The weekend started off slowly as far as wagering went. I was extremely busy with some personal matters all day Saturday and was only able to put in one wager. I did put $33 on Utah at home facing the Hawaii Warriors. I think that Hawaii is bit overrated and they always seem to have trouble on the road. You know, who wants to leave paradise. This one was over at the half. 1 wager, one loss. Not a good start.

The luck continued against me on Sunday’s early games. I only put in two wagers as nothing really looked that good at 1 PM.  I had under 35.5 in the 49ers/Panthers game. Again, ignoring a personal rule of betting bad football teams, the total just looked good to me, even at a lower number like that. You have two teams that can’t win, can’t score and can’t possibly go over. I thought I was dead in the 1st half. Touchdowns by both squads before  the two minute warning caused me to make a ‘bitter beer face’ for a long time, until both teams went 4-and-out after the two minute warning. Luckily, the 3rd quarter played out as I thought the whole game was going to; after a scary field goal by Carolina the rest of the 3rd quarter was uneventful. 23 total points scored going into the final quarter with the Niners driving. They settle for a field goal and things begin to look good, 26 points scored. Slight relief. Then, suddenly the sweat begins to come. The 49ers intercept and take it back for a TD. I scream No, No, No! at the TV the whole time Old MacDonald is running towards the end zone. A quarter and a half to play and just 3 points from either team kills my wager. It’s OK, I am the one ahead right now. But inside, I knew . . . this one was going down. Carolina drives and passes on a field goal. I can’t believe it. Sure the Panthers need two scores, but a field goal covers! Coach Fox probably doesn’t think that way. Anyway, when it gets to the two minute warning my heart is racing. Carolina is moving the ball and is going to try to score a TD to tie. I am rooting tough for the Niners D. Its 3rd and 2 on the 23, Carolina has one timeout left. They’re gonna throw it in the endzone. Moore drops back to pass. They’re gonna throw it in the endzone. He throws it in the endzone (of course) and it’s a TD. I get up from the couch and go outside. I did not go back to the game. I lost my play and figured the game was going into overtime. No need to waste another minute on bad football teams.

I also got a bit shafted in my 3-team teaser this week. I played it on all early games, using the 3 to my advantage. I teased Atlanta, Pittsburgh and Chicago all from -3 to +3, a personal favorite play of mine. I was watching a bit of the Miami game and got lucky there, as I need the points for the Steelers to cover. Atlanta didn’t need the points. And the Bears . . . How does a guy throw so many interception to the same guy, and I still end up with a push. Washington is slowly heading towards my ‘bad football team’ list’. I added an extra five buck to this week’s teaser and had $25 to win $45. Instead, after Da Bears I end with a $22 win. Unfortunately, for the day I am still down $11.

I am up a bit on the house for the season, so I take a shot with a 2-team parlay on the late games. I play for $25 on the Raiders and Green Bay. By 530 PM I am a genius with the Raiders play and can take my attention away from that game to get some nourishment and grab some cold ones for the late game. I can’t wait to see how Favre reacts to everything that is going on. The game is a crazy one and the Vikings are up by 3 at the half. Farve had a touchdown called back and Aaron Rodgers had thrown 2 INT already. The second half gets a big smile from me early as the Packers score on their second possession to go up by four. I have them giving 3, right? The game is now VERY interesting for me. I LEAP out of my seat as Favre rears back, throws one of those Farve balls up in the air and it gets picked off. GO, GO, GO! Bishop takes the pass and scampers into the endzone. I am up by 11, a great number! But that fast the Vikings come back and this time Favre finds Moss for an easy score inside the redzone. But, I am up still four and that is a great number when you’re giving three. After all, the team that is down has to go for a touchdown. Never count out Brett Favre . . . The Pack holds the ball for over 7 minutes and then Favre throws another INT!! The Vikings end up with the ball inside their own 20 with like 6 minutes left.  Never count out Brett Favre . . . He drives ‘em all the way down to the 35 and throws the ball to Percy Harvin in the endzone. No, NO, NOOO! Percy Harvin scores. DAAAMMMN! Favre did it to me again! But wait what’s this, the replay assistant is challenging the pass completion ruling? I clearly see that Harvin is out-of-bounds. Why is this taking so long. He’s out! The play  call does get overturned and for a change, I don’t get Favred. Winner. And for me, a BIG winner. $25 pays $72.85, cause the Pack line was +105.

One call saves the entire weekend and I go from potentially being down $69 to being up $28.85. It’s a thin line between winning and losing when betting NFL football, but it’s also kinda why I play the game. Another winning weekend!

I haven’t played Monday Night Football much this year but I really liked the Giants against a mediocre Dallas team with a scared coach. I didn’t like the G-Men enough to bet ‘em straight up and I wish I had. I REALLY liked ‘em. At first I almost turn the game off as Dallas jumps out to an early lead. But I also realize that they should have been up by more points and that gives me hope. Especially, when Romo gets decked early and leaves the game in the 2nd quarter.  But, then the Cowboys take a punt inside the 10. No, No, No! Giants are down 20-7. My friend who I told about my love of the Giants texts me. With less than 2 minutes left in the half, Eli hits Hicks for a TD. The Giants have their way in the 2nd half, John Kitna looks like, well John Kitna and I cash. I text my friend back, Ching!

After seven weeks, I find myself up a good bit. I was down and out in week 3 but luck has found its way back to my side of the window. I am up over $200 and sitting pretty. Now, I just have to try to stay ahead. It has always been a challenge for me to grind through a season and not do something stupid (betting bad teams, betting the Saints, etc) and end up ahead going into the Super Bowl.

Check back with next week’s Confessions mid-week. Good Luck to all of us this weekend!