41-year old switch-hitting Jorge Posada, 41-year old lefty swinging infielder Craig Counsell and 37-year old righty swinging shortstop Orlando Cabrera have all decided to retire from Major League Baseball.  Of this trio, Jorge Posada made the biggest impact in his career.  Posada played in 1,829 games in his 17 years in the majors in which he was 1,664 of 6,092 (.273 avg, .848 OPS) with 900 runs scored, 275 homers, 1,065 RBIs and 20 stolen bases.  He was an All-Star 5 times and he won 5 Silver Slugger Awards with the Yankees.  He also played in 125 games in the post-season in his career.  He was 103 of 416 (.248 avg, .745 OPS) with 53 runs scored, 11 homers and 42 RBIs in the post-season.  He might just get into Baseball’s Hall of Fame down the road as he was one of the better offensive catchers in Major League Baseball History.

Orlando Cabrera was seen as a good luck charm later in his career as his team always seemed to win up in the playoffs.  He played in 1,985 games in his fifteen years in the majors and he was 2,055 of 7,562 (.272 avg, .707 OPS) with 985 runs scored, 123 homers, 854 RBIs and 216 stolen bases.  He won 2 Gold Gloves in his major league career.  Cabrera also played in 39 games in the post-season in his career and he was 34 for 149 (.228 avg, .590 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 1 homer, 18 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.  Cabrera was a gamer as he always gave it everything he had on the field.

Craig Counsell was a pretty decent utility infielder most of his career.  He played in 1,624 games in his 16 years in the majors and he was 1,208 of 4,741 (.255 avg, .686 OPS) with 647 runs scored, 42 homers, 390 RBIs and 103 stolen bases.  Counsell also played in 41 games in the post-season in his major league career and he was 27 for 118 (.229 avg, .625 OPS) with 12 runs scored, 2 homers, 14 RBIs and 2 stolen bases.  He is most known for scoring the game winning run in Game #7 of the 1997 World Series giving the championship to the Florida Marlins.

Baseball is going to miss this trio of players.

I was on fire last weekend as I was a perfect 6-0 against the spread.  With only two games this weekend, it gets a lot harder to pick a side in the games.  Here it goes:

AFC CHAMPIONSHIP:

New England Patriots (-7 1/2) over the Baltimore Ravens:  The Ravens whipped the Patriots 33-14 just two years ago on this very field.  I think it’s going to be a lot different this time around.  I think the Patriots are going to jump to an early lead and force Joe Flacco to try to keep up by throwing the ball.  He NEVER steps up in a big game, while Tom Brady is 15-5 (75%) in his career in the post-season.  I like the Patriots to win this game 31-20 and cover the spread.

New York Giants (+2.5) over the San Francisco 49ers:  The Giants are on a roll right now as they have tightened up on D they last couple of weeks.  That is bad news for the Niners.  The Giants are going to keep rolling this Sunday as I have them beating the Niners 27-17.  I would seriously consider taking the money line with the Giants as you aren’t going to need the points.

I’m going to split the picks over Saturday and Sunday’s games that way you can parlay them if you want to.  Here is how I see the games going down this weekend:

SATURDAY:

San Francisco 49ers (+4) over the New Orleans Saints:  The Saints are not nearly as good away from home.  I have a feeling that the old school style of the Niners (running the ball on offense and playing solid defense) is going to help them win a close game today.  I like the 49ers to win this game 23-20.

New England Patriots (-13.5) over the Denver Broncos:  The Patriots had an easy time with the Broncos the first time around and they will again today.  I like the Patriots to win this game 37-20, as Tim Tebow won’t be too magical today in Foxboro.

Patriots/Broncos over 50 points:  The Patriots’ offense is so good and their defense is so bad, that I love the over in this game!

SUNDAY:

Houston Texans (+7.5) over the Baltimore Ravens:  This is going to be a slobberknocker tomorrow as both of these teams are going to run the ball and play defense.  For that reason, I expect the game to stay close.  I like the Ravens to win this game 20-16.

New York Giants (+7.5) over the Green Bay Packers:  This game is going to be a track meet.  With that in mind I’m going with the better offensive team, so I like the Packers to win 41-34….with the Giants covering the point spread by the smallest of margins.

Giants/Packers over 53 points:  This number jumps off the page at me as these two teams combined for 73 points in their first meeting this year.  I like the over with confidence.

47-year old former Reds’ shortstop Barry Larkin has been elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame.  He got 86% of the vote from the Baseball Writers and he will be inducted along with Ron Santo who was elected by the Veteran’s Committee.  Larkin played all 19 of his seasons with the Cincinnati Reds.  He played in 2,180 games for the Reds in which he was 2,340 of 7,937 (.295 avg, .815 OPS) with 1,329 runs scored, 198 homers, 960 RBIs and 379 stolen bases.  Larkin was the MVP of the National League back in 1995.  He played in 131 games in 1995 for the Reds and he was 158 of 496 (.319 avg, .886 OPS) with 98 runs scored, 15 homers, 66 RBIs and 51 stolen bases.  Larkin was a 12-time N.L. All-Star.  He also won six Silver Slugger Awards and 3 Gold Gloves in his 19 years in the majors.  Larkin is deserving of his election to the Hall of Fame, but his overall numbers are not that much better than Tim Raines or Alan Trammell’s.

