NFL Week 8

We're getting to that point in the season when you know who the good teams are and who the bad teams are. And there are a hell of a lot of bad teams as has been pointed here a lot recently. So bad that again there are 6 games this week with a spread of 9 or higher. I'm guessing Vegas is going to have start making the lines on Raiders/Skins/Rams/Browns games about 19 points just to get any money going on the underdog.

Good week last week and I have yet to have a below .500 week. Sooner or later that is going to catch up to me. I'd bet on sooner.

Last Week: 8-5
Season: 57-46

RAVENS -4 over Broncos I think the Broncos have replaced the Ravens as the best defensive team in the league but the 3-3 Ravens have to win this game and should be really frantic hawking Kyle Orton.

Browns +13.5 over BEARS You sucked me in Vegas. Now don't let me down you horseshit Browns.

Texans -3.5 over BILLS Houston is a pretty good 4-3 while the Bills are a really bad 3-4.

PACKERS -3 over Vikings I expect the Cheeseheads to cheer for Brett Favre as he takes the field for the first time and then to boo him mercilessly the rest of the game. And that's how it should be. The Packers will rally around Aaron Rodgers and win this one.

COLTS -11 over 49ers I'm not sure the 49ers are as bad as the 11 points suggest but I also don't think they have a prayer against the Colts.

JETS -4 over Dolphins Rex Ryan might be an ass but he is not an ass who is going to let the Wildcat beat him again.

LIONS -5.5 over Rams This is how bloody awful the Rams are - I am going against my logic of picking against the Lions every week this year. I am starting to think the Rams might go 0-16, even in the pathetic NFC West. In other news this game may be blacked out in Detroit which is a shame. The city could use a win on TV.

Seahawks +9.5 over COWBOYS Big win last week for the 'Boys so I expect a letdown.

CHARGERS -16.5 over Raiders You couldn't suck me into this one Vegas. The Raiders are still horrendous and this is the type of game the Chargers win. They keep close enough to the playoffs to truly piss off their fans with some awful late season losses.

Jaguars +3 over TITANS Can someone please explain to me how a 3-3 team, even a bad 3-3 team, can be a 3 point 'dog to a terrible 0-6 team? An 0-6 team starting Vince Young for the first time this year? I know it's a division game but that is not worth 5 points.

CARDS -9 over Panthers I think it's fair to say I have been sucked in by the Cards again. I have no doubt they will let me down soon.

Giants +2 over EAGLES My nervous pick of the week. I just don't see the Giants losing three in a row.

SAINTS -9 over Falcons The Saints are going to get slowed down soon but it won't be by the Falcons in the Superdome.

Quick World Series Game 2 Points.

1. First base umpire Brian Gorman made two mistakes but only one of them was what I would consider bad. The out call of Utley on the double play was the bad call. Utley was clearly safe on the play while it happened, I didn't need instant replay to tell me. The other call was the double play that Ryan Howard trapped. Gorman made the incorrect call but I wouldn't call it "bad" because as it was happening I think most people thought he caught it. It took a very slow motion replay to prove that the ball short hopped Howard, and even at that it was a very short short hop.

2. Despite Tim McCarver's (and subsequently other people) whining about Charlie Manuel not starting the runners in the eight (3-2 count, 1 out, runners on 1st and 2nd) he made the right call not to start them. For starters Utley only ground into five double plays all year. You also ran the risk of him lining into a double play and leaving Ryan Howard in the on-deck circle to end the inning. If Manuel had started the runners there would have been runners on 2nd and 3rd with first base open and then Mo Rivera gives Howard nothing to hit. In other words his best chance to have his top RBI guy up with pitches to hit was to not start the runners.

The fact Howard did end up on the on-deck circle because Utley did hit into a double play doesn't make Manuel's decision a bad one.

3. I can't stand Tim McCarver. His jokes are awful but his game analysis is what really bugs me. His point about Manuel starting the runners was just the latest stupid thing he has said.

It reminds me of what Bob Gibson once said to him when McCarver went to the mound to talk to him about a hitter, and I am paraphrasing a bit here, "You don't know anything about pitching and you can't hit so get back behind the plate and Shut Up".

NBA Preview.

