Yankees.....

win and take command of the series, as we predicted. Now for today's NFL winners: Giants -1 over the Eagles, Bills +3.5 over the Texans (common man all over the Texans....this game stinks so Im taking 3 and the hook and expecting the Texans to take a safety at the end of the game to make it a 21-18 final) and the Cowboys -9.5 over the Seahawks. As a disclaimer, the Cowboys have killed me all year but considering I bought a Wade Phillips mask for Halloween, I think I have successfully eliminated the curse of "Wadeface".

Marathon Man......

Saturday's 5* College Football play: Ole Miss -4 @ Auburn. Hate to lay the points as a road favorite but Auburn is shot. After an impressive start to their season, I expect them to roll over. Ole Miss needs to step it up after looking like garbage these first 8 weeks of the year.

Marathon Update: Two weeks ago local Celebrity "Marxy" drove off a few blocks in a livery car that was left running outside a westside bar just because someone dared him. This Sunday Marxy is looking to make Marathon history by defeating runners from all over the world, specifically Kenya. While Marxy is a "long shot" at best, I can assure you none of his competitors are putting forth the pre-race effort that he is. If you see someone running who looks like they are coming straight from the prior night's Halloween party, its probably Marxy. Propick Sports Banners will be littered all over the Upper East side with "Run Marxy Run" slogans. Free prizes will be given out as well! Good Luck to all Runners and see you on Sunday.

Weekend Winners......

Before I start handing out the blank checks for this weekend I must first digress. Last night on the upper east side I saw three morons yelling at Yankee fans (an ingenius "Yankees Suck" chant), outside some dive bar. Ironically, two of these dopes were wearing Lenny Dykstra #4 jerseys. This can only mean one thing- The Curse of Lenny Dykstra has begun. After declaring bankruptcy and living out of his car, I believe this ghost of Phillies past will serve as a tormentor going forward. Call this complete lunacy but gamers are an incredibly superstitious group and if a team can be haunted by a billy goat(Chicago Cubs), it is only appropriate for a team to be "mushed" by a complete jackass. Tomorrow's play- Yankees -110 over the Phillies. I hate taking road teams in game 3 match ups but 36 of the last 51 game 3 winners have gone onto win the World Series. While I am at it take the Giants -1 over the Eagles (sensing a trend here? Bad weekend to be a fan living in the city of brotherly love). I can only hope that between now and sunday I get taunted by a Guy in a Michael Vick Eagles jersey- thats when I will go table max on this game.

Game 2.....

After last night's proverbial stink bomb, I am back at it with my game 2 winner. In my first ever 50 dime World Series play, once again I am releasing the Yankees. The Phillies got the split they were looking for and needed last night. Tonight is as close to a "throw away" game as you will find this time of year, with an aging Pedro Martinez on the mound. Barring a complete meltdown, expect the Yankees to win this one going away. The runline is also something I will be involved in but for now I am recommending laying the heavy wood -190 with the Yankees. Despite a great effort out of Cliff Lee last night, I am still looking at the Yankees to win the series and now you can get em at a better price than the opening -190.

Game 1.......

Yankees -170 over the Phillies. CC Sabathia has been a horse and the Yankees have the best offense on the planet. No disrespect to Cliff Lee (last years AL CY Young winner) but he struggled mightily in the first half of this year before being traded to the National League. While some of the Phillies have had success against Sabathia, the Yankees have been able to hit Cliff Lee throughout the years. Both teams will be a little tight which should favor the pitchers but by the middle innings, the Yankees will have taken the lead and will be well on their way to a game 1 victory. I will also take this time to announce the Yankees -190 as my world Series pick. While the lineups are fairly even and the Phillies are a battle tested group, they do not have the pitching to beat the Yankees. Pedro Martinez was receiving last rites before he miraculously came back to life (following his exit from the Hell- better known as Citi Field) and tore it up for the Phillies. That being said, this is a much better lineup than any of the Philly pitchers have seen. While I am expecting competitive games, I see the Yankees winning in the end because of their starting pitching and their depth in the bullpen.

On a Who gives a crap note, former tennis star Andre Agassi admits to using crystal meth in 1997. What's worse those acid wash elastic waist shorts he was sporting in the late 1980's or this revelation? Not to minimize drug use but those outfits along with his two toned mullet might have been more of an embarrassment. Factor in a "meaningful relationship" with Babara Streisand(20+ years his elder) and you have a hell of a lot more interesting stuff to write about. Personally I would have thought "does anyone really care about the time I lost to Pete Sampras or should I focus on the more relevant things like the quality of babes I was with during my time on the tour?" In any event, Agassi was always good to his fans so lets hope this book is a home run and he trashes anyone who was or is a complete idiot in the world of tennis.

