Not sure we thought we could hit a new low, but during the elongated Thanksgiving week of football we did. Between the two writers, they were 1-7, with Andy’s bankroll now retaining barely enough to cover mythical bus fare to the hypothetical airport.

Luckily, we’ve built in to this segment the ability to bet using imaginary IOUs, comfortable in knowing that any negatives we can’t cover will only be pursued by the pretend Vitos and Guidos that go around breaking knuckles.

So, with that said, Andy will have to do some deficit spending this week. Here are the standings:

Week 12 W/L Week 12 $$ Season W/L Season $$ Bankroll
Tony 1-3 -$1,819 17-28-3 -$6,289 $3,911
Andy 0-4 -$2,450 16-31-1 -$9,988 $12

Andy: I’ve had good years betting … well, maybe just one good year. And I’ve had many bad ones. But this has gotten ridiculous.

$500 – Atlanta (+2.5, +100) vs New Orleans – Repeat after me, everyone: Taysom Hill is not a good QB. He’s a good story. He’s a good player, in the sense that he can do a lot of different things and be a valuable piece. But he is not a starting QB in the NFL. And if he starts this game, the Falcons will win straight up.

$500 – Kansas City (-14, +100) vs Denver – I thought this number seemed too high. I would certainly have been more comfortable getting it at the opening -11. But as I thought about it, I realized Denver can’t score – even when it is playing with a legitimate QB (term used loosely, only in comparison with last week’s COVID-driven debacle). The Chiefs should hit 30 without breaking a sweat in this game, very possibly 40.

$500 – Jacksonville at Minnesota: Over 51 – I was surprised to find while doing research … well, I was surprised to find myself doing research, but I was also surprised to find while doing so that nine of the Vikings’ 11 games so far have hit 50 points or higher. Six of the Jaguars’ games have done the same. This feels like a time when I should utilize my brother’s “do the opposite” betting strategy, but what the hell.

$300 – Jacksonville (+400 money line) at Minnesota – I’m sorry, but I’m just not a believer in this Vikings team. Good one week, bad the next. Solid one half, giving up two defensive scores in 10 seconds the next. Beating Green Bay on the road one week, getting schooled by Dallas at home the next. It would be very fitting for this team to escape a with a win against Carolina that it should have lost only to follow up by blowing it against one-win Jacksonville.

Tony: You’ve been as bad betting as I have been…at everything else (football related).

$1,000 – Kansas City (-14, +100) vs Denver – The only thing that makes me hesitant on this one is that it could be a trap game for the Chiefs…but I have to think they’d be disappointed if they only won by 14.

$1,000 – Las Vegas (-9.5, +100) at NY Jets – I normally don’t like to pick games where west coast teams travel east.  But when you play the Jets…

$1,000 – NY Giants at Seattle: Under 47.5 (-110) – I think Seattle might put up 40 on the Giants. With Colt McCoy likely starting for the New York, I think I’d still take the under.

$500 – Cleveland (+220 money line) at Tennessee – When we made our weekly picks, Andy and I got into a lively debate over this game–and I was (am) on the Titans side. But I agree with him that the Browns COULD win the game…as long as they remember to give the ball to Chubb as many times as the Titans give the ball to Henry.