Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00the big questions around the national football league entering our regular season finale weekend
00:06we are just two days away from the start of it in week 18 a double header in the afc north with
00:12serious postseason implications in two matchups and then 14 on sunday to figure everything else
00:21out those final spots into the nfl postseason and of course seed lines in where you will be
00:28for the opening round donny before we get to that in some of the most important games from the
00:32weekend the individual conversation and that nfl mvp award entering week 18 buffalo's josh
00:40allen is a minus 400 favorite to win the mvp hardware for the first time in his career he
00:48has been historic this season although some of the passing stats have not been overwhelming but
00:53his buffalo team has won 13 games they're the number two seed in the afc looking to play in a
01:00super bowl for the second time for the first time in josh allen's career even reaching an afc
01:07championship game for the second time in the last five you saw those odds right there again allen
01:13minus 400 to win the nfl mvp award last year's winner lamar jackson second shortest price at plus
01:21230 and then everybody else we'll discuss in just a moment buy or sell drs the question is
01:27josh allen should win the mvp award this season i'm buying it here but there's a big caveat ben
01:34and it's coming up this weekend which is going to cloud a lot of visions here because what do
01:38we understand as a society and human beings what have you done for me lately the best quarterback
01:43and mvp which means to me ben most valuable player and i don't this isn't this is just how
01:49we have to separate it here if you take josh allen off the buffalo bills ben i think they're
01:53going into the draft and saying we need a quarterback of the future because we just won
01:56three games i honestly believe that if you take lamar jackson off of baltimore he's sensational
02:02but they're a better football team than the buffalo bills we'll start there but if we're
02:05going to just look at the bottom line and say lamar is great and he is and he's won multiple
02:09mvps the only questions we have is not lamar jackson a great quarterback is he a good enough
02:13quarterback in the postseason to lift his team and get a lombardi but the action on the field
02:18this weekend you're going to see josh allen come into the game take one snap to preserve his i
02:22started 110 straight football games which has every right to do but he's going to leave that game with
02:26no statistics you see the final game going up against cleveland as close to what three touchdown
02:32favorites for baltimore let's just say and this is probably going to happen 260 yards passing
02:38four more touchdown passes and away you go into the playoffs as your lasting mark on look at the
02:43statistics it's wildly crazy that lamar jackson is so much better statistically and he's going to
02:49win his division on the final game of the season that we can't make him mvp and i do think that
02:54might cloud some of the judgment of the voters and rightfully so because of what they've seen
02:59down the stretch and the overall numbers itself they're not going to say well hey josh allen's
03:03playing in bad weather football games consistently what is he supposed to do well he's just supposed
03:07to win football games which he did in those environments but you see those price points
03:11josh allen is a prohibitive favorite at minus 400 and he should be but that 230 is going to get a
03:16lot closer when dealing with the mvp because you can have no statistics from a game this
03:20weekend for buffalo and a ton from baltimore with lamar jackson lamar jackson and the ravens need to
03:27win against the cleveland browns on saturday afternoon at home to clinch the afc north they
03:33are expected to win rather comfortably we might see lamar for the opening half who knows if we'll
03:39see him in the second half as the flock is a 17 and a half point favorite against the browns i hear
03:46the point drs statistically lamar jackson does triumph over josh allen this year but as we know
03:53sometimes the stats are not everything that goes into this award see lamar jackson winning it in
03:592023 he was the quarterback of the best team in the national football league that won 13 games
04:05the bills will not have that distinction they are not the one seed in the afc that is kansas city
04:11but josh allen is still making history fifth consecutive year with at least 40 total touchdowns
04:18he has made history individually this season first quarterback ever to have a game with a passing
04:24rushing and receiving score first player in nfl history as he put on display against the rams with
04:31three passing touchdowns and three rushing scores in the same game josh allen has done that he
04:39should win this award i am buying it i actually think the quarterback that might be on display
04:44on saturday that might have something to say is the guy with the 30 to 1 number in joe burrow if
04:51the bangles beat the steelers in pittsburgh and then get help they would need both a broncos loss
