Showing posts with label Jimmy the Greek. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jimmy the Greek. Show all posts

Sunday, November 15, 2009

Jimmy the Greek makes his return - Week 10 NFL picks

Sorry I've been missing lately...had a couple back-to-back busy weekends and couldn't get anything up. However, while I was gone I happened to win $300 in an office pool picking against the spread. I've still been winning, and I'm rolling into this week looking to keep it going. Hit a little roadbump on Thursday night, taking the Bears (+3.5), but I feel I can justifiably blame it on Jay Cutler throwing 5 picks, including 2 in the end zone. Loser. Here are the rest of the picks...

Dolphins (-9.5) over Bucs
Freeman makes his first start on the road, and I think he and the rest of his team will come back to Earth after an unbelievable upset over Green Bay. Miami is much, much better than this team.

Lions (+16.5) over Vikings
Minny will win comfortably, but this many points just scares me. All it takes is a late score to screw you over, and I feel like that will happen here. Detroit is still a threat to cover large spreads. Is that when you know you've hit a new low? When you're labeled as a team that's a threat to cover a large point spread in your favor?

Jaguars (+6.5) over Jets
A buddy of mine said last night the Jaguars are the best worst team in the NFL. Well spoken. MJD3 will slow down the blitzing of the Jets and Garrard will get some passes off. I don't know if they win, but they'll cover.

Saints (-13.5) over Rams
Blowout.

Broncos (-6.5) over Redskins
Denver rebounds against a struggling 'Skins team. Look for Brandon Marshall to have a big day, and the Broncos defense to step up and save this team from a losing streak.

Bengals (+6.5) over Steelers
Pitt wins this game at home, but Cincy threatens late until a Carson Palmer pick by Palomalu seals the deal. OchoCinco scores and Adam Schefter loves it.

Falcons (-1.5) over Panthers
Matt Ryan bounces back with a great game against Carolina. D'Angelo Williams is a little banged up and the Falcons secondary will pick off Delhomme twice.

Titans (-6.5) over Bills
Tennessee is rolling and will keep it going. Can they win out and sneak into the playoffs? Absolutely not.

Chiefs (+1.5) over Raiders
The Gus Johnson Game of the Week.

Packers (+2.5) over Cowboys
Green Bay bounces back and surprises a lot of people with a win over Dallas. Don't count out Aaron Rodgers. The kid is legit and will have a huge day. Hopefully to Greg Jennings.

Seahawks (+8.5) over Cardinals
Arizona wins comfortably through the air, but Hasselbeck and the Seahawks can score too. They'll keep it close.

Eagles (+2.5) over Chargers
Mcnabb and the Eagles bounce back. SD shouldn't have won last week, but NYG choked in the secondary. If Rivers didn't find Jackson in the back of the end zone, this wouldn't even be a thought.

Pats (+2.5) over Colts
Brady engineers a late TD drive, just moments after Manning engineered one of his own for a short lived lead. An all-time classic.

Ravens (-10.5) over Browns
This is awful.

This week: 0-1
Last week: 10-3
Overall: 74-56

-The Greek

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Jimmy the Greek's Week 7 NFL picks

The Greek is about to head off and work the Northeastern football game. For those of you that haven't been following, The Greek's alma maters, both Northeastern and St. Paul's, are in the midst of seasons of futility. The Huskies are 0-6 and have been outscored 241-70. For those of you keeping score at home, that's an average of about 40-10. In fact they've lost a couple games 54-0 and 56-7 to B.C. and Villanova, respectively. Just awful. But equally as awful have been the Fighting Pelicans of St. Paul's, who stand at 0-4 and have been outscored 101-26, including back-to-back shutouts to start the season. So I'm gonna release a couple lines of my own today...who will lose by a bigger margin? NU plays Hofstra while SPS takes on St. George's. Both games are at their respective home fields, but let's be honest, that won't help anyone. They practically play all road games with the rabid fan bases they're bringing in at home.

In other news, BJal continues to suck at picking games, going back to his losing ways with an embarrassing loss last night. I hope to God he is right with his ND pick today, but I can't handle back-to-back Irish losses, especially the latter to B.C. But let's face it, BJal picking your favorite team is like the kiss of death.

