TDL’s Sports, Wrestling, & Otherwise

Redskins +3.5 at Seahawks: I certainly can’t handicap the whole league… the blog would be called East Coast Bias if some cyber-squatting douchetool didn’t already own the domain name… I had a decent handle on the NFC East this season. Of course, I said the Cowboys were over-rated and the Redskins wouldn’t make the playoffs… but I got half of it right. Honestly, I can’t think of a playoff game in recent memory I cared less about. Right now, Washington’s a really, really hard team to pick against. They’re playing like one of those teams that are getting hot at the right time and they’re playing a team I could easily see getting knocked off. All that said… I think you’re going to see a clunker to kick off the show. Seahawks cover, under 39.5

Jaguars -2.5 at Steelers: This game is one of those games that is SO obvious it wraps around and becomes shady. EVERYONE is going to pick the Jaguars. Everyone. They’re a good cold weather team. They JUST beat Steelers a few weeks ago. Every analyst is hopping on the bandwagon. This is one of those games that can make you overthink and convince yourself that your first instinct is wrong. I’ve tried to avoid doing that this season and it’s worked for me. So I’m sticking with “if it’s obvious, don’t overthink it.” Jaguars cover. Under 40.

Giants +3 at Bucs: I’d like to point out that I predicted a 10-win season for my boys way back in September. I quote me:

They skip ALL the elite teams except one. The Colts, Ravens, Saints, and Chargers are nowhere to be found. If I give them 4-1 in should wins, 2-2 in might wins, and 0-1 in probably loses… I come up with a 10-6 season… an almost certain wildcard berth in the NFC.

That said… I don’t love them in this game. On one hand, the Garcia bandwagon has served me well all season. On the other hand, the Giants are 7-1 on the road this season, they damn near knocked off the Patriots last week, and they have the ability to look teasingly good. At the end of the day, Garcia’s damn near 40 and the Giants are going to be pressing him on every down. The Bucs have been talking a whole lot this week… and how can you possibly dismiss Eli wanting to throw 1,000 yards on the mug of Ronde Barber? I mean… come on… he can destroy a guy with the exact same DNA… there’s no way he doesn’t go nuts. Giants outright… over 39.5

Titans +10 at San Diego: You can’t really say the Titans “snuck” in because they did win the last game they needed to win. However, they played a soft game against the Colts and now they run out to San Diego. Honestly, I don’t know what to do about the Titans because I’ve never seen them in a big game before. Plus… ten points? These two teams DID play this season already and the score was 23-17… not a blow-out… and we’re also talking Norv Turner versus Jeff Fisher. I’m not saying the Titans are going to win… I’m just saying they’re not getting destroyed. Titans +10. Over 39.

This is, by far, my best picks season ever. I’d like to thank the The Sports Gal, Cam, and Joe for providing the inspiration I sorely lacked in the past. I’d also like to thank Hulse for being available on IM so, when I wasn’t sure who I was going to pick, I could ask him and go the opposite way.

Week 17

W/W - Steelers -7.5 at Rams: Steelers cover. Anyone other than me have the Steelers in a first round exit?

Saturday

W/L - Cowboys -10 at Panthers: Cowboys cover. How I loathe this team.

Sunday

W/W - Eagles +3 at Saints: Eagles outright, Saints out of the playoffs. This game didn’t knock the Saints completely out of the playoffs, but close enough.

W/W - Giants +1.5 at Bills: Giants outright. Can someone please tell Eli Manning that a football game is 60 minutes, not 30? Please? One time?

L/L - Packers -6.5 at Bears: Pfft. Packers cover. So far I am 0-5 in picks where I use “pfft” as my reasoning. I may want to re-think this.

L/L - Browns -3 at Bengals: Browns cover. The Browns are like a semi-bad boxer this year. They get beaten and pummeled most every week, but when you count them out, they catch someone with a right hook and knock them out. That made them impossible to pick.

W/W - Chiefs +4.5 at Lions: Lions cover.

W/L - Texans +7.5 at Colts: Texans +7.5. For whatever reason, the Colts didn’t play their B-Team.

W/W - Raiders +13 at Jaguars: Jags cover. Your team that should be the 4-seed.

L/L - Falcons +10.5 at Cardinals: Cardinals cover. I hate points toward the end of the season.

