The 2022 NFL season is finally here. Teams around the league have officially finalized their 53-man rosters. Therefore it is time to place our 3 favorite future team total wagers heading into kickoff. Now, let’s get to our three favorite NFL Futures Three Best Bets for 2022. Enjoy the season.
Chicago Bears – Under 6.5 Wins
courtesy: windycitygridiron
The Chicago Bears finished the 2021 season with a disappointing 6-11 record. And to be brutally honest, this team was a total mess down the stretch. The rumors of the players and assistant coaches quitting on head coach Matt Nagy probably resulted in some of those losses. However, new Head Coach Matt Eberflus will surely be a welcome change to last season’s dysfunctional locker room culture.
Although the Bears have the 6th most favorable strength of schedule according to EDSFootball, they start the season against the San Francisco 49ers and Green Bay Packers and could quickly begin the 2022 campaign 0-2.
Chicago has new coaching and management, an exciting but unproven second-year QB in Justin Fields, and minimal offensive firepower beyond wideout Darnell Mooney and running back David Montgomery.
In addition to the offensive weapon woes, PFF currently has the O-Line ranked 31st in the league, with only the Seattle Seahawks ranked worse.
Defensively, Chicago lost Khalil MackandAkiem Hicks, a brutal one-two blow to their vaunted pass-rush. The Bears also feature two projected rookie starters in the secondary with safety Jaquan Brisker and corner Kyler Gordon that could suffer first-year NFL growing pains.
I expect a better, more disciplined Chicago Bears this season, but there is still much needed room to grow in order to eclipse seven regular season wins.
Cincinnati Bengals – Over 10 Wins
courtesy: the guardian
The Cincinnati Bengals finished the 2021 season with a 10-7 record, making it to the Super Bowl, where they fought admirably but came up short to the Champion Los Angeles Rams 23-20. However, in order to get back to the big game the Bengals will have an uphill climb as they sport a strength of schedule that currently sees them ranked 26th in the league.
In addition to the formidable offensive weapons afforded to QB Joe Burrow, PFF currently has the O-Line ranked 8th in the league. Yet, this is possibly the most improved offensive line in the NFL. Guard Ted Karras, and tackles Alex Cappa and La’el Collins are all significant upgrades over the Bengals’ 2021 personnel. Add to that guards Jonah Williams and Jackson Carman both high draft picks who could develop in 2022.
On the other side of the ball, DE Trey Hendrickson delivered the best season of his career. He collected 14 sacks during the regular season and another 3.5 in the playoffs. Returning tackles DJ Reader and B.J. Hill combined to secure the middle of a defense that ranked fifth in the NFL against the run last season.
This team was minutes away from winning it all last season; they kept vital weapons from that team and made much-needed improvements at O -Line to protect Burrow and keep Joe Mixon piling up rushing yards.
Dallas Cowboys – Over 10 Wins
courtesy: thepanther
Fortunately for Dallas Cowboys fans, America’s team enjoy the most accessible strength of schedule according to EDSFootball in the NFL this season, tied with division rivals Washington Commanders, with its opponents possessing a collective 2021 winning percentage of just .462.
QB Dak Prescott is healthy. Tony Pollard has emerged in the backfield as a fine compliment to Ezekiel Elliott. Pollard could see even more opportunities after the best statistical season of his career in 2021. He had 169 touches for 1,056 yards, and two touchdowns, plus his 5.5 yards per carry ranked second in the NFL among qualifying backs. Coupled with an O-Line ranked 6th by PFF, the Cowboys should be able to control game tempo most weeks. Wideouts CeeDee Lamb and Michael Gallup can potentially be a top-five receiving duo in the league.
Another new weapon for Dak will be free agent WR James Washington, who compiled 1,629 receiving yards in 4 years with Pittsburgh. Washington should be their third receiver after losing Cedric Wilson in free agency.
Tight end Dalton Schultz has played all 33 games the past two seasons, starting 29 and posting 141 receptions for 1,423 yards and 12 touchdowns. The Cowboys used the franchise tag to keep Schultz, who should see even more chances this season.
Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn earned NFL Assistant Coach of the Year honors for turning around the Cowboys. Quinn’s group ranked seventh in points allowed and led the NFL with 34 takeaways.
Defensively the 2021 rookie linebacker Micah Parsons and interception extraordinaire Trevon Diggs helped the Cowboy’s defense go from awful to an elite level in one short season. Expect more of the same in the 2022 campaign.
Second Round NBA Playoff action resumes Monday night with Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals as the Philadelphia 76ers (1) take on the Miami Heat (4). Coverage begins from FTX Arena in Miami at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT.
Lines
Moneyline: Miami -350
Spread: Miami -7.5
Total: 208.5
Miami and Philadelphia split a four-game set 2-2 SU this year. However, Miami has not faced the Sixers since they acquired PG James Harden, who averaged 19 points and 10.1 assists per game in the first-round series against the Toronto Raptors.
Round two gets underway for Miami and Philadelphia tonight, so let’s start out the series with a winning bet. Join us as we dive into our Eastern Conference semifinals Sixers vs. Heat Betting Prediction for Game #1.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers come into the Heat series after a convincing 132-97 victory over Toronto in game 6, but that victory cost them center Joel Embiid.
The All-Star and MVP candidate is dealing with many injuries, including a torn ligament in his right thumb, a concussion, and an orbital fracture from when Toronto’s Pascal Siakam elbowed him late in Game 6. Embiid is expected to return for Game 3 in this series. The Sixers went 6-8 SU without Embiid during the regular season.
Veteran DeAndre Jordan will likely replace Embiid at the center. Jordan averaged a career-low 13 minutes per game this season and will be tasked more minutes for at least the first two series games. In addition, guards Tyrese Maxey, Tobias Harris, Danny Green, and former NBA MVP James Harden will all be called upon to fill in the scoring gap left by the loss of Embiid.
The Sixers finished the season ranked 8th in scoring at 113.7 PPG; defensively, Philly allowed 110.5 PPG, good for 12th in the league.
Miami Heat
The Heat dispatched the scrappy Atlanta Hawks in their first round matchup. Miami outscored the Hawks 109.4 PPG on average to Atlanta’s 97.4 PPG to secure the series win in 5 games.
Forward Jimmy Butler (knee), who missed Game 5 of the Heat’s first-round series win against the Atlanta Hawks, practiced Saturday and will likely return to face the Sixers in Game 1. Butler impressed against Atlanta, averaging over 30 points per game in helping his team advance. Sharpshooter Tyler Herro (non-COVID illness) averaged a lowly 12 PPG on 39% shooting from the field against Atlanta and will need to play better against the Sixers, is expected back for the series opener. PG Kyle Lowry (hamstring) has already been ruled out for Game 1.
Forward Max Strus should see a minutes increase in this series. Strus was promoted into the starting lineup late in the season and immediately contributed, averaging over 16 PPG as a starter. He was Miami’s second-leading scorer behind Butler in the Atlanta series, averaging over 14 points per game.
The Heat finished the season ranked 11th in scoring at 113.4 PPG; defensively, Miami allowed 108.2 PPG, good for 4th in the league.
Pick
The Miami Heat are 9-3 ATS in their last 12 games. I expect that trend to continue against a Sixers team that will be without Joel Embid on the road. I’ll gladly take Miami Heat (1H) -4.5 and full game -7.5
*** Both of these teams play at a plodding pace, 26th and 28th in the league, respectively. Therefore, I got strong lean on the UNDERS throughout the series (especially in games 1 & 2 without Embid)
The 2022 NCAA Men’s Tournament is down to the Final Four – One of my favorite events on the entire sports calendar. We get some very familiar names – Duke (#2), North Carolina (#8), Villanova (#2), and Kansas (#1). These four programs have combined for an impressive 17 national championships. The storylines are too juicy to break down here, as our only focus is to give our best Final Four betting picks for the two games that will decide who is to compete in this year’s Championship game. Let’s get to our 2022 NCAA Men’s Final 4 betting picks.
