POST ALL-STAR NBA PICKS!!

The NBA is finally back!! After a riveting all-star weekend where almost every event was entertaining besides the actual game, it will be nice to get back to good ole fashioned basketball contests as we head towards the playoffs. Let's lay some picks down and make some money like we do best!

UTA vs. WAS +2

This might be the last win the Wizards get for a little bit. Today they took a minor swing for the fences by trading for Markieff Morris and possibly destroyed and chemistry their team might have had before the break. Hopefully the players aren't too devastated by the news of their new teammates and are able to pull this game out against the Jazz.

CHI +13 vs. CLE

Of course Cleveland is the obvious pick here with Butler and half of the Bulls supporting cast expected to be out. You know who isn't out though? Pau Gasol, and Pau is good enough to cover this thirteen point spread by himself. I like Cleveland to get up big early and coast to a ten point victory in the end.

SAS +-4.5 vs. LAC

The Clippers made a game changing trade this morning!! They shook up the entire team with a move that no one saw coming!! Well, maybe that's a little too far, people definitely saw it coming. The team formerly known as Lob City decided to move on from their off-season acquisition  Lance Stephenson and replaced him with another infuriating player, Jeff "Trick or Treat" Green as he is commonly referred to. Meanwhile the Spurs just keep chugging along, not making any big moves and only improving their chemistry and passing ability. I like the Spurs to win this game in a rout.

NBA threesome

NYK +6 vs CHA

I had a feeling the Knicks would show up last night and they did, covering against the Raptors. They haven't been great against the spread in two straight games all season and it definitely won't be easy against the resurgent Charlotte squad formerly known as the B Catz as well. In the end Jeremy Lamb and his bench of college all stars don't scare me enough not to take the points.

IND +3.5 vs BOS

Have you had the chance to watch Paul George play in the last week? If not, do yourself a favor and turn on the next Pacers game. PG has shed that early rust and is looking like the guy who tore up the league two seasons ago. Averaging 30 in his last three games, let's hope he's back to 100%. Meanwhile the Celtics are solid, but who are they really scaring? 

DET +1 vs SAC

Getting a point for a team that I love to bet on against the most dysfunctional organization in sports, sign me up!! The Kings just had a players only meeting to discuss their very poor start, but those never end up with a complete turnaround. Look for the Pistons to out coach, out hustle, and out play the Kings en route to a twenty point victory.

NBA Gun Show!

Last night: 3-0

TOR +8.5 vs OKC

What an awesome night!! If you know me, you know I love getting points in NBA games. Last night I went 3-0 betting on a bunch of garbage teams that all ended up not only covering but outright winning. Tonight I get the opportunity to actually get points on three teams that are good!! Yes, I included the Knicks, come off it. But back to the Raptors for a second. This team is solid. Toronto has been the same team now for 4 or 5 seasons. They play good quality team ball, everyone knows their role and they win basketball games. This year they overpaid for Demarreeeeeeee Carroll aka the Junkyard Dawg, but he's definitely helped their overall team defense. Sure Hustle Westbrook and KD are stupid ridiculous basketball players, but they can have an off night once in a while right??

Nutz Notez: I like the matchups in this game. Lowry and Demarre should slow the insanity of Westbrook and Durant down just enough to let the supporting talent win this one. 

NYK +10.5 vs CLE

This might be the last time I bet on the Knicks this season. I took them getting 9 the other night against the Spurs just to watch the Spurs harass the hell out of Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks into a double digit loss. Tonight against the Cavs I expect a different outcome though. Melo loves to go up against LeBron and has always tried to go 110% against the King even back in their high school days. Throw in that JR Smiff is out for the Cavs and I think the Knicks have just enough to at least get the cover in this one.

Nutz Notez: I guess I'll never understand how the Cavs continue to win with such a terrible, injured supporting cast. The Knicks aren't much better but you can always bet on Melo to bring it against Bron. Oh and Porzingis is good enough to play 20 mpg so that's a start. 

LAC +7.5 vs GS
By far my favorite line of the season so far. It opened at 9 last night and I will gladly still take it at 7.5 today. I love this Clippers team. They are crazy deep, Lance Stephenson and Josh Smith are two former starters playing extremely well of the bench and you know what you're getting from the big three of Paul, Jordan and Griffin. Sure the Warriors are great and will most likely represent the West come Finals time, but they aren't going 82-0. Look for the Clippers to shock the world and win this game outright.

