NFL Picks

No pod this week but we're still going to launch some NFL picks. Catz cleaned up with a 10-3 record last week. 

Catz

Mia +8.5 vs NE

Det +5 vs KC

MIN (P) vs CHI

ATL -7.5 vs TB

NYG +3.5 vs NO

Stl -8.5 vs SF

Ari -6 vs CLE

CIN +1 vs PIT

SD +3 vs BaL

Ten +4 vs HoU

Nyj -2.5 vs OAK

Dal +6.5 vs SEA

Den +3 vs GB

Ind +7 vs CaR

Nutz

MIA +8.5 vs NE

DET vs KC -5

MIN vs CHI (P)

ATL -7.5 vs TB

NYG vs NO -3.5

STL vs SF +8.5

ARI vs CLE +6

Cin vs PIT -1

SD +3 vs BAL 

TEN+4 vs HOU

NYJ vs OAK +2.5

DAL vs SEA -6.5

DEN vs GB -3

IND vs CAR -7

NFL Week 7 - The Spread

We're back with another week of the Spread, our weekly NFL podcast where we break down every game and give our picks and locks for the week.

NFL Week 6 - The Spread Podcast

NFL Week 4 - The Spread Ep. 5

NFL Week 4

Another episode of The Spread! Check out our picks, some props for the end of the year and we recap last week! Locks for Days!

The Spread - NFL Week 3

NFL Week 3 Picks

5 favored picks in bold and locks noted by LOCK!

The Spread - EP 3

NFL WEEK 2

After crushing week 1 picks, we are back at it on the Spread. Please download and share with everyone that sucks at making NFL picks.

DP Lock of the Week

NE (-1.5) vs BUF

Catz: After nailing my week 1 lock thanks mostly in part to Johnny Manziel, the Catz is back on the hunt looking for another diamond encrusted, gold plated lock to throw on a game. Boy, was this easy. Sure you can try and get cute and take the jags getting a bunch of points, or even grabbing the Eagles at home against a banged up Cowboys team, but when it really comes down to it, what's a better pick than the Pats going into to Buffalo to derail the bill train? I'm not a Tyrod Taylor fan, and even though he looked alright in week 1, this week he goes against one of the best football minds in NFL history. Being a diehard NYJ fan, this was not an easy pick, but I think it's the easiest lock on the board.

BJ: Don't let Catz trick you into thinking this was some tough pick. We all agreed that NE was the lock of the week this week. After a great LOTW for week 1 (cincy) we all agreed the Pats should dominate T Mobile and the Bills, despite the week 1 hype. 

Catz Bonus Lock!!!!

NYJ (+7) vs IND

Since I went and disrespected my brethren by calling the Pats the best pick on the board, I figured I had to make it up by going out on a limb with good ole gang green. The Bills are a very similar team to the Jets and they just blitzed the hell out of Luck until he forgot what sport he was playing, expect a lot of the same from NY. Ultimately I do think the Jets will lose this game on a crushing interception from Fitzmagic, but it should be a three or four point final score.

NFL Week 1 Picks

Here are our picks for week 1 of the NFL Season! Check out the pod as we go into further detail and debate about this weeks spreads on, THE SPREAD!

2015 NFL Draft

NFL Draft Prop Preview

Even the most degenerate of gamblers wouldn't dare place a bet on the NFL draft right?? It's more of a crapshoot than pro wrassling for god sakes (some would even argue its just as fixed...), but luckily for the readers of Dirty Picks, B Catz likes to live life a little dangerously. So when I started to do some research, I was startled by the results; there were no actual props to bet on! So instead of blowing it off and shooting my editor a text that just said "hey remember that article idea? Fuck it, no go", I made up my own props!! (EDITOR'S NOTE: Actual props are up and a full slate should be available by Monday on most sites)

WHO GOES NUMBER ONE???

