NFL Week 4 Picks

Jets (2-1) vs Dolphins (1-2)- This AFC East matchup will be played in London with the early start time of 6:30 AM pacific time. Coming into the season many picked the Dolphins to compete for the division and the playoffs, but Miami has been mediocre leading to a 1-2 record. The offense has been stagnant and there has been no semblance of a running game. Prized free agent Ndamukong Suh was supposed to help solidify the defense but Miami is giving up 391 yards per game while giving up 24.7 points per game. The Jets are coming off of a disappointing loss to the Eagles, one week after a great win on Monday night against the Colts. Ryan Fitzpatrick had 3 interceptions in a game the Jets could have easily won. The main reason for the Jets 2-1 start has been their outstanding defense. Allowing only 13.7 points per game, New York leads the league in fewest points allowed. The Jets are the all around better team and should take care of business in London.  Jets 23 Dolphins 17

Jaguars (1-2) vs Colts (1-2)- The Colts have been one of the more disappointing teams in this early season. The offense hasn't been able to put up points and Andrew Luck leads the league in interceptions. Andre Johnson looks old and unable to catch anything. The good thing for the Colts is that they play in probably the weakest division so they should be able to sleep walk into the playoffs. If they lose to this Jaguar team at home, then it's time to hit the panic button in Indianapolis. Colts 31 Jaguars 21

Giants (1-2) vs Bills (2-1)- The Bills have been a pleasant surprise so far this season, with Tyrod Taylor exceeding expectations. The defense looks great and even though LeSean McCoy is out with a hamstring injury, replacement Karlos Williams looks ready to take his spot as the lead back. This is a big game for the Giants because dropping to 1-3 with a loss would put them in last place in the division. A tough Week 1 loss to the Cowboys may prove to be costly come playoff time and I'm sure the Giants are looking at any opportunity to capitalize on an injured Cowboys team. I think that the Bills defense comes through tomorrow and Buffalo wins this game at home. Bills 30 Giants 24

Panthers (3-0) vs Buccaneers (1-2)- Cam Newton has started this season off by playing some of the best football of his career, leading the Panthers to an undefeated start. Newton has been playing great even though the Panthers have extremely limited options on offense. Jameis Winston has shown potential in his early career with some rookie mistakes but also plays that have shown why he was the first overall pick in the draft. The Buccaneers just don't have enough weapons on offense, scoring only 16.3 points per game- second to last in the league. Against a tough Carolina defense I expect Winston to have a rough day as Cam Newton and the Panthers improve to 4-0. Panthers 27 Buccaneers 23

Eagles (1-2) vs Redskins (1-2)- The Eagles have been extremely disappointing so far this season with many people picking this team to go to the Super Bowl. The only win Philadelphia has this season is an underwhelming win vs Ryan Fitzpatrick & the Jets thanks to the heroics of Darren Sproles. Chip Kelly made a lot of flashy moves this offseason and none of them have yet to pay off. The Redskins, who many picked to be the worst in the league, have actually been one of the best defensive teams so far this season allowing only 19.7 points per game. Kirk Cousins and his inconsistent play at quarterback is the only thing holding the Redskins back from making the next step towards the playoffs. This division game is important for both teams as the loser of this game will fall to 1-3 and will be in last place in the NFC East. I expect the Eagles offense to wake up and pull out a win on the road. Eagles 27 Redskins 24

Raiders (2-1) vs Bears (0-3)- The rebuilding Bears have proven that the NFL can be a cruel and unforgiving place. After three games they've lost starting quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Alshon Jeffrey. Already off to an 0-3 start things look extremely bleak in Chicago. It's the complete opposite in Oakland. The Raiders are riding a two game winning streak behind the play of their young quarter back Derek Carr. Rookie receiver Amari Cooper has been excellent so far and defensive end Khalil Mack has been a terror on defense. The future is bright in Oakland and the Raiders should be able to beat the Bears on the road. Raiders 24 Bears 20

Texans (1-2) vs Falcons (3-0)- The Falcons have got off to great start thanks to the ridiculous play of receiver Julio Jones. Jones is first or second in every major receiving category and is on pace to break multiple NFL records. The Falcons have done a great job of getting Jones space and Matt Ryan has been force feeding him the ball so far this season. Houston is coming off an ugly 19-9 win over Tampa Bay in a game where both teams couldn't get anything going offensively. Good news for the Texans is that running back Arian Foster will be making his debut Week 4 and should inject some life into an otherwise lackadaisical offense. But Foster won't be enough vs the high powered Falcons, I expect Ryan and Jones to have another great game. Falcons 33 Texans 23

Chiefs (1-2) vs Bengals (3-0)- The Bengals have looked like one of the best teams in the league so far with Andy Dalton leading the high powered Bengals offense who are 7th in points scored with 28.3 points per game. With talent on offense and defense the Bengals look like a team that can make some noise in the playoffs. The Chiefs are coming off a 38-28 thrashing at the hands of Aaron Rodgers and Packers on Monday Night. The Chiefs defense looked hapless, especially the secondary, but I think that Rodgers made the Chiefs look a lot worse than they are. The Chiefs have skill players on offense and should be able to put up some points against the Bengals. But I don't think it'll be enough as the Bengals offense will be too much. Bengals 34 Chiefs 24

Browns (1-2) vs Chargers (1-2)- The Chargers have gotten off to a slow start with their defense incapable of stopping anyone. Phillip Rivers has been inconsistent and the loss of Antonio Gates has been hurting the offense. The Browns are coming off a tough loss to the Raiders at home in which Josh McCown threw an interception on their last drive. The Browns haven't been able to do anything on the running game which has caused McCown to throw more often to mediocre receivers. This is an important game for the Chargers because if they fall to 1-3 that would be huge for their playoff chances. I think the Chargers pull this one out at home. Chargers 24 Browns 20

Rams (1-2) vs Cardinals (3-0)- The Cardinals have been playing extremely well so far this season, blowing out their first three opponents with a winning margin of 25.7 points per game. Carson Palmer and Larry Fitzgerald have been scoring points at will which has been a deadly combination with an already excellent defense. The Rams suffered a terrible loss at home vs the Steelers who lost starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger to a knee injury. St. Louis only scored six points as Nick Foles and the offense couldn't get anything going all day. After a promising win vs the Seahawks the Rams have been disappointing in their last two and have a tough road game vs a Cardinals team with a ton of momentum. The Rams are going to continue their offensive struggles as the Cardinals defense will be to much. Cardinals 27 Rams 23

