Videos and quotes often inspire people in mysterious ways. They show us how others struggle to survive and make it worth living, thus giving us the motivation to strive for bigger and better in life. A few days ago, a video was shared by IFS officer ParveenKaswan on Twitter, showing a bizarre natural phenomenon. A shoal of fish was seen swimming upstream against the flowing water.

Kaswan shared the video with the caption, Need #motivation, just watch this video. Believe me, you have seen nothing like this. Hillstream fish migrating upstream. This video shot by KaleshSadasivam from the Western Ghats is incredible, showing how they are resisting the force of water & slowly moving upstream.

In the video of hill stream, tiny fishes can be seen putting in efforts to migrate upstream. The fishes valiantly labour against the force of water as they slowly move.

The video has since then gained 28.9K views, making a number of people to watch the aww-spiring effort. People posted motivational comments on the clip. While one user wrote, Wow, nature is amazing, unbeatable, irresistible. It will prove that nature is above everything, others couldnt resist but call the video amazing.

Heres what people had to say:

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Watch: This Video of Fish Swimming Upstream is All the Motivation You Need - News18

Titans defensive lineman Jurrell Casey was miserable at the end of last season.

Casey suffered a knee injury in the teams December 22 win against the Redskins, and he wasnt able to play in the season finale vs. the Colts. The Titans lost that contest, and their season ended as a result.

I probably cried the first couple of nights, Casey told Titans Online back in February. I know it wasnt too bad of a crazy injury, but just to know that I wasnt able to help my team the following week, couldnt participate in one of the biggest games of my career with my teammates, it hurt. It hurt me bad.

A year later, Casey is set to play in another win-and-in scenario contest. If the Titans win on Sunday in Houston, theyll advance to the postseason. Casey has 56 tackles and four sacks on the season. He recorded the 50th sack of his career against the Saints.

The ending of the 2018 serves as more motivation for Casey heading in to Sunday.

It was a terrible feeling, Casey said on Thursday. Not only was I injured, but knowing I had no way to help the team, it was a struggle. It is something I had to deal with the entire offseason. But I have an opportunity now and I thank the Lord everything is good to go. To get an opportunity, and to have a chance to help my team try and get into the playoffs, its all you can ask for.

Original post:
Thursday's Quick Hits: Jurrell Casey's Year-Long Motivation, Preparing for Houston's Starters, and the Titans Injury Report - Titansonline.com

DALLAS The most important factor in the Cotton Bowl wont be a scheme or a play call, according to Penn State coach James Franklin. It will be about motivation.

Mentality in bowl games is critical, Franklin said. You see it every single year. This is the biggest game in Memphis football history, in my opinion. I think our guys have prepared well, but we better be ready for a dogfight.

The 10th-ranked Nittany Lions (10-2) are favored by a touchdown against No. 17 Memphis (12-1) in the Cotton Bowl today at noon at AT&T Stadium (TV-ESPN).

Two of Penn States previous three losses, a 31-26 decision at Minnesota in November and a 27-24 defeat to Kentucky in the Citrus Bowl last season, came against teams that played with a greater sense of urgency from the start.

The Golden Gophers built a 24-10 lead and the Wildcats rolled up a 27-7 advantage before the Lions made late, futile comebacks in each game.

Memphis plays with a lot of emotion and confidence. The Tigers have won 12 games for the first time and are playing in their first New Years Six bowl game. Their only loss came at Temple, 30-27.

This is a very good football team, Franklin said. This is a well-coached football team. This is an extremely prideful team. We better be ready to play.

Memphis watched head coach Mike Norvell and two assistant coaches leave earlier this month for Florida State. Its regular right tackle and tight end arent playing today.

But Penn State special teams coordinator Joe Lorig doesnt expect a dropoff. He coached at Memphis from 2016-18 and knows the roster well.

Ive been talking about the grit and grind that Memphis has, the way wed always play up in big games when I was there, Lorig said. Wed play with a chip on our shoulder. These guys will play their very best football against the very best opponents.

The Tigers feature an explosive offense, which ranks eighth in the country in scoring (40.5) and 10th in total offense (480.7).

