Above the fold

Abby Takes Down Vegas, Yr 3, Wk 13

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Like the calendar year of 2020 that began with so much promise, Abby’s picking prowess ran hot for a while.  Unfortunately, three straight weeks of average to below have sunk the season longs to a dog paddle slightly below water level.

For the season the won/loss/tie sits at 30-34-1.  The money bones are up 50-47, though that’s now a bit on the bookies’ side when the juice is factored in.  The hunch bet continues a stock market like turnaround.  Once at 1-4, it’s now at 5-4.  Staff members rejected the suggestion this week to rename it the Tesla/Netflix bet.

It’s conference championship week.   Abby’s going to wait a week to start the NFL picks.

  1.  The Alabama Coronation Ball, aka the SEC Championship, pits Florida with Pitts dressing out this week against the Tide L Wave Goodbye to the Competition.  Alabama will win, it’s only a question of how many.  Abby likes a sneaky under 74 and 1/2.  Two bones.
  2.  UAB v Marshall -5 1/2 – Conference USA, with more stones than the Big 10 and PAC 12 played a near-full slate of games in this year of the COVID-19. Heck, they even started sooner than the SEC.  Marshall led the herd, and the Thundering Herd will cover this evening in Abby’s Friday Night special.  It should be noted that she took Arizona +11 v Arizona St last Friday night in a Sun Devil 70-7 win, but we digress.   One bone.
  3.  USC v Oregon under 65 – Oregon is filling in for Washington in the PAC 12 Championship Game.  Isn’t that fitting?  The league that couldn’t start, then did, can’t finish without a hitch either.  And, give her Oregon(+3) as an outright win would not surprise. Two bone parlay to win six.
  4.  Minnesota at Wisconsin -12 and 1/2 –  This line makes no doggone sense to Abby.  None.  The Badgers have scored a total of 20 points in their last three contests, or roughly Bama’s average on its first three drives weekly.  The winner of the game receives Paul Bunyan’s Axe, a tradition that started in 1948 after the first trophy, the Slab of Bacon, disappeared after the 1943 game when the Badgers were meant to turn it over to the Golden Gophers.  Inexplicably Abby likes Whiskey (so does her grandfather, but we digress again) to cover.  Two bones.
  5. Illinois at Penn St -15 – We repeat.  This line makes no doggone sense to Abby.  Could the Fighting Illini get the old dead cat bounce?  Lovie Smith is loved no more in Champaign.  Abby has a strong dislike for cats dead or alive, but you have to pick one.  Take the Nittany Lions.  Two bones.
  6. Clemson -10 1/2 v Notre Dame – This line screams “take ND.”  In the rematch, much is at stake for the Tigers.   A late cover it is.   One bone.  If you’re looking for value in the game ND on the ML is +300.

Texas A&M has a lot to play for v Tennessee Saturday.  A Clemson loss would put them in the final four.  THE has a lot to play for v Northwestern in the Big 10 Championship.  A win likely will put them in the final four.  On a hunch, bet both Tennessee plus 14 and 1/2 and under 56 and 1/2 in the Northwestern v. THE game.  Abby expects the Aggies to win but not cover.  She also expects THE to work Northwestern, but not over the total.   These are two separate hunch bets.

Woof!