TDL’s Sports, Wrestling, & Otherwise

Bills +8.5 at Steelers: The Steelers crushed a bad team last week on the road. I can’t see them not crushing a bad team at home. I don’t believe in the “Do it for the paralyzed guy” effect. Steelers cover.

Colts -7 at Titans: If the Colts defense is as good as it looked last week, I don’t know if anything less than Colts -10 is a bad pick. Also: can anyone tell me which product is more over-saturated: Peyton Manning or Chevy Silverado. Discuss. Colts Cover.

Bengals -6.5 at Browns: It’s that wonderful time each year when you sit back and say: “Damn, Ohio has TWO football teams.” The Bengals pounded Ray Lewis’s defense last week while the Browns proved that good teams are still going to spank them. Bengals cover.

Packers at Giants: Giants may or may not be starting a back-up quarterback. I still think they can outscore the Packers. Giants

Texans +6.5 at Panthers: I have no idea what to do with the Texans yet. So far they’ve beaten a “meh” Chiefs team. Now they’re playing a “meh” Panthers team. Last week they contained a Herm Edwards ground attack. This week, they have the Panthers who just signed Christian Fauria as a legitimate second option for Jake Delhomme. The only question is do they cover. I think they do. Panthers cover.

Saints -3 at Bucs: The Bucs aren’t the Colts and they only managed to put up 6 against the Seahawks. I don’t understand this spread. The Bucs home field isn’t that intimidating. Saints cover.

Falcons +10 at Jaguars: Well, that bandwagon didn’t take long to fall apart, did it. Things like this is what makes me excited that Bill Simmons continually says how awful the Giants are. Regardless, I don’t get the spread here. It seems like it’s way too many points to be giving a team against another team that lost by three to the Titans a week ago. Falcons +10.

49ers +3 at Rams: I’m not sure how many wins it takes for a team to be becomes “spunky and unpredictable”… but I think the niners are that. I also think if the Rams can’t beat the Panthers, they’re in trouble. 49ers outright.

Vikings +3 at Lions: This is going to be a really tough game for the Vikings to go into Ford Field and win. Considering between Jon Kitna’s 10-game guarantee and the fact they didn’t fall on their face the first week. The crowd’s going to be into it and the team’s going to be into it. Lions cover.

Cowboys -3.5 at Dolphins: Speaking of bandwagons that fell apart rapidly, who’d the Dolphins tick off to get such a crappy schedule so early in the season. The Dolphins’ defense is better than the Giants’, but I think the Cowboys can do better than 3. Unless of course the Dolphins take a look at one piece of film and actually cover Jason Witten over the middle on 3rd. Cowboys cover.

Seahawks -3 at Cardinals: Seahawks -3 at Cards? Ha! Seahawks cover.

Jets +8 at Ravens: The Jets are starting a back-up quarterback, so they probably aren’t going to score a ton of points. Of course, neither or the Ravens. This smells like a 17-10 or 13-10 kind of game. This game also represents the Jets’ karmic backlash for last week. Never cheer an injury, you idiots. Jets +8.

Raiders +9 at Broncos: The Raiders still have not given me a reason to ever pick them with less than 2 touchdowns. Broncos cover.

Chiefs -12 at Bears: My gut is telling me asking the Bears to outscore anyone by 12 is nonsense. I’m going with that. Chiefs +12.

Chargers +4 at Patriots: I have never hated a team that I have absolutely no connection to than the Chargers. I want LDT to rush for like -35 yards. I just want this team to die. Oh, and they will because the Patriots are a better friggin team you whiny, “classy”, douchebag. Patriots cover.

Redskins +7 at Eagles: Well, this is the first true test of my theory. I think the Redskins are tremendously under-rated. I think the fact they just barely beat the Dolphins is more a function of a team getting its feet wet than a team who isn’t that good. I think the Eagles have been tremendously over-rated all pre-season. I think an Eagles’ team as good as everyone else thinks they are would have crushed the Packers, not left them in the game to win the way they did. I’m calling this the upset of the week. Redskins outright. Tiebreak points: 51. Take the over.

For the knockout pool: I try not to be crazy in the first week. I let other people do that and get knocked out because they think they’re going to put something over on someone. That said, if the Browns can’t beat the the Steelers at home, they’re not beating the Bengals on the road. Knockout Pool Pick of the week: Bengals over Browns.

W/W - Saints +6.5 at Colts: Colts cover. Why anyone thought this was going the other way fascinates me. Do the Colts still have to win more than 3 Super Bowls before they mystically morph into the bad guys?

L/L - Falcons +3 at Vikings: Falcons outright. Maybe Harrington is as bad as everyone thought.

W/W - Panthers -1 at Rams: Panthers.

W/L - Broncos -3.5 at Bills: Broncos win and cover. Heartbreaker for Buffalo. Why is no one pointing out that, had Everett connected with that tackle and not gotten paralyzed, the league probably would have fined him and suspended him for two games? Leading with your helmet is illegal for two reasons. One, you get hurt… two, you can kill the other guy. Am I the only one thinking this?

L/L - Chiefs +3 at Texans: Chiefs outright. I guess the Texans DID do something in the offseason I didn’t know about.

W/W - Patriots -6.5 at Jets: Patriots cover. I actually read somewhere that people think the league should take some number of wins away from the Jets for this using the NCAA’s banning of teams from Bowl Games as an example. These people obviously think college football’s a real sport. Anyway, the league is not going to start with taking wins away. That’s something that pretty much needs to be outlined before hand. You don’t just do it. That said, it’s very unlikely they’d do it because 1) It’s one of the most popular teams in the league and 2) what team would want to take the win that way and 3) if I was the Pats, I’d not show up to the games we were forced to forfeit.

L/P - Eagles -3 at Packers: Eagles cover. He’s still done, the Eagles are tremendously over-rated. I’ve been saying this since July.

W/W - Steelers -4.5 at Browns: Steelers cover. This would have been my Last Man Standing pool pick. So, even though we didn’t pick week one, I’m still alive.

L/W - Jaguars -6.5 at Titans: Titans +6.5. In my notation, I thought the Jags would win but not cover. Oops.

W/W - Bears +5.5 at Chargers: Chargers cover. I used to make from of Cam for his inexplicable hatred for Tiki Barber. Not only do I understand that hatred of Barber now but I also feel what it’s like to have a hatred for a player that no one else really shares. LDT, lookin at you.

W/W - Lions +1.5 at Raiders: Lions outright. Welcome to your future Jamarcus. Welcome back to the starting gig Daunte.

W/W - Bucs +6 at Seahawks: Seahawks cover.

W/P - Dolphins +3 at Redskins: Redskins cover. Stupid Spread.

L/L - Giants +5.5 at Cowboys: Giants +5.5. I’m as happy as I could be following a loss. The offense looked good so maybe we can at least outscore some teams. Strahan looked all of his age and Osi was gone by the second quarter. If Derrick Ward is as good as he looked and The Hefty Lefty is at least competent, I’m still on the bandwagon for nine wins. It also goes back to what I said in my Giants Preview: Eli’s QB Rating was 30 points higher before Luke Petitgout got hurt last season. When the left side of right handed quarterback’s offensive line can be described as “patchwork”, that quarterback is in for a bad season. When Eli isn’t worried about looming death from behind, he’s a good quarterback. Besides, I called 4-2 in the division with two road losses, so I’m still on schedule.

W/W - Ravens +2.5 at Bengals: Bengals cover. Go gut!

W/L - Cardinals +3.5 at 49ers: Niners cover.

Record Straight up: 11-5
Record Against the spread: 9-5-2