Editor’s Note: Since November 2018, Joe has been publishing picks here and back at All Things NIT, our former site. Overall, the results have been mixed, with an average return on investment, per pick, of -4.9% when weighting by confidence (1 for low, 2 for medium, 3 for high) across 3,522 published picks, not including pending futures, and an average return on investment, per pick, of 0.7% across 871 completed high and medium-confidence picks (low confidence picks, these days, are in experimental markets for us). Our ETA to get the overall number back profitable is currently November 5th, the date of a potential World Series Game 7.
Use these picks at your own risk. Only you are responsible for any money you lose, and you should not bet more than you can afford to lose. If you have a gambling problem, get help.
Lines for these come from the Vegas consensus or the closest approximation available at the time picks are written, unless otherwise noted. For futures bets (in both sports and politics) and motorsports bets, odds are taken from the better option between Bovada and BetOnline as our best approximation of the Vegas consensus, which isn’t currently/accurately available online. FanGraphs is heavily used in making MLB picks. FiveThirtyEight’s SPI is heavily used in making soccer picks. ESPN’s FPI is heavily used in making NFL picks.
Oklahoma @ TCU
With Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas State, the doubters are evidently ready to pounce. This isn’t a stereotypical rebuilding operation, though. It’s a talented roster with a good coach, and while they shouldn’t have lost to K-State, K-State’s a legitimate top 25 team. TCU is not.
Pick: Oklahoma -5 (-114). Low confidence.
Iowa State @ Kansas
Is today the day Kansas’s undefeated campaign ends? Selfishly, I hope so. As objectively as I can get, I think so.
Iowa State’s got a lot of uncertainty, but they’re the better team here by a good margin. The Jayhawks remain relatively untested. That, or I’m rudely underestimating Duke.
Pick: Iowa State -3.5 (-112). Low confidence.
