Gambling with Homer: No Holliday during Raider Week

I try to focus on the good times.

Homer Duggins is Westword's house gambling expert. Read his dispatches every Friday in the Latest Word sports section. Read last week's blog here.

It's Raider Week. Oh yeah, it's Raider Week! Normally I'd be fully engaged in my typical Raider Week traditions -- painting my face blue and orange when I get home from work; covering any black or silver surface in my apartment with orange contact paper; burning homemade Broncos candles and repeating a couple of chants and spells. But I'm very emotional right now, and it has nothing to do with the fart-headed team-that-shall-not-be-named from Oakland.

Matt Holliday is here. Sure, the Rocks have played against the super slugger since he was traded to the A's and then to the Cardinals. But this time it really, really matters!

Now, I have no doubt that the Rockies will sweep this weekend, but I'm not afraid to tell you that I still revere my Holliday jersey (No. 5!) and I have thirteen different Holliday trading cards in my three-ring baseball card book. Twelve of them are on one page, while my 1999 Bowman #400 rookie card is on a page by itself.

Did I mention my Matt Holliday poster, my Matt Holiday collector's cup and a couple of ticket stubs from 2007 with his face on the cover. Do I even need to? Of course, I can't root for Matt -- especially against my Blake Street Buddies. But that doesn't mean I don't still feel for him. I really do. I'll always remember that chin scrape.

Anyway, on to the gambling:

Last week: September 18-24
Two and O, baby! The Broncos have had the Browns' number since the invention of the pigskin! Broncos 27, Browns 6. I laid $110, so: +$100
The Rockies lost the opener to the D-backs, but won the next two: -$150
CU shut down and shut OUT Wyoming. That's gotta hurt. Bowl-game bound: +$100
Weekly total: Up $50
Yearly total: Down $60

This week: September 25-October 1

Here's what the bottom of my toilet looks like!!!

NFL
The Broncos are favored by 1.5 over the fart-heads from Oakland who shall not be named AND they are playing in the Black Hole. That's respect, my friends! The best part is that the Broncs will easily cover that point and send the Braiders back where they came from.

Bonus bet: The Jets are favored by 3 over the Tennessee Titans. I couldn't pass this one up, though, because New York will be a coming out party for my man Lendale White. Mean streets? Yeah, he lived him right here in the Mile High, and he's going to bring that to the house on Sunday! Tennessee by at least a TD -- A LENDALE WHITE TD!

NCAA
BYU by 18 over Colorado State? Oh, that's rich. It makes me so mad, I can't even speak. First of all, no way the Rams are going to lose, let alone by 18 points. If I hadn't spent so much money on candle-making supplies last week, I'd double my bet on this one.

Buffs are off this weekend, so it's just these three bets, $110 each to win $300 total (can't forget the juice!)

MLB
Do the odds makers not understand destiny? Do they not understand hot streaks? Matt Holliday might be playing for the other side, but the Rockies don't even need him. Not with CarGo and Sethdog ready to GO OFF! Rockies (+155) sweep all three games against St. Louis (-165), and head right for the playoffs. I'll be turning $100 into $165, friends.

Tune in next week to see how I fared.