Quick Bowl Picks

Still in search of bowl victory number 1. Here are two quick picks to get you to Christmas:

Poinsettia Bowl: Utah +2.5

Hawaii Bowl: Nevada -12.5

Breaking the Bowl Shutout

We're primed for our first bowl victory of the season and we couldn't be in a better position to get it. We've been singing the praises of Oregon State for more than two months. They are a dangerous, dangerous team. In the two months since we started highlighting the Beavers, the rest of the country has seen the magic that this team possesses. They came within a whisker of playing in the Rose Bowl. We think BYU is also a very good football team but this is not a good match up for them.

Maaco Las Vegas Bowl (Las Vegas, NV):

BYU Cougars vs. Oregon State Beavers - Line is Oregon State -2.5 - OSU is such a fast team that they are going to make this a nightmare for the solid but not overly athletic Cougars. The Rodgers brothers in particular should have a field day in this game. BYU will score because QB Max Hall is very good. However, OSU will score more, by a bunch. One key angle that is not being mentioned is that Mormons don't like Vegas, they don't belong in Vegas and they may very well get overwhelmed by Vegas. I don't think that the boys from Oregon State will have that problem. Look for a high scoring game that is won relatively handily by the Beavers. Take OSU -2.5. 48-34. LOCK IT UP

College Bowl Ineptitude and MNF

We're off to a confidence-inspiring 0-3 start in bowl season. Not to worry. That just means we have a monster hot streak lurking right around the corner.

By the way, there is a MNF game this evening with major playoff implications for the Big Blue Wrecking Crew. Washington is suddenly a sexy "sleeper" team and the line here is only Giants -2.5. Last I checked, Jason Campbell was still the Skins' QB, Jim Zorn still was the head coach, the Bingo Guy was still calling plays, and some hump named Ganther was their RB. This is the Giants' season. They will win by at least a FG. Take the GMen -2.5. Giants win 27-21. LOCK IT UP!

Still in Search of 1st Bowl W, Plus NFL Picks

New Orleans Bowl (New Orleans, LA):

Middle Tennessee State vs. Southern Mississippi - Line is So Miss -3.5 - Not much analysis here. We like Southern Miss here. Better team. How is that for analysis. Buy .5 points to get it -3. 27-21 Southern Miss. LOCK IT UP

NFL Picks:

Packers +2.5 vs. Steelers
Dolphins +5 vs. Titans
Patriots -7 vs. Bills
Cardinals -14 vs. Lions
Falcons +6 vs. Jets
Browns +2.5 vs. Chiefs
Texans -14 vs. Rams
Niners +7.5 vs. Eagles
Bears +11 vs. Ravens
Bengals +7 vs. Chargers
Broncos -14 vs. Raiders
Seahawks -6.5 vs. Bucs
Vikings -9 vs. Panthers

Let's Go Bowling

One of the best subsections of extended sports gambling each year, along with the horse racing triple crown and the NCAA basketball tournament, is college bowl season. And today, we find ourselves on the eve of the kickoff of this season's very first two bowl. As fans and gamblers, we spend August-December painstakingly analyzing all D-1 football teams, assessing strengths and weaknesses, identifying trends, breaking down matchups, developing crushes on players, and so on and so on. And for what? Well, to make some money along the way, of course. But more importantly, to have a leg up come bowl season. How can you not feel a bit confident this time of year when you look back and realize you've committed 370 hours and $1,756 of you time and money to college football in the past 18 weeks? We know these teams. These teams are who we think they are. And so now, we embark on the most noble and glorious of quests: the seemingly unattainable perfect bowl season!

The New Mexico Bowl (Albuquerque, NM):

Wyoming vs. Fresno State - Line is Fresno State - 11 - It feels as if the Bowl Gods are lobbing us a meatball right out of the gate. In our minds, these teams are not even remotely comparable. Fresno State features the nation's leading rusher in Ryan Matthews, while Wyoming sports the lowest Sagarin computer ranking of any bowl team (99th in the country). The Cowboys come in with a 6-6 record having been outscored by 124 by its opponents this season. Fresno State on the other hand come in having won 7 of their last 8 games and having scored more than twice as many points as Wyoming during the season. This game doesn't look close on paper and will be even more lopsided on the field. Look to Matthews to turn some heads in this game as the junior kicks off a long shot 2010 Heisman campaign with a monster effort against the Cowboys. We'll happily lay the points. Take the Fresno State Bulldogs -11. Final score is 44-17. LOCK IT UP

St. Petersburg Bowl (St. Petersburg, FL):

Central Florida vs. Rutgers - Line is Rutgers -2.5 - The Skarlet Ladies have killed the Locks all season long. We started as big backers and watch Cincy dismantle them in the season opener. Then, with a monster 7-team teaser hanging in the balance, the Ladies mailed one in against our lowly. Greg Paulus at QB lowly, Syracuse Orange. Needless to say, we're a bit gun shy when it comes to this team. And there is nothing about this match up that makes us feel good. This is a virtual home game for the Knights of Central Florida. The crowd should be largely supportive of UCF and there will be no travel-related issues for the Knights. Somewhat surprisingly, UCF also sports one of the nation's best rush defense. The defense also includes two monster pass rushers who look to take advantage of a leaky Rutgers offensive line and a still relatively green freshman QB. Rutgers does has an impressive recent history in bowl games (looking for its fourth straight win) and features a very dynamic, though under-the-radar, playmaker in Mohamed Sanu. Regardless, we think there are a few too many hurdles for the ladies to overcome in this one. We're calling the first upset - albeit a minor one - of the bowl season. Take Central Florida +2.5 in a game they win outright, 27-24. LOCK IT UP.

Thursday Night Football

Week 15 of the NFL kicks off tonight with one of the two remaining undefeated teams on the road for a heated divisional battle. That's right, the Colts look to go to 14-0 in Jacksonville against the up and down Jags. The Colts claim that they are going to continue to play starters for the majority of the game, so no worries about this wager being influenced by the likes of Mike Hart and Jim Sorgi.

Indianapolis Colts @ Jacksonville Jaguars - Line is Colts -3.5 - The battles between the Colts and Jags have been notoriously hard fought, close games. The Jags certainly get up for the Colts and view these games as important measuring sticks for where they stand in the division and the league. This will be further compounded by the fact that this is a primetime, Thursday night game. Unfortunately, that measuring stick is going to return a rather short assessment of the Jags position vis-a-vis the Colts this season. Indy hasn't lost a regular season game in well over a year and the Jags have a difficult time stringing consecutive Ws together.

The Jags D, particularly its secondary, has been banded up and playing poorly. That is never a good recipe against the Colts. Look to Peyton and the boys to move the ball with relative ease in the early going, forcing the Jags to keep up offensively. This won't play well into the Jags offensive strategy which is to bludgeon you with mini-sledgehammer MJD and then attack through the air with dump offs and short routes to the tight end. The ability, or lack thereof, of Jacksonville to gain large chunks of yards in the passing game (hello Mike Two-Last-Names) will determine if this game stays close. History suggests that it will, for at least a while.

Regardless, the Colts are playing with a horseshoe firmly logged in their rectums. This team has been pulling out mini-miracles all year. Give them the added advantage of being the most prepared team in the league - which is really big considering this is a short week for both teams.

We like the Jags to be in the hunt through midway into the 3rd quarter and then the Colts to do just enough to put this one away. We'd recommend buying half-a-point to get the line to -3 just so you have a bit of added piece of mind. Our pick is Indy -3. Final score is 34-24. LOCK IT UP

The Reemergence of the Mastermind

Whoa Nellie. The hiatus during which the Locks' life fell apart and then was painstakingly put back together...the hiatus that involved such unsavory events as concussions, falling off stools in strip clubs, the placement of asinine, unwinnable wagers, being asked to leave football stadiums, restaurants and public benches alike, and the abandonment of the gambling life...that hiatus has mercifully ended. We're back in time for the stretch run of the NFL season and the kickoff of college football bowl season.

We'll kick off the great revival by pulling back the curtain on week 15 of the NFL to reveal a plethora of can't lose winners:

Denver @ Indianapolis - Line is Colts -6.5 - The Locks hates the Broncos - and that was before they kicked the shit out of our NY Football Giants on Thanksgiving in a game that we flew to Denver to see in person. That said, they are playing well again and with a serious purpose. Plus, they need this game much, much, much more than the team from Indy. We're not picking the Broncos to win but we think this is a very close game, keeping with Indy's propensity of not covering lines (dating back several years). Champ Bailey will lock down Reggie Wayne and the Denver defense also shuts down Tight Ends so don't expect Dallas Clark to do much. This will force Manning to beat them with the likes of Pierre Garcon and Joey Addai. It will happen....but not by more than 6 points. Denver will try to run the ball and run the clock, ultimately losing a close game in the final two minutes. Take Denver +6.5. LOCK IT UP

Cincinnati @ Minnesota - Line is Vikings -6.5 - Here's another game that we like the favorite to win but not cover. We see this as a bit of smash-mouth type game in which the Vikings focus on getting All-Day AP back on track. The Bengals CBs are so good that they will make this more of a necessity for the Vikes as opposed to an option. Then there is the plodding offense of Cincy that last week entailed giving the ball to Ced Benson 36 times. The Bungels can't stretch the field and even though the Vikings are missing so key defenders, points will not be easy to come by. Cincinnati will keep this game closer than most expect and then fall to Minny. Take the points - Bengals +6.5. LOCK IT UP

