Stock Lemon Blog - 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bets

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: Dressing Tom Brady's Son

2012-01-27T13:59:00.002-06:00

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: The Kelly Clarkson National Anthem

2012-01-27T01:30:00.003-06:00

Leading up to the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) between the New York Giants and New England Patriots, we'll be taking a look at Super Bowl proposition betting, or more specifically, the fun or cray Super Bowl 46 (XLVI) prop bets that you hear so much about. That includes props on the Super Bowl coin toss, Super Bowl halftime show (Madonna), the Super Bowl National Anthem (Kelly Clarkson), the Super Bowl Gatorade Shower dump and much more. Follow along on the Super Bowl sidebar to the right and follow us on twitter @stocklemonblog!

Before we get to our annual analysis of the duration of the Super Bowl National Anthem, we have good news for those of you who enjoy betting on the Star Spangled Banner--Christina Aguilera so badly screwed it up last year, that she's inspired an entirely new Anthem prop bet! The bad news, however, is that like many others, it is strictly a sucker bet.

The new prop reads:

Will Kelly Clarkson forget or omit at least 1 word of the official US National Anthem?
Yes +250

As we've mentioned before, it's generally a good idea to stray from these types of props that offer only one option, as they are usually trying to capitalize upon a hot topic and coerce people into getting their gambling advice at the water cooler. So no, please don't bet on the above prop bet. Kelly Clarkson will nail this thing.

The question still remains, though. Just how long will it take her to nail it?

How long will it take Kelly Clarkson to sing the National Anthem?
Over 1 minute, 34 seconds (-120)
Under 1 minute, 34 seconds (-120)

This marks our fifth-straight female anthem, following Billy Joel's short but sweet performance in 2007. This year's Anthem length could rival that of Joel's, though, as Clarkson has been quick and to the point in past Anthems on big stages (she's performed in both the World Series and NBA Finals, so she will be completing the major championship trifecta in the Super Bowl). Take a look at the results of our laborious research, which consisted of 15 minutes on Youtube.

Let's start with a National Anthem she sung on the gridiron, since she'll be in a similar surrounding Sunday. This from a Cowboys/Buccaneers Thanksgiving Day Game back on November 23, 2006:

Firstly, did it just make too much sense to have her sing the anthem last year, in her native Texas? Was that it? Anyway, we clocked her here at 1 minute, 28 seconds, six seconds under the over/under set for the Super Bowl (anthem runs from :02-1:30 in the video). As her appearance shows, this was a long time ago, just as she had climbed to the top of the American Idol mountain. Has time impacted her timing on the Star Spangled stopwatch?

Fast forward to Opening Day for the New York Yankees, hosting the Cleveland Indians on April 16, 2009 in another big-time performance:

Here, Clarkson goes just 1 minute, 27 seconds (:25-1:52), even with a little ad-libbing at the end. Could it be that she's actually taken time off of her Star Spangled Banner? Or was she just too comfortable whipping through that at such a dinky event as the opening game for the most storied franchise in all of sports?

Let's find out in the World Series, where the Fort Worth native actually was able to sing in front of the home crowd on the biggest stage in the MLB, the World Series (arguably less of a stage than the Thanksgiving Day Game, mind you). This from Game 3 of the Texas Rangers/San Francisco Giants series on October 30, 2010:

In four years, she added five seconds, finishing this one just a hair under the Super Bowl over/under at 1 minute, 33 seconds (from :17-1:50). This is subject to some debate, as it's not quite clear when she ends it, but it is certainly no later than 1:50 and possibly as early as 1:48 1/2. Either way, it's still at least one second under the Super Bowl mark of 1 minute, 34 seconds, and on a championship stage.

The success of her local Texas clubs means that we haven't seen the last of Clarkson on said stage, as she was also asked to sing at the NBA Finals this past season when the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat faced off. This from Game 4 of the Finals on June 7, 2011:

Once again, and on a similar Championship-level performance, Clarkson hit 1 minute, 33 seconds on the button (:16-1:49). It's clear that the oddsmakers are betting on this kind of consistency from Clarkson in her last two performances, both beautiful renditions of America's song, rather than the even shorter first version.

The results:
2006 NFL Thanksgiving Day Game, Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Dallas Cowboys (November 23, 2006): 1 minute, 28 seconds
2009 Yankes Home Opener, Cleveland Indians at New York Yankees (April 16, 2009): 1 minute, 27 seconds
2010 MLB World Series Game 3, San Francisco Giants at Texas Rangers (October 30, 2010): 1 minute, 33 seconds
2011 NBA Finals Game 4, Miami Heat at Dallas Mavericks (June 7, 2011): 1 minute, 33 seconds

So with the over/under set at 1 minute, 34 seconds, and all four of her past performances provided by Youtube set at 1 minute, 33 seconds or less, we'll definitely bet the under on the length of the Super Bowl National Anthem, right?

Not so fast, friends. While we do lend the appropriate amount of weight to this type of time-consuming research, sometimes, you just have to go with your gut. And there is something to be said about the grandest stage of them all, the Super Bowl, leading to additional seconds in the performance of the National Anthem.

We saw the nerves get to Christina Aguilera last year, who we correctly predicted to go over 1 minute, 50 seconds--even with the omission of an entire verse! We think Clarkson will go slightly over the 1 minute, 34 second mark, possibly in the 1:36-1:38 range, but it will be the closest call in recent memory. All we can do is provide the evidence, even if it does not support us in this case. Take these videos for what they are worth, but likewise go with your own gut.

Speaking of guts, we have one more Kelly Clarkson/National Anthem-related prop bet to warn you about:

Will Kelly Clarkson's bare belly be showing when she sings the National Anthem?
Yes +300

Not only is this another sucker bet, it's actually kind of mean considering the fluctuating weight of Kelly Clarkson in recent years. Sure, in her younger days as a hot new diva, she was privy to showing some skin via the bare midriff, but it would take the most disastrous of wardrobe malfunctions yet to get Kelly Clarkson to show her stomach to the entire world on Super Sunday.

What will she wear instead, you ask? Let's take a look at our options:

What will Kelly Clarkson wear to sing the National Anthem?
Super Bowl XLVI or official NFL shirt +200
Colts Jersey or shirt +1200
Patriots Jersey or shirt +1200
Giants Jersey or shirt +1500
Anything else -300

Our original lean was the anything else option at -300, playing it safe and guessing that Clarkson dresses conservatively but within her own style. Looking at the videos above, though, the other options available are more her style than anything. She dresses the part, to be sure, wearing Cowboys, Yankees, Rangers, and Mavericks apparel in each of the above videos.

Taking into account that she is actually a fan of most of those teams, we don't foresee her picking favorites with Patriots or Giants gear (though she may be actively rooting against New York), and any Colts apparel would be out of place in a game in which they aren't playing, despite the location of the game. Which leads us to believe that she'll go with some other form of NFL apparel, likely a simple t-shirt with the Super Bowl XLVI logo on it. We're going to finally step outside the box and go with Kelly Clarkson to wear anything in the Super Bowl/NFL apparel option at +200. One that covers the stomach region, mind you.

And if coverage is what you're looking for, you're in the right place, as we'll dish out plenty more 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) prop bet goodness throughout the hype and hoopla that is Super Bowl Week. We'll keep those fun and crazy Super Bowl prop bets coming as long as we're promised Kelly Clarkson keeps her clothes on.

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: The Super Bowl MVP

2012-01-26T04:00:00.002-06:00

Nicaragua: Where the 19-0 Patriots Beat the Giants in 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42)

2012-01-25T13:02:00.000-06:00

During the hype of Super Bowl week, stories like this are always good for a fascinating read... or entire SportsCenter segment. Above are children in Nicaragua, which, as explained below, received the shipment of 19-0 Patriots Super Bowl Champions t-shirts following the 2007 NFL season.

We've posted on the topic before as well, but it's always hilarious (and heart-warming?) to see discarded merchandise on the backs of those in underdeveloped nations, so we thought we'd share the relevant information as we prepare in the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) for a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42), which saw the Giants upset the Patriots in dramatic fashion.

We're back with much less human interest puff pieces and much more Super Bowl prop betting tomorrow, when the official master list of 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) props is released.

Potential 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) NBA Cross-Sport Prop Bets

2012-01-25T00:53:00.007-06:00

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: The Coin Toss/Flip

2012-01-24T04:30:00.005-06:00

You know it's a big event when most of the betting action takes place before the freaking thing even starts, as is the case with the most popular of the prop bets at the Super Bowl, the National Anthem and the Coin Flip. We'll get to the former a little later this week, but first things first, let's talk about one of our favorite flipping prop bets of the game: the opening coin toss.

This proposition wager, like many of the weird and hilarious Super Bowl Prop Bets this time of year, has obvious appeal because it attracts bettors who don't necessarily know a whole lot about either the New England Patriots, New York Giants, or the NFL (or football) in general. Anyone whose ever owned a quarter can bet on "heads" or "tails" at the Super Bowl. So, excepting the extremely poor, let's dissect the one bet that everyone in America can make.

Your choices are pretty limited here, and it's pretty hard to use facts and stats to determine the outcome of the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Coin toss/flip prop bet, but it's even harder to resist not trying to do just that. Heads or Tails? NFC (Giants) or AFC (Patriots)? Let's consult a few fun facts about the Super Bowl coin toss/flip before we answer those questions:

Remarkably enough, the 50/50 proposition that is a coin toss has, through 45 Super Bowls, been as close to 50/50 as possible. Tails has the advantage over heads, 23-22, but the gap was narrowed after the Steelers lost the coin flip in 2011 Super Bowl XLV when the coin landed heads despite Pittsburgh's tails call.

The team to win the coin toss has a record equally as close to 50/50 as possible, with the winners of the toss going 22-23 through the first 45 Super Bowls (last year's Packers won the toss and the game). However, the Packers were the exception and not the norm as of late, as 10 of the last 15 teams to win the coin toss have proceeded to lose the game.

There is one stat where the results aren't as close to 50/50 as you would think. In fact, it isn't even close. Capped by last year's Packers, the NFC has won the last 14 Super Bowl coin tosses and is 31-14 all-time in calling the correct side of the coin over the AFC representative.

Only two teams have chosen not to receive the opening kick, The Cardinals in 2009 and the Packers in 2011 (incidentally, both teams played the Steelers). Those teams are 1-1 in the Super Bowl in a stat that probably matters even less than some of these other statistical anomalies.

As the visiting team, the Giants will make the call of heads or tails, just as they did against the Patriots in 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42), when they won the toss (tails) and then the game over New England.

The Patriots hold an all-time record of 1-5 in the Super Bowl coin toss, winning only the toss in 1996 Super Bowl XXXI (31) against the Packers. They lost that lone game after winning the toss, but hold a 3-2 record when losing the opening coin flip.

The Giants, meanwhile, are 2-2 all-time in calling the Super Bowl coin toss, holding a record of 2-0 when losing the toss and 1-1 when winning it, as they have in their last two Super Bowls.

Given that a coin flip has, as per its design, a 50/50 chance of landing on either side, the odds for the Super Bowl coin flip are even, minus some juice. Some books, to encourage betting on this prop that annually profits them millions from non-regular customers, have reduced the juice to more enticing levels such as (-102):

What will be the result of the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) coin toss/flip

Heads (-105)

Tails (-105)

It's obvious but we'll continue to mention it anyway: if you can find a book that has odds favoring one side of the coin over the other (you won't), take the better odds. At the end of the day, it's a 50/50 proposition.

Since the Giants call of tails worked out so well for them in the 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42) matchup with the Patriots, we like them to try it again. We think the Giants will once again beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl... coin toss, making the NFC winners of 15-straight tosses.

Which team will win the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) coin toss/flip?

Patriots (-105)

Giants (-105)

As you see, you can bet on heads or tails, but you can also bet on which team will win the toss. We know the visitors from the NFC will call it, so they cointrol their own destiny. We like the Giants to keep the NFC's streak alive, as we mentioned above. At this point, why bet against it? We say ride it out until the AFC proves that they can win one of these flips.

Will the player making the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) coin toss/flip call be correct or incorrect?

