Monthly Archives: October 2007

Week 8 College Football Picks Review: 2007

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There we go! 4-1… It’s all coming back around. I had a big week, and I hope you did, too. This is how I took home four out of five.
Free Picks: Week 8

Oregon Ducks (-11) @ Washington Huskies: (winner)
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

“The Huskies are a great first half team, but the Ducks are a great every down team. The Dogs should be close at half time, but with a defense that breaks down the stretch, I expect a Ducks team that can put up points in a hurry, to win without much trouble. Dennis Dixon is magic.” What can I say? I called this game to a T. The dogs played well for just around 3 quarters, but their defense spent too much time on the field, and in the end, their offense couldn’t go blow for blow with Oregon. The Ducks won by 21.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Purdue Boilermakers (-7): (winner)
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

“I like Purdue to be too offensive for the Hawkeyes. I know that’s what I expected last week when I had Purdue taking down Ohio State, but this week it will come true.” The Boilermakers scored a touchdown or more in every single quarter, and easily beat the Hawkeyes 31-6 – as their defense stepped up and allowed only two field-goals. And how about that offense? Just like I predicted, Purdue ran the Hawkeyes off the field. 315 yards passing for Curtis Painter, and three touchdowns to boot. Easy win for me.

Michigan Wolverines @ Illinois Fighting Illini (+3): (loss)
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

This game was a bit of a joke. The game was tied at 17, and Michigan was driving, well, kind of. What actually happened was Michigan cashing in on personal fouls, late hits, and face mask penalties all the way down the field. But that still wasn’t enough, and they had to punt anyway. However, Illinois bailed the Wolverines out when they muffed a punt and soon after that the Wolverines scored an easy touchdown on a reverse pass.

Arkansas Razorbacks (-4.5) @ Mississippi: (winner)
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: SBGGlobal)

“I know they’re favored on the road, which is rarely a good thing, but the Razorbacks have too much talent in their rushing attack for the boys from Mississippi to handle. McFadden is a beast, probably the scariest weapon in all of college football. I like his chances to fight back and have a big game after a sub-par performance last week.” McFadden and Jones rushed for 100+ yards each, and the Razorbacks didn’t allow a point until the 4th quarter. This game was too easy. The talent on Arkansas showed up when it was most important, converting on 66% of their 3rd downs, and reeling off big plays. Another easy win.

Kansas State Wildcats (+3) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys: (winner)
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

I was wrong about this game – but I still covered. I thouh K-State would run through the Cowboys and OK State would be lulling. Well, they pulled off 17 4th quarter points and ended up taking the crown by a deuce. It was one hell of a game, and like I said, the Cowboys played much better than I imagined. But hey, a cover’s a cover – and a win is a win is a win.

4-1… That’s been along time coming.

Free NFL Football Picks 07-08 Week 7

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A nice 4-2-1 week in week 6 has me on the up and up, but I’ll need two solid winners in a row if I want to even think about smelling a winning streak. I’ve got the early lines in and this is how I think I’m going to do it.

Atlanta Falcons (+9) @ New Orleans Saints:
(Line: Thursday, 3:30am EST: Bookmaker)

I don’t care who is quarterbacking the Falcons, they’ve had a crappy passing attack in every single game except one all season long. The Leftwich change doesn’t do much. Joey wasn’t as bad as people made him out to be, his receiving corps left him out to dry. Anyway, maybe Leftwich will give the Falcons a chance to get deep, who knows. What I do know is that the Falcons defense has played good football for most of the season, and they’ll show up to play the Saints, they always do. What has New Orleans done to deserve 9? And the public still likes the Saints? I don’t buy it. In fact, I’m selling it. Take the Falcons, they have great value at +9.

Baltimore Ravens (-3) @ Buffalo Bills:
(Line: Monday, 1:30pm EST: Bookmaker)

Trent Edwards may eventually be the Jim Kelly golden boy the Bills organization has been dream of since Jim hung it up, but I don’t like rookie quarterback against the Ravens. That is what you’d call a bad match-up. The public loves this bet, everyone and their mother is taking the Ravens, but I don’t see it any other way. You either take the Ravens, or you don’t take it at all. I wouldn’t advise a huge play on Baltimore, if only because the books really seem to like the Bills in this one, but hey, I personally think the books are wrong.

New England Patriots (-16.5) @ Miami Dolphins:
(Line: Monday, 1:30pm EST: Bookmaker)

I know Cleo Lemon looked good last week against Cleveland, but give your head a shake if you think the youngster will do up the Patriots secondary. I know the Patriots have yet another college spread to cover, but compared to New England, yeah, the Dolphins are a college team. For those Dolphin backers out there, how can you bet on a team that traded their top receiving threat for a 2nd round pick next season, and waived the only safety that was making any plays in their secondary. Look at that starting secondary and tell me they are going to slow down Tom Brady… While I’m waiting, I’ll be laying some cash down on the Patriots.