The Three Kings.......

After watching the Dolphins self destruct in epic fashion I can only wonder if Tony Sparano and the Dolphin defense were eating some of Ricky Williams "special brownies". The term mental lapse doesn't begin to describe just how awful their collapse was. At 24-3 I was fielding calls from collegues and fellow degenerates: "what a pick, boy was this game a lock! I only wish I took the Dolphins $$$line". Word of advice- next time anyone prematurely congratulates you during a game follow these simple steps: 1) berate that person for violation of gaming etiquette. No true gamer is dumb enough to count their $ before the bet comes in. 2) Immediately end the friendship right on the spot (unless of course the team ends up winning). 3) Blame all future bad luck on that person going forward. Think of it as a "lifetime mulligan". Now to the Monday Night Game. The Eagles are coming off an embarrassing loss to the Raiders in a game where they made Jemarcus Russell look like a good NFL Quarterback. The Redskins are a complete mess and have a coach who has absolutely no control over any of his coaching responsibilities. This should be an easy win for the Eagles right?......Here's the problem. This past week saw the two worst NFL coaches win big- Wadeface and Norv turner. If good things come in threes, then Jim Zorn is the last piece of this twisted puzzle. Tonight's play is the Redskins +8. What could be a more poignant moment than seeing coach Zorn make his best Wade phillips face as his team jumps offside on the last play to give the Eagles another shot at winning the game on a last second field goal?

Disgraceful........

Five years after Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis issued a stern warning to his fellow college coaches regarding his new brand of "offensive wizardry", Notre Dame football continues to regress. Coach Weis has managed to emulate all of his former coach's personality traits, without any of his success. Unlike the Patriots, Notre Dame football has become an after thought. If NBC could backout of their ill fated deal I think they would have done so yesterday. In five years, Notre Dame has not had a signature win over a legitimate top tier program. Furthermore, they have the one of the worst defenses in all of college football. If you want to tell me that the nation's best athletes just don't want to play for Notre Dame anymore, than that is the only plausible excuse. Otherwise, Coach Weis is a horrible recruiter and his staff is nothing short of a complete embarrassment. Maybe recruits are not looking for a coach who arrives at their house with orthodic shoes, a pair of "elastic" coaching pants, and asks the parents "what's for dinner". Watching some of the other college programs it seems unfathomable that Notre Dame cannot compete the way these other schools can. If Notre Dame was in the SEC they would be lucky to win 4 games. Other than a couple of bad bets over the past few years, I have no ax to grind with Notre Dame football. I think the school has given this coach more than enough time to win with his own players and assemble a competitive Division I defense. Will it really be a success for the school if they win 9 or 10 games against a subpar group of opponents? Does anyone expect to see the players lift big Charlie up after defeating Akron in the Papa John's bowl game?

Tonight's Play- OVER 50.5 in the Texas-Missouri game

Weekend Winners.........

This is the best I have felt about an NFL Sunday all year. After getting my mojo back the past two nights, anything less than a complete domination on Sunday, will be a major disappointment. Here we go. Steelers -5 over the Vikings. This game stood out the minute the line opened at -4. The Vikings are a suspect 6-0 and are facing a healthy Pittsburgh team at home. As bad as the Steelers offensive line has been, it won't matter. This will be the day Favre and the Vikings come back down to earth. Expect a lot of turnovers and a "throw away" game for the Vikings. This game means a lot more to the Steelers who should win a 30-17 type of game(based on my model). Chicago +1 over the Bengals. I am as sentimental as anyone but lets be honest, the Bengals are still the Bengals. While I expect a spirited effort, the Bears have lost two sunday night games they should have won. Cutler will have no trouble moving the ball on these guys and the Bears defense should be able to stifle a good Bengals offense. Lastly, I am taking the Dolphins +6 over the Saints. The Saints have been annointed the best team in the NFL (ahead of the Colts and Vikings because they have beaten better teams). Over 80% of the gaming public loves the Saints in this road game. At some point these guys have to fall victim to a letdown game. The dolphins are a juggernaut at home and have dominated the teams they have played with their running game. Their secondary is weak but despite this concern, I am taking the points and betting on a field goal game to decide the outcome. Another game I "lean towards" is the Texans -3 over the 49ers. Dallas beats the Falcons but I have gotten prison raped all year betting on Wadeface and his undisciplined band of dopes and therefore cannot release this game with a clear conscience.
Congratulations to Jim Zorn. After being stripped of almost every possible coaching responsibility, the Redskins have decided to "stand by their man" and assure everyone that coach Zorn will remain on the sidelines through the duration of this year. Even more comical was the follow up statement where the Redskins alluded to the possibility of Zorn coming back in the future. While some might be naive enoguh to think this will create a "stable" environment in DC, I am not so optimistic. I think you can continue to bet against the Skins with impunity. After all, their offensive playcaller is a guy who has been working for "meals on wheels" and out of the NFL for the past four years.