Quarterback Brady White has completed 64% of his passes for 3.560 yards and 33 touchdowns with nine interceptions. Kenneth Gainwell, the American Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year, has rushed for 1,425 yards and 12 touchdowns. Wide receiver Damonte Coxie has 68 receptions for 1,144 yards and nine scores.

They just find ways to manufacture yards and points, Franklin said. Theyre very good at the skill positions. The quarterback has a really good feel and understanding of how to run the offense and how to take what the defense is giving. Their running backs and receivers are as good as we have seen this year.

Penn State poses a stiff test, ranking fifth in the country in rushing defense (97.7) and seventh in scoring defense (14.1).

The Penn State defense is the best weve seen, said Ryan Silverfield, who was named head coach after Norvell left. Their front seven is phenomenal. Their back-end guys play well. Theyve got first-rounders up front. They have an All-American linebacker (Micah Parsons).

Its going to be a challenge. I think our offense is one thats accepted a lot of those challenges.

Defensively, Memphis blitzes frequently and allows a lot of big plays. The Tigers have been vulnerable against the run, allowing 171.6 yards a game.

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is expected to return after missing the last game and a half with an unspecified leg injury.

Theyre going to come out swinging, said Journey Brown, Penn States leading rusher. Were going to bring our own juice. If they dont match ours, its going to be a lopsided game and vice versa if we dont bring a lot of juice for ourselves.

Its all about mentality, said Penn State center Michal Menet, the former Exeter standout.

The team that wants it more and that comes out most ready to play from the first snap is the team that probably has had the most focus and best preparation, Menet said. Thats ultimately whats going to set that team up to win.

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For Penn State and Memphis, Cotton Bowl is all about motivation - Reading Eagle

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Michael Pierce on Motivation: It's the Pittsburgh Steelers - BaltimoreRavens.com

Second-and-9 on the Titans 42-yard line.

It was the fourth quarter of the final game of the year, mere moments separating the Titans and Seahawks from finishing disappointing 2009 campaigns one decade ago.

No playoffs in sight for either team that afternoon, just the promise of a long plane ride home for the Titans, the opportunity to dwell upon what had happened to a season that began with championship aspirations.

But wait, what was this?

Why the pulsating energy in the Titans offensive huddle late in the contest? Why the electricity putting a charge into the chilly, gray afternoon at Qwest Stadium?

There was 37-year-old center Kevin Mawae, on the verge of completing a 16-year NFL career, showing the fire of a rookie as he charged up his teammates.

This is it! This is it! Mawae said, his eyes focused on running back Chris Johnson. Lets make history!

The Titans other starting offensive linemen ...

Original post:
'Let's make history!' Chasing 2,000 yards was motivation for the Titans and Chris Johnson in a lost 2009... - The Athletic

Rivalries are part and parcel of sport but five-time Paralympic champion Hannah Cockroftbelieveshaving British teammate Kare Adenegan as her main competition is driving her onto Tokyo success.

Adenegan beat Cockroft over the T34 100mtwice in 2018: once in the Diamond League in London where the young star set a world record, and later at the European Championships in Berlin.

ButCockroft re-stamped her authority over her younger British rival at the 2019 World Para Athletics Championships,securing double gold in Dubai.

Retaining her crowns in the 100m and 800m ensured the 27-year-old clinched her 11thand 12thtitles atworld level and put her back on top as the one to beat.

Gold wasnt the only glory Cockroft gained in Dubai, as she reclaimed her 100m world recordina time of 16.77 seconds.

But knowing Adenegan is just behind will continue to spur her on.

Kare and I obviously dont talk around the track. Its an odd relationship between us, Cockroft said.

When were on the track were each others top rivals, so you cant be best friends. You cant give the game away to each other, but actually off the track were fine!

Shes a lovely girl, a hard worker and shes given me that competition that Ive been asking for my entire career.

No one can say now, oh youre only winning because theres no one near to you. I won this year because I was the best.

Knowing that Kare is there is what will keep me going through to Tokyo. Ill maybe train harder, it will motivate me.

And I know that Ill be her motivation to try to get that world record back.

Cockroft emerged as an outstanding racer at London 2012 when she secured theParalympicsprint double,winning the T34 100m and 200m.

Four years later and Hurricane Hannah retained her 100m title in Rio de Janeiro but also added gold medals in the 400m and 800m to her palmares.

