With my NFL betting suggestions, we had a win and a loss last week. This brings our record to 10-2-1 since I joined The newspaper.
Let's head into the final week of the regular season with two more picks and a possible NHL surprise.
CHOOSE 1 NFL
Less than 50.5 points between the Bills and the Dolphins
First, on Tuesday afternoon I suggested that the Bills-Dolphins matchup scheduled for Sunday would be scored under 50.5 points (for those of you who have registered as members on mjpicks.com).
Since then, the recommended total score on sports betting sites has dropped to 48, 48.5 or 49 points. I still like a bet with fewer points, but of course not as much as when the total is set at 50.5.
This downward move shows that we made a good bet. Consistently crossing the “final line” (the line before kickoff) is critical to your long-term success.
If you consistently get better odds than before you started playing, you will make profits in the long run. It's guaranteed.
The Champion of the East
This game will determine the champion of the USA Eastern Section.
On one hand, you've probably noticed that Buffalo's offense hasn't been performing particularly well lately. The Bills scored 27 points against New England last week, but 20 of those points came from turnovers.
The previous week, Buffalo had disappointed by scoring 24 points against one of the worst defenses in the NFL, the Chargers. I'm not convinced they'll score 25-30 points against the Dolphins' good away defense on Sunday.
Then again, we all know how explosive Miami's offense can be. However, the Dolphins face a defensive unit that has the fourth-fewest points allowed in the league.
Miami is coming off a game in which they scored 19 points against Baltimore after scoring just 22 points against Dallas.
Given the importance of this game for both teams, they could play more conservatively to avoid making big mistakes.
In my opinion, there are a lot of signs that there is poor scoring in this game, so I'm betting it will score less than 50.5 points.
CHOOSE 2 NFL
Cardinals by +3 points
My second pick in the NFL is the Arizona Cardinals with a +3 point lead over the Seattle Seahawks.
Seattle lost control of its playoff fate when it was beaten by the Steelers last week. The Seahawks now have to beat the Cardinals and hope the Packers lose to the Bears at Lambeau Field.
Play spoilsport
Of course, the Seahawks will be motivated. However, the Cardinals would be more than happy to play spoilsport against a hated division rival.
Arizona got a great win against the Eagles. They looked dead after trailing 21-6 at halftime in Philadelphia, but they made an impressive comeback and won the game 35-31.
Could they face disappointment after such an emotional victory? I don't think so considering their rivalry with Seattle.
Don't expect Arizona to give up. I think they will either win the game or lose by a maximum of three points. That's why I'm betting +3 points on Jonathan Gannon's team against the Seahawks.
CHOOSE 3 NHL
Blues win against Hurricanes
I have a feeling the St. Louis Blues could pull off a big upset in the NHL on Saturday night in Carolina.
Again, I'm basing this primarily on the fatigue and travel element. The Hurricanes will have played a grueling game the day before in Washington. You must travel overnight to return home.
Rod Brind'Amour's team also had to travel to the Big Apple on January 2nd to face the Rangers.
For comparison, the Blues' only game since the start of 2024 was a home game on Thursday evening.
I can definitely imagine a liberation move from the Hurricanes players. They are about to play against group rivals, a more exciting game.
In short, I wouldn't bet my house on the Blues, but I think it might be interesting to try your luck on St. Louis with very high odds.