Tennessee Titans @ Houston Texans (+1.5):
(Line: Thursday, 3:30am EST: Bookmaker)

Look at this one on Sunday Morning. If the Titans are starting Vince Young, take the Titans, he’s just not a good guy to wager against. However, I’ll just bite the bullet and take the Texans, because even with Vince, the Titans aren’t a sure thing. But with Kerry Collins throwing balls in Tennessee, I really like the Texans chances to move ahead of the Titans here. Matt Schaub is coming off a couple bad games, and I think he’ll turn it around this week at home.

N.Y. Jets (+7) @ Cincinnati Bengals:
(Line: Thursday, 3:30am EST: 5Dimes)

I don’t buy the Bengals as a 7 point favorite. I think Cinci’s defense is bad enough to allow Chad Pennington to have a big day, which does not bode well for the Bengals. I also think Thomas Jones could rush for about 150 yards in Cinci this week. It will be a high scoring affair, I can almost guarantee you that. The Bengals don’t have much of a rushing attack, and I think that will be the dagger in their covering hearts. Look at it this way; the only team the Bengals have beat is an overrated Ravens team, and they only won because the Ravens turned the ball over 6 times. I can’t wait to watch this game on Sunday.

Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (-4.5):
(Line: Monday, 1:30pm EST: Bookmaker -4.5)

I don’t like this game at all. If I didn’t take every game, I would leave this one alone. I want to take the Bears, because the Eagles have been, well, frankly crappy. I want to take the Eagles because the Bears have been brutal all season long, minus one half against the Packers. Anyway, I’m taking the home team here, because I think the Eagles defense will be too much for Brian Griese to handle. A couple Rexxy-like interceptions in this one will probably be enough to cover. I advise you to sit this one out, but if you’re picking your weekly office pool, and need to lean one way or another, take the Eagles because of their defensive strength.

St. Louis Rams @ Seattle Seahawks (-8.5):
(Line: Thursday, 3:30am EST: Belmont)

The Seahawks are the better team here. The Rams defense is brutal. Their offense is worse. They don’t have the bulk to out-muscle a relatively soft Hawks defensive front, and when Marc Bulger goes back to pass, his offensive line full of back-ups won’t give him nearly enough time to pick apart the Seahawks. I also don’t think the Hawks will struggle at home again after the Saints embarrassed them last week. This is usually where the Hawks step it up, and I think they’ll do just that this week at home.

Ask Papa Weimer Fantasy Football Know-It-All Oct 19

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Here we are, Week 7 and we’re riding the pivot in most fantasy leagues. This week marks the half way point of the regular season, and you’re in one of three places, you’re either getting crushed at the bottom (Those who drafted Marc Bulger, Steven Jackson, Shaun Alexander, and Lee Evans), hanging in the middle (decent draft, better pick-ups) or you’re looking down at the pack (took a chance on went for Ronnie Browns upside, took Randy Moss a round or two earlier that people thought, took Tom Brady in round 3, and rode with the idea that Marion Barber would keep scoring touchdowns. Either one, you have a chance, to be fooled – here’s my question and answer section for Week 7.

Drop me your Fantasy Questions @ ——

Papa Weimer-
I’ve had the worst luck in Fantasy Football, you’d think my ass was on the cover of John Madden or something. I took Steven Jackson, then Reggie Bush (thought he was a steal), got a solid quarterback in Donovan McNabb, and picked Lee Evans and Reggie Brown in the 4th and 5th – well, as you well know, it’s been a painful season thus far. However, I somehow managed a .500 record through 6 weeks. Should I ride with my guys? Or should I take a trade offer giving me Derek Anderson, Braylon Edwards, and Maurice Jones-Drew for McNabb, Evans, and Jackson? – Doug D in Missoula

I’m always a guy that says “stick to your guns” but I kind of like this trade for you. I think the Browns have played better than they are, but they will have to put up points all season long because their defense is brutal, so Edwards is a nice receiver, and will probably score at least as much as Evans down the stretch. Anderson has played well, and like I said, he’ll be tossing the rock around as long as he’s healthy, and trading McNabb shouldn’t kill you that much – that offense has looked pathetic, with receivers running short annoyingly painful routes, and McNabb getting sacked too often. The fact that they only put up 16 against the Jets scares me more than a little bit. Getting Jones-Drew could prove to be a steal, Fred Taylor was taking time off with a groin injury last week in the 2nd half, and Taylor hasn’t necessarily been a beacon of health over his career. I think Jones-Drew is a Fred Taylor injury away from being a top 5 fantasy back. That’s worth a chance. Jackson may be out for a couple more weeks, and when he comes back, what? Is he going to set the league on fire behind that offensive line? I don’t think so. I say take this trade, cut your losses, and hope the guys you are getting don’t do any Madden commercials in the near future.

