Friday, February 11, 2011
PIKER'S PICKS: POST-SUPER BOWL
I did not bet the Super Bowl. Had I done so, I would have lost. In fact, I did not place a single wager on professional football this entire season. Had I done so, I would have lost. I am not a good prognosticator. I am not a good gambler. I've never been a good gambler. And that, in a nutshell, is why I hate Vegas.
Sunday, February 06, 2011
PIKER'S PICKS: SUPER BOWL
SUPER BOWL XLV
Pittsburgh
Green Bay -3
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us. One game left for all the marbles. Two storied franchises in the football finale. Two evenly matched teams with great defenses and creative quarterbacks.
If there's one thing I've learned this season, it's that I am clearly not a professional prognosticator (let alone a professional gambler). I will not be making a living setting odds in Vegas, a la Danny Sheridan. But I've watched a ton of football and I've taken a side in each and every game. Today marks the end of the experiment. Without a rooting interest, or even a hunch to go on, I'm leaning on experience. Big Ben and the modern-day Steel Curtain have been to the Big Show before and have rings to prove it. I'll take the points, but I don't think I'll need them. Pitt over the Pack in a close one.
Piker's Pick: Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh
Green Bay -3
Super Bowl Sunday is upon us. One game left for all the marbles. Two storied franchises in the football finale. Two evenly matched teams with great defenses and creative quarterbacks.
If there's one thing I've learned this season, it's that I am clearly not a professional prognosticator (let alone a professional gambler). I will not be making a living setting odds in Vegas, a la Danny Sheridan. But I've watched a ton of football and I've taken a side in each and every game. Today marks the end of the experiment. Without a rooting interest, or even a hunch to go on, I'm leaning on experience. Big Ben and the modern-day Steel Curtain have been to the Big Show before and have rings to prove it. I'll take the points, but I don't think I'll need them. Pitt over the Pack in a close one.
Piker's Pick: Pittsburgh
Saturday, January 15, 2011
PIKER'S PICKS: DIVISIONAL PLAYOFFS
Coming full circle, Piker makes these picks from the Circus Circus in Las Vegas. Ironically, Piker is inherently allergic to Sin City and is plotting to make his escape within the half hour.
Wild Card Weekend was incredible fun in person, but not kind to Piker's Picks, as a 1-3 record illustrates. As much football as Piker has watched and picked this season, he's still essentially clueless about this weekend's matchups.
Green Bay
@Atlanta -1.5
Piker's Pick: Atlanta
Baltimore
@Pittsburgh -3
Piker's Pick: Pittsburgh
NY Jets
@New England -9
Piker's Pick: NY Jets
Seattle
@Chicago -10
Piker's Pick: Seattle
Wild Card Weekend was incredible fun in person, but not kind to Piker's Picks, as a 1-3 record illustrates. As much football as Piker has watched and picked this season, he's still essentially clueless about this weekend's matchups.
Green Bay
@Atlanta -1.5
Piker's Pick: Atlanta
Baltimore
@Pittsburgh -3
Piker's Pick: Pittsburgh
NY Jets
@New England -9
Piker's Pick: NY Jets
Seattle
@Chicago -10
Piker's Pick: Seattle
Saturday, January 08, 2011
PIKER'S PICKS: WILD CARD WEEKEND
Piker is on the road. Posting from a La Quinta Inn in Indianapolis, Piker isn't feeling all that confident about today's picks. However, Piker doesn't really care too much about the picks considering he'll be attending the Jets-Colts game live this evening! And... after a race against the clock tonight, he'll be attending the Ravens-Chiefs tomorrow afternoon in KC!
