Notes from the Sports Desk by Tyler Julson

 

And then there were two.

Just Albert Lea’s Emily Taylor and Jaeda Koziolek are still standing tall to end the fall sports season. Both Taylor and Koziolek will swim in one event at the state swim meet starting at noon today. I really enjoyed going up for the state swim meet last year, and I’m looking forward to it again.

Winter sports season is nearly here, which also means Winter Sports Yearbook work is in full swing. This season, I think it was a no-brainer to put Albert Lea senior and returning state champion Zach Glazier on the cover, and looking at an early draft of the cover — I think it’s going to be great.

I like to cover all the winter sports, but like football in the fall, wrestling is my sport of choice in the winter. The days of the state wrestling tournament are my favorite three work days of the year, and hopefully Albert Lea and the surrounding communities can represent well again this year.

Somehow, the Gophers pulled out a huge win over Purdue, a game that I gave them no shot to win. Now they need just one more win to become bowl eligible. Unfortunately for the Gophers, those two games are against two pretty good teams in Northwestern and Wisconsin. However, I never expected them to beat Purdue the way they did, so maybe they will pull it out.

There are a few games to watch out for in the NFL, if you like to put a few of those hard earned dollars on the line. Technically, sports gambling isn’t legal yet in Minnesota, so this is technically not gambling advice, but keep an eye out in the next few weeks for a column about the prospect of gambling on games coming to the state. Keep in mind, all of these lines are at the time of me writing this column.

 

Vikings +2 at Bears

The Vikings are two-point underdogs on the road, making this nearly a pick ’em game. Two of the three Vikings’ losses are to the top two teams in the NFC, and their defense has picked up immensely over the past couple weeks. I like the Vikings to win in a close one, 31-28.

 

Titans at Colts -2

The Titans are coming off a dominating win over the Patriots, but can they repeat that performance two weeks in a row? I’m betting not. And with Andrew Luck playing back in full swing, the Colts are going to be a dangerous team at home. Swallow the points and take the Colts to cover, 26-17.

 

Packers +2 at Seahawks

Are the Packers a little dysfunctional at the moment? Yes. Have they won a road game yet this season? No. The signs are not in favor of the Packers, but I can’t see that trend continuing. Maybe it’s just because I’ve never really seen the Packers struggle in my lifetime. With Russell Wilson still running for his life in the backfield and some not-so-great weapons at his disposal, I expect the Packers to win this one straight up, 24-17.

Tyler Julson is the Tribune’s sports reporter. He can be reached at tyler.julson@albertleatribune.com.