We are back with some more great NFL bets with the playoff field narrowed down to eight teams! Last week, we went three for six on the Wild Card games. Let’s see if we can get above .500 this week. Here are the best NFL bets for each game of this weekend’s Divisional round. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Friday afternoon.
NFL Best Bets: Divisional Round
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Chris Carlson
Jaguars at Chiefs: Chiefs -9 (-110)
The Jags have no business playing in this round of the playoffs. They lucked out by having last week’s game given away by the incompetence of Brandon Staley. Jacksonville simply doesn’t have what it takes to keep up with Kansas City.
This game reminds me of the Tim Tebow Broncos team that snuck by the Pittsburgh Steelers only to get curb-stomped by the New England Patriots. Take the Chiefs to win this one by double digits.
Giants at Eagles: Giants +7.5 (-110)
This is going to be a great game. The Giants are playing great football right now. However, they are running into a phenomenal Eagles team that has had a couple weeks to get healthy. The Eagles should certainly be favored in this one, but this spread is a little steep. At the end of the day, this is still a divisional battle. Philadelphia should win, but it will be by less than a touchdown.
Bengals at Bills: OVER 48.5 (-110)
This game is impossible to pick. This is, by far, the most even matchup this weekend. One thing is certain, we will see a ton of offense. Both of these teams have great quarterbacks, fantastic receivers, and okay defenses. That is a recipe for a high-scoring affair. The winner of this game will need to get to at least 30. Take the over.
Cowboys at 49ers: 49ers -4 (-110)
This could be a great game. Both of these teams have a ton of talent on both sides of the football. However, there are some concerning mismatches. The Cowboys have had a lot of success this year relying on a two-pronged rushing attack with Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard. That won’t work against this San Francisco defense.
Unfortunately, Dallas does not have the wide receivers to take advantage of this suspect 49ers secondary. In the end, the 49ers will get enough stops on defense, control the ball on offense, and win somewhat comfortably. Dallas is good enough to keep it interesting, but they won’t keep it within four points.
It is time to ring in the new year with some great bets for this week’s NFL slate. Week 17 is the penultimate week, and our second-to-last chance to hit it big on our best bets this NFL season.
Last week was another tough one, but this week will technically be a new year so we’ve got a chance for a fresh start. Here are the five best NFL bets for this week’s games. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Saturday morning.
Five Best Bets for NFL Week 17
Photo Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
Panthers at Bucs: Panthers Moneyline (+165)
Our first pick comes in an ugly matchup between losing teams — that also somehow has a division title on the line. Tampa Bay can lock up the NFC South with a win, but a win for Carolina would give them the tiebreaker advantage heading into the last week of the season.
In these crucial games, it has never been a good idea to bet against Tom Brady. But that is exactly what we are doing here.
This is not your father’s Brady, or even your older brother’s for that matter. We are talking about a guy who needed overtime to squeak by a Cardinals team led by Trace McSorley. This Bucs team is crumbling before our eyes.
On the other side. The Panthers just routed a surging Lions team. Sam Darnold is doing his best impression of an NFL quarterback and running back D’onta Foreman is a problem for opposing defenses.
This will be a tight one, but Carolina is trending in the better direction right now and they offer more value at +165.
Browns at Commanders: Commanders -2.5 (-105)
This another ugly matchup. Once upon a time, Deshaun Watson and Carson Wentz would have been a marquee matchup between two of the league’s most promising young quarterbacks. That is no longer the case due to both player’s careers being plagued by injuries, Watson being a menace to society, and Wentz forgetting how to play football at times.
Despite all that, Wentz’s return to the lineup does seem to be an upgrade, unlike Watson’s.
While the Commanders were not winning early in the season with Wentz, he was not playing bad. The rest of the offense took significant strides with Taylor Heinicke, but it was not necessarily because he was tearing it up. The return of Wentz gives Washington the best version of their offense.
Washington should be able to do enough to outscore a Browns team led by Watson, who has looked extremely rusty this year. I like the Commanders enough to lay a few points.
