THE BEST GAMES TO BET
EAGLES at COMMANDANTS
Saturday, 1 p.m., Eagles by 6 ½, 44 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: Don’t overthink this one. The Commanders defense can’t stop the run and can’t pressure the quarterback. This should lead to big plays from Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts as the Eagles try to build momentum heading into the playoffs. Washington shut down Jayden Daniels for the remainder of the season, a wise move considering OT Laremy Tunsil is likely out for this one. Marcus Mariota is one of the worst QBs under pressure and there’s no reason to have much confidence in the running game.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Eagles and below.
PACKERS at BEARS
Saturday, 5 p.m., Packers by 1 ½, 46 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The absence of Micah Parsons is huge. The Packers won’t have the ability to shake up Caleb Williams and will be as vulnerable in the secondary as they were when Parsons went down to Denver. The news is almost as bad regarding Green Bay’s offense, where it’s unlikely Christian Watson will be able to return from a chest injury in a short week, not to mention the uncertain status of OT Zach Tom. With TE Tucker Kraft already lost, Jordan Love’s weapons are severely limited. He can lean on Josh Jacobs but Chicago’s run D, once slippery, has intensified of late.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Bears and underwear.
VIKINGS at GÉANTS
1 p.m., Vikings by 2 ½, 44
HANK’S HONEYS: Given where these two defenses rank in points allowed combined with icy forecasts, the under appears to be the stronger bet. But even though the points are few and far between, we don’t see the Giants keeping pace with an offense that has scored 65 points in its last two outings. JJ McCarthy has taken over and the Vikings are out of their misery, even if their playoff chances are practically nil. The Giants, however, continue to make the same common mistakes with a team that plays the game and have fallen last in the NFL on defense and can’t stop the run. Outside of occasional highlights from Jaxson Dart and the pass rush, there’s nothing there.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Vikings and under.
JETS at SAINTS
1:00 p.m., Saints at 4 ½, 40
HANK’S HONEYS: The Saints obviously have the most fighting to do, with a two in a row. Both wins came within the division, so there is a chance for disappointment. sure, but the Jets played such bad football, why risk your money? New Orleans has the much better defense, allowing just 17.8 points per game over the past two weeks, while the Jets haven’t been able to stop anyone. And even with Tyler Shough, the Saints have the advantage at QB. We’re happy for Brady Cook’s parents, but the kid found himself in an impossible situation and is making understandable rookie mistakes. His passer rating of 44.3 says it all. All the Jets have is Breece Hall and he will look at stacked fronts.
IF I WAS A GATOR: The saints and the underbelly.
BILLS at BROWNS
1:00 p.m., bills at 10 ½, 42
HANK’S HONEYS: The Browns have been completely crappy lately, but they have one thing to play for and that’s Myles’ Garrett’s sack record. Their pass rush is among the best in the league against scrambling QBs, so Josh Allen may be under fire more than he wants to be. He wanted the Bills to get a comeback win against the Pats last week, but this one might lack motivation. This is a terrible situation for Buffalo, an early start in a dismal stadium against a bad opponent. Buffalo’s run defense has been gashed all year and the Browns have the personnel to take advantage. This just seems like a game where the Bills go in and out without covering double digits.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Browns and the underwear.
CHARGERS at COWBOYS
1 p.m., Cowboys by 1 ½, 49 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: It appears DT Quinnen Williams won’t make it out of concussion protocol and that could be disastrous against a Chargers team that thrives on running the football behind Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal and a solid play-action game with Justin Herbert. JJ McCarthy’s huge day last week is an indicator that the Cowboys’ D is returning to his early season woes. Meanwhile, this is a defense that can handle the Cowboys’ offense. The Cowboys would be eliminated from the playoffs if the Eagles win on Saturday.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Magazines and underneath.
