Tag Archives: vegas odds

December 17, 2010

Doin Lines Week 15

By chappy81

3-2 last week was okay. I guess it’s better than a losing week, but not by much. The season is getting interesting as we head down the home stretch, but after my Raiders lost last week it made me not pay attention to the happenings going on in the NFL during the week. I’ll call it a mini-depression that only comes when your team’s hopes are dashed. I guess there’s a little hope, but not much, so for now I’m hoping they can sweep their divisional games for the first time in decades.

Don’t have much to say as a prelude to my picks but look at that overall record.  I’m smiling from ear to ear considering where I stood in the early part of the season.  The best part about my picks these past few weeks is they’ve actually won me some coin.  Being that we just finished our “Naughty” or “Nice” list, and Christmas is around the corner I think it’s only right I ask Santa for one thing.  No 2011 NFL lock out.  And no 2011-2012 NBA lock out.  O.K. sorry Santa, that’s two things.  I got greedy.

Week 14 (By 3-1-1, Chap 3-2) Overall (By 35-30-5, Chap 36-40-3)

Houston @ Tennessee (-1.5)

By picks Houston (+1.5).  This might be fool’s gold being that Matt Schaub hasn’t exactly been the model of consistency this season, but take away that horrible decision to pass it to the wrong team in extra innings, and Schaub played a spectacular game against the Ravens last Monday, which is why I’ll take Houston this week.  Both teams aren’t going anywhere this season, but the Texans have to do enough for us to believe that next year is “their” year.  And so a good showing on the road versus a division rival should suffice.  For the Titans, my advice to them would be tank the season and hit rock bottom.  That way a mediocre 2011 (if there is a season) would be enough to satisfy the Tennessee fans.  I think they’ll take my advice.

Arizona (-2.5) @ Carolina

Chappy picks Carolina (+2.5). This might be one of the crappiest match ups in recent memory. I haven’t really watched either of these teams much this year, because they haven’t been worthy of three hours of attention. Carolina has been running the ball a little better with Stewart finding some holes, and Steve Smith being back might help the offense a little more. That being said they still suck. The Cardinals are in last place in the NFC Worst, but for some inexplicable reason are still in the playoff hunt. This is the first time all year I’ve picked Carolina, so I had to take them at least once, right!?! Arizona is going across the country to play a morning game, and with bad teams that’s a big deal.

By picks Carolina +2.5. Like Chappy said, this possibly is the worse NFL match up all season.  Scratch that, dare I say, all time?  It’s hard to believe the Arizona Cardinals were one or two plays from hoisting the Lombardy Trophy two years ago.  A lot of things have factored into their down fall since then, but the main reason is obvious.  Cutting Matt Leinhart.  What were the Cards thinking!?  All jokes aside, all this Cardinals losing has strengthen Kurt Warner’s case towards Canton.  I don’t know of one thing the Cards do well besides lose, and so despite the Panthers sucking major balls too, I’ve got to go with Carolina at home here.  I guess Jonathan Stewart’s been running well lately.  There.  That’s a better reason to go with the Panthers.

Jacksonville @ Indianapolis (-5)  Continue reading

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December 9, 2010

Doin Lines Week 14

By chappy81

A 2-4 week has me thinking I will never crack the .500 mark this season. Luckily I hit a parlay to break even money wise, but I’m sure you all could care less about that. I think everyone has found this season a little strange in that there aren’t a ton of contenders that cover the spread every week, and looking through the lines I was shocked to see that there wasn’t one double digit favorite. What does this mean? Even the odds makers are a little befuddled by this season! The highest spread is New Orleans -9 at home. Speaking of NO, is it just me or are they the least hyped defending champs ever? I don’t hear the morning FOX, CBS, or ESPN gangs raving about anything the Saints are doing, and aren’t they the champs until someone knocks them off? I guess not in this Twitter age. The Patriots and Jets must be the only teams worthy of our attention, so the networks have led me to believe. I just can’t get over how many people were on their bandwagon last year and now, no love at all. What gives?!?