Correct (-105)

Incorrect (-105)

Lastly, you can bet on whether the Giants will correctly call the flip. This is pretty much the same bet as the previous, just worded differently. Since we know that the visiting Giants are calling it, this really means the exact same thing as 'which team will win the toss'. So, again, we'll say that the Giants will be correct, giving the NFC yet another coin flip victory.

The bottom line when it comes to the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI coin toss proposition bet? It's all up in the air. And, as Papa Johns tells us, it's up to America to decide.

The Super Bowl Coin Toss, as well as many other attention grabbing Super Bowl prop bets, really serve as gateway bets, getting regular, non-gambling folk into the fray. Once they get a little taste of something that anyone can participate in, they are more likely to firstly bet on more props, and secondly bet on Super Bowl props in the future. It's only a matter of time before they decide to move to Las Vegas, flame out, become complete degenerates, and start a marginally successful blog about their gambling exploits, mysteriously named for a citrus fruit and an entirely different method of financial gain.

Not that we know anything about that.

Nevertheless, stay with us here at Stock Lemon throughout the Super Bowl hype, as we continue to bring you the best Super Bowl prop betting analysis on the web.

2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bet: Super Bowl Coin Flip/Toss All-Time Results

2012-01-24T04:08:00.003-06:00

Early 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Bets

2012-01-23T04:04:00.002-06:00

So, now that we have our matchup and a few of the other particulars, here are some of the standard and generic Super Bowl prop bets that will be offered for the matchup between the New York Giants and New England Patriots.

Some of the fun ones that we'll get to in the coming days include:

How long will the National Anthem last? This will be an over/under, usually somewhere between 1:30-2:00. This year, the Star Spangled Banner will be performed by Kelly Clarkson. There might also be an over/under on her game-time weight.
How many times the announcers will say ____? This could be the name of a player not involved in the game but heavily mentioned in the pre-game hype, and similar to the Peyton Manning prop that we played in the NFC Championship Game, you can bet that Eli's older brother (and probably the entire Manning family), will be subject to a prop like this. With the game airing on NBC, Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth will determine this outcome.
How many times will cameras show ____? This could again be a famous person or player not involved in the game but in attendance. The Mannings are again a likely candidate here, as are both team owners, particularly the Kraft family.
Will this be the most watched Super Bowl ever? With two large fan bases in the big TV markets, we will once again be within striking distance of this, as we were when New England and New York met in 2008.
What color will the liquid poured on the winning coach be? One of our favorites, this will be a multiple choice question. Also known as the Gatorade Shower or Bath or Dunk or Dump, we get pretty in-depth with this one and look forward to breaking it all down again this year. Pick a Gatorade color (or the clear/liquid water option) and wait for it to pour down on either Bill Belichick or Tom Coughlin.
Who will the game MVP thank first? It could be teammates, a higher power, God, parents, fans, etc. Always think quarterback first here, as the majority of MVPs tend to lean that way. Just ask former Super Bowl MVPs Tom Brady and Eli Manning.
What songs will the halftime entertainer sing? Madonna will "perform" this year in another version of an artist performing at the Super Bowl well past his/her prime, a reaction, no doubt, to the infamous Wardrobe Malfunction.
Will the coin toss be heads or tails? In one of the more amazing stats in the Super Bowl prop betting world, the NFC has won 14 straight coin tosses. Even without that knowledge, everyone who has ever touched a quarter qualifies to bet on this prop--and usually just about everyone does.
Which Super Bowl commercial will have the highest rating according to the USA Today's annual ad meter? Doritos, GoDaddy, Pepsi, Budweiser--basically whichever commercial tries to hard to be funny or uses animals will win this prop because America is stupid. Beer makers, soft drink producers, and some of the other major Super Bowl advertisers will be options.
Which game will be higher scoring, the Super Bowl or _____? Variations of this will exist, asking whether the Super Bowl score will be higher than a college basketball game on Super Sunday, or if a quarterback will have more completions than a basketball player has points, etc.This year, the easiest bet is to compare this Super Bowl with the previous game featuring these two clubs, 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42).

Aside from the fun props, here's a general list of what to expect:

First, there are your regular lines. The Patriots opened as -3 favorites with an over/under set at 55 1/2. If you don't want to bet on the whole game, break it up into parts and bet the spreads on a quarter-by-quarter basis, updated as the game goes on. The basic bets look like this:

Spread
Moneyline
First half line
First quarter line
Second quarter line
Third quarter line
Fourth quarter line (not including overtime)
Over/Under

Then you get a little more specific:

Total points scored by the home team (Patriots)
Total points scored by the visiting team (Giants)
First team to score
Last team to score
First player to score
What will the first scoring play be? (FG, Run, Pass, Safety, Defense)
Will the last team to score win the game?
Will there be a score in the last two minutes of the first half?
Will either team score three unanswered times?
Will there be a score in the first six and a half minutes of the game?
Which team will have the longest touchdown?
Will there be a successful two-point conversion?
Will there be a safety?
Which half will have the highest point score?
Which quarter will have the highest point score?
Will the home team ever have the lead?
Which team will commit the first turnover?
Which team will use the coaches' challenge first?
Which team will be the first to call a timeout?
Will there be overtime?
Which team will get the first penalty?

Then, as we inch closer to the game, we'll have plenty of player props:

Who will have more yards between a Giants RB/WR (such as Victor Cruz) and Patriots RB/WR (such as Deion Branch)?
Who will have more tackles/sacks between a Giants defender (such as Justin Tuck) or Patriots defender (such as Vince Wilfork)?
How many yards will a team's star player (such as Tom Brady or Eli Manning) have? Answers will be in increments. For example: Between 200-240; Between 240-280, etc.)
Will Player X Score in this game? For players like Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, who score nearly every game.

That covers about 1/100th of the Super Bowl betting scene. We'll get to the other 99/100ths throughout the course of the next two weeks here at Stock Lemon, covering all prop betting angles for 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) between the Patriots and Giants.

Opening 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Spread: Patriots -3 over Giants

2012-01-23T03:19:00.000-06:00

Our fifth Super Bowl here at Stock Lemon looks a lot like the first.

2008 Super Bowl XLII (42) put us on the map as the go-to site for Super Bowl prop bets when we were less than a month old, so it's only natural that the New York Giants and New England Patriots meet again in 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46), bringing about all the prop bet-related goodness that comes from Stock Lemon.

But before we dive into the props--and trust us, dive we will--we'll bring you the more traditional form of betting on the Super Bowl, the boring ol' spread and over/under.

And so, the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) lines are:

Patriots -3
Giants +3
Over/Under 55 1/2

Our initial lean is to go with the Patriots to get their revenge in the Super Bowl rematch, while we think the over/under is underestimating the Giants ability to set the defensive tone in games and overcompensating for the fact that Tom Brady will be chucking the rock in a dome.

We'll have our official Super Bowl Picks at some point during this two-week hype-fest, but now, it's time for a crazy week of Super Bowl proposition wagers.

One Last Look at the Early 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) AFC-NFC Line

2012-01-22T07:40:00.001-06:00

In the waning moments without an actual 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) matchup to dissect, you still have the opportunity to wager on a Super Bowl line that has been around all year--the Early AFC vs. NFC line.

Currently, the line is listed as follows:

AFC -4 1/2
NFC +4 1/2
Over/Under 50

What's astonishing about this spread is that just last week, prior to the elimination of the NFC powerhouses in New Orleans and Green Bay, the same line could be had at -4 1/2 in favor of the NFC. Conceivably, some smart bettors have hedged the two, and are looking to middle a nine-point spread on Super Bowl Sunday with no chance of losing anything but juice.

What this line tells us now, obviously, is that the bookies think the Patriots and Ravens are superior to the 49ers and Giants. Or, more to the point, that the Patriots, a touchdown favorite today, are superior to both NFC squads.

Do with this information what you will. Patriot bettors, if you think your team is winning the Super Bowl regardless, you won't get a better line that this.

As for the over/under, the Patriots are the lone team remaining whose defense is considered suspect, but all of these clubs--even the 49ers and Ravens--have the ability to put up points. We'd lean under, but we're not entirely sure you'll get a better bet than this if you're going over, either.

We're just a few hours from finally learning the Super Bowl XLVI (46) matchup, at which point we'll commence our extensive and entertaining Super Bowl proposition wagering lineup.

A Ravens/Giants Super Bowl Rematch Would Offer Closest 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Spread

2012-01-21T13:59:00.001-06:00

Ah, Super Bowl 2001 XXXV (35). Where Trent Dilfer and Kerry Collins did battle in front of millions of viewers worldwide. Good times.

OK, not really. The Ravens blew out the Giants 35-7 and if we never talk about that game again that will be too soon.

The reason we mention it now is because the possibility of a rematch 11 years later is in the cards, and we'll find out tomorrow whether or not it comes to fruition. If the Giants do get a chance for Super Bowl revenge against the Ravens, they'd be one-point favorites in the matchup that offers the closest spread of any of the potential 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) pairings.

Take a look at odds for each game below:

Giants -1 over Ravens

Ravens -2 over 49ers

Patriots -4 1/2 over Giants

Patriots -6 1/2 over 49ers

As you can see, Vegas is high on the Patriots and low on the 49ers, as the Pats are favored either way and the Niners are dogs either way.

In just over 24 hours, we'll know the exact 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) spread.

If you haven't heard already, we specialize in Super Bowl prop betting, making this the one time... er one of the best times to visit this here site. If we ran this blog like we do during Super Bowl proposition wagering season, we might even develop an actual consistent readership.

So those of you who are among the few consistent readers and are used to being generally disappointed by our content, you'll be disappointed again. For the next two weeks, we're a legit bookmark. Do iiiiiiit.

Janet Jackson's Boob Kicks off Super Bowl Coverage

2012-01-21T08:33:00.004-06:00

Ah, the Super Bowl. The one time a year when we don't fill our pages with tantalizing keywords that will help us generate cheap traffic and pageviews.

Big Boobs Big Tits Big Boobies and Titties at the Super Bowl BOOOOOOOOOOOOB.

What? It's not NFL Super Bowl week yet. (Besides, we have to get our boob hits while we can, before the government censors the internet and all).

But with Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl halftime show, we strip off our coverage of the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) in Indianapolis, where we'll dissect the prop betting scene just as we did last year and every year for the last four Super Bowls. And we can't wait for that prop bet about Madonna flashing some nipple at halftime in Indy.

This year is Super Bowl V for us at Stock Lemon--and we're determined to make sure that V stands for victory, bringing you the profitable and silly and weird proposition wagers that pop up during this year's Super Bowl.

We'll have new and, for once, relevant and entertaining content every day throughout the road to the Super Bowl, which takes place in Indianapolis on Sunday, February 5, 2012.

Starting tomorrow when we get our 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) matchup, which will feature any combination of the New England Patriots, Baltimore Ravens, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, we'll have Super Bowl prop betting coverage every day until The Big Game.

From the coin toss prop bet to the Gatorade shower prop bet, the Peyton Manning mentions prop bet to the National Anthem prop bet, and the Madonna halftime show prop bets to the cross-sport prop bets.

And like in years past, it will be overly thorough, overly analyzed, and overly awesome.

Prop bets, prop bets, prop bets. Boobs.

Road to 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46): A Peyton Manning NFC Championship Game Prop Bet

2012-01-20T13:46:00.006-06:00

We've given you our picks on the AFC and NFC Championship games, but our bread and butter around Super Bowl time is prop betting. That said, we figured we ought to get a proposition bet out there for the Conference Championship games as a small (very small) preview of what's to come here at Stock Lemon in the next two weeks.

While the props offered during the conference championship games are much like those in the regular season--strictly about football--there is still some value on the board, and there are even a few of the fun prop bets that you'll see during 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46).

Our favorite NFL conference championship game prop is one of those such wagers, and one that we'll likely see again in Super Bowl XLVI given the game's location (and potentially, as is the reason for this prop in this game, due to a rather obvious family connection):

How many times will "Peyton Manning" be mentioned in the Giants/49ers NFC Championship Game?
Over 2 1/2 (-120)
Under 2 1/2 (-120)

This is a great prop bet to get us rolling, because it is the definition of easy money. Look, we know Eli is Peyton's brother and that the Super Bowl will be played in the house that Peyton built in Indianapolis, but the bet here is UNDER 2 1/2.

