Upset picks are in italics.
Boston at Washington - Celtics by 6
Sacramento at Indiana - Pacers by 9
Toronto at Brooklyn - Raptors by 1
Denver at Miami - Heat by 10
New Orleans at Chicago - Bulls by 13
Portland at Houston - Rockets by 6
Cleveland at Milwaukee - Bucks by 23
Charlotte at Dallas - Mavericks by 10
Utah at San Antonio - Spurs by 4
Golden State at LA Clippers - Clippers by 14
Prediction Results
NBA: 6-6 (.500) 13-12 overall (.520)
Upsets: 1-1 (.500) 1-3 overall (.250)
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Friday, November 2, 2012
NBA Predictions - 2 Nov
Upset picks are in italics.
Indiana at Charlotte - Pacers by 13
Denver at Orlando - Magic by 4
Milwaukee at Boston - Celtics by 5
Houston at Atlanta - Hawks by 6
Chicago at Cleveland - Bulls by 1
Miami at New York - Heat by 5
Utah at New Orleans - Jazz by 11
Portland at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 8
Sacramento at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 1
Detroit at Phoenix - Suns by 10
LA Clippers vs. LA Lakers - Clippers by 9
Memphis at Golden State - Warriors by 4
Predictions Results
NBA: 1-0 (1.000) 7-6 overall (.538)
Indiana at Charlotte - Pacers by 13
Denver at Orlando - Magic by 4
Milwaukee at Boston - Celtics by 5
Houston at Atlanta - Hawks by 6
Chicago at Cleveland - Bulls by 1
Miami at New York - Heat by 5
Utah at New Orleans - Jazz by 11
Portland at Oklahoma City - Thunder by 8
Sacramento at Minnesota - Timberwolves by 1
Detroit at Phoenix - Suns by 10
LA Clippers vs. LA Lakers - Clippers by 9
Memphis at Golden State - Warriors by 4
Predictions Results
NBA: 1-0 (1.000) 7-6 overall (.538)
Thursday, November 1, 2012
NFL Rankings - 1 Nov
The NFL season is halfway over for several teams, and there is still one undefeated team, and that team still does not qualify for my top 5 based on their performance level and strength of schedule. The other 2 teams that were 4-0 have taken very different paths since their first loss, Houston rising to the occasion and proving their dominance and Arizona wilting back to where preseason expectations had them placed. 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. (1) Houston (6-1) BYE (3)
2. (3) San Francisco (6-2) W (4)
3. (6) Denver (4-3) W (9)
4. (7) New England (5-3) W (8)
5. (5) NY Giants (6-2) W (2)
6. (10) Atlanta (7-0) W (1)
7. (2) Chicago (6-1) W (5)
8. (4) Green Bay (5-3) W (6)
9. (21) Tampa Bay (3-4) W (21)
10. (15) Miami (4-3) W (12)
11. (8) Seattle (4-4) L (13)
12. (18) Pittsburgh (4-3) W (10)
13. (16) Dallas (3-4) L (13)
14. (25) Carolina (1-6) L (30)
15. (19) Baltimore (5-2) BYE (7)
16. (11) Detroit (3-4) W (17)
17. (13) Washington (3-5) L (19)
18. (23) San Diego (3-4) L (20)
19. (9) Minnesota (5-3) L (11)
20. (20) New Orleans (2-5) L (26)
21. (24) Cincinnati (3-4) BYE (22)
22. (14) Arizona (4-4) L (16)
23. (17) NY Jets (3-5) L (25)
24. (22) Philadelphia (3-4) L (18)
25. (30) Oakland (3-4) W (24)
26. (27) Cleveland (2-6) W (29)
27. (12) Saint Louis (3-5) L (23)
28. (26) Indianapolis (4-3) W (15)
29. (31) Jacksonville (1-6) L (31)
30. (29) Buffalo (3-4) BYE (28)
31. (28) Tennessee (3-5) L (27)
32. (32) Kansas City (1-6) L (32)
Tampa Bay has been playing Jekyll and Hyde so far this season. They had a close loss at the New York Giants in week 2, but then lost consecutive games to Dallas and Washington, then blew out the Kansas City Chiefs and appeared to be hitting their stride before falling at home to the New Orleans Saints, who have not lived up to expectations this year. This week, they looked good again in winning big at Minnesota, but I still feel a bit nervous picking them to win at Oakland this weekend. Which team will show up?
Miami now has three straight wins, the most recent one avenging an earlier loss to the Jets, and have entered the top 10 while sitting just a half game behind New England for the division lead. Among the Dolphins' three losses are two overtime games and their season-opening loss to Houston, which is a pretty good team if you're to believe the rankings above.
Carolina may be the best 1-6 team in history, but ESPN is ranking them solely on wins and losses. If you look at the quality of their losses, you'll see that 4 of them were by 6 points or fewer to teams ranked in the top 10, and another was against the New York Giants, who won last year's Super Bowl. They also lost a close game against Dallas, who is a decent team, so it's not like they're losing to teams that they should beat. Unfortunately, the schedule ahead doesn't feature any cupcakes for a while.
