Robot Loses! Final Farewell

Sports Fans, The Robot had one chance to redeem itself after its mediocre performance this season. And, like the last few seasons, it always seemed like any adjustments I made would help to predict some games and hurt the predictions of others. Therefore, considering how much statistical work is involved in keeping the Robot and his predictions alive, I presented a challenge to myself and the program I've been developing for the last 3 years. The challenge was to discover if my personal opinion was more accurate than a complex calculation of game factors and team statistics.

Here are the results for the competition between me, Robot, and a coin toss (as a control):

Picks................Straight.................ATS..................Over/Under

Myself..............10-3......................10-3.....................6-7

Robot................9-4.........................7-6......................8-5

Coin...................6-7.........................9-4......................5-8

I had better picks than the Robot in Straight and Against the Spread picks. The Robot was the best at predicting the Over/Under category, but that's the simplest facet of the program. Because of these results, I have decided to stop developing the Robot and make my own picks.

My dream was to find this insanely accurate algorithm to use to predict NFL winners and make millions. Also, I would have loved to sell my picks, too, and become this NFL predicting guru. But I've come to the conclusion that this is not going to happen.

However, I don't see this experience as a failure much like a scientist's experiments, even if they don't go as planned, are never failures. A result has come of my work and that result is simply that there is more that decides football games than just numbers. Even accounting for intangibles in some measurable form is not accurate enough to depend on.

This is a major part of why the NFL and all sports are so intriguing to us. Often, teams succeed under extreme circumstances, overcome detrimental odds and surprise all of us. This is why the game is played and to be witness to some of the great stories in sports is an amazing experience.

So, it's been fun. I am going back to being a normal sports fan, leaving the work of it all behind me. I will be deleting the facebook page for Murphy's Pickem soon, but I will leave this blog up for people to read and maybe benefit from it. I can always answer questions about the program I wrote at Smurph215@yahoo.com. Thanks for your support, Sports Fans, and as always, good luck with your plays.

Week 8: The Robot's Last Stand

Sports Fans, using the robot for the last few years to pick football games has been fun and exciting. However, doing what I do takes up so much time during the week, and the results this year have been subpar. I've decided to give the Robot one last chance to prove it is the best way for me to pick football games. This week, I'm putting the Murphy's Pickem Robot up against my personal predictions to see if it's worth all the trouble to make these predictions. And, to add another facet to the contest, I'm also including the picks of a coin toss to see if I should even try predicting football games at all.

If the Robot wins this triple threat match, I will continue to do the work that I do because it's my best method of winning pickem pools and bets. If the Robot loses to my personal picks, I will not be posting any more picks and I will stop doing the work that I do to predict games. I will unplug the Robot and end this blog. I can't be putting this much time into something that I can do better by myself.

Now, if the coin toss beats the two of us, I will forfeit my predictions for my pickem contests and bets to the flip of a coin forever. If niether, the Robot or I can beat a coin toss than what's the point?

Ok, so that's what we have going on this week. It's a big one. Here are the Robot's results from Week 7:

Straight: 7-7 (56-48)
ATS: 9-5 (54-50)
O/U: 6-8 (49-55)

No fancy picks this week. No guarantees, close calls, or genius underdogs. Let's just get right to the contest. So, for each game, 3 predictions are made by each of the three contestants: a straight pick, an ATS pick and an O/U pick.


The white areas are the unique choices between the three sets. Let's see how it plays out and next week will be an interesting blog entry regardless. And obviously some of the coin's ATS picks will not match up with its straight picks because each prediction was made by an independant coin toss.

For all my pickem opponents, the Robot's picks will be played this week....maybe for the last time.

Good luck with your plays, Sports Fans!

Week 7: Murphy's Pickem Robot 2.1 Unleashed, Intangibles Are Tangible

Ok, Sports Fans, Murphy's Pick'em Robot 2.0 isn't exactly measuring up to the expectations of the masses so it has been tweaked. Football is more than a game of just numbers, and I'm starting to come around to the fact that it can't be predicted that way. Numbers help but they are only half of the information the Robot needs to make accurate picks. So, starting in Week 7 the Pick'em Robot 2.1 is taking over. Now, the intangibles for each team in the NFL are being assigned a value and included in the calculations. Injuries, distractions and other factors that aren't found in the statistics but definitely matter in each game will now be represented. Let's see how it goes.