04:57to the chiefs reserves and a dolphins loss more than likely with tyler huntley starting the finale
05:04in met life against the new york jets since he could see the postseason if they do if the bangles
05:10do with how overwhelmingly dominant joe burrow in this offense has been this year drs is there any
05:17chance again it's a huge caveat it's like a three percent chance that cincinnati can make the afc
05:23postseason but if that is what happens at the end of week 18 the bangles earning that final wild
05:29card spot could joe burrow win the nfl mvp award i don't think so i just think it's too far of a
05:35hill to climb and even if they do make it in it's like oh this team just snuck in that's the mvp
05:39even though if the bangles had a better record and their defense could make any stops he probably
05:43would be the mvp but these are the rules that we play under but as a fan myself which sometimes
05:48when i ask questions about what would the fans like let's clear miami out let's clear denver out
05:53let's get cincinnati into the playoffs man the same way we talk about arizona state like don't
05:57you just want another week of that trio at wide receiver and quarterback getting after it once
06:02again that's what i want to see but i think it's a it's a hill that's too far to climb here to get
06:06him that mvp even though he just might be and probably is the best quarterback this season
06:10in the nfl which is supposed to be then the mvp the numbers are ridiculous when you look at it
06:17now with joe burrow 4641 yards he is the only quarterback that is thrown for more than 4400
06:24around the nfl he's got 42 passing touchdowns the only quarterback with 40 plus to do that
06:30cincinnati a slight one and a half point favorite on saturday night in the steel city pittsburgh
06:36might not win the asc north if they watch baltimore in the first game of two on saturday
06:41handle the browns as the ravens are easily and comfortably expected to do but pittsburgh still
06:48needs to win that game to quench the five seed that top wild card spot to head to houston in
06:53the opening round and not directly have to go back to baltimore to take on the ravens where they did
07:00of course in that game in week number 16 and got beat rather resoundingly we'll talk about the nfc
07:08north the nfc playoff picture and namely game 272 in the motor city between the lions and the
07:15vikings that's next on the other line game 272 as good of a regular season finale as you will find
07:24in a history of the national football league the first game to decide the number one overall seed
07:29to end out the regular season in more than three decades in the nfl the first game ever in the
07:37history of the national football league that will feature two teams with at least 14 wins
07:41facing off against one another and yes the season is longer than ever but still history at stake
07:49and so much on the line in game 272 on sunday night in detroit between the lions and the vikings
07:56of course the winner of sunday's game earns the nfc north divisional crown and the number one seed
08:03in the conference as you see right there the lions are a favorite to accomplish just that two
08:10and a half point spread for the game overall it's minus 154 on the money line if you look at where
08:17things stand though you could also just make it the money line price to win the division at minus
08:22156 but let's go even further drs with all that is at stake on sunday night the lions are still
08:30the favorites to win the nfc at a two to one number plus 360 though for minnesota third best
08:36price with the eagle sandwiched in between the lions have the shortest number out of the nfc
08:41to win a super bowl and there is some real thought that this minnesota team is not just a feel good
08:46feel good story story or over exceeding expectations but a legitimate contender within
08:52the nfc and maybe overall in the nfl so the buy or sell question is not who wins on sunday but
08:59who needs it more buy or sell the lions need to win on sunday night in game 272 more than the vikings
09:07do this is an absolute buy but not for the reasons that most people would actually think like yes you
09:15need to win this game because you want to be the number one overall seed that's not where we're
09:18going here you know why you need to win that because you need to back yourself up on that
09:23most horrible decision on playing your starters in a meaningless football game we're going to have
09:28this conversation in just a moment about saquon barkley and the philadelphia eagles so let's go
09:32back and set the table maybe the biggest game has been points out and rightfully so week 18 that we
09:37have ever seen because it's not just for the division which we've seen that before it's for
09:41the number one overall seed and typically it's like okay you get the one if you win it but if
09:44not then what do you get the two seed right because another team won the division they have a better
09:48record than you like no you have home field throughout and a buy or you have to go on the
09:52road all the way through so if you are the detroit lions or the minnesota vikings it's equally
