Monthly Archives: October 2006

Free NCAA Football Picks Week 7 – 2006

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I didn’t get to 8 wins this week, but 7 isn’t half bad. 15-5 the last two weeks has me galloping up to the big-boy playground with arms raised in all my glory. To keep my roll on, I’ve picked 10 glorious games that are set to make mo money, mo money, mo money! The plan has been flawless of late, so check out the recipe for Week 7.

Virginia Tech Hokies @ Boston College Eagles (+3): Boston College really hasn’t impressed all season. But that’s not how they do their business. The Eagles win football games. Only once this season has that not been the case. The Hokies are always overrated, and this is no different. The Eagles, with a big win over Clemson, a 4-1 record, and coming off a bye week will surprise a lot of people when they dismantle the Hokies.

Temple Owls @ Clemson Tigers (-44): I think Clemson is one of the few teams I’d take over the Owls with 44 points to poach. Coach Bowden and his offensive game plan has never been one to let up on his opponent, and after injuries and a couple tough games slowed down his offensive production for much of last weeks game, his Tigers pounced back with 24 points in the 4th quarter alone. Expect a lot of that against Temple, a team that prides themselves on giving up 3 or more touchdowns in multiple quarters of a football game.

Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+4) @ North Carolina State Wolfpack: Sure, the Deacons collapsed last week against Clemson, but I don’t think that will end their season. Wake’s coach doesn’t strike me as a front runner, and attitude reflects leadership, so they’ll be ready for a big rebound game against the Wolfpack. NC State has stepped up their game the last couple weeks, with big wins against Boston College and Florida State, but they’ve had a lot of help along the way. After that huge comeback win over FSU, I’m expecting a bit of a let down at home here. Wake is too good for anyone to come in expecting an easy win.

Syracuse Orange (+25.5) @ West Virginia Mountaineers: It doesn’t always work like this, and Syracuse hasn’t played a team as good as WV, but they haven’t lost a game by more than 10 points all season. They aren’t as bad as many think, that’s for sure. Iowa only beat them by 7, a good Wake Forest team only won by 10, and Pittsburgh snuck out with a 10-point win as well. West Virginia will stay undefeated, but the Orange will come to play ball.

South Florida Bulls (-2) @ North Carolina Tarheels: I really don’t see enough from Carolina to bet on them winning against any team better than sub-par. The Bulls are 4-2 overall and 3-2 ATS, and look like a decent football team. Neither of Carolina’s quarterbacks has more touchdowns than interceptions. In 4 losses this season, NC has lost 3 times by 20 or more. The Tarheels should be good on the hardwood this season, but the grass will remain a struggle.

Minnesota Golden Gophers (+8.5) @ Wisconsin Badgers: The Badges are solid, but not much better than a good Gophers team. I know, it’s not often that one would call a 2-4 team good, but Minnesota has played tight with every opponent, sans CAL. Even the Michigan game (14 point difference) was closer than the score. With a rushing attack second to none, and Cupito starting to become a force, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Gophers unraveled the Badgers in Wisconsin. The Badgers may be 5-1, but wins over Bowling Green, Willford, SD State, Indiana, and Northwestern do less for me than Minnesota’s 4 losses. Don’t be a tool, take the Gopher’s fool.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (+2.5) @ Navy Midshipmen: The Midshipmen are 5-1, their only L coming by one point at the hands of TULSA. However, Rutgers’ improving program is undefeated on the season, a feat I expect to continue past Week 7. I love taking undefeated underdogs. A repeat of last seasons’ 31-21 win by the Knights looks like a safe bet here. The fact that 60% of the public has the Knights makes me think twice, but this time, viva la public, take down the Casino!

Marshall Thundering Herd (+4) @ Southern Methodist Mustangs: I like Marshall in this one. I’m not sure why, maybe it’s the trust in the Herd’s football program, or the fact that SMU is bound to lose, because .500 isn’t a record they should have for long. Marshall has been bad, but a nice W will turn their season right back around. Expect that.

Iowa State Cyclones(+19.5) @ Oklahoma Sooners: They Cyclones have lost 1 game by more than two touchdowns. Brett Meyer can toss a football and run well enough to keep the Sooners honest. The Cyclones spread the ball around, so don’t believe for one second that Oklahoma will be able to shut down the Cyclone offense. 3 players have over 320 yards receiving, they’ll get plenty of good looks on Saturday. If the Sooners want to guarantee themselves victory, they’ll give the ball to Adrian Peterson 30+ times. That should slow down the game enough for Iowa State to cover easily.

California Golden Bears (-8) @ Washington State Cougars: On their way to a 4-2 record, the Cougars have only lost one game by a greater margin than 6 points, an opener against Auburn that was much closer than the final score indicated. However, the CAL Bears have really turned up the volume and are ready to take down the Cougars. Everything in CAL is working right now, as they are my favorite to take the Pac 10 title.

Week 5 NFL Pick Review – 2006

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A little pay back in my picks. Championship! Late scores, highlight interceptions, absolute domination, and a couple 12 round bouts all had something to do with my big week in the NFL. How man wins did I get? 7? 8? 9? Read on and remember… Hail to the chief.
Buffalo Bills (+12) @ Chicago Bears: It sure didn’t start well as the little bird on my shoulder was right about this one. The Bears looked damn good in an absolute destruction of the Buffalo Bills. The final score was 41-7, and honestly, it wasn’t that close. So I missed this one.

Cleveland Browns @ Carolina Panthers (-8): It was looking good late, as the Panthers were up 11 into the 4th… But these are the Panthers, and God knows they don’t like me to win. A “prevent” / “spread killer” defense was in effect for the Panthers, as the Browns drove down the field and kicked a field goal with a minute left to push this game right out the window. 0-1-1 wasn’t the start I was looking for.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (-6.5): The Vikings got the wins rolling for good Ol’ Lucky. Or was it the Lions that did all the work? It wasn’t looking good late, the Vikings we down 17-3 as the 4th quarter got underway, never something you want when your team needs 7 points to get you the win. So basically, Minnesota needed to beat the Lions 21-0 in the 4th quarter alone for me to win. What do you know? A late interception return for a touchdown by EJ Henderson finished off the games’ scoring, and the Vikings beat the Vikings 23-0 in the 4th, covering the spread by 2.5 points. As it turns out this would be the first of many wins.

