Stone Cold Locks
By Bob Gaughan
2024 record 41-16
2023 Record 82-71-3
2022 Record 68-41-2
2021 record 62-49
2020 record 52-52-4
2019 Record 62-41-2
2018 Record 72-50-3
Total: 437-319-14=57%
MR. OVER/UNDER: Detroit -7 over Colts
Nine of the thirteen road teams are favored this week in the NFL, with two of them double digit favorites. Kansas City and Washington are both favored by 10.5 as of today (Thursday). I was going to take Baltimore this week, but with a forecast of mixed rain & snow, turnovers could be a factor. So, I’ll do something I rarely do and that is, go with the same pick two weeks in-a-row. Last week I had Detroit -14, which ended up being a blowout. This week the Lions are in Indianapolis, so weather won’t be a concern. The Colts have lost 3 of their last 4 to teams with winning records. Even though they beat the Jets by a point last week, they allowed the Jets to score 27-points, the most they’ve scored all year. The Colts have also given up the 5th most total yards on defense, while Detroit has won their last 4 games by an average of 24-points. I just don’t see the Colts keeping up with the scoring ability of the Lions. Take Detroit -7.
Man in Stripes: Purdue / MSU UNDER 48.5
Hold your nose for this epic Friday night bash in East Lansing. As the 1-9 Boilermakers go play the 4-6 Spartans. As our friend, Doug Kazarian, formerly of Daily Wager would say. ALL TICKETS CASH!!! Purdue is 129th out of 134 in D1 in scoring. Sparty is 117th, neither team averaging 20 points... IN COLLEGE FOOTBALL. I thought that was impossible!!! Sparty likes to run the ball, and their defense is top third in the country on yards per play. Throw in cold Friday night weather. Lots of running, and 2 horrible offenses, I will hold my nose for 3 hours, (are any college games, other than Army Navy games done in 3 hours) and take a shot. Run to the window, unplug your nose and take your money. Good luck.
Mono: OHIO STATE -10.5 over Indiana
Goin Buckeyes -10.5 at home against Indiana. The Hoosiers took the country by storm, off to a 10-0 start with new coach Cignetti. We’ve loved tailin them this year and they’ve been friendly against the number, but all good things come to an end. I can’t unsee the performance the Hoosiers had hosting the Wolverines. They won, but had Sherrone Moore not been a p***y, they should’ve / could’ve lost. The Buckeyes have been out for blood since their early loss at Oregon and I expect them to jump all over the Hoosiers from the start. They’ll win at the line of scrimmage and the pressure on Rourke will force a few mistakes. I love what Cignetti has done for this program and the future is bright. Ohio State flexes in this spot and wins by at least 13. Buckeyes cover the double digit spread
Brutal: UCLA (+5) OVER USC
Last week in Vancouver we breezed through the 111th Grey Cup with the big dog Toronto Argonauts (+10.5) winning in a second half blowout 41-24. We even had a big profit on the Argo Moneyline +450. This week we head south to Los Angeles for the Crosstown Cup between the Trojans of USC and the Bruins of UCLA. The two teams have had to adjust to their new conference affiliation with the Big Ten, the destruction of the old rivalries in the Pac 10, and the three cross country road trips each year to the Central and Eastern Time Zones. USC has had an average year and will probably play in some Bowl game somewhere (if they can get one more win). UCLA has improved as the year has gone on, and now are themselves fighting to be Bowl eligible. This game is like a lot of other in-state rivalries between a huge, rich private school and the largest public school in the same state; think Michigan-Michigan State. Even before the current situation with giant corporations and Russian-style oligarchs taking over college football, the richer school usually held the clear advantage, but upsets still occur regularly when players who competed against each other in high school championships and for recruiting spots to major universities faceoff against each other once again in college.
USC (5-5) has had an up and down year with no visible momentum in the Big 10 universe. If they lose this game and fall at home next week to Notre Dame (as expected) they will actually miss out on a Bowl game.
UCLA (4-6) started the year 1 and 5, but has won 3 of their last 4; road wins at Rutgers and Nebraska, a home win over Iowa and then a tough road loss in Washington in a hostile environment against the Huskies who people seem to forget were the NCAA Playoff finalists last year against Michigan.
We know that this an intercity game in the Bruin den in Pasadena at the Rose Bowl, but it counts as a road game and guess what, ..... USC has not won a road game this year!
We love the Bruins here, getting points at home in the cavernous Rose Bowl in a must-win game; playing a hated rival in a game that is often closer than the point spread or the usual big money talent disparity that exists between these two teams. We are backing the alma mater of Jackie Robinson, Francis Ford Coppola, John Wooden, Carol Burnett, Jim Morrison, Johnny Cochrane, Mayim Bialik, Troy Aikman (God, he gets more wearisome, wooden and irrelevant each year as a broadcaster) Bill Walton, Leonard Nimoy, Zenon Andrusyshyn, the barrier breaking Ralph Bunche and eight other Nobel Prize winners!
Hail to the Hills of Westwood! ...... soldier on! ...... Beat the Trojans as Agamemnon did in ancient times! Hail Bruins! Hail Bruins! ........ for good old UCLA!
Bob: Rams +3 over Philadelphia
Maybe a dangerous pick here going against a team on a six-game winning streak but further inspection into those six wins and the only good team they beat was Washington at home. I believe that with this pick I get the much better coach, the better quarterback, the team that needs the game more, at home getting three points. Nick Sirianni has to be the only coach with an 8-2 record that could still be on the hot seat. His decision-making and fact he hates field goals are a sense of frustration for all Philly fans. Sean Mcvay is the much better coach. I still don’t trust Jalen Hurts if he doesn’t have a great running game. The Rams rush defense is decent just in the top half of the league. The Rams are finally getting healthy. Earlier this year they dealt with a rash of injuries. The Rams need the win to keep pace in the wide-open NFC West. The Eagles travel across country for a game they don't need as much as their opponent.
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