Episode Transcript
[00:00:08] Speaker A: Welcome back to split decision. This week on episode 28, we're going to talk UFC Vegas 84, Ankalayev versus Johnny Walker two. From there, we'll draft our top five New Year's resolutions. Then we're going to huddle up for wild card and NFL Football playoff weekend. And finally, we'll jump back into stakes and takes our betting segment, where we give you our best advice for this week's games. But first, don't forget to head to splitdecisionpod.com, where you'll find all of our recent podcasts, our top fives and more. But again, that's splitdecisionpod.com. All right, let's go.
[00:00:53] Speaker B: Ahead.
First card of 2024 is finally here. It's only been two weeks since the last card, but it feels like it's been maybe two, three weeks, but it feels like it's been a year since the last MMA card.
[00:01:05] Speaker A: I see what you did there.
[00:01:07] Speaker B: I didn't even mean to.
[00:01:09] Speaker A: Yeah, but it definitely has felt like a long time since we've done this. But I'm happy to be back. Good little break off, but yeah. Let's take a look at these fights. What we got first? Yes.
[00:01:21] Speaker B: So the first card, 2024, is going to be UFC Vegas 84, another apex card, which is kind of disappointing, but it has a lot of good fights on it. Very exciting card. And we're going to cover the whole main card. And the first fight of the main card, Phil Hawes, Bruno Ferreira.
No hype. The American taking on the Hulk, a brazilian guy. Who you got in this one, man.
[00:01:44] Speaker A: This is a kind of tough toss up, in my opinion. Both guys coming off of a loss.
[00:01:49] Speaker B: Two losses in a row.
[00:01:50] Speaker A: For Hawes, his last five is two and three. Or what would that be?
[00:01:56] Speaker B: Two wins, three losses, and his last three.
All of those fights that he lost are first round kos.
[00:02:04] Speaker A: Yeah, I was going to say he was ko three times in his last four fights. In his last four fights, he did get one ko, but he was ko three times. Honestly, with that in mind, even though Ferreira.
[00:02:16] Speaker B: Bruno Ferreira.
[00:02:17] Speaker A: He's one in one of these ko people, though, right? I was going to say that exact thing. He did suffer his first career loss, his last time out, that was against Rusabov, ko'd him in the first round.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: It was a very impressive performance from Rusaboev.
[00:02:33] Speaker A: It was.
I think he's going to rebound well. I think we have, I think a Phil no hype halls, the no hype nicknames kind of do before. I don't see much hype surrounding him. And I think the Hulk is going to prove that a fourth knockout might end his UFC career.
[00:02:50] Speaker B: Phil Halls has been getting knocked out in the first round. All five of Bruno Ferreira's last fights have all ended in the first round. Now, he did lose one of those, which was the last one before fights. Before that, he was finishing guys in the first round. I think there's a good chance he does that again.
[00:03:04] Speaker A: I put my money on Bruno Ferreira to win this fight.
[00:03:07] Speaker B: Same.
[00:03:08] Speaker A: All right, so after that fight, let's hope we're both right and we're going to move on to Ricky Simon, 24 in his career, taking on Mario Batista, 13 and two in his career.
[00:03:21] Speaker B: Both guys have fought a good amount of UFC fights.
Nine for Bautista, seven and 211 for Ricky Simone, eight and three. So both guys are veterans. They know how to win in this organization. It's going to be an interesting fight. This is a very good fight.
[00:03:36] Speaker A: And look, speaking on that eight and three from Ricky Simone or Ricky Simon, his last fight was against Song Yudong. He lost. It was a fifth round tko. And he's also only.
[00:03:46] Speaker B: There's no shame in losing the song, either.
[00:03:48] Speaker A: No, absolutely. Out of those eleven fights, he's lost three times. He lost to Song Yudong, Rob Font, and Uriah Faber. So he proved time and time again in the UFC that he's better off, no worse for wear, after taking a loss. And he's only getting beat by truly top contenders. Now, Mario Batista, he beat Damon Blackshear last time out. It was unanimous decision. Victory. Demone Blackshear was on a hype train. He had quite a few good fights in a row.
[00:04:20] Speaker B: I think that he has five straight wins right now.
[00:04:23] Speaker A: Yeah, actually, I have that written down. His only losses in the division are to Sanhagen and Trevin Jones.
[00:04:29] Speaker B: Sanhagen was.
[00:04:30] Speaker A: His first UFC fight was a. It was a submission, which, not to say it's the most common thing from Sanhagen, but it was an impressive showing from San Hagen in that fight. Not to say anything bad against Batista. I actually think Batista wins this fight.
[00:04:46] Speaker B: See, I'm going, actually with Ricky Simone. I think he bounces back from the tough loss. As you said, he's beaten some good guys. He only loses the tough guys. I think he does enough.
I think it's probably by decision, but I got Ricky Simone.
[00:04:59] Speaker A: So this is our first difference of 2024. I like it.
