Let’s start this off with the fact that I love Halloween.  It’s fun to dress up like someone you’re not and it’s also fun to scare some people too.  Here is a look at how I think things are going to break down against the spread this weekend:

THE CREAM OF THE CROP:

Kansas City Chiefs over the Buffalo Bills:  Sure the Bills have been playing better but I think that ends at Arrowhead Stadium tomorrow afternoon.  The Chiefs are awesome at home and the Bills have by far the worst run defense in the NFL.  I can see Thomas Jones & Jamaal Charles both going over 100 yards rushing tomorrow.  I like the Chiefs 38-20 in this game for an easy cover of the 7.5 points they are spotting the hapless Bills.

Houston Texans over the Indianapolis Colts:  The Texans manhandled the Colts the first time around as Arian Foster rushed for 231 yards and 3 TD against the Colts.  I see him having another good game on Monday Night.  Peyton Manning is really going to miss Dallas Clark, Austin Collie & Joseph Addai in this game.  I like the Texans to win this game 34-30 so you can either take the 5.5 points or show some guts and take the money line.

THESE WOULD BE THE TREATS:

Tennessee Titans over the San Diego Chargers:  The Chargers are like the Three Stooges of the NFL.  They always seem to look great in the box scores (for Fantasy Players) but they have been awful in reality as they have looked like bumbling idiots losing the ball 18 times already this year on turnovers.  The Titans are a solid, physical team who plays well on the road.  I like the Titans to win this game 26-23 so you can either take the 3.5 points or bet the money line.

Carolina Panthers over the St. Louis Rams:  It all came together for the Panthers last week as Matt Moore returned to QB and Steve Smith came back at WR.  DeAngelo Willliams is likely out for this game (foot) but that just means that it will be Jonathan Stewart’s time to shine.  The Rams play pretty good ball at home but I think last week’s loss to the Bucs is still going to be stinging them.  I like the Panthers to upset the Rams 16-13 so you won’t need the 3 points.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Arizona Cardinals:  These two teams must have horseshoes up their butts because they have both been winning despite not playing too well.  I’m going to side with the better QB here going with Josh Freeman over Max Hall.  I like the Bucs to win this game 20-17 so you won’t need the 3 points the Bucs are getting.

Pittsburgh Steelers over the New Orleans Saints:  The Steelers are playing outstanding football right now while the Saints have been up and down.  The Steelers should have lost last weekend as the refs handed the game to them but sometimes it’s better to be lucky than good.  The Saints got punked last weekend by the Browns but I think they will be better this week….just not quite good enough to win.  I like the Steelers 27-23 so you won’t need the point the Saints are spotting them.

New England Patriots over the Minnesota Vikings:  It’s the “Randy Moss Bowl” in Foxboro tomorrow afternoon.  It’s just too bad that Moss will have either a gimpy Brett Favre or a so-so Tarvaris Jackson throwing the ball to him.  Tom Brady is going to be the player who shines in this game.  I like the Patriots to prevail 30-20, so lay the six points.

THESE GAMES ARE LIKE KISSING YOUR SISTER IN ANY STATE EXCEPT WEST VIRGINIA:

Green Bay Packers over the New York Jets:  The Packers will probably lose this game but no one kicks their butts.  The Jets will probably be very run oriented in this game which will likely keep the score down.  I like the Jets to win this game 24-20 but the Packers to cover with the six points.

Cincinnati Bengals over  the Miami Dolphins:  The Dolphins are 3-0 on the road this year but they have to be down about last week’s game when the refs robbed them.  The Bengals are a desperate team right now and I think they are going to bring their A-Game tomorrow.  I like the Bengals 24-20 so give the Dolphins the 1 point.

I WOULD RATHER WATCH THE MOVIE “ENVY” THAN PLACE A BET ON THESE GAMES:

San Francisco 49ers over the Denver Broncos:  Both of these teams suck right now.  I think the Niners have a little more talent and I think Frank Gore is going to have a monster game in London.  I like the 49ers 27-24 and to cover the 2 point spread.

Dallas Cowboys over the Jacksonville Jaguars:  Two coaches firmly on the hot seat will be on the sidelines in this game.  The Jags are getting their QB back (David Garrard) while the Cowboys are going with Jon Kitna.  I like the Cowboys to win this game by the score of 27-20, covering this game by 1/2 a point.

Detroit Lions over the Washington Redskins:  The Lions get Matthew Stafford back and they play well at home.  Those are the two biggest reasons that I think the will beat the Redskins.  I like the Lions to prevail 30-27 in this game covering the 2.5 points that they are spotting the Redskins.

