NFL Divisional Predictions – Giants (10-7) vs Packers
A trip to this season’s NFC Championship Game will be on the line this Sunday afternoon when the No.4-seed New York Giants and the No.1-seed Green Bay Packers clash at Lambeau Field in Green Bay.
Month: January 2012
Divisional Round – New Orleans vs San Francisco Pick
On a weekend full of intriguing NFL playoff matchup, possible the best of the bunch may be a battle between the offensive juggernaut New Orleans Saints and the insanely talented defense of the San Francisco 49ers.
Denver vs New England NFL Playoffs Handicapping
Tim Tebow and the Denver Broncos will look to stun the football world once again as they continue on the road to Super Bowl 46 this Saturday. After coming in as 7.5-point underdogs, the Broncos will now take on the New England Patriots in Foxboro who are favored by 13.5 points.
NBA Handicapping – Miami Heat vs LA Clippers
Both the Clippers and the Heat will be coming off Tuesday night games with Los Angeles getting the benefit of returning home for this matchup on Wednesday at the Staples Center.
NBA Handicapping – Dallas Mavericks vs Boston Celtics
The Mavericks will be coming off a road game in Detroit, while the Celtics should be well-rested and ready to put Friday night’s home loss to the Indiana Pacers behind them as they look to post their third win of their current five game home stand.
NBA Handicapping – Phoenix vs Los Angeles
Unlike the last few seasons not many are talking about the Lakers (6-4) as being legit title contenders and, yes, they were swept by Dallas in the playoffs last season and 6th Man if the Year Lamar Odom is now in the Big D, but Kobe and Pau are playing well and Andrew Bynum has been putting up sick numbers since coming off his suspension.
#9 Georgetown Hoyas (13-1) vs West Virginia Mountaineers (11-4)
The Georgetown Hoyas are certainly one of the feel good stories of the season so far. After losing a couple of top guards they were expected to hover in the middle of the Big East but I guess nobody told the players that.
Saturday January 7
WVU Coliseum – Morgantown, WV
12:00PM
Moneyline: West Virginia -135, Georgetown +115
Spread: West Virginia -2
O/U: 131.5
Georgetown
All they have done is rise to #9 in the rankings with 4 victories over top 25 teams among their 13 victories, including ending Louisville’s run at perfection on their own homecourt. They are off to a 3-0 start in the conference with an impressive win over Marquette earlier this week. The question is whether they can keep it up.
Georgetown has been winning with a little bit of everything. They can play great defense but can also score. Now that he doesn’t have to share the ball as much, senior guard Jason Clark is having his best season ever, as is fellow senior forward Henry Sims. This team has lots of size and good athleticism but I wonder if they will eventually get exposed by teams that have great guards. They operate non-traditionally with their leading assist guy being Sims in the middle. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
West Virginia
West Virginia has been solid this season and it looks like they are probably going to position themselves well for the postseason. They have a huge opportunity to make a statement with back to back games against ranked teams beginning with a visit from Georgetown on Saturday. The Hoyas enter the game ranked in the top 10 so a victory might actually jump the Mountaineers into the rankings.
In terms of productivity it is hard to find a better one-two, inside-outside combo than West Virginia’s Kevin Jones and Truck Bryant (don’t let the name fool you, Truck is the guard). The two seniors average just under 40ppg with both enjoying their finest season’s yet. But college hoops is more than just a game of 2 on 2 which is why WVU despite having an elite duo are not elite – their depth is questionable. Morgantown is buzzing these days after the football team’s demolition of Clemson in the Orange Bowl. It is a hard place to win and this game should be a good contest from start to finish. G-Town may have the great record but I am not sure there is a huge difference between these two teams.
Spread Pick: Georgetown +2
O/U Pick: Under
Score Prediction: Georgetown 65 – West Virginia 63
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#14 Florida Gators (12-3) vs Tennessee Volunteers (7-7)
The Florida Gators may already have 3 losses but don’t be tricked into thinking this is not one of the best teams in America.
