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.

POST SUPER BOWL HANGOVER PICKS

Ugh!! What a garbage Super Bowl, unless you are in to watching offenses struggle and halftime acts that were huge ten years ago. Sure you can say the commercials were better than last year, but did any of them really move the public needle? Naw, didn't think so. If that wasn't bad enough, there was even controversy on some of the prop bets, most notably when did Lady Gaga's national anthem end?? The first time she said "and the home of the brave"?? Or the second?? Some sites are paying the under, others the over. All in all, not a very memorable 50th, but it does allow us as a nation to get refocused on the one thing that truly matters....nailing NBA picks!!

CHI +6.5 vs. CHA

Apparently Vegas is giving the Bulls no chance to win this game because they will be playing without their star Jimmy Butler. Personally, I like the rest of the Bulls roster just enough to not only cover this line, but to eek out a victory. Pau Gasol has more basketball talent in his ring finger, than the entire Hornets front line and I expect that to play out on the court tonight. Look for Rose to have a big game in Jimmy's absence, and for Pau to go off for 35 and 15 in a throwback Pau performance.

SAC +12.5 vs. CLE

If you have watched the Cavaliers play lately, it seems like they thought the All-star break was this last weekend instead of this weekend, because they have been on straight cruise control. They play like a team that knows they have the one seed locked down and are only getting up for big games anymore. Meanwhile, it doesn't matter who else is on the floor, or who is coaching, Cousins is going to show up and put up numbers. I fully expect the Cavs to sleepwalk through most of this game, only turning it on in the fourth in order to squeeze out a 5-10 point victory.

OKC -13.5 vs. PHX

Damn I would not want to be the Suns tonight. KD and Rus have had two days now to stew over that surprisingly close lose the other night in Oakland, and I am sure they are ready to get the next game underway to help get that taste out of their mouth. Expect a classic Rus and KD type of game tonight in the valley, as both players go for 25, 10 and 5.

NBA November

CHA +4.5 vs CHI

The Hornets have lost three in a row to start the season, though two of the losses were decided by less than 3 points. Meanwhile in Chi-raq Derrick Rose admitted that there is no point in him shooting if he can't see the basket. Not exactly what you want to hear from your supposed star point guard. Hornets get out of the 0 win column tonight with a hard fought victory over the Bulls.

Nutz Notez: The Bulls are slowly going to fall apart this season. The Rose-Butler drama will heat up when late game situations go awry. Noah is going to clash with the coach and Taj might demand a trade. Meanwhile, Big Al is in great shape and Kemba seems to be getting his legs back. I like the Hornets here. 

ATL +3.5 vs MIA

These two teams are exact opposites. One team likes to play defense and shoot tons of threes, the other team is the Heat. The Hawks aren't going to be anywhere as good as they were last year, but they can still finish top 4 in the east, look for tonight to be an example why.

Nutz Notez: People are sleeping on the Hawks and that's a mistake. They were Spurs East two years ago, the analytics dream entree last year and this year, they're still a great basketball team (that doesn't have the talent to make it to the conference finals). Stop sleeping on the 50 win Hawks. 

ORL +4.5 vs NO

This is definitely our man crush Tuesday pick. For whatever reason Nutz and I are crazier about the Magic than two Catz in a burlap sack!! Pun intended...but seriously they aren't bad and while its still early, I wouldn't be shocked if they end up with the 8th seed out west. Meanwhile the Pelicans have Anthony Davis and no one fuckin else. Magic cover this game easy.  

Nutz Notez: This is the tough one today. Orlando has been a fun cover this year, but Skiles is already scaring me as a coach. I mean, one game he has Hezonja taking crunch time shots, the next game he plays like 12 minutes. Oladipo has looked great, Harris is good and Vucevic is a rock hard 18-10 waiting to happen every night. 

NBA Playoffs Round 1

MIL (+8) vs. CHI

The Bucks coming in to this series were being thrown around as a possible dark horse to pull of the upset mostly because The Greek Freak is so much damn fun to watch. Then they tipped off and D Rose turned in a performance that absolutely has to torture Bulls fans, not because he was so great, but because they know eventually he is going to get hurt again. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news Bulls fans, but that angst starts tonight as the Bucks turn in a solid performance and keep this one close enough to lose by five in the end.

