BS didn't add the picks to a column, it's just on his frontpage at ESPN.COM, so I'm just going to copy and paste instead of link:
Colts -3 over JAGS
Cowboys (+8) over SAINTS
RAVENS (-10.5) over Bears
BILLS (+7) over Patriots
Cardinals (-12) over LIONS
CHIEFS (-3) over Browns
Falcons (+6) over JETS
EAGLES (-8) over Niners
Texans (-12.5) over RAMS
TITANS (-4) over Dolphins
BRONCOS (-14) over Raiders
Bengals (+6.5) over CHARGERS
Packers (+2) over STEELERS
SEAHAWKS (-6.5) over Bucs
Vikings (-9) over PANTHERS
REDSKINS (+3) over Giants
My Picks:
San Francisco 49ers (+8.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Terrible weather, which favors the road team, as they are more defensively oriented than the pass happy Iggles.
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
A team with character would be motivated and extra focused with events like what hit the Bengals this week. They are not a team with character, they are a team with characters, so I expect them to crumble emotionally and get run over by a solid Chargers team in sunny SoCal.
Green Bay Packers (+2.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: GB)
The Steelers have quit, and their defense just isn't that good without Polamalu. Green Bay might be the most dangerous non-dome team in the NFC playoffs (assuming they earn themselves a wildcard).
CAROLINA PANTHERS (+9.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
It's outdoors in December, that can't be good for old man Brett, even if it's in North Carolina, still chilly enough to give him a bit of an ache in those old bones of his. Panthers are a confounding team, though, they could easily lose this by three or four TDs.
New York Giants (-3.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
The Skins are the best lousy team in the league, and have the talent to beat any other team in the NFL, but they just don't score enough TDs, and they make crucial mistakes at key times. Eli Manning is never great in bad weather, but looks like the blizzard should have passed through DC, so long as the wind isn't blowing, he'll be alright. The Giants should outlast the Skins in a high scoring contest.
Showing posts with label NFL Picks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NFL Picks. Show all posts
19 December 2009
13 December 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 14, The Picks
Sneaking this in just before kick-off.
BS Picks: (found in Part 2 of his massive Tiger Woods mailbag, Part 1 is here)
New Orleans Saints (-10.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: NO)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
San Diego Chargers (+3.5) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: SD)
Philadelphia Eagles (PK) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (BS: SF)
BS Picks: (found in Part 2 of his massive Tiger Woods mailbag, Part 1 is here)
New Orleans Saints (-10.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: NO)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-6.5) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
San Diego Chargers (+3.5) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: SD)
Philadelphia Eagles (PK) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Arizona Cardinals (-3.5) over SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS (BS: SF)
05 December 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 13, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS)
New Orleans Saints (-9.5) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
NEW YORK GIANTS (+2.5) over Dallas Cowboys (BS: DAL)
San Diego Chargers (-13.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: SD)
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
Baltimore Ravens (-3.0) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: GB)
New Orleans ought to roll against Skins, though they may suffer from a big game hangover and have a bit trouble to start. They'll still cover the spread, though.
The Giants aren't as bad as they've looked, and Dallas will do their usual December swoon, so no worries for the Jersey Boys.
Why the hell is the Chargers game the one game that CBS is showing in LA? Seriously, dudes, there's a fun looking Titans at Colts game that we should be watching instead of this crap. Worst team in the league, versus one of the top five teams, results should be predictable, and ugly.
Arizona are hard to figure out, but I still have trouble believing that the Old Man's arm isn't about to fall off any moment, or that he'll start throwing INT after INT like he's supposed to. Leinart should play well again, and as long as Vince Young isn't the other QB, the Cardinals ought to hold on to the lead at the end.
Monday night you've got a QB who loves to hold the ball too long against the Ravens defense. Wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers doesn't make it through the night. Ravens will roll.
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS)
New Orleans Saints (-9.5) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: WAS)
NEW YORK GIANTS (+2.5) over Dallas Cowboys (BS: DAL)
San Diego Chargers (-13.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: SD)
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
Baltimore Ravens (-3.0) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: GB)
New Orleans ought to roll against Skins, though they may suffer from a big game hangover and have a bit trouble to start. They'll still cover the spread, though.
The Giants aren't as bad as they've looked, and Dallas will do their usual December swoon, so no worries for the Jersey Boys.
Why the hell is the Chargers game the one game that CBS is showing in LA? Seriously, dudes, there's a fun looking Titans at Colts game that we should be watching instead of this crap. Worst team in the league, versus one of the top five teams, results should be predictable, and ugly.
Arizona are hard to figure out, but I still have trouble believing that the Old Man's arm isn't about to fall off any moment, or that he'll start throwing INT after INT like he's supposed to. Leinart should play well again, and as long as Vince Young isn't the other QB, the Cardinals ought to hold on to the lead at the end.
Monday night you've got a QB who loves to hold the ball too long against the Ravens defense. Wouldn't be surprised if Rodgers doesn't make it through the night. Ravens will roll.
28 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 12, The Picks
Now that I'm all caught up with results, time for week twelve's humiliation
BS Picks:
(home teams, ALL CAPS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-9) over Washington Redskins (BS: WAS)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-14) over Kansas City Chiefs (BS: KC)
Chicago Bears (+10.5) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+3) over Pittsburgh Steelers (BS: BAL)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-2.0) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
All the Sunday games are divisional battles, with the Sunday night game being a virtual playoff game, given that the loser will be out of the playoff hunt. Philly will role up big yards on the Skins, and should win easily, the Chargers will likewise beat up on the Chiefs. The Bears can't be as bad as they have looked, and I'm expecting the ancient one's arm to suddenly fall off cause he has no business being a legit MVP candidate at his age, so I expect a Bears upset in Minnesota. Both the Ravens and Steelers have blown games they should have won and now might have to struggle just for a wildcard (unless the Bengals fall apart, which isn't out of the question), I expect the Ravens to bounce back from last week's tough loss, while the Steelers will extend their losing streak to three games.
Monday night is the big game of the week, with the still undefeated Saints. This is their last big test of the season, after this they get road games against Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, and home games against Dallas and Tampa Bay. I don't think the Saints will go undefeated, but if they get past the Patriots, it's a definite possibility. The Pat's are 1-3 on the road, with their only road victory coming against Tampa Bay, so not expecting them to turn around that trend in the Superdome on Monday night.
BS Picks:
(home teams, ALL CAPS)
PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-9) over Washington Redskins (BS: WAS)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-14) over Kansas City Chiefs (BS: KC)
Chicago Bears (+10.5) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+3) over Pittsburgh Steelers (BS: BAL)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-2.0) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
All the Sunday games are divisional battles, with the Sunday night game being a virtual playoff game, given that the loser will be out of the playoff hunt. Philly will role up big yards on the Skins, and should win easily, the Chargers will likewise beat up on the Chiefs. The Bears can't be as bad as they have looked, and I'm expecting the ancient one's arm to suddenly fall off cause he has no business being a legit MVP candidate at his age, so I expect a Bears upset in Minnesota. Both the Ravens and Steelers have blown games they should have won and now might have to struggle just for a wildcard (unless the Bengals fall apart, which isn't out of the question), I expect the Ravens to bounce back from last week's tough loss, while the Steelers will extend their losing streak to three games.
Monday night is the big game of the week, with the still undefeated Saints. This is their last big test of the season, after this they get road games against Washington, Atlanta and Carolina, and home games against Dallas and Tampa Bay. I don't think the Saints will go undefeated, but if they get past the Patriots, it's a definite possibility. The Pat's are 1-3 on the road, with their only road victory coming against Tampa Bay, so not expecting them to turn around that trend in the Superdome on Monday night.