Troy Aikman and Joe Buck do a great job of staying on course and focusing on the game (see last year's "Brett Favre" mentions prop bet). There's no doubt Peyton will be brought up numerous times in pregame shows and all the hype prior to the game (ahem... Rob Lowe), which drives a lot of squares to pound the over on this bet.

But when it's game time--and the bet takes place between the first and final whistles only--Troy and Joe will talk about one Manning and one Manning only. It's Eli's day, and the experienced announcing crew will make sure that's conveyed to the viewers.

Our prediction: zero mentions of Peyton Manning in the FOX broadcast of the game.

And if you still bet the over despite our nudging, we're calling the Football Cops.

More prop betting goodness will follow throughout the next two weeks, so park it here at Stock Lemon, your home for all the best and most popular Super Bowl prop bets.

Road to 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46): Free NFC Championship Picks

2012-01-20T07:06:00.004-06:00

Yesterday, we posted our Free AFC Championship Picks. Today, we're handing out our Free NFC Championship Picks between the 49ers and Giants.

49ers -2 1/2 over the Giants

Over 42

The 49ers impressive season, anchored by Justin Smith and the defense, will continue on to Super Bowl XLVI (46), where they'll face the New England Patriots for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy.

Why, you ask?

Both teams are coming off emotional victories last week, and you're always wise to ride the hot hand at this point in the playoffs. In this case, it's hard to determine just who that is. It's clear which team is better, though. The Giants have been clicking on all cylinders and are playing with confidence, but the 49ers defense is one of the best in NFL history, and we've seen that Alex Smith stay out of the way just enough to let the D put the team in positions to win games.

Can the Giants pull off another road upset on the way to the Super Bowl? What do you think, Mike Singletary?

Can our Free NFL Picks rebound from a dismal playoff stretch thus far? Cue Mike Singletary.

Stick around later today for a special NFC Championship Game prop bet, a fun way to kick off our prop betting prowess this Super Bowl.

Never Too Early For 2013 Super Bowl XLVII (47) Odds

2012-01-19T22:51:00.005-06:00

As we count down the days until we determine a matchup for 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46), we're already looking ahead to next year, at the odds to win the NFL's ultimate prize in 2013 at Super Bowl XLVII (47).

Despite a premature exit from the postseason, a 15-1 record and their place as reigning Super Bowl champs for another couple weeks has the Packers in Vegas' top position to win the Super Bowl in 2013. Mike McCarthy and the Packers are followed by fellow NFC Playoff disappointment, the New Orleans Saints, and the New England Patriots represent the AFC's best odds (and very well may win it all in 2012).

There's a lot of temptation in the 20/1 spot (Cowboys, Jets, Lions and Falcons all are solid bets at that price), but our favorite number is the Colts at 40/1. Sure, they finished with last year's worst record, but should Peyton Manning return to the club in 2012-13, bookies will be sweating those rich odds throughout the season.

The complete odds to win 2013 Super Bowl XLVII (47) are below:

Green Bay Packers +500
New Orleans Saints +600
New England Patriots +800
Pittsburgh Steelers +1200
Philadelphia Eagles +1200
Baltimore Ravens +1200
Houston Texans +1500
San Diego Chargers +1500
San Francisco 49ers +2000
New York Giants +2000
Tennessee Titans +2000
Dallas Cowboys +2000
New York Jets +2000
Atlanta Falcons +2000
Detroit Lions +2000
Chicago Bears +3000
Indianapolis Colts +4000
Carolina Panthers +4000
Cincinnati Bengals +4000
Arizona Cardinals +5000
Kansas City Chiefs +5000
Miami Dolphins +5000
Oakland Raiders +5000
Tampa Bay Buccaneers +5000
Minnesota Vikings +5000
Buffalo Bills +5000
Denver Broncos +5000
Seattle Seahawks +5000
Jacksonville Jaguars +10000
Washington Redskins +10000
St Louis Rams +10000
Cleveland Browns +10000

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves: there's still the matter of the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46), which could shape some of the odds at the top of this list. Be sure to check back for all the wild and crazy Super Bowl proposition bets, for this Super Bowl and the next.

Road to 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46): Free AFC Championship Picks

2012-01-19T06:45:00.005-06:00

Two more Sundays. Just two more Sundays before the Sunday when we crown a new Super Bowl Champion.

And just one more Sunday of games left to determine who fights for the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Lombardi Trophy.

Today, we'll give you our AFC Championship Picks between the Patriots and Ravens. Tomorrow, we'll give you our NFC Championship Picks. And then we'll give you a whole ton of Super Bowl prop bets before the game, which is just a couple more Sundays from becoming a reality.

As for the AFC Championship Game:

Ravens +9 over the Patriots

Under 50

Our two picks are following a common theme as of late: defenses trumping offenses. Both the Saints and Packers went down (though in shootouts) and we suspect a similar fate for the Patriots. Well, maybe. We actually think the Pats will win, but it will be close, and lower scoring than the Pats would like.

In what could be Ray Lewis' last run, we expect him to damn near commit murder (again?) on Tom Brady.

Our NFC Championship picks will be posted tomorrow, as we're picking all the games in the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs leading up to 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46).

Keep in mind the successes of our Free NFL Picks during the playoffs before you do anything crazy, like follow them.

Will 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Feature a Patriots-Giants Rematch?

2012-01-18T05:45:00.002-06:00

The upcoming 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) will be our fifth Super Bowl here at Stock Lemon, when we entered the Super Bowl proposition betting foray with this post. There's a very good chance that our fifth Super Bowl looks a lot like our first.

With both the Giants and Patriots advancing to their respective conference championship games, we could have a rematch of the 2008 Super Bowl XLII (42) game that saw the Giants upset the then undefeated Patriots, thanks to some memorable plays along the way.

A look at the current odds to win 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) reveal that bettors think a rematch is a likely scenario:

Updated odds to win 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46)
Patriots... 10/11
Giants... 7/2
49ers... 7/2
Ravens... 6/1

If it does come to fruition, expect a ton of prop bets comparing the two games, i.e. Tom Brady's passing yards in Super Bowl XLII vs. Super Bowl XLVI. (A Giants/Ravens matchup would also lend to such Super Bowl comparison props).

One caveat, the 49ers are favored to win the NFC Championship Game against the Giants, meaning they technically are the favorites to come out of the NFC, but the fact that their odds to win the whole thing are the same is a testament to how the bookies feel about the Patriots winning the Super Bowl this season.

Lucky for the New England, David Tyree won't be around to spoil their Super Bowl dreams this season.

Putting Our Free NCAA Football Picks to Bed (52%)

2012-01-17T10:53:00.000-06:00

We like to conclude each betting season with a recap of our picks from the season, and let's just say we weren't looking forward to rehashing this year's Free NCAA Football Picks, which went 3-7 down the stretch (2-2 in bowls after going 9-1 last year).

We just couldn't seem to figure things out this year, alternating winning and losing weeks nearly every week and never getting into a rhythm. 52% is a winning record--hooray--but at the end of the day those three games above .500 mostly just make up for juice, meaning we basically did these picks just for fun and not profits this year.

We were really banking on some profits.

Here's a look back for those interested. Hey, at least we have something to improve upon in 2012.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Week 12: 3-2
Week 13: 1-3
Week 14: 0-2
Bowls: 2-2
Total: 40-37-2... 52%

Early Look at the NFL's NFC and AFC Championship Game Odds

2012-01-16T05:12:00.000-06:00

Our Free NFL Picks have been comically bad in the playoffs, but that's probably not why you're here anyway. You're probably here in the hopes that we've posted a new picture of some girl with big boobs.

But some of you might be here for our extensive coverage of 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) prop betting action, and anything gambling-related that has to do with Super Bowl XLVI for that matter, and that's what we're here to provide.

Here's a look at the early lines for the Conference Championship games, the last step before our coverage of those funny and silly and whacky and weird Super Bowl prop bets really heats up.

In the NFC Championship Game:

San Francisco 49ers - 2 1/2
New York Giants + 2 1/2
Over/Under 43 1/2

Our initial inclination is to lean toward the Giants to continue their hot streak on the road, and we seem destined for a Patriots/Giants rematch from 2007. We'll refrain from getting too deep into analysis of this line, considering how horribly we've been picking games in the playoffs, but we 43 1/2 seems a bit high for this game.

In the AFC Championship Game:

New England Patriots -7 1/2
Baltimore Ravens +7 1/2
Over/Under 50

The Patriots are clearly the favorite to win the 2012 Super Bowl XLV (46), but the Ravens are not to be counted out in this one (which is to say we'll be counting them out). The over/under seems about right where it is, and we would maybe lean under for this game as well.

It's very early, so there could be some line movement as the week goes on, but we thought we'd be sure to keep you abreast of this information in anticipation of the Super Bowl matchup, which will be set on Sunday.

Historical Run to the Super Bowl Continues Here at Stock Lemon

2012-01-15T06:44:00.002-06:00

We've spent a little less time on our Free NFL Picks at the end of the season as we prepare for our 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46) Prop Betting Extravaganza, and needless to say, it's showed.

You'll just have to trust that our look at funny and interesting Super Bowl proposition wagers will be our best work yet.

So far in the 2011-12 NFL Playoffs, we are an incredible 0-6.

With the Super Bowl being played in Indianapolis, we figured we'd follow Curtis Painter's lead in our journey there. So Stock Lemon faders, of which we suspect there are many, you're welcome.

We're back at it today, looking to go an imperfect 0-8 in our run to the Super Bowl. We know you'll be with us, if only to point and laugh. Traffic's traffic, we suppose.

Sunday's Free NFL Divisional Playoff Picks

2012-01-14T15:14:00.004-06:00

We're about to tip off another underwhelming round of betting on the NFL playoffs, so let's get Sunday's picks out there before today's results back us reconsider this whole endeavor.

Giants +8 over Packers

Ravens -9 over Texans

Good luck! We'll need it.

Saturday Free NFL Divisional Playoff Picks: Is America Ready For a Tebow Super Bowl?

2012-01-13T19:56:00.006-06:00

Our picks were so bad last week that we'll hardly bother paying them much mind in the NFL Divisional Playoffs Round, other than to post them and quietly walk away.

The real issue here is whether or not the Internet can handle a Super Bowl featuring Tim Tebow, because we are two games away from that becoming a reality. To make it happen, Tebow needs to beat Tom Brady and the Patriots at Foxboro.

Broncos +13 1/2 over Patriots

Saints -3 1/2 over 49ers

We do think the Patriots will save America from a Super Tebowl, but we like the Broncos to cover. Just like we thought the Saints would win last week, but the Lions would cover. So here's to looking like a bunch of boobs who know nothing about football on consecutive weeks.

Sunday's picks will be posted tomorrow, so, for those of you fading those as well, you'll just have to be patient.

Super Bowl XLVI (46) 2012 Prediction

2012-01-10T13:18:00.000-06:00

It's 2012, the year in which Nostradamus allegedly picked the End of All Times at +2012 odds over The World, so we're going to make some predictions of our own.

After getting murdered in Wild Card Weekend (where was our crystal ball then?), we're now up to speed with the 2012 NFL Playoffs and prepared to win out. As such, we already know the Super Bowl matchup, and even who will win the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46).

So, in advance, here's our Free NFL Super Bowl Pick:

Saints -3 over the Patriots

You heard it here first, kids.

NFL Playoffs Wild Card Weekend Not So Wild After All

2012-01-09T23:31:00.003-06:00

To understate our disastrous start to the NFL Playoffs, it looks like we overestimated the wildness in Wild Card Weekend.

We picked way too many dogs to get it done on the road, and none of them did. But, as with any bad week, all you can do is regroup and try to stay focused for the next week. No sense holding on to the past (unless it's a winning week, in which case, mention it throughout the remainder of the year).

We'll be back in full force for Free NFL Picks in the divisional round of the NFL Playoffs this weekend.

Free BCS National Championship Pick

2012-01-08T06:44:00.000-06:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks are 2-0 in 2012, and we look to make it a perfect 3-0 with a pick in the National Championship.