Onto The Greek's Week 7 NFL picks...I'm just giving you the picks this week, no breakdowns. As always, lines are courtesy of the elder Greek's office pool on CBS Sports...

Vikings (+4.5) over Steelers
49ers (+3.5) over Texans
Chargers (-4.5) over Chiefs
Colts (-13.5) over Rams
Pats (-14.5) over Bucs
Packers (-6.5) over Browns
Jets (-6.5) over Raiders
Panthers (-6.5) over Bills
Falcons (+3.5) over Cowboys
Dolphins (+6.5) over Saints
Bears (+1.5) over Bengals
Cardinals (+6.5) over Giants
Eagles (-7.5) over Redskins

-The Greek

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Jimmy the Greek's Week 6 NFL picks

It's been a couple rough weeks for the Greek, but this is the week we turn it around here on The Brief. I'll get right to the picks...

Steelers (-13.5) over Browns
Pittsburgh needs a statement game, especially after losing DE Aaron Smith and missing Troy Palamalu. The latter may possibly be in the lineup today, but regardless, this Browns offense is taylor-made for the "statement game".

Saints (-2.5) over Giants
Everyone and their mother probably thinks Eli and the Giants will prevail, but I think this is shaping up to be the Saints year. Their QB is better, Pierre Thomas is a solid NFL RB, and the receiving corp is lights out. Meanwhile, the defense has shown it can go in shut down mode, and Darren Sharper has gone all Ed Reed out there with five picks. Playing at home, look for New Orleans to find a way.

Rams (+9.5) over Jaguars
I think this will be a high scoring game. Both defenses are awful, but the Rams will stay in this because of the Jaguars last ranked pass defense.

Packers (-13.5) over Lions
Detroit is probably without Stafford and Johnson, so this should get ugly quick. Aaron Rodgers is primed for a huge game, but I wouldn't be surprised to see the defense contribute immensely as well with a pick six to go with a couple interceptions and forced fumble or two.

Texans (+5.5) over Bengals
I want to pick Cincy to cover. At 4-1, they should easily be 5-0. But they've been living on the edge, and something tells me the Texans playmakers are going to give them trouble today, especially Steve Slaton. Look for a letdown this week out of Cincy. They may pull it out, but they won't cover.

Panthers (-3.5) over Bucs
Jake Delhomme continues his resurgence, and I think D'Angelo Williams starts to get his swagger back. Tampa Bay sucks.

Chiefs (+6.5) over Redskins
Washington wins but can't cover.

Ravens (+2.5) over Vikings
Upset special of the week. After last week's last second meltdown, Ray Lewis will have his troops ready to roll. And Brett Favre finally has an off week and loses a game for the Vikings.

Seahawks (-2.5) over Cardinals
I like Hasselbeck and the Seahawks offense when healthy. And I think they'll outgun Kurt Warner and the Cardinals. Plus the line seems like it's baiting you to bet on the Cardinals in a classic "trap game".

Eagles (-13.5) over Raiders
No comment necessary.

Pats (-9.5) over Titans
Please see comments in today's BJal's Lock du Jour.

Jets (-9.5) over Bills
The tension in Buffalo is a bad loss to the Jets away from boiling over. Can you feel it? Can you feel it?????

Falcons (-3.5) over Bears
Another line that seems too obvious. So I'm calling it a trap game, going against the grain and taking it to the bank. Atlanta has too many weapons on offense for Chicago to keep up.

San Diego (-4.5) over Broncos
This is the biggest trap line of the week. If I go 0-3 on these I'll be pissed. But I like this one. I think Denver sees a hangover from it's exciting, emotional win over New England last week. And Phillip Rivers thrives on Monday night. He's due for a big game over a top notch defense.

Last week: 6-8
Overall: 41-35

-The Greek

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Jimmy the Greek's Week 5 NFL picks

Last week was a little rough for the Greek. But those will happen. What's important is having a nice bounceback week, and that's what will happen in Week 5. There seem to be a lot of cupcake games for some of the elite teams like the Giants, Vikings, Eagles, Steelers and Colts, but there are a lot of points flying around for the underdogs, as well. It's an interesting week of spreads, but the Greek has them all figured out for you...

