Tag Archives: Spreads

Doin Lines Week 10

We're about to make it rain this weekend!!

Woot woot! 4-1 last week! My best showing of the year as far as I can recall. Too bad I ran out of money on the tables in Vegas to throw bets down on Sunday. Oh well, life goes on. It’s amazing how different this year has been in that, I don’t really care about my fantasy teams or my bets nearly as much as years past. I guess that just goes to show you that when my team (Raiders) are doing well, nothing else matters to me in the football world. I kind of forgot what that felt like, and let me tell you, it’s a sweet feeling I was missing in life! I still like winning money, so I’m going to try to follow up a great week of picks with another one for back to back winners the first time this season!

Congrats to Chappy’s 4-1 last week!  As for me, 1-3-1 doesn’t quite have the same ring to it.  What sucks the most was that I was extremely confident I would finally top .500 this season with last week’s picks.  I guess the only good that came out of it was that my suggestion on taking the Jets to win in Detroit actually helped Chris out.  Anyway, it’s back to the drawing board for me.  Perhaps I need a trip to Vegas …

Week 9 (Chap 4-1, By 1-3-1) Overall (Chap 22-26-3, By 19-22-4)

Baltimore @ Atlanta (-1)

Chappy picks Baltimore (+1). It’s rare the NFL Network gets a game that’s worthy of watching. Fortunately for them they drew a great one this Thursday when two first place teams meet. Will the Ravens spit on the dirty bird? I think they might, and it’s going to take a lot of loogies to pull out a victory on the road. Neither team has injuries, so this should be a great game with all the starters out there. This is a battle for the future as Matt Ryan and Joe Flacco try to prove who is the better QB of that 2008 draft class. Atlanta is 4-0 at home, but three of those contest came down to the last minute. I don’t see this one being any different except that they will finally be on the losing side of things.

By picks Atlanta (-1): What a dream match up between two title contenders.  This could very well be the prequel to the Super Bowl this season.  I like Joe Flacco about as much as the next guy, but I’m a big believer of Matt Ryan and his upside.  This game is pretty much a straight bet, and so the deciding factor for me comes down to which team has more weapons.  With Michael Turner quietly having himself a great year, and with Roddy White not so quietly emerging as the league’s best receiver, I give the edge to the Falcons.  Besides, I can’t ride them all year long to jump ship now.

Cincinnati @ Indianapolis (-7)

By picks Indianapolis (-7): I got it half right last week, I knew the Colts would fall in Philly, but I thought Philly would cover the spread.  Damn those odd makers, they’re really good.  Anyway, give Cincy credit last Monday, as they fought back valiantly to make it interesting against the Steelers.  But with Cincy on a short week, and with Peyton fuming from the loss, I predict the Colts make mince meat out of the Bengals in week ten.  Colts by 17.

Houston @ Jacksonville (-1.5) Continue reading


Doin Lines Week 9


Last week I couldn’t quite get all the bad luck out of me before I head to Vegas this weekend. Going 2-3 did get some of that bad luck out, and I was very happy that the Raiders were one of the two wins. The Raiders have their biggest game of the season taking on the division leading Chiefs, but I’ll get to that pick later. Just like the Raiders my bets are a little more meaningful this weekend, because I’ll probably raise the ante on them a little being in Vegas. Unless of course if one of the homies  slips a Jeffery into the mix, then I might be rubbing fuzzy wall instead. Although, having Puffy chase us out of Vegas by mind f**ing us would be an ultimate story.

In honor of the World Series champions, San Francisco Giants (Still can’t believe I’m saying that), I went 4-1 last week, tying my season high for wins!  Furthermore, I lucked out during one of the toughest weeks in terms of football lines this season!  I have to say, I’m pretty impressed by myself!  Well enough gloating, as it is time to get down to business.  Week 9 is upon us, and I have an opportunity to break .500 this week.  I’m feeling more confident than usual, and I expect to hit on at least an 80% clip this week!  I guarantee it, Joe Namath style!  Or Rasheed Wallace style, what ever floats your boat.  Of course, that is, unless  a Jeffrey is involved, then all bets are off.

