Hot Events: NFL Matchups and NHL Winter Classic
27/12/24
Happy Holidays from all of us here at UBET.io! We’ve already had a very eventful week with the NBA and NFL Christmas Day games. Week 17 will decide the fate for a few teams in the hunt for a wild card spot in both conferences. We just saw Seattle survive the ‘punt bowl’ Thursday night in a 6-3 win over the Chicago Bears that resulted in no touchdowns for either team. If the LA Rams lose against the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday, it will come down to their Week 18 matchup to decide who takes the NFC West crown, which we’ll be covering in next week’s blog.
For now, we look to the NFC South to see whether Tampa Bay will take another step to securing their fourth divisional title in a row. Like last year, we’ll likely have to wait till the final week to solidify the playoff picture.
The Winter Classic is also just around the corner as we head to Wrigley Field as the Chicago Blackhawks will host the St. Louis Blues on New Years Eve. Lot’s to unpack here so let’s get into our picks to cap off 2024.
NFL Picks
Atlanta Falcons vs Washington Commanders
The Pick: Washington Commanders -4 (-109)
The Commanders are looking to punch their ticket to the playoffs and a win in primetime Sunday night will do that. Rookie sensation Jaden Daniels, who will likely win offensive rookie of the year, has turned things around in Washington and has led his team to an impressive 10-5 record so far. They’ll be up against the Atlanta Falcons, who have recently benched their starting quarterback Kirk Cousins for their first-round draft pick Michael Penix Jr.
If Atlanta loses, they’re not out but their probability drops to 39%. We just haven’t seen enough from Penix Jr. just yet. His debut game last week resulted in a win against the lowly Giants. Against a brutal defense, he posted 202 passing yards with only 3 rushing yards and an interception. It’s going to take a lot more than that to pull off a win against the Commanders who rank top 10 in total defense. Their only hope is to pound the ground as Washington ranks 29th in opponent rushing yards per game.
It just doesn’t feel like Atlanta has it this year. A quarterback change with three weeks left in the season has too many question marks around the situation. We like the Commanders to be able to cover as they’ve gone 6-2 against the spread at home this year.
Carolina Panthers vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers
The Picks: Carolina Panthers +8 (-108)
If you asked us what side of the spread we’d be taking in Week 13 when these two division foes squared off in Charlotte, I likely would have gone with the Bucs. At that point, Bryce Young had taken back the QB1 role and had been showing signs of improvement week after week, but maybe not enough to fully trust him against a team he’s struggled against. Either way, taking the Bucs by 7.5 points a few weeks ago would have resulted in a loss. Even though Tampa won, it took overtime to decide the game as Tampa Bay escaped with a 26-23 win over Carolina.
Bryce Young is looking for his first win against Baker and the Bucs. He’s been playing considerably better in the second half of the season. They’ll look to spoil another season this Sunday as they’ve been doing a great job of, and covering the spread. In fact, they’ve been doing a remarkable job of covering in the second half of the season. Since Week 9, they’ve covered the spread every game, except Week 15’s loss to the Cowboys. Even though Tampa should find a way to win this game outright, we think Carolina has what it takes to make it interesting.
Their last matchup resulted in a total of 49 points (again, final score 26-23) and surprisingly enough, that’s what ubet.io has the total points total at this week. Since that Week 9 marker, the Panthers have hit the over 5 out of 7 games.
NHL Winter Classic Pick
St. Louis Blues vs. Chicago Blackhawks
It’s not the greatest matchup as the Chicago Blackhawks hold the worst record in the league so far this year. The Blues at least have a .500 record and are on the outside looking in for a playoff spot. This pick is a little tricky as these are two of the worst teams in offensive rankings. Chicago also gives up a lot of goals as well, whereas St Louis is slightly better than league average with goals allowed. We’re likely going to Jordan Binnington in net for St Louis who ranks 31st in GAA (2.88) whereas Petr Mrazek ranks 35th (2.94).
Let’s root for some action and see the over hit. Weather conditions in Chicago look to be a little snowy/rainy at about 4 degrees celsius (40 degrees fahrenheit). The odds will move around a bit but try to get this point total at -110.