I will do my full NBA preview this weekend but I just wanted to say Lakers over Celtics in the Finals now. Yesterday morning actually but I just go to it now.

World Series Preview

I got both the LCS' wrong so this has not been a banner postseason so far. Let's hope I get the World Series right because I am not even sure I'll be watching much of it. As much as I think these two teams are evenly matched and were the best teams in their respective leagues all year, I think the October 28 start date is going to create some horrendous weather conditions and some potentially bad baseball (the reason I may not watch much). Not to mention that with potential rain/snow outs this thing may not end until Christmas.

Yankees vs. Phillies

Both teams have been blessed with playing teams to this point that have played poorly against them. Each of these teams has kicked the ball around too, but not a ridiculous amount. This should be a great series because these two teams are so evenly matched. Despite more big names in the Yankees dugout I think the Phils actually have the deeper batting order 1-9 (1-8 in the NL park). ARod is clearly the best hitter in the series but Ryan Howard is not far off. Rollins and Utley are every bit as good as Jeter and Cano and Jayson Werth is better than Nick Swisher. Posada's bat has slowed a lot but his counterpart Carlos Ruiz can't hit a lick unless he is ahead in the count and is looking, and getting, fastball. I think Johnny Damon will have trouble with the good lefties as will Matsui and Texeira. I don't think Raul Ibanez will have as much trouble with the Yankees pitching.

The rotations are close but again I give the edge to the Phils. Cliff Lee and CC are a coin flip (how would you like to be an Indians fan watching Game 1 tonight). I also think Cole Hamels will be great in this series and be a coin flip with Andy Petite. The big difference will be Pedro vs. AJ. Pedro is built for this stage and you know he wants nothing more than to shove it up the Yankees ass in Game 2, which I think he will. With one game being postponed a strong possibility I can see both teams going with a 3 man rotation.

The bullpens are where the big difference is though. The Phils middle relief has been bad and there best hope is JA Happ being lights out against the Yanks lefty bats. The Yanks middle relief hasn't been any good either so they are going to struggle to get key outs too. The real difference between the 'pens, and the thing that will eventually decide this series, in the closers. I am still not 100% confident in Brad Lidge. I think he is going to cost them a game in this series and that will be the difference.

Yanks in 7.

Things to watch for:

- ARod will continue to be great and will win the Series MVP.

- Ryan Howard to hit absolute bombs in Yankee Stadium. With that jet stream in right field he might kill someone in the upper deck.

- Howard to hit Rivera well. Howard's bat is the quickest in the NL and he can get around on Mo's cutter. It won't get in on his hands the way it well on Utley.

- The weather to make a couple of games unwatchable. Balls are going to be thrown all over the place and a lot of double plays will not be turned as a result. And the hitters hands are going to hurt like hell, especially with Pedro running the ball in on guys. Cold weather always favors the pitchers over the hitters.

NFL Week 7

I watched the first three quarters of the Pats destroying the Titans last week and I can honestly say the Titans first half was the worst performance I have ever seen by an NFL team. I new that game would be a blowout but I didn't expect the Titans to roll over and die. Afwul. Just Awful.

I was 7-7 again last week, which makes it .500 4 weeks out of 6. With 13 games this week it is unlikely to happen again.

Last Week: 7-7
Season: 49-41

Chargers -4.5 over CHIEFS Big win for the Chiefs last week so there may be a let down. And the Chargers always win against the dreck of the league. It's the good teams they can't beat.

Colts -13 over RAMS Tempting to take the Rams at home but the way Manning is playing and coming off a bye you gotta take the Colts.

Bears +1.5 over BENGALS Still not sold on the Bengals and the Bears should be up again this week after being down last week.

Packers -7 over BROWNS I expect Rodgers to have another big game this week.

STEELERS -4 over Vikings The Ravens exposed the Vikes defense last week. It really hasn't been great all year and they got away with it against a mostly bad schedule. I think the Steelers will winthis one by 10 or more.

Bucs +14 over Patriots This game is in England so there is no home field advantage. Hard to give 14 points in that situation even thought the Bucs are winless.

49ers +3.5 over TEXANS The 49ers were dismanteld a couple of weeks ago so they should be fired up for this coming off the bye.

