Please read the disclaimers in last Thursday's blog;  this entry should not be construed as encouragement to do anything illegal, it's just for fun.  A big week in the MLB playoffs last week, ended up on the plus side in college football, and a small step backwards in the NFL.  Now, on to this weekend's best guesses:

MLB Playoffs

Season record:  4-1, +425

Rockies (Jimenez) -113  (NLCS Game 2)

I wanted to take the Rockies for the series, and I had this clever idea that I would wait until after Webb won Game 1, and then take the Rockies for the series at much better odds (I was conceding that Webb would probably win his starts).  Well, I outsmarted myself because Webb lost and now the line on the Rockies for the series is too high to bother with (-250), because this series is over.  So, I'll just take it game by game, and I think the Rockies have the edge in all 3 phases tonight:  pitching, hitting, fielding.  In that situation, I'll take the small favorite every time.

Indians (Sabathia) +146  (ALCS Game 1)

Beckett has been great, but I think his heroics have inflated this line well over where it should be considering how good C.C. is and that the Indians have hit Beckett well in limited appearances.  I wouldn't be surprised if the Red Sox won, but there is too much value in this line to pass it up.  This game is closer to an even match-up than most people believe.

College Football

Season record:  3-2-1, +80 

 
Pushed on Wyoming last week and fell a field goal short in the Wisconsin game.  Still, a winning week is a winning week, and I'm not going to complain.   For this week, narrowed it down these half-dozen plays:

Miami -2.5

Miami has played well at home and I think Coach Shannon will have his team ready to go after the embarrassing loss to UNC in Chapel Hill last week.  Georgia Tech couldn't get a win on the road at either Virginia or Maryland, and I think they will similarly struggle this week.

Mississippi +6.5

At home last year, Alabama needed overtime to beat Ole Miss by 3 points.  The Rebels have played well at home this year (ask Urban Meyer) and I'm not overwhelmed by the effort of Saban's kids so far this year.

Auburn +3

Maybe I'm being a sucker here, but the better team is getting a field goal and I'm biting.  Arkansas very one-dimensional and I think Auburn can put 8 in the box and slow down McFadden, who is playing with bruised ribs.  The road team has both won and covered the spread in 4 of the last 5 meetings between these teams.

Central Florida +11.5

Don't get me wrong, I really like South Florida.  I like them so much, I married one of their graduates (please don't tell her I'm picking against the Bulls).  But, they should not be confused with an offensive juggernaut.  The Bulls win with defense and grinding it out on offense, which typically doesn't result in beating big point spreads.  Coach O'Leary is building a competitive team down there at Central Florida and I don't see USF blowing them out, especially with their minds wandering ahead to next Thursday's huge nationally-televised game at Rutgers next week.

Texas A&M +10

Too many points for this rivalry game.  Texas Tech is averaging 513 passing yards per game, which sounds very exciting, but Tech has only played one decent team all year and they lost that game to Oklahoma State, a team that A&M beat.  On a more cosmic note, A&M coach Dennis Franchione was "admonished" by the university this week for a secret newsletter he was publishing every week containing otherwise unavailable inside information about player injuries and such.  For the bargain price of only $1,200.00 per year, professional gamblers, oops, I meant "loyal Aggie boosters," received a weekly e-mail newsletter full of significant information that was not available to the general public.  While A&M officials and eventually the NCAA will punish Franchione for his actions, I think the gambling gods will smile down upon his team this week for his contributions to the world of sports wagering.

Oklahoma State +3.5  (Follow the Money System play)

This system is 1-0 so far and we'll try one again this week.  If it doesn't work out, I don't want you coming after the kids who run blickees - kids who have done everything right.  If you do, you're garbage!  Come after me!  I'm a man!  I'm 40!

NFL

Season record:  1-2, -120

There's not a lot of room left for explanations, so I'll just throw out the plays here with a quick comment or two. 

Dolphins +4.5  (Road Warrior System)

Cleo!  Cleo!  Cleo!  Rhymes with T.O. so he must be good, right?

Buccaneers -3 +100  (Follow the Money System)

Public seems to love the Titans, so if you wait, you might see this line drop to -2.5, but since I have to get this blog in today, I'll just go with what it is now.

Texans +6.5

Not a system play here, just picking one on my own.  A scary proposition, I know.  Good luck this weekend everybody.