2006 Fantasy Football Week 5 theRUNDOWN

This Week’s Top Team: This is the best team I could put together for Week 5.

QB: Marc Bulger: Marc should have a solid game against the Packers. Green Bay’s secondary has been annihilated all season long. It shant stop there…. Another game, another 2-3 passing scores.

RB: Brian Westbrook: I’m going to go with Westbrook again. With Julius Jones on my bench. So if Westy doesn’t play, I’ll take Julius in that game in Philly. Ah, Westbrook is too talented for Dallas’ defense, and the Eagles can’t wait to show everyone that.

RB: Larry Johnson: The Cardinals can’t win against run first teams, and Larry Johnson can’t have less than 20 fantasy points against the Cardinals. I don’t care what they do, put 12 guys in the box, do it, LJ will still run the show in Arizona.

WR: Torry Holt: Torry will benefit from Green Bay’s insistence that everyone should throw on them. Without a stellar pass rush, Torry will get too much time to get open, and naturally he will be.

WR: Marvin Harrison: Peyton will try to put this game out of reach by half time. You can bet Marvin will be a big part of that performance. Harrison is always open, and he’ll be wide open against a youthful secondary in Tennessee.

TE: Tony Gonzalez: Tony really hasn’t had a big game all season long. But Huard will try to find him often against the Cardinals. That being said, it’ll be easy to find Tony, he’s the big bad ass basketball player running show on the football field.

K: Jeff Wilkins: I’ll ride my horse. Here’s to Jeff Wilkins, 2006 fantasy football all American.

D: Colts: I like that the Titans are going with Vince Young. He’s fun to watch, he’s athletic, and a very likable guy. That being said, he makes mistakes, and defenses capitalize. Sacks and turnovers.

LUCKY’S Week 2 SLEEPERS

Matt Leinart: Everyone expects Matty to struggle, but with his struggles will come accurate passing and what that means is touchdowns. Because if you can get Anquan Boldin and Larry Fitzgerald the ball, they’ll score.

Frank Gore: I’m guessing Frank doesn’t fumble this week, and in turn has one hell of a game. Oakland’s run D is better than people think , but Frank is a very talented runner.

Laurence Maroney: LOMO is a stud, flat out, no questions asked, this kid will take the cake from this class of stud runners. This week he’ll take it to the Dolphins porous rush defense.

Troy Williamson: This young stud is only held back by Brad Johnson’s reluctance to go his way. Against Detroit he’ll be so open Brad won’t have a choice.

Greg Jennings: St. Louis isn’t bad defensively, but I expect the Rams to be up early, so Brett will have to throw often. With Jennings being the go to guy with Driver out, that means many chances will come his way.

Daniel Graham: Graham hasn’t had a huge year, and he has other solid TE’s on his own team. But he’s fast and athletic and Miami’s defense doesn’t have many in the secondary who can compete with his size and speed.

Carolina: Cleveland has been solid offensively, but this could be the week the Panthers really show the football world what they’re made of. Frye will have to elude the rush, and in the secondary, the Panthers could set the youngster up for some big mistakes.

LUCKY’S Week 1 WUSSIES

Jake Plummer: Don’t’ look for much from Jake… again.

Edgerrin James: Edge will have another tough week, this time against the Chiefs.
Kansas City’s defense is greatly underrated.

Javon Walker: Javon won’t find much room against the Ravens. He had a huge game a couple weeks ago, but Baltimore’s a different beast.

Reggie Bush: Bush hasn’t been the best back of the rookie class, due greatly to having Deuce McCallister on his team. This week another speedy defense comes to town in hopes of containing Reggie.

Free Football Picks 06-07 Week 4

After a stunningly poor performance by the Falcons on Monday Night Football, I recorded my first losing week of the season. 6-7-1 isn’t any way to exert my football expertise, but I still rest above .500 after 3 weeks have passed, and with a solid week 4, I’ll be head and shoulders above the rest.Arizona Cardinals (+8) at Atlanta Falcons: At first site, I was taking the Falcons all the way in this one, but history tells me I should head another direction. Last season, after losing to a Packer team that had no right to be on the same field as Atlanta, the Falcons finished the season 2-5 and out of the playoffs. Obviously I haven’t given the Saints enough street cred, but Atlanta’s psyche has to be tortured after Monday’s hideous performance. Arizona can put up offensive numbers, and the Falcons often struggle with offensive football teams. These facts have me taking Arizona.

Dallas Cowboys (+8.5) at Tennessee Titans: The TO fiasco brings all types of feelings into the game in Tennessee. I really think this is good for the Cowboys though, if that sounds weird let me explain. All year, the Boys have been waiting for TO to saddle up so they could ride him to the Super Bowl. Now that he’s on medical watch, they’ll just have to get right down to business and use the talent and football know-how they’ve got. TO or not. Dallas should kill a lesser Titan squad.

Indianapolis Colts (-9) at N.Y. Jets: The Colts didn’t play awesome football against the Jags last week, yet they still took the win. This week, they should play better against a Jet team that isn’t as good as their record shows. The Colts are just about 20 Tetris levels above the Jets. New York will still put up some points, but Peyton, Marvin, Reggie and company should find wide open spaces in that Jet defense.

Miami Dolphins (-3.5) at Houston Texans: Miami is much better than they’ve played. Obviously all of the Super Bowl sleeper talk everyone was whispering to start the season was a little bit much, but Miami will start to gel, and maybe even Daunte “Baby Hands” Culpepper will remember how to hold a football. When that happens, and as Mark Brunell showed last week, there’s now better week to remember how to throw a football than when you play Texas, the Dolphins will begin their run to dethrone the Patriots hold on the AFC East.

