….and then there were only three games left. Two of them are today. It is a sad but necessary truth. Every season must come to an end. Soon, I’ll have to become more invested in college hoops, and then the NBA come playoff time. I’ll say I’ll watch more MLB this year, like every year, but yet I never do. I guess I’ll have a lot of free time coming my way. Anyway, let’s talk:
AFCCG
Chiefs @ Ravens – It kills me to take the Ravens here, as much as I’m tired of seeing Pat Mahomes play in Super Bowls. That’s a divisional rival, and I have to hope they lose tragically. With that being said, they’ve clearly got the better roster. The Ravens’ defense is stout, Lamar and the offense can pop off at any given moment, and (in a surprise turn of events) they’ve got the healthier team. And oh yeah, Mark Andrews is back. Talk about scary. I think the Chiefs may be able to contain Lamar somewhat as they have a solid defensive unit themselves, but the real issue is going to be offensive production. Unless this game goes down as the Pacheco-Rice game, I don’t see how some of those bum WRs for KC can get it done. You’ve gotta get over 100 yards out of both Pacheco and Rice. Throw in missing a starting guard in Joe Thuney and it’s a far cry from the perfect recipe for a win. But then again, we are talking about Patrick Mahomes here. He will find a way to keep it close, and hell, he might even find a way to win.
NFCCG
Lions @ Niners – Let’s start with the expected. We expected the Niners to be here. They’ve got so many guys, it’s ridiculous. CMC, Deebo, Kittle, Aiyuk. The best offensive lineman in the game in Trent Williams. Cats like Nick Bosa, Dre Greenlaw, Fred Warner, and Talanoa Hufanaga on defense. But, we have to start asking some questions. This team isn’t perfect by any means. What will Brock Purdy look like? Can he perform under pressure? Will the defense be able to slow down Jahmyr Gibbs and David Montgomery’s two-headed rushing attack? If not, that’s gonna open up a lot of play-action for Jared Goff, and that’s his bread and butter. Things could get uncomfortable in the Bay Area. On the whole, I like the matchups for Detroit’s offense. But, I do have a bad feeling like we’ll see at least 1 pretty bad Goff interception. Likely something over the middle he tries to force to Sam LaPorta that gets picked off by Dre Greenlaw. But hopefully not. On the other side of the ball, I think Detroit will struggle in slowing down this loaded Niners offense. They’ve got the worst passing yards allowed/game out every playoff team. They’ve been very good against the run, however. Of course, they haven’t seen Run CMC yet. I think the Niners win this one by a slim margin.
Last Week
Nothing much to say here, I was pretty much on the money. My only regret is that I believed in the Bills. Moving on.
I Can’t Believe I’m Still Throwing Away Money
Tell me if you’ve heard this before: 1-2 last week. Yikes. 26-34 on the year, pretty bad. Not going to do a ML bet this week, just one spread and one point total.
Spread: Lions +7.5 (-120)
Point Total: Chiefs/Ravens O44.5 (-102)
Until next time.
Strong Side Sports 