Kat's Corner: Week 12

LIONS -2.0 over VIKINGS

Typically in a Thursday Thanksgiving day game with the Vikings at home I would side with them, but I can’t bring myself to go against the Lions, who are one of the hottest teams in the league. These divisional games are tough but Stafford, Riddick, Tate and Boldin are firing right now. 

COWBOYS -6.0 over REDSKINS

The Cowboys are ostensibly the team to beat this year and I’m not betting on the Redskins to be the team to beat them, despite Kirk Cousins having a solid year, by his standards. Both Zeke and Dak are vying for MVP and it’ll be fun to watch who comes out on top. 

STEELERS -8.5 over COLTS

I think this will be a closer game than Vegas is giving credit for, but I can’t ever choose the Colts over the Steelers. With the best Running Back and the best Wide Receiver in all of football, there’s few teams I’ll choose over Pittsburgh.

RAVENS -3.5 over BENGALS

As long as AJ Green is out for the Bengals, I’m likely going to bet against them. Especially with the Ravens at home and with their platoon running back system, I’m thinking Baltimore.

BILLS -8.5 over JAGUARS

Blake Bortles has regressed… and with arguably the 2nd worst team in the league on the road against one of the best defensive teams in the league… I don’t like their chances at all. 

TITANS -6.0 over BEARS

Basically the only bright spot in this awful season for the Bears has been Jordan Howard. But he alone can’t make me choose the Bears against an emerging team like the Titans. 

GIANTS -6.5 over BROWNS

I have no idea why the spread is so low, but I am taking advantage of it… this is my lock of the week. It’s the Browns…Don’t even need to explain myself further.

CHARGERS -2.5 over TEXANS

As the spread indicates, this will be a close game… but the Chargers just have too many weapons for me to pick against them. Brock Osweiler is incredibly overpaid and the team is overachieving.

MIAMI -7.0 over 49ERS

Admittedly, I don’t love Miami, but you couldn’t force me to take San Fran right now under any circumstance. 

SAINTS -8.0 over RAMS

Drew Brees is quietly having an amazing year and although LA has strung together a better year than they were expected to, I still think New Orleans will win this one easily. 

SEAHWAWKS -5.5 over BUCS

Tampa is an underrated team that can light up the scoreboard in any given week, but I tend to side with Defence over Offence. 

RAIDERS -3.5 over PANTHERS

Derek Carr has thrown himself into the MVP conversation and has made the Raiders relevant again. Meantime the Panthers have done too little, too late this season. I like the Raiders at home.

PATRIOTS -8.0 over JETS

Even with a questionable Gronk, this rivalry has always been a bit one-sided. I will go with the Patriots 10 out of 10 times in this matchup.

BRONCOS -3.5 over CHIEFS

It’s been a long time since Spencer Ware has scored a touchdown, and I just don’t trust Alex Smith to make things happen against the best defence in the league, especially on the road.

PACKERS +3.5 over EAGLES

The Eagles haven’t lost a game at home this season but you have to assume the Packers will eventually pull it together….right?

 

Kat's Corner: Week 11

STEELERS -8.5 over BROWNS

This one is a no brainer – despite the fact that Pittsburgh isn’t as strong as they once looked earlier on in the season, the Browns may not win a game all year long. No hyperbole – they’re that bad. 

COWBOYS -7.5 over RAVENS

Dallas is firing on all cylinders and looks to be relatively healthy with Dez Bryant looking like the Dez of old. Dak has the vote of confidence from an active Tony Romo, and Zeke Elliott is primed to be MVP this year. Ravens have been playing solid lately but they just can’t compete with the boys. 

LIONS -6.5 over JAGUARS

Speaking of MVP Caliber seasons, Matt Stafford can throw his name into the mix. Coming off a bye week, and at home against one of the worst teams in the league, the Lions should have no issues taking care of Jacksonville. 

TITANS +2.5 over COLTS

Marcus Mariota just might be the hottest QB in the league right now. He’s thrown 7 combined touchdowns over his last 2 games, easily playing the best of his young career. It’s a tough matchup against their divisional rivals but I’m choosing to remember the Titans. 

