A sports blog by and for Midwest Sports Fans
Update: The late-arriving spreads are in…and now so are my picks for those games.
Three weeks ago, I was not feeling good. I was 78-87-7 on the season and so dejected that I let someone else do my picks for the week – a task I have faithfully completed here at MSF every week for the last three years.
But apparently the one week hiatus was exactly what I needed to get back on the right track.
Update: The late-arriving spreads have arrived! All picks are in.
So maybe I’m the Tim Tebow of picking games?
Obviously this is a ridiculous analogy, because the pious Tebow surely would never indulge in such hedonistic pursuits as gambling or, in my case, analyzing spreads and picking games for sport with no monetary investment.
But the evidence of my Tebowness as a handicapper is building.
Update: All but one of the spreads are in now. Post updated with the late-addition spreads and my picks.
Damnit.
Another subpar week (4-7-2) has me at 72-78-7 for the season, a winning percentage of 45.9%. That just sucks. We all figured this season would be a bit unpredictable because of the lockout, and certainly it has been (the 49ers are 9-1!!!), but I never thought I’d struggle this much.
It’s time for a strong finish down the stretch, beginning with this week’s Thanksgiving Day games.
Well okay. After two straight weeks of being at least three games below .500, I can’t be too disappointed in an 8-7 week that featured such awful predictions as Carolina (-3) over Tennessee, the Lions (+2.5) over the Bears, and the Jets (-1) over the Patriots. Each of those games was a blowout in the direction opposite of what I picked.
So 8-7? I’ll take it. It brings me to 68-71-5 on the year, so I’ll hold out totally irrational hope that I can get back to .500 this week.
[Editor's note: Spreads for the Monday night games have been added and picks posted.]
For the third straight year, our weekly NFL coverage will include a Bettor’s Guide and a Viewer’s Guide to get you ready for that week’s action in the National. Football. LEAGUE.
In the Bettor’s Guide, normally posted on Tuesdays, we run down the point spreads and over-unders for each game, and I give my against-the-spread picks. The Viewer’s Guide, typically posted on Wednesdays, runs down the TV listings and announcer assignments for each game.
And for those of you wondering whether you should pay attention to my picks, I’ve been relatively successful the last two years since I started doing this post every week. In 2009, I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 games over .500 for the season. Last year, I went 131-103-8.
Longtime readers of MSF know that I never wager money on sporting events, but I do enjoy the challenge of picking games against Vegas spreads. My methodology is simple: I get the earliest spreads during the week and post my initial gut reaction. That’s it. And as my records show, it’s been a successful strategy.
Update: The NFL Week 17 TV schedule, point spreads, and picks post is up.
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After having my first sub-.500 spread picking week in Week 6, I was able to bounce back in Week 7.
Coming into tonight’s Monday Nighter between the Redskins and Eagles (I took the Eagles -7.5, which is looking good so far) I was sitting at 7-4 for the week and 56-41 overall. The overall total could be a game or two off, but pretty solid regardless.
[Update: 8-4 for the week and 57-41 overall thanks to the Eagles' 10-point W.]
Looking ahead to Week 8, we have another week with six teams on bye. However, unlike Week 7, the schedule is filled with solid games: Denver-Baltimore, Giants-Eagles, Dolphins-Jets, Falcons-Saints.
Oh yeah, and Vikings-Packers…the return of Brett Favre to Lambeau Field.
Update: The NFL Week 17 TV schedule, point spreads, and picks post is up.
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I’m starting to get into a nice rhythm getting these NFL TV schedule and odds posts published. Right as the Monday Night Football game ends, it’s time to hit publish, turn the page, and get ready for the next week.
This week is Week 4 of the 2009 NFL season and there are some great games on the schedule this week. Ravens-Patriots, Saints-Jets, Cowboys-Broncos, Chargers-Steelers, and…
Vikings-Packers.
That’s right. Brett Favre makes his first appearance against his former team this week on Monday Night Football. Get ready, because you won’t be hearing about anything else all week. (And if you’re interested in tickets, follow the link for some great Vikings-Packers tickets resources.)
As always, this post is designed to be the most complete viewing guide you’ll find anywhere. Not only is every game listed (with date, time, network, and announcer pairing) but we also give you the point spread and over-under, as well as an educated guess at a spread pick for each game.
Through three weeks I am 28-20 against the spread. I’ll take it!
Update: The NFL Week 17 TV schedule, point spreads, and picks post is up.
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Does it seem to anyone else like those first two weeks of the NFL season just flew by?
I suppose it always seems like that. Training camp and the preseason just drags on and on and before you know it — BAM! — your team is 0-2 and it feels like all hope is lost.
