Posted by | Alikat | in Weekly Picks

I know I’ve been AWOL the past 2 weeks. I guess I’ve just been nursing a badly broken heart caused by my MAN Brett Favre not getting to face the Super Patriots this Sunday. I really thought there was no way in hell that the Packers would lose to the Giants on that Bitch of a Freeze day in Green Bay. I’m still asking myself how Brett made that last throw after avoiding that kind of decision making the whole year. I’ll be honest with you all, I can’t stand the Giants and Eli Manning. Eli looks like that Dufus Kid in High School with athletic abilities who drooled when they fell asleep in English Composition or passed out shortly before 1am at the Homecoming Football party just as the Queen arrived to give the QB a Victory Gift BJ! I have been waiting for midnight to strike so we can get back to the Eli I know and love that throws interceptions at just the wrong moment and has trouble looking like a leader of MEN when he’s getting pressure up the middle. The rest of the Giants don’t seem to understand that the rest of the country wouldn’t be talking about them if Cowboy WR Patrick Clayton catches 2 passes in their meeting in Dallas a few weeks ago. They were dead in the water that game and all of a sudden they are in the Super Bowl.

The Patriots come into town with the whole ‘Spygate’ thing being turned into the ‘Warren Commision’. Doesn’t Arlen Spector, shown above, have better things to worry about (like finding out more dirt on the Bush Administration) than some Football Dynasty doing some extra ‘Scouting work’ on there opponents. I mean really? Go straighten out the desperate Job Situation in Western, P.A. before you jerk off to tapes of NFL practices made by some video hack fresh out of Grad School. So what if the Patriots cheated a little, who in this league doesn’t. They are all basically Used Car Salesman with much better bank accounts. It’s just pissing everybody off that the Patriot players actually know how to take information from the video room to the playing field and come up with Victories!

In terms of the game itself tomorrow I like the fact that the weather will be reasonable for a change. This will mean the Pats will probably get back to more of their 4-5 WR sets with Brady flinging the ball all over the Giants secondary. This is the one area which is a clear mismatch and one the Pats will take advantage of very often tomorrow. The only way I can see the Giants covering up for that is by getting a great pass rush, which they are capable of doing. The Pats O-Line has been excellent all year with the exception of a game or two and I don’t see them letting their Cover Boy QB get knocked around while the whole world is watching. I think Randy Moss is going to come back with a couple of TD’s tomorrow and make a play or two that will be highlight worthy.

When it comes down to coaching you gotta love the Belichek factor. He is almost impossible to beat when given 2 weeks to prepare for a team. I also think the fact that these two squads just saw each other favors the Pats more so than the Giants. Belichek and Co. are not going to let Eli Manning sling the ball around like he did in N.Y. I expect the Pats to get a couple of picks in this game, one of which being a HUGE INT at just the right ELI Time! It is true that the Giants may be able to run the ball on the Pats. After all the Pats linebacking core are getting up there in age and have been showing signs of fatigue as the season has progressed. If the Giants can get on a roll running the ball, this game could stay close with the 4th quarter being a grand finale. In the end though I see the Patriots pulling away from the Giants in the late 1st half or early 3rd quarter and winning this in a mini-blowout. The only way I see the Giants with a chance to Win the game straight up is for them to get an early kickoff return or Brady int. return for a touchdown and then for a costly injury or just a one in a million performance from RB Bradshaw or Jacobs coupled with a complete meltdown in the Patriot D-Line. In other words I just don’t see it happening.

The point spread on this game is currently at -12 for the Pats. I don’t think taking the Giants is such a ‘Crazy Bet’, as anytime you are getting that many points in an NFL game you are going to be on the winning side more times than not, but tomorrow I just feel a ‘Mini BlowOut’ coming from that cute little cover boy who was asking early in the week, “Why such a low score for our offense Plax?” “Is Plax playing Defense?”. That prediction of a 23-17 Giants victory by Plaxico Burress in which he didn’t show enough respect for Brady and the Pat offense may not mean much to other teams or players in this day and age, but to a former 6th round pick who everybody at some point along the way has said isn’t enough is just the kind of thing Tom Brady will use to match Joe Montana with 4 Super Bowl Rings and crown himself “The Best QB Ever”!

