1/30 & 1/31 Soccer Results

Spanish Copa Del Rey Semifinals:

Yesterday's Result:

Barcelona @ Real Madrid (1st Leg) - Draw 1-1

Only two goals scored in a game between the best two teams in the world, who were each playing with their backup goalkeepers. If you thought that was the most shocking part of the game, the fact that neither of those goals scored were by either Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the most telling part of the game.

The first half of El Clasico remained scoreless but during the 50th minute Cesc Fabregas gave Barcelona the lead and the game was starting to appear as if the game would end in a 1-0 win for the away side. It wasn't until the 81st minute of the game when Real Madrid's Raphael Varane scored a header to tie the game up. Varane is the teams fourth best center back  and he is the main reason Real Madrid has any chance of possibly continuing on to the championship. If it wasn't for injuries and suspensions to starting center backs Pepe and Sergio Ramos, the young Varane never would have gotten the chance to prove how helpful he could be.

(Original prediction: 2-2 Draw)

Today's Result:

Sevilla FC @ Atletico Madrid (1st Leg) - Atletico Madrid won 2-1
(Original prediction: Atletico win 2-1)

English Premier League:

Yesterday's Results:

Liverpool (7th - 35 Pts) @ Arsenal (6th - 38 Pts) - Draw 2-2

Both teams came into this game really needing a win so that they could move up in the league table. Instead both only left with one point in a game that was really entertaining from the beginning. In a game with very little defense this game could have ended up with 4 goals a piece. Both teams continued to get shots off throughout the game, but neither finished enough of their shots to end the game with a win.

When Luis Suarez got the game started in the fifth minute with a quick goal for Liverpool the game looked like Liverpool would be able to keep it up all game but that was the only goal of the first half. After fifteen minutes went by in the second half the game really picked up for the next 10 minutes.

In the 60th minute of the game Jordan Henderson scored a goal that then gave Liverpool a 2-0 edge over the Gunners and at the time it was looking like Liverpool would walk away with the win. However four minutes later Olivier Giroud scored off of a header and three minutes after that Theo Walcott scored to tie the game up 2-2.

Both teams had opportunities after all four goals had been scored, but neither team was able to finish one home. Was very impressed with the pair of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez as I believe the two of them will form a very good striking pair at the top of the formation for the Reds.

(Original prediction: Liverpool win 2-1)

West Bromwich Albion (9th - 34 Pts) @ Everton (5th - 41 Pts) - Everton won 2-1
(Original prediction: Everton win 3-2)

Tottenham Hotspur (4th - 42 Pts) @ Norwich City (14th - 27 Pts) - Draw 1-1
(Original prediction: 1-1 Draw)

West Ham United (13th - 27 Pts) @ Fulham (12th - 28 Pts) - Fulham won 3-1
(Original prediction: Fulham win 1-0)

Southampton (16th - 23 Pts) @ Manchester United (1st - 59 Pts) - Manchester United won 2-1
(Original prediction: Manchester United win 3-0)

Chelsea (3rd - 46 Pts) @ Reading (17th - 20 Pts) - Draw 2-2
(Original prediction: Chelsea win 2-0)

1/31 NBA & NCAA

Tonight's NBA Games:

Memphis Grizzlies (29-15) @ Oklahoma City Thunder (34-11)

The Grizzlies showed yesterday that business and money are more important than winning basketball games for their organization. The Grizzlies are the fourth best team in the West right now and should have been trying to improve their team rather than saving money. Trading Rudy Gay for basically Tayshaun Prince and Ed Davis will end up hurting the Grizzlies more than helping them.

The Thunder made a move similar to that of the Grizzlies earlier in the year when they got rid of James Harden. I thought back then and still do today that if they don't trade Harden they would end up winning the NBA Championship this year. While they haven't really missed a step all season, come playoff time they will regret getting rid of Harden.

As for tonight's game, the Grizzlies are visiting a Thunder team that has been unstoppable at home. With a 19-3 record on their homecourt most teams won't have much of a chance visiting them. Add that to the Grizzlies bringing in two new guys and losing one of their most important players and expect the Thunder to win this by double figures.

My prediction: Thunder win 104-91

Dallas Mavericks (34-11) @ Golden State Warriors (28-17)

Warriors somehow managed to win the other day without Stephen Curry, Harrison Barnes and Andrew Bogut. Klay Thompson is quietly become one of the best shooting guards in the NBA and reminds me of the style of play that Brandon Roy had before his knee injuries a few years ago. During the first game of the season between these two teams the Warriors were victorious when visiting the Mavericks.

In the Mavericks last nine games they are currently 6-3. They are showing some signs of life right now but when they are playing teams that are at the top of the West they tend to struggle. A win tonight could do a lot for this team if they want to continue to move in the right direction.

My prediction: Warriors win 102-98

Yesterday's NBA Results: 9-3

Washington Wizards (11-33) @ Philadelphia 76ers (19-26) - 76ers won 92-84
(Original prediction: 76ers win 102-92)

Detroit Pistons (17-29) @ Indiana Pacers (27-19) - Pacers won 98-79
(Original prediction: Pacers win 91-79)

Orlando Magic (14-31) @ New York Knicks (28-15) - Knicks won 113-97
(Original prediction: Knicks win 110-94)

Sacramento Kings (17-30) @ Boston Celtics (22-23) - Celtics won 99-81
(Original prediction: Celtics win 98-94)

Toronto Raptors (16-30) @ Atlanta Hawks (26-19) - Hawks won 93-92
(Original prediction: Hawks win 100-86)

Miami Heat (29-13) @ Brooklyn Nets (27-19) - Heat won 105-85
(Original prediction: Nets win 99-93)

Chicago Bulls (28-17) @ Milwaukee Bucks (24-20) - Bulls won 104-88
(Original prediction: Bucks win 96-94)

Los Angeles Clippers (34-13) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (17-25) - Clippers won 96-90
(Original prediction: Clippers win 108-96)

Charlotte Bobcats (11-34) @ San Antonio Spurs (37-11) - Spurs won 102-78
(Original prediction: Spurs win 96-80)

Houston Rockets (25-23) @ Denver Nuggets (29-18) - Nuggets won 118-110
(Original prediction: Nuggets win 103-94)

New Orleans Hornets (15-31) @ Utah Jazz (25-21) - Jazz won 104-99
(Original prediction: Jazz win 98-89)

Los Angeles Lakers (20-26) @ Phoenix Suns (16-30) - Suns won 92-86
(Original prediction: Lakers win 106-90)

Tonight's NCAA Games:

UConn (13-5) @ Providence (10-10)

Huskies are visiting the Friars who have been one of the weakest programs in the Big East for the last decade. Expect the Huskies to do what they have done to them a lot as of late, WIN.

My prediction: UConn wins 70-58

Illinois (15-6) @ #13 Michigan State (17-4)

Illinois started off the year really hot, but ever since they started BIG 10 play they have really struggled. They are 3-6 in their last nine games and it probably won't get better when they visit the Spartans. Tom Izzo has been one of the best coaches of the last 15 years in college basketball and every year he seems to have Michigan State contending in the Big 10 and come March in the NCAA Tournament.

My prediction: #13 Michigan State wins 72-65

#8 Arizona (17-2) @ Washington (12-8)

Is the old Arizona finally back? I'm starting to become a believer in the Wildcats. They have really impressed this season, and are currently looking like the best team in the Pac 12.

My prediction: #8 Arizona wins 74-66

#9 Butler (17-3) @ Saint Louis (14-5)
#7 Gonzaga (19-2) @ Loyola Marymount (8-12)

It's getting weird seeing both Butler and Gonzaga in the top 10. For the last 10-15 years both of them have shown that they can hang with schools in the larger conferences and this year they are finally getting the recognition they have deserved for the last decade plus.

I think Gonzaga will have an easy time tonight in their game, but I'm expecting the Butler Bulldogs to go down tonight.

