NFL Week 16 Picks

I'm usually not a morning person, but things got off to a fast start with my straight up picks last week .

In the early games, I won seven out of eight. Which means I hit eight out of the first 10 games counting the Thursday and Saturday games.

Things didn't quite go as well in the afternoon however and I ended up finishing with a respectable, but not spectacular, 10-6 weekly record picking straight up.

It was also a bit rougher against the spread. For the week, I had a 7-8-1 record against the bookies.

It actually could have been better. I thought about switching my picks for the Dallas and Carolina games, because I had a feeling they might be close.

Unfortunately, I backed out and it cost me, since both of them not only covered, but won as underdogs. I guess that just goes to show you that betting isn't for the faint of heart.

As long as we are talking about those upsets last week , what significance will they have on this week's games? In the grand scheme of things, probably not much.

For the Saints, if anything, it is a good thing they lost. With the exception of the Patriots game they have been coasting since week seven. This will probably serve s a badly needed wake up call going into the playoffs.

As is typical for the Cowboys, they came up big in a game few people expected them to win. The other thing they typically do is lose a big game they are supposed to easily win right after that kind of win.

That and the fact there is a huge chance for them to be looking ahead to the Eagles game next week is why I am picking them to lose to the Redskins this week.

It's admittedly hard to put a lot of faith in Washington after the way they laid down against the Giants last week, but this pick is based more on the Cowboys than the Redskins.

In regards to the Vikings, all you can really say is what a difference a few weeks makes. At this time four weeks ago, it was a foregone conclusion that the Vikings had the No. two seed sewn up and were a legitimate threat to grab the home field advantage away from the Saints.

Many people were even arguing that the Vikings were the best team in the NFC, if not the entire NFL.

Since then, Minnesota has lost two out of three games and word has leaked out about internal strife between Brett Favre, who has begun looking very ordinary, and Coach Brad Childress. At this point, they are even in danger of losing the No. two seed to the Eagles.

Things may get very interesting for the Vikings even though I'm pretty hard pressed to envision them losing to Chicago and the turnover machine they mortgaged their future to get from Denver (Jay Cutler).

My other big upset pick this week is the Titans over the Chargers. By all rights the Chargers should win this game, but I just have one of those feelings about the Titans.

In fact, there are going to have to be a lot of stars aligning just right over the next two weeks, but I think somehow, someway Tennessee is going to make it into the playoffs. Call it a Christmas miracle, but I believe in them.

For the year, my record now stands at 138-83 straight up and 113-107-3 against the spread.

My Picks for the 2009 Week Sixteen NFL Games

Click edit above to add content to this empty capsule.

Fri, Dec 25	4:30 PM (PST)	5:30 PM (MST)	6:30 PM (CST)	7:30 PM (EST)
Favorite	Underdog	Point Spread	Straight Up	Against the Spread
@Tennessee	San Diego	3.0	Tennessee	Tennessee
Sun, Dec 27	10:00AM (PST)	11:00 AM (MST)	12:00 PM (CST)	1:00 PM (EST)
@Atlanta	Buffalo	9.0	Buffalo	Buffalo
@Cincinnati	Kansas City	13.5	Cincinnati	Cincinnati
@Cleveland	Oakland	3.5	Cleveland	Oakland
@Green Bay	Seattle	14.0	Green Bay	Green Bay
@Miami	Houston	3.0	Houston	Houston
@New England	Jacksonville	8.0	New England	New England
@New Orleans	Tampa Bay	14.0	New Orleans	New Orleans
@New York Giants	Carolina	7.0	New York Giants	New York Giants
@Pittsburgh	Baltimore	2.5	Pittsburgh	Baltimore
Sun, Dec 27	1:00 PM (PST)	2:00 PM (MST)	3:00 PM (CST)	4:00 PM (EST)
@Arizona	St. Louis	14.0	Arizona	Arizona
@San Francisco	Detroit	12.5	San Francisco	Detroit
@Indianapolis	New York Jets	5.5	Indianapolis	New York Jets
@Philadelphia	Denver	7.0	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Sun, Dec 27	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
Dallas	@Washington	6.5	Washington	Washington
Mon, Dec 28	5:30 PM (PST)	6:30 PM (MST)	7:30 PM (CST)	8:30 PM (EST)
Minnesota	Chicago	7.0	Minnesota	Minnesota

DeSean Jackson is for the Eagles Everything TO Could Have Been and More

For as long as Donovan Mcnabb has been in Philadelphia, the prevailing complaint among fans has been the lack of quality receivers.