Minnesota Vikings (+1.5) at Buffalo BIlls: The Bills have played solid football over the first three weeks only 1 win to show for it. JP Losman is getting better, and Willis McGahee has turned into a yardage machine, but this week at home against the Vikings, they’ll be in for a treat. Minnesota’s defense is much better than any of the three teams they’ve faced thus far. If I know one thing, it’s that young quarterbacks, sans Charlie Frye, struggle mightily against top defenses. The Vikings will shut down the Bill rushing attack, making Losman beat them. I don’t think JP can do that. The Vikings will win this game.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers (-7): The Saints will struggle emotionally after their huge victory over the Falcons on Monday Night Football in their first home game since Hurricane Katrina. As much as they were pumped to play on Monday, they’ll be exhausted on Sunday against a Carolina team that will only get better as the season moves forward. Steve Smith is back, and the Panther defense remains sturdy. I don’t like the touchdown difference, but I’ve got to take the Panthers here.

San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens (+3): After nearly getting had by the lowly Cleveland Browns, the Ravens will do all they can to attack first year starter, Phillip Rivers, early and often on Sunday morning. If the Ravens can disrupt Rivers, while limiting LaDainian Tomlinson’s effectiveness early, both things I think they’ll do, they should get out to a lead early. I don’t think Rivers is ready to come back from an early deficit, so I’ve got to take the Ravens at home in this one. I still can’t believe they are underdogs.

San Francisco 49ers (+7) at Kansas City Chiefs: The 49ers will never quit, and so this game should remain close throughout. Trent Green is out another week, so the Chiefs will once again rely on career backup Damon Huard for their quarterbacking needs. Larry Johnson will definitely score his first touchdown of the season, but don’t expect a high scoring game in Kansas City. Herman Edwards likes to pound it out on the ground. The Chiefs are limited without Green at quarterback. And the 49ers just flat out don’t score often. A close game means take the dog and all those points.

Detroit Lions at St. Louis Rams (-5): After nearly upsetting the Hawks in Week 1, the Lions have deteriorated swiftly, taking form into the Lions of old. Offensively, Detroit is improving, but defensively, they are eroding into a porous sieved. Yes, they are stopping nothing. Not even the Packers. The Rams haven’t looked great, but their passing attack looks improved, and their rushing game is still strong. Defensively, they run around well, and make plays. Against the Lions, that means turnovers. Turnovers mean points, and the Rams will take advantage of all that meaning. Take St. Louis at home in this one.

Cleveland Browns (-2.5) at Oakland Raiders: Until proven otherwise, I have to take anyone playing the Raiders, especially an improving Browns team that has really played pretty well for a team with an 0-3 record. The Raiders suck, so don’t expect them to be the first team of the two to record a win. I’m not sure if Andrew Walter’s 30% completion percentage is the improvement everyone thinks it is in Oakland. It’s not Aaron Brooks’ fault that the coaching staff doesn’t know their lips from their man-tits. I don’t mean to be vulgar, but Art Shell has a nice C-cup, and his offensive coordinators look as though they’ve been coaching high school soccer for the last 10 years. This team is bad.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) at Washington Redskins: The Jaguars showed the world how good they could be when they dominated the time of possession and ran all over the Colts in the first quarter of last weeks game. Then they promptly began to suck it up on route to losing the game. Jacksonville is nearing the end of a very difficult opening schedule, as they’ll head home next week after playing the Redskins on Sunday. Jacksonville will be 3-1, and on their way to big things. Washington hasn’t showed me they can play good football against anyone besides the Houston Texans. And like I always say, everyone looks good in practice, which is basically what playing the Texans is like. Brunell won’t be breaking any records this week, let me assure you of that. Take the Jags, because they are much better than the Skins.

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5): The Bengals are the best team in football right now. When Carson Palmer starts throwing the ball to Chad Johnson, the Bengals will be sick. Until then they’ll just have to settle for the #1 spot in my rankings. I don’t know how the Patriots plan on winning this game. Their offense is pathetic this season, defensively, they aren’t even dreaming of stopping Palmer and the Bengals, and special teams doesn’t give them an advantage either. Soon the Patriots are going to have to pay someone besides Tom Brady and Richard Seymour. Losing Branch was huge, much bigger than his 998 receiving yards and 8 touchdowns looks on paper. The Bengals in a blowout. Pats 2-2 with wins against Buffalo and New York… Ah…. Feels good.

Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) at Chicago Bears: People are writing the Hawks off because Shaunna Alexander is OUT. Come one folks, Maurice Morris causes just as much concern as a starting back. Not because of his running ability, because obviously Shaun is the superior runner, but because of his pass catching prowess. Mo Morris can catch the ball and explode up field. His quickness should help the Hawks superior receiving corps look like the greatest show in the NFC against a supposedly tough Bears defense. Watch the Hawks surprise the NFL on way to 4-0.

Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles (-11): The Packers are 0-8-2 ATS in their last 10 games on grass. The Pack is 1-7-2 ATS in their last 10 overall. On the other hand, the Eagles are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 home games and 2-7 ATS when playing opponents with a losing record. This game will be one more win for the Packers. Eleven points are a ton, if the Eagles were playing any team but the Packers. After getting a W last week, the Packers will have a Monday Night hangover in Philadelphia. McNabb and the Eagles should run the Pack out of town.

