Week 9 Games I Hope to Not Lose Money On

It's always nice hitting your best games since you can still be profitable with a marginal picks record. Last week I threw a lot of my weight behind Oklahoma State and Kansas State and it paid off as both teams cruised to easy wins. I think I see another situation like that this weekend so I have decided to double down on two teams again. The problem with this strategy is obvious; if you tank in your marquee games, you'll spend all day Saturday curled up in the fetal position trying to figure out if you can salvage a 30% loss on your account. Let's move on to the teams that have my financial future in their hands.

Wisconsin -7 (bought 1/2 point) @ Ohio State
In Ohio State's last three games against Illinois, Nebraska, and Michigan State, they have a total of 268 passing yards. Wisconsin played pretty poorly last week against a fantastic Michigan State defense and still scored 31 points. Ohio State is not on Wisconsin's level. Wisconsin is going to be focused and angry and Ohio State cannot hang with Wisconsin's best for four straight quarters. Bet the farm on Wisky this week.

Stanford -7 (bought 1/2 point) @ USC
After this week, people will be jumping off the USC bandwagon faster than they jumped on it after USC's overhyped win over Notre Dame. USC won by 14. The video below is a potential 14 point swing in USC's favor (at minimum 10 points). No luck involved in that win, no sir. Stanford has scored 340 points this season (an average of 48.6 per game). Why should this game be any different?

Clemson -3 @ Georgia Tech

Clemson can smell the title game. If Oklahoma State loses (their remaining schedule is difficult: vs Baylor, vs KState, @ TTU, @ Iowa State, vs OU), and Stanford loses to Oregon, them and Boise State would be the remaining unbeatens to play the winner of LSU-Alabama. Maybe it's just me but for some reason I feel like the BCS would find a way to screw Boise in that situation. Either way, Tajh Boyd and the Clemson offense are rolling. Georgia Tech's one dimensional attack will not be able to keep up.

Michigan -13.5 vs Purdue

Purdue has lost their only road games to Rice (lost in last night's World Series hysteria was Case Keenum's 9 TD passes vs the Owls) and Penn State (who I still don't believe are any good other than their D, I don't care what number is next to their name). Michigan has had a week to digest the loss to Michigan State (which doesn't look so bad after MSU's win over Wisconsin) and should be ready for a very mediocre Purdue team.

4 team parlay of the teams above

It pays +1000

Onward to the teasers...

Stanford -3, Wisconsin -1.5

Remember how I was saying at the open that there are certain games that would be devastatingly soul-crushing? Losing this would hurt.

Clemson +3, Michigan State +11

Because I can't see Nebraska's one dimensional offense beating Michigan State by double digits.

Clemson +3, Stanford +1, Wisconsin +2.5

Notice a pattern here?

Oklahoma State -7, Oklahoma -6.5, Wisconsin 

The Sooners and Cowboys lines scare me, but I still think that they will win. I always feel comfortable laying a touchdown with these offenses. 

Washington -1, Maryland -1.5, Clemson +1.5, Michigan State +10, Michigan -7.5, Stanford -3, Wisconsin -1.5

This pays out at +1100, and I may or may not have placed a small wager on this the night of my birthday which may or may not have been accompanied by a few glasses of Blue Moon. I like the philosophy of it though, if I had to tease 7 games (excluding Okie State and OU), these are it. Have a good weekend everyone. May the degen gods be with you. 

Last week: 6-6

Season: 41-35-3