LSU -1 over Alabama

Lots of bettors are taking Bama for the revenge factor. We're taking LSU for the more talented factor. Both quality teams, of course, but LSU is not losing to anyone this season.

And yes, we are trying to atone for picking Bama in the first matchup.

Good luck, and thanks for sticking with us throughout an up and down college football season. We'll post our final 2011-12 record later this month.

Sunday's Free NFL Wild Card Playoff Picks

2012-01-07T04:55:00.001-06:00

It's a Jaime Edmonsdson kind of weekend, isn't it?

We're just about to get going with the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs, and we have the remainder of our picks this weekend ready to go before it all kicks off. With two dogs today, we like one more on Sunday, giving us three out of four dogs in a (hopefully) wild Wild Card round.

Falcons +3 over Giants

Steelers -9 over Broncos

The Giants are hot, but we think the Falcons are ready to make amends following last year's playoff result, whereas New York played their Super Bowl last week.

Tebow magic has worn off, and Pittsburgh shouldn't have any troubles in Denver, Mendenhall or not.

Good luck, and most of all, enjoy it.

Saturday's Free NFL Wild Card Playoff Picks

2012-01-06T04:46:00.001-06:00

We promised a Free NFL Pick on every game, and we're here to deliver. With a full slate of four games, we think it will be a truly wild weekend. Let's start with Upset Saturday!

Bengals +3 over Texans

Lions +11 over Saints

We've been burned taking the Lions and the points in New Orleans before, but we love that extra point there. We're staking our entire reputation on a 10-point Saints win. But we'll settle for anything that covers.

The Bengals are the pick in Houston as the rookie QBs square off, and we like them straight up if you're feeling frisky.

We'll post our Sunday picks early tomorrow, with more surprises in store!

Packers and Patriots Lead Odds to Win 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46)

2012-01-05T11:55:00.000-06:00

According to Bodog... er... Bovada, the Packers and Patriots will be partying like it's 1996 (well, technically Super Bowl XXXI was played in 1997) and playing in the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI (46).

The Packers (9/5) open with the best odds to win Super Bowl XLVI (46), with the Patriots not far behind at 4/1. It's not surprising that the two top-seeded teams from the NFC and AFC, respectively, take the top odds, but it isn't always the case.

If it plays out that way, we can't wait for those prop bets comparing this year's Big Game to the Super Bowl 15 years ago, when the Packers beat the Patriots 35-21 behind Desmond Howard's kick return magic.

Full odds to win Super Bowl XLVI (46) are below:

Green Bay Packers... 9/5
New England Patriots... 4/1
New Orleans Saints... 9/2
Baltimore Ravens... 15/2
Pittsburgh Steelers... 11/1
San Francisco 49ers... 11/1
New York Giants... 18/1
Atlanta Falcons... 35/1
Detroit Lions... 40/1
Houston Texans... 40/1
Denver Broncos... 50/1
Cincinnati Bengals... 65/1

Will we have a redo of Super Bowl 31? Only time will tell, and in that time, we'll get you right up to the Super Bowl with Free NFL Picks on every playoff game. We didn't bet on every game last season, but we did begin the playoffs 4-0, and we intend on doing that in Wild Card Weekend.

Stay with us for coverage of all your Super Bowl XLVI Prop Betting needs and we'll be sure to provide the content, as we always do this time of year. Heck, we might even update the results of our prop bets within a month or two this year.

Putting the 2-0 in 2012

2012-01-04T23:39:00.000-06:00

We better be sure to brag about this while we can. After going out with a whimper in 2011, we've thus far been able to abide by our New Year's resolution to not lose a single Free Pick.

West Virginia trounced Clemson to give us a 2-0 2012 record (2-1 in bowl season). And we're getting hot just at the right time... the end of the season!

We'll have a pick on the BCS Championship Game between Alabama and LSU, as well as a whole slew of Free NFL Playoff Picks

Finally a College Football Bowl Victory!

2012-01-04T00:39:00.006-06:00

We have been sucking a big one down the stretch with our Free NCAA Football Picks, but in comes Michigan, covering by a half-point in a game they probably shouldn't have won, taking the Sugar Bowl and putting our bowl record at a STELLAR 1-1.

We haven't picked many games (obviously) since we limped to the finish line in the regular season, but we're back at it again putting our IMPRESSIVE .500 record on the line!

Even though we know you only clicked here to see a picture of some big boobs and a bowling ball, here's our next Free NCAA Football Bowl Pick:

West Virginia +3 over Clemson

We were able to get this at +3 right after posting (but before making the pick), and have reflected that change accordingly. Apologies if you took WV at +2 1/2 in the three minutes we had that up there, but we still like your odds.

Good luck!

Free NCAA Football Picks Haven't Lost All Year!

2012-01-03T01:28:00.002-06:00

January 2 was the big day in college football bowl betting, so naturally, we didn't have a pick. We have a Free NCAA Football Pick today, though, for you to fade at will.

Michigan -2 1/2 over Virginia Tech

Good luck!

Looking For a Winning 2012

2012-01-01T23:21:00.002-06:00

As you might have noticed, we did something we haven't done in a long time today... took a football Sunday off.

We have been getting killed with our picks lately, and our resolution for the new year was to not lose any money gambling. We still managed to blow a few bucks on scratch offs, but for the most part, mission accomplished.

Don't worry, though, as we'll have bowl picks coming tomorrow (0-1 so far on those) as well as a Free NFL Pick on every playoff game.

Happy new year, and let's hope that it won't be our profits dropping like the ball in Times Square this year.

Happy 4th Birthday, Stock Lemon!

2011-12-25T12:40:00.002-06:00

It's December 25, which of course means that we're celebrating the birth of Stock Lemon, a site that has, on more than one occasion, died--only to rise again. And Jesus Christ, we can't believe it's been four years.

So here we are. Now four years into this project that started as little more than a satirical look at penny stocks and a way to piss off the moderators on the covers message boards. We haven't made much money over the years in terms of advertising or, ahem, donations (a great idea during this Christmas season), but we've made plenty of friends and readers that are near and dear to our hearts.

Keep coming back, dear reader, and we'll keep posting sporadically and unpredictably during any given month, providing free picks that are hitting well below the equator as of late. We'll have plenty more unfulfilled promises in the new year. We promise.

Happy birthday to us and Merry Christmas to all!

Reluctantly Publicizing our Week 16 Free NFL Picks

2011-12-24T00:32:00.003-06:00

As the weather cools down, so, apparently, do our picks. With the Christmas countdown winding to a close, our Free NFL Picks are finishing the year with a whimper. We haven't had a winning week in three weeks and were lucky to come out of last week at 1-1-1. Nevertheless, we are gluttons for punishment here at Stock Lemon:

Jets -3 over Giants

Cowboys -1 over Eagles

Lions -1 over Chargers

Good luck!

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 3-0
Week 13: 2-3
Week 14: 1-2
Week 15: 1-1-1
Total: 35-24-2... 59%

Free NCAA Football Picks Look For Repeat of Last Year's 90% Performance

2011-12-20T03:06:00.002-06:00

We've heard your feedback and we're ready to get back into some college football betting, digging into the Beef O'Brady's Bowl tonight.

This one hits close to home for FIU, being played in St. Petersburg, and overall they are just a better team than Marshall. We're glad to make this our first bowl pick of the season as we look to recapture the magic of our 9-1 2010-11 bowling action..

Florida International -4 over Marshall

Merry bowling to all and to all a good night!

Free NFL Picks Limp to the Finish Line (60% YTD)

2011-12-18T02:42:00.003-06:00

We've been a little less active on this here site the last couple of weeks as we try to figure out what the hell is going on with our Free Picks. First, our Free NCAA Football Picks ended the season horribly, and now the Free NFL Picks, our bread and butter, are destined to do the same.

Posting consecutive losing weeks for the first time since... last year, we're looking to get out of this mini-slump this Sunday. And we hope some Christmas cheer helps our cause.

Titans -7 over Colts

Saints -9 over Vikings

Lions -1 over Raiders

Good luck... you might need it.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 3-0
Week 13: 2-3
Week 14: 1-2
Total: 34-23-2... 60%

Debating Our Free NCAA Football Picks Bowl Betting Plan

2011-12-13T06:52:00.001-06:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks started out great, then fizzled, then came back to life, then completely crashed down the stretch.

Now, we're at a crossroads. How do we bet the 2011-12 college football bowl schedule?

We were fairly aggressive last year and winded up with a 9-1 bowl record that saved our mediocre season. Will the opposite be true this year? Our picks are 1-5 in the last two weeks and we can't seem to figure out why, other than the fact that we simply suck at this.

It's frustrating, and it has us debating the number of games we'll be betting this bowl season. Thoughts? Prayers? Send them to stocklemonblog@gmail.com and let us know what you think.

Our Less Confident Than Last Week Free NFL Picks (61% YTD)

2011-12-10T00:40:00.005-06:00

We felt really, really good about our Free NFL Picks last weekend. And we went 2-3.

This weekend, we're not as confident. So hop aboard the money train!

The picks are in:

49ers -3 1/2 over Cardinals

Falcons -3 over Panthers

Broncos -3 1/2 over Bears

Who says people in the Bay Area are gigantic pussies? Not us, we love the 49ers this week, trap game and all.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 3-0
Week 13: 2-3
Total: 33-21-2... 61%

Big Weekend Ahead For Free NFL Picks (63% YTD)

2011-12-02T06:35:00.002-06:00

Coming off a perfect Free NFL Picks weekend, we've got a five-play card that we're feeling way too good about. That said, you've been warned. It's never a good thing to be too confident about your picks, so we very well could go 0-5 Sunday.

Either way, we really see this as a make or break weekend to see where our picks really stand.

There's the possibility that we have a Monday night play as well, so stay tuned.

Falcons -1 1/2 over Texans

Broncos +1 over Vikings

Jets -3 over Redskins

Packers -7 over Giants

Lions +9 over Saints

Good luck!

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 3-0
Total: 31-18-2... 63%

Small Championship Weekend Free NCAA Football Card (54% YTD)

2011-12-01T06:29:00.000-06:00

After a very disappointing weekend to close the regular season, we're going with just two Free NCAA Football Picks on championship weekend and then it's time to go bowling (we were 9-1 in bowls last season).

Virginia Tech -7 over Clemson

Wisconsin -9 over Michigan State

Good luck!

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Week 12: 3-2
Week 13: 1-3
Total: 38-33-2... 54%

A Wednesday Free NHL Pick

2011-11-30T07:39:00.004-06:00

There isn't a lot going on tonight, which is why we're excited to have a Free NHL Pick at our disposal. Hopefully, we don't wish we threw it down the disposal.

Tampa Bay Lightning ML +152 over the Detroit Red Wings

Taking a bit of a gamble with the road dog at a good price.

Good luck!

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 2-2
Units: +.85

Thankful For a Perfect Free NFL Picks Weekend (63% YTD)

2011-11-29T07:15:00.001-06:00

Finally, we are back to giving thanks to our Free NFL Picks.

After a 1-0 Thanksgiving day that woulda coulda shoulda been 2-0 had we pulled the trigger on the Ravens, we followed up with some leftovers on Sunday.

Both the Texans and Panthers covered as small road favorites to give us a perfect 3-0 woulda coulda shoulda been 4-0 weekend.

After an 8-8-1 stretch in the last four weeks, we are finally thankful for our Free NFL Picks once again.

Hopefully, this momentum carries over to the month of December, as our 63% Free NFL Picks continue their best season yet.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 3-0
Total: 31-18-2... 63%

Our First Free CFL Pick is a Grey Cup Winner!

2011-11-28T11:20:00.000-06:00

Our first foray into handing out Free CFL Picks came in this year's Grey Cup, the Super Bowl of Canadian football.

And we wish we would have been betting on the CFL all season.

The B.C. Lions took care of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers, 34-23, covering a -7 spread in what essentially was a home game for the Lions.

So, in what has been an impressive season of football betting here at Stock Lemon (for the most part), we can add the CFL to our list of winning records for the season at an impressive 1-0... that's 100%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not How We Wanted to Close the College Football Regular Season...

