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By Dave Consolazio, October 26, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

Don’t look now; but I actually did pretty damn good last week.

While I was deemed the worst analyst in pro football (just like my Raiders are deemed the worst team in pro football), for one special week, we both came out on top.

I wouldn’t put too much on it happening again (the both of us, that is).

Now, if I can just go 8 – 6 this week, that’ll get me back to .500 with the spread this season…

So, what am I waiting for? With dressing up and partying and trick or treating to do, why are we babbling in the intro? Lets pick ‘em!

THE RECORD

Last Week
Wth the spread: 8 – 4 – 1 (.666)
Without the spread: 6 – 7 – 0 (.462)
$$Money Picks$$: 3 – 0 – 0 (1.000)
^^Zen Picks^^: 1 – 0 – 0 (1.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 2 – 1 – 0 (.666)

Season
With the spread: 46 – 48 – 6 (.489)
Without the spread: 65 – 35 – 0 (.650)
$$Money Picks$$: 10 – 10 – 1 (.500)
^^Zen Picks^^: 8 – 6 – 1 (.571)
**Outright Upsets**: 13 – 12 – 0 (.520)

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

Carolina 14 4 – 2 (+3.0) @ Cincinnati 17 3 – 2 (-3.0)
Good win for the Bengals, who needed this one to right the ship.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE *Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Carolina

Detroit 24 1 – 5 (+3.5) @ N.Y. Jets 31 3 – 3 (-3.5)
Impressive season for the Jets so far, who were supposed to be a bottom feeder.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN N.Y. Jets

Green Bay 34 1 – 4 (+5.5) @ Miami 24 1 – 5 (-5.5)
I just can’t get over how bad Miami is, I really can’t.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Green Bay

Jacksonville 7 3 – 2 (-9.5) @ Houston 27 1 – 4 (+9.5)
A couple of key injuries lead to a big time letdown for Jacksonville here.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Houston
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Jacksonville

New England 28 4 – 1 (-5.5) @ Buffalo 6 2 – 4 (+5.5)
Regardless of who’s on the team, New England always seems to win, win, and win some more.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New England

Philadelphia 21 4 – 2 (-5.5) @ Tampa Bay 23 1 – 4 (+5.5)
Should have gone with my gut on this one… two straight heartbreakers for Phili.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Philadelphia

Pittsburgh 38 2 – 3 (-2.5) @ Atlanta 41 3 – 2 (+2.5)
So much for a defensive struggle. No shocker that the first team to get the ball in OT wins, huh?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Pittsburgh

Denver 17 4 – 1 (-4.5) @ Cleveland 7 1 – 4 (+4.5)
Don’t need an offense when you’ve got a defense that has only given up 2 TDs this season, both in the 4th quarter with comfortable 17 point leads.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Denver

Arizona 9 1 – 5 (-3.0) @ Oakland 22 0 – 5 (+3.0)
Go Raiders?!?! Great game for Moss and Walter, embarassment for the young Cards.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Arizona

Minnesota 31 3 – 2 (+6.5) @ Seattle 13 4 – 1 (-6.5)
Injuries continue to plague Seattle, and the Vikings take advantage of it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Seattle

N.Y. Giants 36 3 – 2 (+3.0) @ Dallas 22 3 – 2 (-3.0)
Dallas’s 3 wins have come against Houston, Tennessee, and Washington. Hate to break it to you Cowboys fans, but your team really isn’t all that great.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

DAMN, I’M GOOD

San Diego 27 4 – 1 (-5.0) @ Kansas City 30 2 – 3 (+5.0)
The book of Zen was written for this game. Zen Rule 1) One team is coming off a huge blowout (KC) while the other did the blowing out (SD), and you should bet the team that was blown out. Rule 2) Public. Everyone and their mother has San Diego as an easy pick. Rule 3) Line… why is it only 5? Its taunting us into betting the seemingly OBVIOUS San Diego. This game is so damn ZEN-FILLED that not only am I taking KC to cover, but I’ll take them outright.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^^*Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Kansas City
- Sure the Zen book made the pick, but I was the one that had the guts to take it.

Washington 22 2 – 4 (+8.5) @ Indianapolis 36 5 – 0 (-8.5)
Despite the occassional flash of brilliance, Washington isn’t very good. Indy will take this one quite convincingly for their home crowd.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis
- Giving up 8.5 was a tough but profitible decision for me.

THE PICKS

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

Interesting… all but 2 favorites are at home this week.

SUNDAY

Arizona 1 – 6 (+4.0) @ Green Bay 2 – 4 (-4.0)
One of many games this week that I’m simply taking the favorite in. Arizona is just too damn unreliable to count on for anything, and while the Packers are nothing special, they should be able to handle the reeling Cardinals in Lambeau.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Green Bay

Atlanta 4 – 2 (+4.0) @ Cincinnati 4 – 2 (-4.0)
Atlantas not bad, but I’m going to take my chances and say that Cincinnati has refound its groove, and can win this one by at least a TD. Besides, Atlanta has to be all scored-out after last week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cincinnati

Baltimore 4 – 2 (+2.0) @ New Orleans 5 – 1 (-2.0)
Initially I was thinking Baltimore upset, but this team really doesn’t have an offense. And Brees knows what he’s doing – he’ll be able to handle the intense pass rush. Gotta stick with the surprise of the year and take the Saints.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New Orleans

Houston 2 – 4 (+3.0) @ Tennessee 1 – 5 (-3.0)
Tennessee has been playing some good football on the road, and now they are coming home to a crowd who watched them get spanked by the Cowboys 45 – 14 last time they played in Tenn. Look for them to be completely amped up and take down the Texans at home.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^$Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Tennessee

Jacksonville 3 – 3 (+7.0) @ Philadelphia 4 – 3 (-7.0)
Much like the Titans, home field plays huge advantage here. Phili is coming off of two straight heartbreaking losses (both last second FGs) on the road, and now with the home crowd behind them, Leftwich or not, Phili wins this one convincingly.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

