West Virginia week of Nov 2: Max Maksemetz picked it exactly

Fourteen picks, split down the middle

All 14 fans in the league made a pick on West Virginia at Texas Tech, and the league could not have split more evenly. Seven of you backed the Mountaineers. Seven backed Texas Tech.

On the WVU side, the favorite call was WVU by 4 to 7, with four of you on it. On the Texas Tech side, the favorite was Texas Tech by 8 to 14, also with four. Two more had Texas Tech by 15 to 21, and one had Texas Tech by 4 to 7.

Then it finished West Virginia 48, Texas Tech 53. Texas Tech by 5, the 4 to 7 range. Seven of you had the winner. One of you had the range.

Prediction of the Week: Max Maksemetz

Max Maksemetz picked Texas Tech by 4 to 7, the only fan in the league in that range. The pick went in on Tuesday afternoon, four days before kickoff, and it never moved.

It is not the pick a Mountaineers fan enjoys making. It was the right one. An exact range is worth 5 points, the most a single pick can earn, and it lifts Max into a tie for third on the Overall standings, on 8 points after two games.

You vs Couz

Couz picked all three games this week and had the right winner in all three.

Against Niagara, Couz had WVU by 19 to 25, one range under the final, for 3 points. Against Stetson, Couz had WVU by 26 or more, exactly right, for 5. And at Texas Tech, Couz went with Texas Tech by 8 to 14, one range too big, for 3 more. That is 11 points from three picks.

On the Texas Tech game alone, Couz scored 3 points from one pick. The 14 fans scored 21 between them, 1.5 a pick. Per pick, Couz doubled the crowd.

It is good enough for second on the Overall standings. It is not good enough for first.

Showoff

The leader is a fan called Showoff, on 12 points, one ahead of Couz.

Showoff is the only fan to have picked all three games, has the right winner in all three, and nailed the exact range twice: WVU by 26 or more against Niagara, and again against Stetson. That makes Showoff the sole holder of the league record for most exact ranges, with 2. At Texas Tech, Showoff also had the Mountaineers losing, by 15 to 21. Two ranges too big, but the right winner is still worth 2 points, and without those 2 Couz would be on top.

Behind them, three fans sit tied for third on 8: BetItBankIt, Kevin G and Max Maksemetz.

Basketball: two blowouts, and the crowd went big

Basketball opened on Monday night, and West Virginia made it easy: WVU 91, Niagara 46. Four fans had picked before tip-off, all four had the Mountaineers, and three went for the biggest range on the board, 26 or more. BetItBankIt, Mountaineers26-27 and Showoff all had it exactly.

Friday was more of the same. WVU 91, Stetson 53. Eleven of you picked, and all eleven had West Virginia. The favorite range was 19 to 25, with six of you on it, but the Mountaineers won by 38, so the 5 points went to the three who said 26 or more: Coop, Kevin G and Showoff. Couz was in that range too.

Two games, two wins by 38 points or more. If the early basketball pattern holds, the bold call is the right call.

A league finding its feet

Ten new fans joined during the week, which takes the league to 14. Across the three games you called seven exact ranges between you.

The badges have started landing too. All 14 fans earned Called It for a first right winner. Six earned On the Money for a first exact range, and seven earned Dual Threat for the right winner in a football game and a basketball game in the same week. You can see the full badge list and what it takes to earn each one.

The race

Three games in, the standings already have a shape. Showoff is living off exact ranges. Couz is living off never missing the winner. Three fans are four points back, and a single exact range is worth 5, so one good call puts any of them level with the leader.

Nobody is out of it after one week. Nobody is safe either, Couz included.

Up next: Mercer

Basketball is back on Thursday, Nov. 12: Mercer at West Virginia, tip-off 7:00 PM ET. Three of you are already in. Picks close at tip-off, so make your basketball pick before the ball goes up.

Football is back at home next, and that game joins the league as soon as its kickoff time is set.

And if you have not joined yet, there is still time to get on the board in the Couz's Corner Prediction League. It is free to play. Think you can beat Couz?