GREG GAMBLE’S 2008 PIGSKIN PICKS - 14-7 ATS...67%
NCAA ATS: 6-0 - NFL ATS: 4-6 - Teasers ATS: 4-1
Greg Gamble Rule #54-Mariah: Urban Meyer playin off a bye-week (& still acting more pissed-off than an adult actress after an unexpected hair shot), facing an unranked squad on the road & favored by less than 2 tuddies is almost as wise an investment as Nick Cannon's in Mariah's cougar-azz for a few years before cashing in!
Greg Gamble Rule #69-DD: When a team loses (Vols) to a team (Bruins) that was destroyed the following game (UCLA lost 59-0 to BYU); the worse case scenario for that team (Vols) is to bounce back against last year’s Heisman winner...unless his friend Double D is in the stands, then it's not that bad!
Greg Gamble Rule #69ing with Poprocks: If a Top-5 ranked team is better this year ova last year (Florida), and is playing an opponent they beat by more the 38 the year prior that is actually worse this season (Tennessee), put the midgets & Asians to bed and go looking for your checkbook!
Final Score: GATORS 34 VOLS 17
ARIZONA WILDCATS (-2.5) @ UCLA BRUINS
Under new headmaster Rich “Gambling Pool” Neuheisel, the Bruins secondary was abused like an NBA groupie last week as BYU completed 78% and tossed 7 tuddies! This week, they face a pass-happy Wildcat squad averaging ova 46 pts/gm in their first three contests (2-1) and looking for redemption after an 8-point loss at New Mexico. Led by Sr. QB Willie Tuitama (8 TD, 2 Int, & 66%), his game breaking WRs (Mike Thomas- 302 yrds 3 TD, Delashaun Dean- 220 yrds, 2 TD, & Terrell Turner- 134 yrds, TD), & possibly the most underrated back in the Pac-10 Nic Grigsby (125 ypg, 6.6 avg, 6 TD), I cannot fathom how UCLA’s offense bounces back to keep up.
Especially with Zona getting their feet wet on the road last week, the trip to Hollywood should be a much easier adjustment. While Neuheisel will eventually turn the program around, recruitment over the last few years and player movement after the coaching change has left UCLA without much depth. Just like BYU did, look for Mike Stoops to turn this into a track meet early and then pound Grigsy late as the Bruins tire.
Final Score: WILDCATS 37 BRUINS 27
#9 ALABAMA TIDE (-9.5) @ ARKANSAS HOGS
While I’d pay money to see what happened to Charlie Weis happen to Nick Satan, i'll admit the A-hole can fire-up a college program something fierce. In only his 2nd season, Bama already looks like a powerhouse after opening 3-0 and winning by an average of 24 pts/gm (won at then #9 Clemson 34-10). The Tide has a bevy of star RBs sharing the pill this season and each has the ability to take over a game.
Combined with their power rushing attack, after starring in Home Improvement Sr. QB John Parker Wilson has development into a confident leader and become a play-action guru for Satan. As for the Hogs, besides losing the most dynamic backfield in NCAA history (Darren McFaddon & Felix Jones) and more than half their starters on both sides of the ball, the change in coaching staff has been the biggest adjustment for the few veterans left on the squad. As a result, the Hogs barely squeaked by W. Illinois in the opener (28-24) and followed that up with an ugly come from behind one-point victory at Louisiana-Monroe. Smellin' a blowout boys?
Final Score: CRIMSON TIDE 31 HOGS 13
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NCAA ATS: 6-0 - NFL ATS: 4-6 - Teasers ATS: 4-1
Greg Gamble Rule #54-Mariah: Urban Meyer playin off a bye-week (& still acting more pissed-off than an adult actress after an unexpected hair shot), facing an unranked squad on the road & favored by less than 2 tuddies is almost as wise an investment as Nick Cannon's in Mariah's cougar-azz for a few years before cashing in!
Greg Gamble Rule #69-DD: When a team loses (Vols) to a team (Bruins) that was destroyed the following game (UCLA lost 59-0 to BYU); the worse case scenario for that team (Vols) is to bounce back against last year’s Heisman winner...unless his friend Double D is in the stands, then it's not that bad!
Greg Gamble Rule #69ing with Poprocks: If a Top-5 ranked team is better this year ova last year (Florida), and is playing an opponent they beat by more the 38 the year prior that is actually worse this season (Tennessee), put the midgets & Asians to bed and go looking for your checkbook!
Final Score: GATORS 34 VOLS 17
ARIZONA WILDCATS (-2.5) @ UCLA BRUINS
Under new headmaster Rich “Gambling Pool” Neuheisel, the Bruins secondary was abused like an NBA groupie last week as BYU completed 78% and tossed 7 tuddies! This week, they face a pass-happy Wildcat squad averaging ova 46 pts/gm in their first three contests (2-1) and looking for redemption after an 8-point loss at New Mexico. Led by Sr. QB Willie Tuitama (8 TD, 2 Int, & 66%), his game breaking WRs (Mike Thomas- 302 yrds 3 TD, Delashaun Dean- 220 yrds, 2 TD, & Terrell Turner- 134 yrds, TD), & possibly the most underrated back in the Pac-10 Nic Grigsby (125 ypg, 6.6 avg, 6 TD), I cannot fathom how UCLA’s offense bounces back to keep up.
