Your Pigskins and Ponies Picks for Oct. 15-18

Welcome to ABR’s Pigskins and Ponies column, where winners play!
Horse racing is my means to an end, and I love the sport like no other, but I admit it, like most of you, on a Sunday afternoon in the fall, it’s hard to pull me away from my couch … and NFL RedZone.
I have a wanted sign in Las Vegas and am feared by fantasy football mavens nationwide, but when it comes to the college game, I choose to punt.
That’s where Derek Cooley comes in. The dude is a loaded gun of university knowledge.
Let’s kick off the football, spring the horses from the gate and pad our bankrolls!
**Lines as of Wednesday Night from scoresandodds.com**
College Pigskins – by Derek Cooley
Week six was a week filled with close calls.  Vegas did an extremely good job getting those numbers right where they needed to be, but not exactly right where we needed them to be.
Iowa need 1.5 additional points to cover, and blew more than a few red zone opportunities to really put away Illinois. Navy was right there for the cover, but fell short by 2.5 points and Utah was a 7-point favorite that won by six.
Long story short, we ended up 2-4 this past week, getting burned by Oklahoma while hitting road covers in Oklahoma State and Miami. If you're keeping score at home, that's five points away from 5-1.
Either way, Vegas was on their game and we were a tad off. I’ve got a good feeling with some GREAT match ups this week. Pack it in folks, we are in store for an excellent sports-viewing weekend.
Last week: 2-4
Season Total: 15-22-1 (.405)
Week 7
(17) Iowa -2 @ (20) Northwestern (Saturday, noon ET, ABC)
Northwestern returns "home" with their tails between their collective legs after getting throttled at the “Big House.” I say "home" because I guarantee a home-field advantage for Iowa. They travel well, have a huge alumni base in the greater-Chicago area. and visitors always show up at Northwestern. This will be an old-school, grind it out game, one in which Iowa comes out on top.
(10) Alabama -4 @ (9) Texas A&M (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, CBS)
Roll Tide roll, especially on the road. Alabama has been feasting on the road this year, and the ultimate road test comes Saturday at Kyle Field. Kyle Allen will keep his Aggies close, but the Crimson Tide rushing attack will distance Alabama late. The Crimson Tide by a TD.
(19) Oklahoma -4 @ Kansas State (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
Both these teams had pretty devastating losses last week, in two completely different fashions. The Sooners were run out of the building by a Texas team that people were wondering, myself included, if they even belonged on the same field as OU. And Kansas State ... boy they had an opportunity against TCU and let it slip away. We'll just keep it at that. I think the Wildcats are a little let down from their missed opportunity while Oklahoma is a little pissed off at their play. That's why I think Oklahoma wins this one big.
(7) Michigan State +8.5 @ (12) Michigan (Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This game has all the makings for a lopsided one. With the spread move ALL the way to 8.5, favoring a team with one loss over the undefeated Michigan State Spartans. The Spartans have nearly lost to the likes of Purdue and Rutgers, while Michigan has been destroying the Big Ten this year. These points were given based on past performance and the Harbaugh factor. MSU doesn't have the style points and has somewhat of an injured offensive line and a decimated secondary, but with coach Mark Dantonio the Spartans will not go quietly into the night. If the Spartans lose, it will be close.
CAN MICHIGAN STATE WIN AT THE 'BIG HOUSE'?

