Closing out '08 with more Nets road love

Orlando (-6.5) over CHICAGO

New Jersey over DETROIT (-5.5)

Milwaukee over HOUSTON (-8.5)

Golden State (-2.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY

Denver (-0.5) over TORONTO

LA CLIPPERS over Philadelphia (-3.5)

Last night: 4-5

Season: 243-223

Knicks visit not-so-beloved former coach

Atlanta over INDIANA (-1.5)

CHARLOTTE (-5.5) over New York

Cleveland (-4.5) over MIAMI

MEMPHIS over Phoenix (-6.5)

Minnesota over DALLAS (-12.5)

SAN ANTONIO (-8.5) over Milwaukee

Boston (-3.5) over PORTLAND

LA Clippers over SACRAMENTO (-3.5)

Washington over NEW ORLEANS (-14.5)

Last night: 4-4

Season: 239-218

Why can't the Nets win at home?

Chicago over NEW JERSEY (-5.5)

Memphis over MINNESOTA (-2.5)

Phoenix (-9.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY

Denver over ATLANTA (-5.5)

Orlando (-2.5) over DETROIT

Washington over HOUSTON (-13.5)

UTAH (-6.5) over Philadelphia

GOLDEN STATE over Toronto (-1.5)

Last night: 3-3

Season: 235-214

No rush to pick defenseless Knicks

Denver (-3.5) over NEW YORK

CLEVELAND (-10.5) over Miami

Boston (-11.5) over SACRAMENTO

Golden State over LA LAKERS (-14.5)

New Orleans (-4.5) over INDIANA

Dallas (-0.5)* over LA CLIPPERS

No line available yet on the Dallas-LA game, so we default to making it a pick 'em game.  If a line comes out before the 3:30 tip time, that pick will be updated.

Last night: 6-2

Season: 232-211

Am I reading the Detroit line correctly?

Chicago over ATLANTA (-8.5)

Oklahoma City over WASHINGTON (-6.5)

New Jersey over CHARLOTTE (-3.5)

Memphis over SAN ANTONIO (-13.5)

PORTLAND (-8.5) over Toronto

Orlando (-8.5) over MINNESOTA

Utah over HOUSTON (-9.5)

Detroit over MILWAUKEE (-5.5)

Last night: 5-5

Season: 226-209

Sleepy Friday, Take Four

MIAMI (-5.5) over Chicago

Charlotte over NEW JERSEY (-4.5)

Minnesota over NEW YORK (-6.5)

Houston over NEW ORLEANS (-1.5)

Oklahoma City over DETROIT (-10.5)

MEMPHIS (-1.5) over Indiana

DENVER (-6.5) over Philadelphia

Dallas over UTAH (-4.5)

SACRAMENTO over Toronto (-2.5)

Boston (-10.5) over GOLDEN STATE

Last night: 2-3

Season: 221-204

Xmas slate doesn't disappoint

ORLANDO (-4.5) over New Orleans - The Magic have won nine of 10, including victories over the Spurs and Lakers. They don't have the fourth-best record in basketball for nothing.

PHOENIX (-2.5) over San Antonio - When in doubt, go with the home team in a holiday match-up where players' minds may be elsewhere.

Boston over LA LAKERS (-1.5) - We're not looking to bet against a team with 19 straight victories and the best start in NBA history.

CLEVELAND (-14.5) over Washington - LeBron's team is a lot better than DeShawn Stevenson's. And yes, it is insulting to call the Wiz Deshawn Stevenson's team. But it seemed to fit the parallelism here.

Dallas over PORTLAND (-4.5) - Dear Acks,

Merry Christmas. You're welcome.

Your friends,

Boof, Tek, J, Anil

Last night: 0-0

Tuesday: 7-5

Season: 218-202

Western showdown in the Big Easy

Oklahoma City over ATLANTA (-11.5)

CLEVELAND (-7.5) over Houston

BOSTON (-13.5) over Philadelphia

INDIANA (-3.5) over New Jersey

CHARLOTTE (-6.5) over Washington

Golden State over MIAMI (-8.5)

NEW ORLEANS (-3.5) over LA Lakers

Chicago over DETROIT (-6.5)

Memphis, Tenn. over DALLAS (-11.5)

SAN ANTONIO (-12.5) over Minnesota

Denver over PORTLAND (-8.5)

MILWAUKEE (-1.5) over Utah

Last night: 2-4

Season: 211-197

Too many points

Golden State over ORLANDO (-12.5)

NEW JERSEY over Houston (-4.5)

Sacramento over SAN ANTONIO (-13.5)

MEMPHIS over LA Lakers (-10.5)

DENVER (-3.5) over Portland

LA CLIPPERS (-2.5) over Toronto

Last night: 3-1

Season: 209-193

Feeling the big favorites

ATLANTA (-2.5) over Detroit - The Hawks play excellent ball at home, and though the Pistons are heating up, they have yet to convince us they're back to normal in the post-Billups era.

BOSTON (-14.5) over New York - The champs are playing their most consistent offensive ball yet.  The Knicks seem confused.

Dallas (-5.5) over WASHINGTON - The Wizards just lost to the Brand-less Sixers at home.  We're not interested.

Cleveland (-12.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - If you had OKC and 34.5 last time around for these two teams, you lost.  No reason to expect anything too far different this time around.

Last night: 5-5

Season: 206-192

Back-to-back Florida Ls for Lake Show?

CHARLOTTE (-5.5) over Golden State

NEW JERSEY (-3.5) over Miami

Sacramento over NEW ORLEANS (-15.5)

Houston (-5.5) over MINNESOTA

Utah (-0.5) over CHICAGO

MILWAUKEE (-4.5) over LA Clippers

SAN ANTONIO (-10.5) over Toronto

Denver over PHOENIX (-4.5)

ORLANDO over LA Lakers (-1.5)

Indiana over PHILADELPHIA (-10.5)

Last night: 4-8

Season: 201-187

Sleepy Friday, Take Three

Golden State over ATLANTA (-9.5)

BOSTON (-12.5) over Chicago

Milwaukee over NEW YORK (-3.5)

Dallas (-3.5) over NEW JERSEY

INDIANA (-2.5) over LA Clippers

Sacramento over HOUSTON (-12.5)

Toronto (-5.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY

LA Lakers (-7.5) over MIAMI

DENVER (-1.5) over Cleveland

WASHINGTON over Philadelphia (-0.5)

Utah over DETROIT (-3.5)

MEMPHIS (-3.5) over Charlotte

Last night: 1-1

Season: 197-179

Spurs to come back strong in road back-to-back?

San Antonio over ORLANDO (-3.5) - The loss last night notwithstanding, the Spurs' recent rise from the depths of injury purgatory seems to have put the fear of God back in the rest of the league.  Or close to it.

Phoenix over PORTLAND (-5.5) - With the exception of a whacking of the Kings, the Blazers have struggled of late.

Last night: 6-3

Season: 196-178

Is Celts-Hawks a rivalry?

