Welcome to Ecks & Bacon for Sunday, January 4, 2015 (aka Chalk or Benjamin Lee Eckstein)
Bengals +3-
Cowboys -6-
More delicious NFL action on tap, and we'll kick off the day with the Bengals +3.5 points over the Colts. First off, gotta mention the Ickey Woods commercials. TREMENDOUS. Why Ickey? Well, that was the last time that Cincinnati won a playoff game. Been a FEW years. Actually, since 1991. The drought ENDS here NapTown. And don't think this is the same group of Bengals that ate a 27-0 bagel at Indy in October. Giovani Bernard was carrying the mail in that game, and rumbled for all of 17 yards. Cincy switched to rookie Jeremy Hill after that, and the difference is staggering. Hill has gobbled up 1,124 yards, and the Bengals won seven of their last 10, four of five on the ROAD. Then we looked at the Horseshoes recent work, and were NOT impressed. Since the bye week, the Colts are 5-2, but the wins have come against Jacksonville, Washington, Cleveland, Houston and Tennessee. The losses to PLAYOFF teams, New England and Dallas, two games in which Indy was outscored 84-27. OUCH!
Late game down in Texas and we got the Cowboys -6.5 points over Lions. So, the two DIRTIEST players in the NFL, opinions are all Eck's, Ndamukong Suh and Dominic Raiola, are both back. Suh got his suspension voided when he claimed that his feet were numb, and couldn't distinguish between the foot of Aaron Rodgers and the ground. TWICE! Really? REALLY??? Dallas finished the season with an 8-0 perfecto away from home, and we hear that the 'Boys are staying in Louisiana for the road vibe. Maybe not, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. This game will boil down to matchups. Detroit's league leading defense against the rush vs. DeMarco Murray's 1,845 courtesy of an offensive line that has THREE Pro Bowlers (Travis Frederick, Tyron Smith and Zack Martin). This 2014 group of Tony Romo, Murray and Dez Bryant isn't quite the legendary "Triplets," Troy Aikman, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin, but they are lighting up the scoreboard, and that's why this is my BEST BET BABY!!! Gimme half a Benjamin on each game.