NY Jets @ Tampa Bay - Line is Jets -3.5 - The Bucs are downright awful. Sure Josh Freeman can lead them down the field but then he feels inclined to throw pick after pick in the red zone. Caddy Williams is dinged up so even the mediocre run game looks to be on the skids. It is remarkable that the pathetic Jets would be a road favorite, but that is just how lame these half-wits from TB are. Am I backing Kellen Clemmons on the road as a favorite? You bet your 1997 Glenn Foley NY Jets jersey that I am. Thomas Jones will run wild. Take the Jets -3.5. LOCK IT UP

Buffalo @ Kansas City - Line is Bills -1.5 - Now here is another really bad team that is giving points on the road. Really? The Bills are "expected" to secure a W away from upstate NY? What is there that I don't know? Here is what I do know. They have the worst run defense in the NFL. There #1 QB to start the season is so bad that he has been benched in favor of Ryan Fitzpatrick. Yes, that Ryan Fitzpatrick. Their offensive line is so inept that they make Marshawn Lynch look like Julius Jones. Now the Chiefs are not the Saints, heck, they are not even the Chiefs of two seasons ago. However, they have some spunk. They are playing some youngsters looking to prove their worth. The team seems to be buying into Todd Haley's plan. Most importantly, they are at home and playing the Bills. We just can't lay points with Buffalo on the road. Take KC and the points (+1.5). LOCK IT UP

Green Bay @ Chicago - Line is Packers -4 - This line just doesn't make any sense to us - which probably means it is right on the number. These teams are at opposite ends of the spectrum and quickly moving even further away from each other. Sure this is a tough divisional rivalry but is there anyone who things the Bears are going to magically figure something out this weekend? The Packers D gets better each week as they get more comfortable with Dom Capers newly implemented approach. Combined that with an Aaron Rodgers who looks like one of the 3 best QBs in the league and this game doesn't feel close. The Bears cannot run the ball and they give up oodles of points. All that points to Jay Cutler needing to throw the ball a lot. And that points to several interceptions for the Packers D. We love Green Bay here. Take them and give Da Bears the points. Packers -4. LOCK IT UP

Detroit @ Baltimore - Line is Ravens -14 - Wow. This one is tough. We hate to lay this many points in any game, especially when the favorite isn't the Saints. However, a Daunte Culpepper-led Lions team has the potential to score negative points. I'm not buying the Ravens D as being back to its imposing self, but it doesn't have to be. The Locks loves Ray Rice. He will go off in this game. However, Flacco may keep this closer than we think. He's lost right now. If I could only imagine the Lions scoring some points, I'd take the dog. However, this has the potential to be a shutout. All things considered, we have to reluctantly lay the points. Take the Ravens -14. LOCK IT UP

Miami @ Jacksonville - Line is Jags -2.5 - We're a bit of a sucker for the Dolphins, especially as the season progresses. The fingerprints of Parcells are all over this team, especially the defense. They hang in every game (good or bad) and often find a way to pull off the W. The Jags are a paper tiger this season, not nearly as good as their record. They will likely be without their only legitimate receiving threat this week (MSW). That puts way too much of the burden on little MJD and Miami will be amped to bottle up the smurf. Look to Chad Henne to establish himself as a hot up-and-coming QB this week in a W that strengthens the Fins' playoff hopes. Take Miami +2.5. LOCK IT UP

Carolina @ New England - Line is Pats -13 - Yikes. The Patriots are not very good. However, Matt Moore will be leading the Panthers into Foxboro this Sunday along with a dinged up DeAngelo WIlliams. We just don't see how this game stays close at all. The Panthers will be hard pressed to get into Patriot territory at all. The big question is whether Brady will play and we don't doubt he will. This is a blow out that will be over early. Look for something in the area of 31-10. Take NE -13. LOCK IT UP

Seattle @ Houston - Line is Houston -7 - No way. Not a chance that we like Houston to cover a TD spread. They just are not winners at this point and have a RB committee comprised of Chris "Running Real Upright" Brown and Ryan Moats. Uhn Ga. Seattle is playing reasonably well of late, at least well enough to hang with the Texans. This game is terribly unappealing from a fan perspective but we think it has potential for the gambler in you. Take the points as Matt Hasselback briefly returns to his 2006-form. Seahawks +7 - LOCK IT UP

St. Louis @ Tennessee - Line is Titans -13 - Oh the Rams. If I didn't have Steven Jackson on my fantasy team I'd likely see this team for what it really is. Which is, really bad. The Titans are focused on finishing this season strong, the Rams, not so much. There is not much more to say about this one. Actually, there is: Kyle Boller. Take the Titans -13. LOCK IT UP

Washington @ Oakland - Line is Skins -1 - Not gonna waste many keystrokes on this one. Raiders will not win again this week. Skins D is underrated. Take Washington -1. LOCK IT UP

San Diego @ Dallas - Line is Cowboys -3.5 - Until the Cowboys win a meaningful game at this point in the season, the Locks can't get behind them. Does Vegas realize that they are playing the red-hot Chargers this weekend? LDT will have a breakout game now that he is back in his old TCU stomping grounds. Rivers to Gates and VJax all game long. Not only do Chargers cover, they win outright. Take the Bolts +3.5. LOCK IT UP

Philadelphia @ NY Giants - Line is Eagles -1 - Unabashed tunnel vision for Giants. Gets me in trouble all the time. Especially holidays such as Thanksgiving. Got blown out by Eagles already once this year. Manning playing on bad feet. Secondary in shambles. Feels like a Big Win for Big Blue. Take the Giants +1 to dance at the Meadowlands on Sunday night. LOCK IT UP.

The Theorem Plus a CFL Teaser

The Locks has been deal with a head injury brought on by the fact that neither Arizona nor Pittsburgh covered very, very coverable games last Saturday. It has taken me an entire week to regroup. Alas, I am back. So here are a few ways to supplement your income over the next 30 hours:

Unpickable Master Lock - CFL:

Boise State -23 over Utah State - The Theorem continues to take on more and more importance as the year progresses and TCU remains in front of the Broncos. This game will get ugly early. LOCK IT UP

CFL Teaser:

7-Teams, 7-Points (Pays 6-1):

Ohio State -5 over Michigan
Iowa -3.5 over Minnesota
South Florida -4.5 over Louisville
Rutgers -1.5 over Syracuse
TCU -24 over Wyoming
Stanford -.5 over Cal
Oregon +1 over Arizona

LOCK IT UP

Thursday Evening Tussle

Holy Toledo! Toledo sucks! That is a lesson learned a day too late for the Locks. Sitting on a 14-7 lead and getting 18 points, we felt pretty good about our pick in the Toledo/Central Michigan. Then the Chips woke up and scored the game's next 49 points. There went the lead, there went the cover, there went our money. Oh well. Today is another day and we get both college and NFL contests:

Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:

South Florida @ Rutgers - Lines is Rutgers -2.5 - The Locks has made a concerted effort to support the Scarlet Ladies in recent years. Perhaps it is our pity for all things that come from New Jersey. Who knows. Let's just say, the Ladies have not lived up to our belief in them. For that reason, we have become rabidly anti-Rutgers. That belief will be put to the test this evening when South Florida and their electric freshmen QB, B.J. Daniels, visit the stink state. We love what we've seen out of Daniels since he replaced the injured Matt Groethe. More importantly, we love the Bulls two phenomenal defensive ends (Pierre-Paul and Selvie). We think South Florida exacts revenge from recent tough losses at the hands of the Ladies and roll to a road victory this evening. We're taking the points and buying another half point. The Locks picks South Florida +3 (-125). LOCK IT UP

Unpickable Master Locks - NFL:

Chicago @ San Francisco - Lines is SF -3.5 - The Locks' hometown Niners get to host the first of the NFL's last season Thursday night tilts. Excitement will be very high down at the old Candlestick as longtime Niner fans drink enough to remember that they used to have a very, very good team. Then they'll enter the stadium and see Alex Smith warming up and throw up all over themselves. Oh the joys of loving the 49ers. Chicago rolls into town a bit beat-up and a bit embarrassed. Add a bit underestimated to that list. Does anyone really think the Bears are 3.5 points worse than the Smith-led SF crew? The Locks certainly doesn't. This promises to be a high-scoring affair with Gore and Crabtree pacing the Niners while Jay Cutler throws the ball over the Peninsula. Look to Devin Hester to find the end zone multiple times. At the end of the day, the Bears will prevail and Mike Singletary will deliver another excellent post-game press conference. We're looking forward to it. Take Da Bears +3.5. LOCK IT UP

Holy Toledo - We Like Toledo

Time to kneel at the altar of Rule #1. We're taking an entire bushel of points tonight in a nationally televised weeknight game. Will Toledo beat Central Michigan? Hell No! Will they keep it somewhat respectable and bust the over-inflated 18 point spread? Hell Yeah!

We're building on hitting both ends of our latest two-for-Tuesday pick. Jump on board as we supplement paychecks on the backs of mediocre college football teams.

Toledo +18 - LOCK IT UP!!!!!!

College Football on Tuesday Night

For all of your degenerates out there, we have some small conference college football rolling tonight on ESPN 2. We'll offer an old school Two-for-Tuesday on this battle between Ohio and Buffalo. The game is at Buffalo:

The Locks likes:

Ohio (+1), and;
Over 46.5

LOCK IT UP!

Professional Footballl Games

Another Saturday night and time is running thin. That means an NFL picks lightning round. Fret not, the winners are still in here. Beware, there are not many dogs that the Locks looks upon with fondness this week:

Falcons -9
Packers -10
Colts -8.5
Patriots -10.5
Jaguars -6.5
Ravens -2.5
Cardinals +2.5
Panthers +13
Seahawks -10
Niners -4
Chargers +5
Eagles -2.5

Here is a teaser special that we offer to our Locks' VIPS. Teaser it 7 points with 7 teams:

Falcons -2
Colts -1.5
Patriots -3.5
Packers -3
Seahawks -3
Cardinals +9.5
Panthers +20

College Football Teaser Train - You Better Climb Aboard

For the past two weeks, the Locks has handed out incredibly valuable wisdom in the form of winning CFL teasers. We've hit 7-team, 6.5 point teasers in each of those weeks, paying those brave enough to follow our lead 7-1 on their wagers. Whereas some people might take this good fortune and catch their breath, we're fearlessly forging ahead in search of the teaser turkey.