2011-11-27T21:52:00.000-06:00

Aaaaaaand we're back to our horrible habit of alternating winning weeks and losing weeks in college football. Just when we thought we were beginning to get back on track with our Free NCAA Football Picks, we go 1-3 for the second time in three weeks and knock ourselves to 54% on the season.

The good news? We step our game up for the postseason. Last year, we posted a 9-1 record in bowl games and we look forward to more of the same this year. But first, we have a few conference championship games to throw down on.

And hey, the good thing about alternating winning and losing weeks is that we can fairly confidently say that next week will be a winning week in college football here at Stock Lemon.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Week 12: 3-2
Week 13: 1-3
Total: 38-33-2... 54%

Free CFL Grey Cup Pick

2011-11-27T08:00:00.002-06:00

Oh Canada...

While there's plenty of crappy NFL games to watch today, we only have two Free NFL Picks, which does not meet our football wagering quota for a Sunday.

To alleviate this problem, we'll have our first ever Free CFL Pick in the 99th Grey Cup between the British Columbia Lions and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

B.C. Lions -7 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers

This year's Grey Cup takes place in Vancouver, so it is a home game for B.C. Aside from that, they have been covering spreads left and right down the stretch, and we think they'll do the same in the big game tonight.

Unfortunately, we don't have the appropriate knowledge to go crazy with Grey Cup prop bets, as we do with our Super Bowl prop bets, so this line pick against the spread will have to suffice.

Best of luck and enjoy the clash of Canada's finest.

Miami Heat Top Odds to Win the 2011-12 NBA Championship

2011-11-26T07:46:00.001-06:00

With the end of the NBA lockout apparently in sight, we thought we'd take a look at the odds to win the NBA Championship in this shortened 66-game season.

Keeping in mind that goofy things can happen in shortened seasons (the eighth-seeded Knicks made the NBA Finals in 1998-99 after a 50 game season), we still like a couple of the favorites.

We seem destined for a Heat/Bulls Eastern Conference Finals and a Lakers/Thunder Western Conference Finals, and from that grouping we like the Heat and Thunder to emerge.

And at 5/2 odds, we're picking the Heat to win it all in the 2012 NBA Finals.

Fair warning, though. We are kind of squares when it comes to the NBA. We stopped wagering on the league a couple years ago when our Free NBA Picks--previously our pride and joy--began to taper off. We couldn't find a solution and eventually conceded that we could no longer cut it in the NBA, what with Tim Donaghy controlling the outcomes and such. In fact, we really only bet on college hoops during March Madness, leaving us devoid of any basketball picks for most of the year.

So take our advice with a grain of salt, but we consider the Heat at 5/2 odds to be a lock to win the NBA Championship this season, followed by the Thunder at 15/2.

Full 2011-12 NBA Championship odds are below.

NBA Championship Odds
Miami Heat... 5/2
Los Angeles Lakers... 11/2
Chicago Bulls... 7/1
Oklahoma City Thunder... 15/2
Dallas Mavericks... 17/2
Boston Celtics... 12/1
New York Knicks... 20/1
Memphis Grizzlies... 25/1
Orlando Magic... 25/1
Portland Trailblazers... 25/1
San Antonio Spurs... 28/1
Atlanta Hawks... 40/1
Denver Nuggets... 50/1
Houston Rockets... 50/1
Los Angeles Clippers... 50/1
Phoenix Suns... 70/1
Indiana Pacers... 75/1
New Jersey Nets... 75/1
New Orleans Hornets... 75/1
Philadelphia 76ers... 75/1
Utah Jazz... 75/1
Charlotte Bobcats... 100/1
Golden State Warriors... 100/1
Milwaukee Bucks... 100/1
Minnesota Timberwolves... 100/1
Washington Wizards... 100/1
Cleveland Cavaliers... 150/1
Detroit Pistons... 150/1
Sacramento Kings... 150/1
Toronto Raptors... 150/1

Week 12 Free NFL Picks (62% YTD)

2011-11-25T19:01:00.000-06:00

We said we were disappointed in ourselves for our unwillingness to pull the trigger on the Harbowl last night, and a big part of our disappointment stems from the fact that we have just two more Free NFL Picks for the week--even with every team in action.

We're taking down the AFC South on Sunday...

Texans -4 over Jaguars

Panthers -3 1/2 over Colts

Good luck! We'll be sure to let you know which picks we should have played... after we know the results of the games.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 1-0
Total: 29-18-2... 62%

Packers Cover the Thanksgiving Spread

2011-11-25T08:09:00.000-06:00

Once again, we enjoyed success in the NFL yesterday. And once again, we regret not playing a lean and making it an even better day.

The Packers did their part against the Lions, easily covering the smallest spread they're likely to see from here on out (-6), while the Ravens (-3) beat the 49ers in the Harbowl.

Unfortunately, as we tweeted in between helpings of stuffing and mashed potatoes, we didn't end up making the Ravens a Free NFL Pick.

(Oh by the way, we didn't really mention this but our new twitter handle is @stocklemonblog, as we strive for some consistency in the way that we market ourselves. If you're not following us on twitter, you should probably do so now. If you already were one of the 443 geniuses following our every electronic word, you don't need to manually change our name to continue following us or anything. Simply a heads up.)

So, as it stands, we're happy to go into Sunday up a game on the weekend already, but we're once again disappointed that we didn't capitalize on an opportunity Thursday. We've been preaching (and practicing) selectivity in our picks, and we've hurt ourselves more than we've benefited from doing so.

Or so it seems.

The rest of our Week 12 Free NFL Picks card will be up shortly. Enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend!

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1

Week 12: 1-0
Total: 29-18-2... 62%

A Free Helping of NCAA Football Picks on Thanksgiving Weekend (55% YTD)

2011-11-24T13:53:00.001-06:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks are searching for a fourth winning week in the last five on this Thanksgiving weekend, with a small card of Friday and Saturday action.

Northwestern +6 over Michigan State

Florida State -1 1/2 over Florida

Arkansas +12 over LSU

Georgia Tech +5 1/2 over Georgia

Stuff your face with some turkey and your wallets with some extra cash from this holiday weekend.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Week 12: 3-2
Total: 37-30-2... 55%

Giving Thanks to Our Free NFL Picks (61% YTD)

2011-11-23T13:33:00.000-06:00

Our Free NFL Picks have been a little dicey lately, but all in all, it's been a pretty good season of football betting here at Stock Lemon. So, while we've spent some weeks running around like turkeys with our heads cut off, our picks have been mostly successful to the tune of 61%.

We're hoping that we'll continue to give thanks on Thanksgiving Day, with a Thursday pick to get us off on the right foot this weekend.

Green Bay Packers -6 over Detroit Lions

We sort of bet the Packers a lot, we've realized, but hey, they are undefeated. This is a great price for the best team in the NFL, and frankly we still aren't sure as to how good the Lions really are. Granted, Detroit is better if they have discovered a running game again, but we think the Packers feast on the Lions.

We're still looking at the late game tomorrow with a possible Free NFL Pick, but we wanted to give you the main course before we skip to dessert.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1
Total: 28-18-2... 61%

A Winning Sunday For Free NFL Picks (61% YTD)

2011-11-22T12:23:00.000-06:00

Our Free NFL Picks have seemingly leveled off, as we struggle for anything better than a .500 week (just one winning week since Week 7).

As evidenced by the Jaime Edmondson picture above, the Raiders covered along with the Lions to get us a couple of Sunday wins.

All told, we turned in another .500 week in Week 11. However, to make ourselves feel a little better, we can take pride on the fact that we did have a 2-1-1 Sunday (including a backdoor push by the Bengals against the Ravens). So, had it not been for our first Thursday pick of the year, we would be ending the week on a slightly more positive note.

This week, we expect to have a pick on Thanksgiving, so we'll once again set the tone for our Sunday picks. And with no more bye weeks scheduled, we'll have a full slate of games to pick from now until the playoffs.

Perfect time for our Free NFL Picks to bounce back.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 2-2-1
Total: 28-18-2... 61%

Our Second Free NHL Pick Win of the Year!

2011-11-21T23:00:00.000-06:00

Over the last 10 months, the only thing you saw less of than our Free NFL Picks has been Sidney Crosby. But when Sid the Kid made his triumphant return tonight, we weren't going to miss it.

The Penguins defeated the Islanders 5-0, cover the -1 1/2 (+130) puck line behind Crosby's involvement on four goals (2 goals, 2 assists).

The win puts our Free NHL Picks back up to .500 and in positive unit territory again. Interestingly enough, we're 2-0 on "underdog" bets that net us positive juice, and 0-2 on favorites. Proof that we don't completely know what we're doing quite yet.

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 2-2
Units: +.85

Sid the Kid Returns to Lift Free NHL Picks

2011-11-21T14:35:00.001-06:00

After a big win to begin our 2011-12 foray into the NHL, our Free NHL Picks have now lost two straight and are losing us money.

We're hoping that tonight, with Sidney Crosby's return, comes the return of our winning ways.

Penguins -1 1/2 (+130) over the Islanders

The Isles are not playing good hockey at the moment and we expect the Pens to get a big boost from their star player.

Good luck!

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 1-2
Units: -.45

Another Winning Week for Free NCAA Football Picks (55% YTD)

2011-11-21T12:22:00.000-06:00

For the third time in four weeks, our Free NCAA Football Picks found enough success to compile a winning record. And once again, we feel it could have been better.

Three dogs came through for us Saturday, while our two big favorites--Wisconsin and Stanford--did not. We've been riding the Badgers and Cardinal for a while and it looks like that well has run dry.

We seem to be finding our way a little bit with these picks, which seem to be slightly more consistent than they had been. But still, it's been a strangely disappointing season as, much like with our Free NFL Picks, we just seem to be missing opportunities for more success.

We'll hope to find that success next week.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Week 12: 3-2
Total: 37-30-2... 55%

Free NFL Picks Hope to Rediscover Winning Ways (60% YTD)

2011-11-18T12:02:00.000-06:00

We started the week out the wrong way, with a Thursday night loss, though that won't deter us from some Thanksgiving Day betting to kick of Week 12.

For now, though, we're looking forward to the remainder of Week 11, the last week of the season that includes byes. As such, we didn't fall in love with too much on this card, but think we have some good value picks lined up for Sunday.

Raiders -1 over Vikings

Packers -14 over Buccaneers

Lions -7 over Panthers

Ravens -7 over Bengals

We're going with four (mostly) big favorites, and feeling pretty nervous about it. Allow us to justify:

We're most nervous about Oakland, and likewise the entire AFC West. If this falls through, that's probably it for us betting on that division.

The Packers have given up 10 points in their last two home games, and while we're dealing with spreads that are uncomfortably large in the NFL, we're also dealing with a team on and a quarterback on a mission. Lot's of similarities between this team and the 2007 Patriots, so bet accordingly (potentially including betting on a double-digit dog in the Super Bowl).

We think the Lions, despite dropping some home games recently, will feast on the porous Panthers defense similar to the field day they had against Denver, and we're expecting the Jekyll and Hyde Ravens to show up again against the division.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Week 11: 0-1 (sorry, God)
Total: 26-17-1... 60%

Forgive Us Our Sins! We Repent!

2011-11-18T08:05:00.000-06:00

And deliver us to Tebow!

We've prayed on it, and we've decided never to bet against Tim Tebow, and therefore against God, ever again. Lucifer's grip hath held us down for too long.

At least, that's our explanation for picking the Jets (-6) over Tebow's Broncos last night.

Not only did siding with Satan cost us the Thursday nighter and get us off on the wrong foot for our Free NFL Picks on Sunday, it also cost us our third Free NHL Pick of the season, putting us in the red on units (-.45) early in the process when the Oilers were destroyed by the Senators.

At least they weren't playing the devils.

We'll have our remaining Week 11 Free NFL Picks out later this morning and hope for forgiveness from the man upstairs.

A Free NHL Pick to Compliment Thursday Night Football

2011-11-17T14:56:00.001-06:00

Our Free NHL Picks are 1-0 on days when there is NFL football, and we're looking to build off that and any other stat we can use to ignore the fact that we suffered a loss on Tuesday.

We've got action on a good ol' fashioned Canadian showdown tonight.

