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

THE INTRO

Sticking with the trend of quoting bad movies, I’ll go with a childhood favorite here; The Mighty Ducks.

Coach Jack Reilly, Emilio Estevez’s childhood coach and adult arch-nemesis, bellows the following to his young players -

“IT’S NOT WORTH WINNING IF YOU CAN’T WIN BIG!”

I always thought this was a stupid comment. A win is a win. Would you seriously prefer losing to winning by a little?

Well, it all makes perfect sense to me now. Coach Reilly was a gambler.

Picking 11 of 14 games correctly, including 3 straight upsets, you’d think I could have managed to do a little bit better than 6 – 7 – 1 with the spread. But, you’d be thinking wrong.

If the USC Trojans, Michigan Wolverines, Florida Gators, Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, Miami Dolphins, and Baltimore Ravens would have “won big” this weekend, I’d have been on my way on a vacation to Italy right about now with all of my winnings.

Thanks to the spread, the closest I’m coming to Italy is the job application I need to fill out at Dominos to cover this weekend’s losses.

Don’t worry faithful readers (and Mom), I’m exaggerating a little bit. Lets just get to the picks and get myself back on the winning side of things, huh?

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 6 – 7 – 1 (.462)
Without the spread: 11 – 3 – 0 (.786)
$$Money Picks$$: 1 – 1 – 0 (.500)
^^Zen Picks^^: 1 – 0 – 1 (1.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 3 – 0 – 0 (1.000)

Season
With the spread: 27 – 18 – 1 (.600)
Without the spread: 34 – 12 – 0 (.739)
$$Money Picks$$: 5 – 3 – 0 (.625)
^^Zen Picks^^: 4 – 1 – 1 (.800)
**Outright Upsets**: 8 – 2 – 0 (.800)

LAST WEEK’S RECAP OF DAVE’S BRILLIANCE AND FOOLISHNESS
(Usually Brilliance!)

Carolina 26 0 – 2 (-3.0) @ Tampa Bay 24 0 – 2 (+3.0)
“I’m expecting a blowout in one direction or the other” – Great call, loser.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Carolina

Chicago 19 2 – 0 (-3.5) @ Minnesota 16 2 – 0 (+3.5)
Credit goes to Minnesota, who is really beginning to earn my respect.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago

Green Bay 31 0 – 2 (+6.5) @ Detroit 24 0 – 2 (-6.5)
“Gut feeling says Green Bay…”… and so it was.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Green Bay

Jacksonville 14 2 – 0 (+7.0) @ Indianapolis 21 2 – 0 (-7.0)
Wish I would have bet this when it was +9 the minute it came out. Vegas quickly corrected their mistake.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE ^*Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Indianapolis

N.Y. Jets 28 1 – 1 (+5.5) @ Buffalo 20 1 – 1 (-5.5)
“Another game that I’m really not comfortable with.” – and, one of my 3 straight up losses.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Buffalo
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Buffalo

Tennessee 10 0 – 2 (+11.0) @ Miami 13 0 – 2 (-11.0)
“I really don’t like giving up 11 points when the favorite hasn’t even won a game yet…” – As damn well I shouldn’t have.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Miami

Washington 31 0 – 2 (-4.0) @ Houston 15 0 – 2 (+4.0)
Yeah, Portis made this game a pretty simple one to pick.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Washington

Baltimore 15 2 – 0 (-6.5) @ Cleveland 14 0 – 2 (+6.5)
I thought adding McNair would improve Baltimore’s offense, but man, its pitiful.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Baltimore

N.Y. Giants 30 1 – 1 (+3.5) @ Seattle 42 2 – 0 (-3.5)
“Seattle at home is dangerous. Seattle at home for two straight weeks? Very, very dangerous. I won’t money pick against the pesky Giants, but I’ll certainly feel confident with this pick.” – Easy money.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle

Philadelphia 38 1 – 1 (-6.0) @ San Francisco 24 1 – 1 (+6.0)
“Despite San Fran’s impressive performance last week, I don’t think they are any match for the Eagles, who will cover the TD spread.” – And in a shocker this week, they actually did.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Philidelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Philidelphia

St. Louis 16 1 – 1 (+4.5) @ Arizona 14 1 – 1 (-4.5)
“Another game I’m going to lose no matter how much I crunch the numbers. I’ll just take the team I like better in Arizona… which will probably cost them this game.” – Shouldnt this count as a correct prediction?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Arizona

Atlanta 3 2 – 0 (-4.0) @ New Orleans 23 2 – 0 (+4.0)
This is honestly the only pick I’m really disappointed in myself over. With the whole Zen philosophy thing, I really should have seen this coming. Oh well, hindsight is 20/20, I’m sure I’d be singing a different tune if Atlanta had won.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Atlanta

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Cincinnati 28 2 – 0 (+1.5) @ Pittsburgh 20 1 – 1 (-1.5)
Think last year’s playoff loss that featured Carson Palmer’s then-thought-to-be potentially career ending injury isn’t fresh on the Bengals’ minds? Think again. I don’t like that the game is in Pitts, nor do I like that its -1.5 Pitts, as I feel it should be Cinci as the favorite, and discrepencies usually mean bad things for the bettor. But you know what? Revenge conquers all, and gives me a very rare trifecta pick this week (trifecta; money pick, zen pick, and upset pick).
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*$Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: ^*Cincinnati
- Trifecta pays off here!

Denver 17 1 – 1 (+7.0) @ New England 7 2 – 0 (-7.0)
Denver has been playing absolutely pathetically, and New England has been pretty sloppy themselves, but they remain unscathed. Something tells me it all starts to click for Denver this week, and they pull off the stunning upset in New England. Stupid, I know, but I’m so cocky these days that I’ll roll with it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Denver
- And I didn’t need THEM to win by double digits.

THE PICKS

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

Trust me, I’m not high or drunk as I make these picks. But with only 5 favorites, 3 teams with the points, and 6 straight upsets, I’m sure I’ll fool a few of you.

This will either be a disasterous week, or it will make me look like a genious. I pray for the latter.

SUNDAY
Arizona 1 – 2 (+7.5) @ Atlanta 2 – 1 (-7.5)
Ok, so when I heard Leinart was starting, I bet Arizona. Then I found out he wasn’t starting. Oops. Atlanta should definitely cover at home against the Kurt Warner run team. If Warner can use the pressure of losing his spot to his advantage, maybe he will play a smarter game and keep it close. But I wouldn’t count on it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Atlanta

Dallas 1 – 1 (-10.0) @ Tennessee 0 – 3 (+10.0)
First of all, Dallas is coming off of a bye week (rust) and Tennessee is coming off of a “good” performance in Miami. Second of all, its in Tennessee. Third of all, with all the stuff going on surrounding the TO (non) suicide attempt, negative media during the week takes the team’s head out of the game. In true Zen fashion, I’ll take Tennessee – with the points of course. Can’t imagine them beating Dallas outright.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *^Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

Indianapolis 3 – 0 (-9.0) @ N.Y. Jets 2 – 1 (+9.0)
I love the Jets, so picking against them two weeks in a row is really difficult for me. However, the Jets defense just isn’t ready for a team like Indy yet. Indy can only be held close by the run-ball-defense juggernauts (think New England, Pittsburgh, Jacksonville, Baltimore). A team that tries to play them heads up just isn’t going to be able to keep it close. I’ll pull for the Jets, but I’m thinking 35 – 24 Indy.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

Miami 1 – 2 (-3.5) @ Houston 0 – 3 (+3.5)
Houston is playing its second straight game at home, while Miami is coming off an absolutely pitiful performance against the Titans. The team with high hopes just hasn’t looked good – at all. And I’ll go ahead and make my first wild outright upset pick right here, and take the worst team in the NFL in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *^Houston
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Houston

