Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Utah at Indiana - Pacers by 1
New York at Washington - Wizards by 16
Golden State at New Orleans - Warriors by 5
Brooklyn at Memphis - Grizzlies by 12
Phoenix at Portland - Trail Blazers by 2
Sacramento at LA Clippers - Clippers by 15
College Football
Western Kentucky at Old Dominion - Hilltoppers by 28
UCF at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 31
South Florida at Navy - Midshipmen by 10
Illinois at Penn State - Nittany Lions by 4
Nebraska at Purdue - Cornhuskers by 12
Rutgers at Wisconsin - Badgers by 24
(19) Ole Miss at Auburn - Rebels by 14
South Carolina at Texas A&M - Aggies by 21
Syracuse at (17) Florida State - Seminoles by 22
Virginia Tech at Boston College - Eagles by 7
Massachusetts at Ball State - Cardinals by 4
Central Michigan at Akron - Chippewas by 2
UTEP at Southern Miss - Golden Eagles by 34
Georgia Tech at Virginia - Yellowjackets by 14
USC at California - Trojans by 2
Colorado at (24) UCLA - Bruins by 25
(3) Clemson at NC State - Tigers by 14
Georgia vs. (11) Florida - Gators by 6
Marshall at Charlotte - Thundering Herd by 20
FIU at FAU - Golden Panthers by 11
(14) Oklahoma at Kansas - Sooners by 46
(12) Oklahoma State at Texas Tech - Cowboys by 4
Maryland at (10) Iowa - Hawkeyes by 21
Boise State at UNLV - Broncos by 13
San Diego State at Colorado State - Rams by 1
Troy at Appalachian State - Mountaineers by 31
Tulsa at SMU - Golden Hurricane by 7
Tennessee-Martin at Arkansas - Razorbacks by 37
Louisiana Monroe at Louisiana Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 10
Georgia State at Arkansas State - Red Wolves by 26
Tulane at (16) Memphis - Tigers by 42
Oregon State at (13) Utah - Utes by 34
Vanderbilt at (18) Houston - Cougars by 18
Miami (FL) at (22) Duke - Blue Devils by 18
(15) Michigan at Minnesota - Wolverines by 21
Texas at Iowa State - Longhorns by 4
UTSA at North Texas - Roadrunners by 17
Tennessee at Kentucky - Volunteers by 17
(9) Notre Dame at (21) Temple - Fighting Irish by 9
Idaho at New Mexico State - Vandals by 8
Air Force at Hawaii - Falcons by 10
(8) Stanford at Washington State - Cardinal by 15
Arizona at Washington - Huskies by 14
Prediction Results
NBA: 9-3 (.750) 20-12 overall (.625)
College Football: 3-1 (.750) 420-110 overall (.792)
Saturday, October 31, 2015
Friday, October 30, 2015
Predictions - 30 Oct
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Miami at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 12
Oklahoma City at Orlando - Thunder by 4
Utah at Philadelphia - Jazz by 13
Toronto at Boston - Celtics by 1
Chicago at Detroit - Bulls by 6
Charlotte at Atlanta - Hawks by 12
Washington at Milwaukee - Wizards by 1
Brooklyn at San Antonio - Spurs by 15
Minnesota at Denver - Nuggets by 2
Golden State at Houston - Warriors by 6
LA Lakers at Sacramento - Kings by 12
Portland at Phoenix - Suns by 2
College Football
Louisville at Wake Forest - Cardinals by 8
East Carolina at Connecticut - Pirates by 3
Louisiana Tech at Rice - Bulldogs by 16
Wyoming at Utah State - Aggies by 27
Prediction Results
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 11-9 overall (.550)
College Football: 4-2 (.667) 417-109 overall (.793)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 31-48 overall (.392)
NFL: 1-0 (1.000) 63-43 overall (.594)
NBA
Miami at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 12
Oklahoma City at Orlando - Thunder by 4
Utah at Philadelphia - Jazz by 13
Toronto at Boston - Celtics by 1
Chicago at Detroit - Bulls by 6
Charlotte at Atlanta - Hawks by 12
Washington at Milwaukee - Wizards by 1
Brooklyn at San Antonio - Spurs by 15
