Blame on shield
Picks are fine, the NFL won’t cooperate
The furor is reaching Trumpian proportions.
The Bet Box is under attack.
Something about bad picks, or, as one “fan” said, “worthless, pathetic picks.”
It’s been a tough start, like the 4-10-1 record last week, and 28-42-6 mark overall.
THE BET BOX Jim Lazar
But believe this — it’s all the NFL’s fault, not mine. The league is just not playing ball with these solid picks.
A good prognosticator needs cooperation from those he is prognosticating. And the NFL is just not cooperating, the result being a weekly “full body weight” slam to the ground and nary a roughing The Bet Box penalty called.
This has got to stop! No wisecracks, please. The effort is there. But as another “fan” shouted, “these stupid guesses you make must stop” before he burned last Friday’s Herald, charring the comics, editorial and obit pages along with the cherished sports section where the torching began.
Another wise guy walked by our dinner table and flashed two fingers, mouthing “only two wins for you this week.” Actually, it was four, buddy!
The picks are good and solid, believe it, steeped in deep thought and analysis, even though some may think the Giants and Ravens never get picked.
It’s all simply good habits going bad.
Like who could see the Bengals rallying to victory — every week — and covering the spread, or the Eagles stinking up the joint, or the Browns winning. Come on! That’s tough to pick.
Bad luck always is part of the game, too. When combined with an NFL that does not play to form, that still cherishes the old On Any Given Sunday (or Monday, or Thursday) and relishes that 30 out of 32 teams all look, play and stink the same, well, the NFL truly is just not cooperating here.
So The Bet Box is very dependable, a solid support system for your diminishing dollar. It is the NFL’s fault. Send your complaints to Roger Goodell.
Now there’s a bad bet if you ever saw one. Battle Royale:
Kansas City at Patriots (-31⁄2) — Footballs flying, defenses crying, a shootout of mythical proportions. Young gunslinger against old six-shooter. No bathroom breaks. Don’t want to miss anything. Pats, 41-36.
Arizona at Minnesota (-101⁄2) — The Vikings gotta be back. They just gotta be. Vikings, 30-10.
LA Chargers (-1) at Cleveland — I believe! Browns, 16-13.
Chicago (-31⁄2) at Miami — I don’t believe! Dolphins, 19-17.
Carolina at Washington (-1) — OK, things are despicable in DC these days so it’s time for a rise in affection. Redskins, 26-23.
Indianapolis at NY Jets (-2 1 ⁄2) — What a mess in Indy. Jets, 18-13.
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati
(-2) — Enough of these Bengals. Get back to form.
Steelers, 28-20.
Tampa Bay at Atlanta (-3) — Remember when the Falcons were good? Say, halftime of Super Bowl LI. Buccaneers, 24-23.
Seattle (-2 1 ⁄2) vs. Oakland (in London) — The TV booth has never looked better for Chucky. Seahawks, 33-23.
Buffalo at Houston (-10 1 ⁄2) — The Texans couldn’t beat the North Texas Mean Green by 101⁄2 points. Texans, 25-20.
LA Rams (-7) at Denver — If Sam Darnold’s Jets can rough up the Broncos, the Rams will add a ‘shod’ to that ‘rough’ in this one.
Rams, 30-16.
Jacksonville (-3) at Dallas — The Cowboys are a mess, as is Blake Bortles. A tossup.
Jaguars, 23-17.
Baltimore (-2 1 ⁄2) at Tennessee — It’s the Ravens never to take. Titans, 14-13.
San Francisco at Green Bay (-9 1 ⁄2) — Aaron Rodgers has calculated that in 2024 he’ll pass Drew Brees’ passing yardage record without whining. Packers, 33-20. Last week: 4-10-1 Season: 28-42-6