It wasn't too long ago that the Minnesota Vikings were looking pretty good, but the quality of their previous wins keeps decreasing each week. Among their 5 victories, only the win over San Francisco now has any strength assigned to it, while Detroit and Arizona continue to fade. Maybe the Vikings can still make the playoffs, but with two games each against Chicago and Green Bay and a game in Houston, there aren't many easy wins remaining.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Kansas City at San Diego - Chargers by 17
Sunday
Arizona at Green Bay - Packers by 12
Denver at Cincinnati - Broncos by 11
Baltimore at Cleveland - Ravens by 2
Chicago at Tennessee - Bears by 16
Miami at Indianapolis - Dolphins by 8
Carolina at Washington - Redskins by 2
Detroit at Jacksonville - Lions by 5
Buffalo at Houston - Texans by 27
Tampa Bay at Oakland - Buccaneers by 7
Minnesota at Seattle - Seahawks by 10
Pittsburgh at NY Giants - Giants by 10
Dallas at Atlanta - Falcons by 11
Monday
Philadelphia at New Orleans - Saints by 5
Prediction Results
NFL: 9-5 (.643) 69-49 overall (.585)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 9-11 overall (.450)
NBA: 5-4 (.556) 6-6 overall (.500)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 0-2 overall (.000)
NBA Prediction
Oklahoma City at San Antonio - Spurs by 1
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (1) Houston (6-1) BYE (3)
2. (3) San Francisco (6-2) W (4)
3. (6) Denver (4-3) W (9)
4. (7) New England (5-3) W (8)
5. (5) NY Giants (6-2) W (2)
6. (10) Atlanta (7-0) W (1)
7. (2) Chicago (6-1) W (5)
8. (4) Green Bay (5-3) W (6)
9. (21) Tampa Bay (3-4) W (21)
10. (15) Miami (4-3) W (12)
11. (8) Seattle (4-4) L (13)
12. (18) Pittsburgh (4-3) W (10)
13. (16) Dallas (3-4) L (13)
14. (25) Carolina (1-6) L (30)
15. (19) Baltimore (5-2) BYE (7)
16. (11) Detroit (3-4) W (17)
17. (13) Washington (3-5) L (19)
18. (23) San Diego (3-4) L (20)
19. (9) Minnesota (5-3) L (11)
20. (20) New Orleans (2-5) L (26)
21. (24) Cincinnati (3-4) BYE (22)
22. (14) Arizona (4-4) L (16)
23. (17) NY Jets (3-5) L (25)
24. (22) Philadelphia (3-4) L (18)
25. (30) Oakland (3-4) W (24)
26. (27) Cleveland (2-6) W (29)
27. (12) Saint Louis (3-5) L (23)
28. (26) Indianapolis (4-3) W (15)
29. (31) Jacksonville (1-6) L (31)
30. (29) Buffalo (3-4) BYE (28)
31. (28) Tennessee (3-5) L (27)
32. (32) Kansas City (1-6) L (32)
Tampa Bay has been playing Jekyll and Hyde so far this season. They had a close loss at the New York Giants in week 2, but then lost consecutive games to Dallas and Washington, then blew out the Kansas City Chiefs and appeared to be hitting their stride before falling at home to the New Orleans Saints, who have not lived up to expectations this year. This week, they looked good again in winning big at Minnesota, but I still feel a bit nervous picking them to win at Oakland this weekend. Which team will show up?
Miami now has three straight wins, the most recent one avenging an earlier loss to the Jets, and have entered the top 10 while sitting just a half game behind New England for the division lead. Among the Dolphins' three losses are two overtime games and their season-opening loss to Houston, which is a pretty good team if you're to believe the rankings above.
Carolina may be the best 1-6 team in history, but ESPN is ranking them solely on wins and losses. If you look at the quality of their losses, you'll see that 4 of them were by 6 points or fewer to teams ranked in the top 10, and another was against the New York Giants, who won last year's Super Bowl. They also lost a close game against Dallas, who is a decent team, so it's not like they're losing to teams that they should beat. Unfortunately, the schedule ahead doesn't feature any cupcakes for a while.
It wasn't too long ago that the Minnesota Vikings were looking pretty good, but the quality of their previous wins keeps decreasing each week. Among their 5 victories, only the win over San Francisco now has any strength assigned to it, while Detroit and Arizona continue to fade. Maybe the Vikings can still make the playoffs, but with two games each against Chicago and Green Bay and a game in Houston, there aren't many easy wins remaining.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Kansas City at San Diego - Chargers by 17
Sunday
Arizona at Green Bay - Packers by 12
Denver at Cincinnati - Broncos by 11
Baltimore at Cleveland - Ravens by 2
Chicago at Tennessee - Bears by 16
Miami at Indianapolis - Dolphins by 8
Carolina at Washington - Redskins by 2
Detroit at Jacksonville - Lions by 5
Buffalo at Houston - Texans by 27
Tampa Bay at Oakland - Buccaneers by 7
Minnesota at Seattle - Seahawks by 10
Pittsburgh at NY Giants - Giants by 10
Dallas at Atlanta - Falcons by 11
Monday
Philadelphia at New Orleans - Saints by 5
Prediction Results
NFL: 9-5 (.643) 69-49 overall (.585)
Upsets: 0-2 (.000) 9-11 overall (.450)
NBA: 5-4 (.556) 6-6 overall (.500)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 0-2 overall (.000)
NBA Prediction
Oklahoma City at San Antonio - Spurs by 1
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
NBA Predictions - 31 Oct
Upset picks are in italics.
