Columnist Sal DeFilippo: Against the spread, animal attraction was key to success

Sal DeFilippo

Friday, Sept. 8, 2000 | 10:41 a.m.

Sal DeFilippo's pro football picks column appears Friday. Reach him at sal@lasvegassun.com or 259-4076.

The new Houston franchise is making a grave mistake.

On Wednesday, the NFL's 32nd team chose its nickname. The Houston Texans will begin play in 2002.

Texans are nice folk, but if the first week of the NFL season was any indication, the team should have chosen an animal as its mascot. Any animal.

That didn't guarantee victory in the standings last week, but if you were a bettor, animal magnetism was a good thing. A very good thing.

First, let me clear up a misconception among many NFL fans. There is no such thing as a sea hawk. Webster's Dictionary lists, among others, the sea dog, sea eagle, sea horse, sea lion, sea elephant and even the sea cow, but no sea hawk.

That said, there are 14 teams represented by animals (technically, the Dolphins are a mammal, but this is a football column, not marine biology) and I'm including the Bills because of the buffalo on the helmets.

One of them, the generally hapless Bengals, was given the first week off. It's the NFL's way of keeping them protected under the league's Endangered Franchise List.

Two others, the Rams and Broncos, played on Monday night.

But the 11 teams playing on Sunday -- the Bears, Bills, Cardinals, Colts, Dolphins, Eagles, Falcons, Jaguars, Lions, Panthers and Ravens -- were an astonishing 11-0 against the points in Week 1, including an 8-3 straight-up mark.

Eleven winners, no losers. Not that you could get these odds at a sports book, but the odds on that happening again are 1 in 2,048. I don't know of any places that offer an 11-team parlay, but a 10-team parlay returns 850-1 at several sports books. Dr. Doolittle and Marlon Perkins could have made a killing.

Last week

I opened the season 3-2 against the point spread, missing a 4-1 week when the Giants allowed two late Arizona touchdowns. The Panthers, Jets and Buccaneers all covered the number and the Chiefs failed against Indianapolis.

My top five

TENNESSEE -8 1/2 over Kansas City -- The Titans still have never lost in their new confines, Adelphia Stadium, where they went 8-0 last season. A victory over the Chiefs would tie them with Kansas City for the longest home winning streak to open a new venue. Besides, only one guy named Elvis really ever fared well in Tennessee.

Pick - Tennessee 26, Kansas City 10.

ST. LOUIS -8 at Seattle -- The Rams piled up 513 yards on Monday night, more than any total during last season, and had three players with 100 receiving yards -- and Pro Bowler Isaac Bruce wasn't one of them. The Seahawks will play outdoors for the next two seasons at the University of Washington, but I don't even think a dome can keep these speedy Rams receivers covered very well.

Pick - St. Louis 34, Seattle 16.

NEW ORLEANS +6 at San Diego -- The Chargers' 6-1 record against the Saints is their best against any NFL team, but it should be pointed out that Ryan Leaf had no part in any of those games. Ricky Williams is questionable, but that's nothing new, either. It's hard to lay six points with a team that only scored six points a week ago.

Pick - San Diego 13, New Orleans 10.

WASHINGTON -5 1/2 at Detroit -- Gee, give a guy $31 million, and suddenly he's healthy enough to play. Charlie Batch returned to the practice field this week while the ink was still drying on his new deal, but it may be too soon. His movement will be limited, and the Redskins, who had six sacks last week against Carolina, should get another batch against the Detroit signal-caller this weekend.

Pick - Washington 35, Detroit 17.

JACKSONVILLE +3 at Baltimore -- The Jaguars have won 16 their last 20 division games, although that group includes the Browns and Bengals. Baltimore is on the rise, but the Ravens have never started 2-0 and I still have a hard time laying points with Tony Banks, even with a strong supporting cast.

Pick - Jacksonville 21, Baltimore 20.