NBA Pod & Picks

The Spread is up for this week! Rob and Brandon break down the early NBA storylines. How good are the Warriors? What's wrong with Houston? Way too early playoff predictions, hot takes and more this week on The Spread!




MIL +3 vs WAS

Word on the street is Bradley Beal will probably miss tonight's game as he is still nursing an injured shoulder. Either way grabbing the points here with Waukee is a good call. Bucks are coming off a hard fought win against the Cavaliers and should be able to translate those positive vibes into a win against the Wizards in chocolate city.

DEN +6 vs NOP
I made the mistake of betting the over the other night when the Nuggets played the Suns, and then watched Jameer Nelson jack up terrible three after terrible three en route to a thirty point blowout loss. You know what helps a team get their confidence back? Playing the always injured lineup that the Pelicans like to trot out. Sure Anthony Davis is playing really well like he was supposed to do, but he is not getting any help, at all...zero. Take the points here.


TOR +10 vs GSW
Upset pick of the day!!! If you listen to the podcast you already know this is my upset special of the day (if you don't, click the link below and treat yourself to some aural pleasure). The Warriors should have lost to the Nets a few nights ago and tonight definitely has the feel of a letdown game for the Dubs. If the Raptors can get just enough defensively out of Kyle Lowry and Demarre Carroll they should have enough to do the unthinkable and beat the Warriors on their home floor no less!!

NBA Tuesday

WAS +5.5 vs OKC

It's the return of KD to the city that he helped build! That's right the nations capital, that wouldn't be here if not for Mr. former MVP. Though all the talk tonight is going to be about his chances of returning home after the end of the season, what they should be talkin about is the Wizards backcourt. Sure, they need to cut down on some turnovers, but these guys have been playing really well all season. The backcourt of Wall/Beal combine for 60 as the Wizards out play the Thunder in DC.

UTAH +6 vs CLE

For whatever reason Gordon Hayward plays really well whenever he plays against LeBron. Inevitably it always leads to the "has Hayward arrived??" convo on ESPN; followed by average output the rest of the season for Gordon. But at least it's fun to talk about for a few days. Plus Cleveland is on a mean heater right now...they have to be due for a confusing loss soon.

NYK +8 vs TOR

First off I owe Kristaps Porzingis's family and friends an apology. I thought he was going to be terrible. I really never expected him to do much of anything at all in the league and figured he would be back in Europe come February. Today he is averaging 12 and 9!! And looks like he legitimately belongs in an NBA rotation. So in honor of the Zinger...I'm taking the Knicks tonight.

MIN +2 vs CHA

Weird line alert!! Wolves are clearly the better team which is a line no one would have said at the beginning of the season. Wiggins is playing at a very high level, coming off of back to back 30 point games and the rest of the team is playing up to their potential. They have beaten legitimate good teams, don't be surprised if this one isn't even close.

NBA Elimination Games

ATL +3 vs WAS Hawks in an elimination game getting three points on the road? Yes please. These games have all come down to the last few possessions, culminating in Al Horfords offensive foul or game winning putback depending on which team you are rooting for. I don't think that loss is going to sit well with the Wizards. I expect the Hawks to catch fire from beyond the arc and win this game by 15, closing out the series and moving on to face the Cavs. UPDATED LINE: GS vs MEM +5 I had to be talked in to this one. I'll admit, Catz's idea of a good time isn't only getting five points against the Warriors in an elimination game. But then I was informed of something that no number can accurately measure. Grindhouse. That's right, the crazy, raucous stadium filled with southerners who are going to cheer their little hearts out trying to will their team to a victory. That's worth at least five points right?? Throw in that Tony Allen is expected to return and you have a nice little points grab as the Grizz send this one back to Oakland for game seven.

Game 4, Game Winners!

