Thursday Night Football already wasn’t doing NFL fans justice. Not only were the games largely sub-par and relative blowouts due to a short week, but the matchups either weren’t even or they were downright boring. The latter could be the case Thursday, as “the battle of Ohio” gets going when the Cincinnati Bengals and Cleveland Browns get to work.

This is actually a relatively good matchup considering the AFC North is completely wide open and both of these teams are above .500. It should also serve as a good indicator of whether or not the Bengals are a serious threat in the AFC, as well if whether or not the 5-3 Browns (no, you read that right) have a realistic shot at sneaking into the playoffs.

Brian Hoyer and co. don’t provide many big plays and the product on TNF can be pretty weak, but it’s possible we’re not giving this duel the credit it deserves. To get a better idea of what we’re in for, let’s break down the key notes for tonight’s NFL showdown:

No Gio, No Problem

Giovani Bernard will likely miss his second straight game due to lingering injuries, but that’s not a problem thanks to mashing rookie running back, Jeremy Hill. Hill thrived as the starter last week, as he put up over 150 rushing yards and two scores on 24 carries last week. Bernard isn’t officially out yet, but no one expects him to play. That might give Cincy a slight hit in terms of explosiveness, but what Hill did last week showed the overall drop-off is probably minimal. In other words, if you’re only betting against the Bengals because Gio is out, you may want to rethink that.

Manziel Sighting?

Brian Hoyer is the unquestioned starter in Cleveland, but with each passing week everyone wonders more and more if Johnny Manziel could make this team better than it currently is. It’s an obvious “probably”, but so far it’s hard to bench Hoyer, who hasn’t lit up the league, but also hasn’t cratered and dragged the Brownies down with him. Still, it’s worth tuning in just to see if the Browns will work up a gadget play or two for Johnny Football. Of course, Hoyer tends to get games started off slowly, too, so it’s always within the realm of possibility that he gets benched for Manziel at the half.

A.J. Green, Unleashed?

Green made his return from a toe injury last week and quickly made his presence known with three catches and a score in a win over the Jaguars. He says he’s even more comfortable a week later and he could be in for a much bigger role. That’s bad news for the Browns, who have struggled against the pass this year. Stud corner Joe Haden has been better lately, though, so this will definitely be a matchup worth monitoring.

Ultimately, the Bernard for Hill exchange is a wash, while Green’s presence keeps the slight edge with the Bengals for tonight’s TNF clash. Cleveland has a mystique about them that should put doubt in the mind’s of anyone betting, but the Bengals are also at home and on paper are still the better team. Cincy is the favorite with a -6 line, although that’s not a fun spread to play with on the Bengals side. Picking the Browns to beat the spread isn’t a bad idea, while taking the Bengals straight up is probably the safest route when it comes to NFL betting for Thursday’s action.

Pick: Bengals 27, Browns 24

Fans of NBA betting or basketball in general are in for a real treat on Wednesday, as a whopping 12 games are on the schedule. LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers get an immediate chance to bounce back from a sorry effort in Portland on Tuesday night, while the San Antonio Spurs finally return to action after a nice break.

Our NBA Picks for Tuesday night were hit by the Bucks upsetting the Pacers and the Blazers holding serve at home, but a 5-3 mark kept us above .500 and put our picks record at a solid 29-9 on the year. It’s a huge day for pro basketball betting, so we’re at it again, trying to predict each matchup:

Magic @ 76ers

Both of these teams are young, but Orlando is stacked full of talent and the Sixers severely lack it. Philly is still without last year’s rookie sensation, Michael Carter-Williams, too, so they’ll be the underdogs at home. The Magic are on the second night of a back to back but it’d be a shock if they didn’t get their first win of the season here tonight.

