Even though he had a bad week, Jake Roberts still managed to gain a game.
Even though he had a bad Week 10, Jake Roberts still gained a game. (Photo provided)

How do you post an unimpressive 5-9 record against the spread for Week 10, yet still gain a game overall on your opponent? When you're Jake "The Snake" Roberts, I suppose anything is possible.

Senior fantasy writer Dave Richard was 4-10 for the week, which means Jake -- despite his subpar picks -- still managed to increase his lead over Dave in their friendly, season-long picks wager. With seven weeks left in the regular season, Dave must gain 11 games on Jake just to tie. That's a tall order, but it's not impossible.

This week, we've got a big AFC West showdown with the undefeated Chiefs visiting the Broncos. The Browns travel to Cincinnati in another matchup of division rivals, and Tom Brady and the Patriots take on Cam Newton's Panthers on the road. There are opportunities for upsets, and there are games that could go either way. And that's before you even consider the spread.

Say what you will about these men's records, but picking against the spread is not so easy, especially in a league with this much parity. Jake and Dave both got that reminder last week, but Dave got it just a little more.

If this were old school WWE (and it's clearly not), Dave could pull a Honky Tonk Man, take a walk in the middle of the match, and lose without taking a finisher. So far, it looks like Dave's content to be more like George Wells or Dusty Wolfe: Doing the job gracefully, taking the DDT, post-match snuggling with Damien and all.

Jake vs. Dave: Tale of the Tape

VS.
Stone Mountain, Ga. Hometown Chicago, Ill.
"The Snake" Nickname "Downtown Dave"
def. Andre the Giant, WrestleMania V Biggest Win One-time Wheel of Fortune winner
Randy "Macho Man" Savage Biggest Rival Weight loss professionals
"Trust me." Catch Phrase "Yeahhhhh!"

THE WAGER

What's a prediction contest without a little something on the line? Here is what Jake and Dave risk if they lose the contest.

IF JAKE WINS: Dave travels to Atlanta and visits Diamond Dallas Page's Accountability Crib for an intense DDP YOGA workout and gets a lesson in gluten- and dairy-free living.

IF DAVE WINS: Jake visits the CBSSports.com office and must work with Dave for a day.

We'll find out who prevails after Week 17. In the meantime, here are Jake's Week 11 picks against the spread (the same spreads used in our CBSSports.com NFL expert picks):

NFL Week 11 Picks: Jake the Snake vs. Downtown Dave
Game and Spread Jake's Pick Dave's Pick
Colts (-3.5) at Titans
Jets at Bills (-1.5)
Falcons (-1.5) at Buccaneers
Lions (-2.5) at Steelers
Redskins at Eagles (-3.5)
Cardinals (-7.5) at Jaguars
Raiders at Texans (-7.5)
Ravens at Bears (-3.5)
Browns at Bengals (-5.5)
Chargers (-1.5) at Dolphins
Packers at Giants (-5.5)
Vikings at Seahawks (-13.5)
49ers at Saints (-3.5)
Chiefs at Broncos (-8.5)
Patriots at Panthers (-2.5)
CURRENT RECORDS (AFTER WEEK 10) 76-71 65-82

If you want to talk smack about these picks or simply cheer Jake Roberts on, you can follow him on Twitter at JakeSnakeDDT. Also be sure to check out his brand new podcast on YouTube, Snake Radio (warning: explicit language).

And just remember, as Jake told Vince McMahon back in 1986: If you speak softly and you have enough power, people will listen.

Denny Burkholder is the producer/editor of CBSSports.com's NFL content. Follow him on Twitter: @DennyBurkholder