Timely Penalty Costs Giants

Ramses Barden was called for Offensive Pass Interference.

The Philadelphia Eagles knocked off the New York Giants 19-17 at home Sunday Night. The game was a close one the whole way throughout, and both defenses came to play. On the final drive, Eli and the Giants had the ball at the 35 thanks to a great return by David Wilson. Down the field the Giants marched, like they have done so many times since they drafted Manning back in 2004. The Giants got the ball all the way down to the Eagles 27 yard line thanks to a lot of pass interference calls, and had a chance to win the game with a Lawrence Tynes' kick. With time still left on the clock, the Giants decided to take a shot deep down the sideline, and it ended up costing them the game. Ramses Barden was called for offensive Pass interference, and the Giants were backed up to the 37 yard line, leaving Lawrence Tynes to make a 54 yard field goal. Tynes' field goal was on the money, but left short, and instead of walking out with a victory, the Giants fell to 2-2 and potentially tied for last in perhaps the league's toughest division.

Monday Soccer Plays

Getafe vs. Mallorca: Well, after winning 11 units this weekend, we turn our attention to a little soccer betting. We like to bet real football on weekends, and a little futbal on weekdays. We turn our focus to a Spanish league BBVA match up between Getafe vs. Mallorca. A quick look at the tables doesn’t tell the real stories of these teams. Getafe is 1-1-3, but they have faced some huge challenges early. In their first game they played Sevilla, a top 5 BBVA team, even on the road, but lost 2-1. They then proceeded to beat Real Madrid 2-1 at home, and then tied a slightly below average Deportivo team on the road, before getting pounded at Barcelona, and losing a evenly played game at #13 Celta. Simply put, Getafe has played the strong schedule, but if they had been given a bounce or two, could be 2-2-1. Mallorca on the other hand has yet to play Barca or either Madrid so far this season. To top that off, they have played an extremely weak schedule, in which they almost lost, at home, to the winless boys from Espanyols, they then proceeded to tie a top tier team at Malaga. It should be noted though that they lost the possession battle 66-34. They then beat a solid Real-Sociedad team at home; Sociedad is a notoriously bad away team though, going 0-3-0 on the road this season. They then lost the possession battle 60-40 away in a tie against current #18 Osasuna, and last game, they won the game, yet lost possession 70-30 at home against mighty top tier Valencia. The possession numbers don’t lie, and they prove that Mallorca shouldn’t be the #4 team in the BBVA standings right now. They have been outplayed every game, and have yet to even come close to winning a possession battle. As some say, 90% of soccer is possession, and Getafe should prove me true tomorrow. 2 UNITS TO WIN 2.5 UNITS ON GETFAE 1X2.

There is another game from a big futbal division, as EPL features West Ham taking on QPR. West Ham is 2-2-1 so far, going 0-1-1 on the road. Although West Ham has had a easy schedule so far, they still are #8 in the tables, with 1 less game played than all other teams. QPR on the other hand has faced 3 top 5 teams in Chelsea, Man City, and Tottenham. I think this game will end in a 0-0 draw. West Ham has yet to score a goal on the road, even at #19 Norwich they couldn’t find the back of the net, in fact Norwich dominated them 20 shots to 9, and struggled to get a mere 7 shots at Swansea. To make things weirder, West Ham has out shot their opponent every time this year while playing at home, which shows they clearly have problems on the road. QPR was able to draw and play Chelsea equal 0-0 at home, and they should have gotten a much closer result at home against Swansea, where Swansea scored 5 goals on 12 shots. QPR has yet to score at home, West Ham has yet to score on the road, 0-0 draw is my prediction. ½ UNIT on DRAW TO WIN 1.5 UNITS AND 3 UNITS ON UNDER 2.5. 

Sunday Night Pick

Well, well, well. If you have been following us this week, we won 11 units on college football and lost 2 units in NFL football. (So far...) The record might not be too stunning, but keep in mind we did win a solid 9 units this weekend, which is 9 times more than an average bet made. As we head into the final pick for the weekend, we have a Sunday Night Football match up of Giants +2.5 @ Eagles. Little known fact, the Giants are 33-13 on the road over the last few years. They are 1 game over .500 at home during the same stretch. Be aware though, this is a solid line, the Giants may struggle moving the ball without their number 1 WR Hakeem Nicks, although they have Ramses Barden to step in, they still will miss one of the best WR in the league, regardless of how well Barden has been of late. The Giants are also missing a solid RT in David Diehl. However, I feel the thing that makes the Giants the favorite this week, is the fact that they have yet to play since September 20th, 10 days ago. Also the Eagles 2 wins this season have been by a total of 17-16 against the Browns, and 24-23 against the Ravens. I believe this makes the 2.5 points given worth taking for the Giants, rather than going with the money line play. There is no definitive perfect play in this game, but I feel I small bet on the Giants has a solid chance to be profitable. Giants +2.5 for 1 unit Under 46 1 unit. 