Minnesota 2 – 1 (+1.0) @ Buffalo 1 – 2 (-1.0)
With last week’s performance against the Bears, Minnesota showed me they are legit. And with last week’s performance against the Jets, the Bills showed me that they are… the Bills. I take Minnesota with and without the single point, and guarentee it in the process.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *$Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Minnesota

New Orleans 3 – 0 (+7.0) @ Carolina 1 – 2 (-7.0)
Don’t see an undefeated team getting a TD on a 1 – 2 team very often, do you? In any case, Carolina is the better team, but New Orleans has done nothing but impress. I’ll trust Carolina to eek out another victory, but I’ll trust New Orleans to keep it close. And, if they outright win, that will make things very interesting.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

San Diego 2 – 0 (-2.0) @ Baltimore 3 – 0 (+2.0)
Ok, the media is saying that Philip Rivers hasn’t played a team like Baltimore yet… both Oakland and Tennessee suck… etc etc. And I’m fine with all that. But the fact of the matter is, Baltimore simply can not move the ball on offense yet. San Diego, meanwhile, even with an OK performance by Rivers, has plenty of weapons to get by (Think LT) and should also be able to stop Baltimore’s measly offense. SD takes this one, no problem.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

San Francisco 1 – 2 (+7.0) @ Kansas City 0 – 2 (-7.0)
A rusty team coming off the bye without their QB, and a team that is playing very well considering their low talent level. I will take the underdog here – even if it is at Arrowhead. Look for the stunner here.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *San Francisco
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *San Francisco

Detroit 0 – 3 (+6.0) @ St. Louis 2 – 1 (-6.0)
Whats that you say? Your a fan of upset picks? This is your lucky day then, because St. Louis is ridiculously overrated and should have lost last week. Meanwhile, Detroit is due to absolutely explode on someone. And this is going to be the week that they do so.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *^Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Detroit

Cleveland 0 – 3 (-3.0) @ Oakland 0 – 2 (+3.0)
Yuck doesn’t do this game justice. This is going to be bad, bad football. And, unfortunately for the Raiders 1st round bid, I think they are going to win this game. Coming off the bye, they have nowhere to go but up, and in front of the home crowd against one of the few teams they are actually capible of beating this year, they shockingly do just that.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *^Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Oakland

Jacksonville 2 – 1 (-3.0) @ Washington 1 – 2 (+3.0)
RESPECT JACKSONVILLE. They are a legitimate force in the AFC. The sooner we all realize this, the easier it will be for everyone. They take this one in a laugher.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

New England 2 – 1 (+6.0) @ Cincinnati 3 – 0 (-6.0)
Cinci proved they can play the gritty game last week against Pittsburgh, and New England isn’t what they used to be. I’m sure they’ll still win their share of games this season… but not this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cincinnati

Seattle 3 – 0 (+3.5) @ Chicago 3 – 0 (-3.5)
Alexander or not, Seattle is an outstanding team. And while Chicago is too, Seattle’s defense is going to eat Chicago’s offense alive. Yet another upset in this wild week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *^Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Seattle

MONDAY
Green Bay 1 – 2 (+11.0) @ Philadelphia 2 – 1 (-11.0)
Favre has been outstanding, and Phili’s defense is heavily injured. Will they win the game outright? No. But I do think Favre and his loveable band of losers will keep this loss in the single digit category.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philidelphia

PICKS CHALLENGE

Think you’ve got what it takes to out pick me? Now is your chance to show it!

Standings
Dave: 1 – 0 – 1
Readers: 0 – 1 – 1

Last Week
Players: 17

All you guys had to do was break .500, and you would have beat me. Instead, you went a collected 102 – 119, giving you, ridiculous as it is statistically, the exact same win percentage as me. At least I remain undefeated – for now.

Best friend Sam and friend/radio colleague Jeff led the less-then-impressive pack this week, boasting 8 – 5 records.

In an impressive upset among Consolazios, Mom Consolazio (5 – 8) defeated brother Brian (4 – 9)… though neither should be all that thrilled with this week.

But lets not simply single out Brian. “SC” and “Cash Money” also went 4 – 9, proving that maybe coin flipping isn’t such a bad idea after all.

Who will make a comeback next week? Who will lead the pack? That all comes down to you guys – send in your picks right away!

Rules
The rules are very simple. You email me (or facebook message me, for my facebook readers) your picks WITH THE SPREAD (use the spreads I’ve listed below) every week. You can research them, flip a coin, do whatever you like.

In said email, also give me a nickname you’d like to go by… or, just your first name, if your creative juices aren’t flowing.

I will also keep track of all of your year to date totals. The top few people with the best winning percentage will get some kind of prize (by prize I mean something free and worthless, but bragging rights are good for something aren’t they?). YOU DON’T HAVE TO PLAY EVERY WEEK! I’d like you to, but if you miss a week or didn’t play last week, it’s okay to start now!

This section will only work if alot of you participate… it’s just for fun! Don’t be afraid! Send in your picks! Having a section dedicated to two readers wouldn’t make any sense. 10, 20, 30 of you, all of a sudden we have ourselves a fun little thing going here.

So can you beat the Dime? Give it a try!

Arizona 1 – 2 (+7.5) @ Atlanta 2 – 1 (-7.5)
Dallas 1 – 1 (-10.0) @ Tennessee 0 – 3 (+10.0)
Indianapolis 3 – 0 (-9.0) @ N.Y. Jets 2 – 1 (+9.0)
Miami 1 – 2 (-3.5) @ Houston 0 – 3 (+3.5)
Minnesota 2 – 1 (+1.0) @ Buffalo 1 – 2 (-1.0)
New Orleans 3 – 0 (+7.0) @ Carolina 1 – 2 (-7.0)
San Diego 2 – 0 (-2.0) @ Baltimore 3 – 0 (+2.0)
San Francisco 1 – 2 (+7.0) @ Kansas City 0 – 2 (-7.0)
Detroit 0 – 3 (+6.0) @ St. Louis 2 – 1 (-6.0)
Cleveland 0 – 3 (-3.0) @ Oakland 0 – 2 (+3.0)
Jacksonville 2 – 1 (-3.0) @ Washington 1 – 2 (+3.0)
New England 2 – 1 (+6.0) @ Cincinnati 3 – 0 (-6.0)
Seattle 3 – 0 (+3.5) @ Chicago 3 – 0 (-3.5)
Green Bay 1 – 2 (+11.0) @ Philadelphia 2 – 1 (-11.0)

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 5 – 4 – 1 (.556)

1. Cal Golden Bears (-9.5) @ Oregon State Beavers (+9.5)
Oregon State is a decent team. The Cal Golden Bears are an excellent team that are a botched opener away from being undefeated. Take the Bears to win by at least 2 TDs.

2. Ohio State Buckeyes (-7.0) @ Iowa Hawkeyes (+7.0)
Ohio State has had a tough road, and I’m actually on upset watch in this one. Regardless, any time I can get the best team in the nation at only -7.0, I’ll take my chances.

3. Purdue Boilermakers (+14.0) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-14.0)
Purdue has a hell of an offense, and Notre Dame has been unimpressive on the defensive side of the ball. I don’t know if I’d be brave enough to take the straight upset here, but to keep it within 14, absolutely.

4. Alabama Crimson Tide (+13.0) @ Florida Gators (-13.0)
Another game in the swamp for the Gators, and another game that I’m expecting them to cover, even if they didn’t do so last week.

5. Oregon Ducks @ Arizona State Sun Devils (Pick’em)
Zen pick all the way here. Why in the hell is Oregon, 14th ranked in the country and undefeated, a PICK EM against a team that has shown very little coherency and quite a tendency to blow games (Rudy Carpenter)? Vegas MUST know something that I don’t. If it were Oregon (-6.0), I’d be taking them. Oregon pickem? Somethings not right. Sam and Ross, enjoy the upset.

