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The PodbudsmentIn celebration of the 20th version of this podcast, Bill decided to implicate his daughter's boyfriend in an interstate betting scandal. What a king. While I doubt said boyfriend logging in as Bill in Massachusetts to make California Bill's bets for him will carry a real penalty, it has caught the ire of the state's gaming commission. Bill fell on his plastic sword at the beginning of his last pod with McShay - pleading ignorance and cracking jokes along the way - to nip this in the bud. (Take note, Good Good)

But there will be ramifications behind the scenes as FanDuel will not be pleased by the added scrutiny and appeasing of the commission that will have to take place. While Bill not being an employee will help FanDuel (Barstool's missteps happened while owned by PENN gaming), it's not a positive for sponsorship negotiations between the two parties moving forward.

I talk about "Page 2" Simmons as the wild inner voice that occasionally re-emerges on the pod. This was "Digital City" Simmons, the one who thinks absolutely no one is paying attention. As Bill was revving up to share his crimes, you could tell Cousin Sal, a veteran of gambling media, saw the trouble ahead and offered trolling encouragement as only he can. A classic Joe House chuckle followed and Bill's desire to make people laugh took primacy over any instincts for caution and discretion. Just an elite Simmons moment in Year 20.

NFC East

TeamBillSal
Philadelphia Eagles10½ WINSOVER 10½UNDER 9½
Dallas Cowboys9½ WINSOVER 9½UNDER 9½
Washington Commanders7½ WINSUNDER 7½OVER 7½
New York Giants7½ WINSUNDER 7½UNDER 7½
Notes

Philadelphia Eagles10½ WINS

BillOVER 10½: He sees one of the league’s five most talented rosters, a top-three offensive line and a team that reliably lives in the 10–11-win range.

SalUNDER 9½: Sal dislikes the offense’s identity after losing A.J. Brown and projects a step back to 9–8, choosing the adjusted under rather than 10½.

HouseOVER 10½: House is bullish on Philadelphia’s talent and the weaker division around it, calling this an Eagles division despite hating the idea personally.

Dallas Cowboys9½ WINS

BillOVER 9½: His first lock: Dallas looks like one of the NFC’s seven best teams, with an 11–6 ceiling and a strong chance to benefit from two weak division rivals.

SalUNDER 9½: Even while sharing some of the optimism, Sal lands at 9–8 and wants the Cowboys to prove their rebuilt defense can hold up.

HouseUNDER 9½: House also projects exactly nine wins, citing uncertainty over whether the defensive improvement will translate.

Washington Commanders7½ WINS

BillUNDER 7½: A lock built around the Tunsil injury, a shaky line protecting a slight quarterback and a schedule that could leave Washington 0–4.

SalOVER 7½: Sal expects better injury luck after Washington leaned on old players and had only seven games of Jayden Daniels; he finds eight wins on the schedule.

New York Giants7½ WINS

BillUNDER 7½: He doubts Jackson Dart can stay healthy, is out on John Harbaugh and sees a brutal road schedule for a team that may shut players down late.

SalUNDER 7½: Sal makes it a lock, projecting 5–12 because the core offensive players cannot stay together and the defense allowed too many explosive plays.

NFC North

TeamBillSal
Detroit Lions10½ WINSOVER 10½UNDER 10½
Green Bay Packers9½ WINSUNDER 9½OVER 9½
Chicago Bears9½ WINSOVER 9½UNDER 9½
Minnesota Vikings8½ WINSUNDER 8½UNDER 8½
Notes

Detroit Lions10½ WINS

BillOVER 10½: Detroit’s loaded offense, easier cross-division schedule and potential Gibbs eruption outweigh the injury concerns; he lands at 11–6.

SalUNDER 10½: Sal still thinks Detroit is good, but calls for 10–7 amid offensive line questions and the possibility that another supposedly easy game slips away.

HouseOVER 10½: Detroit won nine despite terrible injury luck; House believes the softer schedule supplies enough wins to reach 11.