NY Jets
@Indianapolis -3
Piker's Pick: NY Jets
New Orleans -10
@Seattle
Piker's Pick: New Orleans
Green Bay
@Philadelphia -2.5
Piker's Pick: Philadelphia
Baltimore -3
@Kansas City
Piker's Pick: Kansas City
NY Jets
@Indianapolis -3
Piker's Pick: NY Jets
New Orleans -10
@Seattle
Piker's Pick: New Orleans
Green Bay
@Philadelphia -2.5
Piker's Pick: Philadelphia
Baltimore -3
@Kansas City
Piker's Pick: Kansas City
Monday, January 03, 2011
PIKER'S PICKS: REGULAR SEASON WRAP-UP
Week 17 Results: 12-4
Season-to-Date: 116-119-5
The NFL baffles Piker. But he's not alone. This is obviously not breaking news, but the lack of consistency in the league coupled with the skill of the oddsmakers makes it incredibly difficult to bet. Not that Piker wagered any money on these games. Really, he didn't. Piker's Picks was and is merely an experiment. Why Piker waited until the last two weeks to figure things out is a mystery that will not soon be solved. After crashing in Week 15 with a 4-12 clip, Piker rallied to close out the season with two straight monster weeks -- 11-5 and 12-4 -- and end up only 3 games under .500. Piker's inability to remove emotion from the equation when picking games in which the Miami Dolphins were involved was most likely the difference between a season in the black and a season in the red. The Aqua and Orange were the model of inconsistency this year, defying logic by posting a 6-2 road record and going 1-7 at home. As a lifelong Dolfan, Piker is depressed on this ultimate day for Monday Morning Quarterbacks. But overall, Piker doesn't feel too bad about the Picks. If Piker had placed the same amount of money on every single game, the losses would have been minimal. But by keeping things strictly at the experimental level and not wagering a dime, Piker got the thrill of having a little bit riding on every game absolutely free of charge. That is what Piker calls winning.
Piker P.S. -- Piker is taking his act on the road and venturing to the Midwest for Wild Card Weekend. Tickets have been acquired for the Jets-Colts game Saturday night in Indianapolis, and the search has begun for seats at Arrowhead Stadium for the Ravens-Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in KC. Enough of this Sunday Ticket, coach potato crap. Piker can finally say he is ready for some football!
Season-to-Date: 116-119-5
The NFL baffles Piker. But he's not alone. This is obviously not breaking news, but the lack of consistency in the league coupled with the skill of the oddsmakers makes it incredibly difficult to bet. Not that Piker wagered any money on these games. Really, he didn't. Piker's Picks was and is merely an experiment. Why Piker waited until the last two weeks to figure things out is a mystery that will not soon be solved. After crashing in Week 15 with a 4-12 clip, Piker rallied to close out the season with two straight monster weeks -- 11-5 and 12-4 -- and end up only 3 games under .500. Piker's inability to remove emotion from the equation when picking games in which the Miami Dolphins were involved was most likely the difference between a season in the black and a season in the red. The Aqua and Orange were the model of inconsistency this year, defying logic by posting a 6-2 road record and going 1-7 at home. As a lifelong Dolfan, Piker is depressed on this ultimate day for Monday Morning Quarterbacks. But overall, Piker doesn't feel too bad about the Picks. If Piker had placed the same amount of money on every single game, the losses would have been minimal. But by keeping things strictly at the experimental level and not wagering a dime, Piker got the thrill of having a little bit riding on every game absolutely free of charge. That is what Piker calls winning.
Piker P.S. -- Piker is taking his act on the road and venturing to the Midwest for Wild Card Weekend. Tickets have been acquired for the Jets-Colts game Saturday night in Indianapolis, and the search has begun for seats at Arrowhead Stadium for the Ravens-Chiefs on Sunday afternoon in KC. Enough of this Sunday Ticket, coach potato crap. Piker can finally say he is ready for some football!
Saturday, January 01, 2011
PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 17
Week 16 Results: 11-5
Season-to-Date: 104-115-5
Mirroring the week-in, week-out yo-yo effect of the NFL, Piker's Picks' worst week of the season was followed by its best. After a horrendous 4-12 in Week 15, Piker posted a tremendous 11-5 in Week 16. Maybe it was pure coincidence, but once the Dolphins showed their true colors and the weight of expectations was released, Piker loosened up and found a groove. Not only did the Lions cover against the hapless home-field 'Phins, they actually won the game. For Miami, losses at home to Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit resulted in a 1-7 home record for the season. Pathetic numbers for a team with playoff aspirations. A regime change is as imminent as the permanent demotion of Chad Henne to career backup. Philly's no-show at home on Tuesday against Minny was a shocker, as Piker had begun counting his chickens before they hatched and assumed a 12-4 finish. That elusive .500 mark for the season is looking bleak with Piker 11 games under heading into today's action...