Packers (3-0) vs 49ers (1-2)- The Packers are coming off a blowout win vs the Chiefs on Monday Night in which Aaron Rodgers threw five touchdowns. Even with all of the injuries that the Packers offense has faced Rodgers has been fantastic in the first three games of the season with ten touchdowns and zero interceptions. The 49ers have been awful this season getting blown-out in their last two games. Last week vs the Cardinals Kaepernick was 9/19 with 4 interceptions in what was probably the worst game of his career. This game shouldn't be close at all with Rodgers and the Packers firing on all cylinders against a hapless 49ers team. Packers 35 49ers 24

Vikings (2-1) vs Broncos (3-0)- Just like everyone thought at the beginning of the season it's the Denver defense not the offense that's leading them so far this season. The Broncos defense has been one of the best in the entire league allowing the least amount of yards and only 16.3 points per game. Peyton Manning has looked shaky at times but he's been good enough to lead the offense during crucial drives, like he did vs the Chiefs. For the Vikings, Adrian Peterson looks as good as ever with two straight games of 124+ rushing yards. Bridgewater has been competent but will struggle because of the injuries the Vikings have at receiver. The Broncos defense will be too much, even for Adrian Peterson, as the Broncos stay undefeated. Broncos 27 Vikings 20

Cowboys (2-1) vs Saints (0-3)- Both of these teams have already had injuries to their starting quarterbacks as Tony Romo is out for at least half of the season. Luckily for the Saints, Drew Brees has a chance to play on Sunday night in what is a must win for New Orleans. The Saints have been bad on both sides of the ball with a usually efficient offense playing poorly. The Cowboys hung in with the Falcons last week before Atlanta pulled away in the second half. There's going to be a lot of pressure on Joseph Randle to carry the offense once again as the Cowboys will likely limit the amount of times Brandon Weeden will throw the ball. I think the Saints pull out this important game as Brees comes back and the offense finally puts up some points. Saints 27 Cowboys 24

Lions (0-3) vs Seahawks (1-2)- The Seahawks finally got their first win of the season by
crushing the Bears 26-0 at home. Kam Chancellor came back and the defense looked as good as usual. The Bears had ten possessions which resulted in ten punts, something that's never happened in NFL history. Last week the Lions blew a perfectly winnable game at home vs the Broncos. The defense played well enough to keep Detroit in the game but the offense was unable to do anything the entire game. The Lions offense has been poor all season, scoring only 18.7 points per game which should not happen when Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson are on your team. I don't expect things to change this week as the Seahawks defense plays on another level at home. Seahawks 28 Lions 17

NBA Playoffs Preview- Finals

Two teams left in the hunt for the championship. The Cavaliers and Warriors have been impressive all season and these two talented teams will face off for the title. Let's see who will have enough to win their first ring in a long time.

NBA FINALS

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #2 Cleveland Cavaliers- These two teams have been the best in the NBA since the All-Star Break. The Warriors have had the best record in the league since the beginning of the season and are 12-3 in the playoffs coming into the Finals. The Cavaliers were 19-20 at one point in the season and had critics saying this team would never be a contender. That seems like ages ago because with the addition of J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Timofey Mozgov helped the Cavaliers fix problems they had with their depth. The Cavaliers were an impressive 12-2 in the playoffs, sweeping the Celtics and Hawks, while on their way to the Finals. The 24-5 record between the two teams is the best record for two teams entering the Finals since 1991.

One of the reasons for the Cavaliers success in the playoffs is the play of Tristan Thompson. He has dominated the boards so far giving the Cavaliers lots of seconds chances to score. Another reason the Cavaliers have reached the Finals is their impressive play on defense. They have forced a lot of turnovers on defense which has allowed their offense to get easy points. Mozgov and Thompson have been elite protecters in the paint and Shumpert has been great on guarding the wings. A huge question coming into the Finals for Cavaliers is the health of Kyire Irving. If Irving is healthy along with a determined LeBron James, the Cavaliers will be difficult for any team to beat.

The Warriors have been dominating teams all season long and continued that superb play to the playoffs. They closest thing they had to face in an obstacle was a 2-1 deficit to the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Warriors were able to respond with 4 straight decisive victories. This team looks like it has no weaknesses, with an elite offense and defense. They also have great depth coming off of the bench with Andre Iguodala, Shaun Livingston, and Marreese Speights playing key minutes throughout the season. Steve Kerr has done an impressive job with fitting his players into an offense that suits them perfectly. The run and gun style of play has been taken to another level and the Warriors are proving all the doubters wrong who think that a team that relies on three-point shooting can't win the championship.

Most experts have predicted the Warriors to win handedly. But these Cavaliers are a talented team and you can't count a team with LeBron James out. The Warriors have a deeper team but the Cavaliers have to believe that their best five can compete with the Warriors best five. In addition Cleveland has the number one offense in the playoffs, even over the Warriors, so I expect high scoring close games all around. LeBron will give them trouble in the paint with his size and if his shot is falling it will be a very long series for the wings of the Warriors. In order for the Warriors to win they have to rely on their star Stephen Curry, who seems like he hasn't played a bad basketball game in over a year. Curry dominates on offense and just his presence will cause shifts in the Cavalier defense. Veterans like Iguodala and Livingston will have to step up in these Finals and play great basketball on both sides of the ball. Cleveland will need to steal one in Golden State because the Warriors are a great road team and will take one in Cleveland. In the end I think that Golden State edges Cleveland because of their home court and their depth. The Warriors have been a historically great team this season and they will prove why in the Finals en route to their first championship in 40 years. Warriors in 7

NBA Playoffs Preview- Conference Finals

After all the action the four teams left are the top two seeds in their conference. Four teams left in the playoffs and any one of them can make a run for the title. Let's see who will advance to the Finals and who will be going home:


THE EASTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Atlanta Hawks vs #2 Cleveland Cavaliers- These were the top two teams in the East and the two teams that many picked to make it to the conference finals. But both of these teams are drastically different now than in the regular season. The Wizards were 0.1 seconds away from going to overtime in Game 6, but Paul Pierce's shot was too late and Hawks moved on. The Hawks looked unbeatable vs the East in the regular season and showed no signs of slowing down. But something that is common in the playoffs is that teams will exploit your weaknesses over the course of a series like the Wizards did to the Hawks. The Wizards dominated the Hawks on the wings with Paul Pierce and Bradley Beal each having an impressive series. With a one-handed John Wall many presumed that the Hawks would be able to wrap this series up rather quickly but the Wizards fought as hard as they could and played literally to the last second.