Pick: Magic 107, 76ers 100

Heat @ Hornets

Miami lost for the first time on Tuesday night, while Charlotte has slid to a tough 1-3 start. Part of that has been due to a stagnant offense, which has been driven into the ground by poor shot selection from star point guard Kemba Walker. Chris Bosh continues to crush skulls for the Heat, who are still the more complete team. It will be tough to drop the Hornets on the road, but Miami isn’t a great bet to lose two games in a row this early in the year.

Pick: Heat 95, Hornets 92

Knicks @ Pistons

New York fell apart on Tuesday night and has been inconsistent (2-2) through four contests, but they at least are playing solid defense. The Pistons haven’t been able to find a win yet and are still searching for their offense (averaging just 86 points per game). Carmelo Anthony should look to have a big game to help keep Detroit winless.

Pick: Knicks 101, Pistons 90

Raptors @ Celtics

Boston fights hard on a nightly basis but Toronto is way better across the board, so it’s hard to envision this one staying close. Center Jonas Valanciunas could be a surprise sit (face, hand), but if he plays there should be little doubt in this one.

Pick: Raptors 111, Celtics 102

Timberwolves @ Nets

Brook Lopez had a solid debut in Brooklyn’s last game and the Nets are oddly one of the best scoring teams in the league right now, which doesn’t bode well for a T’Wolves squad that is quite challenged defensively. With this one being in Brooklyn, the Nets hold the edge in a potential shootout.

Pick: Nets 112, Timberwolves 107

Pacers @ Wizards

Indiana continues to struggle with injuries and no clear offensive direction, while their defense also isn’t quite as suffocating as it once was. That bodes well for the Wiz, who host this game and are off to a nice 3-1 start. They also have the interior depth to challenge Roy Hibbert, who is easily Indy’s only real threat on either end at the moment.

Pick: Wizards 99, Pacers 94

Bulls @ Bucks

Chicago has dealt with some nagging injuries but their depth has shone through in a nice 3-1 start. Milwaukee plays spirited ball and could actually have a shot at home if this turns into a defensive battle. Whether or not Derrick Rose suits up (out the last two games with an ankle injury) could be the deciding factor, but for now Chicago holds the edge.

Pick: Bulls 97, Bucks 93

Hawks @ Spurs

Atlanta can fill it up offensively at times, but they really don’t make up for it defensively yet. Al Horford could ultimately help change that, but it all coming together on the road against the Spurs isn’t the safest of bets. San Antonio is well rested and rarely loses at home, so they make for one of the better locks of the night.

Pick: Spurs 103, Hawks 96

Grizzlies @ Suns

Two red hot teams clash in a huge Wednesday night battle as the Suns (3-1) try to hand the Grizzlies (4-0) their first loss of the year. Phoenix boasts a high-powered offense and is so far undefeated on their home floor, but Goran Dragic has been ice cold and will draw a very stout defense. Memphis is actually the top defense in the league, so they could get the road win if they can slow this one down.

Pick: Grizzlies 91, Suns 88

Cavaliers @ Jazz

Cleveland started hot on Tuesday and then played horribly for three quarters, as the lack of chemistry was made abundantly clear in a loss that dropped them to 1-2. Facing the Jazz tends to cure all ailments, though, as Utah is one of the worst defensive teams in the league. Cleveland stinks on defense right now, too, so this should be a shootout. Look for LeBron James and co. to bounce back and get to 2-2, however.

Pick: Cavs 111, Jazz 104

Nuggets @ Kings

The Nuggets and Kings square off for the second time in the past few days, as Denver will try to repay Sac-town for a recent loss. The Kings have been quite impressive thus far and come in at 3-1 and oddly boasting one of the better defenses in the NBA. They should be the favorites at home.

Pick: Kings 105, Nuggets 99

Clippers @ Warriors

The last game of the night is a good one, as the Clips take on the Warriors in a rematch of last year’s first round playoff series. These two teams hate each other and these games are always close, so we can expect it to go down to the wire. L.A. could always get the win but Golden State has been way more complete on both sides of the ball to this point and has to be the slight favorite.

