Results for ESPN Handicappers--Week 9

[TahoeLegend]

Good week for the ESPN handicappers. Bear was 3-0 on picks, 0-3 on Bank picks. Steve was 5-3 but dropped to 4-4 on his Best Bets. SVP and Colin had the best weekend and Colin moved one game above .500 on the season.

All of them except Phil Steele and Colin are doing well enough on the season that anyone who bet their picks every week would be in the black

I made the most money I've made in any week in the last 10 years, maybe 20. Max bet on Cincinnati, then once the announcement went out that Oklahoma had Perkins and Stevenson back made that a max bet, plus added in the max winnings from Cincinnati, plus everything I was ahead for the year, plus all the cash I had.

The one area where bookmakers remain clueless is when a star player is missing or returning to the lineup. I had a good laugh when all the talking heads said the same thing Saturday morning, "well, you see Trevor Lawrence is only worth 7 points at the MOST." Pure lunacy.

They didn't even bother to mention the fact the two most important players for OU were returning, except one comment that Oklahoma would be glad to have the two players back but they were worth nothing on the line. In fact, those two are the tough guys and the most physical players of the offense and defense. They transformed the entire team just by being on the field.

Doesn't happen very often during a season, but when it does the books ignore it and you can make money

The Bear—Week 9 (3-0) Season (14-10)
Virginia (+7) Win
West Virginia (-3.5) Win
Northwestern (+2.5) Win
Bear’s Bank Picks—Week 9 (0-3) Season (13-10)
Georgia_St (+3.5) Lose
Memphis (+7) Lose
Air_Force (+14) Lose

Stanford Steve— Week 9 (5-3) Season (18-13) Best Bet (4-4)
Minnesota at Maryland – Over (61) Win
Georgia St (+2.5) Lose
Iowa St (-28.5) Win
Rice (+3) Win
Michigan St (+24.5) Win
Rutgers (+12) Lose
Northwestern (+2.5) Win
Georgia (-13) Best Bet Lose

Bill Trocci— Week 9 (2-3) Season (21-18)
Georgia -14.5 Lose
Oklahoma St -3 Lose
Auburn +3 Win
Ohio State -13 Lose
Texas A&M -10.5 Win

Phil Steele-- Week 9 (3-3) Season (14-21)
BYU -28.5 vs Western Kentucky Win
Penn State + 12 vs Ohio State Lose
Indiana -10 vs Rutgers Win
SMU vs Navy Over 58.5 Win
Texas A&M -12.5 vs Arkansas Lose
North Carolina -7 vs Virginia Lose

Scott Van Pelt— Week 9 (4-2) Season (26-20)
W Virginia -3.5 Win
Georgia Tech +20 Win
Penn State +11x Lose
Illinois +7 Tie
Air Force +13x Lose
Virginia +7 Win
Pro
Bengals +5.5 Win

Joey and Jesse Virtual Locks
Joey (22-5 last year) Week 9 (1-1) Season (8-4)
N Carolina -7 Lose
UCF -3 Win
Jesse (16-11 last year) Week 9 (1-1) Season (6-5)
Kansas State +4.5 Lose
Cincinnati -6.5 Win

Colin Cowherd Blazing Five— Week 8 (4-1) Season (20-19)
Tennessee (-6.5) Lose
Indianapolis (-3) Win
Miami (+4) Win
Seattle (-3) Win
Denver (+3.5) Win

My Picks— Week 9 (3-2) Season (24-16)
Wyoming +2x Win
Rutgers +12x Lose
Georgia -15 Lose
Cincinnati -6x Win
Oklahoma -14x Win

 

[Timh]

Nice job Tahoe

 

[2daBank]

Lol. Good stuff. I’ve never bought into how they determine most players worth to a spread. Imo it a lot more damn complicated than saying this guy 7 that guy 1, and so on and so forth.

 

[2daBank]

Obviously I don’t know who cowherd playing yet this week but just from his track record and how much better he appears to be seeing things I’d guess you probably wouldn’t lose money following him the rest the way. This was def a very tough beginning of the season for most sharp nfl cats I know. Was just a bunch of unknowns, I think that favors me in ncaa but not so much nfl. I’ve actually had 2 good nfl weeks in a row, I might actually start putting more than beer money on it again!! Which of course be the kiss of death! Lol.

 

[TahoeLegend]

I’d guess you probably wouldn’t lose money following him the rest the way.

I was thinking the same thing. He's shown he can sail along at 60% for long periods so he may have a hot streak after a bad start

 

[2daBank]

I was thinking the same thing. He's shown he can sail along at 60% for long periods so he may have a hot streak after a bad start

he has seemed more confident and on point last few weeks, think he had few bad breaks in there and he did kinda luck out with Donks but that what chargers do, blow leads! I def hope we seeing things similarly this week. I’m pretty confident he gonna be on Bucs, I know he has Tampa way up on his top 10 and saints not even in it which I agree with. Stands to reason he would be all over that game, we shall see. While he laying the chalk he will talk bout how he generally doesn’t take favs. Lol

 

[TahoeLegend]

While he laying the chalk he will talk bout how he generally doesn’t take favs. Lol

I wondered all year if his slow start was due to taking so many favorites.

What do you see in the ACC this week. I lean to N Dame, Florida, maybe Stanford, Nebraska, Arkansas, but haven't put in any work yet

 

[2daBank]

I wondered all year if his slow start was due to taking so many favorites.