The Cavaliers dispatched the Bulls rather easily in a Game 6 blowout. It was an extremely impressive showing by the Cavs who won by 21 on the Bulls home court with no Kevin Love, LeBron shooting 7/23, and Kyrie Irving playing 12 minutes while attempting only 2 shots. A major reason the Cavs were able to beat the Bulls in 6 was the play of their role players. Mid-season additions J.R Smith, Timofey Mozgov, and Iman Shumpert all stepped up in defeating the Bulls and credit has to be given to GM David Griffin for adding these pieces that added much needed depth to a shallow Cavaliers team. Even second year guard Matthew Dellavedova had a coming out party, with 19 huge points in Game 6. With a banged up Irving and no Kevin Love, the Hawks will focus their defense on containing LeBron.

The Hawks have DeMarre Carroll a long defender that they will use to slow down LeBron. I also think that we will see a lot of team defense from the Hawks, Paul Millsap and Al Horford are too slow to guard LeBron on the wings but they can give him trouble when he attacks the paint. The X-factor for the Hawks will be containing the three point shooting of the Cavaliers, something that Cleveland relies on heavily. If the Hawks can limit the three pointers from the Cavs and force LeBron to carry the bulk of their offense they can pull the upset and make it to the Finals. During the Wizards series, the Hawks went through stretches where they couldn't get anything going offensively and if Kyle Korver shoots around 28% from three again the Hawks won't have a chance against the Cavaliers. Jeff Teague has been inconsistent in the playoffs and he will taken out of the game trying to guard Irving. I don't think the Hawks have enough scorers to keep up with the high scoring Cavalier offense. I think that the Cavalier role players step up once again and LeBron heads to his 5th straight finals appearance. Cavs in 6

THE WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #2 Houston Rockets- On Saturday the 9th the Warriors lost handedly to the Grizzlies to go down 2-1 in their series. The day after the Clippers assaulted the Rockets, beating them by 33 at home to take a commanding 3-1 series lead. How things change in a matter of days. The Rockets are the #2 seed in the West but nobody expected them to pull off the magic act that occurred last week. The Clippers, up 19 points with 14 minutes left in Game 6, were outscored 40-15 in the 4th quarter thanks to role players Jason Terry, Corey Brewer, and Trevor Ariza. But the epic comeback would not have happened without the magnificent play of Josh Smith. Smith had 14 of his 19 points in the 4th and lead a historic comeback. The most amazing thing about the Rockets comeback is that MVP runner up James Harden didn't score a single point during the 4th quarter and was on the bench for most of the final period. The Clippers barely put up a fight in Game 7 and have to be kicking themselves for squandering such a golden opportunity to reach the franchises first conference finals.

The Warriors eventually picked up their play and won three straight games rather easily thanks to the MVP Stephen Curry. Once the three pointers started falling for the Warriors it was evident how over matched the Grizzlies were and Memphis just couldn't keep up with the high octane offense of the Warriors. This series should be extremely fast paced and high scoring. Both teams like to push the ball and take a lot of three pointers. Dwight Howard will need to have a big series for the Rockets to pull the upset. If he can score in the paint at will and get easy buckets, the rest of the offense will benefit. In addition Josh Smith will be key for the Rockets, if he can get it going offensively off of the bench that will take a lot of pressure off the starters for the Rockets and give them much needed points against a very deep Warriors team. Although both teams are prolific on offense, they are also very good defensive teams. It will be interesting to see which team can do a good job of slowing the other one down on offense and limiting fast break points.

The storyline that everyone will be talking about is MVP Stephen Curry vs runner up James Harden. We might see them matched up against each other at times and if we are lucky hopefully both stars go off for 30+ points in each game of the series. In addition an interesting thing to look at is which one of these players has the most triple doubles in the series, as both are extremely talented passers. The Warriors are extremely difficult to beat, but they are not unstoppable. The Grizzlies showed a few weaknesses in the Warriors as Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph beat them up in the post, which is why it is imperative for Dwight Howard to have a big series. For the Rockets to pull of the upset they will need a lot of things to go their way. James Harden will have to have an excellent series, Howard must be elite on both sides of the ball, and the role players will have to hit their three pointers. But after the miracle they pulled off against the Clippers you have to think that Rockets believe they can beat anyone. It will be an exciting series with a lot of high scoring games and three pointers which I think favors the Warriors. Golden State has more depth off of the bench and that will be key as they edge the Rockets to make it to the NBA Finals. Warriors in 7

NBA Playoffs Preview - Second Round

After a fun first round the second round is upon us. Here we will find the true contenders and the teams that will be one step closer to the Finals.

THE EASTERN CONFERENCE:

#1 Atlanta Hawks vs #5 Washington Wizards- The Hawks are coming off of an unexpectedly long series vs the Brooklyn Nets. Atlanta went through stretches where they couldn't get anything going on offense which allowed Brooklyn to play them close in every game except for Game 6. The Hawks now face a Wizards team that have had a lot of rest because of their sweep of the Toronto Raptors. The Wizards were every bit the better team than the Raptors and had a great series from John Wall and Paul Pierce. The Wizards looked like an excellent team in the first round but one has to wonder if that is the great play of the Wizards or the ineptitude of the Raptors. Either way, Wizards coach Randy Whittman has looked like a much better coach in the playoffs. He has given role player Otto Porter more minutes and Porter has come on strong, improving his play from the regular season and playing key minutes for the Wizards. The key for this series will be whether or not the Hawks can control the perimeter play of Wall and Bradley Beal. DeMarre Carroll and Jeff Teague provide a difficult challenge to Wall and Beal so that will be a good match up to watch. Many people are saying the Hawks peaked in the regular season and don't have what it takes to make it to the Finals. This is a veteran team with experience so they will not go down without a fight. But this Wizards team with their stars and veteran players will provide a difficult challenge. This series will come down to late game execution and I think the Hawks make just enough plays to advance to the conference finals. Hawks in 7