Boston (-3.5) over ATLANTA

INDIANA (-6.5) over Golden State

PHILADELPHIA (-3.5) over Milwaukee

Dallas (-2.5) over TORONTO

Washington over DETROIT (-10.5)

San Antonio over NEW ORLEANS (-2.5)

Utah (-2.5) over NEW JERSEY

Cleveland (-9.5) over MINNESOTA

CHICAGO (-3.5) over LA Clippers

Last night: 3-3

Season: 190-175

Big favorites not rolling it up out west

Chicago (-1.5) over CHARLOTTE - We'll need more points to take the dogs in what should be a lopsided point guard match-up.

LA Clippers (-4.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - There remains little to like about the Thunder.

New Orleans (-5.5) over MEMPHIS - Sure, the Grizz are hot.  But the Hornets are a lot better.

Denver over HOUSTON (-3.5) - The wins since the Billups acquisition just keep piling up.  At what point this season will the Rockets be completely healthy?

New York over LA LAKERS (-13.5) and Sacramento over PORTLAND (-12.5) - See headline.  We'll pass on the big lines.

Last night: 7-2

Season: 187-172

New coaches do battle at ARCO

Charlotte over ATLANTA (-7.5)

Indiana over WASHINGTON (-2.5)

New Jersey over TORONTO (-5.5)

BOSTON (-9.5) over Utah

MIAMI (-5.5) over Milwaukee

Denver over DALLAS (-2.5)

New York over PHOENIX (-9.5)

SACRAMENTO (-4.5) over Minnesota

Orlando (-4.5) over GOLDEN STATE

Last night: 2-2

Season: 180-170

Can the Thunder be competitive twice in Texas?

New Orleans (-1.5) over TORONTO - The Hornets are just better, and this line is low.

SAN ANTONIO (-15.5) over Oklahoma City - The Thunder lost the first game of a Texas back-to-back by four last night.  Seems like setting themselves up to get wiped out tonight.

Minnesota over LA LAKERS (-16.5) - Seems like it has been a while since the Lakers really rolled it up on someone.

Miami (-1.5) over MEMPHIS - We'll take our chances with Dwyane.

Last night: 2-8

Season: 178-168

Are lists the way to go?

Feels like we're starting to get hot...wouldn't want mess that up by actually explaining these picks to act like we know what we're talking about...

Cleveland (-3.5) over ATLANTA

Detroit (-1.5) over CHARLOTTE

Washington over PHILADELPHIA (-5.5)

CHICAGO (-4.5) over New Jersey

DALLAS (-12.5) over Oklahoma City

Indiana over MILWAUKEE (-4.5)

Golden State over DENVER (-15.5)

UTAH (-5.5) over Orlando

SACRAMENTO (-1.5) over New York

Houston (-3.5) over LA CLIPPERS

Last night: 7-4

Season: 176-160

Sleepy Friday Returns

CLEVELAND (-10.5) over Philadelphia

MIAMI (-2.5) over Atlanta

NEW JERSEY (-3.5) over Toronto

BOSTON (-6.5) over New Orleans

Indiana over DETROIT (-7.5)

San Antonio (-6.5) over MINNESOTA

Chicago (-1.5) over MEMPHIS

Orlando over PHOENIX (-1.5)

LA Clippers over PORTLAND (-9.5)

GOLDEN STATE over Houston (-2.5)

Sacramento over LA LAKERS (-16.5)

Last night: 2-1

Season: 169-156

No interest in Charlotte sans Richardson

Boston (-9.5) over WASHINGTON - Twelve straight wins and counting.  We'll ride the champs.

DALLAS (-13.5) over Charlotte - See headline.

UTAH (-2.5) over Portland - Without getting double-digits, Acks tends to be really loath to take the Blazers.  Sooner or later, he'll see the light.  Not quite yet.

Last night: 4-5

Season: 167-155

UPDATE: LA LAKERS (-12.5) over Phoenix

No Shaq due to a death in the family.  Raja Bell and Boris Diaw have been traded to Charlotte for Jason Richardson.  Suns will be super-shorthanded.

Raps' slide to continue?

Indiana over TORONTO (-3.5) - The Raps will have to win again before we're willing to take them as a favorite.

New York over NEW JERSEY (-8.5) - The fast-paced Knicks should be able to put up just enough points to lose close.

Charlotte over NEW ORLEANS (-12.5) - The Hornets haven't been consistent enough to make us comfortable with this line.

Cleveland (-6.5) over PHILADELPHIA - The Cavs have won nine straight games by double-digits.

Memphis (-2.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - The Thunder continue to not be any good.

Phoenix over LA LAKERS (-12.5) - Too many points for a team that blew fourth-quarter leads in Indy and Washington last week and lost handily to Sacramento last night.

DENVER (-12.5) over Minnesota - The Kevin McHale coaching era won't likely be much better than the rest of the Kevin McHale front office era.

SAN ANTONIO (-7.5) over Atlanta - We're riding the Spurs on a night-to-night basis these days.

GOLDEN STATE (-2.5) over Milwaukee - Leave us out when it comes to the Bucks on the road, especially in the tail end of a back-to-back.

Last night: 6-3

Season: 163-150

Quick Picks Tuesday

CLEVELAND (-12.5) over Toronto

WASHINGTON over Detroit (-4.5)

CHICAGO (-7.5) over New York

Utah (-4.5) over MINNESOTA

SACRAMENTO over LA Lakers (-12.5)

Orlando over PORTLAND (-5.5)

PHOENIX (-7.5) over Milwaukee

Atlanta over HOUSTON (-6.5)

San Antonio (-4.5) over DALLAS

Last night: 2-2

Season: 157-147

Picks at the gun

We're right up against tip-off, so here you go:

MIAMI (-7.5) over Charlotte

Golden State over OKLAHOMA CITY (-3.5)

Orlando (-4.5) over LA CLIPPERS

Houston (-6.5) over MEMPHIS

Last night: 2-2

Season: 155-145

Triano and Toronto return home

Detroit (-6.5) over NEW YORK - The Pistons should be sufficiently angry after losing to the Sixers sans Elton Brand on Friday night.

TORONTO over Portland (-2.5) - When the only thing Portland has to be excited about is the return of Martell Webster, it's a bad sign.

Boston (-7.5) over INDIANA - The champs remember what happened last time around in Indiana. They'll be ready this time.

Milwaukee over LA LAKERS (-14.5) - The Lakers returning from an East Coast swing could mean they are a bit sluggish out of the gate. They'll win, but perhaps not by enoug.

Last night: 8-2

Season: 153-143

Good thing we pick the NBA instead of the Big 12 title game

That's because I don't have the heart to give 16 1/2 points against Missouri, but I wouldn't want any part of my Tigers either on that line.  So on to basketball...

Cleveland (-8.5) over CHARLOTTE

MIAMI (-11.5) over Oklahoma City

New Jersey over PHILADELPHIA (-2.5)

NEW ORLEANS (-14.5) over Memphis

MINNESOTA (-2.5) over LA Clippers

Atlanta over DALLAS (-7.5)

SAN ANTONIO (-12.5) over Golden State

Utah over PHOENIX (-7.5)

Denver (-6.5) over SACRAMENTO

Washington over CHICAGO (-8.5)

Last night: 7-4

Season: 145-141

Sleepy Friday

ORLANDO (-13.5) over Oklahoma City

LA Lakers (-11.5) over WASHINGTON

New York over ATLANTA (-10.5)

BOSTON (-7.5) over Portland

CLEVELAND (-11.5) over Indiana

Philadelphia over DETROIT (-9.5)

Charlotte over MILWAUKEE (-4.5)

NEW JERSEY (-6.5) over Minnesota

UTAH (-6.5) over Toronto

MEMPHIS (-1.5) over LA Clippers

Golden State over HOUSTON (-9.5)

Last night: 0-2

Season: 138-137

Nugs to stay hot at high altitude?