What Were you Thinking.......

Steve Phillips? While Propick Sports usually doesn't hand out post season awards until year end, Steve's already won the "Marv Albert Award" in a landslide. After picking up today's Post and seeing what looked like a "tranquilized" Steve Philips alongside his "side dish", I couldn't help but think this has to be the absolute lowest any sports broadcasting figure has gone. Considering Marv Albert was biting women while wearing a diaper and tossing his toupee around hotel rooms, that's quite a benchmark for Steve to have beaten! At first glance I thought this woman was a cross between former Yankee Steve Balboni and the guy from the Dunkin Donuts commericals (time to make the Donuts guy). Years ago the self proclaimed family man was caught dipping his pen where it didn't belong but I do not recall seeing any photos. At this point, Steve should become a complete recluse and issue a statement along the lines of "I was very very drunk" or "I have a fetish and am undergoing psychiatric help", anything to diffuse the situation.
For Today's play.....Taking the Angels -115 over the Yankees. If this was anyone other than John Lackey on the hill I would be loading up on the Yanks. With a 3-1 series lead, AJ Burnett will pitch well because there is absolutely no pressure on him. That being said, Lackey is a big game pitcher and the Angels will play desperately at home to avoid having the Yankees throwing pies at each other and celebrating in their house. Lackey is also a free agent so another big outing will mean a lot more dinero down the road.

Tonight.......

Phillies -135 over the Dodgers. Hamels did not pitch well in game 1 but still got the win in LA. This time Hamels is at home where he is a much better pitcher during night games and has dominated the Dodgers. Having a hard time seeing how the Dodgers bounce back from game 4, except for Manny Ramirez, who probably doesn't even know that the Dodgers are trailing 3-1 in this series.

A new word to use whenever you have been screwed- Norved. This is honor of San Diego coaching luminary Norv Turner. After seeing the punt return by the Broncos on Monday night, after already yielding a kickoff return, I realized I had been "Norved" by the Chargers. I can accept losing but when it's a result of sloppy play and poor coaching, it's time to realize that I got "Norved". In the event of a collosal/life altering screwing, you can substitute "Norved" with "Zorned". If you wake up one morning and your wife leaves you for the immigrant gardener, that's an example of being "Zorned".

Welcome the Dream.........

In an effort to bring my readers the ultimate in gaming excellence, it is with great pleasure I announce the newest (and unpaid) member of Propick, Tommy "the dream" Monahan. The Dream has been a long time fixture on the Westchester-Connecticut sports scene. Following an invitation to tryout for the New Jersey Devils in the early 1980's, the dream opted for a career on the linx. After a few short years the dream was one of the best golfers in Westchester. As a result, I considered becoming a professional caddy, until the dream's wife gave birth to their first daughter and his golf game went straight into the crapper. Eighteen years later, the Dream's first daughter is now a freshman in college and playing on the golf team and following in his footsteps. No one knows the NHL like the dream. While the dream has told me "only an idiot bets on a sport with meaningless empty net goals", I have refused to take NO for an answer. Starting Novemeber 1st, Propick will make the occasional NHL and NCAA hockey release. If his past performance is any indication, you can all expect to be stinking rich come 2010.

Marathon Marxy........

In honor of Marxy running this years New York Marathon (unless he foul hooks something the prior evening-Halloween night), I am releasing a College Winner. Tomorrow night take South Carolina +17.5 over Alabama. This game has dog fight written all over it. Common man can rattle off all the impressive Alabama stats but I will side with the old dog Spurrier and his visor as he throws tantrums on the sideline every shot he gets. Alabama has the best team and best coach on their side but this is the perfect opportunity for them to get a little complacent and take their foot off the peddle. Now back to Marxy- In an effort to raise awareness for partying, Marxy will be attempting to down 26 beers after running 26 miles(post race of course). There is no time frame but Marxy has decided that this is the year to accomplish 2 goals.....Way to push yourself Marxy! Rumor has it that Jelly Donut Jenn will be skipping the run for the 35th straight year but will be available for a marathon snacking session. Kudos to JDJ!

