College Basketball Rankings - 31 Dec

As we head into conference play, we are left with only 4 undefeated teams in the country, as Cincinnati bit the dust this week. Three of them are ranked in the top 3 spots of this week's AP poll, while Wyoming still hasn't managed enough votes to crack the top 25. That is not the case in my rankings, as all 4 teams are spread out among the top 25, but none are ranked next to each other. Here are my current top 25 teams, grouped by similar level of performance, with AP rank in parentheses. Also, my predictions for each conference champion are included below.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall (AP)
1. (1) Indiana (1-0) 12-1 (5)

2. (2) Duke (1-0) 12-0 (1)

3. (3) Kansas (1-0) 11-1 (6)

4. (4) Louisville (1-0) 12-1 (4)

5. (5) Florida (1-0) 9-2 (13)

6. (7) VCU (1-0) 10-3 (30)
7. (8) Pittsburgh (0-0) 12-1 (24)
8. (12) Oklahoma State (0-0) 10-1 (22)
9. (6) Michigan (1-0) 13-0 (2)
10. (15) Ohio State (1-0) 10-2 (8)
11. (10) Arizona (1-0) 12-0 (3)
12. (9) Syracuse (1-0) 11-1 (7)
13. (11) Creighton (1-0) 12-1 (16)
14. (18) Kentucky (0-1) 8-4 (31)
15. (14) Colorado (1-0) 10-2 (NR)
16. (13) Minnesota (0-0) 12-1 (9)

17. (17) Gonzaga (1-0) 12-1 (10)

18. (16) Colorado State (1-0) 11-2 (NR)

19. (NR) Wichita State (1-0) 12-1 (32)
20. (23) Belmont (1-1) 9-4 (NR)
21. (21) Missouri (0-1) 10-2 (12)
22. (NR) Ole Miss (1-0) 10-2 (NR)
23. (19) Cincinnati (0-1) 12-1 (14)
24. (22) Wyoming (0-0) 12-0 (28)

25. (24) Illinois State (0-1) 9-4 (NR)

Dropped Out

(20) UNLV (0-1) 11-2 (26)
(25) North Carolina State (1-0) 10-2 (23)

Ranked Teams by Conference

Big 10 - 4
Big East - 4
SEC - 4
MVC - 3
Big 12 - 2
Pac 12 - 2
MWC - 2
ACC - 1
Atl 10 - 1
WCC - 1
OVC - 1

Wichita State jumped into the top 25 this week after beating up on Northern Iowa 66-41 yesterday, raising their record to 12-1. In addition to that win, the Shockers have also beaten Conference USA favorite Southern Miss and Atlantic 10 favorite VCU, and they have also beaten a strong Iowa team. None of the teams they have beaten are ranked, but the Missouri Valley Conference is the strongest of the mid-majors this year, with Illinois State and Creighton also ranked in my top 25, so they should get a little more strength of schedule than many others in conference play.

Ohio State bounced back against a very weak Chicago State team on Saturday, knocking the Cougars around and nearly doubling their scoring output. The Buckeyes have lost twice already, but both came against teams in my top 3, so it's tough to fault them for coming up just short against two tough opponents. Playing in the Big 10 means that they will have one of the toughest conference schedules in the nation, so they will have plenty of chances to atone for their losses.

Ole Miss lost in the opening round of the Diamond Head Classic over Christmas weekend, but they came back from that loss and won two straight, finishing it out with a 15-point win over the host team, Hawaii, which earned them 5th place in the tournament. Meanwhile, Indiana State, who beat Ole Miss last week, proved it wasn't a fluke by upsetting Illinois State yesterday.

Oklahoma State moved into the top 10 without playing this week, as they rode the momentum of 5 straight 20-point victories to join conference rival Kansas among the nation's elite. This week they'll get a chance to prove they deserve that kind of ranking, as they host Gonzaga tonight, then travel to face Kansas State this weekend, both of which are currently ranked. Cowboy victories in those two will make more people notice how good they are.

Conference Champion Predictions

With most conferences starting to play in-conference games this week, I decided it would be a good time to put in my predictions for the winners in each conference. I've also predicted each runner-up, and included my preseason prediction and the current conference leader for reference. All records include only non-conference games, and conferences are listed in order of the ranking of their strongest member. C stands for current leader, P is preseason pick, W is my pick, and R is for runner-up pick.

1. Big 10 - C: Michigan (13-0) P: Indiana (12-1) W: Indiana R: Michigan
2. ACC - C: Duke (12-0) P: Duke W: Duke R: North Carolina State (10-2)
3. Big 12 - C: Kansas (11-1) P: Kansas State (10-2) W: Kansas R: Oklahoma State (10-1)
4. Big East - C: Cincinnati (12-1) P: Notre Dame (12-1) W: Louisville (12-1) R: Pittsburgh (12-1)
5. SEC - C: Missouri (10-2) P: Florida (9-2) W: Florida R: Kentucky (8-4)
6. Atl 10 - C: Charlotte (11-2) P: Saint Joseph's (6-4) W: VCU (10-3) R: Butler (10-2)
7. Pac 12 - C: Arizona (12-0) P: Oregon State (9-3) W: Arizona R: Colorado (10-2)
8. MVC - C: Creighton (11-1) P: Creighton W: Creighton R: Wichita State (11-1)
9. WCC - C: Gonzaga (12-1) P: Gonzaga W: Gonzaga R: Saint Mary's (10-3)
10. MWC - C: Wyoming (12-0) P: New Mexico (13-1) W: Colorado State (11-2) R: Wyoming
11. OVC - C: Eastern Kentucky (10-3) P: Belmont (9-4) W: Belmont R: Murray State (9-3)
12. Sun Belt - C: Middle Tennessee (8-3) P: Middle Tennessee W: Middle Tennessee R: Arkansas State (6-3)
13. CUSA - C: Houston (10-2) P: Memphis (9-3) W: Southern Miss (9-4) R: Memphis
14. MAC - C: Akron (8-4) P: Ohio (8-5) W: Akron R: Ohio
15. Patriot - C: Bucknell (12-2) P: Bucknell W: Bucknell R: Lehigh (9-3)
16. Summit - C: North Dakota State (9-3) P: South Dakota State (9-4) W: North Dakota State R: Western Illinois (6-3)
17. Big Sky - C: Weber State (5-3) P: North Dakota (3-6) W: Weber State R: Montana (4-4)
18. Horizon - C: Loyola-Illinois (9-3) P: Valparaiso (10-4) W: Detroit (8-5) R: Valparaiso
19. MAAC - C: Fairfield (8-4) P: Manhattan (2-7) W: Canisius (7-4) R: Iona (5-5)
20. Am East - C: Albany (10-3) P: Vermont (7-5) W: Stony Brook (8-4) R: Boston (6-7)
21. WAC - C: Utah State (9-1) P: Denver (4-6) W: Louisiana Tech (9-3) R: Texas-Arlington (5-3)
22. Ivy - C: Harvard (7-4) P: Princeton (5-7) W: Princeton R: Harvard
23. Southland - C: Stephen F Austin (9-1) P: Stephen F Austin W: Stephen F Austin R: Oral Roberts (5-7)
24. Southern - C: Charleston (7-4) P: Davidson (5-5) W: Davidson R: Wofford (6-6)
25. Big South - C: Gardner-Webb (8-6) P: Charleston Southern (5-6) W: North Carolina-Asheville (6-7) R: Charleston Southern
26. Big West - C: Cal State-Northridge (9-3) P: UC-Irvine (6-7) W: Cal-State Fullerton (6-5) R: UC-Irvine
27. CAA - C: William & Mary (6-4) P: Drexel (4-7) W: George Mason (7-5) R: William & Mary
28. NEC - C: Bryant (7-4) P: Robert Morris (8-5) W: Robert Morris R: Bryant
29. Atl Sun - C: Florida Gulf Coast (8-5) P: USC-Upstate (5-7) W: Florida Gulf Coast R: North Florida (5-8)
30. SWAC - C: Southern (6-6) P: Texas Southern (1-12) W: Southern R: Texas Southern
31. MEAC - C: Savannah State (5-6) P: Savannah State W: North Carolina Central (5-7) R: Savannah State

12 of my preseason champion picks remain unchanged, and 7 others have become my runner-up pick, including 1-12 Texas Southern of the SWAC, who has at least competed in some of their losses. 7 of the current conference leaders were the teams I picked in the preseason, and I am picking just 13 of the 31 current leaders to end up on top after the season, which includes 6 of the teams that I picked originally.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

(5) Indiana at Iowa - Hoosiers by 8
Central Connecticut State at (7) Syracuse - Orange by 28
(18) Michigan State at (9) Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 10
(10) Gonzaga at (22) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 8
(14) Cincinnati at (24) Pittsburgh - Panthers by 10
(20) New Mexico at Saint Louis - Billikens by 6
North Carolina-Greensboro at (23) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 30
South Dakota at (25) Kansas State - Wildcats by 17

NBA

Memphis at Indiana - Pacers by 1
Charlotte at Chicago - Bulls by 12
Miami at Orlando - Heat by 7
Atlanta at Houston - Rockets by 6
Brooklyn at San Antonio - Spurs by 14
Phoenix at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 16

Prediction Results

NBA: 3-1 (.750) 310-140 overall (.689)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 54-37 overall (.593)
College Basketball: 0-1 (.000) 358-68 overall (.840)

Basketball Predictions - 30 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Milwaukee at Detroit - Pistons by 3
San Antonio at Dallas - Spurs by 10
Boston at Sacramento - Celtics by 1
Utah at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14

College Basketball

Illinois State at Indiana State - Redbirds by 3

Prediction Results

NBA: 8-3 (.727) 307-139 overall (.688)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 53-37 overall (.589)
College Basketball: 16-1 (.941) 358-67 overall (.842)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 23-23 overall (.500)

NBA MVP Rankings and All-Star Picks - 29 Dec

The LA Clippers' win streak and subsequent ascension to the top of the Western Conference standings has had a lot of impact on the MVP rankings. It has helped LA's two biggest stars move up into the top tier of candidates, and it also knocked Kevin Durant from the top, since his team is no longer the favorite to win the West. Here are my current MVP rankings, with players grouped by similar level of performance, along with my current All-Star picks.

