November 30th Picks

 Ryan's Picks

Pick #1 Penn State Nittany Lions

    I like the Penn State Nittany Lions to defeat the Boston College Eagles, in the Big Ten/ACC challenge. As I predicted yesterday, the big ten teams got the better of the ACC teams, and are generally more talented. Penn St. is 5-2 on the season, including a loss to the #1 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. The Boston College Eagles have started the season slowly at 2-4 and have struggled on offense. The Eagles have only two wins and the victories were over weak teams New Hampshire, and UC Riverside. Penn State rates ahead of Boston College in points, rebounds, assists, and field goal percentage. Pick the Penn State Nittany Lions for the green.  


Pick #2 Michigan State Spartans

  The Michigan State Spartans will beat the Florida State Seminoles, in East Lansing. Michigan State(4-2) is a talented team, whose two losses are to UNC and Duke. Florida State who is (5-2) is coming off back to back losses to Harvard and Uconn. Florida State is not as talented as other teams Michigan State will play, but they are certainly physically gifted in size. Florida State is a very big team, that has a top defense every year.  Florida State ranks 4th in defensive efficiency, while Michigan State ranks 6th in defensive efficiency. While the teams are similar on defense, I believe Michigan State has an advantage on offense. Michigan State is a better shooting team, and should be able to win a low scoring affair. Look for Draymond Green and the Michigan State faithful to lift the Spartans to a victory over the Seminoles.

 
Christian's Picks

1. @ Braga: Win

     Sporting Braga is currently 5th in the Portuguese Primeira Liga sitting behind powerhouses like FC Porto, Benfica, and Lisbon. They have been in rather decent form recently with a 2-2-1 record in the UEFA Europa League. They are currently at 62.5% to win and to offer some perspective, they are behind highly talented Portuguese teams who can challenge any club in the world.... However, Birmingham City is an 11th ranked Division 2 English club who is average at best. Just a very telling stat which I find pertinent to this pick is that back in September, Braga beat Birmingham City 3-1 away from home. This time, it's in Braga so I can only see them winning by a couple of goals. Braga wins 2-0.

November 29th Picks

Ryan's Picks

Pick #1 Illinois Fighting Illini

I like the Illinois Fighting Illini to beat the Maryland Terrapins, in College Park, Maryland. The Illini who are 6-0, defeated Maryland (3-2) last year in their head to head match up. Maryland was predicted in the preseason polls to finish 11th in the ACC. Illinois has the stronger defense as they rank 11th in the country in defensive efficiency, and  that will carry them to the victory. Furthermore, Maryland does not have an answer on the interior for the Illini's 7'1 sophomore Meyers Leonard. Maryland does not have any quality wins, and have lost their only two games versus quality opponents (Iona and Alabama). Look for Illinois (who plays similar style as Alabama) to take care of Maryland.

Pick # 2 Ohio State Buckeyes

The number two ranked Ohio State Buckeyes host the number three ranked Duke Blue Devils in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State has too much talent, and will feed off their boisterous home crowd at Value City Arena, (where they have won 28 straight games) and defeat Mike Krzyzewski's Duke Blue Devils. Sophomore, Jared Sullinger is going to be too much on the inside for Mason and Miles Plumlee and the rest of the Blue Devils. In addition, Aaron Craft who is one of the best defensive guards in the country, should be able to slow down Austin Rivers and Seth Curry. Give me the Buckeyes for the Green.

Pick #3  Big Ten

     I like the Big Ten to win more games than the ACC in the first day of the Big Ten/Acc challenge. I think that the Big Ten will win at least four of the six games that are being played. I think Purdue, Ohio State, Illinois, Northwestern, and Michigan all have good chances of winning. The most talented team in the ACC, The North Carolina Tar Heels are not playing on Tuesday. Without the ACC's top team in action, the Big Ten is clearly the superior conference.  

Christian's Picks


1. Barcelona Wins by 3+ Goals

     This year, like every year, Barcelona has been pretty beastly. However, their last game was an away loss to 13th ranked Getafe and as history shows, when Barca loses, they play their next game pissed! This will absolutely be the case when they play newly promoted club Rayo Vallecano at home in Camp Nou. Rayo is an inexperienced club with their only true test this year coming in the form of an away loss to Real Madrid 6-2. Based on these general figures and seeing as how Barca is a little worse, if not even, as Real Madrid, I can see this being a complete blowout. As we all know, Barca does not hold back ever and I see them winning by at least 4 goals. If you're a Barca fan, enjoy yourself during this one.

