November 7, 2025 • 45 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your home for college football Saturdays and the NFL presents
Dick and the Loves with Mark James and Lee Sterling,
brought to you by the Fan Duel Sports Book at
Sequamash Clearwater Casino Resort. We're getting you ready for the
weekends games with Lee Sterling. Here's your host, Mark James.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
It's the number one sports gambling show on the planet,
Picking the Locks, brought to you by Fan Duel Sportsbooks,
sou Quamish Clearwater Casino Resort. Right here on the flagship
Sports Radio ninety three to three KJR FM in Seattle
and the PNW.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I'm your host, Mark James from.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
MJ in the midday ten am the one pm every
day on Sports Radio ninety three to three KGRFM, along
with the best sports any caper in America who has
been a part of KJAR as a guest now for
over nearly thirty years, Lee Sterling. You can always hear
them on Softy and Dick from three to seven pm
every single Friday. Throughout football season. Lee, we were coming
(01:05):
off a bunch of things. The first ever college football
Playoff Top twenty five was released. No surprise at the
top obviously Ohio State one Indiana two A and M three,
Alabama four, Georgia five all missed. Then six BYU seven,
(01:26):
Texas Tech eight. That's interesting because they played each other
this weekend and what could be a de facto Big
twelve championship game BYU is undefeated, going down on the
road to Lubbock. But they're at ten and a half
point underdog Oregon nine, way overrated. And then Notre Dame
at ten as well. What was your thought that stood
(01:48):
out to you the most from seeing the top twenty
five for the first college football playoff rankings.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Of the year.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Okay, so Notre Dame always gets way too much love.
I mean, I understand they played a couple, you know,
teams that are good, but you know, they can run
the table and they'll probably give them the fifth or
sixth position, So I think that's absolutely ridiculous. And then Miami,
even though I'm a Miami fan, bottom line eighteenth in
(02:14):
the country. Are you kidding me? They lost the game
in overtime, a game they were driving for the win,
lost against two quality teams. So I don't get it.
They're just you know, the public if you root for
Notre Dame or you root for Miami. You're a part
of a certain base. Almost everyone else hates those teams,
(02:35):
and Notre Dame gets I think, way too much love
and Miami. Whether they're playing, they get called for way
too many penalties and not enough on opponents, and they
just the Poles just don't like Miami at all.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Never have, never will. And here's the thing about Notre Dame.
You look at their schedule. Yeah, they lost to A
and M number three in the country. They also lost
to Miami. Now they only have and so they have
two losses. Miami has two losses as well. But here's
the difference. Miami beat Notre Dame to start the season,
and yet here we are in Miami is eight spots
(03:11):
behind Notre Dame. Now, I know Notre Dame hasn't lost
since September at home A and M, but that's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Texas is overrated, way too high.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
At number eleven, they've got two losses, even though they've
been on a run recently. And man, the committee is
just and I don't really have too much of an
issue with this. The committee just buried the ACC. Virginia
right now at number fourteen, they have one loss. Louisville
at fifteen and then Georgia Tech at seventeen and Miami
(03:40):
at eighteen.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So the committee, they are what they are.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And this is the problem when you have a committee
selecting it and not an automatic criteria like we do
in the National Football League the best records. It's a
complete marita. There's no committee. The committee are the teams
playing on Sunday. They're the committee where's decided on what
(04:09):
seven teams in the AFC make it and what seven
teams in the NFC make it. No effing committee like
we have in college football.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
But that's it's ridiculous. But what are you gonna do?
One thing?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I also want to get to, speaking of the ACC,
Dabosweeney went on a Mike Drop rant about the referees
this year, and Dabbo John Gruden actually did it about
the referees in the NFL. Lee, I don't care what
league you're in. We saw in Major League Baseball throughout
the course of the postseason, especially with the Mariners, they
(04:43):
got screwed on some calls. We've seen it in the
NBA for decades, and now the NBA is at the
epicenter of a gambling investigation. Go figure the NBA also
had a former rogue referee who's been on my show
named Tim Donnahie. Go, figure, we're seeing it college football,
the NFL, Well, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Why are the why.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Is the officiing at an all time low? And why
can't they get it right? Even with challenges and replay
of phishing has never been worse than it is in
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Why is that? Lee?
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Well, the reason is because the people that are judging
the referees are former referees, so a lot of times
they're judging their friends. So good friends with someone who
was a college referee, and he told me, it's an
absolute disaster what's going on. So they're going to have
to do something to change it because, like I said,
(05:38):
too many teams are just having too many bad calls
against him and there's no way that they can overcome it.
So everyone, just whether you're gambling or you're watching game,
just wants it to be done fairly. And they still
haven't figured it out. I mean case in Point Auburn.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
You know they have quarterbacks see so bad, so bad.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
The quarterback, I mean, you fringeze. I'm not saying he's great,
but Mike still have a job. I changed their season
and Lee Let's touchdown.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
He also got screwed on multiple calls, three of them
versus Oklahoma, and then the SEC came out and said, yeah,
they got those wrong. And what Dabo saying and kudos
to Dabbo for doing it, even though he doesn't care
if he gets fine, he's saying that where's the accountability?
These guys get behind, get to hide behind a curtain.
And I even mention this on my show, like the
(06:24):
Wizard of Oz, nobody talks about them.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
They'll say, oh, the ref got the ref.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Let's get their names out there, let's start, Let's make
them accountable for bad plays. Find them like, let's do
this because it's ridiculous. The calls in the Miami SMU
game were absolutely egregious. Even though Mario Cristoball is a
game day dumb ass head coach, Miami got screwed in
that game so bad. In that game, the time out,
(06:51):
one of the players heard the whistle late. He ends
up hitting Jennings, the quarterback from SMU, but he tries
to hold him up ref's throw of the flag. It
was fourth and Miami would have gotten SMU. They were
taking the ball over and won that game. That cost
Miami what could be a playoff spot. But it's been
horrific across the board, no matter where you look, in
what sport, and we can only hope it gets better.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
All right, let's start with our picks underdogs. You start off.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It used to be the biggest rivalry in college football
about fifteen years ago. LSU at Alabama Brian Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa,
and no more.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Brian Kelly.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Caitlin de Boror got to be licking his shops right
now at this LSU team coming into te town.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
All right, so it's still big, Mark. I mean, let's
be honest, it's Alabama LSU Alabama top five team coming
off playing and beating five straight ranked opponents. I mean,
coaches like Florida's Billy Napier, Penn Saint James Franklin were
liked by their players. I thought their teams played hard
for him before they were fired, just weren't efficient enough.
(07:56):
Brian Kelly, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
The LSU administration is reaching out to welcome back the
alumni and fan base. Once they announce a coach, they're
gonna be even more energized. But I think the kids
are gonna play hard for their interim coach. They like them.
Also the fact they want to play for jobs. You know,
(08:17):
these kids are gonna if they're starting now, they want
to keep their jobs. At their backups and they get in,
I think they're gonna play even harder because they want
to get playing time. They want to find out if
they're going to be in the plans for next year.
LSU's wrong numbers are not good on offense. Twenty five
points are less in all SEC games. They're ranked one
hundred and twenty fourth in rushing offense out of one
(08:38):
hundred and thirty six teams. That being said, I think
Alabama is good, but nowhere no as close to the
teams that were playing for and won national championships. I
think it's one of these years where the bunch of
pretty good teams but no great teams, and they're certainly vulnerable.
Florida State pushed them around, So why can't LSU If
(09:01):
they're motivated here and Alabama didn't even cover against South
Carolina and had to push against Missouri, I think Alabama
escates here thirty to twenty four ten points ten ten
and a half way too much. Maybe the wrong team favorite.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
All right, so let's go from the SEC to the
Big ten. And this is going to be a huge
test for the Oregon Ducks. Their best win of the
year was at Penn State and the white out, and
everybody thought, wow, that's a big boy win. You beat
it top Well look at Penn State since then, Yeah,
(09:38):
their coach has been fired. That win does not look
so great right now. Good teams win, great teams cover well.
Oregon's four to three on the year ats Iowa six
and one, and believe you me, Lee, who's the one
team that gave number two undefeated Indiana all they could handle?
(10:00):
Knock them off at home at Nippert Stadium in Iowa City.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
It was the Hawk Gys. They did it. They almost
beat them, they lost.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
They were a nine and a half point dog back
at the end of September and nearly beat Kurt Signetti
and Fernando Mendozo.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Well, they welcome in the Oregon Ducks.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And how about this in this game they are getting
six points six and a half depending where you get
your action. Well, this team, and you know Kirk Farns
is gonna bring it defensively, I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Take the hot guys.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Not only do I believe they're gonna cover the six
to six and a half, but I think there's a
chance they could pull off this upset. I'm not impressed
with this Oregon team like I was last year with
Boonix Dante More. I think they're fraudulent. I think Iowa covers.
They might even win it without the points. Bet it now,
wait for it, thank me later. Give me the Hawk
(10:55):
gys plus six to six and a half. All right, Lee,
what do you got next?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
All right, We're gonna go to the NFL. And here's
a game where Indianapolis is laying six points and the
game is in Berlin against the Atlanta Falcons. So both
teams artificial turf homegomers here fly all the way across
the Atlantic to play on grass. You know what India
Pittsburgh was. It was a preview, in my opinion, of
(11:23):
this seven and two straight up Colts team first playoff
game in January, providing the loss here at Pittsburgh wasn't
the start of a second half of the season collapse. Here,
I mean it was a preview of Daniel Jones in
a big spot after he's peaked in a new situation
and faces an opposing defense here and just couldn't get
(11:47):
the job done here. The Falcons defense has actually good numbers,
high rankings, and some statistical categories, but when it all
adds up, there's still three and five straight up, and
there are already two games behind second place Carolina Panthers,
who are five and three in the NFC South. What
do all the numbers and their rankings mean. It means
(12:09):
they're three and five and they need to win this game.
