I can’t believe that the third to last week of the NFL season is here, and this just might be my favorite week of the season. Deciding which week out of the 22 are your favorite is a tough thing to do, but what it all boils down to is quality vs quantity. Sure, there are more games in the regular season weeks, but the quality of this week’s games are unmatched.
I could go on and on with this debate, but you are here for a sneak peak at the upcoming slate of great NFL divisional round games we have these next two days. Let’s hope this set of games is as awesome as the last, and let’s get right into it:
Game one: Jaguars @ Chiefs, Saturday, 4:30 pm EST, KC -8.5, O/U 52.5
Last week, I took the Jags outright and it was probably the sweatiest bet of the season. This week’s game is given the largest spread of the weekend, which I don’t think is right. The Jaguars are on one of the hotter streaks in recent memory, and when it comes to their players, T-Law has been getting well deserved love, but too many people are sleeping on Travis Etienne.
Now, don’t take this as me picking the Jags to win, but just know that the game could very well be closer than what the spread suggests. Patty Mahomes will still work his magic, but as a Pats fan I trust Doug Peterson to have some trick up his sleeve to keep it close.
Final note on this game: Eagles fans could not be happier with a matchup before their bout than this. The argument of whose a better coach and thus Philly legend, Andy Reid or Doug Peterson, will finally be settled.
My pick: JAX +8.5
Game two: Giants @ Eagles, Saturday, 8:15 pm EST, PHI -7.5, O/U 48.5
This is a tough game to pick for me. The last time these two teams faced off was the last game of the season and ended in the Eagles favor, 22-16, but since the G-Men already had the 6th seed secured, they rested most of their starters. Hard to get real insight from a game like that.
I think that when the Eagles play at their very best, they are one of, if not the best team in the league. However, this squad has struggled this season against other NFC East teams, taking losses to both the Commanders to break their undefeated streak, and the Cowboys to keep them from getting the one seed early.
This just might be the game that gives the Eagles a loss to each NFC East team for the season, and hand them an early exit from the playoffs. Brian Daboll has the boys buzzing, and after seeing Danny Dimes learned the Griddy, I have no idea what to expect.
My pick: NY +7.5
Game three: Bengals @ Bills, Sunday, 3 pm EST, BUF -5.5, O/U 49.5
This is the game we’ve waited three weeks for, and I could not be more excited. The last time they met was the most anticipated game of the season in week 17, and it looked like it would be all it was hyped up to until tragedy struck. Damar Hamlin suffered a cardiac arrest on the field, stopping the sports world in its tracks for days to come.
Luckily, a miracle has taken place in front of our eyes. Damar is healthy and back with the team at their facilities in Buffalo. While their is no word on whether he will make an appearance this Sunday, I am willing to bet he does, causing waterworks across Highmark Stadium and living rooms everywhere.
As far as the game goes, I think that it’s going to be a beautiful shootout. The line is interesting, because I can see Cincy coming in and pulling a dub out of thin air, but it is so hard to bet against this Bills team this Sunday, especially if Damar makes a showing. When it comes down too it, I can see anybody coming out on top, and points being scored left, right and center.
My pick: Over 49.5
Game four: Cowboys @ 49ers, Sunday, 6:30 pm EST, SF -3.5, O/U 46.5
Now, when I said earlier that I thought the Jags – Chiefs game shouldn’t have the largest spread of the weekend, it’s because I thought that this game should. This spread is criminally low, so either Vegas knows something that we don’t, or it’s the easiest bet of the season.
The Niners have been electric since Purdy entered the lineup, and now that Deebo is looking healthy again, the Cowboys are screwed. Although the Cowboys have loads of talent on defense, I see San Fran rolling through them easily. Deebo-CMC-Kittle are undoubtedly the best WR-RB-TE combo in the league, and although Parsons is a scary dude to face, Purdy’s decision making proved to be quick in last week’s win over the Seahawks.
Sure, Dak had a great game last week, proving haters like Stephen A. Smith wrong, but the fun ends here for them unless they can put up an even more complete performance than last week’s. Dak, Ceedee, Zeke, Schultz, and Pollard need to step up, and Maher too after his meltdown against the Bucs. Not to mention, the defense they face this week, helmed by Fred Warner and Nick Bosa, is far more ferocious than what they faced against Tampa.
My pick: SF -3.5 . . . HAMMER IT!!!!
This guy gets it. Probably the best opinions I’ve ever heard. Jags was a sweaty bet last week for sure