It’s the week between Christmas and New Year’s, where time doesn’t exist. Luckily, Jon Greenberg and Zac Jackson managed to put down the leftover eggnog to come up with their picks for the week. They’re on a … not-good kind of run right now.
GREENBERG (2-4 last week, including a horrendous Eastern Michigan+17 bet, 51-55-2 overall): I’m glad to be writing to you because I thought I was going to die when a certain Bowling Green player dropped a touchdown pass in the QuickLane Bowl on Tuesday. But I survived and we continue on.
We’ve got a lot of college football games coming up. Which game are you more excited about, Alabama–Michigan or Toledo-Wyoming?
JACKSON (1-4 last week, 42-51 overall): I’ve seen enough Toledo football this year. I said that to my therapist the other day and I’m saying it to you now.
The MAC has been better than expected. Rutgers–Miami (Fla.) was as bad as expected. Unsurprisingly, the first set of bowl games was awful. So were my picks — fire away! — but there weren’t even really many close or semi-compelling games. You get what you pay for, I know, and frankly I’d have paid $20 to see Butch Jones continue to chew out those officials.
I think we’re going to get some good TV the rest of the way.
I like Michigan tight end Colston Loveland over 3.5 catchesbut I like Alabama to win the game. And though I know I’m on an island with this one, I like Washington. Michael Penix needed the time to get healthy, and getting Jalen McMillan back is a big boost for that offense. You can’t run on Texas, and I think Washington is just fine with that.
GREENBERG: Before I get to the big games, I want to like Oregon State +6.5 against the Fighting Irish in the Sun Bowl. Sure, the Beavers lost their coach, top two quarterbacks and their kicker transferred to freakin’ Oregon, but Notre Dame is without Sam Hartman, first-round tackle Joe Alt and basically their entire offense. Last I heard, Touchdown Jesus was in the transfer portal and looking at Baylor. But without their first-string kicker, I can’t trust the Beavers. I’m flipping to Notre Dame -6.5.
I was close to taking Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, but I’m going to go with Missouri +3.5because I don’t trust Ohio State’s QB du jour, Devin Brown.
I’m going to live bet Penn State-Ole Miss and I’m tempted to take Florida State +19.5 against Georgia, but I’m not convinced yet. We should all be thankful the CFP committee snubbed the Seminoles for Alabama.
I hate to jinx you, but I also like Alabama +1.5 and Washington +4 (I hope it stays at 4) on Jan. 1. I’ll be in (hopefully) sunny Miami for those games. Anyone have any good sports-bar recommendations in the comments?
While I wait for those to come in, let’s move on to the NFL … unless you have any other college picks.
JACKSON: Missouri moneyline. We all saw Ohio State’s first quarterback all year long. How can you expect the second guy to give them a chance? Missouri has to be excited to be here, and Ohio State really didn’t seem excited all year. First quarter under, then the Tigers.
Based on the earlier (and much lesser) bowl games, I prefer to just avoid the big numbers on Georgia and Oregon.
As far as the NFL, I think the Cowboys (-5.5) absolutely ROLL the Lions on Saturday night, and I’m tempted to take the Ravens on Sunday, too. I have hesitation based on the Ravens being on a short week and just off the biggest win of the season on the other coast.
These teams are tired. I don’t trust shaky offensive lines, so I’m certainly not taking the Dolphins.
By the way, how good is this Jaire Alexander story? This reminds me of something that might have happened in Ohio University intramurals.
GREENBERG: I made a cameo at Halas Hall on Thursday for the Jeff Dickerson Good Guy Award and I remarked to someone the Jaire Alexander story sounded like something that would’ve happened in the brief, chaotic Marc Trestman era. They reminded me that in 2014, defensive lineman Jeremiah Ratliff went ballistic on a coach at practice and was named a weekly captain the next day. But yes, I loved it. The video is the most authentically funny athlete-reporters interaction I’ve seen in recent memory.
I also wrote down Cowboys -5.5. The Lions are on fraud watch.
I’ll go with Tampa Bay -2.5 at home against the Saints, the Bears -3 at home against the Falcons as Justin Fields tries to impress his future team, the Bengals +7 at Kansas City, where the Chiefs need to realize that Matt Nagy, not Taylor Swift, is the problem, and Alexander’s Packers +1 at Minnesota. No offense to Jaren “Kids in the” Hall.
JACKSON: We’re running out of month, so I’ll make Missouri +3.5 my play of the month. I just think motivation matters — and that quarterback play does, too.
Though I have concerns that the clock may have struck midnight on Jake Browning, I’ll follow you on Bengals +7. I actually lean Packers +1 too in the NYE night game. I’ll be home listening to some Taylor Swift and hopefully rooting home a winner.
See you next year, loser.
GREENBERG: I hope you’re getting all of the losing out of the way before you get to Las Vegas with the Super Bowl-bound Browns in February.
(Top photo: Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
2023-12-29 20:47:51
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