My defense is the Pack, and they’re on bye, so do you have any quick picks for Week 7 – some of the top scorers out there are, Indy, Buffalo, Seattle, Washington, the Giants, and the Lions… (how are they a high scoring team?). -Phil Rowland in Beaver Falls

Phil, I’d roll with either the Redskins of the Giants. Both of their opponents will be starting less than average quarterbacks, and both offenses have struggled under those guys. Trent Dilfer will try to tame the recent success the Giants have had on defense, while Timothy Rattay will be the guy trying to break the Redskins. I think Indy could be alright, but David Garrard makes very few mistakes, and that running game has been fierce over the last two games – their upside is extremely limited. The Bills just can’t be as good as they’ve played, and although they play a less than stellar offensive unit from Baltimore, you’d think Willis McGahee will be running at another level against his old team. Seattle’s defense is good, and I actually like them as a stop-gap play this weekend against the Rams, but I like the Skins and Giants more. The Lions are terrible, and I have no idea how the fantasy stats have turned in their favor? I’m old and I don’t care to look into it; all I know is, I wouldn’t start them against Northwestern. I think the Redskins are actually the better of the two defenses, and Frank Gore could have a big day if the 49ers actually attack that 4 defensive end front the Giants have been playing with, so I’d go with Washington. I don’t think Kurt plays this week, and even if he does, he’s show he’s at least turnover prone. The Redskins run the ball well, play solid defense, and Sean Taylor has been playing really well in the middle of that defense. They’re a nice option this week.

Papa, I know you’re old, so you probably saw some good “old” running backs in your day. Is there anyone, or any combination of guys that compare to the young Adrian Peterson? A guy recently offered me LT for AP – even though Peterson is a stone cold pimp – I have to take this offer, right? – Samson Diggs from Minnesota

He sure looked good last week, didn’t he? Hell, he’s looked good all season. Honestly, the scary thing about AP is his speed. He’s a big powerful back, and he seems to scoff at tackling attempts on every play, but his breakaway speed and explosion at the hole is something special. Shaunna Alexander should watch films on this young buck. As far as some old timers such as my self, I’d go with Bo Jackson, actually. You probably know Bo – he was one hell of a runner. His injury woes obviously derailed his career, but Bo had an amazing burst and ran with a rage similar to AP. If Bo could have stayed healthy, he would have been a Hall-of-Fame candidate for sure. I hope Peterson has at least 8 years of top-level play in his legs. I’d say Jim Brown, but Peterson is faster – and it’s very hard to compare old school players with the kids today. There are lots of guys who kind of compare, but Peterson does look like the real thing, with no weakness in his game. But, the Vikings are set on not using AP’s legs up so early, and they want to keep their prize possession healthy, so they’ll limit his touches this season. I’d say that trade for LT is a great deal for you – do it now, before that guy gets his head on straight.

I’m in a keeper league, and my 0-6 start has me thinking next year. I have Steven Jackson, a guy I’m holding on to, but I also have Tom Brady and Marshawn Lynch. I can only keep 2 guys, and LT’s owner has offered me LT for Brady and Lynch – do you think that’s a good move for the future? – Alex Downing in Boise

I like Lynch, and I like Brady – but I like LT more. I know Brady has been A-mazing this season, and Lynch looks like a dandy in Buffalo, but I think LT will have at least one more LT season next year, maybe 2, and you have to want that on your fantasy team. Especially if you have no chance at cashing out this season. Tomlinson now has a receiving corps that includes Antonio Gates, Vincent Jackson, and Chris Chambers – I’ve never been a huge Chambers fan, but he’s definitely going to open up that offense in San Diego. Also, I’ve always been a fan of the over confident, big headed kid from NC State, Phillip Rivers. He’ll get better over the next couple seasons, and take some pressure off of LT’s legs. It’s tough to give up Brady, and this trade may seem lopsided, but I think you have to do it in your position.
Papa Weimer – **52 y/o – two open Heart surgeries and a nasty attitude**

2007 Fantasy Football Review – Week 7

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This Week’s Top Team: 129 points… This is the best week of the season – the whole Tom Brady thing is where I went right, but there was still one donkey puncher out there… Check out my sleepers – I put out one hell of a fantasy performance there. Also, I killed it in my “bench em” section, as even the high scoring Giant receiver didn’t put much up.QB: Tom Brady vs. Miami: 50 points for Brady. Yes, it’s possible. Rare for a quarterback, but in a 6 point TD league, with a bonus here and there for long passes to amazingly good receivers, Tom did the dirty half-century mark right in. Tom’s 354 yards, flawless passing, and 6 TDs were a fantasy quarterback’s best this season. So it’s only down hill from here.

RB: Thomas Jones vs. Cincinnati: Thomas Jones, on the other hand, was a pile in Week 7, despite going head to head versus a terrible Bengals defense. New York scored a lot, and needed to pound the clock to keep Palmer and company off the field, but Jones couldn’t get going for what seems like the 6th week this season. Ugh. 67 yards, 6 points.

RB: Larry Johnson vs. Oakland: LJ finished with 19 fantasy points, good for 2nd in the league this weekend. He had 112 yards rushing, 20+ receiving, and a touchdown on the ground. Not a big day for running backs, but I’ll take the #2 guy any week.

WR: T.J Houshmandzadeh vs. N.Y. Jets: Housh had one of his least productive days of the season, but still put up 40 yards and another touchdown. 10 points from my receiver, I’ve had worse.

WR: Chad Johnson vs. NY Jets: Chad had 11 points, reeling in a bunch of yards without a score. The Bengals didn’t torch the Jets through the air as much as I thought they’d have to, because Kenny Watson was doing work, he went for 3 TDs, stealing TD dance thunder from Chad.

