AC TITTICOCK'S WEEKLY FREE NBA BASKETBALL PICKS AND WINNERS

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12/04/04 Week 5 NBA Picks

AC's outlook on the NBA is an entertaining original column featured here at Wagercom. If you are prone to NBA betting or even just an NBA fan, make sure you come back often to read his articles and free NBA Basketball picks against the spread. AC will be providing us with a weekly outlook during the basketball season including free NBA Basketball picks on some of the weekend games each Friday and Saturday.

Our NBA expert AC wrapped up the 2003-2004 NBA betting season with a 51% winning percentage against the spread on his basketball picks after 190 games.

Twenty percent of the NBA season is over and there is no clear cut championship favorite. It appears that NFL-type parity may be sinking into the league which means the Raptors, the Wizards, and even the Washington Generals have a chance to win some playoff games. The most impressive teams so far have been Phoenix, Utah (before Kirilenko got injured), and the San Antonio Spurs and I know, I didn’t list the Sonics as they are purely a fluke. To my Seattle fans, talk to me at the end of the year, this is a marginal team and reminds me of the book Dead Souls by Gogol (http://authorsdirectory.com/b/dsols10.htm) great beginning but the end is incomplete and rather messy.

Anyway, there were three big news stories over the past week; the retirement of Hubie “Man Perm” Brown, the obscenity laced tirade Paul Pierce directed at Doc Rivers when he was pulled from a close game against Milwaukee in the fourth quarter, and the Dirk-McGrady showdown. In terms of Hubie, I have mixed feeling about his retirement. On one hand, I don’t think he is that great of a coach but on the other hand, he is a much worse commentator. Therefore, I like him on the sidelines because then I don’t have to listen to his drivel on my TV. So if Hubie is truly retiring and will not broadcast than it is a good move, however if he is now going to go back to TV, we all must suffer. As for hiring the human rain delay, Mike Fratello, just a terrible move. Fratello’s kind of coaching is what is wrong with the NBA game. Half-court, defensive-minded, no originality on offense, slow down ugly, boring hoops is Fratello’s thing. Yuck, yuck and yuck. I would rather watch a clown raping a one-legged duck than watch a Fratello coached team and you all know how I feel about clowns.

As for Paul Pierce, you have to wonder when he is going to grow up. All he has done since last year is sulk and his game has suffered tremendously. Three years ago I was arguing that he was one of the top 5 players in the league, now I am not sure if he is in the top 20. He wasn’t hustling so Doc pulled him which led to him cursing at Doc and sitting sullenly on the bench (he dropped an f bomb towards Doc, not something you should do to your boss). He did return and lead the Celtics to victory but he showed worse leadership than George W. Bush and look where that got him, oh wait, scratch that. The point is, he needs to get over whatever is bothering him and step-up. If he does that, the Celtics will win their division plain and simple.

And finally, Dirk and McGrady went off Thursday night. Dirk put 53 in Houston’s eye while McGrady answered with 48 of his own. It was reminiscent of the great Dominique-Bird showdown of the late 1980s. McGrady was just nuts, raining threes with two guys in his face while Dirk went 21-22 from the line. Just a fun game to watch and how about McGrady dishing out 9 assists? Those two outscored the 1994 Knicks in just one night.

On to Picks for Saturday Night:

3-1 on Friday, with the only loss coming from the Celtics. It was a game that should have been a blowout but the C’s decided to take the night off so what can you do? Tonight I will make you money again because I like doing that as much as Jiggy likes little girls in cheerleader uniforms and the good professor likes albino-izing women (please read the second edition of the Professor’s Corner on Wagercom.com for the reference).

Detroit -7 at New Orleans:

This is just a terrible game. The Pistons played terribly in San Antonio tonight and usually you would bet against a team playing it’s second consecutive night on the road. That said, other than David Wesley I can not name one starter on New Orleans, which I think is a bad thing.

Portland +6 at Seattle:

Smoke and mirrors. Take the Jailblazers.

Miami at Denver +2.5:

Miami playing game 2 of back to backs on the road and Denver is coming off of an embarrassing defeat to the Cavaqueers. ‘Melo is eventually going to remember how to play and Kenyon Martin always likes a challenge. The Nuggets should run them out of the building.

San Antonio -5.5 at Milwaukee:

Dan Gadzuric is no Tim Duncan and Milwaukee is completely lost right now. Redd may come out firing but who is going to stop Tony Parker?

Friday’s Free NBA Picks:

I am coming off of a 4-0 Sunday last week, getting back into the groove to help all of you get paid. With Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, Festivus, and Joe Randa’s birthday coming up http://www.baseball-reference.com/r/randajo01.shtml, feel free to hook me up with some of your winnings. I take small bills as well.

Orlando +3.5 at New York:

You all know how I feel about the Knicks. They are just not good, seriously, Isiah is the GM. The Magic are due for a road victory, they get one tonight.

Washington -5 at Atlanta:

I don’t know, maybe Hughes, Jamison, and Arenas part 2 is going to work. Just kidding, they are playing well, well enough to beat the Hawks but it won’t last. Take the Wizards and hope they run Atlanta out of the building.

Toronto at Boston -5:

There is no reason to take the Celtics here except for the fact that Toronto is beginning their slide to the bottom. Mark Blount actually reached double figures in rebounds the other night and if he can neutralize Loren Woods, the C’s should take this one (and yes I said neutralize Loren Woods, and no, I was not serious).

Philadelphia at Memphis Under 193:

I don’t go for the under often but Fratello is back.

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