After finishing last season 43-27-3 (10-10-1 on college games, 33-17-2 on NFL games), the Weekly Wager is off to a disappointing 0-1 start thanks to the New York Giants second half let down Wednesday night. With that said, here are the remaining picks for this week:
Seattle @ Arizona (+2.5) - SUN 4:25PM - FOX
Sunday marks the beginning of the Russell Wilson era in Seattle, and I'm feelin' it. After signing Matt Flynn for good coin this offseason, Wilson was a long shot to get the starting nod. Let's face it, he not only had to outplay Flynn in the preseason, but he had to outperform Flynn off the field in order to get Coach Carroll to go to bat for him. Wilson is a gamer with a chip on his shoulder. Reminds me of Drew Brees when he was first starting out. Arizona wishes they had this drama. Instead, the Cardinals have a couple QBs that shouldn't be starting NFL quarterbacks. Too bad for Larry Fitzgerald. Whether Marshawn Lynch plays or not (back spasms), I think Seattle comes out fired up with Wilson at the helm. It only helps Seattle has a respectable defense going up against what should be one of the worst offenses this year...Seattle 24, St. Arizona 14
Pittsburgh @ Denver (-1.0) - SUN 8:20PM - NBC
Can you ask for a better Sunday night game? I don't know a single NFL fan who isn't eager to see what Peyton Manning will do in Denver this year. Peyton's signing with the Broncos has taken Denver's Super Bowl odds in Vegas from 50-1 to 10-1. While skeptics point to Peyton's increasing number of INTs over the years and general decline in productivity, he couldn't have walked into a better situation. Peyton has two solid WRs in Demaryius Thomas and Eric Decker in addition to an offensive line that blocked its way to lead the league in rushing with 165ypg. At the same time, Pittsburgh is facing an uphill battle with the run game thanks to injuries, and Big Ben is playing catch up with Mike Wallace who finally decided to focus on playing football. Look for a strong showing from Denver on both sides of the ball with Eric Decker and Willis McGahee helping Peyton to his first W in over a year...Denver 27, Pittsburgh 24
Cincinnati @ Baltimore (-7.0) - MON 7:00PM - ESPN
Expect the Ravens to come out and play with a purpose as they remember their late owner Art Modell and the role he played in the franchise's history. It doesn't hurt that the Bengals have lost 3 of the last 4 against the Ravens and haven't managed to win in Baltimore since '09. Cincinnati is hoping Andy Dalton and AJ Green can reestablish what Carson Palmer and Chad Johnson had years ago, but time will tell. In the meantime, the Ravens will be trying to avenge their disappointing loss in last year's AFC Championship. Look for a more aggressive offensive attack from Joe Flacco and a defense that realizes the clock is ticking for its leaders...Baltimore 27, Cincinnati 17
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Weekly Wager: Opening Day
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants (-3.5) - WED 8:30PM - NBC
Peter King is usually on point, but his call on the Cowboys winning the NFC East this year is highly questionable. The Giants might not win the Division, but they ain't losing to the Cowboys, at home. This season is likely Tony Romo's last chance to lead his team to the post season before Jerry Jones goes Dr. Jekyll on him. No playoffs probably spells another direction for JJ. Unfortunately for Romo, Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck will be in his face all night long ala Tom Brady and the drama in Dallas will start back up. While Jason Witten is supposedly active for tonight's game, I don't see him being much of a difference maker, even if he gets on the field.
The only chance the 'Boys have tonight will be if their O-Line manages to withstand the pressure upfront and allows Romo to slice and dice the Giants secondary. However, Mrs. Wager doubts this. Eli will likely face a tougher D than last year's squad, as Rob Ryan has had more time to teach his complex scheme. It won't make a difference in the Giants balanced attack though. Look for a little extra fire from the G-Men tonight as last year's Super Bowl ring didn't get a lot of love thanks to Linsanity taking America by storm the same weekend...Giants 27, Cowboys 20
Peter King is usually on point, but his call on the Cowboys winning the NFC East this year is highly questionable. The Giants might not win the Division, but they ain't losing to the Cowboys, at home. This season is likely Tony Romo's last chance to lead his team to the post season before Jerry Jones goes Dr. Jekyll on him. No playoffs probably spells another direction for JJ. Unfortunately for Romo, Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck will be in his face all night long ala Tom Brady and the drama in Dallas will start back up. While Jason Witten is supposedly active for tonight's game, I don't see him being much of a difference maker, even if he gets on the field.
