Zolak & Bertrand: The Football Card – Divisional Round
The crew owns a record of 39-39-2 after Super Wild Card Weekend as we continue to inch towards the end of the season.
Beetle won his third in a row as the Chiefs (-4.5) handled the Dolphins with ease. Zo rolled with the under in that matchup (43.5) and nailed it. R.J. wasn’t so lucky in his second time betting for Hardy, as he bet on the Cowboys (-7) to put a beatdown on the Packers. T-Bone was a victim of the Eagles (-3) as they came up short against the Bucs. Lastly, Milliken continued to struggle by betting on the Browns (-2) to beat the Texans.
One of the biggest questions we get each week is what betting lines do we make our picks from. In past years, sports betting wasn’t allowed in Massachusetts, but that barrier has finally been broken down. Check out Bet MGM to see the exact same lines the guys are looking at.
Beetle (13-3): Chiefs @ Bills – Chiefs (+2.5)
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 17: Patrick Mahomes #15 of the Kansas City Chiefs attempts a pass during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on December 17, 2023 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
If you’re giving the Chiefs points in the playoffs, Beetle is rolling with it. Problem is, the Bills have been the hottest team in football for over a month and are now hosting the Chiefs at home. This will somehow be Mahomes’ first road playoff game of his career, but he’s 2-0 against Josh Allen in the postseason, so we’re betting on that trend continuing.
Zolak (8-8): Buccaneers @ Lions – UNDER (49)
Bucs pass-rusher Shaquil Barrett was set to be one of the biggest names on the open market. But he has texted ESPN’s Josina Anderson that he intends to stay in Tampa Bay. So it sounds like it’s just a matter of ironing out the details. (Update: According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, they’ve agreed to a four-year deal worth $72 million, including $36 million guaranteed.)
After watching the Lions defense torment Matt Stafford last week, Zo is betting Baker Mayfield goes through the same struggles against Dan Campbell’s crew. It’s also hard to envision Mayfield pulling off the upset in back-to-back weeks. Feels like a great spot for the Lions to take care of business at home and reach the NFC Championship for the first time since 1991.
Hardy AKA Ryan Johnston (6-8-1): Packers @ 49ers – UNDER (50.5)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 03: Defensive end Nick Bosa #97 of the San Francisco 49ers sacks quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the Los Angeles Rams during the first quarter at Levi’s Stadium on October 03, 2022 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
R.J. is all over the 49ers starting slow after their bye week, so he doesn’t expect this to be a high-scoring affair. Plus the 49ers defense will be a much tougher opponent than whatever the Cowboys threw on the field last weekend. Hard to envision a shootout taking place between these two teams.
T-Bone (8-8): Bucs @ Lions – Lions (-6.5)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND – OCTOBER 22: Quarterback Jared Goff #16 of the Detroit Lions reacts against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on October 22, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
T-Bone has already booked the Lions for the Super Bowl, so this was an easy decision for him. It’s been a special year in Detroit and they’ve been a much better team than the Bucs all season. No reason they shouldn’t take care of business at home.
Milliken (4-11-1): Packers @ 49ers – 49ers (-9.5)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 03: Brock Purdy #13 of the San Francisco 49ers walks on the field after a win over the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on December 03, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
Packers are a young team and the 49ers are the complete opposite. It’d be a colossal failure for Kyle Shanahan to get knocked out by Jordan Love, who shocked everyone with a win over the Cowboys last weekend. Even with the 49ers being a bit banged up, they have no excuse not to take care of business at home after a first-round bye.
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Patriots add second candidate to list of special teams coordinator interviews
Jun 2, 2022; Thousand Oaks, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams special teams assistant coach Jeremy Springer during organized team activities at California Lutheran University. Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Reports of coaches interviewing for the Patriots’ coordinator jobs keep rolling in. Friday alone three new names were added to the list, with the latest for the special teams coordinator role.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are expected to interview Los Angeles Rams special teams assistant Jeremy Springer for the special teams coordinator job. He’s the second person to be linked to the Patriots for that role, along with Atlanta Falcons special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
READ MORE:
—Names to know for the Patriots’ offensive coordinator search
—Bill Belichick Tracker: Things heating up with NFC South team
—So you want to trade down for a quarterback?
Springer, 34, is in his second year as the Rams’ assistant special teams coach, and has worked under two special teams coordinators. Joe DeCamillis was in that spot for the Rams in 2022 but was fired at the end of the season. That year, the Rams ranked 28th in the NFL in overall special teams according to PFF.
The Rams kept Springer but instead of promoting him hired former NFL specialist Chase Blackburn to replace DeCamillis. under Blackburn this year the Rams’ special teams ranked 31st according to PFF.