Penn State vs. Michigan football 2014 01 (Michigan warming up) by Michael Barera. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
(8) Florida +9 at (6) LSU (Saturday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
This has been a bad week for Florida. Will Grier was banned for a year because of PED's, Deiondre Porter held a gun to his pregnant girlfriend and fired it toward a vehicle ... NOT good. Not good at all. The Gators will rally around Treon Harris, the troubled backup QB that can make things happen with his feet. LSU has the best player in the country in Leonard Fournette, but the Gators' defense should keep them in this game ... that is if Harris can hold onto the football. LSU should win this, but Florida will stay close enough to cover. 
(14) Notre Dame -6.5 vs. USC (Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET, NBC)
This is a rivalry game in which the teams are headed in opposite direction. It's been a tumultuous week for the Trojans off the field, and it will be a tumultuous Saturday evening on the field in South Bend. The major difference in this game is Notre Dame's defense and the home-field advantage South Bend presents at night. Irish win by at least a TD.
Pro Pigskins – by Joe Kristufek
Once again, we deserved better.
As the week’s best play, Philly waltzed home in the second half against New Orleans to cover with plenty of breathing room and Washington held the lead most of the game before succumbing late to Atlanta.
Seattle somehow blew a 24-7 lead at Cincinnati. They lost outright, but pushed the number.
St. Louis couldn’t overcome four Nick Foles interceptions at Green Bay and the Cleveland Browns somehow won a shootout over Baltimore.
Last week: 2-2-1
Season Total: 11-18-2 (.379)
Week 6
Sunday, Oct. 18
Minnesota Vikings -4 vs. Kansas City Chiefs and UNDER 43.5
In a battle of two teams headed in different directions, the Vikings enjoy home cooking off the bye while the reeling Chiefs get used to life without star RB Jamaal Charles. Neither team has a dynamic passing game, so expect a lot of defense and a lot more Adrian Peterson.
Washington Redskins +6 at New York Jets
It feels like forever since the Jets beat the Dolphins in London. They return home well rested with a satisfying 3-1 record, but perhaps a little rusty? The Redskins are 2-3, but if not for untimely turnovers, they could have another win or two, and that includes last week against the Falcons. Once again, the Washington defense is good enough to keep this one close and a straight up win is not out of the question.
Baltimore Ravens at San Francisco 49ers UNDER 44
A pair of underachieving, beat-up offenses square off in the Bay. Chances are both teams run the ball a lot and try to force the other to make a mistake. I’m guessing this snoozer is dominated by punts and field goal attempts.
Seattle Seahawks -7 vs. Carolina Panthers
The Seahawks blew at 24-7 lead at Cincinnati last week. They're motivated, at home against a Carolina Panthers team that is overachieving and the team's heartbeat, RB Marshawn Lynch, is expected to return to action.
Monday, Oct. 19
Philadelphia Eagles -4 vs. New York Giants
It finally happened. In the second half against the Saints, the Eagles offense went off. RB DeMarco Murray is finding his comfort zone and QB Sam Bradford is starting to click with his receivers in the Chip Kelly offense. The Giants return off an emotional win against the 49ers, but star WR Odell Beckham tweaked a hamstring, the rest of the receiving core is also banged up and the potential loss of DB Prince Amukamara is huge. 
BRADFORD IS PLAYING MUCH BETTER

Sam Bradford 2015 by Keith Allison - Flickr. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.
Ponies – by Joe Kristufek
It was an underwhelming Saturday for our equine selections. Middleburg and Blond Me could only muster up even efforts in the Knickerbocker and Queen Elizabeth II Challenge Cup Stakes, respectively, and Shrinking Violet did not participate in the Franklin County Stakes.
Last week: 2-0-0-0 ($2 WPS * $12 wagered * $0 returned)
Season Total: 17-3-3-3 ($2 WPS * $102 wagered * $70.00 returned = $4.12)
Thursday, Oct. 15
Keeneland Race Course – Lexington, Ky.
Race 8 – Sycamore Stakes (G3)
#2 Thatcher Street (morning-line odds, 20-1)
He doesn’t have the proven class of most of today’s opponents, nor does he have any experience at this marathon turf trip, but what he does have are high odds and upside. This improving son of Street Sense is well drawn inside, which should put him in position to enjoy a covered-up trip. Perhaps he can grind his way to victory at boxcar numbers.
PLAYING FOR AN UPSET ON THE KEENELAND TURF

Photo by Eclipse Sportswire
Saturday, Oct. 17
Keeneland Race Course – Lexington, Ky.
Race 9 – Raven Run Stakes (G2)
#10 Chide (morning-line odds, 5-1)
This daughter of Blame has shown flashes of talent throughout her career, but she took her game to new level last out, finishing a fast-closing second behind the defined favorite Silver Majesty in the Dogwood Stakes at Churchill Downs. The addition of blinkers seems to have agreed with her, and with a similar effort Saturday, she may prove tough to deny.
Hawthorne Race Course – Stickney, Ill.
Race 8 – Hawthorne Derby (G3)
#1 Wireless Future (morning-line odds, 8-1)
This son of Scat Daddy showed lots of promise last winter at Fair Grounds, particularly on grass. He took a few months off following a pair of less-than-representative performances, before resurfacing in the Dueling Grounds Derby at Kentucky Downs. Bet down to odds of 6-1 in that field of 10, he flashed marathon speed and dug in gamely before losing a narrow decision to the race favorite. He should be tighter for this race and cuts back in distance with an opportunity at an advantageous, pocket trip from the rail post.
Also give serious Hawthorne Derby consideration to #8 Saham (4-1), who shook off a slow pace to score a late-closing, visually impressive victory in the Jefferson Cup Stakes at Churchill Downs last out.