Phoenix over DALLAS (-4.5) - The Mavs have rebounded from a 2-7 start with a 7-1 run.  Their opponents over that stretch: Knicks, Bobcats, Rockets (no Yao), Grizzlies, Pacers, Lakers (loss), Kings, Clippers.  We're not totally on board yet.

DENVER (-4.5) over San Antonio - The Billups Express keeps on rolling: The Nugs are 12-3 with him in the lineup, and they'll have to hurt us before we go away from them.

Last night: 7-4

Season: 138-135

Wednesday long slate quicks

Memphis over ATLANTA (-9.5)

CLEVELAND (-15.5) over New York

CHARLOTTE (-8.5) over Oklahoma City

BOSTON (-14.5) over Indiana

ORLANDO (9.5) over Minnesota

LA Lakers (-7.5) over PHILADELPHIA

WASHINGTON over Portland (-7.5)

Phoenix over NEW ORLEANS (-6.5)

Chicago over MILWAUKEE (-4.5)

LA Clippers over Houston (-11.5)

Miami over UTAH (-5.5)

Last night: 3-5

Season: 131-131

Overachieving Nets return to Swamp

LA Lakers (-8.5) over INDIANA - Sometimes, it just makes sense to take the much better team.

NEW JERSEY (-5.5) over Washington - The Nets looked very impressive out west, scoring wins over Sacramento, Phoenix and Utah.  The Wiz are a joke.

NEW YORK over Portland (-6.5) - At some point, Acks will start boosting his own team again.  We have yet to reach that point.

CHICAGO (-3.5) over Philadelphia - The Bulls rolled in and beat the Sixers handily in Philly on Sunday.  We see no reason Derrick Rose won't continue to dominate 'Dre Miller.

LA Clippers over DALLAS (-11.5) - Too many points.

SAN ANTONIO (-4.5) over Detroit - The black and silver are healthy and heating up.  We're gettin' out the way and letting the Spurs do their thing.

DENVER (-6.5) over Toronto - No reason to believe the Nugs won't keep rollin' as they have been since the Billups acquisition.

Utah over SACRAMENTO (-2.5) - Deron Williams is playing so far as we know.  We're confused by this line.

Last night: 2-1

Season: 128-126

Wolves still don't have our faith

CHARLOTTE (-3.5) over Minnesota - Good showing for the Wolves last week against Detroit, but we're still a bit shy about picking this team, especially on the road.

BOSTON (-8.5) over Orlando - The champs have won eight in a row and seem to be starting to hit a stride.

Miami (-3.5) over GOLDEN STATE - Acks: "Didn't this Golden State team give up 190 at the Garden just a few nights ago?" Ed's note: It was 138.  But we get his point.

Last night: 4-1

Season: 126-125

Last two Sunday lines

DENVER (-4.5) over Houston

New Jersey over PHOENIX (-9.5)

Travel day at the Picksix

Early-morning flight coming up, so we've got quick picks for the three games with lines out and a promise of two more on the way by this evening:

DETROIT (-4.5) over Portland

Chicago over PHILADELPHIA (-6.5)

LA LAKERS (-12.5) over Toronto

Last night: 4-7

Season: 122-124

Why do the Wiz keep giving points?

Indiana over ORLANDO (-8.5)

Atlanta over WASHINGTON (-1.5)

Boston (-8.5) over CHARLOTTE

Golden State (-1.5) over NEW YORK

Denver (-4.5) over MINNESOTA

MEMPHIS (-8.5) over Oklahoma City

San Antonio over HOUSTON (-3.5)

Cleveland (-6.5) over MILWAUKEE

UTAH (-8.5) over New Jersey

SACRAMENTO over Dallas (-4.5)

Miami over LA CLIPPERS (-1.5)

Last night: 6-5

Season: 118-117

Red-hot Cavs to keep rollin'

TORONTO (-5.5) over Atlanta - The Hawks haven't beaten anyone of note lately. We're not too excited about them on the road.

BOSTON (-8.5) over Philadelphia - It would be great if the Celts could put together a complete 48 minutes, but as it stands, they're doing all right anyway.

CLEVELAND (-12.5) over Golden State - They whacked the Knicks by 18 (and it wasn't that close) then bopped the Thunder by 35. LeBron has played a total of 47 minutes in his last two games. He'll be ready to roll.

DETROIT (-9.5) over Milwaukee - Acks thinks the Bucks are terrible. At 7-10 and 13th in the East, he might not be too far off.

Charlotte over INDIANA (-6.5) - We're telling you, Larry Brown's team likes to lose close. Or at least is capable of it.

PHOENIX (-8.5) over Miami - Color us unimpressed by the Heat's 38-point loss in Portland.

Minnesota (-2.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - Nice first effort by the Thunder in Scott Brooks' debut, losing 99-98 to Phoenix. Then they gave up the first 13 the next night and trailed by 40 at the end of the three quarters. We'll pass.

UTAH (-10.5) over Sacramento - The Jazz weren't having too much difficulty without Deron Williams. He's back now.

New Orleans over PORTLAND (-3.5) - Talk to Acks 'bout that one.

LA LAKERS (-10.5) over Dallas - This is the type of line you cover when you're head and shoulders above the rest of your conference as the Lakers have been thus far.

SAN ANTONIO (-10.5) over Memphis - Remember when people were ready to pronounce the Spurs' death sentence? Yeah, that was about a week and a half ago. No mas.

Last night: 1-1

Season: 112-112

Turkeys in DC?

Orlando (-3.5) over WASHINGTON - We know the Wiz showed up for Ed Tapscott's debut, but this still seems a bit low.

DENVER (-2.5) over New Orleans - The Hornets' three straight wins have come against Oklahoma City (two) and the Clippers.  They've yet to meet expectations overall.

Last night: 7-6

Season: 111-111

Blazer line a misprint?

Milwaukee over ATLANTA (-7.5) - The Hawks have won twice in their last seven games, a four-point victory over Washington and a five-point win over Charlotte.  Not interested.

CLEVELAND (-16.5) over Oklahoma City - The Thunder busted it for new coach Scott Brooks last night...and still wound up losing at the buzzer to Phoenix at home.  Cleveland didn't have to work too hard in wiping out the Knicks last night and should be primed for another cruise control win.

Charlotte over TORONTO (-8.5) - Larry Brown's 'Cats aren't great, but they hang tough.  The 6-7 Raps have yet to sell us hard enough.

BOSTON (-12.5) over Golden State - The champs have played much improved basketball since a poor effort in a home loss to Denver a week and a half ago.

Orlando over PHILADELPHIA (-4.5) - The Magic's success isn't that married to Jameer Nelson's health that we'd pass on getting points here.

New York over DETROIT (-13.5) - Take two for the new-look Knicks couldn't possibly be as ugly as the first try was.  Right?  Right?

