WE DID IT! WE HAD A WINNING WEEK! When I turned 30, I thought my life was over, but it turns out turning 30 has given me OLD MAN STRENGTH! All of the wisdom that I gathered in my first 29 years has turned me into a gambling machine. Last week we went 11-6 (FIRE EMOJI) with our football picks and 2-1-1 with our Ryder Cup picks. WILL SPREAD AWARENESS EVER HAVE A LOSING WEEK AGAIN?
I AM SO JACKED UP FOR THIS WEEK, and you should be too. If you are not, just listen to the song below on full blast over and over for a few hours. 99% sure this was the only song played in high school locker rooms before football games from 2004-2010. I LOVE Friday night games. Something different in the air. Gotta love it. BE PERFECT. BE FREAKIN PERFECT, PEOPLE.
FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS GAME OF THE WEEK OF THE CENTURY
#5 IOWA -3.5 @ MARYLAND (7:00 PM CST, FS1)
Well, we opened the season against two teams that were supposed to be good and the offense looked…bad. Then we played two games against really bad teams and the offense also looked bad. I was worried about this for a while but then, while watching Nebraska shoot themselves in the foot repeatedly for hours on end Saturday night, I came to the realization that things could be MUCH WORSE. We have a defense that is fast, and special teams unit that is furious, and together, with our bad offense, they make a family that Dom Toretto would proudly drink a Corona with (yes, I am watching Fast & Furious 7 as I write this). As far as I’m concerned, the offense is just fine. From now on I will just imagine Brian Ferentz is wearing a headset not so he can talk to other coaches, but so he can listen to "This Is Me" from the best musical ever, The Greatest Showman.
When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown 'em out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me
Hell yeah, KEEP DOING YOU, OFFENSE.
I love me some Friday Night Lights, and I love me some Friday Night Hawkeyes. Take Iowa! Take the Under (which has hit in all four Iowa games so far this year)! Take out a bet on if Taulia Tagovailoa will get benched by the 3rd quarter (he will.) IOWA WINS BIG.
PICK: IOWA -3.5, UNDER 47.5
B1G SATURDAY BETS OF THE WEEK
Charlotte +11 @ Illinois (11:00 AM CST, BTN)
Better be careful Illinois, or you may end up stuck in CHARLOTTE’s WEB?!?!?!
PICK: Charlotte +11
#14 Michigan +2 @ Wisconsin (11:00 AM CST, FOX)
I may be overreacting here but uhhh…Wisconsin is bad! They have no QB! How are they a favorite? Am I being bamboozled? Is Michigan’s entire team going to miss this game and they just aren’t telling us??? I AM TELLING YOU; MICHIGAN IS GOING UNDEFEATED UNTIL THEY LOSE TO OHIO STATE BY 40. I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE CONFIDENT OF ANYTHING IN MY LIFE.
PICK: MICHIGAN +2, UNDER 43.5
Minnesota +2.5 @ Purdue (11:00 AM CST, BTN)
I think I am starting to figure Minnesota out. They played really well against Ohio State but lost. They then played really poorly against Miami Ohio but won. They followed that up by playing their best game of the year versus Colorado, and then they played their worst game of the year versus Bowling Green. The team needs to find some consistency in their boat rowing, but according to my calculations, they are on track for a GOOD game against a Purdue team that barely beat Illinois last week.
PICK: Minnesota +2.5
Ohio State -15.5 vs Rutgers (2:30 CST, BTN)
The Ohio State offense looked better last week without C.J. Stroud. That was probably due to the fact that Akron is terrible, but still, a little QB controversy about to show up in Columbus??
The Rutgers D is a feisty bunch, having only allowed 54 points so far this year. They shut down Michigan, and they are probably going to do that agaihahhaha just kidding. Did you see that?? I almost convinced myself to bet on Rutgers against OHIO STATE. What is wrong with me?
PICK: Ohio State -15.5, UNDER 58.5
Northwestern +11.5 @ Nebraska (6:30 PM CST, BTN)
The battle for NU! This game is a terrible one between two pretty terrible teams. Northwestern beat up on Ohio in a game I did not watch and did not care to check the stats for. Nebraska almost beat Michigan State, but somehow managed to lose despite only giving up one (!!) first down in the second half. How is that even possible? Oh, right, Scott Frost is their coach. Let’s check in with our science correspondent for an in-depth look at the current state of Nebraska football:
Thanks, Bill!
Alright, as for the bets, these two always play close games. Over their last six meetings, the average margin of victory is like 5.5 points. Nebraska is undefeated against the spread in their last four games, but let’s be honest, they should not be a double-digit favorite against ANYONE. Take Northwestern, and take the #NUnder.
PICK: Northwestern +11.5, UNDER 51.5
Western Kentucky +11 @ Michigan State (6:30 PM CST, FS1)
Could Western Kentucky be catching Michigan State at the perfect time? The Spartans are coming off of back-to-back big games. They blasted Miami on the road and then STRUGGLED against Nebraska. And by struggled, I mean they put up one of the worst offensive performances I have ever seen (and I have watched A LOT of Big Ten/MAC football.)
Western Kentucky ALMOST beat Indiana, and ALMOST beat an undefeated Army team. They won’t be a pushover. Western Kentucky keeps it close for a while, Michigan State turns it on late and pulls away.
PICK: Western Kentucky +6.5 1H, MSU -11 GAME
Indiana +12.5 @ #4 Penn State (6:30 PM CST, ABC)
Indiana…Yikes! Their only hope here is that Penn State gets caught looking forward to their game in Iowa City next weekend and they bring the old #CHAOSTEAM to Happy Valley.
PICK: PENN STATE -12.5
TOP 25 GAMES OF THE WEEK OF THE CENTURY
#8 Arkansas @ #2 Georgia (11:00 AM CST, ESPN) – ARKANSAS +18
I know Georgia is good, but we are going to keep riding Arkansas until the wheels fall completely off the wagon.
#7 Cincinnati @ #9 Notre Dame (1:30 PM CST, NBC) – CINCINNATI -1.5
Notre Dame has looked less than impressive all year, I am thinking they finally get exposed here.
#12 Ole Miss @ #1 Alabama (2:30 PM CST, CBS) – OVER 79
Setting the Over/Under at 79 is SICK. If you bet the under in this game you are no friend of mine.
That is all the awareness we have to spread this week, good luck everyone. Love you.
2021 RECORD
Overall: 30-33
ATS: 23-23
OU: 7-10
