Media by Associated Press – Minnesota Vikings wide receiver K.J. Osborn (17) on the field prior to the start of an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals, Sunday, Oct. 30, 2022 in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Stacy Bengs)
As November begins, the contenders start to separate from the pretenders in the NFL standings. This is a big month of games and bye weeks before the final stretch run as teams jockey for positioning in their divisions and the Wild Card races.
Let’s take a look at finding three teams to parlay together for a Week 9 money maker.
Miami Dolphins -4.5
The Miami Dolphins proved this week that they are all-in on the 2022 season. Trading a first-round pick to Denver for defensive end Bradley Chubb and then paying their new star shows the Dolphins are in a win-now mentality. With quarterback Tua Tagoviola back healthy, the offense looked great last week with 31 points in Detroit.
Now the Dolphins head to Chicago and face a Bears team that has traded away their two best defensive players in the last two weeks. With Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith gone, the Bears should struggle to put pressure on Tua, who threw for 382 yards in Detroit.
Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle, who both rank in the top four in the NFL in receiving yards, are in line for big games against the Bears’ secondary.
Chicago gave up 49 points to Dallas last week, and while Justin Fields has looked better, the offense looked shaky at best before their bye week.
They have Chase Claypool in the fold now, but he struggled in Pittsburgh for the last 18 months. Look for the Dolphins to lock in on Claypool and Khalil Herbert to make Fields beat them with his decision-making.
Detroit Lions +3.5
The Lions have been snake bit this season with blown leads and close losses. In five of their seven games, they have scored at least 24 points, and they have four losses by four points or less. In their home games, the Lions are averaging 35.8 points per game.
The Green Bay Packers did nothing to add to their roster at the trade deadline. While they may have found something in the run game at Buffalo on Sunday night, the Packers haven’t topped 22 points in their last four games, all losses. Green Bay has struggled on the road this season, with a 1-4 record outside of Lambeau and an average of 16.2 points per game in those contests.
Aaron Rodgers has played very well against the Lions in his career with an 18-6 record, and the Packers are 32-12 against Detroit this century. However, this Packers team is banged up with injuries on the offensive line, at wide receiver, and at linebacker.
Even without the traded tight end T.J. Hockenson, the Lions should have enough firepower to get into the 20s against the Packers and keep this game at one possession. Detroit typically treats games against Green Bay as their Super Bowl, and anything more than a field goal is worth taking on Sunday.
Minnesota Vikings -3.5
Let’s stay in the NFC North for the trifecta with the red-hot Minnesota Vikings. The division is there for the taking, and the Vikings made moves this week by acquiring the aforementioned Hockenson to beef up the offense. Minnesota heads to Washington with a four-game lead in the division, and they have the second-best record in the NFC behind the 8-0 Philadelphia Eagles.
The Vikings have won five straight since losing to the Eagles, and they have scored at least 24 points in each of those wins. This is also a return game to Washington for quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will play with a chip on his shoulder. He hasn’t played in Washington since the Commanders traded him to the Vikings after the 2017 season.
The atmosphere could be a strange one on Sunday at FedEx Field. Commanders owner Dan Snyder is embroiled in controversy and looking to sell the team. The fans haven’t exactly been out in full force this season, and the stadium is likely to have a good amount of purple in the seats.
Washington’s defense has played much better than the offense this season, allowing 21 points or less in four straight games. The Commanders are 3-1 in that stretch, but the offense has topped 21 just once in the last six games. If Taylor Heinicke can’t lead touchdown drives on Sunday, this one could get out of hand.
Parlay picks
- Miami -4.5 (-110)
- Detroit +3.5 (-115)
- Minnesota -4 (-110)
Parlay: +580
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