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By Dave Consolazio, November 30, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

What do you want from me? I suppose this is the part where I’m supposed to clear up why the unthinkable happened this afternoon.

I could blame the Consolazio Curse.

I could blame Booty, who needs 6 seconds of protection and absolutely no pass rush whatsoever to be effective…

I could blame the offensive line for not giving Booty said 6 seconds…

But what impresses me about UCLA here is the fact that they didn’t win this game on a bad call, a fluke kick return, or anything of the sort.

Quite the contrary, they just played a better game of football for the entire 60 minutes.

Sad, sad day for Trojan fans. When your Bruin friends rub it in your face, don’t come back with “Yeah we’re going to the Rose Bowl, where are you going?? Emerald Bowl??” or anything of the sort. Let them get it all out of their system, and suck it up. Because this year, they earned it.

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 9 – 7 – 0 (.563)
Without the spread: 12 – 4 – 0 (.750)
$$Money Picks$$: 4 – 3 – 0 (.571)
^^Zen Picks^^: 2 – 1 – 0 (.666)
**Outright Upsets**: 1 – 1 – 0 (.500)

Season
With the spread: 85 – 83 – 8 (.506)
Without the spread: 111 – 65 – 0 (.631)
$$Money Picks$$: 18 – 22 – 1 (.450)
^^Zen Picks^^: 15 – 10 – 1 (.600)
**Outright Upsets**: 22 – 21 – 0 (.512)

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

Miami 27 4 – 6 (-3.0) @ Detroit 10 2 – 8 (+3.0)
All of a sudden, Miami is a playoff possibility and the Steelers are out. Funny how the NFL works.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Miami

Tampa Bay 10 3 – 7 (+11.0) @ Dallas 38 6 – 4 (-11.0)
Wait a second… Dallas is legit all of a sudden?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS ^*Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Dallas

Denver 10 7 – 3 (+1.5) @ Kansas City 19 6 – 4 (-1.5)
Denver’s offense is so bad its funny… unless you’re a fan, I guess.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Denver

Pittsburgh 0 4 – 6 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 27 8 – 2 (-3.0)
I knew Pittsburgh would lose, but talk about going quietly.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Baltimore

Carolina 13 6 – 4 (-4.0) @ Washington 17 3 – 7 (+4.0)
No surprise for me that the easiest game on the schedule ends up being a loss, is there?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Carolina

New Orleans 31 6 – 4 (+3.0) @ Atlanta 13 5 – 5 (-3.0)
Are we ready to chauk Vick up as a failure AND/OR consider the Saints a playoff team?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *New Orleans

Houston 11 3 – 7 (+6.0) @ New York Jets 26 5 – 5 (-6.0)
The Jets win their first of a long string of easy games.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN ^$New York Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New York Jets

Arizona 26 2 – 8 (+6.0) @ Minnesota 31 4 – 6 (-6.0)
Late meaningless TD drive covers the spread for Arizona…. oh well.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Minnesota

Cincinnati 30 5 – 5 (-3.0) @ Cleveland 0 3 – 7 (+3.0)
Definitely a step in the right direction for the Bengals.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN ^$Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Cincinnati

Jacksonville 24 6 – 4 (-3.0) @ Buffalo 27 4 – 6 (+3.0)
Are you kidding me? Jacksonville has lost some pretty damn inexcusable games this season.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Jacksonville

Oakland 14 2 – 8 (+13.5) @ San Diego 21 8 – 2 (-13.5)
Another lose and cover!
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego

New York Giants 21 6 – 4 (-3.0) @ Tennessee 24 3 – 7 (+3.0)
Giants fans, still think Eli will end up like his brother?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $New York Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS New York Giants

Chicago 13 9 – 1 (+3.0) @ New England 17 7 – 3 (-3.0)
Chicago’d better figure out how to score if they want to go anywhere this postseason.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New England

Philadelphia 21 5 – 5 (+9.0) @ Indianapolis 45 9 – 1 (-9.0)
Credit Indy for actually showing up against a lesser opponent this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Indianapolis

Green Bay 24 4 – 6 (+9.5) @ Seattle 34 6 – 4 (-9.5)
Wait, a half point in my favor? What is the world coming to?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

DAMN, I’M GOOD

San Francisco 17 5 – 5 (+5.5) @ St. Louis 20 4 – 6 (-5.5)
My original pick was St. Louis, but you know, I can’t just keep ignoring the 49ers. They have played well enough to warrent a pick at +5.5, and with the strong running matchup, they should keep it close. I won’t take them outright… but I’ll take the points.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *San Francisco
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: St. Louis
- I love being this spot on.

THE PICKS

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

Pretty boring (and probably unsuccessful) week… I’m picking almost nothing but favorites. The upset picks aren’t jumping out at me this week.

THURSDAY

Cincinnati 13 7 – 5 (-3.0) @ Baltimore 7 9 – 3 (+3.0)
I’ll be the first to give Baltimore a ton of credit for how well they have played this season. I just had a gut feeling that Cincinnati, who was supposed to be a super bowl contender this year, could piece it together and get the win this Thursday. And, they did.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Cincinnati

SUNDAY

Arizona 2 – 9 (+6.5) @ St. Louis 5 – 6 (-6.5)
This kind of looks like a decent upset pick, but I’ll pass. St. Louis at home will have absolutely no trouble moving the ball on the Cardinals “defense” (gotta put it in quotation marks!). The Rams’ main weakness is their running defense, which should be cured by the Cardinals’ terrible offensive line and Mr. Letdown himself, Edgerrin James. So, I’ll take the Rams.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: St. Louis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: St. Louis

Atlanta 5 – 6 (+2.0) @ Washington 4 – 7 (-2.0)
Atlanta is a mess right now, and they have all but completely fallen out of playoff conversation. They are, however, a better team than the Redskins, and even with all of their problems should be able to triumph in this one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Atlanta