Wild Weekend in College Football

It was a chaotic Saturday from noon till midnight. SportsCenter's Top 10 plays should be renamed to the top 50 plays, as Geno Smith and the Mountaineers could account for 10 on their own. It was a day that was rampant with touchdowns, and even the two SEC teams, Tennessee and Georgia got in a shootout, which resulted in a victory for the Bulldogs. Many other games went right down to the wire including Texas vs. Oklahoma St., where Texas scored a late touchdown, and also Nebraska vs. Wisconsin, where Nebraska came from  2 touchdowns behind to win. Let's hope the NFL can bring the same kind of excitement today.

White Sox Stay Alive; Beat Rays 3-1

Chris Sale will take the mound for the Sox tomorrow. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

The White Sox closed the gap between them and the Tigers to only 1 game after their win tonight. Gavin Floyd's survival act was enough to get through 5 innings with only giving up 1 run, despite throwing 5 walks. The Sox' bats didn't quite explode, however the 3 runs that they produced was enough. Alex Rios capped off an already fantastic season by going 3 for 4 with a homer that gave the Sox a 2-1 lead. They never looked back, as Jesse Crain came in and shut out the Rays over 2 2/3. Meanwhile in Minneapolis, at Target Field, the Twins helped out their longtime rivals by edging out the Tigers 4-2. Twins starter Scott Diamond pitched a gem and gave up only 1 run over 7 1/3 innings, however only earned the no decision as the Twins bats didn't wake up until late Friday night.
          For the Sox, they'll look to build on this victory and tie up the race for the pennant. They take on the Rays again tomorrow at 3:05 with their Co-Ace Chris Sale set to take the mound, while the Rays will counter with Matt Moore. As for the Tigers, they'll give the nod to their Ace, Justin Verlander who will be up against a struggling pitcher in P.J. Walters of the Twins.

Hunt For October: Pennant Race Update (AL) 9.28.12

AL East
      Derek Jeter and the Yankees were shut out last night in Toronto as the Blue Jays won 6-0. The Orioles had an off day and they move 1 game behind New York. They each have 6 games left. Yankees: TOR, TOR, TOR, BOS, BOS, BOS. Orioles: BOS, BOS, BOS, TB, TB, TB.

AL Central
      Evan Longoria crushed the White Sox's hopes of a comeback victory Thursday night as he crushed a solo shot in the top of the ninth. The Rays won 3-2. The Tigers did not play and now have a 2 game division lead. Tigers (6 Games Left): MIN, MIN, MIN, KC, KC, KC. White Sox (6 Games Left): TB, TB, TB, CLE, CLE, CLE

AL West
    The Rangers moved 4 games ahead of Oakland after a 9-7 win last night over the A's. Oakland came back to score 3 on the 8th but could not make a final push. Rangers (6 Games Left): LAA, LAA, LAA, OAK, OAK, OAK. Athletics (6 Games Left): SEA, SEA, SEA, TEX, TEX, TEX.

AL Wildcard
    Baltimore and Oakland both hold the wildcard at this point with the Angels 2 games behind both of them. Angels (6 Games Left): TEX, TEX, TEX, SEA, SEA, SEA

Hunt for October (Pennant Race) AL

   

Jake Peavy will look to end the White Sox skid tonight.

 AL East
  Sabathia struck out 10 as the Yankees won 8-2 over the Twins. The Orioles hit 7 home runs as they pounded the Blue Jays 12-2. The AL East is still the Yankees by 1.5 games.

AL Central
     The Tigers edged out the Royals 5-4 last night to take sole possession of first after the White Sox walked 12 and lost to the Indians 6-4.

AL West
    Josh Hamilton and the Rangers still have a commanding 3 game lead in the West after a 9-3 loss against the Athletics who are in second place in the division.

WildCard
     Baltimore and Oakland own the wildcard right now and have an almost identical record. The Angels are 2 game behind both of them.

Deal Reached; NFL Officials Back in Action

Breaking News: The NFL and and the referees' union have reached a tentative agreement at midnight on Thursday, ending the three month holdout. In a statement, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said, "Our officials will be back on the field starting tomorrow night" (Cleveland vs. Baltimore)
  
The two sides tentative 8 year deal must be ratified by a majority of the union's 121 member. The voting will be held on Friday.