What gives is right!  As in, what gives with a 2-3 record last week!?  Well I am a firm believer in karma, or getting your “just dues”, and the way I was approaching my picks last week, like it was some sort of guaranteed 5-0 event, let’s just say I got what I deserved with those results.  Time to get myself back on the positive side this week.  On a side note, the Bo Sox just signed Carl Crawford!?  Looks like Bean Town’s the new “Evil Empire” in baseball …

Week 13 (By 2-3, Chap 2-4) Overall (By 32-29-4, Chap 33-38-3)

Indianapolis @ Tennessee (+3)

By picks Indy (-3). I will beat this horse dead, but I’m not going to stop riding it.  Wait, does that even make sense?  I guess what I’m trying to say is, I’m not jumping off the Peyton Manning ship just yet, especially in a must win scenario at a division rival.  As horrible as Manning has been these past three weeks, he’s still one of the greatest QB’s to ever play the game, which in my book, means something.  He will right the ship this week and trust his guys more.  On the other side of the ball, Tennessee is a mess.  Vince Young, Randy Moss, need I say more?

Oakland @ Jacksonville (-4) Continue reading

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November 24, 2010

Doin Lines Week 12

By chappy81

Looks like the trend for my picks is continuing. I went 4-2 last week, and said that I’d have a winning record because I alternate weeks on doing well and then doing bad. That being said, I guess you can safely pick against my picks this weekend as you will be sure to come out a winner if this seven week and counting trend continues. I know we haven’t been putting up a whole lot of posts lately, and for that I apologize. I’m guessing it’s because the W’s and Raiders hit the wall called reality that I always seem to forget exists when they are playing well. If David Lee didn’t get rabies from Wilson Chandler, and Richard Seymour didn’t throw a fit, I’d be a little more motivated. Oh well, at least I won on two parlays this weekend! Money makes up for internal pain a little! Another bright note from last weeks picks, By and I were 2-0 on picks we agreed on. Much better than weeks past!

Never would a 26-25-4 record look, and feel so good, until now.  Being that it’s been a struggle to stay within striking range of .500 all season long, to finally get over the hump after Week 11 has allowed me to breath a big sigh of relief.  This is what Steve Young must have felt like when Super Bowl XXIX was already decided and he told his sideline to get the monkey off his back.  Unfortunately, the one loss last week, came with me foolishly betting on my 49ers after all my other bets had covered, and seeing them not even show up to the game.  Anyway, like I said last week, I ain’t stopping now!  I will chase down that elusive 5-0 week, I promise.  On a side note, congrats to Chaps, he’s closing in on .500 and I know it’s coming soon!  Let the lines begin!

Week 11 (Chap 4-2, By 4-1) Overall (Chap 28-31-3, By 26-25-4)

New England (-6.5) @ Detroit

Been awhile since any Lions took any Turkey pieces for player of the game.

By picks New England (-6.5). Nothing like tradition, and Thanksgiving football in the Motor City is definitely tradition.  You know what else is tradition?  The Detroit Lions getting spanked at home during Thanksgiving brunch.  What better way to keep that tradition alive, than to send the NFL’s best team to 8 Mile Road?  The Lions have talent, there’s no question about that, but for some reason, they can never get it together.  Meanwhile, Tom Brady is in the hunt for his second MVP award, and keeping pace with the NY Jets in the AFC East is of the utmost importance to the Pats.  They’ll stay sharp Thursday and carve up some Lions with ease.

New Orleans (-3.5) @ Dallas

Chappy picks New Orleans -3.5. Let’s start it off with a tough one shall we! The Cowboys are trying to get their third straight win, but this is by far their toughest opponent. They took out a sleepwalking Giants team (who are impossible to figure out), and then went on to beat a so-so Lions team. If there’s one thing that Garrett has done since taking over for the much maligned Phillips, is that he made them look like a real football team again. The Saints are also rolling pretty good winning their last three games including one against a tough Pittsburgh team. I like Sean Peyton and Drew Brees over Jason Garrett and Jon Kitna. Speaking of Kitna, why has this great collection of talented offensive players looked better than when Romo was in the lineup? I don’t have the answer, but maybe you do…

By picks New Orleans (-3.5). Yes I get it, the Cowboys are red hot and rejuvenated by the change at the helm.  But that doesn’t change the fact that the Saints are hotter!  Drew Brees has quietly put together another magnificent season despite a some what of a slow start.  A scary fact, the Saints aren’t even close to hitting their peak stride, and so I see nothing but improvement from here on out from the boys of the bayou.  As for the Cowboys, enjoy your mini streak while it lasts.  Come Thursday, the Saints are going to stuff the Cowboys.  (Hope you guys are sensing a theme here).