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #3 Chicago Bulls- This is a series that every basketball fan is looking forward to, with two teams that don't like each other at all. LeBron has had many battles with the Bulls, in a Cleveland Cavalier jersey as well as a Miami Heat jersey. If you are a Bulls fan you have to be tired of seeing LeBron James across you in the playoffs. This must be what fans in the 90's must have thought of Michael Jordan. The Bulls got a lucky break when Kevin Love injured his shoulder in Game 4 vs the Celtics. Love provided floor spacing and 3pt shooting that made the Cavs excellent on offense. Kyrie Irving and LeBron can still carry the load on offense but Love raised the Cavs offense to another gear and made them difficult to guard. Bulls forward Jimmy Butler had a huge series vs the Bucks and will need to come up big on both sides of the ball for the Bulls to win this series. But as past seasons have gone, this team will only go as far as Derrick Rose can take them. He has the ability to exploit Kyrie Irving on offense by getting to the basket. Rose needs to cut down on the 3 point shooting in this series, as he went 3-10 in the last two games vs the Bucks. An advantage for the Bulls is that the Cavs aren't as long on defense as the Bucks were so they should cut down on their turnovers this series. A key battle will be between Tristan Thompson and Chicago's bigs on the glass. Thompson destroyed the undersized Celtics bigs but will undoubtedly have a tougher time vs Joakim Noah and Pau Gasol. Every game in this series will physical and tough which will work to the Bulls advantage if they can slow the pace down and play inside-out. Ultimately the series will come down to whether the Bulls can contain the Cavs explosive offense. If Kyrie and LeBron both have huge games at the same time the Bulls won't be able to win. In addition if role players J.R Smith and Iman Shumpert come up big, it might not matter if the Bulls contain Kyrie or LeBron. This series will be extremely hard fought and this Bulls team is not one to fear a challenge even if it is vs LeBron, but I think the Cavs offense will be just too much as the Cavs move on to the East finals. Cavs in 7


THE WESTERN CONFERENCE:

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #5 Memphis Grizzlies- The Warriors have had a lot of rest thanks to a quick sweep of the New Orleans Pelicans. It was looking like they were going to lose Game 3 with a daunting 17 point deficit in the 4th quarter, but somehow came back and won in overtime thanks to a miracle shot by Stephen Curry. The Warriors looked every bit like the one seed and their home court advantage will be crucial throughout the playoffs. The Grizzlies overpowered an injured Portland Trailblazers team in 5 games, but got dealt a huge blow with an injury to Mike Conley in Game 3. He is their primary ball handler and the Grizzlies have another challenge in a series where they are already the underdogs. Conley is aiming for a Game 2 return and hopefully he can play in this series. It would have been interesting to see Conley matched up against Curry, but Nick Calathes has task of guarding Curry which is a huge disadvantage to the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies can not let Draymond Green get hot on offense, if Green is hitting his 3's Warrior games usually result in blowouts. The thing that makes the Warriors so difficult to beat is that they have an excellent defense and will make scoring difficult for a Grizzlies team that already lacks scoring aside from Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph. The only way the Grizzlies can win is if they can slow the pace down and exploit the Warriors on the inside. This task would obviously be much easier to do with a healthy Mike Conley. The truth is that the Grizzlies don't have much of a chance without Mike Conley and even if he was healthy it would still be difficult to beat this Warriors team. I think Conley comes back in Game 3 and the Grizzlies put up a fight but in the end it won't be enough. Warriors in 6


#2 Houston Rockets vs #3 Los Angeles Clippers- I'm going to take a moment here to talk about how excellent that Spurs/Clippers series was. Each game was a battle that deserved to be played in the Finals not the first round. Game 7 was a perfect way to cap this series, the game was back and forth the entire time and both teams gave everything they had. It's unfortunate that the Spurs had to go home and if that was Tim Duncan's last game, he put on a show worthy of a finale. Chris Paul injured his hamstring in that brutal Game 7 and his health is questionable for Game 1 vs the Rockets. If he doesn't play it will be nearly impossible for the Clippers to win in Houston and an injured Paul would be disastrous. The Rockets defeated a dysfunctional Mavericks team in the first round in 5 games. The Rockets exploited the Mavs on pick and roll with Dwight Howard and Josh Smith, both who had an excellent series. A match up to watch in this series is between Dwight Howard and Deandre Jordan. Howard is much better offensively while Jordan is a great defender. A key turning point will be who wins the rebounding battle between the two. The X-factor for the Rockets is the play Josh Smith. His play in the first round raised the Rockets from a solid playoff team to a championship contender. Smith is an excellent passer and rebounder and coming off the bench gives him a huge advantage over anyone on a weak Clippers bench. A huge concern for the Clippers is who they are going to match up against James Harden. Chris Paul is probably their best defender on the wing, but even he is undersized against Harden and if his injury is serious he will be over matched. If Harden and Smith both score at will with Howard dominating the glass, the Clippers won't be able to keep up no matter how good their offense is. The Clippers are undoubtedly a tougher team after that Spurs series and showed that they are a true contender. But one has to wonder how banged up they are and if they can put up a fight in what should be a long series. In addition the Clippers don't have home court advantage in this series, something that was huge in Game 7 vs the Spurs. If Chris Paul's injury is serious this may be a short series, regardless I see the Rockets pulling this one out by a slim margin. Rockets in 7

NBA Playoffs Preview - First Round

The NBA playoffs are underway and a lot teams have something to prove. In the NBA's second season a couple of bad games mean an early summer vacation. Let's see who is going to advance to the next round and who is going to go home.

THE EASTERN CONFERENCE: 

#1 Atlanta Hawks vs #8 Brooklyn Nets- Both of these teams have been on the opposite ends of the spectrum this season, with the Hawks leading the Eastern Conference for most of the season while the Nets just backed into the playoffs on the last day of the regular season. The Hawks are looking to prove to the league that they are a true contender and their success in the regular season wasn't a fluke. For that I imagine they would need to make it at least to the Eastern Conference Finals and anything less would be a disappointment. The Nets have been playing better basketball of late and have been carried by the superb play of Brook Lopez. Over the month of March Lopez played at an extremely high level which netted him the East player of the week awards at the end of March and beginning of April. But unfortunately for Lopez he has his work cut out for him against this fantastic Hawk defense. Lopez could will the Nets to one win at home but nothing more. The Hawks are likely to throw Al Horford or Paul Millsap (sometimes at the same time) on Lopez which will be a tough match up for him. With not much scoring elsewhere the Nets will struggle to put up points which will make this a short series. Atlanta in 5