I'm doing all of this, of course, to try and have a higher percentage of correct predictions in NFL games, straight and against the spread. Hopefully, I can come up with a solid program that you all will want to use to make your picks. Here's hoping.


Here are the results for Week 6:


Straight: 7-7 (49-41)

ATS: 6-8 (45-45)

Over/Under: 5-9 (43-47)


Pretty mediocre, so let's see how the Robot 2.1 works out. On to Week 7.


Guaranteed Money Pick
Buffalo Bills @ Baltimore Ravens (-13)
Probably the worst team in the league right now visiting one of the best. The Bills trail the league in almost all offensive categories, and the Ravens defense is devastating. If there was a way to get negative points, the Bills would get it. 13 points seems like a lot to give but in this matchup it shouldn't be a problem. Take the Ravens in a blowout 30-0.


Too Close to Call Pick
Oakland Raiders @ Denver Broncos (-8.5)
Oakland just gave the 49ers their first win of the season, and Denver has one of the best teams on paper but finds ways to lose games. There's a lot of unpredictability in these two teams, and I think it will be a close one. I wouldn't bet on this game if I had a choice about it, but if I had to bet it I would take Oakland and the points. Denver wins but doesn't cover 24-20.


Genius Underdog Pick
St. Louis Rams @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3)
I'm not a huge fan of the Bucs. The Rams had a big win over San Diego last week, and I think they're gonna start to make a claim for the NFC West. You'll look like the smartest handicapper of your group if you take the Rams here. St. Louis wins by a touchdown, 21-14.

Not too much content this week because I in a bit of a rush. Here are all my picks for Week 7:

Game..................Straight......ATS.......O/U
Cle@ NO(-13)...........NO..............NO...........u43.5
Jax@ KC(-9).............KC...............KC............o37.5
Phi@ Ten(-3)............Ten.............Ten..........o42.5
Cin@ Atl(-3)..............Atl..............Atl............u42.5
Was@ Chi(-3)............Chi..............Was.........u40
Pit(-3)@ Mia..............Pit..............Mia..........u40.5
Stl@ TB(-3)................Stl..............Stl............u38
Buf@ Bal(-13).............Bal.............Bal...........u40
SF(-3)@ Car................SF.............SF............o35.5
Ari@ Sea(-6)..............Sea.............Sea..........o40
Oak@ Den(-8.5)........Den............Oak..........o41.5
NE@ SD(-2.5)............SD..............SD............u47.5
Min@ GB(-2.5)..........Min............Min..........u44
NYG@ Dal(-3)...........NYG...........NYG........u44.5

I hope the new adjustments to the program serve you all well. Good Luck with your plays!

Week 6: Dallas @ Minnesota, The Battle of Underachievers

Happy Week 6, Sports Fans! The League is really starting to shape up now and we're starting to see which teams are coming up shy of their high expectations and which teams are surprising the masses. Dallas and Minnesota were in everyone's post season predictions, but at 1-4 both teams seem to be missing the mark. To take it one step further both teams have identical results each week. Same winning weeks, losing weeks (both straight and ATS), and bye weeks. So who wins this week? The numbers say that Dallas is a slightly better team who has played a slightly harder schedule, but the Vikings will be at home and they have Brett Favre, albeit with a gimpy elbow.

Another underachieving team that begs mentioning and is probably everyone's first thought in this category is the San Francisco 49ers who have yet to win a game. Coming into this season, the Niners were an easy favorite to win the NFC West. Now, they are fighting to even become a threat to the other teams and are lucky the rest of the division is just mediocre. They come into this week a 6.5 point favorite against Bay Area rival, the Oakland Raiders. Can they get it in gear before it's too late in the season?

Then, you have the teams that are surprising everyone by being better than expected. Pittsburgh wins three of their first four games without star QB Ben Roethlisberger. Kansas City leads the AFC West. And Atlanta is getting big wins with Matt Ryan at the helm. These teams are leaving it all on the field and showing us why they play the games out instead of just awarding the team with the most talent on paper the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

Week 5 was a decent week for Murphy's Pick'em Robot. Here are the results:

Straight: 9-5 (42-34)
ATS: 8-6 (39-37)
Over/Under: 9-5 (39-37)

Keeping it above .500 in all categories. Picking every game is difficult. You can't shy away from the close ones. My goal for the year, though, is closer to 70%. Let's see how it goes. Again, I don't put any of my personal opinion in my picks. I just built the program that does it all for me. On to Week 6.

