Week 13 NBA Rankings

1. New Orleans Hornets (32-12) (3) The more they win, the louder the Chris Paul-for-MVP talk gets. Oh, and David West deserves to be an All-Star.
2. Phoenix Suns (33-13) (2) Grant just can never catch a break. He recovers from an appendectomy, then his back gives out.
3. Boston Celtics (35-8) (1) This is exactly what the critics were talking about. How does this team respond with KG and Ray-Ray going down?
4. Detroit Pistons (32-13) (6) With 7 of their next 8 games in the Palace, the Pistons have a chance to put a stranglehold on the Central.
5. Dallas Mavericks (31-13) (5) Can they now survive the recent injury bug that's forced key contributors like Stackhouse, Bass and Harris out?
6. Utah Jazz (27-18) (10) Kirilenko's strong impact is being felt on both ends as the Jazz have surged back into 1st place with a 10-2 month.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (28-15) (4) There will be many more battles to come between these two superstars, but it looks like 'Bron got the better of this matchup.
8. Orlando Magic (28-18) (11) Hedo! Hedo! Where did this come from?? It's like the guy just transformed into a different player overnight.
9. San Antonio Spurs (28-16) (7) As of right now, signing Stoudamire is looking like a pretty good idea. If arrests start taking place though, you'll know who the leader of the drug ring was on the Jail Blazers.
10. Golden State Warriors (27-19) (13) Webber and Nelson. Reunited at last. What will probably happen is they'll kiss and make up, but Webber's balky knees will prevent him from having the kind of impact the Warriors expect of him.
11. Cleveland Cavaliers (24-19) (12) Be honest. You were a witness too. LeBron just told his team "Hop on my back, I'll take you to the promised land" and with that, broke Kobe's ankles.
12. Houston Rockets (25-20) (14) Yao's held up his end, now it's McGrady's turn if he could just get back in the court consistently. Meanwhile, Scola has taken over the starting role and won't look back.
13. Portland Trail Blazers (26-18) (8) After losing two straight and falling behind by 19 to the Hawks, the Blazers had every reason to fold in the tent. But there is something different about this squad, they just keep finding new ways to win.
14. Denver Nuggets (26-18) (9) This offense looks pretty average without Carmelo. It's basically AI and four guys watching AI dribble.
15. Washington Wizards (24-19) (15) Jamison and Butler deserve all the credit in the world for keeping this team afloat without Arenas.
16. Toronto Raptors (24-20) (16) Can't wait to see Jamario jump over the Moon in the Slam Dunk Contest.
17. Sacramento Kings (19-24) (17) Kevin Martin: The NBA's Official Best Player You've Never Heard Of.
18. Atlanta Hawks (18-23) (19) Is it just me, or did this team quit after falling behind against Phoenix? Disgraceful that this is still technically a playoff team.
19. Charlotte Bobcats (18-27) (20) Be honest. Nobody thought Gerald Wallace would turn out this good.
20. Chicago Bulls (18-26) (21) Where were these 30-point games from Hinrich at the beginning of the year?
21. Indiana Pacers (19-27) (18) At some point, Larry the Legend does get fired for this team's gradual collapse into anonymity, right?
22. New Jersey Nets (19-26) (23) Lose 9 straight, win a game, and you're back in the 8th seed with a disgruntled PG begging to be traded, two injury-prone swingmen and no bench to speak of. See how easy it is in the East?
23. Milwaukee Bucks (18-28) (22) Yi just needs to get nasty. Yao had to do it. At some point, he needs to get angry and just dunk on everyone in sight.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (17-28) (24) Dre Miller just doesn't belong on this team. He needs to be traded to a real team.
25. New York Knicks (14-30) (25) Marbury's absence hasn't been all bad, as it's allowed Nasty Nate to unload on a bevy of unsuspecting PG's.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (13-28) (26) If they had anything close to a winning record, Kaman would be a lock for the All-Star team.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (13-32) (27) Chris Wallace just loves paying guys to not play on his team. He did it last year to Eddie Jones and is doing the same thing with Damon.
28. Seattle Supersonics (10-35) (29) When they all said he'd hit the wall, Durant responded by burying the Spurs and the Sonics' 14-game losing streak with his clutch shooting.
29. Miami Heat (9-34) (30) And the Miami Heat crowd roared as the Heat matched the '72-73 Sixers' win total with more than half a season to play.
30. Minnesota Timberwolves (8-36) (28) Gerald Green's in the Slam Dunk Contest? I wasn't even sure if he was still playing, he's buried so deep on the bench.

