Month: November 2017

NFL Week 13 Picks and Preview

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After an unannounced Thanksgiving hiatus, I have returned. Because i’m not as committed as some of you may think I am, I only did pick ’em last week, no spread or bonus bets. So I posted pick ’em results from the previous two weeks, and spread/bonus bets from two weeks ago. Sound good? Great. Let’s get to Week 13.

Last Week:

Pick ‘Em:

Week 11: 7-7

Week 12: 13-3

Week 11 Spread: 8-4-2

Season:

Pick ‘Em: 109-67

Spread: 33-31-5

Week 11 Bonus Bets:

-KC v NYG — Over — L

-BAL v GB — Over — L

No more betting on the Packers. It never goes well for me. An 0-2 week of bonus bets leaves me at 6-6 with four weeks remaining in the season.

WSH@DAL

The NFC East is all but wrapped up for Philadelphia so these two teams are on the outside looking in. Sure, there’s still playoff hopes, but with the NFC over performing, it’s now or never for both teams. The Cowboys have lost three in-a-row and Dak Prescott has been exposed without Zeke. Washington should pounce on this opportunity as Kirk Cousins still aims to impress and finally earn his big-money contract.

Pick ‘Em: Washington Redskins

Spread: Washington Redskins (+2)

TB@GB

Green Bay had their hopes crushed last week on the field in Pittsburgh, but hope was restored when Aaron Rodgers was dropping dimes in pregame.

Speaking of injured players, Jameis Winston is returning for Tampa Bay this week. Despite that, I have hopes that Green Bay is finally turning the corner and becoming a decent team without Aaron Rodgers. Here’s to Brett Hundley’s first win at Lambeau.

Pick ‘Em: Green Bay Packers

Spread: Green Bay Packers (PK)

MIN@ATL

The Falcons FINALLY took my advice and threw it up to Julio Jones….a lot. This was the Julio Jones that I missed. Torching defenses and breaking ankles on the regular.

Jones and the Falcon offense will have a tougher test when they host the Vikings on Sunday, but I think they’re up to the task. Atlanta is sick of hearing about the Super Bowl hangover and have put themselves in a decent position to make the playoffs.

Pick ‘Em: Atlanta Falcons

Spread: Atlanta Falcons (-3)

NE@BUF

Remember this?

That seems like a lifetime ago for both teams. Matt Patricia has worked his magic again and has the Pats D on track to win the AFC. But first they have to survive a divisional matchup with Buffalo who looks to have righted their ship after a three-game losing streak. However, Bill Belichick doesn’t lose the AFC East.

Pick ‘Em: New England Patriots

Spread: Buffalo Bills (+8.5)

SF@CHI

San Fran fans are acting like Jimmy G is the second coming of God. I suppose when you’re team is 1-10 a decent quarterback may seem that way. Garoppolo hasn’t won me over just yet, and I think he could be a letdown in his first start with his new team. In a shocking twist, I think the Bears come away with the W. The 49ers have been kings of covering this year, expect it to be close.

Pick ‘Em: Chicago Bears

Spread: San Francisco 49ers (+3.5)

HOU@TEN

In a crowded AFC playoff picture, the Titans are still in control of the AFC South. They’ve won five out of their last six and their only home loss came in week one. Houston is on the exact opposite end of the spectrum losing four out of their last five and haven’t had a road win since week two. All signs point to Tennessee.

Pick ‘Em: Tennessee Titans

Spread: Houston Texans (+7)

DEN@MIA

Denver and Miami have both played hot potato at the quarterback position due to injury and incompetence. The defenses haven’t performed that well either. These cellar dwellers don’t have much to play for besides pride and the fear of losing a job. Denver has more at stake with John Elway breathing down the back of the organization. I think they can handle the heat (PUNS!).

Pick ‘Em: Denver Broncos

Spread: Denver Broncos (-1)

KC@NYJ

Revis island returns to New York, but this time he’ll be facing his former team as a member of the Chiefs.

Kansas City needs him to perform immediately if they want to stop their three-game skid. The New York Jets are the perfect team to end a skid against, however, the Jets have been tough to knock off at home. The Chiefs should squeak out a close one.

