PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 16

Week 15 Results:  4-12

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

PIKER'S PICKS: CHRISTMAS EDITION

Dallas   -7
@Arizona

Piker's Pick: Dallas

PIKER'S PICKS: THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION

Carolina
@Pittsburgh -14

Piker's Pick: Pittsburgh

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

PIKER'S PICKS: THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION

San Francisco
@San Diego -10

Piker's Pick: San Diego

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

NY Giants               -3

@Minnesota

Baltimore                 -3

@Houston

PIKER'S PICKS: THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION

Indianapolis       -3
@Tennessee

Piker's Pick:  Indianapolis

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

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

PIKER'S PICKS: THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION

Texas
@Philadelphia          -7.5

Piker's Pick: Philadelphia

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 12

Week 11 Results: 9-7
Season-to-Date: 68-73-3

After a 2-1 Turkey Day, Piker looks to charge his way back to the magic .500 mark with a spectacular Sunday.  One guest picker, Scott, went 8-7 last week but chose not to press his luck today.  The other, JY, also went 8-7 last week and has returned for another round.

Minnesota
@Washington       -1

Piker: Washington
JY: Washington

Pittsburgh              -6.5
@Buffalo

Piker: Pittsburgh
JY: Buffalo

Tennessee
@Houston             -6


Piker: Houston
JY: Houston

Jacksonville
@NY Giants          -7

Piker: Jax
JY: Jax

Carolina
@Cleveland            -9.5

Piker: Cleveland
JY: Cleveland

Tampa Bay
@Baltimore             -8

Piker: Tampa Bay
JY: Tampa Bay

Philadelphia             -3
@Chicago

Piker: Philadelphia
JY: Chicago

Green Bay
@Atlanta                 -1.5

Piker: Atlanta
JY: Green Bay

Miami                    
@Oakland               -2.5

Piker: Oakland
JY: Oakland

Kansas City             -2.5
@Seattle

Piker: Seattle
JY: KC

St. Louis
@Denver                  -4

Piker: Denver
JY: St. Louis

Sunday Night

San Diego
@Indianapolis          -2.5

Piker: Indianapolis
JY: Indianapolis

Monday Night

San Francisco           -1
@Arizona

Piker: Arizona
JY: San Francisco

PIKER'S PICKS: THANKSGIVING EDITION

I'm definitely thankful for professional football, but wish there were better games on today.  Detroit, Dallas, and Cincinnati have all been pretty bad this season.  Though Dallas does look like they've woken from their slumber under Jason Garrett.  Still hope the Saints send them back to sleep.


New England         -6.5
@Detroit

New Orleans          -3.5
@Dallas

Cincinnati
@NY Jets               -9

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 11

Week 10 Results: 7-7
Season-to-Date: 59-66-3

Piker is posting from sunny South Beach today after successfully making the cross-country journey. Luckily, Piker did not attend Thursday night's embarrassing and depressing home Dolphin loss to Chicago. The Dolphins may be done, but Piker fights on.  This week, Piker's Picks welcomes two guests to the prognostication proceedings -- Scott returns from Week 2 looking for redemption, and JY joins us after recently relocating from NYC.  Gracias to JY for graciously hosting today's viewing and festivities from his brand new SoBe digs.

