FOOTBALL FRIDAY

Half way through the NFL season and it has been very good to me. 5-0 last week was awesome. ON TO WEEK 9:

STONE COLD LOCKS
Oakland +2.5 v. Atlanta: Sucks that Oakland is only getting 2.5 on ESPN’s pigskin pick’em. Fortunately if you are betting on them this weekend you’ll probably be getting 3 or 3.5.

Miami +3.5 @ Denver: Absolutely loved this one early in the week, then I saw the Football Outsider Rankings on these two teams. Now, I love it more. Denver’s defense is 30th in the DVOA rankings.

Washington -2.5 v. Pittsburgh: Skins are a better team, people think Pittsburgh is better, I’ll be taking the Redskins.

WON’T BE BETTING THIS GAME:
Seattle +6.5 @ Eagles: The public is saying Eagles pretty heavily in this one, But I just don’t think the perception of the Eagles is right here. FO has them as the best team in the league. I think that is higher than most idiots would put the Eagles. Still if it doesn’t count, I’ll go against the Public and Andy Reid.

STRONG OPINIONS:
St. Louis +3 @ Arizona: The public really likes the Card’s. I have no real opinion on either team. If St Louis hadn’t beaten the Cowboys and Redskins I would like this pick a lot more.

Minnesota -4.5 v. Houston: Woah, so Houston beat a couple of crappy teams and I’m supposed to take 4.5 points with them on the road. Not happening. Houston is good, in that they may be the class of the bad teams in the NFL this year.

Baltimore +1.5 @ Cleveland: Split Action on this one. I think Baltimore is the better team, FO has them in the top 5 in the NFL. Plus, it’s never bad to pick former UD Grad Joe Flacco.

NYG -7.5 v. Dallas: First, ESPN is giving NYG 2 points here. That helps. Also, the Giants are actually a better team than Dallas. As much as it pains me to say it, The Giants are good, Dallas is bad/mediocre.(It doesn’t pain me to say Dallas is bad.)

Kansas City +8.5 v. Tampa Bay: That sound you hear is the tears hitting my keyboard as I have to go against Tampa Bay for the first time this season. It’s been fun boys.

THE REST
NYJ +5.5 @ Buffalo
Lions +12.5 @ Chicago
Cincy +7.5 @ Jacksonville
Green Bay +6.5 @ Tennessee
New England +5.5 v. Indianapolis: Only because I hate Peyton Manning.

There is nothing worse than betting on shitty road dogs. Not only is your team worse, they are on the road. These are the games that make me puke.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL RANKINGS ARE OUT

I still cant believe the Phillies won the World Series. Unreal.

More Good news is on the way though, as the College Basketball season is on the way. Contrary to popular belief, College Basketball, not the NHL, is my favorite winter sport.

Early Rankings can be found here.

I Don’t know too much about these teams, other than I hate UNC and Louisville was my boy during the NCAA tournament last year. Duke and UConn are probably overrated as well, because of the name.

Two teams that stick out to me as being better than their rankings are #10 Purdue and #19 Florida. I’ll Always be rooting for Davidson too, as long as Stephon Curry is still ballin’.

Anyway, these rankings mean NOTHING. Can’t wait until teams get out on the floor and start playing some b-ball.

WOW

Holy Shit. The Phillies won the World Series. I don’t know what to say.
Photo from Philly.com.

This is part awesome and part absolutely surreal. Usually in a baseball game there is some time between the first pitch excitement and the late inning jitters. Not last night.

I was nervous as hell throughout the last inning.

Then it happened. Lidge threw the strikeout that will be remembered for ages in Philly. Unreal.

This is a credit to every player and coach on the team, they all pitched in and they all deserve it.

Wow.

GINN sur MER CLASSIC

Oops. Wrong Sutherland. But thanks Kevin for the big tease last week. He definitely should have won that tournament, missing several key putts by inches on the final day. My only hope is that by him getting second people will forget how well he played here/how good he is and I will be able to bet on him in some random tournament next year because of this.