Week 12 NBA Rankings

1. Boston Celtics (33-6) (1) KG slapping the bling off Doc's wrist has to be the NBA's funniest first half moment.
2. Phoenix Suns (30-12) (6) They capitalized on the Bynum-less Lakers, sparking a four-game winning streak that has allowed the Suns to take back division control.
3. New Orleans Hornets (28-12) (7) Be honest. No one thought this team would be in 1st by the halfway point, but when healthy, this team can do some damage.
4. Los Angeles Lakers (27-12) (3) First Bynum, then Ariza? Does a second half collapse seem inevitable?
5. Dallas Mavericks (27-13) (4) Bottom line is their offense still has to be perfect because they just don't scare anyone on defense.
6. Detroit Pistons (29-13) (2) If this is as bad as it gets for Detroit and they're still 16 over .500, that tells you something about the expectations around that team.
7. San Antonio Spurs (26-13) (5) One thing that definitely breaks the Spurs way is that even as they struggle, no one's really running away in the West.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (25-16) (8) How many game-winners has Outlaw hit this season?
9. Denver Nuggets (24-16) (10) I still have no idea how Linas Kleiza scored 41 points.
10. Utah Jazz (24-18) (9) You listening Boozer?? Don't start going in the tank just because you have a contract in a few years. Linas Kleiza???
11. Orlando Magic (26-17) (11) Winning those home games against the Magic and Blazers was huge. I mean HUGE!
12. Cleveland Cavaliers (22-18) (13) All 11 of LeBron's teammates, his coaches and his GM better chip in when he throws one of his mansion parties. He's keeping guys like Hughes and Illgauskas looking good on the court and Mike Brown looking good on the sidelines while Ferry can sign whatever stiff he wants and LeBron will still make him look good.
13. Golden State Warriors (25-18) (12) Ryan Gomes's performance is no surprise when you consider GS has no one who can adequately guard small, stocky post players.
14. Houston Rockets (22-19) (15) Yao's been going nuts since TMac got hurt and he pretty much has to since the team has no other reliable 4th quarter options.
15. Washington Wizards (22-17) (14) If this team is capable of beating teams like Dallas and Boston without Arenas, wait till he gets back healthy!
16. Toronto Raptors (22-19) (16) Bosh's huge statistical outburst has put me within spitting distance of first place in my fantasy league.
17. Sacramento Kings (18-22) (19) If this team played in the East, they'd be a top 4 team, but being in the West, they're counting on at least two teams to collapse for this run to mean anything.
18. Indiana Pacers (19-23) (21) You can pretty much cross out any trade rumors if O'Neal's willing to sit out all year to rehab the knee.
19. Atlanta Hawks (17-20) (17) If they don't win a game on their next road trip, the Hawks might as well start tanking again.
20. Charlotte Bobcats (16-25) (20) With most of their road games still ahead and the team's 2-13 record away from home, Charlotte better grow up in a hurry.
21. Chicago Bulls (16-24) (23) When you drop from 1st in the league in defensive efficiency to middle-of-the-pack, it explains the record much better.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (16-26) (22) They're too finesse. If they would spend as much money on power players as they do on shooters, they'd be set.
23. New Jersey Nets (18-23) (18) You know it's going bad when the Knicks hold regional bragging rights.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (16-26) (24) Win or lose, you have to like the potential this team has through all the youth they've accumulated through the draft.
25. New York Knicks (13-28) (26) The Knicks are finally starting to win consistently and show some effort, but the problem is they should have been doing this from Day 1 with the kind of talent they have.
26. Los Angeles Clippers (12-25) (25) Don Sterling is actually blaming the only coach who's led the Clips anywhere beyond lottery land in the past two decades?
27. Memphis Grizzlies (12-29) (27) It should be a fun second half with the youngsters such as Conley and Gay developing and every annoying Gasol trade rumor filling the TV screen.
28. Minnesota Timberwolves (6-34) (28) It seems like the TWolves have some post talent. Now if they just had some guards to get Gomes and Jefferson the ball consistently...
29. Seattle Supersonics (9-32) (28) Durant is looking like he hit the wall, and hard.
30. Miami Heat (8-32) (30) It's been truly sad to watch Shaq deteroirate and Wade play recklessly hard on Team Ineptitude.