Detroit 2 – 9 (+13.5) @ New England 8 – 3 (-13.5)
13.5 is a lot of points in the NFL, but this Detroit team is just absolutely pitiful. If played in Ohio State, the Buckeyes could probably beat this team right now. That said, the Patriots SHOULDN’T have any trouble eating them alive, especially at home.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

Indianapolis 10 – 1 (-7.5) @ Tennessee 4 – 7 (+7.5)
Tennessee is an impressive 7 – 4 with the spread this year, and has quickly earned themselves a reputation as a team that doesn’t say die. On the opposite side, the Colts are known to play down to their opponent from time to time, especially on the road. Unfortunately for me, Vegas suckered me in with the spread. I can’t turn down only 8 points to a much inferior team, even if they probably WILL cover it.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

Kansas City 7 – 4 (-4.5) @ Cleveland 3 – 8 (+4.5)
Kansas City has been playing some damn good football, and getting Trent Green back only makes them better. Credit Herm Edwards for keeping the team afloat while Green was out. While the Browns are another one of those pesky teams that could prove to be troublesome, once again, I can’t pick against the superior team with the spread where it is, especially after the performance against Denver last week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Kansas City

Minnesota 5 – 6 (+9.5) @ Chicago 9 – 2 (-9.5)
While Minnesota is certainly not going anywhere this season, their defense is decent. Chicago’s offense meanwhile still leaves a bit to be desired. Maybe Grossman will have one of his on days, but with 9.5, I’ll take my chances on the Vikings to keep it close.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

N.Y. Jets 6 – 5 @ Green Bay 4 – 7 (Pick’em)
In what should be a shootout back and forth, the Jets have the better defense… as such, they should come out on top in this game.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: N.Y. Jets

San Diego 9 – 2 (-6.0) @ Buffalo 5 – 6 (+6.0)
After last week’s almost disasterous mishap in Oakland, the Chargers now find themselves with what I consider to be a tune-up game in Buffalo; and tune up they shall.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

San Francisco 5 – 6 (+7.0) @ New Orleans 7 – 4 (-7.0)
One stat pretty much tells the story; New Orleans Passing ranked #1 in total yardage per game… San Fransisco’s passing defense ranked #25. Then again, New Orleans can’t stop the run, and Gore has been amazing. Regardless, I’ll stick with stat number one and say that Drew Brees blows these guys away.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New Orleans

Houston 3 – 8 (+3.0) @ Oakland 2 – 9 (-3.0)
I get the feeling I’m jumping aboard a little to late, but the Raiders have been playing competitive football for the last few weeks (covered the spread in 4 of their last 5 games)! Now they find themselves the favorites at home, and rightfully so. Even though a win does nothing but get us farther away from that first overall pick, it should still come today.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Oakland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Oakland

Jacksonville 6 – 5 @ Miami 5 – 6 (Pick’em)
Wow. Am I really picking the Dolphins? And can you really blame me? This team is on an absolute roll, while meanwhile, the Jaguars can’t really put it together against anybody lately, other the Giants. In Miami? No points? It’s not easy for me to type, but yeah, I’m taking them over the Jags, who earlier this season I was taking over pretty much everyone.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Miami

Dallas 7 – 4 (-3.5) @ N.Y. Giants 6 – 5 (+3.5)
Okay, I know that Dallas usually has trouble with the Giants. I know that the Giants are hungry for a victory. I know all that. But whether I like it or not, the Cowboys are the real deal – and the Giants are no match for them, lacking both the talent and the mental strength to compete against these guys.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

Tampa Bay 3 – 8 (+7.0) @ Pittsburgh 4 – 7 (-7.0)
This one takes the “who cares” cake right out of the Oakland/Houston game’s hands. Tampa Bay, one of the great defensive team of our time, is no longer anything close to that. And Pittsburgh? Only took them 11 games to knock themselves out of a potential repeat. At least the Oakland game might be interesting… this’ll just be terribly boring. Guess I’ve gotta take the Steelers, since they have home field AND the Buccaneers are just dreadful this year.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Pittsburgh

Seattle 7 – 4 (+4.0) @ Denver 7 – 4 (-4.0)
Probably the most interesting game of the week, as Denver FINALLY makes the move to start Jay Cutler, which I’ve been calling for for a while. Will he be able to spark the Denver offense ala Tony Romo in Dallas? I think he will be. But not necessarily in his first game. Playing at home should help, but the Seahawks should be able to pressure him into making a few mistakes. Even though its only a 4 point spread, I’ll take the Seahawks with it, but Denver to still pull it off by 2 or 3. 20 – 17 anyone?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver

MONDAY

Carolina 6 – 5 (-3.0) @ Philadelphia 5 – 6 (+3.0)
Carolina has been a pretty disappointing team this season, considering their early season goals of being super bowl contenders. They haven’t been disappointing enough, however, to pick against in this game. The McNabbless Eagles will continue their downward spiral in his absence.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

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

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 2 – 9 – 0
USC TROJANS: 10 – 2 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 9 – 14 – 4

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By Dave Consolazio, November 23, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

Turkey. Stuffing. Football. The Dime.

Truly a holiday tradition. Oh well, at least 3 out of 4 isn’t bad, huh?

Games on Thursday means getting the Dime out two days earlier, TWO WHOLE DAYS for players to get injured, get arrested, get cleared to play – that I can’t take into consideration.

Mainly, just gives me an excuse for when I suck this week. “Oh, didn’t have time to analyze, etc etc.”

But hey, without excuses, where would we be this holiday weekend? (”It’s Thanksgiving! It’s alright for me to pig out today!…right?”)

Yours truly will be eating like mad on Thursday, eating a bit more on Friday, catching the USC/Notre Dame game in the press box (and eating during commercial breaks), and I’ll finish off with a little bit more eating on Sunday.

…then back to the diet Monday!!! Honest!

