Tag Archives: Green Bay Packers
Dyslecix picks Green Bay (-2.5). I just really like the Packers’ playmakers on a fast track indoors. They aren’t a huge run team anyways, and I think the transition is harder for Pittsburgh early, getting use to that indoor turf and style… And by that I mean the Packers got a taste against the Falcons already and as we saw, it suited the team pretty well. 27-21 Packers….with a big 4th quarter push from the Steelers who were down early….
Chappy picks Green Bay (-2.5). There’s four reasons why I’m picking Green Bay. One, Charles Woodson. He is possibly my third or fourth all time favorite Raider behind Tim Brown, Bo Jackson, and Howie Long. Woodson forced a game winning fumble that should have gotten the Raiders into the AFC Championship game. Yup, still hate the Patriots for that game. Second, I’ve been rooting for Aaron Rodgers since he went to Cal.
I’d like to see him with the real Championship belt on.
Third, I just don’t like seeing rapists succeed. If Ben had served a little jail time, I would forgive him a little sooner, but it didn’t really feel like he was ever punished. Four games, whoopity doo-da. I’m sure he found out a valuable lesson about hanging around college kids in BFE. Fourth, I’m no longer liking how good this Steelers franchise is. I get tired of the same teams winning over and over. They do play a fun brand of football though. Maybe I just want there to be another New Orleans type story even though I know it can’t happen. Wisconsin is nice and all, but the storyline isn’t quite as good. Packers win 28-23
By picks Green Bay (-2.5). I’m still uncertain as to why Green Bay is the favorite here, yes the dome and artificial turf can be an advantage to Green Bay’s speed on the perimeter, but we’re talking about the Pittsburgh Steelers here folks, they’ll adjust. If I do recall, it was the Steelers who just won a Super Bowl two seasons ago. Not much has changed to their roster since then, maybe except for the fact that they’ve renewed their hunger for another ring. I’m picking Green Bay here because I’m rooting for them, but in all reality I don’t expect them to win. I don’t care what the odd makers are telling you, Green Bay is the underdog here, and if I’m a neutral fan, I root for the ‘dogs. Actually, I’m not that neutral, I’m a big Cal fan and so I’ll be cheering for Aaron Rodgers to equal Brett Favre in Super Bowl victories. I like pointing that out too. The fact that if Aaron Rodgers wins on Sunday, he’ll be tied with Favre in Super Bowl victories. Takes away from Favre’s “legend”. Also, call me a glutton for pain, but as a 49ers fan, I enjoy how much it hurts to see how successful Aaron Rodgers has become knowing we passed on him for Alex Smith in ’05. It’s like pressing on a bruise to yourself. It hurts so good. The x-factor in this matchup is Green Bay’s defense, specifically their secondary. For as much hype as Nhamdi Awesome-Muah (yes that’s how I spell and pronounce his name) and Darrelle Revis get for being shut down corners, Charles Woodson is overlooked. This despite him winning Defensive Player of the Year last season. Green Bay’s offense is going to struggle for a better part of this game against the vaunted Steelers’ D, but if Green Bay’s D can keep it close, all bets are off and Rodgers and co. have a chance. Here goes nothing, Pack 21 Steelers 17.
MCeezy picks PITTSBURGH (+2.whocares) No spread needed… I think the Steelers will beat the spread because I think they’ll WIN. Everyone’s real high on the Packers right now, including me, but it doesn’t mean they’ll have success against the Steelers. Pittsburgh’s got too many big game players. Green Bay’s almost there, but not quite. They’ll be back though. They will need to replace some 
receivers in the next few years, and they’ll continue to have a revolving door at running back, but they’ve got enough pieces in place to be a perennial postseason threat. This weekend though, will belong to the Steelers. I won’t be particularly thrilled about it, but I see the Steelers pulling away in the second half and winning decisively. Largely because my high school and college, and my beloved Oakland A’s, all donned the green and gold, I’ll be rooting for the Packers, but this one’s gonna be all black and yellow black and yellow black and yellow… Steelers 36 Packers 17
3 Comments | tags: football, Green Bay Packers, lines, NFL, odds, picks, Pittsburgh Steelers, predictions, spread, Super Bowl | posted in Sports
That football is doing some serious lines!
Looks like we both need to re-evaluate how we are making these picks. We got one right out of ten last week, setting the lowest week total of wins since I’ve started doing this. Just like New Orleans picked itself up after Hurricane Katrina, we will have to do the same. We just need to hope that this turnaround happens a little faster than the real life one. This losing streak is showing me that no matter how much you think you know going into a game, you don’t really know crap compared to those lines makers. Just like the Geek and Sammy we have proven that we are good a pickin losers so far. It can’t be this bad for the rest of the year can it!?! I doubt it, so on to the picks.
What is the writing equivalent to being so ashamed, that you can’t even show your face in public? Would it be, being so ashamed that you wouldn’t want to let anyone read your words? Because that is how I feel after three consecutive, embarrassing weeks of football picks. If you fancy my words, or my humor, or perhaps lack there of, I appreciate your loyalty to me. But please, I beg of you, please do not read my picks for … *gasp* my picks. After going 1/5 last week, it absolutely dawned on me. I suck at this. I suck at this bad. Do I give up? No. But I am not cruel enough to wish bad upon our readers, so I hope you all either run as far away as you can from my picks, or simply pick the opposite. My picks should have yellow caution tape surrounding them. With that said, here are this week’s losers …
Last Week (Chappy 0-5, By 1-4) Overall (Chappy 8-14-1, By 6-12-2)
Denver (+7) @ Baltimore Continue reading
14 Comments | tags: arizona cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, Carolina Panthers, chicago bears, Cleveland Browns, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, football, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Cheifs, lines, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Jets, NFL, oakland raiders, philadelphia eagles, picks, predictions, preview, San Diego Chargers, san francisco 49ers, spread, St. Louis Rams, vegas odds, vs., Washington Redskins, week 5 | posted in Sports
- With the win over the Pats yesterday, the Jets celebrated like they won the Super Bowl IN week 2. WTF!?!
Now that we have two weeks in the books, there are some undefeated teams that look for real, and some that seem lucky to have two wins two weeks into the season. Surprisingly we are already down to only 8 teams that haven’t lost, and if the shocker of the weekend doesn’t happen with the 49ers taking down the Saints, it should stay that way. KC, Tampa, and Chicago are all shockers in my book, considering most people didn’t have them penciled in for their 2nd win before their respective bye weeks. Here’s my rankings for the top 8, with New Orleans in last, because the MNF game is still in progress, and they aren’t undefeated yet.
#1 Green Bay – The pack didn’t do anything to make me think that they aren’t a contender to make the Super Bowl this past weekend. By far the best all around team on the list. I think I’ll be picking them all year long no matter what the spread is. Remember that epic Patriots team that put up huge numbers every week like a video game in 2007? This team is looking like them, good all over the field.
#2 Pittsburgh – I’m not sure how they beat Tennessee and Atlanta, oh wait no, I do know why, their defense! They are 100-0 with Polamalu, and his $1M hair in the lineup. He is the X-factor much more than Big Ben is. The Steelers never have more than one down year, so this success is no fluke.
#3 Houston – Their win over the Colts was HUGE for their mentality going into the rest of the year. I picked them the last two years to make the playoffs, and now that I didn’t pick them, they are tearing it up, go figure…
#4 Chicago – There’s noway I thought the Bears would be good this year. Cutler hadn’t shown much of anything since the trade, but it looks like he finally found a couple of guys to throw to, and actually has the best passer rating in the league, no, that stat is not a typo. Enjoy the undefeated season while it last Bears fans, your next opponent is the Packers.
#5 Miami – Brandon Marshall is exactly what they needed. A receiver that teams will have to double team, and maybe open up a couple more running lanes! Their defense is actually better than I expected it to be too. Maybe all those young players are better than advertised. We will see exactly how good this Dolphins team is when they line up against the Jets this weekend.