My predictions: Saint Louis wins 66-65 and #7 Gonzaga wins 74-58

Yesterday's NCAA Results: 8-3

Northwestern (12-9) @ #1 Michigan (19-1) - #1 Michigan won 68-46
(Original prediction: #1 Michigan wins 75-61)

South Carolina (12-8) @ #4 Florida (17-2) - #4 Florida won 75-36
(Original prediction: #4 Florida wins 72-59)

#5 Duke (18-2) @ Wake Forest (10-10) - #5 Duke won 75-70
(Original prediction: #5 Duke wins 70-62)

#3 Indiana (19-2) @ Purdue (11-10) - #3 Indiana won 97-60
(Original prediction: #3 Indiana wins 69-67)

Rutgers (12-8) @ #24 Cincinnati (17-4) - #24 Cincinnati won 62-54
(Original prediction: #24 Cincinnati wins 68-57)

#17 Missouri (15-5) @ LSU (11-7) - LSU won 73-70
My prediction: #17 Missouri wins 72-64

Texas (9-11) @ #18 Kansas State (16-4) - #18 Kansas State won 83-57
My prediction: #18 Kansas State wins 70-60

Missouri State (6-16) @ #21 Creighton (19-3) - #21 Creighton won 91-77
My prediction: #21 Creighton wins 78-61

#14 Miami (FL) (16-3) @ Virginia Tech (11-9) - #14 Miami (FL) won 73-64
My prediction: #14 Miami (FL) wins 74-62

#20 New Mexico (18-3) @ Wyoming (15-5) - #20 New Mexico won 63-59
My prediction: Wyoming wins 68-65

#10 Oregon (18-3) @ Stanford (13-8) - Stanford won 76-53
My prediction: #10 Oregon wins 67-63

1/30 NCAA Predictions

Tonight's NCAA Games:

Northwestern (12-9) @ #1 Michigan (19-1)

Can't see the #1 team in the country going down at home against Northwestern. Come Saturday though they might go down against #3 Indiana.

My prediction: #1 Michigan wins 75-61

South Carolina (12-7) @ #4 Florida (16-2)

#4 Florida has impressed all season, and with Kentucky having a bad season it appears they are the team to beat this year in the SEC. The Gamecocks are coming to Gainesville tonight but expect the Gators to come out victoriously.

My prediction: #4 Florida wins 72-59

#5 Duke (17-2) @ Wake Forest (10-9)

Wake Forest isn't the same team that they were five years ago when they could contend with their fellow North Carolina rivals so expect the Blue Devils to take a win here.

My prediction: #5 Duke wins 70-62

#3 Indiana (18-2) @ Purdue (11-9)

#3 Indiana is on the road against cross state rivals Purdue tonight and could they possibly be looking past the Boilermakers and on to Saturday night? My guess is no, but Purdue will keep it close.

My prediction: #3 Indiana wins 69-67

Quicks Picks:

Rutgers (12-7) @ #24 Cincinnati (16-4)

My prediction: #24 Cincinnati wins 68-57

#17 Missouri (15-4) @ LSU (10-7)

My prediction: #17 Missouri wins 72-64

Texas (9-10) @ #18 Kansas State (15-4)

My prediction: #18 Kansas State wins 70-60

Missouri State (6-15) @ #21 Creighton (18-3)

My prediction: #21 Creighton wins 78-61

#14 Miami (FL) (15-3) @ Virginia Tech (11-8)

My prediction: #14 Miami (FL) wins 74-62

#20 New Mexico (17-3) @ Wyoming (15-4)

My prediction: Wyoming wins 68-65

#10 Oregon (18-2) @ Stanford (12-8)

My prediction: #10 Oregon wins 67-63

Yesterday's NCAA Results: 3-2

Wisconsin (14-7) @ #11 Ohio State (16-4) - #11 Ohio State won 58-49
(Originally predicted #11 Ohio State would win 70-62)

Indiana State (14-7) @ #15 Wichita State (19-3) - Indiana State won 68-55
(Originally predicted #15 Wichita State would win 74-59)

Kentucky (14-6) @ #16 Ole Miss (17-3) - Kentucky won 87-64
(Originally predicted #16 Ole Miss would win 68-66)

#19 NC State (16-5) @ Virginia (15-5) - Virginia won 58-55
(Originally predicted Virginia would win 71-70)

Nebraska (11-11) @ #23 Minnesota (16-5) - # 23 Minnesota won 84-65
(Originally predicted #23 Minnesota would win 76-52)

1/30 NBA Predictions

Tonight's NBA Games:

Washington Wizards (11-32) @ Philadelphia 76ers (18-26)

Wizards are on the road against the 76ers in what appears to be a snoozefest. The 76ers haven't played the way anyone expected them to before the season because of the absence of Andrew Bynum and the Wizards have finally gotten back their best player in John Wall. The Wizards have only won three times on the road this season and it's not looking like they get their fourth tonight.

My prediction: 76ers win 102-92

Detroit Pistons (17-28) @ Indiana Pacers (26-19)

10 years ago this was one of the best rivalries in basketball and the last five years it has slowly gotten worse and worse. The Pistons are on the way down and the Pacers are on the way up and I think the home team will continue to go up in this game. Expect a defensive game played in this one.

My prediction: Pacers win 91-79

Orlando Magic (14-30) @ New York Knicks (27-15)

I don't think there's any "Magic" left in this team this season. The Howard trade had to happen, but it doesn't appear that they got enough to build off of from that trade to this point. The Knicks will be missing Jason Kidd but I still expect them to prevail at home.

My prediction: Knicks win 110-94

Sacramento Kings (17-29) @ Boston Celtics (21-23)

Where do the Celtics go from here. They just won at home on Sunday against the Heat and now have a Kings team visiting the TD Garden that has been completely inconsistent all season. The Celtics should win this game but without Rondo the rest of the season I don't see them blowing anybody out.

My prediction: Celtics win 98-94

Toronto Raptors (16-29) @ Atlanta Hawks (25-19)

The best team in Canada doesn't exactly play all that well outside of the Great White North. Expect the Hawks to win this game rather convincingly.

My prediction: Hawks win 100-86

Miami Heat (28-13) @ Brooklyn Nets (27-18)

This is probably my favorite game of the night and there's a reason why ESPN will be airing this one. These two teams have used free agency and trades to really build squads that will compete come playoff time. The defending champions got to visit the White House yesterday on their day off and haven't played that well outside of South Beach so expect the Nets to win at the house Jay-Z built.

My prediction: Nets win 99-93

Chicago Bulls (27-17) @ Milwaukee Bucks (24-19)

Da Bulls are heading to Milwaukee tonight in a game between two Central Division rivals. The Bucks have played well this season behind their backcourt of Brandon Jennings and Monta Ellis and the Bulls have somehow played amazing without their all-star point guard Derrick Rose. This game will be a close one, but I'm giving the slight edge to the home team.

My prediction: Bucks win 96-94

Los Angeles Clippers (33-13) @ Minnesota Timberwolves (17-24)

The biggest story of this game might be the injuries that both teams are facing. Both teams are without their best players in Chris Paul and Kevin Love and will have to continue to find scoring from other players on the court. The Clippers have played well without CP3 while the T'Wolves have not been the same without their 20-12 guy in Love. There won't be any "Love" for the T'Wolves tonight.

My prediction: Clippers win 108-96

Charlotte Bobcats (11-33) @ San Antonio Spurs (36-11)

The Bobcats have won five times on the road. The Spurs have lost twice at home. Yikes this one isn't going to be close even without Tim Duncan.

My prediction: Spurs win 96-80

Houston Rockets (25-22) @ Denver Nuggets (28-18)

The Nuggets might have the best homecourt advantage in basketball due to the high altitude in Colorado. Linsanity hasn't exactly lived up to the same hype that he had when he took over the Big Apple last year due to less shot attempts and teams learning how to play him. Expect Ty Lawson and Andre Iguodala to keep the Rockets backcourt from scoring too many points tonight.

My prediction: Nuggets win 103-94

New Orleans Hornets (15-30) @ Utah Jazz (24-21)

The Jazz just got embarrassed against the Rockets by 45 points on Monday. This is a great bounce back game for a team that definitely needs one. Expect the Jazz to win at home.

My prediction: Jazz win 98-89

Los Angeles Lakers (20-25) @ Phoenix Suns (15-30)

Kobe Bryant has looked like Magic Johnson 2.0 the last three games for the Lakers and if he continues to play this well I expect the Lakers to keep winning. Expect Kobe not to slow down against a team that has starting guards of Goran Dragic and Jared Dudley. This is the kind of team he could drop 40 on without blinking.

My prediction: Lakers win 106-90

Yesterday's NBA Results: 3-1

Golden State Warriors (28-17) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (13-33) - Warriors won 108-95
(Originally predicted Cavaliers would win 107-90)

Milwaukee Bucks (24-19) @ Detroit Pistons (17-28) - Bucks won 117-90
(Originally predicted Bucks would win 96-92)

Dallas Mavericks (19-26) @ Portland Trail Blazers (23-22) - Trail Blazers won 106-104
(Originally predicted Trail Blazers would win 109-105)

New Orleans Hornets (15-30) @ Los Angeles Lakers (20-25) - Lakers won 111-106
(Originally predicted Lakers would win 112-90)

Wednesday Soccer: El Clasico & More

Today's Games:

Spanish Copa Del Rey:

Barcelona @ Real Madrid (1st Leg)

For those of you that love the big names and love seeing the best teams playing against each other, it doesn't get any bigger than this game. The two best teams in the world and the two best players in the world are featured in this one.

