Free NFL Pick Week 3 Review: 2004

Well folks, it is time to get aboard the Lucky Lester Express, which is steamrolling through the NFL season. My super picks were 3-2 and I was 8-5-1 overall this week. This was my third straight week of picking winners and my overall record on the season is 25-18-3. If I had a day job I would quit it!
Now let’s take a closer look at how week 3’s picks played out.
On the winning side:

Super Picks:
The Texans (plus 7.5) finally rewarded my loyalty with a stirring outright win on the road against the stumbling Chiefs The Texans kept it close and then outgunned the sorry Chief defense in the final moments for victory.

The Eagles (-4.5) continue their mission of destroying every opponent in sight. McNabb is putting up MVP like numbers every week. The young Lions were simply outclassed at home.

The Jaguars (+6) young defense throttled The Titans passing attack and knocked QB Steve McNair out of the game. Fred Taylor showed signs of getting on track as well which could effect my future considerations.

Regular winners:
The Raiders (-3) revamped defense shutdown Tampa Bay’s impotent attack. You know things are bad in Buccaneer land when Bill Shroeder emerges as their leading receiver!

The Saints (+7) rode a strong performance from inconsistent QB Aaron Brooks, to an outright victory on the road against a suddenly old Ram squad. Aaron Stecker, subbing for the injured Deuce Macalister, delivered over a 100 yards rushing.

The Cardinals (+10) hung tough in Atlanta and it took another freaky super human play by Michael Vick to narrowly defeat them. The Cardinals are 0-3 but are 3-0 against the spread.

The Seahawks (-10.5) destroyed the 49ers as I predicted. The Seahawks stingy young defense, 13 points allowed in three games, is a surprise even to me. The Niners were shut out for the first time in 420 regular season games. Way back when Lucky Lester was, well, a heck of a lot younger 34 years ago.

The Steelers (+1) were able to defeat the weapon deprived Dolphins on the road by protecting rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with a hundred yard rushing performance from Duce Staley.

Now let us take a look at what went wrong.
On the losing side:

Super Picks:
The Bengals (+3) were unable slow down Jamal Lewis, their offense was overwhelmed by the Raven defenders. Carson Palmer turned the ball over and the Ravens took full advantage.

The Vikings (-9) allowed a late meaningless, for them anyway, touchdown that blew the spread. I wish teams would be a bit more considerate of our wagers! Rex Grossman played a strong game for the Bears before he was injured. Grossman is done for the year. Thomas Jones appears to be the real deal for the Bears at running back.

Regular Losers:
It was a bitter disappointment that the Packers (+6) injury riddled defense was torched for five first half passing touchdowns by Peyton Manning. Two Packer cornerbacks were announced injured just prior to kickoff. Favre responded with four touchdown tosses but it was not enough in an entertaining shootout in Indianapolis.

The officials stole my money! That is the way I view the Redskins (-1) loss. They were defeated not by the Cowboys but rather by two outrageous bad calls. Time ran out for the Redskins at the Cowboy 20 yard line and they lost by a field goal.

The Browns (+3) were beaten badly by a Giants team that I have severely underestimated. Kurt Warner is born again! He shredded the Brown’s defense with his pinpoint passing.

Finally there are the ties, when the games end right on the number. This is called a Push. This was the case when the Broncos (-10) dominated the Chargers at home. Missed opportunities resulted in the 23-13 victory.

Lucky Lester is enjoying getting rich this season. Hope you are too. After three weeks, trends are emerging and I am excited about my Week Four Picks. Feel free to drop old Lucky a line at luckylester@hotmail.com to let me know of you’re success this football season.
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Good Luck with your NFL Football Betting!
Lucky Lester – Free Football Picks

NFL Free Picks 04-05 Week 3

Well folks, it is time to get aboard the Lucky Lester Express, which is steamrolling through the NFL season. My super picks were 3-2 and I was 8-5-1 overall this week. This was my third straight week of picking winners and my overall record on the season is 25-18-3. If I had a day job I would quit it!Now let’s take a closer look at how week 3’s picks played out.
On the winning side:

Week 3 SUPER PICKS

The Texans (plus 7.5) finally rewarded my loyalty with a stirring outright win on the road against the stumbling Chiefs The Texans kept it close and then outgunned the sorry Chief defense in the final moments for victory.

The Eagles (-4.5) continue their mission of destroying every opponent in sight. McNabb is putting up MVP like numbers every week. The young Lions were simply outclassed at home.

