Merry Christmas to all out there! It's Christmas Eve morning here, where everyone is late to wake up in the house. This is probably a bad idea since Santa needs everyone to go to bed early tonight so he can prepare.....or Santa can get up at 3 in the morning to wrap presents tomorrow....while the NFL is on! Hey, what an idea!
This is another weird week, getting me out of my routine. It's Saturday, we are at home, with no soccer games, and there will be NFL games tomorrow morning (instead of Monday morning). It's a weird feeling to adjust the routine after 15 weeks. We are actually going into work on Monday morning - this means I can actually be productive at work on a Monday instead of being hal asleep on 4 hours of sleep?
When I talk about weird feelings in casinos, there's one casino that stands out as one that I am very uncomfortable at. Kermit could guess this answer right away without looking at the title - it's the Imperial Palace. Wow, I do not belong there. It starts with the extra long craps tables - I think they are designed to fit 10 on each side. It's very hard to throw the dice all the way down and hit the wall on this extra large table. It's like asking Greg Maddux to now throw a strike from the mound that is 75 feet away, not 60' 6". Usually, I am close to drunk when I gamble there, and there is heavy smoke fog in the casino - so when I roll, I can't see the dice. It's like gambling on the 1988 Fog Bowl playoff game. I'm relying on Verne Lundquist, the stick man, to tell me what the result of the roll is.
And then we get to the blackjack pit. It's not gambling as usual there. Somehow we end up there on a Fri or Sat night - which is when the performers come out and sing/dance in the middle of the pit. They usually are cover bands for famous artists; Madonna, Elvis, etc. The one still seared in my head is the Freddie Mercury look alike singing "Bicycle" while a stripper does a pole dance around an actual bicycle.
And I'm supposed to decide whether to split 3's vs a 4 with this going on?
And, finally, it's impossible to get to. There's no direct entrance to the casino off the strip. (Is there?)
It's not like I hate the place - there are others that I dislike a lot more than IP - but I just don't feel 100% there. I'm out of my comfort zone - like doing the picks on a Saturday morning.
But here they are, anyway:
Bal 23, Cle 9. Tell me how we will stop a very angry Ravens team with Ray Rice in the backfield. He rushed for 200 against us a few weeks ago -without really even trying.
Den 31, Buf 20. I just can't see the Broncos blowing this one.
Car 27, TB 17. I can't trust the Panthers just yet to win convincingly, even over bad teams like TB.
Was 27, Min 13. I think the Vikes have packed it in for the year; Washington, somehow, is playing well - they remind me of the 2009 Mangini-led Browns.
Ten 24, Jax 17. What to think of the Titans after last week's loss to the Colts? They had a playoff berth in their hand!
Pit 23, StL 7. Let's see how Batch can play in this one.
Cin 24, Az 23. Again, I will say it: I don't trust the Bengals. They may win, but it will be down to the wire.
NE 27, Mia 24. Mia will be able to score on the Pats, and have some defense, enough to stay in the game.
KC 23, Oak 13. I think last week's loss is it for Oakland. They will pack it in.
NYJ 24, NYG 21. Does anyone outside of New York care about this game? Wow, what a dud this turned out to be.
SD 28, Det 24. I've gone back and forth on this one. Maybe - just maybe? - the Chargers have turned the corner (albeit too late)???
Dal 28, Phi 24. Just a hunch. Rob Ryan will figure something out after being embarrassed the last time he faced the Eagles.
Sea 27, SF 20. Seattle is too hot right now.
GB 31, Chi 10. The Pack have something to prove.
NO 34, Atl 23. Speaking of "hot" - I lost in my semi-finals last week due to Brees and his FIVE touchdowns.
Best bets: 15 of them. Last week: 8-5-1; overall: 128-99-11.
Bal -12
Den -3
Den/Buf over 43
Was -7
Az +4.5
Az/Cin over 41
Mia +9
KC -2.5
Oak/KC under 42
SD +1.5
Dal -1
Sea +1
SF/Sea over 37.5
GB -11.5
NO -7
Supercontest picks:
Bal -13
Den -2.5
Az +4
Mia +9.5
SD +2.5
2 comments:
Your super contest picks are so bad I've started going the other way. I love you guys, keep up the good work!
Everytime I hear "Bicycle" I think of that night. I don't know where the proper entrance to IP is. I always walk down the driveway and try not to get hit by cars. Although, it's the IP so not much traffic to worry about. I have fond memories of the IP. It was the first casino I stayed at in Vegas. One spring trip, after dinner with you and I think Steve, I staggered in there. Of course, I had had 3 or 4 martinis at dinner. I remember playing $25 blackjack with either Shakira or Christina Aguilera as the dealer. I think I was trying to hit on the dealer and she kept asking if there was something wrong with me. Won $300 in 5 minutes and somehow found my way back to the hotel.
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