Picks of the Week

No analysis this week as I am literally shopping for pre-game accouterments for the battle of former NFC Central rivals the almighty Chicago Bears and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

San Diego Charpers + 5 1/2 at Oakland Raiders

Washington Racists +3 at Philadelphia Eagles

Tampa Bay Buccaneers -3 v. Chicago Bears

Carolina Panthers -6 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons

Buffalo Bills -6 1/2 v. Dallas Cowboys

San Francisco 49ers +9 at Detroit Lions

Kansas City Chiefs -10 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns

Miami Dolphins -2 1/2 v. Indianapolis Colts

New England Patriots -3 at New York Jets

 Houston Texans -3 1/2 at Tennessee Titans

Pittsburgh Steelers -10 at Baltimore Ravens

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 at New Orleans Saints

Arizona Cardinals -4 1/2 v. Green Bay Packers

Seattle Seahawks -12 v. St. Louis Rams

New York Giants +7 at Minnesota Vikings

Denver Broncos -3 v. Cincinnati Bengals

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Seattle Seahawks -12 v. St. Louis Rams

Last Week's Record: 7-9
Year To Date: 114-103-5
Last Week's Big Bet: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 13-3
Last Week's Winnings (Losses):  ($140)
Year to Date Winnings (Losses): $1,155

Picks of the Week

I had a decent week last week  Not amazing, but a winning week.  That was two in  a row.  A really good week this week will put me in great spirits heading into Christmas.

The NFL has already played 2 games this week, and I was conversing on Facebook with longtime reader Brent Bellinger, so he can vouch that I made picks prior to kickoff of those games.  Not that one win and push is much to brag about, but I strive to keep things accurate.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Just FYI - This week's games were really tough for me.  A large number of them I bounced back-and-forth before settling on my decision.

Tampa Bay +2 1/2 at St. Louis Rams
If only Winston showed up earlier.

New York Jets -3 at Dallas Cowboys
I try to avoid road favorites, but this one involved Matt Cassell.  How was I to know Kellen Moore would become involved?

Chicago Bears + 5 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
The Bears have kept most of their games close this year, so 5 1/2 seems like a lot of points.  Plus, there is an actual chance of the Bears winning, so this is one underdog I feel comfortable selecting.

Baltimore Ravens + 6 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
This is not even close to the Ravens team we expected to see, but they play every game close, are at home, and getting almost a touchdown.  I feel the Chiefs should still win, but not by that much.  Plus, Lamarr Houston is out of the game, so it will be more difficult for the Chiefs to mount a huge pass rush, on which their defense relies.

Houston Texans + 1 1/2 at Indianapolis Colts
This is for the AFC South lead.  That is right, your read that correctly.  The winner of this battle of 6-7 Titans will be in first in the AFC South.  And to think of all of the vitriol us wannabe commentators have reserved for the NFC East.  Texans defense makes a couple of more plays.

Jacksonville Jaguars -3 v. Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are reeling, having lost 6 in a row and 7 of their last 8.  The Jaguars are 1 game out of first, and are suddenly an offensive juggernaut having scored 51 and 39 in their last 2 games.  This Bortles guy might be for real.

New England Patriots -14 v. Tennessee Titans
If you were an emerging young quarterback, would you want Belichick to game plan against you?  This game could be fairly close, but a late turnover by Mariota leads to a Patriots score which covers.

Carolina Panthers -4 at New York Giants
Cold and windy in New Jersey today, and the popular pick seems to be that the Giants are going to win outright.  But it is windy, and I trust Cam Newton's strong arm over Eli Manning's in weather conditions.

Buffalo Bills -2 1/2 at Washington Racists
My inability to understand the Racists is well documented, and the Bills are on the road.  But consider this, the Redskins are 1 of their last 6 in covering the spread the week after a win,  Plus, when Washington wins, Marcus will again thank me for being completely oblivious in my picks in the Washington games.  Karlos Williams returns today, giving Buffalo a nice 1-2 running attack with LeSean McCoy.

Green Bay Packers -3 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
The Raiders showed a lot of promise early, but despite last week's win have leveled out some.  Mike McCarthy took over play calling duties last week for the Packers, to tremendous results.

Seattle Seahawks -14 v. Cleveland Browns
So I have picked 4 road favorites already, I might as well make it two double digit favorites as well.  Seattle is clicking, and the Browns are the Browns.

Denver Broncos +6 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Yes, Pittsburgh's offense with Roethlisberger, Williams, Brown, Bryant, Wheaton and Miller have been amazing since Roethlisberger returned from injury, but Denver leads the NFL in total defense at 272.5 yards per game and scoring defense at 17.3 points per game.

Miami Dolphins +1 at San Diego Chargers
When two really bad teams play each other, I'll take the points, even if it is only 1.

Cincinnati Bengals -6 at San Francisco 49ers
Listen, I realize that Alabama quarterbacks haven't won in the NFL since Ken Stabler (editors note:  not fact-checked), but McCarron looked pretty good throwing the ball after being thrust into last week's game.  With a week of practice, and with A.J. Green and Tyler Eifert to catch passes, could he actually win?

Arizona Cardinals -3 1/2 at Philadelphia Eagles
I might as well go for broke and make it 6 road favorites.  I really, really wanted to pick Philadelphia here, as the home team in the prime time game getting points, but I just don't trust Chip Kelly.

New Orleans Saints -2 1/2 v. Detroit Lions
Not an exciting Monday night game at all, and that is a shame on Christmas Week.  I think the best game on Monday is going to be the Miami Beach Bowl between Western Kentucky and South Florida (which is not in Miami Beach, or even in South Florida).

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Green Bay Packers -3 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
The Raiders showed a lot of promise early, but despite last week's win have leveled out some.  Mike McCarthy took over play calling duties last week for the Packers, to tremendous results.

I was deciding between this game, and Denver +6 at Pittsburgh.  The smarter play between two road teams would be to select the team receiving points, especially one with a defense as tough as Denver's.  However, I could see a scenario where Pittsburgh wins by a touchdown, and I really do not see Oakland in this game, so Green Bay it is.

Last Week's Record:  9-7
Year-to-Date Record: 107-94-5
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 11-3
Winnings/(Losses) Last Week: $280
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $1,295

Picks of the Week

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Just FYI - This week's games were really tough for me.  A large number of them I bounced back-and-forth before settling on my decision.

Minnesota Vikings +10 at Arizona
Just way too many points.  As always, I texted my cohorts with my pick on Thursday for verification purposes.

Chicago Bears -3 1/2 v. Washington Racists
The Racists have been  horrible on the road, but as I stated last week, the Redskins have absolutely flummoxed me this year.  So I will take the Bears out of respect for my friend Marcus, who would like to see Washington win.

Carolina Panthers -8 v. Atlanta Falcons
The Falcons are falling, to the point where they may not even make the playoffs.  Panthers, obviously are playing great, but I am hesitant on giving the 8 points.  But then again, I believe in Cam Newton.

Cincinnati Bengals -2 1/2 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
This is a tough game to pick.  The Steelers are an offensive juggernaut right now, but then again, so are the Bengals.  I pick the Bengals because it seems that they have finally decided to start using Jeremy Hill again.  Yes, I know, Giovanni Bernard is more explosive, but Hill helps them use the clock and maintain possession.

San Francisco 49ers +1 1/2 at Cleveland Browns 
Yes, I am taking the west coast team traveling east and playing the early game, but it is against Cleveland, so another rule is more prominent: if the Browns are giving points, take them.

Jacksonville Jaguars -2 1/2 v. Indianapolis Colts
I have a bad feeling about this pick, as I fear I am putting too much weight on the throttling the Colts took last week, but I take Jacksonville because of Allen Robinson.

Kansas City Chiefs -10 1/2 v. San Diego Chargers
Another pick that makes me a bit queasy, but I think Kansas City is better than I believe most people think.  The Chiefs did roll the Chargers 33-3 just a few weeks ago.

New York Jets -7 v. Tennessee Titans
I believe in Ryan Fitzpatrick, at least when he throws to Brandon Marshall.  Plus, Mariota has no weapons at all on which he can rely.

Philadelphia Eagles -1 v. Buffalo Bills
In what is essentially a pick 'em, I will select the team that is in first place, even though the NFC East is a farce.  They just have too many weapons to be this bad.  With Ryan Mathews back, the Eagles should win.

Detroit Lions -3 at St. Louis Rams
I hate giving points on the road, but with St. Louis's unsettled quarterback situation, and with Todd Gurley struggling, I feel confident taking Detroit.

New Orleans Saints +5 1/2 v. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay can play, but I don't know if they are 6 points better than New Orleans.  The Saints are reeling having lost 4 in a row, but they only lost by 3 against Carolina.  Yes, that game was in New Orleans, but I think New Orleans feels they have something to prove.