21 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 11, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home team ALL CAPS)
Washington Redskins (+11) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: WAS)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: BAL)
San Diego Chargers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: SD)
CHICAGO BEARS (+3.0) over Philadelphia Eagles (BS: PHI)
Tennessee Titans (+4.5) over HOUSTON TEXANS (BS: TEN)
All teams (except for Miami and Carolina who played Thursday) have seven games left, and in the next couple of weeks the playoff picture should begin to emerge. In the AFC, Indianapolis is a lock to win their division, while the East is a big muddle (especially if the Patriots slip), the North has the Bengals in control (!) after sweeping both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and it looks like San Diego should take charge of the West when they beat Denver this week. As it stands now, I'd pick Miami, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Diego as the likely division winners, with both Baltimore and Pittsburgh sneaking in with wildcard births, unless Tennessee pulls off the unlikely 10 game winning streak, and finishes 10-6 after starting 0-6, which seems less unlikely than it did a few weeks ago.
In the NFC, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Arizona should all have no trouble winning their divisions, with the only division in doubt being the East. After losing four straight, it would be easy to dismiss the Giants, but they are the same team that won their first five, and their non division games against Atlanta, Denver, Carolina, and Minnesota are winnable (assuming Minnesota will already be locked into a 1 or 2 seed and have nothing to play for that week). The Giants should rally, and should get to 11-5 to finish the year, it helps they have the best coach in the division (which isn't saying much when your competition is Wade Phillips, Jim Zorn, and Andy Reid). I think Philly and Chicago will sneak in with the wildcard births to round out the NFC playoff picture.
Playoffs are a long way off, though, injuries could shuffle these divisions, and a lot of it doesn't matter, cause there's a clear top two in both conferences, with Cincinatti and Indianapolis likely to meet in the AFC Championship, and New Orleans and Minnesota a near mortal lock to meet in the NFC Championship.
(sorry Trooper York, no Manning v Manning Superbowl in Miami)
My Picks (home team ALL CAPS)
Washington Redskins (+11) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: WAS)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (+1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: BAL)
San Diego Chargers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: SD)
CHICAGO BEARS (+3.0) over Philadelphia Eagles (BS: PHI)
Tennessee Titans (+4.5) over HOUSTON TEXANS (BS: TEN)
All teams (except for Miami and Carolina who played Thursday) have seven games left, and in the next couple of weeks the playoff picture should begin to emerge. In the AFC, Indianapolis is a lock to win their division, while the East is a big muddle (especially if the Patriots slip), the North has the Bengals in control (!) after sweeping both Pittsburgh and Baltimore, and it looks like San Diego should take charge of the West when they beat Denver this week. As it stands now, I'd pick Miami, Cincinnati, Indianapolis and San Diego as the likely division winners, with both Baltimore and Pittsburgh sneaking in with wildcard births, unless Tennessee pulls off the unlikely 10 game winning streak, and finishes 10-6 after starting 0-6, which seems less unlikely than it did a few weeks ago.
In the NFC, Minnesota, New Orleans, and Arizona should all have no trouble winning their divisions, with the only division in doubt being the East. After losing four straight, it would be easy to dismiss the Giants, but they are the same team that won their first five, and their non division games against Atlanta, Denver, Carolina, and Minnesota are winnable (assuming Minnesota will already be locked into a 1 or 2 seed and have nothing to play for that week). The Giants should rally, and should get to 11-5 to finish the year, it helps they have the best coach in the division (which isn't saying much when your competition is Wade Phillips, Jim Zorn, and Andy Reid). I think Philly and Chicago will sneak in with the wildcard births to round out the NFC playoff picture.
Playoffs are a long way off, though, injuries could shuffle these divisions, and a lot of it doesn't matter, cause there's a clear top two in both conferences, with Cincinatti and Indianapolis likely to meet in the AFC Championship, and New Orleans and Minnesota a near mortal lock to meet in the NFC Championship.
(sorry Trooper York, no Manning v Manning Superbowl in Miami)
14 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 10, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS):
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-7) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-16.5) over Detroit Lions (BS: MIN)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: DAL)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: BAL)
I'll get around to recapping weeks 8 and 9 later, as far as this week goes, three stinkers, and two intriguing match ups. I differ with BS on the two potentially good games. The Steelers won't get swept by the Bengals, and they ought to pour it on just to prove that they are still the team to beat in their division, so giving up a TD won't be a problem. The Indy Mannings are capable of being beaten by New England, but Peyton is just unbelievable at the moment, and the New England secondary is still kind of old and kind of slow, so coupled with Indy's young recievers and Peyton's knack for playing big during televised night games, I'm taking the home team in that one.
The other three games aren't much worth mentioning, surprised FOX isn't showing the Chargers-Eagles game locally, seems like an odd call to show the crappy Cowboys beat up on the crappier Packers, but whatever works for them.
My Picks (home teams ALL CAPS):
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-7) over Cincinnati Bengals (BS: CIN)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-16.5) over Detroit Lions (BS: MIN)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over GREEN BAY PACKERS (BS: DAL)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-3) over New England Patriots (BS: NE)
Baltimore Ravens (-10.5) over CLEVELAND BROWNS (BS: BAL)
I'll get around to recapping weeks 8 and 9 later, as far as this week goes, three stinkers, and two intriguing match ups. I differ with BS on the two potentially good games. The Steelers won't get swept by the Bengals, and they ought to pour it on just to prove that they are still the team to beat in their division, so giving up a TD won't be a problem. The Indy Mannings are capable of being beaten by New England, but Peyton is just unbelievable at the moment, and the New England secondary is still kind of old and kind of slow, so coupled with Indy's young recievers and Peyton's knack for playing big during televised night games, I'm taking the home team in that one.
The other three games aren't much worth mentioning, surprised FOX isn't showing the Chargers-Eagles game locally, seems like an odd call to show the crappy Cowboys beat up on the crappier Packers, but whatever works for them.
07 November 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 9, The Picks
BS Picks (along with words about his experiences on his current book tour)
My picks:
CHICAGO BEARS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-10) over Miami Dolphins (BS: MIA)
San Diego (+4.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: SD)
Dallas Cowboys (+3.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
All the games have potential to be interesting, should be some entertaining viewing.
My picks:
CHICAGO BEARS (-3) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-10) over Miami Dolphins (BS: MIA)
San Diego (+4.5) over NEW YORK GIANTS (BS: SD)
Dallas Cowboys (+3.0) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: PHI)
Pittsburgh Steelers (-3.0) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
All the games have potential to be interesting, should be some entertaining viewing.
31 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 8, The Picks
BS Picks (which he posted a day late, and I'm using that as my excuse as to why all of my usual Friday posting also got screwed up, that's my story, and I'm sticking to it)
My Picks (only 4 televised games because NBC doesn't schedule a night game against the World Series, so I'm throwing in Denver at Baltimore cause that's the most intriguing game not on TV in Los Angeles this week)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-12.5) over San Francisco 49ers (BS: IND)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-16.5) over Oakland Raiders (BS: SD)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-11.0) over Atlanta Falcons (BS: NO)
I can't believe I'm picking all five home favorites in these contests, yet there it is in black and white pixels (unless you have your monitor set in some bizarre way, but if you do, I don't want to know about it).
Baltimore are better than their record, each of their losses having been games they could have won, while Denver are worse than their perfect record indicates, as they've gotten some very good breaks in a few of their wins.
Indianapolis are beasts right now, and San Francisco are not capable of putting up too much of a fight on the road, so the big spread doesn't matter.
Likewise, Oakland has given up, so a road trip down to San Diego won't be inspiring enough to get them going, and San Diego ought to win by four TDs or more, not just the 16.5 points the bookies set the spread at.
The big, big, huge, really, really significant game of the week is the rematch of the Minny Favres vs the Green Bay Ex-Favres. I think the Ex-Favres will have the upper hand, even if half the stadium still end up wearing their old #4 jerseys out of habit while lustily booing their former religious icon.
On Monday Night Football, New Orleans are going to light up the score board, again. Atlanta doesn't have a defense that can slow down the Saints, and they don't have an offense that can keep up, so the Saints should cover that 11 point spread without breaking a sweat, or resorting to having Reggie Bush leap six yards in the air along the side line while just skimming the ball inside the end zone marker (though he may pull off that ridiculous feat, just for the fun of it, video below, at least until the No Fun League asserts their copyright on the clip).
