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)
USC + 6 1/2 vs Ohio State... If this game were in Columbus I'd feel differently. Backup quarterback, lack of running game, defensive injuries for the Bucks. I have a bad feeling here.
Friday night late night special! Kent State -7 at Sacramento State. In case you weren't aware the Hornets are in the MAC, which makes perfect sense. You could plop this team in Ohio somewhere and they'd still be horrible. Why did they leave the Big Sky? I can't imagine. Even the Flashes can cover this number.
North Carolina +14 vs Miami... Miami hasn't really played anyone. Even Florida State gave them a test. This is a bad spot too. Canes vs Notre Dame next week. ACC refs won't let them lose this one, but my gut tells me the Heels are going to drag this one into the mud. This is the kind of game Mario pukes on his shoes.
Arizona - 3 1/2 at Texas Tech... The Cats are on a heater. Tech defense not what it was last year.
Northwestern ML at Oregon... I don't think we've found the bottom for this Ducks team. Wildcat's OC Chip Kelly has had this one circled I'm sure. Former Oregon State man Chiles has finally found his home after a disappointing stop at Michigan State.
Purdue +10 1/2 at Penn State. Who is Penn State to be laying double digits against anyone in the Big Ten except Rutgers and Maryland and maybe not even then
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!)
Michigan at 4-3 is dreadful this year, relatively, but it’s still a beautiful time in Ann Arbor and y’all really should come visit. I won’t touch the game but it’ll be on the background and we’ll have apple cider and donuts waiting.
OSU -6.5 against USC seems good, but being up here and having just seen Iron Maiden, Megadeth, and Anthrax next to the USC campus I might just take them.
I like Minnesota to cover +20.5 against Indiana.
The Lions looked good against the Packers last week, but if I’m be objective, I’d take Minnesota this week +3.5 all day, every day. How is a 6-0 team an underdog to an inconsistent, defensively weak team like the Loins?
Rams -6.5 over the 0-6 Chargers seems a no-brainer.
Broncos Chiefs is one of my fav rivalries, and Broncos are my #2 team, but KC is KC again this year. Broncos money line, why not?
Cleveland Pittsburgh will be a lot of fun. Rooting Cleveland all day, can’t stand Aaron Rogers seeing any success, but not sure +3.5 is enough.
Colin Gawel (Pencilstorm guy / musician solo and with Watershed)
Two weeks ago, OSU handed Indiana just their third loss in three seasons with two of them coming against the Buckeyes. Sure, the Hoosiers were only 4 inches away from pulling off the win, but people forget that last year in the Big Ten title game, OSU had first and goal inside the 10 yard line twice in the final five minutes and came away with zero points including a missed chip shot field goal that would have sent the game into OT. They lost 13-10.
So what’s my point: Cignetti wins, he is an awesome coach. Day wins,he got lucky. Buckeye fans don’t like to hear this but by every single objective metric Ryan Day is the 2nd best coach in NCAA right behind Kriby Smart. The distance between Day and whomever you want to put third is measured in light years.
On paper, every single thing lines up for USC and HC Lincoln Riley to get this must win at home. True freshman three star QB getting his first start at OSU. Major injuries for Ohio State on both sides of the ball. OSU cannot run. OSU cannot rush the passer, USC has a fantastic QB… The Buckeyes haven’t won in the LA Coliseum since….checking notes… 1946!!!
This is all true. But Ryan Day is undervalued in this game. I think the Buckeyes find a way to grind out a win.
Ben Galli (Pencilstorm NBA Beat Writer)
Last week, rookie Yaxel Lendeborg said, and I quote, “I told him he sucks. He can’t score on me,” about one Luka Doncic. Luka Doncic! The man with probably the biggest killer mentality in the NBA, now coming off games of 41 and 52 respectively and leading the league in scoring at 36 ppg.
The thing is, no one has been able to stop Luka, and it’s certainly not likely to be a middle-aged rookie on a Golden State team he’s averaged 30+ against in his career. Friday night should be great, old-school back-it-up basketball, and the former Michigan star should get his welcome to the NBA moment.
Some other lines I like:
Ohio State vs. USC Under 51.5
Browns +3.5 vs. Pittsburgh
Chiefs vs. Broncos Over 40.5