Wednesday, October 31, 2012

2012-13 NHL Preview



















































































Sorry, can't transport any treats through this blog, so here's a trick. Happy Halloween! Stay safe.

Monday, October 29, 2012

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/26-10/28)

10. Marcus Lattimore Might Still Be Able to Play Football
            This is great news, considering his knee injury was one of the worst leg injuries we’ve seen in years on a football field. 

9. Vick Ballard Does His Best “Matrix” Impersonation
            We’ll let the video do the talking.

 

8. Jimmie Johnson Dominates Martinsville, Takes Chase Lead
            Jimmie Johnson did exactly what No Credentials predicted he would a week ago, but the bigger story was Brad Keselowski only being down 2 points with three races to play. A sixth place at one of his least favorite tracks has to feel like a win.

7. Oregon Hangs 70 on Colorado
6. Notre Dame Dominates Oklahoma
            Scoring 70 points on a fellow D1 (or bowl sub-division, or whatever the elite division of football is called) school is impressive, but walking into Oklahoma’s field and coming out with a 17-point win takes the cake. Notre Dame deserved to leap frog Oregon in the polls.

5. Rob Gronkowski Celebrates Two Touchdowns
            I’ll take his reenactment of a little nutcracker duder over his pelvic gyrations.

4. Giants Sweep Tigers
            Kudos to the Giants for winning a second World Series in three years that no one other than Giants fans will remember in a decade.

3. Merle Returns to “The Walking Dead”
            No one is more excited about it than my wife.

2. Thunder Trade James Harden to Houston
            I’ll say this about Oklahoma City General Manager Sam Presti…the man has big onions. I personally think that Durant and Westbrook are talented enough to initiate the offense without Harden, and if the draft picks they get prove to have value, the Thunder’s long-term outlook will eventually look brighter.

1. Giants Survive By Mere Inches Against Dallas
            You can add having an apparent game-winning Hail Mary getting overturned to the ways the Dallas Cowboys have lost a game. In all honesty though, they had no business winning, so perhaps it was karma.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Week 8 NFL Picks

Week 8 Bye Weeks = Houston Texans, Baltimore Ravens, Cincinnati Bengals, Buffalo Bills


New England Patriots (4-3) vs. St. Louis Rams (3-4)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 47
Game will be played in London, St. Louis is technically the home team
            Would love the Rams to cover if the NFL wasn’t trying to relive the Olympics this week.

Patriots (-7) over Rams
 

Indianapolis Colts (3-3) @ Tennessee Titans (3-4)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 47
            I’m still bitter about Matt Hasselback ruining my teaser last week. Luckily, Ryan Fitzpatrick and the sorry ass Buffalo Bills are on a bye.

Colts (+3.5) over TITANS
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) @ Green Bay Packers (4-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 45.5
            There will not be a greater disparity in the quality of quarterbacks for either team than what we’ll see at Lambeau Field Sunday. This is a great week to own Randall Cobb and James Jones in fantasy.

PACKERS (-14.5) over Jaguars
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

San Diego Chargers (3-3) @ Cleveland Browns (1-6)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 43.5
            San Diego has to fly cross country and still play football at 10am Pacific with Norv Turner as their coach. Yikes.

BROWNS (+3) over Chargers
 

Atlanta Falcons (6-0) @ Philadelphia Eagles (3-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 43.5
            Atlanta will lose eventually, but not to this discombobulated Eagles team.

Falcons (+3) over EAGLES
 

Seattle Seahawks (4-3) @ Detroit Lions (2-4)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 42.5
            Detroit held their own against Chicago Monday night, and this week they won’t have to worry about Brandon Marshall.

LIONS (-2.5) over Seahawks
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

Miami Dolphins (3-3) @ New York Jets (3-4)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 39.5
            Vegas is begging you to take the Dolphins. They’ll be laughing when New York kicks a walk-off field goal to win 17-14.

JETS (-2.5) over Dolphins
 

Carolina Panthers (1-5) @ Chicago Bears (5-1)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 43
            Chicago will win, but this game has some back door cover potential.

Panthers (+7.5) over BEARS


Washington Redskins (3-4) @ Pittsburgh Steelers (3-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 46
            Love the over.

STEELERS (-4.5) over Redskins
 

Oakland Raiders (2-4) @ Kansas City Chiefs (1-5)
Sunday, 4:00pm, CBS, O/U 42
            This game’s over/under is for television viewers, not points.

CHIEFS (-1) over Raiders
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

New York Giants (5-2) @ Dallas Cowboys (3-3)
Sunday, 4:30pm, FOX, O/U 48
            Can you say revenge? New York will attone for their week 1 defeat. It will also help if they won’t have to use their fifth string corner.

Giants (-2.5) over COWBOYS
Top-5 Pick of the Week


New Orleans Saints (2-4) @ Denver Broncos (3-3)
Sunday, 8:20pm, NBC, O/U 55
            The perfect game to have on for Sunday night that will impact virtually every fantasy football matchup.

BRONCOS (-6) over Saints
 

San Francisco 49ers (5-2) @ Arizona Cardinals (4-3)
Monday, 8:30pm, ESPN, O/U 38
            Maybe this week, Harbaugh will decline an extra point.

49ers (-7) over CARDINALS
 

Last Week = 4-8-1
Thursday = 1-0 (go Doug Martin go!)
Season = 49-51-4

Better Late Than Never Mailbag (10-27-12)

It's been a while since we emptied the inbox, so here you go. As always, these may or may not be actual messages from real or fake people.

Who would you rather party with, Wade Boggs, Oil Can Boyd, or Josh Beckett? – Tom A., Goffstown, NH
            We’re ruling Beckett out without hesitation because while he likes to drink beer, he’d probably just talk about his ranch in Texas the whole time. Choosing between Boggs and Boyd depends on your tastes. Legend has it that Wade Boggs once drank between 60-70 beers on a cross-country flight, and was famous for eating fried chicken before every game (keep in mind his career lasted 18 years, and baseball teams play 162 games a year). Oil Can Boyd has similar interests, with the added element of cocaine. Booger-sugar has never been something I’ve been interested in, so I’ll party with Boggs. 

