It's Christmas in September

Welcome to the first of many postings in which the Locks insists it knows everything there possibly is to know about the NFL.  Like this time every year, we're convinced that we'll hit 70% of all the NFL games vs. the spread, be discovered by Steve Wynn and be invited to come run the sportsbooks at all of his Vegas casinos, while hosting a handicapping cable show similar to De Niro in Casino.  That is until the inevitable 4-12 week 2 performance including several inconceivable upsets which cause us to reconsider all the time wasted on picking the outcomes of games that we're not even actually betting on and publicly demonstrating just how little we actually do know on this two-bit blog.  Oh the joys of new beginnings.  Here's to starting off the season 1-0 
 
3 Star Special:


Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints - Line is Saints -5 - No defending Super Bowl champion has lost a season opener in nearly a decade.  Brett Favre is moving around like Verbal Kint and should have the game stamina of the actress from Precious.  The Vikings best "healthy" receiver needs to lay down at times because his head hurts.  Did I mention that the Saints have Drew Brees and an offense reminiscent of the 2007 Patriots or the Warner/Faulk/Bruce/Holt St. Louis Rams?  Throw in a raucous crowd in the Big Easy that only sees good things happen in its city the eight times the Saints play at home each year and you have the makings of a game that the Vikings can't possibly win.

Sure there are a few red flags: Favre is still Favre and he may pull a vintage Verbal Kint move and magically start walking  normally at the most dramatic possible time.  The Saints are a bit banged up on D so the odds are that they will give up some points.  The Locks sees a big, big year from Adrian Peterson (yes, he's on our fantasy team).  The Vikings have the league's best defensive front 7.  However, you can take all those red flags and make Precious a Mu Mu tonight.  This is Saints football in the Superdome.  Brees just will not allow folks to return to the Bayou without a W, and a convincing one at that.  Take the Saints and lay the points (-5).  New Orleans wins 34-21.  LOCK IT UP!

BONUS PICK:  Play the over as another obvious win here.  Both defenses are a bit nicked up.  The Saints are firing on all cylinders already on offense and the Vikings will need to urgently throw up points to keep this game close.  The number is 48.5 and it will be over, comfortably.  LOCK IT UP!