Basketball Predictions - 25 Jan

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Minnesota at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 11
Boston at Washington - Celtics by 2
Miami at Chicago - Bulls by 4
Orlando at Memphis - Grizzlies by 2
Houston at New Orleans - Pelicans by 1
Atlanta at Denver - Hawks by 2
Detroit at Utah - Jazz by 1
Charlotte at Sacramento - Kings by 1
San Antonio at Golden State - Warriors by 1

College Basketball

Georgia Southern at Appalachian State - Mountaineers by 5
Penn State at Ohio State - Buckeyes by 11
(20) Duke at (15) Miami (FL) - Hurricanes by 6
Manhattan at Saint Peter's - Peacocks by 11
South Carolina State at Hampton - Pirates by 6
Alabama A&M at Southern - Jaguars by 9
Furman at VMI - Paladins by 7
Abilene Christian at Sam Houston State - Bearkats by 12
Davidson at Richmond - Spiders by 11
Maine at Stony Brook - Seawolves by 30
Lafayette at Bucknell - Bison by 19
NC A&T at Delaware State - Hornets by 3
Northwestern State at Nicholls State - Colonels by 7
Incarnate Word at McNeese State - Cardinals by 4
Central Arkansas at New Orleans - Privateers by 9
Hillsdale Free Will Baptist at Houston Baptist - Huskies by 31
Detroit at Green Bay - Phoenix by 10
Savannah State at Norfolk State - Spartans by 16
Lamar at Stephen F Austin - Lumberjacks by 20
Alabama State at Alcorn State - Braves by 1
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Southern - Tigers by 20
Mississippi Valley State at Prairie View A&M - Panthers by 7
(3) Kansas at (19) Iowa State - Cyclones by 1
Oakland at Milwaukee - Panthers by 3

Pick of the Day

Texas Southern

The Tigers are only 7-11, although that is good enough to be a powerhouse in the SWAC, with a 6-0 start in the conference. They look to continue their conference domination against Arkansas-Pine Bluff next.

Prediction Results

NBA: 3-1 (.750) 431-234 overall (.648)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 45-67 overall (.402)
College Basketball: 27-14 (.659) 2772-840 overall (.767)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 225-220 overall (.506)
Pick of the Day: 66-5 (.930)

Basketball Predictions - 24 Jan

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Dallas at Houston - Rockets by 1
LA Clippers at Toronto - Raptors by 2
Boston at Philadelphia - Celtics by 10
Oklahoma City at Brooklyn - Thunder by 12

College Basketball

(8) SMU at Temple - Mustangs by 8
(22) Purdue at (9) Iowa - Hawkeyes by 3
Tulane at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 20
William & Mary at Hofstra - Pride by 3
UNC Wilmington at Drexel - Seahawks by 6
Gardner-Webb at Radford - Highlanders by 5
Hartford at New Hampshire - Wildcats by 13
UMBC at Vermont - Catamounts by 16
Valparaiso at Northern Kentucky - Crusaders by 10
Youngstown State at Cleveland State - Vikings by 8
Mercer at Western Carolina - Catamounts by 1
Samford at UNC Greensboro - Spartans by 1
Jacksonville State at Morehead State - Eagles by 16
(16) Providence at (4) Villanova - Wildcats by 18
Binghamton at UMass Lowell - River Hawks by 8
East Carolina at Memphis - Tigers by 15
UIC at Wright State - Raiders by 21
Holy Cross at Colgate - Crusaders by 1
Siena at Canisius - Golden Griffins by 1
Marist at Monmouth - Hawks by 24
Bryn Athyn at Princeton - Tigers by 41
Mount St. Mary's at Fairleigh Dickinson - Knights by 6
Florida Gulf Coast at Lipscomb - Eagles by 2
UCF at Tulsa - Golden Hurricane by 11
(2) North Carolina at Virginia Tech - Tar Heels by 8
(21) USC at Oregon State - Trojans by 4
St. Bonaventure at VCU - Rams by 13
Iona at Fairfield - Stags by 2
Marquette at St. John's - Golden Eagles by 5
Dayton at Fordham - Flyers by 5
Quinnipiac at Rider - Broncs by 10
Evansville at Indiana State - Aces by 2
Southern Illinois at Missouri State - Salukis by 1
Sacred Heart at Wagner - Seahawks by 13
Saint Joseph's at La Salle - Hawks by 11
Tennessee State at Belmont - Bruins by 12
Winthrop at Longwood - Eagles by 1
Tennessee-Martin at SE Missouri State - Skyhawks by 8
North Florida at NJIT - Highlanders by 2
Syracuse at (13) Virginia - Cavaliers by 12
Utah at Washington - Huskies by 3

Pick of the Day

Wagner

The Seahawks are off to a pretty good start, and are the only team in the NEC with a winning overall record, and today they are hosting Sacred Heart, which has 4 total wins this season.

