Friday, December 30, 2011
Dwight Howard Trade Talks
Paul Pierce will start
Is 95m not enough for you?
Nightly Recap: 12/29/11
- Houston gets their 1st win of the year against division foe San Antonio behind a great effort from their backcourt
- 13 players got minutes for Houston; a trend I'm noticing for a lot of teams; coaches still don't know the rotation they want to go with and are experimenting a ton.
- Dwight Howard scored 16 pts and had 24 rebounds against NJ who continued to score again, shooting 37% for the game and scoring a mere 78 points
- Derrick Rose, who wasn't having all that great a game, was Derrick Rose down the stretch and put away Sacramento on the road.
- Rip Hamilton had his best game in a Chicago uniform, scoring 16 points on 7-15 shooting.
- Noah has had a slow start to the year (only 7 ppg and 7 rpg)
- CJ Wilson had 9 assists in 18 minutes
- Dirk was perfect on his FT's and has now missed only 1 all season (v. Miami in the opening game of the year)
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Rapid Reaction: Mavs 102 @ Thunder 104
FA Signing: Phoenix Suns
Nightly Recap: 12/28/11
- Kyrie Irving bounced back with a nice game for the Cavs in their 1st win of the year; 14 pts 7 asts, 4 rebs on 5-9 shooting.
- Detroit is a mess. I know I mentioned this before, but this team is all over the map. It was nice to see Ben Gordon show that he's still alive, though!
- Brandon Knight had a big game; 29 minutes played, shot 10-13 for 23 points, 6 assists, and only 2 turnovers.
- Why is Nick Young coming off the bench? Seriously, someone give me a good reason that Jordan Crawford should start over him?
- Atlanta may have found their PG of the future with Teague. He's looked just as good as he did in the playoffs last year.
- Pacers are now 2-0 and look impressive; just as I had predicted (had to)
- KD and Westbrook have issues.
- Memphis is the best 0-2 team in the league right now.
- Can Memphis play Oklahoma City every night?! Those two teams always put on a show when they play (think back to last years 7 game series that came down to the wire)
- Lob City was closed for the night
- New York Knicks cannot play defense, also Bibby looked AWFUL in his debut in a NYK uniform
- How happy are Nugget fans that they re-signed Nene?
- I refuse to watch the Jazz play from this point forward
Westbrook vs. Durant
Nightly Recap: 12/27/11
- Lakers get their first win, avoiding an 0-3 start for the 33rd straight year
- The Nets had their worse loss since '07 (and when the Nets set a record for futility that's bad..)
- Portland is now 2-0 and people really need to pay attention to their starting F's. Aldridge and Wallace are as good and athletic as any 3/4 combo is in this league.
- Jimmer had 10 its on 4-10 shooting (making 1 three) while DeMarcus Cousins put up a nice game with 16/11 (leading the NBA in usage rate)
- The Nets liked what they saw out of Brooks; dude is quick and can get to the stripe (where he shot a stellar 7-8 and lead the Nets in scoring)
- The Hawks bench put up 55 points, the Nets starters put up 24.
- Utah is rebuilding and it's going to be ugly. That is a team that is painful to watch play.
- Paul Milsap needs to go to a contending team, his talents are being wasted in Salt Lake City. He is a stud on both ends of the floor.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Nightly Recap: 12/26/11
After a great debut to the season, the NBA season rolls on with a day 2 slate that featured 12 games with more than a few interesting matchups. It would be interesting to see how the Bulls and Lakers responded to their emotional Christmas Day game (4th most watched regular season game on ABC in NBA history), both playing on the road. It would be interesting to see if the Grizz would live up to what is undoubtedly the highest expectations they’ve ever had as a franchise vs. the old guard San Antonio Spurs. Also of note, if the defending champion Mavericks would bounce back, and how some of the young and up coming teams (Pacers, Sixers) would do.
Grizzlies 82 @ Spurs 95
Old guard proved to have some life left in them vs the young contending Grizzlies. Spurs held Zach Randolph in check, limiting him to just 8 shots (of which he made 3) in 30 min of play. The Spurs utilized a great 3rd qtr (no doubt do in part to Pop making halftime adjustments) to close in on, and overtake the Grizz after their halftime deficit of 44-33. Interesting to note, Pop went with a 10 man rotation which is rare for him. Rudy Gay took the most shots for the Grizz, and as a result had the most points (19). On the other side of the court, Manu was back to being Manu, helping the Spurs make their run and putting the Grizzlies out of their misery and keeping the franchise without an opening day victory since their move from Vancouver in '01 (also didn't help that the Grizz had 24 turnovers to the Spurs 13). Despite Blair getting the start, Tiago Splitter played 33 minutes to DeJuan Blair's 10 minutes at the 5 spot. I fully expect the Grizzlies to be a major player in the west, but the Spurs proved they are also in the conversation.