NO (+12.5) @ GS

This line looks super high (420 joke!) and it is! Vegas jacked this bad boy up because they know people want to take the points, but then will talk themselves into GS winning by 25 because, hey, Steph Curry! The problem is, the 'cans have enough talent to keep this thing close in garbage time, just as we saw on Saturday. Anthony Davis found a weakness or two in the Warriors' defense and I think he will continue to dominate tonight as New Orleans keeps this one close, thanks to some monster garbage time performances. 

Dirty Picks: Playoff Edition

Golden State Warriors vs. New Orleans Pelicans

Catz: Not sure why all of the talking heads think  that the Pelicans can steal one or even two of these games. I get "the brow" is a ridiculous NBA player, but look at the guards that Nawlins trots out there....marquee names that strike fear into an opponent like Tyreke, Norris Cole, or Eric Gordon. There's a good chance NOP doesn't even get a lead in this series let alone a win.

Nutz: I'm not going to be a dick like Catz and insult a team that just made it to the Western Conference playoffs with a young squad. But I am going to predict an absolute ass whoopin, the likes of hasn't been seen since Stone Cold Steve Austin wore the strap! The Dubs have incredible ball movement, a smart coach and an amazing backcourt. I also have a slight grudge against the 'Cans as they cost me a seafood buffet dinner by hitting the over this season. 

Consensus: Warriors in 4.

Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks

Catz: We went back and forth on this in the DP office, originally I was interested in picking HOU in 6 until Nutz brought up a few solid points and Sugar shocked the office with his Surgalski scoop that Dirk is going to shoot jumpers this series!! That's the kind of dynamite reporting we have around these parts. Because of all that info I was forced to reconsider my pick and I did....Rockets in 6.

Nutz:  Shit are we at IHOP?! CAUSE WE'VE BEEN WAFFLIN ON THIS PICK ALL DAY!!!!!!! Nothin? Ok, well I'm going Rockets here as well. The Rocks have dominated this matchup all year, mostly due to their perimeter domination. The Mavs, touting a guard lineup of Monta Ellis and The Man We Used To Call Rajon Rondo, won't have any success trying to guard James Harden and whoever else is out there. I was a little worried because Dirk lives for the playoffs and Rondo always saves his best performances for the the post season. Not to mention Rick Carlisle....shit....whatever, ROLL IT! Rockets in 6!

Consensus: Rockets in 6

Los Angeles Clippers vs. San Antonio Spurs

Catz: CATZ'S SUPER UPSET OF THE FIRST ROUND!! Not really an upset if you are one of those traditional seeding kind of guys, but we all know who is the favorite in this series. This is the Clippers championship right here, and they are going to put every ounce of effort in to winning this series. They might even lose the next series after this depending on who they play, but Blake, CP3 and DeAndre will score the upset against the defending champs!! Clippers in 7!!!

Nutz: I am going to give this one to the Spurs based on two things: I HATE the Clippers! Blake Griffin has become so whiny and bitchy that it's hard to watch him at this point. Pair that with super tough, bad ass supreme Matt Barnes (terrible basketball player) and you have a very unlikeable team. Second reason: They're the Spurs. You have to trust Pop, Duncan, Parker and to an extent, Manu. Just trust em. 

Catz: Clips in 7. Nutz: Spurs in 7.

Portland Trail Blazers vs Memphis Grizzlies

Catz: Terrible matchup here for the Blazers. Maybe they would have a chance at winning a game or two if they were fully healthy, but they aren't so break out the brooms. Grindhouse is going to take care of business and the Blazers in relatively quick fashion. GRIZZ IN 4.

Nutz: This sucks! The Blazers busted their asses all season to get a top 3 seed, only for Aldridge to get hurt for an extended period of time and to lose Wes Matthews for the year. This team has done well to patch things up over the last few weeks, but they clearly miss Matthews. The Grizz are too much of a defensive juggernaut to survive a full series against the grind house. 

