The NFL Regular Season is coming to an end, and teams are fighting for playoff spots, and draft position.
NFL SEASON ATS RECORD: 52-44-3
Baltimore Ravens at Cleveland Browns
The Ravens are the train that can’t be stopped. They sit at 12-2, winners of 10 games in a row, and are looking to lock up the #1 seed in the AFC. Lamar Jackson all but locked up the MVP in his last outing, throwing for 5 TDs against the Jets, and running for another 86 yards to pass Michael Vick on the all-time rushing list for QBs.
Before the season, the Cleveland Browns had the 6th best odds to win the Super Bowl. At the time it seemed like a long-shot, and I’m hoping you didn’t take those odds. Anyways, they now sit at 6-8, with players on their team looking elsewhere (hello Odell?). In a season with high expectations, there will be no playoffs once more in Cleveland.
The Ravens are 10 point road favorites in this game. Funny enough, the last time Baltimore lost to the Browns, in an embarrassing performance. I expect them to use that game as fuel, and come out firing on all cylinders, with a thorough victory to lock up the 1 seed.
New York Giants at Washington Redskins
Ah, the classic battle for draft picks. The winner of this game will lose their hold on the chance to draft Chase Young, as both teams sit at 3-11 and have a great chance to secure the #2 pick in April’s draft.
The Giants have played Eli Manning in their last two contests, and the legendary QB went 1-1 in those games to potentially end his career at 117-117. The Giants look to be going back to Daniel Jones, as he has shown flashes of being the future, all the while looking like a rookie with his inconsistency. The Redskins are in the same boat. They are playing Dwayne Haskins, hoping he is the future, but really won’t have an idea until they surround him with some talent. These teams both hope they found their guys.
The Giants are 1 point underdogs on the road in this game. Coming off a 36-20 victory over the Dolphins, the Giants will build on that game with another solid performance in this one. Whether their fans would be happy with another win? That’s a topic for another day.
Pittsburgh Steelers at New York Jets
The Steelers playoff hopes are hanging on their every move after a 17-10 loss to the Buffalo Bills last week. Lead by a dominant defense that has had to carry their offense this season after Roethlisberger went down with a season ending injury, the Steelers are struggling to score points this season.
The Jets have been better as of late, but their season can still be looked at as a disappointment. They sit at 5-8, and are still trying to figure out if Sam Darnold is their man at the helm for the future. Darnold played well last week against the Ravens, but as with most Ravens opponents, they simply couldn’t keep up in their 42-21 loss.
The Jets are 3 point underdogs at home in this game. This game could go either way, so I’m staying away from the spread. The total is 37, and while both of these defenses are playing well this season, something has to give. I think this one will go over and a game that’s much more high scoring than expected.
Dallas Cowboys at Philadelphia Eagles
Here we are, the game that will decide the NFC East. Both of these teams sit at 7-7, and the winner will almost assuredly win the division. Both teams are coming off wins, the Eagles 37-27 over the Redskins, and the Cowboys 44-21 over the Rams. They’re looking to ride their momentum into this game.
The Cowboys have injury issues on their hands, with QB Dak Prescott struggling to throw a football with an AC Joint he sprained last week. The Cowboys say that he will have no issues this weekend, and he is not listed on the injury report. I guess we’ll see. The Eagles are thin at almost every position, and their #1 receiver was a college QB two seasons ago, Greg Ward.
The Cowboys are 2 point favorites on the road. I think they continue their momentum from last week’s victory, as I believe they found a formula for success in the ground game, and the defensive end. The Eagles have too many injuries, and will not be able to keep up.
Kansas City Chiefs at Chicago Bears
The Chiefs seem to have found their stride at the right time. They now sit at 10-4 and have clinched the AFC West, looking to make their mark on the playoffs this season. Pat Mahomes has been rolling as of late, and the snow in Kansas City did not stop him last week. The question is whether the Bears will have any better luck.
The Bears looked to have flipped their season around until they lost to the Packers last week to fall back to 7-7. They had their opportunities throughout, including a lateral-almost-miracle on the last play that got them to the 10 yard line for the tying score. With 2 games left, Trubisky has not shown that he is the future in Chicago, but the Bears sure hope he is.
The Chiefs are 6 point favorites in Chicago in this game. I simply don’t see a way the Bears could score with the Chiefs throughout, and in the end, Kansas City will just score too much for Trubisky to respond too. Take the Chiefs with the points.