Lakers 91 Kings 100; Bulls 91 Warriors 99
Lakers and Bulls responded the exact same way to their Christmas day thriller; by scoring 91 points and losing. The Bulls came out flat scoring only 41 points in the first half while the Lakers similarly came out flat scoring a mere 40 points. Bryant looked much more comfortable with that wrist injury, playing 38 minutes of a back-to-back (knowing he had another game the next night) and scoring 29 pts with only 2 turnovers. The Lakers depth continued to be the issue here. With no Bynum they weren't able to overcome a fast & physical Kings squad. Tyreke Evans absolutely exploited Derek Fisher all night long to the tune of 20 pts on 6-13 shooting, while Marcus Thornton showed exactly why the Kings liked him scoring 27 points to go along with 5 boards and 3 dimes. Jimmer's debut was a bit quiet, 6 points on 3-8 shooting in 26 minutes of play (impressive minutes) with 3 assists and 3 turnovers. As for the Warriors/Bulls game - I'll say this, the backcourt of the Warriors is flat out FUN to watch. Monta Ellis and Steph Curry are electric. A combined 17-29 for 47 points, 17 asts, 6 stls, and 9 rebs (total +/- of +11), they imposed their will on D-Rose, Rip, and Brewer. Little surprised Brewer only got 15 minutes in this game while noted defensive flop Korver got 17 (and Rip got 24), but the way the Warriors played defensively (YES, the Warriors, I know, I know!), not so sure it would have mattered. While the Bulls outrebounded the Warriors, the Warriors had 16 steals to the Bulls 3 along with 2 more blocks and 10 less turnovers while attempting 9 more FT's. Clearly the Warriors were committed to a physical defensive game while the Bulls were not. The Bulls are obviously the better team in the long run, but that was a nice showing for the Warriors faithful that Mark Jackson may have this team buying into playing some defense. Also, how the F&$# did Kwame Brown get 23 minutes?! There is no right answer to that question...
76ers 103 Trail Blazers 107 ; Pistons 79 Pacers 91
76ers came out flat (kind of unforgivable given how good a coach Doug Collins is), but rebounded to play head to head on the road with a very good Blazer team. What was interesting to me was Collins choosing to play only an 8 man rotation given such a deep bench to work with. Gerald Wallace played well (as he always does vs. Philly) and Camby got his 10+ rebounds and Portland limited their turnovers while the Sixers were careless with it (especially early on). The Sixers made a nice run, getting within 2 points thanks to an Elton Brand jumper, only to see that balloon to a double digit deficit before Lou Williams single-handedly brought them back and if not for a missed Iggy 3, potentially a win. David West looked good in his debut as a Pacer scoring 11 pts and garnering 12 boards (7 of which were o-rebs, extending possessions) with 2 blocks. This game, however, was an ugly one. Both teams shot under 37% but thanks to a 2-1 edge in o-rebs, the Pacers were able to take more shots in the game, allowing them to take the win. While I am confident in saying the Pacers won't be this bad going forward, I'm not sure we haven't seen the issue that will haunt Detroit all year. They have no identity and a lot of guys who play the same position. It will be interesting to see how Lawrence Frank handles that going forward.
Raptors 104 Cavaliers 96; Rockets 95 Magic 104; Nets 90 Wizards 84; Bucks 95 Bobcats 96; Thunder 104 Timberwolves 100; Nuggets 115 Mavericks 93; Hornets 85 Suns 84
Notes:
- Mavericks came out flat for the 2nd straight game; not a good sign for the defending champs
- Rick Carlisle had 13 people with playing time in the game (10 with significant minutes); that is not good for a team coming off a championship that SHOULD have their rotation set. That shows me he's not comfortable with what he has. Definitely something to keep an eye on.
- Rubio looks like he's gonna be as good as advertised. His court vision is ridiculous. Once he gets a bit older and adjusts to the speed of the game, he will be a perennial all-star
- The Hornets won thanks to Stern veto'ing the Suns last second shot (sorry, had to)
- Kevin Durant scores 30+ for the second straight night - can you say scoring title?
