Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

Week 11 NFL picks and best bets for the Sun’s handicapping contest

Chris Carson

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Seattle Seahawks running back Chris Carson (32) takes the hand off from quarterback Russell Wilson (3) during an NFC wild-card NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019.

The only thing that put a damper in sports books' massive week 11 was Monday Night Football when the Seattle Seahawks upset the San Francisco 49ers outright.

The Sun's handicapping contest, which uses the Westgate Las Vegas Supercontest lines, was among those celebrating. Three of the four sports writers used Seahawks plus-6.5 as their best bet over the 49ers ahead of their 27-24 outright win.

Overall, the prognosticators went 16-6-1 against the spread in week 11 in the contest that requires six total picks per week. Can they follow it with another strong slate of selections in week 12?

Read below for all of this week's picks and best bets.

Case Keefer

Points: 40 (35-25)

Panthers minus-5.5 vs. Falcons

Colts minus-2.5 vs. Jaguars

Buccaneers plus-5.5 vs. Saints

Raiders minus-10.5 vs. Bengals

Eagles plus-3.5 vs. Patriots

Two-point best bet: Broncos plus-10.5 at Vikings. In an effort to capitalize on stale lines or to just differentiate from my Thursday column, I've been going with a separate best bet in the contest all year. It's killed me. My two-point best bet record is tied for the worst in the contest, so I'm switching my approach. I'm staying with my same top play from earlier in the week in a game that looks like too many points featuring an undervalued Broncos team.

Ray Brewer

Points: 38.5 (32-27-1)

Cowboys minus-6.5 at Lions

Bengals plus-10.5 at Raiders

Rams minus-6.5 vs. Bears

Chiefs minus-3.5 vs. Chargers in Mexico City

Saints minus-5.5 at Buccaneers

Two-point best bet: Patriots minus-3.5 at Eagles. The Patriots are coming off a bye week, and they have plenty of motivation. The Super Bowl favorites lost for the first time this season during their last game, meaning they will be out to correct those mistakes. And, of course, there is revenge: This is a matchup of the 2018 Super Bowl, where the Eagles upset New England.

Justin Emerson

Points: 34.5 (27-32-1)

Panthers minus-5.5 vs. Falcons

Bengals plus-10.5 at Raiders

Patriots minus-3.5 at Eagles

Saints minus-5.5 at Buccaneers

Vikings minus-10.5 vs. Broncos

Two-point best bet: Chiefs minus-3.5 vs. Chargers in Mexico City. An angry Chiefs team gets to play in front of what will essentially be a home crowd against a reeling Chargers team? Patrick Mahomes is back and after a brutal loss to Tennessee last week, Kansas City will want to prove it's still an elite team in the AFC. This could get really ugly.

Mike Grimala

Points: 28.5 (22-36-2)

Falcons plus-5.5 at Panthers

Texans plus-4 vs. Ravens

Vikings minus-10.5 vs. Broncos

Eagles plus-3.5 vs. Patriots

Chiefs minus-3.5 vs. Chargers in Mexico City

Two-point best bet: Bengals plus-10.5 at Raiders. The Raiders have some momentum, but I do not trust their defense to cover a 10.5-point spread. Oakland/Las Vegas will win, but not by two scores.

Past Winners: 2012 — Case Keefer; 2013 — Case Keefer, Ray Brewer (tie); 2014 — Case Keefer; 2015 — Case Keefer; 2016 — Ray Brewer; 2017 — Case Keefer, Jesse Granger (tie); 2018 — Case Keefer

Case Keefer can be reached at 702-948-2790 or [email protected]. Follow Case on Twitter at twitter.com/casekeefer.

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