Month: January 2008

So, I went 3-1 last week on the anit-Al plan. Too little, too late, but it was fun.

For this week, the last two games before the big one…

Sunday, 3:00
Chargers @ New England(-14)
One thing the Pats have shown this season is a propensity to really beat up on teams when they’re ticked off. And I suspect that with all the yapping the Chargers have been doing lately, they’ll be ticked off. That, and the Pats really punish mistakes, and the Bolts are mistake-prone. Oh, and most of San Diego’s main weapons are nicked up. This has “blowout” written all over it; I will give the points.

Sunday, 6:30
Giants @ Green Bay(-7)
The Packers are simply a better team, and they’re at home in cold weather. On the other hand, the Giants are playing inspired football and terrific defense. I think they keep it closer than seven but still lose.

OK, so… I won’t have picks? Why? Because the records are as follows: for me, 134-135-8; for Al, 141-126-10. (Don’t ask why Al has two more ties.) For me to win, I have to go 7-0, and there are a whole seven games left. So, my picks are very simple: whatever pick Al makes, I’m going the other way. Of course, Al went 3-1 to my lovely 0-4 last week. I am on what you might call a horrible run. While I went 8-8 in Week 16 and 9-6-1 in Week 17, I have gone a combined 8-24 in bowls. Yowza. Combined with my 1-3 in the wild card round, I just handed the season to Al on a silver platter. (Note that this is with Al going 0-6 on the December 31st bowls.) I also managed to blow being 20 games over .500. The bowls were just brutal for me. At least Michigan managed to pull off the upset over Florida.

So, uhh, here are the spreads. My picks are whatever Al doesn’t pick, but I’ll still comment.

Saturday
Seahawks @ Green Bay(-7.5)
The Seahawks have looked really good over the last month when they’re at home. On the road, though, they’ve not been impressive. Are the Packers enough better at home?

Jaguars @ New England(-13)
Yes, Jacksonville won last week, but I wasn’t all that impressed. Garrard looked very average, and how do you let the Parker-less Steelers just walk up and down the field with the ball? Assuming that Genius Bill spent half the week off preparing for each team, that’s a week and a half prep for the Jags, in New England. When has that not worked out for the Pats?

Sunday
Chargers @ Indianapolis(-9)
And speaking of underwhelming wins, I offer you the San Diego Chargers. Still, for some odd reason, they always seem to make it close with the Colts.

Giants @ Dallas(-7.5)
Talk about teams that have been heading in opposite directions! The G-men have looked really good in the last month, and the Cowboys have looked like ass. There’s no home field advantage here since the Giants are actually a much better road team (8-1, I believe). Of course, in their previous two games, the Cowboys have lit the Giants defense up like that tree I just recycled. If the Cowboys forget the two key words in their offense again (those would be “Marion Barber”), it could be interesting…

Of course, given how I’ve been picking lately, I obviously know nothing. Ugh.

Saturday
Redskins @ Seattle(-3.5)
Interesting game. A team that runs the ball against a team that can’t, but who plays well at home. I like running the ball, and I like getting more than a FG in a game that should be close.

Jaguars @ Pittsburgh(+2.5)
Without Parker, I have to take Jax here.

Sunday
Giants @ Tampa(-2.5)
Ah, yes, the up-and-down Giants. Even though they lost last week, they were up, so I assume they’ll be crappy this week. Bucs.

Titans @ San Diego(-10)
I fully expect the Chargers to win against a dinged-up Tennessee team, but that’s too many points.

OK, this is the last round of these…

1/2, Fiesta: West Virginia vs. Oklahoma(-7)
The Mountaineers will mail this in, and the Sooners want to look good to make amends for last year’s bowl and to take a crack at the #1 preseason for next year.

1/3, Orange: Kansas vs. Virginia Tech(-3.5)
The Jayhawks have no business being in this game. Tech in a rout.

1/5, International: Ball State vs. Rutgers(-10)
I think Ball State will be completely overmatched here.

1/6, GMAC: Bowling Green vs. Tulsa(-4.5)
OK, Conference USA is horrible. I’m taking the points.

1/7, BCS Championship: Ohio State vs. LSU(-4)
I’m taking LSU for no other reason than I heard Lou Holtz picking Ohio State. That’s all I need.

I really will update records sometime soon, honest…