11 Picks For Super Bowl XLV, Packers vs Steelers
Published Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11:00:00 AM
Looking for all the weird Super Bowl XLV prop bets that I actually made? You'll find it at that link!
It's Super Bowl time. Or, as most companies are forced to say in their advertising, it's time for the Big Game.
For those just arriving here, each week during the NFL season, I use the same 11 methods to predict the outcome of one game. This is the final week. We didn't do the Pro Bowl.
The Super Bowl is the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Green Bay Packers. The opening line was Green Bay -3, but we're all just picking the game straight up.
This list was published on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11:00:00 AM under the category NFL Picks.
It currently has View Comments.
Published Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11:00:00 AM
Looking for all the weird Super Bowl XLV prop bets that I actually made? You'll find it at that link!
It's Super Bowl time. Or, as most companies are forced to say in their advertising, it's time for the Big Game.
For those just arriving here, each week during the NFL season, I use the same 11 methods to predict the outcome of one game. This is the final week. We didn't do the Pro Bowl.
The Super Bowl is the Pittsburgh Steelers versus Green Bay Packers. The opening line was Green Bay -3, but we're all just picking the game straight up.
Tecmo Super Bowl simulation. (9-11) Earlier this week I got hit with a bunch of tweets that Daniel Tosh of Tosh.0 had simulated the Super Bowl using Tecmo. Sigh.
Anyway, I don't know how his simulation turned out but in mine, the Steelers just abused the Packers. They picked off the Magic Man three times, turned every possession into a score, and dominated from start to finish. Final score: Steelers 41, Packers 10. So Tecmo's pick is the Steelers.
Madden 11 simulation. (6-14) Madden has already clinched last place for the season. Did not see that one coming. As per usual, this Madden simulation featured about 200 dropped interceptions. Pittsburgh went up 10-0 in the beginning, Green Bay finally cut it to 10-3 in the fourth, and then, instead of just running out the clock, Pittsburgh put together its best drive of the day and scored another touchdown. The Steelers won, 17-3.
- Laska, my parents' dog. (12-8) My mom called and said "Laska picked Green Bay, but we want her to have the points." Then I told her that Green Bay is actually favored. She was shocked. I think, as a lifelong Clevelander, she's just been tortured into thinking the Steelers are eternally favored in every game they've ever played. Laska ate the treat corresponding to the Packers... and she's no longer interested in the points.
Accuscore. (15-5) Accuscore has already wrapped up first place for the season -- and has wrapped up the best record in all three years I've been doing this. The previous two years, 13 correct predictions was enough for first place. Accuscore knocked that one right out.
This week it sees Green Bay winning 50 percent of the time, Pittsburgh winning 49 percent of the time, and the game getting called off by the Morality Police when Fergie's labia accidentally fall out at halftime one percent of the time. So the pick is ever so slightly the Packers.- ESPN's Sports Guy. (10-10) The Sports Guy is picking the Packers to win by 10. He says he thinks they were an under-the-radar team all year whose true ability was masked by injuries. Which is a pretty good point. I have such Stockholm Syndrome with him sometimes.
- 11 Points Reader Battle. (13-7) The final reader picks of the year are upon us, and they could wrap up sole possession of second place if they nail this one...
@toohipguitars: "I'll take the Pack because as a Clevelander I can't live in a world where Big Ben has three rings."
@janus09: "I have to stay loyal to my 'Rodgers shoves it in the media' faces' prediction. It's do or die against his antithesis in the media, Ben "I've sucked all game long but I just completed a 10 yard pass with 1 min left so now I get Brady comparisons" Roethlisberger. Nobody wears a 35 passer rating as well as Big Ben.
Good triumphs over sorta-evil and the Pack win by a TD. And for fun, on the prop 'Will a Steeler's player do the Rodgers Belt celebration' take the 'No.' Nobody on the Steeler's D will do it after John Abraham doing it made him look foolish when he got torched later on. The only wild card is Mr. Hines Ward who would love to do it, but I don't think he's gettin' in the endzone."
Erik (via email): "This game has all the makings of an instant classic. Both teams have a stellar defense and offenses capable of making the big play. Neither team has any sort of home field advantage by proximity, and weather won't be a factor in Dallas. I think this game comes down to motivation. Aaron Rodgers is looking to make a statement and make sure that Packer fans never draw a comparison of him to Brett Fav-ruh again. Most of that Steelers team already has a ring, and I don't think they will be as hungry as the Packers. This one goes to Green Bay on a long field goal by Mason Crosby, 27-24."
So with all three votes, the Packers are the reader pick for the week.
Internet psychic. (8-12) My parents were asking me about the psychic and said "He must know you by this point." And the crazy thing is, he doesn't. We have no rapport, no familiarity. In fact, some might think Psychic Love Guru 7 is actually just a random, rotating group of guys at a giant computer outsourcing clearing house in India. Not me, though. I believe.
Our spiritual guide for the season.