Seattle Seahawks -11 at Baltimore Ravens
I figure that if I am going to violate 1 gambling, I might as well violate all of them, in one single pick; West Coast team going east and playing the early game, road favorites, and double digit spread.  I think Jimmy Clausen will be the starting QB for Baltimore, who will run, run, run, if that is the case.

Denver Broncos -6 1/2 v. Oakland Raiders
I initially thought to take the points and the Raiders, but I changed my mind because last week when the Broncos played horribly, they still won by 2 touchdowns.  This game is at home, and I think they win comfortably by 9 or 10.

Green Bay Packers -6 v. Dallas Cowboys
It seems like the right time to put all of this Dallas Cowboys in the playoff talk to rest.

New England Patriots -5 at Houston Texans
Yes, the Patriots do not have Edelman and are still likely not to have Gronkowski, and they have lost two in a row.  That is precisely why I believe they will win this game.

Miami Dolphins +2 v. New York Giants
What a horrible game to watch on Monday night.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Philadelphia Eagles -1 v. Buffalo Bills
In what is essentially a pick 'em, I will select the team that is in first place, even though the NFC East is a farce.  They just have too many weapons to be this bad.  With Ryan Mathews back, the Eagles should win.

This is my big bet because the points don't really matter in this game, and I am that confident in Ryan Mathews.  He should have been the starter in this offense all season.

Last Week's Record:  9-7
Year-to-Date Record: 98-87-5
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 10-3
Winnings/(Losses) Last Week: $280
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $1,015

Picks of the Week

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Green Bay Packers -2 1/2 at Detroit Lions
Hail Mary!

Chicago Bears -6 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers
Blaine Gabbert!

Houston Texans + 3 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
Houston can smell the playoffs, and I think they will win their division at this point.  Buffalo is much improved from last year, but they seem to have already peaked this year.

Cincinnati Bengals -8 at Cleveland Browns
Not only am I picking the dreaded road favorite, but they are also favored by more than 1 touchdown.  But, I feel like we might even see Spurgeon Wynn back at QB for Cleveland here sometime soon, so I'll give the points.

Baltimore Ravens +4 at Miami Dolphins
Baltimore's games have all been incredibly close, and the Dolphins seem to be unraveling.  Baltimore's run defense bottles up Lamar Miller (as does the Dolphins playcalling), and even if Miami wins, this game will be close.

Seattle Seahawks -2 at Minnesota Vikings
I have gone back-and-forth on this game all weekend, but it seems like Seattle's offensive line is playing better, keeping Wilson from being hit as much.  The secondary - believe it or not - is a bit of a liability for the Seahawks right now, but Minnesota does not have the weapons to take advantage of that.

New York Jets -2 1/2 at New York Giants
The battle for the Meadowlands.  Fitzpatrick throws two touchdown passes to Brandon Marshall to beat the Giants.

Arizona Cardinals -4 1/2 at St. Louis Rams
The Cardinals are flying high, and the Rams secondary has been suspect, so I expect Larry Fitzgerald to have a huge game.  The Cardinals defense keeps the St. Louis offense from doing much damage at all.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers + 1 1/2 v. Atlanta Falcons
Yes, I believe in Jameis.

Jacksonville Jaguars +2 at Tennessee Titans
The Titans just doe not have any true offensive weapons to help Marcus Mariota, well, OK, maybe Delanie Walker.

Kansas City Chiefs -3 at Oakland Raiders
Oakland has cooled off after their surprising start, and although they seem poised to have a great future, Kansas City is having a great present.  Plus, Kansas City is one of the two teams that has confounded me the most this year.  So, no more doubting.

Denver Broncos -5 1/2 at San Diego Chargers
Another road favorite, but I couldn't help it.  The Chargers are horrible this year.

Carolina Panthers -6 1/2 at New Orleans Saints
See the above Denver note, but New Orleans has been just a bit better than horrible.

New England Patriots -8 v. Philadelphia Eagles
The most disparate matchup this week, as Belichick is coming off their first loss, which we all know will not sit well with the Patriots.  Chip Kelly seems to have lost the Eagles and they are going backwards.  I was just hoping for a 6 1/2 point spread just in case Philadelphia scores a late TD to lost by 7.

Indianapolis Colts +9 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Another big spread, and I just cannot see Indianapolis stopping Pittsburgh's offense, but Matt Hasselback is 4-0 since starting for the Colts.  Pittsburgh by 6,

Washington Racists -3 1/2 v. Dallas Cowboys
Along with the Chiefs, the Racists are the team that has perplexed me the most this year, and I know I should take them at home as they have been playing great at home, but, I don't want to do it.  But I have to.  The Cowboys are 0-7 in games in which Tony Romo doesn't start.  So, it's the Racists.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Denver Broncos -5 1/2 at San Diego Chargers
Another road favorite, but I couldn't help it.  The Chargers are horrible this year.

I hate giving points for my Big Bet of the week, but I just had to take the red-hot Broncos, along with the resurgent (hopefully) C.J. Anderson against Phillip Rivers and absolutely nobody.

Last Week's Record:  8-8
Year-to-Date Record: 89-82-5
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 9-3
Winnings/(Losses) Last Week: $70
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $735

Picks of the Week

Happy Thanksgiving to all!!!  I would love to give thanks about my picks this week, as last week was clearly nothing to write home about (only 5 wins).  I guess I can give thanks that I am still up for the year!

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Philadelphia Eagles + 2 1/2 at Detroit Lions 
Talk about a difficult selection!  On one hand we have the human turnover, Mark Sanchez, who is rumored to be good for only two things, for going with Dirty and interceptions, and the Detroit Lions who have even less than zero running game.  I will take the points and hope, especially since Philadelphia is 6-0 on Thanksgiving.

Dallas Cowboys -1 v. Carolina Panthers
This pick seems so obvious toward Carlolina, so I am going with the Tony Romo led Cowboys, with a great performance by Darren McFadden against a tough Carolina defense.

Chicago Bears +8 1/2 at Green Bay Packers
Even as a Bears fan, I have no real illusion that the Bears will win this game, but the Bears have played almost every single game extremely close.  The Packers, although still pretty darn good, are not as great as everyone thought they would be at the beginning of the season.

Minnesota Vikings +1 at Atlanta Falcons
Adrian Peterson says that he feels like he is running like Adrian Peterson.  That is enough for me, especially given that Atlanta is missing Donta Freeman and his explosivity on offense.

St. Louis Rams + 8 1/2 at Cincinnati Bengals
Cincinnati is reeling, so I feel that 8 1/2 is a lot of points to cover against a team with a strong defense.  Yes, Case Keenum may not be able to light up the Bengals either, but Todd Gurley is a man-child, and a ball control game could keep this close.  Plus, the Rams might play with a ton of emotion given that Stedman Bailey was just shot in the head twice and is in a Miami hospital.

Houston Texans -3 v. New Orleans Saints
The resurgent Texans are on a 3 game winning streak, and are within striking distance of the division lead.  They seem to be doing this with a phenomenal defense, no running game and De Andre Hopkins on offense.  New Orleans seems to be going in the opposite direction, so I will take the Texans.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 at Indianapolis Colts
Lovie Smith is building an incredibly tough team with a lot of young talent, starting with Jameis Winston, who seems to be coming of age.  The Colts are erratic, which is what I would have thought I would say about the Buccaneers.  Doug Martin, coming up on free agency, has made himself a lot of money this year.

Jacksonville Jaguars -3 1/2 v. San Diego Chargers
Every time I think that the Chargers are going to be competitive and cover the spread, they don't.  So there is no way that I am picking them this week.  The Jaguars defense, and a big game from Allen Robinson and/or Allen Hurns covers the spread.

Buffalo Bills +6 1/2 at Kansas City Chiefs
It is a short week for Buffalo, which means that I should pick Kansas City, but instead, I think that Buffalo are starting to figure themselves out.  Kansas City has perplexed me all year though, so take this pick with a grain of salt.

Miami Dolphins + 3 1/2 at New York Jets
Miami clearly isn't as good as their first two games under Dan Campbell, but they are playing tougher on the lines, and without Nick Mangold, the running game and Chris Ivory has suffered.  Ryan Fitzpatrick is a gamer, but his injury seems to be catching up to him.  I predict a close defensive struggle, so I will take points.

Oakland Raiders -1 at Tennessee Titans
Oakland needs this win to stay in playoff contention, and I think they will defeat the Titans pretty solidly.  The Titans have no running game, and no go-to-receiver, so I expect Oakland to take advantage of the rookie QB Marcus Mariota.

New York Giants -2 1/2 at Washington Racists
I think last week's Racists were much truer to form that the Racists that beat New Orleans.

San Francisco 49ers +10 v. Arizona Cardinals
And the 49ers score a late touchdown to cover the spread.  I just couldn't pick Arizona as a road double digit favorite, even though they are clearly the better team.  Calais Campbell is playing as good as any defensive lineman in the league - and yes, that includes J.J. Watt.

