Because of the All-Star Break, most teams only played once this week, but that doesn't mean there wasn't movement in the rankings. Atlanta got blown out at home last night by Toronto, while Cleveland pulled off a 38-point win at Washington, another top seed in the East. Here are this week's full rankings:
|
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Rec
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Proj
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TW
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LW
|
Team
|
Rating
|
W
|
L
|
W
|
L
|
PO Seed
|
|
1
|
1
|
Golden State
|
-9.96479
|
43
|
9
|
67
|
15
|
W1
|
|
2
|
3
|
LA Clippers
|
-5.51814
|
36
|
19
|
55
|
27
|
W3
|
|
3
|
2
|
Atlanta
|
-5.04452
|
43
|
12
|
62
|
20
|
E1
|
|
4
|
11
|
Cleveland
|
-3.96279
|
34
|
22
|
50
|
32
|
E4
|
|
5
|
4
|
Memphis
|
-3.79143
|
39
|
14
|
56
|
26
|
W2
|
|
6
|
7
|
Oklahoma City
|
-3.65371
|
29
|
25
|
47
|
35
|
W8
|
|
7
|
5
|
Dallas
|
-3.58379
|
37
|
20
|
52
|
30
|
W4
|
|
8
|
13
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Toronto
|
-3.29773
|
37
|
17
|
55
|
27
|
E2
|
|
9
|
6
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Portland
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-2.84646
|
36
|
18
|
52
|
30
|
W5
|
|
10
|
10
|
Milwaukee
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-2.80179
|
31
|
23
|
48
|
34
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E5
|
|
11
|
8
|
San Antonio
|
-2.55494
|
34
|
21
|
50
|
32
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W7
|
|
12
|
9
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Chicago
|
-2.38318
|
35
|
20
|
51
|
31
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E3
|
|
13
|
12
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Houston
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-2.13385
|
36
|
18
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52
|
30
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W6
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|
14
|
16
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Utah
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-0.34663
|
20
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34
|
36
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46
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|
|
15
|
15
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Phoenix
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-0.00662
|
29
|
26
|
42
|
40
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|
|
16
|
14
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Washington
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0.206219
|
33
|
22
|
47
|
35
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E6
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|
17
|
18
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Detroit
|
0.458366
|
22
|
33
|
35
|
47
|
E8
|
|
18
|
19
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Indiana
|
0.606188
|
21
|
34
|
35
|
47
|
|
|
19
|
17
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New Orleans
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0.907035
|
27
|
27
|
40
|
42
|
|
|
20
|
21
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Charlotte
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2.487264
|
21
|
31
|
34
|
48
|
|
|
21
|
20
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Boston
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2.62166
|
20
|
32
|
32
|
50
|
|
|
22
|
22
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Miami
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2.805821
|
23
|
30
|
36
|
46
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E7
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|
23
|
23
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Denver
|
4.284778
|
20
|
34
|
30
|
52
|
|
|
24
|
24
|
Brooklyn
|
4.830057
|
23
|
30
|
33
|
49
|
|
|
25
|
25
|
Sacramento
|
5.013943
|
19
|
34
|
29
|
53
|
|
|
26
|
26
|
Orlando
|
5.139746
|
18
|
39
|
27
|
55
|
|
|
27
|
27
|
LA Lakers
|
6.372861
|
14
|
40
|
23
|
59
|
|
|
28
|
28
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Minnesota
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7.206611
|
11
|
43
|
18
|
64
|
|
|
29
|
29
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New York
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8.433425
|
10
|
44
|
17
|
65
|
|
|
30
|
30
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Philadelphia
|
8.965007
|
12
|
42
|
19
|
63
|
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Cleveland has won 15 of their past 17 games, with LeBron James and Kyrie Irving taking turns leading the team in scoring, and they have started to look like the team everyone envisioned before the season began. Luckily for the Cavs, they play in the East, so their long midseason swoon didn't harm their standing as much as it would have in the West, and they could easily get themselves clear up to a #2 seed by the end of the season.
Toronto is finally looking like the team that was the best in the East for a quarter of the season, winning 4 straight, all against playoff teams, including the #2 Clippers and #3 Hawks. The Raptors are also in the race for that #2 spot in the East, and even though they lack the star power of Cleveland, they are a very solid team.
