First and Ten

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
NFL YTD: 39-28 (+8.00*)
NCAA YTD: 66-82 (-24.35*)

Chicago(-10) over Buffalo (1*)
- - A bad, bad Buffalo team shot their wad in a Monday night Super Bowl, and on a short week they will not be my side while being given the full attention of a hungry Bears team.

Minnesota(-4)(-115) over Detroit (1*)
- - Or not.

Seattle(-1)(-105) over Los Angeles Chargers (1*)
- - I was all over a rested Seattle team last week, playing as one for one of the league?s most beloved owners by his team and his community in Paul Allen. Seattle now returns for just their third home game of the season in Week #9, and I?m not sure the the Chargers off a restful bye after racking up 5 wins against bottom tier teams with a 10-29-1 record is going to be their ideal prep. The "12th-man" flag has been flying at half mast, but will once again rise on Sunday, and I will let Seattle carry my cash.

Baltimore(-1)(-115) over Pittsburgh (1*)
- - I started the week liking Pittsburgh as a live dog, but after my capping I see Baltimore as maybe (hopefully) being undervalued in a good situation.

Los Angeles Rams(-1)(-120) over New Orleans (1*)
- - New Orleans is a tough place to play, but New Orleans is off an emotional run of record setting, high drama escape, and revenge games. I think the oddsmakers are not hiding their belief that the Rams are being overlooked in this matchup.

New England(-5) over Green Bay (1 Biscuit)
- - My take on Green Bay last week was full confidence in an organization that has not lost the ability to show up in big games with close to their best in all areas, and getting two weeks to rest and prepare at midseason was truly the best of times to visit the last undefeated team, even benefitting from a friendly venue. While IMO still fresh this week, and certainly as urgent, were they steeled by the events of last week, or a little bit flattened? . . . New England is the best in the league at treating every opponent of equal importance, but I believe Tom Brady really wants this 12 on 12 game and his teammates will want to deliver it for him . . . Unlike last week, I struggle to see Green Bay as the team that rises up tonight.

New York Jets(+3) over Miami (1*)
- -

GL
 

lostinamerica

Registered User
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Oct 10, 2001
7,511
239
63
Between Green Bay and Iowa City
NFL YTD: 42-32 (+6.50*)
NCAA YTD: 82-90 (-17.10*)

Los Angeles Chargers(-10) over Oakland (2.0*)
- - The Chargers team that came out of their bye and bested Seattle across the board is going to smoke Oakland.

Green Bay(-10) over Miami (1.5*)
- - I have a definite opinion on whether it will be the Green Bay team or the Miami team, after watching both last week, that will be winning individual matchups on the tundra today.

Chicago(-6') over Detroit (1.5*)
- - Definitely seems like the right side, more so after reading these Bears have lost 10 straight divisional games.

After going 16-7 on Saturday, I should make those 3 plays and call it a week. But that ain?t happening.

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
7,511
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63
Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Atlanta(-5') over Cleveland (1*)
- - I was a little rushed last Sunday morning, and my biggest regret was not taking a serious look at Atlanta over Washington and making the winning call. A nice Washington team was clearly ripe to fall after two straight division games (and 3 straight wins overall). But what should have stood out to me was a well-coached, talented, and experienced Atlanta squad that had the guts to rally their season before making it to a much needed bye, and I had been expecting they would put that bye to good effect, but simply put, last week I missed it. Moving on, I have a good feeling that while Atlanta was regrouping, they were putting a big emphasis on not being a one shot wonder shooting out of the mid-season gate, and while much improved Cleveland is probably getting close to their own second wind on the season, I look for Atlanta to clearly be the better team this week.

Philadelphia(-7) over Dallas (1*)
- - I started my capping of this game believing strongly that Dallas is playing a little better rather than a little worse than they are being given credit for, and thinking they might deliver a major effort against a division rival that reigns as Super Bowl champs, and if they simply found a way to win the turnover battle they would probably win the game SU. But upon closer inspection, the first thing I see is Philadelphia is off a late season bye, while Dallas after Monday night is traveling on a short week. Under the circumstances, I will be comfortable pulling the trigger on the better coach with the better team in the better prime time situation.

Buffalo/New York Jets(Un38) (1*)
- - Two teams justifiably relying on their defenses all season are squaring off in a chilly divisional tussle in which I believe both teams are giving a QB their first starts of the season. I thought about a play on the Jets, but I can?t justify risking two units on what happens in this matchup.

Los Angeles Rams(-9) over Seattle (1*)
- - I believe QB Russell Wilson has amazingly lost only two games in his 6+ year career by more than 10 points. IMO Seattle has improved from where they were to start the season, but since returning from London, they have given two extremely emotional efforts to honor one of the league?s most beloved owners, by his organization and in his community. I?m definitely in the minority on this, but I just don?t see this as a good week for Seattle to now get a rematch against the Rams, which will be looking to not let the New Orleans game beat them twice . . . Recent developments with the general disruptions from the California fires, with some impacts maybe getting serious and personal among the squad, have me feeling less strongly about this play this morning, but I?m sticking with it.

