2009 Texans Schedule

Home:
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Tennessee
New England
New York Jets
San Francisco
Seattle
Oakland

Road:
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Buffalo
Miami
Arizona
St. Louis
Cincinnati

First Round Playoff Predictions

Saturday, Jan. 3
Atlanta (-2.5) at Arizona
Indianapolis (-1) at San Diego

Sunday, Jan. 4
Baltimore (-3) at Miami
Philadelphia (-3) at Minnesota

Season Futures Results

FINAL RESULT: 15-17

AFC East
New York Jets.....12-4 (7.5).....Over -- CORRECT
Buffalo...........10-6 (7.5).....Over -- INCORRECT
New England.......10-6 (12)......Under -- CORRECT
Miami.............3-13 (5.5).....Under -- INCORRECT

AFC North
Pittsburgh........13-3 (9).......Over -- CORRECT
Cincinnati........5-11 (7).......Under -- CORRECT
Cleveland.........4-12 (8).......Under -- CORRECT
Baltimore.........4-12 (6).......Under -- INCORRECT

AFC South
Jacksonville......14-2 (10)......Over -- INCORRECT
Indianapolis......12-4 (11)......Over -- INCORRECT
Houston...........12-4 (7.5).....Over -- CORRECT
Tennessee.........2-14 (8).......Under -- INCORRECT

AFC West
San Diego.........13-3 (10.5)....Over -- INCORRECT
Denver.............8-8 (7.5).....Over -- CORRECT
Kansas City.......5-11 (5.5).....Under -- CORRECT
Oakland...........3-13 (6).......Under -- CORRECT

NFC East
Dallas............13-3 (10.5)....Over -- INCORRECT
Philadelphia......12-4 (8.5).....Over -- CORRECT
New York Giants...11-5 (8.5).....Over -- CORRECT
Washington........5-11 (7.5).....Under -- INCORRECT

NFC North
Minnesota.........12-4 (8.5).....Over -- CORRECT
Green Bay..........9-7 (8.5).....Over -- INCORRECT
Chicago............8-8 (8).......Push -- INCORRECT
Detroit...........5-11 (6.5).....Under -- CORRECT

NFC South
New Orleans.......13-3 (8.5).....Over -- INCORRECT
Tampa Bay..........7-9 (8).......Under -- INCORRECT
Carolina..........5-11 (7.5).....Under -- INCORRECT
Atlanta...........4-12 (4.5).....Under -- INCORRECT

NFC West
Seattle...........13-3 (8.5).....Over -- INCORRECT
Arizona............9-7 (7.5).....Over -- CORRECT
St. Louis.........5-11 (6.5).....Under -- CORRECT
San Francisco.....2-14 (6).......Under -- INCORRECT

Week 17 Results

Week 17
Straight Up: 10-6
Against the Spread: 6-10

Season
Straight Up: 157-57-1
Against the Spread: 123-129-3

Week 17 Predictions

Sunday, Dec. 28
St. Louis (+15) at Atlanta
Jacksonville (+12) at Baltimore -- JAX to cover
New England (-6.5) at Buffalo
Kansas City (+3) at Cincinnati
Detroit (+9.5) at Green Bay -- DET to cover
Chicago (+2.5) at Houston
Tennessee (-3) at Indianapolis
New York Giants at Minnesota
Carolina (+3) at New Orleans
Miami (+3) at New York Jets
Dallas (+1.5) at Philadelphia
Cleveland (+10.5) at Pittsburgh
Oakland (+13) at Tampa Bay
Seattle (+5.5) at Arizona
Denver (+8.5) at San Diego -- DEN to cover
Washington (+3) at San Francisco

Week 16 Results

Week 16
Straight Up: 7-9
Against the Spread: 6-10

Season
Straight Up: 147-51-1
Against the Spread: 117-119-3

Week 16 Predictions

Thursday, Dec. 18
Indianapolis (-6.5) at Jacksonville

Saturday, Dec. 20
Baltimore (+4.5) at Dallas

Sunday, Dec. 21
Cincinnati (+3) at Cleveland
New Orleans (-6.5) at Detroit
Miami (-4) at Kansas City
Atlanta (+3.5) at Minnesota
Arizona (+8) at New England -- ARZ to cover
Carolina (+3) at New York Giants
San Francisco (-5.5) at St. Louis
Pittsburgh (-1.5) at Tennessee
Philadelphia (-4.5) at Washington
Buffalo (+7) at Denver
Houston (-7) at Oakland
New York Jets (-4.5) at Seattle
San Diego (+3.5) at Tampa Bay

Monday, Dec. 22
Green Bay (+4.5) at Chicago

Sore Losers

I don't know any other way to express how I feel about the Texans' 13-12 victory over the Titans Sunday. I wish I could be more eloquent, but the only thing I can think of is:

F*** the Tennessee Titans.

Plain and simple -- you got beat. After reading the postgame comments -- yeath I'm talking about you Keith "Piece of Shit" Bulluck -- I'm more happy about the win and I predict the Titans will not win another game this season. Home against Pittsburgh -- bye, bye home-field advantage. Travel to Indy -- bye, bye momentum. First-round playoff game? Indy, Denver, Baltimore, New England, Jets? Any of them can go into Tennessee and win and I predict they will.

The reason why is the Titans talked about how it was the Texans' "Super Bowl" and "hopefully we can come back after our vacation this week..."

You play in the National Football League -- if you can't get up each and every game, then you don't deserve to put on a uniform. That's a cop-out. You were able to get up for the previous 13 games. You have home-field advantage still on the line. Don't tell me you couldn't get up for this game. That's what I have a problem with and that's why you will lose your next three games.