Barcelona are currently having the much better season up to this point and Real Madrid are dealing with a lot of injuries as well as suspensions for this game. Barcelona are coming into this game with a very healthy squad that has been on a tear. Madrid is going to need which ever goalkeeper is starting today to fill the void that will be missing without captain Iker Casillas along with a very depleted back four without Pepe and Sergio Ramos.

What this game will more than likely come down to is the productivity of Cristiano Ronaldo. If Ronaldo can score a goal or two this will likely be the decider in the game. If he is held scoreless I think this game will end poorly for Los Blancos. While Messi has been on a tear as of late and will more than likely break even more goal records, he has had a lot more help this season than Ronaldo has.

Due to all of the guys out for Real Madrid in this game they might just be hoping for a draw at best. Even though they are at home they are going to need a miracle to win this one.

My prediction: 2-2 Draw

English Premier League:

Liverpool (7th - 34 Pts) @ Arsenal (6th - 37 Pts)

If it wasn't for the Madrid-Barcelona game today, this would easily be the biggest game on tap. Liverpool and Arsenal are both fighting for the possibility of making the Champions League and both are currently sitting outside of the top four. Liverpool are currently 3 points behind Arsenal, so with a win today they would be able to tie them for the sixth spot in the league table.

Both teams have played very similarly up to this point in the season and are both looking for more consistency out of their clubs. They don't have the big names that they might have had five years ago due to some teams spending a lot more money than they have in the past, but both of these teams remain very competitive within the league.

The player to watch in this game is Luis Suarez. If it wasn't for Robin van Persie this year, he would be the best forward in the Premier League. His 16 goals are leading a Liverpool team that has been without any other real striker help for the majority of the season and he will likely have to come up big for a Liverpool win today. Behind recent signings of Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, this Liverpool team is looking to improve on it's scoring and whether or not either of these players play today could have an effect on the game.

My prediction: Liverpool win 2-1

West Bromwich Albion (8th - 34 Pts) @ Everton (5th - 38 Pts)

My prediction: Everton win 3-2

Tottenham Hotspur (4th - 41 Pts) @ Norwich City (13th - 26 Pts)

My prediction: 1-1 Draw

West Ham United (12th - 27 Pts) @ Fulham (14th - 25 Pts)

My prediction: Fulham win 1-0

Southampton (15th - 23 Pts) @ Manchester United (1st - 56 Pts)

My prediction: Manchester United win 3-0

Chelsea (3rd - 45 Pts) @ Reading (18th - 19 Pts)

My prediction: Chelsea win 2-0


Yesterday's Results:

Italian Coppa Italia Semifinal:

Juventus @ Lazio (2nd Leg) - Lazio won 2-1 (3-2 Aggregate)
(Originally predicted Juventus would win 2-1 (3:2 on aggregate)

English Premier League:

Newcastle United @ Aston Villa - Newcastle won 2-1
(Originally predicted a 2-2 Draw)

Manchester City @ Queens Park Rangers - Draw 0-0
(Originally predicted Man City would win 3-0)

Wigan Athletic @ Stoke City - Draw 2-2
(Originally predicted Stoke City would win 2-1)

Swansea City @ Sunderland - Draw 0-0
(Originally predicted a 1-1 Draw)

1/29 NBA & NCAA Predictions

Tonight's NBA Games:

Golden State Warriors (27-17) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (13-32)

Warriors won last night in Toronto and tonight are headed to Cleveland. The Cavaliers have won three straight coming into this game and I'm expecting them to make it four in a row tonight. Even with Curry, Bogut and Barnes I expected the Warriors to lose but after hearing all three of them are out I'm expecting the Cavs to win an easy one now.

My prediction: Cavaliers win 107-90

Milwaukee Bucks (23-19) @ Detroit Pistons (17-27)

In a battle of Central Division rivals, the Pistons have won the previous two matchups between these two teams. For a Bucks team trying to make the playoffs they should not lose to a non-contending team a third time in a row. While the Pistons are an alright home team, I think the Bucks have to come out tonight and make a statement.

My prediction: Bucks win 96-92

Dallas Mavericks (19-25) @ Portland Trail Blazers (22-22)

Both of these teams might have a shot at claiming one of the last spots in the West so they need to start putting together some wins in order to have any chance. Both sit on the outside of the playoff picture as of right now but both have great leaders in Dirk Nowitski and LaMarcus Aldridge so I'm expecting those two guys to make this a game. A big key in this game is that the Mavericks play very poor on the road and the Trail Blazers have played extrememely well at home this season.

My prediction: Trail Blazers win 109-105

New Orleans Hornets (15-29) @ Los Angeles Lakers (19-25)

The Lakers are currently four games better than the Hornets, but I'm starting to believe in this Lakers team with Kobe Bryant trying to facilitate more. Hornets might have a bright future with Erik Gordon and Anthony Davis, but for the Lakers it's all about now. Expect Kobe Bryant to put up 30 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds tonight for the Lakers as they win this game in a blowout.

My prediction: Lakers win 112-90

Yesterday's NBA Results:

After these games I'm now 16-8 when picking the NBA

Golden State Warriors (27-17) @ Toronto Raptors (16-29) - Warriors won 114-102
(Originally predicted Warriors would win 105-97)

Memphis Grizzlies (29-15) @ Philadelphia 76ers (18-26) - Grizzlies won 103-100
(Originally predicted Grizzlies would win 99-86)

Sacramento Kings (17-29) @ Washington Wizards (11-32) - Kings won 96-94
(Originally predicted Wizards would win 105-101)

Orlando Magic (14-30) @ Brooklyn Nets (27-18) - Nets won 97-77
(Originally predicted Nets would win 102-86)

Charlotte Bobcats (11-33) @ Chicago Bulls (27-17) - Bulls won 93-85
(Originally predicted Bulls would win 96-79)

Indiana Pacers (26-19) @ Denver Nuggets (28-18) - Nuggets won 102-101
(Originally predicted Nuggets would win 98-92)

Houston Rockets (25-22) @ Utah Jazz (24-21) - Rockets won 125-80
(Originally predicted Jazz would win 106-101)

Tonight's NCAA Games:

I like all of the home teams tonight in these five games. Expecting the ranked teams of Ohio State, Wichita State, Ole Miss and Minnesota to win at home along with Virginia pulling off the upset.

Wisconsin (14-6) @ #11 Ohio State (15-4)

My prediction: #11 Ohio State wins 70-62

Indiana State (13-7) @ #15 Wichita State (19-2)

My prediction: #15 Wichita State wins 74-59

Kentucky (13-6) @ #16 Ole Miss (17-2)

My prediction: #16 Ole Miss wins 68-66

#19 NC State (16-4) @ Virginia (14-5)

My prediction: Virginia wins 71-70

Nebraska (11-10) @ #23 Minnesota (15-5)

My prediction: #23 Minnesota wins 76-52

Yesterday's NCAA Results:

After these games I'm now 9-4 when picking the NCAA

Pittsburgh (17-5) @ #12 Louisville (17-4) - #12 Louisville won 64-61
(Originally predicted #12 Louisville would win 71-67)

South Florida (10-10) @ #25 Marquette (15-4) - #25 Marquette won 63-50
(Originally predicted #25 Marquette would win 76-55)

#2 Kansas (19-1) @ West Virginia (9-11) - #2 Kansas won 61-56
(Originally predicted #2 Kansas would win 84-61)

NBA Midseason Projections

This season marks the second time that Darnell and I have made preseason projections for the NBA regular season. Because last season was shortened we never re-did our projections midway through the season and just went off of what he projected the entire year. Neither of us want to really remember last year's picks because we both thought that Dirk Nowitzki would be in shape and lead the Dallas Mavericks back to the NBA Finals for the West. I'm pretty sure Dirk hasn't cared about basketball since he won his ring in 2011 and he more than likely won't care the rest of his career.

Before this season started I predicted that the Knicks would defeat the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals (ECF) and the Spurs would defeat the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals (WCF). For the NBA Finals I projected the Knicks to defeat the Spurs in a rematch of the 1999 NBA Finals and am sticking with all of those picks for the playoffs.

Darnell is currently predicting the Knicks to defeat the Bulls in the ECF and the Clippers to defeat the Spurs in the WCF. He had the Knicks defeating the Clippers for the title. Before the season started his only difference was that he projected the Heat instead of the Bulls to lose in the ECF.

Anyone could argue that I am being biased in my picks towards the Knicks, but the East looks really weak this year. The Knicks currently sit second in the East and the only team they are struggling against right now is the Bulls. The West could be won by any one of three teams in the Spurs, Thunder and Clippers, but I'm thinking this will be Tim Duncan's "last ride," and he will want to go out on top similar to that of Ray Lewis of the Baltimore Ravens.