Here's this week's question, which, as always, I've masked as a traditional psychic-babble question:
"I've got a Super question that's going to Bowl you over. Well actually I have 45 Super questions that will Bowl you over, but I'm watching reruns of Dallas so I'm only going to ask you one. The other day I saw my ex leaving my house with a box. I thought she was Steeling from me. She said, no, she was Packing up her old stuff. So can you use your psychic powers to see what was in the box and tell me what the verdict is: Steeling or Packing?"
As usual, he did not catch on. And after three minutes (at $1.99/minute) of hemming and hawing, he ended up using his psychic powers to see that she was stealing. So the pick is the Steelers.- Randier cheerleaders. (9-11) Tough one here because neither team has cheerleaders. So I picked random photos from Google Images that I got when searching for "Green Bay Packers cheerleaders" and "Pittsburgh Steelers cheerleaders".
I don't think there's any question about it. Those Pittsburgh ladies are just dying for it. The Green Bay cheerleaders are trying far too hard for comedy. The pick is the Steelers. - Turnover margin. (12-8) The Steelers ended the regular season with 18 turnovers and 35 takeaways for a fantastic turnover margin of +17. Meanwhile the Packers had 22 giveaways and 32 takeaways for a less-impressive +10 ratio. Then again, the 49ers ended at -17, so things could be worse. And the Texans ended at zero. It's like they didn't even exist this season.
The pick is easily the Steelers. - Higher team salary. (12-8) The Steelers dropped $123,253,015 this season on salary, with Ben Roethlisberger groping the largest chunk at $12.25 million. The Packers, however, spared no expense, racking up a pretty large team salary of $139,276,998. Safety Nick Collins gets the biggest chunk at $10.95 million. So the pick is the Packers.
- The opposite of my pick. (11-9) If I may blow my own horn for a minute, back on October 10th, I did some season-long predictions for my e-friend Alyson's website, Welcome to the Sin Bin. And, as you'll see here, I predicted that the Super Bowl would be... Pittsburgh versus Green Bay. Seriously.
I also predicted that Green Bay would win, and I stick by that. I think they're better, less evil, and really deserve this thing. Therefore, my pick here will be the Steelers.
This list was published on Saturday, February 5, 2011 at 11:00:00 AM under the category NFL Picks.
It currently has View Comments.
Did you enjoy this list?
11 Points is a one-man operation that relies on word-of-mouth & repeat readers.
So please consider sharing this list using the social media icons in the box, and/or joining the 11 Points mailing list, Facebook fan page and Twitter feed.
11 Points is a one-man operation that relies on word-of-mouth & repeat readers.
So please consider sharing this list using the social media icons in the box, and/or joining the 11 Points mailing list, Facebook fan page and Twitter feed.
11 Famous Bands Who Used to Have Very Different Names
Published Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Music
11 Worst Fast Food Restaurants - 11 Points Countdown
Published Monday, May 14, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Countdown
11 Really Old Actors Who Played Teenagers on TV
Published Friday, May 11, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category TV
11 Best Cheap Ways to Get Drunk - 11 Points Countdown
Published Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Countdown
11 Random Thoughts on The Avengers
Published Monday, May 7, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Movies
11 Most Depressing Place Names In the US
Published Friday, May 4, 2012 at 10:00:00 AM under the category Travel
Full Archive
Published Wednesday, May 16, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Music
11 Worst Fast Food Restaurants - 11 Points Countdown
Published Monday, May 14, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Countdown
11 Really Old Actors Who Played Teenagers on TV
Published Friday, May 11, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category TV
11 Best Cheap Ways to Get Drunk - 11 Points Countdown
Published Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Countdown
11 Random Thoughts on The Avengers
Published Monday, May 7, 2012 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Movies
11 Most Depressing Place Names In the US
Published Friday, May 4, 2012 at 10:00:00 AM under the category Travel
Full Archive
11 Points is comprised entirely of (theoretically) humorous 11-item lists covering a giant swath of topics.
It's composed entirely by this stern-
faced goon to the right. His name
is Sam. Screw Flanders.
It's composed entirely by this stern-
faced goon to the right. His name
is Sam. Screw Flanders.
11 Points Mailing List
updates, contests, exclusives
updates, contests, exclusives
(advertisement)
Friends, Bloggers and Well-Wishers
(Meaning they wish me no specific harm.)
(advertisement)
(Meaning they wish me no specific harm.)
(advertisement)
11 Points is a collection of exhaustively-researched, meticulously-written, theoretically-humorous 11-item lists, covering topics ranging from TV and movies to the Internet and video games to food and dating to politics and race relations.
It's all written by Sam Greenspan, a Midwest-born, classically-trained journalist who now tries to make a dollar out of 15 cents in Los Angeles. (It's hard to be legit and still pay the rent.)
Read more about 11 Points and Sam here.
For information about reprinting 11 Points content, or for quotes/interviews for your newspaper, magazine, website, TV program, or radio show, contact Sam via e-mail at
It's all written by Sam Greenspan, a Midwest-born, classically-trained journalist who now tries to make a dollar out of 15 cents in Los Angeles. (It's hard to be legit and still pay the rent.)
Read more about 11 Points and Sam here.
For information about reprinting 11 Points content, or for quotes/interviews for your newspaper, magazine, website, TV program, or radio show, contact Sam via e-mail at