Playoff Picks
First Round
(1) Hawks over (8) Pistons
(2) Raptors over (7) Heat
(6) Wizards over (3) Bulls
(5) Bucks over (4) Cavaliers
(1) Warriors over (8) Thunder
(7) Spurs over (2) Grizzlies
(3) Clippers over (6) Rockets
(5) Trail Blazers over (4) Mavericks
Second Round
(5) Bucks over (1) Hawks
(2) Raptors over (6) Wizards
(1) Warriors over (5) Trail Blazers
(3) Clippers over (7) Spurs
Conference Finals
(5) Bucks over (2) Raptors
(1) Warriors over (3) Clippers
NBA Finals
(1) Warriors over (5) Bucks
Predictions
Upset picks are in italics.
NBA
Oklahoma City at Charlotte - Thunder by 4
New Orleans at Miami - Heat by 1
Phoenix at Chicago - Bulls by 5
Toronto at Houston - Rockets by 1
Sacramento at LA Clippers - Clippers by 13
College Basketball
South Florida at East Carolina - Pirates by 8
(17) Oklahoma at Texas Tech - Sooners by 11
Pittsburgh at Syracuse - Orange by 9
Georgia Tech at (15) North Carolina - Tar Heels by 17
Seton Hall at St. John's - Red Storm by 6
Minnesota at (5) Wisconsin - Badgers by 16
Texas A&M at South Carolina - Gamecocks by 6
Massachusetts at (25) VCU - Rams by 14
Elon at Delaware - Blue Hens by 2
Kansas State at (20) Baylor - Bears by 14
Kennesaw State at Stetson - Hatters by 5
Maine at UMBC - Retrievers by 8
Florida at LSU - Tigers by 3
Canisius at Quinnipiac - Bobcats by 4
Southern Illinois at Indiana State - Sycamores by 7
(14) Iowa State at Texas - Longhorns by 4
(23) West Virginia at (22) Oklahoma State - Cowboys by 3
Niagara at Rider - Broncs by 16
Kent State at Ohio - Golden Flashes by 1
Buffalo at Bowling Green - Bulls by 1
Toledo at Western Michigan - Rockets by 1
Miami (FL) at (12) Louisville - Cardinals by 12
(19) Butler at Xavier - Musketeers by 3
Lipscomb at Jacksonville - Dolphins by 1
Dayton at Duquesne - Flyers by 7
Fairleigh Dickinson at Mount St. Mary's - Mountaineers by 11
Appalachian State at Georgia State - Panthers by 20
Austin Peay at Murray State - Racers by 22
UNC Wilmington at Towson - Tigers by 2
Saint Peter's at Fairfield - Peacocks by 1
(6) Villanova at Marquette - Wildcats by 8
Missouri at Vanderbilt - Commodores by 15
IPFW at North Dakota State - Bison by 4
IUPUI at South Dakota - Coyotes by 8
Louisiana Tech at Old Dominion - Monarchs by 5
Nevada at Boise State - Broncos by 21
Penn State at Northwestern - Wildcats by 4
Sacred Heart at Central Connecticut State - Pioneers by 5
TCU at (8) Kansas - Jayhawks by 13
Bradley at (11) Northern Iowa - Panthers by 21
San Francisco at Pepperdine - Waves by 5
Clemson at (4) Duke - Blue Devils by 21
(10) Notre Dame at Boston College - Fighting Irish by 8
Charleston Southern at Campbell - Camels by 1
Robert Morris at Bryant - Bulldogs by 5
St. Francis (PA) at St. Francis (NY) - Terriers by 8
(18) Arkansas at Mississippi State - Razorbacks by 7
Drexel at Northeastern - Huskies by 15
Norfolk State at Coppin State - Spartans by 6
Morgan State at NC Central - Eagles by 24
Florida A&M at Bethune-Cookman - Wildcats by 18
Rhode Island at George Mason - Rams by 4
George Washington at Richmond - Spiders by 6
Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona - Lumberjacks by 1
Ball State at Central Michigan - Chippewas by 15
VMI at Western Carolina - Catamounts by 4
Radford at UNC Asheville - Bulldogs by 3
Wagner at LIU Brooklyn - Blackbirds by 8
New Hampshire at UMass Lowell - Wildcats by 2
Idaho State at Montana State - Bobcats by 5
Winthrop at Longwood - Eagles by 3
Sam Houston at Central Arkansas - Bearkats by 24
Texas A&M-CC at Incarnate Word - Cardinals by 9
Arkansas-Little Rock at Troy - Trojans by 4
Southern Miss at Charlotte - 49ers by 19
Tennessee State at Jacksonville State - Gamecocks by 7
