Tag Archives: LeBron James

Free NBA Basketball Picks: Friday Night Games

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Alright, a couple NBA game intrigue me tonight, including the ESPN double header. There’s not any NCAA picks getting me excited, no big match ups or anything of that nature, so I’m sticking to pro ball this time around. Good luck in your wagering!

Houston Rockets @ Philadelphia 76ers (+3) : The 76ers have been bad, they haven’t been winning games, and Allen Iverson’s return to the court, while certainly making a great story, hasn’t helped the 76ers turn it around in two games since his return. But I think they have a nice chance to make some waves against an impressive young Rockets team. Houston has played very well, but I think the 76ers match-up well with the Rockets. While normally a guy like Elton Brand has to deal with a big post, he’s actually a good size match-up with the Rockets bigs. Allen gets to deal with a guard that might be even smaller than him in Aaron Brooks. The other AI will have a nice match-up with Trevor Ariza. The 76ers are underdogs at home, and I’ll take them to pull the upset.

Golden State Warriors @ Chicago Bulls (-4): The Bulls are a solid home team, and while they have lost 9 of their last 10 games, the Warriors playing on the road are always a nice slump buster. Before beating the Nets last time they played, the Warriors had lost 4 straight and given up about 120 points per game. That should help the Bulls’ struggling offense. Do work. Is it just me or do the Bulls always suck early in the season? It’s the Jordan curse.

Portland Trailblazers (+9) @ Cleveland Cavaliers: The Blazers are hurting, most definitely, but that just means they won’t have 10 guys getting minutes. Being a little light up front shouldn’t hurt them too badly against the Cavs, and I always like the Blazers as a big dog. Cleveland doesn’t beat too many teams by double digits, seems like the Blazers are a good bet to me. LeBron James is good for a win, but 9 points?

Orlando Magic (+3) @ Phoenix Suns: I think the Magic will beat the Suns at their own game. They have just as many shooters, but they also have a big shot blocker down low, a handful of guys that rebound, and they just played a stinker in the 2nd half last night. I know it’s the second of a back to back, but I like Orlando to win this one.

ESPN Friday Night Free NBA Basketball Picks

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Cleveland Cavaliers @ New York Knicks (+8.5) NBA Picks: The Knicks have had a history of playing good teams tough, especially in the National spotlight – I think that continues here. Basketball is weird and a close game can easily become a 10 point contest, but with Cleveland going down to the wire in a physical game with the Bulls last night, and their bench being relatively ineffective to start the season, I think they’ll have a hard time coming out and dominating the Knicks. New York definitely has that “me against the world” attitude, and with the cameras on, and ESPN at the Garden, I like New York’s chances.

Neither of these teams have been good against the spread this year, but New York hasn’t been a big underdog once this season. The Cavs have been big favorites often. I think the Knicks can keep it close with the long ball and the fast break. I don’t know if New York could stop Shaquille O’Neal and Ilgauskus, but the Cavs aren’t committed to the post game. That helps New York. LeBron James also got beat up a little last night, falling hard into the stands and rolling his ankle while going out of bounds. He’ll play, he’ll be good, but that and a back to back could take it’s toll.

San Antonio Spurs @ Portland Trail Blazers (-3): After getting beat up for most of the night against the Jazz on TNT Thursday Night, the Spurs get to travel up to Portland to play a late game against a pretty physically athletic Trail Blazers unit. Tim Duncan has looked old so far this season, but he’s still very good. San Antonio just doesn’t seem to have that swagger that they’ve had in the past, and I know Portland will come out ready to play against one of the NBA’s premier teams.

With the second game of a back to back, the Spurs definitely don’t have an advantage in that aspect of the game. The Blazers are playing at home, they have size and as much depth as any team in the league. I see that being a problem for San Antonio, I like the Blazers to cover the small spread to get back to .500 on the season. They’ve played better than their record insists, and that’s going to even out sooner or later, I’m guessing sooner.

Clueless Voters – 1

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Check out this recent poll put up by ESPN – Toughest Match-Up

– People have absolutely no idea what they are talking about. Now, unless a gaggle of hockey players all around the US have decided to hop on and vote in this poll, there is no way that Alex Ovechkin gives up a single anything in a shootout to 99% of the voters. LeBron might give up a basket??? Larry Fitz would be nearly impossible to guard, sure, but maybe the QB tosses a couple bad balls, and you get your hands on one. Tiger Woods, anybody can have a couple good shots on a golf course, and maybe Tiger busts a driver out and enters the trap. And while all these things are equally impossible, there is no doubt in my mind, that the toughest thing for the public to do would be to strap on some razor-shoes, throw on some gear, take out a flat hockey stick, and pretend for one second that they could do anything in 100 chances to score a goal on an NHL goalie. Is hockey my favorite sport? No sir – but let me tell you this, I’ve played all 4 of these sports, and hockey is by far the toughest to just strap up and play. Think about learning to walk just before playing basketball – right, good luck.

There are many sports polls on websites every day, and when I feel the need, I’m putting up some of my thoughts on them. My goal is to somehow prove that people, when given a vote, will often have no idea what they’re talking about.

Until next time….

Toughest Match-ups

Guarding Larry Fitz – 15%

LeBron James 1 on 1 – 40%

Alexander Ovechkin in a shootout – 6%

Tiger Woods in match play – 40%

All impossible for the 28,277 people that have voted thus far, but I bet 7% of the people are actually right.