Week 3 NFL Pick Review – 2006

The freaking Panthers couldn’t even cover despite rupturing poor little Chrissy’s spleen. He went to the hospital, got it removed, after this week I thought it was me who had a ruptured spleen. Panthers win, I lose, damn I hate that! When are the real Panthers coming to play football? Someone let me know.
For the second time in as many games, the team I picked to win, won, and I failed to cover by a measly point. Life can be trying sometimes, watching the Bears irk out a win in Minnesota while I lose my second straight is down right torturous.

After two losses by two points, the Bengals brought me back with a 11 point win in Pittsburgh. I took them to win in my sports book, so it was a nice little payout for me. 1-2.

I knew I was going to regret taking the Lions as any kind of favorite. Brett had it rocking like the old days, and the Packers handed me my 3rd loss in 4 games, while winning their first of the season.

The Jags and Colts pushed. Pushes are better than losses apparently, because when you push you get your money back, and when you lose you don’t get anything. Not even a hug.

The Bills played another tight game while failing to win again. For a team that’s played pretty well, the 1-2 Bills have some hard luck. 1-4-1.

The Dolphins gagged again, but this time came out victorious against one of the worst teams in football, sans Oakland. Miami needs to get better in a hurry if they want to compete for a playoff spot. 3 point victories over Tennessee won’t get anything going. My 5th loss of the morning felt like kidney stones.

Doubling my win column was Mark Brunell and his record breaking 22 straight completions. Yeah Mark! Hey, I’ll take a win any way I can get it, even if 43 year old Brunell is setting records. Just don’t let it happen again Mark.

My 6th loss came when the Ravens played like dump all day against the Browns. It always amazes me when far superior teams, like Baltimore, play terrible against inferior teams, like Cleveland. And then, in the end, they luck out and win anyway. It’s unreal.

The Hawks destroyed the Giants, sending New York’s boys into a downward tumbling team crash, with finger pointing, taddle telling, name calling, and phone calls home to the parents… Did I mention no recess? Look not at the 42-30 final score, but look deeper at the 35-3 halftime mark.

Like the Hawks, Philadelphia didn’t play so hot in the 2nd half, allowing the 49ers to sniff some hope. Philly likes to play with teams like that. Philly still easily beat San Fran to get me my 4th victory of the day.

Chalk up another loss against rush heavy teams for the Cardinals. Can anyone say watch out for Atlanta this weekend? A win for the Rams = a win for good old Lucky… I was on my way to a winning week.

Like I said, Denver was up for the challenge in New England. Winning the game meant I finished Sunday at .500, with a sure thing victory out of the Falcons on Monday Night to turn a very bad start into a smile at the end.

Letting me down again were those pesky Falcons. I couldn’t believe the roll over and take it act they played in the Saints victory. It was nice to see the Saints win in New Orleans, but what a dismal performance by Atlanta. My sure thing turned into 6-7-1… My first losing week of the season. Stay tuned for my Week 4 bounce back.

2006 Fantasy Football Review – Week 3

Week 3’s Fantasy Points: 96… Yikes. Better next time, guaranteed.

QB: Donovan McNabb’s 296 yards and 3 touchdowns hooked me up with 19 fantasy points…. I’ll be looking for more this Monday Night in Green Bay.

RB: Steven Jackson remains touchdownless, despite my claims. He had 11 fantasy points after tallying 120+ total yards from scrimmage.

RB: Warrick Dunn did just a little bit more than the Falcons did against New Orleans, which was good for 4 fatnasy points after 44 yards rushing. Ouch.

WR: Darrell Jackson had 57 yards and 2 touchdowns for 17 points, that ranked him 10th.

WR: Donte Stallworth didn’t play, that hurt, switched him with Reggie Brown at the last moment, he got me 106 yards, and 10 points.

TE: L.J. Smith corralled a touchdown and 19 total receiving yards for a fat 7 points.

K: Jeff Wilkins had 3 field goals and an extra point, bringing his fantasy total to 11.

D: Baltimore Ravens scored 17 fantasy points, not nearly as much as I had expected, but only 2 teams were better than them on Sunday.

LUCKY’S Week 3 SLEEPERS

Jon Kitna: Jon was the #4 fantasy quarterback this week, reminding us how bad the Packers defense can be.

Laurence Maroney: LauMo had 7 fantasy points, and only 18 rushing yards. The Bengals held down the Patriots nicely.

Correll Buckhalter: Correll only had 30 yards for 3 points, but he was worth a shot in the dark.

Matt Jones: Jones didn’t play, and subsequently, neither did the Jaguars passing attack. No points for Matt.

Lee Evans: Lee collected 100 yards for 10 fantasy points. Not too shabby.

LUCKY’S Week 3 WUSSIES

Eli Manning: Eli owners were lucky his coach let him play the 4th quarter, because when the game mattered, Eli had 3 interceptions and 0 touchdowns. Late meaningless drives gave Eli 17 fantasy points though, so I was wrong about Eli’s fantasy struggles.

Reuben Droughns: Droughns didn’t play, so he didn’t score at all…. Good call by me, eh?

Mushin Muhammad: Rexxy found Mush enough for 11 fantasy points, 118 yards, now that’s not the stuff of wussies… check out Plax for that rundown.

Plaxico Burress: I told you so. Plax’s 1 catch for 23 yards and a fumble got him just as many points as Reuben, Donte Stallworth, Barry Sanders, and Joe Montana this week. 0. Yeehaw!

Free NCAA Football Picks Week 5 – 2006

Two off weeks in a row have me wondering where I went wrong. As every great husband always figures out, it started with me. No bets on Lucky’s favorite teams, and betting against the teams I hate is out of the question as well. When it comes to gambling, wins are what matter, who makes you money is never a big deal. So, let it roll….. Here we go.