Is Dale Earnhardt Jr. a hero or a pansy for seeking out medical help and missing two races? – Floyd P., Mobile, AL
            If the injury had to do with any body part other than his head, I’d say he was taking the easy way out. As it was, if he was in the top-5 in the points, I guaruantee he wouldn’t of visited the doctor after his Talladega crash. There’s too much to lose for a championship contending driver to take a race off. Hopefully Junior will not have further issues (concussions ruined Ricky Craven’s driving career, to name one example) and can be a championship threat in 2013.

What do you think of the NFL playing in London? – Janice L., Brownfield, ME
            I’ve never been a fan of it. It takes a home date away from a team (this Sunday, the Rams are technically the home team, even though the ratio of people that know who Tom Bray is as compared to the number of people who know who Sam Bradford is 150,000-1 in the U.K.), which in the name of fairness, is wrong. If this Sunday’s game was played in St. Louis, Tom Brady and the sputtering Patriots offense (more on that later) would have to play against a defense that has laid it all on the line every week so far this season in a loud dome. Instead, New England essentially gets a ninth home game. I’m all for using preseason to showcase the NFL in other countries, but playing games that actually count overseas is ridiculous.
 
Would you put money on anyone other than Miami or the Lakers in the Finals? – Ben B., Buford, GA
            If I understand the wording of this question right, we’re asking if any of the other 28 teams could win the championship. The only team I’d logically consider betting would be Oklahoma City. They have the depth and the star-power needed to make a championship run, even if they would have to beat both Los Angeles and Miami to do it. Unfortunately if you’re betting at a casino, you’re only getting 3.5-1 on your money if you place a futures bet on the Thunder. If you don’t mind potentially pissing money away, Boston at 12-1, Philadelphia at 30-1 (would need a healthy Andrew Bynum and an Evan Turner breakout year to make some noise), and Denver at 40-1 (ton of talent, but who’s their crunch-time guy?) are the most logical long-shot bets.

So there’s no hockey right now, and no one gives a shit. Why? – Paul J., Ithaca, NY
            Diehard hockey fans are different than most sports fans. They are more willing too consume lower talent level leagues if the NHL isn’t available. They are watching minor leagues, college, high school, or overseas league games. If MLB were to go on strike again, hardcore seam-heads wouldn’t start watching college games or Triple-A games. Hockey fans enjoy the game itself, regardless of the level of talent they are seeing. There isn’t the outcry from this group like there was during the NFL lockout a year ago.
            As for casual fans, we’re too busy watching NFL games and the World Series. The NBA showed that they could survive without having games until Christmas last year. There’s simply too much going on right now for most casual fans to say, “Hey, why aren’t the Bruins playing?” Casual fans won’t be looking for hockey until it’s the usual time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Sadly, the owners know they can get away with a lockout, and until the players bend to their wants and needs, there will be no NHL.

What’s going to happen to Tim Tebow? He’s nowhere to be found in a Jets uniform! – Janice L., Brownfield, ME
            Barring a Mark Sanchez injury (it appears there isn’t a level of play bad enough that will force Rex Ryan to bench him), Tebow will continue to fill the role of “interesting hood ornament”. He was brought in to get attention and generate headlines, and I think that’s what the Jets will try to milk out of him for the rest of the season before Jacksonville trades the Jets a third round pick for Tebow next spring. Or even better, maybe he'll get cut and the Patriots will sign him to replace Danny Woodhead (more on that in the next answer).

Lots of finger pointing with the Patriots this year due to their early issues (though they have only lost the 3 games by a combined total of 4 points). Things like Josh McDaniels is too cute/arrogant at times with his playcalling, the secondary if awful, Bill Belichick is not the defensive "genius" he once was, Brady has lost his grip on executing in pressure situations, the offense can't close out games, etc. Obviously its a combination of many things, but what do you think is the most significant factor? – Mike S., Keene, NH
            Mike covered most of the points, but here’s a bullet form list that I will then choose the most significant factor from.

-         Too much Danny Woodhead (I get it that he’s a short white-guy so naturally most people from New England love him, but the dude averages 3.5 yards a carry. The Patriots three other runningbacks average 5.4, 5.0, and 4.4 yards a carry. Let’s bring Woodhead in on 3rd down passing situations and never hand off to him. EVER)

-         Lack of a dominant pass rusher

-         Lousy secondary

-         Poor offensive playcalling (has there been anything more comical than watching Tom Brady attempted 12 back-shoulder fade passes a game to Brandon Lloyd?)

           To answer the question, we’ll put bullet points one and four together. Josh McDaniels needs to utilize his weapons better with more high percentage plays, and stick with the running game when it is working. If he wants to make sure he doesn’t keep hurting himself, he can hit Woodhead in the knee with a crowbar.

Bobby Valentine rolled David Ortiz under the bus the other day. Shouldn’t he of done that before he was fired? – Rick S., Worcester, MA
            Valentine seems like a guy who likes making headlines, so it could’ve helped him out in that department.

Who has the better chance of coming back, Mariano Rivera or Derek Jeter? – Janice L., Brownfield, ME
            With reports out now that Rivera is having second thoughts about returning next season (remember, he was more than likely going to retire if he didn’t blow out his knee shagging fly balls in batting practice), Jeter has to be the choice. A broken ankle isn’t a picnic, but the rehabilitation needed to fully recover from that injury is much less significant than returning from a torn ACL. 

The NBA is dropping the center spot from the All-Star ballot. Why is this news? – Marcus S., Irvine, CA
            David Stern has made it a habit of putting out odd press releases in the fall to try to steal headlines from the NFL. Chalk this up as another attempt at a fun headline. It’s a shame we’ll only get to enjoy them for two more years.