KANSAS VS. VILLANOVA
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 6:09pm EDT
Time: 6:09 p.m. ET | TBS
Spread: Kansas -4.5
Moneyline: Kansas (-191) | Villanova (+166)
Over/Under: 134.0
These two teams know each other well, having met four times in the past five seasons, with Nova winning three of those contests, including a Wildcats win over Kansas in the Final Four in 2018.
Villanova’s celebration after defeating Houston on Saturday to reach the Final Four was tempered by an injury suffered by Guard Justin Moore with just under a minute to play in the game. Moore limped off in what turned out to be a season-ending Achilles injury for the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer. Villanova, in the tournament, has also featured a lineup that only went six deep; thus, coach Jay Wright will need to adjust his lineup and bench usage for this matchup against Kansas.
Senior guard Colin Gillespie leads Nova with 15.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. Forward Jermaine Samuel contributes 11.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per contest. Guard Caleb Daniels adds 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.
These teams play at completely different paces. The Jayhawks push the ball averaging 78.3 PPG, while Nova plays at a slower pace averaging 71.9 PPG. But don’t be fooled by the difference in scoring. Nova runs a calculated offense that limits their turnovers, only 9.9 per game as opposed to the Jayhawks, who average 12.3 turnovers per contest.
The #1 seed Jayhawks forward Ochai Agbaji leads Kansas averaging 18.9 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. At the same time, forward Christian Braun adds 14.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Sophomore forward Jalen Wilson chips in 11.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game to round out the Jayhawk’s primary offensive options.
With Justin Moore out for Nova, Kansas should be able to squeak out a win and advance to the championship game but expect a close one. Once the line moved up from 4.0 to 4.5, I jumped on Nova.
Pick: Villanova +4.5
DUKE (2) VS. UNC (8)
Saturday, April 2, 2022 at 8:59pm EDT
Time: 8:49 p.m. ET | TBS
Spread: Duke -4.0
Moneyline: Duke (-190) | UNC (+165)
Over/Under: 151.5
We all know by now that this is the first meeting between these two bitter rivals in March Madness. We also know this is potentially Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last career game. Wait, I said no juicy storylines. Oh well, this was just too good to pass up. Ok, back to the capping.
These teams split a pair of regular-season meetings, each winning by double digits on the road. So who holds the edge, and how should we bet this game?
First, let’s look at the Blue Devils. Duke is the eighth-highest scoring offense in college basketball at 80.1 points per game on strong shooting splits of 56.3% from two and 37% from beyond the arc. Defensively, Duke is still well above average, ranking 64th in the country allowing 67.4 PPG.
Forward Paolo Banchero is projected to be a top pick in the upcoming NBA draft. Banchero has impressed all season, averaging 17.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game, garnering second-team All-American honors. In addition, forward Wendell Moore Jr. contributed 13.5 points, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game, while center Mark Williams was good for 11.3 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game.
Duke has won three of their four tournament games by at least nine points.
As for UNC, The Tar Heels are 28th nationally in scoring offense at 78.1 points per game on shooting splits of 50.8% from two and 36.1% from beyond the arc. Defensively, UNC surrenders 71.1 points per game allowed, with opponents shooting 47.5% from two and 34% from beyond the arc.
Forward Armando Bacot led the Tar Heels with 16.5 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game on 58.6% shooting from the field. Guard Caleb Love adds 15.7 points and 3.7 assists per game, while forward Brady Manek is good for 15.2 PPG.
Even though North Carolina has covered the spread in all four NCAA Tournament games and has put together an inspiring Cinderella run, I feel the Tar Heels’ season is about to end against the rival Blue Devils.
The big game is here – Super Bowl LVI. Super Bowl 56 will occur between The Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on February 13th. The kick-off time is set for 6:30 pm ET / 3:30 pm PT.