For the current NBA Standings you can go to this link. The following standings show how Darnell and I project the standings to look like at the end of the regular season (The number in parentheses indicates what we predicted before the season started):

My Standings (@jimzacharias):

East: 

1. Miami Heat (1) 
2. New York Knicks (2)
3. Chicago Bulls (4)
4. Indiana Pacers (3)
5. Brooklyn Nets (6)
6. Atlanta Hawks (7)
7. Milwaukee Bucks (9)
8. Boston Celtics (5)
9. Philadelphia 76ers (8)
10. Cleveland Cavaliers (10)
11. Detroit Pistons (12)
12. Washington Wizards (11)
13. Toronto Raptors (14)
14. Orlando Magic (13)
15. Charlotte Bobcats (15)

West:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (1)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (4)
3. San Antonio Spurs (2)
4. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
5. Denver Nuggets (6)
6. Golden State Warriors (12)
7. Los Angeles Lakers (3)
8. Houston Rockets (10)
9. Utah Jazz (9)
10. Portland Trail Blazers (11)
11. Dallas Mavericks (7)
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (8)
13. New Orleans Hornets (14)
14. Sacramento Kings (13)
15. Phoenix Suns (15)

Darnell's Standings (@Darneezee):

East:

1. Chicago Bulls (9)
2. New York Knicks (4)
3. Miami Heat (2)
4. Indiana Pacers (3)
5. Boston Celtics (1)
6. Brooklyn Nets (6)
7. Milwaukee Bucks (8)
8. Atlanta Hawks (7)
9. Detroit Pistons (13)
10. Toronto Raptors (14)
11. Philadelphia 76ers (5)
12. Orlando Magic (10)
13. Cleveland Cavaliers (11)
14. Washington Wizards (12)
15. Charlotte Bobcats (15)

West:

1. San Antonio Spurs (1)
2. Los Angeles Clippers (3)
3. Oklahoma City Thunder (4)
4. Golden State Warriors (12)
5. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
6. Denver Nuggets (6)
7. Portland Trail Blazers (9)
8. Dallas Mavericks (7)
9. Los Angeles Lakers (2)
10. Houston Rockets (10)
11. Utah Jazz (8) 
12. Minnesota Timberwolves (11)
13. Sacramento Kings (14)
14. New Orleans Hornets (15)
15. Phoenix Suns (13)

Could this be the year that Carmelo Anthony or Kevin Durant win their first NBA Championship? Could Tim Duncan or Kobe Bryant possibly win one more ring before finally hanging it up? Could the Bulls or Clippers finally get healthy enough before the playoffs and make a run behind their all-star point guards? Or could this be the year that the Miami Heat repeat and LeBron James adds another championship ring to his case for being one of the greatest players of all time?

Tuesday Soccer Preview

So far on the year I'm 7-5 with predictions.

Tuesday, January 29th

Italian Coppa Italia Semifinal:

Juventus @ Lazio (2nd Leg, Currently 1:1) "Game of the Day"

Today's "Game of the Day" is the cup semifinal between Juventus and Lazio. This is the second leg between two teams that are currently fighting for a spot in the final of the Coppa Italia in May. Juventus is having an amazing season up to this point and could possibly win the Treble (League, Cup & European Cup). Juventus is a part of the final 16 for the Champions League and are facing a weaker Celtic team so getting to the round of 8 shouldn't be a problem. As for Serie A, Juventus is currently sitting pretty in first place with Lazio two spots behind them in third. Juventus and Lazio should enjoy this season a lot while they can because there won't be many chances like this while the two big clubs from Milan are currently struggling.

Game 1 ended in a tie so a lot is riding on this game for both teams. The winner of this game will play the winner of Inter Milan and Roma in the Final in late May. Game 1 only saw two goals between the two teams with Federico Peluso starting the scoring for Juventus and then Stefano Mauri of Lazio tieing it up late in the game.

My prediction: Juventus win 2-1 (3:2 on aggregate)

English Premier League:

Quick Picks:

Newcastle United (16th - 21 Pts) @ Aston Villa (17th - 20 Pts)

My prediction: 2-2 Draw

Manchester City (2nd - 51 Pts) @ Queens Park Rangers (20th - 15 Pts)

My prediction: Man City win 3-0

Wigan Athletic (19th - 19 Pts) @ Stoke City (10th - 29 Pts)

My prediction: Stoke City win 2-1

Swansea City (9th - 33 Pts) @ Sunderland (11th - 28 Pts)

My prediction: Draw 1-1

1/28 NBA & NCAA Predictions

NBA Games:

Coming in to these games I'm currently 11-6 when picking the NBA

Golden State Warriors (26-17) @ Toronto Raptors (16-28)

The best team in Canada is hosting the Warriors from the Golden State tonight. The Warriors are coming into this game on a two game losing streak and I don't see them possibly losing their third straight tonight. Behind the guard play of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson I think the Warriors backcourt will be too much for this Raptors team.

My prediction: Warriors win 105-97

Memphis Grizzlies (28-15) @ Philadelphia 76ers (18-25)

Was pretty shocked to see the Grizzlies lose to a team worse than them yesterday and I don't think it's something this Grizzlies team is going to do two games in a row. While the 76ers have been playing alright as of late, their frontcourt will not be able to stop Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol. Way too much size for a team that doesn't have their starting center. This one could might not be all that close.

My prediction: Grizzlies win 99-86

Sacramento Kings (16-29) @ Washington Wizards (11-31)

Both of these teams have the potential to be good in a couple of years. However, this isn't the future and both teams currently have no possible chance of seeing the playoffs this year. The Kings never show up on the road and are currently 4-17 away from Sactown so I see the John Wall led Wizards pulling out this game tonight.

My prediction: Wizards win 105-101

Orlando Magic (14-29) @ Brooklyn Nets (26-18)

Magic just lost to the Pistons at home and are going up against a Nets team that has shown to be very reliable team at home. The Nets have been getting great play out of Brook Lopez all season to go along with their guards Deron Williams and Joe Johnson so I'm going with the home team for this game.

My prediction: Nets win 102-86

Charlotte Bobcats (11-32) @ Chicago Bulls (26-17)

Michael Jordan's team is coming to Chicago. If Jordan was suiting up for this Bobcats team tonight they would probably have a better chance of winning this game against the Bulls, but right now the greatest of all time will just be sitting courtside. Sorry Bobcats fans. Expect the Bulls to pound out this Bobcats team and win this game pretty easily.

My prediction: Bulls win 96-79

Indiana Pacers (26-18) @ Denver Nuggets (27-18) - "Game of the Night"

Tonight's "Game of the Night." Both of these teams will be in the playoffs come April and both have played very well while key players were injured. The Nuggets have Wilson Chandler back now, which gives them another scoring option and the Pacers should be getting back Danny Granger soon as well. Paul George has carried this team in Granger's absence but the Pacers have been a poor road team this season and the Nuggets have been almost unstoppable at the Pepsi Center.

My prediction: Nuggets win 98-92

Houston Rockets (24-22) @ Utah Jazz (24-20)

The season is halfway done at this point and these two teams are currently sitting in the 7th and 8th spots in the west. With the Trail Blazers right behind both of them and a surging Kobe Bryant led Lakers team starting to turn it around this game could really effect which team gets to the playoffs in April and which one is a part of the lottery. This game is really a coin flip to me so I'm going with the home team.

My prediction: Jazz win 106-101

NCAA Games:

Pittsburgh (17-4) @ #12 Louisville (16-4)

This game is a battle of two current Big East schools that will be heading to the ACC in the coming years. Louisville is coming in to this game on a three game losing streak and I don't see any possibility of a team this good losing four straight. I do believe this game will be close but I'm going with the home team tonight.

My prediction: #12 Louisville win 71-67

South Florida (10-9) @ #25 Marquette (14-4)

Ever since moving to the Big East, South Florida have been cellar dwellers every year. They are currently 1-6 in the conference and are visiting a ranked opponent in Marquette. This game will be a rout from the beginning.

My prediction: #25 Marquette win 76-55

#2 Kansas (18-1) @ West Virginia (9-10)

The #2 Kansas Jayhawks are on the road against the Mountaineers of West Virginia tonight. While the Mountaineers are usually a team that come March always seems to make the tournament, this year's team is much weaker than any of the past few years. I'm expecting to see what I consider the best team in the country in the Jayhawks completely manhandle this lesser team tonight led by Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey.

My prediction: #2 Kansas win 84-61

1/27 NBA & NCAA Results

NBA Games: 

Went 7-3 with my picks my first day in the NBA and today went 4-3 bringing my overall record to 11-6.

