All Episodes

December 30, 2022 • 47 mins

Ben Maller and Danny G. have a special broadcast for you, as the popular BENNY VS. THE PENNY takes over the Friday podcast for yet another week! Is the Penny making a comeback? Who'll get more football picks right in NFL Week 17... Ben, after hours of research, or an inanimate object? Every game is picked against the spread, with Maller-style analysis!

...Subscribe, rate & review "The Fifth Hour!" https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-fifth-hour-with-ben-maller/id1478163837

Engage with the podcast by emailing us at RealFifthHour@gmail.com ...

Follow Ben on Twitter @BenMaller and on Instagram @BenMallerOnFOX ...

Danny is on Twitter @DannyGRadio and on Instagram @DannyGRadio

#BenMaller

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kabooms. If you thought four hours a day dred minutes
a week was enough, I think again. He's the last
remnants of the old republic, a sole fashion of fairness.
He treats crackheads in the ghetto gutter the same as
the rich pill poppers in the penthouse. The Clearinghouse of
Hot Takes break Free for something Special. The Fifth Hour

(00:23):
with Ben Maller starts right now in the air everywhere
as we are back at it in the podcast Ojo
The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller and Danny G. Radio.
And it is Friday, and that means it's a pick

(00:46):
up Hellosa, strike up the band. Welcome players, You're welcome,
are you? It's time now penny versus the penny. All right,
let's get started. Danny G a man who is fighting

(01:08):
the good fight? Is that how we say that? Danny
will get more to that on the podcast. But you're
you're a trooper. Through the magic of technology, you were
able to be here and you're not contaminating anyone. I
was quarantined upstairs the whole time by myself, not the

(01:29):
first time I've been alone on a holiday bend, so
it was okay. My girl still made me feel cool
on my birthday though, I got to go outside for
a few minutes, and now I feel like I've really
been let out the loony bin for a walk on
the wild side. To join you for a podcast. Wow,
this is a podcasting while COVID. Now, I was able
to do the show when I had the COVID because

(01:52):
it up and and all that. I just hit the
cough button a lot. So when you need a cough
at all button, you're good to go. So this is
Benny Versus the Pay podcast. We'll get into Danny G's
life and times and the situation that he's going through
on the Saturday podcast. But this being Benny Versus the Penny.
It is already week seventeen of the NFL, which means

(02:14):
we have this week next week, and then the playoffs start. Playoffs,
as our former colleague Jim Morris said back in the
day there so that will be coming up in a
couple of weeks down the line. And so this is
the next to last weekend we will pick every game
in the NFL. We'll continue this all the way up
until the super Bowl, and then we'll do something else

(02:35):
on these Friday podcasts. We'll get back to having people
hang out with us on the Friday podcast. But let's
look back at week sixteen of the NFL season. Before
we look ahead, we must look back. And there were
sixteen games on the NFL card over the holiday weeken,
most of them played on Saturday. And how did we do? Overall?

(02:57):
Got off to a very good start in week sixteen,
yours truly, but then they kept playing games and it
didn't go so well for me as the weekend progressed.
Now I ended up a middling eight and eight, which
you don't make money when you go eight and eight.
You have to get fifty two point four or better
of your bets correct to make money. So I lost

(03:18):
money at five, eight and eight. How did the penny
do you ask, I'm sure the penny kicks the mass. Uh, well,
the penny did kick my ass. The penny ended up
winning and had a ridiculous hot speak here. The penny
finished ten and six, got off to a terrible start,
won seven of the final eight games on the card

(03:41):
after starting the weekend three and five. So it was
a reverso where I I got off to a good
start and then took a shifter, and then the penny
they got off to a mediocre start, and they went
seven of eight to close out the weekend. So they
end up ten and six. Now, I lost three games
by one or as three games by a point or less,

(04:05):
but I can't be less than a point. But the
Patriot Bengal game, Patriots came back, had the ball, they
were driving down the field, and there was a fumball.
They were inside the red zone. That killed me. Cowboys Eagles.
Eagles fumbled deep inside Cowboy territory. They were driving the

(04:28):
ball down the field. They ended up losing by five.
They were four point underdogs. And the Ravens and Falcons
game lost that also by a mirror point. So three losses.
But but I don't feel bad about that, Danny, because
I feel like I handicapped the game. It was right there.
It was anyone's game. And sometimes you're the fire hydrant,

(04:50):
sometimes you're the you're the dog, and then in this case,
I was the that was the fire hydrant. But that's fine.
I think it was close's I'd rather have that than
get my doors blown off like I in with the
For some reason, I thought the Broncos defense would show
up against the ramp. They lost by forty points, So yeah,
it does cut both ways. I'd rather I'd lose. I'd

(05:10):
rather lose my point because that tells me my gambling
instincts were proper as opposed to to the Broncos didn't
even show up and should have just taken Christmas off
against the Rams in that game. But that's what has happened.
And now let's see what's going to happen as we
get out to Crystal Ball, get to the week seventeen card,

(05:31):
and we already picked the Thursday night game. We did
that on social media because there was no radio show
this week because we're dark in sabbatical on the radio
back this weekend on Sunday night. But we'll start out
first game on the card for US Carolina six and
nine at Tampa Bay seven and eight. It's on Fox.