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 9 – 5 – 2 (.643)
Without the spread: 10 – 6 – 0 (.625)
$$Money Picks$$: 1 – 1 – 0 (.500)
^^Zen Picks^^: 2 – 0 – 0 (1.000)
**Outright Upsets**: 3 – 3 – 0 (.500)

Season
With the spread: 76 – 76 – 8 (.500)
Without the spread: 99 – 61 – 0 (.619)
$$Money Picks$$: 14 – 19 – 1 (.424)
^^Zen Picks^^: 13 – 9 – 1 (.590)
**Outright Upsets**: 21 – 20 – 0 (.512)

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

Pittsburgh 24 3 – 6 (-4.0) @ Cleveland 20 3 – 6 (+4.0)
“Look out for the Steeler’s late season run!!!!” Ugh, spare me.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE Pittsburgh
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Pittsburgh

St. Louis 0 4 – 5 (+6.5) @ Carolina 15 5 – 4 (-6.5)
I remember something about a dominant Carolina defense… I thought it was a myth.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN ^Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Carolina

Atlanta 10 5 – 4 (+4.0) @ Baltimore 24 7 – 2 (-4.0)
Might as well serve falcon instead of turkey this Thanksgiving, this bird is done.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Atlanta
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Atlanta

Washington 17 3 – 6 (+3.0) @ Tampa Bay 20 2 – 7 (-3.0)
Wow, Washington really IS that bad, huh?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: TIE *Washington
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Washington

Tennessee 31 2 – 7 (+13.0) @ Philadelphia 13 5 – 4 (-13.0)
McNabb out? Good thing there’s always next year.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Tennessee
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Philadelphia

Cincinnati 31 4 – 5 (+3.0) @ New Orleans 16 6 – 3 (-3.0)
Unlike the Steelers, this team just might resurge.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Cincinnati

Minnesota 20 4 – 5 (+3.5) @ Miami 24 3 – 6 (-3.5)
Damn, Minnesota looked decent to start this season off, too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Miami

Oakland 13 2 – 7 (+9.0) @ Kansas City 17 5 – 4 (-9.0)
Too bad wins with the spread don’t count in the record books.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Kansas City

Buffalo 24 3 – 6 (+2.5) @ Houston 21 3 – 6 (-2.5)
“Who knows? Who cares?”, my opinion hasn’t changed.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Buffalo
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Buffalo

New England 35 6 – 3 (-5.5) @ Green Bay 0 4 – 5 (+5.5)
Saw this one coming… didn’t see the zero coming, though.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN New England

Seattle 14 6 – 3 (-3.5) @ San Fransisco 20 4 – 5 (+3.5)
Seattle needs Matt Hasslebeck back now… RIGHT NOW.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Detroit 10 2 – 7 (+2.0) @ Arizona 17 1 – 8 (-2.0)
That win puts the Raiders back in contention for the number one pick. Good job Arizona!
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Detroit

Indianapolis 14 9 – 0 @ Dallas 21 5 – 4 (Pick’em)
Peyton, how could you?!?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

San Diego 35 7 – 2 (+2.5) @ Denver 27 7 – 2 (-2.5)
8 TDs in 2 games? As long as Ladanian Tomlinson keeps putting up video game numbers, good luck stopping this team.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *$San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *San Diego

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Chicago 10 8 – 1 (-6.0) @ New York Jets 0 5 – 4 (+6.0)
With the win over New England, and a close game against the Colts earlier this season, the surprising Jets have shown that they can compete with the best of them. At home, they are a tempting pick in this game, especially with 6 points. However, I don’t think their offense is versitile enough to trip up the Bears. And while I don’t see the Bears blowing them out, I do see them winning by a TD. So, unfortunately, I’ve gotta take them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago
- Pretty much nailed that one.

New York Giants 10 6 – 3 (+4.0) @ Jacksonville 26 5 – 4 (-4.0)
Besides the fact that Jacksonville needs a win badly, I find the spread for this game very interesting. You’d think that the Giants should be the favorite, wouldn’t you? Vegas is onto something here, and I’m on to the same thing. After last weeks loss to Houston, Jacksonville buries the Giants this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville
- New York was the popular pick… didn’t fool me.

THE PICKS

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

Might be a trap week this week, because I’m confident in ALOT of these games.

THURSDAY

Miami 4 – 6 (-3.0) @ Detroit 2 – 8 (+3.0)
Ok, it is one thing to PICK the Dolphins. But to MONEY PICK them? Sadly, I pretty much have to. Their defense has been amazing, and Detroit is the perfect team to make costly mistakes and have them come back to bite them. Miami by a TD, at least.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Miami
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Miami

Tampa Bay 3 – 7 (+11.0) @ Dallas 6 – 4 (-11.0)
This might be a mistake, but it also might be a little Zen genius at work. Okay, so Tampa Bay beat the Redskins, and should be really confident in themselves. Meanwhile, Dallas just beat the best team in the league, and might be a little OVERconfident. Plus at home, plus on Thanksgiving, all the pressure is on them to blow Tampa Bay out of the water. And while they should, I’ll pick that they won’t, and take the 11 points.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

Denver 7 – 3 (+1.5) @ Kansas City 6 – 4 (-1.5)
Week 1 excluded, Denver has only been beaten by two teams; the Chargers and the Colts. Absolutely overpowering offenses. The Chiefs can move the ball, but not on par with those teams. Denver certainly isn’t flashy, but they should be able to top the Chiefs this Thanksgiving.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Denver

SUNDAY

Pittsburgh 4 – 6 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 8 – 2 (-3.0)
Sorry Pittsburgh, but the winning streak, and your season, end right here. Baltimore is the quietest powerhouse that I’ve seen in a while, and they play the same style football that Pittsburgh does – they just do it better.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore

Carolina 6 – 4 (-4.0) @ Washington 3 – 7 (+4.0)
Games this easy make me uncomfortable. Horrible Washington on a two game losing streak against contender Carolina on a two game winning streak, at only 4 points. What could go wrong…?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

New Orleans 6 – 4 (+3.0) @ Atlanta 5 – 5 (-3.0)
While I’m tempted to take the Falcons in another “burst out” opportunity, and I’ll probably regret not doing so later, the simple fact is that Atlanta’s pass defense isn’t very good. And New Orleans’ pass offense IS very good. Atlanta has lost games like this before, so I’ll assume they lose this one too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *New Orleans

