NFL PATRIOTS AT RAMS

Tom Brady doesn’t know what to think of his New England Patriots as they stumble into London’s Wembley Stadium for Sunday's matchup with the St. Louis Rams. New England is 4-3 on the season and has added a strong running game to its already potent passing attack. But the Patriots have lost leads in the fourth quarter in two straight games and their depleted secondary has been roasted. New England needed overtime and a little luck to defeat the New York Jets and stay above .500 for the season.

The Rams lost a little zip in their offensive attack when receiver Danny Amendola went down with a collarbone injury in Week 5. Since then, quarterback Sam Bradford has just one TD pass and the Rams have lost two straight. This is technically a home game for the Rams, who are 0-3 away from St. Louis but can expect the crowd to back the internationally popular Patriots.

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Patriots -7, O/U 47

ABOUT THE PATRIOTS (4-3): Brady said the offense is too inconsistent, evidenced by the fact it has scored just two touchdowns in each of its past two games. But it's the Pats' defense that is clearly the major problem. Four teams have logged season highs in yards gained against New England, which has allowed an average of 338 yards through the air in its last five games. The Patriots played once in London, defeating Tampa Bay 35-7 in 2009. New England has gained 350 yards or more in 16 straight games, tying the 1999-2000 Rams for the NFL record. Wes Welker leads the league with 688 receiving yards and Brady is second in passing with 2,104 yards.

ABOUT THE RAMS (3-4): St. Louis dropped a 30-20 decision to Green Bay last week, the first time it has surrendered as many as 30 points this season. The Rams, who rank a respectable 10th in total defense, had yielded 33 points combined in in their three previous contests. Amendola returned to practice this week but is not expected to play for a few more weeks. He’s missed the past two games but still leads the team in every receiving category.

EXTRA POINTS

1. This is sixth NFL regular-season game in England and the Rams’ first trip to London.

2. Both teams have byes next week.

3. WR Brandon Lloyd was added to the Patriots' injury report (knee) on Wednesday.

MONEYLINE COVERS - Going with the Rams here -7.  New England will be ready for this game. They keep coming to this division and getting beat. Arizona and Seattle took them down. They will not let it happen again. They will win comfortably!!

NOTRE DAME AT OKLAHOMA

Two of the most storied programs in college football will square off Saturday when No. 7 Oklahoma hosts fifth-ranked and undefeated Notre Dame. While each school has a past that is the envy of any program, the stakes are plenty high in the present with Notre Dame sitting at No. 5 and the Sooners at No. 8 in the BCS standings. Oklahoma has bounced back with a vengeance from its lone loss to Kansas State, rolling up 156 points in lopsided victories over Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas, but it will be facing a defense that ranks second nationally in points allowed at 9.4 per game.

The Fighting Irish, who had gone more than a month without surrendering an offensive touchdown before allowing two in last week's 17-14 win over Brigham Young, are seeking their first 8-0 start since 2002. Notre Dame is 8-1 all-time against the Sooners, including a historic 7-0 win at Oklahoma in 1957 that snapped an NCAA-record 47-game winning streak.

TV: 8 p.m. ET, ABC. LINE: Oklahoma -10

ABOUT NOTRE DAME (7-0): Linebacker Manti Te'o is the leader of the Fighting Irish's lock-down defense, earning mention as a contender for the Heisman Trophy. Four of the Fighting Irish's wins have been by seven points or fewer, but the offense should get a boost with the return of starting quarterback Everett Golson, who missed the BYU game due to a concussion suffered in an overtime win over Stanford on Oct. 13. Golson had thrown for 141 yards and a TD and run for 41 yards before he was injured. Notre Dame leaned on the running game against BYU, getting a career-high 143 yards from Theo Riddick and 114 from Cierre Wood. Still, the Irish's hopes rest on their defense, which is ranked sixth nationally with 280.7 yards allowed and has yet to give up a rushing TD.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA (5-1): The Sooners have raised their game since losing to unbeaten Kansas State on Sept. 22. Oklahoma put up 41 points at Texas Tech before trampling archrival Texas 63-21 and crushing Kansas 52-7 last week. Quarterback Landry Jones has thrown for 880 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception during the three-game win streak. Running back Damien Williams has three 100-yard games, including a career-high 167 yards against Texas, and backup quarterback Blake Bell has rushed for eight TDs in four games. Kenny Stills leads the receiving corps with 38 catches and four TDs. DT Stacy McGee returns to the lineup after missing six games due to suspension.

