1:05PM Colts @ Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a hot team and have covered 8 straight games. Josh Allen is an MVP candidate and this team has been averaging 31 points per game. However, this Colts team is no slouch. Phillip Rivers is a wily vet and led his Chargers team into Baltimore as a road underdog and upset the Ravens back in 2019. The Bills have a lot of hype right now and deservedly so. But these Colts are are very good team. Frank Reich is a great head coach and tremendous play caller. As a former QB for the Buffalo Bills Reich is very intuitive in his game time play calling. Phillip Rivers who's towards the end of his career is also very cerebral and a perfect extension of Reich. The Colts lately have been running the ball well and they play good defense. The Bills WR tandem is a bit banged up also. Diggs had a fabulous year but strained an oblique muscle vs the Dolphins last week. Cole Beasley is dealing with a knee issue. They are both questionable and will play but not at 100%.
Hedgie sees this line being inflated. With the Bills at home and currently riding a hot streak vegas had to set this line higher than normal knowing the Bills would be a popular public pick. Hedgie thinks this will be a tighter game than most and may come down to a late FG by either team.
COLTS +7 (-115) 3 stars .......if you can't get +7 you can most likely wait closer to kickoff to get a better price on the Colts
4:40pm Rams @ Seahawks
Russell Wilson is a great QB and started the season in the MVP conversation. But the 2nd half of the season Wilson has struggled a bit and the Seahawks have only avergaed 23.1 points per game. The Hawks added DE Carlos Dunlop and Safety Adams has been great. These two team met twice this season. The first meeting was. 23-16 Rams win with a total set at 55. The second meeting was a 20-9 Seattle win with a total at 47.5. The Rams have the #1 ranked Defense i the NFL and have stayed UNDER the vegas total 12 of 16 games. QB Goff had thumb surgery 12 days ago. He practiced but will not be 100% if he starts. QB Wolford did an admirable job replacing him in a win last week vs the Cards. Wolford is better runner than passer. Hedgie expects a big effort from the Rams D and a game that will stay under even the low posted total of 43. This line has moved down a bit so at 42.5. or even 42 it's a play.
RAMS/SEAHAWKS UNDER 43 1 star
8:15PM Bucs @ Football Team
The Football Team has had an inspiring season. HC Rivera has been battling cancer and Alex Smith returned from a gruesome injury to lead the offense. It's a feel good story with a great Defense of young talent led by Chase Young. The culture under Rivera is shifting in the right direction and there's finally some hope for the fan base. But their season will end tonight. Tom Brady and the Bucs come to town as heavy favorites. They are a balanced football team and playing better offense down the stretch of this season as their talent starts to gel and peak. Unfortunately for the Football Team Alex Smith is dealing with a calf injury and is very immobile . It's likely we'll see backup Taylor Heinicke with Kyle Allen injured and Haskins let go . Vegas made this line inflated and it's been hovering between Bucs -7.5 to Bucs -9. Hedgie suspects the line will close closer to -9.5 by kickoff. The play here is a BUCS TEASER . The Football team has a good defense and will play inspired at home But it will not be enough to defeat Tom Brady and the Bucs who have their sites set on the Super Bowl. Grab the Bucs in a teaser at -8.5 or better. Right now the Hedgie sees -8. So in the first leg of a teaser it's :
TEASER: BUCS -2......AND.. STEELERS Pickem 3 stars
Hedgie will have more to write on tomorrow's game but the Browns are traveling to Pitt with it's HC out due to Covid and other players as well. The Browns starting RG is out as well. Pitt rested Big Ben last week and he needed it. The Steelers have a good defense and will find a way to get the W.