Jets -7 over RAIDERS The Raiders upset the Eagles last week but I don't think it's a trend. Not with Jets needing to halt a 3 game skid.

PANTHERS PK over Bills Home field wins it. And this promises to be a horrible game.

Saints -6.5 over DOLPHINS The Saints have their mojo goin' right now and there is no way the Dolphins can stop their offense.

Falcons +4 over COWBOYS I'll take Matt Ryan over Tony Romo 9 times out of 10.

GIANTS -7 over Cards The Cards have a habit of getting waxed every time they go west to lay a good team. This week will be no different with the Giants coming off a bad loss in New Orleans.

Eagles -7 over REDSKINS I figured the Eagles would blow out the Raiders last week but they didn't. I figure they should kill the 'Skins Monday night too so we'll see.

NFL Week 6

A couple of days ago I mentioned how I actually like the fact that there are very good and very bad teams in the NFL. How many bad teams are there? Six weeks into the season there are five double-digit spreads and a 9.5 that should be 14.

To paraphrase a line from the NBA...The NFL. It's Craptastic!

I had another .500 week last week (3 in 5 weeks) so that likely means I am due for a 2-12 this week. And once again, anyone wagering actually money based on my picks deserves to lose it.

Last Week: 7-7
Season: 42-34

Chiefs +6.5 over REDSKINS This is how friggin' bad the 'Skins are - They play their 6th straight winless opponent (granted the Giants were 0-0 week 1) and I am picking them to lose outright at home. To the Chiefs!

Texans +6.5 over BENGALS This has more to do with the fact that I can't wrap my head around the Bengals being any good as it does that the up and down Texans lost last week.

STEELERS -13.5 over Browns Congratulations Cleveland! You won last week. You can now go back to getting waxed every week.

VIKINGS -3 over Ravens This is my nervous pick of the week. Usually I wouldn't pick the Ravens to lose three in a row but the Vikes are on a serious roll right now.

JAGUARS -10 over Rams The Rams are a 10 point 'dog to a 2-3 team. And I still can't pick them. This team may go down as worse than last years Lions. The Jags can probably score 14 points and cover this spread.

Giants +3 over SAINTS I am completely sold that the Saints defense is much better than last year but it still isn't great. The Giants also realize this game may very well determine home field in the playoffs.

BUCS +3 over Panthers Tampa will win eventually so it might as well be this week against the awful Panthers.

PACKERS -13.5 over Lions I am 3-2 betting against the Lions and I am pretty certain it will go to 4-2 this week with the Packers coming off a bye week at Lambeau.

Eagles -14 over RAIDERS The spread really could have been 20 here and I still would have taken Philly.

Cards +3 over SEAHAWKS Seattle is banged up and the Cards suckered me into thinking they turned a corner last week.

JETS -10 over Bills If the Bills replaced the real Dick Jauron on the sidelines with a cardboard cutout of Dick Jauron would anyone notice? It's not like it would affect the outcome of the game or anything.

PATRIOTS -9.5 over Titans Holy sweet mother of Jesus does this have blowout written all over it. The Titans head to Foxboro with a pass defense that is dead last in the league. If Tom Brady doesn't go off this week than he is officially never recovering from knee surgery. And Randy Moss might not even be able to sleep tonight from excitement.

FALCONS -3.5 over Bears I still think the Falcons can get to the Super Bowl. And I still think the Bears can't.

Broncos +3.5 over CHARGERS I can't believe the Broncos are the 'dog in this game. After beating the Pats last week everybody knows they are good. And how the hell can you pick Norv Turner in a Monday nighter he has to win? The Broncos will seal up the division title Monday night. And they will do it easily.

NLCS and ALCS

Very quickly before the first pitch is thrown tonight with explanations later:

Dodgers in 6
Angels in 7

Considering my World Series pick didn't win a game I can't say going 2-2 in the first round was even average.

NLCS
Phillies vs. Dodgers

The funny thing about this series is that if Brad Lidge was even average this season nobody woudl be taking the Dodgers. The Phillies have a better lineup, beteer defense and deeper starting pitching. But Lidge isn't right, no matter how he looked against the Rockies, and the Phils bullpen is not great.

