CRAIG'S LIST
We went 10-4 against the spread last week, but it sure felt like one of those opposite days in the NFL. You know the feeling, eh?
You pick the Lions to play like the '78 Bucs and they play like the '76 Steelers. You pick Cleveland to stay in darkness and LeBron raises his staff and commands "Let there be light upon my kingdom! At least until my current contract expires."
You feel good about your two suicide pool picks because they're touchdown favorites at home. Then you wonder why Dallas keeps playing defense and if there's a special commissioner's exempt list for Cincinnati kickers who have ruined the entertainment value of the next 11 Sundays.
But we plow forward. The predicted scores are what we think will happen. The rest is the opposite, which would be the opposite of opposite on opposite day:
MN +5½ at BUF
Bills 24, Vikings 17
Norv Turner will storm the field and flash the Johnny Manziel money sign to the press box when a forward pass is thrown to and caught by Cordarrelle Patterson.
CIN +3 at IND
Colts by 6
Taking Pacman Jones' advice to "do your job," Bengals kicker Mike Nugent will retroactively get himself suspended for the entire 2007 season and seven games in 2008.
SEA -6½ at STL
Seahawks by 10
Another Seahawk won't whine about how tough it is being Super Bowl champs.
ATL +7 at BAL
Ravens by 14
The Falcons will go on HBO, talk like Tarzan, play like Jane. Wait, that already happened.
MIA +3 at CHI
Bears by 7
Brandon Marshall will get over it and leave Chad Henne alone already.
CLE -5½ at JAX
Jaguars by 3
Cleveland will enjoy Brian Hoyer and not worry about who its quarterback will be in 2016.
CAR +6½ at GB
Packers by 7
A four-game winning streak will prompt Aaron Rodgers to tell Vikings fans to "P-A-N-I-C."
TEN +5 at WAS
Redskins by 3
Both teams will go on the radio to tell fans to, "S-U-R-R-E-N-D-E-R."
KC +4 at SD
Chargers by 7
Vikings fans won't use the Chargers' success to e-mail us with thoughts on how Norv Turner is to blame for everything Cordarrelle Patterson hasn't done.
NYG +6 ½ at DAL
Cowboys by 3
Pass. We've been asked to recuse ourselves after calling Jerry Jones a "media whore."
SF +7 at DEN
Broncos by 3
Peyton Manning won't move 509 touchdown passes ahead of Teddy Bridgewater.
HOU +3 at PIT
Steelers by 6
Mike Tomlin will go on the radio and tell fans to, "B-L-A-M-E … T-O-D-D … H-A-L-E-Y."
ARI -3½ at OAK
Cardinals by 7
The Raiders will go on the radio, but no one will be listening.
UPSET SPECIAL
NO +2½ at DET
Saints by 3
For some reason, a guy in Minneapolis won't pick the Lions because he claims they're still the Lions.
Record
Last week/overall: 8-5-1/ 49-35-1
vs.spread: 10-4/ 40-45
Vikings picks: 3-3
Upset specials: 1-5