Last week, I flipped the proverbial switch, all those who fade me be warned…Playoff Kravitz has arrived. 3-1 in round 1. Bringing my total ever so close to .500 on the season. My locks as it stands today, 32-33. And this week, I shy away from NOTHING! I’m locking up all 4 games.
1.Rams (+7) @ GB
It’ll be a balmy 30+ degrees @ Lambeau Field and yes, the Rams QB has screws in his hand. But let’s not forget, the Rams have the best defense going right now in the NFL. Aaron Rodgers has been a superman this year, but when facing legitimate defenses who have the ability to get after him quickly, and have the ability to take away his first read, he’s been more like Clark Kent. I think the Packers, in the end, outlast LA just simply due to the fact that the Rams will have a hard time getting the ball in the end-zone, but it won’t be a walk in the park. GB wins, Rams cover. Rams +7 lock it up.
2.Bills (-2.5) hosting Baltimore
Fun fact. Did you know Lamar Jackson has never played in the snow…well, guess what’s in the forecast for Saturday night?! Two of the hottest teams/QB’s in the NFL, might just melt the snow right off the field. The question isn’t “which one of these teams is for real”? It’s “which one of these teams is hotter, right now” – and the answer to that is Buffalo. Baltimore has won 6 straight, but they’ve done it against some of the worst defenses in the NFL. Buffalo’s run of 7 straight victories is just a touch more impressive. At the end of the day, this game is going to come down to who can succeed late in the game, throwing the ball quickly down the field. I trust Allen more as of right now. Buffalo will win, and the number is too small to look the other way…Bills -2.5 is the play here.
3.Saints (-3) hosting TB in New Orleans
Talk about another team with a somewhat phony hot streak. Amazing how we laud TB for finding their stride and ignore the fact that they’ve played Atlanta twice, Detroit, and were lucky enough to play a sub .500 team in round one, who was forced to start a 4th string practice squad level QB. Who they made look like Joe Montana by the way! 72-26. That’s what New Orleans has outscored Brady and the Bucs by this year. Another fun stat…1-4. That’s the record of the Bucs this year vs teams above .500. So you can keep pounding the table on the narrative that it’s hard to beat a team 3 times…I would welcome you to subscribe to this narrative…it’s hard to beat a team that owns you every time you play. New Orleans is the bully and they’re coming for the Bucs lunch money. Saints -3. Best bet of the weekend.
4.Browns (+10) @ KC
At some point Vegas is going to win with a large Chiefs spread, this game/number looks like a giant piece of cheese, and we’re all the rats. But I’m not going to overthink this one, the Chiefs are great, they are my Super Bowl pick, I think they’re the best team in the NFL. But the Browns have a legitimate shot to make this a game and 10 points is a whole lot for any game, let alone a playoff game. For what it’s worth, the Chiefs haven’t won a game by double digits in 9 weeks, and that was against the Jets. The Browns play a physical, run heavy style attack that caters to close games and time control football. This one scares me half to death, but I’ll take the Browns and the points. Lock it up!
photo: getty images