Indiana at Toronto - Pacers by 1
Denver at Philadelphia - 76ers by 4
Houston at Detroit - Pistons by 7
Sacramento at Chicago - Bulls by 12
San Antonio at New Orleans - Spurs by 12
Dallas at Utah - Mavericks by 4
Golden State at Phoenix - Suns by 9
Memphis at LA Clippers - Clippers by 6
LA Lakers at Portland - Lakers by 2
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-2 (.333)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000)
Indiana at Toronto - Pacers by 1
Denver at Philadelphia - 76ers by 4
Houston at Detroit - Pistons by 7
Sacramento at Chicago - Bulls by 12
San Antonio at New Orleans - Spurs by 12
Dallas at Utah - Mavericks by 4
Golden State at Phoenix - Suns by 9
Memphis at LA Clippers - Clippers by 6
LA Lakers at Portland - Lakers by 2
Prediction Results
NBA: 1-2 (.333)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000)
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
College Football Rankings - 30 Oct
It was a scary weekend for several undefeated teams, as the number unblemished teams was cut nearly in half in one afternoon, with Rutgers, Oregon State, Mississippi State, Florida, and Ohio all losing, which leaves only 5 undefeated teams that are still eligible to win the BCS title, since Ohio State is under NCAA sanctions for this season. Alabama has started to pull away from the rest of the crowd, but there are still several teams vying for the other spot in the title game, and since none of the undefeated teams are scheduled to meet this season, we could end up with quite an argument when the regular season ends. Here are my current top 25 teams, with BCS rankings in parentheses. Teams are grouped by similar levels of performance.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (1) Alabama (8-0) W (1)
2. (4) Oregon (8-0) W (4)
3. (3) Kansas State (8-0) W (2)
4. (6) Texas A&M (6-2) W (16)
5. (13) Notre Dame (8-0) W (3)
6. (5) Florida (7-1) L (7)
7. (2) Oklahoma (5-2) L (12)
8. (7) LSU (7-1) W (5)
9. (9) Florida State (8-1) W (9)
10. (23) Georgia (7-1) W (6)
11. (15) USC (6-2) L (17)
12. (NR) BYU (5-4) W (NR)
13. (8) Texas Tech (6-2) L (18)
14. (10) South Carolina (7-2) W (8)
15. (11) Stanford (6-2) W (14)
16. (12) Oklahoma State (5-2) W (24)
17. (20) Oregon State (6-1) L (11)
18. (22) Clemson (7-1) W (13)
19. (18) Fresno State (6-3) W (NR)
20. (NR) Utah State (7-2) W (NR)
21. (17) Arizona (5-3) W (22)
22. (16) Mississippi State (7-1) L (15)
23. (NR) Boise State (7-1) W (19)
24. (NR) Arizona State (5-3) L (NR)
25. (NR) Michigan (5-3) L (NR)
Dropped Out
(25) Iowa State (5-3) W (NR)
(14) Texas (6-2) W (23)
(24) Mississippi (5-3) W (NR)
(21) Louisiana-Monroe (6-2) W (NR)
(19) TCU (5-3) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
SEC - 7
Pac 12 - 6
Big 12 - 4
Ind - 2
ACC - 2
MWC - 2
WAC - 1
Big 10 - 1
Notre Dame moved into my top 5 this week after their 4th victory over a ranked opponent, and this one was the most impressive yet, beating Oklahoma, who had been ranked #2 in my rankings, 30-13. The entire margin of victory came in the final 9 minutes, after the Sooners had scored a touchdown to tie the game. That touchdown was impressive, though, because it was the first rushing touchdown scored against the Irish all season.
Georgia took over the SEC East lead this weekend by defeating Florida in Jacksonville, giving them a clear path to the SEC title game, which would be very helpful to their cause, since they have only two ranked teams on their schedule, and one of those (South Carolina) blew them out a couple of weeks ago. For now, they have found their way back into my top 10, but their weak strength of schedule means that they need to win big over the final few games to move up much higher.
BYU has the worst record of any team in my rankings, but among their 4 losses were the closest game Notre Dame has played this season, a 1-point loss at Boise State which they should have won, and a tough loss to Oregon State. They also own a pretty impressive victory over Utah State, which has been running over its WAC competition so far, and they just picked up a huge road victory over Georgia Tech.
