NBA Rankings - 3 Mar

The race for the final playoff spots in the West looks like it will be much more tightly contested than the East, where there is a projected gap of 4 games between #8 and #9. In the West, it is projected that there will only be 3 games between #3 and #10, meaning that two of those teams will not make it, and it could be any two of them. Here are my full current rankings and playoff picks:

				Rec		Proj
TW	LW	Team	Rating	W	L	W	L	MOV	SOS	PO Seed
1	1	Houston	-9.078	48	13	64	18	1	26	W1
2	2	Golden State	-8.531	49	14	64	18	3	9	W2
3	3	Toronto	-8.302	44	17	60	22	2	28	E1
4	7	Boston	-3.834	44	19	55	27	4	29	E2
5	4	Minnesota	-3.462	38	28	47	35	5	16	W3
6	6	Philadelphia	-3.404	34	27	48	34	8	5	E3
7	9	San Antonio	-3.034	36	26	47	35	6	25	W4
8	5	Oklahoma City	-2.967	37	27	47	35	7	21	W5
9	8	Denver	-2.9	34	28	45	37	9	17	W8
10	10	Utah	-2.481	32	30	44	38	14	1
11	11	Washington	-2.152	36	27	46	36	10	24	E5
12	13	Portland	-2.05	36	26	46	36	11	22	W6
13	12	LA Clippers	-1.906	33	28	44	38	13	14
14	14	New Orleans	-1.402	35	26	46	36	15	10	W7
15	15	Indiana	-1.232	35	27	44	38	12	30	E6
16	19	Charlotte	-0.639	28	35	38	44	17	13
17	16	Cleveland	-0.502	36	25	47	35	16	27	E4
18	18	Miami	-0.225	32	30	43	39	18	15	E7
19	17	Milwaukee	0.082	33	29	42	40	19	20	E8
20	22	LA Lakers	0.356	27	34	36	46	20	11
21	20	Detroit	0.5712	29	33	38	44	21	18
22	21	Dallas	1.472	19	44	27	55	22	3
23	23	New York	2.4528	24	39	32	50	23	7
24	25	Orlando	3.4959	19	43	27	55	24	12
25	26	Brooklyn	3.7195	20	43	26	56	25	19
26	24	Memphis	3.7899	18	43	25	57	27	4
27	27	Atlanta	4.1182	19	44	25	57	26	23
28	28	Chicago	4.3009	21	41	28	54	28	6
29	29	Sacramento	6.1201	19	43	25	57	29	2
30	30	Phoenix	6.6884	19	45	23	59	30	8

Playoff Picks

First Round

(1) Raptors over (8) Bucks
(2) Celtics over (7) Heat
(3) 76ers over (6) Pacers
(5) Wizards over (4) Cavaliers
(1) Rockets over (8) Nuggets
(2) Warriors over (7) Pelicans
(6) Trail Blazers over (3) Timberwolves
(5) Thunder over (4) Spurs

Second Round

(1) Raptors over (5) Wizards
(3) 76ers over (2) Celtics
(1) Rockets over (5) Thunder
(2) Warriors over (6) Trail Blazers

Conference Finals

(1) Raptors over (3) 76ers
(2) Warriors over (1) Rockets

NBA Finals

(1) Raptors over (2) Warriors

Basketball Predictions - 3 Mar

Upset picks are in italics.
Pick of the Day in bold.

Memphis at Orlando - Magic by 2.5
Denver at Cleveland - Nuggets by 0.5
Detroit at Miami - Heat by 3
Boston at Houston - Rockets by 7.5
LA Lakers at San Antonio - Spurs by 5.5
Oklahoma City at Portland - Trail Blazers by 1.5
Utah at Sacramento - Jazz by 6