#2 Cleveland Cavaliers vs #7 Boston Celtics- In what was supposed to be a rebuilding season for the Celtics they managed to pull off a 23-12 record after the all-star break to sneak in as the 7th seed in the East. Brad Stevens has been nothing short of fantastic as the young coach for the young Celtics team. He has been great in drawing up last minute plays as well as playing the correct rotations in crunch time. The addition of Isiah Thomas has been fantastic for the Celtics, as Thomas has emerged as a 6th man of the year candidate. Unfortunately for the Celtics, a man by the name of LeBron James stands in their way as an ugly stepsister, looking to ruin this fairytale season. The Cavs have constantly been in the media, these things will happen when LeBron is on your team, from people wondering what exactly LeBron was doing on that two week break in Miami to questioning whether or not Kevin Love is happy with his role. Despite all the off court distractions the Cavs have been playing great basketball since LeBron's return from injury and the additions of JR Smith and Timofey Mozgov have made the Cavs favorites in the East. An intriguing question for the Cavs is how will Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving fare in their first postseason? The answer to that question will play a role in how much success the Cavs have in the postseason this year, but ultimately this team will go as far as LeBron can take them. I see the Cavs wrapping this series up rather quickly in order to get as much rest as possible, as a second round match up with the Bulls is lurking in the future. Cavs in 5

#3 Chicago Bulls vs #6 Milwaukee Bucks- Jason Kidd should be considered as a candidate for Coach of the Year with the effort he has done with this young Bucks team. The second pick of the 2014 draft Jabari Parker was lost for the season with a torn ACL but this team didn't miss a stride. The Greek Freak has made huge leaps in his game and he is one of the most versatile players in the NBA. The addition of Michael Carter-Williams gives the Bucks an additional play maker and someone who makes the game easier for everyone else. The Bulls have to be pleased to finally see Derrick Rose on the playoff roster, these will be his first playoffs since his unfortunate ACL injury in 2012. Since Rose has been back the Bulls offense has been running a lot more smoother with the defenses paying more attention to Rose, allowing for the rest of the team to get better looks. Pau Gasol has had a resurgence with this Bulls team, posting good enough numbers to be an Eastern Conference all-star. This is the first year that the Bulls have been somewhat healthy for the playoffs and if they are playing their best basketball, Bulls fans should believe that they can beat any team on a given night. The Bucks have the length to compete in a few games, but the Bulls are much more talented on both sides of the ball. Also coach Tom Thibodeau isn't afraid to play his starters 40+ minutes a night so don't be surprised to see very few substitutions from the Bulls. As has been the case for the Bulls in seasons past they will only go as far as Derrick Rose can take them. Anything less than a meeting vs the Cavaliers in the second round would be a disappointment. Bulls in 6

#4 Toronto Raptors vs #5 Washington Wizards- Both of these teams have been disappointing as of late and have slid down the standings since the all-star break. With both coaches on the hot seat, these playoffs will go a long way in determining in which coach keeps his job. The Wizards have the best player in this series in John Wall and will need him to carry this team as far as he can. The Raptors have their own stud point guard in Kyle Lowry, an excellent defender who can also be trusted with the ball in crunch time. The Wizards are a lot older than the Raptors with veterans such as Paul Pierce, Marcin Gortat, and Nene. Pierce helped eliminate the Raptors last year when he was on the Nets with many clutch baskets. This series will come down to which team can execute down the stretch as I expect many close back and forth games that will be decided in the 4th quarter. Out of all the first round playoff series, this one has been the most difficult to predict, as either team can win with a week of good basketball. In this close match-up I am leaning towards the team with the best player and veteran experience, as John Wall and Paul Pierce will close a couple of games down the stretch. Wizards in 6

THE WESTERN CONFERENCE: 

#1 Golden State Warriors vs #8 New Orleans Pelicans- The Pelicans scored an impressive win on the last day of the season over the San Antonio Spurs to slide into the final spot of the Western Conference. Anthony Davis has been nothing short of phenomenal this season, looking like every bit of the superstar that people predicted him to be. But unfortunately for him his first playoff experience will likely be extremely short as Davis has to play the juggernaut that has been the Golden State Warriors this season. One of the best aspects of the Warriors this season has been their excellent home record. With only two losses at home the entire season it is almost it will be very difficult for a team to steal a game at home against the Warriors because it seems like even when the Warriors don't play that well at home they somehow manage to win anyway, evidenced by their last second win vs the Suns a couple of weeks ago. I wouldn't be surprised to see the Warriors have an undefeated home record until at least the Western Conference Finals. The Pelicans may pull one out at home thanks to Anthony Davis but it should be a short playoffs for the Brow. Warriors in 5

#2 Houston Rockets vs #7 Dallas Mavericks- James Harden has carried this injury riddled Rockets team all the way to the second seed. Even though he might not win MVP he has to be considered one of the best players in the league and someone who can take over a series if need be. The X factor for the Rockets will be the health of Dwight Howard. If he can play his best the Rockets will be contending for the Finals and will be a tough out. The Mavs have been struggling to fit Rajon Rondo into their offense and have been stagnant the last month of the season. The problem for the Mavs is that they don't have anyone that can match up against Harden and they might have to put Rondo on him. This series will be a test for Chandler Parsons as he will be going up against his former team. If Parsons can take some of the scoring load away from Dirk and Monta Ellis the Mavs might be able to steal a few games. I see a couple of  overtime games in this hard fought series as the Rockets prevail on a great performance by James Harden. Rockets in 6 

#3 Los Angeles Clippers vs #6 San Antonio Spurs- It is extremely unfortunate that the Clippers, who have been playing great basketball as of late, have to play the Spurs in the first round round of the playoffs. Chris Paul has been playing like an MVP and has carried this team in spite of injuries to Blake Griffin. CP3 has been extremely efficient the season and with JJ Reddick they make one of the best offenses in the league. The Spurs were looking at a number two seed on last day of the regular season but with a loss to the Pelicans they dropped all the way to the sixth seed. Kawhi Leonard has been one of the best players in the league after his injury and he makes the Spurs a championship contender with his play. This maybe Tim Duncan's last season so the Spurs will definitely try to end his illustrious career on a high note. With Greg Popovich and the big three you can never count this team out come playoff time. I expect the Spurs to steal one of the first two in LA and eventually advance to the next round. Spurs in 6

