Oh, so many sporting events heading into the holiday season. Do I have to name them all? DO I HAVE TO NAME THEM ALL???!!
Brian Phillips (DJ, Seattle /WSU Cougs Sports Junkie)
Myrtle Beach Bowl
Western Michigan -3 over Kennesaw State.
I realize future NFL edge Nadame Tucker is an opt out, but the Broncos sport a tough defense and methodical run game. KSU is a nice story, but Conference USA is barely an FCS conference. Gimme WMU.
CFP Friday
Oklahoma -1.5 vs Alabama
Home field huge in the first round as we learned last year. OU's defense is nails. I don't think Bama QB Simpson is close to 100% and the Tide can't run the ball. This is going to be a low scoring rock fight and in that type of game give me the Sooners.
CFP Saturday
Oregon -21 vs James Madison
The talent gap is just going to be too wide. It's not going to be like the Fiesta Bowl vs Liberty a few years back, but something like 35-10 is what I'm thinking.
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
Washington State ML vs Utah State
Easy travel for both teams. The Cougs announced players in portal would be allowed to play so that's helpful as the Aggies will be missing almost no one. This game rides on a Cougar defense that improved mightily as the year went on. Fair warning: I'm an alum so I'm perhaps seeing this through crimson colored glasses.
Colin Gawel (Musician with Watershed, Pencilstorm Founder, Coffee Shop Guy)
I don’t have strong feelings about this weekend’s CFP games but if I were going to roll the bones I would take all four home teams to cover.
What I do have strong feelings about is that my fantasy football team W.O.P.R. is playing for the championship. This is very unexpected. My team has been mediocre most the year but snuck into the playoffs mostly on luck and then upset the #1 seed last weekend.
Here is the dirty little secret nobody tells you about head to head fantasy football: It’s mostly match up and luck. I never understand why people spend 60 hours preparing for a fantasy football draft when a scrub like Kyle Pitts can just suddenly get off the bench and hang 45 points on some sucker.
Now fantasy baseball…..that is a different beast. To call fantasy baseball chess and fantasy football checkers is a disservice to chess. it’s further apart than that. In baseball, there are no head to head match ups. It is just your cold hard stats compiled over an entire season. There is no where to hide your ignorance. If your pitching sucks or you have no power one lucky day isn’t going to save your ass.
Anyway, I am still pleased to play for the chip and since it’s house money at this point, I plan on starting TWO tight ends: Blake Bowers and Kyle Pitts. That’s tough BIG TEN style fantasy football.
Jeremy Porter (Pencil Storm Co-Editor in Chief, rock and roll musician, Mexican fast-food enthusiast, proudly representing that state to the north in hostile online territory MICHIGAN GO BLUE!)
I am admittedly out of the loop on the CFP/bowl games. Northwestern -10.5 against Central Michigan seems safe, though I take no joy in saying it. Of course I’ll take Michigan against Texas with the 7.5 points, though it’s not the smartest bet. It’s insane what’s going on in Ann Arbor these days and it seems like it’s past time to clean house.
I’m loving Indiana’s success, for more reasons than one, and rooting for them to take it all.
I’m a bit more in tune with the NFL and there is TONS of NFL action coming. Eagles get my money tomorrow against the lowly Commanders. -7 seems fine. Same with the Bills -10.5 in Cleveland. Jags at Denver will be a good one, I like Denver (always) -3.5.
All eyes in Detroit on our game against the Steelers Sunday afternoon, and the outcome of the Packers/Bears game. I wish it weren’t true, but I don’t think it matters. The Lions have enjoyed their bi-decade at the big kids table and are seeming on their decent back to the undisciplined, outcoached, injury-prone team of year’s past. I hope I’m wrong next year, hell I hope I’m wrong this year, but I just don’t see it happening.
Mighty frigid day in Columbus. Just when you thought the ice had melted away. A lot of brrr and grrr out there. Stay safe, friends. The Christmas spirit can't come soon enough, so I'm gonna look ahead to my favorite sports holiday, Christmas Day in the NBA. Now with a whole day before to prepare and a day after to recover.
Ben Galli (Pencilstorm NBA Beat Writer)
Here's how I see these games panning out. This five-game parlay pays out with +1175 odds.
Knicks (-1.5) over Cavs
I think the Cavs will eventually figure this season out, but not against the red-hot NBA Cup champion Knicks.
Thunder (-9.5) over Spurs
That last Thunder-Spurs game was downright exhilarating. But you don't want to face this Thunder team out for revenge at home.
Warriors (-4.5) over Mavs
Rockets (+2.5) over Lakers
Nuggets (-4.5) over Timberwolves
Looks to me like mostly favorites are on the Nice list this year. Mavs are in trade season, and the Rockets and Nuggets are still a step ahead of their West opponents.