PREVIOUS WEEK RESULTS:
6-3
SEASON RESULTS:
54-52
Week 16 Recap:
Week 16 netted out some profit as our wagers went 6-3, although we really wanted to get to 7-2. The reason being we lost three bets rather than two, was because Josh Jacobs essentially sat out the second half of the Packers blowout win against the Saints. Jacobs was well on his way to getting past his yardage total, but only getting 13 carries kept him just shy. Our other losses were with quarterback totals, as we backed Joe Burrow, who fell short of his mark, and faded Russell Wilson, who narrowly got past his. The rest were all wins, as Dorian Thompson-Robinson continued to show he has no business as an NFL quarterback, and Bucky Irving, Saquon Barkley, and Geno Smith all went over their totals pretty easily. The same would be said for James Conner, even though he sustained an injury knocking him out of the game in the second half of their team’s defeat. With the way this season has been, we’ll take the winning weekend and see if we can duplicate it with some Christmas magic in week 17.
Week 17 Preview:
Week 17 is a smaller card than we’ve had the previous few weeks, but with things like motivation and weather playing into some games, we’re taking it easy. We’re backing some good players who are still fighting for wins and statistics. Just a total of three wagers over the Holiday week, but enough to get a sweat going on both Saturday and Sunday. Good luck and Happy Holidays!
Our Picks:
Puka Nacua – Over 86.5 Yards Receiving (-115)
The finale of the Saturday triple header features the Rams and Cardinals in a game that has seen the Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention. The Rams on the other hand need a win and should be firing on all cylinders as their offense is basically completely healthy for really the first time all season. Down the stretch when the Rams have needed to make plays, it’s been Puka Nacua, not Cooper Kupp who has been feasting on the targets and yardage for the team. Both receivers figure to do well against lackluster corners for Arizona, but Nacua is clearly where Matthew Stafford is looking, and who Sean McVay is drawing plays up for. Since returning from his early season knee injury, Nacua is averaging over 100 yards receiving per game. For whatever it’s worth, he’s been an absolute machine at home in SoFi Stadium as well. In 4 home games, his totals are 106, 98, 117 and 162 yards, respectively. And that is against some of the better defenses in the league. Look for the 2nd year wideout to see plenty of action in primetime, and another 100 yard day is a definite possibility as the Rams look to tighten their grip on the NFC West crown.
Terry McLaurin – Over 62.5 Yards Receiving (-115)
Speaking of players on a roll, Terry McLaurin has entered the discussion. The Commanders top wide receiver is scoring TD’s at a near league-leading pace, and racking up some decent yardage along the way, already eclipsing the 1,000 yard mark on the season. Sunday he’ll attack an Atlanta Falcons defense that struggles in a couple of key areas. First, they are not great at generating pass rush, which means quarterback Jayden Daniels should be able to stay in the pocket and find his reads and receivers. Second, outside of safety Jessie Bates III, the secondary of the Falcons has been absolutely dreadful, particularly in covering top receivers. Game script will be important in this game, as the Falcons will need to keep this game close, or have the lead, but as long as Washington isn’t blowing them out, McLaurin should get plenty of targets. He’s been averaging 7.5 over the last four ballgames. Look for McLaurin to have room to roam and Daniels with time to find him on Sunday. With a number in the low 60’s, he’s definitely worth a play.
Bucky Irving – Over 81.5 Yards Rushing (-115)
If you’ve followed the BetCrushers Prop Corner this season, you know Bucky Irving has been our most popular play of the season, and we’re going back to him again this weekend. Despite Irving’s yardage number now exceeding 80 yards, Irving is set up to have another really strong performance against the Panthers. Carolina ranks dead last in the league in yards allowed per carry to opponents, and are again banged up on the defensive side of the ball. With The Buccaneers missing Cade Otton, Sterling Shepherd, and of course Chris Godwin, look for the team to really lean on their running game. Rachaad White will poach some touches from Irving, but the young runner is explosive, and needs 80 yards to reach 1,000 on the season. In this game, against this opponent, he should get it and then some. He’s made us some money already this season, let’s see if he can make us some more on Sunday.
