My pick: listed first. Home team: CAPS. In the playoffs, you have to bet every game, that’s the law. Postgame comments in italics.

Got absolutely murdered last Sunday picking over-unders. Staying the hell away from them this week (but I sort of like the Under in the Ravens-Bills game.)

Saturday:

Rams +6.5 vs. PACKERS
Rams +245 moneyline vs. PACKERS — This one leaves a bad taste in my mouth. There’s something about the way the Rams just utterly shit the bed against the Patriots in the Super Bowl two years ago that has left a permanent bad taste in my mouth about Jared Goff. They only scored 3 points! But the thing to remember is that their defense actually played a remarkable game — they only lost 13-3. I feel like the Rams have that big game killer defense back this year. I still feel bad betting on Goff, but I’ll take the points and assume the Rams defense will at least keep it close. And I’ll throw in one extra bet on the Rams to straight up win the game — I feel like the Rams have a better chance in this game than the odds say. ❌ ❌

Ravens +2.5 vs. BILLS
Ravens ++118 moneyline vs. BILLS — This one feels like one of those irresistible force (Bills offense) vs. immovable object (Ravens defense) games. Low-scoring game, high-scoring game, who knows? I’ll take the points and bet on the Ravens defense and a clutch 4th quarter from Lamar Jackson. ❌ ❌

Sunday:

Browns +10 vs. CHIEFS — This is the one game of the weekend I might have stayed away from if not the regulation requiring a wager on every playoff game. But then the more I thought about it, the more obvious it was to take the points and bet the Browns. They looked amazing last week sticking it to the Steelers in Pittsburgh. And with 10 points, they can be getting killed and still cover the spread with a cheap late touchdown. How do you bet against a feel-good story? I feel like this line is inflated by at least 3 points based on a general sense that the Chiefs just have to kill the Cleveland Browns, right? ✅

SAINTS -3 vs. Bucs — Brees-Brady, one last time. Feels like a matchup in a game of Madden, not real life. I think the Saints defense is a real problem for the Bucs’s vertical passing game. Also: fuck Tom Brady. 2× bet. ❌ ❌

This week: 1-6
2020 regular season final record: 43-52-1
2020 playoffs to date: 4-12-1