Green Bay Packers9½ WINS

BillUNDER 9½: Bill lands at 9–8 because both lines look below average, Micah Parsons may miss half the season and the receiver group has thinned out.

SalOVER 9½: Sal projects 11–6, trusting Jordan Love, a less cluttered receiver rotation and Matt LaFleur’s consistent offensive floor.

Chicago Bears9½ WINS

BillOVER 9½: Bill believes in Ben Johnson as a perennial 10-win coach and thinks Chicago’s Top 7/8 offense can withstand the obvious regression warnings.

SalUNDER 9½: Sal expects the extraordinary late-game turnover and fumble luck to cool, leaving the Bears at 9–8 despite continued improvement.

Minnesota Vikings8½ WINS

BillUNDER 8½: He sees Kyler Murray as a poor fit for Justin Jefferson, remembers Murray’s losing track record and does not think the defense has enough talent.

SalUNDER 8½: Sal also projects seven wins, doubting Murray will run or attack downfield and expecting Minnesota’s defensive losses to show.

NFC South

TeamBillSal
Tampa Bay Buccaneers8½ WINSOVER 8½UNDER 8½
New Orleans Saints7½ WINSUNDER 7½UNDER 7½
Atlanta Falcons7½ WINSUNDER 7½UNDER 7½
Carolina Panthers6½ WINSOVER 6½OVER 6½
Notes

Tampa Bay Buccaneers8½ WINS

BillOVER 8½: A hard lock: Tampa has a Top 3 line, abundant offensive firepower, Tristan Wirfs back and enough defensive talent to dominate a bad division.

SalUNDER 8½: Sal gives every NFC South team seven wins, noting Tampa’s fifth OC in five years and Todd Bowles’ poor record outside the division.

New Orleans Saints7½ WINS

BillUNDER 7½: After repeatedly changing his mind on-air, Bill’s final answer is 7–10; House’s skepticism breaks the tie in his head.

SalUNDER 7½: Sal again settles at seven wins, seeing enough division mediocrity to stay competitive but not enough quality to clear the number.

HouseUNDER 7½: House’s direct answer is under, even though he likes the Saints relative to the other teams inside the division.

Atlanta Falcons7½ WINS

BillUNDER 7½: His strongest NFC opinion: Atlanta has the league’s worst front seven, little receiving depth and a declining line; he projects 4–13.

SalUNDER 7½: Sal agrees they are bad but stops at seven wins because the NFC South itself supplies opportunities.

Carolina Panthers6½ WINS

BillOVER 6½: Bill likes the second-year growth of Tetairoa McMillan, five useful defenders and solid special teams to steal the seventh win.

SalOVER 6½: Sal also lands on seven, calling Carolina fortunate but capable of hanging around the division race into Week 18.

NFC West

TeamBillSal
Los Angeles Rams11½ WINSUNDER 11½OVER 11½
Seattle Seahawks10½ WINSOVER 10½OVER 10½
San Francisco 49ers9½ WINSOVER 9½OVER 9½
Arizona Cardinals3½ WINSUNDER 3½UNDER 3½
Notes

Los Angeles Rams11½ WINS

BillUNDER 11½: The roster is elite, but an exceptionally difficult five-game opening stretch keeps Bill around 11 wins.

SalOVER 11½: Sal projects 13–4, trusting the blue-chip talent, deep run game and a special teams unit that should be easier to repair.

Seattle Seahawks10½ WINS

BillOVER 10½: One of his favorite bets: Bill sees 13 wins, the No. 1 seed and a defending champion strong enough that every loss will feel surprising.

SalOVER 10½: Sal ultimately agrees, respecting what Seattle accomplished despite Sam Darnold’s turnovers and expecting the defense to keep it near the top.

HouseOVER 10½: House has Seattle winning the division with 12 victories, ahead of the Rams and 49ers.

San Francisco 49ers9½ WINS

BillOVER 9½: Bill begins on a tiny under but changes to 10–7, while still imagining they lose a playoff tiebreaker.