Catz: Memphis in 4. Nutz: Grizz in 6

Atlanta Hawks vs Brooklyn Nets

Catz: This could honestly be the most one sided playoff series in recent history. The Hawks could literally start their second string and still end up sweeping this series. I hate the Nets. Garbage team owned by a guy who doesn't give a fuck (not you Hov EDITOR'S NOTE: "Hov" is no longer part of ownership. Catz apparently does not know this) and a couple of "stars" who didn't even care enough to respond when a former teammate basically called them pussies in the media. You think Lebron would respond if someone questioned his professionalism? Yeah that's not a great look D-Will, have fun in Shanghai next year. Hawks in 2.5...minutes that it takes to realize how lopsided this one is.

Nutz:  The Nets will probably somehow win a game in this series, but we all know they aren't going anywhere. Deron Williams is just terrible and Joe Johnson should be playing for the Pelicans right now. I seriously hate this franchise. They're boring as fuck, their unis suck and their arena and fans suck. If they didn't have Lionel Hollins there would be no reason for them to exist as a franchise. 

Consensus: Hawks in 4

Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics

Catz: This is the worst possible matchup for the Celtics. They can't defend anyone from driving to the rim and the Cavs have two of the three best players at doing just that. Really the only positive that could come out of this series is if Brad Stevens is able to have a secret lunch with Kevin Love where he can pitch him wearing green next season. Enjoy the Lebron hates Boston show everybody. 

Cleveland in 4. 

Nutz: Am I the only one that thinks it's weird that Boston is in the playoffs?! I feel completely unprepared for this series! I have no clue who plays on this team (that's not true) but I definitely know that the Celtics will not win a game in this series. Brad Stevens is a good coach, but LeBron doesn't fuck around in the first round and Kevin Love needs to prove his worth for whatever team he hops to this summer! 

Consensus: Cavs in 4.

Toronto Raptors vs Washington Wizards

Catz: If this series featured the two teams that we watched back in December, my enthusiasm for these games would be much greater. Unfortunately for both Rapes and Wizards fans, these are not those teams. Injuries have basically destroyed the season for both teams, but it seems like the Raptors are taking the injury plague exceptionally hard. Meanwhile the Wizards have a very talented team that would be light years better if they had even a semi-competent coach at the helm. With all of that being said, I like the Raptors to win this series purely because their coach sucks a little bit less than the Wizards coach. Wiz in a sloppy 6.

Nutz: I have no idea how this one is going to go! These teams are the exact same! This is just "Default Eastern Conference Playoff series." I am going to roll with the Raptors! They have home court advantage, and a hellacious one at that. The Raps are a solid enough team to win this series in 6. 

Catz: Wiz in 6. Nutz: Raps in 6.

Milwaukee Bucks vs Chicago Bulls

Catz: When I first checked out this series I wanted to make the case for Milwaukee because of their depth, coaching and GIANNIS!!! Then I really buckled down and thought to myself "the fucks going on here, I can't bet on Milwaukee to beat Chicago!!" That pretty much settled it for me. Milwaukee is a good story and should be a fun team to watch over the next couple of years, but this is a veteran-laden, well coached, tough Chicago team. J Kidd is about to get a rough teaching lesson from Thibs because it's Thibs and that's what he does. Chicago in 5. 

Nutz: Much like Catz I wanted to roll the Bucks because it's fun! But Thibs doesn't care for fun. He only cares about running his players into the damn ground until they can't go anymore! That's the formula for a dominant first round and a second round sweep ladies and gentleman!

Consensus: Chicago in 5

Thursday NBA Locks

Well it's Thursday. The one obstacle between you and that sweet, sweet $9 strawberry daiquri at Applebee's on Friday night. Let's face it, Mondays suck, but Thursdays are just boring. Well today, we can at least try to make the last part of Thursday speed up by investing heavily in some NBA locks!