With this yearsWorld Para Athletics Championships not taking place until November,the 2020 Paralympics are closer than they would ordinarily be.

ButCockrofthas beento get stuck back into trainingalmostimmediatelysince Dubai,continuingto make her mark with Tokyo on the horizon.

Its a healthy rivalry. I think its what every sports person needs to really show what they can do and get the best out of them, Cockroft added.

And hopefully people enjoy watching what we do. But I think in my head Im so aware that Tokyo is rapidly coming closer and it was such a long season.

Also, my fire is burning now, I want to keep being the best in the world. I know there are things I want to work on, and I just want to get out there and do it now.

Every athlete is the same after theWorldChampionships. We all said I just want to carry on through! I feel like I should be training! I cant afford the break.

Its a very busy next 12 months coming up but Im looking forward to most of it.

More here:
Cockroft: Having Kare as competition will motivate me for Tokyo - Isle of Wight County Press

Toto Wolff admits 2021 will provide a "completely new challenge" for Mercedes to stay on top in Formula 1.

With all-new regulations coming, theBrackley-based team face having to repeat what they did in 2017 and find a way to continue their domination of the hybrid era.

But with this all-new chassis design set to be introduced with greater restrictions on development and likely some standard parts, doing that is likely to be much more difficult.

"2021 is going to be a completely new challenge because the regs are being put upside down," Wolff said in a video released by Mercedes.

"What [exists] today in terms of aero will not exist anymore in 2021 and I believe it's an opportunity as a team to do a decent job and prove that we can go through a regulatory change and come out on top like we've done in the past.

Also Read:

"But certainly there is no sense of entitlement, last year's records don't buy us any credit for future seasons to come," the Austrian noted.

"It's something that is very exciting for us and I personally really look forward to have 2021 coming."

What also increases the likelihood of Mercedes' domination ending is how the gap between themselves, Red Bull, Ferrari and even the top midfield teams has shrunk in recent years.

But, reflecting on this season, Wolff explained how the potential to create history keeps his team pushing forward.

"Every single year since 2014, we have tried to set objectives that really motivate us," he toldCrash.net.

"In 2019, the overwhelming target was to win a sixth consecutive double championship, which wasn't done before in Formula 1 and up to our knowledge wasn't done before in any other sport on a world championship level

"So this was the target that really kept us going. Also on the difficult days helped us to push through the weekends that didn't run in the way we've expected. It's something that really kept us energised over the whole year.

The overwhelming thing this season was obviously Niki [Lauda] passing. That is kind of a shadow over the whole season, Wolff added.

But from a performance standpoint, I would put it into three parts. The first one, we really did well in the beginning. We were really competitive.

Then after the summer, not, and then we kind of recovered and didnt drop the ball, and our competition did. This made us win the championship.

Read the original here:
Wolff talks Mercedes' 'new challenge' in 2021 and the motivation of making history - Inside Racing

Liverpool returned from being crowned World Club champions in Qatar by putting in arguably their finest performance of the season yet at nearest title challengers Leicester City to open up a 13-point lead at the top of the Premier League table.

Such was the imperious nature of the Reds' showing, the four-goal margin arguably flattered the hosts and has led some fans, as well as pundits, to claim Jurgen Klopp 's men now have one hand on the trophy even though there is still slightly more than have the league programme to be completed.

After the win, this is how the national media reacted to Liverpool's performance.

Henry Winter in the Times called out Liverpool as 'champions in waiting', suggesting the lead already built would need "the sort of catastrophic collapse that Jrgen Klopps side simply do not have in them".

"Liverpool have too much desire for a first title since 1990 to let it slip now, too much drive and concentration, the tone set by a manager who simply will not countenance complacency. Liverpool have the momentum and the motivation.

"They are European champions, world champions and will be English champions. They have strength of character, making light of the trip to the Club World Cup, and strength in depth, making substitutions of the quality of James Milner and Divock Origi.

"The reality, unfortunately for City, is that Liverpool started the season strong and maintained their pace."