Especially with Zona getting their feet wet on the road last week, the trip to Hollywood should be a much easier adjustment. While Neuheisel will eventually turn the program around, recruitment over the last few years and player movement after the coaching change has left UCLA without much depth. Just like BYU did, look for Mike Stoops to turn this into a track meet early and then pound Grigsy late as the Bruins tire.
Final Score: WILDCATS 37 BRUINS 27
#9 ALABAMA TIDE (-9.5) @ ARKANSAS HOGS
While I’d pay money to see what happened to Charlie Weis happen to Nick Satan, i'll admit the A-hole can fire-up a college program something fierce. In only his 2nd season, Bama already looks like a powerhouse after opening 3-0 and winning by an average of 24 pts/gm (won at then #9 Clemson 34-10). The Tide has a bevy of star RBs sharing the pill this season and each has the ability to take over a game.
Combined with their power rushing attack, after starring in Home Improvement Sr. QB John Parker Wilson has development into a confident leader and become a play-action guru for Satan. As for the Hogs, besides losing the most dynamic backfield in NCAA history (Darren McFaddon & Felix Jones) and more than half their starters on both sides of the ball, the change in coaching staff has been the biggest adjustment for the few veterans left on the squad. As a result, the Hogs barely squeaked by W. Illinois in the opener (28-24) and followed that up with an ugly come from behind one-point victory at Louisiana-Monroe. Smellin' a blowout boys?
Final Score: CRIMSON TIDE 31 HOGS 13
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David Malinsky
Central Florida @ Boston College
PICK: 4* Boston College -10
One of our favorite settings in college football through the years comes up in this one, and yet it is one that we have never developed a catch phrase for. A “No-Sizzle” favorite? We will have to do better. What we have is a superior team that brings a defense that can absolutely dominate the opposing team’s offense, and the mind-set to do so. But because they lack sex appeal, the number is short.
The public is always enamored with big favorites that are explosive on offense, since those teams can score into the 40’s and 50’s to break games wide open. As such, the oddsmakers have to make particular adjustments for those settings. But the favorite that can completely shut down the opponent often has an even better chance of covering the spread; they are just not as likely to do it in explosive fashion. That is Boston College this week. The Eagle front seven on defense is among the best in the nation, and through the first two games the defense has allowed only 17 points, 24 first downs and 485 yards. Those games were against opponents that had mobile QB’s (Justin Edelman for Kent State and Josh Nesbitt for Georgia Tech), and dynamic lead RB’s (Eugene Jarvis for Kent and Jonathan Dwyer for GT). Now they face a young Central Florida offense that has neither. In fact, the Golden Knights do not have much of anything offensively.
We do not think much of Michael Greco at QB. We do not think much of his receivers. And in all of the years that we have charted college football, falling down from the 2,567 rushing yards and 29 rushing TD’s of Kevin Smith, to a current RB corps in which the top three on the depth chart are all freshmen, is one of the biggest single-position drop-offs we have seen. Even the OL only brought back two starters from LY. So how has this played out? In the opener against lowly South Carolina State they managed only 318 yards, and it was 7-0 well into the 4th quarter of a 17-0 win. As for that overtime thriller vs. South Florida, go back and review. Even with the added possession in O.T. they could muster only 12 first downs and 226 yards, and the game would likely have ended 24-10, with their only touchdown coming on a punt return, if South Florida had not set up the late sequence by throwing an ill-timed interception with a little more than three minutes left.
Yes, there should be some concerns about the Boston College offense, after three second-half turnovers turned their game around vs. Georgia Tech. But as we wrote in the first paragraph, the “mind-set” is right where we want it to be. The Eagles have had two weeks to build up some frustrations off of the Tech loss, and with only Rhode Island on deck there is absolutely no holding back. That means that they bring a knock-out punch to the table against an opponent that clearly has a glass jaw.
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Central Florida @ Boston College
PICK: 4* Boston College -10
One of our favorite settings in college football through the years comes up in this one, and yet it is one that we have never developed a catch phrase for. A “No-Sizzle” favorite? We will have to do better. What we have is a superior team that brings a defense that can absolutely dominate the opposing team’s offense, and the mind-set to do so. But because they lack sex appeal, the number is short.
