Dave’s Dime
“Because Two Cents Just Isn’t Enough”

THE INTRO

Weeks like the last one make me wonder why I even bother to try.

Honestly.

See, I’ve got no problem with losing a few games here and there. Happens to all of us. But when you go 5 – 11, and your money picks go 1 – 4, it really makes you take a step back and say “What the hell is wrong with me?”

THEN you get to realizing that there is a lot more wrong with “Vegas” Dave Consolazio then his lousy week of picking games.

It started when I was 11. I didn’t want to go….

Just kidding! I’ll spare you the therapy session. After all, shouldn’t I be focusing on football?

With #2 Michigan @ #1 Ohio State and Cal @ USC on the bill, there’s plenty to be hyped about… even BEFORE Sunday. So lets pick some winners!

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 5 – 11 – 0 (.500)
Without the spread: 7 – 9 – 0 (.500)
$$Money Picks$$: 1 – 4 – 0 (.200)
^^Zen Picks^^: 0 – 2 – 0 (.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 1 – 3 – 0 (.250)

Season
With the spread: 67 – 71 – 6 (.486)
Without the spread: 89 – 55 – 0 (.618)
$$Money Picks$$: 13 – 18 – 1 (.461)
^^Zen Picks^^: 11 – 9 – 1 (.550)
**Outright Upsets**: 18 – 17 – 0 (.514)

LAST WEEK’S RECAP OF DAVE’S BRILLIANCE AND FOOLISHNESS
(Often Foolishness)

Baltimore 27 6 – 2 (-7.0) @ Tennessee 26 2 – 6 (+7.0)
This was a stupid way to start off a stupid week… maturity be damned.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS ^$Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Baltimore

Buffalo 16 3 – 5 (+12.0) @ Indianapolis 17 8 – 0 (-12.0)
Should have saw this coming… Indy plays down to their opponent from time to time.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Indianapolis

Cleveland 17 2 – 6 (+8.0) @ Atlanta 13 5 – 3 (-8.0)
Atlanta has gone from contender to disaster in two very short weeks.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Atlanta

Green Bay 23 3 – 5 (+5.0) @ Minnesota 17 4 – 4 (-5.0)
Zen be damned, I knew GB would win this game!
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS ^Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Minnesota

Houston 13 2 – 6 (+10.0) @ Jacksonville 10 5 – 3 (-10.0)
…Words escape me.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Jacksonville

Kansas City 10 5 – 3 (+1.0) @ Miami 13 2 – 6 (-1.0)
Was a little afraid of this… thought KC was above it, though.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Kansas City

N.Y. Jets 17 4 – 4 (+10.5) @ New England 14 6 – 2 (-10.5)
Keeping it close is one thing. But winning outright?!?!
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS New England

San Diego 49 6 – 2 (-1.0) @ Cincinnati 41 4 – 4 (+1.0)
On top of being a wonderfully entertaining game, also turned out to be a rare win for me this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego

San Francisco 19 3 – 5 (+6.0) @ Detroit 13 2 – 6 (-6.0)
San Frans got 4 wins now? Damn, more power to them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Detroit

Washington 3 3 – 5 (+7.0) @ Philadelphia 27 4 – 4 (-7.0)
Phili owed me a win, with all the losing they’ve been doing on my watch this season.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Philadelphia

Denver 17 6 – 2 (-9.0) @ Oakland 13 2 – 6 (+9.0)
Once again, Denver beats the Raiders but doesn’t cover the spread… exciting stuff.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Denver

Dallas 27 4 – 4 (-6.5) @ Arizona 10 1 – 7 (+6.5)
Quite simply, just a stupid pick. Arizone leaving little doubt about who the worst in the league is.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Arizona

New Orleans 31 6 – 2 (+4.5) @ Pittsburgh 38 2 – 6 (-4.5)
I stand by the point that Pittsburgh is STILL going nowhere. Bad loss for the Saints though, their schedule is only getting tougher.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *$New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *New Orleans

St. Louis 22 4 – 4 (+3.0) @ Seattle 24 5 – 3 (-3.0)
Trust me, Seattle doesn’t care nearly as much as I do that they didn’t cover.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle

Chicago 38 7 – 1 (+1.0) @ N.Y. Giants 20 6 – 2 (-1.0)
Told you Chicago wasn’t all that bad.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *^Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Chicago

Tampa Bay 10 2 – 6 (+9.5) @ Carolina 24 4 – 4 (-9.5)
Tampa Bay just doesn’t have the talent to compete this year, its that simple.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Carolina

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Ahem, maybe next week.

THE PICKS

* – Indicates Upset Pick
$ – Indicates Money Pick
^ – Indicates Zen Pick

I’m trying something new this week, to try and break out of my slump. I’m not going to crunch the numbers… just gonna pick them with my gut. Should be fun.