Miami Dolphins (+10.5) @ New England Patriots: I can’t believe the Dolphins covered in this one. Without Daunte, I thought I was dead in the water, but Joey Harrington wasn’t as bad as I thought, and the Dolphins kept it close enough for me, losing by 10. Finally, I won a close one.

St. Louis Rams (-2) @ Green Bay Packers: I didn’t get the 3 touchdown win I was looking for, but a late turnover late assured me a victory as the Rams kneeled down for the final minute for a 3 point win. Another close victory turned out to be my 3rd win in a row.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7) @ New Orleans Saints: The Bucs nearly pulled this one out as Bruce Gradkowski had better numbers than Matt Leinart and Vince Young combined this week. He had 225 yards and 3 scores, on 21-30 passing. Reggie Bush returned a punt to win the game. His first NFL TD was a big one, as the Saints went to 4-1 with a win over their division rival.

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts (-18): Maybe the Colts aren’t that good? Maybe they just didn’t come to play? I don’t know. I know they won the game by a single freaking point and I lost this one by 2 touchdowns and a field goal. Damn them Colts. I blame them for my 2nd loss of the night.

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants (-4): The Giants finally put a couple good quarters together, came to play defensively, and got to the Redskins early. All these things gave them a much needed win at home. Eli Manning completed better than 68% of his passes, and Tiki ran for 123 yards as the Giants won easily.

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) @ Arizona Cardinals: Like the Lions, the Cardinals had to do a lot late for me to cover. And just like the Lions were bad enough to get heavily out-scored in the 4th, the Cards gave up 13 points in the 4th to lose by 3. Just enough for me to cover. I’ll take it.

New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-7): 41-0… What do you think? Did the Jags cover? Jacksonville is a damn good team. If they don’t lose another game all season long, I won’t be surprised. The Jags really exposed the Jets’ rushing defense, to the tune of 3 1st quarter rushing touchdowns that just put the Jets away very early.

Oakland Raiders @ San Francisco 49ers (-3): When the Raiders win their first game of the season… scratch that, IF the Raiders win a game this season I’ll write an entire “Top Shelf” about them. It will be titled, An Ode to the Worst of Winners. Believe it or not, the Raiders went ahead with Randy Moss’ 100th career touchdown catch, but they gave up 27 2nd half points and the Niners won by two touchdowns. The 2nd win for the 49ers was my 7th win of the week.

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles (-1): Donovan McNabb looked good early, and late, and TO didn’t do dick. The Fat 7th Grader playing quarterback for the Cowboys looked athletic rushing for a score, but ate some doughnuts at half time, and then came out and threw a couple more interceptions to assure the loss. Bledsoe has been a Private Pile for the better part of the season. The Eagles banged one out at home for my 8th W.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) @ San Diego Charges: My 3rd loss of the Week came when the Steelers broke down in the 2nd half, getting shut out by the Chargers 16-0. Big Ben looked better, but his 2 interceptions and 0 TD passes didn’t help his Steelers from falling to 1-3 on the season. And you all thought I was crazy when I said the Steelers would struggle in my Season Preview. It didn’t help me much in this game, but what can I do? 3 losses on Sunday… Not too shabby.

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos (-3.5): Half way through the 4th, those pesky Broncos were only up by a field goal which was turning out to be double bad for me. I’m not a big fan of the Broncs and I was losing my bet. But late in the game, a big interception by Steve McNair set up my favorite Bronco, Rod Smith, for a 4 yard touchdown catch as Denver went up 10. A later interception sealed my 9th win of the week, taking me to 9-3-2 in Week 5. Championship!

Week 6 College Football Picks Review: 2006

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Its not 8, but 7 wins in Week 6 had me breaking out a little dance in celebratory fashion. 15-5 during Week 5 and 6 has me right back on track in the NCAA. How did I get my 7 wins? Read more and find out.

Florida State Seminoles @ North Carolina state Wolfpack (+10.5): And the Wolfpack won this game, putting an end to any predictions that they wouldn’t cover. I like it, I love it, I wanted more of it. Guess what… I got it.

Arkansas Razorbacks (+16) @ Auburn Tigers: Another underdog I picked came out on top as the #2 Auburn Tigers tumbled at home to the Razorbacks. Like I said, Arkansas has been getting better with each passing week, so don’t expect this win to be a fluke. They aren’t championship material just yet, but a BCS game isn’t out of the question.

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Minnesota Golden Gophers (+3): My favorite uniforms in sports (Penn State) pulled out a big win after the Gophers’ kicker missed an extra point in overtime. The one point win made the Gophers a loser, but with 3 points to play with, my 3rd win was graciously accepted.

Clemson Tigers @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+17): It looked as thought the Deacons were going to continue their defensive dominance, even over the high-powered Clemson attack, but, ah yes, but, the Tigers roared back in the 4th scoring 24 unanswered points to hand Wake Forest their first loss of the season. Luckily for me, I had 17 points to ponder, 6 more than I needed for my 4th win of the weekend.

Vanderbilt Commodores (-1.5) @ Mississippi Rebels: Vanderbilt disappointed once again, handing me my first loss in Week 6. What can you do?

Kent State Golden Flashes (-23.5) @ Temple Owls: Temple was actually up after the 1st quarter, something that obviously shocked them into their 5th loss in as many games. Kent State pulled away at the end, but the 23.5 points were way too many for me, as I lost my 2nd straight game.

Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-31): Remember when I said I wouldn’t bet on the Irish games anymore? I think I’m 0-3 in Irish games since then. Damn me all to hell. They will not make the list next week, I guarantee you that. My 3rd loss in a row was my last.

