The Cleveland Browns acted quickly in getting their man to replaced Mike Pettine as head coach, hiring ex-Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson. Cleveland had brought Jackson back for a second interview earlier in the week and was rumored to want to lock him down to a deal with several other teams expressing serious interest. One of the brightest offensive minds in the NFL, Jackson had constructed a system in Cincinnati that elevated Andy Dalton to elite status in 2015 and helped the Bengals win the AFC North title.

Right Choice?

While Jackson’s strong run over the last two years brought success to his offensive player and the Bengals overall, it’s absolutely worth wondering if he’s an upgrade over Pettine or just the right man to lead the Browns going forward, in general. All indications certainly point to that being the case, as Jackson went a respectable 8-8 in one season at the helm with a bad Oakland Raiders team, showcasing some experience as the top shot-caller. It’s his offensive success that put him in such great demand, however, while his player-friendly personality could help pull a fractured team back together.

No More Johnny?

The arrival of Jackson could spell the end of Johnny Manziel’s ill-fated tenure in Ohio, as the new Browns head coach was non-committal when asked about Johnny Football’s future with the team. Manziel has been rumored to want out of Cleveland for months, while his off the field antics may have rubbed ownership the wrong way for the last time. Jackson suggested he’d meet with Manziel before making an official decision, but rumors suggest Manziel will be cut or traded at some point during the off-season.

Naturally, the likely departure of Manziel will have the Browns thinking differently under center, but that may not be something fans have to be too worried about when it comes to Jackson. After all, Jackson developed a fairly average Dalton into a borderline stud, and even got productivity out of an inexperienced A.J. McCarron. With Cleveland already having seasoned veteran Josh McCown and the #2 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, they could be in perfect position to use McCown once again as a one-year stop-gap in order to let their newly drafted franchise passer (potentially Memphis passer Paxton Lynch) learn from the sidelines.

2016 Playoffs

While the Jackson hiring is cause for optimism going forward, it still doesn’t mean the Browns are locks to quickly turn around and compete. They were able to do that for the first half of Pettine’s initial season, but dysfunction and overall inconsistency from top to bottom wore on the team in year two. Jackson should provide a more stable environment and hopefully a more explosive offense, and if everything breaks right Cleveland could be more competitive. Winning enough to reach the post-season in the brutal AFC North remains a long shot in Jackson’s first try, however.

The NBA livens up quite a bit on Tuesday night, as numerous stars like Russell Westbrook, LeBron James and Paul George come out to play on a fun eight-game slate. Depending on availability, we even have a potentially fun, high-scoring night cap with Anthony Davis and The Black Mamba, as well.

Watching the games or even engaging in some daily fantasy basketball will definitely be plenty of fun, but what about the NBA betting side of things? Unlike some of the recent game we’ve looked at, tonight actually offers up some tough calls. Let’s take a look at the entire slate to see if we can’t come away with some reliable NBA picks:

Celtics @ Knicks

Boston took the previous meeting this year and is now fully healthy with Avery Bradley and Marcus Smart back, but things can always change when you’re on the road. The Knicks are also healthy and have been playing quite well lately – even pushing the Spurs to the brink in San Antonio. Boston is reeling with three straight losses, too, so I’m leaning towards the Knicks at MSG.

Pick: Knicks 99, Celtics 97

Bulls @ Bucks

We know the Bulls and Bucks hate each other after watching a surprisingly intense six-game playoff series last year, while they both brought the offense earlier this year when the Bulls won a 117-106 contest at the United Center. I’d give Milwaukee a mild chance because this game is at the Bradley Center, but Greg Monroe has been a defensive sieve and the Bulls are mashing overall right now (7-3 in last 10). They just dropped two in a row, but they could use this game in Milwaukee as a nice game to get them back on track.

Pick: Bulls 106, Bucks 101

Suns @ Pacers

Indiana has been a very strong 12-5 at home this year, while the Suns are falling apart across the board. Phoenix doesn’t defend and has a big chunk of their offense gone for the year with Eric Bledsoe sidelined. I still think we see a good amount of points here, but Indy’s solid defense should prove to be the difference at home.

Pick: Pacers 104, Suns 100

Spurs @ Pistons

San Antonio is on the second of a back-to-back set and the Pistons are a pretty tough, defensive-minded squad, so this could be a bigger challenge than some may expect. The Spurs shouldn’t be overly tired after blowing the Nets out last night, however, while their 8-game winning streak is pretty formidable.

Pick: Spurs 98, Pistons 95

Thunder @ Timberwolves

Minnesota was playing competitive basketball earlier in the year, but they’ve been on quite a slide lately, entering tonight with six straight losses and a 1-9 mark in their last 10 games. They have some quality young pieces and can explode on offense, but they lack consistency and can’t defend. Then you throw OKC into the equation and we probably have a blowout win for the Thunder on our hands.

