Pro Picks: Eagles will stay
undefeated and edge the Broncos in a close, tough game
[October 02, 2025]
By ROB MAADDI
The Philadelphia Eagles keep finding ways to win. The Denver Broncos
are aiming to hand them that first loss.
Coming off a lopsided rout over Cincinnati on Monday night, the
Broncos (2-2) have a tough challenge with a short turnaround going
to face the reigning Super Bowl champs.
The Eagles (4-0) needed a last-second blocked field goal to beat the
Rams, and a blocked punt that was returned for a score helped them
defeat the Buccaneers in a game where Jalen Hurts didn’t complete a
pass in the second half and the offense had minus-1 yard.
If Bo Nix avoids mistakes and J.K. Dobbins finds open holes to run,
the Broncos have a chance to walk away with a win. They have a
defense that can give Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the rest of
Philadelphia’s star-studded offense problems.
A frustrated A.J. Brown wants more targets but he’ll go up against
AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain II.
The Eagles are 3 1/2-point favorites, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Pro Picks sees a close one.
EAGLES: 24-23
Houston (1-3) at Baltimore (1-3)
Line: Texans minus 1
C.J. Stroud and the Texans saved their season last week. Now,
they’ve got a chance to start a winning streak. The Ravens have been
decimated by injuries, especially on defense. If Lamar Jackson can’t
play, it’ll be Cooper Rush starting. That’s a big drop-off.
BEST BET: TEXANS: 23-17
Miami (1-3) at Carolina (1-3)
Line: Dolphins minus 1 1/2
Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins got their first win but lost Tyreek
Hill in the process. They’ve got a short week to prepare for a team
that’s hard to figure. The Panthers routed Atlanta and were on the
wrong end of a lopsided loss to New England. This is an important
bounce-back game for coach Dave Canales and QB Bryce Young.
UPSET SPECIAL: PANTHERS: 23-20
San Francisco (3-1) at Los Angeles Rams (3-1)
Line: Rams minus 7
Brock Purdy and starting receivers Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings
are out for the banged-up 49ers. The Rams are a blocked field goal
away from being undefeated. The 49ers are 14-10-1 ATS on short rest
under coach Kyle Shanahan, but 2-3 ATS vs. Rams in those situations.
Sean McVay is 17-7 ATS coaching on short rest. The Rams have won
three straight in the series.
RAMS: 26-16
Minnesota (2-2) vs. Cleveland (1-3), in London.
Line: Vikings minus 3 1/2
Carson Wentz got pummeled by the Steelers last week and needs to get
rid of the ball faster with a depleted line and Myles Garrett coming
after him. Could be a tough debut for rookie Dillon Gabriel and the
Browns on offense going against Brian Flores’ unit. Favorites are
36-14-1 straight up and 32-19 against the spread in international
games. But the Vikings are 6-10-1 ATS after a loss and the Browns
are 10-3-1 ATS the game after allowing 30-plus points since 2022.
VIKINGS: 22-20
Las Vegas (1-3) at Indianapolis (3-1)
Line: Colts minus 7
Geno Smith has to stop throwing the ball to the other team to give
the Raiders a chance. The Colts would be undefeated if not for a
couple of costly mistakes, including Adonai Mitchell dropping the
ball before crossing the goal line. Under coach Shane Steichen the
Colts are 5-2 straight up and ATS after committing three or more
turnovers.
COLTS: 24-19
New York Giants (1-3) at New Orleans (0-4)
Line: Saints minus 2
Losing Malik Nabers for the season dampened Jaxson Dart’s winning
debut for the Giants. It’ll be hard to replace the star receiver.
New York’s defense played dominant up front and should make things
difficult for Spencer Rattler. The Saints played Buffalo tough and
they’re running the ball well. This is a chance for Rattler to get
his first win in 11 career starts. Over the past five seasons,
quarterbacks in their first two starts are 13-34 straight up on the
road.
SAINTS: 20-16
[to top of second column] |
Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) throws a touchdown pass
against the Cincinnati Bengals during the first half of an NFL
football game Monday, Sept. 29, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack
Dempsey)
Dallas (1-2-1) at New York Jets (0-4)
Line: Cowboys minus 2 1/2
Not losing to Micah Parsons and the Packers was a win for Dallas,
even though nobody likes a tie. Dak Prescott is playing at an MVP
level. The defense desperately needs to improve. The Jets are
playing sloppy, making mistakes and still seeking Aaron Glenn’s
first win. Prescott is 6-1 at MetLife Stadium.
COWBOYS: 26-22
Tennessee (0-4) at Arizona (2-2)
Line: Cardinals minus 7 1/2
Cam Ward and Jeffery Simmons are frustrated with losing, coach Brian
Callahan is under intense scrutiny and the Titans have looked
terrible. The Cardinals have an opportunity to get back on track
after two straight last-second losses. The Titans are 2-15 ATS in
their past 17 games.
CARDINALS: 23-13
Tampa Bay (3-1) at Seattle (3-1)
Line: Seahawks minus 3 1/2
The injury-riddled Buccaneers could’ve upset Philly if special teams
didn’t give up another TD. Baker Mayfield is playing MVP-caliber
ball, though he made one costly mistake last week that resulted in
his first pick. Sam Darnold and the Seahawks have a balanced
offense, the defense is getting after quarterbacks and they had
three extra days to prepare for this one.
SEAHAWKS: 24-20
Detroit (3-1) at Cincinnati (2-2)
Line: Lions minus 10 1/2
Dan Campbell’s Lions are looking like the team that won 15 games
last season. They do have some injury concerns in the secondary,
though. The Bengals didn’t show up Monday night in Denver. Zac
Taylor needs to figure things out. Losing Joe Burrow is no excuse
for no-showing. The Lions are 50-21-1 ATS since 2021.
LIONS: 31-20
Washington (2-2) at Los Angeles Chargers (3-1)
Line: Chargers minus 2 1/2
Jayden Daniels was cleared to return from a knee injury that
sidelined him two games. The Commanders were 1-1 with Marcus Mariota.
The injury-riddled Chargers need to find a way to protect Justin
Herbert despite injuries on the offensive line.
COMMANDERS: 23-22
New England (2-2) at Buffalo (4-0)
Line: Bills minus 8
Drake Maye is playing up to expectations and Stefon Diggs’ addition
has helped. Maye will start his first NFL prime-time game. Even a
double-digit win wasn’t satisfactory for Josh Allen and the Bills in
a close call against the Saints. Allen is 8-6 vs. the Patriots,
though he was 0-3 vs. Tom Brady.
BILLS: 27-20
Kansas City (2-2) at Jacksonville (3-1)
Line: Chiefs minus 3 1/2
Xavier Worthy’s return has sparked Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs,
who opened 0-2. Travis Etienne’s running and an opportunistic
defense have helped the Jaguars turn things around this season. They
already have 13 takeaways after getting just nine last season.
Mahomes is 5-0 straight up against Jacksonville.
CHIEFS: 24-17
___
Last week: Straight up: 11-4-1. Against spread: 8-8.
Overall: Straight up: 47-16-1. Against spread: 32-32.
Prime-time: Straight up: 10-4-1. Against spread: 6-9.
Best Bet: Straight up: 3-1. Against spread: 2-2.
Upset Special: Straight up: 3-1. Against spread: 3-1.
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