The Jaguars (+6) young defense throttled The Titans passing attack and knocked QB Steve McNair out of the game. Fred Taylor showed signs of getting on track as well which could effect my future considerations.

Regular winners:
The Raiders (-3) revamped defense shutdown Tampa Bay’s impotent attack. You know things are bad in Buccaneer land when Bill Shroeder emerges as their leading receiver!

The Saints (+7) rode a strong performance from inconsistent QB Aaron Brooks, to an outright victory on the road against a suddenly old Ram squad. Aaron Stecker, subbing for the injured Deuce Macalister, delivered over a 100 yards rushing.

The Cardinals (+10) hung tough in Atlanta and it took another freaky super human play by Michael Vick to narrowly defeat them. The Cardinals are 0-3 but are 3-0 against the spread.

The Seahawks (-10.5) destroyed the 49ers as I predicted. The Seahawks stingy young defense, 13 points allowed in three games, is a surprise even to me. The Niners were shut out for the first time in 420 regular season games. Way back when Lucky Lester was, well, a heck of a lot younger 34 years ago.

The Steelers (+1) were able to defeat the weapon deprived Dolphins on the road by protecting rookie quarterback Ben Roethlisberger with a hundred yard rushing performance from Duce Staley.

Now let us take a look at what went wrong.
On the losing side:

Super Picks:
The Bengals (+3) were unable slow down Jamal Lewis, their offense was overwhelmed by the Raven defenders. Carson Palmer turned the ball over and the Ravens took full advantage.

The Vikings (-9) allowed a late meaningless, for them anyway, touchdown that blew the spread. I wish teams would be a bit more considerate of our wagers! Rex Grossman played a strong game for the Bears before he was injured. Grossman is done for the year. Thomas Jones appears to be the real deal for the Bears at running back.

Regular Losers:
It was a bitter disappointment that the Packers (+6) injury riddled defense was torched for five first half passing touchdowns by Peyton Manning. Two Packer cornerbacks were announced injured just prior to kickoff. Favre responded with four touchdown tosses but it was not enough in an entertaining shootout in Indianapolis.

The officials stole my money! That is the way I view the Redskins (-1) loss. They were defeated not by the Cowboys but rather by two outrageous bad calls. Time ran out for the Redskins at the Cowboy 20 yard line and they lost by a field goal.

The Browns (+3) were beaten badly by a Giants team that I have severely underestimated. Kurt Warner is born again! He shredded the Brown’s defense with his pinpoint passing.

Finally there are the ties, when the games end right on the number. This is called a Push. This was the case when the Broncos (-10) dominated the Chargers at home. Missed opportunities resulted in the 23-13 victory.

Lucky Lester is enjoying getting rich this season. Hope you are too. After three weeks, trends are emerging and I am excited about my Week Four Picks. Feel free to drop old Lucky a line at luckylester@hotmail.com to let me know of you’re success this football season.

WAGERING SMART MAKES WATCHING NFL GAMES MORE FUN

Good Luck with your NFL Football Wagering!
Lucky Lester

Free NFL Pick Week 2 Review: 2004

Like last week, the second week of the NFL season brought both good news and well… other news. While I came down from the 10-5-1 high of week one and found a much more average week two at 7-8-1, leaving me at 17-13-2 for the season, Lucky enough I guess. This week was tough; let me tell ya! The odds makers were leaving me looking for ins and outs in places I’d never thought of. I actually found myself believing that Jeff Garcia was going to play well two weeks in a row… what was I thinking? So, many of the games were up in the air, but a few looked sure enough to wager some big cash on. I called these my week 2 super picks. Every week I pick four games that I’d surely bet on. The previous week I was 0-4 making me wonder if I actually knew what I was talking about while I was looking for a place for my wife’s grandma to sleep. I figured hey… everyone has an off week and surely I was part of that everyone, so I took four games and bet a bundle. As it turns out, I came up with a little extra spending cash and a 3-1 record that afforded me some optimism that Grandma may soon get her own place once again! For a closer view take a look at my Super Pick recap.
Short Super Pick Recap: 3-1

Redskins-Giants: I had a feeling this bet was too good to be true. Those tricky Redskins, they had me up in praise after week one, imagining Joe Gibbs return from retirement to be nothing short of magnificent. There’s a chance that still might happen, but if week two is any indicator of the rest of the Redskin’s season, there’s no way the Skins will even touch the top of their division. The Skins looked bad when Mark Brunell was running the show against the Giants, but I couldn’t imagine seeing anything worse than Patrick Ramsey’s attempt to produce a victory. When Brunell went off the field in a crippled limp, I thought, maybe this is a blessing in disguise. Unfortunately for me, the only thing in disguise was Ramsey, who before this weekend, had disguised himself to be an NFL quarterback. Tricked me! And tricked me into betting money on the Skins. At -3, I thought they were as safe as bets get, now I wouldn’t take them at +3.

