I’m sure your Saturday “to-do list” features the usual tasks. Groceries. Laundry. Vacuuming.

I don’t think anyone’s list would have had “Bet on Nick Mullens vs. Jake Browning” before the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals lost their respective star quarterbacks.

But here we are.

The Bengals play host to the Vikings today in a matinee — the first of three games on the day — and bookies have installed Cincinnati as a short home favorite.

The crazy thing is, despite these teams being down to their backup QBs, both sides are still somehow in the postseason mix.

I dive into the NFL odds for this non-conference clash and give my best NFL picks and predictions for Vikings at Bengals on S…

The Houston Texans return home to face the New York Giants in a game they are slight favorites and in a game where we are expected to see both team’s starting quarterbacks. 

Given the emphasis on offense, my Giants vs Texans prediction sees plenty of early points. Get more details for today’s preseason action in my NFL picks below.

Giants vs Texans prediction

My best betFirst-quarter Over 7.5 (+120 at DraftKings)

My analysisThe New York Giants got some good news this week. Not only will starting quarterback Daniel Jones return to game action for the first time since tearing his ACL in November, but rookie wide receiver Malik Nabers could play as well after twisting his ankle in practice. 

The Giants haven’t …

Emerson Royal is a £25m Brazil international and a specialist right-back. James Milner is a 35-year-old odd-job man who was playing Premier League football before Emma Raducanu and Harvey Elliott were born. On successive Saturdays, each was subjected to trial by Wilfried Zaha. Only one passed and it wasn’t the man bought from Barcelona last month.

Perhaps it is unfair to judge the Tottenham newcomer on the basis of a debut in which he was parachuted into a makeshift defence. And yet Milner was a late call-up for a new-look Liverpool back four on Saturday, charged with flanking the debutant Ibrahima Konaté. His immediate opponent was Zaha and the previous time that was the case, Milner was a youngster of 33 and he was sent off for fouling…

“I think it is not right,” griped Erik ten Hag, surveying Manchester United’s fixture schedule. “When we start talking about it, I get really angry,” seethed Jürgen Klopp, bemoaning two games a week.

Those blessed with charter aircrafts and elite recovery facilities might spare a thought for the lower orders of English football. The wettest winter on record has taken a scything toll on schedules for teams without undersoil heating and drainage systems. Many non-league clubs have reached pile-up situations, though none quite like the Berkshire club Sandhurst Town, of the Combined Counties League Division One, step six in the pyramid system, who this week played – and won – on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Satu…

Some people are fans of the Houston Texans. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the Houston Texans. This 2017 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group. Read all the previews so far here. Before we begin, a letter: Daniel: I’m a lifelong Houston resident. Even failed to escape this city for college. I have been through the ringer the last few days, but luckily did not get flooded out. I have many friends and family that are not as lucky. The mental and emotional toll has been exhausting. Imagine huddling in a closet with your wife, 2 year old, and six week old baby repeatedly due to tornado warnings, hoping that if one did hit you wouldn’t be trapped under rubble while the floodwaters drowned you and everyone you loved. The reason I’m writing about this …

Some people are fans of the New England Patriots. But many, many more people are NOT fans of the New England Patriots. This 2014 Deadspin NFL team preview is for those in the latter group.
Your team: New England Patriots.
Your 2013 record: 12-4, featuring an AFC title game curb-stomping at the hands of the Broncos, who were themselves curb-stomped by the Seahawks in the Super Bowl two weeks later. Obviously, this means that if the Patriots had played the Seahawks, they would have lost 945-6. God, I would love to see that happen in a Super Bowl one day. I'd love to see Pats fans get all stammery and annoying just because Pete Carroll beat them senseless. HE'S NAWT REALLY A GOOD COACH! WE KNOW BETTAH!
Two of the Patriots' four regular season losses last season…