This week, we're mixing some top-tier, top 25 battles with some lesser known conference games. The common thread running through these seven games is that they are all winners. So without further ado, here is your winning, 7-team, 7-point teaser (6-1 payout). As always, the spreads below represent the lines adjusted to reflect the teaser:

Ohio State +12 (@ Iowa)
LSU +14.5 (@ Alabama)
Oregon PK (@ Stanford)
Houston +5 (@ Tulsa)
Wisconsin -3.5 (@ Indiana)
BYU -6.5 (@ Wyoming)
Notre Dame -5.5 (vs. Navy)

LOCK IT UP!!!

College Football Friday

Let's keep the winning rolling with another weeknight CFL tilt. Last night we relied on an ironclad rule of college football gambling to take home so dough. Tonight we shift from rule to theorem, as in the Boise State Theorem (BST). Recall that the BST proposes that with an interest in making the strongest possible case for playing for a national championship despite playing a very, very weak regular season schedule, Boise State will endeavor to blow out each and every opponent by as many points as possible. While the BST was a powerful compass pointing to piles of money earlier this season, its value has increased dramatically in recent weeks. This is directly connected to the fact that Oregon has achieved a Top 10 national ranking and is widely considered a dark horse national championship candidate. As such, Boise State's opening weekend victory over Oregon looks all the more impressive now and provides a bit more ammunition for the Boise State national championship game debate. Accordingly, the Broncos know that it is now more important than ever to deliver severe beatings to lesser competition. Enter Louisiana Tech.

Unpickable Master Lock - CFL:

Boise State @ Louisiana Tech - Line is Boise State -21 - While Ruston, Louisiana is not the most hospitable location for visiting teams, we expect the BST to flex its bulging muscles this evening. Boise realizes that this is one of its last nationally televised opportunities to make its BCS case. They won't let us down. This is a solid football team on both sides of the ball with their point differential sitting at a staggering +219. La Tech will put up an early fight but their will be way too much in the way of Broncos this game. To be same, let's buy a half point to get this line to -20.5. The winner play is Boise State -20.5. LOCK IT UP!

Hail the Yankees - Now Onto Football

The Locks offers an apology for the sporadic nature of our postings recently. The World Series proved to be too emotional a period of time for us and our attention was uncontrollably diverted from all other parts of our life. Alas, the Yankess have won and baseball is over until March. Now we can move full-throttle into football - starting with a Thursday night ESPN game:

Virginia Tech @ East Carolina - Line is Virginia Tech -13 - We're getting back to basics. It is time to restate rule #1 and abide by it. Rule #1 - Always take the points offered to a home dog in a nationally televised weeknight game. We do like West Virginia as a team and think they are much better than their past two performances. However, the power of Rule #1 was been continuously reinforced on a weekly basis this season. Often times, the outcomes of these games defy all logic. That is the reason we need an ironclad rule. So tonight, we'll not only take the points, we'll buy some more. Our play is buying an additional 1.5 points on East Carolina. Take EC +14.5. LOCK IT UP

Teaser Mania

The Locks are hung up on a bet from the 60s. Long opponents of the silliness that we viewed teaser bets to be, we either steered followers to straight bets or high-octane parlays. We're no longer gambling elitists and are now down in the stink with the common pigs. Winner stink that is! So with that in mind, we offer the following NFL teaser as our bet of the day. We also offer straight picks for each of this week's games. However, if you're looking to make money, embrace Total Teaser Mania!

Teaser Bet - 7 Teams, 7 points (pays 6-1):

The following lines reflect the 7 point teaser adjustment:

Broncos +10.5
Colts -6
Cowboys -2.5
Chargers -10
Cardinals -3
Browns +20
Dolphins +10.5

LOCK IT UP!!!

NFL Week 8 Straight Picks:

Broncos +4.5
Bears -12.5
Texans -3.5
Packers -3.5
Colts -13.5
Dolphins +3.5
Rams +3.5
Seahawks +10.5
Chargers -17
Jaguars +3
Panthers +10
Giants -2

LOCK IT UP!

Halloween - Some Spooky, Spooky Bets

As my old colleague Little Tom Rhoades used to say on Halloween: Trick or Treat Motherfucker!

Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, we're going to ride the momentum of our college football teaser winners and give you another big gamble that is just oozing winner stank. Here is your ghoulish 7-team, 6.5 point teaser. The following lines are reflective of the 6.5 points you'll get as part of the teaser.

Cincinnati -8.5 @ Syracuse
New Mexico State +50.5 @ Ohio State
Georgia Tech -4.5 @ Vanderbilt
Northwestern +23.5 vs. Penn State
Texas Tech PK vs. Kansas
Tennessee +.5 vs. South Carolina
Houston PK vs. Southern Mississippi

This treat of teaser pays 7-1 so just throw down $25 to win $175. LOCK IT UP

As for the two BIG, BIG games this weekend, we like:

USC (-3) @ Oregon - Sure Oregon is a very difficult place to play but USC loses games against bad teams it is supposed to beat, not games against good ones that can hang with them. LOCK IT UP

Oklahoma State (+9) vs. Texas - The Longhorns should win this game but it will be a battle, especially since it is at Okie State. The Cowboys are a solid team that doesn't seem to get the appropriate credit. They'll be jazzed and geeked for this game (both good things). Colt 45 will pull it out in the second half but we see a game decided by 6 points or less. LOCK IT UP

Monday Night Meltdown in DC

Tonight's game represents the intersection of two powerful opposite forces. One force is insanely negative, wiping destruction across all in its path. The other force is a wild collection of pent-up potential energy looking to go kinetic on someone's ass. The negative force is owned by Daniel Snyder and resides in the nation's capital. The potential energy is lead by ridiculously under appreciated Donovan McNabb. Let's just say that the Eagles will rebound from the embarrassment in Oakland in a major way and that the Redskins will take another step closer to one of the franchises most embarrassing and bewildering seasons ever. As you can see, we ain't buying the Sherm Lewis experiment. This line cannot be big enough to scare us away. Take the Eagles (-9) to absolutely romp in this non-contest. LOCK IT UP!

NFL Teaser

Since the Locks' CFL Teaser just came in, we figured we'd offer one for Sunday. Take this 6-team, 6-point teaser at 6-1 odds. The following reflects the odds once the 6 point adjustment has been made:

Vikings +12
Packers -3
Jets -.5
Falcons +10.5
Saints -.5
Bills +13

LOCK IT UP

NFL - Week 7 - Strict Word Limit

We're going very, very low profile on the NFL picks this week - as in just the picks.

Chargers -5.5
Rams +14
Bears Pk
Packers -9
Vikings +6
Buccaneers +15
49ers +3
Jets -6.5
Bills +7
Saints -6.5
Falcons +4.5
Giants -7

Back for College Pig Skin

We're itching for some college football to distract us a bit from the fact that the Yankees are returning to the Bronx for a pressure filled Game 6 on Saturday evening. Good thing we have Mr. Clutch - Andrew Pettitte taking the mound. Alas, on to college football where we offer three UMLs and one wacky teaser that has winner stink all over it.

Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:

Oregon State @ USC - Line is USC -20.5 -The Locks officially jumped off the Trojan bandwagon last week when we saw how this crew of degenerates behaved in the last 10 minutes of their game at ND. Talk about a bunch of undisciplined punks. I have not felt that much embarrassment/scorn for college kids since an incident involving frozen Italian sausage and a kid named Spider back at the Cuse in the winter of '96. Needless to say, I'm not sure this team truly has what it takes to be a champion and that often shows itself in games like this where the line is very large and expectations for a blowout are high. I think USC fails the test. Plus, as my wife's grandfather is quick to point out, Oregon State is the best team in the country. Take the points, buy another .5 to push it to 21 and collect your money on Oregon State (-120). LOCK IT UP

Tennessee @ Alabama - Line is Alabama -14.5 - My initial reaction was to throw this game in a teaser because it is somewhat of a rivalry and Lane Kiffin has proven that he can coach his kids up for big games. Then I thought about what the Bama defense will probably do to the Tennessee offense and I realized that this is a straight wager. I'm doubtful this game is very close for very long. The Volunteers will play like volunteers at the local soup kitchen. I'd buy .5 points here too, just in case. Get the line to -14 and take Bama (-120). LOCK IT UP

Clemson @ Miami - Line is Miami -4.5 - This simply boils down to the fact that the Locks has consumed copious amounts of the Hurricane Kool-Aid. We love Jacory Harris and love the team speed. This is the highest level of football where one team's speed can dominate a game. It just doesn't happen in the NFL. Actually, it might happen in the UFL but I'd have to watch one of those games to find out. Is there any way to have Comcast remove the VS channel from my service? Back to the Canes. They are at home and looking to prove that they are indeed the class of the ASS, I mean ACC. This will be a fun game to watch, as long as you've bet on Miami. Buy another .5 point since we did it in the other two games. Take Miami -4 (-120). LOCK IT UP

Wacky CFL Teaser Riddled with Winner Stink:

Just trust me on this. The following 7-team, 6.5 point teaser, which pays 7-1, will come in and bestow great riches upon those whom support it. I'm envisioning a post-victory Beowolf type feast complete with jugs of mead and cooked legs of large animals. The following reflects the spreads after adjusted for the 6.5 point tease:

LSU -1
Houston -9.5
Iowa +8.5
Arizona -1
Oklahoma -1.5
Connecticut +14
Arkansas/Mississippi over 46.5

LOCK IT UP!

