September 9, 2022 • 47 mins
Ben and his 5th Hour home-slice Danny G. have a special Friday broadcast for you, as the popular BENNY VS. THE PENNY takes over the first podcast of the weekend! Who'll get more football picks right in NFL Week 1, Ben or an inanimate object? They pick every game with in-depth analysis!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Kaboom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes a
week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of
the old republic a sole fashion of fairness. He treats
crackheads in the ghetto gutter the same as the rich
pill poppers in the penthouse to clearinghouse of hot takes.
Break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben
(00:24):
Mallard starts right now in the air everywhere. We welcome
you into a special edition of the Fifth Hour with
Ben Maller and Danny g two guys. Is enough for me?
By request, we have moved the penny right here. It
(00:49):
is the beginning of a new season of Benny Versus
the Penny Man versus Metal. And if you've never heard
this before, it is one of the more unique bits
that we've done. I've done this on terrestrial radio and
on YouTube and the podcast for many, many, many years,
(01:11):
and it's very simple. I spend a good amount of
time handicapping NFL games. It's become a bit of a
passing fad, if you will, for me over the years.
But it's really more than that, because I've done it
for so long. And and then we have an inanimate object,
a penny, and we determine who can do a better job,
(01:34):
someone that actually invests the most valuable resource we have
time into this or an object which has no knowledge
of anything going on. So that is the premise behind
Benny versus the Penny, and it's a season long battle.
And Danny G, you are representing the penny. You're the
(01:55):
keeper of the penny, a hollowed, hollowed position and to
have where legends like Turk Stevens and Guesscon and so
many other people over the years, I wish I could
pull off those suits have represented the penny. So it's
a big honor for you, Danny G. I know this
is a big accomplishment. You've done so many great radio
(02:17):
jobs and now you are the keeper of the Penny.
I can't wait until I can put this on my
broadcasting resume, the Penny Keeper. And you know, one of
the benefits of working on your live show all these
years is I know where Coop hid the penny in
the studio cool last, and so when I was in
(02:39):
there this past weekend, I made sure to go to
the hiding place. I got the penny and it's in
my hand right now. Wow. Well that's good and you
I look, it looks very nice. And so that is
the magical penny marijuana residue on it, though it has
been tarnished a little bit by the coop bloop. So
(03:01):
normally at this point we look back at our record
last week. I did not lose a game last week. Uh,
and the Penny did not win a game last week.
Depending on how you look at I'll be many bright
side on this because it's a brand new week, it's
a brand new season. Let's strike up the band. Welcome players,
(03:21):
You're welcome. It's time now, Penny versus the Penny now.
A mini Mallard monologue for Week one of the NFL.
There are some themes in Week one as we get
to these games here, and it's the same theme we
(03:43):
get every year in Week one, although it feels like
it's a little bigger this year. It's old faces in
new places, or depending how you look at it, new
faces in old places. But the quarterback roulette. Number of
veteran quarterbacks have changed teams. Baker Mayfield going from Cleveland
(04:04):
the Carolina, and you've got Russell Wilson now in Denver.
They play against their old teams this week Matt Ryan
making his debut when we get to the Colts game.
So there are a lot of those type of storylines.
We have new coaches in the NFL this season who
are making their debuts, and these are all things that
you have to factor in when you handicap a game,
(04:27):
because if you have a season coach versus a new coach,
typically the advantage goes in a large way to the
coach that's actually done it before. It's kind of like
your first school play, Danny, if you if you ever
acting in school, the first time you do a school play,
probably not gonna be that good. But the third or
fourth time, you kind of get it. You kind of
(04:49):
understand what's going on. So with that said, we'll get
right to the games. That will start with the early
games and the first game on the board, New Orleans
at Atlanta. It is a on Fox. Kenny Albert and
Jonathan Vilma have the call. The Saints opened up a
three and a half point favorite. They're favored by five
and a half in this game at the Mercedes Benz
(05:11):
Stadium and the pick I'm gonna take the Falcons in
this game. Now I'll tell you why. Jamis Winston Number one,
returning as the Saints starter, coming off a torn to
a c L. He does have to demonstrate to me
that he is up to the challenge because of the
the injury, lost a lot of weight, and Sean Payton
(05:34):
never took the training wheels off Winston last year. He's
not walking through that door now. Dennis Allen, who is
a debacle or was it Debaco coaching the Raiders back
in the day. The Saints still have Alvin Kamara. He
didn't get suspended. He's playing in this game. He dodged suspension.
Michael Thomas is back. But even in the glory days
of the Saints, they've always been a bad team early
(05:56):
in the in the season, certainly last last and full
of years last eight seasons. New Orleans is just three
and fifteen against the spread in weeks one and two,
and a lot of that with Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
And uh, this is more of a play against the
Saints than it is on the Falcons. I don't like it, Lant.
I think they're bad team like everyone else. Marcus Mariota
(06:19):
returns as the starter, A former Raider backup, former Tennessee starter.
He is playing with a parade of horribles. The Falcons
are in Nomad's land at this point under center uh
and also they have a coach in Arthur Smith, who
is in year two. They've been bad in September, They've
(06:40):
been bad in October and November and pretty much every
other month there. There's a couple of reasons though, to
think they can hang around. Typically, these divisional games are close,
their nail biters, even when one team is much better
than the other. And Kyle pitts very productive. You can
get in the ends on a lot last year only
one touchdown. Cordarrell Patterson has been very good as a
(07:04):
running back, and they're very excited about Drake London, who's
been dinged up here. But that The main reason to
like the Falcons other than the divisional angle is their
defensive backs A. J. Terrell and Casey Hayward very good,
and so they should be able to slow down Michael
Thomas and the rest of the Saints receivers. Saints will
win the game, but the Falcons will cover Saints thirty
(07:27):
and the Falcons twenty six. And the Penny picks all right,
this is exciting. My very first flip of the penny
and the penny is taking New Orleans. Alright, the penny
taking the road team New Orleans at Atlanta. There in
the a t L al right. Next up San Francisco
(07:48):
at Chicago. It's on Fox. Joe Davis, the Dodger broadcaster,
and Darryl moose Johnson have the call. The forty Niners
opened up a six and a half point favorite, and
they are a seven point favorite. Mild weather in Chicago
as we start moving into the fall part of the calendar,
although not quite yet into fall, seventies seven at kickoff
(08:12):
on the shores of Lake Michigan and Soldier Field, mostly cloudy.
Uh And I am going against my better judgment here, Danny.
I'm gonna take the Chicago Bears plus the points in
this game. Yeah. Mainly I'm betting against Trey Lance. I
don't trust him. His first real opportunity as the man
(08:33):
for the team from the Bay area there, and he
doesn't have much rope with Jimmy g hanging on the sidelines.
I know all the rhetoric that the Niners fancy themselves
a Super Bowl contender, and they have a tremendous amount
of talent on defense. I get all that, but there's
no way that the Niners should be this bigger favorite
(08:54):
with a neophyte at quarterback. And if you look at
these Niner teams last five years, they're only eight and
eight as a road favorite, So even when they've had
some good teams, they haven't exactly dominated as a road
favorite here. And uh, I realized that Justin Fields has
a terrible offensive line and he also stinks as the
(09:14):
quarterback for Chicago. Uh So I'm gonna need for to
win this bet. I'm gonna need special teams and a
couple of mistakes by Lance, a few timely turnovers here,
and some oddities, some real oddities to take place. But
I'm gonna do it anyway. I'll take the Niners to
win the game on the road, but not cover the spread.
(09:35):
Forty Niners twenty three, Bear seventeen the final, and the
penny picks. The penny also goes with the Chicago Bears,
all right, So the Penny and me agree, so either
I can't lose on that one, all right? Next up
Philadelphia at Detroit. It is on Fox as well. Adam A.
(09:57):
Mean and Mark slay Rith have the call from the
Motor City. The Eagles opened up a three and a
point favorite. They are favorite by four. It's inside the
dome at Ford Field, mild temperatures in Detroit. Also, not
that it matters, but I'm gonna take the Lions in
this game. I like the Lions as a home doog
and the Eagles are riding the trendy train right now.
(10:19):
They're the popular pick bipopular people. Jalen Hurts has has
shown last season very good fantasy player, very good regular
season player. Uh at least if you look at the
the Gaudi statistics that he put up running the football,
mixing with the past, people are saying he's an m
VP candidate. I don't buy it. I'm on the other
(10:40):
side here. I think the Eagles will win their share
of regular season games, but I like the Lions this week.
The Birds as a road favorite have a losing record
since seventeen. Philly also has been a terrible team in September.
They're three and thirteen against the spread their last six
team games in September, and the Lions, despite all of
(11:04):
the suckage in the Motor City Detroit, is nine and
four their last thirteen games in September. So against the spread,
those numbers So that's all we care about his gamblers, right,
I don't care if they win straight up, it's do
they cover the spread? And so the Lions coming off
that hard knocks life here. Uh, they also got destroyed
(11:24):
by the Eagles and the regular season last year. You
have a casserole of middle of the road players in
the Motor City. But we are going to take the
Lions over a field goal at home, getting four points.