November 28th Picks

 Christian's Picks

1. @ Málaga: Win

     Málaga has been in tip-top shape at home as of recently with a 4-1-0 record with their only loss coming to Real Madrid which is excusable. Excluding the Real Madrid game, Málaga has outscored their opponent by 7 in those last 5 games. They are favored to win at 55.5% and they are the underdog according to Streak picker's picks which is always a recipe for a correct pick it seems. This would be a tough one except that Villareal cannot score on the road seeing as how they have scored 1 goal in their last 5 Primera Division games. Also, they will be without injured "scorers", if you can call them that, making it even more difficult to score. Málaga wins this one 2-0.

November 27th Picks

  It's that time of the month again. With it close to the end of the month, I'm going to stop writing until December. I'm going to let Ryan and Christian finish out November. Those of you who are done for the month, enjoy your days off. See you in December

Christian's Picks:

1. Carolina Panthers

     The Panthers have too much potential with Newton taking the snaps to keep on losing.... Here is their chance to get that "easy" win against winless Indianapolis. I do not see Indy winning a single game this season with Painter as their QB. He is seriously the most careless player with the ball I have ever seen. Expect Newton to get a lot of rushing yards against the Colts' offensive line where Freeney and Mathis have been huge letdowns this season. Overall, I see Carolina passing the ball a ton against Indy's old backs and scoring a few TD's from it. Panthers win 27-16

2. New England Patriots

     The Eagles are in dire need of a win here but unfortunately, Vick will most likely be out again and Desean Jackson is really banged up as well. Young will start for them and do not expect a repeat of last week against the G-Men because it always seems that when a back-up QB comes in, he will win his first game because the opponent is unfamiliar with them. I don't see that fooling the Pats. Tom Brady is the best QB and with a weapon like Gronkowski at the helm, he is darn near unstoppable. Sure it's in Philly and I fully expect a few Pats fans to get mugged, but otherwise, Brady will have no problem hearing and making calls on the line. Patriots beat Philly by 3 scores.

Novwmber 26th Picks

Christian's picks:

1. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

     Rutgers is 8-3 (4-2 in the Big East) and UConn is 4-6 (2-3 in the Big East). Rutgers has a really good defense which is ranked 9th in the FBS rankings, allowing only 16.8 points per game. And surprisingly, their offense is not too bad either ranking 63rd with 26.7 points per game. The Scarlet Knights are coming into this game on a three-game winning streak including wins against two Big East opponents, USF (terrible in the Big East) and Cincinnati (7-3 record overall). Rutgers really needs this win to continue their hunt for 1st in the Big East. If they win today, they are tied with Louisville in Big East record (5-2) but they will have a better overall record (9-3 to 7-5). On the other side, UConn is not too good in general, scoring only 22.4 PPG and allowing 23.5 PPG. Rutgers is a 3.5 point favorite today away as well. Conclusively, Go Guidos!

2. North Carolina: Wins By Double Digits

     I mean come on, it's UNC. They're kinda good.... I see Harrison Barnes, Tyler Zeller, and John Henson lighting it up today and storming past the Runnin' Rebels. Sure UNLV is 6-0 on the year but they have not played anyone worth noting and now facing powerhouse UNC, they will have their hands full. UNLV always makes the Tournament but once again, look at their division.... The Mountain West, the only good team USED to be San DiegoState. Let's take a gander at UNC's division.... The ACC, including teams such as Duke, FSU, VT, etc... UNC has beaten their opponents by an average of 22.4 points. UNC will stomp the politically incorrect Runnin' Rebels (apparently their name is racist...?) by 15+.

-- 

November 24th Picks (Happy Thanksgiving)

November 14^th through November 23^rd Pick results:

November 14^th Picks:

Egypt win, draw, lose by 1- Loss

Hyde win- Loss

Tampa Bay Lightning- Loss

November 15^th Picks:

Hawaii- Win

Drexel Dragons- Win

November 16^th Picks:

Nacional- Win

Alex Carder 179 passing yards or fewer- Loss

November 17^th Picks:

Virginia Tech wins by double digits- Loss

Tim Tebow 150 total yards or more- Win

November 18^th Picks:

Yes, 3-pointer made within first 3 minutes (Duke vs. Davidson)- Win

Alabama Crimson Tide- Win

Buffalo Sabres- Win

November 19^th Picks: No Picks

November 20^th Picks:

Palermo win draw lose by 1- Loss

Buffalo Bills- Loss

LA Galaxy win- Win

November 21^st Picks

Tottenham win- Win

November 22^nd Picks:

Manchester City win- Loss

Kansas wins by double digits- Win

November 23^rd picks

Duke Blue Devils- Win

Pittsburg Penguins- Loss

Streakhelp's Overall record: 35-18

Ryan's record: 2-1

Christian's record: 2-1

Overall blog record for November: 39-20

Christian's Pick:


Pick #1. @ Cowboys: Winning Margin

     At the beginning of the year, everyone projected Brandon Marshall to be an impact receiver but he just hasn't lived up to it. He gets targeted no less than 6-7 times a game beat only catches what seems like 75% of those. Especially with a decent pass rush for the Cowboys, Matt Moore will have difficulty letting his receivers run their full routes and feeding them decent throws with Demarcus Ware breathing down his neck. However, Gerald Sensabaugh is out for Dallas which may pose a few issues in the passing D. The spread on the game is Dallas -7 so it comes down to whether you think they will cover. As a sidenote, Romo is 4-0 covering the spread on Thanksgiving. I see Marshall getting 7 receptions but Dallas will win by 10 or 13 points.

November 23rd Picks

Streakhelper's Picks:


Pick #1 Duke Blue Devils:


   Duke is 14-0 in th Maui Invitational, and looks for their 5th title today against Kansas. Both teams have struggled slighty this season to lesser opponents, but Duke (aside from Belmont) has been able to put away teams better in my opinion. Duke is 6-0 and has shown it can find ways to win. The game against #15 Michigan last night wasn't as close as it looked. Duke took it easy in the second half after dominating most of the game. Kasas goes in at 3-1, with its lone loss coming to #2 Kentucky. This game should be pretty close, but I think Duke prevails.

Pick #2 Pittsburg Penguins: (check Ryan's pick)




Ryan's Picks:

Pick #1: Pittsburgh Penguins.

        The Penguins are playing really good hockey. The Penguins lead the Eastern Conference with 27 points, despite playing without their best player Sidney Crosby. Crosby returned in a big way last night, with 2 goals and 2 assists. I like the Penguins to get the win here against the St. Louis Blues, inPittsburgh. The Blues are in 9th place in the western conference and are just 3-6-1 on the road. This coupled with the fact that the Blues will be on a back to back after playing Tuesday night, makes the Penguins a strong pick for the green.

Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690

November 22nd Picks

Streakhelper's Picks:

Pick #1 Manchester City

I really like Manchester City with the way they have played in their League. At the top of their table, they are 11-1-0, 31 goal difference, and aside from Fulham, they have dominated just about every game with little trouble. Napoli has done pretty well within their league as well. Though not as decorated as Man City, they are a respectable 4-3-3 with a 6 goal difference. Though their 3 losses have come to teams lower than them, they have managed some good fights with top teams in their table; such as a 0-0 draw to Lazio in their last matchup. However, we haven’t seen Napoli play as well as they did against Lazio consistently. We know that Man City on the other hand has played very well all season.

Napoli has a lot going for them being at home and having the draw option, but I would rather take Manchester City. Manchester City has done well on the road thus far, I think they can continue that trend today. Good luck either way.

Pick #2 Kansas Jayhawks win by double digits


     UCLA has looked pretty poor so far this season. They have managed to be blown out by MTSU by 20, as well as an 11 point loss to Loyola (who?). If those team can manage a double digit win over the Bruins, I think Kansas can as well.

Ryan's Pick:

Pick #1 Michigan Win or Single Digit Loss

   As some pickers found out on Monday, Michigan is a solid team. Michigan held Memphis to 33% shooting with a solid defensive effort in a comfortable 73-61 win over the Tigers. They now will play Duke who beat Tennessee 77-67. Michigan is a young team, starting four players who are either sophomores or freshmen, but they play tough defense and are a strong shooting team. I would expect them to give Duke a tougher time than Tennessee did. Go with Michigan to stay within 10 points or to win outright for the green.


   Side note on the pick: At 11 A.M. Tennessee plays Memphis in a consolation game. Look at that game's result as a clue to the Duke-Michigan game. If Tennessee beats Memphis soundly, then I would stay away from this pick. However, if it is competitive or if Memphis wins then I would start feeling even more confidant about Michigan's chances to keep it close or beat Duke. 



