Turn that gambling podcast off. You don’t have to sift through all those cold takes. Pencilstorm has you covered with Friday Bet$ For Realz. Every Friday this fall we will be posting actual bets being made by Pencil Storm staffers and friends. Remember the best bet is to never bet at all. On the other hand…winners play and player’s win. Let’s do this! 

Big $ (Pencil Storm Browns Beat Writer with The North Coast Posse)

Week 3.0 is traditionally a lackluster slate, which means one thing... style points. When it's a style point day, team overs are in play. Here's my card...

Team prime time's wave is still ascending. Deion and the boys have one more week before the big boys hit the schedule. Colorado over 41.5 -110.

Sometimes style points are a necessity, Brian Ferentz, OC at Iowa is contractually stipulated to average over 25.5 points a game this season and is currently failing. Time to make up ground - Iowa over 35.5 -110.

OSU is slipping in the polls and a statement game is needed. Take Kyle and the boys over 46.5 -120 and make the game an interesting watch.

I also like James Madison getting 3 points this week against Troy.  I'm high on the Dukes this year.

OMG (Baller / Sharp)

Alabama under 61. Since 2007 Alabama has gone under in all 14 games in the regular season coming off a loss.

Bills -8.5 Since 2020, Bills are 7-0 ATS in regular season coming off a game they committed 3+ turnovers.

Brent Baver (Pencil Storm Buckeye Beat Writer)

Not a good start for me with the Books to this season, save for some CFB futures that are off to good starts. But I will be playing PJ Fleck's Gophers getting 7.5 at North Carolina (or +8 if it's available). Fleck's version of Tressel-ball has worked beautifully for him, and Minnie should keep this within a TD. And I will probably play the Gators getting 6.5 at home against Tennessee, expecting a tight game in that one as well.

Colin Gawel (Musician, former coffee shop owner)

Achtung! I am not an actual gambler. I throw small numbers around and bet purely for entertainment value. I prefer the old school in-person cash wager. Money won on my phone just stays on my phone. With an actual slip I get the joy of walking up to the old lady working the Casino cage and say “Read it and weep, grandma.” as I slap my ticket on the table. Good times. On the rare occasion it actually happens. 

Started 0-2 which is par for my course. I did sign up for Bet365 and get my free $365 credit which is nice. 

This week I’m doing a 2 team parlay. Boston College at home +26 points vs FSU. I’m hoping hurricane Lee makes conditions difficult for either team to move the ball consistently. Also, I like the Washington Huskies -16.5 at Michigan State. Soon to be fired Sparty head coach Mel Tucker will be sitting this one out for sexually harassing the woman they hired to lecture the MSU team on the dangers of sexual harassment. You just cannot make this stuff up.  

Jeremy Porter (Musician, fast-food Mexican connoisseur, terrible gambler, Pencil Storm Co-Editor in Chief)

Last week’s bets didn’t fare well for me. I hit the under on both, but Boise State lost and the Lions won. Like I said, the Lions will get ya’ every time, win or lose. I redeemed myself on a 3-way Monday night parlay, including that Aaron Rogers would throw for less than 199 yards. I take no joy in seeing anyone get injured, but as a fan of science, the truth, and the Detroit Lions (or “that one team” as he arrogantly and disrespectfully called us before we ended his season last year), worse things have happened to the game than the overdue end of his long, successful and lucrative career. I’d sacrifice my Achilles after three snaps and limp around for a couple months for $75 +/- mil guaranteed. Bitter? Probably. 

Anyhow, on to this weeks picks. NCAAF: I’m going to parlay a small amount on Central Michigan +34.5 with the over, 52.5 at +425 against the Irish. I’m seeing people say the spread is low for Notre Dame, but that’s a hell of a lot of points. I don’t have a ton of confidence in the struggling Chips, but it just seems extreme, and they bring in a bottle of Maker’s Mark just for me when we play Rubble’s in Mount Pleasant so I don’t have to drink Jim Beam. NFL: Not betting on the Lions again. It’s so hard to avoid drinking the Kool-Aid around here, you have no idea. Stoked for the game, might lay down an impulse bet before kickoff, but not today. I’ll take the Bucs -2.4 with the over (41.5) at +260 against Chicago in Florida. My friend, and artist who did Cheap Trick’s Rockford album, John Johnson lives in Tampa, and used to work for them. Good a reason as any. I’ll get a bit more adventurous on Sunday. Go Lions!  

Jeff Hassler (Pencil Storm webmaster)

OH YEAH BABY. Ignore the stats, all Baker does is win. Well, except on my fantasy team, but I told you he would take care of bizz-ness last week versus the Vikings. Look for shake n bake to out duel the Bears Justin Fields with a cover of -2.5 points and over 41 points playing at home in Tampa Bay

Ben Galli (Pencil Storm NBA Beat Writer)

Penn State -14.5 over Illinois - Penn State is back! Okay, maybe not but I’m looking at the competition here. Illinois beat Toledo 30-28 and lost to Kansas. That sounds like it would suck. Penn State might have their best quarterback in a long time (an Ohio kid) and really wants to prove it belongs with big brother and daddy in the Big Ten. Chargers -2.5 over Titans - I love Mike Vrabel (he’s from Akron!) and was on some of my favorite Ohio State teams of all time. But Ryan Tannehill ain’t it and this line is too low for a Chargers team that can score a lot against a team that probably can’t score much. I hope Austin Ekeler plays but even without, San Diego, I guess I mean L.A., just has too much talent on their side. Remember, they were a so called Super Bowl contender just last year and have mainly the same roster but healthy.

Brian Phillips (Host CD92.9 Morning Show)

Arizona -17.5 over UTEP. I get it, Wildcat quarterback Jayden DeLaura is careless with the ball, but UTEP got crushed by Northwestern last week and we know how bad they are. Give me the Pac-12 squad at home laying the points.

New Mexico -1 over New Mexico State... I don't know what they play for in this annual rivalry game. Probably some sort earthen jug or something. Anyway this line gives far to much respect to the Aggies because they some how groped their way into the Motor City Bowl last December. I'll lay the one.