Nutz Notez: How long can the Warriors keep this up? Dirty Picks' former NHL writer B Sugz McNasty almost had a heart attack at the thought of getting against Stephy Curry! At some point these guys won't cover and tonight they have a worth adversary. The Clips can match depth and star power so this one should be close. 

Western Conference Playoffs

HOU (-7.5) vs. DAL

OH NO!!! HAS HELL FROZEN OVER!??!?! ARE PIGS FLYING?? DID THE JETS FINALLY GET A FRANCHISE QB?? LOL...alright that's too ridiculous, but yeah Mr. Points Getter aka Bobby Catz decided to take one of the highest favorites I've ever gone with!! What makes it even more terrifying is that I expect this to be Dirks last game in an NBA uniform because he can barely move on defense and is getting torched even more than he usually does on that end. All this adds up to a Mavs win and they delay the inevitable conclusion for another night, right?? Nope...enter James Harden. Look for the Beard to drop 35 in the first half as he puts the Rockets way out in front and the Mavs struggle to play catch up for the rest of the night. Houston wins this game by thirty and the Rockets move on to the second round.

SAS (+2) vs LAC

This is a rough pick. I've been asking Catz what he's felt on this and we decided we have to roll the Spurs. These teams might be about even throughout the series, but when the Spurs have been on, they have been ON. According to ESPN, the Spurs are 23-8 in game fives since 1999. That's pretty damn impressive, and I think Pop knows they need to win this game. If they win this, the series is over.

NBA Playoffs Round One

LAC (+5) vs SAS Definitely not ready to spot the Spurs five, when the only difference in the last game was Blake Griffin turning the ball over up two with eight seconds left. It was ugly sure, but it doesn't tell the story of this series. Spurs are way too banged up to be able to handle a pissed off Clippers team. HOU vs DAL (+2) We always have to go with the picks that seem a little too good to be true, and this is definitely one of those lines. Houston has dominated every facet of this series so it was pretty shocking to see H town only favored by 2 here right? Then we realized that Rondo has been sidelined for the rest of the series, remember how good the Mavs were for the first six weeks of the season before him? Look for that team to show up tonight. TOR vs WAS (-5) I don't care if they moved this line all the way down to double digitz, I would still take it. The raptors have been exposed on both ends of the court, and today I read an article about how the GM expects big changes after the season. Never good when those articles come out while the team is actually still playing games! If you want to call what Toronto has done in this series playing that is. J Wall and Co roll in chocolate city.

NBA Playoff Winners

OKC (+4) at LAC over 213.5  (WINNER!) (WINNER!)

I will be real honest with you folks out there, this is not a pick that I would "bet the house on". This series is a tough one to call as these two teams are pretty evenly matched. It is hard to say if the post Durant MVP speech will wear off tonight and the Clippers from game 1 show up, or if we see near triple doubles from both Westbrook and Durant again. I am going to side the Thunder for this game and hope that it does not bite me in the ass. Really I am just backing Hustle Westbrook here and hoping that he brings a huge game and not one of those classic, "fuck everyone else I got this shit even though I have one of the best players in the league on my team" games. Clips and Thunder engage in quite a fun scoring romp, which ultimately I think that the Thunder win, possibly even a double OT, instant classic thriller.

IND at WAS (-4) (UNDER 184) (L) (WINNER!)
Now this right here is a tough pick! People love the Wiz in this series and have written of the Pacers, for good reason. Are we supposed to believe that the Pacers are "back" now that they won a game on the road against a solid opponent? Is the Andrew Bynum stink gone, or still lingering in the nostrils of every man in that locker room? For Catz and I, this is an easy pick. The Pacers need to win 2 games in a row against a team that is over .500 to be respected again. Expect a horrible let down game from the Pacers in which they score 81 points. 

BONUS AFL PICK!!!

PITT at SPOKANE (+3.5) under 97.5

I am not really sure why the line setters out there think that this Pitt team can travel up into the frozen tundra hell hole that is Spokane and win this game, but apparently they do. I will happily take the Shock and watch them teach Pitt a thing or two about playing in the Arena League. I do think however, that despite the offensive fire power of the Shock that Pitt is able to keep this game under 97.5 points. Shock win, Pitts D and effort keep it under 97.5.

