2015-16 NBA Predictions

2015-16 NBA Predictions

EAST                                                                          WEST

1)  Cleveland            57-25                                          1)  San Antonio          60-22

2)  Washington         52-30                                          2)  Golden State         56-26

3)  Atlanta                50-32                                          3)  Los Angeles C      54-28

4)  Chicago               47-35                                         4)  Oklahoma City      53-29

5)  Toronto               44-38                                          5)  Houston                51-31

6)  Indiana                42-40                                          6)  Memphis              47-35

7)  Milwaukee          41-41                                          7)  New Orleans         46-36

8)  Miami                 39-43                                          8)  Phoenix                44-38

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9)   Charlotte            37-45                                           9)  Dallas                   43-39

10) Orlando              36-46                                          10) Minnesota            39-43

11) Brooklyn            33-49                                          11) Sacramento          38-44

12) New York          29-53                                          12) Los Angeles L     37-45

13) Detroit               27-55                                          13) Portland               30-52

14) Boston               26-56                                          14) Utah                     28-54

15) Philadelphia       25-57                                          15) Denver                 20-62

Season Awards

MVP- Lebron James

Defense- Anthony Davis

Rookie- D'Angelo Russell

Sixth Man-Rodney Stuckey

Most Improved- Julius Randle

Coach- Frank Vogel

EAST RECAP- The burning question in the East, if not the NBA, is who can snatch the East from the Cavaiers? I dont have that answer. Cleveland is far and above the best and most talented team in the conference. There's really no one in their league especially come playoff time. The next tier of contenders is Washington, Atlanta and Chicago. Chicago probably has the best chance if Derrick Rose is healthy but we've been through that before. Washington probably is next in line but just does not have enough right now to dethrone that Cavaliers in the East. The following tier is teams on the rise to make the playoffs. Toronto has a quality crew but not nearly enough talent to be a contender. Plus they get the 5th seed due to the new playoff seeding. The tier of the up and comers finish off with Indiana, Milwaukee and Miami. Charlotte just misses out because I think Miami has enough talent if healthy, to get back into the playoffs. Orlando is probably the only other team I see maybe having a shot. The following tier is a bunch of teams still much in rebuilding. Both teams in New York need to acquire more talent around their stars to contend. After that is pretty much a mess. I don't see Boston getting back to the playoffs with the lack of talent on that team and who knows whats going on is Philly?

WEST RECAP- The West is also full of tiers. The top consists of five teams. San Antonio, Golden State, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City and Houston can all come out on top in the West. I think San Antonio has one last rodeo with their core and enough talent with the addition of Aldridge to come out on top. I think Golden State and the Clippers are almost even but I like the new additions Los Angeles made to make themselves better which I think puts them over the top in the playoffs. OKC and Houston have the star power but in my eyes, just not deep enough to win in the postseason. The following tier contains playoff contenders and possible first round Cinderellas. This includes the gritty Grizzlies, upstart New Orleans and Suns, and veteran Mavericks. I think the Suns outlast the Mavericks by one game to make the playoffs in what is kind of a surprise. The next tier I have are rebuilding franchises such as the uber potential Timberwolves, talented but chemistry lacking Kings, and the young (outside of Kobe) Lakers. These teams are making the right steps to making themselves contenders in the powerhouse Western Conference. The last three are teams in a sort of disarray. Portland still has Damien Lillard but nothing outside of that and I just cant figure out what direction but down that Utah and Denver are headed.  

NBA PLAYOFFS

CLE def MIA 4-1                                                   SA def PHO 4-0

WSH def MIL 4-2                                                  GS def NO   4-1

IND def ATL 4-3                                                    LAC def MEM 4-2

CHI def TOR 4-3                                                    OKC def HOU 4-1

CLE def CHI 4-1                                                    SA def OKC 4-3

WSH def IND 4-2                                                   LAC def GS 4-3

CLE def WSH 4-2                                                  SA def LAC 4-2

NBA FINALS 

Cleveland Cavaliers def San Antonio Spurs 4-2

Finals MVP- Lebron James

Finals Recap- The two most talented teams face off but I think this is the year Lebron finally delivers a championship to the city of Cleveland.

