NFL Week 4 Bettor's Guide

(Ha.)
(For the record, I asked Snyder to sign Vick. We'd be much better off, and we'd probably also have Brandon Marshall. Just sayin...)

Bad week last week. Well, the numbers say average, but I'm too good for average. Average doesn't make MONEY.

W/L: 8-8 (25-23)
ATS: 7-9 (21-25-2)
O/U: 7-9 (25-22-1)

(+235) Denver Broncos
(-275) TENNESSEE TITANS (-7)
O/U 43
I'm taking the Titans because they're a lot better, I think, though Denver could easily make this close. Just don't see an answer for Chris Johnson. Broncos 17 Titans 31


(+110) Baltimore Ravens
(-130) PITTSBURGH STEELERS (-2)
O/U 34.5
Baltimore is reeling, whether it looks it to you or not. Mendenhall is in beast mode and Flacco might turn the ball over 5 times. Ravens 13 Steelers 27


(-165) Cincinnati Bengals (-3)
(+145) CLEVELAND BROWNS
O/U 37.5
The Cleveland Browns are a weird team. Maybe it's that their offensive line is too good for them to lose control of any game? (It doesn't hurt that their schedule hasn't featured any particularly potent offenses.) I still say Cincy wins but it'll be a tough game. Bengals 21 Browns 17


(OFF) Detroit Lions
(OFF) GREEN BAY PACKERS (-14.5)
O/U 45.5
MASSACRE. Lions 13 Packers 44


(OFF) Carolina Panthers
(OFF) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-14)
O/U 44
Another beatdown, though I think the Panthers might turn a turnover into a few more points than they otherwise would get. Panthers 17 Saints 38


(+250) San Francisco 49ers
(-300) ATLANTA FALCONS (-7)
O/U 42.5
I still think the 9ers are too talented to be THIS bad. They have a new offensive coordinator, and they're saying Alex Smith will be playing from the gun a lot more... man, I dunno. Gimme the points. 49ers 24 Falcons 27


(-120) Seattle Seahawks (-1)
(Even) ST. LOUIS RAMS
O/U 40
Seahawks are back on the road. Look for Steven Jackson to have a big impact in the passing game. Seahawks 17 Rams 24


(-250) New York Jets (-5)
(+210) BUFFALO BILLS
O/U 36.5
I mean, Buffalo sucks, and the Jets don't. Jets 24 Bills 10


(-380) Indianapolis Colts (-7.5)
(+300) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
O/U 46
.............................. Colts 45 Jaguars 13


(-175) Houston Texans (-3.5)
(+155) OAKLAND RAIDERS
O/U 43.5
I guess Houston will win this one because they can actually run the ball consistently now, but this'll be a strange game. Reluctantly taking the 3.5... Texans 29 Raiders 26


(+325) Arizona Cardinals
(-420) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-9)
O/U 45.5
Bolts will take out their frustrations about last week on 'Zona. Cardinals 17 Chargers 34


(+205) Washington Redskins
(-245) PHILADELPHIA EAGLES (-6)
O/U 42.5
McNabb vs Vick. That's ultimately what it comes down to. Call me crazy - because you definitely can't call me a homer - but against my better judgement I like my 'Skins here. Ryan Torain introduces himself to the rest of the league. Redskins 24 Eagles 20


(+170) Chicago Bears
(-200) NEW YORK GIANTS (-3.5)
O/U 43.5
??? Bears 27 Giants 17

(I kinda have a feeling that Eli and Mr. Hakeem Nicks will have huge games, but whatever.)

(-120) New England Patriots (-1)
(Even) MIAMI DOLPHINS
O/U 46.5
I looked it up: Randy Moss has caught 10 TDs in his 9 career games against the 'Phins. A ratio only bested by his 10 scores in 6 games vs Dallas. Means next to nothing, but it's interesting. Miami SHOULD win this game but they just don't seem to add up to the sum of their parts. Patriots 27 Dolphins 24

NFL Week 3 Review

Had a tough week in fantasy, losing 138-130, though I was without two of my top 5 picks. Vick is a BEAST.

Tennessee Titans 29
New York Giants 10
Yikes. The Giants are BAD.

Buffalo Bills 30
New England Patriots 38
The Bills suck and the Pats ain't all that good. Next.

Cleveland Browns 17
Baltimore Ravens 24
Baltimore isn't all that great either. Giving up 173 rushing yards? 144 of which to PEYTON HILLIS? Shameful.

Pittsburgh Steelers 38
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 13
Ok.

