The NFL season is basically halfway over, so I thought I’d give myself a midseason betting report card, a rundown of the good wins and bad losses that I’ve posted so far. There have been several of both, but hope springs eternal for a strong finish and a winning year.

I’ll start with the only two pieces of betting advice I’ve given in this column.  The first, to bet on Ole Miss –3 over Memphis, was a disaster.  The Rebels started the season awfully, especially on offense, and Memphis won 20-13.  My second prophecy came two weeks ago, when I said not to bet against Auburn for the rest of the year.  That’s been a winner two weeks in a row, as the Tigers have gotten fourth-quarter covers against Kentucky and Ole Miss.  That gives me a split to this point on tips I’ve given.  I said it in this space in Issue #1 and I’ll say it again now – if you want to win money, do not listen to what I advise.  I am far from being an expert.  As far as my decision-making process goes, think Homer Simpson after a few too many cold beers.

Now, on to some bets that I have won.  One of my favorites of the season so far was Troy against Missouri.  Troy was a heavy underdog and immediately got down 14-0 after Mizzou’s first two drives.  Things were looking pretty bad until Troy hit a few big plays, including a long touchdown run by an offensive lineman, and the Trojans pulled off the straight up win, easily covering the spread.  I’ve also put a little money away betting on Ole Miss as a long underdog in the SEC, getting covers in their games against South Carolina and Tennessee.  In the NFL, the over in Indianapolis games has been kind to me.  The Colts are a classic Over team, great on offense and vulnerable on defense.

Of course, no season goes by without some bad beats.  I can personally thank Drew Bledsoe for a few of those.  No single player has made so many exasperating bet-destroying gaffes as him, including his fumble that the Patriots returned for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter earlier this year.  And I was way off the mark when I had Florida over Mississippi State in a game that wound up getting Gator coach Ron Zook run out of town. 

All in all, I’m down a few units, but it’s nothing I can’t turn around.  My current predicament is totally my fault, too, due solely to some horrible financial mismanagement.  I was dong a good job of staying consistent with my bet amounts until recently, when I decided to really go big on a couple of bets that I felt strongly about.  Of course, I lost both, and what would have been a small profit for the first half turned into a loss.  One day I’ll learn to stop acting like an idiot when I place my wagers, but I’m afraid I haven’t crossed that bridge yet.

My father never has been a betting man.  He always says it’s akin to setting your money on fire or throwing it out your car window.  I never agreed with that, but there is some logic to that.  At least I could gain some warmth from the fire instead of agony at my loss.  But I’ll soldier on.  The Average Joe vows here that this season will end in a profit.  You can take it to the bank.

Now, just in case any of you didn’t pay attention about not taking my advice, I’m going to reiterate my point about Auburn.  Back the Tigers.  They’re a complete team, and they’re going to go undefeated and play for the national championship.  Miami already excused itself from the championship hunt with its embarrassing loss to North Carolina last week, and Auburn may not even need USC or Oklahoma to lose to get in the title game.  Remember LSU last year, folks?  Upcoming Auburn wins over Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee in the SEC Championship game will give the Tigers a BCS boost, and I really believe they’ll wind up in the Orange Bowl.