NHL Predictions 2015-16

NHL Predictions 2015-16

EAST                                                                           WEST

 1)Washington                                                              1)Los Angeles

 2) Tampa Bay                                                             2)Nashville

 3) New York R                                                           3)Anaheim

 4) Montreal                                                                 4)St. Louis

 5) New York I                                                            5)Colorado

 6) Columbus                                                               6)Chicago

 7) Detroit                                                                   7)Vancouver

 8) Pittsburgh                                                               8)Dallas

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  9)Ottawa                                                                   9)Calgary

10)Toronto                                                                 10)Edmonton

11)Boston                                                                  11)Minnesota

12)Philadelphia                                                          12)San Jose

13)Florida                                                                  13)Winnipeg

14)Carolina                                                                14)Arizona

15)Buffalo

16)New Jersey

Hart (MVP)- Alex Ovechkin

Art Ross (Comeback)- Sidney Crosby

Norris (Defensemen)- Shane Weber

Vezina  (Goalie)- Carey Price

Calder (Rookie)- Connor McDavid

Jack Adams (Coach)- Barry Trotz

Stanley Cup Playoffs

WSH def PIT 4-2

NYR def NYI 4-2                          WSH def NYR 4-2

TB    def COL 4-1                                                                              WSH def MON 4-3

MON def DET 4-3                         MON def TB    4-3

LA  def  DAL   4-1

ANA def VAN 4-2                        ANA def LA  4-3

NSH def CHI   4-3                                                                              ANA def NSH 4-2

COL def STL   4-2                        NSH  def COL 4-2

Stanley Cup Final

Washington Capitals def Anaheim Ducks    4-3

Conn Smythe- Alex Ovechkin

2015-16 NFL Predictions

2015-16 NFL Predictions

AFC EAST                                                                                NFC EAST

3   New England        11     5                                                      3   Dallas              10    6

6   Miami                   11     5                                                      6   New York         9     7

     Buffalo                   9     7                                                           Philadephia       6     10

     New York              8      8                                                          Washington       4      12

AFC NORTH                                                                            NFC NORTH

4   Cincinnati             11     5                                                       1   Green Bay       13     3

6   Baltimore              11     5                                                       5   Detroit             11     5

     Pittsburgh             10     6                                                            Minnesota          6    10

     Cleveland               4    12                                                           Chicago              4    12

AFC SOUTH                                                                             NFC SOUTH

1   Indianapolis          12     4                                                       4    Atlanta            10      6

     Houston                  8     8                                                             Carolina            9      7

     Jacksonville            4    12                                                            New Orleans    6      10                        Tennessee               4    12                                                            Tampa Bay       4      12

AFC WEST                                                                               NFC WEST

2   Denver                   12     4                                                       2     Seattle             12      4

     Kansas City             8     8                                                              Arizona             8      8

     San Diego               6     10                                                             St. Louis           6      10

     Oakland                  5     11                                                             San Francisco   3      13

NFL YEARLY AWARDS

MVP- Aaron Rodgers

Offensive POY- Andrew Luck

Defensive POY- Clay Matthews

Offensive ROY- Ameer Abdullah

Defensive ROY- Leonard Williams

Comeback- Victor Cruz

Coach- Dan Quinn

AFC EAST- Starting of with in my opinion, the most improved division in the league. It's going to be a dog fight and the teams may beat each other enough for them to hurt each other's playoff chances. New England is still the strongest team in the division however. They have questions on defense which will have an affect on their record and seeding but as long as Brady is QB, the division is their's. I think the Dolphins made significant improvements especially bringing in Ndomukong Suh. They don't win the division due to tie-breaking procedures but squeak into the playoffs. Their defense is what makes the difference. Buffalo also heavily improved but on offense. Bringing in Lesean McCoy should relive pressure off Tyrod Taylor or whoever is in QB. Rex Ryan will also lead a strong defense and have this team contending but ack of a quality QB will hurt them. New York also made really nice improvements but they, just like Buffalo, have major issues at QB. The offensive additions will help but they simply dont have enough to contend this season. 

AFC NORTH- The strongest division in football resides here. It will absolutely be another dogfight for the division. This time I think Cincy retakes the crown. I think they have the best overall team on both sides of the ball. I have Baltimore finishing in second. I think despite losing Ngata and now Suggs for the rest of the season, this defense is still strong enough to help push this team into the postseason. They also have an easy schedule in my opinion.  Pittsburgh misses out. I think the lack of defensive leadership will prove costly. Once Leveon Bel comes back they will surely have an offense to help them contend but their shoddy defense has them missing the postseason. As for Cleveland, well, despite a decent defense, they will stink, again. Johnny Manziel will eventually be the starting quarterback because Josh McCown is a joke. Manziel will play himself into being a joke, but I digress. Another bad year for the Dawg Pound. 