Boise State has entered my top 25 for the first time all season after winning their 7th straight game, 6 of those while holding their opponent to 14 points or less. Two of those wins came against teams ranked in my top 25, BYU and Fresno State, and their lone loss was a close game at Michigan State, which is still a good team although they currently sit a few spots outside the rankings. They don't have any more chances to impress the voters or the computers, though, with 2 of the worst teams in the country still upcoming.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Eastern Michigan at Ohio - Bobcats by 12
Virginia Tech at Miami - Hurricanes by 3
Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers by 9
Friday
Washington at California - Golden Bears by 4
Saturday
Missouri at (7) Florida - Gators by 26
(16) Texas A&M at (15) Mississippi State - Aggies by 11
(12) Oklahoma at Iowa State - Sooners by 8
Vanderbilt at Kentucky - Wildcats by 1
Temple at (10) Louisville - Cardinals by 22
Michigan at Minnesota - Wolverines by 10
Houston at East Carolina - Cougars by 2
Air Force at Army - Falcons by 12
Miami-Ohio at Buffalo - Bulls by 12
Syracuse at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 13
Troy at Tennessee - Volunteers by 23
Tulsa at Arkansas - Razorbacks by 8
New Mexico State at Auburn - Tigers by 26
Georgia Tech at Maryland - Yellowjackets by 1
Virginia at North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 25
Western Michigan at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 2
(14) Stanford at Colorado - Cardinal by 29
Memphis at Marshall - Thundering Herd by 11
Akron at Kent State - Golden Flashes by 33
Washington State at Utah - Utes by 12
TCU at (21) West Virginia - Horned Frogs by 3
Texas State at Utah State - Aggies by 33
Mississippi at (6) Georgia - Bulldogs by 15
Florida International at South Alabama - Jaguars by 8
Iowa at Indiana - Hoosiers by 7
Pittsburgh at (3) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 28
(20) Nebraska at Michigan State - Spartans by 5
Boston College at Wake Forest - Demon Deacons by 4
Illinois at Ohio State - Buckeyes by 33
Kansas at Baylor - Bears by 14
Florida Atlantic at Navy - Midshipmen by 15
Massachusetts at Northern Illinois - Huskies by 48
Penn State at Purdue - Nittany Lions by 4
(23) Texas at (18) Texas Tech - Red Raiders by 11
Rice at Tulane - Owls by 8
Texas-San Antonio at (25) Louisiana Tech - Bulldogs by 28
Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe - Warhawks by 23
New Mexico at UNLV - Rebels by 5
Colorado State at Wyoming - Cowboys by 7
San Jose State at Idaho - Spartans by 28
Arkansas State at North Texas - Red Wolves by 1
(4) Oregon at (17) USC - Ducks by 10
Connecticut at South Florida - Bulls by 16
(13) Clemson at Duke - Tigers by 14
Hawaii at Fresno State - Bulldogs by 46
SMU at UCF - Knights by 14
UAB at Southern Miss - Blazers by 1
(1) Alabama at (5) LSU - Crimson Tide by 10
(24) Oklahoma State at (2) Kansas State - Wildcats by 22
(22) Arizona at UCLA - Bruins by 3
Arizona State at (11) Oregon State - Beavers by 8
San Diego State at (19) Boise State - Broncos by 15
Prediction Results
College Football: 40-18 (.690) 408-145 overall (.738)
Upsets: 8-7 (.533) 39-61 overall (.390)
NBA Predictions
Tuesday
Washington at Cleveland - Wizards by 4
Boston at Miami - Heat by 8
Dallas at LA Lakers - Lakers by 2
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (BCS)
1. (1) Alabama (8-0) W (1)
2. (4) Oregon (8-0) W (4)
3. (3) Kansas State (8-0) W (2)
4. (6) Texas A&M (6-2) W (16)
5. (13) Notre Dame (8-0) W (3)
6. (5) Florida (7-1) L (7)
7. (2) Oklahoma (5-2) L (12)
8. (7) LSU (7-1) W (5)
9. (9) Florida State (8-1) W (9)
10. (23) Georgia (7-1) W (6)
11. (15) USC (6-2) L (17)
12. (NR) BYU (5-4) W (NR)
13. (8) Texas Tech (6-2) L (18)
14. (10) South Carolina (7-2) W (8)
15. (11) Stanford (6-2) W (14)
16. (12) Oklahoma State (5-2) W (24)
17. (20) Oregon State (6-1) L (11)
18. (22) Clemson (7-1) W (13)
19. (18) Fresno State (6-3) W (NR)
20. (NR) Utah State (7-2) W (NR)
21. (17) Arizona (5-3) W (22)
22. (16) Mississippi State (7-1) L (15)
23. (NR) Boise State (7-1) W (19)
24. (NR) Arizona State (5-3) L (NR)
25. (NR) Michigan (5-3) L (NR)
Dropped Out
(25) Iowa State (5-3) W (NR)
(14) Texas (6-2) W (23)
(24) Mississippi (5-3) W (NR)
(21) Louisiana-Monroe (6-2) W (NR)
(19) TCU (5-3) L (NR)
Ranked Teams by Conference
SEC - 7
Pac 12 - 6
Big 12 - 4
Ind - 2
ACC - 2
MWC - 2
WAC - 1
Big 10 - 1
Notre Dame moved into my top 5 this week after their 4th victory over a ranked opponent, and this one was the most impressive yet, beating Oklahoma, who had been ranked #2 in my rankings, 30-13. The entire margin of victory came in the final 9 minutes, after the Sooners had scored a touchdown to tie the game. That touchdown was impressive, though, because it was the first rushing touchdown scored against the Irish all season.