TE: Jason Witten vs. Minnesota: “I think Witten will go for about 100 yards, and maybe even a score.” (Me) Well, he had the most yards amongst tight ends, going for 86, just under my prediction, but Witten disappointed fantasy owners by not bringing in a touchdown. He’s a TE, 8 points is a nice day for this group.

K: Matt Bryant vs. Detroit: Bryant only had 1 FG and an extra point – his 40+ yarder made it a 5 point day for my kicker. These padded soccer players are killing me this year, go ahead and fade me on kickers…

D: Redskins vs. Cardinals: The Skins didn’t get to tear Tim Rattay a new one, as Kurt Warner elected to start. That didn’t make me too happy, but the Skins still finished 5th amongst defenses, putting up 20 points in my league that rewards solid defensive play.

LUCKY’S Week 7 SLEEPERS

Chad Pennington: Say what you will about Chad Pennington, but I put him up as a sleeper, and sure enough, he came through in fine fashion. Chad dealt out the 5th best days amongst fantasy quarterbacks, can’t say much bad about that. 26 pts and an A+ for me.

Jeff Garcia: Sticking with my A+ theme in the sleeper quarterback zone, Garcia finished 6th amongst signal callers and hooked me up with 21 fantasy points. That’s better than either of the Mannings or a Brees….

Maurice Jones-Drew: JD had 12 fantasy points, good for 13th overall – but the Jaguars fell behind early, and despite getting a fair amount of touches, Drew fell short of my expectations. Still, 12 points, and a Top 15 RB finish is pretty solid for a sleeper – so I’ll take a B-.

Brandon Jacobs: Jacobs finished 6th overall this week, as he reached the century mark for the 2nd straight week. He also tacked on a touchdown, making those who listened to me a smart group. A+

LenDale White: The guy they call “Chubs” was putting in work on Sunday. Talk about grinding it out, White had 27 carries to get him 104 yards (the yards were tough to come by when the Titans were running out the clock) and his 4 catches netted him 22 yards as well. The goal-line back grabbed a touchdown to boot, and he nabbed a #4 spot in this week’s running back rankings. A+

Laurence Maroney: Maroney didn’t get starter’s carries, and I was once again fooled by the Patriot running situation. LM did take 6 carries for 31 yards, and looked good in his limited action, but if you were fooled like I was, I’m sincerely sorry. F

Roddy White: White was clicking on some deep balls from Byron Leftwich, catching all 8 balls thrown his way, for 110 yards and a touchdown. Good for #5 amongst wide receivers. That’s what I’m talking about – A+

Greg Olsen: Olsen reeled in a couple passes for 46 yards, which wasn’t bad for TE’s but not the big sleeper stats I was looking for, really. C

Seattle’s DST: My sleeper pick was #1 overall – that’s a good thing, and that’s worth an A++ – championship. And wow, those Rams are even worse offensively than I thought.

LUCKY’S Week 7 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Cleo Lemon: Lemon had just 12 fantasy points, and that was because of a big rushing touchdown that netted him half his stats. He played a little better than I thought, but he ranked 19th overall, making him not worth a start. Give me a B for this one.

Ahman Green: Green had 30+ rushing and 30+ receiving, but didn’t do much else. He got 6 fantasy points this week, finishing out of the Top 20. B+

Cedric Benson: Benson had 46 rushing yards and 5 total fantasy points – if you sat him like I suggested, you did the smart thing. B+

Javon Walker: Walker didn’t play, so this was an easy win for me. Apparently, the former Packer will be out of his Bronco digs for about another month. A

Plaxico Burress: “Either Plax has been playing too well or Nate Clements will be on him all day long. Either way, Plax is ready to bring it down a notch, those 8 touchdowns are a little out of the ordinary. Plus, the Giants will run the ball a lot against SF.” (Me) What can I say, when I call ’em good, I call ’em good. I was suggesting a benching of one of the hottest receivers in the game, and if you did, it paid off, Burress had 40 yards, and that’s it. A+

2007 Fantasy Football theRUNDOWN Week 7

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This Week’s Top Team: Somehow, somewhere, my RunDown for week 6 didn’t get put up. As you can imagine, I killed it. With LT and LJ, Tom Brady and Randy Moss, and I even had Plaxico up again – and that would have killed it – but lost in cyber space it is. So, I’ll just have to get back up and do damage again. Here’s how I’m going to do it.

QB: Tom Brady vs. Miami: I hate Miami’s team. Their defense is the worst thing about it. And I don’t thin Brady will let up this week. He’ll have yet another 3 touchdown game, because that’s what Brady does. He gets really hot girls pregers, and does work on the football field.

RB: Thomas Jones vs. Cincinnati: I know picking Thomas is a bit of a risk, but if the Jets want to slow down the Bengals, it’s not like they can rely on their defense. They’ll need Jones to account for about 150+ yards to have a chance. I think he will, and thus the Jets will be close.