NFL Conference Championship Predictions

AFC Championship
San Diego at New England
Line: Patriots by 14.5
At about this time last year, everyone was down on the Chargers, criticizing the team's inability to step up in big games and Marty Schottenheimer took the rap for it. He was canned in favor of Norv Turner, a move that raised eyebrows throughout Charger Nation. After all, Marty was coming off a 14-2 season before his team's 2nd round meltdown against the Pats. Four weeks into the regular season, the Chargers were 1-3, coming off an embarrassing home loss to the Chiefs, and every person in San Diego was about ready to throw Turner off a cliff. Suddenly, however, the team started clicking, as they'd win 12 of their next 14 games following an astute trade for Chris Chambers. The offense diversified as Philip Rivers stepped up his play in the second half. By playoff time, the Chargers had developed a versatile enough passing attack to the point where they didn't even need to rely on LT and Gates. Those two, in fact, have done little in the Chargers' two playoff wins. Tomlinson has a combined 70 yards in two games and missed almost the entire Colts' game with a hyperextended knee. Gates hasn't played since the first half of the Chargers' Wild Card victory over the Titans. Down the stretch of the Chargers' thrilling 28-24 win over the Colts, Rivers had to sit out with a sprained knee that has left him questionable going into this weekend. With all those injuries, most teams would have folded tent, but Norv made adjustment after adjustment to get this team within a win of the Super Bowl. That win, however, will be a daunting task, as they travel into New England to face a team chasing history. The Patriots are hoping to run the table in the AFC unblemished. They ran roughshod over their first eight opponents, with none of their victories being closer than 17 points. In the second half, the defense started to stagnate and the team had to face a few close calls, but every time a game was in doubt, league MVP Tom Brady captianed the Pats' unstoppable offensive attack to key touchdowns to close teams out. This game will certainly be closer than the Week 2 blowout. This is a different Chargers team, one that has a more diverse attack and an aura of confidence from slugging their way past two tough AFC North opponents. At the end of the day, however, they still won't have enough weapons to keep pace with the most potent offense in NFL History. Patriots 35, Chargers 24

NFC Championship Game
New York Giants at Green Bay
Line: Packers by 7.5
For the first time in a long time, the NFC Title game carries with it as much intrigue as the AFC Title game, if not more. And what could be more enjoyable for football purists than this throwback matchup. A lot of people like to attribute the Giants' surprising playoff run to their close loss to the Patriots. The truth is, I don't know a team out there that uses a loss as motivation, even a close loss to an undefeated team. The truth is, this team turned the corner when they won their Week 13 game in Chicago. It was a rugged defensive struggle in cold conditions, but they managed to gut out a 21-16 win in a game in which they were really outplayed until the 4th quarter. They rallied from a 9-point deficit and since then, they've played with the type of resolve that's allowed them to upset a 13-win team like Dallas. Having won 9 straight road games and gunning for 10, the Giants face what is easily their toughest road test of the season. The Packers have lost once in Lambeau and looked dominant in the snow in their 42-20 rout of the Seahawks, a game that probably would have been 42-6 if not for two early Ryan Grant fumbles. The temperature is expected to be five below zero at kickoff with untold levels of wind chill. The Giants will be game, as they've prided themselves on playing well in bad weather. They won a week 16 matchup in Buffalo in conditions almost as brutal. If Eli can manage the game and spread the defense with short passes to his 3rd receiver and TE, Steve Smith and Kevin Boss, he'll open the middle of the field for Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw to do damage. At the end of the day, though, the Giants probably don't have enough weapons to keep up with a Packers team that has learned to run the football to compliment their potent passing attack. Packers 23, Giants 20


Divisional Playoff Games vs Spread 3-1
Divisional Playoff Games Straight Up 2-2
Season vs Spread 135-124-9
Season Straight up 168-80