Oakland
@Pittsburgh              -7.5

Piker:  Pittsburgh
JY: Pittsburgh
Scott: Pittsburgh

Houston
@NY Jets                 -6.5

Piker: NY Jets
JY: Houston
Scott: NY Jets

Baltimore                  -10.5
@Carolina

Piker: Baltimore
JY: Baltimore
Scott: Baltimore

Washington
@Tennessee             -7

Piker: Tennessee
JY: Tennessee
Scott: Washington

Detroit
@Dallas                    -6.5

Piker: Dallas
JY: Dallas
Scott: Dallas

Green Bay                 -3
@Minnesota

Piker: Green Bay
JY: Green Bay
Scott: Minnesota

Buffalo
@Cincinnati              -4.5

Piker: Cincinnati
JY: Buffalo
Scott: Cincinnati

Cleveland
@Jacksonville           -2

Piker: Jax
JY: Cleveland
Scott: Cleveland

Arizona
@Kansas City           -8

Piker: KC
JY: Arizona
Scott: KC

Seattle
@New Orleans         -11.5

Piker: Seattle
JY: New Orleans
Scott: New Orleans

Atlanta                      -3
@St. Louis

Piker: St. Louis
JY: Atlanta
Scott: St. Louis

Tampa Bay
@San Francisco        -3

Piker: Tampa Bay
JY: San Francisco
Scott: San Francisco

Indianapolis
@New England          -4

Piker: New England
JY: New England
Scott: Indianapolis

Sunday Night

NY Giants
@Philadelphia           -3

Piker: Philadelphia
JY: NY Giants
Scott: Philadelphia

Monday Night

Denver
@San Diego             -9.5

Piker: San Diego
JY: Denver
Scott: San Diego

PIKER'S PICKS: THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION

Chicago
@Miami            -2

Piker's Pick: Miami

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 10

Week 9 Results: 5-7-1
Season-to-Date: 52-59-3

Another tough week.  Last week's guest picker took some helmet-to-helmet hits in going 3-9-1 and will not be able to suit up today.  The break-even mark is slipping farther and farther away from Piker, who now needs several big weeks to be back in black.  Maybe a different Chad starting at QB for the 'Phins will be just the good luck charm Piker has been searching for.  Or maybe not...

Cincinnati
@Indianapolis        -7

Houston
@Jacksonville        -1.5

Tennessee              -1
@Miami

Minnesota              -1
@Chicago

Detroit
@Buffalo              -3

NY Jets                 -3
@Cleveland

Carolina
@Tampa Bay        -7

Kansas City           -1
@Denver

St. Louis
@San Francisco     -6

Seattle
@Arizona               -3

Dallas
@NY Giants          -13.5


SUNDAY NIGHT

New England
@Pittsburgh           -4.5


MONDAY NIGHT

Philadelphia           -3
@Washington

PIKER'S PICKS: THURSDAY NIGHT EDITION

Baltimore
@Atlanta         -1

Piker's Pick: Atlanta

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 9

Week 8 Results: 6-7
Season-to-Date: 47-52-2

Piker is in need of a big week if he ever hopes to see the .500 mark again. Speaking of marks, a guest picker (and fellow 'Phins fan) will be joining Piker this week, Marc.

Chicago            -3
@Buffalo

Piker:  Buffalo
Marc:  Chicago

San Diego        -3
@Houston

Piker:  Houston
Marc:  San Diego

New Orleans    -6.5
@Carolina

Piker:  New Orleans
Marc:  Carolina

Arizona
@Minnesota     -7.5

Piker:  Minnesota
Marc:  Minnesota

Tampa Bay
@Atlanta          -9

Piker:  Tampa Bay
Marc:  Atlanta

NY Jets             -4.5
@Detroit

Piker:  NY Jets
Marc:  NY Jets

Miami
@Baltimore      -5

Piker:  Miami
Marc:  Miami

New England   -4
@Cleveland

Piker:  New England
Marc:  New England

NY Giants        -7
@Seattle

Piker:  Seattle
Marc:  Seattle

Kansas City
@Oakland        Even

Piker:  Oakland
Marc:  Kansas City

Indianapolis
@Philadelphia   -3

Piker:  Philadelphia
Marc:  Indianapolis

Dallas
@Green Bay     -7

Piker:  Green Bay
Marc:  Dallas

Pittsburgh          -4.5
@Cincinnati

Piker:  Pittsburgh
Marc:  Pittsburgh

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 8

Week 7 Results: 5-9
Season-to-Date: 41-45-2

I got punked last week -- by the refs in the Dolphins-Steelers game and by the rest of the league.  Horrible week for Piker's Picks.  Looking for a big bounce back and another Dolphin win on the road.


Denver
@San Francisco       -1.5

Jacksonville
@Dallas                   -6.5

Washington
@Detroit                  -2.5

Green Bay
@NY Jets                -6

Carolina
@St. Louis              -3

Miami
@Cincinnati            -1.5

Buffalo
@Kansas City         -7

Tennessee
@San Diego           -3.5

Tampa Bay
@Arizona               -3

Seattle
@Oakland              -2.5

Minnesota
@New England      -5.5

Pittsburgh
@New Orleans       -1

Houston
@Indianapolis        -5.5

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 7

Week 6 Results: 6-6-2
Season: 36-36-2

Stuck at .500.  Even though picking against the Dolphins worked last week, helping them get a victory on the road at Green Bay, I'm back to picking them this week. Hope it doesn't hurt them against the mighty Steelers.  And I hope it doesn't hurt my sheet this week.

