How great was Thursday, totally warranted a thread, Oakland nearly lost the game by celebrating BUT THEY PULLED IT TOGETHER TO GET THE WIN

anyway, onto today:

SKY SPORTS 6PM
DETROIT LIONS (7-3) @ NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (8-2)

While those records suggest this should be a really tight game, it's kinda hard to see anything other than a New England steamrollering, as its November and as usual they look terrifying at this time of year. Detroit have been fairly lucky to get to the record they are at sometimes, having a slightly more forgiving schedule than others, but it doesn't seem likely they'll be able to pull anything off when Patriots are at home at a snowy Foxboro in the form they currently are in, but if they do, it will be down to their famed "best ranked defence in the league" which no one quite believes. (NE by 7)

SKY SPORTS 9.25PM
MIAMI DOLPHINS (6-4) @ DENVER BRONCOS (7-3)
Quite a similar match as the above, as another strong (2nd ranked) defence goes up against an offensive powerhouse. Miami will be keen to stay in the wildcard race as they're having an impressive year and with Kansas slipping up in particular, could edge their way in. That's easier said than done though when travelling to a Denver team who are mostly likely going to playing angry given they're coming off a fairly humiliating loss away to St. Louis. Despite Kansas losing taking a bit of pressure off, Denver will be expecting to still win their division and will want to make short work of Miami at home. (DEN by 7)

CHANNEL 4, 1.30am
DALLAS COWBOYS (7-3) @ NEW YORK GIANTS (3-7)
There's a fairly good chance that this will be a write-off, but you know, it's the NFL and in particular the always hilarious NFC East, so who knows. Coming fresh off a bye before their short week this week (THANKSGIVING!) and will want to (and should) put the fairly pathetic Giants away, but honestly, this division, this league, don't count out a good old-fashioned merking. (DAL by 7)

MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
BALTIMORE RAVENS (6-4) @ NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-6)
This should be a fun one (for neutrals) as two teams from very close divisions (for different reasons) head off. These two don't face each other very often, but Baltimore have a very good record against the Saints, winning the last 3, who will be desperate to get their season going after a disappointing start. The only reason they're still alive is due to their division being so poor, with a strong chance that whoever the NFC South sends to the playoffs will have an 8-8 or possibly even 7-9 record. The Saints are strong at home, and they'll need that to survive, whereas its pretty difficult to predict what Baltimore, or indeed any AFC North team, is going to show up from one week to the next. Tough to predict, but I think the Saints probably edge it at home (NO by 3)

THE REST, EARLYS:

CLEVELAND BROWNS (6-4) @ ATLANTA FALCONS (4-6) - Fuck knows. Like the Baltimore/New Orleans game being teams from the same divisions, this could go anywhere. I still don't really believe or trust that those standings are the right way round, and the idea of picking Cleveland to win (in any sport) is still weird and foreign to me, so let's go with a home win for Atlanta (by 3)

TENNESSEE TITANS (2-8) @ PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (7-3) - Should be fairly routine, would probably be my pick 'em had it not been for those damn Cowboys. (PHI by 7)

GREEN BAY PACKERS (7-3) @ MINNESOTA VIKINGS (4-6) - Aaron Rodgers (by 50)

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS (1-9) @ INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (6-4) - Jacksonville must have been mighty jealous of Oakland being the joke team this year, but now Oakland have won a game, the wooden spoon is there's for the taking! DON'T MESS THIS UP LADS (IND by 30)

CINCINNATI BENGALS (6-3-1) @ HOUSTON TEXANS (5-5) - This should be interesting, as Andy Dalton returns to the place he does his annual shiteing himself because it's the playoffs routine. Not satisfied with just being the leagues best defender, JJ Watt is now also making a strong case at Tight End, so there's that. (HOU by 3)

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-8) @ CHICAGO BEARS (4-6) - Who gives a fuck (CHI by 17)

LATES:
ARIZONA CARDINALS (9-1) @ SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (6-4) - No idea what Sky are playing at showing ANOTHER routine win for Denver at home (zzzzzz) this is the pick of the bunch with a tough Arizona team who somehow despite at this stage are so injury ridden that they're fielding inanimate carbon rods and still winning. Seattle seem miles away from their absolute dominance with the Legion of Boom and 12th man apparently not enough any more. So this is a big match for them to keep their season alive and get a footing in an extraordinarily tough division. It's not even that easy to pick, given Seattle winning at home was just an assumption made by the league at the start of the season, meaning Seattle started 8-0 before any games had even been played, but I think they'll just steal this one, leading the whole NFC race go into chaos. (SEA by 3)

ST LOUIS RAMS (4-6) @ SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (6-4) - St. Louis only seem to exist to ruin other teams' seasons don't they? It's not like they're ever going to the playoffs in the division they're in, so they seem in content in just wrecking other teams chances and when they opponents are the equally hilariously unpredictable Chargers, who honestly knows? It should be San Diego by 4-5 but don't be surprised to see it go either way.

WASHINGTON REDSKINS (3-7) @ SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (6-4) - Can Washington just leave the league already? Horribly pointless organisation (SF by 7)

BONUS MIDNIGHT MONDAY NIGHT GAME!

New York Jets (2-8) @ Buffalo Bills (5-5) - If you haven't heard, it's snowing in America. A LOT. Especially in Buffalo where although Snow isn't a rare occurrence, it's so heavy even Interpol got stuck there for 40 hours the other night. Anyway, as a result this game has been moved to monday for… snow not that it will effect the outcome, as it's purely delaying another great opportunity for New York to embarrass themselves (BUF by 7)

Phew, that was a long one, it's good to be back, have a good day everyone.