Posted our first 2012 NFL mock draft last week but it only went through pick No. 18. Got some good feedback on that draft and came back strong today with picks all the way through No. 30.

Only two teams left to figure out in the first round, and those are your Super Bowl teams — New York Giants and New England Patriots. Speaking of that game, I just wanted to thank the football gods for not giving us the Harbaugh Bowl. And it should be a good game, so don’t forget to place your prop bets for the Super Bowl (my favorite last year: Christina Aguilera’s over/under on the National Anthem. Of course she blew it by screwing up the lyrics!).

Made a few changes with a little more research for this version of the mock draft. Check it out below and leave your comments so that our next version can be even better.

1. Indianapolis Colts select … Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

2. St. Louis Rams select … Matt Kalil, OT, USC.

3. Minnesota Vikings select … Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.

4. Cleveland Browns select … Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select … Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama.

6. Washington Redskins select … Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars select … Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.

8. Carolina Panthers* select … Devon Still, DT, Penn State.

9. Miami Dolphins* select … Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa.

10. Buffalo Bills select … Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina. …Click here to read more

It’s time for the second to last gambling column of the year, so let’s not waste each others time.

I have four picks this week. I guarantee 3-1. I’ve spent a lot of time reading Game of Thrones trying to figure out what game I will lose. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten to that part in the series. Regardless, If you wager half a million dollars on each of these picks then Sunday night you’ll have $1,000,000.  There is simply NO EXCUSE for you not being a millionaire in a few days.

Before we get into the picks, the always insightful Gregg Rosenthal at PFT & Rotoworld (despite the Brady Quinn getting reps debacle) dropped this earlier in the week and it blew my mind in regards to San Francisco QB Alex Smith: Smith was benched for the following quarterbacks during his 49ers career: Tim Rattay, Ken Dorsey, Trent Dilfer, Shaun Hill, J.T. O’Sullivan, and Troy Smith.

One last note: Why can’t ESPN just analyze the games without “WHICH QB NEEDS TO WIN MORE” arguments non-stop? Both quarterbacks need to win in each game and trying to say that one is going to be replaced for losing is needless drama and speculation. But since it’s ESPN, that’s par for the course.

NFL

Baltimore +8 @ New England – Beware the team that struggled the week before against the team that had the cakewalk. Only thing that worries me here, in the Championship round when the home team scores 28+ they are 28-0 straight up and 26-2 ATS. Obviously the Patriots can reach that number. I just think this will be a close game with the running of Baltimore and their defense. The Ravens were 7-0 versus playoff teams and the Patriots were 0-2 before last week’s win over Denver. I talked to my friend Stu who runs a major Las Vegas sportsbook and he told me they are getting 8 NE bets for every 1 BAL bet, yet the line is going the OTHER way. Someone is setting themselves up for a big payday is all I’m saying. …Click here to read more

As the NFL postseason marches toward the Super Bowl, most teams and fanbases now have their attention fixed squarely on the offseason. That is because they are not playing football anymore this season.

Sure, there still are a few big football games to watch (minus the Pro Bowl). But if you are not a fan of the Giants, 49ers, Ravens or Patriots, there really is only one thing to look forward to in the foreseeable future.

The NFL Draft.

The draft is the annual offseason bridge between the Super Bowl, free agency and the start of NFL training camps. The draft’s exponential popularity in recent years has led to the explosion of NFL mock drafts on the Internet. Mock draft is something I have been doing here for the better part of three offseasons now, and here is my first crack at the top 18 picks:

1. Indianapolis Colts select … Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford.

2. St. Louis Rams select … Matt Kalil, OT, USC.

3. Minnesota Vikings select … Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU.

4. Cleveland Browns select … Robert Griffin, QB, Baylor.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers select … Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama.

6. Washington Redskins select … Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma State.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars select … Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame.

8. Carolina Panthers* select … Devon Still, DT, Penn State.

9. Miami Dolphins* select … Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa.

10. Buffalo Bills select … Nick Perry, DE, USC.

11. Seattle Seahawks* select … Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M.

12. Kansas City Chiefs* select … Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford.

13. Arizona Cardinals select … Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College.

14. Dallas Cowboys select … David DeCastro, G, Stanford.

15. Philadelphia Eagles select … Melvin Ingram, LB, South Carolina.

16. New York Jets select … Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor.

17. Cincinnati Bengals (from Oakland) select … Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama.

18. San Diego Chargers select … Courtney Upshaw, LB, Alabama.

…Click here to read more

5-3 last week and won my biggest bet of the weekend with the NY Giants. Felt I lost a tough one with the Lions who were getting 10.5 and winning at halftime but that is the chance you take going against the New Orleans Saints.

Finally, I completely whiffed on the most exciting playoff win of all-time by a preseason 4^th string quarterback by taking the Steelers against Denver. What can I say? When you are a fan of a team no matter how hard you try, it’s difficult to be objective and not get too high or too low based on your feelings at that time.

The Divisional round is historically where the bye teams are always the favorite and they usually have a winning ATS. However, in the past 5 or 6 years, winning on the road has become more prevalent as at least one team has won each of those years. All but one year, it has been two road teams advancing. Just last season, we lost both #1 seeds in the Divisional round.

NFL

BALTIMORE -9 vs Houston – I had this game circled from the start. This is how it sets up to me. A rested, under the radar team that plays great defense, can run the ball and has a decent passing game against a rookie QB, a team playing it’s first playoff road game after winning the first road game of its franchise, and a defense that is good but not great. Yes, the Texans can run the ball but if they get down this game will get out of control quickly. This line screams “Hey, Texans won last week and they are getting 9 points so everyone take the Texans!” In fact, they are a public underdog thus far and a popular talking heads pick. Trust them if you want, but not I. …Click here to read more