#6 Tampa Bay – What!?! Freeman is leading the Bucs to a 2-0 start!?! I still can’t believe they curb stomped the Panthers this weekend, but low and behold this is a new Bucs team, and Freeman is much better than I thought well, his non-five interception game against Carolina made him look good. They need to beat a good team before I buy anything they are selling.
#7 Kansas City – Anyone can beat the Browns, but they beat the Chargers, and made them look bad for good portions of that game. They’ve been lacking a direction for years, and it looks like they might have found one on defense and special teams. Does that win you the AFC West? Maybe, but they will need something from the passing game…
#8 New Orleans – They are up 9-0 in the first quarter, but I can’t call that a win, because there’s a ton of time left. The Saints look like they should win if it keeps going the way it has so far though. A win would probably launch them into the top three knocking Houston down a spot, but we will see what kind of fight the Niners have in them for the final three quarters.
8 Comments | tags: chicago bears, football, Green Bay Packers, houston texans, kansas city chiefs, Miami Dolphins, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, ranking, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, undefeated teams | posted in Sports
Week one didn’t go bad, but it didn’t go all that well either. I went a less than impressive (2-3-1), while By kept it mediocre with a 2-2 start. Now that we’ve seen a whole week of football action, we are experts and shouldn’t miss another pick for the rest of the year, right!?! I’m still shocked that By called that Texans game. I actually could see the Colts winning the next nine games without anyone noticing. I don’t buy TMQ’s argument that this is Armageddon because the Texans won, but do agree it would be hilarious if Houston ended up playing in the Super Bowl in Jerry Jones billion dollar stadium. Anyways, this should be another fun week, and I’m excited to win the money back that I lost in week one, so here are our picks for week 2!
What a roller coaster opening week for me. I hit the ground running like a Chris Johnson breakaway, after my prediction of the Texans upsetting the Colts came true. I began imagining myself hoisting up the “I Told You So” trophy after that one. Unfortunately that image shattered immediately, as the Houston/Indy game didn’t equate to the biggest upset of the day. The biggest upset of the day went to me. Because I was so damn upset at my 49ers! What a waste of one and a half hours of a beautiful Sunday afternoon. As you can guess, I stopped watching midway through. Anyway, to brighten up my mediocre week, let me just say, “How about ‘dem Cowboys, huh!?” I wanted to stay away from the Jets/Ravens game, but ultimately couldn’t resist. I originally wanted to take KC over SD, but couldn’t pull the trigger on another significant upset. Lesson learned, always go with the gut. But like Chappy said, we learned everything I needed to know about all the teams after the first week, and ala Vernon Davis, I predict we win on all of our picks the rest of the way! Continue reading
10 Comments | tags: Baltimore Ravens, Buffalo Bills, chicago bears, Cincinatti Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, kansas city chiefs, lines, losers, match up, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFL, oakland raiders, Philadelphia Phillies, picks, Pittsburgh Steelers, predictions, preview, san francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, vegas odds, vs., Week 2, winners | posted in Sports
Last week was a nice winning week of 4-3 and finishing the regular season vs. the spread at 49-45-3. I’m happier than Scott Boras every time a client of his signs a long deal that my predictions led to a winning season! The playoffs are a completely different story though. I usually struggle in predicting the outcomes in recent years. You really don’t know how these games are going to turn out, but I’ll do my best to steer you in the right direction. As always the home teams are in bold.
Ochocinco will have a tough time on Revis Island
New York Jets (+2.5) Over Cincinnati
The Bengals have shown one thing since Chris Henry’s untimely death, which is, they aren’t past it. The gloom of losing a teammate has put them in the losing column in three of their last four games. The Jets meanwhile got two straight teams on bye weeks, and are amazingly in the playoffs. Indy and Cinncinati laid down for them, Tampa wasn’t hard to keep under 10 points, Atlanta WAS a tough opponent to hold to ten, but I’m tired of this double fist pump fetish on the Jets D. Sure they have Revis, who will shut down Ochocinco, but I don’t see them winning more than this wild card game. Sorry Cincy, but you’re injured at the wrong time, and playing your worst when it counts most. At least you were the most successful Hard Knocks team so far! The Jets will win, but I’ll be rooting for Cincy. Who knows Sanchez could choke on a pepper and throw a few interceptions and give this one away.
Philadelphia (+4) Over Dallas
Call me crazy, but I still think the Eagles are the better team. In the playoffs, they will pick up their game. They have been there, and will step up. McNabb is a perfect 3-0 in the wild card round over his career, and has 8 more playoff wins than Romo, who hasn’t won A playoff game. I can’t take anything away from Romo at this point as he has played some very good football lately. My lingering hope is that since he has played so damn well lately, he is bound to come crashing down to the Romo that looked so bad earlier in the season. Or even the Romo we saw four weeks ago will do. I know there’s a lot of doubters on the Eagles side after last week’s shellacking, but about this time a week ago, the experts were putting them in the Super Bowl. I guess everybody likes to jump ship every now and then.
New England (-3.5) Over Baltimore
Wes Welker this, Wes Welker that, is pretty much all you hear about this game. Although Brady hasn’t thrown many other receivers this year, that doesn’t make me believe he can’t throw to the other guys. Sure his completion percentage is going to go down with Welker out of the game, because Welker is that good. I’ve seen Tom be that good too without big names, and everytime I doubt the guy he proves me wrong. Plus his opposition is Mr. Flacco, and honestly I’m still not sold on him. He’s successful enough to keep his job, but I’ve rarely been impressed when watching him. Maybe it’s his weak receiving group. There’s also the Foxboro factor too, that seems to win them games somehow. I see Brady exposing Baltimore’s weak secondary in ways that the Raiders couldn’t last week.
Green Bay (+1) Over Arizona
I’m kind of surprised I’m picking three road teams, but you have to go with your gut on playoff picks. Green Bay opened up a can of offense last week, destroying Arizona’s 2nd team everything. It won’t be quite as easy this time around. Arizona will surely play all of it’s playmakers, and they aren’t short on those. Their main question going into the game has to be their defnese’s inability to contain teams. Green Bay has proved they can put up points in bunches, and seem to be rolling as good as anytime I can remember this season. Rodgers has turned into the anti-first round flop pick, and been the leader that they hoped he would be! They also have a defensive leader in Charles Woodson. He has been all over the field and deserves to be the defensive player of the year. Woodson should be all over the field trying to confuse old man Warner and his receivers. If he’s a major factor in this game ie. picks, tackles, or sacks I like the Packers chances. I’d love to see a Minnesota Green Bay matchup next round, and that would mean that Philly also won!
9 Comments | tags: AFC, Arizona Cadinals, Baltimore Ravens, betting, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, football, Green Bay Packers, match ups, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFC, NFL, philadelphia eagles, predictions, preview, Spreads, vegas, Wild Card Games | posted in Sports
Last week left much to be desired from my picks. Going (2-3-1) is like watching the Raiders or 49ers play, they look good for a few plays, but by the end we usually met with disappointment because of our overpaid 1st round quarterbacks. I’m still happy that I’ve stayed over .500 on the year, because I’ve never kept track for a full season, and am now starting to know why I never really win or lose much on betting on sports. I’m (42-40-2) on the year, so hopefully I can finish out this season strong! As always the home teams are in bold.
San Diego (-3) Over Tennessee
Could Santa bring me two presents this year? A Lakers loss coupled with a Chargers loss would make my sporting Christmas! Probably not. I think the Titans are a solid squad, but the Chargers don’t do a whole lot of charitable work this time of year. They are an amazing 17-0 in December with Rivers at the helm. Man, that was tough to write, since there might not be another guy in the league I sports-hate more. I guess I’m still completely shocked that Norv hasn’t blown a late game decision. When will it come!?! I doubt it will this week, since they would like to give themselves a Merry Christmas by earning that first round bye as the #2 seed. I hope I’m wrong and Chris Johnson puts up 270 rushing yards to get him to 2,000 on the year, and helps Vince go to 8-1 as a starter on the season. Either way this should be a fun game to watch, and hopefully Santa will bring the Bolts a lump of coal!