Prior to last season, the lone exception to that rule was the 2004 season, when Terrell Owens came to town and the Eagles rode the Mcnabb/TO connection all the way to the Super Bowl.

Of course, the very next season, amid injuries to Mcnabb and the familiar antics by Owens, things quickly fell apart

Soon, TO was in Dallas and Eagles' backers were once again bemoaning a lack of talent among Philly's pass catching corps. Even Mcnabb himself complained on his personal blog during the offseason in 2008 about the lack of playmakers on the Eagles' offense.

Perhaps as a result of that, Philadelphia drafted DeSean Jackson in the second round three months later. And to slightly paraphrase a saying, the rest is quickly becoming history.

After a solid rookie season in which he showed plenty of potential, Jackson has fully blossomed into arguably the top playmaker in the league.

In the process, he is not only providing a glimpse into what could have been, but even threatening to totally eclipse that one great season Mcnabb and TO shared.

Their styles are clearly different. DeSean Jackson is a skinny speedster who can leave defenders holding nothing but air, having tied the record (8) for TD's of 50+ yards with two games remaining.

Terrell Owens is 5 inches taller (6'3") and fifty pounds heavier (224) than Jackson. While he is by no means slow, his ability to break tackles can turn a routine catch into a long gain.

However, outside of the obvious physical differences, there are plenty of similarities between the two. Not the least of which is their ability to score anytime they get the ball in their hands.

Beyond that, the stats Jackson has accumulated thus far in his breakout sophomore year are actually pretty comparable to TO's one full season in Philadelphia.

In 13 games this season, Jackson has caught 56 passes for 1,087 yards. In 2004, Owens collected 77 passes for an even 1,200 yards in 14 games. That translates to 83.6 ypg for Jackson vs. 85.7 ypg for TO.

The one sizable advantage that TO has in that comparison is that he scored 14 receiving TD's, while Jackson has found the end zone 8 times on passing plays.

However, when you factor in Jackson's rushing and punt return plays, the additional 3 touchdowns and 549 all purpose yards more than even things out.

More importantly, Jackson has already exceeded Owens' 21 game tenure in green. And unlike TO's now famous second season blow-up, which precipitated that short stay, DeSean Jackson has been a consummate teammate thus far.

Provided that doesn't change anytime soon, Jackson is just scratching the surface of what should be a long and epic career as an Eagle.

Meanwhile, Terrell Owens is in the process of fading way up in Buffalo, having squandered what easily could have been a great opportunity in Philadelphia.

It's only a matter of time before "who?" is more than just a sarcastic response to references to TO among Philly faithful. Mcnabb and the Eagles finally have a top playmaker.

NFL Week 15 Picks

For the most part, I got back on track with a positive record last week. There were still a few teams that threw me off a bit, though.

While I did pick Cleveland to cover the spread against Pittsburgh, I figured the Steelers could manage a victory over the Browns, even as bad as they've been playing lately. I probably should have known better after their games against the Chiefs and Raiders.

And don't even get me started on the Monday night game against Arizona and San Francisco. Seems that every time I start to believe in the Cardinals they go out and lay an egg (no pun intended) against a team they should beat. Similarly, every time I start to write the 49ers off they go out an beat someone they have no business beating.

Of course, the undisputed kings of false promise are the Houston Texans. As has become the tradition in Houston, they are well on their way to an 8-8 season again this year.

But the bigger tradition for the Texans has been looking like a contender one week and looking horrible the next. which makes it practically impossible to pick their games. In fact, I don't know if there is a game this year that I have picked Houston to win that they haven't lost or a game they haven't won when I picked them to lose.

In other news, the Cowboys are in full meltdown mode, Desean Jackson is fast becoming the biggest offensive weapon in the NFL, and concussions don't have to be a part of the football.

Last Week, my record was 11-5 straight up and 9-7 against the spread. That brings my season record up to 128-78 straight up and 106-99-2 against the spread.

My Picks for the 2009 Week Fifteen NFL Games

Click edit above to add content to this empty capsule.

