Wrapping up 2012 picks and bets

by | Dec 31, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling, NFL Picks

In an effort to provide accountability – and because I’m sure all six of you who make a point of looking for our picks and bets every week are dying to know – we wanted to provide final regular tallies for our best bets and picks segments.

In week 17, our futility continued when it comes to betting. Andy and Tony both hit just one of four picks, though both of the correct ones were moneyline upset picks that, if bet right, might have kept us from going completely broke with our imaginary money.

The 1-3 tallies left Andy with a 30-37-1 record for the season. Tony tumbled to a 28-40 mark.

Our picks were markedly better. Andy finished out the season with a bang, going 13-3 in week 17. A 27-5 run the final two weeks upped his record to 166-89-1 for the season. Tony led most of the way but fell to 9-7 in week 16 and 10-6 in week 17 for a 161-94-1 mark.

I’d like to once again thank the team bloggers who participated in our celebrity pick segment every week. Their efforts resulted in a 158-97-1 mark for the season.

As this is a highly anticipated segment each week, we’ll probably come up with something for the playoffs too. Check back for details on that later.

 

NFL Picks, 2012 season, Week 17

by | Dec 26, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

With a convincing win over Detroit on Saturday night, the Atlanta Falcons took another step toward a championship by locking up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

So why isn’t anyone buying Atlanta? The 13-2 Falcons have been dominant against teams they should beat this season, but have not played the most difficult of schedules. That’s not their fault – you can only play the teams they tell you to play. But there’s still the lingering feeling stemming from blowout losses in playoff games the last two seasons.

Greg Huseth, senior editor and staff writer for Blogging Dirty, says those two games have this team better prepared for what it takes to have success in the playoffs.

“The Falcons have been embarrassed the last two seasons in the playoffs and I think that has made them more mentally tough,” he says. “They also overlooked a bad Carolina Panthers team in Week 14 and got obliterated. Those playoff losses, and the more recent loss to Carolina, have taught them not to overlook any aspect of the game and that if they don’t execute, it won’t matter that they’re the number one seed in the NFC.”

The Falcons are going to have a challenging road in the postseason, even if they are playing at home. San Francisco and Seattle look to be peaking and Green Bay also is playing well. But it did look to me like Atlanta did take its game up a notch against Detroit, so maybe they are poised for a better showing.

Huseth joined us as our guest blogger for the regular season’s final week. Last week’s guest celebrity blogger was Keith Myers from 12th Man Rising. He went 12-4, which was good for second place last week. He beat Tony, who went 9-7. Andy hit on a bunch of upsets, which led to a 14-2 week that sprung him to a two-game lead for the season.

  Week 16 Season
Andy 14-2 153-86-1
Tony 9-7 151-88-1
Celebrity bloggers 12-4 148-91-1

(more…)

NFL Picks, 2012 Season, Week 16

by | Dec 20, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

The NFL Rookie of the Year discussions to this point have primarily centered on RGIII and Andrew Luck. Those two certainly have shown that they’ll be forces opposing defenses will have to reckon with for years to come. In a traditional season, however, the work Russell Wilson has done in bringing the Seattle Seahawks to prominence this season would be in the mix as well.

Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and a hard-hitting defense have combined to put Seattle squarely in the playoff mix. With a pair of 50-point showings the last two weeks, the team is peaking at the right time, too.

Keith Myers, editor and lead writer for 12th Man Rising, acknowledges that injuries and suspensions make this week’s divisional tilt with the 49ers a challenge.

“The Seahawks likely go into this week’s game against San Francisco with their fifth and sixth string cornerbacks again playing very large rolls for the defense,” he says. “That’s not a recipe for success once the playoffs begin. Throw in significant injuries to two starting defensive linemen and there’s some concern when the opponents are better than the Cardinals and Bills.”

Still, he adds that this team is better than most people think and that it is going to be a tough out once the playoffs begin.

“The way the Seahawks’ offense is clicking right now, if they can get healthy on defense before the playoffs start, then there’s no team they can’t beat,” Myers says. “They may not win three straight road games to get to the Super bowl, but they’ll go into every game with a real chance of winning.”

This team has shown improvements throughout the last two seasons. With the steady play at quarterback both teams are getting from their youngsters, I think the 49ers and Seahawks are primed to create a rivalry for supremacy in the NFC West, not just this year, but for years to come.