Barney Ronay in the Guardian focused on the latest stellar performance from Trent Alexander-Arnold, who created two of the first three goals before applying the coup de grace with a stunning drive that a number of observers (including the aforementioned Winter) have compared to Carlos Alberto's immortal strike for Brazil in the 1970 World Cup final.

"Every week the Premier League team-sheets seem to make the same category-mistake with Liverpools defence. Liverpools No 66 plays (it says here) at right-back. In reality Alexander-Arnold is something else, a 21-year-old footballer whose talent has redefined his role, creating in the process something new and excitingly disruptive.

"Alexander-Arnold made two goals, scored Liverpools last one in a 4-0 win and looked irresistible at times. He is an extraordinary player in so many ways, a full-back who operates at a constant level of creative urgency.

"Some will point to the occasional holes in the defensive part of his game, flaws that were apparent here at times early in the match. But this is to miss the point to a world-class degree.

"There is a basic sense of optimism about Liverpools running game, a feeling the team can shift like a single mass to cover its weaknesses with strengths. Liverpool do not have a goalscoring centre-forward (he scored twice here). Liverpool did not have their best defensive midfielder (they did not need him). And, of course, Liverpool dont have a world-class playmaker. Except they do and hes currently bombing forward from right-back."

Melissa Reddy writing in the Independent was impressed by the Reds' resilience in performing with such energy and verve despite the gruelling trip to the Middle East as well as their sheer consistency over the last season and a half.

"The scoreline, as impressive as it was, could easily have been more pronounced. There are 13 points between Liverpool, who still have a game in hand, and their vanquished rivals in second and the question now is not who can catch them, but just how do you ground such a resolute machine?

"That unreal standard, born out of Manchester Citys relentless brilliance in the previous two seasons, has seen the Merseysiders stung by just one defeat in the last 57 top-flight matches away to Pep Guardiolas side on 3 January.

"The hosts had produced a lights and firework spectacle before kick off, set to The Greatest Show. It was followed by a long highlight reel that included Leicesters Premier League trophy lift in 2016, shown on both big screens amid thunderous noise and the synchronised waving of blue-and-white flags.

"But when the whistle went to usher in the real entertainment, there was only one protagonist. The authority Liverpool showed here away to title rivals after an exacting Club World Cup campaign that required unwelcome long-distance travel and extra time in the final - was astounding."

David Armitage writing in the Mirror meanwhile was struck by the sheer authority and relentless nature of Liverpool's approach.

"Champions of Europe. Champions of the World. Surely the coveted Champions of England crown is now just around the corner.

"Liverpool put on a masterclass to cruch their nearest rivals and an agonising 30-year wait for the title seems to be over.

"There is no sign they will be caught. It would take a collapse of epic proportions and that does not look like happening."

See the article here:
'Champions in waiting have momentum & motivation' - media verdict - Liverpool Echo

The regular season comes to a close this week, and just like every year, bettors have to wade through motivational questions with many of the matchups in Week 17. If these games were played on any other week of the season, some of these lines would be not just a few points different, but even a touchdown or more.

Each week, I break down what you need to know about each game from a betting angle before you lock in your picks. I'll talk about big line moves, teasers and parlays to consider and more. But with the motivation angle to think about in each game, I'm not sure it does any good to tell you which lines DVOA disagrees with, or what the biggest line moves are when they're tied solely to motivational circumstances changing. So instead let's go game by game and try and figure out where we can get an advantage.

If you want to know which sides I like, you can find that info at the SportsLine link below, where all my rated plays appear during the season along with my five SuperContest picks each week and plenty of great analysis from a fantastic collection of experts. You can also check out where all our CBS Sports staff lands on each game each week right here.

Over at SportsLine, I'll beposting my picks for Week 17 throughout the week. Join now and use promo code WHITE for $1 on your first month and you can get mine and every SportsLine expert's picks throughout the year, as well as my SuperContest picks each Saturday.

Motivation:Positive for Titans, potentially negative for Texans. The Titans are obviously going all out, as they make the playoffs with a win. Texans coach Bill O'Brien says he won't be resting players, but can we believe him? The Texans will know when they kick off whether they can jump to the No. 3 seed, which will be in play if the Chiefs lose. But if the Chiefs win as expected, we can't expect Deshaun Watson and other key players to see action for the entire game. If both teams were equally motivated, you'd figure the Texans would be three-point favorites or more, so the market is not buying O'Brien's claim.