This is a must win game. The Colts still have
a one and a half game lead over the Jags
and three and a half over Houston, who will be
without their starting quarterback this weekend, so this is not
a must win here. They're six and one in the
conference while two and zero in their division. Sometimes the
(12:31):
more desperate team shows out against the team that's having
a good season, and I think this is that case.
I think Atlanta has just as good a running back
and start running back and Bijon Robinson, and I think
they've got some big play receivers here, and I think
their defense is underrated. Room team favored Leana Falcons pull
(12:52):
off the shocker twenty four to twenty three in Berlin.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Wow, all right, we'll see the Jets. Obviously, we see
what they did at the trade deadline. They traded away
Sauce Gardner, two first round picks from the Colts Quinn
Williams to the Cowboys for another first round pick and
a second round pick. They've thrown in the towel on
the season. The owner talked trash about their quarterback, Justin Fields.
Their last two games at home, the Jets are averaging
(13:17):
eight and a half points. Well, they're going up against
one of the tough defensive teams in the league, led
by arguably the best defensive player on the planet, Miles Garrett,
and defense travels well. And the one thing about Cleveland,
they don't have a quarterback. They're still struggling at that.
And that's why this game right now in Vegas made
this total so low at thirty eight thirty eight and
(13:39):
a half. I'm gonna go under on this game, and
I think it's gonna be really way under. And that's
why when you see these lines made at that level,
you're going to see it kind of going that way.
And I think it's going to be an under game.
I think it's gonna go way under. So I'm gonna say,
give me the under thirty eight thirty eight and a
(14:01):
half on this game. And I think it's gonna be cold,
might be rainy up there at the Metallands MetLife Stadium
what they're calling it right now. And now that the
Jets have thrown in the towels, well, the fans were
already showing up with paper bags over their heads. Now
they really can because ownership has completely really said we
(14:22):
are now in complete rebuild mode. And by the way,
I think the Jets did the right thing. They have
five first round picks in the next two drafts starting
in April. That is unbelievable. And they got an extra
second round pick for Quinn Williams from the Cowboys. So
I'm gonna go under there for our underdog segment. I'm
gonna go under under on the Browns on the road,
(14:45):
quick Shaw, Judkins gonna establish him, run, run the ball.
And you know as well as I do, management and
ownership make their claim that they are in complete stage one,
phase one of rebuild mode. Give me the under on
this game coming up next right here on picking the locks,
(15:05):
We're gonna get to the blowout specials the games that
will cover easily, so don't go anywhere. Mark James, MJ
and Lee Sterling. Picking the Locks brought to you by
FanDuel Sportsbooks, Quamas Clearwater Casino Resort on Sports Radio ninety
three to three KJRFM, Seattle.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Are you looking for a lock this weekend? You've come
to the right place. Now Back to picking the Locks
with Mark James and Lee Sterling, brought to you by
the FanDuel Sports Book at Sir Quamish Clearwater Casino Resort
on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Back on Picking the Locks on here on Sports Radio
ninety three three KJRFM. MJ from MJ in the midday
Mark James along with the best sports Sandy Capper in America,
Lee Sterling, Paramount Sports, Paramount Sports dot Com. He's always
got specials going on. If you want his VIP money picks,
you can call one eight hundred, four hundred ninety seven
one eight hundred four hund nine to seven four one.
(16:02):
So in the first segment, we talked about a couple
of things, the new college football playoff rankings. The first
one were announced and then the just across the board
of sports of absolute garbage officiating, whether it's the NFL,
college football, the NBA, major League Baseball, you name it, NHL,
(16:25):
it's every single league it's been bad. I don't know
so much about the NHL that being bad there, but
I know in those other sports it's at an all
time low, well, speaking of an all time lowly And
the NBA right now, who's at the center of a
major gambling scandal as Chauncey Billups, current active head coach
(16:48):
of the Portland Trailblazers now suspended not being paid on leave,
Terry Rozier as well current NBA player, former NBA player
and assistant coach Damon Jones. But there's something going on
right now in the UFC under Dana White, and you
know this more than anybody, So tell us about what
(17:09):
the irregularities that transpired recently on a UFC pay per
view that has them right now in the crossfire of
what could be a major scandal.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Yeah. So, what happened last Saturday night was the USC
Fight Night from the Apex in Las Vegas, and one
of the fights on the undercard was a favorite named
Isaac Dulgarian, and Dulgarian was a minus two fifty favorite
against Yadier de Val, And what I think alerted people
(17:41):
to there was a problem was wasn't just that he
was a two to fifty favorite and there was a
little bit of action a couple days beforehand. Was the
action that took place on Yadier Delval to win the
fight in the first round. So in the first round,
if you wanted Yadier Deval, well, he was plus nine
(18:01):
to fifty. So what that means is if you bet
one hundred dollars, you would have won nine hundred and
fifty dollars if he won the fight in the first round.
He was the underdog. Isaac Olgarian, one of the best grapplers,
had fought three previous fights in the UFC and never
been taken down. So it looks like there was huge action.
(18:22):
Millions of dollars bet literally hours before the fight took place,
and it was so extreme that the FBI contacted Dana
White before the fight and told him what was going on,
and he made the decision not to pull the fight.
Probably the right thing was it wasn't like it was
a championship fight. There was so much going on that
(18:45):
he probably should have pulled the fight. There, he didn't
do it. The fight took place and Yadier del Val
ended up winning by a submission in the first round.
It was so bad Isaac Olgarian went for one of
the words takedowns you've ever seen. It was a half
hearted takedown. Delval got on top and slowly but surely
(19:07):
ended up choking him out. But it was bad. And
I mean, if you look at all the evidence, it
looks like as far as the money being met and
the result that there definitely wasn't fixed by Isaac Dolgarian.
I don't think just looking at it and watching so
many fights in the UFC, and I do give it
out to my client's UFC. I don't think that Yadi
(19:29):
or del Vao was on it. But now it's coming
out that many other fighters are saying that they were
offered money to throw fights. So something's got to be done.
The UFC is not on a high. They're on a
low compared to where they were a couple of years ago.
I mean Connor McGregor, John Jones, all these fighters are
not fighting right now in the UFC, so many champions
(19:50):
are coming from other countries. Dane has been into getting
saturation in these other countries, and it's great, you want
to build a brand around the world, but right now
in the United States, right now, it's just UFC is
at a low, probably back to where it was at
best four or five years ago. So if this really
(20:11):
took place, and the evidence right now looks like it
probably did, it's a it's not a stain. This is
a black eye for the UFC and got to be
cleared up, just like the NBA. And I think some
people might be going to prison.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Oh that's horrible.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
And the one thing too for UFC is another all
time low for them. They don't have any household names anymore.
They don't have around Arousey Connor McGregor, a John Bones Jones,
A brock lesnar a beib Nor, Maga met Off. They
don't have anybody. They just have a lot of you know,
just jags. Just another guy, just another girl. They got
a lot of jags they don't have so, you know,
(20:50):
the sport itself, it's they haven't really developed new stars
and you know, I'm tko Abu Dabi you know, to
like the last events. So it's just a lot and
they've gotten away from their base and they could be
in some major trouble. All right, let's get to the
blowout specials Now, let's start it off.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
You can go ahead.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Kansas Arizona this Saturday, and the Arizona Wildcats.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
What stood out for you the most about this game?
Speaker 4 (21:21):
All right? So most people will look at this game
and figure, hey, it's probably line close to where it
could be. But Arizona's offense top ten in explosive plays,
have a couple of really good receivers that can catch
the ball, break it, tackle, go the distance. And Kansas
their only road win this year was against UCF, but
most people don't remember what happened in that game. UCF
(21:43):
was up fourteen to nothing. Starting quarterback got hurt, and
they had a bunch of Jags as backup quarterbacks, and
Arizona won the game easy. So I mean, Kansas just
cannot win. It seems like there's just it's a problem
on the road here. Kansas two and seven the last
nine road games. Also, after two straight close losses, Arizona
(22:07):
broke through with a blowout win at Colorado. Just think
that the new big twelve here, opponents switch up, never
squared off. This is gonna be a lot of points
scored here. And you know last week Kansas did beat
Oklahoma State, Oklahoma States playing a receiver at quarterback and
actually Oklahoma State had more first downs in Kansas in
(22:30):
a shootout here, I think a high scoring game. I'm
gonna lay the point here. I like Arizona to win
and blow out Fashion forty five to thirty.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Arizona now in the post Jedfish era there in Tucson. Yeah,
for whatever reason, Lance Lighthold, I thought this was gonna
be a good year for Kansas, but it hasn't quite
worked out than for them. And even Kansas State when
they had that loss to start the year over in
Dublin against Iowa State have not been the same. With
(23:01):
Avery Johnson all right. One team that I never like
to give out because it's our school, Lee the Miami Hurricanes.
And the Hurricanes Wow, they are just they never you know,
they always have played to the level of the competition,
especially in the worst power for a conference out there,
the average college conference, the ACC and Miami coming off
(23:22):
another disappointing loss. Mario Christobal has now lost as a
double digit favorite four games in the last two seasons,
and this season is not even over with they lost
last weekend as a ten and a half point favorite
on the road to SMU.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Well, this is a revenge game.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
And even though cam Ward is no longer there and
neither are Isaiah Horton, and you know Xavier or Streppo,
Miami coming off what is just a loss that could
cost him a spot in the college football playoff. They
have to be dialed up, they have to be dialed in,
and they have to be pissed off. And normally I
would never ever give out the Miami Hurricanes, But I
(24:00):
look at this weekend right now, You're seeing the line
twenty eight and a half Miami.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
This to me, this better be a statement game. You
better come out.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I mean, Syracuse lost a jelly their quarterback a few
weeks ago. They're getting blown out by a lot of
teams since that happened. They lost at home the freaking
Bill Belichick. In North Carolina, they got blown out by
Georgia Tech. They also got blown out at home by Syracuse.