Minnesota at Denver - Nuggets by 2
Golden State at Houston - Warriors by 6
LA Lakers at Sacramento - Kings by 12
Portland at Phoenix - Suns by 2
College Football
Louisville at Wake Forest - Cardinals by 8
East Carolina at Connecticut - Pirates by 3
Louisiana Tech at Rice - Bulldogs by 16
Wyoming at Utah State - Aggies by 27
Prediction Results
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 11-9 overall (.550)
College Football: 4-2 (.667) 417-109 overall (.793)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 31-48 overall (.392)
NFL: 1-0 (1.000) 63-43 overall (.594)
Thursday, October 29, 2015
Predictions - 29 Oct
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Memphis at Indiana - Grizzlies by 7
Atlanta at New York - Hawks by 16
Dallas at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14
College Football
North Carolina at (23) Pittsburgh - Panthers by 1
West Virginia at (5) TCU - Horned Frogs by 10
Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan - Broncos by 17
Buffalo at Miami (OH) - Bulls by 14
Texas State at Georgia Southern - Eagles by 20
Oregon at Arizona State - Sun Devils by 9
NFL
Miami at New England - Patriots by 18
Prediction Results
NBA: 7-7 (.500) 8-9 overall (.471)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 0-2 overall (.000)
College Football: 48-8 (.857) 413-107 overall (.794)
Upsets: 7-2 (.778) 31-47 overall (.398)
NFL: 9-5 (.643) 62-43 overall (.591)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 6-9 overall (.400)
NBA
Memphis at Indiana - Grizzlies by 7
Atlanta at New York - Hawks by 16
Dallas at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14
College Football
North Carolina at (23) Pittsburgh - Panthers by 1
West Virginia at (5) TCU - Horned Frogs by 10
Western Michigan at Eastern Michigan - Broncos by 17
Buffalo at Miami (OH) - Bulls by 14
Texas State at Georgia Southern - Eagles by 20
Oregon at Arizona State - Sun Devils by 9
NFL
Miami at New England - Patriots by 18
Prediction Results
NBA: 7-7 (.500) 8-9 overall (.471)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 0-2 overall (.000)
College Football: 48-8 (.857) 413-107 overall (.794)
Upsets: 7-2 (.778) 31-47 overall (.398)
NFL: 9-5 (.643) 62-43 overall (.591)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 6-9 overall (.400)
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
NFL Rankings - 28 Oct
New England remains at the top for the 6th week in a row, after beating the Jets 30-23 to remain undefeated at 6-0, joining a record 4 other teams to enter week 8 without a loss. The Patriots are still the most likely team to finish undefeated, with odds of 11.9%, but they face a tough road, with the toughest test coming in week 16 when they visit the same Jets that they just narrowly defeated. Here are this week's full rankings:
The Bengals are the team 2nd most likely to finish undefeated, although their odds are only at 2.1%, partly due to a rough November schedule, which features a visit to Pittsburgh, which may have Roethlisberger back, and Arizona, which is #2 in the rankings again this week. Cincinnati should be able to maintain their comfortable division lead throughout the season, so a playoff berth seems very likely, but a win in the playoffs is what this team really needs.
It may be strange to see Seattle in the top 10, especially with a losing record, but 3 of their 4 losses have come to teams that are still undefeated, with Green Bay, Carolina, and Cincinnati taking out the Seahawks so far. They dominated San Francisco last Thursday, and they should be able to use the same strong defense to stifle Dallas, which has not been able to throw the ball without Tony Romo on the field.
