0
0
Welcome to Against All Odds: NCAA/NFL Picks! From the opening weekend of the NCAA football season through Super Bowl LIV, 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 line.
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 2019-20 Against All Odds Champion?
Blah… that about describes the Steeler passing game behind the shackled Mason Rudolph, Pitt’s 2nd half offensive performances, and the last two weeks in making picks.
Another week, another 5-5 record… still, that’s good enough to be ten games above .500 as we head down the stretch run in Against All Odds. Dad is eight games over .500 and still trails me by two games in the standings.
We’ll be out early next week, Tuesday night, as both Pitt and the Steelers play next Thursday night.
Against All Odds: NCAA/NFL Picks Week 11
Lines as of 11/6/2019
NCAA Football
Saturday, November 9th
#4 Penn State Nittany Lions (8-0) at #17 Minnesota Golden Gophers (8-0)
Game Time: Noon at TFC Bank Stadium, Minneapolis, MN.
Line: Penn State -7.5
Pick: PSN: Minnesota | MJD: Minnesota
Tough test for Penn State on the road up in the frigid air of Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are out to prove they are for real. Penn State will not cover this spread… but, that doesn’t mean they’ll take the loss… or does it?
Texas Tech Red Raiders (3-5) at West Virginia Mountaineers (3-5)
Game Time: Noon at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV.
Line: Texas Tech -2.5
Pick: PSN: WVU | MJD: WVU
WVU almost stunned undefeated Baylor last week, and now they look to build off of that performance. They will be at home and they should be pretty miffed to be dogs in their own house, so what the hell, go Mountaineers!
#2 LSU Tigers (8-0) at #3 Alabama Crimson Tide (8-0)
Game Time: 3:30 pm at Bryant-Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa, AL.
Line: Alabama -6.5
Pick: PSN: LSU | MJD: Alabama
Thee game of the year in college football. Winner stays in the playoff hunt and the loser… probably stays in the playoff hunt, because God forbid SEC teams don’t get preferential treatment. Regardless of whether Tua Tagovailoa plays or not, I think Bama is in for more than they can handle with LSU’s high powered offense. The Tigers finally take down the Tide for the first time since 2011.
#19 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (7-1) at Virginia Tech Hokies (5-3)
Game Time: 3:30 pm at Lane Stadium, Blacksburg, VA.
Line: Wake Forest -2.5
Pick: PSN: Wake Forest | MJD: Virginia Tech
Can Wake Forest keep their winning ways going? Can VaTech build off their narrow loss to Notre Dame? My guess is the Hokies hang around for awhile before the Demon Deacons pull away in the 4th quarter.
#15 Notre Dame (6-2) at Duke Blue Devils (4-4)
Game Time: 7:30 pm at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium, Durham, NC.
Line: Notre Dame -7.5
Pick: PSN: Notre Dame | MJD: Notre Dame
This game will probably see plenty of scoring, but eventually, the cream will rise to the top. The Irish will take care of business and cover by double digits.
NFL
Sunday, November 10th
Detroit Lions (3-4-1) at Chicago Bears (3-5)
Game Time: 1:00 pm at Soldier Field, Chicago, IL.
Line: Chicago -2.5
Pick: PSN: Detroit | MJD: Detroit
Detroit had had some bad luck despite Matt Stafford’s excellent play. Persistence pays off and the Lions steal one in Chicago.
Baltimore Ravens (6-2) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-8)
Game Time: 1:00 pm at Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati, OH.
Line: Baltimore -9.5
Pick: PSN: Baltimore | MJD: Cincinnati
Will the Ravens suffer a letdown after clobbering the Patriots last week? Nah… no way, right?
Atlanta Falcons (1-7) at New Orleans Saints (7-1)
Game Time: 1:00 pm at Super Dome, New Orleans, LA.
Line: New Orleans -12.5
Pick: PSN: New Orleans | MJD: New Orleans
The sleep walking Falcons head into New Orleans to get pasted by Drew Brees who should really have his mojo going in his 2nd game back returning from his thumb injury. This may get ugly, and fast.
Arizona Cardinals (3-5-1) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-6)
Game Time: 1:00 pm at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL.
Line: Tampa Bay -4.5
Pick: PSN: Tampa Bay | MJD: Arizona
Two teams with sub-par records but somewhat exciting offenses. Expect a shootout in this tilt, with the Bucs making the cover behind the receiving hands of Mike Evans.
LA Rams (5-3) at Pittsburgh Steelers (4-4)
Game Time: 4:25 pm at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA.
Line: LA Rams -3.5
Pick: PSN: Pittsburgh | MJD: Pittsburgh
This may be a game where Pittsburgh covers, but loses the game. Everything depends on how well Mason Rudolph plays. The Steelers offense cannot expect to be successful if the coaching staff keeps Rudolph shackled. If Rudolph can start finding his groove and hit some receivers downfield, Pittsburgh will move to 5-4.
Pick Results
PSN: Last Week: 5-5 | Overall: 55-45 — .555
MJD: Last Week: 5-5 | Overall: 53-47 -2 .533
Against All Odds: NCAA/NFL Picks History
2018 Champion: MJD
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