Jameis Winston (-250)

Obvious favorite pick here. You are gonna hear all kinds of rumbling about the background and the future criminal record he is going to have, but don't let all that smoke cloud your opinion here. Jameis is a franchise QB and teams always reach to take a franchise QB no matter what the baggage. Personally I think Winston is going to make a solid pro, but I also predicted last season Johnny Football was basically the second coming of Brett Favre (at least with the booze right??).

Mariota (+500)

Peter King said earlier this week on Mike and Mike that the Jets want to move up to number one and take the former Oregon QB!! As a Jets fan, I do not support this move for the team because it means giving up everything we have for a QB who may not end up being very good in the NFL. Of course with our draft history maybe we should trade away all of our picks for the next few years. So is it likely? Not really, but if it happens you could be swimming in gold dubloons by Sunday!!

The Field (+1300)

Not gonna happen. Doesn't matter if Winston assaults twelve midgets and steals half of the crabs in the sea before the draft, he's still likely gonna go first. If for some crazy reason he does not, Mariota certainly will. Don't waste your hypothetical money on this made up prop bet that you can't actually bet on...

WHO DRAFTS NUMBER ONE???

So we've established Winston is going one right? But who's gonna be the lucky squad to throw a jersey on him and trot him out to training camp?

BUCS (-500)

Obvious pick, pretty safe odds that they end up making this pick. The Bucs are horrible, and a decent QB could go a long way with rising superstar Mike Evans in the mix.  Basically a 99.5% chance they end up making this pick and hanging up on all of the other offers.

FIELD (+2000)

If I'm the bucs GM, I'm hanging up on anyone not offering more than six picks. Sometimes NFL teams are stupid enough to trade multiple high round picks in order to select a QB who could end up being the face of the franchise (although unlikely), but I don't think that happens this year. The Bucks are too damn bad not to take a flyer on one of these guys.

WILL TODD GURLEY GO TOP TEN??

YES (+300)

Teams are scared as fuck right now to draft a running back in the first round, and everyone will say its because the league is changing to a pass happy, short screen type game. But the real reason nobody wants to draft a RB first round? Trent Richardson. He busted so damn hard, I thought Peter North came out of retirement!! He then somehow suckered the Colts into giving up a first round pick for him, where he continued to shoot off money-shots on the Indy front office.

NO (-150)

Remember that Trent Richardson guy I was talking about? Yeah, that's a real concern. He sucked so bad that literally half of the teams in this draft are going to pass on Gurley, just because of Trent. Really kind of messed up when you think about it, Gurley could be an absolute savage and make teams regret passing on him just like Adrian Peterson did when he entered the league. Smart prop bet here, Gurley drops to the 12-15 range and someone gets a steal.

WHAT WILL THE JETS DO WITH NUMBER 6 OVERALL?

Finally the real question that everyone has been dying for the answer to!! Okay, not really, I'm just a diehard Jets fan and I refuse to write an NFL themed article without spending a few hundred words projecting their draft.

TAKE A DE, DL, OLB (-250)

Jets need pass rushing in the worst way. They haven't taken a top pass rusher since 2006 when they selected the notorious Vernon Gholston and he went on to secure his bust on the Mount Rushmore hall of really shitty NFL players. The dude never even got a sack in the NFL!!! NOT ONE!!! Fuckin prick...but the Jets have to take someone who can get to the QB, especially while TB12 still takes snaps in Foxboro. Also if Todd Mcshay is correct and Leonard Williams falls to number 6, don't be surprised if the Jets trade this pick, Williams is far too talented not too be over coveted by a team in the 7-21 range.

TAKE AN OFFENSIVE SKILL PLAYER (+150)

The Jets improved their offensive players this offseason, but they are by no means the Greatest Show on Turf. Hell they are barely average on normal grass! All jokes aside, we need more weapons. I won't be surprised if Cooper, White, or even Gurley get selected, especially if the two QB's are off the board as expected.

