As we enter the home stretch of the regular season, we will shift our focus slightly toward what lies ahead for each squad. Specifically, it is important to know the clinching scenarios for teams closing in on playoff berths.
That does not mean those clinching scenarios will drive the outcomes of games.
This is important to note, and I usually don’t highlight it until the final week of the season — I’m sure I will revisit it then, too. The point is that these clinching scenarios will also drive the perception of a given team.
And, as we know, perception is exactly what we use to target value.
Below are predictions for each game against the spread. Spreads have been taken from various websites and are subject to change. The spread in parenthesis denotes the selected team. Spread is listed as advertised number and odds at either DraftKings Sportsbook, FanDuel Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook, or Fanatics Sportsbook (formerly PointsBet). All efforts were made to provide picks at -110 or better, with some stretching to a -125 if no reasonable advertised spread was found.
*Confidence Picks – 2025 Season: 53-39-1 (Last Week: 5-2)
(2024 Season: 65-57) (2023 Season: 63-61-4) (2022 Season: 54-54-5) (2021 Season: 55-50) (2020 Season: 53-42-3) (2019 Season: 57-43-3) (2018 Season: 63-48-4) (2017 Season: 53-48-4) (2016 Season: 53-67-3) (2015 Season: 69-45-2) (2014 Season: 61-46-2) (11-Year Total: 646-561-30)
All Picks Against Spread – 2025 Season: 123-100-1 (Last Week: 11-5)
(2024 Season: 148-136-1) (2023 Season: 142-135-8) (2022 Season: 143-132-9) (2021 Season: 158-126-2) (2020 Season: 132-128-7) (2019 Season: 142-118-7) (2018 Season: 137-118-12) (2017 Season: 137-119-11) (2016 Season: 123-136-8) (2015 Season: 143-117-7) (2014 Season: 149-114-4) (11-Year Total: 1554-1379-76)
Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks
What a matchup!
For as many weeks as we have complained about the lack of excitement for a Thursday Night Football game, can we have landed on a better one than this? And it’s not only my opinion. Those who make the spreads have set the number at basically even.
The Seattle Seahawks will host the Los Angeles Rams, and the winner will hold a one-game lead in the NFC West with two weeks left.
In terms of immediate clinching scenarios, the Rams have already punched their ticket to the postseason. The Seahawks would join them with just one more win. This isn’t ‘win-or-go-home’ type of contest, but it is one with undoubtedly massive implications.
It’s the two best teams in the National Football League in terms of point differential.
And again, the spread is noncommittal. So we must look elsewhere.