Thu, Dec 17	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
Favorite	Underdog	Point Spread	Straight Up	Against the Spread
Indianapolis	@Jacksonville	3.0	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Sat, Dec 19	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
@New Orleans	Dallas	7.0	New Orleans	New Orleans
Sun, Dec 20	10:00 AM (PST)	11:00 AM (MST)	12:00 PM (CST)	1:00 PM (EST)
New England	Buffalo	7.0	New England	Buffalo
Arizona	@Detroit	11.0	Arizona	Arizona
@Tennessee	Miami	4.0	@Tennessee	Miami
@Kansas City	Cleveland	1.5	Cleveland	Cleveland
Houston	@St. Louis	12.0	Houston	St. Louis
@New York Jets	Atlanta	6.0	New York Jets	Atlanta
@Philadelphia	San Francisco	9.0	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
@Baltimore	Chicago	10.5	Baltimore	Chicago
Sun, Dec 20	1:00 PM (PST)	2:00 PM (MST)	3:00 PM (CST)	4:00 PM (EST)
@Denver	Oakland	14.0	Denver	Denver
@San Diego	Cincinnati	6.5	San Diego	San Diego
@Pittsburgh	Green Bay	1.5	Green Bay	Green Bay
@Seattle	Tampa Bay	7.0	Seattle	Seattle
Sun, Dec 20	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
Minnesota	@Carolina	9.0	Minnesota	Minnesota
Mon, Dec 21	5:30 PM (PST)	6:30 PM (MST)	7:30 PM (CST)	8:30 PM (EST)
New York Giants	Washington	3.0	New York Giants	New York Giants

Is Troy Aikman Right that NFL Players Should Accept Concussions as a Part of Football?

Last week, former Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Troy Aikman was quoted as saying,

"At some point I think players have to understand that there are certain risks that are involved, and if you decide that you want to go out and play football, then you've got to understand that part of that means you're going to break some bones and you may have some head injuries. But if you try to eliminate all of those things, then we're no longer playing football."

I don't disagree that players should be prepared for injuries and they have to accept that potential injuries are a part of the game. Nor do I disagree that you can't completely eliminate hard hits and the associated injuries from football without watering the game down and removing the elements that have made it so popular with fans.

Rather, the disagreement lies with the (unintentional*) implication this statement creates that head injuries are an unavoidable part of the game that players just have to accept in order to play. Fact is that there are several steps that could easily be taken to lessen the danger of sustaining a head injury without affecting the on-field play.

Dr. Gerald Maher, the team dentist for the New England Patriots, has designed a mouthpiece that dramatically reduces concussions caused by hits to the jaw. In fact, according to Mayer, this simple device has virtually eliminated concussions of that type for players who have worn them.

The NFL itself has stated that approximately 70% of concussions are caused by blows to the chin. Which is why it is especially puzzling that the NFL has continually rebuffed Dr. Maher's efforts to initiate a relationship with them.

Additionally, in spite of all the rules the NFL has concerning things as mundane as the type of socks a player can wear, they have steadfastly refused to mandate the use of concussion reducing helmets, despite their availability.

There are currently several helmets on the market that incorporate alternative designs in order to reduce factors which contribute to brain injuries. One such helmet, the Riddell Revolution has been proven in independent studies to lesson the risk of concussions by as much as 31%.

Both of these technical advances could potentially eliminate many of the concussions players suffer without eliminating any of the spectacular hits that fans pay to see each week, simply by reducing the amount of force that is transferred to players brains by those impacts.

More importantly in relation to Aikman's comment, are the non equipment-related issues surrounding concussion risk. Just the act of allowing a concussion to heal properly is a major key to avoiding further complications from head trauma. Additionally, it has been shown that returning too soon leaves players even more susceptible to another concussion.

However, the tape it up and get back in there mentality is common among football players. As a result, many players feel pressured to return before they are fully healed or even to not report concussions at all.

Just one example of this was when Brian Westbrook, of the Philadelphia Eagles, attempted to play less than two weeks after sustaining a major concussion against the Redskins. Westbrook subsequently suffered another concussion and has since said that he contemplated retirement, as a result.

As was evident from the negative reactions of their teammates when Ben Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner skipped games after a concussion, that pressure to play at any cost is hardly an isolated situation within the NFL. One of the biggest stumbling blocks to addressing concussion-related issues is the prevalence of those attitudes among the league's players.