Prediction Results

NBA: 3-5 (.375) 428-233 overall (.648)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 44-67 overall (.396)
College Basketball: 75-36 (.676) 2745-826 overall (.769)
Upsets: 9-11 (.450) 225-218 overall (.508)
Pick of the Day: 66-4 (.943)

NBA Rankings - 23 Jan

The Sacramento Kings have been the hottest team over the past week, with 4 straight wins, including wins over the Hawks, Jazz, and Clippers, and they are now projected to finish at #8 in the West this season, which would earn them a playoff berth for the first time in 10 years. Here are this week's full rankings:

				Rec		Proj
TW	LW	Team	Rating	W	L	W	L	PO Seed
1	1	San Antonio	-12.95	38	6	70	12	W2
2	2	Golden State	-11.1	40	4	71	11	W1
3	3	Oklahoma City	-7.038	33	12	58	24	W3
4	4	Cleveland	-5.366	30	11	59	23	E1
5	6	Toronto	-3.794	28	15	53	29	E2
6	5	LA Clippers	-3.66	28	15	52	30	W4
7	8	Boston	-2.794	23	21	46	36	E5
8	7	Indiana	-2.794	23	20	47	35	E3
9	10	Atlanta	-1.954	23	17	47	35	E4
10	9	Detroit	-1.685	23	20	45	37	E6
11	11	Charlotte	-0.638	20	23	42	40	E8
12	15	Utah	-0.41	19	24	39	43	W7
13	13	Chicago	-0.27	24	18	45	37	E7
14	14	Dallas	-0.151	25	20	43	39	W5
15	21	Sacramento	0.715	19	23	39	43	W8
16	12	Miami	0.727	23	21	41	41
17	19	Washington	1.088	20	21	40	42
18	20	Houston	1.101	23	22	39	43
19	17	Portland	1.394	19	26	35	47
20	16	New York	1.504	22	23	39	43
21	22	Memphis	1.831	25	19	42	40	W6
22	18	Orlando	1.923	20	22	36	46
23	23	New Orleans	2.098	15	27	33	49
24	24	Denver	3.036	16	27	32	50
25	26	Milwaukee	3.379	19	26	34	48
26	27	Minnesota	4.447	13	31	26	56
27	25	Phoenix	5.025	13	31	26	56
28	28	Brooklyn	7.312	11	33	21	61
29	29	LA Lakers	8.924	9	36	17	65
30	30	Philadelphia	9.579	6	38	14	68

Playoff Picks

First Round

(1) Cavaliers over (8) Hornets
(2) Raptors over (7) Bulls
(6) Pistons over (3) Pacers
(5) Celtics over (4) Hawks
(1) Warriors over (8) Kings
(2) Spurs over (7) Jazz
(3) Thunder over (6) Grizzlies
(4) Clippers over (5) Mavericks

Second Round

(1) Cavaliers over (5) Celtics
(2) Raptors over (6) Pistons
(1) Warriors over (4) Clippers
(2) Spurs over (3) Thunder

Conference Finals

(2) Raptors over (1) Cavaliers
(2) Spurs over (1) Warriors

NBA Finals

(2) Spurs over (2) Raptors

NFL Playoff Odds - 23 Jan

This weekend the participants in Super Bowl 50 will be determined from among the 4 remaining teams, so I've recalculated each remaining team's odds based on every game they've played so far and all remaining possible matchups. Here they are:

Odds of Making Super Bowl

1. Broncos - 56.8% (+33.0)
2. Cardinals - 51.5% (+11.7)
3. Panthers - 48.5% (+26.0)
4. Patriots - 43.2% (+24.4)

The Cardinals had the smallest increase in probability this week, partly due to their close win over Green Bay, who they were favored to beat handily, while the other 3 were all picked to lose close games but came through at home.

Odds of Winning Super Bowl

1. Cardinals - 32.8% (+9.1)
2. Panthers - 27.0% (+16.1)
3. Broncos - 22.9% (+13.7)
4. Patriots - 17.4% (+10.4)

The two NFC teams have the best odds of winning this season's championship, but the AFC teams, both led by former champion quarterbacks, cannot be counted out.