Edmonton Oilers ML (-125) over the Ottawa Senators

With free picks in both football and football on ice tonight, we're hoping for a profitable Thursday. Our YTD (year-to-date for those who have been wondering) hockey total is below:

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 1-1
Units: +0.55

A Thursday Night Free NFL Pick (62% YTD)

2011-11-17T08:55:00.000-06:00

We'll unveil the rest of the Free NFL Picks card tomorrow (mostly because it isn't quite complete as of yet), but we're kicking off our week on Thursday Night Football for the first time this season.

Jets -6 over the Broncos

We already regret not getting this earlier at -4 1/2, but ultimately don't think it will matter. We're comfortable taking the Jets up to a touchdown and see them winning by 10 or 14. The Broncos have three wins with Tim Tebow, sure, but they haven't been beating fantastic teams here.

Not including a blowout loss to the Lions, the Broncos resume reads as follows: flukey comeback against the winless Dolphins, divisional win over Oakland in Carson Palmer's first start, and an unorthodox use of a pro offense in a win over the off-and-on Chiefs (also a divisional game).

While we like Tebow and the Broncos to an extent, that extent doesn't include a Jets team that is better than their record and coming off a tough loss to their bitter rivals. We don't even mind that they are turning around from a Sunday nighter to tip-off the next week's slate.

Our records to date:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Total: 26-16-1... 62%

Be sure to check back tomorrow for the rest of our Week 11 selections as we try to notch another week of NFL action.

Free NHL Picks Plummet to 50% YTD!

2011-11-16T13:44:00.000-06:00

Our Free NHL Picks have gone cold!

The Washington Capitals failed us in our second hockey bet of the year, falling in Nashville to the Predators, 3-1.

We liked the Caps in this spot on the road, which tells us that we may have few bumps in the road as we bet hockey consistently for the first time in our site's nearly four-year history.

We're still up a half a unit thanks to our first win on Sunday, but would have liked to continue posting the obnoxious '100% YTD' headline for a little longer.

We'll bounce back with a pick either tonight (have a lean but not sure we're pulling the trigger) or likely tomorrow.

Stay frozen, friends.

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 1-1
Units: +0.55

Week 12 Free NCAA Football Picks (55% YTD)

2011-11-16T07:04:00.000-06:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks took a step back last week just when we thought they were ready to turn the corner, but we're ready to rebound this week with some familiar favorites (Stanford and Wisconsin) and three underdogs.

USC +15 1/2 over Oregon

Stanford -18 1/2 over California

Tennessee +1 1/2 over Vanderbilt

Wisconsin -14 over Illinois

Rutgers +3 over Cincinnati

As you can see, not only are we sticking with Stanford, we're picking against Oregon again, even after they embarrassed our Stanford pick last week. This week, though, we've got the secret weapon: posting a picture of USC fan Julie Henderson, who we've posted on this here site before.

And if that doesn't do it, well, we should probably stop betting against Oregon.

The weekly records are below:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Total: 34-28-2... 55%

A Tuesday Free NHL Pick (100% YTD, +1.55 Units)

2011-11-15T17:51:00.001-06:00

We told you we would have frequent plays in the NHL, and we have another one tonight after starting the season off with a win on Sunday. We may not pump out hockey content at the same rate as our friends over at The Program, but we're doing our best.

Washington Capitals ML over Nashville Predators (-109)

For those of you not used to us tracking units, we are wagering one unit to win .91 units. Good luck!

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 1-0
Units: +1.55

Packers Blowout Gives Free NFL Picks Another Winning Week (62% YTD)

2011-11-15T14:11:00.001-06:00

The Packers salvaged a weird week of NFL action for us, blowing out the Vikings on Monday Night Football and giving our Free NFL Picks a 3-2 week.

Basically, we went with the wrong NFC East lean, going with the Eagles (vs. Arizona) over the Cowboys (vs. Buffalo) and looking downright stupid for it.

Every week we end up kicking ourselves for getting a lean wrong, but to make matters worse the Eagles pick was actually added to our original Free NFL Picks post. We would have felt a lot better about a 3-1 week, obviously, especially given that we now have three consecutive weeks with two losses and are just .500 over that time at 6-6 after a dominant 67% start (20-10-1).

Have we hit a wall? Maybe. But optimistically speaking, we've improved each week after suffering our first losing week since Week 1, and plan on improving yet again next Sunday with our picks that are still hitting a respectable 62% on the season.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 3-2
Total: 26-16-1... 62%

College (Football) Is Hard (Free NCAA Football Picks Now 55% YTD)

2011-11-15T06:38:00.002-06:00

Another week, another maddeningly inconsistent college football card. After stringing together consecutive winning weeks and thinking that we finally turned the corner at the end of the season, it's back to the drawing board yet again after the Badgers were the only team to cover for us Saturday (and barely did so at that).

Our three losses were infuriatingly off, giving us a losing week and knocking us down to 55% on the season in college football.

Once again, we'll study even harder this upcoming week and try to ace our Free NCAA Football Picks next week, but there was nothing good to draw from this past Saturday.

The breakdown:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Week 11: 1-3
Total: 34-28-2... 55%

Monday Night Free NFL Pick Reminder

2011-11-14T12:20:00.001-06:00

After a disappointing 2-2 day that included two more completely off-base picks, we're looking to come out on top by picking the Super Bowl champs to cover a big Monday Night spread.

If you've been following us this season, you know that we rarely feel comfortable with double-digit NFL favorites. And since we enjoy humiliating ourselves, we bet on two such spreads this week.

The other, Philly -14 over the Cardinals, resulted in a straight up loss for the Eagles in a play that we added to our card late. Per usual, it was between that and the Cowboys at -5 1/2, who went on to pound the Bills.

Our ability to narrow a card down has been a source of frustration all season, but we still hold to our theory that less is usually more. We just need to make sure to pick the right games.

A loss here would give us our third consecutive NON-winning week, fresh off our streak of six consecutive non-losing streak.

So consider this a reminder, and an excuse to post another of Jaime Edmondson's NFL photos, that we're capping off the week with the Packers at home tonight against the Vikings.

Packers -13 over the Vikings

We've had just one other Monday Night Football Pick this season, earning a win in Week 6--the last time we had a five-play card. How about that symmetry!

Anyway, good luck!

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Week 10: 2-2 (Monday Night pending)
Total: 25-16-1... 61%

Free NHL Picks Start the Season With a Win! (100% YTD)

2011-11-14T04:20:00.000-06:00

On a frustrating day for our Free NFL Picks (more on that later), we found salvation in the first of our 2011-12 Free NHL Picks, watching the Blackhawks defeat the Oilers 6-3 to easily cover the -1 1/2 puck line and net us 1.55 units.

If our first pick of the season is any indication (it probably isn't), we're going to enjoy this hockey betting thing quite a bit.

More plays will be coming throughout this week, and the next, and the next, etc. You know where to find us, hockey fans. EDITOR'S NOTE: Actually, most hockey fans probably don't know where to find us, so be sure to pass our site along to your puck-happy friends out there.

2011-12 Free NHL Picks
Record: 1-0
Units: +1.55

Our First Free NHL Pick of the 2011-12 Season!

2011-11-13T10:03:00.000-06:00

We promised that we'd actually bet on hockey with some consistency this season, and to show our dedication, we're starting with a play on a day we normally reserve for one sport and one sport only.

That's right, our first Free NHL Pick of the season is today, on football Sunday of all days.

Chicago Blackhawks -1 1/2 over Edmonton Oilers (+155)

Since hockey bets are either a puck line (like above) or a straight money line, we'll be keeping track of our record as well as our total units. This doesn't make as big a difference in football, since we normally bet the spread and not money lines, but in hockey it does indeed. So above, we're wagering one unit to win 1.55 units.

And in case we fail to live up to our hockey betting promise (again), you can find some more consistent hockey coverage from our friends over at The Program.

But we promise you can find it here, too! We think.

Introducing the Mami Marlins!

2011-11-12T07:38:00.003-06:00

We like to consider ourselves fairly up to speed with uniform related matters in the world of sports, and are always interested when a team rolls out a new uniform, jersey, and in this case, name. With the Florida Marlins becoming the Miami Marlins, alterations needed to be made to the jerseys to reflect the change.

The Marlins showed off their new duds yesterday, and already a potential problem has arisen. The 'I' in Miami is too close to the seam of the jersey, causing it to disappear at the slightest overlap of the buttons and creating a uniform that says 'Mami' rather than Miami.

While not at all relevant to our usual content, we found this pretty funny, and were reminded of this classic:

Adding a Fifth Week 10 Free NFL Pick

2011-11-12T01:05:00.004-06:00

The line is up on the Eagles/Cardinals game, and it is high. And we are still riding with Philly.

Eagles -14 over the Cardinals

Coming off a tough home loss on Monday Night, we think the Eagles feast on one of the worst teams in the league. Add this to a card that already includes the following:

Steelers -3 over Bengals

Buccaneers +3 1/2 over Texans

49ers -3 over Giants

Packers -13 over Vikings

That gives us our first five-play card since Week 6. It also means that for the second time this season, we're riding both Pennsylvania clubs. We have the tendency to get comfortable with certain teams and bet them more frequently than others, and if that's not been the case with the Eagles, it certainly has with the Steelers. Don't let us down, Quaker Nation!

Our Free NFL Picks are 62% on the season, and this week will go a long way in determining which direction we take down the stretch.

Time For Free NFL Picks to Fight Back! (62% YTD)

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-06:00

We've had consecutive mediocre weeks with our Free NFL Picks, which had been on a nice little roll earlier this season. Now, we're hoping our Week 10 card packs a punch and keeps us from going down for the count in 2011.

Steelers -3 over Bengals

Buccaneers +3 1/2 over Texans

49ers -3 over Giants

Packers -13 over Vikings

We are keeping an eye on the Eagles/Cardinals line (yet to be released) and may have a play on the Eagles there, depending on what number we get. As always, stay tuned.

Our weekly report card:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Total: 23-14-1... 62%

Free NCAA Football Picks Look To Stay Hot (57% YTD)

2011-11-10T07:38:00.001-06:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks look like they are finally getting hot, with consecutive winning weeks and a 9-5 record to show for our last two Saturdays. Another winning week, and our picks might be in the same category as your Clemson model above, Paige Duke, who some of you might recall got a little too hot to wear clothing back when she worked with Sprint's NASCAR team.

This week, we're looking at a little bit smaller card in Week 11.

Clemson -16 1/2 over Wake Forest

Stanford -3 1/2 over Oregon

Wisconsin -27 over Minnesota

Texas Tech +17 over Oklahoma State

And our weekly records:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Total: 33-25-2... 57%

2011-12 Will Soon be the Year of the Free NHL Pick

2011-11-09T07:55:00.000-06:00

We bet on hockey very rarely. Very, very rarely. While we love the NHL, our bread and butter lies in the NFL and NCAA Football, so we kind of drop the ball (or puck) come NHL season.

While we're once again a little late to the party, we plan on diving into our Free NHL Picks system in 2011-12 like never before.

If only to provide a good chuckle as to the sporadic nature of these picks, we've dug through the archives to uncover our all-time hockey betting record.

Free NHL Picks
2007-08: 4-2... 67%
2008-09: 1-2... 33%
2009-10: 0-0... N/A
2010-11: 4-3... 57%
Total: 9-7... 56%

That's right. By our count, we've actually posted a grand total of 16 Free NHL Picks in our site's history, which dates back to December of the 2007-08 season. And mostly only because we were bored.

Pathetic. But don't worry, hockey fans. No longer will you have to suffer through our half-assed hockey picks once in a while. We're going to go all in this season and we're going to do it right.

We never said we'd have much success, and there is far from a big enough sample size to predict our hockey betting skills (56% through 16 games!), but it's worth a shot. And we'll start taking them as early as this week.

Free NFL Picks Hit a Rough Patch (62% YTD)

2011-11-08T06:46:00.000-06:00

Our Free NFL Picks feel a lot like Tara Reid. Hot at first before hitting a slow decline. We can only hope we don't fall quite as hard.