Georgia took over the SEC East lead this weekend by defeating Florida in Jacksonville, giving them a clear path to the SEC title game, which would be very helpful to their cause, since they have only two ranked teams on their schedule, and one of those (South Carolina) blew them out a couple of weeks ago. For now, they have found their way back into my top 10, but their weak strength of schedule means that they need to win big over the final few games to move up much higher.
BYU has the worst record of any team in my rankings, but among their 4 losses were the closest game Notre Dame has played this season, a 1-point loss at Boise State which they should have won, and a tough loss to Oregon State. They also own a pretty impressive victory over Utah State, which has been running over its WAC competition so far, and they just picked up a huge road victory over Georgia Tech.
Boise State has entered my top 25 for the first time all season after winning their 7th straight game, 6 of those while holding their opponent to 14 points or less. Two of those wins came against teams ranked in my top 25, BYU and Fresno State, and their lone loss was a close game at Michigan State, which is still a good team although they currently sit a few spots outside the rankings. They don't have any more chances to impress the voters or the computers, though, with 2 of the worst teams in the country still upcoming.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Eastern Michigan at Ohio - Bobcats by 12
Virginia Tech at Miami - Hurricanes by 3
Middle Tennessee at Western Kentucky - Hilltoppers by 9
Friday
Washington at California - Golden Bears by 4
Saturday
Missouri at (7) Florida - Gators by 26
(16) Texas A&M at (15) Mississippi State - Aggies by 11
(12) Oklahoma at Iowa State - Sooners by 8
Vanderbilt at Kentucky - Wildcats by 1
Temple at (10) Louisville - Cardinals by 22
Michigan at Minnesota - Wolverines by 10
Houston at East Carolina - Cougars by 2
Air Force at Army - Falcons by 12
Miami-Ohio at Buffalo - Bulls by 12
Syracuse at Cincinnati - Bearcats by 13
Troy at Tennessee - Volunteers by 23
Tulsa at Arkansas - Razorbacks by 8
New Mexico State at Auburn - Tigers by 26
Georgia Tech at Maryland - Yellowjackets by 1
Virginia at North Carolina State - Wolfpack by 25
Western Michigan at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 2
(14) Stanford at Colorado - Cardinal by 29
Memphis at Marshall - Thundering Herd by 11
Akron at Kent State - Golden Flashes by 33
Washington State at Utah - Utes by 12
TCU at (21) West Virginia - Horned Frogs by 3
Texas State at Utah State - Aggies by 33
Mississippi at (6) Georgia - Bulldogs by 15
Florida International at South Alabama - Jaguars by 8
Iowa at Indiana - Hoosiers by 7
Pittsburgh at (3) Notre Dame - Fighting Irish by 28
(20) Nebraska at Michigan State - Spartans by 5
Boston College at Wake Forest - Demon Deacons by 4
Illinois at Ohio State - Buckeyes by 33
Kansas at Baylor - Bears by 14
Florida Atlantic at Navy - Midshipmen by 15
Massachusetts at Northern Illinois - Huskies by 48
Penn State at Purdue - Nittany Lions by 4
(23) Texas at (18) Texas Tech - Red Raiders by 11
Rice at Tulane - Owls by 8
Texas-San Antonio at (25) Louisiana Tech - Bulldogs by 28
Louisiana-Lafayette at Louisiana-Monroe - Warhawks by 23
New Mexico at UNLV - Rebels by 5
Colorado State at Wyoming - Cowboys by 7
San Jose State at Idaho - Spartans by 28
Arkansas State at North Texas - Red Wolves by 1
(4) Oregon at (17) USC - Ducks by 10
Connecticut at South Florida - Bulls by 16
(13) Clemson at Duke - Tigers by 14
Hawaii at Fresno State - Bulldogs by 46
SMU at UCF - Knights by 14
UAB at Southern Miss - Blazers by 1
(1) Alabama at (5) LSU - Crimson Tide by 10
(24) Oklahoma State at (2) Kansas State - Wildcats by 22
(22) Arizona at UCLA - Bruins by 3
Arizona State at (11) Oregon State - Beavers by 8
San Diego State at (19) Boise State - Broncos by 15
Prediction Results
College Football: 40-18 (.690) 408-145 overall (.738)
Upsets: 8-7 (.533) 39-61 overall (.390)
NBA Predictions
Tuesday
Washington at Cleveland - Wizards by 4
Boston at Miami - Heat by 8
Dallas at LA Lakers - Lakers by 2
Saturday, October 27, 2012
2012-13 NBA Preview
It's hard to believe, but the NBA season is starting next week, so it's time to take a look at what we can expect to see from each team as they get back to working a full 82-game season. I've analyzed each move made during the offseason and looked at how each team performed last season including the playoffs and used it to determine my preseason rankings. I've also analyzed each team's schedule for this season and predicted their final regular season record and playoff results. Here are my preseason rankings, with teams grouped by similar projected performance levels, and final 2012 ranking, record, and 2012-13 projected regular season record in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) 2012 Result (Projection)
1. (2) Miami (46-20) Won Finals (70-12)
2. (1) San Antonio (50-16) Lost R3 (64-18)
3. (3) Oklahoma City (47-19) Lost Finals (58-24)
4. (6) Boston (39-27) Lost R3 (54-28)
5. (4) Chicago (50-16) Lost R1 (54-28)
6. (12) New York (36-30) Lost R1 (53-29)
7. (10) LA Clippers (40-26) Lost R2 (54-28)
8. (14) Dallas (36-30) Lost R1 (53-29)