Week 8 (Chap 2-3, By 4-1) Overall (Chap 18-25-3, By 18-19-3)

Chicago (-3) @ Buffalo

By picks Chicago (-3): I’ve been dogging Buffalo all season long and it’s backfired despite the bagel that represents the total amount of wins the Bills have.  But like a stubborn mule, I continue to pick against them.  My reasoning for this sounds like a broken record, but this team isn’t that good. I know solid showings against the Ravens and the surprise Chiefs should have me thinking they’re better than what their record shows, but nope.  I just think the Bills suck this year.  Ryan Fitzpatrick to Steve Johnson does make for an intriguing combo, except for Fitzpatrick won’t start next year when the Bills take Andrew Luck #1.  Damn Niners, stop winning.  I’m not all that impressed with Chicago lately either, but three point dogs only?  I have to take my chances with the Bears and hope for a Matt Forte explosion.

New Orleans (-7) @ Carolina

Chappy picks New Orleans (-7). Did the Saints just dominate the Steelers? I didn’t see that one coming. I think their Super Bowl hangover might finally be wearing off. I haven’t seen Brees that sharp since last season, and it was against one of the best defenses in the league. He did what he did with a fourth string running back, and showed that maybe the Steelers secondary isn’t as good as advertised. The Saints defense looked great as well last weekend putting all kinds of pressure on Ben, and stifling Mendenhall and the Pittsburgh offensive line. Darren Sharper should be 100% for this one, so that’s just one more play maker to take the ball away from Matt Moore and the Carolina offense. The Saints only won by two in week 4 against Carolina, but since Carolina is the lowest scoring team in the league (12.1) it’s really easy to pick against them. The Saints look a lot better than they did the first time they met, I see fireworks this time. Take the Saints even if the line goes up to 8 or 9!

Tampa Bay @ Atlanta (-8.5) Continue reading


Doin Lines Week 6

Yikes, this season isn’t going so well for me on these picks, but at least I didn’t get skunked two weeks in a row in the win column. If my picks were a team right now, I’d probably be the Bills. Unlike the Bills, I still have hope for this season, because it only takes a couple weeks to drastically turn it around. The Bills might need at least two years to turn things around in Buffalo…

Big week for me last week, as I finally showed some life, going 4/5 on my picks!  But of course, the better news was the San Francisco Giants reaching the NLCS for the first time in eight years!  Oh, and taking Troy Glaus out in the process!  Aside from watching the Giants on Saturday, then a whole bunch of football on Sunday, I also have my fantasy basketball draft on Sunday, so needless to say, I’m a tad bit excited for the weekend to come!  Until then, let’s do some lines, shall we!?!?

Week 5 (Chappy 2-4, By 4-1) Overall (Chappy 10-18-1, By 10-14-2)

Kansas City @ Houston (-5)

Chappy picks Kansas City +5, last Sunday morning I was handed the Chiefs and Colts game on TV, so I watched. It was a lot closer than the 19-9 final score indicated. The Chiefs played Manning tough at Lucas Oil, and seemed to frustrate him most of the game. Seeing how well they did against Peyton and Co. makes me feel like they could do the same against Houston with their third ranked defense. The Chiefs were a couple of Bowe drops away from winning or being in the game in the fourth quarter, unfortunately he forgot how to catch the ball even when he was wide open. The biggest question in my mind is can Cassel actually get over 200 yards passing? I think he can against one of the leagues worst pass defenses. They made Gradkowski look like a top QB when they played the Raiders so why not Cassel? The Texans only put up 10 points against the Giants, and looked pretty bad, so they should be fired up and ready.  Problem is they aren’t usually that good at home going 4-5 in their last 9, so I think the Chiefs will be close enough to cover.

By picks Houston (-5): It’s hard to choose between these two teams, I like them both, but if it’s one thing I know about picking games, it’s not to have an emotional investment involved with it.  With that said, a good 73% of my picks come with emotional attachments, so if I can’t take my own advice, then I deserve the record I have.  Before I drown you all with self pity and sorrow, let me tell you why I chose Houston.  Simply put, they’re better than their 3-2 record.  They’re definitely better than what they put forth last Sunday versus the Giants, and you have to feel confident they won’t put up back to back stinkers at home.  I need Matt Schaub to show up this week, or else my fantasy season is over in football.  Kansas City hung with the Colts in Indy last week, but primarily based on their defense and Peyton Manning just having one of those games.  Their offense isn’t putting up consistent points, which they’ll need this week against Houston.  I have a feeling Houston’s offense will finally break out this week and turn this thing into a track meet.

