Our newest member, Carlos, was able to win rather easily and climb the overall leaderboard:

WEEK 8:                                                     OVERALL:

Carlos: 7 points                                       Ryan: 16 points

Ryan: 4 points                                          Carlos: 15 points

Daisy: 4 points                                         Daisy: 14 points

Kyle: 2 points                                            Kyle: 13 points

As we reach the half-way point of the season, each passing week is getting more and more interesting. This week the Front 4 team will debate the huge AFC West showdown between the Broncos and the Raiders. Aaron Rodgers, Andrew Luck, DeMarco Murray and Melvin Gordon are also all topics of discussion as Week 9 of the NFL season is set to kick off.

Will the Broncos or Raiders Win on Sunday Night Football?

Carlos: Broncos

The Broncos will take over 1st place in the AFC West. It will be a close game and even though the Raiders offense has been good, scoring 26 points per game, Denver’s defense has been outstanding and has carried them. Also, the Raiders are at home and for most teams that would be an advantage, but the Raiders’ only two losses have been in Oakland. They look way better on the road with a 5 – 0 record.

Ryan: Broncos

The Raiders always make it hard on themselves to win, but Derek Carr always finds a way to overcome the mistakes. That’ll be hard to do against the best defense in the league. I would love to see Derek Carr, an elite two-minute quarterback, get the ball down a touchdown late in the 4th. Barring that epic showdown, I’ll say the Broncos make the most of Oakland’s mistakes and get the win.

Daisy: Raiders

Oakland and Denver are coming into Sunday night with quite a few similarities. Both share a 6 – 2 record in the same division [AFC West] and both are on a two-game win streak. Denver has one of the league’s best defenses, while Oakland has Derek Carr. Carr is coming off a great game against Tampa Bay and I think he will continue to add to his impressive 2016 campaign with a win against the Broncos. 

Kyle: Raiders

The Broncos are 8-2 in their last ten games against the Raiders dating back to 2011. However, the Raiders split the two meetings last year and the games were each decided by less than a touchdown. The Raiders have improved and I think this will be Derek Carr and Jack Del Rio’s biggest test by far. If the Raiders win, and I think they do, they’ll have to be considered one of the top teams to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.

How Many Points Will the Cowboys Win By?

0-10, 11-20, 21-30, 30+, Browns will win

Carlos: 11-20

The Browns offense isn’t the greatest, but it can still put up 20 points a game. The defense has been the issue because they allow 30 points per game. Look for another solid performance from Dak Prescott who has a QBR of 81.4 which is good enough for number 3 in the league. 

Ryan: 11-20

Ah the Browns. The Browns make me feel good about my own football team. Ok, maybe not good, but the Browns are just terrible. Still, they are a professional team and they did just upgrade their defense so I’ll say they lose by a respectable 11-20 points.

Daisy: 11-20

I feel bad for the Browns because their schedule isn’t getting easier any time soon. As cool as it would be for the Browns to get their first win against the Cowboys, I have to be realistic. The Cowboys will stomp all over the Browns and win by 20 points.

Kyle: 11-20

Four of the Browns’ eight losses have come by six points or fewer. That shows that they’ve been at least competing in half their games. They’ll be going against a Cowboys team that’s on a role, but has been bit by the injury bug of late, especially to their defense. I think the Browns put up some points, but lose by two touchdowns.

Will Andrew Luck or Aaron Rodgers Throw for More Yards in the Colts/Packers Game?

Carlos: Aaron Rodgers

The Colts defense allows 402 yards per game which is 29th in the league. On top of that, Green Bay only allows 321 yards per game which is number 7 in the league. I’ll take Rodgers over Luck. 

Ryan: Aaron Rodgers

Rodgers has been rounding into form recently and is facing one of the softest defenses in the league. Luck has been fantastic this season, but he is constantly under pressure.

Daisy: Andrew Luck

Luck is ranked 7th in passing yards so far this season. Even though I think Aaron Rodgers and the Packers have the advantage with their team returning to Lambeau Field, Luck will produce more passing yards. 