HONORABLE MENTION (2 – 4 – 0):
Northwestern Wildcats (+18) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (-18)
Stanford Cardinal (+23.5) @ UCLA Bruins (-23.5)
USC Trojans (-17.0) @ Washington State Cougers (+17.0)

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

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 0 – 2 – 0
USC TROJANS: 3 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

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

(I’m sending the Dime out on a THURSDAY night to give you guys two full days to make picks for the Picks Challenge section! So give it a shot, no excuses!)

THE INTRO

It’s official. The Dime’s image has changed.

Year one, the Dime was just me making pathetic picks that were always way off, and everyone just kind of laughing and continuing to read out of pity, not respect. Especially pathetic considering I only had around 10 readers, including only my closest friends and family.

Last year I got off to a slow start but eventually went on to put up fairly respectable numbers during the regular season, only to make a complete ass of myself in the playoffs, picking only 4 of the 11 games right… WITHOUT the spread.

And now, two weeks into this season, after two straight 10+ win weeks, I am doing pretty damn well.

So the Dime is now officially on ORANGE ALERT.

What does orange alert mean? Simple. When is this clown going to come crashing back down to earth?

Well, call me a clown all you want (wait, I called myself a clown…), but this clown made $170 betting sports this weekend (legally of course! Thank goodness for offshore betting), and will gladly ride this hot streak as long as it lasts.

And, if you keep reading, I’ll keep writing/sharing.

And by reading, of course, I simply mean not asking me to take you off the list.

P.S. MORE PEOPLE NEED TO SEND IN THEIR PICKS THIS WEEK! PLAY! ITS FUN!

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 10 – 6 – 0 (.625)
Without the spread: 11 – 5 – 0 (.688)
$$Money Picks$$: 3 – 1 – 0 (.750)
^^Zen Picks^^: 2 – 1 – 0 (.666)
**Outright Upsets**: 2 – 2 – 0 (.500)

Season
With the spread: 21 – 11 – 0 (.656)
Without the spread: 23 – 9 – 0 (.719)
$$Money Picks$$: 4 – 2 – 0 (.666)
^^Zen Picks^^: 3 – 1 – 0 (.750)
**Outright Upsets**: 5 – 2 – 0 (.714)

LAST WEEK’S RECAP OF DAVE’S BRILLIANCE AND FOOLISHNESS
(Usually Brilliance!)

Buffalo 16 0 – 1 (+6.5) @ Miami 6 0 – 1 (-6.5)
“The one game on the schedule that I’m not comfortable picking.” – Shocker, then, that I lost huh? Credit to Buffalo though, they aren’t looking bad.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Miami

Carolina 13 0 – 1 @ Minnesota 16 1 – 0 (Pick’em)
A pick’em indeed, as it took OT to decide, but Minnesota pulled it off in exciting fashion, giving me my only money pick loss of the week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Carolina

Cleveland 17 0 – 1 (+10.5) @ Cincinnati 34 1 – 0 (-10.5)
Carson and the Bengals just make me happy.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Cincinnati

Detroit 7 0 – 1 (+8.5) @ Chicago 34 1 – 0 (-8.5)
Stupid Detroit, when will you ever be good?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago

Houston 24 0 – 1 (+13.5) @ Indianapolis 43 1 – 0 (-13.5)
“Houston is not in league with this team, and I expect Peyton to put up some disgusting numbers” – 400 yards 3 TDs disgusting enough for you?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Indianapolis

New Orleans 34 1 – 0 (-2.0) @ Green Bay 27 0 – 1 (+2.0)
“New Orleans to start the season 2 – 0? I find it difficult to believe that I’m picking that, but Green Bay impresses me about as much as cardboard does. Scratch that… cardboard comes in handy from time to time.” – I’m good.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New Orleans

N.Y. Giants 30 0 – 1 (+3.0) @ Philadelphia 24 1 – 0 (-3.0)
“Perfect example of the public swinging a line here. NYG loses to one of the best teams in the AFC, Phili beats one of the worst teams in the AFC, and now they are the favorite. Silly public, this win is for Giants.” – And what a win it was, come from behind OT thriller.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *N.Y. Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *N.Y. Giants

Tampa Bay 3 0 – 1 (+5.5) @ Atlanta 14 1 – 0 (-5.5)
Either Atlanta is for real, or Tampa Bay really sucks. Gotta be a combo of both, and a rare zen swing and miss.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS ^*Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS ^*Tampa Bay

Arizona 10 1 – 0 (+7.0) @ Seattle 21 1 – 0 (-7.0)
“I want to money pick this one, but Seattle let me down last time, so they are “grounded”. Still, at home, this team always plays very well… and I think they will indeed cover in this one.” – And indeed they do.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle

St. Louis 13 1 – 0 (-3.0) @ San Francisco 20 0 – 1 (+3.0)
“St. Louis always overperforms one week and tanks the next, so I almost never money pick them.” – Can’t say I didn’t see this coming, damn choke artists.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS St. Louis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS St. Louis

New England 24 1 – 0 (-6.0) @ N.Y. Jets 17 1 – 0 (+6.0)
Whether you lose by 1 point or 20 with the spread, Vegas keeps your money either way.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *N.Y. Jets

Tennessee 7 0 – 1 (+11.5) @ San Diego 40 1 – 0 (-11.5)
So now Tennessee traded away Volek for nothing and is upset with how bad Collins is (shocker) and is considering starting Vince Young. Hmm. He was supposed to be a 2 – 3 year project, but now they’re willing to throw him into the fire? And potentially screw up his development, which was already questionable? Looks like just screwing up the present isn’t enough for the Titans – they’ve gotta mess up their future, too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego

Washington 10 0 – 1 (+6.5) @ Dallas 27 0 – 1 (-6.5)
Washington’s offense looks really, really bad.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Dallas

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Oakland 6 0 – 1 (+12.5) @ Baltimore 28 1 – 0 (-12.5)
Remember last year when I asked you to bet your house on the Colts to cover against Cleveland, and they didnt? Of course you do… it put you out on the street. Well, you’ve had one year to get your life back together. Work a few double shifts, get a nice little apartment somewhere. And more power to you. But now is your chance to get that house back.

Sell your apartment (or for those of you that didn’t lose your house last year, sell the house). You won’t be needing it anymore, you’re going to be moving into someplace much nicer. Now take the money you make on your home, and put every cent of it on the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, even at -12.5.

The ZEN book would actually say that due to the fact that Oakland lost big last week and Baltimore won big, this would be a great opportunity to bet Oakland, as they will come out passionate, and Baltimore will come out over confident. Usually I agree with the zen philosophy, but this is different. If all the stars align, the Oakland offense clicks perfectly and the Ravens play the worst game of their life… the final score will be 31 – 10 Baltimore.

Will I be wearing my Moss jersey? Yes. Will I root passionately for my Raiders? Yes. Will I make $75 when they lose by 28? That, too, is also a yes.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $$$$Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore
- Frame this pick, and put it up over the fireplace of your new home. And invite me to the house warming party please. A few white russians should suffice.

Kansas City 6 0 – 1 (+11.0) @ Denver 9 0 – 1 (-11.0)
ZEN time. Denver is the obvious favorite here, with Kansas City losing Trent Green. Herm Edwards is an awesome coach though, a great motivator, and I feel like he can turn this negative into a positive, and get all of the other players to step up in Green’s absence. As for Denver, they’ve got to be thinking in the back of their minds that they’ve got an easy game on their hands. I’m too scared to take them straight up, but I definitely think it’ll be close.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver
- When you’re right, your right. When you’re a genious, well, you’re me I guess.