Pick ‘Em: Kansas City Chiefs

Spread: New York Jets (+4.5)

IND@JAX

After narrowly losing to Arizona last week, Jacksonville looks to bounce back. Indianapolis got blanked 27-0 at home when these teams met just over a month ago and gave up ten sacks in the contest. TEN. In case you don’t watch football often, that’s a lot. Expect a very similar result this time around.

Pick ‘Em: Jacksonville Jaguars

Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars (-9.5)

DET@BAL

Detroit is 4-1 on the road this season, but they have notoriously collapsed in December. Here’s a representation of what football looks like in December at Ford Field.

Both teams need to win now if they plan on making the playoffs this season. The Lions will build themselves up with one more win before the collapse comes.

Pick ‘Em: Detroit Lions

Spread: Detroit Lions (+3)

CLE@LAC

With the AFC West in shambles, the Los Angeles Chargers have stepped up and are getting hot at the right time. Things only get easier as they host the winless Cleveland Browns. The big story in Cleveland is the return of Josh Gordon. It wasn’t pretty getting back, and finding out what he did in high school and college? It’s incredible he performed the way he did.

Now clean (hopefully), Gordon should tear up the league again, but Los Angeles has the fire power to keep up with him.

Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Chargers

Spread: Cleveland Browns (+14)

NYG@OAK

Before I can even offer predictions let’s review the storylines coming into this game:

So this game should be fun. Will Eli Manning even be active? Will Ben McAdoo get fired mid-game? Will the Raiders miss Michael Crabtree? STAY TUNED!

Pick ‘Em: Oakland Raiders

Spread: Oakland Raiders (-6.5)

CAR@NO

After the mess I described above, it’s nice to get back to a game with playoff implications. Cam Newton and Greg Olsen are both expected to suit up, but how much they’ll impact the game remains to be seen. New Orleans on the other hand is relatively healthy compared to the Panthers and need to take care of business at home, as the winner take control in the NFC South.

Pick ‘Em: New Orleans Saints

Spread: Carolina Panthers (+3)

LAR@ARZ

When these two met in week seven, it was all Rams, 33-0. Since then, each team has had their share of ups and downs (mostly up for the Rams and mostly down for the Cardinals), but Arizona is still technically in the NFC playoff hunt. That being said, they have Blaine Gabbert starting under center on Sunday. Not the best option for a turnover-forcing defense. Meanwhile, the Rams high-powered offense continues to chug along, averaging just under 30 points per game. Los Angeles should not only win, but cover the spread.

Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Rams

Spread: Los Angeles Rams (-7)

PHI@SEA

Here’s how I feel about this potential NFC playoff matchup:

This game should be fun all-around, and prime time games in Seattle always deliver…

(Still very mad about this game, time doesn’t heal all wounds)

In their last five games, Philadelphia has not come across a formidable team, while Seattle has only faced one potential playoff team. This will be a great measuring stick for both teams coming down the stretch.

Pick ‘Em: Seattle Seahawks

Spread: Seattle Seahawks (+5)

PIT@CIN

The bad blood between these two teams is always must-see television, so having the game in the national spotlight to cap off week 13 is perfect. Pittsburgh will have their eye on New England’s game Sunday as each team is vying for home-field advantage through the AFC playoffs. Pittsburgh won’t squander their chance to keep pace or leap frog the Patriots in the race for first place in the AFC.

Pick ‘Em: Pittsburgh Steelers

Spread: Cincinnati Bengals (+5)

Bonus Bets:

-Since betting the overs didn’t do me any justice last week, I’ll take the under with Indianapolis at Jacksonville (41).

-Who am I kidding? A wise blogger once said, “Life is too short to bet the under.” The Rams and Cardinals will hit the over (45.5).

NFL Week 11 Picks and Preview

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THE STREAK IS OVER. Whether it be betting skill or dumb luck, I had my first week above .500 against the spread. Another above .500 week in pick ’em is a success in my book, so needless to say, it was a good week.

Last Week: 

Pick ‘Em: 9-5

Spread: 8-6

Season:

Pick ‘Em: 89-57

Spread: 25-27-3

Bonus Bets:

-NO v BUF — Over 46 — W

-DAL v ATL — Over 50.5 — L

Another 1-1 week leaves me at 6-4 which isn’t bad but as always, room for improvement. Let’s get into some picks.