Miami Heat (28-13) @ Boston Celtics (21-23) - Celtics win 100-98 in 2OT

As good as the Celtics looked in beating the Celtics I think the real story is the Rajon Rondo injury and where the Celtics will go from here: The Last Day of the Celtics Big 4. Paul Pierce put the Celtics on his back and he seemed to be everywhere at points late in the game. As much as I'm not a big fan of LeBron James or the Miami Heat, I was actually upset to not see LeBron try and win the game. He should be better than he is and I think this is why I'll never consider him to be as great as everyone else does. Instead of driving to the hoop to tie it in 2OT he has Shane Battier shoot a 30 footer after he realizes he doesn't have an open shot. (Originally predicted Celtics would win 101-97)

Oklahoma City Thunder (34-11) @ Los Angeles Lakers (19-25) - Lakers win 105-96

I don't know what's going on in Lakertown right now but I'm starting to think Magic Johnson has taken over the body of Kobe Bryant. Bryant dropped 14 assists and 9 rebounds for the second straight game and it is looking like he's trying to show that this thing can work in LA right now with this team. I can't actually remember the last time Bryant had double digit assists two games in a row. While the Thunder may have lost a game to the Lakers that many thought the Thunder would win pretty easily in, this game was all about Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. If the Lakers can keep this up they could make a run and get themselves back into the playoff picture. (Originally predicted Thunder would win 112-95)

Detroit Pistons (17-27) @ Orlando Magic (14-29) - Pistons win 104-102

J. J. Redick could be making his way to a contender in the coming weeks after he put on quite a shooting display for the Magic. Even though the Magic lost this game they aren't actually going anywhere this season so right now they shouldn't be too upset. Orlando should consider trading Redick and anything else that other teams might consider picking up for draft picks and trying to rebuild in the upcoming drafts. As of right now they have one first rounder this year, two in 2014 and two in 2015. If they are able to gain another one they could try and build a new young team in the draft because as of right now the team they are putting on the court aren't exactly exciting. At least they have Disney World. (Originally predicted Magic would win 104-101)

New Orleans Hornets (Pelicans) (15-29) @ Memphis Grizzlies (28-15) - Hornets win 91-83

As much as I didn't give the Lakers much chance of winning their game I really didn't expect the Hornets to win this game. Coming in to the fourth quarter of this game the Grizzlies were up four but then they fell apart and only scored 15 in the fourth quarter. This is just one of those games that the Grizzlies should win. Go Pelicans I guess. (Originally predicted Grizzlies would win 106-90)

Atlanta Hawks (25-19) @ New York Knicks (27-15) - Knicks win 106-104

I think Carmelo Anthony is happy to have Raymond Felton back from injury right now. In Felton's second game back from injury he was able to add 12 points and 10 assists to a Knicks team that has really missed his play. As good as it is to see Felton back this game was all Carmelo. Anthony shot above .500 from the field and managed to make 9/12 three pointers finishing with a game high 42 points. The Hawks put up a fight all game and this matchup could possibly be seen again later in the year come playoff time. (Originally predicted Knicks would win 108-103)

Phoenix Suns (15-30) @ Dallas Mavericks (19-25) - Mavericks win 110-95

Dirk Nowitzki led his team to victory with 18 points and did it while passing Allen Iverson on the all-time scoring list. Nowitzki now stands at number 18 all-time and next up on the list of people to pass is former Knicks legend Patrick Ewing. This game was also the 1,000 career game of Shawn Marion's career. Marion added 18 points and 9 rebounds in a game against his former team. The Suns were led by point guard Goran Dragic, 18 points and 8 assists, who has been the teams only real bright spot so far this season. (Originally predicted Mavericks would win 103-96)

Portland Trail Blazers (22-22) @ Los Angeles Clippers (33-13) - Clippers win 96-83

No Paul, no problem. The night before the Trail Blazers were able to win at home and the Clippers paid them back with a win of their own at home. LaMarcus Aldridge continues to show why he was picked for the all-star game this season as he had another double-double for the Trail Blazers, scoring 21 points and adding 11 boards. I'm starting to think that the Clippers second team could possibly beat a few teams in the NBA on a regular basis right now. Not many teams can get by without an MVP candidate but the Clippers are seeming to do fine without him at this point. Both Eric Bledsoe and Jamal Crawford have been playing great basketball in his absence and this is allowing Chris Paul to get as healthy as possible before his return. (Originally predicted Clippers would win 107-98)

NCAA Games: 

In my first day of doing NCAA men's basketball picks I went 6-4.

Rutgers (12-7) @ UConn (13-5) - UConn win 66-54

It really does suck to see this team playing the way that they are and knowing that come March everything they do won't matter. As someone that grew up loving the Huskies, this season is probably the lowest point for this team that I can remember. (Originally predicted UConn would win 71-62)

#13 Michigan State (17-4) @ #7 Indiana - Indiana win 75-70

Two great teams, with two great coaches, in what this year is the best conference in men's college basketball. If you missed today's game you'll have another opportunity to watch these two teams throw down come February 19th at Michigan State. (Originally predicted Indiana would win 76-69)

#2 Michigan (19-1) @ Illinois (15-6) - Michigan win 74-60

I really expected Michigan to choke in this game. A lot of the top teams in the country have been falling this week and I was thinking the trend was going to continue. Michigan will likely be the #1 team in the country when the polls come out Monday. The way this season has been going, how long will they actually hold onto that spot. (Originally predicted Illinois would win 77-73)

Quick Results:

Seton Hall (13-7) @ St. John's (13-7) - St. John's win 71-67 
(Originally predicted St. John's would win 70-64)

Virginia Tech (11-8) @ Clemson (11-8) - Clemson win 77-70
(Originally predicted Virginia Tech would win 66-64)

California (11-8) @ Colorado (14-6) - Colorado win 81-71
(Originally predicted Colorado would win 68-63)

Iowa (13-7) @ Purdue (11-9) - Purdue win 65-62
(Originally predicted Iowa would win 67-66)

#17 Creighton (18-3) @ Southern Illinois (8-12) - Creighton win 81-51
(Originally predicted Creighton would win 81-60)

Florida State (11-8) @ #25 Miami (FL) (15-3) - Miami (FL) win 71-47
(Originally predicted Miami (FL) would win 74-63)

George Mason (12-8) @ Northeastern (13-7) - Northeastern win 71-51
(Originally predicted George Mason would win 70-67)

Sunday Soccer Results

Yesterday, I did my first version of soccer predictions and I didn't do all that bad: 1/27 Soccer Predictions. Of the 12 games that I picked I went 7-5 on the day and took a real beating in England.

English FA Cup Fourth Round:

I got all three of my FA Cup game predictions wrong. In these three games where I thought the bigger clubs would easily win games against lesser opponents without breaking a sweat two of those teams were eliminated and Chelsea has a chance at redemption against Brentford due to the draw.

The main problem for why Liverpool, Tottenham and Chelsea are in the predicaments that they are is that they completely overlooked their opponents for these games and were more worried about their Premier League games that are going on later in the week. While winning trophies is important for most teams, some teams are so focused on winning their league titles that they under-perform year after year in their domestic cups.

Results: 

Chelsea @ Brentford - Draw 2-2
Tottenham Hotspur @ Leeds United - Leeds wins 2-1
Liverpool @ Oldham Athletic - Oldham wins 3-2

Spanish La Liga:

In La Liga my predictions were much better than in the FA Cup as I went 2-1. While I got the Real Madrid and Barcelona games right I didn't give those two teams enough credit as they went on to win by scores much larger than I predicted. The game that I got wrong was choosing Atletico Madrid to hold Athletic to a draw. Athletic proved to be too much for Atletico in this game as they easily won their game in shutout fashion.

While Real Madrid aren't having their best season right now this game just shows that in any game they could come out and drop multiple goals on teams. Barcelona is arguably the best team in the world right now and all signs are pointing to them winning La Liga along with the Champions League this year. It helps when Real Madrid and Barca have the two best forwards in the world right now as Cristiano Ronaldo of Real scored three goals and Lionel Messi of Barca outdoing him in his game by netting four.

Results:

Getafe @ Real Madrid - Real Madrid win 4-0
Osasuna @ Barcelona - Barca win 5-1
Atletico Madrid @ Athletic Bilbao - Bilbao win 3-0

Italian Serie A:

Finished 2-1 on the day with picks in the Serie A with the only game I got wrong being Torino at Inter Milan. Both the Roma-Bologna and AC Milan-Atalanta games played out very similar to that of what I guessed except the goal totals being a little off. Very shocked to see Inter not be able to grab the three points over a lesser team in Torino.

