So much for respectability in what has rapidly become the weakest division in the NFL. The only reason that all four teams in the NFC East did not lose last Sunday was that New York was playing Philadelphia, so somebody had to win. The Cowboys peeked their head above .500 with a Week 7 victory over the Eagles but quickly returned to form by blowing a big lead against Detroit in Week 8. The Giants got past Philly this past Sunday with five field goals, and Washington is still trying to figure out what went wrong in a 45-21 loss to Denver after leading that game by 14 points in the third quarter. The good news is that I had the Broncos covering the 11-point spread in that game as my NFC East Pick of the Week. At the midway point of the season, I am 7-1 on my picks for a total profit of $2,070.

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 $1,000 profit with my picks by the end of the year. Now that we are up big, let’s aim for $3,000! All lines quoted have been provided by 5Dimes.

Minnesota Vikings vs. Dallas Cowboys (Sunday, Nov. 3, 1 p.m.)

The Vikings were able to hang with Green Bay for most of the game last Sunday night, but in the end they fell 44-31 as 7.5-point underdogs at home. They are now just 1-6 straight-up on the year and 2-5 against the spread. Minnesota has yet to win on the road this season, and it is 1-2 ATS in those three games.

Dallas is a team that just cannot stand success at 4-4 SU on the year. Earlier in the season it blew a lead in a 30-21 loss to San Diego as a one-point road favorite, and this past Sunday as a three-point underdog on the road against Detroit it fell 31-30 in the closing minute after opening up a 10-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Fortunately, the Cowboys will return home for this game, where they are 3-1 SU and 4-0 ATS. They have been opened as 11-point favorites with the total set at 47.5

San Diego Chargers vs. Washington Redskins (Sunday, Nov. 3, 1 p.m.)

San Diego will be going for its third victory of the year against the NFC East after beating both Philadelphia and Dallas. It is coming off a bye week with an overall record of 4-3 SU and a profitable 5-1-1 record ATS. The total has stayed “under” in its last three games. The Chargers are one of the more balanced teams in the league with an offense that is averaging 24 points a game complementing a defense that is ranked ninth in the NFL in points allowed (20.6).

The Redskins had Denver on the ropes last Sunday, but their defense completely collapsed down the stretch. Robert Griffin III has been cleared to play after tweaking his knee in that game. The bigger concern to avoiding a sixth loss in its first eight games is what kind of effort can Washington expect from a defense that is ranked 29th in total yards allowed (397.1) and 31st in points allowed (32.7) against another AFC West team that knows how to quickly move the ball through the air and put points on the board.

This inter-conference clash remains a “pick’em” on 5Dimes most recent board, with the total line set at 51.

NFC East Pick of the Week

Philadelphia Eagles vs. Oakland Raiders (Sunday, Nov. 3, 4:05 p.m.)

Philadelphia’s high-octane offense has ran out of gas the past two weeks with just three combined points in losses to Dallas and New York. The only bright spot during this skid is much better play from a defense that was ranked near the bottom of the NFL in points allowed through its first six games. This unit held the Cowboys to 17 points and forced the Giants into scoring nothing but field goals in last Sunday’s 15-7 loss. The Eagles should have Nick Foles back at quarterback for this game after missing last week with a concussion, but Michael Vick remains “doubtful” at best after reinjuring his hamstring against New York.

The Raiders improved to 3-4 SU on the year with last Sunday’s 21-18 win over Pittsburgh as 2.5-point home underdogs. Consistency on offense remains an issue for a team that has yet to play two solid games in a row with Terrelle Pryor at the helm. This unit is ranked 26th in the league in scoring with an average of 18 points a game, but its defense is holding teams to just 21.4 points a game. It could take three or maybe even four quarters for either of these offenses to get in gear, which should keep the scoring low enough to stay under the 46.5-point total line.

4-Unit Play take Philadelphia vs. Oakland UNDER 46.5

YTD Record 7-1 (+$2070)

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