San Antonio Spurs at Chicago Bulls (+6) (O 198.5)

This morning on ESPN Radio, the topic "Is Thibs on the hot seat?!" came up and I nearly crashed the shit out of my car. No, Thibs is not and will not be on the "hot seat" seeing as he is the second best coach in the NBA. The Bulls are in the running for the 2 seed out East, and have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA. They have struggled for all of a week, so let's not lose out shit just yet. I don't believe that D Rose will return to MVP form, nor do I think he makes it 60 games this year. What I do know is that he is still a dynamic point guard that scares opposing defenses. The problem is, between Rose and Noah's injuries, the lack of continuity and familiarity has really shown this year for the Bulls. Not to mention, Joakim has to play a ton of power forward this year now that Pau Gasol is playing center. These adjustments have landed the Bulls once vaunted defense squarely in the middle of the pack defensively. Is this an issue? Nope! Chi Town might not have the D they once had (heh), but that lack of D (heh) can easily be made up for by their much improved offense. With Rose playing most games, Jimmy Butler turning into Luol Deng 2.0 and Noah/Pau/Taj down low, the Bulls can get buckets with everyone in the league. Until they make that adjustment, you have to bet against them. Noah is out with an ankle injury tonight, so expect Timmy Duncan to punish Pau and lil' Taj while Rose is forced to take jumper after jumper (Tip: he can't shoot jumpers). The Spurs should kill tonight, so take the over as well.

Utah Jazz (+8) at Milwaukee Bucks (Over 185)

This might be the worst pick of the day. Both these teams are pretty bad, and neither can score efficiently. I'm basically hoping that Enes Kanter goes off on the Bucks, and maybe Gordon Hayward scores 25. The Jazz run at the second highest pace in the NBA (that was shocking to me), but they are just terrible at scoring! It's like they get the ball down the court and take terrible shots immediately. The Bucks don't play a particularly fast pace, but they do have young dudes that can rebound and take off with the ball, so by virtue of pace and youth, I'm taking the over. The Jazz should be able to keep it close seeing as they actually have some experience, but damn, this is a bad pick.

Boston Celtics @ Portland Trail Blazers (-8)

This is a tough call because PDX almost got smoked by the Suns last night. Bledsoe went OFF as did Isaiah Thomas. Aldridge may be out for Blaze City, but I still like them at home. The Celtics really aren't a threat to any team in the West, so I think Dame, Batum and Matthews kill it tonight and keep their insane home record intact. 

Monday NBA Winners

Monday NBA Bobnanza!!!

The NCAA tournament is on hold until Thursday and after losing a heartbreaking teaser last night because the Cavs decided to become the 2002 Red Wings in the second half of the Knicks game, we bring out an over/under Bobnanza for all you degenerates out there!!

CHI at IND over 179!! (L)
These teams are not known for their points, really what I am banking on here is a close game between two teams sthat are very familiar with each other. It might even end up tied at the end of the fourth quarter, which would mean overtime! Worst case scenario this ends up tied after 4 at 68-68 and still ends up under after OT. Hopefully we get a little Paul George scoring barrage and a solid start to the Bobnanza!

SA at PHI over 211 (L)
The Spurs are one of the best offensive teams in the game and the Sixers like to push the motherfuckin tempo like they were a DJ at a techno rave! Look for buckets on top of buckets mixed in with some buckets, as the Spurs win this one hopefully at a 115-102 clip.

POR at MIA over 208 (L)
This one could be bad because of the words of wisdom from fellow writer Sugar, "I'm a bitch". Well you know who isn't a bitch? Lebron James, and LeKing will beat the fuck out of you when he is mad. Fortunately for Portland, D Wade will be sitting out this game meaning they should be able to score some points against the Heat. Look for a track meet to break out in this basketball game as both teams put up points and play very little defense.


Suns at Hawks over 213 (L)
The Suns coming off a huge weekend need another game to stay close to the Grizzlies in the race for the playoffs. Both of these teams can put up points in a hurry and neither of them are known as defensive stoppers. Expect a lot of three point stink bombs and possibly a forty five point explosion from Gerald "dunk nasty" Green. Securing another over for the Bobnanza.

Alright four overs for the NBA Monday Bobnanza, hopefully we get a lot of buckets and very little defense tonight!

BJ's BIG WINNER BONUS (BBW BONUS!)

Houston at Charlotte (OVER 205.5) (L)

I wanted to roll with the cats here, but since Bobby Catz decided to go all o/u then I should too! The Catz are an ok defensive team, and a very basic offensive squad. No worries, the Rockets hate playing defense. I expect the Rocks to score at least 107 and for there to be a lot of free throws. High scoring games all day! 