Such a mentality isn't so bad when you have a sprained ankle or a broken finger, but it's a lot different when you are talking about brain injuries. Limping in your old age doesn't even begin to compare to not being able to function because your brain is scrambled.

The onus is of course on the National Football League to ensure proper equipment is available and to compel players to use that equipment. A business that generates eight billion dollars a year marketing its players should have the foresight to ensure those players aren't taken out of the game prematurely by injuries that are preventable.

Obviously, the players also have a huge personal stake in preventing unnecessary injuries. Which is all the more reason Troy Aikman, who himself had to retire early because of repeated concussions, should know better than to perpetuate those attitudes which have prevented players from properly dealing with concussion symptoms.

*Aikman was discussing the over-regulation of hits on QB's, rather than concussions, specifically. As stated, this article relates to the implications of his statement, not the actual intent.

Why Another December Collapse is Almost Inevitable for the Dallas Cowboys

The New York Giants upset of the Dallas Cowboys has once again prompted speculation that "America's Team" will fade down the stretch.

Of course, even before last week's loss there was reason to believe that things might get a bit cold for the Cowboys this winter.

Not only have they been very inconsistent this season, but they have put together a pretty solid record of folding up their tents as soon as the calendar reaches the final page in recent years.

Over the past decade, their December win-loss record is 15-29. So, it really wasn't (or shouldn't have been) a big shock that they lost to the Giants and looked terrible while doing it.

However, the bigger problem for the Cowboys (and for Wade Philips' job security) is that, with their schedule, even if they do play as well as they have played all season, they could very easily end up with a losing record in December again.

To close out the season, Dallas plays at home against San Diego, on the road against New Orleans and Washington, and finally back home against Philadelphia. Of those teams, the Redskins are the only ones not likely to be a playoff team.

It's not at all inconceivable that the Cowboys could upset the Saints, but more likely than not, Dallas will be yet another victim of the juggernaut from New Orleans.

Provided they play up to their potential, the other three games are ones that they should have a good chance of winning. However, San Diego is one of the hottest teams in the league right now having won seven straight. Beating the Chargers will be a very tough task.

The dogfight doesn't end there, either. Washington has already proven that they can compete with Dallas during their one point loss two weeks ago and Philly has a three game win streak of their own. Plus, no game between NFC East rivals is ever a given, especially if the Eagles and Cowboys are playing for the division crown in their week 17 matchup.

With one December loss already on the books, Dallas will need to win a least three of their final four games to post a winning record for the month. That, combined with their one game lead over the Eagles, leaves the Cowboys without much room for error the remainder of the season.

Beyond that, even if the Cowboys survive December intact, they still have to face their lack of success in the playoffs since '96. Unless they post a couple wins in the playoffs, those same questions about their late season play will start anew.

The pressure is on for Dallas to finish strong this year and, unfortunately for the Cowboys, their remaining schedule has set them up to fail, yet again.

NFL Week Fourteen Picks

I probably should have known better than to jinx myself by bringing up that I had been doing much better on my picks over the past three weeks.

Last week, I ended up taking a bit of step back on the picks. In fact, it might have been my worst week, both picking straight-up winners and picking against the spread. I even got heckled a little bit in the comments.

Of course, it didn't help that there were a bunch of upsets, and Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Oakland, aren't making things easy for me with their up-one-week, and down-the-next styles of play this season.

Plus, I fell for a sucker bet with the 1-15 trend during December. Trends that are that one-sided are usually pretty solid, but I guess, eventually, new trends have to start.

So, for the week, I ended up 7-9 straight up (SU), and an ugly 5-11 against the spread (ATS).

Ultimately, that leaves me with a record of 117-73 straight up, and 97-92-2 against the spread. (READ ENTIRE POST ON HUBPAGES)

