Sak Sports Blog

We're over a month into the 2018-19 NBA season. The Los Angeles Clippers have the best winning percentage in the West. Last year's Western Conference runner-up is sitting at 13th in the conference now. And the Golden State Warriors aren't currently the top seed. (At least not technically) Sure, the Warriors will probably remain atop the conference, but after that, the West has more intrigue and storylines than ever. The top seed and the 14th-best team are separated by a mere 5.5 games. In the East, this disparity is 12 games. Sitting outside the current playoff picture are six teams that have just as good a chance to make the playoffs as the seven teams ahead of them, not counting the Warriors. The conference currently stands: Los Angeles Clippers (13-6 but technically 0.5 GB) Golden State Warriors (15-7, technically 0.5 GA) Denver Nuggets (13-7, 1 GB) Memphis Grizzlies (12-7, 1.5 GB) Oklahoma City Thunder (12-7, 1.5 GB) Portland Trailblazers (12-8, 2

In Week 3, in Houston, the New York Giants pushed the Houston Texans to 0-3. The Jacksonville Jaguars were 2-1, the Tennessee Titans were upstart, and people were more interested to see if Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts could rebound than DeShaun Watson and the Texans.  The underdog role has suited the Texans well, and they've responded by winning their next seven games. This has them perched atop the AFC South, and although the Jaguars haven't won a game in two months, the Colts have been surging on their own with five straight wins. But the Texans control their own destiny, starting with a pivotal AFC South matchup on Monday Night Football. With a road win, the Titans can make the AFC South a three-way race to the finish. If the Texans can hold down the fort at home, they'll create a little breathing room, improve their divisional record, and stretch their win streak to eight games. It's possible the Texans don't lose again this season

The Carmelo Anthony experiment in Houston is already coming to an end, and despite his teams have a worse record with him on the court as opposed to off it over the past two seasons, there are still playoff contenders interested in the veteran's services. As of right now, Anthony is still a Houston Rocket. Barring a trade, it's highly anticipated he will be waived and get to choose his next team. His representatives have already been probing front offices to gauge interest.  Five suitors have emerged, per information from NBA Insiders Kevin O'Conner  and Marc J. Spears . The reports conflict slightly, but the combined list includes the Los Angeles Lakers, Philadelphia 76ers, Portland Trailblazers, New Orleans Pelicans, and Miami Heat. O'Conner listed the three Western Conference teams, including the Lakers, as the likeliest landing spots, while Spears' intel tells him the Lakers are done making short-term free agent moves.  The Lakers  are e

If you're not an overly optimistic New York Giants fan, or Odell Beckham Jr, I probably don't have to tell you this: but the Giants are't going to win out and sneak into the playoffs at 9-7. On paper, of course it's possible. The Giants have only lost two games this year by more than a touchdown, and their second half schedule isn't too menacing. And I can't knock Odell for believing this, it's the kind of motivation and drive that is rarely seen on a 2-7 squad. But this team just can't do it. Over the past two seasons, the Giants are 5-20. Only once in every five games have they been able to pull off a victory in this span. Even amid Beckham's injury, among others, last season, the Giants haven't had a horrible roster over these 25 games. Yet, time and time again , every time the team takes one step forward or seems to find some consistency on offense, it takes two steps back. I do credit the defense for keeping the

The Philadelphia 76ers have been a team on the rise. After last year's playoff appearance and first round victory, the expectations were high for Philadelphia to compete in the LeBron-less Eastern Conference. But even with the addition of superstar Jimmy Butler, the 76ers still face an uphill battle in their conference. Jimmy Butler's trade came somewhat out of the blue. He requested a trade prior to the season, but the Minnesota Timberwolves seemed content holding on to him until the right offer came along. Minnesota reportedly rejected separate offers from the Houston Rockets: one including a whopping FOUR first-round draft picks and one packaging Eric Gordon and Nene with two first-rounders. Instead, the 76ers acquired him early on Saturday afternoon. The trade also brought PG Landry Shamet to Philadelphia, while the Sixers shipped out two starters: Robert Covington and Dario Sarcic. This leads us to the first reason the Butler trade won't put Philly ov

This week's picks theme is Eyes on the Playoffs. At the rough halfway point in the 2018-19 NFL season, the playoff standings are beginning to take shape. The Rams, Chiefs, and Patriots lead the pack, and after that, there's plenty of intrigue. Can the Redskins maintain the NFC East with the Eagles and Cowboys on their backs? Can the Chargers challenge for the AFC's best seed? And in a loaded potential NFC Wildcard playoff race, the Packers, Panthers, Falcons, Seahawks, and Bears/Vikings could all be competing for just two spots. Week 9 Recap Through Week 8, I held a 59-45-2 record picking games. I was unable to publish my Week 9 picks, so you'll have to take my word for who I went with. Overall, it was a pretty strong week, where I went 8-5 to improve to 67-50-2. Correct Picks 49ers over Raiders Bears over Bills  Chiefs over Browns Vikings over Lions Falcons over Redskins Panthers over Buccaneers Texans over Broncos Patriots over Packers Inc