Welcome back to another fun season of Friday Bet$ For Realz as some of your favorite Pencil Storm characters share actual bets they are making on NCAA and NFL football. Depending on our bank accounts we will be checking in throughout the 2026-27 with our blazing hot takes and sure-fire winners. However it’s important to remember that sports betting is for suckers, so as long as you are cool with that…..Let’s Boogie!
Brian Phillips (Former Radio Morning Show Host CD101)
Ol Miss +3 1/2 vs Georgia.... The hook makes this attractive. Chambliss is the difference maker. I would not be shocked if Georgia lost outright.
Notre Dame -7 vs Miami.... The headline of course is Malachi Toney is missing. Huge loss for the Canes. That's not the end of it, though. Miami's defense is weak. Add in the coaching difference and I think there's a world where the Irish win going away.
Minnesota +4 1/2 vs UCLA... Bad spot in cold weather kicking at 9am body clock time for the Bruins, who are bound for a correction at some point. I like UCLA to squeak out a win, but the Gophers are going to muck this one up like they always do.
Tennessee -5 1/2 vs Kentucky... UK a great story, but they've been running lucky. Tennessee, at home coming off a rough loss to South Carolina, has to be pissed at their playoff ranking. You will get the Vols best effort at home.
Michigan State +14 1/2 at Michigan.... Who is UM to be laying over two touchdowns to anyone. This game is everything to Sparty who have had another rough season. Rivalry games can be goofy.
Mizzou +3 vs Texas... Horns are beat up, and the offense just isn't there. Chilly weather in Columbia. I can see Missouri winning outright.
Texas State at Oregon State over 70.5... Pac 12 after dark is back baby. No defense will be played in this game, as God intended.
Big $ (Pencilstorm Browns Beat Writer)
Just like in the Keith Van Horn days - Utah can smell that 1 seed…..
Utah -4.5 over BYU.
Az is ready to rebound , TCU is the proper patsy…..
Arizona -7.5 over TCU.
South Carolina is hot, late Lanoris Heisman push???
South Carolina -7 over A/M.
No Kewan, Dogs roll…..
UGA -3.5 over Ole Miss.
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!)
This week in NCAAF I like Texas -3 over Missouri, UCLA -5 over Minnesota, and OSU to easily cover against Oregon.
Big night in Michigan with the Spartans coming to Ann Arbor. I'd like to say MSU has a chance to cover +15 against this mediocre Michigan team, and I'm sure they'll show up to play, but I won't bet on them. UM against the spread.
In the NFL I love the Broncos -2.5 over Carolina. Broncos have their shit together this year.
-7 seems reasonable for the Lions in Miami, but after two weeks playing great against division rivals, this is where they'll traditionally shit the bed against a 1-6 team. I won't bet against them, but I'll likely get into some creative parlays.
The Giants have been fun this year and the Eagles without Hurts have been dreadful. This rivalry is my game of the week and I'll take the NYG against the spread to quiet the Philly crowd.
Bills Vikings on Monday will be another good one. Betting on and rooting for Buffalo -3 to beat our division rivals in Minneapolis.
Colin Gawel (Pencilstorm guy / musician solo and with Watershed)
Man, those Midterm elections were like hitting an 8-team parlay moneyline on all +21 point dogs. Somebody got rich on one of those betting markets Rick Rubin loves so much. Anyway, I was completely wrong about Ohio State last week. Both the coaches and the team looked unprepared as the USC Trojan horse stomped Brutus Buckeye into the dust.
Obviously, this new era of college football is wildly unpredictable.
OSU smashes Iowa…..
Iowa smashes Wisconsin…..
Wisconsin smashes USC…..
USC smashes OSU…..
That like totally makes sense. And none of these games were even competitive.
So I am staying away* from the Bucks vs Ducks game this week. Oregon will be the most talented team on the field (again) but for whatever reason they just cannot get into gear. Meanwhile OSU is a team with one superstar, a weak OL and a true freshman backup QB starting. Oh, and the defense has put FIFTEEN players into the NFL in just the last two seasons and it’s showing on the gridiron.
I do like LSU (-5.5) to pile on Alabama’s road woes with Lane and his 50 million dollar roster to run up the score at Death Valley.
I like Notre Dame (-7.5) at home with The U’s star WR, what’s-his-name injured and their other star, what's-his-name QB losing a key weapon. I think ND is a fraud but they only need to win this game to make the playoffs, so CJ Carr lights up Miami’s suspect secondary in the frigid 40-degree temperatures of South Bend.
Missouri ML vs Texas. It’s over, Archie.
*Staying away from betting. I will actually be at the Shoe for the football game.