Can Connor Cover? Christmas Came Twice For Sports Fans This Year
December 21, 2022 at 11:34 p.m.
Can Connor Cover? Christmas Came Twice For Sports Fans This Year
By Connor McCann-
That very decision was made this past Sunday.
Those that decided to wake up early enough to catch the finale of one of the most competitive World Cups we’ve ever seen got to witness the greatest final in the tournament’s history. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, two of the three best players in the world, absolutely dazzled, combining for five goals. There was drama, a huge comeback from France to send the game into extra time and then another goal late to force a penalty shootout.
I’m not ashamed to admit my eyes flooded with tears when the dust cleared and Argentina were crowned world champions. I’ve been a fan of Messi for as long as I can remember, watching him do the impossible for nearly two decades. Seeing him finally raise the one trophy that has eluded him for his entire career, in perhaps his last shot to win it no less, was too much for me to handle. Congratulations to the undisputed greatest of all time.
By the time the final ended, football was already churning away here in the states. That didn’t disappoint either. You had the Lions continuing their hunt towards the playoffs. With the way they’re playing right now, I can’t imagine many NFC teams want to see them in the first round. The Jaguars erased a 17-point deficit to stun the Cowboys in overtime, and now Jacksonville is suddenly fighting for the AFC South crown. The one-win Texans took the Chiefs to overtime and almost came away with their first win in 10 weeks against the seven-time AFC West champs. To cap off the afternoon, we had the Patriots pulling off one of the dumbest plays I’ve ever seen to lose on a walk-off touchdown to the Raiders. I’d try to explain it, but it's truthfully something that needs to be seen to be believed.
Sunday was so action-packed that the Colts blowing a 33-point lead (the largest collapse in NFL history) against Minnesota on Saturday almost went under the radar. Knowing myself, I can’t believe I didn’t turn that game off at halftime. It might be because none of Saturday’s bowl games interested me, but I decided to keep it on. I am definitely glad I did. As much as I dislike Minnesota, I found myself rooting for them as the lead continued to shrink. It’s not every day you get to witness some history.
All this does is show us all that anything can happen on any given day in the sporting world, and that’s truly what makes it so magical. We could all use a little extra magic this time of year, as Christmas crawls ever closer.
I’ve done my best this year to get into the Christmas spirit more so than I have in years past. I’ve eaten the Christmas cookies, watched the holiday movies and I even tried wrapping a present for the very first time. That may sound like a crazy statement but I’ve always taken the easy way out and gotten a bag with some pretty paper inside. It wasn’t the prettiest job, but it got done.
I hope each and every one of you have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays, and that you are able to spend some time with those that you love. Even though the holiday season becomes more and more commercialized each year, the core values should not. Be kind to each other, take some extra time and do your best to soak it all in.
The picks came back with a vengeance last week, finishing above .500 (9-6-1) for the second time this week and doing so quite easily despite a tough 0-3 mark on Saturday. Though they seem to be the most boring of the bunch, it appears getting the Thursday game correct has been the biggest indicator of my success. I also must give a shout out to the coin, which was a scalding 3-0 this week. If I can keep this going and finish the season hot, I might have to think about trademarking #ConnorCovered.
Let’s do this.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) at New York Jets
We had a game between the Rams and Packers on Monday night and will see the Jaguars play the Jets on Thursday. Before the season started, which game were you looking forward to more? All of a sudden, this is a huge game in terms of playoff implications. Zach Wilson will make his second consecutive start with Mike White injured but my eyes will be focused on the ascension of Trevor Lawrence. He’s starting to look like the can’t miss prospect we all thought he was, and I think he continues to lead his team toward the playoffs.
The Pick: Jaguars -1.5
1 O’CLOCK SATURDAY
Buffalo Bills (-8.5) at Chicago Bears
With the holiday falling on Sunday, a majority of this week’s action is coming to us on Saturday. It’s going to be cold in Chicago, but the Bills will be used to that. The Bears battled hard against the Eagles and got a cover, but continued the tank with yet another loss. The Bills got another big spread but couldn’t cover once again against the Dolphins. It’s been awhile since the Bills blew anybody out, this seems to me like the week they do so.
The Pick: Bills -8.5
Detroit Lions (-2.5) at Carolina Panthers
The Lions have become the story of the league in recent weeks and are now 7-7 after a 1-6 start. Carolina is 5-9 and somehow still controls its playoff destiny in a weak NFC South. The Lions might need to win out to make the playoffs and they start that off with a win here. The Panthers have shown flashes this season, but not enough to show me that they’re anything more than a mediocre team.