FINAL SCORE- Patriots 38 Giants 20

TAKE THE PATRIOTS -12

Have a great Super Sunday tomorrow and remember to call a Cab if your Drunk and PLEASE NO VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN WHETHER THEY BE GIRLFRIENDS OR WIVES. Bet smart and don’t try and make a year’s worth of money on one fucking game! We’ll all have plenty of time to make more money next fall!

Bet Ya–

ALIKAT

Posted by | Alikat | in Weekly Picks

I know, I know. I wasn’t very good last weekend going 1-3 ATS though I did think the Pack had a chance to blow out the Seahawks. The only pick coming through for us was the Giants! That was a great game and you all should have seen how much pacing Madison was doing the last 6 minutes of that affair. If it had not been for that missed field goal by Gotkowski the Pats would have covered. Where is Adam Vinaterri when you need him? So for the record we are an even 4-4 for the playoffs with only 3 games left. Vegas is really inflating the lines this year in the playoffs as this week we see the Pack open up at -7 and the Pats open at -14.5. I must say I went out and grabbed the Pack at -6.5 on Sunday night right after the lines came out. I’m glad I did that as now it is -7.5 and getting more and more expensive as the week goes on. The Pats came down to -13.5 and then with the news about Phillip Rivers it went up again to -14. Here’s a little breakdown of the games and the picks.

Giants +7.5 @ Packers

As I said earlier I took the Pack at -6.5. I like them at that line but nothing over. It’s going to be cold in Green Bay on Sunday with the temperature hovering around a very HOT 5 degrees and that doesn’t include the windchill. Eli will have a tough time of it in the cold as he always has and I believe the Giants DREAM Playoff Run has and will run out of gas! Their secondary is just too beat up to contend with all the weapons Favre has at his disposal and the Packers O-Line is one of the best in the NFL when it comes to protection. Favre hasn’t hung around the past few years to be this close to another Super Bowl trip and lose to a Manning, let alone Eli. Eli has been wonderful the past 3 games, but all good things come to an end. The Packers have a much better secondary than both the Bucs and the Cowboys. They HIT people back there and Al Harris is as good as anyone in one on one coverage. The Pack D-Line will get after Eli and force some bad throws early leading to a couple of short fields for Favre and Gant. I must say that I don’t think taking the Giants at +7.5 would be a bad bet at all, in fact there might be more value in that than the Packers at -7 and -120, but in the end I just think there will be too much offense from the Packers. The wear and tear of the last 2 road games played by the Giants will result in Big Plays given up by the Giants D come the second half and the Pack will come out on top by 10 points!

TAKE THE PACK -7! If it’s too expensive to buy down the 1/2 point from -7.5 then I would just pass on this game unless you are a TRUE GIANTS BELIEVER!

Chargers +14 @ Patriots

The Chargers roll into the AFC Title Game all banged up in Key positions. Rivers, L.T., and Gates are all screwed up. Despite all of them being tough and wanting to take this team to the Super Bowl they just won’t be nearly as effective as they would be if healthy. You can be assured the Pats will look to get in a few Good Licks on all of them when they start out on the field in the 1st quarter. I don’t expect Rivers to last more than 2 quarters at the very most and L.T. just won’t have the pop he needs to beat the Pats for long runs. By the way– Is it just me or is L.T. kinda over rated when it comes to the playoffs and HUGE games. He’s actually becoming a pretty inconsistent RB in my opinion.