Christian's Pick:


Pick # 1. Trabzonspor: Win/Draw

     This pick really appeals to me because everyone is picking Internazionale based on their name alone. Trabzonspor is obviously the lesser team in statute but as of recently, they have been doing alright. They have drawn both Lille and CSKA Moskva at home and their most impressive and telling match was a 1-0 win @ Internazionale...... This is a very interesting result and combine that with the fact that Trabzonspor has the draw option and this looks like the right pick. Sure one could argue that Inter is angry from last time and they will try to retaliate but I just don't see it. Plus, Inter is playing pretty badly in Serie A right now, being in 16th with a GD of -4. According to the odds, Trabzonspor is supposed to Win or Draw at 64%. Why is over 90% of people picking Inter....? Because they're uneducated, bandwagon pickers. Trabzonspor 0-0.

November 21st Picks/New Contributors

  I have a couple people I picked out to contribute to Streakhelp from time to time. I've monitored Ryan's and Christian's pick history over the last few days and I was impressed with some of their insight. Today I'll debut some of their picks. Hopefully this will help improve content frequency so I can stay on top of this blog better. Good luck today.

Streakhelper's Picks:

Pick #1 Tottenham win

   Tottenham goes into this game 7-1-2 with a 6 goal difference coming off a 3-1 road win over Fulham. Aston Villa goes in at 3-6-2 with 1 goal difference coming off a 3-2 win over Norwich at home. On the road, Villa has been a drawing machine. On the road they are 0-4-1, with their lone loss coming to Manchester City, who sits at the top of the table. On the other side, Tottenham has played exceptional at home. Going 3-0-1, with their only loss to Manchester City as well in an ugly 1-5 loss. All three of their home wins came to teams that are about as good or better compared to Villa. They include a 4-1 win over Liverpool (6th in table), 2-1 win over Arsenal (7th in table), and a 3-1 win over Queens Park (9th in table). Aston Villa sits at 8th, with all of their draws to teams currently below Tottenham. Considering how strong Tottenham has been (so far) this season at home, I would take them. A draw definitely isn't out of the question, but I like my chances with Tottenham.


Pick #2 Kansas Jayhawks

     Georgetown is a pretty good basketball team, but they have yet to play anyone significant. Kansas is coming off a 75-65 loss on the road to #2 Kentucky. With Kansas at home, I think they should be good. At home against Towson they won 100-54 in their last game. Though it is Towson, Towson has played fairly well (for their level) against some decent opponents such as Kansas, Belmont and Michigan. I would take Kansas.


Ryan's Picks:


Pick Patriots win by 15+ points
 
"The Patriots to win by 15 or more points seems like a safe pick. The game is in Foxboro where the Pats rarely lose. In addition, the Chiefs will be missing their starting QB Matt Cassel. This means that Tyler Palko, who has only thrown 13 NFL passes in his Career, will get the start for the Chiefs. The Patriots struggle in pass defense, but Palko is not good enough to expose them. There should be no doubt that Tom Bady and co. can create enough offense to win by 15 points. The Chiefs have been outscored in their loses by an average of 24 points, including loses by 34, 45, and 28 points. The Vegas line is 17 points in favor of the Patriots, so the streak master is giving you two free points. I would take the Patriots to win by 15+ points for the Green."



 Christian's Picks:

1. Memphis Tigers

     The Tigers have gotten off to a nice start this year against a Belmont team that lost to Duke by one point. Michigan is also starting the season pretty well being 3-0, however their wins have come against teams that would pose no threat to any respectable team, including the Towson Tigers... Memphis is simply a better team which focuses primarily on offense (97 against Belmont) to drive their victories while Michigan's offense (averaging 60.7) is not nearly as potent. Memphis will come out today and put Michigan in it's place 76-68.

2. @ Tottenham Hotspur

     Tottenham sits in 5th place in the EPL with 22 points in 10 matches and a +6 GD. Aston Villa is 8th in the table with 15 points in 11 matches and a +1 GD. Tottenham is 4-0-1 in their last 5 EPL games including a draw at Newcastle. AV is 2-2-1 in their last 5 including a loss at home to an average West Bromwich club. Tottenham is currently at 64.5% to win according to the odds. In my experience, whenever Tottenham is in a pick on SFTC, they always win. However, be wary because Aston Villa can always come out and surprise anybody. Tottenham Hotspur wins 3-2.