NLCS - Game 3

Quick Pick: Los Angeles Dodgers (+150) to beat Philly. LOCK IT UP

NFL - Week 6

Before we get to tomorrow's NFL contests, let's get this out of the way. The Yankees (-180) will win tonight. Jeter and ARod hit Joe Saunders silly and Burnett will throw another gem. We still think this series goes 7 but it goes back to Anaheim with the Yanks up 2-0. The pick in this game is NY (-180). LOCK IT UP

NFL - Week 6 Picks:

Kansas City @ Washington - Line is Redskins -6 - One Question: How can the Skins continue to be favored in games they are playing against other professional football teams? One Answer: The Chiefs are playing hard, if not well, and Matt Cassel is proving to be a decent NFL QB outside of New England. The Pick: Chiefs +6. LOCK IT UP

Houston @ Cincinnati - Line is Bengals -5.5 - One Question: How many more games can the Bengals continue to play that are decided in the last minute without them coming up short? One Answer: The versatile Texans offense will provide some unique challenges for the all-of-a-sudden feared Cincy D. The Pick: Texans +5.5. LOCK IT UP

Cleveland @ Pittsburgh - Line is Steelers -14 - One Question: How will the Browns score points against the Steelers after only putting up 6 against the Bills? One Answer: The return of Troy Polamalu allows us to see the real Steelers for the first time since week 1. The Pick: Steelers -14. LOCK IT UP

Baltimore @ Minnesota - Line is Vikings -2.5 - One Question: For now long will Brett Favre continue to win games with opponents focusing on stopping AP? One Answer: The Ravens defense will be super pissed off following that last minute loss to Cincy. The Pick: Ravens +2.5 LOCK IT UP

St. Louis @ Jacksonville - Line is Jaguars -9.5 - One Question: What the hell did Mike Sims-Walker do last week and why did it impact the Jags offense so much? One Answer: The Rams offense actually looks like it is coming along and Steven Jackson is due for a monster 3 touchdown day. The Pick: Rams +9.5. LOCK IT UP

New York Giants @ New Orleans - Line is Saints -3.5 - One Question: Is the Saints defense really good enough to have this team as a favorite in this game? One Answer: The Giants balanced offensive attack will wear down the Saints defense by keeping them on the field a majority of the game. The Pick: Giants +3.5. LOCK IT UP

Carolina @ Tampa Bay - Line is Panthers -3.5 - One Question: Are the Panthers really so bad that they should only be 3.5 point favorites against this TB team? One Answer: Thanks to the challenged Buc's D, Jake Delhomme will look like his old self for at least one week. The Pick: Panthers -3.5. LOCK IT UP

Detroit @ Green Bay - Line is Packers -14 - One Question: If the Lions play without both Matt Stafford and Calvin Johnson, will they be able to gain more than 100 yards in this game? One Answer: Aaron Rodgers will have one of the best weeks by a QB so far this season. The Pick: Packers -14. LOCK IT UP

Philadelphia @ Oakland - Line is Eagles -14 - One Question: How many 14 point favorites can I pick to cover in the same week? One Answer: Jamarcus Russell from last week against the Giants will look incredibly competent compared to Jamarcus Russell this week against all of Philly's exotic blitzes. The Pick: Eagles -14. LOCK IT UP

Arizona @ Seattle - Line is Seahawks -3 - One Question: When will the Cardinals from last year's playoff run show up for this season? One Answer: Seattle at home with Hasselback at the helm is the best team in the NFC West. The Pick: Seahawks -3. LOCK IT UP

Buffalo @ New York Jets - Line is Jets -9.5 - One Question: How will the Jets respond from back-to-back losses including a major defensive embarrassment against the Dolphins? One Answer: The Buffalo offense cannot continue to be this bad all year. The Pick: Bills +9.5. LOCK IT UP

Tennessee @ New England - Line is Patriots - 9.5 - One Question: Is the offensive attack of these Patriots good enough to cover up the fact that there is no running game to speak of in New England? One Answer: The Titans are bound to surprise us one of these weeks with a decent performance. The Pick: Titans +9.5. LOCK IT UP

Chicago @ Atlanta - Line is Falcons -3.5 - One Question: Which Falcon team will show up - the offensive juggernaut from last week or the mediocre offense from other games this season? One Answer: The bye week the Bears just had will make the difference in this game. The Pick: Bears +3.5. LOCK IT UP

College Football Locks

Here are your three absolute locks for college football Saturday:

Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:

USC @ Notre Dame - Line is USC -10 - The reason this line is not bigger is that there are so many idiot Irish fans out there that Vegas doesn't need to install an appropriate line to guarantee action on the ND side of the ledger. Accordingly, USC gets undervalued and offered the opportunity for a very easy cover. ND is improving, no doubt but they are still light-years from being in the Trojans class. The match up between the USC offense and the ND defense is unfair. The Trojans should march up and down the field at will in this game. Joe McKnight will also dominate the special teams return game for USC. That leaves the ND offense as the Irish's only hope. Clausen has been relatively solid this year but regresses considerably as a passer on third downs (thanks Colin Cowherd). He also has been putting up his impressive numbers against very mediocre Big Ten defenses. He has not seen anything like USC's defense yet this season. All things considered, we think this is a long, long day for Notre Dame and will revitalize those calling for Charlie Weiss' ouster. Take USC but buy .5 points to a -9.5 line (-120). LOCK IT UP

Minnesota @ Penn State - Line is Penn State -17 - We're back to earlier in the season when the Nittany Lions received undeserved large lines in their games. They didn't cover those early season games and they won't cover this one either. I guess we need to confess our crush on the Golden Gophers at this point. This is something like four straight weeks being featured on the Locks. OK, we really like this Minnesota team - especially the offense. They can run the ball just enough to create 1-on-1 opportunities for the most under-the-radar WR studs in the country (Eric Decker). Minny's defense is marginal but it won't need to be Alabama-calibre to help them bust this point spread - the offense will handle that. Not sure why Penn St gets so much love in Vegas. We'll once again back Minny. Take the Gophers +17. LOCK IT UP

Oklahoma vs. Texas (Supposed Neutral Field of the Cotton Bowl) - Line is Texas -3 - This promises to be a wonderful game though something tells us that Texas has been single-minded in its focus on this one since August. Texas hasn't looked that great in recent weeks and that has helped keep this line at a very manageable 3 points. Sam Bradford is back playing but is he really back? That is hard to say. The Longhorns front 7 will be trying to knock him down to see if he gets up. This is enough of an unknown to make us take notice. Oklahoma has an excellent defense but McCoy to Shipley is hard for anyone to shut down. We just have a feeling that Texas makes a very strong, very convincing case for itself as the leading contender to play for the national championship. We'd recommend buying half a point in this one too. Do that and you take Texas -2.5 (-125). LOCK IT UP

MLB Playoffs

Quick Picks for Today's Action:

LA Dodgers (-150) over Philadelphia Phillies - Vicente "H1N1" Padilla will infect the Philly lineup with his awesomeness. LOCK IT UP

NY Yankees (-174) over Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim - Who the hell did you think I was going to pick? LOCK IT UP

Oh Yeah, the Thursday Night Football Game

Unpickable Master Lock - CFL:

Cincinnati @ South Florida - Line is Cincy -2 - This is an awfully tough position to be in. We've been touting rule #1 for several weeks now and in those cases where we've ignored it, we've paid dearly. Just look at how the Boise State Theorem came crashing to the ground last night. That said, we love this Cincinnati team. Tony Pike is one of the most underrated QBs in America, Mardy Gilyard is one of the most potent offensive weapons in the country and that defense ain't too shabby either. South Florida has responded relatively well after losing stud QB Matt Grothe for the season, but let's temper the excitement surrounding last week's beating of Syracuse. USF is a solid team with a very good defense. However, Cincy is a great team playing for a much deserved spot in a BCS bowl. They won't let this one slip away because of a loud student section. We love the Bearcats in this game. Take Cincy (-2). LOCK IT UP

Who We Lock Tonight and Why

Philadelphia Phillies @ Los Angeles Dodgers - I just don't think this is the season or post-season of Cole Hamels. He's not going to turn himself around without the benefit of the offseason break. The Phils are brave for trotting him out here in Game 1 though they don't have too many other options. Hamels has shut down the Dodgers this year but the playoffs are different. We much prefer Clayton Kershaw in this battle of young lefties. Torre knows how important it is to get a W in Game 1 of a series and will overwork the pen to do it. We think the Dodgers take advantage of home field and go up 1-0. Take LA -140 to win 6-5. LOCK IT UP

The Theorem and MLB Round Two

We have a mid-week CFL treat this evening and the ALCS and NLCS getting ready to start. Nice opportunity for another money-making post:

Unpickable Master Lock - CFL:

Boise State @ Tulsa - Line is Boise State -9.5 - The Boise State Theorem gets put to the test on national TV. I've heard a lot of chatter this week from experts claiming that the Broncos shouldn't get any love because of their schedule and that this Tulsa test is going to be tougher than they think. You know what I say to those experts, go back to school and learn the theorem. This is the perfect Boise State Theorem game because it is one of their best opportunities to get exposure for itself with a convincing win over a relatively respectable opponent. The Broncos are going to be out for blood and when they get that blood they are going to be looking for more blood. There Will Be Blood! The Theorem Stands Tall! Take BSU -9.5. LOCK IT UP.