A pound of gold and one of feathers weighs the same. (But carrying one or the other is very different)
Pitcher "A" can through a ball @ 100 MPH. And so can pitcher "B". (Very differently)
Don't even get me started on terminal velocity, apples, and gravitational pull. (122 MPH versus Red Bull)
Anyone can look through a scope and see the target. (100 meters - to calculating the curvature of the earth @ 1.5 miles)
Hell, I was under the impression that having one testicle gave you an advantage. (One nut, two nut, three nut, dope)
Eat eggs, don't eat eggs. (Eat or be eaten...trust me those nasty birds would start w/ your eyes)
Men. Don't carry cellular devices in your front pocket and turn them off while in flight. (Like dodging a bullet is a bad thing)
Girl- "I don't care how big it is"
Guys translation- "I have a small penis"
Girl " you are huge!"
Guys translation- "she is lying" (self explanatory)
I'm going to get another Tattoo. (If I didn't have one, I wouldn't have any)
My question? What passed through your mind in the last 10 minutes dick? – Ryan B., Kearsarge, NH
            I’d love to share it, but would be embarrassed to reveal how much of those 10 minutes would be filled up by children’s television programming.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Blow Out the Budget 2012-13 NBA Preview

            Here’s a quick, 4,000-word preview of all 30 NBA teams. We rank them in reverse order of which teams are the most likely to win the NBA title. Top-100 players are based on the ESPN poll conducted this past summer (numerous experts voted to determine the rank of the top-500 players in the league. Figured we’d get a little expert analysis mixed in with this blog for a change). Projects are players under the age of 25 (with one exception, I’ll give a free chocolate munchkin to the person who finds him) who No Credentials feels have the potential to be ranked a top-100 player within the next three seasons. Without further ado, here is the worst team in professional sports.

30. Charlotte Bobcats
Top 100 Players = None
Projects = SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, C Bismack Biyombo
Outlook = Kidd-Gilchrist is a nice building block, but it’s going to take a couple of more before this team is remotely competitive. Expect them to be one of two teams with the best odds at the number one pick at next May’s draft lottery.

29. Orlando Magic
Top 100 Players = SG Arron Afflalo (80)
Projects = C Nikola Vucevic
Outlook = Experts gave Orlando a bunch of shit for what they received back in the Dwight Howard trade, but I’ll go in the opposite direction. What is the point of acquiring solid, mid-level players and setting yourself up to be at best a #5 seed every year, when instead you can bottom out and have a chance at acquiring a franchise player in the draft? For the long-term, it makes sense to assemble an awful team over a mediocre one. They did a decent enough job dumping salary. Players like Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick will have trade value for contending teams (Hedo Turkoglu though…not so much), which they can receive expiring contracts and more draft picks in return. I’ll sign off on the long-term plan of the Orlando Magic.

28. Detroit Pistons
Top 100 Players = C Greg Monroe (49)
Projects = PG Brandon Knight, PF Andre Drummond
Outlook = Detroit is not going anywhere until Joe Dumars is removed from the front office. If Andre Drummond is Hasheem Thabeet 2.0, that might be the nail in the coffin for his employment.

27. Washington Wizards
Top 100 Players = C Nene (52), PG John Wall (55)
Projects = SG Bradley Beal, PF Jan Vesely
Outlook = A healthy John Wall would bump the Wizards somewhere in the 20-24 range, but his injury to start the first month or two of the season is a killer. Perhaps sucking wouldn’t be such a bad idea, as Washington is a small forward short of a very solid foundation.

26. Toronto Raptors
Top 100 Players = PG Kyle Lowry (51), C Andrea Bargnani (58), PG Jose Calderon (96)
Projects = SG DeMar DeRozan, PF Ed Davis, C Jonas Valanciunas
Outlook = Toronto still needs to make a move (you aren’t trotting Lowry and Calderon out on the court together) before we can fully judge the long-term outlook of this team.

25. Phoenix Suns
Top 100 Players = C Marcin Gortat (57), PF Luis Scola (68), PG Goran Dragic (83)
Projects = PG Kendall Marshall, SF Michael Beasley

24. Sacramento Kings
Top 100 Players = C DeMarcus Cousins (42), SG Tyreke Evans (69)
Projects = PG Jimmer Fredette, PG Isaiah Thomas, PF Thomas Robinson
Outlook = With the exception of Cousins (who if he keeps his head on straight, should become the most dominant scoring big man in the league within the next two years), this team is full of guys who could be the third or fourth best players on a playoff team given the right situation. Unfortunately, Sacramento does not qualify as the right situation. Ultimately, what the club decides to do with Tyreke Evans will determine the long-term trajectory of the Kings. He’s been a ball-stopper who hasn’t progressed at all since a promising rookie season. Evans is the classic player who is over qualified to be a sixth man, but not good enough to be your franchise guy. The wise move would be to ship Evans to a contender in need of scoring wing players (Chicago Bulls? Denver Nuggets? Utah Jazz?) and continue to build around Cousins. We’ll see what they do when the trade deadline nears.

23. Houston Rockets
Top 100 Players = SG Kevin Martin (76), PG Jeremy Lin (78), C Omer Asik (99)
Projects = SG Jeremy Lamb, PF Royce White
Outlook = Houston’s main objective during the off-season was to be involved in the Dwight Howard trade, either obtaining Howard or facilitating the trade to get another franchise player. Incredibly, Houston not only didn’t get Howard, but also had to watch Andrew Bynum end up in Philadelphia. There are still plenty of assets left, so expect Houston to try to bottom out and clear cap space for the summer of 2013.

22. Utah Jazz
Top 100 Players = C Al Jefferson (44), PF Paul Millsap (53), PF Derrick Favors (89)
Projects = SG Alec Burks, SF Gordon Hayward, PF Enes Kanter
Outlook = It’s a slight problem when the three best players on your team can’t be on the court together at the same time. Even more troubling, their best project, Enes Kanter, can’t roll with more than one of those players either. If I was put in charge of the Jazz for one day, I’m shipping Jefferson and Millsap out of town and rolling with the kids.

21. Minnesota Timberwolves
Top 100 Players = PF Kevin Love (7), PG Ricky Rubio (47), SF Andrei Kirilenko (79)
Projects = SF Chase Budinger, PF Derrick Williams
Outlook = There isn't a bigger dissapointing development in the NBA preseason than Kevin Love's broken hand. Minnesota was poised to break out after finally ditching some dead weight (bye-bye Michael Beasley) and adding an important glue-guy (AK47) that the Timberwolves have never had since Kevin Garnett left for Boston. If Derrick Williams can finally show some life, there's a chance that the Timberwolves can weather the storm and stay within reach of a playoff spot, but odds are Minnesota will spend one more year in the lottery before making the playoff leap in 2014.

