Pick 'em: NFL Edition

Here's my first go-round at the NFL this season. As I type this I'm having a pretty successful week with the college games, so take this advice to heart.

1. Baltimore -3.5 at San Francisco: As battered and beaten and without identity as the Ravens are right now, the 49ers are worse. Trent Dilfer is awful and Frank Gore has yet to get anything going. I know this because it's killing my fantasy team. This will be a downright ugly game, but the Ravens will win by at least a touchdown.

2. San Diego +1 at Denver: The Chargers are either really pissed off right now because they've been terrible or they're ready to mail it in, which I think it's too early for. I say they're pissed and the Broncos are falling apart with a looming Travis Henry suspension and Javon Walker out for Sunday's game with injury. I think LT builds on his breakout game from last week and the Chargers take care of business.

3. Miami at Houston -5: The Texans are actually decent this year. The Dolphins are not decent. The Texans are at home and will win by a good amount.

4. Tampa Bay +9.5 at Indianapolis: Word is Marvin Harrison is out and Joseph Addai is highly questionable. Take into consideration that the Bucs are playing really well this year behind mistake-free QB Jeff Garcia and ancient playmaker Joey Galloway and I like the Bucs' chances to keep this thing close.

5. Cleveland at New England -16.5: That line is ridiculous for an NFL game, but the Patriots really are that good. Tom Brady is the best quarterback in football and now he finally has multiple weapons led by Randy Moss and former Texas Tech great Wes Welker. Brady & Co. truly are playing at another level right now that no other team in the league is coming close to touching, including the Colts and Cowboys.

6. Carolina +3 at New Orleans: This sounds abrasive, but Hurricane Katrina was so last year. It's amazing what that tragedy was able to do for a bad football team. The Saints are proving last season's great success was a fluke led by some crazy emotion. The Panthers will be without Louisiana's native son Jake Delhomme but DeShaun Foster has owned the Saints in his career and will continue to do so tomorrow. Give me Carolina straight up.

7. Jets at Giants -3.5: The Giants are playing well and that defense is really starting to jell into one of the best units in the league. Conversely, the Jets have a big bag of nothing on offense and won't be able to do anything against their Meadowlands roommates.

8. Detroit +3.5 at Washington: Could Jon Kitna actually be right? Could the Lions be a good team? They've certainly been playing like one and it's been mostly thanks to Kitna's efficient play, which in the past has been his Achilles' Heel.

9. Chicago at Green Bay -3: I'm still not sold on the Pack being a legitimate contender because of their lack of a running game, but the Bears are running the risk of not making the playoffs after representing the NFC in the Super Bowl last year. Brett Favre is still a blast to watch and that Green Bay defense is the real deal -- more real than Chicago's.

10. Dallas -10 at Buffalo: The Cowboys are rolling right now, plain and simple. The Bills showed signs of life last week under rookie first-time starter Trent Edwards and they will keep it respectful but I see the Cowboys winning by two touchdowns.