Week 11 NBA Rankings

1. Boston Celtics (30-6) (1) The Celtics' offense has suddenly gone flat, as they've failed to reach 90 points in any of their last four games.
2. Detroit Pistons (29-10) (2) Followed a convincing road victory over the Spurs with a surprisingly bad performance against the Knicks.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (26-11) (7) They sit atop the West for now, but can the team survive the next two months without Bynum?
4. Dallas Mavericks (26-12) (3) Stack comes through big with a game-winner against the Clippers.
5. San Antonio Spurs (25-11) (6) Could Father Time be catching up with this team? It just doesn't have the legs at times against quicker, deeper opponents.
6. Phoenix Suns (26-12) (5) Hill's injury could be costly, as Phoenix doesn't have a ton of depth.
7. New Orleans Hornets (25-12) (4) Since when does Bobby Jackson shoot threes? He couldn't miss them against Miami.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (23-14) (8) After a grueling double-overtime loss to the Raptors, the Blazers come out two nights later and thrash the Nets by 26.
9. Utah Jazz (22-17) (12) I'd say the Jazz made a good trade, as they're now 6-1 since picking up Kyle Korver.
10. Denver Nuggets (22-15) (9) If the Nugs lose to the Jazz on Thursday, they could suddenly find themselves in 3rd place on the outside of the playoff race.
11. Orlando Magic (24-16) (10) Orlando's left searching for answers after losing three of four on the road, including back-to-back losses to the Nuggets and Jazz.
12. Golden State Warriors (23-16) (11) The Warriors have a chance to climb into the division race with each of their next six games against teams with losing records.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (20-18) (13) LeBron should have given the police officer season tickets or at least said he was practicing to become a NASCAR driver.
14. Washington Wizards (20-17) (16) They won back-to-back games against the Celtics and were riding an emotional high, but then suddenly fell flat against the Knicks.
15. Houston Rockets (20-19) (14) A five-game winning streak goes by the wayside with two fourth quarter collapses in consecutive home losses.
16. Toronto Raptors (20-18) (18) Bosh is suddenly coming to life with back-to-back games of 40 and 38.
17. Atlanta Hawks (17-17) (17) There's a position opening in Atlanta for a new scorekeeper.
18. New Jersey Nets (18-19) (16) This team has too much talent to have trouble scoring 80 in a game.
19. Sacramento Kings (15-21) (22) Martin's come back, Bibby's on his way, and this team will be hella scary once Artest fully recovers from surgery.
20. Charlotte Bobcats (14-23) (24) Winning in Boston was a huge confidence booster, as the Bobcats have played very competitively since.
21. Indiana Pacers (17-22) (20) Whether the games are close or one-sided Indy just can't seem to catch a break as they've stumbled to a 2-9 record since they peaked at 15-13.
22. Milwaukee Bucks (15-23) (19) The starting five is decent, but Milwaukee needs to get a more talented bench. It's hard to win when guys like Royal Ivey and Michael Ruffin are your best backups.
23. Chicago Bulls (14-22) (21) I bet Noah misses playing for Donovan now. That's gotta be a new low, having your own teammates bench you.
24. Philadelphia 76ers (15-24) (23) Patience is the key, but you have to love the way Williams and Young played in Houston. The team has a lot of good young talent.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (11-23) (25) I guess Bynum's injury puts Kaman in the All-Star game.
26. New York Knicks (11-26) (28) Maybe the team is finally rallying around Isiah in his 11th hour.
27. Memphis Grizzlies (10-28) (26) It only took half a season, but Conley is just now starting to get minutes.
28. Seattle Supersonics (9-28) (27) The surprising play of rookie Jeff Green has been a huge plus, as Seattle may look back on this draft in time as the turning point.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-32) (29) Jefferson's strong play has been the one bright spot in an otherwise dismal season.
30. Miami Heat (8-28) (30) The good news is they can at least wait a couple months before that loss to Atlanta becomes official.