Take it like a man and give credit where credit is due. If it weren't for P.I. penalties, the Titans might have been shut out. Don't say you gave it away. Yes, your coach made a stupid decision, but there was still enough time for the Texans to drive and make a field goal of their own. You lost, plain and simple. No one cares how you lost -- you just lost. There was no controversy, you didn't get cheated, you lost. You didn't make plays and the Texans did. If you didn't come to play and you were "on vacation" this week, then give your paycheck back to Bud Adams.

That's what I thought, so once again...give credit where credit is due. Have respect for your opponent, because next year you might not be fortunate enough to take a week off and they certainly will remember this game. It will only be sweeter when Vince Young is back under center next year.

Don't let someone burn you for 11 catches and 207 yards and tell me you should have won. Courtland Finnegan had the worst game of his life and there is not a hole big enough for him in which to hide. Have a good time writing that check for your fine(s), Finnegan -- sorest loser of them all. You've been getting burned all day, so you decide to cost your team the game with two personal fouls late? Then you respond to a question about the fines you're going to get by saying, "No big deal. They go to charity anyway." Stay classy, Nashville.

Game ball to Andre Johnson. He is the franchise -- more than any other player in the NFL.

Steve Slaton is ridiculous -- his last run for a first down was all heart. One of three such runs on the day, but the most important and a statement of what is to come.

Matt Schaub -- gets his bell rung on a cheap shot and pops right back up. He gets better every game.

Defensive line -- Big plays by Amobi Okoye, Anthony Weaver and DelJuan Robinson. Mario was Mario -- no Pro Bowl snub this year.

Week 15 Results

Week 15
Straight Up: 11-5
Against the Spread: 6-7-3

Season
Straight Up: 140-42-1
Against the Spread: 111-109-3

Week 15 Predictions

Thursday, Dec. 11
New Orleans (+3) at Chicago

Sunday, Dec. 14
Tampa Bay (+3) at Atlanta
Pittsburgh (+2) at Baltimore
Denver (+7.5) at Carolina
Washington (-6.5) at Cincinnati
Tennessee (-3) at Houston
Detroit (+17) at Indianapolis
Green Bay (-2) at Jacksonville
San Diego (-5) at Kansas City
San Francisco (+6.5) at Miami
Buffalo (+7) at New York Jets
Seattle (-3) at St. Louis
Minnesota (+3) at Arizona
New England (+7) at Oakland
New York Giants (+3) at Dallas

Monday, Dec. 15
Cleveland (+14) at Philadelphia

Week 14 Results

Week 14
Straight Up: 13-3
Against the Spread: 10-6

Season
Straight Up: 129-77-1 (.626)
Against the Spread: 105-102 (.507)

Week 14 Predictions

Thursday, Dec. 4
Oakland (+10) at San Diego

Sunday, Dec. 7
Washington (+5.5) at Baltimore
Jacksonville (+6.5) at Chicago
Minnesota (-10) at Detroit
Houston (+6) at Green Bay
Cincinnati (+13.5) at Indianapolis
Atlanta (+3) at New Orleans
Philadelphia (+7.5) at New York Giants
Cleveland (+14) at Tennessee
Miami (+1) at Buffalo
Kansas City (+9) at Denver
New York Jets (-4) at San Francisco
St. Louis (+13.5) at Arizona
Dallas (+3) at Pittsburgh
New England (-4.5) at Seattle

Monday, Dec. 8
Tampa Bay (+3) at Carolina

Week 13 Results

Week 13
Straight Up: 10-6
Against the Spread: 9-7

Season
Straight Up: 116-74-1
Against the Spread: 95-96

Week 13 Predictions

Thursday, Nov. 27
Tennessee (-11) at Detroit
Seattle (+13) at Dallas
Arizona (+3) at Philadelphia

Sunday, Nov. 30
San Francisco (+7) at Buffalo
Baltimore (-7) at Cincinnati
Indianapolis (-4.5) at Cleveland
Carolina (+3) at Green Bay
Denver (+7.5) at New York Jets
Miami (-8) at St. Louis
New Orleans (+3.5) at Tampa Bay
New York Giants (-3.5) at Washington
Atlanta (+5) at San Diego
Pittsburgh (-1) at New England
Kansas City (+3) at Oakland
Chicago (+3.5) at Minnesota

Monday, Dec. 1
Jacksonville (+3.5) at Houston

Week 12 Results

Week 12
Straight Up: 13-3
Against the Spread: 12-4

Season
Straight Up: 106-68-1
Against the Spread: 86-89

Week 12 Predictions

Thursday, Nov. 20
Cincinnati (+10) at Pittsburgh

Sunday, Nov. 23
Carolina (+1) at Atlanta
Philadelphia (+1.5) at Baltimore
Houston (+3) at Cleveland
San Francisco (+10.5) at Dallas
Tampa Bay (-8.5) at Detroit
Minnesota (+2) at Jacksonville
Buffalo (-3) at Kansas City
New England (+2) at Miami
Chicago (-8) at St. Louis
New York Jets (+5.5) at Tennessee
Oakland (+9.5) at Denver
New York Giants (-3) at Arizona
Washington (-3.5) at Seattle
Indianapolis (+3) at San Diego