The Patriots just have too many weapons for the Mentally Weak Chargers to defend. The Bolts are Mentally Weak and it will show up in this game at very key moments. The fact that they have already talked a little trash for this game goes to show you why the Pats and not the Bolts are on their way towards their 4 Super Bowl. Charger players like to think that kind of stuff gets lost after a few series in a game, but it doesn’t with the Pats. The Pats are a lot like Tony Soprano. When somebody says something about them that they don’t like or quite understand it broods in them for hours or days until finally they BLOW UP against that person and take their due revenge! This will happen Sunday as the Pats start to throw their weight around in the early 3rd quarter and go on to face the Pack in the Super Bowl.

TAKE THE PATS -13.5. Buy down the 1/2 point from 14.

So there it is sports betting freaks. Go out and enjoy the games tomorrow. I always have liked this day more than the Super Bowl to be honest with you!

Bet Ya–

ALIKAT

Posted by | Alikat | in Weekly Picks

So here we are sports betting kids. The best weekend in football is here and I must say that although I’m looking forward to all of these games from a fan’s point of view, I don’t like the betting lines all that much. The favorites are getting huge numbers and even though I love to bet the underdogs a lot there is something that tells me there could be a couple of blowouts this weekend. Frankly, this is one of the most difficult set of games to handicap that I’ve had all year long. So I will take my shots and see where the ball bounces.

Seahawks +7.5 @ Packers

This could be a great game in the frozen tundra or the Pack may just blow the Hawks right out of the Snow! The Seahawks are a very different team on the road than they are at home. The Pack are looking for that old Playoff Magic they had back in the 90’s. I’m thinking that Favre has a great game and closes it out in the 4th quarter, but it will be tough going for awhile. My heart is with the Pack, but as a bettor I must go with the points and the Hawks.

TAKE THE SEAHAWKS +7.5

Jags +13.5 @ Patriots

Many people are thinking that the Jags have the best shot to upset the Perfect Team. My guess here is that the Pats come out smoking and never look back. They have been sitting around for 2 weeks now with nothing to do except contemplate their legacy. If they lose in the playoffs, especially the first game, the whole season goes down the drain! You know Tom Brady and the Boys are not going to let that happen. The line has moved 2 full points since it opened at 11.5 and my guess is that they can still cover it. I just have a feeling if any game this weekend has the potential for a blowout it’s this one. The Jags secondary gave up a ton of points to the Pittsburgh offense in the 2nd half last week so you can be sure that Brady and Co. are going to get their licks in. Randy Moss has been dreaming of this game for the past 4 years and he finally has the QB to finish the job. The Jags dream season comes to an end tomorrow night.

TAKE THE PATS -13.5

Chargers +9 @ Colts

The Colts are finally healthy and nobody has been talking about them. That’s pretty scary given the run they had last year during the Playoffs. The Chargers always seem to play the Colts tough and they should give them another run for their money in the RCA Dome. I think the Colts will have too much firepower for the Chargers to match as we move through 4 quarters and in the end Peyton gets it done. The Chargers will make it very interesting though.

TAKE THE COLTS -9

Giants +7.5 @ Cowboys

Eli takes the next step towards Manhood by going into Dallas and bringin’ down the Boys. Can you just picture Madison getting all hot as the final minutes are ticking away on the Romo season and Eli throws a strike to Plaxico in the corner of the end zone! I do think the Boys probably win this game in the final drive, but it’s gonna take some Jerry Jones luck or some boneheaded Giant mistake to pull it off. The Giants are feeling it right now and the Cowboys are in for some trouble come Sunday.

TAKE THE GIANTS +7.5

So enjoy the best weekend in Pro Football over the next 2 days and we’ll talk to you next week. By the way– Last week we were a sweet 3-1 ATS so we’ll see if we can continue the march into Championship Sunday.

