Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins need to continue their history of not faltering against sub-.500 teams in order to preserve their playoff hopes. Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Washington is listed as a six-point favorite against the visiting Carolina Panthers with a 51-point total in the Monday Night Football matchup. Washington is 8-2 against the spread in their last 10 games against teams with losing records while Carolina is 0-6 straight-up in their last six road games against teams with winning records.

Carolina, which is 5-8 SU and 4-7-2 ATS, is just playing out the string, so how focused Cam Newton and Co. will be is hard to predict. Newton has been resting his arm in practice after having an MRI on his right shoulder, but it’s doubtful he would not play. On paper, there is potential for the Panthers offense to be productive. Newton’s favorite receiver, Kelvin Benjamin, will likely occupy the attention of shutdown CB Josh Norman, but teams can pick on CB Bashaud Breeland and CB Kendall Fuller.

The Redskins allow 4.5 yards per rush (28th in the NFL), so Carolina should be able to create some lanes for veteran Jonathan Stewart. That said, the Panthers are 1-7-1 ATS in their last nine road games.

History suggests Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys could break a three-game skid against the spread when they face a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team which is on a five-game winning streak. Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Cowboys are listed as the seven-point favorite against the Buccaneers with a 47-point total in the Sunday Night Football matchup. Dallas is 6-0 straight-up and 5-1 against the spread in their last six games as a favorite of 6.5 points or more, as well as 18-6 SU in their last 24 home games after consecutive road games.

The Buccaneers, whose five-game roll includes wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Seattle Seahawks, are 8-5 SU and 8-5 ATS. Quarterback Jameis Winston and WR Mike Evans help furnish Tampa Bay with a much better passing game than that of the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, whom Dallas held to a combined 25 points in its last two games. This is a major test for Winston, though, but for most of the season he’s been able to prop up a one-dimensional offense.

The disparity between the Bucs’ passing and running games could be even more pronounced this week. Led by OLB Sean Lee, the Cowboys have a fierce run defense. They can have lapses in pass coverage and might struggle to stop underrated TE Cameron Brate.

Russell Wilson and the Seattle Seahawks are facing their largest point spread in three seasons as they take on the beleaguered Los Angeles Rams. Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

With the Rams installing Jim Fassel as interim coach after finally axing Jeff Fisher, the Seahawks are now listed as a 16-point favorite against Los Angeles with 39-point total in the Thursday Night Football matchup.

Since the start of Wilson’s career, the Seahawks are 17-1 straight-up and 10-7-1 against the spread when favored by at least 10 points.

Los Angeles, which is 4-9 SU and 4-8-1 ATS, has been a 16-point underdog only twice in the last 20 seasons. For what it is worth, the Rams did not cover either time. The Rams are dead last in points and yards per game and have had difficulty springing RB Todd Gurley into the open field. Seattle MLB Bobby Wagner is also one of the best run defenders in the league, so another long night for Gurley apparently beckons.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s struggles against the Kansas City Chiefs, at least according to oddsmakers, apparently override the Chiefs’ recent against-the-spread struggles at Arrowhead Stadium.

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In a game that could decide the AFC West title, the Chiefs are listed as three-point favorites against the Raiders with a 46.5-point total in the Thursday Night Football matchup.

Oakland Raiders quarterback Derek Carr’s struggles against the Kansas City Chiefs, at least according to oddsmakers, apparently override the Chiefs’ recent against-the-spread struggles at Arrowhead Stadium.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

In a game that could decide the AFC West title, the Chiefs are listed as three-point favorites against the Raiders with a 46.5-point total in the Thursday Night Football matchup.

Andrew Luck should be back on Monday, but the Indianapolis Colts are carrying some baggage – specifically, a bad game from their receivers in Week 12 and an iffy track record on the betting lines in games against the New York Jets.

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The Colts are expected to be favored on the road against the Jets in the Monday Night Football matchup, based on a consensus of betting lines. While the Jets are going nowhere fast this season, they are both 7-2 against the spread in their last nine games against Indianapolis as well as 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven games in December.

The Colts, who are 5-6 straight up and 5-5-1 ATS, should have Luck back after he missed their November 25 loss against the Pittsburgh Steelers due to a concussion. Wide receiver T.Y. Hilton has struggled in matchups against Jets CB Darrelle Revis, but Revis’ play has tailed off this season.

While sparkplug rookie QB Dak Prescott wasn’t around at the time, the Dallas Cowboys have had their difficulties against the Minnesota Vikings over the years.

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The NFC-leading Cowboys are listed as four-point favorites on the road against the reeling Vikings with a 44-point total in the Thursday Night Football matchup. On the moneyline, Dallas pays -180 for a straight-up win and Minnesota is a home underdog at +160.

The Cowboys are 2-7 straight-up and 1-8 against the spread in their last nine games against the Vikings, whose coach, Mike Zimmer, might have some motivation to dial up a defensive game plan against one of his former teams.

Due to a technical glitch on my part, I wasn’t able to get you last week’s power rankings. There’s been some wild, landscape shifting wins over the last two weeks so we’ll get down to organizing things in a gambling-centric manner. But let’s all recognize that no team is safe in the 2016 NFL betting season.

Is Dallas really that much better than the Giants? Are you sure? How much better is New England than the resurgent Raiders? Are the Bucs that far behind anyone? Could they beat the Chiefs?

We always preach for parity and now we have it. The result? Absolutely terrible football. Somebody please sign Kevin Durant in the offseason and make me a super team! I want my football back!