In fact, stunner of the week. Lions upset the darlings
(11:45):
of the NFC, the Eagles. Lions twenty nine Eagles, and
expect Philly coach Nick Siriani to have some explaining to
do after this game. And the Penny picks Danny Penny
goes with the Eagles, all right, So the Pennies going
(12:05):
the other way, going with the talk of the Philadelphia Eagles.
It's Betty versus the Penny. Next up New England at Miami.
It's on CBS. Greg Gumble and Adam Archiletta have the call,
and the Dolphins opened up a two and a half
point favorite. They're favored by three in this game. Light
(12:26):
rain temperatures in the nineties at kick off in South
Florida at Hard Rock Stadium, and that's a big factor.
Many people saying that that will sway this game to
the Dolphins, but I'm going the other way. I'm gonna
take the Patriots in this game. I mentioned in the
open rookie coaches versus veteran coaches. There's no greater mismatch
(12:46):
this weekend than Mike McDaniel, who I'm pulling for. I
hope I'm wrong, but Mike McDaniel's first game as Dolphins coach,
never a play caller in the NFL, it was an
assistant with the Niners is he's got a very odd
personality and he's a good sound bite, and he takes over.
Miami is getting a lot of love with Tyree Hill
(13:07):
as he begins life in South Florida. And you've got
to a tongue of Bloa, who's three and oh in
his career against New England but bewilderedly bad numbers individually
for two despite being three and oh, two touchdowns, two
interceptions in his career passer rating below eighty two. But
(13:29):
yet the Dolphins have been able to find a way
with him under center to win those games New England.
If you look at the recent trend here the last
ten meetings. For the last five years, New England has
won the first matchup and the Dolphins have won the
second matchup in nine of the last ten seasons. So
that's a trend. Trends are made to be broken, but
(13:52):
it tells you typically these things go to the Patriots
in round one, Round two goes to the Dolphins, and
that the Patriots have a bunch of questions. The The
Boston media has been going, sky is falling, Mac Jones
not looking great. The offense, uh, not very good. Zombies
under Matt Patricia's too lege as he's the de facto
(14:13):
offensive coordinator. People bringing up the weather lot this the sticky,
icky weather of September in South Florida, that will wear
down the Patriots as they wear those navy blue uniforms,
those jerseys in the second half. But I've learned over
the years not to bet against Belichick, and he's always
gotten the most. He's been able to squeeze the most
(14:35):
out of the toothpaste tube and get all that toothpaste
out at the end. He's got a huge coaching edge
over the no name out of nowhere Mike McDaniel. Uh
So I'm taking the patriotsy. I think this is a
back and forth game. It will come down to a
late field goal. I love getting the points here, even
though it's only three points. Patriots twenty seven and the Dolphins.
(15:00):
It's the final and the Penny picks Penny picks the Dolphins,
all right, the Dolphins. These are two teams that your
raiders Danny g might run into down the line if
they make the playoffs. The Dolphins. Yeah, the Patriots are
(15:21):
like a fringe playoff team that they made the playoffs
last year. The Dolphins kind of in that weird both
those teams fighting you would think for a wild card
behind the Bills in the a f C East, all
eyes on Mac Jones and coordinators. And on the other
side to and Tyreek. Yeah, it's a it's a game.
I will I will definitely have that in my rotation
(15:41):
in the early television window. Next up, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati.
It's on CBS. Iron Eagle and Charles Davis teaming up
on this game. The Bengals. We had Charles Davis on
this podcast not that long ago. Friend of the Bengals
opened up a six and al point favorite. They have
(16:03):
stayed a six and a half point favorite the newly
named pay Corps Stadium, whatever that is, uh seventy five
at kickoff in Cincinnati, right on the border of Kentucky.
And I'm taking the Steelers in this game. Not because
I love Mr Biscuit. I do not love my my
Mr R Bisky as he begins under center. But I
(16:25):
do believe in Mike Tomlin, and I know that Tomin's
gonna run a very basic, rudimentary offense, a lot of
Naja Harris and the running attack for Pittsburgh. Try to
milk the clock as much as you can, let the
defense and special teams win the game. Steelers defense should
be top five in the NFL. I am not anti Bengals,
(16:45):
though they have my name in their name. I'm not
anti ben Gals. I don't trust Cincinnati though by this
many points. I know they were in the Super Bowl
last year. But Joe Burrow, he had a pretty big
procedure and appen deck to me not that long ago.
He supposedly lost twenty pounds or so had an infection
(17:08):
obviously during that and uh, Mike Tomlin as a road
underdog since has a six thirty six winning percentage been
very good to play the Steelers on the road, although
the last couple of years have not been that great.
And the stat of status here Danny and the Penny
the Super Bowl loser going back over twenty five years,
(17:32):
last twenty six years, the team that lost the Super
Bowl in their first game the following season five and
twenty one against the spread. That's a less than two
hundred winning percentage. I'm gonna ride that twenty five plus
year trend and I'll take the Bengals to win the
game but not cover the spread. Bengals thirty three, Steelers
(17:56):
thirty and the Penny chiming in on this one. The
Penny goes with the Steelers, alright, So disagreement on this
game and we'll keep the train movement here. Next up,
we stop out in New Jersey, the swamp Lands of Jersey.
The j E t S Jets, Jets Jets the home team,
(18:19):
Baltimore the road team in this game. It's on CBS.
Andrew Catalan and James Lofton have the call. The Ravens
a big road favorite. They opened up at four and
a half, their favorite by seven and a half. We
call this the Flacco factor in this game and the
game being played at MetLife Stadium, mild temperatures in the
(18:40):
high seventies and cloudy at kickoff in this one, and
I'm actually gonna go against the Tide. I'm gonna take
the Jets in this game. I'm betting on Joe Flacco.
I don't love this game. It's not one of my
it's not one of my favorite players, Danny. But I'm
gonna take Joe Flacco in this game against his old team. Uh,
(19:02):
mainly because I believe the Ravens have some issues here
that have not been addressed. I don't love the Jets.
Nobody loves the Jets year two under Robert Sala Lamar
Jackson beginning the season as he's just coming off this
contract negotiation which didn't really go his way. Every good
(19:23):
game he has this year, he's gonna earn more money.
Every bad game he's gonna lose a few shekels. And
John Harbaugh's team as a road favorite. They actually have
a winning record, but only three games above five hundred
as a road favorite. Since he's been very good in
season openers. John Harbaugh against the spread ten and four
(19:44):
in his fourteen years coming into this year as the
Ravens coach against the spread in the season opener, and
they Jets have been bad and all that, I understand it,
but I'm looking for some rust from Lamar. He didn't
play at all really in the priests season, and the
Jets just they're ugly ducklings. They gotta play ugly. That's
(20:05):
the only way they can play. I also love betting
against the public here. Over of the money is on
the side of Baltimore. They think this is just a
broken money machine handing out free money, taking the Ravens here.
The reason I've learned over the years doing benny versus
the penny. One of the reasons the sports books are
(20:26):
so profitable is the public loading up thinking a game
is just a gimme like this and uh and more
times than not, when you see that amount of money
on one side, you don't even really have to handicap
the game, Mutch. You just go the other way. So
I think the Ravens win the game. But that's two
many points Ravens twenty three, Jets seventeen. In an ugly
(20:49):
matchup early season, Jets and Ravens and the Penny picks,
and he goes with the Ravens alright, Penny into the Ravens.
It's penny versus the penny, Danny G representing the penny.
Every Friday, tell a friend, but listen all weekends, Saturday, Sunday,
(21:09):
doesn't matter when you listen. I do know over the years,
Danny many a listener love to go back on Monday
and Tuesday and listen to how shitty the picks are.
So they they like the fact that I spend so
much time handicapping and then it looked like a total
jackass when the games are actually played. So yeah, exactly, exactly,
(21:33):
because they don't do that when I have a good week,
which happens every once in a while too. All right.
Next up, Jacksonville at Washington. It's on Fox with Chris
Myers and Robert Smith, our old colleague Chris Myers part
of the Fox Sports Radio Alumni Association, and the Commanders
(21:54):
opened up a three and half point favorite. They're favored
by two and a half and again, temperature is kind
of my high seventies. At kickoff at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland,
and I'm gonna take the Jags in this game bet
against Carson Wentz. I think these teams are actually very similar. Uh,
that's not a compliment for Washington. I don't think they're
(22:15):
all that much more talented than Jacksonville is. And Carson
Wentz has to show that he no longer has the
brain farts which have haunted him his entire career. I'm
I'm going against common sense. Jacksonville's riding a seventeen game
road losing streak coming into this game. They're fresh off
(22:38):
the Urban Meyer era and the Nomad's land once they
got rid of Urban, so Doug Peterson Vanilla ice cream.
Doug Peterson takes over as the head coach. He makes
his debut in UH in a Jags hat and polo shirt,
and he was hired to salvage the career of Trevor Lawrence,
(22:59):
who seemed like he was going to be a prodigy
coming out of Clemson and just was not that good
last year. Understand. James Robinson, the running back for the
jackson Is expected plays got an achilles situation Sean uh
coming off an achilles, but he's supposed to play. And
this is also the debut of the big money free
agent receiver, Christian Kirk, who came over from Arizona. So
(23:24):
he'll he'll he'll try to start making some money back
earning the money that he got paid. And again, these
teams are pretty even. Shouldn't spend too much time on
this game. Uh, Jacksonville. The only thing that scares me.