Bey Ya–

ALIKAT

Posted by | Alikat | in Weekly Picks

We start the Sunday Wildcard Games with Madison’s Favorite Heartbreak team, the N.Y. Giants at Tampa Bay. The Giants are +3 point underdogs and are coming off their ‘Great Loss’ against the Patriots. The Bucs have been taking the last couple of weeks off to rest QB Jeff Garcia and other starters. The Giants are saying they have some Swagger back after competing with the Patriots last Saturday. Personally I think they played their playoff best last Saturday and they will be tired and flat against the rested Bucs.

The Bucs are +20 in turnover margin and give up only 11 points per game at home. You compare this with the fact that Eli Manning has thrown 20 interceptions and lost 7 fumbles this year and the Giants team has 15 giveaways this past month alone, most in the NFL. Now, the Giants have won 7 straight games on the road this year and they will put pressure on Jeff Garcia. The Giants are the #1 defense in the league in terms of sacks. One of the problems Coach Coughlin incurred during his need to play the Patriots tough last Saturday is the injuries of 3 key starters: (C) Shaun O’hara, CB Sam Madison, and LB Kawika Mitchell. The biggest one, in my opinion, is to O’hara. The Center is the toughest player on a team to replace and outside the QB position actually affects teams, in terms of betting, more than any other position on the field. Look for some problems with protection schemes and possibly a fumble on the exchange if O’hara isn’t able to return.

In the end I like the ability of the Bucs defense to make it a difficult day for Eli, especially in the red zone. CB Ronde Barber is one of the best corners in the game and he will have the job of covering Plexico Burress. Plexico will get his catches, but I don’t expect any huge plays against the Bucs secondary. The running game of the Bucs will eventually wear down the Giants and Old Man Joey Galloway will get his usual 50 yard bomb for a huge play or touchdown to seal the deal.

TAKE THE BUCS -3 at home!

Titans +10 @ Chargers

If you think the Giants have some injury problems you should see the Titans. Vince Young is a game time decision, Lendale White is banged up, (G) Benji Olsen looks like he won’t play, WR Roydell White broke his ankle on Wednesday so he’s out. He was Young’s go to receiver and with Young having problems with his quad it’s going to be interesting how the Titans do in 3rd and 6 or less situations. On the other side of the field you have the Chargers, who have been playing this past month like they did all of last year. They have gotten healthy over the past few weeks and have gotten their swagger back. They have been getting great pressure on the opposing QB’s and L.T. is finding space again in which to run wild.

When these two teams met last month it was a crazy ass hard hitting game. There is no love loss between these two. I expect a bunch of great hits during this game with the Chargers getting the best of the Titans. The Chargers are much healthier and better equipped to handle the intensity of the physicality this game will present. I think it’s going to be very difficult for the Titans to put enough points on the board to win this game. Even though 10 points is a Ton of points, especially for a playoff game, I just see the Chargers releasing some of that pent up disappointment you know they still have from last year’s meltdown against the Patriots on the Titans tomorrow. The Chargers have too much L.T. and their D will make life very hard for either Vince Young or Kerry Collins.

TAKE THE CHARGERS -9.5. Buy down 1/2 point from -10 to remove yourself from the dreaded push.

Talk to you next week–

Bet Ya–

Alikat

Posted by | Alikat | in Weekly Recaps, Weekly Picks

Sports betting Freaks worldwide, we have finally reached the time where we all sell our collective souls for the right to BE RIGHT about WHO WE THINK is the BEST in the NFL!

I just saw Madison’s Pick’s for the Weekend and I must say I disagree: With just a couple of them.

So let’s make this clear from the beginning: Every PICK from here on out will be a MONEY PICK! After all it is the playoffs!

Redskins +3.5 @ Seahawks

I like what the Redskins have done in the wake of Sean Taylor’s Death.  It is a remarkable feat in what individuals can do when surrounded by tragic circumstances.  I also am a realist when it comes to the NFL and it’s potential Money Making Ways.  The Redskins have been on a 4 game winning streak and I think it’s due for a LOSS.