Green Bay (-14) Over Seattle
Last week was a fluke at least I think it was. The Pack lost a tough road game to the Steelers in a game that Big Ben set career game records that I don’t see him beating anytime soon. I think after being thoroughly outplayed the Packers D will step it up this weekend against a Seahawks team that has regressed, even with very low expectations going into the season. I know that they are waiting to get out there and re-establish everything that was going right before their meeting with Pittsburgh. Why do the Seahawks keep giving the ball to a uninspiring Julies Jones over a budding star in the wings in Justin Forsett is beyond me. I guess Jim Mora Jr. is as clueless as we all thought he was. If Green Bay can’t roll up the score on this terrible Seattle team at home, then they don’t deserve to make the playoffs.
Cincinnati (-13.5) Over Kansas City
I guess I was wrong last week. Cincy wasn’t overly emotional to hang with SD. I think I make the outside factors out to be more than they really were. Thinking back to the worst times in my life, I guess it didn’t really affect my work all that much. Maybe I might not have wanted to be there, but I still did what I needed to do just like the Bengals performance. I think KC officially gave up on this year about week 12. They decided to start just letting teams score at will. Three of their last four opponents have hit the 40+ point mark, and the only game that was remotely close was against the lowly Bills where they still lost by 6 at home. I can proudly say that the Raiders aren’t the worst team in the division for once! I was happy to see the NFL didn’t fine any of the players that paid tribute to the fallen Chris Henry. If they had, the NFL would get three lumps of coal in their stocking from Chad himself! Continue reading
7 Comments | tags: betting, Carolina Panthers, chicago bears, Christmas Game, Cincinnati Bengals, football, gambling, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Kansas City Cheifs, lines, Minnesota Vikings, New York Giants, NFL, odds, predictions, preview, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, Spreads, Tennessee Titans, vegas, vs., Week 16 | posted in Sports
Last week wasn’t phenomenal, but it was a winning week nonetheless. I went 4-3, which keeps me above .500 overall (40-37-1). I have to say, this past weekend was probably the least football I’ve watched in awhile. It’s weird how earlier in the season everybody was saying there is no parody in the league. Sure looks like it has evened out a bit since then! As always the home teams are in bold.
New Orleans (-7) Over Dallas
I haven’t picked the Saints for a couple of weeks, so I guess I’m due. I’ve been weary since they went on their non spread covering ways for a few weeks, but last week I think they collected themselves and are ready to dominate again. They can pretty much sew up home field advantage through the playoffs with a win over Dallas. Plus, every home game they’ve played they have won by more than 10 points, which makes this a safe pick in my mind. Dallas on the other hand is dealing with waaay too much pressure, since they never win in December, and this game won’t make anyone feel better about the Cowboys’ chances. I hope they miss the playoffs. I’d love to see it at the expense of Romo as well whether he is engaged or not, it’s just fun to see him struggle! One of my favorite sports hate guys!
Green Bay (+2) Over Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh is just like many defending champs, kinda bad on the title defense. I’m sure they’ll be back as contenders next year, but for now those terrible towels will only get used to wipe tears away after piling up five straight losses. If they can’t beat the Raiders or Browns, I don’t see how they could beat a good Packers squad. It should be an air it out game, Rodgers has been playing much better than Big Ben lately, so you have to take the Pack even on the road. These are the two top rushing defenses (Steelers are #1), so Grant and Mendenhall probably won’t get going. Without the Steelers main man Troy in there, I like Rodgers chances much more, that is, if they can keep him upright. It seems like they’ve made some adjustments to keep him from being sacked as much. They’ve moved the pocket, rolled him out, and are throwing more quick outs. Big Ben will have to deal with Charles Woodson, the consensus for defensive player of the year, and one of my favorite former Raiders. Maybe I’m a little bias in this one as Rodgers is starting for my fantasy team for the first round of the playoffs, but oh well.
Tennessee (-3) Over Miami
No way in hell he could beat Usain!
This should be a pretty good game. Henne is doing much better than I ever expected. Miami has been doing pretty good since their best player, Ronnie Brown, was knocked out for the season. If they want to have any hopes of making the playoffs, they need to win this game. The Titans winning streak was broken against the Colts last week, but I see them bouncing back, and getting back on track. Some had them as one of the best teams in the league going into the Colts game, and losing to the best shouldn’t make you jump off their bandwagon. I think Vince and Chris Johnson should be enough to beat the Fins. I do like Rickey Williams comeback story this year, but I think these past few weeks are going to take a toll on how he finishes the season, because he is old for a running back.
Usain Bolt Over Chris Johnson over and over again
For some reason there’s tons of people wanting to race Chris Johnson or see if he’s faster than so and so. It started with Rajon Rondo requesting a one on one race, and moved to Joey Porter saying his teammate Ted Ginn Jr. could beat him in a running race. Then having Ted Ginn Jr. be a no show for the race! What’s up with that!?! I wouldn’t mind having this happen pregame this weekend, it wouldn’t take too long. I’m not sure what the infatuation is with racing CJ is. CJ thought talked some trash saying that Rondo was just trying to get his name on Sportscenter, but he did say that he would race Usain Bolt, which I find pretty ridiculous! Usain will make him look slow! Continue reading
6 Comments | tags: betting, chris johnson, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Dre Bly, faster, fastest, football, gambling, Green Bay Packers, houston texans, match ups, Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, NFL, odds, philadelphia eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, predictions, preview, San Diego Chargers, san francisco 49ers, Spreads, St. Louis Rams, Ted Ginn Jr., Tennessee Titans, Tony Romo, Usain Bolt, vs., week 15 | posted in Sports
You may as well put her out there since Ulacher's replacements haven't stepped up.
I was pretty pumped on Saturday, as I hit both the predictions I made for the Civil War and SEC Championship game. I didn’t do quite as well when it came to Sunday, but I still went 5-3 on the week bringing the season record to 36-34-1. It’s nice to see I’m not losing money as fast as Tiger is with all these mini settlements or the big one with his wife. One thought on the game I didn’t actually see tonight. How bad is this Steelers team that lost back to back games to the Raiders then the Browns? I’ll let you answer that one, but it’s not a playoff contender that’s for sure. As always the home teams are in bold.
Denver (+7) Over Indianapolis
Indy easily handled one of the hottest team in the league taking the Titans down in blowout fashion, but in the end the Colts love to play in close games. I think this week will be close as Denver seems to have regained some of their early season form and won their last two games. With Orton looking healthy again their offense is back on track, and can keep up with the Colts on the scoreboard. I’m not predicting that the undefeated streak is going to end here, especially the way the breaks are going for them. I know that the Broncos sure have a lot more at stake with this game, and I could see them possibly winning outright.
Cincinnati (+7) Over Minnesota
I guess this is bold picking two teams in a row to upset two of the top three teams in the league, but last week was the Vikings first real test since they played Green Bay six weeks ago. Minnesota showed that they aren’t unstoppable when they play a GOOD team, and Cincy is a GOOD team this year. I also think Cincy will come out a little more pumped than normal as they play the game with a chance to clinch their division. Aside from the game fell asleep on against Oakland they have been great this year. I’m sure they picked up a few pointers from Arizona last week, so maybe we will see Favre turn into Farva! This should be one of the best games of the week!
Green Bay (-3) Over Chicago
Uh oh, last week I picked all road teams, and now I’ve already picked three! I really like this line though! It might be the easiest pick of the week! I think I like Charles Woodson more than the Monday Night Crew. He’s always been a favorite former Raider of mine. I still can’t figure out why teams would throw to his side of the field. If only we still had him and Asomugha, nobody would throw on us… Anyways, Green Bay is rolling right now, and the Packers have finally been keeping Rodgers upright. He’s currently tied for third in the NFL in passing TD’s and I don’t see any reason for him not to continue putting up big happy fantasy owner numbers against a suspect Bears D. I know this is a rivalry and all, but one team just isn’t that good, and the Bears fall off was worse than Tara Reid’s fall from fame.