SUNDAY

Pittsburgh 3 – 6 (-4.0) @ Cleveland 3 – 6 (+4.0)
Alright, as much as I dislike Pittsburgh and stand by the fact that there will be no miracle playoff run this year, in a game that this team absoutely has to win, they will probably be able to take care of Cleveland by a TD. I wouldn’t mind if they didn’t, though, just so ESPN can’t have a field day with the “Steelers winning streak marking a comeback” or some nonsense like that.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh

St. Louis 4 – 5 (+6.5) @ Carolina 5 – 4 (-6.5)
St. Louis is playing its second game in a row on the road while Carolina is playing their second in a row at home, that coupled with the skill differential, I’ll take Carolina by a TD in this one without too much hesitation.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

Atlanta 5 – 4 (+4.0) @ Baltimore 7 – 2 (-4.0)
After two complete disasters of losses against Detroit and Cleveland, Atlanta looks all but finished on the season. This is a team thats fairly accustomed to winning, however… and while Baltimore is a respectible foe, I’m feeling a slip up by them and an upset by the Falcons this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Atlanta

Washington 3 – 6 (+3.0) @ Tampa Bay 2 – 7 (-3.0)
While Tampa Bay is one of my favorite teams, as I stated above, they don’t have the talent to compete right now. At home against a bad Washington team is tempting, but I (unfortunately for the Bucs) see the Redskins pulling it out.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Washington

Tennessee 2 – 7 (+13.0) @ Philadelphia 5 – 4 (-13.0)
In Tennessee, you’ve got a team that sucks, but has kept it close with superior teams on multiple occasions. In the Eagles, you’ve got a contender that has had its share of troubles this season, even if they are coming off the blowout against Washington. There is no way (is there?!?!) of Tennessee winning this game, but I don’t want to give them 13 points, either.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

Chicago 8 – 1 (-6.0) @ New York Jets 5 – 4 (+6.0)
With the win over New England, and a close game against the Colts earlier this season, the surprising Jets have shown that they can compete with the best of them. At home, they are a tempting pick in this game, especially with 6 points. However, I don’t think their offense is versitile enough to trip up the Bears. And while I don’t see the Bears blowing them out, I do see them winning by a TD. So, unfortunately, I’ve gotta take them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

Cincinnati 4 – 5 (+3.0) @ New Orleans 6 – 3 (-3.0)
Cincinnati is just too damn good to keep losing football games. On the flip side, though, New Orleans’s pass attack matches up well against Cinci’s terrible pass defense. What to do? In another shootout, I’m going to have to take Cincinatti to come out on top this time.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Cincinnati

Minnesota 4 – 5 (+3.5) @ Miami 3 – 6 (-3.5)
Skill doesn’t even factor in here, its quite simple; Minnesota is playing horribly, and Miami is clicking on all cylinders. As much as it pains me to do so, for the first time since week 3, I believe, I’m taking the Miami Dolphins.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Miami

Oakland 2 – 7 (+9.0) @ Kansas City 5 – 4 (-9.0)
With or without Trent Green, the Chiefs and Larry Johnson shouldn’t have too much trouble moving the ball on the Raiders. And, with the Raider’s complete inability to move the ball on anyone, I’ve got to pick against my team once again.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Kansas City

Buffalo 3 – 6 (+2.5) @ Houston 3 – 6 (-2.5)
I have no idea… they are both so bad. Houston had their 15 minutes of fame last week in beating the Jaguars… they’ll probably come crashing back down to earth here with a loss against the Bills. Or not. Who knows? Who cares?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Buffalo
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Buffalo

New England 6 – 3 (-5.5) @ Green Bay 4 – 5 (+5.5)
New England is on a two game losing streak, and Green Bay is getting ideas of a wild card spot. And to think, I thought I’d seen it all. Lets snap back to reality though; this is New England we’re talking about here. Tom Brady. Those guys. They are going to snap out of it, and this is the week they are going to do it. Sorry cheeseheads.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

Seattle 6 – 3 (-3.5) @ San Fransisco 4 – 5 (+3.5)
San Fran has played well enough over the past few weeks to earn themselves a respectable spread at home in this game. That said, I don’t think they will be able to cover it. Minnesota is a streaky team, and Detroit is a bottom dweller. With or without injuries, the Seahawks are a step up from those two, and can win this game by more than 4 points.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Detroit 2 – 7 (+2.0) @ Arizona 1 – 8 (-2.0)
Two absolutely horrible football teams here. Might as well be a coinflip. I’ll take Detroit, though, for the simple reason that I actually believe they can win a game. Arizona, on the other hand, it just seems virtually impossible.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Detroit

Indianapolis 9 – 0 @ Dallas 5 – 4 (Pick’em)
Ok, statistically, maybe this is a pick’em. But on the football field? I see one team that goes out and wins every single week, and I see one team that is inconsistant, and has a ton of personel problems. If Indy is going down for the first time this week, then I’m going down with them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

