Matt's Picks (4 Live)
I don't get this number even if Zion Williamson returns for the Pels. Just so tired of the Bulls' mediocrity that I'm not even sure I care any longer -- but I still think they are better than New Orleans. And they appeared to blow it yet again in the 2025 draft not taking Derik Queen, who went 13th to NO and having a nice year. Chicago took French forward Noa Essengue with the No. 12 pick and he has played 6 minutes this year and will not again due to injury. Maybe if the Bulls had an owner who actually cared about winning. The Reinsdorf family will never sell as the club is a cash cow. They will dump the White Sox. A start.
Well, Milwaukee chose not to cooperate earlier this afternoon (had every chance to win that game at the end) so hopefully Portland will. This seems a good 4 points high to me. Kent State might be the MAC's best team but plays its first true road game. The Pilots have two good freshmen in guard Joel Foxwell and forward Timo George. Foxwell has already earned two WCC Freshman of the Week awards and leads the WCC in assists per game (6.2) and is third among league freshmen in scoring (13.2). He is the NCAA freshman leader in assists per game. George leads the WCC and ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage (.708). Portland is 9-2 SU in its past 11 at home.
I'm smashing everything under on Indy this week. Hey, if Philip Rivers can get up off his baby-making couch and light up a terrific defense on the road, I am completely fine losing this. I just can't believe that is a possibility short of some backdoor nonsense. And yes, an offshore book has a prop on Over Rivers' longest completion yardage vs. number of kids (10.5). Also an O/U of how many will be there: 4.5. Not sure how that is graded (major max limit) but I still love it.
Hopefully the Rams beat the daylights out of the Lions as that only helps the Bears, and Matthew Stafford surely will be fired up to face his former club again. But it's just not that easy to score 32 points in an NFL game. Only 25 clubs in history averaged at least that many in a season according to Grok. Or Gronk, whatever. Probably same trustworthiness. The model has Los Angeles at 27. About what I'm thinking. 30 is fine. so is 31. I wouldn't go lower.
I just posted the model sims in my sub-room on Discord and once again it has RJ Harvey quite high up on the anytime TD list -- and this seems like a crazy generous number. Yeah the Packers are pretty good defensively, but Harvey can score as a runner or receiver. He has found paydirt in two straight. Just don't get hurt. Need you next week in the Fantasy playoffs (I got a bye, much to my own surprise).
Thank you Richmond for restoring my faith in humanity Saturday. I'm not saying I would have gone all Unabomber (metaphorically of course) if had lost, but I might have grown a lot of facial hair and moved to a shack in the woods and been that weird uncle or whatnot. But the Spiders paid for us and I think the Panthers will too. This probably should be in the -230 range or 5.5 on the spread. ISU has been upended as head coach Matthew Graves had to take a leave of absence in late October after heart surgery. Well wishes.
12.5 ... not sure I've seen a lower team total all season. And it makes some sense with Brady Cook set to become the first Jets undrafted rookie quarterback to start a game since J.J. Jones in 1975 when he spelled Joe Namath for a game (I honestly was not aware Namath was still a Jet at that point and I've never in my life heard of J.J. Jones; I'm sure he hasn't heard of me either). The Jets can throw caution to the wind because they aren't playing for anything. Just start chukking bombs and see what sticks. They can't get to 13? Our model has 17. And if we get a special teams or defensive TD then I think we cash for sure.
This game utterly terrifies me as a Bears fan because I can see Myles Garrett going all Charles Martin on Caleb Williams -- a la Jim McMahon in 1986 -- and set the franchise back years. I do think it's an ugly slugfest especially with the weather: Forecast for Sunday calls for a high of 10 degrees, with wind chills around -10 and some wind. It's expected to be one of the coldest games in Soldier Field history. I grew up in the Midwest. Playing football in the snow is fun. Playing in bitter cold with no snow is decidedly unfun. 20-17 or something like that works for me, but we might be looking at White Sox 6, Guardians 3.
Can't say I love this as the Devils have some injuries, but the Canucks got significantly worse when they traded All-Star defenseman Quinn Hughes to Minnesota. I don't get that at all but maybe wasn't gonna re-up. Almost feels like a punt year now. Whatever is Canadian for punt (rouge?). Where did Hughes want to go? New Jersey to play with his brothers. Alas, Jack is still out. Maybe the best remining player the Nucks have in Elias Pettersson will not play due to injury. This should at worst push but so should Kings have on Saturday. It's the NHL ...
I really don't have a ton of knowledge on the Bundesliga other than what I read. When it's not in German. But 3?I don't recall seeing that before in any major Euro domestic league. Not saying it didn't happen, I just don't remember or didn't notice. I will take this every day and twice on Tuesday, and it's the right play even with an L. Math tells us so.
Let's sneak this one in. Why even getting the + with Sunderland at home? Not sure. It's the first Tyne-Wear derby in nearly a decade. I had no clue what that meant until I looked it up. The Black Cats sit higher in the table. Reinildo returns to the Sunderland lineup after missing last weekend’s defeat at Manchester City.