well, The Stupor Blow is set... it's Raiders vs. Buccaneers (we get to see who is the better pirate), Gruden's new team vs. his old team, but most of all a classic "best offense vs. best defense" matchup.

Since I more or less let "Pick 'Em" die on the vine (well, an overwhelming lack of response did That) it is time to revitalize a "tradition" of sorts here at the ADM: the "pretend money" sports book.

If you remember last year, the "rules" are simple. You have $100 at your disposal. You can make however many bets you want, with any monetary breakdown you want (but lets keep it to $5 intervals, please) on the following wagers:

point spread:
Raiders -3.5
Bucs +3.5

over/under:
43.5

money line:
Raiders -170
Bucs +150

So, I'm hoping everyone who plans on coming over to the House to watch the Game will particiapte in this silly little contest. For that matter, I hope even people who Aren't coming over to the house to watch the Game participate in this silly little contest.

you can email me your bets, or just use the comment box... have fun!

to help explain these bets, and to avoid the inevitable rush of comments/emails saying something like "I want $20 on the Raiders" (you want $20 on the Raiders to What? You jackass!) I have included to following Helpful Wagering Tutorial:

Okay, kids, I hate to be condescending, but gambling is simple, overwhelmingly simple, in fact, but like so many other things in life, people are scared away because it involves specialized jargon:
Point Spread:
Most people know what a point spread is, but it amazes me how many people don't seem to understand how to place a point spread bet. Basically, a favorite is chosen, and the amount they are favored by is shown by a minus (-) symbol. So, the Raiders are Favored to win by 3.5 points, which, of course means they must win by More Than 3.5 if you bet on them to "cover." The Bucs are the underdog, as denoted by the plus (+3.5), which, of course, means they have been given 3.5 points by the oddsmakers. That means that they must lose by Less than 3.5 (or, of course, win outright) to "cover." When placing your bet you want to tell me the following: I want the Raiders -3.5, or I want the Bucs +3.5 (you can also say I want either team to "cover" and I'll know what you are saying). If you tell me something like "I want the Raiders +3.5" I will ignore you for being an idiot.
Over/Under:
the cumulative final score (the combined points of both teams) of the game will either be Over 43.5, or Under 43.5. To place this bet, you say, "I'll take the over," or "I'll take the under," for x amount of $$$.
Money Line:
I find that these bets tend to scare people away, but if you believe the underdog is going to win outright (no point spread involved!) then This Is The Best Bet To Make! also, if you truly believe the favorite will win, but are anxious about the spread, this is a decent "line your pockets bet" to make, as you won't win much, but you will win Something. These are listed as "bet to win" numbers, and the minus (-) sign denotes that is how much you must Bet to Win $100. So, with a $170 bet on the Raiders to win the game (no point spreads involved!), you would win $100. It simple, actually. The Raiders are the favorites, and you get less than even odds as a result. Now, the plus (+) sign denotes that is how much you Win with a $100 dollar bet. So, with a $100 dollar bet on the Bucs to win the game (and I will repeat myself for Absolute clarity, no point spreads involved!) will win you $150. The Bucs are the underdogs, so you get better than even odds. To place this bet, you would tell me "I want [ X amount of $$$ ] Money Line on the [ Bucs or Raiders ]" Please don't give me a "I want [ x $$$'s ] on the Bucs," as I will dismiss you for being an idiot. I guess I could accept a "I want [ x $$$'s ] on the Raiders to win outright," as long as you say "win outright" I will know what you're talking about.