Auburn Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks (+14.5): The Tigers are ahead in every single stat available to me. South Carolina hasn’t played top competition besides getting shut out by LSU 18-0. Auburn beat LSU. However, I’m not taking Auburn. The Tigers play close games with tough teams, and the Gamecocks are at least that. They are better than they were last season, which makes over 2 touchdowns just too many for me to go any other way.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-3) @ South Florida Bulls: It’s my bet that Rutgers stay undefeated by taking down the Bulls in Florida this Friday. The fact that the Knights haven’t been had by a spread yet, and how they want revenge for last years loss to the Bulls, are two of the many reasons I want a much improved Rutgers team to rock South Beach on Friday Night like Shaq celebrating the NBA Championship.

Virginia Cavaliers (-5) @ Duke Blue Devils: I don’t care if the Dukies have improved at pigskin tossing over the years, they still don’t belong on the field with any team from Virginia. Devils be damned, watch the Cavs put Duke back in their place. After a big loss to Georgia Tech, Virginia should be hot and ready to dominate Duke like a Little Caesars Pepperoni Pizza.

Toledo Rockets @ Pittsburgh Panthers (-14): Even with a 14 point spread, the Panthers’ big play offense should out gun the Rockets on the road. The Panthers are tough at home (5-1 ATS in their last 6) and they’ll be ready for Toledo this time around. Tyler Palko’s 12 touchdowns and nearly 1200 yards will be showcased in Pittsburgh on Saturday.

Alabama Crimson Tide (+14) @ Florida Gators: This isn’t the ‘Bama team of yester-year, but the Tide can still play ball. Florida has been had by ‘Bama the last three times these two have laced them up. I don’t think the Gators will come out losers in this contest, but a high scoring domination game is out of the question, as I’ll take the underdog and all those points.

Oregon Ducks (-1) @ Arizona State Sun Devils: Arizona State is very up and down, as they’ve been the last few years, but the Ducks are one of the Pac-10’s few constants. Oregon struggles on the road in blistering weather, but they will still have enough to oust the Devils. They’ve had a week off since their gift win over Oklahoma, just don’t expect a let down, they’ll be out to prove their big win wasn’t a fluke.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+10) @ Virginia Tech Hokies: I really think Georgia Tech isn’t getting enough credit here, while the Hokies are 10 point favorites for no particular reason whatsoever. Tech has a close loss to Notre Dame, and wins over a decent Virginia team and solid Troy team. The Hokies have a nice strength of schedule… If we’re talking college basketball. But here in the football realm, wins over North Carolina and Duke really don’t mean jack. I’m looking for a Jacket upset here, especially with the Hokies losing their starting defensive end and #2 wide receiver for this game.

California Bears (-9) @ Oregon State Beavers: I’ve gotta stick with the Bears, they’ve been the here and there win each of the last couple weeks. Oregon State really should struggle with Cal, as the Bears are better than the Beavers in every aspect of football. Each and every game, Cal’s quarterback situation gets better and better, and soon we’ll be talking about this young kid as a possible Top round draft pick. Take the Bears to bamboozle the Beavers.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-6) @ Iowa Hawkeyes: Besides an early season route of the Montana Freaking Grizzlies, the Hawkeyes really haven’t dominated any one of the lesser opponents they’ve met up against. Now they’ve won all their games, so I’m not saying they don’t belong amongst college football’s best, but I’m saying they don’t belong with college football’s best… Wait, I was saying that after all. Iowa will get stomped by a far superior Ohio State team that got a nice wakeup call last weekend.

Washington Huskies (+4) @ Arizona Wildcats: I can’t believe I’m betting on the Huskies. But like Tyrone Willingham always does, he’s turning the Dawgs program around. I still might be crazy here, but I think Isaiah Stanback looks like he’s figuring it out for UW. I really hate to say it, but I’m taking the Dawks on the road in Arizona. Gulp.

Week 4 College Football Picks Review: 2006

I can’t even say how many games I lost… Hell, I’m still counting. Take a look below and fight through the horror to review my Week 4 in NCAA Football.

USC Trojans (-20) @ Arizona Wildcats: The Trojans didn’t do enough to cover. I had a push until a field goal in the 4th did me in. But it’s not like USC had this game locked away either, 3-0 at the half, 10-0 after 3, it was a close one. My first pick, my first loss.

Troy Trojans (+21) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers: So much for a fight. The Trojans laid down and just took it from the Cornhuskers, 56-0. This was one of those games you feel sorry for the team you bet on. That doesn’t happen much for me. Loss numero two-o.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Arkansas Razorbacks (-2): Those one point losses make me feel like crying. My 3rd in a tough Saturday came when the Razorbacks gave up a touchdown in the 4th quarter to send the game into overtime. In OT, Arkansas kicked their extra point, the Tide didn’t, and I lost for the third time in as many attempts.

Boston College Eagles (-6.5) @ North Carolina State: The Eagles learned to lose last Saturday in North Carolina. The Wolfpack scored two touchdowns in the 2nd half to win their 2nd and lose me my 4th.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-4) @ Michigan State Spartans: Notre Damn didn’t cover, and somehow they won, call it luck of the jackasses that never cover when lucky lester bets on them… Freaking Irish.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (+29) @ Oklahoma Sooners: This was a destruction process. MTSU got handled by the Sooners. Oklahmoa is finaly getting it, just in time to blow me out of the water. 6 losses in 6 games.

Florida International Golden Panthers (+19) @ Maryland Terrapins: Thank God for being right about one game. I was on the money here, as FLINT gave Maryland a run, coming up just short, but winning me some much needed cash.