I like jackson I think there is talented, if not
more talented than the Commandos, But the public also loves
(23:45):
the Jags, and that scares me the amount of public
money that is on Jacksonville, because as I've said, the
public is usually wrong, but still handicapping the game. I'm
gonna take Jacksonville to win the game outright, even though
they're an underdog by two and apt points. Jags on
a late field goal, win it twenty four, Commandos twenty three,
(24:05):
and the Penny picks and he selects Jacksonville. Alright, So
we agree on that one. And again the Benny versus
the Fame of the West works if you just somehow
did not listen to the beginning. The home team is Heads,
the road team is Tales, and that's how we've done
(24:26):
it for many, many years, and that's how we'll do
it this season as well. On Benny versus the Penny.
Next up Cleveland at Carolina, This game getting a lot
of attention on CBS Spirodidas and Jay Feey. The Browns
opened a three and a half point favorite, but that
was when Deshaun Watson seemingly was gonna play. He's not playing.
(24:47):
The Panthers are now a one point favorite. Rain showers,
temperatures hovering around eight agrees at kick off at Bank
of America stadiums, so the wet ball will be in
play here. The foot all be a little damp if
that forecast proves to be accurate in the Carolina's Panthers
(25:07):
are my pick. I'm gonna take Carolina in this game.
Baker Mayfield revenge game to start things off here. The
reason I'm optimistic for Carolina is not because of Baker Mayfield.
No, no no, no, He's gonna be so amped up he'll
probably make a couple of mistakes. But I I like
me some Christian McCaffrey. When McCaffrey plays, which is typically
(25:27):
only six or seven games a year, Carolina is a
playoff team when he's in the line of Remember they
got off to that fast start last year. I think
there were four and oh something like that, three and one.
Gotta to do a good start, and then McCaffrey went
down and the whole team fell apart, the defense slightly
above average. I don't love the game because the Panthers
(25:50):
are favorite. It's down to one point. They were actually
favored by more than that, and the public is loading
up on the Brownies, so that part of it I like, right,
And they're they're betting on the fact that the Browns
defense is good, their offensive line is good. They're overlooking
Jacoby Brissette, who is a barf bag under center and
(26:10):
the guy that gets worse as the as he plays more.
And that's not really an issue right now because it's
the first game of the year, and we imagine that
the Browns will simply run a basic offense where they
hand off to Nick Chobb most of the time, and
then mix in the disgruntled Kareem Hunt and you've got
(26:30):
that defense. All of that Cleveland. If you look at
the history of the Browns, they have been a wonderful
team to bet against week one. The last twenty two years,
they have only won six games against the spread in
Week one. And I think this game goes back and
(26:51):
forth and gets nip and talk, low scoring game. Both
teams are gonna try to be conservative and control the
game as much as they can on the ground. But
I'll take the guys from Tobacco Road, Carolina Tree and
the Browns twenty the final and the penny picks. The
(27:14):
penny goes with the Panthers, alright, the pick. We agree
on that one. So another agreement on Benny versus the Penny.
Next up Indianapolis at Houston. It's on CBS with Tom
McCarthy and Ticky Barber will be in the booth there.
(27:34):
The Old Giant and the Colts opened up a seven
and a half point favorite. They're favored by eight eight
in this game. It's being played in one of those
retractable roof domes NRG Stadium in Houston, and the temperature
outside and they'll maybe they'll have the dome open eighties
six degrees that kick off the pick. I'm taking the
(27:57):
home team. I'm gonna take the texts of this game. Uh,
Indie going with Matt Ryan, and I've got to see
it to believe it. Everyone's like, oh, Matt Ryan's gonna
be great. He looked like he was cooked meat loaf,
over cooked meat loaf in Georgia in recent years, and
now he gets a fresh start as Frank Reich and
(28:19):
that run heavy Colts offense. Jonathan Taylor, who was in
the MVP conversation. Remember that last year seven seven eight
games in the year, Jonathan Taylor was the main, main guy.
He's the headliner again. Keep an eye on him. How
he goes will go the Colts. They'll get the rock
early and often. Indie historically has been a lousy Week
(28:41):
one team, going back to the Peyton Manning era of
Indie football. They are three twelve and one the last
sixteen years in Week one against the spread. They also
have a couple of guys who are dinged up. Some
of them I'm talking about defensively. Defensively here. Some of
them will play, but how well will they do? Others
(29:02):
will not. The Texans are a bad team, but I
think they're closer to being an average team than a
terrible team. I mean, they're a bad team, but they're
not like the worst of the worst like they were
supposed to be last year and did turn out to
be one of the worst teams in the NFL last season.
Davis Mills, I'm not as excited about some other people
at at quarterback with Davis Mills, but all we need
(29:26):
is a couple of drives that that takes some time
off the clock and result in touchdowns. Here and Lovey
Smith making his return as an NFL head coach, and
he's looking at twelve losses by the time, somewhere around
twelve loss maybe if everything goes right, ten losses, but
(29:48):
probably around twelve. And so you know, maybe they squeeze
out a couple more here there. But I'm gonna take
the Texans. The cardinal rule, if you've followed Benny versus
the Penny, anytime you get over seven points in a
divisional game, which this is, you don't ask questions, you
take the points. You should be happy. Either that or
(30:11):
you don't bet the game. So we bet every game
on Benny versus the Penny. So I'm gonna take the
Texans plus the points. Colts win the game. But people
will be saying, well, Matt Ryan's not quite back yet.
Colts Texans twenty three, and the penny picks the penny,
(30:31):
says Indie, alright, so the penny going with the chalk.
It's a lot of points, a lot of lumbered, a
lot lay there in a road team, all right. Next up,
we go to the late television window, the new York
Giants at Tennessee. It's on Fox. Kevin Coogler and Mark
Sanchez have the call. Who Sanchez the great butt fumble guy? Yeah?
(30:59):
I know, light rein seventy nine degrees. That kick off
at Nissan Stadium. Will your buddy Clay Travis be at
this game, Danny, you think he'll be in the crowd there?
Who's there one of those Gucci umbrellas that he's got
because he's got Limbaugh's old chair talk? All right? Uh Titans.
(31:19):
Titans opened up a six and a half point favorite,
their favorite by five and a half. I'm want to
take the Giants in this game. It's the beginning of
a new era. I'll tell you why. Giant football Brian
Dable takes over there on the sidelines. His pet project
is fixing Daniel Jones. But as a gambler, Daniel Jones
was okay last year, even in the darkness of The
(31:42):
Giants have been a bad team for five or six years,
but when Daniel Jones played, they were six and five
against the spread with Danny Dimes under center. It's hard
to get a read on the Giants because it's the
an exhibition season and they've they've got their core guys.
All those high falutin first round picks in recent years
(32:05):
are playing. How effective they're going to be is open
for interpretation. Uh, but I'm gonna take the Giants. I'm
I'm not sold on the times. Even when the Titans
play well, they typically grind games out. They have a
very methodical, surgical approach with the great running back Derrick Henry.
(32:27):
And if Ryan Tannehill starts slinging the ball around, good luck,
it's last chance alone. A J. Brown has gone. The
new number one receiver is likely Robert Woods, who was
the number three receiver on the Rams and now he
becomes the number one receiver in in Nashville. Uh, it's
(32:49):
it's It's a game where I I could make an
argument for Tennessee because I think the Giants are still
bad team. Uh. The money is pretty even on this game.
But I'm gonna take the point, all things being equal
here first game. I have a theory on bad teams.
You like betting on bad teams early because they don't
realize they're bad. So I will take the Titans to
(33:11):
win the game, but the Giants to cover the spread.
Titans thirty and the Giants and the Penny picks. Penny
has the Titans. Alright, Penny has the Titans. There next
up Green Bay at Minnesota. It is on Fox. You
better watch Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen. This is the
(33:35):
number one crew for Fox. Now remember Joe Buck and
Aikman skidaddle. They took that money, the bag of money
over to ESPN. And so they're gone, and Burkehart now
has the number one chair as the Fox NFL play
by play guy and Greg Olsen has the chair until
Tom Brady decides to retire allegedly. All Right, so the
(33:56):
Packers a two point favorite. They opened as a one
and app point favorite. US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. It's a dome.
It'll be nice, mild temperatures in the low seventies in
Minneapolis at kickoff. Here, I'm taking the Vikings in this game.
I'm going against one of my theories. But it is
a rookie coach versus a established coach. Kevin O'Connell, the
(34:20):
old Aztec making his maiden voyage in this game for
the Purple People Eaters and the Vikings oozing with offensive talent.
Justin Jefferson Adam Feeling at receiver Dalvin Cook in the backfield.
And now they have someone who touched Sean mcveigh's hat,
(34:41):
So Kevin O'Connell he is he's held the clipboard of McVeigh,
and so that should bode well for the Vikings as
the season goes on with Kirk Cousins Minnesota. Though, if
you look at the numbers last twenty one meetings with
Aaron Rodgers outside of a tie Minnesota to his six
and fifteen, so history says, well, the Packers own the
(35:07):
Vikings the cheeseheads of the way to go. But I'm
not I'm not all in on that. Davante Adams is gone.