20. Cleveland Cavaliers
Top 100 Players = PG Kyrie Irving (22), PF Anderson Varejao (74)
Projects = SG Dion Waiters, PF Tristan Thompson, C Tyler Zeller
Outlook = During the 2011 NBA Draft, the main topic of conversation was the lack of a franchise player. The experts were wrong. Kyrie Irving exceeded all reasonable expectations in a spectacular rookie campaign, even having the Cavaliers in playoff contention until Anderson Varejao was lost for the season. The sooner Dion Waiters (who’s looked solid so far in preseason) and Tristan Thompson get up to speed, the sooner Cleveland will return to the playoffs.

19. New Orleans Hornets
Top 100 Players = SG Eric Gordon (38), C Ryan Anderson (50), PF Anthony Davis (62)
Projects = SG Austin Rivers, SF Al-Farouq Aminu
Outlook = For all the hoopla over the controversial Chris Paul trade, New Orleans came out smelling like roses. Anthony Davis will be a Kevin Garnett like presence for the Hornets for the next decade. Eric Gordon resigned, and while health is always a concern with him (I drafted him in the third round of my fantasy draft last year, so I know this better than most), he has the potential to be the best 2-guard in the league. While not a sure thing, if Austin Rivers can somehow develop into a Russell Westbrook-like point guard, New Orleans suddenly has one of the strongest foundations in the league. Short term, a lack of big bodies should keep them out of the playoffs (Ryan Anderson is a terrific 3-point shooter who can stretch a defense, but his defensive ability in the post lives much to be desired), but the future is bright. By stock in the 2014-15 Hornets.

18. Milwaukee Bucks
Top 100 Players = SG Monta Ellis (46), PG Brandon Jennings (61), PF Ersan Ilyasova (72)
Projects = SG Doron Lamb, PF John Henson
Outlook = Golden State confirmed over the past three seasons that an under-sized backcourt with Monta Ellis as one of the components will not get you to the playoffs, which makes it all the more curious that they shipped out Andrew Bogut to pair Ellis with Brandon Jennings. They’ll win their share or run-and-gun shootouts, but the Bucks best-case scenario this year is an eighth seed.

17. Portland Trail Blazers
Top 100 Players = PF LaMarcus Aldridge (20), SF Nicolas Batum (63)
Projects = PG Damian Lillard, PF J.J. Hickson
Outlook = Hard to believe that the Trail Blazers were favored to beat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs after they completely imploded last season. LaMarcus Aldridge is a legitimate 20 PPG scorer, but unless Batum or Lillard breaks out, it’s hard see where other baskets will come from on this team.

16. Dallas Mavericks
Top 100 Players = PF Dirk Nowitzki (11), C Elton Brand (85), SG O.J. Mayo (90), SF Shawn Marion (92), PG Darren Collison (98)
Projects = PG Rodrigue Beaubois, PF Brandon Wright
Outlook = Knees that repeatedly swell are not a good thing, but that’s what Dirk Nowitzki has been dealing with for the past few months (QUICK TANGENT ALERT: Kobe Bryant went to Germany last off-season to have platelet’s injected into his knee. Isn’t that where Dirk Nowitzki is from? You’re telling me he couldn’t have gotten the Kobe treatment at a discount price?) He’s going to miss the first month of the season. There are enough pieces here to keep the team within range of a playoff spot, but if Dirk’s absence lingers into January, the Mavericks will likely be sellers at the trade deadline.

15. Golden State Warriors
Top 100 Players = PG Stephen Curry (40), C Andrew Bogut (45), PF David Lee (59)
Projects = SG Klay Thompson, SF Harrison Barnes
Outlook = What’s the greatest “if” statement in the NBA right now? It’s “if” Stephen Curry can stay healthy. “If” he does, he has two legitimate big men (and amazingly, one that can actually play defense) and two exciting wing players (No Credentials likes Harrison Barnes in Golden State. He’ll flourish “if” Curry stays healthy). The one downer on this whole argument is that Andrew Bogut isn’t exactly a model of health either. If he goes down, Golden State reverts to a “lose 120-112” style of play that will leave them short of a playoff berth. File Golden State away as an intriguing sleeper team if they can get a few lucky breaks. 

14. Atlanta Hawks
Top 100 Players = C Al Horford (30), PF Josh Smith (31), PG Lou Williams (88)
Projects = PG Jeff Teague
Outlook = You’re opinion of the 2012-13 prospects of the Hawks depends on your feelings on Joe Johnson. If you think that Johnson was their only player that could get his own shot, you’re downgrading them. If you think Johnson was a ball-stopper that limited the output of his teammates, you’ll nominate Atlanta as a “Ewing-Theory” candidate. I think their starting lineup will be just fine, but the lack of depth will prevent Atlanta from snagging too high of a seed in the East.

13. New York Knicks
Top 100 Players = SF Carmelo Anthony (17), C Tyson Chandler (23), PF Amar’e Stoudemire (43)
Projects = SG Iman Shumpert
Outlook = New York tested out an interesting theory at the start of last season. What would happen when you went into a season with no proven guards? The answer was a team that was mediocre until Jeremy Lin bailed them out for a month. Entering 2012-13, the Knicks face similar issues. Iman Shumpert was an effective guard on defense, but could very well be ineffective all year coming off a blown out knee in their first round loss to Miami last spring. The Knicks long-term outlook would be much brighter if they could amnesty Amar’e Stoudemire, but they burned that on Chauncey Billups last December. If New York can find someone to play perimeter defense, they’ll have a chance at a top-4 seed, but until that occurs, expect another quick round one playoff loss.

12. Chicago Bulls
Top 100 Players = PG Derrick Rose (5), C Joakim Noah (36), SF Luol Deng (37), PF Carlos Boozer (67), PF Taj Gibson (82)
Projects = PG Marquis Teague
Outlook = This may seem obvious to the hardcore NBA fan, but for those that aren’t, Chicago would be at least the fourth ranked team in this pole if they had a healthy Derrick Rose. As it stands, Rose could be back as early as January, or may miss the entire season. If it looks like he’s going to sit, they would be wise to cut some dead weight. Boozer has been a major disappointment, and unless they can find a sucker to take on his contract, he should be amnestied to make room for Taj Gibson in the starting lineup. Without Rose, Chicago will have to rely on defense to keep games in the 70s and 80s. That formula can work in the regular season, but it won’t fly in the playoffs.