SalOVER 9½: Sal sees 11–6, with Miami, Arizona and Denver providing enough built-in wins to offset the extraordinary travel.

HouseOVER 9½: House calls for exactly 10 wins because the schedule includes too many favorable matchups, especially Washington and the Giants.

Arizona Cardinals3½ WINS

BillUNDER 3½: Bill cannot find four wins against the league’s toughest schedule and sees Arizona as a leading candidate for the first pick.

SalUNDER 3½: Sal locks the under, pointing to an 0–6 division record, a brutal slate and little reason to expect the offense to rescue them.




AFC East

TeamBillSal
Buffalo Bills10½ WINSUNDER 10½OVER 10½
New England Patriots10½ WINSOVER 10½UNDER 10½
New York Jets5½ WINSOVER 5½OVER 5½
Miami Dolphins3½ WINSUNDER 3½UNDER 3½
Notes

Buffalo Bills10½ WINS

BillUNDER 10½: A reluctant 10-win under driven by Buffalo’s brutal opening schedule, thin defense and overwhelming dependence on Josh Allen.

SalOVER 10½: Sal refuses to take wins away from a team with six straight 11-win seasons and an indestructible quarterback who manufactures points.

HouseOVER 10½: House is in lockstep with Sal: if Allen plays, Buffalo’s established floor is 11 wins.

New England Patriots10½ WINS

BillOVER 10½: Bill sees 11 wins from a stacked roster, Drake Maye and a schedule full of weak quarterback opposition.

SalUNDER 10½: Sal expects a four-win regression from 14–3 and lands exactly at 10 despite respecting the offense’s ceiling.

New York Jets5½ WINS

BillOVER 5½: Bill finds seven wins because last year’s three-win team traded away stars midseason and should get more from Geno Smith against several weak quarterbacks.

SalOVER 5½: Sal joins the over despite his disbelief, conceding the defense cannot repeat a full season without an interception.

HouseOVER 5½: House likes the eight new defensive starters, especially additions such as Minkah Fitzpatrick, and sees meaningful improvement.

Miami Dolphins3½ WINS

BillUNDER 3½: Miami is paying most of its highest-priced players not to play, may have the league’s worst secondary and faces a long list of elite quarterbacks.

SalUNDER 3½: Sal gives Miami only three wins, citing a barren receiver room and a schedule with six playoff opponents in the first nine games.

HouseUNDER 3½: House settles the discussion succinctly: even a 3–14 projection is still an under.

AFC North

TeamBillSal
Baltimore Ravens10½ WINSOVER 10½UNDER 10½
Cincinnati Bengals10½ WINSUNDER 10½OVER 10½
Pittsburgh Steelers8½ WINSOVER 8½UNDER 8½
Cleveland Browns5½ WINSUNDER 5½UNDER 5½
Notes

Baltimore Ravens10½ WINS

BillOVER 10½: A lock at 12–5: Bill expects Jesse Minter to be a major upgrade and a motivated Lamar Jackson to punish a favorable schedule.

SalUNDER 10½: Sal is jealous of Bill’s case but sticks at 10–7, worried about an aging run game and a playoff-team gauntlet.

HouseUNDER 10½: House expects a first-year adjustment under Minter and projects 10 wins before a bigger leap later.

Cincinnati Bengals10½ WINS

BillUNDER 10½: Four great players are not enough for 11 wins when the line cannot protect Joe Burrow and any injury to a star could sink the offense.

SalOVER 10½: Sal reluctantly buys the popular case: an easier schedule and improved defense should let Burrow’s offense reach 11.

HouseOVER 10½: House is drinking the Cincinnati Kool-Aid, believing late-season defensive improvement plus the soft schedule gets them to roughly 11.

Pittsburgh Steelers8½ WINS

BillOVER 8½: Bill sees another 10–7 knuckleball season, trusting the franchise to grind out wins even if Aaron Rodgers cannot finish the year.

SalUNDER 8½: Sal projects 8–9 because last season went about as well as possible and the aging Rodgers-led offense should regress.

