We're a month into the regular season, and the Washington Wizards have already won a game. The San Antonio Spurs used a strategy they've been using for years to rest their aging stars and were find $250,000 for it, and kept themselves from taking over the top spot in the process. 40% of the teams in the league are within 2 games of .500, which leaves a lot of room for teams to shuffle around. Here are my current rankings for each team, with teams grouped by similar level of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall)
1. (7) Oklahoma City (3-0) (12-4)
2. (5) New York (2-1) (10-4)
3. (1) Memphis (2-0) (11-2)
4. (4) San Antonio (3-1) (13-4)
5. (2) Miami (2-0) (11-3)
6. (9) Brooklyn (3-0) (10-4)
7. (3) LA Clippers (1-2) (9-6)
8. (12) LA Lakers (1-1) (7-8)
9. (6) Denver (1-2) (8-8)
10. (8) Houston (1-1) (7-8)
11. (10) Atlanta (2-0) (9-4)
12. (16) Chicago (2-1) (7-7)
13. (13) Golden State (2-0) (9-6)
14. (11) Utah (2-1) (9-7)
15. (24) Detroit (2-1) (5-11)
16. (17) Indiana (1-0) (7-8)
17. (20) Boston (1-1) (8-7)
18. (14) Milwaukee (1-2) (7-6)
19. (21) Minnesota (1-2) (6-8)
20. (19) Philadelphia (2-1) (9-6)
21. (22) Portland (0-3) (6-9)
22. (27) Sacramento (1-1) (4-10)
23. (28) New Orleans (1-2) (4-10)
24. (15) Dallas (0-3) (7-9)
25. (26) Toronto (0-3) (3-13)
26. (25) Cleveland (0-3) (3-12)
27. (23) Orlando (0-2) (5-9)
28. (18) Phoenix (1-2) (7-9)
29. (29) Charlotte (1-2) (7-7)
30. (30) Washington (1-2) (1-12)
Oklahoma City has started out their latest homestand in impressive style, blasting Charlotte 114-69 on Monday, then outplaying Houston by 22 points on Wednesday. They close out their homestand tonight against Utah, which should be another double-digit victory for a team that seems to be coming together after struggling a little early on after the last-second trade of James Harden right before the season started.
After an 0-8 start, the Detroit Pistons have started to turn things around, going 5-3 since that point and blowing out the Phoenix Suns by 40 points a couple nights ago. They are still struggling on the road, winning just one game away from Detroit, and they probably won't get #2 tonight, as they are in Memphis facing the team with the league's best record. Maybe tomorrow in Dallas will be a little more favorable.
Since upsetting the Knicks a week ago, the Dallas Mavericks have struggled, losing 3 in a row, two of them by very large margins. Rumor has it that Derek Fisher will be joining the team this week, but he's not going to be the answer they need. What they really need is for Dirk Nowitzki to come back healthy, but the shortest timetable for his return is still 3 weeks, and with the way they're playing without him, they had better hope it doesn't take much longer than that to get their star back on the court.
Memphis didn't lose a game this week, but their poor showing against Cleveland coupled with Oklahoma City's dominance in their wins worked together to knock the Grizzlies from the top of the rankings. The Grizz are still one of the best teams in the league, and they will get the chance to prove it tomorrow in San Antonio, where the Spurs' star players will be well rested after last night's controversial decision by Gregg Popovich to send his 4 best players home to rest before Memphis arrived.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Phoenix at Toronto - Raptors by 4
Philadelphia at Charlotte - 76ers by 3
Brooklyn at Orlando - Nets by 8
Portland at Boston - Celtics by 5
Washington at New York - Knicks by 22
Cleveland at Atlanta - Hawks by 10
Detroit at Memphis - Grizzlies by 13
Utah at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 12
Milwaukee at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 3
Indiana at Sacramento - Pacers by 1
Denver at LA Lakers - Lakers by 3
College Basketball
Oregon State at (10) Kansas - Jayhawks by 13
(6) Syracuse at Arkansas - Orange by 21
Tennessee at (20) Georgetown - Hoyas by 4
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-1 (.500) 145-76 overall (.656)
College Basketball: 3-1 (.750) 176-43 overall (.804)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Basketball Predictions - 29 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
San Antonio at Miami - Spurs by 1
Denver at Golden State - Warriors by 1
College Basketball
Marquette at (7) Florida - Gators by 19
(8) Kentucky at Notre Dame - Wildcats by 7
Lewis-Clark State at (12) Gonzaga - Bulldogs
Middle Tennessee at Louisiana-Lafayette - Blue Raiders by 9
Prediction Results
NBA: 9-2 (.818) 144-75 overall (.658)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 30-21 overall (.588)
College Basketball: 7-3 (.700) 173-42 overall (.805)
NBA
San Antonio at Miami - Spurs by 1
Denver at Golden State - Warriors by 1
College Basketball
Marquette at (7) Florida - Gators by 19
(8) Kentucky at Notre Dame - Wildcats by 7
Lewis-Clark State at (12) Gonzaga - Bulldogs
Middle Tennessee at Louisiana-Lafayette - Blue Raiders by 9
Prediction Results
NBA: 9-2 (.818) 144-75 overall (.658)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 30-21 overall (.588)
College Basketball: 7-3 (.700) 173-42 overall (.805)
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
NFL Rankings - 28 Nov
The top teams proved it this week, taking care of their foes in impressive fashion to maintain the top spots in the rankings, and the bottom teams did likewise, showing exactly why they've been sitting in the cellar for weeks. Houston and Atlanta each improved to 10-1, although neither is ranked in my top 4 due to the weakness of most of their recent wins. Here are my current rankings for each team, with teams grouped by similar levels of performance and ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (1) New England (8-3) W (5)
2. (2) San Francisco (8-2-1) W (3)
3. (7) Chicago (8-3) W (6)
4. (3) Denver (8-3) W (7)
5. (4) Houston (10-1) W (1)
6. (11) NY Giants (7-4) W (8)
7. (6) Seattle (6-5) L (14)
8. (8) Baltimore (9-2) W (4)
9. (9) Atlanta (10-1) W (2)
10. (5) Green Bay (7-4) L (9)
11. (10) Tampa Bay (6-5) L (12)
12. (12) Cincinnati (6-5) W (11)
13. (19) Washington (5-6) W (17)
14. (14) New Orleans (5-6) L (15)
15. (13) Minnesota (6-5) L (16)
16. (15) Dallas (5-6) L (19)
17. (17) Detroit (4-7) L (20)
18. (20) Pittsburgh (6-5) L (14)
19. (16) San Diego (4-7) L (22)
20. (23) Saint Louis (4-6-1) W (21)
21. (24) Carolina (3-8) W (28)
22. (21) NY Jets (4-7) L (23)
23. (28) Miami (5-6) W (18)
24. (25) Cleveland (3-8) W (27)
25. (18) Arizona (4-7) L (25)
26. (22) Buffalo (4-7) L (24)
27. (27) Tennessee (4-7) L (26)
28. (26) Indianapolis (7-4) W (10)
29. (30) Jacksonville (2-9) W (31)
30. (29) Philadelphia (3-8) L (30)
31. (31) Kansas City (1-10) L (32)
32. (32) Oakland (3-8) L (29)
The Washington Redskins have won two in a row against division foes after outlasting the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, and it was the second quarter that made the difference. Down 3-0 at the end of the first period, Washington scored on a 68-yard pass just over a minute into the second, then scored 3 more touchdowns in the period, with the final one coming 5 seconds before halftime. Not only did they put up 28 points in that period, they held the home team scoreless, giving the Skins a 28-3 halftime advantage on the road. The Cowboys did make a run, but it was too little, too late.
The team trying to prevent the Redskins from earning 3 straight division wins was just as good on Sunday, maybe better. The New York Giants dominated the Green Bay Packers, doing it with offense in the first half and defense in the second half, finishing up with a nice 38-10 victory over a team fighting for its division lead. The losses to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati weren't pretty, but it looks like the Giants can turn it on when they need to, which is how they won the Super Bowl.
What made New York's victory even more impressive was the fact that Green Bay had been on a 5-game winning streak, which started with Houston's only loss of the season. The Packers seem to be able to beat anybody the want except for the Giants, which is something they will have to address before the playoffs if they don't want a repeat of last season's disappointment.
The Arizona Cardinals just lost their 7th straight game, making their 4-0 start only a distant memory, and they are looking at the potential of a 12-game losing streak to end the season. The only remaining game where they may be favored is December 16th, when they host the Detroit Lions, but if they are on a 9-game losing streak at that point, as expected, the oddsmakers will probably go with the visiting team that weekend.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
New Orleans at Atlanta - Falcons by 8
Sunday
Jacksonville at Buffalo - Bills by 9
Seattle at Chicago - Bears by 6
Indianapolis at Detroit - Lions by 9
Minnesota at Green Bay - Packers by 7
Houston at Tennessee - Texans by 9
Carolina at Kansas City - Panthers by 7
San Francisco at Saint Louis - 49ers by 11
New England at Miami - Patriots by 16
Arizona at NY Jets - Jets by 5
Tampa Bay at Denver - Broncos by 8
Cleveland at Oakland - Browns by 7
Cincinnati at San Diego - Chargers by 1
Pittsburgh at Baltimore - Ravens by 9
Philadelphia at Dallas - Cowboys by 13
Monday
NY Giants at Washington - Giants by 2
NBA
Portland at Washington - Trail Blazers by 4
San Antonio at Orlando - Spurs by 9
Phoenix at Detroit - Pistons by 1
Brooklyn at Boston - Nets by 2
Charlotte at Atlanta - Hawks by 15
Dallas at Chicago - Bulls by 7
New York at Milwaukee - Knicks by 4
Toronto at Memphis - Grizzlies by 15
Utah at New Orleans - Hornets by 1
Houston at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 6
Minnesota at LA Clippers - Clippers by 9
College Basketball
(4) Ohio State at (2) Duke - Blue Devils by 4
Northern Arizona at (9) Arizona - Wildcats by 11
Boise State at (11) Creighton - Bluejays by 18
(13) Michigan State at Miami - Spartans by 2
Georgia Tech at (22) Illinois - Fighting Illini by 11
UC-Irvine at (24) UNLV - Rebels by 29
Mercer at (25) New Mexico - Lobos by 21
Virginia at Wisconsin - Badgers by 15
Saint Bonaventure at Ohio - Bobcats by 18
Tulsa at Wichita State - Shockers by 22
Prediction Results
NFL: 10-6 (.625) 111-64 overall (.634)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 16-14 overall (.533)
NBA: 2-3 (.400) 135-73 overall (.649)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 28-20 overall (.583)
College Basketball: 4-2 (.667) 166-39 overall (.810)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 12-17 overall (.414)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (1) New England (8-3) W (5)
2. (2) San Francisco (8-2-1) W (3)
3. (7) Chicago (8-3) W (6)
4. (3) Denver (8-3) W (7)
5. (4) Houston (10-1) W (1)
6. (11) NY Giants (7-4) W (8)
7. (6) Seattle (6-5) L (14)
8. (8) Baltimore (9-2) W (4)
9. (9) Atlanta (10-1) W (2)
10. (5) Green Bay (7-4) L (9)
11. (10) Tampa Bay (6-5) L (12)
12. (12) Cincinnati (6-5) W (11)
13. (19) Washington (5-6) W (17)
14. (14) New Orleans (5-6) L (15)
15. (13) Minnesota (6-5) L (16)
16. (15) Dallas (5-6) L (19)
17. (17) Detroit (4-7) L (20)
18. (20) Pittsburgh (6-5) L (14)
19. (16) San Diego (4-7) L (22)
20. (23) Saint Louis (4-6-1) W (21)
21. (24) Carolina (3-8) W (28)
22. (21) NY Jets (4-7) L (23)
23. (28) Miami (5-6) W (18)
24. (25) Cleveland (3-8) W (27)
25. (18) Arizona (4-7) L (25)
26. (22) Buffalo (4-7) L (24)
27. (27) Tennessee (4-7) L (26)
28. (26) Indianapolis (7-4) W (10)
29. (30) Jacksonville (2-9) W (31)
30. (29) Philadelphia (3-8) L (30)
31. (31) Kansas City (1-10) L (32)
32. (32) Oakland (3-8) L (29)
The Washington Redskins have won two in a row against division foes after outlasting the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day, and it was the second quarter that made the difference. Down 3-0 at the end of the first period, Washington scored on a 68-yard pass just over a minute into the second, then scored 3 more touchdowns in the period, with the final one coming 5 seconds before halftime. Not only did they put up 28 points in that period, they held the home team scoreless, giving the Skins a 28-3 halftime advantage on the road. The Cowboys did make a run, but it was too little, too late.
The team trying to prevent the Redskins from earning 3 straight division wins was just as good on Sunday, maybe better. The New York Giants dominated the Green Bay Packers, doing it with offense in the first half and defense in the second half, finishing up with a nice 38-10 victory over a team fighting for its division lead. The losses to Pittsburgh and Cincinnati weren't pretty, but it looks like the Giants can turn it on when they need to, which is how they won the Super Bowl.
What made New York's victory even more impressive was the fact that Green Bay had been on a 5-game winning streak, which started with Houston's only loss of the season. The Packers seem to be able to beat anybody the want except for the Giants, which is something they will have to address before the playoffs if they don't want a repeat of last season's disappointment.
The Arizona Cardinals just lost their 7th straight game, making their 4-0 start only a distant memory, and they are looking at the potential of a 12-game losing streak to end the season. The only remaining game where they may be favored is December 16th, when they host the Detroit Lions, but if they are on a 9-game losing streak at that point, as expected, the oddsmakers will probably go with the visiting team that weekend.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
New Orleans at Atlanta - Falcons by 8
Sunday
Jacksonville at Buffalo - Bills by 9
Seattle at Chicago - Bears by 6
Indianapolis at Detroit - Lions by 9
Minnesota at Green Bay - Packers by 7
Houston at Tennessee - Texans by 9
Carolina at Kansas City - Panthers by 7
San Francisco at Saint Louis - 49ers by 11
New England at Miami - Patriots by 16
Arizona at NY Jets - Jets by 5
Tampa Bay at Denver - Broncos by 8
Cleveland at Oakland - Browns by 7
Cincinnati at San Diego - Chargers by 1
Pittsburgh at Baltimore - Ravens by 9
Philadelphia at Dallas - Cowboys by 13
Monday
NY Giants at Washington - Giants by 2
NBA
Portland at Washington - Trail Blazers by 4
San Antonio at Orlando - Spurs by 9
Phoenix at Detroit - Pistons by 1
Brooklyn at Boston - Nets by 2
Charlotte at Atlanta - Hawks by 15
Dallas at Chicago - Bulls by 7
New York at Milwaukee - Knicks by 4
Toronto at Memphis - Grizzlies by 15
Utah at New Orleans - Hornets by 1
Houston at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 6
Minnesota at LA Clippers - Clippers by 9
College Basketball
(4) Ohio State at (2) Duke - Blue Devils by 4
Northern Arizona at (9) Arizona - Wildcats by 11
Boise State at (11) Creighton - Bluejays by 18
(13) Michigan State at Miami - Spartans by 2
Georgia Tech at (22) Illinois - Fighting Illini by 11
UC-Irvine at (24) UNLV - Rebels by 29
Mercer at (25) New Mexico - Lobos by 21
Virginia at Wisconsin - Badgers by 15
Saint Bonaventure at Ohio - Bobcats by 18
Tulsa at Wichita State - Shockers by 22
Prediction Results
NFL: 10-6 (.625) 111-64 overall (.634)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 16-14 overall (.533)
NBA: 2-3 (.400) 135-73 overall (.649)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 28-20 overall (.583)
College Basketball: 4-2 (.667) 166-39 overall (.810)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 12-17 overall (.414)
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Basketball Predictions - 27 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Phoenix at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 3
Dallas at Philadelphia - 76ers by 4
Toronto at Houston - Rockets by 10
Minnesota at Sacramento - Kings by 5
Indiana at LA Lakers - Lakers by 9
College Basketball
(14) North Carolina at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 19
(18) North Carolina State at (3) Michigan - Wolverines by 21
Texas Southern at (19) Colorado - Buffaloes by 23
(21) Minnesota at Florida State - Seminoles by 1
Howard at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 36
Maryland at Northwestern - Wildcats by 15
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-3 (.625) 133-70 overall (.655)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 28-18 overall (.609)
College Basketball: 2-0 (1.000) 162-37 overall (.814)
NBA
Phoenix at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 3
Dallas at Philadelphia - 76ers by 4
Toronto at Houston - Rockets by 10
Minnesota at Sacramento - Kings by 5
Indiana at LA Lakers - Lakers by 9
College Basketball
(14) North Carolina at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 19
(18) North Carolina State at (3) Michigan - Wolverines by 21
Texas Southern at (19) Colorado - Buffaloes by 23
(21) Minnesota at Florida State - Seminoles by 1
Howard at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 36
Maryland at Northwestern - Wildcats by 15
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-3 (.625) 133-70 overall (.655)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 28-18 overall (.609)
College Basketball: 2-0 (1.000) 162-37 overall (.814)
Monday, November 26, 2012
College Basketball Rankings - 26 Nov
The college basketball season has been on for just over 2 weeks, and already only 33 teams are still undefeated, or less than 10% of the nation. Among them is my preseason #1, Ohio, and the AP preseason #1, Indiana. There are a few surprises among my initial top 25 of the regular season, and quite a few of the old standbys. Here are those 25 teams, grouped by similar level of performance and with each team's AP rank in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) (AP)
1. (21) Gonzaga (6-0) (12)
2. (NR) Ole Miss (5-0) (NR)
3. (NR) Florida (5-0) (7)
4. (NR) Michigan (5-0) (3)
5. (NR) Syracuse (4-0) (6)
6. (NR) Pittsburgh (5-1) (NR)
7. (NR) Cincinnati (6-0) (17)
8. (4) Indiana (6-0) (1)
9. (16) Ohio State (4-0) (4)
10. (NR) Oklahoma State (5-0) (15)
11. (NR) Middle Tennessee (4-1) (NR)
12. (8) Creighton (6-0) (11)
13. (NR) UNLV (3-1) (24)
14. (NR) Stephen F Austin (4-0) (NR)
15. (NR) Kansas (4-1) (10)
16. (15) Duke (6-0) (2)
17. (NR) Akron (3-2) (NR)
18. (7) Wisconsin (4-2) (NR)
19. (NR) Illinois State (5-1) (NR)
20. (NR) Colorado State (4-0) (NR)
21. (2) Saint Joseph's (3-1) (NR)
22. (1) Ohio (5-0) (NR)
23. (NR) Iowa State (4-2) (NR)
24. (NR) West Virginia (1-3) (NR)
25. (NR) Northwestern (6-0) (NR)
Dropped Out
(13) Minnesota (6-1) (21)
(6) Kansas State (5-1) (NR)
(5) Notre Dame (6-1) (NR)
(12) VCU (3-3) (NR)
(23) Bucknell (5-1) (NR)
(3) Davidson (3-3) (NR)
(25) Louisville (5-1) (5)
(9) Saint Louis (3-2) (NR)
(24) Savannah State (4-3) (NR)
(17) Miami (3-1) (NR)
(19) Drexel (2-4) (NR)
(18) Memphis (3-2) (NR)
(20) USC-Upstate (2-4) (NR)
(10) Massachusetts (2-2) (NR)
(14) Northern Iowa (3-3) (NR)
(11) South Dakota State (4-2) (NR)
(22) Mercer (3-3) (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Big 10 - 5
Big East - 4
Big 12 - 3
SEC - 2
MVC - 2
MWC - 2
MAC - 2
WCC - 1
Sun Belt - 1
Southland - 1
ACC - 1
Atl 10 - 1
Gonzaga won the Old Spice Classic yesterday with 3 straight victories by an average of 16 points, two over teams from major conferences. Prior to that, they won their first three games by at least 34 points, and only Clemson has come within 10 points of them all season. Senior forward Elias Harris has been great, averaging 15.7 points per game this season and nearly 18 points per game in the Old Spice Classic. He is doing it by shooting nearly 56% from the field, and he is also grabbing 9 boards per game, and the Bulldogs are looking to be even better than usual this year.