Guaranteed Money Pick
Detroit Lions @ New York Giants (-10)
If you're looking for a game to bet the farm on, this is it. The G-men have been on fire since their sloppy loss to the Titans in Week 3. This game is a perfect opportunity to show the world that they're the team to beat in the NFC East. Detroit is coming off of a huge 38 point rout of the St. Louis Rams, but I don't think they'll be able to repeat that performance in this game. Giants win big 29-14.

Too Close To Call Pick
Dallas Cowboys @ Minnesota Vikings (-1.5)
Now, if you have a farm and want to keep it, you'll let this game pass right on by. These two teams are so equally matched and have not yet exercised the full potential of their talented rosters. Both teams are going to come out hungry for a win to rejuvenate their season. Dez Bryant is questionable, Brett Favre is playing hurt and there are distractions off the field for the Vikings. Too many intangibles for my money and I advise you to think the same. Dallas might pull out a close one 20-17.

Genius Underdog Pick
New Orleans Saints (-4.5) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
If you want to look like a football genius this week, bet this game. Take the Bucs and the points. It shouldn't be too hard to find someone to take the Saints. The Saints aren't looking that great without Reggie Bush and if he doesn't play this week, the Bucs could steal a divisional win. Tamba Bay's pass defense is pretty decent and I think they have what it takes to at least cover the spread. Personally I think the Bucs win a nail-biter 21-20.

Complete List for Week 6:

Game..................Straight............ATS.............O/U
Atl@ Phi(2.5)..............Atl........................Atl..................u42.5
Cle@ Pit(-13.5)...........Pit........................Cle..................u37.5
Sea@ Chi(-6.5)............Chi......................Sea..................u37.5
Det@ NYG(-10)..........NYG...................NYG................u44.5
Bal@ NE(-2.5).............Bal......................Bal...................u44.5
SD(-8)@ STL...............SD......................SD....................o45
Mia@ GB(-3)...............Mia.....................Mia..................u43.5
NO(-4.5)@ TB.............TB......................TB....................u43.5
KC@ Hou(-4.5)............Hou...................KC.....................u45
NYJ(-3)@ Den.............NYJ...................NYJ..................o41.5
Oak@ SF(-6.5)............Oak....................Oak...................o41.5
Dal@ Min(-1.5)............Dal.....................Dal.....................u44.5
Ind(-3)@ Was..............Ind.....................Ind....................o44
Ten(-3)@ Jax...............Ten....................Ten...................o45

Byes: Ari, Buf, Car, Cin

What up, New Zealand!!

Good luck with your plays, Sports Fans!

Week 5: Buffalo is a Favorite to beat the Jags?!?!

OK, Sports Fans, that was a rough week! But Like I've been saying this whole time, the beginning of the season is the hardest to predict, especially against the spread. And I have to remind you that my goal of this program is to be able to make a pick on every game every week. Professional handicappers only make one or two plays a week. That's no fun!!


I want my clients to be able to bet against their friends or in the casinos on the games that they want to watch and make more interesting. The games that have personal meaning to them. Fans in Philly want to bet on the Eagles games. Indy wants to bet on Colts games. And, Arizona fans want to know how many points the Cardinals are going to lose by. If the only play I'm offering that week is Minnesota over Buffalo, I have three cities full of unsatisfied customers.


I can only tell you who's more likely to win and last week was full of surprises. Here are the results:


Straight: 6-8 (33-29)
ATS: 3-11 (31-31)
Over/Under: 8-6 (29-33)


Not the results I'd like to see, but my ATS numbers are right at .500 and there's plenty of season left. On to Week 5!


Guaranteed Money Pick
Jacksonville Jaguars @ Buffalo Bills (-1)
What is Vegas thinking this week?!? Buffalo is giving points here when they need all that they can get. Homefield advantage isn't going to be enough to halt the Jags after a huge last second victory against the Colts last week. That alone should make the Jags a three point favorite. Look for Jacksonville to exploit the league's worst running defense and gain more momentum for their team. Jags will be up 21-3 by half-time, then maybe Buffalo makes it interesting. Final score, Jags-24 Bills-17.


