Tuesday NBA Picks

As expected I have zero comments on my 2 posts so far, which is what I expected because first people need to realize that I actually have a blog which I should probably start doing. The only thing with getting the word out about my blog is that well, why would anyone have any reason to read my blog of all the blogs that are out there? Today however I'm going to give people a reason to read. Everyday, even if I don't have time and can only simply give my picks, I'm going to make predictions on the daily NBA betting lines. I figure that if I can prove that I know what I'm talking about with the NBA that I can sell that to potential readers. And if I make bad predictions, then it will prove that I suck at life and that there's no reason to live.



Anyways, on to the picks (much like Bill Simmons does his)...



Charlottle (+2.5) over Chicago



Of course, my first ever pick is one that could really go either way, but I'll go with Charlotte at home. They're that team this year that has always been really bad, but has quietly made improvements and is playing a lot better, but they still get no credit. Raymond Felton is having his best year now that he actually has a legit point guard in D.J. Augustin to spell minutes for him. Jason Richardson was playing pretty well before he was traded and it will hurt there scoring, but Boris Diaw and Raja Bell can play defense against smaller players, and it just so happens that Chicago is full of smaller players, specifically guards. If you can, I'd take Charlotte to win straight up. The Bulls just don't have any team chemistry and have a bunch of random guards that all fit into different systems. They're desperate right now. Just watch coach Vinny Del Negro's coaching strategy these days: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_53-Y-oLgc. But hey, it's not like his old strategy was working any better.



New Orleans (-7) over Memphis



Memphis is starting to play better and O.J. Mayo looks like he's going to be an All Star in a couple years, but New Orleans is starting to play better two, and if both teams are starting to get hot, then it only makes sense to go with the all around better team. Tyson Chandler missed Sunday's game so I don't kow if he'll be back tonight. If he is the there's no way Marc Gasol and company can be too effective against him and David West. The Hornets are just too solid and play good enough defense to keep Mayo and Rudy Gay in check. And in case no one's noticed, those are there only two legit scoring options. I'm still waiting for Mike Conley to decide to try, mainly because my fantasy team was depending on him to breakout this year... Whoops. (By the way both Greg Oden and Mike Conley, the two centerpieces of that Final Four Ohio State team aren't as good as people thought. In retrospect, how did that team even make it to the Final Four?)



Oklahoma City (+5) over LA Clippers



This is the game that people will be suckered into taking the Clippers to cover because they just gave Portland their first road loss and just beat the Rockets at home. The Portland win wasn't that great because Portland isn't playing well at all right now, and the Rockets are very up and down so any team could beat the Rockets on any night. While I do like how the Clippers are playing right now with Zach Randolph (did I just say that?), it's in Oklahoma and the Thunder are starting to play better too. And besides they need to win more than 2 games, right? Firing P.J. Carlesimo was the best decision that franchise could've made because seriously, can a young team take this guys seriously? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_53-Y-oLgc. He looks like a rapist. And when he whips out those 1960s glasses it just adds to the look. Not to mention the rapist aspect, but he also looks like a racist. Couldn't you see him viciously beating his wife when Obama won, but he did it with an emotionless look on his face. He's the racist rapist! But I've digressed... The Durant, Westbrook, Green trio will get play faster than the slower Clippers and cover, if not win.



Denver (+3) over Houston



Being a from Colorado, I am a big Nuggets fan. And this year has been very confusing for me, because out of nowhere I was unexpectly handed this good Nuggets team that I got to watch, and I had no idea what to do with myself. I'm having trouble adjusting to the fact that we actually might be good this year! Even as I typed that though I still can't believe it. For the past 4 or 5 seasons, I've grown accustomed to watching a team that can beat the weak teams handily, but only when a handful of games against the stronger teams and usually look awful against them. They use this formula to consistently get the 8th seed in the playoffs. They also get a little help from a classic 15 game win streak in March that ends abrubtly on April 1st, when they start playing bad again. It's become a cycle and I've grown to expect that every year. This year though, Chauncey Billups has actually made the team... gulp... goood! I can't believe I just said that, and even though I said it I still have a hard time believing it. Last night when they were beating the Mavs by double digits at halftime, I knew that the Mavs would comeback and take the lead and from there the Mavs would win it in the final minute of the game. The Nuggets did let the Mavs go on a run, but they never gave the lead back and they went on a run of there own and won by double digits... I was shocked. Classic Nuggets at Mavs game always go like what I would've predictied, but not with Chauncey. He's actually got them playing solid and sound basketball, instead of "son of a bitch, A.I. is just going to chuck up a shot this possession" basketball. I'm still having a hard time adjusting and I always fear that no lead is safe as I used to, but if the Nuggets can beat the Rockets in Houston tonight (which they never to... or at least used to) then I'll be closer to being sold on them... but not yet.



Sacramento (+12) over Portland



The Blazers are just really out of sync right now. They started off the season really well dating back to Brandon Roy's miraculous game winner to beat the Rockets. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQ0rBN8SRNw. I watched that whole game, and the last 20 seconds was spectacular. Wait, did I say 20 seconds, I mean 2 seconds. There were THREE potential game winning shots in those 2 seconds... THREE! And Brandon Roy made two of them. I watched the highlights to that game at least 10 times that night, I couldn't While I am a Nuggets fan, I will come clean now and say that Brandon Roy is my favorite NBA player, he just plays the game so well. And he's doing that right now, it's just that his team isn't picking it up. So i'll just say Sac loses by 10.



LA Lakers (-13.5) over New York