Cincinnati @ New York Jets (-9)

Chappy picks Cincinnati (+9). Every analyst is in love with Mark Sanchez and his clutch performances lately. I can’t disagree that he hasn’t been clutch, but why are some of these games even that close to begin with? Seven of their ten games have been closer than a TD, and they were far from shootouts. Sanchez might be playing well at the right times, but would it kill him to throw for 300+ yards and have a 3-4 TD game. When he gets a couple of those under his belt, I’ll start believing. Cincy is the opposite. They seem to get blown out early, and come back only to fall short. The polar opposite dynamic of last year’s team. This is the main reason to take the points!

Minnesota @ Washington (-3.0)

By picks Minnesota (+3). The Vikes got exactly what they wanted, a new coach.  And no, I’m not talking about the interim guy who’s pretending to be the coach, I’m talking about the “texting” guy.  He’s the real coach of this team.  With that said, Favre will rekindle some 2009 magic and unleash a few deep bombs to Sidney Rice.  Rice should have better legs under him after playing in his first game this season.  The Vikings are too talented to be losing these many games, so I expect them to prevail over another dysfunctional team in Washington.  Minnesota 27, Washington 21.

Tennessee @ Houston (-6.5)

Chappy picks Houston -6.5. I think Chris Johnson is going to have a huge day against an awful Houston offense, but in the end if you have a rookie named Rusty making his first NFL start, you can’t like your chances that much. Maybe it won’t feel like a road game for the Oilers, I mean Titans, going back to their birthplace many years ago. It’s amazing how a team can go from contender to pretender in two quick weeks after nabbing Randy Moss off waivers. I wonder when he is going to be back on waivers? My prediction, after this week’s loss and another one catch performance he’s there.

Carolina @ Cleveland (-11)

Chappy picks Cleveland -11. I think the only thing that hasn’t changed over the past four weeks in a season that my opinion changes every week is that Carolina will lose by two scores minimum regardless of who they are playing. Cleveland happens to be on the rise and at home. I like them winning big. I still wish the Raiders used one of their first four picks on McCoy. Hopefully that doesn’t bug me for the next ten years…

Tampa Bay @ Baltimore (-7.5).

By picks Tampa Bay (-7.5). This is the most intriguing match up of the weekend.  I’m pretty high on the Bucs, and I’m really high on the Ravens.  Baltimore is a legit contender, while the Bucs are good pretenders in my eyes, but with that said, Tampa plays every team tough and they’ll bring it this weekend in Baltimore. Joe Flacco has been picking apart defenses consistently all year, but Ray Rice has finally showed up to the party.  That makes this Ravens team that more dangerous.  Ultimately, I don’t see the Ravens winning by more than a touch down, and so I’m going with Ronde Barber and company to cover this week.  Ravens win by 4.

Chappy picks Baltimore -7.5. It’s funny how everyone comes to their conclusion on who is the best team in the league. I’m not sure I can give Baltimore that title, but they are about as close as it gets, and are about as complete as it gets on both sides of the ball. With all due respect to Raheem and the Bucs, they really haven’t beaten any of the “contenders” they’ve faced. They were blown out by Pittsburgh and New Orleans, then lost a sort of close one to Atlanta. Everyone else they played has a losing record. Since I see Baltimore as a true contender, I don’t mind laying the points when they are at home. I see Ed Reed getting down on one of those patent interception TD returns by baiting Freeman into thinking a receiver is open.

Kansas City (-2) @ Seattle

By picks Kansas City (-2). Who would have thought that the AFC West would have been this good, and that Kansas would play a road game this season in which they were favored?  The one two punch of Thomas Jones and Jaamal Charles would normally be enough for me to pick the Chiefs in this spot, but now throw in Dwyane “Not Wade” Bowe!?  Sold!  Dwayne Bowe has been the best wide receiver in the league over these past two or three weeks, maybe with the exception of Roddy White, and so  I don’t expect things to change this week as Bowe will have his TD and 100 yards.  Seattle’s a tough place to play, but I still feel good about KC’s chances in covering.

San Diego @ Indianapolis (-3)

Chappy picks San Diego (+3). These two teams always have good battles, and usually come down to the last play. I took the liberty of flipping a coin, and George Washington told me to take the points. Made sense to me!

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November 18, 2010

Doin Lines Week 11

By chappy81

Maybe Jared needs to bring back the mullet lines to get Minny their mojo back...

A ho-hum 2-3 week has handed me the feeling that I’ll never figure this year out. Should I quit? Probably, but I’m addicted to losing money! My recent pattern has shown that I will have one good week then one bad week, so the good news is, I should have a good one this weekend. Now that we are past all the bye weeks, there’s a lot more games to pick from, so hopefully picking out the winners won’t be as tough.