Redskins (+3.5) over Panthers
This is a field goal game either way. Both teams suck equally, and the only reason the Panthers are giving up points is because they're at home. I actually think they win this game and get out of their funk. Actually, you know what? This is a trap game, please hold...

Panthers (-3.5) over Redskins
D'Angelo Williams is going to run wild today. You can count on it. The Redskins are awful and won't do a thing on offense. Expect this to be somewhat of a surprising blowout/breakout/turnaround game for the Panthers while Jim Zorn lines himself up to be the first head coach on the chopping block in 2009.

Cowboys (-8.5) over Chiefs
A nice rebound for Romo and the 'boys. The Chiefs are terrible, there's no other way around it. They can't run, and they only score garbage points at the end of games. I'm sure they will again today, but Dallas will have too big of a lead to forfeit the spread.

Steelers (-10.5) over Lions
I don't know if Stafford is playing or not, but even if he is, he won't be 100%. Which is scary considering he's still a ways from being good. Mendenhall is going to feast like he did last week.

Bengals (+8.5) over Ravens
You're classic lose but cover the spread game. If this was in Cincy, the spread wouldn't be so large and I'd be picking the Bengals to win outright. I actually think they still could; they're playing with heavy hearts after the wife of an asst. coach died, and teams like that are always dangerous.

Browns (+5.5) over Bills
Browns will win outright. All signs point to it. The Bills can't pass the football, and their running game has disappeared the last couple weeks. Meanwhile, Derek Anderson has found a favorite target in Massaquoi. For some reason I just see them pulling it off.

Bucs (+13.5) over Eagles
Mcnabb will struggle just enough to keep Tampa Bay in it. I wouldn't be suprised if a late TD covers. Bill Simmons wrote about the possibility of what one of his readers called a "moral loss" the other day. That's what the Eagles will have. The opposite of a moral victory.

Vikings (-10.5) over Rams
I want to pick the Rams here as a classic letdown game for Favre and the Vikings after last week's Monday night thriller. But I can't. The game is in a dome, and I think their offense, especially Adrian Peterson, will just light up the scoreboard.

Giants (-15.5) over Raiders
I'd pick the Giants even if David Carr was the quarterback. You can't make this spread big enough.

Falcons (+2.5) over 49ers
I like Mike Singletary and his team, but you can't give the Falcons offense two weeks to prepare for you. They have too many playmakers. It'll be a nice, balanced attack, and the defense will play well in a solid 17-13 victory.

Texans (+5.5) over Cardinals
High scoring game, but the Texans cover. The Cardinals secondary has been shaky, so look for the Texans passing offense to take advantage. Cardinals win though.

Pats (-3.5) over Broncos
I think we'll all be surprised with how easily the Pats win this game. I don't know why, it's just a feeling I have. One thing I do know is that the postgame handshake between Belicheck and McDaniels will be more of a hug. For once, Bill still likes one of his former proteges.

Jags (+0.5) over Seahawks
Another high scoring game. Look for these two teams to have an absolute shootout. I think the Jaguars will have enough of an edge to steal this thing on the road, i.e. MJD3.

Colts (-4.5) over Titans
Peyton Manning will continue his dominance in the air and boost his argument for a 4th MVP.

Jets (-1.5) over Dolphins
I have nothing to say about this game. Perhaps one of the more boring MNF games in a while. Thank god Braylon Edwards got traded to NY. It's the only good storyline they have.

Last week: 5-9
Overall: 35-27

Note: I won't be able to have Tarrific Tara's picks in time for the 1pm games. But she doesn't watch them anyway, so I'll post them later.

-Greek

Saturday, October 10, 2009

BJal's Lock du Jour - Saturday, October 10

Welp, I guess sometimes people just get lucky. That's my only reaction after seeing Nevada paste Louisiana Tech 37-14. I honestly started to wonder if BJal would get a lock of the day right, and by god he's done it. To quote the immortal Joe Castiglione, "Can you believe it?!?!"