NFL Divisional Playoff Predictions

Seattle at Green Bay
Line: Packers by 8
News flash: Seattle is good. They have a defense that can rush the passer and throw guys out of rhythm. They have the coach too who knows all of Green Bay's (and Brett Favre's) tendencies, having coached him and having developed his backup into one of the best starting QB's in the NFL. If the last playoff meeting was any indicator, this should also be a thrilling game, but in the end I think Green Bay will outlast Seattle with a more balaced offensive attack. Packers 30, Seahawks 27

Jacksonville at New England
Line: Patriots by 13.5
The trendy upset pick is here. The Patriots have completed the regular season undefeated, coaxing some of the most bizarre behavior from Mercury Morris, whose crack-induced rap verse about going undefeated almost had me in tears. Back to the game though, Jacksonville does the two things that you need to do to beat the Patriots, they run the football and rush the passer equally well. If they fall behind, however, I don't think they can play catchup against an offense as potent as New England's, and I'm guessing Brady will find enough mismatches in the secondary to get some important early scores. Patriots 34, Jaguars 24

San Diego at Indianapolis
Line: Colts by 9
The matchup of the weekend, as these are the two most talented teams in the AFC outside of New England. The problem is the Chargers seem to have a habit of falling behind against all the good teams. One thing we know about Indy's offense, too, is that once they get off to a good start, you're pretty much buried for the rest of the game. Unless San Diego gets off to a hot start and Phillip Rivers plays a mistake-free game, they'll have a difficult time playing catch-up with a team as talented as the Colts, especially without Antonio Gates. Colts 31, Chargers 24

New York Giants at Dallas
Line: Cowboys by 7.5
While the Giants are 0-2 against the Cowboys this season, both losses were relatively close, with the Cowboys' offense performing at a very high level. This game should even out a bit more, with the Cowboys' offense looking fairly mortal as of late and the Giants coming on down the stretch with an eye-popping 8-1 road record. I think this game will be close, but Dallas's offensive line will do enough to protect Romo, who in turn will use his favorite target, Jason Witten, to do in the GMen. Cowboys 27, Giants 24

Wild Card Games vs Spread 2-2
Wild Card Games Straight up 3-1
Season vs Spread 132-123-9
Season Straight up 166-78

Week 10 NBA Rankings

1. Boston Celtics (29-3) (1) The Pistons did their job and stopped the Big Three, but Big Baby Davis was too much of a load inside.
2. Detroit Pistons (26-8) (2) It doesn't get any easier after the Boston loss, with the Texas Two-Step coming up next on the schedule.
3. Dallas Mavericks (23-11) (5) They knock off the Warriors again, further quieting the notion that they don't match up well with them.
4. New Orleans Hornets (23-11) (8) Chris Paul had a masterful performance against the man widely considered the best PG in the NBA, with 28 points and 10 assists, including 14 in the 4th quarter, against Steve Nash, helping NO finish off their West Coast swing 3-0.
5. Phoenix Suns (24-10) (6) Those 78-point halves were like super-rare 5 years ago, but they seem to happen once a month with these guys.
6. San Antonio Spurs (23-10) (3) Despite losses to the Nuggets and Warriors and close wins over the Knicks and Clippers, the Spurs go into Thursday's showdown with the Pistons with a healthy roster now that Ginobili's back.
7. Los Angeles Lakers (21-11) (7) Bynum just keeps getting better and better, as his ppg rises to 12.8 and he remains a good rebounder.
8. Portland Trail Blazers (21-13) (10) Roy is making an early case for MVP and the young Blazers just keep finding new ways to win.
9. Denver Nuggets (21-13) (11) Iverson has been on a tear lately, with scoring efforts of 29, 33 and 38 helping him garner his 22nd NBA Player of the Week award.
10. Orlando Magic (22-14) (6) Those home losses are going to catch up with them sooner or later, even though the loss to Houston was armed robbery.
11. Golden State Warriors (20-15) (9) The Warriors have owned at least one team from Texas, as they beat the Spurs for the second time on their home floor.
12. Utah Jazz (19-17) (12) They should be happy about one thing: at least they don't have to face Portland anymore on their schedule.
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (18-17) (19) LeBron is the man after dominating the Raptors with 24 4th quarter points and passing the ball to a heckler during a timeout.
14. Houston Rockets (18-17) (16) They've been finding ways to win without TMac, as Alston, Head and Brooks have all come up big in his absence.
15. New Jersey Nets (17-17) (18) The bigs are playing well, as Boone and Williams are thriving off of Kidd's passing wizardry.
16. Washington Wizards (17-16) (15) I find it hard to believe that Arenas is really being shut down for the year, but he honestly didn't look the same at the beginning of the year, so it'd be a wise move not to rush him back.
17. Atlanta Hawks (15-16) (13) They've now lost 4 in a row since peaking at 15-12, but there's still a long way to go for this team to either emerge as a playoff team or sink into the abyss.
18. Toronto Raptors (17-17) (14) Bosh's ad was humorous, but who exactly is he competing with for votes in the East? Yi Jianlan?
19. Milwaukee Bucks (14-20) (24) Bogut has quietly played very well lately even as the team struggles.
20. Indiana Pacers (16-20) (17) Deiner and Dunlevy give the Pacers the whitest backcourt in the NBA.
21. Chicago Bulls (13-20) (21) Ex-Bulls Curry and Crawford play a big role in subduing the NBA's most disappointing team at home.
22. Sacramento Kings (13-20) (23) Just when things start to look up for this team, Artest sits out another 4-6 weeks, joining Bibby and Martin.
23. Philadelphia 76ers (14-21) (20) Igoudala's numbers would be so much better if the Sixers just had one extra player who could score.
24. Charlotte Bobcats (12-21) (22) They're a fairly tough team at home, but they give that right back with 11 of their 12 road games being losses.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (10-21) (25) In case anyone's keeping track, they're 6-20 since their 4-1 start and can't seem to buy a break.
26. Memphis Grizzlies (10-24) (28) Pau's game has finally gotten back on track, but Darko remains a major disappointment.
27. Seattle Supersonics (9-25) (26) Durant's production has plateaued, but Green's has quietly gotten better as his ppg has increased while he remains a solid rebounder and a disruptive defender.
28. New York Knicks (9-24) (27) At least Marbury's finally back, even if this team's season is a lost cause.
29. Minnesota Timberwolves (5-29) (30) McCants has been shooting lights out lately and they proved they can at least beat...
30. Miami Heat (8-27) (29) ...the worst team on this entire list.