My Picks

Conference Championships

(1) Broncos over (2) Patriots
(2) Cardinals over (1) Panthers

Super Bowl

(2) Cardinals over (1) Broncos

Basketball Predictions - 23 Jan

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

New York at Charlotte - Hornets by 4
Milwaukee at New Orleans - Pelicans by 4
Memphis at Minnesota - Grizzlies by 1
Chicago at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 7
Atlanta at Phoenix - Hawks by 5
Detroit at Denver - Pistons by 2
LA Lakers at Portland - Trail Blazers by 10
Indiana at Sacramento - Pacers by 1

College Basketball

Ball State at Eastern Michigan - Eagles by 8
Georgetown at Connecticut - Huskies by 10
(24) South Carolina at Tennessee - Volunteers by 3
(1) Oklahoma at (13) Baylor - Bears by 1
High Point at Liberty - Panthers by 7
Saint Louis at Massachusetts - Minutemen by 8
Boston College at Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 22
Northwestern at (25) Indiana - Hoosiers by 13
Wake Forest at (15) Miami (FL) - Hurricanes by 20
Jacksonville State at Morehead State - Eagles by 16
Bucknell at Boston U - Bison by 1
(6) West Virginia at Texas Tech - Mountaineers by 7
Towson at Northeastern - Huskies by 9
Fresno State at Air Force - Bulldogs by 4
LSU at Alabama - Crimson Tide by 3
Ole Miss at Mississippi State - Bulldogs by 7
Texas at (3) Kansas - Jayhawks by 13
Oakland at Green Bay - Phoenix by 5
Michigan at Nebraska - Wolverines by 1
(20) Duke at NC State - Blue Devils by 4
Jacksonville at USC Upstate - Spartans by 1
Seton Hall at (5) Xavier - Musketeers by 13
Navy at Army - Black Knights by 5
Marshall at Old Dominion - Monarchs by 9
Bethune-Cookman at Maryland-Eastern Shore - Hawks by 4
Drake at Loyola (CHI) - Ramblers by 6
Tennessee Tech at Eastern Kentucky - Colonels by 1
FAU at UTSA - Owls by 2
North Dakota State at Western Illinois - Leathernecks by 1
Bradley at Wichita State - Shockers by 33
St. Francis (BKN) at LIU Brooklyn - Blackbirds by 6
Utah Valley at Chicago State - Wolverines by 1
St. Francis (PA) at Central Connecticut - Red Flash by 7
Northern Colorado at Northern Arizona - Lumberjacks by 1
Boise State at Wyoming - Broncos by 3
Missouri at (10) Texas A&M - Aggies by 23
Vanderbilt at (23) Kentucky - Wildcats by 2
(19) Iowa State at TCU - Cyclones by 7
Delaware at Charleston - Cougars by 16
Gardner-Webb at Radford - Highlanders by 5
South Florida at Houston - Cougars by 20
Pittsburgh at Florida State - Seminoles by 2
(17) Louisville at Georgia Tech - Cardinals by 7
Gonzaga at Pacific - Bulldogs by 8
Kent State at Bowling Green - Falcons by 2
Detroit at Milwaukee - Panthers by 12
Columbia at Cornell - Lions by 1
Northern Iowa at Illinois State - Panthers by 1
UCLA at Oregon - Ducks by 9
Robert Morris at Bryant - Bulldogs by 3
Sacred Heart at Wagner - Seahawks by 13
The Citadel at East Tennessee State - Buccaneers by 17
Wofford at Furman - Paladins by 11
Central Arkansas at Nicholls State - Colonels by 5
Northwestern State at McNeese State - Cowboys by 7
Idaho at Montana State - Vandals by 1
Stetson at Kennesaw State - Owls by 7
Presbyterian at UNC Asheville - Bulldogs by 20
Ohio at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 2
Buffalo at Western Michigan - Broncos by 1
Florida Gulf Coast at Lipscomb - Eagles by 2
South Alabama at Louisiana Monroe - Warhawks by 10
New Mexico at San Jose State - Lobos by 7
South Dakota State at South Dakota - Jackrabbits by 4
Arkansas State at Texas State - Bobcats by 7
Abilene Christian at Incarnate Word - Cardinals by 11
Coastal Carolina at Charleston Southern - Chanticleers by 1
Houston Baptist at Lamar - Huskies by 3
Utah State at San Diego State - Aztecs by 10
North Dakota at Southern Utah - Fighting Hawks by 4
San Diego at Loyola Marymount - Lions by 11
Arkansas at Georgia - Bulldogs by 1
Rice at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 16
Western Kentucky at Charlotte - 49ers by 3
Savannah State at Hampton - Pirates by 14
South Carolina State at Norfolk State - Spartans by 6
Alabama State at Southern - Jaguars by 14
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Prairie View A&M - Panthers by 8
Cal Poly at Cal State Fullerton - Titans by 2
(7) Maryland at (11) Michigan State - Spartans by 8
Alabama A&M at Alcorn State - Bulldogs by 3
Grambling State at Jackson State - JSU Tigers by 14
Long Beach State at UC Riverside - 49ers by 2
Oklahoma State at Kansas State - Wildcats by 7
James Madison at Elon - Dukes by 1
Harvard at Dartmouth - Big Green by 2
CS Northridge at UC Santa Barbara - Gauchos by 15
Miami (OH) at Akron - Zips by 17
Sam Houston State at Stephen F Austin - Lumberjacks by 14
IUPUI at IPFW - Mastodons by 12
Troy at Louisiana Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 16
(18) Butler at Creighton - Bluejays by 1
New Orleans at Texas A&M-CC - Islanders by 12
BYU at Pepperdine - Cougars by 2
Auburn at Florida - Gators by 16
Marquette at St. John's - Golden Eagles by 5
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss - Bulldogs by 9
North Texas at UAB - Blazers by 20
Omaha at Oral Roberts - Golden Eagles by 2
Eastern Illinois at Austin Peay - Governors by 8
SIU Edwardsville at Murray State - Racers by 11
Grand Canyon at UMKC - Antelopes by 5
Arkansas-Little Rock at UT Arlington - Mavericks by 9
Illinois at Minnesota - Gophers by 1
(12) Arizona at California - Wildcats by 1
Mississippi Valley State at Texas Southern - Tigers by 21
Weber State at Idaho State - Wildcats by 12
Eastern Washington at Montana - Grizzlies by 5
Colorado at Washington State - Buffaloes by 4
FIU at UTEP - Miners by 7
UNLV at Nevada - Rebels by 1
New Mexico State at CSU Bakersfield - Roadrunners by 5
UT Rio Grande at Seattle - Redhawks by 13
Portland State at Sacramento State - Hornets by 9
Arizona State at Stanford - Cardinal by 4
Portland at Saint Mary's - Gaels by 23
UC Davis at Hawaii - Warriors by 16

