Utah State Aggies VS BYU Cougars: Friday Night Football Pick

On Friday Night I like what I see with the Utah State Aggies – forget about their 1-2 record for a second, because you know that’s what a lot of people are looking up when they’re going against the perennial solid BYU Cougars. They maybe be 1-2, yes, but they still have a positive point differential and they’ve gone up and lost close games to two teams that can play football, Auburn (lost by 4) and Colorado State (lost by 1 in overtime). Okay, CState isn’t very good, but it’s not like they are New Mexico Tech or anything like that. Getting 7.5 points, yeah, I like it – of course, I’m not a big BYU fan, either.

The Aggies’ ability to put points on the board will keep them in this game and always within striking distance – I just think, against a team like BYU, the underdog Aggies have a real good shot to pull the upset. Getting a little more than a touchdown is just icing on the banana bread.

Utah State Aggies (+7.5) @ BYU Cougars

Thursday Night Football Picks: South Florida Vs Pittsburgh, Houston Vs UTEP

Two road favorites… Yikes. Well, it’s how I see ‘em, so be it!

Houston Cougars (-15) @ UTEP Miners

Despite UTEP’s decent defense so far this season,  I just don’t think they have enough ground and pound to stick with Houston. Against the Cougars, they need to run some clock – because  a shootout is basically an auto win for the Cougs. The Miners haven’t been good on the ground and while Houston’s defense hasn’t been too excited about stopping the run, the match-up just doesn’t look good for the Miners. Houston has an efficient quarterback and a coach that loves throwing high numbers up on the scoreboard – expect lots of points out of the Cougars.

South Florida Bulls (-2.5) @ Pittsburgh Panthers

The Panthers played real well defensively against Notre Dame, but they ended up losing anyway. Speaking of Notre Dame, the Irish lost to South Florida in Week 1. The Bulls haven’t played anybody else tough and have dominated bad opponents since then. I know that beating up on subpar opponents is exactly what South Florida should be doing, so that’s really not a reason to go against Pitt, the fact that the Bulls are really good is. Thursday games are tough, favorites often get ousted, but I like South Florida’s chances to get up early and finish off the home team Panthers by at least a touchdown.

Washington Redskins VS Dallas Cowboys: Monday Night Football Free Pick

The Dallas Cowboys just aren’t as good as we all think they are. Listen to Vegas, they seem to be pretty well informed about how good a team is. Last week the Cowboys were only 3 point favorites in San Francisco – a team currently saddled with no rushing attack and Alex Smith throwing to an injured Braylon Edwards and an injured Michael Crabtree and of course a big bad man named Vernon Davis. Frank Gore hasn’t looked good, either. The 49ers are good against the run, sure, but terrible against the pass. So if they were only a 3 point favorite in San Fran (and they barely managed to push that game), how good does Vegas really think they are? You know they aren’t enamored with the 49ers…

Now, Washington on the other hand, they’ve looked pretty solid. They have run the ball well with a team consisting or Roy Helu Jr and Tim Hightower (not in that order) and Sexy Rexy has put up numbers under center. Shanahan’s magic is working!!! Dallas has a very questionable secondary, so Grossman shouldn’t have too much trouble putting in work on Monday Night.

To add more power to Washington’s side, the Cowboys are hurt up and down the board. Dez Bryant might play, but he hasn’t been healthy enough to practice all week so he can’t possibly be 100%. The same can be said for Felix Jones who hasn’t done anything all season. Myles Austin is also out for the Cowboys, taking Romo’s #1 target away from him. The offensive line hasn’t been good, and that leaves a healthy QB at risk. Throw in the fact that Romo has broken rips and soft lungs and you might just have a recipe for a Cowboy disaster.

Getting a field goal plus is good enough for me as I’ll take the Road-Skins.

Washington Redskins (+3.5) @ Dallas Cowboys

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts Sunday Night Football Free Pick

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Indianapolis Colts Sunday Night Football Free Pick: If this line was 20, I’d have a hard time taking the Colts. I don’t know why, but not having Peyton Manning yelling off line calls has put the entire Colts team in a state of blah. It hasn’t looked good. Maybe they snap out of it, sure, but against a very tough Pittsburgh Steelers team that is coming off a shutout against a team just a little more challenged than Indianapolis, I think it’s hard to believe the Colts have a chance.

