Tuesday 12/12

The house absolutely cleaned up in the NFL, with both underdogs winning outright in the Monday Night Extravaganza. The Titans came from 2 scores down in the final 3 minutes to knock off the AFC East leading Miami Dolphins. Will Levis notched his first prime time signature moment, perhaps on his way to becoming the face of the franchise in Smashville. Further proof why it is never wise to count out Mike Vrabel, and why betting massive favorites in the NFL almost never pays off.

For three quarters, the only question appeared to be whether the Dolphins would cover the 13.5 spread. Facing a 13 point lead deficit into the 4th, Titans backers clenched up and began to hang on for dear life. And then Will Levis arrived on the scene, leading two late TD drives to take down a Miami team that seemed so quick to get complacent. Along with their fans, the Fins were plotting their path to the Superbowl at halftime, booking flights and discussing how they might not have to play a road game. Simultaneously, Titans playcallers reminded Levis that DeAndre Hopkins played for the team, and throwing to him is usually wise.

In the blink of an eye, the Fins not only lost their stranglehold on the 13.5 spread, but also the #1 seed in the AFC as Tennessee pulled off the 3rd largest upset in Monday Night Football history.

In the Meadowlands, the G MEN rode the Italian Stallion, Tommy Cutlets to an upset victory over the previously red-hot GB Packers. As 6-point Underdogs, I along with most of the nation was all over Matt LaFleur and his undefeated December record, but Tommy had other plans. Leading for most of the night, the Giants fell behind late before DeVito put together a beautiful game winning drive, to pull out another W.

Despite a near costly late fumble, Saquan Barkley was the best player on the field, finding the End Zone twice, and the Packers made too many mistakes to overcome. It was an impressive win which capped off a wild and unexpected Monday Night.

Any Given Sunday

6 Division leading teams went down in Week 14, which brings whole new meaning to the phrase. The NFC South is logjammed with mediocrity, the AFC South is up for grabs after the downfall of the Jags, and the NFC East is knotted at the top. The Chiefs are all of a sudden no sure thing in the AFC West with Sean Payton and the Broncos lurking, and the Bills hopes are still alive in the AFC East. The Lions are a mess defensively, while the rest of the NFC North remains alive albeit on life support. The only division fully on lock is the NFC West, and the way the Niners are rolling, the whole NFC might roll through the Bay.

All of this sets up for a crucial Week 15, which goes off on Saturday with 3 games featuring 6 playoff contenders. Can’t wait.

NBA

In the Association, the Pistons continued their historic losing streak, falling to the NBA In-season tournament runner-up Indiana Pacers. Arizona product Ben Mathurin exploded for 30-7-8, in his first game where I haven’t thought the upstart Pacers should trade him for more experience. Monty Williams won’t be the first to fail in Detroit, but it’s getting out of hand how bad they are. Equally as putrid are the San Antonio Spurs, who are playing for yet another #1 to pair the Wemby. While Wemby should be must see TV, that would entail watching a 3-19 squad that can’t run any offense. 82 points in an NBA game is the equivelant to a Mac Jones led offense in the NFL. Only one team could rival those two in the Loss column, and that’s an utterly pathetic Washington team who lost an NBA game by 45 points to the 76ers. No, not the Washington Generals, but the Wizards, a once proud franchise that brought guns to the locker room of a playoff game.

DeMar DeRozan put up 41 for the Bulls in another Loss, and it might be time for that roster to be reconstructed. The Joker got the Nuggets back on track with a win over Atlanta despite 40 points from Bogan Bogdanovic, and Julius Randle got 34 and 8 for the Knicks who knocked off Toronto in a shootout. The other MVP candidate from Europe, Luka put up 35 for the Mavs who rolled Memphis and climbed one game closer to the West leading Minnesota T-Wolves who fell at the fat hands of Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

There is one thrilling young team in each conference to keep eyes on, both of which got another victory last night. In the East, the Orlando Magic led by Franz Wagner and Paulo Banchero continue to blow teams out at home where they are 11-2. The other great league pass team for the second consecutive year is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Worth the watch, the Thunder are taking another step after a playoff performance last year, and look like contenders in the West.

It is time to start to lock in on the NBA, because the real season starts Christmas Day and before we know it, football will be gone and we’ll have to get a lot smarter with our betting on the Association.

Have a great Tuesday!