Pittsburgh Steelers +3 1/2 at Seattle Seahawks
This might be the best game of the week, with both teams suffering major injury problems, but their backups have been playing admirably.  Seattle wins by 1.

Denver Broncos +3 v. New England Patriots
I will take the Broncos defense getting points at home against anybody - well clearly that is the case.

Cleveland Browns -3 v. Baltimore Ravens
What a horrible Monday night game.  McCown to Gary Barnidge for 2 touchdowns!

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Minnesota Vikings +1 at Atlanta Falcons

Adrian Peterson says that he feels like he is running like Adrian Peterson.  That is enough for me, especially given that Atlanta is missing Donta Freeman and his explosivity on offense.

For my big bet, I would always prefer selecting a home team, but in this case, I will take a point on the road, especially when I would expect the road team to win given Freeman's injury.

Last Week's Record:  5-9
Year-to-Date Record: 81-74-5
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 8-3
Winnings/(Losses) Last Week: ($655)
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $665

Picks of the We3k

I am way late today, so no analysis, just picks.

Tennessee Titans +2 at Jacksonville Jaguars
Chicago Bears +1 1/2 v. Denver Broncos
Indianapolis Colts +3 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
St. Louis Rams +3 at Baltimore Ravens
Washington Racists +7 at Carolina Panthers
Oakland Raiders +1 at Detroit Lions
Houston Texans +3 1/2 v. New York Jets
Miami Dolphins +2 1/2 v. Dallas Cowboys
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6 1/2 at Philadelphia Eagles
San Diego Chargers +3 v. Kansas City Chiefs
Minnesota Vikings +1 v. Green Bay Packers
San Francisco 49ers +14 at Seattle Seahawks
Arizona Cardinals -4 1/2 v. Cincinnati Bengals
Buffalo Bills +7 at New England Patriots

Big Bet:
Washington Racists +7 at Carolina Panthers - I just think the game will be close.

Last Week's Record:  8-6
Year-to-Date Record: 76-65-5
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year-to-Date: 8-2
Winnings/(Losses) Last Week: $290
Winnings (Losses) Year-to-Date: $1320

Picks of the Week

On a bit of  a spiral, and we don't even want to talk about my college picks from yesterday.  That means with some good thought, this week could be the week to turn things around.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Buffalo Bills + 2 1/2 at New York Jets
Although this is written on Sunday morning, I did text Sinickal and Hopps this pick, so they can confirm this pick.

Chicago Bears + 6 1/2 at St. Louis Rams
Primarily because the Bears have played pretty much every game - excepting Arizona - close.  Why change now?  Well, Todd Gurley for one thing, but Langford looks like a reasonable facsimile of Forte and Alshon Jeffrey is playing.

Jacksonville Jaguars +5 at Baltimore Ravens
Jaguars playing tough this year, and without Steve Smith, the Ravens offense is relatively inept.  Should be a close game, at least, so I will take the points.

Detroit Lions + 10 1/2 at Green Bay Packers
The way Green Bay has been playing, 10 1/2 seems like too big a line.  I am not saying that Detroit wins, but one touchdown sounds about right to me.

Philadelphia Eagles -6 v. Miami Dolphins
Don't laugh, but this game could see a lot of points.  Both teams could easily just run up and down the field against each other.  I feel like Darren Sproles is the difference in this one.

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 v. Cleveland Browns
Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams v. Johnny Manziel and ?.  I will take the Steelers because of 140 yards for Williams.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers pick 'em v. Dallas Cowboys
Dallas has a bit more talent returning from injury, but Lovie has Tampa moving in the right direction.  One more Mike Evans play than Dez Bryant play is the difference.

Carolina Panthers -4 at Tennessee Titans
A road favorite, but I don't see Tennessee scoring a lot against this Panthers defense.  Carolina dodges a late Mariota rally that could cover the spread.

New Orleans pick 'em at Washington Racists
Brees has been throwing lately, and he could put up a bunch of yards and points again this week.  I am not sure what is going on with Washington's offense.

Oakland Raiders -3 v. Minnesota Vikings
The Raiders offense seems to be clicking with Carr, Murray, Cooper and now Crabtree.  The Vikings have had a nice season and are sniffing the playoffs, but the Raiders just might be for real.

Denver Broncos -4 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
The Broncos running game has to get started at some point this season, right?  No better time that against a mediocre run defense.

New England Patriots -7 1/2 at New York Giants
I can't ignore road favorites all the time, especially given the ineptness of the Giants offensive line.  The Patriots - even without Dion Lewis - should be able to move the ball at will against the Giants, and New England's pass rush should keep Manning from having enough time to throw the ball down the field to Beckham and Randle.

Arizona Cardinals +3 at Seattle Seahawks
Seattle is trying to hang around the playoffs, but their offensive line has been struggling this year after the trade of Max Unger to New Orleans.  Cardinals defense has not missed a beat without Darnell Dockett, and their offense is downright explosive.  I think the Cardinals could win outright, so I will take the points.

Cincinnati Bengals -11 v. Houston Texans
Houston at 3-5 is doing better than most people thought, and could still win the horrific AFC South, but Cincinnati's offense is in full gear, and they could win by 17 this week.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 v. Cleveland Browns
Antonio Brown and DeAngelo Williams v. Johnny Manziel and ?.  I will take the Steelers because of 140 yards for Williams.

For my big bet, I would always prefer selecting a home team, either receiving points or not giving up too many points.  Six is a little more than I normally would like to give up for my big bet, but I just cannot see Cleveland stopping the Steelers offense.

Last Two Weeks: 12-14-1
Year-to-Date: 68-59-5
Big Bet Last Two Week: 1-1
Big Bet Year to Date: 7-2
Winnings (Losses) Last Two Weeks: ($355)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date $1030

Picks of the Week

Rushed today, so no analysis,  just picks.

Cincinnati -12
Miami +3
Carolina + 2 1/2
St. Louis +2
New England -14
New Orleans - 7 1/2
Jacksonville +8
Oakland + 5 1/2
Atlanta - 7 1/2
Tampa Bay + 2 1/2
Denver - 4 1/2
Philadelphia - 3
Chicago + 4 1/2

Big Bet

Denver - 4 1/2

Totals to Date will be updated and added later.

Picks of the Week

A pathetically average week, one in which I lost, but not too bad.  Two last minutes scores turned wins into pushes.  I am hoping that by putting my pics in on Thursday, and not rushing through them on Sunday morning might help.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Miami Dolphins +8 at New England Patriots
Thursday games are tough, but since Miami is finally playing like a lot of people thought they could play this year, I think they can keep this close.  The Patriots last week just decided not to run at all for the entire game, with Tom Brady as the team's leading rusher on 3 carries, so they might try a game where they do nothing but run.  That could prove difficult against an emerging Dolphins defensive line.

Chicago Bears -1 v. Minnesota Vikings
Finally the Bears get a home game on Halloween weekend (they have had byes the past few years).  Why is this important?  They get to wear their home alternate orange jerseys!

Detroit Lions +5 at Kansas City Chiefs
I cannot figure this game out.  When that happens, I'll take the points.  No Jamaal Charles for the Chiefs, and seemingly not much other offense either, so it will be tough to outscore Detroit by more than 5.  At some point, the Matt Stafford-Calvin Johnson connection has to have a good game, right?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +7 1/2 at Atlanta Falcons
Atlanta is no longer red-hot, and is struggling offensively - with the singular exception of Devonta Freemen, who is nursing a bit of a hamstring.  Tampa's defense, led by Lavonte David, should keep this game close.  I still like the Falcons to win, but not to cover.

Baltimore Ravens -3 v. San Diego Chargers
Both teams have been extremely disappointing.  I take the Ravens on the basis that every game they have lost has been extremely close, and they deserve a break or two to win one at home.  By 4.

Arizona Cardinals -4 1/2 at Cleveland Browns
So I am selecting a road favorite that is also a west coast team traveling east for the 1:00 game; however, (1) It is against Cleveland; and (2) they do save an hour as daylight savings time ends.

Tennessee Titans pick 'em at Houston Texans
The Texans are awful, and Tennessee is not much better.  I just think something weird is going to happen in this game whereas the Texans are going to need a backup quarterback given that Mallett is gone.  Plus, can Mettenberger make enough plays?

New York Giants +3 1/2 at New Orleans Saints
What a difference a division makes.  The Giants are 4-3, but in first place, while the Saints are 3-4 and in third place.  If the Giants offensive line can hold up, they should be able to at least keep this game close, while Drew Brees is due for a 2 or 3 interception game.

Cincinnati Bengals pick 'em at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are trying to keep themselves in the AFC North race, and a victory will pull them within one game of the Bengals.  However, Cincinnati's defense can shut down the Steelers' offense, whereas Pittsburgh's defense can only hope to contain Cincinnati's offense, which has multiple playmakers.

St. Louis Rams -8 v. San Francisco 49ers
TODD GURLEY!!!  Why have more people not been talking about a RGIII/Colin Kaepernick trade.  A change of scenery could do both players and teams a tremendous amount of good.