Cincinnati Bengals 20
Carolina Panthers 7
Cedric Benson is a beast. Numbers weren't great, but he's legit. Glad to see him doing well. I hope Steve Smith gets out of Carolina before his career is over...

Atlanta Falcons 27
New Orleans Saints 24 (OT)
Wow. The Saints lost a close game, and in OT no less? Falcons must've played pretty well. Oh? What's that? They won the turnover battle (1-3) AND dominated time of possession (46-27)? And it was only a three point decision?

I didn't see the game, and there are certainly plenty of reasons for the above to be true. It's interesting, though.

San Francisco 49ers 10
Kansas City Chiefs 31
The 9ers are by FAR the biggest trainwreck of the young season. Frank Gore has managed to remain relevant as far as my fantasy team is concerned (a testament to his elite ability), but good LORD. Meanwhile, Jamaal Charles continues to outshine Thomas Jones and continues to take a back seat. TJ had a great game this week, but it's still quite perplexing. Maybe they're saving him for the 2nd half. I hope.

Detroit Lions 10
Minnesota Vikings 24
Defense stepped up for Minny. Adrian Peterson was a monster. Meaning, nothing of particular interest.

Dallas Cowboys 27
Houston Texans 13
Roy Williams had a huge game. Of course. Give one of those touchdowns to Dez and I get a win. Fuck.

Washington Redskins 16
St Louis Rams 30
BY FAR weakest position on the team: cornerback. eAngelo Fall and Carlos Rogers are both HORSESHIT. Portis looks like Edge at the end of his career, which sucks, but finally Ryan Torain gets his chance to prove me right. CP is still the best blocking back OF ALL TIME ha.

Philadelphia Eagles 28
Jacksonville Jaguars 3
VICK. To be fair he's played a Packers defense that prepared for Kevin Kolb and then the Lions and Jaguars; not exactly much of a challenge. But he looks amazing. He's the MVP of the league so far, for whatever that's worth.

Indianapolis Colts 27
Denver Broncos 13
Three receivers in this game had at least 140 yards. Denver's Brandon Lloyd (169) and Jabar Gaffney (140), and Indy's Austin Collie (171). WHO AGAIN??? I thought that was interesting.

San Diego Chargers 20
Seattle Seahawks 27
I took the points in this game but I wish had went all the way with my gut and taken the 'Hawks straight up. Nice to see Leon Washington do well.

Oakland Raiders 23
Arizona Cardinals 24
So Oakland just sucks. Or Arizona is a little better than I thought. Or both. I don't know if anyone's saying anything about it but Darren McFadden is looking VERY good so far...

New York Jets 31
Miami Dolphins 23
This WOULD be a shootout. Go Mark Sanchez.

Green Bay Packers 17
Chicago Bears 20
So the Bears are for real, huh?

Day One of The Rest of Gilbert's Life

Jesus:

So last night the Bullets held a midnight madness event, signifying the official start to the NBA season. By all accounts, when Arenas was on the court he was joking, smiling, and even had devised a special handshake with his point guard-duty-usurper, John Wall. And of course he was back to his buzzer-beating ways. But that shit is depressing. You know I've been a die-hard Gil supporter since the instant he came to DC, and he was something of a hero because he made a point to have fun in a business that seems as if it's doing everything to prevent it. And of course he went out and tore the league to shreds. I'm not here to say we should forget about what happened in the last 12 months (and for the record, I attacked him for it - even went as far as to say he had to go), and I'm also not here to talk about the big, mean corporation that is the NBA because that's exactly how it'd come off. Honestly, I dunno what I'm writing this for. Other than to say it sucks. All they had to do was let him be and check him when he actually goes over the line; in that way he'd learn how to properly control himself. Instead you take an expressive individual and force him into a box, so of course he's gonna buck. Remember he was on his way to being one of the most marketable players in the NBA, despite his perceived craziness, because his spirit was undeniable. Or so it seemed.

Now we have shitheads talking about this demeanor being "another act." Another? First he's persecuted for being an individual, for not being a company man. Now he's untrustworthy for putting up this "act." Fuck off. Regardless of whether or not this is an act, or his happiness on the court is an act, the situation is shit. Though I still think he can be a great player, because his game relied much more on instinct and wherewithal than it ever did on traditional athletic ability.

