NFL Week 10 teaser: Lions, Bills, MIN/DAL under
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We were dealt a blow with a losing teaser last week, as only two of three legs won thanks to Gardner Minshew's shortcomings in London.
Let's put it behind us and get back to winning ways in Week 10:
Detroit Lions at Chicago Bears
Line: Lions +2.5
Teaser line: Lions +9.5
Mitch Trubisky isn't capable of beating anyone these days, let alone a division rival by more than a touchdown. Granted, the Lions' secondary has been bad, but Philadelphia's isn't much better; Trubisky only managed a whopping 125 passing yards against the Eagles last week during a game in which the Bears trailed from start to finish.
Matthew Stafford has plenty of weapons at his disposal and has managed to consistently produce this season regardless of the defenses he's faced. The Bears' ferocious pass rush and stingy secondary will make his life difficult, but one still feels more confident in Stafford's ability to move the ball than in Trubisky's. And we know Matt Nagy wants nothing more right now than to win games through stout defense and an effective run game, keeping the ball out of Trubisky's hands as much as possible.
The Lions have their own issues, particularly running the ball, but they'll face a Bears defense that's been particularly porous against the run. This really is a coin-flip game. When that's the case, you take the better quarterback at +9.5 and run to the ticket window.
Buffalo Bills at Cleveland Browns
Line: Bills +3
Teaser line: Bills +10
Speaking of struggling quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield sure seems out of his depth these days. Looking the part of fearless gunslinger during his rookie season, he now finds himself in the pits of a sophomore slump. The Browns got off to a slow start this year and their quarterback simply hasn't recovered. He's second-guessing easy throws, missing open receivers, and holding on to the ball too long in the pocket. Freddie Kitchens' inability to restore Mayfield's confidence and put the quarterback in a position to succeed might be the biggest of his shortcomings as a head coach.
A look at Cleveland's schedule suggests better days are definitely ahead for Mayfield - but not this week. The Bills' secondary ranks third in the league in passing yards against, yards allowed per attempt, and quarterback rating against.
Josh Allen has been unimpressive in his own right, but a stingy defense and an easy schedule have masked his struggles. This is another one of those coin-flip games that will likely be decided by no more than a few points either way. You should feel very comfortable getting 10 points in this spot.
Minnesota Vikings at Dallas Cowboys
Total: 48
Teaser total: 55
On the surface, it looks like we're in for a barn burner on Sunday Night Football. These two offenses come into this game scorching hot, putting up points seemingly at will over the past month. But it doesn't take much digging to see just how easy a schedule each squad has enjoyed. This prime-time showdown will represent the first real test for both Kirk Cousins and Dak Prescott since Week 4, when the Vikings and Cowboys combined for 16 points against the Bears and Saints, respectively.
Minnesota's offense is a lot different without Adam Thielen, as we saw when the Vikings put up just 16 points against the Redskins. Mike Zimmer will lean even more heavily on Dalvin Cook and the run game here, especially given Cousins' prime-time struggles. In an attempt to keep the defense rested in a physical matchup against Ezekiel Elliott and Dallas' offensive line, expect Zimmer and offensive coordinator Kevin Stefanski to try and dominate possession with slow, clock-sapping drives. The Cowboys, meanwhile, have also been running the ball a lot more recently: Elliott's tallied at least 22 carries in each of the last three weeks after reaching that total just once in Dallas' first five games.
There should be plenty of running from both teams, especially in a contest featuring a pair of secondaries giving up just 6.1 and 6.2 yards per pass attempt - both top-five figures in the NFL. These are also two of the top five scoring defenses in the league and both rank top 10 in red-zone percentage. Points might just be at a premium Sunday night.
Full teaser: Lions +9.5, Bills +10, MIN/DAL under 55 ($100 to win $135)
Alex Moretto is a sports betting writer for theScore. A journalism graduate from Guelph-Humber University, he has worked in sports media for over a decade. He will bet on anything from the Super Bowl to amateur soccer, is too impatient for futures, and will never trust a kicker. Find him on Twitter @alexjmoretto.