9. (8) Indiana (42-24) Lost R2 (52-30)
10. (13) LA Lakers (41-25) Lost R2 (51-31)
11. (9) Atlanta (40-26) Lost R1 (50-32)
12. (5) Philadelphia (35-31) Lost R2 (49-33)
13. (16) Utah (36-30) Lost R1 (48-34)
14. (7) Denver (38-28) Lost R1 (46-36)
15. (11) Memphis (41-25) Lost R1 (45-37)
16. (15) Phoenix (33-33) #10 West (44-38)
17. (18) Milwaukee (31-35) #9 East (43-39)
18. (22) Toronto (23-43) #11 East (42-40)
19. (19) Orlando (37-29) Lost R1 (42-40)
20. (25) Washington (20-46) #14 East (32-50)
21. (24) Minnesota (26-40) #12 West (30-52)
22. (26) Detroit (25-41) #10 East (29-53)
23. (28) Brooklyn (22-44) #12 East (28-54)
24. (27) Sacramento (22-44) #14 West (27-55)
25. (23) Golden State (23-43) #13 West (27-55)
26. (20) Portland (28-38) #11 West (23-59)
27. (21) New Orleans (21-45) #15 West (21-61)
28. (17) Houston (34-32) #9 West (19-63)
29. (29) Cleveland (21-45) #13 East (12-70)
30. (30) Charlotte (7-59) #15 East (7-75)
Playoffs
Conference Finals
Heat over Celtics
Spurs over Thunder
Finals
Heat over Spurs
What happens when you take the NBA champions and add the greatest 3-point shooter in history? You have the makings of an historically great team. The Miami Heat kept every player from last season's rotation, then added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to spread out the defense and give Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade more room to work inside. They also have one of the 10 greatest players of all time on the roster as well, in case you've forgotten about LeBron. If this team stays healthy, they could challenge Chicago's 72-win record.
New York lost a couple of fan favorites in Landry Fields and Jeremy Lin to free agency, but they did a very good job replacing them. Ronnie Brewer is a much better defender than Fields, and Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd add great experience at the point guard position, while Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby will give them defensive toughness in the middle behind Tyson Chandler. If Amare and Carmelo can co-exist, the Knicks could be a very scary team.
The Lakers have been a popular topic this offseason because of the additions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, and many are even picking the Lakers to compete for the Western Conference crown. I don't see things being quite that rosy for Los Angeles. The Lakers had to give up Andrew Bynum to get Dwight Howard, who was basically his statistical equal last year and is a year older. Bynum may have caused some problems off the court, but Howard has not been a model teammate either. And don't forget, Kobe and Nash are both entering their 17th NBA season, so the championship window is nearly closed.
After finishing just 2 games out of the playoffs last season, the Rockets decided to blow it up and start over, getting rid of nearly every player from last season's roster, including two strong point guards in Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic, and the biggest name they brought in was Jeremy Lin, who is probably a step down from either of last year's floor generals. Without a single proven NBA player on the roster other than Kevin Martin, where are the Rockets going to get their points this year?
TW. (LW) Team (Record) 2012 Result (Projection)
1. (2) Miami (46-20) Won Finals (70-12)
2. (1) San Antonio (50-16) Lost R3 (64-18)
3. (3) Oklahoma City (47-19) Lost Finals (58-24)
4. (6) Boston (39-27) Lost R3 (54-28)
5. (4) Chicago (50-16) Lost R1 (54-28)
6. (12) New York (36-30) Lost R1 (53-29)
7. (10) LA Clippers (40-26) Lost R2 (54-28)
8. (14) Dallas (36-30) Lost R1 (53-29)
9. (8) Indiana (42-24) Lost R2 (52-30)
10. (13) LA Lakers (41-25) Lost R2 (51-31)
11. (9) Atlanta (40-26) Lost R1 (50-32)
12. (5) Philadelphia (35-31) Lost R2 (49-33)
13. (16) Utah (36-30) Lost R1 (48-34)
14. (7) Denver (38-28) Lost R1 (46-36)
15. (11) Memphis (41-25) Lost R1 (45-37)
16. (15) Phoenix (33-33) #10 West (44-38)
17. (18) Milwaukee (31-35) #9 East (43-39)
18. (22) Toronto (23-43) #11 East (42-40)
19. (19) Orlando (37-29) Lost R1 (42-40)
20. (25) Washington (20-46) #14 East (32-50)
21. (24) Minnesota (26-40) #12 West (30-52)
22. (26) Detroit (25-41) #10 East (29-53)
23. (28) Brooklyn (22-44) #12 East (28-54)
24. (27) Sacramento (22-44) #14 West (27-55)
25. (23) Golden State (23-43) #13 West (27-55)
26. (20) Portland (28-38) #11 West (23-59)
27. (21) New Orleans (21-45) #15 West (21-61)
28. (17) Houston (34-32) #9 West (19-63)
29. (29) Cleveland (21-45) #13 East (12-70)
30. (30) Charlotte (7-59) #15 East (7-75)
Playoffs
Conference Finals
Heat over Celtics
Spurs over Thunder
Finals
Heat over Spurs
What happens when you take the NBA champions and add the greatest 3-point shooter in history? You have the makings of an historically great team. The Miami Heat kept every player from last season's rotation, then added Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis to spread out the defense and give Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade more room to work inside. They also have one of the 10 greatest players of all time on the roster as well, in case you've forgotten about LeBron. If this team stays healthy, they could challenge Chicago's 72-win record.