The three musketeers now for Aaron Rodgers are Alan Lazard,
Sammy Watkins, and Randall Cobb. And so this will give
Minnesota a chance to to sneak sneak up on on
the Vikings on the Packers right there, they seemingly have
(35:30):
a better offensive list of weapons the Vikings in this game.
So I believe Aaron Rodgers will need extra psychedelics after
this game. And it's Vikings seven Packers twenty three. Sky
is falling over Lambeaux and the Penny Picks Penny is
(35:54):
going with the Vikings. All right, Penny going the Vikings
on that one. Next up, Kansas the at Arizona. It's
on CBS in the late television window. This is the
big game for CBS. Jim Nance and Tony Romo have
the call from the Valley of the Sun and oh my,
is it going to be sunny? Temperatures a kickoff one
(36:16):
hundred degrees at kickoff in Glendale, Arizona at State Farm Stadium.
Chiefs opened a two and a half point favorite. They
are a six point road favorite. Six point road favorite.
Uh man, I'm I'm gonna take alligator arms. I'm taking
the Cardinals in this game. Tyreek Hill, I'll tell you
(36:37):
why he's not walking through that door. Uh Andy Reid
attempting to sort out who will pick up the targets.
It's either gonna be Marquez, Valdez, Scantling or Juju Smith Schuster,
one of them. You don't have to be Lombardi to
figure that out. And Arizona's got some issues. That's why
this is such a big line here. DeAndre Hopkins, the
(37:00):
steroid cheat. He's out for the first six games, and
Arizona just is lacking the wow factor they have Hollywood Brown,
A J. Green who's old, and ron Dale Moore as
the past Catchers. There's also some players dinged up on
defense but getting almost a touchdown. Arizona has been with
(37:22):
Cliff Kingsbury and Alligator Arms Murray. They've been a much
better first half team. They usually get off the pretty
good starts. So I'm gonna put a little bit of money.
I don't love this game, but I put a little
bit on the twitch gamer Kyler Murray and his little
arms and his little band of friends here Chiefs thirty
one and the Cardinals and the Penny Picks. Penny goes
(37:48):
with the Chiefs. You'r a f C rival Chiefs. Danny
has a proud member of Raider Nation. Check put baby alright,
net stop Las Vegas. Speaking of the Raiders, I can't
believe you took Kyler Murray by the way. Well, you know,
I'm a gambler and I have to do Las Vegas
(38:10):
at the l A Chargers on CBS with Kevin Harlan
and Trent Green. Danny g I've heard that this this
game is gonna be eighty five Raider fans will be
in attendance at this game. In the hood and Inglewood. No,
you gotta work for half the game. I'll be at
(38:31):
the FSR studios. Oh man, it's gonna like a Raider
home game. Yeah. That are you gonna be able to
get to any Raider games this year? Trying to fly
to New Orleans? Really? Yeah? Okay, very good? Alright, so
Vegas and the Chargers. Charges opened up a four point favorite. There,
(38:52):
favorite by three so Fi Stadium. Not a doll's supposed
to cool off. There's been a big heat wave. It's
kind of gotten some city in California here, but by
the time they kick off on Sunday, temperatures in the
high seventies at kickoff, it's so far And you're either
gonna like this or you're not gonna like this, dandy,
(39:13):
but I'm taking the Chargers in this game. A rematch
of that classic Week eight team game last year, the
Raiders winning the Chargers eliminated the debut of Josh McDaniels
as coach. Davante Adams the Silver and Black and I
like the l a offense against the Charger against the
(39:35):
Raider defense, the Chargers should be able to with their
offensive line, at least if you buy the hype they'll
be able to contain Chandler Jones and Max Crosby for
most of the game. And and the Raiders. You gotta
think the big advantage that Chargers have is Austin Ekeler,
and I don't know that the Raider linebackers will be
(39:56):
able to keep up with Eckler. That should be the
secret sauce, which is really not all that secret. It's
a Khalil Mack revenge game. The old Raider who went
to Chicago now and the Chargers back in the a
f C West, And this game will be close, but
I believe a late score by the Chargers, little separation
their Chargers thirty three and the Raiders the final and
(40:20):
the penny picks come on, Penny, come on, h The
penny goes with you and says Chargers. Hopefully you'll both
be wrong. Look at that. See, that's how you prove
you have integrity, Danny, Because I have worked with some
guys who did the penny and when it came to
(40:43):
their favorite teams. I'm not gonna name names here, but
when it came to their favorite teams, somehow the penny
always picked their favorite team. But not you, Danny. You
are a man of morals, a man of integrity, as
you hold the penny, just the proud servant of the penny,
whatever it lands on. That's what I'm gonna tell you,
all right. Next up Sunday Night football, Tampa Bay at Dallas.
(41:09):
It's on and b CE Mike Tarico and Chris Collinsworth
supposed to do double duty this weekend. They did the
Thursday night game the Rams and Bills. You got Josh
Allen stiff armed? Dare you? They've got the game Sunday
night Box opened up at two point favorite, their favorite
(41:31):
by two and a half. Clear skies eighty four degrees
that kick off at a T and T stadium in
Jerry's world, and this is a very tough game to handicap.
I do not love this game because of injuries and
a malaise that both teams have gone through. But I'm
gonna give an edge, a slight edge. The Bucks is
a small road favorite. Both these teams made the playoffs
(41:54):
last year. The Cowboys have developed a reputation of being
a paper tiger. They beat up the good teams, struggle
against the better teams. Both Dallas and Tampa have some
offensive line um, shall we say bruises, issues, hiccups, whatever
you wanna say. They're also at receiver for Dallas, and
(42:17):
so it's a hard game to handicap. But all things
being equal, even though Tom Brady has looked very old
at his news conferences and appears to be having some
personal issues, if you believe the tabloids, I trust him
more late in the game if it's a close game.
The Bucks get the ball back in in the hypothetical,
(42:40):
with say three minutes to go in the game, down
by two points, I trust that Brady will lead the
Bucks back, and I think they'll even get them in
the end zone. But I I'm taking Tampa to win
the game by a field goal, So I'll take the
Buccaneers thirty and the Cowboys in the penny picks who
(43:07):
the penny goes with Tampa Bay? All right? So penny
going the other way or going with me, I should
say with Tampa Bay, all right. Last game Monday Night
Football and it's Denver at Seattle on EESPN with Joe
Buck and Troy Aikman. How awkward is that? Well, it's
that gonna really awkward. Other than when they do promos
(43:29):
for ESPN shows that will be awkward, but then the
mic flags will be a little weird. But other than that,
it's been used to bucking Aikman. Broncos opened up a
four point favorite. They're favored by six and a half
mostly sunny temperatures in the sixties. That kick off at
Looming Field in Seattle, a stadium that I've been to
(43:51):
but only outside of because the Seahawks would not allow
me in. But I'm still gonna take the Seahawks in
this game. I know they suck, I know they're likely
the worst team the NFL. But Russell Wilson, he's gonna
have a whole bunch of nerves coming out early in
that game. I anticipate a couple of mistakes here, a
couple of bumps in the road, and all you need
(44:13):
when you're getting that many points with the home team,
couple of turnovers go your way, maiden voyage for Russell Wilson,
and you gotta think here. Pete Carroll knows all the
weaknesses of Russ so coaching edge for Seattle. Denver's got
a rookie coach, the old packer assistant who takes over
(44:33):
here and so this becomes an interesting chess match. The Seahawks.
I'm not making the argument they're good. I don't think
they're good at all. And raw talent, clearly Denver's the
better team here, and Geno Smith is is a liability.
The fact that he's starting. Somebody needs to be court
martial in Seattle. The offensive lines got injuries. I mean,
(44:55):
there's a whole bunch of arguments to take Denver and
say Denver wins this game forty five to three, that
it could be that terrible the game, and Joe Buck
and Aikman are doing filler at the end. But I'm
gonna be Benny bright Side on this. I'm gonna say
that again early on. You like the bad team, they
don't realize they're bad. Also, it's another one of those
(45:18):
games where the public thinks it is a broken cash machine.
It's a broken ATM machine and you just simply type
in a few numbers there and you get your guaranteed
to win your bat over of the money. As we
are doing Benny versus the Penny or nine is on Denver,
(45:39):
the road team favored by almost a touchdown. I don't
get it. You're getting six and a half with Seattle
at home. You're gonna have to get every one of
those points and the half point Broncos thirty, the Seahawks
get the cover at and the penny picks the final
(46:01):
game all week one, and the penny pick is smoke
Weed every day. Clearly, this penny is still loyal to
de Coup Delupe because it goes with the Broncos. Alright,
go on with the blue and orange of Denver. And
(46:21):
so those are the picks. And again we provide just
marginal handicapping on every game against the spread. But marginal
handicapping beats no handicapping, you would think, because the penny
has no handicapping. We'll see how we did, Danny, thank
you great job as the keeper of the penny, and
(46:43):
we'll see how this does, and then we'll be back.