(24:30):
Both of these teams have in common losing on the
road at SMU. By the way, Syracuse lost to Duke
thirty eight to three. Miami, you better roll up your
sleeves and you better get Belt to ass this game.
I think the Canes are going to cover I don't
know what the first half line is, but I know
even twenty eight and a half. I think Miami should
be covering this line at halftime. If they're not, that's
(24:52):
a problem with an outman Syracuse team. I think the
Canes roll twenty eight and a half. Take Miami minus
twenty and a half. Bet it now, thank me later.
Kane's better role on this one lead because if they don't,
it's only going to get harder. All right, Let's go
to the NFL e Chargers versus Pittsburgh. And of course
(25:15):
the Steelers are coming off that huge win beating the
Colts last Sunday.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
What do they got this weekend?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
They are facing the Chargers and the Chargers are a
three point favorite.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Yeah. So, the Steelers actually beat the Chargers last year
twenty to ten at home. They were small home favorite.
Pits defense of the Chargers offense, they're just one hundred
and sixty six total yards and ten first downs, justin Herbert,
one of the worst games in his pro career. Chargers
last four games have all gone over the total here.
(25:50):
This will be the Steelers' longest road trip in a
while since playing the Vikings in Dublin in late September.
When they win games, they get turnovers, and last week,
I mean they were gifted turnovers. I thought by Indianapolis. Okay, true,
their defense played better, but uh, this Chargers offense is
potent here. Justin Herbert. I think he's playing, uh, some
(26:12):
of the best balls he's ever played. They finally got
him some receivers. They went out and got an offensive lineman.
Uh before the trade deadline. I thought that was a huge,
huge acquisition here. So I think unless Pittsburgh gets turnovers
and uh uh, they're they're in trouble here. I just
don't think the offense is that good. Offensive line I
(26:32):
think is bottom five, bottom six in the NFL. They
did not go out and get a second receiver, which
I thought they needed badly here, A lot lot along
the line here for DK Metcalf, so he only had
two catches for six yards last week. And uh uh,
these these Chargers cornerbacks and in safety they come up
play a lot of man on man and they come
(26:54):
up and hitches. So I just think the Chargers coaching
staff is better, uh than the Pitts for coaching staff
here like Jim Harball a lot here. I think it's
a small spot. I think the Chargers blow out Pittsburgh
here something like twenty seven to seventeen.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
It's funny you should mention that because that goes right
into my blowout special of the week that very game.
Justin Herbert you mentioned he has really found his own
under Jim Harbaugh as his head coach in Harbaugh's second
season after coming over from Michigan. Well, I love a
player prop in this game, and Pittsburgh has struggled, and
they have struggled mightily, especially against the pass.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Their defense as a whole has been bad.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Jalen Ramsey looked like maybe he's starting to enter in
the fourteenth hole of his career. He's not looking the
same ever since he left Miami. He's not that guy
that he used to be. Justin Herbert has been averaging
over two hundred and sixty five and a half yards
per game. Well, the total in this game is two
(27:56):
fifty three. I don't think this is going to be closed.
I think Justin Herbert could have a field day again.
It's this porous Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, and I think I'm
going way over on this one.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
I don't think I know. I'm taking justin Herbert.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
It's a betit now, thank me later, type gamely, and
I'll tell you I'm looking at this.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
As a whole, and I like your pick.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I think your pick and my pick go together, and
I think Herbert's gonna have a field day in this game.
AFC West, NFC Wes, the best are in the West.
Those are the best divisions in football. I'm gonna give
a slight nod to the NFC West because look what
the Cardinals just did on Monday night, going into Dallas
and putting an absolute curb stomp on Dak Prescott and
(28:40):
that potent Cowboys offense who's really good at home, but
they didn't look like it on Monday night against Jacoby
Burssett and the Cardinals. So I think the NFC West
is the best division. But I think you take away
the Raiders, you look at the Broncos, the Chiefs, and
the Chargers, that's a three playoff team division, just like
the NFC West with the Seahawks, Rams and forty nine Ers.
(29:02):
By the way, Rams and forty nine Ers play each
other that weekend and then the following weekend, Rams got
a tough couple games. Seahawks go down to Sofi Stadium
in LA. We can probably call that Lumenfield South because
they always get out numbered by the opposing teams fans,
whether it's a Rams home game, whether it's a Chargers
home game. And Lee, I think Herbert's gonna light up
(29:23):
that secondary, and I think he's gonna have a lot
of time to do so.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Well.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
We've seen this Steelers defense too. You just see that
on the d line, Hayward, way too old Watt, you know,
like you look at TJ. Watt right now, former NFL
Defensive Player of the Year. And I saw this defense
struggle mightily in the second game of the year at
home versus the Seahawks, and I just think from this standpoint,
(29:48):
Herbert's gonna light them up. And I don't think this
is ever gonna be close. And you know meinly, I've
been on fire this year. I don't know what my
percentage is, but if I had to guess, I believe
that I'm at least over anywhere between seventy three to
seventy eight percent on my player prop bets that I've
given out on picking the locks. So coming up next.
(30:09):
That's what we're gonna do. What you always wait for.
The locks, not just the kind that you put on
your bagel. The locks are coming up next right here,
sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook, Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, Mark James
from MJ in the Midday on Sports Radio ninety three
three kjr FM ten am to one pm. Money through Friday,
(30:30):
Lee Sterling, paramounts Sports dot com. The locks aren't next
right here on Picking the Locks.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Are you looking for a lock this weekend? You've come
to the right place. Now back to picking the Locks
with Mark James and Lee Sterling, brought to you by
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on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Back on Picking the Locks, MJ from MJ in the Midday,
Sports Radio ninety three to three KGr ten am, the
one pm every day Lee Sterling, best sports Sandy capper
in America from Paramount Sports Paramount Sports dot com. You
can always call him for his VIP money picks. One
eight hundred four hundred ninety seven four one. This is
the segment, by the way, it's brought to you by
(31:14):
Fanuel Sportsbooks, Suquamish clear Water Casino Resort. The segment you
all wait for the locks, we get right into it.
So I'm gonna start with college football. The biggest game
of the weekend, no question about it could be a
de facto Big twelve championship game BYU undefeated.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
This year Kialani Sazaki head coach.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
They are going down to Lubbock, Texas, the alma mater
of Patrick Mahomes BYU eight and oh start on the season.
And remember both these teams have one thing in common.
They both beat Utah. Now Texas Tech did it on
the road and convincing fashion and blowout fashion BYU did
(31:57):
it at home. But then BYU follow that up just
over a week ago or two weeks ago on the
road in Ames, Iowa knocking off Matt Campbell and the Cyclones.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
There.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
So this game, like I mentioned, best game of the weekend.
Good teams win, great teams cover. Texas Tech. Aside from
that one stumble at Sun Devil Stadium against Arizona State
and Sam Levitt who's now out for the year, this
Texas Tech team looks like one of the best teams
in college football. They are right there in that top
(32:32):
twelve in the first college football rankings. And I love
what I've seen from Joey McGuire's team and what this
team has been able to do all season long. And
Lee for me, you've seen Baron Morton, he got hurt.
But Texas Tech they're a college football best. No team
(32:53):
is better against the number this season than the Texas
Tech Red Raiders. They are seven in one on the
year against the spread. This is a big spot for them.
They can ill afford to lose another game. It's on ABC,
It's going to be a local kicktime in Lubbock at
eleven am. Give me the Red Raiders. Make it eight
(33:17):
and one ats. There's a reason they are a ten
to ten and a half point favorite, and BYUS undefeated.
There's a reason that Texas Tech Vegas knows what they're
doing in this one. The right team is favored. Give
me the Red Raiders lock minus ten, ten and a half.
All right, go from that now to the National Football League.
(33:40):
You saw last weekend what Sam Darnold did to this
Washington Commander's defense and they just lost their starting corner.
Who has watched anyway, Marshawn Lattimore. He's on ir. You
saw them losing their starting quarterback, Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
You saw that.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
And here's another thing, Lions, you saw what they've done
in terms of blowout fashion.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
And this team.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Jared Goff on the road, they will travel, they are
on the road. Give me Jared Goff in this game
over two hundred and fifty three passing yards.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Bet it now, thank me, Labor.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And another thing, if you want to get a little frisky,
his number one target arsb Aman raw Saint Brown. I
love his over as well, But give me Jared Goff
over two hundred and fifty three passing yards. All right, Lee,
I know you've got a lot of locks. Let's go
to Camp Randall Stadium where Demon Williams and the Washington Huskies,
(34:45):
who coming at twenty third in the new College Football
playoff rankings right now, they are an eleven and a
half point favorite on the road versus the Badgers.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Yeah, and I think that if you're Washington, realize that
if you want to get into the College Football play
if you got to run the table and you can't
just win by a touchdown or two against teams like Wisconsin.
I know all about the troubles they have going west
to east. But Wisconsin might be one of the worst
teams right now in Power for conference football. Why do
(35:19):
I say that. I think their coach Luke Fickle just
watched the press conferences. I mean, he is absolutely done.