Results:

AS Roma @ Bologna - Draw 3-3
AC Milan @ Atalanta - AC Milan win 2-1
Torino @ Inter Milan - Draw 2-2

Other Games in Europe:

I don't follow the German Bundesliga or the French Ligue 1 as much as the leagues in England, Spain and Italy, however I thought I'd add a few games coming from some of the other big clubs around Europe. I'm starting to think these leagues are the ones that I need to keep picking as I went a perfect 3-0 with my picks in these games. Both Bayern and PSG seem destined to win their respective leagues and will more than likely be making noise come the Round of 16 in the Champions League in a couple of weeks.

Results:

Werder Bremen @ Hamburg SV - Hamburg win 3-2
Bayern Munich @ VFB Stuttgart - Bayern win 2-0
LOSC Lille @ Paris Saint-Germain - PSG win 1-0

The Last Day of the Big 4 Celtics

Today will probably mark the last time Rajon Rondo gets to suit up with teammates Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. With Ray Allen on the court for the visiting Heat this is more than likely the last time all four of these players will share a court together.

Before the game Celtics fans were hoping that Rondo had only a minor injury but during today's game between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics it was announced that Rondo had torn his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. This the Celtics chances of possibly contending for another title went out the window with the injury. The big question is what will the Celtics look like next season?

Doc on Rondo injury: "Obviously the Rondo news is tough. I knew before the game, I didn't tell anyone. Obviously it was pretty emotional."
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) January 27, 2013

When the first "Big 3" were brought together before the 2007-2008 season they were the team that everyone thought would win the title. That year they won their first title with a young Rondo who had a much smaller role than he does today.

Five seasons later and former starters Kendrick Perkins and Allen are now on other teams contending for a championship and Garnett, Pierce and the Celtics must now think about what stands in their future.

Coming into this season there was already talk about blowing up the team and building around Rondo, but the Celtics decided to make one final run with Pierce and Garnett. With Rondo out the rest of the season now, and more than likely part of next season as well, the Celtics will now have to decide on what to do with it's second all time leading scorer in Pierce, along with Garnett who was the key piece in what brought the Celtics their first championship in over two decades.

Garnett is under contract for next season and Pierce has a team option that they will more than likely use. I think the smart choice for them to do is to trade Pierce and Garnett to young teams and look for a young swingman like a Klay Thompson and a young big man like Kenneth Faried. These are two trades that I could see possibly happening. You put Pierce on a young Warriors team that needs a veteran leadership and they become better right away. You put Garnett on a team that comes close every year but never has enough to get too far in the Nuggets and that team also gets better.

If the Celtics were able to pull these trades off they could then build around a young team of Rondo, Bradley, Thompson, Green and Faried. They would then need to look for a center and then this team could be a team to watch in the future.

Even though the Celtics just won one of the best games so far this season, the only thing that people will remember and talk about is the injury to Rajon Rondo.

1/27 NBA & NCAA Predictions

NBA Games:

I went 7-3 yesterday with my NBA picks.

Miami Heat (28-12) @ Boston Celtics (20-23)
Oklahoma City Thunder (34-10) @ Los Angeles Lakers (18-25)

I think when the NBA made their schedule for today's games on ABC they thought these games would be possible previews of the conference finals in both the East and West. Now the two most successful teams of all time are fighting for a chance at the eight spot in their conferences and the two teams that met in the NBA Finals last year could be set for a rematch this upcoming June.

My predictions: Celtics win 101-97 and Thunder win 112-95

Detroit Pistons (16-27) @ Orlando Magic (14-28)

Two really bad teams that have no star power and aren't going to be improving anytime soon. The Pistons only starter remaining from their 2004 championship is Tayshaun Prince and this team is nothing like it once was almost a decade ago. The Magic traded away Dwight Howard before the season started and it looks like they also traded away their season as well.

My prediction: Magic win 104-101 in a game that I hope people aren't forced to watch

New Orleans Hornets (14-29) @ Memphis Grizzlies (28-14)

The soon to be Pelicans will be visiting a team that no one wants to seem come the playoffs. The Grizzlies for some reason are still overlooked when people discuss contenders and this might finally be their year. This game probably won't be a close one, sorry Unibrow.

My prediction: Hornets lose 106-90, but this loss isn't as bad as finding out they are will be Pelicans next season

Atlanta Hawks (25-18) @ New York Knicks (26-15)

Both teams are currently fighting for position for the playoffs in the East and I see no reason for why either team would miss the playoffs at this point. While the Knicks failed to show up against the 76ers on Saturday, I see them turning it around in today's game.

My prediction: Knicks win 108-103

Phoenix Suns (15-29) @ Dallas Mavericks (18-25)

Remember when both the Suns and Mavericks were competiting deep into the playoffs in the Western Conference? Let's hope their fanbases do too because it's not looking good for either of these teams this year. The Suns have a lot of nice young pieces to build around but they don't have a star to put them around. The Mavs just look old right now and seem to be way too focused on the possibility of picking up Dwight Howard this upcoming offseason.

My prediction: Mavericks win 103-96 in the battle of I wish Steve Nash was still here

Portland Trail Blazers (22-21) @ Los Angeles Clippers (32-13)

I got yesterday's game between these two teams right when I pick the home Trail Blazers to defeat the Clippers. Today I'm going with the home team again and thinking the Clippers will pull this one out. I just don't see this team even without CP3 losing twice in a row to a team that isn't better than them.

My prediction: Clippers win 107-98

NCAA Games Quick Picks:

Seton Hall (13-6) @ St. John's (12-7) - St. Johns wins 70-64
#13 Michigan State (17-3) @ #7 Indiana (17-2) - Indiana wins 76-69
Virginia Tech (11-7) @ Clemson (10-8) - Virginia Tech wins 66-64
Rutgers (12-6) @ UConn (12-5) - UConn wins 71-62
California (11-7) @ Colorado (13-6) - Colorado wins 68-63
Iowa (13-6) @ Purdue (10-9) - Iowa wins 67-66
#2 Michigan (18-1) @ Illinois (15-5) - Illinois wins 77-73 (Upset Alert)
#17 Creighton (17-3) @ Southern Illinois (8-11) - Creighton wins 81-60
Florida State (11-7) @ #25 Miami (FL) (14-3) - Miami (FL) wins 74-63
George Mason (12-7) @ Northeastern (12-7) - George Mason wins 70-67

Sunday Soccer Predictions

Today there are many important soccer games going on and some of the biggest clubs are in action. These are my predictions for some select games that will be going on later today.

English FA Cup Fourth Round:

Chelsea @ Brentford

While Brentford is the home team they have no chance at winning this game. Chelsea is the defending Champions League champions and one of the best teams in the Premier League. Brentford is in the third tier of English soccer currently and just getting to this point is probably a success for their team.

Prediction: Chelsea win 3-0

Tottenham Hotspur @ Leeds United

This will more than likely be the closest of any of the three FA Cup games today. While Leeds United isn't the same team they once were back in the 1990's they are still a team that tends to be competitive come cup time and is usually at the top of their league year after year. That being said Tottenham is definitely still better than the home team so I see them being too much for this team.

Prediction: Tottenham win 2-1

Liverpool @ Oldham Athletic

Liverpool is currently going through one of their roughest patches in the history of the club. However, there aren't many teams that Liverpool would have been happier to see this round than Oldham Athletic. Oldham is currently in the third tier of English football and are facing the possibility of relegation. I see Liverpool pulling out an easy victory over a team that they are much better than on paper.

Prediction: Liverpool win 2-0

Quick Picks:

La Liga:
Getafe @ Real Madrid - Real Madrid win 3-2
Osasuna @ Barcelona - Barcelona win 2-0
Atletico Madrid @ Athletic Bilbao - Draw 2-2

Italian Serie A:
AS Roma @ Bologna - Draw 1-1
AC Milan @ Atalanta - AC Milan win 2-1
Torino @ Inter Milan - Inter win 2-0

Other Games in Europe:
Werder Bremen @ Hamburg SV - Hamburg win 2-1
Bayern Munich @ VFB Stuttgart - Bayern win 3-0
LOSC Lille @ Paris Saint-Germain - PSG win 2-0

Is the Pro Bowl Fixable?

Today is the last Sunday before the Super Bowl which means it's the day of the dreaded Pro Bowl. While I believe all-star games are a necessity in all sports and something that each sport benefits from, the Pro Bowl is so painful to watch and it always lets people down. 