Monday, Nov. 24
Green Bay (+2.5) at New Orleans

Week 11 Results

Week 11
Straight Up: 13-2-1
Against the Spread: 9-7

Season
Straight Up: 93-65-1
Against the Spread: 74-85

Week 11 Predictions

Thursday, Nov. 13
New York Jets (+3) at New England

Sunday, Nov. 16
Denver (+6) at Atlanta -- DEN to cover
Detroit (+14) at Carolina
Philadelphia (-9) at Cincinnati
Chicago (+4) at Green Bay
Houston (+8.5) at Indianapolis
Tennessee (-3) at Jacksonville
New Orleans (-5.5) at Kansas City
Oakland (+10.5) at Miami
Baltimore (+6.5) at New York Giants
Minnesota (+4) at Tampa Bay
St. Louis (+6) at San Francisco -- STL to cover
Arizona (-3) at Seattle
San Diego (+4.5) at Pittsburgh
Dallas (-1.5) at Washington

Monday, Nov. 17
Cleveland (+5.5) at Buffalo

Week 10 Results

Week 10
Straight Up: 7-7
Against the Spread: 5-9

Season
Straight Up: 80-63
Against the Spread: 65-78

Week 10 Predictions

Thursday, Nov. 6
Denver (+3) at Cleveland

Sunday, Nov. 9
New Orleans (+1) at Atlanta
Tennessee (-3) at Chicago
Jacksonville (-7) at Detroit
Seattle (+8) at Miami
Green Bay (+2.5) at Minnesota
Buffalo (-4) at New England
St. Louis (+9) at New York Jets
Baltimore (PK) at Houston
Carolina (-10) at Oakland -- OAK to cover
Indianapolis (+4) at Pittsburgh
Kansas City (+15) at San Diego
New York Giants (+3) at Philadelphia

Monday, Nov. 10
San Francisco (+9.5) at Arizona

Denver (+3) at Cleveland

I have to make a pick for tonight, but I'm not ready for the rest:

I'll go with the Broncos. I'm kind of pulling for the Browns though, because it would be nice to see the Brady Quinn Era get off to a good start.

Week 9 Results

Week 9
Straight Up: 10-4
Against the Spread: 6-8

Season
Straight Up: 73-56
Against the Spread: 60-69

Week 9 Predictions

Sunday, Nov. 2
New York Jets (+5.5) at Buffalo
Detroit (+13) at Chicago
Jacksonville (-7.5) at Cincinnati
Baltimore (+2) at Cleveland
Tampa Bay (-8) at Kansas City
Houston (+5) at Minnesota
Arizona (-3) at St. Louis
Green Bay (+5.5) at Tennessee
Miami (+3.5) at Denver
Dallas (+8) at New York Giants
Atlanta (-3) at Oakland
Philadelphia (-7) at Seattle
New England (+5.5) at Indianapolis

Monday, Nov. 3
Pittsburgh (+2) at Washington

2008-09 NBA Predictions

Western Conference
Southwest
(2) Houston: 61-21
(3) New Orleans: 59-23
(5) San Antonio: 50-32
(6) Dallas: 48-34
Memphis: 26-56

Northwest
(4) Utah: 57-35
(8) Denver: 41-41
Portland: 38-44
Oklahoma City: 31-51
Minnesota: 30-52

Pacific
(1) LA Lakers: 63-19
(7) Phoenix: 47-35
LA Clippers: 39-43
Golden State: 36-46
Sacramento: 18-64

Eastern Conference
Atlantic
(1) Boston: 58-24
(5) Toronto: 48-34
(6) Philadelphia: 47-35
New Jersey: 41-41
New York: 33-49

Central
(2) Cleveland: 53-29
(7) Detroit: 46-36
(8) Chicago: 44-38
Milwaukee: 37-45
Indiana: 28-54

Southeast
(3) Miami: 52-30
(4) Orlando: 50-32
Atlanta: 43-39
Washington: 39-43
Charlotte: 27-55

MVP
LeBron James

Rookie of the Year
O.J. Mayo

Coach of the Year
Rick Adelman

Western Conference
First Round
LA Lakers over Denver, 4-0
Houston over Phoenix, 4-1
New Orleans over Dallas, 4-1
Utah over San Antonio, 4-3

Second Round
Houston over New Orleans, 4-1
LA Lakers over Utah, 4-0

Eastern Conference
First Round
Boston over Chicago, 4-3
Cleveland over Detroit, 4-1
Miami over Philadelphia, 4-3
Toronto over Orlando, 4-2

Second Round
Boston over Toronto, 4-2
Cleveland over Miami, 4-2

Western Conference Finals
Houston over LA Lakers, 4-2

Eastern Conference Finals
Cleveland over Boston, 4-3

NBA Finals
Houston over Cleveland, 4-1

NBA Preview...

I finished it, I promise...but I'm going to have to find time to post it.

Week 8 Results

Week 8
Straight Up: 10-4
Against the Spread: 9-5

Season
Straight Up: 63-52 (.553)
Against the Spread: 54-61 (.474)

Week 8 Predictions

Sunday, Oct. 26
Oakland (+7) at Baltimore -- OAK to cover
Arizona (+4.5) at Carolina
Tampa Bay (+3.5) at Dallas
Washington (-7.5) at Detroit
Buffalo (-1.5) at Miami
St. Louis (+7) at New England
San Diego (-3) vs. New Orleans
Kansas City (+13) at New York Jets
Atlanta (+8.5) at Philadelphia -- ATL to cover
Cincinnati (+9.5) at Houston
Cleveland (+7) at Jacksonville
New York Giants (+3) at Pittsburgh
Seattle (+5) at San Francisco

Monday, Oct. 27
Indianapolis (+4) at Tennessee

Week 7 Results

Week 7
Straight Up: 7-7
Against the Spread: 3-11

Season
Straight Up: 53-48 (.525)
Against the Spread: 45-56 (.456)