It’s likely going to be a tough betting weekend as far as the NFL Playoffs is concerned.  The better deals might be in the totals this weekend.  Here’s a look at how I see the games going down this weekend:

Houston Texans (-4) over the Cincinnati Bengals:  I like the Texans to win this game because of their defense and running game later today.  I like the Texans to win this game 23-16.

Detroit Lions (+10.5) over the New Orleans Saints:  This game wreaks of a back door cover.  I like the Saints to win this game 37-27, but I like the Lions to cover.

Denver Broncos (+8.5) over the Pittsburgh Steelers:  I think the Steelers will find a way to win this Sunday, but it won’t be easy.  I like the Steelers to win 16-13, but the Broncos to cover the pointspread.

Atlanta Falcons (+3) over the New York Giants:  Michael Turner is going to make the difference in this game.  I like the Falcons to beat the Giants 33-30, so think seriously about taking the money line.

As far as the totals go, I would probably only bet on the over (47.5 points) in the Falcons/Giants game this Sunday afternoon.

This is going to be an exciting year for the playoffs, as some teams are crashing the party that have not been in them for a while.  The Texans, Bengals, Broncos, 49ers and Lions have been away from the playoffs for quite some time.  This will be the Texans’ first venture into the playoffs.  Here is how I see things going down in the NFL Playoffs this year:

AFC:

ROUND #1:

Texans over the Bengals:  The Bengals are going to put up a fight in this game, but they are going to have big time issues stopping Arian Foster and Ben Tate.

Steelers over the Broncos:  This game is going to be much tougher than the Steelers anticipate it being.  That is because they are banged up.  I still see them shutting down the Broncos’ offense in this game.

ROUND #2:

Patriots over the Steelers:  The Patriots are going to be well rested and they will be looking for revenge against the Steelers who beat them earlier this year at Heinz Field.  Brady is going to torch the Steelers’ secondary this time around.

Ravens over the Texans:  Joe Flacco is going to make enough big throws for the Ravens in this game to make the difference.  I think T.J. Yates will make a couple of big mistakes in this game.

AFC Championship:

Ravens over the Patriots:  This will be Ray Rice’s big coming out party in Foxboro.  He’s going to have a monster game on the big stage.  The defense will make Rice’s work stand up.

NFC:

Round #1:

Saints over Lions:  The Lions will keep this game close because of Matt Stafford and his receivers, but they are going to fall short as the Saints are almost unstoppable at home.

Falcons over the Giants:  Matt Ryan is going to be motivated to make up for his poor performance last year in the playoffs.  The Giants’ D is overrated and it will show in this game.

Round #2:

Saints over 49ers:  The Saints are going to win this game on Drew Brees’ right shoulder.  He is going to have a good game and Alex Smith won’t be able to keep up with him.

Packers over the Falcons:  The Packers are going to overwhelm the Falcons’ secondary and it’s going to be the reason for a rather lopsided game.

NFC Championship:

Packers over the Saints:  These two teams mirror each other talent wise.  I’m taking Aaron Rodgers and the crowd at Lambeau Field over the Saints.

SUPER BOWL:  The Packers are going to beat the Ravens in a close, hard fought game.  Rodgers is just going to put too many points on the Ravens’ D for Baltimore to win another Super Bowl.

The NFL this week is kind of strange.  There are a handful of games that will be really good to bet on, but a lot of games that are too close to bet on.  Here is how I see the games going against the spread:

PRINTING MONEY:

Carolina Panthers (+7.5) over the New Orleans Saints:  The Saints are going to be pulling players out of this game as the 49ers will be smacking down the Rams.  That means that Cam Newton is going to steal this game from the Saints.  I like the Panthers to win this game 31-23.

San Francisco 49ers (-10.5) over the St. Louis Rams:  The San Francisco 49ers can lock up the #2 seed and a bye in the first round of the playoffs with a win over the Rams.  I like them to get the job done today beating the Rams 27-3.

GOOD BETS:

Kansas City Chiefs (+3) over the Denver Broncos:  This is going to be Kyle Orton’s big shot at revenge as he can make the Broncos pay the ultimate price for cutting him earlier this year.  The Broncos need this game to get to the playoffs, but they won’t get it, as I see the Chiefs winning this game 23-17.

New York Giants (-3) over the Dallas Cowboys:  The Giants and Cowboys are playing a do or die game tonight.  The winner is the NFC East Champ and the loser is going home.  Tony Romo’s bruised hand and Felix Jones’ hamstring is going to hamper the Cowboys’ effort in trying to keep up with the Giants tonight.  I like the Giants to win this game 34-23.