Washington Huskies (+20.5) @ USC: I don’t know what happened in the Husky game toward the end for sure, because I was listening via the radio, but it sounded like a douche-bag Zebra had his head all the way up his own ass, forgot to wind the clock like a real referee, and the Huskies didn’t get a chance for on last play, 15 yards out. The Huskies lost by 6, so I won by 14… I guess I’ll take it.

West Virginia Mountaineers (-23) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs: 42 minus 14…. 28…. Yep, covered by 5… YES! My 6th win of the day came easy as the Mountaineers built a lead early, and then came on even stronger late, with 21 points in the 4th to cover me like a blanket.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns (-3.5): The Sooners walked into half time with a 3 point lead, then never scored again as Colt McCoy passed for 2 touchdowns and Aaron Ross recovered a fumble for the Longhorns’ final score. 21 unanswered 2nd half points gave Texas their 5th win of the season. Their 5th win meant my 7th, and 15th in the last two weeks. Lets see if I can’t have another big winner in Week 7.

2006 Fantasy Football Review – Week 5

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This Week’s Top Team (McNabb, F. Taylor, Deuce, Baskett, Galloway, Gates, Robbie Gould, and the Vikings) scored 168…. My team scored 87. I’ve had better days.

QB: Marc Bulger: Marc had a decent day against the Packers, not as great as I expected, but he threw for 220 yards and 2 scores, good for 17 points and the 2nd best day for quarterbacks.

RB: Brian Westbrook: Westy had 88 total yards and a touchdown good for 12 fantasy points. It wasn’t really what I was hoping for, but it wasn’t bad either. His fumble docked him a bit.

RB: Larry Johnson: LJ Had 140+ total yards, 106 receiving and only 36 on the ground, but he did score, giving him 17 points and ranking him 3rd among RB’s.

WR: Torry Holt: 40 yards and a score got me 10 total points. Top 15, but not awesome, that’s for sure.

WR: Marvin Harrison: Thank Goodness Marv caught a TD, because it was getting bad. He had 29 yards, giving him only 8 points. But that’s 6 more than he would have had.

TE: Tony Gonzalez: 1 catch for 25 yards… Officially Tony is no longer a top notch fantasy tight end. 2 points for me.

K: Jeff Wilkins: My boy was 3 for 3 with 2 extra points for a fat score of 11. Jeff is a stud. He only ranked 6th among kickers, but you can’t get more consistent than Jeff.

D: Colts: The Colts had 10, making me sorry for not picking the Panthers with my real pick instead of my sleeper. Damn.

LUCKY’S Week 5 SLEEPERS – I’m grading my sleepers from now on. A for great, B for good, C for decent, and F for I failed. This week, 4 A’s a C and two F’s. Championship!

Matt Leinart: Like I said, Matt won’t struggle, he’ll find Boldin and Fitzgerald for scores. Larry got hurt but he caught a TD, as did Boldin. Matt thre for 253 and 2 scores with 1 interception. He produced 16 fantasy points, not bad for a rookie. A (scored in the top 6 of QB’s)

Frank Gore: Frank didn’t fumble but then again, he didn’t score either… However, he did have 170+ total yards, including 134 rushing. I got 16 points from Frank, 6th among RB’s. (A)

Laurence Maroney: LoMo had a 45 yard day, good for 4 points and an F in the sleeper department. Can I take a C for this one?

Troy Williamson: Troy didn’t do dick. I don’t think it’s his fault as much as Brad Johnson’s eyes are too old and slow to be able to judge Troy’s speed. Either I get another F.

Greg Jennings: Greg had 105 yards and a score for 16 fantasy points, putting him all alone in 3rd place among WR’s. Not bad for a sleeper start from a rookie. In fact, yep, A.

Daniel Graham: Daniel did nothing, didn’t even suit up I reckon. But the bottom line is he scored a fat 0 – that’s grounds for an F.

Carolina: Carolina scored 24 points, in my league, good for 5th among defenses. They only allowed 12 points to the Brownies, just as I had predicted, they were in shut down mode on Sunday. A.

LUCKY’S Week 5 WUSSIES

Jake Plummer: Nice stat line snake… 100 yards a TD and a pick… 7 points… gross.

Edgerrin James: 71 rushing yards, no scores, 44 yards receiving. 11 points. Not bad, better than I imagined, but still not great.

Javon Walker: Javon’s 62 yards against the Ravens is amazing considering Jake only had 100 yards passing total. But 6 points isn’t too good either.

Reggie Bush: Reg had 9 carries for 23 yards… That’s a 2.6 yard per carry average. He did return a punt for a game winner though. But I didn’t’ get any points for that. 63 receiving yards gave him 8. Not bad, but not great.

Free Football Picks 06-07 Week 5

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After a blundering stumble last week, you can bet I’m doing my damnedest to get back on track with my first HUGE WINNER of the young season. I’m only a couple games down on the year, overall, but I’m itching to celebrate. Read ’em and take ’em!Buffalo Bills (+12) @ Chicago Bears: A little bird on my shoulder tells me I’m dead wrong about this game, and the Dolphins game (read below) but I’m not much for listening to feather-headed seed-eaters, so let me explain. Despite the world’s declaration that the Bears are the best team in the NFC, and the world for that matter, I think they are very similar to the Minnesota Vikings. The Bills are much better than people think, as they haven’t been had by more than 10 points all season long, and their defense is getting better and better. A let down after last week’s big win over the Hawks is bound to bully the Bears. Unlike the Hawks, the Bills will have a workhorse to keep the chicago secondary honest. That fact alone will keep this game closer than 10 points.