New York lost a couple of fan favorites in Landry Fields and Jeremy Lin to free agency, but they did a very good job replacing them. Ronnie Brewer is a much better defender than Fields, and Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd add great experience at the point guard position, while Kurt Thomas and Marcus Camby will give them defensive toughness in the middle behind Tyson Chandler. If Amare and Carmelo can co-exist, the Knicks could be a very scary team.
The Lakers have been a popular topic this offseason because of the additions of Dwight Howard and Steve Nash, and many are even picking the Lakers to compete for the Western Conference crown. I don't see things being quite that rosy for Los Angeles. The Lakers had to give up Andrew Bynum to get Dwight Howard, who was basically his statistical equal last year and is a year older. Bynum may have caused some problems off the court, but Howard has not been a model teammate either. And don't forget, Kobe and Nash are both entering their 17th NBA season, so the championship window is nearly closed.
After finishing just 2 games out of the playoffs last season, the Rockets decided to blow it up and start over, getting rid of nearly every player from last season's roster, including two strong point guards in Kyle Lowry and Goran Dragic, and the biggest name they brought in was Jeremy Lin, who is probably a step down from either of last year's floor generals. Without a single proven NBA player on the roster other than Kevin Martin, where are the Rockets going to get their points this year?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
NFL Rankings - 24 Oct
In a week with fewer upsets, there was still plenty of action in the NFL rankings, although only two teams (Green Bay and Houston) won by double digits. Several teams saw their seasons start to turn around, some in one direction and some in the other. Here are the updated rankings, with teams grouped by similar levels of performance and ESPN Power Rankings in parentheses.
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (11) Houston (6-1) W (3)
2. (1) Chicago (5-1) W (5)
3. (5) San Francisco (5-2) W (4)
4. (4) Green Bay (4-3) W (7)
5. (2) NY Giants (5-2) W (2)
6. (7) Denver (3-3) BYE (12)
7. (3) New England (4-3) W (8)
8. (6) Seattle (4-3) L (11)
9. (18) Minnesota (5-2) W (9)
10. (12) Atlanta (6-0) BYE (1)
11. (19) Detroit (2-4) L (19)
12. (13) Saint Louis (3-4) L (21)
13. (14) Washington (3-4) L (18)
14. (15) Arizona (4-3) L (14)
15. (16) Miami (3-3) BYE (16)
16. (8) Dallas (3-3) W (15)
17. (17) NY Jets (3-4) L (24)
18. (26) Pittsburgh (3-3) W (10)
19. (10) Baltimore (5-2) L (6)
20. (25) New Orleans (2-4) W (20)
21. (9) Tampa Bay (2-4) L (26)
22. (22) Philadelphia (3-3) BYE (13)
23. (24) San Diego (3-3) BYE (17)
24. (21) Cincinnati (3-4) L (22)
25. (20) Carolina (1-5) L (29)
26. (29) Indianapolis (3-3) W (23)
27. (23) Cleveland (1-6) L (30)
28. (30) Tennessee (3-4) W (25)
29. (27) Buffalo (3-4) L (27)
30. (28) Oakland (2-4) W (28)
31. (32) Jacksonville (1-5) L (31)
32. (31) Kansas City (1-5) BYE (32)
Houston and Baltimore had a showdown this weekend to determine which team is the best in the AFC, and the Texans gave the entire league the resounding answer that the best team plays in Houston. Sure, Ray Lewis is out with an injury, but the Ravens are still known for their defense, and all the Texans did was set a franchise record for points against them. That loss to Green Bay a week ago was just the kick in the pants that Matt Schaub & co. needed.
The Minnesota Vikings had only beaten one team with a winning record all season, and that was a month ago, but when Arizona came to visit the Vikes didn't back down, holding a double digit lead for most of the game before allowing a late touchdown which made the game seem closer than it was.