Pittsburgh 0 1 – 0 (-2.5) @ Jacksonville 9 1 – 0 (+2.5)
Maybe I’m too high on Jacksonville, but ZEN backs me up a little bit here. It’s the second straight game for Jacksonville at home, meaning they haven’t had to travel, they’ve trained in their own facilities, and they are very comfortable. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, played last Thursday, and will have had 10 days in between games. Middle of the season, players would love that kind of break, but I think this early, it will make some players rusty. Don’t mean to underestimate Pittsburgh or overestimate the Jaguars, but this one points to Jacksonville for me.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: ^*Jacksonville
- This one really made me look good… figuratively speaking of course.

THE PICKS

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

SUNDAY
Carolina 0 – 2 (-3.0) @ Tampa Bay 0 – 2 (+3.0)
One of these teams is about ready to explode this week, and unfortunately for the Buccaneers, I think its going to be the Panthers. I’m expecting a blowout in one direction or the other, and I think Tampa will sadly continue its pitiful ways and drop another one. Can they score a TD?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

Chicago 2 – 0 (-3.5) @ Minnesota 2 – 0 (+3.5)
Wonderful start to the season, Minnesota. Keeps you from being money picked against this week. Beat this powerhouse Chicago defense with Brad Johnson and Chester Taylor, and I’ll start really respecting you guys as a threat.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

Cincinnati 2 – 0 (+1.5) @ Pittsburgh 1 – 1 (-1.5)
Think last year’s playoff loss that featured Carson Palmer’s then-thought-to-be potentially career ending injury isn’t fresh on the Bengals’ minds? Think again. I don’t like that the game is in Pitts, nor do I like that its -1.5 Pitts, as I feel it should be Cinci as the favorite, and discrepencies usually mean bad things for the bettor. But you know what? Revenge conquers all, and gives me a very rare trifecta pick this week (trifecta; money pick, zen pick, and upset pick).
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*$Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: ^*Cincinnati

Green Bay 0 – 2 (+6.5) @ Detroit 0 – 2 (-6.5)
This is just that game on the schedule that no matter who I pick, I’m going to lose. Doesn’t matter who’s playing, who’s injured, etc. This is just “that game”. Gut feeling says Green Bay… so look for a Detroit 21 – 10 victory on Sunday.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Green Bay

Jacksonville 2 – 0 (+7.0) @ Indianapolis 2 – 0 (-7.0)
I think Indianapolis will win this game and cover, but the Zen book has been very good to me. It says that the public often loves offensive teams too much, and snubs defensive teams. And that is usually true, and leads to larger-than-they-should-be spreads. So, this one is for you, Zen Book… I’ll take the points. But I’m still picking Indy.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

N.Y. Jets 1 – 1 (+5.5) @ Buffalo 1 – 1 (-5.5)
Another game that I’m really not comfortable with. But, as long as the Jets have absolutely no running game, and the Bills are playing great football (who knew that was possible?), I’ll give them the nod in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Buffalo
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Buffalo

Tennessee 0 – 2 (+11.0) @ Miami 0 – 2 (-11.0)
Popular playoff pick Miami finds itself 0 – 2, and Tennessee at home is just what the doctor ordered. to get that first win. I really don’t like giving up 11 points when the favorite hasn’t even won a game yet… but the idea of Tennessee playing a competitive football game is laughable.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Miami

Washington 0 – 2 (-4.0) @ Houston 0 – 2 (+4.0)
“Why are there so many hard games on the schedule this week? I’ve sat and watched both of Washington’s games, and I honestly do not feel safe picking them, even against the lowly Texans. While I’m sure they’ll prove me wrong, I’ll still take the Texans in this one.” That was my pick, until I heard that Clinton Portis would be back. With him in, I’ll make the “smart” move here, and take the Redskins.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Washington

Baltimore 2 – 0 (-6.5) @ Cleveland 0 – 2 (+6.5)
Finally! An easy one! Despite offensive troubles, Baltimore is the real deal ladies and gentleman. Clevland will be immensely lucky to score a TD, and even luckier to keep this game’s loss margin in the single digits. I don’t think they will, and I’ll gladly bet Baltimore heavy again this weekend.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore

N.Y. Giants 1 – 1 (+3.5) @ Seattle 2 – 0 (-3.5)
Seattle at home is dangerous. Seattle at home for two straight weeks? Very, very dangerous. I won’t money pick against the pesky Giants, but I’ll certainly feel confident with this pick.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Philadelphia 1 – 1 (-6.0) @ San Francisco 1 – 1 (+6.0)
After an absolute embarassment of a game last week, Philadelphia needs to respond with a big game this week. Despite San Fran’s impressive performance last week, I don’t think they are any match for the Eagles, who will cover the TD spread.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Philidelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philidelphia

St. Louis 1 – 1 (+4.5) @ Arizona 1 – 1 (-4.5)
Another game I’m going to lose no matter how much I crunch the numbers. I’ll just take the team I like better in Arizona… which will probably cost them this game.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Arizona

Denver 1 – 1 (+7.0) @ New England 2 – 0 (-7.0)
Denver has been playing absolutely pathetically, and New England has been pretty sloppy themselves, but they remain unscathed. Something tells me it all starts to click for Denver this week, and they pull off the stunning upset in New England. Stupid, I know, but I’m so cocky these days that I’ll roll with it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Denver

MONDAY

Atlanta 2 – 0 (-4.0) @ New Orleans 2 – 0 (+4.0)
I love the new look New Orleans team, but they aren’t quite there yet. Atlanta is – despite my constantly picking against them. Like him or not, Vick does win games, and they will win this one by a TD or more.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Atlanta

PICKS CHALLENGE

Think you’ve got what it takes to out pick me? Now is your chance to show it!

Standings
Dave – 1
Readers – 0

Last Week
Players: 10

With an overall winning percentage of .575, the combined public fell to the Dime this week, which had a winning percentage of .625.

3 players beat me outright, including this week’s pick king Ross (12 – 4), as well as the also impressive “Luddy” and “The Mojo” racking up 11 wins apiece.

Following in his older brother’s footsteps, the youngest Consolazio brother Brian tied me with a 10 – 6 record.

Everyone else that played went 8 – 8 or 9 – 7 besides Park, who set the new Dime record for futility by going 6 – 10 with the spread.

We’ll see if this week’s winners can repeat next week, if losers can bounce back, and if any new comers can find their way into the mix NEXT WEEK on the Picks Challenge.

Rules
The rules are very simple. You email me (or facebook message me, for my facebook readers) your picks with the spread (use the spreads I’ve listed below) every week. You can research them, flip a coin, do whatever you like.

In said email, also give me a nickname you’d like to go by… or, just your first name, if your creative juices aren’t flowing.

I will also keep track of all of your year to date totals. The top few people with the best winning percentage will get some kind of prize (by prize I mean something free and worthless, but bragging rights are good for something aren’t they?). YOU DON’T HAVE TO PLAY EVERY WEEK! I’d like you to, but if you miss a week or didn’t play last week, it’s okay to start now!

This section will only work if alot of you participate… it’s just for fun! Don’t be afraid! Send in your picks! Having a section dedicated to two readers wouldn’t make any sense. 10, 20, 30 of you, all of a sudden we have ourselves a fun little thing going here.

So can you beat the Dime? Give it a try!

