Category Archives: minnesota vikings

2010 NFL Football – Week 1 Betting Picks

The 2010 season starts on Thursday with a great game. It’s a rematch of the NFC Championship game when Brett Favre and the Vikings was one or two plays away from going to the Super Bowl. The Saints ended up winning the game and went on to win their first Super Bowl. The rest of the schedule is pretty loaded and should be an interesting week. Here are my betting picks against the spread for Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season.

Minnesota Vikings (+5) at New Orleans Saints (-5) – My pick is New Orleans

Brett Favre hasn’t had much practice and he’s still having ankle issues. The Vikings will miss Chester Taylor’s pass catching ability out of the backfield and Sidney Rice as a deep threat. The Saints appear to be the same team on paper this season and I see them covering this game, because the Super Bowl champ always wins and covers the next season’s opener.

Carolina Panthers (+7) at New York Giants (-7) – My pick is Carolina

This line seems kind of off. I know that Carolina wasn’t great last season and they lost Julius Peppers, but Matt Moore showed promise and they still return DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. The Giants had defensive issues last year and I’m not sold on either Ahmad Bradshaw or Brandon Jacobs to help make the Giants offensive attack balanced. I see the Panthers ruining the Giants home opener and not only win against the spread, but win outright.

Miami Dolphins (-3) at Buffalo Bills (+3) – My pick is Miami

The Dolphins is a darkhorse to win the AFC East this season, if they can take care of their own business. They need to win their divisional games and the rest should play itself out. The Bills lack blue chip players are nearly every position and will have trouble winning games this season, Miami should thank the scheduling Gods for not having this game in December. The Dolphins win and cover this game.

Atlanta Falcons (-2.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (+2.5) – My pick is Atlanta

This line should be higher in Atlanta’s favor, but the Steelers are a “public team,” so homers for the team bet blindly on their team. The Steelers are without Big Ben and trot Dennis Dixon out there to start. Dixon looked “good” in garbage time last season, but Atlanta is a good football team. The Steelers defense will have to play out of their minds to keep this one close. I am picking the Falcons to cover this game big.

Detroit Lions (+6.5) at Chicago Bears (-6.5) – My pick is Detroit

I really don’t feel great that I am picking the Lions. It’s not that I don’t feel comfortable in doing so, but the franchise has been synonymous with losing for the last decade. The Lions have had a couple decent drafts in a row and some of their younger players are starting to turn the corner. The Bears add Mike Martz in as Offensive Coordinator, but that will a disaster if they can’t get better at protecting Jay Cutler. Martz’s plays take longer to develop and Cutler will end up on his back more times than any other time in his career. I see the Lions keeping this game close and winning against the spread.

Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5) at New England Patriots (-4.5) – My pick is new England

I know the Bengals made the playoffs last season and I should like them more, but the AFC Central teams didn’t show up to play them last season. They swept their division and backed into the playoffs. New England does well when they have plenty of time to study their opponent. Since this game was announced months ago, I see the Patriots taking care of business at home and covering the spread.

Cleveland Browns (+3) at Tampa Buccaneers (-13.5) – My pick is Cleveland

The Browns played themselves out of a top 3 pick last season by winning their last few games of the season. Jake Delhomme steps in at QB and adds a few new weapons on offense and defense. Tampa Bay was another team that scraped the bottom of the league in 2009. Josh Freeman gained a lot of experience last season, but they have a lot of youth on their team as well. The Browns should be able to keep this close and pull out a victory and cover, if Delhomme takes care of the ball.

Denver Broncos (+2.5) at Jacksonville Jaguars (-2.5) – My pick is Denver

Denver’s training camp reads like a MASH unit. Everyone from Elvis Dumervil to Knowshon Moreno have been injured. The Broncos started out red hot last season, but cooled off and didn’t even make the playoffs. They added some pieces, but lost Dumervil for the season with injury and traded away Brandon Marshall. The Jaguars had trouble scoring points last season and could be the last year in Jacksonville for head coach Jack Del Rio and for starter David Garrard, if they don’t pull out a winning season. I see Denver winning a close game, I would pick them with the money line.