TW. (LW) Player - Team - Stats
1. (2) LeBron James - MIA - 25.9 pts, 8.6 reb, 6.9 ast, 1.6 stl, .548 FG%, .432 3P%

2. (1) Kevin Durant - OKC - 28.5 pts, 8.4 reb, 4.2 ast, 1.4 blk, 1.5 stl, .518 FG%, .435 3P%, .904 FT%

3. (3) Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.2 pts, 5.1 reb, 8.7 ast, 2.1 stl
4. (5) Kobe Bryant - LAL - 30.1 pts, 5.3 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.5 stl, .478 FG%, .371 3P%, .849 FT%

5. (9) Blake Griffin - LAC - 18.2 pts, 8.9 reb, 3.1 ast, 1.5 stl, .540 FG%

6. (NR) Chris Paul - LAC - 16.2 pts, 3.5 reb, 9.4 ast, 2.6 stl, .470 FG%, .894 FT%

7. (NR) James Harden - HOU - 26.1 pts, 4.5 reb, 5.4 ast, 1.8 stl, .369 3P%, .862 FT%

8. (4) Carmelo Anthony - NYK - 28.5 pts, 6.2 reb, 1.9 ast, 1.0 stl, .473 FG%, .434 3P%, .826 FT%
9. (8) David Lee - GSW - 20.0 pts, 11.2 reb, 3.6 ast, .532 FG%, .816 FT%
10. (NR) Dwyane Wade - MIA - 20.2 pts, 4.2 reb, 4.6 ast, 1.2 stl, .513 FG%

Dropped Out: (7) Chris Bosh - MIA, (6) Tim Duncan - SAS, (10) Zach Randolph (MEM)
Honorable Mention: Chris Bosh, Tim Duncan

Kobe Bryant moved up a notch to #4 this week, and there were a couple of factors that helped him move up. One was Carmelo's injury, which left the spot open for him, but it had more to do with Kobe. He scored at least 30 points in 10 straight games, boosting his league-leading average above 30 points per game, and his Lakers have won 6 of their last 7 games to climb into 8th place in the West. He won't win the award with the Lakers barely squeaking into the playoffs, but if the Lakers continue to climb, he could become one of the oldest scoring leaders and MVP's in history.

It's kind of hard to remember, but before LA started this 16-game winning streak, they had a 4-game losing streak, and in the last game they lost, Blake Griffin finished with only 4 points on 1-9 shooting from the field. Since then, Griffin has averaged over 19 points per game and has shot over 50% in every one of their 16 straight victories. I think I see their recipe for success.

While Griffin has been a major part of the Clippers' success, you also can't ignore they guy giving him the ball. Chris Paul has been averaging over 9 assists and 2.5 steals during the winning streak, and has also shot over 90% from the free throw line, which is especially important due to Griffin's struggles there. In their 2-point win at Utah last night, their closest game since last time they visited Utah over 3 weeks ago, Paul exploded for a season-high 29 points, including the final 7 points in the huge comeback win.

Since James Harden came back from the only game he's missed this year, the Rockets have gone 7-2, and Harden has scored at least 21 in each of those games, surpassing 30 in 5 of those games. Houston's leading scorer went from hoping to repeat as Sixth Man of the Year to MVP hopeful thanks to the trade that brought him to the Rockets just before the season began, and if Houston keeps rolling, he should get quite a bit of consideration from the voters when the season ends.

All-Star picks

Rising Stars in bold.
Falling Stars in italics.

East

F LeBron James - MIA (9th game, 9th start)
F Carmelo Anthony - NYK (6th game, 5th start)
F Anderson Varejao - CLE (1st game, 1st start)
G Dwyane Wade - MIA (9th game, 8th start)
G Kyrie Irving - CLE (1st game, 1st start)

F Paul Pierce - BOS (11th game)
F Joakim Noah - CHI (1st game)
C Al Horford - ATL (3rd game)
G Jrue Holiday - PHI (1st game)
G Rajon Rondo - BOS (4th game)
G Monta Ellis - MIL (1st game)
F David West - IND (3rd game)

Honorable Mention: Brandon Jennings - MIL, Chris Bosh - MIA
Dropped Out: Chris Bosh - MIA, Evan Turner - PHI

West

F Kevin Durant - OKC (4th game, 3rd start)
F David Lee - GSW (2nd game, 1st start)
F Tim Duncan - SAS (14th game, 13th start)
G Kobe Bryant - LAL (15th game, 14th start)
G James Harden - HOU (1st game, 1st start)

F LaMarcus Aldridge - POR (2nd game)
F Blake Griffin - LAC (3rd game)
F Kevin Love - MIN (3rd game)
G Russell Westbrook - OKC (3rd game)
G Stephen Curry - GSW (1st game)
F Zach Randolph - MEM (2nd game)
G Tony Parker - SAS (5th game)

Honorable Mention: Chris Paul - LAC, Dwight Howard - LAL
Dropped Out: Al Jefferson - UTA

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

New Orleans at Charlotte - Hornets by 3
Indiana at Atlanta - Hawks by 2
Toronto at Orlando - Magic by 2
Cleveland at Brooklyn - Nets by 7
Phoenix at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 7
Washington at Chicago - Bulls by 12
Denver at Memphis - Grizzlies by 2
Oklahoma City at Houston - Rockets by 1
Miami at Milwaukee - Heat by 5
Philadelphia at Portland - Trail Blazers by 4
Boston at Golden State - Warriors by 7

College Basketball

Santa Clara at (1) Duke - Blue Devils by 23
Central Michigan at (2) Michigan - Wolverines by 29
Kentucky at (4) Louisville - Cardinals by 12
American at (6) Kansas - Jayhawks by 36
Alcorn State at (9) Syracuse - Orange by 32
Chicago State at (10) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 35
Auburn at (12) Illinois - Fighting Illini by 18
Air Force at (14) Florida - Gators by 25
Evansville at (16) Creighton - Bluejays by 21
(18) Butler at Vanderbilt - Bulldogs by 4
(20) UNLV at North Carolina - Tar Heels by 1
Western Michigan at (23) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 19
UMKC at (25) Kansas State - Wildcats by 26
Belmont at UCF - Bruins by 9
Hartford at Colorado - Buffaloes by 26
Adams State at Colorado State - Rams
Fairleigh Dickinson at VCU - Rams by 39

Prediction Results

NBA: 8-4 (.667) 299-136 overall (.687)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 52-36 overall (.591)
College Basketball: 4-0 (1.000) 342-66 overall (.838)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 22-23 overall (.489)

NBA Rankings - 28 Dec

For the first time in three weeks, the #1 team was able to maintain the top spot for a second week. This week, the Los Angeles Clippers extended their franchise-record winning streak to 15 games, and they are showing no signs of letting up. They now have the league's best record and two of its best players, and they are always fun to watch. Here are how they and the rest of the teams stack up, with teams grouped by similar level of performance.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall
1. (1) LA Clippers (4-0) 23-6

2. (3) San Antonio (3-0) 22-8

3. (2) Oklahoma City (1-1) 22-6
4. (5) Miami (3-0) 20-6

5. (10) Houston (3-0) 16-12
6. (7) Denver (2-1) 16-14
7. (4) Memphis (1-2) 18-8
8. (6) New York (2-2) 21-8

9. (15) LA Lakers (2-1) 14-15
10. (11) Indiana (2-0) 16-12
11. (9) Golden State (2-1) 19-10

12. (14) Minnesota (0-2) 13-13
13. (12) Atlanta (2-1) 17-9
14. (8) Chicago (1-2) 15-12

15. (16) Utah (1-2) 15-15
16. (13) Brooklyn (1-2) 14-14
17. (19) Boston (1-2) 14-14
18. (20) Portland (2-1) 14-13
19. (24) Detroit (2-1) 9-22
20. (18) Milwaukee (2-1) 15-12
21. (17) Orlando (0-3) 12-16
22. (26) Philadelphia (2-1) 14-15
23. (23) Toronto (1-1) 9-20
24. (21) Phoenix (0-3) 11-18
25. (25) New Orleans (1-2) 6-22
26. (22) Dallas (0-3) 12-17

27. (27) Cleveland (2-1) 7-23
28. (28) Sacramento (1-2) 9-19

29. (30) Charlotte (0-3) 7-21
30. (29) Washington (0-3) 3-23

Houston had the best week of any team in the league this week, beating Memphis by 25, Chicago by 23 on the road, and Minnesota by 3 on the road. The combination of James Harden scoring points, Jeremy Lin spreading the ball around, and Omer Asik clearing the boards has been working to perfection, and the Rockets, who had low expectations to begin the season after blowing up the roster in the offseason, are looking better than they have in years.

Philadelphia broke out of a 5-game slump this week, winning 2 games against teams currently in playoff position, including a 10-point win at Memphis 2 nights ago. They still have 6 games remaining on their West Coast trip, which finishes up with games at Oklahoma City and San Antonio next weekend. They haven't won back-to-back games yet in December, and if they want to, they'll have to beat Golden State tonight in Oakland, which doesn't look very promising.

Brooklyn had the worst week of any team in the league, and it culminated in the firing of Avery Johnson as head coach. The Nets were 11-4 when December began, but have gone 3-10 this month to drop to .500, and this week they lost to both Boston and Milwaukee by double digits, and neither of those teams are among the East's top contenders. Their interim coach has been given a gift with Charlotte and Cleveland as his first two opponents, but after that they face the Thunder and Spurs, so something needs to get fixed quickly.

Memphis has had an up-and-down month, and this week leaned heavily toward the down side. After winning 4 straight games, including a road win at Utah, the Grizzlies have now lost 2 in a row, and neither one was even close. They got demolished by the Rockets last Saturday, then let the 76ers control them at home on the day after Christmas. Hopefully it was just a lack of focus around the holidays that caused this swoon.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Phoenix at Indiana - Pacers by 8
Orlando at Washington - Magic by 4
Charlotte at Brooklyn - Nets by 11
Miami at Detroit - Heat by 6
Atlanta at Cleveland - Hawks by 3
Toronto at New Orleans - Hornets by 2
Denver at Dallas - Nuggets by 6
Houston at San Antonio - Spurs by 6
LA Clippers at Utah - Clippers by 9
New York at Sacramento - Knicks by 6
Portland at LA Lakers - Lakers by 7
Philadelphia at Golden State - Warriors by 8

College Basketball

Belmont vs. Boston - Bruins by 9
Jacksonville at (5) Indiana - Hoosiers by 47
Baylor at (13) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 10
(7) Missouri at UCLA - Bruins by 1

Prediction Results

NBA: 2-0 (1.000) 291-132 overall (.688)
College Basketball: 0-1 (.000) 338-66 overall (.837)

NBA Predictions - 27 Dec

Dallas at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 15
Boston at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14

Prediction Results

NBA: 9-3 (.750) 289-132 overall (.686)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 51-35 overall (.593)

NFL Rankings - 26 Dec

There is only one week left in the NFL season, and 10 of the 12 playoff spots have been clinched, although most teams still have a reason to be playing on Sunday. Only Atlanta has clinched home a first-round bye, and there are still 2 teams in play for the NFC East title and 4 vying for the final wild card spot in the NFC. Here are my current rankings for each team, with teams grouped by similar level of performance and ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses.

TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (1) Seattle (10-5) W (6)

2. (2) New England (11-4) W (5)

3. (3) San Francisco (10-4-1) L (3)
4. (4) Denver (12-3) W (1)
5. (7) Green Bay (11-4) W (4)
6. (5) Atlanta (13-2) W (2)

7. (8) Chicago (9-6) W (13)

8. (13) Minnesota (9-6) W (12)

9. (6) NY Giants (8-7) L (15)
10. (10) Washington (9-6) W (9)
11. (11) Cincinnati (9-6) W (11)
12. (16) Baltimore (10-5) W (10)
13. (12) New Orleans (7-8) W (17)
14. (14) Carolina (6-9) W (20)
15. (9) Houston (12-3) L (7)

16. (15) Dallas (8-7) L (14)
17. (19) Saint Louis (7-7-1) W (16)

18. (17) Miami (7-8) W (19)
19. (21) San Diego (6-9) W (21)
20. (18) Pittsburgh (7-8) L (18)

21. (24) Detroit (4-11) L (28)
22. (22) Arizona (5-10) L (26)
23. (20) Tampa Bay (6-9) L (22)

24. (25) Cleveland (5-10) L (24)
25. (23) NY Jets (6-9) L (23)
26. (26) Indianapolis (10-5) W (8)

27. (27) Buffalo (5-10) L (25)
28. (28) Philadelphia (4-11) L (29)

29. (30) Oakland (4-11) L (30)

30. (29) Tennessee (5-10) L (27)
31. (32) Jacksonville (2-13) L (31)

32. (31) Kansas City (2-13) L (32)

Green Bay moved into the top 5 just in time for the playoffs with a 55-7 demolition of the Tennessee Titans on Sunday. After starting the season 2-3, the Packers have lost just once more, back when New York was still playing well during Thanksgiving weekend. If they beat Minnesota in the season finale, they will clinch the #2 seed in the NFC and the week off that comes along with it.

Unfortunately for the Packers, they will be facing another of the league's hottest teams, the Minnesota Vikings, who have won three straight and would clinch a playoff spot with a victory. They kept themselves alive by beating the Houston Texans on Sunday, which also left the race for the top spot in the AFC wide open, with three teams still in the hunt.

For the second time in 3 weeks, my #1 team went up against ESPN's #1 team in prime time, and for the second time my top team won by 4 touchdowns. This time the winner was Seattle, who destroyed the 49ers and made a division title a possibility while clinching a trip to the playoffs again. With the way the Seahawks are playing right now, I'm not sure anyone will be able to beat them in the playoffs.

Baltimore finally clinched their division on their 4th try by beating the New York Giants, and in the process nearly eliminated the defending champs from playoff contention. Their game against Cincinnati this weekend could have been to decide the division title, but instead it is a meaningless game that will do nothing for either team's playoff positioning.

Playoff Predictions

AFC

(1) Houston (13-3)
(2) Denver (13-3)
(3) New England (12-4)
(4) Baltimore (10-6)
(5) Indianapolis (10-6)
(6) Cincinnati (10-6)

Left Out: Pittsburgh (8-8)

NFC

(1) Atlanta (14-2)
(2) Green Bay (12-4)
(3) San Francisco (11-4-1)
(4) Washington (10-6)
(5) Seattle (11-5)
(6) Chicago (10-6)

Left Out: NY Giants (9-7) Minnesota (9-7) Dallas (8-8) New Orleans (8-8)

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Tampa Bay at Atlanta - Falcons by 16
NY Jets at Buffalo - Bills by 1
Baltimore at Cincinnati - Bengals by 4
Chicago at Detroit - Bears by 7
Jacksonville at Tennessee - Titans by 4
Houston at Indianapolis - Texans by 5
Carolina at New Orleans - Saints by 4
Philadelphia at NY Giants - Giants by 16
Cleveland at Pittsburgh - Steelers by 7
Kansas City at Denver - Broncos by 29
Green Bay at Minnesota - Packers by 1
Miami at New England - Patriots by 17
Oakland at San Diego - Chargers by 12
Saint Louis at Seattle - Seahawks by 21
Arizona at San Francisco - 49ers by 18
Dallas at Washington - Redskins by 6

NBA

Cleveland at Washington - Cavaliers by 1
Miami at Charlotte - Heat by 13
New Orleans at Orlando - Magic by 5
Detroit at Atlanta - Hawks by 5
Brooklyn at Milwaukee - Bucks by 1
Philadelphia at Memphis - Grizzlies by 12
Houston at Minnesota - Rockets by 1
Toronto at San Antonio - Spurs by 14
New York at Phoenix - Knicks by 5
LA Lakers at Denver - Nuggets by 5
Golden State at Utah - Jazz by 2
Sacramento at Portland - Trail Blazers by 6

College Basketball

New Mexico at (8) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 14

Prediction Results

NBA: 3-2 (.600) 280-129 overall (.685)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 51-34 overall (.600)
College Basketball: 1-0 (1.000) 338-65 overall (.839)
NFL: 11-5 (.688) 149-90 overall (.623)
Upsets: 1-2 (.333) 21-25 overall (.457)

College Basketball Rankings - 24 Dec

There are now only 5 undefeated teams left in the country, 4 representing the major conferences and Wyoming from the outside. For the first time this season, every one of the undefeated teams has made its way into my top 25, and a new team has taken over the #1 spot, which means there has been a different top team for three straight weeks. Here are my current top 25 rankings, with teams grouped by similar level of performance and AP rank in parentheses.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall (AP)
1. (2) Indiana (2-0) 11-1 (5)
2. (4) Duke (2-0) 11-0 (1)

3. (7) Kansas (2-0) 10-1 (6)

4. (6) Louisville (2-0) 11-1 (4)

5. (3) Florida (1-1) 8-2 (14)

6. (11) Michigan (1-0) 12-0 (2)
7. (12) VCU (2-0) 9-3 (30)
8. (5) Pittsburgh (2-0) 12-1 (24)
9. (1) Syracuse (1-1) 10-1 (9)
10. (9) Arizona (3-0) 11-0 (3)
11. (14) Creighton (1-0) 11-1 (16)
12. (NR) Oklahoma State (2-0) 10-1 (22)

13. (10) Minnesota (1-0) 12-1 (11)
14. (NR) Colorado (1-0) 9-2 (NR)
15. (8) Ohio State (1-1) 9-2 (10)
16. (NR) Colorado State (4-0) 10-2 (NR)
17. (18) Gonzaga (1-0) 11-1 (13)
18. (16) Kentucky (1-0) 8-3 (27)
19. (13) Cincinnati (2-0) 12-0 (8)

20. (23) UNLV (3-0) 11-1 (20)
21. (NR) Missouri (2-0) 10-1 (7)
22. (17) Wyoming (2-0) 12-0 (29)
23. (NR) Belmont (1-0) 8-3 (NR)
24. (20) Illinois State (2-0) 9-3 (NR)
25. (NR) North Carolina State (2-0) 9-2 (23)

Dropped Out

(22) Iowa State (1-0) 9-3 (NR)
(15) Ole Miss (2-1) 9-2 (NR)
(25) Wichita State (2-0) 11-1 (32)
(21) Saint Mary's (1-1) 8-3 (NR)
(24) Middle Tennessee (2-0) 9-3 (NR)
(19) Oregon (1-1) 10-2 (34)

Ranked Teams by Conference

Big 10 - 4
Big East - 4
SEC - 3
MWC - 3
ACC - 2
Big 12 - 2
Pac 12 - 2
MVC - 2
Atl 10 - 1
WCC - 1
OVC - 1

The state of Colorado was a big winner this week, with both of its major universities entering my rankings this week. Colorado got in after a 47-point win over Northern Arizona, even with their 36-point loss to Kansas 2 weeks earlier. Colorado State went 4-0 this week after winning the Las Vegas classic with a blowout of Virginia Tech yesterday. The two teams have only 4 losses between them, and one of those was when the Rams lost to the Buffaloes.

Oklahoma State is the highest-debuting team in my top 25 this week, jumping in at #12 with an 11-1 record. They've already nabbed two good wins, over NC State and Akron, but they will be tested in their next two games, when they play Gonzaga and Kansas State. I'm thinking there could be some trouble, since they haven't played in a close game since December 1.

North Carolina State slipped in at #25 this week after a big win over Saint Bonaventure, which has been very strong in the early going. Their two losses are looking better and better, with Oklahoma State playing really well lately and Michigan still undefeated, but they still don't have a signature win, and I'm not sure they'll get it when they finally have a chance, because their next ranked opponent is Duke on January 12.

Missouri made the top 25 as well this week after giving Illinois their first loss of the season Saturday in Saint Louis. The last time they played any good teams was Thanksgiving weekend, when they lost to Louisville in the Battle 4 Atlantis before beating VCU in the consolation bracket, so this time it was important for them to take advantage. Their upcoming schedule is filled with teams that are flying just under the top 25, so a string of victories now would really help their strength of schedule and get them closer to where the national polls have them ranked.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

(18) San Diego State vs. (4) Arizona - Wildcats by 6

NBA

Boston at Brooklyn - Nets by 6
New York at LA Lakers - Lakers by 1
Oklahoma City at Miami - Heat by 1
Houston at Chicago - Bulls by 1
Denver at LA Clippers - Clippers by 8

Prediction Results

NBA: 4-2 (.667) 277-127 overall (.686)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 49-34 overall (.590)
College Basketball: 3-1 (.750) 337-65 overall (.838)

Basketball Predictions - 23 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Philadelphia at Brooklyn - Nets by 9
Minnesota at New York - Knicks by 7
Utah at Orlando - Magic by 1
Dallas at San Antonio - Spurs by 13
LA Clippers at Phoenix - Clippers by 8
Portland at Sacramento - Trail Blazers by 1

College Basketball

Kennesaw State at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 43
Saint Mary's at Northern Iowa - Gaels by 7
(4) Arizona vs. Miami - Wildcats by 2
Indiana State vs. (18) San Diego State - Aztecs by 6

Prediction Results

NBA: 6-3 (.667) 273-125 (.686)
College Basketball: 16-5 (.762) 334-64 overall (.839
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 21-23 overall (.477)