Defensively, the Steelers could just spend the majority of the day running the football and end up with a pretty good chance to hold the ball most of the day, score some touchdowns, and keep the Colts out of the end zone.
I know everyone had their ideas that Kerry Collins was going to come in and somehow keep the Cotls afloat while Peyton got neck rubs 7 times a day for 5 weeks, but I’m not so sure they Colts won’t come out of this Peyton coma with a handful of losses. This early part of the season really speaks a lot about Peyton and his ability – he sure changes the Colts team, doesn’t he?

The Steelers haven’t really gotten after it yet, playing tentative and not having that offensive risk factor that has made them so good in the past. But if they get up early in Indy, it could be a good day to own Steelers in fantasy.

I expect a 34-13 score – the Steelers are that much better than Indy sans Peyton.

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) @ Indianapolis Colts

3 NFL Free Football Picks for Week 3 2011

I can’t bet on the Seahawks unless I get a full 100% guarantee or my money back. Seriously, why give my hard earned funds away. The Hawks can’t pass, or won’t, or don’t have time to. They can’t run, as Lynch gets hit almost immediately, and last time I checked he’s not Barry Sanders. They have moved Aaron Curry to back-up and their secondary is still turbl (like Charles Barkley says). Larry Fitz is about to big brother the entire Hawks secondary. The only hope for Hawks fans is Andrew Luck.

Arizona Cardinals (-3) @ Seattle Seahawks

I think the Falcons are better than the Bucs, even though this pick scares me a bit because the Falcons probably should have lost last week. The Eagles outplayed them for 3 quarters, but somehow the game stayed close. Vick went down, the Falcons took advantage, the won. But The Eagles looked like the better team. Usually when that’s the case, the next week isn’t so kind to the winner. That being said, one of these days Atlanta is going to play great football. It wasn’t in Week 1 or Week 2, so Week 3 has a probability I can’t pass up.

Atlanta Falcons (+2) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This is always a fun match-up. The Bears really get up for this game, and at home they’ll be ready. That being recognized, I’m not sure their line, in their full ready state, is ready to shut down the Packers’ pass rush. I know Cutler will make some big plays, but the way he’s been beat up in the first two weeks, it’s hard to believe he’ll fend off the Packers’ pass rush. Mike Martz has strong history of risking the lives of his QBs – it continues in Chicago.

Green Bay Packers (-3.5) @ Chicago Bears

Free Football Predictions for Week 3 NFL in 2011

The Chiefs are very similar to the Colts but without as good of players. Yeah, I said that. Nor do they have the winning tradition or much in terms of recent success. They overachieved last year, played out of their gourd, and it’s coming back to get them in 2011. I just can’t bet on the Chiefs right now even if they are getting 2 touchdowns plus a half point for good measure. The Chargers haven’t looked great yet, but KC will try to change that in a hurry.

Kansas City Chiefs @ San Diego Chargers (-14.5)

I rarely buy the chit-chatty Jets with the bad prices Vegas puts on them, but this week I think they have nice value. The Raiders aren’t dynamic offensively, and they aren’t a great defensive team either. McFadden is a beast and New York isn’t as good against the run as they have been, but I see them ganging up and letting their cover corners shutdown the big play. I like the Jets in this match-up – they won’t take the Raiders lightly, I’m sure.

New York Jets (-3) @ Oakland Raiders

The Rams are struggling to get people on the field, and Baltimore will take advantage of that. After dropping haymakers on the Steelers in Week 1, the Ravens took a big step backwards with an embarrassing loss last weekend. I think they get right back on the horse this week and beat up the Rams in St. Louis.

Baltimore Ravens (-3.5) @ St. Louis Rams

2011 NFL Week 3 Free Football Picks and Previews

The Titans sure looked great last week against what I thought was a pretty good Baltimore Ravens team. Then again, they looked bad in losing to Jacksonville in Week 1 – so which team are they? Oh, that’s the crazy NFL for ya, you can never be fore sure! That being said, I think they are somewhere in-between. I imagine they beat the Jaguars 8 of 10 times, but they probably lost to Baltimore at the same rate.