He's checked out. I think he knows he's going to
be fired. I mean this is a team that when
he took over, I mean, they weren't that bad. They
were coming off nine and four and seven next to
six seasons. He's gone seven and six, five and seven,
and this year has been a disaster. Haven't even been close.
(35:41):
He had two quarterbacks I thought that were okay, you know,
Billy Edwards came over from Maryland. Thought he was pretty good,
and then I thought that, you know, not a starter,
but he was a decent backup. Danny O'Neil came over
from San Diego State. Both these guys ended up getting injured.
And I mean they're playing with guys that aren't even
Jaggs's guys that would be playing like Division two football.
(36:03):
They used to have a power running game. Used to
scare you that doesn't exist anymore. Receivers, No receivers are
going to go there in the last four or five
years when they don't have quarterbacks and even the defense,
I mean, they just can't hold on. They're decent for
a while. You know, if they had a really good offense,
they might be in games. Here. They're winless in the
Big Ten. They've scored forty one points in their last
(36:26):
six games, which is pretty hard to do. And Washington
comes off of a bye and I thought a really
nice win, seventeen point win here over Illinois. It's hard
for me to see this game being close. And also
Wisconsin bottom five offense and creating explosive plays, So I
(36:47):
don't think they're gonna all of a sudden get lucky
and running back or receiver Blake breaks a tackle or
two and they go the distance. I just don't see
it happening. So Wisconsin, you know, you remember what they
used to be. Just forget about it. This is a
bad team. Probably a little bit better than Oklahoma State,
but not by much. I like the Washington Huskies here.
(37:10):
This is gonna be my first lock of the day
now looking at my second lock. It's a game. It's
a total, so play a lot more sides than totals.
But I think the way this shapes up here. It's
the Tampa Bay and the New England game. The total
is forty eight the Patriots. In my opinion, this is
the least important game of the season. It's a non
(37:31):
conference road game and they're going up against a really
good run stopping defense here in Tampa Bay. So what
does that mean. Drake may gonna throw the ball early
and often. Who is he going up against. Well, he's
going up against Baker Mayfield, one of the best quarterbacks
right now in the NFL. Baker loves to throw the football.
(37:53):
Their top running back is out and New England they
have not generated any type of consistent pressure against opposing
quarterbacks here. Their last four wins have been against get this,
the number thirty, second, thirty, first, thirtieth, and twenty eighth
scoring offenses. So that's four of the bottom five scoring offenses.
(38:17):
So you're thinking, well, they're improved. Yeah, they're slightly improved
on defense, but they haven't faced anyone. So I just
think you're gonna see, you know, a wide open game.
Both quarterbacks are going to want to show what they
have here. They're not familiar with each other, so the
defenses don't have the edge. So the totals sitting here
(38:38):
at forty eight. I worked this game out. I got
it something like, you know, thirty four to twenty eight,
So I got it sitting in the high fifties, maybe
approaching sixty points. So I'm going to take the over
forty eight total points here as my second lock of
the show.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Well, Lee, I'd mentioned I'm on raw, same brown, and
I got to give the exact number seventy nine and
a half receiving yards, so Jared Goff. In order for
him to go over to forty nine and a half,
he's gonna need ARSBS to step up against arguably the
worst pass defense in the NFL. You saw it, Sam Darnold.
Sam Darnoald was mister perfect in the first half last
(39:16):
Sunday Night, sixteen of sixteen and a perfect rating of
one fifty eight point three four touchdown passes, including two
to Tory Horton, and I just believe AARSB is going
to have an absolute field day on this Commander's defense.
What team has regressed more from where they ended up
(39:38):
last season to where they are now?
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Nobody but the Commanders.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
They went to the NFC Championship game, they won on
the road, at Ford Field against this Lions team. It's
a revenge game and Aman Ross Saint Brown is going
to have a field day, So go over. I'm on
Ross Saint Brown seventy nine and a half receiving yards.
Bet it now, wait for it, wait for it, thank
(40:06):
me later. All right, Lee, your final blowout of the
week before we wrap it up.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yeah, my final blowout is a game I think most
people are gonna gloss over. It's game between the Chicago
Bears and the New York Giants. So it's Chicago Bears team.
I mean, it looked like one of the greatest games
we've had all season. They had the game wrapped up
last week. I mean they're winning, you know, by two
touchdowns and looks like, you know, all they need to
(40:35):
do is, you know, even if the other team scores,
if the Bengals score, recover the on side kick, take
a knee, they get out of the gate, they go
back home, and they're sitting with a nice five and
three record. Well, what happened? They allow the Bengals to
recover the on side kick, the Bengals score two point conversion,
(40:55):
they're leading by one, and then you would think it's
absolutely over. This is a team that used to fold
like a three dollars shirt, but they came back. I
mean people think they're just going for the field goal.
Pushed the ball down the field to Loveland. I thought
Williams pass was perfect Loveland break the tackle goes to distance.
If you have the Chicago Bears, well kind of makes
(41:18):
up for last year's absolute disaster when they allowed to
hail Mary. So the public even in that category, But
some of them has to go to the coaching staff.
I think there's a coaching staff that's, you know, really
has this team on an even keel. I like the
way they're developed in your own quarterback Williams had a
guy fill in last week, never really played much at all.
(41:41):
Hid from Rutgers the young running back. He gets the
one hundred and seventy five rushing yards. They have a
couple of linemen this year have almost had perfect games,
not allowed any pressures at all during a game. So
what was their biggest weakness was their offensive line? Maybe
turning in to the biggest strength. They've got all kinds
of guys on the outside. They can make plays here.
(42:01):
You know, one week it's one guy, one week, it's
the next guy and they get turnovers. Their defense goes
after turnovers. The Giants, on the other hand, they want
to get sacks, but to get sacks you have to
stop the run first. And the Giants they're not getting leads.
And if you can't stop the run and the offense
(42:24):
is playing from behind, well, you know what, your defense,
they're not gonna have a whole lot of success here.
The Giants are in the middle of a five game
road swing where they've gone on the road five of
the seven weeks. Here, they lost their star running back,
Cam Skataboo, lost their star receiver, their rookie receiver. They
(42:45):
also are a team here. Even their special teams have
not been very good. So Jackson Dart gonna be fine,
but you gotta put players around him. And right now,
I just don't think the talent is there. Even when
they score a touchdown, they have trouble backing it up.
They have maybe ten fifteen plays they can run with success.
But when you have a bunch of threes and fours
(43:07):
at receiver running his one and two's, and you haven't
got a lot of guys at running back that are
threes and fours that really are not even close to
starting running backs after a real problem here, so they
might be able to score. And then Jackson Dart feels
the pressure he might this might be the game where
he throws a couple interceptions. Bears are at home and
the crowd is gonna be wall into this game. Here
(43:30):
number three and a half, I have the Bears winning
by a touchdown or more. We're gonna go with the
third lock of the day. We're gonna go with this
shock Bears good time over the New York Giants.
Speaker 3 (43:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
You know the thing about the Bears though, the only
thing about them, they they've pulled out some games, and
you know, at the Cincinnati game, but I just look
at them as frauds. They don't have a defense, but
they can put up points. And Kayleb Williams is he's
certainly coming to his own. Is he on the level
of Drake By or Jane Diani? No, but he's right
below that. And I just can't quite figure them out.
(44:05):
And they pulled that one out of there, you know
what last Sunday and a game that nearly ninety points
were scored. But I'll tell you one thing about the
bearsley they can certainly put up points.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
And I mean they're hey, they're still in it. They're right.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
You look at the standings right now in the NFL,
specifically in the NFC North Division, they are tied with
the Detroit Lions going into this weekend, both teams a
half game back of Green Bay, who got that really
weird tie in Dallas a few weeks ago. So Green
Bay's on top of the division at five to two
(44:41):
to one. Then Detroit in Chicago, another big game this weekend.
I'm not going to give out anything but the team
who's undefeated in their division, the San Francisco forty nine ers.
You see how they've been decimated by injuries. They welcome
in the Rams and the Niners are undefeated in the
division and the NFC West. They've beaten a Seahawk, they've
beaten the Rams, and they've beaten the Cardinals, and now
(45:03):
they're going for the sweep on the Rams at Levi Stadium,
the home of Super Bowl sixty. So that to me
is gonna be one of the best games of the weekend.
It's gonna be an unbelievable weekend. Everybody out there, don't
forget this is for obvious, you know whatever, you guys
(45:23):
do just bet responsibly, don't bet.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
More than you can lose.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
And I think I love both of our picks for
Lee Sterling can check him out at Paramount Sports dot
com or call them for his VIP money picks one
eight hundred, four hundred and ninety seven for one. Listen
to me Mark James MJ in the Midday with Christopher Kidd,
our producer of the show every day ten am t
one pm on Sports Radio ninety three to three KJRFM, Seattle.
Thanks again, we'll see you next week on Picking the Locks.
Your home for college football Saturdays and the NFL presents
Dick and the Loves with Mark James and Lee Sterling,
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Speaker 2 (00:20):
It's the number one sports gambling show on the planet,
Picking the Locks, brought to you by Fan Duel Sportsbooks,
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Sports Radio ninety three to three KJR FM in Seattle
and the PNW.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
I'm your host, Mark James from.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
MJ in the midday ten am the one pm every
day on Sports Radio ninety three to three KGRFM, along
with the best sports any caper in America who has
been a part of KJAR as a guest now for
over nearly thirty years, Lee Sterling. You can always hear
them on Softy and Dick from three to seven pm
every single Friday. Throughout football season. Lee, we were coming
(01:05):
off a bunch of things. The first ever college football
Playoff Top twenty five was released. No surprise at the
top obviously Ohio State one Indiana two A and M three,
Alabama four, Georgia five all missed. Then six BYU seven,
(01:26):
Texas Tech eight. That's interesting because they played each other
this weekend and what could be a de facto Big
twelve championship game BYU is undefeated, going down on the
road to Lubbock. But they're at ten and a half
point underdog Oregon nine, way overrated. And then Notre Dame
at ten as well. What was your thought that stood
(01:48):
out to you the most from seeing the top twenty
five for the first college football playoff rankings.
