NCAA Basketball Picks

4 Games today:

Pepper Picks:

Michigan over Purdue
UCLA over Stanford
North Carolina over NC State
Arizona over Washington State

Review them here:

Obama follows Pepper lead and PIcks the Steelers

Although he won't admit to watching the video, President Obama choose the Steelers as did Pepper to win the Super Bowl.

"I have to say, you know, I wish the Cardinals the best," Obama replied. "You know, Kurt Warner is a great story, and he's closer to my age than anybody else on the field. But I am a long-time Steelers fan." 

see the story in the Washington Post:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/29/AR2009012903196.html

Upcoming Picks Schedule - 1/31 - 2/2

I got so caught in all this Super Bowl stuff, I almost forgot the "other" games this weekend. To be filmed today and tomorrow:

NCAA Basketball:
Washington State University vs. Arizona (1/31)
Stanford vs. UCLA (1/31)
Michigan vs. Purdue (1/31)
North Carolina vs. North Carolina State (1/31)

NBA:
Cavaliers vs. Pistons

Groundhogs Day:
Shadow vs. No Shadow

PICKS: ALL SUPER BOWL PICKS

The following is a review of Pepper's Super Bowl Picks:

Super Bowl Winner: Steelers (watch)
Super Bowl Over Under 46.5 Points: Under (watch)
Super Bowl Coin Toss Heads or Tails: Tails (watch)
Super Bowl First to Score: Cardinals (watch)
Super Bowl First Score type will be either Touchdown or Field Goal (no safety - that will be considered a draw): Touchdown (watch)

PICK: SUPER BOWL XLIII - CARDINALS VS. STEELERS

After a week of (suffering with no football on TV) sleeping, eating, thinking, a grooming, researching, napping, and more sleeping, my conclusion on who would win Super Bowl XLIII came to me as a rather simple pick: THE STEELERS. Basically, in all my postings, I've touted that I'm a fan of importance of defense when playing football and if you look at who the Steelers had to beat to make it to the Super Bowl vs. the Cardinals, the Steelers too the "tougher" route vs more defensive minded teams and they won by playing BETTER DEFENSE. I think the game will be close, but in the end the Steelers defense will come though in the 4th quarter when it counts. Be sure to check out my other picks on some of the other aspects of Super Bowl XLIII: the coin toss, first score, first team to score and the over / under.

Pepper runs his streak to 6-0

Today's win by Memphis has Pepper riding a 6 game winning streak. Four games tomorrow and Super Bowl video going live tonight!!! Keep up with the hot dog!!

Upcoming Picks Schedule

Saturday:
NCAA Men's Basketball: Memphis vs.Tennessee

Sunday:
NCAA Men's Basketball: Florida vs Vanderbilt
NCAA Men's Basketball: Michigan State vs. Ohio State
NBA: Dallas Mavericks vs. Boston Celtics
NBA: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Lakers

Super Bowl Bets:
Overall Winner
Coin Toss
Coin Toss Winner
First Team to Score
First Score: Touchdown, Safety, Field Goal
Over / Under

All picks will come after my grooming on Wednesday... I want to look handsome for the Super Bowl.

Me after my last Grooming - on neighborhood patrol

"HUMAN EXPERT" Picks

only 3 out of 10 Human "experts" followed the Poodle's lead in a Cardinals vs Steelers Super Bowl. We'll see how things go, I think these Cardinals are a bunch of tough birds and you can't use that Thanksgiving Day game a gauge of what is happening now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/features/talent

PICK: AFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: RAVENS @ STEELERS

Will anyone score? Will anyone make a 3rd down conversion? So glad this is the late game. It will be cold, dark and nothing but hard hitting DEFENSE!!! Nothing is better then a close, nail biting defensive game where you site on the edge of your dog mat right next to the TV just barking at every play. Either team can win this game but I have to make a choice, and the Steelers are just playing mistake free football like they are on a mission to make it to the Super Bowl.

PoodlePick: STEELERS probably by less then a field goal.