Week 7 Predictions

Sunday, Oct. 19
San Diego (PK) at Buffalo
New Orleans (+3) at Carolina
Minnesota (+3) at Chicago
Pittsburgh (-9.5) at Cincinnati -- CIN to cover
Tennessee (-7.5) at Kansas City -- KC to cover
Baltimore (+3) at Miami
San Francisco (+10.5) at New York Giants
Dallas (-6.5) at St. Louis
Detroit (+8.5) at Houston
Indianapolis (-1) at Green Bay
New York Jets (-3) at Oakland
Cleveland (+7) at Washington
Seattle (+10.5) at Tampa Bay

Monday, Oct. 20
Denver (+3) at New England

Week 6 Results

Week 6
Straight Up: 8-6
Against the Spread: 7-7

Season Totals
Straight Up: 46-41 (.529)
Against the Spread: 42-45 (.483)

What to Watch For

NBA Preseason Predictions will be posted on Monday, Oct. 27 -- the day before the start of the season. The real season begins Wednesday, Oct. 29 when the Rockets play Memphis, though. Thursday's even better as the Rockets travel to Dallas for the Mavs' opener.

Simple Politics

I prefer to use logic instead of polls during the election season.

I just figured out why Barack Obama will be our next president:

There's no way you could put Sarah Palin and Ukranian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko in the same room with a bunch of horny, perverted old men (I believe they're called politicians) and expect to accomplish anything.

Getting Red!

With Sunday's debacle now behind us, how quickly the Houston Rockets are to come to the rescue. As a whole, I do love the NFL and I love the Texans; however, there is no team I love more than the Rockets.

I do not like or have respect for other teams in the NBA like I do the NFL. There are the Rockets and there is everyone else. I have some objectivity when it comes to the NFL. I have none in the NBA -- I am illogical, unrelenting and unapologetic.

I've never looked forward to a preseason game so much in my life. This only on the heels of what happened at Reliant Stadium just two days ago. I actually looked at ticket prices for tonight's game, then I read T-Mac is not playing so I came to my senses.

I will watch it on TV, though. I can't wait to see Ron-Ron, Scola and Yao. This is going to be a special team. I just hope they can stay healthy.

Week 6 Predictions

Sunday, Oct. 12
Chicago (-2.5) at Atlanta
Miami (+3) at Houston
Baltimore (+4.5) at Indianapolis
Detroit at Minnesota
Oakland at New Orleans
Cincinnati (+6) at New York Jets
Carolina (+2) at Tampa Bay
St. Louis (+13.5) at Washington
Jacksonville (+3.5) at Denver
Dallas (-5.5) at Arizona
Philadelphia (-4.5) at San Francisco
Green Bay (+3) at Seattle
New England (+6) at San Diego -- NE to cover

Monday, Oct. 13
New York Giants (-8) at Cleveland

Day of Infamy

I was really looking forward to this season. The Texans looked to be turning the corner last year, I got a new Andre Johnson jersey for Christmas, I got the NFL Sunday Ticket, I got a great fantasy team, I got a brand new grill. Everything was optimistic. Then Sunday happened. I haven't felt like that since Jan. 3, 1993(Oilers-Bills playoff game).

One minute I'm texting my friend, who's a Cowboys season ticket holder and a Steve Slaton owner in our fantasy league, that Slaton had just scored again and the Texans are "drilling the Colts 27-10." He was already on his way to Texas Stadium, so the next minute I'm telling him Rosenfels just fumbled the ball twice and the Colts won 31-27.

I am convinced that this is all happening for a reason. Every bad scenario possible is happening in one season to Gary Kubiak so he knows for the rest of his career what to do and, more importantly, what not to do during the course of a game. As painful as it is -- you learn.

My senior year in high school, we were the No. 1 team in Houston and we were leading our second-round playoff game 3-0 with about a minute-and-a-half left in the fourth quarter. The opposing team had negative total yards for the game and I think one first down. Our defense was awesome. We had an all-city punter. It was third and long from their 35, we just needed to take a knee or run two QB keepers -- our QB was a great dual threat. He rushed and threw for 1,000 yards. What do we do? We run a toss, our running back never catches the ball and it's picked up by a linebacker and returned for a 73-yard touchdown. We lost 7-3.

I went to Baylor, and in 1999 the Bears led UNLV 24-21 in the final seconds. Baylor had the ball at the UNLV 8 and then-head coach Kevin Steele wanted to "create an attitude" or "make a statement" by punching it in for one more score. Well, Darrell Bush fumbled the ball at the 1 and the Rebels returned it for a 99-yard touchdown and the clock expired during the return. The statement or attitute you created: it defined your coaching career and Baylor football for the past 14 years.

I'm not a head coach, so those events don't help anyone. It's just painful to watch your favorite team put themselves in a position to lose. You can see what's coming and there's nothing you can do about it. Give yourself the best chance to win. Give the ball to your running back and get out of the way. Make the other team use all three of its timeouts. After the Texans recovered the onside kick, the game should have been over. Run (Colts timeout), Run (Colts timeout), Run (Colts Timeout), Punt. Run, Run, Run, Punt. Peyton Manning is awesome, but even he shouldn't have been able to have time to drive for three scores in the last 4:04.