Jets-Chargers: I knew this bet was money in the bank, which I am now very grateful for because I actually have some money in the bank. The Jets were a steal being only 3-point favorites against the Chargers. I must admit the Chargers put up a closer number than I had imagined, but they were truly never in the game after halftime. Brees, as I had predicted, played a mistake-ridden game and was anything but the flawless leader that he was in week one. Flutie came in at the end and did what Doug Flutie does best and made something out of nothing. The Jets won by 6 and gave me my first Super Pick win of the season.

Seahawks-Buccaneers: Leave it to the Seahawks to make me worry. That high-powered offense that I thought would run and pass all over the Bucs was anything but high-powered. Luckily for me the Tampa Bay offense is as bad as any other team in the NFL. This truth, teamed up with the fact that the Seahawks improved defense is stingy, had me smiling when the game finally ended with the Hawks on top 10-6 and covering my spread by a tiny 1.5. The Seahawks have covered both times this year, and both were wins on the road, a big change from a season ago. We’ll see if Seattle can get their offense going next week against the winless 49ers. For now, I’ll just take my money and run.

Colts-Titans: The Colts got going on the ground in the second half, and then they began to roll. Indianapolis looked good running Edgerrin James for over a hundred yards against a very good Titan defense. Peyton and his crew really wanted this game and it showed as they took over late and never gave Steve McNair a chance, as they didn’t allow him to throw for a touchdown. The banged up secondary stepped up big for a Colts team that now finds themselves at 1-1. This game marked the end of a week that brought my overall Super Picks record from 0-4 to 3-5. Not too shabby.

Other News!

Now that the good news is over and done with, here comes the “other news” as I like to call it. So if I finished my Super Picks at 3-1, and the entire week left me at 7-8-1, easy math would tell you that I didn’t do all that well on my the not-so-super-picks in week two. As if you didn’t know, 4-7-1 isn’t as exciting as last weeks 10-1-1, but you’ve gotta take some punches from time to time.

The Broncos(+3) looked more like donkeys as they failed to score a touchdown against a Jaguars team that obviously finds barely winning exciting. Jake Plummer didn’t bail me out this week.

The Ravens(-3) took it to the Steelers who looked better when rookie Ben Roethlisberger came in for the injured Tommy Maddox, but couldn’t get close to the 30 points Baltimore put up. I knew Ray wouldn’t let the ravens start 0-2.

The Texans(+3), who disappointed me in week one, pulled off more of the same in week two. The defense allowed points like they were free and the Lions took their second win of the season.

The Bears beat the Packers(-8.5), I repeat; the Bears beat the Packers… in Green Bay no less. I almost bet on this game but the spread was just too high. Boy am I thankful I left this one alone. Favre looked old and the Bears, well they looked young. Lovie Smith finally tricked Thomas Jones into playing like the first round draft pick that he was, and yes, the Bears won.

The Saints(-7.5) defense allowed Ken Dorsey to drive down the field for scores. San Francisco score 27 points, a number I thought they’d have trouble accumulating all season. They won, those lucky Saints, but they didn’t cover for me.

I took the Falcons(-2.5) against the Rams after St. Louis barely squeaked passed the Cardinals in week one. Looks like that was one of the good decisions I made this weekend. Vick looked brilliant, rushing for over 100 yards and throwing for nearly 200. The defense looked good, holding Marshal Faulk to under 30 yards and intercepting Marc Bulger twice.

The Chiefs(-6) broke my heart for the second week in a row, losing to a Stephen Davis and Steve Smith-less Panthers team that looked a lot better then they did against the Packers last Monday Night. The ugliest performance of the year goes to Jeff Garcia who made me understand why San Francisco let him go.

The Browns(+4.5) fell one half of a point short of covering against the Cowboys, who also failed to look stellar, but got their first win nonetheless.

The Patriots(-8) took a step backward but beat a feisty Cardinals team and covered in the process. These Patriots are dangerous, often finding a way to play to the level of their opponents.

