The BBC Challenge update (with some gamblin’ thrown in)

We’re now officially more than halfway through our BBC Challenge, and it’s started to get interesting.  For those of you who want to know more about the BBC Challenge, go here and read our introduction.

Last weekend, the Big Ten won the week, but just barely.  It took a Monday night performance by Drew Brees to carry our beloved league over the top and defeat the Pac-10.  Here’s how the final scores looked;

It was a close battle, but the Big Ten won the week.  After eight weeks, the Pac-10 is still in first place in both categories, total points and weekly wins.

Total points

Weekly Wins

• Pac-10 – 4 wins – Week 2, 3, 4, 7
• Big 10 – 3 wins – Week 1, 6, 8
• SEC – 1 wins – Week 5
• Big 12 – 0 wins

The lack of a QB has killed the Big 12, the lack of a kicker has killed the SEC, and an inconsistency at RB has hurt the Big Ten.  The Pac-10 has none of these problems and are currently running away with the league.

There are five weeks left in the season, and for the Big Ten to take over control, they will have to outscore the Pac-10 by 40 points each and every week.  That’s not likely to happen, but we’ll hold off the coronation of the regular-season champion until it’s official.

After Week 13, the playoffs begin.  One twist to the rules will take place then…teams from the same conference can trade players with each other and create one super-team.  Then the best-of-the-best will face off in the semis and the finals.

————-

Prior to the NBA season, we discussed a pseudo-experiment about wagering on the Cleveland Cavaliers.  The first five games are in the books, and we “placed” 20-dollar bets on each of the first five games (with the point spread).

Disclaimer – we’re not really gambling, just seeing what would happen if we did.  In 2008-2009, a 100-dollar investment would have turned into 1,660 dollars by year’s end.

The Cavs lost game 1 and 2, in reality and in point-spread world.  Game 3 was a full success.  Game 4, the Cavs put the starters on the bench for the final 2 minutes, and Charlotte ended up beating the spread with their final shot of the night.  Bastards.  Game 5 was another success, but if that final 3-pointer had gone in for Washington….yikes.  An 11.5 point spread was enough, as the Cavs won by 12.

So now we head into Phase 2.  There’s 80 dollars in the “account”, and we are no longer placing 20 dollar bets.  We’re now betting half of the account on each game (if funds get too high or too low, there’s a contingency plan, see the first link of this section).

So whatever the point spread is, we’re putting 40 dollars down on the Cavs to cover against the Bulls at The Q tomorrow night.  Good luck, guys!