Detroit Lions (-4) over the Green Bay Packers:  The Packers have nothing to play for except pride in this game.  That means it’s likely going to be Matt Flynn and the backups against Matt Stafford and the starters.  The Lions can wrap up the #5 seed with a win today and they will get it 31-20 over the Packers.

Indianapolis Colts (+3.5) over the Jacksonville Jaguars:  The Colts have won two games in a row and the Jaguars are struggling right now.  The Colts’ players are going to cost them the first pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by beating the Jags 20-17 this week.

DECENT PLAYS:

Cleveland Browns (+6.5) over the Pittsburgh Steelers:   The Browns are going to be inspired to pay the Steelers back for some of their cheap shots a couple of weeks ago.  The Steelers are going to be resting some players this weekend.  That plays into the Browns’ hands, but they are still going to lose 20-17.

Buffalo Bills (+10) over the New England Patriots:  The Bills beat the Patriots the first time around and they are going to keep things close again.  I like the Patriots to win this game 34-27, as the Bills are a serious threat for a backdoor cover in this game even if they fall behind early.

Philadelphia Eagles (-8) over the Washington Redskins:  The Eagles are playing great football lately.  In Pat Benatar’s words……It’s a little too little and it’s a little too late.  The Eagles will win this game 27-17.

TO CLOSE TO CALL:

Baltimore Ravens (-2) over the Cincinnati Bengals:  Both of these teams need this game and it’s likely to be a slobberknocker. I like the Ravens to win this game 20-17 in Cincy.

Houston Texans (+1.5) over the Tennessee Titans:  The Titans need this game for a  shot at the playoffs, while the Texans are locked into the #3 seed for the AFC Playoffs.  I like the Titans to win this game 21-20.

Chicago Bears (+1.5) over the Minnesota Vikings:  The Vikings will be at home and the Bears have pretty much given up lately.  I like the Vikings to win this game 17-16, but for the Bears to cover….barely.

Atlanta Falcons (-10.5) over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:  The Falcons will likely be playing backups in this game (if the Lions beat the Packers earlier in the day), but they are still going to thump the hapless Tampa Bay Bucs.  I like the Falcons to win this game 27-16.

PUSH CITY:

Miami Dolphins (-3) over the New York Jets:  The Dolphins are going to ruin any chance of the overrated Jets making the playoffs today.  I like the Fins 23-20.

Oakland Raiders (-3) over the San Diego Chargers:  The Raiders have a shot at the playoffs with a win today, so I look for Carson Palmer to get them there.  I like the Raiders to win this game 33-30.

Arizona Cardinals (-3) over the Seattle Seahawks:  This is going to be a knock down, drag out street fight.  I like the Cardinals to win this game 23-20.

50-year old Dan Marino saw his once NFL record 5,084 passing yards record broke last night by Drew Brees of the Saints.  The record stood for 27 years, but records are made to be broken.  I hear a lot of people saying that Dan Marino is the best QB to never win a Super Bowl.  That’s a bunch of crap as he was a lot better than a lot of QBs that won the Super Bowl (Doug Williams, Jeff Hostetler and Trent Dilfer come to mind).  In his historic season of 1984, Marino played in 16 games (all starts) for the Dolphins and he completed 362 of 564 passes (64.2%) for 5,084 yards with 48 TD passes (#3 all-time) and 17 interceptions (108.9 QB Rating).  His Dolphins were 14-2 during the regular season in 1984 and they lost the Super Bowl 38-16 to Joe Montana’s 49ers.  Marino played 17 seasons (all with the Dolphins) and he played in 242 games (240 starts) in which he completed 4,967 of 8,358 passes (59.4%) for 61,361 (#2 all-time) with 420 TD passes (#2 all-time) and 252 interceptions (86.4 QB Rating).  He also carried the ball 301 times for 87 yards (0.3 ypc) with 9 TD runs.  Marino was elected into Pro Football’s Hall of Fame in 2005.  Marino played in 9 Pro Bowls in his career and he compiled a 147-93 (61.3%) as the Dolphins’ starting QB.  His records might be starting to fall, but Dan Marino was one of the 5-10 best QBs in NFL history.

This could be the weekend of the underdog in the NFL this weekend….as far as covering the pointspread goes.  Here is how I see this weekend’s games against the spread:

STEALING MONEY:

Carolina Panthers (-7.5) over the Tampa Bay Buccaneeers - The Buccaneers have packed it in already this year.  That is not good news for them today as the Panthers are playing their best football of the season right now.  I like the Panthers to win this game 34-10!

Green Bay Packers (-11) over the Chicago Bears - The Packers are going to take this game very seriously, because the Bears are their most heated rival.  The Bears will be starting QB Josh McCown and RB Kahlil Bell tomorrow night, enough said.  I like the Packers to win this game 38-16.