Pittsburgh            -3
@Miami

Cincinnati
@Atlanta            -3.5

Jacksonville
@Kansas City    -9

Philadelphia
@Tennessee       -3

Washington
@Chicago          -3

Cleveland
@New Orleans   -13

Buffalo
@Baltimore         -13

San Francisco      -3
@Carolina

St. Louis
@Tampa Bay      -2.5

Arizona
@Seattle              -7

New England
@San Diego        -2.5

Oakland
@Denver             -7.5

Minnesota
@Green Bay        -2.5

NY Giants
@Dallas               -3

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 6

Week 5 Results: 8-6
Season: 30-30

The Dolphins were off last week, so I managed to eke out a positive sheet and get back to .500 for the season.  They're on the road at Green Bay this week, and I've lost almost all of my faith in the team, so I'm going with the Packers.  Perhaps refraining from an emotional pick will propel me to a monster week.

Piker's Picks in Blue

San Diego            -9
@St. Louis

Kansas City
@Houston           -4

Baltimore
@New England   -2.5

New Orleans        -4
@Tampa Bay

Atlanta
@Philadelphia      -1.5

Detroit
@NY Giants        -10

Seattle
@Chicago            -6

Miami
@Green Bay        -3

Cleveland
@Pittsburgh         -14

NY Jets                -3.5
@Denver

Oakland
@San Francisco   -7

Dallas
@Minnesota         -1.5

Indianapolis          -3
@Washington

Tennessee             -3
@Jacksonville

PIKER'S PICKS: NFL WEEK 5

Week 4 Results: 6-8

I would've hit the .500 mark each of the last two weeks if I didn't pick the Dolphins. This week, the Flailing Fish have a much-needed bye, so the sky's the limit...

Piker's Picks in Blue

Denver
@Baltimore         -7

Jacksonville
@Buffalo             -1.5

Kansas City
@Indianapolis     -7

St. Louis
@Detroit              -3

Atlanta                -3
@Cleveland

Tampa Bay
@Cincinnati       -6.5

Chicago
@Carolina          -3

Green Bay          -2.5
@Washington

NY Giants
@Houston           -3

New Orleans      -6.5
@Arizona

San Diego           -6.5
@Oakland

Tennessee
@Dallas                -7


Sunday Night

Philadelphia
@San Francisco  -3


Monday Night

Minnesota
@NY Jets             -4 

PIKER'S PICKS: MLB PLAYOFFS

October is here, which means autumn, Halloween, and the World Series. Personally, I fell in love with baseball all over again this year.  It was the Year of the Pitcher, with no-hitters and perfect games and almost perfect games.  I began watching "Baseball Tonight" religiously, and besides the home runs and highlights, I couldn't wait to see the incredible defense on display in each installment of Web Gems.  My brother and I rediscovered our love of baseball cards and started collecting for the first time in 20 years.  Stephen Strasburg electrified the baseball card market and the league for a little while.  Despite Strasburg's devastating injury, which I believe he will come back from, an influx of dyamic rookies -- including Jason Heyward, Buster Posey, and Aroldis Chapman -- ushered in an exciting new era of baseball.  With baseball's tainted recent history, we can only hope and pray that this new generation is performance-enhancer free and natural talent will rule the day.

Though I didn't get to see any games this season outside Southern California, I took advantage of my close proximity to Dodger Stadium by seeing the Yankees twice, the Padres, the Rockies, the Brewers, and the Giants when they came to town. But the crown jewel of my baseball season was the All-Star Game.  I've always wanted to go to the All-Star Game, but never had the chance.  Never in a million years would I dream I would get to go as a friend of Major League Baseball.  My brother and I were treated to a VIP ticket package which included entry to a luxury suite for the Futures Game, a table in the Diamond Club  for the Home Run Derby, and fantastic seats for the All-Star Game itself.  We stayed in the same hotel as the players, hung out with baseball executives and former players, got a few Strasburg cards at Fanfest, and attended many of the surrounding events and celebrations. We were inside baseball, and it felt amazing.  My brother talked to Joe Girardi while waiting in line at the hotel lobby Starbucks.  I posed for a few pictures and sat down for a chat with Andre Agassi in the stands just before the start of the All-Star Game.  Tremendous thanks to my awesome friend who gave my brother and I the phenomenal gift of the All-Star experience.

I'm a Yankee fan through and through.  Have been since I was 5-years-old and wore a Yankee hat in my kindergarten picture.  Though I want to see a Yankees-Reds World Series, a couple of factors will keep that from happening, namely the Yankees pitching and the Phillies.