Baltimore @ New England (-3) Continue reading


Doin Lines Week 4

Lost in the Sunday sports shuffle I forgot fall was upon us. I was as excited about seeing the new “Eastbound and Down” series premiere as I was about the football games. There were a lot of shows just getting started, but this one was like watching the Raiders game for me. It didn’t disappoint, opening up with a messy cock fight, and ending with Kenny being left by his new Mexican homies, and returning to the mound. I’d recommend Eastbound and Down to any sportsfan, especially the ones that liked the movie Major League. Kenny Powers is basically a washed up Ricky Vaughn trying to remake himself into a star again. His mission is to convince himself, and everyone around him that he is still the best. There are classic lines every 2 minutes. Before we get to the real reason for the post, I’m wondering why didn’t I bet against every team that clinched a playoff spot yesterday, sans the Twins. They all lost, and hopefully typing this out will be a mental note to bet on those games after a team clinches a playoff spot in baseball. On to football, last week neither of us did well. I can’t get to .500, and By is going to have to have a helluva week to make up for this past one. Our results have me questioning if we can right the ship faster than the Raiders and 49ers!?! Hopefully so, or we could be in for a loooong season.

Well, I was absolutely destroyed last week.  I know I hit on 1/3 of my picks, but I don’t even want to look back at the two teams that came through for me.  Metaphorically speaking, last week was like eating a bad burrito that gave me the runs, now that it’s out of my system, I just want to forget about it.  I know it isn’t poetic, but it describes exactly how I feel.  But, as Jay-Z would say, “On To The Next One.”

Results for week 3 (Chap 3-3-0, By 2-4-0) Overall (Chap 8-9-1, By 5-8-2)

Denver @ Tennessee (-7)

By picks Tennessee (-7) Josh McDaniels was looking like a genius around this time last season, as his Broncos were undefeated and all the buzz.  Unfortunately they haven’t replicated the fast start in 2010, and heading into Week 4, things just got worse with the announcement of Knowshon Moreno missing his second straight game with a hamstring injury.  Kyle Orton has done a great job as the interim QB, but it hasn’t translated to wins.  Ultimately, Denver doesn’t have enough threats to compete with Tennessee.  For the Titans, Chris Johnson is a beast, we don’t have to get into it about him, what it all comes down to Vince Young.  If you throw away the Pittsburgh game, he’s done a good job directing the ship, and after dismantling the Giants in New York last week, I’ve seen enough from the Titans to feel confident in having them cover.

@ Pittsburgh (-1.5) vs. Baltimore Continue reading


Doin Lines Week 3

This week’s lines are brought to you by the legend Kenny Powers!

I can’t quite get to .500 on the season, and By fell just below .500 for the year. It’s always funny to see the games that you weren’t worried about go completely wrong, and the ones that you questioned picking, coming through without a hitch. I guess it just shows you how good those damn odds makers are, and just how much parody there is in the NFL, but they can be beat, and that shouldn’t be an excuse! Even if I’m more indecisive than all these head coaches are with picking a starting QB, it doesn’t mean that I can’t pick a winner, right?!? Now that I’ve completely lost you, I’m going to try to make this week’s picks without bias, ie. I’m not going to pick teams that I want to win! Rule number two for the week; if you see both of us pick the same team in the same game immediately pick the opposite way. We are 0-2 in games we both picked the same team; hopefully the odds will even us out soon.

Like Vernon Davis, I fell flat on my face on the guarantee to win ’em all.  I finished a dismal 1-2-2 last week, but honestly, I thought I came out better than that.  Philly was up big, and Oakland had St. Louis at home.  Those two should have been a lock to cover, but I check the final scores, and both teams let me down.  So this week I’m stepping my game up, not only more focused on spotting the winning lines, but I’m picking a career high six games!  So I’m giving you the quantity for sure, and perhaps … the … quality?  I guess we’ll find out come Sunday.  On to the picks!