Carolina 0 – 2 (-3.0) @ Tampa Bay 0 – 2 (+3.0)
Chicago 2 – 0 (-3.5) @ Minnesota 2 – 0 (+3.5)
Cincinnati 2 – 0 (+1.5) @ Pittsburgh 1 – 1 (-1.5)
Green Bay 0 – 2 (+6.5) @ Detroit 0 – 2 (-6.5)
Jacksonville 2 – 0 (+7.0) @ Indianapolis 2 – 0 (-7.0)
N.Y. Jets 1 – 1 (+5.5) @ Buffalo 1 – 1 (-5.5)
Tennessee 0 – 2 (+11.0) @ Miami 0 – 2 (-11.0)
Washington 0 – 2 (-4.0) @ Houston 0 – 2 (+4.0)
Baltimore 2 – 0 (-6.5) @ Cleveland 0 – 2 (+6.5)
N.Y. Giants 1 – 1 (+3.5) @ Seattle 2 – 0 (-3.5)
Philadelphia 1 – 1 (-6.0) @ San Francisco 1 – 1 (+6.0)
St. Louis 1 – 1 (+4.5) @ Arizona 1 – 1 (-4.5)
Denver 1 – 1 (+7.0) @ New England 2 – 0 (-7.0)
Atlanta 2 – 0 (-3.5) @ New Orleans 2 – 0 (+3.5)

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 3 – 2 – 0 (.600)

1 . Wisconson Badgers (+14.0) @ Michigan Wolverines (-14.0)
Any team that can go INTO Notre Dame and put on a show like this team did is a safe bet at home on my watch, even if it is against a tough Wisconsin team.

2. Louisville Cardinals (-14.0) @ Kansas State Wildcats (+14.0)
Louisville is damn tough, and they’ve been pounding everyone. Unfortunately for the Wildcats, I don’t think they’ll be an exception.

3. Kentucky Wildcats (+24.0) @ Florida Gators (-24.0)
Apparently it’s Wildcat hunting season this week. Florida at home should be able to put the hurt on the Kentucky variety of this soon-to-be endangered species.

4. Kent State Golden Flashes (+7.0) @ Bowling Green Falcons (-7.0)
Not a flashy big name game here, simply a game that the Falcons are going to win by more than a TD and make us a couple of bucks.

5. Washington State Cougars (-10.0) @ Stanford Cardinal (+10.0)
Again, not exactly national championship talk here. Despite the fact that Stanford has covered 9 of the last 11 times against Wasu (if you are into trends, take Stanford), I still think this will be a Washington State blowout.

HONORABLE MENTION (1 – 1 – 0):
Marshall Thundering Herd (+22.0) @ Tennessee Volunteers (-22.0)
Penn State Nittany Lions (+17.0) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (-17.0)
Colorado Buffaloes (+26.5) @ Georgia Bulldogs (-26.5)
Southern California Trojans (-21.0) @ Arizona Wildcats (+21.0)

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

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 0 – 2 – 0
USC TROJANS: 2 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

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

THE INTRO

In the film “Two for the Money” (which, studies have shown, only I, my best friend, and his roomate actually enjoyed), Matthew McConaughey’s character John Anthony boasts, “You can’t afford not to bet my picks.”

Anthony drove a beautiful brand new sports car, wore expensive suits, ate at the finest dining facilities, worked out religiously, made hundreds of thousands of dollars, and picked winners.

David Consolazio drives a 95 Lexus with well over 100,000 miles on it, wears t-shirts and jeans, eats fast food, doesn’t work out, and has no income but what his parents give him.

But damnit, he can pick winners too.

In the hardest week of the season to navigate through, I went 11 – 5 with the spread, and 12 – 4 without. All three of my outright upset picks were correct. Also, if you listened to me on the radio Saturday morning, you’d have heard that every single one of my college picks came true, too.

This success (which is sure to be short lived, as I’ve certainly done enough to jinx it) coupled with lots of feedback this week (and only two cancelations!), have prompted a few changes in the Dime. Look below for the additions of the “Outright Upsets” to the record column, and two new sections; the highly experimental “PICKS CHALLENGE” (Where YOU pick the games), and the new staple “THE COLLEGE NICKEL”. Read about them below.

Enjoy the picks, enjoy the nonsense, and enjoy your weekend!

THE RECORD

With the spread: 11 – 5 – 0 (.688)
Without the spread: 12 – 4 – 0 (.750)
$$Money Picks$$: 1 – 1 – 0 (.500)
^^Zen Picks^^: 1 – 0 – 0 (1.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 3 – 0 – 0 (1.000)

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

Miami 17 0 – 0 (+1.5) @ Pittsburgh 28 0 – 0 (-1.5)
“Which leads me to my favorite ZEN strategy – if Vegas’s spread COMPLETELY disagrees with how you feel, then you must be wrong, because Vegas knows football better than you.” As my buddy Jonathan says, my zen picks are my most reliable.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN ^Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN ^Pittsburgh

Atlanta 20 0 – 0 (+5.0) @ Carolina 6 0 – 0 (-5.0)
The problem with picking games on Thursday… no updated injury reports. Would have taken the Falcons had I known that Steve Smith wasn’t going to be in action. But credit where its due – the supposedly Super-Bowl-ready Panthers defense was torn apart by the Falcons.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Carolina

Baltimore 27 0 – 0 (+3.0) @ Tampa Bay 0 0 – 0 (-3.0)
This game tripped up most people, but not your’s truly.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Baltimore

Buffalo 17 0 – 0 (+9.0) @ New England 19 0 – 0 (-9.0)
Early season jitters, or is New England way too overhyped this year?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New England

Cincinnati 23 0 – 0 (+2.0) @ Kansas City 10 0 – 0 (-2.0)
KC lost alot more than just the game. Even as a passionate KC hater, I still wish Trent Green a speedy recovery. The hit he took was cheap and hard… but mainly, HARD.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Cincinnati

Denver 10 0 – 0 (-3.5) @ St. Louis 18 0 – 0 (+3.5)
“The Denver Broncos don’t take enough pride in simply being my arch-nemises. Instead, they also find it necessary to lose whenever I pick them, and win whenever I pick against them. So you know what, Denver? You can start the season off 0 – 1.” – Did I REALLY effect the outcome of this game? Probably not. But I still feel awfully good about it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Denver

New Orleans 19 0 – 0 (+3.0) @ Cleveland 14 0 – 0 (-3.0)
“Speaking of teams that always mess with me, New Orleans is another one. But unlike the Broncos, I don’t hate their guts. With the addition of Reggie Bush (who, settle down Trojan fans, will have to share carries with Deuce McCallaster) and Drew Brees, I think this year’s Saints team is going to have an offense to be reckoned with. And it starts this week against the Browns.” – Yes it does.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *New Orleans

N.Y. Jets 23 0 – 0 (+2.5) @ Tennessee 16 0 – 0 (-2.5)
“I’ll count on Billy Volek to have a big day and give the Tennessee fans a strong season opener.” Volek. See Volek. Do you see KERRY COLLINS? The fact that the Titans started that idiot shows me that they have no real interest in winning and, for that matter, sanity.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Tennessee

Philadelphia 24 0 – 0 (-5.0) @ Houston 10 0 – 0 (+5.0)
“I am still laughing at how ironic it is that the Texans passed on Reggie Bush, only to see their #1 running back, Dominick Davis, go down with a season ending injury before the season even began. Think they are feeling stupid now? Well whether they are feeling stupid, smart, good, or bad, they aren’t beating Philly this weekend.” – Shoulda put the damn “$” next to it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Philadelphia

Seattle 9 0 – 0 (-6.0) @ Detroit 6 0 – 0 (+6.0)
Wonderful. I start my season off 11 – 5, and lose 1 of my 2 money picks. Seahawks, remember the endzone? You found it all the time last year! I’m sure you can do it again.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle

Chicago 26 0 – 0 (-3.5) @ Green Bay 0 0 – 0 (+3.5)
Green Bay sucks, and Favre should hang up the shoulder pads already.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago

Indianapolis 26 0 – 0 (-3.5) @ N.Y. Giants 21 0 – 0 (+3.5)
“The Battle of the Mannings! Everyone sure is selling this one high. Newsflash, everyone. Peyton is the better Manning. And he’s got the better team, too. Indy takes care of the Giants no problem in this one.” – Wasn’t exactly no problem, but a winners a winner.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN – $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN – Indianapolis