Dirty NBA Playoff Picks

LAC (+5) at OKC (UNDER 215) (L) (WINNER!)
This game definitely has a lot of OKC showing up and Durant celebrating his MVP with a huge blowout win potential. But I just can't wrap my head around the game swinging that drastically in the other direction. Do I think CP3 hits 8 threes and goes 12-14? No way, but the Thunder are not five points better than Lob City. Don't be surprised if this game turns in to a grind it out, slow it down possession based game that keeps it under 215 combined points. 

WAS (+4.5) at IND (UNDER 187) (WINNER!) (WINNER!)
Usually in this situation, we would advise you to go with the team that has been catching flack for the past few days. Usually in this situation, we would say, the Wizards are everyone's favorite team all of a sudden and that's bad for the ego. USUALLY, we would tell you that this game os set up for an epic Pacers bounce back where they hold the Wiz to 75 points. WELL, that ain't happenin. We've been waiting the entire playoffs for the Pacers to play like a playoff team and things just seem to get worse and worse. Tonight. Expect a close, defensive battle where the Wiz easily cover 4.5 and maybe lose. This series isn't over, but if the Wiz win tonight, they're going to take the Pacers home and go to town on them like a Greg Oden slampiece. 

NBA Picks

NBA Round 2

WAS (+4) at IND (UNDER 183.5) (WINNER!) (L)
The Washington professional basketball team rolls into Indiana tonight looking to set the tone of this series. I'll tell you what, the Pacers better have woken up, ate their big ole bowls of cereal and hit the stadium ready to play, because this Wizards are rested and ready to rock. The Wizards ripped through a defensive juggernaut in Chi Town, and the Pacers aren't that much different from Chicago. Seriously how are they going to cover John Wall? Put PG24 on him, so that Bradley Beal gets open jacks all night?? Good luck. I'm looking at a high scoring game by the Wiz in which could very well be a blowout game and maybe 80 points from the Pacers if they are lucky. 

LAC (+5) at OKC (UNDER 213) (WINNER!) (L)

The Clips are not 5 points worse than the Thunder. The key to this series is sadly going to be DeAndre Jordan. If DJ can stay in the game and hassle Westbrook at the rim, the Clips will be able to outshoot the Thunder.  Tonight, I think Doc Rivers keeps the Clips in it until the final possession. 

NBA Game 7 Picks

The NBA has an epic night of game 7's today! Three series come to an end, including two with huge upset potential.

ATL (+6.5) at IND (UNDER 184.5) (L) (WINNER!)
I don't care if the Pacers absolutely control this game from the tip and jump on the Hawks early, there is no way they should win by more than 6 points. This series has been incredibly close and tonight should be no exception. Tonight will literally come down to whether or not the Hawks can get hot from the outside. If they can bang home a couple of triples early, do not be surprised if the Hawks pull off the major upset.

MEM at OKC (-9) (UNDER 184.5) (WINNER) (L)
Almost all of these games have gone to overtime! So what if Zach Randolph is suspended and the Grizzlies struggle to score with him on the floor! I still have faith in this Grizzlies team to at least make tonight's game competitive. The Thunder most likely win this game, but do not be surprised if the Grizz make a late run and keep this one interesting.

Update: we had to change this pick. Too many injuries plus the ZBo suspension.

LAC at GS (+7) (OVER 207)(WINNER) (WINNER!)
Definitely the most dangerous of the three picks, just because the Clippers can light up the scoreboard in a hurry. My big thing here again is I am just not sold one of these three games not being competitive and anything more than a 3 or 4 point tightly contested slugfest.

There you are three game 7's, and one of the most anticipated nights in NBA history. Have fun betting on all of those underdogs and then being really heated when the favored home teams win by 35. Hawks, OKC, and Clips move on, but all three underdogs cover!

NBA Playoff Picks

BJ's Pretentious Playoff Picks: NBA Style 

Well Catz was bas last night. He admitted it, and I am filling in once again. I'm just going to let you know right now, these playoffs are really weird and entirely unpredictable. That's not going to stop me from giving you a Sunday Surprise Creampie of winners to warm you back up to us here at DP. 

