THE 10 BEST GAMES TO BET
JETS at BILLS
1 p.m., Bills by 9 ½, 47
HANK’S HONEYS: Had the Bills not been given a scare by the Patriots last week, this might have been a good spot for the Jets. The Bills are virtually locked into the No. 2 seed and would have been coasting with no motivation. But odds are they’re not going to let that happen two weeks in a row, let alone against a divisional rival. They know they need to clean things up before the playoffs on both sides of the ball. It’s almost more likely that the Jets will throw up the white flag as this disappointing season comes to a close.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Bills and the under.
COLTS at GIANTS
1 p.m., Colts by 7 ½, 43 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Giants are a dead team. Opponents have been naming the score against them and there’s no reason the Colts can’t do the same. Brian Daboll’s boys can make dubious history by losing their ninth game at home and their disgusted fans are going to let them hear it, making for a miserable atmosphere at MetLife. There is a slight caviat. If the Broncos beat the Bengals Saturday, the Colts will be eliminated. But does it really matter? Either way, Jonathan Taylor is going to run over this God-awful Giants rush defense.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Colts and the under.
CHARGERS at PATRIOTS
Saturday, 1 p.m., Chargers by 5 ½, 42 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: It could be a letdown spot for the Chargers, even off the mini bye. They still are flying cross country for a Saturday game against a bottom tier foe after all but wrapping up a playoff spot last week. The Patriots could have collapsed in the Buffalo chill last week but instead look as though they might be playing to save Jerod Mayo’s job. Drake Maye has been impressive lately and perfectly capable of barging through any back doors left open. The two offenses should send this game over the total.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Patriots and the over.
BRONCOS at BENGALS
Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Bengals by 3, 50
HANK’S HONEYS: Is the wrong team favored? Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase have been carrying a bad Bengals team but the well-balanced Broncos present a much tougher challenge. The Denver offense has averaged just over 33 ppg in its last five outings and will be up against a porous defense in Cincy. The Bengals, too, should get their points, as they open up the playbook. With expected temperatures in the upper 50s, it’s a pretty clear over bet.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Broncos and the over.
CARDINALS at RAMS
Saturday, 8:10 p.m., Rams by 5 ½, 49
HANK’S HONEYS: The Cardinals have fallen from the sky after leading the NFC West. But while the Rams have won four straight to take control of the division, this still feels like an inflated spread. For some reason, the Rams have had issues against mobile QBs and that includes Kyler Murray in the first meeting. Although the playoff dream is gone, they should bring it for one last effort in a spoiler role.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Cardinals and the over.
PANTHERS at BUCS
1 p.m., Bucs by 7 ½, 42 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: We underestimated the Panthers last week as they roared back against the Cardinals. They’ve played much better after their awful start to the season and will have an opportunity to play spoiler against a divisional foe. They’ve gone 6-1 ATS the last seven weeks, and that loss came in the one game in which they were favored (against Dallas). Baker Mayfield has had turnover issues lately, that his 2023 coordinator, Dave Canalas, might be able to exploit.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Panthers and the over.
RAIDERS at SAINTS
1 p.m., Saints by 2 ½, 42 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Saints could not have played any worse at Lambeau Field. After seeing Derek Carr, Taysom Hill and Chris Olave go down, they played without Alvin Kamara, whose groin injury was worse then first thought. Olave (and maybe Kamara) should be back for this one but with Spencer Rattler throwing the football, that’s not going to mean much. Meanwhile Aidan O’Connell, coming off one of his best games, wins the QB matchup. The Raiders could have tanked last week but didn’t. Antonio Pierce may be gone in any case but he’s still popular with his players.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Raiders and the over.
DOLPHINS at BROWNS
4:05 p.m., Dolphins by 6 ½, 40 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Browns have given up the ghost while the Dolphins are still chasing theirs. This game is all about the quarterbacks. Tua Tagovailoa has put his team back in playoff contention while the Browns have handed things over to third stringer Dorian Thompson-Robinson, who was awful last week. Perhaps the Browns would have had a better chance in a cold weather game but the forecast is for 52 degrees and some rain. So much for another frozen Fish scenario.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Dolphins and the under.
FALCONS at COMMANDERS
8:20 p.m., Commanders by 4 ½, 47 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Commanders may be on a three-game SU win streak but they are only 1-3 ATS in their last four as favorites as their defense has been letting them down. It may have come against the Giants but the Atlanta offense looked revived under Michael Penix Jr., whom the team may regard as an upgrade over Kirk Cousins. Both teams are in the thick of the playoff mix, and while the home side should prevail, there are too many points on the table.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Falcons and the over.
LIONS at 49ERS
Monday, 8:15 p.m., Lions by 3 ½, 51
HANK’S HONEYS: Sucker line? We’ll bite. Dan Campbell’s Lions never need extra motivation but they have it here in their return to Santa Clara, where they lost last season’s NFC Championship game in a heartbreaker. Jared Goff (17 TDs, 1 INT in last six games) and the Detroit offense is unstoppable, hardly missing a beat after the David Montgomery injury while this Niner defense continues to collect injuries. Yes, the Lions can be vulnerable on defense. However, the 49ers will have to rejigger their O-line because of two more injuries. They’ve scored 17 or fewer points in four of their last five games and that’s not going to cut it here.
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Lions and the over.
LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH
PACKERS at VIKINGS
4:25 p.m., Vikings by 1 ½, 45
HANK’S HONEYS: Both teams are hot with a lot at stake. The Vikings have won eight straight SU, the Packers four of five. Quarterback play has been equally as impressive. Sam Darnold has thrown 15 TDs to one INT with a 113.6 passer rating the last six games. Jordan Love threw three picks against the Vikings in the first meeting but it was his first game back from his knee injury. He’s been on top of his game since. Both teams have benefitted from weaker schedules lately. It’s truly a tossup that we want no part of.
CAN’T HELP YOURSELF?: Packers and the under.
BEST OF THE REST
COWBOYS at EAGLES
1 p.m., Eagles by 9 ½, 47 ½
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Eagles and the over.
TITANS at JAGUARS
1 p.m., Jags by 1 ½, 46 ½
IF I WERE A BETTING MAN: Jaguars and the over.
WEEK’S BEST BET: Colts. No mas.
LAST WEEK: 10-6, 5-11 over/under
OVERALL: 113-123-4, 118-119-3 over/under
BEST BETS: 8-8