Minnesota 19 0 – 0 (+4.5) @ Washington 16 0 – 0 (-4.5)
“Don’t know what to expect from either of these teams, so I can’t really give you a whole lot of reasoning behind this pick. I’ve just got a score in my head; Washington 17, Minnesota 14. So, there you go… professional? Hardly.” – Told you a field goal would decide it. Just picked the wrong team.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Washington

San Diego 27 0 – 0 (-3.0) @ Oakland 0 0 – 0 (+3.0)
“I’ll still take San Diego – the Raiders have NEVER had an answer for LaDanian Tomlinson, and I can’t go picking them until they find one.” Tomlinson destroying the Raiders comes as no surprise. Its HOW BAD we looked that was the story here. With Jerry Porter out of the lineup, we have absolutely no depth at WR, a mediocre QB, a solid-but-unspectacular RB, an apparently pathetic O Line, and a good core of young defensive players playing in an absolutely pitiful system. This will be a long, long season.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego

DAMN, I’M GOOD

San Francisco 27 0 – 0 (+7.5) @ Arizona 34 0 – 0 (-7.5)
Yuck… call me when Leinart is starting. Until then, this game really isn’t all that exciting. Pure talent wise, I’ll give the game to Arizona – but despite how bad San Fran is, I still expect them to make somewhat of a game out of it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN San Fransisco
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Arizona
I simply love getting this type of pick right – one team with the spread, the other team without it.

Dallas 17 0 – 0 (+2.0) @ Jacksonville 24 0 – 0 (-2.0)
Typical Jacksonville game… the other team getting all the hype. Everyones talking about TO, Parcels, Bledsoe, blah, blah, blah. When its all said and done, it’ll be Jacksonville ahead on the scoreboard in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville
This one tripped up a lot of people’s weeks, but not mine!

THE PICKS

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

SUNDAY

Buffalo 0 – 1 (+6.5) @ Miami 0 – 1 (-6.5)
The one game on the schedule that I’m not comfortable picking. At home, I’ll give Miami the benefit of the doubt and say that they can take care of Buffalo, and cover the spread. I guess we’ll see.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Miami

Carolina 0 – 1 @ Minnesota 1 – 0 (Pick’em)
My first of many money picks this week. Okay, so Carolina had a lousy game against Atlanta, and Minnesota pulled off the upset in Washington. Carolina still has the tools to go far this year, and I think even with their injuries, their defensive scheme will be more then enough to take care of Minnesota. I’d probably be willing to give the Vikings 4 or 5, so at a pick’em, I’ve got no problem betting the Panthers.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

Cleveland 0 – 1 (+10.5) @ Cincinnati 1 – 0 (-10.5)
10.5 is a lot of points, and I don’t want to underestimate Cleveland too badly. Still, Cinci looks damn good, and I think they can take care of the Browns fairly easily in their home opener.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cincinnati

Detroit 0 – 1 (+8.5) @ Chicago 1 – 0 (-8.5)
Holding Seattle to only 9 points last week may have been a total fluke, but it made enough of a believer out of me to assume that Detroit can keep this game close, too. Chicago should win, but only by a TD or so.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

Houston 0 – 1 (+13.5) @ Indianapolis 1 – 0 (-13.5)
Money! Indy looked somewhat human last week, but thats because they were playing a very solid Giants team. Houston is not in league with this team, and I expect Peyton to put up some disgusting numbers, and the defense to shut Houston down.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

New Orleans 1 – 0 (-2.0) @ Green Bay 0 – 1 (+2.0)
New Orleans to start the season 2 – 0? I find it difficult to believe that I’m picking that, but Green Bay impresses me about as much as cardboard does. Scratch that… cardboard comes in handy from time to time.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New Orleans

N.Y. Giants 0 – 1 (+3.0) @ Philadelphia 1 – 0 (-3.0)
Perfect example of the public swinging a line here. NYG loses to one of the best teams in the AFC, Phili beats one of the worst teams in the AFC, and now they are the favorite. Silly public, this win is for Giants.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *N.Y. Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *N.Y. Giants

Oakland 0 – 1 (+12.5) @ Baltimore 1 – 0 (-12.5)
Remember last year when I asked you to bet your house on the Colts to cover against Cleveland, and they didnt? Of course you do… it put you out on the street. Well, you’ve had one year to get your life back together. Work a few double shifts, get a nice little apartment somewhere. And more power to you. But now is your chance to get that house back.

Sell your apartment (or for those of you that didn’t lose your house last year, sell the house). You won’t be needing it anymore, you’re going to be moving into someplace much nicer. Now take the money you make on your home, and put every cent of it on the Baltimore Ravens. Yes, even -12.5.

The ZEN book would actually say that due to the fact that Oakland lost big last week and Baltimore won big, this would be a great opportunity to bet Oakland, as they will come out passionate, and Baltimore will come out over confident. Usually I agree with the zen philosophy, but this is different. If all the stars align, the Oakland offense clicks perfectly and the Ravens play the worst game of their life… the final score will be 31 – 10 Baltimore.

Will I be wearing my Moss jersey? Yes. Will I root passionately for my Raiders? Yes. Will I make $75 when they lose by 28? That, too, is also a yes.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $$$$Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore

Tampa Bay 0 – 1 (+5.5) @ Atlanta 1 – 0 (-5.5)
Probably my favorite pick of the week. Like I mentioned above, when one team loses big and another wins big, it isn’t a bad idea to bet the team that lost big. Well, Tampa Bay got straight up embarassed last week. Gruden is too damn good of a coach to get two lousy performances out of his team in a row. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s gotta be riding high right now. I think they are prime for the upset.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: ^*Tampa Bay

Arizona 1 – 0 (+7.0) @ Seattle 1 – 0 (-7.0)
I want to money pick this one, but Seattle let me down last time, so they are “grounded”. Still, at home, this team always plays very well… and I think they will indeed cover in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

St. Louis 1 – 0 (-3.0) @ San Francisco 0 – 1 (+3.0)
St. Louis always overperforms one week and tanks the next, so I almost never money pick them. After beating the Broncos, though, I feel like they deserve a lot more credit then just a field goal against an awful San Fran team. So, consider this a very confident pick.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: St. Louis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: St. Louis

Kansas City 0 – 1 (+11.0) @ Denver 0 – 1 (-11.0)
ZEN time. Denver is the obvious favorite here, with Kansas City losing Trent Green. Herm Edwards is an awesome coach though, a great motivator, and I feel like he can turn this negative into a positive, and get all of the other players to step up in Green’s absence. As for Denver, they’ve got to be thinking in the back of their minds that they’ve got an easy game on their hands. I’m too scared to take them straight up, but I definitely think it’ll be close.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver

New England 1 – 0 (-6.0) @ N.Y. Jets 1 – 0 (+6.0)
This one I’m just kind of feeling. I think New England’s reign of invincibility is over, and while I do think they are the better team, I think the Jets will outplay them and take the victory at home. Then again, I always overestimate the Jets. We’ll just have to wait and see.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *N.Y. Jets

Tennessee 0 – 1 (+11.5) @ San Diego 1 – 0 (-11.5)
We saw what San Diego could do on the road against a garbage Oakland team. Now, watch them repeat or improve on that performance at home against a garbage Tennessee team.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

Washington 0 – 1 (+6.5) @ Dallas 0 – 1 (-6.5)
With Portis out, I don’t think Washington has the talent to keep up with Dallas, especially in Dallas, where the team will be looking to convince the fans that last week was just a fluke. Dallas by a TD or more looks okay to me.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

MONDAY

Pittsburgh 1 – 0 (-2.5) @ Jacksonville 1 – 0 (+2.5)
Maybe I’m too high on Jacksonville, but ZEN backs me up a little bit here. It’s the second straight game for Jacksonville at home, meaning they haven’t had to travel, they’ve trained in their own facilities, and they are very comfortable. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, played last Thursday, and will have had 10 days in between games. Middle of the season, players would love that kind of break, but I think this early, it will make some players rusty. Don’t mean to underestimate Pittsburgh or overestimate the Jaguars, but this one points to Jacksonville for me.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: ^*Jacksonville

PICKS CHALLENGE

Think you’ve got what it takes to out pick me? Now is your chance to show it!