[00:05:03] Speaker B: Me, too. Now let's move on to the next one. Jim Miller, the all time wins leader in the UFC. The 40 year old he's back again, 810 fighting Gabriel Benitez, a 35 year old, a guy that's been in the UFC.
But how do you see this one.
[00:05:19] Speaker A: Going, man, this one's a little weird for me.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: Benitez, he's up and down, seven and six in the UFC.
[00:05:26] Speaker A: So, like, he's up and down and he hasn't been that active. His last fight was in August of 2022. It was a win over Charlie Antiveros. But like you said, he's seven and six in the UFC. Two and four in his last six. I mean, he hasn't been.
[00:05:43] Speaker B: That last three wins have been by ko, though. But Jim Miller is not a guy that gets koed a lot.
[00:05:48] Speaker A: Now, Jim Miller's last fight was against Jesse Butler. He beat him in round one by.
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Ko, 23 seconds in. I mean, it was an impressive. It was Jim Miller. He has kos. He's not known as the KO guy. He came in at 40 years old, already the all time wins leader in ko to dude in 23 seconds, right?
[00:06:04] Speaker A: And look, somebody whose career long like Jim Miller, he's 36 and 17 professionally, in my opinion. You have to kind of take a look at his last ten or if he's not that active, his last five fights, Jim Miller, six and four in his last ten being in the US. One, three out of ₩2008.03 out of. Out of his four.
[00:06:23] Speaker B: Most recently UFC 89. You said 2008.
[00:06:26] Speaker A: That's. Yeah, it's pretty crazy.
[00:06:30] Speaker B: He's going to be around for 100, 203 hundred UFC shows.
[00:06:34] Speaker A: Honestly, I still think, man, I have to switch. I got to go with Jim Miller. I think Jim Miller is going to come out and win this fight.
[00:06:41] Speaker B: I kind of convinced myself I got Jim Miller, too. I think he's the all time wins leader for a reason. He isn't the top guy in the division, but he showed he's not slowing down. I got Jim Miller winning the making.
[00:06:54] Speaker A: Thanks for helping me write my own head in that fight. The next one we're going to look at is Matthews Nicolau rematch versus McNell Starboy cop. This is a very impressive matchup. You have two guys. Nicolau is 19, three and one. Manel cop is 19 and six, spouting similar records. They both like to get out there, stay scrappy cops been finishing people as of late. I think that's kind of why this rematch was one of the most exciting.
[00:07:26] Speaker B: Guys in the past couple of years.
[00:07:28] Speaker A: In the division, for sure.
Nicolau's last fight was to Brandon Raw, vile Roy Val, and he lost.
[00:07:36] Speaker B: It was Ko, but that's not a bad guy to lose for Roy Val.
His last title fight, he put on a very bad showing, right?
[00:07:45] Speaker A: Yeah, decently impressive showing. And then Cop won to Felipe dos Santos by decision. Look, Nikola is four and one in the UFC. He has three decisions. One ko with one loss by ko. He has a win over Cop.
[00:08:01] Speaker B: A split decision win, though, right?
[00:08:03] Speaker A: I think this will settle the score, maybe make it to where they have to have a trilogy fight. Honestly, I think cops settles the score, to be quite honest with you. I think he's had a bit of a better showing in the UFC thus far, and I think he's kind of on a different trajectory.
[00:08:19] Speaker B: I got cop, too, but I think there is something to be said for Nikolai that he has a win, but he's fought cop before, so he knows coming in what to expect.
I do have cop winning the fight, though. I think it's going to be another close fight, though. I don't know if he finishes Nikolai. I think he might get a decision win this time. Setting up definitely for a trilogy. A trilogy.
[00:08:41] Speaker A: That would be interesting. That's definitely some fights I would watch.
All right, so then, now is this.
[00:08:48] Speaker B: The main event already?
[00:08:49] Speaker A: Already?
[00:08:49] Speaker B: The main event rematch from October.
[00:08:53] Speaker A: I like the main event, though.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: I do like the main event. I mean, I was excited for the first time they fought in October. This is magomed Ankalai of Johnny Walker. Ended probably the way nobody wants to see a fight end. Illegal knee early on where they just called the fight.
[00:09:08] Speaker A: Yeah, I don't like how the judge walked in there, but remember, they were trying to fight.
[00:09:13] Speaker B: They were trying to fight after. Oh, that was in Abu Dhabi where the doctor.
[00:09:17] Speaker A: Right? He said, where are you? He said, the desert.
[00:09:20] Speaker B: And it was a language barrier.
[00:09:22] Speaker A: And the doctor just turned around.
[00:09:23] Speaker B: He was like, doctor got mad. But, yeah, the doctor was foolishness.
[00:09:26] Speaker A: Wave it off. Foolishness.
[00:09:27] Speaker B: And then they tried to fight after.
[00:09:29] Speaker A: Yeah, he's like, I'm down. Scrap right now.