Colorado Buffaloes @ Georgia Bulldogs (-26): Got destroyed on this one…. The Buffs put all their cash into one game, and it just happened to be this one. Georgia won a nail biter, 14-13. I lost.

Washington State Cougars (-9.5) @ Stanford Cardinal: The Cougs stomped the Cardinal, bringing Stanford’s record to 0-4. That leaves UW and WSU at 3-1 on the season. Crazy man!

Ohio State Buckeyes (-16.5) @ Penn State Nittany Lions: After halftime, I must admit, I was a little worried. 28 2nd Half points got me, and the Buckeyes, the W. Whew.

Arizona State Sun Devils @ California Bears (-7): Like it always is, this game was a blowout. My Bears outplayed the Sun Devils to the tune of 49-21. And I got a much needed win. 4 wins is better than none, but this 4-7 week put me in the dumps. Check out my Week 5 picks, they’re bound to be better.

2006 Fantasy Football Week 4 theRUNDOWN

This Week’s Top Team: This is the best team I could put together for Week 4

QB: Donovan McNabb: D-Nabb throwing bombs against the Packers secondary will send me to the top in Week 4. Championship.

RB: Brian Westbrook: Last week D and Westy showed they could put up fat points in tandem. This week, they’ll ball the same way. I can’t wait to see what Westy can do with his first 12 touches this week, last week it was 35 fantasy points.

RB: Larry Johnson: Larry’s scoreless in his first two contests, but that shall hold like a gallon of water in a whicker basket. Larry scores twice against the Niners, you heard it here first.

WR: Chris Chambers: Daunte’s been bad, and the rest of the Dolphins have bombed as well, besides Zach Thomas, he’s a pimp. Anyway, if Brunell can roll for 22 straight completions against Houston, Chris can catch plenty of balls from Daunte. First big week from the Dolphins.

WR: Steve Smith: After having their way with the Falcons receivers, Steve Smith is going to show the Saints what the best receiver in the league looks like. He’s virtually unguardable, just ask the Bears, and with a let down from New O, Smith will be balling play after play.

TE: Ben Watson: Benny hasn’t hit the “Fantasy Stud” button yet, but he should have a big one in a loss to the Bengals. Cincinnati will be up early, and regardless of how far it gets them, Tom will be throwing the rock often. Ben should reap the benefits.

K: Jeff Wilkins: The Lions might just have the perfect mix of bad and good on defense to give Jeff another huge day. The Rams haven’t been big scorers, and the Lions have given up plenty of yards. No touchdowns but a good offense make Wilkins a prime kicker once again.

D: Cowboys: I think Dallas is overrated, but not against the Titans they aren’t. Kerry Collins should get sacked a handful of times, picked off at least twice, and fumbles will come from the drunkard. Take the Boys and smile when you get 30 points from your defense.

LUCKY’S Week 4 SLEEPERS

Charlie Frye: He’s not supposed to get shutdown like he was “supposed to” last week against the Ravens, he always plays solid when the odds are against him, but Frye plays the worst team in football, the Oakland Raiders, so starting him here seems safe, even downright brilliant.

Kevin Jones: If Edge and the pathetic o-line they have in Arizona can look good against the Rams, Detroit and Kevin Jones should put up some solid math as well. 100 yard game? KJ hasn’t hit that mark in some time.
Julius Jones: This young cat will get plenty of opps to dominate a pathetic team, the Titans. Jones should get the bulk of the carries in Dallas, so a start here is perfect.

Braylon Edwards: I can hardly justify calling Braylon a sleeper, but I’ll roll with him again here. He’s good for 100 yards against any D in the league. Massive talent and upside make him a great option.

Reggie Brown: If Donte Stallworth doesn’t play, this kid is going for top 5 fantasy wideouts on the week. If Donte does show up, starting Brown is a nice option nonetheless.

Eric Johnson: With Vernon Davis out in San Francisco, Alex Smith will send plenty of balls Johnson’s way. He’s sure handed, and when healthy, a yardage machine at the TE spot.

Jaguars DST: Some will be tricked by the Redskins strong offensive performance last week, but make no jokes about it, the Jags will stymie Mark, Clinton, and the WR Trio in Washington.

LUCKY’S Week 4 WUSSIES

Kurt Warner: Kurt’s getting sacked by the Falcon D line right now. I’ll be stunned if Matt Leinart doesn’t finish this game.

Thomas Jones: I’m sorry to say it, but the Bears rushing attack seems like a anorexic version of it former self. Jones hasn’t done Jack, and this week they are sent into the fiery pit called Seattle’s run D. I don’t get it, they are throwing a million times better than last year, yet the running game can’t get on track.

Chad Johnson: You heard Belichick, the Pats are doubling Chad, and if anything, Carson has shown he can find alternate targets. I’m rooting for Chad to blow up, because he’s great, but I don’t think his slump ends here.

Reuben Droughns: The Raiders actually have a solid Run D, and Droughns and the Browns have been atrocious running with the pig skin. I don’t think that trend ends this week against Oakland.

Free Football Picks 06-07 Week 3

So far in this young season, half the favorites have covered, and naturally, that means half the underdogs have done the same. I didn’t know that before I picked Week 3’s games, so it’s just a coincidence that I picked 7 favorites and 7 dogs, precisely half and half. As much as it is just coincidence, I’m taking it as a sign. Let the wild rumpus begin… 14-0 here I come!!!Carolina Panthers (-3) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 1:00 p.m. – Talk about the game of complete disappointment. Neither of these teams has any right going 0-3, yet its as sure as shit one will. It looks like Steve Smith will be out again for Carolina, but I have to his Panthers anyway. The way I see it, if the Bucs can’t run against the likes of Atlanta, Carolina will shut them down easily. Relying solely on Chris Simms to win NFL games isn’t the thing to do. Expect a low score, some hard hits, and a Panther W.

