Chris Stout
Chris likes not having any free time. +Chris Stout Email: cstout76@gmail.com
Homepage: http://www.manjr.com
Posts by Chris Stout
Yvonne Strahovski Interview
Yvonne Strahovski is a fox. She’s a butt-kicking, twinkle-eyed fox. Her smile has been known to cause blindness. Her sexy Aussie accent has the potential to melt your face off. Strahovski could be at the supermarket wearing sweatpants and a hoodie, and she’d still be an instant head-turner. Imagine the kind of whiplash you’d get from seeing her after a six hour application of coconut and palm frond body paint for a sexy skinsuit photo shoot in South Beach.
Well thanks to SoBe, you don’t have to imagine this scenario. Strahovski became the third model (after Ashley Greene and Jessica Szhor) to don the body paint for a steamy SoBe Lifewater skinsuit photo session. The pictorial spread, shot by famed swimsuit photographer Raphael Mazzucco, will appear in the 2012 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition that hits newsstands on February 14.
The third annual SoBe Skinsuit spread coincides with the launch of three new SoBe with Coconut Water flavors: Pacific Coconut, Pomegranate Nectarine and Mango Mandarin. To celebrate the new flavors infused with coconut water, SoBe used Strahovski body canvas to create sultry scene of strategically placed coconuts and palms.
We got a chance to interview Yvonne and talked about the photo shoot, the application (and removal) of the body paint, her upcoming projects, the intensity of Jason Statham and what she misses most about Australia. Here’s the video
Here are some shots from the SoBe Lifewater spread:
If you want to check out more shots of Yvonne, make sure to visit Facebook.com/SoBe for exclusive behind the scenes photos and videos. You can also discuss the unquestioned hotness of Yvonne by joining the #sobeskinsuit conversation at @sobe on Twitter.
Jan 16th
NFL Divisional Round Picks
New Orleans -3.5 At San Francisco
Here’s something everyone knows: The Saints play better when the play indoors. But wait, now they have to travel to the harsh conditions of San Francisco, where they’ll face temperatures in the 60s and a zero percent chance of rain. This indoor/outdoor stuff is nonsense. Will the Saints ridiculous offense be slowed a little bit by running on real grass? Yea, probably, but don’t tell me that this matchup in SF is going to totally derail Brees and company because they’re not used to playing in sunny weather. Look, the 49ers are not a bad team. It’s not their fault they play in the watered down NFC West. They can stop the run, minimize turnovers and grind games out. This team is super good at field goals. But the Saints don’t kick field goals. They score touchdowns. Lots of ‘em. Sure the Saints have never won a road playoff game (0-4), but the team averages 150 more passing yards a game and 10 more points a game than the Niners. If San Francisco stalls in the redzone, which they so often do, then this game won’t even be close. I totally get that the 49ers have the best rushing defense in the league and they can pressure the quarterback and create takeaways and all that, but the Niners D will need to create multiple game changing plays to keep the team in the game. Go with the team that’s scored at least 40 points in the last four games over a team that’s allowed just 10 total points in their last three home games.
Pick: Saints -3.5
At New England -14 Denver
I can’t figure out which remaining AFC team I like the least. They’re all flawed, really. It’s going to be hard for this conference to knock off whatever team takes home the NFC crown. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick used to be a force in the playoffs, but the Pats have been unceremoniously bounced out of the postseason early the last two years, at home no less. The Pats haven’t covered against the spread in the playoffs since 2006. The Pats also have difficulty covering double digit spreads of late. I think Tebow played the game of his life, and it’s going to be hard to repeat that performance from last week. I fully expect the Pats to win this one. Still, covering two touchdowns is an awful lot to ask, especially when you’re up against a team that’s primary game plan will be to grind minutes of the clock and keep Tom Brady on the sidelines. Pats win but don’t cover.
Pick: Broncos +14
At Baltimore -7.5 Houston
I’m not sold on either of these teams. They’re similar in that they’re both run-focused squads with top-shelf defenses that prefer a more smashmout approach to the game. The Texans can manhandle people at the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, but the last time these two teams met, Ray Rice went off and Flacco threw for 305 yards. Matt Schaub was bottled up and so was Arian Foster. The Ravens D also racked up three sacks. Baltimore dominated that game. The Ravens are 8-0 when playing at home, so I think the home field advantage really does play a factor in this game. I still don’t trust Flacco, though. This game should come down to a game changing defensive play. I bet it’s the Texans, not the Ravens, who make it. The Texans haven’t lost by more than a TD all year. Don’t see it happening in a low scoring game.