Saturday January 7
Thompson Boling Arena
11:00AM
Moneyline: Florida -350, Tennessee +290
Spread: Florida -7.5
O/U: 146
Florida
All of their losses have been in true road games and two of them were at Syracuse and Ohio State. The loss at Rutgers might be a head scratcher but, like I said this team is very good, not perfect, team, blessed with maybe the best backcourt in America and a terrific post player. I am not sure about their overall depth but this team can hang with pretty much anybody and is probably going to beat Kentucky when they host them later this season.
It is really hard not to like that backcourt, both in quality and quantitt The Gators have an amazing 4 guards averaging 9 or more point per game with Kenny Boynton leading the team with 9ppg. I would still like to see them throw the ball more often to Patric Young. who is a load to handle down low. because even though the guards are great he offers an amazing physical mismatch almost every night. Any game this team is shooting well they are very tough to beat.
Tennessee
It is a shame what has happened at Tennessee with the departure of former coach Bruce Pearl. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
I was a big fan of the program, their success and their style of play. I don’t want to pretend to know all the details but weren’t the infractions pretty minor, especially given how he has elevated the program to new heights. Right now they are entering SEC play with just a .500 record. New coach Cuonzo Martin has this team playing hard and they seem to rise to the occasion, playing their top opponents very well even though they haven’t broken through yet with a victory. This team should be able to compete in a mediocre SEC.
The talent level in Knoxville is below what we are used to seeing, giving lots of players a chance to step forward. The one player who really stands out is guard Trae Golden. As a frosh he never really found a way to contribute regularly but this year with the extra playing time he is leading the club with 14ppg. His play against Florida is going to be especially important because he is also their leading distributor and will have to guard one of the Gators great guards. Forward Jeronne Maymon is another player who will have his hands full as he try to keep Young out of the paint. He is their leading rebounder but unfortunately the matchup is not unfavourable. Pretty much all of them are that way for the Vols in this one.
Spread Pick: Florida -7.5
O/U Pick: Over
Score Prediction: Florida 83 – Tennessee 69
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NBA Handicapping – Chicago Bulls vs Orlando Magic
The big question for the Bulls heading here, is whether or not leading scorer Derrick Rose will be ready for the team’s upcoming road matchup with the Orlando Magic on Friday.
Venue/ Stadium: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, NY
Marquette (12-3) is coming off a loss where they blew a 17-point lead and lost to 9th ranked Georgetown and things get tougher in this game facing the top ranked Syracuse team (16-0) that is the 12th highest scoring teams in the nation and is at home.
Venue/ Stadium: Fred Bramlage Coliseum, Manhattan, KS
Kansas State (11-2) has already beaten a ranked team this season, but in their Big 12 opener they were throttled losing to Kansas 67-49 and things do not get any easier against an undefeated Missouri (14-0) squad that is the 2nd highest scoring team in the nation and leads the nation in FG%.
Time/Date: 1:30 PM EST Saturday, January 7, 2012
NCAA Odds From: Bovada
Moneyline: OFF
Spread (ATS): Missouri -1
Over/Under: O/U 146.5
No 6 Missouri Tigers vs. No. 22 Kansas State Wildcats Preview
In their last games Missouri crushed Oklahoma 87-49 in their Big 12 opener while Kansas State lost to Kansas 67-49.
So far this season Mizzou is 6-3 ATS with an O/U record of 6-3 and KSU is 5-4 with an O/U record of 5-4.
There is no way the Wildcats can get into a high-scoring game with the Tigers’ as they must slow down the game and win the battle of the boards. KSU ranks 12th in the nation in rebounding while Mizzou only ranks 177th.
The Tigers are led by the great backcourt duo of Marcus Denmon (18.8 ppg) and Kim English (15.9 ppg), who are both shooting over 50% from the floor and combined to score 43 points in the easy win over Oklahoma. KSU has their work cut out for them in this game against these 2 and they must not allow them to get in the lane and take easy shots. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
G Rodney McGruder (12.7 ppg) is the leading scorer for the Wildcats and must get over the Kansas game were he was only 5/14 from the floor.
