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Wildcard

        The Picks were blazing hot last week, going 4-1, and hitting on all three 5¶ plays. That makes a three week run of 9-4-2 and +22¶. I like it, and hopefully we can keep it up through the playoffs. The lone loser was Dallas, hitting a brick wall in Washington. The Skins got their pass rush going and Drew Bledsoe never had a chance. The winners included New England, taking out the trash, in a rare Saturday afternoon shutout of Tampa. Don’t look now, but the Pats are starting to hit their stride, right in time for the playoffs. Make no mistake about it, no one wants to face this team in the postseason, especially Indy. Pittsburgh sacked up and rolled over the Vikings, right in the Dome. The Vikings are playoff imposters, after feeding on cupcakes and the Steelers know it’s now or never. Cincy came through for an easy win, the Bengals were spotting 10, on the road, but even their own fans don’t want the Lions to win. Last, but certainly not least, was a Monday night laugher, as the Ravens accepted several bouquets thrown their way, as I predicted, by Green Bay QB Bret Favre. It was a 48-3 joke and Bret should do himself a favor and take his Golden Parachute to Mississippi and stay there. His last 5 games have been especially pathetic and even his longtime fans are beginning to question his effectiveness. The funny part about the whole matter is, people see his poor play as proof that his skills are diminishing. The truth of the is, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with Bret, and he’s doing exactly what he wants to do, NOT COVER THE SPREAD! Thanks Bret, I’d say I owe you one, but you owe a lot more to the people you’ve hoodwinked the last few years. Personally I hope he doesn’t retire, I could always use the extra money.

        The BPR finally had a breakeven week, going 4-4. This is a far cry from previous years and a major disappointment. The winners included the Giants, San Fran, Houston and Chicago. The losers were Tampa, Buffalo, Minny and Detroit. The Jets, Dallas and Green Bay were not considered plays, because the closing line did not meet our needed number. This last 2 weeks should be especially rough on the BPR because several teams have clinched their playoff spots and other teams have nothing to play for. Week’s 16 and 17 look more like preseason games not regular season. Be careful.

        The Teasers came roaring back last week, posting a strong 5-0 showing. That makes a 61-16 record and 79% winners. Remember teaser plays breakeven at about 71%, but 79% is still very impressive, even if I do say so myself. The O/U’s plodded along at 2-2 and the HD’s had another losing week going 1-2.

    Remember compare the BPR [Ben’s Power Rating] to the spread and if there’s a difference of 4 points or more, in your favor, then that’s a potential play. Below are the potential plays for this week; I have already added the 4 points. (Check individual game BPR's for any  line movements):

• Buffalo +10.5 or greater

• CLEVELAND +6 or greater

• HOUSTON +4.5 or greater

• Detroit Even or +

• CAROLINA -3.5 or less

• Giants +3.5 or greater

• San Fran +6 or greater

• Indy +5 or greater

• Oakland +13.5 or greater

• Chicago -5.5 or less

• Minny +5.5 or greater

• JETS +5.5 or greater

Total = 

Closing Lines and Final Scores

All trends are ATS (Against The Spread) unless otherwise specified.

WINNER - 5* Giants v WASHINGTON --- The Giants beat up on the road challenged Chiefs last week and need one more win to clinch the NFC East. RB Tiki Barber has been All World this year and he’s the engine that makes the Giants go. Eli Manning has played well, but is still prone to the big mistakes a young QB is bound to make. Earlier this year the Giants beat up on this same Redskins squad, at home, in a game they dedicated to deceased owner Wellington Mira. The G-Men got several breaks that game and embarrassed the Redskins 36-0, that won’t happen here. Washington buried Drew Bledsoe and the Cowboys, at home last week, to keep their playoff hopes alive. Not only are they alive, but the Skins control their own destiny, if they close out with 2 victories. The previous match up of these teams has left a sour taste for Joe Gibbs and the Redskins and Washington will go all out for the win. The Skins have played all their games close, except versus the Giants, and have allowed only 29 points in the last 3. The Redskins are motivated and ready, take Washington. The home team prevails.