Pick: Warriors 103, Clippers 101

Adding insult to injury, reports have surfaced that the Philadelphia Eagles may not view Nick Foles as their long-term answer at the quarterback position. The negative whispers come just days after Foles went down with a broken collarbone, while the rumors suggest Philly was already “soured” on Foles as it’s franchise passer before the injury.

Foles, No More?

According to the Newark Star-Ledger, Eagles GM Howie Roseman was starting to lose faith in Foles even before his week nine injury and is “looking at quarterbacks” according to a league source.

It’s an interesting development, but at this point not an overly shocking one. The team has been in search of it’s next franchise passer ever since trading Donovan McNabb to the Washington Redskins several years ago. Once they realized neither Michael Vick or Kevin Kolb were the right successor, the team pulled the trigger on Foles, an Arizona pocket passer with the ability to attack defenses deep.

Serious Regression

Foles came on strong in relief of an injured Vick in 2013, displaying solid pocket presence and a penchant for big plays. His willingness to take chances helped him put up a remarkable 27:2 touchdown to interception ratio, but a significant regression dating back to the summer has many thinking his stellar play from a year ago is a direct result of head coach Chip Kelly’s high-octane system.

That could easily be the case, especially considering veteran quarterback Mark Sanchez stepped up in relief last week and tosses two touchdowns along with 200+ yards in roughly a half of play.

Foles, on the other hand, struggled with timing, accuracy and turnovers throughout the year before getting hurt and suddenly didn’t look like the realiable starter he was a year ago. Going into a contract year in 2015, analysts are now wondering if Foles will receive a new contract from the Eagles at all. Should Philly decide Foles is indeed not the answer, that doesn’t seem likely.

Cue the Draft Rumors

If the Eagles truly are done with Foles, the buzz around the 2015 NFL Draft will be ablaze fairly soon, especially since Kelly’s former stud at Oregon, Marcus Mariota, will without a doubt be the top quarterback prospect in the draft. He’d be a great option for any team in search of a quarterback, but he’d be a perfect fit for Philly, since he ran their offense in college under Kelly. It might take a huge trade for the Eagles to move up and secure Mariota, but it’s something that could be in the cards come May’s draft.

Monday night kicked off another exciting week of NBA action, as we picked all six games (6-0) correctly to move up our 2014-15 NBA Picks record to 24-6 on the season. We strive to nail our picks each day to help anyone laying down NBA bets, so we’re back at it again for a big Tuesday filled with NBA action.

The hardwood excitement gets started with some 7:00 pm ET games and is capped off by the Lakers and Suns at 10:30 pm ET. Let’s take a quick look at each matchup for the night and see who you may want to be betting on:

Bucks @ Pacers

Milwaukee has some nice young talent and they’re looking like they’ll be pretty competitive this year, while the Pacers remain spirited despite being extremely banged up. I still prefer Indy’s coaching and veteran leadership, while this one being in Indiana certainly doesn’t hurt. The Deer are 0-2 on the road so far, and I don’t expect that to change, although this should be a good game.

Pick: Pacers 97, Bucks 95

Thunder @ Raptors

OKC is severely depleted, but they do have Reggie Jackson back in the fold, as he returned on Monday night. He’s not enough to go into Toronto and upend the Raptors, though. The Raptors are 2-1, healthy and right now a much deeper and more talented team than the Thunder.

Pick: Raptors 106, Thunder 98

Rockets @ Heat

It’s the battle of unbeatens from both conferences. The Rockets have been pretty impressive during a 4-0 start and Miami has proven to be very solid even without LeBron James (3-0). Houston has more star talent and might have more depth, so they could steal this one even though it’s in South Beach.

Pick: Rockets 107, Heat 103

Wizards @ Knicks

New York is looking like a potential playoff team at the moment, while the Wiz are one of the better teams on the rise. It’s always tough to pick a game against the Knicks at the Garden, but Washington is the better team on paper. It should be a close one, but the Wiz are tough to handle down low and should squeak it out.