Oakland Raiders over the Seattle Seahawks:  The Raiders destroyed the Broncos 59-14 last weekend making me look pretty bad as I picked them to lose.  I learned my lesson as the Raiders are playing well at home this year while the Seahawks have been shaky on the road.  I like the Raiders to win this game 20-17 and cover the 2.5 points they are giving Seattle.

36-year old righty swinging catcher Bengie Molina is going to add a World Series ring to the family collection no matter which teams win. That’s because he was traded from the Giants to the Rangers during the 2010 season. Molina played in 118 games combined for the Rangers & Giants this year and he was 94 of 377 (.249 avg, .623 OPS) with 27 runs scored, 5 homers and 36 RBIs. Bengie Molina has now played in 1,362 games in his 13 years in the majors and he is 1,317 of 4,812 (.274 avg, .718 OPS) with 457 runs scored, 144 homers and 711 RBIs. He has also won 2 Gold Gloves in the majors but that is the extent of his awards. This will be this Molina brother’s second World Series ring with his first coming in 2002 with the Angels.

28-year old righty swinging Yadier Molina has been a solid catcher just like his older brother. He has played in 805 games in his 7 years in the majors and he is 718 of 2,680 (.268 avg, .688 OPS) with 223 runs scored, 41 homers, 325 RBIs and 21 stolen bases. Yadier Molina has won 2 Gold Gloves in the National League and he has been on 2 All-Star teams already. He won his lone World Series in 2006 with the St. Louis Cardinals. Yadier Molina will likely be known as the best catcher among this trio of brothers when his career is over.

35-year old righty swinging catcher Jose Molina has been a backup his whole career. He has now played in 611 games in his 11 years in the majors and he is 382 of 1,616 (.236 avg, .617 OPS) with 164 runs scored, 26 homers, 148 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. Jose Molina has won two World Series rings so far in 2002 with the Angels and in 2009 with the Yankees.

The landscape of the NBA has changed drastically since the Lakers won the NBA Championship last June.  Here is a look at how I think things are going to shake out this year:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

ATLANTIC DIVISION:

1. Boston Celtics - The Boston Celtics might be ancient but they still have 4 sure fire Hall of Fame players on the roster (Shaq, K.G., Ray Allen and Paul Pierce).  Doc Rivers will have to watch the minutes he gives those guys this year so they are ready when the playoffs come around.  This is really Rajon Rondo’s team now and I look for him to be better than ever in 2010-11.

2. New York Knicks - Coach Mike D’Antoni finally has his kind of roster so I look for the Knicks to be much better than they were last year.  Amare Stoudemire and Raymond Felton are going to lead the Knicks back into the playoffs with likely the #7 or #8 seed.

3. New Jersey Nets - Don’t laugh!  I know they only won 12 games last season but they have improved the roster quite a bit and new head coach Avery Johnson is a winner.  I’m not predicting a playoff appearance for the Nets but 35 wins is a distinct possibility.

4. Philadelphia 76ers - I’m not a Doug Collins fan as he is the head coach that couldn’t win anything with Michael Jordan.  The 76ers are not a better team than they were last season in my opinion so it’s going to be another long year for the Sixers.

5. Toronto Raptors - Last season the Raptors started Hedo Turkoglu & Chris Bosh at forward.  This year it’s Linas Kleiza & Amir Johnson.  Let’s put it this way……the Raptors are going to have a lot of chances in the NBA Lottery to get the #1 pick next June.

CENTRAL DIVISION:

1. Milwaukee Bucks - The Bucks have added Drew Gooden and Corey Maggette to the starting lineup giving them more firepower than last season.  I think the Bucks are the class of the Central Division this year.

2. Chicago Bulls - The Bulls are the best team in this division when Carlos Boozer is healthy.  But, they are going to fall behind the Bucks while he’s out of action and they won’t catch them.

3. Cleveland Cavaliers - Byron Scott will be up to the challenge of getting his team to play over their heads this year and they will make the playoffs, likely as a #8 seed.  Anderson Varejao and J.J. Hickson are going to be breakout players for the Cavaliers this year.

4. Indiana Pacers - I really wanted to pick the Pacers higher here but I couldn’t pull the trigger.  Watching Darren Collison and Danny Granger on the court  together should be fun to watch.

5. Detroit Pistons - When I saw that the Pistons are going to start Austin Daye at power forward I snickered.  That means that Ben Wallace will have to get all of the rebounds when the starting five is on the floor.

SOUTHEAST:

1. Miami Heat - LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh make the Heat the best team in the Eastern Conference.  Give Pat Riley credit for putting an impressive group around this trio in supporting roles on the cheap.

2. Orlando Magic - Stan Van Gundy would love nothing more than to knock the Heat of their pedastal and he has the talent to do it.  Dwight Howard & Co. are going to be right there in the Eastern Conference at the end when it really counts.