Santa Clara at Loyola Marymount - Lions by 6
Virginia Tech at NC State - Wolfpack by 16
Cornell at Brown - Big Red by 1
North Texas at FIU - Golden Panthers by 7
Air Force at Colorado State - Rams by 16
UNLV at New Mexico - Lobos by 3
Maryland-Eastern Shore at South Carolina State - Hawks by 2
Howard at Savannah State - Bison by 5
Delaware State at Hampton - Pirates by 5
Mississippi Valley State at Prairie View - Panthers by 18
Alabama State at Alcorn State - Hornets by 7
Grambling State at Jackson State - JSU Tigers by 22
California at Stanford - Cardinal by 14
Alabama A&M at Southern - Jaguars by 12
Northern Kentucky at North Florida - Ospreys by 10
USC Upstate at Florida Gulf Coast - Eagles by 2
Mercer at Samford - Bulldogs by 3
The Citadel at Wofford - Terriers by 18
Liberty at Gardner-Webb - Runnin Bulldogs by 14
Presbyterian at High Point - Panthers by 20
Fordham at Davidson - Wildcats by 20
Columbia at Yale - Bulldogs by 10
Pennsylvania at Dartmouth - Big Green by 12
Princeton at Harvard - Crimson by 12
Rice at Florida Atlantic - FAU Owls by 6
McNeese State at Lamar - Cardinals by 8
Nicholls State at SF Austin - Lumberjacks by 29
Binghamton at Stony Brook - Seawolves by 20
Auburn at (1) Kentucky - Wildcats by 30
Detroit at Youngstown State - Penguins by 1
Charleston at James Madison - Dukes by 9
St. Bonaventure at Saint Joseph's - Hawks by 2
Manhattan at Siena - Saints by 1
Northwestern State at New Orleans - Privateers by 1
Miami (OH) at Akron - Zips by 13
South Alabama at Georgia Southern - Eagles by 16
Tennessee at Ole Miss - Rebels by 12
Loyola (IL) at Illinois State - Redbirds by 13
Oral Roberts at South Dakota State - Jackrabbits by 11
Denver at Western Illinois - Pioneers by 2
Eastern Michigan at Northern Illinois - Huskies by 2
DePaul at Georgetown - Hoyas by 18
East Tennessee State at Chattanooga - Mocs by 7
Marshall at UAB - Blazers by 13
Abilene Christian at SE Louisiana - Lions by 11
UC Santa Barbara at CS Fullerton - Gauchos by 4
UT Martin at SIU Edwardsville - Cougars by 1
Georgia at Alabama - Crimson Tide by 2
UL Monroe at Arkansas State - Warhawks by 2
Wright State at Valparaiso - Crusaders by 17
UL Lafayette at UT Arlington - Mavericks by 4
Belmont at Tennessee Tech - Golden Eagles by 3
Arkansas-Pine Bluff at Texas Southern - Tigers by 15
Weber State at Montana - Grizzlies by 10
Idaho at Southern Utah - Vandals by 1
New Mexico State at Grand Canyon - Aggies by 4
UTSA at UTEP - Miners by 15
Fresno State at Utah State - Aggies by 10
UCLA at (7) Arizona - Wildcats by 17
UT Pan American at Utah Valley - Wolverines by 10
Cincinnati at Houston - Bearcats by 7
(3) Gonzaga at Saint Mary's - Bulldogs by 9
Portland at Pacific - Pilots by 2
Chicago State at Seattle - Redhawks by 11
UMKC at CS Bakersfield - Roadrunners by 7
San Diego State at San Jose State - Aztecs by 23
Cal Poly at UC Riverside - Highlanders by 1
CS Northridge at UC Irvine - Anteaters by 17
Hawaii at UC Davis - Aggies by 8
North Dakota at Sacramento State - Hornets by 9
Northern Colorado at Portland State - Vikings by 4
Colorado at Oregon State - Beavers by 4
Projected correct: 103/138
Prediction Results
NBA: 5-8 (.385) 549-254 overall (.684)
Upsets: 0-4 (.000) 51-66 overall (.436)
College Basketball: 5-2 (.714) 3580-1218 overall (.746)
Pick of the Day: 94-2 overall
Pick of the Day
Stephen F Austin
The Lumberjacks have lost only 4 this season, 3 in November to currently ranked teams, and have won 20 of their last 21. Tonight they play a very weak Nicholls State team as they try to maintain their position at the top of the Southland, setting up a season-ending showdown with Sam Houston.