The Bills(+3) defense was great for the second straight week. Their offense was uglier then last week. Luckily for me, Drew Bledsoe threw a wounded duck into the end zone with 1:20 left in the game and after a couple tips Eric Moulds caught a seemingly meaningless touchdown. Seemingly meaningless for the outcome of the game of course. On the bright side the seven points brought me to a push.

The Dolphins defense played great against the Bengals(-5), but they couldn’t get the win because their offense couldn’t put up points to save their lives. Unfortunately for me, the defense did manage to give up only 16 points, which just wasn’t enough to lose by more than the 5 points I needed them to lose by. Cincinnati got the win, but I got the loss.

In Monday Night’s big showdown between the Eagles(-3) and the Vikings, the Eagles gave me my 7th win of the week. McNabb looked superb and as accurate as I’ve seen him since his career started. Terrell Owens and Randy Moss each caught touchdowns, but the Eagles looked better than the Vikings. Philly took the game by 11, covering the spread by 8 and making me happy for placing that last minute bet. After the game Randy Moss and Terrell Owens hugged and made up. I heard Randy telling TO, “Okay you can compare yourself to me now. You’re worthy!”

I was Lucky enough this weak to escape the injury bug that was everywhere in week two. My amazing record however, wasn’t. But, no need to fret, my Super Picks were 3-1 and my overall record is still soaring high at 17-13-2. Look out week 3 here I come, gonna send the kids to college, or buy me a new Flat Screen TV. Hold it a second… gotta get Grandma back in her own place first!

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Good Luck with your NFL Football Betting!
Lucky Lester – Free Football Picks

NFL Free Picks 04-05 Week 2

Lucky is back this week hoping to duplicate my successful opening week where I went 10-5-1. Let’s kick it off!Week 2 SUPER PICKS
Redskins (-3) @ Giants: Holly cow. Just in: Clinton Portis is really that good. He alone could beat the Giants by more than three points. The Redskins new defensive scheme is blitz, blitz, blitz, and the Giants don’t have a quarterback or an offensive line that can handle that. The Skins roll big. In fact, I intend to place my own mortgage on this game, hoping to get Grandma back into her own house!
Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET
Jets (-3) @ Chargers: Both the Chargers and the Jets looked good on opening weekend, starting off the season with wins. Don’t expect that trend to continue. The Jets are a good team, the Chargers are not. LaDainian Tomlinson ran wild against the Texans and might do it again against the Jets. But that alone will not suffice. For the Chargers to win, Drew Brees will have to play mistake free football for another week, and I just don’t see that happening. The Jet’s have a potent passing attack with Chan Pennington throwing the ball to Santana Moss, and will ride a rejuvenated Curtis Martin to victory.
Game Date: 09/19/04 16:15 ET

Seahawks (-2.5) @ Buccaneers: The Buccaneers looked hard for some offense last week and came up wanting. Scoring more points on defense than offense is now way to win football games. Seattle on the other hand, looked as good as advertised, beating the Saints by two touchdowns in New Orleans. Their young defense held Deuce MaCallister to 57 yards rushing and forced three turnovers. Look for the Seattle offense to improve in week two, and beat the Bucs by a touchdown.Game Date: 09/19/04 16:05 ET
Colts (+1) @ Titans: It’s hard to imagine the talented Colts at 0-2… so I won’t. The Colts will come back in week two and beat a formidable opponent in the Tennessee Titans. Edgerrin James looks like the Edge of old, running for over 140 yards against a good Patriot D in week one. Colts need a victory, and Lucky Lester says they’ll Edge one out here. Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET
Lucky Lester’s Picks For Week Two

Broncos (-3) @ Jaguars: The Broncos really showed me something last week against the Chiefs. Jake Plummer can lead Shanahan’s offense down the field. Quentin Griffin is making people forget about Clinton Portis in Denver. The Bronco’s balanced attack is hard to defend against. Denver’s defense is hugely improved with the addition of Champ Bailey. The Jaguars won’t squeak this one out, and will get beat at home by a much more experienced Bronco squad.
Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET

Steelers @ Ravens (-3.5): The Ravens are pissed, and a pissed off Ray Lewis is down right scary. Duce Staley is veteran enough to know, he’s in big trouble this Sunday. Jamal Lewis can’t be satisfied with 50 yards rushing, look for him to bounce back with help from Jonathan Ogden who’s back in the lineup.
Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET
Texans (+3) @ Lions: Good news and bad news for the Lions last week. They finally won on the road, as I predicted, but unfortunately lost budding star receiver Charles Rogers for the year. But for some terrible bounces, David Carr would have led his team to victory in week one. Look for the bounces to even out and watch the Texans win in Detroit. Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET

Bears @ Packers (-8.5): Bears can’t score if they don’t have the ball, and the Packers have been very piggish with that lately. Don’t expect undersized Brian Urlacher to hold his ground against a missive Green Bay ground assault. Ahman Green will run wild, and Brett Favre will sling it around. Green Bay in a land slide.
Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET

49ers @ Saints (-7.5): Based on last weeks performance one would be inclined to take the Niners, but Lucky Lester knows San Francisco, and San Francisco sucks. Not to mention Miami’s own Ken Dorsey will be under center this Sunday. Never a good thing! Saints have got to be better then the Niners. Take the bitter pill and give the 7.5 points. Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET

Rams @ Falcons (-2.5): This is a tough one. Both these teams looked terrible in their Victories last week. Sure, each team is 1-0, but only because they played the Arizona/San Francisco tandem that will be hard pressed to win ten games combined. Mike Vick only had 18 snaps in pre-season and should be greatly improved with a full game under his belt. Take Atlanta at home in this offensive dog fight.
Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET

Panthers @ Chiefs (-6): The Panthers were dominated at home by the Packers stellar offensive line and star running back Ahman Green last week. Guess what? The Chiefs boast an even better offensive line and league scoring record holder Priest Holmes. Expect more of the same in Kansas City. Game Date: 09/19/04 13:00 ET

Browns (+4.5) @ Cowboys: The Browns took it to the Ravens vaunted defense in week 1. Jeff Garcia looked even more comfortable running the Brown offense then he thought he’d be. His young receivers ran up and down the field and William Green compiled 65 yards on the ground. The Cowboys run D isn’t as good as Baltimore, so Green should find bigger holes in Dallas.
Game Date: 09/19/04 16:15 ET

Patriots (-8) @ Cardinals: There isn’t a number under twenty the Cardinals would get that would persuade me to bet Arizona against a great Patriot team. I’ve got to give it to Arizona, they made up the spread against the Rams last week, and played tougher than expected. But, the Patriots aren’t the Rams, and I can’t imagine Bill Belichick will allow his team to look past Dennis Green’s young Cardinals. And don’t think for a minute that Emmitt Smith will gain 5.4 yards a rush against the Patriot run defense. Smith played well last week but should be slowed by a Patriots defense looking to improve from last weeks sub par performance. Watch the Patriots win their 17th in a row this Sunday. Game Date: 09/19/04 16:15 ET

Bills (+3) @ Raiders: The Bills dominated an improved Jaguar team nearly the entire game last week just to let them stumble down the field in the closing minute and steal a victory. But the Bills are better than advertised. Buffalo’s defense is one of the most underrated in the NFL and Drew Bledsoe looks like his old self again. The Raiders will fail to run against the Bills; Wheatley hasn’t proven himself and Justin Fargas just isn’t ready to carry the load. The Raider’s allowed Duce Staley to gain nearly 100 yards last week and Jerome Bettis scored 3 touchdowns. The Buffalo duo of Travis Henry and Willis McGahee are much younger and faster. Look for Buffalo to take advantage of the Raiders’ lack of cohesiveness. Bledsoe will find Lee Evens and Eric Moulds for big plays. I have to take the Bills and the points in Oakland. Game Date: 09/19/04 16:15 ET

Dolphins @ Bengals (-5): The Dolphins are a mess, they took two months to decide on a quarterback and then promptly benched him within thirty minutes, and now A.J. Feely is the starter. Lucky him. No running game, no passing attack, don’t invite me to that party. The Bengals Carson Palmer proved to be worthy of his hype, playing a solid game against a good Jets team in week 1. Cincinnati should notch their first win of the season, and the Dolphins should continue their hasty downward spiral. I take the Bengals at home, in fact if it weren’t for Miami’s stout defense, which might win them a game or two, they might have a shot at 0-16… Thanks Ricky!
Game Date: 09/19/04 20:35 ET
Vikings @ Eagles (-3): The Vikings couldn’t stop Vinny Testeverde’s Cowboys from racking up over 400 yards of offense, so there’s no doubt in my mind Donovan McNabb and Terrell Owens will explode for close to 500 yards against the Viking defense. But neither defense could stop their opponent. The lowly Giants racked up over 400 yards against the Eagles last week. The Eagles had more trouble defending the run, but luckily for them the Vikings don’t have a running back. It’s on this stat alone and the fact that Philly’s playing at home that I take the Eagles in this big Monday Night Match-Up.
Game Date: 09/20/04 21:05 ET
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Lucky Lester

Free NFL Pick Week 1 Review: 2004

Lucky Lester back atcha once again. I thought I’d throw out a little recap of week one in NFL action. In the big picture I came out of the blocks hot and roared to a record of 10-5-1 record and failed to pick only five of the nfl’s first sixteen games of the season. Unfortunately, ole Lester can’t be right all of the time so lets take a closer look at where I went wrong with my picks.