TEN@PIT

On paper, this is one of the better Thursday night matchups this year. Both teams are coming in hot too, each boasting a four game win-streak. Pittsburgh will be better equipped to handle the short week with an impressive no-huddle offense, they’ll take care of business at home in a close one.

Pick ‘Em: Pittsburgh Steelers

Spread: Tennessee Titans (+7)

BAL@GB

Green Bay is the most unpredictable team in the league right now. Each week I flip-flop on whether they’re a playoff team, or should tank for a high draft pick. Baltimore has been equally unimpressive losing three out of their last four. If picking against Green Bay motivates them to win like it did last week, I will continue to do it.

Side note: Aaron Rodgers returned to the practice field doing some light work this week.

Pick ‘Em: Baltimore Ravens

Spread: Baltimore Ravens (-2)

DET@CHI

The Bears have shown flashes of potential, by way of their last three losses being by only one possession. With Detroit in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race, expect them to perform well, especially after a slow start against the Browns last week. Matthew Stafford is sneakily putting together a good year, and he should at at least two more touchdown passes this week.

Pick ‘Em: Detroit Lions

Spread: Detroit Lions (-3)

JAX@CLE

Two years ago this matchup would have easily been this weeks Toilet Bowl. Jacksonville has improved significantly while the Browns are still the laughing stock of the NFL. The Jaguars even had the guts to call a fake punt last week, and scored on it.

Every week I wonder when Hue Jackson will get fired, and an embarrassing home loss to Jacksonville could finally put them past the tipping point.

Pick ‘Em: Jacksonville Jaguars

Spread: Jacksonville Jaguars (-7.5)

TB@MIA

This game was originally supposed to be played in week one of the season but thanks to hurricane conditions it got pushed to this week. Both teams could really use this as their bye week, but Mother Nature had other plans. Talking about the weather delaying this game is more fun than talking about the actual game. It’s gonna be ugly.

Pick ‘Em: Miami Dolphins

Spread: Miami Dolphins (PK)

LAR@MIN

Finally, two division leading teams meeting in the regular season. It’s a sight that isn’t seen too many times this late in the NFL season. Plus the Rams explosive offense going head-to-head against the smash-mouth Vikings defense should be fun. The energy and atmosphere Sean McVay has brought to the Rams makes them a serious threat, NFC beware.

Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Rams

Spread: Los Angeles Rams (+2)

WSH@NO

The Saints are another fun surprise in the NFL this season alongside the Rams. Both teams share the same record and plenty of offense. So returning home after trouncing the Bills does not bode well for Washington this week. The Redskins have proved they can compete with the best of the NFC, but can’t quite close the door on victories. Expect the same narrative this week.

Pick ‘Em: New Orleans Saints

Spread: Washington Redskins (+7.5)

KC@NYG

Every week people are expecting the New York Giants to turn it around and rally around their coach to get a win, especially this week after management said head coaching decisions won’t be made until after the season. Regardless, the Giants have Kansas City paying a visit, who is one of the better teams in the AFC. The Chiefs will roll even if Ben McaDoo’s head doesn’t.

Pick ‘Em: Kansas City Chiefs

Spread: Kansas City Chiefs (-10.5)

ARZ@HOU

Arizona is coming off of a mini-bye week after hosting Seattle last Thursday night. Houston is still trying to recover from the pounding they took in Los Angeles last week. This will be an ugly one with two backup quarterbacks starting. Adrian Peterson is one of the few playmakers on offense for either team, besides the obvious DeAndre Hopkins who has built rapport with backup Tom Savage. This game is the weekly tossup. I’ll take the Cardinals?

Pick ‘Em: Arizona Cardinals

Spread: Houston Texans (+1)

BUF@LAC

For some reason, Tyrod Taylor got benched. I understand getting wrecked at home against the Saints isn’t the best look, but is Nathan Peterman really the best option? Especially when your team is in the playoff hunt!?

I have no idea what the Bills are thinking. Meanwhile, the Chargers continue to play close, meaningful games. They will be rewarded with a win this week.

Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Chargers

Spread: Los Angeles Chargers (PK)

CIN@DEN

The quarterback situation is a mess in Denver. This is how I picture head coach Vance Joseph deciphering his quarterback situation.

It’s a mess in Denver. Cincinnati hasn’t been playing much better, but at least their starters are relatively set-in-stone unlike Denver. Both teams boast strong defenses so expect this to be a low-scoring affair.

Pick ‘Em: Denver Broncos

Spread: Cincinnati Bengals (+2.5)

NE@OAK

Oakland is rested and recovered after their bye week, and you better believe they spent their bye week prepping for the Patriots. That being said, Tom Brady and the Patriots always come prepared, no matter the opponent. The atmosphere will be wild with the game being played in Mexico City, Mexico. The Raiders should capitalize on the pandemonium.

Pick ‘Em: Oakland Raiders

Spread: Oakland Raiders (+6.5)

PHI@DAL

The Eagles, like the Raiders, are rested and ready to go after their divisional opponent in Dallas. Zeke has finally accepted his five game suspension which isn’t good for the Cowboys playoff hopes. Dallas showed us last week what they are without Zeke, awful. Philadelphia will score, a lot, and will shut down the Dallas offense.

Pick ‘Em: Philadelphia Eagles

Spread: Philadelphia Eagles (-3.5)

ATL@SEA

A Monday Night Football game with playoff implications!? Rare. The Atlanta offense is banged up, but not as bad as the Seattle defense. That matchup isn’t nearly as exciting as it could be, but it’ll be fun nonetheless. The real question is if Atlanta’s pass rush can create as much pressure as they did last week against Dallas. I’ll take Seattle and a scrambling Russell Wilson in this game.

Pick ‘Em: Seattle Seahawks

Spread: Seattle Seahawks (-3)

Bonus Bets:

-The Chiefs and the Giants may not seem like two high-scoring teams, but for some reason I see fireworks ensuing. I’ll take the over. (44.5)

-Green Bay and Baltimore have the lowest over/under of the week at 38. I think both teams have more potential than that. Gimme the over one more time. (38)

NFL Week 10 Picks and Preview

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Was it a good week? No. Was it a bad week? No. A 7-6 Pick ‘Em record isn’t ideal, but you can’t be mad going above .500. Another week going 5-7-1 against the spread only digs my hole deeper, but I’m gonna get to back on track, mark my words (please don’t because picking against the spread is hard). 

Last Week: 

Pick ‘Em: 7-6

Spread: 5-7-1

Season:

Pick ‘Em: 80-52

Spread: 17-21-3

Bonus Bets:

-TB v NO — Under 50 — W

-IND v HOU — Over 49 — L

DeShaun Watson tearing his ACL in practice last Thursday right after I released last week’s column didn’t help my second bonus bet. But it happened nonetheless and 5-3 isn’t a bad start for bonus bets.


SEA@ARI

Seattle wouldn’t have an offense without Russell Wilson. Every week he runs for his life as pass rushers attempt to chase him down. Arizona likely can’t keep him contained, just as Seattle’s banged-up defense likely won’t contain Adrian Peterson who impressed with his heavy workload last week. Seattle’s defense always finds a way to get turnovers, that’s why they’ll beat Arizona in an ugly one.

Pick ‘Em: Seattle Seahawks

Spread: Seattle Seahawks (-6.5)




GB@CHI

Here’s a look at fans in Green Bay. 


And here’s a look at the Green Bay Packers.


Bryan Bulaga is injured and probably done for the season and Martellus Bennett was cut for failure to disclose a back injury. Oh and the defense hasn’t forced a punt in six quarters. SIX. That’s a game and a half. There’s a handful of  college teams that could beat the Packers right now, so the Bears definitely will. 


Pick ‘Em: Chicago Bears

Spread: Chicago Bears (-5)


NO@BUF



The Saints are red-hot and Buffalo is coming off a bad loss last Thursday night. That’s a recipe for Buffalo to grab a win at home. Expect a lot of offense, to the point that you might even see this game featured in Bonus Bets….stay tuned. 