Cardinals at Falcons: Cardinals +5.5 (-110)
Another week, another quarterback is starting for the Cardinals. This time around, it will be David Blough. However, do not get fooled into thinking this will be a cakewalk for Atlanta. This one will be a tight matchup.
Since being handed the reigns, Falcons rookie Desmond Ridder has taken longer than expected to get into a rhythm at the NFL level. As a result, Atlanta’s offense has struggled as of late. Meanwhile, Arizona’s defense has played well enough to keep them in games in spite of their quarterback carousel.
Who knows which team will come out on top in this one? One thing you should be able to count on is that it will be a close tilt, without a lot of points. I like the Cardinals to cover here.
Jets at Seahawks: Seahawks Moneyline (+105)
The ugliness continues with the Geno Smith revenge game! Seattle is taking on a Jets team quarterbacked by Mike White, who is replacing Zack Wilson, who was drafted to replace Sam Darnold, who was drafted to replace Smith. Right now Smith is playing better than any of those other guys.
The Seahawks have certainly cooled off as of late. They have dropped four of their last five. However, so have the Jets, who have lost four in a row. Both of these teams are falling apart at the seams. Yet Seattle just looks more promising right now. They are only half a game out of the playoffs compared to the full game that the Jets must make up.
This is a toss-up game that should slightly favor the home team in Seattle. With that, might you might as well take advantage of those +105 odds.
Vikings at Packers: Vikings Moneyline (+150)
Man, the Kirk Cousins hate is real. This is flat out insulting. How many games do the Vikings have to win before they stop being on “fraud alert?” Yes, the Packers are making a strong playoff push, and it is hard to sweep teams in the NFL. Regardless, I still like the Vikings here.
The rationale for this pick is that there is no legitimate reason to bet against Minnesota. If we did this with blind résumés, there would be no question. This might bother some folks, but Cousins is outplaying Aaron Rodgers right now by a wide margin.
During Green Bay’s three-game winning streak, Rodgers has thrown just three touchdown passes to two interceptions. Cousin’s touchdown-interception ratio in that same span is nine to two. At +150, you are crazy if you don’t take the Vikings.
We are back for another week of NFL bets. Last week, we hit a bit of a snag, going one and four, but that just means we are due. We have five more great NFL bets for this Sunday’s Week 14 action. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Saturday afternoon.
NFL Week 14 Best Bets
Photo Credit: Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images
Browns at Bengals: Bengals -5.5 (-110)
The Bengals seem to have gotten their groove back. Joe Burrow is playing great, and beginning to sneak into the MVP conversation. Meanwhile, the Browns welcomed back quarterback, and menace to society, Deshaun Watson last week. Despite getting the win over the Texans, Watson threw for just 131 yards and had a pick.
While the Browns have been winning on the back of their great defense, it won’t be enough this week in Cincinnati. The Bengals will find a way to put points on the board, probably close to 30. I think Cleveland will struggle to put up much more than 20 in this one. Lay the 5.5 with Cincy.
Vikings at Lions: Vikings at Lions: Vikings Moneyline (+110)
The Vikings are underdogs in this one? This line makes absolutely zero sense. Minnesota got smoked by Dallas a few weeks ago, but played both the Patriots and Jets close in their last two games. Now, everyone believes that there is worry that they are a fraudulent 10-2 team. On the other side, the Lions have won four of their last five, with a close loss to the Bills their only blemish. Things seem to be trending int the right direction.
All of that aside, the idea that Detroit is the better football team right now is just plain silly. Despite the Dallas loss, the Vikings have won four of their last five just like the Lions. The difference is that the worst team that Minnesota beat was the 6-6 Patriots. The Lions’ best win in that same span came against the 7-4 Giants, with the other three wins coming against teams with losing records.
The Vikings are the better team and are looking to wrap up the NFC North this week. At +110, you would be hard pressed to find better value than that this week.
Ravens at Steelers: UNDER 37 (-110)
This is one is going to be ugly. With Lamar Jackson looking unlikely to play, we will see Tyler Huntley taking the helm of an offense that has generally struggled to light up the scoreboard this year — even with Jackson. If you want an idea as to how this might go, we got a sneak peak in the Ravens 10-9 win over the Broncos last week.