11. Philadelphia 76ers
Top 100 Players = C Andrew Bynum (13), PG Jrue Holiday (73), SF Thaddeus Young (91)
Projects = SG Evan Turner, C Spencer Hawes
Outlook = Who should the Miami Heat fear the most in the Eastern Conference? This team. A whole bunch of shit needs to go right, but if it does, this team will be able to hang with the Heat. There is no one on Miami that can guard Andrew Bynum (he just needs to stay healthy, which he’s done once his entire career). Evan Turner doesn’t have the ceiling of a Lebron James or Dwyane Wade, but if he breaks out, will be enough to at least make one of the Big 3 work hard on defense. Holiday and Young pretty much are what they are at this point, but are capable enough to be the third and fourth best players on a quality playoff team. Young stands to gain the most with Andre Iguodala getting shipped out of town. There are too many question marks to rate this team too high, but if you’re looking for the best long-shot bet to win the NBA Finals, here it is.

10. Indiana Pacers
Top 100 Players = C Roy Hibbert (35), SF Danny Granger (39), PF David West (56), SG Paul George (75), PG George Hill (87)
Projects = PG D.J. Augustin
Outlook = Remember when the Pacers were up 2-1 in their second round series with the Bosh-less Heat? They got their doors blown off the next three games, and have the look of a team that has little room for improvement. With the exception of Paul George, none of their starting five appears to have any room for growth (it should be noted though that George does have the tools to develop into a top 20 player). One could argue that Indiana is the new version of the Joe Johnson era Atlanta Hawks. They’ll land a four or five seed and make it no farther than the second round of the playoffs.

9. Brooklyn Nets
Top 100 Players = PG Deron Williams (10), SG Joe Johnson (33), C Brook Lopez (60), SF Gerald Wallace (70), PF Kris Humphries (84)
Projects = SG MarShon Brooks
Outlook = I hate to rate this team so high after screwing up the Dwight Howard trade talks so much, but I like their starting five. Joe Johnson’s most efficient season was when he was Phoenix with Steve Nash, so being paired with Deron Williams should be a good thing for him. Brook Lopez might be the only seven-footer in the league that can’t get a rebound, but Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries will cover for his board-deficiencies enough to allow Lopez to focus on scoring. The bench is where it gets kind of scary, but that shouldn’t be enough to keep Brooklyn from nabbing home-court advantage in the first round.

8. Denver Nuggets
Top 100 Players = SG Andre Iguodala (28), PG Ty Lawson (48), SF Danilo Gallinari (54), PF Kenneth Faried (71), C JaVale McGee (77), SF Wilson Chandler (93), PG Andre Miller (94)
Projects = PF Anthony Randolph, C Kosta Koufos
Outlook = I bet you wouldn’t of guessed that Denver would have the most players ranked inside the top-100, but they do with seven. The Nuggets are loaded at every position, and have more flexibility than any other team in the league. Most importantly, every one of their top players can run the floor. Andre Iguodala (their reward for helping to facilitate the Dwight Howard deal) only adds to their athleticism, and also brings an element of perimeter defense that has been missing in Denver for years. This team is built to handle an 82-game regular season, but it remains to be seen who their crunch-time scorer will be come playoff time.

7. Los Angeles Clippers
Top 100 Players = PG Chris Paul (4), PF Blake Griffin (14), C DeAndre Jordan (86)
Projects = PG Eric Bledsoe
Outlook = There isn’t a team in the league more dependent on veterans who didn’t crack the top 100 than the Los Angeles Clippers. Chauncey Billups is coming off a blown out knee. Caron Butler is come back after a broken wrist ended his 2012 season. Grant Hill joins the team on accident, because I’m pretty sure he thought he was going to the same Los Angeles team Steve Nash was (oops!). Lamar Odom is still married to the chunky Kardashian. All four of these men need to contribute for the Clipper to be a championship threat. Even more vital than that is the development of Blake Griffin. For all the highlights, Griffin looked like the exact same player during his second season as he did during his rookie year. He needs to have some semblance of an accurate 15-foot jumper, and he needs to have a clue about where he needs to be on defense. As soon as Griffin fixes these two flaws in his game, there’s no telling how far the Chris Paul led Clippers can go.

6. Memphis Grizzlies
Top 100 Players = C Marc Gasol (24), SF Rudy Gay (32), PF Zach Randolph (34), PG Mike Conley (65), SG Tony Allen (66)
Projects = PG Tony Wroten, PF Darrell Arthur
Outlook = Last season, Memphis was derailed by Zach Randolph injury issues all season. Even worse, when he returned, him and Rudy Gay never showed the kind of chemistry needed to make a deep playoff run. If they don’t figure it out within the first few months of the season, look for Gay or Randolph to get shipped out of town. If that doesn’t happen, you’re looking at the best defensive team in the Western Conference. A couple of bench pieces need to materialize (in particular, a scoring threat), but Memphis isn’t far away from being able to compete with the Lakers and Thunder.

5. San Antonio Spurs
Top 100 Players = PG Tony Parker (16), SG Manu Ginobili (25), C Tim Duncan (27), SF Kawhi Leonard (95)
Projects = PF DeJuan Blair
Outlook = San Antonio looked like they were going to go undefeated in the playoffs before inexplicably falling apart in Games 3-6 of the Western Conference Finals. The same roster returns, which is the reason we have to downgrade the Spurs chances of making the conference finals this season. We know San Antonio will throw games in the name of keeping their Big 3 healthy, but will that cost the Spurs a top seed in the West? A first round date with Oklahoma City or the Lakers would not be in their best interests. 