Phoenix (-4.5) over MINNESOTA - The Wolves' win over Detroit seems like the aberration that proves the rule.

HOUSTON (-8.5) over Indiana - The Rockets return home after sweeping a three-game Southeast Division road swing, and the Pacers play the tail end of a Texas back-to-back.

San Antonio (-7.5) over CHICAGO - Remember when the Spurs were 1-4 and down two stars?  Well, Ginobili's back, they're 7-6 and we're officially scared of them.

UTAH (-9.5) over Memphis - Lots of not-very-close losses for Memphis.  Deron Williams may play.

Miami over PORTLAND (-15.5) - Yowser, that's a lot of points.

SACRAMENTO (-2.5) over New Jersey - The Nets finishing a back-to-back out West don't thrill us.

Denver (-3.5) over LA CLIPPERS - The Nuggets are 7-2 with Chauncey Billups in the lineup.   We're impressed.

Last night: 1-4

Season: 104-105

Tapscott era begins in DC

Golden State (-1.5) over WASHINGTON - Wondering why Eddie Jordan got fired?  Look no further than the fact that less than a month into the season, his team is already 0-2 against the Knicks.  We'll give the point (and a half).

Cleveland (-6.5) over NEW YORK - Here's to a LeBopping.

Phoenix (-9.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - The Thunder are awful.

DALLAS (-8.5) over Indiana - The surging Mavs have won four straight, all by double-digit margins.

New Jersey over LA LAKERS (-13.5) - The Nets have won four of five, and Vince Carter seems to have woken up.  The Lakers haven't quite been rolling it up as they were earlier in the year as of late.

Jazz shorthanded again

CHARLOTTE over Philadelphia (-3.5) - The 'Cats have fought hard at home this year, and Philly giving any amount of points still makes us nervous.  Especially on the tail end of a back-to-back.

Houston (-2.5) over MIAMI - Seems quite low.  We'll take the bait.

New Orleans (-5.5) over LA CLIPPERS - Ditto.

San Antonio (-1.5) over MEMPHIS - The Grizz got pasted this weekend by a Utah team missing both Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer.  

Sacramento over PORTLAND (-11.5) - Blazer pessimist Acks wasn't even willing to discuss this.

ORLANDO (-9.5) over Milwaukee - We're not quite sure how the Bucks wound up 7-8 so far, but we're still not too excited about them.

Chicago over UTAH (-6.5) - No Williams, no Boozer and giving a touchdown isn't a formula we want any part of.

Last night: 2-3

Season: 97-100

Rose injury questions drop Hicag appeal

Golden State over PHILADELPHIA (-6.5) - The new-look Sixers haven't exactly dominated thus far.

DETROIT (-9.5) over Minnesota - Remember when a lot of people thought the Wolves would be vastly improved this year?  We've yet to see much evidence of this.

DENVER (-8.5) over Chicago - Derrick Rose is questionable with a hip injury.  We've got zero non-Rose interest in this team.

LA LAKERS (-17.5) over Sacramento - Upon being told that the Lakers were giving " a lot," Acks responds, "We'll be giving a lot and a half with them."

Last night: 3-6

Season: 95-97

Boston over TORONTO (-0.5)

Two hours until gametime, and the line isn't out yet thanks to some injury questions on the Toronto side - which for our purposes means that we're getting the benefit of defaulting to the home team giving half a point in what is effectively a pick-'em game.  We'll take the champs.

Rest of the day's picks coming this afternoon.

Sleepy Saturday

Been a long couple of days of travel, fading fast to the zzzzz's so I can get up and watch the Nets' and Knicks' games tonight...

ORLANDO (-2.5) over Houston

CHARLOTTE (-2.5) over Milwaukee

Atlanta over CLEVELAND (-11.5)

MIAMI (-5.5) over Indiana

LA Clippers over NEW JERSEY (-3.5)

Washington over NEW YORK (-2.5)

NEW ORLEANS (-15.5) over Oklahoma City

Utah over MEMPHIS (-3.5)

PHOENIX (-5.5) over Portland

Last night: 10-3

Season: 92-91

Gameday: November 21, 2008

With a busy day across the board for the PickSix crew, let's get you a quick run down of our consensus picks for tonight, a busy night in the Association.

Orlando (-1.5) over INDIANA
Los Angeles (Clippers) over PHILADELPHIA (-10.5)
Houston (-4.5) over WASHINGTON
New Jersey over TORONTO (-9.5)
ATLANTA (-7.5) over Charlotte
Boston (-5.5) over MINNESOTA
DALLAS (-9.5) over Memphis
New York over MILWAUKEE (-1.5)
Utah (-3.5) over SAN ANTONIO
New Orleans (-9.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY
SACRAMENTO over Portland (-3.5)
Chicago over GOLDEN STATE (-3.5)
LOS ANGELES (Lakers) (-8.5) over Denver

Last Night - 2-0
Season-To-Date - 82-88

ECF Rematch; Shaq-Phil Throwdown?

BOSTON (-7.5) over Detroit - The Pistons needed a big run (56-36 finish) to overtake and overcome the Cavs last night at home.  Facing the champs on the second night of a back-to-back could be a bit too much for them.

LA Lakers (-4.5) over PHOENIX - Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson's team is a lot better than Shaquille O'Neal's team.

Last night: 6-4

Season: 80-88

Gameday: November 19, 2008

Fresh off of Boof's birthday-present of a win by his beloved Celtics, let's get right down to business today with a quick run down of our picks for tonight.

Washington over ATLANTA (-7.5)
Cleveland over DETROIT (-3.5)
Toronto over MIAMI (-3.5)
NEW ORLEANS (-13.5) over Sacramento
Dallas over HOUSTON (-5.5)
Philadelphia (-3.5) over MINNESOTA
Los Angeles (Clippers) (-1.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY
Denver (-1.5) over SAN ANTONIO
UTAH (-10.5) over Milwaukee
Chicago over PORTLAND (-6.5)

Last Night: 6-4
Season-To-Date: 74-84

Technology on the brink of a return to normal

Last day of picks sans conference call.  The new phone came this afternoon, so we'll be back to business as usual tomorrow.  Thanks for your patience.

Atlanta over INDIANA (-2.5)

Miami over WASHINGTON (-2.5)

Dallas (-4.5) over CHARLOTTE

BOSTON (-11.5) over New York

Cleveland (-5.5) over NEW JERSEY

MEMPHIS (-5.5) over Sacramento

GOLDEN STATE (-1.5) over Portland

LA LAKERS (-12.5) over Chicago

DENVER (-9.5) over Milwaukee

ORLANDO (-6.5) over Toronto

Last night: 2-1

Season: 68-80

The Thunder are really bad

Houston (-8.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - See headline.

Phoenix over UTAH (-1.5) - The Suns sure looked good against Detroit last night, and Utah's health across the board remains a mystery (Okur, Kirilenko, Williams all listed as questionable).

San Antonio over LA CLIPPERS (-2.5) - Acks: "The Clips suck, bro." Giving up 37 to Anthony Morrow didn't impress us.

Last night: 1-5

Season: 66-79

Confusion abounds at ARCO

TORONTO (-5.5) over Miami - The Heat have been less than impressive on the road so far, going just 1-3 with the win coming in the game in which Tony Parker got hurt in San Antonio.