[00:09:30] Speaker B: Let's calm down till Dana came in.
[00:09:32] Speaker A: So daddy, Dana walks in. It's a good rematch from a no contest. Both fighters.
[00:09:37] Speaker B: The little bit of fight was Ankolayev was the better fighter in that fight. But I think there's something to be said for that to happen. And then you get a few months if you're Johnny Walker, be like, okay, I'm pissed. And like, let's figure out.
[00:09:51] Speaker A: I got a glimpse of what I got to fight.
Anka live is not going to come out there with a different game plan. Look, he drew against Yan Blahovich. We already know uncle live is that dude 17?
[00:10:04] Speaker B: One, one and one. And he hasn't won a fight. His last two fights he hasn't won. So he's like, I think he might come out Ankalayev, uncharacteristically aggressive. He is an aggressive guy, but Johnny Walker is not the dude you want to just start swinging with.
[00:10:18] Speaker A: Uncleive's last loss was his UFC debut, and that was against Paul Craig.
[00:10:23] Speaker B: I know he got subbed by Paul.
[00:10:24] Speaker A: Craig, and that was before Paul Craig was doing his recent, you know.
[00:10:30] Speaker B: Yeah, that was about right at the.
[00:10:32] Speaker A: Beginning of it, I guess. But anyway, Johnny Walker, he's been very impressive. I think Johnny Walker is going to beat this, kind of overcome this hill when he couldn't beat Jamal Hill previously in his career.
[00:10:47] Speaker B: I got Johnny Walker, too. I think he rises to the occasion. He got a glimpse of what to be prepared for. I think he is. I think he knocks out Ankolayev. I like that.
[00:10:55] Speaker A: And I think the heavy aggressiveness from Walker is probable. Coming out early. I think it's going to take that to kind of win.
[00:11:07] Speaker B: All right, so let's start the new year with a top five. New Year's resolutions, where we're gonna each draft our top five.
I think it's somewhat personal. Somewhat most popular New Year's resolutions.
[00:11:20] Speaker A: Yeah, probably a bit of both.
[00:11:21] Speaker B: Probably a bit of both. And I think to end 2023, I had the first pick in the top things of 2023.
[00:11:30] Speaker A: You sure did, sir.
[00:11:31] Speaker B: So I think it makes sense to start 2024. You have the first pick in things. New Year's resolutions for 2024.
[00:11:38] Speaker A: I think that's all fair. And I'd like to shout out your last first pick. That would be the Trump mugshot.
[00:11:45] Speaker B: Oh, yeah. I still love that pick.
[00:11:46] Speaker A: Yeah, it holds up. It holds up. For my first pick for New Year's, my New Year's resolution, my number one pick.
This is a great topic, but in my opinion, such a great pick because it's one that's made by so many people and followed through by so few.
I'm going to say go into the gym.
[00:12:11] Speaker B: That's a good pick. I mean, I think that's everybody's generic top pick and it's always a good goal to have.
[00:12:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Wake up with motivation to do something.
It's not going to be going to the gym out of the blue. That's like a life changing type of thing. But that's the one people lie about most often. So I'm going to say going to the gym. I think it's great.
[00:12:35] Speaker B: It's a good pick, and I like that pick. And I think that's definitely a one, one worthy pick. I have one that may also be one, one worthy. I believe maybe I'm going to have weight loss as my number one pick. I think going to the gym. Yeah, that's great for you. And it leads to weight loss. But weight loss in general, no matter which way you get it, whether it's by hard work, whether it's by diet, whether it's by surgery, weight loss is a common and probably one of the most popular resolutions most people have. And again, it's one probably just as much as going to the gym. People don't follow through with it.
[00:13:11] Speaker A: You can cheat at it. Weight loss. If your goal is to just lose weight, you can fast a little bit, lose some water weight now and again.
[00:13:20] Speaker B: You can also just lie to yourself, too.
[00:13:23] Speaker A: Yeah, definitely. I like that as a pick.
[00:13:26] Speaker B: Weight loss, my number one pick, my number two pick going in a different direction. I'm going saving, being more responsible with money.
[00:13:34] Speaker A: Ooh, financial responsibility.
[00:13:36] Speaker B: Financial responsibility. I think that's one. Especially as you get older, that's always going to be something. Whether you're good at it or not, you can almost always improve on it.
[00:13:46] Speaker A: I'm definitely envious of the people that are great at it.
[00:13:49] Speaker B: Yeah, me too. And I just think it's something that is very beneficial and probably sadly, more than the exercise, this is something people usually. Not everybody follows through with, either.
[00:14:02] Speaker A: Yeah, no doubt, no doubt.
That is a pretty common one. I agree that it's probably a one two pick. My argument that my one two pick is only slightly better, only because I think it's kind of connected to the money thing, and it's hard to be financially responsible when you can't get a good diet. That's my number two pick is changing.
