First, the results of last week's predictions:
— NFL regular season, mostly Patriots-Giants. Prediction: 15.0; final rating: 16.3.
— NFL regular season, Cardinals-Seahawks. Prediction: 11.5; final rating: 11.4.
— College football, Oklahoma-Baylor. Prediction: 4.2; final rating: 3.8.
— NASCAR Chase For the Cup from Phoenix. Prediction: 2.8; final rating: 1.4 (on NBCSN)
— UFC 193 prelims. Prediction: 0.7; final rating: 0.7.
This week’s predictions:
NFL regular season, mostly Packers-Vikings (4:25 p.m. Sunday, FOX). The NFL flexed Packers-Vikings into Sunday’s national window, where it will air in 89 percent of markets (reducing the originally scheduled 49ers-Seahawks game to just 9 percent). Look for the battle atop the NFC North to score a slight increase over last year, when most of the counry received Eagles-Packers (15.1). Prediction: 15.3.
NFL regular season, Bengals-Cardinals (8:30 p.m. Sunday, NBC). In another flex schedule move, Sunday Night Football pits the Bengals against the Cardinals. Though both teams have gotten off to hot starts, neither has proven they can move the needle. Just last week, the Cardinals played in NBC’s lowest rated game of the season and the Bengals played in ESPN’s second-lowest rated. Expect fairly weak numbers. Prediction: 10.8.
NASCAR Chase For the Cup from Homestead (3 p.m. Sunday, NBC). With Jeff Gordon in championship contention entering the final race of his career, NBC is counting on increased interest for Sunday’s NASCAR finale. Assuming rain does not cause yet more delays, look for ratings to top each of the past three years — when the race failed to crack the 3.2 mark on ESPN. Prediction: 3.6.
College football, Michigan State-Ohio State (3:30 p.m. Saturday, ABC). Defending champion Ohio State faces rival Michigan State in a battle of top ten teams Saturday. While the game would have been even bigger had MSU not lost to Nebraska, it is still one of the games of the year. Look for ratings to more-than-double last year’s comparable Nebraska-Wisconsin matchup (2.4) and rank as the highest for an afternoon telecast this season. Prediction: 4.9.
College football, Baylor-Oklahoma State (7:30 p.m. Saturday, FOX). FOX also airs a battle of top ten teams on Saturday, as playoff contender Oklahoma State hosts Baylor. Despite facing stiff competition from TCU-Oklahoma on ABC, expect the game to more than hold its own. The highest college football rating on FOX so far this season was 2.1 for Utah-USC in week eight. Prediction: 2.3.
College football, Boston College-Notre Dame (7:30 p.m. Saturday, NBCSN). Notre Dame football airs on NBCSN for the first time Saturday night. While the Fenway Park setting might attract some viewers, 3-7 Boston College is far from a high-profile opponent. Do not expect much of a rating. Prediction: 0.7.
Paulsen is the founder of Sports Media Watch and a contributor for Sporting News. Follow him on Twitter @Paulsen_SMW .