The Texans got the ball back at the Colts 42 with 4:03 left. They should've had 4th-and-2 at the 34 with around 3:56 left. Punt. Worst case, Colts get the ball at the 20 with 3:50 left. Let's say Manning hits Reggie Wayne for an 80-yard touchdown on the first play. The Texans still get the ball back after another failed onside kick with about 3:30 left. And the Colts already used their timeouts on the last drive! Run. 2:50 left. Run. 2:10 left. Run. Two-minute warning. Punt. Worst case: Colts get the ball at the Colts 20 with about 1:45 left and no timeouts. That's the absolute worst case scenario. Because Kubiak panicked, Rosenfels was put in a place to choke. They share equal blame. The ball should never have been in his hands.

All that to say, I will remember yesterday's game for the rest of my life. The day we should have turned around and salvaged a respectable season. What could have been 9-7 or 8-8 is probably more realistically 6-10 or (gasp) 5-11. Here's to another high draft pick. Hope they can find a guy who can make an impact on defense. Probably need another good linebacker. We've already invested too much in the line and we'll have a decent secondary when Dunta Robinson returns.

Week 5 Results

Week 5
Straight Up: 5-8
Against the Spread: 4-9

Season Totals
Straight Up: 38-35 (.521)
Against the Spread: 35-38 (.479)

Week 5 Predictions

Sunday, Oct. 5
Tennessee (-3) at Baltimore
Kansas City (-9.5) at Carolina -- KC to cover
Chicago (-3.5) at Detroit
Atlanta at Green Bay
Indianapolis (-3) at Houston
San Diego (-7) at Miami
Seattle (+7) at New York Giants -- SEA to cover
Washington (+5.5) at Philadelphia
Tampa Bay (+3) at Denver
Buffalo (+1) at Arizona
Cincinnati at Dallas
New England (-3.5) at San Francisco
Pittsburgh (+4) at Jacksonville

Monday, Oct. 6
Minnesota (+3.5) at New Orleans

Week 4 Results

Week 4
Straight Up: 7-6
Against the Spread: 5-8

Season Totals
Straight Up: 33-27 (.550)
Against the Spread: 31-29 (.517)

Week 4 Predictions

Sunday, Sept. 28
Atlanta (+7) at Carolina -- ATL to cover
Cleveland (+3.5) at Cincinnati
Houston (+7.5) at Jacksonville -- HOU to cover
Denver (-9) at Kansas City
San Francisco (+6) at New Orleans
Arizona (+2.5) at New York Jets
Green Bay (+1.5) at Tampa Bay
Minnesota (+3) at Tennessee
San Diego (+7.5) at Oakland
Buffalo (-8) at St. Louis
Washington (+11.5) at Dallas -- WAS to cover
Philadelphia (-3) at Chicago

Monday, Sept. 29
Baltimore (+7) at Pittsburgh

Week 3 Results

Week 3
Straight Up: 8-8
Against the Spread: 6-10

Season Totals
Straight Up: 26-21 (.553)
Against the Spread: 26-21 (.553)

Week 3 Predictions

I'm back online at home, so I will be able to sit back with the NFL Sunday Ticket and some ice cold beer. Anyone who is not so fortunate is welcome to join. Can't wait for the Texans to return to the field, especially since it's against Tennessee.

Week 3
Sunday, Sept. 21
Kansas City (+5.5) at Atlanta -- KC to cover
Oakland (+9) at Buffalo
Tampa Bay (+3) at Chicago
Carolina (+3.5) at Minnesota
Miami (+12.5) at New England -- MIA to cover
Cincinnati (+13) at New York Giants
Houston (+5) at Tennessee
Arizona (-3) at Washington
New Orleans (+5) at Denver
Detroit (+4) at San Francisco
St. Louis (+9.5) at Seattle -- STL to cover
Cleveland (+2) at Baltimore
Jacksonville (+5) at Indianapolis
Pittsburgh (+3.5) at Philadelphia
Dallas (-3) at Green Bay

Monday, Sept. 22
New York Jets (+9) at San Diego -- NYJ to cover

Week 2 Results

What a week. I was in Chicago when Hurricane Ike slammed into Houston. I was stuck there until Monday, then came home to no power. I still don't have power at the house, but luckily I get a lot done at work. Also a weird week, because I did much better against the spread than I did straight up. I guess that's good, because that's all that matters in Vegas.

Week 2
Straight Up: 8-7
Against the Spread: 10-5

Season Totals
Straight Up: 18-13 (.581)
Against the Spread: 20-11 (.645)

NFL Week 2 Predictions

Solid start to the season last week. Not great, but I'll take it for Week 1. Straight up picks in bold, noted if I think losing team will cover.

Sunday, Sept. 14
Chicago (+3) at Carolina
Tennessee (+1.5) at Cincinnati
Green Bay (-3) at Detroit
Buffalo (+6.5) at Jacksonville -- BUF to cover
Oakland (+4) at Kansas City
Indianapolis (+2) at Minnesota
NY Giants (-8.5) at St. Louis
New Orleans (PK) at Washington
San Francisco (+8) at Seattle -- SF to cover
Atlanta (+8.5) at Tampa Bay
Miami (+7) at Arizona
San Diego (-2) at Denver
Baltimore (+4.5) at Houston
New England (+2.5) at NY Jets
Pittsburgh (-5.5) at Cleveland

Monday, Sept. 15
Philadelphia (+6.5) at Dallas -- PHI to cover

NFL Week 1 Results

Week 1
Straight Up: 10-6 (.625)
Against the Spread: 10-6 (.625)

Season Totals
Straigh Up: 10-6 (.625)
Against the Spread: 10-6 (.625)

NFL Week 1 Predictions

Here we go! Just to review, last year I was 184-83 (.689) straight up and 146-111-10 (.566) against the spread for the regular season and playoffs. Straight up picks are in bold, but it is noted to the side if I think the losing team will cover.