[00:14:32] Speaker B: Yes, that's a good pick, but their segue didn't make sense.
[00:14:37] Speaker A: Yeah. Because a lot of people, they always say that eating healthy is so expensive and everything, and if you really focus on it, it's not that bad. It's all about what you focus on. Eating better is my second pick.
I just think it's important and a lot of people don't follow through with it. But it is a very popular New Year's resolution, and I'm going to always kind of start the year off trying to eat better.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Right. So what do you have for your third one, man?
[00:15:11] Speaker A: My third one.
I always like to change something in the new year, whether it's embarking on something making myself uncomfortable, if you will.
I think I'll call it learn something.
Like take on a new skill or a new hobby.
[00:15:34] Speaker B: Damn it. I was hoping you didn't say skill because I would have used that as well. You said learn something. I was going to say a new skill.
[00:15:39] Speaker A: Right. Take on a new skill.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: That's a good pick, right? I think everybody wants to do that. It's something beneficial. Just like everything we've named.
[00:15:48] Speaker A: Right?
[00:15:48] Speaker B: Makes you better person. Nobody ever does it.
[00:15:51] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely.
[00:15:53] Speaker B: So good pick. My third pick.
This is when it gets hard. I'm starting to look at some things. Where am I going? I'm going to go third pick. Get a new job. Get a new, better job.
[00:16:06] Speaker A: Get a better job. Is this family feud? I like this.
[00:16:09] Speaker B: I think. I mean, that helps with saving money. Everybody's always happier in a good job. Everybody always thinks they could do more, get paid more. At least I think ambitious people.
[00:16:20] Speaker A: Yeah. That grass is always greener mentality.
[00:16:22] Speaker B: Grass is always greener. So I think a new job, that's a common pick. Something personally, you never know.
[00:16:28] Speaker A: Yeah. Especially if you're unhappy. You're always looking for that better opportunity. I agree. That is a pretty solid pick. Getting a new job.
[00:16:36] Speaker B: Getting a new job. So then I have my fourth pick. So let me think where I'm going to go with my fourth pick.
I'm going to go drinking less.
[00:16:47] Speaker A: Ooh, I have that on my list.
[00:16:49] Speaker B: I'm going to go drinking less. I think it's a good, as always, good thing to have. It leads to weight loss.
You're going to be healthier, you're going to feel better. You can still drink and have fun.
[00:16:58] Speaker A: And you're going to fail.
[00:17:00] Speaker B: You can still drink and have fun.
[00:17:02] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:17:03] Speaker B: Just not as much, but yeah, usually it fails, just like all these new year's resolutions. But that's what truly makes a new year's resolution is it's hard to follow and nobody ever does.
[00:17:11] Speaker A: And it's only for the new year, not for the whole year.
[00:17:14] Speaker B: So drinking less. My number four.
[00:17:18] Speaker A: I like drinking less.
I'm going to counter your drinking less to go with my fourth pick. Drinking more water.
[00:17:26] Speaker B: Oh, that's actually a great pick.
[00:17:28] Speaker A: Getting better, hydrated. Is that a better segue for you as well?
[00:17:32] Speaker B: There's a way better segue.
[00:17:33] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:17:33] Speaker B: I actually like that pick a lot.
[00:17:34] Speaker A: So that's actually what I've been trying to do, is just kind of roll off of what you were doing into what I was already going to do. And this time, I guess it worked. So I'm going to say drinking more water, staying better hydrated, is my fourth pick.
And then last but not least, my fifth pick.
I think it's just kind of like a bucket list thing.
Always, you want to do more, you want to experience more. And I think the way I'll say it for this, the new year's resolution, the top five. The fifth pick is travel more.
[00:18:14] Speaker B: Oh, I had that one, too. God.
[00:18:16] Speaker A: Travel more from.
[00:18:18] Speaker B: It's a good pick. Everybody wants to travel more. I mean, that's something. Every time you see somebody, you know, like, traveling somewhere, you're always like, man, how can they afford that? And I can't afford not afford it.
[00:18:30] Speaker A: But, like, how do they plan something like that off?
[00:18:33] Speaker B: I could pull that off, right?
[00:18:34] Speaker A: Exactly. Like they, oh, if I'd have just put my head to the ground and planned out a trip like that, I could be Spain this year. Exactly. And then I'm sitting there in November. It's like, oh, I didn't do shit.
[00:18:45] Speaker B: I didn't do anything. But travel more is a great one. Yes. I love that pick. Everybody wants to do it, too.
[00:18:50] Speaker A: What you got for your fifth?
[00:18:51] Speaker B: My fifth, this is a tough one. I have a few different ways to go.
[00:18:57] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:18:57] Speaker B: Few different ways to go.
[00:19:00] Speaker A: As long as they're all positive, I'm.
[00:19:02] Speaker B: Going to go get more organized.
[00:19:04] Speaker A: Ooh, I have that. That's a good pick.
