Turn that gambling podcast off. You don’t have to sift through all those cold takes. Pencil Storm 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! 

Brent Baver (Pencil Storm Buckeye Beat Writer)

Betting high profile games isn’t the best way to make money, with the books having sharper lines on these games, but….I’ll take a shot at two of them here:

I like the Bama, currently playing 7, over what should be an improved Longhorn team. Sarkisian’s biggest shortcomings usually come on the road, and underestimating Nick Saban in 2023 is not recommended.

And I like Joey McGuire’s Texas Tech team getting 6.5 at home against Oregon. I think the line being that high is over-reaction due to Tech’s loss against a solid Wyoming team on the road in Wk 1.  

Colin Gawel (Former coffee shop owner, musician, intern on CD92.9 Morning Show)

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. Oh, and I don’t have a job so i can hang out at the sports book all day.

Alabama -7 and - 13.5 over Texas. Yup, I went with a regular and alternative line because I think the Longhorns could be in for a long evening in Tuscaloosa. Sark seems a little cocky these days and Saban seems even more pissed than usual. 

Pittsburgh Steelers money line over 49ers. Maybe it's the Battered Browns fan in me, but I just don’t see Mike Tomlin, TJ Watt and company dropping the home opener. 

Jeremy Porter (Currently on the road with his band The Tucos)

NFL: Parlay: Chiefs -4.5 at home vs Lions / Under 53.5 (Thursday night) - I generally don't bet for or against "my" teams, especially the lowly Lions, who will break your heart every. single. time. with a win when you bank on a loss and a loss when you need and expect a win. Or when Michigan plays Ohio State, but we'll discuss that in a couple months. Super Bowl champion Chiefs at home seem like a no-brainer. The Lions' defense will be working hard, so I'm more confident in the under than the spread, but gotta land somewhere. Lions are all the buzz. I'm enjoying the ride, but I've been battered & beaten consistently for over five decades so I'm not drinking any Kool Aid. This will be decided before this blog posts, but the picks were in.

NCAAFB: Parlay: Boise State money line against UCF / Under 60.5. Boise State at home sounds reasonable, giving up the +3.5 points for a couple extra bucks if they win, and I like their blue field that keeps the geese from shitting on it.

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

Call it recency bias, call it love of prime time , but in reality the safe bet is Colorado riding this wave at least through the 1st half Saturday

Buffs -2.5 1st half -110

Sark can taste the big win against the man who resurrected his career. Let’s get nuts. Texas is back, go moneyline +235.

OMG (Baller, Sharp)

Colorado -2.5 and Philly Eagles - 4.

Jeff Hassler (Pencil Storm HR)

(Chris Berman voice) THE NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE IS BACK!!!!!!!! Hope you have your Coors Light and nachos ready because I sure do. Everyone in the Pencil Storm fantasy league laughed when I took Baker Mayfield in the 4th round but I think it was just sour grapes. FINALLY he will have a real WR to throw to, thank you Mike Evans. (No thanks OBJ and DJ.) And he will be stepping into an organization recently led by the GOAT Tom Brady. Buccaneers Money Line win over the purple people eaters AND Baker throws for 325+ and 3TDs.  

Ben Galli (Pencil Storm NBA Beat Writer)

US over Canada Moneyline - Ok, so this one isn’t even a game yet but everything is pointing to a showdown with our neighbors to the North in the FIBA World Cup final Sunday morning. Carmelo Anthony may not be walking through that door but Ant Edwards is and he won’t let the US down. (Editor’s note, both USA and Canada got upset in semifinals so we will never know what would have happened in this match up.)

If you want another one:

Commanders -7 over Cardinals - It appears with a new regime in town, it’s all hands on tank deck for Arizona. They’re starting Josh Dobbs, traded from the Browns a little over two weeks ago, at quarterback. Washington wants to start the new era of an ownership group including Magic Johnson off on the right foot and this one shouldn’t be close. In related news, Owen Gawel took the Commanders in his knockout pool.

Brian Phillips (Host of CD92.9 Morning Show) 

How often do you see a Group of Five school as a favorite against a Big Ten opponent? About as often as UTEP beats a Power Five squad. (I looked... 1967. That was the first season after changing their name from Texas Western.) Yes, Northwestern is putrid. We saw them get skunked by the State University of New Jersey last Sunday, but I just can't lay 2 with a Miner team that lost to Dick Rod's Jax State. I'll hold my nose and take the two. This might be the stupidest game of 2023.