BLOOMINGBURG, NY – Week #15 on the 15th day of December. Are you into numerology? Then maybe Dwayne Haskins and other uniform-numbered 15’s make themselves difference makers today! But I seriously doubt that. The numbers that hit my core come from Las Vegas in the form of football pointspreads. I know my record this season is nowhere near the 60% threshold you’ve traditionally come to expect from my Cheesy Bruin’s FREE NFL Picks/efforts at Meet The Matts but I continue on just the same. It is the season of giving and these are the gifts of the day…
FAVORITE There are many staff with ties to Buffalo on this website. Junoir Blaber and his lovely wife continue to team up and cause a spike in the “Western New York” population on their own. He know he’s rubbed elbows with Short Matt – a SUNY Buffalo product. (Has anyone ever seen the diploma he claims to have earned/stolen from the school?) Maybe they bumped into each other at the old Aud for a Sabres game during Dominik Hasek’s reign as the world’s best goalie. It really doesn’t matter because things from Western NY usually shortly sizzle and fade out in miserable fashion. Just look at the history of their sports teams. This year’s Bills will be no exception. I’ve been saying this compilation of football players is just not that good but they’re making a fool out of me every time I pick against them… and I’m doing it again. The Steelers continue to win with their fifth option at quarterback, so far. For good measure Pittsburgh is 8-5 (5-2 at home) and winners of three in a row, even with the turnover under center. There is enough sizzle for the matchup that the NFL “flexed” the game to Sunday Night. I’d rather not see the Bills in the playoffs because we all know, just like the Mets, what happens in the end. The Steelers find a way in the last home game of the season. The Pick? PITTSBURGH -1.5 over Buffalo
UNDERDOG Okay, so many are saying the Cowboys suck but I’ve got a problem as a fan.
There’s way too much talent on this team for them to be performing the way they are. It’s maddening. No victories against winning teams. Top-ranked offense with a top ten defense and 6-7 is what they have to show for it. Yet they sit atop the worst division in football and I still think they can win a playoff game or even two with the current roster. Disappointing to fans and the gambling public who have been backing them as favorites week in and week out Dallas is now a home underdog – albeit slightly. Don’t hold a grudge if the Jones’s have burned your money in the past. Things change with more expected of the visiting Rams than the sliding Cowboys. The Pick? DALLAS +1.5 over Los Angeles Rams
OVER The Red Rifle has brought some competency to the Cincinnati Bengals offense and as Andy Dalton won’t singlehandedly win games with his supporting cast and brain trust, he can be the key to this selection. The Patriots have been an UNDER bet all year long (4-9) on the early strengths of a stout defense and extremely soft schedule (look it up). Brady & Co. are going to have to figure things out in short order before the playoffs begin and this is the perfect spot. The Pats are scoring thirty on their own, so we need to squeeze thirteen points out of Goldie Hawn’s Wildcats. We get it! The Pick? New England/CINCINNATI OVER 41.5
UNDER What happened to the vaunted 49ers defense last week? You’re not winning championships with what happened last week vs the Saints. Sure, it’s all about wins and losses and it was a last-second victory.
But good coaching will go to school on you quickly, so be cautious in plucking some Benjamins on San Fran in the second season. The Gold Rushers main objective today will be attention to defense and against a very capable unit in Matt Ryan and the Falcons. I think SF gets to Ryan early and often and controls the ball on the ground to keep the score under the handicap. The Pick? Atlanta/SAN FRANCISCO UNDER 48.5
And that’s it from me. But let’s complete the circle by coming back tomorrow for the above mentioned Buffalo Big Shot, Junoir Blaber. And feel free to leave your comments below.