My Super Picks fell way short of my hopes and I paid for it. Remember a little bet where I suggested that mortgaging your Grandma’s house might be a good idea? Well… I now refer to that bet as, “Sure Grandma, you can live with us!” This bet was also known as the Falcons/Niners game. I seem to recall almost throwing up I mean who’d a thunk the powerful Vick propelled Falcons wouldn’t slide past the spread of -3.5 against the sorry San Francisco squad that played Ken Dorsey for quality minutes for God’s sake. I thought for sure the Falcons would step up in this game and prove that Vick could dominate in his third year. But all they could do is muster up just enough points not to cover and leave me cleaning out the spare bedroom so my grandma could move in… my wife’s grandma that is! You didn’t think I’d put my own grandmas mortgage on the Falcons game did ya? Hah, not a chance! Unfortunately my three other Super Picks followed suit, as the poorly named section ended up at 0-4.

Short Recap of Super Picks

Falcons-Niners: Them damn Falcons, heart breakers indeed. Vick looked more like the Vick of his rookie year and less like the All-Pro Vick everyone thought would show up. He still mustered a win out of the cluster, but stuck me on a small couch in the living room. Tears fill my eyes every time I think about how long Grandma will be staying. There’s always next week… right?

Chiefs-Broncos: So, I underestimated Plummer a little. But truly, I underestimated Shanahan’s knowledge of his own team. He trades away one of the top three most promising backs in the league and still rushes for tons of yards with Quentin Griffin. He’s good. Champ Bailey made his efforts felt with an interception and multiple plays that showed why he’s the best corner in the league. The Chiefs might rebound next week, but the Bronco’s might look to good to bet against.

Texans-Chargers: Wow, is LaDainian Tomlinson good or is he good? The Texans were getting unlucky bounces every snap and that contributed to their loss, but LT is something else. Drew Brees didn’t lose the game, which is a great improvement from last years Charger attack. I still believe in the Texans, but if Drew Brees plays mistake free football, I can see the Chargers winning more games than I had previously thought possible. We’ll see how long he keeps that up.

Ravens-Browns: I still can’t believe Ray Lewis let his defense lose to the Browns. The Browns, you know the team that used to be the Browns was the Ravens, now the Browns are the Browns and the old Browns are the Ravens. Whew! Anyway, 20-3, wow, I never saw that coming. Look for Ray to find the real Ravens team this week in practice and hopefully trick them into coming to play this Sunday. So the account took a hit, next week right? There’s always next week.

As for the rest of my picks, well I was 10-1-1. The Colts pushed against the tough Patriots in New England and the Ram’s looked like the Raider’s of yester-year, barely beating the stink’n Cardinals. Every other game I picked was spot on. The Titans’s beat Miami as some sort of cruel punishment, like they haven’t had enough problems since Ricky went postal! The Raiders lost by just enough to make me a winner anyway. The Buccaneers looked like a mess letting Clinton Portis walk, or run all over them, missing Warren Sapp as I had predicted. The Jaguars just about gave me a heart attack in the ugliest game played so far, but still managed to sneak past the Bills in the closing second with a touch down pass to rookie Earnest Wilford. The Jet’s beat the Bengals by more then the 4.5 points they needed to make me a happy man. Both teams looked like offensive juggernauts didn’t they? The Lions gave me hope by winning outright over the Bears, ending their “away from home” losing streak. The Seahawks flew over the Saints in New Orleans letting fans know that they can win anywhere even in the state of a million beads and doubled distractions! The Eagles shellacked the Giant’s and as predicted Kurt Warner felt the effects of the blitzing Eagle defense. The Cowboys didn’t have enough offensive power to stay close to the Vikings, and Terrence Newman talking trash to Randy Moss didn’t help their chances as Moss abused him for two touchdowns, (heheheheh). And for win number ten, well the Packers galloped into Carolina and stomped on the Panthers then added injury to insult by breaking Steve Smith’s leg. Ouch! But at least Lucky came away unscathed. My 10-5-1 is quite the start, and who cares about Super Picks (sniffle, sniffle) anyway?