(05:52):
This is the A game for Fox. Kevin Burkhardt and
Greg Olsen have the call. Buccaneers opened originally a six
and app point favorite, that's all the way down to
three and the forecast humid and overcast temperatures in the
seventies at Raymond James Stadium, the house the T. J.
Reeves built in Tampa and the slight lean on the

(06:14):
handle towards the Carolina Panthers. But the Buccaneers don't look now,
but Tom Brady and the Buccaneers and NFL worst for gamblers.
If you bet on the Buccaneers blindly against the spread
every week, you have gone three eleven and one this season.
That is the worst mark in the NFL. Tampa one

(06:36):
eleven and one against the spread their last thirteen games,
and the Carolina Panthers on the other side since they
made the coaching change. Steve Wilkes the interim coach, unlikely
to be the permanent coach. But Carolina seven and three
against the spread in the Steve Wilkes era as coach,
and I'm gonna take the Panthers in this game. I'll

(06:58):
take Carolina on the road. It as a small underdog.
Actually like Carolina a lot in this game. The running
game of Deonte Foreman and Cuba Hubbard to get chunk
plays against that Bucks defensive front. They're not gonna be
as good as they were last week against the Lions
and historic first half of that game. But it's imperative
that Carolina run the ball because you don't want to

(07:19):
expose Sam Donald too much. He's like a vampire. You
you throw the ball too much, it's like the vampire
with sunlight, bad things happen. The Buccaneers have been winning
games with spit, duct tape and w D forty at
this point. They the last four weeks, Tom Brady has
seven touchdowns, seven interceptions, and he's averaging barely over five

(07:44):
and a half yards per past. Terrible numbers for Brady.
You're not allowed to criticize him, though, Danny, because he's
Tom Brady, and the Brady defense team will activate and
circle the wagons. But those mistakes very costly. It's certainly
a game like this the if there's are just the
better team. Lately, they've been the better team. I say

(08:04):
that continues this week. Their defense and will be able
to slow down an offense for Tampa which is not
that hard to slow down. Panthers two Buccaneers twenty the
final and the Penny would like to remind you that

(08:25):
we have a famous drop where you say you love
Tom Brady so much that you would cuddle with him
going with Tampa Bay. Well, there was a point when
every other show was all Tom Brady all the time,
but we've moved on from that. Now it's only twice
a week. It's Tom Brady. I love Tom Brady. I
would cuddle with him, that's how cool he is. So

(08:47):
you used to have to do monitor. You were forced
into ball monologues. Remember, oh yeah, Oh there was even
a ball song that we played on a regular basis.
That was fun that. The flight Gate scandal was good.

(09:08):
That was good talk. That's good scandal radio for sports talk.
That was a fun time. I'm glad I got to
be on the radio during and you were part of that. Danny,
we had we had a plast with that. It was fun. Balls.
I was wonderful. Had the Belichick news conference where he
you know, he was yapping, and then Brady got up
there and he was talking about the balls, how he

(09:29):
likes his balls, and it was it was lots of ball,
dozens of ball drops. It was a lot. I was.
I was holding ball, touching balls, you name. It had
a lot of balls. It was. It was solid alright.
Next up Cleveland six and nine at Washington seven, seven

(09:50):
and one. It's on Fox with Adam Aman and Mark Labor.
They have the call Commanders opened at two point favorite.
They are favorite by I won most people betting on
the Browns in this game. It's at FedEx Field, overcast,
temperatures in the fifties at kickoff for this game. The
Browns last ten road games they have a losing record.

(10:12):
For gamblers. There are four and six under Kevin Stefanski
Washington six three and one against the spread, their last
ten under Ron Rivera, and the pick is in. I'm
gonna take the Commanders in this game. There's a quarterback change,
Carson Wentz taking over for the Commandos, and I am
not a big fan, not a big fan of him.