Pick: Texans +7.5
At Green Bay -7.5 NY Giants
It’s amazing how much respect the Giants are getting with this spread. The G Men kept it close when these two teams met in the Meadowlands a few weeks ago, and the Giants are certainly benefiting from their performances the last two weeks against Dallas and Atlanta. The Giants aren’t going to get blown out, but I fully expect them to lose. Sure, Green Bay’s secondary is vulnerable and Eli Manning has the weapons to exploit that. The Giants pass rush is incredible as well, but I just think the Packers are more likely to not show up flat. G-Men keep it close, but Green Bay pulls away.
Pick: Packers -7.5
Last Week: 2-2
Season:138-115-12
Jan 13th
Velodyne vPulse In-Ear Headphones Review
Earphone manufacturers tend to make big claims when they market their products, but it’s rare to find an actual set of earphones that lives up to the hype.
I own way too many headphone sets. I got cheap ones, pricey ones, too many Apple earphones to count, those fitness-y wraparound headphones, tiny in-ear buds, foldable DJ headsets, big ole Vietnam helicopter pilot head coconuts, useless two-prong airplane earphones, you name it. I got too many to count, but I’m always down to try a new pair.
So when the opportunity came up to review the new Velodyne vPulse in-ear headphones, I jumped at the chance. And trust me when I tell you, these things are sick.
I mean these earphones look like they’re from the future. As soon as you open up the protective, crush-proof carrying case, you know you’re dealing with a different level of earphone beast. The cord looks like some slim, lightweight blue CAT 5 cable. It doesn’t tangle, even when you wrap it up and stuff it back in the case. It’s cord memory-free. The flat cord structure feels sturdy but not too heavy. You don’t have to worry about the cord tearing, but it’s not like these things weigh you down either. The cable also features quick, intuitive controls for playback, volume and phone functionality.
The actual earbuds are just fantastic. They have a built-in elbow-type construction, so when you toss these thing in your ears, they fit super snug inside your ear canal, with the outside portion of the bud resting comfortable on the lowest ledge of your ear (the antitragus I think). The result is a give-free fit that keeps the buds stable and enhances noise cancellation. When you put these in, they function like earplugs. Even without playing any sound, the only thing you’ll hear when you put on a pair of vPulse earphones is the sound of your own heavy breathing. The unit comes with multiple earbud tips, so you can maximize that form-fitting comfort no matter what.
So the Velodyne vPulse in-ear headphones are built well, they fit well and they provide quality noise reduction without any of the crappy feedback/static sound you get from other headsets. But these things also produce fantastic sound, straight to your external auditory canal. The frequency response is 20Hz -20kHz. The highs are crisp without crackling and the lows are smooth and hit you to the core. It also seems like you can pump the volume up on these headphones way past 11, which is just awesome.
So yea, these in-ear headpones aren’t exactly cheap (they sell for $89), but if you’re tired of noise cancellation headphones that don’t cancel any noise, or if you want snug, comfy in-ear headphones that produce clear sound even at extremely high volumes, you need to check these out.
Jan 11th
Newcastle Cooler Bag Giveaway
We’re teaming up with Newcastle again for another great giveaway! Loyal readers know that we’ve partnered up with Newcastle plenty of times in the past. We interviewed Charles van Es, the Brand Director for Newcastle Brown Ale, when we did our Geordie Schooner Giveaway. We gave away a bunch of cool Newkie stuff for a week straight in September leading up to the first ever Walk the Dog Day event that was held at Finn McCool’s in Santa Monica. Now we’re at it again.
Every time I post about Newcastle I like to mention that it’s my favorite beer. That’s been true long before MANjr starting hooking people up with free Newcastle items. There’s just something extra-super-enjoyable about a frosty pint of Newcastle Brown Ale. It’s really not hard for us to speak favorably about a beer we enjoy at least once or twice a week. It’s just too damn good.
