Record: 37-34 | Bonus Record: 3-6
Week seventeen became another week full of surprises, flunking almost every bet. The Panthers looked all but sure to hit +4 against the Bucs until the defense stopped covering Mike Evans. Davante Adams reverted back to his old self- with Jarrett Stidham at QB while playing the best defense in the league. The only bet that actually cashed involved Cam Akers having a second straight great performance, which is something nobody ever would have thought could happen after the first few weeks of the season. As the regular season wraps up and games become even more unpredictable because week eighteen means little for most teams, only a few bets will be featured this week:
Chiefs @ Raiders O52 Total Points
The Chiefs need to win this game to ensure that they keep the one seed over the Bills. Mahomes and crew face an awful defense and should be able to put up points no problem like they usually do. As mentioned above with Davante Adams, the whole Raiders’ offense was rejuvenated with Stidham at the helm, which could be in part due to his time with Josh McDaniels on the Patriots. Whether Stidham is the answer for McDaniels remains to be seen, but expect another strong week of production from the Raiders’ offense. The Chiefs’ defense can be very lenient, and if the Raiders can score against the 49ers they can score against the Chiefs as well.
Lions +4.5 @ Packers
The last time I bet the Lions it resulted in a terrible loss, but overall they are exceptionally great against the spread. Much of this should be attributed to the coaching job Dan Campbell has done, motivating his players to consistently perform above expectations. It really doesn’t matter whether the Seahawks win during the earlier slate because I have complete confidence the Lions will play this game at 110% either way. The Lions know that an Aaron Rodgers’ late season playoff comeback is exactly the storyline the NFL wants and believes will happen, so we better trust the Lions will leave everything on the field to ensure that doesn’t happen.
Titans @ Jaguars -6.5
I have a ton of respect for Mike Vrabel’s coaching, enough to make me hesitate in making this bet. However, then I remember that Josh Dobbs is starting, the wide receiver room can’t open things up for Henry anyway, and the pass defense is among the worst in the league. The biggest challenge for the Titans though will be facing Trevor Lawrence and the Jags who appear unstoppable on their late season playoff push. I just don’t think it’s in the cards for Vrabel and his team to pull out another surprising finish this season; the Jags secure their division handily.
M-FANS 