Pick ‘Em: Buffalo Bills

Spread: Buffalo Bills (+2.5)


CLE@DET



The worst team in the league going on the road to face a high-scoring offense and have given up 30 or more points in three of their last five games. What could go wrong….? Who will start at quarterback for the Browns? Who knows, but Matthew Stafford will have quite a day for the Lions.


Pick ‘Em: Detroit Lions

Spread: Detroit Lions (-12)


CIN@TEN



The stakes were raised in the AFC South when DeShaun Watson went down last week. Suddenly it became a two team race between the Titans and Jaguars. With the playoffs in sight Marcus Mariota and his team know they can’t lose at home. AJ Green won’t be suspended after throwing a punch last week at Jacksonville, and they’ll need him if they want any chance at beating Tennessee. 


Pick ‘Em: Tennessee Titans

Spread: Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5)



PIT@IND



Pittsburgh is healthy and taking care of business. They’ve won four out of their last five games and are very healthy as a team after the bye week. That doesn’t bode well for the Colts, who broke a three-game losing streak against the Texans last weekend. Their success will be short lived after the Steelers visit this weekend. 


Pick ‘Em: Pittsburgh Steelers

Spread: Pittsburgh Steelers (-10)


NYJ@TB



Here it is: Week 10’s Toilet Bowl. The Jets have over-performed this season while Tampa Bay has underwhelmed. Therefore, New York is favored on the road. Neither team has much to play for as both are virtually out of the playoff hunt. Expect a lot of empty seats at Raymond James Stadium and a Jets win. 


Pick ‘Em: New York Jets

Spread: New York Jets (-2.5)


MIN@WAS



Minnesota has found themselves on a nice four-game winning streak, but three of those games were at home. Now they find themselves traveling to Washington to face-off against the Redskins who pulled off an upset in Seattle this week. What does this all translate to? I don’t know. This one is truly a 50-50 tossup. So I’ll take the Redskins and Kirk Cousins. 


Pick ‘Em: Washington Redskins

Spread: Washington Redskins (+1.5)


LAC@JAX
Don’t sleep on the LA Chargers. They have a solid run game with Melvin Gordon (see tweet below), as well as playmakers on defense. 

Jacksonville has a similar blueprint with Leonard Fournette (see tweet below) and a daunting secondary. 

As surprising as it may sound, this should be a fun game on Sunday. Phillip Rivers leading a game-winning drive sounds about right. 


Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Chargers

Spread: Los Angeles Chargers (+4)


HOU@LA



The injury bug has slammed the Houston Texans. Losing DeShaun Watson was the straw that broke the proverbial camels back, which the team proved last week losing to Indianapolis. 

The Rams are gonna have their way Sunday, and put up as many points as they desire. 

Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Rams

Spread: Los Angeles Rams (-12)


DAL@ATL

The Falcon offense is struggling in a big way, even after starting to get Julio Jones the ball more. What better way to right the ship than the terrible Cowboy defense. Don’t think they’re bad? 

They’re bad. Now with Zeke Elliot once again suspended (maybe? He might just show up and play anyway), Dan Bailey injured, and Dez Bryant injured things are trending down for Dallas. This is a great chance for Atlanta to prove they are still a force in the NFC. 


Pick ‘Em: Atlanta Falcons

Spread: Atlanta Falcons (-3)


NYG@SF
Did I mention Toilet Bowl before? Good news: THERE’S ANOTHER ONE! That being said, I think this is finally the week. This is the week San Francisco gets their first win. New York has given up on head coach Ben McAdoo and I think that point gets driven home this week. McAdoo is coaching for his job, but his team won’t be fighting as hard. 


Pick ‘Em: San Francisco 49’ers

Spread: San Francisco 49’ers (+1)


NE@DEN
The once storied rivalry of Peyton Manning vs Tom Brady is dead, but that won’t stop NBC from trying to capitalize on the nostalgia of it in front of a national TV audience on Sunday night. That’s about the only reason this game was thrust into prime-time after the schedule release. Denver has lost four in-a-row, do you think Vance Joseph is still having the time of his life out there?