4. Boston Celtics

 

Top 100 Players = PG Rajon Rondo (12), C Kevin Garnett (21), SF Paul Pierce (29), SG Jason Terry (81), PF Brandon Bass (97)
Projects = SG Avery Bradley, SF Jeff Green, PF Jared Sullinger, C Fab Melo
Outlook = When I did my rough draft rankings, I had the Celtics ranked at 10, but when you start comparing their roster to the rest of the league, it wasn’t hard to push them up to 4. Losing Ray Allen hurts, but even without him this will be the deepest Celtics team since the championship winning 2007-08 club. Jason Terry might not be as accurate as Allen from behind the arc, but is capable of getting white-hot and can even run the point for short stretches. Avery Bradley will return fully healthy this season, and will bring elite perimeter defense (it’s not hard to wonder what could’ve happened if Dwyane Wade had to deal with Bradley in the Eastern Conference Finals last season). Jeff Green returns from his heart ailment, and provides another solid wing defender. Jared Sullinger should at worst be a Big Baby 2.0. Even more important, Boston finally has some financial flexibility. Kevin Garnett earned $21 million last year. This season he’s on the books for $11 million. They also saved $6 million swapping Jason Terry in for Ray Allen. With as many parts as they have, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Danny Ainge could swing a deal for a big time asset, which is something he had no chance of doing a year ago. Even with one of the oldest rosters in the league, Boston’s future looks much brighter now than it did a year ago.

3. Los Angeles Lakers
Top 100 Players = C Dwight Howard (3), SG Kobe Bryant (6), PF Pau Gasol (15), PG Steve Nash (19)
Projects = SG Jodie Meeks
Outlook = I remember quite vividly what happened the last time the Los Angeles Lakers put together “a big four”. The quartet of Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton struggled through an inconsistent regular season before rallying to make the NBA Finals. The Detroit Pistons in five games then promptly dominated them. I’m not saying this group (which is clearly stronger than the 2003-04 quartet) will suffer a similar fate, but it is meant to poor some cold water on people who think they are going to win 75 games. We still have no idea how Kobe Bryant will adjust to having a great point guard (sorry Derek Fisher fans). My guess is he’ll welcome having Steve Nash take on a greater share of the ball handling, but Kobe is a bit bonkers so you never know. The bench leaves much to be desired (with the exception of Jodie Meeks, who is going to be a deadly 3-point sharpshooter when he gets to play with Nash), which could be an issue if Dwight Howard’s back issues flare up during the regular season. The Lakers will not win 70 games, but if the Nash and Kobe mesh well, 60 wins should be a reasonable target.

2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Top 100 Players = SF Kevin Durant (2), PG Russell Westbrook (9), SG James Harden (26), PF Serge Ibaka (41), PF Nick Collison (100)
Projects = PG Eric Maynor, SF Perry Jones, PF Daniel Orton, C Cole Aldrich
Outlook = The youngest team in the NBA is at a bit of a crossroads for the first time since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City. Star players Durant and Westbrook are locked up, but the James Harden negotiations will go along way in determining if this group has a chance at becoming a dynasty. Harden will be a restricted free agent after the season, and surely will command a max offer (4 years, $64 million) from someone. Bill Simmons wrote about 12,000 words about James Harden last week, but in case you missed that piece, let’s list the options Oklahoma City has.

  1. Resign him now
  2. Trade him either now or before the trade deadline in February
  3. Play out the season and see what happens in free agency
          No Credentials votes for C, and will expand on what they should do further. Play out the season, and then match whatever offer is made to Harden. To soften the economic blow, use the amnesty clause on Kendrick Perkins. It will be much easier to replace Perkins (a solid man-to-man defender who does not possess the ability to take over a game) than Harden (an unselfish, do-it-all swing man who’s capable of taking over a game). We’ll see how it plays out in real life.

1. Miami Heat
Top 100 Players = SF Lebron James (1), SG Dwyane Wade (8), PF Chris Bosh (18), SG Ray Allen (64)
Projects = PG Norris Cole
Outlook = They employ the best basketball player on planet Earth. No matter how much you hate them, it would be irresponsible to rate them any lower than first heading into the regular season.

Monday, October 22, 2012

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend

10. Matt Hasselback Rallies Seahawks to 35-34 Win Over Buffalo
            (EDITORS NOTE: The author of this post may or may not have had the Bills in a parlay yesterday. Reader discretion is advised)

            I can’t possibly express my anger at the Buffalo Bills in a logical, well-thought paragraph, so let’s go to bullet points.

-         Buffalo allowed Chris Johnson, a man who has spent the last two years murdering fantasy teams, to run for 195 yards and two touchdowns.

-         Ryan Fitzpatrick threw the worst interception of the 2012 season. Even Tony Romo watched the highlight of the pick and said, “Man, that was a shitty throw.”

-         After the Fitzpatrick interception, Matt Hasselback, who’s been washed up for five years, marched down the field in the final minutes, miraculously throwing a touchdown on fourth and eleven to Nate Washington.

-         I have nothing against bald people, but it feels even worse to have my perfect parlay ruined by a bald person. It feels like Larry David got the best of me or something.

-         Coming into the game, Tennessee had the worst point differential in the league, and had been blown out every time they played on the road.

-         If I ever consider wagering on the Bills again, I’ll instead save some time and light my money on fire.

9. Fever Win First WNBA Title
            I’ll give $10 worth of Monopoly money to the first person who can tell me what city the Fever are based out of without clicking this link.

8. Down 2-Laps, Ricky Stenhouse Rallies For Remarkable Nationwide Series Win
            The Nationwide Series doesn’t make it into this space much during the NFL season, but Stenhouse’s season saving rally is worthy of the cut. Also, Kyle Busch ran out of gas in the last turn, which makes everyone happy.

7. Red Sox Hire Former Pitching Coach John Farrell as New Manager
            It’s not everyday a shortstop gets flipped for a manager, but I have feeling the loss of Mike Aviles will be worth acquiring Farrell. If anyone has a chance of turning around Boston’s pitching staff, it’s him.

6. Houston Texans Destroy Ravens
            I don’t think this game was about Baltimore missing Ray Lewis as it was Houston being really pissed off after getting blown out by the Packers. The Texans have reestablished themselves as the best team in the AFC.

5. Drew Brees Tosses Four First-Half Touchdowns
            The Saints needed every one of Brees’ touchdowns, as their anemic defense surrendered 510 yards of total offense to Tampa Bay. Don’t look now, but the bounty-gate Saints are on a two-game winning streak.

