PFT’s Week 10 picks: Rams win

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http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2017/11/09/pfts-week-10-picks-5/

PFT’s Week 10 picks
Posted by Mike Florio

Texans at Rams

MDS’s take: If Deshaun Watson were playing, this would be a matchup of the NFL’s two most exciting offenses. With Tom Savage playing, it’s a Rams blowout.

MDS’s pick: Rams 31, Texans 10.

Florio’s take: Deshaun Watson vs. Jared Goff would have been a great game.

Florio’s pick: Rams 30, Texans 17.
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Seahawks at Cardinals

MDS’s take: The Cardinals played better than I was expecting without Carson Palmer on Sunday, in large part because Adrian Peterson has been rejuvenated in Arizona. But I think the Seahawks’ defense should shut the Cardinals’ offense down.

MDS’s pick: Seahawks 20, Cardinals 7.

Florio’s take: Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman has called short-week football a “poop fest.” If Seattle loses again, its season quickly could become a sh-t show.

Florio’s pick: Seahawks 20, Cardinals 17.
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Packers at Bears

MDS’s take: It sounds crazy to pick the Bears against the Packers, but that’s only because we’re still not really accustomed to how bad the Packers are without Aaron Rodgers. Maybe we’ll be accustomed to it once the Bears win on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Bears 24, Packers 17.

Florio’s take: Packers coach Mike McCarthy says there’s more than one way to win a game. Without one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game, the Packers consistently have been finding the best way to lose — by allowing more points than they score.

Florio’s pick: Bears 17, Packers 14.
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Browns at Lions

MDS’s take: I could see the Lions letting down a little bit on a short work week, but not quite enough to hand the Browns their first win.

MDS’s pick: Lions 20, Browns 16.

Florio’s take: Eleven days before Thanksgiving, the Lions feast on the NFL’s biggest turkey.

Florio’s pick: Lions 34, Browns 13.
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Steelers at Colts

MDS’s take: The Colts have found ways to pull out wins, but they are not a good football team. They’d probably be better off losing and getting a higher draft pick, so maybe Colts fans will enjoy watching them lose big on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Steelers 30, Colts 13.

Florio’s take: The Steelers have a tendency to step in a pothole when everything is going well, losing to a team they should beat. Emerging from a bye week, however, it would be a surprise if a Colts team that somehow has won three games would prevail for a fourth.

Florio’s pick: Steelers 24, Colts 10.
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Chargers at Jaguars

MDS’s take: The Jaguars’ defense is cruising and should give Philip Rivers fits on Sunday. Pencil in league leader Calais Campbell for a couple more sacks.

MDS’s pick: Jaguars 21, Chargers 10.

Florio’s take: The Jags have a chance to move to 6-3, but it won’t be easy against a better than expected Chargers team, which will be bringing former Jags coach Gus Bradley back to town. Bradley knows the personnel well, and the Chargers surely have spent the last two weeks planning for a win that would provide a much-needed spark to start the second half of the season.

Florio’s pick: Chargers 24, Jaguars 21.
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Saints at Bills

MDS’s take: The improvement of the Saints’ pass defense this season has been nothing short of remarkable. I think they’ll keep it going and New Orleans will win a defensive struggle.

MDS’s pick: Saints 17, Bills 14.

Florio’s take: The schedule gets tougher for the 6-2 Saints, and the 5-3 Bills can’t afford too many more losses. The extra time makes the difference for the Bills, whose head coach knows a thing or two about the Saints from his time in Carolina.

Florio’s pick: Bills 23, Saints 20.
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Jets at Buccaneers

MDS’s take: It’s crazy to say it, but the Jets team that some saw going 0-16 is poised to be 5-5 through 10 games. I think they’ll win in Tampa on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Jets 20, Buccaneers 17.

Florio’s take: The Jets have a 10-1 record all-time against the Buccaneers, who will be missing Jameis Winston (shoulder) and Mike Evans (suspension). The Bucs will have to wait four more years to eat another W in this series.

Florio’s pick: Jets 24, Buccaneers 17.
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Vikings at Redskins

MDS’s take: If both teams were at full strength I’d take the Redskins in this one, but I see the Vikings’ defensive front making life rough for Kirk Cousins behind a banged-up offensive line.

MDS’s pick: Vikings 21, Redskins 16.

Florio’s take: The Redskins are better than 4-4, and the Vikings are worse than 6-2. It’s a correction Sunday in Maryland, and a loss by the visiting team moves Teddy Bridgewater another step toward returning.

Florio’s pick: Redskins 23, Vikings 16.
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Bengals at Titans

MDS’s take: I don’t think the Titans are as good as their 5-3 record looks, but they have a favorable schedule and a good chance of getting to the playoffs. Another win should be coming on Sunday.

MDS’s pick: Titans 24, Bengals 20.