American and National League Championship Series Previews

Well we hit both of the AL Divisional series and whiffed on both in the NL. Let's see what the second round looks like:

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - The Phils showed me something in handling the Rockies. Especially in winning both games in Colorado which is not easy this time of year. That team, particularly the offense, is in pretty good shape right now. However, the Dodgers really showed me something in dispatching the Cardinals with such veracity. Beat Carpenter, Beat Wainwright (well at least win the game he started), Beat Pineiro. Check, check and check. This team has the look of a champion right now. Contributions up and down the lineup, an easy going approach and a solid, solid bullpen (until the suffer from TIAFO better known as "Torre-Induced Arm Fall-Off"). The starting pitching in this series is not necessarily top-tier. Cliff Lee can be hit by a good, patient line-up, Cole Hamels is lost, and we might even see Pedro. For the Dodgers, the talent is there but the results have been lacking. Kershaw should be a stopper but hasn't been. Billingsley may not even start. Randy Wolf might be the best option LA has. So it will clearly come down to the bats and bullpens in this one. We're leaning toward the Dodgers (home-field advantage and better bullpen) to pull this one off.

Prediction: Dodgers in 7
Vegas Line: -125

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. New York Yankees - It is difficult to be objective about the Yankees but we'll try. It will take all 7 games for them to advance to the World Series. Seriously, as great as it was to watch Pappelbon blow that game, it would have been a much easier path through Boston than it is going to be through Anaheim. That said, this Yankee team looks fairly unstoppable. As long as they can shorten games a bit with Mariano and hopefully Hughes, they will have an advantage over the Fuentes-led Angel bullpen. Offensively, this one is a bit of a wash. Both of these teams can throw up many, many runs in a hurry. The Halos have the deeper rotation but I like Sabathia over Lackey in a battle of aces. One story to watch will be how Girardi handles the pitching staff. He's already on record leaning toward a three man rotation. Add to that the fact that he managed the bullpen like a schizophrenic in the Twins series and this could get interesting. When all is said in done, we're in the camp of this being the Yankees year. That means a memorable Game 7 win at the new stadium. This will be a great baseball series.

Prediction: Yankees in 7
Vegas Line: -180

Monday Double Dip

The final game of another mediocre NFL week for the Locks is upon us. We need to hit tonight's contest to post a .500 record. Here is a bit of advice, if you're going to follow our lead on betting games on Sunday, go after the early games. In an inexplicable turn of events, we have been money on the 1:00 games and horrid on the 4:00 games. Not sure why that has been the case. Anyway, here is tonight's game followed by a breakdown of Game 4 between the Phils and Rockies.

New York @ Miami - Line is NY Jets -3 - Interesting that the Jets are a road favorite, especially after how thoroughly Matt Sanchez was exploited last week. There is no doubt the Jets' D is impressive. However, the Dolphins have an offense that can confuse even the best defense and the Jets D is so fundamentally good, that I wonder if this is a bad match up for them. The thing they have going for them is that there is not too much in the way of a passing threat on Miami. If they can stop the two-headed running attack, then they should be in solid shape. However, all of a sudden the Jets offense doesn't appear stellar. Thomas Jones is old and not very good (let's see some more Shonn Greene for Pete's sake) and Sanchez has got to be a bit overwhelmed following the beating in the Big Easy. The lights will be shining bright tonight and it will be interesting to see how the Sanchise performs. I see this being a very low scoring game and one that remains relatively close. Both defenses will make some big plays and the game comes down to a FG. I think this line is right on the number as I see the Jets stealing one on a late FG. That said, I'm a sucker for points. Take the Dolphins +3. LOCK IT UP

Unpickable Master Locks - MLB Playoffs:

Philadelphia @ Colorado - No way the Rockies season ends today at home. I just can't see it. They will conjure up some Coors Field magic and send this one back to Philly. Look for Cliff Lee to come back to earth a bit from that Game 1 performance and look to Umbaldo Jiminez to pitch a very, very good game. Hopefully the umpires stay in the background in this one. The pick is Colorado (-111). LOCK IT UP

Don't Forget MLB Playoffs - A Quick Peak

Unpickable Master Locks - MLB Playoffs:

Rockies (-107) over the Phillies - The postponement of Game 3 really helps the Phils as they don't have to start old man Martinez. Regardless, the Denver crowd is going to be fired up and this feels like the type of Rockies magic that we're getting used to this time of year. Take the Rocks.

Angels (+117) over the Red Sox - The Sox are done. Absolutely cooked. Buchholz will not save their season and Kazmir likes to face the Sox in Fenway. This is not the way we saw the series going but once Beckett lost Game 2, the Sox lost all hope. Take the Halos.

Yankees (-172) over Twins - Andy Pettite vs. "Hot"Carl Pavano - Nuff Said. Sweet justice that the Yanks get to eliminate the Twinkies with Pavano on the mound. Take the Bronx Bombers.

NFL Week 5

Here we go. Another week. This is the one where we go crazy.

We're gonna do this week's picks a bit differently. We'll give you something we love and something we hate about each game to give some context to our pick. And away we go:

Minnesota @ St. Louis - Line is Vikings -10.5 - We love how balanced the Minnesota offense has been in recent weeks. We hate how unbalanced the St. Louis offense has been in recent years. Take the Vikings -10.5. LOCK IT UP

Dallas @ Kansas City - Line is Dallas -8 - We love how badly Tony Romo has looked this season (Big Blue fans here at the Locks). We hate mediocre teams on the road getting installed as big favorites by Vegas. Take Kansas City +8. LOCK IT UP

Washington @ Carolina - Line is Panthers -4 - We love the Panthers coming off the bye rested and with a new game plan on how to deal with Jake Delhomme. We hate how uninspired the Redskins seem to be on a weekly basis. Take Carolina -4. LOCK IT UP

Tampa Bay @ Philadelphia - Line is Eagles -15.5 - We love Donovan McNabb coming back with some urgency to demonstrate that he's still the best QB on Philly's roster. We hate that the Bucs are no longer starting Bill Cosby at QB. Take Philly -15.5. LOCK IT UP

Oakland @ NY Giants - Line is Giants -15.5 - We love everything about the Giants - they are an awesomely complete football squad. We hate everything about the Raiders - they are an awesomely pathetic football squad. Take Big Blue -15.5. LOCK IT UP

Cleveland @ Buffalo - Line is Bills -6.5 - We love that five weeks into the regular season the Browns are already on the second starting QB, RB and #1 WR - those first teamers were pathetic. We hate upstate NY - it is a miserable, depressing place. Take the Browns +6.5. LOCK IT UP

Cincinnati @ Baltimore - Line is Ravens -9 - We love big underdogs in important divisional rivalry games - even if those underdogs wear Bengal uniforms. We hate how toothless Baltimore's offense looked last week against a so-so Patriot defense. Take the Bungels +9. LOCK IT UP

Pittsburgh @ Detroit - Line is Steelers -10.5 - We love the idea of the Steelers D feeling like they have something to prove after that Chargers game - especially since Dante Culpepper may be taking the snaps for the Lions. We hate that Dante Culpepper may be taking the snaps for the Lions. Take the Steelers -10.5. LOCK IT UP

Atlanta @ San Francisco - Line is 49ers -2.5 - We love watching Patrick Willis play middle linebacker - he is the new Ray Lewis. We hate watching the Niners destroy the Rams with Niner fans that feel their team gets no respect when he picked St. Louis to bust the spread. Take the Niners -2.5. LOCK IT UP

New England @ Denver - Line is Patriots -3 - We love how Bill Belichick makes really smart football adjustments to win football games when experts have already written his team's obituary. We hate that the Broncos have beaten two really bad teams (Browns and Raiders) and one pretty bad team (Cowboys) and won another game on the biggest fluke of the decade yet people think this is a playoff football team. Take the Patriots -3. LOCK IT UP

Houston @ Arizona - Line is Arizona -5.5 - We love the Texans' offense - Schaub, Slaton, AJ, Walter, Daniel - so many excellent weapons. We hate that so many people expected so much from a Cardinal team that clearly caught lightning in a bottle last postseason - they aren't that good. Take the Texans +5.5. LOCK IT UP

Jacksonville @ Seattle - Line is Seahawks -2 - We love Mike Walker-Sims - this waiver wire pick up just might salvage the Locks fantasy season. We hate the chances of Matt Hasselback starting this game and making it all the way through without needing a stretcher, ambulance or hearse. Take the Jags +2. LOCK IT UP

Indianapolis @ Tennessee - Line is Colts -3.5 - We love Jeff Fisher as a coach and how tough the Titans have played the Colts in the last five years regardless of how good/bad their team was. We hate the fact that the Colts have screwed us so many times by winning games but not covering the spread. Take the Titans +3.5. LOCK IT UP

Denver Snowed on Our Parade

Oh well, we'll only get one baseball game today as MLB doesn't think the Rocks and Phils can play in Denver today.

Unpickable Master Lock - MLB Playoffs:

Los Angeles @ St. Louis - We're going lite on analysis here. The Cards need this game to extend their season. They're back home and have had a day to digest what happened in LaLa Land. Joel Pineiro will get these guys to 2-1 in the series. Vicente "H1N1" Padilla will not fare well. Look to Matt Holliday to do something important today. Take the Cardinals -160. Final score will be 5-2. LOCK IT UP

Another Saturday, Another 12 Hours of CFL

What a day, as is most every weekend day in the month of October. Today we have a full CFL slate plus two NLDS playoff games. Uhn Ga!