Pick ‘Em: New England Patriots

Spread: New England Patriots (-7.5)


MIA@CAR
Speaking of not-so-good prime-time games, Miami travels to Carolina Monday night. Picture Jay Cutler trying to pick apart the Panther defense. Comical right? Cam Newton and the Panthers are nipping at the Saints heels for the NFC South lead, and they won’t let Miami get in their way. 

Pick ‘Em: Carolina Panthers

Spread: Carolina Panthers (-9)


Bonus Bets:



-Sure it seems like I take the New Orleans Saints and the over in their game every week, but does it work? Usually. So I’ll go to the well one more time. (Over 46)
-Atlanta’s offense has struggled while the Cowboys’ and Dak Prescott are red-hot on offense. I think both teams flash their offensive skill set. (Over 50.5)




8 Reasons Why Stranger Things 2 Is The Greatest Show of All-Time

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WARNING: This isn’t a blog about why you should watch Stranger Things 2, it is a blog why it’s the greatest show of all-time. I’m assuming if you’re reading this, you’ve seen Stranger Things and Stranger Things 2. If you have not, go do that right now. Seriously, you won’t regret it. Spoilers WILL be included so read at your own risk. Maybe you haven’t seen it, but you want to live life on the edge and read this anyway, that’s cool too, but you’ve been warned. 
Seriously, SPOILERS AHEAD.

1. The Music
In my 23 years of life I can think of only a handful of instances where the score in a show/movie really had an impact on me. The most recent was Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice and the score of that movie was atrocious. So when that title sequence hit and I heard that intro music for Stranger Things 2, I got hyped. Besides the flawless intro music, the original music is always perfectly placed and adds to every scene. It can only be described as 80’s mystery, sci-fi, techno music. Other 80’s classic hits are used throughout the series which provide a rush of nostalgia, typically accompanied by a mini-karaoke session. If you see me wearing headphones the next few months, there’s a large chance I’m listening to a podcast or the Stranger Things soundtrack. 


2. Steve Harrington AKA: Dad Steve



The first installment of Stranger Things portrayed Steve Harrington as a jock with little interest outside of sports and his girlfriend Nancy Wheeler. This led to him feuding with Jonathan Beyers, but in Stranger Things 2, Steve disregards Jonathan after being thrust into the sci-fi horrors in Hawkins thanks to Dustin. The Dustin-Steve bromance quickly develops and these two steal the show down the stretch. After things heat up in the final couple episodes, Steve is left to look after Dustin, Mike, Max, and Lucas and boy does he ever. He instantly becomes a hero after attempting to fight off Billy (he tried his best), and thrusts himself into super hero territory after leading the charge into the tunnels in the finale. Where his relationship with Nancy goes remains to be seen, and quite frankly I don’t care, just give me more Dad Steve providing questionable guidance for Dustin.


3. Bob Newby: Superhero



Speaking of Steve being a hero, the ultimate hero in Stranger Things 2 is Bob Newby. When I first saw him on-screen my very first words out of my mouth were, “oh my god that’s Rudy.” As Joyce’s new love interest, Bob presented himself as a nerd and a try-hard. He even does his best to be a father figure and help a struggling Will, which backfires in a huge way. Bob more than makes up for it by deciphering Will’s drawings, and his actions in the lab during episode eight. There was so much foreshadowing that he wouldn’t make it, but I was still crushed when he became demo-dog food. By the end of his time in Stranger Things 2, I was in love with the goof and he truly deserved better. Barb? No. I don’t wanna here it. #TeamBob RIP Bob Newby: Superhero.



4. The Science Actually Made Sense



The science and reasoning in sci-fi shows doesn’t have to make sense, that’s why it’s sci-fi. But the science of Stranger Things 2 is reasonable throughout. Now is an alternate dimension with shadow monsters and demogorgans realistic? Maybe not, it depends who you ask, but the virus invading Will and the evolution of Dart certainly do. The writers even did their best to describe the Upside Down with a “flea and acrobat” metaphor in the first season. Instead of reality being unrealistically stretched, the writers take the screen time to make sense of the supernatural occurrences and eventually overcome them (for now) in fictional Hawkins, Indiana. 