BENGALS -2.5 over BILLS

I’m siding with the home team on this one, plus I just think Cincy has more dangerous weapons: Green, Hill, Bernard, Eiffert. The Bills… not so much.

CHIEFS -7.0 over BUCS

The Chiefs defence is really what impresses me the most, whereas the Bucs offence is slightly enigmatic. This game might end up being too close to call, but I’m leaning towards KC with their turnover ratio. 

GIANTS -6.5 over BEARS

No Alshon, no chance for Chicago. Not like the Bears were flourishing with him, anyway. 

CARDS +1.5 over VIKINGS

The Vikings are in free fall mode and I predict they won’t even make the playoffs when the dust settles. Their defence hid a lot of their deficiencies early on, but that’s not the case anymore – I’m going with the Cards.

DOLPHINS -1.5 over RAMS

This is a gross game and essentially a coin flip. I’m not sure what to expect with Jared Goff so I’ll assume he takes some time to adjust, as do most young quarterbacks. 

49ERS +12.5 over PATRIOTS

Please do not confuse this with: I think the 49ers will win… I do not think that for a second. But something about this game makes me think San Fran will cover the spread. Gronkowksi is sitting this one out with a punctured lung and the Patriots might take it easy on a very one-sided matchup. I say the Patriots win by 10 with the Niners getting a backdoor cover. 

SEAHAWKS -6.5 over EAGLES

Russell Wilson is back and looking like Russ from 2 years ago. With so many weapons at his disposal it’s hard to ever root against Seattle with a healthy Russell Wilson. 

PACKERS +3.0 over REDSKINS

Packers are definitely trending downwards, with Mike McCarthy likely on the hot seat – I think Green Bay pulls this one out, full aware this game / season could decide his future. 

RAIDERS -6.0 over TEXANS

Derek Carr and Amari Cooper have beautiful chemistry together that makes for must watch TV -- can’t wait for this Monday Nighter. 

The Wrap on the Raps

Things are looking good for the Toronto Raptors, who are currently 7-3 and sitting in 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Demar Derozan is leading the league in points per game, Kyle Lowry has quietly had a solid season so far as well, and the Raps have played well considering they have faced some very tough opponents. But no one seems to care, including myself. 

I find myself thinking back to last year…how close we were. The Raps made it to the conference finals, losing in 6 games to Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And despite how well Toronto plays in the regular season…it’s just that; the regular season. We all know the Raptors are a good team… a playoff team. We know they’re destined to finish in 2nd – 4th in the conference, primed for a playoff series against probably the Bucks, Bulls, Pistons, etc. They should win, and likely will. But then they will face a bigger, badder, better task – as they did last year. 

I know most of you are probably saying, woah Kat – let’s not get ahead of yourself. But I can’t help it – I find myself in perpetual state of Raptors apathy. This is a very good team that will likely never advance further than a couple playoff rounds because the best player in the world is standing in our way. So long as Lebron James is healthy and an opponent of Toronto, we are in trouble.

Lebron averages almost 28 points per game in his career against the Raptors – a stat that only increases when the postseason comes around. In order to compete with Cleveland the Raps need that 3rd piece. Jonas Valanciunas and the oft-injured Demarre Carroll are not the answer to what prevents us from getting over the hump. We need a huge addition from Ujiri, that the Raps historically don’t make – but I remain hopeful.

I’ll continue to watch, cheer and hope for this team. But mainly I hope that Masai feels the same way that I do and is reading this!!

2017 NBA Predictions

After around the 10 game mark it’s probably a good time to make my 2017 NBA prognostications, before things get too obvious. There’s tons of storylines this year, and that’s why the NBA is unlike any other league – it truly is where amazing happens. Here’s how I think this season will breakdown:

Champion: Golden State Warriors

The Warriors and Cavaliers will meet again in the NBA Finals for a rubber match and the Warriors will win. Why, you ask? Because Golden State isn’t chasing that ridiculous 73-win mark anymore and can pace themselves. They clearly should have rested more down the stretch last year and suffered for it. The NBA season is long and grueling and star players need to rest – Gregg Popovich takes that approach and that is why the Spurs have been so successful the last 2 decades…one of the reasons at least.