Week 2 Results (Chap 3-3, By 1-2-2) Overall Results (Chap 5-6-1, By 4-4-1) Continue reading


Doin Lines Week 1

I’ve been impressed with the revival of Entourage this season. For the last couple of seasons, I thought the show was heading downhill, but this year they got Vinny on a drug binge, making bad choices, and dating a porn star. Excellent twist to what was getting to be a repetitive series. Speaking of things reviving themselves, and the true reason for this post, the NFL is bizzniizzzizzaacckk! This means that every team has hope again (including my Raiders and the overly optimistic prediction I made about them making it to the AFC Championship), but this also marks the beginning of gambling season, and the return of Doin Lines! Even if you aren’t betting on spreads, lets face it, there’s plenty of $10 bets thrown down on games amongst friends. I found myself enjoying keeping track of how I did against the spread last year, and ended the season doing surprisingly well considering I was way below .500 for awhile there, and had pondered giving up posting my picks out of sheer embarrassment. My comeback was strong, and ending 49-45-3 on the season, which made me want to see how I could do in my second year of keeping track. At points during the season, I was much more into making these picks correctly than keeping track of my fantasy teams. Not to say that I didn’t care about fantasy, but of all the fantasy seasons, football is the least attractive to me. It’s too much of a crapshoot, and everyone talks endlessly about their “squad”, which is more of a turnoff than a girl with a butterface. Instead of picking ALL of the games, we decided to each pick the top six or so games that we believe are either mortal locks, or very watchable. I did say “we” right!?! Well, this season, By has decided to join me on the adventure of posting picks, so I don’t feel like such an addict doing all these lines by myself! By also had a couple quick thoughts before we get started.

Before I reveal my picks, I must say I’m excited to hear that Entourage is back on the radar in terms of “must see” programs.  There was a point in my life where I looked forward to watching Entourage as much as I looked forward to watching a football game on Sunday, but then it slipped.  But from what Chappy just wrote, and from what friends have mentioned, Vinny addicted to hard drugs, Sasha Grey,  plus the return of Carla Gugino (who is one fine woman) equals the return of Entourage!  I have catching up to do …

Now, on to business … Continue reading


Doin Championship Lines

What a great playoffs so far, we’ve had one great game, one okay game, and six blowouts. It’s made me much less excited about the upcoming games, but hopefully now all of the “pretenders” are out of the mix. Now, crossing my fingers, we’ll get a couple hard fought games this weekend for the race to own the 32nd draft pick. For some reason I find Shaq’s ultimate fundraising/dunk contest much more exciting than anything I’ve watched over the last two weekends. It’s very unlikely to happen, but you never know! Alas, I went 1-3 last week, AGAIN. I’m now only 2-6 on my playoff picks, which doesn’t really surprise me, since at the outset I knew that picking the playoffs never works out for me. Maybe it’s given me just one more reason to not care as much about these playoffs, but when game time rolls around, I’m sure I’ll be ready to watch. As always the home teams are in bold.

New York Jets (+7.5) Over Indianapolis

I wouldn’t consider myself on the Jets bandwagon, but they are playing some really good football right now. Even though the Jets regular season win over the Colts was against the second stringers, it has to give them some confidence going into this road game. I do want the Colts to win, possibly because I’m already tired of the New York hype machine. The way the Jets shut down SD last week has me wondering if luck IS on their side. It was surely on the Colts side last week as both Peyton picks didn’t hurt them. The Jets situation makes me reminisce about the Steelers march as the 6th seed to a Super Bowl title. I’m wondering how the Jets are going to attack this Colts D. We know what the Jets defense is going to do, and that will be everything they can to confuse and get pressure on Peyton. I know that the Colts haven’t been known over the years for any kind of run stopping capabilities, but this season they’ve held teams to 87 yards per game, which was good for third lowest yards allowed in the league. Since they are better at containing the running game than San Diego, they should be able to keep Greene and Thomas in check enough to pull out a close victory. They also did an amazing job on Fitz last week, so it seems like Braylon should have as tough a time as he does with actually catching the ball. I think the most interesting part of this game will be seeing how many times Peyton tests Revis Island. If Reggie Wayne has a big day, I have no shot at winning this bet. If the Colts jump out into an early lead, and my hopes rely on Sanchez, I have no chance of winning this pick. BTW, can you remember the last Championship game that was over a TD spread!?! Another thing I’m weary of in this game is the home team has won the AFC Championship three straight years.

