Weekly Staff Pick ’em – Round 4

Round 4 of the weekly staff pick 'em is underway. We will be examining the top games of the week across the NBA, NCAA, and NFL. This week's special guest picker is the one and only Fraze himself. Here are the results from last week:

Micah: 5-5
Blake: 5-5
Marcus: 4-6

Overall:
Micah: 17-13
Blake: 16-14
Guest: 16-14

We'll keep a running tally each week of the previous week's results as well as the overall numbers. Here are the picks for round 4:

NBA

Oklahoma City Thunder (3-8) at Denver Nuggets (3-7)
Micah's Pick: Nuggets 97 – 90
The Thunder are the most depleted team in the league. It's a wonder they've even won 3 games with the lineup they're throwing out there right now. While this is a prime match-up to steal, the Nuggets just beat the Cavs on Monday night. Should be a walk in the park against the Thunder's D-League team.

Blake's Pick: Nuggets 93 – 88
The poor Thunder are so close to being like 10-1, even with all these injuries. This group needs figure out "how to win". I like Denver at home.

Fraze's Pick: Thunder 93 – 87
For a team that hands out Handicap parking passes to their players, the Thunder are still keeping themselves close in a lot of games. Rumble and his merry men stampede the Nugs.

 

Dallas Mavericks (8-3) at Washington Wizards (7-2)
Micah's Pick: Mavericks 112 – 98
The Mavs are actually a very solid bunch this year. They're getting the 2011 band back together and then some. Should be very interesting to see how they do in a loaded western conference this year, but I like them taking down this Wizards this week.

Blake's Pick: Wizards 101 – 99
This will be fun. The veteran bunch of Mavs vs the youth of the Wiz. Wall, Beal, Gortat, Pierce, Nene… Scary. I'll go Wiz.

Fraze's Pick: Mavericks 104 – 91
Both of these teams have surprised me a bit, the Wizards especially. However, I’ll take Dirty Dirk and the Fighting Cubans.

 

NCAA

Kansas Jayhawks (3-7) at Oklahoma Sooners (7-3)
Micah's Pick: Sooners 34 – 13
The Jayhawks are coming off of their best performance of the season vs TCU. A game they maybe should have won, but let slip away late. The Sooners struggled against Tech last week until establishing the run game in the second half. What should be another easy match-up I'm sure will turn into a struggle again until late. 

Blake's Pick: Sooners 45 – 17
I know the Jayhawks are much improved. Kudos to them and their new coach. However, too much size and athleticism from OU. 

Fraze's Pick: Sooners 40 – 14
If it’s any surprise, the Jayhawks have been BETTER since firing Weis, including a dominate victory over ISU and a near upset of a very good TCU team. Fortunately for Big Jay, basketball season is tipping off so they won’t feel the hurt of this loss too badly. 

 

Kansas State Wildcats (7-2) at West Virginia Mountaineers (6-4)
Micah's Pick: Mountaineers 42 – 28
West Virginia is better than their 6-4 record shows. They have hung with or defeated every opponent on their schedule. Now they've lost two in a row and the last loss to Texas was a bad one, but I see a bounce back here for Holgorsen and crew.

Blake's Pick: Wildcats 33 – 27
This is a contrast of styles. KState will be sound and fundamental. WVU will be aggressive and flying around. Bill Snyder is the difference.

Fraze's Pick: Mountaineers 42 – 39
This is one of the tougher picks of the week for me. KSU has been good, but WVU has been really good in Morgantown.  Mountaineers make Wildcat–skin caps out of Snyder’s kittens but it’s a near death experience in a close one.

 

USC Trojans (7-3) at UCLA Bruins (8-2)
Micah's Pick: Bruins 31 – 28
Both teams have had good but not great years. Lots of talent on both sides of the ball, this should be a very close game that could easily go either way. I like the Bruins to win it in a close one.

Blake's Pick: Trojans 27 – 24
I don't know, and I really don't care…..

Fraze's Pick: Bruins 24 – 21
This is a game that will help decide the PAC 12 south and both of these teams are chomping at the bit for a shot against Oregon and their fancy uniforms. Bruins will win this on home field advantage.

 

Louisville Cardinals (7-3) at Notre Dame Fighting Irish (7-3)
Micah's Pick: Cardinals 31 – 21
While it's hard to imagine the Irish losing a third straight, I just think the Cardinals are playing really well right now. This should be another close one, but Louisville goes into South Bend and gets the W.

Blake's Pick: Fighting Irish 34 – 31
What has happened to ND? Did the effects of losing that game to FSU end their season? Whatever the case, losing at home to Northwestern is crazy.

Fraze's Pick: Fighting Irish 28 – 24
I would love to say the Irish lose a 3rd straight, but Petrino still has some work to do to get the Cards in shape to win a big one like this. ND rolls, but Louisville keeps it close and Bobby P takes a scooter ride with an intern to relieve the sting of defeat.

 

NFL

Dallas Cowboys (7-3) at New York Giants (3-7)
Micah's Pick: Cowboys 35 – 17
This is a big game for the Cowboys. They need the division wins right now and the Giants are just playing spoiler at this point. Murray rushes for 100 yards and Eli throws a handful of picks.

Blake's Pick: Cowboys 28 – 17
Sounds crazy, but I think Dallas HAS to have this one. I think the bye was advantageous and Romo will be a lot better.

Fraze's Pick: Cowboys 28 – 7
Not sure anyone has ever had a bye week as successful as the Cowboys last week. Romo is a little more rehabbed and Eli seemed to be a tad color blind this past week.

 

Detroit Lions (7-3) at New England Patriots (8-2)
Micah's Pick: Patriots 37 – 28
Brady and the Patriots have been on a terror. The Lions have won a bunch of close games, but this one could get ugly if Stafford doesn't show up early.

Blake's Pick: Patriots 37 – 17
Lions are so grease lucky. They'll get their world handed to them vs New England.

Fraze's Pick: Patriots 45 – 20
Tom Brady has definitely shut the haters up from the first part of the season and Megatron has been more of a Mediocretron. Lions can’t do it in Foxboro.

 

Arizona Cardinals (9-1) at Seattle Seahawks (6-4)
Micah's Pick: Cardinals 27 – 21
I'm sure that as soon as I pick against the Seahawks they will finally win (jerks). The Seahawks are back at home where they've still been very dominant and this is probably as good of a time as any for the Cardinals to let one slip, but I'm rolling the dice. Arizona in another close one.

Blake's Pick: Seahawks 28 – 20
If Carson Palmer is healthy, I ride the Cards…. I just can't. I don't trust Stanton, especially on the road….especially in the hawks den.

Fraze's Pick: Seahawks 31 – 14
Zona didn’t miss a beat in their first week without Carson Palmer, but the second week wont be as good for them. The 11th man will have something to say about this in the battle of the bird teams. Seahawks make a meal of their smaller avian foe.

 

Miami Dolphins (6-4) at Denver Broncos (7-3)
Micah's Pick: Broncos 45 – 17
The Broncos somehow lost to the Rams last week and I sense Peyton coming out firing this week. Miami has a very solid defense, but when you make Peyton mad, bad things happen.

Blake's Pick: Dolphins 31 – 30
The Rams beat the Broncos? How? I don't understand that at all. I want to call this upset, so bad…You know what? I will. FINS NATION 31-30!!! (I don't feel good about this at all)

Fraze's Pick: Broncos 34 – 20
I would call this an upset if those pesky Rams wouldn’t have gotten Peyton so angry last week. Fins down in Mile High this week, Broncos buck em 34-20. Sorry, Mayor!!