LAC (-2) at GSW (OVER 209.5) (L) (WINNER)
We've seen so many high scoring over time games this year that I am just automatically rolling the over at this point. The Clips are really pissed off at this point. They play for a member of the KKK and have had to fight off a squirrely ass Warriors team that won't go away. The one thing that is separating these teams is Blake Griffin. Blake Superior has been able to dominate these games and I think he will dominate this game in particular so that the Clips can close this series in LA in front of a home town cross burning. 

TOR at BK (-4) (UNDER 193) (L) (WINNER!)
You just can't count the old guys out! Did you guys know Paul Pierce can dunk?! The man has turned back the clock and the fact that his game (mid-range step backs, flat threes and a dash of low post flavor) ages very well has led to a Big PP resurgence! KG sucks, but he's still annoying as shit to play against and is liable to yell and scream to get everyone pumped, so there's that. In all honesty I want the Raptors to win this series, but watching Pierce, ISO Joe and a reinvented Deron Williams is kind of fun! This one plays to the Nets strengths as KG turns in his one good defensive performance of the year and holds the Raps to 33% shooting in the paint.  

HOU at POR (-2.5) (OVER 214) (WINNER!) (WINNER!)
These teams refuse to play defense. It's insane how little they care about an entire facet of the game! On one side you have the Rockets trying to funnel everything to Howard/Asik which doesn't work when guys are shooting threes or taking 15-20 footers. On the other side, the Blazers have "defensive talent" in Matthews and Batum, but honestly those guys aren't that great on D. This makes the over a no-brainer. As for the game, the Blazers let me completely down last game in front of their home crowd. This is why Seattle needs a team. You think Seattle fans are letting Princess Dwight's fragile mental and emotional stability win a game? Hell no! But these dumb ass hipsters in Portland, riding their bikes to the fuckin game with their passive aggressive chants and their "we don't want to be a big city" attitude didn't do shit! Which I guess is my fault or expecting those assholes to do ANYTHING at all, besides sit around and talk about horrible bands and how being vegan is totally not really a religion (except you Portland Vegan Assholes are like Jehova's Witnesses when it comes to spreading the word on retarded diets). GOD I HATE PORTLAND. Anyways, look for the Blazers to bounce back or get bounced out of the playoffs. That's right. If they lose tonight. It's OVER.

NBA Playoffs

NBA Wednesday Picks

After a long day of soul searching aka taking mushrooms and wandering around Joshua Tree for a day. Bobby Catz is back to give the people what they want. Some high quality NBA playoff picks

IND (-2) at ATL (OVER 186.5) (L) (L)

Atlanta played really well through six quarters of this series. Then in the second half of game 2, they got absolutely shit housed by the Pacers. While its still too early to anoint the Pacers as being back, Monday was the closest they have looked since January. Paul George will build on the momentum he was able to establish in game 2 and come out of the gates hot, putting this team on his back and carrying them to a game 3 victory. Don't think that won't make this game competitive and push the total under though. The Hawks can shoot the rock, and I expect a lot of points on both sides.

LAC (-2) at GSW (OVER 213.5) (P) (L)

The Clippers rebounded in a huge way to even this series at a game a piece. The biggest reason for that was the play of Blake Griffin, who was able to play more than 19 minutes this game. Look for this trend to continue as the Dubs have absolutely no answer for Griffin. However, unlike the last game I do expect this game to stay competitive throughout, pushing the combined total into the 215-230 range.

OKC at Memphis (+2.5) (OVER 189.5) (WINNER!) (WINNER!)

BJ: Consider my horn "tooted" after last nights gloryhole of a day! 5-1 in the NBA has been more rare around these parts than getting an in depth hockey analysis! First off, let me tell you that Catz had the reigns today and I pulled them away just to steal this pick. He really wanted to roll with the Thunder tonight and who can blame him? The Grizz looked throughly outmatched in game 1, and pulled one out of their bear asses 2 nights ago. But this is the grindhouse! The Thunder have to go in a play mistake free, physical basketball and everyone in the world is looking at that Thunder (-2) and saying, "2 points?!! That's it!" You're damn right, because this one is coming down to the wire, 10 seconds left on the clock, Grizz have a 96-95 lead, Westbrook gets the inbounds, screen from Ibaka, Durant crosses baseline and HE'S WIDE OPEN, WESTBROOK TAKES THE CONTESTED MID RANGE JUMPER THE GRIZZLIES WIN!!! 