Orlando (-6.5) over CHARLOTTE - The Magic have Dwight Howard, and the 'Cats don't.

NEW YORK over Dallas (-1.5) - Painful as pick is to make, the Mavs have looked awful in getting off to a 2-7 start, and they shouldn't be giving points to anybody.

DENVER (-9.5) over Minnesota - The Nugs sure looked good in Boston on Friday night.  Minnesota blew a big lead at home to Portland last night.  The Wolves still don't guard anybody.  We'll pass.

Detroit over PHOENIX (-2.5) - The Pistons played their best game of the season in beating the Lakers on the road on Friday night, and they have won three straight out west.  We're not sold on the new-style Suns quite yet.

San Antonio (-2.5) over SACRAMENTO - I'll let Acks take this one: "There's no reasoning.  But can you imagine how absurd it would feel to type in 'SACRAMENTO over San Antonio (-2.5)'?  Grand.

Last night: 2-6

Season: 65-74

Conference calls remain on hold

The Great Boof Phone Fiasco plot doth thicken.  Still waiting for a new phone, refused to pay $50 to get a battery that would make an old phone work for the next few days.  Emails between the Picksix crew yield the following:

New Jersey over ATLANTA (-9.5)

Oklahoma City over PHILADELPHIA (-12.5)

CLEVELAND (-8.5) over Utah

MINNESOTA over Portland (-1.5)

Indiana over CHICAGO (-6.5)

New Orleans over HOUSTON (-3.5)

Boston (-8.5) over MILWAUKEE

Last night: 3-9

Season: 63-68

LA CLIPPERS (-3.5) over Golden State

Despite having Corey Maggette back, the Warriors really haven't impressed thus far.  We'll shy away from them on the road.

This game starts at 3:30 EST, which is why it's getting it's own post.  The rest of the Saturday picks will be to you by evening.

Technology doesn't equate to progress

The following conversation occurred this afternoon between a so-called customer service representative at Cingular and yours truly:

Cingular: What can I help you with today?

Boof (holding out cellular phone):  Last night, perfect working order.  Today, toast.  I'd like to fix this.

Cingular: Here is our warranty line.  You'll want to call them.

Supposedly, the new phone will be coming in five business days.  As you might imagine, today's conference call was somewhat (entirely) short-circuited by this development.  Some hurried email exchanges led to the following list emerging:

INDIANA (-1.5) over Philadelphia

Utah (-6.5) over CHARLOTTE

Washington over MIAMI (-8.5)

Atlanta (-3.5) over NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK (-8.5) over Oklahoma City

BOSTON (-10.5) over Denver

NEW ORLEANS (-8.5) over Portland

Milwaukee over MEMPHIS (-2.5)

Orlando over DALLAS (-3.5)

Houston (-5.5) over SAN ANTONIO

Phoenix (-6.5) over SACRAMENTO

LA LAKERS (-9.5) over Detroit

Last night: 1-2

Season: 60-59

Showdown of '03 draftees at the Q

Denver over CLEVELAND (-7.5) - The Cavs haven't exactly been whacking people of late, and the Nuggets have yet to lose (albeit against inferior competition) since Chauncey Billups joined the lineup.  We say they keep this one close.

Dallas (-0.5) over CHICAGO - Two shaky teams, but we still think the Mavs are a bit better.

Detroit (-4.5) over GOLDEN STATE - Sure, the Pistons were shaky in their win over the Kings on Tuesday, and they remain 1-2 with Allen Iverson, but the Warriors' play has been nothing to write home about.

Last night: 4-7

Season: 59-57

Battle in the Big Easy

TORONTO (-5.5) over Philadelphia - No Deron Williams, no Memo Okur, and no win for the Sixers at home against Utah last night. Anyone else feeling underwhelmed by this team so far?

BOSTON (-10.5) over Atlanta - The defending champs should send the East's only remaining undefeated team to their first loss in a manner similar to the way they dealt with the Hawks in four home games during last year's first round playoff series.

Indiana (-2.5) over NEW JERSEY - We're not too excited about a fully healthy Nets team, much less one that could be without Devin Harris once more.

LA Lakers over NEW ORLEANS (-1.5) - Getting points with the Lakers is a rare opportunity, and we'll bite. This is the class of the West until proven otherwise, and the Hornets have been less than consistent of late, losing recently to Atlanta and Charlotte.

Orlando (-6.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY - The Magic aren't likely to play as poorly as they did against Portland on Monday, and this Thunder group is really quite bad.

MEMPHIS (-4.5) over New York - This Knicks team is already baffling us on a nightly basis, and when that happens, we've learned this decade that the way to deal is to start rolling the dice against the 'Bockers.

LA CLIPPERS (-6.5) over Sacramento - The Clips are finally healthy, and the Kings (sans Kevin Martin) aren't. Sacramento also plays the tail end of a back-to-back. This should be a bopping.

PHOENIX (-3.5) over Houston - The Rockets' offense looks particularly unimpressive thus far. Acks wonders if another turn-back-the-clock-to-2001 performance is in the cards for Shaq. Don't hold your breath on that part, though.

MIAMI (-2.5) over Portland - For those who haven't noticed, we really like the talent on this Miami team. Dwyane Wade ahs spent the first two weeks of this season making it loud and clear that he has returned in full force. Nice to see an aberration of a Portland victory in Orlando brought the line down, especially since Acks reports that Brandon Roy may sit with back issues.

MILWAUKEE (-2.5) over San Antonio - The tail end of a back-to-back seems like a tough task for an aging team with only one of its three stars healthy.

Utah (-2.5) over WASHINGTON - The Wizards have been putrid so far. The Jazz have been highly impressive without Deron Williams. We'll let those trends reverse themselves before we start picking in any other manner.

Last night: 5-3
Season: 55-50

Injuries abounding

Due to the high volume of impact players whose health remains in doubt, the full slate of lines wasn't available until midday today.  Despite the trickery pulled by the Nets last night (read: they lit it up against Miami even without Devin Harris), these situations play heavily into tonight's picks.

PHILADELPHIA (-4.5) over Utah - Deron Williams remains doubtful, and Memo Okur qualifies for that distinction as well.  The line is low enough to give with Philly given the two likely absences.

Denver (-2.5) over CHARLOTTE - We like Larry Brown well enough, and we're not high on the Nugs, but this still seems a bit low.

Atlanta over CHICAGO (-2.5) - Even without Josh Smith, we'll ride undefeated Atlanta...at least until they roll into Boston on Wednesday.

New York over SAN ANTONIO (-4.5) - No questions about injuries here.  Just the knowledge that Manu and TP won't participate.  Much as this pains me, we want no part of giving with this Spurs.

CLEVELAND (-12.5) over Milwaukee - Michael Redd is questionable.  LeBron James isn't.

LA Lakers (-5.5) over DALLAS - These guys are really good.  We continue to emphasize this.

Detroit (-7.5) over SACRAMENTO - No Kevin Martin means not so much interest in the Kings for us.

Minnesota over GOLDEN STATE (-6.5) - Corey Maggette has missed a few games in a row, and he is questionable for this one.  Al Harrington is likely out as well.