The Steelers also boast a tough defense, so don’t expect Huntley to set the world on fire. That being said, Huntley still might be better than Pittsburgh’s rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett. Pickett has been atrocious this season, throwing eight interceptions to just four touchdowns. Expect this game to be a race to 17. Take the under here.
Chiefs at Broncos: UNDER 44 (-110)
There are a few generous lines in this one. The Chiefs are only laying nine points in this one, but I find the under even more tantalizing. Remember, divisional games can be weird and sometimes they are closer than expected, even if the better team still prevails. Also, the under is 11-1 in Broncos games this year. Chiefs games have gone under more than half the time this year, as well.
This game being in Denver helps. That, plus the Broncos’ solid defense should be enough to keep the Chiefs from completely torching them. It also helps that Kansas City likely won’t need much more than two touchdowns to win this game. Look for the Chiefs to try and establish the run as they coast to a 23-13 win. Take the under.
Dolphins at Chargers: UNDER 53.5 (-110)
On paper, this seems like it would be a high-scoring affair. You have Justin Herbert taking on arguably the most potent offense in the league. While it may not be a defensive struggle, don’t expect too many fireworks in this week’s Sunday Night Football matchup.
Miami’s offense was just humbled by the 49ers’ defense in brutal fashion last week. Prior to that, they had been lighting it up against the dregs of the league. Los Angeles has been pretty average as of late. Injuries are keeping them from reaching their full potential. Expect both teams to break 20, but I’d be surprised if either gets to 30. Take the under.
The time has come to decide college football’s conference champions. We will take a look at the best bets in all of the Power Five conference championships to see where we can win some money. We are looking to bounce back after a bit of a rough go last week. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Thursday night since the PAC-12 title game is being played on Friday night.
Power 5 Conference Championships’ Best Bets
Photo Credit: Trent Nelson | The Salt Lake Tribune
#11 Utah vs #4 USC: USC -2.5 (-115)
Look, it is really hard to beat a team twice. That’s what this pick ultimately comes down to. When these teams first met back in October, the Utes were able to steal a win with a fourth quarter comeback. However, the Trojans did have a chance to win the game late, but Caleb Williams and company ran out of time.
Williams is probably the biggest “X factor” in this matchup. You could argue that no player has made as much progress this season as he has. Williams is a much better player now than he was six weeks ago. For that reason, I like USC in this one, and I am comfortable laying 2.5 points.
#10 Kansas State vs #3 TCU: TCU -2.5 (+100)
This game is also a rematch. In this case, we are going to bet on the Horned Frogs beating the same team twice. When they played in October, TCU sleepwalked through the first half, and then rallied in the second to win by 10. This was pretty typical for them at that point in the season.
Lately, it seems as though the Horned Frogs have taken a step forward. They aren’t falling behind early in games now. They are taking care of business against the teams they should. TCU is by far the best team in the Big 12. Kansas State just happened to be the team to emerge out of the chaotic mess that is the rest of the conference. Take TCU to cover at this shockingly great value.
#14 LSU vs #1 Georgia: LSU +17.5 (-110)
Let’s make one thing clear, Georgia is more than likely going to win this game. That doesn’t mean they will win by 18 though. The Bulldogs are just 6-6 against the spread this year. Their offense has been a bit inconsistent at times this year, which has kept them from running it up.
LSU is pretty solid defensively. Also, their offensive pace is pretty methodical. I think they lose by like 14 in a game that looks a closer than it actually is. Take the points in this one.
#9 Clemson vs #23 North Carolina: UNC Moneyline (+255)
If there is going to be an upset in any of these matchups, this is it. Clemson is officially washed. This team is crumbling as we speak. How does a team that sees itself a perennial National Championship contender get up for a game after being effectively eliminated from the College Football Playoff? Don’t be surprised if Dabo Swinney gives some younger guys a little extra playing time.
Yes, I am aware that North Carolina has dropped its last two games to unranked opponents. They have been shaking off a rough hangover after locking up the ACC Coastal. There is plenty of reason to believe that the Tar Heels will get up for this one.