Unpickable Master Locks:

Purdue @ Minnesota - Line is Minnesota -3 - We've been on the Golden Gophers all season long. They get to play another important Big 10 battle on national TV. They have the benefit of playing at home in their new outdoor stadium, which has proven to offer a significant home field advantage. But most importantly, they have one of the best, relatively unknown players in college football. Eric Decker is a stud who just makes huge plays. Purdue is not very good and this line could be considerably larger. We'll take Minnesota -3. LOCK IT UP

Houston @ Mississippi State - Line is Mississippi St -3 - Wow did the Houston bandwagon drive right into a brick wall last week. The team dropped from #12 in the country to right out of the top 25 after a dismal performance against UTEP. We're not arguing the Cougars should be a ranked team but they still have a nearly unstoppable offense that presents significant match up problems for all opponents. They will always score points. The defense pretty much stinks but most teams don't do everything well. Mississippi State is not a very good team and we think they are catching Houston at the wrong time. Instead of packing the season in, we think Houston is going to respond impressively today. The pick is Houston +3. LOCK IT UP

Alabama @ Mississippi - Line is Alabama -4.5 - This line confuses us and that makes us feel a bit uneasy. Based on what these teams have done so far this year, shouldn't this line be more like -9 or -10? I understand that this is a game that is almost always a close battle but these two specific teams with these players have not played yet. Bama looks really, really good with very little in the way of weakness. Ole Miss continues to like on pre-season hype without having to earn any credibility on the field. Ole Miss; QB can't protect the ball and that will be a killer against Bama. Take Alabama -4.5 as they will roll in this one. LOCK IT UP

BACK IN A BIT WITH PREVIEWS OF THE CARDS-DODGERS AND PHILS-ROCKIES GAMES

The Beasts of the AL East

Today is a day that baseball fans living anywhere outside of the NY-Boston corridor will not enjoy. Both of those teams are going to earn victories today. Book it. But more importantly, WTF St. Louis Cardinals? Have you lost back-to-back games started by Carpenter and Wainwright at all this season. I'm not sure the answer to that but I'm leaning toward no. What a hole that offense has dug. 21 guys left on base in two games? Yikes. I've been living and dying with the Cards pitching all year with my fears about this offense lurking in the back of my head. Fortunately, the pitching (and Albert Pujols) have done enough to cover up those ugly offensive warts. Nothing like the postseason to shine a spotlight on your deficiencies. I'll tell you what, if I were a Cards fan and had my season riding on Joel Pineiro, I'd be really drunk right now. That said, if Pineiro steals them a win at home in Game 3 (not that unlikely an outcome), then LaRussa gets to come back to Carpenter and Wainwright on short rest in Games 4 and 5. If that happens, this just might be a series after all. It is clear the Cards don't think this is over and don't ever count out Professor LaRussa. Too bad he can't hit and run the bases for this team.

Unpickable Master Locks - MLB Playoffs:

Minnesota @ NY - It is amazing how every non-Yankee fan in the world has themselves in a tizzy pulling for AJ Burnett to mail in a stinker this afternoon. This the type of collective animosity that is typically reserved for the flu or at least Terrell Owens. I'll tell you what. I think Burnett shuts up all up. Not just with a good start, with a great one. This is a guy who always runs on emotion and loves to throw against good teams when he has something to prove. He did it last year against the Yanks and Red Sox. This isn't a guy I'd be counting against today. If his stuff is there (which it almost always is) and his head is right (a much bigger question mark) we might be looking at a line in the neighborhood of 8 innings, 4 hits, 1 run, 13 Ks. And Molina/Posada-gate is highly overblown, at least as it pertains to this series. If this offense can't produce enough runs against the Twins without Jorge Posada then the Yanks have bigger problems than who should catch Burnett. Look to the Yanks to jump ahead earlier and allow AJ to relax. From there it will be easy like Sunday morning. Take the Yanks (-300) to roll to an 8-2 victory. LOCK IT UP

Boston @ LAA - This is the type of game that Josh Beckett is wired for. This is the type of game that Josh Beckett longs to pitch in. This is the type of game that Josh Beckett not only wins, but dominates. That's why the Game 1 win for the Halos was so important. They ain't getting Game 2. The Red Sox will be focused and fired up today and that all starts with Josh Beckett. Good luck with this one Anaheim. You're heading to Beantown tied 1-1. Take the Sox (-106). LOCK IT UP

Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:

Louisiana Tech @ Nevada - Line is Nevada - 10.5 - Don't get us wrong, we really like this Nevada team. We like them so much that we bought a house in Reno so we had a place to stay during football season (OK, I made that last part up. Not the buying the house part, but the reason we bought the house part). That all said, this game absolutely stinks of college football rule #1 (e.g. take the points in a prime time, nationally televised game). La Tech will be fired up to play its first game of the season that anyone will take notice of. These kids will be flying all over the field. With that in mind, 10.5 points is just too much. Nevada is at home and is the better team (marginally) but they are also turnover prone (big concern in these nationally televised games) and pretty porous on defense (a bigger concern in these nationally televised games). We think this one is close throughout. La Tech may even lead for some of the game. The last team with the ball will score the deciding points in the game. When that happens, a 10.5 point cover is impossible, even for guys with houses in Reno. Take La Tech (+10.5) in a game that smells like a 35-34 Nevada win. LOCK IT UP!

Nebraska vs. Missouri - Thursday Night CFL

Believe it or not, there are other sporting events taking place tonight than the MLB playoffs.

Unpickable Master Lock - CFL:

Nebraska @ Missouri - Line is Nebraska -3.5 - This is another tough, tough college game to call. On paper, we think Nebraska is the better team and figure that their impressive defense can prevail in a battle against the Tigers' potent offense. However, we are very hard pressed to go against Rule #1 laid out in last Thursday's post (e.g. hard to pick against a home dog in a prime time, nationally televised game). We're going to cave in to the power of rule #1 yet again. Missouri will feed off of the home crowd and the ESPN cameras just enough. We think this is a tight, tight college game (unlike some of the college coeds the Locks met at the Cuse in the mid-90s). We're thinking a last minute FG might be the deciding factor in this one. Regardless, we'll take the points. The pick is Missouri +3.5 in a game that we'll call 23-21 Nebraska. LOCK IT UP

Thursday MLB Playoffs - Round 1

Things went relatively according to plan yesterday except for Chris Carpenter looking insanely human on the hill for the Cardinals. That will certainly ratchet up the pressure on Adam Wainwright to put in a solid performance for the Cards tonight. St. Louis has a limited offense, so if these starting pitchers don't perform, this could be a short series in LA's favor. We're looking to see the two NL series tighten up to 1-1 today. As for the AL series, we think the Angels draw first blood behind John Lackey and that impressive lineup.

Unpickable Master Locks - MLB Playoffs:

Colorado @ Philadelphia - Before the series started, we picked the Phils to win Game 1 but the Rockies to win the series in 4. I guess that means we like the Rocks today...and we do. Cole Hamels is not the same pitcher as last year and we don't expect that he'll be able to just turn it on today. On the other side, Aaron Cook is a solid sinkerballer which should we to his advantage against the Phillies' power lineup. Colorado will get some timely hits and take this one back to Denver tied at 1. The pick is the Rockies (+146) to win 5-3. LOCK IT UP

St. Louis @ Los Angeles - Adam Wainwright will step it up today. No doubt about it. The Dodgers have got to be thrilled they beat Carpenter. The Cards need this one to head back to St. Louis with some life. We think they do. Fat Albert hits a big double late in this game. Book it. Take the Cardinals (-113) to win 4-2. LOCK IT UP

Boston @ LAA - John Lackey has been up and down against Boston in his career. We think he'll benefit by getting to face them at home today. John Lester certainly has the potential to shut anyone out on any day. However, we think the Angels offense gets it going today with their first-to-third baseball. This will be a great game, as will every game in this series. We're going with LAA (-108) to win 6-4. LOCK IT UP

MLB Opening Round Playoff Predictions

What a game the Twins and Tigers treated us to as our little warm up for the 2009 MLB postseason. Let's hope the rest of the playoffs are half as exciting as that game - one of the best baseball games we can remember in some time. Here is the Locks' quick breakdown of the four opening round playoff series. We've also included our Game 1 predictions for each of the three series that kick off on Wednesday.

Colorado vs. Philadelphia - At first glance, the Phillies would seem to be the prohibitive favorites in this series. In fact, Vegas has them at a -165 favorite to win the series (the second biggest favorite in the four playoff battles). However, to our eye, there is a lot to like about the Rockies in this showdown. For one, we don't trust the Phillies pitching staff - neither the starters nor closer. Brad Lidge is a mess and it remains to be seen if he gets handed the ball in a big spot. The starters are Cliff Lee (limped to the season's finish line with a string of poor outings), Cole Hamels (limped throughout the entire season with poor outing after poor outing) and Joe Blanton (he is Joe Blanton). We also love the home field advantage that the Rocks will hold in games 3 and 4. That stadium and the fans do make a big difference in Colorado's favor. The Rocks are also streaking into the playoffs yet again. Momentum is something some don't value but we certainly do. Something just doesn't feel right about this Phillie team. We expect a split in games 1 and 2 and then the Rocks to take the next two in Denver.

The Locks Series Pick: Rockies in 4 (+145)

The Locks Game 1 Pick: Phillies -131


St. Louis vs. Los Angeles - Anyone who has been reading the Locks for any amount of time knows that we've been predicting a St. Louis/NY World Series since mid-summer. Nothing has happened to change our minds. This series and the Dodgers will be dominated by the right arms of Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainright (possible the two best righties in the NL). We really don't see any path to victory for Los Angeles - which will disappoint all the media outlets that want to see Joe Torre return to the Bronx for the World Series. The Cardinals will be up 2-0 before even setting foot in Busch Stadium for games 3 and 4. Let's not forget that St. Louie also has Fat Albert and Professor LaRussa. If they hit the ball even a little bit, this series will not be close. The Dodgers just haven't been very good since early summer.