Basketball Predictions - 22 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Detroit at Washington - Pistons by 4
Chicago at Atlanta - Hawks by 1
Utah at Miami - Heat by 9
Indiana at New Orleans - Pacers by 3
Memphis at Houston - Grizzlies by 2
Cleveland at Milwaukee - Bucks by 8
Charlotte at Denver - Nuggets by 16
Phoenix at Portland - Trail Blazers by 3
LA Lakers at Golden State - Warriors by 4

College Basketball

Ole Miss vs. Indiana State - Rebels by 12
Marshall at Kentucky - Wildcats by 24
Saint Mary's at Northern Iowa - Gaels by 7
Austin Peay at Illinois State - Redbirds by 31
Miami at Hawaii - Hurricanes by 17
(3) Syracuse vs. Temple - Orange by 18
(4) Arizona vs. East Tennessee State - Wildcats by 30
Western Kentucky vs. (5) Louisville - Cardinals by 17
(9) Kansas at (7) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 1
(8) Florida at Kansas State - Gators by 12
(12) Missouri vs. (10) Illinois - Tigers by 3
Wright State at (11) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 22
Lafayette at (13) Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 34
American at (15) Georgetown - Hoyas by 22
South Dakota State at (16) New Mexico - Lobos by 20
(18) San Diego State vs. San Francisco - Aztecs by 10
Evansville at (19) Butler - Bulldogs by 18
Texas at (20) Michigan State - Spartans by 12
Canisius at (21) UNLV - Rebels by 8
McNeese State at (23) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 14
Tennessee Tech at (24) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 26
Saint Bonaventure at (25) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 9

Prediction Results

NBA: 7-3 (.700) 267-122 (.686)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 49-33 overall (.598)
College Basketball: 5-0 (1.000) 318-59 overall (.844)

NBA Rankings - 21 Dec

The Los Angeles Clippers are currently enjoying the longest winning streak in franchise history, which has boosted them to the top of my rankings, displacing the Spurs, who ascended to the top last week. This is the first time they have ever been ranked #1, and they currently have the second-best record in the league. Here are my full current rankings, with teams grouped by similar level of performance.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall
1. (2) LA Clippers (3-0) 19-6

2. (3) Oklahoma City (3-1) 21-5
3. (1) San Antonio (1-2) 19-8
4. (5) Memphis (3-1) 17-6
5. (8) Miami (3-0) 17-6
6. (4) New York (2-1) 19-6

7. (9) Denver (3-1) 14-13

8. (10) Chicago (2-1) 14-10
9. (12) Golden State (2-2) 17-9
10. (18) Houston (3-1) 13-12
11. (15) Indiana (3-1) 14-12
12. (6) Atlanta (1-2) 15-8
13. (14) Brooklyn (1-3) 13-12
14. (13) Minnesota (3-2) 13-11
15. (11) LA Lakers (3-0) 12-14

16. (7) Utah (1-3) 14-13

17. (20) Orlando (4-0) 12-13
18. (19) Milwaukee (2-2) 13-11
19. (16) Boston (1-3) 13-12

20. (21) Portland (2-0) 12-12
21. (25) Phoenix (3-0) 11-15
22. (17) Dallas (1-3) 12-14
23. (29) Toronto (4-0) 8-19
24. (22) Detroit (0-4) 7-21

25. (26) New Orleans (0-4) 5-20

26. (24) Philadelphia (0-4) 12-14
27. (28) Cleveland (0-4) 5-22

28. (23) Sacramento (1-3) 8-17

29. (27) Washington (0-4) 3-20

30. (30) Charlotte (0-3) 7-18

The hottest team in the NBA this week is not one you would expect. A week ago, when Andrea Bargnani called the Toronto Raptors the worst team in the league, they had lost 12 of 13 games and were ahead of only Charlotte in my rankings. Since that statement, the Raptors have won 4 straight, two by large margins, and are swiftly moving up the rankings, passing 5 teams that failed to win this week.

Miami also looked strong this week, beating all three of its opponents by at least 10 points, and dominating a matchup of the last 2 NBA champions last night on the road. 5 of Miami's 6 losses so far have come against top 10 teams, with the other loss coming at Washington in one of the most confusing results of this season so far. They host the Thunder in a Christmas Day rematch of the NBA Finals this week.

The Houston Rockets also had a good week, losing to the red-hot Raptors to open the week, then taking out their frustration on New York as Jeremy Lin made his old team regret letting him leave. They followed up the impressive road win with a home drubbing of Philadelphia, taking down the 76ers by 22 points to move into the playoff picture again.

The Phoenix Suns are another team that looks to be turning things around, winning 4 straight in their recent homestand. The streak started with upsets over Memphis and Utah, then continued as they knocked out the Kings and Bobcats. They will be in Portland tomorrow before returning home to host the Clippers and Knicks before and after Christmas.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Orlando at Toronto - Raptors by 1
Atlanta at Philadelphia - Hawks by 4
Milwaukee at Boston - Celtics by 3
Chicago at New York - Knicks by 6
Washington at Detroit - Pistons by 7
Indiana at Cleveland - Pacers by 4
Dallas at Memphis - Grizzlies by 13
New Orleans at San Antonio - Spurs by 15
Sacramento at LA Clippers - Clippers by 19
Charlotte at Golden State - Warriors by 14

College Basketball

Vanderbilt at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 21
Longwood at VCU - Rams by 45
UCSB at Wyoming - Cowboys by 21
FAU at (6) Indiana - Hoosiers by 41
Niagara at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 15

Prediction Results

NBA: 1-2 (.333) 260-119 overall (.686)
College Basketball: 3-0 (1.000) 313-59 overall (.841)

NFL Rankings - 20 Dec

New England fell to the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday night, breaking a 7-game winning streak and their 4-week hold on the top spot in my NFL rankings. There were just a few candidates to take over the top spot, all playing out west. San Francisco, the team that beat them, had a good argument, as did the Denver Broncos, who have the longest current winning streak in the league, but the top spot went to another team, one that became just the third team in history and the first in over 60 years to reach 50 points in back-to-back games. Here are my current rankings, with teams grouped by similar level of performance and ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses.

TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)

1. (2) Seattle (9-5) W (7)

2. (1) New England (10-4) L (4)

3. (4) San Francisco (10-3-1) W (1)

4. (5) Denver (11-3) W (2)

5. (9) Atlanta (12-2) W (5)

6. (3) NY Giants (8-6) L (12)

7. (11) Green Bay (10-4) W (6)

8. (6) Chicago (8-6) L (14)

9. (7) Houston (12-2) W (3)

10. (10) Washington (8-6) W (8)

11. (12) Cincinnati (8-6) W (13)

12. (23) New Orleans (6-8) W (18)

13. (16) Minnesota (8-6) W (15)

14. (20) Carolina (5-9) W (23)

15. (14) Dallas (8-6) W (10)

16. (8) Baltimore (9-5) L (11)

17. (19) Miami (6-8) W (19)

18. (17) Pittsburgh (7-7) L (16)

19. (15) Saint Louis (6-7-1) L (17)

20. (13) Tampa Bay (6-8) L (20)

21. (18) San Diego (5-9) L (24)

22. (28) Arizona (5-9) W (27)

23. (24) NY Jets (6-8) L (21)

24. (21) Detroit (4-10) L (28)

25. (22) Cleveland (5-9) L (22)

26. (26) Indianapolis (9-5) W (9)

27. (25) Buffalo (5-9) L (25)

28. (27) Philadelphia (4-10) L (29)

29. (29) Tennessee (5-9) W (26)

30. (31) Oakland (4-10) W (30)

31. (30) Kansas City (2-12) L (32)

32. (32) Jacksonville (2-12) L (31)

Coming off a disappointing loss at Carolina and facing the defending champs, who looked great the week before, Atlanta was supposed to be in for a test on Sunday, but then they turned in their most complete game of the season, shutting out the Giants 34-0 by forcing 3 turnovers, in the process becoming the first team to hold New York scoreless in 16 years. Atlanta is in the driver's seat for home field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

Another hot team is Atlanta's division rival, the one I picked in the preseason to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, it's unlikely at this point that New Orleans will even make the playoffs, but they are a good team, and their last 5 losses have all come against teams in my top 7. You don't win championships by losing to the best teams, but you also can't say this team isn't talented. 

Arizona may have just turned in the largest change in point differential from one game to the next in NFL history, although I can't find enough data to prove it. They went from losing 58-0 one week to blasting the Detroit Lions 38-10 this week. Beanie Wells was resurrected, scoring 3 times in the first half, and the Cardinals proved that they haven't completely given up.

Seattle took over the top spot for the first time in their history this week after making history on offense in their last 2 games, putting up a total of 108 points in wins over Arizona and Buffalo, admittedly not murderer's row, but NFL teams nonetheless. Their defense has also been great, giving up only 17 points to Buffalo and shutting out the Cardinals, and a win over the 49ers this week would give them a shot at the division title.

Playoff Predictions

AFC

(1) Houston (14-2)

(2) Denver (13-3)

(3) New England (12-4)

(4) Cincinnati (10-6)

(5) Indianapolis (10-6)

(6) Baltimore (9-7)

Left Out: Pittsburgh (8-8)

There were only two changes in the AFC playoff picture this week, with Denver passing New England for the #2 seed and the first-round bye, and Cincinnati switching placed with Pittsburgh as the division winner, leaving the Steelers out in the cold.