(10:34):
I'm not betting on this game because of Carson Wentz.
I think he's a middling quarterback. And this is actually
a similar situation if Taylor Heineke had started. I don't
think there's much difference between when Wentz and Heineke. But
I am betting against the Shawn Watson. He's played now
a month, and in that month, the Cleveland Browns are
averaging two or ninety six yards per game. Since Watson

(10:57):
made his debut, that's twenty six in the NFL. He
is simply not producing year uh, not getting it done.
Just two touchdown passes, three interceptions, averaging less than six
yards per attempt. At say slow offense, a plotting offense
for Cleveland Washington. The strength of this team, you wouldn't

(11:17):
know it based on the game with the forty Niners
last week is the defense. They have a top ten
fringe defense in the NFL based on some of the
stats you mix in Brian Robinson, that running game against
the Cleveland defense, which is still injury ravage and Washington
only favored by a point, is the right side in

(11:37):
this game they should win by closer to ten points.
Commanders twenty four, Brownies six team will be the final
and the penny go on the other way saying this
is the week Deshaun Watson is going to get off
the table, you know they Yeah, So he'll get out

(11:58):
of the baby yoga pose and you'll get into a
different pose like the Chargers coach the other day with
his pose before the game that you see that video,
Oh my god, quite the video of anyway. All right,
New Orleans, Uh, the the game there New Orleans and Philadelphia.

(12:18):
That's the next game as New Orleans comes in six
and nine. Popular Record the NFL Philadelphia thirteen and two.
It's on Fox with Joe Davis and Darryl Johnston The
Eagles opened a seven point favorite, their favorite by five
and a half most people betting on the Eagles. That
scares me a little bit. Overcast and fifty degrees at

(12:41):
kickoff at The Link in South Philly, the house that
Tony Bruno used to watch games at back in the day.
The Saints opened up in this game getting getting a
fair amount of money, but the Eagles now getting pretty
much everything as far as the gambling handle is concerned.
Dennis Allen has coached Answer two and five against the spread,

(13:02):
Philly six and one against the spread at home and
New Orleans. They have been really bad against the better teams.
They are owing three their last three games against teams
that every winning record. I'm gonna take the Eagles here.
It's uh, it's a favorite. I don't normally bet the favorites,
but I'm gonna take Philly here. Good spot for them.
Even with Jalen Hurts bad shoulder, he has not practiced

(13:25):
and is not expected to play. The Eagles have not
made that official at the time. We are doing Benny
versus the Penny, so it's still up in the air,
but we are comfortable with Gardner Minshew, who played well
in stretches against Dallas. The big bugaboo and it's a
massive thing if you're a gambler betting on a favorite
is the turnover game. Two interceptions and two fumbles backbreaking

(13:49):
killed us against the Cowboys last week. But the Eagles
were able to matriculate the ball up and down the field.
That sloppiness doing them in. But Gardner Minshew averaging eleven
point to air yards per attempts, second highest average of
his career. The big key here is getting that Philly

(14:10):
defense on track. They were flambaided by the Cowboys for
nineteen yards. They with a ten point second half lead
in the third quarter in that game. The good news
is Andy Dalton is starting for the Saints and he's
good for a couple of turnovers himself Eagles seven and
then all in Saints twenty the final and the penny

(14:38):
is also riding with the Eagles. Alright, so we agree
on that. Next up, boy, this is a game that
it has no redeeming value. Arizona four and eleven at
Atlanta five and ten. It's on Fox with Jason Bennetti
and Brady Quinn for your your guy. Brady Quinn, who

(15:00):
back in the day you worked on that show them, uh,
and now you're on the midday show. But anyway, Brady
Quimby calling this game part of the Fox Sports Radio Family.
The Falcons opened up a three point favorite, and they
are favored by three and a half right now. Most
people betting on the Falcons inside the climate controlled Mercedes

(15:23):
Benz Stadium. The Falcons two and eight against the spread
their last tennis home favorites Atlanta three and seven over
their last ten overall against the spread with Arthur Smith
as coach, and Arizona's got those great numbers as a
road underdog their nine and two against the spread. This
the final couple of games of J. J. Watt. He

(15:45):
announced this week that he's hanging up the shoulder pads
and the helmet. He's done at the end of this season.
Cardinals not going to the playoffs clearly, but I am
gonna take Arizona this game. Last place teams going head
to head, Cardinals have lost five games and roll straight up.
Falcons have dropped four straight. Colt McCoy though he's gonna play.

(16:06):
You say, who cares he sucks, But listen, he's the
lesser of evils in this game. Colt McCoy coming off
the concussion protocol back for Arizona and Trace McSorley, who
was as bad as advertised. Somehow, that game went to
overtime against Tampa Bay, which is more about the Bucks
than it is the Cardinals. But Colt McCoy will be

(16:28):
able to make a few players. You really don't need
that much. This game will be nip and tuck, and
I really think the key is you're getting that half point,
the three and a half. Most likely this game decided
by a field goal. Either Atlanta wins by a field
goal or Arizona wins by a field goal. Either way,
you're gonna win the bet with the three and a half.
So I'll take the Cardinals plus the three and a half,

(16:50):
Arizona nineteen and Atlanta sixteen the final. And just like you,
the Petty would like to do a jersey exchange with
Colt McCoy after the victory. Okay, there you go. Get
you gonna get some grits and hang out with your
own Drenovitch our our buddy done in Atlanta, part of

