Cappers Sports Picks

My selection is on the 'under' between Columbus and Boston at 7:05 pm et on Sunday.

I expect the Blue Jackets to have a miserable time trying to break through offensively against the Bruins on Sunday, noting that Boston has allowed just 2.1 goals per game on home ice this season and despite the victory in Toronto last night, should be in a foul mood after blowing a 3-2 lead with seconds remaining in the third period. Columbus is coming off a 4-2 win over the Senators on Friday but continues to struggle on the season, averaging just 2.9 goals per contest. Meanwhile, Boston's offensive ceiling hasn't been all that high lately as it has produced four goals or less in seven consecutive games. Take the under (8*).

My selection is on Kansas City minus the points over Green Bay at 8:20 pm et on Sunday.

The Packers caught the Lions flat-footed on Thanksgiving Day. It almost seemed as if Detroit thought Green Bay would simply roll over but that was far from the case. Here, I expect the Chiefs to be business-like in their approach once again, noting they're a perfect 7-0 ATS in their last seven road games against non-conference opponents. As expected we heard plenty of 'what's wrong with the Chiefs?' whispers following their 21-17 home loss to the Eagles on MNF a couple of weeks ago. After a sluggish start in Las Vegas last Sunday, Kansas City eventually rolled to a two-touchdown victory. I expect plenty of carry-over from that flawless second half performance on Sunday night in Green Bay. This is another 'get right' spot against a Packers squad that just isn't as good as it looked in posting consecutive wins over the last two weeks. Take Kansas City (8*).

ACC Game of the Month. My selection is on Pittsburgh minus the points over Clemson at 2 pm et on Sunday.

Clemson is ripe for a letdown on Sunday following its big upset win on the road against Alabama back on Tuesday. The Tigers took advantage of a struggling Crimson Tide defense in that contest but shouldn't be so fortunate on Sunday as they stay on the road to face a Pitt defense that ranks 46th in the country in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom. The Panthers offense was a no-show against Missouri last time out, perhaps dealing with a letdown of their own following a blowout win over Oregon State. I'm confident we'll see Pitt bounce back here. Take Pittsburgh (10*).

Total of the Week. My selection is on the 'over' between Denver and Houston at 1 pm et on Sunday.

It's all systems go for the Texans with breakout wide receivers Tank Dell and Noah Brown expected to play on Sunday in this critical home matchup against the Broncos. We know what the Houston offense is capable of and it should push the Broncos defense much harder than either of their last two opponents did in the banged-up Vikings and Browns (both of those games were played in Denver). On the flip side, Denver's offense is no longer the plodding, methodical unit taking what it can get. The Broncos have reeled off five straight wins, scoring 24 or more points in three of their last four contests. Finally with at true RB1 in Javonte Williams and a rejuvenated WR duo in Jerry Jeudy and Courtland Sutton, the Broncos can give the Texans defense some problems in this game. Note that the 'over' is 29-14 in the Texans last 43 home games following consecutive 'under' results, as is the case here. Take the over (10*).

Sunday NHL Free play. My selection is on Nashville over Buffalo at 7:05 pm et on Sunday.

The Predators are coming off back-to-back losses and face a third game in the last four nights on Sunday in Buffalo. The Sabres are arguably in an even worse position, however, as they play their third game in four nights, in a third different city (the Preds last two games were played at home). Buffalo was expected to push for a playoff spot this season but it certainly hasn't looked the part of a playoff-ready team so far. Here at home, the Sabres have gone 5-5, averaging just 2.4 goals per game. Of course, an injury to Tage Thompson earlier in the campaign really hurt their cause offensively. Note that the Preds are 22-9 in their last 31 games after giving up three goals or more in their last two contests, as is the case here. The Sabres are 0-6 in their last six home games following back-to-back road defeats. Take Nashville.