MVP: Russell Westbrook

It’s clearly Russ vs Everybody this year. After Durant left him for better days, Russ has been playing like a bat out of hell and making every opponent pay. Hell hath no fury like an NBA all-star scorned. The problem is, that it’s only Westbrook and no one else on OKC. Seriously… can you name 1 other Thunder player? Exactly. 

Don’t Sleep on: The LA Clippers

The Clippers are 10-1 so far and look for real. Last year they ran into injury problems down the stretch to both Griffin and Paul and that ultimately hindered their performance. But a healthy Clippers team has already proven to be a force in the dangerous Western Conference. I think they’ll finish 2nd behind Golden State. 

Most Improved Player: James Harden

If this guy can prove that he can pass, then watch out. Not forcing the ball to Dwight Howard all the time can definitely help his overall game as well. He’s averaging almost 13 assists per game, which is insane compared to his apg historically. Watch out for the Rockets to do some damage in the playoffs. 

Kat’s Corner: Week 10

PACKERS -2.5 over TITANS

I’m sorry, I really don’t see the Packers losing 3 games in a row – I just don’t. The titans are rolling right now but Mariota is still young and is susceptible to turnovers as we witnessed the previous week. He’ll continue to turn it over to a solid Packers secondary.  

REDSKINS -2.5 over VIKINGS

The Vikings have finally come down to earth and have been exposed. Losers of 3 in a row after their torrid start – their defence is now starting to suffer along with their offence. I predict the streak will keep going in week 10. 

BUCS +1.0 over BEARS

When it’s this close I typically side with the home team – and that’s why I’m choosing Tampa this week. Jameis Winston has admittedly been pretty inconsistent but there’s speculation Doug Martin could return and Mike Evans has been cleared to play from his concussion protocol. Plus I don’t know what to expect from Jay Cutler anymore – and neither do you…be honest.

PANTHERS -3.0 over CHIEFS

The Panthers have their groove back and have turned their season around in just the nick of time. This one is probably the trickiest game of the week with Spencer Ware returning but I just believe Carolina was nowhere near as bad as their record reflected at one point this season. Now the market corrects itself. 

FALCONS -2.0 over EAGLES

The Eagles have shutdown some pretty potent offences this season but I’m not going to root against Atlanta, even on the road. Matt Ryan is in the midst of his best season and has shown no sign of slowing down. The Eagles are coming off a dud of a week against the Giants and looked deflated. Until they show me they can steer the ship straight again I’m betting against them.

RAMS +1.5 over JETS

Ugh both these teams are horrible and this will be a brutal game -- I can’t believe I’m saying that with a matchup between Los Angeles and New York.  I’m going with the Rams because they’ve surprised some teams in the past this season but it really is a coin flip. I’m looking for Todd Gurley to finally break out.

SAINTS -3.0 over BRONCOS

The Broncos simply can’t score, and the Saints can score a lot. Typically in a battle of Offence vs Defence I side with the Defence, but this Saints team is explosive….and at home. 

TEXANS +2.0 over JAGS

Jaguars are a joke and arguably the 2nd worst team in the league. Blake Bortles can only really put up numbers in garbage time scenarios, which the Jags are constantly in. Hurns is hurt and Robinson has been a major bust this season. I’ll take Houston plus the points.

CHARGERS -4.0 over DOLPHINS

The Chargers just have too many weapons, even with the injury to Travis Benjamin. I predict Antonio Gates will explode over a weak Miami secondary. Taking the Chargers by at least a touchdown.

COWBOYS +2.5 over STEELERS

Big ben looked awful in his return as he historically is when coming back from an injury. I’m rolling with Dak until proven otherwise. Regardless this should be a very close, very high scoring game but I am sticking with the hot hand – as should Jerry Jones.

49ERS +13.5 over CARDINALS

Don’t get me wrong here… Arizona is indeed winning this game, but not by almost 2 touchdowns. The 49ers will cover the spread – Kaepernick threw for just under 400 yards last week and the team seem invigorated by him, despite getting blown out by the Saints. 49ers lose this one, but not by that much.

