In Between the Lines: Chapter 15
Time flies when you’re having fun. It’s Conference Championship weekend in the NFL, which means on Sunday you will know who is going to the Super Bowl. In addition to NFL, NHL and NBA action, UFC 257 is on Saturday night with Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor as the Main Event.
With a stacked sports schedule comes fervent sports bettors. “In Between the Lines” gives avid fans and sports bettors exactly what they want. Looking ahead to the upcoming week in sports, “In Between the Lines” offers inside analysis on line movements and key stats.
Here’s what you absolutely can’t miss this upcoming week in sports:
1. NFL – Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Green Bay Packers (Conference Championship 1/24/21 at 3:05pm)
The Green Bay Packers are the current favorite to win the Super Bowl at +200. This weekend, the Packers are a 3.5-point favorite against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I will try to be as objective as I possibly can here, but I like Aaron Rodgers and the Packers to win this one and cover the spread.
Rodgers is pretty decent at covering the spread in the postseason (12-6-1). What is most interesting to me in this game, however, is the over/under. The over/under is currently set at 51.5. The over is 13-6 in Rodgers’ postseason starts, with six straight games going over the total. Since 2017, all seven playoff games played in 30 degrees or colder went over. The over is oh so trendy. Rodgers and the over seem to make a good couple. This being said, I also like the over in this one.
2. NFL – Buffalo Bills at Kansas City Chiefs (Conference Championship 1/24/21 at 6:40pm)
The Kansas City Chiefs have just not been good at covering the spread (7-10). As a matter of fact, the Chiefs are the first team to reach the conference championship with a losing ATS record since the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. The Chiefs are disgracefully 1-8 ATS in their last nine games. But they are good at winning, as they are 8-1 and outright.
The Buffalo Bills on the other hand, have covered nine of their last 10 games. The Bills have also won their last eight games overall. I like the Bills covering the spread at +3.5 in this one. I think it will be a really close game, but I also like the Chiefs on the moneyline at -180.
3. UFC 257: Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor (1/23/21 at 11:20pm)
Tipico has a special odds boost for this Saturday night showdown. The Main Event is Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor, and things are always interesting with McGregor in the mix, to say the least. The boost was +160 for McGregor to win by KO or TKO in the first round, but it is now +200 with a maximum bet of $50.
McGregor is currently the favorite to win at -333. Seven years ago, McGregor and Poirier met at UFC 178, which resulted in a first round KO. McGregor and Poirier each won their last fights. Poirier won his by UD against Dan Hooker, while McGregor won his last against Donald Cerrone by first round KO in less than a minute.
However, Poirier has been fighting a lot more than McGregor has as of late. McGregor has only fought once since 2018, while Poirier has fought five times since then. Despite this, I still like McGregor to win by KO. First round could be likely based off his performance against Cerrone last year. If McGregor wins by KO, this would be his 20th victory by KO.
