Image Source: Gene Menez
Key Takeaways
- The NFL’s Wild Card Weekend has been historic, with 12 fourth-quarter lead changes, the most in a single postseason all-time.
- The Texans and Steelers will face off on Monday night, with the Texans as 3-point favorites.
- The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown is listed as doubtful against the Pacers due to lower back spasms.
- The Navy Midshipmen can earn their third 5-0 start in Patriot League play when they take on the American Eagles.
- The New York Rangers will try to stop their three-game losing streak when they face off against the Seattle Kraken.
Introduction to the NFL’s Wild Card Weekend
The NFL’s Wild Card Weekend has been historically bonkers, with 12 fourth-quarter lead changes, the most in a single postseason all-time. As "I’m expecting a game that goes down to the wire and love grabbing a full field goal with the home dog," says Larry Hartstein, an expert at SportsLine. There have been four game-winning touchdowns in the final three minutes, also the most in a single postseason all-time. And there have been four comeback wins in the final three minutes of the fourth quarter, which — you guessed it — is the most in a single postseason all-time. The wild Wild Card Weekend concludes on Monday night when the NFC North champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the streaking Houston Texans collide at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh.
Texans vs. Steelers: A Marquee Matchup
The Steelers (10-7) slipped into the playoffs when Ravens kicker Tyler Loop missed a potential game-winning 44-yard field goal last week, handing the division title to the Black and Gold. Meanwhile, the Texans (12-5) have ridden the best defense in the NFL to a league-best nine straight wins. Monday’s winner will advance to the Divisional Round and a matchup against the New England Patriots (15-3). Houston is a 3-point favorite over Pittsburgh on Monday. The Texans’ pass-rushing duo of Danielle Hunter (15 sacks) and Will Anderson Jr. (12) are the first teammates to each have 10-plus sacks in back-to-back seasons since Jerry Hughes and Mario Williams did so for the 2013-14 Bills.
NBA Best Bets: Celtics at Pacers
The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown made headlines after Saturday’s 100-95 loss to the Spurs when he went on an expletive-laden rant against the officials, who awarded Boston just four free throw attempts in the game. Brown is making news today for another reason: He’s listed as doubtful against the Pacers because of lower back spasms. He has missed just two games this season. "The potential for Pritchard to attempt around 20 shots against a Pacers team that ranks 20th in the league in defensive rating makes this Over appealing," says Mike Barner, an expert at SportsLine. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 65.9% the teams combine for 226 points or more and gives a B grade to Over 225.5.
College Basketball Best Bets: Navy at American
The Navy Midshipmen can earn just their third 5-0 start in Patriot League play when they take on the high-scoring American Eagles at Bender Arena. The Midshipmen (12-5, 4-0 in Patriot) can also secure their best 18-game start to a season since 2020-21. Navy leads the league in scoring defense (63.5 points per game), while the Eagles (9-8, 2-2) lead the Patriot in scoring offense (77.4). "I think Navy will be motivated to avenge their loss to American in last season’s Patriot League title game, which kept them out of the NCAA Tournament," says Bruce Marshall, an expert at SportsLine. Meanwhile, the SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 60.0% chance the Eagles cover and assigns a B grade to American +2.5.
NHL Best Bets: Kraken at Rangers
The struggling New York Rangers will try to stop their three-game losing streak when they square off against the Seattle Kraken at Madison Square Garden. The Rangers (20-20-6) have just 46 points; just two teams in the Eastern Conference have fewer. New York has scored just 120 goals this season, the second-fewest in the East. Meanwhile, the Kraken (20-15-8), with 48 points, currently own the top Wild Card spot in the Western Conference. They have been playing well recently, having lost only once in regulation in their last 11 games (8-1-2). The SportsLine Projection Model says there’s a 64.4% chance the teams combine for five goals or fewer and gives a strong A grade to Under 6 total goals. As the model simulates every game 10,000 times, it provides a reliable prediction for the outcome of the game.
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