HOME TEAMS
Good: Though Seattle has
slipped a little bit at home this season when it gets to December, this is when
they rev it up and they are 37-18 ATS, In weeks, 13, 15 and 17, they will be
home and will take on Philadelphia, the L.A. Rams and Arizona.
Keep an eye on (Good): Carolina is a rock
solid 28-18 ATS in their building this month and has a three-game homestand
which commences Dec.10th, where they will face Minnesota, Green Bay, and Tampa
Bay, which sounds like at least two winners.
Cincinnati started the month still talking playoffs. To
have a chance the Bengals will have to beat Pittsburgh on Monday night (12/4),
Chicago six days later and Detroit two weeks later (12/24), all to improve upon
38-23 ATS mark. Green Bay might be
35-19 ATS at the frozen tundra, but without Aaron Rodgers, trying to take down
Tampa Bay (12/3) and Minnesota (12/23) won't be easy.
By weeks 16 and 17, New
England (32-20 ATS) will already have the division wrapped
up and might only be playing for a top seed in the AFC against Buffalo and the
N.Y. Jets. Pittsburgh (39-24
ATS) like the Patriots is also very good at home could also be playing for that
top seed on Dec. 17th vs. the Pats. Otherwise, the Steelers have Baltimore
(12/10) and the Browns (12/31) at Heinz Field.
Keep an eye on (Bad): Cleveland's unbelievable
woes continue and they are 14-23 ATS this month at home recently. Two shots at
improvement, the Packers on the 10th and against Baltimore a week later in the
home finale.
The Rams are
21-31 ATS at home, but they know they are a far better team than that this year
and can prove it versus Philadelphia (12/10) and San Francisco (12/31).
Miami (25-39 ATS) and the Jets (22-33 ATS) are both
dismal home clubs late in the season. Will the Dolphins continue to falter
against Denver (12/3), New England (12/11) and Buffalo (12/31)? And will
the Jets have any chance against Kansas
City (12/3) and the L.A. Chargers (12/31) in New Jersey?
With two division road
games, Oakland (23-36
ATS) has to beat the Giants (12/3) and Dallas (12/17) to stay in the race.
AWAY TEAMS
Bad: The Chicago Bears on
the road is like coal in your stocking when backing them, since they have a
horrific 17-35 ATS record. They will be tooling around the Midwest to
Cincinnati (12/10), Detroit (10/16) and Minnesota (12/31) and probably not find
much success.
Keep an eye on (Bad): It must be not too bad to be in the Bay Area
this month because Oakland and San Francisco are second-rate away from home.
The Raiders are 20-35 ATS in road whites
and will have AFC West contests in Kansas City (12/17) and Carson, CA (12/31).
If that is not hard enough, a Christmas Day affair with Philadelphia is on tap.
The 49ers (20-37 ATS) are at Chicago on the
3rd, at Houston the following week and wrap up everything at the Rams (12/31).
Two other NFC squads are
notorious away spread losers. Dallas (23-38 ATS)
has three such games and probably will miss the playoffs having to travel to
Oakland (12/17) and Philly (12/31), but first will face the Giants
(12/10). Tampa Bay is
slightly better, but not by a great deal at 21-33 ATS and takes a plane to
Lambeau Field (12/3) and then on to Charlotte three weeks after that.
FAVORITES
Keep an eye on (Good): Seattle is 30-20
ATS as favorites this month and after being a home underdog for the first time
since 2012 against Philadelphia, Seattle should be favored against the Rams
(12/17) and Arizona (12/31) and quite possibly at Dallas (12/24).
Green Bay is 52-27 ATS the last month of the season,
but that was with a better quarterback than Brett Hundley. Only the game in
Cleveland (12/10) will they have a chance to improve that mark.
Keep an eye on (Bad): Dallas in an
unsightly 22-37 ATS as December favorites and the way their season is going,
they might only be favored one more time and that will be in New Jersey against
the Giants on Dec. 10th.
Like the Cowboys, Miami (23-45
ATS) looks to have only one shot at being favored and that might be on New
Year's Eve against Buffalo.
UNDERDOGS
Good: The Seahawks are a
sparking 40-20 ATS as late-season underdogs. They will in the role for the
first time in 47 games versus Philadelphia on Dec.3rd and possibly a week later
in Jacksonville.
Keep an eye on (Good):
Carolina is a high quality
30-17 ATS when catching points this month will be in that role on the first and
last Sunday of the month in New Orleans and Atlanta. Another team that fits
this bill is New England at
21-12 ATS and they could be in the role at Pittsburgh (12/17).
Keep an eye on (Bad): For a long time, Chicago has
been a late-season bust at 24-41 ATS and they are in that spot in three road
games vs. the Bengals (12/10), Lions (12/16) and Vikings (12/31).
With the
L.A. Rams vastly improved, chances are they can better
record as pooch at 22-41 ATS. Those chances will come presumably against Philly
(12/10) and at Seattle seven days later.
DIVISION
Good: The Panthers are money
in December in division action at 40-20 ATS and play each team once. The NFC
South road contests are mentioned in - Underdog - section and they will host
Tampa Bay on Christmas Eve.
Keep an eye on
(Good): The Patriots and Seahawks
are both 31-18 ATS in division action. New England actually
has four AFC East encounters (two with Buffalo), while Seattle is
home to the Rams and Cardinals in Weeks 15 and 17 respectively.
Jacksonville is a none too shabby 23-16 ATS and takes
on Indy (12/3), Houston (12/17) and at Tennessee to close the regular season.
Keep an eye on (Bad): Here's a shocker, Cleveland is
10-19 ATS against division foes late in the year. Look for the negativity to
continue versus Baltimore (12/17) and in the Steel City (12/31).
The Rams will
have three shots at bettering 20-32 ATS NFC West mark on the odd-numbered
Sunday's, facing each team.
The high-flying Eagles are
22-34 ATS against fellow NFC East foes and will try and take it out on the
Giants (12/17) and Cowboys (12/31).
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