RB: Larry Johnson vs. Oakland: L J will do the Raiders dirty on Sunday. Oakland showed last week that a star runner is like kryptonite to their chances of success on defense. L J will be running like a man possessed, trying to inch the Chiefs toward an unexpected playoff run. (I know it’s too early for that kind of talk, sorry)

WR: T.J Houshmandzadeh vs. N.Y. Jets: I like the Cincinnati connection on Sunday. Carson to TJ and Chad. I know Chad has been a little volatile, and TJ has just never stopped catching passes since the season started. But the Bengals have to win this game or they’ll self destruct. TJ and Chad will have a lot to do with that win.

WR: Chad Johnson vs. NY Jets: See above.

TE: Jason Witten vs. Minnesota: The Vikings have a tough defense, but struggle down the middle and stopping a decent passing attack. The Cowboys will be ready to play after losing to the Pats by 20, and I think Witten will go for about 100 yards, and maybe even a score. Lord knows running the ball rarely does dick against the Vikes.

K: Matt Bryant vs. Detroit: Detroit can’t stop much, and the Bucs aren’t a big scoring team. That means moving the ball and field goal tries to get a win. I like Bryant’s possibilities to do that here.

D: Redskins vs. Cardinals: The Cards will be wheeling Tim Rattay out there against a tough Redskins defense… Need I say more?

LUCKY’S Week 7 SLEEPERS

Chad Pennington: Chad may be the guy everyone loves to hate in New York right now. Well him and A-Rod, but that’s another story. Anyway, Pennington gets his “last chance” when he goes up against Cincinnati this weekend. If he can’t throw touchdowns against that defense, he’s a goner for sure. I like his chances, but think Clemmens is better for this team.

Jeff Garcia: The Bucs play the Lions, and I really don’t care if Detroit is coming off their bye week. I don’t care if they studied the Bucs all season long. The bottom line is, Jeff will have to produce to keep up with the Lions, and that makes him a good start.

Maurice Jones-Drew: Fred may be out for this game, that would mean a sure “huge game” from Jones-Drew. Look what he does with less than 15 carries, imagine what he’ll do with 20+.

Brandon Jacobs: The 49ers have a pretty solid secondary, either that or they can’t stop the run so teams feel fine rushing the ball 30 times a game. Either way, I like Jacobs to push for a score or two.

LenDale White: Chris Brown may be out this week, and Kerry Collins isn’t going to light up the airways if he starts. Either way, White is going to get plenty of touches, and against Houston’s rush defense, I like what White has to offer.

Laurence Maroney: With Morris hurt, this may be the perfect time to ride Maroney’s jog back to full health. They’ve been slow with the very talented back, and against the Dolphins looks like his time to shine.

Roddy White: I know the Falcons drop more passes than TO on a bad day, but White should find a way to torch the Saints. This game will be closer than many think, and White’s big plays will help keep the Falcons in it.

Greg Olsen: A tight end sleeper is a magnificent thing, and Olsen just might be your man this week. Philly’s secondary is hurting without Dawkins in, and a speedster like Olsen might just be the Bears’ only hope for big plays on Sunday.

Seattle’s DST: The Hawks play the Rams, and while Bulger is coming back, I don’t see that line every slowing down a Hawks rush that will be coming all day long. Also, Seattle needs this win bad after getting humiliated on Sunday Night Football by the Saints.

LUCKY’S Week 7 Splinter-Butts (bench him, son)

Cleo Lemon: Don’t be confused by the big stats last week, this week the Patriots come to town, and they aren’t the Browns. Look for Lemon to have a tough day at the helm minus his #1 receiver. I don’t I’d like to have to face the Patriots with a rookie starting at receiver – but that’s just me.

Ahman Green: Not only is Green in trouble going up against Tennessee, but the Titans D might feel like they have to be even stingier with Vince possibly out of the lineup. That combo means bad things for Green, who has been disappointing thus far.

Cedric Benson: Sure, the Bears wish they had Thomas Jones, because Benson isn’t doing it. But the Bears’ O-line has been pretty suspect to. Anyway, against Philly’s solid run defense, I don’t expect much out of Cedric.

Javon Walker: In his first game back, he has to play the Steelers? Yikes. The Steel show has shut down everyone this side of Anquan Boldin this season, and I don’t expect them to yield too much to the Broncos. Stay away from Walker another day.

Plaxico Burress: Either Plax has been playing too well or Nate Clements will be on him all day long. Either way, Plax is ready to bring it down a notch, those 8 touchdowns are a little out of the ordinary. Plus, the Giants will run the ball a lot against SF.

Fantasy Football Tear Jerkers – Week 7

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Fantasy Football Know-It-All

Sorry for the small paragraphs – Lucky’s “OLD” back is trying to get me out of this chair as fast as possible. These are the guys that aided my back pain this weekend…

Laurence Maroney: Not only do we here at LuckyLester.com think this guy is one of the most talented running backs in the league, but I personally think he has the talent to be the best fantasy back in the league. With Brady putting up huge numbers, and Belichick trying to hold off on breaking Laurence down, the guy only got 6 carries. He got 31 yards, but 3 points from my starting runner is a tough pill to swallow.

Marques Colston: I know the sophomore slump gets guys hard, but this was Colston’s 6th week of the season, and his 5th time producing 6 fantasy points or less – that’s just downright terrible. He makes me cry, mainly because I can’t drop this guy.