I’m so close I can smell it.  I’m going with my usual five picks this week, but along with choosing by gut instinct, I’m using deductive reasoning.  Well, at least I think I am.  I swear I’m better than what my record indicates, but enough talking.  Time to show and prove.  These next five weeks are going to be killer.  Forget above .500, I’m going to the .600 club.  Who’s coming with me!?

Week 11 (Chap 2-3, By 3-2) Overall (Chap 24-29-3, By 22-24-4)

Oakland @ Pittsburgh (-7)

Chappy picks Oakland (+7). I’m not overly confident in this pick, especially since I think the Steelers are one of the best teams in the league. I do however like the Raiders coming off their bye week. They are healthy for the first time since week 4, and get back a slew of starters. Most importantly Nnamdi, Zach Miller, Louis Murphy, John Henderson, and Chaz Schillens are all going to be playing. Their best receiver and top targeted tight end should improve the passing game, and the way Brady picked them apart with the two tight end sets, we will need Campbell to have all the weapons possible. Remembering back to last year the game that got us to believe in Gradkowski? Well, if you don’t, it was in Pittsburgh, and they won behind Louis Murphy going off for 128 yards and two TD’s. On the Steelers side of the ball they could be without Hines Ward, which would give Mike Wallace a date with Nnamdi this weekend. I like our chances with that match up. The Raiders are third in the league in sacks, so if the Steelers do win, it will be because of Mendenhall carrying the load. Take the points, seven is a more than generous amount from the oddsmakers.

Green Bay (-3) @ Minnesota

By picks Green Bay (-3). I’m not a big fan of kicking someone when they’re down.  Unless that someone is Brett Favre.  Listen, I’m not one to pretend I’m unaware of his greatness, but if you’re a egotistical princess, well, I just won’t like you.  But, that’s not why I’m picking Aaron Rodgers and the Packers this week.  Minnesota is about as dysfunctional as a team can be right now.  When players publicly, but anonymously rip their coach apart, you can’t help but think they’re through playing for him.  The Vikings might drop this game big, on purpose.  I’m just saying.

Baltimore (-10) @ Carolina Continue reading

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November 11, 2010

Doin Lines Week 10

By chappy81

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

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October 28, 2010

Doin Lines Week 8

By chappy81

I finally had a good week, going 4-2. I didn’t think it was ever going to happen, but I knew the odds had to even out a little eventually. Sad part is I’m not sure what I did right last week, so it might be impossible to duplicate. Either way, I kind of hope I do bad this week to get all the bad luck out of my system, because I’m heading to Vegas next weekend, so I should save all that luck for when I’m there. Here’s to going 0-5 this week, ohh yeaaa!!

I can’t complain much about a .500 weekend in picks, I’ve definitely fared worse.  Coming into this week, it still baffles me how the 49ers are considered favorites almost every week.  It’s like the odd makers are just giggling in a back room somewhere, saying, “Could we actually get away with this, again?”  Fool me once odd makers, and shame on you, but fool me four times!  Well, as far as this week is concerned, I’m unsure where to find an edge when making a selection, as the slate of games on tap are tough to say the least.  So I’m going straight to the belly, and doing gut feeling picks.  Here goes nothing.

Week 7 (Chap 4-2, By 2-2) Overall (Chap 16-22-3, By 14-18-3)

Carolina (+3) @ St. Louis

Chappy picks St Louis (-3). You never really know what you’re going to get from week to week from the Rams. They play well and beat teams like the Chargers and Redskins, but then get blown out by a team like Detroit. Carolina on the other hand just doesn’t show up, and if I played for them, I’d question playing hard too. Why beat yourself up when you know you’re going to lose? The Panthers just make it impossible for me to pick them under any circumstance. The Rams will go into their bye week on a positive note with convincing win!

By picks St. Louis (-3): David Gettis looked like Randy Moss circa 1998 against the 49ers last week, enough so that I swooped him up in one of my fantasy leagues.  What I failed to remember is, the 49ers suck.  Matt Moore is a decent QB, but I don’t see a repeat performance against the Rams this week.  St. Louis isn’t exactly the team to beat in the “NFC Weak” division, but then again, who is?  A win here, coupled with a Seattle Seahawks’ loss, and the Rams are in good position.  Steven Jackson looks like he’s back, and he’ll be the difference maker in this game.  Rams by 10.