PICK: NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME: EAGLES @ CARDINALS

It is really hard to judge these teams based on last weeks performance. Did the Cardinals and Eagles win as much as the Panthers and their six turnovers and the Giants with nothing but field goals and missed field goals, just flat out give the games away? In the end, a win is a win is a win, the Eagles and Cardinals are playing for a chance to go to the Super Bowl and the question that lingering before this game is which team can execute a game plan to win it rather then give the game away to the opponent. In this case, the game will be close but home field advantage (or disadvantage last week) will help the Cardinals.

PoodlePick: High Flying CARDINALS

The Humans Didn't Do Any Better

Only Mike Golic was over .500 on the ESPN Crew
ESPN Experts Recap

Only Clark Judge got 3 right on CBSSports.com
CBSSports.com

I took my anger out on my stuffed Dog after the Charger loss

Pick: Eagles vs. Giants

I think too many of these cats on ESPN are hyped up about the Eagles... I've seen those birds play all season and they've been very inconsistent. The Giants know how to win a big game when it's winning time (see Panthers vs. Giants on Week 16). As a Standard Poodle... A Giant among dogs.. I say go with the Giants - easy win.

Poodle Pick: Giants

Pick: Chargers vs. Steelers

This is going to be one of those classic hard fought, down to the wire, doggie eat doggie football games... in the end, I think the Chargers and their coach can pull out a classic upset to make it to the conference title game.

Poodle Pick: Chargers

Pick: Cardinals vs. Panthers

West Coast teams just don't perform well coming East. Plus, the Cardinals look bad in the cold and I expect it to be extra chilly in North Carolina this weekend (it's a night game - forecast calls 39 degrees / slight chance of rain). Carolina is coming into their game, and have great balance between running (like chasing a car) and catching (like food falling off the counter top).

Easy Pick: PANTHERS - even though they are cats and Poodles don't like cats very much.

PICK: Ravens vs Titans

The Ravens play the type of football that wins...defense. It is sort of like chasing the neighbors; nobody expects a Standard Poodle to be sneaky, mean and nasty (especially with our haircuts).. but you should see them jump when I lunge for them.

However, after a little thought...the Titans also play great defense (#3 behind Baltimore and Pittsburgh), and they will be able to rattle the rookie Joe Flacco who struggled versus experienced teams during the regular season. Don't let that win over the up and coming Dolphins fool you, the Titans have one of the ole' dog quarterbacks in Kerry Collins and coach in Jeff Fisher.

Poodle Pick: TITANS - but close.

PICK: BCS Title Game: Florida Gators vs Oklahoma Sooners

This is a very unpopular pick in a household of rabid Gator fans (and a Daddy who graduated from UF) but I have to go with who wins based on facts, research, smell, and pure randomness (especially when forced to make a pick late in the evening in the middle of 10 hours of beauty sleep). Needless to the say the SOONERS are going to win the game (albeit with maybe a few fumbles here and there - a sloppy games on both sides) and this is one Poodle who is going to really be in the dog house for awhile.

As Michael said in the Godfather:

"Fredo, you're my older brother, and I love you. But don't ever take sides with anyone against the Family again. EVER."

Maybe if I fetch a newspaper or slipper in between naps I can get back on the good side.

Pick: Falcons vs. Cardinals

I had to give this game some heavy thought... but at the end of the day... experience beats out youth... you really can teach an old dog new tricks.. so stick with the old dog.  Winner:  Kurt Warner and the Arizona Cardinals!

Pick: Eagles vs. Vikings

Not hard to choose a winner here... any cat knows the Eagles are far superior to the Vikings who had to limp into the playoffs.

Pick: Ravens vs. Dolphins

Good game...I pick the Ravens...at one point I felt the Dolphins had a chance,  but defense wins playoff games.

Pick - Chargers vs. Colts

Tough game to pick... both teams are playing well.  Okay, I pick the Chargers, but I clearly think it will be a close game...a squeaker!