Joey Galloway: Joey had 4 points as well, but you probably, like me, expected him to do big terrible things to the Lions, especially with Jeff Garcia putting up 300+ yards and a couple scores. But, that wasn’t the case, and that kind of pissed me off.

Jerious Norwood: The Falcons needed to run, and they needed something better than Warrick Dunn’s 2 yards per carry – but still, Jerious managed only 3 fantasy points. How so low? Well, for the 5th time this year, he had 6 carries. In fact, this dynamic runner has never had more than 9 carries this season. This Bobby Patrino guy looks more and more like a dip-shit every day. To start the week, he dropped Grady Jackson, the defensive tackle that was killing opposing teams’ rushing attack. Nice, buddy.

Jason Campbell: I love this kid, but he had 1 damn point. He only got a few chances to throw the ball, but 95 yards – my god, tell one of those receivers to do something with their life. It’s hard to think about starting Campbell next week, especially with the Patriots looming.

Marc Bulger: -1 fantasy points – and he looked bad. Not only that, but when his head coach gave him a good talking to, Marc rolled the eyes like a little girl. Wow – this guy has SUCKED this season. Hard to watch him be this bad, unless you’re a Hawk fan. 21-40 for 225 yards and 3 picks – nice day, bub.

(Also considered; – All Rams and Dolphins – get a damn win, fellas, would you?)

Free College Football Picks Week 8 – 2007

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Week 8 should prove to be much more profitable than my week 7 venture. With a couple easy games, I think 4-1 is all but guaranteed this week. Check out my free picks, and enjoy the writeups!

LUCKY LESTER’S NCAA Football Pick’em

Free Picks: Week 8

Oregon Ducks (-11) @ Washington Huskies:
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

The Huskies are a great first half team, but the Ducks are a great every down team. The Dogs should be close at half time, but with a defense that breaks down the stretch, I expect a Ducks team that can put up points in a hurry, to win without much trouble. Dennis Dixon is magic.

Iowa Hawkeyes @ Purdue Boilermakers (-7):
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

I like Purdue to be too offensive for the Hawkeyes. I know that’s what I expected last week when I had Purdue taking down Ohio State, but this week it will come true. Now that the Boilermakers have that OSU game out of the way, all they can think about is now, and this is a must win for the Boilermakers. Iowa is a tough team, but in the end, I like the Boilermaker passing attack to win by a couple touchdowns.

Michigan Wolverines @ Illinois Fighting Illini (+3):
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

I don’t think much of the Wolverines, especially without Mike Hart (a very distinct possibility in this one) and I don’t know how the Wolverines are favored on the road against a very good Illini team. It’s all pretty confusing to me. Michigan has won 5 straight, but hasn’t looked amazing in many games this year. I like Illinois to expose the Wolverine’s defense and win out right in this one. I don’t know why one 6-10 loss to Iowa would drop the Illini so far after wins over Penn State and Wisconsin, so I’m taking them here.

Arkansas Razorbacks (-4.5) @ Mississippi Rebels:
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: SBGGlobal)

Both teams are winless in conference, but I like the Razorbacks to get off the snide in this one. I know they’re favored on the road, which is rarely a good thing, but the Razorbacks have too much talent in their rushing attack for the boys from Mississippi to handle. McFadden is a beast, probably the scariest weapon in all of college football. I like his chances to fight back and have a big game after a sub-par performance last week.

Kansas State Wildcats (+3) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys:
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

After basically crushing the Nebraska athletics program with a 45-14 road win last week in Lincoln, I might even have a lull this week. I can’t imagine how the Cowboys are going to react. Think about it. They just came off a game where the Cornhuskers reacted by firing their AD, questioning their coaching staff, looking for ways to rebuild, all the while preparing for next weeks game. And they were the cause of this. At home this week, they’ll play a much tougher foe in K-State, a team that has plenty of speed and know-how, and will strike quick if OK-State doesn’t have their A game. I can’t imagine they will, so I’m taking the Wildcats.

Week 6 NFL Picks Review: 2007

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Week 6 wasn’t too bad to me. I was 4-2-1 with my free picks, with a couple big wins, a couple close wins, and a push that happened because a kicker missed a chip shot. Overall, I’m happy with a week that could have been better or worse, I’ll take the 4-2-1 chip and be happy.

Minnesota Vikings (+6) @ Chicago Bears: (win)
(Line: Tuesday, 6:00pm EST: Bodog)

“I think the Vikings and Bears are right about equal. Before the season, I didn’t think the bears looked as good as they have been, and then injuries flooded that secondary. The Vikings are pretty healthy, and come in with a formidable rushing attack that will definitely put pressure on the bears’ defensive front. Adrian Peterson (the Vikings version, not the bears’) is an absolute beast. The Packers showed that the bears can be run on, and I think the Vikings will take note. With Chester Taylor working in tandem with Peterson, they’ll both stay fresh and pound this game to a close finish.” I can’t say that this game could have been picked any better. They were about equal, AP was a beast, Taylor did his thing, and the bears gave up close to a million yards on the ground. I win and I look smart, can’t do much better than that.