HouseUNDER 8½: House expects a meaningful step back once Pittsburgh’s remarkable one-score success no longer has Mike Tomlin behind it.

Cleveland Browns5½ WINS

BillUNDER 5½: Even with an easy schedule and two strong drafts, Bill sees 5–12 because the incentives favor a quarterback reset and the line and defense have slipped.

SalUNDER 5½: Sal also lands at five, arguing that losing Myles Garrett means the defense can no longer carry a disastrous quarterback situation.

AFC South

TeamBillSal
Houston Texans9½ WINSOVER 9½OVER 9½
Jacksonville Jaguars8½ WINSUNDER 8½OVER 8½
Indianapolis Colts8½ WINSUNDER 8½UNDER 8½
Tennessee Titans5½ WINSUNDER 5½OVER 5½
Notes

Houston Texans9½ WINS

BillOVER 9½: A 12–5 lock built on the conference’s best defense, a top coach and an offense that only needs C.J. Stroud to rebound modestly.

SalOVER 9½: Sal also has 12 wins, believing Houston’s defense can win games even if Davis Mills has to play.

HouseOVER 9½: House goes all the way to the 12-win alternate total, expecting the new offense to help both Stroud and the offensive line.

Jacksonville Jaguars8½ WINS

BillUNDER 8½: Bill cannot get past Jacksonville’s costly Travis Hunter trade and weak draft.

SalOVER 8½: Despite acknowledging regression signals, Sal trusts Trevor Lawrence’s confidence and projects a second straight double-digit season.

Indianapolis Colts8½ WINS

BillUNDER 8½: Bill doubts Daniel Jones can reproduce last year while returning so quickly from a torn Achilles and nearly makes it a lock.

SalUNDER 8½: Sal does make it a lock at 6–11, expecting Jones to lose the mobility that powered last season’s offense.

HouseUNDER 8½: House loves Shane Steichen but will not endorse a quarterback returning this quickly from an Achilles injury.

Tennessee Titans5½ WINS

BillUNDER 5½: Bill finds only five wins and says Tennessee must beat nearly every other bad team on its schedule to clear the number.

SalOVER 5½: Sal projects eight, expecting improved receivers and major free-agent spending to make the defense better.

AFC West

TeamBillSal
Denver Broncos9½ WINSOVER 9½UNDER 9½
Kansas City Chiefs9½ WINSUNDER 9½OVER 9½
Los Angeles Chargers9½ WINSOVER 9½OVER 9½
Las Vegas Raiders5½ WINSUNDER 5½OVER 5½
Notes

Denver Broncos9½ WINS

BillOVER 9½: An 11–6 lock: Denver can block, defend and lean on Sean Payton, giving it a sturdier foundation than more star-dependent contenders.

SalUNDER 9½: Sal projects 9–8 because last season’s one-score fortune should reverse and the first six games are punishing.

Kansas City Chiefs9½ WINS

BillUNDER 9½: Bill calls it a transition year: Travis Kelce and Chris Jones are aging, the secondary was reset and the late schedule is savage.

SalOVER 9½: Sal will keep betting Patrick Mahomes until given a reason not to and expects normal one-score and division results to restore 10 wins.

HouseUNDER 9½: House is even further out, citing an extremely young secondary and a pass rush and line that have not improved.

Los Angeles Chargers9½ WINS

BillOVER 9½: Bill lands exactly at 10 because Jim Harbaugh belongs in the 10-win club, though the interior line and difficult rest schedule keep it slight.

SalOVER 9½: Sal locks in 11, expecting healthier tackles and Mike McDaniel to improve a red zone offense that underachieved last year.

Las Vegas Raiders5½ WINS

BillUNDER 5½: Bill cannot find six wins once the division and games against the AFC East and NFC West are counted; the roster still feels incoherent.

SalOVER 5½: His most embarrassing over: Sal sees seven wins from a better line, heavy free-agent spending and a more competitive Kubiak offense.

HouseUNDER 5½: House follows Bill’s schedule math and does not see enough available victories to get Las Vegas to six.