Weekend Predictions is treading water with an even record through two weeks. It could be worse. At least I didn’t commit $100 million to a quarterback, tell my customers all summer that his health is great and then send him out to play a game at (maybe) half-speed.
Luckily, I took the Steelers and the points against the Falcons. Yes, I predicted the Falcons would win, but that doesn’t count. See why I like picking underdogs so much? Even when they lose, I can win.
Unfortunately, I picked the Georgia Tech to win at Syracuse. I’ve mentioned before that strange things can happen inside ‘Cuse’s dome. This time it was Syracuse coach Fran Brown turning an innocuous quote from Tech counterpart Brent Key into fuel for his team’s fire.
Maybe I should try imagining slights so I can make better picks.
Falcons (+6½) at Eagles
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins looked physically limited in Week 1, but coach Raheem Morris said that wasn’t the reason for the strange game plan. Apparently, new play-caller Zac Robinson thought it was a good idea to run just one play with Cousins under center, call no play-action passes and tip his hand on run or pass with formations. I don’t believe Robinson is incompetent, so I’m deducing that Cousins couldn’t run a normal NFL offense because his surgically repaired Achilles tendon wasn’t strong enough.
Will Cousins move any better in Week 2? If not, then the Falcons are cooked. They had a chance to beat the Steelers despite the vanilla offense. But the Eagles will score more points than the Steelers, who took few chances with backup QB Justin Fields. Eagles QB Jalen Hurts didn’t look sharp versus Green Bay, but he’ll be much better in Week 2. I’m taking the Eagles and giving the points.
No. 1 Georgia (-24½) at Kentucky
Georgia coach Kirby Smart said that “countless” representatives of NFL teams told him that “they’d much rather (players) be training at Georgia than anywhere else.” Coincidentally, the words of those unnamed NFL evaluators line up with Smart’s interest in having players stay in Athens instead of transferring. Somehow, NFL teams find good players who never trained at Georgia with Smart. Zero players he recruited there who stuck around have been voted NFL All-Pro.
Kentucky coach Mark Stoops had the look of a guy who didn’t want to be there as South Carolina stomped his team last weekend. Stoops should be happy. In how many other jobs can a manager make $9 million per year to deliver mediocre results? I’m picking the Wildcats to cover because they usually hold their own against the Bulldogs at the line of scrimmage.
Other college games of interest
No. 4 Alabama (-16½) at Wisconsin
Alabama fans don’t have much to complain about after the first two games of the Kalen DeBoer era. That’s significant even if the opponents were Western Kentucky and South Florida. Now the Crimson Tide are set for their first road game and first Power Four opponent of the season. That gives me some pause about picking Bama, but DeBoer knows what he’s doing, and Wisconsin is suspect. I’m taking the Crimson Tide to cover.
No. 16 LSU (-7) at South Carolina
South Carolina’s Shame Beamer can challenge Stoops for cushiest SEC job. South Carolina extended Beamer’s contract after he compiled a 15-11 record over his first two seasons. Beamer is getting paid $6.5 million per season, so Stoops is still the conference’s cushy king. Beamer’s Gamecocks have been strong home ‘dogs against teams that aren’t Georgia or Clemson. USC is the pick.
No. 24 Boston College (+17) at No. 6 Missouri
Remember when everybody figured Missouri would struggle with the move from the Big 12 to the SEC? The Tigers won the East in their second season repeated in 2013. The Tigers hadn’t been close to that good since then until last season, when a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State got them to 11 wins. Mizzou might be even better this season. I like the Tigers to cover.
Texas A&M (-4) at Florida
Florida never was a home underdog during Urban Meyer’s six seasons as coach. If the line for this game holds, then it will be the fifth time in 13 games that FBS visitors to The Swamp have been favored during Billy Napier’s tenure. Florida won the first two of those games but lost decisively versus Florida State last season and versus Miami in this season’s opener. I’m picking Florida to cover, anyway, because a bad trend can’t make me stop loving home ‘dogs.
Other NFL games of interest
Saints (+6½) at Cowboys
Derek Carr was supposed to be the best quarterback in the NFC South last season but wasn’t because of Baker Mayfield’s resurrection in Tampa Bay. After Week 1, Carr is no worse than second-best in the division. He tossed three touchdowns as New Orleans raced to a 30-0 lead at halftime. Yes, the Panthers are bad, but do you think Cousins could have done the same? I like the Saints to cover.
Chargers (-6) at Panthers
First-year Panthers coach Dave Canales already is getting questions about whether Bryce Young still is his starting quarterback. The bigger question is whether the Panthers ever will be winners with franchise owner Dave Tepper. He’s hired four non-interim head coaches and three general managers since buying the team in 2018 from disgraced predecessor Jerry Richardson, and Carolina keeps losing. Chargers are the pick.
Buccaneers (+7 ½) at Lions
I had hoped Mayfield would provide the same boom-or-bust entertainment value as Jameis Winston once did in New Orleans. Instead, he’s been boringly efficient and steady as Tampa Bay’s quarterback after flopping at three other stops. I’m taking the Bucs and the points.
Bengals (+5 ½) at Chiefs
Joe Burrow didn’t throw downfield much in Week 1 as the Bengals, favored by 7½ points at home, lost to the Patriots. Burrow told reporters that his surgically repaired right wrist is “absolutely not” affecting his passes. That sounds a lot like Morris insisting Cousins’ Achilles didn’t affect the play-calling for the Falcons. The Bengals have won three of four games against Kansas City with Burrow as the starter, but I’m taking the Chiefs to cover in this one.
Last week: 5-5. Season: 9-9.
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