Seattle 4 – 2 (+6.0) @ Kansas City 3 – 3 (-6.0)
If this game were in Seattle, I’d consider taking the Seahawks with the points. As is, I’ve got to assume that the Chiefs at home will take care of business against the injured Seahawks.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Kansas City

San Francisco 2 – 4 (+15.5) @ Chicago 6 – 0 (-15.5)
15.5 makes it look like a popular upset pick, huh? Absolutely not. After the hideous display Chicago put on against Arizona, look for them to right the ship and absolutely manhandle the far inferior 49ers in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

Tampa Bay 2 – 4 (+9.0) @ N.Y. Giants 4 – 2 (-9.0)
Okay, so the Giants are for real. But this Tampa team plays teams really tough, and 9 points is a pretty good looking spread. I’ll give Gruden’s Gang the benefit of the doubt and take them with the points; but the G-men should get the win on home turf.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: N.Y. Giants

St. Louis 4 – 2 (+9.5) @ San Diego 4 – 2 (-9.5)
Don’t like this game one bit. Either San Diego is fired up after the embarassing loss last week and dominates the Rams, or all of this adversity catches up to them and they are ripe for another upset. I’ll go with the first option, although not with a shred of confidence.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

Indianapolis 6 – 0 (+3.0) @ Denver 5 – 1 (-3.0)
Ok, game of the week deserves a bit of analysis. Defense always beats a good offense, says the theory. Also, it is no secret that Denver is amazing at home. Plus, they’ve only given up 2 TDs this year. This all adds up to make Denver the easy pick.

But not so fast. Who has Denver shut down this year? Kansas City (Ranked 20th in points per game), New England (10th), Baltimore (22nd), Oakland (32nd) and Cleveland (26th). And when they beat New England, it was early in the season before they found their rhythm. Am I taking anything away from the Broncos? Of course not… but the Colts are the 4th best offense in the league.

And where do the Broncos rank in offense? …31st.

Indy is not going to come into Denver and score 35 points. But somewhere in the realm of 17 – 21 is perfectly feasable. And I have seen nothing in Denver’s offense to lead me to beleave they can score that many points. I’ll take Indy in a low scoring, playoff-implication-laden thriller.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Indianapolis

N.Y. Jets 4 – 3 (+2.5) @ Cleveland 1 – 5 (-2.5)
You know its a Zen pick when a 1 – 5 team is favored over a 4 – 3 team. Basically, all of the Jets wins come against bad teams, and all of the Browns losses come against good teams. While I like the Jets alot more, Cleveland is a tough place to play, and as Zen picks often do, this one will just work itself out.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cleveland

Pittsburgh 2 – 4 (-9.0) @ Oakland 1 – 5 (+9.0)
I’m going to try and outdo myself here. Last week I picked the upset of the year in KC over SD. I’m looking to put that one to shame.

The theory? Pittsburgh is spent after not only losing a close game, but putting it all on the table in the last game. Furthermore, a daunting task awaits them next week when they have to play the super tough Denver Broncos. No matter how bad they want this game, they’ve gotta be thinking in the back of their heads “whatever… its the Raiders”

As for the Raiders? They are coming off a win, feeling super confident, the fans will be back into it, extremely pumped up. Look for them to catch Pittsburgh off guard, especially on defense, and somehow, someway, pull off the upset of the year.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Oakland

Dallas 3 – 3 (+5.5) @ Carolina 4 – 3 (-5.5)
As I stated above, Dallas is terribly overrated. Expect a lot of crying from TO when the Panthers put on a good old fashion whooping at home.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

MONDAY

New England 5 – 1 (-2.0) @ Minnesota 4 – 2 (+2.0)
Sorry… as much as I’m digging the way Minnesotas been playing lately, and as good as they may be at home, any time I can get the Patriots at minus less then a field goal, I’m probably going to take it. This is one of those times.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 16 – 12 – 2 (.571)

Forget it, I can’t go only a nickel this week. There are too many great games to choose from! I’ve gotta give you a nice even dime on college picks this week!

1. Minnesota Golden Gophers (+27.0) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (-27.0)
I made the mistake of betting against OSU last week. Here’s the deal; this is the best team in college football. They don’t give up any points, and they score plenty of them. They are a safe bet, week in and week out.

2. Oklahoma Sooners (+1.5) @ Missouri Tigers (-1.5)
Ok, so now Oklahoma doesn’t have Bomar OR Peterson, and I’m supposed to take them against the 7 – 1 Tigers IN Missouri? You’re crazy Vegas.

3. BYU Cougars (-7.5) @ Air Force Falcons (+7.5)
One of many unflashy picks this week, but if you put money on it and win, its flashy enough. BYU is a better team than Air Force and can easily beat them by double digits.

4. UL Monroe Indians (+36.5) @ Arkansas Razorbacks (-36.5)
I love the Razorbacks, and am on their bandwagon more than anyone. But this team has to head in to South Carolina for a tough game against the Gamecocks next week, and there is no way they can be 100% focused on the lowly Indians. They will win handily, but by less then 5 TDs.

5. Vanderbilt Commodores (-9.5) @ Duke Blue Devils (+9.5)
Another unflashy one, but Duke is complete garbage, and while Vandy won’t be mistaken for a powerhouse, a double digit victory should not be a problem.

6. Bowling Green Falcons (-19.0) @ Temple Owls (+19.0)
If anyone’s worse than the Stanford Cardinal, its the Temple Owls. Very rare to see this team at +anything under 35. I’ll take my chances on Bowling Green to cover against this bottom feeder.

7. Texas Longhorns (-12.0) @ Texas Tech Red Raiders (+12.0)
Texas Tech isn’t necessarily going to be a pushover, but I don’t think they will have any answer for Texas’s high powered offense. Two TDs should be a fair margin of victory.

8. Nebraska Cornhuskers (-6.0) @ Oklahoma State Cowboys (+6.0)
Not to take anything away from the Cowboys, but this is another silly spread in my opinion. Nebraska matches up well against this team and should be fine with giving up only two FGs.

