NEAL'S PICKS PALATIAL HEADQUARTERS -- Happy Halloween, everyone.

Apparently we at Neal's Picks should just dress up as something very average this year. Even since the great intern purge of Week 3, we at Neal's Picks (at this point, it's just me, sitting here socially distanced staring at blank walls, searching for inspiration) are just decidedly average.

We're winning slightly more than we're losing. We're just one game out of the lead, in a three-way tie for second (or last, depending on your perspective) place.

We threw in a couple of Big Ten games last week and missed on both. So this week, in the face of adversity, we dropped all hints of creativity and went with the plain ol' vanilla SEC. Maybe Halloween and the impending time change (set those clocks back an hour on Saturday night, boys and girls) will shake us out of this malaise.

Maybe the return of the Pac-12, so bravely overcoming this pandemic to play football as soon as the election is over, will inspire us. Maybe it's time to throw in some NFL or some English Premier League. Who knows?

For now, we're going to sit back with a nice Bud Light and a ham and American cheese sandwich on white bread with no condiments and enjoy average.

On to the picks...

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Last Week:

Neal McCready: 5-3 overall, 5-3 ATS

Chase Parham: 5-3 overall, 2-6 ATS

Jeffrey Wright: 5-3 overall, 4-4 ATS

Zach Berry: 6-2 overall, 5-3 ATS

For The Season:

Neal McCready: 37-18 overall, 30-25 ATS

Chase Parham: 38-17 overall, 31-24 ATS

Jeffrey Wright: 38-17 overall, 30-25 ATS

Zach Berry: 39-16 overall, 30-25 ATS

No. 5 Georgia -14.5 at Kentucky, 11 a.m., SEC Network

Neal McCready: I just don't see how Kentucky scores against Georgia. The Bulldogs' defense has too much speed to be harmed by whatever it is Kentucky is trying to do on offense these days. Neal's Pick: Georgia 27, Kentucky 6

Chase Parham: After last week maybe I should just go with the opposite of what I'm thinking on each game. Kentucky simply doesn't have enough offense. Parham's Pick: Georgia 31, Kentucky 13

Jeffrey Wright: Mark Stoops is 0-7 against Georgia and is just 1-6 against the spread with his lone win coming last season in a torrential downpour. Georgia may not be equipped to handle a modern offense, but they are most certainly built to handle whatever Kentucky calls an offense. Wright’s pick: Georgia 31, Kentucky 10

Zach Berry: Kentucky couldn't score against Missouri. Just what in the actual hell are they supposed to do this week? Zach's Pick: Georgia 32, Kentucky 13

LSU -2 at Auburn, 2:30 p.m., CBS

Neal McCready: I've gone back and forth on this one all week. On one hand, I think LSU's athleticism is going to force Bo Nix to win the game. On the other hand, lost in all of the officiating madness and Lane Kiffin's Twitter takedown of the SEC is the fact that Auburn coached a really strong game in Oxford. I sort of expect the orange and blue Tigers to have a really good plan for LSU on both sides of the ball. Then again, Auburn is decidedly average. The Tigers aren't good. They aren't bad. They're average. LSU, meanwhile, is volatile. I'll hate myself for this, but I'll trust my gut here. Neal's Pick: Auburn 27, LSU 24

Chase Parham: This may be the 'I have no idea' game of the year. Both teams are schizophrenic and have good and bad on the books, but LSU at least has more upside. The freshman with the first road start concerns me. I'll take 'em but I don't trust anything. Parham's Pick: Auburn 27, LSU 24

Jeffrey Wright: Whoo Boy. I don’t know how you can trust either team. Despite the scoreboard, I actually thought Auburn’s defense was more impressive last week against Ole Miss than LSU’s was against South Carolina. The score was misleading because LSU still gave up nearly 8 yards per play, but you know, Boom gonna Boom. Bo Nix can beat average defenses and LSU has a below average defense. Also, Auburn probably had the best defensive gameplan against LSU last season, and while the may not have the same horses this year, I still like Kevin Steele against a freshman who is making his second start and first road start. Wright’s pick: Auburn 31, LSU 28