- - All favorites and one total. If I had to add a play where I?m getting points, you may or may not be surprised if I would probably go with Washington(+3') as looking like something of a live dog.

GL
 

lostinamerica

Registered User
Forum Member
Oct 10, 2001
7,511
239
63
Between Green Bay and Iowa City
NFL YTD: 42-32 (+6.50*)
NCAA YTD: 82-90 (-17.10*)

Los Angeles Chargers(-10) over Oakland (2.0*)
- - The Chargers team that came out of their bye and bested Seattle across the board is going to smoke Oakland.

Green Bay(-10) over Miami (1.5*)
- - I have a definite opinion on whether it will be the Green Bay team or the Miami team, after watching both last week, that will be winning individual matchups on the tundra today.

Chicago(-6') over Detroit (1.5*)
- - Definitely seems like the right side, more so after reading these Bears have lost 10 straight divisional games.

After going 16-7 on Saturday, I should make those 3 plays and call it a week. But that ain?t happening.

I knew it. I knew it. Turn 3-0 on infrequent extra unit plays into pedestrian 4-4. I knew it.


Green Bay(+3)(+105) over Seattle (1 Biscuit)
- - To quote Bills HC Marv Levy, "WWII was a must win." If Green Bay has a desperate game, it's next week against Minnesota. Seattle is fighting only for a wild card, and are certainly the more desperate team in this spot . . . Green Bay and their "no one criticizes #12" campaign haven't been passing the eye test, a bevy of technical trends supporting the home team, as tough as any road assignment all season, and, and I just can't shake my belief in something much overdue.

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Oct 10, 2001
7,511
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Los Angeles Rams(-3)(-115) over Kansas City (1*)
- - Pretty sure I've never finished 2-2-2 for any week in the NFL . . . won't finish that way now, but 2-2-3 is possible . . . Was leaning to taking the points in a Monday night matchup worthy of the hype, but think the circumstances now favor the Rams in their first really big home moment since they shit the bed in the playoffs last year.

GL
 

lostinamerica

Registered User
Forum Member
Oct 10, 2001
7,511
239
63
Between Green Bay and Iowa City
NFL YTD: 48-38 (+7.75*)
NCAA YTD: 89-98 (-18.90*)

Detroit(+3)(-105) over Chicago (1*)
- - (1) I?m assuming Trubisky is out and Chase Daniel is in as the Bear?s QB. If Trubisky was in I?d be wagering on the Bears at -4' or so and taking my chances Chicago would find their way to prevail. (2) With Trubisky in, I think the Bears attack under HC Nagy in a dome might even have an added dimension of dangerous speed and elusiveness, but I just don?t see them operating with their frantic identity and dynamic with Chase Daniel behind center. (3) Clearly a backup QB can step into the breach in the middle of a game and deliver, and the defense and supporting cast often step up; regardless, I think the Bears are at a disadvantage with a game plan that was being built a week early and is now being rushed in any revisions (even if facing a familiar division foe), and implemented on a short week without normal practice repetitions for the sub. (4) I read it is unprecedented for a team to play on Sunday night and then travel for an early game on Thursday. Moreover, although there are rare occasions when teams meet in back to back weeks in the playoffs, and division rivals are sometimes scheduled to face off two weeks apart, I suspect it is also virtually unprecedented for a regular season divisional rematch in which the home team gets a chance to avenge a loss from only 11 days earlier. (5) Detroit has some advantage in this traditional spot every year, and I think the new regime has shown enough to think they are not going to be disadvantaged in the role this year. (6) I will not be at all surprised if Chicago wins in a 60 minute tussle, but I see a live dog that can carry my cash.

GL
 

lostinamerica

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Forum Member
Oct 10, 2001
7,511
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Between Green Bay and Iowa City
Washington(+7)(-105) over Dallas (1*)
- - I think the tussle in the Detroit game would have played out in much the same way 9 or at least 8 out of 10 times today, and in no more than 2 or 3 of those 10 scenarios would Chicago win by 7 . . . I like plenty of NCAA and NFL plays this week, but the Detroit game was the only one today that was easy for picking a side. I guess with first place on the line, I doubt Gruden will march this team out there and shit the bed badly.

GL
 

T

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Washington(+7)(-105) over Dallas (1*)
- - I think the tussle in the Detroit game would have played out in much the same way 9 or at least 8 out of 10 times today, and in no more than 2 or 3 of those 10 scenarios would Chicago win by 7 . . . I like plenty of NCAA and NFL plays this week, but the Detroit game was the only one that was easy for picking a side. I guess with first place on the line, I doubt Shanahan will march out there and shit the bed.

GL

Shanahan?
 
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