Syracuse Comeback Gives 2011 Free NCAA Football Picks a 1-0 Start

If tonight's pick of Syracuse at -6 1/2 over Wake Forest to open the 2011 college football season was any indication, we are in for a wild ride with our 2011 Free NCAA Football Picks.

'Cuse looked like one of the worst teams in the history of college football in the first half (and one of the worst bets in Stock Lemon history) before mounting a comeback and winning by seven in overtime.

And with that, our Free NCAA Football Picks have followed a 55% season with a 100% start in 2011. After a 9-1 2010-11 bowl season, we've now won 10 of our last 11 college football bets.

We likely will not have a play on either game tomorrow night, but should post our Saturday picks shortly thereafter. We usually have quite a few picks to open things up, though we are scared off by some of the bigger spreads (anyone who caught a bad beat on the backdoor UNLV cover tonight knows why).

Stay tuned for more of our %100 accurate Free NCAA Football Picks throughout the season! (Hey, we'll tout it while we can).

Welcome Back to College Football (55% in 2010)

The 2011 football season is finally upon us, beginning with a healthy slate of Thursday games in college football, which of course means the return of our Free NCAA Football Picks.



We have, so far, just one pick for Thursday night's opening action, and we assure you, this is not a basketball pick, despite the teams involved.



Syracuse -6 1/2 over Wake Forest



We could potentially add to that for Thursday and even Friday, but most assuredly, there will be several picks for the opening Saturday of the college football season. Stay with us all year for our absolute, 100% Free NCAA Football Picks every week.



Last year, our Free NCAA Football Picks finished at 55%, supported by a very strong 90% bowl season. In the beginning, though, there were plenty of ups and downs, as we endured three consecutive losing weeks early in the season.



We often struggle to start the college schedule, due to some of the wild double-digit spreads caused by unbalanced non-conference games. Conversely, our Free NFL Picks usually start off much better in the beginning of the season and then go about .500 the rest of the way.



We'll try to change both of those blemishes, of course, but consider this a disclaimer if you are tailing our picks (like you need any more of a disclaimer while following free picks from a sketchy blogspot site). All that said, our Free Picks have been pretty successful, with a 55% college season accompanying a 60% year in the NFL. Last year's results are below, for posterity's sake.



2010Free NCAA Football Picks

Week 1: 5-4-1

Week 2: 8-4

Week 3: 3-6

Week 4: 4-7

Week 5: 3-6

Week 6: 5-2

Week 7: 5-3

Week 8: 5-3

Week 9: 5-0

Week 10: 3-3

Week 11: 1-7

Week 12: 2-2

Week 13: 4-3

Week 14: 2-2

Bowls: 9-1

Overall: 64-53-1... 55%

2009 NBA Draft Lottery Proposition Bets

We've looked at several 2009 NBA Draft proposition bets over the last few days, and are mostly going of off those posted at BetED. We've narrowed our search for probably winners down to six different props, two of which involve four players that are nearly locked in as lottery picks. With that in mind, we'll reveal those first.

This close to the actual draft, many of the betting options that are favored to win are favored for very good reasons, so you're going to be getting pennies on the dollar with many of these. Still, if you find enough that you like--and get enough right--you can make some nice change on the NBA Draft.

Both of the lottery props that stood out to us are "Which player will get drafted first" type of deals.

UConn center Hasheem Thabeet (-325) vs. Arizona State guard James Harden (+225)

At -325, it's tough to bet Thabeet, but it would be an enormous upset for Harden to go before him (even bigger than Harden's appealing money line suggests). Big men are at such a premium in this draft, and we still think Thabeet will be the second player off the board. It's much easier to find a guy who can do similar things to Harden then it is to find someone to bring the size and defense of a guy like Thabeet. If you're willing to put a decent amount on this one it could be worth your while.

Davidson sharpshooter Stephen Curry (-200) vs. Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn (+150)

This one is a little tougher, as indicated by the lower juice for Curry, but we have to go with the favorite in this one as well. Curry could go as high as the top five, though he probably won't. Flynn is rising fast, which makes us a little reluctant to pull the trigger on Curry, but in the end we think Curry has done nothing but help himself over the last few months and should be off the board before Flynn. All it takes is one team, though...

We'll have some more prop bets for you later in the day in preparation for the 2009 NBA Draft tonight, so stay tuned.

2009 NBA Mock Draft: Picks 9-10

The guards keep flying off the board as our 2009 NBA Mock Draft keeps flying by. The real draft takes place on Thursday, but until then make sure to check back as we continue to mock the 14 lottery picks in this year's NBA Draft.

9. Raptors: Demar DeRozan, G, USC

Even at the ninth pick, DeRozan is one of the most talented players in this draft. DeRozan has all the athletic ability in the world and is a steal here for the Raptors, who don't mind adding another versatile wing. The main knock on DeRozan has been his ability to want to dominate rather than simply be a good player. He has loads of untapped potential but some wonder if his lackluster work ethic will ever turn him into the player he could be. Still, at pick No. 9, DeRozan is worth the selection.

10. Bucks: Jonny Flynn, G, Syracuse

Many know Flynn as the leader of the six overtime game Syracuse played this season, and that certainly has helped his draft stock in the past few months. The Bucks would like to know him as the leader of their team, despite his small size. Flynn can make things happen offensively, and enjoys playing on the defensive end--a requirement for any player with the new Bucks regime. He should be able to overcome his small stature and develop into one of the better point guards in the league, even if he looks to score more than he looks to pass.

Our 2009 NBA Lottery Mock Draft will continue on Monday with more of our surely accurate predictions. Until then, be sure to check out the previous entries in the upper right hand side of this blog.

How Sweet it Was

Oklahoma advanced to the Elite Eight tonight, winning their Sweet Sixteen match-up against Syracuse tonight, 84-71. 

By doing so, the Sooners covered the -1 spread, improving our Free NCAA Basketball Picks to 8-7 (or 9-6 depending on when you got on one of our last games) during the NCAA Tournament. 

One Sweet Pick Today

As the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16 rolls on, we finally have a new Free NCAA Basketball Pick. 

Oklahoma -1 over Syracuse 

Good luck!

Stock Orange

We know we usually go by the name Stock Lemon, but in light of the recent play by the Syracuse Orange, we might start going by Stock Orange. 

Even Lemmy has turned into Orangey! 

After a six overtime victory over UConn last night, Syracuse came back to beat West Virginia--in overtime. The Orange won the game 74-69, covering the +6 1/2 point spread and winning us some cash in the process. 

Our Free NCAA Picks are now 11-8 (58%) in 2009, including nine of the last 14 (64%), getting hot right in time for March Madness. More plays should be coming tomorrow, so stay tuned as always. 

Cuse Us

We have just one Free NCAA Basketball Pick tonight, and it might surprise you. 

Syracuse +6 1/2 over West Virginia

We actually think that the 6OT thriller that Cuse played against UConn last night benefits us today, as it pushes the line back in our favor. 

West Virginia is playing some good basketball, but even a fatigued Orange squad will prove to be the better team. 

Good luck!