More to come... I'll update my record today as well from the past few days.

Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690

November 20th Picks

Pick #1 Palermo Win, Draw, Lose by 1


  Palermo has been a significantly good team this year at 5-1-4, and a 2 goal difference. Also, Palermo has only lost once this year by more than one point, and that was to a very good AC Milan team who is ranked 2nd in their table at 6-3-2 (+9 GD). Juventus goes into this game at 5-4-0 with an 8 goal difference. Juventus has played pretty well at home, including a 2-0 win over AC Milan. Despite the impresseive win however, they have still struggled to much less impressive opponents such as Bologna, Genoa and Catania (all ended in draws) just to name a few. I think this game has a good shot at a draw, but I can't really see Juventus winning by more than 1. I would take my shot with Palermo. Good luck either way.

Pick #2 Buffalo Bills (writeup pending)

Pick #3 LA Galaxy win

The Galaxy have been a dominating team all year in the MLS. They beat Houston 1-0 at home, and then followed with a 3-1 loss in a game with little significance at the end of the year. At 19-10-5 and holding a goal difference of 20, LA has been the better team this season on paper. Houston will go into this game at 12-13-9, 4 goal difference, finishing second in their table behind Kansas. LA is a massive favorite, and after watching them throughout the year I can understand why. Houston has had an impressive run, but without the draw option to back them up, LA is a better option. LA for the win.

November 18th Picks

Tonight's writeups will be pretty short with just a basic outline of what I like.


Pick #1 Yes: 3-pointer made in the first 3 minutes (Duke vs. Davidson)

   I would go with yes. Simply because Duke is great on the perimeter, shooting often from 3-point range and sinking 3's pretty consistently. Obviously Duke will more than likely be the team to score a 3, but having Davidson to help support the prop makes it a little better. Look for Seth Curry or Ryan Kelly to sink a 3, as each of their 3-point percent is above .500. Good luck whatever you do...

Pick #2 Alabama Crimson Tide (Basketball)

Alabama was impressive last season. This year they look even better. Even with them going on the road I think they should win in a close game. Wichita State is no pushover (but not a better team in my opinion).

Pick #3 Buffalo Sabres

Though Buffalo has struggled at times this season, they have still managed to find ways to win consistently. Buffalo is 6-2 on the road, for some reason they have struggled at home. The last time these two teams played, Buffalo lost 4-3 at home in mid October. Hopefully, since Buffalo plays better on the road, tonight will work in their favor.

Good luck tonight.

November 17th Picks

Pick #1 Virginia Tech wins by Double Digits


   Virginia Tech has been a very strong team at home aside from thier 23-3 loss to Clemson and 38-35 win against Miami. Virginia Tech has won 6 out of their 10 games by double digits (6 out of 9 against unranked opponents). At home, Virginia Tech has won 3 out of 4 games at home by double digits to unranked opponents (Miami 38-35). I don't think North Carolina is as strong as Miami or Clemson and Virginia Tech has a very good defense to match North Carolina's mediocre offense. Virginia Tech should cover.

Pick #2 Tim Tebow 150 yards or more


   Just with Tebow being a dual-threat player, and having the whole game to rack up 150 yards, I would go over. The thing that really concerns me is the Jets strong secondary. I think Tebow will rack up a few rushing yards, but a good chunk of his overall yardage will have to come through the air. 150 yards doesn't seem like a lot to ask, but when you take a quarterback who is known for his passing struggles, it may come back to bite. Good luck whichever way you go.

More tomorrow... I'll have at least 3 or 4 picks tomorrow. Sorry I havn't been able to post as much lately.

Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690

November 16th Picks

Pick #1 Nacional win

    At -290, Nacional may be the best pick today. Nacional is at the top of their table at 9-2-4, with an 8 goal difference, while Lequeno is second to last in the table at 3-3-8 with a -10 goal difference. Surprisingly though, Lequeno did manage a 1-0 win back at the end of August. Before that, they played in May where Nacional took the game on the road 3-1. Nacional is at home though, and over three months after their road loss in August to Lequeno, Nacional has clearly been the better team in their table. Good luck whatever you do.

