NFL Week 1: Flipping Vegas

Here we go! Another NFL season begins, which means it's another year of Eric's NFL themed picks! As all of you know, I was diagnosed with cancer in January of this year, and have been fighting the battle since. Things are going well - there is a CaringBridge site set up for regular updates on my condition and adventures.

Many people ask how I spend my time at home during the cancer fight! Some of you have recommended books to read, thinking I would be happy to increase my intellectual knowledge during this time. Well, I really do appreciate those thoughts, but my reading frequency hasn't increased. Instead, I have spent wayyyy too much time this year watching reality TV!

So - this year, we will summarize the top 17 reality TV shows that has helped me get through the cancer fight. Yes, I think my brain has now officially turned to mush over the past 6 months....
For week 1, we will highlight:

Show: Flipping Vegas

Network: A&E

When Broadcast: Mostly Weekend Mornings

Main Character(s): Scott and Amie Yancey

So I discovered this show in February, when I was mostly bed-ridden and sick. This show was on every weekend morning on A&E, showing montages of Vegas before and after commercial breaks. This cheered me up; we just cancelled our March Vegas trip and I needed those images of Vegas to help keep my spirits up.

Then I watched the show. By the end of episode 2, I feel like I could be the writer for the show.

Scott is a professional house flipper in the Vegas market - which was red hot in the late 2000s. However, the market now has fallen on hard times and there are many homes abandoned and up for sale. Scott and his "team" of contractors and workers go in, do the modifications, and flip for a much higher price. Everyone wins, right?

Of course, not so fast. There's his wife Amie, a decorator whose taste costs a little more than the budget allows. Amie usually goes and buys counter tops/tile/fixtures around the 22 minute mark of each show; Scott sees the bill at about the 43 minute mark; conflict ensues.

Scott also hires different project managers to oversee the day to day renovations; inevitably something falls behind schedule in the process. Scott comes pulling up in his Porsche ( I saw a lime green Porsche one episode), berates the project manager, yells in Spanish to the workers - and voila! After commercial break, Voila! Everything is on schedule!

Scott and Amie have 3 real estate agents they use to sell the house - every open house happens on time, multiple offers come in, and the house sells at its asking price.  A happy ending every show!

Many articles I am looking at now call Flipping Vegas as "A&E's hit show..". Really? This was a hit from 2011-15? How do you define a hit on A&E? Over 20,000 viewers watched it?

This is good weekend fluff, but I have to admit the scenes of Vegas on this show got me through the cold weather in February and March, and the depression of cancelling our annual trip. We need to start planning our March 2019 trip now! Maybe I'll try to contact Scott and we can invite him to one of our dinners….

We've had 7 months without the NFL; I missed it so......this NFL-Less depression is now over! Here we go with the Week 1 picks. For any new readers: I do not pick the Browns game as my prediction would be a 51-0 win or a 41-3 loss depending on my mood. And with Hue Jackson as our coach, the latter is so much more likely.

Bal 24, Buf 10. This seems too easy. Nathan Peterman QB'ing against a Ravens defense that is still good against the pass? Yes, McCoy may get some yards, but how will Buffalo score?

Cin 23, Ind 17. I don't believe Cinci is some sleeper 10-6 team; there's just too many questions about the Colts. Luck's health? O Line? Who will catch the ball? Did they fix their front 7 problems?

Ten 20, Mia 17. Not touching a side here; will be interested to watch this to see how these teams execute. Is Tanehill back? Are the Titans still a solid team?

Min 27, SF 13. Don't see how SF moves the ball consistently against this defense and without McKinnon. SF still has issues on run defense - Cook all day, I think.

NE 26, Hou 23. If Watson is 75% of what he was at the beginning of last year, then the Texans should win. However, never pick against Belichick.....I learned this lesson numerous times.

NO 31, TB 17. Again, looks too easy on paper; NO's weapons on O and their young defense should dominate the Bucs. However, NFC South games are weird, and Koetter is desperate for a good start.

Jax 19, NYG 13. There's a lot of love out there for the Giants, and I just don't see it yet. Too many questions on the line for the Giants (on both sides), and Ramsey will neutralize Beckham.

LAC 23, KC 20. Going against the grain here; I see a lot of running on both sides here, which means time taken off the clock. The whole world is on the over on this game.....

Was 26, Az 24. I like Alex Smith, and he can do a lot with some crappy receivers. Arizona will move the ball with Johnson back and the weak Redskins run D.

Dal 23, Car 20. Not a fan of Carolina this year. O line problems; and you're telling me McCaffrey is your back to get the hard yards up the middle? Dallas's new OC will help the Cowboys move the ball.

Den 23, Sea 13. How is Seattle going to score? I don't believe in their running game, and Denver's pass rush should be the dominant force. I don't like Vance Joseph however - prove me wrong!

GB 26, Chi 23. Still a lot of questions on the Packers D that the Bears can now exploit. I feel like the Packers have lost a bit on O with less weapons....it is hard, however, to go against Aaron in Lambeau.

Det 30, NYJ 20. Dome special! Detroit's D is exactly what Darnold needs for a nice intro to the NFL, but the Lions just have too many ways to move the ball, especially at home.

LAR 30, Oak 27.  The obvious play is the Rams, but weird things happen on Monday night. Everyone is focused on the Mack trade, but Oakland still has weapons on O.

Best bets: 18 of them. Yikes!
Bal -7.5
Cin +2
Cin/Ind under 48
Ten/Mia under 45
Min -6.5
Hou +6
NO -10
Jax -3
Jax/NYG under 42
KC/LAC under 48.5
Was +1.5
Was/Az over 43.5
Dal +
Den -3
Sea/Den under 42
Chi +7
Det -6.5
LAR/Oak over 48.5

Supercontest picks for week 1:
Cin +3
Min -6.5
Dal +3
Sea -3
Chi +7.5

There was a lot of hard swallowing when I sent in those picks....