Cleveland Browns @ Carolina Panthers (-8): I’m worried about the Panthers covering here, because I think the Browns are very similar to Tampa Bay, but, now the Panthers have a healthy Steve Smith, as he has seemingly invigorated the entire offense. Steve’s first game back against the Bucs was a little slow, but now he’s really back. The running game is more productive, and Jake Delhomme looks better as well. The Bucs have a better defense than the Browns, so expect a bigger margin of victory here. With the ability to run the ball, the Panthers will get out to an early lead, and be able to hold it. The Panthers will get their 1st convincing win of the season, reminding people why many had them picked to see the Super Bowl.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (-6.5): I would like to choose the Lions here, because the Vikings have hit a wall offensively, and the Lions have show offensive production over the last two weeks, but this isn’t a week-by-week league, this is football, and honestly, nobody should care what the Lions did against the Packers and Rams. And they still loss by 7 in each of those games. I think Minnesota is close to Chicago, though I seem to be the only one, and because of that, I expect the Lions to be held in check while Minnesota will find plenty of holes to run in at home. Chester Taylor will be ready and roaring to sprint out of the gates after last weeks 10 rush 23 yard performance against Buffalo. It’d be nice to see Mike Martz get off the snide this week, but… Actually, I hope that idiot doesn’t win a game all year. Basically, it’s not going to happen, and people will start to see how good the Vikings can be in Week 5.

Miami Dolphins (+10.5) @ New England Patriots: That little bird once again expects to see me lose this contest. The Patriots are too strong, and the Dolphins lost to the freaking Texans. Ah, but look closer into the magic ball young feathery fellow. The Dolphins’ talent is obviously there. They struggle on the offensive line, but coaching can quell that, shorter drops, more running plays. So all the need is a wake-up call. How about a loss to the freaking Texans? Yes, that’ll do just fine. Miami knows going into this game, they can’t freelance and win against New England. They’ll play tough, they’ll probably get the win over a very overrated Patriots team that is coming off a huge win over Cincinnati.

St. Louis Rams (-2) @ Green Bay Packers: I don’t know what the Packers did to get any respect, but I’d take any team, sans the Titans and Raiders, at 2 point favorites over the Packers. New Rams’ coach, Scott Linehan, won’t let his squad play like they did against another cellar dweller, San Fran, so expect them to be ready for the Pack. The Rams are a pretty solid team, one that will run with success on nearly ever team in the league, (Especially Green Bay), and it’s not as if Torry Holt, Isaac Bruce, and Marc Bulger are limited through the air, either. If there’s one thing the Packers can’t do, it’s win football games over well balanced solid football teams. The Rams aren’t great, they surely aren’t flashy, but a three-touchdown win in Green Bay wouldn’t surprise me one little bit.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7) @ New Orleans Saints: Call me crazy, but it’s happened before. Ben Roethlisberger, Tom Brady, Charlie Frye, Kyle Orton, and this week Bruce Gradkowski. Those first three guys came in early, and gave their teams a fighting chance. I’m not jumping on the “Bruce is the next Brady, of Big Ben” bandwagon, but I know he throws accurately, and the rest of the Bucs will be giving a million percent to try and get their first win in 4 tries. Defensively, the Bucs are probably the best team the Saints have faced this season. Brees will have trouble, and though the Bucs might not get the W, they will cover that mighty spread.

Tennessee Titans @ Indianapolis Colts (-18): Last season, the Titans were destroyed by the Colts 31-10 and 35-3 in two AFC games. Something tells me these games won’t be that close. With Big Al getting suspended for 5 games by the league, the Titans will struggle stopping Indy’s rush attack, even. Last season, the games would have been farther apart, except that the Colts had Edge to pound some time off the clock. This year, Manning will pass and the Titans will suffer. I hate 18 point spreads unless we’re talking college football, but this is a bet I have to take.

Washington Redskins @ New York Giants (-4): This is a tough one, but sooner or later you’d have to bet the Giants will put at least 2 solid quarters together. If they do that, they’ll upend the Redskins in New York. Eli Manning is more accurate this season, and if the coaching staff can eliminate their own mistakes, Eli will benefit. This is a great rivaly game in the NFC East, and a loss here would mean almost sure death for the Giants who would fall to 1-3. I think the Redskins will finish ahead of New York, but in this one, the Giants have more to play for. Give the Giants the nod at home over Washington.

Kansas City Chiefs (-3) @ Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals really struggle against run first teams. The Chiefs just happen to be a run first, run second, and run or pass 3rd type of team. Arizona barely beat a very bad 49er team in Week 1, and have lost 3 straight since then. Contrary to many popular beliefs, starting a rookie quarterback who missed all of training camp, and most of the preseason, isn’t an upgrade, even from turnover happy, Kurt Warner. Expect the Chiefs to have a week similar to last week.

New York Jets @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-7): The Colts beat the Jaguars by 7, and the Colts only took the Jets by 3, so you’d think I’d roll with New York, but, ah ha, you’re wrong. Like I said before the Jags/Colts game, Jacksonville is the better team. At home, they’ll prove their worth by promptly stomping New York. Their defense is too good, and offensively, Jacksonville will be able to run and pass efficiently. Take the Jags, even with this huge spread.

Oakland Raiders @ San Francisco 49ers (-3): Like I said last week, I’ll take anyone against the Raiders. Andrew Walter just showed me how bad he is throwing the ball, and once the 49ers figure that out (their coaching staff is smart – they should already know that) they will put 9 guys in the box and limit LaMont Jordan’s rushing room all day long. San Fran isn’t a good football team, but they can run, pass, and once in a blue moon, they can defend. Expect the only easy victory the 49ers will have all season long.

Dallas Cowboys @ Philadelphia Eagles (-1): The Eagles will have Brian Westbrook back for this game, that’s why the Eagles held him out against the pathetic Packers. They knew they could handle Brett and his boys without their best offensive weapon, so they rested Westbrook for the Dallas showdown. The Eagles are the better team here, as they’ll show early and often. It should be one hell of a game, with TO and Donovan, and the Eagle D, and all that good stuff that should be all over Sportcenter all week long. But take the Eagles at home in a game I can’t believe they’re only getting a point in. Has Dallas really shown that they are better than Philly? I sure as hell don’t think so. If the Eagles can play 4 quarters strong, and I’m sure they’ll be up for the task with TO in town, they will pistol whip the Cowboys on Sunday afternoon.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+3.5) @ San Diego Charges: Pittsburgh at 1-3 isn’t something I think will happen. Though I have to say, the Chargers will be spitting blood and guts after last weeks tumble to the Ravens. They’ll be ready for Big Ben and the Steelers. The thing that catches my eye here is the Steelers after a bye. They don’t lose. The last two seasons, with Big Ben at the helm, the Steelers have beaten San Diego last year, and New England the year before that, after the bye week. For Coach Cowher and Mr. Weisenhunt, a week off only allows them to schematically dominate the football game. Pittsburgh isn’t headed to the Super Bowl, but they remain a good football team. Expect Big Ben to play better after the two weeks he had to get ready.