PATRIOTS -7.5 over SEAHAWKS

One of these teams is vastly different from their super bowl matchup, and one is pretty similar. I think it’s pretty obvious who fits whom in that description and that’s why I’m going with the Pats. Bill Belichick simply does not lose, as evidenced by his recent Donald Trump endorsement. 

BENGALS over GIANTS

The line is even for this game so it is a literal toss up. This game features 2 of the top 4 wide receivers in the game, so it’s a wash in that respect. Which means the running game will be the X-factor in this one and the Bengals without a doubt have the Giants beat there. Jeremy Hill and Gio Bernard are the best 1, 1A platoon in the league and get utilized very efficiently – that’s why I’m going with Cincy.

Kat-Trick’s Hockey Picks

As the quarter-mark of the NHL season quickly approaches it’s about time I make my end of year predictions so I can loudly proclaim, “I told you so” from every rooftop I can find. 

Art Ross Winner: Patrick Kane

Yes I realize how rare it is in today’s nhl for a player to repeat this award, but he seems to have found serious chemistry with Panarin and Anisimov, making for the most dangerous line in hockey right now. Oh yah, he also plays with Toews on the power play too. Even if he doesn’t win it, he’s pretty much guaranteed a top 5 spot. 

Rocket Richard Winner: Steven Stamkos

The distraction that plagued him all year long last season is a thing of the past. Let’s be honest it’s either him or Ovechkin and I didn’t want to double up on every dude from last season. 

Hart Trophy Winner: Connor McDavid

If the Oilers make the playoffs how could it not be him? He is the Edmonton Oilers and is easily the most entertaining and important player in the league. 

Norris Trophy Winner: Shea Weber

Shea is currently leading the league in plus/minus and already making a big impact with his new team. The Subban trade for him didn’t make much sense at the time as Weber’s contract is pretty bad but he is still in his prime right now, which is likely why Marc Bergevin got him – the pressure is on to win now. The craziest stat I’ve seen so far: in the 10-0 blowout loss to the blue jackets, Weber had an even rating! How is it that even possible?

Calder Trophy Winner: Patrik Laine

Pretty much a toss up between him or Matthews, and since he scores more goals he’ll likely have a bigger impact. He has a deadly shot and is likely 1-2 years away from being a 40-goal scorer. 

Vezina Winner: Carey Price

There really is no doubt or question here. He’s the best goalie in the world and is pretty much a Stanley Cup away from being one of the best of all time. A healthy Carey Price is a scary thought for opponents. 

Stanley Cup Winner: Blackhawks over Canadiens

Blackhawks are rolling and don’t seem to have a weakness – plus Marian Hossa is proving that he still has enough left in the tank and last year was merely an aberration.   The Habs come out of the east with the best backend in the league: Markov, Weber, Price. You simply can’t beat that combo. 

Kat’s Corner: Week 9

Week 9 proves to be a tricky one as there are some favourable matchups that are hindered by injury scares and questionable starters. But that’s why you’re here… here’s my picks for this week. 

COLTS +7.5 over PACKERS

Randall Cobb remains limited at practice after missing last week, meantime, the Packers are still struggling to find a running back replacement since Eddie Lacy was placed on the IR. Green Bay is likely still fuming from last week’s 1-point loss to the Falcons, but that extra half point scares me. I think the Colts still lose this game, but not by over a touchdown.

RAVENS -2.5 over STEELERS

The Ravens have won 5 of the last 6 matchups against the Steelers. Big Ben is on track to return, but he is clearly being rushed back from injury. He’s hurt and that is clearly affecting the production of Brown, Bell, Croates and others. Both teams will be fresh coming off a bye week 

COWBOYS -7.0 over BROWNS

The Browns will eventually win a week, and they will eventually cover the spread, but not this week. Dak Attack is the confirmed starter and the hot rookie Zeke Elliott should explode; making for the 2nd most devastating loss the city of Cleveland will face this week. 