Other factors:The lookahead line was Texans -1, which is basically staking the middle ground between equal motivation and no motivation. DVOA thinks the Titans are the much better team, and my metric accounting for weighted DVOA projects this line at Titans -2.5 if both teams were going all-out. Unless you think the Chiefs are going to lose, the Titans look like a great value. If you can get a moneyline parlay on Chargers and Texans at plus odds, that has a huge correlation as a Chargers win over the Chiefs would presumably swing the Texans to being favored in this game. As of Wednesday, that parlay would pay around +950.

Motivation:Neutral for both teams. If anything, the Bengals might have a slight motivational edge, as a win does nothing for their draft status and the Browns seem to be dealing with turmoil week in and week out with players reportedly unhappy.

Other factors:The lookahead line was Browns -3, but the edge in this game comes again in weighted DVOA, which doesn't see too much difference between these teams. The metric would make Browns -1 on a neutral field, so in Cincinnati you would expect the Bengals to be favored, likely by only one point since they don't have a great home-field advantage. Despite that, the Browns are getting 80% of the tickets, so score another point for the Bengals via our fading the public strategy.

Motivation:Positive for Bears, negative for Vikings. Though Minnesota is locked into the No. 6 seed, Mike Zimmer indicated on Tuesday that he hasn't decided whether to rest key players. But because it makes sense to do so, the market has priced it into the line, as the lookahead was Vikings -7. But why would the Bears have positive motivation? Getting a win would make them 8-8 as opposed to 7-9, and avoiding the losing season should be something to get up for after this team fell short of expectations. Matt Nagy seemed to be considering resting some players early in the week, but with nothing but the offseason ahead, I don't expect to see much of it from the Bears.

Other factors:The Bears defense has absolutely shut down the Vikings since the start of 2018, giving up just 222 yards and six points in the early matchup this year after holding Minnesota to 164 yards and 10 points in the season finale last year as well as 268 yards and 20 points in their first meeting of 2018, though all but three of those points in that first game came in the fourth quarter. The Vikings are a super public team in the early going, getting 82% of the tickets.

Motivation:Positive for Colts, neutral to negative for Jaguars. Technically the motivation factor is neutral for the Jags, but anyone that has watched this team in the second half has failed to see any signs of motivation in general. So if the Jaguars play to form, we shouldn't expect much life from them. The Colts should have some motivation to finish 8-8 and avoid a losing record, which would say something about a team that dealt with a lot of injuries during the season after watching its quarterback retire a few weeks before the start of the season.

Other factors:The Jaguars were one-point favorites on the lookahead line, so this line has swung 4.5 points after the Colts dominated a similarly awful team in the Panthers last week. The Jaguars haven't reach 300 yards on offense since November, and their defense has allowed 500-plus yards in two of their last three. Weighted DVOA thinks this line is underselling the difference between these two teams, projecting the line to be about Colts -6.5.

Motivation:Neutral for Falcons, neutral for Bucs. The Falcons have been playing hard over the second half of the season, and we should expect them to keep doing so and close out on a four-game win streak. The Bucs should also play hard to get to 8-8 in Bruce Arians' first year. I don't think we have an edge either way.

Other factors:This line is saying the Falcons are clearly the better team, and the margin is enough to cover the Bucs' homefield advantage. But my power ratings have the Bucs as the better team on a neutral field, as aside from turnovers (which have been a major issue) they've been dominating teams statistically, including a 435-229 yardage edge in the loss to the Texans last week that ended their own four-game win streak. Weighted DVOA also has the Bucs as the clearly better team and projects a line of Bucs -6.5, which isn't quite enough to cover a pick-six by Jameis Winston and subsequent extra point.

Motivation:Neutral for Redskins, positive for Cowboys. While a loss would lock Washington into the No. 2 pick, I'm not sure that's a major factor for a coaching staff that won't be around next year anyway. The Cowboys are obviously at max motivation needing a win and an Eagles loss to get into the playoffs.