So today he looks to make it two in a row, and he's going with Virginia Tech (-13.5) hosting Boston College. Last night I told him I thought this game had upset written all over it, I was half in the bag and now I've had a chance to sleep it off, gather my sober thoughts and clearly assess what I think will happen. This game is probably going to be an absolute blowout. B.C. lost to a pedestrian Clemson team 25-7 on the road a few weeks ago, and they struggled at home against very mediocre ACC teams in Wake Forest and Florida State. I don't even know if B.C. will manage to score. This could be a shutout.

In other news, the Red Sox suck and the Yankees will win the World Series. My buddy Kevin put it best last night while we were watching the game...if A-Rod is going to go and do stuff like he did last night - hitting a 700ft moonshot off Joe Nathan in the 9th inning to tie a playoff game - there's no way the Yankees don't win the World Series. In fact, it wouldn't shock me if they just rolled through the rest of the postseason undefeated. This team is scary good, and when one of the best hitters in baseball, with a track record of failing in the postseason, decides to heat up...wow.

Jimmy the Greek will have his Week 5 NFL picks for you by tomorrow morning, so call you bookie and let him know to be on call. Also, I'll be posting postseason awards in the next few days. We had a healthy arguement last night about who should win the AL MVP. I completely disagree with the rest of the world, who thinks Joe Mauer is the easy, sexy pick. So for my awards, I'll break it down by who will win and who I think should win.

-Bess

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Jimmy the Greek's Week 3 NFL picks

Not gonna lie, pretty tired and lacking the desire to sit here and break down each game. So I'm just going right into em...

Falcons (+4.5) over Patriots
Jaguars (+3.5) over Texans
Eagles (-9.5) over Chiefs
Lions (+6.5) over Redskins
Upset alert, put your next mortgage payment on the Lions winning this game outright.
Packers (-6.5) over Rams
Giants (-6.5) over Bucs
Browns (+13.5) over Ravens
49ers (+6.5) over Vikings
Jets (-2.5) over Titans
Saints (-5.5) over Bills
Bears (-2.5) over Seahawks
Dolphins (+6.5) over Chargers
Broncos (+1.5) over Raiders
Bengals (+4.5) over Steelers
Colts (+2.5) over Cardinals
Panthers (+9.5) over Cowboys

Last week: 10-6
Overall: 17-15

Tarrific Tara's picks:

Patriots
Jaguars
Eagles
Redskins
Packers
Bucs
Ravens
Vikings
Titans
Saints
Bears
Chargers
Broncos
Steelers
Colts
Cowboys

Last week: 7-9
Overall: 7-9

-Greek

Sunday, September 20, 2009

Jimmy the Greek's Week 2 NFL picks

The Greek got off to an impressive start last week, winning 7 of the 1pm games and was positioned for a big week. Then they played the rest of the games and he got shutout of the action, finishing 7-9. Week 2 should be different, as Jimmy has gotten a glimpse of what some "on the fence" teams are bringing to the table. And thus, here we go with the picks...

Vikings (-9.5) 0ver Lions
The Lions defense was porous for sure, but it was also going up against arguably the best offense in the league in the Saints. Unfortunately, the Vikings have great playmakers in Adrian Peterson, Percy Harvin, and of course, Brett Favre. This could get ugly.

Texans (+6.5) over Titans
Something tells me this is a trap game in terms of betting. The Texans looked awful against the Jets last week, and naturally, going against a solid defense like the Titans, people would expect them to flop again. I don't think that will be the case. The Steelers passed at will against Tennessee, and I think that may be the case today for the Texans. They may lose, but they'll cover.

Patriots (-5.5) over Jets
Wes Welker may be out, but Tom Brady looked like he found his stride late in that game as the Pats came back against Buffalo. I think the Pats find a way to pressure Sanchez and the Jets come back to Earth a little. Remember, it was the Texans.

Raiders (+3.5) over Chiefs
Neither one of these teams are very good, but you have to acknowledge how well the Raiders played the Chargers. Matt Cassel makes the start for KC, and I think he'll struggle.

Redskins (-9.5) over Rams
The Rams are so, so bad.