The Media (-1,250 articles) on Tiger Woods OVER
I have to admit that I am surprised I ended up doing two posts on Tiger’s troubles, but since it’s all we hear about I had to add to the 30,000 articles already out there. Anyways, I’m taking the over 1,250 articles coming out this weekend that are Tiger related. This is slowly turning into a bigger fiasco than Michael Jackson’s death! Hopefully A&E doesn’t make a show about it like they did with the Jackson 5.
Houston (-6) Over Seattle
Yeah, I know the Texans have sucked lately, and the Seahawks have been playing decent, but just looking at Seattle’s 1-5 road record and haveonly score 16.7 points per road contest. Those numbers alone make me a believer in the Texans. Matt Schaub should be able to put up a solid fantasy day with a TD connection or two with Andre against a banged up 25th ranked passing defense. The Seahawks DON’T have a good offense, especially their supposed big play-maker TJ Houshmanzadeh who is averaging a stellar 3 catches for 7.9 yards per game with no touchdowns. One thing I do like about Seattle is that they are giving a chunk of carries to Forsett as he gets his shot to be the next big thing out of Cal. Funny note from Yahoo on Forsett about Jim Mora’s awesome job as coach!
Dec 7 Forsett scored a touchdown but got only eight touches Sunday as the Seahawks stubbornly stuck with the less dynamic Julius Jones.
Recommendation: Jones got 25 touches and did little with them, totaling 64 yards. Forsett totaled 34 yards, almost all of it coming on a 25-yard reception. It seems obvious to everyone but coach Jim Mora that Forsett should see more action. Perhaps that will happen, but don’t count on it until there’s official word. Forsett’s “tweaked” quadriceps was not a factor.
Tennessee (-13) Over St. Louis
The Titans hit a speed bump last week on their march to an improbable playoff berth. I doubt they can do it, but you never know. I see them winning convincingly after a tough game against Indy. Going home is always a boost, but playing the Rams might be even more of a boost. The biggest hype for the Lambs is Todd Mcshay and Mel Kiper Jr. arguing over whether they should pick Jimmy Claussen at the top of next year’s draft. I’m already sick of their big boards and projections, we don’t even know if the Rams will have the honor to pick that high! They might even improve their pick by pulling out a win in Tennessee! Ok, just kidding, I think if that happened, the Nets will make the NBA playoffs! Which by the way you can get a good discount on this site by buying them now!
Oakland (+1) Over Washington
Yes, I finally get my chance to gush on Gradkowski, and yes, I’m going to go right ahead and jinx him right now by picking the Raiders to win at home. Sure he throws some ugly looking passes, but didn’t Jeff Garcia do that his whole career!?! Bruce has given us a true leader in the huddle. I haven’t been this proud/excited with anything Raiders related in quite some time, and now that the offense looks like it actually has some confidence with the play-makers after FINALLY getting them some touches! Louis Murphy has been a fan favorite since they drafted him, and it’s good to see him being able to showcase his skills by having a QB that can get the ball to him. Washington does everything they can to lose each week, and that was on full showcase against the Saints. They are about as healthy as Al Davis, so I wouldn’t expect much of a showing on the road. If their spirits weren’t broken last week, then maybe Zorn isn’t that bad. Maybe they’ll come out fired up, but more than likely after that rough loss they might just pack it in for the rest of their games this season.
San Diego (+3) Over Dallas
This match up features the hottest team in the league versus the luckiest. Is it just me or do teams like to give games away when they play the Cowboys. I hate that their game is always televised, and I hate even more I have to watch some dumbass move by the other team that gives Dallas a win. It’s getting ridiculous. I keep thinking that it can’t happen again right!?! Well, I’m sure it could, but the Chargers look as focused as they’ve ever been. I think even Norv Turner has made me think that he can actually coach a little. I guess those Turner theories only work in the playoffs. I see Romo making one too many mistakes this week against an improving San Diego defense. We all know that Dallas likes to crumble in December, so lets just hope it’s fun to watch!
6 Comments | tags: A&E, chicago bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, football, gambling, golf, Green Bay Packers, houston texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jackson 5, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, oakland raiders, predictions, preview, San Diego Chargers, Seattle Seahawks, St. Louis Rams, Tennessee Titans, Tiger Woods, vs., Washington Redskins, Week 14 | posted in Sports
Since I was unable to make my gambling picks for the weekend being away for Turkey Day, I’ll have to settle with putting out my Power Rankings through Week 12. Without having the advantage of seeing how the big MNF matchup plays out I’ll just assume that the Saints win. Since everybody might be in the mood to slim down, after all that turkey I’m only doing the top 16 teams. No need to write about all the other teams that would just rather have an autograph from the guys lining up across from them.
#1 Indianapolis Colts (11-0)
It’s tough to not pick the Saints, but I think the resilience of this Colts team puts them over the top. They’ve now won five straight trailing going into the 4th quarter. If you aren’t convinced by that, they have won an amazing 19 in a row, and is the most behind the Patriots 21 straight.
#2 New Orleans Saints (10-0)
Drew Brees blah blah blah, he’s amazing blah blah blah. We’ve all heard it. The impressive part of this team is that they are the 5th ranked rushing team, and it’s not all because teams are playing the pass, it’s because they are actually very good at running the football. People always say how the Vikings are so balanced, this team is just as balanced as them!
#3 Minnesota Vikings (10-1)
Unfortunately I was completely wrong about Favre signing with the Vikings. I guess the season isn’t over yet, so there’s still hope he could suck it up still, but I’m not holding my breathe. The Silver Fox, as Jared Allen calls Favre, looks to keep it rolling all the way to a first round bye.
#4 New England Patriots (7-3)
Yes, Brady is as flaming as ever, but damn it I respect him… He’s got a better rhythm with his receivers than Bostonian sports fans have with being completely annoying. Their young defense has been a lot better recently, and they will need them to keep up the good play when it matters. Should be a good one Monday Night, and they will be tested every play with the Saints!
#5 San Diego Chargers (8-3)
Who would’ve thought the Chargers would be this good? Not me, and not most of their fans until recently. I thought they were the best in the AFC West, but not the kind of team that could win six straight. Somehow Norv has this team rolling, and they still don’t run that often, but it doesn’t seem to matter with Rivers throwing the ball 40 times a game. They might be the hottest team in the league.
#6 Cincinnati Bengals (8-3)
They didn’t dominate Cleveland like I thought they would, but at least they won which is better than they could say for playing against Oakland. The Cardiac Cats have proven they can come from behind, they can win ugly, and they play surprisingly good defense. They look to be a lock for the division title with the Steelers loss.
#7 Dallas Cowboys (8-3)
I don’t know why, but I just don’t think they as good worthy of their record. Of course there’s always a little extra drama with them, and Romo feels about as reliable as betting on or against the Raiders each week. I hope Dallas stumbles along the way, it always makes it more fun when they go into panic mode!
#8 Arizona Cardinals(7-4)
I can’t say I’ve been a big supporter or had any confidence in them against the spread this year, but they DO pull out wins, and look as explosive as ever with another new gadget in Beanie Wells. Even though they lost to the Titans they are still the division leaders, and should wrap up the west sooner than later. As long as they get old man Warner back in there, and Leinart doesn’t have to face Vince Young anymore, they will be fine.
#9 Philadelphia Eagles (7-4)
Mcnabb has won two close ones in a row! Maybe we can put to rest those talks of him being the worst closer in Philly and slide him to the #2 slot behind Lidge. They’ve had tons of injuries, but I think they’ll be able to pull through when everybody gets healthy. Let’s just hope for their sake that DeSean isn’t out for long after his concussion he suffered today.
#10 Green Bay Packers (7-4)
Rodgers IS having an amazing season. If it weren’t for him, their defense would probably outscore their offense! If they didn’t have to play Minnesota twice, they could probably be 9-2. Even missing key guys in their D they destroyed Detroit on Thanksgiving. They finally look like what everyone expected when the season opened, a playoff team.
#11 Denver Broncos (7-4)
They had a nice bounce back game against the Giants, but once again they will have to prove themselves after those four straight bad weeks. If they can somehow beat Indy in week 14, I’ll buy them as “for real” again. At the moment I don’t see them winning a wild card spot.
