11 Picks for NFL Week 6, Panthers at Buccaneers
Published Friday, October 10, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM
I have strep throat right now. It's absurd. I've never had it before and somehow I got it at age 29. I figured the statute of limitations should've run out on it. Strep's a kid sickness. Like chicken pox or, in times past, rubella. As an adult I have a whole freaking slew of other diseases I have to worry about. Yes, chlamydia, I'm talking to you. I shouldn't also have to worry about strep throat.
That's totally irrelevant to today's NFL picks, but I figured that little spontaneous rant didn't deserve its own 11-item list, so I jammed it in the preamble here. Like a pork barrel rant.
Anyway, not a single one of my 11 experts survived five weeks with a perfect record. Both Karmen the model and SI's Peter King got last week's Washington at Philly game wrong, taking them both to 4-1.
This week, the game we're all picking is Carolina at Tampa Bay. The line is Tampa Bay -1.5, but we're all just picking the game straight up.
This list was published on Friday, October 10, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM under the category NFL Picks.
It currently has View Comments.
Published Friday, October 10, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM
I have strep throat right now. It's absurd. I've never had it before and somehow I got it at age 29. I figured the statute of limitations should've run out on it. Strep's a kid sickness. Like chicken pox or, in times past, rubella. As an adult I have a whole freaking slew of other diseases I have to worry about. Yes, chlamydia, I'm talking to you. I shouldn't also have to worry about strep throat.
That's totally irrelevant to today's NFL picks, but I figured that little spontaneous rant didn't deserve its own 11-item list, so I jammed it in the preamble here. Like a pork barrel rant.
Anyway, not a single one of my 11 experts survived five weeks with a perfect record. Both Karmen the model and SI's Peter King got last week's Washington at Philly game wrong, taking them both to 4-1.
This week, the game we're all picking is Carolina at Tampa Bay. The line is Tampa Bay -1.5, but we're all just picking the game straight up.
Accuscore. (1-4 on the season) Accuscore runs tens of thousands of simulations of the game. So far it's really crapping the bed this season, with just a 1-4 record. It slightly favors the Panthers, 52 percent to 47 percent. It comes up one percent short pretty much every week. It's really making all computer-kind look bad.
Accuscore is giving a small edge to Carolina.- Former NFL star Eric Allen. (2-3) Eric Allen, former NFL cornerback, thinks the Panthers are going to win. I believe this is the first time in his life he's picked the team that's technically the underdog. I think next year I'm going to find a more ballsy, less chalk-oriented NFL expert.
- Random number generator. (1-4) I use Random.org's coin flipper to choose this pick. Heads home, tails away. It came up heads, so the random number generator is picking the Buccaneers.
- Homeless guy outside my office. (4-1) Fortunately, I was healthy enough to go in to the office this morning. The homeless guy was outside. He's picking the Panthers. I wasn't feeling well enough to stand there and try to get him to elaborate.
Battle of the mascots. (4-1) I've waffled back and forth on this a few times. I know that pirates have cannons and swords, but I feel like panthers are so fast and ferocious that they could dodge cannonballs and swiftly land a fatal blow before the pirate could parry and/or thrust. Although I think they might go for the legs, and, since pirates always have one wooden leg, there's a 50-50 shot the panther's strike would just hit wood. Such a tough call. I think, in the end, the Buccaneers win this battle... but I'm not thrilled about it.
A pirate beats a panther... but it is NOT a dominant performance.- Adam, the late '80s fan. (2-3) Adam stopped regularly watching football two years before the Carolina Panthers became a team. So, he told me, even though Tampa Bay is the laughing stock of the NFL, the Buccaneers have the edge over a team that doesn't actually exist.
- Fatter offensive line. (2-3) Very, very close battle here. Carolina's o-line has a combined weight of 1,567 pounds... Tampa Bay's line weighs a combined 1,548. That's really close but, under my theory that fatter offensive lines win football games, even that 19 pound edge is an edge... and this goes to the Panthers.
- A model who may or may not know football. (4-1) Karmen says she's "going with the Buccaneers."
- Just picking the home team. (1-4) I can't believe how bad this method has been so far this year. I mean, I know that I'm picking a toss up game every week, but you'd think home field advantage would be hitting better than 20 percent. Anyway, this week we'll see if the Buccaneers can break this trend.
- "Sports Illustrated" legend Peter King. (4-1) Peter King sees the Panthers dropping this one on the road, but then going on a huge winning streak. He's already looking past this game, and, I guess, he assumes they are too. His pick is the Buccaneers, 20 to 13..
- My pick. (2-3) As I think about the game, I just keep seeing it ending with a Panthers win. I believe in them for some reason. I'm not sure what that reason is, because I haven't watched any of their games or anything... but I believe. Get me back to .500 guys.
This list was published on Friday, October 10, 2008 at 12:00:00 PM 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 Points Live Blog - 2010 Emmy Awards
Published Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 06:57:00 PM under the category TV
11 Acronyms Whose Dirty Meanings Have Usurped Their Clean Meanings
Published Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Dating & Sex
11 Stars of The Expendables, Ranked By On-Screen Ass Kicking
Published Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Movies
11 Very Unfortunate Mistakes On TV News Graphics
Published Friday, August 20, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category News & Politics
11 Thoughts On the WWE After Attending Monday Night Raw
Published Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Sports
11 Famous Sony Products, Ranked From Worst Failure to Biggest Success
Published Monday, August 16, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Web & Tech
Full Archive
Published Sunday, August 29, 2010 at 06:57:00 PM under the category TV
11 Acronyms Whose Dirty Meanings Have Usurped Their Clean Meanings
Published Thursday, August 26, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Dating & Sex
11 Stars of The Expendables, Ranked By On-Screen Ass Kicking
Published Tuesday, August 24, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Movies
11 Very Unfortunate Mistakes On TV News Graphics
Published Friday, August 20, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category News & Politics
11 Thoughts On the WWE After Attending Monday Night Raw
Published Wednesday, August 18, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Sports
11 Famous Sony Products, Ranked From Worst Failure to Biggest Success
Published Monday, August 16, 2010 at 11:00:00 AM under the category Web & Tech
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.
(advertisement)
11 Points on Twitter
interaction, news, randomness
interaction, news, randomness
11 Points on Facebook
community, forum, public affection
community, forum, public affection
11 Points RSS
instantaneous, confusing to the elderly
instantaneous, confusing to the elderly
11 Points Mailing List
updates, contests, exclusives
updates, contests, exclusives
(advertisement)
Friends, Bloggers and Well-Wishers
(Meaning they wish me no specific harm.)
(Meaning they wish me no specific harm.)
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