Loser - 5* Indy v Seattle --- Indy’s hope of a perfect season fell by the wayside last week and the Champagne bottles are still popping in Miami. The Colts may have clinched home field, but make no mistake about it, the loss last week to San Diego made their confidence take a nose dive. Coach Tony Dungy may start resting several starters, but the Colts will be going all out to win this game and get back on track. The Seahawks barely got by the downtrodden Titans last week and need one more victory to secure home field advantage. Seattle is 12-2 SU and has won 10 games in a row, but their schedule is littered with cupcakes. The Seahawks escaped with 3 point home wins versus the Giants and Cowboys and lost to the Redskins on the road. Indy is the stronger team and their backups are better than most Seattle starters. Take Indy and the generous spot.

WINNER - 4* Detroit v NEW ORLEANS --- The Lions got shellacked at home last week by the Bengals. Their home fans were cheering for the opposite team and the result was a mere formality. Detroit is looking forward to this road game, after that embarrassment, and should give a much better effort here. The New Orleans, or should I say the San Antonio / Baton Rouge, Saints got rolled by Carolina last week The Saints are pitiful and who could blame them, they have no home and have been devastated by injuries. Last week, new QB Matt Bouman got eaten alive by the Panthers now, he literally gets thrown to the Lions. Take Detroit and the small spot.

Loser - 4* Minny v BALTIMORE --- UNDER the Total --- The Vikings and QB Brad Johnson came back down to earth, as their 6 game winning steak came to abrupt halt versus the Steelers. The Iron Curtain clamped down hard on Johnson and the Vikings only managed 3 points. Minnesota still has a shot at the playoffs, but must overcome another stout defense, this time outdoors and on the road. The Ravens had their fun last week as  Bret Favre’s bouquets propelled them to a rare lopsided victory. QB Kyle Boller looked like a pro, but don’t expect that to happen 2 weeks in a row. The Vikings defense is playing much better, as of late, and that is the main reason Minnesota still has a shot. Two bad offenses, with sub par QB’s, going against two decent defenses on a cold December day. That spells U-N-D-E-R in my book.

Monday Night

WINNER - 4* New England v JETS --- The Pats took care of business last week, as they slapped a goose egg on the Bucs. New England has limped through an injury prone season, but has been getting healthy down the stretch. Several replacements, especially in the secondary, are starting to come around and the more they play together the better success they will have in the postseason. The Pats have locked up the AFC East, but Coach Belichek has stated he will not be resting any starters, because he wants this team battle tested and mentally prepared for the playoffs. The Jets stayed close with the Dolphins last week, but other than that, there is not much to crow about. Brooks Bollinger is still nothing more than a 3^rd string QB and Curtis Martin is done for the year. Take New England and watch them get tuned for the playoffs. Look out Indy, the Pats got your number.

• Jax v HOUSTON UNDER

• San Fran v ST. LOUIS UNDER

• Philly v ARIZONA UNDER

• Indy v SEATTLE OVER

Total = 

  (Teasers MUST include key numbers: 3, 6, 7, 10, 14, etc.)

• Pittsburgh -2

• K.C. +7

• Detroit +10

• Atlanta +10

• ST. LOUIS -3

• Indy +14

• GREEN BAY +10

• Minny +10

• New England Even

Total = 

• BALTIMORE

• JETS

Total = 

Closing Lines and Final Scores

Legend is available below.

Information Purposes Only - Not Intended For Anyone Under 21 Years of Age

ATS – Against Spread

aft - after

bfr - before

[BPR] - Ben’s Power Rating

B2B – Back To Back

BOUNCE – Opp. result

D – Dog

Def - defense

DDD – Double Digit Dog

DDF - Double Digit Favorite

DIV - Division

F – Favorite

L - Loss

SAND - Sandwich game

H – Home

HD – Home Dog

HF – Home Favorite

HOME TEAM – In Capitals

LW – Last Week

LY – Last Year

N-DIV - Non Division

O/U – Over /Under

OFF – Offense

R – Road

REV – Revenge

SU – Straight Up

V - Versus

W - Win