Week Ten NFL Picks
Well I took a week off to celebrate a .500 week in Week 7. The record now sits at 28-47. I still haven’t had one winning week all season, but my six week losing streak is over. And now let’s commence a winning streak.
(Editor’s note: At this point, I’d just go ahead and do the opposite of what Mr. Marquez predicts. You’ve got a 3/5 chance that he’s completely wrong)
The deadline for Anaheim GM Jerry DiPoto to exercise a $15.5 million dollar option for Haren’s 2013 season was 9pm PT, and thus the mad rush to try and trade him. However, after such a poor 2012 and a very expensive price tag, DiPoto declined and thus, the right-handed pitcher is now a free agent and could leave the Halos for nothing. Even for as badly as Anaheim wanted to trade him, ironically Haren becomes one of the biggest free agents on the 2012 winter market
But this was a pretty sweet trade analysis post. Take a look into an alternate reality where this happened)
Anaheim Angels get: RP Carlos Marmol
Chicago Cubs get: SP Dan Haren
A little less than a year ago the Los Angeles Angels appeared to be the front-runners for the American League pennant. And that was before they traded for a 28-year-old former Cy Young Award winner and before we knew that they had the best 20-year-old ever to play the game.
Last week was close, but for the sixth consecutive week, I had a losing week. The 6-7 brings my season total to 22-41-2.
Enough with moping though. This is a huge week for a lot of teams starting in the AFC East. For all the hate surrounding the Jets offense (or lack thereof) they are one win from taking over first place today from the Patriots. Last week they looked more impressive than they have all season as Shonn Greene not only had his first 100-yard rushing game, but his first 160-yard rushing game of the season.
The Patriots meanwhile were winless in Seattle. Leading by 13 in the fourth quarter, they blew their lead against a rookie quarterback as Tom Brady looked very mortal against a strong defense. It was the second time this season that the Patriots have led by two scores in the fourth quarter (Week Three against the Ravens) and blown the game. Despite that killer instinct I’m not going to say that Brady and Belichick have lost it. On the contrary, the Patriots just haven’t found it yet. This is the youngest team that Belichick has coached with New England, so while Brady is getting up there the rest of the team should get better.
If you had told me it would only be 10.5 two weeks ago, I’d be elated.
NEW ENGLAND (-10.5) over NY Jets: I happened to catch one of the SportsCenter polls this week that compared the Titans miracle to “the comeback” earlier this week. Great stuff. This year’s game doesn’t have as much on the line, but Buffalo could also play it’s way atop the AFC East with a win. Given that they are at home what a story that would be if they were over .500 this laste in the season. It’s a story that I feel so warm about inside that I’m going to bet on them just because it would be too hard to root against them.
BUFFALO (-3) over Tennessee: The Browns ended an 11-game losing streak last week. If they win this week that’s two wins in a row. Cleveland has had winning streaks before.
Cleveland (+1) over INDIANAPOLIS: The Packers are back. Last week was everything that the world thought it would be. Beating up on the Texans in Houston (everyone’s darling to get to the Super Bowl before they played) was a sign that they should still be the team to beat in the NFC and NFL for that matter.
Green Bay (-5) over ST. LOUIS: Perhaps the NFL’s two greatest surprises square off in the Humpty Dump. Christian Ponder looked bad last week (although fantasy owners would disagree) as he struggled for most of the game against the Redskins. He faces a tougher defense this week. The Cardinals have already won at New England this year. All that being said, I don’t see where Arizona gets its offense from anymore. They struggled to score with the Bills for five quarters last week, and the Bills had given up over 40 points twice in the three weeks leading up to that. Arizona covers.
Arizona (+6.5) over MINNESOTA: Robert Griffin III is the NFL’s biggest story this year and New York is (once again) America’s biggest city. The two collide on Sunday coming off of statement victories. Justin Tuck has been encouraging RGIII to stay away from him this week, so look for RGIII to go his way and get a concussion.
NY GIANTS (-6) over Washington: This is the week where everyone lets the Saints re-enter the conversation as a contender. They had a bye week, a win over the Whale’s Vaginas, and haven’t lost since losing by one Week Four at Green Bay. Don’t let the record fool you. The Saints are still good and they are slowly getting their parts back together. If they come out of Tampa Bay wi… Read more...
It also means that you would have had better luck picking the Sacramento Kings every night last season in the NBA.
Last week I went 2-4-1, bringing the season total to 3-6-1. No worries though. I hate my top two locks last week (that should count as a bonus pick) and this week I got my grandfather to help me make the picks. I needed to pick more games though as a result of being in the hole. Some call it a horrible financial decision. I call it doubling down.
Picking games in week one is like trying to predict what to say on a blind date. Basically the best case scenario is to get a second date. So regardless of last week’s 1-2 start, the fact is that we found something to talk about.
The Jacksonville Jaguars. That was the one game that was correctly picked. The reason? A basic fundamental of all betting karma. The reason to bet on something is to generate higher interest (and depending on your lifestyle, as a means of income). Nobody was talking about Jaguars vs. Vikings. It was a game that the football gods were begging fans to bet on, so the few that did were rewarded. I’m back for a second date, and I’m only talking about awful games since that is what made the first date great. Therefore the following games are untouchable:
The worst part about this time of year is hard to put your finger on. The awful memory as a child of going back to school. The days getting shorter. The weather getting colder.
The best part about this time of year? Football. Easy.
New York Giants (-4.5) over the Dallas Cowboys
I don’t know what to do about the Cowboys and Giants. Four and a half seems like a lot of points for the defending champs. The last time Eli Manning and the Giants were defending a title they opened the season at home by losing to Dallas by 10 points. Then again Jason Witten will not play for Dallas. It’s one of those game I don’t need to pick one because I’m just going to watch anyway. However, the next three are too hard to resist:
“When I was fifteen years old I lost my mother and my father in the same month Ronnie, same month. 12 brother and sisters I was the youngest one of them, now I wasn’t ready either, but they needed me. Your team needs you tonight, you’re the Colonel, you’re going to command your troops! Twins right 48 zero read. Go.” Coach Boone nailed it.
In a game this ugly, just take the points.