The best two pitchers in this series are Cole Hamels and Cliff Lee and there is no question about that. But the Dodgers are throwing Clayton Kershaw against Hamels and he is so good that I think they almost cancel each other out. Anyone who thinks Randy Wolf is a front-line starter is crazy and I am not convinced Vincent Padilla can equal the game he threw against the Cards, though he may not have to in order to win.

So why am I picking the Dodgers? There lineup is better than it was last year and can score runs without Manny needing to go deep. I also think Pedro Martinez might get lit up in his start(s) because he can't attack guys the way he used to. But the main reason is the Dodgers bullpen is the best of any team left and the Phillies is the worst. All of these games should be tight and that favors the Dodgers.

Dodgers in 6

ALCS
Yankees vs. Angels

This should be a hell of a series. The thing that very few people realize about the Angels is just how deep and balnace their batting lineup is. They remind me a lot of the '04 Red Sox team but without as much power in the middle of the lineup. They are just a bunch of smart, professional hitters who now how to work the count and get their pitch. And guys like Hunter, Abreu and Vlady will go deep if you make a mistake. They also run the bases extremley well and are very aggressive. They should run all day on Jorge Posada. The Yankees lineup has more power than the Angels but I am not convinced it is that much better overall.

As I mentioned last week the Angels Achilles Heel vs the Red Sox every year was their lack of a true ace. But having 3 #2 starters matters less in a 7 game series than a 5 gamer. I think CC will win a two games for the Yanks but I think the Angels patience will drive Burnett nuts, and Pettite will be forced to throw more pitches than usual to get out of innings. As for the Angels pitching I like Jered Weaver a lot and he is strong mentally. And Scott Kazmir has always pitched well against the Yankees so I expect a strong game 4 start at home from him.

The Angels bullpen is a bit deeper but Brain Fuentes is not Mo Rivera so the Angels may lose one late.

One other big reason I like the Angels is because Mike Scioscia is a much better game manager than Joe Girardi. That means the Angels will usually get the late inning matchups they want.

Angels in 7

Odds and Ends.

- There is a lot of talk about using more instant replay in baseball and I disagree with it. It makes sense for the home run calls to be determined that way because it has the biggest impact in terms of runs scored but also because it doesn't affect the rest of the play, if it is a home run everyone scores, end of story.

On a fair/foul call it directly affects what would have happened on the rest of the play. If there are runners on first and second and a ball is hit over the first base bag into the corner and it is called foul the play is dead. If it is reviewed and it should have been called fair do you assume the runner on first would have scored on the double? Do you leave him at third? That situation opens up to many further arguments. Out or safe at first base also causes the same problem but to a lesser degree.

I also don't like the balls and strikes replay either. Sure each umpire has their own strike zone, but every NFL/NBA/NHL has their own version of what a penalty/foul/penalty is too. Sure mistakes like Joe Mauer's foul ball in Game 2 vs. the Yankees happen but the umpiring is generally very good.

- Anybody who thinks that the blown Joe Mauer call cost the Twins that game and the series wasn't paying attention to it. The Twins left 17 runners on base in that game and ran the bases horribly. They also had the bases loaded with none out in that inning and couldn't score. That's why they lost.

When I picked the Twins to beat the Yanks it was because they had a great manager and played such smart baseball. Then is consecutive games they blew it with absolutely atrocious baserunning mistakes. It was unbelievable to watch.

- As Diamond Joe pointed out in the comments section of my Week 5 picks, the NFL has some truly awful teams this year. For a league that strives for all 32 teams finishing 8-8 this must be brutal for them. But I love it. I love knowing there are great teams and lousy ones. It's a hell of a lot more fun watching the Colts or Broncos play the Pats, Ravens or Steelers on Wild Card weekend than it is watching a potential Chargers/Texans game.

- Anyone notice how Adrian Peterson seems to be getting fewer touches and Brett Favre seems to throwing the ball a lot more than anyone said he would? I can't wait to watch him sink this team in a big playoff game.

- If Peyton Manning can win another Super Bowl ring he may go down as the best QB in history. He has not slipped at all as he has gotten older and he seems to thrive on the challenge of playing with a new cast of receivers and backs. He looks like he is having a hell of a lot of fun and with their defense playing well I don't see how they don't finish at least 13-3 and get to the AFC Championship game.