NEXT BEST:

Philadelphia Eagles (+1) over the Dallas Cowboys - The “Dream Team” has finally shown up as the Eagles are playing well right now.  This is about the time that Tony Romo implodes as he never seems to play well when the games get big.  I like the Eagles 27-23 in this game and I would bet the money line.

Kansas City Chiefs (-2.5) over the Oakland Raiders - The Chiefs look like a new team with Romeo Crennel as the head coach and Kyle Orton as the starting QB.  The Chiefs popped the Raiders 28-0 in Oakland earlier this year.  This game is going to be closer though, with the Chiefs winning 27-20.

Washington Redskins (-6.5) over the Minnesota Vikings - The Redskins have been playing well lately, while the Vikings look lost.  The Redskins are going to win this game 27-16 today.

Atlanta Falcons (+7) over the New Orleans Saints - This is going to be one of the best games of the week in the NFL.  I like the Saints to win this game 33-30, but I like the Falcons to cover the pointspread.

NOT BAD:

Seattle Seahawks (+1.5) over the San Francisco 49ers - The Seahawks amazingly still have a chance to make the playoffs.  The 49ers could be in for a letdown after last Monday Night’s punishment of the Pittsburgh Steelers.  I like the Seahawks to pull an upset and win this game 16-14.

Tennessee Titans (-7) over the Jacksonville Jaguars - It’s do or die time for the Titans as far as the playoffs go.  They won’t overlook the Jaguars this weekend after what happened to them in Indy last week.  I like the Titans to win 23-13.

San Diego Chargers (+2) over the Detroit Lions - No one is playing better than the San Diego Chargers right now.  I see them winning a shootout 31-30 over the Lions in the best game of the day.

CLOSE CALLS:

Pittsburgh Steelers (-10.5) over the St. Louis Rams - Sure, the Steelers are starting Charlie Batch at QB.  It won’t matter as the Steelers are going to run all over the Rams’ D and they are going to shut down the Rams’ O today.  I like the Steelers to win this game 20-7.

New York Giants (+3) over the New York Jets - This is going to be a very entertaining slugfest as these two teams don’t like each other.  I like the Jets to win this game 21-20, but for the Giants to cover.

Cleveland Browns (+11.5) over the Baltimore Ravens - The Browns aren’t going to win this game, but they are going to put up a good fight.  I like the Ravens to win this game 24-14.

Arizona Cardinals (+4.5) over the Cincinnati Bengals - The Cardinals have been playing outstanding football lately as they are making a late season playoff push.  The Bengals are pretty tough at home in the Jungle.  I look for the Bengals to win this game 20-17, but for the Cardinals to cover.

Miami Dolphins (+8.5) over the New England Patriots - The Dolphins are going to keep this game close due to the Patriots’ awful defense.  I like the Patriots to win this game 34-26.

PUSH CITY:

Denver Broncos (-3) over the Buffalo Bills - I look for Tim Tebow to pull some tricks out of his hat today.  I like the Broncos to win this game 20-17…..making it a push.

There are no games that look like locks to me.  Tread carefully this weekend as the linesmakers have done a good job with the pointspreads.  Here is how I see the games on Sunday and Monday this weekend against the spread:

SOLID PLAYS:

Seattle Seahawks (+3.5) over the Chicago Bears - The Bears have been horrible with Caleb Hanie at QB and I see no reason to think that will change tomorrow.  The Seahawks will stay hot and beat the Bears 17-13 in Chicago tomorrow afternoon.  Bet the money line if one is offered in this game.

Detroit Lions (-1) over the Oakland Raiders - The Lions and Raiders don’t play much defense.  I will go with the QB less likely to make mistakes and that is for sure Matt Stafford of the Lions.  I like the Lions to win this game 31-23.

New England Patriots (-7.5) over the Denver Broncos - The Patriots aren’t going to give Tim Tebow a chance to comeback tomorrow afternoon.  I like the Patriots to win this game 34-20.

New Orleans Saints (-7) over the Minnesota Vikings - The Saints have played really well indoors this year and that’s bad news for the Vikings tomorrow.  I like the Saints to win this game 33-20 over the Vikings.

Cincinnati Bengals (-7) over the St. Louis Rams - The Rams are going to start Kellen Clemens at QB tomorrow, and I don’t see that going well.  Look for Cedric Benson to have a huge game for the Bengals tomorrow as they are going to win 23-10.

CLOSE GAMES:

Tennessee Titans (-6.5) over the Indianapolis Colts - The Titans need this game if they are going to have any chance of making the playoffs.  I like the Titans to win this game 24-13.

Miami Dolphins (+1) over the Buffalo Bills - The Dolphins are going to sweep the hapless Bills, beating them 23-20 tomorrow.

Pittsburgh Steelers (+1) over the San Francisco 49ers - The Steelers are going to be a little too much for the Niners in a slobberknocker.  I like the Steelers to win this game 16-13.

Washington Redskins (6.5) over the New York Giants - The Redskins thumped the Giants 28-14 in the first meeting between these two teams.  I like the Redskins to keep it close, but lose 30-27 to the Giants.