Speaker 3 (01:52):
Of the year.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Okay, so Notre Dame always gets way too much love.
I mean, I understand they played a couple, you know,
teams that are good, but you know, they can run
the table and they'll probably give them the fifth or
sixth position, So I think that's absolutely ridiculous. And then Miami,
even though I'm a Miami fan, bottom line eighteenth in
(02:14):
the country. Are you kidding me? They lost the game
in overtime, a game they were driving for the win,
lost against two quality teams. So I don't get it.
They're just you know, the public if you root for
Notre Dame or you root for Miami. You're a part
of a certain base. Almost everyone else hates those teams,
(02:35):
and Notre Dame gets I think, way too much love
and Miami. Whether they're playing, they get called for way
too many penalties and not enough on opponents, and they
just the Poles just don't like Miami at all.
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Never have, never will. And here's the thing about Notre Dame.
You look at their schedule. Yeah, they lost to A
and M number three in the country. They also lost
to Miami. Now they only have and so they have
two losses. Miami has two losses as well. But here's
the difference. Miami beat Notre Dame to start the season,
and yet here we are in Miami is eight spots
(03:11):
behind Notre Dame. Now, I know Notre Dame hasn't lost
since September at home A and M, but that's ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
Texas is overrated, way too high.
Speaker 2 (03:20):
At number eleven, they've got two losses, even though they've
been on a run recently. And man, the committee is
just and I don't really have too much of an
issue with this. The committee just buried the ACC. Virginia
right now at number fourteen, they have one loss. Louisville
at fifteen and then Georgia Tech at seventeen and Miami
(03:40):
at eighteen.
Speaker 3 (03:41):
So the committee, they are what they are.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
And this is the problem when you have a committee
selecting it and not an automatic criteria like we do
in the National Football League the best records. It's a
complete marita. There's no committee. The committee are the teams
playing on Sunday. They're the committee where's decided on what
(04:09):
seven teams in the AFC make it and what seven
teams in the NFC make it. No effing committee like
we have in college football.
Speaker 3 (04:18):
But that's it's ridiculous. But what are you gonna do?
One thing?
Speaker 2 (04:21):
I also want to get to, speaking of the ACC,
Dabosweeney went on a Mike Drop rant about the referees
this year, and Dabbo John Gruden actually did it about
the referees in the NFL. Lee, I don't care what
league you're in. We saw in Major League Baseball throughout
the course of the postseason, especially with the Mariners, they
(04:43):
got screwed on some calls. We've seen it in the
NBA for decades, and now the NBA is at the
epicenter of a gambling investigation. Go figure the NBA also
had a former rogue referee who's been on my show
named Tim Donnahie. Go, figure, we're seeing it college football,
the NFL, Well, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 3 (05:02):
Why are the why.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
Is the officiing at an all time low? And why
can't they get it right? Even with challenges and replay
of phishing has never been worse than it is in
twenty twenty five.
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Why is that? Lee?
Speaker 4 (05:18):
Well, the reason is because the people that are judging
the referees are former referees, so a lot of times
they're judging their friends. So good friends with someone who
was a college referee, and he told me, it's an
absolute disaster what's going on. So they're going to have
to do something to change it because, like I said,
(05:38):
too many teams are just having too many bad calls
against him and there's no way that they can overcome it.
So everyone, just whether you're gambling or you're watching game,
just wants it to be done fairly. And they still
haven't figured it out. I mean case in Point Auburn.
Speaker 3 (05:53):
You know they have quarterbacks see so bad, so bad.
Speaker 4 (05:56):
The quarterback, I mean, you fringeze. I'm not saying he's great,
but Mike still have a job. I changed their season
and Lee Let's touchdown.
Speaker 5 (06:04):
He also got screwed on multiple calls, three of them
versus Oklahoma, and then the SEC came out and said, yeah,
they got those wrong. And what Dabo saying and kudos
to Dabbo for doing it, even though he doesn't care
if he gets fine, he's saying that where's the accountability?
These guys get behind, get to hide behind a curtain.
And I even mention this on my show, like the
(06:24):
Wizard of Oz, nobody talks about them.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
They'll say, oh, the ref got the ref.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Let's get their names out there, let's start, Let's make
them accountable for bad plays. Find them like, let's do
this because it's ridiculous. The calls in the Miami SMU
game were absolutely egregious. Even though Mario Cristoball is a
game day dumb ass head coach, Miami got screwed in
that game so bad. In that game, the time out,
(06:51):
one of the players heard the whistle late. He ends
up hitting Jennings, the quarterback from SMU, but he tries
to hold him up ref's throw of the flag. It
was fourth and Miami would have gotten SMU. They were
taking the ball over and won that game. That cost
Miami what could be a playoff spot. But it's been
horrific across the board, no matter where you look, in
what sport, and we can only hope it gets better.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
All right, let's start with our picks underdogs. You start off.
Speaker 2 (07:17):
It used to be the biggest rivalry in college football
about fifteen years ago. LSU at Alabama Brian Denny Stadium, Tuscaloosa,
and no more.
Speaker 3 (07:26):
Brian Kelly.
Speaker 2 (07:27):
Caitlin de Boror got to be licking his shops right
now at this LSU team coming into te town.
Speaker 4 (07:33):
All right, so it's still big, Mark. I mean, let's
be honest, it's Alabama LSU Alabama top five team coming
off playing and beating five straight ranked opponents. I mean,
coaches like Florida's Billy Napier, Penn Saint James Franklin were
liked by their players. I thought their teams played hard
for him before they were fired, just weren't efficient enough.
(07:56):
Brian Kelly, on the other hand, is a completely different story.
The LSU administration is reaching out to welcome back the
alumni and fan base. Once they announce a coach, they're
gonna be even more energized. But I think the kids
are gonna play hard for their interim coach. They like them.
Also the fact they want to play for jobs. You know,
(08:17):
these kids are gonna if they're starting now, they want
to keep their jobs. At their backups and they get in,
I think they're gonna play even harder because they want
to get playing time. They want to find out if
they're going to be in the plans for next year.
LSU's wrong numbers are not good on offense. Twenty five
points are less in all SEC games. They're ranked one
hundred and twenty fourth in rushing offense out of one
(08:38):
hundred and thirty six teams. That being said, I think
Alabama is good, but nowhere no as close to the
teams that were playing for and won national championships. I
think it's one of these years where the bunch of
pretty good teams but no great teams, and they're certainly vulnerable.
Florida State pushed them around, So why can't LSU If
(09:01):
they're motivated here and Alabama didn't even cover against South
Carolina and had to push against Missouri, I think Alabama
escates here thirty to twenty four ten points ten ten
and a half way too much. Maybe the wrong team favorite.
Speaker 2 (09:18):
All right, so let's go from the SEC to the
Big ten. And this is going to be a huge
test for the Oregon Ducks. Their best win of the
year was at Penn State and the white out, and
everybody thought, wow, that's a big boy win. You beat
it top Well look at Penn State since then, Yeah,
(09:38):
their coach has been fired. That win does not look
so great right now. Good teams win, great teams cover well.
Oregon's four to three on the year ats Iowa six
and one, and believe you me, Lee, who's the one
team that gave number two undefeated Indiana all they could handle?
(10:00):
Knock them off at home at Nippert Stadium in Iowa City.
Speaker 3 (10:06):
It was the Hawk Gys. They did it. They almost
beat them, they lost.
Speaker 2 (10:09):
They were a nine and a half point dog back
at the end of September and nearly beat Kurt Signetti
and Fernando Mendozo.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
Well, they welcome in the Oregon Ducks.
Speaker 2 (10:18):
And how about this in this game they are getting
six points six and a half depending where you get
your action. Well, this team, and you know Kirk Farns
is gonna bring it defensively, I'm gonna.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Take the hot guys.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Not only do I believe they're gonna cover the six
to six and a half, but I think there's a
chance they could pull off this upset. I'm not impressed
with this Oregon team like I was last year with
Boonix Dante More. I think they're fraudulent. I think Iowa covers.
They might even win it without the points. Bet it now,
wait for it, thank me later. Give me the Hawk
(10:55):
gys plus six to six and a half. All right, Lee,
what do you got next?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
All right, We're gonna go to the NFL. And here's
a game where Indianapolis is laying six points and the
game is in Berlin against the Atlanta Falcons. So both
teams artificial turf homegomers here fly all the way across
the Atlantic to play on grass. You know what India
Pittsburgh was. It was a preview, in my opinion, of
(11:23):
this seven and two straight up Colts team first playoff
game in January, providing the loss here at Pittsburgh wasn't
the start of a second half of the season collapse. Here,
I mean it was a preview of Daniel Jones in
a big spot after he's peaked in a new situation
and faces an opposing defense here and just couldn't get
(11:47):
the job done here. The Falcons defense has actually good numbers,
high rankings, and some statistical categories, but when it all
adds up, there's still three and five straight up, and
there are already two games behind second place Carolina Panthers,
who are five and three in the NFC South. What
do all the numbers and their rankings mean. It means
(12:09):
they're three and five and they need to win this game.
This is a must win game. The Colts still have
a one and a half game lead over the Jags
and three and a half over Houston, who will be
without their starting quarterback this weekend, so this is not
a must win here. They're six and one in the
conference while two and zero in their division. Sometimes the
(12:31):
more desperate team shows out against the team that's having
a good season, and I think this is that case.