NBA Playoff Picks

NBA Double Dip Monday

MEM at OKC (-350) under 190 (L) (L)
The Grizzlies looked very overmatched in game 1 against the Thunder. There is no reason this will change tonight as the Thunder look to take the 2-0 lead in the series before they head out to Memphis. Also I'm taking the under because I think this one is going to be even more of a defensive battle than the first matchup. Thunder win, Grizz struggle to score and keep this one under.

GSW at LAC (-420) over 212
In our second matchup we have the Warriors coming off a big game one victory looking to steal home court from the Clippers in this series. Blake Griffin fouled out in only 19 minutes in game one, something that absolutely can not happen tonight. I think the Clips make this a statement game and put on a clinic on scoring the basketball. Dubs give a good effort, but the Clips win and this one goes over.

NBA Playoff Picks: Round 1

NBA Playoffs Round 1

Toronto (-2.5) at Brooklyn (L)
Catz and I have had a real affinity for the Raps this year. I used to be a big DeRozan hater because he couldn't shoot and he played the "Shooting Guard" position. The dick swingin wing man out of Compton has put together a nice career and should shine in these playoffs. On the other hand, Catz and I have been absolutely destroyed by the Nets this year. I think we were 1-19 in games where the Nets were involved. I'm not a big numbers guy, but I don't think that's a good percentage. Either way I think the Raptors have a good home game here and are guided by Kyle Lowry being a bad ass. Wait for Keven Garnett to talk shit to Jonas Valenciunas this game and for JV to punch him in the fuckin face. Raps win, KG loses and Melo's wife still tastes like cereal.

Golden St. at LA Clippers (-7) (L)

Nobody wants to play Steph Curry right now and with Klay Thompson joining him in the back court, the potential for an upset is definitely there. Well it ain't going to happen. Chris Paul is the best point guard on the planet and he needs to get out of this round clean to keep that title. Let's not forget he now has Blake Griffin, who is playing at a very high level, to lean on. No Bogut, too much Jermaine O'Neal and a whole lot of Jamal Crawford!

Atlanta Hawks (+7.5) at Indiana Pacers (WINNER!)
Consulting with Bobby Catz, we decided the best course of action here was to bet against the Pacers. Though I expect them to win this game, I rarely see them cover anything over 5 points. We have to go with the Hawks here and I think they scrap themselves within 6 to cover this one. Actually, I full expect the Hawks to win this one. It will be like 81-77.

Memphis at OKC (-7.5) (WINNER!)
I was really disappointed that the Mavs didn't play OKC. Memphis isn't the kind of team that seems like they can handle Westbrook. I mean, nobody is stopping KD, but when you let Westbrook's crazy ass go off?! That's trouble. I expect a great game from Marc Gasol, but fucking Tayshaun Prince starts for the Grizz.

Season Premier/Finale Sunday

Free NBA Picks

Wake up everybody!! It's the biggest night on television since that time they showed OJ eluding police in a white Bronco! Tonight is one of those bittersweet nights where one great thing ends, and another great thing starts in it's place. The conclusion of Shameless rolls onto Showtime tonight at 9ET and although this might be the weakest season they have had so far, historically the final episode is the gut punch/cliffhanger episode. While you are watching Fiona and Lip handle the Gallahger clan, make sure to record the two HBO premieres so you can watch them later. Game of Thrones has taken the nation by storm, and even if you read the books and know what's coming it's still exciting to watch it all play out and see what tweaks the HBO series will make to the source material. After that be sure to watch the new series from comedy legend creator Mike Judge (Office Space, King of the Hill) called Silicon Valley. I don't know that much about the premise of the show, but it stars two of my favorite comedians Kumail Nanjiani (side note: if you aren't listening to the Indoor Kids, you are fuckin up!) and Tj Miller. Both of these shows should give you at least two and a half hours ignoring your kids and making sure that your Sunday morning at work can at least be spent recapping what went on the lands of Westeros. After such a lengthy preview of what's going down tonight, you would probably think that I'm just gonna throw some NBA picks in as a little footnote, well once again you don't know the Bobcat. 

OKC (-140) at PHX (L)
Terrible matchup for the Suns, and possible first round preview if the Spurs stumble in the next few games. Look for a rested Westbrook to come out and light up the Suns backcourt as Durant quietly scores more than 25 to keep his consecutive game streak going.