San Diego 7 – 2 (+2.5) @ Denver 7 – 2 (-2.5)
Ok, I know that defense always wins, but SD’s defense isn’t THAT bad, and Denver’s offense is pitiful. Not to mention, Indy proved that Denver’s defense is beatable, and the San Diego offense is a well oiled machine. In the battle for the AFC West, San Diego shows their superiority.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *$San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *San Diego

MONDAY

New York Giants 6 – 3 (+4.0) @ Jacksonville 5 – 4 (-4.0)
Besides the fact that Jacksonville needs a win badly, I find the spread for this game very interesting. You’d think that the Giants should be the favorite, wouldn’t you? Vegas is onto something here, and I’m on to the same thing. After last weeks loss to Houston, Jacksonville buries the Giants this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 26 – 22 – 2 (.541)

1. Arkansas Razorbacks (-14.5) @ Mississippi State Bulldogs (+14.5)
The Razorbacks are still one of the best kept secrets in college football. Week in and week out, after the loss to the Trojans, they have effectively beaten their opponents, and more often then not they have done so with the spread as well. The Bulldogs aren’t up to par with these guys, and should fall by 3 scores or more.

2. New Mexico Lobos (+26.5) @ BYU Cougars (-26.5)
Another well kept secret, the BYU Cougars (aka, the Mormons) are a REMARKABLE 9 – 1 with the spread this season. Just recently have bookkeepers caught up and started tainting the spreads a bit… and yet BYU STILL covers. 26.5 is a bit high, but I’ll convert on Saturdays and put a few bucks on them.

3. Temple Owls (+32.5) @ Navy Midshipmen (-32.5)
Funny, you surely scrolled down to this section for the USC and Ohio State games, and what do you get? Arkansas, BYU, and now Navy. I’ll get to those other games… but unlike in pro where I have to pick all of the games, I only pick the best bets in this section. And Navy can run an offense, and will blow out Temple this week, whether you watch/care or not.

4. San Jose State Spartans (+25.5) @ Hawaii Warriors (-25.5)
I jumped on the Hawaii bandwagon fairly early, and made plenty of money on it. This spread here, though, is trying to trick the betting public. Hawaii has won their last 3 games 68 – 10, 63 – 10, and 61 – 17. Bettors are catching on just in time… to lose this week. SJS will lose this game, and COULD be blown out. But unlike Idaho, Utah State, and Louisiana Tech, this team actually has some talent on both sides of the ball. Should be a high scorer, and Hawaii should “only” win by 3 TDs.

5. Tennessee Volunteers (-7.5) @ Vanderbilt Commodores (+7.5)
Vandy has been playing teams tough lately, but Tennessee is just too strong of a team to assume that they can’t win by 8. I might be wrong of course, but its a good enough gamble to make my top 5 of the week.

HONORABLE MENTION (14 – 14 – 0):

Utah Utes (-1.0) @ Air Force Falcons (+1.0)

Cal Golden Bears (+6.0) @ USC Trojans (-6.0)
This game could definitely turn out to be a trap. Everyone on campus (and many in the nation) think this game will be easy for USC. Not true. While Cal has had trouble putting it together in a few games this season, they have incredible talent, and after losing to Arizona last week, they are simply here to play spoiler this week, which makes them very, very dangerous.

That said, the Trojans deserve the respect and the nod in this one. Since the slip up in Oregon State, they’ve been nothing short of outstanding, and it is here in Los Angeles. Cal’s defense is also too unreliable to put your money on – trust me, I know.

Michigan Wolverines (+6.5) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (-6.5)
Statistically, you can’t find two teams much more deserving of the 1 and 2 spot than these two. I’m of the unpopular opinion that it should be a rematch of these two for the national championship, regardless of the outcome of this game, or the score. But, fortunately for all of us, I’m not running things, meaning USC still has a shot and one of these teams gets, in my opinion, screwed.

So who will it be? Michigan gives up 30 less yards a game, Ohio State moves the ball 30 more yards a game. Great, stats aren’t helping.

You can’t go wrong with either of these teams, you really can’t. But home field advantage, topped off with the overwhelming amount of talent OSU has on both sides of the ball (taking nothing away from Michigan) just makes them too hard for me to pick against, even with the close stats. I’ve got them winning it 21 – 13.

If you can get near a TV for this one, do so. This is what college football is all about.

YOU SAID IT!

“Can’t help but notice that your money picks are below 50%, and that’s just sad.”
– Gershom (No arguements there, man)

“Dave, your picks are terrible this week. You will not win one game! I’m just shocked.”
– Park (Quite fortelling! 5 wins isn’t that much better than 0)

Don’t be shy. Write in with whatever you’ve got, and get your spot on here!

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Questions? Comments? Love the Dime? Hate it? Should I cut it down to a nickel? SEND ME FEEDBACK!

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 2 – 7 – 0
USC TROJANS: 8 – 1 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 6 – 11 – 4

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