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Lucky Lester – Free Football Picks

NFL Free Picks 04-05 Week 1

Stock the fridge with beer, and throw some bratwursts on the grill, the NFL season is here! Before the games begin, let Lucky Lester break down whose to loose and whose in for a win. At the time of this article being posted the spreads were accurate. If the spread changes after the posting, I can’t help that but my picks will stay the same.
Week 1 SUPER PICKS
Ravens (-3) @ Browns: Jamal Lewis ran for 500 yards in two games against the Browns last year, not to mention 295 in one game. Watch Jamal run over a small defensive line that has done nothing but underachieve. The already great Raven Defense will be extra juiced with the much awaited return of Prime Time. With Butch Davis in danger of loosing his job and new QB Jeff Garcia upset with the team’s cohesiveness, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Browns didn’t score a point. Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ETChiefs (+3) @ Denver: The odds makers must have more trust in Jake Plummer than I do. Dick Vermeil’s super offense should give a solid Denver defense more then they can handle. Priest Holmes is always good in openers and the Chiefs are perennial quick starters (10-0 last season). Denver will miss Clinton Portis when they can’t rush past the very average Kansas City defense buoyed by Gunther Cunningham’s new schemes. At three point underdogs the Chiefs are a safe pick in week one. Game Date: 09/12/04 20:40 ET

Chargers @ Texans (-5): David Carr has the Texans running on full throttle. His weapons are lethal with Andre Johnson and Dominique Davis in their second seasons as NFL players. Corey Bradford has always been a deep threat, gaining 20 yards a catch last year. The Chargers on the other hand have LaDainian Tomlinson, and that’s it. I can’t name a wide receiver; they cut Kevin Dyson, the only one I had ever heard of, and wide receiver coach James Lofton said his receiving corps number one job was blocking for LaDainian Tomlinson. Sounds like a tough year. The Texans are good and San Diego is bad. This is a no-brainer. Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET

Falcons (-3.5) @ 49ers: Bet against the Niners. They are bad. The Miami Hurricane’s have a more potent offense. At 3.5 point favorites I suggest mortgaging your grandmother’s house on the game.
Game Date: 09/12/04 16:20 ET

Lucky Lester’s Picks For Week One

Colts (+3) @ Patriots: Lucky’s going to buck the trend here and go with the Colts to break out of their funk and take it to the Pat’s in their own house. Manning is out to show he’s worth the bank he got paid this off-season and I say he will. Look for a huge game out of Indianapolis’ offense and an end to New England’s daunting 14 game winning streak. Take the colts and the three points.
Game Date: 09/09/04 20:05 ET

