3/24 Recap: I’ve learned a lot during my short time doing this series. Humility is key. Don’t let yourself get bogged down by a losing streak or too high from a winning one. But yesterday I learned the biggest lesson of all. That lesson is to strike the word “lock” from your vocabulary. After my third perfect pick on the trot in Luton Town, the Spanish Segunda Division took my cockiness and turned it into a land mine. What was supposed to be an open, free-wheeling affair, turned into a 1-0 slugfest. And the one goal: a FREAKING OWN GOAL. But chalk that up as a lesson learned for today’s matches. I’ll take another crack at the Segunda in Spain, but my main event of the day is the last big country’s second tier, Italy’s Serie B.
3/24 Results:
My Picks: Luton Town 2 Barnet 0 (Under 2.5 total goals [+105])
Rayo Vallecano 3 Sporting Gijon 2 (Over 2.5 total goals [-110], Over 3.5 total goals [+225], Both Teams Score [-130], Both Teams Score In Both Halves [+1300])
Actual Results: Luton Town 2 Barnet 0
Sporting Gijon 1 Rayo Vallecano 0
The only locks I know now are death and taxes. Let’s try this again Spain.
SPANISH SEGUNDA DIVISION
Numancia @ Granada (2:30 PM ET/Not Aired In US (World Listings HERE)
It is probably for the best that I am not able to watch this game after yesterday’s utter failure in the Segunda Division. Following a gamecast is what my body needs after seeing what seemed like hundreds of mistimed tackles and missed opportunities. But less about me and more about the two teams in play, Granada, and Numancia.
Granada was relegated from La Liga last season. They finished bottom of the table, but are looking to bounce right back to the top flight via the promotion playoffs. El Grana currently hold the final spot in those playoffs but are far from assured it with four clubs within a point. Yesterday makes me a bit wary about mentioning prolific goal scorers. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the duo of Joselu (not the Newcastle one) and Darwin Machis. The duo has nearly half of the club’s goals on the season.
Numancia is one of the four teams nipping at Granada’s heels. One point behind and two goals back in goal difference, Numancia has a distinctly Spanish disadvantage. Head to head records matter in Spain and if Numancia draws level, their 3-1 defeat earlier in the season would knock them out of contention.
Both teams’ form is spotty, which is why I am taking the draw here. It is a decent value (per Bovada) and it keeps me from having to make a decision on a game that could go either way.
PREDICTION: Granada 1 Numancia 1 (DRAW [+215])
ITALIAN SERIE B
Perugia @ Cesena (2:30 PM ET/Not Aired In US (World Listings HERE)
I apologize for picking two matches today not televised in the US, but yesterday was rough in more than just the Rayo/Sporting result so I needed some recovery time. Plus, if you are waking up at the butt crack of dawn for Serie B games, you are a vastly superior human being than I am. But here I am rambling about myself again with a Serie B, my final big second tier to tackle, match at hand.
If you play FIFA like me (badly that is) you know the randomness of that starter team you get each year in Ultimate Team. That random common gold player sprinkled with lower league bronzes makes you learn about a lot of players real quick. I mention this because in the past two FUT clubs I’ve put together, I’ve received a Cesena player in my starter team or in my first bronze pack. This year it was Isaac Donkor. That’s all I got. Hopefully, they don’t get relegated because Serie C cards probably will never be added to future FIFAs.
As for Perugia, they want a re-do at last year’s meek exit from the promotion playoffs to eventual winner Benevento. They are 7th in the Serie B table at the moment. This means they would have to play five additional matches for promotion. Maybe being an underdog is a better bet than being the favorite like they were last year. Samuel de Carmine is their leading scorer, third in Serie B. But if you are looking for somebody for the future, 21-year-old Alberto Cerri is one to watch. Just don’t try to see Cerri in this one though as he’s suspended through yellow card accumulation.
I’ve been trapped by the good team/bad team pick ’em before and even though they’ve won five in a row Perugia are underdogs if you look for a spread (per Bovada). Give me another draw and let me go to my Palm Sunday brunch.
PREDICTION: Cesena 1 Perugia 1 (DRAW +195)
If you have any games you’d like me to pick over the weekend you can contact me on Twitter @TREVORutley. In addition to the available media listed for each game, be sure to try out our Gameview service while watching as well. Also, here is a link for my results throughout and the points system. Cheers!