#4 Memphis Grizzlies vs #5 Portland Trailblazers- Both of these teams looked prime for a playoff run until poor play and injuries led them to the middle of the Western Conference standings. The Grizzlies looked like an elite contender about two months ago, but have cooled off since and the Blazers suffered a brutal season ending Achilles injury to Wesley Matthews who was having a career season. Damian Lillard has hit a slump after the all-star break and Lamarcus Aldridge has been playing with a broken hand for the better part of the season. In addition Arron Afflalo might not play Game 1 because of a shoulder injury which means the banged up Blazers might have to start Allen Crabbe at shooting guard. The Grizzlies have elite defenders in Marc Gasol and Tony Allen and each will make life difficult for Aldridge and Lillard. With all of the injuries to the Blazers, the Grizzlies can put more pressure on Aldridge and Lillard due to the lack of scoring elsewhere. The injuries to Portland heavily tilt this match up to the Grizzlies favor. I see the Grizzlies stealing one of two from the Blazers at home and advancing to the next round. Grizzlies in 6

The NBA MVP Race

This season has had one of the best MVP races in recent memory. With the season coming to an end there are four very deserving candidates and in a different year they would be well deserving of winning the trophy. But we can only have one winner. Let's see the top 10 most valuable players so far:

1.  James Harden-Houston Rockets 27.5 ppg | 7.0 apg | 5.7 rpg | 26.81 PER

What Harden has been doing this year is nothing short of amazing. He has carried the Rockets to the second seed in the tough Western Conference and the third best record in the NBA. It is even more amazing considering the fact that Dwight Howard has only played 36 of a possible 76 games this season. Including Howard the Rockets have had a ridiculous amount of injuries to their entire team.

• Patrick Beverley- Played 56 games Out for the season with a torn ligament
• Terrence Jones- Played 27 games has been out with 5 different injuries this season
• Kostas Papanikolau- Played 41 games has been out with knee and ankle injuries
• Joey Dorsey has played 63 games

You can make an argument that Trevor Ariza, who hasn't missed a game this season, has been the second best player for Rockets. The 51-point game that Harden delivered on Wednesday vs the Kings was a perfect example of what a talented scorer he is. He went 16-25 from the field in addition to 8-9 from 3 along with 8 rebound and 6 assists. Harden can score on you from the outside, inside, free throw line, or mid range. He really is one of the most talented scorers we have in the league today and he is my vote for MVP.

2. Stephen Curry- Golden State Warriors 23.8 ppg | 7.8 apg | 4.3 rpg | 27.87 PER

This has been a magical season for the Warriors, posting a 60+ win season for the first time in franchise history along with the best record in the NBA. In addition the Warriors clinched their first division title since 1975-1976. It has also been a fantastic season for the phenom Stephen Curry. He is 16 3's away from breaking his own record of 3-pointers in a season while shooting a ridiculous 43.6% from deep. That percentage is extremely impressive when you consider the fact that he takes a league leading 8 3-pointers a game. His ability from the 3-point line makes him practically impossible to guard. The Warriors have an all around great team but Curry truly makes them one of the championship favorites. He will be a joy to watch for years to come. 

3. Russell Westbrook- Oklahoma City Thunder 27.6 ppg | 8.7 apg | 7.3 rpg | 29.01 PER

With the injury to Kevin Durant we have seen Westbrook fully unleashed and it has been amazing to watch. He has 10 triple-doubles this season, including that ridiculous stretch where he pulled off four consecutive triple-doubles. To put in perspective how impressive that streak was there is a four-way tie for second place and each of those players only has three triple-doubles each. When Westbrook steps on the floor it is must see basketball. You don't know if he's going to have another ferocious dunk, an unbelievable block, or a game winning shot. He plays every game with his heart out and you have to respect the intensity he brings to the court. Kobe Bryant was quoted saying that "Westbrook has Mamba blood in him" which is as high praise as you can get. But the sad truth is that no matter how well Westbrook plays he won't be a serious candidate for MVP with the Thunder being an 8th seed. 

4. LeBron James- Cleveland Cavaliers 25.6 ppg | 7.3 apg | 5.9 rpg | 26.07 PER

In 2011 Derrick Rose won the MVP and many felt it was controversial because voters were too tired of voting for LeBron and they wanted a new winner. There is a debate to be had on whether or not Rose deserved that MVP but you cannot make that argument this year. There are great candidates this year and it will not be up for debate if/when LeBron doesn't win MVP. Now this isn't a knock against LeBron, it is actually evidence for how many great performances there have been by many different players this season. LeBron has been his usual great self, leading the Cavs to the second best record in the Eastern Conference. Kyrie Irving has had a great season himself, but take no mistake this is LeBron team. They have been 28-6 since LeBron came back from injury including an impressive 15-1 record against the Western Conference. 

5. Chris Paul- Los Angeles Clippers 19.2 ppg | 10.2 apg | 4.6 apg | 25.83 PER

It is bizarre to think that the best point guard in the NBA has been under the radar this season, but that is what exactly has happened this season. With the impressive performances of guards such as Curry, Westbrook, and Irving, CP3 has been putting up another great season without much fanfare. His 41 point 17 assist games vs the Blazers on Wednesday was proof that Paul could still take over games if he wanted to. The most impressive thing about Paul's game was that he a turnover on the first play of the game, and didn't have a single turnover for the rest of the game. What makes the Clippers so dangerous in the playoffs is that CP3 can shut down the other teams point guard while scoring and passing at will. Many people thought the Clippers would tumble down the standings with Blake Griffin out with injury; instead they have stayed 5th in the West and are one game away from home court advantage in the first round thanks to Chris Paul.

6. Anthony Davis- New Orleans Pelicans 24.6 ppg | 10.4 rpg | 2.1 apg | 31.15 PER

Before the season there was a lot of debate when ESPN ranked Anthony Davis as the third best player in the NBA. People brushed it off and somewhere Davis must have been listening. He has been on an absolute tear this season and is on track to win an MVP in the future. He plays like a young Kevin Garnett and that has to make Pelican fans ecstatic. His ability to attack the basket as well as defend the basket makes him one of the most versatile players in the NBA. Davis is as athletic as anyone in the NBA and just having him in the paint automatically makes the Pelicans one of the better defensive teams in the league. His potential is through the roof and watching him drag a mediocre Pelicans team to the 9th seed as a 22-year old is impressive in its own right. Even though we probably won't see Davis in the playoffs this year, watching him this season has been a pleasure. I expect to see Anthony Davis play basketball deep into April and May soon, as he is going to take over the league.

7. LaMarcus Aldridge- Portland Trailblazers 23.6 ppg | 10.3 rpg | 1.8 apg | 22.90 PER

LaMarcus has continued to be one of the most underrated players in the league. His play style isn't as entertaining as the players above him on this list, but he still gets results. The Blazers are sitting as the 4th seed in the West even though they have been hit with a myriad of injuries. Sharpshooter Wesley Matthews is out for the season with an Achilles injury and Dorrell Wright is set to miss 4-6 weeks with a hand injury. In addition to these injuries, Damian Lillard and Nicolas Batum have had down seasons. It is impressive that Aldridge has been able to lead this team to where they are and home court advantage in the playoffs would be huge for this injury-riddled team. People may be sleeping on Aldridge in the long regular season, but he'll make sure to remind everyone that he is one of the best power fowards in the league come playoff time. 

