Due to the overwhelming amount of games available to choose from, I'm not going to be posting lines from every game available. You will find and use lines on your own from whatever legitimate source you choose. We will be using a limited honor system here. You post the line you find, and I'll cross-check it with the source I use. I'll allow you a 2-point window in either direction. In other words, if your line is within two points of mine, I'll accept your line. If it's more than two points away, I'll let you know, and you can either change your pick or use my line. If a neutral party (neither myself nor the original picker) wishes to challenge my line, we can work it out over an AIM chat or something. Please note, the window is NOT there for the purpose of allowing you to pad your lines or anything. Be honest about the lines you fine. Honor system applies here.
However, since some of you probably won't want to do exhaustive research, I will post around five "spotlight games" each week. For the spotlight games, my lines must be used.
You may submit your picks at any time prior to the first game you are picking. All games must be picked in one post, meaning, if you want to pick a Thursday game and two Saturday games, you must pick all three games prior to the first game starting. Once any of your games have started, you may not change any of your picks. If you are going to change picks, DELETE AND REPOST. Do not edit your post. Any edited posts will not count.
Unless otherwise noted, every game picked must meet the following criteria: At least ONE of the teams involved must either be a member of a BCS conference, or ranked in the Top 25. BOTH teams must be members of Division 1-A, bowl division, whatever the hell it's called these days. For levels involving player-specific props, the spread of the game you are picking must be under 20.
The "week" will run Thursday - Monday. No games played on Tuesday or Wednesday are eligible for prediction until Championship Week. I'm thinking of including Bowl Season in this contest and doing something totally different for it, but haven't worked out the details yet. Keep this in mind so you don't accuse me of "changing the rules midway through." I'm warning you that such a change is coming now.
ATS = against the spread. OU = over/under. SU = straight up. If you don't know what these things mean, learn. We'll be using them frequently.
I will be participating myself. If anyone has any objections or thinks I'm doing anything unfairly, feel free to call me out and we'll sort it out. There's no prize here, it's all in good fun, fair competition among fans is encouraged!
Level 3: The Jakyl Tier - Three game teaser (pick three games ATS, add six points in your favor to each spread, all games must win, you may advance with ONE push)
Level 2: Pick three games OU. Must get two or more correct to advance.
Level 1: Pick one game ATS.
-- SmartMuffin - Because anything less would be uncivilized http://img.imgcake.com/gadsdenflaggifda.gif
...I can't think of a single thing either team has done over the first two weeks to warrant that. MSU has been dominant, and ND has been shaky at best.
Granted, they are at home with their backs against the wall, but I would have guessed the line at ND -1.5
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Thank you, Eddie Guerrero. http://img.imgcake.com/Icon/Punkjpguh.jpg
Based on where I looked at the spreads, I am so tempted to pick the North Texas/Alabama and Akron/Cincinnati games because of how huge their spreads are. I mean, I know that Akron is one of the worst teams in the FBS but I don't think that UC is good enough to beat them by 38+. Alabama would have to win by 52 in their game. I got a few others in mind as well so I am still mulling my options
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"Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin' the cemetery?" -Royal "Oh sure, walk to the sun"- Guybrush
Miami of Ohio Redhawks @ Minnesota Golden Gophers (-3.5) Michigan State Spartans @ Notre Dame Fighting Irish (-5) Syracuse Orange @ USC Trojans (-15.5)
I just want to clarify so that I am reading the rules correctly. With the 6 points in our favor, I am saying that the Golden Gophers will either win or be within 3 points of victory against Miami? I am saying that Michigan State will win or be within 10, I don't think that a push means a victory for me, points of victory against ND? I am saying that Syracuse will either win or come within 21 points of victory?
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"Anybody interested in grabbing a couple of burgers and hittin' the cemetery?" -Royal "Oh sure, walk to the sun"- Guybrush
The spreads you took, when teased 6 points, look like this:
Minnesota +2.5 Michigan State +11 Syracuse +21.5
So Minnesota must either win the game outright or lose by 2 or less, Michigan State must win the game outright or lose by 11 or less (since you get one push by SMuffin's rules, and only whole numbers can push, this would be the one), and Syracuse must win the game outright or lose by 21 or less.