San Francisco 5 – 5 (+5.5) @ St. Louis 4 – 6 (-5.5)
My original pick was St. Louis, but you know, I can’t just keep ignoring the 49ers. They have played well enough to warrent a pick at +5.5, and with the strong running matchup, they should keep it close. I won’t take them outright… but I’ll take the points.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *San Francisco
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: St. Louis

Houston 3 – 7 (+6.0) @ New York Jets 5 – 5 (-6.0)
Last week, the home crowd had to sit and watch their team fail to put up a single point. Now they get an easy Houston team this week. They will come out completely hyped up and beat the Texans by more than two scores.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^$New York Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New York Jets

Arizona 2 – 8 (+6.0) @ Minnesota 4 – 6 (-6.0)
Tough to take Minnesota -6.0 against anybody these days, but at home, I feel like I have to. Arizona won’t be able to run on this team, so they will be able to focus on the pass… and make a big play or two on defense to get the TD they need to cover.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Minnesota

Cincinnati 5 – 5 (-3.0) @ Cleveland 3 – 7 (+3.0)
All season I’ve been talking about how tough the Browns have played, and this spread indicates that Vegas realizes that. But Cinci needs to win 5 of their next 6 games if they are going to make it into the playoffs… and if this was the 1 loss, its season over. I don’t think they are going to let that happen.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^$Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Cincinnati

Jacksonville 6 – 4 (-3.0) @ Buffalo 4 – 6 (+3.0)
Money picks a plenty this week… but I can’t help myself. Yes, Buffalo gets the occasional upset, and yes, Jacksonville has been on the recieving end of them this year. But 3 points? Come on, this is a pretty solid team. Lets give them a little more credit than this.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

Oakland 2 – 8 (+13.5) @ San Diego 8 – 2 (-13.5)
Every week I pick against the Raiders, and every week it seems they cover the spread. Of course, they don’t win the game for my enjoyment… just lose in a frustrating manner. This week will probably be no exception… but the Raiders don’t have the offense to keep up with the Chargers, and certainly don’t have the defense to stop them.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

New York Giants 6 – 4 (-3.0) @ Tennessee 3 – 7 (+3.0)
While the Giants have played like a complete joke over the last two weeks, lets not forget how good the Bears’ and Jaguars’ defenses are. The Giants need a win badly this week, and Tennessee should be a pushover at only 3 points. Should be…
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $New York Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New York Giants

Chicago 9 – 1 (+3.0) @ New England 7 – 3 (-3.0)
New England is a tough place to play, especially as we start getting later into the year. Grossman has proven to be efficient as a QB, but a game like this one will really gauge Chicago’s power… and I think they will fall short.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

Philadelphia 5 – 5 (+9.0) @ Indianapolis 9 – 1 (-9.0)
What was shaping up to be a duel between two of the great QBs in the game now is simply a statement game for the Colts. With no McNabb, Philly should have no chance of keeping up with the Colts who will be out to make a statement this week that last week was a fluke, and that they ARE the real deal.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

MONDAY

Green Bay 4 – 6 (+9.5) @ Seattle 6 – 4 (-9.5)
The boys are back in town! Lame Randy Newman song, or the theme of this game? You decide. But with Alexander and Hasselback both back, at home, so should be the Seahawks. Favre not at 100% makes this a decent pick, even at -9.5.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 28 – 25 – 2 (.528)

1. Purdue Boilermakers (+17.0) @ Hawaii Warriors (-17.0)
I’ll be honest… it feels a little weird picking the WARRIORS over a legitimate 8 – 4 Boilermakers team that lost to the likes over Notre Dame by only 14. But Hawaii is a well oiled machine right now, and they look like they could compete against – and blow out – almost anyone. I simply don’t see Purdue’s defense doing a damn thing about it. Couple that with the negative coverage of a few of their players being arrested at a party on Sunday on their minds, and you’ve got yourself a good betting opportunity.

2. LSU Tigers @ Arkansas Razorbacks (Pick’em)
LSU is a damn strong team, and when you look at the numbers, they are actually a tad bit better on both offense and defense. This game however is in Arkansas… and they have been simply incredible since week 2. On paper, this may be a coinflip, but I’d say its a lot closer to 60/40 in Arkansas’ favor.

3. BYU Cougars (-10.0) @ Utah Utes (+10.0)
Should come as no surprise to you that I’m taking the Cougars AGAIN. While they did fail to cover for only the second time this season, that won’t dissuade me from going back to them. At only -10 against what I consider to be a fairly weaker team, the mormons shouldn’t have any trouble taking care of business.

4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (+1.5) @ Maryland Terps (-1.5)
One of the season’s biggest surprises was Wake Forest, who has came out of nowhere to beat some pretty damn good teams. While I’m not 100% sure they can go into Maryland and take out the Terps, in this tough college football week, they’ve got my vote.

5. Cincinnati Bearcats (-4.0) @ Connecticut Huskies (+4.0)
Coming off of a very impressive upset win against Rutgers, Cinci now faces a significantly easier opponent in the Huskies… and I think that 4 points is far too low of a spread to really give the Huskies a chance.

HONORABLE MENTION (15 – 16 – 0):

None! 5 is enough for me this week. But just for analysis’ sake…

Notre Dame Fighting Irish (+7.5) @ USC Trojans (-7.5)
The Trojans are going to win this game, that much I’m sure of. So the question is, how will they do so? I think there are two likely scenarios. One; Our defense stays in its incredible mode, all but shuts down the Notre Dame offense, and the Trojans win comfortably. Or two; Shootout. Both teams score back and forth, but the Trojans make the big play to get the victory.

I’m leaning towards the latter. Look for the game to be close/exciting, but in a way that you are never genuinly concerned that you might lose… kind of like OSU was in the Michigan game. If I had to bet, I’d take the 7.5 points… but why on earth would I bet against my alma mater?

YOU SAID IT!

Don’t be shy. Write in with whatever you’ve got! Predictions? Witty banter? Anything?