09:56important to win this game but if you are dan campbell how do you justify the decision to play
10:01all of your starters in a meaningless football game when you were already working on a short
10:05week compared to the minnesota vikings who had played the day before on sunday when you played
10:10on monday night also keep in mind the vikings were at home in week 18 you as detroit were not
10:16you were thousands of miles away in california which means your week already got started even
10:20more late because that long flight back and everybody's exhausted welcome into wednesday
10:24your first day of practice and getting things right because hear me out on this and i'm going
10:28to be the first in line to check this out i have the only put it this way ben the only futures i
10:34have this season that were placed were on the detroit lions to win the super bowl not excuse
10:38me not the super bowl the nfc which means they just have to get there when it gets to the super
10:42bowl they can lose and i still cash in i want them to go far outside my fandom for the philadelphia
10:46eagles if they can't get it done it's detroit but understand this they lose this game on in front of
10:52national television at home you know who we blame the coach because he's an idiot for playing his
10:57starters all the way down in a game that's all sam laporta absolutely get rocked over the middle
11:02which looks like he could have a concussion you also saw halfway through the game i'm going to
11:06ross st brown your best wide receiver limping his way back to the huddle multiple times jameer gives
11:11your only solution that says you know what i have a dominant running game i'm going to run him 18
11:16times have another four to five catches and leave the football game with a cut on my face because
11:20i'm past pro blocking when i shouldn't be even doing that at this point in the game absolutely
11:251000 the lions must win this game or fire dan campbell i'm serious
11:33that was a lot i would just say that yes there is wear and tear in each and every nfl game that
11:39you play but nobody is going to miss week 18 because they played in week 17 and i agreed with
11:45you entering the game i thought the lion should at least rest their starters maybe late in the
11:49second half for a game that did not have meaning in the overall playoff stakes but clearly had
11:55significance for the lions and they understood that and then went out in the second half and
12:00beat san francisco instilling that mentality and momentum in to sunday night buy or sell by the
12:08way quickly here drs nfc playoff seeds as of right now with a lot to be determined but there is no
12:14doubt whoever loses the game on sunday will be the five seat buy or sell the nfl needs to change
12:20the postseason format i don't think so and it's a it's a contradiction to what i basically have
12:26for college football which i do think they need to make some changes but it's just been ingrained
12:30so long and you do get a home game it is the way it is so i'll sell that i sell it as well
12:36winning your division must mean something marco joins us next home if we flip it over to the nfl
12:41on sunday night football maybe the biggest game of the season in the final game of the season
12:45winner's going to advance loser's going to advance but boy that path is going to be much different
12:49for the loser we're talking about minnesota and detroit sam donald jarrett golf line at the
12:53fan dual sports book right now minus two and a half points and look at that total 56 and a half
13:00winners losers totals mark what do we got in this one i i give you credit you have extra large huevos
13:07on this one like you just do um it just at this point and mostly because detroit can't really
13:13stop anybody on defense just due to the injuries and everything else but they score 40 on pretty
13:17much every so um this vikings defense is going to absolutely be tested uh early and often but
13:26when if you're giving me detroit at home under a field goal like i doesn't this feel like if you
13:32got the chiefs at home under a field goal how do you bet the other side right i have the lions at
13:37home under a field goal i i just want to have to respect the vikings and sam donalds who i thought
13:42was going to turn into a pumpkin back in week four and again in week eight and again in week 12 and
13:48again in week 17 against the packers that never happened so uh we have to respect the vikings at
13:53this point in time to be able to be competitive in this one but again lions that under a field
13:56goal almost seems like too easy to pass up detroit's still the best cover team in the
14:01national football league in the last four years and ten and five against the spread as a favorite
14:07this season as well minnesota has only played seven games to the over this year including
14:12three of their last four but all three games the vikings have played against the double digit win
14:17teams from the nfc north have all gone over both games against the packers the opening game against
14:23detroit in minneapolis in fact every game is featured at least 52 points the vikings are a