3. Atlanta Hawks - The Hawks have everyone back from last year and that means that they are going to be a solid team once again in 2010-11.  Joe Johnson going to be out to prove he was worth the money the Hawks gave him over the summer.

4. Charlotte Bobcats - The Bobcats played over their heads last season.  Losing Raymond Felton & Tyson Chandler is going to hurt them in the standings this year.

5. Washington Wizards - I really like the additions of Kirk Hinrich, Yi Jianlian and John Wall, but, I don’t think the Wizards are going to make any noise in this division.

WESTERN CONFERENCE:

1. Utah Jazz - Deron Williams, Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson give the Jazz a trio of stars to lead the way this year.  Hall of Fame head coach Jerry Sloan always gets the most out of his players and this year will be no different.

2. Portland Trailblazers - The Trailblazers are a team on the rise.  I think this is the year that even the NBA fans on the East Coast gain respect for Brandon Roy.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder - The Thunder didn’t do much to improve over the summer.  But, I believe that James Harden & Serge Ibaka are going to step up big time for the Thunder giving Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook some much needed help.

4. Denver Nuggets - Carmelo Anthony doesn’t want to play in Denver anymore and he could get dealt during the year.  The Nuggets will also be hurting in the front court with Kenyon Martin & Chris Andersen missing a big chunk of the year.

5. Minnesota Timberwolves - The Timberwolves will be even worse in 2010-11 than they were last season, and that’s hard to fathom.  They will be the worst team in the entire NBA despite a breakout season from Kevin Love.

SOUTHWEST:

1. Houston Rockets - The Rockets are going to improve big time this year with Yao Ming & Brad Miller at center instead of Chuck Hayes.  The Rockets are going to be the best team in Texas this year.

2. San Antonio Spurs - The Spurs still have a great trio of their own in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and they aren’t close to done yet. 

3. Dallas Mavericks - The Mavericks didn’t do much to improve the roster over the summer so I think they still will be a good team…..just not a great one.

4. Memphis Grizzlies - This will be the first year that the Grizzlies finish over .500 and they will make the playoffs this season……I’m not joking.

5. New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets have a rookie head coach and a disgruntled All-Star point guard (Chris Paul).  This division is just too tough to see the Hornets finishing anywhere other than last.

PACIFIC:

1. Los Angeles Lakers - The Lakers are still the best team in the NBA.  They have Kobe and a trio of bigs (Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom) which is unmatched in the NBA.  The “Zen Master” is going to have a lot of fun again with this crew.

2. Golden State Warriors - The Warriors likely won’t make the playoffs but they are going to be fun to watch.  Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and David Lee give them an impressive trio to work with.

3. Los Angeles Clippers - The Clippers are going to be vastly improved this year due to the arrival of Blake Griffin.  The playoffs are still out of reach but maybe not next year.

4. Phoenix  Suns - The Suns are going to replace Amare Stoudemire at power forward with Hedo Turkoglu?  Really?  Who is going to get any rebounds on this team?

5. Sacramento Kings - The Kings are going in the right direction but they are still behind the rest of the division.  Adding Samuel Dalembert, DeMarcus Cousins & Hassan Whiteside will ensure that they won’t get pushed around as much as they did last year.

THE PLAYOFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE:

FIRST ROUND:

Miami Heat over the Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games.

Boston Celtics over the New York Knicks in 6 games.

Milwaukee Bucks over the Atlanta Hawks in 7 games.

Orlando Magic over the Chicago Bulls in 6 games.

SECOND ROUND:

Miami Heat over the Milwaukee Bucks in 5 games.

Orlando Magic over the Boston Celtics in 7 games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

Miami Heat over the Orlando Magic in 7 games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFFS:

FIRST ROUND:

Los Angeles Lakers over the Memphis Grizzlies in 4 games.

Oklahoma City Thunder over the Utah Jazz in 7 games.

Houston Rockets over the Dallas Mavericks in 6 games.

Portland Trailblazers over the San Antonio Spurs in 7 games.

SECOND ROUND:

Los Angeles Lakers over the Portland Trailblazers in 6 games.

Houston Rockets over the Oklahoma City Thunder in 7 games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS:

Los Angeles Lakers over the Houston Rockets in 7 games.

NBA FINALS:

LOS ANGELES LAKERS OVER THE MIAMI HEAT IN 6 GAMES

The bookies and linemakers are making it harder by the week to figure out the NFL lines. I think I have got them beat this weekend and here’s how I think things are going to go:

The Locks:

Philadelphia Eagles over the Tennessee Titans: I think the Titans’ D is pretty overrated and they don’t play well at home. That is not good this week as the Eagles have a high flying offense and confidence on the road where they play well. I like the Eagles to win this game 30-23 so you won’t even need the 3 points they are getting.