EXTRA POINTS

1. This will mark the second true road game for Notre Dame, which beat Navy in Ireland and Purdue at Chicago.

2. Oklahoma has never lost two home games in one season since Bob Stoops took over the program in 1999.

3. The last meeting between the schools came in 1999, when host Notre Dame prevailed 34-30 to hand Stoops his first loss with the Sooners.

MONEYLINE COVERS - Going with the Sooners here - 13. I just think Notre Dame has not played a team of this caliber all season and it will show they are not as good as their record and ranking indicate. I mean they BYU almost beat them last week. Oklahoma -13.

UCLA AT ARIZONA STATE

Arizona State on Saturday looks to regroup from a lopsided loss to Oregon when the Sun Devils host UCLA, which did not play last week. Both teams are battling for position atop the Pac-12 South race with five games remaining. The Sun Devils had only two penalties for 10 yards against Oregon last Thursday, but that was the lone highlight from a 43-21 defeat that wasn’t nearly that close. The Bruins' offense ranks 16th in the nation at 505 yards per game and their passing attack is among the best in the conference. They’ll be tested by Arizona State’s stellar pass defense, which leads the nation while allowing an average of 130 yards in the air. While UCLA won last year’s matchup 29-28 on a last-minute touchdown, the Bruins have lost five of their last six games to Arizona State in Tempe.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, FX. LINE: Arizona State - 6.5

ABOUT UCLA (5-2, 2-2 Pac-12 South): The Bruins feature a balanced offensive attack, with tailback Johnathan Franklin leading the Pac-12 in rushing at 125 yards per game. Redshirt freshman quarterback Brett Hundley averages 308 yards of total offense with 14 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, including four in a 43-17 loss at California on Oct. 6. The Bruins’ young offensive line will be challenged by Arizona State, but left tackle Torian White is expected to start after having a minor heart procedure last week. On defense, the Bruins have largely controlled the line of scrimmage while looking for more consistency from their secondary. After recording only 14 sacks in 14 games last season, the Bruins have 24 sacks in seven games this year, including seven by linebacker Anthony Barr.

ABOUT ARIZONA STATE (5-2, 3-1): The Sun Devils’ strength is its defensive line, which averages four sacks and leads the nation with 9.43 tackles for loss per game. Two key players left with injuries in the first quarter against Oregon, however, and it’s unclear whether Will Sutton (knee) and Junior Onyeali (shoulder) will be available against UCLA. Sutton is third in the nation with 8.5 sacks and fifth in tackles for a loss with 14. Sophomore quarterback Taylor Kelly had thrown 99 consecutive passes without an interception before throwing two against Oregon, and he leads the Pac-12 in passing efficiency. Freshman tailback D.J. Foster leads the Sun Devils in all-purpose yardage (657 yards), while fellow running back Marion Grice has a team-high nine touchdowns.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Arizona State K Alex Garoutte has missed four of his last six field-goal attempts, and could be replaced by sophomore walk-on Jon Mora against UCLA.

2. UCLA has won 11 of its last 12 games when limiting its opponent to less than 100 rushing yards.

3. The Sun Devils have outscored their opponents 78-7 in the fourth quarter this season.

MONEYLINE COVERS - Going with ASU - 6.5. I do feel very good about this pick. Not that that means a whole lot. Last week I was certain Notre Dame would beat BYU by more than 14 but that didn't happen. I do feel good about this game though. I feel ASU is arguably the 2nd best team in the Pac - 12 but they just don't get no love. They are by no means close to first though. You saw what Oregon did to them last week. Oregon is hand down the 2nd best team in the nation in my opinion. But who is to say Stanford and USC is better than ASU. I am not gona say it. ASU -6.5

BRIGHAM YOUNG AT GEORGIA TECH

The focal point when host Georgia Tech steps out of ACC play to welcome Brigham Young to Bobby Dodd Stadium on Saturday will come when the Yellow Jackets take the ball. Georgia Tech puts the nation’s third-best rushing attack against a Cougars’ run defense that ranks eighth in the country. The Yellow Jackets bring some momentum into the matchup after snapping a three-game losing streak with a 37-17 victory last week over Boston College. The Cougars hope to avoid a three-game skid, having drop consecutive games to then No. 10 Oregon State and then No. 5 Notre Dame. BYU has allowed only 14 points per game this season, and held Notre Dame to 17 last week. Georgia Tech senior quarterback Tevin Washington has rushed for 15 touchdowns this season, second-most by any player this season.