14:31stout defense under brian flores the lions can score on anybody's you know you mentioned how
14:36much they've been giving up over the last month due to the significant injuries 32 and a half
14:41points per game they've also been averaging nearly 38 points per game in their last four
14:46as well marks you know we appreciate the time as always a very happy new year to you my friend
14:52enjoy the sugar bowl and the gator ball tonight as well on this thursday it's a big ten basketball
14:59for the mount in the south as well love maryland land six and a half tonight in the northwest hour
15:05number three up next on the early line we welcome you to our number three our third and final here
15:11on january 2nd 2025 our first day of the early line in a new year he is donnie right side i am
15:20ben stephen so much to preview for you here in this third and final hour in our last half hour
15:25our final three segments a complete breakdown with picks previews and best bets for today's
15:32sugar bowl at 4 p.m eastern time in new orleans between georgia and notre dame we'll get you the
15:38prop perspective for this week in the national football league normally with tv tom vecchio
15:44that means a thursday night football game it's been the case since the very first game and day
15:49of the year way back in the season debut in september between the chiefs and the ravens
15:54no short week thursday night game this year or this week i should say so we'll get you set for
15:59the final weekend and how to approach all the handicapping based on motivation both individually
16:06and team success that we will see for the week 18 slate some hardwood handicaps as well mba is still
16:14playing we've got college basketball conference slates in a big way now picking up starting
16:20in 2025 a lot to get to here in this third and final hour no there certainly is a lot to and a
16:26lot to be determined this week in week 18 and also we weren't expecting to have a heavy card
16:30in football tonight supposed to be only one game the gator bowl but now we have the sugar bowl
16:34today at four o'clock and you know me the earlier the start the better so we'll be invested having
16:38some fun and watching that game all the way through as the next team to advance in the college
16:43football playoff so a lot of good things look forward to it is january already it is 2025 so
16:48if you're writing out checks or filling out data points here you're going to want to write that 2024
16:51down 2025 is here by the way it's a nice year by the way right every time like the year 2000 2025
16:572050 2075 it's a nice year 2025 we'll see if it's profitable as well which i think it will be
17:04i hope it is a very profitable optimistic and happy and healthy new year in 2025 drs now we've got to
17:11talk a little bit about week 18 and a topic we barely hit on at the very start with all the
17:18recaps and the news that we needed around the college football playoff yesterday as college
17:24football was kicking off we got news out of philadelphia that for week 18 in a game that does
17:30not mean anything for the eagles as a team they've clinched the nfc east the two seed in the conference
17:36waiting to see who is the one seed ahead of them the eagles will take on the new york giants but
17:43individually could be a big game for saquon barkley just 101 yards away from setting the
17:49new single season rushing yards record well the eagles told us yesterday that saquon barkley
17:55in the rest of the starters would sit and rest in the regular season finale does donny right side
18:02like the call do the people like the call we find out and fade the public
18:15at sports grid on twitter are the eagles making the right decision by resting saquon barkley
18:21this week your two options rather simple yes or no 67 of the public saying yes
18:30that nick sirianni the eagles brass and philadelphia making the right decision resting
18:36saquon barkley in week 18 which will end his hunt for history a hundred yards shy
18:43of eric dickerson's mark that was set back in 1984 2100 in five rushing yards still stands
18:51as the single season rushing yards record in the national football league so the public
18:56resoundingly so drs says yes you agree how come i do and by the way what's the tagline we like to
19:04use it's smarter to be on the grid well we have some of the smartest listeners on the face of the
19:09earth at least 67 of them who voted yes along with me understand this and maybe it would be a little
19:16bit harder for me to explain if i was a fan of another team and i said to myself boy it would
19:19be interesting to see him go after this record i would like to watch but as a philadelphia eagles
19:24fan i do not want to watch saquon barkley set a record to be the all-time leading rusher in a
19:29single season he's going over 2 000 yards which is fantastic unbelievable way more than anybody
19:35ever thought he would do and because he's usually been injured which is the key buzzword right now
19:41injury understand this how many times you brought up in your life whether it's work or whether it's
19:47sports what do we always tell you there is no i in team so if saquon barkley said he wanted to go for