The only chance the 'Boys have tonight will be if their O-Line manages to withstand the pressure upfront and allows Romo to slice and dice the Giants secondary. However, Mrs. Wager doubts this. Eli will likely face a tougher D than last year's squad, as Rob Ryan has had more time to teach his complex scheme. It won't make a difference in the Giants balanced attack though. Look for a little extra fire from the G-Men tonight as last year's Super Bowl ring didn't get a lot of love thanks to Linsanity taking America by storm the same weekend...Giants 27, Cowboys 20
In the words of Justin Tuck..
Hope you all had a great summer and welcome back to another football season...ahh, it feels like Christmas.
Big Blue vs. America's Team. Manning vs. Romo. Jerry Jones vs. the Defending Superbowl champs. Lawrence Tynes vs. Dan Bailey. Ok, that was a stretch....but you get the point. 8:30PM on NBC.
Who will win? Well we have a prediction for this one. Stay tuned for the first weekly wager of the 2012-13 season!
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
NY Giants: World Champs
Congats to the NY Giants and their fans worldwide on being 4th time World Champs!!!
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Weekly Wager: Super Bowl Pick
For the season, Weekly Wager is 42-27-3. 10-10-1 on college games, 32-17-2 in NFL. With that said, see below for this week's picks:
New York Giants @ New England (-2.5) - SUN 6:29PM - NBC
There is a lot of history to be made today. Tom Brady can join Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as only the third quarterback in NFL history to win four Super Bowls, and he can also pass Joe Montana for most playoff wins with his 17th. A win for Eli would give him more Super Bowl rings than big brother Peyton, and another Giants Super Bowl trophy for Tom Coughlin probably gets him in the Hall of Fame and catapults him past Bill Parcells as the best coach in Giants history.
The matchups to focus on are up front. Brady will need his O-Line to step up and give him time to make big plays, while the Giants O-Line will have their hands full with Vince Wilfork. You can bet Belichick will be focused on shutting down Victor Cruz in the slot, which magnifies the importance of blocking Wilfork and getting solid production from Bradshaw and Jacobs on the ground. The Pats Defense was terrible all year, but they have stepped up when it's counted. The fact the Pats are favored should surprise most given the matchups across the board favor the Giants. However, as we saw in Super Bowl XLII, the intangibles are what make the difference in the Super Bowl.
While there are only 8 Pats left from Super Bowl XLII on today's team, Brady is one of them and they are playing for the late Myra Kraft. At the same time, the Giants have their own motivations and are undoubtedly standing behind Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning as their leaders. Two weeks ago I said the Giants were the most balanced team left in the playoffs and my favorite til the end. I'm standing by my words and taking the Giants, who are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 playoff games to win their second Super Bowl in five seasons. Oh yea, it's also Mr. Wager's birthday and the Giants are his team, so I'm sticking with the G-Men to win it all...New York Giants 31, New England 27
New York Giants @ New England (-2.5) - SUN 6:29PM - NBC
There is a lot of history to be made today. Tom Brady can join Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as only the third quarterback in NFL history to win four Super Bowls, and he can also pass Joe Montana for most playoff wins with his 17th. A win for Eli would give him more Super Bowl rings than big brother Peyton, and another Giants Super Bowl trophy for Tom Coughlin probably gets him in the Hall of Fame and catapults him past Bill Parcells as the best coach in Giants history.
The matchups to focus on are up front. Brady will need his O-Line to step up and give him time to make big plays, while the Giants O-Line will have their hands full with Vince Wilfork. You can bet Belichick will be focused on shutting down Victor Cruz in the slot, which magnifies the importance of blocking Wilfork and getting solid production from Bradshaw and Jacobs on the ground. The Pats Defense was terrible all year, but they have stepped up when it's counted. The fact the Pats are favored should surprise most given the matchups across the board favor the Giants. However, as we saw in Super Bowl XLII, the intangibles are what make the difference in the Super Bowl.
While there are only 8 Pats left from Super Bowl XLII on today's team, Brady is one of them and they are playing for the late Myra Kraft. At the same time, the Giants have their own motivations and are undoubtedly standing behind Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning as their leaders. Two weeks ago I said the Giants were the most balanced team left in the playoffs and my favorite til the end. I'm standing by my words and taking the Giants, who are 8-1 ATS in their last 9 playoff games to win their second Super Bowl in five seasons. Oh yea, it's also Mr. Wager's birthday and the Giants are his team, so I'm sticking with the G-Men to win it all...New York Giants 31, New England 27
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