#12 Pittsburgh Steelers (6-5)
They’ve been up and down as all title defenders usually are. I think Polamalu was a bigger loss than Big Ben. I’ve always been a big Dixon fan, so I was glad to see him get a chance to showcase his abilities in the NFL. Baltimore barely beat them tonight, and with a third string QB starting and Troy out this should have been much more lopsided, so even though the Ravens won the Steelers are still the better team.
#13 Baltimore Ravens (6-5)
I don’t really think the Ravens D is all that great anymore. Thankfully they have Ray Rice to help Flacco put up some points, which haven’t been as plentiful as they once were. It was a big win for them tonight, but I don’t see that translating into a wild card berth…
#14 Atlanta Falcons (6-5)
With Matt Ryan hurt, I’m not sure this team is really going to go anywhere. Even if they get back Turner, I still don’t see them turning it around. It’s been a disappointing season for them, and I don’t expect to see them in the playoffs.
#15 Tennessee Titans (5-6)
I actually think the Titans are better than the two above teams, but since they are under .500 it’s hard for me to justify putting them at 13. Vince has made me a believer, and also may have cemented himself with Mario Williams as the best players from that 2006 draft.
#16 Miami Dolphins (5-6)
They haven’t missed a beat since losing Ronnie Brown, and I for one thought they would. The Wildcat has been as effective as ever with Rickey looking like the dominant back we remember from his prime! I like this team, because they show up every week whether they have a good chance to win or not.
4 Comments | tags: arizona cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, football, Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, NFL, philadelphia eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers, power rankings, San Diego Chargers, Tennessee Titans, week 13 | posted in Sports
Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions, 9:30am PST
Sentiment for dropping the Lions from the annual Thursday docket has reached an all-time high this year, but personally, I think the Lions are a Thanksgiving Day tradition. They are the tryptophan to my NFL turkey. It’s just too bad they always play the FIRST game. At any rate, today’s game should be somewhat interesting, as Matthew Stafford will take to a national stage against a division rival. Today we’ll see if the Lions are headed in the right direction, or simply mired in another aimless so-called rebuilding phase. If only they had Mel Gray!
Oakland Raiders @ Dallas Cowboys, 1:15pm PST
Many are predicting this game to be an equally bad trouncing as the first game. However, the Raiders placed a little bit of hope in NFL fans’ minds with last weekend’s upset over the Bengals. Oakland is out to prove they are a new team with Bruce Gradkowski at the helm. Meanwhile, Dallas is out to prove, yet again, that they are a legitimate contender this season. Either way, today we’ll find out exactly who these two teams are.
New York Giants @ Denver Broncos, 5:20pm PST
About a month ago, it looked like we’d have a rare big game on Thanksgiving Day. Thanks to the Broncos, losers of four straight, this is no longer true. Instead, the Giants and Broncos will play with a large part of their season on the line. The winner will remain in the playoff hunt, while the loser, presumably Denver, will suffer a devastating loss that would likely kill any hopes for momentum down the stretch run of the season.
Orlando Magic @ Atlanta Hawks, 5pm PST
Atlanta owns the best record in the East, thanks to the spectacular play of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Jamal Crawford. Orlando has had an equally impressive start while adjusting to the reinsertion of Rashard Lewis into the lineup. Three of the five best teams in the East reside in this Southeast Division, so tonight’s game will be a key step forward for the winner of this game in controlling the division – for the time being.
Chicago Bulls @ Utah Jazz, 7:30pm PST
Chicago and Utah are two teams sort of teetering on the balance between good teams and contenders. They both feature superstar point guards in Derrick Rose and Deron Williams, along with rising stars down low in Joakim Noah and Paul Millsap. With the Bulls sitting at 6-7 and the Jazz an even .500 at 7-7, both teams will be fighting hard to pull this win out and stay above the .500 mark.
Portland University @ UCLA, 7:30pm PST
There’s plenty of college hoops action today, but given our West Coast bias, this is the game of the day. Portland has become an unlikely threat to challenge Gonzaga in the West Coast Conference. On the other side, UCLA is unranked, due in part to a season opening loss to Cal State Fullerton. They rebounded with wins over Cal State Bakersfield and Pepperdine. Tonight will be UCLA’s final tuneup before a showdown with #1 Kansas two Sundays from now.
3 Comments | tags: al horford, atlanta hawks, basketball, bruce gradkowski, Chicago Bulls, college basketball, Dallas Cowboys, Denver Broncos, deron williams, derrick rose, Detroit Lions, football, Green Bay Packers, jamal crawford, joakim noah, Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, kansas jayhawks, mattthew stafford, NBA, New York Giants, NFL, oakland raiders, orlando magic, paul millsap, portland university, rashard lewis, thanksgiving, ucla, utah jazz | posted in Sports
Last week was good to get out of the way! The teams that had been covering all season (Indy and New Orleans) finally let me down. Oh well, I’m sure they could care less that their undefeated streak vs. the spread was broken. I had a really hard time last week flip flopping on my choices all the way up to game day, and this week looks like I might be having more tough decisions again. I went 2-4 and now am 20-22-1 on the year. You know how there are people that smell so bad that you can almost taste their awfulness? That tasty smell are the teams that have a week 9 bye; Oakland, Cleveland, Buffalo and St. Louis. What makes this week even more interesting is that there are a lot of 10+ point spreads with the mentioned teams sitting it out! I guess that shows you the parity in the league this season. As usual the home teams are in bold.
Cincinnati (+3) Over Baltimore
Carson's been with Chad long enough to understand him... Or not!
The cardiac cats always seem to be in very tight games whether they end up pulling out the W or having a heartbreaker. Baltimore played an inspired game last week blowing out the Broncos and showed that they are still the force that many people put as the best team in the league early on. Baltimore seems to have a hard time putting in efforts like that in back to back weeks, so I see this being a close one. Cincy showed some promising flashbacks from that very explosive offense they had a couple of years ago. I don’t see Palmer and Benson having that same kind of success they had against the Bears, because this Ravens unit is better. It does look like their offense is rejuvenated, and with the presence of a running game they can move the ball late to tire out the elders on the Baltimore D. Since the Bengals are at home it’s tough for me not to take the points, especially since I could see them winning outright!
Atlanta (-10) Over Washington
Washington is arguably the worst team in the league, and I doubt they have enough in them to pull out any kind of upset on the road or even have enough defense to keep this one close. Atlanta is coming off a short week, but who cares when you get to play a team that can’t seem to do anything right. Matt Ryan and Gonzo should shred the middle of this defense all day long. If Zorn was a brand, he should probably start looking for a bailout plan. It’s been so bad in DC that the fans aren’t even allowed to bring in signs that make fun of this pathetic team. If I wasted my money to go watch my team lose games, I would demand the right to bring whatever sign I want into the stadium! I forecast Atlanta going up big early, and heavy doses of Turner throughout the second half.
Announcers talking about Brett Favre on Minnesota’s Bye Week (-50) Over the amount of coverage the Rams receive for the rest of the season.
I mean this line is self explanatory, but I would seriously bet on this! This would be exclude plays and mentions of the Rams defense getting shredded against a good team!
Green Bay (-10) Over Tampa Bay
Ah, we move onto the only team left that still could match the Lions amazing winless record. The Bucs haven’t really shown that they even want to be out there on Sundays, and especially don’t show up against any team that is deemed competent. I wonder if you’ll be able to hear Packers fans in the stands since there’s no way this one will be sold out. Tampa does have an amazing crop of cheerleaders though, so fortunately Rachel won’t be the only one we see this season! It could very well be a fantasy firework show from Aaron Rodgers who has put up big numbers against some of the best of defenses in the league, and going up against one of the worst I foresee a 5 TD day. I bet the Packers D might even out score the Bucs in this one.
