Wild Card Weekend Picks

I'll get the Wild Card Weekend picks in early.  Gives me all week to change my mind.

HOUSTON -3 vs. Cincinnati
Detroit +11 vs. NEW ORLEANS (Saints win, but don't cover)
Atlanta +3 vs. NY GIANTS (Falcons win, bet ML at +140)
Pittsburgh -8 vs. DENVER

Last Week: 9-6-1
Regular Season: 121-122-12

2012 College Bowl Picks

Penn St. +7 vs. Houston
Georgia -3 vs. Michigan St.
South Carolina -2.5 vs. Nebraska
Florida -2 vs. Ohio St.
Oregon -5.5 vs. Wisconsin

Oklahoma St. -3.5 vs. Stanford
Michigan -3 vs. Virginia Tech
Clemson -3 vs. West Virginia
Kansas St. +7.5 vs. Arkansas
Pittsburgh -3 vs. SMU
Arkansas St. -1 vs. Northern Illinois

Edit: After the first five games on 1/2.
Bowls to Date: 16-12
Season: 64-51-2

Happy New Year - Fireworks

Many of the casinos on the strip had fireworks displays for the New Year.  I played poker until after 11pm, then watched the fireworks from Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard.  Tropicana was to my right, MGM in front, Aria to and Planet Hollywood to my left.



Note: Clicking on the image links to the online gallery.

NFL Picks

PHILADELPHIA -8 vs. Washington
Atlanta -11 vs. TAMPA BAY
San Francisco -10.5 vs. ST. LOUIS
Chicago +1 vs. MINNESOTA
GREEN BAY +3.5 vs. Detroit
NY GIANTS -3 vs. Dallas
NEW ORLEANS -8 vs. Carolina
Tennessee -2.5 vs. HOUSTON
Baltimore -2 vs. CINCINNATI
Pittsburgh -7 vs. CLEVELAND
Indianapolis +4 vs. JACKSONVILLE
MIAMI -2 vs. NY Jets
NEW ENGLAND -10.5 vs. Buffalo
OAKLAND -3 vs. San Diego
Kansas City +3.5 vs. DENVER
Seattle +3 vs. ARIZONA

Last Week: 4-12
Season:  112-116-11

8 Patriots Named to Pro Bowl

The Patriots had eight players named to the Pro Bowl (LINK).

Clippers - Warriors Live Game Diary

I never thought I would be able to sit through an entire Clippers - Warriors game.  Yet here I am writing about one - on Christmas Night.

The game doesn't start for an hour and a half, so I'm killing time with the Bears - Packers football game and an extended pregame notes section (between pieces of pecan pie).

Merry Christmas

Watching the Celtics and getting ready to start the ham at halftime.

30 Thoughts On 30 Teams

I always say that I am a Celtics fan more than an NBA fan.  I'll watch any Celtics game, but probably not any random game on tv.  The Clippers and Lakers are "local" here in Vegas, so those games are on the regional FOX Sports channels.  Will watch some Clippers, probably not the Lakers. 

I like this sort of thing - and since I did one for baseball and football (see the archives), here are random thoughts on all 30 NBA teams.

Atlanta Hawks - Paying Joe Johnson max. money is a mistake they'll be paying for a long time.

Boston Celtics - I don't have a good feeling about this season.  If they make it to the playoffs in one piece, quoting KG, "anything is possible".

Charlotte Bobcats - No idea what is going on in Charlotte.  So Michael Jordan and I have something in common.

Chicago Bulls - Just extended Derrick Rose for max. money.  Should be good for the next half-decade, at least.

Cleveland Cavaliers - Rebuilding.  At least they have the ability to get better.

Dallas Mavericks - Lost a lot off of their championship team.  They could still make changes and get back tot he finals.

Denver Nuggets - Also-rans since losing Carmelo Anthony.  Didn't help that some of their players left for China during the lockout.

Detroit Pistons - Team in disarray.

Golden State Warriors - Should trade Monta Ellis.