My Picks for the 2009 Week Fourteen NFL Games

Thu, Dec 10	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
Favorite	Underdog	Point Spread	Straight Up	Against the Spread
Pittsburgh	@Cleveland	10.0	Pittsburgh	Cleveland
Sun, Dec 13	10:00 AM(PST)	11:00 AM (MST)	12:00 PM (CST)	1:00 PM (EST)
New Orleans	@Atlanta	10.5	New Orleans	New Orleans
Green Bay	@Chicago	3.0	Green Bay	Chicago
@Indianapolis	Denver	7.0	Indianapolis	@Indianapolis
@Kansas City	Buffalo	0.0	Buffalo	Buffalo
@Minnesota	Cincinnati	6.5	Cincinnati	Cincinnati
@New England	Carolina	13.5	New England	New England
New York Jets	@Tampa Bay	3.0	New York Jets	New York Jets
@Jacksonville	Miami	2.5	Jacksonville	Miami
@Baltimore	Detroit	13.0	Baltimore	Detroit
@Houston	Seattle	6.0	Seattle	Seatte
Sun, Dec 13	1:00 PM (PST)	2:00 PM (MST)	3:00 PM (CST)	4:00 PM (EST)
@Tennessee	St. Louis	13.0	Tennessee	Tennessee
Washington	@Oakland	1.0	Washington	Washington
Dallas	San Diego	3.0	San Diego	San Diego
Sun, Dec 13	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (MST)	8:20 PM (EST)
@New York Giants	Philadelphia	1.0	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Mon, Dec 14	5:30 PM (PST)	6:30 PM (MST)	7:30 PM (M)	8:30 PM (EST)
Arizona	@San Francisco	3.0	Arizona	Arizona

Unlucky No. 13 for Brett Favre and the Vikings?

Last year, the New York Jets followed up a victory over the New England Patriots with a convincing 34-13 victory over the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans. The Jets were flying high with many of the experts picking them to win the Super Bowl. At that point, it was universally accepted that New York was one of the top teams in the NFL and you would get few arguments from anyone, if you credited a certain ex-Packer QB with making the difference.

Then came week 13 against the Denver Broncos. This time it was the Jets who were beaten convincingly in a 34-17 loss, featuring two turnovers by Brett Favre. They would go on to lose four of their final five games and miss the playoffs entirely. What's more, during that stretch Favre threw nine interceptions and only two touchdowns.

So, is it just a coincidence that Brett Favre fell apart again in week 13 this season? Or is it a dark omen for the Vikings? Favre had been playing much better than he ever did in New York. In fact up to this point, he was having the best season of his career. However, this game would easily rank as one of the worst of his long career. He easily could have thrown four interceptions instead of the two he did throw. At times, he seemed completely confused and missed open receivers.

Undoubtedly, there is much blame to go around for this loss. Offensively, the lack of a running game and the uncharacteristically leaky pass protection that left Favre exposed to opposing pass rushers for the first time this season. On defense, a defensive backfield that has been suspect all season (I predicted this would be a big test for them during my picks) and a D-line that couldn't get any pressure for the first time this season. All of them played a part in this loss much like they played a part in Minnesota's great start.

Maybe this was just an off night or a case of the Vikings' weak schedule finally catching up to them. On the other hand, is this a case of deja vu (all over again) and that oh so unlucky number thirteen again? Do the Vikings have reason to develop a case of triskaidekaphobia?

NFL Week Thirteen Picks

Now that the big Monday night clash between the New Orleans Saints and New England Patriots is behind us, I think we are about done with matchups of the year at least until the playoffs start. We do still have some potential big games coming up though, such as this weeks Titans-Colts battle.

The Cowboys and Giants game is another that could get a bit heated. Also, the Seahawks-Niners game could be one of those ones like the Titans-Cardinals game that kinda sneaks up on you and turns into a classic.

So in other news, it must be getting close to the end of the season because my pick percentage is getting higher as the weeks go by. As I mentioned in my season preview, I tend to get much better at picking games as the season progresses. Last week I ended up with a 10-6 record straight up (winners) and a 10-5-1 record against the spread. So after twelve weeks, my overall record stands at 110-64 straight up and 92-80-2 against the spread. I'm finally starting to make some headway against the casinos. (READ THE ENTIRE POST ON HUBPAGES)