Pick of the Day

Texas A&M

The Aggies have won 9 games in a row on their way to a #10 ranking by the AP, and their next opponent is Missouri, which is in the basement of the SEC, meaning they should run their conference record to 7-0.

Prediction Results

NBA: 9-0 (1.000) 425-228 overall (.671)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 43-67 overall (.391)
College Basketball: 8-2 (.800) 2670-790 overall (.772)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 216-207 overall (.511)
Pick of the Day: 65-4 (.942)

Basketball Predictions - 22 Jan

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Charlotte at Orlando - Hornets by 1
Chicago at Boston - Celtics by 5
Utah at Brooklyn - Jazz by 5
LA Clippers at New York - Clippers by 2
Miami at Toronto - Raptors by 6
Milwaukee at Houston - Rockets by 4
Oklahoma City at Dallas - Thunder by 5
Indiana at Golden State - Warriors by 10
San Antonio at LA Lakers - Spurs by 20

College Basketball

Duquesne at George Mason - Patriots by 3
Rhode Island at George Washington - Colonials by 8
Toledo at Northern Illinois - Huskies by 3
Valparaiso at Wright State - Crusaders by 8
Canisius at Niagara - Golden Griffins by 1
Fairfield at Marist - Stags by 1
Saint Peter's at Iona - Gaels by 8
UIC at Northern Kentucky - Norse by 18
Yale at Brown - Bulldogs by 8
Albany at Stony Brook - Seawolves by 14

Pick of the Day

Northern Kentucky

The Norse are probably the worst team I've picked this year, with a 6-11 record so far, but they just upset Oakland on the road and are hosting 2-15 UIC tonight, so maybe they can win 2 straight for the second time this year.