New Orleans (-13) Over Carolina
I was disappointed to see the Saints not cover last weekend. I guess it was the opposite of the week before where Sharper snagged a pick 6 to cover with two minutes to go. This weekend, Atlanta scored in the last two minutes to cut the lead to 8 which killed the beating the spread hope, oh those Vegas guys always get you back (shaking fist in the air)! It was easily the Miller Lite disappointing moment of my Monday. New Orleans has proved they are good at two things. Scoring points, and putting pressure on opposing offense and making them make mistakes. Carolina’s offense just happens to have Jake Delhomme, who is turning the ball over like Matsui getting RBI’s. NOT a good thing going on anytime they are trailing, so I see no reason to doubt that the Saints will have neutralized the Panthers running game by being up by 21 at the half and forcing them to put it in Delhomme’s hands.
San Francisco (-4) Over Tennessee
I don’t really like this pick that much, but since the Niners held Indy in check I don’t see any reason that they can’t take the Titans down during their miserable season. The SF offense has looked a little better as of late with Alex Smith taking over. The emergence of Crabtree last weekend coupled with Vernon Davis’s breakout year it has to mean only better things are in store for them! Having some threats will even open up some more room for Frank Gore to run, and maybe give him a little less wear and tear so he can stay in the lineup. Tennessee has officially fallen into the crappy team section, which confirmed my preseason thought that they were a fluke last year. A Kerry Collins led team is never the way to go! They finally figured that out and threw Vince in there, but it doesn’t seem to matter at this point. The only thing exciting about them is Chris Johnson.
Philadelphia (-3) Over Dallas
This should be a good one. I think it all comes down to Romosexual and whether he shows up or not. The Cowboys are so reliant on him, it’s pathetic. Any game he plays bad in they never win. In the always unfriendly City of Brotherly Love, I have my doubts of him settling down in this one. Frank Drebin, I mean Wade Phillips is lucky anytime they are successful. He doesn’t put them in good positions to succeed, but just gets plain lucky. On the other side Philly looks about as good as they ever have. Team chunky soup was supposed to be explosive because of Westbrook and Vick, and Brian has been in and out and Vick is ineffective thus far. The good news is they haven’t needed them as they have weapons all over the field, in Desean, Maclin, and McCoy. Mcnabb is always on the verge of Romo type stinker game too, but it usually comes on the heals of an injury opposed to randomly popping up, except that Oakland one he got a pass since the offensive line forgot they were blocking that day.
4 Comments | tags: 2009, Atlanta Falcons, Baltimore Ravens, betting, Carolina Panthers, Cincinnati Bengals, Dallas Cowboys, football, gambling, Green Bay Packers, lines, matchup, New Orleans Saints, NFL, philadelphia eagles, picks, predictions, preview, san francisco 49ers, Spreads, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans, vs., Washington Redskins, week 9 | posted in Sports
Week 8 in the NFL may as well have been called Brett Favre week. With league sweetheart teams like the Steelers and Patriots off, all the bright lights were on Brett Favre as he was set to make his return to Lambeau as a member of the rival Vikings. However, much to the surprise of many, it ended up being just another football game. The Green Bay fans rode Favre all game long, showering him with hearty helping of boos from whistle to whistle. Beyond that, however, it took the form of a typical division showdown. The Vikings were out to prove their supremacy in the NFC North, and Packers had their sights on knocking off the team with the lead. In the end, the Vikings won the game and took a huge step forward in the division race. Here are some other things I learned this week….
The Eagles are better than we all think. They’ve flown under the radar thanks to a mediocre record against a very weak schedule. Their only good opponent, New Orleans, beat them handily, and their other loss came at the hands of the Raiders. If the NFL had a BCS-style ranking system, that loss alone would’ve dropped the Eagles out of the top 25 altogether. BUT, if you take away those two games, they’ve handled their competition, albeit weaker competition, to the tune of double digit margins of victory. They got their first true test today, and dominated the Giants 40-17. Philadelphia’s remaining schedule is anything but easy, so we’ll see if their for real soon.
Alex Smith is better than Shaun Hill. Of course, Joey Harrington is better than Ryan Leaf, fender benders are better than 16 car pileups, and HIV is better than AIDS… so that’s not saying much. However, it was debated going into this week. Today, Alex Smith proved he belongs as the 49ers starter moving forward. He wasn’t great, but he played mostly mistake free – his one interception was a tipped pass – and had a presence in the pocket that Hill did not. The 49ers still have other issues to address, though, namely holding on to leads in the 4th quarter.
Steve Slaton just crushed a lot of fantasy dreams. Coming off a strong year, Steve Slaton had worked his way into the late first / early second round of fantasy draft boards. He has struggled thus far, but has had a few bright spots. Well, today all that came crashing down, as Slaton had one “carry” for a yard before coughing it up, getting benched, and watching his replacement run for 126 yds and 3 TDs.
Jamarcus Russell is who we thought he was. Pardon the overused cliché, but it’s true. Each week, critics are intrigued by how Jamarcus Russell will respond from one week to the next. It’s finally clear that he doesn’t. He plays the SAME GAME week in and week out. He completes one of every three checkdown passes, he otherthrows his receivers wildly on the few long balls he attempts, and most of the time, he holds the ball too long, dances around in the pocket, and gets sacked, fumbles, or forces a throw which results in a pick. Watching Jamarcus Russell is like watching the Bill Murray classic, “Groundhog Day.” Only problem is, I know what happens in “Groundhog Day” so I at least don’t watch it anymore. Hopefully next weekend when the Raiders are on I’ll remember that I’ve seen this already.
There won’t be any 0-16 teams this year……. OR WILL THERE??? St. Louis and Tennessee both got off the hook today with wins. The Rams benefited from playing last year’s big winner’s, the Lions, who, in a great show of sportsmanship, elected to lay down for their opponents since they already had their win for the season. The Titans, on the other hand, opted for a little strategy called “shut down everyone on the Jaguars except Maurice Jones-Drew,” and it worked. Chris Johnson ran for 224 yds and 2 TDs to lead the old Oilers to victory. That leaves idle Tampa Bay (0-7) as the only remaining team without a win. Their remaining schedule is no cake walk either, but they two winnable games on the docket. The Bucs should be able to manage a win against either Carolina or Seattle. If they don’t, their best hope would be to play a New Orleans or Atlanta team that has clinched a playoff spot and thus resting their starters in either of the last two weeks of the season.
Fans in Tampa stick around in a show of support after the Buccaneers were defeated by the South Florida Bulls, 27-6
3 Comments | tags: alex smith, Brett Favre, football, Green Bay Packers, houston texans, jamarcus russell, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, oakland raiders, philadelphia eagles, san francisco 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Steve Slaton, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tennessee Titans | posted in Sports
If you ever have a chance, you should check out the Jacksonville cheer leading squad. They have as much talent as the Colts and Saints.
Last week went as expected with an easy slate of games on the menu. Three of these were easier to bet on than picking the sun to rise from the east. It yielded my best week in the last four going 4-2-1. It kind of sucks that I’m .500 on the year when there are so many crappy teams out there, that should make this an easy gambling season. Alas, I find this weeks slate a little tougher, so I hopefully I’m not setting myself up for another sub par performance. Oh well, we’ll see if the 2nd half of the season treats me a little kinder. As usual the home teams are in bold.
Chicago (-13.5) Over Cleveland
Not that I think Chicago is all that great, but I do think Cleveland is that bad. I was pretty shocked to see Cedric Benson and Carson Palmer destroy the Bears defense this past weekend.
I guess that’s how important Tommie Harris is to the Beard D, who, by the way practiced, and should be back this weekend. Derek Anderson is the proud owner of the leagues lowest QB rating, which can’t go down, right? I guess it could, but I think this should give the Bears D some much needed confidence after an ugly loss. Cutler hasn’t exactly been a Pro Bowler in Chicago, but maybe they just don’t know what to do with a quarterback since it’s been so long since they had one. It’s also a strong possibility that Cutlers’ receivers were just THAT good in Denver. They’re obviously are doing fine without him, so maybe Cutler was a little overrated. Matt Forte has been a ghost in the offense this year, but I’ll give both of their crappy starts a pass. They’ve had a fairly difficult schedule so far this season. Having the hapless Browns at home should be a good cure for them. Remember they beat Detroit 48-24 two weeks ago, so they are good enough to run the score up on crappy teams!