The Ole Miss Rebels haven't yet been noticed by the national voters, getting only one vote in the coaches poll and none in the AP, but they are currently #5 in the nation in scoring, reaching 90 in all but one game so far. They are doing that without having a single player averaging over 17 points per game, and only 3 players scoring in double figures. This is a very balanced squad that could prove to be a surprise in the SEC.
Indiana has taken down all challengers so far, which has allowed them to maintain the top spot in both national polls, but they have yet to face a ranked team. Their first chance comes tomorrow night against North Carolina, but the Hoosiers should have no trouble with the Tar Heels. The rest of their non-conference opponents are unranked, so they will need to be undefeated until conference play begins if they want to reach the top of my rankings.
The Ohio Bobcats may have fallen from the top spot in my rankings, but they have not in any way been disappointing. They have won every game they have started, and 4 of those victories came by at least 23 points. They are shooting over 50% from the field as a team and over 40% from long range. The Bobcats may have some competition in the MAC, but there is a very good chance that they will still be playing games that matter in March if they keep up their current pace.
Predictions
San Jose State at (10) Kansas - Jayhawks by 37
Northern Colorado at Colorado State - Rams by 33
NBA
San Antonio at Washington - Spurs by 11
New York at Brooklyn - Nets by 1
Portland at Detroit - Pistons by 1
Milwaukee at Chicago - Bulls by 4
Cleveland at Memphis - Grizzlies by 15
Charlotte at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 13
Denver at Utah - Nuggets by 1
New Orleans at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-1 (.833) 128-67 overall (.656)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 26-17 overall (.605)
College Basketball: 10-2 (.833) 160-37 overall (.812)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 12-16 overall (.429)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) (AP)
1. (21) Gonzaga (6-0) (12)
2. (NR) Ole Miss (5-0) (NR)
3. (NR) Florida (5-0) (7)
4. (NR) Michigan (5-0) (3)
5. (NR) Syracuse (4-0) (6)
6. (NR) Pittsburgh (5-1) (NR)
7. (NR) Cincinnati (6-0) (17)
8. (4) Indiana (6-0) (1)
9. (16) Ohio State (4-0) (4)
10. (NR) Oklahoma State (5-0) (15)
11. (NR) Middle Tennessee (4-1) (NR)
12. (8) Creighton (6-0) (11)
13. (NR) UNLV (3-1) (24)
14. (NR) Stephen F Austin (4-0) (NR)
15. (NR) Kansas (4-1) (10)
16. (15) Duke (6-0) (2)
17. (NR) Akron (3-2) (NR)
18. (7) Wisconsin (4-2) (NR)
19. (NR) Illinois State (5-1) (NR)
20. (NR) Colorado State (4-0) (NR)
21. (2) Saint Joseph's (3-1) (NR)
22. (1) Ohio (5-0) (NR)
23. (NR) Iowa State (4-2) (NR)
24. (NR) West Virginia (1-3) (NR)
25. (NR) Northwestern (6-0) (NR)
Dropped Out
(13) Minnesota (6-1) (21)
(6) Kansas State (5-1) (NR)
(5) Notre Dame (6-1) (NR)
(12) VCU (3-3) (NR)
(23) Bucknell (5-1) (NR)
(3) Davidson (3-3) (NR)
(25) Louisville (5-1) (5)
(9) Saint Louis (3-2) (NR)
(24) Savannah State (4-3) (NR)
(17) Miami (3-1) (NR)
(19) Drexel (2-4) (NR)
(18) Memphis (3-2) (NR)
(20) USC-Upstate (2-4) (NR)
(10) Massachusetts (2-2) (NR)
(14) Northern Iowa (3-3) (NR)
(11) South Dakota State (4-2) (NR)
(22) Mercer (3-3) (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Big 10 - 5
Big East - 4
Big 12 - 3
SEC - 2
MVC - 2
MWC - 2
MAC - 2
WCC - 1
Sun Belt - 1
Southland - 1
ACC - 1
Atl 10 - 1
Gonzaga won the Old Spice Classic yesterday with 3 straight victories by an average of 16 points, two over teams from major conferences. Prior to that, they won their first three games by at least 34 points, and only Clemson has come within 10 points of them all season. Senior forward Elias Harris has been great, averaging 15.7 points per game this season and nearly 18 points per game in the Old Spice Classic. He is doing it by shooting nearly 56% from the field, and he is also grabbing 9 boards per game, and the Bulldogs are looking to be even better than usual this year.
The Ole Miss Rebels haven't yet been noticed by the national voters, getting only one vote in the coaches poll and none in the AP, but they are currently #5 in the nation in scoring, reaching 90 in all but one game so far. They are doing that without having a single player averaging over 17 points per game, and only 3 players scoring in double figures. This is a very balanced squad that could prove to be a surprise in the SEC.
Indiana has taken down all challengers so far, which has allowed them to maintain the top spot in both national polls, but they have yet to face a ranked team. Their first chance comes tomorrow night against North Carolina, but the Hoosiers should have no trouble with the Tar Heels. The rest of their non-conference opponents are unranked, so they will need to be undefeated until conference play begins if they want to reach the top of my rankings.
The Ohio Bobcats may have fallen from the top spot in my rankings, but they have not in any way been disappointing. They have won every game they have started, and 4 of those victories came by at least 23 points. They are shooting over 50% from the field as a team and over 40% from long range. The Bobcats may have some competition in the MAC, but there is a very good chance that they will still be playing games that matter in March if they keep up their current pace.
Predictions
San Jose State at (10) Kansas - Jayhawks by 37
Northern Colorado at Colorado State - Rams by 33
NBA
San Antonio at Washington - Spurs by 11
New York at Brooklyn - Nets by 1
Portland at Detroit - Pistons by 1
Milwaukee at Chicago - Bulls by 4
Cleveland at Memphis - Grizzlies by 15
Charlotte at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 13
Denver at Utah - Nuggets by 1
New Orleans at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-1 (.833) 128-67 overall (.656)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 26-17 overall (.605)
College Basketball: 10-2 (.833) 160-37 overall (.812)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 12-16 overall (.429)
Sunday, November 25, 2012
College Football Rankings - 25 Nov
Most teams in the nation have finished their regular season, with a few conference championship games this week along with a few late finales in conferences without title games. Notre Dame wrapped up a perfect regular season with their season-ending victory at USC, and they have virtually guaranteed themselves a spot in the national title game, where their opponent with almost definitely be the SEC champion. Since only two teams are selected to play for the championship, there is still no way to prove that the winner of that game is really the best team in the nation, but at least it looks like the two teams playing in the final game this year with be worthy of being there. Here are my current top 25 teams, with teams grouped by similar level of performance and BCS rankings in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (1) Alabama (11-1) W (2)
2. (3) Oregon (11-1) W (5)
3. (2) Texas A&M (10-2) W (9)
4. (4) Kansas State (10-1) BYE (6)
5. (7) Georgia (11-1) W (3)
6. (8) Oklahoma State (7-4) L (23)
7. (6) Oklahoma (9-2) W (11)
8. (14) Florida (11-1) W (4)
9. (12) Stanford (10-2) W (8)
10. (9) Notre Dame (12-0) W (1)
11. (10) LSU (10-2) W (7)
12. (18) South Carolina (10-2) W (10)
13. (5) Florida State (10-2) L (13)
14. (17) Baylor (6-5) W (NR)
15. (11) Oregon State (8-3) L (15)
16. (13) Texas (8-3) L (18)
17. (16) USC (7-5) L (NR)
18. (21) Fresno State (9-3) W (NR)
19. (23) Arizona State (7-5) W (NR)
20. (NR) TCU (7-4) W (NR)
21. (15) Clemson (10-2) L (14)
22. (24) Michigan (8-4) L (19)
23. (NR) Vanderbilt (8-4) W (NR)
24. (19) UCLA (9-3) L (16)
25. (NR) BYU (7-5) W (NR)
Dropped Out
(25) Nebraska (10-2) W (12)
(20) Utah State (10-2) W (24)
(22) Wisconsin (7-5) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
SEC - 7
Pac 12 - 6
Big 12 - 6
Ind - 2
ACC - 2
MWC - 1
Big 10 - 1
Florida was the biggest mover this week among the top teams, jumping 6 spots after beating up on the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee. The Gators have many impressive wins on their resume, including wins against Texas A&M, South Carolina, LSU, and Florida State, while losing only once, against the Georgia Bulldogs at a neutral site. That loss is the only thing that kept Florida out of the SEC title game, which could have landed them in the championship game against Notre Dame, but instead they'll have to settle for the BCS at-large berth that is almost definite after one of the two teams ahead of them loses this weekend.
Stanford also joined my top 10 this week after taking down their third straight ranked opponent in a must-win game. The win guaranteed them a rematch with UCLA in the conference championship game and a chance at another big victory. One of their losses came at Notre Dame in overtime back in October, which is certainly excusable, but the thing holding them back from being in the championship discussion is their embarrassing loss two weeks before that at Washington, which is the worst loss by anyone in the top 10.
Florida State played a ranked team for only the second time all season, and the result was not good. They fell apart late against their instate rivals from the SEC, dropping them far out of the top 10 and forcing them to win the ACC title game to get into a BCS bowl. They beat Clemson in their only other game against a ranked team, but they lost at unranked NC State two weeks later to blow their chance at the national title. The weakness of the ACC overall this year and the fact that they played two FCS teams in nonconference play killed their strength of schedule and may have weakened the actual team as well.
Fresno State still isn't getting the respect it deserves, despite leading the Mountain West all year long. Two of their losses came against Oregon and Boise State, who are both ranked among the top 20 teams, and none of the 9 teams they defeated this year came within 12 points of them. All 3 of their losses came on the road to teams tied for their conference lead, so they really should be noticed a little bit more by the national voters.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Louisville at Rutgers - Scarlet Knights by 11
Friday
(21) Northern Illinois vs. (17) Kent State - Huskies by 9
(16) UCLA at (8) Stanford - Cardinal by 14
Saturday
UCF at Tulsa - Golden Hurricane by 3
(23) Oklahoma State at Baylor - Cowboys by 1
(11) Oklahoma at TCU - Sooners by 4
Nicholls State at (15) Oregon State - Beavers by 51
Kansas at West Virginia - Mountaineers by 19
Middle Tennessee at Arkansas State - Red Wolves by 11
Louisiana-Lafayette at Florida Atlantic - Ragin Cajuns by 4
Cincinnati at Connecticut - Bearcats by 5
(20) Boise State at Nevada - Broncos by 7
(2) Alabama at (3) Georgia - Crimson Tide by 5
New Mexico State at Texas State - Bobcats by 20
Pittsburgh at South Florida - Panthers by 7
(13) Florida State vs. Georgia Tech - Seminoles by 16
(18) Texas at (6) Kansas State - Wildcats by 14
(12) Nebraska vs. Wisconsin - Cornhuskers by 1
South Alabama at Hawaii - Jaguars by 1
NBA
San Antonio at Toronto - Spurs by 8
Detroit at New York - Knicks by 11
Portland at Brooklyn - Nets by 9
Phoenix at Philadelphia - 76ers by 2
Boston at Orlando - Magic by 3
New Orleans at Denver - Nuggets by 12
College Basketball
Ball State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 46
Colgate at (6) Syracuse - Orange by 26
Cal Poly at (11) UCLA - Bruins by 11
Louisiana-Lafayette at (15) Michigan State - Spartans by 20
Davidson vs. (17) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 22
Portland State at (20) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 38
Stony Brook at (21) Connecticut - Huskies by 9
Air Force at (23) Colorado - Buffaloes by 9
(25) San Diego State at USC - Aztecs by 2
Gardner-Webb at Illinois - Fighting Illini by 24
Marist vs. Clemson - Tigers by 20
West Virginia vs. Oklahoma - Mountaineers by 6
Prediction Results
College Football: 44-13 (.772) 584-200 overall (.745)
Upsets: 6-5 (.545) 67-81 overall (.453)
NBA: 3-5 (.375) 123-66 overall (.651)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 26-16 overall (.619)
College Basketball: 8-5 (.615) 150-35 overall (.811)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 12-15 overall (.444)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (1) Alabama (11-1) W (2)
2. (3) Oregon (11-1) W (5)
3. (2) Texas A&M (10-2) W (9)
4. (4) Kansas State (10-1) BYE (6)
5. (7) Georgia (11-1) W (3)
6. (8) Oklahoma State (7-4) L (23)
7. (6) Oklahoma (9-2) W (11)
8. (14) Florida (11-1) W (4)
9. (12) Stanford (10-2) W (8)
10. (9) Notre Dame (12-0) W (1)
11. (10) LSU (10-2) W (7)
12. (18) South Carolina (10-2) W (10)
13. (5) Florida State (10-2) L (13)
14. (17) Baylor (6-5) W (NR)
15. (11) Oregon State (8-3) L (15)
16. (13) Texas (8-3) L (18)
17. (16) USC (7-5) L (NR)
18. (21) Fresno State (9-3) W (NR)
19. (23) Arizona State (7-5) W (NR)
20. (NR) TCU (7-4) W (NR)
21. (15) Clemson (10-2) L (14)
22. (24) Michigan (8-4) L (19)
23. (NR) Vanderbilt (8-4) W (NR)
24. (19) UCLA (9-3) L (16)
25. (NR) BYU (7-5) W (NR)
Dropped Out
(25) Nebraska (10-2) W (12)
(20) Utah State (10-2) W (24)
(22) Wisconsin (7-5) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
SEC - 7
Pac 12 - 6
Big 12 - 6
Ind - 2
ACC - 2
MWC - 1
Big 10 - 1
Florida was the biggest mover this week among the top teams, jumping 6 spots after beating up on the Florida State Seminoles in Tallahassee. The Gators have many impressive wins on their resume, including wins against Texas A&M, South Carolina, LSU, and Florida State, while losing only once, against the Georgia Bulldogs at a neutral site. That loss is the only thing that kept Florida out of the SEC title game, which could have landed them in the championship game against Notre Dame, but instead they'll have to settle for the BCS at-large berth that is almost definite after one of the two teams ahead of them loses this weekend.
Stanford also joined my top 10 this week after taking down their third straight ranked opponent in a must-win game. The win guaranteed them a rematch with UCLA in the conference championship game and a chance at another big victory. One of their losses came at Notre Dame in overtime back in October, which is certainly excusable, but the thing holding them back from being in the championship discussion is their embarrassing loss two weeks before that at Washington, which is the worst loss by anyone in the top 10.
Florida State played a ranked team for only the second time all season, and the result was not good. They fell apart late against their instate rivals from the SEC, dropping them far out of the top 10 and forcing them to win the ACC title game to get into a BCS bowl. They beat Clemson in their only other game against a ranked team, but they lost at unranked NC State two weeks later to blow their chance at the national title. The weakness of the ACC overall this year and the fact that they played two FCS teams in nonconference play killed their strength of schedule and may have weakened the actual team as well.
Fresno State still isn't getting the respect it deserves, despite leading the Mountain West all year long. Two of their losses came against Oregon and Boise State, who are both ranked among the top 20 teams, and none of the 9 teams they defeated this year came within 12 points of them. All 3 of their losses came on the road to teams tied for their conference lead, so they really should be noticed a little bit more by the national voters.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Louisville at Rutgers - Scarlet Knights by 11
Friday
(21) Northern Illinois vs. (17) Kent State - Huskies by 9
(16) UCLA at (8) Stanford - Cardinal by 14
Saturday
UCF at Tulsa - Golden Hurricane by 3
(23) Oklahoma State at Baylor - Cowboys by 1
(11) Oklahoma at TCU - Sooners by 4
Nicholls State at (15) Oregon State - Beavers by 51
Kansas at West Virginia - Mountaineers by 19
Middle Tennessee at Arkansas State - Red Wolves by 11
Louisiana-Lafayette at Florida Atlantic - Ragin Cajuns by 4
Cincinnati at Connecticut - Bearcats by 5
(20) Boise State at Nevada - Broncos by 7
(2) Alabama at (3) Georgia - Crimson Tide by 5
New Mexico State at Texas State - Bobcats by 20
Pittsburgh at South Florida - Panthers by 7
(13) Florida State vs. Georgia Tech - Seminoles by 16
(18) Texas at (6) Kansas State - Wildcats by 14
(12) Nebraska vs. Wisconsin - Cornhuskers by 1
South Alabama at Hawaii - Jaguars by 1
NBA
San Antonio at Toronto - Spurs by 8
Detroit at New York - Knicks by 11
Portland at Brooklyn - Nets by 9
Phoenix at Philadelphia - 76ers by 2
Boston at Orlando - Magic by 3
New Orleans at Denver - Nuggets by 12
College Basketball
Ball State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 46
Colgate at (6) Syracuse - Orange by 26
Cal Poly at (11) UCLA - Bruins by 11
Louisiana-Lafayette at (15) Michigan State - Spartans by 20
Davidson vs. (17) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 22
Portland State at (20) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 38
Stony Brook at (21) Connecticut - Huskies by 9
Air Force at (23) Colorado - Buffaloes by 9
(25) San Diego State at USC - Aztecs by 2
Gardner-Webb at Illinois - Fighting Illini by 24
Marist vs. Clemson - Tigers by 20
West Virginia vs. Oklahoma - Mountaineers by 6
Prediction Results
College Football: 44-13 (.772) 584-200 overall (.745)
Upsets: 6-5 (.545) 67-81 overall (.453)
NBA: 3-5 (.375) 123-66 overall (.651)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 26-16 overall (.619)
College Basketball: 8-5 (.615) 150-35 overall (.811)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 12-15 overall (.444)
Saturday, November 24, 2012
NBA Rankings - 24 Nov
Only two teams went undefeated this week, so that means that there was no team that could clearly be labeled as dominant this week. That leaves a lot of room for movement in all parts of the rankings, but it resulted in the same team remaining at the top. Here are my current rankings, with teams grouped by similar levels of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall)
1. (1) Memphis (3-1) (9-2)
2. (4) Miami (3-0) (9-3)
3. (3) LA Clippers (2-2) (8-4)
4. (5) San Antonio (3-2) (10-3)
5. (2) New York (3-3) (8-3)
6. (12) Denver (3-2) (7-6)
7. (6) Oklahoma City (3-1) (9-4)
8. (11) Houston (2-3) (6-7)
9. (9) Brooklyn (3-2) (7-4)
10. (15) Atlanta (4-0) (7-4)
11. (8) Utah (3-1) (7-6)
12. (10) LA Lakers (3-2) (6-7)
13. (20) Golden State (3-2) (7-6)
14. (7) Milwaukee (1-2) (6-4)
15. (14) Dallas (2-2) (7-6)
16. (16) Chicago (0-3) (5-6)
17. (27) Indiana (3-2) (6-8)
18. (26) Phoenix (2-2) (6-7)
19. (22) Philadelphia (3-1) (7-5)
20. (13) Boston (2-3) (7-6)
21. (17) Minnesota (0-3) (5-6)
22. (19) Portland (3-1) (6-6)
23. (25) Orlando (3-2) (5-7)
24. (21) Detroit (2-2) (3-10)
25. (28) Cleveland (1-3) (3-9)
26. (23) Toronto (1-4) (3-10)
27. (30) Sacramento (1-3) (3-9)
28. (18) New Orleans (0-5) (3-8)
29. (24) Charlotte (2-2) (6-5)
30. (29) Washington (0-3) (0-10)
Denver's week started out with some struggles as they fell to the Heat and Spurs, but then they turned things around, taking down the Memphis Grizzlies and ending their 8-game winning streak in the process. Memphis rebounded from that loss well enough to retain the top spot in the rankings, and Denver followed up the upset with two more victories, which moved the Nuggets into the top 10 for the first time this season.
The Phoenix Suns started the week with a couple of rough losses to the Lakers and Heat, but were able to change things around when the quality of the competition dropped significantly. The blew out the Portland Trail Blazers by 27 points, then came back to beat the New Orleans Hornets in overtime last night, giving them back-to-back wins for the first time in 2 weeks.
Milwaukee was 6-2 and looking pretty good heading into a matchup with Charlotte, but they got caught looking ahead to a date with the Heat and blew their winning streak against the Bobcats. They followed that up with another loss in Miami, and now their status as a top 10 team is in the rearview mirror, and a home-and-home series with the Bulls is looming this weekend.