Road to Nowhere........

Seattle -3 over the Cardinals. I absolutely love this game. The Cards offensive line is awful, Seahawks have big home field edge and are getting healthy. This game falls under the "Regime Change" category because its that good of an opportunity. Another game I like is the Chargers over the Broncos on Monday night. I have gone broke betting against Denver all year so this might be a loser just because I'm on board. Denver is the worst 5-0 team ever and people are really down on coach Norv (baby Wadeface Turner) and his band of underacheiving hacks. Turner should be thankful the league is flooded with coaches like Wadeface Philips, Chooch Zorn, Gable, etc. This is the type of game that should be like walking into a hornets nest for the Broncos since they have nothing to lose and the Chargers are facing a must win situation here.

Dodgers........

Take the Dodgers -130 over the Phillies tonight in game 1 of the NLCS. Hamels has a much better record when pitching at night but still has not put together a consistent winning streak all year. Despite the fact that Hamels has pitched well against the Dodgers (1 earned run in 16 innings), most of his success came last year in the playoffs where he was 2-0 against them. Kershaw is a lefty and that should be a big advantage against the strong left-handed lineup that Philly has. Expect the Dodgers to get a few runs off Hamels and let Kershaw pitch with a lead. Also take the Over ( 7.5 ) in this game. Phillies bullpen is atrocious and 7.5 seems awful low. Expecting a 6-4 type of game.

Weekend Winners.......

Taking Ole Miss catching 4.5 at home against Alabama. Wary of this pick for obvious reasons- Alabama is playing better football than anyone in the country and they have the best coach. That being said, common man (last check 71% of gaming public-commonly referred to as Joe Nobody) loves this road favorite. Furthermore, this is a conference game and Ole Miss is loaded with talent. After the embarassment at South Carolina a few weeks back, I expect a much better effort, especially from quarterback Jevon Snead. In the NFL I like the Carolina Panthers -4 over the Redskins. If not for the ability to bet this game, there is no other reason to watch it. Can you imagine the futility if you took Redskins head coach Jim Zorn and teamed him up with Jake Delhomme? Also Like the Patriots -3 at Denver. I got kicked in the groin hard last week with my Cowboys-3 over Denver pick. However, Romo and Wadeface aren't Brady and Little Bill. Dallas did everything possible to lose that game (again thanks to the lackluster efforts from Romo and coaching genius Wadeface). I do not expect Denver to be the beneficiary of such stupidity for a second week in a row.

Tonights Baseball release of the year..........Angels -1.5(run line) +190. I don't care how good Josh Beckett has been in past post seasons. With the Angels sending Weaver to the mound, he is more than capable of keeping the Sox bats in check. With the line being a pick em, take a chance and play the run line for a much better payout. Saw the Yankees -300 tonight. Was there ever a playoff game with a line that big?









































































































































































Just saw the Yankees -300 against Nate Blackburn and the Twins. I cannot recall ever seeing a line this screwy in a playoff game. Staying away.

Tonight...........

Applying the same logic that I used last night with the Cardinals and their star pitcher Chris Carpenter would have leaning towards the Red Sox. That would be the wrong move. Boston has eliminated the Angels the past few times the have met in the playoffs and everyone talks about how they "own" the Angels. Another argument is the "Sox pitching staff is finally back to full strength with everyone healthy". As much as I hate to bet against a Great Playoff pitcher, thats what I will do. Take the Angels even money over the Red Sox.
College Football play: Nebraska -3 at Mizzouri. Beware of the road favorite, unless its Mizzou. This might be the most shaky 4-0 team ever.

MLB........

Looking to continue the recent streak. This is the best time of year for every degenerate with an itch. Baseball, Football, Hockey and pre Season hoops (anyone playing the first week of the NHL or pre season NBA needs an intervention and fast). Today in baseball Im releasing the Cardinals -136 with Chris Carpenter over the Dodgers. Carpenter has been lights out all season and has a sub 1 era in his past 4 starts. In addition, the Cards have beaten the Dodgers in head to head play with Carpenter going 2-0 in his starts against them. Most importantly, I am long a boatload of Dodgers futures at 8-1 which is the greatest contrarian indicator going. Actually, I recant that statement. For those of you who watch CNBC and listen to their "distinguished older gentleman on the floor", he is the greatest contrarian indicator of all time. After calling for a market pullback since the SPX was at 800, this guy makes me look like nostradamas. At least when Im wrong I insult myself and take the occasional game off.