New York Jets -2 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
A second road favorite, but this is a team that can legitimately contend this year.  We have known about their defense (Wilkerson/Richardson/Revis), but their offense is now relatively explosive.  Chris Ivory is averaging just over 100 yards rushing per game, and Brandon Marshall is 10th in the league in receptions and 9th in receiving yards.  Oakland has been presently surprising as well, so it would not shock me if they won this game outright.

Seattle Seahawks -6 at Dallas Cowboys
A third road favorite, but the Cowboys are at 2-4 and lost 4 straight games.  Seattle is not the team it has been, with problems all along the offensive line.  The Cowboys, behind Greg Hardy, did put a lot of pressure on Tom Brady two weeks ago.  But, Dallas still lost that game 30-6.

Green Bay -2 1/2 at Denver Broncos
Another road favorite (God I hate these weeks), but as good as Denver's defense is, Green Bay's offense is just that much better.  Primarily, Aaron Rodgers is the quarterback to fear that Peyton Manning used to be, using the entire field and the entire offensive roster to spread things - and the defense - around.

Carolina Panthers -7 v. Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis seems like it is about ready to implode.  Carolina;s defense is keeping the scores low enough (not giving up just over 18 points a game) so that one big drive, or one big Cam Newton to Greg Olsen connection wins the game.  I have said that before, but that formula has been working.  Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis might be the best pair of ILBs in the league.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Cincinnati Bengals pick 'em at Pittsburgh Steelers
The Steelers are trying to keep themselves in the AFC North race, and a victory will pull them within one game of the Bengals.  However, Cincinnati's defense can shut down the Steelers' offense, whereas Pittsburgh's defense can only hope to contain Cincinnati's offense, which has multiple playmakers.

For my big bet, I would always prefer selecting a home team, either receiving points or not giving up too many points.  None of those games give me confidence this week, so I select Cincinnati on the road, not giving up any points.  The other teams I thought about selecting here were Tampa (receiving points, but on the road), Baltimore, (the closest to what I wanted), Arizona (road team giving points), and Green Bay (road team giving points).  So, Cincinnati it is.

Last Week: 5-7-1
Year-to-Date: 56-45-4
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 6-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($120)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $1,385

Picks of the Week

A good bounce back week.  I feel like I need two consecutive weeks like that to really make my season.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

San Francisco 49ers +6 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks
Almost a touchdown home favorite who - albeit struggling - was playing another struggling team on a short week.  Missed that one.

Jacksonville Jaguars +3 v. Buffalo Bills (In London)
Jacksonville has been playing really tough this year, and the Bills are starting E.J. Manuel.

Minnesota Vikings -1 1/2 at Detroit Lions
The dreaded road favorite, but it is only 1 1/2 points.  Detroit finally broke into the win column last week, but even then did not look too impressive against the Bears.  Not sure how the Lions can stop Adrian Peterson.

Indianapolis Colts -4 v. New Orleans Saints
New Orleans is coming off a win against then red-hot Atlanta, but Atlanta had to travel on a short week, and even then the Saints did not look impressive.  The Colts still look to control their division.  I think they win at home.

Pittsburgh Steelers + 2 1/2 at Kansas City Chiefs
I am not saying that Landry Jones is the answer, but he gives Pittsburgh a dimension that Michael Vick did not, especially given that he does not have to carry the team given the presence of Le'Veon Bell.  Alex Smith does not have that safety blanket due to Jamaal Charles's injury.  Bud Dupree is really starting to come along as a pass rusher.

Miami Dolphins -4 v. Houston Texans
The Dolphins really shot themselves out of a cannon in their first game with Dan Campbell as their head coach.  It seems that the Texans could be a great team to keep up that type of play, and winning streak.

New England Patriots -7 v. New York Jets
The story of this game is "The league's best offense versus the league's best defense"; the proverbial irresistible force versus immovable object.  However, Belichick always gets up for these types of games.

Cleveland Browns +6 at St. Louis Rams
Todd Gurley is a monster, and for that reason I would normally have been inclined to pick the Rams. However, the Browns have played fairly well lately, and I just have a hunch.

Atlanta Falcons -6 at Tennessee Titans
The Falcons have had 10 days of rest since their last game, and because of that rest, they should come out strong against the Titans.  Atlanta's much improved defense should give Mariota/Mettenberger a really tough time, given that the Titans have no real offensive threats.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +3 at Washington Racists
A really tough call, but I wonder if DeSean Jackson's head is going to be in this game after his house was robbed and an occupant pistol-whipped in what is believed to be a gang-related incident; the second time one of his residences has been robbed.

San Diego Chargers -3 1/2 v. Oakland Raiders
The Chargers should have too much talent to defeat the Raiders.  If the Raiders could get one more playmaker on offense, though, they would have a better shot against the San Diego.  I look for Philip Rivers to make one big play to put them over the top, likely to Antonio Gates.

New York Giants -3 v. Dallas Cowboys
After last week's game against the Eagles showed that the Giants offensive line cannot block anybody, and given that the Cowboys harassed the Patriots, it would be difficult to say I have any confidence in this pick.  However, the Cowboys are really hurting - literally - on offense, and the Giants offense - with some time - can move the ball against Dallas.

Philadelphia Eagles +3 at Carolina Panthers
I have been on the Carolina bandwagon, particularly Cam Newon and Greg Olsen, since the beginning of the year, however, it is time for them to fall from the list of the unbeatens.  The Eagles offense seems to be clicking, and Chip Kelly has finally figured out how to use DeMarco Murray.  If I think the underdog can win outright, I will definitely take the points.

Arizona Cardinals -8 v. Baltimore Ravens
I do not like this line at all.  But what I do know is that Arizona is the second highest scoring team in the NFL average almost 33 a game.  If Arizona gets up in this game and the Ravens have to throw, then that is where the talented secondary of Arizona - with Patrick Peterson and the Honey Badger - can be opportunistic and make a play that seals the game.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Miami Dolphins -4 v. Houston Texans
The Dolphins really shot themselves out of a cannon in their first game with Dan Campbell as their head coach.  It seems that the Texans could be a great team to keep up that type of play, and winning streak.  I feel strongly enough about this game to make it my Big Bet.  My other choice was Atlanta over Tennessee, but Atlanta was giving more points.

Last Week: 9-5
Year-to-Date: 51-38-2
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 5-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $500
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $1,505

Picks of the Week

I was right in that I was due for a bad week, but I was simply annihilated last week.  I need a comeback something fierce.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

New Orleans Saints +3 versus Atlanta Falcons
This was Thursday, and I told a couple of friends about this pick ahead of time.  Plus, regular readers should know my disdain for selecting road favorites, and this was on a short week with an ailing Julio Jones.

Chicago Bears +3 1/2 at Detroit Lions
Detroit has yet to win a game this year, and I suppose this would be a good time for them to start, but a 3 1/2 point favorite?  The Bears defense is gelling nicely, and Alshon Jeffrey is supposed to be back this week.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 at Buffalo Bills
Repeat after me, Pepster hates road favorites, although EJ Manuel is starting today at QB for the Bills, Sammy Watkins is whining, and Cincinnati is lighting up teams, so I am OK with this selection.

Cleveland Browns + 3 1/2 v. Denver Broncos
I really do not know what to do with this game.  This is the second week in a row that I have said that in a Browns game.  Denver is 5-0, but every game has been close.  They are not clicking at all.  Cleveland, behind Joe Haden's coverage of Demaryius Thomas would have definitely kept this close, but he is out with a concussion.  Nevertheless, I will take them anyway on a hunch that Travis Benjamin will make a big play.

Jacksonville Jaguars -2 1/2 v. Houston Texans 
Jacksonville is playing some decent ball, including on the defensive side of the ball, whereas Houston is listless on offense.  Add to that fact that JJ Watt is hurt and I will take the home Jaguars.

Minnesota Vikings -3 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
The Vikings are a well balanced team, and even with Jamaal Charles the Chiefs are limited.

Washington Racists +7 1/2 at New York Jets
I do not think that Washington is going to win this game, but I do believe that they can keep it close enough to cover the more than a touchdown spread.  Fitzpatrick is playing some decent quarterback for the Jets (GO HARVARD 5-0), and they will make more big plays that the Racists.

Pittsburgh Steelers +4 v. Arizona Cardinals
I was just as everyone when Pittsburgh won last week, and Arizona is more talented that the Roethlisberger-less Steelers.  That being said, there is no way I am selecting Arizona as a road favorite, and as a west coast team travelling east for the early game.

Miami Dolphins +2 at Tennessee Titans
The Dolphins should come out of their bye week with renewed vigor and energy thanks to new coach Dan Coleman.  He will unleash the talented, but underperforming, defensive line on rookie QB Marcus Mariota.