The Pick: Lions -2.5
New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns (-2.5)
The Saints scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes against the Falcons and looked to be rolling before finishing with 21 points and winning by three. That’s been the story for New Orleans this season. The Browns got a win in Deshaun Watson’s home debut. The defense has improved and the offense is looking better. We could get 50 mph winds in Cleveland Saturday, so I’m going to defer to my trusty coin. Hopefully it can stay hot.
The Pick: Browns -2.5
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
The Giants got out of a rut by picking up a huge win over Washington that helped the team’s playoff chances significantly. The Vikings had a pretty uneventful weekend, only breaking the record for largest comeback in NFL history in a win over the Colts. The Vikings are just the team that makes the impossible happen, but each week is an adventure. Will the Giants start off strong enough to force another comeback? I’m not sure, but this is a funky enough matchup to use the coin on back-to-back picks.
The Pick: Giants +3.5
Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) at New England Patriots
The Bengals were one of the teams that made a second-half comeback Sunday afternoon, coming back from down 17-0 to the Buccaneers to win the game. The Patriots came back to take a late lead on the Raiders before giving up two late touchdowns, including one as time expired in the dumbest play I’ve ever seen. Even before that, the New England offense left way too much to be desired. If the Bengals can start off strong I don’t see a situation in which the Pats can play keep-up.
The Pick: Bengals -3.5
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (-5.5)
The 1-12-1 Texans have taken the Cowboys and the Chiefs to the last play of the game two weeks in a row. As someone hoping the Bears can somehow secure the No. 1 pick in the draft, I am bummed they weren’t able to pull it off. The Titans have been very bad offensively over the past few weeks and now will have to start winning soon if they want to win the AFC South once again. Derrick Henry has absolutely torched the Texans in just about every meeting the teams have had. I want to say the Texans will keep the fight going but this is a perfect spot for them to regress back to the norm. Then again, Tennessee has been awful. Only one shiny round object can save me now.
The Pick: Titans -5.5
Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs (-10)
Seattle has struggled mightily over the past couple of weeks after a promising start, and things don’t get much easier with a trip to Arrowhead coming up next. The Chiefs needed OT to beat the lowly Texans and have struggled with playing down to their competition all year long. The secondary has been questionable for Kansas City this season, and even without Tyler Lockett, I think Geno Smith will find enough success airing it out to keep this somewhat close.
The Pick: Seahawks +10
Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens (-7.5)
The Falcons are another team that have fallen off a cliff after an exciting start to the season. Rookie QB Desmond Ridder made his debut for Atlanta last weekend, only throwing for 97 yards in a loss. The Ravens only scored three points against the Browns last weekend without Lamar Jackson and it’s still unknown whether he’s going to be back this week. With how rough the offense has looked without him, combined with chances of him being rusty when he does come back, I might have to go with Atlanta before the spread shrinks up on me.
The Pick: Falcons +7.5
LATE AFTERNOON SATURDAY
Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers (-7.5)
Don’t look now but over the past few weeks, the Niners have proven themselves to be a top team in the NFL. It hasn’t mattered who has lined up at quarterback for San Fran, there is enough talent on that roster to make life difficult for just about anybody. Washington has played its last two games against the Giants and has struggled offensively during both. I’m not expecting the success to start up against this juggernaut.
The Pick: 49ers -7.5
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)
The Eagles are the best team in the NFL and the Cowboys have struggled to put four full quarters together in recent weeks. MVP candidate Jalen Hurts may not play in this one but his status has improved as the week has gone on. Even if it is Gardner Minshew suiting up for Philly, this is a no-brainer for me, which means I’m probably going to get it wrong, but the best team in football as underdogs of more than a field goal? Fly Eagles Fly.
The Pick: Eagles +4.5
WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT
Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
It is very sad and very eerie that Franco Harris passed away this week as the 50thanniversary of the Immaculate Reception coming up over the weekend. The Steelers were going to retire Harris’ number during this game on Saturday night, which makes the timing all the more heartbreaking. The Steelers and Raiders are both playing some good ball as of late and the winner of this one will get to hold onto playoff hopes for at least another week. Emotions will be high in the Steel City, but I think the Raiders come in to crash the party.