St. Louis Rams (+10) @ Baltimore Ravens: (loss)
(Line: Tuesday, 6:00pm EST: NewBodog)

“I think Gus Frerote can lead the Rams to enough scoring drives to put pressure on the Ravens. The Ram O-Line seems to be playing better together, and that is what this game will rely on. I like the Ravens to win this one, but giving Baltimore a 10 point hole to dig out of seems like a poor wager. The Ravens have been bad (at least) offensively, and touchdowns have been very hard to come by. 10 points, even the pathetic Rams can give than spread a test. I like them to make a play late to finish just within the spread, giving me a big underdog win.” Well, what can I say, you eat it when you’re wrong, and I was wrong here. The Ravens didn’t do much offensively, kick a bunch of field goals because even with 5 interceptions, they still can’t put up points on a team like the Rams. But Gus didn’t do much besides throw the ball to the Ravens. 5 interceptions? My good God. I lose this one because I put too much on Gus to do a decent job.

Tennessee Titans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5): (win)
(Line: Thursday, 5:00pm EST: BetEd)

Well, Vince Young got a small taste of the Madden Curse, and the Bucs pulled out a late win by a field goal. I like -2.5 and am glad I jumped on this when I had the chance. I’m sure most of the books were on the side of the Titans, so you probably got just under 3 if you took this bet, too. A win is a win, by a half a point or by 10 points.

Washington Redskins @ Green Bay Packers (-3): (push)
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

“This is a very tough game, one of those I wouldn’t pick if I didn’t pick every single game. I think the Packers and Redskins are basically the same team. They both have tough defenses and thus far have been pretty one-dimensional offensively. The Packers pass the ball successfully, while most of the Redskins’ yards come on the ground. Over the last 2 games, Campbell has cut down on mistakes, but the Packers might just force him into an interception or two. I think this game goes to the Packers at home, but it’s a tough one to call, one I’d stay away from.” Well, can I call ’em or can I call em? Talk about two even teams with the home team finishing with a field goal advantage. Honestly, this should have been a win. If Mason Crosby hits a short field goal (less than 38 yards) then the Packers win, and I cover. The way it is, it was just a big fat push in a tough game to call.

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers (-9.5): (win)
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

“I just think LT has an LT day against the Raiders, and the Chargers win 28-14. That covers, not by a lot, but a cover is a cover. Phillip Rivers has looked decent enough lately to keep the Raiders’ honest, and Oakland’s defense hasn’t been as good this year as they were last time around. I know its hard to justify taking the Chargers after just one good game, but defensively they were so much better last week. Plus, I wasn’t one to buy the Chargers’ demise quite yet. A win here puts them back in first place in the AFC West.” I don’t know what to say besides the fact that I’m a genius. Haha. I’m pretty sure if you look back at this game, you’ll see that LT had an LT type day and the Chargers won 28-14, covering by just enough. That is exactly what I predicted. Yhatzee!

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks (-6.5): (loss)
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

Well, the Saints played like the Saints of old in the first half, and Reggie Bush finally found out what it was like to hit a hole hard. He had 3 big runs to get the Saints going, and misplays, bad calls, interesting coaching decisions, and a plethora of other things (including Shaunna Alexander’s pathetic attempts to run the ball) had the Seahawks down and out to the Saints. I missed this one. That’s for sure.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5): (win)
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

“The Jaguars are the better team here. They make fewer mistakes, they run the ball better, and their defense is more of a force. I know Houston started out hot, and this game is usually close, but because of the way Houston has been playing, I don’t see the Jaguars looking past this game like they have in the past. David Garrard may not be flashy, but he wins football games.” The Jaguars won by even more than I thought, and that was mainly due to getting Maurice Jones-Drew the ball. That kid is magic.

Week 7 College Football Picks Review: 2007

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Week 7 proved to be another stinger, and nobody likes their arm feeling like it’s on fire after a hit to the neck. Stingers suck. Anyway, here’s how my terrible Week 7 panned out.

LUCKY LESTER’S Free NCAA Football Picks

Hawaii Rainbow Warriors (-18) @ San Jose State: loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

Colt Brennan looked confused at times, and his receivers dropped plenty of balls. The kids still tossed 5 touchdowns, but those 5 interceptions made this game closer than I needed it to be. The Warrior pulled it out in overtime, but I lost my spread easily. One game in, one loss.

Oregon State Beavers @ California Bears (-14): loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

“I know this is a conference game, and you’d think I would have learned my lesson betting against a big spread and the Stanford Cardinals last week, but that just isn’t’ the case.” As it turns out, if you’re ranked in the Top 5, and in the Pac 10 – you’re about to be upset. I guess I need to learn my lesson, but in this one, the injury to Nate Longshore didn’t help my cause all that much. I was killed by injured quarterbacks all week long, in both the NCAAs and the NFL.

Auburn Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks (-3): loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

Auburn pulled out this victory in one hell of an ugly contest. Arkansas pulled ahead with 2 and change to go, but Auburn kicked a game winning field goal for a 9-7 win. I just didn’t expect the Tigers to shut down McFadden and Jones the way that they did.

