When the day started it was either going to be the apocalypse for the city of Philadelphia or a glorious day for the City of Brotherly Love. Philly hasn’t won a professional championship since the 76ers in 1983 and since then only Villanova has given the city a reason for a parade. The Phillies took care of their end of things, and now it is up to the Eagles to finish it off. Home dogs have been covering all over the place today which could be reason enough to take the Giants. If this line was 3 or more, I would probably go with NYG but it isn’t and the Eagles should’ve swept the G-Men last year and their offense seems to be clicking, though it was the Lions last week. Expect a tight game, expect a physical game and expect a raucous New York crowd looking toward the Giants to gain some redemption for the Mets embarrassing collapse.
This game is tough to figure. I really like what Tampa has done so far this year, both on defense and offense. I am not sure what else Jeff Garcia needs to do to prove that he is a top-echelon QB; he may be the best acquisition made in the off-season. Carolina meanwhile seems to be a bit schizophrenic. Jake Delhomme being out may not hurt the Panthers that much being that Carolina is going to want to run the ball. The Panthers have won the past two meetings, but I am going to side with the Bucs on this one.
San Francisco could easily be 0-3 on the year. Seattle meanwhile looks exactly like last years team, and last years team lost twice to the 49ers. It is hard to go with a team that has looked as shaky as SF has this year, but that is what I am going to do. 1 point lines are essentially Pick ‘ems and when faced with that, I will take the home team that has won the last two. In case you weren’t paying attention, that would be the 49ers.
San Diego is a good money line pick, if you like -$600. As bad as the Chargers have been it is hard to imagine they lose a home game to this Chiefs team. I am still of the belief that KC is one of the worst teams out there, which is exactly what the Chargers need. I am also of the belief that Norv Tuner is one of the worst Head Coaches in the NFL, so what the hell. When push comes to shove I have more confidence in the Chargers talent and that is why SD is the better play.
I really liked Arizona at the beginning of the week; however, when I heard that OT Levi Brown and WR Anquan Boldin are both doubtful I soured a bit on the Cards. There are a few reasons why I like Arizona: their Head Coach, Ken Wisenhunt and Russ Grimm now on the Cardinal sideline has to give the Red Birds some sort of advantage. Combine that with the close games they have played this year and the tough environment in the desert should give the Cardinals enough of an advantage to keep this game close if not win it outright.
This is a lot of points for the Colts to cover. Indy is the easy pick with Denver struggling so far this year and the beating the took at the hands of Jacksonville last week. That being said, I think this game will be a lot closer than people expect and will put my voice behind Denver.
I have heard the reports of Marc Bulger’s broken ribs, and I am well aware that the Rams are off to a rather bad start, with the Cowboys doing just the opposite. But I still think that 13 points is too many for this Cowboys team to cover against a potent offense. Yes, the Rams offense is potent even if they haven’t shown it just yet. Last week the Rams played a good Tampa defense in bad Tampa weather, on grass. The week prior they racked up the yards, if not the points, against the 49ers. Bulger got off to a similar start last year, only throwing 2 TD passes in his first three games, doing exactly the same this year. Today he gets to face a defense that will yield yards and points. Even is Bulger is unable to perform due to his ribs, backup Gus Frerotte can also chuck the ball around. Brian Leonard, the rookie from Rutgers, will get to showcase his talents and his versatility will cause the Cowboys problems. Expect Dallas to bring a lot of pressure all game with the Rams still adjusting to a ton of injuries on their offensive line. If they do blitz a lot, it will open up more lanes for the Rams QB. The Cowboys D gave up 312 passing yards against the Giants and 273 passing yards against Miami. Yes they only gave up 10 points to the Bears but lets not forget who was QBing the Bears last week. Dallas’ offense is very good and this game may well turn into a track meet, but 13 is too many and I like the Rams.