My Picks (only 4 televised games because NBC doesn't schedule a night game against the World Series, so I'm throwing in Denver at Baltimore cause that's the most intriguing game not on TV in Los Angeles this week)
BALTIMORE RAVENS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-12.5) over San Francisco 49ers (BS: IND)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-16.5) over Oakland Raiders (BS: SD)
GREEN BAY PACKERS (-3.0) over Minnesota Vikings (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-11.0) over Atlanta Falcons (BS: NO)
I can't believe I'm picking all five home favorites in these contests, yet there it is in black and white pixels (unless you have your monitor set in some bizarre way, but if you do, I don't want to know about it).
Baltimore are better than their record, each of their losses having been games they could have won, while Denver are worse than their perfect record indicates, as they've gotten some very good breaks in a few of their wins.
Indianapolis are beasts right now, and San Francisco are not capable of putting up too much of a fight on the road, so the big spread doesn't matter.
Likewise, Oakland has given up, so a road trip down to San Diego won't be inspiring enough to get them going, and San Diego ought to win by four TDs or more, not just the 16.5 points the bookies set the spread at.
The big, big, huge, really, really significant game of the week is the rematch of the Minny Favres vs the Green Bay Ex-Favres. I think the Ex-Favres will have the upper hand, even if half the stadium still end up wearing their old #4 jerseys out of habit while lustily booing their former religious icon.
On Monday Night Football, New Orleans are going to light up the score board, again. Atlanta doesn't have a defense that can slow down the Saints, and they don't have an offense that can keep up, so the Saints should cover that 11 point spread without breaking a sweat, or resorting to having Reggie Bush leap six yards in the air along the side line while just skimming the ball inside the end zone marker (though he may pull off that ridiculous feat, just for the fun of it, video below, at least until the No Fun League asserts their copyright on the clip).
23 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 7, The Picks
BS Picks: (in a sidebar, the column is part 1 of his NBA preview, part 2, here)
My picks (home teams, ALL CAPS)
San Diego Chargers (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
Minnesota Vikings (+4.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: MIN)
Atlanta Falcons (+4.0) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: ATL)
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7.0) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (-7.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: PHI)
It's an almost all road team week with my picks (the exception being the GIANTS on Sunday Night). San Diego can't be as bad as they looked recently, and the Chiefs are one of the bottom six teams in the league, so even if the Chargers suck, they don't suck so hard where they can't beat up on the lowly Chiefs. Minnesota will maintain their spot in the unbeaten club as they slip by a so-so and unmotivated championship team, that previous year Superbowl hangover is a tough thing to fight. Recent NFL history is full of stinker seasons the year after Superbowl success (New England, the exception in 2004 when they repeated). Atlanta ought to be able to make easy work of Dallas. Arizona will struggle more than the Giants will in foul weather at the Meadowlands, though Eli's history with wind makes this a riskier pick than at first glance. Monday night brings a stinky bit of NFC East craptacularity. The Redskins have given up, they want their coach fired, and they'll make a solid case for it when they fall by more than 3 TDs to their division rival, Eagles.
My picks (home teams, ALL CAPS)
San Diego Chargers (-4.5) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
Minnesota Vikings (+4.0) over PITTSBURGH STEELERS (BS: MIN)
Atlanta Falcons (+4.0) over DALLAS COWBOYS (BS: ATL)
NEW YORK GIANTS (-7.0) over Arizona Cardinals (BS: ARI)
Philadelphia Eagles (-7.0) over WASHINGTON REDSKINS (BS: PHI)
It's an almost all road team week with my picks (the exception being the GIANTS on Sunday Night). San Diego can't be as bad as they looked recently, and the Chiefs are one of the bottom six teams in the league, so even if the Chargers suck, they don't suck so hard where they can't beat up on the lowly Chiefs. Minnesota will maintain their spot in the unbeaten club as they slip by a so-so and unmotivated championship team, that previous year Superbowl hangover is a tough thing to fight. Recent NFL history is full of stinker seasons the year after Superbowl success (New England, the exception in 2004 when they repeated). Atlanta ought to be able to make easy work of Dallas. Arizona will struggle more than the Giants will in foul weather at the Meadowlands, though Eli's history with wind makes this a riskier pick than at first glance. Monday night brings a stinky bit of NFC East craptacularity. The Redskins have given up, they want their coach fired, and they'll make a solid case for it when they fall by more than 3 TDs to their division rival, Eagles.
16 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 6, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks
Baltimore Ravens (+3) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS (-3) over New York Giants (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo Bills (BS: NYJ)
Chicago Bears (+3.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: ATL)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
I expect Minnesota to not play well after their bye week, while Ravens will bounce back from consecutive close losses.
The other early game is the game of the week, and a possible NFC Championship preview. New Orleans looks too powerful on offense, and they have a suddenly decent defense to go with it, so they should match whatever the Giants try to do on either side of the ball.
The Jets have a big spread to cover, but against the woeful Bills, they should have no problem doing it.
Da Bears will look like Da Bears for a week, and Atlanta will only be so-so.
The Chargers will finally make the Broncos look average, some team has to do it at some point, I simply can't fathom the Broncos being 6-0 after Monday Night.
My Picks
Baltimore Ravens (+3) over MINNESOTA VIKINGS (BS: MIN)
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS (-3) over New York Giants (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (-9.5) over Buffalo Bills (BS: NYJ)
Chicago Bears (+3.5) over ATLANTA FALCONS (BS: ATL)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Denver Broncos (BS: DEN)
I expect Minnesota to not play well after their bye week, while Ravens will bounce back from consecutive close losses.
The other early game is the game of the week, and a possible NFC Championship preview. New Orleans looks too powerful on offense, and they have a suddenly decent defense to go with it, so they should match whatever the Giants try to do on either side of the ball.
The Jets have a big spread to cover, but against the woeful Bills, they should have no problem doing it.
Da Bears will look like Da Bears for a week, and Atlanta will only be so-so.
The Chargers will finally make the Broncos look average, some team has to do it at some point, I simply can't fathom the Broncos being 6-0 after Monday Night.
09 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 5, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks
Oakland Raiders (+15) over NY GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-8) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
New England Patriots (-3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
NY Jets (-1.5) over MIAMI DOLPHINS (BS: MIA)
That's right, I'm picking against every Bill Simmons pick, and I bet that'll be a successful strategy for the week. This might be the worst slate of games in a long time. The televised games are mostly dreadful, and the contests not being broadcast are even worse. Only the Sunday afternoon game might prove to be mildly interesting, the rest are easily ignored. It'll be a good Sunday to head somewhere to take some snaps, hopefully the weather will cooperate.
The Raiders will be surprisingly frisky, and the Giants will play horribly, but win by less than two TDs.
Dallas will dominate a bad team, doesn't make them a good team, just makes them a team that can beat up bad teams.
New England will knock Denver out of the ranks of the unbeaten, and it's about time.
Tennessee will finally put together a decent game at the expense of the Colts.
On Monday night, The Jets will bounce back from last week's loss, and Miami will be woeful at home.
My Picks
Oakland Raiders (+15) over NY GIANTS (BS: NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-8) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS: KC)
New England Patriots (-3.5) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS: DEN)
TENNESSEE TITANS (+3.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
NY Jets (-1.5) over MIAMI DOLPHINS (BS: MIA)
That's right, I'm picking against every Bill Simmons pick, and I bet that'll be a successful strategy for the week. This might be the worst slate of games in a long time. The televised games are mostly dreadful, and the contests not being broadcast are even worse. Only the Sunday afternoon game might prove to be mildly interesting, the rest are easily ignored. It'll be a good Sunday to head somewhere to take some snaps, hopefully the weather will cooperate.
The Raiders will be surprisingly frisky, and the Giants will play horribly, but win by less than two TDs.
Dallas will dominate a bad team, doesn't make them a good team, just makes them a team that can beat up bad teams.
