If you’re hankering for last-minute advice on a parlay, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re checking to see if the betting line changed or if you want advice on a team you’ve never watched, I’ll use the lengths of my football knowledge to make you some quick cash.
Lock: Vikings (-3.5) vs. Bengals
 |
 |
-3.5
-110
|
o 48.0
-110
|
-185
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
+3.5
-110
|
o 48.0
-110
|
|
I had a hard time deciding on this week’s lock for one reason: a one-sided match on paper could actually be very close due to superior personnel on a worse team. The Vikings are a better team than the Bengals, but there are players on the Bengals that could be difference-makers. Though both are on the hot seat, I’m comfortable saying that Mike Zimmer is a better coach than Zac Taylor. To make sure I wasn’t crazy, I looked up quotes to see if players had praise for Taylor. One of the top articles was Anthony Munoz, Hall of Fame Offensive Tackle for the Bengals in the 1980s, prognosticated that Taylor is on the hot seat in 2020. I empathize with quarterbacks and coaches who are placed in unwinnable situations, but neither Burrow nor Taylor has proven that they are better than Zimmer or Cousins. Additionally, the discrepancy in hardware each signal-caller has to work with, and I foresee a 10+ point difference in the near future in favor of Minnesota.
– Anthony Munoz
Safe Bet: Green Bay Packers (-3.5) vs. New Orleans Saints
 |
 |
-3.5
-110
|
o 49.5
-110
|
-188
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
+3.5
-110
|
o 49.5
-110
|
+160
|
Jameis Winston potentially having a comeback season doesn’t change the fact that Aaron Rodgers is an MVP candidate. I admittedly thought that Aaron Rodgers was in decline, and then his team had more passing touchdowns than punts in 2020. If Drew Brees were still the Quarterback, I’d say it’s a must-watch. However, Winston being starting QB raises interesting questions about both the O/U. I’d bet the under. It also doesn’t help that New Orleans is starting the season without full strength. Drew Brees retired after the 2020 season, Michael Thomas had contract issues before he got surgery that sidelines him for 6+ weeks, “Killer” Wil Lutz is gone for half of the season, at least. Unless Marques Colston turns into Jerry Rice, the Saints don’t have a very deep receiver core. In NOLA’s defense, they still have a top-tier offensive line, running back, and defense (at every level of the field). Not to get too deep into the keys to victory, but New Orleans’ best hope for victory is to get penetration early and make Rodgers sweat.
Safe Bet: San Francisco ML vs. Detroit
 |
 |
-9.0
-110
|
o 45.5
-110
|
-365
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
+9.0
-110
|
o 45.5
-110
|
|
Jimmy Garoppolo and Jared Goff are actually two Quarterbacks who are very close in terms of skill. The difference is that the 49ers are a team that has their eyes on Lombardis (assuming they stay healthy). As I stated in my NFC Observations article, Jared Goff is a top 20 Quarterback who was a heavy beneficiary of a top 10 coach and a roster that was loaded from top to bottom. Now, he’s on a team with a history of disappointment, a Head Coach that eats kneecaps for breakfast, a running back that *might* have murdered someone, and a top 5 prospect that the organization refuses to play at his natural position. Ironically, people accredit Detroit with holding back Matthew Stafford, who makes the Los Angeles Rams a Super Bowl contender. If Goff were on the 49ers, I would still take San Francisco. SF is a vastly better team with a vastly more proven HC. -8.5 is a big spread, but I predict that San Francisco wins by 11 points, so I’ll be bold and say take the over.
Safe Bet: Los Angeles Rams ML vs. Chicago Bears
 |
 |
+8.5
-110
|
o 46.5
-110
|
+280
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
-8.5
-110
|
o 46.5
-110
|
-350
|
On paper, there are worse matchups this weekend. However, I feel quite comfortable taking a Matthew-Stafford-led Los Angeles Rams (who have Super Bowl aspirations) over a team that will (for now) be led by an Andy Dalton who had 14 touchdowns and 8 interceptions on one of the most loaded rosters on the NFL (offensively).
Safe Bet: Seattle Seahawks (-3) Vs. Indianapolis Colts
|
 |
-3.0
-110
|
o 48.5
-110
|
-155
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
+3.0
-110
|
o 48.5
-110
|
+125
|
Yes, I’m betting against my guy Carson here (vaccination status notwithstanding). My reasoning is simple: Wentz has lost by at least three points the three times he has played Seattle. Seattle’s defense is admittedly putrid, and Indianapolis is significantly better in many areas than Philadelphia was during Wentz’s tenure. Regardless, I would not put money on a Quarterback that hasn’t beaten Seattle in his career, especially when his team hasn’t won a game-opening week since 2013. Add on top of that all the reps that Wentz missed due to injury and COVID-19 regulations, and you’re looking at a game that could get out of hand quickly. This is a “wrong place, wrong time” type of matchup.
Editor’s note: The consensus line for this matchup is Seattle -3, but Caesars Sportsbook has much more favorable odds for Seattle bettors as of Sunday morning:
Avoid: Jacksonville Jaguars (-3) vs. Houston Texans
 |
 |
-3.0
-110
|
o 46.0
-110
|
-170
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
+3.0
-105
|
o 46.0
-110
|
+150
|
The Houston Texans are currently one of the worst teams in the NFL (and I thought the Eagles’ fall from grace was bad). Unfortunately, so are the Jacksonville Jaguars. There are players I like on Jacksonville (Myles Jack, Trevor Lawrence, DJ Chark), but I have little faith in Urban Meyer as an NFL Head Coach. The team seems to have no direction or roadmap to be contenders, seemingly doing things on a whim, such as bringing in a long-retired QB to play at tight end or using a first-round pick on a third-down back. The sad thing is that Jacksonville is favored. Both teams are a mess that could implode at any moment, and I couldn’t possibly imagine gambling on either one at the moment. I certainly don’t think they’ll score 45.5 points, as 25 is the benchmark for a competent offense in the modern NFL. I predict a low-scoring affair (unless Trevor Lawrence makes things interesting.
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Dylan Patrowicz is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Dylan, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