We have a fresh group of podcasts all weekend long,
and if you like this, try the other Fifth Hour
podcast and we will catch you next time later. Skater
fl
Kaboom. If you thought four hours a day, minutes a
week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of
the old republic a sole fashion of fairness. He treats
crackheads in the ghetto gutter the same as the rich
pill poppers in the penthouse to clearinghouse of hot takes.
Break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben
(00:24):
Mallard starts right now in the air everywhere. We welcome
you into a special edition of the Fifth Hour with
Ben Maller and Danny g two guys. Is enough for me?
By request, we have moved the penny right here. It
(00:49):
is the beginning of a new season of Benny Versus
the Penny Man versus Metal. And if you've never heard
this before, it is one of the more unique bits
that we've done. I've done this on terrestrial radio and
on YouTube and the podcast for many, many, many years,
(01:11):
and it's very simple. I spend a good amount of
time handicapping NFL games. It's become a bit of a
passing fad, if you will, for me over the years.
But it's really more than that, because I've done it
for so long. And and then we have an inanimate object,
a penny, and we determine who can do a better job,
(01:34):
someone that actually invests the most valuable resource we have
time into this or an object which has no knowledge
of anything going on. So that is the premise behind
Benny versus the Penny, and it's a season long battle.
And Danny G, you are representing the penny. You're the
(01:55):
keeper of the penny, a hollowed, hollowed position and to
have where legends like Turk Stevens and Guesscon and so
many other people over the years, I wish I could
pull off those suits have represented the penny. So it's
a big honor for you, Danny G. I know this
is a big accomplishment. You've done so many great radio
(02:17):
jobs and now you are the keeper of the Penny.
I can't wait until I can put this on my
broadcasting resume, the Penny Keeper. And you know, one of
the benefits of working on your live show all these
years is I know where Coop hid the penny in
the studio cool last, and so when I was in
(02:39):
there this past weekend, I made sure to go to
the hiding place. I got the penny and it's in
my hand right now. Wow. Well that's good and you
I look, it looks very nice. And so that is
the magical penny marijuana residue on it, though it has
been tarnished a little bit by the coop bloop. So
(03:01):
normally at this point we look back at our record
last week. I did not lose a game last week. Uh,
and the Penny did not win a game last week.
Depending on how you look at I'll be many bright
side on this because it's a brand new week, it's
a brand new season. Let's strike up the band. Welcome players,
(03:21):
You're welcome. It's time now, Penny versus the Penny now.
A mini Mallard monologue for Week one of the NFL.
There are some themes in Week one as we get
to these games here, and it's the same theme we
(03:43):
get every year in Week one, although it feels like
it's a little bigger this year. It's old faces in
new places, or depending how you look at it, new
faces in old places. But the quarterback roulette. Number of
veteran quarterbacks have changed teams. Baker Mayfield going from Cleveland
(04:04):
the Carolina, and you've got Russell Wilson now in Denver.
They play against their old teams this week Matt Ryan
making his debut when we get to the Colts game.
So there are a lot of those type of storylines.
We have new coaches in the NFL this season who
are making their debuts, and these are all things that
you have to factor in when you handicap a game,
(04:27):
because if you have a season coach versus a new coach,
typically the advantage goes in a large way to the
coach that's actually done it before. It's kind of like
your first school play, Danny, if you if you ever
acting in school, the first time you do a school play,
probably not gonna be that good. But the third or
fourth time, you kind of get it. You kind of
(04:49):
understand what's going on. So with that said, we'll get
right to the games. That will start with the early
games and the first game on the board, New Orleans
at Atlanta. It is a on Fox. Kenny Albert and
Jonathan Vilma have the call. The Saints opened up a
three and a half point favorite. They're favored by five
and a half in this game at the Mercedes Benz
(05:11):
Stadium and the pick I'm gonna take the Falcons in
this game. Now I'll tell you why. Jamis Winston Number one,
returning as the Saints starter, coming off a torn to
a c L. He does have to demonstrate to me
that he is up to the challenge because of the
the injury, lost a lot of weight, and Sean Payton
(05:34):
never took the training wheels off Winston last year. He's
not walking through that door now. Dennis Allen, who is
a debacle or was it Debaco coaching the Raiders back
in the day. The Saints still have Alvin Kamara. He
didn't get suspended. He's playing in this game. He dodged suspension.
Michael Thomas is back. But even in the glory days
of the Saints, they've always been a bad team early
(05:56):
in the in the season, certainly last last and full
of years last eight seasons. New Orleans is just three
and fifteen against the spread in weeks one and two,
and a lot of that with Drew Brees and Sean Payton.
And uh, this is more of a play against the
Saints than it is on the Falcons. I don't like it, Lant.
I think they're bad team like everyone else. Marcus Mariota
(06:19):
returns as the starter, A former Raider backup, former Tennessee starter.
He is playing with a parade of horribles. The Falcons
are in Nomad's land at this point under center uh
and also they have a coach in Arthur Smith, who
is in year two. They've been bad in September, They've
(06:40):
been bad in October and November and pretty much every
other month there. There's a couple of reasons though, to
think they can hang around. Typically, these divisional games are close,
their nail biters, even when one team is much better
than the other. And Kyle pitts very productive. You can
get in the ends on a lot last year only
one touchdown. Cordarrell Patterson has been very good as a
(07:04):
running back, and they're very excited about Drake London, who's
been dinged up here. But that The main reason to
like the Falcons other than the divisional angle is their
defensive backs A. J. Terrell and Casey Hayward very good,
and so they should be able to slow down Michael
Thomas and the rest of the Saints receivers. Saints will
win the game, but the Falcons will cover Saints thirty
(07:27):
and the Falcons twenty six. And the Penny picks all right,
this is exciting. My very first flip of the penny
and the penny is taking New Orleans. Alright, the penny
taking the road team New Orleans at Atlanta. There in
the a t L al right. Next up San Francisco
(07:48):
at Chicago. It's on Fox. Joe Davis, the Dodger broadcaster,
and Darryl moose Johnson have the call. The forty Niners
opened up a six and a half point favorite, and
they are a seven point favorite. Mild weather in Chicago
as we start moving into the fall part of the calendar,
although not quite yet into fall, seventies seven at kickoff
(08:12):
on the shores of Lake Michigan and Soldier Field, mostly cloudy.
Uh And I am going against my better judgment here, Danny.
I'm gonna take the Chicago Bears plus the points in
this game. Yeah. Mainly I'm betting against Trey Lance. I
don't trust him. His first real opportunity as the man
(08:33):
for the team from the Bay area there, and he
doesn't have much rope with Jimmy g hanging on the sidelines.
I know all the rhetoric that the Niners fancy themselves
a Super Bowl contender, and they have a tremendous amount
of talent on defense. I get all that, but there's
no way that the Niners should be this bigger favorite
(08:54):
with a neophyte at quarterback. And if you look at
these Niner teams last five years, they're only eight and
eight as a road favorite, So even when they've had
some good teams, they haven't exactly dominated as a road
favorite here. And uh, I realized that Justin Fields has
a terrible offensive line and he also stinks as the
(09:14):
quarterback for Chicago. Uh So I'm gonna need for to
win this bet. I'm gonna need special teams and a
couple of mistakes by Lance, a few timely turnovers here,
and some oddities, some real oddities to take place. But
I'm gonna do it anyway. I'll take the Niners to
win the game on the road, but not cover the spread.
(09:35):
Forty Niners twenty three, Bear seventeen the final, and the
penny picks. The penny also goes with the Chicago Bears,
all right, So the Penny and me agree, so either
I can't lose on that one, all right? Next up
Philadelphia at Detroit. It is on Fox as well. Adam A.
(09:57):
Mean and Mark slay Rith have the call from the
Motor City. The Eagles opened up a three and a
point favorite. They are favorite by four. It's inside the
dome at Ford Field, mild temperatures in Detroit. Also, not
that it matters, but I'm gonna take the Lions in
this game. I like the Lions as a home doog
and the Eagles are riding the trendy train right now.
(10:19):
They're the popular pick bipopular people. Jalen Hurts has has
shown last season very good fantasy player, very good regular
season player. Uh at least if you look at the
the Gaudi statistics that he put up running the football,
mixing with the past, people are saying he's an m
VP candidate. I don't buy it. I'm on the other
(10:40):
side here. I think the Eagles will win their share
of regular season games, but I like the Lions this week.
The Birds as a road favorite have a losing record
since seventeen. Philly also has been a terrible team in September.
They're three and thirteen against the spread their last six
team games in September, and the Lions, despite all of
(11:04):
the suckage in the Motor City Detroit, is nine and
four their last thirteen games in September. So against the spread,
those numbers So that's all we care about his gamblers, right,
I don't care if they win straight up, it's do
they cover the spread? And so the Lions coming off
that hard knocks life here. Uh, they also got destroyed
(11:24):
by the Eagles and the regular season last year. You
have a casserole of middle of the road players in
the Motor City. But we are going to take the
Lions over a field goal at home, getting four points.
In fact, stunner of the week. Lions upset the darlings
(11:45):
of the NFC, the Eagles. Lions twenty nine Eagles, and
expect Philly coach Nick Siriani to have some explaining to
do after this game. And the Penny picks Danny Penny
goes with the Eagles, all right, So the Pennies going
(12:05):
the other way, going with the talk of the Philadelphia Eagles.