New England will knock Denver out of the ranks of the unbeaten, and it's about time.
Tennessee will finally put together a decent game at the expense of the Colts.
On Monday night, The Jets will bounce back from last week's loss, and Miami will be woeful at home.
02 October 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 4, The Picks
BS Picks:
My Picks (home team ALL CAPS)
Baltimore Ravens (+1.5) over NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (BS BAL)
NY Giants (-9) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS DEN)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-6.5) over San Diego Chargers (BS SD)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-3.5) over Green Bay Packers (BS GB)
Four games probably worth watching, and a game involving the Chiefs. Fox actually probably made the best call for their early game, since the rest are even less watchable than the debacle that will be Giants at Chiefs. Giants will be up by two TDs by half, and then grind Kansas City to a pulp in the 4th quarter.
The other early game, Ravens at Pats has possibilities, but the Ravens look too strong, and the Pats look too vulnerable on both sides of the ball to compete against the best team in the league.
The afternoon game pits the undefeated Broncos, at home trying to get to 4-0 against a shaky Cowboys team. Broncos lucked into their only win against a quality opponent and now they get a brutal stretch of games against Pats, Bolts, Ravens, Steelers, Skins, Bolts, Giants. Savor being 3-0 Broncos fans, because after Thanskgiving your team will be 5-7 at best, with a real shot at being 3-9.
If the Chargers were capable of playing up to their talent level, they'd win, but they're not, and they'll choke with the Sunday Night spotlight on them, the game will be surprisingly not close as the Steelers will win by at least two TDs.
That brings us to Monday Night, which probably will go down as the most watched event in ESPN history. 18.3 million watched Dallas-Philadelphia last year, and Favre vs Packers ought to beat that by at least 10 million viewers. It will mainly be the Adrian "All Day" Peterson show, with Favre passing for less than 200 yards, but that will lead to an easy Vikings victory.
Looks like a lot of other people noticed that Baltimore and New Orleans were under appreciated with regards to their Conference and Superbowl odds, last week Baltimore was at 15/2 for the AFC and 18/1 for the Superbowl, this week they're the AFC favorites at 3/1 and the Superbowl favorites at 6/1. As far as New Orleans go, they were at 10/1 and 20/1 but this week they are the NFC favs at 3/1 and tied for 2nd choice (with the Pats) for the Superbowl at 13/2.
Should have kept my mouth shut about that (given that I didn't put in a bet for myself), I guess, turns out these little Weekly Humiliation posts can move massive amounts of betting dollars (either that, or it was the impressive way both those teams made it to 3-0 last week).
My Picks (home team ALL CAPS)
Baltimore Ravens (+1.5) over NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (BS BAL)
NY Giants (-9) over KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (BS NYG)
Dallas Cowboys (-3) over DENVER BRONCOS (BS DEN)
PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-6.5) over San Diego Chargers (BS SD)
MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-3.5) over Green Bay Packers (BS GB)
Four games probably worth watching, and a game involving the Chiefs. Fox actually probably made the best call for their early game, since the rest are even less watchable than the debacle that will be Giants at Chiefs. Giants will be up by two TDs by half, and then grind Kansas City to a pulp in the 4th quarter.
The other early game, Ravens at Pats has possibilities, but the Ravens look too strong, and the Pats look too vulnerable on both sides of the ball to compete against the best team in the league.
The afternoon game pits the undefeated Broncos, at home trying to get to 4-0 against a shaky Cowboys team. Broncos lucked into their only win against a quality opponent and now they get a brutal stretch of games against Pats, Bolts, Ravens, Steelers, Skins, Bolts, Giants. Savor being 3-0 Broncos fans, because after Thanskgiving your team will be 5-7 at best, with a real shot at being 3-9.
If the Chargers were capable of playing up to their talent level, they'd win, but they're not, and they'll choke with the Sunday Night spotlight on them, the game will be surprisingly not close as the Steelers will win by at least two TDs.
That brings us to Monday Night, which probably will go down as the most watched event in ESPN history. 18.3 million watched Dallas-Philadelphia last year, and Favre vs Packers ought to beat that by at least 10 million viewers. It will mainly be the Adrian "All Day" Peterson show, with Favre passing for less than 200 yards, but that will lead to an easy Vikings victory.
Looks like a lot of other people noticed that Baltimore and New Orleans were under appreciated with regards to their Conference and Superbowl odds, last week Baltimore was at 15/2 for the AFC and 18/1 for the Superbowl, this week they're the AFC favorites at 3/1 and the Superbowl favorites at 6/1. As far as New Orleans go, they were at 10/1 and 20/1 but this week they are the NFC favs at 3/1 and tied for 2nd choice (with the Pats) for the Superbowl at 13/2.
Should have kept my mouth shut about that (given that I didn't put in a bet for myself), I guess, turns out these little Weekly Humiliation posts can move massive amounts of betting dollars (either that, or it was the impressive way both those teams made it to 3-0 last week).
25 September 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 3, The Picks
BS: Here
My picks (Home teams ALL CAPS)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-4) over Atlanta Falcons (BS ATL)
Tennessee Titans (+2.5) over NY JETS (BS TEN)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-6) over Miami Dolphins (BS MIA)
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS IND)
DALLAS COWBOYS (-9) over Carolina Panthers (BS CAR)
In what bizarro world do I pick the Pats and BS doesn't? This is the week that he goes down in flames, and I correct my losing ways. The Pats will put together a decent game, and Atlanta will struggle on the road, Pats will cover easily. The Titans will have no trouble in the Meadowlands as they beat a Jets team that will believe too much of its good press. The Chargers will roll, give the hometown fans something to cheer about, while Miami will have trouble running against the Bolts' defense. In the Sunday Night game, the Cardinals will beat up on the Colts and control this game from start to finish on both sides of the ball. On Monday night, Dallas, and Romo will settle down and play mistake free ball while romping against a crappy Panthers squad. Yes, the line is ridiculous in that game, but Dallas will still manage to put up over 30 points while Carolina will struggle to score more than 17, so that big spread isn't a problem.
Should be another entertaining week of football, so far this year, lots of excitement, especially in the night games. Don't think that trend will last this week as both night games will be routs, but maybe next week...
Also, it looks like the playoff picture is already taking shape. I have a feeling all five 2-0 teams in the NFC (NYG, MIN, ATL, NO, SF) are making the playoffs, and all four 0-2 teams are headed for awful seasons, so that leaves just one berth being fought over between Dallas, Philly, Green Bay, Chicago, and Arizona (DC and Seattle don't count, they aren't doing anything this season). Dallas and Philly are hurt by being in the best division in the NFC, so anything better than a 9-7 record will be a struggle, which will doom their wildcard shot. I think Green Bay or Chicago should put together a 10-6 season, which should give either of them the last wildcard, leaving the defending NFC Champs sitting home. So my prediction for playoff teams after two weeks of NFL action looks like this for the NFC
Division winners NYG, MIN, NO, SF with ATL and GB picking up the wildcard slots. I think NO will upset MIN in the Championship game making this Saints squad the first in team history to play in the Superbowl.
The AFC is slightly muddier. I think the Jets will continue to do what they're doing and win their division. Baltimore will rule in the AFC North, the Titans will turn things around while the Colts will sneak in with a wildcard, and the Chargers will easily win the AFC West with Denver snatching the other wildcard slot. Baltimore will earn homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and easily win both their games at home, against any possible opponents.
That sets up a classic Great Defense (Ravens) versuses a Great Offense (Saints) Superbowl this February. Should be fun. Current odds for Baltimore (according to Vegas Insider) are 15/2 to win the AFC, while New Orleans are at 10/1. Both those lines seem at odds with their performances so far this season. Strangely, New England remains the favorite to win the Superbowl at 4/1, even though they suck, while Pittsburgh is second choice at 15/2, and the Giants and Eagles are both 8/1 while the Chargers are 10/1. Both the Ravens at 18/1 and Saints at 20/1 aren't getting much Superbowl love from the oddsmakers at the moment, but that should change if they both keep posting impressive victories.