Pick #2 Alex Carder: 179 Passing yards or fewer

     Miami OH pass defense ranks 7th overall in the nation. Allowing about 171 total passing yards per game. Granted, the MAC teams (as well as non conference teams) Miami OH has played aren't exactly at the BCS level, but the same can be said about Carder, as this will be the best pass defense Carder has faced. Carder has put up some incredible stats though to lower pass defense teams, averaging about 334 passing yards in his last 5 MAC games. Can he do it against a top 10 pass defense though? I don't think he can from what I see, but he may prove me wrong.
   Conclusion: Miami OH ranks 78th in rush defense, and though Western Michigan has mostly been a pass offense, I think they will be a little more balanced going into tonight with Miami having a much weaker rush defense. Goof luck whatever you do.


More to come...

Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690

November 15th Picks/Tip-off Marathon

Pick #1 2 pointer first basket of game

    I would be lying if I said I put "research" into this one. 2 pointers are just typically much easier to make. I'm just rolling with it. Good luck whatever you do.

Pick #2 Hawaii 


  Based on last year's play, I would take Hawaii. Hawaii is a 13 point favorite at home, and I really don't think CSN will be able to produce enough to win. That's enough for me. I don't have a whole lot else to compare (with it so early in the season). Hawaii just has a better overall team. Zane Johnson was a good scorer last season, averaging about 15 points per game. Plus, he has a pretty good supporting cast. CSN's main weapon is Stephen Hicks, and the only other players that played significant against USC were Vinnie McGee and Allen Guei. If Hawaii loses, they lose. I feel much better with them either way. Good luck whatever you do.

Pick #3 Drexel Dragons (no writeup)


I'll have more tomorrow....

November 14th Picks

Pick #1 Egypt win, draw, lose by 1

   With this being an international friendly, I have to take Egypt. In Brazil's last freindly, they won 2-0 against a pretty lowly Gabon team. Egypt's team fares much better than Gabon. Plus, this game is at a neutral site and Egypt is favored (-120 to -140). Just trust me, I would take Egypt. It could go either way, but I think Brazil wins by 1. Egypt should be able to keep up.

Pick #2 Hyde win

   Hyde is 14-2-2, with a 27 goal difference and ranks at the top of their table. Hinckley is 5-0-9, -14 goal difference and ranks 18th in the same table. With Hyde at -200 and just posting basic info in table standings, I don't think there is much else to say. Hyde looks like the best pick of the two for sure. Since August, Hyde has gone 8-1-2 on the road. However, one thing to note, is that in their last six road games they have gone 3-2-1. Their 2 losses were to better teams than Hinckley, but their 2-2 draw was to a very poor Eastwood town team. I still think Hyde has a better shot, because overall they have been very consistent within their table. Be cautious of it being on Streak for the Cash though. Very unpredictable sometimes.

Pick #3 Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay is a pretty well-rounded team overall, ranking 11^th in goals per game, 23^rd in goals against, 15^th in power play, and 15^th in penalty kills. Winnipeg is near the bottom of everything. Their highest rank is in power play percent (20^th), and then follow at 22^nd in goals per game, 23^rd in penalty kills and 26^th in goals against. Both teams have had some time to rest after each team played on Saturday. Tampa bay is coming off a 3-0 loss on the road to St. Louis, and Winnipeg is coming off a 2-1 road loss to Columbus as well as a 5 game losing streak and 2-3 home record. These two teams met on October 29^th in which Tampa Bay won 1-0 at home. This could really get sketchy with Winnipeg at home and in a desperate need of a win. Though Winnipeg's home record isn't very impressive at 2-3, Tampa Bay's road record isn't really either at 3-7. However, with the Lightning dominating every major category in defense and offense compared to Winnipeg, I'm going with them. Should be a good game. I don't expect Winnipeg to get blown out, but I do think they lose in a close one. Good luck whatever you do tonight.

More tonight for the November 15th tip-off marathon.

Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690

Mondays picks will be posted tomorrow

November 12th Pick results:

France win- Win (1-0)
Uruguey win- Win (4-0)
North Carolina wins by DD- Win (won by 12)
Vancouver Canucks- Loss (4-3)

Record for day 3-1
Record for month 23-8

I've got some picks picked out for tomorrow. I know I said I would finish them (writeups) by tonight, but I couldn't finish them all. I'll get a finalized post up around 11:45am Eastern time.

Thanks for your support.

-Streakhelp

November 11th Picks

 
November 10th pick results-

44 yards or less (or no TD)- Win


Pick record overall 20-7

 I have some work today that will conflict my ability to update this blog for the day, so my summaries will be pretty short.

