The NFC East went a collective 0-4 straight up in Week 2 with both Washington and New York digging themselves into an early 0-2 hole. Going against the Giants has proved to be profitable play in my NFC East pick of the week with their 0-2 start against the spread as well.

Each week of the season I will briefly preview all the games in the NFC East and highlight my top pick of the week with the use of Doc’s Sports Unit Betting System. I will be tracking the results as the season progresses with the goal of making at least $1000 profit with my picks. All lines quoted have been provided by 5Dimes.

Kansas City Chiefs vs. Philadelphia Eagles (Thursday, Sept. 19, 8 p.m.)

The main storyline for this matchup is Andy Reid’s return to Philadelphia after spending the last 14 seasons as the Eagles’ head coach, but the fans better remember that he is bringing a revitalized Kansas City Chiefs team with him that has already equaled their win total from the entire 2012 season. The Chiefs are 2-0 and ranked eighth in the NFL rushing the ball and second on defense at stopping the run.

There is no doubt that new Eagles’ head coach Chip Kelly’s retooled offense can put points on the board in bunches, but it looks like the same old defense that had trouble stopping both the run and the pass as well as keeping opposing teams out of the end zone. Philadelphia has scored 63 points, but it has given up 60.

The Eagles have been opened as three-point home favorites for Thursday night, with the total set at 50.5. These two teams do not see each other too often, but Philadelphia holds a 4-1 edge both SU and ATS in the last five meetings.

Detroit Lions vs. Washington Redskins (Sunday, Sept 22, 1 p.m.)
                                                     
Detroit split its first two games with a 10-point win over Minnesota as a four-point home favorite followed by a four-point loss to Arizona as a one-point favorite on the road. Matthew Stafford has looked sharp throwing the ball with 635 yards and four touchdowns while completing 65.8 percent of this throws.

The much anticipated return of Robert Griffin III to the starting lineup after recovering from offseason knee surgery has not gone as planned. The rust has been obvious, especially in the first half of his first two games. The bigger concern for the Redskins is a defense that has allowed a total of 71 points in losses to Philadelphia and Green Bay.

The Redskins have been opened as one-point home favorites for Sunday’s game. They have a dominating 16-4 SU edge in this series over the last 20 games, and they are 5-0 SU in the last five meetings in Washington. The Lions have failed to cover in six of their last seven road games against the Redskins. The total is set at 49.5, and it has stayed “under” in five of the last seven meetings.

St. Louis Rams vs. Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m.)

The Rams are off to a 1-1 SU start, but they have failed to cover in both games. After beating Arizona by three points on opening weekend behind a 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter, their late-game rally against Atlanta came up short in a seven-point loss.

Dallas could not get past Kansas City last week as a three-point underdog on the road in a 17-16 loss. This followed a 36-31 opening weekend victory over the Giants as a 3.5-point home favorite in a game that saw New York turn the ball over six times. Tony Romo has thrown for 561 yards and three touchdowns while completing 72.5 percent of his attempts.

The Cowboys have been listed as 3.5-point home favorites for this matchup with the total set at 47. The last time these two teams met was in 2011, with Dallas rolling to a 34-7 victory as a 14-point home favorite. These two have split the last four meetings 2-2 both SU and ATS, with the total staying under in three of the four games.

NFC East Pick of the Week

New York Giants vs. Carolina Panthers (Sunday, Sept. 22 1 p.m.)

It has been a rough start for the Giants with the opening weekend loss to Dallas and a 41-23 loss to Denver in their home opener last Sunday, but this remains one of the best teams in the NFL at circling the wagons when things get tough. The two main problems so far have been turnovers and a complete lack of a running game that have combined to put a tremendous amount of pressure on New York’s defense.

It’s a new season, but Carolina is up to its same old tricks in a 0-2 start both SU and ATS. It hung tough against Seattle on opening weekend in a 12-7 loss as a three-point home underdog. Last week it lost to Buffalo 24-23 on a last-second touchdown as a 3.5-point home favorite. The Panthers remain a hard-luck team that still does not know how to win close games.

Going against the Giants has me up 700 this season, but in a battle between two teams still looking for their first win of the season, I will always lean towards the side with the better overall talent. This game is currently listed as a “pick’em” with the total set at 45.5. New York is 4-1 both SU and ATS in the last five meetings, including a 36-7 victory last season as a 2.5-point underdog on the road. This game will be much closer than that, but the Giants still come out on top.

4-Unit Play Take New York (“pick’em”) over Carolina

YTD Earnings +300

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