The public is always enamored with big favorites that are explosive on offense, since those teams can score into the 40’s and 50’s to break games wide open. As such, the oddsmakers have to make particular adjustments for those settings. But the favorite that can completely shut down the opponent often has an even better chance of covering the spread; they are just not as likely to do it in explosive fashion. That is Boston College this week. The Eagle front seven on defense is among the best in the nation, and through the first two games the defense has allowed only 17 points, 24 first downs and 485 yards. Those games were against opponents that had mobile QB’s (Justin Edelman for Kent State and Josh Nesbitt for Georgia Tech), and dynamic lead RB’s (Eugene Jarvis for Kent and Jonathan Dwyer for GT). Now they face a young Central Florida offense that has neither. In fact, the Golden Knights do not have much of anything offensively.
We do not think much of Michael Greco at QB. We do not think much of his receivers. And in all of the years that we have charted college football, falling down from the 2,567 rushing yards and 29 rushing TD’s of Kevin Smith, to a current RB corps in which the top three on the depth chart are all freshmen, is one of the biggest single-position drop-offs we have seen. Even the OL only brought back two starters from LY. So how has this played out? In the opener against lowly South Carolina State they managed only 318 yards, and it was 7-0 well into the 4th quarter of a 17-0 win. As for that overtime thriller vs. South Florida, go back and review. Even with the added possession in O.T. they could muster only 12 first downs and 226 yards, and the game would likely have ended 24-10, with their only touchdown coming on a punt return, if South Florida had not set up the late sequence by throwing an ill-timed interception with a little more than three minutes left.
Yes, there should be some concerns about the Boston College offense, after three second-half turnovers turned their game around vs. Georgia Tech. But as we wrote in the first paragraph, the “mind-set” is right where we want it to be. The Eagles have had two weeks to build up some frustrations off of the Tech loss, and with only Rhode Island on deck there is absolutely no holding back. That means that they bring a knock-out punch to the table against an opponent that clearly has a glass jaw.
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Mr A
St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
St. Louis' Joel Pineiro is 1-1 with a 8.40 ERA in his last three starts. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts versus Chicago.
Chicago's Ted Lilly is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in his last three starts. The southpaw is 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts versus St. Louis, 2-0 in four starts this year.
The Cubs are 6-1 in their last 7 games, while the Cardinals have taken a tumble, just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. Take the Cubs at home with Ted Lilly on the mound. Chicago is 9-3 in Lilly’s last 12 home starts and have won 15 of the last 21 meetings versus St. Louis in the Windy City.
Chicago Cubs -175
East Carolina at North Carolina State
East Carolina's offense led by quarterback Pat Pinkney should post the points against the Wolfpack’s vulnerable defense that is allowing an average 366.7 total yards per games and 28.5 points thus far this season.
East Carolina Pirates -7
Rice at Texas
Take the Texas Longhorns to whack the Owls in a brutal ground assault. Texas has won the last nine meetings against Rice, 5-0 at home.
Texas Longhorns -29
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St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs
St. Louis' Joel Pineiro is 1-1 with a 8.40 ERA in his last three starts. The right-hander is 2-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts versus Chicago.
Chicago's Ted Lilly is 2-1 with a 3.18 ERA in his last three starts. The southpaw is 5-2 with a 2.77 ERA in 10 starts versus St. Louis, 2-0 in four starts this year.
The Cubs are 6-1 in their last 7 games, while the Cardinals have taken a tumble, just 1-7 in their last 8 games overall. Take the Cubs at home with Ted Lilly on the mound. Chicago is 9-3 in Lilly’s last 12 home starts and have won 15 of the last 21 meetings versus St. Louis in the Windy City.
Chicago Cubs -175
East Carolina at North Carolina State
East Carolina's offense led by quarterback Pat Pinkney should post the points against the Wolfpack’s vulnerable defense that is allowing an average 366.7 total yards per games and 28.5 points thus far this season.
East Carolina Pirates -7
Rice at Texas
Take the Texas Longhorns to whack the Owls in a brutal ground assault. Texas has won the last nine meetings against Rice, 5-0 at home.
Texas Longhorns -29
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Psychic
2 units Alabama -9.5
2 units Texas A&M +3.5
3 units Rutgers -5.5
DA STICK
5 units Florida Atlantic +7
5 units UCLA +3
10 units Rutgers -5.5
10 units South Florida -28.5
10 units Florida State -5
10 units Notre Dame +9
DA STICK COLLEGE TEASER OF THE WEEKEND
10 units Viriginia Tech +13.5, Tennessee +18, Florida State +5
DA STICK UNDERDOG OF THE DAY NCAA SATURDAY
10 units Notre Dame +9
2 units Alabama -9.5
2 units Texas A&M +3.5
3 units Rutgers -5.5
DA STICK
5 units Florida Atlantic +7
5 units UCLA +3
10 units Rutgers -5.5
10 units South Florida -28.5
10 units Florida State -5
10 units Notre Dame +9
DA STICK COLLEGE TEASER OF THE WEEKEND
10 units Viriginia Tech +13.5, Tennessee +18, Florida State +5
DA STICK UNDERDOG OF THE DAY NCAA SATURDAY
10 units Notre Dame +9
ope:
