INDIANAPOLIS AT NEW YORK JETS

THE STORY: While New York Jets fans have begun clamoring for Tebow Time to begin, head coach Rex Ryan says Mark Sanchez is still his starting quarterback - at least for now. Sanchez faces one of the most pivotal games of his career Sunday as he leads the stumbling Jets into a home date with the Indianapolis Colts. The Jets had a glorious opportunity to knock off the unbeaten Houston Texans last Monday, but bad personnel management and more Sanchez mistakes ultimately proved costly.

The Colts have no such concerns at their primary skill position. Rookie quarterback Andrew Luck has exceeded preseason expectations, throwing for more than 1,200 yards and seven touchdowns over his first four games. Indianapolis comes in on a high after storming back from an 18-point deficit to beat the Green Bay Packers 30-27 last weekend. Luck and Reggie Wayne tore the Packers secondary to ribbons, with Luck amassing 362 passing yards and Wayne hauling in the game-winning TD pass as part of a 212-yard performance.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Jets -3, O/U 43.

ABOUT THE COLTS (2-2): With hearts still heavy following the news that head coach Chuck Pagano is battling leukemia, Indianapolis earned an emotional victory over Green Bay - and fittingly gave the game ball to Pagano. It wasn't all good news for the Colts, who learned they'll be without starting running back Donald Brown for up to three weeks after undergoing knee surgery. Rookie Vick Ballard has been promoted to the starting role, with Delone Carter expected to back him up.

ABOUT THE JETS (2-3): Ryan's faith in Sanchez isn't shared by frustrated fans, who made their feelings known Monday night by repeatedly booing the lackluster Jets offense. Sanchez has failed to complete more than 50 percent of his passes in any game since the season opener, and has just two touchdowns against five interceptions over his last three outings. Sanchez does have one thing working in his favor Sunday as popular target Dustin Keller is expected to return. The skilled tight end has been out since Week 1 with a hamstring injury.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Luck is tops among AFC quarterbacks with 104 rushing yards. Tebow leads in career rushing among AFC QBs with 717 yards.

2. Wayne needs just two more catches to become the 14th player in league history to record 900 career receptions.

3. The Jets are 4-0 when RB Shonn Greene rushes for more than 100 yards, but he hasn't reached that mark since Week 14 of the 2011 season.

MONEYLINE COVERS - Going with the Jets here -3 and feel quite good about it.

DALLAS AT BALTIMORE

THE STORY: The Dallas Cowboys have had nearly two weeks to figure out what went wrong against the Chicago Bears and fix their turnover-prone offense. A trip to the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday afternoon will test any weaknesses Tony Romo and company still have. The Ravens forced four turnovers in a win at Kansas City in Week 5 and are riding a three-game winning streak. The Cowboys committed five turnovers against the Bears and have struggled offensively in each of the last three games. Dallas’ offensive line struggles, as well as a lackluster running attack, have contributed to Romo’s difficulties over the last three games. DeMarco Murray has been held to 106 yards on the ground the last three games. The one thing the Cowboys have done exceptionally well is defend the pass, which could shift more responsibility to Ravens running back Ray Rice.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Ravens -3.5, O/U 43.5

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (2-2): Romo threw five interceptions against Chicago in a Monday night game and has two touchdowns against seven interceptions in the last three games combined. Two picks against the Bears were returned for touchdowns and Romo was eventually replaced in the fourth quarter by Kyle Orton. Romo will be back as the starter after the bye week and Dallas is hoping an extra week will give the offensive line a chance to develop more chemistry. While Romo’s woes have partially been due to bad decision-making, he has been under constant pressure the last three games and Murray has been dropped for a loss 11 times in the last two contests. Coordinator Rob Ryan’s defense has been the bright spot, ranking first in opposing passing yards thanks to free-agent cornerback Brandon Carr and rookie Morris Claiborne.

ABOUT THE RAVENS (4-1): Baltimore was unimpressive in a 9-6 victory at Kansas City in Week 5 but forced four turnovers to seal the win. The Ravens were carried by their offense early in the season but have gotten stronger on the other side of the ball the as quarterback Joe Flacco and the offense have slipped. Flacco was held to just 187 yards and was picked off once in Kansas City after piling up 738 yards combined the two previous weeks. The Chiefs used a strong pass rush and a pair of strong cornerbacks to keep Flacco in check, a strategy the Cowboys have the personnel to mimic. One thing Dallas has not shown it can do is take on a defense as sound as Baltimore. The Ravens are strong up front and are third in the AFC with a plus-4 turnover differential.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Dallas’ secondary took a hit against Chicago when S Barry Church was lost for the season with a torn Achilles tendon. Cowboys S Matt Johnson (hamstring) could play Sunday for the first time this season.

2. Rice has averaged over 5.0 yards per carry in four of five games in 2012.

3. Dallas NT Jay Ratliff (ankle), DE Kenyon Coleman (knee), LB Anthony Spencer (pectoral) and LB Alex Albright (neck) are all expected to play on Sunday.

MONEYLINE COVERS - Going with Dallas here. No rhyme or reason really just going with my gut. Dallas covers! Hopefully my picks will earn your trust and you go with me.

NEW ENGLAND AT SEATTLE

THE STORY: The New England Patriots have found a pounding rushing attack to go along with Tom Brady and the rest of the offense. That has led to 83 points in the last two games. The Seattle Seahawks own the No. 3 rushing defense in the league and have shown a tendency to pull games out late. The Seahawks might not be as explosive offensively as New England but they have yet to lose at home and are allowing an average of only 14.0 points. The Patriots’ weakness defensively has been against the pass, which matches up nicely against Seattle’s inability to throw the ball. Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson and the offense are averaging 147 yards through the air, better only than the Jacksonville Jaguars. That has put more pressure on running back Marshawn Lynch, who is averaging over 100 yards per game.

TV: 4:05 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -3.5, O/U 44.5

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (3-2): New England leads the league in scoring and is averaging 165.4 yards on the ground behind Stevan Ridley and Brandon Bolden. The Patriots have gone over 200 yards rushing in back-to-back games for the first time since 1978 and used the ground game along with Brady’s passing to set a franchise record with 35 first downs in a 31-21 win over the Denver Broncos last week. While the offense looks to be on par with the record-setting 2007 unit, the biggest change to the team this season has been in the front seven on defense, where New England is now getting to the quarterback and stopping the run. The Patriots are tied for the league lead with nine forced fumbles and are getting younger on that side of the ball with three rookies in crucial roles.

ABOUT THE SEAHAWKS (3-2): Seattle has the personnel to disrupt Brady and the passing game, with big cornerbacks on the outside. Rookie Bruce Irvin leads NFL rookies with 4.5 sacks and the Seahawks are tied for fifth in the NFL with 16 sacks. The defense has kept the team in games long enough for Wilson to find some magic in the final seconds. He led a pair of scoring drives in the second half at Carolina last week before the defense closed out the 16-12 victory. Seattle is 2-0 at home and has allowed a total of 19 points at CenturyLink Field. Keeping Brady and company off the field for as long as possible will be up to Wilson and Lynch. Wilson has been picked off six times in five games, with five of those interceptions coming in the last two contests.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Patriots are 38-11 against NFC teams under coach Bill Belichick, including a 24-21 victory at Seattle on Dec. 7, 2008. Matt Cassel was at quarterback for New England in that one.

2. NFC West teams are 10-0 at home this season. NFC West teams have gone 4-0 against the AFC East, including the Arizona Cardinals beating the Patriots in Week 2.

3. New England TE Aaron Hernandez (ankle) has missed the last three weeks but has been practicing. He is listed as questionable.

MONEYLINE COVERS - I am going with the Patriots -4 and feel quite good about it. Seattle is a tuff place to play but I think New England looks at the Seahawks like they look at Arizona. New England lost to Arizona. They are not gona lose again to this division. Feel pretty good about this bet.

DETROIT LIONS AT PHILADELPHIA EAGLES

THE STORY: The Detroit Lions are hoping the bye week was just what they needed. Detroit enters its Week 6 meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles having lost three straight games following a season-opening victory over St. Louis. The Lions have put up a fight in the setbacks, however, as each loss was by eight points or less. Considered the luckiest 2-0 team in the league after two weeks, Philadelphia has dropped two of its last three contests. The Eagles are coming off a 16-14 loss to Pittsburgh last Sunday in which Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham booted a 34-yard field goal as time expired. Philadelphia has won five straight meetings with the Lions, scoring at least 30 points in each of the last three victories.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Eagles -3.5, O/U 47.5
ABOUT THE LIONS (1-3): Quarterback Matthew Stafford has passed for 3,101 yards since December 2011, the third-highest total in the league. Detroit is 10-0 when Stafford has a rating of at least 105. Joique Bell ranks third among NFL running backs with 175 receiving yards. Wide receiver Calvin Johnson is first in the league with 46 touchdown receptions since 2008. Detroit is 0-2 on the road thus far this season and has dropped five of its last six away from home.
ABOUT THE EAGLES (3-2): While quarterback Michael Vick has had trouble holding on to the ball, he has done a better job tossing it lately. After throwing six interceptions in the first two games of the season, Vick has gone three straight contests without a pick. Since 2010, Vick is the only player in the league with over 7,500 yards passing and 1,000 yards rushing. The Eagles are 10-1 when running back LeSean McCoy rushes for 100 yards. Philadelphia is seeking its first 3-0 start at home since 2005.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Lions have allowed touchdowns on kickoff and punt returns in each of their last two games.
2. Vick has eight fumbles, three more than any other player in the league. His five lost fumbles also lead the NFL.
3. Stafford has thrown only three touchdown passes this season after tossing for 41 scores last year.

MONEYLINE COVERS - I am betting Detroit to win straight up. If you wana play it safe you can take the +3.5. But I feel Detroit winning is safe. 

UCLA AT CALIFORNIA

Led by the nation's fourth-best running game, Jim Mora's has his high-octane UCLA offense off to a flying start. His next test, however, is one the Bruins haven't passed in more than a decade. UCLA visits California for a Pac-12 Conference matchup Saturday and the Bruins haven't won in Berkeley in 14 years. While breaking that streak would seem promising as the favored Bruins enter the contest 4-1 and Cal has struggled to a 1-4 start, Mora knows that Cal's four losses have come against teams that have combined to go 16-3. UCLA running back Johnathan Franklin hopes to carry the torch for the Bruins. He is third in the NCAA in rushing and the Bears have been gashed on the ground for more than 174 yards per game.

TV: 10 p.m. ET, Pac-12 Network. LINE: UCLA -3

ABOUT UCLA (4-1, 1-1 Pac-12 South): Memorial Stadium has been a house of horrors for UCLA. The Bruins have lost six consecutive games there by a combined score of 222-129. The last time UCLA ventured into Berkeley it lost 35-7 in 2010. But Mora has UCLA rolling and they rebounded from their first loss, a home upset at the hands of Oregon State, by hammering Colorado on the road last week.  The Bruins average 36.8 points per game and lead the Pac-12 in total yards and should be able to attack the Bears at their weakness - run defense. Franklin has 697 yards on the ground and a big game could put him back in the Heisman Trophy discussion.

ABOUT CALIFORNIA (1-4, 0-2 Pac-12 North): While the Bears are certainly struggling, they have been competitive all season. Cal took No. 12 Ohio State to the wire in Columbus, Ohio, and then battled Matt Barkley and conference powerhouse USC tightly for three quarters. Last week Cal trailed a strong Arizona State team by a field goal with 10 minutes to play before falling 27-17. UCLA is the fourth straight team Cal has faced that has received votes in the Top 25 poll and to get over the hump, Cal has to slow down UCLA’s offense. The Bears’ defense allowed at least 27 points in every game this season and is 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring defense having allowed 30.2 points per game.

EXTRA POINTS

1. UCLA beat Cal 31-14 last season at the Rose Bowl.

2. Cal QB Zach Maynard was intercepted by UCLA’s Tevin McDonald three times in last year’s game.

3. Cal back Isi Sofele reached 2,000 career rushing yards last week and has 2,075 after racking up 105 yards versus Arizona State. He is 429 yards shy of Cal's all-time top-10 list in career rushing yards.

MONEYLINE COVERS - My pick is California +3. Watched them against Arizona State. They did not look that bad. I think Arizona state will end up being the second best team in the Pac 12. That is why I am on Missouri -7 today. Because Missouri beat ASU. Cal really needs this game plus they are at home.

MICHIGAN STATE AT INDIANA

Michigan State has played one of the nation's tougher early-season schedules - and it is reflected in the team's record. The Spartans will look to avoid a second consecutive conference defeat when they visit Indiana on Saturday. Last week's home loss to Ohio State dropped Michigan State out of the Top 25, halting a run of 34 consecutive weeks in which the team had been ranked. The Spartans have dominated the rivalry against the defensively-challenged Hoosiers, winning three straight and seven of eight, including a 55-3 romp last season that clinched a berth in the inaugural Big Ten title game.