The Washington Wizards became the 13th team in history to open a season 0-10, but they nearly avoided it on Wednesday, when a last-second layup that was initially ruled as good ended up coming just a split second after the final buzzer, sending the Wizards to another loss and putting them in the kind of company no team wants to keep. The streak could end tonight, though, as Washington is hosting the Charlotte Bobcats, who set the record last season for the worst winning percentage in history.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Oklahoma City at Philadelphia - Thunder by 4
Charlotte at Washington - Wizards by 2
LA Clippers at Atlanta - Clippers by 2
Cleveland at Miami - Heat by 15
LA Lakers at Dallas- Mavericks by 2
Chicago at Milwaukee - Bucks by 5
Utah at Sacramento - Jazz by 3
Minnesota at Golden State - Warriors by 7
College Basketball
(5) Duke vs. (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 1
VCU vs. (13) Missouri - Rams by 5
(14) Creighton vs. Arizona State - Bluejays by 14
Iowa State at (18) UNLV - Rebels by 3
(19) Memphis vs. Northern Iowa - Tigers by 4
(22) Cincinnati vs. Oregon - Bearcats by 10
Charleston at (24) Baylor - Bears by 30
Belmont vs. Oral Roberts - Bruins by 15
Texas Southern at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 48
Illinois State vs. Northwestern - Redbirds by 11
Wisconsin vs. Arkansas - Badgers by 24
Southern Illinois at Saint Louis - Salukis by 10
Western Illinois at Savannah State - Tigers by 18
Prediction Results
NBA: 8-4 (.667) 120-61 overall (.663)
Upsets: 3-1 (.750) 26-15 overall (.634)
College Basketball: 13-4 (.765) 142-30 overall (.826)
Upsets: 1-2 (.333) 10-13 overall (.435)
TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall)
1. (1) Memphis (3-1) (9-2)
2. (4) Miami (3-0) (9-3)
3. (3) LA Clippers (2-2) (8-4)
4. (5) San Antonio (3-2) (10-3)
5. (2) New York (3-3) (8-3)
6. (12) Denver (3-2) (7-6)
7. (6) Oklahoma City (3-1) (9-4)
8. (11) Houston (2-3) (6-7)
9. (9) Brooklyn (3-2) (7-4)
10. (15) Atlanta (4-0) (7-4)
11. (8) Utah (3-1) (7-6)
12. (10) LA Lakers (3-2) (6-7)
13. (20) Golden State (3-2) (7-6)
14. (7) Milwaukee (1-2) (6-4)
15. (14) Dallas (2-2) (7-6)
16. (16) Chicago (0-3) (5-6)
17. (27) Indiana (3-2) (6-8)
18. (26) Phoenix (2-2) (6-7)
19. (22) Philadelphia (3-1) (7-5)
20. (13) Boston (2-3) (7-6)
21. (17) Minnesota (0-3) (5-6)
22. (19) Portland (3-1) (6-6)
23. (25) Orlando (3-2) (5-7)
24. (21) Detroit (2-2) (3-10)
25. (28) Cleveland (1-3) (3-9)
26. (23) Toronto (1-4) (3-10)
27. (30) Sacramento (1-3) (3-9)
28. (18) New Orleans (0-5) (3-8)
29. (24) Charlotte (2-2) (6-5)
30. (29) Washington (0-3) (0-10)
Denver's week started out with some struggles as they fell to the Heat and Spurs, but then they turned things around, taking down the Memphis Grizzlies and ending their 8-game winning streak in the process. Memphis rebounded from that loss well enough to retain the top spot in the rankings, and Denver followed up the upset with two more victories, which moved the Nuggets into the top 10 for the first time this season.
The Phoenix Suns started the week with a couple of rough losses to the Lakers and Heat, but were able to change things around when the quality of the competition dropped significantly. The blew out the Portland Trail Blazers by 27 points, then came back to beat the New Orleans Hornets in overtime last night, giving them back-to-back wins for the first time in 2 weeks.
Milwaukee was 6-2 and looking pretty good heading into a matchup with Charlotte, but they got caught looking ahead to a date with the Heat and blew their winning streak against the Bobcats. They followed that up with another loss in Miami, and now their status as a top 10 team is in the rearview mirror, and a home-and-home series with the Bulls is looming this weekend.
The Washington Wizards became the 13th team in history to open a season 0-10, but they nearly avoided it on Wednesday, when a last-second layup that was initially ruled as good ended up coming just a split second after the final buzzer, sending the Wizards to another loss and putting them in the kind of company no team wants to keep. The streak could end tonight, though, as Washington is hosting the Charlotte Bobcats, who set the record last season for the worst winning percentage in history.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Oklahoma City at Philadelphia - Thunder by 4
Charlotte at Washington - Wizards by 2
LA Clippers at Atlanta - Clippers by 2
Cleveland at Miami - Heat by 15
LA Lakers at Dallas- Mavericks by 2
Chicago at Milwaukee - Bucks by 5
Utah at Sacramento - Jazz by 3
Minnesota at Golden State - Warriors by 7
College Basketball
(5) Duke vs. (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 1
VCU vs. (13) Missouri - Rams by 5
(14) Creighton vs. Arizona State - Bluejays by 14
Iowa State at (18) UNLV - Rebels by 3
(19) Memphis vs. Northern Iowa - Tigers by 4
(22) Cincinnati vs. Oregon - Bearcats by 10
Charleston at (24) Baylor - Bears by 30
Belmont vs. Oral Roberts - Bruins by 15
Texas Southern at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 48
Illinois State vs. Northwestern - Redbirds by 11
Wisconsin vs. Arkansas - Badgers by 24
Southern Illinois at Saint Louis - Salukis by 10
Western Illinois at Savannah State - Tigers by 18
Prediction Results
NBA: 8-4 (.667) 120-61 overall (.663)
Upsets: 3-1 (.750) 26-15 overall (.634)
College Basketball: 13-4 (.765) 142-30 overall (.826)
Upsets: 1-2 (.333) 10-13 overall (.435)
Friday, November 23, 2012
Basketball Predictions - 23 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Atlanta at Charlotte - Hawks by 2
Cleveland at Orlando - Magic by 3
Oklahoma City at Boston - Thunder by 7
LA Clippers at Brooklyn - Clippers by 6
Toronto at Detroit - Pistons by 1
San Antonio at Indiana - Spurs by 6
LA Lakers at Memphis - Grizzlies by 12
New York at Houston - Knicks by 11
Golden State at Denver - Nuggets by 4
Sacramento at Utah - Jazz by 11
New Orleans at Phoenix - Suns by 5
Minnesota at Portland - Trail Blazers by 1
College Basketball
Northeastern vs. Belmont - Bruins by 38
Lipscomb at Mississippi - Rebels by 23
UAB vs. Illinois State - Redbirds by 17
(14) Creighton vs. Wisconsin - Badgers by 12
Delaware vs. Pittsburgh - Panthers by 4
Kansas State vs. (4) Michigan - Wolverines by 5
UCF at (7) Florida - Gators by 27
Minnesota at (19) Memphis - Golden Gophers by 8
UMKC at (3) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 31
Iowa State at (22) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 12
(5) Duke vs. VCU - Blue Devils by 7
Long Island at (8) Kentucky - Wildcats by 32
North Carolina-Asheville at (16) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 25
Oklahoma vs. (17) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 10
Oakland at (15) Michigan State - Spartans by 11
Oregon at (18) UNLV - Rebels by 19
(13) Missouri vs. (2) Louisville - Tigers by 5
Prediction Results
College Basketball: 4-1 (.800) 129-26 overall (.832)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 9-11 overall (.450)
Thursday, November 22, 2012
College Basketball Predictions - 22 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
Northern Iowa vs. (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 6
Minnesota vs. (5) Duke - Golden Gophers by 6
Stanford vs. (13) Missouri - Tigers by 2
Clemson vs. (17) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 3
VCU vs. (19) Memphis - Rams by 6
Prediction Results
NBA: 9-5 (.643) 112-57 overall (.663)
Upsets: 3-0 (1.000) 23-14 overall (.622)
College Basketball: 8-0 (1.000) 125-25 overall (.833)
Northern Iowa vs. (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 6
Minnesota vs. (5) Duke - Golden Gophers by 6
Stanford vs. (13) Missouri - Tigers by 2
Clemson vs. (17) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 3
VCU vs. (19) Memphis - Rams by 6
Prediction Results
NBA: 9-5 (.643) 112-57 overall (.663)
Upsets: 3-0 (1.000) 23-14 overall (.622)
College Basketball: 8-0 (1.000) 125-25 overall (.833)
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Basketball Predictions - 21 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Toronto at Charlotte - Bobcats by 3
Detroit at Orlando - Magic by 1
Philadelphia at Cleveland - 76ers by 3
New Orleans at Indiana - Pacers by 7
San Antonio at Boston - Spurs by 9
Washington at Atlanta - Hawks by 15
Milwaukee at Miami - Heat by 11
LA Clippers at Oklahoma City - Clippers by 2
Chicago at Houston - Rockets by 5
Denver at Minnesota - Nuggets by 2
New York at Dallas - Knicks by 12
Portland at Phoenix - Trail Blazers by 3
LA Lakers at Sacramento - Lakers by 10
Brooklyn at Golden State - Warriors by 2
College Basketball
Pittsburgh vs. (4) Michigan - Wolverines by 4
Princeton at (6) Syracuse - Orange by 25
Morehead State at (8) Kentucky - Wildcats by 33
(9) North Carolina at Chaminade - Tar Heels
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at (25) San Diego State - Aztecs by 8
Belmont at Alaska-Anchorage - Bruins
Utah Valley at Santa Clara - Broncos by 65
Butler vs. Illinois - Fighting Illini by 20
Prediction Results
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 103-52 overall (.665)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 20-14 overall (.588)
College Basketball: 14-2 (.875) 117-25 overall (.824)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 8-10 overall (.444)
NBA
Toronto at Charlotte - Bobcats by 3
Detroit at Orlando - Magic by 1
Philadelphia at Cleveland - 76ers by 3
New Orleans at Indiana - Pacers by 7
San Antonio at Boston - Spurs by 9
Washington at Atlanta - Hawks by 15
Milwaukee at Miami - Heat by 11
LA Clippers at Oklahoma City - Clippers by 2
Chicago at Houston - Rockets by 5
Denver at Minnesota - Nuggets by 2
New York at Dallas - Knicks by 12
Portland at Phoenix - Trail Blazers by 3
LA Lakers at Sacramento - Lakers by 10
Brooklyn at Golden State - Warriors by 2
College Basketball
Pittsburgh vs. (4) Michigan - Wolverines by 4
Princeton at (6) Syracuse - Orange by 25
Morehead State at (8) Kentucky - Wildcats by 33
(9) North Carolina at Chaminade - Tar Heels
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at (25) San Diego State - Aztecs by 8
Belmont at Alaska-Anchorage - Bruins
Utah Valley at Santa Clara - Broncos by 65
Butler vs. Illinois - Fighting Illini by 20
Prediction Results
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 103-52 overall (.665)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 20-14 overall (.588)
College Basketball: 14-2 (.875) 117-25 overall (.824)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 8-10 overall (.444)
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
NFL Rankings - 20 Nov
Each team has now played 10 games, and the playoff push has begun. The AFC is more wide open than the NFC, with only 6 teams currently owning winning records, but the NFC could have some good races too. In addition to my regular rankings and game predictions, I've also predicted which teams I feel will make the playoffs based on their current ranking and remaining strength of schedule, and I've included that with their projected records below. Here are my current league rankings, with ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses and teams grouped by similar level of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (2) New England (7-3) W (8)
2. (5) San Francisco (7-2-1) W (3)
3. (1) Denver (7-3) W (7)
4. (3) Houston (9-1) W (1)
5. (9) Green Bay (7-3) W (4)
6. (8) Seattle (6-4) BYE (12)
7. (4) Chicago (7-3) L (6)
8. (6) Baltimore (8-2) W (5)
9. (7) Atlanta (9-1) W (2)
10. (11) Tampa Bay (6-4) W (10)
11. (12) NY Giants (6-4) BYE (9)
12. (16) Cincinnati (5-5) W (17)
13. (17) Minnesota (6-4) BYE (14)
14. (13) New Orleans (5-5) W (13)
15. (10) Dallas (5-5) W (16)
16. (14) San Diego (4-6) L (21)
17. (18) Detroit (4-6) L (19)
18. (22) Arizona (4-6) L (25)
19. (23) Washington (4-6) W (18)
20. (15) Pittsburgh (6-4) L (11)
21. (27) NY Jets (4-6) W (22)
22. (20) Buffalo (4-6) W (24)
23. (21) Saint Louis (3-6-1) L (26)
24. (19) Carolina (2-8) L (29)
25. (24) Cleveland (2-8) L (30)
26. (25) Indianapolis (6-4) L (15)
27. (26) Tennessee (4-6) BYE (23)
28. (29) Miami (4-6) L (20)
29. (28) Philadelphia (3-7) L (27)
30. (32) Jacksonville (1-9) L (31)
31. (30) Kansas City (1-9) L (32)
32. (31) Oakland (3-7) L (28)
New England took over the top spot after blowing out the Indianapolis Colts and rookie sensation Andrew Luck 59-24. The Patriots 3 losses have come by a total of 4 points, and two of them were at Seattle and Baltimore, both of which will likely make the playoffs. The other loss, to Arizona, is becoming more of a head-scratcher each week, but their win over the Broncos in week 5 is looking better and better. They still host two of the league's best teams, Houston and San Francisco, before the season ends, but they should be favored since they will be at Foxboro.
The New York Jets were the only thing that stood between me and a perfect week of picks, as they pulled off an upset at Saint Louis that was tough to see coming. They aren't likely to get their first winning streak of the season, though, since they are headed to New England this week, and the Patriots are the league's hottest team so far.
Oakland has been slipping lower and lower each week as they continue to lose nearly every game, with only two wins in the last two months, both over the two teams with the league's worst records. Oakland hasn't even gotten within 10 points of an opponent this month, and they probably still won't against the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who have caught their second wind lately.
Dallas has entered the easy portion of their schedule finally, but they played down to the level of their competition this week, playing extra time just to defeat the Cleveland Browns by a field goal. A week ago it looked like the Cowboys had a pretty good shot at the playoffs, but now it's not looking quite as likely that they can keep up with teams like the Redskins and Saints.
Playoff Predictions
NFC
(1) San Francisco (12-3-1)
(2) Atlanta (12-4)
(3) Green Bay (11-5)
(4) NY Giants (10-6)
(5) Chicago (10-6)
(6) Seattle (10-6)
AFC
(1) Houston (14-2)
(2) Denver (13-3)
(3) New England (12-4)
(4) Baltimore (12-4)
(5) Pittsburgh (9-7)
(6) Cincinnati (8-8)
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Houston at Detroit - Texans by 5
Washington at Dallas - Cowboys by 6
New England at NY Jets - Patriots by 11
Sunday
Minnesota at Chicago - Bears by 8
Oakland at Cincinnati - Bengals by 20
Pittsburgh at Cleveland - Browns by 1
Buffalo at Indianapolis - Colts by 1
Denver at Kansas City - Broncos by 20
Seattle at Miami - Seahawks by 11
Atlanta at Tampa Bay - Buccaneers by 3
Tennessee at Jacksonville - Titans by 1
Baltimore at San Diego - Ravens by 2
San Francisco at New Orleans - 49ers by 7
Saint Louis at Arizona - Cardinals by 6
Green Bay at NY Giants - Packers by 1
Monday
Carolina at Philadelphia - Panthers by 3
NBA
Toronto at Philadelphia - 76ers by 7
New York at New Orleans - Knicks by 12
Brooklyn at LA Lakers - Lakers by 7
College Basketball
(1) Indiana vs. Georgetown - Hoosiers by 9
Savannah State at (7) Florida - Gators by 33
Butler vs. (9) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 30
(11) UCLA vs. Georgia - Bruins by 18
Saint Louis vs. (12) Kansas - Billikens by 5
Longwood at (14) Creighton - Bluejays by 71
Boise State at (15) Michigan State - Spartans by 15
Campbell at (22) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 38
Middle Tennessee at UCF - Blue Raiders by 6
USC-Upstate at Santa Clara - Broncos by 43
McNeese State at Mississippi - Rebels by 36
Wofford at Richmond - Spiders by 27
Fairleigh Dickinson at Illinois State - Redbirds by 49
Illinois at Chaminade - Fighting Illini
Louisiana Tech at Chattanooga - Bulldogs by 13
Presbyterian at Wisconsin - Badgers by 41
Prediction Results
NFL: 13-1 (.929) 101-58 overall (.635)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 14-13 overall (.519)
NBA: 3-4 (.429) 100-52 overall (.658)
College Basketball: 5-3 (.625) 103-23 overall (.817)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 7-9 overall (.438)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (2) New England (7-3) W (8)
2. (5) San Francisco (7-2-1) W (3)
3. (1) Denver (7-3) W (7)
4. (3) Houston (9-1) W (1)
5. (9) Green Bay (7-3) W (4)
6. (8) Seattle (6-4) BYE (12)
7. (4) Chicago (7-3) L (6)
8. (6) Baltimore (8-2) W (5)
9. (7) Atlanta (9-1) W (2)
10. (11) Tampa Bay (6-4) W (10)
11. (12) NY Giants (6-4) BYE (9)
12. (16) Cincinnati (5-5) W (17)
13. (17) Minnesota (6-4) BYE (14)
14. (13) New Orleans (5-5) W (13)
15. (10) Dallas (5-5) W (16)
16. (14) San Diego (4-6) L (21)
17. (18) Detroit (4-6) L (19)
18. (22) Arizona (4-6) L (25)
19. (23) Washington (4-6) W (18)
20. (15) Pittsburgh (6-4) L (11)
21. (27) NY Jets (4-6) W (22)
22. (20) Buffalo (4-6) W (24)
23. (21) Saint Louis (3-6-1) L (26)
24. (19) Carolina (2-8) L (29)
25. (24) Cleveland (2-8) L (30)
26. (25) Indianapolis (6-4) L (15)
27. (26) Tennessee (4-6) BYE (23)
28. (29) Miami (4-6) L (20)
29. (28) Philadelphia (3-7) L (27)
30. (32) Jacksonville (1-9) L (31)
31. (30) Kansas City (1-9) L (32)
32. (31) Oakland (3-7) L (28)
New England took over the top spot after blowing out the Indianapolis Colts and rookie sensation Andrew Luck 59-24. The Patriots 3 losses have come by a total of 4 points, and two of them were at Seattle and Baltimore, both of which will likely make the playoffs. The other loss, to Arizona, is becoming more of a head-scratcher each week, but their win over the Broncos in week 5 is looking better and better. They still host two of the league's best teams, Houston and San Francisco, before the season ends, but they should be favored since they will be at Foxboro.
The New York Jets were the only thing that stood between me and a perfect week of picks, as they pulled off an upset at Saint Louis that was tough to see coming. They aren't likely to get their first winning streak of the season, though, since they are headed to New England this week, and the Patriots are the league's hottest team so far.
Oakland has been slipping lower and lower each week as they continue to lose nearly every game, with only two wins in the last two months, both over the two teams with the league's worst records. Oakland hasn't even gotten within 10 points of an opponent this month, and they probably still won't against the Cincinnati Bengals this week, who have caught their second wind lately.
Dallas has entered the easy portion of their schedule finally, but they played down to the level of their competition this week, playing extra time just to defeat the Cleveland Browns by a field goal. A week ago it looked like the Cowboys had a pretty good shot at the playoffs, but now it's not looking quite as likely that they can keep up with teams like the Redskins and Saints.