After five straight weeks without a losing record, we went through one in Week 8, albeit with a small card. Then, when we though the Steelers would get us back on track Sunday Night with a 3-1 day, Torrey Smith and the Ravens stole the cover (and win) with under 10 seconds to play.

But one bad beat isn't going to get in our way. We're determined to fight through this rough patch with all the Botox and boob lifts it takes.

The weekly breakdown follows:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-2
Total: 23-14-1... 62%

Despite our 3-4 record in the last two weeks, we remain confident in what has been a pretty consistent system throughout the years. We hope to have you along for the ride.

Back-to-Back Winning Weeks for Free NCAA Football Picks (57% YTD)

2011-11-07T07:03:00.000-06:00

But it could have been so much sweeter.

Aside from losing our Alabama pick in the game of the decade century millennium, we lost two others by a half point. Conversely, we did cover on the Baylor game by a half point as well, but we can't help but dwell on the losers that were a combined point away from giving us a much-needed 7-1 week in college football.

Instead, our Free NCAA Football Picks settle for a 5-3 Saturday, giving them their first consecutive winning weeks since the first two of the season. Yeesh.

Remarkably, the season is already winding down. We hope our records, though, continue their recent upward mobility.

Check back next week as we go for three winning weeks in a row--unheard of in this wacky year of college ball.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Week 10: 5-3
Total: 33-25-2... 57%

Free NFL Picks Sunday Night Reminder

2011-11-06T19:05:00.002-06:00

Just a reminder, the last of our four-play Free NFL Picks card is the Sunday Night rematch between the Steelers and Ravens, and we have the home Steelers by -3 as we look for Pittsburgh to net us another winning week of NFL action.

Steelers -3 over Ravens

We hit a pair of games quite easily this afternoon (49ers and Jets), while whiffing completely on the Chiefs, who were beat down by the winless Dolphins.

And so we enter Sunday Night at 2-1 for the day.

Heroes in a halfshell. Turtle Power.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Week 9: 2-1 (Sunday Night pending)
Total: 23-13-1... 64%

Trying Not to Look Like a Huge Boob With Our Week 9 Free NFL Picks (64% YTD)

2011-11-04T08:10:00.000-05:00

The problem with bragging about not having a losing week for a long time is that, yes, eventually you're bound to have a losing week.

We did just that last week, though with a small three-play card, the damage was minimal at 1-2 for the week.

Nevertheless, this losing thing is not a habit we'd like to start with our Free NFL Picks, which have been consistently winning all season.

Let's keep the huge boobs where they belong by getting back on track this week.

Steelers -3 over the Ravens

49ers -3 1/2 over the Redskins

Jets +1 over the Bills

Chiefs -4 over the Dolphins

We foolishly bet the Steelers in the first matchup of the year against the Ravens. Clearly, we don't easily learn lessons. We're staying within our comfort zone this week, with a 3-1 favorite ratio and small spreads across the board. It's a formula that has worked well for us so far this season, and its packaged in a familiar four-play card.

In the interest of full disclosure, one final lean that we are not playing (as of now) is the Titans -3 at home against the Bengals. People are finally starting to believe in the Bengals, but perhaps too much so. Still, we don't feel confident enough in the Titans to pull the trigger. Yet.

As always, our weekly breakdown:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Total: 21-12-1... 64%

Best of luck!

Can Free NCAA Football Picks (56% YTD) Turn In Back-to-Back Winning Weeks?

2011-11-03T08:19:00.000-05:00

The moment of truth is here. Again.

We are once again trying to string together consecutive winning weeks in college football for the first time since opening the season with back-to-back successes. Let's hope our Free NCAA Football Pick glory can last longer than a Kim Kardashian marriage.

We think we've got just the card to do it this week. In our biggest card of the season (eight plays), we feel like this is a make or break week for these Free NCAA Football Picks. Bold to make such a move in an even numbered week, where we've done little right, but as they say, fortune favors the bold.

Alabama -4 1/2 over LSU

Washington +16 1/2 over Oregon

Arkansas -5 1/2 over South Carolina

Stanford -21 over Oregon State

UCLA +8 1/2 over Arizona State

Cincinnati -3 1/2 over Pittsburgh

Wisconsin -25 over Purdue

Baylor -2 1/2 over Missouri

Our weekly records follow, if only to prove that, yes, we really have sucked in even-numbered weeks this year.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Total: 28-22-2... 56%

Stock Lemon (Blog) Gets Some New Head

2011-11-02T03:32:00.002-05:00

There comes a time in a blog's life when it's just time for some quality head. That time is now for Stock Lemon, as we show off our new and improved blog header.

Gone is our iconic Lemmy the lemon image, though we'll still make use of our mascot from time to time and in other various spots around the net (pardon the use of a different fruit in the image above). Added is the word "blog" following "Stock Lemon," as we finally begin to streamline ourselves under the full title of our new URL, Stock Lemon Blog.

Also included: cooler fonts.

We hope you enjoy the aesthetic portion of the blog, but our main concern is that you enjoy the free football picks we've been handing out, which are hitting at 64% in the NFL and 56% in college football. We'll be back with more of both our Free NFL Picks and our Free NCAA Football Picks later this week.

Until then, enjoy the head.

More Tricks Than Treats for Week 8 Free NFL Picks (64% YTD)

2011-10-31T08:00:00.002-05:00

We can no longer say that we haven't had a losing week since Week 1.

Our Free NFL Picks were haunted by a couple bad decisions, leaving us with a 1-2 Sunday on a small three-play card.

For the season, this knocks us down to 64%, still an enviable percentage for most. Not that we're entirely happy with it ourselves, having once again felt that we could have pulled the trigger on a couple more winners (the downside to smaller, more conservative tickets).

We'll chalk this one up to the spookiness that is Halloween and move on to Week 9 with a clear conscience. Weekly results are below:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Week 8: 1-2
Total: 21-12-1... 64%

Happy Halloween, lemon fans!

Free NCAA Football Picks Remain Consistently Inconsistent (56% YTD)

2011-10-30T22:50:00.003-05:00

Our Jekyll and Hyde Free NCAA Football Picks continue their devilish ways, winning solidly one week before falling on their face in the next. This week's Halloween costume was a 67% college football Saturday.

Translation: you might want to fade us next week.

The good thing about this on-again, off-again success is that we are, about half the time, on. This week, our picks went 4-2, losing a couple of close covers. That puts us at 56% for the season, which is respectable enough.

If, for whatever reason, you decided to only tail our picks every other week, beginning with Week 1, you're an astonishing 18-9-1 (67%).

For those with the same strategy but the unfortunate idea to begin with Week 2, you're a dismal 10-13-1 (43%).

The details are below:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Week 9: 4-2
Total: 28-22-2... 56%

We promise we aren't doing this on purpose. Stick with us to see if we can't just buck the trend next weekend. Otherwise, at least come for the fades.

Our Free NFL Picks Have Been Scary Good (67% YTD)

2011-10-29T07:41:00.003-05:00

Our Free NFL Picks have yet to have a losing week since Week 1 and are really starting to frighten the folks in Vegas. Just in time for Halloween!

We have three spooky picks this Sunday:

Bills -5 1/2 over the Redskins

Patriots -3 over the Steelers

Panthers -3 1/2 over the Vikings

We expect all treats and no tricks out of these favorites this week, keeping the dogs at bay on Hallow's Eve weekend. That goes for the Bills, too, though they've struggled some in their second home in Toronto.

Best of luck! Bookies proceed with caution.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Total: 20-10-1... 67%

Free NCAA Football Picks Look to Bounce Back

2011-10-28T07:21:00.000-05:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks have been hot and cold on a weekly basis. The good news? It's their week to be on!

The bounce-back plays are below:

Boston College +7 over Maryland

North Carolina -6 1/2 over Wake Forest

Stanford -7 1/2 over USC

Southern Miss -10 over UTEP

Wisconsin -7 over Ohio State

Arkansas -9 over Vanderbilt

Best of luck with a favorite-heavy six-play card!

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Total: 24-20-2... 55%

Free NFL Picks Praise Tim Tebow, Our Lord and Savior (67% YTD)

2011-10-25T06:51:00.000-05:00

We pray to you, Tim Tebow, for gracing our Free NFL Picks with a strange comeback blessing of a win (and cover) for the horrible football team known as the Denver Broncos, helping our Free NFL Picks to a 3-1 winning Week 7.

We may need to start attending church more often.

Meanwhile, four seems to be the magic number. In the weeks that we've had four total selections, our Free NFL Picks are 10-2 (83%). Furthermore, since our bad Week 1, we've yet to have a losing week in the NFL and are hitting 75% (18-6) of our picks.

Of course, overall our 67% record (20-10-1) is nothing to sneeze at either.

Weekly records are below:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Week 7: 3-1
Total: 20-10-1... 67%

Stay with us as we keep rolling through the NFL season on Halloween weekend.

Crappy Week For Free NCAA Football Picks...

2011-10-24T07:46:00.000-05:00

... and we forgot to flush.

The on-again, off-again drivel we call our Free NCAA Football Picks struggled in Week 8, maintaining our frustrating inability to string together consecutive quality weeks.

As we slip slowly into mediocrity with our once promising college football wagers, we feel the need to remind you that we experienced a rough patch last year as well in the middle of the season, only to hit 90% of our bowl games. Don't quit us just because we're a little harder to find at the moment on the google search results!

As much as we don't want to see them (or the photo above), our weekly records are below:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Week 8: 1-3
Total: 24-20-2... 55%

Have a Comment? Too Bad, We're Silencing the Readers!

2011-10-22T06:02:00.003-05:00

Our comments section occasionally provides for some useful follow ups and witty retort, but for the most part doesn't get a whole lot of action.

So we're willing to bet you won't miss it.

Since our move to the new URL (stocklemonblog.com), our Google PageRank has been temporarily assassinated. This has happened once before, when our comments section had been spammed to all hell by various Nigerian royal families.

And since putting an end to our comments back then aided in the restoration of our PageRank, we're going to go ahead and do it again. Deal with it.

In the meantime, if you do have a comment that you just have to get out, feel free to drop us a line at stocklemonblog@gmail.com

Now, let's go enjoy another football-filled weekend

Free NFL Picks Keep On Keeping On (65% YTD)

2011-10-21T08:07:00.000-05:00

Our Free NFL Picks have been heaven-sent thus far this year, which is why we're relying on Tim Tebow in his first start of the season to help lead us to the promised land once more.

The Week 7 Picks are in:

Broncos +1 over Dolphins

Panthers -1 1/2 over Redskins

Packers -9 over Vikings

Steelers -3 1/2 over Cardinals

While we suffered our first multiple-loss week since Week 1, we still have not had a losing week of Free NFL Picks since that disastrous week.

Best of luck!

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Total: 17-9-1... 65%

Free NCAA Football Picks Look to Build Off Winning Week (58% YTD)

2011-10-20T07:02:00.001-05:00

After a 4-2 Saturday last weekend, our Free NCAA Football Picks are seeking the first consecutive winning weeks since the first two of the college football season. So yeah, our possible fade-worthy plays follow:

Wisconsin -7 1/2 over Michigan State

Stanford -20 1/2 over Washington

South Florida -3 over Cincinnati

Georgia Tech +2 1/2 over Miami

Hopefully we won't do too much damage with this four-play card, tied for our smallest of the year (Week 5).

And a quick records update as we ponder a career in construction...

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Total: 23-17-2... 58%

Free NFL Picks Pull Out Another Winning Week (65% YTD)

2011-10-19T08:33:00.000-05:00

Our non-losing week streak continues in the NFL! After that hellacious Week 1, we've had winning week after winning week after .500 week after winning week after winning week.

The Jets grinded out an ugly win against a team that is somehow even worse than they are, ensuring a -7 Monday night cover to give us a 3-2 week in the NFL.

Additionally, the Eagles got back on track and the Buccaneers continued their Jekyll and Hyde act to cover against the Saints, meaning we get to post another celebratory Jaime Edmondson picture!