The Pick: Raiders +2.5
CHRISTMAS DAY TRIPLEHEADER
Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins (-3.5)
I’d be stunned if it’s a white Christmas in Miami Sunday, but stranger things have happened in the NFL this season. The Packers are somehow alive once again and will have a chance to make the playoffs if they win out. The Dolphins have dropped three in a row but played very well in a loss to Buffalo last Saturday. This should be the best game of the day, and it’ll appear clear why once we get to the next two. Miami’s offense is getting back on track but I think this game ends on a field goal.
The Pick: Packers +3.5
Denver Broncos (-2.5) at Los Angeles Rams
Denver might have found something over the last couple of weeks, as the team is finally scoring points at a good enough clip to win games. The defense is still performing at a very high level and with the Rams still struggling to get it done on offense, I think this is a game that could go very well for the Broncos. Denver gets it done against the slumping Rams.
The Pick: Broncos -2.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The Buccaneers, man. I don’t even know what else to say. Tampa finally strung together some good football in the first half against the Bengals, jumping out to a 17-0 lead. The team’s only problem was turning the ball over four times in the third quarter and blowing the game. The Cardinals haven’t done much all season, whether Kyler Murray or Colt McCoy are playing quarterback. However, this is far too many points for the most inconsistent team in football to be favored by. I’d think they would figure it out eventually but it doesn’t happen this week.
The Pick: Cardinals +6.5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Los Angeles Chargers (-4.5) at Indianapolis Colts
The Chargers are playing their best ball of the season at the perfect time, and are pushing towards the playoffs in what seemed to be a lost season. The Colts are a disaster, Matt Ryan has been benched again and it will be Nick Foles starting on Monday night. I have absolutely zero faith in the Colts for the remainder of the season, especially with Jonathan Taylor out for the rest of the year. Chargers keep it going while the Colts keep sinking.
The Pick: Chargers -4.5
Please enjoy your holiday weekend as best as you can. May Santa Claus bring you everything you ask for. See you all next week as we grind towards the end of the regular season!
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That very decision was made this past Sunday.
Those that decided to wake up early enough to catch the finale of one of the most competitive World Cups we’ve ever seen got to witness the greatest final in the tournament’s history. Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, two of the three best players in the world, absolutely dazzled, combining for five goals. There was drama, a huge comeback from France to send the game into extra time and then another goal late to force a penalty shootout.
I’m not ashamed to admit my eyes flooded with tears when the dust cleared and Argentina were crowned world champions. I’ve been a fan of Messi for as long as I can remember, watching him do the impossible for nearly two decades. Seeing him finally raise the one trophy that has eluded him for his entire career, in perhaps his last shot to win it no less, was too much for me to handle. Congratulations to the undisputed greatest of all time.
By the time the final ended, football was already churning away here in the states. That didn’t disappoint either. You had the Lions continuing their hunt towards the playoffs. With the way they’re playing right now, I can’t imagine many NFC teams want to see them in the first round. The Jaguars erased a 17-point deficit to stun the Cowboys in overtime, and now Jacksonville is suddenly fighting for the AFC South crown. The one-win Texans took the Chiefs to overtime and almost came away with their first win in 10 weeks against the seven-time AFC West champs. To cap off the afternoon, we had the Patriots pulling off one of the dumbest plays I’ve ever seen to lose on a walk-off touchdown to the Raiders. I’d try to explain it, but it's truthfully something that needs to be seen to be believed.
Sunday was so action-packed that the Colts blowing a 33-point lead (the largest collapse in NFL history) against Minnesota on Saturday almost went under the radar. Knowing myself, I can’t believe I didn’t turn that game off at halftime. It might be because none of Saturday’s bowl games interested me, but I decided to keep it on. I am definitely glad I did. As much as I dislike Minnesota, I found myself rooting for them as the lead continued to shrink. It’s not every day you get to witness some history.
All this does is show us all that anything can happen on any given day in the sporting world, and that’s truly what makes it so magical. We could all use a little extra magic this time of year, as Christmas crawls ever closer.
I’ve done my best this year to get into the Christmas spirit more so than I have in years past. I’ve eaten the Christmas cookies, watched the holiday movies and I even tried wrapping a present for the very first time. That may sound like a crazy statement but I’ve always taken the easy way out and gotten a bag with some pretty paper inside. It wasn’t the prettiest job, but it got done.
