Welcome back to The Degenerates Gambit! Once again, please remember that these articles are for fun, and while I love writing them and gambling on football, if you or someone you know is addicted and needs help, please get help or get help for them. The national helpline number is 1-800-522-4700.
“…and yet even in times when it was so over, a small silver lining encircled the clouds, letting us know that someday soon, we’d be so back.”
-F Scott Fitzgerald
It’s season three, baby! We ended last year 42-33-1, which isn’t great, but when you consider that our long shots went 4-13, really it was closer to 38-20-1, which is pretty sick when you think about it. This year, as part of the THfantaC sponsorship with Betstamp, you can sign up for sportsbooks that are local to your area and look for the best deals possible. You can expect that finding as many profitable lines as you can across books as part of my whole “deal” this year, so be sure to follow me at https://signupexpert.com/thfantac to take advantage of playing the books against each other.
Anyways, we’re so back. It’s debatable if we’ve ever been more back than we are at this very moment. Let’s take a look at some books and see what we can pull.
Houston Texans -2.5 (-110, DraftKings)
This one on paper felt almost too good to be true. If you asked me what the line would be in a week one matchup between everyone’s darkhorse AFC Championship game participant and the Colts, I’d have guessed maybe -6? The fact of the matter is that this Colts team is not meant to play from behind, they are a slow-the-game-down, grind-it-out type of offense. The Texans in year 2 under the Ryans/Slowik/Stroud triumvirate have really pushed the chips in now, signing not only the fun players you know for fantasy, but the defense got a mega boost in the additions of Denico Autry (who is suspended), Danielle Hunter, and Azeez Al-Shaair. The front 7 isn’t to be played with, and I think the Colts will struggle to run early; Houston takes this one by at least a field goal.
Atlanta Falcons -3 (-106, Fanduel)
Arthur Smith’s return to Atlanta should be a shitshow for his Steelers. If you have two starting QBs, you really have none, right? Justin Fields is not going to be a good QB in the traditional sense, and if Russ can’t step up enough to silence doubters all off-season, that’s not a great sign. The Steelers have a lot going for them this year. They, uh… um, no Kenny Pickett? Let’s go with that, sure. However, the Falcons have made huge moves all offseason, and with an offensive line as good as theirs, the pass rush that Pittsburgh uses to keep their secondary standing upright will be neutralized. This should be a runaway Falcons win.
Las Vegas Raiders/Los Angeles Chargers UNDER 41.5 (-115, Fanduel)
A world where the Raiders and Chargers put up a combined 42 points is not a world I’m welcome in. Harbaugh and Pierce are operating slow, grinding offenses. This game should have roughly five thousand rush attempts between the two teams. I’m trying not to retrofit Big 10 weirdo Jim Harbaugh tendencies to Chargers games this year, but it’s pretty clear what he’s trying to do with this team. Gardner Minshew was a great story last year, but the Raiders have Luke Getsy as offensive coordinator, so that should immediately make you less interested in betting any over-involved with their team, Davante Adams or not. I’m taking the under and most likely taking a nap during this game.
Longshot Play of the Week: Carolina Moneyline (+180, Fanduel)
This is more a bet against Dennis Allen than anything. We’ve watched him limp dick this franchise as he holds the place for the inevitable stripping down to the studs for the next guy. This team is aimless, and while Carolina sucks, at least their arrow is pointing upwards. Dave Canales whispered the secrets of the cosmos to Geno Smith and Baker Mayfield, and he’s been in Bryce’s ear this offseason. The Panthers added offensive line help, two receivers, and one of the best coaches in the game. I think this game could go either way, but a Panthers win would not surprise me in the slightest, and I like these odds.