Carolina Panthers (+6) over the Houston Texans - The Texans aren’t good enough offensively to run away from the Panthers tomorrow.  I like the Texans to win 20-17, but I like the Panthers to cover.

Kansas City Chiefs (+14) over the Green Bay Packers - The Chiefs are going to be playing at home under new head coach Romeo Crennel.  They will also have Kyle Orton under center instead of Tyler Palko.  For those reasons, I like the Chiefs to stay close enough to cover the spread.  I like the Packers to win this game 31-20.

Cleveland Browns (+6.5) over the Arizona Cardinals - This is going to be the backup QB Bowl with Seneca Wallace starting for the Browns and John Skelton for the Cardinals.  I think the Cardinals are the better team, but I like the Browns to keep things close tomorrow.  I like the Cardinals to win 24-20, but for the Browns to cover.

New York Jets (+3) over the Philadelphia Eagles - This is going to be a good football game as it could literally go either way.  I like taking the points in those situations.  I like the Jets to win this game 21-20.

Baltimore Ravens (-2.5) over the San Diego Chargers - I know!  The Chargers have been playing well lately.  But, they aren’t playing the Jaguars or Bills this week.  The Ravens will win this game 24-20.

With the 2011-12 NBA season ready to start next Sunday, I have decided to take a look at how I see things working out.  Here is how I see things:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

1. New York Knicks - The Knicks did a great job in pulling off a sign and trade deal to add center Tyson Chandler to their front line.  The frontcourt of Chandler, Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony is going to be one of the best the NBA has to offer this year.  Therefore, I like the Knicks to win the Atlantic Division.

2. Philadelphia 76ers - The 76ers brought back center Spencer Hawes and Thaddeus Young, who were both restricted free agents.  The Sixers are a team on the rise and they have a very deep roster which should suit them well with all the back to back games they are going to have to play this year.

3. Boston Celtics - The Celtics are getting old and they don’t have a very deep roster.  This schedule is going to kill the Celtics this year.  They will still be good enough to win a lot of games, when they are rested.

4. New Jersey Nets - The Nets have been trying to make a big deal for Dwight Howard, but they are getting nowhere.  By waiting for that deal, a lot of free agents have signed elsewhere.  They look like a lottery team to me right now.

5. Toronto Raptors - The Raptors added Rasual Butler, Aaron Gray and Gary Forbes.  They are all decent backup type players, but the Raptors are the worst team in the Atlantic Division right now.

CENTRAL DIVISION:

1. Chicago Bulls - The Bulls’ only weakness last year was at shooting guard where they were starting Keith Bogans.  Well, the certainly fixed that by signing old nemesis Richard Hamilton to a 3-year deal.  The Bulls are going to be one of the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference when it’s all said and done.

2. Indiana Pacers - The Pacers have added George Hill and David West to a very solid nucleus.  That is going to spell trouble for the rest of the Central Division, as they are going to be pretty darn good in 2011-12.

3. Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks added Stephen Jackson, Mike Dunleavy, Beno Udrih and Shaun Livingston in the off-season.  This should really give the Bucks a jumpstart offensively in 2011-12.  I like them to just miss the playoffs this year.

4. Cleveland Cavaliers - The Cavaliers aren’t going to be the worst team in the division this year.  That’s because Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson are going to make the Cavs look good for drafting them.  The Cavs will be on their way back to respectability starting this year.

5. Detroit Pistons - Instead of bringing in new talent, the Pistons re-signed a bunch of players from the lousy team last year.  They hope that first round pick Brandon Knight will give them the same kind of spark that Greg Monroe did last year.

SOUTHEAST:

1. Miami Heat - The Heat have brought most of their guys back for 2011-12.  Eddy Curry and Shane Battier are the only additions and I don’t see them taking the Heat to the next level.

2. Orlando Magic - The Magic have re-signed Jason Richardson and they dealt for Glen “Big Baby” Davis, so they could be better this year.  Look for Dwight Howard to carry this team on his back all the way to the NBA Finals.

3. Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks lost Jamal Crawford to the Blazers and that’s going to hurt.  The Hawks have signed Tracy McGrady, Jerry Stackhouse and Vladimir Radmanovic…..but none of those guys strike any fear in the competition.

4. Washington Wizards - The Wizards brought in Ronny Turiaf and Roger Mason in the off-season to teach the kids how to play.  The Wizards have a lot of good, young talent on the roster….but they aren’t ready to win consistently in the NFL quite yet.

5. Charlotte Bobcats -  The Bobcats are going to be really small with Boris Diaw likely starting at center.  They will have to score a lot of points to win as they are very undersized.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

NORTHWEST:

1. Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder didn’t add much talent wise in the off-season, but they didn’t had to.  Having Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed at center all year is really going to help them.  This is going to be the Thunder’s year, as I have them winning the NBA Title.