Pick: Wizards 104, Knicks 101

Hornets @ Pelicans

Two defensive-minded teams square off tonight, as Anthony Davis and the Pellies host Al Jefferson and the Hornets. Both teams are just 1-2 to start the year, but both are probably playoff teams and have some real talent down low. New Orleans wins the battle of the paint, though, so the Hornets will need some serious outside shooting to sneak this one away.

Pick: Pelicans 99, Hornets 94

Magic @ Bulls

Orlando is definitely talented and getting better, but they’re winless and on the road. Chicago, meanwhile, could be getting both Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose back for this game, while they’d probably be the favorite even without them.

Pick: Bulls 103, Magic 95

Cavaliers @ Blazers

LeBron James and the Cavs head to Portland to try to get to 2-1, while the Blazers try to get to .500 and stay atop their division, as well. Cleveland easily has more talent, but their early games are arguable toss-ups due to chemistry and defense concerns. It’s hard to bet against King James, though, so we’ll give Cleveland the benefit of the doubt.

Pick: Cavs 98, Blazers 93

Suns @ Lakers

Early in the year, it’s tough to call the right upsets. Generally the teams that are supposed to win do win, but you always have to keep your eye out for those bottom feeders that snag an unlikely win. I think tonight is the night for the 0-4 Lakers. Their defense is atrocious, but they’re at home and they’ve gotten really close to pulling out a victory in each of their last two contests. I think they finally get their first win of the year here.

Pick: Lakers 112, Suns 110

The NBA doesn’t always go the way you want or expect it to. We saw that firsthand on Sunday night, as the Los Angeles Clippers lost at home to the Sacramento Kings. L.A. just hasn’t looked quite right so far in the 2014-15 NBA season, but they’ll get a shot at putting forth a better effort on Monday when they take on the Utah Jazz.

We went just 2-2 with our NBA Picks yesterday and like the Clips, we aim for a better result on Monday night. Let’s break down that matchup and the others for Monday as we unleash our NBA Picks (18-6 on the year):

Rockets @ 76ers

Houston could be without Dwight Howard and Patrick Beverley, but even so, they remain much deeper and more talented than the hosting Sixers. Philly could seriously have a realistic chance at being the first ever 0-82 franchise, so betting on them is never a good idea.

Pick: Rockets 111, 76ers 88

Thunder @ Nets

OKC has been hurting, but despite not having Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook healthy, they’ve stayed competitive and even unleashed a potential star in the making in Perry Jones. Jones won’t be enough on the road against the Nets, though, as Brook Lopez (foot) gears up for his season debut.

Pick: Nets 101, Thunder 96

Pelicans @ Grizzlies

Anthony Davis has been on a tear to get the season going, but Memphis is going to try to slow him and everything the Pellies do down considerably. At home, they’ll probably make it happen in a low-scoring, defensive battle.

Pick: Grizzlies 91, Pelicans 87

Celtics @ Mavericks

Dallas operates the most explosive offensive attack in the league, while neither of these two teams play much defense. That leaves the door open for Rajon Rondo and co. to pull off the upset, but that’s not going to be easily done on the road in Dallas, where the Mavs typically take care of business.

Pick: Mavs 109, Celtics 100

Kings @ Nuggets

The Nuggets and Kings have both strangely been elite on defense so far, although it’s early and tough to tell if the numbers will stick. Ty Lawson isn’t himself yet, either, thanks to a bum ankle. If the defense holds up here, the Kings might hold the edge with DeMarcus Cousins offering another dominant effort.

Pick: Kings 96, Nuggets 94

Jazz @ Clippers

Utah boasts one of the worst defenses in the league, which could easily have the final game of the night ending in blowout fashion. Los Angeles hasn’t been elite on defense, though, so if they continue to slack off outside, the Jazz could sneakily stay in this one. That’s doubtful with this one being at the Staples Center, however.