NFL Wild Card Playoff Predictions

Washington at Seattle
Line: Seahawks by 3
The Redskins march into the playoffs as one of the league's hottest teams, having won four straight down the stretch to get to this point, doing so improbably with backup QB Todd Collins managing the offense. A big key has been the running of a healthy Clinton Portis, who alone makes the Redskins a threat in the postseason. If the Skins can establish the ground game early, they should continue the winning formula they've adopted over the last four games. The key will be whether Springs and Smoot can contain the perimeter, which I think they can, and the Redskins will get it done. Redskins 20, Seahawks 17

Jacksonville at Pittsburgh
Line: Jaguars by 2.5
The rematch between these two ballclubs should have the same intensity as the first meeting, and a similar outcome is likely. Pittsburgh just has too many injuries, plus the Jags have been red-hot down the stretch, winning six of seven after a 5-3 start before dropping a meaningless last game against the Texans. Their offense in that stretch has been unstoppable and if they can establish the ground game the same way they did in the last meeting, it doesn't matter what the conditions are, the Jags will have success. Jaguars 27, Steelers 24

New York Giants at Tampa Bay
Line: Buccaneers by 3
At some point, Eli has to step up and win a playoff game. It took his brother a long time to meet those expectations. This seems like a good opportunity for the Giants as well. They play in relatively comfortable weather down in Tampa, where the Bucs will look a bit rusty after wrapping up their division fairly early. While their passing offense has been sturdy and they got surprising contributions in the running game from Earnest Graham, the playoffs are a different story, and unless their playmakers show up again, the G-Men could emerge victorious. If they can get an early lead against the Bucs, they'll get the running game going and the Giants will have a fun time pounding the ball against the Bucs' small defensive front. Giants 24, Buccaneers 21

Tennessee at San Diego
Line: Chargers by 10
I get a feeling the Titans will have that "Happy to be here" look on their face. They struggled beating the Colts' backups last week and struggled to beat a 4-12 Jets team at home the week before. San Diego, meanwhile, is red hot, having won six straight down the stretch to seal up the #3 seed. After two heartbreaking home losses in the playoffs in each of their previous two appearances, the Lightning Bolts will get it done this time around. They're just flat out too talented for the Titans to keep up. If the Titans can't run the football, and their running game has been hot and cold this year, they're toast, because they certainly don't have much of a passing game. Chargers 31, Titans 10

