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

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

Keefe's Pick 3 for Week 2

Alright it's time to play Pick 3! Going forward I am only going to pick 3 NFL games a week and see if I can make the magic happen. Check out Jimmy the Greek's full Week 2 breakdown coming soon. On to the picks. (Sorry for the crap picture, above, couldn't find much.)

Patriots (-4) over the Jets
No Jerod Mayo, no problem... this week. Everyone is freaking out about how good the Jets looked in Week 1 vs. the Texans. Good for them. They're playing the Patriots this week. New York is treating this thing like the Super Bowl, getting all geeked out, it's going to hurt them. Belichick has fared well in the past vs. rookie QBs (5-1). I also am going to assume New England gets a lot more of the Tom Brady from the last 5 minutes of the Bills game then the previous 55 which = problems for the Jets. Pats 27 Jets 20.

Seahawks (+1.5) over the 49ers
Seattle is coming off an impressive 28-0 win over the Rams, while the 9ers topped last year's NFC champion Cardinals 20-16. Both teams are looking to get to 2-0, but more importantly 2-0 in the division. Hasselbeck threw 2 early picks then settled down nicely tossing 3 TD passes. Julius Jones showed signs of life, and the Seahawks posted the only Week 1 shutout. (against the Rams, I know.) Shaun Hill still the San Fran Q? Right, thought so. Seahawks 24 49ers 10.

Bills (-5) over the Buccaneers
Byron Leftwich and the Bucs head north to face Buffalo. Unfortunately this won't be a snow game or the spread would have to be doubled. Call me crazy, but I actually like the Bills this year. If Leodis McKelvin doesn't fumble they probably beat the Pats in New England last Monday. Tampa is going to be a punching bag in the NFC and might as well forfeit all of their road games. Buffalo needs to get their receivers more involved (Owens & Evans combined 5 catches), and Fred Jackson is a solid back up RB in the NFL. With Aaron Schobel healthy it makes the Bills a sneaky good defensive team. Bills 20 Bucs 13.

Goodluck with your picks this weekend!

Overall record: 0-0

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

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

Oregon Trail Meets the NFL

If you like the Oregon Trail and the NFL... wait a minute, there is no "if" necessary. Two of the greatest things of all time have finally been combined in this less than 3 minute long video posted below. Enjoy.



-Keefe

The Sports Brief's 2009 NFL Preview

The NFL Season Kicks off tonight with Steelers and Titans. Below are the predictions for the 2009 season. Final division standings, playoff match ups, Super Bowl picks, and the big individual awards.

KEEFE's Picks:

AFC East

1. Patriots*

2. Bills*

3. Dolphins

4. Jets

AFC North

1. Steelers*

2. Ravens*

3. Bengals

4. Browns

AFC South

1. Texans*

2. Colts

3. Titans

4. Jaguars

AFC West

1. Chargers*

2. Raiders

3. Chiefs

4. Broncos

Playoffs:

Wildcard:

Patriots over Bills

Ravens over Texans

Divisional:

Patriots over Steelers

Chargers over Ravens

Conference:

Chargers over Patriots

NFC East

1. Eagles*

2. Giants

3. Redskins

4. Cowboys

NFC North

1. Bears*

2. Vikings*

3. Packers

4. Lions

NFC South

1. Saints*

2. Panthers

3. Falcons

4. Buccaneers

NFC West

1. Cardinals*

2. Seahawks*

3. Rams

4. 49ers

Playoffs

Wildcard:

Seahawks over Cardinals

Eagles over Vikings

Divisional:

Eagles over Bears

Saints over Seahawks

Conference:

Saints over Eagles

SUPER BOWL: Chargers over Saints

MVP: Drew Brees, Saints

Offensive Player of the Year: Brees, Saints

Defensive Player of the Year: Mario Williams, Texans

O-Rookie: Percy Harvin, Vikings

D-Rookie: Brian Cushing, Texans

Coach: Gary Kubiak, Texans

BESSE's Picks:

AFC East

1. Patriots*

2. Dolphins

3. Jets

4. Bills

AFC North

1. Steelers*

2. Bengals*

3. Ravens

4. Browns

AFC South

1. Colts*

2. Texans*

3. Titans

4. Jaguars

AFC West

1. Chargers*

2. Broncos

3. Chiefs

4. Raiders

AFC Playoffs

Wildcard:

Chargers over Texans

Colts over Bengals

Divisional:

Pats over Chargers

Steelers over Colts

Conference:

Pats over Steelers

NFC East

1. Giants*

2. Cowboys*

3. Eagles

4. Redskins

NFC North

1. Packers*

2. Bears

3. Vikings

4. Lions

NFC South

1. Saints*

2. Falcons*

3. Panthers

4. Bucs

NFC West

1. Seahawks*

2. Cardinals

3. 49ers

4. Rams

NFC Playoffs

Wildcard:

Falcons over Giants

Cowboys over Seahawks

Divisional:

Packers over Cowboys

Falcons over Saints

Conference:

Falcons over Packers

SUPER BOWL: Pats over Falcons

Awards:

MVP – Aaron Rodgers, Packers

Offensive POY – Drew Brees, Saints

Defensive POY – Justin Tuck, Giants

Offensive ROY – Knowshon Moreno, Broncos

Defensive ROY – James Laurinaitis, Rams

Coach of the Year – Mike McCarthy, Packers

-The Sports Brief

Week 1 Picks

Keefe: Steelers(-6) over the Titans

Hate both teams, but I'll go with Pittsburgh at home to win by more than a touchdown. They will be all jacked up and could get off to a slow start, but I think that's going to be the Titans' problem all year. Collins plays himself out of the starting QB job, only for it to get worse with Vince Young at the helm.

Besse: Steelers (-6) over Titans
While some money grubbin' whore in Vegas is digging up the names of every chick Big Ben has slayed (good luck w/ that), he'll be methodically breaking down the Titans defense on opening night. The loss of Haynesworth will gleam brightly tonight for the Titans, and the vaunted Steelers defense will shut down the run and force Kerry Collins to pass more. By the end of the night, we'll be wondering if Collins fell off the wagon again. And look for Willie Parker to do what he did last year: explode in Week 1, get all of his fantasy owners jacked up for the rest of the season, then get hurt and run like Maroney for the rest of the year. If you can't tell, that's exactly what happened to me last year. Bitter? Nah...