Playoff Predictions
NFC
(1) San Francisco (12-3-1)
(2) Atlanta (12-4)
(3) Green Bay (11-5)
(4) NY Giants (10-6)
(5) Chicago (10-6)
(6) Seattle (10-6)
AFC
(1) Houston (14-2)
(2) Denver (13-3)
(3) New England (12-4)
(4) Baltimore (12-4)
(5) Pittsburgh (9-7)
(6) Cincinnati (8-8)
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Houston at Detroit - Texans by 5
Washington at Dallas - Cowboys by 6
New England at NY Jets - Patriots by 11
Sunday
Minnesota at Chicago - Bears by 8
Oakland at Cincinnati - Bengals by 20
Pittsburgh at Cleveland - Browns by 1
Buffalo at Indianapolis - Colts by 1
Denver at Kansas City - Broncos by 20
Seattle at Miami - Seahawks by 11
Atlanta at Tampa Bay - Buccaneers by 3
Tennessee at Jacksonville - Titans by 1
Baltimore at San Diego - Ravens by 2
San Francisco at New Orleans - 49ers by 7
Saint Louis at Arizona - Cardinals by 6
Green Bay at NY Giants - Packers by 1
Monday
Carolina at Philadelphia - Panthers by 3
NBA
Toronto at Philadelphia - 76ers by 7
New York at New Orleans - Knicks by 12
Brooklyn at LA Lakers - Lakers by 7
College Basketball
(1) Indiana vs. Georgetown - Hoosiers by 9
Savannah State at (7) Florida - Gators by 33
Butler vs. (9) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 30
(11) UCLA vs. Georgia - Bruins by 18
Saint Louis vs. (12) Kansas - Billikens by 5
Longwood at (14) Creighton - Bluejays by 71
Boise State at (15) Michigan State - Spartans by 15
Campbell at (22) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 38
Middle Tennessee at UCF - Blue Raiders by 6
USC-Upstate at Santa Clara - Broncos by 43
McNeese State at Mississippi - Rebels by 36
Wofford at Richmond - Spiders by 27
Fairleigh Dickinson at Illinois State - Redbirds by 49
Illinois at Chaminade - Fighting Illini
Louisiana Tech at Chattanooga - Bulldogs by 13
Presbyterian at Wisconsin - Badgers by 41
Prediction Results
NFL: 13-1 (.929) 101-58 overall (.635)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 14-13 overall (.519)
NBA: 3-4 (.429) 100-52 overall (.658)
College Basketball: 5-3 (.625) 103-23 overall (.817)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 7-9 overall (.438)
Monday, November 19, 2012
College Football Rankings - 19 Nov
The top two teams in the BCS rankings were upset within minutes of each other Saturday night, throwing everything into disarray, and shaking up my rankings as well. The only bowl-eligible undefeated team remaining is Notre Dame, which wraps up its season Saturday night at USC. It has become very likely that the SEC champion will be in the championship game once again, and there are still several teams with a shot at the second spot if Notre Dame should slip up. Here are my current rankings, with teams grouped by similar level of performance and BCS rankings in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (2) Alabama (10-1) W (2)
2. (3) Texas A&M (9-2) W (9)
3. (1) Oregon (10-1) L (5)
4. (4) Kansas State (10-1) L (6)
5. (8) Florida State (10-1) W (10)
6. (5) Oklahoma (8-2) W (13)
7. (6) Georgia (10-1) W (3)
8. (14) Oklahoma State (7-3) W (21)
9. (12) Notre Dame (11-0) W (1)
10. (7) LSU (9-2) W (7)
11. (17) Oregon State (8-2) W (15)
12. (16) Stanford (9-2) W (8)
13. (13) Texas (8-2) W (16)
14. (10) Florida (10-1) W (4)
15. (9) Clemson (10-1) W (11)
16. (11) USC (7-4) L (NR)
17. (NR) Baylor (5-5) W (NR)
18. (18) South Carolina (9-2) W (12)
19. (15) UCLA (9-2) W (17)
20. (20) Utah State (9-2) W (NR)
21. (22) Fresno State (8-3) W (NR)
22. (21) Wisconsin (7-4) L (NR)
23. (25) Arizona State (6-5) W (NR)
24. (24) Michigan (8-3) W (19)
25. (23) Nebraska (9-2) W (14)
Dropped Out
(19) BYU (6-5) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
SEC - 6
Pac 12 - 6
Big 12 - 5
Big 10 - 3
ACC - 2
Ind - 1
WAC - 1
MWC - 1
Oklahoma State joined their instate rivals in the top 10 this week after picking up another big win against a good conference foe. They have gone 4-1 in their last 5, with the lone loss coming at Kansas State, who is currently ranked #4, and all 4 wins coming over probable bowl teams by at least 21 points. This year's Cowboy team isn't quite as good as last year's squad that was cheated out of a chance at playing for the title, but they are still one of the best teams in a very strong conference.
Notre Dame finally put together its first dominant performance since its 41-3 win against Miami clear back in the first week of October, which is why the Irish are just getting back into my top 10 despite being undefeated. They aren't the only undefeated team in the country, because Ohio State also has yet to lose, but the Buckeyes aren't even good enough to make my top 25 yet, with only two wins over teams in my top 25, and those two are ranked #22 and #25.
Clemson dropped from the top 10 this week after having to hold off the NC State Wolfpack over the weekend, and it doesn't help that they haven't beaten a top 25 team yet this season. They get another chance this weekend to get that big win when they face rival South Carolina, who is sitting right next to them in the BCS and a couple spots lower in my rankings.
Baylor was the only team to enter my top 25 this week, but they sure did it in style. They started out their conference schedule 1-5, with the only win coming against hapless Kansas, but they were close to beating Texas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, and they finally broke through against the #1 Kansas State Wildcats, giving them a boost back into the rankings for the first time since that shootout with the Mountaineers clear back at the beginning of October.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Tuesday
Akron at Toledo - Rockets by 30
Thursday
TCU at (16) Texas - Longhorns by 14
Friday
Syracuse at Temple - Orange by 9
Ohio at (23) Kent State - Golden Flashes by 18
Buffalo vs. Bowling Green - Falcons by 8
Ball State at Miami-Ohio - Cardinals by 15
(14) Nebraska at Iowa - Cornhuskers by 11
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan - Huskies by 21
Marshall at East Carolina - Pirates by 11
(7) LSU at Arkansas - Tigers by 16
Utah at Colorado - Utes by 21
Central Michigan at Massachusetts - Chippewas by 11
West Virginia at Iowa State - Cyclones by 11
(25) Washington at Washington State - Huskies by 10
South Florida at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 20
Arizona State at (24) Arizona - Wildcats by 2
Saturday
Georgia Tech at (3) Georgia - Bulldogs by 20
Illinois at Northwestern - Wildcats by 30
Connecticut at (20) Louisville - Cardinals by 14
(19) Michigan at Ohio State - Buckeyes by 5
(18) Rutgers at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 4
Virginia at Virginia Tech - Hokies by 20
UAB at UCF - Knights by 33
Indiana at Purdue - Boilermakers by 10
Tulsa at SMU - Golden Hurricane by 6
Kentucky at Tennessee - Volunteers by 19
Miami at Duke - Hurricanes by 4
North Texas at Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers by 12
Texas State at Texas-San Antonio - Roadrunners by 4
Baylor vs. Texas Tech - Bears by 10
Boston College at North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 15
(5) Oregon at (15) Oregon State - Ducks by 6
Idaho at Utah State - Aggies by 46
(4) Florida at (10) Florida State - Seminoles by 9
Michigan State at Minnesota - Spartans by 4
Vanderbilt at Wake Forest - Commodores by 16
BYU at New Mexico State - Cougars by 36
(21) Oklahoma State at (13) Oklahoma - Sooners by 6
Wisconsin at Penn State - Badgers by 1
Tulane at Houston - Cougars by 14
Air Force at Fresno State - Bulldogs by 27
Auburn at (2) Alabama - Crimson Tide by 42
Troy at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 13
San Diego State at Wyoming - Aztecs by 9
Southern Miss at Memphis - Tigers by 17
South Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 21
Louisiana-Monroe at FIU - Warhawks by 8
(8) Stanford at (17) UCLA - Bruins by 1
New Mexico at Colorado State - Rams by 9
Mississippi State at Mississippi - Rebels by 3
(12) South Carolina at (11) Clemson - Tigers by 7
Missouri at (9) Texas A&M - Aggies by 32
Rice at UTEP - Miners by 1
(1) Notre Dame at USC - Trojans by 3
Louisiana Tech at San Jose State - Spartans by 10
UNLV at Hawaii - Rebels by 8
NBA
Indiana at Washington - Pacers by 5
Milwaukee at Charlotte - Bucks by 3
Orlando at Atlanta - Hawks by 13
Denver at Memphis - Grizzlies by 18
Golden State at Dallas - Mavericks by 3
LA Clippers at San Antonio - Spurs by 1
Houston at Utah - Jazz by 4
College Basketball
(1) Indiana vs. Georgia - Hoosiers by 45
Mississippi State vs. (9) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 8
Long Beach State at (10) Arizona - Wildcats by 17
(11) UCLA vs. Georgetown - Hoyas by 2
(12) Kansas vs. Washington State - Cougars by 7
New Mexico vs. (21) Connecticut - Lobos by 1
Tennessee State vs. South Alabama - Jaguars by 36
Texas A&M vs. Saint Louis - Aggies by 16
Prediction Results
College Football: 47-14 (.770) 540-187 overall (.743)
Upsets: 5-8 (.385) 61-76 overall (.445)
NBA: 7-1 (.875) 97-48 overall (.669)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 19-14 overall (.576)
College Basketball: 15-4 (.789) 98-20 overall (.831)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 5-8 (.385)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (2) Alabama (10-1) W (2)
2. (3) Texas A&M (9-2) W (9)
3. (1) Oregon (10-1) L (5)
4. (4) Kansas State (10-1) L (6)
5. (8) Florida State (10-1) W (10)
6. (5) Oklahoma (8-2) W (13)
7. (6) Georgia (10-1) W (3)
8. (14) Oklahoma State (7-3) W (21)
9. (12) Notre Dame (11-0) W (1)
10. (7) LSU (9-2) W (7)
11. (17) Oregon State (8-2) W (15)
12. (16) Stanford (9-2) W (8)
13. (13) Texas (8-2) W (16)
14. (10) Florida (10-1) W (4)
15. (9) Clemson (10-1) W (11)
16. (11) USC (7-4) L (NR)
17. (NR) Baylor (5-5) W (NR)
18. (18) South Carolina (9-2) W (12)
19. (15) UCLA (9-2) W (17)
20. (20) Utah State (9-2) W (NR)
21. (22) Fresno State (8-3) W (NR)
22. (21) Wisconsin (7-4) L (NR)
23. (25) Arizona State (6-5) W (NR)
24. (24) Michigan (8-3) W (19)
25. (23) Nebraska (9-2) W (14)
Dropped Out
(19) BYU (6-5) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
SEC - 6
Pac 12 - 6
Big 12 - 5
Big 10 - 3
ACC - 2
Ind - 1
WAC - 1
MWC - 1
Oklahoma State joined their instate rivals in the top 10 this week after picking up another big win against a good conference foe. They have gone 4-1 in their last 5, with the lone loss coming at Kansas State, who is currently ranked #4, and all 4 wins coming over probable bowl teams by at least 21 points. This year's Cowboy team isn't quite as good as last year's squad that was cheated out of a chance at playing for the title, but they are still one of the best teams in a very strong conference.
Notre Dame finally put together its first dominant performance since its 41-3 win against Miami clear back in the first week of October, which is why the Irish are just getting back into my top 10 despite being undefeated. They aren't the only undefeated team in the country, because Ohio State also has yet to lose, but the Buckeyes aren't even good enough to make my top 25 yet, with only two wins over teams in my top 25, and those two are ranked #22 and #25.
Clemson dropped from the top 10 this week after having to hold off the NC State Wolfpack over the weekend, and it doesn't help that they haven't beaten a top 25 team yet this season. They get another chance this weekend to get that big win when they face rival South Carolina, who is sitting right next to them in the BCS and a couple spots lower in my rankings.
Baylor was the only team to enter my top 25 this week, but they sure did it in style. They started out their conference schedule 1-5, with the only win coming against hapless Kansas, but they were close to beating Texas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia, and they finally broke through against the #1 Kansas State Wildcats, giving them a boost back into the rankings for the first time since that shootout with the Mountaineers clear back at the beginning of October.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Tuesday
Akron at Toledo - Rockets by 30
Thursday
TCU at (16) Texas - Longhorns by 14
Friday
Syracuse at Temple - Orange by 9
Ohio at (23) Kent State - Golden Flashes by 18
Buffalo vs. Bowling Green - Falcons by 8
Ball State at Miami-Ohio - Cardinals by 15
(14) Nebraska at Iowa - Cornhuskers by 11
Northern Illinois at Eastern Michigan - Huskies by 21
Marshall at East Carolina - Pirates by 11
(7) LSU at Arkansas - Tigers by 16
Utah at Colorado - Utes by 21
Central Michigan at Massachusetts - Chippewas by 11
West Virginia at Iowa State - Cyclones by 11
(25) Washington at Washington State - Huskies by 10
South Florida at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 20
Arizona State at (24) Arizona - Wildcats by 2
Saturday
Georgia Tech at (3) Georgia - Bulldogs by 20
Illinois at Northwestern - Wildcats by 30
Connecticut at (20) Louisville - Cardinals by 14
(19) Michigan at Ohio State - Buckeyes by 5
(18) Rutgers at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 4
Virginia at Virginia Tech - Hokies by 20
UAB at UCF - Knights by 33
Indiana at Purdue - Boilermakers by 10
Tulsa at SMU - Golden Hurricane by 6
Kentucky at Tennessee - Volunteers by 19
Miami at Duke - Hurricanes by 4
North Texas at Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers by 12
Texas State at Texas-San Antonio - Roadrunners by 4
Baylor vs. Texas Tech - Bears by 10
Boston College at North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 15
(5) Oregon at (15) Oregon State - Ducks by 6
Idaho at Utah State - Aggies by 46
(4) Florida at (10) Florida State - Seminoles by 9
Michigan State at Minnesota - Spartans by 4
Vanderbilt at Wake Forest - Commodores by 16
BYU at New Mexico State - Cougars by 36
(21) Oklahoma State at (13) Oklahoma - Sooners by 6
Wisconsin at Penn State - Badgers by 1
Tulane at Houston - Cougars by 14
Air Force at Fresno State - Bulldogs by 27
Auburn at (2) Alabama - Crimson Tide by 42
Troy at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 13
San Diego State at Wyoming - Aztecs by 9
Southern Miss at Memphis - Tigers by 17
South Alabama at Louisiana-Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 21
Louisiana-Monroe at FIU - Warhawks by 8
(8) Stanford at (17) UCLA - Bruins by 1
New Mexico at Colorado State - Rams by 9
Mississippi State at Mississippi - Rebels by 3
(12) South Carolina at (11) Clemson - Tigers by 7
Missouri at (9) Texas A&M - Aggies by 32
Rice at UTEP - Miners by 1
(1) Notre Dame at USC - Trojans by 3
Louisiana Tech at San Jose State - Spartans by 10
UNLV at Hawaii - Rebels by 8
NBA
Indiana at Washington - Pacers by 5
Milwaukee at Charlotte - Bucks by 3
Orlando at Atlanta - Hawks by 13
Denver at Memphis - Grizzlies by 18
Golden State at Dallas - Mavericks by 3
LA Clippers at San Antonio - Spurs by 1
Houston at Utah - Jazz by 4
College Basketball
(1) Indiana vs. Georgia - Hoosiers by 45
Mississippi State vs. (9) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 8
Long Beach State at (10) Arizona - Wildcats by 17
(11) UCLA vs. Georgetown - Hoyas by 2
(12) Kansas vs. Washington State - Cougars by 7
New Mexico vs. (21) Connecticut - Lobos by 1
Tennessee State vs. South Alabama - Jaguars by 36
Texas A&M vs. Saint Louis - Aggies by 16
Prediction Results
College Football: 47-14 (.770) 540-187 overall (.743)
Upsets: 5-8 (.385) 61-76 overall (.445)
NBA: 7-1 (.875) 97-48 overall (.669)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 19-14 overall (.576)
College Basketball: 15-4 (.789) 98-20 overall (.831)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 5-8 (.385)
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Basketball Predictions - 18 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Indiana at New York - Knicks by 17
Orlando at Toronto - Raptors by 3
Cleveland at Philadelphia - 76ers by 7
Brooklyn at Sacramento - Nets by 9
Golden State at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 9
Boston at Detroit - Celtics by 2
Chicago at Portland - Trail Blazers by 4
Houston at LA Lakers - Lakers by 5
College Basketball
Miami-Ohio at (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 24
Washington vs. (4) Ohio State - Huskies by 6
Oklahoma State vs. (6) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 15
Wagner at (8) Syracuse - Orange by 24
Florida Gulf Coast at (9) Duke - Blue Devils by 22
(10) Florida at Middle Tennessee - Gators by 9
Presbyterian at (15) Creighton - Bluejays by 30
(16) Baylor vs. Saint John's - Bears by 4
South Dakota at (19) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 5
Texas Southern at (21) Michigan State - Spartans by 14
Cornell at (22) Wisconsin - Badgers by 31
(23) Connecticut vs. Quinnipiac - Huskies by 4
North Carolina A&T at (24) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 48
Richmond at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 2
Belmont at Stanford - Bruins by 41
Campbell at Iowa State - Cyclones by 49
Central Connecticut State at LaSalle - Explorers by 23
Colorado vs. Murray State - Racers by 4
Savannah State at UCF - Knights by 21
Prediction Results
NBA: 7-1 (.875) 90-47 overall (.657)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 17-14 overall (.548)
College Basketball: 7-3 (.700) 83-16 overall (.838)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 4-7 overall (.364)
NBA
Indiana at New York - Knicks by 17
Orlando at Toronto - Raptors by 3
Cleveland at Philadelphia - 76ers by 7
Brooklyn at Sacramento - Nets by 9
Golden State at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 9
Boston at Detroit - Celtics by 2
Chicago at Portland - Trail Blazers by 4
Houston at LA Lakers - Lakers by 5
College Basketball
Miami-Ohio at (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 24
Washington vs. (4) Ohio State - Huskies by 6
Oklahoma State vs. (6) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 15
Wagner at (8) Syracuse - Orange by 24
Florida Gulf Coast at (9) Duke - Blue Devils by 22
(10) Florida at Middle Tennessee - Gators by 9
Presbyterian at (15) Creighton - Bluejays by 30
(16) Baylor vs. Saint John's - Bears by 4
South Dakota at (19) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 5
Texas Southern at (21) Michigan State - Spartans by 14
Cornell at (22) Wisconsin - Badgers by 31
(23) Connecticut vs. Quinnipiac - Huskies by 4
North Carolina A&T at (24) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 48
Richmond at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 2
Belmont at Stanford - Bruins by 41
Campbell at Iowa State - Cyclones by 49
Central Connecticut State at LaSalle - Explorers by 23
Colorado vs. Murray State - Racers by 4
Savannah State at UCF - Knights by 21
Prediction Results
NBA: 7-1 (.875) 90-47 overall (.657)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 17-14 overall (.548)
College Basketball: 7-3 (.700) 83-16 overall (.838)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 4-7 overall (.364)
Saturday, November 17, 2012
NBA Player of the Week - 17 Nov
There were a lot of great players last night in the best matchup of the season so far, between the Grizzlies and the Knicks. Last week's player of the week, Carmelo Anthony, put up another 20 points, and Memphis' entire front line scored at least 17 points each, but one player stood out in that game and over the past week in total, and that player is:
Randolph had his worst season in a decade last year after battling various injuries, but he is back at full strength and leading the best team in the NBA, as proven by last night's victory over the previously undefeated New York Knicks. Memphis has now won 7 straight after an opening night loss to the Clippers, and this week has been especially impressive, with 3 wins against Miami, Oklahoma City, and New York, a virtual murderer's row of opponents. Despite the quality of those foes, Randolph was solid in each game, putting up double-doubles in each, including 20 points and 15 rebounds last night. He also shot over 50% from the field in each victory and missed only one free throw in 13 attempts, and has led the Grizzlies in rebounding in every game this season.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Toronto at Boston - Celtics by 6
