Chapter 4

“Life is like a rollercoaster, it has its ups and downs, but it is up to you whether to scream or enjoy the ride”
-Unknown

This quote describes Kowals Korner perfectly. My Chapter 1 picks were awful, Chapter 2 I was hot going 5-2, and Chapter 3 I split going 4-4. In reality, I am terrified of rollercoasters because I hate that feeling when you drop. But in sports picking I just do it for fun and to root for teams. I don’t mind the drop feeling of a pick-6 because it makes the next drive even more intense. Kowals Korner is all for enjoying the ride, so throw your hands up in the air and lets enjoy the ups and downs.

Lets discuss my last weeks picks:
Princeton -12 at Columbia – Hit! Princeton 45 – Columbia 10!
Michigan -14 at Northwestern – Miss. Michigan 20 – Northwestern 17.
Florida ML at Mississippi State – Hit! Florida 13 – Mississippi State 6!
Stanford +5 at Notre Dame – Miss. Notre Dame 38 – Stanford 17. Ouch.
Ohio State -3.5 at Penn State – Miss. Ohio State 27 – Penn State 26. *Game of the year*
Dolphins +7.5 at Patriots – Miss. Patriots 38 – Dolphins 7. Ouch.
Raiders -2.5 vs. Browns – Hit! Raiders 45 – Browns 42. !!!
Chiefs -3.5 at Broncos – Hit! Chiefs 27 – Broncos 23. !!!

So I was in Jacksonville this weekend to see the Jags take on the Jets #DUUUVAL ! Saturday night though, my buddy Tim and I found this local spot on the beach that reminded us of Buffalo Wild Wings. We got there just in time for the night slate of games and oh what a night it was! The Ohio State thriller was mayhem. I may have lost the pick, but wow was that comeback special to watch. Throughout the night I learned how big college football — and cornhole — are down south! So after my weekend in Jacksonville, I think I got some pointers for this weeks games.

Before we get to the games and the picking advice, let me tell you where I will be Friday night! Rahway is ranked #14 in the state and they take on Carteret in Rahway’s homecoming. The Indians won their last three games by a combined score of 109-19! Shout out my colleague Joe Brown who takes spectacular photos during the game! Catch us at the game this Friday night.

**Saturday Slate**

Sam Houston State -11 vs. Stephen F. Austin – We all know about the Red River Showdown between Texas and Oklahoma this weekend. But let me tell you about the Battle of the Piney Woods between these two teams! This rivalry dates back to 1923 with Sam Houston State winning the past 7 matchups. How did I find this game? One of the coolest guys I ever met, and a mentor of mine, took a job at Sam Houston State. My senior year at Rutgers I was able to intern with the “Barn Dog” and we had a blast every morning! I began to follow Sam Houston State when he went there and found out they are one of the premier FCS schools, ranked #16 in the nation. Last week I went with my buddy “Tee Guy” who works at Princeton, this week I’m rolling with the “Barn Dog.” Sam Houston State 31 Stephen F. Austin 17.

LSU -3 at Florida – As I mentioned I spent this past weekend in Jacksonville, which is also Gator Country. That was a big factor in calling Florida’s upset over Mississippi State to be honest. Florida won last week, but I was far from impressed. Their magic runs out this week as LSU comes to town. Not many people thought LSU would be this good, currently ranked #5, but this team is clicking on all cylinders. LSU plays extremely physical football, pounding the rock and having their linebackers hit hard. They will pull away late in the fourth quarter. LSU 28 Florida 17.

Arizona +3 vs. Cal – You remember the Rabbit from week 3 delivering the Raiders vs. Browns pick? Well let me introduce you to my West Coast Unc. Unc used to live in the area but relocated a couple hours outside of Vegas. Unc and Rabbit are good friends and Unc was even the Rabbit’s bookie. While the Rabbit was known all over Union County, Unc is known all over Vegas and his southwestern state. Unc is very tapped in to the game, and is all over Arizona in this one. Unc went out to dinner and was able to meet coach Kevin Sumlin and has full confidence in his ability to grow this Arizona program. Sumlin has his own “Johnny Manziel” type quarterback in the electric Khalil Tate. I smell an upset! Arizona 25 Cal 20.

**Sunday Funday**

Before I give my NFL picks, I’d like to share a quick story. The year is 2007, and my pops goes on a road trip to watch Rahway’s own Antonio Garay who was on the Bears at the time. The night before the game, my pops got in a few conversations with the players on the team. My dad learned one thing that night – NFL players believe the most dangerous team is a 1-3 team. This makes sense because it is basically an elimination game. The difference between 1-4 and 2-3 is monumental. The current 1-3 in the NFL are the Bills, Jets, Texans, Raiders, Giants, Lions, Falcons, and 49ers. Okay, there are a lot of 1-3 teams this year! But keep that in mind when you are looking at your games.

Jets -1.5 vs. Broncos – The Jets played a hot Miami team, played a motivated #1 overall pick led Browns, and the best defensive team in the Jags. While the Jets are most likely not a playoff team, I do not believe they are a bad team. The Broncos are coming east, playing a 10am game to them (1pm eastern) on a short week since they played Monday. The Jets should be able to pull this one at home in a wild game. I could see the quarterbacks both making mistakes, but ultimately I say Darnold will show why he was taken #3 overall this past draft. Jets 23 Broncos 20.

Lions -1 vs. Packers – So back to my Unc … he actually read Chapter 3 and loved it. He reached out to me this week from his witness protection program and we chatted it up. I learn 3 new stories every time we talk or if my pops talks about him. Unc thinks this Lions line is a little fishy. I guess it makes sense because the top 3 receivers for the Packers are banged up. Unc tells me though that the Lions are a 5star lock this week! The Lions are another 1-3 team that will look to keep their season alive. The Unc don’t mess around when he sees a lock, he goes after it … like a tank. Lions 27 Packers 21.

Panthers vs. Giants over 42.5 – I enjoy picking games and rooting for a team. It lets me be a fan for a couple of hours. I am not a fan of betting over / unders because that is cheering overload! You have to hope both teams bring it. This over / under though seems low to me. The Giants offense has the talent around Eli, and you have to think they can put up close to 21 with that line up. The Panthers have a well-balanced offense, based around Cam Newton and the electric Christian McCaffery. Run CMC had one of his best games of his career week 3, and I think we are about to see a star born this stretch of games. He has all the talent, and now finally gets the volume. The Panthers are off a bye so expect them to be sharper then the Giants, with both teams putting up decent numbers. Panthers 28 Giants 20.

**Bonus Play**

Manchester City +175 at Liverpool – Need a pregame for NFL Sunday? Kickoff in this battle is at 11:30am so don’t stay out too late watching the McGregor Khabib fight the night before! Liverpool and Manchester City are excellent teams, and currently the top two teams in the Premier League. Liverpool just played Chelsea twice last week, tying one and losing one. They also had a Champions League match on Wednesday, which they lost to Napoli. Liverpool has two things working against them. They are playing sloppy, and I worry about their fitness. They are home for this match, but they are home versus the best team in Manchester City. I can see City stealing points on the road. Manchester City 2 Liverpool 1.

Thanks for reading! Please play responsibly if you choose to play. Remember, at Kowals Korner we enjoy the ride!

Goose.