8. Paul Millsap- Atlanta Hawks 17.0 ppg | 7.9 rpg | 3.0 apg | 20.17 PER

At number 8 comes Millsap is also a forward who is not talked about often. With the success of the Hawks this season Millsap has been the steady force leading this team. He is the experienced veteran that can be counted on to make the right play in crunch time. Nobody expected the Hawks to be in first place like they are and it has been a combined team effort. However in the playoffs when the Hawks need a basket they trust Millsap to bail them out if necessary. If the Hawks want to win a championship they will need Millsap's experience and his leadership. 

9. Marc Gasol- Memphis Grizzlies 17.5 ppg | 7.9 rpg | 3.8 apg | 21.52 PER

One of the most consistent players in the NBA, Gasol has put in another fine season. Every year analysts peg the Grizzlies as the dark horse to win the championship and they have come up short every year. The Grizzlies will need a great performance from the Gasol to reach the ultimate prize. He has been great on the defensive end but needs to perform on offense as well when the Grizzlies go on dry spells and can't score. In the Western Conference playoffs it is difficult to beat any team and the road to the Finals is tough, but the Grizzlies have the roster and depth for a deep run. However, they will need an MVP type performance from Marc Gasol.

10. Pau Gasol- Chicago Bulls 18.5 ppg | 11.8 rpg | 2.8 apg | 22.80 PER

As a Lakers fan it's bittersweet to see Pau play so well this season. He truly has had a renaissance year and has been the best player for the Chicago Bulls this season. Gasol has been fantastic on the offensive end and leading the team in scoring with Derrick Rose out yet again. The Bulls have the third best record in the East and are primed for a playoff run once everyone get healthy. The Eastern Conference is wide open and if Gasol can put together a good couple of months like he has been this season, the Bulls could be playing in June for the championship. 

Super Bowl XLIX

This week has been filled with talk about deflating footballs and why Marshawn Lynch won't talk to the media. After all the controversy and unnecessary media interruption the Super Bowl is finally almost upon us. I know I'm not the only one when I say I can't wait to finally see some football. Grab some food and beer and enjoy America's unofficial holiday. Lets get to the pick and see who's going to win Super Bowl 49.

Seahawks vs Patriots- Right after the Seahawks and Patriots finished their championship games on Sunday, the Seahawks were immediately favored by two points. Now that the game is a day away the Patriots are favored by one point. This is the closest Super Bowl matchup years.

 Both of these teams have their own strengths and weaknesses. The Seahawks have the better running game and defense, while the Patriots have the better quarterback and offense. The Patriots run a classic style offense with Tom Brady and his receivers trying to chew up as many yards possible and move the ball downfield. The Seahawks have a somewhat methodical offense, they pound you with the run and then Russell Wilson burns you either with his arm or his legs and his legs. Both of these teams have elite secondaries with Darelle Revis and Brandon Browner (former Seahawk) for the Patriots while the Seahawks have Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas.

The elite secondaries make the quarterback position even more important. Both Brady and Wilson will have to be on top of their game against these great defenses. For the Patriots the number one priority on offense will be to get tight end Rob Gronkowski to have a huge day against the Seahawk defense. The Seahawks will presumably give the mediocre New England receivers a tough time in getting open, so it is up to Gronkowski to make some big plays. If not Brady and the offense will be in for a long day in Arizona.

As for the Seahawks, the number priority for them has to be getting running back Marshawn Lynch going. If he can bust open a few runs and pick up key first downs, the Seahawks will be in a great position to repeat as Super Bowl champs. The Patriots have done a good job of shutting down receivers in years past and I expect the same against an average Seattle receiving core. This is why it is key for the Seahawks to open holes for Lynch and pick up yards on the ground. Expect Russell Wilson to scramble often against the Patriots D in an effort to pick up yards.

Like the reports have been saying the last couple of weeks, these two teams are extremely evenly matched. If they played 20 times I wouldn't surprised if each team won 10 games each. In Super Bowls past the team that has the best quarterback pulls out the victory and I expect the same tomorrow. Tom Brady will make enough plays with Gronkowski having a huge day against the Seattle defense. Super Bowls often come down to late game or 4th quarter adjustments and although Pete Carroll is an excellent coach, I expect Bill Bellicheck to confuse the Seattle defense enough and pull out the victory. Patriots 27 Seahawks 24

Championship Sunday Picks

We're down to the second to last Sunday of the NFL season and 4 teams will play for the right to go to the Super Bowl. Lets get into the picks.

Packers at Seahawks- These teams played in the first game of the season in Seattle all the back in Week 1. The Seahawks routed the Packers 36-16 and forced Aaron Rodgers to play one of his worst games of the season. The Packers were close in the first half of their Week 1 matchup but were just overwhelmed in the second half. The Packers couldn't move the ball down the field and were overwhelmed by Seattle's defense. Rodgers has had a great season and will likely win MVP, but he has struggled when faced with a good pass rush. For the Packers to have any chance to win the offensive line has to have a great game against the Seattle defensive line, even more so because Rodgers is nursing an injured calf. If the Seattle pass rush gets to Rodgers like they did Week 1 this game will be a blowout. Three of the Packers losses came against teams with good defensive lines (Seattle, Buffalo, and Detroit). All three of those losses were on the road where the Packers were only 4-4 this season. The cards are stacked against the Packers but they have the tools to pull out a win in Seattle. They need rookie Davonte Adams to have a great game against the Seattle secondary. The Seahawks will surely key in on Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb so if Adams can gain separation from Seattle's cornerbacks the passing attack will be much more lethal. Another key for the Packers is Eddie Lacy. Any yards that Lacy can rack up against the Seattle D will be crucial and will relive the pressure from a Aaron Rodgers. He will need to have a big game on Sunday. As we all know Seattle plays there best football at home. They use the crowd and any motivation as momentum to rout the opposing team out. Last week against the Panthers they started slow but used big plays to make a close game into a blowout. Marshawn Lynch tends to have great games at home and I expect him to run all over this Packers defense. In addition Russell Wilson has only lost two games at home in his entire career and seems to play better when as the game goes on. His ability to throw as well as run will be a huge advantage as the Seahawks physical play will wear the Packers down and allow for Wilson to take over in the second half. The Packers will keep it close for most of the game but the Seahawks have too many weapons on both side of the ball and will punch their ticket for a second straight Super Bowl appearance. Seahawks 27 Packers 21