(17:13):
the Fox Sports Radio Alumni Association. He's retired now. It's
crazy when I hear people retire like it's weird. I'll think,
get enough money to do that. I know, well he
did TV. That's why sense not just radio. Jacksonville seven
and eight at Arizona to twelve and one. It's on
CBS with Andrew Catalan and James Lofton. The Jags opened

(17:37):
a five and a half point favorite. They're favorite by
four and a half slight lean on the handle the
Houston in this game at n RG Stadium inside the Dome,
the house that Chris and Houston built. Jacksonville has lost
seven straight games outright as a favorite, including all three
this season, and that is actually tied for the fourth

(18:01):
longest streak in the Super Bowl era of Jacks have
not been great on the road overall. They didn't win
the game against the Jets, the last the road game there,
but they take gone the Houston, the worst team in football.
Jack's five and ten against the spread on the road
with Trevor Lawrence. Doug Peterson has not been great. Second

(18:22):
consecutive road game, two in seven against the spread. So
I'm giving a lot of numbers here, but I'm gonna
take the textas of this game. Jacks as a road favorite,
not comfortable. First time they've been a road favorite all
all season long. Here, they have been favorited in only
three games this year, and they have lost all three

(18:44):
games outright as a favorite. So win or lose this
is an odd game because win or lose it doesn't
matter for Jacksonville. They are ensured of a winner take
all game for the a f C South with Tennessee
in Week eight teen. So they win this game by
seventy points, it doesn't matter. They can lose this game

(19:04):
by fifty points, it doesn't matter. Houston, meanwhile, they've done
very well lately and and the overall in the division
Houston three and oh against the spread their past three
games as a dog and uh for gambles against a
FC South divisional opponents, they're nine in three against the spread.

(19:25):
We'll take the Jags to win it, but not cover
the number. Jacks twenty four, Texans twenty three, the final
and the penny. He's also wags in on his boring
game by taking the Jags alright Jacksonville that the new
hottie among the quarterbacks is Trevor Lawrence. Though he's the

(19:46):
guy getting hyped up, Daddy, He's not my hottie, but
he's he's been good for me lately. But you know, jack,
I bet you Jacksonville ends up on multiple prime time
games next year because the NFL marketing Arm they get
together in the off season a resort, usually in Florida,
and they go into a room and determine who who

(20:06):
the sexy teams are for the following year. And they
need that. They need to keep cultivating the next generation
of quarterbacks. And so Trevor Lawrence is gonna get a
lot of luck. Even though Jacksonville is not not a
national team. They're not a you know, a great they
don't have a great following, but they're gonna try to
build one up with Trevor Lawrence. So alright, next up

(20:27):
Chicago three and twelve at Detroit seven and eight. It's
on Fox. Friend of the Show. Kenny Albert and Jonathan
Vilma have the call. Lions opened up a six and
a point favorite, their favorite by six. At this moment,
most people think this is free money. Just bet on
the Lions. It's like a broken a T M machine

(20:50):
overcast in forty degrees in the Motor City, but the
game is being played indoors, the great indoors at Ford Field. Bears.
Check this out there. Oh in seven against the spread
their last seven games versus teams that have a winning record,
the Chicago oh and three their past three road games

(21:11):
the Lions. This is an odd spot. There's six point
favorites laying their most points in a game since way
back in twenty nineteen. So this is uncharted territory recently
for the Lions. Detroit enters four and no against the
spread their last four at home, seven and one against
the spread their past eight games regardless of location. They

(21:33):
got their doors blown off by Carolina last weekend. I'm
gonna take Chicago in this game. The Lions run defense
sprung a major league in Carolina last week. They got
absolutely trampled in that game by the Again and the
Yang and the Panther running attack. Detroit still missing a
couple of players on the defensive side of the ball,

(21:55):
including Deshan Elliott, the safety and the information that we
have year and so the Bears. The one thing the
Bears do is run the ball. And so you've got
to think that David Montgomery and Khalil Herbert in the
backfield and then justin fields the dual threat quarterback. It's
gonna be like the Autobahn running the ball around there
and Jared Goff will be better. It's not. He's playing indoors,

(22:20):
the great indoors, their climate controlled environment inside the dome,
but not enough to cover the six points. Lions twenty seven,
Bears twenty four the final, and the penny is the
president of the Jared Goff Fan Club going with Detroit alright,

(22:41):
de Detroit Football. Next up, Miami eight and seven at
New England's seven and eight. It's on Serris with Iron
Eagle and Charles Davis, friend of the podcast, and they've
got the call on this. Patriots and the Dolphins actually
opened a two point favorite. Patriots are a two and
a half point favorite now, Dolphins originally favorite by two

(23:04):
on the early line. Patriots getting a fair amount of
the money. Foggy conditions at Gillette Stadium and kickoff, don't
talk about to his head like that. Temperatures in the
low fifties at kickoff. Dolphins have been a miserable road
team for gamblers this year, with Mike McDaniel one five
and one against the spread. Many people think though that