My Picks for the 2009 Week Thirteen NFL Games

Sun, Dec. 6	10:00 AM (PST)	11:00 AM (MST)	12:00 PM (CST)	1:00 PM (EST)
Favorite	Underdog	Point Spread	Straight Up	Against The Spread
Philadelphia	@Atlanta	5.5	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
@Chicago	St. Louis	9.0	Chicago	St. Louis
@Cincinnati	Detroit	13.0	Cincinnati	Cincinnati
@Indianapolis	Tennessee	6.5	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Denver	@Kansas City	4.5	Kansas City	Kansas City
New England	@Miami	5.5	New England	New England
@Pittsburgh	Oakland	14.5	Pittsburgh	Oakland
New Orleans	Washington	9.5	New Orleans	Washington
@Carolina	Tampa Bay	6.0	Carolina	Tampa Bay
@Jacksonville	Houston	0.0	Houston	Houston
Sun, Dec. 6	1:00 PM (PST)	2:00 PM (MST)	3:00 PM (CST)	4:00 PM (EST)
San Diego	@Cleveland	13.0	San Diego	San Diego
Dallas	@New York Giants	2.0	Dallas	Dallas
@Seattle	San Francisco	0.0	San Francisco	San Francisco
Sun, Dec 6	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
@Arizona	Minnesota	3.0	Minnesota	Minnesota
Mon, Dec 7	5:30 PM (PST)	6:30 PM (MST)	7:30 PM (CST)	8:30 PM (EST)
@Green Bay	Baltimore	3.0	Baltimore	Baltimore

Free Tickets to the UFL Championship

I went to the United Football League game last week between the Las Vegas Locos and the New York Sentinels at the Silver Bowl A.K.A. Sam Boyd Stadium) on November 20th. Mostly I went because I figured it would be a good opportunity to get some nice action photos and the tickets were really cheap ($6), plus I live down the street from the Silver Bowl. Basically, I figured that for that price it wouldn't hurt even if it wasn't a good game, but it would be much of a risk to see a live football game.

I found out that there are some advantages to smaller stadiums. My seats were so close that I had a great chance to take pictures and I ended up taking almost two hundred photos (including the ones on this page). Beyond that, I actually enjoyed the game a lot. It wasn't exactly the most competitive game ever played. The Locos were up 38-0 nothing at one point and won 41-7. At least the right team did win, though. It probably would have sucked if the Vegas team was the one that got blown out. And this week should be a lot better game since it is the UFL championship game. The Las Vegas Locos will be taking on the Florida Tuskers (I don't know what that is either). The Locos are 4-2 this season with both of their losses coming against the Tuskers, who are undefeated.

In the long term, it looks like the UFL will be sticking around for a while. They recently announced that the 2010 season will definitely be happening and they are even looking to expand to at least six teams and possibly two more. Plus the season will be expanded to ten games after just six this season. So even though it isn't quite the NFL, it's probably as close as Las Vegas will ever get to an NFL franchise. I'd like to see this actually succeed if for no other reason so there is a live football game being played on a regular basis within biking distance of my house.

So, the moral to the story is you can get up to four free tickets to the UFL Championship game between the LV Locos and the Florida Tuskers on Nov. 27th at noon.

All you have to do is go to UNLVtickets.com, click on the promo code button and enter "UFLCHAMPS" then you can order up to four tickets absolutely free. You can even print the tickets off yourself at home. I'm hoping that a bunch of people will come to this championship game and the UFL will catch on next season and beyond.

NFL Week Twelve Picks

That's more like it. The Saints finally woke up and spoiled my big upset pick of the year (by about 30 points), but I still did pretty good last week. There were a couple teams that threw me a bit, but I seriously doubt anybody foresaw the Steelers getting beat by the Chiefs or the Bengals losing to the Raiders. Unless you knew about Cincinnati's 0-10 record in Oakland. Even then, I woulda been a bit skeptical of the Raiders' chances. Outside of that and my sucker bet with the Buccaneers, there weren't any real shockers in week eleven.Once all was said and done, I ended up with a 11-5 record straight up (winners) and a 10-6 record against the spread (ATS). That leaves me with an overall season record of 100-58 straight up and 82-75-1 against the number. I'm finally starting to get some breathing room on my picks against the spread. (READ THE ENTIRE POST ON HUBPAGES)

