Handicapping contest tracker: SuperContest pays 2 $50K winners

The Westgate SuperContest has paid out the first significant winners of contest season.

The entries First Five and TD Tony received $50,000 each after tying for first at 14-1 in the three-week mini-contest to open the season. Tempest got $5,000 for third at 13-1-1.

The SuperContest features six three-week contests and three six-week contests this season.

The Circa Million III will crown its first-quarter champion next week with a prize of $171,750. DeadMoneyMedia.com has the inside track as the only undefeated entry (15-0).

In Circa Survivor, 340 entries exhaled when Justin Tucker bounced in his record 66-yard field goal to give the Baltimore Ravens a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions.

I spent Sunday sweating out the Miami Dolphins +4½ to stay alive in Station Casinos’ Last Man Standing and as picks in the SuperContest and Circa Million. Finally, the Raiders won 31-28 in overtime to give me a much-needed victory.

Each week, I’ll track the major handicapping contests and detail my progress. Here’s how the contests stand after Week 3:

Westgate SuperContest

Format: Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry).

Field: 1,972 entries.

Leaders: Two entries (First Five and TD Tony) at 14-1.

Barnes’ status: 3-2 last week, 9-6 overall, tied for 344th. Winners on Falcons +3, Bengals +3 and Dolphins +4, and losers on Washington +7½ and Eagles +4.

Westgate SuperContest Gold

Format: Same as the SuperContest, but with a $5,000 buy-in and the winner taking all.

Field: 87 entries.

Leaders: Three entries (MayRidge 3, MilesToGo and TKASPro277) at 10-4-1.

Barnes’ status: Not entered.

Circa Million III

Format: Contestants pick five NFL games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry).

Field: 4,087 entries.

Leader: One entry (DeadMoneyMedia.com) at 15-0.

Barnes’ status: 2-3 last week, 7-8 overall, tied for 2,518th. Winners on Dolphins +4 and Vikings +1½, and losers on Jaguars +7½, Colts +5½ and 49ers -3½.

Circa Survivor

Format: Contestants pick one straight-up NFL winner each week (each team can be used only once) and are eliminated with a loss ($1,000 per entry).

Field: 4,080 entries, but Circa added $1.92 million to the prize pool to reach the $6 million guarantee.

Leaders: 2,917 survivors advance. Week 3 eliminated 68 entries — 28 on the Giants, 19 on the Chiefs, 12 on the Steelers, two on the 49ers and one each on the Dolphins and Patriots, plus five entries who forgot to make a selection.

Barnes’ status: Alive, after the Broncos beat the Jets 26-0.

Station Last Man Standing

Format: Contestants select one game against the spread each week. Entries cost $25, but the maximum $100 gets five entries. There are separate pro and college contests. Winner takes all — $150,000 in the pro contest, $100,000 in the college.

Entries: Pro — 594 alive out of starting 6,241; college — 276 alive out of 3,075.

Barnes’ status: Alive with one entry in the pro after the Dolphins pulled out the cover +4½, but finished in college after Utah failed to cover -14½ in a 24-13 victory over Washington State.

William Hill College Pick’em

Format: Contestants pick eight college games against the spread each week ($1,000 per entry).

Field: 452 entries, but an extra $548,000 added to the prize pool to reach the $1 million guarantee.

Leaders: Three entries (Derek 2, Micash and East1971) tied at 18-6.

Barnes’ status: Circling the drain at 3-5 last week, 10-14 overall. Winners on Western Kentucky +9½, California +7½ and Oregon State +11½, and losers on Mississippi State +2½, Utah -14½, Texas A&M -5½, Oklahoma -16½ and North Carolina -12½.

William Hill Pro Pick’em

Format: Contestants pick 15 NFL straight-up winners (or selected totals) each week ($25 per entry). There are weekly and seasonlong prizes.

Field: 7,316 entries.

Season leader: One entry at 37-8 (no name given).

Weekly winners: Five entries tied at 15-0 to split the $10,000 weekly prize ($2,000 each).

Barnes’ status: 8-7 last week, 28-17 overall.

Golden Nugget Ultimate Football Challenge

Format: Contestants pick seven NFL and/or college games against the spread each week ($1,000 to enter).

Field: 149 entries.

Leader: One entry (Captain Kent 33) at 20-1, already building a three-game lead.

Barnes’ status: Not entered.

Contact Jim Barnes at jbarnes@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0277. Follow @JimBarnesLV on Twitter.