Colts at Patriots- Most of America thought this game would be the Broncos vs the Patriots, but the Colts pulled off an upset of Peyton Manning and the Broncos in Denver. The Patriots, meanwhile, fended off the feisty Ravens for a thrilling 35-31 victory. The Colts executed a perfect game plan to neutralize the Broncos offense. The Colts secondary (especially Vontae Davis) shut down the Broncos passing game. Denver could only manage 6 points the rest of the game after their opening drive touchdown. The Colts face another great quarterback and offense with the Patriots. Tom Brady led the Patriots to a comeback victory and showed he can still lead a team in the playoffs despite being 37 years old. The Colts need to get pressure to Tom Brady and slow this Patriot offense down. In addition the Colts secondary will have to play another good game and the key will be shutting down tight end Rob Gronkowski. He has had a Pro-Bowl season and is the biggest advantage the Patriots will have on Sunday. The Colts have struggled with defending tight ends all seasons long and the Patriots will be sure to exploit that. When the Colts and Patriots played each other in Week 11, unknown running back Jonas Gray ran all over the Colts defense for 201 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Patriots had no running game against the Ravens last week but I expect them to use their stable of running backs this Sunday against a Colts team that is weak against the run. If the Colts have any chance of pulling off another upset, they need Andrew Luck to have an excellent game. He has the propensity to throw dangerous passes and turn the ball over and can not afford that against Darrell Revis and this dangerous Patriot secondary. Luck has to find a way to get the ball to T.Y Hilton, as he is one of the few playmakers on this Colts offense. I think this game will be a high scoring affair that will work against the Colts. Indianapolis just doesn't have enough weapons on offense and a lack of a running game will be huge disadvantage as they won't be able to match a high-powered New England offense. Patriots 37 Colts 28

NFL Divisional Playoff Picks (Sunday Games)

Sunday Games

Dallas at Green Bay- This game pits the Cowboys, who haven't lost on the road against the Packers, who haven't lost at home. During the week news of Aaron Rodgers calf has not been good for the Packer faithful. Rodgers will be limited in his playmaking ability because he won't be able to run out of the pocket as much as he'd like. The Cowboys will have a much easier time moving the ball vs the Packers defense than the impressive Lions defense last week. Expect a high scoring game in Lambeau. Like so many of the Cowboys games this season, their success will hinge on the play of their offense stars; Tony Romo, Demarco Murray, and Dez Bryant. If the Packers can slow down at least one of these players they will have a much better chance to win the game. If Rodgers injury is as serious as reported the bulk of the offensive load will be on running back Eddie Lacy. Lacy will need to have a big game for the Packers against this Cowboy defense. It is expected to be very cold in Green Bay tomorrow with a high of 22 and a low of 4 degrees. This may work to the favor of the Packers but it will take the fans out of the game. The Packers offense has a lot of weapons so even if Aaron Rodgers doesn't have to have his best game for the Packers to win, he just needs to play smart and turnover free football. If Rodgers can do that the Packers will be in great position to win the game. I think that the Packers make just enough plays at home against the Cowboys to secure the playoff win. Packers 31 Cowboys 28

Indianapolis at Denver- The thing that everyone has been talking about in regards to this game is the quarterback matchup between Peyton Manning and Andrew Luck. Both of these quarterbacks run high powered offenses that can score instantly. The Colts beat the Bengals last week who were dealing with a number of injuries such as A.J Green and Jermaine Gresham. The Broncos and Colts played against each other in the first week of the season where the Broncos won 31-24. The Broncos led the game 24-0 before the Colts had a late comeback that eventually fell short. The Broncos offense has looked a lot different after their loss to the Rams in Week 11. They have become much more run oriented and have relived the pressure from Peyton Manning. C.J. Anderson has got the bulk of the carries and has had a great season. So in addition to all the skilled receivers that the Broncos have the Colts will also have to worry about a solid running game. Besides Vontae Davis there is no one on the Colts defense that can keep up with the Broncos offensive players. Denver should be able to win this game comfortably at home. Broncos 35 Colts 24

NFL Divisional Playoff Picks (Saturday Games)

Happy New Year guys. It's been a while since I last made picks, I have been busy with school and work. Anyways we have a big weekend coming up with the NFL playoffs in full swing. Lets get right into the picks for Saturdays games.

Baltimore at New England- The Ravens come into Foxborough a week after beating their hated rivals, the Pittsburgh Steelers. Usually teams that play in New England are not given a chance because of the Patriots impressive record at home. But these Ravens are an impressive 2-1 in their last 3 playoff games in New England. They might be 3-0 if not for a drop by Lee Evans and a 32 yard missed field goal by Billy Cundiff in 2012. Out of all the playoff teams in the AFC the Ravens were probably the last team the Patriots wanted to see come into New England. They will give them a tough, physical game that will test the Patriots in the brutally cold weather. But this game like so many in the NFL hinges on the play of the quarterback. Joe Flacco has been extremely impressive in the playoffs, posting 13 touchdowns to 0 interceptions in his last 5 games. Tom Brady, barring a few games where he struggled, has had another good season. The Ravens pass rush teamed with Elivs Dumervil and Terrell Suggs will cause havoc for Brady and it is key for the Patriots offensive line to give Brady as much time as possible. I think the game will come down to the Patriots running game. If their running attack can pick up key first downs and yards, the game will become much easier for the Patriots. I think the Patriots edge the Ravens at home. Patriots 27 Ravens 24

Carolina at Seattle- The Panthers just beat the injury plagued Cardinals at home and now head to Seattle. The Seahawks have been impressive at home, boasting a 7-1 record. They have the best home field advantage and it only get better in the playoffs. The Seahawks defense will cause problems for this Panther team that relies on running the ball. With the running game non-existent, the Panthers will need a huge game from Cam Newton to have any chance of winning the game. The Panthers benefited from playing a hurt Cardinals team that had no offense at all. It will be the complete opposite in Seattle as Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch will make life difficult for the Panthers defense. Because of the anemic offense of the Cardinals the Panthers looked a lot better than they really are. I think that the Seahawks win comfortably at home, exploiting this Carolina team on offense and defense. Seahawks 28 Panthers 10