With no football games, it’s hard to gamble, so, thankfully, we can throw our money away on NBA games that can really go either way. But it’s entertaining, right? And, in short, that’s the main reason we gamble. We don’t do it to win or lose — we do it because it takes an otherwise boring chunk of the night and becomes very, very entertaining, even if the entertainment is accompanied with many hours of grief afterwards. Enjoy my picks. I’m the best.

On the Season: 36-36-1

New Orleans Hornets @ Orlando Magic (+1.5): Magic are a solid team at home, and they bomb too many threes on a regular basis for me to feel comfortable betting against them.

Philadelphia 76′ers (+1) @ New Jersey Nets: I have to root, root, root for this game. If the Hawks can win their next game, and Jersey lose this one, we’ll build almost a four game lead with eight games left. And then just get swept by the Celtics in the opening round.

Detroit Pistons (-6) @ Minnesota T’Wolves: The T’Wolves are getting better, and the Pistons have been slumping, but this just seems too easy.

Phoenix Suns (+5) @ Denver Nuggets: Both teams like to run, and when I think of running, I think of the Suns. It’s hard to beat them at their own game, even with a sluggish Shaq. They may not win, but they’ll cover the four.