5. There’s No Defined Genre
Is it mainly a science fiction story? Maybe, but there’s so much more to this series. Comedy, romance, horror, and action all play major roles in what makes this show so special. Dustin’s female woes, the Mike/El reunion, the Lucas/Max relationship, I could go on and on with storylines that unfold. Accompany those with frequent laughs and a shadow monster possessing a boy, and you get the general outline of Stranger Things 2. And it can eve be argued that those things only scratch the surface of what this show has to offer. This series truly has something for EVERYONE. 


6. The Cliffhangers
Each and every episode ended right in the middle of the action, like this:

A big realization among characters, or a major event closed every episode, which usually bothers me. That being said, I didn’t mind the cliffhangers this season. There was a really nice flow from episode-to-episode, making it seem more like a long movie than an episodic series. It also helped that all the episodes were released at once and I could binge every episode without having to wait a week like shows on TV. 

7. The Kids
The young cast make this show what it is, and they deserve every damn award nomination. 

This scene alone. My god. The anger, the love, everything about it is so real and deserving of awards. The young stars also provide the humor, equally deserving of its own awards. 


The Duffer brothers deserve all the recognition for putting together such a young, talented cast. 

8. The Epilogue

Stranger Things 2 was wrapped up so nicely. The Duffer brothers took a good amount of time to wrap up each characters story-arc in the current season, while leaving some questions unanswered for the next installment. That’s a lost art in TV nowadays. Many current TV series end seasons with a main character’s fate up-in-the-air, in an attempt to draw you in for the next season. The Duffer brothers took a much better approach, letting us know exactly where each character stands, with endless potential for them to develop. Take Steve for example; hated by some in season one, loved by most at the end of season two. The last thing we see in this season two is the shadow monster towering over the school in the upside-down, leaving fans begging for season three only days after the release of Stranger Things 2. 

This list is a minor look into what the show offers and what I enjoyed. It would be easy to write forever about how great the Stranger Things series is and what could be in store for Stranger Things 3. I’ll spare you the reading. Instead, go watch Stranger Things 2 (and Stranger Things if you haven’t yet) and enjoy the hell out of it. 

NFL Week 9 Picks and Preview

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Here we are again. After an 11-2 week I feel like I’m still on top of Mount Everest. 5-7-1 is still a terrible spread record so don’t put it money on my spread picks. You’ve been warned. 

Last Week:



Pick ‘Em: 11-2
Spread: 5-7-1

Season:



Pick ‘Em: 73-46
Spread: 12-14-2

Bonus Bets:



4-2 isn’t a bad start to bonus bets. Nobody’s perfect right? That being said, I’m still going to try to go undefeated the rest of the year on bonus bets.

-Oakland and Buffalo — Over 45.5 — W

-Miami and Baltimore — Under 37.5 — L


BUF@NYJ



The Buffalo Bills just did the most exciting thing since this:


They traded for Kelvin Benjamin, which isn’t that exciting, proving Buffalo’s ground and pound offense is unmemorable. That’s not to say it’s unsuccessful, and adding a tall receiving threat in Benjamin can only help Buffalo. 

Pick ‘Em: Buffalo Bills


Spread: Buffalo Bills (-3.5)


BAL@TEN



It remains to be seen if Joe Flacco can clear concussion protocol in time to play this game after taking this nasty hit from Kiko Alonso last Thursday night. 

If he can’t Ryan Mallett will get the start. If that is the case, Tennessee runs away with this one, literally. DeMarco Murray and Derrik Henry will run and run and run, you get the idea.  

Pick ‘Em: Tennessee Titans


Spread: Tennessee Titans (PK)


TB@NO



Injured Jameis Winston struggling to lead the offense was embarrassing last week. They mustered three points in a home loss to the Carolina Panthers. New Orleans defense has been red hot and another game at the Superdome favors the Saints immensely. 

Pick ‘Em: New Orleans Saints


Spread: New Orleans Saints (-7)


LAR@NYG



Both teams are rested after their respective bye weeks, so we should be in for prime Eli face on Sunday afternoon. Something seems fishy about the 

Giants coming off of the bye week. I see the Rams grinding out a close win on the road. 