Utah at Washington - Jazz by 5
Memphis at Charlotte - Grizzlies by 19
Dallas at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 1
New Orleans at Milwaukee - Bucks by 11
Denver at San Antonio - Spurs by 9
Chicago at LA Clippers - Clippers by 15
Miami at Phoenix - Heat by 12
College Basketball
(4) Ohio State vs. Rhode Island - Buckeyes by 32
Samford at (17) Memphis - Tigers by 34
Jacksonville State at (18) UNLV - Rebels by 21
(20) Notre Dame vs. BYU - Fighting Irish by 13
(25) San Diego State at Missouri State - Bears by 1
Florida State vs. Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 18
Davidson at Milwaukee - Wildcats by 21
North Dakota at Northern Iowa - Panthers by 19
Oakland at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 31
New Mexico State vs. Bucknell - Bison by 10
Prediction Results
NBA: 4-5 (.444) 83-46 overall (.643)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 17-13 overall (.567)
College Basketball: 8-2 (.800) 76-13 overall (.854)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 4-5 overall (.444)
Zach Randolph
Randolph had his worst season in a decade last year after battling various injuries, but he is back at full strength and leading the best team in the NBA, as proven by last night's victory over the previously undefeated New York Knicks. Memphis has now won 7 straight after an opening night loss to the Clippers, and this week has been especially impressive, with 3 wins against Miami, Oklahoma City, and New York, a virtual murderer's row of opponents. Despite the quality of those foes, Randolph was solid in each game, putting up double-doubles in each, including 20 points and 15 rebounds last night. He also shot over 50% from the field in each victory and missed only one free throw in 13 attempts, and has led the Grizzlies in rebounding in every game this season.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Toronto at Boston - Celtics by 6
Utah at Washington - Jazz by 5
Memphis at Charlotte - Grizzlies by 19
Dallas at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 1
New Orleans at Milwaukee - Bucks by 11
Denver at San Antonio - Spurs by 9
Chicago at LA Clippers - Clippers by 15
Miami at Phoenix - Heat by 12
College Basketball
(4) Ohio State vs. Rhode Island - Buckeyes by 32
Samford at (17) Memphis - Tigers by 34
Jacksonville State at (18) UNLV - Rebels by 21
(20) Notre Dame vs. BYU - Fighting Irish by 13
(25) San Diego State at Missouri State - Bears by 1
Florida State vs. Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 18
Davidson at Milwaukee - Wildcats by 21
North Dakota at Northern Iowa - Panthers by 19
Oakland at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 31
New Mexico State vs. Bucknell - Bison by 10
Prediction Results
NBA: 4-5 (.444) 83-46 overall (.643)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 17-13 overall (.567)
College Basketball: 8-2 (.800) 76-13 overall (.854)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 4-5 overall (.444)
Friday, November 16, 2012
Basketball Predictions - 16 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Utah at Philadelphia - Jazz by 3
Dallas at Indiana - Mavericks by 3
Orlando at Detroit - Pistons by 5
Oklahoma City at New Orleans - Thunder by 2
Golden State at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 6
New York at Memphis - Grizzlies by 3
Atlanta at Sacramento - Hawks by 7
Houston at Portland - Rockets by 1
Phoenix at LA Lakers - Lakers by 11
College Basketball
Lafayette vs. (3) Kentucky - Wildcats by 4
(6) North Carolina State vs. Massachusetts - Wolfpack by 5
(11) North Carolina at Long Beach State - Tar Heels by 9
Nicholls State at (14) Missouri - Tigers by 21
Colorado vs. (16) Baylor - Bears by 12
(20) Notre Dame vs. Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 4
Wake Forest at (23) Connecticut - Huskies by 21
North Carolina-Wilmington at Ohio - Bobcats by 40
Mercer vs. George Mason - Bears by 10
Manhattan at Harvard - Crimson by 19
Prediction Results
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 79-41 overall (.658)
College Basketball: 9-0 (1.000) 68-11 overall (.861)
NBA
Utah at Philadelphia - Jazz by 3
Dallas at Indiana - Mavericks by 3
Orlando at Detroit - Pistons by 5
Oklahoma City at New Orleans - Thunder by 2
Golden State at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 6
New York at Memphis - Grizzlies by 3
Atlanta at Sacramento - Hawks by 7
Houston at Portland - Rockets by 1
Phoenix at LA Lakers - Lakers by 11
College Basketball
Lafayette vs. (3) Kentucky - Wildcats by 4
(6) North Carolina State vs. Massachusetts - Wolfpack by 5
(11) North Carolina at Long Beach State - Tar Heels by 9
Nicholls State at (14) Missouri - Tigers by 21
Colorado vs. (16) Baylor - Bears by 12
(20) Notre Dame vs. Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 4
Wake Forest at (23) Connecticut - Huskies by 21
North Carolina-Wilmington at Ohio - Bobcats by 40
Mercer vs. George Mason - Bears by 10
Manhattan at Harvard - Crimson by 19
Prediction Results
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 79-41 overall (.658)
College Basketball: 9-0 (1.000) 68-11 overall (.861)
Thursday, November 15, 2012
NBA Rankings - 15 Nov
New York has yet to lose, but still gave up the top spot this week to a team that has been very impressive in victories over some tough teams lately. Detroit finally won a game, leaving only Washington with a goose egg in the win column, and it could be a while before they erase it. Here are my current league rankings, with teams grouped by similar level of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall)
1. (3) Memphis (3-0) (6-1)
2. (1) New York (2-0) (5-0)
3. (5) LA Clippers (3-0) (6-2)
4. (4) Miami (2-2) (6-3)
5. (9) San Antonio (3-0) (7-1)
6. (7) Oklahoma City (4-1) (6-3)
7. (17) Milwaukee (3-1) (5-2)
8. (6) Utah (2-2) (4-5)
9. (26) Brooklyn (3-0) (4-2)
10. (16) LA Lakers (2-1) (3-5)
11. (20) Houston (2-2) (4-4)
12. (11) Denver (2-1) (4-4)
13. (25) Boston (3-1) (5-3)
14. (8) Dallas (1-3) (5-4)
15. (15) Atlanta (1-3) (3-4)
16. (10) Chicago (2-2) (5-3)
17. (12) Minnesota (2-2) (5-3)
18. (14) New Orleans (1-1) (3-3)
19. (21) Portland (1-3) (3-5)
20. (13) Golden State (1-2) (4-4)
21. (28) Detroit (1-3) (1-8)
22. (2) Phiadelphia (2-2) (4-4)
23. (18) Toronto (1-2) (2-6)
24. (30) Charlotte (3-1) (4-3)
25. (19) Orlando (0-3) (2-5)
26. (27) Phoenix (2-2) (4-5)
27. (23) Indiana (1-3) (3-6)
28. (22) Cleveland (0-3) (2-6)
29. (29) Washington (0-4) (0-7)
30. (24) Sacramento (0-3) (2-6)
The Brooklyn Nets pulled off a very rare feat on Friday, winning by more than 30 points one game after losing by at least 30 points. They went undefeated this week, beating Orlando twice and Cleveland once, but they'll have to beat some teams of substance if they want to remain in the top 10 past this week. So far they are 0-2 against teams with winning records. Will that change tonight against Boston?
The Houston Rockets are playing much better than I expected coming into the season, and the pickup of James Harden has helped a lot, as the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is putting up 26.4 points per game. The Rockets did lose twice this week, but both came against top 4 teams, so their two victories along with the close losses propelled them up just outside the top 10.
Last week I called the Celtics overrated, so they went out and beat the Bucks, Bulls, and Jazz this week to prove me wrong. I still don't think they're playing at the level they been at since the Garnett trade, but they are showing signs of meshing their updated lineup, and they could end up being a dangerous team in the playoffs after all.
Philadelphia fell from grace this week, staring out ranked at #2, then falling all the way to #22 after losing back to back games, the first against a good Milwaukee team, and the second against a horrible Detroit team. Even worse, both losses came on their home court, which is especially strange after they swept through a 3-game road trip.
Predictions
Boston at Brooklyn - Nets by 4
New York at San Antonio - Knicks by 6
Miami at Denver - Heat by 4
College Basketball
Sam Houston State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 38
Samford at (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 48
(6) North Carolina State at Penn State - Wolfpack by 21
Chattanooga at (7) Kansas - Jayhawks by 34
UTEP at (12) Arizona - Wildcats by 3
James Madison at (13) UCLA - Bruins by 13
(16) Baylor at Boston College - Bears by 24
Tennessee State at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 20
Hampton at Richmond - Spiders by 41
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-4 (.600) 76-41 overall (.650)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 15-11 overall (.577)
College Basketball: 2-2 (.500) 59-11 overall (.843)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 3-5 overall (.375)
TW. (LW) Team (Week) (Overall)
1. (3) Memphis (3-0) (6-1)
2. (1) New York (2-0) (5-0)
3. (5) LA Clippers (3-0) (6-2)
4. (4) Miami (2-2) (6-3)
5. (9) San Antonio (3-0) (7-1)
6. (7) Oklahoma City (4-1) (6-3)
7. (17) Milwaukee (3-1) (5-2)
8. (6) Utah (2-2) (4-5)
9. (26) Brooklyn (3-0) (4-2)
10. (16) LA Lakers (2-1) (3-5)
11. (20) Houston (2-2) (4-4)
12. (11) Denver (2-1) (4-4)
13. (25) Boston (3-1) (5-3)
14. (8) Dallas (1-3) (5-4)
15. (15) Atlanta (1-3) (3-4)
16. (10) Chicago (2-2) (5-3)
17. (12) Minnesota (2-2) (5-3)
18. (14) New Orleans (1-1) (3-3)
19. (21) Portland (1-3) (3-5)
20. (13) Golden State (1-2) (4-4)
21. (28) Detroit (1-3) (1-8)
22. (2) Phiadelphia (2-2) (4-4)
23. (18) Toronto (1-2) (2-6)
24. (30) Charlotte (3-1) (4-3)
25. (19) Orlando (0-3) (2-5)
26. (27) Phoenix (2-2) (4-5)
27. (23) Indiana (1-3) (3-6)
28. (22) Cleveland (0-3) (2-6)
29. (29) Washington (0-4) (0-7)
30. (24) Sacramento (0-3) (2-6)
The Brooklyn Nets pulled off a very rare feat on Friday, winning by more than 30 points one game after losing by at least 30 points. They went undefeated this week, beating Orlando twice and Cleveland once, but they'll have to beat some teams of substance if they want to remain in the top 10 past this week. So far they are 0-2 against teams with winning records. Will that change tonight against Boston?
The Houston Rockets are playing much better than I expected coming into the season, and the pickup of James Harden has helped a lot, as the reigning Sixth Man of the Year is putting up 26.4 points per game. The Rockets did lose twice this week, but both came against top 4 teams, so their two victories along with the close losses propelled them up just outside the top 10.
Last week I called the Celtics overrated, so they went out and beat the Bucks, Bulls, and Jazz this week to prove me wrong. I still don't think they're playing at the level they been at since the Garnett trade, but they are showing signs of meshing their updated lineup, and they could end up being a dangerous team in the playoffs after all.
Philadelphia fell from grace this week, staring out ranked at #2, then falling all the way to #22 after losing back to back games, the first against a good Milwaukee team, and the second against a horrible Detroit team. Even worse, both losses came on their home court, which is especially strange after they swept through a 3-game road trip.
Predictions
Boston at Brooklyn - Nets by 4
New York at San Antonio - Knicks by 6
Miami at Denver - Heat by 4
College Basketball
Sam Houston State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 38
Samford at (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 48
(6) North Carolina State at Penn State - Wolfpack by 21
Chattanooga at (7) Kansas - Jayhawks by 34
UTEP at (12) Arizona - Wildcats by 3
James Madison at (13) UCLA - Bruins by 13
(16) Baylor at Boston College - Bears by 24
Tennessee State at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 20
Hampton at Richmond - Spiders by 41
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-4 (.600) 76-41 overall (.650)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 15-11 overall (.577)
College Basketball: 2-2 (.500) 59-11 overall (.843)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 3-5 overall (.375)
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
NFL Rankings - 14 Nov
Atlanta has finally been vanquished, and ESPN has finally recognized that they are not the best team. Houston and Chicago met up as the teams with the #2 and #3 records, with the potential of proving which team is the league's best hanging in the balance, and the defensive battle was won by Houston, who ascended to the top spot in ESPN's rankings. My rankings differ a little, however. Here are my full league rankings, with ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses and teams grouped by similar level of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (4) Denver (6-3) W (7)
2. (3) New England (6-3) W (8)
3. (5) Houston (8-1) W (1)
4. (2) Chicago (7-2) L (3)
5. (1) San Francisco (6-2-1) T (4)
6. (16) Baltimore (7-2) W (5)
7. (7) Atlanta (8-1) L (2)
8. (10) Seattle (6-4) W (12)
9. (9) Green Bay (6-3) BYE (6)
10. (12) Dallas (4-5) W (19)
11. (8) Tampa Bay (5-4) W (13)
12. (6) NY Giants (6-4) L (10)
13. (17) New Orleans (4-5) W (16)
14. (18) San Diego (4-5) L (20)
15. (11) Pittsburgh (6-3) W (9)
16. (21) Cincinnati (4-5) W (19)
17. (19) Minnesota (6-4) W (14)
18. (15) Detroit (4-5) L (17)
19. (13) Carolina (2-7) L (29)
20. (29) Buffalo (3-6) L (27)
21. (27) Saint Louis (3-5-1) T (23)
22. (22) Arizona (4-5) BYE (22)
23. (20) Washington (3-6) BYE (21)
24. (28) Cleveland (2-7) BYE (30)
25. (24) Indianapolis (6-3) W (11)
26. (31) Tennessee (4-6) W (25)
27. (23) NY Jets (3-6) L (26)
28. (25) Philadelphia (3-6) L (24)
29. (14) Miami (4-5) L (18)
30. (32) Kansas City (1-8) L (32)
31. (26) Oakland (3-6) L (28)
32. (30) Jacksonville (1-8) L (31)
The Baltimore Ravens must have read what I wrote about them last week, because they awakened with a vengeance against the Raiders, scoring 55 points and shutting down Oakland from the opening snap to the final whistle. Joe Flacco threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for another, and now the Ravens get to go up against their biggest rivals in Pittsburgh, who may be without Ben Roethlisberger, who is nursing sore ribs. This could be the turning point for Baltimore.
Denver has the most favorable remaining schedule of any team in the league, so their climb to #1 could be a sign of things to come. It would not be a surprise for the Broncos to finish the season 13-3 after starting 2-3, with a trip to Baltimore looming as the only real challenge left. If they do finish at the top of the league, could Peyton Manning win the Comeback Player of the Year and the MVP in the same year?
What a perfect time for the Giants to have a bye week. Coming off two straight losses against teams they should have handled easily, it's obvious that something needs to be fixed in New York, and it better happen during the week off, because they have to play the Green Bay Packers the following week, and you know that they won't be easy on the defending champs, not after they ended Green Bay's season a month earlier than expected last year.
Miami is also riding a little low this week, after the Tennessee Titans, pushovers for most of the season, manhandled the Dolphins in Miami, forcing 4 turnovers and scoring one defensive touchdown on an interception return that put the game at 21-0 early in the second quarter. At that point it was basically over already, but they still had to play the final 44 minutes before officially giving the victory to the Titans.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Miami at Buffalo - Bills by 9
Sunday
Arizona at Atlanta - Falcons by 13
Cleveland at Dallas - Cowboys by 12
Green Bay at Detroit - Packers by 2
Cincinnati at Kansas City - Bengals by 7
NY Jets at Saint Louis - Rams by 7
Philadelphia at Washington - Redskins by 7
Tampa Bay at Carolina - Buccaneers by 2
Jacksonville at Houston - Texans by 30
New Orleans at Oakland - Saints by 8
San Diego at Denver - Broncos by 16
Indianapolis at New England - Patriots by 22
Baltimore at Pittsburgh - Ravens by 3
Monday
Chicago at San Francisco - 49ers by 2
NBA
Detroit at Philadelphia - 76ers by 14
Utah at Boston - Jazz by 2
Indiana at Milwaukee - Bucks by 12
New Orleans at Houston - Rockets by 5
Memphis at Oklahoma City - Grizzlies by 8
Charlotte at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 11
Washington at Dallas - Mavericks by 15
Chicago at Phoenix - Bulls by 1
Miami at LA Clippers - Clippers by 4
Atlanta at Golden State - Hawks by 3
College Basketball
(22) Wisconsin at (10) Florida - Badgers by 1
UAB at (15) Creighton - Bluejays by 27
Santa Clara at Saint Louis - Billikens by 23
Toledo at Northern Iowa - Panthers by 24
Prediction Results
NFL: 8-5 (.615) 88-57 overall (.607)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 12-13 overall (.480)
NBA: 4-2 (.667) 70-37 overall (.654)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 13-10 overall (.565)
College Basketball: 12-3 (.800) 57-9 overall (.864)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 3-4 overall (.429)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (4) Denver (6-3) W (7)
2. (3) New England (6-3) W (8)
3. (5) Houston (8-1) W (1)
4. (2) Chicago (7-2) L (3)
5. (1) San Francisco (6-2-1) T (4)
6. (16) Baltimore (7-2) W (5)
7. (7) Atlanta (8-1) L (2)
8. (10) Seattle (6-4) W (12)
9. (9) Green Bay (6-3) BYE (6)
10. (12) Dallas (4-5) W (19)
11. (8) Tampa Bay (5-4) W (13)
12. (6) NY Giants (6-4) L (10)
13. (17) New Orleans (4-5) W (16)
14. (18) San Diego (4-5) L (20)
15. (11) Pittsburgh (6-3) W (9)
16. (21) Cincinnati (4-5) W (19)
17. (19) Minnesota (6-4) W (14)
18. (15) Detroit (4-5) L (17)
19. (13) Carolina (2-7) L (29)
20. (29) Buffalo (3-6) L (27)
21. (27) Saint Louis (3-5-1) T (23)
22. (22) Arizona (4-5) BYE (22)
23. (20) Washington (3-6) BYE (21)
24. (28) Cleveland (2-7) BYE (30)
25. (24) Indianapolis (6-3) W (11)
26. (31) Tennessee (4-6) W (25)
27. (23) NY Jets (3-6) L (26)
28. (25) Philadelphia (3-6) L (24)
29. (14) Miami (4-5) L (18)
30. (32) Kansas City (1-8) L (32)
31. (26) Oakland (3-6) L (28)
32. (30) Jacksonville (1-8) L (31)
The Baltimore Ravens must have read what I wrote about them last week, because they awakened with a vengeance against the Raiders, scoring 55 points and shutting down Oakland from the opening snap to the final whistle. Joe Flacco threw for 3 touchdowns and ran for another, and now the Ravens get to go up against their biggest rivals in Pittsburgh, who may be without Ben Roethlisberger, who is nursing sore ribs. This could be the turning point for Baltimore.
Denver has the most favorable remaining schedule of any team in the league, so their climb to #1 could be a sign of things to come. It would not be a surprise for the Broncos to finish the season 13-3 after starting 2-3, with a trip to Baltimore looming as the only real challenge left. If they do finish at the top of the league, could Peyton Manning win the Comeback Player of the Year and the MVP in the same year?
What a perfect time for the Giants to have a bye week. Coming off two straight losses against teams they should have handled easily, it's obvious that something needs to be fixed in New York, and it better happen during the week off, because they have to play the Green Bay Packers the following week, and you know that they won't be easy on the defending champs, not after they ended Green Bay's season a month earlier than expected last year.