AMERICAN LEAGUE DIVISION  SERIES

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins

Piker Picks: The Yankees

Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays 

Piker Picks: The Rays


NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES

Cincinnati Reds vs Philadelphia Phillies

Piker Picks: The Phillies

Atlanta Braves vs. San Francisco Giants

Piker Picks: The Giants


AMERICAN LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Piker Picks: The Rays

NATIONAL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Piker Picks: The Phillies


WORLD SERIES

Piker Picks: The Phillies

PIKER'S PICKS: WEEK 4

Week 1:  Piker sat out to get the lay of the land.
Week 2:  9-7
Week 3:  7-9
Week 4:  Going for double digit wins.

Piker's Picks in Blue


Denver
@Tennessee         -6.5


Baltimore
@Pittsburgh          -2.5


Cincinnati             -2.5
@Cleveland


Detroit
@Green Bay        -14.5


Carolina
@New Orleans    -13


San Francisco
@Atlanta               -7


Seattle                  -2
@St. Louis


NY Jets                -6
@Buffalo


Indianapolis        -7
@Jacksonville


Houston              -3.5
@Oakland


Arizona
@San Diego       -9.5


Washington
@Philadelphia   -5


Chicago
@NY Giants       -3.5


New England     -1
@Miami

PIKER'S PICKS: WEEK 3

Piker's Picks in Yellow

Tennessee
@NY Giants       -3.5

Buffalo
@New England  -14.5

Cleveland
@Baltimore        -10.5

Pittsburgh           -2.5
@Tampa Bay

Cincinnati           -3.5
@Carolina

Atlanta
@New Orleans    -3.5

San Francisco        -2.5
@Kansas City

Detroit
@Minnesota         -12.5

Dallas
@Houston            -2.5

Washington          -3.5
@St. Louis

Philadelphia          -3
@Jacksonville

Indianapolis          -5.5
@Denver

San Diego            -4.5
@Seattle

Oakland
@Arizona            -4.5


Sunday Night Game

NY Jets
@Miami              -2.5


Monday Night Game

Green Bay          -3
@Chicago
  

 

PIKER'S PICKS - NFL WEEK 2 - RESULTS

Barry: 9-7
Ira: 7-9
Scott: 6-10

PIKER'S PICKS - NFL WEEK 2

Philadelphia     -6.5

@Detroit

Barry: Detroit 

Ira: Philadelphia

Scott: Philadelphia

Chicago

@Dallas            -7

Barry: Dallas

Ira: Chicago

Scott: Dallas

Tampa Bay

@Carolina       -3.5

Barry: Carolina

Ira: Tampa Bay

Scott: Carolina

Kansas City

@Cleveland      -3

Barry: KC

Ira: KC

Scott: KC

Arizona

@Atlanta          -7

Barry: Atlanta

Ira: Arizona

Scott: Arizona

Miami

@Minnesota      -5.5

Barry: Minnesota

Ira: Minnesota

Scott: Minnesota

Pittsburgh

@Tennessee        -6

Barry: Tennesse

Ira: Tennessee

Scott: Tennessee

Baltimore

@Cincinnati       -2.5

Barry: Cincinnati

Ira: Cincinnati

Scott: Baltimore

Buffalo

@Green Bay      -12.5

Barry: Green Bay

Ira: Green Bay

Scott: Green Bay

Seattle

@Denver            -3

Barry: Denver

Ira: Seattle

Scott: Denver

St. Louis

@Oakland          -3

Barry: St. Louis

Ira: Oakland

Scott: Oakland

Jacksonville

@San Diego       -7

Barry: Jacksonville

Ira: Jacksonville

Scott: San Diego

New England      -3

@NY Jets

Barry: NY Jets

Ira: New England

Scott: NY Jets

Houston             -2.5

@Washington

Barry: Washington

Ira: Houston

Scott: Washington

NY Giants

Indianapolis       -4.5

Barry: NY Giants

Ira: Indianapolis

Scott: Indianapolis

New Orleans       -5.5

San Francisco                       

Barry: San Francisco

Ira: New Orleans

Scott: New Orleans

VAMOS!

Hey, pikers! What's up, pikers?!  It's been a while...

I've been toying with the idea of a Piker revival for some time now.  Of course, when it comes to the world, and more importantly pop culture, I still have plenty to rant and rave about. But I've been sort of busy with a new tennis blog called Vamos!  You should check it out.  I mean, if you're into that sort of thing...