Other factors:Dak Prescott's injury clearly looked like a factor in the loss to the Eagles, and he's now topped 40 pass attempts in five of his last seven games. You have to figure this game will feature a heavy run focus to give him some type of break. Washington is also dealing with QB injury issues, but is the move from Dwayne Haskins to Case Keenum a downgrade? I would say it's not, and I would also say Keenum has the extra motivation to show potential free-agent suitors what he's got heading into the offseason. Despite all of that, the line moved 3.5 points from the lookahead of Cowboys -7.5.

Motivation:Positive for Saints, neutral for Panthers. The Saints are playing for a first-round bye and need to get this win to have a shot at it. The Panthers have collapsed after Kyle Allen's initial undefeated run early in the year, and they head into this game playing for an interim head coach with seven straight losses in the bank and a rookie QB making his second start.

Other factors:Despite the massive line for the road favorites, weighted DVOA says it's justified, as the gap between these two teams is bigger than in any matchup between any teams during the 2019 season. The lookahead was only Saints -10.5, but I can't see anyone playing against that line move.

Motivation:Positive for Eagles, neutral for Giants. The Eagles win the division and make the playoffs if they beat the Giants, while they'll likely be out of the postseason with a loss as the Cowboys are double-digit favorites in Week 17. The Giants haven't given up on the season, with three straight covers and two of their last three going to overtime.

Other factors:The Eagles continue to be beset by injuries with Zach Ertz the latest skill position player to get hurt. The lookahead was also Eagles -4.5, while the weighted DVOA metric projects the same, but if Ertz can't play and Lane Johnson and Nelson Agholor are still out, we likely have to downgrade Philadelphia.

Motivation:Positive for Steelers, negative for Ravens. Because the Ravens have the No. 1 seed locked up and will rest players while the Steelers are playing for a playoff spot, this line is way off where it would be in a normal week. I project a normal line between these teams to be about Ravens -14.5, so we're talking about a ton of adjustment based on motivation and rest.

Other factors:NFL rosters aren't infinitely big and you can't rest everyone, and the market is putting a lot of trust in Duck Hodges going on the road and beating what has been a fantastic Ravens defense. Teams also don't "rest" their coaches, and you can bet John Harbaugh will be playing to win with the players that are on the field.

Motivation:Neutral for Jets, negative for Bills. The Bills are locked into the No. 5 seed, but Sean McDermott announced that Josh Allen will play in this game. However, he's definitely not going to be out there all four quarters, and that'll likely be the case with some other key players. If you're betting the Bills, make sure you do it in the first half. In a normal week, I'd project a line of Bills -7.

Other factors:The lookahead line was Bills -4.5, which again was playing the middle ground between full and no motivations for Buffalo. Weighted DVOA is much more bullish on the Bills in this matchup and would have them as 10-point favorites in a normal week.

Motivation:Neutral for Dolphins, positive for Patriots. New England needs a win here to lock up the No. 2 seed, and they would sink to No. 3 if they lose and the Chiefs win. The Dolphins could improve their draft outlook with a loss, but nothing we've seen in December indicates they're trying to tank.

Other factors:No movement from the lookahead line, and weighted DVOA thinks the line is about right.

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Motivation:Positive for Packers, neutral for Lions. The Packers are playing for a first-round bye and potentially the No. 1 seed depending on what happens in the Sunday Night Football game. The Lions have moved into position for the No. 3 overall pick in the draft after eight straight losses.

Other factors:The Packers were only 9.5-point favorites on the lookahead, but their impressive road win over the Vikings has bumped their value up three points in the market. Weighted DVOA doesn't fully buy into Green Bay, however, projecting this line at Packers -8.

Motivation:Neutral for Chargers, positive for Chiefs. The Chiefs have a shot at getting a first-round bye if they win and the Patriots lose, and they also could slip to No. 4 if they lose and the Texans win. They should be focused on getting the win and seem like a great teaser team to get under a field goal. The Chargers have lost five of their last six as they stumble to the finish line.

Other factors:The lookahead was just Chiefs -7, but weighted DVOA says the adjustment hasn't been big enough, projecting a line of about Chiefs -11.5. The public also loves the Chiefs, with 88% of the tickets. I wouldn't be shocked if they close as double-digit favorites in this matchup.

