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AC TITTICOCK'S WEEKLY FREE NBA BASKETBALL PICKS AND WINNERS
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AC's 2004-2005 NBA Picks Season Record
Wins: 111 Losses: 83 Ties: 4
NBA Picks Winning Percentage: 57%
Record updated Saturdays and Mondays
Contact AC at ac@wagercom.com or post your questions/comments on the Wagercom Message Board
Read AC's Bio
6/23/05 NBA Championship 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 57% winning percentage against the spread this season.
Game 5 is here and I am completely flabbergsted as to what to expect. The Pistons have come roaring back thanks to the inspired play of Ben Wallace, their clutch and grab defense, and the fading away of Nazr Mohammed and anyone else on the Spurs not named Tim Duncan. So what do you do today given Detroit's re-emergence and San Antonio's compete meltdown? Do you stick with the Spurs or jump on the Pistons bandwagon, after all they are defending chanpions. It's a tough call but let's look at why the Pistons came back in a little more detail.
1. The Play of Ben Wallace: I don't know, maybe Robet Horry said something about Wallace's mom, maybe Rasho told him his cornrows make him look like a girl, or maybe Wallace's wife really did threaten to not feed him, but whatever happened, Wallace has been a beast. Wallace has gone from averaging 7.5 rebounds per game in the first two games to 12 rebounds per game in the last two. Add in double digit scoring and intense defense on anyone in the middle and you have the number one reason for the for the Pistons rally. Is he likely to keep this up? I believe so, but then again i also said the Spurs would sweep so what do i know?
2. The Pistons Bench Comes to Life: McDyess has been solid and last game featured Lindsey Hunter going 7-10 from the field for 17 points. I actually did the research and the last time Lindsey Hunter scored 17 points in a game was in 1976 when Sidney Wicks was covering him. Even Darko made an appearance at the end of game 4 banking in a little turnaround one hander which wound up being the difference in the game hitting the over by 1 point and thus causing me to lose. Losing the under on a Darko shot is equivalent to watching midget porn as there really are no winners. Anyway, is the Piston's bench going to keep this up? I doubt it.
3. Pistons Controlling The Tempo and Handling the Ball: Detroit had 3 turnovers in game 4 compared to 17 for San Antonio. Let me put this in perspective, I dropped my TV remote control about 4 times during the last game which is one more turnover than the Pistons had. Can they play another game like that? I don't think so.
4. The Disappearance of Nazr Mohammed: Nazr flat out missed two dunks in the last game where the ball just came out of his hand. Either he has tiny hands or just really sucks. If I were him I would just go with the layup. The Spurs need Nazr to rebound and get 10-15 points. Can he do this? Yes. Will he do this? I don't know.
5. The Pistons Physical Play: Detroit is getting away with clutching, grabbing, and hacking. The Spurs need to just hack back. Plain and simple. Knock Tayshaun on his ass just once and see how different the game becomes. Will the Spurs do this? I expect they will, why else would they have Bruce Bowen?
So there you have it, 5 reasons why the Pistons pulled this series even. However, only one of those 5 should continue.
Free NBA Pick for Sunday - Championship Game 5:
San Antonio +4 at Detroit:
It has to happen, they are not this bad. The Pistons may win but not in a blow out.
San Antonio at Detroit Over 172:
Why not
NBA Picks for Tuesday - Championship Game 6:
Wow, Robert Horry showed up and saved the Tim Duncan from being a goat with his free throw misses while also bailing out the NBA from having to explain the horribly biased refereeing. Even Hubie Brown admitted that Richard Hamilton committed an offensive foul on the last play of the game and that was probably one of the less egregious galls to go against the Spurs.
Anyway, I would write a tome about the play of Horry, the disappearance of Nazr Mohammed, the constant hacking of the Pistons, the clutch play of Chauncey Billups, and the emergence of Taylor Rain, but I am moving tomorrow so I have no time. I will pick tonight’s game though about which I have mixed feelings.
Detroit +5.5 at San Antonio:
A few reasons here, but mainly the NBA wants a game 7. This game is either going to be close all the way, or going to be close until the Spurs blow out the Pistons in the fourth. I just think the Pistons have played with too much heart to lay down. The Spurs are likely to win but not by more than 4. However, this is a tough call.
Detroit at San Antonio Over 173:
Clinching games are always low scoring, unless it is a blow out which I don’t see happening until late, if at all. However, I still think they get 173, even though I changed to the over midway through this sentence.
Be careful tonight, this is really not an easy game to predict.
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