TV: 3 p.m. ET, ROOT Sports, FSN, ESPN3.com. LINE: Georgia Tech, -2.5

ABOUT BRIGHAM YOUNG (4-4): BYU’s strength is on defense, where the Cougars are allowing 276.9 yards per game, ranking fourth in the nation. The BYU rush defense allows an average of 93.1 yards, despite giving up 270 rushing yards last week against Notre Dame. Junior linebacker Kyle Van Noy has forced eight career fumbles, including three in eight games this season. Offensively, the Cougars will look to junior wide receiver Cody Hoffman to catch a pass in his 28th consecutive game. Hoffman has four games of 100-plus receiving yards this season. Four BYU offensive linemen have missed time with injuries this season, and senior center Braden Hansen will miss at least two weeks with a groin injury.

ABOUT GEORGIA TECH (3-4): In their first game since dismissing defensive coordinator Al Groh, the Yellow Jackets allowed only 296 yards in dominating Boston College. But Georgia Tech’s hopes for success revolve around a rushing attack averaging 339.6 yards per contest. Washington has competed 61.6 percent of his passes, and backup quarterback Vad Lee is pushing for more playing time after passing for a score and rushing for a touchdown last week. The Georgia Tech defense has intercepted at least one pass in its past six games.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Cougars are 0-3 against ranked teams this season, also losing to Boise State in September.

2. Georgia Tech used two kickers last week - David Scully and Justin Moore - and both struggled. Scully missed practice Monday and Tuesday with a hip injury.

3. The teams have split their two previous matchups, BYU winning in Provo in 2003 and Georgia Tech prevailing in Atlanta in 2002.

MONEYLINE COVERS - I am going with Georgia Tech here - 2.5. 

NFL CLEVELAND AT INDIANAPOLIS

One week after ending one losing streak, the Cleveland Browns try to halt another as they visit the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. Cleveland stopped a franchise record-tying 11-game skid with a 34-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals last week as rookie quarterback Brandon Weeden threw a pair of touchdown passes and cornerback Sheldon Brown returned an interception 19 yards for a score. The win was the first since Nov. 20 for the Browns, who enter Week 7 having lost 10 straight road games.
Indianapolis crashed hard after its emotional victory over Green Bay on Oct. 7 as it was trounced by the New York Jets last Sunday. The Colts rallied to top the Packers in the wake of the news that head coach Chuck Pagano was battling leukemia, but showed little fight in a 35-9 loss at New York. Indianapolis allowed a season-high 252 rushing yards and lost defensive end Cory Redding with a right knee injury. The Colts have won eight of their last 11 meetings with the Browns.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Colts -3.5, O/U 44.
ABOUT THE BROWNS (1-5): Cleveland also ended an 11-game losing streak in 1975 with a triumph over Cincinnati. The Browns held the Bengals to 76 yards on the ground after surrendering 243 yards rushing to the New York Giants a week earlier. Phil Dawson is a perfect 12-for-12 on field-goal attempts this season. Weeden has thrown for 1,519 yards, the second-most by an NFL rookie in his first six games. Carolina's Cam Newton set the record with 1,847 yards last season. Rookie RB Trent Richardson gained 37 yards on 14 carries against Cincinnati before leaving with a rib injury. Richardson, who is expected to play Sunday, leads AFC rookies with 340 rushing yards. Cleveland leads the AFC with 10 interceptions.
ABOUT THE COLTS (2-3): The club hopes to have Robert Mathis back after the Pro Bowl linebacker missed the loss to the Jets with a knee injury. Mathis leads Indianapolis with five sacks. Rookie QB Andrew Luck was 22-of-44 last Sunday, the third time he has completed less than 52 percent of his passes. The Colts are 0-3 in those contests. Luck, who has the fifth-best average in the league with 297.6 yards passing, leads AFC quarterbacks with 103 rushing yards. WR Reggie Wayne is averaging a league-high 118.6 yards per game. He had five catches against New York to raise his career total to 903, making him the 14th player in NFL history to reach the 900-reception mark.
EXTRA POINTS
1. The Browns have not won away from home since snapping a five-game slide against the Colts on Sept. 18, 2011, in Indianapolis. Cleveland lost a team-record 11 in a row on the road from Dec. 7, 1974-Sept. 26, 1976.
2. Weeden led Oklahoma State past Luck and Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl last season.
3. The road team has won five of the last six meetings between the clubs.

MONEYLINE COVERS - I am going with Cleveland here +3.5.