Houston Rockets - Devastated by losing Yao and having the Chris Paul to Lakers deal overturned.  

Indiana Pacers - Sleeper.

LA Clippers - Fun to watch.  How good, I don't know (I think good).  Look like they want to throw an alley-oop on every play.

LA Lakers - See Boston Celtics.  Wake me up when the playoffs arrive.

Memphis Grizzlies - Nice run last season.  May not get any better than that.

Miami Heat - Favorites to win it all. 

Milwaukee Bucks - Don't like the look of this team.  Would not want to hang my hat on Brandon Jennings being my go-to guy.

Minnesota Timberwolves - See Indiana Pacers. Sleeper.

New Jersey Nets - They're going to throw money around.  We'll see who takes it.  Good for them (Williams, Howard, shooter).  Bad for them (Not Williams and Not Howard).

New Orleans Hornets - About the only fun thing here will be watching Eric Gordon run amock until  it's his turn to leave town.

New York Knicks - Carmelo is good.  Not sure they can trust Amare to stay healthy long enough to contend.

Oklahoma City Thunder - See Chicago Bulls.  Should be good for the next half-decade, at least.

Seattle Supersonics - Should still exist.  One of the most disgusting things I have seen in sports during my lifetime.

Orlando Magic - Dunno until Dwight Howard situation is resolved.

Philadelphia Sixers - Meh.

Phoenix Suns - Steve Nash, otherwise Meh.

Portland Trail Blazers - Too bad about Brandon Roy...and Greg Oden...

Sacramento Kings - May not be all that good, but at least they'll be interesting.  Jimmer, Evans, Cousins...

San Antonio Spurs - Window closing?  Duncan is one of the best ever.

Toronto Raptors - At least they're in Canada, where I won't be seeing them very often.  

Utah Jazz - Mediocre.

Washington Wizards - Poor man's LA Clippers (yeah that sounds weird).  Wall, McGee,, Crawford and Vesely represent young potential that may or may not ever turn into a winner.

NFL Picks

Thought I may have another good week before Baltimore and Pittsburgh let me down.  I'll take those losses because they mean the Patriots are currently the top seed in the AFC.

Houston -6 vs. INDIANAPOLIS
Oakland +2 vs. KANSAS CITY
Denver -2.5 vs. BUFFALO
TENNESSEE -7 vs. Jacksonville
Arizona +4 vs. CINCINNATI
NEW ENGLAND -9.5 vs. Miami
Cleveland +13 vs. BALTIMORE
NY JETS -3 vs. NY Giants
WASHINGTON -6 vs. Minnesota
Tampa Bay +7.5 vs. CAROLINA
St. Louis +16 vs. PITTSBURGH
DETROIT -2.5 vs. San Diego
San Francisco -2.5 vs. SEATTLE
DALLAS -1.5 vs. Philadelphia
Chicago +13.5 vs. GREEN BAY
NEW ORLEANS -6.5 vs. Atlanta

Last Week: 8-7-1
Season: 108-104-11

College Bowl Picks

Here are the rest of the pre-New Year's Bowls.  The New Year's Bowls through the BCS National Championship game will be posted around December 29.

Marshall +4 vs. Florida International

TCU - 9.5 vs. Louisiana Tech

Boise State -13.5 vs. Arizona State

Southern Mississippi -6.5 vs. Nevada

North Carolina +4.5 vs. Missouri

Purdue -2.5 vs. Western Michigan

NC State -2 vs. Louisville

Toledo -3 vs. Air Force

Texas -3 vs. California

Notre Dame +3 vs. Florida State

Baylor -9.5 vs. Washington

BYU - 2.5 vs. Tulsa
Rutgers -2 vs. Iowa State
Mississippi State -6.5 vs. Wake Forest
Iowa +14 vs. Oklahoma
Texas A&M -10 vs Northwestern
Georgia Tech -3 vs. Utah
Illinois -2.5 vs. UCLA
Vanderbilt -1 vs. Cincinnati
Auburn -1.5 vs. Virginia

Bowls to Date: 1-2
Season: 48-39-2