I hope each and every one of you have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays, and that you are able to spend some time with those that you love. Even though the holiday season becomes more and more commercialized each year, the core values should not. Be kind to each other, take some extra time and do your best to soak it all in.
The picks came back with a vengeance last week, finishing above .500 (9-6-1) for the second time this week and doing so quite easily despite a tough 0-3 mark on Saturday. Though they seem to be the most boring of the bunch, it appears getting the Thursday game correct has been the biggest indicator of my success. I also must give a shout out to the coin, which was a scalding 3-0 this week. If I can keep this going and finish the season hot, I might have to think about trademarking #ConnorCovered.
Let’s do this.
THURSDAY NIGHT
Jacksonville Jaguars (-1.5) at New York Jets
We had a game between the Rams and Packers on Monday night and will see the Jaguars play the Jets on Thursday. Before the season started, which game were you looking forward to more? All of a sudden, this is a huge game in terms of playoff implications. Zach Wilson will make his second consecutive start with Mike White injured but my eyes will be focused on the ascension of Trevor Lawrence. He’s starting to look like the can’t miss prospect we all thought he was, and I think he continues to lead his team toward the playoffs.
The Pick: Jaguars -1.5
1 O’CLOCK SATURDAY
Buffalo Bills (-8.5) at Chicago Bears
With the holiday falling on Sunday, a majority of this week’s action is coming to us on Saturday. It’s going to be cold in Chicago, but the Bills will be used to that. The Bears battled hard against the Eagles and got a cover, but continued the tank with yet another loss. The Bills got another big spread but couldn’t cover once again against the Dolphins. It’s been awhile since the Bills blew anybody out, this seems to me like the week they do so.
The Pick: Bills -8.5
Detroit Lions (-2.5) at Carolina Panthers
The Lions have become the story of the league in recent weeks and are now 7-7 after a 1-6 start. Carolina is 5-9 and somehow still controls its playoff destiny in a weak NFC South. The Lions might need to win out to make the playoffs and they start that off with a win here. The Panthers have shown flashes this season, but not enough to show me that they’re anything more than a mediocre team.
The Pick: Lions -2.5
New Orleans Saints at Cleveland Browns (-2.5)
The Saints scored 14 points in the first 10 minutes against the Falcons and looked to be rolling before finishing with 21 points and winning by three. That’s been the story for New Orleans this season. The Browns got a win in Deshaun Watson’s home debut. The defense has improved and the offense is looking better. We could get 50 mph winds in Cleveland Saturday, so I’m going to defer to my trusty coin. Hopefully it can stay hot.
The Pick: Browns -2.5
New York Giants at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5)
The Giants got out of a rut by picking up a huge win over Washington that helped the team’s playoff chances significantly. The Vikings had a pretty uneventful weekend, only breaking the record for largest comeback in NFL history in a win over the Colts. The Vikings are just the team that makes the impossible happen, but each week is an adventure. Will the Giants start off strong enough to force another comeback? I’m not sure, but this is a funky enough matchup to use the coin on back-to-back picks.
The Pick: Giants +3.5
Cincinnati Bengals (-3.5) at New England Patriots
The Bengals were one of the teams that made a second-half comeback Sunday afternoon, coming back from down 17-0 to the Buccaneers to win the game. The Patriots came back to take a late lead on the Raiders before giving up two late touchdowns, including one as time expired in the dumbest play I’ve ever seen. Even before that, the New England offense left way too much to be desired. If the Bengals can start off strong I don’t see a situation in which the Pats can play keep-up.
The Pick: Bengals -3.5
Houston Texans at Tennessee Titans (-5.5)
The 1-12-1 Texans have taken the Cowboys and the Chiefs to the last play of the game two weeks in a row. As someone hoping the Bears can somehow secure the No. 1 pick in the draft, I am bummed they weren’t able to pull it off. The Titans have been very bad offensively over the past few weeks and now will have to start winning soon if they want to win the AFC South once again. Derrick Henry has absolutely torched the Texans in just about every meeting the teams have had. I want to say the Texans will keep the fight going but this is a perfect spot for them to regress back to the norm. Then again, Tennessee has been awful. Only one shiny round object can save me now.