My Picks for the 2009 Week Twelve NFL Games

Thurs, Nov. 26	9:30 AM (PDT)	10:30 AM (MDT)	11:30 AM (CDT)	12:30 AM (EDT)
Favorite	Underdog	Point Spread	Straight Up	Against The Spread
Green Bay	@Detroit	11.0	Green Bay	Green Bay
Thurs, Nov. 26	1:15 PM (PDT)	2:15 PM (MDT)	3:15 PM (CDT)	4:15 PM (EDT)
@Dallas	Oakland	13.5	Dallas	Dallas
Thurs, Nov. 26	5:20 PM (PDT)	6:20 PM (MDT)	7:20 PM (CDT)	8:20 PM (EDT)
New York Giants	@Denver	6.5	New York Giants	Denver
Sun, Nov. 29	10:00 AM (PDT)	11:00 AM (MDT)	12:00 PM (CDT)	1:00 PM (EDT)
@Atlanta	Tampa Bay	12.5	Atlanta	Tampa Bay
Miami	@Buffalo	3.0	Miami	Miami
@Cincinnati	Cleveland	14.0	Cincinnati	Cleveland
Seattle	@St. Louis	3.0	Seattle	Seattle
@New York Jets	Carolina	3.0	Carolina	Carolina
@Philadelphia	Washington	9.0	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Indianapolis	@Houston	3.5	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Sun, Nov. 29	1:00 PM (PDT)	2:00 PM (MDT)	3:00 PM (CDT)	4:00 PM (EDT)
@San Diego	Kansas City	13.5	San Diego	Kansas City
@San Francisco	Jacksonville	3.0	Jacksonville	Jacksonville
@Tennessee	Arizona	3.0	Arizona	Arizona
@Minnesota	Chicago	10.5	Minnesota	Minnesota
Sun, Nov. 29	5:20 PM (PDT)	6:20 PM (MDT)	7:20 PM (CDT)	8:20 PM (EDT)
@Baltimore	Pittsburgh	2.5	Baltimore	Baltimore
Mon, Nov. 30	5:30 PM (PDT)	6:30 PM (MDT)	7:30 PM (CDT	8:30 PM (EDT)
@New Orleans	New England	3.0	New England	New England

NFL Week Eleven Picks

Week ten was pretty good for those watching at home, but it was kinda brutal for people picking games. I survived, but a lot of unpredictable stuff went down last week. Who figured Denver was going to drop the ball the way they did against Washington? Or that the Packers were going to put it to the Cowboys the way they did. And of course, topic number one on every channel and every front page is the Indy/Pats game and the big fourth down gamble. I even gave it it's own special section this week, because it's just that big of a topic. I'm also making my upset pick of the year this week.Not counting the Thursday night snorefest between San Francisco and Chicago, I ended up with an 8-6 record straight up (winners) and a 7-7 record against the spread. Which leaves me with an overall record of 89-53 straight up and 72-69-1 against the spread for the season. Which means I am still on the winning side against the casinos, which is what really matters. (READ THE ENTIRE POST ON HUBPAGES)

My Picks for the 2009 Week Eleven NFL Games

Thurs, Nov. 19	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20PM (CST)	8:20PM (EST)
Favorite	Underdog	Point Spread	Straight Up	Against the Spread
@Carolina	Miami	3.0	Carolina	Miami
Sun, Nov. 22	10:00 AM (MST)	11:00 AM (MST)	12:00PM (CST)	1:00PM (EST)
@Dallas	Washington	11.0	Dallas	Dallas
@Detroit	Cleveland	3.5	Detroit	Detroit
@Green Bay	San Francisco	6.5	San Francisco	San Francisco
Pittsburgh	@Kansas City	10.0	Pittsburgh	Pittsburgh
@Minnesota	Seattle	10.5	Minnesota	Minnesota
@New York Giants	Atlanta	6.5	New York Giants	New York Giants
New Orleans	@Tampa Bay	11.5	Tampa Bay!	Tampa Bay
@Jacksonville	Buffalo	9.0	Jacksonville	Jacksonville
Indianapolis	Baltimore	1.0	Indianapolis	Indianapolis
Sun, Nov. 22	1:00PM (PST)	2:00PM (MST)	3:00PM (CST)	4:00PM (EST)
Arizona	@St. Louis	9.0	Arizona	St. Louis
@Denver	San Diego	3.0	San Diego	San Diego
Cincinnati	@Oakland	9.5	Cincinnati	Oakland
@New England	New York Jets	10.5	New England	New England
Sun, Nov. 22	5:20 PM (PST)	6:20 PM (MST)	7:20 PM (CST)	8:20 PM (EST)
Philadelphia	Chicago	3.0	Philadelphia	Philadelphia
Mon, Nov. 23	5:30 PM (PST)	6:30 PM (CST)	7:30 PM (CST)	8:30 PM (EST)
@Houston	Tennessee	4.5	Houston	Tennessee