Bengals vs. Rams point spread: Los Angeles -4
Bengals vs. Rams over-under total: 48.5 points
Bengals vs. Rams money line: Los Angeles -195, Cincinnati +170
In addition to the traditional sides, total and moneyline bets, The Super Bowl always features outrageous and ridiculous prop bets – by far more than any other professional sporting event on the calendar. With so many sportsbooks opening up recently, there certainly are plenty of options. So here are our 3 Best Prop Bets for Super Bowl 56
Guess how many games Akers has rushed for over 64.5 yards this season? None. Cam’s highest was 55 rushing yards against the Cardinals back in the wildcard round. Not sure why the books are convinced he will eclipse 64.5 rushing yards in the biggest game of the year? I also believe he is not 100% healthy from his Achilles injury. Sony Michel and the recently activated Darrell Henderson are sure to be involved in the run game as well, further cutting into Akers carries.
All eyes are on the LSU connection of Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, and rightfully so. The former college teammates have connected 81 times on 155 targets this season. However, Higgins has still managed to haul in 78 receptions over 13 games this season, an average of 6 receptions per game. Furthermore, Higgins has had at least six receptions in two of the three playoff games.
Joe Mixon is the clear lead back in Cincinnati; no question about it. Backup Samaje Perine has hauled in 31 receptions this season, four in the playoffs, with 3 of those coming in the AFC Championship against the Kansas City Chiefs. Look for the Rams to pressure Burrow and Perine to be a lucky recipient of check downs as Burrow looks to get rid of the ball quickly.
In full disclosure, I am on Cincinnati +175. I believe the odds are stacked against the Bengals, but this team has fight, grit, and the youthfulness to play free and open. We’ve seen it all season; they never give up and find ways to fight back when trailing. I would not be surprised to see Burrow with the ball on the last drive and Evan McPherson nail another clutch FG to secure the win.
Last week our picks went 3-3, not bad, but certainly not great. However, thanks to the 49ers’ upset win, we did finish + ROI. So let’s keep the cash flow going in this week’s NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Preview and Betting Predictions.
Green Bay and Tennessee will have the benefit of a week’s rest. Last week, Joe Burrow and Matt Stafford picked up their first playoff career wins. The Niners advanced thanks to an upset thriller in Big D, and The G.O.A.T. did what he has done throughout his career, and that was to notch another playoff win. Now to get you prepared for the week ahead, here are our best bets and picks for the Divisional Round.
The Titans are the No. 1 seed in the conference and well-rested coming off a first-round bye. Last week, the Bengals dispatched the Raiders 26-19 in the wildcard round.
In his first career playoff game, Joe Burrow looked like a poised veteran, completing 24 of 34 passes for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns. So much has been made of the Cinicannit offense lately – as it should be. Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, and Joe Mixon are currently playing at an all-pro level. But I believe this game comes down to line play on both sides. Cincinnati will be without DT Larry Ogunjobi (foot), who ranks third on the team in sacks (7) and is an effective run-stopper. That bodes well for the Tennesse run game, which should havestud RB Derrick Henry back in the lineup for the first time after suffering a foot injury in October. Titans coach Mike Vrabel has been somewhat cryptic about Henry’s availability, but Henry continues to practice this week, so stay tuned.
Thankfully for the Bengals DE Trey Hendrickson, who leads the team in sacks (14), is out of concussion protocol. Nonetheless, I believe the Titans’ defensive line will have a massive performance against the lackluster offensive line of the Bengals that surrendered the 3rd most sacks in the league. In addition to a line advantage, the Titans finished the regular season as the sixth-best defense in the league based on points allowed.
Titans QB Ryan Tannehill had another consistent year tossing for 3734 yards, 21 touchdowns to 14 interceptions. Furthermore, the veteran QB added 7 rushing touchdowns on a career-high 55 rushing attempts. Wideouts Julio Jones and A.J. Brown only combined for 1300 receiving yards this season, yet they will be ready to go Saturday despite the injuries both suffered this season. A well-rested Titans team, along with the return of King Henry, makes me feel Cincinnati is not leaving here with a W.
These two teams met way back in week 3 of the season, and it was a thriller. Aaron Rodgers led the Packers on a game-winning drive, which ended in a Mason Crosby field goal with no time remaining. However, that was the regular season. However, Aaron Rodgers is currently 0-3 against the 49ers in the postseason with exits in 2013, 2014, 2020.