My picks (Home teams ALL CAPS)
NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-4) over Atlanta Falcons (BS ATL)
Tennessee Titans (+2.5) over NY JETS (BS TEN)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-6) over Miami Dolphins (BS MIA)
ARIZONA CARDINALS (-1.5) over Indianapolis Colts (BS IND)
DALLAS COWBOYS (-9) over Carolina Panthers (BS CAR)
In what bizarro world do I pick the Pats and BS doesn't? This is the week that he goes down in flames, and I correct my losing ways. The Pats will put together a decent game, and Atlanta will struggle on the road, Pats will cover easily. The Titans will have no trouble in the Meadowlands as they beat a Jets team that will believe too much of its good press. The Chargers will roll, give the hometown fans something to cheer about, while Miami will have trouble running against the Bolts' defense. In the Sunday Night game, the Cardinals will beat up on the Colts and control this game from start to finish on both sides of the ball. On Monday night, Dallas, and Romo will settle down and play mistake free ball while romping against a crappy Panthers squad. Yes, the line is ridiculous in that game, but Dallas will still manage to put up over 30 points while Carolina will struggle to score more than 17, so that big spread isn't a problem.
Should be another entertaining week of football, so far this year, lots of excitement, especially in the night games. Don't think that trend will last this week as both night games will be routs, but maybe next week...
Also, it looks like the playoff picture is already taking shape. I have a feeling all five 2-0 teams in the NFC (NYG, MIN, ATL, NO, SF) are making the playoffs, and all four 0-2 teams are headed for awful seasons, so that leaves just one berth being fought over between Dallas, Philly, Green Bay, Chicago, and Arizona (DC and Seattle don't count, they aren't doing anything this season). Dallas and Philly are hurt by being in the best division in the NFC, so anything better than a 9-7 record will be a struggle, which will doom their wildcard shot. I think Green Bay or Chicago should put together a 10-6 season, which should give either of them the last wildcard, leaving the defending NFC Champs sitting home. So my prediction for playoff teams after two weeks of NFL action looks like this for the NFC
Division winners NYG, MIN, NO, SF with ATL and GB picking up the wildcard slots. I think NO will upset MIN in the Championship game making this Saints squad the first in team history to play in the Superbowl.
The AFC is slightly muddier. I think the Jets will continue to do what they're doing and win their division. Baltimore will rule in the AFC North, the Titans will turn things around while the Colts will sneak in with a wildcard, and the Chargers will easily win the AFC West with Denver snatching the other wildcard slot. Baltimore will earn homefield advantage throughout the AFC playoffs and easily win both their games at home, against any possible opponents.
That sets up a classic Great Defense (Ravens) versuses a Great Offense (Saints) Superbowl this February. Should be fun. Current odds for Baltimore (according to Vegas Insider) are 15/2 to win the AFC, while New Orleans are at 10/1. Both those lines seem at odds with their performances so far this season. Strangely, New England remains the favorite to win the Superbowl at 4/1, even though they suck, while Pittsburgh is second choice at 15/2, and the Giants and Eagles are both 8/1 while the Chargers are 10/1. Both the Ravens at 18/1 and Saints at 20/1 aren't getting much Superbowl love from the oddsmakers at the moment, but that should change if they both keep posting impressive victories.
18 September 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 2, The Picks
BS's column, here, home teams ALL CAPS.
New Orleans Saints (PK) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (+4) over New England Patriots (BS: NYJ)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Baltimore Ravens (BS: BAL)
DALLAS COWBOYS (-3) over NY Giants (BS: NYG)
MIAMI DOLPHINS (-3) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
The early games, should be entertaining. The Saints have the best offense in the league, while Philly will have to make do without McNabb at QB. Saints will score at least 4 TDs, don't think Philly's offense will keep up, unless their defense scores a few TDs to keep them close. I think New England are as bad as they looked for the first 50 minutes of last week's game, and the Jets are as good as they looked, so Jets should have no problem winning on the road. The one late being shown in the LA market ought to be good, too. LaDanian Tomlinson being out might help San Diego as Sproles should be more effective against the very aggressive front seven of the Ravens. That is, if he survives. I think the Chargers offense has enough tools to get the job done, and their defense will play better than they did against the Raiders last week. The Sunday night game is the opening of Jerry Jones' shrine to himself. Dallas might start a bit tight with all the build up and hype, but I still don't think the Giants are particularly good. Dallas will control both sides of the ball, and romp in this one. The Monday night game will probably be a snooze fest. The Dolphins will rebound from a lousy game last week, and the Colts are about to start a 4 game losing skid.
New Orleans Saints (PK) over PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (BS: NO)
NEW YORK JETS (+4) over New England Patriots (BS: NYJ)
SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-3.5) over Baltimore Ravens (BS: BAL)
DALLAS COWBOYS (-3) over NY Giants (BS: NYG)
MIAMI DOLPHINS (-3) over Indianapolis Colts (BS: IND)
The early games, should be entertaining. The Saints have the best offense in the league, while Philly will have to make do without McNabb at QB. Saints will score at least 4 TDs, don't think Philly's offense will keep up, unless their defense scores a few TDs to keep them close. I think New England are as bad as they looked for the first 50 minutes of last week's game, and the Jets are as good as they looked, so Jets should have no problem winning on the road. The one late being shown in the LA market ought to be good, too. LaDanian Tomlinson being out might help San Diego as Sproles should be more effective against the very aggressive front seven of the Ravens. That is, if he survives. I think the Chargers offense has enough tools to get the job done, and their defense will play better than they did against the Raiders last week. The Sunday night game is the opening of Jerry Jones' shrine to himself. Dallas might start a bit tight with all the build up and hype, but I still don't think the Giants are particularly good. Dallas will control both sides of the ball, and romp in this one. The Monday night game will probably be a snooze fest. The Dolphins will rebound from a lousy game last week, and the Colts are about to start a 4 game losing skid.
11 September 2009
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation: Week 1, The Picks
Trying something a bit different, first, the teams picked are the TV games in LA like before (most weeks there are 5 games, so I'm skipping SD at Oakland), but I'll just write a group encapsulation for my picks rather than individually. Here's a link to Bill Simmons column, his picks are the BS picks in parentheses next to mine. Home teams in ALL CAPS.
Dallas -6 over TAMPA BAY (BS: Dal -6)
Washington +6.5 over NY GIANTS (BS: Was +6.5)
TEXANS -4.5 over NY Jets (BS: NYJ +4.5)
Chicago +3.5 over GREEN BAY (BS: GB -3.5)
NEW ENGLAND -10.5 over Buffalo (BS: NE -10.5)
It's football time, if I can get a super cheap room for Saturday and Sunday night, I may run off to Sin City to have some legally sanctioned gaming action on these contests. As mentioned by BS, Tampa and Buffalo fired their offensive coordinators within the past 10 days. Not a good sign for them, Dallas would normally be a risky pick as a near TD favorite on the road, but the Bucs are in disarray. The Pats are going to want to prove that they are the team to beat, so expect them to wallop their division rival Bills on Monday night. I just don't trust the Giants, so I'm going with the Redskins, even though they have lots of question marks, too. The Jets are starting rookie Mark Sanchez against a formidable Texans defense, that game could get ugly for the Jets. That leaves the big game of the week that wasn't on a Thursday night. Sunday night's Bears at Packers contest should answer a lot of questions, or at least as many questions as can be answered in the first week. What's not to like about that Bears defense wedded to an offense with a legitimate QB? That's enough for me, but Green Bay might screw up this pick by being as good as they looked during the pre-season. Rodgers might be the best QB in the NFC, and if the Packers defense improves over last year's performance, they're a threat to do some damage when the games really count in January and February. I'm going with the Bears this week, but I wouldn't be surprised if Green Bay plays well.
That's it for week one picks, it's always fun to have the NFL back playing games that count. Thursday game was low scoring, but entertaining. Hopefully all this week's games will provide as much excitement.
