Best NFL Week 11 total bets: Ride Howell's hot hand
Gear up for another weekend of NFL football.
As starting quarterbacks continue to drop like flies, look for more sloppy play from offenses around the league. That's particularly important when deciding whether to take an over or under.
Our season record on total bets is 16-14. Let's get to this week's best total plays.
Commanders team total over 23.5 pointsThe Commanders' offense has steadily improved due to Sam Howell's impressive play. They're averaging over 25.6 points per contest in their last three games.
Washington next plays the Giants, the worst team in the NFL. New York allows 26.6 points per game. The Giants' defense is even worse now because of their offense's incompetence with Tommy DeVito at quarterback. New York has the worst scoring offense in the NFL, averaging 11.8 points per game.
The Commanders will have the ball for the overwhelming majority of the game. They have the weapons to move the ball and score points if Howell is playing well.
This is a divisional matchup, but the Giants are playing for the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, while Washington's still in the playoff hunt. Expect a beatdown.
Cardinals @ Texans over 47.5 pointsThe Cardinals' season truly started last week. Yes, they're 2-8 and essentially eliminated from playoff contention, but Kyler Murray has a chance to prove he should be the starting quarterback for years to come after returning from injury.
Murray played well in his return, reigniting the offense to the tune of 25 points and a win over Atlanta. The Texans' defense hasn't been great, allowing over 21 points per game.
Houston's offense, though, has been exceptional. Rookie quarterback C.J. Stroud is in MVP contention and has a chance to lead his team to the playoffs. The Texans scored 30 and 39 points in their last two games, respectively.
The Cardinals are the NFL's fifth-worst-scoring defense, so the offensive surge should continue against Arizona. This game will feature a boatload of points without a lot of defense, which is the perfect recipe for an over.
Steelers @ Browns under 33 pointsThis is an incredibly low point total, but that's for a reason. For starters, this is a divisional matchup between two teams in the division title race. Both teams will be desperate for a win, which calls for a physical, defensive-oriented game.
The Steelers average 17.3 points per game, the NFL's seventh-worst mark. However, they're 6-3 because their defense has held opponents to 20.2 points per contest.
The Browns also have a dominant defense, holding teams to 18.9 points per game. They're starting rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson with Deshaun Watson out for the season due to a shoulder injury.
This will surely be an ugly game of football as both teams struggle to move the chains, resulting in a low-scoring contest.
Sam Oshtry is a sports betting writer at theScore. You can follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @soshtry for more betting coverage.
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