NFC

(1) Atlanta (14-2)

(2) San Francisco (11-4-1)

(3) Green Bay (11-5)

(4) Washington (10-6)

(5) Seattle (11-5)

(6) NY Giants (10-6)

Left Out: Chicago (10-6), Dallas (9-7)

San Francisco's win over New England gave them the win they desperately needed to help them win the division over the red-hot Seahawks, which knocked Seattle down to the first Wild Card spot. New York's loss dropped them from a first-round bye to the final playoff spot, and Green Bay jumped in to replace Chicago, who has lost 3 straight and 5 of their last 6. Washington took over the NFC East title from the Giants after Atlanta manhandled the Giants.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Saturday

Atlanta at Detroit - Falcons by 9

Sunday

New Orleans at Dallas - Cowboys by 2

Tennessee at Green Bay - Packers by 18

Indianapolis at Kansas City - Colts by 5

Buffalo at Miami - Dolphins by 9

San Diego at NY Jets - Jets by 3

Washington at Philadelphia - Redskins by 7

Cincinnati at Pittsburgh - Bengals by 1

Saint Louis at Tampa Bay - Buccaneers by 3

Oakland at Carolina - Panthers by 16

New England at Jacksonville - Patriots by 24

Minnesota at Houston - Texans by 6

Cleveland at Denver - Broncos by 18

NY Giants at Baltimore - Giants by 2

Chicago at Arizona - Bears by 5

San Francisco at Seattle - Seahawks by 7

NBA

Oklahoma City at Minnesota - Thunder by 4

Miami at Dallas- Heat by 5

Denver at Portland - Nuggets by 5

College Basketball

Charleston Southern at Wichita State - Shockers by 17

Elon at (1) Duke - Blue Devils by 30

Eastern Michigan at (2) Michigan - Wolverines by 32

Prediction Results

NFL: 8-8 (.500) 138-85 overall (.619)

Upsets: 0-4 (.000) 19-21 overall (.475)

NBA: 10-1 (.909) 259-117 overall (.689)

Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 48-32 overall (.600)

College Basketball: 15-3 (.833) 310-59 overall (.840)

Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 20-23 overall (.465)

Basketball Predictions - 19 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Detroit at Toronto - Raptors by 3
Brooklyn at New York - Knicks by 6
Washington at Orlando - Magic by 9
Utah at Indiana - Pacers by 1
Cleveland at Boston - Celtics by 7
Oklahoma City at Atlanta - Thunder by 3
Philadelphia at Houston - Rockets by 9
Charlotte at Phoenix - Suns by 9
Milwaukee at Memphis - Grizzlies by 11
Golden State at Sacramento - Warriors by 6
New Orleans at LA Clippers - Clippers by 17

College Basketball

Ole Miss at Loyola Marymount - Rebels by 10
Delaware State at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 36
Pacific at Saint Mary's - Gaels by 19
Iowa State at UMKC - Cyclones by 23
Oregon at UTEP - Ducks by 11
Illinois State at Dayton - Redbirds by 2
Cornell at (1) Duke - Blue Devils by 38
FIU at (5) Louisville - Cardinals by 27
Mount Saint Mary's at (6) Indiana - Hoosiers by 36
Southeast Louisiana at (8) Florida - Gators by 42
Xavier vs. (11) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 12
Kennesaw State at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 29
Tulsa at (17) Creighton - Bluejays by 28
Campbell at (14) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 27
(16) New Mexico at New Mexico State - Aggies by 1
(23) North Carolina at Texas - Tar Heels by 1
Northern Iowa at (21) UNLV - Rebels by 15

Prediction Results

NBA: 11-5 (.688) 249-116 overall (.682)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 47-32 overall (.595)
College Basketball: 13-0 (1.000) 295-56 overall (.840)

College Basketball Rankings - 17 Dec

We are already down to 8 undefeated teams representing only 5 conferences, and most of them are within my current top 25. Last week's AP #1, Indiana, lost to Butler this week, and my #1, Florida lost at Arizona, so the top spot opened up in both, and each went to a different team. Here are my current top 25 teams, with AP rank in parentheses and teams grouped by similar level of performance.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall (AP)
1. (2) Syracuse (1-0) 9-0 (3)

2. (3) Indiana (0-1) 9-1 (6)
3. (1) Florida (0-1) 7-1 (8)

4. (4) Duke (0-0) 9-0 (1)

5. (7) Pittsburgh (1-0) 10-1 (27)

6. (5) Louisville (1-0) 9-1 (5)

7. (14) Kansas (1-0) 8-1 (9)

8. (8) Ohio State (2-0) 8-1 (7)

9. (11) Arizona (1-0) 8-0 (4)
10. (15) Minnesota (1-0) 11-1 (13)
11. (9) Michigan (2-0) 11-0 (2)

12. (16) VCU (1-0) 7-3 (31)
13. (13) Cincinnati (1-0) 10-0 (11)
14. (12) Creighton (1-0) 10-1 (17)

15. (6) Ole Miss (1-0) 7-1 (NR)

16. (25) Kentucky (1-0) 7-3 (28)
17. (20) Wyoming (0-0) 10-0 (29)
18. (18) Gonzaga (1-0) 10-1 (14)

19. (NR) Oregon (1-0) 9-1 (26)
20. (24) Illinois State (1-0) 7-3 (NR)
21. (NR) Saint Mary's (1-0) 7-2 (NR)

22. (NR) Iowa State (1-0) 8-3 (NR)
23. (NR) UNLV (1-0) 8-1 (21)
24. (10) Middle Tennessee (0-1) 7-3 (NR)
25. (22) Wichita State (0-1) 9-1 (32)

Dropped Out

(21) Wisconsin (1-0) 7-4 (NR)
(19) Illinois (2-0) 12-0 (10)
(17) Belmont (1-1) 7-3 (NR)
(23) North Carolina (1-0) 8-2 (23)

Ranked Teams by Conference

Big 10 - 4
Big East - 4
MVC - 3
SEC - 3
Big 12 - 2
MWC - 2
WCC - 2
Pac 12 - 2
ACC - 1
Sun Belt - 1
Atl 10 - 1

Saint Mary's joined my top 25 this week after beating up on Jackson State 120-67 last Tuesday. The 120 points was the most scored against a Division I team this season, and the second-highest total in team history, and Gaels star Matthew Dellavedova missed his career high in scoring by one point for the second straight game, finishing up with "only" 31 points again.

Kansas made their way back into the top 10 this week after pasting the Belmont Bruins by 29 points on Saturday. Belmont has been strong for years, and they usually perform well against tough competition, but this time the Jayhawks had their way with them. The Jayhawks have beaten several good teams this year, but have yet to take down a team ranked in the AP poll, losing against Michigan State in their only opportunity so far.

Kentucky has struggled against good teams so far this year, but they have been blowing out everyone else they have faced, winning each of their last 3 games by at least 28 points. They are travelling to face in-state rival Louisville right after Christmas, and an upset victory would be just what the young team needs to get their season on track.

Oregon entered the top 25 this week after winning big yet again, taking down Nebraska 60-38. They have faced 8 unranked teams so far, winning each by double digits, and when they faced two ranked opponents over Thanksgiving weekend, they held their own, beating the UNLV Rebels on the road before losing to a still-undefeated Cincinnati team the next night.

Predictions

Detroit at (3) Syracuse - Orange by 30
IPFW at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 20
South Carolina State at (12) Missouri - Tigers by 25
(21) UNLV at UTEP - Rebels by 11

NBA

Minnesota at Orlando - Timberwolves by 1
Houston at New York - Knicks by 10
LA Clippers at Detroit - Clippers by 9
Chicago at Memphis - Grizzlies by 7
San Antonio at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 1
Sacramento at Phoenix - Suns by 5

Prediction Results

NBA: 3-1 (.750) 238-111 overall (.682)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 46-31 overall (.597)
College Basketball: 2-0 (1.000) 282-56 overall (.834)

Basketball Predictions - 16 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Houston at Toronto - Rockets by 2
LA Lakers at Philadelphia - Lakers by 3
Denver at Sacramento - Nuggets by 4
New Orleans at Portland - Trail Blazers by 6

College Basketball

Eastern Kentucky at (10) Illinois - Fighting Illini by 13
Central Arkansas at (24) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 20

Prediction Results

NBA: 8-2 (.800) 235-110 overall (.681)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 45-31 overall (.592)
College Basketball: 18-2 (.900) 280-56 overall (.833)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 19-22 overall (.463)

NBA MVP Rankings and All-Star Picks - 15 Dec

For the first time in over a year, there is a new face at the top of my MVP rankings. LeBron James is still the best player in the NBA, but there is another player who has his team outplaying the Heat and has led his team to the league's best record, landing him at the top of the MVP rankings for the first time in his career. Here are my current rankings, with players grouped by similar level of performance.

TW. (LW) Player - Team - Stats
1. (2) Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.5 pts, 8.4 reb, 4.2 ast, 1.3 blk, 1.6 stl, .515 FG%, .439 3P%, .897 FT%

2. (1) LeBron James - MIA - 25.5 pts, 8.6 reb, 6.8 ast, 1.4 stl, .542 FG%, .444 3P%

3. (4) Russell Westbrook - OKC - 20.8 pts, 4.7 reb, 8.7 ast, 2.0 stl, .365 3P%, .769 FT%

4. (3) Carmelo Anthony - NYK - 27.9 pts, 6.4 reb, 2.0 ast, .455 3P%, .808 FT%

5. (7) Kobe Bryant - LAL - 29.3 pts, 5.3 reb, 4.9 ast, 1.6 stl, .382 3P%, .864 FT%
6. (10) Tim Duncan - SAS - 17.8 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.4 ast, 2.6 blk, .513 FG%, .792 FT%

7. (8) Chris Bosh - MIA - 18.5 pts, 8.3 reb, 1.5 ast, 1.4 blk, .540 FG%, .822 FT%

8. (NR) David Lee - GSW - 19.2 pts, 11.5 reb, 3.3 ast, .516 FG%, .802 FT%
9. (NR) Blake Griffin - LAC - 18.2 pts, 8.9 reb, 3.3 ast, 1.4 stl, .527 FG%
10. (5) Zach Randolph - MEM - 17.2 pts, 12.4 reb, 1.2 ast, .502 FG%

Dropped Out: (6) Marc Gasol - MEM, (9) Rudy Gay - MEM

Honorable Mention: Tony Parker - SAS, Chris Paul - LAC, Marc Gasol - MEM, Al Horford - ATL

After leading the league in scoring for 3 straight seasons, wouldn't it be ironic if Kevin Durant finally won an MVP in the season when he didn't score the most points? That's exactly what he's looking at right now, with the Thunder on the first 10-game winning streak in Oklahoma City history. Durant fell off his 50-40-90 pace this week by missing one free throw too many, and just to show how difficult a feat it is to accomplish, he will have to make his next five straight just to get back on pace. I wouldn't bet against him, though.

Tim Duncan, already a legend, is hoping to break an incredible record this season: longest time between two MVP awards. Kareem currently holds the mark, winning his first and last awards 9 years apart in 1971 and 1980, but a Duncan win this season would put his first and last 11 seasons apart. It probably won't happen even if the Spurs end up with the best record, but it's impossible to ignore just how great the big man is still playing in his 16th pro season.

David Lee and the Golden State Warriors just completed the 6th game of a 7-game road trip on which the team has won 5 games and Lee put up at least a 20-10 in each game. Lee's been putting up this kind of numbers for several seasons now, but never for a winning team, and right now the Warriors are sitting at #5 in the West and are 7 games above .500.

The Clippers are heating up, and so is their star, Blake Griffin. He has scored at least 19 points in 6 straight games, which has been a big reason for LA's current 8-game winning streak. The Clippers are now the #3 team in the East and have a 7-game lead on the rival Lakers, who would miss the playoffs if they started today.

All-Star Picks

Moving up in bold.
Dropping in italics.

