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AC TITTICOCK'S WEEKLY FREE NBA BASKETBALL PICKS AND WINNERS
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AC's Wagercom 2007-2008 NBA Picks Season Record
Wins: 53 Losses: 46 Ties: 5
NBA Picks Winning Percentage: 54%
Record updated Saturdays and Mondays
Contact AC at ac@wagercom.com or post your questions/comments on the Wagercom Message Board
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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 has had 4 consecutive winning seasons picking NBA games against the spread making you money including the VIG. AC does this out of the kindness of his heart and for the naked pictures of your girlfriends you send him as a token of your appreciation. So enjoy the columns and the picks..
AC'S NBA 2007-2008 WEEK 13 PICKS:
It’s time for the annual midseason look at how AC’s pre-season predictions are stacking up. This NBA season has had more surprises than most including the from out of nowhere Trailblazers, the vastly improved Celtics, the every one is a contributor Lakers, and the what happened to us Bulls. Below is a look at the standings, my predictions, and my new predictions.
However, before we get to that, Gerald “the Scarecrow” Green (if I only had a brain) has requested to be traded. Now Gerald, if you can’t get minutes on one of the historically worst teams ever, where do you expect to get minutes? This could be the first NBA-NBDL trade. I wonder if McHale has the Dakota Wizards on speed dial.
Eastern Conference:
Overall:
Not a terrible job in getting six out of the eight playoff teams so far but there are a few glaring mistakes (which we will get to later). The Celtics are certainly better than predicted thanks to Kevin Garnett’s serial killer type intensity (if you can get a clip of him popping his Celtics jersey after the win over the Terriblewolves™ last night, I highly recommend you watch it, but don’t show it to anyone under the age of ten for fear of causing nightmares). Otherwise, there is not much to see here with seven teams within 4.5 games of each other for the last two playoff spots. Once again the East is Frank Stallone to the West’s Sylvester. There are four legitimate teams (Boston, Detroit, Orlando, and Cleveland), two teams that can win on any given night (Washington and Toronto), and then a whole lot of crap. This division is more bottom weighted than Jennifer Lopez’s ass. If Ray Allen can find his shot and the Celtics get a pg to make up for the steadily declining play of Rajon Wrongdo, they should win the East, otherwise the Cavs or the Pistons will prevail.
Best Pick: Orlando Magic
Most publications had the Magic picked in the bottom half of the East, some having them not even making the playoffs. Those pundits thought the Magic overpaid for Rashard Lewis and that would actually hurt them. What they failed to understand is that even if they spent too much on a somewhat limited shooter, that shooter is still a very good player and a giant improvement over what they had. Just because something is not worth what you spent on it, doesn’t mean it is without value, like a $400 bottle of beer or a ~$150,000 Wharton MBA. Plus Dwight Howard gets better every day and the Magic’s starting five is at worst solid at every position which is good enough to contend in the East.
Worst Pick: Chicago Bulls
I still think they are going to get things together and sneak into the playoffs but wow have they stunk like Pepe Le Peu rolling around in his own feces. Luol Deng and Ben Gordon have been inducted into the Bonzi Wells hall of fame for turning down huge contracts with the hopes of getting max deals later. I haven’t seen decisions that bad since Britney married a back-up dancer or the state of Florida voted in the 2004 election. Deng may still get his money but his game has regressed from where it was in last year’s playoffs while Gordon just isn’t that good (unless you like scorers who can’t shoot). The real story of the Bulls though is that it hasn’t just been one player underperforming, it has been the whole team. Hinrich has played like he will get extra points for breaking the rim, Ben Wallace is more washed up than Shaq’s hip, and Joakim Noah’s head being surgically placed up his ass has kept him from being more of a contributor. Everything has gone wrong so far and yet they are only one game out of the playoffs. Wow is the East bad.
Due to move up in the second half: Cleveland Cavaqueers
I just talked about how the Bulls will sneak into the playoffs and other than them, the Cavs promise to make the most noise over the next 41 games. Cleveland is just rounding into form after the hold outs of Varejao and Pavlovic (though it looks like Pavlovic is out for awhile now) and the inconsistent play of Larry “I never saw a shot I couldn’t brick” Hughes. That said, they have the best player in the NBA in LeDong James, a big man who plays within his limits in Ilgauskus, and a bunch of role players who know how to contribute. They are 11-3 in their last fourteen games and should move up to at least third place by the time the season is over.