Carolina Panthers +7 at Seattle Seahawks
Carolina may not be as talented overall as the Seahawks, but Cam Newton and G-Reg Olsen are playing as good as anyone else at their respective positions.  Seattle is missing center Max Unger, traded to New Orleans for Jimmie Graham, who only played 72% of the teams offensive downs last week,  Something is wrong there.

Green Bay Packers -10 v. San Diego Chargers
Today we find out if something is really wrong with Eddie Lacy.  If so, the Packers passing game could still outscore the Chargers, as the Packers defense - especially pass defense - is stifling this year.

San Francisco 49ers +2 v. Baltimore Ravens
This game would have been great 3 years ago, but today, not so much.  We have seen some life at times from each of these teams, but I will take the points at home.

New England Patriots -9 at Indianapolis
Another road favorite BUT ... The Patriots are much better, and more importantly, this is Bill Belicheick's deflategate revenge game.  I would have given up to 20 1/2 points in this game given the revenge factor.

New York Giants +5 at Philadelphia Eagles
Division rivals, prime time game, key offensive injuries on both sides ... I'll take the points.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Cincinnati Bengals -3 at Buffalo Bills
Repeat after me, Pepster hates road favorites, although EJ Manuel is starting today at QB for the Bills, Sammy Watkins is whining, and Cincinnati is lighting up teams, so I am OK with this selection.  I select this as my big bet because of the games I was considering, this is the one in which a backup quarterback is starting.

Last Week: 4-9-1
Year-to-Date: 42-33-2
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 4-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: ($440)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $1,005

Picks of the Week

Another great week.  I hope that does not mean that I am due for a poor week!!!

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Indianapolis Colts -4 1/2 at Houston Texans
This was Thursday, and I told a couple of friends about this pick ahead of time.  I know you all believe me on this because this was a very easy selection.

Chicago Bears +9 at Kansas City Chiefs
No, I do not think that the Bears victory means that they are a good team, but I do believe that 9 points is way too much for the Chiefs to be giving, as Kansas City is not very good either.

Atlanta Falcons -7 v. Washington Racists (I cannot believe I have been calling them the Redskins this year)
Yes Julio Jones is questionable, but Ryan can spread the ball around to everybody except Roddy White, and the running game has really developed.  Washington is still Washington.

Baltimore Ravens -6 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns
I really do not know what to do with this game.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 v. Seattle Seahawks
Cincinnati's defensive line is really good and Seattle's offensive line is rebuilding.  With Seattle coming from the west coast and playing the early game, I feel that Cincinnati covers to remain undefeated.

St. Louis Rams +9 at Green Bay Packers
As great as Green Bay has been, it would not surprise me at all if St. Louis wins this game.  Aaron Donald is a beast, Todd Gurley looks like he could be amazing, so at least they keep it close.

New Orleans Saints +6 at Philadelphia Eagles
I am not a big fan of the Saints this year, but I think Brees is starting to develop some confidence in receivers like Willie Snead and CJ Spiller out of the backfield.  This should keep them close to the Eagles, who have had their own offensive troubles on the season.

Jacksonville Jaguars +2 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Jacksonville just looks like they have been  playing better this year than their record.

Buffalo Bills pick 'em at Tennessee Titans
I will take the Bills on the road to win this game.  I assumed they would have been favored by a couple of points.

Arizona Cardinals -3 1/2 at Detroit Lions
The dreaded road favorite, but something seems amiss with the Lions this year while Arizona has been cruising.

Oakland +4 v. Denver Broncos
I really did not want to pick two road favorites in a row.  Khalil Mack might be the best defensive player on the field, and I think Amari Cooper makes enough plays to keep this close, even if Denver wins.

Dallas Cowboys +9 v. New England Patriots
The Patriots win this game, but by single digits.

New York Giants -7 v. San Francisco 49ers
Dare I say that the Giants actually look good this year.  San Francisco understandably does not, given their massive roster turnover in the offseason.  New York rolls.

San Diego Chargers -3 1/2 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Michael Vick.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Chicago Bears +9 at Kansas City Chiefs
No, I do not think that the Bears victory means that they are a good team, but I do believe that 9 points is way too much for the Chiefs to be giving, as Kansas City is not very good either.  I normally hate picking my team as the Big Beat, but 9 points is a lot of points to be giving a team whose defense has actually been playing well.  Pernell McPhee is quietly have a Pro Bowl type start to the year.

Last Week: 10-5
Year-to-Date: 38-24-1
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 3-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $600
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $1,445

Picks of the Week

A really good recovery week for the picks.  I am selecting all of the games this week as this weekend is going to be a long, good weekend, and I may not have a better opportunity to enter my selections.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Baltimore Ravens -2 1/2 at Pittsburgh Steelers
Yes, the dreaded road favorite, however this one makes sense.  The Ravens are 0-3, but are three plays away from being 3-0.  The last 8 minutes of last week's game against Cincinnati was an offensive orchestra.  The Steelers lost Ben Roethlisberger, so they turn to backup Michael Vick, but Vick only gets to prepare for a short week.  At least he has Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell.

Chicago Bears +3 v. Oakland Raiders
The Raiders are favored for the first time in 27 games.  The Bears offense was absolutely anemic, but their defense was really stout against Seattle last week.  At least I think they will keep it close.

New York Jets -1 1/2 at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins just simply cannot run the ball.  Not at all.   Plus, Fitzpatrick will absolutely make his mistakes, but he is not afraid to air it out.  Brandon Marshall looking for a bit of revenge.

Atlanta Falcons -6 1/2 v. Houston Texans
Can anybody even try to slow down Julio Jones?  Will the Texans try to cover him with J.J. Watt?  Will the Texans get a top pick again?  Stay tuned to find out!

Buffalo Bills -5 1/2 v. New York Giants
It seems like the Bills learned their lesson from the Patriots game as they rebounded nicely against the Dolphins.  The Giants should have Victor Cruz back, but it would be interesting to see if he is in game shape.  UPDATE:  Cruz is now ruled out.  This does not change my pick at all.

Cincinnati Bengals -4 v. Kansas City Chiefs
The Bengals can score points in a hurry, and A.J. Green reminded us that he is absolutely an elite receiver in the NFL.  Kansas City has been disappointing, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

Indianapolis Colts -9 v. Jacksonville Jaguars
I actually thought long and hard about this game, as it appears the Colts were drastically overrated at the beginning of the season.  However, there is a possibility that things started to click in the second half last week against Tennessee, and if that is the case, the Jaguars have no chance.  If the Colts did not find themselves and just happened to be playing a bad team, well, Jacksonville is also a bad team.

Carolina Panthers -3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Well, hell, I might as well pick a third road favorite.  The job that Cam Newton is doing so  far - along with Greg Olsen - is absolutely phenomenal.  He has earned the right to the Superman celebration this  year.

Philadelphia Eagles -3 at Washington Redskins
Might as well keep it going.  Washington is horrible and is in absolute trouble.  This team might actually be falling apart.  Philadelphia finally got its offense moving forward against the Jets last week, and should continue against Washington this week.  Like my college roommate Marcus said last week, "Even I don't bet the Redskins".  He is from Washington.

San Diego Chargers -7 1/2 v. Cleveland Browns
I really don't have that much trust in San Diego this year, and this is the exact situation in which I would normally take an underdog getting more than a touchdown. However, Cleveland is a mess, and the word out of town is that there is a mini-revolt among the offensive players over the McCown-Manziel quarterback controversy.

Arizona Cardinals -7 v. St. Louis Rams
Arizona has been one of the three best teams in the league at the start of the season, and it does not look like the Rams have the ability or capability to slow down the Cardinals.

Minnesota Vikings + 6 1/2 at Denver Broncos
It seems as if the old Adrian Peterson has returned.  That is bad new for the rest of the league.

Green Bay Packers -9 at San Francisco 49ers
I am just hoping that this week goes as well as Week 1, when I also selected 5 road favorites.  The Packers are in the conversation as the best team in the league right now, and the 49ers might be looking for a new quarterback soon.  Perhaps a Kaepernick for RGIII trade?

Dallas Cowboys +7 at New Orleans Saints
Brandon Weeden acquitted himself nicely in the shootout agianst Atlanta, leading me to believe that he can at least keep it close against the Saints.  We don't know what we will get from Drew Brees, if anything, but we do know that the Saints were not very good even with Brees.

Seattle Seahawks -9 1/2 v. Detroit Lions
Seattle is close to being Seattle again (although still missing that little something), while the Lions have been one of the biggest disappointments in the league this year.  The Seahawks pick up a little more momentum for their season with a blowout win.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Cincinnati Bengals -4 v. Kansas City Chiefs
The Bengals can score points in a hurry, and A.J. Green reminded us that he is absolutely an elite receiver in the NFL.  Kansas City has been disappointing, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  This is my pick of the week because the Chief's secondary has looked incredibly suspect this year, and I look for Andy Dalton to take advantage of them.