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.

Free NBA Monday!

BJ's Sugar B-Day Bash Bonanza Picks

These two risky as fuck picks are dedicated to our fellow analyst and friend Sugar, who is probably at a Klan meeting somewhere in North Carolina right now. He is also on fire with his NHL picks, so go look at those.

PHI (+20) at IND (WINNER!)
 I love taking the 76ers here. Indiana seems to have trouble, not only beating bad teams and putting them away, but beating mediocre at best teams! As their late season slump continues, look for the Pacers to let Phily hang around too long and eventually win by about 16. The Sixers really don't give a fuck at this point, but there are still dudes out their playing for contracts. You should know if this one is going to hit after 1 quarter.

OKC at CHI (OVER 194) (L)
Not only are the Bulls good at holding teams under their usual point totals, they tend to keep their own score low in grind it out contests. So this time, take the over. I know, the easiest thing to do is to take the under with the Bulls and cash out like you just robbed Ray Charles, but tonight is different. KD will be trying to prove that he can score on any defense in the league, and Chicago doesn't mess around on offense either. Look for them to score about 22 in the first quarter as the return of Russ West ruins all OKC offensive chemistry.

Bobcatz' Pickz

Stay tuned for a complete breakdown on who to throw your money on in this weekends tournament coming very soon by the staff at DirtiestPicks! Until then we have a couple of basketball picks to hold you over in the meantime. Also check out my work as a ghostwriter on Sugar's Go Puck Yourself hockey blog!

PHX (+3.5) at BKN (L)
The Suns are like the train from the children's classic "The Little Engine that Could", they just keep chugging along even though everyone has been saying they will hit the wall and fall short of their playoff race any day now. Well the return of Eric Bledsoe has been huge as he looks like he hasn't missed a beat from when he dominated earlier in the season. Couple that with the recent return to form of Gerald Green and you have a recipe for beating the Nets (also a recipe for soufflé, strangely enough). Look for the Suns to come out, push the tempo and shoot those motherfuckin lights out as they roll in this one easily winning by 10-15 points.

ATL at CHA (-3) (L)
The Catz have actually looked like a legitimate basketball team especially one that deserves to make the eastern conference playoffs. Their signing of Al Jefferson in the offseason looks brilliant as he has responded with a career year. Look for the combination of Kemba Walker and Big Al to rock and roll on the Hawks, leading to a comfortable seven point victory.

LAC (-4.5) at DEN (L)
This line seems a little too low to me, I don't know if Denver brought back Melo and Kiki Vanderweghe while I've been working this morning, but I would still take the (-4.5). The Clippers have been easily the hottest team in basketball over the last two months, and I see no indication that Denver is going to do anything about that. Look for a group effort with several players ending up in double digits as Lob City rolls on to another win and their quest for a championship.

Basketball picks

Bobby Catz's picks
After a rough Wednesday to what was a very promising start to the week, today I try and rebound with three more bball picks.

HOU at CHI (+3) (WINNER!)
Today we continue to ride the roller coaster that is the Chicago Bulls. To the writers here at DirtiestPicks, the Bulls are like that girl you would always call late nights in your college dayz after a long night of slamming down Irish car bombs. Sure, you might regret it in the morning, but at the time it sounds like a really good idea. The Bulls are a very well coached team that you rarely see come in unprepared for a big matchup. Houston is exactly the type of team with weaknesses that Coach Thibs will exploit the shit out of in order to give his team the best shot to win. Look for Joakim Noah to have a huge night in trying to prove he's just as good as Dwight, and the first break out game for Jimmer off the Bulls bench. Close game throughout and the Bulls will pull away in the fourth.

LAL at OKC under 227.5 (L)
Last time these two met, Jodie "Fuckin" Meeks dropped a career high 42 points as the Lakers scored the upset over OKC. If the Thunder do not come out and absolutely shit all over the Lakers tonight, then my name isn't BobbyCatz. Look for the Thunder to put this game away early, as Durant and Westbrook have huge nights also write it in stone Jodie Meeks does not score 42 and the Lakers do not even break a hundred.