Indianapolis Colts (-2) at Houston Texans (+2) – My pick is Indianapolis

I realize that everyone picks Houston to finally make the playoffs before every season, but having the spread at only 2 points in favor of the Super Bowl runner-ups, is ridiculous. I know that Sage Rosenfels is no longer on the Texans and can’t fumble away victories, but the Colts are going to cover this one big.

Oakland Raiders (+6) at Tennessee Titans (-6) – My pick is Tennessee

I realize that one of these years the Raiders will win games like this, but not in 2010. The Titans are still a dangerous team with the speed of Chris Johnson and Vince Young. The safeties have to play in the box to stop the running attack and that could leave Kenny Britt open a few extra times a game. The Titans should win and cover this game at home.

Green Bay Packers (-3) at Philadelphia Eagles (+3) – My pick is Green Bay

The Packers have looked great this preseason and I look for them to keep adding to their resumé this season and cover in Philadelphia. Aaron Rodgers and Greg Jennings should have big games against the Eagles secondary. Kevin Kolb looked impressive last season for the Eagles, but the Packers defense is very tough and will throw out a ton of different looks to confuse the young QB. The Packers are my pick to win the NFC this year.

San Francisco 49ers (-3) at Seattle Seahawks (+3) – My pick is San Francisco

The 49ers are the favorite to win the weak NFC West this season and Seattle looks to be in full rebuilding mode. The Seahawks don’t have many blue-chip players yet and will have issues this year winning games. If Alex Smith can hit his receivers and Frank Gore stays healthy, they should have a big season. The Niners will cover this game on the road.

Arizona Cardinals (-4) at St. Louis Rams (+4) – My pick is Arizona

The Cardinals is another team in transition, but won’t get much of a test during Week 1. The Rams haven’t done much to improve their team in the off-season and lost their best wide receiver (Donnie Avery) to injury for the season. The Cardinals have Derek Anderson as their starting QB and some key pieces were traded or signed elsewhere in the off-season. Arizona should win this game and cover the spread against an even weaker Rams team.

Dallas Cowboys (-3.5) at Washington Redskins (+3.5) – My pick is Dallas

I struggled with this pick the most out of any of the other games on the schedule this week. The NFC East is a toss-up at this point and it will all come down to which team has a better divisional record. The Cowboys have their eyes set on the Super Bowl and the Redskins are definitely improved, but to what extent is still to be determined. This is a true rivalry game and should be intense, since it’s also opening weekend. The Cowboys offense is improved and looks like a team ready to take the next step. Both teams have issues at left-tackle, so both teams should be able to pressure the quarterback. The Cowboys are a stronger team, so I am picking them to win and cover.

Baltimore Ravens (+2.5) at New York Jets (-2.5) – My pick is NY Jets

This should be one of the better games during Week 1, since both teams have been picked by experts to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl this season. The Ravens improved their offense by adding receivers to a prolific rushing attack. The Jets improved their team on both sides of the ball, but adding veterans at skilled positions. If Darrelle Revis wasn’t playing, I would pick the Ravens to win against the spread, but since he just ended his holdout, I will pick the Jets to cover, it will be that close of a game.

San Diego Chargers (-4.5) at Kansas City Chiefs (+4.5) – My pick is San Diego

It’s been a long time since a Monday Night Football game has been played in Kansas City. I can see that energizing the Arrowhead crowd, but that can only do so much for the team. I believe KC is an improved team, but San Diego, even without Vincent Jackson, is a much better team. The Chargers should win this game big and cover this spread at halftime.

These picks are for entertainment purposes.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Toby Gerhart Has a Hot Girlfriend

Toby Gerhart’s wait to be drafted into the NFL lasted until the middle of the 2nd round. He should be a decent back in Minnesota’s offense, he’s very physical, but most of America, especially sports bloggers, took notice of Toby Gerhart’s girlfriend. I dig deep into the blogosphere to find her identity.