It's Betty versus the Penny. Next up New England at Miami.
It's on CBS. Greg Gumble and Adam Archiletta have the call,
and the Dolphins opened up a two and a half
point favorite. They're favored by three in this game. Light
(12:26):
rain temperatures in the nineties at kick off in South
Florida at Hard Rock Stadium, and that's a big factor.
Many people saying that that will sway this game to
the Dolphins, but I'm going the other way. I'm gonna
take the Patriots in this game. I mentioned in the
open rookie coaches versus veteran coaches. There's no greater mismatch
(12:46):
this weekend than Mike McDaniel, who I'm pulling for. I
hope I'm wrong, but Mike McDaniel's first game as Dolphins coach,
never a play caller in the NFL, it was an
assistant with the Niners is he's got a very odd
personality and he's a good sound bite, and he takes over.
Miami is getting a lot of love with Tyree Hill
(13:07):
as he begins life in South Florida. And you've got
to a tongue of Bloa, who's three and oh in
his career against New England but bewilderedly bad numbers individually
for two despite being three and oh, two touchdowns, two
interceptions in his career passer rating below eighty two. But
(13:29):
yet the Dolphins have been able to find a way
with him under center to win those games New England.
If you look at the recent trend here the last
ten meetings. For the last five years, New England has
won the first matchup and the Dolphins have won the
second matchup in nine of the last ten seasons. So
that's a trend. Trends are made to be broken, but
(13:52):
it tells you typically these things go to the Patriots
in round one, Round two goes to the Dolphins, and
that the Patriots have a bunch of questions. The The
Boston media has been going, sky is falling, Mac Jones
not looking great. The offense, uh, not very good. Zombies
under Matt Patricia's too lege as he's the de facto
(14:13):
offensive coordinator. People bringing up the weather lot this the sticky,
icky weather of September in South Florida, that will wear
down the Patriots as they wear those navy blue uniforms,
those jerseys in the second half. But I've learned over
the years not to bet against Belichick, and he's always
gotten the most. He's been able to squeeze the most
(14:35):
out of the toothpaste tube and get all that toothpaste
out at the end. He's got a huge coaching edge
over the no name out of nowhere Mike McDaniel. Uh
So I'm taking the patriotsy. I think this is a
back and forth game. It will come down to a
late field goal. I love getting the points here, even
though it's only three points. Patriots twenty seven and the Dolphins.
(15:00):
It's the final and the Penny picks Penny picks the Dolphins,
all right, the Dolphins. These are two teams that your
raiders Danny g might run into down the line if
they make the playoffs. The Dolphins. Yeah, the Patriots are
(15:21):
like a fringe playoff team that they made the playoffs
last year. The Dolphins kind of in that weird both
those teams fighting you would think for a wild card
behind the Bills in the a f C East, all
eyes on Mac Jones and coordinators. And on the other
side to and Tyreek. Yeah, it's a it's a game.
I will I will definitely have that in my rotation
(15:41):
in the early television window. Next up, Pittsburgh at Cincinnati.
It's on CBS. Iron Eagle and Charles Davis teaming up
on this game. The Bengals. We had Charles Davis on
this podcast not that long ago. Friend of the Bengals
opened up a six and al point favorite. They have
(16:03):
stayed a six and a half point favorite the newly
named pay Corps Stadium, whatever that is, uh seventy five
at kickoff in Cincinnati, right on the border of Kentucky.
And I'm taking the Steelers in this game. Not because
I love Mr Biscuit. I do not love my my
Mr R Bisky as he begins under center. But I
(16:25):
do believe in Mike Tomlin, and I know that Tomin's
gonna run a very basic, rudimentary offense, a lot of
Naja Harris and the running attack for Pittsburgh. Try to
milk the clock as much as you can, let the
defense and special teams win the game. Steelers defense should
be top five in the NFL. I am not anti Bengals,
(16:45):
though they have my name in their name. I'm not
anti ben Gals. I don't trust Cincinnati though by this
many points. I know they were in the Super Bowl
last year. But Joe Burrow, he had a pretty big
procedure and appen deck to me not that long ago.
He supposedly lost twenty pounds or so had an infection
(17:08):
obviously during that and uh, Mike Tomlin as a road
underdog since has a six thirty six winning percentage been
very good to play the Steelers on the road, although
the last couple of years have not been that great.
And the stat of status here Danny and the Penny
the Super Bowl loser going back over twenty five years,
(17:32):
last twenty six years, the team that lost the Super
Bowl in their first game the following season five and
twenty one against the spread. That's a less than two
hundred winning percentage. I'm gonna ride that twenty five plus
year trend and I'll take the Bengals to win the
game but not cover the spread. Bengals thirty three, Steelers
(17:56):
thirty and the Penny chiming in on this one. The
Penny goes with the Steelers, alright, So disagreement on this
game and we'll keep the train movement here. Next up,
we stop out in New Jersey, the swamp Lands of Jersey.
The j E t S Jets, Jets Jets the home team,
(18:19):
Baltimore the road team in this game. It's on CBS.
Andrew Catalan and James Lofton have the call. The Ravens
a big road favorite. They opened up at four and
a half, their favorite by seven and a half. We
call this the Flacco factor in this game and the
game being played at MetLife Stadium, mild temperatures in the
(18:40):
high seventies and cloudy at kickoff in this one, and
I'm actually gonna go against the Tide. I'm gonna take
the Jets in this game. I'm betting on Joe Flacco.
I don't love this game. It's not one of my
it's not one of my favorite players, Danny. But I'm
gonna take Joe Flacco in this game against his old team. Uh,
(19:02):
mainly because I believe the Ravens have some issues here
that have not been addressed. I don't love the Jets.
Nobody loves the Jets year two under Robert Sala Lamar
Jackson beginning the season as he's just coming off this
contract negotiation which didn't really go his way. Every good
(19:23):
game he has this year, he's gonna earn more money.
Every bad game he's gonna lose a few shekels. And
John Harbaugh's team as a road favorite. They actually have
a winning record, but only three games above five hundred
as a road favorite. Since he's been very good in
season openers. John Harbaugh against the spread ten and four
(19:44):
in his fourteen years coming into this year as the
Ravens coach against the spread in the season opener, and
they Jets have been bad and all that, I understand it,
but I'm looking for some rust from Lamar. He didn't
play at all really in the priests season, and the
Jets just they're ugly ducklings. They gotta play ugly. That's
(20:05):
the only way they can play. I also love betting
against the public here. Over of the money is on
the side of Baltimore. They think this is just a
broken money machine handing out free money, taking the Ravens here.
The reason I've learned over the years doing benny versus
the penny. One of the reasons the sports books are
(20:26):
so profitable is the public loading up thinking a game
is just a gimme like this and uh and more
times than not, when you see that amount of money
on one side, you don't even really have to handicap
the game, Mutch. You just go the other way. So
I think the Ravens win the game. But that's two
many points Ravens twenty three, Jets seventeen. In an ugly
(20:49):
matchup early season, Jets and Ravens and the Penny picks,
and he goes with the Ravens alright, Penny into the Ravens.
It's penny versus the penny, Danny G representing the penny.
Every Friday, tell a friend, but listen all weekends, Saturday, Sunday,
(21:09):
doesn't matter when you listen. I do know over the years,
Danny many a listener love to go back on Monday
and Tuesday and listen to how shitty the picks are.
So they they like the fact that I spend so
much time handicapping and then it looked like a total
jackass when the games are actually played. So yeah, exactly, exactly,
(21:33):
because they don't do that when I have a good week,
which happens every once in a while too. All right.
Next up, Jacksonville at Washington. It's on Fox with Chris
Myers and Robert Smith, our old colleague Chris Myers part
of the Fox Sports Radio Alumni Association, and the Commanders
(21:54):
opened up a three and half point favorite. They're favored
by two and a half and again, temperature is kind
of my high seventies. At kickoff at FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland,
and I'm gonna take the Jags in this game bet
against Carson Wentz. I think these teams are actually very similar. Uh,
that's not a compliment for Washington. I don't think they're
(22:15):
all that much more talented than Jacksonville is. And Carson
Wentz has to show that he no longer has the
brain farts which have haunted him his entire career. I'm
I'm going against common sense. Jacksonville's riding a seventeen game
road losing streak coming into this game. They're fresh off
(22:38):
the Urban Meyer era and the Nomad's land once they
got rid of Urban, so Doug Peterson Vanilla ice cream.
Doug Peterson takes over as the head coach. He makes
his debut in UH in a Jags hat and polo shirt,
and he was hired to salvage the career of Trevor Lawrence,
(22:59):
who seemed like he was going to be a prodigy
coming out of Clemson and just was not that good
last year. Understand. James Robinson, the running back for the
jackson Is expected plays got an achilles situation Sean uh
coming off an achilles, but he's supposed to play. And
this is also the debut of the big money free
agent receiver, Christian Kirk, who came over from Arizona. So
(23:24):
he'll he'll he'll try to start making some money back
earning the money that he got paid. And again, these
teams are pretty even. Shouldn't spend too much time on
this game. Uh, Jacksonville. The only thing that scares me.
