Ah, that playoff smell is in the air. Smatterings of snow and frigid air dot the country, making conditions less than ideal for football. But also, ya gotta love it. Let’s see the slate:
Browns @ Texans – We kick things off today in a city where the weather will certainly not be an issue. The Texans are capable of putting up points fast on big splash plays, but Cleveland’s defense should do well in limiting those opportunities. This one was tough to call since CJ Stroud was out for their in-season matchup. I’m giving a slight edge to the Browns because a good defense usually outweighs good offense.
Dolphins @ Chiefs – This is the game that everyone has been talking about. Sub-zero temps, even worse with the wind chill. The Dolphins aren’t built for these kinds of conditions. It’s unfortunate, I think they have a more talented roster. But I’ve gotta take the Chiefs here.
Steelers @ Bills – Now here’s a weather game that not as many are talking about. Snow is going to more of a factor here than outright cold weather, but this game will likely be low-scoring and feature a lot of rushing attempts. I would love to take Pittsburgh here, and I think they do have a chance despite the absence of TJ Watt, but if the ball does need to be thrown down field in these conditions, Josh Allen is more primed to make that happen.
Packers @ Cowboys – Well, I certainly lose this game either way. This is a classic fraud-off. The Cupcake Cowboys like to feast on bad teams, and I consider the Packers to be a mediocre team, so some would say that favors the Pack. But Jordan Fraud played one of the easiest regular season schedules this year so others may say his stats are inflated and not indicative of his actual talent. I say all this to say I’m gonna take the Cowboys at home because they tend to win there.
Rams @ Lions – This has got to be the best storyline game of the weekend, right? The two quarterbacks that got traded for each other squaring off in the playoffs? Matt Stafford, never had the right roster and coaching around him to get it done in Detroit, but went on to win the Super Bowl with the Rams? Jared Goff, appeared to have a peaked early and regressed in LA, but has now been an integral part of a culture shift in Detroit, winning their first NFC North Title since 1993? I mean you can’t write it better than this. I’ll take the Lions because while I think both teams have explosive offenses, their defense and special teams play is a little better.
Eagles @ Buccaneers – Usually, when you have this sort of scenario – division winner of a sad division hosting a wild card team with a better record – you take the wild card team. But the Eagles are an absolute mess. The defense is abysmal, and now AJ Brown will not be playing either. The Bucs will have to play good ball to win, but I think they bring their A-game and send Philly flying home.
Last Week
Here’s how Week 18 shook out:
10-6 on the week, same as Week 17. I’m not mad about it. For the regular season, I’ll finish at 169-103, a 62.1%. It’s actually worse than last year, believe it or not. Now, last year, we did have 3 ties during the season, which did help my record, but I’m glad to have had no ties this year. I really hate ties. They look so ugly on the records. Anyway. Not bad.
Bad Bets Are Back
Last week was one of my better weeks, securing a 2-1 record to finish the regular season at 24-30. That type of record won’t get you anywhere but the toilet. Maybe I can dig my way out of the hole here in the playoffs (probably not):
Money Line: Buccaneers (+130)
Spread: Browns -2.5 (-110)
Point Total: Steelers @ Bills U39.5 (-110)
Catch ya next week for the divisional round.
Strong Side Sports 