[00:19:06] Speaker B: I think getting more organized, that leads to pretty much all these.
It helps with all exercising. If you're organized, you're looking for a new job, you're most likely get a new job. Just being organized in general, I think it's something that helps everybody.
It will improve your life, but it's also something most people won't do.
[00:19:29] Speaker A: I agree. And I agree. Although I'm a pretty organized guy, I'm.
[00:19:33] Speaker B: Not an organized person.
[00:19:34] Speaker A: I don't forget much, and I don't leave much just hanging around. But I enjoy being organized, so I definitely see where the pick comes from.
[00:19:47] Speaker B: So is that our top five?
[00:19:49] Speaker A: I think that covers it all. Yeah.
[00:19:50] Speaker B: So let me recap. My number one was weight loss. Number two, saving money. Number three, get a new job. Number four, drink less. And number five, get more organized.
[00:20:01] Speaker A: I like it. My number one was go to the gym. Two was eat better. Three was get a new skill. Four was drink more water.
And my fifth pick was to travel more.
[00:20:23] Speaker B: NFL wild card weekend. The playoffs are here. It's bittersweet.
[00:20:29] Speaker A: It's playoff time.
[00:20:30] Speaker B: Less football, but better games. The games everybody's going to remember from this year, it's playoff time.
[00:20:36] Speaker A: The truthful only games that matter.
[00:20:39] Speaker B: Well, all the games matter because you got to get here.
[00:20:43] Speaker A: Yeah, whatever.
[00:20:43] Speaker B: These games individually.
[00:20:45] Speaker A: Yes, individually matter.
[00:20:47] Speaker B: But let's take a look at each game for wild card weekend. We're going to start in order of when they happen. And the first game is the Cleveland Browns heading to the Houston Texans.
Two teams, if you think of their franchises, just objectively, not great franchises, somehow they're meeting in the playoffs and they're both two pretty good teams.
[00:21:08] Speaker A: Yeah, you got the veteran, the old school vet, Joe Flacco.
[00:21:11] Speaker B: Flacco is back. Dude, if Flacco makes a run with the Browns, it'll be all time legendary.
[00:21:16] Speaker A: I kind of hope the Browns win the Super bowl.
[00:21:17] Speaker B: Yeah, I do, too. Just because of Joe Flacco.
[00:21:19] Speaker A: Yeah, let him win.
[00:21:20] Speaker B: I'm not even that big of a Joe Flacco fan, but that's a sick story.
[00:21:23] Speaker A: And then you got the rookie CJ Stroud.
[00:21:26] Speaker B: And CJ Stroud, he is just, he's legit.
[00:21:30] Speaker A: I'm going to say it like this. He is that dude.
In his way.
[00:21:35] Speaker B: He's playoffs better than Trevor Lawrence.
[00:21:39] Speaker A: Yeah, it's pretty crazy. The Jaguars had the opportunity to go into the playoffs and they did like their whole lost five out of six game thing like the Eagles are doing.
[00:21:49] Speaker B: Yeah, it was a bad. But let's focus on this game. This game's in Houston Texans, AFC south winners. They come in two and a half point underdogs at home.
[00:21:58] Speaker A: It's exciting because both of these teams were not expected to be in the playoff race after, well, after the Browns lost to Sean Watson, they were at.
[00:22:07] Speaker B: The beginning of the season. They lost to Sean. Then it was.
[00:22:09] Speaker A: And they're like, oh, what are we going to do with PJ Walker and Dorian Thomas peoples or whoever?
[00:22:14] Speaker B: They won a couple of games with them and then all of a sudden Joe Flacco comes back and is like.
[00:22:18] Speaker A: Hey, I'm still here. I'm available.
[00:22:21] Speaker B: This is a rematch, actually, from just a couple of weeks ago, too. Cleveland went into Houston, this was Christmas Eve and beat the Texans 36 22. I think the Browns do it again. I think they go into Houston, maybe not by that much, maybe not by 14, but I think the Browns are going to bully the Texans a little bit. Browns a little more veteran, although they're not known as a playoff team, they're a little more veteran than the Texans. I got Cleveland going and getting dub.
[00:22:45] Speaker A: See, I saw an interview where one of the reporters gave CJ Stroud actually no credit whatsoever and said that the Browns are going to just absolutely dog walk them. And CJ Stroud just looked up and said, oh, really? And that scared me. So I think the Texans are going to win.
[00:23:05] Speaker B: That didn't scare me yet.
[00:23:08] Speaker A: I think he's going to walk out and throw like three, four touchdowns and they're going to be them dudes this weekend and they're going to win. So I think the Texans are going to move forward, beat the Browns wild card weekend, and then after that we get to watch the Dolphins at the Chiefs.
[00:23:26] Speaker B: One of these teams at the end of this be, if the Dolphins, they blew such a great start to the season.
[00:23:33] Speaker A: The winner gets to keep Tyreek Hill.
