1. Bucs vs Cowboys to cap off an electric ‘Super Wild Card Weekend
With the exception of a blowout in the Bay on Saturday, the four other wild card weekend games have left absolutely nothing to be desired. We witnessed a 27-point meltdown by the Chargers, a Dolphins team that was a yard away from OT with their 3rd string QB, a thrilling upset in Minnesota, and a 99-yard fumble recovery to flip the script in Cincinnati. Thankfully, the NFL has blessed us with a Monday Night tilt to kick off this week, and it is possible they saved the best game for last. The GOAT, and his ridiculous 35–12 postseason record are catching 2.5 points, at home to the streaky Dallas Cowboys. These teams squared off way back on opening night, and it was the Bucs who shut down the Boys to the tune of a 19–3 victory. Since then, we have seen both teams struggle, but also show enough flashes that make either team a threat to make a deep run in the NFC. The tight line emphasizes the coin-flip nature that is this game, and we’re excited to see how it plays out. While Dallas might have a talent advantage, betting against TB12 in January is a sure fire way to go broke. I’ll back the Bucs to pull a close one out down in Tampa.
2. Divisional Stage is Set
In case you inexcusably missed the action last Saturday and Sunday, next weekend presents an opportunity to make up for it, with some incredibly compelling matchups on both sides of the bracket. It starts Saturday afternoon, where the Jacksonville Jaguars, off of an all-time high, storming back from 27 points down to advance, are faced with a reality check in the form of a trip to Arrowhead. While Doug Peterson, Trevor Lawrence, and Co. make for an incredible story, it is not one the Kansas City Chiefs care about. Mahomes and the Big Red Machine are a different animals, and one you can’t afford to spot 27 points to. Coming off a 1st Round Bye, The Chiefs will be ready to play for another trip to the AFC Championship. When that finishes up, we get a beautiful NFC East Matchup, with the upstart Giants heading down the road to play their rivals for the third time this year. While the first two went swimmingly for the Eagles, we know it is hard to beat a team thrice. With Hurts and the Eagles getting an extra week of rest, they should be well prepared for the G-Men, who looked like true contenders in Minnesota. It remains to be seen if their performance was offensive brilliance or defensive incompetence by the team in purple, and we’ll find out Saturday night with a trip to the NFCCG on the line. Sunday blesses us with possibly the best matchup of the year, with Joe Burrow and the Bengals traveling to Buffalo. In Week 17, the Bengals were up early on Buffalo in the game that never happened, and appeared to have what it takes to matchup with the Bills. We know Burrow does not get rattled in big games, but they were not overly impressive in Round 1 against Baltimore. We will see if that was the result of divisional familiarity, or glaring issues on the offensive line. Whichever way it goes down, this game will be epic on Sunday afternoon. And finally, Sunday evening the big bad Niners await the winner of Monday Night’s matchup in Tampa. SF looks ready for either side, but Brady vs Purdy in the postseason would be a mismatch of epic proportions that could level any playing field. With those four matchups on tap, I simply can’t wait to get through this week and see how it unfolds starting Saturday afternoon.
3. The Calendar has turned to College Basketball
With College football coming to a crashing halt last Monday Night, it is time to familiarize ourselves with the state of College Basketball. If you haven’t been paying attention, the sport is incredibly intriguing this year, with no clear-cut favorite, and a number of good teams with a fighting chance to cut down the nets in early April. This week is the perfect time to get involved, with some big time matchups across the country. On Tuesday night, #1 Houston travels to New Orleans to play a Tulane team that is riding the hot streak of their football program to a 5–1 start in conference. It will be a road test for a Houston team that is 17–1 and in the drivers seat for the #1 overall seed. Just behind them is defending national champion Kansas, who has not missed a beat on their way to a 16–1 start and a #2 national ranking. They will be tested on Tuesday night as well, against their in-state rivals in Manhattan, KS who have played their way to a stellar #13 national ranking. Tuesday night gives us another top 10 matchup with #7 Texas who just fired their Head Coach on the road in Ames, to play a tough Iowa State team. With conference play heating up, it is the perfect time to start focusing on some college hoops, and Tuesday night starts off a week filled with some great matchups.
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4. Grand Slam Season Down Under
The first Tennis major of the year is upon us, and it just got underway last night in Melbourne. While Rafa is still the #1 overall seed in the tournament, there is some incredible young talent battling to knock him off the throne. Also gunning for Nadal as always, is Djokovic, who finds himself on the opposite side of the draw yet again, paving the way for another final dual between two of the goats. Hometown villain Nick Kyrigos was forced to Withdraw with injury, but plenty of challengers, including some young Americans, remain looking to take home their first grand slam. On the Women’s side, things are wide open in the first grand slam since Serena hung up the racket. Even without her, we are in for a great couple weeks of tennis. The best part of the Aussy Open, is the time difference, as we are able to watch our bets play out at some of the oddest hours one could possible bet at. With the Djoker the odds on favorite, i’ll be sprinkling some money on a few different underdogs, and staying up at all hours of the night this week to watch things unfold.
5. NBA gets interesting
Along with the timing of the NFL playoffs, comes added intrigue into the NBA playoff race. The Celtics remain atop the league in terms of record, but the Nets and Bucks have closed the gap significantly and look like serious threats in the East. Despite injuries, including to Steph, the Warriors are poised for another title run as they revamped their bench and are still the team to beat out West. The Mavs are formidable behind Luka, and Jokic has the Nuggets as the current #1 seed. The Grizzlies are right there as well, and the Suns are sure to get back in the race once healthy. Upstart teams like the Cavs and Pacers, along with the Kings and Jazz make each night worth tuning into league pass for. The matchup I am looking at this week on the national stage is Friday with the Miami Heat taking on the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat started slow, but Jimmy Butlers health has coincided with a nice run to return the Heat to their rightful place as true Eastern Conference contenders. They’ll take their 3-game winning streak to Dallas, where the league’s best player Luka Doncic has the Mavs in playoff position in the West. Luka’s insane usage rate may not be sustainable, but until he gets the help needed, we at least get to watch Doncic put up obscene stat lines, like the 60-point, 20 rebound triple double he accomplished last week. With plenty of season to play out, these are two compelling teams, that play hard and will make for a great matchup on Friday night at 7:30 Eastern.