Well, it’s weeks like this past one that make you not want to gamble. It was a massacre for both Bucky and I. I had 7.5 units on the line, and only won 0.24 on a Seattle moneyline bet that saw the Bengals down a point with the ball and a few plays left. At least that bet was exciting. Most of my college dog moneyline plays were never in the mix, which, as I’ve noted before, is a notable risk in pursuing those types of bets. But this week was particularly bad. I was tailgating and barhopping for the LSU/Texas game in 102 degree heat and kept re-checking my phone to make sure I wasn’t seeing shit. Or was seeing it. Either way, I wanted the scores to be better.
How could Rutgers, Cincinnati and West Virginia combine for 7 points? That’s three varsity, Division 1A, Football Grown Ass Man sub-division squads, eating up scholarships, tax dollars, and a ton of meal plan food who in 3 hours of game time scored seven points. Amazing. Western Michigan went down 21-0 to Sparty in the first quarter and never looked like they gave a damn that I’d staked my prognosticating reputation on them. Ditto for Southern Miss, who, unbeknownst to me, were NOT starting a sports-science project Brett Favre (Franken-Favre?) at quarterback. I was almost sure that was a thing and definitely would not have picked them otherwise.
Liberty seemed like they might chase my +415 payoff when they went up 14-7 in the 2nd quarter. Then they gave up four unanswered TDs to the Ragin’ Cajuns (badass name, by the way) and failed to score a single point themselves the rest of the game. The one thing I could take solace in was that Bucky’s Saturday picks were almost as bad as mine. Of course, he picks spreads, so he’s in far more of his bets for far longer than I am, but the end result was the same other than a push he picked up at some ungodly hour from a double overtime Fresno State game.
That brings us to Sunday and the start of the NFL season, where Bucky had taken the Chiefs -4 and I had taken Nick Foles not having his clavicle destroyed on the moneyline. Chalk one up for Buck. Over in his Chargers -6.5 bet, Bucky got screwed by the idiosyncratic Overtime PAT rules when the Chargers scored a walk off TD and their kicker just hit the showers. And that brings us full circle to me watching Andy Dalton get the ball with 21 seconds left at his own 25, down a point, ready to complete two quick passes, kick a field a goal, steal my moneyline fave win, and send me home winless on the weekend. I’ve rarely felt like less of a man gambling. But then the Bengals fumbled, I covered , and order was restored.
But my grandmother didn’t raise a bunch of quitters, so it’s back into the fray we go this week with what I can only assume will be much better picks (that’s how probabilities work, right)?
Uncle Bucky’s NCAAF picks (each for 1 unit):
- Wake Forest -3 at -105 vs North Carolina on Bovada.lv
- Boston College -20.5 at -105 vs Kansas on BetOnline.ag
- Minnesota -16.5 at -113 vs Ga. Southern on BetOnline.ag
- Iowa State +1.5 at -105 vs Iowa on Bovada.lv
Uncle Bucky’s NFL picks (each for 1 unit except Dallas, which is for 5 units!!!):
- Dallas -4.5 at -116 vs Washington on BetOnline.ag
- Houston -8.5 at -109 vs Jacksonville on GTBets.eu
- Atlanta +2 at -105 vs Philly on Bovada.lv
- Tennessee -3 at -115 vs Indy on BetOnline.ag
My NCAAF Picks for 1 unit:
- Indiana to beat Ohio State at +725 on BetOnline.ag
- Temple to beat Maryland at +220 on GTBets.eu
- MTSU to beat Duke at +215 on BetOnline.ag
My NCAAF Picks for 1/2 unit:
- Miami (OH) to beat Cincy at +675 on BetOnline.ag
- Tulsa to beat Oklahoma State at +435 on GTBets.eu
- South Alabama to beat Memphis at +750 on Mybookie.ag
- Texas State to beat SMU at +655 on GTBets.eu
- Hawaii to beat Washington at +1020 on GTBets.eu
- UCLA to beat Oklahoma at +1170 on GTBets.eu
My NFL Picks (each for 1 unit)
- Arizona to beat Baltimore at +562 on Betnow.eu
- Washington to beat Dallas at +240 on Bovada.lv
- Oakland to beat Kansas City at +275 on Bovada.lv
That’s it for this week’s picks. Now it’s about this week’s results, and may they be better than last week’s. Until next time, stay sharp.