Green Bay is off to a great start; Minnesota is off to a not-so-bad start considering what was expected of them. Last week the Vikings lost to a bad Kansas City team, while Green Bay pulled off another impressive win against San Diego. Why is this line only 1 point?! Favre’s dome struggles are well documented and perhaps that is what everyone is thinking. There has been some slight line movement with some books, but nothing substantial. I am taking the Vikings based solely on their history against Favre and also because I am not yet a believer of the Packers.
Two proud organizations with little left to be proud about. The Dolphins are banged up on defense and the Raiders have athletes on offense. I can see this game being decided by a FG, with either team winning. Oakland should be 2-1 if not for that weasely time-out called by Coach Shanahan that made Janikowski re-kick the game winning FG in Denver. I know that Shanahan didn’t do anything ‘illegal’ but the way the coaches sneak and wait for the split-second prior to the snap is bush-league psyche out stuff, laughable. So glad that last night Urban Meyer wasn’t able to shake the FR kick from Auburn with the same cheesy tactic.
Buffalo always gives the Jets a tough time and today should be no different. Even with the history of these two teams, and the Jets inability to stop the run, I am going to side with the Green and White because I believe the Bills are too banged up on all sides of the ball. I mentioned in my pre-season summary how difficult the Bills first 5 weeks are, and they are running the risk of getting into the dangerous position of being out of the playoff hunt before Week 5 even happens. Despite the desperation I am sure the Bills feel, I am going to pick the Jets, but without much confidence.
Everyone in America is loving the Texans, because of that I will give my love to the Falcons. Yes the Texans are off to a nice start, and yes the Falcons are still trying to find their way. I believe today is the day that they find their first win of the year. There is no reason, there is no f’n reason why people should go out all over town and praise a Texans team that has been ridiculed for their play on the field and their decision making off the field ever since their inception. The people scream for the Texans; so I am backing the Falcons.
New QB for the Bears which should excite all Bear fans, and most Bear players. What is not exciting for Chicago is that they will be without two starting CBs and they must face a team that not only wants to but must throw the ball to be successful. Brian Griese needs to be in mid-season form and I am not so sure he will be. The Lions did a lot of talking in the off-season and today is their day to show they can walk the walk.
Revenge abounds in this game. The people of Cleveland will always hate the Ravens, and Jamaal Lewis will too. I am not a believer in the Ravens, and my feelings toward Coach Billick have soured over the years. By that I mean, I am just not willing to rank him among the elite coaches any more. Tough to figure out this Browns team, but am more comfortable with them today, than against them.
The Tar Heels are just what the Hokies need to keep their minor win streak alive. Va Tech may be a bit tough to figure out so far this year, but from where I sit I see a team that ran into the LSU buzzsaw in Week 2, started a Fr. QB in Week 3, and had a weak opponent last week that should’ve allowed the Hokies to fine tune and work out the kinks. Plus it always seems that Frank Beamer’s team gets better as the year progresses. UNC meanwhile seems to get worse as the season goes on and today in Balcksburg is an even tougher game when you remember that UNC was at South Florida last week. I am going to lay 4-stars on this game.
I am sticking by my belief that any time Bobby Bowden and his staff are called on to actually coach, they will fail. Alabama meanwhile is playing inspired ball, they can put up points and should be able to move the ball on the Seminoles. FSU really shouldn’t be favored against any ranked teams, and I am going 5-stars on the Crimson Tide.
South Florida is a great story and a good team. Their wins this year are not as good as they may seem. Yes, beating Auburn was nice but Mississippi St. did it also. Last week the Bulls took care of UNC, but this isn’t basketball. Last year I took the Mountaineers as 20 point favorites and they came out and laid an egg. I don’t think that happens again. WVU is better, and better teams don’t lose to inferior teams on back-to-back meetings. This is my first big wager of the year, laying 4-stars with West Virginia.
I still believe New Orleans is a good team, and I don’t believe they will go 0-3 to start the year. Tennessee has struggled to stop the pass this year which is just what the Saints need, along with being at home. Looking to keep the momentum going from a Sunday that was on the plus side for the first time this year. I am still unsure about both of these teams, so I am keeping the stars low.