(23:27):
this is a good spot for the Dolphins because Teddy
Bridgewater in his career has been a very profitable quarterback
forty two twenty two. His record forty two wins, twenty
two losses against the spread in his career, twenty four
and eight against the spread as an underdog and nineteen

(23:48):
and four against the spread as a road underdogs. So
those are some big time numbers. That's an eight winning
percentage against the spread as a road dog for gamblers.
But I'm going the other way. I'll taken up Patriots
with two a tog of ilo and the concussion protocol
Bridgewater starting this game. The Patriots secondary. They have been
fleet bitten recently. It does not bode well against Tyreek

(24:10):
Kill and Waddle and the big playmakers that Dolphins have.
Mild weather, but I'm counting on the Patriots making Miami
a one dimensional team, taking away the running game with
that great front seven that the Pats have, and Mac
Jones will do his part against the Dolphins secondary. R
overall twenty nine and past defense that secondary over the

(24:35):
last month. Here Patriots thirty three Dolphins six the final
and the penny going the other way taking the fins alright.
Disagreement on that. Next up, Denver four and eleven at
Kansas City twelve and three. It's on CBS with Greg Gumble,

(24:56):
who hates sports talk radio, and Adam arch A. Let Uh.
The Chiefs opened up here at ten point favorite. They
are favored by twelve and a half on the home
field that Arrowhead Stadium, Temperatures in the forties at kick
off in the heartland of Kansas City. Now. Russell Wilson,
who's back starting for the Broncos again, has never started

(25:17):
a game in which his team was a double digit underdog.
Last time it was close. I think the last time
he seems played, he was like eight and a half
or nine point underdogs that came back in Denver. But
this will be the most lopsided point spread of Russell
Wilson's career. He is six and oh against the spread,
including this season when getting at least seven and a

(25:40):
half points. So I'm gonna take the Broncos in this game.
Kansas City one and nine in their last ten against
a FC opponents. They are three eleven and one their
last fifteen against teams that have a losing record against
the spread. We know Denver made the coaching change. They
finally got rid of Nathaniel Hackett in his first season.
Room move the team quit against the Rams and somebody

(26:03):
named Jerry Rossberg takes over the clock management coach on
an interim basis, Will this be a spark for the Broncos?
I say yes. I say yes. Teams playing in their
first game after firing their coach are fifteen and ten
against the spread since ten outright wins in eighteen opportunities

(26:26):
as underdogs, and the Broncos laid down against the Rams.
That reminded me when I used to cover the NBA.
I'd see teams do that when they were tired of
their coach. They just they would lose by forty points
on a random night to get the coach fired. That's
what the Broncos did against the Rams last week. But
now you bounced back divisional game, and there's a golden rule.

(26:47):
Anytime you get over a touchdown in a divisional game,
you always take the points. You don't ask questions. I
expect a much better effort by Denver to prove to
the ownership that Hackett was the problem. Cans us. He
will win this game, but they will not cover the number.
Chiefs twenty six, Broco's seventeen the final and the penny says,

(27:11):
make that two and nine against the spread, going with
the Chiefs. All right, Next up Indianapolis four ten and one,
pu what stinks? That's Nick Foles and the New York
Giants eight six and one. It's on CBS with Kevin
Harland and Trent Green. The Giants opened up a three
point favorite, and they are favorite in the swamp lands

(27:33):
of Jersey by six. Most people believe the Giants free money,
a lot of money coming on the Johnson Another foggy condition.
The early forecast has foggy conditions, temperatures in the high
forties at met Life Stadium. And I'm gonna take the
Colts in this game. Don't don't tell anybody, Danny, but

(27:54):
I'm gonna take the Colts here. It'll be our little secret,
uh the future home of Derek Carr Well, yeah, yeah,
that's a possibility there Washington. Daniel Jones as a favorite
in his NFL career, has been favorite twelve times, has
a losing record five and seven against the spread. Indie,

(28:15):
they're in a tough stretch, one in six against the
spread their last seven Sunday road games, and Nick Foles
was not worth a bucket of warm spit in his
starting debut. It looked like he won a raffle to
play quarterback, Like they took him out of the upper
deck at the Colts game and they're like, hey, would
you like to play quarterback? And they don't have Jonathan Taylor,

(28:38):
and I you know, Zack Moss. Is it just a
jag running back? Just a guy and in these defense
that is the strength, that's the strength of this team.
But the last month they've been blood in their twenty
nine overall their eleventh in the NFL. But the last
month or twenty nine, every trend says, bet the Giants,
Bet the Giants, Bet the Giants. But I say, no,

(29:00):
the Giants even other eight six and one, and he
still have a lot to play for. I don't trust
him as this big favorite. I'm gonna zig when everyone
else is zagging, and the Giants sig the cult. They're
gonna need a couple of turnovers in order to get
some points on the board. But I'll take the Giants
twenty four and the Colts twenty the final and the

(29:26):
penny is smoking the la la la, just like you
going with the Colts. We agree on that. Agree with
the Horseshoes. Next up on the card, the j e
t s Suck Sucks Sucks seven and eight and Seattle
also under five hundred at seven and eight. It's on
Fox with Fox Sports Radio alumnus Chris Myers and Robert Smith.