TRADE BACK AND STOCKPILE (+300)

By far the smartest choice of the three, and also the most unlikely to happen. You never want the Jets fans to go crazy (they will either way) when they announce a trade, but new GM Mikey Mac has earned enough good will over his first couple of months that even the die hardest of Jets fanz will let this one slide. So go ahead Mike, we have tons of holes and this draft could be pretty deep in the middle and later rounds. Not likely to happen, but could be worth a decent payout if it does.

DP Dirtiest Picks Contest

Dirty Picks - The Pickoff

The staff here at Dirty Picks have decided to kick things up a notch starting today. How are we doing this?  With our first ever, possibly semi-annual, Pickoff.  Now, Pickoff’s come in all shapes and sizes (obviously), so let’s layout the rulez for this here contest:

1. Each participant will start with 20 DPD’z (Dirty Pick Dollaz)

2. One and ONLY one pick may be entered into the contest per day

3. The player may wager any amount of his/her choice.

4. There are no bailouts. (This isn’t the U.S. government) If you run out of DPD’z you are out.

5. A pick may be made on any game listed on Bovada that day.
6. The contest will begin on February 11, 2015 and conclude on February 18, 2015. 

7. The winner will be decided by total earnings retained upon the end of the contest period.

8. The winner will receive a prize from each losing participant valued at $10.

9. The prizes will be purchased on Amazon or something.

To take part in this contest contact Dirtiestpicks@gmail.com.
Be sure to include the name you would like used on the blog and your pick for the day.

Day 1

Mr. Nutz - 5 DPD to win 4.55 DPD

WAS @ TOR (-5) 
I'm rolling the Raps here because I believe they are one of the few teams in the NBA that has a distinct home court advantage. They are 20-9 at home and with a win of the 'zards. This has turned into one of the most fun rivalries in the NBA and I fully expect the Raps to continue their dominance of the Wiz (especially without Bradley Beal or with him hobbled).

Sugar - 5 DPD to win 5.75 DPD

Detroit Red Wings (+115) @ Pittsburgh Penguins

It’s down right absurd that the Wings, after winning 9 of their last 10 games, are the dogz tonight in Pittsburgh.  Sure there’s Cros and Malkin but these Wings are FLYIN!  I can’t think of a better way to start off the possibly semi-annual Pickoff here at DP than to roll with my hometown Wings on the road in Penguin country.  There’s a goaltending battle in Motown with the return of Jimmy Howard and a little friendly competition might be just what Detroit needs to tighten things up between the pipes.  Wings roll on the road.

CATZ - MIA (+12.5) vs. CLE 

7 DPD to win 6.33 DPD

 

Since my coworkers decided to throw down a couple of fluff bets to kick off their contest, I knew Bobby Catz had to come in and set the tone with a big ole ballz pick. I don't care who the Heat roll out there, this game is gonna be close. Wade's out and LeBron is more focused on his post dunk all star celebrations than he is about beating his former team. Look for a really sloppy game with the Heat trying way too hard, until about midway through the fourth when LeBron realizes its a five point game with six minutes to go. This is gonna be a real close cover, but it should be fine.

NON-CONTEST BETS- 

They don't count for our contest, but they will still make you money.

 

HOU (+3) vs. LAC

 

Clippers have no guards that can play D on James Harden. Look for the beard to drop 55, 15, and 10; encore to his 40, 12, 9 last night.

 

 

IND (+3) vs. NOP

 

Pelicans can't beat anyone without the brow.

 

 

MEM (+5.5) vs. OKC

 

Good defensive team getting 5.5 points?? Take it every time.

Champions League of Legends

PSG (-1) vs. APOEL

While Zlatan is still out for PSG in this one, luckily they get to square off against an acronym that I thought was associated more with oil than playing soccer. Turns out for the first time ever, I was wrong. Plus PSG just beat Barcelona last time out and are currently leading the group!! They won't let this opportunity slip away, look for a huge push in the first forty minutes as they go up to 2-0 and then play keep away for the last 50 minutes and hang on for the win.