Houston (-3.5) Over Buffalo
I don’t know whats wrong with Buffalo. They looked like they were moving in the right direction last season, but this year just like Jamarcus, they’ve regressed. Unfortunately for them, the peak of their season may have come in week 1 when they nearly beat Patriots. They haven’t really shown they can run or throw the ball since, which makes me think they won’t be breaking out of the funk. Even TO has said that his numbers are “pathetic” (18 receptions 242 yards with one TD), which shows that even the places they were supposed to improve are regressing to in Buffalo. Houston almost blew a lead last week against SF, but the Niners offense looks better than the Bills, sadly. If Houston can get their defense straightened out, they could be a playoff team. I see Andre Johnson tearing up this suspect secondary all game long, which makes this a pretty easy pick.
Green Bay (-3) Over Minnesota
This is probably the pick Im most worried about. I missed it the last time these two teams played each other by a couple points as Minnesota won. I think this game will be more emotional for Favre in his first return to Lambeau on the opposing sideline.
I know I reminisce whenever I go back to a former workplace whether its good or bad memories there are emotional ties, so I can’t see Brett being any different since he spent more time there than anyone expected. I’m looking for the crowd to get to him since they know him better than anyone. Rodgers on the other hand, looked bad in their last meeting as he was getting knocked down more times than Quagmire has pickup lines. I think he won’t be holding the ball quite as long this time around, and hopefully won’t try to force as many throws. Plus, wasnt it this time last year everybody loved the Jets because they were 4-2? I’m getting excited, it looks like Favre could still be on the path to mediocrity, and he’s one Charles Woodson interception away from losing two in a row. It might just be me, but don’t you think Aaron Kampman and Jared Allen should start a butt rock band 90’s style? Sure, Kampman cut his hair, but everyone got a glimpse of the long headbanger hair in his first year he can grow it!
Indianapolis (-12.5) Over San Francisco
It’s tough to tell who is the best team in the league between the Colts and the Saints, but both teams have been amazing.
I’ve been riding the Niners bandwagon for most of the season, but I’ll have to step off their train since they’ve lost for me two weeks in a row. I’m sure the Colts will give them all they can handle. Austin Collie has slipped into a very nice complement receiver to Reggie Wayne. The Colts defense is also going to get back Bob Sanders which should give them a little extra swagger. The Niners defense has been pretty good this season, but they haven’t faced an offense as good as the Colts. If the 49ers can somehow get the running game going, their stagnant offense might start producing. I’m not sure I buy the Alex Smith is a worthy first round pick yet, but he can’t be much worse than that Shaun Hill was under center.
Arizona (-10) Over Carolina
I’ve come to the realization that Arizona is in fact for real, and making it to the Super Bowl on a hot streak. Their defense is actually pretty strong, and they may not need to put up 35+ every week to win. Carolina, has been very disappointing to say the least, and I thought they’d rebound and get it together, but it seems like they have given up on this season. Jake Delhomme could be one of the worst QB’s in the league at the moment, and has shown nothing to think the contrary. They have a running game, but what good is that when you can’t throw the ball. What could be worse for Panther fans? They traded away their 2010 first round pick to the 49ers in the Everett Brown trade last off season. Sorry Carolina, but you’ve earned the hottie of the week!
Bye week (-28) Over Jim Zorn
This guy can’t win in the media or on the field. I kind of feel bad for him, but at the same time I don’t really care. The Bye week should be a tough opponent, but I still see him losing popularity and responsibilities before their next game!
New Orleans (-10) Over Atlanta
Maybe I hyped Atlanta too much last weekend, so they showed me up by throwing in a stinker against Dallas. I really don’t think Dallas is for real, since they only are in the game when Romo plays well. There’s really only a 50/50 chance of that. I think I might have picked the Saints every week so far this season, and miraculously they’ve covered every time! Thank you Darren Sharper for that pick six with two minutes to go last week! Darren, you made the Miller Lite gambling cover of the week! I don’t like Bush saying they can go undefeated, but looking at them at this point in the season it’s hard for me to say they can’t. I see them coming out strong in this one after being worked in the first half of last weeks game.
5 Comments | tags: betting, Buffalo Bills, cheerleaders, chicago bears, Cleveland Browns, football, gambling, Green Bay Packers, Houstan Texans, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, lines, Minnesota Vikings, NFL, predictions, preview, san francisco 49ers, Spreads, vs., week 8 | posted in Sports
Kate is my favorite Rams Cheerleader
Hmm, maybe I’m not cut out to do this anymore for our blog. It seems like my record is going downhill faster than Southern California is getting pushed out of the playoffs. After going 2-4 last week, I’m under .500 for the first time on the season at 14-16. I missed three games by 2 or less points last week which really hurt, and made me realize once again that Vegas is way too good at making these lines! I guess it always goes in waves with football, so good news is I’m due for a winning weekend after two miserable ones. Anyways, here are my week 7 picks, and as always the home teams are in bold.
Indianapolis (-13) Over St. Louis
Hmmm, REAL tough one here! I think I’d give early MVP Peyton after a bye week 21 points over the Rams. I don’t think the Colts will overlook the Rams, the way the formerly undefeated Eagles overlooked the Raiders last weekend. It’s nearly impossible for teams to compete with the Colts when they have two weeks to prepare, so this should be a massacre. I doubt this game will be worth watching, but it’ll sure be worth betting on! If the Rams weren’t close to the league lead in penalties, I might give them a small shot to cover, but as of now I’m putting this one down as my lock of the week. On a side note, if you’re wondering why there’s a beautiful lady at the top the last two weeks, I’ve run out of interesting pictures of chalk lines, so I’ll be picking a hot cheerleader/fan of the losing team in my favorite pick of the week. So in case you were looking for something positive about Rams, at least there’s Kate…
I'd really like to see Cribbs on a good team.
Green Bay (-7) Over Cleveland
I won’t make the same mistake twice of underestimating the Green Bay offense against a crappy team, and the Browns are just that. Last weekend made me realize that the Packers are at least organized enough to destroy the lower class of the league. This has the same set up as last weeks Lions matchup, and unless the Browns get a few kickoff returns from Cribbs they might not even get on the scoreboard. If I were Cleveland, I’d lock Joshua up since he seems to be the only thing right about the Browns these days. Anyways, I think Aaron Rodgers will keep fantasy owners, Green Bay fans, and gamblers happy with a big game similar to last week. This unfortunately is another unwatchable game on the weekend slate, and it looks like were already going to go three for three on the snore-a-meter with my next pick.
New England (-14.5) Over Tampa Bay (London)
Brady finally put up those video game numbers that we’ve been waiting all season for.
Brendan Frasor's best all-time role
It’s pretty obvious he wasn’t missing those deep routes with Randy this weekend, so I look for that connection to finally start getting some consistency that we once saw. The only thing that makes me hesitate picking the Pats in this one is that last years game in London, the field was a total mess, and produced a very low scoring snoozefest. I haven’t really read up on whether or not they’ve made adjustments to the field to handle this game, but you have to figure it’s at least improved. With Tampa giving up as many points as the other team wants to score, it’s impossible not to pick the Pats here. The Bucs are about as well rounded as Brendan Fraser in the beginning of Encino man. If it wasn’t in London, this might very well be blacked out.
San Francisco (+3) Over Houston
I guess I jumped on the San Francisco bandwagon sometime early this year, and can’t seem to get off. They’re 4-1 vs. the spread, so you have to take the points when they’re given to you. The bye week came at a perfect time for them as they came off a loss that they really didn’t show up for. I look for them to bounce back in the same way Atlanta did against them after their bye week. I’m sure Singletary had them working out extra hard on their so called break. It’s also the first time we’ll see Crabtree on the field. Whether he makes a difference or is even on the field much remains to be seen, but they did open up a roster spot for him this week. Either way it’s just nice knowing that Hammer is on his side, and is ready to help show him the path to blowing boatloads of cash quick! I’m not quite sure I understand the Texans this year. They lose to Jacksonville and Arizona, but beat Cincy and NY Jets. They are about as up and down my picks this season, and only play well every other week, I like this as their off week, and losing to the 49ers outright.
