Hi everyone, hope everyone is having a fantastic holiday. It’s Christmas Eve here, it’s a rare rainy morning in Las Vegas. I cannot say I mind this at all from a place that has literally full sunny days 320 days out of the year. Kyle Shanahan trust Jimmy Garoppolo as much as any of his girlfriends do (he’s so damn handsome he can’t help it!!). Due to this lack of trust the Titans had a second half comeback win and I’m 0-1 to start this week, yay me!! Third winning week in a row last week, let’s keep the train rolling!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
PACKERS -7.5 OVER browns
They say in life that timing is everything. Well the timing for the Browns to have to travel to Lambeau field to win a must win game couldn’t be worse. First of all team Orange helmet just had a huge COVID outbreak and are just beginning to get some of their players back. 2nd, Baker Mayfield may be slightly healthy after his one game hiatus but he’s still not healthy. Baker Mayfield is as popular in the Cleveland as Ernest Byner or Tony Fernandez (low blow Drew, low blow!!). I hope my friend Rob and all of the Browns fans will forgive me for the pick and puns but Aaron Rodgers is a machine that will not stop until he has destroyed all comers. Let’s just call him hippie Santa this Christmas, and hippie Santa is about to ruin Cleveland’s holiday.
Packers Win 31-20
CARDINALS -1 OVER colts
Everyone is fading Arizona after they got embarrassed by the Lions so I ask you these questions. If everybody thinks Jonathan Taylor is going to run for 800 yards and nudge the Cards further into oblivion then why are the Cards favored and why hasn’t the line moved? Here is the old gambling saying that I’ve used for years and have won me and other people much smarter than me a lot of money. Ride a good team off a bad loss. Is the Cards all of a sudden not a good team? I believe they are 10-4 with blowout wins over the Titans, Rams, Browns and 49ers. I’m an Arizona sports fan and I am always skeptical but in this spot I love the Cards to bounce back in a gut check game. Remember that Kyler Murray is better than Carson Wentz and Arizona has performed very well this season when facing elite rushing attacks (Titans with Derrick Henry, Browns, 49ers). The Cards are the sharps play and the Colts are the public play, take the Sharp play here.
Cardinals Win 34-24
SUNDAY SUNDAY LA LA LA LA LA
bucs -10 over PANTHERS
Taking good teams off bad losses you see. There is no Chris Godwin and Mike Evans also likely sits this one out. But hey Antonio Brown is back from his three game suspension (because A.B thought it would be funny or appropriate to fake his vaccination status). The real reason to take the Bucs big and don’t look back is that Cam Newton is still the Quarterback for the Panthers and he depends on the running game to succeed at this point (have you seen him throw the ball?). The 90’s Cowboys couldn’t run on this Bucs front so if you think Cam and the Panthers can you are lying to yourself and your loved ones. Brady and the boys bounce back.
Bucs Win 27-12
giants +10 over EAGLES
Stay away stay away stay away stay away stay away. The Giants have been floundering like a fish out of the ocean recently but in a huge rivalry game you can expect them to show out here. The Eagles have put themselves in fantastic shape to claim the last NFC playoff spot and winning 2 out of the last three may just do the trick (the Saints COVID news and the Vikings playing the Rams and Packers helps). However, Joe Judge is fighting to get a third season in the big apple and the Giants are still playing hard for the former Pats assistant. The first meeting was an ugly Giants upset win and this game I think is an ugly Eagles win. Just like the 2018 SEC Championship game Jalen Hurts gets the best of Jake Fromm (sorry Bulldogs fans I am just dishing out the bad news all day), but I will take the points overall.
Eagles win 21-13 (Giants Cover)
TEXANS +10.5 OVER chargers
Trust this Chargers team at your own peril. David Mills has been playing pretty well over the past two weeks and even though i do not think he’s a franchise Quarterback I do think the Texans right now believe they can win games with him and are playing with a frisky confidence that many of us get after a few cocktails. Against a Chargers team that I can trust as far as I can throw them can I see a Texans team play out of their minds and scare the living hell out of a weird Bolts team? You bet your bottom I do!! Would I be shocked if the Chargers blew this game and ruined what is a golden ticket to the postseason? Actually not really because it’s the Chargers were talking about. However, I expect the Bolts to win this game outright. I think this one turns into maybe the most fun game of the AM slate and twitter explodes with the Davis Mills could be a NFL starter monikers. Even after five bloody Mary’s nobody will say that Davis Mills is better than Justin Herbert and we must remember that.
