Favorite ‘Dogs: Back Hurricanes in CFP First Round, Titans at Chiefs

With the College Football Playoff set to begin this weekend, and the NFL playoffs just weeks away, it’s an incredible time to be a football fan. 

Bowl season is also upon us, which means we get a football game seemingly every day of the week for the next month. 

Let’s look ahead to an action-packed weekend and find some potential upsets that could be on the horizon. 

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Miami vs. Texas A&M

For those who might not have heard by now, Miami reached the College Football Playoff, leaping Notre Dame in the final rankings. 

While its inclusion was heavily debated before and after the Playoff field was announced, there’s one thing that isn’t debatable: Miami is loaded with talent. It has future NFL players up and down the roster, and is dominant on both the offensive and defensive lines, highlighted by stud edge rusher Ruben Bain, who is a good bet to be the first defensive player taken in next April’s NFL Draft. 

Texas A&M has had a fantastic season, and is one of five SEC playoff teams. However, the Aggies had a fairly soft SEC schedule, and managed to avoid playing the other four SEC playoff teams. 

Late in the season, there was a Miami vs. Notre Dame discussion regarding who belonged in the Playoff. But early in the year, the question was Miami vs. Ohio State in regard to who was the best team in the country. 

Miami seemed to regain that early season form toward the end of the year. I’ll take the ultra-talented Hurricanes in the underdog role.

PICK: Miami (+3.5) to lose by fewer than 3.5 points or win outright

Chiefs @ Titans

For the first time in what feels like forever, the Kansas City Chiefs will not make the playoffs. 

The year 2014, to be exact, was the last postseason without the Chiefs, three years before Patrick Mahomes was drafted. For a team that has made seven consecutive AFC title games, and five Super Bowls in those seven years, will the motivation really be there this week to win a meaningless game against the Titans? No Patrick Mahomes, no playoff implications, and a veteran team playing out the string after years of winning Super Bowls is the recipe for a listless performance. 

I think the Titans upset the Mahomes-less Chiefs.

PICK: Titans (+3.5) to lose by fewer than 3.5 points or win outright

Will Hill, a contributor on the Bear Bets Podcast, has been betting on sports for over a decade. He is a betting analyst who has been a host on VSiN, as well as the Goldboys Network.

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