Motivation:Neutral for Cardinals, neutral for Rams. Nothing to play for with regards to either team, though the Rams could lock in a winning season if they get the W. But it appears the Rams are planning to rest key players in this one, and it's even possible Jared Goff doesn't play the entire game to shield him from hits in a meaningless game. Most books haven't posted a line as of Wednesday, though the Circa had moved down from Rams -8 at midday Tuesday to Rams -3.5 by Wednesday afternoon.

Other factors:Weighted DVOA has these teams close, so even if both were playing all out the metric would project a line close to Rams -3. The lookahead line was Rams -7.

Motivation:Positive for 49ers, positive for Seahawks. The NFC West title is on the line in this matchup, with the 49ers going for the No. 1 seed. The Seahawks could also get a first-round bye but would need help even if they get the win, and they'll know by kickoff whether they got that help. While I expect the Seahawks would want a home playoff game either way, it's fair to wonder whether they have a better chance of beating the NFC East winner on the road rather than the Vikings at home.

Other factors:Injuries are key on both sides, so we'll see through the week how the injury report shakes out. The lookahead line was pick 'em, so the loss to the Cardinals had a major impact on this matchup. Weighted DVOA, which isn't taking into account the injury status of both teams, says the Seahawks should be one-point favorites.

Motivation:Positive for Raiders, neutral for Broncos. The Raiders still have an outside shot of making the playoffs with a win, and even if they don't get in they'll have an 8-8 record in reach. The Broncos don't have any motivation but have played well over the last month with Drew Lock at quarterback.

Other factors:The Broncos were 4.5-point favorites on the lookahead line, but with the Raiders still alive it appears this line has tightened up a little. You could tell me any final score in this matchup and I'd buy it.

Bengals +130 vs. Browns Ravens +110 vs. Steelers Jets +105 at Bills

We start with the Bengals, a team that has played better than people realize over the last month despite their awful record. Weighted DVOA projections say they should be the slight favorites in their matchup. The Ravens are home 'dogs because they'll be resting players, but I'm not sure we can trust Duck Hodges and that Steelers offense to go on the road and win. And the Jets have a great shot at beating a Bills team that will presumably be resting guys in the second half. This parlay pays around +900 if it hits.

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Chiefs -2.5 vs. Chargers Giants +10.5 vs. Eagles

If you can tease the Chiefs under a field goal, that should be as much of a lock as you can get with them playing like one of the best teams in the league and the Chargers continuing to lose against mediocre opponents. You can definitely take the Ravens and Jets as a leg in a teaser, but rather than double up with our moneyline parlay, I'm going with the Giants. The Eagles are so beat up on offense that I can't see them beating anyone on the road by double digits right now unless they get an unexpected defensive TD at the end of a close game like they did against Washington.

The teaser of the week is just 8-8 this year after a 12-5 run in 2018, but we got a win last week thanks to the Bengals rallying to send their game into overtime. We easily hit the Packers leg of our teaser.

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Week 17 NFL bets: Lines adjusting for motivation factors, plus parlays, line moves and more tips - CBS Sports

Hearts are struggling down the Premierships basement right now- but finding extra spirit to face Hibs shouldnt be a problem Craig Halkett believes.

The Jambos head into the crucial Edinburgh derby bottom of the league. A negative result and outcomes elsewhere could leave Hearts as many as seven points adrift in the relegation places.

Its not a nice situation to think of and one Hearts fans could only picture in their worst nightmares. The reality is now though that the clubs embroiled in a relegation scrap.

Every point is vital right now and every game is crucial. The match with Hibs is no different and Halkett believes its the perfect opportunity to bounce back from adversity.

If boys look at the table and see we are bottom and three behind, hopefully it gives them a shake if it hasnt already done so, said Halkett. It is hard to look at and it isnt a pretty sight.

Hopefully we can react to this and get three points on Thursday and you could say Hibs is the perfect game to change things. It is a massive game for everyone connected with the club, not just the fans. We need the three points more than ever because we are bottom.

If you cant get up for these sort of games than I dont know what games you will get up for. We havent said it is only halfway through the season or anything, we know now we are in a relegation battle.

We are bottom of the league and three points adrift of the next team. We need to sort it and quickly.

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No extra motivation should be needed for Hearts Hibs duel says Halkett - Not The Old Firm