Pick ‘Em: Los Angeles Rams


Spread: New York Giants (+3.5)


DEN@PHI


This hero is making his triumphant return as a starting quarterback, this time for his former team, the Denver Broncos. The only problem? They’re traveling to Philadelphia to play the hottest team in football. However, the Bronco defenses is still a tough group to score on, so it should be a pretty low-scoring affair. 

Pick ‘Em: Philadelphia Eagles


Spread: Denver Broncos (+7.5)


ATL@CAR



3 catches for Julio Jones against the Jets? Pathetic, even in borderline hurricane conditions. In fact, this tweet says it all. 

If Atlanta wants to get their offense back on track, they need to get their best player the ball. That would be Mr. Jones. Carolina traded away arguably their best receiver in Kelvin Benjamin, which opens up opportunities for Devin Funchess. Funchess’ breakout accompanied with Carolina’s stout defense is enough to lock up a home win.

Pick ‘Em: Carolina Panthers


Spread: Carolina Panthers (-2.5)


CIN@JAX



Jacksonville seems to be a new force in the AFC South, but I’m not sold on them quite yet. They’re still somewhat young and host to veteran Cincinnati Bengals team this week. I’m stepping out on a limb here, Bengals take control of this game running the ball and win in Jacksonville. 

Pick ‘Em: Cincinnati Bengals


Spread: Cincinnati Bengals (+4.5)


IND@HOU


If I’m the Indianapolis Colts, the tank begins now. Currently at 2-6, Indianapolis has nothing to play for with Houston, Jacksonville, and Tennessee in the division. They’re clearly the weakest team among the four. Speaking of Houston….

The rookie is lighting it up for the Texans. He’s in the heat of the Rookie of the Year debate and now his name is garnering MVP talk. Whether that’s realistic or not, Houston should come out with a win this weekend. 

Pick ‘Em: Houston Texans


Spread: Houston Texans (-12.5)


ARI@SF

Jimmy Garoppolo is a San Francisco 49’er, but will he start this weekend? Will he start this season? We don’t know. He’s entering his prime while Carson Palmer and Adrian Peterson are nearing the end of their’s for the Arizona Cardinals. With the spread so close in this one, it might actually take a win for San Francisco to cover in this game. Not likely. 

Pick ‘Em: Arizona Cardinals


Spread: Arizona Cardinals (-1.5)


WSH@SEA



Seattle’s defense got torched last week by DeShaun Watson. The entire group should come out with a chip on their shoulder and create problems for Kirk Cousins. Cousin’s team got squashed at home last week, things don’t get easier traveling to Seattle. Stephen A Smith put it best:

Pick ‘Em: Seattle Seahawks


Spread: Washington Redskins (+7.5)


KC@DAL


It’s over…..for now. Zeke can finally play the rest of the season distraction free (relatively). With Kansas City coming to town this week, the Cowboys will have all they can handle. I’m really looking forward to Kansas City running circles around the slow Dallas defense. It could be the most entertaining thing on Sunday afternoon. Somehow the Cowboys are favored, that won’t be the end result though. 

Pick ‘Em: Kansas City Chiefs 


Spread: Kansas City Chiefs (+1)


OAK@MIA



Miami’s offense is a disaster. No Jay Cutler (which could be a positive), their star running back Jay Ajayi traded away to make a statement, and an offensive line coach fired for not only doing drugs, but videotaping himself doing drugs and sending it to a stranger. NOT GOOD. Oakland hasn’t been much better, but they’ve been a step above the Miami disaster.

Pick ‘Em: Oakland Raiders


Spread: Oakland Raiders (-3)


DET@GB



The Week 9 finale features Detroit traveling to Lambeau Field and facing off against Brett Hundley and the Green Bay Packers. That still doesn’t feel right typing out. If the Pack want to have any success they have to let Brett Hundley take risks throwing the ball. Never bet against Mike McCarthy coming off the bye week, he always has his team ready following rest. 


Pick ‘Em: Green Bay Packers


Spread: Green Bay Packers (+2.5)


Bonus Bets:

-Tampa Bay’s offense was terrible last week, and I don’t see it improving against the Saints. I’ll go under in this game. (50)

-I mentioned DeShaun Watson heating up, but it’s only the start for this young talent. He should torch Indianapolis and I see this game hitting the over. (49)