Well, i didn’t have to dig too deep. I went to one of my favorite blogs (SPORTSbyBROOKS) and found out the beautiful lady’s name. Her name is Meredith Ayres and she’s a swimmer from Stanford. Apparently, she has a thing for two-sports stars. Maybe if it doesn’t work out with Gerhart, she can call up Deion Sanders or Brian Jordan.

Here are a few more pictures of the lovely Meredith Ayres.

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A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

NFL Football – Week 4 Betting Picks

We had a good Week 3 with our betting picks against the spread. We went 10-6 and went with the money line in the Detroit game. We are liking a lot of road teams to win ATS this week. It could be a recurring trend this season, since home-field advantage doesn’t seem to be holding up this year. Could the Lions win two in a row? Could the Steelers go 1-3 to start the season? Here are our Week 4 NFL betting picks against the spread.

I don’t think home-field advantage is as important so far this season as it has been in the past. It will change later on in the season when snow and heavy winds may sway the momentum of the game. This early in the season, teams are still tweaking with the offense and many lack an identity. The good teams will win on the road and the bad teams will lose at home.

Oakland Raiders (+9) at Houston Texans (-9) – My pick is Oakland

I might be insane, but the Raiders can still run the ball and Houston is the worst in the league at stopping the run. Oakland may not win this game, but should keep it close, with or without JaMarcus Russell.

Tennessee Titans (-3) at Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) – My pick is Tennessee

Jacksonville looked good last week, but the Titans are hungry for their first win. The AFC South games are usually closer than most games, but the Titans will win this game by more than 3 points.

Baltimore Ravens (+2) at New England Patriots (-2) – My pick is Baltimore

I missed on the Falcons beating the Patriots last week, but the Ravens are a better team than Atlanta. Joe Flacco may not have many weapons, but they have a dual-threat running game that will cause New England’s D-line to struggle. I like the Ravens to out-right win this contest.

New York Giants (-9) at Kansas City Chiefs (+9) – My pick is New York

The Giants faced a large spread last week and they easily covered. I think it will happen again this weekend. They will shutdown Larry Johnson and force the Chiefs to throw on their secondary. The pass rushers for the Giants will have a field day on Matt Cassel.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+7.5) at Washington Redskins (-7.5) – My pick is Tampa Bay

The Bucs will be forced to rely on Carnell Williams and Derrick Ward in this game. Albert Haynesworth is hurting, so the Bucs will be able to run all over Washington. I don’t care who Tampa Bay has at quarterback, it won’t matter much in this game.

Seattle Seahawks (+10.5) at Indianapolis Colts (-10.5) – My pick is Seattle

The Colts will win this game, but they don’t normally beat opponents by much. Seattle will be without Matt Hasselbeck, but Seneca Wallace is a good back-up. Julius Jones will have a good game, but the Colts will make defensive stops when it counts.

Cincinnati Bengals (-6) at Cleveland Browns (+6) – My pick is Cincinnati

The Bengals looked great against the Steelers last week and the Browns were their usual horrible Browns. The Bengals defense has improved a lot from last season and I see them winning this game by a lot. The Browns can’t score on any NFL team this year, Derek Anderson won’t change anything for them.

Detroit Lions (+10) at Chicago Bears (-10) – My pick is Chicago

Could the Lions possibly win two weeks in a row? I doubt it, the Bears looks to finally have things starting to mold. Matt Forte must have a big game, the Bears need him to get going this season or their hopes of making the playoffs could end soon. The Bears win this game easily, by two touchdowns.

New York Jets (+7) at New Orleans Saints (-7) – My pick is New York

The Saints always start off looking unbeatable, but when they face a good defense, they don’t seem so powerful. Bart Scott and the rest of the Jets defense will make Drew Brees work for their yards. I’m not sure if the Jets wins this game, but they will keep it within seven points.