While we did record another winning week, we missed on a couple of plays that we don't feel great about. We are hitting 65% after six weeks in the NFL, but we still can't shake the feeling that we should be doing better at this point in the season. We'll try to do just that next week.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 3-2
Total: 17-9-1... 65%

Free NCAA Football Picks Get Back on Track (58% YTD)

2011-10-18T08:01:00.000-05:00

We're no longer worried about shoving our Free NCAA Football Picks in the caboose. After experiencing a bit of a rough patch, we seem to be back on track as we chug along in the 2011 season of college football.

Just when we thought winning weeks were nearly unattainable, we pulled together a solid 4-2 week, led fearlessly by cover monsters Wisconsin and Stanford.

Now, after second guessing ourselves for days, we once again feel good about the prospects of our 2011 Free NCAA Football Picks. If you feel good about them too, stick with us, and we'll reward your faith. If you don't, well, stick with us anyway, because we could use the pageviews.

As always, our weekly results follow:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Week 7: 4-2
Total: 23-17-2... 58%

Stock Lemon's Free 2011 World Series Pick

2011-10-17T15:51:00.005-05:00

Our Free MLB Picks have been sporadic at best, but it's not as if we don't know what we're talking about when it comes to baseball.

In fact, if you followed our NLCS and ALCS betting strategy, you would have netted yourself a nice little profit (if you put $100 on both the Tigers and Cardinals, you would make a profit of $25. Not the Powerball or anything, but hey, money's money).

Now that the Rangers and Cardinals have advanced to the World Series, it's time for our World Series pick:

Texas Rangers over the St. Louis Cardinals

This one will cost you a little bit of juice, but the Rangers are not to be denied after losing the series last season. Nelson Cruz and the gang have been the best team in baseball during this postseason, and while the Cardinals have been hot, it's time for their magical run to end like a squirrel running sprints in the middle of a highway.

Getting Our Feet Wet on Monday Night Football

2011-10-16T23:59:00.000-05:00

Our Free NFL Picks churned out a five-play Week 6, four of which were played on Sunday.

After a disappointing 2-2 day, we are down to our first Monday Night Football pick of the season, the Jets -7 over the Dolphins.

In order to ensure that we don't endure our first losing week since the first of the season, we're posting a foot fetish picture for Rex Ryan as we put our foot in the door on Monday night.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Week 6: 2-2 (Monday Night pending...)
Total: 16-9-1... 64%

Plenty of Week 6 Action for Free NFL Picks (67% YTD)

2011-10-14T08:34:00.002-05:00

Since a rough Week 1, we've yet to lose two games on any Sunday and are 12-3-1 (80%) in the last four weeks. We'll put our Free NFL Picks to the test with a five-play card in Week 6.

Lions -4 over 49ers

Eagles -1 over Redskins

Texans +9 over Ravens

Buccaneers +4 1/2 over Saints

Jets -7 over Dolphins

We've been talking each week about how we feel we've missed opportunities because we are being perhaps too selective. Well, this week, we're going all in with our card. Rather than chop one or two of these picks, we're going with all five. Which, when you factor in bye weeks, is the largest percentage of games we've played in a given NFL week this season.

Good luck! As always, our weekly breakdown:

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Total: 14-7-1... 67%

Free NCAA Football Picks Look For Big Week 7 (56% YTD)

2011-10-13T09:03:00.001-05:00

Our Free NCAA Football Picks have not been impressive since a terrific 9-3-1 start to the season, but we are looking to change that in Week 7 in a big way.

Virginia Tech -7 over Wake Forest

Wisconsin -39 1/2 over Indiana

Marshall -4 1/2 over Rice

Stanford -21 over Washington State

Louisville +16 1/2 at Cincinnati

Baylor +9 over Texas A&M

We have some big favorites (Wisconsin and Stanford) that have been cover monsters this season, and hopefully we aren't late to the party. Other than that, we're fairly confident with this six-play card.

Good luck! Our week-by-week breakdown follows:

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Total: 19-15-2... 56%

Hey Google Searchers, We're Over Here!

2011-10-12T08:36:00.002-05:00

Fair warning: this post doesn't apply to most of you. In fact, since you're here at stocklemonblog.com reading this entry, it most definitely doesn't apply to you.

We just wanted to follow up on the news that we dropped the credibility-killing blogspot tag from our URL, moving from stocklemon.blogspot.com to stocklemonblog.com.

The biggest problem with the move is temporary, but as they say during football season, a week without Stock Lemon is a wasted week. For real, they do say that. Somewhere. Maybe.

The problem is that while we transition to the new URL, our site appears to have a Google Page Rank of 0 (out of 10... so, not good). We're usually a PR 4, which is nothing to write home about but is certainly a legitimate ranking. Sites with a PR 0 are generally spam websites and other internet traps that are somehow a more worthless venture than our own.

So stay with us, Google searchers and advertisers alike. We're told our ranking will be restored in time.

But for those searches who are having trouble finding us, here are a few popular keywords that often direct to our site to help you reach your intended destination from your search on Google or Bing or Yahoo or whatever:

Free NFL Picks, Free NCAA Football Picks, College Football, Best Sports Betting Website, Super Bowl Prop Bets, Random Pictures of Half Naked Women to Boost Traffic Numbers, Most Trusted Sports Wagering Picks on the Internet, Boobs

And of course, advertisers and readers alike, we're all ears to any ideas you might have. Drop us a line at stocklemonblog@gmail.com and we'll be sure to respond!

End of public service announcement.

Another Winning Week For Free NFL Picks (67% YTD)

2011-10-11T06:17:00.002-05:00

Our Free NFL Picks came through with a 3-1 day on Sunday, bumping them to 14-7-1 (67%) on the 2011 season. More impressive, since a rough first week, the picks are 12-3-1, an impressive 80%.

Still, we can't help but feel once again that we are leaving some plays on the board. Selectivity is the key to our success, but more often than not we are cutting winners from our final card in favor of being selective.

This week's non-plays included the Raiders (last second scratch) and those damn Vikings, who we've been sticking with all year and finally jumped off the wagon this week under the premise that we don't like betting on bad teams. That simple. With the benefit of hindsight, it is easy to second guess, but we really need to learn to stick with our gut on certain plays.

Either way, we'll take a 67% start through 22 plays in five weeks, but if/when we hit a rough patch later in the year, we'll be kicking ourselves for passing on what appear to be gimmies after the fact.

By comparison, last year at this time we had played 34 games, winning as many (22) as we've played in all of 2011, for a 67% clip. That, however, included a hot 11-2 start, meaning a Week 3-5 stretch of just 11-10 (compared to 8-2 in that stretch this year).

Covers on the Chargers, Steelers and Bengals gave us our fourth straight non-losing week (hooray?), but the Eagles didn't figure it out in Buffalo as we thought they would. As always, our weekly breakdown follows.

Be sure to come back next week to see first hand which obvious plays we pass on.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Week 5: 3-1
Total: 14-7-1... 67%

Free NCAA Football Picks Becoming Very Average (56% YTD)

2011-10-10T06:47:00.003-05:00

We usually hit a rough patch with our Free NCAA Football Picks, as well as our Free NFL Picks, at least once each season, causing us to second guess everything that we're doing.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to that rough patch.

For those scoring at home, our Free NCAA Football Picks have had exactly one winning week in the last four after a hot 9-3-1 start. That equates to a pitiful 10-12-1 run since Week 2, dragging us back down to Earth at 56% on the season.

Miami covered, and many others did not, giving us a disappointing 3-4 week of college football action.

What's more discouraging is that we were wrong in some big ways this weekend, not even close to the right plays on multiple games. We knew we might be in for a strange week when we rolled out five dogs in seven picks, but didn't expect yet another losing week.

While we have only had two losing weeks on the season, both have occurred within the last three weeks, and an unimpressive Week 5 and .500 Week 3 haven't done much to stem the tide.

We'll take a hard look at these plays, as we seemingly do at this time every year, as we try and get back on track in college football.

Stay with us. Or don't. But please do.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Week 6: 3-4
Total: 19-15-2... 56%

Betting on the ALCS and NLCS for a Familiar World Series Pairing

2011-10-08T18:17:00.001-05:00

Hey! Look everyone! It's baseball!

We've been ignoring the MLB for most of the year, but since the games are gaining national relevancy again--even during football season--we'll go ahead and throw out a couple of MLB Playoff predictions.

Here are our future bets for the entire series'.

ALCS
Tigers +115 over Rangers

NLCS
Cardinals +125 over Brewers

That's right, we like both road teams to come out on top after huge victories over the Yankees and Phillies, respectively. Which means, of course, that the American viewing public will get another dose of the 2006 World Series we all loved so much, which saw the Cards beat the Tigers in five.

The beauty of these bets is that we're fairly confident at least one of the hot road teams will come out victorious, and as such if we split the games, we still make a small profit. That said, we expect both the Tigers and Cardinals to win for a big baseball payday.

And after whipping out at least a handful of Free MLB Picks at some point during the season, why wouldn't you trust us on all things baseball?

A Slightly More Eventful Week of Free NFL Picks Ahead (65% YTD)

2011-10-07T06:08:00.000-05:00

We had just two Free NFL Picks last week, and we've been itching for another week of NFL football. We'll scratch that itch with double the plays this week on our four-play card in our first bye-week reduced NFL slate of the year.

Steelers -3 over Titans

Eagles -2 over Bills

Chargers -4 over Broncos

Bengals +1 1/2 over Jaguars

We're riding Pennsylvania and their two disappointing teams, injury-riddled and all. We also think the Chargers will start hitting their stride and that the Bengals should be favored in Jacksonville.

Best of luck! Weekly results follow, per usual.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Total: 11-6-1... 65%

Dog Day Afternoon Ahead For Week 6 Free NCAA Football Picks (59% YTD)

2011-10-06T17:05:00.001-05:00

Our 2011 Free NCAA Football Picks are hopefully back on track after our first winning week since Week 2, and we'll put them to the test this week.

Texas +10 1/2 over Oklahoma

North Carolina -13 1/2 over Louisville

Miami +7 over Virginia Tech

Auburn +10 over Arkansas

Wyoming +11 1/2 over Utah State

Wake Forest +10 over Florida State

Baylor -14 1/2 over Iowa State

We have seven plays and five of them are dogs, a ratio opposite what we usually tend to have on our card. Additionally, after our fewest amount of picks last week (four), we'll tie a season-high with seven plays Saturday, so we're in for an eventful weekend.

Best of luck, and our week-by-week breakdown is below.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Total: 16-11-2... 59%

A Boring Week For Free NFL Picks (65% YTD)

2011-10-04T07:18:00.001-05:00

As you might have guessed when we rolled out a whopping two Free NFL Picks picks in Week 4 this weekend, it was a pretty quiet weekend of pro football action here at Stock Lemon.

The Patriots covered, the miserable Vikings didn't, and we went 1-1 with the abbreviated card.

Looking back, there were some plays on the board that we spent considerable time on (Saints, Titans) but there were also others ready to burn us (Eagles).

All told, it would have been wiser to loosen the belt at least a little bit more. We're most comfortable with anywhere from 4 to 6 plays a week, and should be in that range throughout the remainder of the NFL season.

As for that season, we're now 1/4th of the way through the 2011 regular season, hitting at a 65% clip. And we can't much complain about that.

2011 Free NFL Picks
Week 1: 2-4
Week 2: 4-1-1
Week 3: 4-0
Week 4: 1-1
Total: 11-6-1... 65%

Free NCAA Football Picks Turn in Winning Week (59% YTD)

2011-10-03T08:07:00.000-05:00

The downward trend of our Free NCAA Football Picks is over, though we're not exactly skyrocketing upwards after a relatively uneventful Week 5.

With our smallest card of the year, we managed a 2-1-1 record to improve to 59% on the season, with Alabama and Duke providing the covers.

We've thus far failed miserably in our attempts to maintain our Week 1 pace, but hopefully this week is a step in the right direction.

And it should be noted, since we've adopted the URL address stocklemonblog.com, our Free NCAA Football Picks are hitting 67%! Stocklemonblog.com is no slouch, unlike that loser URL stocklemon.blogspot.com, which hit just 58% this season.

2011 Free NCAA Football Picks
Week 1: 5-1
Week 2: 4-2-1
Week 3: 3-3
Week 4: 2-4
Week 5: 2-1-1
Total: 16-11-2... 59%