[00:23:36] Speaker B: If the Chiefs lose, everybody's going to be saying they need to change things, blah, blah, blah. So this will be very disappointing season for either team that loses this game.
[00:23:44] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a very good matchup. You got tua tagavi hilla, who struggled through that one and versus Patrick Mahomes. Two elite quarterbacks, two elite offense.
[00:23:54] Speaker B: I'm not ready to put Tua as an elite quarterback. He's a very good quarterback.
[00:23:59] Speaker A: Listen, he's gotten it done when he's needed to get it done.
[00:24:01] Speaker B: No, he hasn't.
[00:24:03] Speaker A: When he's helped him win a playoff game. Well, this is his time.
[00:24:09] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:24:09] Speaker A: It's hard to win a playoff game in a division with the Chiefs.
[00:24:12] Speaker B: They're not in a division with the Chiefs. They're in a conference.
[00:24:14] Speaker A: Well, in a conference with the Chiefs where they have to potentially play them every season in the playoffs. I mean, it kind of sucks they.
[00:24:21] Speaker B: Didn'T play them last year.
[00:24:23] Speaker A: Did they make it? Yeah, they played the Bills. Bills. We'll be talking about them later. But listen, it's a good matchup.
[00:24:30] Speaker B: The weather is supposed to be like.
[00:24:32] Speaker A: Two record low, right?
[00:24:33] Speaker B: Yeah, very two degrees.
[00:24:35] Speaker A: Three degrees.
[00:24:36] Speaker B: That's going to be tough for the Bills to, I mean, the Dolphins to go to Kansas City in that cold, it's in the middle of the plain, so it's like windy. That's going to be tough to go in there and play, I think, Super bowl champs. I don't think. I think the Chiefs. Chiefs have been weird this between these two teams. Until the Dolphins stand up in a big game and win and until the Chiefs in a big game in the playoffs stand up and lose, I'm going to go with the Chiefs every time. I'm not going to pick the Dolphins.
[00:25:08] Speaker A: I think this is going to be an ugly game where having Tyreek Hill and having that craftiness on your side is going to pay big, big dividends.
I get the Dolphins. I think they're going to upset the Chiefs, send them home on wild card weekend.
[00:25:24] Speaker B: All right, well, there you have it.
[00:25:26] Speaker A: You heard it here.
[00:25:27] Speaker B: First game, the Pittsburgh Steelers. This is the biggest spread of the weekend. The ten and seven Pittsburgh Steelers. Somehow ten and seven.
The Steelers are the worst ten and seven team I've ever seen in my life. They're taking on the Buffalo Bills. Eleven and six bills, probably the hottest team in the NFL right now.
[00:25:44] Speaker A: Just keep in mind, Josh Allen didn't.
[00:25:46] Speaker B: Even play great in their last game and they won.
[00:25:48] Speaker A: The Steelers are doing what they got to do with Mason Rudolph this weekend.
[00:25:54] Speaker B: Mason Rudolph has been maybe the best quarterback they've had this. He's way better than Trubisky.
[00:25:59] Speaker A: You're right, but that's terrible.
[00:26:00] Speaker B: TJ Watts not playing this week.
[00:26:01] Speaker A: TJ Watts also out.
[00:26:02] Speaker B: You're right.
Bills are ten point favorites at home.
[00:26:07] Speaker A: I'm just happy the Bills didn't lose against the Dolphins last week because they would have had to play the Dolphins again this week. Had they lost, that would have just.
[00:26:15] Speaker B: Been in Miami like same place, same time.
[00:26:17] Speaker A: Right. It had just been a terrible repeat of a game and then they probably would have won. So I'm happy they at least get a good playoff showing against the Steelers.
[00:26:26] Speaker B: At biggest Bills home minus ten in Buffalo. I think the Bills win bills -500 ODS wise. I got the Bills, too. I think they're the hottest team. Bills are my sneaky Super bowl pick, which means they're probably going to lose this game. But I got the Bills.
[00:26:41] Speaker A: Bills. I was going to say the Bills do have that weird knack of screwing things up where they shouldn't. So this could be that game where they just completely screwed up. But I hold true. I think the Bills are going to win.
[00:26:53] Speaker B: All right, so we covered the three AFC games, which is the first three games of the weekend. The last three games of the weekend are the three NFC wild card games and we start the nine and eight. Green Bay packers somehow also a playup much like the Steelers, although I think the Packers a little better than the Steelers. Despite the worst record, the packers sneak into the playoffs when nobody thought they would. They're taking on the Cowboys, who come back win a division after the Eagles collapse. Twelve and five. Everything points to the Cowboys winning. That's what scares me so much about this game.
[00:27:22] Speaker A: Seven and a half points.
[00:27:24] Speaker B: This is nutcutting time. This is the time.
[00:27:28] Speaker A: What do you Cowboys and you don't perform again right now it's just about winning.