Buffalo Bills (-1) at Miami Dolphins (+1) – My pick is Buffalo

Miami will have to rely on Chad Henne and their running game to put points on the board, but the Bills have more weapons on offense than the Dolphins. I look for Terrell Owens to finally get going and Fred Jackson to dominate in this game. The Bills will win this game, in a close one.

St. Louis Rams (+9.5) at San Francisco 49ers (-9.5) – My pick is San Francisco

The Rams could be the worst team in the league. Kyle Boller adds a better passing option than Marc Bulger, but the 49ers came into their own against the Vikings last weekend. Vernon Davis finally has his head screwed on straight and is a physical beast. Shaun Hill will keep targeting him against the Rams and win this game and cover the spread.

Dallas Cowboys (-3) at Denver Broncos (+3) – My pick is Dallas

Denver has not played any team that did not make the playoffs last year and Dallas has played three games against teams that finished over .500 last season. I know what kind of team the Cowboys are after three games, I have no clue if Denver is any good yet. This game will prove it and Denver is a hoax, the Cowboys will run all over them and win this game and cover.

San Diego Chargers (+6.5) at Pittsburgh Steelers (-6.5) – My pick is San Diego

I am not sure if many people saw the Bengals/Steelers game last week, because this line has moved a lot in the Steelers favor since it has opened. Troy Polamalu isn’t going to play and Antonio Gates will be free to catch everything win sight. The Chargers will go into Pittsburgh and win this game. This is my upset of the week.

Green Pay Packers (+3.5) at Minnesota Vikings (-3.5) – My pick is Minnesota

Brett Favre will be pumped up to play his old team on Monday Night Football. Green Bay’s new 3-4 defense will cause Farve some trouble, so look for Adrian Peterson to run amok. Ryan Grant will have a good game and Aaron Rodgers will have a lot on his shoulders if the Packers plan on keeping this one close. Give me the Vikings ATS in this game.

I hope you enjoy our picks. They are for entertainment purposes and please bet responsibly.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

2009 NFL Preview: NFC North

I recently went through every game on the NFL schedule and predicted every game. I will be using those totals to predict who will win the NFC North this season. Will Brett Favre help the Vikings this season? Will Jay Cutler compose himself? Can the Packets defense step up and help their offense? Will the Lions win a game? Check out out NFC North Preview.

Chicago Bears– (Projected Finish 11-5)

The Bears sold the farm and got their prized quarterback. Jay Cutler is going to be a nice addition to the Bears offense. They haven’t had a decent quarterback since Jim McMahon, Erik Kramer almost had that title, but one good season doesn’t count. Matt Forte is going to have a great season and I would watch Earl Bennett to be catching balls left and right from Cutler. The Bears offensive line is sold and with the addition of Orlando Pace and with Chris Williams having a year under his belt, Cutler will stay upright more than he was in Denver.

The Bears still have a strong defense, but their Achilles heel would be their secondary, especially safety. The linebackers have to hold this defense together and makes sure that they control the running game, so the safeties can cheat a little to make up for the lack of athleticism at the position. They aren’t the same defense that made the Super Bowl a few seasons ago, but they are still very good.

The NFC North play the NFC West and AFC Central this season and they lucked out. Both of those divisions are a bit down, minus the Steelers, but Chicago gets them at home. The other non-divisional games are at Atlanta and they get Philadelphia at home, both should be very tough. The Bears should bounce back and make the playoffs this season and will at least garner a share of the division title this season.

Minnesota Vikings– (Projected Finish 11-5)

Brett Favre made the Minnesota Vikings as popular as the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers this off-season. There were more stories about them than both of those teams combined. Favre isn’t the quarterback that lead the Packers to a comeback season two years ago, but if he can stray away from the turnovers, he can help this team. All they need to do is give the ball to Adrian Peterson, throw some underneath passes to Percy Harvin and let him run, and go over the secondary and throw deep to Bernard Berrian. It’s a pretty simple plan and it will work.