Bengals (+9.5) over Packers
I still believe in this Bengals team. Not enough to win, but enough to cover. Aaron Rodgers should have a nice day, but I think Carson Palmer and Chad OchoCinco will each have productive days to keep their team in it till late.

Panthers (+6.5) over Falcons
Nice rebound game for Jake Delhomme and the Panthers. Another trap game here. Look for a high scoring affair that ends by a field goal.

Cardinals (+3.5) over Jaguars
Peyton Manning passed well against the Jags last week, and Kurt Warner should do the same with all of those options.

Saints (+2.5) over Eagles
I don't understand how the Saints aren't favored, and favored by a lot. Weird spread here.

Bills (-4.5) over Bucs
Tampa Bay sucks too. Bills offense should have a great day. I really like this team, and sadly, we can't be commending them for a win over the Pats on Monday night.

Seahawks (+1.5) over 49ers
Big, big fan of this Seahawk offense with everyone healthy. And it's scary that Julius Jones had a day rushing the ball. Mike Singletary is doing well righting the ship in San Fran, but I think Seattle is just a better team.

Ravens (+3.5) over Chargers
This is a game that will either go to OT or go down to the wire. I'll take the points all day, every day.

Broncos (-3.5) over Browns
Cleveland can't run the ball and Mangini screwed up by keeping that QB situation on lockdown till a few days before the season started. That offense won't click for a few more games. Denver should fare better today offensively.

Steelers (-2.5) over Bears
No Brian Urlacher, no bet on the Bears.

Cowboys (-2.5) over Giants
I think the Cowboys are just better.

Colts (-3.5) over Dolphins
Miami overachieved last year, plain and simple. Even without Anthony Gonzalez, Peyton Manning is still the quarterback. Enough said.

And now, Tarrific Tara's picks (against the same spreads):

Carolina Panthers
Minnesota Vikings
Green Bay Packers
Houston Texans
Kansas City Chiefs
New England Patriots
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins
Arizona Cardinals
Seattle Seahawks
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Chicago Bears
Baltimore Ravens
Cleveland Browns
New York Giants
Indianapolis Colts

Enjoy the games.

-The Greek

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Jimmy the Greeks UFC 103 picks

I'm taking a dump and don't want anything to crust up, so I'm just going to post winners, round and method of destruction. Also, I'm including Tarrific Tara's picks...much like Bill Simmons posts The Sports Gal's weekly choices. I was prompted to do this on Wednesday night when, completely unprovoked, she messaged my phone with the following: "My picks for tonight are Diaz, Maynard, Quarry and Condit." For those of you that don't know, UFC hosted a live event on Spike TV leading into episode one of TUF 10 with Kimbo Slice. And for those of you that still don't know, Tara was perfect with all four picks. I went 2-2. We'll see how she does for the NFL in Week 2. I'll post those either later tonight or tomorrow morning.

Jimmy the Greek

Belfort via (T)KO over Franklin in the 2nd round
Cro Cop over Dos Santos via (T)KO (referee stoppage) in the 2nd round
Martin Kampmann over Paul Daley via submission (armbar) in the 1st round
Josh Koscheck over Frank Trigg via lay and pray decision
Tyson Griffin over Hermes Franca via decision

And since we'll be ordering both PPV's tonight...

Mayweather over Marquez via (T)KO (referee stoppage) in the 6th round

Tarrific Tara

Franklin
Cro Cop
Kampmann
Koscheck
Franca

Mayweather

Enjoy the night of fights.

-JtG

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Twitter Update

It's official. Besse and Keefe are both on twitter. You have seen Besse's "Sweet Tweets" for awhile now on the upper right hand portion of the Brief. Now, I, Rich Keefe have made the move. Continue to check out Besse; @tbesse29 and feel free to to follow @Keefe21

I promise not to bore you with what I ate for lunch or how many hours I slept, but rather some quick hit observations I make, that aren't worth writing out here on the Brief. We will both continue to write here on the blog, look for Besse's, er, Jimmy the Greek's Weekly NFL Picks, and my new weekly segment, "Keefe's Pick 3." Only going with 3 NFL games, but I guarantee
a winning record... or that I will try to give you a winning record.
So keep checking back here on The Sports Brief and tell a friend and check us out on twitter now.
-Keefe

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Jimmy the Greek's Week 1 NFL picks

With the Thursday night game behind us, I'm looking to turn things around and go undefeated the rest of the way. If you're on the fence and thinking about betting on today's games, just follow along below and send me a percentage of your winnings and a thank you card later. Here we go...




