Board 8 > B8 NFL Ladder Contest 2021 Week 6

(+) Yeah! (+)

Yet another brutal week as only 10 players advanced. Level 4 remains unconquered, and Level 3 is getting awfully crowded! At least a lot of people got the bonus!

I clarified a few rules regarding bonus point skipping and Level 4.

A few ground rules:
-Please say which level you are on when you post your pick. In most cases it will be obvious, but this makes it easier for me to record the picks.
-The deadline to make a pick is before kick-off of the game in question. You cannot pick a game that has already started. Some levels may have different deadlines, so read carefully.
-The deadline to answer the bonus question is at the start of games on Sunday (1 PM ET).
-Please don't edit your picks. If you'd like to change, please do so in a clearly labeled new post.
-I get my spreads from an online site providing lines from several sources, both in Vegas and out. Although these sources may continue to change their lines throughout the week, the ones I post in the topic are frozen and final for our purposes.
-You may use bonus points to skip any level after it is guaranteed you cannot pass it (at the end of the week's games, typically). If you have earned a bonus point during the same week, it is eligible to be used. You may only skip the level before I have posted the next week's topic. The price for skipping is in proportion to the level you are skipping. Skipping level 1 would take 1 bonus point, level 2 will take 2, level 5 will take 5. So on and so forth.

Explanation of Levels:

Level 1: Pick a winner. Simply pick one team to win their game. If they win, you go on to level 2.

Level 2: Pick an Underdog to win. You must pick a team that is an underdog to win their game. Underdogs will always be the team listed second.

Level 3: 2 Games with Spread. Using the spreads I provide, pick 2 games. You must get both correct to move on. Spreads work by giving (-) or getting (+) points. The team that is the favorite to win "gives" points to the underdog. If you choose the favorite to win, they must still win after "giving" those points to the underdog. If you choose the underdog, you would be correct if they win the game after "getting" those points. For example, if a game says "Giants (-2.5) vs. Cowboys," if you pick the Giants, they must actually win the game by at least three points; if you pick the Cowboys, you would win if they actually won the game or lost by two points or less.

Level 4: 2 Game differentials. Pick two games and specify them to have a score differential of either 10+ or 5-. Make sure to specify which you pick, if you pick a score to be 10+ and the score ends up 3 apart, you do not advance. You do not need to pick the winner, as long as the differential is correct, it does not matter which team wins.

Schedule: (Favorites listed first; home team in CAPS)
Thursday, October 14th
Tampa Bay (-6.5) @ PHILADELPHIA

Sunday, October 17th
9:30 AM ET (LONDON)
Miami (-3.5) vs Jacksonville

1 PM
Green Bay (-4.5) @ CHICAGO
Cincinnati (-3.5) @ DETROIT
INDIANAPLOIS (-9.5) vs Houston
Los Angeles Rams (-10.5) @ NEW YORK GIANTS
Kansas City (-6.5) @ WASHINGTON
Minnesota (-0.5) @ CAROLINA
BALTIMORE (-2.5) vs Los Angeles Chargers

4 PM
CLEVELAND (-2.5) vs Arizona
DENVER (-3.5) vs Las Vegas
Dallas (-3.5) @ NEW ENGLAND

8 PM
PITTSBURGH (-4.5) vs Seattle

Monday, October 18th
Buffalo (-5.5) @ TENNESSEE

Bonus Question:
Name a player to get a rushing TD this week

Level 4
Bartzyx*
changmas**
davidponte***
Evil_REmade**
foxhead84**
Leonhart4**
MMXcalibur
MysteriousStan*
Reg*
resistance_pro
thekitchensink
WiggumFan267*
Xuxon(***)

Level 3
5tarscream
Arti*
Ashethan*
Crescent-Moon**
Dancedreamer*
DpOblivion**
fortybelowsummer**
guffguy89
HanOfTheNekos*
HBJDubs*
KokoroAkechi*
KommunistKoala*
LiquidOshawott*
MaxedOutRyu
Mewtwo59**
MZero*
Paratroopa1*
pronouncemyname**
Ringworm**
Sir Chris*
SpikeDragon**
SpikeSetsFire**
Stripperiffic*
Suprak the Stud*
SwiftyDC*
terpaholic
th3l3fty*
TheArkOfTurus*
theawesomestevr*
turbopuns3*
wallmasterz*
Whiskey_Nick*
Wizardsfan1000*
xp1337**

Level 2
Camden***
Cody11533**
Jukkie*
KCF0107**
Maniac64
Runemistress*
ScareChan*
VengefulKaelee*
ZeroSignal620**

Level 1
junk_funk

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Level 3: Tampa and KC -6.5

Bonus: Chubb

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Level 4: Dallas vs New England 10+, LA Rams vs NY Giants 10+
Bonus: Aaron Jones

Level 3

Miami (-3.5)
Kansas City (-6.5)

Bonus: Jonathan Taylor

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Level 4: Rams/Giants (10+) and Chiefs/Washington (10+)

Bonus: Derrick Henry

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Level 3: Tampa Bay (-6.5), Kansas City (-6.5)
Bonus: Derrick Henry

A lot of spreads I'm tempted by here. This week's doomed theme is picking against the NFC East. But Chargers and Arizona are tempting underdogs to take points with, Green Bay again but I'm still at max salt from last week, and I feel good about Dallas. Seattle is down Wilson so there's the Steelers... I'm already trying to talk myself into switches so time to just put this down and not think any more.