The Vikings defense has been statistically one of the best defenses over last three seasons. The addition of Jared Allen added the extra pass-rushing presence that they needed to be elite. Pat Williams and Kevin Williams cog up the defensive line and make it near impossible for any running game to be established. The way to beat the Vikings would be to pass on them and allow the running back to help pass block. Antoine Winfield will pick off passes and make quarterbacks pay, but he is the lone star in the secondary.

The Vikings early season schedule is very favorable. It can allow Favre to get seasoned and get into better shape as the season goes by. The five out of the last six games of the year, they play possible playoff teams. They play Arizona, Carolina, NY Giants, and Chicago twice. If Favre can stay healthy all year, they will make the playoffs.

Green Bay Packers– (Projected Finish 6-10)

Packers’ fans have only two games circled on their calendar, at Minnesota, and home against Minnesota. I believe they realize that they won’t be a playoff team, but their season would be considered a success if they can beat Favre. Aaron Rodgers had a decent season last year and should have another decent year, if he can stay upright. Ryan Grant had an off-year last season and needs to produce or Green Bay could be looking for a new running back next season. James Jones and Jordy Nelson should establish themselves and up-and-coming receivers this season.

The Packers have put in a 3-4 defense and Aaron Kampman is going to play linebacker. It’s a change from a defense that looked like swiss cheese last year. The addition of B.J. Raji should help their run defense and look for decent seasons from A.J. Hawk and Nick Barnett. Their secondary is old and they need to get younger. Al Harris and Charles Woodson have been in the league 12 years and are showing signs of age. Teams will be able to pass on them all day. They will need to score a lot of points to win games this season.

Green Bay is a tough place to play towards the end of the season. They get Chicago, Pittsburgh, and Arizona at home the last month of the season. They will need that extra Lambeau-edge to compete with those teams. The Packers are facing another tough season this year and need to re-build their secondary to be a contender.

Detroit Lions– (Projected Finish 2-14)

Good news for the Lions, they will win a game this season. Bad news for the Lions, they will lose a lot of games. It doesn’t matter who plays quarterback for the Lions, they aren’t going to win many games. Matthew Stafford will be starting by mid-season, but Daunte Culpepper might be a decent option to start the year. Calvin Johnson and Bryant Johnson are both nice receivers, but they need a QB to throw them the ball. They should rely heavily on Kevin Smith this year, but their offensive line still needs work.

Head Coach, Jim Schwartz, should help get this defense up to par, but they are still a long way from being good. They have some nice pieces there, but they will need to gel as a unit. Julian Peterson, Ernie Sims, Phillip Buchanon, Anthony Henry, and Stuart Schweigert should all help out. They have at least one good player at every area, but the depth is not there. If the injury bug hits the defense, it will be even worse.

The Lions will be searching for their first win in over a season. The third game against the Redskins could potentially be their first win, but that would be the earliest potential win and it is still a long shot. The sixth game agains the Packers or the seventh game againt the Rams could be when the winless streak ends. One game that I have to watch is the game on October 11th against the Steelers. I don’t think the game will be competitive, but it will be a good litmus test of how this team will react when they are faced with elite talent.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.

Speak Before You Think Monday

After a long weekend, it is easy to do or say something that is completely insane. Your mind isn’t right on a Monday. You are still thinking about how you should have gotten that blonde’s number at the bar or how your team still has a shot at the National Championship, even if you lost a nationally televised game 35-3 (sorry Buckeyes, i live in your territory and I shouldn’t be so ill, but it’s real talk). Here is a few observations of things people are saying or what they have done without thinking things out clearly.