TV: 12 p.m. ET, Big Ten Network. LINE: Michigan State -15.5

ABOUT MICHIGAN STATE (3-2, 0-1 Big Ten Legends): The Spartans have struggled to get their offense untracked and have already failed to surpass 17 points three times. Part of that stemmed from playing three ranked opponents in September for the first time in 25 years, but the passing game has been maddeningly inconsistent. After watching his receivers drop 18 balls from quarterback Andre Maxwell in the past three games, coach Mark Dantonio took one step to address the shortcomings by elevating highly-touted freshman Aaron Burbridge into the starting lineup. The running game has fluctuated wildly, with running Le'Veon Bell churning out a pair of 200-yard games while being held to 77 yards or fewer three times.

ABOUT INDIANA (2-2, 0-1 Big Ten Leaders): The Hoosiers fell behind by 27 points before a late rally came up short in a 44-29 loss at Northwestern last week. A defense that was shredded for an average of more than 46 points in the final seven games last season has shown little sign of improvent, yielding 85 points in back-to-back losses to Ball State and Northwestern and getting steamrolled for 704 total yards against the Wildcats. Indiana also has major issues on the other side of the ball after starting quarterback Tre Roberson suffered a broken leg in the season opener. Cameron Coffman, a junior college transfer, has started the past two games but was relieved by true freshman Nate Sudfeld in both.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Spartans have not lost consecutive Big Ten games in the same season since October 2009.

2. Saturday's matchup will be Indiana's Homecoming. Its last win over the Spartans came on Homecoming weekend in 2006.

3. The winner of the game will be presented with the Old Brass Spittoon, continuing a tradition in the rivalry that dates to 1950.

MONEYLINE COVERS - My pick is Indiana +15.5. They are at home and they are have lost 2 in  row. They will keep it close.

NORTHWESTERN AT PENN STATE

Northwestern will try for its first 6-0 start since 1962 when it visits Penn State on Saturday. The No. 22 Wildcats, who are 5-0 for the third time in five years, are coming off a school-record 704 yards of offense in their 44-29 victory over Indiana last week. Northwestern possesses one of the top rushing attacks in the country - ninth at 255.8 yards per game - and its last 13 touchdowns have come on the ground. The Wildcats, though, have lost five straight to the Nittany Lions, and will face the No. 14 defense in the nation at 13.6 points allowed per game. Penn State has won three straight, including a 35-7 victory at Illinois last week.

TV: 12 p.m., ESPN. LINE: Penn State -3

ABOUT NORTHWESTERN (5-0, 1-0 Big Ten Legends): The Wildcats' 394 rushing yards against Indiana were their most since 2003. Running back Venric Mark had 139 yards and is fourth in the Big Ten at 107.6 yards per game. Kain Colter, who played quarterback the first four games, returned to the wide receiver/running back role he thrived in as a sophomore in 2011 against Indiana. He had 161 yards rushing and 131 receiving - both career highs - and his four touchdowns (all rushing) tied the school record for TDs in a game. Colter threw only three passes as sophomore Trevor Siemian assumed the quarterback duties. Northwestern is 13th nationally in rushing yards allowed per game at 90, but 109th against the pass (289.0).

ABOUT PENN STATE (3-2, 1-0 Big Ten Leaders): The Nittany Lions, who have a turnover margin of plus-7, are led defensively by Michael Mauti. The senior linebacker intercepted two passes last week, returning one a school-record 99 yards for a touchdown, and was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three games. Quarterback Matt McGloin leads the Big Ten at 243.4 yards passing per game while throwing 10 touchdowns against only two interceptions. His top target is sophomore Allen Robinson, who is second in the Big Ten at 6.4 receptions and 87.8 yards per game, with five touchdowns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Northwestern is 15-8 in true road games since 2008.

2. Penn State has outscored its opponents 49-0 in the first quarter and 76-9 in the first half. The Nittany Lions have been outscored 59-47 after intermission.

3. Penn State won last year's meeting 34-24 as McGloin threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns.

MONEYLINE COVERS - My pick is Northwestern +3.