Sunday NFL Free play. My selection is on the 'under' between San Francisco and Philadelphia at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

The Eagles were involved in a wild, high-scoring shootout against the Bills last Sunday but I expect a different story to unfold as they host the 49ers this week. Coaxing a high-scoring affair out of the 49ers has proven difficult over the last six games. In fact, San Francisco's highest-scoring game over that stretch produced just 48 points in a home loss against the Bengals - its worst defensive effort of the season by far. I don't think the two defenses are being given enough credit in this matchup. The Niners defense has completely manhandled the opposition since its bye week, allowing a grand total of just 30 points in three games. We saw what the Eagles defense is capable of two weeks ago as it confused the Chiefs offense all night long, allowing only 17 points, on the road no less. San Francisco's offense always has that big-play potential, but when playing with a lead, as it projects to do here as a road favorite, it tends to get a little conservative and run-heavy. The Eagles defensive strength is up front, creating a strength-on-strength matchup in that regard. Note that the 'under' is 21-6 in the Eagles last 27 games following a contest where both teams scored 30 or more points, as is the case here. Take the under.

NFC South Game of the Year. My selection is on Carolina plus the points over Tampa Bay at 4:05 pm et on Sunday.

I really like the way this spot sets up for the visiting Panthers as they look to come away with something positive after firing head coach Frank Reich. Carolina has appeared lifeless this season, winning just once in 11 games. Needless to say, when a head coach gets fired, the players tend to take it upon themselves to show up and show out the next week. Tampa Bay had its four-game ATS winning streak snapped with a 27-20 loss at Indianapolis last Sunday. The once-stout Bucs defense has now allowed 24 points or more in four of its last five contests. Note that Tampa Bay is a miserable 7-20 ATS in its last 27 games following consecutive road defeats while Carolina is a long-term 142-117 ATS in an underdog role. We've seen an incredible 12 straight meetings in this series decided by more than a field goal but I think there's a good chance that this one goes down to the wire on Sunday. Take Carolina (10*).

My selection is on Arizona plus the points over Pittsburgh at 1 pm et on Sunday.

I'm just not ready to buy in to the Steelers being installed as considerable favorites against any opponent, let alone a Cardinals squad that's fresh off an embarrassing 37-14 rout at the hands of the division rival Rams last week. Arizona has now dropped back-to-back games but is still 3-2 ATS over its last five contests. The Steelers picked up a massive come-from-behind win in Cincinnati last Sunday but let's not start planning the parade just yet. That came against a Joe Burrow-less Bengals squad. Note that Arizona is 8-1 ATS in its last nine games when priced as a road underdog of between 3.5 and 7 points, actually outscoring opponents by an average margin of 3.6 points in that situation. I think the pacific time zone team playing an early game in the east angle is overblown and will grab all the points I can get with the Cards on Sunday. Take Arizona (8*).

My selection is on Cleveland plus the points over Los Angeles at 4:25 pm et on Sunday.

I'm not ready to write off the Browns just yet. Yes, they're coming off a disheartening loss to the Broncos in Denver last Sunday in a game that completely got away from them. I fully expect them to bounce back this week as they stay on the road to face the Rams, who are in a fairly obvious letdown spot off consecutive wins, including a blowout victory in Arizona last week. Are the Rams as good as they looked against the Cardinals? Probably not. Are the Browns as bad as they appeared against the Broncos? Certainly not. Keep in mind, prior to that loss in Denver, Cleveland had reeled off three consecutive wins SU and four in a row ATS. Yes, the Browns offense remains extremely limited but I think their defense can do a lot of the heavy lifting on Sunday, ultimately creating enough splash plays to give their offense some short fields to work with. Note that the Rams are a woeful 3-10 in their last 13 home games as a favorite of seven points or less. Meanwhile, Cleveland is 9-4 ATS in its last 13 games against NFC opponents and 6-3 ATS in its last nine contests as an underdog priced between +3.5 and +9.5 points, as is the case at the time of writing. Take Cleveland (8*).