It was a bounce back day for the Winning Picks yesterday going 2-1. Our only loss was the Browns. Like JuJu said, “The Browns is the Browns.” Probably should’ve picked the over instead. We were able to win on the under in the Penguins/Chiefs and the Chiefs spread. The Kansas City game was a joke, the NFL really made people sign up for Peacock to watch that. Scam of the century. We move to 97-76-3 on the year.
Today we were supposed to have 3 NFL games to pick from in the Winning Picks. But alas, the Steelers/Bills have been moved to Monday at 4:30 PM due to the winter storm and the weather emergency put in place by the New York governor. So, does this help the Steelers or hurt the Steelers? Let me be honest, it really, really hurts them.
With the conditions today calling for nearly a foot of snow and winds potentially exceeding 50 MPH in Buffalo, these were the perfect conditions for the Steelers to be able to pull this upset. With Josh Allen’s deep pass neutralized by this wind, which is what burned them when they faced the Bills in 2022, it would’ve been a close, ugly game that the Steelers had a chance to control on the strong.
But now, more than likely, the Steelers/Bills will have calmer conditions for tomorrow afternoon. Moving the game day will more than likely trigger a bet I probably wouldn’t have placed if this game was still being played at 1:00 PM today. We will get to that tomorrow.
Now onto the Winning Picks!
Green Bay Packers at Dallas Cowboys (-7) O/U 50.5 4:30 PM on FOX
It is almost criminal that we have to wait until almost 5:00 PM for the first playoff game on Sunday of “Super Wild Card Weekend.” There’s nothing super about that. But we do have a super matchup between old rivals and an old head coach facing his former team.
Pittsburgh native and former Packers coach Mike McCarthy leads his new team the Cowboys into the playoffs for the next straight year. Dallas locked up the #2 seed and it was a good thing they did. The Cowboys have been a completely different team away from Jerry World. They are now guaranteed 2 home playoff games, as long as they can outlast Green Bay and Jordan Love.
And how about Jordan Love? He might not be on the level yet of Dak Prescott but the first-year starter has impressed for the Packers. And he’s doing it without markey names, mainly a lot of rookies and 2nd year players. They don’t have anyone like a Ceedee Lamb, but they have produced. Look for Jaylen Reed to be one of those guys who produces today and find the end zone.
But Reed can’t hold a candle to Lamb’s production this year. The Packers will have trouble stopping him, he should go over his receiving yards and find the end zone again. As far as this game overall, I expect a back-and-forth shootout. I believe the Cowboys will win a high scoring game, that is why the Winning Pick is the over.
Over 50.5 Covers, Green Bay Packers 27 Dallas Cowboys 31
Los Angeles Clippers (-1.5) at Minnesota Timberwolves O/U 222.5 7:00 PM
With the Steelers/Bills postponed until tomorrow, I had to find another game to the Winning Picks. What a better replacement than a matchup between two of the top teams in the Western Conference in the Clippers and Timberwolves?
After figuring out their chemistry after trading for James Harden, LA has been one of the best teams in the NBA over the last several months. The Clippers are an incredible 17-3 over their last 20 games. I was fortunate enough to bet the Clippers to win it all before the season at 22/1. They are now down to 9/1 on some books, which still has some value on it.
The Timberwolves have been just as impressive as well. They sit tied with the also surprising Thunder for the #1 spot in the West. The new Arod owner is already adding a winning culture in Minnesota that hasn’t been seen since Kevin Garnett was in his prime. But Anthony Edwards could miss tonight’s game or be hampered by injury. With that being said, take the Clippers to add another win to their resume.
Clippers Cover -1.5, Los Angeles Clippers 113 Minnesota Timberwolves 108
Los Angeles Rams at Detroit Lions (-3) O/U 52.5 8:15 PM on NBC
The Detroit Lions host their first home playoff game tonight since 1993 where they will face an old friend and former Lions starting QB Matthew Stafford and the Rams. Isn’t it ironic that the Lions face Stafford, who never led them to a home playoff game, in their first home playoff game with the quarterback they traded him for in Jared Goff? The NFL script writers did a masterful job writing this one.
All kidding aside, this trade worked out great for both teams. Stafford was able to lead the Rams to the Super Bowl and Goff survived the Lions rebuild to lead them to their best season in over a quarter century. And if Goff can lead the Lions to their first playoff win since 1991, a year before I was born, it will be the biggest win-win trade in NFL history in my opinion.
But this is why fairy tales like this in the NFL never have great endings. The Lions still haven’t figured their issues on defense, mainly due to injuries on the back end of their defense. Cooper Kupp and star rookie Puka Nacua should feast on this flawed secondary, going over the yards and finding the end zone. Amon-ra St. Brown should also have a big game to find the end zone as well with the health of rookie tight end Sam LaPorta still up in the air.
This will be a high scoring game like the Packers/Cowboys but I do like the Rams to cover and to win this game. I think the Lions have too many flaws on defense and Dan Campbell over aggressive decisions will backfire on him this game, giving the Rams offense a short field. Sean McVay has been here before many times, that is a huge factor tonight.
Rams Cover +3, Los Angeles Rams 30 Detroit Lions 28