Replacement Referees Here to Stay?

Roger Goodell and the NFL has announced that they back up the controversial touchdown call made in the final minute of Monday Night's Packers vs. Seahawks game. This comes as no surprise, as the NFL has been quick to defend the new replacement referees. In reality, most fans believe that this was a blasphemous call that was made by unqualified referees, and they have plenty of reason to think so. It is also now known that the referee who made the controversial call has done most of his officiating in high school and junior college. Most believe that the public outcry and new emerging details over the asinine call would be enough for the NFL to pay for the regular referees to return, however this may not be the case. In fact, this may have only made the time-table for a deal to get done, longer. It's an amalgamation of the NFL and Roger Goodell's stubbornness and pride that will not allow this deal to get done. Many including ESPN's Skip Bayless believe that this will make the NFL less likely to reach a deal soon, because they don't want to seem "weak" by panicking too early. It can also be pointed out that this poor officiating has been attracting more viewers for the NFL and individual teams. This will make both the owners and the NFL more reluctant to sign a new deal with the referees.
          While the outlook may seem bleak, NFL fans shouldn't feel too down; They would much rather have this situation than no football at all. At the end of the day, it's still the players that decide the outcome.......or not.

NFL Week 4 Picks 


Browns vs. Ravens: Don't second guess yourself here when reading this matchup...It's exactly what it sounds like. Ravens win. Arguably the Browns best player, cover corner Joe Haden will be out also, serving a 4 game suspension. Need I say more? The Pick: Ravens

Patriots vs. Bills: People seem to forget that amidst all the turmoil surrounding the Pats this year, they are still the same team that went to the Super Bowl last year. With CJ Spiller and Fred Jackson both injured, the Bills will struggle to move the ball.  Tom Brady will bounce back and lead the perfectionists to a win on Sunday.   The Pick: Patriots

49ers vs. Jets: This matchup is an intriguing one. You've got similar teams going up against each other. This one will be a defensive battle, and the team who makes more big mistakes will lose. I prefer Alex Smith over Mark "Sanchize" (as Skip Bayless would say). The Niners already proved they can beat the best of them, and now their going to be eager to show that their loss to the lowly Vikings was a fluke.   The Pick: 49ers

Seahawks vs. Rams: Fresh off their "win," are the Seahawks, while the Rams have fallen to 1-2. The Rams can breathe a sigh of relief that they won't have to up to Seattle in one of the toughest stadiums in all of sports. However, they're still going to lose. The seahawks defense will get after Sam Bradford just like the Bears did last week. I got the Seahawks with confidence. Look for Lynch to post some big numbers.   The Pick: Seahawks

Panthers vs. Falcons: The Falcons have gotten off to a hot start, and have been playing Super Bowl worthy football. They just picked apart the very talented Chargers last week, and look for them to do the same to the the abysmal Panthers.Cam Newton no longer has the command over his teammates, and everyone is cognizant of this. Newton is what you call a fantasy QB...if he's winning you games you know your not an NFL GM and instead the other less prestigious, but equally as fun kind of GM. Look for Matt Ryan to attack the Panthers secondary early and often with Roddy White and Julio Jones at his disposal.     The Pick: Falcons

Lions vs. Vikings: With the extent of Matthew Staffords's injury unknown, this one is a tough one to predict. However, Shaun Hill (Calvin Johnson) > Christian Ponder. The Vikings won't pose much of a threat to the Lions defense, but if your playing fantasy football pickup Vikings kicker Blair Walsh. Expect a medium scoring game with lots of field goals. The Pick: Lions

Chargers vs. Chiefs: This is a game full of playmakers. Unfortunately for the Chiefs, almost all of them wear a Chargers uniform except for Jamaal Charles. Look for the Chargers offense to have an explosion in this one. It should be noted that the Chiefs have the most yards in the NFL this season, but this is mostly due to Jamaal Charles' performance last week. Unless Jamaal can beat his last week's performance, the Chargers got this one. The Pick: Chargers

Titans vs. Texans: The Texans are not to be messed with. This team is one of the most underrated teams in all of sports. They have a phenomenal defense that will get at Jake Locker all day long. Matt Schaub, Arian Foster, and Andre Johnson together make up one of the most balanced offenses in football. Look for the Texans offense to continue their hot streak. It would be blasphemous to go against the Texans in this one.   The Pick: Texans