The Locks Series Pick: Cardinals in 4 (-145)

The Locks Game 1 Pick: Cardinals -142


Minnesota vs. NY - What an enormous disadvantage for the Twins heading into game 1 of this series. They had to play a 12-inning one game playoff the day before the start of the playoffs. They burned through nearly their entire bullpen and must be spent physically and emotionally. Now they face big CC and the team with the best record in baseball. This Yankee team has the look of a champion and most importantly, everyone on this team seems possessed with the idea of becoming a champion. The Twins are a nice little team and certainly are a great story following their run to the playoffs. However, this isn't a fair fight. The Yanks will score plenty of runs and pitch well enough until its Mariano's turn to close the door.

The Locks Series Pick: Yankees in 3 (Line is -400)

The Locks Game 1 Pick: Yankees Line is -340


Boston vs. Los Angeles - This is really a great series for so many reasons. The best is that the teams match up so well. Add to that the simmering post season rivalry between these two which has been dominated of late by the BoSox. However, this is a bit of a different Angels team then the one that Beantown has dispatched in previous seasons. Namely, this Angels team can hit. We're not buying into the Red Sox dominance over the Angels as much as others in the media. We think these Angels are a confident bunch who don't care who they play. We also think the Red Sox are as vulnerable as they have been entering the post season in many years. The starting pitching, which many seem to think is a tremendous strength, looks a bit shaky. Beckett hasn't been his typical wonderful self this season and the Sox will be entrusting game 3 to the highly unproven Clay Buchholz. At the same time, Boston is going to be able to score runs on the Angels pitchers. The biggest question mark of this entire series will be Brian Fuentes who should not be closing any important games in the major leagues. He may cost LAA one game or more in this series. This is the most difficult of the four series to predict. It should be a great treat for true baseball fans. We see a split in Anaheim in games 1 and 2, a split in Boston in games 3 and 4 and a hard fought game five that the Angels take at home.

The Locks Pick: LAA in 5 (+115)

162 Is Not Enough for the AL Central

For the second year in a row, the American League Central has decided that it needs its own day to bask in the glow of attention from baseball fans from coast to coast. While all five other divisions were able to crown a winner in the standard 162-game schedule, the AL Central has two mediocre teams battling for the the division crown and the opportunity to slay the Yankee dragon in the first round of the playoffs. As if we weren't excited enough for the MLB playoffs, we're treated to a tasty Tuesday appetizer. We're going to consider this postseason game #1 as we work to throw up a 65% winning percentage in the playoffs and World Series.

Unpickable Master Locks - MLB Postseason:

Detroit Tigers @ Minnesota Twins - There appear to be just too many things going against the Tigers at the moment. For starters, the Twins are the much hotter team both from the hitting and pitching perspective. Baseball is a game of streaks more than any other sport and it always helps to be on a roll heading into an important game. Secondly, the Metrodome is one of the toughest places for opponents to play in the majors - and that was before today presented the possibility of this being the last game ever to be played in this venue. The fans are not going to be interested in this being the last stand for the hefty bag. Third, Joe Mauer - enough said. Fourth, Miguel Cabrera won't be playing with a BAC of .26 for the Tigers which should theoretically be a good thing. However, the controversy surrounding the alleged drunk wife-beater is an added hurdle for the Tigers to overcome. Fifth, you just have no idea how a 20-year old (Ricky Porcello) is going to fare in a game of this magnitude. There is simply no track record for him personally. However, I'd be a bit concerned about him being a bit swallowed up in the moment.

Now, don't get me wrong, there are things to like if you are a Tiger fan. Detroit has historically hit Scott Baker pretty well. Magglio Ordonez and Carlos Guillen are both hitting him at better than .400 with a significant number of at bats. Curtis Granderson (4 HRs) and Marcus Thames (5 HRs) have shown power against the Minnesota righthander. Additionally, Porcello has not had much trouble with the Twins lineup yet this year. He has a 3.09 ERA against the Twinkies and just held them to 1 run over 6+ innings last week. Plus, the Tigers do have Jim Leyland in their dugout.

All that said, we just don't see the Tigers getting up off the mat after a knock-out Sept/Oct. Minny has big MO on its side and if they hold a lead through 7 innings at home, Joe Nathan will nail down the W. We're picking the Twins to take this game and then pack their bags for a trip East. Take Minnesota (-167) to win 5-3. LOCK IT UP

MNF

Green Bay @ Minnesota - Line is Minnesota -5 - It is scary how many people are all over the purple bandwagon following Favre's latest miracle. I'm hearing expert after expert call for a blowout in Minnesota tonight. Trent Dilfer, who I think is a really, really good NFL analyst (much better than he ever was at QB) said he could see the Vikings winning tonight by 3 touchdowns. WOW! All this is bad news for the Locks 'fantasy team. We're trailing by 9 points heading into tonight's game and only have the Packers D left to go against Ryan Longwell. Feels like a loss to us. While we don't necessarily see this being a blowout, we certainly see why people like the Vikings here. The Pack defense is not very good. Sure they make some big plays. However, play in and play out, they are exploitable. You don't want an exploitable defense facing Adrian Peterson on MNF. So, it doesn't look like the Vikings will have too much trouble moving the ball or scoring points. Another concern for the Pack is what will Ryan Grant be able to do against that scary run D? We don't think too much. The onus of the offense will fall on Aaron Rodgers right arm. Whether GB can/will stay in this game will be determined by him. We like Rodgers and give him a fighting chance. The special teams here are another wild card. Both teams can break big-time returns and it will be interesting to see if that factors in on this game. At the end of the day, we think Peterson wears out the Pack D, Favre refrains from doing anything stupid and the Vikings cover the line. Take Minny -5 to win 31-24. LOCK IT UP

NFL Week 4 - The Week the Locks Went B-A-N-A-N-A-S

Get ready for a wild Sunday of NFL action. We've analyzed the game and get ready for this, we only like two, count em two, home teams against the spread. Either we're way off base or home field advantage really is a wildly overrated element in the National Football League.

Oakland @ Houston - Line is Texans -8.5 - Let's get one of the home teams we like out of the way early. Or should we say let's get one of the road teams that we hate out of the way early. The Raiders are a collection of jokes and the punchline of the biggest knee-slapper is named JaMarcus Russell. When will this experiment end. Hopefully we won't have to wait for the passing of Al David to witness the passing of the Russell era in Oakland. Having a guy who can't complete more than 30% of his passes is embarrassing. Houston's offense has gotten over its week 1 stinker against the Jets. The defense still needs work but against OakTown, it will be more than enough. We expect this game to get out of hand early (look to Steve Slaton to run wild) and the Raiders to simply lay down. Houston will cover here with ease. Take the Texans -8.5. They will win 27-10. LOCK IT UP

Tennessee @ Jacksonville - Line is Titans -3 - On the surface, this looks like it should be a competitive game and the line is just about right. However, this is deceiving since the one thing that the Jags do well offensive is the one thing the Titans are very good at defending. I am speaking of MJD and the Titans run defense. I'm not sure Jones-Drew is going to have a whole lot of success in this one. That means David Garrard will have to step up and that is not something I am comfortable counting on. The Titans are much better than an 0-3 team and they have to start showing that at some point. We think Chris Johnson has another field day and Jack Del Rio gets another step closer to collecting an unemployment check. We're picking Tennessee -3. Final score is 26-17. LOCK IT UP

Baltimore @ New England - Line is Ravens -2 - We love the fact that Vegas, and more importantly Patriot backers, have gone way overboard based on last week's win vs. the Falcons. Atlanta did not match up well against the Pats defensively. That will not be the case with the Ravens. Just remember what ex-Raven defensive coordinate Rex Ryan did to NE just two weeks ago. The Ravens might be one of the 2 best teams in the NFL right now, the other is not New England. This line should be bigger. We love Baltimore to win this one convincingly. Take the Ravens -2 to win 24-14. LOCK IT UP

Cincinnati @ Cleveland - Line is Bengals -6 - OK, so here is my second home team that I like and I bet you didn't see that coming. We're not sure that the Bengals should be a six point road favorite against anyone just yet. Last week was a nice win against the Steelers, no doubt. But this team still has some flaws and I'm nowhere near comfortable with Carson Palmer or Cedric Benson. Sure the Browns are horrible and have pretty much given up on the season but NFL teams, no matter how bad, win a few games (unless you're Detroit). So don't expect Cleveland to be this bad week in and week out. This is a big-time rivalry game and perhaps the QB switch will light a fire under the Browns. At least it gives them more big play potential. We like Jerome Harrison to have a nice game running the ball for Cleveland and this one will be closer than people think. Take the home dog Browns +6. Final score will be Cincy 20-17. LOCK IT UP

New York Giants @ Kansas City - Line is Giants -9 - We'll keep this short and sweet. This game will be about as competitive as the Giants' beatdown of the Bucs last week. There is a zero percent chance that KC will win that game and that is supported by rigorous science. The only question is whether the G-men will deal back-to-back shutouts. Take Big Blue -9 to win 30-6. LOCK IT UP.