Chicago Bears (-4) at Minnesota Vikings 1:00 p.m. – The Bears have looked tough early in the season, and although that has a little to do with their sub-par opponents, they’ve shown me some offense to go with that stellar defensive unit. Minnesota is the Bears’ toughest challenger in the weak NFC North and home-field advantage shouldn’t be taken lightly, but I think the Bears have enough to clip the Vikings in Minnesota. It doesn’t hurt that Minnesota has had to play 2 down to the wire games. Chicago is rested and ready to roll.

Cincinnati (+3) at Pittsburgh 1:00 p.m. – Now Carson Palmer gets to show the world what would have happened had his knee held up in the playoffs last year. The way Big Ben threw the ball on Monday night made me feel like Nostra-freaking-Domus for God’s sake. He’ll still be rough around the edges in Week 3’s match-up with the Bengals. He’ll be better, but not good enough to take the AFC’s best. You heard me… The Bengals are tied for the best team in the league with the Jaguars. Yep, write it down, quote it, roll it up, smoke it, I don’t care. Cinci stays undefeated as the Steelers fall to 1-2.

Green Bay at Detroit (-6.5) 1:00 p.m. – I can’t believe I’m doing this, but I’m taking the Lions as a touchdown favorite. Ugh. The Packers just don’t have enough talent on the offensive line to win football games. Even when Brett throws well, the O-Line’s weakness finds a way to irk its way out into the open and kill Green Bay’s tiny little hope of victory. Plus, the Packers are much worse defensively than I originally thought. It’s impossible to take the Packers against NFL competition, even though the Lions just barely qualify.

Jacksonville (+7) at Indianapolis 1:00 p.m. – I stated earlier that the Jags and Bengals were the best teams in the AFC. So, I might as well stick to my guns in this game. Byron Leftwich can huck a pigskin a country mile, and that damn thing is always accurate. His receivers have proven to be capable of overmatching opposing defenses with their elite size, and Fred Taylor looks as good as I’ve seen him in a long time. Peyton Manning has played well, but this Jag defense isn’t the Houston Texans. In fact, they might be the best D in football. The Colts haven’t been able to run against anyone. Sunday will be no different. The Jaguar front 4 will easily shut down the Colts rushing attack, leaving plenty of help in the secondary to disrupt Peyton. 7 points is too many in this contest.

N.Y. Jets at Buffalo (-5.5) 1:00 p.m. – The Jets aren’t a very good football team, but then again, neither are the Bills. Yet, both teams have a victory this season. J.P. Losman and Chad Pennigton have both impressed me quite a bit. I never thought I’d say this, but this game should be a high scoring affair. With the Bills possessing a solid rushing attack, they should out shoot the Jets in Buffalo. Willis McGahee or Kevan Barlow? Hmmm…

Tennessee at Miami (-10.5) 1:00 p.m. – Oh, you tricky little lines-makers, you can’t trick good Old Lucky. The Dolphins have looked bad, yet still they are favored by 10.5. Does that tell you how bad Tennessee must be? Even Daunte Culpepper will look like he has normal sized hands in this one. Wide-open spaces haunt the Titan’s defense while too much youth on offense, and Kerry “Pabst Blue Ribbon” Collins, make for some suicidal turnovers in Tennessee. Miami is better than they’ve showed. That won’t last for long. Look for them to showoff Sunday.

Washington (-4) at Houston 1:00 p.m. -The Redskins are 0-2 after a dismal outing on Monday Night against their rival Cowboys. I don’t know if they’ll play much better throughout the season, but this week they play Houston. With Clinton Portis back, things should open up in the passing game, and the rushing attack will obviously show more power and explosion. Look for Houston to put up a fight early, watch the Redskins take over in the second half.

Baltimore (-6.5) at Cleveland 4:05 p.m. – The Ravens are 14 points better than the Browns at the very least. Hell, I’d take them at -6.5 with Kyle Boller at the helm. Cleveland will play hard from start to finish, but that’s not enough in this league. Baltimore is a close number 3 to in the AFC, and they’ll continue to show their dominance on Sunday. I’d love to see Jamal Lewis go off for something close to his 295-yard performance 2 years ago against Cleveland. That was fantastic.

N.Y. Giants at Seattle (-3.5) 4:15 p.m. – This is a tough one, but I’ve got to believe Eli Manning will struggle with the Hawks defensive schemes. Picture the first 3 quarters of the Eagles – Giants game. Seattle really brings it at the quarterback. This game is always a great one, and I expect no different this time around. Last years’ top rushers, Shaun Alexander and Tiki Barbar, going head to head in Seattle… Brilliant! But Matt Hasselbeck’s supreme accuracy will be the reason he and the Hawks down Eli Manning’s Giants.

Philadelphia (-6) at San Francisco 4:15 p.m. – After the Eagles molted against New York in Week 2, they’ll be looking to get back on their flight path early and often. Don’t expect them to take it easy on an inferior 49ers team either. After letting up late last week, they’ve probably learned a nice little lesson or two. Even without Javon Kerse, the Eagles defense should scare the piddle-and-poo out of Alex Smith. Frank Gore will still run, but Philly should dominate on the road like last season when they scored just under a billion against the Niners.