Bengals vs. Jaguars: Blaine Gabbert has looked much better so far this season, however it's not enough to make me pull the trigger on this game. The Bengals offense is too good right now, and they will only be better going up against a 28th ranked Jaguars defense.  The Pick: Bengals

Raiders vs. Broncos: Both of these teams have started off the year quite sluggish and are looking to save their season. The Raiders are coming off an incredible come from behind win over the Steelers. I think that the Raiders are severely underrated, and have the pieces to challenge lots of teams better than them. The Broncos don't seem to have much going for them at the moment. Without a real running game, I see the dangerous Raiders pulling off the upset in a close one. Look for Carson Palmer to air it out frequently.    The Pick: Raiders

Cardinals vs. Dolphins: What the Cardinals have done to start off the season is truly inspirational. Just a month ago, we were all questioning whether they would win more than 4 games because of their QB situation. These players know that they're not the most talented team especially on the offensive ball, so look for them to play with trepidation and a sense of urgency. If the Cardinals offense can produce even the slightest amount, they will win this game. No way Tannehill and the Dolphins put up big numbers on this impressive Cardinals defense.     The Pick: Cardinals

Redskins vs. Buccaneers: This is another interesting matchup with two evenly matched teams. The edge here goes to Tampa Bay at home. The Skins have had a good year on the offensive side of the ball and are ranked 6th in total offense and 2nd in total rushing. However this is a Buccaneers defense that is pure speed. They will have the speed to contain RGIII, and therefore will limit his effectiveness. The same will be the case for Redskins running back Alfred Morris. Look for Tampa Bay to pound the ball on offense with Doug Martin, and take occasional chances with Josh Freeman's cannon. In the end, it'll be a rough day for RGIII and the Redskins.   The Pick: Tampa Bay

Packers vs. Saints: You can bet that Aaron Rodgers will have his troops fired up for this one. They are going to play with anger, and if your Drew Brees, it would not be fun to see an angry Clay Mathews. The Packers defense will give up some big plays in this game to Brees and company, however at the same time they will also have their fair share of big plays. Look for them to get pressure to Brees and force multiple sacks and some interceptions. The Packers offense currently ranks 28th and this is a problem, however when you have a future Hall of Fame quarterback in Aaron Rodgers, your problems are suddenly met with solutions. The Packers are going to have trepidations about losing this game, which will make them play with more energy and a bigger sense of urgency. The Pack will get the win here and regain their swagger.

The Pick: Packers

Giants vs. Eagles: The Cardinals exposed the Eagles for what they truly are last week. You can never really trust Michael Vick and the Eagles. The exact opposite is the case for the reigning Super Bowl champions New York Giants. Ahmad Bradshaw will be back for this game, and will provide an extra burst to a Giants running game that has hardly lost a beat without him. With Hakeem Nicks most likely out, look for Eli to spread the ball amongst all of his receivers, and carve up the Eagles secondary for first down after first down. In the end, the Giants will bring too much physicality to this matchup that will leave the Eagles 2-2 and with unanswered questions.  The Pick: Giants

Bears vs. Cowboys: Both of these teams know what's at stake in this game. They both have an opportunity to take the upper hand in their respective divisions with a win. The Bears defense is coming off a stellar performance and will look to continue this by getting pressure to Tony Romo, and force him to make bad decisions. On the offensive ball, the Bears have been struggling and going up against a Cowboys defense that ranks 1st overall so far, doesn't help. In addition, they could potentially be without star running back Matt Forte. However, this game will come down on Jay Cutler's shoulders. Cutler has been on and off so far this year, and is looking to gain some consistency.  The fact that the game will be held in a dome gives him a serious advantage over the Cowboys defense. He has perhaps the strongest arm in football, and won't be afraid to air it out to Brandon Marshall in these ideal conditions. If Cutler can beat the Dallas secondary just once, they should be able to win this game. This will be a battle of ball possession, and the team that makes fewer mistakes, and has more time of possession will win. Whenever these are the circumstances, you have to go against Tony Romo and "America's" Cowboys.

The Pick: Bears

NFL Week 4 Betting Preview

A NFL pick against the spread is like a child. You could relay on a professional babysitter to raise it, you could also try and raise a child without any experience in hopes of being as good as the babysitter, or you could just watch some reality television to learn how to raise your first baby boy or girl. To compare this to betting, you could listen to me, and know you will make money. I am like the professional babysitter, you may not want to rely on me too much, but in the end, you know that I know what I am doing. If you are trying to start betting for the first time, there will be some guaranteed bumps in the road, similar to raising a first-born child. However, if you raise all your children, by the time you hit number 4, you will be as good as the professional babysitter. If you just watch some highlights, and make your picks based off them, you would be the equivalent of learning how to raise a child from reality television. You only see the highlights and low lights, you don’t see that the Cardinals should have had 175 rushing yards rather than 130, because of 2 huge negative broken down plays, or that Kevin Kolb had 150 of his 300 yards passing off of screens. Highlights can’t show you every key play; they can only show you the OMG moments. I know when I have my first child; I will be hiring an extremely qualified babysitter to watch him.