Bonus Barely Legal College Pick!!
UCONN (+2.5) at MEM (WINNER!)
These teams have already played twice this season with UCONN sweeping the season series. It looks like people are backing Memphis today because of their recent ten game winning streak and because it's hard to beat a team three times in a single season. Well as I've said many times before, I'm not most people. Look for Shabazz Napier to have a huge night while reminding people why he is the best senior guard in college basketball. UCONN gets the season sweep and moves on in a close five point win.

BJ's Pick
MIL at ATL (-8) (L)
I have not enjoyed this week, at all. Weird things just keep happening and I get screwed. So instead of looking at a bunch of numbers and making general, narrative based statements, I'm going to tell you this: Milwaukee is not as good as Atlanta. Their players aren't as talented, their coach sucks and they basically don't care about this season anymore. Milwaukee's point margin is -8. I'm going to take ATL solely based on the fact that they should win this game. That's all I got. Millsap should dominate.

NBA FRIDAY!

FRE FRIDAY PICKS!

Tonight, we are going with the biggest selection of picks we have ever had here at Dirty Picks. Seven games that's right the lucky number seven selection of basketball spreads for you to win money on.

Cleveland at Charlotte (-4.5) (WINNER!)
The Cavs have looked ok, but Luol Deng has not since the deadline. He was supposed to push this team into a first round playoff exit. With Al M.F. Jefferson standing in their way, it ain't gonna happen. Kemba will out play Kyrie, MKG will lock down whoever he wants and the Bobcats will revel in being a playoff team!

Memphis at Chicago (+1) (L)
Picking a game when Chicago is involved is asking for a brutal night. This slow, grind it out, defensive game will come down to Thibs being a boss ass coach and the Zach Randolph being exhausted in the first quarter. Should be a great battle between Noah and Gasol.

BK (-4) at Boston (L)
The Nets climbed back over .500 for the first time all season with their last win. Look for them to run and gun for a second straight win and a cover against the Boston *eltics because they aren't nothing to C (see what I did there?)

DET (+9.5) at MIN (L)
The knock on Minnesota is that they have no one to protect the rim. Pekovic and Love are both solid offensive players but neither of them can make defenders think twice about driving to the hole. Detroit has a massive front line and they should be able to keep this game close by pounding the ball down low for some uncontested dunks.


Milwaukee (+7.5) at NO (L)
This one scares me I'm not gonna lie. Any time you bet on a time that has less than fifteen wins you have to be a little nervous. Tonight I'm banking on newly acquired guard Ramon Sessions to have a huge game and keep this one close enough to get the cover.

POR (+2) at DAL (L)
Portland has returned to form as of late and Damien Lillard continues to play at an elite level for a scoring point guard. This game will come down to which big man can get going and I think LMFAO not only drops in 30-35 but also contests all of Dirk Nasty's patented step back jumpers forcing him into a rough 3-14 night shooting.

SAC at TOR (-6.5) (WINNER!)
The return of Rudy Gay to Toronto.Tonight he gets a front row seat to see why it was he was traded, and why his departure has made the Raptors a better team. Look for some strong passing, shooting, and defense from the Raptors, and the Kings to play selfish ISO-ball en route to a 20 point loss at the hands of the raptors.

NBA Pick

Bobcats Mighty Morphing Pick Monday

CHI (+3.5) at BK (L)
I know what you are thinking, are these guys just diehard Bulls fans? In all honesty no, not even close, as a matter of fact I don't even like Michael Jordan, but that's an article for another day. It's just every morning I check the spreads to see which team you should bet money on, the Bulls are continually disrespected and undervalued. Joakim Noah has been playing out of his mind lately, and is arguably the best center in the league. Combine that with their suddenly explosive offense and you have a team that it is hard not to bet on when they are given 3.5 points! The Nets are all about ISO-ball which is a dangerous offense to run against the Chicago D. Look for a ton of jacked up shots for the Nets that leads to run outs and easy transition buckets for the Bulls. Also Jimmer, nuff said. Oh, and have you heard that the Nets have this Jason Collins guy? Apparently he's the NBA's first openly gay player or something like that, I'm not a 100% sure because there has been a real lack of quality coverage on the story.