Too Close to Call Pick
Minnesota Vikings @ New York Jets (-4)
I don't want to bet on this one. Minnesota picked up Randy Moss and he and Favre are going to be explosive together. But the Jets are no strangers to this dynamic wide receiver. They had the answer for the Patriots back in Week 2, and I think they'll be able to work something out for the born-again Viking. I wouldn't advise betting on this one, but if you insist I'll take the Jets to win and barely cover the spread 19-13.


Genius Underdog Pick
Kansas City Chiefs @ Indianapolis Colts (-7)
Now, I know you think it's crazy, but hear me out. KC is coming off of a bye. They've had 2 weeks to plan for this game. The Colts are coming off of a heartbreaker against the lowly Jags. There are going to be a bunch of intangibles in this game. I'm not saying the Chiefs will win straight but I have a feeling it's going to be a little too close for Peyton Manning's liking. If you're looking for an underdog play this week, take the Chiefs and the points. Colts win but don't cover 24-21.


Here are all the picks:


Game....................Straight..............ATS.............O/U
Jax@ Buf(-1)................Jax.........................Jax....................o40
KC@ Ind(-7).................Ind.........................KC.....................u45.5
TB@ Cin(-6.5)..............Cin..........................Cin....................o37.5
GB(-2.5)@ Was............GB..........................GB.....................u44
Stl@ Det(-3).................Det.........................Stl......................u43
Chi@ Car(-1.5).............Chi.........................Car.....................u33.5
NYG@ Hou(-3)............NYG......................NYG..................u47.5
Den@ Bal(-7)................Bal.........................Bal.....................u39.5
Atl(-3)@ Cle.................Atl..........................Atl.....................u41
NO(-7)@ Ari................NO..........................NO....................u44
Ten@ Dal(-7)...............Dal..........................Ten...................u42
SD(-6)@ Oak...............SD...........................SD.....................o45
Phi@ SF(-3).................Phi..........................Phi....................o38
Min@ NYJ(-4).............NYJ........................NYJ..................u39


Byes: Mia, NE, Pit, Sea


Just a reminder to everyone, I love feedback. If there's something you want to see, any good ideas, suggestions or comments, don't hesitate to contact me at smurph215@yahoo.com and check out the facebook page at Murphy's Pickem to really get your voice heard!

Week 4: Who's the Most Favorite Favorite?

If you listened to me last week you would have had the best week of your pick'em season so far. Atlanta beat the Saints outright! You heard that here first. Cleveland picks up the ATS win against Baltimore! I predicted that. And Dallas finally gets their first win against Houston in the Fight for Texas. Me again! I felt really good about last week. Here are the results:



Straight: 12-4 (27-21)

ATS: 11-5 (28-20)

Over/Under: 5-11 (21-27)



The over/under percentage took a hit last week, but with good stats elsewhere, I can't complain.



Week 2 was a week for the fans who love to pick the underdog (11 underdog ATS wins). This week is for the fans who only bet the favorites. The robot has only predicted 2 underdogs to win this week.



Guaranteed Money Pick:
Washington Redskins @ Philadelphia Eagles (-6)
If you only bet one game this week, take the Eagles (-6) at home against the Redskins. Washington has the worst defense in the league right now, and anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the last 11 years knows McNabb doesn't handle high-pressure games. Also, with the Eagles finally deciding on a quarterback, the Eagles have regained their focus. And with Vick behind center and able to scramble like he can, it doesn't matter that Philly's Offensive line might as well be sitting on a couch at the line of scrimmage. Eagles send a message and win 40-9.

Too Close to Call Pick:
Cincinatti Bengals(-3) @ Cleveland Browns
Now, this doesn't happen too ofte. The Robot predicted a score that exactly matches the Las Vegas Spread. Keep your money away from this game. It's a divisional matchup between two inconsistant teams. You may think the Bengals' new wide receivers are going to take over this game, but don't sleep on the Browns. Statistically, these two teams are not very far apart. Bet elsewhere. The Robot says that the Bengals barely win 20-17. A push!

