Week 1/8.29.13: You Betcha

   I'm starting with a mythical bankroll of $10,000, courtesy of my friends at Bodog sports online casino. First of all, because their site is easy to navigate. More importantly, because they're based in Costa Rica and have had minimal success tracking me down in the past.
   I'll analyze games/wagers of  local interest each weekend and make a pick every Thursday. With any luck, by Christmas it'll be new iPhone 6s for everyone!

   Always loved sports. Almost as much as sports gambling.
   In college I was a tad, shall we say, obsessed. Won thousands. Lost of tens of thousands. Had the bookie threatening to break my legs. Had to paint Dad's house to pay off an emergency "loan." And had more than my money's worth of fun along the way.
   Just ask any of the '80s-circa "entertainers" at Lace in Arlington.
   In fact, if I was given another five free lives, I'd likely risk one of them trying my hand as a professional sports gambler in Las Vegas.
   Which brings us to you.
   I know you bet. It makes sports more interesting. More fun. And I can help.
   Each Thursday I'll scour the college and NFL betting lines and find a winner, free of charge. (If I learned anything through the years it's that the way to win is quality of bets, not quantity.)
   Got one.
   And it sounds crazy, because I'm betting against the SEC.
   TCU plus+5 points against LSU Saturday night at Cowboys Stadium feels really strong. I know, I know. LSU has won 41 consecutive non-conference games. Six SEC teams are ranked ahead of the Big 12's best, Oklahoma State at No. 13. And truth be told, LSU will probably have a bigger crowd in Arlington.
   But here's where the Horned Frogs stay close. TCU picked off 21 passes last year, returns its top five defensive backs and top four tacklers from 2012. Gary Patterson's kids can play defense.
   And LSU can't play offense.
   The Tigers had one of the nation's worst passing offenses last year. Mediocre quarterback Zach Mettenberger returns, but leading rusher Jeremy Hill may not play pending pending discipline for his off-season arrest.
   TCU might win this game, as LSU's vaunted mystique is dissolving right before our eyes.
STARTING BANKROLL: $10,000.
CURRENT BANKROLL: $10,000.
SEASON RECORD: 0-0.
LAST WEEK: 0-0.
THIS WEEK: TCU +5 over LSU, for $1,000.