Mike Tierney
Top Dog
A veteran sportswriter whose work appears periodically in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times, Mike Tierney has covered the NFL for decades and reported from seven Super Bowls. Mike does not consider himself a pet lover. But he likes 'dogs, preferring to evaluate each game from the underdog's point of view. Mike is 320-271-16 in the NFL the past four seasons, returning $1,867 to $100 players. That includes Mike going 130-101 ATS (56.3 percent) the past two seasons. And over the past two college football seasons, Mike is 121-103 (plus $741 for $100 players). For Mike Tierney media inquiries, contact SportsLine@CBSInteractive.com.
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Mike's Picks
8 Live Picks
Give Green Bay at least a field goal under coach
Denver is the most untrustworthy six-win team in
L.A. will win a game someday this season. This does
From an ATS standpoint, the Rams are road
J.J. McCarthy was reasonably sharp in his rushed debut
With Taylor the subject of trade talks as Tuesday's
Will the Cowboys feast on the struggling Colts' defense?...
This matchup is all about the QBs...
Joe Burrow has lobbied for years for a Bengals game overseas. Now that they've finally got one, the QB should make the most of it. The offense is on fire, scoring at a 36.3-point pace over the last three outings. Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins have bolstered their reputation as perhaps the league's foremost receiving combo. Atlanta has been guilty of 16 turnovers, the second most in the NFL, which has led to inconsistency. Back to Burrow: During the past 5 1/2 seasons, he has won SU and ATS more than two-thirds of the time, and the same success rate applies to games outside the division.
Jacksonville enjoyed a stress-free thrashing of Indianapolis on Sunday and, having come off a bye, should be in fine fettle against a team with one big QB-related migraine. Starter Lamar Jackson is out with a bum thumb, while second-stringer Tyler Huntley appears unlikely with a throbbing toe. Even No. 3 man Joe Fagnano needed treatment during the game and finished largely because the next option was a RB. The Ravens could pick up a veteran, but the short week would give him little time to acclimate regardless of his role. Even were Baltimore at full strength, the Jags are the superior team at this stage of the season. The Ravens’ QB void widens the gap.
“Buffalo” and “bye” go together like the city’s famous chicken wings and barbecue sauce. The Bills have won the last 11 games following a week off. Buffalo QB Josh Allen has won four of six against counterpart Lamar Jackson. His bum ankle might mean the Ravens can't capitalize against Buffalo’s porous defense. The host’s bling offense (32.8 ppg) can outscore anyone. Jackson must generate scoring for Baltimore to keep pace, and he has often been un-Lamar-like coming off an injury break.
Dallas comes off a short week aiming to win back-to-back games for only the second time in the two-dozen outings under coach Brian Schottenheimer. Decent QBs can find holes in the Cowboys' defense, and Jacoby Brissett qualifies here. He gets back RB Jeremiyah Love after a two-week injury layoff. Somehow, the unimposing Cardinals have had the haughty Cowboys' number: eight SU wins in the last nine clashes and foun in a row at AT&T Stadium. Go figure.
The expected roster purge in Indy is underway. On Tuesday, the Colts traded two Pro Bowl participants: DT DeForest Buckner and OG Quenton Nelson. Who's next? The Jaguars are fresh off a bye after a two-game London stint. Before the defensive dud against Houston, they allowed just 70 points in five games. Indy's offense is a disaster, with QB Daniel Jones apparently still the starter despite four TD passes and seven interceptions in seven outings. Jax has a playoff run in mind, while its guests are focused more on the No. 1 draft pick.
The Colts, who are conducting a fire sale of players, have indicated they will entertain offers for RB Jonathan Tyalor. Given that he averages about 2.5 receptions per game, Indy figures not to throw to him against the Jaguars and expose him to injury on open-field hits. He has landed under this figure in three of the past four games. If the Colts trail, which seems likely, they will be aiming more at receivers downfield.
Seattle's famous "12th man" crowd advantage at home? Bring it on, says Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes, who is 9-3 SU as a road underdog. K.C.’s Kenneth Walker III, whom Seattle let get away in the offseason, is clearly the league’s premier RB so far and will be driven to show the Seahawks how they erred in not retaining him. The ‘Hawks ground game has suffered as a result, with injured RB Zach Charbonnet ruled out again, and QB Sam Darnold has fared poorly in trying to make stuff happen against defenses designed to thwart the pass. Three of KC’s five wins have come by wide margins, and they significantly outplayed a fourth victim while surviving in overtime.