East

F LeBron James - MIA (9th game, 9th start)
F Carmelo Anthony - NYK (6th game, 5th start)
F Anderson Varejao - CLE (1st game, 1st start)
G Dwyane Wade - MIA (9th game, 8th start)
G Rajon Rondo - BOS (4th game, 1st start)

C Joakim Noah - CHI (1st game)
C Al Horford - ATL (3rd game)
F David West - IND (3rd game)
G Jrue Holiday - PHI (1st game)
G Evan Turner - PHI (1st game)
G Kyrie Irving - CLE (1st game)
F Chris Bosh - MIA (8th game)

Honorable Mention: Josh Smith - ATL, Paul Pierce - BOS
Dropped: Kyle Lowry - TOR

West

F Kevin Durant - OKC (4th game, 3rd start)
F David Lee - GSW (2nd game, 1st start)
F Tim Duncan - SAS (14th game, 13th start)
G Kobe Bryant - LAL (15th game, 14th start)
G James Harden - HOU (1st game, 1st start)

F LaMarcus Aldridge - POR (2nd game)
F Kevin Love - MIN (3rd game)
F Blake Griffin - LAC (3rd game)
G Russell Westbrook - OKC (3rd game)
G Tony Parker - SAS (5th game)
F Zach Randolph - MEM (2nd game)
C Al Jefferson - UTA (1st game)

Honorable Mention: Stephen Curry - GSW, Chris Paul - LAC
Dropped: Chris Paul - LAC, Dwight Howard - LAL

There are 7 players who deserve to be first time All-Stars, two of them starters, and 4 overall that deserve to be starters for the first time. James Harden replaced former teammate Russell Westbrook in the starting lineup this week, and David Lee passed Kevin Love as my favorite for the second forward spot in the West. Rajon Rondo has entered the starting lineup for the East, which would be the first time Boston's youngest star would play at the beginning of the All-Star Game.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Golden State at Atlanta - Hawks by 6
Orlando at Charlotte - Magic by 4
Cleveland at New York - Knicks by 17
Washington at Miami - Heat by 12
Indiana at Detroit - Pacers by 1
Brooklyn at Chicago - Bulls by 5
Dallas at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 6
LA Clippers at Milwaukee - Clippers by 5
Boston at San Antonio - Spurs by 12
Memphis at Utah - Jazz by 1

College Basketball

(1) Indiana at Butler - Hoosiers by 11
West Virginia vs. (3) Michigan - Wolverines by 10
Canisius at (4) Syracuse - Orange by 25
(5) Florida at (8) Arizona - Gators by 4
(6) Louisville at Memphis - Cardinals by 9
North Carolina-Asheville at (7) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 31
Belmont at (9) Kansas - Jayhawks by 4
(11) Cincinnati vs. Marshall - Bearcats by 22
Kansas State at (14) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 11
West Carolina at (15) Georgetown - Hoyas by 13
(16) Creighton at California - Bluejays by 6
New Mexico State at (17) New Mexico - Lobos by 6
San Diego at (18) San Diego State - Aztecs by 19
Tuskegee at (19) Michigan State - Spartans
East Carolina at (21) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 25
Purdue vs. (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 6
Norfolk State at (25) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 15
Bethune-Cookman at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 28
Alabama at VCU - Rams by 17
Lipscomb at Kentucky - Wildcats by 21

Prediction Results

NBA: 8-3 (.727) 227-108 overall (.678)
Upsets: 3-0 (1.000) 44-30 overall (.595)
College Basketball: 1-0 (1.000) 262-54 overall (.829)

NBA Rankings - 14 Dec

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall
1. (2) San Antonio (3-2) 18-6

2. (5) LA Clippers (4-0) 16-6
3. (1) Oklahoma City (3-0) 18-4
4. (3) New York (3-1) 17-5

5. (4) Memphis (1-2) 14-5

6. (12) Atlanta (4-1) 14-6
7. (11) Utah (3-0) 13-10
8. (8) Miami (2-1) 14-6
9. (13) Denver (2-2) 11-12
10. (10) Chicago (3-1) 12-9
11. (7) LA Lakers (0-4) 9-14
12. (14) Golden State (4-0) 15-7

13. (15) Minnesota (2-0) 10-9
14. (6) Brooklyn (1-3) 12-9
15. (17) Indiana (1-2) 11-11
16. (16) Boston (2-1) 12-9
17. (20) Dallas (2-1) 11-11
18. (9) Houston (1-3) 10-11
19. (21) Milwaukee (3-0) 11-9

20. (19) Orlando (1-2) 8-13
21. (22) Portland (2-1) 10-12
22. (18) Detroit (1-3) 7-17

23. (28) Sacramento (2-2) 7-14
24. (23) Philadelphia (2-2) 12-10

25. (27) Phoenix (1-2) 8-15
26. (25) New Orleans (0-4) 5-16
27. (30) Washington (1-3) 3-16
28. (26) Cleveland (1-3) 5-18

29. (24) Toronto (0-4) 4-19

30. (29) Charlotte (0-5) 7-15

Atlanta started the season 3-4, then quietly became the hottest team in the NBA, winning going 11-2 over the past month as they moved up in to my top 10. 5 of those 11 wins came against Charlotte and Washington, so they weren't all impressive, which explains why it took so long for them to finally break through that #10 barrier, but this week they beat Memphis and Orlando on the road and only lost when they traveled to Miami. This week they have Golden State and Oklahoma City visiting, and they are both among the hottest teams in the West.

Dallas started the week with a road upset of the Houston Rockets, then finished it off with a close double overtime loss at Boston in a game that wasn't supposed to be that close. Dirk Nowitzki is still working on recovering from surgery, but luckily OJ Mayo has stepped into the void and boosted his scoring average more than any other player in the NBA so far this season.

Memphis, who owned the best record in the league just over a week ago, has now lost three of their last 5 games, including two straight against Atlanta and Phoenix to mark their first losing streak of the season. It's understandable that they lost to the red-hot Hawks, even at home, but the loss to Phoenix ended a 7-game streak of futility for the Suns, so that one is a bit of a head-scratcher.

Brooklyn has fallen back to earth in a bad way, losing 5 straight games, including a complete 4-game homestand. The losing streak started in Miami, as so many do, but then Oklahoma City, Golden State, Milwaukee, and New York all waltzed into town and took home victories of their own, leaving the Nets just above .500 before a merciful visit to Toronto allowed them to taste victory again. They host Detroit tonight, but then they have to face Chicago, Utah, and New York all in a row, so they could be facing some more trouble.

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Dallas at Toronto - Mavericks by 4
LA Lakers at Washington - Lakers by 5
Philadelphia at Indiana - Pacers by 8
Golden State at Orlando - Warriors by 2
Detroit at Brooklyn - Nets by 8
Milwaukee at Cleveland - Bucks by 2
Minnesota at New Orleans - Timberwolves by 4
Boston at Houston - Rockets by 2
Sacramento at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 15
Utah at Phoenix - Jazz by 6
Memphis at Denver - Nuggets by 1

College Basketball

East Tennessee State at Ole Miss - Rebels by 36

Prediction Results

NBA: 2-1 (.667) 219-105 overall (.676)
College Basketball: 3-0 (1.000) 261-54 overall (.829)
Upsets: 2-0 (1.000) 18-22 overall (.450)

Basketball Predictions - 13 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Charlotte at Atlanta - Hawks by 14
LA Lakers at New York - Knicks by 8
San Antonio at Portland - Spurs by 11

College Basketball

Middle Tennessee at Belmont - Bruins by 5
La Verne at (20) UNLV - Rebels
(23) Wichita State at Tennessee - Volunteers by 1

Prediction Results

NBA: 10-3 (.769) 217-104 overall (.676)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 41-30 overall (.577)
College Basketball: 3-0 (1.000) 258-54 overall (.827)

Bowl Predictions and Playoff Proposition

Bowl season starts this weekend, and although the games that matter don't start for a couple more weeks, I'm still going to predict the outcome of each of the 35 games. I am also suggesting a couple of potential playoff scenarios that would be far superior to the current system.

Upset picks are in italics.

Dec 15

New Mexico - Nevada vs. Arizona - Wildcats 40-31
Idaho Potato - Toledo vs. (22) Utah State - Aggies 34-20

Dec 20

Poinsettia - BYU at San Diego State - Cougars 25-24

Dec 21

Beef O'Brady's - UCF vs. Ball State - Knights 35-24

Dec 22

New Orleans - East Carolina vs. Louisiana-Lafayette - Ragin Cajuns 40-22
MAACO - Washington vs. (19) Boise State - Broncos 26-21

Dec 24

Hawaii - Fresno State vs. SMU - Bulldogs 42-20

Dec 26

Little Caesars - Western Kentucky vs. Central Michigan - Hilltoppers 31-24

Dec 27

Military - Bowling Green vs. (24) San Jose State - Spartans 33-18
Belk - Duke vs. Cincinnati - Bearcats 33-21
Holiday - Baylor vs. (17) UCLA - Bruins 35-34

Dec 28

Independence - Louisiana-Monroe vs. Ohio - Warhawks 41-20
Russell Athletic - Rutgers vs. Virginia Tech - Scarlet Knights 21-19
Meineke Car Care - Minnesota vs. Texas Tech - Red Raiders 38-24

Dec 29

Armed Forces - Rice vs. Air Force - Owls 31-30
Pinstripe - Syracuse vs. West Virginia - Mountaineers 37-34
Fight Hunger - Navy vs. Arizona State - Sun Devils 38-18
Alamo - (23) Texas vs. (13) Oregon State - Beavers 31-26
Buffalo Wild Wings - TCU vs. Michigan State - Horned Frogs 27-20

Dec 31

Music City - North Carolina State at Vanderbilt - Commodores 34-15
Sun - USC vs. Georgia Tech - Trojans 37-23
Liberty - Iowa State vs. Tulsa - Cyclones 28-22
Chick-fil-A - (8) LSU vs. (14) Clemson - LSU Tigers 30-24

Jan 1

Gator - (20) Northwestern vs. Mississippi State - Bulldogs 27-26
Heart of Dallas - Purdue vs. Oklahoma State - Cowboys 45-24
Outback - (18) Michigan vs. (10) South Carolina - Gamecocks 28-21
Capital One - (16) Nebraska vs. (7) Georgia - Bulldogs 37-20
Rose - Wisconsin vs. (6) Stanford - Cardinal 27-20
Orange - (15) Northern Illinois vs. (12) Florida State - Seminoles 32-24