- I have always hated Jeff Fisher and the Titans so it is great to watch them go belly up this year. They are 0-5 and now go to New England with a lousy secondary that should get Tom Brady back on track.

At this point Vince Young needs to be made the starter because you need to see if he is your guy or not. As was pointed out during the game Sunday night, nobody in the Titans dressing room is speaking up for Young so they need to just put this situation out of its misery if he plays poorly. Having said that though, I wouldn't start him Sunday. It's a game they are going to lose anyway so why not start Young when the season is officially done for them and in a game they could potentially win.

NFL Week 5.

Ms. Skeelo and I are heading to Lake Placid for the weekend so I need to make this quick.

I finally broke through last week so let's hope it continues. I am betting heavy on the favorites this week so we'll see.

Last Week: 10-4
Season 35-27

Vikings -10 over RAMS Normally I would look at a line like that and pick the underdog with the Vikings coming off a huge emotional win Monday night. But the 'dog in this case is the Rams who have scored 24 points this entire season and have been shutout twice. This line might as well be 20.

Cowboys -7 over CHIEFS The Chiefs have to play a decent game eventually, but so does Tony Romo so this is his week, as it usually is against bad teams. And yeah that was a backhanded compliment.

GIANTS -14 over Raiders You always have to give a 14 point 'dog a look. And then when you see that 'dog is the Raiders on the road and you stick with the favorite.

PANTHERS -3.5 over Redskins If there is a less appealing game this week I can't think of it.

Bucs +14 over EAGLES The Bucs nearly won outright last week in Washington and I think they can cover, but not win, this game. 14 seems high for some reason.

BILLS -6 over Browns I just thought of a less appealing game. Surely to God the Bills will beat the hopeless Browns by a touchdown at home. Won't they?

RAVENS -8 over Bengals A tough Ravens team at home coming off a loss on the road against a Bengals team that is nowhere near as good as there 3-1 record indicates? Come on.

Steelers -10.5 over LIONS The Steelers looked great last Sunday and the Lions, well, didn't.

Falcons -2.5 over 49ERS I literally flipped a coin on this one. This should be the best game of the week.

BRONCOS -3.5 over Patriots I'm a little surprised this game wasn't PK. You have to like the fact that Josh McDaniel knows everything that the Pats are going to do, that the Broncos are at home, and the way they won last week against the Cowboys. Last week I wouldn't have picked the Broncos in this game but I sure can now.

CARDS -5.5 over Texans Both of these teams are in the "everybody thought we were going to be good but maybe they shouldn't have thought that" category. One of them has to win so it might as well be the home team. And of course the Cards will get pounded again next week to put them back in the aforementioned category.

SEAHAWKS -2 over Jaguars Seattle is do for something to go right and the Jags are not much to look at.

Colts -3.5 over Titans The amazaing thing about the Colts is that they very rarely lose to teams they shouldn't lose to in the regular season. The Titans have fallen into that category in four short weeks. They are really that bad and there is no way the line for this game should be less than eight points. Did I also mention that Manning has a tendency to kick ass in prime time games? And that this game starts at 8:15 pm?

Jets -1 over DOLPHINS For some reason this is my most nervous pick of the week and I'm not sure why. The Jets D should feast on a backup QB for a bad team but Monday night divisional games tend to be closer than you would expect.

Division Series Preview.

I really don't know what to think about the regular season this year as we head into the playoffs because every team has a fatal flaw. Every team that is except the Cardinals. And for that reason I think they will beat the Angels in the World Series.

ALDS

New York Yankees vs. Minnesota Twins.

Anyone who thinks the Yanks are a shoe-in to win the World Series hasn't watched them much this year. They have a great lineup and everyone knows that but outside of CC Sabathia there starting rotation is very thin. Do you honestly think AJ Burnett is going to pitch well under the playoff spotlight? Or that Andy Petite will regain his old playoff form? Or that their middle relief will suddenly not be shit? If the Yanks do win it is because they score 7 runs a night to do it.

