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Morning Coffee: The Stage Is Set For An Epic Championship Sunday
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The stage is set for NFL Championship Sunday.
While the Divisional Round did not disappoint from an entertainment perspective, the weekend played out largely as expected in terms of the wins and losses.
The Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers, Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions all ranked among the top-five choices to win the Super Bowl entering the weekend.
All four teams advanced to Championship Sunday.
Baltimore, San Francisco, and Detroit all won outright as the betting favourites in their respective contests.
The Chiefs pulled off the lone upset with a 27-24 win over the Buffalo Bills as just a 2.5-point underdog.
It was the only Divisional Round game that featured a spread that was less than a field goal at FanDuel.
The Bills had a couple of opportunities to either tie the game or take the lead late in the fourth quarter.
In the end, Buffalo ultimately fell just short.
While I believed the Bills had as good of a shot as any team to win it all, the same could be said for all four teams still standing entering Championship Sunday.
Losing sucks, but only one team can win it all.
This is the Morning Coffee for Monday January 22nd, 2024.
The Stage Is Set For An Epic Championship Sunday
The 2023 Bills season was a major disappointment.
Perhaps I’m in the minority, but for a team with Super Bowl aspirations, how else can you qualify getting beat at home in the Divisional Round by an opponent that has eliminated you from the playoffs for the third time in four years?
Maybe you don’t go on win it all, but this one was a must-win.
Buffalo has a top-three quarterback in the league.
That means that the Bills will be considered a legitimate contender every single year that Josh Allen is healthy.
However, if they are going to win it all, they will need to make the necessary adjustments to beat the Chiefs.
Whether it’s coaching or overall depth of talent, there will need to be a sense of urgency in Buffalo this off-season as they attempt to put the missing pieces in place.
Meanwhile, there are four teams still standing in the pursuit of a Super Bowl ring.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens will host Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game.
Baltimore is a 3.5-point favourite at FanDuel.
Meanwhile in the NFC Championship Game, Brock Purdy and the 49ers will host Jared Goff and the Lions.
San Francisco is a seven-point favourite at FanDuel.
Despite a statement win over the 49ers in Week 16, the Ravens remain the second choice to win the Super Bowl behind San Francisco.
That’s the reality of drawing Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game, versus Goff and the Lions in the NFC Championship Game.
While the 49ers are an obvious favourite, I genuinely believe Detroit has the potential to surprise on Sunday.
Whether I’m willing to wager on the Lions to win or cover is another story, entirely.
Meanwhile, Jackson versus Mahomes with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line will be an absolute treat.
Jackson, who was the overwhelming favourite to win NFL regular season MVP at FanDuel, took an important step towards slaying his playoff demons with a win over the Houston Texans in the Divisional Round.
A date with Mahomes and the Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game will be a much tougher test.
I can’t wait for NFL Championship Sunday football.
Dunlap Wins The American Express As 400-1 Longshot
Nick Dunlap was 400-to-1 to win The American Express.
The 20-year-old became the first amateur to win a PGA TOUR event since Phil Mickelson won the Northern Telecom Championship all the way back in 1991.
Dunlap, who is currently a sophomore on the golf team at the University of Alabama, is only the fifth amateur to win on the PGA TOUR since 1950.
Over the past three weeks, Chris Kirk, Grayson Murray and Dunlap all won PGA Tour events at 200-to-1 or longer odds.
I usually lean on TSN’s Adam Scully, Bob Weeks and Mark Zecchino for my weekly golf picks.
I’ve already reached out to them in the group chat to ask them who the next longshot to win a PGA TOUR event will be.
Stay tuned.
Jets Aim To Extend Remarkable Run In Boston
In case you’ve somehow missed it, the Winnipeg Jets have not allowed more than two goals in a game since November 30th.
They’ve held their opponents to under 2.5 goals in 22 straight games over that span.
Tonight, the Jets will look to extend that remarkable run on the road against the Boston Bruins.
Boston under 2.5 goals is currently +138 at FanDuel.
The Bruins to score three goals or more is -176.
As somebody who has been riding the streak for more than a month now, it’s clear that the over 2.5 goals is the obvious favourite in this spot.
The streak is expected to come to an end tonight in Boston.
Let’s see if the Jets can continue to defy the odds.