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

MY TEAM’S RECORDS
OAKLAND RAIDERS: 2 – 8 – 0
USC TROJANS: 9 – 1 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 7 – 12 – 4

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By Dave Consolazio, November 16, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

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

Honestly.

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

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

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

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

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

THE RECORD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Ahem, maybe next week.

THE PICKS

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

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

SUNDAY

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MONDAY

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

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 26 – 22 – 2 (.541)

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

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

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

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

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

HONORABLE MENTION (14 – 14 – 0):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

YOU SAID IT!

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

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

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

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

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

Comments Off

By Dave Consolazio, November 9, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

Well, this sucks.

When I suck at picking games, the Dime is funny and light hearted and generally self-loathing.

When I kick ass at picking hames, the Dime is informative and generally self-loving.

So what the heck am I supposed to do with 7 – 7?

I mean it wasn’t really my fault (yes, it was). A lot of crazy results this week that no one could have forseen (this from the guy who took KC over SD and Oak over Pit… sounds like a lame excuse to me). Oh well, with my expertise, I should have no problem righting the ship (which is set on a crash course with me at the helm).

Schizophrenia, anyone? Lets just pick some games, win or lose. I’m driving MYSELF insane.

Back to 16 games this week… should be fun.

THE RECORD

Last Week
With the spread: 7 – 7 – 0 (.500)
Without the spread: 7 – 7 – 0 (.500)
$$Money Picks$$: 0 – 3 – 0 (.000)
^^Zen Picks^^: 0 – 0 – 0 (N/A)
**Outright Upsets**: 2 – 2 – 0 (.500)

Season
With the spread: 62 – 60 – 6 (.508)
Without the spread: 82 – 46 – 0 (.641)
$$Money Picks$$: 12 – 14 – 1 (.461)
^^Zen Picks^^: 11 – 7 – 1 (.611)
**Outright Upsets**: 17 – 14 – 0 (.548)

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

Atlanta 14 5 – 2 (-5.0) @ Detroit 30 1 – 6 (+5.0)
Called this one… Wish I’d had the guts to take Detroit outright.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Atlanta

Cincinnati 20 4 – 3 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 26 5 – 2 (-3.0)
Cinci was looking like a SB favorite, now they barely look like they can even make the playoffs.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Baltimore

Dallas 19 4 – 3 (-3.0) @ Washington 22 2 – 5 (+3.0)
Dallas frustrates me more and more with each week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Dallas

Green Bay 10 3 – 4 (+3.5) @ Buffalo 24 2 – 5 (-3.5)
“Who cares?” just doesn’t quite do it justice.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *$Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Green Bay

Houston 10 2 – 5 (+13.0) @ N.Y. Giants 14 5 – 2 (-13.0)
How NYG doesn’t win this game big baffles the heck out of me.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $N.Y. Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN N.Y. Giants

Kansas City 31 4 – 3 (+2.0) @ St. Louis 17 4 – 3 (-2.0)
172 yards for Larry Johnson… simply too easy against these guys.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Kansas City

Miami 31 1 – 6 (+13.5) @ Chicago 13 7 – 0 (-13.5)
Wow, wow, wow is all I can say.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Chicago

New Orleans 31 5 – 2 (-1.0) @ Tampa Bay 14 2 – 5 (+1.0)
Feelings be damned, the better team won here.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS *Tampa Bay

Tennessee 7 2 – 5 (+9.5) @ Jacksonville 37 4 – 3 (-9.5)
Just a good old easy one, never a problem with that.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Jacksonville

Minnesota 3 4 – 3 (-5.0) @ San Francisco 9 2 – 5 (+5.0)
Okay, Minnesota, you are officially dead to me as a contender.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Minnesota

Indianapolis 27 7 – 0 (+3.0) @ New England 20 6 – 1 (-3.0)
This is one game that I’m glad to be wrong on.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS New England

Oakland 0 2 – 5 (+7.0) @ Seattle 16 4 – 3 (-7.0)
No surprises here. I still can’t decide how I feel about Walter.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Seattle

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Cleveland 25 2 – 5 (+12.5) @ San Diego 32 5 – 2 (-12.5)
San Diego has an outstanding offense, but they are due for a bit of an off game. And while Cleveland isn’t going too blow anyone away with their talent, they do play every game tough. I think they will keep this loss to about 10 points, and win with the spread.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego
- Nailed it.

Denver 31 5 – 2 (+3.0) @ Pittsburgh 20 2 – 5 (-3.0)
This is the only Zen pick I see this week; and I’m not going to take it. Two aspects; A) What is Vegas thinking making Pitts the fave? B) Pitts coming off the embarassing loss, should play their asses off today. Sure. But Denver is completely legitimate in my mind, and one loss to undefeated Indy doesn’t change that. I crunched the numbers, and see this as a very easy win for Denver. We’ll see if I’m wrong in due time.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN *Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN *Denver
- Going AGAINST Zen and winning? Talk about rare.

THE PICKS

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

Baltimore 6 – 2 (-7.0) @ Tennessee 2 – 6 (+7.0)
Baltimore is the much better team… plus McNair gets to pick apart his former team in Tennessee? Win by more than a TD? No problem.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^$Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore

Buffalo 3 – 5 (+12.0) @ Indianapolis 8 – 0 (-12.0)
Absolutely no way that Buffalo can stop this passing attack. 12 is a lot of points, and it isn’t necessarily a lock, but it certainly SHOULD go in the books as a blowout.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Indianapolis
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Indianapolis

Cleveland 2 – 6 (+8.0) @ Atlanta 5 – 3 (-8.0)
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again. Cleveland plays tough. And while the smart pick might be to take the angry-coming-off-a-loss Falcons, I’m gonna go ahead and take the points in this one. But unlike last week, Atlanta won’t be losing this time.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Atlanta

Green Bay 3 – 5 (+5.0) @ Minnesota 4 – 4 (-5.0)
Normally I’d take GB, considering they aren’t THAT bad, and they usually play Minnesota tough anyways. But on the contrary, I’ll take Minnesota, because after last week’s complete joke of a loss, they should be totally ready to redeem themselves for the home crowd.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Minnesota