Last night: 1-4

Season: 50-47

UPDATE: MIAMI (-8.5) over New Jersey

The line is a bit high, but Devin Harris remains questionable.  He didn't play Saturday in Indy, and the Nets got wiped out.  We'll take our chances with that happening again.

Grizz drop altitude, probably another game

Oklahoma City over INDIANA (-11.5) - No doubt the Thunder could get wiped out, but we're still wary of giving so many points with an Indiana team we're unsure about.

ORLANDO (-7.5) over Portland - Dwight Howard keeps playing monstrous basketball, and Acks isn't excited about taking the Blazers under any circumstances, much less going across the country to play a superior team.

BOSTON (-8.5) over Toronto - The Celts made a statement against the new-look Pistons on the road last night, and here's guessing they will be looking to do the same to a Toronto team that has gotten off to a hot start.

PHOENIX (-12.5) over Memphis - The Grizz aren't too good to begin with, and playing the night after a game in Denver's high altitudes is always a challenge.  That combined with the Suns should be too much for O.J. Mayo et al.

Still waiting on a line for the New Jersey-Miami contest thanks to the fact that Devin Harris is questionable with an ankle problem.  We'll have an update here once we get a hold of a reliable spread for that game.

Last night: 3-5

Season: 49-43

Sunday Quick Picks

Hate to do this to you two days in a row, but we promise we're back for real with Monday's selections.  Here's what we've got for today:

Toronto (-3.5) over CHARLOTTE

Utah (-3.5) over NEW YORK

Dallas (-3.5) over LA CLIPPERS

Boston over DETROIT (-1.5)

Atlanta (-4.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY

Memphis over DENVER (-8.5)

SACRAMENTO (-4.5) over Golden State

Houston over LA LAKERS (-7.5)

Last night: 4-2

Season: 46-38

Running out the door...

...so let's make these real quickly today:

New Jersey over INDIANA (-7.5)

ORLANDO (-9.5) over Washington

Miami over NEW ORLEANS (-9.5)

Cleveland (-1.5) over CHICAGO

Minnesota over PORTLAND (-8.5)

Phoenix (-4.5) over MILWAUKEE

Last night: 4-9

Season: 42-36

November 7: A Full Night of Action

After a crazy night in the Association, capped by Acks' oh-so-beloved Portland Trailblazers stunning the Houston Rockets (now 3-2) on the strength of a huge 30-foot redemption jumper by Brandon Roy as time expired in overtime, let's get right into our take on tonight's action. It's sure to be an eventful and high-energy night around the league with both Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups making their respective debuts after the blockbuster trade that will look to provide Denver and Detroit with their own respective "answers."

THE PICKS:

New Orleans (-7.5) over CHARLOTTE - We're going with New Orleans, visiting their former home town here despite their ugly loss to Atlanta in their last game. Chris Paul delivered, as usual, and we're banking on him getting some help and support against this Bobcats team.

WASHINGTON (-5.5) over New York - The Wizards have led each and every one of their inaugural three match-ups this season at halftime. For those unaware though, they have yet to win a basketball game. Look for them to finally finish tonight against D'Antoni and Co. The Wizards got off to a slow start last year and reached the post-season.

Toronto over ATLANTA (-3.5) - Despite Atlanta's hot start, which has seemingly carried over from last year's improbable showing against the eventual World Champion Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, we're looking for the Raptors to come back strong and with a purpose after a disappointing loss to Detroit in their last game (their first loss of the season).

BOSTON (-13.5) over Milwaukee - Despite their loss to the Pacers, the Champs passed their next test with a reassuring win against the Rockets. At TD Banknorth Garden where they have dominated, we're banking on the C's.

CLEVELAND (-9.5) over Indiana - Despite the Pacers' upset of the defending champs, we're going with the Cavs here, who are 2-0 at home on the year thus far. They have won eight straight against the Pacers dating back multiple seasons. Lebron James is coming off a 41 point performance against the Bulls, a season high for him.

Detroit (-7.5) over NEW JERSEY - After shaking up their roster and bringing in Allen Iverson, we look for the Pistons to handle the Nets tonight at the Izod Center. Iverson's debut will represent a sort of new era in Detroit. Based on track record, we have to trust Joe Dumars' strategy until we have reason not to.

Miami over SAN ANTONIO (-6.5) - The Heat are leading the league in steals and turnovers-forced. We look for them to win for the first time in San Antonio in over 11 years.

Phoenix (-4.5) over CHICAGO - As proven Wednesday evening, Amare Stoudemire is still in his prime, as he dropped 49 points against Indiana.

Oklahoma City over UTAH (-11.5) - We're going to go with the Thunder here. Although the Jazz have gotten off to a 4-0 undefeated start, we must remember that they have accomplished that feat in 3 of the previous 5 NBA seasons.

SACRAMENTO (-3.5) over Minnesota - Look for Sacramento to fight for revenge on the Wolves who beat them in the season opener.

Dallas over DENVER (-1.5) - Despite the intrigue surrounding the debut of Chauncey Billups, a proven leader and a proven winner, we like Dallas here. The Mavs bounced back after a disastrous early week loss to the Cavs to beat the Spurs.

GOLDEN STATE (-6.5) over Memphis - The key here is going to be revenge. The Warriors were embarrassed against Memphis the other night, and are lucky enough to come right back out fighting with a quick rematch.

Houston (-6.5) over LOS ANGELES (Clippers) - The Rokets will not be the team to surrender the Clippers' first win of the year. The Clippers starting 5, together for the first time against the Lakers the other night, will require some more time to gel.

Big story-line tonight as we'll look to assess the early returns on the AI/Billups deal. Enjoy the games!

Last night - 1-1
Season to date - 38-27

Clipped

As utterly ludicrous as this sounds, we actually believed last night, with the Clippers up 81-79 over the Lakers and roughly seven minutes to play, that we had something better than an outside shot to cover a 15 1/2 point line.

Alas, only the truest of saps couldn't see what was to come next: 22 straight Laker points en route to a 106-88 final.

You can't make this stuff up.

On to Thursday's TNT doubleheader...

ORLANDO (-4.5) over Philadelphia - The Sixers have been shaky so far, particularly on the road. They blew a 23-point lead in Atlanta last week and got hammered from start to finish by Miami last night. We'll wait for them to get back home to the Wachovia Center.

Houston (-4.5) over PORTLAND - I present to you one Acks Minakyan, diehard Trail Blazers fan. His thoughts:

"I can get Houston for single digits? I love that Houston line. That's way too...low. Because apparently everyone and [his] mother loves Portland this season. Which is really...stupid, if I've mentioned that before. It's really...stupid. On a scale of one to really...stupid, it's off the charts. They suck. They're going to continue to suck for years to come."

Here's guessing the outlook for Kevin Pritchard's team is a bit rosier than Acks makes it seem. But we do like such a low line for a Houston team that is quite good.

