Miracle Covers

NFL Wild Card Saturday

It’s that time of year…playoffs! We weren’t able to do a preview pod but hopefully able to get one in next week. Lou and I did have a chat so I can forward along some of his thoughts in my picks below. As always, we have a goal each year to go undefeated against the spread. I am also doing a $30 pick’em pool for both lines and totals, so I will give each pick for each game, and put a * for every game I am also betting individually. So here we go!

Raiders +6*

UNDER 49

Line has gone to +5.5… these two teams played a close, low scoring game in Vegas in November. The Raiders match up well vs the Bengals: they can run the ball and they can rush the passer as the Bengals run defense is meh and their offensive line blows. They also have Darren Waller back. That being said, I have no idea who WINS this game because the Raiders’ secondary blows and Joe Burrow, Joe Mixon, and Jamar Chase have been one of the best offenses in December. This will be a 3 point game, and I think it’s one of the two games of the weekend that could to go to OT. also, because its Raiders vs Bengals, two franchises mired in modern failure… I am also taking the “Will there be a safety?- YES” prop at +1000.

Buffalo -4

UNDER 44

Now Bills -5. It will be cold and maybe snowy and you’d think that would favor New England like in the windy MNF game in November. The Patriots ended the season losing 3 of 4, they don’t have a WR1 or WR2, they have a rookie QB on the road (a rookie QB has never won a playoff game), and their defense is overrated. In the last meeting in Foxboro, NE DEF was 2-11 stopping 3rd/4th downs vs the Bills (and one of those “stops” was Emmanuel Sanders just dropping the ball). The Patriots should be able to run the ball against a smallish Bills team, but once they get behind in points… the Bills have too much firepower on the outside with the emergence of Isiah McKenzie and Gabriel Davis, and Devin Singletary has run the ball better in the last few weeks. Usually liking the UNDER would mean the Patriots have a chance to win; but these 3rd division games tend to be close; I can see Belichick and company keeping it close in the 1H (and there I am taking Patriots 1H +3)… until the Bills’ superior offense pulls away in the 2nd half. For props, I also like Josh Allen OVER rushing yards 45 at -150.

NHL BONUS:

Nashville +135

PARLAY +350: NSH ML +135 + DET ML -180 + COL ML -420