- Kyrie Irving didn't have the debut a 1st overall pick would like: 2-12 shooting for 6 pts, 1-5 from downtown a turnover and 2 fouls. However he did have 7 assists, which is the equivalent to 14 on a team with real basketball players.
- Tristan Thompson could be better than people think; 1 of only 3 Cavs with a positive +/- line and made great use of his 17 minutes, scoring 14 points.
- Kemba Walker: 13 pts, 7 rebs, 3 asts, 7-7 from the stripe. Not too shabby, but DJ Augistin stole the show with 19 pts on 7-16 shooting with 8 asts.
- The Wizards must be sick after blowing that lead to a team like the Nets; Blatche certainly tweeted to that affect.
- Hedo Turkoglu doing his best to make himself not look like a salary dump throw in to the eventual Dwight Howard trade; 23 pts on 10-14 shooting, passing up a few 3 pt shots to drive to the hoop (very unlike him, or any European player for that matter..)
- Kyle Lowry is very good and needs to get more recognition for it.
- Terrence Williams has the fastest hands in the NBA. That man can turn a windmill dunk in .5 seconds.
- If nothing else, Minnesota will be fun to watch this year; Especially with Kevin Love who continues to be a top 10 player in the NBA (yes, seriously). Dude is money and I would take him over Blake Griffen right now in a heart-beat.
- Derrick Williams: 13 pts, 6 rebs, 1 asts, 1 stl, 6-14 shooting. Not a bad debut for the much hyped rookie
- Kris Humphries is more than just Mr. Kardashian: 21 pts and 16 boards amidst a bevy of boo's in the Verizon Center.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
NBA Opening Day
Saturday, December 24, 2011
FA Signing: Boston Celtics
Friday, December 23, 2011
Eastern Conference Preview
1. Miami Heat (51-15)
The Heat enter the season as the most talented team in the eastern conference and arguably the most talented team in the NBA. With LeBron/Wade/Bosh having a year of playing together under their belt and adding Battier to a much better than you think supporting cast, this team should rile off 50+ wins, only losing when they take nights off to rest.
2. Chicago Bulls (49-17)
Derrick Rose. This team is built for the regular season and very easily could surpass the 50 win total and be a 1 seed over the Heat. They HAVE to get a better season out of Boozer, he’s just too good a ball-player to put up back-to-back seasons like what he did last year. Adding Rip Hamilton fills a massive void and allows Rose’s dribble drives to have a SG waiting for a 15-foot kick-out shot. The question is, will Rose allow other players on his team to shine. The one critique I have with him is trying to be a too high-volume shooter and not deferring to his cast (could be a reason why Boozer underperformed). Regardless, this team will shine btwn Christmas and June.
3. New York Knicks (45-21)
Am I the only one who thinks that adding Baron Davis will be huge? That dude WANTS to play for a contender with great crowds; Knicks are contenders and play at MSG. Once healthy, he will lead an offense loaded with Melo and Amar’e. Everybody knows what kind of offensive numbers this team will put up. With Chandler locking down the paint, this team will be much better defensively than they were last year. Landry Fields is a capable defender on the perimeter and Toney Douglas is an above average defender at PG. This team is poised for a big run in 2011-2012 and can make some real waves in the playoffs as well.
4. Boston Celtics (43-23)
The only team in the NBA with 4 all-stars and I have them 2nd in their own DIVISION? This team is paper-thin and very injury prone with their age. Jermaine O’Neal is good to get hurt for a few weeks and Pierce is already going to miss some games to start the year. This team is one injury to Rondo or KG away from potentially an 8th seed or even missing post-season play. This team will be extremely challenged given the compact-season and back-to-back-to-back’s that will be thrown there way. They also have a stretch in April where they play 12 games in 20 days that could be a huge issue for this team. However, if they are healthy come June and make it through the season unscathed, this team could be quite dangerous.
5. Philadelphia 76ers (39-27)
This team will surprise a lot of people who aren’t paying attention. They are young, they are deep, and they stay healthy. They return their entire core and according to people involved, Elton Brand looks great in camp and looks to build on his rebound season of last year. Jrue Holiday, at a mere 21 years of age, looks like he could take a step further towards being an elite PG this year. This team plays tough defense for its head coach and while likely end in the top 5, certainly top 10. The 76ers have the strongest bench of any team in the NBA and their second unit (which will be called on a lot given a compact season) will possess a significant advantage over other teams second units. Given their lack of interior toughness (Spencer Hawes is softer than tissue paper), they won’t have a chance to threaten any of the real contenders, but they should have an excellent regular season.
