(Channeling my inner Chris Berman)…Let me be among the first to wish you, a Happy Thanksgiving! I have ranted many times on the horrendous Chris Berman, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves. This past weekend he gave us the “Let us be among the first to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!” I absolutely, one hundred percent guarantee you that every program he opens on Sunday will include him saying “Let us be among the last to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!” He thinks it is extremely clever and does it for every single holiday. He has even gotten to the point where he does it for things like Columbus Day, which is ridiculous because unless you have a scathing hatred for native americans, nobody walks around wishing people a Happy Columbus Day.
There was really no point to that opening other than making it clear how much I hate Chris Berman. What I really love is Thanksgiving weekend football. For the college game, as a Badger fan, this has all the makings of a fantastic Saturday. Personally, I am traveling to visit some friends meaning that alcohol consumption will be high. The Buckeyes and the Spartans play at 11 AM, meaning that during the 2:30 PM Badger game we will know if the Rose Bowl is on the line. This has the potential to be a fantastic Saturday, that will likely end in a few too many alcoholic beverages. I would say only if the Badgers clinch the Rose Bowl, but really if they don’t too, because then we’ll be upset. In fact losing the Rose Bowl may ultimately lead to more drinking and likely, destructive gambling.
The NFL side of things has two huge games, again involving my team and their rival. The Packers will go into Atlanta on Sunday, an indescribably big game in the NFC landscape. If Atlanta wins, the Packers chance at the #1 seed is gone as Atlanta would have what amounts to a 2.5 game lead with 5 to play due to the tiebreaker. If the Packers win, they suddenly become the favorite to land home field in the NFC as they would be tied for the best record with tiebreakers over both Philly and Atlanta. The Bears, tied for first with the Pack at 7-3, will host the Eagles in a big game. If the Bears can find a way to pull this one out, they would give their many doubters a tough task in arguing against them. A loss however would drop them to 7-4, with all four losses coming against the NFC. That is a bad statistic for Bears fans as conference record often is the determining factor in ties down the stretch.
Six picks this week, four in the NFL and only two in college. To the picks!
NCAA Picks
Boise St -14 over NEVADA
Nevada being in Reno is fitting because Reno’s little brother relationship with Vegas is similar to the Wolfpack’s litter brother relationship with the Broncos. Nevada can score a ton of points and scare some major conference teams, but don’t have the firepower to keep up with actual elite teams. Boise hasn’t played a big game since September and finish with Utah St, so they will be ready for this one. Boise by 20+.
Michigan +17 over OHIO STATE
I was watching the college edition of Jeopardy recently and the bitch from Ohio State that made the semi-finals said her name and “THE Ohio State University” after it. You are going up against a bunch of pretentious Ivy Leaguers and kids with perfect SAT scores. Your bullshit article in front of your school isn’t impressing anybody. Then again, I guess we can’t expect somebody from OSU to understand that. Oh yeah, and 17 points is too many in this game.
NFL Picks
New Orleans -4 over DALLAS
My only Thanksgiving Day pick is the Saints. They have been playing very well lately and I’m not falling for two good games out of the Cowboys. This team has shown their true colors and they will rear their head here.
Jacksonville +7.5 over NEW YORK GIANTS
This line is ridiculous, especially given how beat up the Giants are at wide receiver. The only reason I’m scared at all is because this line is so fishy that I’m worried Vegas is begging us to bet the Jags. But the more I think about it, the more I realize that Vegas has just been infatuated with this Giants team since they upset the Pats in the Super Bowl. Take the points.
Tampa Bay +8 over BALTIMORE
Tampa is wildly undervalued, much like NC State has been in college all year, and I am going to ride it until it stops. I can actually see the Ravens covering, but know that this value is too good to pass up. I love the Bucs getting over a touchdown.
San Francisco -1 over ARIZONA
An absolutely awful Monday night game, but at least betting on it can make it somewhat interesting. I have been against the San Francisco bandwagon all season, but Arizona is beyond awful. The Niners still have to believe that they are alive in the NFC West, so they’ll be looking at this game as a must win. Sadly, Troy Smith is far superior to whatever garbage the Cardinals will throw out there at QB, so the Niners will win comfortably.
55 Percenters 2010 - 2011 Season Record: 67-62-2 (.519) All Time on ADPTP: 124-123-4 (.502) Last Post: 3-5 (.375)