Titans (-3) @ Miami: Look for the Titans to exploit Miami’s nightmarish off-season and win impressively. Tennessee replaced Eddie George with the much faster and more explosive Chris Brown, giving the Titans a ground attack they’ve lacked the last few years. Co-MVP Steve McNair will find Derrick Mason and Drew Bennett for big plays to seal the victory. Game Date: 09/11/04 13:00 ET
Raiders (+4) @ Steelers: I know the Raiders have lost their last nine road games, and I know they were last in the league in rushing defense one year ago, but they’ve turned the corner. There’s no way new additions Warren Sapp and Ted Washington will let running backs run with ease on their watch. Rich Gannon will be back to his Pro Bowl status of 2002, and he’ll find Jerry Porter for big plays. Al Davis went into the off-season making sure his Raiders wouldn’t embarrass him again this year. The Raiders will upset Pittsburg in week one.
Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Buccaneers @ Redskins (-1.5): The Buc’s are going to realize how much they’re going to miss the likes of Warren Sapp and John Lynch when they meet Joe Gibbs’ new workhorse Clinton Portis in week 1. Tampa Bay’s totally revamped offensive line has yet to gel. Brad Johnson will feel the effects and miss his favorite receiver, camp holdout Keenan McCardell. Giving up only 1.5 points at home will is a bargain against the still-unsettled Buccaneer squad.
Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Jaguars (+3) @ Bills: Unfortunately for the Bills and quarterback Drew Bledsoe the Buffalo offensive line is still a work in progress. Not a good sign for a quarterback who was sacked 49 times a year ago. Bledsoe has never been quick on his feet, i.e. Fat Seventh Grader, and should prove helpless to escape from the athletic and young Jaguar defense. Points have been hard to come by in Jaguar pre-season, but Fred Taylor’s return should benefit the team enormously, and look for Byron Leftwhich to hook up with stud rookie Reggie Williams early and often. Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Bengals @ Jets (-4.5): The usually generous Jets defense (28th against the run last year) will get a much needed lift when Carson Palmer shows up for his first start in week one. The Jets will surprise Palmer with their defensive team speed and rookie Jonathan Vilma will show why he was a first round selection. The Jets Chad Pennington will show why he’s one of the best young quarterbacks in the league by wiring it out with superb accuracy to Santana Moss and new addition Justin McCarrins. Curtis Martin will be a force again this year, he’s healthy and in as good a shape as ever. Coach Herman Edwards finally has his teams attention, they should surprise a lot of people his season. Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Lions (+3) @ Bears: The young Lions will give an overmatched Bear defense too much to handle. Young stars are abundant on this skilled team, starring rookies Roy Williams and Kevin Jones and second year stud Charles Rogers who showed an ability to reach the end-zone early last season. Joey Harrington is primed for a breakout year and will be encouraged to let the ball fly. Steve Mariucci, in his second year, will have his young lions roaring early this season. The Bears are bad. Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Cardinals @ Rams (-11): Ouch! Eleven points is a lot to lay, but what else can you do? The hapless Cardinals will showcase Emmitt Smith’s Hall of Fame ability, only five years too late. Dennis Green can’t be excited about the loss of budding superstar Anquan Boldin, nor the nagging injuries to Larry Fitzgerald and Bryant Johnson. Marcel Shipp will be one of the team’s biggest losses of the pre-season. All-Pro wide receivers Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce should torch a sub par Cardinal secondary. It’s going to be easy to feel sorry for Dennis Green in his first year with Arizona, but we might as well win money of his woes. This years Draft Bowl will take place early in the year as Phoenix takes on San Diego in week 2.
Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Seahawks (-2) @ New Orleans: It’s put up or shut up for a Seahawks team that is touted as an early Super Bowl contender. It’s a lot to say for a team that hasn’t won a play-off game since Holmgren began coaching the Hawks. They were also a dismal 2-6 on the road last year. But I’m taking the Hawks in this one. This young team showed their skill in the pre-season and will highlight hard-nosed running back Shaun Alexander against a Saints D that is shaky at best. Brooks was hurt often in the preseason and has yet to establish any rhythm. This high scoring affair should be entertaining, and the Seahawks will turn their road woes around.
Game Date: 09/12/04 13:05 ET
Giants @ Eagles (-9.5): Like the Ram/Charger game, this spread is a little too large for comfort. But the Giants offensive line has been hard-pressed to protect the ever-so-mobile Kurt Warner this pre-season, and I don’t see that changing against the blitz-happy eagles and defensive coordinator Jim Johnson. The play of new additions of Javon Kearse and Terrell Owens should convince Tom Coughlin to go back to NASCAR. Donovan McNabb’s accuracy has improved, and his offense is stronger. Take the Eagles in an old rivalry that’s turned into a new blow out. Game Date: 09/12/04 16:20 ET

Cowboys @ Vikings (-4.5): The Vikings had the number one ranked offense last season. The Cowboys had the number one ranked defense. Daunte Culpepper has looked phenomenal in the pre-season, completing nearly 80% of his passes. The Cowboys on the other hand have had trouble finding corner backs to start opposite Terrence Newman. Pete Hunter has seen pre-season balls fly over his head and into opposing receiver’s hands. Randy Moss is awesome and should be ready to fly bye constant double teams. With the Cowboys paying too much attention to Moss, Nate Burleson and Kelly Campbell should find themselves connecting with Culpepper for big plays. Vinny Testeverde will feel every bit his age in the menacing confines of the Metro Dome. Game Date: 09/12/04 16:20 ET

Packers (+3) @ Panthers: Brett Favre has declared this year a Super Bowl or bust for his Packers. Brett’s always been a Monday Night Hero. Carolina has stayed intact throughout their skill positions but has gutted their offensive line. Four starters are at new positions. The run-happy Panthers will find them self needing more time to gel, take the Pack and the points. Game Date: 09/13/04 21:10 ET
Well folks there you have it, my picks for week one. Make sure you come back to check out Lucky Lester’s picks for week two of what should turn out to be an excellent football season.

 

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