The curtain is almost closing on yet another NFL regular season, but before half the teams enter offseason activities, we still have a few weeks left.
With that said, we have plenty of playoff implications on the line, so let’s dive right into the preview for this week’s slate.
Thursday Night Football can generally be a tough watch from a spectacle standpoint, and I have a feeling that when it is all said and done this showdown between the Falcons and Buccaneers could be the same.
Both sides had their best moments early in the year, then with injuries decimating their seasons they remain divisional rivals who know exactly how to play each other. Speaking of divisional football, the NFC South has been one of the worst in the league, which is how the Tampa side remains at the top of the division at 7-6 while the Falcons are stuck at 4-9 and already looking towards the draft.
Both teams are also in some rough form, and it will come down to who makes the fewest mistakes come game time. Personally, I am not sure who that will be, because even though Tampa are the better side, they have looked like a shell of the outfit we saw in the first half of the year. Add in the fact that it is a short week, and I do not think it will be the highest scoring affair.
The Buffalo Bills may be on a bit of a win streak, but I am personally not sold on their level of play just yet based on what we have seen from a full season sample size. This week they will make the trip to take on divisional rival New England Patriots, who are absolutely rolling through this regular season.
In the first year of the Mike Vrabel era for the Patriots, they have completely turned it around, with their sophomore quarterback Drake Maye living up to his pre-draft expectations. However, it is not just the offence that is dominating for the Patriots, as Vrabel has his defence humming through 14 weeks of the season.
- Josh Allen Anytime TD @ $1.90
- TreVeyon Henderson Over 45.5 Rushing Yards @ $1.88
- Patriots To Win @ $1.94
Total: $7.63
When the road does get narrow in the season, the Bills tend to lean into using Josh Allen in the run game a lot more, and truthfully it is just more advantageous for the offensive unit. This is why, in their past two must-win games, I believe you have seen Allen find the end zone, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did it again this week.
Looking at the Patriots run game, TreVeyon Henderson has become their best back over the past few weeks of the season, and with the Bills being somewhat susceptible defensively on the ground, give me him to go over his rushing prop.
Finally, I have already tipped this bet elsewhere, but I have a feeling that as home underdogs the Patriots will find a way to extend their divisional lead on the Bills by securing a solid victory on Monday morning.
Two of the better teams in football are set to face off in the 10:25 slot as the LA Rams host the Detroit Lions in a real barnburner of an affair. The Rams, led by Sean McVay and Matthew Stafford, who for my money are the best coach in the league and the MVP front runner, is a tough challenge for any side. The Lions, on the other hand, are somewhat of a wounded dog, or cat if you will, as they have sputtered their way through the season with the absence of Ben Johnson.
The game, like the previous one, is huge for playoff ramifications, and I would expect the two teams to give each other their best shot.
- Jahmyr Gibbs / Puka Nacua Two Total Touchdowns @ $1.90
- Matthew Stafford 2+ Touchdown Passes @ $1.30
- Total Points Over 50.5 @ $1.44
Total: $2.40
Two of the superstars that will grace the turf at SoFi are Puka Nacua and Jahmyr Gibbs, who on a personal level are both having very good seasons. Plus, generally speaking, when there are big games on the horizon in the NFL, that is where you need your best players to stand up, and I would expect those two names to find the end zone over most.
As mentioned, Matthew Stafford is playing MVP-calibre football right now, and a lot of it has to do with his ability to make throws in the red zone. With that said, I think the Lions secondary is there for the picking, and I could see yet another multi-touchdown game for him this season.
Just to close this one out, I think with both teams likely to give each other their best shot in conditions that lean heavily into aggressive football, we will see plenty of points put on display in this one.
America’s team caught some real steam over the past few weeks, but it all came crashing down this past week, and they will certainly be looking for a get-right game come Sunday Night Football. The Vikings, on the other hand, will not be looking forward to this one, as based on their season to date, the last thing they need is the scrutiny of the premier prime-time slot of the week.
However, last outing they did find something for the back end of the year after beating the Washington Commanders, with J. J. McCarthy quieting down the memes for at least a week with his three touchdown performance.
- J.J. McCarthy 1+ Intercepted Passes @ $1.46
- Dak Prescott 250+ Passing Yards @ $1.60
- Cowboys -5.5 @ $1.80
Total: $TBC
Off the rip with this one, J.J McCarthy has been one of the worst quarterbacks in the league this year, and he is coming up against a Cowboys unit that loves to generate splash plays. They will be looking to bait the second year pro into bad throws and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had one going the other way at some stage.
Looking at the signal caller on the other side of this match up, Dak Prescott has looked like a top five player at the position this year. With the help of his all-pro calibre playmakers, he has been able to rack up some serious yardage, and going over 250 has been a consistent trend for him. Even with a good Vikings defence, I can’t see why he couldn’t do it again this week.
To close this one out, I think the Cowboys in Jerry World make the most of the lifeline they were thrown with the Eagles sustaining a loss last weekend. I have a feeling they will relish the opportunity to be on prime time with their season on the line, while playing complimentary football that covers the spread in this one.
I expect Monday Night Football to be nothing short of a spectacle if the kind of games you are into are low scoring and mistake riddled. The Pittsburgh Steelers, sitting first in the AFC North with a measly 7-6 record, are set to face off with one of the form teams in the NFL, the Miami Dolphins.
Pittsburgh are coming off what could only be described as a season-saving victory in Baltimore last weekend and will need to carry that momentum into this one to help separate themselves at the top of their division. The Dolphins, on the other hand, have found a late-season resurgence, with outside hopes of a playoff berth now on the cards, and have everything to play for.
It would be reasonable to think Mike McDaniel will run the ball a lot this week, as that has not only been the recipe for success for his side but also the Achilles heel of the Steelers. The home side have allowed 466 yards on the ground over the past two weeks, and given how Tua fears in the cold, it seems likely Miami will try to exploit that weakness in the Steelers through their star back De’Von Achane.