Green Bay @ NY Jets (-6)

By picks Green Bay (+6): Continue reading

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October 23, 2010

Doin Lines Week 7

By chappy81

A so-so week for me. My picks have felt like Gary Busey looks.  I swear at halftime of every game this weekend I thought I was a lock to win each pick, but unfortunately a lot of my teams were outscored in the second half just to disappoint me. At least I pulled out a .500 week for the first time in a few weeks, and am moving in the right direction. Maybe I should just be betting on the first half scores!

I had a “whatever” type weekend finishing 2-3-1.  Any momentum or confidence I had from busting out the whooping sticks two weeks ago has faded.  For some reason, all I can think about after writing that, is a line from Eminem’s Lose Yourself track, “Snap back to reality, OH, there goes gravity …”  Anyway, Chappy and I both picked Baltimore over New England last week, and of course, both of us ended up on the short end of the stick with that selection.  I’ll try not to peek over at who Chaps got this week for fear of an automatic loss.  On a side note, picking teams this year has been terrible for me, I feel like a jester trying to entertain a King, only to fail and hear him say, “FEED HIM TO THE LINES!“

(Was that funny?)

Week 7 (Chappy 2-2-2, By 1-3-2) Overall (Chappy 12-20-3, By 12-16-3)

Pittsburgh (-3) @ Miami

Chappy picks Pittsburgh (-3), Will the Steelers defense be as good with James Harrison pulling up on hits because he’s scared of a fine? I doubt it! The Steelers stop teams that are good at running holding opposing offenses to only 63 yards a game on the ground. If the Dolphins have a shot in this one it will be because Bess and Marshall have big games. This is the first time in a couple of years that the whole Steelers defense is healthy, and they’ve shown what they can do when they are healthy. They usually fare well in these physical match ups. I think Ben shook off all the rust he may or may not have had against the lowly Browns last week, and could have a big game if they keep Cameron Wake out of his face. The Dolphins were blown out at home against the Jets and Patriots, making me think the Steelers should do the same…

By picks Pittsburgh (-3).  What’s one way to steer controversy away from Ben Roethlisberger?  How about steering it towards James Harrison?  That’ll work.  Ben Roethlisberger, in his return from suspension, wasn’t even mentioned last week!  All the attention went to the league officials and James Harrison.  Everybody saw the steep fine the league struck Harrison with for his “illegal” hit, then everybody witnessed Harrison “contemplate” retirement after, which resulted in everybody NOT believing in him , which followed by Harrison coming back to no one’s surprise, after his day off.  Back to the games.  As good as Pittsburgh has been these past few weeks, it’s pretty scary to see how they’ll look once Big Ben gets back into rhythm.  Pittsburgh may be my favorite to win the Super Bowl as of now.  I know Miami is coming off a big win against Green Bay, but nothing can prepare them for the beating they’re going to get from Team USA.  The United Steelers of America.  I wouldn’t be surprised if Harrison responds by trying to hit someone even harder than he did Masshisname?  Or his boy, Cribbs.  Pittsburgh big.

Cincinnati (+3.5) @ Atlanta

Chappy picks Atlanta (-3.5), Carson Palmer has been good at one thing this year, and that’s turning it over at the worst possible times, like in the redzone. Matt Ryan has been just as up and down, but his team is pulling out victories. For Palmer it doesn’t really matter who his receivers are when he’s throwing it to the opposing team. We might see Michael Turner re-emerge against the leagues 19th ranked rush defense. If Atlanta is for real, they need to beat this Bengals team convincingly, especially since they can’t really find their footing so far this year.

By picks Atlanta (-3). Atlanta ran into a road block last week in Philadelphia, but that doesn’t stop me from believing the Falcons are the top team in the NFC South.  I think we know what we’re getting from Matt Ryan, a star that’s just on the brink of stardom, but the inconsistencies of Michael Turner and the Falcons running game has to improve for Atlanta to be truly considered a threat to dethrone the Saints as champs.  The Bengals’ season has been filled with ups and downs, but surprisingly, there isn’t much controversy coming out Cincinnati considering who their star receivers are.  But, with that said, both Chad OchoCinco and Carson Palmer have performed mediocre at best, and for the Bengals to be competitive, their two main stays must step up their game.  I don’t see that happening at Atlanta this week, and I feel a three-point spread is too little.  Falcons by 13.