19:53the record he would be spelling team with an i and i'm glad to see and you saw all the highlights
19:59this year he could have set a record for himself in the giants game early in the season let the
20:03young kids spin here you saw the final game last week with saquon even said i was fine with 2000
20:08agreed with the decision to take me out with 11 minutes to go in the fourth quarter then he goes
20:12to bed with thinks about a little bit more you know what it would have been nice to go for the
20:16record but that's completely gone and also the biggest part of this thank you philadelphia
20:21eagles for having a sane organization and understanding what your job actually is correct
20:28me if i'm wrong we don't open training camp and have our first meeting of the season go you know
20:32what aj your goal this year more yards than anybody else in history saquon your goal more yards than
20:37anybody in history quarterback uh jalen hurts your goal more yards no they talk about winning
20:42the division which they did they talk about making the playoffs which they did you talk about raising
20:48the lombardi trophy which is the goal not gaining yards to make sure that you get more yards than
20:56anybody else because hear me out on this and nick sirianni wasn't a tough spot because yes some fans
21:01idiotically as they would be wanted him to play and maybe if you told the players you want to play
21:06maybe they would say that you have to save yourself from that because understand this
21:11answer me this question if saquon barkley tries to go for in this game against the giants and you
21:16lose elaine johnson a jordan mailata maybe a cam jurgens maybe a saquon barkley because you were
21:22trying to get a record you know what happens the public that was telling you how much fun it was
21:26to actually go and get that record so you stupid coach i can't believe this team now we can't win
21:32a super bowl do you see what i'm doing here you can't play saquon barkley in a meaningless
21:37football game the only person that would is dan campbell and that's it i'm actually very impressed
21:44by you for not using a curse word in that moment i was really thought one was coming really i was
21:51well done and drs i think that is the overall sentiment as well that i would agree with yes
21:57the individual accolades in the records in the history book would be something that would live
22:02on well beyond this season well beyond saquon barkley's playing days in the national football
22:08league but you know what defines your career legacy legacy even more than individual records
22:14super bowl championships and saquon himself has stated that as his personal goal not the personal
22:20record of the most rushing yards in a single season and he'll still live in the history books
22:25by the way one of nine players in the history of the nfl to have 2 000 rushing yards or more
22:31in a single season he just won't catch eric dickerson or at least have the opportunity
22:36to do so and donna you made this point last year the eagles played their starters in week 18
22:42yes it hurts a little bit banged up and a.j brown a little bit banged up for a reeling eagles team
22:48that then got shellacked in the super wild card round in the opening round of the nfl postseason
22:53despite being the better record team on the road in tampa against the buccaneers you learn from
22:59your mistakes that will not be the case here for philadelphia this time and i do want to make one
23:04final point we got to talk about it in the preseason a little bit if you are going to play
23:08a starting quarterback or starters around the offense you then need everybody to be out there
23:15if saquon barkley is going to play in hunting down the record the entirety of the offensive line
23:21that needs to start as well and that is maybe even more important to postseason success
23:27than individuals that offensive line as a unit
23:31by the way also eric dickerson shout him out hey an extra game he's gonna get did eric dickerson
23:38not remember he got extra games to break the record for oj simpson like what are we even doing
23:42here at this point where eric dickerson's upset that he might have an extra game to get it madness
23:47out here the streets this guy's firing that's good done here right side right there more of
23:52the early line next for the first time really all season in the national football league
23:58football league there is not a thursday night game to break down here on the early line with tv
24:04tom vecchio he gives you the prop perspective each monday and thursday not a thursday night
24:10nfl game if tom has some thoughts on either the gator bowl or the sugar bowl we can get those
24:15in just a matter of moments but outside of that we get you ready for the regular season finale
24:21weekend around the national football league the early approach to what can be a confounding
24:27handicapping weekend based on mentality motivation and who might need to hit a contract
24:33incentive vecchio as always we appreciate the time and a happy new year to you of course thanks for
24:39having having me happy new year to you guys as well super interesting week as donnie and i were
