Fast Eddie: Tulane vs Southern Miss - Is 18.5-Points Too Much?

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It's almost as if my "friend" is part magician. He just shows up out of nowhere, appearing before me as if someone has called out "Abracadabra," just without the puff of smoke. For a stocky guy, he has the moves.

This time, I'm at the weekly Farmer's Market. Samples of various wares were being offered. Fast Eddie had one of those larger shot glasses in his hand, taking sips, a little bit dripping from both his glass and his chin.

"Hey, Dougie," Eddie calls out. He is one of the few people who still call me that. He is forgiven.

"Been scopin' out the place here," my "friend" continues. "I'm not much into fresh food, ya know," he says as he pats his paunch, "but this stuff is good."

I ask him what he's sampled, and his list doesn't surprise me.

"Some of that meat over there," he points to a booth from the North Shore, "and that bread was so good," pointing at two booths side-by-side. Before I could ask which one, he shared, "I got some from both, and, of course, this beer. They look at me funny when I go back and ask for seconds. I didn't know you had to pay for samples. It's worth it though," he says as he sloshes a little more of what I assume is some local Oktoberfest brew that he's spilling/sipping. "I've only had five of these," he recounts as he toasts the glass toward me. I noticed he didn't list one food that would be colored green.

As usual, without missing a breath, he immediately changes to the subject he wants to talk about.

"The Greenies looked better last week," he rolls on. "I thought that 20-and-a-half was too much." Eddie is referring to the point spread given up by Kansas State. "I made a sweet bundle on that." He rubs his fingers together.

"Rivalry games are hard to pick," Eddie continues, taking a sip of his beer sample. It's more of a gulp for me, but for him, it's a sip, "and 18-and-a-half to Southern Miss seems like a lot. They're not that good this year, but it's for the Bell.

"And I'm telling you, Hall wants this one," my acquaintance tells me. "My friends are telling me this is his revenge game. He isn't saying it, but I can feel it.

"But 18-and-a-half," he taps his back pocket where I assume he usually keeps his wallet. "I don't know." He taps his other back pocket, then his front ones.

"I think I left my financials at the beer sampling booth," he says nonchalantly. "I gotta go find it." If that was me, I would be panicking. He's just strolling back toward the table.

"Tulane is going to win this one, but I say take the 18-and-a-half and Southern Miss," he calls back over his shoulder, barely any of the sample beer left in his glass.

I have a funny feeling he's not just going back for his wallet.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.

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