9. Miami Florida Hurricanes (+5.0) @ Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets (-5.0)
By the numbers I crunched, the Hurricanes should be the favorite. Now I’m aware that they are a bunch of sleazeballs, but I’ll save the morals for someone else and make money on the outright upset in this one.

10. Northwestern Wildcats (+32.5) @ Michigan Wolverines (-32.5)
Remember how Ohio State is the best team in college football? Sorry Trojan fans, Michigan is the 2nd best. And while 32.5 looks a little gross, a 49 – 3 type of score is no where close to out of the question.

HONORABLE MENTION (8 – 9 – 0):

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-13.0) @ Navy Midshipmen (+13.0)

Syracuse Orangemen (+6.5) @ Cincinnati Bearcats (-6.5)

Penn State Nittany Lions (-3.0) @ Purdue Boilermakers (+3.0)

USC Trojans (-11.5) @ Oregon State Beavers (+11.5)
(I’m actually buying 2 points to make this a -9.5 for the Trojans)

YOU SAID IT!

Jaguar Park:

“Park’s game of the week is New England (4-1) @ Buffalo (2-4). Make it the upset pick of the week while you’re at it too. The Patriots struggles will continue and the only thing working for them is the dynamic duo of Laurence Maroney and Corey Dillon. Tom Brady is arguably the best QB in the game according to some of the so called experts, yet his QB rating is a mere 2 points better than his counterpart J.P Losman, who is arguably the worst QB in the league.” (Struggles? They were 4 – 1! To Park’s defense he did pick the Giants on Monday night. New England cruises, 28 – 6. Brady had 2 TD 0 INT, Losman 0 TD 1 INT)

“Good picks or not, the Dime is a great read.” (Thank you my friend)

Predictions – “Jacksonille Jaguars Superbowl Champs” and “Orlando Magic make the playoffs”

Jonathan Roberts:

“No wonder your season is going down the tubes, do you even watch the games anymore? KC over SD, fuck zen, fuck the “upset”. if that happens, ill give you 10 bucks myself, cause there is no way you actually bet that pick. and if you do…ouch.” (Final Score; Kansas City 30 – San Diego 27)

Don’t be shy. Write in with whatever you’ve got, and get your spot on here!
—————
Questions? Comments? Love the Dime? Hate it? Should I cut it down to a nickel? SEND ME FEEDBACK!

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 1 – 5 – 0
USC TROJANS: 6 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 3 – 6 – 2

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By Dave Consolazio, October 19, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

It’s official. My picks are a joke.

Scene: Two guys are walking down the street.

Guy 1: “Hey, have you read this column Dave’s Dime? It’s a riot.”
Guy 2: “Oh, I know, its hilarious. The guy actually thinks he knows sports, breaks down and analyzes each game, and then makes a complete fool of himself to his 9 readers!”

*Both men laugh heartily and then go their seperate ways.

END SCENE

Okay, okay. Don’t go feeling too badly for me. I got a wave of support from many of my loyal readers last week, letting me know that they still believe in me, etc. And I appreciate it. And seriously, I’ve got to snap out of this cold streak eventually. In fact, this week’s FIVE wins is indeed, sadly, a sign of IMPROVEMENT.

This time I’ll quote my buddy Jonathan, who chuckled when hockey season started, and said something along the lines of “DAVE… you’re gonna start sucking at football. Or you’ll suck at hockey. We both know you can’t do well in both Dave. It’s you.” – You bastard. I blame you for this!

UPDATES/CHANGES TO THE DIME

Regrettably, I’ve decided to do away with the “Picks Challenge” section. While it was definitely fun and a cool idea, it proves to be way too much effort if only 10 people are playing every week… plus it distracts a bit from what I need to be doing, and thats focusing on picking winners.

I have an idea for a new interactive section though that I think can be a lot of fun. It’s called “You Said It”. Read about it at the bottom of the column.

Lastly, under the “Last Week’s Recap” section, I have gone from writing a ton to writing nothing at all. I’ve found a healthy medium. One liners.

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 5 – 8 – 0 (.384)
Without the spread: 8 – 5 – 0 (.615)
$$Money Picks$$: 2 – 3 – 0 (.400)
^^Zen Picks^^: 2 – 1 – 0 (.666)
**Outright Upsets**: 2 – 1 – 0 (.666)

Season
With the spread: 38 – 44 – 5 (.463)
Without the spread: 59 – 28 – 0 (.678)
$$Money Picks$$: 7 – 10 – 1 (.412)
^^Zen Picks^^: 7 – 6 – 1 (.538)
**Outright Upsets**: 11 – 11 – 0 (.500)

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

Cincinnati 13 3 – 1 (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay 14 0 – 4 (+4.5)
Credit Tampa for the last minute comeback… but this game should not have come down to the last minute.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Cincinnati

Tennessee 25 0 – 5 (+10.5) @ Washington 22 2 – 3 (+10.5)
Forget a letdown, Tennessee came out AMPED for this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS ^Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Washington

Houston 6 1 – 3 (+13.0) @ Dallas 34 2 – 2 (-13.0)
No surprises here.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Dallas

Carolina 23 3 – 2 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 21 4 – 1 (-3.0)
Picks like this make me proud I at least get a few right still.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Carolina

N.Y. Giants 27 2 – 2 (+3.0) @ Atlanta 14 3 – 1 (-3.0)
I can’t figure this Giants team out… but then, what can I figure out these days?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Atlanta

Seattle 30 3 – 1 (-3.0) @ St. Louis 28 4 – 1 (+3.0)
54 yard fieldgoal to win it? Talk about stealing a game. Then again, Morris shouldn’t have fumbled on the 10, and I should have covered.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle

Philadelphia 24 4 – 1 (-3.0) @ New Orleans 27 4 – 1 (+3.0)
Make no mistake about it; New Orleans is officially NOT a fluke.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Philadelphia

San Diego 48 3 – 1 (-9.5) @ San Francisco 19 2 – 3 (+9.5)
Sometimes, the team that is SUPPOSED to beat the other team does. Cool, huh?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego

Kansas City 7 2 – 2 (+7.0) @ Pittsburgh 45 1 – 3 (-7.0)
Ouch, there is wrong, and then there is 38 points wrong.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Kansas City

Miami 17 1 – 4 (+2.5) @ N.Y. Jets 20 2 – 3 (-2.5)
Miami sucks. Bad. They were supposed to do well this year, too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $^N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN N.Y. Jets

Oakland 3 0 – 4 (+14.0) @ Denver 13 3 – 1 (-14.0)
Oakland didn’t COVER… Denver didn’t TRY is more accurate.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $$Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Denver

Chicago 24 5 – 0 (-11.0) @ Arizona 23 1 – 4 (+11.0)
What’s to be said that hasn’t already been said a million times on this one? If you don’t know the story, go look it up.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Chicago

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Buffalo 2 – 3 (-1.5) @ Detroit 0 – 5 (+1.5)
This is a strictly Zen pick. This is the type of pick that you say to yourself, why isn’t Buffalo favored by 6 points? Why did the line actually open up at Detroit -1.0? EVERYONE is betting Buffalo, and is the public ever right? The answers to questions 1 and 2 are “probably because Vegas knows something we dont” and the answer to number 3 is an emphatic NO. So screw public (and my) perception, I’ll take the Lions.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Detroit
- Ah, the magic of Zen.

THE PICKS

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

SUNDAY

Carolina 4 – 2 (+3.0) @ Cincinnati 3 – 2 (-3.0)
Carolina is working on all cylinders with 4 straight wins, and Cinci is doing the opposite with two straight losses. I’d like to take the Bengals at home as I do think they are going to right the ship soon; but any time you are going to give me points to take the hot team, I’ll do it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Carolina

Detroit 1 – 5 (+3.5) @ N.Y. Jets 3 – 3 (-3.5)
This game is giving me a lot of trouble for reasons I can’t quite place my finger on. Since its essentially a toss-up, I’ll take the team I like more and that also happens to be at home, the J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: N.Y. Jets

Green Bay 1 – 4 (+5.5) @ Miami 1 – 5 (-5.5)
5.5? Really? Why? Miami sucks. Yes, I’m aware that GB also sucks, but that’s exactly why this should not be 5.5 points. Maybe because its in Miami? Whatever the case may be, not only am I taking the points, I’m taking the “upset” too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Green Bay

Jacksonville 3 – 2 (-9.5) @ Houston 1 – 4 (+9.5)
Can’t tell you why, but I promised myself I would go with my gut this week, and my gut tells me that Jacksonville only wins this game by a TD, so I’ll take the points, as irrational as it is.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Houston
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

New England 4 – 1 (-5.5) @ Buffalo 2 – 4 (+5.5)
Buffalo is not nearly as good as they looked at the beginning of the season, and I’m not concerned about them beating the Patriots. Because they Pats hate me, they’ll probably win by 4… but I’ll take my chances money picking even -5.5.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

Philadelphia 4 – 2 (-5.5) @ Tampa Bay 1 – 4 (+5.5)
After last weeks loss to the Saints, this is a game that the Eagles need to win to keep their position at the top of their division. I figure they’ll do so in convincing fashion, even if a voice in the back of my head whispers not to underestimate the Bucs.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

Pittsburgh 2 – 3 (-2.5) @ Atlanta 3 – 2 (+2.5)
Pittsburgh will use the exact same recipe the Giants did last week and take care of Vick and the Falcons on their home turf.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh

San Diego 4 – 1 (-5.0) @ Kansas City 2 – 3 (+5.0)
The book of Zen was written for this game. Zen Rule 1) One team is coming off a huge blowout (KC) while the other did the blowing out (SD), and you should bet the team that was blown out. Rule 2) Public. Everyone and their mother has San Diego as an easy pick. Rule 3) Line… why is it only 5? Its taunting us into betting the seemingly OBVIOUS San Diego. This game is so damn ZEN-FILLED that not only am I taking KC to cover, but I’ll take them outright.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^^*Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Kansas City

Denver 4 – 1 (-4.5) @ Cleveland 1 – 4 (+4.5)
You simply can not score on Denver’s defense. It isn’t possible. How this game isn’t over 7 points baffles me. But not in a Zen way – in a simple I’ll take the easy win way.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver

Arizona 1 – 5 (-3.0) @ Oakland 0 – 5 (+3.0)
I’ll take the Cardinals, but not because Leinart is starting. As a Raider fan, one thing is clear – big time running backs are simply unstoppable to us. And Edgerrin James is that type of back. Look for 150 or so yards from him, and yet another sad chapter written on this pitiful season for the Raiders.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Arizona

Minnesota 3 – 2 (+6.5) @ Seattle 4 – 1 (-6.5)
Betting against Seattle at home is just flirting with disaster, but Minnesota has done a good job keeping games close this year, and I’ll go out on a limb and say they can do the same here with Alexander still supposedly out of action.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Washington 2 – 4 (+8.5) @ Indianapolis 5 – 0 (-8.5)
Despite the occassional flash of brilliance, Washington isn’t very good. Indy will take this one quite convincingly for their home crowd.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

MONDAY

N.Y. Giants 3 – 2 (+3.0) @ Dallas 3 – 2 (-3.0)
The Giants, as I stated above, make no sense to me. Regardless though, I’m going to give the edge to Dallas on offensive talents and homefield advantage.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 15 – 8 – 2 (.652)

1. Louisville Cardinals (-17.5) @ Syracuse Orangemen (+17.5)
I think Syracuse is awesome. Hell, I briefly considered going to school there. Had I done so, I would have gone to this game and watched my team get absolutely hammered by the Louisville Cardinals.

2. Washington Huskies (+23.5) @ Cal Golden Bears (-23.5)
While 23.5 seems like a lot of points, Cal really is among the elite in the nation. Washington without Stanback is lost without a cause. In Cal, the Bears absolutely maul the Huskies.

3. UCLA Bruins (+13.0) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-13.0)
In a true testament to how little credit Notre Dame gets, they are only 13 point favorites against a lowly UCLA team. Newsflash, country: This one isn’t going to be close.

