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🏈 The Stage is Set

🏈 The Stage is Set

January 20, 2023

Happy Friday BTP family! We are set to have an action-packed weekend as the NFL Divisional Round kicks off tomorrow afternoon. Jags vs Chiefs and Giants vs Eagles on Saturday, followed by Bengals vs Bills and Cowboys vs 49ers on Sunday. Should get to see some electric playoff football played this weekend! Oh and just remember, Trevor Lawrence has NEVER lost a game on Saturday in his football career!

We got a great Beyond The Press for you guys today as we preview the NFL Divisional Round, an insane story about how Olympic runner Usain Bolt got scammed for $12.7M, and another Friday gambling story for you guys on Super Wild Card Weekend as we tell you about a parlay that paid off big time and another one that narrowly missed.

Have a great weekend!

ALL OR NOTHING

A Look Inside the NFL Divisional Round

It’s going to be hard to top a crazy Wild Card Weekend, but this slate has all the makings of an instant classic. Let’s dive into the four playoff games and what you can expect.

The AFC

Jacksonville Jaguars vs. Kansas City Chiefs

The game with the biggest point spread is tomorrow afternoon's matchup of the Jaguars vs. the Chiefs. The Chiefs opened at -9 favorites, and for good reason; Patrick Mahomes is likely the NFL’s MVP this year, and the Chiefs haven’t lost since a tight game against the Bengals on December 4th.

After last week’s second-half heroics, you never want to count out Trevor Lawrence entirely, but this is a tall order. The last time these two sides met, the Chiefs burst out to a 20-0 lead, with Mahomes ending the day with 331 yards, four TDs, one pick, and the win. The Jags are night and day from what they were last year, but the Chiefs are still the Chiefs.

Buffalo Bills vs. Cincinnati Bengals

The second game of the AFC is the highly-anticipated rematch between the Bills and the Bengals. Emotions are going to be high in this one, to say the least, as the last time these two teams played was the Damar Hamlin game.

Buffalo opened as -4 point favorites which might be surprising to those who watched Buffalo narrowly beat the Miami Dolphins and their third-string quarterback, but this Bengals team didn’t exactly inspire in their win against the Ravens. Even more importantly, Joe Burrow lost his left tackle Jonah Williams to injury last week, making an already weak offensive line even more of an issue.

You can’t ask for much more than Burrow vs. Allen, Chase vs. Diggs; it’s going to be an all-time matchup, and you know both teams will give it everything they have and then some. This might be the game of the weekend, so make sure you tune in on Sunday afternoon.

The NFC

New York Giants vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Saturday night’s matchup features the sixth-seeded Giants versus the one-seed Eagles. The Eagles opened as -7.5 favorites, likely due to their 2-0 record against the G-Men this year, including a 48-22 rout in their first match of the season.

While the Eagles are better in just about every position on the field, short of maybe running back and kicker, injuries to Philly have somewhat leveled the playing field. Jalen Hurts is expected to play but is recovering from a Week 15 shoulder sprain to his throwing arm, while Lane Johnson, their best offensive tackle, is making his first appearance since tearing a core muscle a month ago. Meanwhile, the Giants are riding high after upsetting the Vikings in round one, their defensive line is clicking, and Daniel Jones and his running game have been next level. Both sides have history and ways to win this one, it should be a classic.

Dallas Cowboys vs. San Francisco 49ers

Closing out the NFL Divisional Round Weekend is Prescott versus Purdy. The 49ers are -4.5 point favorites and are taking on a Dallas team that just got their first road playoff win in nearly 30 years. The last time these two sides played, some questionable clock management cost the Cowboys a shot at the win, but it was a close game.

Dallas looked incredible last week against the Bucs and their impressive defense, which might explain why the line is so low against a San Francisco team that many believe can win the Super Bowl. Still, it’s hard to doubt Kyle Shanahan’s scheme, their incredible defense, and the weapons they have on the offensive side of the ball. Christian McCaffrey has completely elevated this offense, helping them average .19 EPA per play in their last seven games with Purdy under center.

If the Cowboys are going to play spoiler, they’re going to need to not only beat SF’s defense but come up big against the rookie Purdy. Thankfully for Dallas, their defense forced 33 turnovers this year, the most in the NFL.

SCAMMED

Olympic Runner Usain Bolt Scammed for $12.7M

With over $12.7M stolen from his account, the fastest man alive has once again found himself in the Jamaican history books. This fraud, according to the Financial Services Commission (FSC), is the largest the organization has ever seen. Bolt's compromised account reportedly contains funds for the Olympian’s retirement and life savings.

What we know: On January 11th Jamaican police were notified that the wealth management firm Stocks & Securities Ltd (SSL) had experienced fraud related to Bolt’s account and others. Bolt’s account contained roughly $12.7M before "inexplicably [dwindling]" to just $12,000. The Jamaica Constabulary Force's Fraud Squad and the Financial Investigations Division are currently leading the investigation.

Are there any suspects? The FSC believes the fraud was committed by a rogue client relationship manager from Stocks & Securities.

What’s next? According to Bolt’s lawyer, if the money isn’t returned within eight days, they intend to take this case to the Supreme Court in Kingston.

PARLAY DREAMS & NIGHTMARES

The Tale of Two Wild Card Weekend Winners & Losers

Last weekend was a gambling weekend for the ages for two different sports bettors, but for two very different reasons. One lucky gambler turned $100 into $142K+ by nailing a six-leg anytime touchdown parlay, while the other missed out on a $55K parlay because of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The first bettor correctly guessed one touchdown scorer in all six NFL games and took home a payday for the ages. The players they wagered on were DK Metcalf, Evan Engram, Dawson Knox, Isaiah Hodgins, J.K. Dobbins, and Dalton Shultz. All of those picks were relatively long shots, as the “safest” play of the lot was Dawson Knox at +200 odds.

Meanwhile, the other bettor wasn’t so lucky. After wagering just $17.27 on a monster 12-leg parlay with +318475 odds that spanned multiple sporting events including the Australian Open, the NHL, college basketball, the NBA, and NFL, the final leg came down to the Bucs. The bettor was offered a one-time cash-out offer of $16K but decided to let it ride on Tom Brady, which we know now, was a colossal error. While we don’t know whether or not the bettor hedged, at least they didn’t have to sweat the game as it quickly got out of hand.