The Seahawks are 7-1 at home and they allow around 16 points per game.  They rested a bunch of starters in Week 17, so they have some energy left to play this game.  The Redskins on the other hand have had to get Cross Country after only 5 days.  The Seahawks are a very different team at HOME.  I know the SKins have been playing great with Todd Collins at QB, but I expect that to change.  Other teams have finally had a chance to get enough film on Todd Collins and they will see that he is a statue in the pocket and that with enough pressure he we wilt in the GREAT SEAHAWK SKY!

Despite the fact that the SKins will get out on the corner of the Seahawk D with Portis and Betts, the decisive factor in this game will come from the fact that the Skins have played their collective hearts out for the past month.  All of that emotion takes a toll on a team.  The Seahawks are rested and have a lot at stake if they lose.  At home they are a very different team.  I recently spoke with a sports betting guy friend of mine who said, “You can’t imagine the Sound Level that is on the field”.  It’s LOUD and that make’s it worth 3 points in Favor of the Home Team!

TAKE THE SEAHAWKS -3!  Buy down from -3.5 just to make sure you are not pushing the bet.  I fully expect the Seahawks to win by 7-10 points tomorrow!

Jags -2.5 @ Steelers

The fashionable pick here is obviously the JAGS.  Afterall they beat the Steelers just a few weeks ago and they are the much more healthy than the Steel Curtain.  Everything is pointed in the Jags favor… And that’s precisely why I Like the Steelers in this game.  I know I’m going against the grain on this one, but despite the fact that the Steelers are severely banged up, I like the fact that they are at HOME and they ARE BANGED UP!

You never want to mess with a wounded animal.  Since I grew up in the country maybe I know a little more about this subject than most.  The Steelers do not want to be shown up 2 times in the past month at HOME!  I still can’t trust David Garrard to QB a Playoff game to Victory!  Big Ben has been there before and it’s just a hunch, but a 60% hunch, that the Steelers are going to leave everything they have left in the tank to Win This Game!  It’s tough to beat the same team 2 times in a row within the same season and I see this game coming down to a Home Team (Steelers) that just needs it a little more for psychological reasons than the Favorite (Jags) do.

TAKE THE STEELERS +3.  Buy the 1/2 point if you need to from +2.5!

I will have the other playoff picks posted here tomorrow!  Have a bunch of Beer on Saturday and I’ll get you those other two picks on Saturday!

Bet Ya–

Alikat

Posted by | Alikat | in Weekly Picks

Aloha and Happy Holidays to all you sports betting freaks! Just getting back into the grind of life back here in the mainland. I have 4 Money Picks for you tomorrow as the playoff picture continues to unfold. The NFC picture is crazy with the Redskins, Vikings, and Saints all fighting for the last position. The Packers and Cowboys are still battling it out for home field advantage and the Giants are, well the Giants. So here are the picks with very little breakdown talk, because I believe you all know these teams pretty well by now and I’m running late for a HOT DATE!

MONEY PICKS

1. Browns -2.5 @ Bengals

The Browns are going to pound it with Jamal Lewis and are on here to get into the playoffs. Too much offense and they have a little destiny working for them.

TAKE THE BROWNS -2.5

2. Giants -2.5 @ Bills

The Giants are a very strange team so you never know what you’re going to get, but this Sunday they NEED THIS GAME TO STAY OUT OF MURKY WATERS WITH THE 3 TEAMS I MENTIONED ABOVE IN THE NFC RACE.

TAKE THE GIANTS -2.5

3. Eagles +3 @ Saints

The Saints are playing for a playoff berth, but the Eagles would love nothing more than to blow that out of the water since that’s what the Saints did to them last year in the 1st round of the playoffs.

TAKE THE EAGLES +3

4. Texans +7 @ Colts

The Colts may not have a lot to play for, but they want to get on a roll and stay sharp. Being at home and with Peyton having a 10-1 record against the Texans I’m going with the home team.