NY (+7) at MIA (L)
Why am I picking the Knicks to cover this game? That is literally a question I don't have an answer to and I'm sure I'll end up watching this on my breaks going what the fuck is JR Smith doing?? The only silver lining is Melo loves playing against Lebron and always seems to bring his "A" game. Hopefully Wade sits again and the Knicks pull a shocker here.

LA (+16) at LAC (L)
Another game that has more potential to go wrong than the recent healthcare plan Obama rolled out. Last time these two teams met the Lakers got absolutely shithoused. I'm thinking this is a revenge game that shows they are still the Lakers playing in their home stadium and will at least try to not make this one a 50 point blowout. Lakers lose by 8.

ATL (+8) at IND (WINNER!)
Just like the Game of Thrones season premiere the Pacers postseason is much anticipated. You never know what Pacers team is going to show up, and if they play anything like they have over the last two months don't be surprised if the Bulls, Nets or mystery team X pulls the upset. All I know in this game is that the Pacers do not cover spreads, Hawks probably lose, but the smart bet is they cover.

HOU (-675) at DEN (WINNER!)
Dwight Howard could play tonight for the Rockets! Even if he doesn't do not expect this Nuggets team to pull the upset. Houston is at full strength, while the Nuggets are just counting the days until the offseason.

MEM at SA (-7) (WINNER!)
This is a terrible matchup for the Grizz. The Spurs always pack the paint and take away the inside options of Z-Bo and Gasol while allowing Prince and Tony Allen as many open 15 foot jumpers as they want. Don't be surprised if this game is an absolute blowout and the Spurs win 115-76.

DAL (-6) at SAC (L)
The Mavs have been in full blow playoff mode for several weeks and looked like they could give a team some trouble in the playoffs. The Kings are melting down like they do at this point every year, and despite another great year from Demarcus Cousins they are close to the bottom once again. Expect a big night out of Monta Ellis and Jose Calderon as the Mavs win comfortably in Sac town.

UTAH (+11.5) at GS (L)
I have no justifiably reason for picking the Jazz to cover this spread, if I were you I would stay farther away from this game than the Republican Party does from African Americans. Pick Golden State to win this game by forty and ignore this.

NO at POR (-625) (WINNER!)
This game is gonna be close and do not be surprised if Anthony Davis puts up a 32-15-8 line to score the upset. Hopefully Lillard and LMFAO do just enough to stave off the Pelicans and get a victory.

There you are an extended look at tonight's NBA action and a viewing guide for some television action after 5. Have a great night out there and remember stay away from that Jazz pick!

NBA Picks

Tonight we try to have another successful picks night heading into the weekend. Usually when I pick only favorites I get burned, but tonight we buck that trend and finish strong.

WAS (-5) at ORL (L)
The Wizards have been playing well despite the loss of big man NeNe over the last few weeks. The Magic have been going in the exact opposite direction. Look for John Wall and Bradley Beal to have big nights scoring a combined 55 points in a 20 point route of the Magic.

PHO (-5) at BOS (WINNER!)
Last game marked the return of Eric Bledsoe to the Suns lineup after missing the better part of the last two months. He looked a little rusty shooting the ball, but did rack up 9 assists in limited minutes against the Cavaliers. Boston rarely doesn't show up for games and Rondo has really rounded into form after looking rusty his first couple of weeks back. The Suns are desperate for this game because they are 2 games out of the eighth seed with the number of remaining games quickly dwindling. Look for the Suns to throw everything including the kitchen sink at the Celtics in a must win road game.

LAC (+9) at UTAH (P)
The Clippers have been on an absolute tear as of late, and things should be no different tonight. The only thing preventing the Clippers from covering this line tonight will not be the Jazz, but rather a lack of a competitive game forcing them to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Even if we see 25+ minutes of Glen Davis and Danny Granger tonight, expect the Clippers to keep rollin, rollin, ROLLIN (LIMP BIZKIT shout out!!) all the way to a 9 point cover.

BJs Ass Slappingly Good Pick

MEM at TOR (P)

Two teams with different styles, but a lot of talent. In this West v East battle, you'll want to roll with the Raptors. While the Grizz have been on a tear lately, the Raptors have won 7 of their last 10. With Toronto getting the home court advantage, you have to roll with Team Canada here. The Grizz might have a stellar defense, but the Raps have the firepower and defensive prowess to pull this one out late.

