Author: Chris Altruda

Currently a freelance sportswriter on the hunt for full-time work. If you like my work or have constructive criticism, please share it and/or contact me at chris.altruda@hotmail.com or via Twitter at @AlTruda73 My portfolio of clippings can be viewed at http://www.clippings.me/caltruda And thank you for taking time out of your day to read my posts.

NBA Picks — October 17

I jumped on the Winners and Whiners “Bank the Bet” podcast with Scott Steehn to discuss the orange roundie. There are picks for some of tonight’s games and also possible over/under options on win totals for certain teams. And at the end, a little bonus with some MLB picks. So please, follow the link and give a listen:

Wednesday NBA “Bank the Bet” podcast:

 

 

 

NHL Picks — Oct. 16 (Edmonton at Winnipeg)

These are the condensed versions of picks for Tuesday’s NHL game between the Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets for Winners and Whiners.

A link to the full preview is below, and confidence ratings are in parentheses. Note: The 5/5 does not represent the best overall pick of the day’s games when there are multiple games, simply the best pick of each individual game.

Edmonton at Winnipeg:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Jets -200 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Under 6 goals (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game:
Side Prediction/1st Period: Jets -0.5 goals (3/5)
Total Prediction/1st Period: Over 1.5 goals (5/5)
Prop Prediction/1st Period:

Previous Day’s Record: 4-4 (.500)
October Record: 14-8 (.636)
Season Record: 14-8 (.636)

1-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
2-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
3-Star Pick Record: 1-3 (.250)          (6-6 (.500) in October)
4-Star Pick Record: 2-0 (1.000)        (5-0 (1.000) in October)
5-Star Pick Record: 1-1 (.500)          (3-2 (.600) in October)

NHL Picks — Oct. 13 (Anaheim at Dallas; St. Louis at Chicago)

These are the condensed versions of picks for Saturday’s NHL games between the Anaheim Ducks and Dallas Stars, and St. Louis Blues and Chicago Blackhawks for Winners and Whiners.

Links to the full previews are below, and confidence ratings are in parentheses. Note: The 5/5 does not represent the best overall pick of the day’s games when there are multiple games, simply the best pick of each individual game.

Anaheim at Dallas:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Stars -150 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Under 5.5 goals (5/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game:
Side Prediction/1st Period: Stars -150 (3/5)
Total Prediction/1st Period: Under 1.5 goals (3/5)
Prop Prediction/1st Period:

St. Louis at Chicago:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Blackhawks +105 (3/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Over 6 goals (4/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game:
Side Prediction/1st Period: Blues +0.5 goals -205 (3/5)
Total Prediction/1st Period: Over 1.5 goals (5/5)
Prop Prediction/1st Period:

 

Previous Day’s Record: 4-1 (.800)
October Record: 10-4 (.714)
Season Record: 10-4 (.714)

1-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
2-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
3-Star Pick Record: 2-1 (.667)          (5-3 (.625) in October)
4-Star Pick Record: 1-0 (1.000)        (3-0 (1.000) in October)
5-Star Pick Record: 1-0 (.500)          (2-1 (.667) in October)

Week 7 NCAAF Picks — October 13

These are the condensed versions of picks for the following October 13 college football games for Winners and Whiners. Links to the full previews are below and all times listed are Eastern:

Duke at Georgia Tech
UAB at Rice
Ball State at Central Michigan
Purdue at Illinois
No. 22 Texas A&M at South Carolina
Louisiana-Monroe at Coastal Carolina
Hawaii at BYU

Confidence rating is in parentheses. Note: The 5/5 does not represent the best overall pick of the day’s games, simply the best pick of each individual game.

 

Game 1: Duke at Georgia Tech:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Georgia Tech -2 (3/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Over 56.5 points (4/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Georgia Tech -130 (3/5)
Side Prediction/Half Time: Georgia Tech -1 (5/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Over 27.5 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: Over 10.5 points 1Q (3/5)

Game 2: UAB at Rice:

Side Prediction/Full Game: UAB -16.5 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Under 54 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game:
Side Prediction/Half Time: UAB -460 (5/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Under 27 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: UAB -450 1Q (3/5)

Game 3: Ball State at Central Michigan:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Ball State +2 (3/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Under 54 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Ball State +120 (4/5)
Side Prediction/Half Time: Ball State +1.5 (5/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Under 27.5 points -115 (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: Under 10.5 points 1Q -115 (3/5)

Game 4: Purdue at Illinois:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Purdue -10 (3/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Over 61.5 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Purdue Over 36.5 points -120 (4/5)
Side Prediction/Half Time: Purdue -6.5 points (5/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Over 32 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: Purdue Over 19.5 points (3/5)

Game 5: No. 22 Texas A&M at South Carolina:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Texas A&M -2 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Under 52 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Texas A&M -135 (3/5)
Side Prediction/Half Time: Texas A&M -1 -110 (5/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Under 26.5 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: Texas A&M -0.5 points +120 (3/5)

Game 6: Louisiana-Monroe at Coastal Carolina:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Coastal Carolina -4.5 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Over 66.5 points (2/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Coastal Carolina -260 (3/5)
Side Prediction/Half Time: Coastal Carolina -4 -110 (5/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Over 34.5 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: Over 14 points 1Q -135 (3/5)

Game 7: Hawaii at BYU:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Hawaii +15 (3/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Over 54.5 points (4/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Hawaii Over 22.5 points (5/5)
Side Prediction/Half Time: BYU -330 (3/5)
Total Prediction/Half Time: Over 28.5 points (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Half Time: Hawaii Over 10.5 points (4/5)

Previous Week’s Record: 11-15 (.423)
Season Record: 100-97 (.508)

1-star play record: (0-0, .000)           Season: (0-0, .000)
2-star play record: (0-0, .000)           Season: (0-0, .000)
3-star play record: (6-10, .375)       Season: (61-56, .521)
4-star play record: (2-3, .400)           Season: (18-26, .409)
5-star play record: (3-2, .600)           Season: (21-15, .583)

Week 6 NFL Picks — Oct. 14 (UPDATED!!)

