Welcome to Bet the Farm, Razzball’s weekly NFL wagering contest. We’re back for our second season and ready to take you on over the course of 17 weeks of NFL play. For those new to the game, here are the rules:
- You start with $1,000 in contest money to make wagers with. You may join in any week.
- You can wager on the spread or Over/Under for any NFL game, so long as your pick is made by kickoff of that game. The Yahoo Sports Odds page is a good place to get betting lines: you may use the best line you find available when you make your post, but revisions to wagers are not allowed.
- Your wager must be in an increment of $10.
- You must beat the House: Therefore, you only receive 90% of your wager for a win ($9 on a $10 bet), but lose 100% of your wager on a loss.
- Your wager may be any amount between $10 and your full bankroll.
- New this year: If you lose your entire bankroll, you are allowed a re-buy for another $1,000. Unlimited re-buys are available.
- New this year: Bet the Farm staff will keep track of the full leaderboard for all participants. However, any player who has taken a re-buy will be listed below all players who have not taken a re-buy – even those with lower current balances. It’s always better to not lose all your money. Players with two re-buys will be listed below those with one re-buy, and so on.
Standings After Week 7:
Josh Carey’s Picks
Bankroll: $816 (Last week: -$72)
Record 16-21-1 (Last week: 3-5-0)
Locks: 2-4-1 (Last week: 0-1-0)
Take two parts procrastination, one part workplace annoyances and one part minor illness and what do you get? This week’s quarter-assed Bet the Farm picks (it’s so lame as to not even merit being called half-assed). There’s no lock, each bet is $30, and damnit, can I just go to sleep now?
Carolina at Tampa Bay under 40.5: I’m going to keep fighting recent results and play the “Thursday Night games are low-scoring” card. It helps this line has moved two points in my favor this week.
Dallas +3 at Detroit: Should be an even spread, even considering home field, based on the math. So, take the better team with the points.
Oakland +2.5 vs. Pittsburgh: Two bad teams. Take the home team with the points (and the better QB – seriously).
Washington +13 at Denver: Did you know the Broncos have only covered one of their last five games?
Atlanta +1 at Arizona: Does anybody think the Falcons really need receivers to beat the Cardinals? Carson Palmer has exited the circle of trust.
Total wagered: $150
Zorboss’ Picks
Bankroll: $578 (+$104 last week)
Record: 11-18 (3-1 last week)
Locks: 2-5 (1-0 last week)
As they say in Europe, “conciliandos hebdomadam!” Oh, Latin isn’t the spoken language of the old world anymore? My bad. Well, as they say on Google Translate, “a winning week!” Finally a positive to all the negative weeks. Everything’s coming up Milhouse! To boot, I spent a weekend away in Indianapolis ‘sinking the biz’, slumping from bourbon, and watching the Colts drop the Broncos. With all the amazing plays that happened, the big hit from Colts punter Pat McAfee changed the course of the game. Watching it live felt like a shot of any drug beginning with the chemical name ‘methyl’, after being on a pregame bulking phase with something that begins with ‘ana’ and ends with ‘bolic’.
$60 Carolina -6 at Tampa Bay: Do people realize that the Bucs are just as winless as the Jags? A team who just lost its star running back Doug Martin? A team with a rookie quarterback that has partially led them to score only eight more points than the Jags? A team who gets to play a defense in Carolina’s that has only been overshadowed by the Chiefs’ stellar staff? But, I guess they don’t have to deal with Josh Freeman throwing to shadows anymore. Panthers 24 Bucs 13.
$60 Kansas City -7 (Lock) vs. Cleveland: Well look at that, the Kansas City ‘don’t call me the Chefs’ Chiefs, are the last undefeated team left standing. Their defense hasn’t given up more than 17 points in any game this season. Jamaal Charles is a big part of the Chiefs’ averaging 24 points a game and I don’t see their record season slowing down at all. We need to find a new lock to pick on after the Titans sent our old bolt to the bench, and there is no better candidate then Brandon Weeden. It is never a good sign when your head coach is deciding to bench you for non-injury reasons for Jason Campbell. A worse omen is starting either one of these gents in Arrowhead Stadium. Throw in a possible Josh Gordon trade and the Browns better hope the tribunal is easy on them come Sunday. Chiefs 27 Browns 10.
$60 Seattle -11 at St Louis: Not much to decipher about this game as it pegs one of the league’s best defenses against a quarterback, Kellen ‘not to be confused with Cleo Lemons’ Clemens, Â who has started a total of four games in six years. Look for the Seahawks to take away the Rams clemency in this case. Seahawks 31 Rams 13.
$40 Denver vs. Washington Over 58: I’m coming fashionably late to this Broncos over party. I may end up being the cooler, or the jinx, but in one fantasy league I’m playing against five players in this game. Let’s call this game a win-win, or a big loss if 57 points are scored. Broncos 38 Redskins 24.
Total Wagered: $220