On to the Ginn sur Mer Classic:
What is Ginn sur Mer? Apparently this.

THE COURSE: The Overwhelming sentiment has been that it is long. Over 7,600 yards, but I have a feeling the scores will be low.

That is the 8th hole. Looks like fun.

EXPERT PICKS:
Found here and here.
PGATOUR.com sleepers.

OVERRATEDS:
Davis Love
Steve Allan
Tim Clark
Zach Johnson

CLOSE, BUT NOT QUITE:
(In Order of their Elimination.)
-Bob Tway: fluky year.
-Robert Allenby: Very good, but picked by an “expert.”
-Tim Petrovic: Ehh…
-Matt Kuchar: Former US Am champ. I get the feeling Vegas is begging you to bet on him.
-Steve Marino: So close.
-Nick O’Hern: Been there done that.
-John Merrick: Due for a bad outing.
-Jerry Kelly: If you’re in the mood to dance with a longshot, I reccommend Kelly. I jut didn’t want to mess around too much after last week’s success.

THE PICKS
Jason Bohn top-5 14-1: I immediately regret this decision. yes, Bohn’s odds are inflated, but He hasn’t played since missing the cut at the US Open. He took time off to get back surgery. I get the growing feeling that Vegas knows more about his health than I do.

Briny Baird top-5 8-1: The overwhelming theme I heard about this course is it’s long. So I picked short to medium length hitters. Baird hits a lot of greens, that is good. I just didn’t want to go more.

Heath Slocum outright 66-1, top-5 13-1: played well early in the season, but has struggled lately. I’m thinking he is due this week.

Mark Wilson 60-1, top-5 12-1: He just missed my picks last week, then tied for 72nd in Scottsdale. I’m back on.

All outrights are .1. All top-5s are to win 1.5.

MATCHUPS:
Briny Baird -110 over McNeil(.5)
Brian Davis -105 over Dimarco(1)
Tim Wilkinson -110 over Stroud(1)
Patrick Sheehan -105 over Durant(1)
Heath Slocum -130 over Beckman(2)

Can’t wait for a tournament that takes place in the Eastern Time Zone.

PREDICTION FOR TONIGHT

The Phillies will win.

To be honest I’m really feeling a walk off homer. That would only be fair.

The Phils have a nice advantage of getting an extra 3 outs in the rest of the game against the Rays. They also got a break in that Cole can probably come back should their be a seventh game.

Should be a cold night in Philly.

Go Phils!

ADDED 8:21:
PHILS TO WIN -156(.5)

Things to do tonight while NOT watching the World Series

-Email Bud Selig and tell him what a moron he is.

-Watch House.

-Bet on Random MAC College Football Games.

-Figure out who you like in the Ginn ser Mur Classic this week.

-Drink a few beers.

-Prank call the Rays hotel.

-Check out the Premier of “30 Rock” online.

-Do some work…NOT.

Could be a boring night.

NFL RECAP/ LOOK AHEAD

If you missed it, The Titans won last night 31-21 over the Colts and are still the leagues only Undefeated team.

Also, There was this:

Great Rant by Mr. Singletary there, but it raises the question, would you rather have guys that play for the team or guys that produce. As annoying as T.O. is, you must admit that his production is very valuable to the team. Jimmy Johnson was famous for letting his star players get away with things that regular guys couldn’t in Dallas. Unfortunatley, for Nate Newton, the Louisiana State Police were not as leniant.

However, the 49ers are lucky enough to not have this problem. Davis only has 16 catches for 196 yards and no touchdowns, on the season. Seems like an easy decision for Singletary.

ON TO WEEK 9:
Miami +3@ Denver: Love this Game. Maybe too much.

Oakland +3 v. Atlanta: Ditto

Washington -1 v. Pittsburgh: I’m sure you’ll hear this a lot this week. But the winner of the Redskins last home game before and election has been a pretty good predictor of who will win the election. If the Skins win, it’s the incumbent party, If the away team wins, the incumbents lose.

KC, Cincy and St. Louis could all develop into good options, but those games will definitely require some more research.