NFL picks: Dance like no one’s watching (your record)

I went to my first Hornets game of the season Thursday night with a buddy. I’m ashamed to say it took me 25 games, but I’ve been a little busy down the road.

Other than watching the referees shamefully keep the Raptors competitive with ticky-tack calls midway through the fourth quarter, I noticed how much Cam Newton’s dancing has spread across Charlotte.

Every time they’d play music and show fans on the videoboard, at least one fan would dab or hit them folk.

I lost count around eight, but it’s safe to say it was near a dozen people dabbing when on screen.

I say all this to make you happy and take your mind off my bad record from my first week back in this gig. Let’s try to do better.

Locks: 2-1

Last week: 7-8

Season: 125-81

This week’s picks, with the home team in CAPS:

Lock No. 1

Carolina (minus-4 1/2) 30, N.Y. GIANTS 20: Eli Manning won NFC Offensive Player of the Week when he wasn’t even the best offensive player on his team. You take away Odell Beckham Jr. from that game and Miami wins by 10 points easily.

I’m just simply not impressed with New York. I know they’ve taken down undefeateds before, but this offense doesn’t have much past Beckham. The defense is one of the worst in the league and can’t get to the quarterback.

I have the Panthers winning by a score and a half, and it’d be more if not for the secondary questions and Jonathan Stewart injury.

Lock No. 2

MINNESOTA (minus-6) 24, Chicago 17: Teddy Bridgewater only has nine passing touchdowns this season, which is really difficult to do this late in the year. Adrian Peterson won’t get to 2,000 yards this season but he should win the rushing title again.

Lock No. 3

JACKSONVILLE (minus-3) 28, Atlanta 27: I am totally and wholly disenchanted with the Falcons. They should be, at least, mediocre and they are bad. After seeing what the Jags did to the Colts last week, I think they get another win at home against the hapless Falcons.

The rest

N.Y. Jets 27, DALLAS 10

INDIANAPOLIS 17, Houston 14

NEW ENGLAND 50, Tennessee 7

WASHINGTON 24, Buffalo 21

Kansas City 28, BALTIMORE 13

SEATTLE 35, Cleveland 14

Green Bay 32, OAKLAND 24

PITTSBURGH 27, Denver 24

SAN DIEGO 28, Miami 14

SAN FRANCISCO 29, Cincinnati 24

Arizona 34, PHILADELPHIA 14

NEW ORLEANS 27, Detroit 26

This story was originally published December 19, 2015 at 9:04 AM with the headline "NFL picks: Dance like no one’s watching (your record)."