Detroit has the highest ranking of any team with a losing record, but if you look at your schedule it's easy to see why. Their 4 losses came by an average margin of 6 points to teams with an average winning percentage of .667, and three of them were on the road. A lot of people have written the Lions off, and they still have one of the toughest remaining schedules of any team, but if they can pull out just a few wins over their tough opponents, they could still make it to the playoffs.
Tampa Bay started to look good last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, winning 38-10 and moving up the rankings quickly, but they dropped just as fast this week after a loss to the struggling Saints. Tampa's two wins both came against teams with just one win on the season, and both have looked worse with each passing week.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Tampa Bay at Minnesota - Vikings by 10
Sunday
Carolina at Chicago - Bears by 22
San Diego at Cleveland - Chargers by 1
Seattle at Detroit - Seahawks by 1
Jacksonville at Green Bay - Packers by 26
Indianapolis at Tennessee - Titans by 1
New England at Saint Louis - Patriots by 1
Miami at NY Jets - Jets by 3
Atlanta at Philadelphia - Falcons by 3
Washington at Pittsburgh - Steelers by 1
Oakland at Kansas City - Raiders by 4
NY Giants at Dallas - Giants by 3
New Orleans at Denver - Broncos by 13
Monday
San Francisco at Arizona - 49ers by 7
Prediction Results
NFL: 9-4 (.692) 60-44 overall (.577)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 9-9 overall (.500)
TW. (LW) Team (Record) Result (ESPN)
1. (11) Houston (6-1) W (3)
2. (1) Chicago (5-1) W (5)
3. (5) San Francisco (5-2) W (4)
4. (4) Green Bay (4-3) W (7)
5. (2) NY Giants (5-2) W (2)
6. (7) Denver (3-3) BYE (12)
7. (3) New England (4-3) W (8)
8. (6) Seattle (4-3) L (11)
9. (18) Minnesota (5-2) W (9)
10. (12) Atlanta (6-0) BYE (1)
11. (19) Detroit (2-4) L (19)
12. (13) Saint Louis (3-4) L (21)
13. (14) Washington (3-4) L (18)
14. (15) Arizona (4-3) L (14)
15. (16) Miami (3-3) BYE (16)
16. (8) Dallas (3-3) W (15)
17. (17) NY Jets (3-4) L (24)
18. (26) Pittsburgh (3-3) W (10)
19. (10) Baltimore (5-2) L (6)
20. (25) New Orleans (2-4) W (20)
21. (9) Tampa Bay (2-4) L (26)
22. (22) Philadelphia (3-3) BYE (13)
23. (24) San Diego (3-3) BYE (17)
24. (21) Cincinnati (3-4) L (22)
25. (20) Carolina (1-5) L (29)
26. (29) Indianapolis (3-3) W (23)
27. (23) Cleveland (1-6) L (30)
28. (30) Tennessee (3-4) W (25)
29. (27) Buffalo (3-4) L (27)
30. (28) Oakland (2-4) W (28)
31. (32) Jacksonville (1-5) L (31)
32. (31) Kansas City (1-5) BYE (32)
Houston and Baltimore had a showdown this weekend to determine which team is the best in the AFC, and the Texans gave the entire league the resounding answer that the best team plays in Houston. Sure, Ray Lewis is out with an injury, but the Ravens are still known for their defense, and all the Texans did was set a franchise record for points against them. That loss to Green Bay a week ago was just the kick in the pants that Matt Schaub & co. needed.
The Minnesota Vikings had only beaten one team with a winning record all season, and that was a month ago, but when Arizona came to visit the Vikes didn't back down, holding a double digit lead for most of the game before allowing a late touchdown which made the game seem closer than it was.
Detroit has the highest ranking of any team with a losing record, but if you look at your schedule it's easy to see why. Their 4 losses came by an average margin of 6 points to teams with an average winning percentage of .667, and three of them were on the road. A lot of people have written the Lions off, and they still have one of the toughest remaining schedules of any team, but if they can pull out just a few wins over their tough opponents, they could still make it to the playoffs.
Tampa Bay started to look good last week against the Kansas City Chiefs, winning 38-10 and moving up the rankings quickly, but they dropped just as fast this week after a loss to the struggling Saints. Tampa's two wins both came against teams with just one win on the season, and both have looked worse with each passing week.
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
Thursday
Tampa Bay at Minnesota - Vikings by 10
Sunday
Carolina at Chicago - Bears by 22
San Diego at Cleveland - Chargers by 1
Seattle at Detroit - Seahawks by 1
Jacksonville at Green Bay - Packers by 26
Indianapolis at Tennessee - Titans by 1
New England at Saint Louis - Patriots by 1
Miami at NY Jets - Jets by 3
Atlanta at Philadelphia - Falcons by 3
Washington at Pittsburgh - Steelers by 1
Oakland at Kansas City - Raiders by 4
NY Giants at Dallas - Giants by 3
New Orleans at Denver - Broncos by 13
Monday
San Francisco at Arizona - 49ers by 7
Prediction Results
NFL: 9-4 (.692) 60-44 overall (.577)
Upsets: 0-1 (.000) 9-9 overall (.500)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)