It's now officially an annual fixture like the Super Bowl: a Patriots-Colts game locked into November. Whichever network has it can reap the sweeps month ratings that come from the matchup of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning.This year, it's NBC -- the Sunday night contest. As usual, the teams come in as the top two in the AFC -- or close to it. The Colts are unbeaten, the Patriots are 6-2, have won three straight, five of six and are looking and playing better as Brady regains his form after last season's knee surgery.
This is the 10th game between these teams since 2003, including three in the playoffs. The Pats lead this Brady-Manning series 6-4, but the Colts have won four of the last five, including the AFC championship game for the 2006 season and last season, 18-15.
The line is what you'd expect: Colts favored by 3 for home field.
The game may not be what the odds guys expect. This hasn't always been a series for the home team -- the Pats won 24-20 in Indy in 2007 en route to the perfect regular season that ended imperfectly in the Super Bowl. This year, it's the Colts who are unbeaten, although they're hardly dominant -- if Houston could close games, it might have beaten the Colts last week.
Based on that and based on the sense that the Colts are due to lose:
Patriots at 
Colts (Sunday night)
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| New England Patriots | 24 | |
| Indianapolis Colts | - 3 | 20 |
Bears at 
49ers (Thursday)
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago Bears | 19 | |
| San Francisco 49ers | - 3 | 27 |
Even though the Bengals won 23-20 at Paul Brown Stadium in the first meeting, we're talking here about the Super Bowl champions and a "public' team'' against a team perceived as perennial losers. OK, not just perceived.
Yes, the Steelers should win at home, but ...
Bengals at 
Steelers
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati Bengals | 16 | |
| Pittsburgh Steelers | - 7 | 19 |
Eagles at 
Chargers
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia Eagles | + 2 | 17 |
| San Diego Chargers | 23 |
Cowboys at 
Packers
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Dallas Cowboys | - 3 | 30 |
| Green Bay Packers | 20 |
;
Brady Quinn is back. Good night for a comeback by the Ravens D.
Ravens at 
Browns (Monday)
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Baltimore Ravens | - 10 1/2 | 30 |
| Cleveland Browns | 6 |
Broncos at 
Redskins
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | - 3 1/2 | 16 |
| Washington Redskins | 15 |
Jaguars at 
Jets
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Jacksonville Jaguars | 20 | |
| New York Jets | - 7 | 24 |
Lions at 
Vikings
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Detroit Lions | 20 | |
| Minnesota Vikings | - 16 1/2 | 42 |
Saints at 
Rams
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | - 13 1/2 | 39 |
| St. Louis Rams | 17 |
Bills at 
Titans
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills | 16 | |
| Tennessee Titans | - 6 1/2 | 21 |
Falcons at 
Panthers
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Atlanta Falcons | - 2 | 26 |
| Carolina Panthers | 27 |
Bucs at 
Dolphins
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 10 | |
| Miami Dolphins | - 10 | 28 |
Seahawks at 
Cardinals
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Seattle Seahawks | 20 | |
| Arizona Cardinals | - 8 1/2 | 28 |
Chiefs at 
Raiders
| Team | Pointspread | Projected Score |
|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Chiefs | 7 | |
| Oakland Raiders | - 1 1/2 | 9 |
SEASON: 72-56-2 (spread), 87-43 (straight up)
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