When faced with the question before the year, who is more likely to be 0-3, the Dolphins or the Jets, I would have and still do say the Dolphins would be more likely. The Jets have played two of the better teams in the NFL the first two weeks and showed marked improvement from Week 1 to Week 2. The Dolphins meanwhile are still breaking in a new QB and Head Coach; and haven’t looked good in either of their first two games. 3 points will not be a problem for the Jets today.
Both teams are 2-0, but Pittsburgh has looked better and is better than the 49ers. 10 points may seem like a lot for a 2-0 team to be getting but that is because these are two very different 2-0 teams. San Francisco has been outgained in both of their wins, last week by over 200 yards. Wins are wins, but the 49ers don’t deserve anyone’s faith at this point while the Steelers have soundly taken care of business.
Denver has eeked out their first two wins which may lead people to believe they are struggling. Don’t forget they are breaking in a new RB with Travis Henry and that they will get better as the year progresses. Buffalo is a tough place to play even in September and the Raiders always battle at Mile High, so the Broncos ‘shaky’ start is not as shaky as it appears. The Jaguars meanwhile seem to be going the wrong way, especially on offense. I believe the Broncos are bound to break out offensively at some point soon. They may need another week or two so I am keeping this at 3 stars.
The Cardinals are a nice play today getting 9 points in Baltimore. The Cardinals should be 2-0 but in typical Cardinal fashion, they are not. Baltimore blew their first game and were spared OT last week by the oppositions inability to CTFB. Arizona hasn’t been to the East Coast since opening day 2005. I would like to go bigger on this game, but the red bird on the white helmet evokes no confidence at this point.
There are 6 games I like today and because of that I am spreading the money evenly. This year I have introduced a 20% guideline which stipulates no more then 20% of the available pool of money can be wagered in any one weekend. These six games keep me slightly under the 20% allowed, and I feel real good about all these games. May the ball bounce your way today!
The Bulls have been one of the more impressive teams over the past year. They have won the games they should have and even a few no one thought they would. The Tar Heels have played close games so far this year, but haven’t beaten a D-I program yet and their two losses were to below average teams. The Bulls are hot, and they will methodically take care of UNC.
Arkansas St gave Texas a scare, but then again so did Central Florida. Tennessee on the other hand has not impressed me yet this year. The line is big, and the dog has a legit chance at winning.
The argument can be made that neither Penn St nor Michigan has done anything impressive yet this year. The Wolverines lone win was against a horrible Notre Dame team, and Penn St defeated the same horrid team and two other patsys. The difference here is that Penn St HAS taken care of business and Michigan has not. More importantly, PSU’s receivers will give Michigan the same fits that Appalachian St and Oregan did. I believe Penn St is a good football team and Michigan is not. Let me also state the Anthony Morelli is the weak link on the PSU football team, but UM’s secondary is so poor that even he will have a good day.
The Hoosiers have won the last two meetings with Illinois, are 3-0 on the year, 2-0 ATS yet find themselves as home dogs. I can’t for the life of me figure out why. Illinois has shown nothing this year that says they are an improved team. Indiana is playing well in all 3 facets of the game; they are running the ball effectively and are playing with a mission after the off-season death of their head coach.
I am a believer in the Eagles. They have an experienced QB, an exciting offense and a good defense. Army will play hard, but they just can’t match BC’s talent. The game may be close for a time, but in the end BC will win this game by plenty.
The home team has won this game for 10 plus years. Virginia has been unimpressive so far this year, while Tech has a lone loss to what I believe is a very good BC team. Taking the Yellow Jackets and giving the points despite the home team winning streak.
I like playing a certain trend, and the Rebels fit the trend, so I am playing them. Irony is that UNLV fit the trend last week also and it didn’t pan out. But a trend only hits at the percentage you expect if you play that trend every time it appears.
2 star wager on Texas A&M Aggies +2
3 star wager on Philadelphia Eagles -6.5
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