Florio’s take: The Titans keep quietly surging toward a playoff berth, with defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau getting a crack at the team he once coached, four days before playing the team whose defense he expertly coordinated.

Florio’s pick: Titans 23, Bengals 13.
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Cowboys at Falcons

MDS’s take: The Falcons have been a major disappointment, and the schedule doesn’t get any easier. The Cowboys will be a tough matchup for them.

MDS’s pick: Cowboys 28, Falcons 20.

Florio’s take: If the Cowboys have Ezekiel Elliott, they’ll build a lead and hold it. If the Cowboys don’t have Ezekiel Elliott, the Falcons will build a lead and blow it.

Florio’s pick: Cowboys 24, Falcons 20.
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Giants at 49ers

MDS’s take: This looks like one of the worst games of the year in the NFL. It’s interesting only for its implications on the top of next year’s draft. I see the 49ers winning, which is really losing in the draft order sweepstakes.

MDS’s pick: 49ers 15, Giants 12.

Florio’s take: The mighty have fallen, and they can’t get up. I’m tempted to pick a tie.

Florio’s pick: Giants 13, 49ers 10.
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Patriots at Broncos

MDS’s take: I think the Broncos will play a lot better than they did in last week’s loss to the Eagles. Just not well enough to beat the Patriots.

MDS’s pick: Patriots 28, Broncos 24.

Florio’s take: Yes, the Patriots usually struggle in Denver. But that’s typically because the Broncos are pretty good. While their defense still is (but for the 51 points allowed at Philly), the offense is not.

Florio’s pick: Patriots 27, Broncos 17.
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Dolphins at Panthers

MDS’s take: The Dolphins’ offense is struggling and the Panthers’ defense is playing well. Tough to see Miami winning on the road here.

MDS’s pick: Panthers 20, Dolphins 17.

Florio’s take: The Dolphins have entered the teeth of their schedule, and they’re going to get chewed up.

Florio’s pick: Panthers 30, Dolphins 20.
 

DaveFan'51

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LOL Florio makes picks as well as he writes!! LOL
 

SteezyEndo

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I actually like Foolios pick Buffalo over the Saints. The Saints do have a bad history of losing to Buffalo.
 

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HOUSTON AT L.A. RAMS

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Houston Texans
Without Deshaun Watson, the Texans are not built to beat the Rams in a shootout, which is what Sunday's game likely will turn into if the Rams keep up their offensive pace. The Rams are averaging an NFL-best 32.9 points per game, and the Texans are allowing 26 points per game, third most in the NFL. It will be hard for a Tom Savage-led team to outscore Los Angeles, and it could get ugly early in the game. Rams 38, Texans 20 -- Sarah Barshop

Los Angeles Rams
Since they moved west for the start of the 2016 season, the Rams have won only two games at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. That rate needs to pick up, and it'll start to this week. The Texans are injured and broken.

The Rams are healthy and rolling, winning their past two games by a combined score of 84-17. Their offense is humming along and their defense is finding its form. The Rams haven't been home in more than a month, and they owe the locals a victory. They'll get it on Sunday. Rams 31, Texans 13 -- Alden Gonzalez
 

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https://www.inverse.com/article/38117-nfl-swarm-ai-texans-rams

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Who Will Win Houston Texans vs. Los Angeles Rams? A.I. Predicts
What could have been
By Alasdair Wilkins

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From their last meeting in 2013

In another timeline, second-year breakout quarterback Jared Goff could have led the Los Angeles Rams into a shootout with rookie sensation Deshaun Watson and the Houston Texans. Only one of those things is going to happen, unfortunately, so it’s not exactly surprising a hive mind of about 40 NFL fans predicts the Rams will win big.

The Rams and Texans have both been riotously fun since unleashing their young quarterbacks. Goff has gone from bust in the making to a player capable of living up to his first overall pick status, while Watson was on track for quite possibly the best rookie season any quarterback has ever had. But an ACL tear to the Texans star means Houston must again turn to Tom Savage, which… sigh.

To predict the result of this and other games, Unanimous A.I. used what’s known as swarm intelligence to forecast the week’s slate. More than 30 NFL fans worked together as a hive mind to make picks.

As you can see in the animation below, each participant controlled a little golden magnet and used it to drag the puck toward the answer they thought was the most likely outcome. As the users saw the puck move toward a particular outcome, it triggers a psychological response. They readjust their decision-making, building toward a consensus.

Unanimous A.I. has made some scarily accurate predictions in the past using swarm intelligence, as our previous article explains. For instance, the swarm went a perfect 7-0 in its most recommended picks for a recent English Premier League slate.

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The hive mind doesn’t hesitate too much in picking the Rams to win, though some odd wavering there at the end brings the collective brainpower down to a relatively modest 83 percent.

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The hive mind likes the Rams to win here by 10 to 12 points. That’s right on the borderline of what Vegas thinks, as the Rams are favored by 11.