4.
Matt Kenseth Survives Another Crash Fest, Wins at Kansas
            Kenseth didn’t have to dodge a 25-car pileup like he did to win at Talladega, but Kansas bit the same number of drivers in 14 separate incidents. Incredibly, the race didn’t impact the Chase standings much thanks to an incredible repair job by Jimmie Johnson’s crew. After Johnson wins this Sunday at Martinsville and takes the Chase lead, we’ll remember Kansas as the turning point for his championship run.

3. San Francisco Giants Force Game 7
            San Francisco is doing its best impersonation of the St. Louis Cardinals doing everything they can to stay alive. The Giants are sending the better pitcher to the hill tonight, so that means you should probably put your money on the Cardinals. 

2. Patriots Attempt To Choke Again, Still Beat Jets
            New England heroically attempted to pull a Cowboys and blow this game at home, but unfortunately for Jets fans, were not able to execute.

1. RGIII and Eli Exchange Last-Minute Touchdown Passes, Giants Win
            Even without Pierre Garcon and Fred Davis, Robert Griffin III still nearly pulled off the upset with a late touchdown toss to Santana Moss. Unfortunately, he left a little too much time for Eli.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Week 7 NFL Picks

Tennessee Titans (2-4) @ Buffalo Bills (3-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 46.5
            Who owns the worst point differential in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE? That would be the Tennessee Titans, who’ve been outscored by 90 points this season. You should have no faith in this team on the road.

BILLS (-3) over Titans
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

Arizona Cardinals (4-2) @ Minnesota Vikings (4-2)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 6.5
            Minnesota should win, but this feels like a 14-10 final.

Cardinals (+6.5) over VIKINGS
 

Cleveland Browns (1-5) @ Indianapolis Colts (2-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 45.5
            Cleveland delivered the goods last week against Cincinnati at home, but a trip on the road against a Colts team that just got their ass kicked by the Jets doesn’t feel like a winning scenario.

COLTS (-2) over Browns
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

Baltimore Ravens (5-1) @ Houston Texans (5-1)
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 48.5
            Unpopular opinion alert…losing Ray Lewis won’t hurt the Ravens much.

Ravens (+7) over TEXANS
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

Green Bay Packers (3-3) @ St. Louis Rams (3-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 45.5
            This is a tricky one (and the “Vegas Zone” betting line proves it), but I’ll roll with Aaron Rodgers keeping momentum from his six touchdown pass performance against Houston last week.

Packers (-5.5) over RAMS
 

Dallas Cowboys (2-3) @ Carolina Panthers (1-4)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 46
            If Dallas doesn’t drop 30+ points this week, there’s no hope for their offense for the rest of the year.

Cowboys (-2.5) over PANTHERS
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 

Washington Redskins (3-3) @ New York Giants (4-2)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 51
            This feels like a “Eli Manning throws for 525 yards and five touchdowns” game.

GIANTS (-6) over Redskins
 

New Orleans Saints (1-4) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-3)
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 49.5
            One more week and the Saints don’t have to use an interim-interim coach. Good times!

BUCCANEERS (+2) over Saints

 
New York Jets (3-3) @ New England Patriots (3-3)
Sunday, 4:30pm, CBS, O/U 47.5
            Is that over/under for the game, or just the Patriots?

PATRIOTS (-10.5) over Jets
 

Jacksonville Jaguars (1-4) @ Oakland Raiders (1-4)
Sunday, 4:30pm, CBS, O/U 44
            What an utterly unwatchable game. It’s like the NFL version of a WNBA game.

RAIDERS (-6) over Jaguars
 

Pittsburgh Steelers (2-3) @ Cincinnati Bengals (3-3)
Sunday, 8:20pm, NBC, O/U 45
            The hardest game on the docket to predict, but we’ll bank on Pittsburgh’s recent history against Cincinnati and hope for the best.

Steelers (-1) over BENGALS
 

Detroit Lions (2-3) @ Chicago Bears (4-1)
Monday, 8:30pm, ESPN, O/U 47.5
           Hard not to like the Bears coming off a bye at home. Remember that when Detroit wins 20-14.

BEARS (-6.5) over Lions
Top-5 Pick of the Week
 


Last Week = 7-7
Thursday = 0-0-1 (thanks for declining the safety Harbaugh)
Season = 45-43-3

 

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

49ers-Seahawks Pick


            Loyal followers of this blog (all 12 of you) will note that my Thursday picks have been awful. Week to week, I’ve basically been a dog chasing my tail. To try to counteract this, I’m going to over analyze tomorrow night’s Seahawks-49ers game until I inevitably choose the wrong team.

Seattle Seahawks (4-2) @ San Francisco 49ers (4-2)
Thursday, 8:20pm, NFL Network, O/U 38
            Touchdowns will be at a premium tomorrow night when the fifth and sixth ranked defenses in the league hook-up on three days rest. One would assume that Seattle should be feeling pretty good about themselves after their stunning comeback win over the Patriots. One should also assume that San Francisco should be pretty pissed off after getting their ass kicked by New York. I like San Francisco to win (I don't care if Russell Wilson looked good while chucking up air balls against a hapless Patriots secondary, he's going to get his ass kicked tomorrow night), but even if they dominate the game, couldn’t the score be something like 10-6 or 13-10? It’s hard to see San Francisco covering a seven-point spread. That’s exactly why I’m choosing San Francisco to cover. Does it make sense? No, but neither have any of my previous Thursday night picks.

49ERS (-7) over Seahawks

Monday, October 15, 2012

10 Awesome Things That Happened This Weekend (10/11-10/13)

10. Derek Jeter Fractures His Left Ankle
            Even the staunchest Red Sox Nation supporter has to feel bad for the Yankees captain. Much like Peyton Manning going down last year, you’d much rather see your rival lose on the field than not be able to play because of injury.

9. Anderson Silva Destroys Stephan Bonner
            Silva was brought in to UFC 153 to essentially save the card, and put on a dominating display. If Dana White has his way, a date with Jon Jones could be in his future.

8. Notre Dame Survives Frantic Finish, Knocks Off Stanford in Overtime
            Notre Dame isn’t playing the sexiest brand of football, but they are 6-0 for the first time in a decade.

7. Clint Bowyer Has Just Enough Gas to Win at Charlotte
            A big night in the Chase, as mismanagement of fuel mileage by Brad Keselowski has tightened the standings.