I think Atlanta has just as good a running back
and start running back and Bijon Robinson, and I think
they've got some big play receivers here, and I think
their defense is underrated. Room team favored Leana Falcons pull
(12:52):
off the shocker twenty four to twenty three in Berlin.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Wow, all right, we'll see the Jets. Obviously, we see
what they did at the trade deadline. They traded away
Sauce Gardner, two first round picks from the Colts Quinn
Williams to the Cowboys for another first round pick and
a second round pick. They've thrown in the towel on
the season. The owner talked trash about their quarterback, Justin Fields.
Their last two games at home, the Jets are averaging
(13:17):
eight and a half points. Well, they're going up against
one of the tough defensive teams in the league, led
by arguably the best defensive player on the planet, Miles Garrett,
and defense travels well. And the one thing about Cleveland,
they don't have a quarterback. They're still struggling at that.
And that's why this game right now in Vegas made
this total so low at thirty eight thirty eight and
(13:39):
a half. I'm gonna go under on this game, and
I think it's gonna be really way under. And that's
why when you see these lines made at that level,
you're going to see it kind of going that way.
And I think it's going to be an under game.
I think it's gonna go way under. So I'm gonna say,
give me the under thirty eight thirty eight and a
(14:01):
half on this game. And I think it's gonna be cold,
might be rainy up there at the Metallands MetLife Stadium
what they're calling it right now. And now that the
Jets have thrown in the towels, well, the fans were
already showing up with paper bags over their heads. Now
they really can because ownership has completely really said we
(14:22):
are now in complete rebuild mode. And by the way,
I think the Jets did the right thing. They have
five first round picks in the next two drafts starting
in April. That is unbelievable. And they got an extra
second round pick for Quinn Williams from the Cowboys. So
I'm gonna go under there for our underdog segment. I'm
gonna go under under on the Browns on the road,
(14:45):
quick Shaw, Judkins gonna establish him, run, run the ball.
And you know as well as I do, management and
ownership make their claim that they are in complete stage one,
phase one of rebuild mode. Give me the under on
this game coming up next right here on picking the locks,
(15:05):
We're gonna get to the blowout specials the games that
will cover easily, so don't go anywhere. Mark James, MJ
and Lee Sterling. Picking the Locks brought to you by
FanDuel Sportsbooks, Quamas Clearwater Casino Resort on Sports Radio ninety
three to three KJRFM, Seattle.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
Are you looking for a lock this weekend? You've come
to the right place. Now Back to picking the Locks
with Mark James and Lee Sterling, brought to you by
the FanDuel Sports Book at Sir Quamish Clearwater Casino Resort
on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Back on Picking the Locks on here on Sports Radio
ninety three three KJRFM. MJ from MJ in the midday
Mark James along with the best sports Sandy Capper in America,
Lee Sterling, Paramount Sports, Paramount Sports dot Com. He's always
got specials going on. If you want his VIP money picks,
you can call one eight hundred, four hundred ninety seven
one eight hundred four hund nine to seven four one.
(16:02):
So in the first segment, we talked about a couple
of things, the new college football playoff rankings. The first
one were announced and then the just across the board
of sports of absolute garbage officiating, whether it's the NFL,
college football, the NBA, major League Baseball, you name it, NHL,
(16:25):
it's every single league it's been bad. I don't know
so much about the NHL that being bad there, but
I know in those other sports it's at an all
time low, well, speaking of an all time lowly And
the NBA right now, who's at the center of a
major gambling scandal as Chauncey Billups, current active head coach
(16:48):
of the Portland Trailblazers now suspended not being paid on leave,
Terry Rozier as well current NBA player, former NBA player
and assistant coach Damon Jones. But there's something going on
right now in the UFC under Dana White, and you
know this more than anybody, So tell us about what
(17:09):
the irregularities that transpired recently on a UFC pay per
view that has them right now in the crossfire of
what could be a major scandal.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
Yeah. So, what happened last Saturday night was the USC
Fight Night from the Apex in Las Vegas, and one
of the fights on the undercard was a favorite named
Isaac Dulgarian, and Dulgarian was a minus two fifty favorite
against Yadier de Val, And what I think alerted people
(17:41):
to there was a problem was wasn't just that he
was a two to fifty favorite and there was a
little bit of action a couple days beforehand. Was the
action that took place on Yadier Delval to win the
fight in the first round. So in the first round,
if you wanted Yadier Deval, well, he was plus nine
(18:01):
to fifty. So what that means is if you bet
one hundred dollars, you would have won nine hundred and
fifty dollars if he won the fight in the first round.
He was the underdog. Isaac Olgarian, one of the best grapplers,
had fought three previous fights in the UFC and never
been taken down. So it looks like there was huge action.
(18:22):
Millions of dollars bet literally hours before the fight took place,
and it was so extreme that the FBI contacted Dana
White before the fight and told him what was going on,
and he made the decision not to pull the fight.
Probably the right thing was it wasn't like it was
a championship fight. There was so much going on that
(18:45):
he probably should have pulled the fight. There, he didn't
do it. The fight took place and Yadier del Val
ended up winning by a submission in the first round.
It was so bad Isaac Olgarian went for one of
the words takedowns you've ever seen. It was a half
hearted takedown. Delval got on top and slowly but surely
(19:07):
ended up choking him out. But it was bad. And
I mean, if you look at all the evidence, it
looks like as far as the money being met and
the result that there definitely wasn't fixed by Isaac Dolgarian.
I don't think just looking at it and watching so
many fights in the UFC, and I do give it
out to my client's UFC. I don't think that Yadi
(19:29):
or del Vao was on it. But now it's coming
out that many other fighters are saying that they were
offered money to throw fights. So something's got to be done.
The UFC is not on a high. They're on a
low compared to where they were a couple of years ago.
I mean Connor McGregor, John Jones, all these fighters are
not fighting right now in the UFC, so many champions
(19:50):
are coming from other countries. Dane has been into getting
saturation in these other countries, and it's great, you want
to build a brand around the world, but right now
in the United States, right now, it's just UFC is
at a low, probably back to where it was at
best four or five years ago. So if this really
(20:11):
took place, and the evidence right now looks like it
probably did, it's a it's not a stain. This is
a black eye for the UFC and got to be
cleared up, just like the NBA. And I think some
people might be going to prison.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
Oh that's horrible.
Speaker 2 (20:27):
And the one thing too for UFC is another all
time low for them. They don't have any household names anymore.
They don't have around Arousey Connor McGregor, a John Bones Jones,
A brock lesnar a beib Nor, Maga met Off. They
don't have anybody. They just have a lot of you know,
just jags. Just another guy, just another girl. They got
a lot of jags they don't have so, you know,
(20:50):
the sport itself, it's they haven't really developed new stars
and you know, I'm tko Abu Dabi you know, to
like the last events. So it's just a lot and
they've gotten away from their base and they could be
in some major trouble. All right, let's get to the
blowout specials Now, let's start it off.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
You can go ahead.
Speaker 2 (21:11):
Kansas Arizona this Saturday, and the Arizona Wildcats.
Speaker 3 (21:18):
What stood out for you the most about this game?
Speaker 4 (21:21):
All right? So most people will look at this game
and figure, hey, it's probably line close to where it
could be. But Arizona's offense top ten in explosive plays,
have a couple of really good receivers that can catch
the ball, break it, tackle, go the distance. And Kansas
their only road win this year was against UCF, but
most people don't remember what happened in that game. UCF
(21:43):
was up fourteen to nothing. Starting quarterback got hurt, and
they had a bunch of Jags as backup quarterbacks, and
Arizona won the game easy. So I mean, Kansas just
cannot win. It seems like there's just it's a problem
on the road here. Kansas two and seven the last
nine road games. Also, after two straight close losses, Arizona
(22:07):
broke through with a blowout win at Colorado. Just think
that the new big twelve here, opponents switch up, never
squared off. This is gonna be a lot of points
scored here. And you know last week Kansas did beat
Oklahoma State, Oklahoma States playing a receiver at quarterback and
actually Oklahoma State had more first downs in Kansas in
(22:30):
a shootout here, I think a high scoring game. I'm
gonna lay the point here. I like Arizona to win
and blow out Fashion forty five to thirty.
Speaker 3 (22:39):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (22:39):
Arizona now in the post Jedfish era there in Tucson. Yeah,
for whatever reason, Lance Lighthold, I thought this was gonna
be a good year for Kansas, but it hasn't quite
worked out than for them. And even Kansas State when
they had that loss to start the year over in
Dublin against Iowa State have not been the same. With
(23:01):
Avery Johnson all right. One team that I never like
to give out because it's our school, Lee the Miami Hurricanes.
And the Hurricanes Wow, they are just they never you know,
they always have played to the level of the competition,
especially in the worst power for a conference out there,
the average college conference, the ACC and Miami coming off
(23:22):
another disappointing loss. Mario Christobal has now lost as a
double digit favorite four games in the last two seasons,
and this season is not even over with they lost
last weekend as a ten and a half point favorite
on the road to SMU.
Speaker 3 (23:36):
Well, this is a revenge game.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
And even though cam Ward is no longer there and
neither are Isaiah Horton, and you know Xavier or Streppo,
Miami coming off what is just a loss that could
cost him a spot in the college football playoff. They
have to be dialed up, they have to be dialed in,
and they have to be pissed off. And normally I
would never ever give out the Miami Hurricanes, But I
(24:00):
look at this weekend right now, You're seeing the line
twenty eight and a half Miami.
