NFL Best Bets: Week 15 – 2012

by | Dec 12, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling

After the dreadful start we had to our betting season, I didn’t think our picks could get much uglier. We seemed to be on a bit of a roll heading into week 14, but last week everything went wrong.

Andy went 1-3, dropping his season record to 25-30-1. Tony did even worse, not connecting once, even picking Arizona to upset Seattle in a game the Cardinals ultimately lost 58-0.

It may be merciful that there are only three weeks left in the season. But we’re going to go down with a fight. On what is supposed to be the lucky day of 12/12/12, here goes for week 15.

Tony (more…)

NFL Best Bets: Week 12 – 2012

by | Nov 21, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling

This is a terrible week for betting. Injuries and other abnormal situations have left five lines at near pick ‘ems and a couple more still not even on the board yet. And then there is the Monday night game – one does have to wonder if the “N/A” for that snoozer is “Not Available” or “Not Applicable,” since it’s not an NFL game.

Anyway, I pulled off my second straight 3-1 in week 11, so I’m inching ever closer to .500. Well, I’m still a ways off at 19-25, but 6-2 over the last two weeks is acceptable.

Tony still has a one-game lead for the season, but he dropped from 4-0 in week 10 to 2-2 in week 11. Here are the picks for Thanksgiving weekend. (more…)

NFL Best Bets: Week 1 – 2012

by | Sep 4, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Gambling

Neither of us put any fear into the “betting experts” last year when we started doing our “Best Bets.” But we had a good time doing them. So we’re bringing them back for another year.

There’s not a whole lot of science that goes into our picks. We look things over, ponder what we know and have read, and try to find a couple pointspreads that look off. As I learn every time I try to bet against the spreads, those are hard to find. Vegas generally does an amazing job figuring out how these games are going to go.

Nonetheless, here are our thoughts on the best bets for the opening week of the 2012 NFL football season. Take these for what they’re worth – virtually nothing. (more…)

Could Mario Williams be the Bills’ version of Reggie White?

Could Mario Williams be the Bills’ version of Reggie White?

by | Mar 14, 2012 | 2012 season, NFL Free Agency, NFL History, NFL Random Thoughts

In 1992, the Green Bay Packers finished 9-7, completing a 20-year stretch in which they made the playoffs one time (strike shortened 1982, when they finished 5-3-1) and only finished above .500 three times. But in a surprise move the next offseason, they landed the top free agent on the market in the first year of true free agency, defensive end Reggie White, signing him to a then-record 4-year, $17 million deal.

The next season the Packers still finished just 9-7. But thy made the playoffs for the first time in a non-strike year since 1972, starting a string of six consecutive seasons (White’s entire run with the team) and 15 of 19 years in which they would make playoff appearances — a stretch capped by two Super Bowl wins and a third appearance in the big game.

White wasn’t the only catalyst for the run (a certain guy named Favre began his long consecutive games started streak during the third game of the 1992 season). But his signing has generally been credited with being a reason that other free agents would be willing to consider moving to a team that has the smallest media market in the NFL. And the infusion of talent led to success, which has led to more free agents along the way.

Fast forward 20 years, and the Buffalo Bills may be trying to make the same kind of splash with free agent defensive end Mario Williams.  The Bills are coming off a 6-10 season where they started strong at 5-2, before losing eight of their last nine games, the seventh straight sub-.500 record and 12th straight season with no playoff appearances. (more…)