Houston 2 – 6 (+10.0) @ Jacksonville 5 – 3 (-10.0)
Jacksonville does a pretty good job showing up against teams that aren’t that great, and Houston certainly falls under that category. At home, I’ll assume Jacksonville can do what the Giants failed to do last week, and that is blow out the lowly Texans.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

Kansas City 5 – 3 (+1.0) @ Miami 2 – 6 (-1.0)
So Miami pulls off the amazing upset, goes home to a super amped up crowd, and wins this game, too. Perfectly feasible. But you know, they still suck. One game doesn’t change that. And Kansas City has been playing some great football. While indeed the looming potential of an emotional explosion is a tad scary, I’ll take my chances with the better team in this game.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Kansas City

N.Y. Jets 4 – 4 (+10.5) @ New England 6 – 2 (-10.5)
The Jets are no contender, but they aren’t completely terrible either. While New England may very well blow them out, I don’t think it’s going to happen; 10.5 is a lot of points, and I’ve got the Jets keeping it within a TD.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *N.Y. Jets
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

San Diego 6 – 2 (-1.0) @ Cincinnati 4 – 4 (+1.0)
I took Cincinnati to win the superbowl a month or so ago, and now, they are three losses away from being out of the playoff race. Bad news, Cinci – unless you’ve got something hidden up your sleeve, this is going to be one of the three losses right here. San Diego is just too good on both sides of the ball to pass up on at only -1.0.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

San Francisco 3 – 5 (+6.0) @ Detroit 2 – 6 (-6.0)
Congrats San Fran, you upset Minnesota! Welcome back to reality. Your defense (especially against the pass) is absolutely horrific, and the Lions are going to eat you alive. Yes the 2 – 6 Lions. And yes, -6 points, too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Detroit

Washington 3 – 5 (+7.0) @ Philadelphia 4 – 4 (-7.0)
I don’t want to pick this game, because I know I’ll be wrong, but here goes. Washington’s pass defense isn’t good. Philly is due for a big, big win. And they should come off of their well-timed bye absolutely flying. Sound good to you? Me too.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Philadelphia

Denver 6 – 2 (-9.0) @ Oakland 2 – 6 (+9.0)
Oakland is back to sucking, and all is “right” in the world. Denver takes care of business and, unlike last time, covers the spread this time while they are at it. (Depressing, I know… but what do you want from me? If this were a Madden game I could win it for the Raiders, but as is, I’m helpless).
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Denver

Dallas 4 – 4 (-6.5) @ Arizona 1 – 7 (+6.5)
Gut feeling, coupled with the fact that Dallas is a disaster. While they certainly should win this game, I’ll go the other way; Arizona is due for that 2nd win, and its at home coming off the bye. Dallas is exactly the kind of self-imploding team that the oft-self-imploding Cardinals need to pick that win up. And so they do, in Week 10’s wild upset.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: ^*Arizona
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Arizona

New Orleans 6 – 2 (+4.5) @ Pittsburgh 2 – 6 (-4.5)
Ok, Public: PITTSBURGH ISN’T A WORLD CHAMPION ANYMORE. THEY ARE NOT A GOOD FOOTBALL TEAM. THERE IS NO MIRACLE TURNAROUND IN STORE. New Orleans is NOT the underdog. They are the better football team and they absolutely will beat Pittsburgh outright.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *$New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *New Orleans

St. Louis 4 – 4 (+3.0) @ Seattle 5 – 3 (-3.0)
Tough game to pick, but I’ll take Seattle at home with the mobile QB and Matt Morris against a pitiful St. Louis run defense. Wouldn’t be surprised if St. Louis actually showed up for this game – but I’ll take my chances.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

Chicago 7 – 1 (+1.0) @ N.Y. Giants 6 – 2 (-1.0)
Chicago gets embarassed and humiliated on Sunday and chewed up and destroyed by the media all week and you think they aren’t going to come out fired up in this one? Chicago shuts the Giants down and gets back on track this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *^Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Chicago

Tampa Bay 2 – 6 (+9.5) @ Carolina 4 – 4 (-9.5)
So neither team has the defense it once did. While Carolina is indeed the deserving favorite, they have only won 4 games this season, and those have been by 2, 3, 8, and 2. They haven’t won a game by double digits yet this year, and I don’t think they are starting this Monday night.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Carolina

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 22 – 21 – 2 (.511)

1. Wisconson Badgers (-2.0) @ Iowa Hawkeyes (+2.0)
I don’t understand this spread at all. Even at home, Iowa still isn’t quite as good as Wisconson is… I don’t see this being a blowout or anything, but it should certainly be a Badgers victory.

2. Cal Golden Bears (-13.5) @ Arizona Wildcats (+13.5)
Cal let up on the last drive of the game to let UCLA score a “meaningless” TD to screw me out of the pick and money last week. However, Arizona’s offense is nowhere close to UCLA’s, and Cal should be able to pick apart this secondary and cruise to a blowout.

3. Louisiana Tech Bulldogs (+37.5) @ Hawaii Warriors (-37.5)
Don’t fix what isn’t broken. Hawaii has cruised to 68 – 10 and 63 – 10 victories over the last two weeks, and Louisiana is right on par with the two teams that Hawaii crushed. 37.5 is a whopping amount of points, but Hawaii loves to score, and 63 – 21 would still cover the spread.

4. Navy Midshipmen (-15.0) @ East Michigan Eagles (+15.0)
Very unflashy pick here, but Navy should have no trouble running the ball against the Eagles, and should be able to beat them by about 3 or 4 TDs easy enough.

5. Ohio State Buckeyes (-23.5) @ Northwestern Wildcats (+23.5)
Ok, so Ohio State had one lackluster week. Big deal. In this tune-up game before the big Michigan showdown next week, look for them to win by their standard 35 – 7 margin.

