Mattman by 3 over Aaron
This is the match up we've been anticipating for months now, and both Mattman and Aaron bring a lot of firepower to the field. We like Aaron's expressiveness, and he is known to play physical and tough for all forty-four pages of the magazine. His power stories and punchy lists give him a solid chance for magazine control. Mattman will have to counter with his fluid and occasionally incoherent style to confuse Aaron and catch him out of position for quick strikes. If Mattman gets his finesse game going and gets out to an early lead, it's going to be difficult for Aaron's ground attack to keep up. Both are knowledgeable about the magazine's format, so neither has any home field advantage. We're inclined to give Mattman the nod, but he will come out bruised and beaten up. Aaron will keep his game tight until the final pages, but look for a late bomb from Mattman to seal his fate.

Mattmanwins 24-21.

Christians by 13 over Atheists
As much as we like the Atheists, they just don't have the organizational skills to put up big points. They'll pull off some dissension in the Christian ranks, but it's always going to be much harder to goad the populace into believing in nothing as opposed to something. The Christians aren't as strong as they were in the past, but with tradition on their side, they still have one of the toughest lineups out there.

The only way the Atheists can pull off the major upset is to capitalize on Christian mistakes. Atheist must get turnovers to go their way and get a lot of good calls from the men in stripes. The Christians can get frustrated easily, and if they begin finger pointing, the Atheist might be able to hang tough. We don't see the Christians crumbling though. With home field advantage throughout the contest and impressive motivation, this one will be over early.

Christians win 27-14.

Credit Cards by 25 over Savings Accounts
No contest. Quick cash has yet to lose versus stable, steady growth. On paper, savings accounts have always looked better, and mathematically, it makes much more sense. Savings accounts, however, need time and patience to win ball games, usually relying on good defence rather than a punchy offense. Credit cards have quick strike capability, immediate pay off, and the ability to shell out big bucks to get the players.

It's another example of a large market team being able to put the money on the table while a small market team must try and develop talent out of very little.

Credit Cards romp 28-3.

Independent Films by 1 over Blockbusters

That's right, this one has the makings of an upset. Sure, the big boys have the big names, tricky effects, and fan support--which gives them a monster homefield advantage. But if the Indies can get through the first quarter, not even massive advertising can hide the fact that the Indies have better stories, personnel, and creativity.

While the big boys will still bust blocks early in the game, look for the little guys to peck away at the lead and pull away late. Even fans of the big names will have to admit the Indies just try harder.

Independent Films upset 21-20.

This column is meant for informational and personal amusement purposes only. Betting on wars is illegal in the United States and much of Louisiana.