This is the final weekend of what has turned out to be another fantastic regular season.
With another two win weekend we are assured of a winning percentage of no less than 62 percent. Here is a breakdown of the season's picks so far. Of the 20 wins this year 7 were favorites, 7 were underdogs, 2 were an over and 4 were an under. The 10 losses came in the form of 4 favorites, 3 underdogs, 1 over and 2 under.
Take notice that these picks are fairly evenly dispersed between favorite-underdog, with a slight disparity of unders to overs. I have to say that this was not by design, when I look at each week's games they are always mutually exclusive events. When breaking down the games for the week I do not have any bias toward a spread or a total, and further, between a favorite or an underdog, or an over or an under.
Week 17 is unquestionably a tough week to pick. With three playoff spots still available, only a handful of games have any meaning. There are three teams, the Giants, Broncos and Jets, that if they win, will clinch a spot (actually the Giants could win and with a series of cataclysmic events will still not make it). Sometimes you just have to go with an instinct, so here it is.
The Pittsburgh Steelers will travel to Cincinnati looking to keep their division rivals out of the playoffs. The Bengals have to win to have any chance of getting into the postseason. The line on this game favors the Bengals by 6 with a total of 44.
The Bengals came into this season with the hope and promise of playing in the big game, and the Steelers would love to ruin that dream. The pick here is to take the over, since it is an early game on Sunday the Bengals will not know their fate until at least late in the game. Both teams have done their share of scoring recently and the only teams the Steelers can keep from scoring are the teams without an offense.
The next game is the Seattle Seahawks at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The line on this game favors the Bucs by 3 1/2 with a total of 36 1/2. The Seahawks have won the NFC West even though they have lost three straight. Heading into the playoffs on a four game losing streak is not anybody's idea of a good time. The pick here is to take the Seahawks on the money line which should be in the range of +$1.70.
Well, there you have it my friends; I hope everyone has a safe, happy and prosperous New Year. Enjoy the college bowl games and take a look at the Tennessee Volunteers and the Michigan Wolverines on New Years Day. I hope both are winners.
Jason Kolenut is the Casino Fandango Race and Sports Book supervisor.