Genius Underdog Pick:
Chicago Bears @ New York Giants(-4)
The Robot has only picked two underdogs this week, the Bears and the Dolphins. I like the Bears as the Genius pick this week though. They're undefeated so far and playing against a team that has looked mediocre at best this year. Given, the Bears' last two wins were because of penalties on the opposing team, but the bottom line is they are finding ways to win games and that's all that matters. Look for the Bears to win in a big upset on the road 21-20.

Here is the complete list of picks for Week 4:

Game......................Straight............ATS...............O/U
NYJ(-5.5)@ Buf...............NYJ.....................NYJ...................o37
Bal@ Pit(-1.5)...................Pit........................Pit.....................u34.5
Sea(-1)@ Stl......................Sea.......................Sea...................o39.5
SF@ Atl(-7).......................Atl........................Atl....................o42.5
Cin(-3)@ Cle......................Cin.......................Cin....................u37.5
Den@ Ten(-6.5)................Ten......................Ten...................o42.5
Car@ NO(-13.5)................NO.......................NO....................u44.5
Det@ GB(-14.5).................GB.......................GB.....................o45.5
Hou(-3)@ Oak....................Hou.....................Hou...................o43.5
Ind(-7.5)@ Jax...................Ind......................Ind....................o46.5
Was@ Phi(-6).....................Phi.......................Phi....................o42.5
Ari@ SD(-8.5).....................SD........................SD....................u46
Chi@ NYG(-4)....................Chi.......................Chi....................u44
NE(-1)@ Mia......................Mia.......................Mia...................u46.5

Byes: Dal, KC, Min, TB

I'm broadcasting from Titans country this week. I'm in Franklin, TN, about 20 minutes outside of Nashville. All the Titans fans I talk to have high hopes for the Titans to go deep into the postseason this year. Tennessee is looking good this year, but I don't know if they have what it takes to win the whole thing. I guess we'll just have to see. Thanks for the warm welcome Tennessee.

Good luck with your plays, everyone!

Week 3: Denver is only +5.5 vs. the Colts

Picking NFL games in the beginning of the season is not an easy task. I was telling everyone to stay away from my picks because I knew they would be a little shaky. At least I was 50% against the spread so if you made all of my picks you still wouldn’t have lost money. If I’m not sure of my picks I’ll tell you. The “experts” would have just taken your money and sent you packing.

All right, Week 2 was hectic but you will see these numbers improve as the season progresses. Here are the results:

Straight – 6-10 (15-17)
ATS – 8-8 (17-15)
Over/Under – 8-8 (16-16)

Week 3 is a little more promising, but since it’s still early in the season, don’t make any big parlays for a couple weeks.

Guaranteed Money Pick:
Indianapolis Colts (-5.5) @ Denver Broncos
The most obvious pick this week is to take the Colts against Denver and lay the 5.5 points. Denver could have a shot at hanging in this game if they had a decent running game to exploit the Colts’ 32nd ranked run defense. The Broncos will probably score a couple rushing touchdowns, but Peyton Manning is going to light this team up. Take the Colts and the over (48) and watch Indy cruise to a 32-19 win

Too Close to Call Pick:
Detroit Lions @ Minnesota Vikings (-11)
Minnesota confuses me. They have the weapons to win, high expectations and a quarterback who has been throwing a football since the Cold War, but they still haven’t won a game this season. And then there’s Detroit. On the brink of starting to look like a professional football team, the Lions have done at least what they’ve needed to do to beat the spread this season. 11 points might be too much to give to a team this unpredictable, but they are the Lions. A conundrum! Don’t waste your time betting on this one. I say the Vikings escape with their first win 17-13. But I still don’t want to bet on the Lions. Hmm...

Genius Underdog Pick:
Cleveland Browns @ Baltimore Ravens (-11)
As soon as I saw this spread, I knew it was going to be my underdog special. There are a couple of underdogs this week, but this is the one I’m most sure of. 11 points is a lot to lay for an offense that can’t exactly score at will. It’s a divisional game between two mediocre offenses, so I say it’ll be a lot closer than Vegas thinks. Bet the farm on Cleveland with the points. My Underdog Picks haven’t been wrong yet. Baltimore wins but won’t cover 17-12.