HONORABLE MENTION (12 – 12 – 0):
Purdue Boilermakers (+3.0) @ Illinois Fighting Illini (-3.0)
Miami Florida Hurricanes (+3.5) @ Maryland Terps (-3.5)
Alabama Crimson Tide (+18.0) @ LSU Tigers (-18.0)
Oregon Ducks (+8.0) @ USC Trojans (-8.0)

YOU SAID IT!

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: 2 – 6 – 0
USC TROJANS: 7 – 1 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 5 – 10 – 3

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By Dave Consolazio, November 2, 2006 10:00 am

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

THE INTRO

So I’ve been told that the Dime is more fun to read when I am doing poorly. That the Dime just isn’t as fun when I am gloating instead of whining.

Ahem.

Neener neener neener, I’m the best, neener. Neener. Neener.

Ok, so I’m not the BEST per se, but 17 – 9 – 1 with the spread over two weeks ain’t too bad. Furthermore, my Raiders upset made for the 2nd week in a row where I pulled off an outstanding upset pick.

So you don’t like me bragging and prefer to see me do poorly? Stick around. I’m sure things will be back in the gutter in a week or two. But for now, lets pick some winners.

THE RECORD

Last Week
Wth the spread: 9 – 5 – 0 (.643)
Without the spread: 10 – 4 – 0 (.714)
$$Money Picks$$: 2 – 1 – 0 (.666)
^^Zen Picks^^: 3 – 1 – 0 (.750)
**Outright Upsets**: 2 – 0 – 0 (1.000)

Season
With the spread: 55 – 53 – 6 (.509)
Without the spread: 75 – 39 – 0 (.658)
$$Money Picks$$: 12 – 11 – 1 (.522)
^^Zen Picks^^: 11 – 7 – 1 (.611)
**Outright Upsets**: 15 – 12 – 0 (.556)

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

Arizona 14 1 – 6 (+4.0) @ Green Bay 31 2 – 4 (-4.0)
Green Bay is bad, but Arizona is much, much worse.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Green Bay

Atlanta 29 4 – 2 (+4.0) @ Cincinnati 27 4 – 2 (-4.0)
Atlanta continues to make the arguement that they should indeed be taken seriously.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS Cincinnati
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Cincinnati

Baltimore 35 4 – 2 (+2.0) @ New Orleans 22 5 – 1 (-2.0)
When Baltimore actually scores points, they are virtually impossible to beat.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS New Orleans
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS New Orleans

Jacksonville 13 3 – 3 (+7.0) @ Philadelphia 6 4 – 3 (-7.0)
What the hell is wrong with Phili? If they couldn’t get amped for this game, I’d just toss in the towel now.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS ^Philadelphia
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Philadelphia

Seattle 28 4 – 2 (+6.0) @ Kansas City 35 3 – 3 (-6.0)
Credit KC for keeping the season alive without Trent Green manning the ship.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Kansas City

San Francisco 10 2 – 4 (+15.5) @ Chicago 41 6 – 0 (-15.5)
Told you this wouldn’t be close.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN $Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Chicago

Tampa Bay 3 2 – 4 (+9.0) @ N.Y. Giants 17 4 – 2 (-9.0)
Damn, I get it. The Giants are pretty good.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS *Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN N.Y. Giants

St. Louis 24 4 – 2 (+9.5) @ San Diego 38 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: WIN San Diego
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN San Diego

N.Y. Jets 13 4 – 3 (+2.5) @ Cleveland 20 1 – 5 (-2.5)
Oh Zen, what would I do without you?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: WIN ^Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: WIN Cleveland

Dallas 35 3 – 3 (+5.5) @ Carolina 14 4 – 3 (-5.5)
I’ll be honest with you, I’m completely confused.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: LOSS $Carolina
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: LOSS Carolina

New England 31 5 – 1 (-2.0) @ Minnesota 7 4 – 2 (+2.0)
Will New England ever have a losing season ever again?
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

DAMN, I’M GOOD

Houston 22 2 – 4 (+3.0) @ Tennessee 28 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
Not bad to money pick a 1-win team and get it right.

Indianapolis 34 6 – 0 (+3.0) @ Denver 31 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
Ok, so it WAS an offensive showdown. However you slice it, a wins a win.

Pittsburgh 13 2 – 4 (-9.0) @ Oakland 20 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
Upset of the year right here!

THE PICKS

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

SUNDAY

Atlanta 5 – 2 (-5.0) @ Detroit 1 – 6 (+5.0)
Alright, there is no question that Atlanta is a pretty damn good team. And picking against them every week hasn’t paid off too well. Still, when crunching the numbers, Detroit’s passing offense matches up very well against Atlanta’s weak passing defense, so I predict this game to be a shootout… Atlanta wins it, but not by much.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Detroit
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Atlanta

Cincinnati 4 – 3 (+3.0) @ Baltimore 5 – 2 (-3.0)
Cincinnati has the talent to do some damage, but they haven’t actually looked comfortable all season long. Baltimore, on the other hand, seems to have their stuff together. I’ll take them at home.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Baltimore
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Baltimore

Dallas 4 – 3 (-3.0) @ Washington 2 – 5 (+3.0)
Even with the big question mark of Romo as a starting QB, Washington shouldn’t prove to be that tough for Dallas, who is simply the better football team.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Dallas
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Dallas

Green Bay 3 – 4 (+3.5) @ Buffalo 2 – 5 (-3.5)
Buffalo has a bad pass defense, Green Bay has a great passing game. Furthermore, GB’s only big weakness, pass defense, won’t be tested against the weak JP Losman led passing game. Green Bay should win this one easily.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *$Green Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Green Bay

Houston 2 – 5 (+13.0) @ N.Y. Giants 5 – 2 (-13.0)
Whats to analyze? New York is far, far superior, and at home, winning by two TD should be simple.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $N.Y. Giants
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: N.Y. Giants

Kansas City 4 – 3 (+2.0) @ St. Louis 4 – 3 (-2.0)
Don’t think St. Louis has what it takes to stop KC’s run, and Herm has this team playing some good football. I think they upset the Rams on the road.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Kansas City
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Kansas City