NFL DALLAS AT CAROLINA

Coming off a heartbreaking loss, the Dallas Cowboys need something positive - and the Carolina Panthers might be just the team to provide it. The Cowboys have won eight straight meetings between the teams, who will square off Sunday afternoon at Bank of America Stadium. Dallas is looking to rebound from a 31-29 loss at Baltimore in which Dan Bailey missed a 51-yard field goal with two seconds left. The Cowboys' second straight loss further deflated a team that had high expectations after a season-opening win over the defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants. Coming off its bye week, Carolina must do something quickly to salvage its season. The Panthers haven't beaten the Cowboys since the teams' first meeting in 1997, but they need to change that to hold out much hope of getting back into the playoff picture. They've lost three straight and are already four games behind NFC South leader Atlanta in the loss column. 

TV: 1 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Cowboys -2, O/U 45.5

ABOUT THE COWBOYS (2-3): Dallas has been sound statistically, ranking sixth in total offense and second in total defense, but it hasn't always equated to success on the scoreboard. The Cowboys rank ninth in the league in scoring offense (18.8) and 20th in scoring defense (23.8). Dallas lost running back DeMarco Murray to a foot injury last week, but Felix Jones picked up the slack with 92 yards and a touchdown. Jones is likely to be called upon again, with Murray missing practice Wednesday and Thursday and expected to miss Sunday's game.  

ABOUT THE PANTHERS (1-4): Carolina is still built around quarterback Cam Newton, who leads the team in rushing (209 yards), but that blueprint hasn't been as effective as it was during his rookie season. Newton has thrown five interceptions and he hasn't been able to close out games like he did last year, as Carolina has lost three games by six points or less. The defense has struggled as well, and will have its hands full with Dallas' balanced attack. 

EXTRA POINTS

1. Dallas WR Dez Bryant had a career-high 13 catches and matched his career best with two touchdowns last week. 

2. Carolina WR Steve Smith has topped 130 receiving yards twice against Dallas. 

3. Cowboys LB DeMarcus Ware has five sacks in three career games against Carolina. Ware has 97.5 sacks since 2006, the most in the NFL.

MONEYLINE COVERS - I am going with Dallas here -2 and feel very good about it.

NFL JACKSONVILLE AT OAKLAND

The Oakland Raiders will try to climb within one game of idle Denver and San Diego in the AFC West when they host the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday. The Raiders and Jaguars have each lost two straight. While neither team has many playmakers, Jacksonville's Maurice Jones-Drew and Oakland's Darren McFadden are running backs capable of taking over the game. McFadden may have the best chance against the NFL's No. 30 defense against the run (163.0), but is off to a slow start with only 271 yards. Teams are starting to focus more on Jones-Drew, who has accounted for 41 percent of the Jaguars' total yards.

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Raiders -4, O/U 43.5

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (1-4): Jacksonville has the worst offense in the NFL at 13.0 points per game and is averaging 241.2 yards. After opponents figure out a way to contain Jones-Drew, there isn't much else to worry about. Second-year quarterback Blaine Gabbert leads the league's worst passing offense (142.8 yards) and his completion percentage of 54.8 is 31st. Jones-Drew shares the team lead with 14 receptions and his 81.6 rushing yards per game is above his 74.1 career average, but if the Jaguars do not develop other offensive options, his numbers will likely decline. Jacksonville lost to Chicago 41-3 on Oct. 7 prior to its week off.

ABOUT THE RAIDERS (1-4):  While Oakland's rushing attack is 29th in the NFL at 78.4 yards per game, a healthy McFadden against Jacksonville's suspect defense could improve those numbers. The Raiders, though, could also try to exploit the league's No. 23 passing defense. Quarterback Carson Palmer (62.6 completion percentage, six touchdowns, three interceptions) leads the No. 12 passing offense and may have the opportunity to get his wide receivers more involved as the Jaguars have only three sacks. Tight end Brandon Myers and McFadden lead the team with 21 receptions apiece. Oakland lost at Atlanta 23-20 last week on a 55-yard field goal with 1 second left.

EXTRA POINTS

1. The Raiders had season highs of 474 total yards and 149 yards rushing last week.

2. Jones-Drew needs 179 yards from scrimmage to become the 87th player in NFL history to reach 10,000 yards from scrimmage.

3. The Jaguars won the last meeting 38-31 in 2010 on Jones-Drew's 30-yard run with 1:34 left. Jones-Drew rushed for 101 yards while McFadden had 123.


MONEYLINE COVERS - I like Oakland here -4.