2. Portland Trailblazers - The Blazers have brought in free agents Jamal Crawford, Craig Smith and Kurt Thomas as well as dealing for Raymond Felton.  The Trailblazers’ roster is absolutely loaded for this year as they are set up to make a good playoff run.

3. Utah Jazz - The Jazz are way too talented to finish where they did last year.  I look for them to improve in 2011-12.

4. Denver Nuggets - Despite re-signing Nene’, the Nuggets are not going to be better than they were last year.  They have the look of a lottery team to me right now.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves - New Head Coach Rick Adelman is going to get the most out of his players in 2011-12, but they’re still going to finish in the basement in the Northwest Division.

SOUTHWEST:

1. Dallas Mavericks - A lot of names have changed since the Mavericks won the NBA Championship.  I still think they’re going to be really good, but they have a huge hole at center.   They are really going to miss Tyson Chandler in the playoffs.

2. Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizzlies are now at the big boy’s table.  They re-signed Marc Gasol and they have one of the best starting fives in the entire NBA.  They are a team to be reckoned with.

3. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs are going to need to go deeper on the bench this year with all of the back to back games.  I think that is really going to hurt them this year.

4. New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets might have lost Chris Paul, but they still have a nice roster.  I really like the Chris Kaman and Emeka Okafor combo and power forward and center as the Hornets are going to win the rebounding battles quite a bit in 2011-12.

5. Houston Rockets - The Rockets are once again going to be the best team that doesn’t make the playoffs.  Put the Rockets in the Eastern Conference and they would be a playoff team.

PACIFIC:

1. Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers are absolutely loaded right now.  A starting lineup of Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups, Caron Butler, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan is one of the best starting units in the NBA.  They also have a solid bench.  I don’t know how this happened so quickly, but the Clippers are now the King of L.A. basketball wise.

2. Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers are still going to be really good, but they are really going to miss Lamar Odom and Phil Jackson.  They will take a step back in 2011-12.

3. Phoenix Suns - The Suns have improved in the off-season, but they still aren’t a playoff team.  Having Marcin Gortat all season is going to be huge for the Suns as he is the only really physical player on the roster.

4. Sacramento Kings -The Kings have really loaded up for this year.  J.J. Hickson, Chuck Hayes, Travis Outlaw, John Salmons and Jimmer Frerdette have really improved the talent on the Kings’ roster this year.  The Kings problem is that they are in the Western Conference.  Keep an eye on them though as they are going to be exciting to watch.

5. Golden State Warriors - The Warriors have a solid roster, but they didn’t improve it as much as the other teams in the division.  The Warriors will be fun to watch, but in the end….they will be in the lottery once again next June.

PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE ROUND 1:

Miami Heat over the Boston Celtics in five games

Chicago Bulls over the Philaldelphia 76ers in six games

New York Knicks over the Indiana Pacers in seven games

Orlando Magic over the Atlanta Hawks in six games

ROUND II:

Orlando Magic over the Miami Heat in seven games

Chicago Bulls over the New York Knicks in seven games

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

Orlando Magic over the Chicago Bulls in seven games

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

Oklahoma City Thunder over the New Orleans Hornets in five games

Los Angeles Clippers over the San Antonio Spurs in seven games

Dallas Mavericks over the Portland Trailblazers in seven games

Memphis Grizzlies over the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games

ROUND II:

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Memphis Grizzlies in seven games

Los Angeles Clippers over the Dallas Mavericks in seven games

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Los Angeles Clippers in six games

NBA FINALS:

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Orlando Magic in seven games

This doesn’t look like a good betting week in the NFL.  I know that isn’t going to deter you from making some wagers, so here is a look at how the games should go against the spread this weekend:

CLOSE TO LOCKS:

Baltimore Ravens (-16.5) over the Indianapolis Colts - The Patriots let off on the Colts in the 4th quarter last week.  That’s not how the Ravens operate, plus the fans are going to want them to kill the Colts.  The fans will get their wish as the Ravens are going to win this game 38-6.

Houston Texans (+3) over the Cincinnati Bengals - The Houston Texans just keep winning games.  The Bengals have faltered lately, and they won’t be able to move the ball much today.  I like the Texans to pull an “upset” and beat the Bengals 17-10.

SOLID BETS:

New York Giants (+4.5) over the Dallas Cowboys:  The Giants have had a rough schedule lately, losing to the Niners, Packers and Saints….but they played well in two of those games and they travel well.  The Cowboys have only beaten one team (the Niners) that have a winning record this year.  I like the Giants 30-27 over the Cowboys this weekend.

Detroit Lions (-10) over the Minnesota Vikings:  The Lions are going to look to whoop someone’s butt and the Vikings are going to be that team.  I like the Lions to win this game 34-17.

New England Patriots (-8) over the Washington Redskins - I don’t see the Patriots taking the pedal off the metal this weekend.  They did it last week against the Colts and let them back into the game.  I like the Patriots to win this game 31-17.

