Picking football games can be challenging, and that’s why you turn to the Degenerate Report. Last week was terrible. I am in probably the worst rut of my life. I figure there are two ways to get out of it. One, I take a breather, step away for a week, and reevaluate the process. The second is to bet my way through it by firing from the hip. Go with the straight eyeball and gut test. No overthinking, trust in what I have seen in the thousands of hours of games I have watched. You bet your ass I am going with option two.

 I am still positive on the year, which you Degenerates have come to expect. The record sits at 43-28-1 on the year, and I have yet to have a losing year. I don’t plan on this year being my first.

If you are not already, make sure your following Trophy Kids Podcast on both Instagram and Twitter. I have been giving out extra picks there, and overall I am 110-84-5 on all Trophy Kids football picks this year. 

I am locked in and ready to have some fun because, let’s face it, we all have a little degenerate in us, and every once in a while, we let it out.

Here are my picks for the weekend.

(Make sure to check out our podcast Trophy Kids)

Ohio St vs Michigan St. +23.5 Over/Under 59.5: Ohio State is in a tough spot. They might not have enough games to play in the conference championship, which could lead to them not having a strong enough resume to get into the College Football Playoff. This means it old school BCS style football for them. They have to beat the breaks off MSU. I expect them to come out fast a firing.

Pick: Ohio St. First Half -13.5

Clemson vs Va Tech +22 Over/Under 67: Clemson is on the warpath. Dabo has the us against the world nonsense going, but it works. Clemson is starting to come into form, and they will be out for blood this game. Va Tech is all gas, no brakes. The Clemson offense will thrash the Va tech defense; the problem is will Va tech be able to score? I think eventually, yes, but this is another first-half number I like.

Picks: Clemson -12.5 First half 

Alabama vs. LSU +29.5 Over/Under 66.5: No doubt that Alabama is the best football team in the country. The offense has been dominant all season long, but the defense has finally started cooking with gas. 

LSU, though, total free fall. The offense is absolute garbage. I have no question Bama will eat, but I don’t see more than 14 points out of LSU at best.

Pick: Under 66.5

NFL Picks

Bengals vs. Dolphins -10.5 Over/Under 42.5: The Bengals are a terrible football. Joe Burrow masked some of that because he was terrific, but the Bengals got him killed. Even with how bad the Bengals are, they put up a pretty decent fight against a tough Giants defense. The number is a big one here, so while Miami should take care of business, I am betting the number. 

Pick: Bengals +10.5 

Saints vs. Falcons +3.5 Over/Under 45.5: The Saints defense is on a heater right now. They are playing out of their minds, and I would say they are the best defense in the league at this point in the season. The big surprise for me was how decent Hill has played in replacement of Brees. I expected him to be worse, but I think after two games, he is due to slow down a little. 

The Falcons have been a much better team week to week since Raheem Morris took over. The defense has been getting better each week, and the offense is still moving the ball well. I think the Falcon keep this real close. 

Pick: Falcon +3.5

Bills vs. 49ers +1.5 Over/Under 47: Kyle Shanahan is doing one of the greatest coaching jobs I have ever seen. This team should not be competitive, nevermind winning games like they did against the rams last week with how banged up the team is. This week though, they come across a top-five team in the bills. I like the bill chances here, and the value is on that side. 

Pick: Bills Moneyline

It should be a great week of football, and may the picks be in your favor.

Also, make sure to check out Trophy Kids Pod for all the sports takes you will ever need and follow @TrophyKidsPod on Twitter and Instagram for bonus picks.

P.s. If you are going to gamble, make sure to do so responsibly. If you feel like you have a problem or might be developing a problem, please check out the responsible gambling council website for help.