– The Milwaukee Brewers fired Ned Yost. Really? Before the Brewers hired him, they hadn’t had a winning season since dudes named Yount and Molitor were sporting the yellow and blue gear. I know that they imploded last season, but the team was full of rookies, I am not sold that they are used to the long Major League season. You can’t make much of an argument that they are tanking again this season, because they haven’t been in first place since the beginning of the season. Milwaukee is realizing that they only have Sabathia and Sheets for this one season and they will not be able to sign them, so they must win now. Rickie Weeks has been a disappointment so far and J.J. Hardy is not consistent. The trade talk has already started about Prince Fielder, they realize that they can’t win every game with their offense and your #1 starter cannot be Dave Bush or Manny Parra. Fielder is set for abitration soon and he will also grant a huge contract when free agency comes around. The Brewers may still make the playoffs, but now they have to combat the Phillies/Mets, whoever doesn’t win the NL East, and Houston. Not a smart move by the upper management in Milwaukee, Yost will get a job next season, either as a manager or a high-profile bench coach.

– Carlos Zambrano is back. I’m a Chicago Cubs, everyone who reads this blog knows this is true. Historically, Zambrano is extremely good on a long rest. He nearly had a no-hitter mid-season this year after he took some time off for injury. He may throw another gem next time out too, but it’s too soon to say he is back. Houston evacuated a hurricane and their minds were not 100% on baseball. The game was also played in Milwaukee, which is Wrigley Field North. If you go to any Cubs/Brewers game, the Cubs fans/Brewers fan ratio could learn in Chicago’s favor, let alone Houston fans versus Chicago fans. Also, Ted Lilly took a no-hitter today into the 7th inning against Houston and the last few games I watched Lilly pitch, he looked horrible. Zambrano needs his last few starts to be solid for me to be sold.

– Ohio State still has a shot at that National Championship. Even if OSU runs the table in the Big Ten, the best they can do is a birth in the Rose Bowl. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, if USC loses a game or two, they will meet there. I don’t see USC losing any games, but there is a Pac-10 team that usually gives them a close game or beats them (i.e. Stanford, Oregon State). The Buckeyes do have a chance to turn the season around, but that would mean Todd Boeckman would lose his job as starting quarterback. Terrelle Pryor looked pretty good against USC, but it was a too tough of a test for a true freshman to face. Beanie Wells may have made this game closer, but he wouldn’t have won the game for Ohio State. Wells would have helped them have some ball control and help manage the clock. The score would have been around 27-10, still an embarassment. Ohio State has no shot at making the BCS Championship game, so I do not want to hear about a slim chance, there is no chance.

– The Minnesota Vikings will still make the playoffs. They are 0-2 and it looks like the NFC North will be very solid this year. I know that they lost to the Packers and Colts, two teams that are playoff caliber, but the way they played in those games didn’t look like a playoff team to me. Adrian Peterson should have ran all over Indianapolis, which he did, but never got into the endzone. Tavarius Jackson isn’t a starting quarterback in this league, yet. He may be a starter in the future, but with the kind of talent this team has, minus wide-receivers (they really don’t have any #1 receiver), they need an establish quarterback to spread the defense and let Peterson run amok. The Bears are better (they play them twice), the Lions can score points, something Minnesota has trouble with (they play them twice, the Packers own them (they play them again), and they play the AFC South (which is one of the best divisions in the league). I would suggest that you look at the remaining schedule of the team before you put them in the playoffs, Mike & Mike.

– Denver Broncos is the best team in the AFC. They have looked impressive so far this season, but they played the Raiders and a San Diego team that haven’t found themselves without Shawne Merriman. Eddie Royal has been a huge surprise, Brandon Marshall caught about a million pases this week, and Jay Cutler looks like John Elway. The NFL loves to scheme and take players out of the game, I’m guessing the next few weeks that teams will start pressuring Cutler more and make the young quarterback think faster on his feet. They will have to run the ball more, which may fall into Shanahan’s lap, but this core of Denver running backs aren’t Terrell Davis or Clinton Portis, it’s Selvin Young and a few castoffs from other teams. Denver looks like they will win that division, it looks to be very weak, but they are not the best team in the AFC. They will have to beat New England, Indianapolis, or Pittsburgh to garner that honor.

A Sports & Entertainment blog that focuses on absurdity in sports, snarky banter, updates on Tim Tebow’s virginity, and decent sports gambling advice.