What do you see in the ACC this week. I lean to N Dame, Florida, maybe Stanford, Nebraska, Arkansas, but haven't put in any work yet

pretty sure I’ve talked myself into pitt even tho sounds like Pickett still out. Yellen was fairly decent prospect coming out of high school, his 1st 2 starts were much tougher defenses than he will see vs fsu, he now had a bye week to hopefully work on things. Most importantly I think pitt will give Travis all kinds of problems, I was kinda debating between pitt or under but think I prefer the plus money on pitt, I think it probably be ugly but fsu defense tough to back on a relatively low number.

trying to figure out whether I want to back liberty or over against hookies? Not thrilled I just realized laker fan pointed out earlier that liberty has made the top 25, don’t love fading that angle but I just don’t think hookies defense can get enough stops to lay more than 2tds, that Willis kid can ball and liberty every bit as explosive looking to me as ville has been, it a step up for them but not sure it a huge one when it comes to hookies defense? Willis vs hooker is most def must watch if anyone hasn’t seen them so I’m gonna figure out something there, eyes just getting to tired to do it tonight.

I have no clue on clemson/Nd, being the odd ball I am I prefer watching the dregs to middling acc teams much more than the big shots, lol. I’d def trust your lean more than my own there, off top my head I’d prob say clemson but I’m kinda a Nd hater, I really don’t know and havnt looked at it at all as of yet.

I really like San Jose st on Friday, with the points and little ml too. Other than those I have a lot more work to do 2marro, I really just got started tonight and don’t have enough of anything fun to keep me going!! Lol

 

[s--k]

Numbers matter. Look at Bill Trocci. Ohio State a loss and Texas A&M a win.

 

[TahoeLegend]

trying to figure out whether I want to back liberty or over against hookies?

I'm looking at Liberty too. I was on them last week and they breezed to an easy cover. They've got some guys who can really play and V Tech has Miami up next. Add in the fact it appears the days of Bud Foster defense are gone with the wind and Liberty looks pretty good

 

[2daBank]

I'm looking at Liberty too. I was on them last week and they breezed to an easy cover. They've got some guys who can really play and V Tech has Miami up next. Add in the fact it appears the days of Bud Foster defense are gone with the wind and Liberty looks pretty good

im afraid they gonna turn into a really popular dog tho, I hate that! It works out occasionally but really feel like more often than not those don’t go well.

I might go over instead of a side, i def don’t expect liberty defense will have much success, this by far the best qb and rushing attack they will have seen this year and they have given up quite a few points to much less talented offenses (although that wake result was puzzling as hell im gonna assume it was just a odd day for hookies o). I gotta believe vatech hangs 40+ if that correct for liberty to cover it pretty much have to go over. Feel like might be the safer/higher probability option as tech could wax them and it still flies over. I guess my only real concerns would be it a really high number with a early kick which not my favorite spot for a over, not the end of world but little bothersome. The other is neither been terrific in the red zone but I would expect a bunch of big plays.

liberty D has been pretty good getting off the field on 3rd downs but again they played a lot of mediocre offenses, hookies gonna gain so many yards on early downs I can’t imagine they get into a ton of 3rd and long situations. This gonna be the 1st of 3 games in the next 5 liberty gonna see better rushing attacks than they have faced all year so this def be telling. I really hope they can go into the last game of season against coastal Carolina with 1 loss at most (prob this week, I think without Leary they can beat NCst). I do think their current 4.9ypp and 4.3ypc allowed might be a tad fraudulent, we gonna start finding out this week for sure, I’d kill to have seen them play one more respectable offense but just the amount they have allowed vs some teams who really struggling to score in other games is alarming.

On the other hand you def right bout hookies d, apparently foster was holding that thing together w duct tape cause they been so bad allowing 6.2ypp and 5.2 on the ground!! That is of course against far better offenses than liberty has faced but I think liberty offense can hold its own with all those teams that been gashing the hookies d. I feel pretty confident if liberty plays well they can score 30+ which obviously makes that +15 so appealing but again it makes the over every bit as attractive imo.

 

[2daBank]

I will say both teams like top 20 in percentage of run plays which kinda crazy for a total so freaking high but a lot of that is cause both QBs take off and run with it so not exactly a true 60-65% called run plays.

 

[2daBank]

You playing any maction tonight? Think I’m leaving alone cause I just have no clue, I have a hard time figuring that conf out when I have seen them play for a month!!! Lol.

any thoughts on byu/Boise? I hate how much I like byu cause it feels like one the squarest bets on the card, on Friday night too! I know byu been playing a lot of pushovers but I do like them a lot, feels like a potential statement game but man it “square”, doesn’t make it wrong, just makes me feel icky, lol.

 

[TahoeLegend]

You playing any maction tonight? Think I’m leaving alone cause I just have no clue, I have a hard time figuring that conf out when I have seen them play for a month!!! Lol.

any thoughts on byu/Boise? I hate how much I like byu cause it feels like one the squarest bets on the card, on Friday night too! I know byu been playing a lot of pushovers but I do like them a lot, feels like a potential statement game but man it “square”, doesn’t make it wrong, just makes me feel icky, lol.

No, just played a small parlay of Buffalo/Kent St-EMU over

I can't see anything either way on BYU/Boise, but I just posted on the ML Dogs thread that the Boise QB is officially listed as questionable this week.

I like the way they both play--first thing I look at is defense and how tough the team is--and I've always liked Boise at home but I don't see a bet on it for now. If I find out the Boise QB is not going or is at less than 100% I might, but if I play it I'll likely play the total. Both of these coaches believe in trying to score on every possession right up to the gun. I've seen the Boise guy keep trying to score even when the game is long decided and there are only seconds left.

Only bet I've made so far is Florida +4 and that was just a one unit bet.

 

[2daBank]

I like gators too. I was kinda hoping to get like +6 but I think they win so I might play them anyways.