Monday Night.........

Vikings -4 over the Packers. I have no plans to sit through this ESPN/Favre makeout session that will be known as Monday Night Football. Bad enough the announcers, especially Chucky(Gruden), will be singing his praises all game long but the hours of pre-game will be the worst. Highlights of Brett in every possible way, shape, and form will make even the most diehard Favre fan a little sick to their stomach. That being said, the vikings are hands down the better team and they are at home. Lay the wood, my model has the Vikes a 7 point favorite.

After getting mauled on a 3 team parlay thanks to Dopey Romo and his dumpy, confused looking coach, I want Jerry Jones to be proactive. Jones needs to bring highlights of his violent nose picking seen live on the stadium jumbotron and at halftime of the next game tell these guys-you are gone, both of you! I personally despise the Cowboys but as someone who has already lost quite a bit of money on these morons, I am calling for drastic measures. What would be better than seeing a soft spoken almost crying Tony Romo as he explains getting released at halftime of a game? Maybe you can have Pam Oliver and the crew follow Wade Philips around to get more of his ridiculous "Wade Faces". Despite the ultra cool shades Wade was sporting during yesterday's pathetic loss, he still had a bunch of those dumbfounded expressions that he has become famous for. If Romo really wants to improve his street cred I think he needs to get into a bar brawl with Nick Lachey over his ex girlfriend. That type of action would speak volumes "What could possibly scare me? I just beat up a former boy band member". This guy is the worst!

Sunday......

2-1 in college ball and a winner at Belmont yesterday. In the NFL , here are the plays: Patriots +1 over the Ravens and Saints -7 over the Jets. Both lines stink, especially in the case of the Jets game. Every J-E-T-S fan from Staten Island has called WFAN this morning predicting a Jets 21-20 or 21-13 win. You don't get anymore common man concensus than that. As for the Pats, they look so old and soft, it makes too much sense to think Baltimore goes in there and punches em in the mouth. Be back later...........

More College Football.........

UCLA +5.5 over Stanford. Much like the Washington vs. Notre Dame game, the thesis is similiar. UCLA is a young, talented team getting too many points. Not only do I think UCLA can win this game but I would be shocked to see them put up a lousy effort, especially coming off a bye week.
For all you horse junkies out there here is your Saturday fix. Tomorrow at the 8th race at Belmont, Play "Pure Clan" the # 3 horse. This pick is being bought to you from JV Handicapper in Boston, MA. While JV has kept a low profile, he is 2-0 in his only releases.

College Football.........

Washington +12.5 over Notre Dame. The line opened at 13.5 and immediately came in. Notre Dame screws me whether I bet for or against them but this is a flawed team. Their defense will struggle with Locker and the husky offense. Barring 4 or 5 turnovers, Washington keeps this game close. Taking the U (Miami), fresh off their 31-7 embarrassing loss at Virginia Tech last week. A week ago people were talking about the Canes as a BCS National Champion sleeper team and now these same people are burying this team. Oklahoma is overrated and even if quarterback Sam Bradford comes back, I think it will hurt the Sooners tomorrow night. The play is Miami +7.5. To "loosely"quote former Miami Hurricane Ed Reed "nobody beats us at our place at night. Its night time and this is where the freaks come out". Be back with NFL thoughts tomorrow.

Tigers......

After winning 2 of the first 3 games in this highly anticipated Divisional showdown, the Tigers have all but rapped up the Division. As a result, Nate Robertson can take to the hill today with absolutely no pressure. Take the Tigers +105 at home.

With the New York Marathon only a month away, cultural Icon and blog favorite, Marxy has taken his act up a notch. After running 12 miles in Central Park last night, Marxy (who will be running the Marathon in full Propick gear), decided to give himself the ultimate challenge last night. After a few drinks at a run of the mill downtown hotspot, Marxy realized it was time to take the game to another level. A few hours later I found myself listening to 80's music alongside Marxy at an NYU dive bar, pretending to be class of '05 grads. The height of the lunacy came shortly thereafter when one woman(very nice, attractive type), asked Marxy to be her date to an out of town wedding next week. As someone who has had a "checkered past" at weddings to say the least, Marxy has decided to evaluate things before coming to a final decision. I can only hope Marxy does the right thing by attending this wedding and coming back with enough stories to write a book.