New Orleans (-3.5) Over Minnesota

I couldn’t be more wishy washy with this pick since the line came out. Who knows by game time I might change my mind again. For now it’s the Saints though! I love the way they played like their old selves last week, even if it was at the expense of a terrible Arizona D. I’m thinking that it only takes one week to get your swagger back, and they looked rested and revived with plenty of swagger at home. I think the Saints D showed what they are capable of against a high powered offense, and have the tools to slow down another old man. I see the same type of energy this week coming out of them at home. I truly believe that the home field exists more in New Orleans than any other stadium, which has helped this team thrive over the season. If Minnesota wants to win this game, they’ll need to give AP the ball more. He needs to be more of a factor than Reggie Bush. I think because Bush was a factor last week it will keep the Vikings gambling defense a little more honest. Brees is as good as it gets on getting the ball out quickly, and I don’t see him ever holding the ball Romo-like in the pocket waiting for the mullet to destroy him. I’m really hoping this prediction is correct, so we aren’t subjected to watch/listen to Favre hype for two straight weeks. Another reason I’m not buying the Vikings is because I felt they had a pretty easy schedule, and seem prone to sucking in road games. They lost three of their last four road games, and the losses were to Carolina, Chicago, and Arizona. I’ll forgive the Arizona game, but the other losses shouldn’t have happened. It’s also when all the experts were wondering if they were even contenders. I’ve decided it’s because they just don’t play well on the road, and won’t this week either.


Doin Divisional Lines

Ouch, the playoffs started rough, but I can’t say that I wasn’t aware that my picks seem to go downhill once the regular season ends. I wish I could say it was because the teams were so even, but with the exception of one game they were all blowouts. I actually missed most of the Arizona and Green Bay game because I assumed it WAS going to be another blowout when Arizona was up by 20 in the 3rd…  Anyways, my 1-3 record last week will have to improve if I want any of you to take my picks seriously this playoffs. This week I’m trying out a new strategy, and picking the teams I don’t want to win. I guess if I don’t win my picks, I’ll find some solace in jinxing the teams I want to lose. As always the home teams are in bold.

Arizona (+7) Over New Orleans

Do I want Arizona to win? No. Were they playing better than the Saints down the stretch? Yup.  I’m not sure why, but I like to root against Arizona, and for some reason the more I do root against them, the more they win! Last week they added another amazing chapter to their recent playoff history, but I guess that didn’t convince odds makers. It did convince me! The Saints defense struggled at the end of the year, and most likely will struggle again against a now very balanced Cardinals attack. With Beanie emerging as a solid back, the Saints will have to worry about more than just Warner and Fitz. I would say the same for the Saints, but their offense looked less dynamic than the Packers at the end of the year only producing 44 points over their last three games compared to averaging 36 through the first 13 weeks. I really like the Cards 10 straight wins against the spread, so I’m picking them with confidence! I kind of want to see a battle of the grey hairs in the NFC Championship game!

Baltimore (+7) Over Indianapolis

Since last week I was wrong about nearly everything, I figured I may as well go against who I want to win this week. I really don’t want to pick Flacco over Manning, which sounds retarded rolling off the tongue. You ever notice Flacco’s off hand when he throws? It looks like he’s got a disability or something. Anyways, in the end, I’m not really sure I agree with this line. Seven points is pretty high, especially when their first meeting in Week 11 was a 17-15 Colts win where the Baltimore D picked Peyton off twice. It was a sloppy Colts win, but it wasn’t anywhere near a blowout. The Ravens looked dominant against a mojoless Patriots team last week. It’s nice to see that you don’t really need a QB to win a game, you just need the other QB to NOT show up. I doubt the Colts will forget their mojo, and will hopefully win in a close one. I still think it’s lame that the Colts didn’t go for the perfect season, but I’m not Caldwell, so it wasn’t my decision.