Speaker 3 (24:06):
This to me, this better be a statement game. You
better come out.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I mean, Syracuse lost a jelly their quarterback a few
weeks ago. They're getting blown out by a lot of
teams since that happened. They lost at home the freaking
Bill Belichick. In North Carolina, they got blown out by
Georgia Tech. They also got blown out at home by Syracuse.
(24:30):
Both of these teams have in common losing on the
road at SMU. By the way, Syracuse lost to Duke
thirty eight to three. Miami, you better roll up your
sleeves and you better get Belt to ass this game.
I think the Canes are going to cover I don't
know what the first half line is, but I know
even twenty eight and a half. I think Miami should
be covering this line at halftime. If they're not, that's
(24:52):
a problem with an outman Syracuse team. I think the
Canes roll twenty eight and a half. Take Miami minus
twenty and a half. Bet it now, thank me later.
Kane's better role on this one lead because if they don't,
it's only going to get harder. All right, Let's go
to the NFL e Chargers versus Pittsburgh. And of course
(25:15):
the Steelers are coming off that huge win beating the
Colts last Sunday.
Speaker 3 (25:22):
What do they got this weekend?
Speaker 2 (25:23):
They are facing the Chargers and the Chargers are a
three point favorite.
Speaker 4 (25:28):
Yeah. So, the Steelers actually beat the Chargers last year
twenty to ten at home. They were small home favorite.
Pits defense of the Chargers offense, they're just one hundred
and sixty six total yards and ten first downs, justin Herbert,
one of the worst games in his pro career. Chargers
last four games have all gone over the total here.
(25:50):
This will be the Steelers' longest road trip in a
while since playing the Vikings in Dublin in late September.
When they win games, they get turnovers, and last week,
I mean they were gifted turnovers. I thought by Indianapolis. Okay, true,
their defense played better, but uh, this Chargers offense is
potent here. Justin Herbert. I think he's playing, uh, some
(26:12):
of the best balls he's ever played. They finally got
him some receivers. They went out and got an offensive lineman.
Uh before the trade deadline. I thought that was a huge,
huge acquisition here. So I think unless Pittsburgh gets turnovers
and uh uh, they're they're in trouble here. I just
don't think the offense is that good. Offensive line I
(26:32):
think is bottom five, bottom six in the NFL. They
did not go out and get a second receiver, which
I thought they needed badly here, A lot lot along
the line here for DK Metcalf, so he only had
two catches for six yards last week. And uh uh,
these these Chargers cornerbacks and in safety they come up
play a lot of man on man and they come
(26:54):
up and hitches. So I just think the Chargers coaching
staff is better, uh than the Pitts for coaching staff
here like Jim Harball a lot here. I think it's
a small spot. I think the Chargers blow out Pittsburgh
here something like twenty seven to seventeen.
Speaker 2 (27:09):
It's funny you should mention that because that goes right
into my blowout special of the week that very game.
Justin Herbert you mentioned he has really found his own
under Jim Harbaugh as his head coach in Harbaugh's second
season after coming over from Michigan. Well, I love a
player prop in this game, and Pittsburgh has struggled, and
they have struggled mightily, especially against the pass.
Speaker 3 (27:33):
Their defense as a whole has been bad.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
Jalen Ramsey looked like maybe he's starting to enter in
the fourteenth hole of his career. He's not looking the
same ever since he left Miami. He's not that guy
that he used to be. Justin Herbert has been averaging
over two hundred and sixty five and a half yards
per game. Well, the total in this game is two
(27:56):
fifty three. I don't think this is going to be closed.
I think Justin Herbert could have a field day again.
It's this porous Pittsburgh Steelers secondary, and I think I'm
going way over on this one.
Speaker 3 (28:06):
I don't think I know. I'm taking justin Herbert.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
It's a betit now, thank me later, type gamely, and
I'll tell you I'm looking at this.
Speaker 3 (28:16):
As a whole, and I like your pick.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
I think your pick and my pick go together, and
I think Herbert's gonna have a field day in this game.
AFC West, NFC Wes, the best are in the West.
Those are the best divisions in football. I'm gonna give
a slight nod to the NFC West because look what
the Cardinals just did on Monday night, going into Dallas
and putting an absolute curb stomp on Dak Prescott and
(28:40):
that potent Cowboys offense who's really good at home, but
they didn't look like it on Monday night against Jacoby
Burssett and the Cardinals. So I think the NFC West
is the best division. But I think you take away
the Raiders, you look at the Broncos, the Chiefs, and
the Chargers, that's a three playoff team division, just like
the NFC West with the Seahawks, Rams and forty nine Ers.
(29:02):
By the way, Rams and forty nine Ers play each
other that weekend and then the following weekend, Rams got
a tough couple games. Seahawks go down to Sofi Stadium
in LA. We can probably call that Lumenfield South because
they always get out numbered by the opposing teams fans,
whether it's a Rams home game, whether it's a Chargers
home game. And Lee, I think Herbert's gonna light up
(29:23):
that secondary, and I think he's gonna have a lot
of time to do so.
Speaker 4 (29:26):
Well.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
We've seen this Steelers defense too. You just see that
on the d line, Hayward, way too old Watt, you know,
like you look at TJ. Watt right now, former NFL
Defensive Player of the Year. And I saw this defense
struggle mightily in the second game of the year at
home versus the Seahawks, and I just think from this standpoint,
(29:48):
Herbert's gonna light them up. And I don't think this
is ever gonna be close. And you know meinly, I've
been on fire this year. I don't know what my
percentage is, but if I had to guess, I believe
that I'm at least over anywhere between seventy three to
seventy eight percent on my player prop bets that I've
given out on picking the locks. So coming up next.
(30:09):
That's what we're gonna do. What you always wait for.
The locks, not just the kind that you put on
your bagel. The locks are coming up next right here,
sponsored by FanDuel Sportsbook, Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, Mark James
from MJ in the Midday on Sports Radio ninety three
three kjr FM ten am to one pm. Money through Friday,
(30:30):
Lee Sterling, paramounts Sports dot com. The locks aren't next
right here on Picking the Locks.
Speaker 1 (30:37):
Are you looking for a lock this weekend? You've come
to the right place. Now back to picking the Locks
with Mark James and Lee Sterling, brought to you by
the FanDuel Sports Book at Sir Kwamish Clearwater Casino Resort
on Sports Radio ninety three point three kjr FM.
Speaker 2 (30:54):
Back on Picking the Locks, MJ from MJ in the Midday,
Sports Radio ninety three to three KGr ten am, the
one pm every day Lee Sterling, best sports Sandy capper
in America from Paramount Sports Paramount Sports dot com. You
can always call him for his VIP money picks. One
eight hundred four hundred ninety seven four one. This is
the segment, by the way, it's brought to you by
(31:14):
Fanuel Sportsbooks, Suquamish clear Water Casino Resort. The segment you
all wait for the locks, we get right into it.
So I'm gonna start with college football. The biggest game
of the weekend, no question about it could be a
de facto Big twelve championship game BYU undefeated.
Speaker 3 (31:32):
This year Kialani Sazaki head coach.
Speaker 2 (31:36):
They are going down to Lubbock, Texas, the alma mater
of Patrick Mahomes BYU eight and oh start on the season.
And remember both these teams have one thing in common.
They both beat Utah. Now Texas Tech did it on
the road and convincing fashion and blowout fashion BYU did
(31:57):
it at home. But then BYU follow that up just
over a week ago or two weeks ago on the
road in Ames, Iowa knocking off Matt Campbell and the Cyclones.
Speaker 3 (32:10):
There.
Speaker 2 (32:11):
So this game, like I mentioned, best game of the weekend.
Good teams win, great teams cover. Texas Tech. Aside from
that one stumble at Sun Devil Stadium against Arizona State
and Sam Levitt who's now out for the year, this
Texas Tech team looks like one of the best teams
in college football. They are right there in that top
(32:32):
twelve in the first college football rankings. And I love
what I've seen from Joey McGuire's team and what this
team has been able to do all season long. And
Lee for me, you've seen Baron Morton, he got hurt.
But Texas Tech they're a college football best. No team
(32:53):
is better against the number this season than the Texas
Tech Red Raiders. They are seven in one on the
year against the spread. This is a big spot for them.
They can ill afford to lose another game. It's on ABC,
It's going to be a local kicktime in Lubbock at
eleven am. Give me the Red Raiders. Make it eight
(33:17):
and one ats. There's a reason they are a ten
to ten and a half point favorite, and BYUS undefeated.
There's a reason that Texas Tech Vegas knows what they're
doing in this one. The right team is favored. Give
me the Red Raiders lock minus ten, ten and a half.
All right, go from that now to the National Football League.
(33:40):
You saw last weekend what Sam Darnold did to this
Washington Commander's defense and they just lost their starting corner.
Who has watched anyway, Marshawn Lattimore. He's on ir. You
saw them losing their starting quarterback, Jaden Daniels.
Speaker 3 (33:58):
You saw that.
Speaker 2 (33:59):
And here's another thing, Lions, you saw what they've done
in terms of blowout fashion.
Speaker 3 (34:07):
And this team.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Jared Goff on the road, they will travel, they are
on the road. Give me Jared Goff in this game
over two hundred and fifty three passing yards.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Bet it now, thank me, Labor.
Speaker 2 (34:21):
And another thing, if you want to get a little frisky,
his number one target arsb Aman raw Saint Brown. I
love his over as well, But give me Jared Goff
over two hundred and fifty three passing yards. All right, Lee,
I know you've got a lot of locks. Let's go
to Camp Randall Stadium where Demon Williams and the Washington Huskies,
(34:45):
who coming at twenty third in the new College Football
playoff rankings right now, they are an eleven and a
half point favorite on the road versus the Badgers.