Dallas -6 over TAMPA BAY (BS: Dal -6)
Washington +6.5 over NY GIANTS (BS: Was +6.5)
TEXANS -4.5 over NY Jets (BS: NYJ +4.5)
Chicago +3.5 over GREEN BAY (BS: GB -3.5)
NEW ENGLAND -10.5 over Buffalo (BS: NE -10.5)
It's football time, if I can get a super cheap room for Saturday and Sunday night, I may run off to Sin City to have some legally sanctioned gaming action on these contests. As mentioned by BS, Tampa and Buffalo fired their offensive coordinators within the past 10 days. Not a good sign for them, Dallas would normally be a risky pick as a near TD favorite on the road, but the Bucs are in disarray. The Pats are going to want to prove that they are the team to beat, so expect them to wallop their division rival Bills on Monday night. I just don't trust the Giants, so I'm going with the Redskins, even though they have lots of question marks, too. The Jets are starting rookie Mark Sanchez against a formidable Texans defense, that game could get ugly for the Jets. That leaves the big game of the week that wasn't on a Thursday night. Sunday night's Bears at Packers contest should answer a lot of questions, or at least as many questions as can be answered in the first week. What's not to like about that Bears defense wedded to an offense with a legitimate QB? That's enough for me, but Green Bay might screw up this pick by being as good as they looked during the pre-season. Rodgers might be the best QB in the NFC, and if the Packers defense improves over last year's performance, they're a threat to do some damage when the games really count in January and February. I'm going with the Bears this week, but I wouldn't be surprised if Green Bay plays well.
That's it for week one picks, it's always fun to have the NFL back playing games that count. Thursday game was low scoring, but entertaining. Hopefully all this week's games will provide as much excitement.
10 September 2009
NFL 2009: The Humiliation Begins...
So, I'll try to keep up with making NFL picks this season, I'll choose five games each week, mostly the games televised in the LA Market, I'm skipping tonight's game, and will get a real post up on Friday. I'll use Bill Simmons as a measuring stick once again, and use the lines he uses in his weekly picks as the lines I use for my own picks.
18 October 2008
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation, Week 07, The Picks
Week 7, you know the drill, 5 games on L.A. air, five immodest picks (and probably some pissing and moaning about which games are picked by FOX and CBS).
San Diego (3-3) at Buffalo (4-1) my pick San Diego even
Buffalo's for real, but I think after beating up on New England, San Diego should be able to rattle off a few victories against good teams. Buffalo doesn't stack up well against with teams with solid QBs and versatile receivers, which is exactly what San Diego has. San Diego's defense should be able to hold Buffalo at bay, so a relatively easy victory for the Chargers in this one.
Dallas (4-2) at St. Louis (1-4) no line (uncertainty about Romo's status)
No line, so no pick, instead I'll pick the game that FOX should be showing, instead.
New Orleans (3-3) at Carolina (4-2) my pick New Orleans +3.0
Seriously, why aren't they showing this battle instead of that sorry Rams crap? New Orleans looked good against a bad team last week, can they do the same against a good team? I think they can. Carolina has been getting the job done, but I think the Saint's offense does too many things well and their defense is improving, so they should be able to post an impressive win on the road against a division rival.
NY Jets (3-2) at Oakland (1-4) my pick NY Jets -3.0
CBS and FOX still behave as if Oakland and St.Louis have local followings. Idiots (or I should say, Eeeeeeeeediotsss!!!). Jets, in a laugher, Oakland has quit, they'll probably go 1-15.
Seattle (1-4) at Tampa Bay (4-2) my pick Tampa Bay -11.0
Seattle is awful, Tampa Bay, pretty solid. Lot of points to give up, but that's OK, since the Seattle defense will give up plenty of points, and the Tampa Bay defense will probably score more points themselves than the Seattle offense. Tampa will roll over the sorry Seahawks. But why the hell would anyone watch this when the Sox and the Rays will be engaged in a game seven, anyway?
Denver (4-2) at New England (3-2) my pick New England -3.0
New England is going to struggle this season, but after getting embarrassed Sunday in San Diego, they won't let Denver come into town and beat them. Also, Denver, despite their record, not all that good.
I feel good about these picks, I don't think most of these games will be watchable, but sometimes there's better things to do with a Sunday than watch crappy football (watching good football, beats doing most other things, though).
San Diego (3-3) at Buffalo (4-1) my pick San Diego even
Buffalo's for real, but I think after beating up on New England, San Diego should be able to rattle off a few victories against good teams. Buffalo doesn't stack up well against with teams with solid QBs and versatile receivers, which is exactly what San Diego has. San Diego's defense should be able to hold Buffalo at bay, so a relatively easy victory for the Chargers in this one.
Dallas (4-2) at St. Louis (1-4) no line (uncertainty about Romo's status)
No line, so no pick, instead I'll pick the game that FOX should be showing, instead.
New Orleans (3-3) at Carolina (4-2) my pick New Orleans +3.0
Seriously, why aren't they showing this battle instead of that sorry Rams crap? New Orleans looked good against a bad team last week, can they do the same against a good team? I think they can. Carolina has been getting the job done, but I think the Saint's offense does too many things well and their defense is improving, so they should be able to post an impressive win on the road against a division rival.
NY Jets (3-2) at Oakland (1-4) my pick NY Jets -3.0
CBS and FOX still behave as if Oakland and St.Louis have local followings. Idiots (or I should say, Eeeeeeeeediotsss!!!). Jets, in a laugher, Oakland has quit, they'll probably go 1-15.
Seattle (1-4) at Tampa Bay (4-2) my pick Tampa Bay -11.0
Seattle is awful, Tampa Bay, pretty solid. Lot of points to give up, but that's OK, since the Seattle defense will give up plenty of points, and the Tampa Bay defense will probably score more points themselves than the Seattle offense. Tampa will roll over the sorry Seahawks. But why the hell would anyone watch this when the Sox and the Rays will be engaged in a game seven, anyway?
Denver (4-2) at New England (3-2) my pick New England -3.0
New England is going to struggle this season, but after getting embarrassed Sunday in San Diego, they won't let Denver come into town and beat them. Also, Denver, despite their record, not all that good.
I feel good about these picks, I don't think most of these games will be watchable, but sometimes there's better things to do with a Sunday than watch crappy football (watching good football, beats doing most other things, though).
11 October 2008
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation, Week 06, The Picks
I can do no worse than last week, so things are looking up! (bet some stock traders are saying the same thing)
Oakland Raiders (1-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-3) my pick New Orleans -6.5
If New Orleans hadn't blown last Monday's game against Minnesota with those numerous turnovers, they'd probably be two TD favorites in this. New Orleans looks like a bargain in this, they'll rebound from their mistakes, and the Cable Guy's NFL head coaching debut won't go so well, I predict. (I forgot to complain about the Raiders being on local air, seeing the Saints make up for it, they're my favorite team at the moment, even if they haven't lived up to their potential the past season and a half)
Chicago Bears (3-2) at Atlanta (3-2) my pick Chicago -3.0
Both these teams are 3-2?!? Whodathunkit? I expected both these teams to be 1-4 at this point, so I'm not sure which of these teams being half way decent is more surprising. Given the crap Atlanta went through last year, I'm leaning towards Atlanta, but Chicago's gotten surprisingly solid play out of Orton. The Bears defense and special teams will be the difference in this one, they'll disrupt Atlanta, and make the Falcons rookie QB, Matt Ryan, look like, well, a rookie QB.
Dallas Cowboys (4-1) at Arizona Cardinals (3-2) my pick Arizona +4.5
Maybe Dallas isn't so good afterall. I had them making the Superbowl this year, but now I'm not so sure. They only have one loss, but their four victories haven't been dominant, and they have vulnerabilities on defense, and the Arizona offense is well suited to exploit those soft spots. It'll be a shoot out. Both teams ought to put up scores above 30 points. So regardless of who wins, definitely bet the over 52.0 points on the total, that's the surest bet this week (just like last week's under on the TEN v BAL match up).
