Black Shoe Degenerates: Bye Week

Ah, the world of gambling. In a three-week period, I’ve gone 4-6, yet I ended up with slightly more money at the end of it all. That’s the beauty of the streakiness of the profession.

Michigan State continues to be a thorn on Michigan’s side, winning eight of the last 10 meetings. This time, they didn’t even need to score in the second half to secure the victory. In fact, they didn’t even need a first down until it was time to run the clock out. Either Michigan State’s defense is legit, or Michigan’s offense is Penn State 2014 bad.

The slate this week is terrible, so I don’t expect another perfect week.

Richness Factor

1. mbailey71: 5192.68
2. afields16: 3633.68
3. bva-psu: 3388.28
4. GSAPS: 3221.65
5. MrNoPants: 3006.45

The top 5 fluctuates again, with two new entrants after last week’s action. The top contender is separating himself well, having nearly a 2000 dollar lead on the second-place entrant.

The Picks

Maryland +4 vs Northwestern - Vegas and the public is probably overreacting a bit to Ohio State’s blowout of Maryland last week. Northwestern seems to me like the more suspect of the two teams, only really looking like a complete team against Bowling Green, while Maryland, on the other hand, has two road wins under their belt already. At the very worst, this may be a field goal loss for the Terrapins, so I’ll hitch my wagon to that one point. $100

Indiana +7.5 vs Michigan - Yes, the Michgian defense is legit. I can’t get over how bad their offense is, however. I think this game plays similarly to last season’s, where Indiana keeps it interesting for most of the game. Michigan’s defense shines in the end, but can’t do enough to beat the Hoosiers by more than a touchdown. $150

Mississippi State -24 vs BYU - The other MSU has only lost to the top teams on its schedule so far, while BYU has only beaten the FCS team on its schedule so far (and that was a six point squeaker. This will be a bloodbath. $116.23

Record

Last Week: 3-0
Season: 11-8
Richness Factor: 916.23