Browns @  Ravens -12 : The sexy pick here is to take the Browns. It is always great to come into work after calling an upset. However, the sexy pick is almost never the right pick. The Ravens have won 13 in a row at home dating back to last year. The Browns on the other hand have yet to win a division game on the road in 11 straight. To make it worse, Cleveland is missing their top WR in Mohamed Massaquoi. The Ravens also are playing tremendous offence in comparison to there past few years. They have scored 44 and 31 points in their two previous home games. They have also played 3 top AFC teams so far in the Eagles, Patriots, and Bengles. They are going from facing Brady and Vick to Brandon Weeden. This one could be ugly. A small concern for the Ravens is they have given up 290 yards average per game through the first 3 weeks. But, I will point out that was against 3 top 10 pass offences this year. The Browns have played some close ball games this year, but have yet to play on a weekday this year, and have a short week to prepare for one of the best defenses in the league.  4 UNITS ON BALT -12

Chargers @ Chiefs +1: Two of the best Ds in the league square off as the Chargers visit the Chiefs. The Chargers have had the luxury of playing 3 teams (Falcons, Titans and Raiders.) These 3 teams are all lower than 25^th in the NFL in total rushing yards. Now they head to one of the hardest places to play, Arrowhead stadium, and face the number one ranked rushing attack in the NFL. Jamaal Charles is also coming off a monstrous performance of 233 rushing yards. It seams he is finally starting to trust his legs after his ACL tear from last year.  The Chargers just saw 3 straight change ups, and the chiefs are the 100 mph fastball. It will be almost impossible for the Chargers to adjust, especially after being blown out at home 27-3 against the Falcons.  The Chargers are known for their struggles kicking off the season, and I think the trend will continue. 2 UNITS ON CHIEFS +1

Patriots @ Bills +4: I like the Pats this week, I think that the public is underestimating the importance of CJ Spiller, and with Fred Jackson just returning from a sprained knee, the Bills will hardly have a run game. That could present a large problem for a Bills team who is currently heavily favoring the run. The Bills are currently 26^th in the NFL is passing yards, therefore if the Pats get a lead,  the Bills will have a hard to catching up with their lack of passing firepower. I think the stat that is currently most telling about the Bills, is they are 19^th in the NFL in OPP. Passing yards. That may not sound bad, however the Bills have faced Mark Sanchez, Matt Cassel, and Brandon Weeden, probably the worst group of QB that any team has faced thus far. I also love the Pats, because of the simple fact that this is a must win game. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick have always just seemed to have an uncanny ability to win games with their backs against the wall. They respond well to adversity, and I think Bill’s 50K fine this week will only motivate them more. The Pats should take this one easily. 3 UNITS ON THE PATS -4

Dolphins @ Cardinals -6: This is purely a public-based line. There is no way that the Cardinals should be 6-point favorites against the Dolphins.  I understand that the Cardinals are a solid team, but they are still 27^th in passing yards and 29^th in rushing yards. In a low scoring defensive battle, 6 points is way too much to give a solid team. The Dolphins live and die on the ground, and it looks like Reggie Bush will play, meaning the Dolphins should also own the time of possession due to there running mentality. Especially with the Cardinals missing Beanie Wells, I can’t see them scoring more that 13 points against a very good Dolphins team. So the question becomes can the Cardinals hold the Dolphins just to 6 points? I think that is an easy no, too much ground and pound. DOLPHINS +6 FOR 3 UNITS.

Saints @ Packers -9: I could rehash everything I said in my BOLD PREDICTION article, so you can check that out here, http://mensgs.blogspot.com/2012/09/fantasy-football-week-4-5-bold.html, but basically the Saints have not been able to stop the QB’s from the Lingerie football league. Yet alone the CFL. Yet alone the NFL. This is a trap line, a line that looks like it is just easy money, but it really isn’t. The Saints are a popular team, but they have always struggled away from Domes’ and have been just awful this year. Don’t fall for the trap. PACKERS-9 FOR 3 UNITS. 