Playoff Picks
Wild Card
(3) Cardinals over (6) Rams
(5) Falcons over (4) Eagles
(6) Steelers over (3) Broncos
(5) Jets over (4) Colts
Divisional Round
(5) Falcons over (1) Packers
(3) Cardinals over (2) Panthers
(1) Patriots over (6) Steelers
(5) Jets over (2) Bengals
Conference Championships
(3) Cardinals over (5) Falcons
(1) Patriots over (5) Jets
Super Bowl
(3) Cardinals over (1) Patriots
|
|
|
|
|
Rec
|
ProjRec
|
SOS
|
|
|||
|
TW
|
LW
|
Team
|
Rating
|
W
|
L
|
W
|
L
|
Curr
|
Over
|
Seed
|
|
1
|
1
|
New England
|
-16.56
|
6
|
0
|
14
|
2
|
13
|
12
|
A1
|
|
2
|
2
|
Arizona
|
-12.02
|
5
|
2
|
11
|
5
|
28
|
14
|
N3
|
|
3
|
3
|
NY Jets
|
-11.03
|
4
|
2
|
11
|
5
|
9
|
16
|
A5
|
|
4
|
6
|
Cincinnati
|
-10.7
|
6
|
0
|
13
|
3
|
23
|
17
|
A2
|
|
5
|
5
|
Philadelphia
|
-8.393
|
3
|
4
|
9
|
7
|
3
|
7
|
N4
|
|
6
|
8
|
Green Bay
|
-7.914
|
6
|
0
|
13
|
3
|
31
|
30
|
N1
|
|
7
|
14
|
Carolina
|
-7.715
|
6
|
0
|
12
|
4
|
27
|
29
|
N2
|
|
8
|
4
|
Pittsburgh
|
-7.461
|
4
|
3
|
10
|
6
|
7
|
9
|
A6
|
|
9
|
7
|
Atlanta
|
-6.831
|
6
|
1
|
12
|
4
|
21
|
32
|
N5
|
|
10
|
13
|
Seattle
|
-5.531
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
16
|
11
|
|
|
11
|
9
|
Denver
|
-5.445
|
6
|
0
|
12
|
4
|
26
|
21
|
A3
|
|
12
|
11
|
St. Louis
|
-4.2
|
3
|
3
|
9
|
7
|
2
|
15
|
N6
|
|
13
|
10
|
NY Giants
|
-3.268
|
4
|
3
|
8
|
8
|
15
|
6
|
|
|
14
|
17
|
Dallas
|
-2.497
|
2
|
4
|
7
|
9
|
1
|
1
|
|
|
15
|
19
|
Miami
|
-1.576
|
3
|
3
|
7
|
9
|
25
|
8
|
|
|
16
|
12
|
Buffalo
|
-1.46
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
9
|
18
|
4
|
|
|
17
|
16
|
Baltimore
|
-0.943
|
1
|
6
|
6
|
10
|
5
|
10
|
|
|
18
|
18
|
Minnesota
|
-0.904
|
4
|
2
|
8
|
8
|
32
|
22
|
|
|
19
|
21
|
New Orleans
|
-0.901
|
3
|
4
|
8
|
8
|
6
|
26
|
|
|
20
|
15
|
Washington
|
-0.595
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
9
|
8
|
3
|
|
|
21
|
25
|
Kansas City
|
0.0816
|
2
|
5
|
7
|
9
|
10
|
27
|
|
|
22
|
24
|
Oakland
|
0.7533
|
3
|
3
|
7
|
9
|
22
|
18
|
|
|
23
|
23
|
Indianapolis
|
2.6451
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
9
|
20
|
25
|
A4
|
|
24
|
20
|
San Diego
|
2.7921
|
2
|
5
|
6
|
10
|
14
|
23
|
|
|
25
|
22
|
Cleveland
|
2.7936
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
11
|
12
|
5
|
|
|
26
|
28
|
Tennessee
|
5.1544
|
1
|
5
|
5
|
11
|
29
|
31
|
|
|
27
|
26
|
San Francisco
|
5.9109
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
11
|
4
|
2
|
|
|
28
|
30
|
Houston
|
6.5465
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
11
|
24
|
20
|
|
|
29
|
29
|
Chicago
|
6.6876
|
2
|
4
|
6
|
10
|
11
|
24
|
|
|
30
|
27
|
Detroit
|
6.9753
|
1
|
6
|
4
|
12
|
17
|
13
|
|
|
31
|
31
|
Jacksonville
|
7.2245
|
2
|
5
|
5
|
11
|
19
|
28
|
|
|
32
|
32
|
Tampa Bay
|
7.9305
|
2
|
4
|
4
|
12
|
30
|
19
|
|
The Bengals are the team 2nd most likely to finish undefeated, although their odds are only at 2.1%, partly due to a rough November schedule, which features a visit to Pittsburgh, which may have Roethlisberger back, and Arizona, which is #2 in the rankings again this week. Cincinnati should be able to maintain their comfortable division lead throughout the season, so a playoff berth seems very likely, but a win in the playoffs is what this team really needs.
It may be strange to see Seattle in the top 10, especially with a losing record, but 3 of their 4 losses have come to teams that are still undefeated, with Green Bay, Carolina, and Cincinnati taking out the Seahawks so far. They dominated San Francisco last Thursday, and they should be able to use the same strong defense to stifle Dallas, which has not been able to throw the ball without Tony Romo on the field.