Washington (+3) @ Chicago

Chappy picks Washington (+3), I can’t really stand watching either of these teams play. I guess I kinda like McNabb, but after that not a whole lot of love for anyone else. The Bears are piling up the injuries on defense, and it looks like McNabb could take advantage of that in this one. After starting 3-0 the Bears are starting to look like who we originally thought they were, a crappy team. I sort of feel bad for Cutler these past few weeks. He gets pounded every time he drops back. The Bears gave up 35 sacks in 2009. So far they’ve given up 27 sacks in six games for 2010. With the defense struggling, and the offense moving backwards half the time, I’ll take the points and Washington in this one. Besides McNabb is from Chicago, so I’m sure he’ll get some home-made chunky soup to enhance his superpowers.

Buffalo (+13) @ Baltimore

Chappy picks Baltimore (-13), the Bills are probably the worst team in the league. They could threaten the Lions 0-16 record, and looking at their schedule they really only have three more chances to win playing Cleveland, Detroit, and I’ll throw in the Jets since they play them week 17 when they will likely be resting their starters. I wonder if there’s a reverse of the 72 Dolphins, where the Lions would pop the champagne when someone matches their record so they aren’t alone in being remembered as the worst teams of all time?

San Francisco @ Carolina +3

By picks San Francisco (-3). San Francisco is coming off their biggest win of the season, their only win.  I’m normally hard on the 49ers, and if it were any other opponent they were facing this weak aside from Carolina, I’d probably go with them.  But Carolina might be one of the worst teams in the NFL, if not “the” worse.  Not sure why John Fox elected to go back with Matt Moore at QB, he has shown he isn’t capable of driving a team down field.  I would have stuck with Jimmy Clausen and start his development process early.  Regardless of who Carolina throws behind center, they’re incapable of getting the job done, similar to the 49ers.  At least the 49ers have Frank Gore and a tremendous defense.  49ers cover, and go on a winning streak of two.

Oakland (+8.5) @ Denver

Chappy picks Oakland (+8.5), The Raiders have no passing game, the Broncos have no running game. Which one wins? Campbell threw for 87 yards and two interceptions last week against SF, and showed shades Jamarcus all game long. I’m not sure why I’m picking the Raiders when I’m certain Gradkowski isn’t going to be back in the lineup. As it is right now his shoulder is still too hurt to go. I think we’ll probably lose this week, but since we beat the Broncos last year in Denver with Jamarcus as our QB I feel like they can at least cover. Orton is somehow a top QB in the league right now, and with no running game hopefully the Raiders can get some pressure on him. This is my least confident pick of the week, but that being said, it’s probably the only game I’ll pick correct!

New York Giants (+3) @ Dallas

Chappy picks NYG (+3), How is a 1-4 team a three-point favorite over a 4-2 team? Tough question to answer… Wade Phillips might be coaching for his job, but that doesn’t mean they should be laying points? I think this is an easy pick the way the Giants have looked over the last few weeks. I thought they’d be a solid team this year, and they are finally showing that they are. I like their pass rush to disrupt anything that Romo gets going. When you’re pretty confident of a team winning outright, they you should definitely take the points!

Minnesota @ Green Bay -2.5

By picks Green Bay (-2.5). Brett Favre has had the worse luck in terms of the NFL probing on his “inappropriate s ext messages” going public.  He gets to go back to Green Bay now, where the Packers’ faithful should and will be heckling the crap out of him.  I expect some great signs at Lambeau.  With that said, the Vikings are not the same team they were last season, and despite Green Bay struggling as of late, the Packers should be more than capable of finally winning one in the Favre vs. Rodgers era.  I am concerned with one thing in this match up … Randy Moss.  It’s definitely going to be fun to watch Charles Woodson and Randy Moss go at it for four quarters, but Moss tends to have huge, huge games at Lambeau.  I still think the Packers have enough to win, and being that the spread is 2.5, I think the Pack by a field goal is fitting.

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October 16, 2010

Doin Lines Week 6

By chappy81

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

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October 7, 2010

Doin Lines Week 5

By chappy81

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

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September 29, 2010

Doin Lines Week 4

By chappy81

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

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September 23, 2010

Doin Lines Week 3

By chappy81
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

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September 15, 2010

Doin Lines Week 2

By chappy81

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

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March 27, 2010

Doin Elite Lines

By chappy81

I know, last week's half naked Will Ferrell aka Jackie Moon picture was a disappointment, so this week I give you, body paint!

