WINFO Issue #17

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WINE AND WHINING Kickers seem psychologically more delicate than ever since the NFL moved the PAT attempt back to the 33-yard line. The vineyards are planted at the base of the Andes Mountains THE WINE Concha y Toro, Marques de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 $20.70 This is another one of my go-to wines based on the price and return on investment, although it has changed over the years. The 2015 installment is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Syrah, and it is less oaky, vanillin and confectionary than previous versions. It sports classic Cabernet Sauvignon cassis and red fruit notes, with meaty accents and herbal character. The fruit is balanced nicely with the tannins and acidity and it exhibits a long finish for a wine at this price point. Absolutely delicious and punching above its price point weight class. THE PICKS Let’s try to end the season with more winners than losers! I’m backing three favorites, two on the road (gulp), but all with significant motivation on their side. KC -4.5 at San Diego I never feel great about laying points with KC on the road, as they are often more content to play conservatively and shoot for the field goal win. I like this spot for a few reasons though. This is a meaningful game for the Chiefs as they can be seeded as a #2, 5 or 6 in the playoffs depending on how things play out. And we’ve already established that the Chargers have already packed it in this season handing the Browns their only win of the year. With the tepid fan base and potential move on the horizon, all signs point to the Chiefs. Take the Chiefs and lay the 4.5 points. Seattle -9.5 @ San Francisco They’ll take your sharp betting card from you in Vegas when you back favorites in the 10-point or greater range. But given how the sharps have done this season, I’m good with the risk. My first instinct was that this is too many points to lay between division rivals, but looking at the past five meetings, Seattle has beaten the 49ers by 19, 16, 17, 10 and 16 points respectively. Factor in that this is a meaningful game as Seattle can end up as a #2, 3, or 4 seed, and the ‘Hawks are the play. Take the Seahawks and lay the 9.5 points. New Orleans at Atlanta -6.5 Atlanta’s seeding potential is currently identical to the Seahawks, as they can end up as a #2 - #4 seed in the NFC. The Saints are 7-8 and would love to end up with a .500 record at the expense of their division rival. However, my view is that the Falcons have too much firepower on both sides of the ball. Their +128 point differential is second in the league only to the Patriots. New Orleans will not keep up. Take the Falcons and lay the 6.5 points. 6
NFL ANALYSIS AND PICKS NFL ANALYSIS AND PICKS No idea what happens to Chip Kelly after this game, but his team should make the Seahawks look real good. Week 17 can be a bit of a drag. It’s the only week of the season where we take a pass on a few games, based on the difficulty factor of handicapping teams who have varied game plans, including resting players, pulling players early, evaluating talent, etc. So you will see a few games we’ve left alone in terms of a suggested play. Good luck this week! Houston at Tennessee Line: Titans -3 Over/Under: 40 Set-Up: While Houston is locked in to the No. 4 seed in the AFC, this is still an important game for them. The offensive coaching staff will be focused on getting QB Tom Savage comfortable with the entire playbook as they head into the playoffs. The matchup vs. this Titan secondary is a good one for the new signal caller, which isn’t the case for backup Matt Cassel on the other side. Cassel gets the ball in the season finale after the Marcus Mariota injury and a dreary finish to what started as a promising season. The Texan defense will be rough on this offense playing without their leader. Suggested Play: Take the Texans Buffalo at NY Jets Line: Bills -3.5 Over/Under: 42.5 Set-Up: EJ Manuel vs. Ryan Fitzpatrick – ouch. Hard to say what these two teams will look like on opening day next season, but massive overhauls are coming. As for this season finale – the Bills are the better team and while Manuel is obviously a step down from Tyrod Taylor, he’ll benefit from that strong O-line. We’re not going anywhere near this one, but we do lean to the Bills. Baltimore at Cincinnati Line: Pick’em Over/Under: 41.5 Set-Up: What could have been. Both teams expected this one to have some meaning, but alas, it doesn’t. Aside from a goodbye turn for Steve Smith and a chance for the Bengals to get another look at who might step up to be their No.2 wideout, there’s nothing to see here. NY Giants at Washington Line: Redskins -7.5 Over/Under: 44 Set-Up: The set-up for this one is straight forward – Washington needs to win to punch a playoff ticket, while the Giants are locked into the No. 5 spot. How long Coach McAdoo keeps Manning and OBJ in the game is a question mark. We do think they play enough to build some confidence vs. 7
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Page 3 and 4: THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY THE
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Page 9 and 10: TOTALLY COVERED New Orleans at Atla
Page 11 and 12: COLLEGE FOOTBALL PICKS shoddy at be
Page 13 and 14: NHL GAME PICKS AND ANALYSIS LEAFS T

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