Playoff Picks
Wild Card
(3) Cardinals over (6) Rams
(5) Falcons over (4) Eagles
(6) Steelers over (3) Broncos
(5) Jets over (4) Colts
Divisional Round
(5) Falcons over (1) Packers
(3) Cardinals over (2) Panthers
(1) Patriots over (6) Steelers
(5) Jets over (2) Bengals
Conference Championships
(3) Cardinals over (5) Falcons
(1) Patriots over (5) Jets
Super Bowl
(3) Cardinals over (1) Patriots
Predictions - 28 Oct
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Washington at Orlando - Wizards by 2
Philadelphia at Boston - Celtics by 18
Chicago at Brooklyn - Bulls by 8
Utah at Detroit - Jazz by 1
Charlotte at Miami - Heat by 7
Indiana at Toronto - Raptors by 6
Denver at Houston - Rockets by 14
Cleveland at Memphis - Grizzlies by 2
New York at Milwaukee - Bucks by 13
San Antonio at Oklahoma City - Spurs by 5
Dallas at Phoenix - Suns by 3
New Orleans at Portland - Trail Blazers by 2
LA Clippers at Sacramento - Clippers by 10
Minnesota at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-2 (.333)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000)
NBA
Washington at Orlando - Wizards by 2
Philadelphia at Boston - Celtics by 18
Chicago at Brooklyn - Bulls by 8
Utah at Detroit - Jazz by 1
Charlotte at Miami - Heat by 7
Indiana at Toronto - Raptors by 6
Denver at Houston - Rockets by 14
Cleveland at Memphis - Grizzlies by 2
New York at Milwaukee - Bucks by 13
San Antonio at Oklahoma City - Spurs by 5
Dallas at Phoenix - Suns by 3
New Orleans at Portland - Trail Blazers by 2
LA Clippers at Sacramento - Clippers by 10
Minnesota at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-2 (.333)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000)
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Predictions - 27 Oct
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Detroit at Atlanta - Hawks by 12
Cleveland at Chicago - Cavaliers by 3
New Orleans at Golden State - Warriors by 10
NBA
Detroit at Atlanta - Hawks by 12
Cleveland at Chicago - Cavaliers by 3
New Orleans at Golden State - Warriors by 10
Monday, October 26, 2015
NBA Preseason Rankings - 2015-2016
Last year I opened the season picking the Los Angeles Clippers to upset Cleveland to win the first championship in their history, and until midway through their second round series, it looked like a real possibility. It turns out that Golden State, their division rival, stepped in and beat LeBron to win the first title for the Warriors in 40 years. Here are my projections for every team's final record and playoff seeding, with my picks for the playoffs and championship below that:
The Clippers were one of the top teams all season long in 2014-2015, but fell apart after taking a 3-1 lead over Houston in the second round last year. In the offseason, their biggest acquisition was Josh Smith, who could be a great addition, but has had problems in his last few stops in the NBA. Even bigger was the resigning of DeAndre Jordan, who was moments away from signing with Dallas before the Clippers stole him back, keeping their starting lineup intact and making them the top team in my preseason rankings.
The New Orleans Pelicans are starting the season in my top 10, projected to reach 50 wins and earn a playoff berth, which will be their 4th straight year of an improving record. Anthony Davis is the early favorite to be this season's MVP, and if he is able to get the Pelicans into the top 4 seeds in the West, he should have a pretty good shot at it.
The Oklahoma City Thunder should be back to normal this year after both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook spent significant time on the sideline with various injuries a season ago. If both perennial MVP candidates are able to stay healthy throughout the season, this could be a championship contender, but they should make the playoffs even if one or the other misses some time.
Playoff Picks
First Round
(1) Cavaliers over (8) Bucks
(2) Hawks over (7) Celtics
(3) Bulls over (6) Heat
(5) Wizards over (4) Raptors
(1) Clippers over (8) Suns
(2) Warriors over (7) Thunder
(3) Spurs over (6) Rockets
(4) Grizzlies over (5) Pelicans
Second Round
(1) Cavaliers over (5) Wizards
(3) Bulls over (2) Hawks
(1) Clippers over (4) Grizzlies
(3) Spurs over (2) Warriors
Conference Finals
(1) Cavaliers over (3) Bulls
(3) Spurs over (1) Clippers
NBA Finals
(3) Spurs over (1) Cavaliers
LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard will lead the way alongside the Medium Three as the Spurs meet LeBron James in the Finals for the 4th time, and James loses in the title round for the 5th time in 7 tries.