Kyle: Andrew Luck

I picked Rodgers last week against Matt Ryan and he let me down. Rodgers is only throwing for 248 yards per game and that doesn’t give me much confidence even against a poor Colts defense. I’ll take my chances with Luck.

How Many NY Teams Will Win?

Giants vs. PHI, Jets @ MIA, Bills @ SEA

Carlos: One

The Jets will be the only team from New York to win. The Jets are coming off two victories and need this game if they have any plans of making the playoffs. Both teams have similar numbers on both sides of the ball. The only slight advantage the Jets have is in total yards. The Jets have produced about 2700 yards compared to Miami’s 2400.

 

Ryan: Two

I think the Giants and Jets will both win this week so technicallyyyyyyyy *pushes up nerd glasses* no team that plays in New York will win.

Daisy: One

The only favorable outcome I see for New York this weekend is in the Jets game. There you go Jets fans. This is your chance. 

Kyle: One

All three teams are on the road against tough teams. I think the Bills have a shot to pull off an upset because we’ve seen crazier things on Monday Night Football. (I’m looking at you Vikings)

Will DeMarco Murray or Melvin Gordon Have More Rushing Yards in the Titans/Chargers Game?

Carlos: DeMarco Murray

Murray has the slight advantage because he averages more yards per attempt. Murray averages 4.7 yards per attempt and Gordon averages 3.6 yards per attempt. The numbers will be close because Tennessee and San Diego have both been good at stopping the run. 

Ryan: Melvin Gordon

With Derrick Henry proving a reliable Option B, look for the Titans to give DeMarco Murray a little less than his usual workload in this one, while Melvin Gordon continues his streak of games with 22+ touches.

Daisy: DeMarco Murray

DeMarco Murray leads the AFC in rushing yards and is only second in the NFL behind Zeke. I don’t expect that to change this week as he rushes for more yards than Gordon. 

Kyle: DeMarco Murray

The Titans and Chargers have two of the best defenses when it comes to stopping the run. The Titans only allow 82 yards a game while the Chargers allow 86. Both running backs are going to have tough match ups, but I think Murray rushes for more yards to improve on his stellar season of 94 yards per game which is good enough for second place in the NFL.

Higher Total in LA on Sunday: Todd Gurley Rushing Yards or Lakers Points

Carlos: Lakers

The Panthers have not been a great team, but the one thing they have been able to do is stop the run. The Panthers have only allowed 561 rushing yards this season. The Rams have not had a good running game so this isn’t a favorable match up. As for the Lakers, they have been able to average 107 points per game and the Suns have allowed teams to score 112 points per game. 

Ryan: Lakers

The Lakers are averaging over 100 points per game this season and the Suns allow a preposterous 112 points per game. Suffice it to say that Todd Gurley will be facing a tougher defense even if the Panthers don’t show up. 

Daisy: Lakers

The Rams are averaging 80 yards per game this season so I am going to go with the safe choice and choose the Lakers here to score a ton against the Suns. 

Kyle: Lakers

Despite the Panthers’ poor play, they’ve only allowed 80 rushing yards per game. The Lakers are coming off a huge win over the Warriors. In their two home games this year the Lakers have scored 120 and 117 against the Rockets and the Warriors. A match-up against the Suns should mean plenty of points once again.

Will the Saints or 49ers Reach Their Average Passing Yards Per Game?

Saints(1st): 326 PY/G, 49ers(Last): 161 PY/G

Carlos: Both

The 49ers defense allows 407 yards a game which means the Saints will easily be able to throw all over them. The 49ers will not be successful against the Saints, but will atleast be able to get to their average passing yards per game as well because of the Saints mediocre defense. 

Ryan: Both

Both defenses are just awful. Just awful. Meanwhile, Drew Brees is not awful and Colin Kaepernick is not 161 yards awful. Kaep gets over the threshold in garbage time while Brees runs up the numbers in a must-win game for the Saints.