AS ROMA ( +320) vs. BAYERN MUNICH

OH SHIT!!!! This is a deep pull right here that I can feel in my nether regions (maybe I should have that checked). Roma came into this tournament as everyone's sleeper pick and haven't quite lived up to the hype. Meanwhile Bayern has been nothing short of dominate this entire tournament, and Neuer hasn't even allowed a goal yet. So even after all of that, why the hell would I pick Roma not only to cover, but to straight up win?? Because this is the Super Bowl for Roma, sure they are only halfway through group play and can definitely turn things around in the next three matches, but wouldn't this be a great start?? With this win and a couple of draws they could sneak in and see themselves playing in the round of sixteen. This is basically the little giants playing the 'boys in the classic 90's movie of the same name. This time ROMA is the ICEBOX and Bayern is the annexation of Puerto Rico!! What the hell does that mean? No clue, but it allows us to use a football picture for a soccer article (layers of jokes people, keep up). ROMA WINS THIS GAME STRAIGHT THE FUCK UP AT 2-1 or 1-0.

BARCA vs. AJAX (+2.5)

Well after that suicidal bet I better go with something safe to fall back on for the third pick right? Fuck no. Barca has a habit of taking lesser teams lightly and while they will absolutely win this game. I will be very surprised if they cover the 2.5. More likely they are gonna get first half goals from Neymar and Messi and then spend the second half taking pictures and trying to find Neymar because he's banging cheerleaders (does soccer have cheerleaders?) in the locker room. Ajax does just enough to keep this one 2-0 or 3-1.

MNF

Monday Night Snoozefest

SAN FRAN vs. ST. LOUIS under 44.5 (-115)

I could easily go with the public here and take the Niners -4 which seems completely reasonable and a very safe bet. But Vegas got screwed yesterday with two garbage touchdowns in the Broncos-Jets game and the Chargers letting the Raiders hang around for a little too long. You know what happens when the public wins? Vegas evens that shit out. I'm pretty sure they have one of those buttons in the Buffalo Wild Wings commercials that they use to manipulate outcomes when they need to. Apparently that button was broken yesterday, but it will get fixed, don't you worry...it will get fixed. That's why I am going with the real safe bet here, which is under 44.5 points. Both teams run the ball, and the Niners will run it and control the clock leading to a 21-10 snoozer. 

Super Catz Sunday

DEN (-10, -115) vs. NYJ

I'm not gonna spend very much time on this one for obvious reasons. The Jets have one of the worst cornerback situations in the history of the NFL. Manning will be able to find his primary option, secondary option, back up secondary option, third primary to the backup secondary option, anybody he damn well pleases basically. This is going to be a bloodbath.

GB (-3.5, -105) vs. MIA

Gotta follow up that last one with a pick that actually brings me happiness. Miami isn't good, a few early wins and people thought Tannehill had it all figured out...spoiler alert, he doesn't. Rodgers is going to tear this secondary apart to the tune of 300 yds and 3td's.

CAR (+7, -115) vs. CIN

I fully expect the Bengals to rebound from the trouncing they received last week at the hands of the Pats, but don't expect this one to be a cakewalk. Carolina has a stingy D that knocks you in the mouth and they should be able to hold Dalton and Co in check especially since AJ Green will be on the sideline watching in sweat pants. Look for a grind it out, punch em in the mouth, classic slober-knocker as the Panthers not only cover this one, but come close to winning.

DAL (+9, -115) vs. SEA

Another pick that brings me happiness right now, but tomorrow afternoon will probably bring bewilderment and confusion. Betting against Seattle at home is like betting on the Washington Generals to cover against the Globetrotters. I'm not saying its fixed like the Trotters (I just blew someone's mind), but would it really surprise you if it was? Doesn't Pete Carroll have that shady look like he could be involved in some serious underground game fixing with the mob? Hopefully this gets picked up by the AP and ran as an actual story even though its probably not true (probably). Oh yeah the pick, Dallas runs the ball, establishes their offense early and stays in this one till the end when they lose by 3.