Miami
@New England -5.5
Buffalo
@NY Jets -1
Cincinnati
@Baltimore -9.5
Tampa Bay
@New Orleans -7.5
Carolina
@Atlanta -14.5
Minnesota
@Detroit -3
Oakland
@Kansas City -3.5
Pittsburgh -5.5
@Cleveland
Jacksonville
@Houston -3
Arizona
@San Francisco -6
Chicago
@Green Bay -10
Tennessee
@Indianapolis -9.5
San Diego -3.5
@Denver
Dallas
@Philadelphia -3
NY Giants -3.5
@Washington
St. Louis -3
@Seattle
Season-to-Date: 104-115-5
Mirroring the week-in, week-out yo-yo effect of the NFL, Piker's Picks' worst week of the season was followed by its best. After a horrendous 4-12 in Week 15, Piker posted a tremendous 11-5 in Week 16. Maybe it was pure coincidence, but once the Dolphins showed their true colors and the weight of expectations was released, Piker loosened up and found a groove. Not only did the Lions cover against the hapless home-field 'Phins, they actually won the game. For Miami, losses at home to Cleveland, Buffalo, and Detroit resulted in a 1-7 home record for the season. Pathetic numbers for a team with playoff aspirations. A regime change is as imminent as the permanent demotion of Chad Henne to career backup. Philly's no-show at home on Tuesday against Minny was a shocker, as Piker had begun counting his chickens before they hatched and assumed a 12-4 finish. That elusive .500 mark for the season is looking bleak with Piker 11 games under heading into today's action...
Miami
@New England -5.5
Buffalo
@NY Jets -1
Cincinnati
@Baltimore -9.5
Tampa Bay
@New Orleans -7.5
Carolina
@Atlanta -14.5
Minnesota
@Detroit -3
Oakland
@Kansas City -3.5
Pittsburgh -5.5
@Cleveland
Jacksonville
@Houston -3
Arizona
@San Francisco -6
Chicago
@Green Bay -10
Tennessee
@Indianapolis -9.5
San Diego -3.5
@Denver
Dallas
@Philadelphia -3
NY Giants -3.5
@Washington
St. Louis -3
@Seattle
Sunday, December 26, 2010
PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 16
Week 15 Results: 4-12
The bottom dropped out of my NFL season last week. The Dolphins cemented themselves as the sorriest home team in the league by losing to the lowly Bills by a field goal. If you're a conservative team that plays for field goals instead of touchdowns, then proceed to miss four field goals, you can't beat anybody. Pouring salt into that gaping wound, I could barely manage to pick 4 out of 16 games last week, by far my worst week of the season. Despite the Dolphins elimination from playoff contention, and the near impossibility of Piker's Picks getting to the .500 mark, and my severely diminished enthusiasm for this masochistic experiment, I bravely soldier on...
Season-to-Date: 93-110-5
The bottom dropped out of my NFL season last week. The Dolphins cemented themselves as the sorriest home team in the league by losing to the lowly Bills by a field goal. If you're a conservative team that plays for field goals instead of touchdowns, then proceed to miss four field goals, you can't beat anybody. Pouring salt into that gaping wound, I could barely manage to pick 4 out of 16 games last week, by far my worst week of the season. Despite the Dolphins elimination from playoff contention, and the near impossibility of Piker's Picks getting to the .500 mark, and my severely diminished enthusiasm for this masochistic experiment, I bravely soldier on...
Detroit
@Miami -4
Baltimore -3
@Cleveland
New England -7.5
@Buffalo
Washington
@Jacksonville -6.5
NY Jets
@Chicago -2.5
Tennesee
@Kansas City -4
San Francisco
@St Louis -2.5
Indianapolis -1.5
@Oakland
San Diego -8
@Cincinnati
Houston -2.5
@Denver
NY Giants
@Green Bay -3
Seattle
@Tampa Bay -6
Minnesota
@Philadelphia -14
New Orleans
@Atlanta -2
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 15
Week 14 Results: 7-7-2
Season-to-Date: 89-98-5
If I had actually bet every single game the last two weeks, I would only have lost the vig. Two straight weeks of .500 picking. I'm running out of time to score that coveted monster day. Leaning heavy on the home teams, maybe, just maybe, today could be that day...
Buffalo
@Miami -5.5
Arizona
@Carolina -2.5
New Orleans
@Baltimore -2
Jacksonville
@Indianapolis -4.5
Detroit
@Tampa Bay -4.5
Philadelphia
@NY Giants -3
Kansas City
@St. Louis -3
Washington
@Dallas -9
Cleveland
@Cincinnati Pick 'Em
Houston
@Tennessee -1
Atlanta -6
@Seattle
NY Jets
@Pittsburgh -4.5
Denver
@Oakland -8
Green Bay
@New England -14
Chicago -7.5
@Minnesota
Season-to-Date: 89-98-5
If I had actually bet every single game the last two weeks, I would only have lost the vig. Two straight weeks of .500 picking. I'm running out of time to score that coveted monster day. Leaning heavy on the home teams, maybe, just maybe, today could be that day...