Zach Berry: fEeLs LiKe 2019!!~~ Zach's Pick: LSU 29, Auburn 28

Ole Miss -18 at Vanderbilt, 3 p.m., SEC Network

Neal McCready: I'm not sure what Ole Miss fans expected. Or why they expected it. For all the chatter about coaching and quarterbacks and officiating and whatnot, what gets overlooked all too often is overall roster talent. If you stack the SEC rosters 1-14, Ole Miss' is, overall, probably 11th at the absolute best. So that means the margin for error in SEC games is virtually nil -- except when the Rebels play Vanderbilt. The Commodores are a hopeless dumpster fire. Ole Miss gets well going into the open date. Neal's Pick: Ole Miss 37, Vanderbilt 13

Chase Parham: It seems like so long ago that Vanderbilt played Texas A&M and we wondered if the Aggies were the disaster of the SEC West and Vanderbilt was at least not completely terrible. Well, that moment passed. These 'Dores are historically awful. Parham's Pick: Ole Miss 41, Vanderbilt 17

Jeffrey Wright: Decision tree: Is Vanderbilt playing —> Yes or No —> Yes —> Lay whatever the number is. Wright’s pick: Ole Miss 41, Vanderbilt 14

Zach Berry: Yup. Zach's Pick: Ole Miss 45, Vanderbilt 16

Mississippi State +32 at No. 2 Alabama, 6 p.m., ESPN

Neal McCready: This is a massive number, but I don't care. Alabama's offense is beautiful, and Mississippi State seems to be imploding from within. Neal's Pick: Alabama 49, Mississippi State 10

Chase Parham: Mississippi State has internal issues with more promised on the way, and Alabama, even without Jaylen Waddle, has plenty of weapons to make this a laugher. The number is huge but when I sit down to watch it, I'd much rather be on the Alabama side. Parham's Pick: Alabama 49, State 10

Jeffrey Wright: While some people might worry that the number is starting to get too big with Alabama, I will keep calm and lay them all. Also, I want the under. Wright’s pick: Alabama 45, Mississippi State 9

Zach Berry: If they aren't jumping ship then Saturday will give them that extra bit of courage to walk the plank. Zach's Pick: Alabama 45, Mississippi State 17

Arkansas +10.5 at No. 8 Texas A&M, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network

Neal McCready: This is a free space for the Razorbacks, who should be heading to College Station on a three-game streak. This game is normally in Arlington, but it got moved to Cultland due to the pandemic. Here's what's distressing: Arkansas officials are already hedging about next season's game, saying they hope to play it in Arlington but will see what the circumstances are. Oh, for the love of all things! We can't seriously be considering all this lockdown, socially-distanced, masking BS 11 months from now, can we? It's absurd. There's going to come a point where we, as a society, simply have to have some courage. Anyway, this line is about right. Neal's Pick: Texas A&M 24, Arkansas 13

Chase Parham: Arkansas has made strides by being well coached and on the field when other teams implode. And that's a compliment because in recent years the Razorbacks couldn't get out of their own way to save their lives. Meanwhile, A&M has found somewhat of an identity but I know the true colors. Parham's Pick: Texas A&M 30, Arkansas 27

Jeffrey Wright: Jimbo Fisher’s offense matches up pretty well with Arkansas’s defense. It’s a ball-control-passing game that will take what you give them. I think the result will be similar to what we saw from Georgia in the second half when the Dawgs turned to Stetson Bennett, IV. I like the Aggies here, a statement you should never utter with confidence. Wright’s pick: Texas A&M 31, Arkansas 17

Zach Berry: I should be interested in this one, but I'm not. At all. Zach's Pick: Texas A&M 36, Arkansas 16

Missouri +13 at No. 10 Florida, 6:30 p.m., SEC Network Alternate Channel

Neal McCready: Missouri has looked really impressive at home the past couple of weeks. The Gators have struggled mightily with the COVID plague, what with having to bury all of their teammates and such. I look for Florida to rally in the wake of tragedy and take a break from the mourning during a bit of a romp over Mizzou. Neal's Pick: Florida 38, Missouri 21

Chase Parham: I refuse to back off my Eliah Drinkwitz takes. Nope, I'm sticking to my guns. So, we ride with the Gators. Parham's Pick: Florida 40, Mizzou 24

Jeffrey Wright: Missouri feels like the obvious play, so I’ll take the Gators. Wright’s pick: Florida 41, Missouri 24

Zach Berry: Missouri is certainly making strides under Eli Drinkwitz, but too much Kyle Trask and Kyle Pitts here. Zach's Pick: Florida 38, Missouri 16