Monday Night Football

KC (+3.5, -130) vs. NE

I know, I know...as a noted Jets apologist this pick screams of my decade long bias (hatred?) against the Pats (seriously though, Spygate anyone??). But in other news, this ain't your daddy's Pats team, unless of course you don't know your father, in which case Robert Kraft (owner of the Pats) could indeed be your father. Long lost parental search aside, the Chiefs are going to win this game.  They are led by a stingy D featuring the trio of Dontari Poe, Tamba Hali, and Eric Berry and an offense that runs the rock and doesn't turn the ball over thanks mostly in part to game manager extraordinaire Alex Smith. Look for a low-scoring, defensive struggle that is finally decided when TB12 tries to fire a rocket into triple coverage and Berry takes it the other way for the go-head TD!! YAH!! PATS LOSE AGAIN!!! TAKE THAT BRADY..sorry I lost control there, but seriously.... Fuck the Pats.

Catz Super Sunday locks!

DIRTY NFL PICKS!!!

 

LOCKS!

SD (+1) vs. Buffalo

Buffalo is not a good enough team to go 3-0 in the first three games. Their defense has played lights out in the first three games, and they have been able to hide EJ Manuel and make him more of a game manager than an actual competent QB. Well, that kind of system runs out of steam eventually, and San Diego is playing as hot as anyone in the league. Look for the Chargers to go up 21-0 early in this game, only to face a late comeback by the Buff’s that falls short as Manuel throws a back breaking pick sometime late in the fourth quarter.

NO (-10.5) vs. MIN

This one is a super lock!! New Orleans needs this game worse than a crack head needs one more hit off that sweet sweet crysta…..sorry I got a little side tracked right there, but the Saints need this game. If this one is even remotely close after half time I expect the Saints to open up the playbook and throw all kinds of shit at the Vikes d including reverses, double reverses, triple-double super reverses, and even a reverse cowgirl or two!!!  New Orleans will not lose this game by less than two td’s, I know that it is the NFL and the difference between a super bowl team and the 0-16 Dolphins is not as drastic as it seems, but this one ends in a Saints blowout.

CAR (-3) vs. PITT

This game has Cam Newton panning for the cameras doing the Superman shirt pull thing written all over it. The Steelers are not the black and yellow from five years ago that would shut teams the fuck down and then ground and pound them into submission. Rather it’s a slow, plodding offense that struggles to put points on the board and turns the ball over often especially against a dynamic Carolina d. Look for a big game for Luke Keuchly (real stretch I know) and at least two rushing td’s for Killa Cam as the Panthers win a sloppy 14-6 type game.

SUPER DUPER UPSET PICK OF THE WEEK!!!

OAK (+14.5) vs. NE

Apparently after checking with my editor, I am not allowed to call this my super-duper upset pick of the week because and I quote “getting two touchdowns is not a fucking upset”...well you know what? Just for that I am throwing an extra bonus pick in, but I’m still rolling this one as well. The Pats have trouble being favored by a large spread against an inferior opponent, and this trend will definitely hold true against the hapless Raiders.

WAS (+6.5) vs. Philly

I am all over the Kirk Cousins bandwagon!! The man spreads the ball around like a delicious brie cheese on a bacon Ritz cracker! Yeah they have bacon Ritz crackers, you can thank me later. But the Skins keep this one close, and the Eagles are due for a letdown after an impressive comeback against the Colts. Take the points and hope Sproles doesn’t bail out the Philly Chip Kelly’s in three straight weeks.

NFL and NCAA Picks

Thursday Night Football

Tampa Bay (+6) at Atlanta (UNDER 46)

The Buccaneers, by all accounts, should get blown out tonight. No Gerald McCoy and no Mason Foster makes an already shaky Bucs defense look like a prime candidate for a Matty IceNutz 5 TD game! Let's remember, this is a Thursday night game. I almost liken these games to Thursday night at the local club or bar. Yeah the environment and excitement is the same, but you're not 100% into it, hell, you may still be recovering from the previous weekend! So what do you end up with when you have a Thursday game/night out? Some sloppy play and a whole lot of mediocrity. You're basically going home with the girl who just got cheated on for the 4th time in two months who is going to cry all night, or the skinniest fat chick available. Nobody wins with these games. Take the under, and hope TB keeps it close. The public is too pumped on the over and ATL for some tomfoolery to not happen.

