BIG GAME Picks/Props

The most bittersweet time of the year is finally upon us. We have to say goodbye to the most beautiful sport ever created while simultaneously stuffing our faces with fats and carbs to try to drown out the sorrow. It’s time to take all our hard earned units and dump them all on National Anthem Overs and Macaulay Culkin references…God Bless America.

The Game: Bengals@Rams(-4) (48.5)

If you’ve been tailing me, you know how much I love teasing the line and total if I’m in love with one side and confident in another. As an AWL and a lover of Joe Burrow it pains me to say this–but I LOVE the Rams and the under. It feels gross to take it, but sometimes you gotta do it. I’ll be taking Rams Moneyline/Under 56.5 for +100, but if you want to root for points you could also do Rams Moneyline/Over 38.5. I might go crazy and do both.

I love the Bengals offense as much as the next guy, but they’ve struggled against teams that can generate a pass rush, and the Rams are the best in that category by a longshot. Jeffery Simmons had a career game against them with 3 sacks…now imagine the headache Zac Taylor and his offensive staff went through game planning for Aaron Donald. I like Logan Wilson (go Pokes) and the Bengals defense to keep it close, but the Rams defense will win this game.

The Players

Odell Beckham Jr anytime touchdown +135

Take it to the bank. With 2 weeks to prepare for Cooper Kupp, Odell will have his opportunities. I like him at over 62.5 receiving yards too.

Cam Akers under 64.5 rushing yards

Is it just me or should Sony Michel be getting the ball way more than this bum? We get it, you’re superhuman for coming back early from an achiles tear…Russel Wilson came back early too and didn’t look right until…his projected timeline to come back. He’s averaging less than 3 yards per carry this postseason; expect that to continue.

Sony Michel over 5.5 rushing attempts

Even with the presence of Cam Akers, Sony Michel has received 13 carries against the Cards and 10 against the Niners. If game script goes the Rams way, I could easily see him get double digit carries again.

Joe Mixon over 26.5 receiving yards

I’ve been hammering Mixon receiving yards with success. With two weeks to prepare for Chase, I like the secondary options (Boyd, Ozumah, Mixon) to have big games.

Joe Burrow over 11.5 rushing yards

With a Rams prolific pass rush, this might not make sense, but all it takes is one time flushed out of the pocket to get this over. I like our odds.

The Gatorade

I’ve scoured hundreds of minutes of podcast interviews (mostly just Pardon My Take) to figure out the Gatorade color of each team. 90% of the articles I’ve read say it doesn’t matter though, and my research confirms this. The only time a player talked about the gatorade color and it was correct was during the 2018 Super Bowl with the Eagles when Jason Kelce discussed having green gatorade earlier in the season and Doug Pederson’s cowardly ass was dumped with the same color. The last 4 seasons have been Blue, Orange, Blue, Yellow/Green. I’m staying away from Blue at +400, but I like the odds of clear at +400 and Yellow at +350.

The Broadcast

Joe Burrow shown smoking a cigar No-1350 Yes+700

Wording is everything with this bet, so watch out. Most of these are DURING THE BROADCAST, so stay away if this is the case. If highlights/pictures count, I’m hammering yes.

Hollywood landmark shown first Hollywood sign-275 Walk of fame+180

Al Michaels has a star on the walk of fame, so I do like the +180 value here.

Which celebrity athlete will be shown first Magic Johnson +225, Lebron +225, Kevin Hart +290, Justin Timberlake +325, Clayton Kershaw +555

I’m hammering Magic Johnson because of his ties to the city. I’ll also sprinkle Clayton Kershaw because of the Matt Stafford BFF factor.

Which former player will be shown first in an image or highlight? Boomer Esiason -145, Kurt Warner +300, Cris Collinsworth +575, Ickey Woods +790, Marshall Faulk +810, Eric Dickerson +1400

I like the value with Kurt Warner at +300. Similar to Matthew Stafford, they’ve had success late in their careers. This might come down to who gets the ball first, and I’ll take +300 odds on a coin flip.

What university will be said first during the game? LSU-300 Ohio State +170

It’s not the greatest odds, but hammer LSU, take the money to bet on all these other props.

Coin Toss Heads -105 Tails -105

A lot of sportsbooks will use boosted odds for this, so play it as you sees it, but tails never fails.

Length of National Anthem Over/under 1 minute 35 seconds

Life’s too short to bet the under.

First song played at halftime

California Love	+250
The Next Episode	+300
Family Affair	+450
Nuthin’ But a ‘G’ Thang	+600
Lose Yourself	+650
Drop It Like It’s Hot	+700
All the Stars	+900
Still D.R.E.	+900
HUMBLE	+900

I’ll take +250 on a slam dunk…I mean…come on.

Player proposes after the game Yes +400 No -650

Valentines day is the next day, let’s sprinkle yes.

Which Anheuser-Busch beer will air first? Budweiser +190 Bud Light Next +210 Michelob Ultra +400 Cutwater Spirits +500 Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda +600 Michelob Ultra Organic Seltzer +925

I’m staying away from the obscure ones, regardless of the value. I’m going for “fun” commercials, and Budweiser tends to be more serious with their commercials. Michelob Ultra will have a series of commercials, so they feel like the play here and offer good value at +400.

It’s the last game of the year, so soak it all in and leave no prop bet unturned. Let’s get it, love you, bye.