Baltimore Ravens @ Denver Broncos (-3.5): After flirting with disaster the last two weeks, (15-14 win over Browns and 16-13 comeback over San Diego) the Ravens will finally fall to the Broncos. First of all, and I hate to bet on something as ridiculous as this, but, Mike Shanahan and the Broncos always win on Monday Night Football. I think the Ravens are better than Denver, but on this night, at home in the cool air of Colorado. Denver, like Pittsburgh, is money after a bye week, (they’ve won their last 3 by a combined score of 102-38). Baltimore owns this match-up, but you can only play with fire so long. A nice wake-up call here for Baltimore, and a Broncos stomping will be exactly that, should get the Ravens out of their offensive slump. Take Denver because the mouse man always wins on Monday Night.

2006 Fantasy Football Week 6 theRUNDOWN

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This Week’s Top Team: This is the best team I could put together for Week 6

QB: Rex Grossman: Rex has nice stats this season, and while some QB’s have rated out better, none of those guys run up against the Cardinals this week. ‘Nough said!

RB: Clinton Portis: The Titans showed they can defend the pass alright last week against the Colts. This week a team with an actual running back comes to town with the Redskins. CP is going to blow up the first half of this game. Bet your balls!

RB: LaDainian Tomlinson: LT has been held in check each of his last two contests. Don’t expect that here. It’s time for Tomlinson to blow up, and unfortunately for the 49ers, San Fran is going to be the victim in this one.

WR: Terrell Owens: Terrell has to blow up one of these days, I’m betting on this day against one of the league’s worst pass defenses. TO is a gong show, full blown, but don’t be confused, if he gets the rock; then fantasywise, I’d still rather have him than any receiver.

WR: Laveranues Coles: Coles was a little frustrated with his lack of playing time in the Jets most recent destruction at the hands of the Jaguars. This week he’ll get plenty of looks, and against Miami’s secondary, that translates directly into big points.

TE: Antonio Gates: It’s time for Gates to have a Gates game. 80 yards, touchdown… against San Francisco, you can bet that’s the least Gates is looking for. Expect a nice game from this Charger.

K: Jeff Wilkins: Seattle’s D struggled in their last game against the Bears but they’ll be back for this contest. St. Louis’ offense is just good enough to move the ball against Seattle, but fail to score touchdowns. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wilkins busted 4 field goals in Week 6.

D: Broncos: Usually the Broncos’ solid defense doesn’t translate into Fantasy stud-hood, but this week it will. Yes, Oakland is coming to town. Walter throws interceptions, the Raiders’ O coordinator is wasted, and hell, the Raiders just suck.

LUCKY’S Week 6 SLEEPERS

Joey Harrington: I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Joey’s a nice sleeper candidate this week. I was going to put more of a sure thing down here, but sleeper is supposed to be someone others aren’t surely giving tick to. Well, against the Jets secondary, even Joey should be a nice option.

Tatum Bell: Okay, Bell’s starting in most leagues, but he should start in every league. With his Raider match-up win Week 6, a week after Frank Gore went for 134 yards, Tatum looks like a sure thing here. Maybe even a touchdown out of the guy?

Julius Jones: Julius is a great play here. Those of you who aren’t starting Julius because of Marion Barber are flat out crazy. Jones is the guy, look at the touch numbers. He’s hardly even a sleeper. In fact here’s a real sleeper.

Michael Turner: Turner will get his carries in this one. With a huge lead early, big Mike in the Wood might even score himself a better game than the starter for the Chargers, some guy named LT…

Lee Evans: Yeah, this is just a flat out great play, hell, I might play Jones over Owens or Coles for that matter. This kid is straight explosive and against the Lions, oh my god.

Jericho Cotchery: Coles and Cotchery are two huge plays on Sunday. Cotch had a huge start to the season, and I expect his play to continue against a horrible Miami secondary.

Jeremy Stevens: For a guy coming off a long break from the game, a guy who is known for dropping balls, this might not be the best play. But JS is a stud, and he can make a difference for the Hawks against the Rams.

Redskins DST: The Skins have too good a defense to be scoring like they are. You might be able to snag them off the waivers. If you do, remember match-up is everything, and this weeks showdown against the Titans looks great for this defense.

LUCKY’S Week 1 WUSSIES

Jake Delhomme: Its hard now that I can’t just put Kurt Warner’s name up here. But I can’t imagine Jake will have a nice game against Baltimore. The Ravens are too good, and after tallying their first loss last week, they’ll be out to prove their worth.

Larry Johnson: I’m sure he’ll have at least 10 points, because he always does, but if you are expecting a mammoth game form LJ, think again. No one needs a win more than the Steelers, and you can bet they won’t let Larry beat them when Damon Huard is calling the plays.

Santana Moss: He’s a stud, and if this game was going to be close, he’d be a nice play, but the Skins should be so far ahead of the Titans by half time, and the running game will be on point, so there’s not going to be many chances for the little firecracker.

Rudi Johnson: My bet is that the Bucs sunder the Bengals running game. Carson has struggled since his return from the knee injury, and Chad Johnson hasn’t done dick. This week Tampa will make Palmer beat them by shutting down Rudi.

Week 4 NFL Pick Review – 2006

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5-9… Could it have been worse? Check out my Review and let me know what you think….
Following up my first losing week of the year was just about the worst Sunday I could possibly remember. It seemed like everything that could possibly go wrong did. Think Michael Jackson’s face after the sweet sounding little kid singer we all use to know and love hit puberty. Now the dude is as white as Vanilla Ice for God’s sake. That’s my pick set this weekend, Mikey Jackson after doctor visits teamed with Vanilla Ice’s career after Can’t Touch This. Championship! This is how, where, and for most games, why I went down the toilet.