So what’s up with the latest giveaway? It’s a Newcastle Cooler Bag that’s sexier than any Igloo you’ll see at your average tailgate party. This thing’s got rollers and an adjustable handle, man. It’s like a piece of functional luggage that keeps your beer cold and can still fit in an overhead compartment.
To win this posh beer transporter, just Like us on Facebook and send us an email below telling was why you enjoy Newcastle. We’ll pick a winne at random next Friday, January 6.
Also, if you like Pale Ales, don’t forget to try Newcastle’s Winter IPA. It’s available until the end of the month so try it out before it’s gone!
Jan 6th
NFL Wild Card Weekend Picks
At Houston -3 Cincinnati
The Texans are hitting the playoffs cold. After winning seven in a row from the end of October to mid-December, Houston dropped three straight games to close out the regular season. Yea, TJ Yates got injured and Arian Foster sat out Week 17, but the Texans enter the postseason with a clear lack of momentum.
The Bengals backed their way into the playoffs with some help. They came out flat against the Ravens last week, and Cincy’s D had all kinds of trouble containing Ray Rice. Arian Foster is going to be a challenge for this unit. Yates is healthy and the home crowd will be extra fired up for the first playoff game in franchise history. The Bengals have a great foundation for future success, but they’re going to get bounced out this week.
Pick: Texans -3
At New Orleans -11 Detroit
Remember the quick exit the Saints suffered when traveling to Seattle in the first round of the playoffs last season? You can bet it’s fresh on Sean Payton’s mind, too. And you know he’s prepping his team hard to avoid a trap game at home. This is the biggest spread of the week in what’s sure to be a shootout. The Saints can run when they want to and pass at will. The Lions are a bit more one-dimensional. They’ll put up a fight, but there’s just too many weapons for them to stop.
Pick: Saints -10.5
At NY Giants -3 Atlanta
The Giants are 4-4 at home this year. The Falcons are 4-4 on the road. The Giants have 11 sacks in the past two games. The Falcons have only allowed 26 sacks all season, sixth-best in the league. Both the Giants and the Falcons have top-tier passing games, with players who can stretch the field and pick up big chunks of yards. Eli Manning and Matt Ryan have tossed 29 touchdowns each, and both QBs are experiencing career-best seasons. The Falcons have a decent run D and the Giants are 29th in the league in rushing. The Giants have to be fired up after last week, but the Falcons are coming off a road stellar performance against a terrible Bucs squad. This should be the tightest matchup of the week, but I think Matt Ryan can finally win his first playoff game this week.
Pick: Falcons +3
Pittsburgh -8.5 At Denver
Big Ben is the oddest combination of super tough guy and injury embellishing diva. Back in the Coach Cowher days, Ben claimed to play an AFC Championship game with multiple broken toes. His coach reported that the injury wasn’t in fact that severe. There’s a similar thing going on in Pittsburgh right now, with Ben limping around claiming that he re-aggravated his high ankle sprain against Cleveland, and Tomlin reporting that his QB will be healthy and ready to roll in Denver. No one can question Ben’s toughness, but it’s hard to get a good read on the extensiveness of his injury. He certainly didn’t look anywhere near 100 percent in San Francisco or Cleveland. The Steelers lost Mendenhall to a torn ACL, but Isaac Redman should be a capable substitute as long as he can hang on to the ball. Now if Maurkice Pouncey doesn’t suit up, that’s a huge blow for the Steelers.
Tebowmanina has turned to Turnovermania in recent weeks, but Tebow’s received the green light to fling it on Sunday. Pittsburgh hasn’t exactly blown teams out on the road this year, but this is a matchup that they should win. They’ve allowed the fewest passing yards per game this year and they’re going up against a team that averaged only 152.1 passing yards per game, second-worst in the league behind Jacksonville. I don’t anticipate this being a blow out, but even if the Broncos get four quarters of Tebow Time, it’s not going to be enough.
Pick: Steelers -8.5
Week 17: 7-8-1
Season: 136-113-12
Jan 5th
Week 17 NFL Picks
At Philadelphia -8.5 Washington
The Eagles are playing for pride with an eye on next year. They’re playing better football, despite playing for nothing.
Pick: Eagles -8.5
At Atlanta -10.5 Tampa Bay
The Bucs are going to lose their 10th straight game. The Falcons need to end the season on a high note after getting dismantled by Drew Brees.