Week 17 vs Spread 11-5
Season vs Spread 130-121-9
Week 17 Straight up 14-2
Season Straight up 163-77

Introducing the Gonzaga Theory

In 1999, a small school in Spokane, Washington entered the NCAA Basketball Tournament with few expectations. Seeded 10th and filled with a bevy of shooters, the Gonzaga Bulldogs took the tournament by storm, upsetting Minnesota, Stanford and Florida and taking eventual-champion Connecticut into the last minute before finally bowing out in the Elite Eight. This same team would come back the next two years, seeded 10th and 12th respectively, and march their way into the Sweet 16 each time. Eventually, they'd start scheduling tougher preseason opponents and earned a spot in the Top 25, as they routinely won their conference to become a trendy March pick. Except a funny thing happened. A year after their third straight Sweet 16 appearance, Gonzaga had their most dominant year in school history, winning the conference and earning the 6th seed in the tournament, only to be upset in round 1 by Wyoming. Two years later, they earned an even higher seeding, #2, and lost in round 2 to Nevada. The following year, a #3 seeding and a second round loss to Texas Tech again ended the Bulldogs' season prematurely. They frustaurated countless tourney pool entrants, most of whom befuddled by Gonzaga's sudden lack of success in the tournament.
The answer was simple, however. Gonzaga, thanks to its large national exposure, had suddenly gone from underrated to overhyped. Experienced college coaches scouted them and found their weaknesses. The pressure mounted and suddenly, the same looseness Gonzaga played with as an underdog was not visible with the pressure on. They had gone from the hunter to the hunted.
In watching West Virginia completely dismantle Oklahoma last night, I saw them play pressure-free, a complete contrast to the way they played against Pittsburgh to end the regular season, when they were wounded, nervous, and felt the pressure as their offense slogged through the game. They would lose 13-9 and miss out on a shot at the National Title. While this is only a two-game sample, you must also remember this same West Virginia team went into the Sugar Bowl against Georgia just two years ago with the same low expectations they had against OU and shellacked the Bulldogs 38-28. There are certain teams that seem to play better when the pressure is off and no one is taking them seriously. I can cite several more examples as well that fully and appropriately fit the Gonzaga theory.

2004 Detroit Pistons Won the NBA Championship as the 3rd seed, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 1. They finished 2nd in the division, 7 games behind the Pacers. Yet in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006 and 2007, when they were division champs, the Pistons lost four times in the Eastern Conference Finals and once in the NBA Finals.

2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Won the Super Bowl as the lowest seed in the AFC, winning three straight road games against the Bengals, Colts and Broncos before beating the Seahawks. Yet in 2002 and 2004, they finished with the best record in the AFC and lost both Championship games at home to New England.

2006 St. Louis Cardinals Finished the regular season with 83 wins, the 6th most in the NL, yet beat the 88-win Padres and the 97-win Mets before handling the Detroit Tigers 4 games to 1 in the World Series. In 2004 and 2005, they won over 100 games yet were swept in the World Series and lost in the NLCS.

2004 and 2005 Houston Astros Reached the NLCS and the World Series as a Wild Card, yet as division winners in 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001, they lost in the first round four times.

1999 North Carolina Tar Heels Made the Final Four as the 8th seed, yet lost in the first round to Weber St. as the #3 seed the previous year and lost in the second round to Penn St. as the #2 seed the following year.

The result of these teams' success is driven from a number of factors. One is that they may have gotten hot at the right time and played beyond their usual expectations (Pistons, Tar Heels, Astros, Steelers, Knicks). Another is that they weren't well-scouted before but were exposed once people caught on to their style of play (West Virginia, Gonzaga). In some cases, a number of key veterans were in the twilight of their career and the manager/coach found the perfect mix of role players to compliment the veterans, who were driven to succeed before their careers ended (Cardinals). In any event, I introduce this new theory with the hopes of benefitting from it in the future.

