Pain. If there were awards for consistency, we would be swimming in them, but we sit at 6-9 (nice) for Steakspeare’s Spreads. Each week is seemingly closer than the last to the elusive winning week.
It’s hard to believe that the three games lost this week were all losses by Brady, the Bills, and the Chiefs. Honestly, we are on the right side of these games but often lose the line late. Most people would give up, and blame acts of God (or the Miami weather resulting in lots of injuries in the Bills game), not I.
Week 4 is here and the board looks just fine. Let’s go get the winning week, shall we? Three favorites and two dogs. The best part? All primetime games outside of London are featured, so you’ll see who wins!
Steakspeare’s Spreads Week 4
Cincinnati Bengals -3.5 vs Miami Dolphins
There are a lot of reasons why this game should be in your sights. To start, the Bengals are coming off their first win in controlling fashion on the road against the Jets. The team returns home and is announcing more Ring of Honor players and debuting a new White Tiger uniform complete with new end zone colors etc.
So what does that mean? The crowd will be loud and into it from the start. Miami also comes off a battle against the Bills and the heat. A defense that played over 80 snaps will come into the short week tired and with high 3-0 expectations. Do I need to mention the embarrassing Butt Punt?
https://youtube.com/shorts/ougUh3QPMms?feature=share
Look for more of the same from Cincinnati and a let down from Miami here. The Bengals are looking to be .500 and Miami is the surprise of the year to start and should come down to Earth after this one. Who Dey!?
Minnesota Vikings -2.5 @ New Orleans Saints
Justin Jefferson now has 5 career games with 150 receiving yards.
The only player with more 150-yard receiving games at age 23 or younger in NFL history? Randy Moss (6). pic.twitter.com/BYYMcX2sDQ
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 11, 2022
This spread feels small. Minnesota played a bad game, and since Week 1, Justin Jefferson has been a non-factor in the passing game. Pair this with a potentially injured Dalvin Cook and MOST people would probably take the Saints here.
I just don’t trust the Saints to contain this offense. The Vikings are loaded at wide receiver with Jefferson, Adam Thielen, and K.J. Osborn. The backup running back Alexander Mattison would likely start for multiple teams in the league and that’s not to mention a defense loaded with stars as well.
The Saints admittedly have been a better team than most predicted, but 2.5 points should be a cakewalk for a team that should win by more than a field goal here. The Vikings bounce back here in a big way.
Arizona Cardinals +1.5 @ Carolina Panthers
This pick came down to two things: Arizona can’t be this bad and Carolina just isn’t that good. It was shocking to see them be an underdog here. I know they’re on the road and there was a Call of Duty weekend for all the Kyler haters out there, but the Panthers haven’t shown the ability to win convincingly and Arizona has had moments that have shown what they’re capable of.
They’ve seen the emergence of Greg Dortch in the absence of DeAndre Hopkins as a credible receiving threat and teams still haven’t figured out how to properly contain Kyler Murray. Carolina just doesn’t scare teams currently. Baker Mayfield isn’t intimidating anyone, D.J. Moore is appearing to be a disappointment in this offense and they lack a credible pass rush that they’ve had in the past. I think Arizona wins convincingly and you can cash this in the first half. Sorry Panthers fans, maybe next year.
Kansas City Chiefs -2.5 @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
This game likely moves to a neutral site with the impending weather in Florida due to Hurricane Ian, so I believe this spread moves heavily into the Chiefs favor so bet it now.
Brady has shown his age for the first time in his illustrious career, and Mahomes seems to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder this year. Mahomes is coming off a rare “bad” September game and will likely be as motivated as ever to face the GOAT. This also could likely be the last we see these two square off on Sunday Night Football.
Brady and the Buccaneers failed to score more than twice against the Packers, ultimately losing in a failed two-point attempt, and haven’t looked like a playoff team should through the first three weeks. Brady has done a lot in this league for multiple teams, but this is how it usually ends for the stars of the NFL. He plays well, but not well enough to cover against the Chiefs’ dynamite offense.
Los Angeles Rams +2.5 @ San Francisco 49ers
In another surprising spread, the Rams come in as underdogs against a 49ers team that failed to score more than 10 points in what had to be the ugliest primetime game in some time. Look, say what you want about how the Rams are covered by the media and how they may come off as slightly cocky, but they’re legit.
They have a Hall of Famers on both sides of the ball and arguably the greatest young coach since Mike Tomlin entered the league with Pittsburgh — who is a Hall of Famer in his own right. They also seem to have figured out the offense since an embarrassing Week 1 loss to the Bills. I don’t believe they should be the dog here and expect them to win what is a close game between these two rivals on Monday Night Football.
There’s no way we have another losing week. We are manifesting good energy and above all else, cashing these bets!
Previous weeks:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Make sure you follow me on Twitter @steakspeare and follow @LWOSports who will keep you abreast of how well (or bad…) these are doing. Spoiler alert, we are winning baby!