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…” Blah, blah, blah… Last season smashed season. At first site is something I need to get back to, because obviously history doesn’t mean jack flippin’ Johnson. Next week, I promise, no more “At first site this, after research that…” Anyway, the moral of this story is, don’t bet on the Cardinals, you’ll lose.

Dallas Cowboys (+8.5) at Tennessee Titans: It’s nice to throw in a win here and there… this week it was mostly here, and not so much there. Anyway, on weeks like this, I’ll take my wins where I can get them. Tennessee starting Vince Young almost assured me victory. I think Vince will be nice, but not the first couple seasons, let alone his first game. The Titans better be careful they don’t give any of their other players any good ideas… Albert Haynesworth got a 5 game suspension for stomping on Andre Guorde’s helmetless noggin on Sunday. Don’t be surprised if one of Al’s teammates decides he’d rather sit 5 games than get killed on a weekly basis. Another random act, I don’t know uppercut to the junk maybe, is very possible next week in Indy.

Indianapolis Colts (-9) at N.Y. Jets: I don’t mind that the Colts played like piss against New York and lost me money, but if they’re going to do that, they might as well just flat out lose, instead of pumping out two late touchdown drives to oust me and the Jets. It’s always tough to put money on a team you don’t particularly enjoy, have them win, and still lose your dough. These damn big spreads… I guess I’ll keep betting them until the ship sinks.

Miami Dolphins (-3.5) at Houston Texans: The Dolphins really suck. I can’t tell if they’re going to be this bad all season long, or just until I stop betting on them. Miami looked good late when they opened up their offense. Maybe Nick Saban will think about doing that next week against the Patriots. Or maybe, he’ll check my article this week, see if I picked his team or not, and then give it to me violently by going the opposite direction of my selection. I wouldn’t put it past him, I mean he did just coach his talented Miami team to a loss against the freaking Texans of all teams.

Minnesota Vikings (+1.5) at Buffalo BIlls: This game really surprised me. I didn’t think the Bills could win a game against a team that can stuff the run so well. But despite the Vikings run stuffing ways (Willis needed nearly 30 carries to reach 78 yards) Buffalo prevailed. Buffalo’s defense was amazing on Sunday. Chester Taylor had 10 carries for 23 yards, as the Vikings and their stud offensive line totaled 63 total yards on the ground. The Bills caused 3 turnovers and really surprised me by getting the win. I, of course, lost for the 4th time in 5 chances.

New Orleans Saints at Carolina Panthers (-7): This one was nice because I had the game absolutely won until Drew Brees threw an 86 yard pass to Marques Colston with 1:15 left in the game to finish me off, giving me my 5th loss. It’s hard work losing so many games, I mean, if I tried to lose 5 of my first 6 I would have been 5-1 at this point. Think about that. Crazy, huh?

San Diego Chargers at Baltimore Ravens (+3): My second win couldn’t have come at a better time. The Ravens… Wait just a second, it could have come with my first game of the day, or maybe 3rd, but my 7th game, that’s a damn terrible time for my 2nd win. But like I said after my first win, after a week like this one, I have to be thankful for any win I can get. The Ravens came back in the last possible minute, scoring 9 points in the 4th quarter on way to an upset over the visiting Chargers. Coaching hurt San Diego, but Baltimore’s defense was up to the task of stopping LT, who averaged just over 3 yards a carry. 2-5…. YEAH!

San Francisco 49ers (+7) at Kansas City Chiefs: The Chieftains rode Larry Johnson, and got some big plays from Daunte Hall to absolutely curb-crush the 49ers. Frank Gore fumbled again, Larry scored, and I took another loss right in the face. 2-6. If you don’t get the curb-crush reference, go rent American History X… You’ll understand soon enough. Betting on the 49ers is always risky, because they can make you look very, very bad.

Detroit Lions at St. Louis Rams (-5): The Lions played much better offensively than I expected. Luckily for me, and the Rams, their defense played like a bunch of 3rd grade soccer players. Imagine, a bunch of grown men running around the field in all directions, no unity whatsoever, allowing St. Louis of all teams, 2 touchdowns in 3 weeks, to put up 41. Once again, I thank the Lions for a victory, my 3rd of the week.

Cleveland Browns (-2.5) at Oakland Raiders: The Raiders were out to get me from the get go, but somehow they managed to lose the game, and the spread, and get me my 4th victory of the season. Thanks Oakland. After rolling out to a 21-3 3rd quarter lead, the Raiders stalled in the second half, gaining just 65 total yards in their final 5 drives, and allowed the Browns right back in the game. Two touchdowns in the 3rd gave the Browns a nice win on the road, in turn bringing me to 4-6. It didn’t get much better for me on Sunday. Yep, it got much worse.

Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) at Washington Redskins: Jacksonville got hurt late again, and pulled out of Washington with their 2nd close loss in a row. Reggie Williams was off the charts for Jacksonville, what a catch, you saw it. But Santana Moss was the man of the hour, touching the ball 4 times for 3 touchdowns and 138 yards receiving. What an explosive player. Speaking of explosives, do you think it’d be better to blow-up my broken down Ford Taurus with dynamite and try to collect insurance money? The Redskins and Mr. Moss took me for my 7th loss of the week.

New England Patriots at Cincinnati Bengals (-5.5): The Bengals almost played as poorly as the Seahawks. That’s right, you heard me, almost. I’d argue that Seattle played against a better team, so the Bengals might put up a strong argument for the biggest disappointment of Week 4. After leading the game, 6-0 after 1, the Bengals were outscored 38 to 7 in the next 3 quarters, including a 17-0 stint in the 4th. Where did Carson Palmer, Chad Johnson, Rudi, and the rest of the Bengals go on Saturday Night? Don’t ask Chris Henry and Odell Thurman. Just because they were out celebrating their day off on Sunday, doesn’t mean the rest of the Bungles were at the Bar with them, My 8th loss was painful.

Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) at Chicago Bears: The Hawks didn’t show up to play. Hasselbeck looked jittery in the pocket, even before the Bears pressured him, and his throws looked to aimed like darts. Whenever QB’s are doing that, you know you’re in trouble. It seemed like the Bears fed off Seattle’s poor play, as they absolutely dominated Seattle in every facet of the game.

Green Bay Packers at Philadelphia Eagles (-11): It’s always tough when you go into Monday Night hoping for your 5th win of the week. But I’ll tell you what, it’s a hell of a lot tougher when you’re hoping for win number 5 and you don’t get it. Right on queue, the Eagles came though in fine fashion, dominating the Packers throughout, as Donovan McNabb took the team on his shoulders with Brian Westbrook on the mend, throwing and rushing for 4 total touchdowns and 335 yards. 5-9. Ouch. Week 4 always seems to get me in the gotcha. However, Week 5 always seems to be a nice comeback performance for Ol’ Lucky. Stay tuned for my Week 5 picks!

Free NCAA Football Picks Week 6 – 2006

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After a huge week 5 in the college ranks my swagger seems to be back in action, at least that’s what the wifey tells me. Swagger or not, another 8 win week would suit me just nice. Follow along as I give my NCAA rundown for this weeks best bets.

Florida State Seminoles @ North Carolina State Wolfpack (+10.5): I’ll be stunned if this game isn’t closer than a touchdown. Neither team shows much in the offensive category, and both teams have shown solid defenses. FSU isn’t the Seminole team we used to know, and although NC State started off the season pretty rough, they looked a lot tougher at home against Boston College last week. Staying at home for the second game in a row should help NC State stay on track.

Arkansas Razorbacks (+16) @ Auburn Tigers: Auburn holds a Top 3 ranking in every major poll, but they have struggled lately, two close games in a row, and the Razorbacks are getting better and better every week. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Tigers pulled out another win at home, but the Razorbacks will put up a fight. For a team struggling with scoring, 16 points is just too much. Take them hogs and more than 2 touchdowns.

Penn State Nittany Lions @ Minnesota Golden Gophers (+3): Minnesota is a pretty good football team to be an underdog at home to the Lions. Honestly, I think these two teams are even right down the line, which is why I’ve got to go with the Gophers at home, especially with the points. Now, a field goal is next to nothing, but home field advantage, and a very solid rushing attack, add on two tough losses back to back, and Minnesota has to win this game to keep their bowl hopes alive. Bryan Cupito will give the Rodents just enough arm to take down the Lions.

Clemson Tigers @ Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+17): Call me crazy, but I think 5-0 means something. I think playing at home helps a great deal, and the fact that Wake won this match-up last season just pushes me right over the edge. Did I say anything about 17 points? That’s a big deal too. Clemson is damn good, but Wake has been winning with defense and big plays. Defense and big plays will keep you in almost any game. Don’t count out Wake just because the big bad Clemson Tigers are coming to town. It’s tough to bet against a team getting 17 points when they haven’t allowed more than 14 all season long.

Vanderbilt Commodores (-1.5) @ Mississippi Rebels: When it comes right down to it, I think the Commodores are the better football team. Mississippi has lost 4 straight after a lucky win against Memphis to start the season. In fact, until they had another lucky week against Georgia last week, they hadn’t been closer than 17 points to Missouri, Kentucky, or Wake Forest. Its always tough to play really well against a good team and lose, which is exactly what happened to Miss last week. That being said, Vanderbilt is on a winning streak, and since the Michigan game, they’ve played very well, Look for the streak, and he good play to continue against the Rebels.

Kent State Golden Flashes (-23.5) @ Temple Owls: Since the opening game of the season, the Owls haven’t finished a game within 4 touchdowns of their opponents. The Golden Flashes aren’t the top shop on the block, but they’ll easily handle the 24 point spread needed to cover in this one. Call it a hunch, but the Owls won’t score more than once. That means field goals, touchdowns, with underclass coeds. Not more than once. And that will be a courtesy job for sure.

Stanford Cardinal @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-31): IF there was ever a day that Brady Quinn would pad his Heisman stats, it’s this week at home against the Cardinal. Stanford is bad. Lets put it this way, Duke and North Carolina would handle Stanford, and Temple would give them a run. Icky football. This spread seems like nothing to me right now, absolutely nothing. I’d take Notre Dame’s red-shirts over Stanford.

Washington Huskies (+20.5) @ USC: Hell, I’ll stick with the Dawgs that have been playing well of late. Now UW is 4-1, and don’t get me wrong, those 4 wins over San Jose State, Fresno State, UCLA and Arizona aren’t the same as a win over USC would be, but at least they’ve been impressive. USC hasn’t really looked good at all. They’re undefeated, and there’s something to be said for that, but I haven’t seen much. Sure, everyone wants to say how they’re just young, but if you watch them, you can’t really see the Trojan trot of old. Washington won’t likely pull a stunner here, but keeping it close is as good as gold.

West Virginia Mountaineers (-23) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs: I think West Virginia is at least as good as LSU and Auburn. Both of which absolutely handled the Bulldogs. In fact, I’m willing to say that WVU will do their best to upstage both Auburn and LSU so they can start to get some credit from the BCS. For a great team with a poor schedule, and they are that, the only thing they can do to make themselves look like National Champs is do better than other great teams against the same competition. A win is not just a win for the Mounts, a huge win counts more for them.

Oklahoma Sooners @ Texas Longhorns (-3.5): Is it just me or does it seem like Texas has fallen off the face of the earth since they lost to Ohio State? They’ve killed each of their lesser opponents since then, but this will be their next real test, in fact, probably the best team they’ll play the rest of the season. I hate to agree with the betting public, because the sports books have to make money right? But I think the Longhorns are too talented for the Sooners. Sure, OK has the stud of the bunch, Adrian Peterson, but overall Texas is far and above the Sooners. Colt McCoy will play better in this one than he did against Ohio State. I promise. Stick with the horns.