AFC SOUTH- Indy will likely win the division by default. They improved their offensive weapons to support Luck in the short term. I dont know how much Andre Johnson and Frank Gore have left in them but they wont be counted on nearly as much as they normally were. Houston would be a playoff contender had they had a decent QB. THey dont therefore they will suffer. They have a lot of nice pieces in place to throw up a decent record. Jacksonville and Tennessee will be equally as bad as each other where they always seem to be. Im not sold on Bortles nor Mariota as promising stars. Mariota has in my opinion a higher upside but Jacksonville has a better defense. But they both are a long way from contending.

AFC WEST- Denver is still the strongest team in this division but this is likely their last gasp of air as their window is closing. Believe it or not a believe the best part of their team is their defense. Von Miller will grow into a stud and this team easily takes the division despite what I believe will be a bad final year for Peyton. I have Kansas City finishing in second mainly due to their upgrades. Maclin should help Alex Smith but he can also very easily turn into Dwayne Bowe. I think San Diego is too inconsistent to compete. I think Phillip Rivers begins to decline as this team starts to shift focus to develop the running game. Oakland is a much improved team but not improved enough to start winning games. Their defense is better as is their offense. I think Amari Cooper is the real deal even though I dont think David Carr is but I think he will make him look better than his actual talent. They will lose tough games but they are on the right track.

NFC EAST- I have Dallas winning the division simply because I'm not too high on the other teams in it. I think the NFC has declined overall. Dallas will miss the loss of Murray and may become too one dynamic on offense and i think their defense is ok at best. Sean Lee's return will help if he stays healthy. Surprisingly I have the Giants not only finish in second but actually snatching that second wild card. I think the offense is much improved and their defensive secondary has improved as well. I am super low on Philadelphia. I think Chip Kelly's experiment will fail mainly due to the fact they dont have a decent Quarterback. Sam Bradford isnt that good let alone made of glass. And if/when he goes down, it turns to Mark Sanchez.... yeah. They dont finish in last because theres another team in this divsion that goes the the name (although controversial) The Washington Redskins. They are simply a mess and now crowned the most dysfunctional organization in the league.

NFC NORTH- Green Bay is still the strongest team in the divsion. The Jordy Nelson injury wont really matter as long as #12 is back there, they'll be just fine. I also think Clay Matthews sneakily grabs the Defensive Player of the Year award in what I believe will be a career year for him. I think my Detroit Lions are still talented enough to contend. The loss of Suh will hurt but Ngata will help relieve the pain. Hopefully they stay disciplined and they should still be ok. Minnesota may have improved the most out of any team in this division. The return of Adrian Peterson should be interesting. He could have an A-Rod-esk type of season. Their defense is legit but I'm just not sold on Bridgewater. They too are making the right steps. Chicago however, is not. Their defense is now awful and they still have Cutler throwing the football. Forte and Jeffrey are good for fantasy football as they will get lots of garbage points because Chicago will play from behind a lot. 

NFC SOUTH- Without doubt the weakest division in football is here. I think Atlanta pulls through because of their offensive potential and defensive upgrades. Dan Quinn wins Coach of the Year implementing a better defensive scheme. Carolina falls just short despite what I think will be a hot start. They are too thin offensively despite a legit defense. New Orleans has lost a lot without Jimmy Graham and their defense will crumble under Rob Ryan. Plus I think Brees will start to decline especially with no great weapons. Tampa wont be that terrible for a 4-12 team but they arent close to contending by any means. Not too sold on Winston but he has a Cam Newton upside as long as he says and does the right things. Their defense isnt that bad either. 

NFC WEST- Seattle is just too strong to lose this divsion. Arizona will put up a fight for a while but they lack offensive depth. St Louis will be a sneaky team too but Im just not sold on their offense as well. Kam Chancellor wont hold out too long. One side will give in and the Legion of Boom will thrive once again. Carson Palmer will have to play smart in order for the Cards to contend. I have them just missing out but they can easily get back in the playoffs if they can force turnovers and thrive on special teams. Larry Fitzgerald needs to make a bit of a comeback as well. I finally end with what i believe will be the worst team in football. They simply have nothing left on offense. I think Kaepernick is garbage and now half their defense retired. San Fran, you're officially, ON THE CLOCK!