The rules are very simple. You email me (or facebook message me, for my facebook readers) your picks with the spread (use the spreads I’ve listed below) every week. You can research them, flip a coin, do whatever you like.

In said email, also give me a nickname you’d like to go by… or, just your first name, if your creative juices aren’t flowing.

In this section each week, I will do the following;
a) Let you know as a whole what your record was (as in what the majority of the readers picked)
b) Give props to the person who did the best
c) Publically humiliate the person who did the worst (all in good fun, of course)

I will also keep track of all of your year to date totals. The top few people with the best winning percentage will get some kind of prize (by prize I mean something free and worthless, but bragging rights are good for something aren’t they?).

This section will only work if alot of you participate… it’s just for fun! Don’t be afraid! Send in your picks! Having a section dedicated to two readers wouldn’t make any sense. 10, 20, 30 of you, all of a sudden we have ourselves a fun little thing going here.

So can you beat the Dime? Give it a try!

Buffalo 0 – 1 (+6.5) @ Miami 0 – 1 (-6.5)
Carolina 0 – 1 @ Minnesota 1 – 0 (Pick’em)
Cleveland 0 – 1 (+10.5) @ Cincinnati 1 – 0 (-10.5)
Detroit 0 – 1 (+8.5) @ Chicago 1 – 0 (-8.5)
Houston 0 – 1 (+13.5) @ Indianapolis 1 – 0 (-13.5)
New Orleans 1 – 0 (-2.0) @ Green Bay 0 – 1 (+2.0)
N.Y. Giants 0 – 1 (+3.0) @ Philadelphia 1 – 0 (-3.0)
Oakland 0 – 1 (+12.5) @ Baltimore 1 – 0 (-12.5)
Tampa Bay 0 – 1 (+5.5) @ Atlanta 1 – 0 (-5.5)
Arizona 1 – 0 (+7.0) @ Seattle 1 – 0 (-7.0)
St. Louis 1 – 0 (-3.0) @ San Francisco 0 – 1 (+3.0)
Kansas City 0 – 1 (+11.0) @ Denver 0 – 1 (-11.0)
New England 1 – 0 (-6.0) @ N.Y. Jets 1 – 0 (+6.0)
Tennessee 0 – 1 (+11.5) @ San Diego 1 – 0 (-11.5)
Washington 0 – 1 (+6.5) @ Dallas 0 – 1 (-6.5)
Pittsburgh (-2.5) @ Jacksonville (+2.5)

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

In this section, I will talk a little Trojan Football, and then give you my top 5 (Get it? 5? Nickel? See what I did there?) picks in college football with the spread.

RECORD: 0 – 0 – 0

1. Arizona State Sun Devils (-11.0) @ Colorado Buffaloes (+11.0)
Colorado is a complete joke. Here is a team with decent expectations coming into the year, that has scored a total of 20 points in two games against two modest opponents. I’m stunned that they aren’t +25… so at +11, I’d certainly consider it a safe bet. ASU is a very legitimate team, and they can crush this reeling Buffalo team no problem.

2. Cincinatti Bearcats (+29.0) @ Ohio State (-29.0)
On the road, this team held Texas to only a TD (which came as a result of a very poor penalty call on the Buckeyes, so it should have actually only been 3 points). Now, at home, they face a team that just isn’t in their league. They put on a show for the home crowd in this one, and win by 6 or 7 TDs.

3. Michigan Wolverines (+5.5) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-5.5)
What does this Notre Dame team have to do to get some respect? Penn State was a popular upset pick last weekend, and you saw what happened to them. This is a very good team, and this game is in Notre Dame. Can Michigan keep this game close, or outright win it? Sure they can. But I don’t think they will. Notre Dame by 10+.

4. Fresno State Bulldogs (-3.0) @ Washington Huskies (+3.0)
Okay, so Washington keeps it close against a one-dimensional Oklahoma team for a half, and Fresno State loses by TD to a strong Oregon team, and now this game is only seperated by 3 points? Please. Fresno State is streaky, but Washington is still a few years away from being a threat… and a few years away from winning this football game, too.

5. Nebraska Cornhuskers (+17.5) @ Southern California Trojans (-17.5)
I can’t quite shake the image of a GREAT Nebraska team out of my head, but they really just aren’t anymore. They are pretty damn good, yes, but not great. The fact that this game is at home makes all the difference. Booty and this offense will get their 3 – 4 TDs… and I think the defense will hold Nebraska, and maybe put a few points on the board themselves.

HONORABLE MENTION:
Texas Longhorns (-33.0) @ Rice Owls (+33.0)
Oklahoma Sooners (+4.5) @ Oregon Ducks (-4.5)

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

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 0 – 1 – 0
USC TROJANS: 1 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0

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

THE INTRO

((I spend a lot of time typing this up every week, mainly for the enjoyment of my readers. If you are recieving this email, it is because I feel like you will have a good time reading it. This is not meant to be spam mail. You will only recieve 2 emails from me a week, a version of the Dime in color, and one in black and white. Delete the one you don’t prefer. If you want to be taken off the list, let me know… but its much better for my pride if you just delete it every week and let me think that you kinda care. Thanks!))

It’s baaaaaaaaack. Football season! Oh… and Dave’s Dime, too. Whether you are a dedicated reader from last year (a few), someone who deleted these regularly from their boxes last year (many), a first time reader (or skimmer), or someone who is looking forward to David Consolazio’s take on sports (huh?), the Dime is back in your lives!

Each week, I will be picking the winners of the week’s games, and giving sometimes-witty-often-stupid commentary as to why I believe what I do. You don’t have to be a football fan to enjoy this. Or you may be a football fan and NOT enjoy it. Just read the damn thing and find out for yourself!

The first week of the year is virtually always a crap shoot. I don’t have any stats to crunch (preseason means nothing, in my opinion), so I’m most inclined to just pick favorites. Therein lies the problem that the favorites haven’t really found their “groove” yet, so they are likely to be upset. See the prediciment I find myself in?

So sit back, relax, and get ready to ridicule, because the Dime is officially back underway.

THE RECORD

This is the section where I list my total record as the season progresses.

With the spread: 0 – 0 – 0 (.000)
Without the spread: 0 – 0 – 0 (.000)
$$Money Picks$$: 0 – 0 – 0 (.000)
^^Zen Picks^^: 0 – 0 – 0 (.000)

“With the Spread” – I will explain in detail what the spread means for those of you who do not know in THE PICKS section, so bear with me.
“Without the Spread” – Who I picked to win the game, outright.
$$Money Picks$$ – Picks that I am 100% sure are safe bets. If you use my email as a gambling guide (God help you), these are the picks that I whole-heartedly endorse. There can be zero, five, or any other number of these a week, depending on the games. They will be pointed out with money signs ($).
^^Zen Picks^^ – Last year, I grabbed a book called “The Zen of Gambling”, which gives you a bunch of philosophical views on picking games that prove more often then not to actually work. A pick that I use a carrot symbol on (^) is one that I would have picked the other way if I weren’t “enlightened” by the Zen book.

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

This is the section where I go over the results of the previous week, gloating about how smart I am when I get it right, or whining about how stupid the teams are when I get it wrong. Obviously the section empty this week, since no pro football was played.