ATL  vs. WAS (+4.5)

"I CALLED GAME!!!"' With three words Paul Pierce immortalized himself on the Mount Rushmore of sports quotes after his buzzer beating "game shot" Saturday night. And I'm supposed to think that the Hawks are just going to waltz in to a fired up Wizard's chambers (still taking suggestions on that one) and swing the momentum and the series back to the dirty dirty?? I don't think so, as a matter of fact I'm even gonna go out on a limb with my own postgame proclamation, "I CALL SERIES". Wizards win and go up 3-1.

MEM (+5) vs. GSW

Yet another series where the team up 2-1 can't even get a little respect?? Has Vegas even watched any of these games?? Z-Bo and Gasol are owning the number one ranked D from the regular season, and Tony Allen is irritating the splash brothers like a mean blister on their taints. I really think Memphis has a shot to win this series, but tonight I predict they lose on a last second three by Curry, keeping with the recent buzzer beater trend.

NBA bounce back picks

WAS vs ATL (-6) I liken this pick to sticking your finger back in an electrical socket after it shocks the fuck out of you. You know the old saying "get burned once, shame on me, dust yourself off and get back on the horse!"...or something like that. Anyway, the Wiz don't need this game and will be more than happy to take a 1-1 spilt back to chocolate city. Hopefully the triples fall and ATL is able to even up the series. MEM (+10) vs GSW Well the last time they played the line was 10.5 which the Warriors ended up covering...so that extra .5 is the different maker right?? Game changer!! Hopefully the Grizz muck it up, feed the post and are able to keep this game close enough to cover.

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.

Double D NBA Picks!

CATZ

CHI (+1.5) vs. WAS

The Wizards are having themselves a little spring free fall over the past few weeks. Lucky for them they play in the East which features all of one title contender (sorry Atlanta). Meanwhile on the other side of things we have the Bulls who fancied themselves a title contender as well until recently when D Rose and Jimmy Butler were knocked out for at least a month. So why would I take the Bulls you ask? Because I actually really like this offense when it runs through a now healthy Joakim Noah. He's gonna catch the ball at the free throw line, pivot, and fire an entry pass to Gasol on the inside or Mirotic sitting in the corner ready to splash when needed. Look for Noah to have no less than 15 dimes tonight and most likely a very Joakim type game (13 pts, 12 rebs, 15 dimes) as the Bulls continue to ruin the Wizards season and Randy Whitman's seat gets hotter. 

BOS (+10) vs. CLE

How are you gonna give a Brad Stevens coached team that features Isaiah Thomas coming off the bench ten points!! Oh, they're playing against Cleveland? Is LeBron out? Naw, alright well I guess ill just bank on Boston fighting for a playoff spot while Cleveland has their spot engraved in stone. Hopefully the Celtics do just enough to keep this one close and don't get blowed out.

MR. NUTZ

UTA (+8) vs MEM

It really pains me to bet against the Grizz, a team that might win the West this year. The thing is, Utah is and has been undervalued all year. They have a young squad with some players that can definitely hang in the NBA. Hell, if they were in the East they would be a playoff squad. The Jazz have covered 7 of their last 8 while the Grizz are something like 3 for their last 10. This should be a pretty low scoring game where the Jazz are able to keep it close in a loss.

MIL (-5.5) vs DEN

Damnit  I was way more confident in this pick before Brian shaw was fired. He's one of the worst coaches I've ever seen and the team had clearly given up on him weeks ago. Tonight, they may be so overjoyed by the lack of B Shaw that they come out and dominate. This shouldn't happen as the Bucks are rolling this season and need the win to snap a 2 game skid and try to overtake Washington in the playoff race. 

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.

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 Playoff Picks

It it time for the Catz, to venture back in to the deep end of the swimming pool. Lately I have been relying on the advice of others when I was making my picks and then blaming them when things went horribly, horribly wrong (see last night game 3 Hawks vs. Pacers). So today, I shut my phone off, deactivated my facebook, and flipped off my neighbors, because this is solo Catz pick time!

