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Ah – it feels good to sit down and write this article again. Football season is upon us, which can mean only one thing: Tank the 401k is back! In case you weren’t along for the ride last season, this is the weekly column where I, Stoney Keeley, provide my insight to all of you degenerate gamblers out there.
These are my five locks followed by my five games to run away from. Fair warning – if you lose your house because of this column, shame on you. If you drain your retirement savings, that’s on you.
I’m only here for your entertainment. On with the picks!
CFB: Marshall -3 @ Ohio
These two teams both hung over 40 points in week one, with similar staggering offensive numbers. The difference? Quality of opponent. Marshall put up 397 yards in a 41-31 win vs. Purdue. Ohio’s 490 yards against Idaho was impressive, but beating the Vandals 45-28 just doesn’t have the same panache. This is a game that the Thundering Herd could end up winning by 14.
NFL: Miami -4 @ Washington
I usually stay away from the NFL week one, but there’s just not a whole lot of enticing action in the college ranks. That being said, I think Washington has a chance to be the worst team in the NFL this season. Miami has a good quarterback in Ryan Tannehill, and upgraded the defense with Ndamukong Suh. They’re one of my sleeper NFL teams this season, so winning by five or more is more than favorable in my opinion – it’s likely.
CFB: SMU -5.5 vs. North Texas
SMU showed some gumption in week one against the #4 ranked Baylor before the quality of depth and up-tempo game flow caught up with them. Against North Texas, they should put up a ton of points. Keep in mind, this is the opener for the Mean Green, so they haven’t had a chance to work off the rust of the offseason.
CFB: Boise State -3 @ BYU
Boise State is a legitimate New Year’s Six bowl contender this season. Nebraska is rebuilding, so it’s easy to get caught up in the BYU hype after they upset the Cornhuskers in week one. Without Taysom Hill, I don’t think the Cougars stand a chance against the Broncos playing anywhere.
NFL: Seattle -4.5 @ St. Louis
I understand that Jeff Fisher may have one of the best defensive fronts in the NFL, but these Rams are going to be ugly on offense regardless of who they play. With the stout Seahawks defense coming to town, I don’t expect they’ll do much of anything offensively. Seattle just needs a five-point victory to cover. I’m on board.
STAY AWAY
CFB: Alabama -36.5 vs. MTSU –Nick Saban teams don’t traditionally try to run up scores, though this Alabama team might hang 50 on the Blue Raiders without trying. I’m still not confident enough to take MTSU +36.5 either. Just back away, slowly.
CFB: South Carolina -8 vs. Kentucky – I can’t wrap my head around either of these teams quite yet. The spread is tricky here because it means South Carolina could win by a touchdown and still not cover. Trim it to 6.5, and I’d take the Gamecocks. At 8, I’m shying away.
CFB: Oklahoma -2 @ Tennessee – Tennessee struggled too much early on against Bowling Green, but it took Oklahoma a while to get going against Akron as well. These two programs seem like they’re trending upward, but this one is too close to call. I’m holding on to my money here.
NFL: NYJ -3 vs. Cleveland – The Browns were incredibly unpredictable in 2014, and I don’t expect that to change in 2015. The same can be said for the New York Jets heading into 2015. Two wild cards here that I’m going to run from until we have an adequate sample size.
NFL: Dallas -6 vs. NYG – Sure, the Giants were awful last season, but I think they’ll contend for the NFC East in 2015. Dallas can cover by winning by a touchdown, but I think this is going to be a close game in prime time. That being said, it’s entirely possible the 2014 Giants take the field again and get blown out of the water. This is another one too hard to call for my liking.
Stoney Keeley is the editor of the SoBros Network, Tennessee Titans Featured Analyst for Pro Football Spot, and covers the WWE for WrestlingNews.co. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley, @PFSpot, @WrestlingNewsCo
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