L/W - Bucs -7 at Niners: Niners +7.

W/L - Ravens +9 at Seahawks: Ravens +10.5. God I hate this team.

W/W - Jets +9 at Titans: Jets +9. The anti-gut feeling works again!

W/W - Dolphins +22.5 at Patriots: Dolphins +22.

L/L - Redskins +7 at Vikings: Vikings cover. And now the Skins are in the playoffs. Who knew?

Monday

W/W - Broncos +9 at Chargers: Chargers cover. 51 points. I can’t believe the Classiers managed to salvage the beginning of this season into a playoff 3-seed. God I hate them.

Week 16:
- Straight Up: 11-5
- Against the spread: 9-7
- Locks of the Week: 0
- Upsets of the Week: 0

Overall:
- Straight up: 155-85
- Against the spread: 129-104-7
- Locks of the Week: 12-6
- Upsets of the Week: 5-5

Week 17

W/W - Patriots -14.5 at Giants: Giants +14.5. If anyone ever wondered why the Giants are a torturous team to root for, look no further than this game. The Giants, more than any team I’ve ever seen, have the uncanny ability to play exactly to the level of their competition. They’ve done this through personel changes, coaching changes, ownership changes, and front office changes. It doesn’t matter who takes the field or who’s calling the plays ever week… they play only as hard as they need to. They have the ability to lay a giant egg against Minnesota and then follow it up with the toughest game the Patriots have played all season. They came out and almost shocked the Patriots. Next week in Tampa, they could equally come out and dominate or fumble 4 times in the fourth quarter… and neither scenario would shock me in the least.

W/P - Bills +8 at Eagles: Eagles cover. Why not finish off the year with one more push. The QB adventures in Philadelphia this off season are going to be interesting. The Eagles front office is in a tough spot. On one hand, I can totally see them thinking it’s time to go

L/L - Panthers +2 at Bucs: Bucs cover. There’s an argument that the Saints “chose” to play the Giants instead of the Redskins this week… which is stupid. But, if Coughlin can use it to motivate the Giants, more power to him.

L/L - Bengals -3 at Dolphins: Dolphins outright. Ever read something and wonder what you were thinking? That’s like this.

W/W - Cowboys +7 at Redskins: Redskins cover. For the 2nd straight season, 3 NFC East teams make the playoff cut. I’d like to point out that I called both the Giants and the Redskins “horrifically underrated” and Eagles “horrifically overrated.” Of course, I called the Cowboys over-rated, too… but 3 out of 4 ain’t bad.

W/W - Lions +3 at Packers: Packers cover. The Lions almost had a .500 season. Soon. In fact, one could make a strong argument for the Lions as next year’s dark horse team.

W/W - Jaguars +4 at Texans: Texans cover. Congrats to the Texans on their first .500 season.

L/L - Saints +3 at Bears: Saints outright. Never bet money on a guy named Pierre.

L/L - Steelers -6 at Ravens: Steelers cover. I hate the last week.

L/L - Seahawks +2 at Falcons: Pfft. Seahawks outright. 0-6 using the “pfft” argument.

W/L - 49ers +11.5 at Browns: 49ers +11.5. I have to say, I was pulling for the Browns to make it into the playoffs. All Vince Young does, though, is win football games where the other team isn’t trying.

W/L - Chiefs +6.5 at Jets: Jets cover. Ah well, picking against the Chiefs did good for most of the year.

L/L - Vikings at Broncos: Vikings. Bah.

L/L - Chargers -4.5 at Raiders: Chargers cover. Now that they’ve gotten to the playoffs, thank goodness they installed a coach who’s proven himself to be an ace in the playoffs… not like that Schottenheimer guy……..

W/W - Rams +6 at Cards: Cards cover. The “No Rams” rule also worked out well this season.

W/W - Titans -4 at Colts: Titans cover. Those classy Colts. Way to play out the game guys.

Week 17:
- Straight Up: 9-7
- Against the spread: 6-9-1
- Locks of the Week: 0
- Upsets of the Week: 0

Overall Season:
- Straight up: 164-92
- Against the spread: 135-113-8
- Locks of the Week: 12-6
- Upsets of the Week: 5-5

I will now take my victory lap.

*Lap*