Miami 1 – 6 (+13.5) @ Chicago 7 – 0 (-13.5)
Another easy one. Did you know that the Dolphins are the only team in the league winless with the spread this season at 0 – 7? I expect that trend to continue, as the Bears get yet another easy opponent to destroy.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: $Chicago
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Chicago

New Orleans 5 – 2 (-1.0) @ Tampa Bay 2 – 5 (+1.0)
I promised myself I wouldn’t go against my gut, and while the numbers and my brain definitely point in favor of the Saints, for some reason I’ve got a feeling about the Bucs this week. And maybe Vegas does, too, at only +1.0.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Tampa Bay
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Tampa Bay

Tennessee 2 – 5 (+9.5) @ Jacksonville 4 – 3 (-9.5)
Really not quite sure what to expect from this game. I mean Jacksonville will win, certainly, but by 10? I think Tennessee used up all their emotion last week, and goes back to losing big this week.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Jacksonville
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Jacksonville

Minnesota 4 – 3 (-5.0) @ San Francisco 2 – 5 (+5.0)
-5? This one doesn’t make any sense to me. Minnesota is a tier above SF, and while they aren’t the flashiest team in the league, a win by a TD should be easy against these guys.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Minnesota
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Minnesota

Cleveland 2 – 5 (+12.5) @ San Diego 5 – 2 (-12.5)
San Diego has an outstanding offense, but they are due for a bit of an off game. And while Cleveland isn’t going too blow anyone away with their talent, they do play every game tough. I think they will keep this loss to about 10 points, and win with the spread.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Cleveland
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: San Diego

Denver 5 – 2 (+3.0) @ Pittsburgh 2 – 5 (-3.0)
This is the only Zen pick I see this week; and I’m not going to take it. Two aspects; A) What is Vegas thinking making Pitts the fave? B) Pitts coming off the embarassing loss, should play their asses off today. Sure. But Denver is completely legitimate in my mind, and one loss to undefeated Indy doesn’t change that. I crunched the numbers, and see this as a very easy win for Denver. We’ll see if I’m wrong in due time.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: *Denver
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: *Denver

Indianapolis 7 – 0 (+3.0) @ New England 6 – 1 (-3.0)
While I love the Colts, some things just work like clockwork year in and year out. And Tom Brady and the New England Patriots beating the Indianapolis Colts is one of those things. While I do think that the Colts have an excellent team and a damn good chance of winning, I’m not going to make the same mistake I always do in this matchup. I’ll just take the Pats.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: New England
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: New England

MONDAY

Oakland 2 – 5 (+7.0) @ Seattle 4 – 3 (-7.0)
Perfect. Two straight wins for the Raiders, Seattle is injured. Makes for a good game, right? Wrong. I’ve enjoyed the last few weeks as a Raider fan, but our cute little winning streak will come to a bitter end this week in Seattle, who needs a big win, and should be able to get one.
PICK WITH THE SPREAD: Seattle
PICK WITHOUT THE SPREAD: Seattle

THE COLLEGE NICKEL

RECORD: 20 – 18 – 2 (.526)

1. Arkansas Razorbacks (-2.5) @ South Carolina Gamecocks (+2.5)
No disrespect to the Gamecocks, but the Razorbacks are completely the real deal. Having them as a favorite of less then a field goal is a steal against pretty much anyone in the nation right now.

2. Oklahoma State Cowboys @ Texas Longhorns OVER 63
My first over under pick in the Nickel… usually stay away from them, but this one is a breeze. The Longhorns have a stingy run defense but a lackluster pass defense, and the Cowboys are strong in both categories. So they will pass, pass, and pass somemore. Meanwhile, Texas has never had any trouble scoring points. Texas will win in a slugfest that results in over 63 points.

3. Hawaii Warriors (-26.5) @ Utah State Aggies (+26.5)
One of my new favorite teams in football, the Hawaii Warriors, face a far inferior team in the Aggies this week. And the Warriors aren’t afraid to run up the score, coming off of a 68 – 10 victory over Idaho last week. The same Idaho that beat Utah State earlier this season. Uh-oh…

4. Ohio State Buckeyes (-24.0) @ Illinois Fighting Illini (+24.0)
What would the nickel be without your free Ohio State win of the week? These guys are so good that it isn’t even fun anymore… unless you are a fan, or you bet them every week.

5. UCLA Bruins (+17.0) @ Cal Golden Bears (-17.0)
Ok, so Cal slipped up a bit last week. Happens to all teams. If anything, I’m glad, because it brought this spread down a little lower than it should be, because the Bruins are going to get absolutely mauled in this one.

HONORABLE MENTION (10 – 11 – 0):

LSU Fighting Tigers (-3.5) @ Tennessee Volunteers (+3.5)

Washington Huskies (+16.5) @ Oregon Ducks (-16.5)

BYU Cougars (-15.5) @ Colorado State Rams (+15.5)

YOU SAID IT!

Jonathan Roberts:

“ROFL RADIERS OVER ANYONE IS A BAD PICK, ‘NOUGH SAID. JUST CAUSE YOU GOT DAMN LUCKY LAST WEEK, DOESN’T MEAN IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN THIS WEEK!!!” (Raiders 20 – Steelers 13)

Sarah Tarkoff:

“Stop betting against Pittsburgh. And stop being right.” (This was actually BEFORE the upset even took place)

Josh Park:

“The Broncos are a fluke and have no chance whatsoever to make the playoffs.”

Brian Consolazio:

“dave….when at the end of the year ur winning percentage without the spread is .497 u will no and just shake ur head that it should be at 500 if u would’ve just takin pittsburgh week 8 in ur halloween addition…TERRIBLE pick” (Wrong)

“and upset special this week is going to be the jets beating cleveland even tho it shouldnt realy be an upset” (Wrong, again – Jets 13 Cleveland 20)

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: 2 – 5 – 0
USC TROJANS: 6 – 1 – 0
LOS ANGELES KINGS: 4 – 8 – 3