UTAH (+1) at MIL (L)
As we near the end of the season, typically we see teams near the bottom of the league get worse in order to improve their draft lottery chances. Hopefully this didn't come as a surprise to anyone, because if it does you should not be gambling on pro sports, go play hockey or something else ridiculously easy. Anyway, hockey rants aside, the Bucks are a sad excuse for a professional basketball team. They are just 6-21 at home this year, and have only 11 wins on the season! The Jazz on the other hand are coming off a close loss to the Pacers, and will look to take their aggression out on the Bucks. Look for the twin towers of Enes Kanter and Derek Favors to dominate the interior and for the Jazz to win this one handily.

BJ's Bonus Pick

New Orleans @ Sacramento (-4) (WINNER!)

The Pellies have a secret agenda folks. Obviously, they suck, but now thanks to a very poorly executed trade at last years draft, they are going to suck  ON PURPOSE. That's right, the Pellies' first round draft pick this year is only top 5 protected. Yeah, they decided to let the 76ers take a first round pick in a loaded draft and only protected the first 5 spots. Dumb. So look for a lot of Austin Rivers as Jrue Holiday is out for the season. Anthony Davis will try to hold it down, but he's got fellow UK Wildcat Boogie Cousins to worry about tonight. Let's not forget, Rudy Gay is still trying to prove doubters wrong 7 years into his career (give it up Rudy) so he'll probably go off. Take the Gay-Boogie Express to a -4 cover tonight. 

Wednesday Picks, For Wednesday Chicks

NBA PICKS

Chicago @ Toronto (UNDER 183) (L)

I hate watching Chicago play, but I love what they stand for; AND I love head coach Tom Thibodeau. How they manage to score more than 60 points per game with that roster is beyond me. You might recall that I picked the over for their game against the Brooklyn IsoMachines. That did not work out for me. Neither team could score and the Bulls were totally fine with that. Today, we're going to look at the Raps and Bulls. Now, the Raptors have been solid offensively since moving Rudy "The Parasite" Gay, but they're still just about average in offensive efficiency and true shooting percentage. The one thing you can count on tomorrow is Thibs giving Demar Deroazan all the long, contested twos he wants as the Bulls win 82-79.
Pick: Under 183

Washington (+1) at Atlanta (W)
It's not a good thing when the numbers point directly opposite of your pick. Washington might be the least efficient offensive team in the NBA, while Atlanta seems to be average at everything. Let's just remember, the Hawks have continued the tanking process after Al Horford's season ending injury. They're going to start pushing inexperienced guys into their lineups as soon as they realize they have no hope of winning. Plus, their GM isn't an idiot. He knows a top 10 pick is going to be more valuable to the franchise's future than another first round exit. The Post-Horford Hawks will keep it close, but the Wiz should get back on track after losing at home.
Pick: Washington +1

Bob's Waxin' Wednesday Picks

Fresh off a 3-1 Tuesday, I'm coming back at you with 3 more picks to get your Wednesday off to a filthy start.

Orl at Cle (OVER 199.5) (L)

Neither of these teams are known for their defense, but both can score. Dion Waiters never met a shot he didn't like, and Kyrie Irving can light it up when he wants to try. Plus, look for Oladipo to come out gunning in order to show Dan Gilbert he made a mistake by passing on him (not the first mistake he's made). Each team scores at least a hundred pushing this one over 199.


NY (+3.5) at NO (W)
The Knicks are full of relentless gunners. Melo, JR Smiff, up and coming Tim Hardaway Jr, and even Raymond Felton (though only God knows why). On the other side of the coin, the pelicans have trouble scoring at all. The loss of Ryan Anderson has really stunted this team offensively and Eric Gordon has been underwhelming at best. The Knicks coming off a heart-breaking loss to the Grizz, will rebound tonight and keep pace for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

Indy (-3) at Min (L)
The pacers have been looking like the Men and Women's hockey teams as of late. Look for this trend to continue tonight again Minnesota. Even double double monster Kevin Love will struggle tonight against the athleticism of the Pacers D. Look for Indiana to cruise early, and the reserves secure this win by at least 10.


So there you are three picks that are so set in stone you might as well call the games off now. Just like the men's Canadian hockey team repeating as Gold Medal Winners!

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