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Here, on the rare occurance that a pick is dead on, or I get a really crazy upset pick right, I will quote the previous week’s Dime, and point out how good I am. Classy? Absolutely not. But I’m doing the damn column for free, and classy doesn’t have to be on the resume.

THE PICKS

The cream of the crop. What you have all been waiting for. My illustrious weekly picks!

*Here is the layout of my picks, and an explanation of how the spread works. Veteran readers can skip ahead to THE REAL THING!, but first timers or forgetful people should read on. Don’t worry if you’re confused at first, it will make sense as time goes on. Still, I’ll do my best to explain.*

TEAM ONE (+6.5) @ TEAM TWO (-6.5)
The team on the left side is always on the road, and the team on the right side is always at home. I will use this area to provide commentary as to why I’m picking who I’m picking. The number in parenthesis is called “The Spread”. This is how Las Vegas makes money. If you could bet on any two teams on an even playing field, you could always take the favorite, and you would win quite often. With the spread, things are evened out a bit. If you take the weaker team (in this case team one), you are going to be given X amount of points (in this case 6.5). So, lets say the final score to the game is “Team One” 7, “Team Two” 10. Team Two won the game, but not in Vegas terms. Add the 6.5 Vegas gave to Team One, and the score was “Team One” 13.5, “Team Two” 10. So, if you put money on Team Two, even though they won, they didn’t win by enough to “cover the spread” (which means outscore Team One with the extra points), so you lost money. So when you take the underdog (the team with the extra points), you add those points to their final total. If you take the favorite, you have to subtract number X from your total (So in the 10 – 7 game, minus 6.5, Team Two loses 3.5 – 7). The reason numbers usually have .5’s on them is so there can not be a tie. If you’re still confused, don’t worry, it’ll clear up. If you got it, well done!
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TEAM TWO (-6.5)
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: TEAM TWO (-6.5)

THE REAL THING!

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

THURSDAY

Miami 0 – 0 (+1.5) @ Pittsburgh 0 – 0 (-1.5)
I look at this game, and what do I see? On one side, the defending Super Bowl Champions will not have their starting QB (Roethlisburger out, the pathetic Batch in), their best wide reciever (Hines Ward), or their emotional leader from last year (Jarome Bettis – retired). Then I look at the Dolphins with newly acquired Culpepper, a well rounded team, picked to do great things this year. They look like an obvious winner to me. Which leads me to my favorite ZEN strategy – if Vegas’s spread COMPLETELY disagrees with how you feel, then you must be wrong, because Vegas knows football better than you. Vegas still says Pittsburgh is the favorite? They must know something I don’t. I’m in.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: ^Pittsburgh

SUNDAY

Atlanta 0 – 0 (+5.0) @ Carolina 0 – 0 (-5.0)
Carolina is one of the teams to beat this year… adding Keyshawn Johnson as a 2nd reciever makes this team even more of a threat offensively, and on defense, they are always liable to completely shut down their opposition. Don’t see the Falcons going INTO Carolina and doing much damage in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

Baltimore 0 – 0 (+3.0) @ Tampa Bay 0 – 0 (-3.0)
Tricky game, as I really don’t know what to expect from either one of these teams. Lets go ahead and assume that QB McNair and WR Mason rekindle the magic they had in Tennessee, and take Baltimore.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Baltimore

Buffalo 0 – 0 (+9.0) @ New England 0 – 0 (-9.0)
Nine points! Looks like a lot, right? Well the fact is, Buffalo sucks, and New England is still New England. I’ll take them, even if I DO need to win by 10.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

Cincinnati 0 – 0 (+2.0) @ Kansas City 0 – 0 (-2.0)
This should be a fun game to watch, as two potential AFC powerhouses match up here. Not sure exactly how healthy Carson Palmer is, but regardless, I think Cinci is the better all around team, and if Vegas will give me two points while I’m at it, I’ll take them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Cincinnati

Denver 0 – 0 (-3.5) @ St. Louis 0 – 0 (+3.5)
The Denver Broncos don’t take enough pride in simply being my arch-nemises. Instead, they also find it necessary to lose whenever I pick them, and win whenever I pick against them. So you know what, Denver? You can start the season off 0 – 1.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver

New Orleans 0 – 0 (+3.0) @ Cleveland 0 – 0 (-3.0)
Speaking of teams that always mess with me, New Orleans is another one. But unlike the Broncos, I don’t hate their guts. With the addition of Reggie Bush (who, settle down Trojan fans, will have to share carries with Deuce McCallaster) and Drew Brees, I think this year’s Saints team is going to have an offense to be reckoned with. And it starts this week against the Browns.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *New Orleans

N.Y. Jets 0 – 0 (+2.5) @ Tennessee 0 – 0 (-2.5)
I love the Jets, and Tennessee is geared up to suck again this year, but the Jets just seem to make sucking look so natural when they get into the groove of it. Not sure if they will this week, but I’ll count on Billy Volek to have a big day and give the Tennessee fans a strong season opener.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Tennessee

Philadelphia 0 – 0 (-5.0) @ Houston 0 – 0 (+5.0)
I am still laughing at how ironic it is that the Texans passed on Reggie Bush, only to see their #1 running back, Dominick Davis, go down with a season ending injury before the season even began. Think they are feeling stupid now? Well whether they are feeling stupid, smart, good, or bad, they aren’t beating Philly this weekend.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

Seattle 0 – 0 (-6.0) @ Detroit 0 – 0 (+6.0)
No matter which way you cut it, at the end of the year, Seattle is going to be among the elite in the league, and Detroit is going to be middle-of-the-pack. That applies in week one, too, where I’ll happily take the Seahawks by a touchdown or more.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Chicago 0 – 0 (-3.5) @ Green Bay 0 – 0 (+3.5)
A tremendous rivalry for many, many years… when both teams were actually good. Nowadays, only fans of the teams are really going to care. Unfortunately, I’m not one of them. I’ll take Chicago I suppose, and don’t bother to ask me why, because I don’t know.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

Dallas 0 – 0 (+2.0) @ Jacksonville 0 – 0 (-2.0)
Typical Jacksonville game… the other team getting all the hype. Everyones talking about TO, Parcels, Bledsoe, blah, blah, blah. When its all said and done, it’ll be Jacksonville ahead on the scoreboard in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

San Francisco 0 – 0 (+7.5) @ Arizona 0 – 0 (-7.5)
Yuck… call me when Leinart is starting. Until then, this game really isn’t all that exciting. Pure talent wise, I’ll give the game to Arizona – but despite how bad San Fran is, I still expect them to make somewhat of a game out of it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: San Fransisco
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Arizona

Indianapolis 0 – 0 (-3.5) @ N.Y. Giants 0 – 0 (+3.5)
The Battle of the Mannings! Everyone sure is selling this one high. Newsflash, everyone. Peyton is the better Manning. And he’s got the better team, too. Indy takes care of the Giants no problem in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

MONDAY

Minnesota 0 – 0 (+4.5) @ Washington 0 – 0 (-4.5)
Don’t know what to expect from either of these teams, so I can’t really give you a whole lot of reasoning behind this pick. I’ve just got a score in my head; Washington 17, Minnesota 14. So, there you go… professional? Hardly.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Washington

San Diego 0 – 0 (-3.0) @ Oakland 0 – 0 (+3.0)
Every year I do this. I get all excited and figure all these reasons in my head why this year will be different, and how the Raiders are going to be awesome. San Diego QB Phillip Rivers will choke, our offense will click, blah blah blah. I’ll still take San Diego – the Raiders have NEVER had an answer for LaDanian Tomlinson, and I can’t go picking them until they find one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

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

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 0 – 0 – 0
USC TROJANS: 1 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 0 – 0 – 0 – 0