Last Week: 9-7
Year-to-Date: 28-19-1
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 2-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $280
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $845

Picks of the Week

So, I knew the amazing start could not last, as I came back to earth a bit last week.  The afternoon games killed me, as I went 0-3.  Still finished at .500, though.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Washington Redskins +3 at New York Giants
Yes this game is already over, and yes, Sinickal and Hopps thought I was nuts when I told them my pick before kickoff, but sometimes, a pick seems too obvious and you have to go the other way.  It didn't work out this time.

Cincinnati Bengals + 1 1/2 at Baltimore Ravens
Something about the Ravens just seems off this year; not quite the typical Ravens team.  Cincinnati would love to put 3 games distance between themselves and the Ravens this early in the season.

Carolina Panthers - 9 1/2 v. New Orleans Saints
The Saints were in shambles BEFORE Drew Brees was announced as being out of this game.  The Panthers may be playing well through smoke-and-mirrors, but Cam Newton and Greg Olsen might end up both having the best years of their respective careers.

Cleveland Browns -3 1/2 v. Oakland Raiders
The winner of this game will be 2-1.  Read that line again.  The difference in this is that the west coast team playing the early game on the east coast always have problems covering the spread.

Atlanta Falcons -1 at Dallas Cowboys
You regular readers know that I hate when I have to take road favorites, but this one is only 1 point, and I do think Atlanta can beat Dallas straight up.  Brandon Weeden is starting today, and he is 5-16 as a starting quarterback, including 8 straight losses.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +6 at Houston Texans
Jameis Winston may have to learn a lot against the Texans defensive line, which could cause him a lot of trouble.  The Texans, however, are just not good offensively, and Lovie Smith, with all of his faults as a head coach, is a tremendous defensive coach!!!

San Diego Chargers + 1 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
I honestly don't know who to pick in this game, quite frankly, so I will take the point, however few they are.

New England Patriots -14 v. Jacksonville Jaguars
Despite the final score, New England absolutely destroyed Buffalo and their vaunted defense last week.  The Jaguars, although much improved, are not the Buffalo Bills defensively.  I expect a lot of points from New England today.

New York Jets -3 v. Philadelphia Eagles
The Jets have had tremendous defenses in recent vintage, and this year they have a polished offense; pounding teams with Chris Ivory and stretching them with Brandon Marshall.  Philadelphia seems to have taken a big leap backward in this - what was supposed to be Chip Kelly's coming out - year.

St. Louis Rams -1 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
Yes the Rams failed to show up last week against the Redskins, but I believe that was an anomaly.  Todd Gurley will suit up today, and if he actually is ready to go, can have a huge game as Ryan Shazier will not be playing for the Steelers.  Le'Veon Bell is back, but will he be game ready?  Whichever player is in better form between Gurley and Bell will win this game.

Tennessee Titans +3 v. Indianapolis Colts
Indianapolis is the lowest scoring team in the league, and have yet to score in the first half.  Tennessee might struggle with a rookie quarterback, but I will take the points at home.

Seattle Seahawks -14 1/2 v. Chicago Bears
My Bears stink.

Arizona Cardinals - 6 1/2 v. San Francisco 49ers
The Cardinals defense can be great, and with Carson Palmer, the offense is very effective as well.  Which San Francisco team is the real team?  I suspect it is the squad that was annihilated by Pittsburgh.

Buffalo Bills + 1 1/2 at Miami Dolphins
The Dolphins running game is paltry, and that is before they play a staunch Buffalo defense.  Despite the shellacking from New England, Buffalo actually made the score relatively close.  I expect the Bills to win outright.

Denver Broncos -3 at Detroit Lions
Judging by his comments this week, C.J. Anderson should be primed for a big comeback week.  Denver is 2-0 without playing particularly well.  Detroit is 0-2 while playing poorly.

Green  Bay Packers -6 1/2 v. Kansas City Chiefs
Green Bay has looked tremendous in its first two games.  Perhaps as good as any team west of Foxboro.  Kansas City just doesn't have that much power to keep up offensively.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Atlanta Falcons -1 at Dallas Cowboys
You regular readers know that I hate when I have to take road favorites, but this one is only 1 point, and I do think Atlanta can beat Dallas straight up.  Brandon Weeden is starting today, and he is 5-16 as a starting quarterback, including 8 straight losses. I was thinking about selecting the Bengals or the Bills for my "Big Bet", but both of those games are intra-divisional.


Last Week: 8-8
Year-to-Date: 19-12-1
Big Bet Last Week: 0-1
Big Bet Year to Date: 1-1
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $(245)
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $565

Picks of the Week

What an amazing start to the season, going 11-4-1!  Let's see if we can keep that up through this week.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

Kansas City Chiefs -3 v. Denver Broncos
As I stated last week, a lot of pundits are on the Buffalo Bills bandwagon as the up-and-coming team this year.  For me, that team is the Kansas City Chiefs.  The Chiefs defense had 5 sacks last week, and the Broncos offense gave up 4 sacks.  Justin Houston and company must be licking their chops for this game on a short prep week.

Chicago Bears +2 v. Arizona Cardinals
The Bears, although losers, acquitted themselves well against the Green Bay Packers.  Despite the joyous return of Carson Palmer, the Cardinals are not the Green Bay Packers.

New England pick 'em at Buffalo Bills
Simply, Belicheck has Rex Ryan's number.  The Bills were incredibly impressive in their decimation of the Indianapolis Colts last week, and I suspect, New England will use Buffalo's emotions against them in his game planning.  Plus, LaGarrette Blount returns this week.

Carolina Panthers -3 1/2 v. Houston Texans
The Texans, I fear, showed us exactly who they are last week, which does not bode well for them or their fans.  Cam Newton may ultimately go down as the best quarterback to play with absolutely nobody else of consequence on his own team.  He can carry them to a 3 1/2 victory.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 v. San Diego Chargers
Two of the teams that looked the best last week.  However, west coast teams travelling east and playing in the early games have an extremely difficult time covering.

Detroit Lions + 2 1/2 at Minnesota Vikings
The Lions, well, Ameer Abdullah, looked great last week.  The Vikings defense was absolutely torched by Carlos Hyde last week, and Abdullah is much, much faster than Hyde.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers +10 at New Orleans Saints
Tampa looked horrible, but Jameis Winston is very intelligent, and he will learn from his mistakes.  The Saints will likely win, but that is a big number to start the season.

Atlanta Falcons + 2 1/2 at New York Giants
Both teams had their moments last week, and both teams had stretches where they played poorly.  However, the best player on the field - with all due apologies to ODB fans - is Julio Jones.  He will make a couple of big plays for the Falcons that are key to the outcome of this game.

Pittsburgh Steelers -6 v. San Francisco 49ers
Other than guarding Rob Gronkowski, the Steelers looked fairly well against the defending Super Bowl Champions.  Plus, as stated earlier, San Francisco is a west coast team travelling east and playing in the early game.

St. Louis Rams -3 at Washington Redskins
Once again, the dreaded road favorite, but this Rams team has a ton of talent on defense, and is starting to develop some talent on offense in Tavon Austin and others.  The Redskins played about as well as they could have last week, and they lost.  The Rams should win this one easily.

Miami Dolphins -6 at Jacksonville Jaguars
It's the Jaguars.

Baltimore Ravens -6 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
The Ravens offense was incredibly lackluster last week.  However, the Raiders looked even worse.  It is possible that the cure to the Ravens ills is playing the Raiders defense.

Philadelphia Eagles -5 v. Dallas Cowboys
The Cowboys squeaked by a New York Giants team, while the Eagles played what looks like a tough Falcons squad.  The Eagles started to play their game in the second half of Monday night's battle, and I feel they will continue their offensive onslaught.

Green Bay Packers -3 1/2 v. Seattle Seahawks
Kam Chancellor's absence is huge, and even if he comes back before the game, I still wonder if the tremendous togetherness that have shaped Seattle over the past couple of years has been upset.

New York Jets +7 at Indianapolis Colts
Buffalo destroyed Indianapolis by focusing on defense first.  The Jets focused on defense under Rex Ryan, and continue to do so under Todd Bowles.  Brandon Marshall is likely the difference maker.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Tennessee Titans -1 at Cleveland Browns
This Cleveland team is absolutely horrible, and although the Titans are young and somewhat untested at a lot of positions, including quarterback, what a bonus the schedule-maker gave them by starting with the Buccaneers and Browns.


Last Week: 11-4-1
Year-to-Date: 11-4-1
Big Bet Last Week: 1-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 1-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $810
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $810

The Ole College Try

Welcome to the return of the almost weekly perspective of college football. For those that don't remember, I write this column as if every player is a Heisman Trophy candidate. Why? Because it is ridiculously ludicrous that the networks, including the World Wide Leader, nay, especially the World Wide Leader, emphasize the Heisman Trophy race all season.  Consider this my sarcastic homage to stupid reporting.