(3) Xavier at DePaul - Musketeers by 6
(20) West Virginia at Texas - Longhorns by 0.5
(23) Kentucky at Florida - Gators by 5
Wake Forest at Georgia Tech - Yellowjackets by 3
Virginia Tech at Miami - Hurricanes by 5
St. John's at Providence - Friars by 5.5
The Citadel vs. UNC Greensboro - Spartans by 14.5
Fairleigh Dickinson at LIU Brooklyn - Blackbirds by 6
Mississippi State at LSU - Tigers by 5
UMass Lowell at UMBC - Retrievers by 11
(15) Michigan vs. (2) Michigan State - Spartans by 4
(18) Clemson at Syracuse - Orange by 0.5
Boston College at Florida State - Seminoles by 8.5
Alabama at Texas A&M - Aggies by 9
Baylor at Kansas State - Wildcats by 3.5
VCU at Fordham - VCU Rams by 1
La Salle at Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 7.5
Robert Morris at Wagner - Seahawks by 11
South Alabama at Georgia State - Panthers by 11.5
Stanford at Arizona State - Sun Devils by 11.5
Creighton at Marquette - Golden Eagles by 2.5
Wofford vs. Mercer - Bears by 1.5
George Washington at Dayton - Flyers by 7
Arkansas State at UL Monroe - Warhawks by 9.5
South Carolina at (14) Auburn - Tigers by 14
Coastal Carolina at Appalachian State - Mountaineers by 5.5
Bradley vs. Loyola-Chicago - Ramblers by 7
Notre Dame at (1) Virginia - Cavaliers by 14
(6) Kansas at Oklahoma State - Jayhawks by 2
TCU at (12) Texas Tech - Red Raiders by 8
Abilene Christian at Incarnate Word - Wildcats by 2
Weber State at Montana State - Wildcats by 3
North Dakota at Portland State - Vikings by 13
San Jose State at Air Force - Falcons by 8.5
James Madison vs. Drexel - Dukes by 2.5
San Diego vs. BYU - Cougars by 4.5
New Hampshire at Hartford - Hawks by 7.5
Penn State vs. (8) Purdue - Boilermakers by 6.5
Oregon at Washington - Huskies by 2
Lamar at McNeese - Cardinals by 0.5
Georgetown at (4) Villanova - Wildcats by 22
Troy at Georgia Southern - Eagles by 7
Northern Arizona at Eastern Washington - Eagles by 19
Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss - Golden Eagles by 0.5
Green Bay vs. Wright State - Raiders by 6.5
UMKC at Chicago State - Kangaroos by 2
Georgia at (16) Tennessee - Volunteers by 13
Louisville at NC State - Wolfpack by 4.5
Arkansas at Missouri - Tigers by 3.5
Northwestern State at Central Arkansas - Bears by 21
Nicholls at SE Louisiana - Lions by 3.5
Penn at Brown - Quakers by 3.5
Hawaii at CS Fullerton - Titans by 10
UTEP at North Texas - Mean Green by 10
Grambling at Alabama State - Hornets by 0.5
Chattanooga vs. East Tennessee State - Buccaneers by 13
Pacific vs. San Francisco - Dons by 1
Illinois State vs. Southern Illinois - Salukis by 0.5
California at (19) Arizona - Wildcats by 24
Oregon State at Washington State - Cougars by 0.5
Texas Southern at Alcorn State - Tigers by 1
Prairie View A&M at Southern - Jaguars by 3
Elon vs. Delaware - Phoenix by 0.5
Marshall at (24) Middle Tennessee - Blue Raiders by 14
Colorado at Utah - Utes by 9.5
Richmond at George Mason - Patriots by 4.5
Columbia at Harvard - Crimson by 9
Cornell at Dartmouth - Big Green by 4.5
Princeton at Yale - Bulldogs by 6
Wyoming at Boise State - Broncos by 11.5
FIU at Old Dominion - Monarchs by 17.5
Jackson State at Alabama A&M - Tigers by 1.5
Fairfield vs. Niagara - Purple Eagles by 1.5
Western Illinois vs. South Dakota State - Jackrabbits by 12.5
Stony Brook at Albany - Great Danes by 11.5
Maine at Vermont - Catamounts by 23.5
FAU at Charlotte - Owls by 1
Butler at Seton Hall - Pirates by 4.5
Texas A&M-CC at Houston Baptist - Huskies by 3
Stephen F Austin at Sam Houston State - Lumberjacks by 1
Duquesne at Massachusetts - Minutemen by 4
St. Bonaventure at Saint Louis - Bonnies by 2
Little Rock at Louisiana - Ragin Cajuns by 23
New Mexico State at UT Rio Grande Valley - Aggies by 7
UTSA at Rice - Roadrunners by 2.5
Western Kentucky at UAB - Hilltoppers by 0.5
Cleveland State vs. Northern Kentucky - Norse by 15.5
Belmont vs. Murray State - Racers by 1
(9) North Carolina at (5) Duke - Blue Devils by 9
Vanderbilt at Ole Miss - Rebels by 5.5
Mississippi Valley State at Arkansas-Pine Bluff - Lions by 10
Western Carolina vs. Furman - Paladins by 13
CSU Bakersfield at Grand Canyon - Antelopes by 12.5
Seattle at Utah Valley - Wolverines by 13
Idaho State at Montana - Grizzlies by 15.5
Fresno State at New Mexico - Lobos by 1.5
UNLV at Utah State - Aggies by 1.5
Manhattan vs. Iona - Gaels by 5
Omaha vs. South Dakota - Coyotes by 14
Loyola Marymount vs. (7) Gonzaga - Bulldogs by 19
(21) Nevada at San Diego State - Aztecs by 0.5
Southern Utah at Idaho - Vandals by 16.5
Cal Poly at UC Santa Barbara - Gauchos by 17
Northern Colorado at Sacramento State - Bears by 6.5
UCLA at USC - Trojans by 8
UC Riverside at Long Beach State - 49ers by 8.5
UC Davis at UC Irvine - Anteaters by 5.5
Pepperdine vs. (22) Saint Mary's - Gaels by 18.5

Results

NBA: 7-3 (.700) 600-334 overall (.642)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 56-71 overall (.441)
NCAA: 20-11 (.645) 4136-1351 overall (.754)
Upsets: 4-3 (.571) 395-349 overall (.531)
Pick of the Day: 106-5