And they have to get by the Twins first, which is not as easy as people think. There is a lot to be said for a team that has won 17 of 21 and has been fighting for a month to get into the playoffs. And don't forget about what a bitch of a place the Metrodome is to play. The thing that hurts the Twins though is that they start in NY tonight without a day off. Their rotation is thin but so is the Yankees. If they can win one of two in NY, which I think they will, they will win this series.

Twins in 4.

Anaheim Angels vs. Boston Red Sox

I watched a lot of Josh Beckett starts down the stretch and he does not look right at all. Luckily John Lester does as does Johnathan Papelbon. If Beckett can return to playoff form of years past the Red Sox will win the World Series because their lineup can still put up runs when it counts. You also can't dismiss the fact that they have owned the Angels in the post-season the last 6 years.

The one Achilles heel the Angels have always had is that they don't have a true ace. But I don't think that will matter as much this year because other rotations in the AL are not stacked either. I think the Lackey, Weaver, Kazmir and Santana quartet should be enough to get them through, especially the way there lineup can manufacture runs.

Angels in 5

NLDS

Philadelphia Phillies vs. Colorado Rockies

If Brad Lidge had been even average this year I would have the Phillies winning the World Series again. Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels are the scariest one-two in the playoffs and their lineup of Rollins/Utley/Howard is still terrifying. They are also an excellent defensive team. I just think Lidge is going to kill them in a couple of tight games.

The Rockies are kind of like the Twins in that they are on fire. They have an underrated rotation but De La Rosa tweaked his groin in his last start. If he isn't 100% he won't be able to shut down Howard and Utley, which is key to beating the Phils.

Ultimately I just don't see the Rockies lineup scoring enough against Lee and Hamels

Phils in 4

Los Angeles Dodgers vs. St. Louis Cardinals

The Dodgers have not so quietly been pretty average the second half of this year. Their offense is not great and their rotation is not great. The key to this team will be whether lefties Randy Wolf or Clayton Kershaw can shut down the Cards offense. The Cards can be had by lefties (which is why I would pick the Phils to beat them if they had a decent closer) but I don't think it will be the Dodgers lefties to shut them down. Their success really comes down to Manny. If he catches fire he can carry them through a round or two, if not they are toast.

The Cardinals are the most complete team in baseball. That doesn't necessarily mean the best, but it means they should win the World Series. Carpenter and Wainright are a great one-two and a good closer in Ryan Franklin. They also have a great game tactician in manager Tony LaRussa. And they still have Pujols and Holliday in the middle of the lineup.

Cardinals in 3.

AL Central Prediction

As much as I want to see the Tigers win tonight, because the city of Detroit could definitely use it, I think the Twins are going to win and face the Yankees.

NHL Preview.

I still watch a lot of hockey but I am not as into it as I used to be so here comes a pretty bare bones preview.

Note: This is actually more bare bones than I intended. I did this on Sunday but blogger ate most of it somehow so only part of it got saved. And now I just can't be bothered.

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Bruins Not much drop off for these guys and they will beat the hell out of Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Buffalo all year within the division.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins I would pick the Pens first but I think they will come out of the gates so fast that they will go on cruise control the last 20 games while resting for the playoffs.

3. Washington Capitals Fun as hell but I am not sold on their goaltending.

4. New Jersey Devils Marty Brodeur is healthy and that's all I need to know.

5. Philadelphia Flyers Pronger was born to wear that uniform

6. New York Rangers

7. Tampa Bay Lightning Stamkos matures and Hedman is great from day 1.

8. Carolina Hurricanes

9. Buffalo Sabres

10. Toronto Maple Leafs They have improved on defence but they still can't score goals.

11. Montreal Canadians Too damn small.

12. Ottawa Senators It is going to be a very long year in Ottawa. The Kovalev signing will be a disaster and I suspect Alfie will be looking for a trade at the deadline.

13. Florida Panthers

14. Atlanta Thrashers Kovalchuk will look good with the Penguing next year.

15. New York Islanders At least Tavares will be fun to watch.

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks Another President's Trophy and another 1st or 2nd round playoff exit.

2. Detroit Red Wings You keep waiting for them to take a step back and they never do.

3. Anaheim Ducks Perry, Getzlaf and Ryan are the best line in the West.

4. Calgary Flames

5. Chicago Blackhawks I see this team taking a step back. I am not sold on their goalies and I thin kthey lack maturity. Everyone sees them as a Cup contender but I don't.

