AC TITTICOCK'S WEEKLY FREE NBA BASKETBALL PICKS AND WINNERS

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3/11/05 Week 19 Free 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 and has improved that to a 54% winning percentage against the spread so far this season.

East Contenders:

Detroit— You can’t knock the defending champs who have started to play ball lately. After sleep walking through the year, they wake up for the playoffs. In Darko they trust.

Miami— Shaq fu is good and Dwayne Wayne Wade can ball. They added Alonzo Mourning for the stretch run but I believe the last time he was good was 1983 when he was featured with Emmanuel Lewis on Webster (http://www.tvtome.com/tvtome/servlet/GuidePageServlet/showid-694/epid-61983/ ok so it was Patrick Ewing but take a kidney away from Ewing and he is the same person as ‘Zo).

Boston— Yeah there is some home town bias here but this team has the talent and the mix of veterans and youth to take a serious run at this thing. It is not guaranteed, but there is a non-zero possibility they will be in the Eastern Conference Finals as long as they don’t have to meet Detroit first. ‘Toine has fit in so far now they need to hope Payton picks his game up.

East Pretenders:

Cleveland— Nice try LeDong but you’re not going anywhere with Jeff McGinnis running the point. This team has hit the proverbial wall and just doesn’t have the supporting cast this year. An early season end should give LeDong more time to nail groupies though and that is where his priorities should be.

Chicago— They are close to being a contender but until Eddy Curry gives an effort for more than 3 minutes a night, they are doomed for failure. They should have traded him when they had the chance. Some team is going to regret giving Curry a big contract this summer.

Washington— 3-7 in their last 10 games plus not covering the spread both times I had them last week. Jamison is lost right now and Hughes and Arenas are still remembering how to play together. They made a nice run but Jeff Ruland is not walking through that door anytime soon to give them the inside presence they need.

Philadelphia— What is tall, black, has no heart, and sucks the life out of a team? If you said Chris Webber, you win a lucky star (and by lucky star I mean nothing). So far the Webber trade has been a flop and the Sixer fans are growing restless with O’Braindead ball. This is an implosion waiting to happen. I wish I could get odds on an O’Brien-Iverson confrontation before the year is up.

Indiana— If Jamal Tinsley ever comes back, Jeff Foster gets healthy, and Larry Bird suits up, they have a chance. Otherwise, maybe they upset someone in the first round but that’s all. Thanks for playing Reggie, it was nice having you, don’t let the door hit you on the way out.

East Non-Tenders:

New Jersey— Vince had a nice little run with Kidd but it’s over now. You can’t win with Jason Collins and Nenad Krstic manning the paint. Little known fact but Nenad is Slavic for “Big White” and Krstic is Slavic for “Stiff.”

Orlando-- The good news is that Jameer Nelson is playing well, the bad news is that Jameer Nelson is playing. Great comeback by Grant but this is not the year.

New York-- I wish they would extend the trading deadline just to see Isiah screw things up more. If it weren’t New York, I’d feel sorry for them.

Toronto— Cold up there, eh?

Milwaukee— Gadzuric, Pachulia, and pray for rain (or is Sikma what Bucks fans should be praying for?).

Charlotte— I still don’t know if this is the Hornets or the Bobcats and if they have JR or Josh Smith. Either way, they suck.

Atlanta— Hawks fans never thought they would pine for the Jon Koncak days.

West Contenders:

San Antonio— The team to beat. They barely lost to the Suns and they sat Duncan and Ginobli. Add in the underrated Tony Parker and the toughness of Nazr Mohammed and you have a tough match-up for anyone.

Phoenix— Fun team to watch but they are fragile and could use a banger down low. Nash and Q keep missing games but Jimmy Jackson has been playing well. Tough team to read but I can’t remember the last time a finesse team won anything other than a trip home.

Dallas— The Mavs are somewhat under the radar but you can’t count out a Dirk team. The guy can score and if Finley ever remembers how to play, they can make a run no matter how crazy Mark Cuban is.

Houston-- The Rockets are one team that could surprise some people. They made some nice little acquisitions to strengthen up their backcourt and you can never count out a team with a big man and a dynamic scorer. If they put it together, they can be scary.

West Pretenders:

Seattle-- Sorry but I am not buying it. They have made a nice little run because they play hard every night but once other teams raise their intensity levels in the playoffs, the Sonics are done. They have first round loss written all over them.

Sacramento-- The Webber trade has worked out well so far but Peja can not be a number one option. He chokes down the stretch more often than Jenna Jameson choked in her seminal performance in Blown Away http://imdb.com/title/tt0317176/ . Bibby has ice water in his veins but he needs another player and the Kings don’t quite have it.

Memphis— Fratello did a nice job, and yes I can’t believe I just said that. Problem is they really have no go to guy without Gasol and he hasn’t been healthy in awhile which has not only caused Memphis to struggle but killed my fantasy team.

Minnesota-- Sprewell and Cassell should have to pay the fans for their effort this year, just terrible. Garnett needs some help and unless McHale suits up, he is not going to get

it.

Denver— Karl has them 8-2 in their last 10 but they still haven’t quite clicked. Kenyon Martin seems lost without Kidd feeding him the ball and I am beginning to wonder if Andre Miller will ever get it.

West Non-Tenders:

LA Lakers-- What do Kobe Bryant and Michael Jackson have in common? They both had sex with young boys. Ok, maybe Kobe didn’t do that but that’s not the point. The point is this team has no chemistry as they sit around and watch Kobe try to do his thing (and by “his thing” I mean playing basketball and not raping hotel workers).

LA Clippers-- If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a million times, Elton Brand is this generation’s Buck Williams.

Portland-- Do you think Chris Corchiani sits up at night and wonders how Kevin Pritchard is a head coach and he isn’t?

Utah-- Not only did Boozer lie to the Cavs but now he sucks too. Along with Gasol he has ruined my fantasy team and for that I hope he continues to get booed.

Golden State— Does anybody remember when Baron Davis was good? No really, let me know.

New Orleans— Enjoy Mardi Gras.

On to Friday's Free NBA Picks:

March Madness is about to begin and in honor of the great event Jiggy and I will be in Las Vegas this weekend sporting Wagercom.com gear, winning cash in the sports book, and nailing hot lesbian strippers (and by nailing I mean giving them lots of money and not nailing them but that is besides the point). I won’t be able to pick games on Saturday as I will be getting into Vegas at 6pm West Coast time but will try to phone in picks on Sunday to the Wagercom.com editors. If any of you want to get advice while in vegas, shoot us an e-mail as we will be meeting fans poolside Sunday from 2-4pm.

Memphis -1.5 at Utah:

Utah could blow them out but then again the Jazz are 20-40 and hate covering spreads.

Chicago at Seattle -7:

The Bulls are due for a loss and Seattle plays well against teams like this. If they can jump out early this should be a blow out.

Golden State at Indiana Under 188.5:

Neither team is playing well so if the Warriors can keep Stephen Jackson in check, the under should be a given.

Charlotte at Philadelphia Under 188.5:

Don’t ask.

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