Which leads me to my final word, which is actually Gil's: "fans just wanna see good basketball." Think about that. Are you a fan? Or are you someone who demands more than good basketball, or good football, or good acting or whatever-the-fuck-ever you choose for entertainment. I'm not saying you should endorse rapists. Just think about that for a second, and think about whether or not you contributed to killing this:

The Trade Value of Carmelo Anthony

So word is the Nets, Nuggets, Bobcats and Jazz are about to complete some form of the following trade:

Nets get: Carmelo Anthony
Nuggets get: Derrick Favors, Andre Kirilenko, "multiple first round picks"
Bobcats get: Devin Harris
Jazz get: Boris Diaw

It apparently hinges on 'Melo's willingness to sign an extension, which makes sense, because I certainly wouldn't give up an all star point guard and a top-3 draft pick for a one-year rental towards anything short of a 100% guarantee of a championship. And if I were in 'Melo's Js, I wouldn't sign an extension with a Nets team minus BOTH Favors and Harris.

But here's the thing. Would you really give up Devin Harris and Derrick Favors for 5-6+ years of Carmelo Anthony's services? I've been a major supporter of Anthony since saying that HE, and NOT LeBron, deserved ROY honors, but I still see his limitations. He CAN guard anyone, but it doesn't mean he does. As great and versatile a scorer as he is, he's still a one-dimensional offensive player. And maybe most importantly, he hasn't shown he can lead a team on his own. When you're trading away arguably your two most marquee names, you need to get more than a "mere" elite scorer in return (though 'Melo HAS improved the consistency of his rebounding). I thought it was a reasonable deal with three teams, where Denver gets a large expiring deal and Favors (and picks) and the Nets get Anthony. For me, this would be too much.

With all that said, this deal has "a long way to go" before it gets done. I'm guessing both the Nets and 'Melo's camp share my concerns. DJ Augustin could sweeten the pot for everyone; Larry Brown ain't DJ's biggest fan (and they recently signed SHAUN LIVINGSTON) and I'd think both Avery Johnson and 'Melo would prefer someone like Augustin to run the offense over Jordan Farmer. Yeesh. Just a thought.

Look. Carmelo Anthony is a beast. And I'd argue that his on-court contributions are underrated. But I wouldn't bet the farm on him leading my team to a championship. Maybe that's wrong, maybe he's learned from Chauncey, I don't know. But as big a fan of his as I am, I just couldn't do it. I wouldn't jump at the chance, at least.

(One more thought, more of an absurd fantasy: Denver getting rid of 'Melo basically puts them in full-on rebuild mode. So why not send Chauncey to Jersey as well? Just take Troy Murphy and his expiring deal. Or something like that. Getting Billups would put that team towards the top of the East, I see no reason why not to take that opportunity.)

(Another epiphany: maybe go after Ty Lawson instead of Augustin. Denver doesn't seem to be as fond of him as they should be. THAT would be ideal: Lawson, Terrence Williams, Melo, Murphy('s expiring deal), Brook Lopez. That ain't bad. And considering Billups wouldn't actually put 'em ahead of the Heat, might as well take the younger clone in Lawson.)

As for the rest of the deal:

Jazz
Simple salary dump. Both Diaw's and Kirilenko's deals expire at the end of the year, but AK47 is owed twice the money. Similar players, including similar weak mindsets. Nothing of real on-court significance to see here. Though the Jazz lose another defender to guard Kobe. Hopefully for them Raja Bell can rise to that occasion.

Nuggets
I guess this is the best they can do. They('d) have a slew of 4s (Favors, Nene, Kenyon Martin and Al Harrington) and no swingmen. But I'm a big fan of Favors so it's not too bad. Now that I've thought about it I do think Lawson could at least get talked about here, though looking at it I'm not sure how it'd work (wouldn't give Terrence Williams up for Lawson, I don't think).

Bobcats
Love the trade for 'em. Giving up Diaw to get a more efficient Ray Felton? Now, I was never as high on Devin Harris as damn near everyone else was a couple years ago, but he's a player. I don't like Shaun Livingston getting shoved down the depth chart, but I wouldn't feel bad 'cause dude can't catch a break anyway. Ha. Really though, trade Augustin to make sure this happens, and they're gold.

Ooohh, another epiphany, give Augustin to Denver and they give Lawson to New Jersey. Hmmm...

NFL Week 3 Bettor's Guide

Not perfect, but much better in week 2.

W/L: 10-6 (17-15)
ATS: 10-6 (14-16-2)
O/U: 11-5 (18-13-1)

I used a different sportsbook this week for the odds. Not that it really matters.

