LAS VEGAS
Gonna clue you in to some of the CRAZY that is happening the next few weeks here in Vegas leading up to Super Sunday, and you better have your wallet WIDE open. No matter where you go, it's gonna cost. Just depends on the venue and what you wanna drink & eat.
Before we get there, we do have some pretty cool things that are 100% FREE! If you're interested in hitting the card tables for blackjack or poker, there are a handful of casinos that will sharpen up your game for FREE!
The Golden Nugget, Luxor, MGM Grand and Mandalay Bay all have lessons every day, and if you wanna roll some dice and learn about craps, the Venetian & Palazzo is your spot every Friday at 11:00 AM. And we probably mentioned this before, but the Pinball Hall of Fame on the Strip is free as well. Just get yourself a bag of quarters and enjoy the machines.
Also Casa Ecks-Rated has room for another five humans!
GUYS ONLY!!!
All of the Gentlemen's clubs in Vegas are gonna be packed to the rafters, so we suggest that you reserve a few weeks early to secure a spot. If you're coming with a group of dudes for a bachelor party, or just to watch the Super Bowl, check out these spots.
- Crazy Horse 3 is just across the street from Allegiant Stadium, and they have a variety of packages ranging from $99 up to $250.
- Sapphire is just a few minutes from the Stadium and you can walk through the door for $100 and get a plate at the Big Game Buffet.
- If you do have a bunch of knuckleheads with you, ask for the Pro Bowl Booth. It'll cost you $1,500 for the group, for 10 dudes, which is only $150 per. You get the buffet and a $1,500 bar credit.
- But if you wanna experience a few more joints, there's the 'Strip Club Crawl.' Starting at $99, you get VIP entry, and transportation, to Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, Peppermint Hippo and Spearmint Rhino. If I can swing it, you might find me at one of these joints!
LOX & BAGELS!!!
Pressure. It ain't only the athletes that feel the heat. This guy, your guy, is looking to stay PERFECT in the playoffs and that's PRESSURE! Millions of eyeballs are looking my way and expecting to bulk up their bank accounts like we did the first two weeks with our 4-0 run. My goal is to be the Dolphins of 1972, the ONLY team EVER to pitch a PERFECTO!
So, on to the early game. First some history. The Ravens and Chiefs met back in Week 2 in 2021 in Baltimore and the Ravens squeezed out a 36-35 win. Not saying that these teams are identical, but Lamar Jackson and Patrick Mahomes were both under center and Andy Reid and John Harbaugh were both coaching.
In case you were wondering, Lamar was 18-of-26 for 239 yards with one TD and two INTs. Patrick was 24-of-31 for 343 yards with three TDs and one INT. Jackson rumbled for 107 yards and Travis Kelce grabbed seven balls for 109 yards.
Will that translate to this matchup? Maybe, maybe not.
Think the defenses are better and if it's a wet track (weather.com says there is a 94% chance of rain), the offenses might be at a disadvantage. So, which way are we turning? Gonna throw down another delicious teaser.
This time it'll be a two team 6-point tease. Take Kaycee and bump 'em up from +4 (a bunch of +4s have popped up here in Vegas) to plus 10 points. Why? With the exception of Super Bowl LV when the Chiefs lost to Tampa 31-9, Kaycee has not lost a playoff game by more than six points in the last EIGHTEEN games under Andy Reid!
Then we move to the late game and take the Lions up from +7 to +13 points against the 49ers. Why? Just read a quote from Detroit head coach Dan Campbell and I'm JACKED! Talking to his troops in preseason, Campbell said, "It’s our core foundation, men. Grit. What does it mean? Really, in a nutshell, I think it means we’re going to go a little bit longer, we’ll push a little harder, and we’ll think a little deeper, and a little sharper. To me, it means, we’ll play you anywhere. We’ll play you on grass, we’ll play you on turf, we’ll go to a (expletive) landfill. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you have one (expletive) cheek and three toes, I’ll beat your (expletive)."
Now I'm ready to run through a wall! Of course, when K.C. covers the +10, you can tickle San Francisco at -7 and enjoy a SIX point middle. Your call.
My day would not be complete without a quick ride to Prop City. And just like last week, we're looking at the Jahmyr Gibbs receiving yards prop. The Over/Under total is listed at 22.5 yards, just like last week, and we're going Over, just like last week. Last week, Gibbs caught four balls for 40 yards, and the week before, Jahmyr grabbed four balls for 43 yards against the Rams. Enjoy Championship Sunday!
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Benjamin Eckstein is a nationally syndicated sportswriter/oddsmaker. His column, America's Line, with the Ecks & Bacon appetizer, has run in the New York Daily News and over 100 other papers since 1988. You can follow him online at www.americasline.com. He is beloved by most, when he picks winners, and detested by others, when he picks the occasional loser. If you wanna piece of Eck, hit his Email...ben@americasline.com.
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