Last night: 7-6

Season: 37-26

Wednesday Quicks

Phoenix (-3.5) over INDIANA

Charlotte over NEW YORK (-5.5)

Chicago over CLEVELAND (-8.5)

San Antonio (-3.5) over MINNESOTA

Boston (-8.5) over OKLAHOMA CITY

UTAH (-7.5) over Portland
(We know that Deron Williams won't be available.  Portland is just that bad. -Acks)

Memphis over SACRAMENTO (-3.5)

LA Clippers over LA LAKERS (-15.5)

Detroit over TORONTO (-2.5)

MIAMI over Philadelphia (-3.5)

NEW ORLEANS (-8.5) over Atlanta

Washington over MILWAUKEE (-1.5)

GOLDEN STATE (-3.5) over Denver

Last night: 3-0

Season: 30-20

The Picksix polls are closed

Phoenix (-4.5) over NEW JERSEY - Seems like plenty of respect from the oddsmakers for a Nets team that isn't expected to be any good and hasn't done much yet aside from beating a depleted Wizards group.

Boston over HOUSTON (-2.5) - The champs figure to be taking no prisoners after a bopping in Indiana on Saturday night.

Dallas over SAN ANTONIO (-3.5) - Acks describes Gregg Popovich's plan on the last play in Portland on Friday night as "Give Roger Mason the ball, and let him create."  The situation in San Antonio sans Manu Ginobili isn't too good right now.  Guys like Desmon Farmer and Matt Bonner are figuring prominently in the rotation at this point.  We're in no rush to give points here.

Last night: 4-2

Season: 27-20

Injuries keep Clips' start sluggish

Chicago over ORLANDO (-7.5) - Acks is super-high on Derrick Rose and can't seem to go a conference call without mentioning that he really thought his beloved Blazers should have tanked for a shot at him last season.  In the meantime, the Magic haven't looked particularly good so far save for a bopping of the lowly Kings at home.

Sacramento over PHILADELPHIA (-12.5) - Speaking of the Kings, they're really bad, but the line is a bit high for a Philly team whose players haven't quite gotten acclimated to each other yet.

Detroit (-5.5) over CHARLOTTE - We know it's on the road, and we know the 'Cats should improve this year under Larry Brown, but let's not get ahead of ourselves here.  It's the Pistons and Bobcats, and the line is less than a touchdown.

Golden State (-1.5) over MEMPHIS - Sometimes, it helps to just take the better team.

Cleveland over DALLAS (-2.5) - J wasn't available last night, and you'll note that with his exception, our excitement level for this Dallas group is hovering in the vicinity of "minimal."

Utah (-6.5) over LA CLIPPERS - The Clips haven't exactly been competitive thus far, and both Marcus Camby (questionable) and Baron Davis (doubtful) are listed on the injury report.  The Jazz smacked the Clips by 22 without Deron Williams on Saturday night, and he remains questionable for this evening as well.  We're buying the Clips as much improved from a season ago once everybody gets healthy, but the day has yet to come.

Last night: 1-1

Season: 23-18

Dog Day Sunday

Just two games in the Association on the first Sunday of the season.  We want no part of giving points with either favorite.

Milwaukee over NEW YORK (-5.5)

Minnesota over OKLAHOMA CITY (-2.5)

Last night: 9-5

Season: 22-17

Busy Saturday in the Association

So we're cruising along in the Clips-Nugs game...and then Baron Davis and Marcus Camby get hurt, leading to a double-digit collapse and overtime loss.  The tribulations of handicapping continue.  On to a 14-game Saturday night slate we go.

ATLANTA (-3.5) over Philadelphia - Apparently, Acks thinks that the Sixers are going to be tired after sleeping there way through a 29-point pounding of the new-look-same-result Knicks.

Boston (-5.5) over INDIANA - We thought the champs looked okay against Hicag last night.  We're not blown away by the Pacers.

ORLANDO (-9.5) over Sacramento - The Kings got bopped last night in Miami, and the Magic have to be a bit angry after a home loss to Atlanta and a Rudy Gay buzzer-beater in Memphis.

Miami over CHARLOTTE (-2.5) - Label us unexcited about giving any points with the Bobcats.

Golden State over NEW JERSEY (-5.5) - Ditto.

Washington over DETROIT (-10.5) - Too many points.

NEW ORLEANS (-4.5) over Cleveland - Chris Paul's supporting cast is better than LeBron James'.

Dallas (-3.5) over MINNESOTA - Sorry, we didn't get the memo that so many others seemed to regarding the Wolves suddenly being competitive in the West.  We'll believe it when we see it.

Memphis over CHICAGO (-9.5) - We like Derrick Rose and all, but let's not get too crazy with giving the big points with these guys yet.

Toronto over MILWAUKEE (-1.5) - Have you seen the Raps' sweet new black jerseys?  Those alone might scare the Bucks out of the building.

LA Lakers (-7.5) over DENVER - Really good.  Really good.  Really, really, really good.  That's the Lakers in three nutshells.

UTAH (-11.5) over LA Clippers - Davis doubtful, Camby questionable.  We're not even that concerned about Deron Williams' health here.  Carlos Boozer et al. should take care of this.

PHOENIX (-7.5) over Portland - "Aberration!" Acks screams, regarding last night's dramatic Portland victory over San Antonio.  Talk about a guy who is really down on his team.

HOUSTON (-14.5) over Oklahoma City - The Thunder got kibopped by the Bucks in their inaugural game.  Can't see things improving much on a trip to see the Rockets.

Last night: 2-5

Season: 13-12

Halloween Hoops

This being my first post, I just wanted to convey my excitement to be working with the Picksix crew in this first week of what promises to be a memorable season of NBA action.  Without any further ado, let's get you up to date on our consensus picks for this Halloween night in the NBA ... 

New York over PHILADELPHIA (-8.5) ... We like the Knicks to win the second game of the D'Antoni era.  Though, as Coach stated in his postgame comments, the team slacked in the closing five minutes of its opener against Miami, we like Crawford and Co. tonight.  We'll pick the Knicks while we still can, and while Stephon Marbury remains on the bench.  Hey, it's Halloween, they wear orange, 'nuff said. 

TORONTO (-7.5) over Golden State ... In defeating Philly in their opener, the Raptors showed me early signs that Chris Bosh has been rewarded for last years' play with a seemingly competent supporting cast.  I have been a booster of Toronto's July acquisition of Jermaine O'Neal, who contributed 17 points to the opening night win.  After his injury last season, if O'Neal can stay healthy, and shooting threat Jason Kapono can hold his own, look for Toronto to potentially make some noise in the East.  The Warriors were beaten by Chris Paul (the Hornets) in their opener.  

MIAMI (-5.5) over Sacramento ... Expect more out of Miami than we saw at the Garden the other night.  They are, after all, playing the Kings, who are in rebuilding mode.  It could be a long season. 

BOSTON (-9.5) over Chicago ... The Boston Celtics seem relatively adept at the art of winning basketball games.  Safe to say that we here at the Picksix will be in their camp early and often this season.  Shout out to Ben Gordon though.  

ORLANDO (-6.5) over Memphis ... Despite the opening night loss at the hands of Atlanta, we like  Orlando tonight.  Look for some Magic tonight, as Dwight Howard will want to get this team on the winning track in a season filled with big aspirations for them.  Even with a decent scoring night from Rudy Gay opening night (20), the Grizzlies lost to Ron Artest's surging Houston Rockets.  

LA CLIPPERS over Denver (-1.5) ... Carmelo Anthony will be continuing his early season suspension, and despite the Clippers opening night loss, we need not forget that it came at the hands of the beasts of the west, the team that shares the Staples Center with them.  The Lakers ...  they're good at basketball.  