Pick: Falcons -10.5
San Francisco -10.5 At St. Louis
The 49ers have nothing to play for, and even when they do, they have trouble scoring touchdowns in the redzone. Still, it’s the Rams. Kendall Hunter should be able to do enough to cover that big spread.
Pick: 49ers -10.5
At Minnesota -1.5 Chicago
Joe Webb’s fun to watch and Toby Gerhart can make plays in relief of AP, but I think the Bears are finally going to get that elusive Cutler-less victory.
Pick: Bears +1.5
Detroit -4 At Green Bay
Matt Flynn should be in by the 3rd quarter. The undefeated season dreams are over. Packers pull starters and Detroit sneaks away with a W.
Pick: Lions -4
At NY Giants -3 Dallas
I think this is a toss-up, but I like the Giants to win this min-playoff. The Cowboys always seem to find a way to choke. Gotta go with the home team here.
Pick: Giants -3
At New Orleans -7.5 Carolina
Drew Brees is going to keep flinging it. The Panthers should put up some serious yardage on the gorund, but I think the Saints are going to keep the gas pedal pushed.
Pick: Saints -7.5
Tennessee -2 At Houston
The Texans can’t treat this like a preseason game. Not after what happened the last couple weeks. Even if Arian Foster checks out early, the Texans should pull through.
Pick: Texans +2
Baltimore -2 At Cincinnati
The Bengals can turn the division upside down with a win at home. They can secure a playoff appearance and force the Ravens to hit the road. The Ravens seem to play down to the competition, especially on the road. Cincy will spoil Baltimore’s postseason bye week hopes.
Pick: Bengals +2
Pittsburgh -6.5 At Cleveland
Big Ben can play one quarter and still dominate this squad.
Pick: Steelers -6.5
At Jacksonville -3.5 Indianapolis
The Colts are going to rally their way out of the Andrew Luck sweepstakes.
Pick: Colts +3.5
At Miami -3 NY Jets
Miami’s playing strong, but they’re rolling without Reggie Bush, who’s been lightening up for about a month. Sanchez has takien a lot of heat this week, but if can avoid big mistakes, the Jets D should handle the rest.
Pick: Jets +3
At New England -10.5 Buffalo
Memories of losing Wes Welker for the playoffs might prompt the Pats to sit starters, but the team needs to win to ensure that they lock down the number 1 seed. Still, with the potential for sitting key players on the table, I think the spread’s a bit too high.
Pick: Bills +10.5
At Oakland -3 San Diego
The Raiders are going to put the nail on the Norv Turner coffin. They’re getting healthy and they need the W.
Pick: Raiders -3
At Denver -3 Kansas City
The Chiefs can ruin things for the Broncos. Tebowmania has subsided, but the game is in Denver. If this game was in Arrowhead, I’d go with the Chiefs. But it’ll be a friendly, playoff type atmosphere at home for Tebow and the gang. They win, they’re in.
Pick: Broncos -3
At Arizona -3 Seattle
The Cards aren’t going down without a fight, but Seattle’s just better.
Pick: Seattle +3
Week 16: 8-8
Season: 129-105-11
Dec 31st
Last Minute Stocking Stuffer: I, Steve
If you’re looking for a light, accessible Steve Jobs stocking stuffer item, look no further. I, Steve is everything the Walter Isaacson book is not. In a good way.
If you know a true die hard Apple enthusiast, get him or her the Issacson book. This guy is a legit historian who has produced some great books on Einstein, Ben Frankiln, and Henry Kissinger. But if you’re purchasing a book for an Apple fan with a short attention span, go for I, Steve, a book that serves as an easily digestible collection of the innovative tech pioneer’s ideas and opinions in his own words.
Consider some of these quotes:
On Microsoft’s Microview:
I told [Bill Gates] I believed every word of what I said but that I should never have said it in public. I wish him the best, I really do. I just think he and Microsoft are a bit narrow. He’d be a broader guy if he had dropped acid once or gone off to an ashram when he was younger.
- New York Times Magazine, January 12, 1997
On Simplicity:
There’s a very strong DNA within Apple, and that’s about taking state-of-the-art technology and making it easy for people…people who don’t want to read manuals, people who live very busy lives.