Baltimore Ravens over the Buffalo Bills: The Bills simply suck! The Ravens have been looking for a breakout game and that’s exactly what they will have tomorrow afternoon. I like the Ravens to win this game 34-10 and easily cover the 14 points they are spotting the lowly Bills.

Seattle Seahawks over the Arizona Cardinals: This could easily be the bloodbath of the day. Rookie QB Max Hall will have to deal with the Seahawks playing at Qwest Field where they are wicked good this year. I like the Seahawks to win this game 30-13 and easily cover the 7 points they are spotting the Cardinals.

NEXT BEST:

St. Louis Rams over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Buccaneers have been winning games with smoke and mirrors so far this year. Steven Jackson of the Rams is going to go nuts tomorrow on the awful Bucs’ run D. I like the Rams to win this game 23-20 so you won’t even need the three points they are getting.

Washington Redskins over the Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler could look like a pinata again tomorrow with Brian Orakpo coming after him early and often in this game. I think the Redskins will make more plays on offense than the Bears will at Soldier Field tomorrow afternoon. I like the Redskins to win this game 23-20 so you won’t need the field goal they are getting spotted.

New York Giants over the Dallas Cowboys: Sure, the Cowboys are desperate. But the Giants are hot winning their last three games in impressive fashion. I’ll take a hot team over a desperate one every single time I can. I like the Giants to win 24-21 on Monday Night so tell the bookie that he can keep his field goal.

THIRD TIER:

Minnesota Vikings over the Green Bay Packers: Brett Favre always saves his best for his old team. This could be his last game at Lambeau Field and he will want to make it a special one. I like the Vikings to win this game 30-27 so take the money line and let the sportsbook keep the 2.5 points.

Kansas City Chiefs over the Jacksonville Jaguars: The Chiefs have been outstanding at home and the Jags are going to likely start Todd Bouman at QB. He has not played in a game since 2007 with the Rams. I like the Chiefs big in this game prevailing 26-13 so give the 9 points.

Denver Broncos over the Oakland Raiders: The Broncos have home field advantage and the better football team in this game. That is enough to convince me to bet on them. I like the Broncos to win this game 27-16 and cover the 7.5 point spread.

TOO CLOSE TO CALL:

Atlanta Falcons over the Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals are going in the wrong direction and the Falcons are at home so I give them an edge tomorrow. I like the Falcons to win this game 27-23 and cover the 3.5 points they are giving the Bengals.

San Francisco 49ers over the Carolina Panthers: The Panthers are going to start Matt Moore at QB and Steve Smith is back. It won’t make that much of a difference on the scoreboard though. I like the Niners to prevail 20-16 and cover the 3 points that they are giving the Panthers.

San Diego Chargers over the New England Patriots: The Chargers have played really well at home this year while the Patriots have been so-so on the road. With that in mind I like the Chargers to win this game 30-27 and cover the 2.5 points they are spotting the Patriots.

PUSH CITY:

New Orleans Saints over the Cleveland Browns: The Saints just have too much firepower for the Browns to keep up. This game could have a backdoor cover so play it safe and keep your money in your pocket. I like this game to be a push with the Saints winning 31-17.

Pittsburgh Steelers over the Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins are going to give the Steelers a fight in this game before falling 23-20….another push.

I was just checking out a online sportsbook to check out over and unders for wins this year in the NBA and four teams really stood out to me. Here is what I would bet on:

I would take the over on wins with the Milwaukee Bucks. The over/under has been set at 45.5. The Bucks were 46-36 last season and they have added a lot of talent. Chris Douglas-Roberts, rookie Larry Sanders, Jon Brockman, Drew Gooden, Brian Skinner and Corey Maggette. The Bucks are in perfect position to win the Central Division of the Eastern Conference.

Another team I would take the over on is the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies just aren’t getting any respect in the line here as they were 40-42 last season. The Grizzlies have one of the best starting fives in the entire NBA with Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol and those guys are going to get them to the playoffs this year.

I would take the under on the New Orleans Hornets. I don’t see how they have made themselves any better than they were last season when they were 37-45. The over/under is 41.5 wins and I think the Hornets are the worst team in the Southwest Division of the NBA. The Hornets would be a playoff team in the Eastern Conference…..too bad they play in the West.

The under on the Phoenix Suns is probably the best bet in this article. They lost Amare Stoudmire and they replaced him with Hedo Turkoglu, Hakim Warrick and Josh Childress? I see the Suns getting pushed around so much under the basket this season that not even Steve Nash will be able to save them.