4. Iowa Hawkeyes (+13.0) @ Michigan Wolverines (-13.0)
While I respect the Hawkeyes, they aren’t quite in league with the Wolverines, and two touchdowns is a small price to pay in this one.

5. Indiana Hoosiers (+31.0) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (-31.0)
Not a flashy pick, but I don’t think Ohio State is going to be taking this game that seriously. They’ll probably win by 4 TDs and be content with that; and so will I at 31 points.

HONORABLE MENTION (6 – 8 – 0):

Tulane Green Wave (+31.5) @ Auburn Tigers (-31.5)

Stanford Cardinal (+23.0) @ Arizona State Sun Devils (-23.0)

Fresno State Bulldogs (+32.5) @ LSU Tigers (-32.5)

YOU SAID IT!

Pretty self explanatory. This section will be what you guys and girls make it. I’ve got alot of opinionated readers… and this section will give you a chance to let your voice be heard.

You can get quoted in this section any number of ways. Send me some cleverly written hate mail. Compliment me. Send me your picks of your favorite games of the week with commentary, so I can post them here when you are spot on or hilariously wrong.

I know of at least 5 of you (and you know who you are!) that could run with this and make it really awesome. Just email me with the title “You Said It” and just type any damn thing thats on your mind about me, football, or the universe in general. If it makes me laugh or think, it’ll probably do the same for my readers, and it’ll be here.

Don’t be shy. Write in with whatever you’ve got.

And, for those of you that still want to pick with the spread for fun each week, feel free. I’ll keep track of how you do for you, and let you know what your end of the year numbers are at… the end of the year.

Hopefully next week this section will be chock full of YOUR quotes!

—————

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 – 5 – 0
USC TROJANS: 6 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 3 – 4 – 1

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By Dave Consolazio, October 12, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

(First and foremost, sorry for getting the Dime out SO late this weekend. Through a very crazy party Friday night in honor of midterms being over, and before I knew it, it was 3:30am Sunday. Sorry its a bit short and hurried, but I did my best under the circumstances. Enjoy!)

(Sing to the tune of David Bowie – Space Oddity)

Ground Control to Vegas Dave, your circuits dead, there’s something wrong… can you hear me Vegas Dave? Can you hear me Vegas Dave? Can you hear me Vegas Dave? Can you heeerrree am I picking very poorly, faaaaaar below the norm… All I do is lose, and theres nothing I can dooooo….

(End singing)

After a 21 – 11 start, I’ve now slipped into a 12 – 25 rut that leaves me wondering what the hell is going on. Is it the schedule? Is it my technique?

This isn’t a girl, man. I’m used to screwing up in that field. This is FOOTBALL. I’m supposed to know this stuff.

Oh well. After consulting my trusty ZEN book, it points out that indeed, everyone goes through some ruts. And while I continue to lose credibility as a sports person right in front of your eyes, I hope you all will stick with me through the good times and the bad. Or, if things keep up… just the bad.

By the way, I have to give props to my journalism teacher who with a completely serious expression says to me (on the topic of the Dime)… “Do you have any idea how much money your picks are losing me?”

If I keep picking like this, I’m gonna have to get a frigging “For entertainment purposes only” disclaimer.

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 3 – 8 – 3 (.273)
Without the spread: 11 – 3 – 0 (.786)
$$Money Picks$$: 1 – 1 – 1 (.500)
^^Zen Picks^^: 1 – 0 – 0 (1.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 0 – 3 – 0 (.000)

Season
With the spread: 33 – 36 – 5 (.478)
Without the spread: 51 – 23 – 0 (.689)
$$Money Picks$$: 5 – 7 – 1 (.417)
^^Zen Picks^^: 5 – 5 – 1 (.500)
**Outright Upsets**: 9 – 10 – 0 (.474)

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

Not a single upset took place this week, which was shocking. If you took all favorites, you’d have gone 8 – 3 – 3. You may have. I did not.

Buffalo 7 2 – 2 (+10.0) @ Chicago 40 4 – 0 (-10.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago

Cleveland 12 1 – 3 (+8.0) @ Carolina 20 2 – 2 (-8.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE *Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Carolina

Detroit 17 0 – 4 (+6.5) @ Minnesota 26 2 – 2 (-6.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Minnesota

Miami 10 1 – 3 (+10.0) @ New England 20 3 – 1 (-10.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE $New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New England

St. Louis 23 3 – 1 (-3.0) @ Green Bay 20 1 – 3 (+3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE St. Louis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN St. Louis

Tampa Bay 21 0 – 3 (+6.5) @ New Orleans 24 3 – 1 (-6.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New Orleans

Tennessee 13 0 – 4 (+18.5) @ Indianapolis 14 4 – 0 (-18.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Indianapolis

Washington 3 2 – 2 (+5.0) @ N.Y. Giants 19 1 – 2 (-5.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Washington

Kansas City 23 1 – 2 (-3.5) @ Arizona 20 1 – 3 (+3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Kansas City

N.Y. Jets 0 2 – 2 (+7.0) @ Jacksonville 41 2 – 2 (-7.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *$N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Jacksonville

Oakland 20 0 – 3 (+3.5) @ San Francisco 34 1 – 3 (-3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Fransisco

Dallas 24 2 – 1 (+1.5) @ Philadelphia 38 3 – 1 (-1.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $^Philidelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Philidelphia

Pittsburgh 13 1 – 2 (+3.0) @ San Diego 23 2 – 1 (-3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Pittsburgh

Baltimore 3 4 – 0 (+4.0) @ Denver 13 2 – 1 (-4.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Baltimore

DAMN, I’M GOOD

For the 2nd week straight, crickets in this section.

