With the start of NFL preseason action just a few short weeks away, now is a great time to get an early jump on your 2019 betting selections. Whether you like favorites, underdogs, home teams or road warriors, you’re going to get your fill of expert betting predictions from yours truly right now. With that said, let’s get down to business with my trio of Week 10 regular season picks.
2019 NFL Week 10 Must-Bet Games
Seattle Seahawks at San Francisco 49ers
- When: Monday, November 11, 2019 at 8:15 PM ET
- Where: Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, CA
- TV: NBC
- NFL Week 10 Odds: San Francisco -1.5
The Seahawks finished an encouraging eighth in scoring (26.8 ppg) and 11th in points allowed (21.7 ppg) in 2018 and I believe they’re more than ready to take another step forward after going 10-6 last season while reaching the playoffs and nearly upsetting Dallas on the road (24-22) in the wild card round.
San Francisco is looking to bounce back from its horrific 4-12 campaign last season that saw starting quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo lost for the season in Week 3 with a torn ACL. The Niners made a series of offseason moves to upgrade a defense that finished 28th in points allowed last season while helping the still, unproven Garoppolo to reach his full potential on the offensive side of the ball.
For me, Jimmy Garoppolo and the 49ers might be playing at home in this Week 10 NFC West divisional battle, but Russell Wilson and the Seahawks really are the better and more experienced team in all three phases of the game. Prior to last season’s 26-23 Week 15 overtime loss at Frisco, Seattle had won 10 straight in this NFC West rivalry dating back to 2014, including their 43-16 beatdown of the Niners at home in Week 13. Wilson is a legitimate superstar and I expect him to be the best player on the field in this Week 10 NFC West matchup, while Seattle’s generally stout defense shuts down Jimmy G and the Niners’ offense.
Pick: Seattle +1.5
Baltimore Ravens at Cincinnati Bengals
- When: Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 1:00 PM ET
- Where:
- TV: CBS
- NFL Week 10 Odds: Baltimore -1
Everything is looking up for Baltimore as they get set for the upcoming 2019 season. The Ravens have an outstanding defense that finished first overall in 2018 and second in points allowed (17.9 ppg). More importantly, Baltimore and head coach John Harbaugh, are all in on second-year quarterback Lamar Jackson after turning over the keys to their offense to the rookie late last season and parting ways with longtime starter Joe Flacco in the offseason. The Ravens have been tailoring their offense to suit Jackson’s talent in the offseason and I don’t see any reason why he shouldn’t be better in 2019 than he was a year ago.
While Baltimore knows their identity as a power rushing team that plays lock-down defense, things are more complicated in Cincinnati where the Bengals will be playing for a first-time head coach in former Rams quarterbacks coach Zac Taylor. Right now, I’m not sure Taylor’s arrival help lift the mostly average career-long play of veteran quarterback Andy Dalton and I certainly don’t expect the Bengals defense to go from dead last overall last season to one of the formidable units in the league in 2019. Baltimore has the edge in coaching and defense and I believe they’re going to shut down Andy Dalton while running the ball down the Bengals’ throats to get the big win and snap a four-game road losing streak against Cincinnati.
Pick: Baltimore -1
Carolina Panthers at Green Bay Packers
- When: Sunday, November 10, 2019 at 1:00 PM ET
- Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
- TV: FOX
- NFL Week 10 Odds: Green Bay -5.5
The Panthers never really found their footing last season as they fell from an 11-win playoff participant in 2017 to a seven-win tea, that was left on the outside looking in come playoff time a year ago. Still, I’ve got plenty of hope that Carolina can get their act together to challenge for a playoff berth in the competitive NFC South. The Panthers still have a game-changing talent in quarterback Cam Newton and he’s god some great young talent at the skill positions in running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receivers DJ Moore and Curtis Samuel. If the Panthers can get back to being a top 10 defensive unit this coming season, Carolina could surprise in a big way.
For Green Bay, while the Packers still have the gifted Aaron Rodgers under center, they have a boatload of question marks on both sides of the ball, not to mention Rodgers will be suiting up for a head coach other than Mike McCarthy for the first time in his professional career as the Packers turn to former Titans offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur.
While LaFleur’s hiring can’t hurt an offense that finished a mediocre 15th in scoring a year ago (23.5 ppg), I’m not sure the first-time head coach is going to be able to get Green Bay’s porous defense fixed in one single offseason after they finished 22nd in points allowed (25.0 ppg) last season.
I know Rodgers and the Packers are playing at home in this contest, but for me, Cam and the Panthers are the more complete team. Even if they don’t bag the outright win, I don’t see the Packers winning this by anything more than a field goal.
Pick: Carolina +5.5