Free NBA Picks

Thursday Tongue Tease

It's a TNT Thursday double header featuring four of the top teams in the Western Conference. Because of that we have decided to stay away from the spreads because these games are all toss ups and instead go with the surest thing we can find going over the lines! For tonight's teaser we will be using a five point tease which will all but a guarantee a two bet victory and tons of happy followers. (L)

SA at OKC over 208 teased to 203 (L)
I shouldn't have to do any explaining here. Both of these teams are offensive powerhouses and actually the original line of 208 seems a little low. I mean, yeah it's a big game and usually in these situations the teams tend to slow the pace and concentrate on individual possessions more, but do you really want to take under 201 when KD and Westbrook are on the floor looking to send a message? I didn't think so. Look for this one to be a high scoring affair as the Thunder snap the 18 game winning streak and show that whoever comes out of the west will have to get through OKC.

DAL at LAC over 211.5 teased to 206.5 (WINNER!)
The Clippers are coming off a tough fight against the Suns and return home to find a rested Dallas team at their doorstep. Dallas as I've said multiple times has to treat every game like it is a do or die matchup because the race for the 8th spot is incredibly tight. This one is not going to feature a lot of defense and the score should definitely end up in 115-113 shot fest.

Catz Reverse Free NBA Picks!

If you follow the blog at all you know that we have had an especially hard time at selecting NBA winners lately including a devastating 0-5 Bobnanza piece we ran last week (it should have been called Bombnanza!, I'll be here all week folks). So if you are smart you have been going against my daily advice and are on quite a little heater right now. Let's try to keep that heater going by offering up three picks that are going to look solid, but if you want to win you should probably go the other way.

LAC (-1) at HOU (WINNER!)
Tonight two of the best offensive teams in the league go head to head in what should be one of the most entertaining games of the season. The Rockets suffered a huge blow in the last few days losing guard Patrick Beverly for a few weeks to an ankle injury. It just so happens that his assignment for tonight? Chris Paul. That's right Jeremy Lin is gonna have to guard Chris Paul for most of the night and I'm sure CP3 has had an erection since boarding the flight to Houston. Also the Rockets are still missing Dwight and while Asik is a capable replacement, he's still a step down from D12. Look for Lob City to throw a couple of haymakers in the first half and knock out the Rockets en route to 115-98 victory in H-town.

DAL (-10) at SAC (L)
Dallas is like a rat trapped inside of a bucket on a guys chest with hot coals being placed on the top. It is going to do everything in it's power to get the fuck out of that bucket no matter what is in the way. Tonight that guys chest is the Sacramento Kings and the Mavericks are going to act accordingly. Look for Dirk Nasty to come out firing and for Vince Lamar Carter to turn back the clock as the Mavs continue their push for the playoffs.


MIA (-9.5) at MIL (WINNER!)
Everyone is writing Miami's quest for the 1 seed off after a loss last week to the Pacers. Well as my friend Sugar says, "don't go countin them chickens until they hatch" (he's from Michigan). Speaking of Michigan the Heat took the greatest show on hardwood through the majestic city of Detroit last night and Lebron messed around and got a triple double in only three quarters. Well tonight he gets D Wade back and possibly Ray Allen who is a game time decision. Look for the Heat to roll over another weak team as they continue that push for the very important 1 seed in what they know will be an inevitable meeting with the Pacers.

There we go, after I have now made very compelling arguments for each one of these picks your best bet is to go directly against them and watch the victories pile up.

NBA Picks

BJ's Same Old Shit Thursday Picks

LA Lakers (+3) at Milwaukee Bucks (Push)
The Lakers have had a nightmare season this year. Pretty much everyone is injured, Mike D'Antoni doesn't give a shit anymore and the ownership group has more star power than the starting 5. One thing is clear, the Lakers still try harder than they should. Some of these guys are trying to stay in the league or stay in LA and the Mike D system is great for padding stats. The Lakeshitshow might get blown out tonight, but a tanking Bucks squad shouldn't be given any points.

LA Clippers (-1) at Dallas Mavericks (WINNER!)
CP3 needs to bounce back after the worst night shooting night in Clipper's history. The Clips should be fine for a top 3 spot in the West, but the Mavs have to win the bulk of their games to sneak into the playoff picture. Look for CP3 and Blake to put up big numbers and Jamal Crawford vs Monta Ellis to put up a record amount of contested J's.