Week 1
Thursday, Sept. 4
Washington (+4) at NY Giants

Sunday, Sept. 7
Cincinnati (-1.5) at Baltimore
NY Jets (-3) at Miami
Kansas City (+16) at New England -- KC to cover
Houston (+6.5) at Pittsburgh -- HOU to cover
Jacksonville (-3) at Tennessee
Detroit (-3) at Atlanta
Seattle (PK) at Buffalo
Tampa Bay (+3.5) at New Orleans
St. Louis (+7) at Philadelphia
Dallas (-5) at Cleveland
Carolina (+9.5) at San Diego
Arizona (-2.5) at San Francisco
Chicago (+9.5) at Indianapolis -- CHI to cover

Monday, Sept. 8
Minnesota (+2.5) at Green Bay
Denver (-3) at Oakland

No More College Football

Don't expect to see any college football observations on this blog. I was thoroughly disappointed with Baylor last night. One thing I can't stand is missed extra points. I can deal with fumbles, interceptions and blown coverage. But a missed extra point?

I am, however, in the Robert Griffin Fan Club. Very impressive. Controversy over, IMO.

Only Two More Hours

College Football season gets under way for the Houston Sports Guy. I am a Baylor grad and we take on the Wake Forest Demon Deacons tonight at 7 on FSN.

I'm going to leave work in the next few minutes and start working in the kitchen, firing up the grill and popping open a few cold ones.

I guess on my hiatus, I became an amateur cook. I'm trying out a new recipe tonight, which I'm hoping becomes a Game Day favorite. It's kind of like a Salisbury steak on a burger.

I'm going to make some brown gravy with sauteed mushrooms and onions, then put some burgers on the grill. When they're done, I'll smother them with Swiss cheese and gravy.

There's my first recipe suggestion of the season:

Salisbury Burgers

I can list a full recipe upon request.

Ground Rules

Here's the way my blog works:

I give my predictions for the NFL season prior to the first game (which I've already done). Each week I pick every NFL game straight up and against the spread. I usually make my picks on Tuesday while the previous week's games are still fresh in my mind and have until kickoff of the first game of the week (whether it be Thursday, Saturday or Sunday) to account for injuries or other news to change my mind.

I keep a running total all season long of how I'm doing both straight up and against the spread. At the end of the season, I look at each team's win total and see if I was correct on the preseason over/under.

Obviously, I am anticipating Week 1 since I've posted everything today. I also have DirecTV now, so I will enjoy this season a lot more than usual.

Explanation

Here's why I picked the way I did:

1. The AFC South is the best division in football, and (1a.) Besides the Steelers, the AFC North is the most overrated division in football -- the South plays the North this year.

2. I believe in the Super Bowl loser curse -- the Patriots will be lucky to win 10 games this year. Call me crazy.

3. Tennessee won with smoke and mirrors last year, and I think their schedule is brutal. They could lose all of their home games. They won't, but it wouldn't shock me if they did.

4. The NFC South is awful -- awful, awful, awful. How New Orleans let last year get away from this is beyond words (awful).

5. The NFC East is the second-toughest division in football. Three teams from the East will make the playoffs just by default. There is no one in the other divisions to challenge them -- maybe Arizona (maybe), maybe Green Bay (maybe).

6. The Super Bowl will come down to who has the hottest hand, just like last year. I believe the Colts will have their struggles this year, but everyone will be healthy and ready come January. Peyton will have the hottest hand.

7. Teams I like to be better than they were last year: Buffalo, New York Jets, Houston (of course) and Philadelphia.

8. Teams that will not be as good as they were last year: New England, Tennessee, New York Giants (but they still make the playoffs) and Tampa Bay.

Eight is enough.

NFL Preseason Predictions

Since I'm back from hiatus, I'm on a roll today. I'm just trying to get my NFL stuff out there. If you're going to Vegas and betting on NFL Futures, here are my picks for this year. I'll take a look at the over/under for each team's win total and guess what I think their actual win total will be. Keep in mind, last year I was 18-13-1, so at least you would have been able to throw some extra scratch at the blackjack tables. Let's get to it. Over/Unders in parenthases provided by Sportsbook.com.

AFC East
New York Jets.....12-4 (7.5).....Over
Buffalo...........10-6 (7.5).....Over
New England.......10-6 (12)......Under
Miami.............3-13 (5.5).....Under

AFC North
Pittsburgh........13-3 (9).......Over
Cincinnati........5-11 (7).......Under
Cleveland.........4-12 (8).......Under
Baltimore.........4-12 (6).......Under

AFC South
Jacksonville......14-2 (10)......Over
Indianapolis......12-4 (11)......Over
Houston...........12-4 (7.5).....Over
Tennessee.........2-14 (8).......Under

AFC West
San Diego.........13-3 (10.5)....Over
Denver.............8-8 (7.5).....Over
Kansas City.......5-11 (5.5).....Under
Oakland...........3-13 (6).......Under

NFC East
Dallas............13-3 (10.5)....Over
Philadelphia......12-4 (8.5).....Over
New York Giants...11-5 (8.5).....Over
Washington........5-11 (7.5).....Under

NFC North
Minnesota.........12-4 (8.5).....Over
Green Bay..........9-7 (8.5).....Over
Chicago............8-8 (8).......Push
Detroit...........5-11 (6.5).....Under

NFC South
New Orleans.......13-3 (8.5).....Over
Tampa Bay..........7-9 (8).......Under
Carolina..........5-11 (7.5).....Under
Atlanta...........4-12 (4.5).....Under