Speaker 4 (34:56):
Yeah, and I think that if you're Washington, realize that
if you want to get into the College Football play
if you got to run the table and you can't
just win by a touchdown or two against teams like Wisconsin.
I know all about the troubles they have going west
to east. But Wisconsin might be one of the worst
teams right now in Power for conference football. Why do
(35:19):
I say that. I think their coach Luke Fickle just
watched the press conferences. I mean, he is absolutely done.
He's checked out. I think he knows he's going to
be fired. I mean this is a team that when
he took over, I mean, they weren't that bad. They
were coming off nine and four and seven next to
six seasons. He's gone seven and six, five and seven,
and this year has been a disaster. Haven't even been close.
(35:41):
He had two quarterbacks I thought that were okay, you know,
Billy Edwards came over from Maryland. Thought he was pretty good,
and then I thought that, you know, not a starter,
but he was a decent backup. Danny O'Neil came over
from San Diego State. Both these guys ended up getting injured.
And I mean they're playing with guys that aren't even
Jaggs's guys that would be playing like Division two football.
(36:03):
They used to have a power running game. Used to
scare you that doesn't exist anymore. Receivers, No receivers are
going to go there in the last four or five
years when they don't have quarterbacks and even the defense,
I mean, they just can't hold on. They're decent for
a while. You know, if they had a really good offense,
they might be in games. Here. They're winless in the
Big Ten. They've scored forty one points in their last
(36:26):
six games, which is pretty hard to do. And Washington
comes off of a bye and I thought a really
nice win, seventeen point win here over Illinois. It's hard
for me to see this game being close. And also
Wisconsin bottom five offense and creating explosive plays, So I
(36:47):
don't think they're gonna all of a sudden get lucky
and running back or receiver Blake breaks a tackle or
two and they go the distance. I just don't see
it happening. So Wisconsin, you know, you remember what they
used to be. Just forget about it. This is a
bad team. Probably a little bit better than Oklahoma State,
but not by much. I like the Washington Huskies here.
(37:10):
This is gonna be my first lock of the day
now looking at my second lock. It's a game. It's
a total, so play a lot more sides than totals.
But I think the way this shapes up here. It's
the Tampa Bay and the New England game. The total
is forty eight the Patriots. In my opinion, this is
the least important game of the season. It's a non
(37:31):
conference road game and they're going up against a really
good run stopping defense here in Tampa Bay. So what
does that mean. Drake may gonna throw the ball early
and often. Who is he going up against. Well, he's
going up against Baker Mayfield, one of the best quarterbacks
right now in the NFL. Baker loves to throw the football.
(37:53):
Their top running back is out and New England they
have not generated any type of consistent pressure against opposing
quarterbacks here. Their last four wins have been against get this,
the number thirty, second, thirty, first, thirtieth, and twenty eighth
scoring offenses. So that's four of the bottom five scoring offenses.
(38:17):
So you're thinking, well, they're improved. Yeah, they're slightly improved
on defense, but they haven't faced anyone. So I just
think you're gonna see, you know, a wide open game.
Both quarterbacks are going to want to show what they
have here. They're not familiar with each other, so the
defenses don't have the edge. So the totals sitting here
(38:38):
at forty eight. I worked this game out. I got
it something like, you know, thirty four to twenty eight,
So I got it sitting in the high fifties, maybe
approaching sixty points. So I'm going to take the over
forty eight total points here as my second lock of
the show.
Speaker 2 (38:54):
Well, Lee, I'd mentioned I'm on raw, same brown, and
I got to give the exact number seventy nine and
a half receiving yards, so Jared Goff. In order for
him to go over to forty nine and a half,
he's gonna need ARSBS to step up against arguably the
worst pass defense in the NFL. You saw it, Sam Darnold.
Sam Darnoald was mister perfect in the first half last
(39:16):
Sunday Night, sixteen of sixteen and a perfect rating of
one fifty eight point three four touchdown passes, including two
to Tory Horton, and I just believe AARSB is going
to have an absolute field day on this Commander's defense.
What team has regressed more from where they ended up
(39:38):
last season to where they are now?
Speaker 3 (39:41):
Nobody but the Commanders.
Speaker 2 (39:43):
They went to the NFC Championship game, they won on
the road, at Ford Field against this Lions team. It's
a revenge game and Aman Ross Saint Brown is going
to have a field day, So go over. I'm on
Ross Saint Brown seventy nine and a half receiving yards.
Bet it now, wait for it, wait for it, thank
(40:06):
me later. All right, Lee, your final blowout of the
week before we wrap it up.
Speaker 4 (40:12):
Yeah, my final blowout is a game I think most
people are gonna gloss over. It's game between the Chicago
Bears and the New York Giants. So it's Chicago Bears team.
I mean, it looked like one of the greatest games
we've had all season. They had the game wrapped up
last week. I mean they're winning, you know, by two
touchdowns and looks like, you know, all they need to
(40:35):
do is, you know, even if the other team scores,
if the Bengals score, recover the on side kick, take
a knee, they get out of the gate, they go
back home, and they're sitting with a nice five and
three record. Well, what happened? They allow the Bengals to
recover the on side kick, the Bengals score two point conversion,
(40:55):
they're leading by one, and then you would think it's
absolutely over. This is a team that used to fold
like a three dollars shirt, but they came back. I
mean people think they're just going for the field goal.
Pushed the ball down the field to Loveland. I thought
Williams pass was perfect Loveland break the tackle goes to distance.
If you have the Chicago Bears, well kind of makes
(41:18):
up for last year's absolute disaster when they allowed to
hail Mary. So the public even in that category, But
some of them has to go to the coaching staff.
I think there's a coaching staff that's, you know, really
has this team on an even keel. I like the
way they're developed in your own quarterback Williams had a
guy fill in last week, never really played much at all.
(41:41):
Hid from Rutgers the young running back. He gets the
one hundred and seventy five rushing yards. They have a
couple of linemen this year have almost had perfect games,
not allowed any pressures at all during a game. So
what was their biggest weakness was their offensive line? Maybe
turning in to the biggest strength. They've got all kinds
of guys on the outside. They can make plays here.
(42:01):
You know, one week it's one guy, one week, it's
the next guy and they get turnovers. Their defense goes
after turnovers. The Giants, on the other hand, they want
to get sacks, but to get sacks you have to
stop the run first. And the Giants they're not getting leads.
And if you can't stop the run and the offense
(42:24):
is playing from behind, well, you know what, your defense,
they're not gonna have a whole lot of success here.
The Giants are in the middle of a five game
road swing where they've gone on the road five of
the seven weeks. Here, they lost their star running back,
Cam Skataboo, lost their star receiver, their rookie receiver. They
(42:45):
also are a team here. Even their special teams have
not been very good. So Jackson Dart gonna be fine,
but you gotta put players around him. And right now,
I just don't think the talent is there. Even when
they score a touchdown, they have trouble backing it up.
They have maybe ten fifteen plays they can run with success.
But when you have a bunch of threes and fours
(43:07):
at receiver running his one and two's, and you haven't
got a lot of guys at running back that are
threes and fours that really are not even close to
starting running backs after a real problem here, so they
might be able to score. And then Jackson Dart feels
the pressure he might this might be the game where
he throws a couple interceptions. Bears are at home and
the crowd is gonna be wall into this game. Here
(43:30):
number three and a half, I have the Bears winning
by a touchdown or more. We're gonna go with the
third lock of the day. We're gonna go with this
shock Bears good time over the New York Giants.
Speaker 3 (43:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (43:42):
You know the thing about the Bears though, the only
thing about them, they they've pulled out some games, and
you know, at the Cincinnati game, but I just look
at them as frauds. They don't have a defense, but
they can put up points. And Kayleb Williams is he's
certainly coming to his own. Is he on the level
of Drake By or Jane Diani? No, but he's right
below that. And I just can't quite figure them out.
(44:05):
And they pulled that one out of there, you know
what last Sunday and a game that nearly ninety points
were scored. But I'll tell you one thing about the
bearsley they can certainly put up points.
Speaker 3 (44:16):
And I mean they're hey, they're still in it. They're right.
Speaker 2 (44:19):
You look at the standings right now in the NFL,
specifically in the NFC North Division, they are tied with
the Detroit Lions going into this weekend, both teams a
half game back of Green Bay, who got that really
weird tie in Dallas a few weeks ago. So Green
Bay's on top of the division at five to two
(44:41):
to one. Then Detroit in Chicago, another big game this weekend.
I'm not going to give out anything but the team
who's undefeated in their division, the San Francisco forty nine ers.
You see how they've been decimated by injuries. They welcome
in the Rams and the Niners are undefeated in the
division and the NFC West. They've beaten a Seahawk, they've
beaten the Rams, and they've beaten the Cardinals, and now
(45:03):
they're going for the sweep on the Rams at Levi Stadium,
the home of Super Bowl sixty. So that to me
is gonna be one of the best games of the weekend.
It's gonna be an unbelievable weekend. Everybody out there, don't
forget this is for obvious, you know whatever, you guys
(45:23):
do just bet responsibly, don't bet.
Speaker 3 (45:26):
More than you can lose.
Speaker 2 (45:29):
And I think I love both of our picks for
Lee Sterling can check him out at Paramount Sports dot
com or call them for his VIP money picks one
eight hundred, four hundred and ninety seven for one. Listen
to me Mark James MJ in the Midday with Christopher Kidd,
our producer of the show every day ten am t
one pm on Sports Radio ninety three to three KJRFM, Seattle.
Thanks again, we'll see you next week on Picking the Locks.
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