Degenerate Gamblers Rejoice! The 2019-20 Picking Contest is Here!!

[Troublemaker]

In case anyone's wondering, no line yet on the Notre Dame - NCSU game because both CJ Bryce and Rex Pflueger are questionable for tonight.

If it were just one of them, my guess is the line would already be up because while good players, neither is a superstar. But one key player on each team possibly being out makes things, I guess, a bit murkier for the oddsmakers.

[OldPhiKap]

If appropriate, I would like to take this opportunity to tell UNC to go to Hell.

Thanks, I'll hang up and wait for a response.

[Troublemaker]

Duke is -12 on the road in at Atlanta vs Georgia Tech tonight.

I took GaTech +12 and the over in both Degenerates and real life.

A few (not comprehensive) thoughts:

• Pastner's uncomplicated offense might actually be a positive against Duke. I've seen good coaches with good offenses really struggle against us when they try to run their normal sets; Duke's ball pressure makes it so hard to run offense. I think Pastner will at times just have his guys put their heads down and drive our pressure, and I think this season's GaTech might have enough athleticism and size to have some driving success tonight. This is probably Pastner's best team in Atlanta.
• Wendell being out helps with the over. Not only is he one of our better defenders, but he's still struggling on offense with a 95 offensive rating. (It's gotten better recently but he's still mostly posting sub-100s).
• Kenpom projects a 12-pt win, but his data include all the games where GaTech played without Usher and Alvarado. As others have mentioned, the Yellow Jackets have become a much better team with those two guys available. I estimate anyone taking +12 is getting at least two points of point spread value here.
• I'm trying to avoid recency bias. Despite what we did @Miami and @VaTech, my attitude towards any ACC road game is still, "I'll be happy with a 1-pt win." 12 points is a bit rich, imo. Unless Duke shoots well tonight to get some separation, it will be nerve-racking.

And as always, if I'm wrong, I will pay the price literally in Degenerates and real life. Accountability/consequences for bad (or good) opinions, yes!

[Bob Green]

I took Duke (-11) to cover. My reasoning is Georgia Tech will take a step back after dismantling Carolina. Yes, this year’s Carolina is Roy’s “least talented” team ever but the win was still an emotional event for the Yellow Jackets.

Pittsburgh (+4.5) over Carolina was tempting seeing how bad the Tar Heels look but I do not trust the Panthers after they folded like a cheap chair against Wake Forest.

[CameronBlue]

Pittsburgh (+4.5) over Carolina was tempting seeing how bad the Tar Heels look but I do not trust the Panthers after they folded like a cheap chair against Wake Forest.

Congratulations to Coach Capel. Great road win to break a streak of 22 L's on the road against ACC competition. And yes UNC is still in the ACC last time I checked though they look remarkably like they belong in the Big South Conference.

Pitt came back being 14 down which reveals a team that believes in itself. Capel building a winning culture at Pitt.

[left_hook_lacey]

Congratulations to Coach Capel. Great road win to break a streak of 22 L's on the road against ACC competition. And yes UNC is still in the ACC last time I checked though they look remarkably like they belong in the Big South Conference.

Pitt came back being 14 down which reveals a team that believes in itself. Capel building a winning culture at Pitt.

That's incredibly insulting to the Big South Conference.

[Bob Green]

It's Saturday and I'm still in the Red at -1400 so I placed four bets in an attempt to climb out of the hole (or dig deeper):

Louisville (-3.5) to cover at Notre Dame
Virginia Tech (-2) to cover against N.C. State
Syracuse at Virginia Under (115.5)
Georgia Tech (-4) to cover at Boston College

[JasonEvans]

Bwahahahaha! All season I have been sizing my bets, mostly 200-400. I just hit submit and forgot to move the bets down from 500 each. Yikes! If I go 0-8 today, I'm toast!

On the other hand, a 6-2 or better day might actually give me a shot at getting back to breakeven

[Bob Green]

Bwahahahaha! All season I have been sizing my bets, mostly 200-400. I just hit submit and forgot to move the bets down from 500 each. Yikes! If I go 0-8 today, I'm toast!

On the other hand, a 6-2 or better day might actually give me a shot at getting back to breakeven

I’ve very few hard fast betting rules but for the past few seasons I’ve always wagered 500 on every bet. When the contest first started, I sized my bets but it got old fast losing 400 & 500 bets while winning 100 & 200 bets.

[Fish80]

6,000 FMU’s on the line. All 6 games, both spread and O/U. Yikes. Might be going down in ��

Took the under 114.5 on the UVA game.

[NYBri]

I can no longer make picks, sigh, but I can still give my picks here as a public service to all those who want to pick against me. Odd to think if I had made the opposite of all my picks this year, I'd be 10k+ instead of out of the match.

Va Tech -2
NCState/Va Tech Over 145.5

Louisville -3
L'ville/ND Over 137

Va. -6.5
Va/Syr Under 114.5

Clemson +3
Clemson/Cheats Under 135

BC +3.5
GTech/BC Over 132

Duke -19.5
WF/Duke Over 145

All 500 unit bets. I'll report back. Now that I'm out of the running, I'll probably win them all.

[NYBri]

6,000 FMU’s on the line. All 6 games, both spread and O/U. Yikes. Might be going down in ��

Took the under 114.5 on the UVA game.

I always took Va and the under and it served me well in the past. This year I deviated from that and it cost me.

[Bob Green]

Louisville (-3.5) to cover at Notre Dame
Virginia Tech (-2) to cover against N.C. State

I go 1-1 in the 2 pm games. Louisville wins by 3 so they failed to cover.

[JasonEvans]

I always took Va and the under and it served me well in the past. This year I deviated from that and it cost me.

Virginia and Syracuse score over 30 points combined in overtime to hit the over. Like most of you, I had the under and we were 20+ points on the good side until the game went to OT. This is one of the most brutal bad beats I’ve ever endured.

[Fish80]

Only one game today ... I’m taking Pitt +3.5 points. So you guys should take Miami.

[peterjswift]

So everyone would be comfortable if, say, peterjswift, who has not placed a single bet, continues that strategy and wins this thing

I think that is a very wise move to add to the rules for next season. Would be a tad unfair to implement this year. I'm really enjoying my short-lived time in the top-ten. It also just seems fitting that there is an even more degenerate move to gambling...cheating the system!

[Bob Green]

I took Duke (-10.5) to cover. Why?

1. We are 5-0 with smallest margin of victory 9 points at Georgia Tech.
2. Clemson is not a good basketball team.

Recent power rankings at ACC Sports Journal ranked Clemson 14 of 15.

[CameronBlue]

I took Duke (-10.5) to cover. Why?

1. We are 5-0 with smallest margin of victory 9 points at Georgia Tech.
2. Clemson is not a good basketball team.

Recent power rankings at ACC Sports Journal ranked Clemson 14 of 15.

You had me at 5 and 0

...but then you lost me when you quoted the ACC Sports Journal.

(Went with Duke anyway.)

[Bob Green]

...but then you lost me when you quoted the ACC Sports Journal.

Yeah, local media that isn’t exactly Duke friendly but they do have our Blue Devils #1 and Carolina #15.

[peterjswift]

Well, y’all can blame me for the loss to Clemson. Oof.