One key player in this game is KSU F Jamar Samuels, who is the 2nd leading scorer for the Wildcats and leading rebounder (7 rpg). He has to help out in the scoring department, but rebounding may be more important.
In the Kansas game KSU was killed on the glass getting out-rebounded 48-24 and they only shot 31.6% from the field. To say they cannot let that happen again is a tad of an understatement.
KSU has not beaten Mizzou since the 2008-2009 season.
Betting Trends
Mizzou is 6-2 ATS in their last 8 games, 5-1 ATS in their last 6 games vs. a team with a winning S.U. record, and they have an Over record of 4-0 in their last 4 road games.
Kansas State is e 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games following a S.U. loss, 9-2-1 ATS in their last 12 home games vs. a team with a winning road record, and they have an Over record of 9-3 in their last 12 home games.
Jason’s Pick: Mizzou has not covered the spread in their last 7 games facing Kansas State in their house, but that trend will not continue. The Tigers are simply too athletic and even though Fred Bramlage Coliseum is a tough place for opponents’ to play Mizzou will win this game and cover the spread.
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NBA Basketball Matchup: Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks
8:00 PM EST on TNT
NBA Gambling Odds from BetOnline
NBA Betting Favorite: Heat -2
Over/Under: 189
Miami blew out Indiana last night, but LeBron James turned his ankle and is listed as questionable for tonight’s game in Atlanta. Dwyane Wade continues to have foot problems, and he is also questionable for this matchup. The Hawks beat the Heat earlier this week to give Miami its first loss of the season. Will Miami get revenge in Atlanta or will the Hawks take a second straight game from the Heat?
The Heat have really improved their offense so far this year. At times last season it appeared the team was out of sync offensively, but they seem to have much better chemistry on the offensive end so far this year. Miami leads the NBA in both points per game and field goal percentage offense. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have made it clear they are going to be more aggressive and stop settling for three-pointers this year, and I think that is a huge help to this team. A healthy Udonis Haslem is a big plus for this team as well. He leads the team with ten rebounds. Chris Bosh will need to step up his game tonight with James and Wade hurting.
Atlanta’s nucleus looks quite similar to what it has the last few years. Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Josh Smith are all see as team leaders. Jamal Crawford left the team in the offseason, but Tracy McGrady is doing surprisingly well in his role with the team. McGrady has given this team a nice offensive spark. He is shooting 51.2% from the floor in six games this season. Atlanta is 4-2 primarily because they are only giving up 85.7 points per game. The Hawks forced 16 turnovers in their win over Miami earlier this week.
It seems like the Hawks aren’t getting much respect from the oddsmakers in this one. Miami has two stars that might not even play and they are still favored by two. I’ll take the Hawks in this one.
Prediction: Atlanta 95 Miami 94
Lions vs Saints Wildcard Weekend Gambling Preview
The Lions reached the 10-win plateau this season to make the playoffs, but they have a tall task to advance facing a red-hot Saints team.
Bengals vs Texans Free Pick
The NFL playoffs kick off Saturday afternoon in Houston. A few weeks ago the Texans beat Cincinnati 20-19 on a last second touchdown. It looked like that would knock the Bengals out of the playoffs, but they backed their way in because other playoff contenders flopped at the end of the season.
Houston has just missed the playoffs several times, but they are finally a part of the postseason.
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Cincinnati Bengals (9-7) vs. Houston Texans (10-6)
Time/Date: 4:30 PM EST, January 7, 2012
Venue: Reliant Stadium
Broadcast: NBC
Bengals vs. Texans Gambling Odds from Bookmaker
Spread: Texans -3
Moneyline: Houston (-170) Cincinnati (+150)
Over/Under: 38.5
The Bengals were expected to be terrible, but this young squad came together quickly.
Which team will move on?
Andy Dalton will get plenty of consideration for Rookie of the Year honors, and he definitely deserves it. Carson Palmer deserted this team after a 4-12 year last year, and many believed the team would do even worse this year. Dalton stepped into a difficult situation and excelled in his rookie season in the league.