[00:27:36] Speaker B: So you could not perform and win. But if they lose again against this team, because they should, they're seven and a half point favorites. They're at home against the packers and.
[00:27:45] Speaker A: They'Ve been able to play at home. If they haven't been able to do anything this season, they have outscored their opponents 40 to one at home. It's been ridiculous all season. They just need to find a way to do it.
[00:27:58] Speaker B: So I think the Cowboys do find a way, but I think, I think.
[00:28:01] Speaker A: It'S going to be an ugly game.
[00:28:01] Speaker B: Ugly game. I don't think they cover the seven and a half point spread, but I got the Cowboys winning the game.
[00:28:05] Speaker A: What about the 50 and a half point over under? That's a big over under with most games in the low 40s are what the spread typically.
[00:28:16] Speaker B: Yeah, that's tough. I think they're thinking of a couple of late touchdowns, maybe by one of the teams.
[00:28:20] Speaker A: I could definitely see like a 31 27 type game to end it, but.
[00:28:26] Speaker B: I could also see like a 1710 game. Win it.
[00:28:29] Speaker A: Yeah, I think the Cowboys are going to go out and win. I think they're going to give a little bit more hope for the season. Get out a wild card weekend, get them a Dak Prescott playoff victory, see what happens. Move them up a little bit. But after that, who do they play? We don't know.
[00:28:47] Speaker B: And then the next game we're going to cover, this may be the most interesting game of the weekend. The ten and seven LA Rams.
We said the Bills are the hottest team. The Rams might be the hottest team in the NFL. Nobody's really talking about them. They're a Super bowl team at the core.
[00:29:03] Speaker A: They are. Yeah.
[00:29:04] Speaker B: They're going to Detroit. Take on the up and coming Lions. Lions won the NFC north this year for the first time in a long time. I mean, this just screams the Rams coming in. The more veteran team. Team used to winning even though they've had a couple down years since the Super bowl and getting the dub. And Matt Stafford returns to Detroit. Jared Goff against his old team in the playoffs. Ultimate revenge game for Jared Goff.
[00:29:30] Speaker A: Say what you will about both of those teams, that was the best trade you could have done for like a quarterback swap.
[00:29:38] Speaker B: It worked out for both teams because Detroit was never going to win a Super bowl with Matthew Stafford no matter who win a Super bowl. And now they got the build with Jared Goff paying him less, pay him.
[00:29:46] Speaker A: Less build a roster around him, let him kind of breathe and perform a little bit, not hang every single thing on his shoulders.
[00:29:53] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:29:54] Speaker A: And I mean, it's paying off. You got the Lions twelve and five, the Rams ten and seven. Like you said, a couple of years removed from a Super bowl victory, they're at somehow a better, maybe not a better team, but a more balanced team.
[00:30:06] Speaker B: Four straight wins right now. They're playing so good run game, good.
[00:30:10] Speaker A: Game through the air.
[00:30:11] Speaker B: And the Lions, although they're twelve and five, they've had some of those losses or games where you're like, what happened?
[00:30:16] Speaker A: Yeah, it's like they completely fell apart.
[00:30:19] Speaker B: So that always worries you.
[00:30:20] Speaker A: They lost that loss on Christmas or Thanksgiving, one of the two.
[00:30:24] Speaker B: They lost a close game recently, but like earlier in the season, like the Ravens beat the shit out of them. Another team, I think the Cowboys, looking.
[00:30:30] Speaker A: Back, the Ravens kind of deserve to beat the shit out of them, being the number one seed right now.
[00:30:34] Speaker B: But still, I mean, if you. This is the playoffs. Those are the teams you're going to playoffs. Those are the teams you're going to play. Teams like the Ravens.
I love the Lions. I wish they would win this game, but I have a feeling, and I'm picking the LA Rams to go in and get the dope.
[00:30:47] Speaker A: I think the Lions are going to come out and win. I think the defenses are going to be the kind of testament to what teams better this weekend. And I think the Lions defense is going to hold up. I think that's what has been the Lions focus for the majority of the year, is just holding that defense together and I think they're going to be able to do that this weekend. I think the Lions are going to win.
[00:31:10] Speaker B: All right, so the last game of wild card weekend, Monday night, probably we talked about a couple of the hottest team in the NFL, Bills Rams, probably the coldest team in the NFL right now. And I mean in the entire NFL.
[00:31:23] Speaker A: The Eagles started their season, the Philadelphia, and they're eleven and six going into.
[00:31:28] Speaker B: Wild card weekend, taking on the nine and eight Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who did.
[00:31:33] Speaker A: Not start ten and one.
[00:31:34] Speaker B: Who knows how they're going to perform? They've looked great in some games. They've looked absolutely horrible in some games. Even last week they beat the Panthers to win the division. They beat the worst team in the NFL. It was nine to zeros. Ugly game. You don't know how Baker's going to show up, but they're taking.