Chargers Win 31-27 (Texans cover)
FALCONS -6.5 OVER lions
I was seriously considering taking the Lions to win their second straight but with Jared Goff out due to being on the COVID list I cannot take a super short handed Lions team to even cover against a Falcons team that has an outside chance at the postseason still. However, that Lions 30-12 victory over the Cardinals last week had to be the most surprising result of any game this season. The Lions dispensed justice on the Cardinals to the point that the world is betting Indy to beat them on Christmas (which I disagree with if you read above). In this game however I cannot back Susan Boyle (I am Tim Boyle sorry). The Falcons need it more and have more good healthy players available.
Falcons win 27-14
ravens +3 over BENGALS
Is there really much of a difference between a healthy Tyler Huntley and a banged up Lamar Jackson at this point? I would argue we have seen enough of a sample size to say that a healthy Tyler Huntley may be the better option (yes Judge what is a Ute? A little Utah humor for you all). This is a game that the Bengals fans have been waiting for years to have. In my opinion it is still a year too early (next year is the year of the rise of the Queen City). It’s crazy that the Ravens have lost three games in a row all due to not being better at converting two point conversions. But in the locker room because John Harbaugh being consistent and going for the win shows his team that he believes in them. You can say he believes in the Math more than his team but coaching is still about people skills and not a graph. John Harbaugh is one of the best at motivating and inspiring and this week it finally pays off. Mark Andrews catches a game winning two point conversion and the Ravens seize control of the AFC North.
Ravens Win 25-24
rams -3 over VIKINGS
All of my Cards fans friends are saying Drew why not take the Vikings here!!! You want to take Kirk Cousins to beat an all of a sudden hot Rams team with one hand behind his back (not having Dalvin Cook equates to this). Be my guest but I can not take a team lead by the Mattison (not the matador) to beat a Rams team that has been gift wrapped an opportunity to still win their division and is wanting to seize this opportunity. Now don’t get me wrong friends, the Vikings can still win this game. They are by the way the enigma of all of football and can lose or beat any team at any given time. This game is also being played in the Kirk Cousins money time window… Damn it Rams 3 before I change my mind!
Rams Win 27-20
jaguars +1 over JETS
I was deeming this game the toilet bowl as these are the two worst teams in my power rankings and my ratings system. However, lets talk about some positives for this matchup. It’s a battle between the top two picks in the NFL Draft (Trevor Lawrence, Zach Wilson). East Rutherford New Jersey is a beautiful city with many shopping malls and subdivisions. It’s a great place to raise your family. Duvall County Florida is a very affordable place to live. It has beautiful sandy beaches and the warm blue Atlantic Ocean is a wonderful place to mediate in on a Sunday afternoon. Oh yeah for the game… Trevor Lawrence is due to not have one awful game right? That’s my stance and I’m sticking to it!!
Jaguars Win 21-17
bills +2.5 over PATRIOTS
Wide Receiver Gabriel Davis and Offensive Lineman Cody Ford has been added to the COVID list and almost certainly will be out for the game on Sunday. One of my best friends and huge support of this blog (and Bills enthusiast) Arizona Joe is nervous about this game. Joe, you know who’s not nervous about this game, me!!!!!!! So the Pats won in Buffalo in a Nor’Easter just three weeks ago throwing three passes as Bill Belichick smiled for the first time in 20 years at the end of the game (ESPN caught it, this happened). Well for Sunday the weather is supposed to be 43 and Sunny without much wind in Foxborough Massachusetts. That means Mac Jones will have to throw the ball more than three times to win the rematch. I trust Josh Allen (who has been playing very well over the past four weeks and very under the radar mind you) over Mac Jones when it becomes more of a passing to win game. I know it’s the GOAT against the McDermott and Drew don’t do it!! I’m doing it, the Buffalo Bills beat the New England Patriots in a big game for the first time since Week 16 of the 1999 season. Only took 22 years and a new century for the Bills fans to rejoice in a big win over the Pats, congrats Buffalo you have earned it.