Pick: Clippers 103, Jazz 93

The Los Angeles Lakers are 0-4, the Miami Heat (2-0) seemingly haven’t lost a step and the 2014-15 NBA season is very much alive. We head into another glorious day of pro basketball action with our NBA Picks. We were away from the betting board on Saturday, but we take our stellar 16-4 mark on the year into Sunday’s games.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each contest and our pick:

Kings @ Clippers

The Clips have begun the year with a 2-0 record and host the Kings, who oddly have not brought elite offense to the table to get things going. They have been solid on defense, though, while the Clips oddly have given up over 100 points per game. Something may have to break, but the edge should stay in Lob City’s hands with this game going down at the Staples Center.

Pick: Clippers 106, Kings 103

Raptors @ Heat

Two undefeated Eastern Conference squads wage war in South Beach, as the Raptors try to prove they’re the next big thing and the Heat try to keep winning without LeBron James. Miami has the home court advantage and is still the more experienced team, so they get the slight edge.

Pick: Heat 99, Raptors 95

Hornets @ Knicks

Both of these teams are stuck at .500, but they’ll be going in opposite directions after Sunday night. New York does have the home  court advantage with this one going down at Madison Square Garden, but there is a serious mismatch with Shane Larkin facing Kyle Lowry. Toronto also has major size down low over the Knicks. If the Knicks win, it’ll be because of a big night from Carmelo Anthony.

Pick: Hornets 98, Knicks 93

Warriors @ Blazers

The last game of the night is in Portland, where the Trail Blazers really don’t “trail” very often. Their lone win is at home, but the Warriors already look battled tested after starting the year off 2-0 and looking pretty balanced (110 points per game, while allowing just 90.5 on the other end). The inside, outside duo of LaMarcus Aldridge and Damian Lillard will have to be cooking, but the edge has to go with the deeper Warriors.

Pick: Warriors 107, Blazers 104

We didn’t hit on any of our upsets in week eight. The Bears got demolished by the Patriots, the Jaguars looked inept against the Dolphins, the Rams finally got blown out on the road and the Raiders let a close game get out of hand against the Browns.

On paper, those were potential upsets, but they clearly didn’t even come close to panning out. That’s the downside of NFL betting, but with such a random league like the NFL, we know by now it still pays to take those chances. Let’s get back to it again as we gear up for week nine with four more potential upsets via our NFL Picks:

Upset to Chase: Jets over Chiefs (-9.5)

Usually our “upset to chase” spot is simply reserved for the game with the biggest line. Unfortunately, the Raiders are in Seattle and they probably will get beat 56-0. A -15 spread might be worth chasing, but we’re still not willing to vouch for that. That puts the Jets in this spot, as Michael Vick takes over as the new starting quarterback to try to turn Gang Green around. It’s not likely to happen in Arrowhead this week, but they’re an underdog worth taking a shot on in week nine.

Buccaneers over Browns (-6.5)

Tampa Bay can be inept at times, but so can the Browns, which could make for a close game and possibly even a win for the Bucs. Cleveland’s running game has gone downhill since losing center Alex Mack, while their defense is shaky enough to be taken advantage of. Taking the Bucs straight up isn’t the worst idea out there, while Tampa has a shot at beating the spread, regardless.

Cardinals over Cowboys (-3.5)

This is going to be a tight game, so working off the spread might be a tough call. However, Arizona is a very strong 6-1 team and they’ll be a fun underdog to roll with in week nine. Dallas just lost to the Redskins, of all teams, and Tony Romo (back) isn’t 100%. That could make for an upset special for the Cards.

Patriots over Broncos (-3)

Same deal in this one as with the Cardinals, as Tom Brady and the Pats actually host this one and arguably should even be the true favorites. The spread is probably a joke to try to work with, but rolling with the Patriots could get you some winnings. They boast the better defense, are absolutely on fire on offense right now and are at home this week. You could opt for a worse upset pick.