San Antonio (-1.5) over PORTLAND ... Despite the fact that Greg Popovich's beard is a departure from tradition, we do not expect it to get in the way of the Spurs' tradition of solid play.  Note: it is a safe bet to not expect to see many picks favoring Portland any time soon.  

That about wraps up our take on tonight's NBA action.  Once again, I'm pumped to be on board, and, until next time, this has been J.  

Last night: 2-1

Season: 11-7

Black Tek patches and the dawn of an era

CLEVELAND (-9.5) over Charlotte - An unhappy LeBron plus a bad Charlotte team should equate to a bopping.

DALLAS (-3.5) over Houston - Time for an extended discourse on the dynamics of the current incarnation of the Picksix crew:

Since day one this season, Acks and I have been wearing black "TP" patches on the shoulders of our handicapping uniforms in tribute of our missing colleague, the incomparable Tek Kothary, who is spending the first half of the season traveling overseas. Despite our wonderful technological progress, Tek's availability throughout this early portion of the season will be spotty at best. In his honor, we have affixed the TP to our shoulders to keep us reminded of his favorite phrase, "Tek peeved," used so often on a night when a pick or two of his was overruled and came back to bite us. Tek, we're eagerly awaiting your return, and you'll always have a spot on this motley crew.

In the meantime, we have augmented this year's brain trust with the addition (again, that's addition, not replacement) of longtime Picksix ally J Stein.

And that brings us to Dallas-Houston. J made his first statement of boldness during last night's picks conference call, the first of his career. Citing both film and statistical study, the newcomer roundly rejected the reasoning of taking the superior team getting the points (Houston) and told us he had 'a feeling' about the Mavs. And so it is.

Welcome aboard, J. Tek (and longtime buddy and future Picksix recruit Anil, who is also overseas), we'll be here when you're ready.

New Orleans over PHOENIX (-1.5) - We really like Chris Paul. You're going to want to get used to that.

Last night: 7-5

Season: 9-6

Early season deluge

It's opening night for most of the league, which means we don't have much to go on for the young season.  So prepare for some guessing that's even less educated than usual, if that's possible.

Toronto over PHILADELPHIA (-5.5) - There is a lot of hype surrounding Elton Brand and the Sixers, but it may take them some time to jell.  This is a good Toronto team that matches up well with Philly down low by throwing Chris Bosh and Jermaine O'Neal at Brand and Sam Dalembert.

ORLANDO (-7.5) over Atlanta - The Magic have Dwight Howard after what is likely another summer of growth.  The Hawks did nothing to get better.

WASHINGTON (-6.5) over New Jersey - The Wiz are banged up, but the Nets aren't any good, healthy or otherwise.

Miami over NEW YORK (-3.5) - Favoring the Knicks over a healthy Dwyane Wade?  Really?

Indiana over DETROIT (-10.5) - Seems a bit early to start handing out points all over the place when we don't know enough about these teams.

Sacramento over MINNESOTA (-5.5) - Not as sold on the Wolves' supposed revival as many around the nation.  They can't guard anyone inside.

Phoenix over SAN ANTONIO (-2.5) - No Ginobili, and who knows how interested the Spurs are in any regular season game in the first place?

OKLAHOMA CITY (-2.5) over Milwaukee - Did you see the Bucks last night?  They sent the Bulls to the line 44 times.  The reigning last-place team in defensive efficiency will need some time to improve that mark.

Memphis over HOUSTON (-12.5) - Again, lots of points for opening night.  Memphis has enough firepower to stay relatively close before falling away at the end.

Denver over UTAH (-7.5) - No Deron Williams, no interest in giving more than a touchdown with Utah.

New Orleans (-5.5) over GOLDEN STATE - A certain point guard colleague of Deron Williams from the 2005 draft has no such injury concerns.

LA Lakers (-8.5) over LA CLIPPERS - Catch the Lakers last night?  They're really good.  Really.  Good.

Last night: 2-1

Season: 2-1

Back in business

You can stop flooding me(us) with fan(or hate) mail. For the millions of you out there waiting for our insight (Yes, millions. You thought you were alone?) we're back in action for the 2008-2009 NBA season.
Side note: You'll excuse me(us) if I'm(we're) full of my(our)self(selves). We were 46 games over .500 last year against the spread at 636-594 and we aim to top that figure this season.

Just for you I'll cut the parentheses.

Here is where I would regale you with all kinds of exciting details about our new features and improvements... except that we didn't make any. Also one member of our three-man committee is abroad and will thus be largely unavailable. No complaining: in fairness, we cut our prices in half.

With no further ado, here are the opening night selections. Home teams in caps.

the Boston Celtics (-6.5) over the Cleveland Cavaliers
Any player who isn't motivated to play at home during a championship banner celebration probably doesn't have a pulse.

the Chicago Bulls (-5.5) over the Milwaukee Bucks
If I remember correctly, Chicago games troubled us throughout last season. We couldn't pick a Bulls' point spread correctly if our lives depended on it. Mostly that was because they underachieved a ton early in the year and then played inconsistently enough down the stretch.

With that said, Chicago should be better this season. Derrick Rose will play in the opener, and play well at that. Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah will all continue to improve. Ben Gordon will either get his act together or leave town in exchange for helpful assets before the trading deadline. And new head coach Vinny Del Negro should be able to get the best out of the talent on his roster.

As for Milwaukee, they're a more trendy pick than they were a year ago because of the Richard Jefferson trade. But keep in mind that Jefferson contributes primarily as a scorer off-the-ball and in transition. . Here is what you should keep in mind about Milwaukee:

• Michael Redd will have another nice season, but he is a likely trade candidate.
• Richard Jefferson contributes mostly as a scorer off-the-ball and in transition.
  
• The rest of Milwaukee's personnel isn't fit to play an uptempo style.
• Joe Alexander was a great lottery pick, but is too young to contribute right away (and may not receive the minutes to do so).
• They're going to be awful defensively.

Expect us to stay away as often as we can this coming season. Even when they are getting 5.5 points.

the Los Angeles Lakers (-7.5) over the Portland Trailblazers
Portland is another trendy "sleeper" pick for this season. But they're completely overmatched when they face up against the elite teams in the western conference, as they are here.Portland
is probably going to sit back in a zone and let Los Angeles shoot over the top of them, and Portland's second unit-anchored by rookie Rudy Fernandez- might be able to cut into the deficit, but they're ultimately going to lose this one to the defending conference champions.

Bored? We took all three home favorites on opening night, but we feel great about all three picks. Feel free to check back and taunt us about the ones we missed all season long. We'll be around.

Last Night:0-0
Season: 0-0
Last Season: 636-594

The Picksix: Until '08-'09...

With last night's conclusion to the NBA season, the Picksix crew is all but ready to head back into hibernation for the next few months. Fear not, we'll be continuing to conduct research and work on our methods to make sure our accuracy only continues to increase over the season to come.

It's been a crazy regular season and a pleasure for us to take part in. But for the postseason, all wagering goes off for us -- it's time to kick back and enjoy playoff basketball for the simple excitement of the competition itself.

So in the words of the immortal Paul Farash, until next season...

...later.

Last night: 7-7
Season: 636-594