With Colin Cowherd out for Friday’s Christmas episode of The Herd, instead of releasing his usual ‘Blazin’ 5’ segment on Colin’s five best NFL gambling picks, Colin is simply issuing four hand-picked bets on Twitter that will STILL count towards his overall 2020 Blazin’ 5 record.
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Colin’s Blazin' 5 picks are now over .500 for the first time all season after four consecutive weeks without a losing record, including 4-1 last week. Colin currently stands at 37-36-1 with two weeks to play in 2020.
Here are Colin’s four bets as follows:
COLTS -1.5 vs. the Steelers in Pittsburgh, RAMS +2 vs. the Seahawks in Seattle, COWBOYS +2 at home vs. the Eagles, and JAGUARS +7.5 over the Bears in Chicago.
Here is some quick analysis of Colin's four picks. **Recaps are not Colin's thoughts but those of the author's**
Colts at Steelers (SPREAD: IND -1.5)
The 10-4 Colts will roll into Pittsburgh to take on a flat-lining Steelers team who went from navigating a timeless run to perfection, to perhaps choking the AFC North division to a Browns franchise who hasn’t won the North since 1989. After three straight losses to Washington, Buffalo, and even lowly Cincinnati, a loss vs. the Colts in Week 15 coupled with a Browns win over the Jets in the Meadowlands, would set up a defacto AFC North Championship Game in Week 17 that would surely become the special Sunday Night Football flex game. After beginning the year with a 22/4 touchdown-to-interception ratio his first 10 games, Ben Roethlisberger has thrown 8 touchdowns and 6 interceptions in the four games since, and has never posted a passer rating over 90. Philip Rivers has only been sacked 14 times in 14 games, and has a passer rating above 100 in 7 of his last 9 games. The Colts are tied with the Titans for the AFC South lead but don't control their own destiny because of division record, and will need the Titans to lose one of their remaining two games to have a chance to take the South.
Colin's Pick: Indianapolis -1.5
Rams at Seahawks (SPREAD: SEA -2)
In what could be the defacto AFC West Championship Game, the 9-5 Rams will go for the season-sweep in Seattle in a game that could see the Rams leapfrog the Seahawks for first place. The Rams are coming off one of the most humiliating losses in franchise history when they lost as a 17.5 favorite versus the 0-13 Jets, but have a chance to quickly dilute that misery against a Seattle team that Sean McVay is 5-2 against in his 4 seasons with the Rams. In his last 7 games, Jared Goff has only 8 touchdown passes, and has committed 12 turnovers. Although Russell Wilson’s MVP candicacy deteriorated the past month, his 37 touchdown passes through 14 games is already a career-high.
Colin's Pick: Los Angeles +2
Eagles at Cowboys (SPREAD: PHI -2)
Despite combining for a laughable 9-18-1 record, both teams are still shockingly very much in the mix for the NFC East crown. An Eagles victory in Dallas, combined with a Washington and Dwayne Haskins loss in Carolina, and a Giants home loss to the Ravens, would turn their Week 17 home game against Washington into the NFC East Championship. An Eagles win and Giants loss in Week 16 would officially eliminate the Giants from playoff contention as well. Rookie Jalen Hurts has turned in back-to-back electric performances taking over for the rotted out Carson Wentz, accounting for 505 passing yards and 169 rushing yards in his first two starts, with five total touchdowns, and no interceptions. Despite allowing the second-most points in the NFL, the Cowboys have won two straight games to keep their season alive.
Colin's Pick: Dallas +2
Jaguars at Bears (SPREAD: CHI -7.5)
This Week 16 matchup could sneakily become the most interesting game of the weekend. The Jaguars now control their own destiny for the rights to Trevor Lawrence, but second-year quarterback Gardner Minshew still has a lot to play for. He’s got a healthy 95.6 passer rating, and 16/5 touchdown-to-interception ratio and is the type of gamer who isn’t just going to let the Jaguars lay down and die to attain his successor. He will likely have to do it without his starting running back, however, as the NFL’s third-leading rushing James Robinson is unlikely to play. He’ll face a Bears team who is astonishingly very much in playoff contention after the rollercoaster season they’ve had. The Bears are one game back of the 7-seeded Cardinals for the final playoff spot in the NFC, and are in position because of Mitch Trubisky’s recent resurgence as Chicago’s starter, throwing for 8 touchdowns and 3 interceptions in his last 4 starts, and posting a combined passer rating over 100 in the four contests. The Packers will clinch the NFC's no. 1 seed with a win against the Titans this week, potentially allowing the Bears to face an Aaron Rodgers and Devante Adams-less Green Bay team in Week 17.
Colin's Pick: Jacksonville +7.5