The Complete List for Week 3:


Game……….....…..Straight……ATS……..o/u
SF(-3)@ KC…………………KC…………KC………..o37
Cin(-3)@ Car………………Cin………..Cin……….o38
Cle@ Bal(-11)…………….Bal………..Cle……….u37
Det@ Min(-11)…………..Min……….Det………u42.5
Ten@ NYG(-3)……………Ten………..Ten………o43.5
Pit(-2.5)@ TB……………..TB………….TB……….u33.5
Atl@ NO(-3.5)…………….Atl…………Atl……….u49.5
Buf@ NE(-14)……………..NE…………NE……….u42.5
Dal@ Hou(-3)……………..Dal………..Dal………u47.5
Was(-3.5)@ Stl…………..Stl………….Stl………..o39
Phi(-3)@ Jax……………….Phi…………Phi……….o44.5
SD(-5.5)@ Sea…………….SD………….Sea………u44
Ind(-5.5)@ Den…………..Ind………….Ind………o48
Oak@ Ari(-4.5)……………Oak………..Oak……..o39.5
NYJ@ Mia(-2.5)…………..Mia……….Mia………u35.5
GB(-3)@ Chi………………..GB…………GB………..u46

Have fun and good luck!

Solid Start - Week 1 Results, Week 2 Picks

Week 1 is in the books, Sports Fans. I hope you all made good plays and made your pockets a little heavier. Pretty average start for the Murphy's NFL Pickem Robot. Lets get right into it. Here are the results for Week 1:

Straight Picks: 9-7
ATS Picks: 9-7
Over/Under: 8-8

Now, I bet these results are going to get a lot more accurate a little farther into the season once we see a little more of the teams. I think Week 4 will be the start of some big parlay plays for me. There is a Delaware trip in the works for one of those weeks so if your interested let me know.

Now, on to Week 2. And if you like underdog picks, then this is the week for you. The Robot has only picked 5 favorites to cover their spreads this week. So, look out for some upsets!

Guaranteed Money Pick:
New Orleans Saints (-6) @ San Francisco 49ers
The 49ers let me down in the Guaranteed Money Pick last week. I don't know if they have what it takes to even win their division this year let alone keep up with the defending Super Bowl champs. This game isn't even going to be close. Take the Saints and don't worry about giving the points. Saints win by plenty 28-13.

Too Close to Call Pick:
Houston Texans (-3) @ Washington Redskins
After Houston upset the Colts last week, it's real easy to think they're going to trash the Redskins in Week 2. I don't think it's going to be that easy. The Robot shows this one being real close. Keep your bets away from this game. I think the Skins steal it at home 21-20.

Genius Underdog Pick:
Philadelphia Eagles (-6) @ Detroit Lions
There are plenty of underdog plays to make this week, but the one that will make you look like a genius in front of your buddies is taking Detroit with the 6 points. There's a lot going on with the Eagles' quarterback situation, and believe it or not I think the Lions have the defensive weapons to stop Michael Vick. I say they even win straight. But, with the points this is definitely where I put my money. Lions surprise Philly and win 23-20.

Here is the complete list for Week 2:

Game..................Straight........ATS.........O/U
Bal(-2.5)@ Cin...........Bal.............Bal...............o40
Mia@ Min(-5.5).........Min...........Mia..............u39.5
Chi@ Dal(-7.5)............Dal............Dal...............u41
Phi(-6.5)@ Det............Det...........Det..............o41
Ari@ Atl(-6.5).............Ari............Ari...............u43
KC@ Cle(-2).................KC............KC...............u38.5
Buf@ GB(-13)..............GB............GB...............o43
Pit@ Ten(-5.5)............Ten...........Ten.............u37
TB@ Car(-3.5)............TB.............TB...............u39
Stl@ Oak(-3.5)...........Stl..............Stl...............o37.5
Sea@ Den(-3.5)..........Sea............Sea..............o39.5
Hou(-3)@ Was............Was...........Was............u43.5
Jax@ SD(-7).................SD.............Jax.............u45.5
NE(-3)@ NYJ...............NYJ..........NYJ...........o38.5
NYG@ Ind(-5.5)..........NYG.........NYG..........o48
NO(-6)@ SF..................NO...........NO.............u44

Good luck with your plays everyone....You should probably stick to the over/unders this week.

2010 Week 1 Picks - Here We Go!

There are a lot of downsides to summer ending. We cover up our grills, we drain our pools and we no longer hear the cheery sound of the ice cream trucks' songs filling the streets. But, with Labor Day behind us, we are only mere hours away from the start of the NFL season!! And that, Sports Fans, is a giant upside.