Speaking of those 49ers, I believe the key will be the status of DE Nick Bosa (concussion) and LB Fred Warner (ankle), who left early in the first round of the playoffs due to injury. If those two guys are healthy and can play, the 49ers’ chances of containing Rodgers increase, therefore their chance of winning. QB Jimmy Garoppolo will again play through a shoulder sprain and a torn thumb ligament in his throwing hand. Garoppolo was effective enough against Dallas last week, tossing 16 completions for 172 yards and 1 INT. The game plan is clear for Coach Kyle Shannahan – get the ball to the dynamic WR/RB Deebo Samuel and reliable TE George Kittle while pounding the run with Elijah Mitchell.
First off, it’s Aaron Rodgers, along with Aaron Jones, Davante Adams, and now a healthy WR Randall Cobb (Core) will be at home in the playoffs, rested with a temperature expected in the single digits. Secondly, The Packers are an impressive 6-1 A.T.S. as home favorites over their last seven at Lambeau. Lastly, I believe Rodgers finally gets the 49ers playoff monkey off his back.
Another matchup of teams who have already met this season. The Rams handled the Bucs 34-24 back in week 3. Bucs QB Tom Brady was 41 for 55 with a whopping 432 passing yards and 1 touchdown. Not to be outdone, Rams QB Matthew Stafford collected 343 passing yards and 4 touchdowns. Should we expect 700+ passing yards combined again? I doubt it, but you never know. Let’s start with the Rams. WR Odell Beckham Jr. has caught six touchdowns in nine games since joining Los Angeles. Cooper Kupp leads the league in every receiving category that really matters. LB Von Miller (6 sacks in the last 6 games) and the formidable DT Aaron Donald are pass-rushing nightmares for quarterbacks. The Rams are also 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games in Tampa Bay.
No doubt the Rams deserve to be here, but the defending champion Buccaneers have QB Tom Brady, whose playoff experience far exceeds Matthew Stafford’s. The Bucs did take two big hits to its offensive line last week in their 31-15 wildcard win over the Philadelphia Eagles with injuries to Tristan Wirfs (ankle) and Ryan Jensen (back), both questionable to play. If they don’t play, expect added pressure on Brady. If Leonard Fournette (hamstring) does not go, running backs Ke’Shawn Vaughn and Giovanni Bernard should split carries with Bernard seeing the passing down work. Even without wide receivers Antonio Brown and Chris Godwin, Brady still has plenty of weapons, including old pal TE Rob Gronkowski, who I believe is guaranteed 8-12 targets in this game. Bucs defensive coordinator Todd Bowles and his exotic blitz packages should pressure Stafford, who threw 17 interceptions in the regular season, tied for the league lead.
These teams met back in week 5, with the Bills routing the Chiefs 38-20. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes combined for 587 passing yards and 5 passing touchdowns.
We all know how explosive the Kansas City offense can be, but the Chiefs are playing much better defensively than they did earlier in the season. In their first 7 games, the Chiefs defense gave up an average of 29 points per game. However, over their last 8, they only allowed 12 PPG. Coach Andy Reid has got his team in peak performance at the right time.
Surely the Chiefs’ defense will need to come to play against a Bills’ high-powered offense. Buffalo appears to have caught fire at the right time, winners of 5 straight, and will look to avenge last seasons 38-24 defeat at the hands of these Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. Josh Allen has utilized receivers Stefon Diggs (1225 receiving yards), Cole Beasley (82 receptions), and TE Dawson Knox (9 TD) with efficiency all season. But it’s the running game with Devin Singletary, who has averaged 93 yards on the ground over his last 3 games, that makes this offense well balanced and intimidating to opposing defenses. Moreover, Allen also contributed 122 rushing attempts for 6 rushing touchdowns. This will be a great game and one I think will go back and forth offensively.
I firmly believe the winner of this game will represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
It is finally go time – the start of the NFL playoffs. The road to Super Bowl 56 begins today. Here are our Wild Card weekend betting predictions to help you cash some tickets.