(29:51):
They have the call. Seattle opened a two and a
half point favorite. This game is a pick them, It's
a pick your no special Seattle getting most of the
money here over of the handle in terms of the
money on the Seattle at the stadium now named lumin
Field overcast and the kickoff temperature at forty degrees in

(30:15):
Chile Seattle. Seattle enters having failed to cover the spread
six straight games. That is tied for their longest streak
since the year two thousand. It's also tied for the
longest such streak in the NFL this season, tied with
Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike White expected to return

(30:36):
here as the starter for New York and the Jets
have a two and one against the spread record in
his starts. I'm taking the Jets in this game. We
have seen the real Geno Smith and it ain't pretty.
He was an m VP candidate up until he wasn't
an MVP candidate. Over the overall, he was the five

(31:00):
frank quarterback. He is still the fifth rand quarterback in
the NFL last three weeks, though, Is it true that
Geno Smith has five touchdowns, three interceptions, of passer rating
below and less than six yards per attempt? As his
numbers have gone down, down, down, down, down, down down

(31:23):
like a broken elevator all the way to the basement.
And part of that is Tyler Lockett's been out and
you've had just DK Metcalf the last couple of games.
Lock It should be back on the field, but Sauce Gardner,
the shutdown defensive back, He's gonna take away either Metcalf
or lock It. Pick your poison. And the Jets are

(31:45):
very enthusiastic about Mike White's return. I'm not a huge
believer in Mike White. He's been spotty. Had a big
game against the Bears this year, had a big game
last year against the Bengals. Other than that, it has
not been pretty. But side by side, compared to Zack Wilson,
this guy is Tom Brady two point oh. I'm talking
about Mike White, Jets Seahawks twenty the final And like you,

(32:14):
the penny is a big White fans going on with
the j E t s sucks, sucks, suck. All right.
The Seahawk fans not quite as braggadocious Danny as they
were a couple of weeks ago about Geno Smith. They've
been moaning a little bit the last month. Understandable, all right.

(32:35):
Next up San Francisco, the San Francisco treat. That would
be brock Purty against the loss Vegas Raiders Ers coming
eleven four, Vegas six and nine. It's on Fox. Kevin
Coogler and Mark Sanchez have the call. Danny G will
be watching this game. The Raiders opened up a four

(32:56):
and a half point favorite originally and that has gone
all the way backwards. Not Niners, a ten point favorite.
Ten point favorite for the Forts Allegiance Stadium. The site here, overcast,
temperature in the fifties. Yeah, that's the story. Derek Carr
has been sent to the googlag. He's gonna be watching

(33:17):
the game with Danny G on his sofa there. Demoted
sent home all because Mark Davis wants to save the
possibility of an injury guarantee. It's like thirty three million
dollars that the amount of money extra the Raiders would
have to pay if Derek Carr were to get hurt
the last couple of games, and they clearly have decided

(33:39):
he's not gonna be on the team next year, so
they don't want to deal with that nonsense. And the
Raiders will play Jared Stidham the last couple of games
of the year, and that is what's known in in
my world as a white flag situation. They'll flag us
up for the Raiders. They're thrown in the sponge. Uh
that said, I actually I'm take the Raiders in this game.

(34:00):
And the reason I don't know that this is a
downgrade between Stidham and Car. We don't know what we're
gonna get from Stidham. We know over the last month
Derek Carr had six touchdowns and seven interceptions. He wasn't good, Okay,
So it's not like the Raiders are are benching rich

(34:21):
Gannon in an m v P season. This is not
what's going on here. I am concerned. The one thing
that scares me. I'm taking the Raiders, though. I'm concerned, Danny,
that the locker room is going to rebel because even
though Car sucks, the team seem to like him, and
I'm worried this is gonna be like the Broncos last
week against the Rams, where they just go out there

(34:42):
and get smoked, uh and lose like fifty five, you know,
fourteen or something like that. But I'm taking the chance
that these guys will be professionals and they'll they want
to impress the coach because he's gonna be there. There
By all indications Mark Davis is not gonna blow out
the coaching staff again, so they'll have some stability on

(35:03):
the sidelines. Forty Niners will win this game, but they
will not cover the spread. Forty Niners twenty seven, Raiders eighteen.
I may need a backdoor cover, but I'll take the
Raiders plus the points going with the Niners, and I
will say stead him look good running Josh McDaniels offense