THE PICKS

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

SUNDAY

Cincinnati 3 – 1 (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay 0 – 4 (+4.5)
Pure and simple. Cinci is coming off a bye, they’ve had time to sort out the holes in their defense that caused them to lose to New England. And lets not kid ourselves, Tampa Bay is no New England. The simply better team wins this one by a TD or more, even if Tampa Bay plays well.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cincinnati

Tennessee 0 – 5 (+10.5) @ Washington 2 – 3 (+10.5)
Last week we saw Tennessee play Indy with everything they had and lose by only one, and we saw Washington lose in a rather pitiful effort. We are supposed to do the math and take Tennessee with the points. I, on the other hand, will peer through the mist and take the two score victory for the Redskins.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Washington

Houston 1 – 3 (+13.0) @ Dallas 2 – 2 (-13.0)
I really don’t want to give up 13 points to the Texans, but lets not forget what Dallas did to the Titans a few weeks ago (ding ding ding! You win if you said “blew them out, destroyed them, demolished them, or something along those lines”). They should be able to do along the same lines against the Texans.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

Buffalo 2 – 3 (-1.5) @ Detroit 0 – 5 (+1.5)
This is a strictly Zen pick. This is the type of pick that you say to yourself, why isn’t Buffalo favored by 6 points? Why did the line actually open up at Detroit -1.0? EVERYONE is betting Buffalo, and is the public ever right? The answers to questions 1 and 2 are “probably because Vegas knows something we dont” and the answer to number 3 is an emphatic NO. So screw public (and my) perception, I’ll take the Lions.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Detroit

Carolina 3 – 2 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 4 – 1 (-3.0)
Baltimore’s defense is phenomenal. Baltimore’s offense… is laughable. Now against most teams, that’s okay, because defense wins ball games. But against Carolina this week, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that this defensive struggle ends with a Carolina victory.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Carolina

N.Y. Giants 2 – 2 (+3.0) @ Atlanta 3 – 1 (-3.0)
This is a really tough game for me to pick, as both teams are pretty difficult to read. I’m going to assume it’ll be a low scoring affair and give Atlanta the slight edge since they are at home.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Atlanta

Seattle 3 – 1 (-3.0) @ St. Louis 4 – 1 (+3.0)
Another toughy, as St. Louis has geared away from their normal dose of suckiness and have won 4 of their first 5 games. I still think Seattle is among the best in the NFC though (besides those damn Bears), and judging them on their one loss to the aforementioned Bears simply isn’t fair. So I’ll pick them and hope for the best.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Philadelphia 4 – 1 (-3.0) @ New Orleans 4 – 1 (+3.0)
I like both of these teams alot, and while the heart of course is going to lean towards the home town, the brain is leading towards the Eagles. McNabb has been absolutely silly good, and even if the Saints can put up their share of points, I think McNabb can go ahead and put up more.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

San Diego 3 – 1 (-9.5) @ San Francisco 2 – 3 (+9.5)
Finally, an easy one! While San Fran did make the RAIDERS look bad, the point is, they are still a lower echelon team. San Diego, meanwhile, is pretty damn legitimate. They will have no trouble winning by 3 or 4 TDs in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

Kansas City 2 – 2 (+7.0) @ Pittsburgh 1 – 3 (-7.0)
Pittsburgh is done. This team is playing with no confidence, making stupid mistakes left and right. They are just completely off que. I will pick the stunner in this one and say KC goes INTO Pittsburgh and beats them outright.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Kansas City

Miami 1 – 4 (+2.5) @ N.Y. Jets 2 – 3 (-2.5)
Doesn’t matter who’s QBing for the Dolphins, the popular early season playoff pick looks like complete garbage. And after the Jets embarassing 42 – 0 loss last week, they are going to come out fired up to impress the home crowd. They take care of business and beat the Dolphins by the necessary field goal.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $^N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: N.Y. Jets

Oakland 0 – 4 (+14.0) @ Denver 3 – 1 (-14.0)
Is analysis really necessary? Denver’s defense is impeccable and their offense is adequate. My Raiders, in a word, are just BAD. Anything short of 35 – 3 Denver would stun me, to be quite honest.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $$Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver

MONDAY

Chicago 5 – 0 (-11.0) @ Arizona 1 – 4 (+11.0)
Loving the fact that Leinart is starting for the Cards these days, but no one is touching these Bears. I will continue to pick and bet them until they give me a reason not to. And I honestly don’t think they will.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

PICKS CHALLENGE

No Picks Challenge this week since I’m sending this out literally only a few hours before opening kickoffs. Next week the section will return, along with full results from last week.

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

(Results, since today’s games already took place. I made $136 Saturday!)

RECORD: 15 – 8 – 2 (.652)

1. Cal Golden Bears (-8.5) @ Washington State (+8.5)
Cal is an absolutely dominant team, and the fact that they are under two scores is an absolute steal here. I’ll take them against almost anyone at this point, and Wasu makes it even easier.
RESULT: WIN

2. Arizona Wildcats (-3.5) @ Stanford Cardinal (+3.5)
Anytime you can bet against the Cardinals at less then 21, you’ve gotta jump all over it. They are basically the exact opposite of the Golden Bears, and are equally profitable.
RESULT: WIN

3. Michigan Wolverines (-5.5) @ Penn State Nittany Lions (+5.5)
Michigan has been impressive all year long, and Penn State has the misfortune of having an insanely tough schedule. They just aren’t quite up to par with this Wolverines team.
RESULT: WIN

4. Baylor Bears (+27.0) @ Texas Longhorns (-27.0)
In Texas against a lowly Baylor team, I took my chances that they could blow them out. 63 – 31 wasn’t quite what I had in mind, but it certainly worked.
RESULT: WIN

5. Florida Gators (-2.0) @ Auburn Tigers (+2.0)
Undefeated teams that lose a game tend to lose their next one, too, because they are still down. Auburn prevented my 5 for 5 day and proved that theory wrong in this one.
RESULT: LOSS

HONORABLE MENTION (6 – 8 – 0):

Florida International (+26.0) @ Miami Hurricanes (-26.0)
RESULT: WIN

Cincinnati Bearcats (+24.5) @ Louisville Cardinals (-24.5)
RESULT: LOSS

Arizona State Sun Devils (+19.0) @ USC Trojans (-19.0)
RESULT: LOSS

Kentucky Wildcats (+26.5) @ LSU Tigers (-26.5)
RESULT: LOSS

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 – 4 – 0
USC TROJANS: 6 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 2 – 3 – 0 – 0

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By Dave Consolazio, October 5, 2006 10:00 am

Mom’s Meal
“Because One Serving Of Peas Just Isn’t Enough”

THE INTRO

Ok, so this week’s title isn’t quite as catchy as the regular. However, after my own frigging mother not only outpicked me this week but in fact tripled my win total (well, tripled +1, to be completely precise), it might as well be her column, not mine.

