If you think it's not easy being green, try making green betting against the spread on pro football.
With all the talk about Big Bird this week, let’s bring Kermit the Frog back into the mix.
If you think it’s not easy being green, try making green betting against the spread on pro football.
Now try it week-in, week-out, over an entire season. Or better yet, season after season.
Here at SFBay, we don’t know what that’s like.
We do, however, know what it’s like to be up a couple thousand SFBay bucks after four weeks of pro football.
And we’ll tell you this: It feels good.
We’re not sure how long it’s going to last, though, so we’ll do the only logical thing: Increase our bets and try to initiate a self-destruct sequence.
Our role model this week is SFBay reader ParksideGreg, who swelled his bankroll — and likely, his ego — with some monster bets on San Francisco and New England. ParksideGreg leads among SFBay readers with 13,600 SFBay bucks.
On the SFBay payroll, the grey cloud over Ali Thanawalla finally lifted as he chalked up a 4-1 record to bump his bankroll up to 8,600 SFBay bucks. Chelena Goldman’s slow-and-steady approach picked up another 100 bucks on a 3-2 week. Her stack stands at 9,500.
This week is rife with thorny picks and gotcha games. One thing is certain: None of us can get bit by Oakland, though, since they get a break with a bye this week.
I’m not sure a number could be large enough for me to pick Buffalo against San Francisco. It certainly isn’t 9-1/2. This is a game where the home team needs to assert themselves against a porous defense. Prediction: This game is completed by Colin Kaepernick, for all the right reasons.
Peyton Manning gets a big-boy test visiting New England. Two high-powered offenses mean this game could very well be decided by three, four or six points, likely in the home direction.
Rookie quarterbacks provide a couple of home dogs specials this week. Washington and Indianapolis both play at home, yet face numbers against Atlanta and Green Bay. Both will prove hard to cover.
Fair warning: We’re not touts, sharks or bookies. We don’t splash action around the web or line up bets in back alleys. We’re just a few local writers picking games without much of a clue. So using these picks for your own gambling is probably a very bad idea.
| Name | Bankroll | Last week |
| Jesse | 11,900 | +900 |
| Chelena | 9,500 | +100 |
| Ali | 8,600 | +500 |
| Game | Ali | Chelena | Jesse |
| Buffalo at San Francisco (-9 1/2) |
SF 300 |
SF 100 |
SF 1000 |
| Philadelphia at Pittsburgh (-3) |
PIT 100 |
PIT 100 |
PHI 200 |
| San Diego at New Orleans (-3 1/2) |
NO 100 |
NO 100 |
NO 500 |
| Atlanta (-3) at Washington |
ATL 100 |
ATL 100 |
ATL 300 |
| Denver at New England (-6 1/2) |
NE 200 |
NE 100 |
NE 400 |
| Green Bay at (-7) Indianapolis |
GB 200 |
GB 100 |
IND 400 |
To refresh anyone’s memory on how point spreads function, the team with the “minus points” is the favored team, and has the “point spread” deducted from their score at the end of the game. The final score adjusted by the point spread determines the winner of the bet.
If a team is favored by three points, they must win by more than three points to win a point spread bet.
Of course you can play along with Bettin’ or Braggin! What kind of pro football picking game would Bettin’ or Braggin’ be if you couldn’t play?
You can win prizes! (We can’t. All SFBay staff can win are bragging rights over each other. In other words, priceless.)
But first, some rules:
* – Actually, we will be picking two Thursday games, the Seattle-San Francisco game Oct. 26 and the Denver-Oakland game Dec. 6. On those weeks, the deadline for weekly picks will be Thursday at 5 p.m. See why we don’t like Thursday games? Too complicated.
Third-place: SFBay black fleece hoodie, high quality. Nice stuff. $50 value.
Second-place: Limited-edition, authentic SFBay Golden Gate FC soccer shirt, customized with your name. $120 value.
First place: A green Joe Montana Notre Dame Adidas jersey, “True School Authentics,” Size 56. Very high quality retro-authentic heavy mesh. Brand-new, never-worn condition. All tags attached. Very collectible. $250 value.
Jesse Garnier is the editor and founder of SFBay. A Mission District native, he also teaches journalism as associate professor at San Francisco State University.
Feeling a sharp pain at the gas station? It's cash being ripped from your pocket at an alarming rate.
Alright… another week, another fake peso!
SF over Buf $2000
Phil over Pit $500
SD over NO $500
Atlanta over Wash $500
NE over Denver $1000
GB over Ind $200