Dallas Cowboys (10-1 SU and 9-2 ATS)

Derek Carr and the Oakland Raiders, just as they did prior to their bye week, will try to prevail in a matchup of opposites when they face the Houston Texans on Monday Night Football.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Raiders are listed as the six-point favorite against the Texans with a 46-point total in the Monday Night Football betting matchup at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City. An Oakland cover pays -115, while a Houston cover pays -105.

The Raiders are on a three-game winning streak but are just 4-14 straight-up in their last 18 games after consecutive wins. The Texans are 2-8 SU in their last 10 games as an underdog of 5.5 points or more.

Kirk Cousins and the Washington Redskins are just a slim favorite against Aaron Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers, even though they have been trending in a much more positive direction.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Washington is listed as the three-point favorite against visiting Green Bay with a 50.5 total. The Packers are listed at -125 to cover, while the Redskins pay +105 if they reward backers by beating the spread. Washington has won four of their last five games and Green Bay, conversely, has lost four of five, but the Redskins are only 2-8 against the spread in their last 10 games as the favorite.

The Packers, who are 4-5 straight-up and 3-5-1 ATS, have had by far the better of this matchup with a 7-1-1 ATS record in their last nine games against Washington. That includes a wild-card playoff win at FedExField last season.

With Drew Brees going against Cam Newton and the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers each being porous against the pass, there is anticipation that the Thursday Night Football betting matchup could be a shootout.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Panthers are listed as the 3.5-point favorite against the Saints with a 52.5 total. Carolina is even money to cover with the Saints, who are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games against their NFC South counterparts, listed at -120 to cover.

The teams have combined for an average of 64.5 points in their last four meetings.

With Drew Brees going against Cam Newton and the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers each being porous against the pass, there is anticipation that the Thursday Night Football betting matchup could be a shootout.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Panthers are listed as the 3.5-point favorite against the Saints with a 52.5 total. Carolina is even money to cover with the Saints, who are 6-1 against the spread in their last seven games against their NFC South counterparts, listed at -120 to cover.

The teams have combined for an average of 64.5 points in their last four meetings.

We finally have a new number-one! And it’s exactly who you’d expect it to be! After the top two teams in each conference, however, things start to get real murky. By this time of the year we should have a clearer picture of what’s to come in the post season, but parity has been truly ugly this year.

The playoff picture in the AFC is a lot clearer, with basically the AFC West filling up the wild card. That leaves Baltimore and Pittsburgh in a dead heat for the division title and just about everyone else on the outside looking in. I want to say that something will change, but nobody looks like they want to seize this crazy season by the horns.

The NFC is even muddier. Nine teams are separated by one win for the last two wild card spots. Nine! So if you’re just as confused as I am, kick back and let’s try and wade through this together. There’s still five great weeks of betting left, and if things keep projecting out like this, Week 17 might actually be killer.

1. Dallas Cowboys (8-1 SU and ATS)

For the first time since 2002 – the last time they were in the playoffs – the Oakland Raiders meet the Denver Broncos in a second-half game where both AFC West teams have a winning record. Fittingly for a game between teams with the same record, the Sunday Night Football matchup has the host Raiders as slim 1-point favorites with a total of 44.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

The Raiders are 6-2 straight-up and against the spread, largely on the strength of a prolific offense led by third-year QB Derek Carr. It goes without saying that the Broncos defense – with sack-master OLB Von Miller and CB Aqib Talib and CB Chris Harris manning up on Oakland WRs Michael Crabtree and Amari Cooper – is the best Oakland has faced.

The Raiders have allowed a league-low nine sacks, but Miller has helped the Broncos amass a league-most 26. For the Raiders to improve on their trend of being 2-5 SU and 0-7 ATS in their last seven home games, they need to give Carr time to let downfield routes develop.

By now there should be a semblance of reasonable consistency within the league. We can forgive a loss here or there if it’s honorable, but we should have a fix on who the best teams in the NFL are. And we don’t. Which is awesome because this stuff is supposed to surprise us a little bit.

If you’re not leaning hard on teams like Dallas, Atlanta, Denver and New England then you’re simply doing it wrong. All those teams have been incredibly reliable, and the 28 other teams after them have been the opposite. Let’s try to continue to make sense of it all, shall we?

1. New England Patriots (7-1 SU and ATS)

There’s no better way to celebrate a revenge win over your division rival than by trading away your best defensive player.

Matt Ryan and the Atlanta Falcons’ NFL-leading offense are up against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team which was torched for 513 passing yards in its last outing.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Atlanta is listed as the four-point favorite against Tampa Bay with a total of 51.5 in the Thursday Night Football betting matchup. The Falcons are the -200 favorite on the moneyline, with the Buccaneers at +170.

While the Falcons lead the NFC South and are 5-3 straight-up and against the spread this season, they still face skepticism. That stems from the Falcons being 2-6 SU and 1-7 ATS in their last eight games as a favorite of four or fewer points. Atlanta is also 3-0 SU when Julio Jones has fewer than four receptions, so Ryan will have other outlets if CB Brent Grimes and Tampa Bay’s pass defense takes away his best receiver.

Being favored at home is a bad omen when the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles clash.

Odds courtesy of OddsShark.com

Boosted by rookie-of-the-year favorite Ezekiel Elliott, the Cowboys are the 4.5-point favorite against the Eagles. The total is 43.5 for their Sunday Night Football betting matchup. The visiting team has won the last six matchups between the NFC East rivals.

The Cowboys come out of their bye week 5-1 straight-up and 5-0-1 against the spread. Dallas is 2-8 ATS in their last 10 games at home after winning their two most recent home games. However, they were an underdog before defeating the Green Bay Packers in Week 6, and are 7-2 SU in their last nine games after winning as an underdog.