New England (3-1) at San Diego (2-3) my pick San Diego -4.5
San Diego's favored by more than a field goal in this game? Not going to stop me from picking them, but that's a bit surprising. Neither of these teams can beat Miami for some reason, but have looked decent against everyone else they've played. New England needs to keep the score low to win, and I don't think they can against San Diego. Beyond not wanting to drop down to 2-4, the Chargers have the extra motivation of their AFC Championship loss to help motivate them. I expect the Chargers to be fired up, and not only win, but pour it on and humiliate the Pats for the home town crowd.
NY Giants (4-0) at Cleveland (1-3) my pick NY Giants -7.5
Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. OK I admit it, the Giants don't suck. Not only do they not suck, but they're the best team in the NFL, and look like they have a solid chance to appear in back to back Superbowls. The Browns, on the other hand, do suck, and will get killed in this game. This will be lopsided, and ugly to watch, so don't, there's better ways to spend a Monday night than to watch this crap.
So those are my week 6 picks. No predictions on my predictions this week. Will do a top 5 team rundown again, though (in reverse order, to build suspense)
5) Carolina Panthers - They're a solid all around squad, don't make mistakes on offense and play well on defense, it should be a good enough formula to win their division, and make some noise in the playoffs
4) Dallas Cowboys - They remain in the top 5, at least until they get thumped by Arizona tomorrow...
3) Tennessee Titans - One of two undefeated teams remaining, they look like the team to beat in the AFC at the moment.
2) NY Giants - I can't bring myself to make them #1, sorry, can't do it, they caught the Redskins while they were still getting used to their rookie coach, and otherwise they've beaten up on creampuffs. I'm still not completely sold on them.
1) Washington Redskins - After stinking up the joint against NY Giants the first week, they've rattled off impressive victories, and are done with all their in division road games, which should be a huge benefit down the road. Even though the Giants are undefeated, the Redskins have the inside track on the division title in the best division in the NFL. As long as Campbell, and Portis play as well as they've been playing, they're the team to beat.
Oakland Raiders (1-3) at New Orleans Saints (2-3) my pick New Orleans -6.5
If New Orleans hadn't blown last Monday's game against Minnesota with those numerous turnovers, they'd probably be two TD favorites in this. New Orleans looks like a bargain in this, they'll rebound from their mistakes, and the Cable Guy's NFL head coaching debut won't go so well, I predict. (I forgot to complain about the Raiders being on local air, seeing the Saints make up for it, they're my favorite team at the moment, even if they haven't lived up to their potential the past season and a half)
Chicago Bears (3-2) at Atlanta (3-2) my pick Chicago -3.0
Both these teams are 3-2?!? Whodathunkit? I expected both these teams to be 1-4 at this point, so I'm not sure which of these teams being half way decent is more surprising. Given the crap Atlanta went through last year, I'm leaning towards Atlanta, but Chicago's gotten surprisingly solid play out of Orton. The Bears defense and special teams will be the difference in this one, they'll disrupt Atlanta, and make the Falcons rookie QB, Matt Ryan, look like, well, a rookie QB.
Dallas Cowboys (4-1) at Arizona Cardinals (3-2) my pick Arizona +4.5
Maybe Dallas isn't so good afterall. I had them making the Superbowl this year, but now I'm not so sure. They only have one loss, but their four victories haven't been dominant, and they have vulnerabilities on defense, and the Arizona offense is well suited to exploit those soft spots. It'll be a shoot out. Both teams ought to put up scores above 30 points. So regardless of who wins, definitely bet the over 52.0 points on the total, that's the surest bet this week (just like last week's under on the TEN v BAL match up).
New England (3-1) at San Diego (2-3) my pick San Diego -4.5
San Diego's favored by more than a field goal in this game? Not going to stop me from picking them, but that's a bit surprising. Neither of these teams can beat Miami for some reason, but have looked decent against everyone else they've played. New England needs to keep the score low to win, and I don't think they can against San Diego. Beyond not wanting to drop down to 2-4, the Chargers have the extra motivation of their AFC Championship loss to help motivate them. I expect the Chargers to be fired up, and not only win, but pour it on and humiliate the Pats for the home town crowd.
NY Giants (4-0) at Cleveland (1-3) my pick NY Giants -7.5
Damn it, Damn it, Damn it. OK I admit it, the Giants don't suck. Not only do they not suck, but they're the best team in the NFL, and look like they have a solid chance to appear in back to back Superbowls. The Browns, on the other hand, do suck, and will get killed in this game. This will be lopsided, and ugly to watch, so don't, there's better ways to spend a Monday night than to watch this crap.
So those are my week 6 picks. No predictions on my predictions this week. Will do a top 5 team rundown again, though (in reverse order, to build suspense)
5) Carolina Panthers - They're a solid all around squad, don't make mistakes on offense and play well on defense, it should be a good enough formula to win their division, and make some noise in the playoffs
4) Dallas Cowboys - They remain in the top 5, at least until they get thumped by Arizona tomorrow...
3) Tennessee Titans - One of two undefeated teams remaining, they look like the team to beat in the AFC at the moment.
2) NY Giants - I can't bring myself to make them #1, sorry, can't do it, they caught the Redskins while they were still getting used to their rookie coach, and otherwise they've beaten up on creampuffs. I'm still not completely sold on them.
1) Washington Redskins - After stinking up the joint against NY Giants the first week, they've rattled off impressive victories, and are done with all their in division road games, which should be a huge benefit down the road. Even though the Giants are undefeated, the Redskins have the inside track on the division title in the best division in the NFL. As long as Campbell, and Portis play as well as they've been playing, they're the team to beat.
04 October 2008
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation, Week 05, The Picks
Week 5 already, not much else to say, other than the usual griping about which teams get picked for Los Angeles air by FOX and CBS.
Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at New York Giants (3-0) my pick Seattle +7.0
Seattle has looked pretty bad, the defending champs are undefeated and have already equalled my predicted seasonal win total for them. Maybe they don't suck as bad as I expected them to. Their both coming off bye weeks, so have had plenty of time to prepare, I'm expecting NY Giants to begin a season remaining spiral of mediocrity and Seattle to improve a little, so this is a turn around game for both teams. I can't believe Fox is showing this crap instead of the much better Washington at Philadelphia battle.
San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Miami Dolphins (1-2) my pick San Diego -6.5
The Chargers seem to be on track now after blowing their first two games, and Miami is coming off their surprisingly easy defeat of New England. The trick plays that were effective against the old slow Pats defense won't work against San Diego's speedier LB crew. San Diego will control this and cover easily. CBS is choosing this game over the defensive battle of the decade, Tennessee at Baltimore, if any game has a chance of finishing an OT 0-0 tie, this is the game (surest bet of the week, under 33.5 total for these two teams, can't believe the line is more than 25). Both those defenses are playing very well, guess it's time to start looking into getting DirecTV.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-4) at Dallas Cowboys (3-1) my pick Dallas -16.0
Dallas has last week's disaster to recover from, and Cincy has a couple seasons worth of continuing turmoil to play through. Doesn't matter if Palmer plays or not, Dallas will destroy the Bungles.
Pittsburgh (3-1) at Jacksonville (2-2) my pick Jacksonville -5.5
Pittsburgh could easily be 1-3 instead of 3-1, and they're losing RBs left and right. Roethlisberger is a game manager, he's not a playmaker, without a solid RB in the backfield, he's dead meat. Pittsburgh's very solid defense won't be able to keep the game close, Jacksonville will put together their first solid game of the season and win with ease.
Minnesota (1-3) at New Orleans (2-2) my pick New Orleans -3.0
Vikings have moved the bal well, but haven't been putting up TDs. New Orleans can score, and score big, especially since their strength (passing) is Minnesota's weakness (pass denfense). This feels like a 38-13 type game with the Saints putting on a show for the hometown fans.
I know I have a 5-0 week in me at some point this season, this could be it, I feel really good about this picks (and if I go 0-5, this may get thrown down the memory hole).