Yes, you guessed it, a Browns fan is writing this week’s NFL TV schedule, point spreads, and announcer pairings post.
And although Browns fans may not have a whole lot to watch this week, considering their team has to travel to Baltimore, Week 3 is a pivotal week for a host of fan bases who had high hopes coming into this season.
That is a huge reason why you should be very careful before you bet against the Titans (at the Jets) and the Panthers (at Dallas on Monday night). I realize that neither of these teams has a favorable matchup, but both squads made the playoffs last year, had high hopes coming into 2009, and have rosters filled with prideful veterans.
They may not win, but I’d bet they’ll cover.
As always, this post is designed to be the most complete viewing guide you’ll find anywhere. Not only is every game listed (with date, time, network, and announcer pairing) but we also give you the point spread and over-under, as well as an educated guess at a spread pick for each game.
Through two weeks I am 19-13 against the spread. Not too shabby.
A couple of quick things to keep in mind:
And with all that said, here is your mood music and the Week 3 TV schedule, point spreads, announcers, and picks.
Kansas City Chiefs (0-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
New York Giants (2-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2)
Green Bay Packers (1-1) at St. Louis Rams (0-2)
San Francisco 49ers (2-0) at Minnesota Vikings (2-0)
Tennessee Titans (0-2) at New York Jets (2-0)
Atlanta Falcons (2-0) at New England Patriots (1-1)
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-2) at Houston Texans (1-1)
Washington Redskins (1-1) at Detroit Lions (0-2)
Cleveland Browns (0-2) at Baltimore Ravens (2-0)
Chicago Bears (1-1) at Seattle Seahawks (1-1)
New Orleans Saints (2-0) at Buffalo Bills (1-1)
Miami Dolphins (0-2) at San Diego Chargers (1-1)
Denver Broncos (2-0) at Oakland Raiders (1-1)
Pittsburgh Steelers (1-1) at Cincinnati Bengals (1-1)
Indianapolis Colts (2-0) at Arizona Cardinals (1-1)
Carolina Panthers (0-2) at Dallas Cowboys (1-1)
Update: The NFL Week 17 TV schedule, point spreads, and picks post is up.
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As Michael Jackson once sang with his brothers, “can you feel it…Can You Feel It…CAN YOU FEEL IT!?”
Not sure exactly what the late, great MJ was referring to when he sang those lyrics, but I reference them to illustrate my excitement at what will happen this Thursday night: the kickoff of another NFL season.
I love college football, and was excited about the first full slate of games this past Saturday, but nothing beats the NFL. And now that the Official Sports League of America is back, so to is our weekly look at each game with the NFL Week 1 Preview, including the TV Schedule, Announcer Pairings, Point Spreads, and Over-Unders. Plus, I try my hand and predicting each game against the spread.
A quick note for all the gamblers out there:
First of all, the point spreads and over-unders you see listed below are current as of September 7th. Thus, if you want the most up-to-date information, follow this link to DocSports where we get our information from:
Secondly, I don’t bet on the NFL or any sports, so I won’t be “putting my money where mouth is” to test out the wisdom I dispense below. And I don’t have any charts of historical trends regarding how teams do against the spread in various situations. My picks, while against the spread, are just my own educated gut feelings. If you want true expert advice, here is a helpful link:
And finally, before we delve into the Week 1 preview, a quick shout out to our sources for the helpful information contained in this post, as well as some mood music in the form of an embedded mp3 to get you ready for Week 1 of the 2009 NFL season:
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Tennessee Titans (0-0) at Pittsburgh Steelers (0-0)
Miami Dolphins (0-0) at Atlanta Falcons (0-0)
Kansas City Chiefs (0-0) at Baltimore Ravens (0-0)
Philadelphia Eagles (0-0) at Carolina Panthers (0-0)
Denver Broncos (0-0) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-0)
Minnesota Vikings (0-0) at Cleveland Browns (0-0)
New York Jets (0-0) at Houston Texans (0-0)
Jacksonville Jaguars (0-0) at Indianapolis Colts (0-0)
Detroit Lions (0-0) at New Orleans Saints (0-0)
Dallas Cowboys (0-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)
San Francisco 49ers (0-0) at Arizona Cardinals (0-0)
Washington Redskins (0-0) at New York Giants (0-0)
St. Louis Rams (0-0) at Seattle Seahawks (0-0)
Chicago Bears (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0)
Buffalo Bills (0-0) at New England Patriots (0-0)
San Diego Chargers (0-0) at Oakland Raiders (0-0)