Week 9 NBA Rankings

1. Boston Celtics (26-3) (1) Loss to the Pistons? They'll just brush that off and win another six in a row.
2. Detroit Pistons (24-7) (2) Just wait until Rodney Stuckey develops. An already-deep Detroit bench is about to get a whole lot deeper.

3. San Antonio Spurs (21-8) (3) DerMarr Johnson was added to hopefully fill the void in Ginobili's continued absence.

4. Phoenix Suns (22-9) (6) If Amare can dominate again, Phoenix emerges as a true NBA Finals threat again.
5. Dallas Mavericks (20-11) (4) Even Erick Dampier has awoken from his three year slumber to post a double-double against Atlanta.

6. Orlando Magic (22-11) (8) This was a good weak for the Magic to heal up, as they feasted on some patsies.

7. Los Angeles Lakers (19-11) (5) Take note: Lamar Odom played physical for the first time in his career when he roughed up Ray Allen during the blowout loss to Boston.
8. New Orleans Hornets (20-11) (7) We're starting to see a truly dominant Chris Paul, as evidenced by a 40-point game against Memphis and a 16-assist effort against the Raptors.

9. Golden State Warriors (19-13) (11) Warriors' offense is in full-blast during their 19-7 explosion.

10. Portland Trail Blazers (18-13) (9) Loss on the road to the Jazz finally ends unlikely 13-game winning streak that has vaulted Portland towards the top of the division.
11. Denver Nuggets (18-12) (10) As much work as Camby does on the defensive end, the Nuggets have got to find a way to get him more involved offensively.

12. Utah Jazz (17-16) (14) Now at least the Jazz have the shooter they want in Korver so they can try and repeat last year's playoff run.

13. Atlanta Hawks (15-13) (12) As their five-game winning streak ends in Dallas, the Hawks must learn to deal with being the hunted instead of the hunter.

14. Toronto Raptors (17-15) (15) Winning in San Antonio will only do wonders for the Raptors' confidence.

15. Washington Wizards (15-14) (16) Daniels' return to the lineup couldn't come at a better time, although the Wizards' persevered with Mason Jr.

16. Houston Rockets (15-16) (18) They were on a 2 game winning streak and everything was starting to look rosy until a fourth-quarter collapse and loss to the Warriors.
17. Indiana Pacers (15-17) (13) Tinsley's absence can't be a good sign in the midst of a four-game losing streak, especially with the Pacers' lack of depth at that position.

18. New Jersey Nets (14-16) (20) The continued impressive play of Shawn Williams as well as the revival of Vince Carter have been keys in getting the Nets back in playoff contention.

19. Cleveland Cavaliers (14-17) (17) Betcha didn't know that Zydrunas Illgauskas has the longest tenure in the league with one team.

20. Philadelphia 76ers (14-17) (23) Firing King was best for this team, as they've played a lot better since the new GM took over and got pretty decent return on Korver.

21. Chicago Bulls (11-18) (24) Finally, some common sense being used, as Jim Boylen, Scott Skiles's replacement, moves Gordon back to the bench, where his scoring is more valuable.

22. Charlotte Bobcats (11-18) (22) Jordan practiced with the team, keeping everyone on their toes, for losing to a 40+ year old man, even one as good as Jordan, means they may get traded.
23. Sacramento Kings (11-18) (19) I love the idea of Bibby starting at SG when he comes back. This is a classic example of a small-ball team.

24. Milwaukee Bucks (11-19) (24) It's beginning to get a little ugly in Milwaukee, especially after losing by 45 to the Pistons.
25. Los Angeles Clippers (10-19) (25) The good news is ET is finally back, the bad news is the ship is sinking fast.

26. Seattle Supersonics (9-22) (27) Durant deals with nicks and bruises for the first time as an injured finger keeps him out vs Philly.
27. New York Knicks (8-21) (29) Curry is clearly unhappy with his sixth man role, but how else do you motivate such a lazy player?

28. Memphis Grizzlies (8-22) (28) They're still a year away after being thoroughlly overmatched in their last three division losses.
29. Miami Heat (8-23) (26) With Wade and Shaq hobbling and Mourning finished, there's little hope for a Heat rally this season.

30. Minnesota Timberwolves (4-26) (30) This is how bad it is for the TWolves: Their backup center with Ratliff out was an actual backup in college.