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Thank you, Eddie Guerrero. http://img.imgcake.com/Icon/Punkjpguh.jpg
Hawaii won't work, GaryOak. You need to have at least one team in each game that's either in a BCS conference or ranked. (Boise State's ranked, so they're fine even though they're playing fellow non-BCS conference team Toledo).
Michigan State +4.5 Utah +4.5 West Virginia +1
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Ulti (in one of his Post-Contest Analyses): God of War turned a 5 hour deadlock into a total laugher Anagram: Oh God, Tidus and Yuna were involved?
LSU -3.5 at Mississippi State (50) Oklahoma -3 at Florida State (55) Ohio State +2.5 at Miami (48) Michigan State +4.5 at Notre Dame (51.5) Stanford -10 at Arizona (54.5)
-- SmartMuffin - Because anything less would be uncivilized http://img.imgcake.com/gadsdenflaggifda.gif
Michigan State (+4.5) Washington State (+5) Arizona State (+2)
That Michigan State/Notre Dame spread makes me feel extremely nervous, because it just feels too easy, even though Michigan State being within 10.5 points seems like it should be a no-brainer. I can't really pass it up. Meanwhile, in my continuing theme of picking Pac-12 games, Arizona State shouldn't lose to Illinois by more than one score, and I'll throw a bone to Washington State, who deserves better in their line than they got.
Florida game - Under Michigan State at Notre Dame - Over OU At FSU - Over
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Behold the majesty that is Doom. Feast upon his greatness, and know you will never measure up. http://img.imgcake.com/Punny/scenemaybecompletepngre.png - Hail
Gah, not sure if WVU's game already started before I posted that. Eh, I guess I'll stick with WVU. It's just that when I made the WVU pick, the Mountaineers were a 1-point underdog, so with the 6-point teaser, they could end up losing by as much as a full touchdown and I'd still be able to make my pick. Then some Maryland players got suspended, and WVU became a 1-point favorite. I did pick WVU to win this outright, but I wasn't terribly confident to begin with, so I liked having that cushion.
Actually, yeah, sticking with WVU. If I wasn't confident enough in WSU to predict them outright, I shouldn't be taking them for this.
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Ulti (in one of his Post-Contest Analyses): God of War turned a 5 hour deadlock into a total laugher Anagram: Oh God, Tidus and Yuna were involved?
TsunamiXXVIII posted... TsunamiXXVIII posted... Damnit, now I'm nervous.
Switching from WVU over to WSU (+4.5)
Gah, not sure if WVU's game already started before I posted that. Eh, I guess I'll stick with WVU. It's just that when I made the WVU pick, the Mountaineers were a 1-point underdog, so with the 6-point teaser, they could end up losing by as much as a full touchdown and I'd still be able to make my pick. Then some Maryland players got suspended, and WVU became a 1-point favorite. I did pick WVU to win this outright, but I wasn't terribly confident to begin with, so I liked having that cushion.
Actually, yeah, sticking with WVU. If I wasn't confident enough in WSU to predict them outright, I shouldn't be taking them for this.
...And Maryland forces the turnover. DAMNIT WVU!
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Ulti (in one of his Post-Contest Analyses): God of War turned a 5 hour deadlock into a total laugher Anagram: Oh God, Tidus and Yuna were involved?
Damnit. The absolute worst feeling in spread betting is when you know a game's a trap, you call it out on being a trap, and then you take it anyway. I should've known better, and I'm never going against my gut again.
Yeah in fact, now that I look back on it, when I got the gut feeling that Michigan State was a trap, I should've especially avoided it because everyone else was taking it. I could've advanced to level 4 by myself by avoiding it, except I also got Washington State wrong because why the hell did I put faith in the Cougs?