0
0
Welcome to Against All Odds: NCAA/NFL Picks Week 9! From the opening weekend of the NCAA football season through Super Bowl LII, Mike Drakulich (PSN), the man behind Pittsburgh SportsNation, takes on his father, Michael J. Drakulich (MJD), in picking NCAA and NFL games against the Vegas spread.
Mike Drakulich covers both the Pittsburgh Steelers and Pitt Panthers during the season for NGSCSports.com!
To appease the taste buds of Pittsburgh’s local coverage area, Pitt, Penn State, and West Virginia, when they are playing, will always be on the docket among the NCAA games chosen, as will the Pittsburgh Steelers for NFL games.
Once Bowl Season arrives, we’ll bring you EVERY Bowl Game and then continue throughout the conclusion of the NFL Playoffs.
Itchy vs Scratchy. Black Spy vs White Spy. Cheers vs Gary’s Old Towne Tavern. History is full of rivalries, but none are better than father vs son! Who will rise above the other this season and become the 2018-19 Against All Odds Champion?
The freefall continues for yours truly. Another horrid week, coming in at 3-7 puts my record at an abysmal 21-34 for the year. Dad is on a roll lately, going a solid 6-4, inching himself closer to .500 at 26-29, good enough for a five game lead over me.
Lines as of 10/25/2018
NCAA Football
Thursday, October 25th
Baylor Bears (4-3) at #13 West Virginia Mountaineers (5-1), 7:00 pm
Line: WVU -13.5
Pick: PSN: WVU | MJD: WVU
WVU should have no problems rolling over Baylor in Morgantown Thursday night.
Saturday, October 27th
Duke Blue Devils (5-2) at Pitt Panthers (3-4), 3:30 pm
Line: Duke -2.5
Pick: PSN: Pitt | MJD: Pitt
Pitt is starting to play better, especially defensively. Duke being a favorite is laughable here.
#18 Iowa Hawkeyes (6-1) at #17 Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2), 3:30 pm
Line: Penn State -7.5
Pick: PSN: Iowa | MJD: Iowa
Penn State has burned me two weeks in a row. Ain’t gonna happen again. Iowa always plays the Nittany Lions well anyways, so look for another sad ending in Happy Valley for the Cultists.
#14 Washington State Cougars (6-1) at #24 Stanford Cardinal (5-2), 7:00 pm
Line: Stanford -2.5
Pick: PSN: Washington State | MJD: Stanford
The Cougars are playing very well. It’s tough to win at Stanford, but my gut feeling says go with the higher ranked team here. Dad likes the Cardinal to defend their turf.
#22 N.C. State Wolfpack (5-1) at Syracuse Orange (5-2), 7:00 pm
Line: N.C. State -2.5
Pick: PSN: NC State | MJD: Syracuse
Honestly, who knows what this game will bring? Both teams are basket cases. I’m thinking the Wolfpack will atone for the beating they took at the hands of Clemson last week. Syracuse is a team that can be very good at times, or very bad. I’m betting on the bad here.
NFL
Sunday, October 28th
Cleveland Browns (2-4-1) at Pittsburgh Steelers (3-2-1), 1:00 pm
Line: Pittsburgh -8.5
Pick: PSN: Pittsburgh | MJD: Pittsburgh
The last time these two teams met, the Steelers blew a 14 point 4th quarter lead that resulted in a numbing tie. The Browns have some new faces to display as well, with Baker Mayfield at QB, and Nick Chubb handling the starting running back chores. Doesn’t matter who they have in this Sunday, as the Steelers are finally starting to play like the team we envisioned them to be in July. Look for Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown to bring the pain this week.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (4-3), 1:00 pm
Line: Cincinnati -4.5
Pick: PSN: Cincinnati | MJD: Tampa Bay
Cincinnati is in free fall mode, so with a critical game at home, they had better acquire a parachute quickly against the Jekyll and Hyde Buccaneers. I think Joe Mixon and the Bengal running game is key in this one.
Denver Broncos (3-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (6-1), 1:00 pm
Line: Kansas City -11.5
Pick: PSN: Kansas City | MJD: Denver
Close game the last time, but this one is at Arrowhead and the young Pat Maholmes and the Chiefs are still on a roll offensively. The Broncos will not be able to keep up this time around.
Indianapolis Colts (2-5) at Oakland Raiders (1-5), 4:05 pm
Line: Indianapolis -2.5
Pick: PSN: Indianapolis | MJD: Oakland
Two horrible teams, but one is much more, ahem, horrible then the other. The Raiders are a mess right now. Andrew Luck and the Colts should take care of business in Oakland.
New Orleans Saints (5-1) at Minnesota Vikings (4-2-1), 8:20 pm
Line: EVEN
Pick: PSN: Minnesota | MJD: New Orleans
As usual, in a pick ’em situation, I tend to lean towards the home team in these ones. With Dalvin Cook out, the Minnesota passing game will elevate it’s game past Drew Brees and the Saints.
Pick Results
MJD: Last Week: 6-4 | Overall: 26-29 — .490
PSN: Last Week: 3-7 | Overall: 21-34 -5 .381
2017 Champion: PSN
2016 Champion: MJD
2015 Champion: MJD
2014 Champion: PSN
2013 Champion: PSN
Author Profile
- Your source for Pittsburgh sports!
-
From Midland, "The Basketball Capital of Pennsylvania", located 35 miles NW of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. This former steel town was home to storied athletes such as Dave Alston, Norm Van Lier, Simmie Hill, and the legendary 1965 Midland High School Basketball Team.
There's nowhere on earth that is more dedicated to its sports teams like Western Pennsylvania and the city of Pittsburgh. The passion and pride of Pittsburgh's fan base is second to no one. From the NFL, NHL, MLB, NCAA football and basketball, to W.P.I.A.L. high school sports, "The City of Champions" has it all!
As Editor of Pittsburgh SportsNation, Mike Drakulich provides top notch opinions and coverage of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pitt Panthers football & basketball, Robert Morris Colonials basketball, and Duquesne Dukes basketball, as well as all sports teams that represent Western Pennsylvania, including WPIAL High School Football.
For a refreshing view of sports, mixed with humor and uncensored opinions, check out Pittsburgh SportsNation today on Facebook, Twitter @PghSportsNation and videos with over 1,000,000 views on YouTube!
Latest entries
FeaturesMarch 18, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports
FeaturesMarch 12, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports
FeaturesMarch 3, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports
FeaturesFebruary 25, 2024The DraX-Files: This Week in Pittsburgh Sports