NFC West
Seattle...........13-3 (8.5).....Over
Arizona............9-7 (7.5).....Over
St. Louis.........5-11 (6.5).....Under
San Francisco.....2-14 (6).......Under

AFC Wild Card
Houston at New York Jets
Indianapolis at Pittsburgh

NFC Wild Card
Philadelphia at Seattle
New York Giants at Minnesota

AFC Divisional Round
New York Jets at Jacksonville
Indianapolis at San Diego

NFC Divisional Round
Seattle at Dallas
Minnesota at New Orleans

AFC Championship
Indianapolis at Jacksonville

NFC Championship
New Orleans at Dallas

Super Bowl
Indianapolis vs. Dallas

Champion
Indianapolis

Fantasy Football

I've been a pretty decent fantasy football player over the years, appearing in every championship game of every league I've been in for the past three years. I make the Buffalo Bills proud -- losing all six of said contests.

I have two teams this year, my serious Yahoo! team composed of friends where I drafted 11 out of 12. Then, I'm in a random ESPN league with people I don't know where I drafted 3 out of 10.

Here's my Yahoo! team:

Drew Brees
Clinton Portis
Marshawn Lynch
Anquan Boldin
Laveraneus Coles
Derrick Mason
Dallas Clark
Josh Brown
Tennessee

Matt Schaub
Jonathan Stewart
Deuce McAllister
Bernard Berrian
Bobby Engram
Reggie Brown

Here's my ESPN team:

Carson Palmer
Brian Westbrook
Earnest Graham
Andre Johnson
Braylon Edwards
Santana Moss
Chris Cooley
Shayne Graham
Seattle

Eli Manning
Rashard Mendenhall
Matt Forte
Ahman Green
Derrick Mason
Owen Daniels
Devin Hester

Obviously in my mind I did the best I could with where I was positioned, but I went the WR philosophy in the second round in the ESPN draft to see what I would end up with and I'm not totally comfortable with Earnest Graham.

It made me more comfortable with picking Portis and Lynch back-to-back in the Yahoo! draft. I looked back on the Yahoo! draft and the best I could've hoped for was Portis-Edwards-Parker -- we'll see if that's better than Portis-Lynch-Boldin. The only mistake I made after that was not taking Santonio Holmes, then coming back and getting Drew Brees. Actually we'll have to see if Portis-Lynch-Boldin is also better than Portis-Lynch-Holmes.

Hiatus

With the NBA season over and the Astros sucking balls I decided to give the blog a rest until the NFL season. Seeing as I do this for my own entertainment, nobody missed it but me anyway.

The whole point was to see how good of a gambler I could be on the NFL and that's what I'm going to do. So, this blog will be very active from August until February. After that...probably not. Unless people start reading it, then I can't let them down.

I'm going to post some new stuff now.

Too Funny

http://assets.justsayhi.com/badges/948/289/fight5.nuorohvb69.jpg) no-repeat; width: 296px; height: 84px; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 42px; color: #fff; text-decoration: none; text-align: center; padding-top: 145px;">27

Baseball Predictions 2008

Here are my Major League Baseball Predictions for 2008

National League
East: New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Washington, Florida
Central: Chicago, Milwaukee, Houston, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh
West: Los Angeles, San Diego, Colorado, Arizona, San Francisco
Wild Card: San Diego

American League
East: Boston, New York, Toronto, Tampa Bay, Baltimore
Central: Detroit, Cleveland, Minnesota, Chicago, Kansas City
West: Los Angeles, Seattle, Oakland, Texas
Wild Card: New York

DIVISION SERIES
National League
San Diego over New York
Los Angeles over Chicago

American League
Boston over Los Angeles
Detroit over New York

NLCS
San Diego over Los Angeles

ALCS
Detroit over Boston

World Series
San Diego over Detroit

NL MVP: Alfonso Soriano, OF, Chicago

AL MVP: Alex Rodriguez, 3B, New York

NL Cy Young: Jake Peavy, San Diego

AL Cy Young: C.C. Sabathia, Cleveland

NL Manager of Year: Joe Torre, Los Angeles

AL Manager of Year: Joe Girardi, New York

Steve Novak Rocks!!!

Rockets 89, Kings 87.

What a shot! My wife and I love Steve Novak, ever since the first time he showed up on the big screen at the games. We thought he was hilarious.

My wife has met him a couple of times the past few weeks as he came into her restaurant, and she said he was the nicest guy. He made reservations after a game one night, and he apologized for being late, because he had to speak to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes group after a game. Uhhh...yeah Steve, just don't let it happen again, ok?

Professional sports needs more guys like Novak. I watched the entire game last night and was so mad they let that lead slip away, but I couldn't have been happier with who ended up with the Rocket's final shot. As T-Mac kicked him to him I jumped off the couch and waited for the outcome: Swish! I gave a good "Woooo!" and settled in for the last play. I was so relieved for the Rockets' winning streak, but I just couldn't help but thinking how happy I was for that guy.

Bring On Kidd

I think the Dallas Mavericks are insane for making a trade for Jason Kidd. So, you had one bad series against a team you match up poorly against? You don't match up too poorly with anyone else, not even them (Golden State) anymore now that they traded away Jason Richardson.

As a Rockets fan, I will admit -- Dallas has owned us since Game 7 in 2005. I will also admit that I could not be happier to see this trade happen. After dreading a matchup with Dallas or New Orleans in the first round of the playoffs, I would now much rather see the Mavs than the Lakers, Suns, or Spurs.