Myers joined us as this week’s guest game picker. Last week’s guest blogger, Kim Constantinesco, not only has the best name of anyone who has ever participated in this segment. The senior editor for Predominantly Orange stuck with my brother pick for pick in week 15. Despite some close games decided in the last seconds, Constantinesco and Tony finished the week 9-7.

This allowed Andy to pick up a game in the standings, as the blind squirrel I’ve had doing my picks the last couple weeks found the nut 10 times. Tony’s got a three game lead over me and, due to a couple rough weeks in the middle of the season, the celebrity guest game picking bloggers are currently six back of the leader with two weeks to play. (more…)

NFL Picks, 2012 Season, Week 15

by | Dec 13, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

The sense heading into the 2012 season was that if Peyton Manning could come back to anything resembling his earlier years, the Denver Broncos would be in position to have a pretty good season.

Manning has answered any doubters he may have had to the tune of 3,800 yards and 30 touchdowns heading into week 15. And the Broncos have won eight in a row, running away with a division that in recent years often has been won by whatever team can reach eight or nine wins for the season.

Kim Constantinesco, senior editor of Predominantly Orange, thinks the best is yet to come.

“When all three phases are playing well, this is undoubtedly the best team in the NFL,” she says. “If everyone stays healthy and takes care of business, the Broncos team is Super Bowl bound.”

I’m not sure the separation is that great yet. New England is playing well and, when on its game, Houston can play with anyone. But the Broncos are right in the mix to be playing for the town’s first title since John Elway retired.

Constantinesco joined Zoneblitz as our guest blogger for week 15. She follows Greg Cowan, managing editor and senior writer with Colts Authority. I’m not sure we’ll be inviting him back again – Cowan destroyed both of us by going 11-5. Andy was a brutal 6-10 and Tony finished a paltry 8-8. Tony maintains the lead as we head into the final three weeks of the season.

(more…)

NFL Picks, 2012 Season, Week 14

by | Dec 5, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

Andrew Luck provided Indianapolis fans with another comeback win, this time ruining the weekend for the Detroit Lions. The level of success Luck is having early in his career has created speculation about just how far this team can go in 2012, which was supposed to be a rebuilding year.

Greg Cowan, managing editor and senior writer with Colts Authority, says he’s intrigued by that question too given that “on paper, they probably should have stopped winning about two wins ago.”

Cowan is realistic. If the Colts do make the playoffs they probably should be one-and-done. But he also thinks they could be capable of a first-round shocker, particularly if they get a match-up with a flawed Baltimore squad.

“Are they going to win it all? Not this year,” he says. “But beyond this year, the sky is the limit.”

Cowan joined Zoneblitz.com as week 14’s guest blogger. He follows Steve Spooner, team editor at 49ers Gab.

Spooner struggled to a 7-9 mark during another wild, upset-filled week. Tony was 10-6. Andy was 11-5. This put some distance between the brothers and the bloggers, but tightened the match between the two of them, err, us. Tony retains a two-game lead for the season.

Week 13 Season
Tony 10-6 125-66-1
Andy 11-5 123-68-1
Celebrity bloggers 7-9 116-75-1

There are four weeks left in the regular season. Here are the picks for week 14. (more…)

NFL Picks, 2012 Season, Week 13

by | Nov 28, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Picks

In what should surprise nobody, the NFL Network just reported that the San Francisco 49ers will start Colin Kaepernick this weekend against the St. Louis Rams. Kaepernick’s passing numbers haven’t been overwhelming in the two games he has started since Alex Smith suffered his concussion. But he’s unquestionably jolted an already strong team into another gear.

Smith has developed into a very solid quarterback and he really doesn’t deserve yet another downside to a career that got off to a slow start, in part due to coaching and system changes. But keeping the athletic Kaepernick in the lineup makes all the sense in the world, agrees Steve Spooner, team editor at 49ers Gab.

“The 49ers are making the right move by sticking with Kaepernick,” he says. “He has the hot hand right now and has added an extra spark to the offense.”

Spooner joined Zoneblitz.com as guest picker for week 13. He follows Richard Hill from Pats Pulpit, who went 9-7 in week 12. It was a tough week with a couple of real upsets and a bunch more close calls. Tony and Andy both went 10-6, leaving Tony with a three-game lead for the season.

Week 12 Season
Tony 10-6 115-60-1
Andy 10-6 112-63-1
Celebrity Bloggers 9-7 109-66-1

(more…)