6. Indiana Pacers (39-27)
This is one of my favorite teams to watch this year. I talked about them in my previous post in regards to their potential for a breakout year. The David West signing is a sneaky good signing that will give them some stability at the 4 with Roy and Jeff Foster rotating in the 5. Darren Collison is a name I expect a lot of people to start to know as the year goes along. Danny Granger, if he can return to his ’09-’10 form, can be a 20+ ppg scorer and they have some depth with Hansborough/West, Foster/Hibbert, and Collison/George Hill. Paul George is poised for a HUGE sophomore campaign and given the fact that the 3-pt shot is something that improves in players 2nd year, he could be real dangerous at the 2 spot for them with his size.
7. Orlando Magic (35-31)
I don’t see this team finishing with Dwight Howard and even with him I think they are going to struggle. I know most “experts” have predicted them in the top 4, but I just don’t see it. They aren’t deep, Howard is unhappy, they are weak at the 4, and Hedo has seen his scoring efficiency decrease rapidly in the prior few years. This team will struggle with elite teams that run and gun them (think Knicks) and they are absolutely screwed when Dwight is traded as Daniel Orton (essentially a rookie) will be taking over at center. I love Ryan Anderson and JJ Reddick but both need to basically be wide open to be effective players so they are neutralized if this team struggles. I expect a weak season out of Orlando and depending on when Dwight gets traded, they may miss out completely on the playoffs.
8. Atlanta Hawks (33-33)
They lost their best bench player and Kirk Hinrich is going to miss a bunch of the season. They are going to take a step back. Tracy McGrady is not at all what Jamal Crawford was for them. Josh Smith does look explosive in pre-season and Joe Johnson has to have a somewhat bounce back year after last years disappointing numbers. A lot of what this team is depends on if Jeff Teague can continue to be as good as what he showed in the playoffs last year. This team has the potential to win 40+ games and vie for a 4/5 seed, but I just don’t see how they are going to stack up in a condensed season where you need to go to your bench a lot. AKA Tracy McGrady is going to be a big part of this team. Not good news if you’re a Hawks fan.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (31-35)
One of the best defensive teams in the eastern conference with just no offense. A healthy Bogut and a bounce back year from Brandon Jennings could help them out a lot, but they are thin and considering Shuan Livingston is backing up Jennings, a Jennings injury may be enough to injury Livingston as well leaving them with no point guard. I’m a bigger fan of most than Delfino who will be there wing player, but his lack of athleticism really limits the impact he can have on games. If his shot is on, he can be dangerous, but a bad day shooting the ball basically eliminates him from the game. Stephen Jackson is a headcase who is lobbying for a new contract and will certainly let that impact his game, leaving them with limited production from the off-guard. If things bounce right for them, they could sneak into the playoffs, but I don’t see it. They will definitely look like a playoff team some nights, however, leaving a lot of people scratching their head.
10. Detroit Pistons (27-39)
What a mess this team is. I would love to go out on a limb and predict them to make the playoffs, but they are just a collection of a lot of the same talent. Rodney Stucky isn’t a true PG, and they lack interior toughness (unless you count the corpse of Ben Wallace who YES is still there..) Monroe could be poised for a big season, but I’m not sure that it doesn’t go in vein considering the play of the rest of the team. I think they will win more games than people think purely because of their depth. Other than that, they are going to be frustrating to watch if you’re a Piston fan.
11. Washington Wizards (23-43)
Here’s another team I would have loved to place higher given the breakout ability of John Wall, but I just can’t do it given the lack of depth all around him. Outside of McGee and Nick Young, there are no real NBA quality starters. Blatche never developed and the rest of that team would all be bench players for any other team. It’s going to take a ginormous effort from Wall to get this team to 33 wins (8th seed range) and given the fact they had no training camp/limited pre-season, I don’t see it. They are destined for another lottery pick.