(35:28):
in the preseason. Granted that's against a bunch of turds,
but he still looked efficient running that offense. So it'll
be interesting to see how he does Sunday. I think
the Niners will win. I just don't think they'll cover.
That's a double digit line, so I and almost anytime
you get double digits you take the points. Other than
the game on Thursday when you had the Tennessee Titans

(35:49):
with their high school offense. Alright, Minnesota twelve and three
at green Bay seven and eight. It's on CBS with
Jim Nance and Tony Romo. This is the big game
on the CBS, the Columbia Broadcasting Systems, and I'm gonna
take the Vikings. The Packers a three and a half

(36:09):
point favor in this game. They opened at two and
a half. I'm taking the Vikings. Most people betting on
the Packers. Mild temperatures by a green Bay weather at
lambeau Field, mostly cloudy forty two degrees at kick off,
and the frozen tunterra green Bay thirteen, seven and one
against the spreading games started by Aaron Rodgers. When the

(36:31):
spread is within a field goal. This is over a
field goal, though it's three and a half. The Packers
three and oh against the spread their last three games.
Minnesota oh in three against the number their last three games,
Vikings one in six their last seven as an underdog.
But i am gonna take Minnesota. The Packers have been

(36:51):
living a charmed life here. Three straight wins, including giveaways
that they were they were the beneficiary of Justin Fields
couple of the mistakes, fourth quarter at Soldier Field three
weeks ago to a tongue of Bylowa in the fourth
quarter last week were three consecutive drives, three consecutive interceptions.
You toss in the Rams who were frozen over once

(37:13):
they got off the plane from l A at Lambeau Field.
So everything's going right bending the direction of the Green
Bay Packers. But I say it ends here. Aaron Rodgers
goes against a Viking wretched past defense ranked in the
low twenties, close to thirty in the NFL. But we'll

(37:33):
likely not have Christian Watson. Even if Watson plays how effectively,
be has got a bad hip, they'll be less than
And these teams played early in the year Minnesota able
to get some things done here. This is a field
goal game, so another one of these games. I feel
like it comes down to the end field goal game
either way, And if you're getting the three and a half,
which we are, you're gonna win either direction. If the

(37:56):
Vikings win, they win there the underdog. If the Packers
win by a field goal, you win because the line
is three and a half. So I'll take the Vikings.
I mean, Minnesota wins outright. Minnesota twenty six and the
Green Bay Packers twenty three the final. Penny likes the

(38:17):
Packers to stay hot, going with green Bay all right,
Penny disagrees with me, going with the Packs Next. Next
up the Battle of Los Angeles. Ye all, I am.
It's five and ten the Los Angeles Chargers at nine
and six Charges going to the playoffs. It's on CBS
with Spirodida's who lives in Orange County I'm told? And

(38:39):
Jay Feely and they have the call. The Chargers opened
up a nine point favorite. They are favored by six
and a half and a lean on the money. The
handle goes to the Chargers. Temperatures in the fifties at
kick off at SO five Stadium in l A on

(39:00):
one day. That's a winter winter, remixed by l A Standards.
Chargers Justin Herbert eight and thirteen as a favorite of
three or more in his career Rams. They have yet
to cover against the team or a winning record their
oh and five against the spread. But I'm taking the Rams.
You can ram it all day, you can ram it
all night. The Rams are back, baby. They got the

(39:21):
Baker and it's a Baker's dozen for Baker Mayfield. That
performance was a simpatico performance by Baker against the bron
because not granted it's because Denver wasn't really interested in playing,
but man, Danny Gee, I couldn't believe it. I thought
Baker Mayfield was at Oklahoma playing like Texas Tech or
something that was wild. And you have a smirk on

(39:44):
your face as you're saying, all, I don't think he's
that good, But he was that game man, Sean McVeigh.
This is the great lab experiment for Sean McVeigh to
see if he's still got the Midas touch. And it's
a means to an end for the Rams. And they
don't know whether Stafford's gonna come back next year, even
though he says he's not retiring. Will he be able

(40:04):
to play cam Akers look like Eric Dickerson or or
Marshall Falk or whoever you want. Oh my god, he
was great. Uh. And and that is a weak spot
for the Charge. I actually like the the Rams more
because of their running game with cam Akers than I
do because of Baker Mayfield. The weakness and the Charges
is stopping the run. Rams have a little bit of

(40:25):
extra rest here, and this is a gift from the
gambling guys I think the Rams win this outright. Charges
already wrapped up a playoff spot Rams thirty Chargers seven,
the final battle Battle of l A smash hit for
Baker Mayfield the penny. The penny is also smiling right now,

(40:50):
going with your lambs all right? The can ram it
all day or ram and all night, all right? Next
up Sunday night, Pittsburgh seven and eight at Baltimore ten
and five. It's on and b CE Mike Tarico wearing
his peacock outfit with Chris Consworth and they have the call.