He threw 20 touchdowns and had a respectable 80.4 quarterback rating this year. A.J. Green definitely helped make Dalton’s transition easier. Green topped the 1,000 yard receiving mark in his rookie season. He is destined to be a star for many years to come. The Bengals must get Cedric Benson and the ground game going in this one.
It was the Cincinnati defense that led this team to the playoffs this year. Several weeks into the season they were the top ranked defense in the NFL. Key injuries to guys like Leon Hall and Keith Rivers hurt this unit in the last few weeks, but they have continued to be solid. Nate Clements and Reggie Nelson lead a solid secondary, while Domata Peko and Geno Atkins provide strength on the front line. Cincinnati gives up 20.2 points per game.
Houston saw its top two quarterbacks go down with an injury this year. Matt Schaub and Matt Leinart are both expected to miss the rest of the year, so it is up to rookie T.J. Yates. Yates was an unheralded rookie coming into the season, but he has filled in admirably for this team. Yates completed 61% of his passes this year, and he threw for 949 yards in limited action. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The Texans are led by a great tailback tandem. Arian Foster and Ben Tate combined for more than 2,100 rushing yards this year. Foster’s versatility in the passing game is a big perk for this team. Tate was a bit of surprise to most of the league, but he averaged an impressive 5.4 yards per carry this year. Andre Johnson missed a lot of time this year, but he is expected to be ready for this one.
Last year the Houston pass defense was the worst in the NFL, and this season they ranked third in the league. Johnathan Joseph, formerly a star for the Bengals, stepped in and made this Texans secondary much better right away. Joseph led the team with 15 pass deflections and four interceptions this year.
Brian Cushing led the team in tackles, and this group of linebackers is ultra-talented. Overall, the Texans finished the regular season ranked second in the NFL in total defense.
Both of these teams are led by a strong defense. I don’t expect either team to put up big points in this one. I like the value on the under.
Free NFL Pick: Under 38.5
NBA Basketball Matchup: Lakers vs Trailblazers
The Lakers lost their first couple games this year, but they have responded by winning four of their last five games.
Rip City – NBA Handicapping Lakers vs Blazers
The Los Angeles Lakers will roll into Rip City on Thursday with Kobe Bryant and all of their titles, but Portland will have the advantage with the best record (4-1) in the Western Conference.
Date/Time: 10:30 PM ET, Thursday, January 5, 2012
Venue: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
Broadcast: TNT
Spread: -3.5 Portland
Over/Under: 187
The Lakers (4-2) Bryant is just 6-23 in Portland in his career while the Lakers are 4-16 in Portland since 2000, and this game could be a barometer of how the two teams will finish the 2012 season.
The good news for the Lakers is that this is their only trip to Portland this season.
With All-Stars like Bryant and Pau Gasol along with future All-Star Andrew Bynum, the Lakers can never be counted on for being an easy win. Bynum is averaging nearly 23 points and 17 rebounds in his last three outings, including 21 points and 22 rebounds in a victory over Houston on Tuesday. However, he is not immune to the struggles against Portland, averaging 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds in 11 games.
Meanwhile, the Blazers are unbeaten in three home games at the Rose Garden and have the best record in the Western Conference for the first time since they went 42-18 on March 5, 2001.
Six players are averaging at least 10 points and three averaging at least seven rebounds per game, while Gerald Wallace became the first Trail Blazer to produce a double-double (13 points and 10 rebounds) in Tuesday’s win over Oklahoma City.
But all hasn’t been rosy for Portland who have been plagued by the turnover bug, committing 46 turnovers in their previous two games, but did improve with just nine against the Thunder.
Free Pick: Portland —The Trail Blazers will meet their stiffest challenge yet with Los Angeles, and will rely on guard Wesley Matthews, who averages 15.4 points and 5.2 rebounds, to help anchor a back court that will need to contain Bryant and Fisher, while Marcus Camby has his hands full with Bynum. Still, I like the Blazers at home here.