The idea behind the Pro Bowl is to have the best players in both conferences playing against each other. If you look at the original rosters for this Pro Bowl and compare them to the current rosters you would more than likely be confused as to what happened. Both rosters are completely different now because of injuries, fatigue (their team lost last weekend) and the Super Bowl. The idea that the two teams in the Super Bowl, who are usually the best two teams and send the most amount of players to the Pro Bowl, aren't sending the players they were supposed to because they play the following week hurts the game. We never get to see the best players all playing against each other in a game that matters because frankly this game happens at the end of the year and has no merit for the NFL season. 

The only sport that currently has an all-star game that matters is baseball. The MLB has it so that the league that wins the game ends up with home field advantage in the World Series. The NBA all-star game is basically a better version of the And 1 mixtape tour. The NHL all-star game is creative in that it's basically an old school pickup game where the captains pick the players that they want but the game doesn't actually matter and all that happens is scoring after scoring. The difference from those all-star games and the Pro Bowl is that all of those sports send their best players to the all-star game and very rarely (only due to injury) do they not play in the game.

While there may be no right solution for what the NFL might consider doing, there are a few options I could see the NFL doing. Everyone knows that these players aren't going to go out there and give it there all, so why even have them wearing uniforms and pads. I honestly think something that would be possibly be successful and worth watching is going the route of the NHL all-star game. I say you get two captains and allow them to pick their teams. 

Now here is the major twist... Instead of having them play a regular football game where everyone already knows it's a joke you bring back the old drills that they used to have the players compete in. You have passing drills, receiving drills, speed drills and an obstacle course to earn points. The last part of Pro Bowl weekend is the actual game that is played in a flag football style of play. This would make this all-star game more similar to that of the NBA and NHL and would make the weekend a whole event instead of just one boring game that no one cares about.

My 2013 Pro Bowl Prediction: This will be the last Pro Bowl ever played. I have no idea what they might do after this year, I just see this being the last game of it's type ever being played. 

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Results

As Bruce Buffer says, "IT'S TIME!!!" Main card is now over on FOX and I am gave my round by round updates on each of the main card fights. Tonight's main card featured four fights including a main event that has the flyweight championship being defended.

UFC on Fox 6 Results:

Flyweight Championship: Demetrious Johnson (17-2-1) (Champ) vs. John Dodson (14-6)

Round 1: Flyweights=Speed. Dodson lands the first real shot of the fight and staggers Johnson. Johnson goes for a head kick and is thrown off by Dodson. Both guys are going at each other back and forth pressing the action. Johnson is able to get Dodson to the ground. Dodson gets back standing without Johnson doing any damage on the ground. Although Johnson scored a takedown. The brief amount of time the fight was on the ground, I wouldn't even give him points for it. Way too hard to type during this fight. Both guys are too damn fast. Dodson looked better standing so I award him the round 10-9.

Round 2: Coming in to this fight many thought Johnson was the faster fighter but Dodson seems to be on par with his speed. Johnson is able to score a takedown up against the cage but once again can't keep Dodson down for long. Dodson lands a great combination that puts Johnson on the ground. Dodson lands another left hook that puts Johnson on the ground again. Johnson looks hurt. Joe Rogan says on the strength difference, "They both have the speed, Dodson has more power." Dodson is showing much better striking than Johnson. Johnson is able to land a couple of clinch knees at the end of the round up against the cage. That round was pretty easy to score. I'd give it 10-9 for Dodson which gives him a 20-18 lead going in to round 3.

Round 3: Johnson connects with a knee below the belt which pauses the fight for about a minute. No points taken away and the fight is restarted from where it left off. Johnson looks better in this round than he did early on. Very nice body kick by Dodson. Johnson is able to secure a takedown. Not as much happened in this round as the previous ones. I give the edge to Johnson who wins his first round of the night 10-9. Dodson still leads the fight 29-28 after three.

Round 4: Johnson scores a takedown and gets the fight to side control. Dodson is able to get partially up before Johnson lands an illegal knee to Dodson's face (the knee is illegal because one of Dodson's hands is touching the ground). Dodson was able to rest and was checked by the doctors following the illegal strike. No points are deducted for the illegal shot and the fight continues after Dodson seems okay. Dodson's conditioning doesn't seem to be on the level of Johnson's and I' starting to think Johnson could walk away with a 48-47 unanimous decision at this point. Johnson is landing a lot of knees up against the cage to the body and arms. Johnson lands a couple of knees to Dodson's head which causes a cut to open on his face. Round ends and I score this one 10-9 for Johnson. I think the fight is all tied up after three rounds at 38-38.

Round 5: Whoever takes this round is going to win the fight in my opinion. Both guys come out and show respect for one another. Johnson is able to secure a takedown along the fence. With Dodson having Johnson pushed up against the face, Johnson raised himself up and started landing elbows to the head of Dodson. Dodson has been unable to takedown Johnson so far this round. Johnson is connecting pretty well with shots on Dodson. Dodson seems to be unable to get out of Johnson's clinch at this point. With 30 seconds left Dodson has to do something big to win this fight. Johnson ends the fight in control and I think he takes the last round 10-9. I'm scoring the bout 48-47 for the defending champion Demetrious Johnson.

I do believe that when Johnson connected with the illegal knee on Dodson in round 4 that he should have been deducted a point. If a point was deducted the fight would have been ruled a majority draw (47-47, 48-46 Johnson, 47-47)

Official Result: Johnson defeats Dodson via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 48-47) to retain the UFC Flyweight Championship.

Light Heavyweight: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (34-11) vs. Glover Teixeira (20-2)

Round 1: Teixeira is able to get a takedown early in the round. Both guys aren't afraid to trade bombs at this point. Rampage is looking pretty good until he attempts a takedown that is easily shaken off & countered with a hook to the face by Teixeira. Teixeira drops Jackson with a big hook which leaves Rampage wobbly. Rampage is still answering back with punches even after being rocked. I don't see this fight getting to a decision unless both guys tire each other out. I score the round 10-9 Teixeira.

Round 2: Teixeira comes out and is able to secure an early takedown. Rampage is able to land a few successful uppercuts after getting the fight back standing. Rampage looks winded already halfway through round 2. Teixeira seems to have the much better endurance of the two fighters. The round is pretty even on the feet, but because of the early takedown I score the round 10-9 Teixeira, which gives him a 20-18 lead after two rounds. That round could have gone either way though.

Round 3: In my opinion Rampage has to finish it this round if he wants to walk away with a win. Rampage catches Teixeira early in the round. Teixeira gets a takedown again making it three times in three rounds. These takedowns could be what gives Teixeira the win as both guys have been relatively even while standing. Rampage seems to be bringing it at this point with 3 minutes to go. After throwing a couple of haymakers Rampage seems to have lost all of his energy. What might have been the most telegraphed takedown I've seen in awhile actually worked and got Rampage to the ground. With 1 minute left Rampage is zombie status at this point. 30 seconds left in the fight and Teixeira gets another takedown and is able to gain mount position. Round ends with in my opinion Teixeira taking that round 10-9 and the fight 30-27.

Official Result: Teixeira defeats Rampage via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Lightweight: Anthony Pettis (16-2) vs. Donald Cerrone (19-5 & 1 NC)

Round 1: Both guys come out landing strikes. Pettis attempts a cartwheel kick that doesn't really connect. Pettis hurts him with a body shot. Pettis continues to use all kinds of striking techniques. Damnnn! Pettis ends it with a body kick. Anthony Pettis looked tremendous and more than likely just earned himself a title shot.

Official Result: Pettis defeats Cerrone via TKO at 2:35, round 1

Pettis =AMAZING!!!! Ok I'm sold
— Dana White (@danawhite) January 27, 2013

Featherweight: Erik Koch (13-2) vs. Ricardo Lamas (13-2)

Round 1: Both guys are trying to figure out their range early. Rest of the round is Lamas pushing the action with takedowns attempts up against the cage and Koch defending them. I give the edge to Lamas in that round for pushing the action. Didn't do much so 10-9 Lamas.

Round 2: Lamas is able to get top position and land some strikes. Koch is cut BADDD!!! Lamas ends it with ground punches & elbows. As boring as round 1 might have been round 2 was all Lamas. Cut was opened it & just started spraying everywhere.