Sure. “Everyone has a bad week”. But does EVERYONE write a column and send it out to some 200+ people so that they can publicly embarass themselves in the process? Does everyone not only have a bad week, but have an absolutely ridiculous joke of a week to completely ruin his or her season averages?

Okay, calm down Dave. There is too much to be happy about. Hockey is BACK. Playoff baseball is in full swing. You are STILL, even after this awful week, ahead of last year’s totals. Lets just sit back, relax, and pick some winners.

I honestly don’t think I could do worse if I tried.

CHANGES/UPDATES TO THE DIME

- The RECAP section has been reduced to simply the game scores, and whether I won or lost. The commentary on these games often is just a repeat of what you’ve already read the week before (if you read, that is), and so theres no sense in keeping it.

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 3 – 10 – 1 (.231)
Without the spread: 6 – 8 – 0 (.429)
$$Money Picks$$: 0 – 4 – 0 (.000)
^^Zen Picks^^: 1 – 4 – 0 (.200)
**Outright Upsets**: 1 – 5 – 0 (.167)

Season
With the spread: 30 – 28 – 2 (.517)
Without the spread: 40 – 20 – 0 (.666)
$$Money Picks$$: 5 – 7 – 0 (.417)
^^Zen Picks^^: 5 – 5 – 1 (.500)
**Outright Upsets**: 9 – 7 – 0 (.563)

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

Arizona 10 1 – 2 (+7.5) @ Atlanta 32 2 – 1 (-7.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Atlanta

Dallas 45 1 – 1 (-10.0) @ Tennessee 14 0 – 3 (+10.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *^Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Dallas

Indianapolis 31 3 – 0 (-9.0) @ N.Y. Jets 28 2 – 1 (+9.0)
ICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Indianapolis

Miami 15 1 – 2 (-3.5) @ Houston 17 0 – 3 (+3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *^Houston
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Houston

Minnesota 12 2 – 1 (+1.0) @ Buffalo 17 1 – 2 (-1.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *$Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Minnesota

New Orleans 18 3 – 0 (+7.0) @ Carolina 21 1 – 2 (-7.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Carolina

San Diego 13 2 – 0 (-2.0) @ Baltimore 16 3 – 0 (+2.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS San Diego

San Francisco 0 1 – 2 (+7.0) @ Kansas City 41 0 – 2 (-7.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *San Francisco
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *San Francisco

Detroit 34 0 – 3 (+6.0) @ St. Louis 41 2 – 1 (-6.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *^Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Detroit

Cleveland 24 0 – 3 (-3.0) @ Oakland 21 0 – 2 (+3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE *^Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Oakland

Jacksonville 30 2 – 1 (-3.0) @ Washington 36 1 – 2 (+3.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Jacksonville

New England 38 2 – 1 (+6.0) @ Cincinnati 13 3 – 0 (-6.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Cincinnati

Seattle 6 3 – 0 (+3.5) @ Chicago 37 3 – 0 (-3.5)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *^Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Seattle

Green Bay 9 1 – 2 (+11.0) @ Philadelphia 31 2 – 1 (-11.0)
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Philidelphia

DAMN, I’M GOOD

When you go 3 – 10 – 1, you can’t give yourself credit for one of the 3 wins. Seriously.

THE PICKS

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

SUNDAY

Buffalo 2 – 2 (+10.0) @ Chicago 4 – 0 (-10.0)
Heres the thing. In my head, I’ve got this game playing out to be a tough, defensive struggle, so 10 points seems like an awful lot. Then I remember that the Bears dont give up any points… to anyone. 29 points in 4 games so far. That’s just silly. Until they look human, I’ll pick them, even if I do have to give up two scores in the process.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

Cleveland 1 – 3 (+8.0) @ Carolina 2 – 2 (-8.0)
Carolina is definitely the better team, but one thing you have to admire about this Browns team is its resiliancy. Not that coming back from 18 points against the Raiders is THAT big of a deal, but just the idea that the team will give you 60 minutes makes them an okay pick with 8 points.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

Detroit 0 – 4 (+6.5) @ Minnesota 2 – 2 (-6.5)
Here’s a really tough one. My gut tells me to go with Detroit to cover, but I’ll go against it (even though I hate doing so) and pick the comfortable Viking victory. After all, both of the Vikings losses came to tough defensive teams, and Detroit certainly isn’t that.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Minnesota

Miami 1 – 3 (+10.0) @ New England 3 – 1 (-10.0)
Hahahahahahahahaha… haha… seriously… hahaha… The Dolphins are so, so, so bad. The Patriots win all the time. Look for an absolute blowout here.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

St. Louis 3 – 1 (-3.0) @ Green Bay 1 – 3 (+3.0)
Even if I do hate them, the Rams are capible of winning games. And the Packers are certainly a team that they should beat. Now that I’m picking them, though, they’ll probably drop.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: St. Louis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: St. Louis

Tampa Bay 0 – 3 (+6.5) @ New Orleans 3 – 1 (-6.5)
Something tells me that Tampa will find its grove in this game… but I can’t pick against the Saints, who have not only looked awesome, but have the home field advantage which is now actually a very big deal for them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New Orleans

Tennessee 0 – 4 (+18.5) @ Indianapolis 4 – 0 (-18.5)
Hmm. Well, the Zen book says take the whopping underdog. Unfortunately, I simply can not do that. No matter how many times I play the game out in my head, its never within 21 points for the Titans. The Colts will crush them, and I have to regrettably give up a ton of points. So be it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