San Diego State Aztecs @ Utah Utes (-14): win
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Belmont)

Thank God for the Utes!!! They dominated the Aztecs by just enough to make me a winner… in one game. Well, what can you do? Bet ’em big and go home with a loss. Believe you me, this has been a painful last couple weeks for Ole Lucky’s pocketbook.

Washington State Cougars (+19) @ Oregon Ducks: loss
(Line: Thursday, 5:00am EST: Bodog)

“Everything points to the Ducks in this game, except when you look at the small print.” And let me tell you this, sometimes the small print misguides you into believing that the past matters and the Cougars are actually decent enough to hang with Dennis Dixon and the Ducks… Well, forget the small print because it straight broke my balls in this one.

Luckily for me, I was once again a winner with my Elite picks – only 3-2, but I’ll take it…

Free NFL Football Picks 07-08 Week 6

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Week 5 wasn’t bad, but I’ve yet to hit a week right on the head. I have a feeling this is going to be that week. I haven’t changed anything up, and I’m sticking to my rules, which means I’m about to get right back on track. Follow my games, and if my Free Picks aren’t enough, dial up my Elite Action for this Sunday’s games.

Minnesota Vikings (+6) @ Chicago Bears:
(Line: Tuesday, 6:00pm EST: Bodog)

I think the Vikings and Bears are right about equal. Before the season, I didn’t think the Bears looked as good as they have been, and then injuries flooded that secondary. The Vikings are pretty healthy, and come in with a formidable rushing attack that will definitely put pressure on the Bears’ defensive front. Adrian Peterson (the Vikings version, not the Bears’) is an absolute beast. The Packers showed that the Bears can be run on, and I think the Vikings will take note. With Chester Taylor working in tandem with Peterson, they’ll both stay fresh and pound this game to a close finish.

St. Louis Rams (+10) @ Baltimore Ravens:
(Line: Tuesday, 6:00pm EST: NewBodog)

I think Gus Frerote can lead the Rams to enough scoring drives to put pressure on the Ravens. The Ram O-Line seems to be playing better together, and that is what this game will rely on. I like the Ravens to win this one, but giving Baltimore a 10 point hole to dig out of seems like a poor wager. The Ravens have been bad (at least) offensively, and touchdowns have been very hard to come by. 10 points, even the pathetic Rams can give than spread a test. I like them to make a play late to finish just within the spread, giving me a big underdog win.

Tennessee Titans @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-2.5):
(Line: Thursday, 5:00pm EST: BetEd)

After getting embarrassed last week by the Colts, Tampa should be back in full force on Sunday. I like all aspects of the Bucs’ team. They have a defense that hustles to the ball and makes tackles. They have an offense that doesn’t do anything great, but holds on to the ball for long periods of time, and Jeff Garcia is a leader. He makes very few mistakes, and accurately throws the ball. Tennessee has been doing well lately, as their only loss came against Indy. This game means something to both teams, but I’m going with the home team to cover by a field goal.

Washington Redskins @ Green Bay Packers (-3):
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

This is a very tough game, one of those I wouldn’t pick if I didn’t pick every single game. I think the Packers and Redskins are basically the same team. They both have tough defenses and thus far have been pretty one-dimensional offensively. The Packers pass the ball successfully, while most of the Redskins’ yards come on the ground. Over the last 2 games, Campbell has cut down on mistakes, but the Packers might just force him into an interception or two. The Packers didn’t run the ball well to start the season, but they’ll have Jackson, Morency, and Wynn healthy for the first time this season. I think this game goes to the Packers at home, but it’s a tough one to call, one I’d stay away from.

Oakland Raiders @ San Diego Chargers (-9.5):
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

I just think LT has an LT day against the Raiders, and the Chargers win 28-14. That covers, not by a lot, but a cover is a cover. Phillip Rivers has looked decent enough lately to keep the Raiders’ honest, and Oakland’s defense hasn’t been as good this year as they were last time around. I know its hard to justify taking the Chargers after just one good game, but defensively they were so much better last week. Plus, I wasn’t one to buy the Chargers’ demise quite yet. A win here puts them back in first place in the AFC West.

New Orleans Saints @ Seattle Seahawks (-6.5):
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

This Sunday Night game won’t quite have the hype it looked like it would have coming into the season. The Saints have been pathetic when compared to pathetic teams, and thus are winless coming into Seattle. I was convinced that New Orleans would start to play better, but after last week’s lost to the terrible Panthers, I’m not so sure. And coming into Seattle where the crowd always makes it tough on opposing offenses, plus they have to go up against a very tough defense led by Julian Peterson and Lofa – yeah, I have to take the Hawks here, even with that near-touchdown cushion they are giving.

Houston Texans @ Jacksonville Jaguars (-6.5):
(Line: Tuesday, 5:00pm EST: Bookmaker)

The Jaguars are the better team here. They make fewer mistakes, they run the ball better, and their defense is more of a force. I know Houston started out hot, and this game is usually close, but because of the way Houston has been playing, I don’t see the Jaguars looking past this game like they have in the past. David Garrard may not be flashy, but he wins football games. A 10 point win here looks like the right choice. Andre Johnson isn’t back yet, so that’s one more thing going right for the Jaguars.