Life finds a way… to get in the way of posting on your best-in-class blog just as it’s getting really fun. A new job with a truly wacky commute has decimated my availability of free time and free brain. Column length will decrease, maybe that’s a positive. But column frequency might also decrease, especially the Running Diaries. C’est la vie and c’est la football season running during the busiest time of year. Next week I’ll explain the amicable end to our R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company sponsorship, as well as the acrimoniously violent end to our Disney+ sponsorship. But, to get it in under the wire and keep the streak nominally active, here are this week’s picks for the games before the Thanksgiving games.
WEEK ELEVEN QUICK PICKS — Heavy Fave-ys Before The Heavy Gravy
Bears (+7.5) @ Lions — This seems a little low at first glance, but the Bears will be slightly rejuvenated by the return of their leader, their role as spoiler and the fact that the Leos don’t do well with a running QB. Something tells me the Lions are riding a little high after that nice win at the Chargers. Maybe a little too high. With the full acknowledgement that I’m attempting a reverse jinx, I’m taking the Bears plus those points.
Chargers (-3) @ Packers — That would’ve been a real feather in the cap of the Chargers had they beaten the Lions last week. They played us really close though, that game could’ve gone either way. The Packers aren’t nearly as good as the Lions, and the Chargers don’t lose many intangible benefits when they play on the road because their home games aren’t true home games. The Chargers will easily cover the spread and the Packers are gonna start thinking which QB in the incoming draft class they like the most.
Titans (-6.5) @ Jaguars — I correctly picked the Niners to get right against Jacksonville next week. I’m gonna transitive property that jimju and pick against the Titans, as they’re now the sacrificial lambs against which the Jaguars will get right. It’s science. Jags win by a lot more than a touchie.
Raiders (+14) @ Dolphins — The Dolphins are expert at blowing out the teams they’re supposed to blow out, and all recent positive trending aside, the Raiders are definitely one of those teams. No way the Raiders are gonna score enough to keep up with the Dolphins. And once the Fins are ahead they’re almost unstoppable cover machines. Take the Dolphins, because a third straight Antonio Pierce coaching win with a rook QB seems plain crazy.
Eagles (+2.5) @ Chiefs — The game of the year thus far! Exciting! Hard not to take the Eagles plus points. Especially when I consider that the Eagles are a little better than the Lions, and the Lions figured out a way to win outright in Arrowhead. I think the Eagles got this one, much to the chagrin of Lions fans hoping our team can find the inside track to the 1-seed.
We went 2-3-0 in Week 9, and failed to acknowledge that record in the Week 10 column because your boy had a lot on his plate, whaddyawant? Combine that with Week 10’s superb 4-1-0 effort and you get 6-4-0. Add that 6-4-0 to the season’s total and we’re at 31-17-1. Not too shabby. Let’s hope the quality of the picks and the requisite luck doesn’t wane as my attention lessens. Have a terrific short week, seeya back here for a Thanksgiving (henceforth T-Bird) preview and Go Lions! Auf Wiedersehen!