I did about as bad as I could have on my picks for the Sweet 16, but you just like Jesse James I’ll have to dust myself off and move on. Maybe I underestimated Tennessee, and I definitely gave the double digit seeds a little more credit than I should have. I thought they’d be close enough to cover a spread or two, but that wasn’t the case. I guess the last two days truly were separation days. The Cinderella’s went down, and the true contenders are headed to the Elite 8 with the Championship in sight. There was one thing I pondered while watching Duke tonight, did anyone get screwed more by the making of The Lord of the Rings Trilogy than Scheyer? He must hear so much hobbit trash talk on the court every game I wish we could hear him mic’d up. I know I’d be getting my punches in… Anyways, here’s my picks for the weekend games, and who will be making the final four.

Kentucky (-3.5) Over West Virginia

This is a tough one for me. I will be pulling hard for West Virginia, and huggy bear. But as much as I want them to win, I know they won’t. They need to pick up the defense, and if they can somehow stop/slow down Kentucky from running up and down the court, they have a shot. I just think Kentucky looks too good to be beat. This will be the first truly good team they’ve faced, and we should be able to tell if they are going to be able to walk their way to a Championship after this game. I thought Cornell would put up a little fight, but I was completely wrong. I think I’ve now forced myself to not pick against Kentucky again in fear of being eaten by Demarcus Cousins. Is it just me or is anyone else curious how much bigger he is going to get  when he hits the pros? Christ, he already looks as big as Al Jefferson out there. Ok, ok, maybe that was an exaggeration, but agianst Cornell’s twiggy center, and most other players he’s come across he looks like a man amongst boys. The guy is going to be huge after he hits the weights for a couple years.

Butler (-3) Over Kansas State

I’d really like to see Pullen have some more cracks at game winners, the guy is nails when it matters most. My biggest question for this game is, how much does K-State have in the tank after that double OT marathon. I’m impressed with how many minutes those guys have played, and maybe Gus Johnson made them seem a little longer, but it has to catch up to you somewhere along the line. Maybe they are just young and can shake off the soreness or are in that good of condition. I think adrenaline could get them through this game, but Butler is playing out of their minds right now. Never bet against the team with the longest winning streak even if you really want to win the bet. This should be a good game. I’m REALLY looking forward to this one! Continue reading

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March 23, 2010

Doin College Lines

By chappy81


My outlook heading into the sweet 16; Two brackets gone miserably wrong, and one with plenty of hope. I never expect to win in the pick’ems, so I usually just root more for entertaining action. In the midst of all these games I realized I hadn’t done a preview for the Vegas lines in awhile, and what better time than during the always entertaining March Madness. Anyways, here’s how I see the eight games playing out.

Cornell (+10) Over Kentucky

Kentucky has cruised through the tourney so far beating both teams they played to a pulp by 29 and 30 points. They have the most “NBA” talent of any team left, and have shown why they are a #1 seed. They destroyed a sixteen seed, and a slumping nine seed. Their reward is to play the Cinderella Cornell squad who has one less tourney win (6) than Kentucky has championships (7). I could see Cornell covering the spread if they keep raining threes like they have, but their main concern will be to not let Kentucky run wild. This is much easier said than done. If their zone somehow slows the cats down, then we could see this Cinderella make some noise. I can’t believe some of the “experts” are picking them to win. I wouldn’t go that far, but maybe a single digit win for Kentucky.

Said it before and I'll say it again, Evan Turner's game reminds me of Brandon Roy's.

Ohio State (-4.5) Over Tennessee

I’ve been repping the Buckeyes pretty hard since I have them winning it all in my one bracket of hope. I probably just jinxed them, but watching Evan Turner nearly put up a triple double in their last game has me thinking there’s a chance he could single handedly get them to the final four. The Buckeyes will need to avoid making the silly turnovers like they did against Georgia Tech which was the sole reason the game even close. The Vols don’t boast a high powered offense, so it’ll be interesting to see if they can create some easy hoops with Ohio States’ mistake prone lapses during games. If this game is close, it will be because Turner was held in check, and that should be priority number one for the Vols.

West Virginia (-3.5) Over Washington

Although I’ll be rooting for an upset in this game, it’s pretty tough banking on that to happen. West Virginia is a MUCH more physical team than the Huskies first two opponents. I think the physical play will give their shooters a rough time. If Washington has any chance they will need Isiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter to play flawlessly. West Virginia is somewhat offensively challenged, but there’s good news for the Mountaineers, the Huskies are ranked 295th in free throws conceded. I see the Mountaineers being too much for the Huskies to handle.