Seattle Seahawks (-10) over the St. Louis Rams - The Rams are in shambles as they are likely to start Tom Brandstater at QB in this game.  The Seahawks play much better at home and that’s why they are going to win this game 23-7.

Green Bay Packers (-12) over the Oakland Raiders - The Packers are going to be very focused at home this weekend against the Raiders.  I look for this to be a blowout with the Packers winning 37-20.

NOT BAD:

Atlanta Falcons (-3) over the Carolina Panthers - The Falcons are going to score a lot of points today.  I think their D will stop Carolina a couple times in this game.  I like the Falcons to win this game 30-23.

San Diego Chargers (-7) over the Buffalo Bills - The Chargers woke up last weekend and they usually play pretty well in December.  I like the Chargers to beat the Bills 34-24.

Chicago Bears (+3.5) over the Denver Broncos - The Denver Broncos are winning games left and right, but they aren’t winning them impressively.  This will be another one of those games as the Broncos will beat the Bears 17-16.

STAY AWAY FROM THESE GAMES:

Philadelphia Eagles (+3) over the Miami Dolphins - The Dolphins have been playing outstanding football lately, while the Eagles have been awful.  Michael Vick is going to start at QB this weekend, which should give the Eagles’ offense a jolt.  I like the Fins to win 23-21, but the Eagles to cover.

Arizona Cardinals (+4) over the San Francisco 49ers - The Cardinals have been playing well lately and Kevin Kolb is back at QB.  The 49ers will win this game 23-20, but the Cardinals will cover.

Kansas City Chiefs (+10.5) over the New York Jets -The Chiefs can’t score with Tyler Palko at QB, but their defense has been playing better lately.  The Jets need this game and they will get it winning 16-6.

Tennessee Titans (+3.5) over the New Orleans Saints - The Saints have not played well on the road and they have not played outside in 8 weeks.  The Titans are going to keep this game close.  I like the Saints to win this game 27-24, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see the score reversed with the Titans winning.

PUSH CITY:

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (-3) over the Jacksonville Jaguars - The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a little better team than the Jaguars do right now.  I like the Buccaneers to win this game 20-17.

The NBA blocked a trade last Friday that would have sent point guard Chris Paul from the Hornets to the Lakers.  The Lakers would have sent Pau Gasol to the Rockets and Lamar Odom to the Hornets as part of this deal.  The Rockets were to send shooting guard Kevin Martin, point guard Goran Dragic, power forward Luis Scola and a first round pick in 2012 to the Hornets.  Here is a look at what this trade would have done for the teams involved:

Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers would have gotten an elite point guard to team with Kobe Bryant.  Paul played in 80 games (all starts) for the Hornets last year and he averaged 36.0 minutes, 15.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 9.8 assists and 2.4 steals per game.  Paul has now played in 425 games (all starts) for the Hornets in his NBA career and he is averaging 37.1 minutes, 18.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 9.9 assists and 2.4 steals per game.  The Lakers would have had to replace Odom and Gasol, who have really been solid players for them.

Houston Rockets - The Rockets seem to have been willing to give up a lot to get 31-year old power forward Pau Gasol.  Gasol played in 82 games (all starts) for the Lakers last year and he averaged 37.0 minutes, 18.8 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 blocked shots per game.  He has now played in 731 games (725 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 35.9 minutes, 18.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.7 blocked shots per game.  Gasol would have replaced Luis Scola in the starting lineup and that would have been a nice upgrade, but, they would have also lost Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and a first round pick in 2012.

New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets would have cleaned up in this deal, so I’m not so sure why the league didn’t allow it to go through.  Kevin Martin is a solid shooting guard.  He played in 80 games (all starts) for the Rockets last year and he averaged 32.5 minutes, 23.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Martin played in 435 games (347 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 31.2 minutes, 18.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 steal per game.  Martin would have filled a huge need at shooting guard for the Hornets.  Luis Scola would have replaced David West in the starting lineup.  Scola played in 74 games (all starts) for the Rockets last year and he averaged 32.6 minutes, 18.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.  He has now played in 320 games (277 starts) in his first four years in the NBA and he is averaging 30.0 minutes, 14.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.  32-year old forward Lamar Odom would have likely bumped Trevor Ariza to the bench.  Odom played in 82 games (35 starts) for the Lakers last year and he averaged 32.2 minutes, 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game.  He has now played in 829 games (678 starts) so far in his NBA career and he is averaging 35.6 minutes, 14.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1 blocked shot per game.  Goran Dragic would have likely shared the point guard slot with Jarrett Jack.  Dragic played in 70 games (5 starts) for the Suns & Rockets last year and he averaged 17.6 minutes, 7.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.  He has now played in 205 games (8 starts) in his NBA career and he is averaging 16.6 minutes, 6.8 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.  The Hornets would have also gotten a 1st round pick from the Rockets in 2012.

In summation, I think the Hornets got screwed by David Stern and his cronies vetoing this deal.  I think all three teams would have benefitted to it from some degree, but the Hornets aren’t going to get a better deal than this one.