Minnesota (-3) Over Dallas

I know, Dallas is the hottest team in the league, and not to many people are picking Minnesota since they kind of limped across the finish line. Tony Romo is playing better than I ever thought he could, the Boys rushing attack looks great, and their defense is shutting down everybody. All of this still isn’t going to stop me from picking the Vikes! The Vikings are 8-0 at home this year, and I doubt that Favre sort of came out of retirement to lose to pretty boy Romo at home nonetheless. There’s something about the Metrodome that helps them win. They play like nobody’s business when they are there, so I see this one playing out exactly the opposite of the way people are predicting. I’d say that this is the most fair line of the bunch. I hope I don’t find out the hard way this weekend when the game is on that the Cowboys are that good…

San Diego (-7) Over New York Jets

I was hoping that when I saw the LT glide music video, it would give me just one extra reason to root for the Jets, but finding out it was filmed two years ago ended that hope. As much as I don’t want SD to win this game, I have a feeling this one will be a blowout. There’s only one Revis, and three really good receivers and a decent fourth that Rivers can throw to (Jackson, Floyd, Gates, and sometimes Nanee). The Bengals only had one receiver, Ochocinco, so passing game was containable. In this pass happy era, it’s not the running game that wins games for you, especially in the non-treacherous weather of San Diego. Just look at the top two seeds in the AFC this year! Phillip Rivers, much to my dismay, is a great quarterback. No matter how much I sports hate this guy, he keeps playing well and winning. The Chargers are as healthy as they’ve been all year and are getting back Eric Weddle in the secondary. I can’t picture Sanchez putting in two good playoff performances in a row. Especially since this time around he will have to make more plays if their offense is going to be successful. They won’t be able to grind it out on the ground like they did against Cincy. I see Sanchez making some mistakes against a much better defense.


Doin Wild Card Lines

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!


Doin Lines Week 16

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


Doin Lines Week 15

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


Doin College Football Lines

I’m far from a college football expert, or could really even tell you much about many of the teams, but I am pretty pumped to see the obvious Bama and Gators match up, and one of my all time favorite rivalries the Civil War Oregon vs. Oregon State! MCeezy wrote about how rivalry week is somewhat deceiving, but these two games are about as heated as rivalries can get! Hopefully they will play out that way! Same with my NFL picks the home teams are in bold.

Oregon State (+9.5) Over Oregon

I don’t think the Beavers will win this game, but Moevao has said that they are looking for revenge from last years upset. I didn’t feel it was a big upset last year, but what do I know! I feel they will pull out all the tricks they have in the playbook to keep this one close, and hopefully it ends up like 2007’s double OT battle. I understand that the Ducks are the more talented team, but in a rivalry anything can happen. Also besides the Beavers having to contain Lamichael James and Jeremiah Masoli they should see a small dose of Legarrette Blount in his first game back from the suspension. He should give them that big back to pound the football on the ground, which they haven’t had most of this season. MCeezy predicted he’d be back for their most important game, and it looks like he was right! I can’t figure out why this line is so high since the Beavers ARE at home, and ARE a good team!

Me hoping I can curse the Gators by chomping on one!

Me trying to curse the Gators by chomping on one!

Alabama (+6) Over Florida

I guess I’m writing about this game because I was in Florida last week, and it seems like it was all I really heard about for most of the week! After hearing the hype over there I’ve decided to pick my second straight underdog! I think that in college football the home field makes much more of a difference than it does in the pros. I’m not confident that Bama can actually pull this one out, but since they are the #2 team in the country they deserve to be at least within a FG on the spread at home! Florida and their 22 straight wins will probably win this game, but I like many others love to see an upset. I don’t dislike Tebow especially since he has proven that he is an amazing leader, but i don’t have quite the same type of love as Sportsguyby has for him! Losing Dunlap to the DUI, should make it a little easier for Bama to move the ball, and should give them a little more time to throw. I see this one ending closer than last years SEC title game!


Doin Lines Week 10

Beth Rams CheerleaderLast week was rough, but I can’t say I didn’t expect it. There were a lot of tough games to pick from, and since there were lot of the crappy teams had a bye week it made it even tougher. I went 2-4 last week, which brings my record to an awful 22-26 on the season. It has obviously made my picks look less than reliable at this point, but hopefully I’ll get some redemption this week picking a couple extra games. Too bad there’s a game tonight or I’d wait to put these picks up another day, but as always the home teams are in bold.