I like jackson I think there is talented, if not
more talented than the Commandos, But the public also loves
(23:45):
the Jags, and that scares me the amount of public
money that is on Jacksonville, because as I've said, the
public is usually wrong, but still handicapping the game. I'm
gonna take Jacksonville to win the game outright, even though
they're an underdog by two and apt points. Jags on
a late field goal, win it twenty four, Commandos twenty three,
(24:05):
and the Penny picks and he selects Jacksonville. Alright, So
we agree on that one. And again the Benny versus
the Fame of the West works if you just somehow
did not listen to the beginning. The home team is Heads,
the road team is Tales, and that's how we've done
(24:26):
it for many, many years, and that's how we'll do
it this season as well. On Benny versus the Penny.
Next up Cleveland at Carolina, This game getting a lot
of attention on CBS Spirodidas and Jay Feey. The Browns
opened a three and a half point favorite, but that
was when Deshaun Watson seemingly was gonna play. He's not playing.
(24:47):
The Panthers are now a one point favorite. Rain showers,
temperatures hovering around eight agrees at kick off at Bank
of America stadiums, so the wet ball will be in
play here. The foot all be a little damp if
that forecast proves to be accurate in the Carolina's Panthers
(25:07):
are my pick. I'm gonna take Carolina in this game.
Baker Mayfield revenge game to start things off here. The
reason I'm optimistic for Carolina is not because of Baker Mayfield.
No, no no, no, He's gonna be so amped up he'll
probably make a couple of mistakes. But I I like
me some Christian McCaffrey. When McCaffrey plays, which is typically
(25:27):
only six or seven games a year, Carolina is a
playoff team when he's in the line of Remember they
got off to that fast start last year. I think
there were four and oh something like that, three and one.
Gotta to do a good start, and then McCaffrey went
down and the whole team fell apart, the defense slightly
above average. I don't love the game because the Panthers
(25:50):
are favorite. It's down to one point. They were actually
favored by more than that, and the public is loading
up on the Brownies, so that part of it I like, right,
And they're they're betting on the fact that the Browns
defense is good, their offensive line is good. They're overlooking
Jacoby Brissette, who is a barf bag under center and
(26:10):
the guy that gets worse as the as he plays more.
And that's not really an issue right now because it's
the first game of the year, and we imagine that
the Browns will simply run a basic offense where they
hand off to Nick Chobb most of the time, and
then mix in the disgruntled Kareem Hunt and you've got
(26:30):
that defense. All of that Cleveland. If you look at
the history of the Browns, they have been a wonderful
team to bet against week one. The last twenty two years,
they have only won six games against the spread in
Week one. And I think this game goes back and
(26:51):
forth and gets nip and talk, low scoring game. Both
teams are gonna try to be conservative and control the
game as much as they can on the ground. But
I'll take the guys from Tobacco Road, Carolina Tree and
the Browns twenty the final and the penny picks. The
(27:14):
penny goes with the Panthers, alright, the pick. We agree
on that one. So another agreement on Benny versus the Penny.
Next up Indianapolis at Houston. It's on CBS with Tom
McCarthy and Ticky Barber will be in the booth there.
(27:34):
The Old Giant and the Colts opened up a seven
and a half point favorite. They're favored by eight eight
in this game. It's being played in one of those
retractable roof domes NRG Stadium in Houston, and the temperature
outside and they'll maybe they'll have the dome open eighties
six degrees that kick off the pick. I'm taking the
(27:57):
home team. I'm gonna take the texts of this game. Uh,
Indie going with Matt Ryan, and I've got to see
it to believe it. Everyone's like, oh, Matt Ryan's gonna
be great. He looked like he was cooked meat loaf,
over cooked meat loaf in Georgia in recent years, and
now he gets a fresh start as Frank Reich and
(28:19):
that run heavy Colts offense. Jonathan Taylor, who was in
the MVP conversation. Remember that last year seven seven eight
games in the year, Jonathan Taylor was the main, main guy.
He's the headliner again. Keep an eye on him. How
he goes will go the Colts. They'll get the rock
early and often. Indie historically has been a lousy Week
(28:41):
one team, going back to the Peyton Manning era of
Indie football. They are three twelve and one the last
sixteen years in Week one against the spread. They also
have a couple of guys who are dinged up. Some
of them I'm talking about defensively. Defensively here. Some of
them will play, but how well will they do? Others
(29:02):
will not. The Texans are a bad team, but I
think they're closer to being an average team than a
terrible team. I mean, they're a bad team, but they're
not like the worst of the worst like they were
supposed to be last year and did turn out to
be one of the worst teams in the NFL last season.
Davis Mills, I'm not as excited about some other people
at at quarterback with Davis Mills, but all we need
(29:26):
is a couple of drives that that takes some time
off the clock and result in touchdowns. Here and Lovey
Smith making his return as an NFL head coach, and
he's looking at twelve losses by the time, somewhere around
twelve loss maybe if everything goes right, ten losses, but
(29:48):
probably around twelve. And so you know, maybe they squeeze
out a couple more here there. But I'm gonna take
the Texans. The cardinal rule, if you've followed Benny versus
the Penny, anytime you get over seven points in a
divisional game, which this is, you don't ask questions, you
take the points. You should be happy. Either that or
(30:11):
you don't bet the game. So we bet every game
on Benny versus the Penny. So I'm gonna take the
Texans plus the points. Colts win the game. But people
will be saying, well, Matt Ryan's not quite back yet.
Colts Texans twenty three, and the penny picks the penny,
(30:31):
says Indie, alright, so the penny going with the chalk.
It's a lot of points, a lot of lumbered, a
lot lay there in a road team, all right. Next up,
we go to the late television window, the new York
Giants at Tennessee. It's on Fox. Kevin Coogler and Mark
Sanchez have the call. Who Sanchez the great butt fumble guy? Yeah?
(30:59):
I know, light rein seventy nine degrees. That kick off
at Nissan Stadium. Will your buddy Clay Travis be at
this game, Danny, you think he'll be in the crowd there?
Who's there one of those Gucci umbrellas that he's got
because he's got Limbaugh's old chair talk? All right? Uh Titans.
(31:19):
Titans opened up a six and a half point favorite,
their favorite by five and a half. I'm want to
take the Giants in this game. It's the beginning of
a new era. I'll tell you why. Giant football Brian
Dable takes over there on the sidelines. His pet project
is fixing Daniel Jones. But as a gambler, Daniel Jones
was okay last year, even in the darkness of The
(31:42):
Giants have been a bad team for five or six years,
but when Daniel Jones played, they were six and five
against the spread with Danny Dimes under center. It's hard
to get a read on the Giants because it's the
an exhibition season and they've they've got their core guys.
All those high falutin first round picks in recent years
(32:05):
are playing. How effective they're going to be is open
for interpretation. Uh, but I'm gonna take the Giants. I'm
I'm not sold on the times. Even when the Titans
play well, they typically grind games out. They have a
very methodical, surgical approach with the great running back Derrick Henry.
(32:27):
And if Ryan Tannehill starts slinging the ball around, good luck,
it's last chance alone. A J. Brown has gone. The
new number one receiver is likely Robert Woods, who was
the number three receiver on the Rams and now he
becomes the number one receiver in in Nashville. Uh, it's
(32:49):
it's It's a game where I I could make an
argument for Tennessee because I think the Giants are still
bad team. Uh. The money is pretty even on this game.
But I'm gonna take the point, all things being equal
here first game. I have a theory on bad teams.
You like betting on bad teams early because they don't
realize they're bad. So I will take the Titans to
(33:11):
win the game, but the Giants to cover the spread.
Titans thirty and the Giants and the Penny picks. Penny
has the Titans. Alright, Penny has the Titans. There next
up Green Bay at Minnesota. It is on Fox. You
better watch Kevin Burkhardt and Greg Olsen. This is the
(33:35):
number one crew for Fox. Now remember Joe Buck and
Aikman skidaddle. They took that money, the bag of money
over to ESPN. And so they're gone, and Burkehart now
has the number one chair as the Fox NFL play
by play guy and Greg Olsen has the chair until
Tom Brady decides to retire allegedly. All Right, so the
(33:56):
Packers a two point favorite. They opened as a one
and app point favorite. US Bank Stadium, Minneapolis. It's a dome.
It'll be nice, mild temperatures in the low seventies in
Minneapolis at kickoff. Here, I'm taking the Vikings in this game.
I'm going against one of my theories. But it is
a rookie coach versus a established coach. Kevin O'Connell, the
(34:20):
old Aztec making his maiden voyage in this game for
the Purple People Eaters and the Vikings oozing with offensive talent.
Justin Jefferson Adam Feeling at receiver Dalvin Cook in the backfield.
And now they have someone who touched Sean mcveigh's hat,
(34:41):
So Kevin O'Connell he is he's held the clipboard of McVeigh,
and so that should bode well for the Vikings as
the season goes on with Kirk Cousins Minnesota. Though, if
you look at the numbers last twenty one meetings with
Aaron Rodgers outside of a tie Minnesota to his six
and fifteen, so history says, well, the Packers own the
(35:07):
Vikings the cheeseheads of the way to go. But I'm
not I'm not all in on that. Davante Adams is gone.