Jan 2

Sugar - (21) Louisville vs. (3) Florida - Gators 33-13

Jan 3

Fiesta - (4) Oregon vs. (5) Kansas State - Ducks 41-30

Jan 4

Cotton - (9) Texas A&M vs. (11) Oklahoma - Aggies 38-28

Jan 5

BBVA Compass - Pittsburgh vs. Ole Miss - Panthers 26-25

Jan 6

GoDaddy.com - (25) Kent State vs. Arkansas State - Red Wolves 35-26

Jan 7

BCS - (1) Notre Dame vs. (2) Alabama - Crimson Tide 29-17

16-Team Playoff Model

In a 16-team playoff, I would include all 11 conference champions, then add in 5 wild card teams. I would limit each conference to a maximum of 2 teams, although 3 could be considered. The games would take place over 4 weekends starting right after finals week ends, thus making sure the "student-athletes" wouldn't miss any class time. The higher seed would have home field advantage up through the championship game, which would be played at a neutral site, just like the Super Bowl. Using the final BCS standings as a guide, these are the 16 teams and their seeding:

(1) Notre Dame (Wild 1)
(16) Tulsa (CUSA)
(8) Florida State (ACC)
(9) Clemson (Wild 5)

(4) Oregon (Wild 3)
(13) Utah State (WAC)
(5) Kansas State (Big 12)
(12) Louisville (Big East)

(6) Stanford (Pac 12)
(11) Boise State (MWC)
(3) Florida (Wild 2)
(14) Wisconsin (Big 10)

(7) Oklahoma (Wild 4)
(10) Northern Illinois (MAC)
(2) Alabama (SEC)
(15) Arkansas State (Sun Belt)

The first-round games aren't dream matchups, but look at what we could see in the second round. Notre Dame and Florida State renewing an old rivalry, Stanford and Florida grinding it out with defense, the Alabama-Oklahoma Red Bowl, and Oregon playing Kansas State with 1000 total yards a real possibility. In this season's BCS games, there are only 2 intriguing matchups, one being that Oregon-Kansas State showdown, and the other in the championship game. This scenario would give you 4 great games in the second round, plus 3 more great games on the way to the title.

The argument about the current system making the regular season more important is also rendered moot in this system, because there are just a few wild card slots to go around, so winning your conference is still extremely important. Even for teams who appear to have clinched their spot in the playoffs with games still to play, there will be no temptation to take a week off, because seeding makes a huge difference, and one loss can drop a team several spots in the rankings. Just look at the difference between #2 and #6, one of which is playing Arkansas State, and the other Boise State. A drop from #2 to #6 is quite common with a late-season loss.

If a third team from one conference were to be allowed, I would put Georgia in at #7, pushing Oklahoma to #8, Florida State to #9, and leaving Clemson at home. That scenario would give us the chance at seeing a possible rematch of the SEC Championship Game in the second round, which was one of the best games of the year.

8-Team Playoff Model

In an 8-team model, I would stipulate that only conference champions ranked among the top 16 would qualify automatically, and that if more than 8 conference winners were in the top 16, the top 8 would get in (it's never happened, and it's quite unlikely that it ever will.) Any remaining spots would be filled by the top wild card teams, which would give us the following setup, which isn't much different from what we would see in the second round of the 8-team model:

(1) Notre Dame (Wild 1)
(8) Northern Illinois (MAC)
(4) Oregon (Wild 3)
(5) Kansas State (Big 12)

(6) Stanford (Pac 12)
(3) Florida (Wild 2)
(7) Florida State (ACC)
(2) Alabama (SEC)

NBA

Brooklyn at Toronto - Nets by 5
Atlanta at Orlando - Hawks by 2
Cleveland at Indiana - Pacers by 9
Chicago at Philadelphia - Bulls by 3
LA Clippers at Charlotte - Clippers by 14
Golden State at Miami - Heat by 5
Dallas at Boston - Celtics by 4
Sacramento at Milwaukee - Bucks by 7
Washington at Houston - Rockets by 8
New Orleans at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 17
Denver at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 2
Memphis at Phoenix - Grizzlies by 8
San Antonio at Utah - Spurs by 4

College Basketball

Green Bay at Wisconsin - Badgers by 24
Bethune-Cookman at UCF - Knights by 25
Savannah State at (7) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 24

Prediction Results

NBA: 3-2 (.600) 207-101 overall (.672)
College Basketball: 3-0 (1.000) 255-54 overall (.825)

NFL Rankings - 11 Dec

There are still 8 open playoff spots with three weeks to go, and plenty of teams still vying for those spots. One of the spots that is already taken belongs to the New England Patriots, who are now spending their 4th straight week in the top spot of my rankings after pasting the Houston Texans 42-14 on Monday Night Football. Houston had been #1 in ESPN's rankings for a while, while the Patriots had been at the top of mine, and they proved which was more accurate last night. Here are my current rankings, with ESPN's Power Rankings in parentheses and teams grouped by similar level of performance.

TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (1) New England (10-3) W (1)

2. (6) Seattle (8-5) W (10)
3. (5) NY Giants (8-5) W (7)
4. (2) San Francisco (9-3-1) W (4)

5. (4) Denver (10-3) W (2)

6. (7) Chicago (8-5) L (11)
7. (3) Houston (11-2) L (3)

8. (10) Baltimore (9-4) L (8)
9. (8) Atlanta (11-2) L (5)
10. (13) Washington (7-6) W (12)
11. (11) Green Bay (9-4) W (6)
12. (9) Cincinnati (7-6) L (14)

13. (12) Tampa Bay (6-7) L (18)
14. (20) Dallas (7-6) W (13)

15. (15) Saint Louis (6-6-1) W (17)
16. (17) Minnesota (7-6) W (16)
17. (14) Pittsburgh (7-6) L (15)
18. (19) San Diego (5-8) W (23)
19. (18) Miami (5-8) L (21)
20. (26) Carolina (4-9) W (26)
21. (21) Detroit (4-9) L (25)
22. (25) Cleveland (5-8) W (20)
23. (16) New Orleans (5-8) L (22)

24. (22) NY Jets (6-7) W (19)
25. (24) Buffalo (5-8) L (24)
26. (27) Indianapolis (9-4) W (9)

27. (29) Philadelphia (4-9) W (27)

28. (23) Arizona (4-9) L (29)
29. (28) Tennessee (4-9) L (28)

30. (31) Kansas City (2-11) L (32)
31. (32) Oakland (3-10) L (30)
32. (30) Jacksonville (2-11) L (31)

After pulling off an upset at Chicago a week ago, the Seattle Seahawks were looking forward to an easier game against Arizona this week, but they had no idea how easy it would be. The Cardinals turned the ball over 8 times and didn't even put up a fight as the Seahawks pulled off the 4th-largest shutout victory in NFL history. They are now thinking conference title, with an easy game against Buffalo in Toronto this week followed by home dates with the other two division challengers.

The Philadelphia Eagles won for the first time since September when they upset the Buccaneers on a last-second field goal, and though they won't be making the playoffs, they definitely hurt Tampa Bay's chances, and they also gave their young players some good experience being on the winning side of the game for once.

New Orleans got off to a rough start this season, then pulled things together and started to look like they might make a playoff run, but after three straight losses to division leaders, their playoff hopes are nearly gone. All three of their remaining games are winnable, but they will need a lot of help from teams above them in the rankings to make it back to the postseason and have a shot at a home Super Bowl.

The Houston Texans have had the league's best record almost all season long, but when they have gone up against other elite teams, they have had mixed results. They beat very good Baltimore and Denver teams, but got blown out by Green Bay and New England, giving up 42 points each time. Their final 3 games are all against overrated teams, so they should finish with the top record in the AFC, but it may not be enough to get them to the Super Bowl if they have to play the Patriots again.

Playoff Predictions

AFC

1. Houston (14-2)
2. New England (13-3)
3. Denver (13-3)
4. Pittsburgh (9-7)
5. Indianapolis (10-6)
6. Baltimore (9-7)

Left Out: Cincinnati (9-7), NY Jets (8-8)

NFC

1. Atlanta (13-3)
2. NY Giants (11-5)
3. Seattle (11-5)
4. Chicago (11-5)
5. San Francisco (10-5-1)
6. Washington (10-6)

Left Out: Green Bay (10-6), Dallas (9-7)

Super Bowl

New England over NY Giants

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

Thursday

Cincinnati at Philadelphia - Bengals by 5

Sunday

NY Giants at Atlanta - Giants by 4
Green Bay at Chicago - Bears by 7
Washington at Cleveland - Redskins by 1
Minnesota at Saint Louis - Rams by 4
Jacksonville at Miami - Dolphins by 15
Tampa Bay at New Orleans - Buccaneers by 1
Denver at Baltimore - Broncos by 1
Indianapolis at Houston- Texans by 14
Seattle vs. Buffalo - Seahawks by 16
Detroit at Arizona - Lions by 3
Carolina at San Diego - Chargers by 5
Pittsburgh at Dallas - Cowboys by 5
Kansas City at Oakland - Raiders by 3
San Francisco at New England - Patriots by 10

Monday

NY Jets at Tennessee - Jets by 1

NBA

New York at Brooklyn - Knicks by 3
LA Lakers at Cleveland - Lakers by 6
Denver at Detroit - Nuggets by 1
Washington at New Orleans - Hornets by 6
LA Clippers at Chicago - Clippers by 4

College Basketball

Binghampton at (3) Michigan - Wolverines by 42
Norfolk State at (10) Illinois - Fighting Illini by 22
North Dakota State at (13) Minnesota - Golden Gophers by 12

Prediction Results

NFL: 10-6 (.625) 130-77 overall (.628)
Upsets: 2-1 (.667) 19-17 overall (.528)
NBA: 6-0 (1.000) 204-99 overall (.673)
College Basketball: 1-0 (1.000) 252-54 overall (.824)

College Basketball Rankings - 10 Dec

Most of the teams at the top of the rankings performed just as expected, with the exception of Gonzaga, which lost a home game to Illinois that dropped them out of my top 10. Besides the Bulldogs, five other undefeated teams lost this week, dropping the total to 14 nationwide. Five teams dropped from my top 25, creating space for 5 new teams to break in, including 3 that haven't been in my top 25 yet this year. Here are my current top 25 teams, with teams grouped by similar level of performance and AP rank in parentheses.