Prediction Results

NBA: 2-3 (.400) 416-228 overall (.646)
Upsets: 0-3 (.000) 42-67 overall (.385)
College Basketball: 49-17 (.743) 2662-788 overall (.772)
Upsets: 5-4 (.556) 216-206 overall (.512)
Pick of the Day: 64-4 (.941)

Basketball Predictions - 21 Jan

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

LA Clippers at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 4
Detroit at New Orleans - Pistons by 3
Memphis at Denver - Nuggets by 1
Atlanta at Sacramento - Hawks by 1
San Antonio at Phoenix - Spurs by 15

College Basketball

Charleston at Towson - Tigers by 3
Florida Gulf Coast at Kennesaw State - Eagles by 3
Chattanooga at UNC Greensboro - Mocs by 7
Jacksonville at NJIT - Highlanders by 10
(23) Kentucky at Arkansas - Razorbacks by 5
Delaware at UNC Wilmington - Seahawks by 19
Drexel at James Madison - Dukes by 16
Memphis at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 12
(9) Iowa at Rutgers - Hawkeyes by 25
Vermont at Binghamton - Catamounts by 9
New Hampshire at UMass Lowell - River Hawks by 1
Hartford at UMBC - Retrievers by 10
North Florida at USC Upstate - Ospreys by 8
Elon at William & Mary - Tribe by 12
Marshall at Charlotte - Thundering Herd by 1
Western Kentucky at Old Dominion - Monarchs by 13
North Dakota State at IPFW - Mastodons by 6
Rider at Siena - Saints by 13
St. Francis (PA) at Bryant - Bulldogs by 3
Mount St. Mary's at Sacred Heart - Pioneers by 1
Robert Morris at Central Connecticut - Colonials by 5
Mercer at East Tennessee State - Buccaneers by 7
Samford at VMI - Bulldogs by 4
Wagner at St. Francis (BKN) - Terriers by 2
LIU at Fairleigh Dickinson - Knights by 7
Jacksonville State at Eastern Kentucky - Colonels by 10
Tennessee Tech at Morehead State - Eagles by 6
Georgia State at Appalachian State - Mountaineers by 1
Stetson at Lipscomb - Bisons by 9
North Texas at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 15
The Citadel at Western Carolina - Catamounts by 13
Troy at Louisiana Monroe - Warhawks by 10
Hofstra at Northeastern - Huskies by 6
Wisconsin at Penn State - Badgers by 2
FIU at UTSA - Golden Panthers by 7
Monmouth at Manhattan - Hawks by 12
SIU Edwardsville at Austin Peay - Governors by 8
Eastern Illinois at Murray State - Racers by 11
South Dakota State at Oral Roberts - Jackrabbits by 1
Utah Valley at UMKC - Kangaroos by 7
Grand Canyon at Chicago State - Antelopes by 8
Arkansas State at UT Arlington - Mavericks by 20
South Alabama at Louisiana Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 17
Arkansas Little Rock at Texas State - Trojans by 6
North Dakota at Northern Arizona - Fighting Hawks by 1
Northern Colorado at Southern Utah - Thunderbirds by 5
Idaho at Montana - Grizzlies by 6
San Diego at Pepperdine - Waves by 17
Arizona State at California - Golden Bears by 8
Rice at UAB - Blazers by 20
Ohio State at (22) Purdue - Boilermakers by 21
UT Rio Grande at CSU Bakersfield - Roadrunners by 24
Belmont at Tennessee Martin - Bruins by 1
Omaha at Denver - Mavericks by 1
(21) USC at Oregon - Ducks by 2
FAU at UTEP - Miners by 13
Eastern Washington at Montana State - Eagles by 2
Cal Poly at CS Northridge - Mustangs by 1
New Mexico State at Seattle - Aggies by 5
Portland at Pacific - Tigers by 7
UC Riverside at UC Davis - Aggies by 4
BYU at Loyola Marymount - Cougars by 7
San Francisco at Santa Clara - Broncos by 3
Gonzaga at Saint Mary's - Gaels by 9
(12) Arizona at Stanford - Wildcats by 3
Utah at Washington State - Utes by 2

Pick of the Day

CSU Bakersfield

The Roadrunners are off to a 3-0 start in the WAC, and they are getting ready to host UT Rio Grande Valley, which has won 2 in a row, but both came against the worst teams in the conference. They won't make it 3 in a row.

Prediction Results

NBA: 10-1 (.909) 414-225 overall (.648)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 42-64 overall (.396)
College Basketball: 26-13 (.667) 2613-771 overall (.772)
Upsets: 3-3 (.500) 211-202 overall (.511)
Pick of the Day: 63-4 (.940)