6. Aaron Rodgers Throws Ten Million Touchdown Passes
            All right, Rodgers actually only threw six touchdown passes, but ten million made for a sexier headline. Huge performance by the Packers on the road in a must win game.

5. Felix Baumgartner Successfully Plummets 24 Miles From Outer Space
            I don’t mean to be morbid, but what would’ve happened if this freefall were unsuccessful? Would he have pile-drived through the Earth’s crust and reappeared in Sweden?

4.
Herschel Gets His Leg Bit, Then Cut Off On “The Walking Dead”
            As my wife astutely pointed out shortly after the conclusion of the Season 3 premier, it didn’t make a whole lot of sense for Rick to drag the man who’s supposed to deliver your wife’s baby along on a dangerous search mission.

3. Ravens Try to Give Game Away, Still Beat Cowboys
            This game covered the majority of reasons the Dallas Cowboys lose football games. Let’s run through the list and check off everything they hit Sunday.

A.     A backbreaking turnover or two or five (Check. Romo’s interception late in the first half turned what should’ve been a 13-10 lead into a 17-10 deficit. For those of you not mathematically inclined, that’s a 10-point swing)

B.     A goofy special teams play (Check. Jacoby Jones tied the NFL record for longest kickoff return with his 108-yard touchdown in the third quarter)

C.     Bad play calling (Stunningly, can’t check this one off. Jason Garrett stuck to the running game even when he was down to his third and fourth string runningbacks)

D.     Dominate total yards and time of possession (Check. Dallas had the ball twice as long as the Ravens did, and out gained Baltimore 481-316)

E.      Jerry Jones ran onto the field and in a desperate attempt to relive his athletic days, played right guard on a crucial third down (Can’t check this one, but that would’ve been great if it did happen)

F.      Dez Bryant either doing something stupid or failing to make a play (Check. Dropping the two-point conversion pass that hit him right in the chest counts as failing to make a play)

G.     An injury to an important player (Check. DeMarco Murray sprained his foot after running all over the Ravens in the first half)

H.     Poor clock management (Check. After a gift pass interference call gave Dallas the ball at the Ravens 35, they completed a short pass, and then let 20 seconds run off the clock before using their last timeout. They didn’t run another play, which prevented them from getting any closer. Naturally, Dan Bailey missed a 52-yard field goal to end the game)

2. RGIII Goes Bonkers
            Griffin’s 76-yard touchdown run to seal the game was the most electrifying touchdown of the 2012 season so far. 

1. Russell Wilson Leads Stunning Comeback Victory Over New England
            I guess I have to stop saying that Russell Wilson sucks. At least for one week.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Week 6 NFL Picks

My home has been decimated by germs and illness over the past week, so the picks synopsis is shorter than usual. We should be back at our normal word count over the course of the next week.


Bye Week Teams = Chicago Bears, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Jacksonville Jaguars

 

Cincinnati Bengals @ Cleveland Browns

Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 43
            I lost a ton of faith in the Bengals after their pathetic performance against Miami last week.

BROWNS (+2) over Bengals


Indianapolis Colts @ New York Jets
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 43.5
            I have no idea how to bet either of these teams. They zig when I think they will zag. I should’ve pulled a Matthew McConaughey from “Two For the Money” and flipped a coin to make my pick.

Colts (+3.5) over JETS
 

Kansas City Chiefs @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 40
            Do you feel comfortable betting on Brady Quinn on the road? Me neither.

BUCCANEERS (-4.5) over Chiefs
 

Oakland Raiders @ Atlanta Falcons
Sunday, 1:00pm, CBS, O/U 48.5
            Atlanta has played two straight close games. This one should be a laugher by the end of the third quarter.

FALCONS (-9.5) over Raiders
 

Dallas Cowboys @ Baltimore Ravens
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 44
            Baltimore hasn’t looked great their last two games against Kansas City or Cleveland. If Dallas has any life in them this season, they pull off the upset.

Cowboys (+3.5) over RAVENS
 

Detroit Lions @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 47.5
            Here’s your “No Credentials Favorite Over Bet That Won’t Win of the Week”, sponsored by Ajax.

EAGLES (-3.5) over Lions

 

St. Louis Rams @ Miami Dolphins
Sunday, 1:00pm, FOX, O/U 38
            It’s hard for me to see this game being decided by more than a field goal.

Rams (+4) over DOLPHINS

 

New England Patriots @ Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, 4:00pm, CBS, O/U 44.5
            Russell Wilson sucks. He will not enjoy facing a Bill Belichick defense.

Patriots (-3.5) over SEAHAWKS
 

Buffalo Bills @ Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, 4:00pm, CBS, O/U 43.5
            Buffalo has been outscored Eleventybillion to 10 since the second half of their game against New England (alright, it’s actually only been 90-10, but if feels like they’ve given up Eleventybillion points doesn’t it?). Facing a solid Cardinals squad looking to rebound after a loss 10 days prior is not the recipe for getting back on track.

CARDINALS (-4) over Bills
 

Minnesota Vikings @ Washington Redskins
Sunday, 4:30pm, FOX, O/U N/A
            Minnesota is solid, but Washington will play them tough at home.

REDSKINS (+3.5) over Vikings

 

New York Giants @ San Francisco 49ers
Sunday, 4:30pm, FOX, O/U 45.5
            The Giants always player better on the road. They might go down, but it won’t be by a touchdown or more.

Giants (+6.5) over 49ERS
 

Green Bay Packers @ Houston Texans
Sunday, 8:30pm, NBC, O/U 47.5
            Your initial reaction when you look at this game is “Green Bay is desperate, they need a win, they’ll figure it out”, or something to that effect. Logically though, ignoring the results of the previous three seasons, Houston is the better football team right now.

TEXANS (-3.5) over Packers
 

Denver Broncos @ San Diego Chargers
Monday, 8:30pm, ESPN, O/U 49
            San Diego hasn’t beaten anyone respectable yet, while all three of Denver’s losses have come to arguably the three best teams in the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE. I’ll take the point of insurance and roll with Peyton Manning.

Broncos (+1) over CHARGERS


Last Week = 8-6
Thursday Pick = 0-1 (1-5 for the year...gross)
Season = 38-36-3 (35-23-3 if you subtract a horrible Week 1)