Miami is also riding a little low this week, after the Tennessee Titans, pushovers for most of the season, manhandled the Dolphins in Miami, forcing 4 turnovers and scoring one defensive touchdown on an interception return that put the game at 21-0 early in the second quarter. At that point it was basically over already, but they still had to play the final 44 minutes before officially giving the victory to the Titans.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Miami at Buffalo - Bills by 9
Sunday
Arizona at Atlanta - Falcons by 13
Cleveland at Dallas - Cowboys by 12
Green Bay at Detroit - Packers by 2
Cincinnati at Kansas City - Bengals by 7
NY Jets at Saint Louis - Rams by 7
Philadelphia at Washington - Redskins by 7
Tampa Bay at Carolina - Buccaneers by 2
Jacksonville at Houston - Texans by 30
New Orleans at Oakland - Saints by 8
San Diego at Denver - Broncos by 16
Indianapolis at New England - Patriots by 22
Baltimore at Pittsburgh - Ravens by 3
Monday
Chicago at San Francisco - 49ers by 2
NBA
Detroit at Philadelphia - 76ers by 14
Utah at Boston - Jazz by 2
Indiana at Milwaukee - Bucks by 12
New Orleans at Houston - Rockets by 5
Memphis at Oklahoma City - Grizzlies by 8
Charlotte at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 11
Washington at Dallas - Mavericks by 15
Chicago at Phoenix - Bulls by 1
Miami at LA Clippers - Clippers by 4
Atlanta at Golden State - Hawks by 3
College Basketball
(22) Wisconsin at (10) Florida - Badgers by 1
UAB at (15) Creighton - Bluejays by 27
Santa Clara at Saint Louis - Billikens by 23
Toledo at Northern Iowa - Panthers by 24
Prediction Results
NFL: 8-5 (.615) 88-57 overall (.607)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 12-13 overall (.480)
NBA: 4-2 (.667) 70-37 overall (.654)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 13-10 overall (.565)
College Basketball: 12-3 (.800) 57-9 overall (.864)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 3-4 overall (.429)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
College Football Rankings - 13 Nov
Alabama has gone down, and there are now just 3 undefeated teams vying for two spots in the national title game. It once seemed impossible, but there is a chance that the SEC will not even have a representative in the championship game. While many were extremely surprised by Texas A&M's upset of the Crimson Tide, I was not among them. I had the Aggies ranked #2 going into the game, and though I didn't pick them to win, I did pick it to be Alabama's closest game of the season. Here are my current top 25 teams, with BCS rankings in parentheses and teams grouped by similar levels of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (3) Oregon (10-0) W (2)
2. (1) Alabama (9-1) L (4)
3. (2) Texas A&M (8-2) W (8)
4. (4) Kansas State (10-0) W (1)
5. (5) Oklahoma (7-2) W (12)
6. (11) Georgia (9-1) W (5)
7. (7) LSU (8-2) W (7)
8. (8) Florida State (9-1) W (10)
9. (12) Clemson (9-1) W (11)
10. (9) Florida (9-1) W (6)
11. (16) USC (7-3) W (18)
12. (6) Notre Dame (10-0) W (3)
13. (23) Texas (8-2) W (15)
14. (14) Oklahoma State (6-3) W (24)
15. (10) UCLA (8-2) W (17)
16. (18) Stanford (8-2) W (13)
17. (15) Oregon State (7-2) L (16)
18. (22) South Carolina (8-2) W (9)
19. (13) BYU (6-4) W (NR)
20. (20) Utah State (8-2) BYE (NR)
21. (NR) Wisconsin (7-3) W (NR)
22. (NR) Fresno State (8-3) W (NR)
23. (21) Nebraska (8-2) W (14)
24. (24) Michigan (7-3) W (21)
25. (19) Arizona State (5-5) L (NR)
Dropped Out
(25) Ohio State (10-0) W (NR)
(17) Utah (4-6) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Pac 12 - 6
SEC - 6
Big 12 - 4
Big 10 - 3
ACC - 2
Ind - 2
WAC - 1
MWC - 1
Oregon took over the top spot this week after watching the Crimson Tide fall, then not taking the Cal Golden Bears lightly in a potential trap game between matchups with USC and Stanford. The Ducks have the toughest remaining schedule of the undefeated teams, with a trip to Oregon State also on tap, but that could also work in their favor, getting them some bonus points for strength of schedule if they win out.
Notre Dame dropped out of the top 10 this week even though they still have yet to lose. For the second straight week they were underwhelming in victory, allowing the Boston College Golden Eagles to hang around rather than blowing them out like everybody else has. They have some impressive wins, but without some help from the teams above them and a little more help from their own offense, the Irish will likely be left out of the title game.
Texas is looking better and better every week, dispatching a strong Iowa State team 33-7 over the weekend and extending their winning streak to 4 games since back-to-back losses against West Virginia and Oklahoma. This was their first double-digit victory since week 3, and if they can play that well against TCU on Thanksgiving, they could become a popular pick to end Kansas State's dream season a week early.
Wisconsin has clinched its spot in the Big 10 title game even though they still haven't played the top 2 teams in their division. They finish off the season with Ohio State and Penn State, both of which are ineligible due to NCAA sanctions, but I think that they'll win both and make themselves the rightful champs and not just the replacements.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Wednesday
Ohio at Ball State - Cardinals by 13
Toledo at Northern Illinois - Huskies by 18
Thursday
North Carolina at Virginia - Tar Heels by 1
Friday
Florida International at Florida Atlantic - Owls by 13
Hawaii at Air Force - Falcons by 25
Saturday
(10) Florida State at Maryland - Seminoles by 26
Northwestern at Michigan State - Spartans by 6
Iowa at (21) Michigan - Wolverines by 22
Kent State at Bowling Green - Falcons by 3
UCF at Tulsa - Golden Hurricane by 5
Indiana at Penn State - Nittany Lions by 22
Houston at Marshall - Thundering Herd by 6
Temple at Army - Black Knights by 9
(22) Rutgers at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 14
West Carolina at (4) Alabama - Crimson Tide by 74
Arkansas at Mississippi State - Bulldogs by 14
Virginia Tech at Boston College - Hokies by 7
Jacksonville State at (6) Florida - Gators by 50
Miami-Ohio at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 7
Wofford at (9) South Carolina - Gamecocks by 28
(25) Washington at Colorado - Huskies by 24
Georgia Southern at (5) Georgia - Bulldogs by 32
Alabama A&M at Auburn - Tigers
Memphis at UAB - Blazers by 9
Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan - Broncos by 17
Buffalo at Massachusetts - Bulls by 13
South Florida at Miami - Hurricanes by 11
(18) USC at (17) UCLA - Bruins by 3
Middle Tennessee at South Alabama - Blue Raiders by 12
Duke at Georgia Tech - Yellowjackets by 20
Wake Forest at (3) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 35
Mississippi at (7) LSU - Tigers by 21
Minnesota at (14) Nebraska - Cornhuskers by 23
Washington State at Arizona State - Sun Devils by 22
Colorado State at Boise State - Broncos by 24
Nevada at New Mexico - Wolf Pack by 7
Texas Tech at (24) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 12
North Carolina State at (11) Clemson - Tigers by 28
SMU at Rice - Owls by 1
Sam Houston State at (8) Texas A&M - Aggies by 50
Ohio State at Wisconsin - Badgers by 8
Purdue at Illinois - Boilermakers by 7
Texas State at Navy - Midshipmen by 16
Arkansas State at Troy - Red Wolves by 4
East Carolina at Tulane - Pirates by 6
Utah State at (20) Louisiana Tech - Aggies by 4
North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe - Warhawks by 14
Wyoming at UNLV - Rebels by 4
Texas-San Antonio at Idaho - Roadrunners by 6
Syracuse at Missouri - Tigers by 8
Tennessee at Vanderbilt - Commodores by 11
(12) Oklahoma at West Virginia - Sooners by 16
Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 14
Iowa State at Kansas - Cyclones by 5
Samford at Kentucky - Wildcats by 24
(1) Kansas State at Baylor - Wildcats by 13
(13) Stanford at (2) Oregon - Ducks by 24
UTEP at Southern Miss - Miners by 6
Arizona at Utah - Utes by 13
BYU at San Jose State - Cougars by 1
California at (16) Oregon State - Beavers by 21
NBA
Washington at Charlotte - Bobcats by 1
New York at Orlando - Knicks by 21
Toronto at Indiana - Pacers by 4
Cleveland at Brooklyn - Nets by 8
Portland at Sacramento - Trail Blazers by 1
San Antonio at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
College Basketball
(9) Duke vs. (3) Kentucky - Blue Devils by 16
Cleveland State at (5) Michigan - Wolverines by 19
(21) Michigan State at (7) Kansas - Jayhawks by 10
UC-Irvine at (13) UCLA - Bruins by 3
Alcorn State at (14) Missouri - Tigers by 53
Vermont at (23) Connecticut - Huskies by 15
Mississippi Valley State at (24) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 46
San Diego Christian at (25) San Diego State - Aztecs
Alabama-Huntsville at Kansas State - Wildcats
Harvard at Massachusetts - Minutemen by 15
Tennessee State at South Dakota State - Jackrabbits by 19
Wichita State at VCU - Rams by 29
Middle Tennessee at Savannah State - Tigers by 9
Lehigh at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 7
Maryville-Missouri at Belmont - Bruins
Prediction Results
College Football: 41-16 (.719) 493-173 overall (.740)
Upsets: 6-3 (.667) 56-68 overall (.452)
NBA: 3-5 (.375) 66-35 overall (.653)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 12-9 overall (.571)
College Basketball: 12-1 (.923) 45-6 overall (.882)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (3) Oregon (10-0) W (2)
2. (1) Alabama (9-1) L (4)
3. (2) Texas A&M (8-2) W (8)
4. (4) Kansas State (10-0) W (1)
5. (5) Oklahoma (7-2) W (12)
6. (11) Georgia (9-1) W (5)
7. (7) LSU (8-2) W (7)
8. (8) Florida State (9-1) W (10)
9. (12) Clemson (9-1) W (11)
10. (9) Florida (9-1) W (6)
11. (16) USC (7-3) W (18)
12. (6) Notre Dame (10-0) W (3)
13. (23) Texas (8-2) W (15)
14. (14) Oklahoma State (6-3) W (24)
15. (10) UCLA (8-2) W (17)
16. (18) Stanford (8-2) W (13)
17. (15) Oregon State (7-2) L (16)
18. (22) South Carolina (8-2) W (9)
19. (13) BYU (6-4) W (NR)
20. (20) Utah State (8-2) BYE (NR)
21. (NR) Wisconsin (7-3) W (NR)
22. (NR) Fresno State (8-3) W (NR)
23. (21) Nebraska (8-2) W (14)
24. (24) Michigan (7-3) W (21)
25. (19) Arizona State (5-5) L (NR)
Dropped Out
(25) Ohio State (10-0) W (NR)
(17) Utah (4-6) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Pac 12 - 6
SEC - 6
Big 12 - 4
Big 10 - 3
ACC - 2
Ind - 2
WAC - 1
MWC - 1
Oregon took over the top spot this week after watching the Crimson Tide fall, then not taking the Cal Golden Bears lightly in a potential trap game between matchups with USC and Stanford. The Ducks have the toughest remaining schedule of the undefeated teams, with a trip to Oregon State also on tap, but that could also work in their favor, getting them some bonus points for strength of schedule if they win out.
Notre Dame dropped out of the top 10 this week even though they still have yet to lose. For the second straight week they were underwhelming in victory, allowing the Boston College Golden Eagles to hang around rather than blowing them out like everybody else has. They have some impressive wins, but without some help from the teams above them and a little more help from their own offense, the Irish will likely be left out of the title game.
Texas is looking better and better every week, dispatching a strong Iowa State team 33-7 over the weekend and extending their winning streak to 4 games since back-to-back losses against West Virginia and Oklahoma. This was their first double-digit victory since week 3, and if they can play that well against TCU on Thanksgiving, they could become a popular pick to end Kansas State's dream season a week early.
Wisconsin has clinched its spot in the Big 10 title game even though they still haven't played the top 2 teams in their division. They finish off the season with Ohio State and Penn State, both of which are ineligible due to NCAA sanctions, but I think that they'll win both and make themselves the rightful champs and not just the replacements.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Wednesday
Ohio at Ball State - Cardinals by 13
Toledo at Northern Illinois - Huskies by 18
Thursday
North Carolina at Virginia - Tar Heels by 1
Friday
Florida International at Florida Atlantic - Owls by 13
Hawaii at Air Force - Falcons by 25
Saturday
(10) Florida State at Maryland - Seminoles by 26
Northwestern at Michigan State - Spartans by 6
Iowa at (21) Michigan - Wolverines by 22
Kent State at Bowling Green - Falcons by 3
UCF at Tulsa - Golden Hurricane by 5
Indiana at Penn State - Nittany Lions by 22
Houston at Marshall - Thundering Herd by 6
Temple at Army - Black Knights by 9
(22) Rutgers at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 14
West Carolina at (4) Alabama - Crimson Tide by 74
Arkansas at Mississippi State - Bulldogs by 14
Virginia Tech at Boston College - Hokies by 7
Jacksonville State at (6) Florida - Gators by 50
Miami-Ohio at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 7
Wofford at (9) South Carolina - Gamecocks by 28
(25) Washington at Colorado - Huskies by 24
Georgia Southern at (5) Georgia - Bulldogs by 32
Alabama A&M at Auburn - Tigers
Memphis at UAB - Blazers by 9
Eastern Michigan at Western Michigan - Broncos by 17
Buffalo at Massachusetts - Bulls by 13
South Florida at Miami - Hurricanes by 11
(18) USC at (17) UCLA - Bruins by 3
Middle Tennessee at South Alabama - Blue Raiders by 12
Duke at Georgia Tech - Yellowjackets by 20
Wake Forest at (3) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 35
Mississippi at (7) LSU - Tigers by 21
Minnesota at (14) Nebraska - Cornhuskers by 23
Washington State at Arizona State - Sun Devils by 22
Colorado State at Boise State - Broncos by 24
Nevada at New Mexico - Wolf Pack by 7
Texas Tech at (24) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 12
North Carolina State at (11) Clemson - Tigers by 28
SMU at Rice - Owls by 1
Sam Houston State at (8) Texas A&M - Aggies by 50
Ohio State at Wisconsin - Badgers by 8
Purdue at Illinois - Boilermakers by 7
Texas State at Navy - Midshipmen by 16
Arkansas State at Troy - Red Wolves by 4
East Carolina at Tulane - Pirates by 6
Utah State at (20) Louisiana Tech - Aggies by 4
North Texas at Louisiana-Monroe - Warhawks by 14
Wyoming at UNLV - Rebels by 4
Texas-San Antonio at Idaho - Roadrunners by 6
Syracuse at Missouri - Tigers by 8
Tennessee at Vanderbilt - Commodores by 11
(12) Oklahoma at West Virginia - Sooners by 16
Western Kentucky at Louisiana-Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns by 14
Iowa State at Kansas - Cyclones by 5
Samford at Kentucky - Wildcats by 24
(1) Kansas State at Baylor - Wildcats by 13
(13) Stanford at (2) Oregon - Ducks by 24
UTEP at Southern Miss - Miners by 6
Arizona at Utah - Utes by 13
BYU at San Jose State - Cougars by 1
California at (16) Oregon State - Beavers by 21
NBA
Washington at Charlotte - Bobcats by 1
New York at Orlando - Knicks by 21
Toronto at Indiana - Pacers by 4
Cleveland at Brooklyn - Nets by 8
Portland at Sacramento - Trail Blazers by 1
San Antonio at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
College Basketball
(9) Duke vs. (3) Kentucky - Blue Devils by 16
Cleveland State at (5) Michigan - Wolverines by 19
(21) Michigan State at (7) Kansas - Jayhawks by 10
UC-Irvine at (13) UCLA - Bruins by 3
Alcorn State at (14) Missouri - Tigers by 53
Vermont at (23) Connecticut - Huskies by 15
Mississippi Valley State at (24) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 46
San Diego Christian at (25) San Diego State - Aztecs
Alabama-Huntsville at Kansas State - Wildcats
Harvard at Massachusetts - Minutemen by 15
Tennessee State at South Dakota State - Jackrabbits by 19
Wichita State at VCU - Rams by 29
Middle Tennessee at Savannah State - Tigers by 9
Lehigh at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 7
Maryville-Missouri at Belmont - Bruins
Prediction Results
College Football: 41-16 (.719) 493-173 overall (.740)
Upsets: 6-3 (.667) 56-68 overall (.452)
NBA: 3-5 (.375) 66-35 overall (.653)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 12-9 overall (.571)
College Basketball: 12-1 (.923) 45-6 overall (.882)
Monday, November 12, 2012
NBA Predictions - 12 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
Utah at Toronto - Jazz at 3
Milwaukee at Philadelphia - 76ers by 15
Oklahoma City at Detroit - Thunder by 12
Boston at Chicago - Bulls by 8
Miami at Houston - Heat by 3
Minnesota at Dallas - Mavericks by 9
Denver at Phoenix - Nuggets by 11
Atlanta at Portland - Trail Blazers by 3
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-0 (1.000) 63-30 overall (.677)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 12-7 overall (.632)
College Basketball: 9-1 (.900) 33-5 overall (.868)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 2-4 overall (.333)
Utah at Toronto - Jazz at 3
Milwaukee at Philadelphia - 76ers by 15
Oklahoma City at Detroit - Thunder by 12
Boston at Chicago - Bulls by 8
Miami at Houston - Heat by 3
Minnesota at Dallas - Mavericks by 9
Denver at Phoenix - Nuggets by 11
Atlanta at Portland - Trail Blazers by 3
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-0 (1.000) 63-30 overall (.677)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 12-7 overall (.632)
College Basketball: 9-1 (.900) 33-5 overall (.868)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 2-4 overall (.333)
Sunday, November 11, 2012
NBA Player of the Week - 11 Nov
Technically, we've had about a week and a half so far this season, but with Brooklyn playing only one game in week one due to Hurricane Sandy, I decided to combine the first two weeks together in choosing my first player of the week and early-season MVP candidate. There were a lot of good candidates, but the top player so far is:
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony is my choice as the top player of the season so far for several reasons. The first is that his New York Knicks are the only undefeated team left in the NBA, despite Amare Stoudemire being out with knee problems again and all 4 of its games being against playoff teams from last season. Carmelo has been steady in each game, with his best performance against Miami when he scored 30 points and grabbed 10 boards, but he's scored at least 21 in each game so far and has just taken over as the league scoring leader as well. He is also averaging over a block a game, which is something he has never done before in his 10-year NBA career. We always knew he was great on offense, but if he can stay respectable on defense and keep his Knicks winning, we could be looking at your next MVP.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA Sunday
Orlando at Brooklyn - Nets by 21
Atlanta at LA Clippers - Clippers by 10
Miami at Memphis - Grizzlies by 1
Cleveland at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 14
Sacramento at LA Lakers - Lakers by 16
College Basketball
Sunday
Manhattan at (2) Louisville - Cardinals by 10
Albany at (4) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 31
(9) Syracuse at (20) San Diego State - Aztecs by 5
Alabama State at (10) Florida - Gators by 46
Florida Atlantic at (11) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 18
Charleston Southern at (12) Arizona - Wildcats by 6
Jackson State at (19) Baylor - Bears by 38
Southeast Louisiana at (23) Wisconsin - Badgers by 36
Tennessee-Martin at (24) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 40
New Mexico State at Oregon State - Beavers by 23
Monday
North Dakota State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 23
IUPUI at (5) Michigan - Wolverines by 21
North Florida at (17) Memphis - Tigers by 19
Northern Arizona at (18) UNLV - Rebels by 24
West Virginia at (21) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 20
Monmouth at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 22
Buffalo at (25) Florida State - Seminoles by 2
Lamar at Kansas State - Wildcats by 48
Yale at Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 28
Davidson at New Mexico - Wildcats by 2
Toledo at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 31
Oglethorpe at Mercer - Bears
Fordham at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 30
Prediction Results
NBA: 7-2 (.778) 58-30 (.659)
Upsets: 3-0 (1.000) 11-7 (.611)
College Basketball: 24-4 (.857)
Upsets: 2-3 (.400)
Saturday, November 10, 2012
NBA Predictions - 10 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
Philadelphia at Toronto - 76ers by 2
Washington at Indiana - Pacers by 14
Dallas at Charlotte - Mavericks by 18
Minnesota at Chicago - Bulls by 3
Detroit at Houston - Rockets by 12
Boston at Milwaukee - Bucks by 6
Phoenix at Utah - Jazz by 16
San Antonio at Portland - Spurs by 3
Denver at Golden State - Nuggets by 8
Prediction Results
NBA: 10-3 (.769) 51-28 overall (.646)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 8-7 overall (.533)
Philadelphia at Toronto - 76ers by 2
Washington at Indiana - Pacers by 14
Dallas at Charlotte - Mavericks by 18
Minnesota at Chicago - Bulls by 3
Detroit at Houston - Rockets by 12
Boston at Milwaukee - Bucks by 6
Phoenix at Utah - Jazz by 16
San Antonio at Portland - Spurs by 3
Denver at Golden State - Nuggets by 8
Prediction Results
NBA: 10-3 (.769) 51-28 overall (.646)
Upsets: 2-2 (.500) 8-7 overall (.533)
Friday, November 9, 2012
NBA Predictions - 9 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
Milwaukee at Washington - Bucks by 7
Brooklyn at Orlando - Magic by 9
Philadelphia at Boston - 76ers by 20
Dallas at New York - Knicks by 30
Miami at Atlanta - Heat by 7
Houston at Memphis - Grizzlies by 20
Charlotte at New Orleans - Hornets by 19
Detroit at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 21
Indiana at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 10
Cleveland at Phoenix - Cavaliers by 1
San Antonio at Sacramento - Spurs by 7
Utah at Denver - Jazz by 1
Golden State at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-1 (.500) 41-25 overall (.621)
Milwaukee at Washington - Bucks by 7
Brooklyn at Orlando - Magic by 9
Philadelphia at Boston - 76ers by 20
Dallas at New York - Knicks by 30
Miami at Atlanta - Heat by 7
Houston at Memphis - Grizzlies by 20
Charlotte at New Orleans - Hornets by 19
Detroit at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 21
Indiana at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 10
Cleveland at Phoenix - Cavaliers by 1
San Antonio at Sacramento - Spurs by 7
Utah at Denver - Jazz by 1
Golden State at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-1 (.500) 41-25 overall (.621)
Thursday, November 8, 2012
NBA Rankings - 8 Nov
The NBA season is just over a week old, and already there is only one undefeated team remaining. There have been surprise teams in both directions, but the majority of teams near the top of the standings were somewhat to be expected. Here are my first rankings of the season, with teams grouped by similar level of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record)
1. (6) New York (3-0)
2. (12) Philadelphia (2-2)
3. (15) Memphis (3-1)
4. (1) Miami (4-1)
5. (7) LA Clippers (3-2)
6. (13) Utah (2-3)
7. (3) Oklahoma City (2-2)
8. (8) Dallas (4-1)
9. (2) San Antonio (4-1)
10. (5) Chicago (3-1)
11. (14) Denver (2-3)
12. (21) Minnesota (3-1)
13. (25) Golden State (3-2)
14. (27) New Orleans (2-2)
15. (11) Atlanta (2-1)
16. (10) LA Lakers (1-4)
17. (17) Milwaukee (2-1)
18. (18) Toronto (1-4)
19. (19) Orlando (2-2)
20. (28) Houston (2-2)
21. (26) Portland (2-2)
22. (29) Cleveland (2-3)
23. (9) Indiana (2-3)
24. (24) Sacramento (2-3)
25. (4) Boston (2-2)
26. (23) Brooklyn (1-2)
27. (16) Phoenix (2-3)
28. (22) Detroit (0-5)
29. (20) Washington (0-3)
30. (30) Charlotte (1-2)
One of the most pleasant surprises of the first week has been the New Orleans Hornets, which won two of their first three games, one on the road against the Chicago Bulls. They also beat the Utah Jazz and lost a close game to the Spurs, so they are playing far above expectations. Rookie Anthony Davis looked good against San Antonio, scoring 21 points in his debut, but a concussion in his second game has kept him out for the past two games and he is questionable for tomorrow's game.
