Another week gone to the 'dogs
Here's this week's lineup in our charity pro football underdog pool. Lots of double-digit possibilities here for our players. Which of these 'dogs (in caps) do you think can win its game outright?
11.5 TAMPA BAY vs. New Orleans
11 WASHINGTON at Dallas
11 SEATTLE at Minnesota
10.5 KANSAS CITY vs. Pittsburgh
10.5 NY JETS at New England
10 OAKLAND vs. Cincinnati
9.5 ST. LOUIS vs. Arizona
8.5 BUFFALO at Jacksonville
6.5 SAN FRANCISCO at Green Bay
6.5 ATLANTA at NY Giants
4.5 TENNESSEE at Houston
3.5 CLEVELAND at Detroit
3 MIAMI at Carolina (Thursday)
3 CHICAGO vs. Philadelphia
1 BALTIMORE vs. Indianapolis
Players, please be sure that your pick reaches me by Saturday at 11:59 p.m. -- or if you're taking Miami, by kickoff time on Thursday, 5:20 p.m. on the West Coast. If you send your pick by e-mail and request a receipt, I will gladly send you one. Picks can also be left in the comments to this post if you wish (although then other players will see them). If you need to consult our current standings, they are here.
May you have better luck than I have had this season. I may have to abandon my recent methodologies in favor of an older technique. As always, advice and kibitzing are welcome.
UPDATE, 11/20, 11:06 p.m.: None of our group picked Miami, and they won, earning a phantom 3 points. No oddsmakers are posting a point spread for Denver and San Diego, and so by our rules, that game is off our board this week.
| Posted at 8:34 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (21)
There's no line for San Diego at Denver yet -- but could be by Thursday, see the rules.
Posted by Jack Bog | November 17, 2009 10:49 PM
I'm hopelessly behind so this is somewhat a Hail Mary, but put me down for Washington to stun Dallas.
Posted by George Anonymuncule Seldes | November 17, 2009 11:51 PM
I'll take Tennessee to beat Houston.
Posted by Hank Stern | November 18, 2009 7:23 AM
What a boring week in the NFL.
Posted by Kevin | November 18, 2009 10:41 AM
Only until a couple of the double-digit dogs shock people.
Posted by Jack Bog | November 18, 2009 10:42 AM
I'll choose later. That Cleveland-Detroit game looks depressing.
Posted by Doug | November 18, 2009 12:44 PM
I will take WASHINGTON, because it looks like the Cowboys are starting their December swoon early this year.
It is fall here in the mountains of NC. We know this because the leaves are turning to yellow and the winos are turning to reds.
Posted by Sid | November 18, 2009 2:24 PM
Not a very tantalizing week. Best bet looks to be SD over DEN (currently 3 pt. spread). Dallas has never lost to Wash. on TG Day, and Riggins' old team is still in worse disarray than the Cryboys, so that big win is very unlikely -- at that altitude, I'd try TB over NO instead (betting against a streak with NO on the road).
But back to earth, my suggested second choice to SD is Titans over Houston (bad blood there with Oilers hauntings, etc.). Count how many Houston fans give ol' Bud Adams the finger -- I think the over/under on that is 10,000.
Jeff Fisher will have his team ready, though, and it might be a difficult pick on that one for you, Jack, with your hot/cold Houston history compounding the picking there. Maybe the Buffalo Bills go wild with all of the coaching trauma and drama going on, but their rush defense is last in the league and JAC should be way too much for them. Ugly udog week. Maybe you could buy a vowel or something. SD over DEN (Simms is a crummy QB (Orton's out), and Brandon Marshall's hurt to boot).
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 12:01 AM
P.S. -- that 3-pt. SD-DEN line might slip some yet. Still, 2 pts. are better than none.
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 12:06 AM
I'm taking the Jets.
Posted by annie | November 19, 2009 7:49 AM
Careful, Annie (and Jack?). Belichick & the Pats will be playing this one with special intensity after choking against Indy before a national tv audience (with vast majority of pundits and former pros ridiculing his 4th down game-changing go-for-it-from-our-own-30 failure vs. Indy), and they always play against the Jets extra hard because of the bad blood from the Jets reneging on Belichik deal to hire Parcels. And then you add to that "Spygate" and fact that NE will be @home with all of their weapons and angry defense (this week for sure after being dissed in effect by Belichik not trusting them to stop Manning)....Jets coach Rex Ryan will probably be crying again this week. I wouldn't bet the Jets in this game even with the points. But, it will be one of the compelling games to watch this weekend, and if the Jets win, it would be one of those memorable contests, that's for sure. I just think it's smarter and healthier to lay off that game. If NE loses, any homefield advantage that they might get for 1st rd of the playoffs would be in jeopardy, though.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/293081-jets-ryan-on-crying-im-man-enough-to-be-me
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/292339-sunday-was-no-fluke-rex-ryan-defenses-dont-finish-football-games/page/2
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 9:41 AM
I'll take San Fran.
Posted by Michael Welch | November 19, 2009 9:57 AM
Hard picks this week. I may be getting desperate enough to throw caution to the wind and pick Josh Freeman and TB for the mega-point, streak ending upset over NO, who has injuries aplenty in their secondary. If the rational part of me takes over, I'm looking at Tennessee or Atlanta.
Posted by jmh | November 19, 2009 1:08 PM
CORRECTION: The Mojo filter was set for HST (Holiday Savings Time), so I was a week early thinking TG was today, hence the context of my tout on the Dallas-Wash game was whacked. Analysis still valid, though. Now, who wants some stuffing?
P.S. -- Just watched Mark Schlereth & Herm Edwards on ESPN re the Buffalo situation and maybe those players will be playing with job-saving mania. Other thoughts: Maybe their special teams will come through or TO synchronizes his time in this dimension with the offensive coordinator & QB finally. Do they feel lucky?
P.P.S. -- MIA's Pat White may be featured several times out of the wildcat, and he's very talented QB & runner. Should be a good game tonight.
Posted by Mojo | November 19, 2009 1:51 PM
I'll take SF to beat Green Bay.
Posted by GaryK | November 19, 2009 2:44 PM
I'll take Miami please. :)
Posted by jmh | November 20, 2009 9:11 AM
I'll take Miami too, but only if my pick for ATL doesn't work out.
Posted by Kevin | November 20, 2009 9:32 AM
I'm going to take St Louis. And some antidepressents so I make it through the Bills game this week.
Posted by Dan F | November 20, 2009 4:02 PM
I'm panning for gold this week with my pick-- the 49ers to beat Green Bay.
Posted by Rick | November 20, 2009 10:39 PM
Maybe my fortunes will change if I post my pick for all to see. Naked as it was born.
I'll take the STL Lambs to upset the AZ Cardinals.
Posted by Flynn | November 21, 2009 8:47 AM
Ok Jack, I'm going big or going home. Give me Tampa Bay over New Orleans.
Posted by jmh | November 21, 2009 8:57 PM