What makes a winning week of picks?
For Colin Cowherd’s Blazin’5 to give sports bettors in Pennsylvania using the FOX Bet Sportsbook an odds boost, three of his five picks need to cover.
It seems Cowherd isn’t quite so certain. Two weeks ago he considered a push a win (it isn’t). Then, before announcing his Week 13 picks he said that he’s had nine winning weeks out of 12.
Actually, Cowherd’s had seven winning weeks, not nine.
Where does his fuzzy math come from? Our guess is he’s tacking on these weeks as w’s:
Week 10: 2-3
Week 11: 2-2-1
Perhaps he thinks if more than one of his picks covered the spread he actually “won” which are not the rules of Blazin’ 5.
Cowherd will have a hard time calling his Week 14 picks winners. He went 1-4.
After a hot start to the season, Blazin 5 has fizzled. Cowherd’s only produced a three-win effort two times during the past eight weeks.
Cowherd did not even make his college football Marquee 3 picks this week. There does not appear to be an explanation of why. Maybe due to the holiday? Or he finally put a merciful end to his 0-13 season. If he did decide to drop out, he finishes with an overall record of 13-26
Every week we track Cowherd’s picks so you know how he is faring before you follow his bets at FOX Bet or on your PA sports betting apps.
Colin Cowherd’s Week 13 NFL picks
“I tend to like underdogs. Give me a quarterback, Kyler Murray and points, Derek Carr and points and I like that,” said Cowherd who picked three underdogs.
Both Murray’s Cardinals and Carr’s Raiders lost.
San Francisco 49ers vs. Baltimore Ravens(-5.5)
Colin’s pick: Baltimore
Colin’s final score: Ravens 31, 49ers 24
Cowherd said: “In their last three games against good teams, Lamar Jackson…the league is playing catch-up to this team offensively. The league didn’t have an offseason to figure him out. They are 5-0 ATS. Forget winning, they are blowing good teams out. San Francisco, as good as they are have struggled against mobile quarterbacks. Against the run, the Niners since Week 8 are 27th. I think this could get ugly. I think San Francisco will keep it close but the score will be deceiving. I think Baltimore controls most of this game.”
Actual final score: Ravens 20, 49ers 17
Did Colin win?: No
Washington Redskins vs. Carolina Panthers (-9.5)
Colin’s pick: Panthers
Colin’s final score: Panthers 33, Redskins 20
Cowherd said: “I hate laying big numbers but I’m going to take Carolina. Veteran head coach, a lot of good players and they still have an outside shot at a Wild Card. Washington is playing for nothing. This is the worst offense I think I’ve seen in five years. They won last week and Dwayne Haskins completed 44% of his throws. They are a mess offensively. They allow a ton of sacks and the Panthers are second in the league in sacks. Washington is in big trouble.”
Actual final score: Redskins 29, Panthers 21
Did Colin win?: No
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Miami Dolphins (+9.5)
Colin’s pick: Dolphins
Colin’s final score: Eagles 27, Dolphins 23
Cowherd said: “I really like the Miami story. They are doing the best job tanking you can do. They play very hard. Even against Cleveland last week they got down early and played their butts off. I’m going to take them +9.5 against a traveling Philadelphia team. They can’t win at home so they aren’t going to win on the road convincingly. Philadelphia is a broken team decimated by injuries. Since Week 7 they are near the bottom of everything offensively. They are giving the ball away. They are not only struggling, they are sloppy. The penalties, twenty giveaways this year. ATS Miami is 5-2. They are back home, healthy and got a ton of fight. ”
Actual final score: Dolphins 37, Eagles 31
Did Colin win?: Yes
Los Angeles rams vs. Arizona Cardinals (+3)
Colin’s pick: Cardinals
Colin’s final score: Cardinals 27, Rams 26
Cowherd said: “Arizona off a bye at home getting points. I think they are going to win. Arizona had fairly low expectations this year. Rookie quarterback and rookie head coach. Their locker room is very positive right now. Arizona is exceeding expectations. The Rams thought Super Bowl but as of Monday night, they are done with that. That locker room is not good. After starting 3-0 the Rams are a 3-5 football team. Kyler Murray is getting better every single week. Since Week 5, he has ten touchdowns, one pick, and 100 passer rating. Their offensive line, which I hated coming into the season is actually significantly better than the Rams offensive line which I liked coming into the season”
Actual final score: Rams 34, Cardinals 7
Did Colin win?: No
Oakland Raiders (+9.5) vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Colin’s pick: Raiders
Colin’s final score: Chiefs 30, Raiders 27
Cowherd said: “You know one of my rules, good teams with good players playing for something after they get destroyed…it’s my bounce-back theory. Oakland still has a chance to make the playoffs, a very good chance. They were humiliated against the Jets. They are going to button that puppy up and give Kansas City everything they can handle. The Chiefs defense has struggled in the last few weeks and I get one of the better offensive lines. Give Gruden credit, they run the football and their offensive line is better. Kansas City is going to win this game. It’s at home. But I don’t trust that Kansas City defense. I think the Raiders button it up and go back to playing with the spirit and efficiency they have for most of the year.”
Actual final score: Chiefs 40, Raiders 9
Did Colin win?: No
Blazin’ 5 Week 13 record: 1-4
Blazin’ 5 overall record: 32-31-2
Blazin’ 5 record (requires winning three out of five games): 7-6