- Guardian, September 22, 2005
On Forward Thinking:
If you want to live your life in a creative way, as an artist, you have to not look back too much. You have to be willing to take whatever you’ve done and whoever you were and throw them away.
- Playboy, February 1985
So you get the idea. This book is something you can power through quickly, like on a short flight or a lazy Saturday. It’s a quick, fascinating read that’ll serve as a good companion piece to Isaacson’s more in-depth character sketch.
Dec 23rd
Jim Beam Bold Choice Recap
Jim Beam recently gave us the opportunity to make a Bold Choice, and with your help, we selected a mission to dive the Great Barrier Reef. It was an amazing, fantastic, extra-superlative experience that’s hard to put into words. Here’s my attempt to some up this once-in-a-lifetime slice of awesomeness.
When Captain Cook first smashed his ship on the Great Barrier Reef in the 1700s, he probably didn’t realize that he was hitting an underwater structure the size of California. I mean this is the largest thing ever created by living beings on this planet. It’s over 130,000 sq. miles of non-stop life blooming in every direction.
The whole thing is just one big submarine playground of fractal aliveness. Soft coral, hard coral, schools of neon fish, stingers, sea turtles, giant clams, sea snakes, sharks… the Great Barrier Reef is like the largest, most elaborate/expensive fish tank you’ve ever seen. And you can see the thing from outer space, man.
During my SCUBA and snorkel dives, it’s like everywhere you turn there’s some sort of otherworldly creature occupying the same space as you. You’ll see fish that resemble small dogs. There are spectacular tree branches of purple coral and underwater formations that look like tiny human brains. You’ll see jumbo versions of cellular structures like mitochondria the size of your kitchen table, ribosomes bigger than a Smart Car or a person-sized Golgi Apparatus just chillin’ out. It’s really a trip.
So reefs have been around for 100s of millions of years, but the Great Barrier Reef is only about 500,000 years old. The dive guides claimed that the Great Barrier Reef is responsible for producing 25 percent of the world’s oxygen. I’m not sure where that figure comes from, but when you see the saturation of life that exists just a few feet below the surface, you’ll believe just about any stat they throw at you. I mean, just look at this stuff:
The Great Barrier Reef is a system of about 3,000 distinct reefs that hugs the northeast coast of Australia. We used Port Douglas, which is about an hour north of Cairns, as our base of operations for the dive trips. We took a trip on the Calypso tour which was not-overbooked and included three great dive spots full of colorful coral. We also took a trip on Aristocat, which was borderline-overbooked, but still amazing. I saw more sea life at the Agincourt reef spots we visited with Aristocrat, but the coral visibility was better with Calypso.
This spot is truly one of the great wonders of the world. If you have the opportunity to visit the Great Barrier Reef in person, I highly recommend it. I chatted up a sea captain who had last visited the Great Barrier Reef in 1986, and he said that the reef you see today is nothing compared to the scenes you could witness back in the day. I tend to believe him. I’m not sure what’s going to happen once the source of 25 percent of the world’s oxygen population becomes endangered, but either way, go visit the Great Barrier Reef while you still can. If you take a long time to schedule your trip out here, it might not look the same when you arrive.
Anyone who I’ve talked to who’s been to Australia has sold me hard on the idea that it’s an amazing place. I was able to visit Melbourne, Sydney and Queensland in the north during my trip, and I was impressed with everything. The cities are fun, the women are gorgeous, the beer is tasty and everything just appears brighter, bigger and more vibrant.
When I was first approached about the Bold Choice opportunity, I was definitely excited, but I didn’t know what to expect. After experiencing my Bold Choice, I have to say that I feel more fired up about life and I have an extra layer of happy memories that I’m going to carry with me for awhile. I want to thank Jim Beam for making this great experience possible.
Dec 23rd
Week 16 NFL Picks
So I’m limping toward the end of the regular season, coming off my worst week of the year. Let’s see if we can right the ship a bit with some quality picks before the playoffs kick off.
Houston -6 At Indianapolis
Will the Colts win back to back games? No. Sure the Texans had a bit of a letdown last week, and yea I get that Donald Brown is playing hard despite people quitting all around him, but let’s be real here. The Texans are going to lock this up, run it out and win by at least a touchdown.