Buffalo
@Miami -5.5
Arizona
@Carolina -2.5
New Orleans
@Baltimore -2
Jacksonville
@Indianapolis -4.5
Detroit
@Tampa Bay -4.5
Philadelphia
@NY Giants -3
Kansas City
@St. Louis -3
Washington
@Dallas -9
Cleveland
@Cincinnati Pick 'Em
Houston
@Tennessee -1
Atlanta -6
@Seattle
NY Jets
@Pittsburgh -4.5
Denver
@Oakland -8
Green Bay
@New England -14
Chicago -7.5
@Minnesota
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 14
Week 13 Results: 8-8
Season-to-Date: 82-91-3
Thanks to the Patriots and their shellacking of the Jets, I was able to claw my way back to even for last week. Although, an 8-8 week is not going to help me level things for the season. Just like an 8-8 season is not going to save Chad Henne, and I doubt it'll save Tony Sparano. I think it's about time to face facts: I'm not good at picking NFL games against the spread. However, I refuse to give up the season-long experiment. Onward we go...
Philadelphia -3
@Dallas
Kansas City
@San Diego -10
Denver -4.5
@Arizona
Miami
@NY Jets -5.5
Seattle
@San Francisco -5
St. Louis
@New Orleans -9.5
Tampa Bay -1
@Washington
Atlanta -7
@Carolina
Green Bay -6.5
@Detroit
Cleveland
@Buffalo -1
New England -3
@Chicago
Cincinnati
@Pittsburgh -9
Oakland
@Jacksonville -4
Season-to-Date: 82-91-3
Thanks to the Patriots and their shellacking of the Jets, I was able to claw my way back to even for last week. Although, an 8-8 week is not going to help me level things for the season. Just like an 8-8 season is not going to save Chad Henne, and I doubt it'll save Tony Sparano. I think it's about time to face facts: I'm not good at picking NFL games against the spread. However, I refuse to give up the season-long experiment. Onward we go...
Philadelphia -3
@Dallas
Kansas City
@San Diego -10
Denver -4.5
@Arizona
Miami
@NY Jets -5.5
Seattle
@San Francisco -5
St. Louis
@New Orleans -9.5
Tampa Bay -1
@Washington
Atlanta -7
@Carolina
Green Bay -6.5
@Detroit
Cleveland
@Buffalo -1
New England -3
@Chicago
Cincinnati
@Pittsburgh -9
Oakland
@Jacksonville -4
NY Giants -3
@Minnesota
Baltimore -3
@Houston
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Sunday, December 05, 2010
PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 13
Week 12 Results: 6-10
Season-to-Date: 74-83-3
The temperatures in South Florida dipped into the low 70s this week and the city called it a cold snap. Perhaps it was a coincidence that Piker's Picks went into a deep freeze. After a 2-1 Turkey Day, Piker suffered a 4-9 Sunday/Monday. Pretty pathetic. But guest piker, I mean picker, JY, killed it at 8-5. Heading into the stretch run of the season, Piker is now likely to finish buried in the red. That is, unless things suddenly heat up...
New Orleans -6.5
@Cincinnati
San Francisco
@Green Bay -8
Chicago -5
@Detroit
Washington
@NY Giants -7.5
Denver
@Kansas City -7.5
Jacksonville
@Tennessee -3
Cleveland
@Miami -5.5
Buffalo
@Minnesota -5
Sunday Night
Pittsburgh
Monday Night
NY Jets
@New England -3.5
Season-to-Date: 74-83-3
The temperatures in South Florida dipped into the low 70s this week and the city called it a cold snap. Perhaps it was a coincidence that Piker's Picks went into a deep freeze. After a 2-1 Turkey Day, Piker suffered a 4-9 Sunday/Monday. Pretty pathetic. But guest piker, I mean picker, JY, killed it at 8-5. Heading into the stretch run of the season, Piker is now likely to finish buried in the red. That is, unless things suddenly heat up...
New Orleans -6.5
@Cincinnati
San Francisco
@Green Bay -8
Chicago -5
@Detroit
Washington
@NY Giants -7.5
Denver
@Kansas City -7.5
Jacksonville
@Tennessee -3
Cleveland
@Miami -5.5
Buffalo
@Minnesota -5
Oakland
@San Diego -13
Carolina
@Seattle -4.5
Dallas
@Indianapolis -5
St. Louis -3.5
@Arizona
Atlanta -3
@Tampa Bay
Sunday Night
Pittsburgh
@Baltimore -3
Monday Night
NY Jets
@New England -3.5