2006 Fantasy Football Review – Week 4

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This Week’s Top Team: Lets see how Mr. Lester did. 130 Fantasy Points…. Not too shabby.

QB: Donovan McNabb: D-Nabb had 4 touchdowns (2 passing, 2 running) for 20 points on touchdowns along. He had 47 yards rushing for 4 points, and 288 yards passing for 11 points. Add those up and you get a stud tallying 35 fantasy points. Nice.

RB: Brian Westbrook: Westy didn’t play, and right before the game I switched him with Brian Westbrook because he was my only option. Not the best option but, Correll had 498 yards rushing and 39 yards receiving for 7 points. Better than notta.

RB: Larry Johnson: Grandma-ma only went for 1 score, but his 100 rushing yards and 41 receiving yards gave him 20 points on the week.

WR: Chris Chambers: Chambers continues to dissapoint, just like the rest of the Dolphins, as Miami lost to Houston. Chris got a late touchdown, though, and his 14 yards rushing, 28 yards receiving, and one touchdown got me 9 whole points.

WR: Steve Smith: Stevey dialed up 87 yards receiving and 1 touchdown against the Saints. I expected more, but, 16 points will do just fine.
TE: Ben Watson: watson only had 1 catch for 35 yards, yet another reason why the Patriots make me sick. 3 points for me.

K: Jeff Wilkins: Once again, Wilkins nutted up and got me some much needed points. His three 40-yarders, one 19-yarder, and three extra points rolled me 18 fantasy points… from a kicker. Damn.

D: Cowboys: The ‘Boys had their best defensive performance of the season, tallying 22 points for my squad. 2 sacks, 2 interceptions, and 4 forced fumbles brought me another big game out of my D.

LUCKY’S Week 2 SLEEPERS

Charlie Frye: Frye’s 3 touchdowns helped out his early turnovers to the tune of 15 fantasy points, out producing Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe, Mike Vick, and Jake Delhomme among others.

Kevin Jones: Jonesy tied for 3rd in the league with 21 fantasy points. A 4.3 yard per rush average, 93 yards and two scores did him well. Good little sleeper.

Julius Jones: Jonesy number 2 roared as well, tallying 18 points after 122 yards rushing and a touchdown.

Braylon Edwards: Braylon had a decent day, 6 catches for 75 yards, but without a score, he wasn’t the best play around.

Reggie Brown: Reggie ended up getting hurt as well, after a slow start. Not a good play.

Eric Johnson: Eric Johnson had a fantasy point. That wasn’t so hot.

Jaguars DST: Jacksonville fell asleep on defense, allowing 36 points to the Skins, 18 to Santana Moss alone. Not a good week for my bottom half sleepers.

LUCKY’S Week 1 WUSSIES

Kurt Warner: And by the 4th quarter, Warner as a starting presence in the NFL was no more. Hope you took my advice.

Thomas Jones: T Jones impressed me with a nice game against the Hawks. Or maybe Seattle just depressed me with the worst game I’ve ever seen them play. Jones had 98 yards, and two touchdowns. The was the 3rd highest scoring runner. Not a wussy!

Chad Johnson: Chad didn’t have great numbers, that’s for sure. He had 60 yards receiving as the Patriots handled the Bengals easily.

Reuben Droughns: Reub had 12 fantasy points, which is a nice performance for him this year. 100 rushing, 20 receving. I was wrong about this one.

Week 5 College Football Picks Review: 2006

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ITS about damn time! Feels good to be a big winner in the college ranks for the first time this season. 8-2. Rockin’ it Ya’ll. This is how I did it. And my two losses, I missed covering by a point in each one. Not a bad week, not bad at all.

Auburn Tigers @ South Carolina Gamecocks (+14.5): Winner winner chicken dinner. I kept looking at this game on Thursday, asking myself what the hell I was thinking. And it all worked out. Some how the Tigers didn’t have their roar, allowing SC to play with them for most of the game. A late score kept Auburn undefeated, but I still rolled to victory 1.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights (-3) @ South Florida Bulls: Rutgers couldn’t win by enough to keep me happy. For the 5th week in a row, I was broken by a point. One point, one loss.

Virginia Cavaliers (-5) @ Duke Blue Devils: Hahahaha…. I still can’t believe this game had a 5 point spread. Unbelievable. Duke… Haha… Virginia held on late, winning 37-0. What a joke. Win number 2, I’ll take it with a smile.

Toledo Rockets @ Pittsburgh Panthers (-14): What can I say? When it’s going well, it’s really going well. The Panthers blew out the Rockets to the beat of 45-3. I love it when it’s a sure thing.

Alabama Crimson Tide (+14) @ Florida Gators: What do you know, lost this game by a point. I hate points. Check that, points are fine, one singular point sucks. The Tide could only manage a field goal in the 2nd half as Florida scored 21 to upend ‘Bama 28-13. Loser.

Oregon Ducks (-1) @ Arizona State Sun Devils: Lets see, does 48 to 13 cover the spread? Let me check. Oregon -1. 48 minus 13… Oh, yeah, apparently 35 points is plenty in this situation. Feels good to know what’s going one. Took me a few weeks, but this is lookin’ good.

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (+10) @ Virginia Tech Hokies: How about this? Not only did I pick this game, I told you Tech was getting the upset. Check it out.. “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.” Winner.

California Bears (-9) @ Oregon State Beavers: 41-13. Yeah they covered, and not by a measly point either. The Bears dominated because they are many times better than the Beave. Love the Pac 10 winners, baby.

Ohio State Buckeyes (-6) @ Iowa Hawkeyes: You heard it here… “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.” Winner.

Washington Huskies (+4) @ Arizona Wildcats: I don’t care that they only scored in one quarter. That quarter was the 2nd, and it just so happened to be 21 points, and that easily held against the Wildcats. I can’t believe it, I bet on the Dawgs, and they came through in fine fashion. Boy-O-Boy, it feels a lot better to go 8-2 than it does to go 5-7. Let the wins roll!