(+135) Tennessee Titans
(-155) NEW YORK FOOTBALL GIANTS (-3)
O/U 42.5
This one is tough to handicap. On one hand, the Giants' offensive line is in shambles, and the Titans have been stellar up front on defense. On the other, Vince Young still hasn't talked to Jeff Fisher about last week's benching, which isn't good for a psychologically fragile QB. Especially when he's playing a defense with the potential to get in a QB's face like the Giants. I'll go Titans 20 Giants 24, cautiously taking the G-Men to cover and the points to go over.

(+650) Buffalo Bills
(-900) NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS (-14.5)
O/U 42.5
Buffalo made me look kinda stupid last week. I had the Packers covering, but I stuck up for 'em. Not this time. Bills 16 Patriots 44


(+425) Cleveland Browns
(-550) BALTIMORE RAVENS (-10.5)
O/U 36.5
Yikes. Browns 6 Ravens 31


(-140) Pittsburgh Steelers (-3)
(+120) TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
O/U 33
Pittsburgh will bring Josh Freeman back down to earth. Still a nice story, this Bucs team. Steelers 23 Bucs 9


(-190) Cincinnati Bengals (-3)
(+160) CAROLINA PANTHERS
O/U 37.5
I can't imagine this being a close game. Bengals 27 Panthers 13


(+165) Atlanta Falcons
(-200) NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (-3.5)
O/U 49
I wish I could take Atlanta but there's no way I'm betting against the Saints to lose a game with all the help they get, unless they're playing an elite team. I'll take Atlanta to cover, though. And while the scoreboard in these types of games often don't blow up like expected, I just don't see any other way. Falcons 31 Saints 34


(-140) San Francisco 49ers (-3)
(+120) KANSAS CITY CHIEFS
O/U 37
The 49ers match up too perfectly with KC. They can stop the run and they take advantage of turnover opportunities. But this team, man... especially traveling... still, 49ers 20 Chiefs 16


(+450) Detroit Lions
(-600) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-11.5)
O/U 43
The Vikings haven't been as stout as usual against the run (because Favre keeps cutting into their rest time) and Jahvid Best is trying his damnedest to convince me that he is, in fact, not dead. Still like AD in that matchup, but 11.5 points is crazy considering how badly Favre's been playing. Lions 17 Vikings 24


(+115) Dallas Cowboys
(-135) HOUSTON TEXANS (-3)
O/U 47
Houston's been firing on all cylinders so far. Dallas, well, has not. Still, Houston's been torn to shreds by opposing QBs, and I can't see Dallas starting off 0-3. Also don't know how this could be anything but a shootout. Probably one of the best games of the week. Expect big things from Dez Bryant, who practiced in full pads today (Thursday). Cowboys 38 Texans 35


(-190) Washington Redskins (-3.5)
(+160) ST. LOUIS RAMS
O/U 39
Always the skeptic, I can't help but remember how we've fared against the Lambs in the recent past. There's no way we lose this game, though. Not this year. Redskins 27 Rams 13


(-145) Philadelphia Eagles (-3)
(+125) JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS
O/U 45
VICK VICK VICK. I think my fantasy QBs might combine for 75 points (Vick and Brady). Eagles 30 Jaguars 21


(-250) Indianapolis Colts (-5)
(+210) DENVER BRONCOS
O/U 48
Jesus this Broncos franchise is cursed. Here's to Kenny McKinley's family and friends finding peace. Colts 30 Broncos 24 (Huge 'don't forget about me' game from Knowshon.)


(-250) San Diego Chargers (-5)
(+210) SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
O/U 44.5
I wonder if these Seahawks will have a Jeckyll-and-Hyde type home-and-away year. I think the 12th man gives 'em a huge boost this week... not so much so that I'm confident they'll pull off the upset, but fuck it I'll take the points. Chargers 28 Seahawks 24


(+180) Oakland Raiders
(-220) ARIZONA CARDINALS (-4.5)
O/U 39.5
Darren McFadden could be the player of the week. Raiders 27 Cardinals 16


(+105) New York Jets
(-125) MIAMI DOLPHINS (-2)
O/U 35.5
No clue. Genuinely no clue. It's going under either way, so I'll cover myself here. Jets 14 Dolphins 16


(-150) Green Bay Packers (-3)
(+130) CHICAGO BEARS
O/U 46
Craziness. (should be a) Great MNF game. Wish Madden was calling it ha. Packers 31 Bears 28

NFL Week 2 Review

My first fantasy squad is a beast. Frank Gore finally showed up, just in time too. Other team, ain't so hot (Romo, Shonn Greene, Ray Rice, Calvin Johnson, Crabtree...). But yea, real football:

Kansas City Chiefs 16

Cleveland Browns 14

The Chiefs' defense was on the field way too long in week 1, and since they were coming off a Monday Nighter it was probably foolish of me to pick a blowout win. Why they refuse to give Jamaal Charles the rock, I have no clue. But they gave him a little draw on 3rd and 2 once in a situation where all they needed was a first down... Thomas Jones coulda been a good look for that. Ah well. Charles is too good to be held down.