College Football Week 5 Betting Preview/Game Predictions

Thursday 9:00 P.M Stanford (8) vs. Washington

     I have to take Stanford here after a impressive win over a talented USC squad. Washington has some young talent but could not put up much of a fight against LSU. They have some potential in a couple years. We think they'll be able to cover the spread. The Spread Pick: Stanford -7 for 3 UNITS

Saturday 12:00 P.M Baylor (25) vs. West Virginia (9)

     Baylor has done a good job recruiting after Robert Griffin III has left but had some problems against upset minded Louisiana Monroe and barely got the W. The Mountaineers and Heisman Candidate Geno Smith have a high powered offense that should beat Baylor pretty easily.  The Spread Pick: WVU -11 for 3 UNITS

Saturday 3:30 P.M Georgia (5) vs. Tennessee

      Georgia has looked might impressive this year, with Aaron Murray finally living up to expectations. But the Volunteers haven't been to shabby themselves, a lone loss coming from a strong Florida team. This will surely be a shoot out but I like Tyler Bray to out throw Murray for an upset win.  The Spread Pick: Tennessee +14 for 5 UNITS

Saturday 3:30 P.M Ohio State (16) vs. Michigan State (20)

     Braxton Miller has turned out to be a perfect fit for the Urban Meyer offense and just give him a little room, and he is gone. Michigan State has not shown up to play this year, losing to Notre Dame and struggling against Eastern Michigan, which should be an easy win. Miller should put up some Heisman like numbers on the ground and through the air and the Buckeyes should beat out the Spartans, despite being the 2 point underdogs. The Spread Pick: OSU +2 for 5 UNITS

Saturday 7:50 P.M Texas (12) vs. Oklahoma State

      O.K State hasn't lost the offensive output since Brandon Weeden left, they are averaging 62 points a game. The problem is on the other side of the ball where they have given up 27 points a game and they will have some problems with David Ash and Jackson Shipley of the Longhorns. This will be a high scoring affair and Texas will come out victorious, and cover the -1 spread. The Spread Pick: Texas -1 for 7 UNITS

Saturday 8:00 P.M Nebraska (22) vs. Wisconsin

    Both of these teams have had some troubles against lesser opponents, Wisconsin losing to Oregon State, and Nebraska losing to UCLA. However, people forget that Nebraska was missing several key players in that loss. Although Montee Ball of the Badgers is a versatile and skilled runner, it has shown that the loss of Russel Wilson has really hurt, because Ball is unable to carry his team. The other star running back in this matchup is Rex Burkhead who returned from a sprained left knee last week against Idaho State ran for 119 yards and two touchdowns. When healthy, Nebraska can compete with the best of them. This should be a ground and pound game that Nebraska wins. Nebraska is currently the 12 point favorites. We like them by 2 touchdowns. The Spread Pick: Nebraska -12 for 4 UNITS

Saturday 10:00 P.M Oregon State (18) vs. Arizona

    Oregon State has started out the season strong with two solid wins over ranked opponents when Arizona has dropped out of the rankings. If the Beaver's defense can hold up against a stagnant Wildcats offense, then the win should go to Oregon State. The Spread Pick: Oregon St. +3 for 2 UNITS

Saturday 10:30 P.M Oregon (2) vs. Washington State

     The Ducks continue to have a constant flow of speedy wide receivers and running backs who spread the field constantly. De'Anthony Thomas will gash the Cougars defense all night and the Ducks should coast to victory to improve their undefeated record. After crushing Arizona by 49, they should cover the spread 31 point spread against a much worse Washington St. team. The Spread Pick: Oregon -31 for 2 UNITS

Saturday 7:00 P.M TCU (15) vs. SMU

      The Horned Frogs are entering this contest as the 16.5 point favorites, however don't expect SMU to go down without a fight. Like all bitter rivals in sports, SMU will certainly be amped up for this one. Even though it doesn't hold any extra significance on a computer system, you can bet that both teams will come out a little stronger in this one. TCU's quarterback Casey Pachall has started the year off on a hot note, as he is currently boasting 8 td's to only 1 interception. Meanwhile, SMU's quarterback Garrett Gilbert hasn't had much to celebrate, but this could be the breakout performance that proves that he deserved his #2 QB ranking in the nation coming out of high school. This one will be a dogfight, and in the end I see SMU pulling off a shocker. The Spread Pick: SMU +17.5 for 4 UNITS