CHIEFS -7.5 over JAGUARS

This was initially clocked in at -9 but because of the injuries to Spencer Ware and Alex Smith, Vegas has moved on this a bit. It doesn’t matter because it’s the Chiefs at home against the pitiful Jaguars. Nick Foles is still a respectable Quarterback, not like he needs to be in this game. 

DOLPHINS -3.5 over JETS

Jay Ajayi has emerged as the latest flavour of the month, and I expect him to tear apart the Jets who are riding off of false confidence after a victory against the Browns last week. Dolphins are at home which was ultimately the deciding factor for myself.

EAGLES +2.5 over GIANTS

This is a tough divisional coin flip of a game, but I am landing on Philly.  The Eagles are coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss against the Cowboys so they’ll likely be playing some inspired football. Plus, Jordan Matthews looks to have turned it around with an 11 reception, 65 yard, TD performance. He’ll continue it this week.

LIONS +6 over VIKINGS

Minnesota looked absolutely awful in week 8, and with their Offensive Coordinator resigning after back-to-back losses, they may be in slight turmoil. Meantime, the Lions looked decent with Theo Riddick and Eric Ebron both returning from injuries. I don’t know if the Lions necessarily win this game, but I’ll definitely take the points.

PANTHERS -3 over RAMS

Cam looked like the Cam of old, last week.  The Panthers are generally not as bad as their record shows. I’m betting on a market correction and for them to bring in some momentum against the enigmatic La Rams.

SAINTS -4.5 over 49ERS

Great matchup this week for the Saints. Drew Brees is having another stellar year: 3rd in the league in passing yards, 2nd in the league in touchdowns. And the 49ers are just garbage. This polarizing matchup makes for an easy bet; Saints win by double digits if you ask me. 

TITANS +5.0 over CHARGERS

Marcus Mariota looks like the real deal, and the player the Titans hoped he was when they drafted him -- and has a favourable matchup against the Chargers. San Diego ranks 24th in passing defence and has had a propensity for giving up games late. Throw into the mix an MVP type season by Demarco Murray and I’m going with the Titans.

RAIDERS -1 over BRONCOS

This game really is a coin flip, hence the -1 spread so I’m really just going to go with the hotter team – that being the Raiders. Yes, they had a record high 23 penalties in their overtime game, but Derek Carr and Amari Cooper seem to finally be in sync with one another. I’m going with the explosive offensive of the Raiders.

BILLS +7 over SEAHAWKS

Russell Wilson hasn’t thrown for a touchdown since week 4. He is also on pace to rush for 89 yards. His injuries are clearly taking a toll and this season is basically a write off for him. The punishing Bills should be able to limit his game.  

Cleveland blew a 3-1 lead

We’ve all seen the signs, the social media posts, the trolling of Golden State blowing a 3-1 lead last season in the NBA finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. In fact, the Cavs MADE SURE the Warriors did not forget.  But karma is a funny thing, and one could say that Cleveland got a taste of it’s own this week. 

The Chicago Cubs, who trailed 3-1 against the Cleveland Indians, became just the 6th team in MLB history to win the World Series, after trailing from a 3-1 deficit. So basically, Cleveland blew a 3-1 lead. The very slogan that Cleveland’s basketball team incessantly lamented over all summer long. Except this time it’s So Much Worse!!

It’s exponentially tougher to make the playoffs in baseball than it is in basketball. The Indians are a good team, that was even missing some of their best players and pitchers, but the reality is in baseball good teams don’t make the playoffs. They may not even make the playoffs for a long time, nevermind have a chance to win the world series again (see 1948 Indians drought).

In baseball, your momentum is only as good as your next day’s starter. And the Indians had several chances to change that momentum swing. Cleveland had arguably the 3 best pitchers of the series going for them in game 7 with Kluber, Miller and Allen, and they still could not get the job done.

The Warriors had already won a championship the year before….against the Cavaliers. This was merely a repeat performance for them. So as devastating as losing the 3-1 series was, they are technically now at one championship apiece vs the Cavs and this year should be considered the rubber match. 

In conclusion, karma is a bitch!

Dark Side Picks 2017