Buffalo Bills 7

Green Bay Packers 34

ZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZz

Baltimore Ravens 10

Cincinnati Bengals 15

Sooooo... Joe Flacco... yikes. Good to see Pacma- er, Adam Jones in the highlights again.

Pittsburgh Steelers 19

Tennessee Titans 11

Skip Bayless made a great point on Vince Young's benching: has Fisher ever believed in Vince? He made a couple disastrous throws on Sunday but what franchise QB with the winning resume VY has gets treated like this? Boggles the mind.

Philadelphia Eagles 35

Detroit Lions 32

Vick certainly didn't disappoint. The spin away from pressure DEAR GOD (0:52 in that video), that's a display of incomparable ability. Yes he misses open receivers, but you have to understand he more than makes up for it with his inhuman ability to simply make plays. Comeback player of the year is in the bag. MVP would have to be talked about if the Eagles had any chance of consistently stopping anyone on defense.

(Vick and Randy Moss are the two most impactful athletes I've ever seen on the football field. Maybe in any sport, due to the nature of things. Sean Taylor was, too, especially towards the end. Deion would be the last one I can even say I remember, but only barely.)

Chicago Bears 27

Dallas Cowboys 20

Dallas is in serious trouble. Chicago seriously looks good. Dunno what else to say. Dez Bryant is going to be a star once he gets his conditioning in order. I just hope he doesn't blow out his knee before that happens.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 20

Carolina Panthers 7

Neither of these teams are really any good, but Josh Freeman is looking like the real deal. He only completed 50% of his passes, reminding us that he's still very much a work in progress, but Tampa is headed in the right direction.

Arizona Cardinals 7

Atlanta Falcons 41

'Zona better go after Kevin Kolb ASAP.

Miami Dolphins 14

Minnesota Vikings 10

Minnesota dominated time of possession, which means Miami very well should have lost. Old Man Favre is just that bad right now.

St. Louis Rams 14

Oakland Raiders 16

Well it wasn't quite the statement game I expected, but it'll do the job I guess. Jason Campbell definitely isn't doing what I expected... good to see Run DMC in full effect, though.

Seattle Seahawks 14

Denver Broncos 31

Orton steamrolled. Seattle's run D is legit. Knowshon is a beast. Demaryius Thomas could put the Denver offense right where it needs to be.

Houston Texans 30

Washington Redskins 27 (OT)

Is Houston's pass D that bad? Is the Redskins' running game that bad? The answer to both is probably yes. I'm still a little shocked McNabb threw for over 400 yards. With all that said, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, YOUR NFC EAST LEADERS: WASHINGTON REDSKINS!!!

Ha.

Jacksonville Jaguars 13

San Diego Chargers 38

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZzzZZZZ

New England Patriots 14

New York Jets 28

Well my prediction wasn't too far off. At least on the Jets scoring. That was a thorough massacre in the second half. I'm sure Rex tore those guys apart after week 1. And I'm sure Braylon Edwards had a nice little celebration drink afterwards. What a jackass.

New York Football Giants 14

Indianapolis Colts 38

Yikes. One of the most convincing victories I've ever seen. Dwight Freeney was an ANIMAL.

New Orleans Saints 25

San Francisco 49ers 22

I don't know how you can't watch football and not see the disparity in how the whistles are blown and flags are thrown in Saints games. I just can't. Obviously the 9ers have nobody to blame but themselves for this one, but it's really annoying. Frank Gore is a beast, though. Top 5 RBs EASY. And finally that statement won't have to be met with all the 'you're insane's.

NFL Week 2 Bettor's Guide

(I'm REALLY excited to see Vick start again. Sucks that it's gotta be the damn Eagles of all teams, but whaddyagonnado.)

Last week was bad. Real bad.