St. Louis (+4.5) at Arizona 4:15 p.m. – The Cardinals looked like a rust covered ’73 FORD pick-up against the Hawks in Week 2. The Rams looked like hopeless little fragile sheep against the 49ers. What to do? I think the Cards will have trouble with rushing teams all year long, something the Rams will do early and often on Sunday. Steven Jackson has yet to score a touchdown this season, but that shouldn’t last as I expect 2 from him in Week 3. With the Cards trying and failing to stop Jackson, Torry Holt and Isaac Bruce will be practicing end-zone celebrations on the sidelines. Can’t wait to see them in action.

Denver (+7) at New England 8:15 p.m. – What New England has done to be a touchdown favorite here, I’ll never know. 3 Super Bowls in 4 years doesn’t mean jack this season, that’s for sure. So was it their lucky 2-point victory over the Mighty Bills? Or was it the way they nearly let their 24-point lead slip away against the Powerful Jets? Right. Denver hasn’t looked good, but don’t let them fool you, they’ll be up for the challenge in Foxborough. I’ll be surprised if the Patriots win this game.

Atlanta (-3) at New Orleans 8:30 p.m. – I can’t even begin to understand how in the hell the line-makers came up with this one. Drinking whisky at a Mexican food joint all night? Eating paint-chips? Huffing rubber cement? Honestly, 3 points, that’s it? The Falcons are 2-0 against teams such as the Panthers and the Bucs, winning both by more than a touchdown. New Orleans is undefeated against the Browns and Packers, each game decided by a touchdown or less. I’m not even going into and analysis details. Take the Falcons in a beat-down!

Free NCAA Football Picks Week 4 – 2006

In an interesting sequence of picks, it turns out I’m taking the away team in 8 of my 11 games. Every week losers like the Buffaloes and Cardinal should continue down the path of winlessness, while the Trojans (Of USC – not Troy), Bulldogs, Eagles, and Buckeyes will resume their trot toward perfection. I’m still a game under .500 going into week 4, but something tells me I’ll have my head held high when the 4th week of play is over and done with. Just call me Nostradamus.

USC Trojans (-20) @ Arizona Wildcats: 42-21, 49-9, 45-0… Those are the last three scores in the USC – Arizona match-up. This isn’t the NCAA Champion Trojan team, but they are still one damn good squad looking to take advantage of yet another porous Pac 10 program. After big wins over non-conference powers Arkansas and Nebraska, an nice easy Pac 10 thrashing is in the cards for the Trojans. Let the smack down begin.

Troy Trojans (+21) @ Nebraska Cornhuskers: These Trojans aren’t quite the squad the USC team is, but they’ll put up a fight. 21 points is too many, as Troy isn’t nearly as bad as Nicholls State and Louisiana Tech. Troy’s defense is solid, as they showed in close games against Florida State and Georgia Tech. Nebraska will have their hands full.

Alabama Crimson Tide @ Arkansas Razorbacks (-2): 6 of the last 8 times these two teams have met; the home team comes out victorious. As far as talent level, these two teams are quite even. Arkansas’ rushing attack is better than Alabama’s which should give them the edge at home. Arkansas has beaten the spread in each of the last 3 games against ‘Bama.

Boston College Eagles (-6.5) @ North Carolina State: BC beat the Wolfpack last season 30-10, and NC State was better then. Boston College has had too many close calls early this season, but if they’re learning one thing, they’re learning to win. That starts to stick with you and soon, like this weekend for instance, the Eagles will start to believe in themselves 100%. That should help them dominate an inferior NC State team.

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-4) @ Michigan State Spartans: I promised I wouldn’t pick anymore Irish games because they are all over the charts, but I’ve got to take them against Michigan State despite better judgement. The way I see it, the Irish struggle against defensive powers, and State can’t stop anyone. Without a rush to stop the mighty Quinn, the Spartans will have a tough time against ND.

Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (+29) @ Oklahoma Sooners: At first glance you might think I’m crazy for taking MTSU against the Oklahoma Sooners. This could backfire, as it seems Adrian Peterson has regained his Heisman form after a 150 yard 4th quarter against Oregon, but I think the Raiders will stick in there with the Sooners. Oklahoma hasn’t beaten anybody by more than 17 points, and that game against Washington was closer than the score indicated. Oklahoma will win, but not by more than 4 touchdowns.

Florida International Golden Panthers (+19) @ Maryland Terrapins: FLINT? That town in Michigan? No, the football team in Florida. I know, at 0-3, they don’t look like a solid bet, but if you look closer; they’ve lost all 3 by a combined 7 point margin. It doesn’t always translate, but they lost to MTSU by 1 point, and Maryland just snuck by the Blue Raiders. Expect a good game in Maryland.

Colorado Buffaloes @ Georgia Bulldogs (-26): The Buffs have 3 losses in 3 tries, including an opening day loss to the D1-AA Montana State team that shouldn’t be on the field with D1-A programs. To put it nicely, Colorado will be lucky to hold the Bulldogs under 45 points. And honestly, scoring on Georgia is completely out of the question. I fully expect the Bulldogs defense to outscore Colorado’s offense. Never a good sign for Buff supporters.