|
|
|
|
|
Rec
|
Proj
|
|
||
|
TW
|
LW
|
Team
|
Rating
|
W
|
L
|
W
|
L
|
PO Seed
|
|
1
|
3
|
LA Clippers
|
-11.64
|
|
|
66
|
16
|
W1
|
|
2
|
1
|
Golden State
|
-11.36
|
|
|
66
|
16
|
W2
|
|
3
|
2
|
San Antonio
|
-9.628
|
|
|
63
|
19
|
W3
|
|
4
|
4
|
Cleveland
|
-9.578
|
|
|
65
|
17
|
E1
|
|
5
|
7
|
Memphis
|
-6.821
|
|
|
57
|
25
|
W4
|
|
6
|
6
|
Atlanta
|
-5.853
|
|
|
57
|
25
|
E2
|
|
7
|
9
|
Chicago
|
-4.157
|
|
|
53
|
29
|
E3
|
|
8
|
12
|
New Orleans
|
-3.928
|
|
|
50
|
32
|
W5
|
|
9
|
5
|
Houston
|
-2.948
|
|
|
47
|
35
|
W6
|
|
10
|
11
|
Oklahoma City
|
-2.571
|
|
|
47
|
35
|
W7
|
|
11
|
14
|
Toronto
|
-0.975
|
|
|
45
|
37
|
E4
|
|
12
|
15
|
Washington
|
-0.799
|
|
|
44
|
38
|
E5
|
|
13
|
18
|
Phoenix
|
-0.722
|
|
|
42
|
40
|
W8
|
|
14
|
8
|
Portland
|
-0.588
|
|
|
41
|
41
|
|
|
15
|
10
|
Dallas
|
-0.304
|
|
|
40
|
42
|
|
|
16
|
21
|
Miami
|
-0.172
|
|
|
42
|
40
|
E6
|
|
17
|
17
|
Boston
|
0.5811
|
|
|
41
|
41
|
E7
|
|
18
|
24
|
Sacramento
|
0.8922
|
|
|
38
|
44
|
|
|
19
|
13
|
Utah
|
1.1002
|
|
|
37
|
45
|
|
|
20
|
19
|
Milwaukee
|
1.6204
|
|
|
38
|
44
|
E8
|
|
21
|
16
|
Indiana
|
2.8969
|
|
|
34
|
48
|
|
|
22
|
22
|
Brooklyn
|
3.118
|
|
|
35
|
47
|
|
|
23
|
26
|
Orlando
|
3.2789
|
|
|
34
|
48
|
|
|
24
|
20
|
Detroit
|
3.6431
|
|
|
32
|
50
|
|
|
25
|
25
|
Charlotte
|
4.121
|
|
|
32
|
50
|
|
|
26
|
28
|
Minnesota
|
8.8203
|
|
|
19
|
63
|
|
|
27
|
23
|
Denver
|
8.9124
|
|
|
19
|
63
|
|
|
28
|
27
|
LA Lakers
|
10.63
|
|
|
16
|
66
|
|
|
29
|
30
|
New York
|
12.827
|
|
|
14
|
68
|
|
|
30
|
29
|
Philadelphia
|
15.965
|
|
|
12
|
70
|
|
The Clippers were one of the top teams all season long in 2014-2015, but fell apart after taking a 3-1 lead over Houston in the second round last year. In the offseason, their biggest acquisition was Josh Smith, who could be a great addition, but has had problems in his last few stops in the NBA. Even bigger was the resigning of DeAndre Jordan, who was moments away from signing with Dallas before the Clippers stole him back, keeping their starting lineup intact and making them the top team in my preseason rankings.
The New Orleans Pelicans are starting the season in my top 10, projected to reach 50 wins and earn a playoff berth, which will be their 4th straight year of an improving record. Anthony Davis is the early favorite to be this season's MVP, and if he is able to get the Pelicans into the top 4 seeds in the West, he should have a pretty good shot at it.
The Oklahoma City Thunder should be back to normal this year after both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook spent significant time on the sideline with various injuries a season ago. If both perennial MVP candidates are able to stay healthy throughout the season, this could be a championship contender, but they should make the playoffs even if one or the other misses some time.
Playoff Picks
First Round
(1) Cavaliers over (8) Bucks
(2) Hawks over (7) Celtics
(3) Bulls over (6) Heat
(5) Wizards over (4) Raptors
(1) Clippers over (8) Suns
(2) Warriors over (7) Thunder
(3) Spurs over (6) Rockets
(4) Grizzlies over (5) Pelicans
Second Round
(1) Cavaliers over (5) Wizards
(3) Bulls over (2) Hawks
(1) Clippers over (4) Grizzlies
(3) Spurs over (2) Warriors
Conference Finals
(1) Cavaliers over (3) Bulls
(3) Spurs over (1) Clippers
NBA Finals
(3) Spurs over (1) Cavaliers
LaMarcus Aldridge and Kawhi Leonard will lead the way alongside the Medium Three as the Spurs meet LeBron James in the Finals for the 4th time, and James loses in the title round for the 5th time in 7 tries.
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