Official Result: Lamas defeats Koch via TKO at 2:32, round 2

Preliminary Results:

Lightweight Bout: TJ Grant (20-5) vs. Matt Wiman (15-7)
Grant defeats Wiman via TKO at 4:51, round 1

Featherweight Bout: Clay Guida (30-13) vs. Hatsu Hioki (26-6-2)
Guida defeats Hioki via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 29-28)

Welterweight Bout: Mike Stumpf (11-4) vs. Pascal Krauss (11-1)
Krauss defeats Stumpf via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

Light Heavyweight: Ryan Bader (15-3) vs. Vladimir Matyushenko (26-7)
Bader defeats Matyushenko via submission (choke) at 0:50, round 1

Heavyweight: Mike Russow (15-3 & 1 NC) vs. Shawn Jordan (14-4)
Jordan defeats Russow via TKO at 3:48, round 2

Middleweight: Rafael Natal (15-4-1) vs. Sean Spencer (9-2)
Natal defeats Spencer via submission (arm-triangle choke) at 2:13, round 1

Welterweight: Simeon Thoresen (17-4-1) vs. David Mitchell (12-2)
Mitchell defeats Thoresen via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson Predictions

Tonight is UFC on Fox 6: Johnson vs. Dodson. It's not often that the UFC has championship fights for free on television so when they do it's usually worth watching. Tonight's main card on FOX features four fights including a flyweight championship fight, two possible number one contender fights and a fight that features a future hall of famer making his last appearance in the UFC.

UFC on Fox 6 Predictions:

Flyweight Championship: Demetrious Johnson (16-2-1) (Champion) vs. John Dodson (14-5)

Demetrious Johnson became the first ever UFC Flyweight Champion by winning a four-man tournament last year that was originally supposed to take place over two events. However, in his first fight of the tournament his bout went to a draw so there was a rematch between him and Ian McCall which he won the second time around. At UFC 152 he defeated the favored Joseph Benavidez by split decision (48-47, 47-48, 49-46) and was crowned the inaugural flyweight champion.

John Dodson earned his right to be the first challenger for the flyweight championship by defeating Jussier "Formiga" da Silva back at UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot in a title eliminator bout. Dodson first appeared in the UFC when he won the 14th season of the Ultimate Fighter by defeating T.J. Dillashaw in the final. Since then he has amassed two other wins including the Formiga fight.

Coming into this fight neither fighter has ever been finished and I think this may be the first time one of these guys doesn't get to see the decision. While Johnson is the champion currently I think the challenger Dodson will be able to pull off the upset.

My Prediction: Dodson wins via TKO in round 2 to become the new UFC Flyweight Champion

Light Heavyweight: Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (34-10) vs. Glover Teixeira (19-2)

If you are an MMA fan and haven't heard of "Rampage" then I don't know where you've been the last five years. "Rampage" is best known for having knocked out Chuck Liddell twice (second fight for UFC Light Heavyweight Championship) and for his role in the 2010 action-comedy "The A-Team." While "Rampage" hasn't exactly been on a rampage as of late (he's lost two of his last fights), he is always a fighter that people want to see. This is his last fight on his UFC contract and all signs are pointing to this being his last fight in the Octagon.

Teixeira comes into this fight a lot less known that his opponent, but is coming into this fight on a 17 fight win streak with two of those wins coming in the UFC. In his two fights in the UFC so far he has managed to submit Kyle Kingsbury and defeat Fabio Maldonado by TKO (doctor stoppage). While Teixeira hasn't fought fighters as good as "Rampage" in his career his former training partner is Chuck Liddell who has already fought "Rampage" on two occasions which will likely help him in gameplanning.

With this being Jackson's last fight in the UFC many think that he will be going out on top and being the less known opponent very easily. However, many hardcore fans will agree that while Jackson was once one of the greatest fighters of all time he isn't the same guy he used to be and are picking Teixeira to win in upset fashion.

My Prediction: Teixeira wins via KO (round 1)

Lightweight: Anthony Pettis (15-2) vs. Donald Cerrone (19-4 & 1 NC)

Both of these fighters are former lightweight champions in the now defunct World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC). While both were in the WEC the two have actually never fought each other. Both guys are very exciting fighters and try to finish most of their fights. In Cerrone's 19 wins only four of them have gone to a decision while in Pettis' 15 wins only three have gone the distance.

Pettis is coming into this fight off of two wins over Joe Lauzon and Jeremy Stephens respectively. With a win Pettis has been rumored to be next in line for the UFC Lightweight Championship and would likely fight the winner of the Benson Henderson-Gilbert Melendez winner later this year.

Cerrone is also coming into this fight on a two-fight win streak with wins over Melvin Guillard and Jeremy Stephens. Cerrone may not get a title shot with a win in this fight but it will definitely move him to within one more win away of one.

My Prediction: Pettis wins via TKO (round 2)

Featherweight: Erik Koch (13-1) vs. Ricardo Lamas (12-2)

Koch was in line to face Jose Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship on two different occasions in the last year. In July of 2012 Aldo was forced out of the bout because of injury and then later on in October Koch was forced out of the bout due to injury. Koch hasn't fought since late 2011 and this is a really long layoff for a fighter coming into a dangerous fight.

Lamas is entering this fight on a 3-fight win streak. Coming into this fight he has recently beaten Hatsu Hioki, Cub Swanson and Matt Grice. Lamas has been the underdog in most of his fights and is once again coming into a fight as the underdog.

This fight will likely determine who will fight the winner of next week's UFC Featherweight Championship bout between the champion Jose Aldo and challenger Frankie Edgar. With Koch coming so close to having a title shot twice in his career now, I can't see him possibly losing this fight and throwing away another title shot.

My Prediction: Koch wins via submission (round 2)

1/26 NBA Predictions

Tonight's NBA Predictions:

New York Knicks (26-14) @ Philadelphia 76ers (17-25)

Tonight marks the return of Knicks starting point guard Raymond Felton. The 76ers are currently above .500 at home, but I don't see them having enough to win this game against the Knicks. Sixers starting point guard Jrue Holiday has been showing all-star qualities all season but without Andrew Bynum this team doesn't have the frontcourt size to compete with the Knicks big men in Tyson Chandler and Amare Stoudemire.

My prediction: Knicks win 99-90

Cleveland Cavaliers (12-32) @ Toronto Raptors (16-27)

In a battle of two teams that have no postseason hopes this year, this game will feature a lot of rising star Kyrie Irving. Irving has just been named to his first all-star game and I see him putting up big numbers tonight for the Cavs.

My prediction: Cavaliers win 102-96

Chicago Bulls (26-16) @ Washington Wizards (10-31)

The Bulls currently have more wins on the road this season (12) than the Wizards have total. I don't see this game being close at all.

My prediction: Bulls win 98-81

Minnesota Timberwolves (17-23) @ Charlotte Bobcats (10-32)

The only thing Bobcats fans have been able to look forward to all season is the possibility of them regaining their former name the Hornets. Other than that it looks like it will be another losing season for a team that continues to draft poorly and end up in the lottery year after year.

My prediction: Timberwolves win 97-88

Brooklyn Nets (26-17) @ Houston Rockets (23-22)

If you are interested in seeing a lot of scoring coming from the backcourt this is a game that you will enjoy. Both teams currently have starting guards that combine for 34+ points per game. The Nets have impressed in their first season in Brooklyn and the new starting backcourt of Jeremy Lin and James Harden have shown glimpses of a future that looks promising for Houston.

My prediction: Rockets win 94-92

Golden State Warriors (26-16) @ Milwaukee Bucks (22-19)

This game will mark the first meeting between Monta Ellis and his former team the Golden State Warriors this season. Both teams seem to have been better off since the trade a year ago and this game will be very similar to that of the Nets & Rockets. With a lot of guard scoring I see this game being very competitive all the way until the end.

My prediction: Bucks win 101-99

Phoenix Suns (15-28) @ San Antonio Spurs (35-11)

The Spurs have been unstoppable at home this season with only two losses and the Phoenix Suns have been abysmal on the road with only four wins. This game will be a blowout from the beginning.

My prediction: Spurs win 102-78

Sacramento Kings (16-28) @ Denver Nuggets (26-18)

This will more than likely be the last season of the Sacramento Kings as it's looking like the team is all but ready to be moved to Seattle and be renamed the Supersonics. That has really been the only newsworthy thing about the team besides "Boogie" Cousins causing problems for the team all season.

My prediction: Nuggets win 104-90

Indiana Pacers (26-17) @ Utah Jazz (23-20)

The Pacers have been one of the best defensive teams all season and have managed to slow down just about everybody. However, while the Pacers are on the road they tend not to perform as well as they do at home. The Jazz currently have a frontcourt that contains Paul Millsap, Al Jefferson and Derrick Favors. All three of these guys should be starting but only two of them can take up the spots at the 4 and 5. It's only a matter of time before 1 of those 3 is on the trading block and be shopped to half of the NBA.

My prediction: Jazz win 91-88

Los Angeles Clippers (32-12) @ Portland Trail Blazers (21-21)

In the last game of the evening the big question is when will Chris Paul return. That's the only thing that really matters to a Clippers team that has shown signs of contending for an NBA title this year. While the Clippers have been winning without Paul, he is what makes this team so successful. Without Paul in this game I see the Trail Blazers pulling the upset and beating the Clips.

My prediction: Trail Blazers win 103-98