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Level 3:
Arizona +2.5
Dallas -3.5

Bonus: Darrell Henderson Jr

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Level 4:

Buffalo/Tennessee 10+, LA/Washington 10+

Bonus: Jonathan Taylor

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@changmas

LA/Washington isn't a game this week. Not sure if you wanted Rams/Giants or KC/Washington since they're both viable!

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Also I am very tempted by Bills/Titans because our defense has no shot at stopping them. I'm just not sure if I want to go with it to make myself feel better if we get pounded or I'll just feel even worse if I'm wrong.

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Level 3: Eagles +6.5, Bills -5.5

Bonus: Kyler Murray

Nothing says I have to name an actual running back~

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Level 2: Lions
Bonus: Ezekiel Elliot
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Level 3: Bills, Dallas
Bonus: Jonathan Taylor

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LEVEL 4:
Los Angeles Rams (+10)
Kansas City (+10)

BONUS:
James Robinson

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Level 3:

Miami (-3.5)
Kansas City (-6.5)

Bonus: Derrick Henry

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Level 3: Tampa Bay, Buffalo
Bonus: James Robinson

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Level 3

Dallas -3.5
Pittsburgh -4.5

Bonus: James Robinson

Level 3: Green Bay and Cincinnati
Bonus: Aaron Jones (GB)

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Level 3:
Ravens -2.5
Bills -5.5
Bonus: Bo Jackson


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Level 4:
Dallas/New England
LA/New York

Both 10+

Bonus: Jonathon Taylor

Level 3 Los Angeles Chargers (+2.5) and Buffalo (-5.5)

Bonus: Derrick Henry

Level 4:
Los Angeles Rams (-10.5) @ NEW YORK GIANTS +10
Kansas City (-6.5) @ WASHINGTON +10

Bonus Question:
Derrick Henry

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Level 3

Miami (-3.5)
Chargers +2.5

Bonus: James Robinson

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Level 3
Cardinals +2.5
Chargers +2.5

I'm picking both of these straight up anyway, so the points are nice!

Bonus: Kyler Murray

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Are there past results available to look at? I swear I get stuck on level 2 every year for about a month but I'm not sure if it's true or just one of those things you think is true for so long that it becomes so.

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Level 2: Las Vegas

Bonus: Lamar Jackson

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I guess I'll take Derrick Henry for the bonus.


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No wait... Make it Jonathan Taylor! Cheers!


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Level 3: Tampa Bay, Buffalo
Bonus: Derrick Henry

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Level 3:
Green Bay (-4.5)
Kansas City (-6.5)

Bonus: Derrick Henry

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Level 4:
Tampa Bay @ PHILADELPHIA (10+)
Buffalo @ TENNESSEE (10+)

Bonus:
Josh Allen

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Level 3:
Arizona
Dallas

Bonus: Ekeler

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Level 2: Panthers
Bonus: Chubb

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Level 2: Panthers
Bonus: Chubb

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Tampa Bay
Green Bay

Josh Allen

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whew I wanted to pick Tampa Bay here but there was Thursday night weirdness to consider

thankfully there were better options

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I almost picked Hurts for the bonus

The spread was obviously never in doubt, though.

I really almost picked the Eagles outright.

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I was always a bit nervous about taking the Bucs there and considered switching off it several times before the game but I am secure in the knowledge that if I had the Eagles would have kicked the extra point.

henry better get a td i'm nervous about that too but if he does i can leave this cursed level behind

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I can see why people get frustrated with Level 3. The spread was half a point difference to the result. I fell for it, being the first game probably influenced it. There were better options.

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this is absolutely why I don't gamble

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LeonhartFour posted...

this is absolutely why I don't gamble

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LeonhartFour posted...

this is absolutely why I don't gamble

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Level 4:

BALTIMORE vs Los Angeles Chargers 5-
Buffalo @ TENNESSEE 5-

Bonus: Najee Harris

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Level 3

CAROLINA +.5
Dallas (-3.5)

Bonus: Kareem Hunt

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Level 2: Carolina
Bonus: Lamar Jackson
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Change bonus to Kareem Hunt

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Level 4:
Los Angeles Rams +10
Kansas City +10

Bonus: Ezekiel Elliott

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Level 3
Pittsburgh -4.5
Buffalo -5.5

Bonus: Darrell Henderson Jr

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Level 3: Miami -3.5, Dallas -3.5
Bonus: Derrick Henry

Level 3: Chargers (+2.5), Cowboys (-3.5)

Bonus: Austin Ekeler

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