Grab some green and some sleep

I must admit, I did everything I could yesterday to avoid watching that snoozefest between the Patriots and Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium.

Bought a Christmas tree, put it up, finished the outdoor lights, tried (and failed) to do a holiday-themed mannequin challenge with the family. The only reason I even checked in with the game after the first 20 minutes was to see if my advice was going to deliver. And it did. Last week, I suggested the Rams would be sleepy because of the cross-country flight and early (Pacifically speaking) start time. It didn’t hurt that Jared Goff was the quarterback. Fans in Los Angeles certainly are hoping this year’s No. 1 overall pick will live up to that lofty status, but he doesn’t look like much more than the next Johnny Manziel or EJ Manuel or Geno Smith or Brandon Weeden.

Goff’s pathetic performance clinched a Patriots cover in their 26-10 victory. They were favored by 131⁄ points in most places, and if you listened to my sage prediction, you beefed up that holiday savings account. The Pats improved to a stunning 9-3 against the spread this season.

If you bet the over, it was a rough day. Way too many punts (14), penalties (12), field goals (five) and incompletions (31, including 18 by Goff) to get above the 44-point line. The Rams only had 162 net yards, and it’s shocking they found the end zone, even in garbage time. The under was the right call for the eighth time in 12 Pats games, which is strange when you consider the issues they’ve had on defense.

Now it’s on to a Monday night showdown against notorious whiner John Harbaugh and the Baltimore Ravens, who embarrassed the Miami Dolphins yesterday, 38-6. The Ravens are very much in the thick of the AFC playoff race, tied atop the North with the Pittsburgh Steelers at 7-5.

The Pats opened as 9-point favorites, a ton of chalk against a pretty good team, even with the game being played at home. The total is likely to settle in the low-to-mid 40s.

I can’t see the Ravens coming here and winning. Tom Brady is playing too well, and the Pats defense was decent yesterday. But the Pats haven’t exactly faced the best opposition lately, and Baltimore is a clear step up from their past three tomato cans (the Rams, Jets and 49ers). A double-digit win is a lot to ask. Let’s take the over instead. We’re more than due for an exciting, highscoring affair that doesn’t put us to sleep.