Well, 50 attempts and 2 INTs is pretty close. The Vikes had 3 first downs and 104 total yards (27 net passing)…good god.
Saturday, Dec. 23
**Kansas City 7 OAKLAND 36 **
There’s a lot of animosity inside the Chiefs locker room and I think the Herm Edwards factor rears it’s ugly head in this game. They are in very hostile terrotory and I suspect they might implode if they get behind in this one. I’m going to gamble and take the helpless Raiders. I think the Chiefs probably pull out a ugly victory, but they won’t cover a touchdown on the raod against a pretty solid defense.
The Pick: Raiders, Under
There are some crazy spreads this week.
Give me 100 on Chicago -4.5
100 on Bal +3
75 on Phil +7
50 on Ind -9
50 on Cinci +3
Sunday, Dec. 24
BUFFALO 4½ Tennessee 36½
Both teams are surging late and the I think this whole Vince Young thing is liable to take on a life of it’s own. Still Losman has found a steady passing game and could make it close. The Titans passing game still is pretty thin but the Bills rush defense is awful and Henry will exploit it.
The Pick: Titans, Over
NY GIANTS 3 New Orleans 47½
The Giants desperately need this game but the Saints have to rebound and build confidence heading into the post season. It’s still not clear if Strahan will be back and without him Blue can’t win. Especially so against a high powered group like Saints.
The Pick: Saints, Over
ATLANTA 6½ Carolina 40½
The Panthers are cooked but I have a remarkable lack of confidence in the the Falcons. I have no justification for this but I think this game looks like one of this seasons head scratchers.
The Pick: Panthers, Under
ST. LOUIS 1½ Washington 43½
Two teams heading in opposite directions. The homefield advantage in the Dome is notable and they played the Bears fairly tough there, but the Redskins have somehow found a groove. I admit that I haven’t hardly watched a second of their games since Campbell took over but the record speaks for itself. Betts has been running the ball so well and the Rams can’t stop anyone.
The Pick: Redskins, Over
Indianapolis 9 HOUSTON 47
You know, this game just screams upset. Big letdown game for the Colts and they go on the road. Still, the Texans have been getting worse and that passing game is awful. The Colts pass defense is actually pretty good and they don’t have the ponies to exploit anything else.
The Pick: Colts, Under
PITTSBURGH 3 Baltimore 36½
What the hell. Just because I can’t pick 6 straight road teams…
The Pick: Steelers, Over
CLEVELAND 3 Tampa Bay 36½
When in doubt, take the AFC team.
The Pick: Browns, Over
Chicago 5½ DETROIT 42½
The fans are being asked to walk out of this one, frankly they’d be doing themselves a favor by averting their eyes. And yes, this game has serious potential for a upset but I’m pretending it’s all in my head.
The Pick: Bears, Over
JACKSONVILLE 3 New England 37
The Jags are a mystery wrapped in a riddle on top of an enigma. But at least you can say they play well at home and the Pats struggle in the state of Florida.
The Pick: Jags, Under
SAN FRANCISCO 4 Arizona 45
I really think the Cards are going to win this game but I just can’t believe this many road teams will complete upsets. Statistically it’s pretty far fetched. Both teams have been inconsistent so I’ll ignore the gut and go conventional, at least that way I won’t be alone is being wrong.
The Pick: Niners, Under
DENVER 3 Cincinnati 44½
The Bengals are desperate. They have to win this game but the same was true last week. Cutler has a truly awful pass defense to try and exploit and he’s been improving steadily. There’s about a hundred feet of snow to complicate matters and I have to think that plays to Denver’s strengths.
The Pick: Broncos, Under
San Diego 4 SEATTLE 46½
The Seahawks have been losing to everyone lately and the “12th man” didn’t amount to much last week. The Chargers do everything better than the Niners and they beat the Seahawks but 10 last week. It almost seems too easy.
The Pick: Chargers, Under
OMNI Picks: Chargers, Colts, Bears, Browns, Saints
Grading old bets:
From December 3rd, 75 on Seattle +4 vs Denver, win.
From the 10th
100 on Ten +1 over Houston, win
50 on phi -1.5 vs Was, win (barely, by half a point)
30 on Ind -1.5 vs Jax, loss
30 on NO +7 vs Dal, win
And for this week
100 on Chicago -4.5 over Det, win (half point)
75 on Phil +7, win
50 on Ind -9, loss
50 on Cin +3, win
Had $480.50 out of a starting $500 before these grades
These bets had a value of +$392, not bad at all.
Giving me a total of $872.50, a net gain of $372.50 for the year.
Yahoo says NO is a 3 point dog to Carolina at New Orleans. Can that be right? Did Drew Brees get sucked into another dimension?
Is it because they clinched a bye, they’re expected to sit a lot of starters?
Payton seems like the kind of guy that’s gonna keep winning through the end of the season even when it isn’t strictly necesary.
Give me $100 on NO +3.
$50 on Seattle +3 vs TB.
By the way, this will be the first time in the history of sports fandom that I’m rooting for my team to lose.
We’ve had the end of year feel good win that’s supposed to give momentum going into the next season, and it has done crap. Screw it.
The front office wants to find a way to justify keeping the retarded walrus at HC. If he gets his ass handed to him by 2 crap teams that we should’ve beat at the end of the year, there will be no justification - and the fan outrage might force their hand.
However, if we win this stupid, meaningless game against a bad team, as stupid as it would be, they might justify their already laid plans to keep Coach Catfish and his Merry Band of HORRIBLE SUCKASSES.
If Romeo is kept, it will be the first time, despite years of suck, that I will go into the next season without optimism. And with this pathetic franchise, that pre-season optimism is all I’ve got. They’ll strip everything I have left.
There’s also the draft pick issue - rarely will I root for a higher draft pick, but I’d sure like to see Adrian Peterson or Joe Thomas taken on draft day.
There’s nothing to win - there’s no happiness from one pathetic team with nothing to care about beating another, when it doesn’t mean anything - and a lot to lose - potentially an entire season, if this game is won. Every single indicator points to a loss here being the best thing for the team overall.
And that’s why they’ll probably win.
Go Chicago!!!
As it stands, Tampa Bay and Cleveland are tied for the 3rd pick in the draft. If Chicago wins, Tampa Bay’s strength of schedule is slightly higher, and they, as a 4-12 team that ended up that way against a harder schedule, pick after.
This is what I’ve been reduced to.
Actually, scratch that, I don’t really care. TB will probably take Calvin Johnson, giving us who we want at a slightly cheaper contract anyway.