Saturday 12:21 P.M Texas A&M vs. Arkansas

         It's been a tough year for the Razorbacks thus far, however this game is a chance for them to get back on the right track. QB Tyler Wilson is an elite talent, and should be 100% healthy by now. Texas A&M are the 13.5 point favorites in this one, but this is because Arkansas has yet to display their best football. Look for Tyler Wilson to have a good game, and Arkansas to edge out Texas A&M.    The Spread Pick: Arkansas +13.5 for 3 UNITS

Texas Tech vs. Iowa St: Texas Tech has looked fantastic this year, and is off to a scorching 3-0 start, where they haven't been tested. We think they will cover the -1 spread against an overrated Iowa State team, that has struggled all year, despite being 3-0. The Spread Pick: Texas Tech -1 for 3 UNITS

HSBC Stock Purchase for September 25-November 1

HSBC holdings PLC, is currently around its year high at 46.82. I think this is a good short 1-month stock purchase. I am buying the stock September 25^th, and I plan on selling it at the end of October.

About HSBC: HSBC is a personal banking company, with over 50 million customers worldwide. HSBC is typically very profitable around this time of year, with many students using their site to transfer income while studying abroad. However, HSBC is hosing a huge upcoming event in their stadium, located in Rio de Janeiro.

The Sports Spin: Brazil is known for their love and knowledge of mixed martial arts. On October 13^th, it hosts a huge card for UFC 153. In my opinion, Brazil’s two favorite fighters, Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Anderson Silva are fighting on the card, meaning this will be a very profitable event for the UFC in Brazil. Millions all over the world will tune in to see if Anderson Silva will continue his winning streak against American Stephan Bonnar, or see fan favorite Big Nog fight in possible his last fight against always exciting Dave Herman. There will also be Brazilian Glover Teixeira, who will try and win his 5^th fight in a row in 1 round, Jon Finch, #5 Welterweight in the world (according to sherdog), and last but not least Phil Davis, number 6 ranked light heavyweight fighter in the world (according to sherdog) will also be in action. This is a stacked card, and millions around the world should be purchasing this. There could easily be 1,000,000 purchases, and I know if I spend 55 bucks on UFC, I don’t plan on changing the channel the entire night. That means I will be seeing tons of ads and sponsorships from HSBC banking. Even if it only attracts 10,000 more people, that should still be enough to warrant a raise in the stocks price. I think this is a solid buy, the company won’t double in value in one-months time, but it should rise a few bucks.

Bought September 25, 2012 for $46.82.

Fantasy Football Pick Ups Week 4

Christian Ponder (QB) Vikings
       Ponder is a dual threat quarterback who has been overlooked in most fantasy formats. With a 70 percent completion percentage and his running ability, he should be picked up immediately. The rise of Kyle Rudolph, the steady performance of Percy Harvin, and a easy matchups the next three weeks (Detroit, Tennessee, and Washington) should make Ponder a great fantasy asset.

Bilal Powell (RB) Jets
      Shonn Greene isn't impressing in New York and Powell has slowly been stealing more carries because of his speed and elusiveness. His next match-up against the 49ers isn't too friendly but he is worth a look in deeper leagues.

Rasmes Barden (WR) Giants
      Barden has risen to the third wide receiver in an offense that is hitting on all cylinders. With Eli Manning under the gun, Barden is a lethal receiver who took advantage of Nicks' absence and should continue to see targets even when he is back. Nicks or Cruz are bound to get injured sometime this season and Barden's value would go even higher.

Jordan Cameron (TE) Browns
       I know that Brandon Weeden hasn't been all that impressive but Cameron had 5 catches for 45 yards and is a former basketball player. I would suggest picking him up in a fantasy league or 12 team leagues where you are really struggling to find a tight end.

Arizona Cardinals Defense
     The Cardinals have surprised everyone and started 3-0 and forced many turnovers. Patrick Peterson and Daryl Washington lead the defense who have an easy match up against the Dolphins this week. I recommend adding them in all league and play them if you have a bye week or just need a solid defense.

Fantasy Football Week 4, 5 Bold Predictions.

