NFL Picks: Patriots and The Under

NFL Picks: Patriots and The Under

This article is part of our NFL Picks series.

The laughably bad playoffs continued for the Staff with only Erickson going 2-0, and no one having close to a winning playoff record overall or on best bets.

Heading into the Super Bowl, it's a three way tie for third place between Erickson, Stopa and me at 3-6-1, but only I have a chance to win outright as I'm the only one on the Rams or the over, i.e., everyone but me is on the Patriots and the under.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Rams +2.5 vs PatriotsPatriotsPatriotsRamsPatriotsPatriots
Over/Under: 56.528-2426-2030-2727-1730-24
Last Week's Record2-00-21-11-10-2
2018 Playoff Record3-6-11-8-13-6-13-6-12-7-1
2018 Record125-122-9134-113-9141-106-9117-130-9120-127-9
Playoff Best Bet Record1-20-31-21-20-3
Best Bet Record12-511-610-78-8-17-9-1
2017 Best Bet Record8-7-29-7-112-4-18-7-211-6
Unanimous Pick Record26-21-1
Majority Pick Record132-115-9
2017 Playoff Record5-65-65-67-42-9
2016 Playoff Record6-55-66-54-76-5
2015 Playoff Record5-62-93-82-91-10
2014 Playoff Record10-15-69-24-79-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-24-5-24-5-24-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-16-4-14-6-18-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-69-26-57-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-65-67-48-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-71-106-55-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-65-68-34-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-86-5N/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4
The laughably bad playoffs continued for the Staff with only Erickson going 2-0, and no one having close to a winning playoff record overall or on best bets.

Heading into the Super Bowl, it's a three way tie for third place between Erickson, Stopa and me at 3-6-1, but only I have a chance to win outright as I'm the only one on the Rams or the over, i.e., everyone but me is on the Patriots and the under.

EricksonPianowskiLissStopaDel Don
Rams +2.5 vs PatriotsPatriotsPatriotsRamsPatriotsPatriots
Over/Under: 56.528-2426-2030-2727-1730-24
Last Week's Record2-00-21-11-10-2
2018 Playoff Record3-6-11-8-13-6-13-6-12-7-1
2018 Record125-122-9134-113-9141-106-9117-130-9120-127-9
Playoff Best Bet Record1-20-31-21-20-3
Best Bet Record12-511-610-78-8-17-9-1
2017 Best Bet Record8-7-29-7-112-4-18-7-211-6
Unanimous Pick Record26-21-1
Majority Pick Record132-115-9
2017 Playoff Record5-65-65-67-42-9
2016 Playoff Record6-55-66-54-76-5
2015 Playoff Record5-62-93-82-91-10
2014 Playoff Record10-15-69-24-79-2
2013 Playoff Record5-4-23-6-24-5-24-5-24-5-2
2012 Playoff Record4-6-15-5-16-4-14-6-18-2-1
2011 Playoff Record8-35-69-26-57-4
2010 Playoff Record6-55-65-67-48-3
2009 Playoff Record5-64-71-106-55-6
2008 Playoff Record6-55-65-68-34-7
2007 Playoff Record8-33-86-5N/A2-9
2006 Playoff Record7-4N/A4-7N/AN/A
2005 Playoff Record5-6N/A3-8N/AN/A
2004 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2003 Playoff Record6-5N/A4-7N/AN/A
2002 Playoff Record6-57-45-6N/AN/A
2001 Playoff Record6-4-17-3-14-6-1N/AN/A
2017 Record117-125-14128-114-14117-125-14119-123-1498-144-14
2016 Record140-111-5130-121-5123-128-5115-136-5132-119-5
2015 Record134-114-8120-128-8114-134-8127-121-8121-127-8
2014 Record123-128-5140-111-5135-116-5124-127-5128-123-5
2013 Record132-114-10118-128-10123-123-10111-135-10128-118-10
2012 Record110-140-6125-125-6121-129-6143-107-6123-127-6
2011 Record121-128-7134-115-7124-125-7123-126-7127-122-7
2010 Record129-122-5134-117-5126-125-5136-115-5134-117-5
2009 Record123-130-3132-121-3131-122-3130-123-3126-127-3
2008 Record132-114-10128-118-10124-122-10125-121-10130-116-10
2007 Record127-120118-129127-120N/A130-117
2006 Record118-129N/A139-108N/AN/A
2005 Record121-126N/A127-120N/AN/A
2004 Record124-124N/A130-118N/AN/A
2003 Record121-126118-129124-123N/AN/A
2002 Record113-136123-126141-108N/AN/A
2001 Record124-113117-120118-119N/AN/A
2000 Record123-117134-106141-99N/AN/A

Unanimous/Majority Picks

This week we have no unanimous picks. Last week we no unanimous picks, either. Our season-long record remains at 26-22-1. We went 1-1 on majority picks (three or more writers), putting our playoff record at 1-8-1. Our regular season record on majority picks was 132-115-9.

Comments:

WriterComment
Erickson I'm rooting for the Rams, but just think that they'll have too much trouble stopping Brady and company.
PianowskiIn a year defined by the wide-open passing game, the Patriots have found their best stride on the ground. Score one for good coaching, the jelling of an offensive line and a multi-talented backfield. Tom Brady won't be jittery on this stage, but Jared Goff, in his first appearance, might be.
LissI don't feel strongly about this pick, but I'll give the edge to the Rams who are getting 2.5 points and should benefit from two weeks to game plan against the Patriots small-ball offense. I also think the dome setting benefits the Rams more than their more physical, cold-weather opponents.
StopaThe symmetry is pronounced. The first time he made the Super Bowl, Tom Brady dinked and dunked the Pats to victory over the Rams, supported by great coaching and a better supporting cast from 2-52 than he sometimes got during his prime. All these years later, with Brady longer in the tooth and not as dynamic, he's back in the same spot, dinking and dunking against the Rams behind a good supporting cast. The Rams offense hasn't been the same without Cooper Kupp.
Del Don It's no surprise the line has moved 2-3 points after, and I don't love how heavily the public is on New England. But I won't overthink it. The Patriots are playing exceptionally right now, so my money's on them winning yet another Super Bowl.

The players:

• Jeff Erickson: RotoWire Senior editor, 2001, 2008, 2013, 2015, 2016 Staff Picks Champ. Writes the Weekly Rankings. Covers and roots for the Bengals.

• Scott Pianowski: Fantasy expert for Yahoo! Sports, and also contributes to Rotowire.com. 2009, 2011, 2014 and 2017 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the Patriots.

• Chris Liss: RotoWire Managing Editor, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2018 Staff Picks Champ, 2003, 2004 co-champ. Writes East Coast Offense, Beating the Book and the Survivor column in addition to Staff Picks. Covers and roots for the Giants.

• Mark Stopa: Staff Writer, 2010, 2012 Staff Picks Champ, Writes Run 'N' Shoot. Roots for the Bills.

• Dalton Del Don: Fantasy Expert for Yahoo! Sports, 2007 Staff Picks Champ. Roots for the 49ers.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Chris Liss
Chris Liss was RotoWire's Managing Editor and Host of RotoWire Fantasy Sports Today on Sirius XM radio from 2001-2022.
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