Philadelphia at Houston (Under 215) (L)
I've been fooled by this one too many times. The 76ers suck at defense and play an insanely high paced game. This leads me to believe, on a nightly basis, that their games are going to go over. That shit doesn't happen. The Rockets might score 110 tonight, but Philly is only scoring 99, because D-League dudes can't play offense.

Saturday Sooooper Parlay

After a rough week of being sick with the flu and missing on NBA picks like it was my job, the weekend has finally come and it's time to switch things up a little bit. We decided early on with this blog that we weren't going to take the easy route when it came to making picks just to inflate our record and make us look cool (I'm looking at you Sugar). That's why, typically we only do either over/unders or spreads rather than just picking the much easier and much lower payout moneylines. Well in order to get out of this recent funk I am going to throw a couple of moneylines in the mix, but we are going to keep it interesting by throwing them in a parlay.

HOU (-365) at CLE (WINNER!)
CHI (-5556) at PHI (WINNER!)
DET at LAC (-1299) (WINNER!)

Now this looks like a pretty easy parlay to win on paper. However, if one team comes out flat in the first half one of these games could go the wrong way and the whole parlay would be ruined. That's why the risk with the parlay will at least make this slate of games entertaining and might even get you to watch a Bulls/Sixers game despite the fact that the Sixers are two losses away from matching the all time consecutive losses record. Also if you want take one of these games and throw it in with some college basketball picks that look pretty solid as well, the theme of today's tournament will definitely be favorites return to form. All of the teams are on upset alert after a rough opening weekend and look for the teams that struggled in their first game to respond with a convincing win, i.e. Florida, Louisville, and SDSU.

Monday NBA Action

Bob's Monday Meltdown Picks

The worst week choosing spreads I have ever dealt with has finally come to an end. After multiple punches to the balls by teams leading by 25+ points only to blow up and lose by fifteen, a new day has finally arrived. Combine that with a very underwhelming season finale of True Detective and you have (no exaggeration) the worst week for a person in human history. Luckily for you the readers, I have a memory like a goldfish and won't let last weeks struggle affect this weeks locks.

DEN at CHAR (-5) (WINNER!)
Yesterday was a rough night for the Nuggets against the Pelicans. After leading most of the game they collapsed harder than Paula Deen's approval rating amongst African Americans. The Catz on the other hand are coming off a big win over the Pacers and their hardest stretch of games this season. They return home tonight and should get back to doing Catz-like things. Look for Al Jefferson and Kemba Walker to have big nights, and for the Nuggets to continue plotting their mutiny against head coach Brian Shaw. Also Ty Lawson is questionable with an ankle injury and if he doesn't play they are fucked.

ATL (-1.5) at Utah (WINNER!)
The Jazz are a lot like last night's episode of True Detective. There are a few times when you think "we might have something going here" only to say next "well that sucked". Sometimes they look like the team that made the playoffs last year in a loaded west, other times they appear to be full blown "Getting Ass Raped for Jabari!" Tonight is a going to be a lot more of the latter, look for the Paul Millsap/Utah reunion night to end in a Hawks victory.

PHO (+10.5) at LAC (WINNER!)
Does betting on this game make me more nervous than Antonio Cromartie awaiting the results at a paternity clinic? Absolutely. Will that stop me from betting on the Suns on the second night of a back to back against the dangerous Clippers? No way. Two things are gonna help the Suns get this cover. The first is Goran Dragic having a rare off night against the Warriors last night. He has had very few games all season where he hasn't shown up and last night was one of them, don't bet on it happening two nights in a row. Second, the return of Eric Bledsoe (possibly) who was cleared by doctors earlier this week and could see limited action tonight against his old team. If he does see the court expect the Suns to ride the momentum and not only cover the ten point spread, but possibly get the upset.

BJ's Monday Hangover Pick

ORL @ MIL (OVER 103) (P)

Both these teams suck and are tanking; that's apparent. One of the side effects of this sad, sad effort every night, is horrible defense. Most of the guys out here are just trying to put up career highs so that they can catch on with a roster next season. Milwaukee has given up on defense entirely over the also few games. Mainly because most of their team is suspended or injured. Expect big numbers and kind of a fun game as each team tries to let the other score as much as possible!