6. St. Louis Blues Last year was no fluke, these guys are good. Also look for Paul Kariya to have a big year and make the Olympic team.

7. Vancouver Canucks Luongo needs to carry them in the playoffs this year because he hasn't done so yet.

8. Los Angeles The surprise team in the west.

9. Dallas Stars

10. Columbus Blue Jackets I'm still trying to figure out why Rick Nash re-upped here.

11. Nashville Predators I predict the Preds will be playing elsewhere in two years.

12. Minnesota Wild

13. Edmonton Oilers Pat Quinn will help but there is very little talent here.

14. Colorado Avalanche

15. Phoenix Coyotes The off ice soap opera has to be a huge distraction for these guys. I see a historically bad season ahead. I don't think they will get passed 65 points.

Stanley Cup - Penguins over Red Wings again

Hart Trophy - Sidney Crosby
Art Ross - Sidney Crosby
Vezina - Marty Brodeur one final time
Norris - Chris Pronger will have a monster year in Philly
Calder - John Tavares

JP Ricciardi Is Gone.

I have nothing to say other than It's about fuckin' time.

NFL Week 4

A couple things before we get started with the picks:

- Bill Simmons tackled this on espn.com and I think it is valid - Why does everyone think the Pats are going to go 12-4 because Brady is back? I mean they could because nobody is fantastic anymore, but I see them more as a 9-7 team. Brady has been taking a beating this season and he won't have the legs to go the entire season if his O line continues to play like it has more holes than Swiss cheese.

- I'm not too concerned with the Steelers as my Super Bowl pick despite their bad start. They lost Troy Polamalu for half the season but once he is back they should be OK. They are certainly no lock to win the AFC but I am not sure who is. At least not yet.

- I do think that if the Ravens go into New England and beat the hell out of the Pats, which they will, they have to be the favorite in the AFC. Their defense is still hellacious but they have now correctly taken the kid gloves off Joe Flacco and he is proving he can win games for them. It's gong to take a hell of a good game to beat these guys in the playoffs.

Last Week: 9-7
Season: 25-23

TEXANS -9.5 over Raiders I said when he got drafted #1 overall that Jamarcus Russell would be a bust but he might end up being a Ryan Leaf type bust. At least a guy like Brady Quinn knows what he should be doing behind the center. Russell has shown he has absolutely no clue how to play QB.

Titans -1.5 over JAGUARS I don't think the Titans are as bad as 0-3 might indicate and I am certain the Jags are.

Ravens +3 over PATS I don't think this will be close. Tom Brady is just going to get killed in this game.

Bengals -3.5 over BROWNS If the Rams aren't the worst team in the NFL the Browns are.

Giants -9 over CHIEFS The Giants look like the best team in the NFC so far and I don't see the Chiefs slowing them down at all.

BEARS -11 Lions The Lions will be emotionally spent after actually winning a game last week.

Bucs +7.5 over REDSKINS How badly has Dan Snyder screwed up the once proud 'Skins? Badly enough that I am taking the atrocious Bucs to cover, that's how badly.

COLTS -11 over Seahawks Hats off to Peyton Manning. I think at this point he could line up with the Pop Warner team around him and make the playoffs. He really is that bloody good.

SAINTS -6.5 over Jets I think the Jets are due for a bt of a letdown and the Superdome is a tough place to play when the Saints are rolling, which they are.

DOLPHINS PK over Bills Who the hell would even want to watch this game?

49ERS -10 over Rams If the Browns aren't the worst team in the NFL the Rams are. If they weren't in the NFC West I would say they had a realistic shot at 0-16.

BRONCOS +3 over Cowboys Neither team has beaten anybody good so I am going with the home team. As for the Broncos winning the AFC West they are in perfect position. They are 3-0 and only need to go 7-6 the rest of the way to do it. The next seven weeks are tough but if they come out of it at 3-4 they are fine.

STEELERS -5.5 over Chargers Both teams have to win this game, it's prime time, and Chargers coach Norv Turner usually gags in prime time games he has to win.

PACKERS -3.5 over Vikings Call me crazy but I think the Pack wants to destroy Brett Favre even more than he wants to destroy them.