Washington State Cougars (-9.5) @ Stanford Cardinal: The Cougars are just flat out better than the Cardinal. Washington State is 2-1, beating a crappy Idaho team and a pretty good Baylor squad, while getting poked 40-14 by Auburn. The Auburn game was closer than the score. All in all, Stanford is just flat out pathetic. They’ve lost all three contests, one by 28, one by 38, and a 1-point loss to San Jose State of all teams. The Cougs aren’t a power, but they’ll look like a National Champ hopeful against the smart kids from Calli.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-16.5) @ Penn State Nittany Lions: I’m looking for the Buckeyes to go 4-0 against the spread this season while atoning for last years’ loss to the Nittany Lions. Penn State really struggled with their last quality opponent, (Notre Dame) and this Ohio State club is the best team in the Nation. The Lions might be able to stay close early, but they have nobody to guard Ted Ginn Jr and Anthony Gonzalez. Expect a blowout after the Buckeyes got the scare they needed early in last week’s contest.

Arizona State Sun Devils @ California Bears (-7): In a game that always boasts a marquee Pac 10 match-up, the outcome never seems to be close. Cal has won the last 3 contests by a combined score of 133 to 61. The favorite almost always wins, and only twice in the last 10 years has the outcome been closer than 7 points. These are two quality programs, but it won’t equal out, as the Bears will down the Devils for the 4th time in a row.

Week 2 NFL Pick Review – 2006

Starting week 2 with yet another Miami loss – headache. Painfully jumping into the air as the Panthers attempted and completed a loss to the Vikings – groin pull. Seeing a miracle unfold before my eyes as the Giants scored 24 unanswered points to oust the Eagles in overtime – heart murmur. Storming back with a win on Monday Night Football to finish the week at 8-8…. PRICELESS! Read em and weep.
As it turns out, those Buffalo Bills have Miami’s number. After all the hoopla in Miami, it should be interesting to see how they rebound from an 0-2 start. As for me it was nice to start 1-0.

The Panthers look like they’d have trouble with the Texans right about now. I’m not jumping off their bandwagon or anything, I’m just not expecting much until Steven Smith trots back on the scene. An overtime field goal gave me my first loss. Ditto what I said about the Dolphins record.

As it turns out the Bengals slapped the old Brownies around pretty good, then Chad Johnson got slapped right in the kisser by Cleveland’s secondary. Seriously, if you haven’t seen Chad’s hit, stay tuned to “Jacked Up” on “Monday Night Countdown.”

I don’t know what I was thinking here, but I definitely didn’t expect 4 touchdowns from Rexxy Grossman. The kid was winging it like his old days in Gator Country. Detroit’s D lacked luster, bringing me to 2-2 on the morning.

The Texans just couldn’t hang. They tried so hard, but their little motors just weren’t strong enough to fight the uphill battle. David Carr threw three touchdowns, and it still wasn’t enough. I guess I was hoping the spread would just be too high. My 3rd loss happened instead.

Wonderful Green Bay turnovers are to thank, but the Saints got their 2nd win of the season. Don’t get too excited if you’re a Saints fan, the Browns and the Packers aren’t necessarily the league’s best. Brett delivered loss number 4 on the week.

How the Eagles did it to me again, I’ll never know. Donovan and company held a 17 point lead early in the 4th, yet they managed to lose to the Giants in overtime. Call it complacency, or bad luck, hell even a nice effort by New York. I call it the same thing the Eagles do, a loss. Number 5 on the week for me.

In my gimmie game of the week, the Ravens stomped the Raiders in a laugher. Oakland is that bad. They scored 6 more points than I thought they’d put up, but 28 to 6 isn’t much to celebrate. Finally, I chalked up win number 3.

Mike Vick rushed for over 100 yards, as did Warrick Dunn, and the Falcons pulled out a 14-3 victory over the seemingly lost Buco’s. For the second straight week, Caddy Williams, last years’ Offensive Rookie of the Year, didn’t reach the 50-yard plateau, and Simms had more interceptions than touchdowns. In fact, Tampa has 3 points on the year. Just as many wins as I had after 9 games this week. 3-6 is no way to party.

Seattle beat Arizona, and the 21-10 score was way closer than the game was. Arizona couldn’t run, and if you listen close, you can hear Kurt Warner’s nightmares…. “No… No… Not Julian Peterson again! My wife looks like a guy. I hold the ball too long. I’m fat and can never live up to the standard I set for myself in St. Louis. Ahhhhh!” Another win for me, another week of pain for Kurt.

Alex Smith and Frank Gore looked real good for the up and coming Niners. I think the Rams blew it, and next time they play San Fran, the Niners are in for a beating, but this week the Rams couldn’t match the intensity on the other side of the ball, and the Niners took advantage for their 1st win of the season, and my 7th loss of the week.

The Chiefs got on Larry Johnson’s back and rode him all the way to overtime. But the Broncos cashed in the victory with a late field goal. The 3 points weren’t enough to keep me out of the win column though, just as the win might not keep Jake Plummer’s starting spot.

The Patriots started out by dominating the Jets, but a late surge nearly gave me loss number 8. Not yet though, as the Pats held on late for a 7 point victory, bringing me one game away from .500.

A late touchdown pass by Vince Young almost forced me to keep my promise to fly and shake Coach Fischer’s hand, but those Titans kept my promise by never exceeding 7 points. The Chargers scored 40, and I won my 7th game of the week.

Terrell Owens broke his middle finger as he tried to let Bill Parcells know how he feels about getting 3 catches for 19 yards. Maybe that’s not how he did it, but he’ll miss 3-4 weeks with a busted digit. On the cloudy side of things, the Boys won by a couple scores and the Redskins fell to 0-2. I fell to a game under with a .500 week relying on the Jags at home on Monday Night…. Do-do-dooooo!

Read my week 2 picks to fully appreciate this one. The Jags took down the Mighty Steel Show, even with their fearless leader back in black and gold. Byron had a decent day, though touchdowns were not to be had. Three field goals and a shut out by the Jags defense took me to .500 in Week 2.