This is the condensed version of picks for the NFL Week 6 game for Winners and Whiners between:

Kansas City Chiefs at New England Patriots:

There will also be an expanded selection of Sunday picks posted at some point after Thursday’s Eagles-Giants game and before the kickoff of Sunday’s early games.

Week 5 Review: Suck early, rally late. That’s the best way I can describe it. After splitting the expanded picks in the early games with the Panthers-Giants and Broncos-Jets (Note: I would like to sarcastically thank Ron Rivera for his play-calling that helped the Giants rally to cover in the second half after having that game in hand), I managed to lose every single-game pick for the early games (Also, a sarcastic thank you to Joe Flacco’s eyebrow for losing at Cleveland).

Then, there was a miraculous recovery in the late session, with every pick hitting except the Arizona-San Francisco game due to a touchdown with 1:29 left to send the game to the over. Accordingly, C.J. Beathard is off my Christmas card list. Onward to the picks!

Thursday, Oct. 11

Philadelphia at New York Giants — Ertz TD + Eagles win (3/5) — WIN!
Eagles -3 (3/5) — WIN!

Sunday, Oct. 14

Tampa Bay at Atlanta — Falcons -3 (3/5)
Chicago at Miami — Over 41.5 points (4/5)
Buffalo at Houston — Texans Under 24.5 points (3/5)
Los Angeles Chargers at Cleveland — Los Angeles Chargers +1.5 (3/5)
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati — Bengals -1 (3/5)
Carolina at Washington — McCaffrey TD + Panthers win (3/5)
Seattle at Oakland — Seahawks -2.5 (5/5)
Indianapolis at New York Jets — Over 47.5 points (3/5)
Arizona at Minnesota —  Vikings -10.5 (3/5)
Los Angeles Rams at Denver — Rams 1H Over 14.5 points (5/5)
Jacksonville at Dallas — Under 40 points (3/5)
Baltimore at Tennessee — Under 42 points (3/5)

Kansas City at New England

Kansas City at New England: Patriots -3.5 (3/5)
Kansas City at New England Over/Under: Over 59.5 points (3/5)
Kansas City at New England Full Prop: Over 6.5 total TDs (4/5)
Kansas City at New England 1st half: Patriots -2.5 (3/5)
Kansas City at New England 1st half Over/Under: Over 29.5 points (3/5)
Kansas City at New England 1st half Prop: Patriots Over 16.5 1H points (5/5)

Monday, Oct. 15

San Francisco at Green Bay — Under 47 points (4/5)

Previous Week’s Record: 15-15 (.500)
Season Record: 33-47 (.413)

1-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          Season (0-0, .000)
2-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          Season (0-0, .000)
3-Star Pick Record: 10-11 (.500)      Season (24-29, .453)
4-Star Pick Record: 2-3 (.400)          Season (3-12, .200)
5-Star Pick Record: 3-1 (.667)          Season (6-6, .500)

 

 

NHL Picks — Oct. 11 (Toronto at Detroit)

These are the condensed versions of picks for Thursday’s NHL game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings for Winners and Whiners.

A link to the full preview is below, and confidence ratings are in parentheses. Note: The 5/5 does not represent the best overall pick of the day’s games when there are multiple games, simply the best pick of each individual game.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Detroit Red Wings:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Maple Leafs -169 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Over 6 Goals -120 (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Maple Leafs Over 3.5 goals -105 (5/5)
Side Prediction/1st Period: Maple Leafs -160 (3/5)
Total Prediction/1st Period: Over 1.5 goals -140 (3/5)
Prop Prediction/1st Period:

Previous Day’s Record: 3-2 (.600)
October Record: 6-3 (.667)
Season Record: 6-3 (.667)

1-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
2-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
3-Star Pick Record: 3-2 (.600)          (3-2 (.600) in October)
4-Star Pick Record: 1-0 (1.000)        (2-0 (1.000) in October)
5-Star Pick Record: 1-1 (.500)          (1-1 (.500) in October)

NHL Picks — Oct. 6 (Anaheim @ Arizona)

These are the condensed versions of picks for Saturday’s NHL game between the Anaheim Ducks and Arizona Coyotes for Winners and Whiners.

Links to the full previews are below, and confidence rating is in parentheses. Note: The 5/5 does not represent the best overall pick of the day’s games, simply the best pick of each individual game.

Anaheim at Arizona:

Side Prediction/Full Game: Ducks -118 (4/5)
Total Prediction/Full Game: Under 5.5 goals (3/5)
Prop Prediction/Full Game: Ducks 3-way regulation win +135 (5/5)
Side Prediction/1st Period: Ducks -120 (3/5)
Total Prediction/1st Period: Over 1.5 goals -115 (3/5)
Prop Prediction/1st Period:

Previous Day’s Record: 3-1 (750)
October Record: 3-1 (.750)
Season Record: 3-1 (.750)

1-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
2-Star Pick Record: 0-0 (.000)          (0-0 (.000) in October)
3-Star Pick Record: 2-0 (1.000)        (2-0 (1.000) in October)
4-Star Pick Record: 1-0 (1.000)        (1-0 (1.000) in October)
5-Star Pick Record: 0-1 (.000)          (0-1 (.000) in October)