Auburn at Kansas St. (OVER 65)
Combined, these teams average about 95 ppg. If we look at game totals in general, both usually play a game that ends around 67 points. This line opened at 70 and was quickly hammered down to 65. It will probably end up at 65.5, so it would be best to get this in now. Hopefully we have some garbage ass Thursday night defense as Auburn rolls to a 49-28 victory.

Monday Night Foot Fetish Fest

DET (-6) vs. NYG
This Giants team is terrible!! And yes I know that even in the past when the giants looked bad, sometimes even for seasons at a time they still managed to win two Super Bowls. But this ain't those teams...this team lacks weapons on both sides of the ball and Eli is starting to enter that Matt Schaub area where you keep telling yourself he's gonna come back and he just never does. The Giants also lost a running back to a career ending injury in the preseason, and their best defensive player the notorious JPP is battling injuries as well. On the other side? Well they have Megatron and a healthy Stafford (but for how long?); and Reggie Bush looked great in preseason for what that's worth. Giants stumble out of the gate tonight and never get on track as the Lions roll.

SD (+3) at ARI 
After much deliberation about the fishiest line of the week amongst the writers at DP, we decided in the end it was very clear who holds that top spot, in the Chargers. This was the number two ranked offense in the league last year!! Another year of Rivers and his WRs should mean more continuity and more continuity should mean more deep bomb 65+ td strikes from the gunslingin, god fearing Rivers. Sure the Cards have PP in their secondary, but rivers has way too many weapons to be slowed down in a dome in Phoenix. Should be a good game, but the Cards will ultimately fail to match another scoring drive by the Bolts. 

Bonus prop bet!!!
Eli Manning over 1 INT (-105)
Manning throwing at least two picks is about as much of a sure thing as Ray Rice not receiving the Time Man of the Year award (there's always next year buddy!). Eli loves to force it, and when you mix in his penchant for trying to fit a needle into a haystack (that's the expression right?) you get multiple interception games. He might throw three or four with the kind of pressure the Lions are capable of.

NFL Gambling Rules/Week 1 Lines

3 rules to follow when betting NFL Lines!!

Rule Number One: Always go with the Super Bowl team opening up at home!

This week’s example: GB at SEA (-6)
I know what you’re thinking, but what about last year when Peyton shredded the defending champs to the tune of seven touchdowns in the opener?? Well, you fuckin idiot, that game was in Denver for some weird reason, and Baltimore wasn’t your typical Super Bowl champs. Seattle had one of the most impressive regular season/playoff runs in recent memory, and three minutes in to the Super Bowl you knew they deserved to be called champs. This Thursday, they get a very talented Green Bay team at home and you know that place will be full of raucous, blacked out hipsters with their croc shoes and marijuana fueled rage at full throttle! Expect this game to be very similar to last year’s Super Bowl as Seattle jumps all over Rodgers in the first twenty minutes and never allows him to get comfortable until its way too late. 

Rule Number Two: Always go with a Rex Ryan defense against a rookie QB.

This week’s example: NYJ (-5.5) vs. OAK
Seriously can you imagine the pressure on Derek Carr this weekend? Not only does he get his first start in an effort to prove that not all Carr’s suck at quarterbacking, but he was also anointed as the Raiders franchise QB this week by beating out Matt “pick-six” Schaub. And how does he get to prove himself? Oh, only by traveling cross country to face a coach who gives HOF QB’s fits, and treats rookie QB’s like the piles of flaming shit that they are. I don’t have the exact numbers on the rookies against Rex, but it can’t be pretty. (EDITOR'S NOTE: On average, rookies see their QBR drop about 7 points vs the Jets/Rex.)  Two years ago they fucked up Andrew Luck with an exotic coverage scheme that saw the Jets drop at least fifteen DB’s into coverage (at least) and forced Luck into a pair of game changing picks. Don’t expect Rex to take it easy on this guy, knowing that especially over the next few weeks, wins are going to be at a premium.