JAGUARS at BRONCOS
4:05 p.m., Broncos by 3, 43 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: The Jaguars could be the NFL’s surprise team and here’s yet another opportunity to make a statement against a top opponent who might underestimate them. More inconsistent, they have covered five straight games averaging 16.6 points and are worth a bet as long as they remain undervalued. Getting to Bo Nix is key. The Jags’ pass rush has crushed opponents, even though Denver’s O-line is solid. That said, the Jaguars can do well against a Broncos defense that may not be as good as people think. Without Christian Watson’s injury, they would lose to Green Bay. A balanced Jacksonville attack could get that ball back.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Jaguars and others.
STEEL at LIONS
4:25 p.m., Lions at 7:50 a.m.
HANK’S HONEYS: That’s a lot of points to spot a team that can still win their division, especially when Detroit obviously isn’t the team it was last season. However, it’s also a pretty meaningless game for the Steelers, plus it’s traveling on a short week. No matter what they do in these next two games, they’ll at least be playing for the AFC South against the Ravens in Week 18. The Lions, however, need to lead the roster to make the playoffs. They’ll come home on their fast lane with an explosive offense that will match up well against an injury-riddled D that gives up tons of yards. Look for Jared Goff to exploit the Steelers’ man coverage and Detroit RBs to exploit Pittsburgh’s issues against the run.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Lions and more.
RAIDERS at TEXANS
4:25 p.m., Texans by 14 ½, 37 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: How are the Raiders even going to break double digits against the best defense in football? They’re coming off a game where they totaled 75 yards of offense, or 1.7 yards per play, and this week their league-worst O-line will face Houston’s league-best front. Kenny Pickett is going to be under constant siege. The Texans’ offense has improved over the course of the season. CJ Stroud should find plenty of success targeting Dalton Schultz, given the Raiders’ inability to cover tight ends. Yes, the queue is huge, but this team filled it.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Texans and Below.
PATRIOTS at RAVENS
Sunday, 8:15 p.m., Ravens by 2 ½, 48
HANK’S HONEYS: All the motivation is on the Baltimore side. The Ravens can’t afford to lose any games before their season finale in Pittsburgh because the division is their only ticket to the playoffs. As healthy as they have been all year, their defense played their best game of the season making Joe Burrow look like Justin Fields. While the Ravens still struggle offensively, Lamar Jackson is closing in on 100 percent. The Patriots won’t miss the playoffs, but they may have blown a lead of more than 21 points against the Bills. After being doubted all season, mainly due to their busy schedule, they fulfilled this narrative by allowing Josh Allen to stage the comeback. It was a deflating loss and now their youth will be put to the test against a team that has been there before.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Crows and below.
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LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH
CHEFS at TITANS
1 p.m., Leaders by 3 ½, 37 ½
HANK’S HONEYS: We’ve never seen a Chiefs team play the game and we don’t know how they will react, even against a weak opponent. The Titans are terrible but they’ve had some moments lately. Cam Ward’s season has been disappointing, but he has been playing his best football recently and will face a very average KC pass defense that could do without CB Jaylen Watson. Gardner Minshew takes over for Patrick Mahomes and, given the Titans’ surprisingly effective run defense led by returning DT Jeffery Simmons, it will be on his shoulders. Minshew is the type of player who can rally a team as long as there is a spark left.
CAN’T HELP YOURSELF?: Titans and more.
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THE BEST OF THE REST
BUCS at the PANTHERS
1 p.m., Bucs at 3:46 a.m.
IF I WAS A GATOR: Panthers and below.
BENGAL at LES DAUPHINS
1 p.m., Dolphins by 1 ½, 50 ½
IF I WAS A GATOR: Bengals and more.
FALCONS at CARDINAUX
4:05 p.m., Falcons by 2 ½, 46
IF I WAS A GATOR: Cardinals and others.
4ERS at COLTS
Monday, 8:15 p.m., Niners by 5 ½, 48
IF I WAS A GATOR: Colts and unders.
THE BEST BET OF THE WEEK: Lions. The best team that needs it the most.
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LAST WEEK: 5-11, over/under 9-7
OVERALL: 102-119-2, greater/less than 127-90-3
BEST BETS: 9-6