Due to move down in the second half: Indiana Pacers
The Pacers are holding onto the eighth playoff spot despite their awful 19-25 record. What they lack in talent, they also lack in coaching with Jim O’Braindead as their coach. Add in Jermaine O’Neal’s potentially season ending injury and there is a whole lot of downside here. The Pacers have no go to guy, no shooters, and a crappy pg, plus they play defense like a team from a leper colony. Short these guys all the way to the lottery.
Western Conference:
Overall: This conference is deeper than a thought by Jack Handy. There are legitimately ten teams that could not just make the playoffs, but win the conference outright plus the tenth team in the West would be a top three team in the East. AC picked seven out of the eight playoff teams so far (Utah and Portland are tied for 8th) with his eighth pick only one game out (Houston). The battle for the playoffs promises to be a great race which will likely be decided by who can stay the healthiest.
Best pick: Minnesota TerribleWolves ™
While I would like to pat myself on the back for picking Phoenix to retain the #1 spot even though many thought they would stumble, picking the TerribleWolves™ to finish 9,000 was really a stroke of genius. Minnesota was on pace to be the worst team in NBA history before winning two of their last three and your boy AC predicted their run at immortal suckiness. Below is what I had to say about them in my season preview, I believe it is all still valid:
9,000. Minnesota Timberwolves: Take last year’s 24 win Celtic team and replace Paul Pierce with Corey Brewer, Delonte West with Randy Foye, and Gerald Green with, well with Gerald Green. You get the point, right? This team is not just bad, they are likely going to be historically bad. I get douche chills just thinking about having to watch these ex-Celtics again so I thank you Kevin McHale for bailing Boston out and taking it for the league
Worst Pick: New Orleans Whorenets and Portland Trailblazers
This is really a tie even though technically New Orleans was a worse pick since I had then finishing eighth and they are tied for first. I did think the Whorenets would make the playoffs but I didn’t think they would be this good. Chris Paul leads a solid all around team with a nice little bench. It will likely be an early playoff exit for them, but they are the second most improved team from last year after the Trailblazers. While I had Portland picked eleventh and they are eighth, there is a huge difference between those three slots in the West. I have said it here repeatedly over the past several weeks but the Blazers play with the enthusiasm of a college team and are the deepest team in the league. Their play has tapered off as of late as expectations are catching up to them, and I fully expect them to fall short of the playoffs (mostly because the West is so good), but they are among the most fun teams to watch and when they get Oden next year, watch out.
Due to move up in the second half: Houston Rockets
There has been a lot of talk about how the Rockets would be better without McGrady but that is like saying www.Welivetogether.com would be better with just two girls instead of three. I am a firm believer that more of a good thing is always better and McGrady is a phenomenal talent when healthy. The Rockets have now won nine out of eleven including four in a row with McGrady. Plus, Yao is still the best center in the NBA even if he sometimes plays defense like it will give him SARS. McGrady’s injury actually may have been a good thing for the Rockets because in his absence, Luther Head, Bonzi Wells, Aaron Brooks, and even the little known Carl Landry have stepped up. Their contributions will be the difference in the Houston’s season and having them build confidence can only help.
Due to move down in the second half: LA Lakers
The injury to Andrew Bynum hurts them more than a swift kick to the groin by Jean-Claude Van Damme or Apple’s lower than the street guidance to their shareholders. Bynum was in the midst of a break out year where he claimed the title of best young big man not named Dwight Howard. His defense in the middle and his rebounding were anchoring this Lakers team. Without him, the Lakers are still a decent team but they just won’t have enough to stay in the top eight.