The Pick: Titans -5.5
Seattle Seahawks at Kansas City Chiefs (-10)
Seattle has struggled mightily over the past couple of weeks after a promising start, and things don’t get much easier with a trip to Arrowhead coming up next. The Chiefs needed OT to beat the lowly Texans and have struggled with playing down to their competition all year long. The secondary has been questionable for Kansas City this season, and even without Tyler Lockett, I think Geno Smith will find enough success airing it out to keep this somewhat close.
The Pick: Seahawks +10
Atlanta Falcons at Baltimore Ravens (-7.5)
The Falcons are another team that have fallen off a cliff after an exciting start to the season. Rookie QB Desmond Ridder made his debut for Atlanta last weekend, only throwing for 97 yards in a loss. The Ravens only scored three points against the Browns last weekend without Lamar Jackson and it’s still unknown whether he’s going to be back this week. With how rough the offense has looked without him, combined with chances of him being rusty when he does come back, I might have to go with Atlanta before the spread shrinks up on me.
The Pick: Falcons +7.5
LATE AFTERNOON SATURDAY
Washington Commanders at San Francisco 49ers (-7.5)
Don’t look now but over the past few weeks, the Niners have proven themselves to be a top team in the NFL. It hasn’t mattered who has lined up at quarterback for San Fran, there is enough talent on that roster to make life difficult for just about anybody. Washington has played its last two games against the Giants and has struggled offensively during both. I’m not expecting the success to start up against this juggernaut.
The Pick: 49ers -7.5
Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-4.5)
The Eagles are the best team in the NFL and the Cowboys have struggled to put four full quarters together in recent weeks. MVP candidate Jalen Hurts may not play in this one but his status has improved as the week has gone on. Even if it is Gardner Minshew suiting up for Philly, this is a no-brainer for me, which means I’m probably going to get it wrong, but the best team in football as underdogs of more than a field goal? Fly Eagles Fly.
The Pick: Eagles +4.5
WAITIN’ ALL DAY FOR A SATURDAY NIGHT
Las Vegas Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers (-2.5)
It is very sad and very eerie that Franco Harris passed away this week as the 50thanniversary of the Immaculate Reception coming up over the weekend. The Steelers were going to retire Harris’ number during this game on Saturday night, which makes the timing all the more heartbreaking. The Steelers and Raiders are both playing some good ball as of late and the winner of this one will get to hold onto playoff hopes for at least another week. Emotions will be high in the Steel City, but I think the Raiders come in to crash the party.
The Pick: Raiders +2.5
CHRISTMAS DAY TRIPLEHEADER
Green Bay Packers at Miami Dolphins (-3.5)
I’d be stunned if it’s a white Christmas in Miami Sunday, but stranger things have happened in the NFL this season. The Packers are somehow alive once again and will have a chance to make the playoffs if they win out. The Dolphins have dropped three in a row but played very well in a loss to Buffalo last Saturday. This should be the best game of the day, and it’ll appear clear why once we get to the next two. Miami’s offense is getting back on track but I think this game ends on a field goal.
The Pick: Packers +3.5
Denver Broncos (-2.5) at Los Angeles Rams
Denver might have found something over the last couple of weeks, as the team is finally scoring points at a good enough clip to win games. The defense is still performing at a very high level and with the Rams still struggling to get it done on offense, I think this is a game that could go very well for the Broncos. Denver gets it done against the slumping Rams.
The Pick: Broncos -2.5
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-6.5) at Arizona Cardinals
The Buccaneers, man. I don’t even know what else to say. Tampa finally strung together some good football in the first half against the Bengals, jumping out to a 17-0 lead. The team’s only problem was turning the ball over four times in the third quarter and blowing the game. The Cardinals haven’t done much all season, whether Kyler Murray or Colt McCoy are playing quarterback. However, this is far too many points for the most inconsistent team in football to be favored by. I’d think they would figure it out eventually but it doesn’t happen this week.
The Pick: Cardinals +6.5
MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL
Los Angeles Chargers (-4.5) at Indianapolis Colts
The Chargers are playing their best ball of the season at the perfect time, and are pushing towards the playoffs in what seemed to be a lost season. The Colts are a disaster, Matt Ryan has been benched again and it will be Nick Foles starting on Monday night. I have absolutely zero faith in the Colts for the remainder of the season, especially with Jonathan Taylor out for the rest of the year. Chargers keep it going while the Colts keep sinking.
The Pick: Chargers -4.5
Please enjoy your holiday weekend as best as you can. May Santa Claus bring you everything you ask for. See you all next week as we grind towards the end of the regular season!
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