WEEK 1's SUCKER BET brought to you by Tootsie Pop!

Quote Originally Posted by JackSmack:

Quote Originally Posted by demapples:

"Good morning everybody and welcome to Week 1's edition of the SUCKER BET brought to you by Tootsie Pop!  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the SUCKER BET,  each week I identify the games where the public seems to be heavily favoring one side.  Typically there are 3 or 4 choices each week.  From those games, I choose one unpopular pick as the SUCKER BET.  I've done this on and off for the past 4 or 5 years or so yielding pretty good results.  One year I think we won 13 or 14 games.  This week's pick is a risky pick, but then again it wouldn't be a SUCKER BET if it wasn't.  Give me the Lions +13.5 in New Orleans.  That New Orleans crowd is going to be pumped.  I don't dwell on the preseason too much, but the Saints were cooking on offense, more so than any other team this preseason.  Then again the Lions went 4-0 last preseason.  But I don't see the Saints sneaking up on anyone this season and I don't see them going 10-5-1 ATS like they did last year.  Conversely I think the Lions are primed to better position themselves to win football games.  They have exorcised the demon of Matt Millen, which can't be understated.  Big money is coming in on the Lions and has been since the line opened at 11.  That's what I like to see in evaluating a SUCKER BET. Pierre Thomas is listed as questionable and might not suit up.  I'm not a believer in Reggie Bush as a full-time back.  Lions are 6-0 ATS in their last 6 road games, 5-1 ATS in the last 6 season openers, 13-3 ATS in their last 16 as a road dog of more than 10.5 points.  The underdog is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.  Saints are a team on the rise, but they are 15-17 SU over the past 2 seasons and haven't seen the playoffs since 2006 and finished last in their division last year.  The Saints allowed more than 27 points in 9 games last season.  It's not crazy to think that the best player on the field is arguably Calvin Johnson, with the exception of Drew Brees perhaps.  There you have it, Lions +13.5 and of course you should consider buying the .5 point.  Good Luck to everyone this season and we'll see you next week for WEEK 2's SUCKER BET brought to you by Tootsie Pop!"