NCAA Bracket Prediction - 2 Mar

There are 9 days left until Selection Sunday, and there is still a lot of change happening daily in the projected bracket. Since my last bracket 3 days ago, 19 teams have changed seeds, including a #1 seed switching from Michigan State to Purdue in the Big 10, and Penn State jumping back in to replace Alabama. Here is my full current bracket, with projected conference champs in bold, new teams in italics, rising teams in green, and falling teams in red:

	EAST			SOUTH
1	Villanova		1	Virginia
16	UC Irvine/Hampton		16	Nicholls/Arkansas-Pine Bluff
8	Texas A&M		8	Arkansas
9	Florida State		9	Middle Tennessee
5	Texas Tech		5	Michigan
12	Loyola-Chicago		12	New Mexico State
4	Ohio State		4	West Virginia
13	Murray State		13	Vermont
6	Rhode Island		6	Nevada
11	NC State		11	Texas/Missouri
3	Auburn		3	Cincinnati
14	Montana		14	Charleston
7	Creighton		7	Miami
10	Louisville		10	St. Bonaventure
2	Michigan State		2	Xavier
15	Penn		15	Northern Kentucky
	WEST			MIDWEST
1	Duke		1	Purdue
16	Florida Gulf Coast		16	UNC Asheville
8	Saint Mary’s		8	Virginia Tech
9	Oklahoma		9	Florida
5	Kentucky		5	TCU
12	Kansas State		12	Penn State/Providence
4	Clemson		4	Wichita State
13	South Dakota State		13	Buffalo
6	Arizona		6	Houston
11	Louisiana		11	Arizona State
3	Tennessee		3	Gonzaga
14	Bucknell		14	UNC Greensboro
7	Butler		7	Seton Hall
10	Baylor		10	USC
2	North Carolina		2	Kansas
15	Wagner		15	Canisius

Last Four Byes

Arizona State
Baylor
NC State
Kansas State

Last Four In

Missouri
Texas
Penn State
Providence

First Four Out

Syracuse
Notre Dame
Boise State
Nebraska

Next Four Out

Alabama
Marquette
Maryland
UCLA

Teams By Conference

ACC - 9
Big 12 - 8
SEC - 7
Big East - 6
Big 10 - 5
American - 3
Pac 12 - 3
Atlantic 10 - 2
West Coast - 2

Basketball Predictions - 2 Mar

Upset picks are in italics.
Pick of the Day in bold.

Detroit at Orlando - Pistons by 1
Charlotte at Philadelphia - 76ers by 5
Golden State at Atlanta - Warriors by 10.5
Toronto at Washington - Raptors by 4
Dallas at Chicago - Mavericks by 1
Denver at Memphis - Nuggets by 4.5
Indiana at Milwaukee - Bucks by 1.5
Oklahoma City at Phoenix - Thunder by 7.5
Minnesota at Utah - Jazz by 1
New York at LA Clippers - Clippers by 6

Wisconsin vs. (2) Michigan State - Spartans by 11.5
Northern Iowa vs. Loyola-Chicago - Ramblers by 7.5
(15) Michigan vs. Nebraska - Wolverines by 4.5
Bradley vs. Drake - Braves by 1
VMI vs. The Citadel - Bulldogs by 2
Detroit Mercy vs. Green Bay - Phoenix by 4
Buffalo at Bowling Green - Bulls by 4.5
Eastern Michigan at Toledo - Rockets by 9
Winthrop at Radford - Highlanders by 2.5
Penn State vs. (13) Ohio State - Buckeyes by 2.5
Western Michigan at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 6
Ohio at Miami (OH) - Redhawks by 8
Kent State at Akron - Zips by 2
UT Arlington at Texas State - Bobcats by 0.5
Princeton at Brown - Bears by 2.5
Columbia at Dartmouth - Big Green by 1.5
Cornell at Harvard - Crimson by 12
Penn at Yale - Bulldogs by 2
Missouri State vs. Southern Illinois - Bears by 2
Saint Peter's vs. Rider - Broncs by 7
Chattanooga vs. Samford - Bulldogs by 1.5
(17) Rhode Island at Davidson - Wildcats by 4
Ball State at Northern Illinois - Cardinals by 0.5
Youngstown State vs. Cleveland State - Vikings by 1.5
Jacksonville State vs. Murray State - Racers by 6
Liberty at UNC Asheville - Bulldogs by 4
Rutgers vs. (8) Purdue - Boilermakers by 16.5
Iowa State at Oklahoma - Sooners by 11
Portland vs. Loyola Marymount - Lions by 1.5
Indiana State vs. Illinois State - Redbirds by 0.5
Quinnipiac vs. Canisius - Golden Griffins by 10.5
Austin Peay vs. Belmont - Bruins by 7.5
Pepperdine vs. Santa Clara - Broncos by 1.5

Results

NBA: 2-2 (.500) 593-331 overall (.642)
Upsets: 1-0 (1.000) 56-70 overall (.444)
NCAA: 41-19 (.683) 4116-1340 overall (.754)
Upsets: 2-5 (.286) 391-346 overall (.531)
Pick of the Day: 105-5