Rule Number Three: Always bet huge on the fishy line.

This week’s example: STL (-4) vs. MIN
You know when you meet that super-hot girl online and you guys make a date for you to come over with a pack of Smirnoff Ice’s, Magnum’s, and the board game Twister; only for you to walk in and Chris Hansen is standing there asking what you are doing here? You probably had that same feeling, like something isn’t right here. Well that’s how I feel when I look at lines sometimes, and this week specifically this line. STL just lost Bradford for the year, and are starting perpetual journeyman Shaun Hill against the AP All Day Vikings!! So why are they favored?? ON THE ROAD??? See it makes no sense, which is exactly why you should bet the house on STL. Vegas isn’t full of ridiculous Hotels and over-priced escorts (though well worth it, thanks again LaShaniqua) because they like giving away free money. These dudes who set these lines know exactly what they are doing. They want people to back AP and then watch as the Vikings get shredded by Hill for 350 yards through the air. Well there’s no way I let you get the best of me this time Vegas!! I’m on to your tricks, and like the Rams to win huge. 

College football Saturday

Clemson +10(-115) vs Georgia

Georgia is heavily favored in this game. Probably because they're in the SEC. Regardless, this Clemson team just might be for real this year. The Tigers are coming off a solid season last year and are looking to keep rolling. I don't know if they'll win but I don't think anyone is about to get blown out. 

LSU vs Wisconsin (+150)

Here's one of the better match ups of the weekend. A classic big ten team (Wisconsin) taking on a classic SEC team (LSU). Both schools have a rich football history and are very well coached. I think Wisconsin comes away with the win with a display of defensive dominance.

NCAA Football

NCAA FOOTBALL PICKS

Jacksonville st at MSU (-35)

This pick is for the fellow writer Sugar!! Michigan State is favored by 35 points which goes against my number one rule on never taking a spread that is ridiculously too big! However when a team from the Big Ten (is it still called that?) plays Jacksonville State, I'd say this is a pretty safe bet. Plus this State team (Michigan, not Jacksonville) is coming off a strong season last year and have title talks rumbling especially in the Traverse City area.

UNLV at AZ (-24)

Another huge spread that honestly could probably be a little bit higher. My namesake the Wild Catz are taking on a team that I have no idea what conference they play in. That is never a good sign in college football, and this one should be over quickly. Look for the Catz to score a few touchdowns early and the backups come in and pour it on in a 60-10 type rout!

Catz's Rando Soccer Hitz

Lille vs. Porto (-105, P)

A couple of dirty picks coming to you today from the Champions League! Perennial contenders FC Porto travel to France in order to take on the host squad Lille. Basically, both of these teams are terrible on offense, but Lille is even worse than you can imagine. Don’t expect either of these teams to score very many goals as Porto should roll here 2-0 or 1-0 in the first leg.

Celtic (+135, ML) vs. Maribor (L)
You know how some people like to go with the new hot thing? Like the old guy who chases the first 19 year old who smiles in his direction? Well I am not one of those guys. I prefer to go with the old standard rather than chase the new flashy object. In this example Maribor is the 19 year old skank, while Celtic is more of a Peanut butter and jelly. One might be more appealing than the other, but at least you know what you are getting with the other. Celtic should roll in this one.

Zenit (-110, ML) vs. Standard Liege (WINNER!)
One of my favorite sleeper teams to play with or pillage in FIFA!! Zenit is the Russian Manchester United as they go out and spend money on players and don’t have any regrets about doing so. With notable players like Andray Arshavin, Danny, Axel Witsel, and the incomparable HULK!!! Seriously this team has Hulk, that should be enough.