Friday Night Picks:
Minnesota at Boston -14:
I don’t care about the line, it could be 100 and I would still take Boston. After suffering through three years of watching Al Jefferson not play defense and not hustle, I am thrilled to finally be able to play against him. Jefferson, Gomes, Telfair, Gerald “The Scarerow” Green (If I only had a brain), the rotting carcass of Theo Ratliff, and two #1 picks for Kevin Garnett
is going to go down as one of the top ten trades in history (Right up there with Justin Timberlake trading Carmeron Diaz for Jessica Biel or Peter Minuit trading $24 and some beads for Manhattan). I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again, the Celtics traded the historically worst team (this year’s TerribleWolves™) for potentially one of the historically best teams (this year’s Celtics). If I know Al Jefferson, and trust me I do, his team will lose by 25. Watch Garnett play both ends of the floor and the Celtics completely clamp down on the TerribleWolves™. Just don’t turn the game off until Gerald Green gets his showtime dunk in scrubtime. If dunks were brains, Gerald would be a genius.
Memphis at Washington Under 204.5:
The Wizards are playing among the best basketball in the East right now while the Grizzlies still have four point guards, no center, and Chris Wallace as the GM. Somewhere, somehow, Caron Butler has morphed into one of the top 15-20 all around players in the NBA and the Wizards’ team has really picked up their defense. On paper, Washington is really a bad team, but they play well together, they hustle, and thankfully they don’t play on paper. The same can not be said for Memphis (except for the not playing on paper part) as they don’t play particularly well together and they don’t always hustle. When Rudy Gay is your biggest hustler, you know your team has problems. Take the under and hope the Wiz take this game seriously.
Orlando +7 at Detroit:
This is your classic buy high and sell low strategy, so be careful. The Magic are on a three game win streak including a two point victory over the Pistons while the Pistons have lost six out of ten. There is a chance the Pistons blow out the Magic tonight but there is also a chance that the US is not in a recession so I’m not sure what to do with that. The safe bet is to take the points and hope Dwight Howard shoots 60%+ from the line. The ballsy bet is to tease the Magic + the points with the Under. The crazy bet is to tease RaWeed Wallace. So we’re playing it safe and hoping the Magic can withstand the first quarter barrage.
LA Lakers +7 at Dallas:
I had a hard time choosing between this and the over 197 in the Raptors-Bucks game so feel free to play both of them. The Lakers are just playing too well to get blown out, especially as they just got blown out by the Spurs (and I know that doesn’t really make sense, but neither does this Hannah Montana thing and look how well that has worked out. And as an aside, who is Hannah Montana and why do I keep hearing about her? Can someone please make it stop?). The Mavericks have quietly resumed their winning ways thanks to Josh Howard, the rejuvenated Eddie Jones, and the reinvigorated Dirk Nowitzki. They’ll probably win tonight, but I’ll take the seven points and enjoy what I am sure will be a happy ending.
Saturday Night Picks:
A 1-2-1 last night thanks to the Celtics not showing up against the TerribleWolves™. What a disappointment that was, but at least they won the game. Tonight we’ll try to win some money but there are only four games due to some weird NBA scheduling quirk so we’re going to have pick ones we don’t necessarily like. Buyer beware.
Indiana at Miami +1:
They’re due. It’s that simple, they’re just due. Take the point and root for Wade to get 40 and the Pacers to be cold from deep.
Philadelphia at Charlotte -5.5:
Little known fact: Charlotte is above .500 at home while only 3-13 on the road. Widely known fact: Philadelphia sucks. The big issue here is that while Charlotte plays well at home, they tend to play down to their level of competition and the competition doesn’t get much lower than Philadelphia unless the TerribleWolves™ are in town. I usually like the Sixers in a game like this but after playing a stinker in NY last night, I am not sure they will have the energy. Take the Bobcats and hope Okafor doesn’t break anything and that Jason Richardson continues to go off.
LA Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies Over 200.5:
The problem with this game is that the Clippers like scoring about as much as Marion Jones likes telling the truth, or Barry Bonds, or Dana Stubblefield. Luckily for them Memphis likes to score. Taking the over here violates the rule of when two bad teams meet, always take the under, but rules were meant to be broken. Take the over, tease this with the Grizzlies -3.5, and root for Memphis to come out chucking.
New Orleans at San Antonio -5.5:
The sun will rise, the sun will set, and we’ll take the Spurs at home and give the points.
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