Oakland (+6) Over NY Jets
Ah, and now to my Raiders. What a win last weekend! I really didn’t see it coming. I guess I want to thank the media and Giants players for getting those wall posting comments up in the Raiders locker room. It was a great defensive effort, and we finally see the reason that they made the trade for Seymour. Although they are more successful against teams that pass like the Chargers and Eagles, but struggle against balanced teams like the Giants and Broncos. Even with NY having a fairly balaced attack with a very good running game, the Raiders did beat them last year, which makes me believe that they can do the same this year or at least keep it close at home. Even though JaMarcus didn’t give me any added confidence in the offense last weekend, they did prove that they can convert a few third downs to at least give their defense a solid rest. I have a feeling they will bring the pressure once again against a shaky Sanchez. Did you see him on the sideline last weekend? I thought he was going to cry. If he’s closing in on the crying point, the New York media is going to tear him up. Hopefully it won’t come to that for him. Anyways, I’m sure Raiders fans will make him feel right at home after he throws his first pick.
Atlanta (+4) Over Dallas
HOTlanta has been impressive this year, and I feel are being slightly under rated by the line makers this weekend by giving Dallas more than a FG for their home field advantage. The Falcons only subpar performance of the season was against the Patriots, and since that stumble they’ve been rolling. Their defense is better than I thought it would be this year, and is carrying them nearly as much as their highly touted offense. I see them putting up some big numbers against an over rated Dallas team. Wade Phillips will sink this ship sooner rather than later, so brace yourself for a possible losing season in Dallas. I think having Wade as the coach automatically discounts whatever benefits that a bye week has for a team. I mean they barely escaped an awful Kansas City team, and they’re getting four points against a better team!?! I guess that’s what happens if you’re a hometeam in your billion dollar supermall stadium. I guess a lot of fans in Texas are betting on their team, and raising that line.
New Orleans (-6.5) Over Miami
As much as I boasted about New Orleans in my best of the undefeated teams post, I’m a little concerned about giving up 7 points to a road team. Yes they beat down the Giants in their friendly confides, but this team has to have a let down at some point this season. Miami can control the clock for long periods of time, and is bound to have a few new wildcat variations in store for this weekend coming off a bye week. I’d be a little higher on Miami and their two game winning streak if they had beat teams that were close to New Orleans caliber. The Jets win was impressive, but if I’m going to pick the Raiders to cover in that one, I have to pick the team I dubbed the best in the league. The Dolphins defense is an aging one, and Brees will outsmart them whether it’s checking to a run or bombing it down field.
13 Comments | tags: Atlanta Falcons, betting, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, football, gambling, Green Bay Packers, houston texans, Indianapolis Colts, lines, London, New England Patriots, New York Jets, NFL, oakland raiders, picks, predictions, preview, San Franciscon 49ers, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, vegas, vs., week 7 | posted in Sports
I think she might be more accurate than JaMarcus... We should give her a shot at the starting job, right?!?
Ouch, I think that was about as good of a week as Rush Limbaugh’s had in the press. Just like his run it’s not the first time it’s happened! I think I must’ve been distracted making my picks like JaMarcus reviewing the game plan with a burger sitting in front of him. A rocky 1-6 weekend has led me to my first, uh oh, did I jinx myself by thinking I had it figured out!?! It’s a second straight week I’ve taken a Brady like roughing the QB ankle biter hits to my once amazing record. Now I’m 17-14, which isn’t anything to write home about. In all honesty, I expect better from myself. I think this was the week I was talking about on Doin Lines Week 4, when I thought a Brad Lidge type meltdown was coming. It did happen, but strangely it was a Ryan Madson type meltdown two weeks later, weird… Anyways, it’s good to get that bad week out of the way, and now I’m ready for a big comeback this Sunday! Here are my Week 6 picks. Same as before the home teams are in BOLD.
Minnesota (-3) Over Baltimore
It’s funny how after the first couple weeks of the season everybody had the Ravens as the best team in the league, which I really never agreed with. Minnesota will be tested in this game, but I think they have the firepower to get it done against the Ravens D. I really like how balanced they are. It used to be all AP, but now defenses have to scheme around the passing attack as well. Speaking of AP, he hasn’t had one of those freakish highlight reel games in awhile, so maybe he’s due. Chances are against that against Ray Ray and the Ravens, but he is the best back in the league so it’s always possible.
Chiefs (+6.5) Over Redskins
Whatever coach, just give me the damn play!
Exqueeze me? Baking powder? Did Vegas give the Redskins a touchdown spread? The Skins haven’t shown me enough to prove that they are worthy of being nearly a 7 point favorite. They barely escaped the Lambs by two! If the Skins showed any life against the really easy schedule they’ve had so far I might pick them, but when I honestly think KC could win this game outright I may as well take some points with that. It’s not that I think KC is close to good this year, but it seems like they actually are showing up to compete every game, and I do see them playing hard in this one. Kansas City gives up a lot of points, but Washington just can’t move the ball no matter who their playing. I look for this to be about as entertaining as last week’s Bills and Browns suckfest, so put your money on KC and just check the ticker.
New Orleans (-3) Over NY Giants
This is a tough one, and even though they both came off the bye weeks, I have to take the Saints at home. You might say the Giants played last week, but it was against the Raiders, so it was just a long scrimmage for them.
You could argue that the Saints have played better teams so far, and that would be true, as four of the Giants games were against teams with a combined 3-13 record. So by strength of schedule the Saints are the better team. I like good teams coming off bye weeks with plenty of time to study their opponent. Drew Brees with lots of time to prepare sounds like a setup for one of those MVP case building games. His crazy chant and dance ought to fire up the home team enough to put up 10 a quarter and give this Giants D something to actually test them. With Eli’s sort of injury, it’ll be interesting to see if the Saints bring some pressure early to test his durability.
Pittsburgh (-14) Over Cleveland
I’m not sure I buy that the Steelers are good this year, but I do buy that they are two touchdowns better than the Browns. I’m still kind of shocked that the Browns are even in the win column, but someone had to win that game last week. I think Pittsburgh will blow this one open early, as their passing attack looked pretty good last week. I feel like they’ve been playing down to their opponent, but they’re due for a big blowout. It looks like Mendenhall is getting some nice big holes to run through lately, and I think that’s why the passing game is opening up for them. The Browns boast a 32nd ranked rush defense so I’m hoping we get to see Ben scramble for some always fun awkward white guy running moments.
Detroit (+13.5) Over Green Bay
I’m not sure why I like them to cover. Maybe it’s a little because I’m turning into a mini Lions fan from a gambling standpoint, or maybe it’s because they only lost by 8 to the defending champs. Either way, I like taking the points against an inconsistent Green Bay team. Do I think Detroit will win? Doubtful, but seeing their new frisky attitude shows me that they are starting to be considered a “team” instead of a “speed bump”. Also, since the Pack have had such a hard time protecting Rodgers it helps this choice, because the Lions pass rush is actually pretty good. I also think the surprisingly good Lions running game could do well against a bad run defense. Hopefully Megatron will be on the field, he’s definitely worth about 6 points to in this game.
Seattle (-3) Over Arizona
I still think that both these teams suck, but one has to win, and I think it will be the home team as they get healthier. Seattle has the 9th ranked passing defense, so they should be able to at least somewhat contain the Arizona passing attack. On the other side, the Cards have the worst passing defense in the league ranked 32nd. Last week against Jacksonville it finally looked like Hasselbeck was getting comfortable with his receivers, which included a sighting of their big offseason acquisition TJ Whosyourmama. Maybe I got caught up after watching Sonicgate and am picking a bad team foolishly, but it’s tough to convince me Arizona wasn’t a red hot playoff fluke last season.
9 Comments | tags: 2009, Baltimore Ravens, Cleveland Browns, Detriot Lions, Drew Brees, football, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Cheifs, lines, matchup, Minnesota Vikings, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, NFL, Pittsburgh Steelers, predictions, preview, Rashard Mendenhall, Spreads, Washington Redskins, week 6 | posted in Sports
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