In gambling parlance, when someone wins a lot, they are said to be on a heater. For Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, he’s been on an extended heater picking NFL and College Football Playoff games for WTOP the last several weeks.

Moore has missed only two games total, an achievement for anyone, much less a non-professional prognosticator.

So, is it luck or skill? For the governor, it’s a bit of both.

“Anyone who says it is all skill, is not telling the truth,” Moore told WTOP Friday. “Anyone who says it’s all luck is not telling the truth. It’s a combination of both.”

What’s the secret sauce?

“I study this stuff. I follow this stuff,” Moore said. “Who’s hot and who’s healthy and you always look at things like injury reports. …There are definitely analytics that I will put into it.”

“I always bet on gamers when it comes to playoff time and I think that’s worked pretty well,” he added.

Breaking down the big game

The attention this weekend turns to Sunday’s Super Bowl game, which pits the Seattle Seahawks against the New England Patriots in Santa Clara, California.

Weighing into the last NFL game of the season, Moore said he found the Patriots to “maybe be the most interesting story” in the league, before noting the team hasn’t exactly “played the same level of competition during the year that Seattle has had to play.”

“I thought the Super Bowl champion was going to run through the NFC,” Moore said. “I just thought the NFC was producing better teams.”

The governor does believe the Seahawks defense team will be the difference in this game, explaining that the Patriots “are running into a buzz saw, and I think that buzz saw is the Seattle Seahawks.”

“This defense is so creative and so good,” Moore said. “Huge credit goes to their head coach.”

Mike Macdonald served as the defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens between 2022 and 2023 after serving several season on the team’s defense staff. He was announced as the new head coach for the Seattle Seahawks in January 2024.

“We got a chance to see him up close, just how good he is,” Moore said of Macdonald’s time with the Ravens. “And if you watched how Baltimore’s defense fell off when he went to Seattle, that wasn’t because of a talent issue. That was because of a defensive coordinator issue.”

Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold, who is playing for his fifth team in the last six years, is also quieting his doubters with his second-straight stellar season. “Darnold is doing his job and Darnold, you know, has a real chip on his shoulder,” Moore said.

Seattle is favored by oddsmakers by around four and a half points. But, the governor said, “I think it’s probably going to be closer to 10 … I don’t think this game is going to be close.”

Moore’s Super Bowl spread

With his big prediction out of the way, the governor addressed more important matters, like the menu for his Super Bowl party.

“We’re Marylanders,” he said. “We’re going to be traditionalists.”

“So we’re going to have some crab cakes. We’ll have the chicken wings and all that kind of stuff for everybody else, but, make no mistake … the real MVP is going to be some crab cakes.”

And, yes, the Old Line State’s favorite seasoning will be involved. “Old Bay everything,” Moore said.

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The Maryland No. 1 has symbolized dominance for decades. It’s one of the most coveted jerseys in college lacrosse.  

“I mean, I could go down the list of all the great players,” said fifth-year attackman Eric Spanos.

Historically, the No. 1 was given to the Terps’ most dominant and recognizable player.

“For us it’s kind of evolved into more than that,” said Maryland head coach John Tillman.  “I think a lot of times it is our most recognized player, and sometimes that kind of aligns with the guy that we think represents ‘Be the Best (the program’s long-standing mantra),’ the best.”

This year, Spanos was that guy and will wear the No. 1 in what will be his final season in College Park.

“It’s always a tough choice [and] this year was very tough,” said Tillman.  “We met as a staff, and we just kept coming back to Eric. The guy’s been through a lot, had some tough injuries in high school and here.  [He’s] a guy that’s bided his time here, and everything we’ve asked him to do, he’s always done and put the team first. He sees the big picture and realizes that it’s way more than just lacrosse here.”

A full circle moment

For Spanos, it’s a full-circle moment.  He has been linked to Maryland lacrosse since he was 14 years old, and grew up idolizing players like Matt Rambo, who wore the No. 1 for the Terps from 2015-2017.

“Just thinking back on it, it was definitely a little crazy,” said Spanos.  “Just being in 8th grade, talking to college coaches – and especially like Coach Tillman, who is probably the best lacrosse coach of all time – and then to being here now, and being fortunate enough to wear the No. 1…it’s just such a cool story.

Reflecting further on his journey and career at Maryland, Spanos said the whole experience has just made him beyond grateful for his family.  “They’ve done so much for me. From driving me to lacrosse practices, to out-of-state tournaments…I just really want to make them proud, as well as the whole coaching staff and all the players who have come before me.”

First time in 3 seasons

This will be the first time in three seasons that the No. 1 will be worn by an offensive player.

Logan McNaney, Maryland’s all-time saves leader, wore the No. 1 in 2025, and in the two years prior, it was worn by defensemen Ajax Zappitello and Brett Makar.

Spanos will be the first offensive player to don the No. 1 since Tewaaraton winner and National Champion, Logan Wisnauskas, wore it in 2022.

“We kind of joke that just about every number at Maryland, you can probably look through the years and there’s probably a lot of great players wearing that number,” said Tillman. 

It’s a testament to the sustained success Maryland has seen for over 100 years.

The Terps were ranked the preseason No. 1 by Inside Lacrosse and will open the season Saturday, February 7th, against in-state rival Loyola.