I think Denver and Tennessee are pretty close, to be honest, so 7 points is just way too much. I think Chris Johnson has his first big day of the season, but Kyle Orton probably gives the Titans some trouble as well. I’ll take the points.

Denver Broncos (+7) @ Tennessee Titans

The Texans are sure getting a lot of love this year. They are better, no doubt, but I don’t think they are as good as the Saints, and this line would suggest such a thing. Defensively, the Texans are still young in their move to a 3-4, and though they have a solid and balanced offense, it’s not quite full strength. They are 2-0, yes, a nice start to the season – definitely. And while a win in the NFL is a good win no matter who you are playing outside the NFC West (and Indy right now) the Texans haven’t really proved much against a good team yet. They beat Miami by 10 last week and destroyed a disheartened Colts team in Week 1. The Dolphins and Colts aren’t the Saints. I think we see that pretty clearly in Week 3.

Houston Texans @ New Orleans Saints (-4)

I’m the crazy one taking the Vikings, I guess. I think Minnesota is better against the run this week with big Kevin Williams back logging the line of scrimmage. I think Donovan McNabb throws a touchdown pass or two as the Lions try to gang up on Adrian Peterson. Getting three points at home with an 0-2 record to start the season – sign me up for that! I’m not quite driving the Lions bandwagon quite yet.

Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (+3.5)

Week 3 2011 NFL Picks: Free Football Predictions

I know the Giants are really beat up – not just in the secondary anymore, but all over the football field. I know that the Eagles will make it tough for New York to pass the ball down the field because they have some of the bet corners in the NFL and a nice little pass rush with just 4 down linemen. I know the Vick will make some huge plays and Philly will score some points – but hey, 9.5 is just too good to pass up in this division rivalry. The Giants aren’t that bad – and where they thrive (rushing attack) is where Philly struggles – even though they did a pretty good job against Turner last week (it was really just one run).

The Giants might blitz Vick enough to force him into some mistakes, and if they can win the turnover battle, they might just win this war. Either way, dang near 10 points is too many to pass up.

New York Giants (+9.5) @ Philadelphia Eagles

I know the Bengals through it pretty well last week and San Francisco has been pretty bad against the pass, even though one of the teams they’ve gone up against is Seattle – and those Hawks are throwing illiterate. I just don’t think the Bengals can keep it up. Dalton isn’t a big arm guy that can be relied on for your entire offense, and that’s in college. He’s been good so far, but he’ll come back down to earth.

I also think that San Fran hasn’t tapped into their best resource yet, their rushing attack. When Frank Gore finally gets his legs under him, he’s going to torch a team. This one really comes down to the Bengals giving points – that’s pretty much an auto bet against deal for me.

San Francisco 49ers (+2.5) @ Cincinnati Bengals

There’s just something in me that says the Jaguars are going to beat the Panthers in a close one. I was big on Carolina to start the season – I liked their chances to win some football games behind Cam Newton, a strong young defense, and a solid offensive line. Well, the defense has been decimated by injuries (losing 2 team captains and elite young LBs in Jon Beason and Thomas Davis in back to back games). Jeff Otah might not play with a concussion. Cam has been great, and I hate the way Jacksonville goes about their business, but it’s hard not to like the points here. So I’ll take them.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3.5) @ Carolina Panthers

Fantasy Focus Week 3: 2011 Fantasy Football Picks

Fantasy Football Rankings: Fantasy Focus Week 3 2011

Check out last week’s article if you’re interested in seeing how my picks panned out – no great performances by my top guys, though all were pretty solid. Of my solid starters group, only Stafford and Turner put up real solid numbers – but Bradshaw and Moss both had productive days. Grossman was decent (292, 2 touchdowns) while Sproles and Devery Henderson were very good for my sleepers group – the only guy that didn’t put up productive stats was Mark Sanchez. Daniel Thomas, McGehee, and Burleson were all very good if you listened and needed a very low-owned sleeper for Week 2.

(Papa wants to let you know, if you want some old-school bad-ass fantasy advice, send him emails to….. PAPAWEIMER50@HOTMAIL.COM)

Here are this week’s guys…

Elite Starters: Guys picked early that I love this week, looking for Top 5 at their position.

