Tony and Andy tied across the board last week. How about that. Tony scored a solid hit picking the Browns, while Andy pegged the Rams upset over Seattle – and both actually got half their bets correct.
Go figure.
| Straight-up | Spread | |
| Andy | 5-1 | 3-3 |
| Tony | 5-1 | 3-3 |
Quite possibly the best weekend of football games in any given year is the divisional round of the playoffs. Here are our picks:
| Saturday | Andy – Straight | Andy – Spread | Tony – Straight | Tony – Spread |
| Colts at Bills (-6.5) | Bills | Bills | Bills | Bills |
| Rams at Seahawks (-3.5) | Rams | Rams | Seahawks | Seahawks |
| Bucs at Football Team (+8.5) | Bucs | Football Team | Bucs | Football Team |
| Sunday | ||||
| Ravens at Titans (+3) | Ravens | Ravens | Ravens | Titans |
| Bears at Saints (-9.5) | Saints | Bears | Saints | Saints |
| Browns at Steelers (-6) | Steelers | Steelers | Browns | Browns |
Tony
For Saturday, oddly enough I might be most looking forward to the Bucs vs Football Team game, although more because the other two bore me, and I’d like to see more of Antonio Gibson, and whether or not Tom Brady is enough to overcome the seemingly perpetual playoff choking of Bruce Arians. Plus, if we play the “Every time they mention Alex Smith’s gruesome injury” drinking game, I can be passed out by the early second quarter.
On Sunday, the Ravens/Titans game should be a solid matchup to watch, with Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson—and surprisingly, the Steelers/Browns game offers some intrigue, with the Covid Coaching situation for the Browns, and the questions about just how overrated the Steelers really are.
As for the Bears/Saints…well, apparently that game will be featured on Nickelodeon, which sounds about right for where it should be.
Andy
As much as I rail against playoff expansion – blatant money grab – there are several interesting games this weekend. I won’t have the opportunity to sit down and watch straight through – the perils of having young kids – but I’ll monitor all of them.
The ones that interest me the most, I think, are Colts/Bills, as it seems to me with the defense they have, the multitude of weapons on offense and the mobility of Josh Allen, they may have the best chance of dethroning Kansas City in the AFC. But are they ready? Pittsburgh and Cleveland will also be interesting, as the Browns get back into the playoffs for the first time in ages. But I don’t think Cleveland is ready to stick in that game yet.
The NFL lot kind of bores me a bit. The Bears, Washington Football Team and, with its defensive deficiencies, the Seahawks are, I think, pretenders this year. Rams/Seahawks will be the most competitive game this weekend, but honestly, it feels to me like whoever ultimately emerges from this slate of teams is nothing more than prey for an AFC Super Bowl win.
Well, we’re about to say goodbye to this God-forsaken hellhole of a year. Like many, we couldn’t be happier. On the other hand, that means saying goodbye to the 2020 NFL regular season, which has been weird at times, but has provided a significantly needed distraction at times from the real world.
Andy needs to get just one of his selections correct in week 17 in order to win the alternative picks.
| Week 16 | Andy 10-6 |
| Season | Andy 127-112-1 |
Here are our last alternative picks for the 2021 season. (more…)
Merry Christmas everyone.
I’d be surprised if anyone is really sitting on the edge of the seats waiting for this one, so I’ll keep it brief. It was a week of ties – Andy and Tony were dead even in both alternative and straight-up picks. That allows Andy to maintain his lead.
| Week 15 | Tie 8-8 |
| Season | Andy 117-106-1 |
I’d rather be sleeping than writing at the moment, so without further ado: (more…)
This up-and-down, COVID-impacted season is nearing an end. Tony had narrowed the gap considerably, but in week 14 he kicked it all away. Andy lengthened his lead with only three weeks left.
| Week 14 | Andy 12-4 |
| Season | Andy 109-98-1 |
Every time we count him out, he pulls back into the race. Can Tony pull closer again?
We have a competitive contest. A 20-11 run the last two weeks has pulled Tony within three correct picks of Andy as we complete the last quarter of the season. Usually, in 2020, a good week for him has been followed by a dud. But he was dominant in week 13, as Andy missed half his own picks.
| Week 13 | Tony 10-5 |
| Season | Andy 97-94-1 |
Oh, the drama. You can cut the tension with a knife.
1) Tony:
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