Washington 2 – 2 (+5.0) @ N.Y. Giants 1 – 2 (-5.0)
Last week Washington impressed me immensely with their in over Jacksonville. And while the Giants aren’t a bad team, I’m going to take the Redskins outright in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Washington

Kansas City 1 – 2 (-3.5) @ Arizona 1 – 3 (+3.5)
While I love Leinart, I do think that the Chiefs will be able to take care of the Cardinals. Huard has filled in very nicely for Trent Green, and they should be able to win this one. The Cards on paper are still scary, but they just haven’t shown it yet on the field.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Kansas City

N.Y. Jets 2 – 2 (+7.0) @ Jacksonville 2 – 2 (-7.0)
Two teams I love, and a ridiculous spread in my opinion. The Jets played an amazing game against the Colts last week, and have been impressive overall on the season. As much as I love the Jags, I see them winning this game by 3 or 4, not 7. In fact, I don’t even know who is going to win this game. A Jet’s “upset” wouldn’t surprise me, but I guess I’ll take the Jags at home.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *$N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

Oakland 0 – 3 (+3.5) @ San Francisco 1 – 3 (-3.5)
A game and rivalry that used to carry with it prestige is now simply a game that is a waste of everyone’s time. And, while I’d like to pick the Raiders, I really don’t think they will win this game. I’ll take them with the FG out of pity, but SF gets the win.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Fransisco

Dallas 2 – 1 (+1.5) @ Philadelphia 3 – 1 (-1.5)
Lets see. We know that TO hates the Eagles. We know that the Eagles hate TO. TO is one man, and a reciever at that – he can only do as much as the QB lets him. The Eagles, on the other hand, are an entire team. And McNabb, Owens’ rival, gets to touch the ball every single play. Stats be damned, the Eagles slaughter in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $^Philidelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philidelphia

Pittsburgh 1 – 2 (+3.0) @ San Diego 2 – 1 (-3.0)
The Chargers showed that they can be beat by a good defensive team last week, and while I still do respect them, I think they are going to lose this game, too. Look for the Pittsburgh D to force Rivers to make a few bad decisions, and steal this game in SD.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Pittsburgh

MONDAY

Baltimore 4 – 0 (+4.0) @ Denver 2 – 1 (-4.0)
With a solid pass rush, I think Baltimore can get to and beat Plummer. Besides that, they are just one of those teams that refuses to lose. As long as they are undefeated AND I don’t have to give up any points (and in this case, I GET points), I’ll take them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Baltimore

PICKS CHALLENGE

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

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

Last Week
Players: 10

Of course the public beat me this week… all but one of you beat me. Needless to say, it adds up.

Brian, who came in dead last a week ago, bounced back big time, leading the pack with an 8 – 5 – 1 record.

Mom(?!?) and Brandon were the only others to finish above .500 with 7 – 6 – 1 marks.

J Rob and Park came in at 6 – 7 – 1; The Mojo, Dad, and Ross came in at 5 – 8 – 1, and Cash Money went 4 – 9 – 1.

None of you did as bad as the lovely Tarkoff though, who finished 3 – 10 – 1. Only I did that badly.

We’re all tied up! Who will take the lead this week? The public, or me? Send in your picks!

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!

Buffalo 2 – 2 (+10.0) @ Chicago 4 – 0 (-10.0)
Cleveland 1 – 3 (+8.0) @ Carolina 2 – 2 (-8.0)
Detroit 0 – 4 (+6.5) @ Minnesota 2 – 2 (-6.5)
Miami 1 – 3 (+10.0) @ New England 3 – 1 (-10.0)
St. Louis 3 – 1 (-3.0) @ Green Bay 1 – 3 (+3.0)
Tampa Bay 0 – 3 (+6.5) @ New Orleans 3 – 1 (-6.5)
Tennessee 0 – 4 (+18.5) @ Indianapolis 4 – 0 (-18.5)
Washington 2 – 2 (+5.0) @ N.Y. Giants 1 – 2 (-5.0)
Kansas City 1 – 2 (-3.5) @ Arizona 1 – 3 (+3.5)
N.Y. Jets 2 – 2 (+7.0) @ Jacksonville 2 – 2 (-7.0)
Oakland 0 – 3 (+3.5) @ San Francisco 1 – 3 (-3.5)
Dallas 2 – 1 (+1.5) @ Philadelphia 3 – 1 (-1.5)
Pittsburgh 1 – 2 (+3.0) @ San Diego 2 – 1 (-3.0)
Baltimore 4 – 0 (+4.0) @ Denver 2 – 1 (-4.0)

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 8 – 5 – 2 (.615)

1. Arkansas Razorbacks (+15.0) @ Auburn Tigers (-15.0)
Arkansas is playing some good football, and whil Auburn is certainly the better team, I don’t think they will be blowing Arkansas out this week. Two TDs is more than enough to make this a worthwhile bet.

2. Bowling Green Falcons (+36.0) @ Ohio State Buckeyes (-36.0)
Bowling Green isn’t even in league with the Buckeyes, but this is the biggest game of the year for them. As for Ohio State, this is an easy throw away game after a difficult schedule to this point. Look for Bowling Green to keep it close for a quarter or so, and to win with their 5 TDs.

3. Stanford Cardinal (+30.0) @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-30.0)
Stanford is downright awful, and Notre Dame and Brady Quinn need a huge game. This should be it, at home.

4. Arizona Wildcats (+11.5) @ UCLA Bruins (-11.5)
Arizona could very well win this game outright. This certainly shouldn’t be a high scoring affair, and 11.5 is plenty of points. I’d probably take Arizona at +8.0, so the extra field goal is more than welcome.

5. Washington State Cougars (-3.0) @ Oregon State Beavers (+3.0)
Washington State comes a converted hail mary away from beating USC, and then is only a fieldgoal favorite to the lowly Beavers a week later? Home field advantage be damned, Bumpus and the Cougars cover in this one.

HONORABLE MENTION (4 – 5 – 0):
Oregon Ducks (+5.0) @ Cal Golden Bears (-5.0)

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 – 3 – 0
USC TROJANS: 4 – 0 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 0 – 1 – 0 – 0