Bills Win 24-20
SEAHAWKS -6.5 OVER bears
I think this could be a good spot for the Bears but this team unfortunately has tuned on Matt Nagy. The Seahawks could come out flat here but since they haven’t tuned out Pete Carroll (yet) I’m going to take the Seahawks here. Tuesday night in Los Angeles was a perfect opportunity for the Sea chickens to give themselves a punchers chance at a postseason berth but they fell flat on their face in a game that that was right there for the taking. You can blame the officials (Matt Nagy would!!) but the Hawks got outplayed by a better team and for the first time in ten years is now just playing out the string. Russell Wilson still looks more disengaged than a teenager at a family reunion but the Bears whole team is disengaged at this point. In other words this is a terrible terrible game and cannot be watched by anyone with anything (this includes watching a washer machine function or cement dry) better to do.
Seahawks Win 24-13
steelers +8.5 over CHIEFS
Sometimes in life you catch breaks. I mentioned this for the Seahawks last week before the game got moved to Tuesday and the Rams got Jalen Ramsey back and the break was no longer in effect. However, as of this morning this game is still to go on as scheduled and the Chiefs will likely be without Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce due to being on the COVID list. So Patrick Mahomes will have to play with Blake Bell, Byron Pringle and DeMarcus Robinson as his go to’s against a desperate Steelers team that is somehow still in the hunt for the division. This Steelers team is terrible and unwatchable (most weeks) yet they are somehow still in this thing. I don’t get it, it’s like Mike Tomlin and Ben Roethlisberger are throwing their magic pixie dust in the air and making miracles happen. I will say Patrick Mahomes and Andy Reid finds a way to win this game but I wouldn’t be surprised at all if T.J Watt haunts Sideshow Pat dreams and the Steelers inch closer to somehow having a chance to defend their AFC North crown, crazy year 2021 is I must say.
Chiefs Win 19-16 (Steelers Cover)
RAIDERS OVER broncos
Saying I love the Raiders is a scary thing to say but this week I love this dumb Raiders team to somehow keep their playoff hopes alive. Speaking of breaks having Drew Lock instead of Teddy Bridgewater behind Center for the Burros is a break for the Vaders. Derek Carr over Drew Lock is a huge enough advantage for Vegas and they already smoked the Donkeys in the first meeting so the team that resides by Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino will have confidence. I’m sorry to my wife (a huge Missouri Tigers fan) but Drew Lock against this pass rush is a not a good combination. Raiders take it and we all wonder if Vic Fangio is still around for the postgame press conference.
SUNDAY NIGHT!!!!
wft +10.5 over COWBOYS
I do not have the marbles to take the Football team outright but we all know (have seen it twice this year in losses to the Broncos and Raiders) that the Cowboys are more than capable of blowing this football game. Regardless I love the spot for Washington here as they are getting Quarterback Taylor Heinicke (as well as many other starters) back from the COVID list for this game. The Cowboys defense has been playing fantastic as of late but Dak Prescott has still looked off to me recently. I don’t see him getting his groove back on this Sunday night in the big D (or wouldn’t it be the big A the stadium is in Arlington right?). The fighting foozball’s will run through a brick wall for Ron Rivera and this is a kitchen sink game for Washington. If they somehow pull the upset they are still in prime position to get that last playoff spot. I’ll take Dallas but I can see a huge upset here, do not parlay the Cowboys here.
Cowboys Win 24-21 (WFT covers)
MONDAY NIGHT!!!!!
SAINTS +2.5 OVER dolphins
Ian Book are you sure? This is not Notre Dame against Wake Forest you know. The Dolphins have won six in a row Drew. Brian Flores has this defense balling right now are the Saints even going to get a first down Drew? Okay, here is why I’m taking New Orleans to get the win and flame out the Dolphins playoff light while keeping their playoff light lit. Defense defense defense. The Dolphins are one of the least dynamic offenses in all of football and the Saints have one of the best defensive fronts in all of football (can you say mismatch!). Dennis Allen’s group just made Tom Brady look like Tom Arnold out there. You don’t think that they can’t make Tua Tagovailoa look like a ball boy out there? This could be one of the ugliest games you’ll ever see (tell your kids to hide their eyes) but I will say Alvin Kamara makes a couple of big plays and the Saints defense wins the game late.
Saints win 13-10
This Week: 0-1
Last Week: 9-7
Season: 118-104-2