Pick: Texans -6
At Kansas City -2 Oakland
Man, this game might be different if it was played in Oakland or if Todd Haley was still the head coach in KC, but did you see how the Chiefs reacted to Romeo? It’s kinda crazy. I understand that Oakland still has a chance to make the playoffs, but if the Chiefs show up at home like they did last week, all fired up and ready to rock, I don’t think the Raiders can hang with ‘em. With players already actively lobbying for Romeo to get the gig full time next year, I think the Chiefs take this one.
Pick: Chiefs -2
Denver -3 At Buffalo
The last time the Bills won was the day before Halloween. For all the talk about Tebowmania slowing down, remember that this team was hanging with the Pats before three turnovers derailed everything. The Denver D showed some cracks last week, but that’s to be expected. CJ Spiller has been a shot in the arm for Buffalo, but it’s too little, too late.
Pick: Denver -3
At Tennessee -7.5 Jacksonville
Blaine Gabbert’s not good. He’s completing just 50.6 percent of his passes and he has a QB rating of 65.6 on the year, the worst in the NFL. I get that he doesn’t have the protection or a single decent receiver to throw to, but the guy looks a little flustered. He’s thrown 10 picks and 11 TDs. In the last three weeks, he’s been responsible for five picks and five fumbles. The Titans aren’t a dominant team, but they don’t have to be. If the mistakes keep piling on for Gabbert, they’ll win (and cover) by default.
Pick: Titans -7.5
At Cincinnati -4 Arizona
The Cards have been a huge surprise in the second half of the season. They started 1-6, won six of their last seven, and now sit at an even .500. They’re not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs just yet, either. The Cards have found ways to win games late, and their backup QB John Skelton is a big reason why. Kolb’s sucked it up before getting hurt and now he’s ready to play again. The Wiz should stick with Skelton. It’s weird that this seemingly uninteresting game has playoff implications for both teams. The Bengals close the year out with two home games – Cards and Ravens. They’re currently vying for that final wildcard spot, and they need Ws to hold off the Jets. With both teams needing to win to get in the tourney, I think the home team gets a bit of an edge here. AJ Green has an ailing shoulder, but there’s no way he misses this game. He’s gonna show up big time against this suspect secondary.
Pick: Bengals -4
At New England -9.5 Miami
Not sure what to make of this game. Is Reggie Bush really that amazing? Has Miami’s defense really gotten that much better? Can the Pats maintain their TE-heavy pass attack while still surrendering so many big plays on D? New England is 5-1 at home this year and the Dolphins have won five of their last seven. I don’t think this game is going to be a blowout. The Pats will likely win, but I’m iffy on the spread. Going to give Brady the benefit of the doubt here.
Pick: Pats -9.5
At Baltimore -13 Cleveland
I really don’t think the Ravens are an elite, top-3 NFL team. In all the power rankings you see, Baltimore frequently gets slotted over a team like the Saints. That’s just not accurate. The Ravens are good, but they can get exposed, just like they did last week. This isn’t a team that’s designed to play from behind. If the Browns can go up big early… wait, they can’t. If they could this might be an interesting game, but Seneca, Hillis and that anemic offense can’t put the Ravens in a hole early, so they can’t limit Ray Rice, and they’re not going to win. I think the spread’s a tad too high though.
Pick: Browns +13
At NY Jets -3 NY Giants
The Giants are a hard team to root for. Just when you think they’re clicking, they turn in a stinker like last week. There’s been a ton of shit talking leading up to the Battle of New York, but I think the edge goes to the Jets. The Giants have losed five of their last six, and that one win was by a three point margin. If the Jets avoid the sloppy mistakes that plagued them last week, they should be able to contain the G-men.
Pick: Jets -3
At Washington -6.5 Minnesota
I thought we were cool, Percy Harvin. But no, you had to put up a donut during a critical fantasy week. No matter. The Vikings have allowed the most points this season (406). They got shredded by Drew Brees and they’re bad enough to get shredded by Rex Grossman.
Pick: Skins -6.5
At Carolina -7 Tampa Bay
Carolina’s got a brighter future ahead of them. The Bucs stopped caring awhile ago. I’ll take the home team with the more dynamic playmakers over the team that lost eight straight and ranks near the bottom of every defensive stat category.
