Winning Ugly | September 16, 2026

SPEAKER_1 (0:01)

This is VSiN, the SportsBetting Network.

Nobody said it had to be pretty. This is Winning Ugly with Nick Bakay and Billy Gardell, right here on VSiN, the SportsBetting Network.

Nick Bakay (0:22)

Oh yeah, welcome to Winning Ugly, our weekly battle against the NFL point spread. That's right.

We don't do soccer, we don't do hoops, we don't do tennis. There'll be no talk of the majesty of Roland Garros here. We don't even do college football, right Billy? We do the NFL every Wednesday, just two men toe to toe with the point spreads most difficult sport, because we don't shrink from the battle. We don't shrink from the hard stuff.

Billy Gardell (0:48)

Like God intended.

Nick Bakay (0:49)

You're with me every week, Billy Cardell.

Billy Gardell (0:51)

How are you my dear man, it's good to see your face.

Nick Bakay (0:55)

You too, and you're in Hawaii, you lucky dog.

Billy Gardell (0:58)

I am. I am.

I'm on location as you like to say. I'm on field reporting here in Hawaii.

Nick Bakay (1:04)

You're on assignment.

Billy Gardell (1:07)

If my picks ain't any better this week, then there's a volcano right down the street that I can just hop into and just get this over with.

Nick Bakay (1:17)

Help me out. What was your record on our inaugural? Now we're on record picks week.

Billy Gardell (1:23)

Well, you did great by the way. You had the first two games coming out of the gate. I got killed with Seattle.

Someone in the medical community, if you could get a hold of me and explain to me how you fall on your knee and your hip goes out, I'd love to hear that. But the hook got me there. And then I have to apologize to you. You called it with the Rams. You said they shouldn't have traveled the day of. I'm like, I'm a road comic. I've traveled the shows. No, it was so abundantly, apparently clear that they were exhausted. They were exhausted about a third quarter. So you had that one. You killed that.

My Steelers came through for me, which I knew that was going to happen. So I was one for three.

Nick Bakay (2:06)

I liked that bet.

Billy Gardell (2:06)

I was one for three last week.

Nick Bakay (2:07)

Okay. All right. Listen, everything's a mystery week one.

You know, you bring up the Rams. Very interesting. I was looking at the betting splits as I'm prone to do. And here's the interesting thing. You know, a candidate, cause every week we end the show with what we call the Big Ugly, where we have to make our, put our money on something, a game that's ugly, a line that's ugly. As long as it makes you nauseous and queasy, our work is done here. And believe it or not, the Rams minus seven, hosting the New York Giants, only 14% of the action is on the Rams. Giants are getting all the money.

Billy Gardell (2:47)

Which means you'll be running for that, won't you? You'll be running for the low percentage money, won't you?

Nick Bakay (2:54)

And that's it. I like to zig when the world zags. You know that.

Billy Gardell (2:57)

Yes, you do, my friends. Why? I love you.

Nick Bakay (3:02)

Let's talk about tomorrow night, because this is a big one for me. Bills host the Lions.

Bills are minus five. Totals are whopping 54.5. It's the first game in a new stadium. And I'm fascinated by this game. I think that, look, the short week, it always favors the home team. I'm wary of the over, even though you think Lions, Bills, they'll both put up a thousand points. That short week, prime time game is often a little bit of under territory.

But I just, I'm looking at this one and I'm excited because it's a new stadium, but I'll tell you what tempers that. When I want to get a good look at the new stadium, when I'm watching, I might have to suffer through that Amazon studio show crew and all that forced phony frivolity and camaraderie and they're cut to them on the sidelines and they're pulling each other's pants down and drives me nuts.

Billy Gardell (3:59)

Nothing better than Al Michaels.

Nick Bakay (4:00)

The game is great, but woof.

Billy Gardell (4:03)

Al Michaels aside, that team is an atrocity. And the fact that they're trying to sell toys in between the break, like what are we doing? Where is Ditka? Where is Parcells? Where are the men who crafted this game?

I would be happy seeing a big lineman just eating during the game rather than listen to these people.