12. New Jersey Nets (21-45)
No Brook Lopez to start the season = a rough season for NJ. They could get off to a VERY poor start despite giving up a 2nd round pick in 2050 to get Okur. D-Will’s attitude will determine how well they tread water until Lopez’s return, but given that he’s got no help around him, it may not matter. I still think they end up getting Howard and winning some games in March and April before the season ends; garnering them some wins, but they will not be in the hunt for anything. If they don’t get Howard, they could be the worst team in basketball come the seasons end.
13. Charlotte Bobcats (14-52)
Kemba Walker is about the only reason you will want to watch this team play. Tyrus Thomas had probably the best per-minute year of any Bobcat last season but still only managed 21 mpg (credit: Hollinger). If they get him some minutes and Walker turns into a ROY candidate, they could put together a few wins given the potential for Gerald Henderson to become a solid wing scorer, but they are likely destined for an awful season and a lottery pick. This team will focus their season on figuring out what young talent they can build with and try and figure out the future direction of this team.
14. Toronto Raptors (14-52)
15. Cleveland Cavaliers (9-57)
I don’t think even I can stand to watch these two teams play. DeMar DeRozan could be worth watching and may become the leading scorer for the Raptors if Bargnani doesn’t take those honors, but these two teams are largely unwatchable. Kyrie Irving can’t expect to do much given who he’ll be passing to and that if he plays even remotely well, he will see double teams at no risk of leaving anyone open that can hit a shot. Toronto has a couple nice young guys with DeRozan and Ed Davis, but Davis isn’t ready for primetime yet given the fact that he looks like he eats 1 yogurt a day and nothing else. Cleveland has just about nobody on their roster that will be there in 3 years outside of Irving and Tristan Thompson. If they’re smart, they’ll move Varejao to a team that needs a tough scrappy interior defender (See: Philly) for a young player or pick (Which Philly has a ton of).
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Week 16 Picks
With Week 16 upon us, I’ve chosen a few key games to talk about and given my predictions (ATS) for the rest.
Oakland @ Kansas City (-1.5)
Hard to believe that Kansas City is involved in a game that matters for them in week 16 given their season, but it’s true. With their upset of the year win last week over the Green Bay Packers, they are full of confidence and believe they can beat anyone. That is a dangerous thing to go against in the NFL. The last time these two played, it was a 28-0 shutout up in Oakland in Carson Palmers first game as a Raider (where he combined with Kyle Boller to throw for a franchise single-game high of 6 interceptions *insert Colin Cowherd birthday wazoo sound here*). Carson has clearly gotten better and this will be a much different game than that was. Also, KC had Matt Cassell and Jackie Battle was still in the pan stage of his ‘flash in the pan’. Denarius Moore has had a game back to get back into the flow of things and is a great weapon when healthy (no really, he is). Bush is a tough back to bring down and KC could experience a let down game here for sure. Tamba Hali is quietly having a great season and could pose some real issues to the Oakland offensive line, but the Raiders are clearly committed to running the ball with Bush and it was shown last week that you can run on KC (Grant ran for 66 yds on 12 carries) which will slow down that pass rush. I’ll take Oakland to win comfortably in the upset here.
Oakland: 27
Kansas City: 13
NY Giants @ NY Jets (-3)
This is a true road test for the New York Football Giants. No?.. No?.. Ok fine. This is absolutely a huge game for both teams, though. The Jets have far outplayed the Giants when it comes to Met Life stadium with a 6-1 record at home (only loss to New England) while the Giants have a mediocre 3-4 record (only 3 home wins coming v. Buffalo, Miami, and St. Louis). It makes sense given the conditions there and the styles of each football team. The teams are fairly evenly matched and have both been playing to the level of their competition throughout this season. Usually in that case you take the “more desperate” team and the team with the better QB. Both of those would be the NYG given the elimination possibilities and Eli’s play this year, however, I still think the New York Jets come out with a close win. Look for a big game from Dustin Keller here.
New York Jets: 27
New York Giants: 24
Philadelphia @ Dallas (-2.5)
Dallas is scared. Or at least Jerry Jones is. Philadelphia absolutely dismantled them up at Lincoln Financial in their meeting on Oct. 30th. LeSean McCoy ran all over the Cowboys to the tune of 185 yards and 2 scores. It should also be noted that Vick had one of his best games of the season (QB rating of 129.9) and that was despite Ware having a huge impact (11 tackles, 4 sacks). It should also be noted the Cowboys had Demarco Murray as well. That being said, the Cowboys are as good an offense as anyone when they are on, and with Miles, Dez, and Laurent all healthy, that could be often. The Eagles defense has been OK this season, but Asomugha hasn’t had the impact Philadelphia fans thought he would and Asante is a bit banged up, which could create some issues for the Eagles on the defensive side of the ball. On the fast track of Cowboy Stadium, this game looks like it’s going to be a high-scoring affair where the team with the ball last wins. I think that team with the ball last will be the Eagles and they’ll take a win in Big D setting up a showdown between themselves and the Giants in New York in the final week of the regular season, while the Eagles continue clinging on hope of a playoff berth.