Falcons (-3.5) over Dolphins
The Falcons add Tony Gonzalez to what was already a solid offensive lineup, and Matty Heisman returns at the helm. This team should put up a lot of points against a Dolphins squad that overachieved last year but won’t do the same in ’09. Falcons win comfortably at home.

Colts (-6.5) over Jaguars
I don’t like the Jaguars offense other than Maurice Jones-Drew. He’ll get his numbers and have a solid fantasy day, but look for Peyton Manning and the Colts O to silence all the critics in Week 1. A lot of people have them finishing out of the playoffs at 8-8, but I think they’re delusional.

Vikings (-2.5) over Browns
I hate this pick probably because I hate Brett Favre. What a loser. But let’s face it, AP is filthy good and Brady Quinn just found out he’s starting the other day. Mangini is a dink and the Browns will lose because of it (and the fact that the Vikings are better).

Cowboys (-3.5) over Buccaneers
Who the hell is the quarterback for the Buccaneers? I honestly have no idea. And who is their running back? In fact, who the hell is on the freakin’ team?

Jets (+4.5) over Texans
I like the Texans to win, but they’ll do it on a Kris Brown field goal. Mark Sanchez will have some bumps and bruises in his debut, but overall he’ll be solid and keep them in it. Look for Steve Slaton to have a day and Andre Johnson to quietly go about his business with double digit catches, 100 yards receiving and a TD.

Ravens (-9.5) over Chiefs
Matt Cassel isn’t starting and the Chiefs had the 30th ranked run defense last year. Hello, Ray Rice. It’ll be a feast for the Ravens on offense as Joe Flacco simply hands the ball off and starts off 1-0 in 2009.

Bengals (-3.5) over Broncos
We don’t know if Brandon Marshall is playing and Kyle Orton sucks. Plus, Chad OchoCinco is in for a MONSTER year. Remember where you heard it first!

Saints (-11.5) over Lions
This could be over after the first quarter.

Eagles (+1.5) over Panthers
Another pick I hate. This is going to be a rough, physical game. You know the Panthers are going to try and run the ball with D’Angelo Williams and a banged up Jonathan Stewart, but the key will be Delhomme’s ability to find Steve Smith. I think the Eagles stop them when they need to, and a well balanced offensive attack will help them sneak by with a win.

Giants (-6.5) over Redskins
Albert Haynesworth against arguably the best offensive line in football makes for a lot of fun. This will be a competitive game, but the Giants simply have too good a defense to let the Redskins score enough to stay in it come the 4th quarter. Manning and Jacobs will help them eventually pull away as the big, physical RB wears down the ‘Skins D.

Rams (+7.5) over Seahawks
Hawks win but don’t cover. Rams should be OK on offense, and I think Steve Spagnola will have them disciplined and ready to play. Seattle is an interesting team to follow with a lot of guys coming back from injury. But they have no running game which will eventually hurt them down the road.

Cardinals (-6.5) over 49ers
Cardinals have too many weapons on offense, even with Anquan Boldin out, for the 49ers to make this a competitive game on the road. Josh Morgan isn’t ready to carry the load for the receiving corp and the 49ers need Michael Crabtree to sign and report. In a year or so, however, that will be a potent offense if they can find a quarterback for the future (apologies to Alex Smith).

Bears (+3.5) over Packers
I like Green Bay as a Super Bowl team, but the Bears will be tough for anyone all year long. Cutler adds some intrigue to an offense already built around Matt Forte. Packers by a field goal.

Patriots (-10.5) over Bills
As long as Brady doesn’t get hurt in the first 8 minutes, this won’t even be close. The Patriots will pick up where they left off in 2007 as a record setting offense. Call me crazy, but I think they have a good enough offense to have us wondering about 16-0 again in a few weeks.

Chargers (-8.5) over Raiders
Oakland still sucks.
Enjoy the games.
-Bess