Daisy: Both

I think both teams will remain consistent and play to the averages. 

Kyle: Both

Colin Kaepernick threw for over 160 yards against the Bills in his last game so he should be able to do more of the same against this Saints defense. I also have confidence in Drew Brees to pick apart this 49ers defense.

Will the Steelers/Ravens Game be Decided by 7 Points or Less?

Carlos: Yes

Both teams come in with losing streaks so they’ll both be looking for a much needed win in a close game. Both defenses have been pretty good as Baltimore has a slight edge by allowing 19 points per game while the Steelers have allowed 21 points per game. Where Pittsburgh has the best advantage is in scoring. The Steelers score 24 points per game compared to Baltimore’s 19 points per game.   

Ryan: Yes

Divisional games are always close and a rivalry like Steelers-Ravens just brings out the best in the players. There’s no way either team is giving up an easy win one way or the other.

Daisy: Yes

In the past two years the Steelers have managed to defeat the Ravens just once and the last two times these teams faced each other the game was decided by a field goal. I think that pattern continues and the game will be decided by less than a touchdown.

Kyle: No

The Ravens won both match-ups last season by a field goal in low scoring games. The first match up this season between division rivals could be dependent on whether or not Big Ben takes the field. He’s currently a game-time decision. The Steelers have more play makers and that’ll be the difference in this one as Pittsburgh wins by 10 points.

How Many Times Will the Chiefs Pick off Blake Bortles?

Carlos: Three

The Chiefs defense will be too much for Bortles to handle and it will lead to a long game for him and Jacksonville. When he has faced teams that force a lot of takeaways, he has not played well. Oakland picked him off twice a couple weeks ago and Baltimore got him three times earlier in the season. 

Ryan: Two

The Chiefs may be the best in the league at intercepting the ball, but Bortles has thrown three picks in a game this year just once. He’ll be dropping back a lot just like last week, but I say he does slightly better and only throws two picks.

Daisy: Two

The Chiefs will pick off Blake Bortles twice in this game and I think Marcus Peters will be a big reason why.

Kyle: Zero

This game screams upset. The Chiefes will be without Alex Smith, Jamaal Charles and Spencer Ware. On the other side of things, it seems like everyone on the Jaguars team, coaching staff and front office is on the hot seat. Bortles is due for a signature game and just maybe this is it.

How Many Last Place Teams Will Win?

Jets@MIA, Browns vs. DAL, Jaguars@KC, Chargers vs. TEN, Panthers@LA, 49ers vs. NO

Carlos: One

The Jets are coming off two victories and need this game if they have any plans of making the playoffs. This game will not be an easy task for the Jets. Both teams have similar numbers on both sides of the ball. The only slight advantage the Jets have are in total yards. The Jets have produced 2,700 yards compared to Miami’s 2,400. Of the Jets’ three wins, two have come on the road so this could be their chance to add their third road victory. 

Ryan: Two

I already picked the Jets to win, but none of these other teams inspire much confidence. I can see a desperate Panthers team rising to the occasion, but it’ll take a lot for these other teams to earn a victory in week 9.

Daisy: Three

The Jets, Chargers and Panthers should all be to help their chances of getting out of 4th place in their divisions.

Kyle: Two

If the Panthers want to keep any playoff hopes alive they HAVE to beat the Rams and I think they’re able to. The Browns and 49ers are going to have tough times finding a win. That leaves the Jets, Jags and Chargers. All three have winnable games, but I don’t trust any of them to actually pull through. I’ll stick with my upset, though, and say the Jaguars finally get a solid win.

Tiebreaker: Which Player Will Rush for the Most Yards in Week 9?

Carlos: DeMarco Murray

Ryan: Ezekiel Elliott

Daisy: Ezekiel Elliott

Kyle: Le’Veon Bell

Do you agree with our predictions? Let us know in the comments how you think Week 9 of the NFL will play out.

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