LeBron James looked a little nervous and out of his element when he made his return to Cleveland on Thursday night. That was a big reason why a seemingly superior Cavaliers team fell to the Knicks on their home court. That Cavs loss was one game few saw coming, and we were part of that clueless grouping.

In fact, the Cavs and Pistons losing were the only two games we got wrong in our NBA Picks from Thursday (3-2 on the night). That leaves us at 16-4 through three nights of NBA action. We strive for perfection with our daily NBA Picks, of course, so let’s see if we can’t get a clean sweep by calling all of Friday night’s NBA games correctly:

Grizzlies @ Pacers

Indiana remains extremely depleted due to injuries, so it’s Roy Hibbert or bust tonight. He actually looked good in Indy’s opener on Wednesday, but banking on two straight solid efforts from him is probably the definition of basketball gambling. Marc Gasol was even better on Wednesday, and he arguably owns the inside of the paint in this matchup.

Pick: Grizzlies 91, Pacers 87

Cavaliers @ Bulls

LeBron James was visibly rattled in his return to Cleveland, but we’ll chalk that up as pure nerves and excitement. He and the Cavs should be more settled and focused in their second game together, but it’s a shame it comes against a Bulls team King James deemed “better” than his Cavs. It’s at the United Center, too, so it’s tough to go against Chicago so early in the year.

Pick: Bulls 99, Cavs 96

76ers @ Bucks

Both of these teams are very young and lack experience, but Philly has far less talent. Tony Wroten and Nerlens Noel are good enough to keep things interesting, but the Bucks are much deeper and more balanced. A strong showing from rookie sensation Jabari Parker should get Milwaukee their first win of the year.

Pick: Bucks 105, 76ers 99

Spurs @ Suns

Phoenix looked good in their opener, but topping San Antonio early in the year is a tough sell. They have a slight edge playing at home, but Kawhi Leonard is set to make his 2014 debut and the Spurs simply don’t lose much early in the year (or at all).

Pick: Spurs 93, Suns 90

Blazers @ Kings

At least on paper, this matchup projects as the highest-scoring affair with very little defense. That also makes it just about impossible to predict. Sacramento can be tough at home, but Portland is the superior team. Look for a big game out of Damian Lillard after a soft season debut on Wednesday.

Pick: Blazers 109, Kings 106

Clippers @ Lakers

The last game of the night should be a snoozer, as the Clips are on a back to back and the Lakers just look terrible. Kobe Bryant can still score with the best of them, but he’s literally all on his own on both ends of the floor. Both teams are “at home” in this one (they share the Staples Center), so there is truly no edge for the Lake Show. Hopefully they keep it close, but all bets should be on the Clips going to 2-0 on the year.

Pick: Clippers 111, Lakers 96

Sometimes logic just doesn’t prevail in the NBA. That was definitely true in one game on Wednesday night, when the Boston Celtics somehow demolished what figured to be a much better Brooklyn Nets team. Perhaps that’s not the case.

While picking the Nets didn’t work out for us (or anyone) last night, it actually was our only miss of the night. If you used our NBA Picks for NBA betting on Wednesday, you could have cleaned up, as we ended the night with a stellar 11-1 mark (13-2 on the year). Let’s see if we can do it again tonight, as we’re graced with five more games of exciting NBA action:

Wizards @ Magic

Orlando is a young team that could potentially compete for a playoff spot, but they have too many injuries to be taken too seriously early in the year. They’re also starting a rookie point guard and a rookie big man is also getting quality minutes. That’s not the recipe for success against a very balanced and steadily rising Wizards team.

Pick: Wizards 104, Magic 99

Knicks @ Cavaliers

Carmelo Anthony and co. offered up a sorry debut performance last night, and they did nothing to suggest they’ll give Cleveland’s new Big Three a tough time in their home opener. The fun part will be guessing who scores more out of LeBron James, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love.