This is only their second appearance in the ACC title game ever. Their other one came in a loss to Clemson in 2015. A win on Saturday would be huge for this program, despite the game having little meaning for their opponents. I like North Carolina straight up here, but you could always play it safe and take the 7.5 points that they’re getting.
Purdue vs #2 Michigan: Michigan -17 (-110)
The Wolverines are a wagon this year. They have been steamrolling just about everyone. Michigan has only played three games all season in which teams kept within two scores. The other nine were all won by more than 20. This is an extremely generous spread, and it doesn’t make much sense. They would have to really overlook this Big Ten title game for this to be close.
The reason for that is the fact that Purdue is, well, just not very good. They basically fell into this game due to the ineptitude of the rest of the Big Ten West. They have one good win against Illinois, and a couple of close losses to Penn State and Syracuse. Those are their three best games. Michigan is a totally different animal. This one won’t be close. The Wolverines might cover this spread by halftime.
Time for even more NFL picks! We had a pretty solid Thanksgiving, going 2-1 on the day. We are now 11-7 for the month of November. Here are five of the best bets for this Sunday’s Week 12 NFL action. All lines come via Draft Kings as of Saturday morning.
Photo Credit: D. Orlando Ledbetter
Falcons at Commanders: Commanders -4 (-110)
All aboard the Taylor Heinicke hype train! Look, he may not be the answer long-term, but he is exactly what Washington needs right now. They have a good defense, they run the ball well, and they have big-time playmakers at wide receiver. They just need a quarterback to not screw it all up. In that respect, Heinickie is an upgrade over Carson Wentz.
Meanwhile, the Falcons are still somehow managing to hang around in playoff contention. Quarterback Marcus Mariota continues to do just enough to keep his job. I think this is where things finally come to a head for Atlanta.
This game with Washington is a matchup of two teams chasing the last Wild Card spot in the NFC. It is one of those games that separates the contenders from the pretenders. I like Washington enough in this one to lay the four points.
Bears at Jets: UNDER 39 (-110)
Given the most recent injury report, we might be seeing Trevor Siemian versus Mike White. Even if Fields plays and White truly is an upgrade over Zach Wilson, I still like the under in this one.
The Jets have only played three games all season that have reached a total of 40 points or more. This doesn’t seem like a matchup that will buck that trend. The Bears offense will have a fair amount of trouble scoring on a stout Jets defense. On the other side, don’t forget that White has more interceptions than passing touchdowns for his career.
Chargers at Cardinals: Cardinals Moneyline (+125)
Here we have another matchup of teams that might be good, but still have a lot to prove. The Cardinals are getting Kyler Murray back this week and the Chargers look about as healthy as they’ve been in quite some time. We should get a real good look at where both teams are as we head into the stretch-run of the season.
In reality, this game is pretty much a coin-toss. However, there are three reasons to pick Arizona. First, they’ve got home-field advantage. Second, the Chargers have a real knack for finding ways to lose games. Finally the Cardinals offer solid value at +125.
Rams at Chiefs: Rams +15.5 (-110)
Given what we have seen over the past month or so, it’s understandable if you want to avoid the Rams. That being said, this is the NFL, and it is hard to cover 15.5 points against anyone. While they haven’t been good lately, the Rams are still the defending Super Bowl champs. This spread feels awfully disrespectful.
It’s worth noting that the Chiefs have only won three games all season by more than 15 points. They aren’t exactly blowing the doors off teams this year. Honestly, at +800, taking the Rams straight up is tempting. We’ll play it safe though and just take the points.
Packers at Eagles: Packers Moneyline (+250)
I might be going out on a limb here, but just bear with me. Doesn’t this game have all the makings of a potential upset? These primetime games can be full of surprises. They can also be the games where one player can just take over.
Speaking of which, the Packers have this guy by the name of Aaron Rodgers. You may have heard of him before. He is pretty good. It helps that he is starting to build a rapport with wide receiver Christian Watson.
A game like this under the bright lights is the perfect opportunity for Rodgers to remind folks that he is still a baaad man. It also doesn’t hurt that the Eagles are currently coming to grips with their own mortality. There is enough value here at +250 to make this upset worth chasing to close out our best bets in the NFL for Week 12.