San Francisco (-3) Over Chicago

Vernon Davis hurdle stiff armThe 49ers and the Bears have both been very inconsistent this season and neither looks to be a playoff team at this pint, but then again everybody changes their mind from week to week… The 49ers have done well against very good teams, so I feel like they should pull this one out. Vernon even called their D-line weak, and said they were going to destroy them! Pretty strong words, but he later took back some of the thunder on Twitter which was disappointing. I think Chicago’s O-line is the biggest problem as Forte can’t get going and Cutler spends most of the time on his back. The 49ers kept Indy in check, so  I can’t see any reason they won’t against this cubs I mean Bears offense in check.

Denver (-3.5) Over Washington

I can’t say Denver has done much the past couple weeks to make me overly confident in them, and it seems like nearly everyone has jumped off their bandwagon for the time being. Who knows though after this week everybody might be back on that bandwagon! The Skins however are the perfect team to get you back on track after a couple of rough losses. I doubt the Broncos, now struggling defense, will have much of a problem stopping this disastrous offense. Sorry no Zorn jokes this week. I think I’ve beat up on him enough in my other weekly picks posts! Pick Denver with confidence.

Cincinnati (+7) Over Pittsburgh

Cedric Benson diving TDI’m kind of surprised that Cincy is a seven point dog in this one. The Steelers have played close games nearly every week, and haven’t been the model of consistency this year. Probably because everybody guns a little harder against the defending champs. I don’t see them covering against a team that is 5-0 as an underdog, which is exactly what this Bengals team is. I don’t think they’ll have the same kind of success they had against the Ravens, but I can see them winning outright, so there’s no reason not to take a touchdown’s worth of points! Pittsburgh doesn’t win these kind of games pretty, so I see this one coming down to a FG.

New Orleans (-13.5) Over St. Louis

Not much to say for this one. The Aints are long forgotten these days in New Orleans, and they now have a team that looks like a super bowl contender! If you pick the Rams in this game, you WILL lose. This is my Miller Lite “can’t make the spread high enough pick of the week”. I could see the Rams putting up a fight, but as soon as that first quarter is over, it might be hard to keep it close from there on out! The Rams are the first team to earn two cheerleaders at the top of my picks… Congrats Rams fans!

Kansas City (+2) Over Oakland

Darren Mcfadden RaidersThis pick goes against a lot of my personal gambling rules that I’ve made for myself, such as don’t bet on my team or bet on two crappy teams. Alas, I have to do it! This probably won’t be a “watchable” game for most fans, but the last time these two teams met, KC should have won the game, but blew it in the end. I can’t say enough bad things about the Raiders right now, but they are getting a few key guys back this week that may or may not help them including McFadden, Schillens, and Gallery. Every time I pick the Raiders to cover they lose, so maybe I can jinx my crappy team into a win as I’d rather lose the bet.

Arizona (-8.5) Over Seattle

Anquan Boldin CardinalsWell, I’ve gone back and forth on whether Arizona is for real or not. They like to mess with me by showing up only when I pick against them. Is that a sign to pick Seattle this week? Probably not, since Seattle hasn’t really shown that they can do anything well for very long let alone a whole game against a team that IS going somewhere. Warner can win a game with 5 TD’s for them and he can lose a game with 5 INT’s, and I don’t think the Seattle D has enough to get 5 picks. Boldin is supposed to be back as well, and I’m thinking since he’s been so pissed off that he didn’t play last week he’s going to have a big game against a not so great secondary.

New England (+3) Over Indianapolis

I hate picking the Pats to win this game, because I truly do despise them. They have been playing very well lately, and it’s not just the offense, their defense seems to have finally figured themselves out! I don’t really want to pick this game since it is beginning to be a solid rivalry between the two teams that always plays out in the close game fashion, so I’m taking the points. It was hard picking with my gut instead of who I want to win. I think the Pats will be extra fired up to end the Colts unbeaten streak, and will have some Belichick surprises for ready. This should be the game of the week!


Doin Lines Week 9

Rachel_Watson Bucs Cheerleader

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 Palmer Chad Ochocinco

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

roddy white catchWashington 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

Darren Sharper interceptionI 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

Frank Drebin Naked GunThis 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.


Doin Lines Week 8

Jacksonville Jaguars Cheerleaders

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.Tommie Harris Chicago Bears 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.Brett Favre Aaron Rodgers 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.Austin Collie TD Catch 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

Jim Zorn coachThis 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.