Pick #1 France

  As much as I want to represent America, France has the better odds. It may be "unamerican" as some say to pick France, but its also smarter to pick them in my opinion. As good a chance France stands to win, the U.S. will also be without Landon Donovan to make France's case even better. I would go France.

Pick #2 Uruguay 

   Chile has a lot of suspentions. Chile isn't out of it, but with 5 players missing it will definitely not help. Uruguay by 1 I think.

Here are some picks I'm looking at, but I may not have time to update. I'll keep them up in case I can't write about them later. I may add more or take one off if I can get around to it this evening.

Pick #3 North Carolina wins by DD


Pick #4 Vancouver Canucks

  The Canucks have been traveling a lot lately, so I'll have to look into this one a little more. They may feel the fatigue tonight.

Good luck whatever you do today

November 10th Picks

November 9th results:

Xelaju- Push
Any Other Result- Win (0-1)
No: No point scored in the first five minutes- Win
Arizona wins by double digits- Loss (won by 8)

Record for day 2-1
Record for month 19-7

  I couldn't get around to posting today. I had a lot of stuff going on, both personally and with the site I needed (and still need) to address. I'll get a post up  tomorrow in the afternoon though. However, I have one pick I'm going to squeeze in tonight, but I don't have time to write about it.

Pick #1 44 yards or fewer (or no TD) (Virginia Tech @ Georgia Tech)


   As of right now (8 minutes left in the first half), both defenses are playing really well. I don't think this will be 45+ unless there is a big play on special teams or an interception return (or its corny translation; "Pick Six").  Good luck whatever you do.

November 9th Picks

November 7th and 8th results:

November 7th results:

Murcia win- Loss (0-0 draw)
Any Other Result- Win (9 point difference)
San Jose Sharks- Win (4-2)
Bears 4th quarter points- Win (10)

November 8th results:

Western Michigan: win or single digit loss- Win (lost by 3)
Chandler Harnish records 160 total yards or more in the first half- Win (260 yards)

Record in the last 2 days- 5-1
Record for the month 17-6

Pick #1 Xelaju win or draw

 Soccer seems to be a little tricky today, starting with the pronouncing (and spelling) of the word Xelaju. Xelaju (8-5-5, 4 GD, 29pts), is coming off a 1-0 home win over Suchitepequez who ranks 2nd in their table at 10-1-7. Penarol (6-5-6, 3 GD, 23 points), is coming off a 0-2 loss to Zacapa, who ranks last in their table (also note they lost to Suchitapequez 0-1 on the road, who Xelaju beat). However, Penarol is a pretty big favorite. Penaral has dominated at home, going 6-1-1 (17 for, 7 against); with Xelaju at 0-4-5 on the road. These two teams have yet to play each other this season, so there are no previous results for the year to look back on. However, I think this one is pretty equally matched for a draw. Xelaju is a better team in my opinion overall despite struggling on the road. This one was a little tough to call, but I feel better about Xelaju. Good luck whoever you choose.

Pick #2 Any Other Result (Barcelona at Hospitalet)

  Barcelona is so much better than Hospitalet, they could probably beat them by 5 or 6 if they wanted. With a full squad that is. Barcelona will be resting almost their entire lineup (that includes Messi, Alves, and Adriano) thanks to International break, to give some other guys opportunities to see what they can do. At first it looked to easy for 3+ (obviously now I realize the catch), but now I think AOR has the slight advantage. I think Barcelona will probably win by 2. Hospitalet at the comfort of their own field, and going up against a squad with a lot less experience than the Barcelona team we have seen this season, I would take Hospitalet.
    However, be sure to check the lineups before the game starts. Barcelona may play some guys that make 3+ a more likely scenario. Hopefully these writeups help. Good luck whatever you do.

Pick #3 No: No point scored in the first 5 minutes

Not a lot to this one. Temple's defense ranks 4^th in the nation in points allowed, while Miami OH ranks 97^th in points for. Miami ranks 38^th in points allowed, Temple ranks 54^th in points for. Both teams have pretty good defenses points-wise considering the level of play for both teams. Overall, Temple's defense ranks 10^th nationally, Miami OH ranks 42^nd. No seems like a pretty good play

Pick #4 Arizona wins by double digits

  I forgot to get a full post up on this, but it looks pretty good. Arizona looks like they have the potential to pull away from teams as we saw last night in the beginning of the second half. I've seen lines anywhere from -9 to -16 in Arizona's favor. Hopefully Arizona will play a little better tonight than they have recently for both halves. It will probably go back and forth at times, but Arizona should cover.