Detroit @ Chicago - Line is Bears -10 - Like a lot of other people, we are probably getting a bit carried away with last week's Lion win over the woeful Redskins. However, we can see Stafford gaining confidence and Megatron is due to break out one of these weeks. Kevin Smith is convinced he is going to play and if he does, watch out. This Bear defense is not nearly as good as previous editions. Detroit should be able to move the ball. We think the Bears will have no issues getting up and down the field either. Cutler will find his receivers and Forte will finally look like a solid RB. However, the Lions will have enough fight in them to keep this somewhat close. Take Detroit +10 in a game the Bears win 31-24. LOCK IT UP

Tampa Bay @ Washington - Line is Redskins -8 - Did anyone watch the Redskins play the past few weeks? How can they be an eight point favorite, regardless of their opponent. That said, I saw TB play last week and they probably shouldn't be allowed to play in the NFL right now. There D is filled with guys we've never heard of and they are now starting a QB that nobody has heard of. That said, I think the Skins have bigger issues in this one. Portis is 50/50 and even if he goes he's been pretty poor all year. Jason Campbell is never going to cut it as an NFL QB and Jim Zorn is never going to cut it as an NFL head coach. Look to the Bucs to rally around the new QB and stay in this game. We like Tampa Bay +8 in a game the Skins eek out 17-13. LOCK IT UP

Seattle @ Indianapolis - Line is Colts -10 - The Colts have looked good this year, we'll give you that. However, recall that this team rarely covers big lines and that goes back several years. The Seahawks are really banged up but not without talent. We think they'll try to shorten this game as much as possible (the blueprint against Indy) and hope to be alive in the fourth quarter. Manning will lead his team to victory, with help from Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark (surprise, surprise), but he won't do it in a way that covers this double-digit line. Look to Housh to finally find the endzone and stop his bitching for at least a week. The Colts D will miss Dwight Freeny. Take the Seahawks +10. Colts will win 30-24. LOCK IT UP

New York Jets @ New Orleans - Line is Saints -7 - ESPN did a poll this week asking who would win this game and 49 of 50 states chose the Saints. The only objection came from Hawaii, not New Jersey. We're with the Hawaiians on this one and trust us, it pains us to say so. We are not Jets fans but we can't help but admire what Rex Ryan has done with this team. The Jets are playing like a team possessed. Unlike many analysts, we think the Jets D will throw things at Brees that will slow this offense down. We also think that Sanchez will not be as troubled by the Saints D. This one feels like a game that will be decided by a big defensive or special team TD and we give the nod to the Jets in both those categories. We're calling the outright upset here. But for the purposes of our ATS picks, we endorse New York +7. Final score will be 28-27 Jets. LOCK IT UP

Buffalo @ Miami - Line is a Pick Em - This line is right on target. How can you differentiate from these two teams? We find the Bills' to be a bit grittier and like their RB committee a bit more than Miami's. With Chad Henne getting the start for the Fish, we also need to give the QB advantage to Trent Edwards and Buffalo. Miami has the home field but we don't assign that much value (couldn't you tell)? This one will be a bit of a snoozer so don't waste your time watching. Just put your money on the Bills (Pk Em) and check the final once it's done. That final will be 20-17 Buffalo. LOCK IT UP

St. Louis @ San Francisco - Line is Niners -9.5 - Too many really large lines this week. More often than not, we'll take the points in those games. We think the move from Bulger to Boller actually helps the Rams and might take a bit of pressure off of Steven Jackson to do everything. Look to St. Louie to put up an admirable fight against a Niner team that still must be a bit shocked from Favre's miracle last week. That said, if any coach will have a team ready to play after a huge disappointment it will be Mike Singletary. We just don't think the Niners have enough offense to cover a 9.5 point line. Take the Rams +9.5 in a game that ends 23-17 in favor of SF. LOCK IT UP

Dallas @ Denver - Line is Cowboys -3 - I'm shocked by how many experts are buying into the Broncos at this point. Sure they are 3-0. Those wins came against the Bengals (on a miracle) and the Browns and Raiders. I don't know about you but that doesn't tell me anything about a team that I still think is one of the worst in the league. Now, the Cowboys are hard to be very confident in these days themselves but they did look much improved in the second half against the Panthers on Monday night. Perhaps they are turning a corner. Regardless, we like Dallas to win this game handily. Take the Boys -3. Final score will be 27-17. LOCK IT UP

San Diego @ Pittsburgh - Line is Steelers -6 - Here are two of the most frustrating teams in the NFL to gamble on. They never win by as much as they should and sometimes they don't even win at all. We're a bit concerned about what we're seeing from the defending champs this season. They can't run very well and their defense is not its typical self. The Chargers have all the talent in the world and should put together an impressive 60 minutes of football one of these weeks. They'll be amped up to travel to Pitt and we can't imagine them losing by a full TD. In fact, we're leaning toward them winning this game on the arm of Philip Rivers. Regardless, take the points. We like the Chargers +6 in a game they win 23-20. LOCK IT UP

If I Told You I Had Some Locks, Is That Something You Might Be Interested In?

Unpickable Master Locks - CFL:

Houston @ UTEP - (Line is Houston -14.5) - This line seems like a joke. Granted, Houston is relatively new on the scene but there should not be any doubts after they've dispatched both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. Look at these points scored and points against numbers for these two teams and they are eerily opposite (Houston points scored 129; points against 70: UTEP points scored 69; points against 133). Two touchdowns is not enough here. Houston is going to continue its impressive run with a thorough thrashing of UTEP. Take Houston -14.5 but buy yourself half a point to get it to -14. LOCK IT UP

Michigan @ Michigan State - (Line is Michigan State -3.5) - Here is another interesting line. For all the strides that Michigan has made this season, they are getting no respect from Vegas verses their unranked in-state rival. We're not buying it. We love Rich Rodriguez and Tate Forcier. They are both hard-core winners. Michigan will lose some games this season but this will not be one of them. This team is turning a corner and that starts with winning games it should win, like against an unranked MSU team. This one will be close but we'll take Michigan (+3.5)

Penn State @ Illinois - (Line is Penn State -7) - We've been beating up Penn State all season for receiving unwarranted 20+ point spreads that it has come close to covering. However, after last week's loss to Iowa, Vegas has swung the pendulum a bit too far against the Nittany Lions. They are much more than just a single TD better than Illinois, a team that has been outscored 84-54 in three games this season. We look to Penn State to make a big comeback statement tomorrow in Champaign. We like the Nittany Lions -7. LOCK IT UP

Other Games to Consider - CFL:

LSU @ Georgia - (Line is Georgia -3.5) - This is an unusual game in that the #4 ranked team in the entire country is an underdog. Granted, LSU is #4 more as a result of the lackluster play of other teams, but there is some talent on this squad just waiting to put it all together. We've been riding the Tigers all year and we're not going to stop now. We think this is the weekend that Les Miles gets the offense on track. The defense has not been a problem and the special teams are solid. We like LSU to win this game outright, though we'll simply take LSU +3.5. LOCK IT

Virginia Tech @ Duke - (Line is Virginia Tech -17) - This games was a total mismatch even before the Hokies reclaimed their season a week ago by drubbing Miami. Duke is not a football school, just ask Greg Paulus. Virginia Tech can shut down good teams completely, not to mention what they an do to bad ones. The defense and special teams are among the best in the country and the young offense is getting better each week. The line in this one should probably be a bit bigger. We'll take Va Tech -17. LOCK IT UP

Oklahoma @ Miami - (Line is Oklahoma -7.5) - The Sooner defense sure is impressive and it is scary to think how good this team would be if Bradford were healthy. All that said, we're expecting one pissed off Miami team to be geared up to protect their swamp after last week's loss to Va Tech. Jacory Harris will not mail in a second dud in as many weeks. Oklahoma will really have to earn its defensive stripes this week against a very fast and very talented Miami offense. This game is going to be one of the best of the week. We're excited to see it. Regardless of the winner, this game will be decided by less than a touchdown. For that reason, we're taking Miami +7.5. LOCK IT UP

Ohio State @ Indiana - (Line is OSU -17.5) - Ohio State is a better team than I thought. Their offense is pretty darn impressive. Points are not easy to come by for its opponents. The offense is also beginning to round into form as Terrell Pryor becomes more and more comfortable running the show. We give Indiana props for taking Michigan to the wire last week but let's not go overboard here. Michigan is no Ohio State and teams like Indiana don't play tremendous games in consecutive weeks. We don't expect this to be that high scoring of a game which would seem to make the 17.5 spread too big. However, when you don't give up many points, you don't have to score 40 to cover a 17.5 point line. Look for another dominating defensive effort from the Big 10's best team. We like Ohio State -17.5 but recommend buying half a point to get them -17. LOCK IT UP

Texas A&M @ Arkansas - (Over/Under is 66.5) - We don't know who is going to win this game but we do know that team is going to have to score 40 points to do so. This should be a track meet between two excellent offenses and two defenses that are often disinterested. Look for a game in the area of 45-38. We look the over (66.5). LOCK IT UP

Clemson @ Maryland - (Line is Clemson -12.5) - This is a pure play against the patheticness of the Terrapins. Maryland is plan old terrible. TERRIBLE. They've given up 153 points in four games this season. Clemson will gladly exploit this defenseless group of nerds. Clemson will control this game with its ground attack and defense. Maryland's lost season takes another turn into oblivion with this embarrassment. Take the Tigers -12.5. LOCK IT UP

Washington @ Notre Dame - (Line is Notre Dame -12) - We love Jake Locker. Notre Dame should not be a 12 point favorite over anyone at this point. Washington, mainly Locker, will manage/shorten the game and put enough points on the board to keep this one relatively close. Don't expect the Huskies to leave South Bend victorious but don't expect them to get pushed around either. Notre Dame is heading in the right directly, slowly. Vegas just seems to be a bit ahead of that progression. Take UW +12. LOCK IT UP

Kansas State @ Iowa State - (Line is Iowa State -2) - This is similar to the Maryland game in that we are picking against K-State as opposed to picking for Iowa State. The Wildcats are a seriously flawed football team. We're surprised this is not a double-digit point spread. Iowa State will treat its fans to an thoroughly dominating performance. Take the Cyclones -2 to blow away Kansas State. LOCK IT UP