All I want for Christmas is some snow football. Unfortunately, this weird thing has been happening the last couple of years where it’s 50 degrees all over the country on Christmas Day but then it’s still freezing cold in May. We might need to have a serious discussion soon about shifting the holiday calendar so that Halloween is in December, Thanksgiving is in January and Christmas is in February. The temperature in those months is now much closer to matching the correct vibes for each holiday.

However, this is not a think piece on the Roman calendar, holiday dates or the impending doom of climate change that is going to be the end of us as a species. This is about gambling your hard-earned Christmas money on 19-year-old college kids who are only seeing the field because the starter and the normal backup both opted out of the Camellia Bowl. This Is about trying to explain to your family why you need to keep the TV on a game between Trevor Siemian and Sam Howell because the total is in the balance on the last drive of the game. It’s about Christmas for Christ’s sake!!!!

Here are my quick Christmas Movie rankings before we get into the games:

  1. Elf
  2. Home Alone (1 and 2 back-to-back, package deal)
  3. Christmas Vacation
  4. Love Actually
  5. The Grinch (original animated)

New kid on the block: The Holdovers- this just came out a few weeks ago so most people haven’t seen it but it has immediately entered my annual Christmas movie rotation

Not a Christmas movie: Die Hard

Underrated: The Night Before (2015)

Pretend to only want to watch it because your significant other does but actually, it’s pretty charming and Cameron Diaz is a 10 (so is Jude Law for that matter) and maybe you get a little choked up about the magic of the Christmas spirit and love and redemption: The Holiday

The Games

Instead of going league by league with NFL and NCAAF, I’m going to go day-by-day in case people don’t tune in until Saturday/Sunday/Monday they can easily find what they’re looking for.

I have already written a CFB preview for 12/22 and 12/23 so read here to get more on those games. I will run through them quickly here so everything is together but there is a little more in the main CFB piece.

Friday 12/22

Georgia Tech +5, o66.5 vs. UCF- This is the lone bowl game of the day but I expect it to be a really fun one. Neither of these teams wants to play much defense and both teams have had massive boom or bust performances this season so truly anything could happen.

Saturday 12/23

Duke/Troy u45- Neither of these teams have a head coach and Duke doesn’t have a QB. These are already two very good defenses but now opposing offenses are even more depleted.

Arkansas State ML (-108) vs. NIU- Fading the MAC in a coinflip spot is always fun. This line has moved out to -3 but I would still play it there.

Utah State ML (-113) vs. GA State- Georgia State has been horrific in the second half of the season. Utah State is flat-out the better team.

Air Force +2.5 vs. JMU- It’s the Armed Forces Bowl, Air Force should have a better crowd and be the healthiest they have been in a long time. Their motivation level should be high vs. a JMU team that has been decimated by the portal/coaching departures.

South Alabama -15 vs. E. Michigan- Eastern Michigan is the worst bowl team in history. Close your eyes and lay the number.

NW +6.5 vs. Utah- NW has defied the odds all season. Highly motivated squad. Back them one last time here.

SJSU -9.5 vs Coastal- My sharp friends disagree with me here but I think this is a smash spot for SJSU. Coastal seems more content with the free trip to Hawaii while I think SJSU is here to win the game and win big against a Coastal team that plays no defense.

Steelers +8.5/Commanders +9 Teaser- Jake Browning’s play has gotten worse every week in my mind and he has been flirting with a disaster-class game. The Bengals needed 100 breaks to beat the Vikings last week. This is the last stand of Mike Tomlin’s home dog spots, if he loses this one he is officially toast. Getting over a TD against Trevor Siemian? Duh.

Bills/Eagles/Bears MLP (-101)- The Chargers are the sharp side ATS and normally I love those spots but I just can’t back Easton Stick against the truck that is the Bills. The number is too high for sure but that is why I am taking the Bills in this MLP. The Eagles should roll against the Giants but lump them in here because of potential backdoor spots with a huge spread. Then I think the Bears win at home because they’ve been playing really well but they love playing field goal games so let’s complete the MLP with them.

Sunday- Christmas Eve

1.5u Falcons (some on +2, some on short ML) vs. Colts- Nothing like spending the afternoon of Christmas Eve sweating out Taylor Heinicke. Unfortunately, the home Falcons are a wagon and the Colts are frauds so we move.

Titans +8.5/Texans +8.5 Teaser– Even without CJ Stroud, I think the Texans just have some magic that will allow them to hang in this game and have a chance to win late. Also, Flacco is putting up numbers but he is also attempting to give games away and is due for a total stinker. The Titans are great as home dogs and Seattle coming off their huge win are in a great fade spot.

Cowboys +7.5/Broncos -0.5 Teaser- I think the Cowboys win the game so I love getting over a TD. Also, I hate backing Mr. Unlimited but the Patriots are so pitiful that I need to do this.

Cowboys ML (+102) vs. Dolphins- Like I said, I think the Cowboys win the game. In the Fraud Bowl, there can only be one true fraud at the end of the day and that is the Dolphins.

Number that no longer exists- Falcons +8/Vikings +9 Teaser- I bet this when the Falcons were +2 and it no longer exists. However, I do like the Vikings teaser leg which is still very much in play so feel free to pair that with any of the other legs I have presented here.

Number I wouldn’t take now- Texans -2.5- I took the Texans on open assuming that CJ Stroud would be back this week. Unfortunately, I got it wrong. I would not play the Texans at the current number but I do like the teaser leg now. I’ll be rooting for this anyway in my anti-CLV pick of the week.

Monday- CHRISTMAS

Raiders +10 vs. Chiefs- The Chiefs have been so below their standard this year that it’s easy to forget that they have always been awful in these spots. Under Mahomes, they just don’t cover as big favorites in these spots. The Raiders have been really scrappy under Antonio Pierce and AOC is playing pretty well. I think this game just lingers and the Raiders keep it close the whole way.

1.5u Ravens +5.5 vs. 49ers- This is the spot! The Ravens are such an awesome team but the 49ers have been crowned unbeatable by the public. This is the moment for Lamar to prove himself in a massive game against an elite D with the whole country watching. I think this is a FG game in either direction.

Tuesday- 12/26

Minnesota -3.5 vs. BGSU- I don’t love this game but I can’t back Bowling Green in a bowl. I just can’t.

Kansas/Texas State/VA Tech MLP (+131)– A juicy one here! Kansas/UNLV should be a fun shootout and could get weird but I think the Bean Man gets the W. Texas State’s offense should roll and with no JTD, Rice can’t keep up. VA Tech had a sneaky solid season as they get their program back on track and Tulane without Fritz and Pratt should be disjointed.

Wednesday- 12/27

WVU -6.5 vs. UNC- This WVU is really fun. They run the ball as well as anyone and play solid defense. I hate this UNC team and without Drake Maye, they should be even worse.

Lousiville -7.5 vs. USC- USC has no players? I don’t love Louisville but Plummer should be fine against the ghosts on the USC defense.

Notre Dame/TAMU MLP (-115)- Notre Dame/OSU is one of the worst bowls in terms of opt-outs. However, Notre Dame is in a better spot with their HC still being there and more upperclassmen sticking around. TAMU is a scary one but at the end of the day they are more talented and I think they find a way against this horrific OKST defense. (this should have much better odds now then when I took it)

That’s it for the Christmas extravaganza! I hope you all have a magic holiday season, get plenty of great presents and most importantly win all of your bets spend time with your family. Cheers!