1. Phillip Rivers- KC Chiefs secondary is swiss cheese.
2. Vincent Jackson – Somebody pay this guy, please.
3. Chris Johnson – The law of averages says he’s too good to struggle three weeks in a row.
4. Larry Fitzgerald – Great match-up against a Seattle team that is solid against the run but struggles against the pass, especially against big receivers.
5. Tom Brady- Tough to bet against him, ever, especially now when he’s in “break all the records” mode.

Solid Starters: Guys picked in middle rounds that should outplay their ranking/draft position this week.

1. Jeremy Maclin–Really good player, should torch the Giants.
2. Percy Harvin- I’m not worried about starting him despite McNabb’s struggles, should have a big game.
3. Ryan Matthews– Chiefs… Matthews has looked very good in all aspects of the game.
4. Matt Schaub -They’ll have to throw the ball to beat the Saints, and if Houston can block for a sec, he’ll have his chances.
5. Steve Smith – Zoom-zoom!

Sleeper Starters: Guys ranked low, drafted low or falling off the charts, but I still like them this week…

1. Ben Tate– He’ll be the man for a very impressive rushing attack, even against a good run D I like him.
2. DeAngelo Williams – that’s how much his stock has dropped in 2 weeks, he’s at sleeper status…
3. Devery Henderson– Can’t not start this guy right now.
4. Shonn Greene – With nobody believing in Green these days, I think he has a chance for a great day this week.
5. Kevin Kolb– Ranked 19th by ESPN, I bet Kolb is Top 10.

Super Sleepers: Undrafted guys that are usually unowned, but in a pinch put ‘em in coach!

1. David Nelson–I like his size as a mismatch with the corners in New England.
2. Tony Scheffler– Petitgrew might be out, and Scheffler has a nice match-up against a Minnesota team that gives up big plays to TEs.
3. Tashard Choice – Owned Jamal Charles and Felix Jones and Steven Jackson? So much for that fantasy strength at RB. Maybe try Choice, could have a nice day if given touches. Dallas’s offense will need some kind of help.
4. Jabar Gaffney – He’s unowned, getting targets, and playing against that Dallas secondary. Give him a shot if you’re in a bind.
5. Tarvaris Jackson – In a two QB league, Jackson plays the Arizona Cardinals…. That secondary is bad. Bad enough to start T-Jack? It’s a chance, risky and crazy, but it might just be crazy enough to work.

Sit ‘Em Son: I don’t care where they were drafted, I don’t like these guys starting this week…

1. Denarius Moore – Great game last week, kid. This week, enjoy Revis island.
2. Hakeem Nicks– He’s great, and probably the Giants only healthy target – but that’s why I can’t buy in, the Eagles should key on him pretty much all night.
3. Pierre Thomas– Who thought Sproles would be the best option at RB for fantasy owners? Put your hand down, jerkoff, you’re lying.
4. Mark Ingram– The NO receivers do fine with a time share, but the Saints runners scare me.
5. Big Ben– I just think they run it too much for him to be a Top 20 guy.

ACC Free College Football Picks for Week 4 2011

Kansas State Wildcats @ Miami Hurricanes (-12.5)

The Miami Hurricanes didn’t even play that well last week, at least not offensively, and they still dropped the hammer down on the Buckeyes of Ohio State. Sure, the Buckeyes aren’t the dominant team they’ve had in the past, but they aren’t a bunch of slouches either. This could be a bit of a let down game for the Hurricanes, or they could just come out and play pretty well. If they get anywhere close to their talent potential on Saturday, it’s going to be a very long day for the Wildcats down in Miami.

I think it will be Miami’s defense that really shuts down the Wildcats. Offensively, look for a heavy rushing attack from Miami – that’s their group to lean on.

Florida State Seminoles @ Clemson Tigers (-1.5)

Clemson is coming off a pretty big win, and that’s pretty scary – especially when they’re facing a more talented team that just lost to Oklahoma in a pretty good game. Yes, this is my least favorite pick of the week – but I have to say, it’s Clemson’s ability to put points on the board that has me on board with them.
Florida State still hasn’t done anything too impressive, except for playing tight with an elite Oklahoma team. Clemson’s defense is decent, however, and if it’s a shootout, I think the Tigers have the advantage. But I’m scared of this one, heck, I wouldn’t put much of the live savings down on this one.

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