The three musketeers now for Aaron Rodgers are Alan Lazard,
Sammy Watkins, and Randall Cobb. And so this will give
Minnesota a chance to to sneak sneak up on on
the Vikings on the Packers right there, they seemingly have
(35:30):
a better offensive list of weapons the Vikings in this game.
So I believe Aaron Rodgers will need extra psychedelics after
this game. And it's Vikings seven Packers twenty three. Sky
is falling over Lambeaux and the Penny Picks Penny is
(35:54):
going with the Vikings. All right, Penny going the Vikings
on that one. Next up, Kansas the at Arizona. It's
on CBS in the late television window. This is the
big game for CBS. Jim Nance and Tony Romo have
the call from the Valley of the Sun and oh my,
is it going to be sunny? Temperatures a kickoff one
(36:16):
hundred degrees at kickoff in Glendale, Arizona at State Farm Stadium.
Chiefs opened a two and a half point favorite. They
are a six point road favorite. Six point road favorite.
Uh man, I'm I'm gonna take alligator arms. I'm taking
the Cardinals in this game. Tyreek Hill, I'll tell you
(36:37):
why he's not walking through that door. Uh Andy Reid
attempting to sort out who will pick up the targets.
It's either gonna be Marquez, Valdez, Scantling or Juju Smith Schuster,
one of them. You don't have to be Lombardi to
figure that out. And Arizona's got some issues. That's why
this is such a big line here. DeAndre Hopkins, the
(37:00):
steroid cheat. He's out for the first six games, and
Arizona just is lacking the wow factor they have Hollywood Brown,
A J. Green who's old, and ron Dale Moore as
the past Catchers. There's also some players dinged up on
defense but getting almost a touchdown. Arizona has been with
(37:22):
Cliff Kingsbury and Alligator Arms Murray. They've been a much
better first half team. They usually get off the pretty
good starts. So I'm gonna put a little bit of money.
I don't love this game, but I put a little
bit on the twitch gamer Kyler Murray and his little
arms and his little band of friends here Chiefs thirty
one and the Cardinals and the Penny Picks. Penny goes
(37:48):
with the Chiefs. You'r a f C rival Chiefs. Danny
has a proud member of Raider Nation. Check put baby alright,
net stop Las Vegas. Speaking of the Raiders, I can't
believe you took Kyler Murray by the way. Well, you know,
I'm a gambler and I have to do Las Vegas
(38:10):
at the l A Chargers on CBS with Kevin Harlan
and Trent Green. Danny g I've heard that this this
game is gonna be eighty five Raider fans will be
in attendance at this game. In the hood and Inglewood. No,
you gotta work for half the game. I'll be at
(38:31):
the FSR studios. Oh man, it's gonna like a Raider
home game. Yeah. That are you gonna be able to
get to any Raider games this year? Trying to fly
to New Orleans? Really? Yeah? Okay, very good? Alright, so
Vegas and the Chargers. Charges opened up a four point favorite. There,
(38:52):
favorite by three so Fi Stadium. Not a doll's supposed
to cool off. There's been a big heat wave. It's
kind of gotten some city in California here, but by
the time they kick off on Sunday, temperatures in the
high seventies at kickoff, it's so far And you're either
gonna like this or you're not gonna like this, dandy,
(39:13):
but I'm taking the Chargers in this game. A rematch
of that classic Week eight team game last year, the
Raiders winning the Chargers eliminated the debut of Josh McDaniels
as coach. Davante Adams the Silver and Black and I
like the l a offense against the Charger against the
(39:35):
Raider defense, the Chargers should be able to with their
offensive line, at least if you buy the hype they'll
be able to contain Chandler Jones and Max Crosby for
most of the game. And and the Raiders. You gotta
think the big advantage that Chargers have is Austin Ekeler,
and I don't know that the Raider linebackers will be
(39:56):
able to keep up with Eckler. That should be the
secret sauce, which is really not all that secret. It's
a Khalil Mack revenge game. The old Raider who went
to Chicago now and the Chargers back in the a
f C West, And this game will be close, but
I believe a late score by the Chargers, little separation
their Chargers thirty three and the Raiders the final and
(40:20):
the penny picks come on, Penny, come on, h The
penny goes with you and says Chargers. Hopefully you'll both
be wrong. Look at that. See, that's how you prove
you have integrity, Danny, Because I have worked with some
guys who did the penny and when it came to
(40:43):
their favorite teams. I'm not gonna name names here, but
when it came to their favorite teams, somehow the penny
always picked their favorite team. But not you, Danny. You
are a man of morals, a man of integrity, as
you hold the penny, just the proud servant of the penny,
whatever it lands on. That's what I'm gonna tell you,
all right. Next up Sunday Night football, Tampa Bay at Dallas.
(41:09):
It's on and b CE Mike Tarico and Chris Collinsworth
supposed to do double duty this weekend. They did the
Thursday night game the Rams and Bills. You got Josh
Allen stiff armed? Dare you? They've got the game Sunday
night Box opened up at two point favorite, their favorite
(41:31):
by two and a half. Clear skies eighty four degrees
that kick off at a T and T stadium in
Jerry's world, and this is a very tough game to handicap.
I do not love this game because of injuries and
a malaise that both teams have gone through. But I'm
gonna give an edge, a slight edge. The Bucks is
a small road favorite. Both these teams made the playoffs
(41:54):
last year. The Cowboys have developed a reputation of being
a paper tiger. They beat up the good teams, struggle
against the better teams. Both Dallas and Tampa have some
offensive line um, shall we say bruises, issues, hiccups, whatever
you wanna say. They're also at receiver for Dallas, and
(42:17):
so it's a hard game to handicap. But all things
being equal, even though Tom Brady has looked very old
at his news conferences and appears to be having some
personal issues, if you believe the tabloids, I trust him
more late in the game if it's a close game.
The Bucks get the ball back in in the hypothetical,
(42:40):
with say three minutes to go in the game, down
by two points, I trust that Brady will lead the
Bucks back, and I think they'll even get them in
the end zone. But I I'm taking Tampa to win
the game by a field goal, So I'll take the
Buccaneers thirty and the Cowboys in the penny picks who
(43:07):
the penny goes with Tampa Bay? All right? So penny
going the other way or going with me, I should
say with Tampa Bay, all right. Last game Monday Night
Football and it's Denver at Seattle on EESPN with Joe
Buck and Troy Aikman. How awkward is that? Well, it's
that gonna really awkward. Other than when they do promos
(43:29):
for ESPN shows that will be awkward, but then the
mic flags will be a little weird. But other than that,
it's been used to bucking Aikman. Broncos opened up a
four point favorite. They're favored by six and a half
mostly sunny temperatures in the sixties. That kick off at
Looming Field in Seattle, a stadium that I've been to
(43:51):
but only outside of because the Seahawks would not allow
me in. But I'm still gonna take the Seahawks in
this game. I know they suck, I know they're likely
the worst team the NFL. But Russell Wilson, he's gonna
have a whole bunch of nerves coming out early in
that game. I anticipate a couple of mistakes here, a
couple of bumps in the road, and all you need
(44:13):
when you're getting that many points with the home team,
couple of turnovers go your way, maiden voyage for Russell Wilson,
and you gotta think here. Pete Carroll knows all the
weaknesses of Russ so coaching edge for Seattle. Denver's got
a rookie coach, the old packer assistant who takes over
(44:33):
here and so this becomes an interesting chess match. The Seahawks.
I'm not making the argument they're good. I don't think
they're good at all. And raw talent, clearly Denver's the
better team here, and Geno Smith is is a liability.
The fact that he's starting. Somebody needs to be court
martial in Seattle. The offensive lines got injuries. I mean,
(44:55):
there's a whole bunch of arguments to take Denver and
say Denver wins this game forty five to three, that
it could be that terrible the game, and Joe Buck
and Aikman are doing filler at the end. But I'm
gonna be Benny bright Side on this. I'm gonna say
that again early on. You like the bad team, they
don't realize they're bad. Also, it's another one of those
(45:18):
games where the public thinks it is a broken cash machine.
It's a broken ATM machine and you just simply type
in a few numbers there and you get your guaranteed
to win your bat over of the money. As we
are doing Benny versus the Penny or nine is on Denver,
(45:39):
the road team favored by almost a touchdown. I don't
get it. You're getting six and a half with Seattle
at home. You're gonna have to get every one of
those points and the half point Broncos thirty, the Seahawks
get the cover at and the penny picks the final
(46:01):
game all week one, and the penny pick is smoke
Weed every day. Clearly, this penny is still loyal to
de Coup Delupe because it goes with the Broncos. Alright,
go on with the blue and orange of Denver. And
(46:21):
so those are the picks. And again we provide just
marginal handicapping on every game against the spread. But marginal
handicapping beats no handicapping, you would think, because the penny
has no handicapping. We'll see how we did, Danny, thank
you great job as the keeper of the penny, and
(46:43):
we'll see how this does, and then we'll be back.
We have a fresh group of podcasts all weekend long,
and if you like this, try the other Fifth Hour
podcast and we will catch you next time later. Skater
fl
Host
Ben Maller
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