Can't, we can't emphasize this enough, the coldest team in the NFL, a team total collapse from the Eagles, where they're getting blown out by the Giants in a game that means nothing to the Giants. It means everything to the.
[00:32:00] Speaker A: Is. This is what happens when you push too much tush, man. I'm telling you, this is what happens if you lean on that fourth and one and you stop playing like, fundamental flip. No, I don't know what the fuck I'm talking about.
[00:32:13] Speaker B: Yeah, I mean, you only get the fourth and one if you make nine yards.
[00:32:17] Speaker A: Yeah. No, I don't know. I don't know why they've collapsed. They don't seem hurt.
[00:32:23] Speaker B: Bucks are four and one in the last five. Eagles one and just.
[00:32:26] Speaker A: They've just collapsed. Dude. It's weird. It's like Jalen hurts, doesn't want to come out. Or maybe they're trying to make, like, a crazy comeback story and make it fun.
[00:32:33] Speaker B: I don't think you do that on purpose.
[00:32:35] Speaker A: No, I think they're cooked. I still think they're going to win somehow, but I think they're cooked after this week. I think they're the true frauds.
[00:32:44] Speaker B: Everything in me is telling me I'm wrong with this pick that I'm picking the Buccaneers.
I have no confidence in the Buccaneers, but I can't pick in good heart.
[00:32:54] Speaker A: You said that eight weeks ago. I'd be like, absolutely.
The Eagles are going to beat the Bucks. You say that right now. I don't know. I think you could be onto something.
All right, so it's time for stakes and takes.
It's time to talk some betting, some opinions.
What do you think is going to happen? What kind of bets are we looking? That I won last week, but we don't have to or not last week. A couple of weeks ago. We have to talk about that. I think it was like nine to six.
[00:33:28] Speaker B: But who won season one?
[00:33:29] Speaker A: We're not quite done. Remember we said we were going to end it with the Super bowl?
[00:33:32] Speaker B: Oh, we did. I forgot we were extending.
[00:33:34] Speaker A: Right. That's what's written on that little whiteboard in the corner. It's very small.
[00:33:39] Speaker B: That's good.
[00:33:40] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:33:40] Speaker B: The whole football season.
[00:33:41] Speaker A: Yeah. We're going to go like football, non football. So we're still good on the season. Still got a few weeks left. Super bowl will be our Swan song, and I'm sure it'll probably be, like, tied going into that. If I had to guess, it's been.
[00:33:56] Speaker B: Pretty close the whole time, all season.
[00:33:57] Speaker A: So I have a couple UFC. I just had the two UFC bets and I got three NFL bets.
[00:34:03] Speaker B: I got the opposite. Three UFC, two NFL and then I have one upset. I also got an upset and I'm.
[00:34:09] Speaker A: Excited, but now I'm worried.
[00:34:12] Speaker B: So let's start with the UFC bets. My three UFC bets. I have Ricky Simone, -180 Moneyline, Johnny Walker, moneyline plus 375 and Manil cop moneyline. -260 what's your UFC bets?
[00:34:28] Speaker A: I have Manil cop as well for the. -260 and I also have Gabriel Benitez for the moneyline on that fight as well. I don't have the odds right now because I'm an idiot and I didn't.
[00:34:40] Speaker B: Look it up, but I do for Benitez.
[00:34:43] Speaker A: Yeah, for Benitez.
[00:34:45] Speaker B: Benitez is. -105 boom.
[00:34:47] Speaker A: -105 for Gabriel Benitez and then cop.
[00:34:50] Speaker B: -260 cop.
[00:34:51] Speaker A: -260 my upsets in NFL. So I don't have anything else for UFC Vegas 84 until hopefully just being right with all my picks and bets.
[00:35:04] Speaker B: So I have my two NFL bets. I got the Dallas Cowboys money line. -350 and I'm taking what I think is a surefire win. I got the Buffalo Bills money line. -500 I have Texans money line.
[00:35:20] Speaker A: -120 sorry, five? Yeah, I got Dallas money line. That's going to be. -350 I got the Lions money line. What is that, one?
-185 those are my three bets. And then I just got the upset. Upset. Did you already say your upset?
[00:35:40] Speaker B: I did not say my upset yet.
[00:35:42] Speaker A: What's yours?
[00:35:42] Speaker B: My upset of the week.
I got the La Rams plus 150 winning in Detroit.
[00:35:52] Speaker A: Nice. My upset. This is going to be the smallest drum roll because I don't know if it's actually going to happen. I'm kind of nervous about it. The cold game. I think the Dolphins are going to upset the Chiefs here. Plus 170.
Upsettable. Call it with Tyree kill the Tua Tagabay Leoa in the cold playing from the Miami to the Kansas City call it upsets plus 170.
[00:36:21] Speaker B: Let's go. Check us out next week when we recap NFL wild card weekend in UFC Vegas 84 and take a look ahead to the divisional round. The NFL and UFC 297 Strickland duplicates crack horse.