The Pick'em Robot is new and improved this year, completely revamped from last year. This year, you are guaranteed to see better picks, both straight and against the spread. And as a special bonus I'm even dabbling with the over/under bets. And, as always my picks are free!

So, let's get started!!

Guaranteed Money Pick:
San Francisco 49ers (-3) @ Seattle Seahawks
If you want to stay on the safe side, you can be confident picking the 49ers to win and cover in this one. The 49ers are on the verge of being a dominant team this year. They are going to burst out of the gate and run over the 'Hawks in this one. It's an insult that the spread is this low. Take the Niners over Seattle 38-9.

Too Close to Call Pick:
Minnesota Vikings @ New Orleans Saints (-4.5)
The NFL Season has a habit of opening up with some great games and the 2010 debut is going to follow suit. I'm going to love to watch this game on the edge of my seat, but I'm not putting my money anywhere near it. My official prediction is NO winning outright but not covering the spread. Vikings lose a close one 23-21.

Genius Underdog Pick:
Indianapolis Colts (-2.5) @ Houston Texans
For everyone out there who religiously bets the Colts regardless of who their playing because Peyton Manning is a freak of nature, don't jump on the colts here. I like what I'm seeing out of Houston this year, and call me crazy but I think they're gonna pull this out. Look for the big upset, and look like a genius when you tell your friends my pick: Houston wins big 28-14.

Here is the complete list of my picks for Week 1:

Game.................Straight.............ATS...............O/U
Min @ NO(-4.5)--------- NO--------------- Min --------------u-48
Den @ Jax(-2.5)-------- Den ---------------Den --------------o-39.5
Oak @ Ten(-6.5) --------Ten ---------------Oak -------------o-40.5
Cin @ NE(-5) ------------Cin ---------------Cin ---------------o-44.5
Cle @ TB (-3)------------ Cle ---------------Cle ---------------o-37
Ind(-2.5) @ Hou ---------Hou --------------Hou --------------u-47
Det @ Chi (-6) -----------Det ---------------Det --------------o-43
Atl(-2.5) @ Pit -----------Pit ---------------Pit ---------------u-38
Mia(-3) @ Buf -----------Buf ---------------Buf ---------------o-38.5
Car @ NYG(-7) ---------NYG --------------Car ---------------u-41
GB(-3) @ Phi ------------GB ---------------GB ----------------o-47.5
Ari(-4) @ Stl -------------Stl ---------------Stl -----------------o-39
SF(-3) @ Sea ------------SF ----------------SF ----------------o-38
Dal (-4) @ Was ----------Was --------------Was ---------------u-40.5
Bal @ NYJ(-2) -----------Bal ---------------Bal ----------------u-36
SD(-5.5) @ KC -----------KC ---------------KC ----------------u-45

Good luck with your plays everyone!

Murphy's NFL Pickem Robot 2.0 is Ready for 2010

With hockey and basketball past us, the 2010 NFL season is right around the corner. Enjoy the baseball, burgers and barbecues of summer, Sports Fans, because the nitty and the gritty of the NFL regular season quickly approaches. Are you going to lose another office pick'em pool this year? No way! Not with your secret weapon, Murphy's NFL Pickem Robot 2.0, only a keystroke away.

A brand new version of the Robot has been built and is ready to help you with your picks this year, straight and against the spread. If you're new to my program, here's how it works. Each week I enter every NFL matchup into a computer program I've developed which considers several different key factors of each team. Then, it calculates and projects a winner and a spread. I compare that to the Vegas Line and make my picks. The best part about it is that you all can see the picks for FREE!!! I make picks on every game, not just the obvious ones like the other guys. I make my picks, let you know which ones I'm most and least sure of, and you benefit. Winning a friendly pickem pool or making some extra cash in Delaware has never been easier.

If you have comments or questions, leave them here, on facebook, or email me at smurph215@yahoo. I'm trying to put together a season preview so you guys have some reading material before the season starts. And there has been some interest in a little field trip from the Philadelphia area to Delaware some time this season. Let me know what you guys think. Maybe we can get a cheap bus and head down to take the casinos for all they're worth.

OK, that's all I got. I'm starting to smell victory in the air. It's going to be a fun ride, and I'm glad to have you guys along for the ride. Have a good one!