As the season gets towards the business end there are only a few more chances to get involved with Matchbook’s Colossus NFL syndicate and turn Sunday from a day of rest into a day of punting thrills. This week has some cracking looking games so we’re taking another shot at the huge Pick 7 jackpot with some tasty looking selections.
Colossus syndicates are simple. They are crowdfunded bets where a syndicate leader, in this case Team Matchbook, picks out a slate of bets on the NFL point spread jackpot pool and you can buy a percentage of the total bet amount. If we win you win the same percentage of the jackpot or whatever the bet is cashed out for.
Each week we’ll explain the bets and why we choose them and if you like our thinking then simply buy in and come along for the ride. Redzone will never be the same again.
This week’s picks with Aidan “Sully” O’Sullivan:
Pick 7
Cost: £5.00 for 3.5%
Jackpot: £113,661 (Subject to change)
Falcons @ Packers – Packers by 1-18
This is a game between two teams that are out of contention so it’s always a dangerous one to have too firm a view on, and added to this the Packers have a new coach in Joe Philbin and generally, a new coach always gives a team a boost. But with the Falcons looking so poor at the moment it’s hard to see this any other way than a Packers win so we will cover a wide range here to get us off to, hopefully, a good start.
Giants @ Redskins – Giants by 1-12
The Giants are still starting the deeply unimpressive Eli Manning at quarterback but luckily for them the Redskins are starting the equally weak Mark Sanchez after being beset by injury problems. The Giants are probably only a couple of players from being a good team and should be enough to hold off the Redskins even with Manning still in the chair although we don’t expect them to pull away too easily. That’s just not the Giants’ style.
Ravens @ Chiefs – Ravens by 1-6 or Chiefs by 1-12
This is probably the most fascinating game of the week with the unstoppable force of Mahomes meeting the immovable object of the Ravens defense. The key to this game will be the Ravens will run the ball so much they will keep the Chiefs offence off the field and the NFL’s most dynamic team won’t be able to blow them out. The point spread is about 7 at the moment and I think the best play here is taking both sides of that.
Steelers @ Raiders – Steelers by 7-18
This is a must-win game for the Steelers, although that doesn’t automatically mean they will get there and after last weekend you can be sure it will be a nervous last quarter for Steelers backers. But the Steelers defense should be enough to stop the Raiders and Roethlisberger should be able to get things done against a pretty ordinary defense. This is unlikely to be a blowout with Big Ben not yet firing on all cylinders, but a fairly comfortable win looks in order and we will cover 7-18 points for our bet.
Despite their recent struggles Sully expects the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger to roll in Oakland this weekend.
Eagles @ Cowboys – Cowboys by 7-18
How ‘bout dem Cowboys? Dallas are potentially one of the better teams in the league now and they are coming off 10 days rest here for their third home game in the row so you have to feel they will be enough for a struggling Eagles team. This is going to be a low enough scoring game, but Dallas’ defense and running game should enable them to win by at least a touchdown here with the home side likely to dominate on the field and on the scoreboard.
Rams @ Bears – Rams by 7-12
This should be a good one and in a season where it seems defense doesn’t matter I’m going with the better offence here. There are big question marks over who starts at quarterback for the Bears, but whatever happens the Rams should have enough firepower to take down a highly rated Bears defense. The Rams defense looks sharp too and should get a few stops to keep the gap over 7 points.
Vikings @ Seahawks – Seahawks by 13-18
Fingers crossed that this week’s syndicate comes down to a big sweat on Monday night football in what feels like the bet of the week. The Seahawks defense has come alive in the last couple of weeks and they look like one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL right now. The Vikings are unable or unwilling to run the ball and the Hawks defense should be able to handle Kirk Cousins passing game while racking up the points on offense.
Want to get involved?
Go to: matchbook.com/colossus, select Syndicates and search ‘Matchbook’ to see our picks. Best of luck!