Philadelphia Eagles: 35
Dallas Cowboys: 31
Chicago @ Green Bay (-13.5)
Green Bay is coming off a loss where they were out-couched, out-played, and out-classed. While Rodgers may have said he was happy for Romeo, any Packer fan knows that Rodgers does not take losing lightly. He is pissed off. And it hasn’t helped that the media has completely jumped off the bandwagon putting into question if the Packers can even GET to a Superbowl whereas a week ago they were 19-0, best team ever. Bulaga is out for this game as is Greg Jennings. Both are huge losses for this offense. With Clifton back in practice Wednesday, it’ll be interesting to see if he can play allowing Newhouse to move to RT and most importantly keeping EDS off the field as a starter. Packers look to get back RB J. Starks and ILB D. Bishop which are both big additions. On the other end, Chicago is going to be starting Luke McCown (I guess based off his great game v. the Jets in wk 2 when he was on Jax – seriously look at his numbers, his QB rating was 1.8 and no that wasn’t a typo). With no Forte and Marion Barber falling out of favor with Lovie Smith (not quite sure why, it’s obviously God’s fault he ran out of bounds and fumbled. TEEEBOOOWWW), they are going to turn to Kahlil Bell. Johnny Knox is on IR with a devastating neck injury and Roy Williams still hasn’t found his hands (God bless him for trying, though). Hester is banged up with an ankle injury and Chicago is floundering losing 4 straight. This is a huge rivalry game, though and they always find a way to play the Packers tough regardless of who is under center. Unfortunately, given the Packers need to win to clinch home field throughout (unless somehow San Fran loses @ Seattle), with a pissed off Rodgers motivating his team, with McCarthy basically admitting he was out-couched and now having something to prove, and all the injuries to the Chicago Bears – and of course the fact that it’s a primetime game in Lambeau on Christmas with all eyes watching – the Packers will come out on fire to prove they are the real deal. I think this could get ugly early. Chicago will get a garbage score late but Pack win big. Also, look for Matt Flynn to play in the 4th qtr with the lead well in hand.
Green Bay Packers: 41
Chicago Bears: 17
Atlanta @ New Orleans (-6.5)
Atlanta is playing as well as anyone and still has an outside shot at the division crown. If they were to win the next 2 games and NO loses the next 2 games, Atlanta takes the NFC South and the 3 seed. Julio Jones and Roddy White are as hot as any 2 WR are for a team right now. Jones, specifically, is flat out dominating cornerbacks with his rare size/speed combo. He is starting to look a lot like Terrell Owens to me. Turner, all the while, has not looked that great. It’s scary to think what Atlanta can do in the playoffs if Turner gets going and starts to play well. His YPC have been below 3.5 in his last 4 games, 2 of which have come vs. terrible run defenses. New Orleans has been on fire, and they haven’t lost since October. How this team lost a game to each St. Louis and Tampa Bay is beyond me. Their passing defense is very suspect, but they can stop the run and they can out-score teams with ease. They are not a good road team, however and that could spell doom for them in the playoffs will they could have to go on the road in the divisional and (if they get there) championship round. This one is at home, though, and I expect them to win and cover here.
Atlanta Falcons: 28
New Orleans Saints: 38
For the remaining games: (remember the picks are ATS, not outright winners)
Houston @ Indianapolis (+6.5): Indianapolis
Denver @ Buffalo (+3): Denver
Jacksonville @ Tennessee (-7.5): Jacksonville
Arizona @ Cincinnati (-4.5): Arizona
Miami @ New England (-10): Miami
Cleveland @ Baltimore (-13.5): Baltimore
Minnesota @ Washington (-6.5): Minnesota
Tampa Bay @ Carolina (-7.5): Tampa Bay
St. Louis @ Pittsburgh (NO LINE): Pittsburgh
San Diego @ Detroit (-2.5): San Diego
San Francisco @ Seattle (+2.5): San Francisco