It's that time again -- time to crank up our charity pro football underdog game for the third year. It's a season-long game in which players try to pick one NFL underdog each week that will win its game outright -- without the benefit of the point spread. Winning players receive the number of points that their underdog was predicted to lose by -- and the player with the most points at the end of the playoffs in January is the winner.

The entry fee is a Jackson, and all proceeds go to charity. The top finishers in our underdog standings get to say to which nonprofit organizations (501(c)(3)) the money will go. Last year, we sent $900 to worthy charities.

Entry fees aren't due, however, until next Wednesday, the 14th -- which means you can play this week's 'dogs now, and if you like the game, pay first thing next week. Your first week pick will still count.

It's easy to enter -- just send your pick by e-mail to underdog@bojack.org. That's the only way to enter; picks posted in comments on this blog or by e-mail to any other address will not count. The deadline for entries is the scheduled time of the first game on Sunday, which this week is 10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time (or prior to kickoff if you're picking the Saints in the Thursday game).

The official rules are here, but enough of that -- on to the first week's lines. Do you see an underdog (in caps) below that can win its game outright? Good luck, everybody!

8.5 INDIANAPOLIS at Houston
8.5 MINNESOTA at San Diego
7 CAROLINA at Arizona
7 MIAMI vs. New England (Monday night -- pick still due Sunday morning)
6.5 CINCINNATI at Cleveland
5.5 SEATTLE at San Francisco
5.5 BUFFALO at Kansas City
4.5 ST. LOUIS vs. Philadelphia
4 NEW ORLEANS at Green Bay (Thursday 5:30 Pacific time, pick due by then)
4 DALLAS at New York Jets
3 TENNESSEE at Jacksonville
3 CHICAGO vs. Atlanta
3 OAKLAND at Denver
3 WASHINGTON vs. New York Giants
2.5 PITTSBURGH at Baltimore
1.5 DETROIT at Tampa Bay

Feel free to leave comments below, as advice and kibitzing is always appreciated. But don't forget -- only e-mail entries to underdog@bojack.org will be counted in the game.