NFL PLAYOFFS

Wild Card Round

BAL    23                        NYG  24

NE       20                        DAL  33

MIA     17                        DET   34

CIN      24                        ATL   17

Divisional Round

BAL    16                        DET    23

IND     33                        GB      35

CIN      24                       DAL    27

DEN     28                       SEA     24

Championship Round

DEN     17                      DAL      33

IND      27                      GB         35

SUPER BOWL 50

Indianapolis Colts          30

Green Bay Packers         35

Super Bowl MVP- Aaron Rodgers

2015 MLB Predictions

 

 

 

 

 

2015 MLB Predictions

 

                                           W          L                                                                              W            L

AL EAST                                                                                 NL EAST

Toronto                             91           71                                     Washington                   96            66

Boston                              88           74                                      Miami                           89            73

Baltimore                         80            82                                     New York                     86            76

New York                        76            86                                     Atlanta                          77             85

Tampa Bay                      68            94                                     Philadelphia                  63             99

 

AL CENTRAL                                                                       NL CENTRAL

Detroit                             94            68                                     St. Louis                       93              69

Cleveland                        86            76                                     Pittsburgh                     87              75

Chicago                           84            78                                     Chicago                        86              76

Kansas City                     78            84                                     Cincinnati                     77              85

Minnesota                       65            97                                     Milwaukee                    74              88

 

AL WEST                                                                               NL WEST

Los Angeles                    92            70                                     Los Angeles                  90              72

Seattle                             90             72                                    San Diego                      84              78

Texas                              79              83                                   Colorado                        76              86

Houston                          75              87                                   San Francisco                74              88

Oakland                          74              88                                   Arizona                          69              93

 

AL MVP- Robinson Cano                                                     NL MVP- Bryce Harper

CY YOUNG- David Price                                                     CY YOUNG- Jose Fernandez

ROOKIE- Andrew Heaney                                                    ROOKIE- Kris Bryant

MANAGER- Lloyd McClendon                                           MANAGER- Mike Redmond

 

AL EAST- Overall this division has gotten weaker. Toronto made enough moves to come out on top. The injury to Marcus Stroman will hurt but they'll prevail on top without him. I believe in their offense more than Boston's despite the Red Sox significant additions of Hanley and Sandoval. I am certainly not a believer in their pitching. Not only do they not have an ace but I don't believe any of them would be a solid number 2. Baltimore lost key bats in Markakis and Cruz. I don't know if even a healthy Manny Machado can make up for the offensive losses. Plus their pitching will be figured out and is getting dated. The Yankees will in all honesty, finally stink, really bad. They seem synthetic and flat. Tanaka and Pineda may be solid but after that they have serious questions to the other three rotation spots. Plus that offense just seems stale. They would finish in last had Tampa not been in the division. The loss of Joe Maddon is key and I'm not sold on Smyly being a solid number two or 3. Their staff is solid and still probably top to bottom the best in the division but I still cant understand dealing Wil Myers. Their offense looks pitiful despite the addition of Asdrubal Cabrera.

 

AL CENTRAL-I have doubts with Detroit. It's hard for me to believe that a team that loses a potential Cy Young candidate stays solid but no other team in this division jumps out at me. Health is a serious concern for this team. If they cant stay healthy get ready for them to lose the division. David Price will carry this team with a decent back of rotation and a well improved bullpen. not a believer in Alfredo Simon but their offense is still powerful again, if healthy. Cleveland is a quiet  team that people seemed to forgot about. This team can contend if Kluber is the real deal. Francona is still the best manager in this division and considering that no other team seems ready yet this team slides into second. Chicago is the team that made the most improvements but they still have a bit of ways to go to contend. I like the moves to get Melky, Samardzija, and Robertson but hey still lack offense and Sale needs to be healthy. Hes probably starting the season on the DL wit hthe foot fracture. If they want to contend he needs to be a Cy Young candidate. The Royals got worse this offseason. Morales cant match the bat nor heart Billy Butler gave to the team. Shields was the hope this team had. I believe Ventura is a solid pitcher but after that they have essentially nothing. This team is one good season and done. Minnesota is just going to be plain awful. Mauer could get dealt. Alex Meyer may give this team a bright future but that's going to be a while.