Pick: Panthers -7
At Pittsburgh -15 St. Louis
The spread’s just too big. The Steelers hate covering big spreads even with Big Ben under center. Batch has preformed decent in the past when called upon, but he looked kinda shaky coming in during that Browns game. I fully expect St. Louis to lose. The Steelers are going to force the run and have success. They’ll get the W, but I doubt they’ll cover.
Pick: Rams +15
At Detroit -2.5 San Diego
The Lions have won two in a row, but now they play a team that’s on fire. The streaky Chargers have owned December. They have a more balanced offense, a better defense and they’re going to beat the Lions in Detroit.
Pick: Chargers +2.5
San Francisco -2.5 At Seattle
Marshawn can’t be stopped. Even if he doesn’t get a score on the ground against a team that’s yet to allow a rushing TD all year, he’ll still put up decent numbers. The Niners still have problems putting up points. The Steelers couldn’t take advantage of that fact, cause they were too busy turning the ball over. In game that’s sure to feature a lot of field goals, I like the home team with the points.
Pick: Seattle +2.5
At Dallas -2 Philadelphia
The Dream Team finally woke up, but they need help if they want to keep playing in two weeks. The Cowboys got back on track against a sorry Bucs team, but if you look at their last few games, there’s not really an impressive win on the schedule. Sure the Cowboys crushed the Eagles in Week 8, but that was back when the Eagles lost all the time. I think the team’s just more dangerous now, and Dallas has got some questions at RB. I’m going with Philly.
Pick: Eagles +2
At Green Bay -13 Chicago
The Bears are pulling the plug on the Caleb Hanie experiment. One of the McCown brothers will be starting for Chicago. Not sure which one. I don’t think it matters though. The Packers are not going to sit people for a rivalry game like this, especially after suffering their first loss of the year.
Pick: Packers -13
At New Orleans -6.5 Atlanta
I believe in Drew Brees. I believe this team is not going to let up. This game should provide plenty of scoring opportunities, but I think Brees, Jimmy Graham, the deep core of WRs who just show up when needed and like whatever combo of RBs they roll with will do better. Ryan’s not going to play poorly, but the Falcon’s running game just ain’t what it was a few weeks ago. Turner looks tired. The Saints are just more potent.
Pick: Saints -6.5
Week 15: 5-10-1
Season: 121-97-11
Dec 22nd
Guest Post: How to Beat the Casino by Avery Cardoza
Fresh off the heels of finishing my novel, Lost in Las Vegas, about two hapless visitors who get into a world of trouble in Sin City (www.lostinlasvegas.com), the editors at MANjr asked me help their readers avoid getting lost at the Vegas tables.
Okay, you’re getting ready to win your fortune in Las Vegas. But not so fast! Let’s get you prepared with a quick primer on how to beat the casino. My goal is to give you the best chances of walking away with money in your pocket!
First tip is to play the games you enjoy the most. Why play a game where the house has a slightly lesser edge if you don’t have fun playing it? At the same time, winning is more fun than losing, right? You can give yourself the best chance of winning by playing the casino tough. Here’s a quick rundown on how to do that.
Blackjack
Blackjack is the best game to play—if you know what you’re doing. Playing correct “Basic Strategy” will give you about an even game against the house. And using a professional-level counting or non-counting strategy will actually give you an edge!
Best Chance to Win: Play Basic Strategy perfectly and don’t get rattled by losses when good strategy fails. Stick to the correct plays and make all the correct doubling and splitting plays. Always draw to a hard 12 through 16 when the dealer shows a stiff card, a 7 through Ace.
Avoid games that pay only 6 to 5 on blackjacks—you want a 2 to 1 payoff. Don’t play unprepared and never follow your hunches.
Craps
Craps is the fastest of the casino games and offers you a chance to win (or lose) a lot of money quickly. It’s a great game that gives the casino only a 0.6% edge if you make the line bets and back them with double odds. But if you choose the lousy bets, craps can be one of the worst casino games.
Best Chance to Win: Stick to only the pass, don’t pass, come, don’t come and free odds bets.
Avoid all the proposition bets in the middle. They give the casino as much as a 16.67% edge. Ouch!
Slots
You can find machines that are loose (99+% payback!) or tight ones that seem to hold all your money (only 90% payback or worse). How can you distinguish between the two? You can’t, but there are strategies to find better paying machines. If you hit a massive jackpot, well okay!