TAKE THE COLTS -7

THE REST OF THE BUNCH

1. Packers -8 @ Bears

Let’s see… Favre vs Orton? Um, I’m going with the Hall of Famer.

TAKE THE PACK -8

2. Chiefs +4.5 @ Lions

Who Cares?

TAKE THE CHIEFS +4.5

3. Raiders +13 @ Jags

The Raiders hopefully will be getting their #1 pick some reps. The Jags still need to keep winning!

TAKE THE JAGS -13

4. Falcons +10 @ Cards

Again, who cares!

TAKE THE CARDS -10

5. Bucs -6 @ 49ers

The Bucs don’t have a whole lot to play for but they are going up against the 49ers. If this game was -7.5 I’d say go with the Niners, but it’s not so go with…

TAKE THE BUCS -6

6. Dolphins +22 @ Pats

TAKE THE PATS -22

7. Ravens +11 @ Seahawks

The Ravens are starting Troy Smith and are on the road without Ray Lewis and Samari Rolle. So I’ll go with…

TAKE THE SEAHAWKS -11

8. Jets +8.5 @ Titans

The Titans are still hanging on for a playoff spot. The Jets are looking for flight information for their vacations.

TAKE THE TITANS -8.5

9. Redskins +6.5 @ Vikings

This is the game of the day in the NFC. Playoff atmosphere with all the nation watching. I think Adrian Peterson is due for a breakout game and Clinton Portis will find out that you just can’t run on the Vikings D-Line.

TAKE THE VIKINGS -6.5. If this moves up to -7 I would pass on it!

10. Broncos +8.5 @ Chargers

The Chargers are rolling again despite L.T. not wanting to sit by his beloved QB. The Broncos are playing for next year. This game could be closer than most think, but in the end the Chargers have too much L.T.

TAKE THE CHARGERS -8.5

So enjoy the Holidays and we’ll see who’s for real and who’s just a pretender tomorrow.

Bet Ya-

ALIKAT

TAKE THE SEAHAWKS

Posted by | C.J. | in Weekly Picks

So, today’s post will be a little ghetto as Ali is in Hawaii and with no wifi connection has instead chosen to leave all of today’s picks on my voicemail and trust me to post them correctly. At 2AM no less. I think I got everything right, but the point is, the usual weekend run down with all its razzamatazz will be shortened this week to a small list. Don’t worry - she’ll be back in a week. Here goes…

The Money Picks:

1) Pittsburgh -3 1/2 vs Jacksonville

Take the Steelers for -3 and buy the half point down.

2) Seattle -7 1/2 vs Carolina

Take Carolina at -7 1/2

3) Tennessee -3 1/2 vs Kansas City

Take Tennessee at -3 and buy the 1/2 point down.

4) Green Bay -8 1/2 vs St. Louis

Take Green Bay at -8 1/2

5) Cleveland -5 1/2 vs Buffallo

Take Buffallo at +5 1/2

6) New Orleans -3 1/2 vs Arizona

Take New Orleans for -3 and buy the half point.

The Non-Money Picks:

1) Tampa Bay -13 1/2 vs Atlanta

Take Tampa Bay for -13 1/2

2) Batimore -3 1/2 vs Miami

Take Baltimore for -3 1/2

3) New England -23 vs NY Jets

Take the Jets +23

4) Inidanapolis -10 1/2 vs Oakland

Take the Colts at -10 1/2

5) San Diego -10 vs Detroit

Take San Diego -10

6) Dallas -10 1/2 vs Philadelphia

Buy the half point down and take Dallas for -10

7) New York Giants vs Washington Redskins

Buy the half point down and take the Giants at -4.

And finally…

The Monday Night Game:

Vikings -10 vs Chicago

Take Chicago at +10.

There you go, boys. Good luck this week, and sorry again for lameness of this post. The professional will be back next week.