Devin Harris and Jerry Stackhouse were enough, but then you throw in Diop and George and Ager to boot. Harris and Stackhouse were two players who killed the Rockets. Harris was too fast for Rafer Alston to guard and Stackhouse flat-out hits open shots, just like Josh Howard and Jason Terry. The Mavs are going to need Diop's extra fouls, because Yao usually plays well against Dampier.

I like it, I like it, I like it. Alston is still going to have problems with Kidd, but the Rockets are now free to put Battier or T-Mac on Howard and Scola has gained enough respect to hold his own with Dirk. Dirk is going to get his, but it's the rest of the team that will suffer. If Dirk does start to get it going, the Rockets can switch Battier onto him. The Mavs' spot-up shooting now suffers, which leaves Yao free to stay inside.

I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Other teams in the west might be worried, but I welcome this deal. It wasn't going to get any worse for the Rockets against the Mavs than it already was.

I Don't Know Why, But I Don't Think Anything Is Going to Happen to Clemens

I've watched so much "Law & Order" that I can see how Roger Clemens may come out of this unscathed. All that evidence Brian McNamee has screams consiracy theory. How long has he held on to that stuff? None of it is admissable in court. Clemens' legacy may be forever tarnished, but that beats going to jail. Who knows? If he comes out of this OK, it may bolster his legacy because he did everything clean.

The main reason I think Clemens will avoid jail time is because he has never failed a drug test and has medical support of his physical condition throughout his career. The other is what I mentioned before, there's no physical evidence that is admissable in court. I also kind of believe him, because I thought he would have given up by now and admitted to something.

I think Rusty Hardin is holding the ace of spades, while McNamee is holding polaroids of crushed beer cans and syringes. I guess we'll see, but Clemens isn't acting like a guy who is guilty.

Do some research, Legler

From Tim Legler on ESPN.com's Daily Dime (Feb. 5):

Houston Rockets (Grade: C-) -- Granted, the Rockets have a new coach and have dealt with the annual absence of Tracy McGrady due to injuries, but they earn a below-average grade nonetheless. The offensive freedom that was expected in the post-Jeff Van Gundy era hasn't turned into wins and they have taken a step back defensively.

I don't care when someone grades my favorite team poorly. C- is probably a better grade than I would give them at this point. My problem with capsules like these, is the author has to make up things on the fly and chooses not to research his statement. I really like Legler, but this is just plain lazy. The Rockets have not taken a step back defensively -- they are freaking second in the league statistically behind Boston! What the freak to you want them to do? They lost because they couldn't shoot and had no other threats besides Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. Now they have started playing Luis Scola and Carl Landry more and they are winning. No one could have predicted the force Landry would be this early in his career, so he didn't play early. I think Adelman has a pretty good grasp on his rotation now and McGrady is playing unselfishly and just taking over games when he needs to. They'll make the playoffs, then we'll see if T-Mac can finally get them over the hump. I think they're playing well enough to do it -- they just need to avoid Dallas or New Orleans in the first round.

Day After the Big Game

Monday after the Super Bowl should be a national holiday. I have always had a terrible time picking the Super Bowl, ever since 1991 when I lost $20 to a high school friend when I took the Bills. As a Houston fan, I've never had a rooting interest in a game, so I usually just root against the team I don't like. That makes it a difficult game for me to gamble on. Believe what you want, but I picked the Patriots to cover because I wanted the Giants to win. I've been wrong about so many Super Bowls, that I figured if I picked the Pats here, that would give the Giants a better chance. I actually thought the Giants would cover, but that would have led to a Patriots blowout. I will gladly trade my loss for the Patriots loss. Here's how I finished for the season.

Regular Season Totals
Straight Up: 176-80 (.688)
Against the Spread: 139-108-9 (.561)

Playoff Totals
Straight Up: 8-3
Against the Spread: 7-3-1

Combined Totals
Straight Up: 184-83 (.689)
Against the Spread: 146-111-10 (.566)

Super Bowl Pick

Super Bowl XLII -- Glendale, Ariz.
New York Giants (+12) vs. New England

Regular Season Totals
Straight Up: 176-80 (.688)
Against the Spread: 139-108-9 (.561)

Playoff Totals
Straight Up: 8-2
Against the Spread: 7-2-1

Combined Totals
Straight Up: 184-82 (.692)
Against the Spread: 146-110-10 (.568)

Sunday, Jan. 20
New York Giants (+7) at Green Bay
San Diego (+14) at New England -- SD to cover

Regular Season Totals
Straight Up: 176-80 (.688)
Against the Spread: 139-108-9 (.561)

Playoff Totals
Straight Up: 7-1
Against the Spread: 6-1-1

Combined Totals
Straight Up: 183-81 (.693)
Against the Spread: 145-109-10 (.568)

Divisional Playoffs

Saturday, Jan. 12
Seattle (+8.5) at Green Bay
Jacksonville (+12) at New England -- JAC to cover

Sunday, Jan. 13
San Diego (+8) at Indianapolis
New York Giants (+7.5) at Dallas

Regular Season Totals
Straight Up: 176-80 (.688)
Against the Spread: 139-108-9 (.561)

Playoff Totals
Straight Up: 4-0
Against the Spread: 3-0-1

Combined Totals
Straight Up: 180-80 (.692)
Against the Spread: 142-108-10 (.565)

Playoff Picks: Wild-Card Weekend

Saturday, Jan. 5
Washington (+3.5) at Seattle
Jacksonville (+2) at Pittsburgh

Sunday, Jan. 6
New York (+2.5) at Tampa Bay
Tennesee (+9) at San Diego

Regular Season Totals
Straight Up: 176-80 (.688)
Against the Spread: 139-108-9 (.561)