2006 NFL Week 13 Picks

We had a pretty good week last week here at Sportscolumn. Vegas Vinny and RJ Warner went 12-4 while Trevor and BostonMac went 10-6. The national average was 10 wins so we were above average. Again. Al from Ask the Commish has jumped out in front with 116 wins overall but Vegas Vinny is only 1 behind at 115. If you want to see how we stack up against all the experts, check out a very nifty expert picks compilation spreadsheet by our buddy Tokar.

The featured games this week are Chargers @ Bills, Niners @ Saints, Cowboys @ Giants, and Seahawks @ Broncos. You can download the podcast directly (running time 37 mins) or subscribe to the feed.

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Week 13 Picks

Locks of the Week Sponsored by:

[Editor’s Note: This year, we’re making the Locks of the Week a little more interesting as we have a side bet amongst the four experts. The person with the most money at the end of the year in Locks betting takes home all the money. Disclaimer: The amounts discussed are for illustrative and entertainment purposes only. Gambling may be illegal in your locale.]

Vegas Vinny: I am tempted to look up the trends for the Niners ATS on road games this season but every time I go with a trend, it backfires on me so I’m just going to go with gut instinct here. The Niners are a completely different team on the road and have one of the worst pass defenses in the leauge (ranked #25) and they’re going up against the red hot Drew Brees. (Brees on pace to break Dan Marino’s single season passing record.) If the Niners win this game, it’s because they managed to pound the ball with Frank Gore against a bad Saints run defense. But Gore is a little gimpy and the Niners will be playing catchup from the get go as Brees connects with rookie of the year Colston early and often. What did Meth say? Scared money don’t make money, throw your ones in? I’m throwing 165 of my ones in to win $150. Saints (-7) Geaux Saints! (Balance = $855)

BostonMac: The 49ers let me down last week with my pick for them to win, but I continued my hot streak with locks as the Niners came through with a backdoor cover. Meanwhile, the Saints are a soft 7-4; among division leaders, only the Seahawks in the NFC West have given up more points. The Saints are a good team who are going to the playoffs, while the Niners are a year away. Still, there is no reason why the Niners can’t at least cover and at best win in the Superdome. The whole Katrina-emotion-means-we-can’t-lose-at-home effect has passed over; San Francisco’s talented offense keeps the Saints’ O off the field and pulls off the upset. $55 to win $50 on 49ers (+7) over the Saints. (Balance = $1065)

Trevor F: This is the hardest Lock of the Week to call I have seen in a long time. Las Vegas has their act together and it won’t be easy money like it was the last two weeks if you loaded up on the 49ers. I am going to hop on the Joey Heisman bandwagon, take Miami and give the point against Jacksonville. Essentially, I am betting that the Dolphins will beat Jacksonville in Miami. Miami has quite possibly been the best team in the NFL over the month of November. They are still in the playoff mix and desperately need a win over a Jacksonville team that is ahead of them in the wild card race. $55 to win $50 on the Dolphins (-1.5) (Balance = $1130)

RJ Warner: We’ll never figure this 2006 NFL season out, but I think I might have cracked one code: teams coming off a big win who think they’re the Cat’s Meow, the Big Enchiladas, the All That and a Bag of Fritos “Super Bowl Contenders” tend to fall flat on their facemasks the following week. I can think of numerous examples in the Broncos, Chargers, Falcons, Giants, Eagles, said Panthers…the list goes on and on. The reason is that there’s a fine line in the NFL between winning and losing. A play here, a turnover there, blah, blah. Enogh philosophy, I’m taking the Cincinnati Bengals (-3) over the “It” Baltimore Ravens. I know that’s a tough pick, but as I watched the end of the Ravens completely humiliating the Steelers last Sunday, I thought of one thing: “Save some for next week boys!” The Ravens treated their rivalry game against the Steelers like the Super Bowl, Army-Navy game and Bloods-Crips all rolled into one. I just think they left it out on the field and it will be hard to come back quickly and regain that emotional level. The Bengals, on the other hand, cruised against the Browns, are getting healthy again, and have the Carson Palmer we all remembered back in form. Plus, the Bengals almost came back to beat the Ravens in Baltimore a few weeks ago. I recommend Rudi Johnson either sit this one out or line up as a receiver (cause he ain’t running the ball) and the Bengals try to spread the field as much as possible. Also, the Steeler Effect will rear its fugly head, as teams who played Pittsburgh the week before are 2-8 in the next game. I know it’s weird to give a 9-2 team trying to clinch the division three points, but I don’t have that much to lose anyway. I’ll put $110 on it. (Balance = $305)