Fantasy is a game of luck, despite writing advise on what to do I can't predict the future. Despite what anyone tells you, no matter how hard you try to predict what is going to happen, you just can't. Case and point, last year in preparation for my yearly fantasy draft, I spent about 30 hours studying for the draft. My friend, who's only information about the year prior was from the new Madden 12 overall rankings, came in and won the league. My team for this 8-team PPR league was Andre Johnson (Played 7 Games) Darren McFadden (Played 3 Games) Greg Jennings (PLAYED 12 GAMES!!!!) Peyton Hillis (Played 3 games) Brandon Marshall (PLAYED ALL 16!!!!) Antonio Gates (Played 11 Games) Austin Collie (514 Yards 1 TD) Jahvid Best (Played 6 Games) and Felix Jones (Lost job after injury) I could go on about the rest of my team, but you get the point. As you would have guessed, I finished last. The guy who I mentioned earlier and won took Steve Smith (CAR) Vincent Jackson, Aaron Hernandez, Ray Rice, CJ Spiller, and Torrey Smith. This year, despite joining a high stakes 5K buy-in league (which I am pleased to report is actually going well) I joined the same league with my friends as well. My RB's in my league with my friends are CJ Spiller, Ahmad Bradshaw, Jonathan Stewart, and Rashard Mendenhall. My not injured RB's are Steven Ridley, Henry Hynoski (#4 Giant RB) Joique Bell (#4 DET RB) Bilal Powell (#2 NYJ) and Lamar Miller (#3 MIA). I have to start 3 of these guys this week. Simply put I have actually managed to lose the league in week 3. To top it off I have under preforming Rodgers and Nelson combo *BARF. Well now you know about my expertise, how about some bold picks.

1. Aaron Rodgers WILL throw for 450 yards and 4 TDs: The Saints have given up 40, 35, and 27 points in their last 3 games. Whats most disturbing is that was against the Redskins, Panthers, and Chiefs, hardly offensive juggernauts. Say what you want about how the Pack look right now, Rodgers has been elite for the past 2 years, there is no reason that he will just stop producing. He has faced some tough tests in the past few weeks, now he gets a horrible defense that is know to be horrible on the road. Oh and by the way even though the chiefs ran for well over 200 yards on the ground last week, glass arm Matt Cassel threw for 250 yards, this could be a great buy-low time on A-Rod.

2. Mark Ingram will not have more than 10 yards rushing: DESPITE being up 24-6 at one point, Ingram finished with 11 yards on 5 carries. This shows what the Saints new coach thinks of him. If he can't run for 12 yards while the saints are milking the clock, how will he get more than 10 yards rushing while the Saints are trying to play catchup.

3. Ramses Barden will have 150+ receiving yards: The Eagles just got blown out by the AZ Cardinals....27 points scored by a Kevin Kolb lead team. Funny Kevin Kolb joke time, Kevin Kolb was once thought to be a franchise QB HAHAHHAHAAHHAHAA. Back to seriousness, Kolb got Larry Fitzgerald 1 catch for 6 yards the week before facing the Eagles. Now all the sudden Kolb throws to Fitzgerald, and he picks up 9 catches for 114 yards and a TD. There has to be some major holes in coverage for Kolb to throw the ball to Larry Fitzgerald, he hates Fitzy like he is dating his sister AND his mom. But believe it or not Barden is Cruz 2.0. Cruz has officially been demoted to Manningham 2.0. Eli prefers attacking weaker corners, rather than throwing to great receivers, he has always had more faith in himself than others, which is a mentality just to throw the ball to the open man. Barden proved that last week, and should prove my theory true again.

4. Tim Tebow will have a better fantasy game than Mark Sanchez: NOOO, I hate Tebow I swear. But he should be in for a big week. Raise your hand if you think an offence led by Mark Sanchez will be able to score on the 49'ers D. Not even Rex Ryan has a hand up. Say what you want about Rex, but he has giant balls, and he likes nothing more than being right when everyone thinks he is wrong. The only way that the Jets compete is if they throw in a curve ball named Tim Tebow, and put the ball in his hands. Best case he wins them the game. Worst case, Tebow is no longer proclaimed the 2nd (First if your Jewish) coming of Jesus Christ. Sanchez may be murdered on the field with his pocket presence against these 49'ers.

5. THE REPLACEMENT REFS WILL GO: I was rooting for these guys so badly, I wanted to see a bunch of poor division 2 and 3 refs show up to the NFL, and prove the NFL refs were just greedy and ungrateful. This is not the Cinderella story I had hoped for. This is like Savanah State against FSU in  college football, looking back Savannah state had no chance. But oh boy I was rooting them on like I had been a die-hard fan for years. The call involving the Packers and Seahawks was NOT horrible, it was a tough call, and I thought it could have gone either way. However, the media will be all over this, they will call it awful, they will say it was one of the worst calls ever. The replacement officials HAVE been very bad as a whole, and I think this is the tip over the ice berg. They need to bring in the real refs, just so people stop talking about them. I guarantee we will all be talking about the replacement refs tomorrow, before we talk about Chris Clemons 4 sack quarter. More upcoming, follow us on twitter, facebook, and subscribe on youtube. All our social related information is at the top of the site.