Heisman Watch

Quarterback Edition

Favorite - Chad Kelly -Mississippi - I suspect that this will be the last time I write about Kelly, but he has cored 149 points in two games.  TWO GAMES.  Yes, they may have been against inferior opponents, which is why I do not suspect he will stay here,  but you are supposed to beat inferior opponents - right Arkansas?.

Rising - John Wolford - Wake Forest -He has thrown for at least 323 yards in each game, and I thought it would be interesting to have him here, since Sinickal can comment on how Syracuse beat Wake despite Wolford throwing for 373 against the Orange.

Sleeper - Matt Johnson - Bowling Green - He has thrown for 915 yards and 8 TDs, with only 1 interceptions, all while playing Tennessee and Maryland.  If he can keep this up, he might actually sneak his way into the conversation.

Falling - Taysom Hill - BYU and Malik Zaire - Notre Dame - You cannot win if you do not play.  I especially feel bad for Hill who has had 3 separate season-ending injuries in the past 4 years.  Notre Dame was looking fantastic until Zaire was hurt.  I do not expect a good season from the Irish this year.

Seriously Falling - Brandon Allen - Arkansas - He can put up as many numbers as he wants, no player has ever won the Heisman during a year in which they lost to Toledo.  (Not actually fact checked).

Running Back Edition

Favorite - Nick Chubb - Georgia - He has rushed for 100 yards in each of the past 10 games.  He would likely have more if not for the presence of Sony Michel, who could be a stud starter in his own right.

Rising - Derrick Henry - Alabama and Leonard Fournette -LSU - The SEC is absolutely loaded at the running back position.  Third team All-SEC tailback could easily be third team All-American tailback.

Falling - James Conner - Pittsburgh - You cannot win if you cannot play, as Conner, the reigning ACC player of the year, is out injured for the rest of the season.

Sleeper - Dalvin Cook - FSU - An FSU player as a sleeper?  It happens when the SEC is loaded at tailback.  If not for Cook, South Florida likely beats the Seminoles.  Plus, I don't want to give him credit after his "incident" this year.  He does have 422 yards rushing in his first two games.

Wide Receiver Edition

Favorite - Isaiah Jones - East Carolina - Lit up Florida's supposedly stout secondary.  Yes, you can tell me that Vernon Hargreaves, Jr. didn't play, but I saw Hargreaves get toasted on at least 5 occasions in Florida's opener against New Mexico State, but the Aggies could not capitalize.  Jones did.  He is for real.

Rising - Christian Kirk - Texas A and M - He only has 10 catches on the season, but watch him play.  He is the best receiver on the best receiving corps in the country not in the NFL.

Sleeper - None, as of yet.  The true sleepers are likely still sleeping.

Defensive Edition

5.  Todd Kelly, Jr. - DB - Tennessee - He had 2 interceptions against Oklahoma, a game that should have been won by the Volunteers.

4.  Nick Holt - LB - Western Kentucky - Game saving tackle on the 2 point conversion try by Vanderbilt to win the game 14-12.

3.  Skai Moore - LB - South Carolina - Two interceptions in the end zone to save South Carolina's first victory over North Carolina while also amassing 10 tackles.  He followed that up with 8 more tackles and another interception in the loss to Kentucky.

2.  Kentrell Brothers - LB - Missouri - Sixteen total tackles in EACH of his first two games, to go along with 2 interceptions in the fourth quarter of the Tigers victory over Arkansas State

1.  Leonard Floyd - LB; Jordan Jenkins - LB - Georgia - As devastating a pair of outside linebackers as we have seen in college football in quite some time, at least since the 2008 USC trip of Clay Matthews, Brian Cushing and Rey Maualuga.

Player to Watch

Joseph Yearby - RB - Miami - A high school teammate of Dalvin Cook (imagine that high school backfield), he is quickly establishing himself as the solid starter in Miami, and once he is comfortable in that role, could take a lot of heat off Brad Kaaya.

Will Likely - KR - Maryland - 315 yards in punt returns already this year, including 233 in the opening game, and touchdowns in both.  Seems like another candidate to make the NFL from the Belle Glade, Florida, the birthplace of more current NFLers than any other city.

My New Favorite Player

Pat Mahomes - QB- Texas Tech - Only because I can say Pat McGroin every time he drops back to pass.

Players of the Week (Just Week 2)

5.  Dak Prescott - QB - Mississippi State - He threw for 352 yards in a valiant comeback against LSU, which likely keeps him at the top of the QB list in the SEC.

4.  Ray Lawry - RB - Old Dominion - He rushed for 215 yards and 2 TDs as Old Dominion moves to 2-0.

3.  Kentrell Brothers - LB - Missouri - Sixteen tackles!  Following up a game in which he had 16 tackles.

2.  Cody Kessler - QB - USC - He passed for 410 yards and 3 TDs as USC annihilated the Idaho Vandals.

1. Dalvin Cook - RB - FSU - Rushed for 233 yards in a game in which Florida State needed every single one of them.

Goat of the Week (Player Edition)

Kelvin Taylor - RB - Florida - Who throat slashes anymore?

Goat of the Week (Coach Edition)

Brett Bielema - Arkansas - If you are going to publicly make fun of Ohio State for their weak schedule (and it is atrocious by the way), you better make sure you beat Toledo.  Bielema didn't.

Predicted Playoffs/Championship Match Ups

Ohio State (1) v. Michigan State (4)/TCU (2) v. (3) Georgia
Ohio State (4) v. Georgia (3)

Obviously way too early to tell, but TCU has a lot of returning talent, Michigan State looked strong in defeating Oregon and Georgia has a lot on both sides of the ball.

Final Unbeatens

Way too many to rank at this point, but this will become fun as teams start to lose.

Rant(s) of the Week

Florida coach Jim McElwain is the head coach of a football team.  He can yell and curse at his players if he thinks that is the best way to get through to them. Kelvin Taylor tweated out the next day to McElwain and he were alright.  Get off his back. Physical abuse might be another thing, but the football field is not corporate America, so stop treating it as such.

Under Performance of the Week

Auburn - Barely winning in overtime against the immortal Jacksonville State.  That is right, Jacksonville State.

Last Year's Trivia Answer

The original Name of Mississippi State was The Agricultural and Mechanical College of the State of Mississippi (Mississippi A and M).

Trivia Question of the Week

An easy one to start off the season.  Florida coach Jim McElwain was caught chastising running back Kelvin Taylor on the sideline after Taylor was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct after performing a throat slash upon scoring a touchdown.  Who was the last Florida coach to noticeably explode on the sideline during a game?

Match up(s) to Watch

Honorable Mention goes to Georgia Tech and Notre Dame.  Yes it is a matchup of top 10 teams (or 15 depending upon which polls you look at), but with Notre Dame's starting QB, RB, TE and DT all out for the season, it has lost some of its cache.

5.  Air Force v. Michigan State - Air Force, with its unique playing style, can be a difficult matchup for anyone, and with Michigan State's defeat of Oregon, it is seriously in the conversation for the playoffs.

4.  Mississippi v. Alabama - An early SEC west matchup that could propel the winner toward the division title.  Only ranked here, because of number 1.

3. Northwestern v. Duke - Undefeated smart schools.  How can this be bad?  Oh, wait, never mind.

3.  Harvard v. Rhode Island - Time for the Ivy League teams to start their season.

2.  BYU v. UCLA - Two of the top four teams in the west (along with Oregon and USC).  Two top ranked teams playing in week 3 is never a bad thing.

1.  Auburn v. LSU - Easily the best matchup of the early part of the season. Lots of speed on both sides of the ball.  This could be a great game if Auburn's problems last week was because they were looking forward to this week.  If Jacksonville State just exposed Auburn and Jeremi Johnson, then this game will not live up to the hype.

Picks of the Week

THE NFL IS BACK, which also means the Picks of the Week are back.  For those returning readers, this is old hate, but for those that are new to the blog, I will pick each NFL game, hoping to win big money by the end of the season.

As  a reminder, each pick is using the spread (straight up is for wussies), and the betting line is from the same website each week as of the time of typing the entry. I keep a running tally of my record, plus my winnings/losses. We will "pretend" that I bet $100 on each game, with one game each week going for $250. Winnings/Losses will be calculated including a 10% vig, which just makes the math that much simpler. Now, on to the picks.

New England Patriots -7 v. Pittsburgh Steelers
After the offseason that the Patriots and Tom Brady have had, is there any doubt that they come out swinging tonight?!  Plus, the weather calls for some torrential downpours, and I have more trust in Belicheck creating some type of running game versus the Steelers who only have two running backs on its active roster.  Could this turn into a Julius Edelman versus Antonio Brown slot-catch fest?

Chicago Bears +6 1/2 v. Green Bay Packers
I just think that the loss of Jordy Nelson is going to mean much more to the Packers that most people think; not enough to lost this game, but perhaps it is closer than it ordinarily would be.