CHI at WAS (-2.5) over 181 (L) (WINNER!)

The Wizards have absolutely outplayed the Bulls in this series, and Nene is actually making the DPOY Noah look like an average defender at times. Meanwhile in the backcourt, John Wall and Bradley Beal are consistently getting in the paint, while the Bulls are relying on DJ Augustine to do the heavy lifting. I think the Wizards look to put their foot on the throats of the Bulls tonight as a fired up Wiz team scores some points and gets the win.

TOR at BKN (-4.5) under 191 (L) (L)

This one is a classic Nets bounce back game. This is an old team and it is hard for them to get two wins in a row, but two wins in three games? Very doable. Couple that with the fact that they are returning home after splitting the first two games in Toronto, and you have a recipe for a big Nets win. I think this one plays out as a defensive struggle, with each team taking their punches and the Nets pulling away late in the fourth.

HOU at POR (-2) (UNDER 215) (L) (L)

Well first off I don't appreciate Catz firing shots at me in some backhanded way when I called the only two wins we had last night. But that's cake mix through the escalator at this point. Earlier this week I predicted Portland would win this series in 7 games. In no way did I see PDX stealing 2 in Houston and dominating the shit out of the Rockets with mid range jumpers. Tonight, the Houston Fragile Psyche's have to play in front of one of the wildest crowds in the NBA. I expect a lot of fatigue on both sides, so this one is going to come down to Damian Lillard and Nic Batum carrying the Blazers. Last note: Dwight Howard is coming off one of the best games of his career and Houston still lost....

Tuesday Mortal Sin Playoff Picks!

NBA Playoff Picks!

Another night of game 2's in the NBA.  In the first game of these series the road team scored the upset in each contest. Tonight, shits gonna swing back in the home teams favor.

ATL (+7.5) at IND over 186.5 (L) (L)
Absolutely a no-brainer. Indiana will probably come out and attempt to play their best game of the season, but this just isn't a championship caliber team. Whatever the fuck is going on in their locker room is obviously carrying over to the court, and the results are terrible. Pacers will probably win, but the Hawks will have another good showing in Indiana.

WAS (+5.5) at CHI under 180 (WINNER) (L)
Again we have another game where I think the home team wins, but keeps it close enough to cover the spread. I think this is a very slow, very low scoring affair that sees both teams struggle to score 80. Chi Town probably gets the win here, but don't be shocked if Chocolate City takes a 2-0 lead going back home. 

BKN (+4.5) TOR under 190.5 (L) (L)
Brooklyn!!! Is in the building! Why bet Brooklyn in this game? Is it their experience? The fact that they have a legit ten man rotation? Nope none of those things, bet the Nets for no other reason besides the fact that they have destroyed Dirty Picks this season. You know the old saying? If you can't beat em, join em. Nets cover and keep this one under.

Free NBA Picks!

Catz's Quick Hitz

Last night was a pretty successful night going 4-2 with the only two losses coming on my weakest pick the dreaded over/under. As the old saying goes though when Josh Smith sits out against his former team and causes the total to go under, you have to bet right back on the Pistons! Also because the NBA season is almost over I decided to throw a pick on every game out there because once it's gone, it's gone (at least until next October). Have fun with these and remember just bet the opposite on my over/unders and you will soon be richer than Ole Uncle Moneybags Scrooge McDuck.

DET at CLE (OVER 207) (WINNER!)

BK (-5.5) at ORL (L)

PHI (+13) at TOR (WINNER!)

CHA (+5.5) at WAS (WINNER!)

BOS at ATL (-315) (WINNER!)

CHI at MIN (+2.5) (L)

HOU at DEN (OVER 222.5) (WINNER!)

SAC at POR (OVER 200.5) (L)

OKC (+3) @ LAC (WINNER!)

IND at MIL (+2) (P)

PHX at NO (UNDER 208) (WINNER!)

Miami (+4.5) at Memphips (L)