Parlay of the Week

Best Parlay Bets Week 14

Buffalo Bills at Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3½ (EVEN)

The Buffalo Bills are coming off a bruising 14-10 loss to the New England Patriots on Monday Night Football that left Josh Allen bewildered and the defense shellshocked. When asked if they were embarrassed in defeat – an indirect reference to the fact that the Patriots attempted an astronomical three passes in the entire game – a couple of players were offended, although they were at pains to dispel any such notions during their post-game press conference.

Jordan Poyer and Micah Hyde were asked if they were “embarrassed” by the Bills performance on defense last night.

Kyle Van Noy reacts to the question on #QuicksSlants with @tomecurran
⬇️ Watch pic.twitter.com/sF9PuK83Xi

— NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots Coverage (@NBCSPatriots) December 8, 2021

The Bills are essentially a good team, but they are not a great team. The Bills are a modest 7-5  following their latest setback and down to seventh place in the AFC standings. Talk about how the mighty have fallen!

Overall, the Bills have had a relatively easy schedule that saw them face mostly inferior opponents. The few worthy opponents they did come across, they failed to overcome all but one, the Kansas City Chiefs.

Beating the Chiefs was a watershed moment for Allen & Co. but it appears to have taken everything out of them. They lost to the Tennessee Titans immediately after, and then they went on to lose to the Indianapolis Colts and now the Patriots. These losses are revealing if nothing else.

One criticism that keeps coming up of late is that Buffalo is too one-dimensional. That fact was on full display under the lights in Monday Night Football’s loss to the Patriots. Trust Bill Belichick to expose the cracks in their armor so brilliantly.

Lookahead NFL lines projected the Bills as the +3 road underdogs to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but following Monday night, the line reopened with the Bills as the 3½-point road underdogs.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a solid win over the Atlanta Falcons. The win marked a series sweep over Atlanta and kept the 9-3 Bucs on pace in the race for the No.1 seed in the NFC standings.

The Bucs come in riding a three-game winning streak, which includes winning margins of seven points or more. In fact, only twice this season have the Bucs won by less than a field goal (versus Dallas and New England). Every other win was by six points or more.

The Bucs have the offense to pull away against practically any team in the league, including the Bills who were fancied by many as the next Super Bowl champions. Add to that the fact that Tom Brady knows everything there is to know about the Bills after two decades in the AFC East, one has to fancy Tampa Bay’s chances here.

It’s a short week for the Bills and a quick turnaround to face Belichick’s protegee, Tom Brady. How well the Bills bounce back after their disappointing loss to the Patriots will say a lot about what this team is made of. However, with the Bills seemingly taking a massive step backwards in 2021 and the point spread being so small in comparison, betting the Buccaneers to clinch the win and cover feels like a steal.

Pick: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3½

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans -10 (Even)

The Tennessee Titans have had a rough go of it lately, but a late-season bye might be just what the doctor ordered. That and a seemingly straightforward date with the Jacksonville Jaguars, who can’t seem to buy a win no matter how hard they try – never mind a cover.

The Titans are 8-4. They lost two on the trot before going into a bye – a 22-13 loss to the Houston Texans and a 36-13 loss to the New England Patriots. Before those losses, the Titans had repeatedly defied the NFL odds and were riding a six-game winning streak with wins over the Bills, Chiefs, Colts, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints

The Jaguars are on a four-game skid ahead of Week 14, capped by a 37-7 loss to the Rams this Sunday. So much for the upset over the Bills last month acting as a catalyst. It didn’t. The Jaguars cut a woeful figure behind a 2-10 record on the season while Trevor Lawrence is proving to be a massive disappointment.

What happened to the kid that was touted as a generational talent by college football scouts? The rookie quarterback, who was set up as the top bet to spot in betting online futures this season for a number of categories, including the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year Award.

Was Lawrence overhyped going into the NFL draft? Or are the rookie’s struggles purely down to poor coaching by Urban Meyer, who made his NFL debut at the same time as Lawrence did this year?

Trevor Lawrence, meet Leonard Floyd pic.twitter.com/zTQ3FcNY89

— 𝕋𝕠𝕞 – 𝕃𝔸 ℝ𝕒𝕞𝕤 (@TL_LARams) December 5, 2021

It’s impossible to tell. It could be a case of one or the other or both. All we do know is what the stats and records say, and they’re not good reading.

Lawrence has 9 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, which includes a touchdown drought in four of his last five games. The Jaguars rank 24th overall in total offense and 25th overall in passing offense. But those rankings mask the real issue which is scoring (or lack thereof). The Jaguars are the second-lowest scoring team with an average 15 points per game. It’s quite simple: if you can’t score, all the other numbers are meaningless no matter how lofty.

On paper, this is setting up to be a mismatch of epic proportions. The Titans should be able to cover this hefty point spread with plenty to spare. If they don’t win and cover, then there will be cause for concern. You can bet on it.

Pick: Tennessee Titans -10 (EVEN)

Parlay: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3½ and Tennessee Titans -10