Indianapolis -2 1/2 at Buffalo Bills
Regular readers know that I absolutely despise picking road favorites, plus the Bills are a really trendy pick to be vastly improved (perhaps playoffs?).  I am not on the bandwagon as Tyrod Taylor is going to have to prove to me that he can play at this level without turning the ball over.

Kansas City Chiefs +1 at Houston Texans
To me, Kansas City is a serious playoff contender.  The Texans have a potentially devastating defensive line with Jadeveon Clowney (finally) joining J>J. Watt, and with the addition of Vince Wilfork.  Jeremy Maclin will make a world of difference for the Chiefs offense.

Carolina Panthers -3 at Jacksonville Jaguars
My major caveat to selecting road favorites are "if they are playing at Jacksonville".  Bortles could make a big leap forward, however, unless T.J. Yeldon develops quicker than any Alabama running back not named Eddie Lacy, this offense could still be very stagnant.  At least Cam Newton has Greg Olsen to throw to.

New York Jets -3 v. Cleveland Browns
Two interesting stats from Sinickal, you tell me which one is more interesting.  (1) The Cleveland Browns have a person from each level of the organization suspended for week one (GM, Coach, Player); or (2) Of the five players received in the trade for Julio Jones, not a single one remains of their roster.  Plus, the Jets still have a defensive-minded coach in Todd Bowles and Ryan Fitzpatrick.  I look for a breakout year from Chris Ivory and Brandon Marshall should be astounding.

St. Louis Rams +4 v. Seattle
I really don't know why I am picking this game.  The Rams, while solid last year, did not make any drastic improvements for this week (Todd Gurley will not be playing for a bit).  But, I just have this feeling.  Seattle added Jimmy Graham, but St. Louis only gave up 2 touchdowns to tight ends all last year.

Arizona Cardinals -2 1/2 v. New Orleans Saints
The Cardinals return most of their defense, and their offense, although not spectacular, was very steady before Carson Palmer went down last year.  The Saints, meanwhile, have lost a lot.  Can Mark Ingram shoulder the load?  Is Josh Hill a suitable replacement for Jimmy Graham?  Who will step up at receiver?  Lots of questions to be answered.

San Diego Chargers -2 1/2 v. Detroit Lions
If Ameer Abdullah can be a primary running back in this league, the Lions offense, with Stafford, Johnson and Golden Tate, could be scary.  That being said, the Chargers have proven the past few years that they are good, and can be great.  I will take the known team over the unknown.

Baltimore Ravens +4 1/2 at Denver Broncos
The Ravens continually over-perform the experts, and I believe they will continue to do so.  A lot is expected of the Broncos, perhaps even the Super Bowl.  I don't see it this year.  Manning is aged a bit, and although C.J. Anderson is supposed to take some of the pressure off the passing game, the Broncos will do well to make the playoffs.

Cincinnati Bengals -3 1/2 at Oakland Raiders
Two very enigmatic teams; the Bengals because of the divide between their regular season and playoff performances; the Raiders because of the fact that they change coaches ever 4 weeks.  Khalil Mack is a future star in this league, but Cincinnati may have too much offense.

Tennessee Titans +3 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Mariota versus Winston.  Interesting opening week matchup, huh?  Since there are two rookie quarterbacks starting in their first game, I think this will be low scoring and close.  Hence, I take the points.

Dallas Cowboys -6 v. New York Giants
Intra-divisional games are always tough, given the history the teams have with each other.  However, the Cowboys have good offensive players at every position, whereas the Giants have Odell Beckham, Jr.  I think the problems surrounding the team's handling of Jason-Pierre Paul's July 4th incident that resulted in the amputation of a finger will linger for awhile.

Atlanta Falcons +3 v. Philadelphia Eagles
According to a lot of people I know, we might as well just give the Super Bowl to Philadelphia.  I know a bunch of idiots.  Is Sam Bradford that big of an upgrade over Nick Foles?  I know that Murray is NOT an upgrade over McCoy (runs too straight, not as fast, had a great o-line in Dallas).  The Falcons do have the best wide receiver in football, and my top candidate for defensive rookie of the year in Vic Beasley.

Minnesota Vikings -2 1/2 at San Francisco
Minnesota has Adrian Peterson returning, while San Francisco has nobody returning.  Literally.  They all retired.

BIG BET OF THE WEEK

Miami Dolphins -3 1/2 at Washington Redskins
The Redskins might be the most dysfunctional team in sports not named the Miami Marlins.  Kirk Cousins?  Really?  Meanwhile, the Dolphins are much improved and might actually have the best defensive line in all of football by adding Ndamukung Suh to Cameron Wake and Olivier Vernon.


Last Week: 0-0
Year-to-Date: 0-0
Big Bet Last Week: 0-0
Big Bet Year to Date: 0-0
Winnings (Losses) Last Week: $0
Winnings (Losses) Year to Date: $0

Are You Ready for Some Football?!!

It is that time of the year again, time for the start of college football.  What would the start of college football be without a preseason All-American list? Once again, I am here to give you my preseason All-Americans. As usual, there will be more than 11 a side, to account for the different types of formations (spread, three receiver set, 4-3, 3-4, etc). I explain some of my picks, while others I do not. Why? Because I can.  (Starters in capitals).

Offense

QB - DAK PRESCOTT, Mississippi State; Trevone Boykin, TCU; Connor Cook,  Michigan State - Prescott is the best returning quarterback for the college game.  Boykin is going to put up video game like numbers.  Cook, only because we do not know who is going to take the most snaps at Ohio State.

RB - NICK CHUBB, Georgia; EZEKIAL ELLIOTT, Ohio State; James Conner, Pittsburgh; Leonard Furnette, LSU; Samaje Perine, Oklahoma- All five of last year's pre-season All-American running backs.were drafted, and fairly high.  This year's group put up great numbers last year.  Can the keep it moving forward?

WR - TYLER BOYD, Pittsburgh; LAQUON TREADWELL,  Mississippi; Rashard Higgins, Colorado State; D'haquille Williams, Auburn; Pharoah Cooper, South Carolina - Higgins is the country's leading returning receiver and Boyd already has two 1,000+ yard seasons to his credit (the only wide receiver in Pittsburgh history besides Larry Fitzgerald).

TE - HUNTER HENRY, Arkansas; O.J. Howard, Alabama; Evan Engram, Mississippi - Despite playing on a team that throws four times a game, Henry led all SEC tight ends in receptions.  Howard makes a repeat appearance on this list.

OL - SPENCER DRANGO, Baylor (T); LAREMY TUNSIL, Mississippi (T); PAT ELFLEIN, Ohio State (G); LANDON TURNER, North Carolina (G);  JACK ALLEN, Michigan State (C); Ronnie Staley, Notre Dame (T); Greg Pyke, Georgia (G), Iowa; Max Tuerk, USC (C) - An entire new crop of lineman for this year's list.  Tunsil and Elflein could be potential stars.

Defense

DE - JOEY BOSA, Ohio State; MYLES GARRETT, Texas A and M; Shilique Calhoun, Michigan State - Bosa might have been the best PLAYER in college football at the end of last year.  Calhoun is making his second appearance on this list.

DT - ROBERT NKEMDICHE, Mississippi; A'SHAWN ROBINSON, Auburn; Adolphus Washington, Ohio State; Chris Jones, Mississippi State - Nkemdiche makes his second consecutive appearance on this list, after being selected a backup at end last year..

LB - SCOOBY WRIGHT, Arizona, MYLES JACK, UCLA; ERIC STRIKER, Oklahoma; Darron Lee, Ohio State; Leonard Floyd, Georgia; Cassanova McKinzy, Auburn - Jack is a do-everything player for the Bruins, and he is making a repeat appearance on this list as is Striker.  Nobody with the exception of Bosa was playing better than Scooby at the end of last season.  And of course, "I ain't much on Cassanova.  Me an Romeo ain't never been friends".

CB - VERNON HARGREAVES, III, Florida; KENDALL FULLER, Virginia Tech; Jalen Ramsey, Florida State;  Both starters return from last year's list.  Fuller has a chance to be GREAT, and if Hargreaves ever becomes as good as Hargreaves thinks he is, look out!

S - JEREMY CASH, Duke; TONY CONNOR, Mississippi; Jalen Mills, LSU; Vonn Bell, Ohio State; Quin Blanding, Virginia - Lots of potential in this secondary.  Bell gives the Buckeyes a player at each level of this defense.

Special Teams

K - ROBERTO AGUAYO, Florida State; Andy Phililips, Utah - Nobody else is even close to Aguayo.  I just added Phillips so that I could have both Utah kickers on the team.

P - TOM HACKETT, Utah; JK Scott, Alabama - Again, nobody is even really close to Hackett, who won the Ray Guy award as last year's best punter.  I selected Scott in case we need him to direct the orchestra, Whiplash style.

KR/PR - ALEX ROSS, Oklahoma; De'Mornay Pierson-El, Nebraska - Ross averaged almost 28 yards a kick return last year.  Plus, on this roster, he is hoping that Pierson-El does not pull a Single White Female.