TW. (LW) Team (Week) Overall (AP)
1. (1) Florida (1-0) 7-0 (5)

2. (4) Syracuse (3-0) 8-0 (4)
3. (2) Indiana (1-0) 9-0 (1)

4. (5) Duke (1-0) 9-0 (2)

5. (NR) Louisville (2-0) 8-1 (6)

6. (7) Ole Miss (0-1) 6-1 (NR)
7. (13) Pittsburgh (2-0) 9-1 (NR)
8. (8) Ohio State (1-0) 6-1 (7)

9. (10) Michigan (2-0) 9-0 (3)
10. (9) Middle Tennessee (2-0) 7-2 (NR)

11. (6) Arizona (2-0) 7-0 (8)
12. (19) Creighton (2-0) 9-1 (16)
13. (14) Cincinnati (2-0) 9-0 (11)
14. (NR) Kansas (1-0) 7-1 (9)
15. (16) Minnesota (2-0) 10-1 (13)
16. (11) VCU (1-0) 6-3 (NR)
17. (NR) Belmont (1-0) 6-2 (NR)

18. (3) Gonzaga (1-1) 9-1 (14)
19. (17) Illinois (2-0) 10-0 (10)
20. (NR) Wyoming (2-0) 10-0 (NR)
21. (22) Wisconsin (1-1) 6-4 (NR)
22. (20) Wichita State (1-0) 9-0 (23)
23. (24) North Carolina (1-0) 7-2 (21)

24. (18) Illinois State (1-1) 6-3 (NR)
25. (NR) Kentucky (2-0) 6-3 (NR)

Dropped Out

(25) UNLV (2-0) 7-1 (20)
(12) Iowa State (2-1) 7-3 (NR)
(23) Oklahoma State (2-0) 7-1 (24)
(15) Baylor (0-1) 5-3 (NR)
(21) Boise State (0-1) 6-2 (NR)

Ranked Teams by Conference

Big 10 - 6
Big East - 4
MVC - 3
SEC - 3
ACC - 2
Big 12 - 1
MWC - 1
WCC - 1
Pac 12 - 1
Sun Belt - 1
Atl 10 - 1
OVC - 1

Louisville jumped clear into the top 5 this week after not being ranked a week ago, and they did it by showing that they were a great team, destroying two straight opponents by at least 40 points, right after winning a game against a very good Illinois State team and nearly beating Duke right before that. They still have both Memphis and Kentucky on the schedule this month, and while neither is as good as usual this year, they should help boost up the Cardinals' strength of schedule until they start conference play in January.

This week Kansas hosted the Colorado Buffaloes, who were supposed to be one of the top teams in the Pac 12, and rather than winning a close game against a strong opponent, the Jayhawks obliterated their foes, taking the game by 36 points. This week they host the Belmont Bruins, who are in a familiar place among my top 25 teams without receiving any votes in the national polls.

Gonzaga dropped nearly out of the rankings this week after losing a home game to Illinois, but they have won enough games against strong opponents to keep them afloat. They've already beaten two teams from the Big 12, and they have three more on the schedule this month. A win at Oklahoma State on New Year's Eve would be just the kind of signature win the Bulldogs need, especially win no other ranked team remaining this season.

Arizona is still undefeated, but they slipped out of the top 10 with a couple of wins over mediocre teams leading into their showdown with Florida on Saturday. Both teams are currently undefeated and leading major conferences, and with home court advantage for the Wildcats, it could be one of the most interesting early season games and one of the most important either plays this season.

Predictions

Longwood at (15) Georgetown - Hoyas by 39

NBA

Detroit at Philadelphia - 76ers by 2
Golden State at Charlotte - Warriors by 7
Atlanta at Miami - Heat by 4
San Antonio at Houston - Spurs by 7
Sacramento at Dallas - Mavericks by 4
Toronto at Portland - Trail Blazers by 4

Prediction Results

NBA: 4-2 (.667) 198-99 overall (.667)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 40-30 overall (.571)
College Basketball: 2-1 (.667) 251-54 overall (.823)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 16-22 overall (.421)

Basketball Predictions - 9 Dec

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Toronto at LA Clippers - Clippers by 18
Milwaukee at Brooklyn - Nets by 8
Indiana at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 13
Denver at New York - Knicks by 9
Orlando at Phoenix - Magic by 1
Utah at LA Lakers - Lakers by 5

College Basketball

Nebraska-Omaha at Iowa State - Cyclones by 37
Akron at (16) Creighton - Bluejays by 12
(21) UNLV at California - Golden Bears by 1

Prediction Results

NBA: 5-5 (.500) 194-97 overall (.667)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 40-29 overall (.580)
College Basketball: 22-2 (.917) 249-53 overall (.825)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 16-21 overall (.432)
College Football: 1-0 (1.000) 600-204 overall (.746)

NBA MVP Rankings and All-Star Picks - 8 Dec

It's still early, but it's never too early to name the best players in the league, whether it is picking MVP candidates or potential All-Stars. There are several players this season who have been making a case to be included in an All-Star Game for the first time, and I've got a couple of them as starters based on their early-season numbers. Here are my current MVP rankings, with players grouped by similar level of performance, followed by my first All-Star picks of the season.

TW. (LW) Player - Team - Stats

1. (1) LeBron James - MIA - 25.2 pts, 9.2 reb, 6.9 ast, 1.3 stl, .531 FG%, .439 3P%

2. (2) Kevin Durant - OKC - 27.0 pts, 8.6 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.5 blk, 1.5 stl, .515 FG%, .457 3P%, .901 FT%

3. (6) Carmelo Anthony - NYK - 26.4 pts, 6.7 reb, 2.1 ast, .435 3P%, .810 FT%
4. (3) Russell Westbrook - OKC - 21.5 pts, 4.7 reb, 8.7 ast, 2.1 stl, .364 3P%

5. (7) Zach Randolph - MEM - 17.5 pts, 12.9 reb, 1.4 ast, .490 FG%

6. (5) Marc Gasol - MEM - 15.6 pts, 7.4 reb, 4.4 ast, 1.4 blk, .503 FG%, .901 FT%

7. (8) Kobe Bryant - LAL - 28.4 pts, 5.2 reb, 5.0 ast, 1.7 stl, .488 FG%, .394 3P%, .871 FT%
8. (4) Chris Bosh - MIA - 18.9 pts, 8.1 reb, 1.5 ast, 1.4 blk, .542 FG%, .871 FT%
9. (9) Rudy Gay - MEM - 19.1 pts, 6.1 reb, 2.5 ast, 1.1 blk, 1.4 stl, .382 3P%, .773 FT%
10. (10) Tim Duncan - SAS - 18.5 pts, 10.2 reb, 2.6 ast, 2.4 blk, .530 FG%, .783 FT%

Honorable Mention - Joakim Noah - CHI

Kevin Durant is on pace to join a very exclusive club this season, the 50-40-90 club, which has only 7 current members: Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Kerr, Reggie Miller, and Jose Calderon. If he were to win this season's MVP as well, he would become the third player in history to accomplish both in one season, joining Nash and Nowitzki in 2006 and 2007. I'm sure he'd like to add a third accomplishment that the other weren't able to at the time: Finals MVP.

Carmelo Anthony sat on the sidelines as his New York Knicks blew out the Heat in Miami, sitting out to allow his injured finger to heal, but he is the biggest reason that the Knicks are currently the best team in the East and the team most likely to prevent Miami from winning their second straight championship. In the two games he did play, he still managed to average 28.5 points, and he was a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line.

All-Star Teams

Each player's number of All-Star selections is in parentheses.

East

F LeBron James - MIA (9th game, 9th start)
F Carmelo Anthony - NYK (6th game, 5th start)
F Anderson Varejao - CLE (1st game, 1st start)
G Dwyane Wade - MIA (9th game, 8th start)
G Kyrie Irving - CLE (1st game, 1st start)

F Joakim Noah - CHI (1st game)
F Al Horford - ATL (3rd game)
F Chris Bosh - MIA (8th game)
G Kyle Lowry - TOR (1st game)
G Jrue Holiday - PHI (1st game)
F David West - IND (3rd game)
G Rajon Rondo - BOS (4th game)

Honorable Mention: Evan Turner - PHI, Luol Deng - CHI

West

F Kevin Durant - OKC (4th game, 3rd start)
F Kevin Love - MIN (3rd game, 1st start)
F Tim Duncan - SAS (14th game, 13th start)
G Kobe Bryant - LAL (15th game, 14th start)
G Russell Westbrook - OKC (3rd game, 1st start)

F David Lee - GSW (2nd game)
F Zach Randolph - MEM (2nd game)
F LaMarcus Aldridge - POR (2nd game)
G James Harden - HOU (1st game)
G Chris Paul - LAC (6th game)
F Al Jefferson - UTA (1st game)
C Dwight Howard - LAL (7th game)

Honorable Mention: Stephen Curry - GSW, Blake Griffin - LAC

Non-returning All-Stars

Blake Griffin
Andrew Bynum
Dirk Nowitzki
Marc Gasol
Tony Parker
Steve Nash
Derrick Rose
Deron Williams
Andre Iguodala
Paul Pierce
Roy Hibbert
Luol Deng

Predictions

Upset picks are in italics.

NBA

Phoenix at LA Clippers - Clippers by 18
Golden State at Washington - Warriors by 5
San Antonio at Charlotte - Spurs by 15
Philadelphia at Boston - Celtics by 7
New Orleans at Miami - Heat by 10
Detroit at Cleveland - Cavaliers by 1
New York at Chicago - Knicks by 5
Atlanta at Memphis - Grizzlies by 10
Dallas at Houston - Rockets by 7
Sacramento at Portland - Trail Blazers by 5

College Basketball

Central Connecticut State at (1) Indiana - Hoosiers by 29
Temple vs. (2) Duke - Blue Devils by 12
Arkansas at (3) Michigan - Wolverines by 22
Monmouth at (4) Syracuse - Orange by 35
UMKC at (5) Louisville - Cardinals by 31
Long Beach State at (7) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 24
(8) Arizona at Clemson - Wildcats by 3
Colorado at (9) Kansas - Jayhawks by 8
(13) Illinois at (10) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 13
Maryland-Eastern Shore at (11) Cincinnati - Bearcats by 41
Tennessee State at (12) Missouri - Tigers by 17
(14) Minnesota at USC - Golden Gophers by 12
Towson at (15) Georgetown - Hoyas by 17
Valparaiso at (18) New Mexico - Lobos by 9
Loyola-Illinois at (19) Michigan State - Spartans by 24
East Tennessee State at (20) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 33
Brown at (22) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 22
Missouri State at (23) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 32
North Colorado at (24) Wichita State - Shockers by 27
Cleveland State at (25) North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 17
Ole Miss at Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 6
North Florida at Pittsburgh - Panthers by 24
Wisconsin at Marquette - Badgers by 5
Panhandle State at Wyoming - Cowboys

Prediction Results

NBA: 7-5 (.583) 189-92 overall (.673)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 39-28 overall (.582)
College Basketball: 2-0 (1.000) 227-51 overall (.817)