More to come for picks tonight...


Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690

November 8th Picks

Very short and late post today. I figured I could at least get something up.

Pick #1 Western Michigan: win or single digit loss

   Western Michigan (5-4, 3-2 in MAC) is a pretty comparable to Toledo (5-4, 4-1 MAC). Toledo thus far has played a slighlty better schedule, losing to Boise State (40-15) and Ohio State (27-22), but Western Michigan seems like they can keep up. Western Michigan lost to Michigan on the road 34-10, and lost to then ranked #23 Illinois 23-20 on the road. The only game that has me scratching my head, was their 51-22 blowout loss to Northern Illinois (6-3, 4-1 MAC). Not that I'm shocked that they lost, just that they lost so bad. Michigan State has a pretty good offense overall, averaging about 306 passing yards, 133 rushing yards and 30 points per game, ranking 31st in total offense in the nation. Toledo's defense ranks 57th overall, but gives up about 29 points a game. Western Michigan ranks 97th in defense, but allows fewer points at 25. Toledo ranks 21st in total offense. Toledo should get the win, but I think Western Michigan can keep it close.

Pick #2 Chandler Harnish gets 160 yards or more in the 1st half

 Not a full writeup, but Harnish is a big dual threat quarterback, who has thrown for 1,962 yards and rushed for 871 so far this season.

Tomorrow I'll have a full post  for November 9th Picks

November 7th Picks

November 6th results:

Stoke City won or draw- Loss (0-5)
Dallas Stars-  Win (5-2)
Eli Manning records more passing yards- Loss (250-342)
LA Galaxy win- Win (3-1)

Record for day 2-2
Record for the month- 12-5

Not a ton I like today, but here's my analysis regardless... Good Luck today whatever you decide to do

Pick #1 Murcia win

  Murcia has played a harder schedule than La Coruna, losing to the likes of Almeria, Celta Vigo, Elche and drawing against a decent Las Palmas team. La Coruna's schedule has been easier and includes road losses to FC Cartagena (20th in table), CD Alcoyano (18th) and AD Alcorcon (10th) (La Coruna ranks 8th). They did manage to keep up with Hercules (currently the top team in their table) at home in a 0-1 loss, but on the road La Coruna has struggled. Murcia has lost to much better teams in general. Since losing to Almeria, Celta Vigo and Elche at the beginning of the season (first 3 games), Murcia has gone 5-3-0, as well as 2-1-0 at home.
   Overall this season, Murcia is 5-3-3, 3 goal difference and 18 points; La Coruna is 6-1-4, 2 goal difference and 19 points. La Coruna 2-0-3 on the road this season overall. I think Murcia being at home will make the difference. Murcia seems to do a lot better at home, La Coruna is not very good on the road. Good luck whatever you do, Murcia would be my pick. The draw is the only thing that makes me nervous. I don't think Murcia will lose but we'll see.


Pick #2 Any Other Result (Valparaiso @ #16 Arizona)

    I mean really? Arizona is a good team, but the way they have played in the preseason should make you really evaluate picking them. I'm not saying they can't win by 15 or more, but Arizona seems to be a bandwagon pick, probably because of their rank and playing at home (I would guess). Maybe Arizona has just been holding back for the regular season, but Valparaiso seems to be a pretty decent (not great) team overall. Arizona should win, but I'm not sure they can manage a win by more than 15. Arizona lost to Division 2 Seattle-Pacific (who?) at home and that is something to really consider. We'll see what happens, but by current situations and outcomes, I would have to give the edge to Valparaiso. Looking forward to seeing what happens...

Pick #3 San Jose Sharks

  I may or may not write about this tonight (because I have more I want to write about), but from a glance with them at home, I like San Jose.

Pick #4 Bears: 4^th Quarter Points

I know this game starts in just an hour and a half, but I kinda like it. The Bears have had a while to prepare for the Eagles and I think they might even win straight up. Likely the Eagles will pull it off, but if the Bears can at least salvage a touchdown in the 4^th quarter, they should be ok. I may go with this so I can squeeze in the San Jose Sharks pick. That's why I'm putting it up

Email: streakhelp@yahoo.com

Group: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/group?groupID=189776&entryID=4321690

Personal Entry: http://streak.espn.go.com/en/entryStats?entryID=4321690