Week 9 Picks Against The Spread

We're halfway through the NFL Season, and what a campaign we have gotten to experience. I personally had a great week last week, going 11-4 in my picks. This coming week had a few steep spreads, as well as some tough ones that could go either way. Once again, we're in for a great week of football. Here are my Week 9 picks against the spread:

New Orleans at Carolina 

Line: Saints -3.0

My Pick: Saints -3.0

Jacksonville at Cincinnati

Line: Bengals -10.0

My Pick: Bengals -10.0

Tampa Bay at Cleveland

Line: Browns -6.5

My Pick: Browns -6.5

Arizona at Dallas

Line: Cowboys -4.0

My Pick: Cardinals +4.0

Philadelphia at Houston

Line: Eagles -2.0

My Pick: Eagles -2.0

New York Jets at Kansas City

Line: Chiefs -9.5

My Pick: Jets +9.5

San Diego at Miami

Line: Dolphins -2.5

My Pick: Chargers +2.5

Washington at Minnesota

Line: Vikings -0.5

My Pick: Vikings -0.5

St. Louis at San Francisco 

Line: 49ers -10.0

My Pick: Rams +10.0

Denver at New England

Line: Broncos -3.0

My Pick: Broncos -3.0

Oakland at Seattle

Line: Seahawks -15.0

My Pick: Raiders +15.0

Baltimore at Pittsburgh

Line: Ravens -2.0

My Pick: Steelers +2.0

Indianapolis at New York Giants

Line: Colts -3.0

My Pick: Colts -3.0


Teams on Bye's: Falcons, Packers, Bears, Bills, Lions, Titans

NCAA Five Locks Of The Week

Last week was a great week excitement wise, but it wasn't such a good week for picking against the spreads. I personally went 3-2 last week, as I had one team not cover by enough points, and the other team get totally upset outright. Hopefully this week fares better, but there are a lot of tough games to choose from. Here are my Five Locks for Week 10:


Washington -4.0 at Colorado 

Georgia Tech -3.5 vs Virginia

(10) TCU -5.5 at (20) West Virginia

(4) Auburn +2.5 at (7) Ole Miss

(1) Mississippi State -10.5 vs Arkansas 

Fierce Fifteen - Week 9 NFL Power Rankings

What didn't happen in Week 8? The past week in the NFL had to have been the best week yet in my opinion. There were our share of high scoring games, comebacks, and even another overtime game. The Cowboys' loss and Cardinals' win shifted the balance in the NFC, and the Patriots look like their old self again. We're only halfway through the season, and who knows what more is in store for the second half. The league is as wide open as ever, and here's how the Fierce Fifteen stack up going into Week 9:


1. Denver Broncos (6-1)

2. Arizona Cardinals (6-1)

3. New England Patriots (6-2)

4. Philadelphia Eagles (5-2)

5. Dallas Cowboys (6-2)

6. Detroit Lions (6-2)

7. San Diego Chargers (5-3)

8. Seattle Seahawks (4-3)

9. Green Bay Packers (5-3)

10. Indianapolis Colts (5-3)

11. Cincinnati Bengals (4-2-1)

12. San Francisco 49ers (4-3)

13. Pittsburgh Steelers (5-3)

14. Baltimore Ravens (5-3)

15. Buffalo Bills (5-3)

Top 25 NBA Players

There have been many NBA Players rankings (ESPN, Sports Illustrated, etc) being released the past few weeks. So in honour of the NBA season tipping off tonight, I decided to put together my own personal list of the Top 25 NBA Players. Here's how they stack up:

1. LeBron James, SF, Cleveland Cavaliers

2013-2014 Stats: 27.1 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 6.4 APG, .567 FG%

2. Kevin Durant, SF, Oklahoma City Thunder

2013-2014 Stats: 32.0 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 5.5 APG, .503 FG%

3. Chris Paul, PG, Los Angeles Clippers

2013-2014 Stats: 19.1 PPG, 10.7 APG, 2.5 SPG, .467 FG%

4. Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans

2013-2014 Stats: 20.8 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.8 BPG, .519 FG%

5. Stephen Curry, PG, Golden State Warriors

2013-2014 Stats: 24.0 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 8.5 APG, .471 FG%

6. Kevin Love, PF, Cleveland Cavaliers

2013-2014 Stats: 26.1 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 4.4 APG, .457 FG%

7. Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder

2013-2014 Stats: 21.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 6.9 APG, .437 FG%

8. Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers

2013-2014 Stats: 24.1 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, .528 FG%

9. Carmelo Anthony, SF, New York Knicks

2013-2014 Stats: 27.4 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, .452 FG%

10. James Harden, SG, Houston Rockets

2013-2014 Stats: 25.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 6.1 APG, .456 FG%

11. Dwight Howard, C, Houston Rockets

2013-2014 Stats: 18.3 PPG, 12.2 RPG, 1.8 BPG, .591 FG%

12. LaMarcus Aldridge, PF, Portland Trail Blazers

2013-2014 Stats: 23.2 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 1.0 BPG, .458 FG%

13. John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards

2013-2014 Stats: 19.3 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 8.8 APG, .433 FG%

14. DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings

2013-2014 Stats: 22.7 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG, .496 FG%

15. Damian Lillard, PG, Portland Trail Blazers

2013-2014 Stats: 20.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 5.6 APG, .424 FG%

16. Joakim Noah, C, Chicago Bulls

2013-2014 Stats: 12.6 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1.5 BPG, .475 FG%

17. Tony Parker, PG, San Antonio Spurs

2013-2014 Stats: 16.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 5.7 APG, .499 FG%

18. Dirk Nowitzki, PF, Dallas Mavericks

2013-2014 Stats: 21.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, .497 FG%

19. Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers

2013-2014 Stats: 20.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.1 APG, .430 FG%

20. Chris Bosh, PF, Miami Heat

2013-2014 Stats: 16.2 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.0 BPG, .516 FG%

21. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls

2013-2014 Stats: 16.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 3.2 APG, .354 FG%

22. Al Jefferson, C, Charlotte Hornets

2013-2014 Stats: 21.8 PPG, 10.8 RPG, 1.1 BPG, .509 FG%

23. Tim Duncan, PF, San Antonio Spurs

2013-2014 Stats: 15.1 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 1.9 BPG, .490 FG%

24. Kyle Lowry, PG, Toronto Raptors

2013-2014 Stats: 17.9 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 7.4 APG, .423 FG%

25. Goran Dragic, PG, Phoenix Suns

2013-2014 Stats: 20.3 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 5.9 APG, .505 FG%

NBA TV Prediction Game

The NBA Television Network is hosting a day-long marathon show today, in honour of NBA Tip Off tonight. Some of the analysts, who happen to be former stars in the league, are playing a little game called 'Pro Predictions'. Although I'm not a pro, nor an analyst, I thought it would be cool to fill out my own ballot. Here are my predictions:

The Cavaliers will win the 2015 Championship because:
LeBron James

The Cavaliers will not win the 2015 Championship because:
They're inexperienced with no team chemistry yet.

Will Kawhi Leonard be named an All-Star this year? 
No. Won't get enough minutes.

Kobe's impact this season will be: 
Huge. Best player on the team.

Who will be named Rookie of the Year? 
Jabari Parker

Matchup I'm most looking forward to: 

Cleveland at Miami

Best Point Guard in the game: 
Chris Paul

Player with the most "Throwback" game: 
Al Jefferson

Most Underrated player: 
Mike Conley

Better Back Court: Splash Brothers or Wiz Kids? 
Splash Brothers

2nd Rounder who will prove everyone wrong: 
Glenn Robinson III

Without LeBron, the Heat will have to play this style: 
Same Style

Free Agent, other than LeBron, who will make the biggest impact: 
Pau Gasol

NFL Mid-Season Awards

The NFL season is about halfway over already, and what an exciting one it's been to saythe least. I'm not sure where to start. From the Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson off-field issues, to surprise teams and explosive players, this season has seen plenty of entertainment. Week 9 means Mid-Season Awards, so here are my winners so far:

Most Valuable Player

DeMarco Murray, RB, Dallas Cowboys

Rushing: 1054 yards, 7 TD's, 5.1 Yards Per Carry

Receiving: 26 receptions, 239 yards

Offensive Player of the Year

Peyton Manning, QB, Denver Broncos

2134 yards, 22 TD's, 69.0 Comp%

Defensive Player of the Year

J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans

22 Tackles, 7 Pass Deflections 7.0 Sacks, 

1 Interception, 3 Fumble Recoveries, 2 TD's

Offensive Rookie of the Year

Kelvin Benjamin, WR, Carolina Panthers

38 Receptions, 571 Yards, 5 TD's

Defensive Rookie of the Year

C.J. Mosley, LB, Baltimore Ravens

47 Tackles, 28 Assists, 6 Pass Deflections, 

2 Interceptions, 1 Fumble Recovery, 1 TD

Coach of the Year

Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals

Executive of the Year

John Elway, Denver Broncos

NHL 3 Stars of the Week: Oct 20th-26th

We're now a couple weeks into the NHL season, and teams and players are starting to reveal their true identity. It was quite the entertaining last week in hockey, making it very hard to pick my stars for the week. A few great goaltending performances, as well as a few players who all had great weeks on the stat sheet. It was a hard decision; but here are my NHL 3 Stars for the week: 







1. Jonathan Quick, Goalie, Los Angeles Kings

2-0, 1.00 GAA, .962 SV%, 1 Shutout












2. Corey Perry, Right Wing, Anaheim Ducks

4 Goals, 1 Assist, 5 Points, +4, 15 Shots on Goal











3. Keith Yandle, Defense, Arizona Coyotes

1 Goal, 3 Assists, 4 Points, +/- 0, 19 Shots on Goal, 4 Blocked Shots

NCAA Heisman Watch - Week 9

1. Marcus Mariota, QB - Oregon

Passing: 2283 yards, 24 TD's, 68.8 Comp%
Rushing: 325 yards, 5 TD's 


2. Dak Prescott, QB - Mississippi State

Passing: 1694 yards, 15 TD's, 60.3 Comp%
Rushing: 664 yards, 10 TD's


3. Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska 

Rushing: 1249 yards, 17 TD's
Receiving: 13 receptions, 169 yards, 2 TD's


4. Melvin Gordon, RB, Wisconsin

Rushing: 1168 yards, 16 TD's
Receiving: 8 receptions, 39 yards, 1 TD


5. J.T. Barrett, QB, Ohio State

Passing: 1689 yards, 21 TD's, 65 Comp%
Rushing: 458 yards, 6 TD's


6. Amari Cooper, WR, Alabama

Receiving: 71 receptions, 1132 yards, 9 TD's


7. Everett Golson, QB, Notre Dame

Passing: 1996 yards, 19 TD's, 61.9 Comp%
Rushing: 239 yards, 4 TD's


8. Jameis Winston, QB, Florida State

Passing: 1878 yards, 13 TD's, 70.6 Comp%
Rushing: 47 yards, 2 TD's


9. Kevin White, WR, West Virginia

Receiving: 72 receptions, 1047 yards, 8 TD's


10. Trevone Boykin, QB, TCU

Passing: 2306 yards, 21 TD's, 58.7 Comp%
Rushing: 374 yards, 3 TD's