The Golden State Warriors have also risen early in the season, taking the top spot in the Pacific Division, which features two supposed contenders in Los Angeles. They have gone 3-2 despite leading scorer Stephen Curry shooting less than 37% so far, and they could end up being a pretty good team once he gets going.
The Boston Celtics have been underperforming so far, despite the 2-2 record that would imply that they are all right. Both wins came in close games against the Washington Wizards, which hardly counts as a win, and neither loss was close. The updated Big 3 has been playing at the same high level as usual, but the supporting cast still hasn't quite meshed for one of the preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers have also fallen on hard times, winning only against the Raptors and Kings, and losing a game against the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, which is their only victory in their past 26 games. To add to that, they just got the news that Danny Granger is out for at least 3 months, and by the time he gets back, it may be too late for them to make a playoff push.
Predictions
Oklahoma City at Chicago - Bulls by 1
LA Clippers at Portland - Clippers by 11
Prediction Results
NBA: 8-5 (.615) 40-24 overall (.625)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 6-5 overall (.545)
TW. (LW) Team (Record)
1. (6) New York (3-0)
2. (12) Philadelphia (2-2)
3. (15) Memphis (3-1)
4. (1) Miami (4-1)
5. (7) LA Clippers (3-2)
6. (13) Utah (2-3)
7. (3) Oklahoma City (2-2)
8. (8) Dallas (4-1)
9. (2) San Antonio (4-1)
10. (5) Chicago (3-1)
11. (14) Denver (2-3)
12. (21) Minnesota (3-1)
13. (25) Golden State (3-2)
14. (27) New Orleans (2-2)
15. (11) Atlanta (2-1)
16. (10) LA Lakers (1-4)
17. (17) Milwaukee (2-1)
18. (18) Toronto (1-4)
19. (19) Orlando (2-2)
20. (28) Houston (2-2)
21. (26) Portland (2-2)
22. (29) Cleveland (2-3)
23. (9) Indiana (2-3)
24. (24) Sacramento (2-3)
25. (4) Boston (2-2)
26. (23) Brooklyn (1-2)
27. (16) Phoenix (2-3)
28. (22) Detroit (0-5)
29. (20) Washington (0-3)
30. (30) Charlotte (1-2)
One of the most pleasant surprises of the first week has been the New Orleans Hornets, which won two of their first three games, one on the road against the Chicago Bulls. They also beat the Utah Jazz and lost a close game to the Spurs, so they are playing far above expectations. Rookie Anthony Davis looked good against San Antonio, scoring 21 points in his debut, but a concussion in his second game has kept him out for the past two games and he is questionable for tomorrow's game.
The Golden State Warriors have also risen early in the season, taking the top spot in the Pacific Division, which features two supposed contenders in Los Angeles. They have gone 3-2 despite leading scorer Stephen Curry shooting less than 37% so far, and they could end up being a pretty good team once he gets going.
The Boston Celtics have been underperforming so far, despite the 2-2 record that would imply that they are all right. Both wins came in close games against the Washington Wizards, which hardly counts as a win, and neither loss was close. The updated Big 3 has been playing at the same high level as usual, but the supporting cast still hasn't quite meshed for one of the preseason favorites in the Eastern Conference.
The Pacers have also fallen on hard times, winning only against the Raptors and Kings, and losing a game against the lowly Charlotte Bobcats, which is their only victory in their past 26 games. To add to that, they just got the news that Danny Granger is out for at least 3 months, and by the time he gets back, it may be too late for them to make a playoff push.
Predictions
Oklahoma City at Chicago - Bulls by 1
LA Clippers at Portland - Clippers by 11
Prediction Results
NBA: 8-5 (.615) 40-24 overall (.625)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 6-5 overall (.545)
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
NFL Rankings - 7 Nov
The Atlanta Falcons are still undefeated, but are still a long way from proving they are the best team. Several other teams, with only a loss or two on their records, have been playing incredibly well lately, and a couple of them will face off this week on Sunday Night Football, when the Bears and Texans get together. While neither is currently #1, a decisive victory by either one should be enough to put them there. Here are my current rankings, with teams grouped by similar levels of performance and ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (2) San Francisco (6-2) BYE (4)
2. (7) Chicago (7-1) W (3)
3. (4) New England (5-3) BYE (9)
4. (3) Denver (5-3) W (8)
5. (1) Houston (7-1) W (2)
6. (5) NY Giants (6-3) L (5)
7. (6) Atlanta (8-0) W (1)
8. (9) Tampa Bay (4-4) W (13)
9. (8) Green Bay (6-3) W (6)
10. (11) Seattle (5-4) W (12)
11. (12) Pittsburgh (5-3) W (10)
12. (13) Dallas (3-5) L (18)
13. (14) Carolina (2-6) W (29)
14. (10) Miami (4-4) L (15)
15. (16) Detroit (4-4) W (14)
16. (15) Baltimore (6-2) W (7)
17. (20) New Orleans (3-5) W (22)
18. (18) San Diego (4-4) W (17)
19. (19) Minnesota (5-4) L (16)
20. (17) Washington (3-6) L (19)
21. (21) Cincinnati (3-5) L (23)
22. (22) Arizona (4-5) L (20)
23. (23) NY Jets (3-5) BYE (25)
24. (28) Indianapolis (5-3) W (11)
25. (24) Philadelphia (3-5) L (21)
26. (25) Oakland (3-5) L (26)
27. (27) Saint Louis (3-5) BYE (24)
28. (26) Cleveland (2-7) L (30)
29. (30) Buffalo (3-5) L (28)
30. (29) Jacksonville (1-7) L (31)
31. (31) Tennessee (3-6) L (27)
32. (32) Kansas City (1-7) L (32)
After 4 straight close losses to potential playoff teams, the Carolina Panthers finally broke through with a victory, taking down the Redskins on the road for their second win of the season. They are still ranked far above what their record would indicate, and they could surprise one of their next two opponents, Denver and Tampa Bay, who are coming to town the next two weeks.
The Indianapolis Colts are 5-3 and in prime position to make the playoffs, but they are ranked much lower in my rankings than on ESPN. If you look at their last month of work, you'll see exactly why. Their only loss during that period was a blowout loss to the New York Jets, who have not been the same team we've gotten used to over the past few years. Two of their wins were close games against Cleveland and Tennessee, both bottom-feeders that everybody beats, and the other was against Miami, which was impressive enough to finally move them out of my bottom 5, but they certainly don't belong just outside the top 10.
The Baltimore Ravens are another team that is ranked much higher by the experts, but haven't done anything to deserve it. In the past 5 weeks, they have won close games against 4 subpar teams, and been blown out by the only potential playoff team they've faced. Baltimore may be better than what they're showing on the field, but they need to show it if they want to earn my respect.
Dallas has had one of the toughest schedules in the league so far, facing 7 teams that will likely make the playoffs in 8 weeks, which explains their poor record. Their schedule gets much easier the rest of the way, with only 1 team over .500 remaining, so they may end up making the playoffs anyway.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Indianapolis at Jacksonville - Colts by 1
Sunday
NY Giants at Cincinnati - Giants by 8
Tennessee at Miami - Dolphins by 19
Detroit at Minnesota - Lions by 1
Buffalo at New England - Patriots by 23
Atlanta at New Orleans - Falcons by 5
San Diego at Tampa Bay - Buccaneers by 11
Denver at Carolina - Broncos by 4
Oakland at Baltimore - Ravens by 10
NY Jets at Seattle - Seahawks by 12
Dallas at Philadelphia - Cowboys by 6
Saint Louis at San Francisco - 49ers by 22
Houston at Chicago - Bears by 5
Monday
Kansas City at Pittsburgh - Steelers by 23
Prediction Results
NFL: 11-3 (.786) 80-52 overall (.606)
Upsets: 3-1 (.750) 12-12 overall (.500)
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 32-19 overall (.627)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 5-4 overall (.556)
NBA Predictions
Phoenix at Charlotte - Suns by 12
Washington at Boston - Celtics by 6
Indiana at Atlanta - Hawks by 11
Brooklyn at Miami - Heat by 13
Memphis at Milwaukee - Grizzlies by 1
Philadelphia at New Orleans - Hornets by 15
Denver at Houston - Rockets by 8
Orlando at Minnesota - Magic by 5
Toronto at Dallas - Mavericks by 20
LA Lakers at Utah - Jazz by 12
Detroit at Sacramento - Kings by 14
San Antonio at LA Clippers - Spurs by 16
Cleveland at Golden State - Warriors by 1
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (2) San Francisco (6-2) BYE (4)
2. (7) Chicago (7-1) W (3)
3. (4) New England (5-3) BYE (9)
4. (3) Denver (5-3) W (8)
5. (1) Houston (7-1) W (2)
6. (5) NY Giants (6-3) L (5)
7. (6) Atlanta (8-0) W (1)
8. (9) Tampa Bay (4-4) W (13)
9. (8) Green Bay (6-3) W (6)
10. (11) Seattle (5-4) W (12)
11. (12) Pittsburgh (5-3) W (10)
12. (13) Dallas (3-5) L (18)
13. (14) Carolina (2-6) W (29)
14. (10) Miami (4-4) L (15)
15. (16) Detroit (4-4) W (14)
16. (15) Baltimore (6-2) W (7)
17. (20) New Orleans (3-5) W (22)
18. (18) San Diego (4-4) W (17)
19. (19) Minnesota (5-4) L (16)
20. (17) Washington (3-6) L (19)
21. (21) Cincinnati (3-5) L (23)
22. (22) Arizona (4-5) L (20)
23. (23) NY Jets (3-5) BYE (25)
24. (28) Indianapolis (5-3) W (11)
25. (24) Philadelphia (3-5) L (21)
26. (25) Oakland (3-5) L (26)
27. (27) Saint Louis (3-5) BYE (24)
28. (26) Cleveland (2-7) L (30)
29. (30) Buffalo (3-5) L (28)
30. (29) Jacksonville (1-7) L (31)
31. (31) Tennessee (3-6) L (27)
32. (32) Kansas City (1-7) L (32)
After 4 straight close losses to potential playoff teams, the Carolina Panthers finally broke through with a victory, taking down the Redskins on the road for their second win of the season. They are still ranked far above what their record would indicate, and they could surprise one of their next two opponents, Denver and Tampa Bay, who are coming to town the next two weeks.
The Indianapolis Colts are 5-3 and in prime position to make the playoffs, but they are ranked much lower in my rankings than on ESPN. If you look at their last month of work, you'll see exactly why. Their only loss during that period was a blowout loss to the New York Jets, who have not been the same team we've gotten used to over the past few years. Two of their wins were close games against Cleveland and Tennessee, both bottom-feeders that everybody beats, and the other was against Miami, which was impressive enough to finally move them out of my bottom 5, but they certainly don't belong just outside the top 10.
The Baltimore Ravens are another team that is ranked much higher by the experts, but haven't done anything to deserve it. In the past 5 weeks, they have won close games against 4 subpar teams, and been blown out by the only potential playoff team they've faced. Baltimore may be better than what they're showing on the field, but they need to show it if they want to earn my respect.
Dallas has had one of the toughest schedules in the league so far, facing 7 teams that will likely make the playoffs in 8 weeks, which explains their poor record. Their schedule gets much easier the rest of the way, with only 1 team over .500 remaining, so they may end up making the playoffs anyway.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Indianapolis at Jacksonville - Colts by 1
Sunday
NY Giants at Cincinnati - Giants by 8
Tennessee at Miami - Dolphins by 19
Detroit at Minnesota - Lions by 1
Buffalo at New England - Patriots by 23
Atlanta at New Orleans - Falcons by 5
San Diego at Tampa Bay - Buccaneers by 11
Denver at Carolina - Broncos by 4
Oakland at Baltimore - Ravens by 10
NY Jets at Seattle - Seahawks by 12
Dallas at Philadelphia - Cowboys by 6
Saint Louis at San Francisco - 49ers by 22
Houston at Chicago - Bears by 5
Monday
Kansas City at Pittsburgh - Steelers by 23
Prediction Results
NFL: 11-3 (.786) 80-52 overall (.606)
Upsets: 3-1 (.750) 12-12 overall (.500)
NBA: 3-0 (1.000) 32-19 overall (.627)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 5-4 overall (.556)
NBA Predictions
Phoenix at Charlotte - Suns by 12
Washington at Boston - Celtics by 6
Indiana at Atlanta - Hawks by 11
Brooklyn at Miami - Heat by 13
Memphis at Milwaukee - Grizzlies by 1
Philadelphia at New Orleans - Hornets by 15
Denver at Houston - Rockets by 8
Orlando at Minnesota - Magic by 5
Toronto at Dallas - Mavericks by 20
LA Lakers at Utah - Jazz by 12
Detroit at Sacramento - Kings by 14
San Antonio at LA Clippers - Spurs by 16
Cleveland at Golden State - Warriors by 1
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
NBA Predictions - 6 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
Tuesday
Orlando at Chicago - Bulls by 9
Toronto at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 9
Detroit at Denver - Nuggets by 20
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-2 (.750) 29-19 overall (.604)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 4-4 overall (.500)
Tuesday
Orlando at Chicago - Bulls by 9
Toronto at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 9
Detroit at Denver - Nuggets by 20
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-2 (.750) 29-19 overall (.604)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 4-4 overall (.500)
Monday, November 5, 2012
College Football Rankings - 5 Nov
All 6 undefeated teams survived on Saturday, with Notre Dame escaping by 3 points in triple overtime over the unranked Pitt Panthers, which caused them to drop a spot in the BCS rankings. Alabama, Oregon, and Kansas State all had strong victories over ranked teams, which has helped all 3 pull ahead of the Irish in my rankings as well. Here are my updated rankings, with BCS rankings in parentheses and teams grouped by similar levels of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (1) Alabama (9-0) W (1)
2. (4) Texas A&M (7-2) W (15)
3. (2) Oregon (9-0) W (3)
4. (3) Kansas State (9-0) W (2)
5. (7) Oklahoma (6-2) W (12)
6. (5) Notre Dame (9-0) W (4)
7. (8) LSU (7-2) L (7)
8. (9) Florida State (8-1) BYE (10)
9. (6) Florida (8-1) W (6)
10. (NR) UCLA (7-2) W (18)
11. (10) Georgia (8-1) W (5)
12. (18) Clemson (8-1) W (13)
13. (12) BYU (5-4) BYE (NR)
14. (16) Oklahoma State (5-3) L (NR)
15. (17) Oregon State (7-1) W (11)
16. (11) USC (6-3) L (19)
17. (NR) Utah (4-5) W (NR)
18. (15) Stanford (7-2) W (14)
19. (24) Arizona State (5-4) L (NR)
20. (20) Utah State (8-2) W (NR)
21. (NR) Nebraska (7-2) W (16)
22. (14) South Carolina (7-2) BYE (8)
23. (NR) Texas (7-2) W (17)
24. (25) Michigan (6-3) W (NR)
25. (NR) Ohio State (10-0) W (NR)
Dropped Out
(13) Texas Tech (6-3) L (22)
(19) Fresno State (7-3) W (NR)
(23) Boise State (7-2) L (NR)
(22) Mississippi State (7-2) L (21)
(21) Arizona (5-4) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Pac 12 - 7
SEC - 6
Big 12 - 4
Big 10 - 3
Ind - 2
ACC - 2
WAC - 1
Only BYU and Utah State are representing the non-AQ conferences this week in the top 25, since Fresno State and Boise State both fell out after underwhelming performances on Sunday, leaving the MWC with no top 25 teams.
Texas A&M moved up to #2 just in time to take on the #1 team, Alabama, this weekend. The Aggies are ranked #15 in the BCS, but they are obviously better than that, especially when you look at their two losses, which were both by 5 points or fewer and came against teams in the current top 7. I don't think they'll upset the Crimson Tide on the road, but they are good enough to make it an interesting game.
UCLA took a huge leap forward this week after destroying the Arizona Wildcats, who were coming off a big upset of their own against the USC Trojans the week before. Arizona couldn't even keep up when the Bruins took their foot off the gas, allowing another 24 points in the second half after trailing 42-3 at halftime. The Bruins are now in the driver's seat in the Pac 12 South, and if they beat USC they will most likely play Oregon in the conference championship game.
Clemson is moving up toward the top 10 as well, despite not owning a single victory over a ranked opponent this season. Their only loss came against their only ranked opponent, Florida State, and it was by 12 points on the road. Their only remaining ranked opponent is South Carolina in the season finale, but the Gamecocks have been slipping, so the Tigers will have to win to get any respect.