W/L: 7-9

ATS: 4-10-2

O/U: 7-8-1

(+115) Kansas City Chiefs

(-135) CLEVELAND BROWNS (-2)

O/U 39

KC can run the ball, Cleveland can't stop the run. Simple as that. That Chiefs defense will stop whatever Cleveland can muster on offense. I've decided I'm rooting for KC this year, so I hope Matt Cassel doesn't throw any of these easy games away. Chiefs 34 Browns 13

(+460) Buffalo Bills

(-650) GREEN BAY PACKERS (13.5)

O/U 43

I'd consider taking those points in Buffalo. Actually now that I look at it, I think it'll be closer than I originally thought. To the 14 points, I mean. Bills 10 Packers 27

(-140) Baltimore Ravens (-2.5)

(+120) CINCINNATI BENGALS

O/U 40

I'm probably insane for this, but Ravens 17 Bengals 20. Not giving up on these guys yet. Just get to Flacco and keep Carson on his feet.

(+195) Pittsburgh Steelers

(-235) TENNESSEE TITANS (-5)

O/U 36.5

Trouncing the Raiders was impressive, but the Steel Curtain is a whole other animal. I still think Tennessee wins, but it won't be pretty. Steelers 17 Titans 20. I actually had a dream a couple nights ago in which I checked the score of this game and Chris Johnson had 30 carries for 330 yards and Vince was 2/3 and (I can only assume) got hurt. For what it's worth.

(-270) Philadelphia Eagles (-6.5)

(+230) DETROIT LIONS

O/U 41

I've seen a lot of people saying Vick was only great because Green Bay didn't have time to prepare for him. Since when has anyone been able to really prepare for Michael Vick? Good luck, Coach Schwartz. Eagles 27 Lions 13

(+265) Chicago Bears

(-330) DALLAS COWBOYS (-7)

O/U 40.5

I wish I could coach this Cowboys team, just for a game, to show how miserable a job is being done. Not even coach, just call the offensive plays. Bears 17 Cowboys 31

(+170) Tampa Bay Buccaneers

(-200) CAROLINA PANTHERS (-3)

O/U 39

Matt Moore vs Josh Freeman. Oohh! Panthers 17 Buccaneers 16

(+235) Arizona Cardinals

(-200) ATLANTA FALCONS (-3)

O/U 43

Part of me wants to take Arizona here, because I still like (some of) their defense. But I've stated my feelings on Atlanta this year. And DEREK ANDERSON. Cardinals 14 Falcons 27

(+215) Miami Dolphins

(-255) MINNESOTA VIKINGS (-6)

O/U 39

The Vikes offense looked very pedestrian playing against the Saints and Stripes. The Dolphins looked a bit worse against the Bills... Dolphins 13 Vikings 17

(+165) St. Louis Rams

(-190) OAKLAND RAIDERS (-3.5)

O/U 37.5

I know the Raiders got shellacked by VY and CJ2(.5)K but this is a whole other ballgame, so to speak. They make a (minor) statement here, Rams 7 Raiders 27

(+165) Seattle Seahawks

(-190) DENVER BRONCOS (-3.5)

O/U 40

Seattle? What? No real clue what to make of this game. I'll take Denver because they're at home and Orton did a lot more than I expected him to last week (Jags or not), tho who knows? Seahawks 24 Broncos 27

(-140) Houston Texans (-3)

(+120) WASHINGTON REDSKINS

O/U 43.5

I can only assume that O/U means Vegas knows Vincent Jackson is gonna be traded between now and Sunday and then somehow be able to suit up for us by game time. I really want to take my Skins... Texans 21 Redskins 17

(+265) Jacksonville Jaguars

(-330) SAN DIEGO CHARGERS (-7)

O/U 45.5

MJD should have a nice game Jaguars 20 Chargers 38

(-155) New England Patriots (-3)

(+135) NEW YORK JETS

O/U 38.5

This is probably my dumbest pick of the weekend. Mark Sanchez is a joke of a quarterback, but I think Shonn Greene will come back something fierce. Moss will get lost on Revis Island, but Patriots 24 Jets 23. Yep, dumbest of the weekend, easy.

(+205) New York Football Giants

(-245) INDIANAPOLIS COLTS (-6)

O/U 48.5

Initially I figured it was foolish to bet against Peyton Manning in prime time. Then I remembered how badly last week went, and how much better the G-Men match up than does Houston. Giants 38 Colts 34. I still like Peyton to work some magic.

(-255) New Orleans Saints (-6)
(+215) SAN FRANCISCO 49ERS

O/U 44

San Fran really shit the bed last week. I mean REALLY shit the bed. I'm gonna cautiously go Saints 31 49ers 16 but the 9ers are much better than that on paper.