3B Ron Santo has been elected to Baseball’s Hall of Fame by the Veteran’s Committee.  Unfortunately, they waited too long for him to enjoy it, as he died at the age of 70 in 2010, due to complications from diabetes.  Santo played 15 years in the majors leagues (14 with the Cubs, 1 with the White Sox).  He played in 2,243 games in his major league career and he was 2,254 of 8,143 (.277 avg, .826 OPS) with 1,138 runs scored, 342 homers, 1,331 RBIs and 35 stolen bases.  Santo played in 9 All-Star Games with the Cubbies and he won 5 Gold Gloves at the hot corner.  Santo was a good all-around player, and he deserves his place in Cooperstown, New York, where he will live forever.

This weekend’s NFL slate has no games that look like a push to me.  There is only four games that I think will fall within a field goal of the pointspread, so it looks like a good betting weekend in the NFL.  Here is how I see the games going down against the spread today and tomorrow in the NFL:

ALMOST A LOCK:

New England Patriots (-20.5) over the Indianapolis Colts - The New England Patriots rarely show mercy on any team and I don’t think they will today either.  They might score every time they have the ball today.  The only thing that scares me at all in this game is the possibility of a backdoor cover by the Colts.  That being said, I like the Patriots to win this game 49-13.

MORE REALLY SOLID PLAYS:

Baltimore Ravens (-7) over the Cleveland Browns - The Browns are going to have a hard time scoring against the Ravens’ defense.  Ray Rice is going to have a good game against a Browns’ D that is going to be overwhelmed on the ground.  I like the Ravens to win this game 27-10.

Tennessee Titans (+2.5) over the Buffalo Bills - The Titans are going to come out with all guns blazing this weekend as they are chasing the Texans in the AFC South.  The Bills have proved that their fast start this year was a mirage.  I like the Titans 27-20 in this game, so consider taking the money line.

Cincinnati Bengals (+6.5) over the Pittsburgh Steelers -The Bengals played tough against the Steelers in the first meeting of these teams, just three weeks ago.  Ben Roethlisberger has a broken thumb which hampered his passing against the Chiefs last weekend.  I look for the Bengals to spring a nice upset and beat the Steelers 23-20 at Heinz Field.

GOOD BETS:

San Francisco 49ers (-14) over the St. Louis Rams - The 49ers are likely going to be a very angry team after losing to the Ravens on Thanksgiving and that’s bad news for the Rams.  The Rams are awful.  I like the Niners to win this game 24-3.

Jacksonville Jaguars (+3) over the San Diego Chargers - I have a feeling that the Jaguars are going to be sky high playing their first game for a new coach on Monday Night Football.  The Chargers have been really flat as of late.  I like the Jaguars to upset the Chargers 17-13.

Houston Texans (+3) over the Atlanta Falcons - Rookie T.J. Yates will be making his first NFL start today for the Texans.  But the Texans are going to win this game with defense and the running game.  I like the Texans to “upset” the Falcons 20-17 in this game.

Carolina Panthers (+2) over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - This is going to be a shootout, as neither of these teams play much defense.  I give the edge to the Panthers in this game because they have a much better offense than the Bucs have.  I like the Panthers to win this game 31-27.

Denver Broncos (+1.5) over the Minnesota Vikings -The Broncos are 5-1 with Tim Tebow under center, but they still aren’t getting any respect.  How can they possibly be a underdog to a 2-9 Vikings’ team?  I like the Broncos to win this game 17-13.

DECENT PLAYS:

New Orleans Saints (-9) over the Detroit Lions - The Saints don’t just beat teams at the SuperDome……they dismantle them!   The Lions got beat up on Thanksgiving against a team very similar in style to the Saints (Packers).  I like the Saints to win this game 37-24.

New York Giants (+6.5) over the Green Bay Packers - The Giants need this game, so they are going to be playing all out for four quarters.  It won’t be enough to beat the Packers, but they will cover the pointspread.  I like the Packers 33-30 in this game.

CLOSE CALLS:

Oakland Raiders (+3) over the Miami Dolphins - This game is going to be very tight until the clock reads 0:00.  I like the Dolphins to prevail 21-20 over the Raiders.

Arizona Cardinals (+4.5) over the Dallas Cowboys - The Arizona Cardinals have been playing better as of late and the Cowboys sometimes play down to their competition.  I like the Cowboys to beat the Cardinals 27-24, but the Cardinals are going to cover.

Kansas City Chiefs (+7) over the Chicago Bears - I have a hard time believing that Kyle Orton isn’t starting against his old team today.  I do think he will get into the game and bring the Chiefs almost all the way back.  I like the Bears to win this game 23-17, but I like the Chiefs to get the backdoor cover.

New York Jets (-3) over the Washington Redskins - The Redskins have been playing better lately, but, the Jets really need this game.  I look for a low scoring, hard hitting game in which the Jets prevail 17-13.