The country's only 10-win team finally entered my rankings this week when the Ohio State Buckeyes inched in at #25. They've only beaten one team that is currently ranked, and Michigan is their best remaining opponent. Despite their 10 wins and perfect record, the Buckeyes are not ranked in the BCS due to NCAA sanctions, so someone else will be playing in the Big 10 title game in their place.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Tuesday
Ball State at (25) Toledo - Rockets by 8
Wednesday
Bowling Green at Ohio - Bobcats by 6
Thursday
Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State - Red Wolves by 8
(10) Florida State at Virginia Tech - Seminoles by 15
Friday
Pittsburgh at Connecticut - Panthers by 16
Saturday
Wisconsin at Indiana - Badgers by 2
(24) Northwestern at Michigan - Wolverines by 13
Army at (23) Rutgers - Scarlet Knights by 16
(9) Louisville at Syracuse - Orange by 3
Cincinnati at Temple - Bearcats by 19
Iowa State at (17) Texas - Longhorns by 8
Miami at Virginia - Hurricanes by 5
Purdue at Iowa - Hawkeyes by 14
Arkansas at (8) South Carolina - Gamecocks by 21
Kansas at (22) Texas Tech - Red Raiders by 22
Louisiana-Lafayette at (6) Florida - Gators by 23
Missouri at Tennessee - Volunteers by 4
Georgia Tech at North Carolina - Tar Heels by 8
Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers by 13
Kent State at Miami-Ohio - Golden Flashes by 11
Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan - Chippewas by 1
Colorado at Arizona - Wildcats by 33
Massachusetts at Akron - Zips by 21
Wake Forest at North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 7
Air Force at San Diego State - Aztecs by 17
Penn State at (16) Nebraska - Cornhuskers by 12
San Jose State at New Mexico State - Spartans by 25
Wyoming at New Mexico - Lobos by 4
West Virginia at Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 21
Baylor at (12) Oklahoma - Sooners by 25
Maryland at (13) Clemson - Tigers by 37
(15) Texas A&M at (1) Alabama - Crimson Tide by 10
Minnesota at Illinois - Golden Gophers by 4
Western Michigan at Buffalo - Bulls by 1
Navy at Troy - Midshipmen by 1
Arizona State at (19) USC - Trojans by 6
Marshall at UAB - Blazers by 3
Tulsa at Houston - Golden Hurricane by 2
South Alabama at North Texas - Mean Green by 14
McNeese State at Texas-San Antonio - Cowboys by 23
(5) Georgia at Auburn - Bulldogs by 17
UNLV at Colorado State - Rebels by 5
(21) Mississippi State at (7) LSU - Tigers by 20
Vanderbilt at Mississippi - Rebels by 5
Tulane at Memphis - Tigers by 7
(20) Louisiana Tech at Texas State - Bulldogs by 18
Southern Miss at SMU - Mustangs by 23
(2) Kansas State at TCU - Wildcats by 17
UCF at UTEP - Knights by 17
Boise State at Hawaii - Broncos by 31
(4) Notre Dame at Boston College - Fighting Irish by 30
Idaho at BYU - Cougars by 53
(3) Oregon at California - Ducks by 23
(18) UCLA at Washington State - Bruins by 18
Fresno State at Nevada - Bulldogs by 6
(11) Oregon State at (14) Stanford - Cardinal by 4
Utah at Washington - Utes by 5
Prediction Results
College Football: 44-12 (.786) 452-157 overall (.742)
Upsets: 11-4 (.733) 50-65 overall (.435)
NBA: 4-1 (.800) 23-17 overall (.575)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.00) 3-4 overall (.429)
NBA Predictions
New York at Philadelphia - Knicks by 9
Minnesota at Brooklyn - Nets by 8
Phoenix at Miami - Heat by 13
Utah at Memphis - Grizzlies by 2
Portland at Dallas - Mavericks by 9
Indiana at San Antonio - Spurs by 8
Golden State at Sacramento - Kings by 1
Cleveland at LA Clippers - Clippers by 15
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (1) Alabama (9-0) W (1)
2. (4) Texas A&M (7-2) W (15)
3. (2) Oregon (9-0) W (3)
4. (3) Kansas State (9-0) W (2)
5. (7) Oklahoma (6-2) W (12)
6. (5) Notre Dame (9-0) W (4)
7. (8) LSU (7-2) L (7)
8. (9) Florida State (8-1) BYE (10)
9. (6) Florida (8-1) W (6)
10. (NR) UCLA (7-2) W (18)
11. (10) Georgia (8-1) W (5)
12. (18) Clemson (8-1) W (13)
13. (12) BYU (5-4) BYE (NR)
14. (16) Oklahoma State (5-3) L (NR)
15. (17) Oregon State (7-1) W (11)
16. (11) USC (6-3) L (19)
17. (NR) Utah (4-5) W (NR)
18. (15) Stanford (7-2) W (14)
19. (24) Arizona State (5-4) L (NR)
20. (20) Utah State (8-2) W (NR)
21. (NR) Nebraska (7-2) W (16)
22. (14) South Carolina (7-2) BYE (8)
23. (NR) Texas (7-2) W (17)
24. (25) Michigan (6-3) W (NR)
25. (NR) Ohio State (10-0) W (NR)
Dropped Out
(13) Texas Tech (6-3) L (22)
(19) Fresno State (7-3) W (NR)
(23) Boise State (7-2) L (NR)
(22) Mississippi State (7-2) L (21)
(21) Arizona (5-4) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Pac 12 - 7
SEC - 6
Big 12 - 4
Big 10 - 3
Ind - 2
ACC - 2
WAC - 1
Only BYU and Utah State are representing the non-AQ conferences this week in the top 25, since Fresno State and Boise State both fell out after underwhelming performances on Sunday, leaving the MWC with no top 25 teams.
Texas A&M moved up to #2 just in time to take on the #1 team, Alabama, this weekend. The Aggies are ranked #15 in the BCS, but they are obviously better than that, especially when you look at their two losses, which were both by 5 points or fewer and came against teams in the current top 7. I don't think they'll upset the Crimson Tide on the road, but they are good enough to make it an interesting game.
UCLA took a huge leap forward this week after destroying the Arizona Wildcats, who were coming off a big upset of their own against the USC Trojans the week before. Arizona couldn't even keep up when the Bruins took their foot off the gas, allowing another 24 points in the second half after trailing 42-3 at halftime. The Bruins are now in the driver's seat in the Pac 12 South, and if they beat USC they will most likely play Oregon in the conference championship game.
Clemson is moving up toward the top 10 as well, despite not owning a single victory over a ranked opponent this season. Their only loss came against their only ranked opponent, Florida State, and it was by 12 points on the road. Their only remaining ranked opponent is South Carolina in the season finale, but the Gamecocks have been slipping, so the Tigers will have to win to get any respect.
The country's only 10-win team finally entered my rankings this week when the Ohio State Buckeyes inched in at #25. They've only beaten one team that is currently ranked, and Michigan is their best remaining opponent. Despite their 10 wins and perfect record, the Buckeyes are not ranked in the BCS due to NCAA sanctions, so someone else will be playing in the Big 10 title game in their place.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Tuesday
Ball State at (25) Toledo - Rockets by 8
Wednesday
Bowling Green at Ohio - Bobcats by 6
Thursday
Louisiana-Monroe at Arkansas State - Red Wolves by 8
(10) Florida State at Virginia Tech - Seminoles by 15
Friday
Pittsburgh at Connecticut - Panthers by 16
Saturday
Wisconsin at Indiana - Badgers by 2
(24) Northwestern at Michigan - Wolverines by 13
Army at (23) Rutgers - Scarlet Knights by 16
(9) Louisville at Syracuse - Orange by 3
Cincinnati at Temple - Bearcats by 19
Iowa State at (17) Texas - Longhorns by 8
Miami at Virginia - Hurricanes by 5
Purdue at Iowa - Hawkeyes by 14
Arkansas at (8) South Carolina - Gamecocks by 21
Kansas at (22) Texas Tech - Red Raiders by 22
Louisiana-Lafayette at (6) Florida - Gators by 23
Missouri at Tennessee - Volunteers by 4
Georgia Tech at North Carolina - Tar Heels by 8
Florida Atlantic at Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers by 13
Kent State at Miami-Ohio - Golden Flashes by 11
Central Michigan at Eastern Michigan - Chippewas by 1
Colorado at Arizona - Wildcats by 33
Massachusetts at Akron - Zips by 21
Wake Forest at North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 7
Air Force at San Diego State - Aztecs by 17
Penn State at (16) Nebraska - Cornhuskers by 12
San Jose State at New Mexico State - Spartans by 25
Wyoming at New Mexico - Lobos by 4
West Virginia at Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 21
Baylor at (12) Oklahoma - Sooners by 25
Maryland at (13) Clemson - Tigers by 37
(15) Texas A&M at (1) Alabama - Crimson Tide by 10
Minnesota at Illinois - Golden Gophers by 4
Western Michigan at Buffalo - Bulls by 1
Navy at Troy - Midshipmen by 1
Arizona State at (19) USC - Trojans by 6
Marshall at UAB - Blazers by 3
Tulsa at Houston - Golden Hurricane by 2
South Alabama at North Texas - Mean Green by 14
McNeese State at Texas-San Antonio - Cowboys by 23
(5) Georgia at Auburn - Bulldogs by 17
UNLV at Colorado State - Rebels by 5
(21) Mississippi State at (7) LSU - Tigers by 20
Vanderbilt at Mississippi - Rebels by 5
Tulane at Memphis - Tigers by 7
(20) Louisiana Tech at Texas State - Bulldogs by 18
Southern Miss at SMU - Mustangs by 23
(2) Kansas State at TCU - Wildcats by 17
UCF at UTEP - Knights by 17
Boise State at Hawaii - Broncos by 31
(4) Notre Dame at Boston College - Fighting Irish by 30
Idaho at BYU - Cougars by 53
(3) Oregon at California - Ducks by 23
(18) UCLA at Washington State - Bruins by 18
Fresno State at Nevada - Bulldogs by 6
(11) Oregon State at (14) Stanford - Cardinal by 4
Utah at Washington - Utes by 5
Prediction Results
College Football: 44-12 (.786) 452-157 overall (.742)
Upsets: 11-4 (.733) 50-65 overall (.435)
NBA: 4-1 (.800) 23-17 overall (.575)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.00) 3-4 overall (.429)
NBA Predictions
New York at Philadelphia - Knicks by 9
Minnesota at Brooklyn - Nets by 8
Phoenix at Miami - Heat by 13
Utah at Memphis - Grizzlies by 2
Portland at Dallas - Mavericks by 9
Indiana at San Antonio - Spurs by 8
Golden State at Sacramento - Kings by 1
Cleveland at LA Clippers - Clippers by 15
Sunday, November 4, 2012
College Basketball Preseason Rankings
When the national voters release their preseason polls, they are basically just a rehashing of last season's final polls, with the same group of teams from the power conferences taking up most of the spots and many teams getting high rankings based on reputation alone. My preseason rankings are different. You will see many teams from small conferences, but you will not see the defending champion Kentucky Wildcats, who have virtually no returning players from last year's title team. These rankings are based on last season's performance combined with a calculation of how much of last season's production is returning for another season. Each team is listed below with last season's final record and result, along with this season's preseason AP rank.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (AP)
1. (NR) Ohio (29-8) Sweet 16 (38)
2. (NR) Saint Joseph's (20-14) NIT 32 (33)
3. (NR) Davidson (25-8) Round of 64 (44)
4. (15) Indiana (27-9) Sweet 16 (1)
5. (NR) Notre Dame (22-12) Round of 64 (22)
6. (24) Kansas State (22-11) Round of 32 (37)
7. (10) Wisconsin (26-10) Sweet 16 (23)
8. (NR) Creighton (29-6) Round of 32 (16)
9. (20) Saint Louis (26-8) Round of 32 (28)
10. (NR) Massachusetts (25-12) NIT Final Four (NR)
11. (NR) South Dakota State (27-8) Round of 64 (NR)
12. (NR) VCU (29-7) Round of 32 (27)
13. (NR) Minnesota (23-15) NIT Final (30)
14. (NR) Northern Iowa (20-14) NIT 16 (44)
15. (17) Duke (27-7) Round of 64 (8)
16. (2) Ohio State (31-8) Final Four (4)
17. (NR) Miami (20-13) NIT 16 (41)
18. (9) Memphis (26-9) Round of 64 (17)
19. (NR) Drexel (29-7) NIT 8 (44)
20. (NR) USC Upstate (21-13) CIT 16 (NR)
21. (23) Gonzaga (26-7) Round of 32 (21)
22. (NR) Mercer (27-11) CIT Champs (NR)
23. (NR) Bucknell (25-10) NIT 16 (NR)
24. (NR) Savannah State (21-12) NIT 32 (NR)
25. (12) Louisville (30-10) Final Four (2)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Atl 10 - 4
Big 10 - 4
Big East - 2
MVC - 2
ACC - 2
Atl Sun - 2
MAC - 1
South - 1
Big 12 - 1
Summit - 1
CUSA - 1
CAA - 1
WCC - 1
Pat - 1
MEAC - 1
The Ohio Bobcats were one of the darlings of last season's NCAA tournament after they upset Michigan and South Florida to make a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16, which ended in an overtime loss to North Carolina. The Bobcats are bringing back their entire 9-man rotation from last season, and should have no trouble repeating as MAC champions and returning to March Madness, and this year they may go even deeper into the tourney.
The Indiana Hoosiers are the preseason #1 according to the national polls, and I agree that they may be the team to beat this season after their return to prominence last season. Preseason All-American Cody Zeller returned after a great freshman season in which he scored 15.6 points per game while shooting 62% from the field, and most of his supporting cast is returning as well, giving them a leg up on the competition right from the beginning.
Only one team in my top 25 finished last season with a win, and that team is the Mercer Bears, who won the CIT Tournament last year. The CIT is a step down from the NIT and plays all of its games on the home court of the higher seed, but that didn't stop the Bears from pulling off three straight road upsets to take home the trophy, winning 70-67 over Utah State in the finale. The Bears had a very balanced team, with 6 players averaging between 8.0 and 11.5 points, and 5 of those are back for another run. This year they should qualify to play with the big boys in the postseason.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers had the worst record last season of any team to make my top 25, but 12 of those 15 losses came in conference play in the Big 10, which was absolutely brutal last year. They still qualified for the NIT and advanced all the way to the championship game, where Stanford stopped their run, and with a lot of big names leaving the conference for the NBA, look for Minnesota to be near the top of the conference standings.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Friday
Bryant at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 32
(3) Kentucky at Maryland - Terrapins by 4
Marquette at (4) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 11
Slippery Rock at (5) Michigan - Wolverines
Miami-Ohio at (6) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 24
Southeast Missouri State at (7) Kansas - Jayhawks by 19
Georgia State at (8) Duke - Blue Devils by 35
(9) Syracuse vs. (20) San Diego State - Aztecs by 5
Georgetown at (10) Florida - Gators by 12
Gardner-Webb at (11) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 13
Indiana State at (13) UCLA - Bruins by 18
(14) Michigan State vs. Connecticut - Spartans by 8
North Texas at (16) Creighton - Bluejays by 16
Lehigh at (19) Baylor - Mountain Hawks by 2
Southern Utah at (21) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 31
South Alabama at (25) Florida State - Jaguars by 1
North Dakota at Kansas State - Wildcats by 22
Emory at Davidson - Wildcats
South Dakota State at Alabama - Jackrabbits by 2
Florida-Gulf Coast at VCU - Rams by 14
American at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 32
Stetson at Miami - Hurricanes by 17
Drexel at Kent State - Dragons by 24
USC Upstate at Saint Louis - Billikens by 9
Bucknell at Purdue - Bison by 10
Trinity Baptist at Savannah State - Tigers
Saturday
SIU-Edwardsville at (15) Missouri - Tigers by 13
Evansville at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 22
Portland at Ohio - Bobcats by 34
Wartburg at Northern Iowa - Panthers
Sewanee at Mercer - Bears
NBA Predictions
Philadelphia at New York - Knicks by 14
Minnesota at Toronto - Raptors by 1
Atlanta at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 19
Detroit at LA Lakers - Lakers by 7
Phoenix at Orlando - Magic by 12
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-4 (.600) 19-16 overall (.543)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 1-4 overall (.200)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (AP)
1. (NR) Ohio (29-8) Sweet 16 (38)
2. (NR) Saint Joseph's (20-14) NIT 32 (33)
3. (NR) Davidson (25-8) Round of 64 (44)
4. (15) Indiana (27-9) Sweet 16 (1)
5. (NR) Notre Dame (22-12) Round of 64 (22)
6. (24) Kansas State (22-11) Round of 32 (37)
7. (10) Wisconsin (26-10) Sweet 16 (23)
8. (NR) Creighton (29-6) Round of 32 (16)
9. (20) Saint Louis (26-8) Round of 32 (28)
10. (NR) Massachusetts (25-12) NIT Final Four (NR)
11. (NR) South Dakota State (27-8) Round of 64 (NR)
12. (NR) VCU (29-7) Round of 32 (27)
13. (NR) Minnesota (23-15) NIT Final (30)
14. (NR) Northern Iowa (20-14) NIT 16 (44)
15. (17) Duke (27-7) Round of 64 (8)
16. (2) Ohio State (31-8) Final Four (4)
17. (NR) Miami (20-13) NIT 16 (41)
18. (9) Memphis (26-9) Round of 64 (17)
19. (NR) Drexel (29-7) NIT 8 (44)
20. (NR) USC Upstate (21-13) CIT 16 (NR)
21. (23) Gonzaga (26-7) Round of 32 (21)
22. (NR) Mercer (27-11) CIT Champs (NR)
23. (NR) Bucknell (25-10) NIT 16 (NR)
24. (NR) Savannah State (21-12) NIT 32 (NR)
25. (12) Louisville (30-10) Final Four (2)
Ranked Teams by Conference
Atl 10 - 4
Big 10 - 4
Big East - 2
MVC - 2
ACC - 2
Atl Sun - 2
MAC - 1
South - 1
Big 12 - 1
Summit - 1
CUSA - 1
CAA - 1
WCC - 1
Pat - 1
MEAC - 1
The Ohio Bobcats were one of the darlings of last season's NCAA tournament after they upset Michigan and South Florida to make a Cinderella run to the Sweet 16, which ended in an overtime loss to North Carolina. The Bobcats are bringing back their entire 9-man rotation from last season, and should have no trouble repeating as MAC champions and returning to March Madness, and this year they may go even deeper into the tourney.
The Indiana Hoosiers are the preseason #1 according to the national polls, and I agree that they may be the team to beat this season after their return to prominence last season. Preseason All-American Cody Zeller returned after a great freshman season in which he scored 15.6 points per game while shooting 62% from the field, and most of his supporting cast is returning as well, giving them a leg up on the competition right from the beginning.
Only one team in my top 25 finished last season with a win, and that team is the Mercer Bears, who won the CIT Tournament last year. The CIT is a step down from the NIT and plays all of its games on the home court of the higher seed, but that didn't stop the Bears from pulling off three straight road upsets to take home the trophy, winning 70-67 over Utah State in the finale. The Bears had a very balanced team, with 6 players averaging between 8.0 and 11.5 points, and 5 of those are back for another run. This year they should qualify to play with the big boys in the postseason.
The Minnesota Golden Gophers had the worst record last season of any team to make my top 25, but 12 of those 15 losses came in conference play in the Big 10, which was absolutely brutal last year. They still qualified for the NIT and advanced all the way to the championship game, where Stanford stopped their run, and with a lot of big names leaving the conference for the NBA, look for Minnesota to be near the top of the conference standings.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Friday
Bryant at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 32
(3) Kentucky at Maryland - Terrapins by 4
Marquette at (4) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 11
Slippery Rock at (5) Michigan - Wolverines
Miami-Ohio at (6) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 24
Southeast Missouri State at (7) Kansas - Jayhawks by 19
Georgia State at (8) Duke - Blue Devils by 35
(9) Syracuse vs. (20) San Diego State - Aztecs by 5
Georgetown at (10) Florida - Gators by 12
Gardner-Webb at (11) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 13
Indiana State at (13) UCLA - Bruins by 18
(14) Michigan State vs. Connecticut - Spartans by 8
North Texas at (16) Creighton - Bluejays by 16
Lehigh at (19) Baylor - Mountain Hawks by 2
Southern Utah at (21) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 31
South Alabama at (25) Florida State - Jaguars by 1
North Dakota at Kansas State - Wildcats by 22
Emory at Davidson - Wildcats
South Dakota State at Alabama - Jackrabbits by 2
Florida-Gulf Coast at VCU - Rams by 14
American at Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 32
Stetson at Miami - Hurricanes by 17
Drexel at Kent State - Dragons by 24
USC Upstate at Saint Louis - Billikens by 9
Bucknell at Purdue - Bison by 10
Trinity Baptist at Savannah State - Tigers
Saturday
SIU-Edwardsville at (15) Missouri - Tigers by 13
Evansville at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 22
Portland at Ohio - Bobcats by 34
Wartburg at Northern Iowa - Panthers
Sewanee at Mercer - Bears
NBA Predictions
Philadelphia at New York - Knicks by 14
Minnesota at Toronto - Raptors by 1
Atlanta at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 19
Detroit at LA Lakers - Lakers by 7
Phoenix at Orlando - Magic by 12
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-4 (.600) 19-16 overall (.543)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 1-4 overall (.200)
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