January 24, 2021 Picks:

College Basketball:

There are no College Basketball games involving ranked teams.

NBA:

Toronto at Indiana (-1.5) - It seems like the Raptors have turned the corner, winning four of their last five games. They have done it on the defensive end, and look to continue their good play against a Pacers team that is still trying to gel after losing Victor Oladipo. Give us the Raptors to hold the Pacers to under 100 points, and get the the win. Pick: Toronto 108 Indiana 97

Oklahoma City at Los Angeles Clippers (-13) - If it weren’t for the Lakers playing as well as they are, everyone would be talking about how well the Clippers are doing. Los Angeles has quietly won six games in a row, and none of the games have been close. That includes a 14 point win over the Thunder on Friday. We do think the the Clippers will win, but 13 points is a lot. Give us the Thunder to cover. Pick: Los Angeles Clippers 122 Oklahoma City 113

Cleveland at Boston (-6) - Jayson Tatum is still out for Boston, who face a Cavaliers team coming off of two straight wins against the almighty Brooklyn Nets. Cleveland has won three games in a row, while Boston has dropped three straight. We expect those to change in this game. Give us the Celtics, you can have the points, as Boston wins this one by double digits. Pick: Boston 118 Cleveland 105

Charlotte at Orlando (-1) - This is a tough game for us to pick. Neither team has been playing well, with the Hornets losing four straight and the Magic losing four out of five. Cole Anthony has settled into his starting point guard role, and we say that the Magic will get a close, hard fought win against the Hornets. Pick: Orlando 107 Charlotte 103

Washington at San Antonio (-7) - This is the first game for the Wizards in two weeks, and they are still missing several key players. Bradley Beal is a go, but that won’t be enough to keep up with a Spurs team looking to get back on track after losing two straight. A home game against a Wizards team is going to be just what the doctor ordered. Pick: San Antonio 118 Washington 104

Atlanta at Milwaukee (-8) - We think the Hawks are one of the biggest surprises in the NBA so far. They are an entertaining team to watch, and when Trae Young gets hot there is no one in the NBA we would rather see. With all that being said, the Bucks are still a superior team to Atlanta, and that will come out in this game today. Pick: Milwaukee 127 Atlanta 115

New York at Portland (-4) - The last game of the day brings us to Portland, where the Blazers and Knicks are set to play. Portland is still looking for a second scoring option after CJ McCollum went down, and now face a Knicks team that prides itself on defense. We think the wrong team is favored here, and are going with the Knicks to get the road win. Pick: New York 112 Portland 107

NFL:

NFC Championship Game: Tampa Bay at Green Bay (-3) - We have been thinking about this game all week, and still aren’t very confident in our pick. You have Aaron Rodgers playing some of the best football of his career going against Tom Brady, who is making his 14th appearance in conference championship games. You have a Buccaneers defense that is fully healthy, and probably has the best front seven in the NFL. You have a Packers defense that can get after the quarterback, and Tom Brady isn’t that mobile. As tough as it is to pick against Brady in the playoffs, we are going to ride with Aaron Rodgers. He is so confident right now and the offense is playing so well. The Packers win by four and get to the Super Bowl. Pick: Green Bay 31 Tampa Bay 27

AFC Championship Game: Buffalo at Kansas City (-3) - This game we are more confident about. Despite Patrick Mahomes being in concussion protocol for most of the week, we are still going to ride with the Chiefs. The Bills have been a nice story, but here is where it ends. Even with Mahomes bum foot, he is still the best quarterback in the NFL. He knows how to win, which he proved last year by coming back from double digit deficits in every playoff game, and Josh Allen still scares us a bit with his decision making. In a rematch of Super Bowl 1, we will have a Chiefs-Packers Super Bowl. Pick: Kansas City 34 Buffalo 23

Happy picking everyone!