NFL 2010 Week 1 Picks, College Picks, and the Week-in-Review
Football is back, and so are my weekly picks. I had a tough season last year – I was 31-33 in the NFL, 3-13 in college but 5-5 in Bowls, with -102.27 points once I started weighting picks. Don’t forget, though, I recovered extremely well in the NBA Playoffs. Including my pending 50-point pick of the New York Yankees to win the World Series, I’m at +262.23 points since I started the point system to indicate the strength of each pick.
After dodging a bullet last night with Minnesota, which was +4.5 when I considered picking the game, I’m hoping I have some positive mo-jo left over from the spring. I like a couple of the NCAA Football Odds on games more than usual this week. Here are my college picks for the week:
Notre Dame -3.5 over Michigan (10pts. to win 9.52)
Alabama -12 over Penn State (10pts. to win 9.52)
I also like a lot of the NFL games, but I figured I shouldn’t go overboard on the first week. Here are my National Football League 2010 Week 1 picks:
Atlanta Falcons -2 over the Pittsburgh Steelers (10pts. to win 9.52)
Dallas Cowboys -3 over the Washington Redskins (10pts. to win 9.52)
San Diego -4.5 over the Kansas City Chiefs (10pts. to win 9.52)
Baltimore Ravens +2.5 over the New York Jets (10pts. to win 9.52)
Eagles vs. Packers. I don’t get the spread on this game at all. Green Bay is a popular pick to go to the Super Bowl, the Eagles are viewed as a 9, maybe 10-win team, yet the Eagles are only 3-point underdogs. Factor in the 3 points the home team supposedly gets from the odds makers, and maybe this makes sense. I’m excited about the Eagles again and I’m totally confused by the spread, so I’m leaving it alone. That said, it’s the Eagles game, and I always try to offer at least an opinion on the game. Unfortunately, I think the Packers cover easily.
Week-in-Review:
• I was disgusted by the show of solidarity by the two teams before last night’s Saints – Vikings games. Players need to handle their union business off the field. Unions were started to help workers dealing with deplorable conditions survive their jobs. Seeing a guy like Jeremy Shockey, whose made millions playing a game while at times acting like a complete adolescent in the process, hold up a fist and bow his head as if he’s fighting for the same type of thing was a disgrace. It was laughable that the players ever got other unions to walk the picket lines with them back in the ’80s. If they think they can rekindle that sentiment now, they are nuts. And by the way, the last work stoppage ended because fans started going to see the “replacement” players.
• I’m catching up on some old Sports Illustrated issues. The August 2-9 double had a couple of disturbing nuggets. The Pac 10 is “considering playing games in the untapped market of Asia.” There are so many things wrong with this it’s hard to cram it into one note. It’s completely un-American, especially in the current economy, it has absolutely nothing to do with college athletics. It gives credence to the idea that these athletes should be paid. And the list goes on.
• Just a page or so later, there was the suggestion that the NBA lockout could “detonate” the roster of USA Basketball for the next Olympics. So much for the NBA players wanting to win the gold for the love of their country, eh?
• I am so tired of referees warning players not to celebrate too much in college football. I saw it twice last weekend, both in the Michigan and Purdue games. If they go overboard, throw the flag. Otherwise, let them enjoy the touchdown! Watching football is supposed be fun, not remind us of the annoying teacher who always messed up recess.
After dodging a bullet last night with Minnesota, which was +4.5 when I considered picking the game, I’m hoping I have some positive mo-jo left over from the spring. I like a couple of the NCAA Football Odds on games more than usual this week. Here are my college picks for the week:
Notre Dame -3.5 over Michigan (10pts. to win 9.52)
Alabama -12 over Penn State (10pts. to win 9.52)
I also like a lot of the NFL games, but I figured I shouldn’t go overboard on the first week. Here are my National Football League 2010 Week 1 picks:
Atlanta Falcons -2 over the Pittsburgh Steelers (10pts. to win 9.52)
Dallas Cowboys -3 over the Washington Redskins (10pts. to win 9.52)
San Diego -4.5 over the Kansas City Chiefs (10pts. to win 9.52)
Baltimore Ravens +2.5 over the New York Jets (10pts. to win 9.52)
Eagles vs. Packers. I don’t get the spread on this game at all. Green Bay is a popular pick to go to the Super Bowl, the Eagles are viewed as a 9, maybe 10-win team, yet the Eagles are only 3-point underdogs. Factor in the 3 points the home team supposedly gets from the odds makers, and maybe this makes sense. I’m excited about the Eagles again and I’m totally confused by the spread, so I’m leaving it alone. That said, it’s the Eagles game, and I always try to offer at least an opinion on the game. Unfortunately, I think the Packers cover easily.
Week-in-Review:
• I was disgusted by the show of solidarity by the two teams before last night’s Saints – Vikings games. Players need to handle their union business off the field. Unions were started to help workers dealing with deplorable conditions survive their jobs. Seeing a guy like Jeremy Shockey, whose made millions playing a game while at times acting like a complete adolescent in the process, hold up a fist and bow his head as if he’s fighting for the same type of thing was a disgrace. It was laughable that the players ever got other unions to walk the picket lines with them back in the ’80s. If they think they can rekindle that sentiment now, they are nuts. And by the way, the last work stoppage ended because fans started going to see the “replacement” players.
• I’m catching up on some old Sports Illustrated issues. The August 2-9 double had a couple of disturbing nuggets. The Pac 10 is “considering playing games in the untapped market of Asia.” There are so many things wrong with this it’s hard to cram it into one note. It’s completely un-American, especially in the current economy, it has absolutely nothing to do with college athletics. It gives credence to the idea that these athletes should be paid. And the list goes on.
• Just a page or so later, there was the suggestion that the NBA lockout could “detonate” the roster of USA Basketball for the next Olympics. So much for the NBA players wanting to win the gold for the love of their country, eh?
• I am so tired of referees warning players not to celebrate too much in college football. I saw it twice last weekend, both in the Michigan and Purdue games. If they go overboard, throw the flag. Otherwise, let them enjoy the touchdown! Watching football is supposed be fun, not remind us of the annoying teacher who always messed up recess.
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