Seattle Seahawks (1-2) at New York Giants (3-0) my pick Seattle +7.0
Seattle has looked pretty bad, the defending champs are undefeated and have already equalled my predicted seasonal win total for them. Maybe they don't suck as bad as I expected them to. Their both coming off bye weeks, so have had plenty of time to prepare, I'm expecting NY Giants to begin a season remaining spiral of mediocrity and Seattle to improve a little, so this is a turn around game for both teams. I can't believe Fox is showing this crap instead of the much better Washington at Philadelphia battle.
San Diego Chargers (2-2) at Miami Dolphins (1-2) my pick San Diego -6.5
The Chargers seem to be on track now after blowing their first two games, and Miami is coming off their surprisingly easy defeat of New England. The trick plays that were effective against the old slow Pats defense won't work against San Diego's speedier LB crew. San Diego will control this and cover easily. CBS is choosing this game over the defensive battle of the decade, Tennessee at Baltimore, if any game has a chance of finishing an OT 0-0 tie, this is the game (surest bet of the week, under 33.5 total for these two teams, can't believe the line is more than 25). Both those defenses are playing very well, guess it's time to start looking into getting DirecTV.
Cincinnati Bengals (0-4) at Dallas Cowboys (3-1) my pick Dallas -16.0
Dallas has last week's disaster to recover from, and Cincy has a couple seasons worth of continuing turmoil to play through. Doesn't matter if Palmer plays or not, Dallas will destroy the Bungles.
Pittsburgh (3-1) at Jacksonville (2-2) my pick Jacksonville -5.5
Pittsburgh could easily be 1-3 instead of 3-1, and they're losing RBs left and right. Roethlisberger is a game manager, he's not a playmaker, without a solid RB in the backfield, he's dead meat. Pittsburgh's very solid defense won't be able to keep the game close, Jacksonville will put together their first solid game of the season and win with ease.
Minnesota (1-3) at New Orleans (2-2) my pick New Orleans -3.0
Vikings have moved the bal well, but haven't been putting up TDs. New Orleans can score, and score big, especially since their strength (passing) is Minnesota's weakness (pass denfense). This feels like a 38-13 type game with the Saints putting on a show for the hometown fans.
I know I have a 5-0 week in me at some point this season, this could be it, I feel really good about this picks (and if I go 0-5, this may get thrown down the memory hole).
27 September 2008
Weekly NFL Related Humiliation, Week 04, The Picks
Week 04, already, 6 teams have byes, most of the match-ups suck, and once again the Oakland Raiders on local air, at least the Rams aren't.
Green Bay (2-1) at Tampa Bay (2-1), my pick Green Bay +1.5
I don't trust Tampa to win this one at home. Green Bay's main weakness is a banged up secondary, and I don't think Griese is the QB to take advantage of that, so if you have a team with a glaring weakness being opposed by a team without strength in that same area, advantage to the team that otherwise doesn't have any big deficiencies.
San Diego (1-2) at Oakland (1-2), my pick San Diego -7.5
San Diego's defense has been pathetic, but their offense is fearsome. Oakland is Oakland, and they've played well the pst two weeks, but they just aren't that good while the Chargers still look like a serious playoff threat. San Diego ought to be able to run up the score on a young Raiders squad in Al Davis v Lane Kiffin induced turmoil.
Washington (2-1) at Dallas (3-0), my pick Washington +10.5
Dallas has been rolling, and while Washington is 2-1, they haven't been that impressive looking getting there. So why pick the Skins? 10 points is too much to give up, I think the Cowboys will win, but they won't run wild over Washington. I think this will be a more defense oriented game than expected and the Skins will keep the score low, I expect a 23-17 like game, nothing fancy, a W for Dallas in the standings and a W for Washington against the spread, everybody's happy (except for fantasy football freaks who were expecting Romo, Barber and Owens to put up huge numbers).
Philadelphia (2-1) at Chicago (1-2), my pick Chicago +3.0
I still think Philadelphia is the 2nd best team in the NFL at the moment, but being good doesn't always win games. The Bears defense matches up well with the Eagles offense, and even though Da Bears are toothless on offense, a few scores on defense will make up the difference. Also, Matt Forte is going to run wild in his first Sunday Night appearance (notice how I parsed that, I know Chicago played in the opener, but I still don't like the idea of the season starting on Thursdays, also, how is it that Chicago has already been on NBC's Primetime NFL schedule twice?)
Baltimore (2-0) at Pittsburgh (2-1), Baltimore +5.0
Baltimore got an unexpected early bye week due to Ike. If they beat Pittsburgh they'll already be 3-0 in the AFC North. I think after the beating they took in Philadelphia that the Steelers (and more importantly, Roethlisberger) haven't fully recovered and are going to take another big time beating from the big time Baltimore defense. It won't be pretty to watch, but Baltimore's defense will be effective, and their offense will keep from making any mistakes, that ought to be enough to swing this game the Ravens' way.
Other than Oakland, I'm betting on every underdog this week. We'll see how that goes for me. Might be a good Sunday to do something other than watch football all day, none of the four games on local TV Sunday look all that exciting, three probably be will be close, but I don't expect them to be entertaining. If you watch, enjoy, and if you don't watch, enjoy the first Sunday of Autumn, and for The Chosen amongst you, on Monday have a Happy New Year 5769!
Green Bay (2-1) at Tampa Bay (2-1), my pick Green Bay +1.5
I don't trust Tampa to win this one at home. Green Bay's main weakness is a banged up secondary, and I don't think Griese is the QB to take advantage of that, so if you have a team with a glaring weakness being opposed by a team without strength in that same area, advantage to the team that otherwise doesn't have any big deficiencies.
San Diego (1-2) at Oakland (1-2), my pick San Diego -7.5
San Diego's defense has been pathetic, but their offense is fearsome. Oakland is Oakland, and they've played well the pst two weeks, but they just aren't that good while the Chargers still look like a serious playoff threat. San Diego ought to be able to run up the score on a young Raiders squad in Al Davis v Lane Kiffin induced turmoil.
Washington (2-1) at Dallas (3-0), my pick Washington +10.5
Dallas has been rolling, and while Washington is 2-1, they haven't been that impressive looking getting there. So why pick the Skins? 10 points is too much to give up, I think the Cowboys will win, but they won't run wild over Washington. I think this will be a more defense oriented game than expected and the Skins will keep the score low, I expect a 23-17 like game, nothing fancy, a W for Dallas in the standings and a W for Washington against the spread, everybody's happy (except for fantasy football freaks who were expecting Romo, Barber and Owens to put up huge numbers).
Philadelphia (2-1) at Chicago (1-2), my pick Chicago +3.0
I still think Philadelphia is the 2nd best team in the NFL at the moment, but being good doesn't always win games. The Bears defense matches up well with the Eagles offense, and even though Da Bears are toothless on offense, a few scores on defense will make up the difference. Also, Matt Forte is going to run wild in his first Sunday Night appearance (notice how I parsed that, I know Chicago played in the opener, but I still don't like the idea of the season starting on Thursdays, also, how is it that Chicago has already been on NBC's Primetime NFL schedule twice?)
Baltimore (2-0) at Pittsburgh (2-1), Baltimore +5.0
Baltimore got an unexpected early bye week due to Ike. If they beat Pittsburgh they'll already be 3-0 in the AFC North. I think after the beating they took in Philadelphia that the Steelers (and more importantly, Roethlisberger) haven't fully recovered and are going to take another big time beating from the big time Baltimore defense. It won't be pretty to watch, but Baltimore's defense will be effective, and their offense will keep from making any mistakes, that ought to be enough to swing this game the Ravens' way.
Other than Oakland, I'm betting on every underdog this week. We'll see how that goes for me. Might be a good Sunday to do something other than watch football all day, none of the four games on local TV Sunday look all that exciting, three probably be will be close, but I don't expect them to be entertaining. If you watch, enjoy, and if you don't watch, enjoy the first Sunday of Autumn, and for The Chosen amongst you, on Monday have a Happy New Year 5769!
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