 

AL WEST- Two of the best teams in the American League reside in this division. Los Angeles should continue to own the division. The Richards injury should hurt them early but Heaney could pick up that slack to go along with Weaver and Shoemaker. The AL MVP will stay in this division but this time I believe Robinson Cano will take the crown. Expect an average above .325 and about 25 home runs driving in about 110 rbis while getting about 90 runs. Hes going to get better pitches to hit with Nelson Cruz hitting behind him. Felix Hernandez will have a developed Taijuan Walker to help him out and have this team make the postseason. The next three in this division could end up in any order. I picked Texas to finish third because I cant imagine this team playing as poorly as they did last year. Fielder should be healthy and the addition of Gallardo should help a bit despite Darvish being done for the year. Houston will continue to improve and I wouldn't be surprised if Carlos Carrera makes his way up to the big leagues and be a Rookie of the Year candidate. Finally I believe Oakland will crumble after the awful moves made this offseason. Butler and Sonny Gray are the sole reasons this team will have more than 70 wins. Billy Beane's experiment will fail (as usual) and this team will suffer from going for it all last year and failing.

 

NL EAST- The new best division is baseball. Washington will be everyone's favorite to win it all. Seems legit after getting Max Scherzer to add to an already stacked rotation. Expect them to go after a bat during the trade deadline to help them out for the postseason. Harper will live up to the hype this season. Now there's two teams here that are very much on the up and coming. I'm picking Miami to finish second but the Mets are right there. The injury to Wheeler has something to do with it. Jose Fernandez is back and expect him to have lethal stuff. This division is loaded with pitching so the key for the Marlins winning games may be the addition of Dee Gordon Martin Prado and Michael Morse. Ozuna and Yelich should develop as well. Latos helps give this rotation some depth as well as the development of Henderson Alvarez. The Mets come in a close third. They are going to need Harvey to be the Harvey we saw two years ago which is looks like he might be from Spring Training, but it's still Spring Training. Cuddyer should help but they are still a bat away from going to the next level. *cough Tulo cough*. Atlanta's offense got worse with the loss of Upton. Shelby Miller is a wild card but not enough to improve this team. Freddie Freeman may have a monster year but it wont be enough for them to contend. The Phillies will suck and eventually trade Cole Hamels. To who? I don't know but someone. They have to so they can suck some more.

 

NL CENTRAL- I'm honestly getting tired of seeing this but once again the Cardinals will win this division. Somehow they will make Jason Heyward improve and they still have great pitching. Thankfully the Cubs got significantly better to bring back the rivalry. The moves of bringing in Maddon and Lester have this team heading in the right direction. They aren't there yet though despite getting a lot of hype. They still lack starting depth. Their lineup is legit and Rizzo should rake again this year. They'll come close but finishing in second will be Pittsburgh. I would like this team to make a push for Cole Hamels to solidify a great staff. They have an exciting outfield and if Polanco lives up to hype, expect big things out of this team. Cincinnati and Milwaukee will finish at the bottom of this division. I think Cincy is slightly better but eh. They both lost solid pitchers and as long as Votto is healthy I believe their offense is better than Milwaukee's.

 

NL WEST- This should be a two dog race. Los Angeles should come out on top. I think San Diego made great improvements but they may need another infield bat. The Dodgers seem more seasoned but I don't like what they did this offseason. I'm not a fan in giving up Kemp for an aged Jimmy Rollins and Howie Kendrick. Wouldn't surprise me if San Diego wins the division but I just think they have enough yet. This may raise some eyebrows but I think if Colorado keeps Tulowitzki, they will finish in 3rd in the division. San Fran got worse. They lost out on Shields to San Diego and Pence is out 6-8 weeks. Bumgarner is obviously the real deal but after that they have nothing. Arizona will stink despite a solid season for Goldschmidt.

 

 

 

POSTSEASON

Wild Card

Seattle def. Boston                            Miami def. Pittsburgh

 

Division Series

Detroit def. Seattle 3-1                      Washington def. Miami 3-0

Los Angeles def. Toronto 3-1           St Louis def. Los Angeles 3-2

 

Championship Series

Detroit def. Los Angeles  4-3           Washington def. St. Louis 4-3

 

2015 World Series

 

Washington def. Detroit 4-2

 

World Series MVP- Bryce Harper