24:44just talking about during the break like it's an awesome week to get into props again motivation
24:49what we're expecting from certain teams but we're just waiting for lines to be posted that's what
24:53it comes down to so you know we're kind of in like this uh this waiting area until these lines
24:58get posted then we can actually dive in to find out where there's value i'm ready to go yeah we
25:02don't have all the prop market out by any means of course but vecchio in terms of motivation in
25:09stakes and the significance on the line there is no question what is out there for our final game
25:15of the regular season in game 272 between the lions and the vikings the winner claims the nfc
25:22north and the number one overall seed in the nfc just a two and a half point spread in favor of the
25:28lions in the motor city but from that prop perspective vecchio knowing the stakes we also
25:33look at that total 56 and a half it would be the highest number we have seen in nearly five seasons
25:41in the national football league with that in mind could be a big night for some prop overs how do
25:48you approach the regular season finale between the vikes and the lions i i really want to like
25:53the under i do 56 is so high like you said and given the importance of this game i i don't think
25:59these teams want to turn it into a back and forth barn burner like i think this game ending let's
26:04call it what like 24 to 20 like that gives us an awesome game like two great teams you know some
26:10decisive uh you know swings maybe a turnover here and there it ends right at the spread
26:15but the points are just too much given what's at stake in this game i don't think they want to turn
26:20this into a 34 to 31 kind of ball game so i don't mind looking into some overs maybe on attempts for
26:26some of these quarterbacks either goff or donald just because they'll be out there the teams will
26:30be moving the ball back and forth but a late interception will cause this game to go under
26:34that's my ultimate take i really want to believe in the under i love this game it's fun because
26:39again in week 18 it's one of the few games that you know both teams are going to go full blast
26:43easier to handicap now winning certainly a different understanding of that but we're at
26:47least going to get that honest effort when we're talking about handicap in week 18 some of these
26:51games come up the denver broncos need to win the kansas city teams are already off into the
26:55playoffs that line is ballooned out to 10 and a half at the fan dual sportsbook and a 39 and a
26:59half no patrick mahomes is going to be carson wentz as a starter when the denver broncos are at home
27:04just eating a victory so technically tom we don't need style points you just need a victory but how
27:08do you handicap these games entering into it so the broncos just overall they haven't been good on
27:13the ground this year right they have this backfield by committee we sometimes it's it's williams we're
27:18just not seeing any level consistency there's some games that bo nix is leading the team in
27:22rushing so at the end of the day if they're not having this success on the ground i think they
27:26just put the ball in bo nix's hands that's where we should be looking so whether it's yards or
27:31whether it's attempts for him that's the spot that i'll be looking i'll also be looking to kareem
27:35on the other side because he really should be seeing uh the majority of the work because
27:39isaiah pacheco isn't expected to play so i don't mind looking or even carson steel if he gets
27:43involved for the chiefs you know their third string running back so those two on the chiefs
27:47side of things and it's got to be bo nix like he's their best option in the offense overall
27:50and keep it simple just get the ball down the field pick up some yards convert the touchdowns
27:54i don't know who's going to score maybe courtland sutton when it's all said and done but i don't
27:58have any interest in their running game despite what the 10 and a half point spread would indicate
28:03entering week number 18 vecchio from that playoff outlook there's a lot that is going
28:08to be decided not just playoff spots but seeding scenarios as well so before all the madness
28:14unfolds in this regular season finale weekend we take a look at the superbowl 59 odds is there a
28:22team is there a number is there a wager that you think should be bet right here right now before
28:29week number 18 does anyone want to play the rams like i feel like no one actually wants to play the
28:35rams they're going to have home field advantage and granted they may be going against a better
28:39team if you know depending on the seating works out they could theoretically be playing the the
28:43vikings or lions but man the rams number for a team that has proven it in the playoffs now we can
28:49say that the the rams don't have as good of a defense as the vikings but man matt stafford
28:54going up against the lions defense that is absolutely reeling right now dealing with so
28:58many injuries i i have a lot of interest in the rams at that price especially when they've home
29:02field advantage in the first round