Pick: Cavs 111, Knicks 96

Pistons @ Timberwolves

Minnesota looked deep and competitive on Wednesday, as they gave what seems to be a good Grizzlies team a real run for their money. Minny always struggled to close games even with Kevin Love, though, so it’s no shocker they couldn’t get it done. It’s going to be hard for them to give that effort every single night, while their inside defense is absolutely atrocious. It’s hard to not imagine Josh Smith and Andre Drummond crushing them down low tonight.

Pick: Pistons 108, Timberwolves 104

Jazz @ Mavericks

Utah has some solid young talent, but they’ve never been great at finishing games (see: last night versus Rockets). Dallas, on the other hand, is a veteran squad that can pour it on thick offensively. They barely fell to the Spurs on Tuesday and will be hungry to get a win.

Pick: Mavs 107, Jazz 89

Thunder @ Clippers

OKC tends to play the Clips very well, but no Kevin Durant is a big hole to fill. Russell Westbrook was up to the challenge in last night’s loss (38 points), but he can’t do it alone. L.A. should be focused in their home opener and they’re simply deeper at the moment.

Pick: Clippers 105, Thunder 101

In a wide open NFC South, the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers appear to be headed in different directions. The Panthers sunk further with a home loss a week ago, while the Saints may have saved their season with a huge win over the Packers. Heading into Thursday Night Football, however, the Saints need to finally get a road win if they’re going to make any real noise in 2014. The same can be said for Carolina, who have been extremely up and down in a 3-4-1 start.

So, who are these teams really and how will week nine’s edition of TNF unfold? Let’s break down the key talking points to find out:

Home, Sweet Home

The Saints are undefeated (3-0) in their dome and winless on the road (0-4). Clearly a tale of two teams, the Saints look pretty darn good on their own field and simply can’t close the deal when they’re on someone else’s. The good news is that they haven’t been getting absolutely slapped around when they go on the road, though. In fact, they lost a shootout to the Falcons in week on, lost by two to the Browns in week two and lost by one to the Lions two weeks ago. Winning on the road isn’t easy, but New Orleans has been close and they’ll eventually get that elusive first road win. And once they do, that could quickly turn it into several road wins and suddenly they’re on top of the NFC South. If that’s to be a reality, that first road win needs to come tonight in Carolina.

Unleash Mark Ingram

Ingram put up 170 rushing yards last week. No, you read that right. Facing a Panthers run defense that really hasn’t been great in 2014, he’s a legit threat to hang another 100 this week. Again, the Saints are a different beast away from home, but leaning on Ingram would be wise in a hostile environment. If they do, Ingram could respond well and dominate the Panthers’ run defense.

Cam Newton Can’t Be Found

Newton is a stud, but he’s battled rib and ankle issues all season. The Panthers have looked absolutely lost on offense at times and only once have they gotten any real productivity from him as a runner, while their actual rushing offense seems to be a resting corpse. This tells us two things. First, Newton probably isn’t healthy and it’s unlikely he will be anytime soon. Secondly, their mangled offensive line isn’t hacking it.

All of that equates to poor pass protection, a rattled quarterback, a bad running game and an across the board inconsistent offense. Week nine could bring the cure, though, as the Saints really aren’t very good defensively. Carolina is at home, too, so if they decide to take control of this game by the legs of Newton and their running games, they they’ll be tough to beat.

Jimmy Graham, 100%?

Of course, even if the Panthers do muster up some offense and the Saints’ road woes trickle into TNF, that doesn’t mean it will be enough to win. It could be even tougher if Jimmy Graham (shoulder) is even healthier just four days after scoring on the Packers. If he is, stud linebacker Luke Kuechly could get tired out trying to keep up with him. After all, in two games against a borderline elite Panthers defense last year, Graham caught 11 balls for three touchdowns. An even remotely healthy Graham could be bad news for Carolina.