first 10 weeks of the season with only 14 losses (68.2 percent). Of the 30 covers, 16 won the game outright.
Here are the four eligible games this week:
- Miami Dolphins -7.5 vs. Las Vegas Raiders
- Detroit Lions -14 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
- San Francisco 49ers -6.5 vs. Seattle Seahawks
- Houston Texans -7.5 at Dallas Cowboys
Jess is making a bold choice on the game with the largest spread this season, taking the Jaguars to cover against the Lions, even with Mac Jones at quarterback. Conversely, I will go with the game with the lowest spread, believing that coming off their bye, the Seahawks will keep it close against the division-rival 49ers.
STANDINGS AFTER 10 WEEKS
Jess: 7-3 (3 direct hits)
Howard: 7-3 (2 direct hits)
Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.