Best Chance to Win: Ask slot attendants which machines are paying frequently, and play at casinos that cater to slots players. Play at slot banks packed with players (an indication that they’re paying good), and join slot clubs so you can reap benefits from your action.
Avoid playing near buffet and show lines, and at other locations where impulse coins are donated—and stay clear of morgue-like slot settings.
Roulette
In Europe single-zero roulette tables are hugely popular and offer en prison (a rule that lets you redo your bet or lose only half of it) if the 0 lands. End result being only a 1.35% house edge. In the short run, you can take the casino. But in the U.S., the wheels have a double zero added to them, giving casinos a massive 5.26% edge. Your chips will bleed dry trying to overcome that edge.
Best Chance to Win: Try to find a single-zero wheel. If only double zero games are available, play small stakes, knowing you’re bucking a big house edge.
Avoid the 5-number bet, an even worse play that costs you 7.89%.
Video Poker
Video poker payout schedules can vary as often as a woman changes her hairdo, but the key on a non-progressive draw poker machine is to look for a jacks-or-better game with a 9-6 payout, meaning that you win 9 times your bet when you hit a full house, and 6 times your bet if you make a flush. (Expect progressives to be 8-5 machines.) With perfect play on a good paytable, the house has only about a 0.5% edge, that’s it!
Best Chance to Win: Shop around to find the best paying machines. You must play the full 5 coins to qualify for the royal jackpot. Find a 25¢ progressive with a $2,200 jackpot or higher—and you have the edge!
Avoid machines with lousy paytables, and never throw away a deuce on deuces-wild machines!
Keno and Video Keno
While the machine version of this age-old game offers much better odds than its slow-moving counterpart, it’s at a price—ironically, you’ll lose more money with the better odds due to the speed of the game. Traditional keno has terrible odds, as high as 35% or so against you.
Best Chance to Win: In the video version, play slowly to avoid having all your money quickly sucked into the machines. In standard keno, play 3-spot to 8-spot tickets for the best odds.
Avoid 1-spot and 2-spot tickets, plus 9-spot and higher tickets on traditional keno. You face big odds at keno, so whatever the variation, play for fun only. On video keno, bad odds and fast play lead to quick losses. So how do you get around this? Play sparingly and make having fun your goal, not profit.
Sports Betting
The line is set by the oddsmakers to divide the betting evenly, not by a team’s chances of winning. The skill you bring to the table determines your long-term results. Short term, anything can happen. Pros win money with hard work and smart decision-making. Amateurs tend to take it on the chin. You’re bucking a 4.54% vig on straight bets (you pay $11 to win $10), so you’ve got to win 52.38% of the time just to break even.
Best Chance to Win: Bet against fan favorites and shop around for the best odds. Make bets sparingly and bet only on your best picks.
Avoid parlays, where the odds get progressively worse. Bet with your head, not your heart.
Three Card Poker
Three card poker offers two games in one, the ante/play game and the pair plus game. The house edge is pretty reasonable if you play correctly—2.02% on the ante/play bet and 2.32% on the pair plus.
Best Chance to Win: Learn the proper strategies and play only games that offer the best paytables. Play only Q-6-4 or better, folding weaker hands.
Avoid games with bad pair plus payouts (you might fight a 7.28% edge as opposed to 2.32%). Skip progressive bets if the jackpots are small.
Five quick winning tips:
- Never bet money you cannot afford to lose, either financially or emotionally.
- Once you’re a big winner, always walk away a big winner.
- Set loss limits before you play and never dig in deeper.
- Don’t chase losses with big bets that can turn a session into a disaster.
- Use smart money management to ensure that gambling remains fun.
About the Author
Avery Cardoza has written twenty-one books on beating the casino and is the world’s largest publisher of gaming and gambling titles (www.cardozabooks.com). Cardoza is also the owner of the legendary Gambler’s Book Club (www.gamblersbookclub.com), home to the world’s largest selection of gaming books. He has just released his exciting novel, Lost in Las Vegas (www.lostinlasvegas.com), an offbeat, dark comedy that follows two hapless vacationers in Las Vegas through a series of misadventures as their world collapses around them and their lives spiral downward into the seedy and treacherous underbelly of Sin City.
Dec 21st