(41:12):
The Ravens opened up a four point favorite, and they
are favored by two and a half. As Baltimore tries
to catapult their way past Pittsburgh, most people seem to
think the Steelers on the right side. Clear temperatures that
kickoff at MT Bank Stadium, temperature in the mid fifties
in Baltimore for this game. I'm gonna take the Steelers

(41:36):
in this game. Now, I'm going against John Harbaugh, the
Ravens fourteen and one, with hardballs, coach straight up at
home versus rookie quarterbacks like Kenny Pickett. But over the
last month, Pittsburgh they actually have the NFL second ranked
defense over the last month. They're really balling. Only the
Chargers defense has been better in terms of yards per game.

(41:59):
All the indication just have them matching up well with
Baltimore because of injuries. Tyler Huntley the backup quarterback and
start this game. It would appear at the time we
are doing Benny versus the Penny, Lamar Jackson with a
bad knee. He is still in the twilight zone off
in the distance there in terms of playing. Lamar Jackson

(42:22):
has not practiced for four straight weeks, an entire month.
He has missed practice. Also, I looked at the Ravens
injury tent Calaius Campbell's got a bad knee, Marcus Peters
a calf injury. They were not on the practice field
this week as well. For the Poets and the Steelers,
the healthier team t J Watt the disruptor in the middle,

(42:47):
and Kenny pick It will make enough plays to get
her done. These games almost always come down to the
very end. I'll take the Steelers nineteen and the Ravens
sixteen the final, and the Penny says the Steelers won't

(43:08):
have Derek Carr throwing passes to them this week going
with the Ravens alright now next up Monday Night Football.
This is the only game this weekend that has two
teams with a winning record matched up against each other.
So this is the main event and it's not until
Monday Night. Everything else's milk toasts compared to this game.

(43:31):
As the Buffalo wagon rolls into the NATI Buffalo twelve
and three, Cincinnati eleven and four. It's on ESPN with
the Fox refugees Joe Buck and Troy Aikman as they
bring all the Dow hickeys with them there to Cincinnati.
The Bills opened up a one and a half point favorite,

(43:53):
and that game now a pick them on Monday Night Football.
So not for the faith of heart. This game a
game designed for the penny, a pick up game, Bengals
getting slightly more money at Paul Brown Stadium, cloudy fifty
two degrees that kick off and a chance of rain

(44:13):
during the game as Joe Burrow thirty one and eleven
against the spread one not favored by more than a
touchdown and Burrow and the Bengals have covered seven straight
games as an underdog, including the playoffs last season. Cincinnati,
those seven straight covers that's tied for the longest streak

(44:35):
in the Super Bowl era. Bengals are twelve and one
against the spread their last thirteen games, and they are
twenty and three against the spread their last twenty three games,
including the postseason last year. That is quite the role
I say it continues here. I'm gonna take the Bengals
in this game. It is a showcase game in the NFL,

(44:57):
a couple of heavyweights in the a f C. As
they d get out mono a mono. There is a
key injury here, Cincinnati losing right tackle Lall Collins to
a torn knee, and so that popped the tire for
the Bengals on the turnpike. Here, it's next man up
to protect Joe Burrow. The Bills, they are still dealing

(45:20):
with the cracked windshield of Vaughan Miller, who's out for
the year on defense, So that really ex is out
each other. You've got a key lineman out for Cincinnati,
key pass rusher out for Buffalo. The Bills pass rush
has not been nearly as efficient of late, and Buffalo
has been a very good team when the spread is

(45:41):
either plus three two minus. Through their fifteen five and
two against the spread, but I'm gonna take Joe Burrow
and the Bengals to edge it out. This game will
go back and forth and back and forth, and in
the end, the ben Gals will stand to top the
Mountain Bengals twenty seven Bills twenty four the final, and

(46:10):
the Penny says, you will end the weekend on a
low going with the Bills. Boo who who? All right?
That is it for Benny versus the Penny. Good luck.
Remember practice responsible gambling, don't bet every game like we do.
Pick your spots and have fun and we'll see how

(46:31):
we do. And tell a friend, Tell a friend. You know,
somebody loves to bet on football and they want to
hear free picks and information on every game. You can
hear it right here every single Friday during the NFL
season all the way through the postseason. And We've got
a whole weekend of podcast, even though I'm supposed to
be on vacation. We will have podcast on Saturday and

(46:54):
Sunday as we get over the hump for the weekend
and close out. I'll have a final podcast for on Saturday,
and then it's on to and we'll we'll get to
that and all the fun coming up. We have big
plans in and we'll get to all that straight ahead.
Thank you for listening and we will catch you next

(47:16):
time later. Skater population
Advertise With Us

Host

Ben Maller

Ben Maller

Popular Podcasts

Crime Junkie

Crime Junkie

Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.

24/7 News: The Latest

24/7 News: The Latest

The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.

Stuff You Should Know

Stuff You Should Know

If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.