Syracuse (-6) Over Butler

Continue reading

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February 3, 2010

Doin the Super Bowl Line

By chappy81

New Orleans (+5) Over Indianapolis

By now we’ve heard about all there is to say about the match up through every media outlet possible. The Super Bowl always wears on me a little leading up to it, but having the two number one seeds has me a little excited. I feel like I’m tired of the game before the game is even played, but when it finally goes on you can count on me watching. Media day is probably the most pointless sound bite day of all time. At one point it was cool and fun, but nowadays I could care less about what people think the outcome of an arm wrestling match between Brees and Manning. I mean seriously, is this the top story!?! Anyways, I’m declaring the Saints the home team in this one, since numerous people in New Orleans are being given the whole week off to travel to Miami, and support the team. It’s a scenario I’ve never heard of before, as the whole city seems to be closed down just to root for a sports team, and even schools are closing down for this big game! Are they more than a team to this city? Probably, and that’s why this will have the feel of a Saints home game. Not that there won’t be Colts fans there, I’m sure there will, but you can bet they will be in the minority. We all know about how good these QB’s are, so I’m going to try and breakdown the other things in this game that I see being the biggest factors.

I’m not going to pretend that there’s a lot of new information to enlighten you readers on since you’ve probably been following along on the daily coverage, unless of course you somehow missed that Freeney was injured, and the big fallout of the ankle injury, was that the Vegas line shifted a half point. It’s been pretty much the huge story of the Super Bowl this year, and although it looks like he might play the question now becomes will he be healthy enough to be effective. There really isn’t anyone on the Colts D that you gameplan for more than Freeney. If there is, let me know, because I’m unaware of that player at the moment. I’m wondering if this is karma kicking in, as the Colts should still be going for the perfect season, but instead opted to rest their starters at the end of the year. Now that they aren’t at full strength, I wonder if any of them are regretting not going for the perfect season and could have avoided playing the Jets in the AFC Championship game where Freeney got hurt. I’m also surprised how many people are picking the Colts to blow out the Saints. Sure they blew out Joe Flacco and Mark Sanchez, but can they blow out Drew Brees? I don’t think I need to say this, but I will anyways. Drew Brees is in another league compared to the guys the Colts have beat in the playoffs so far! I have no doubt that the Colts can keep up on the scoreboard with them, but will their defense be able to stop the Saints like they did with the Ravens and Jets? The Saints are actually a balanced offense with an underrated running game, so it will be a lot tougher for the Colts to figure out what they are doing opposed to run, run, run like their last two opponents. I also think the Freeney injury will give Brees a ton of time in the pocket, and will make Mathis much less effective, since they will be able to double him every play. I think if the Saints get a good running game going that could be their best defense (keeping Peyton Manning off the field). The Colts are the more experienced team, and while I’m sure that will help them, I think the Saints are the team of destiny.

The Saints are the inexperienced team, and only have four guys that have ever played in a Super Bowl. For some reason I don’t think they will be nervous or fall victim to the bright lights of the big stage. I don’t see them falling behind by a couple TD’s early in the game like many seem to think will happen. They’ve had luck on their side all season, and seem to catch the big break every time you start to doubt them. The Saints have been putting pressure on QB’s all postseason. I think beating down Favre and Warner was much more impressive than the QB’s that the Colts D has stopped. Not that I’m overly confident in the Saints D stopping Peyton, I just think their playoff resume shows they are capable of slowing down big name QB’s. One thing do they have working for them is the fact that the Colts don’t run the ball. The Saints have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league, 21st in the regular season, and have given up over 125 yards on the ground per game. They weren’t exactly good at stopping the passing game either, but they did have the third most turnovers forced in the league. I see a couple turnovers happening in this game, and think whoever ends up winning that battle will most likely win the game. I don’t see Peyton turning the ball over, but he does have some rookies out there that could easily lay the ball down like Garcon, Collie, and Brown. One last note, remember how the Colts seem to always have a tough time against the Chargers in the playoffs? This Saints team reminds me A LOT of the Chargers teams that knocked the Colts out of the playoffs in years past. Great QB, check. Solid receiving core, check. Solid running game to keep Peyton off the field, check. A defense that puts pressure on QB’s, check. A swarming defense that creates turnovers, check. Here’s to hoping for a shootout, and going waaay over the 56.5 point over under, Saints 49, Colts 42.

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