The first game of our NFL wildcard weekend betting predictions has The Raiders (Just Win Baby) did what they had to do in an overtime thriller against the Los Angeles Chargers to secure a playoff spot. Conversely, Cincinnati rested most of their key players in week 18 ahead of this weekend’s matchup. The Bengals easily beat these Raiders 32-13 back in week 11. Bengals’ RB Joe Mixon slashed the Raiders for 123 rushing yards and 2 touchdowns in that contest. However, Vegas has won their last 4 games and playing great on both sides of the ball at the right time. I believe the Raiders keep it close enough to cover, even if Cincinnati wins.
These teams have already met twice this season, winning one game each. The Patriots limped into the playoffs, losing 3 of their final 4 games and surrendering an average of 31 points in those losses. The Bills are playing better of late, winners of their last 4 games after losses to the Patriots and Buccaneers in weeks 13 and 14. The Bills seem focused and ready to take the next step. It’s hard to beat a Bill Belichick team twice in a season (only has happened 6 times over his Patriots career), but the Bills are in a good position at home to do just that. It will be cold in Buffalo, which could slow things down as the weather is expected to be around 4 degrees at kickoff.
The defending champs kickoff day 2 of our NFL wildcard weekend betting predictions. Tom Brady. Enough said. The G.O.A.T. is no stranger to the playoffs; this will be Brady’s 19th postseason appearance over his 22-year career. The Bucs are slightly short-handed with two of TB12’s favorite weapons out, wideouts Chris Godwin (knee) and Antonio Brown (whatever that was in week 17). Still, Brady’s old reliable TE Rob Gronkowski has had back-to-back 100 + yard receiving games to finish the regular season. Veteran RB Leonard Fournette is expected to play, which is welcome news to the Bucs. The Eagles have won 4 out of their last 5 games and will have RBs Miles Sanders (hand) and Jordan Howard (Covid-19) active. QB Jalen Hurts rushed for 2 TDs back in week 6 against these Buccaneers and will look to repeat that against a Buccaneers’ defense that has allowed the 4th most rushing yards to enemy quarterbacks. I fully expect the Eagles to compete, but Brady will find a way to advance in the end.
This game is the one I am most excited to watch this weekend. The Cowboys are an impressive 6-0 against NFC East teams but 6-5 against teams outside their division. QB Dak Prescott and company have been exceptional the last 6 weeks of the season, averaging 34 PPG while only surrendering 18 PPG. However, the Cowboys will face a defense that finished 9th in the league against points allowed and T5 in sacks (48). On the other hand, Niners coach Kyle Shanahan has his team playing well at the right time. San Francisco definitely heads into the playoffs filled with confidence, having put up an average of 24.5 PPG over their last 6 games, including wins against playoff teams the Titans and Rams. This feels like a throwback to the great playoff games these two franchises battled it out back in the ’90s.
Credit the Steelers for fighting their way into the playoffs while giving up more points (398) than they actually scored (343). Credit the Chiefs from bouncing back after a sluggish 3-4 start to righting the ship to finish 12-5 and remind everyone that they are still capable of dominating. Pittsburgh QB Ben Roethlisberger and company are simply overmatched here (his words, not mine). But I do happen to agree. Expect Pittsburgh to run the ball with Najee Harris and make a few big plays to keep it close enough. The Chiefs will win but laying 12.5 points is too much for my taste in a playoff game.
Pick: Pittsburgh Steelers + 12.5, slight lean to the under 46.5
Hmmm. This one is tough and here is why I think so – neither team is playing well heading into the playoffs. After starting 10-2, the Cardinals go into the playoffs losers of 4 of their last 5 games. What once seemed like a first-round bye is now a tough first-round matchup for Arizona. The Rams looked like a top contender to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl starting off 7-1. Matthew Stafford seemed like an M.V.P candidate, only throwing 4 INTs during that span. However, since that great start, Stafford has tossed 13 picks. Arizona’s defense is surrendering 24 PPG on average over their last 6 games, while the Rams gave up 18 PPG over that same span. Slight defensive edge to the Rams. This will be the season’s third meeting between these two teams, each winning one. I see a close one here with neither team taking control. This pick is based strictly on who is getting the points.