Pick: Thunder 106, Wolves 92

Rockets @ Grizzlies

Houston seems to randomly place themselves back into the playoff conversation once a week, as they go on tiny runs and then drop back. They’re hot at the moment, though, winning their past three and tonight will have a shot at cracking .500. Doing so in Memphis is easier said than done, however, as the Grizz have turned things back on defensively and also come in riding a two-game run. They’re at home and are up 2-0 over the Rockets in the season series, so the edge lies with them.

Pick: Grizzlies 102, Rockets 98

Cavaliers @ Mavericks

Cleveland heads to Dallas tonight, where they’ll face the Mavs in the first of two inter-conference battles. It’s a weird matchup, as both teams can put up points and are pretty balanced, but Cleveland is a rather pedestrian 11-8 away from home this year. Dallas boasts a better than advertised interior defense, while the Cavs keep things a bit slower on offense, which aids their strong perimeter defense. Something has to break in this one, but the Cavs are the more talented squad. I’ll take them in a bit of a shootout in Dallas.

Pick: Cavs 108, Mavs 104

Pelicans @ Lakers

If you’re looking for a game to chase the Total in, this is it, as neither the Lakers or Pelicans play any defense (both giving up 105+ points per game), yet both can put up the points when they’re on fire. The Brow and Kobe Bryant are both iffy for this one, but both could still play. I like a competitive, high-scoring game if Anthony Davis is out, but if he plays he and the Pellies might win this one going away. Either way, I still will take New Orleans, as the Lakers have won 8 games all year and come in riding a four-game skid.

Pick: Pelicans 109, Lakers 107

Pro basketball calms down on Thursday before a wild stretch over the next three days, so for now NBA bettors can sit back, relax and focus on a light four game NBA schedule. It’s much like Tuesday, when the games seemed pretty obvious (we went 3-1 with our picks), as there appear to be four matchups with wide talent gaps.

It is always good to take a closer look at the matchups before firing away with bets, though, so let’s break down each contest and see which way you may want to lean tonight:

Boston Celtics @ Chicago Bulls

This just the second meeting of the year between this rivals, as Boston edged out the Bulls in a fairly high-scoring affair in Boston about a month ago. We might see a little more defense this time around, as Marcus Smart and Derrick Rose are both healthy, while the Bulls tend to turn it up at the United Center (15-5 there this season). Boston is no slouch on the road, though, so while the Bulls should even the series up at home, expect a tight contest thoughout.

Pick: Bulls 102, Celtics 100

Atlanta Hawks @ Philadelphia 76ers

This game was over before it began when the Hawks blew the 76ers out of the water in mid-December, and even with this one in Philly it’s tough to imagine tonight’s outcome being much different. Atlanta has lost two straight but has been a strong 7-3 over their last 10 and could really use an easy game to get themselves back on track. Ish Smith has helped make Philly a more cohesive and competitive unit, but this is still a four-win team that can’t defend. It’s tough not to love the Hawks to cover a fairly weak -9.5 line tonight.

Pick: Hawks 116, Sixers 102

Utah Jazz @ Houston Rockets

These two just got done with a thriller three days ago, which had James Harden leading his Rockets to a 2-point win in Utah. The Jazz are extremely under-manned at the moment, otherwise I might give them a shot at vengeance. In Houston without the likes of Derrick Favors, Rudy Gobert and Alec Burks, however, the Jazz are likely to fall again.

Pick: Rockets 98, Jazz 92

Los Angeles Lakers @ Sacramento Kings

This feels like an easy call, but we still don’t know the status of Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo and Omri Casspir for this one. DeMarcus Cousins could easily run wild on the Lakers all by himself, but he should still have plenty of help via Rudy Gay and Darren Collison. If the Lakers actually gave youngsters Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell run they might be somewhat competitive, but it’s obvious they’re stuck in full blown tank mode. Their 4-18 road record and the 132-114 drubbing in their previous meeting with the Kings suggests they won’t get this one. I do expect a ton of points, though, so feel free to shoot for the Total tonight.

Pick: Kings 118, Lakers 106

Most of what the NBA has to offer on Tuesday night is light and predictable, which could make for a fun evening of NBA betting. One game of the scheduled four could be tricky, though, with the Kings visiting Dallas to take on the Mavericks.

Let’s go over all four games just to make sure we don’t have any missteps:

New York Knicks @ Atlanta Hawks

We need to pay quick mind to Arron Afflalo’s insane 38-point performance that buried the Hawks just two days ago, but the other side of this shows us the Hawks have a 2-1 series lead, are at home and won’t want to let New York even the season series. New York’s lone win coming at Madison Square Garden is more helpful info, as it didn’t come in ATL, where the Hawks are a solid 12-6 on the year. It’s not likely to tonight, either.

Pick: Hawks 107, Knicks 101

Milwaukee Bucks @ Chicago Bulls

A four-game season series tips off tonight, as the Bucks head to the United Center to take on the Bulls. Milwaukee probably wishes this series had started a month ago, when Chicago still was struggling. Now the Bulls are starting to find their footing with a nice four-game winning streak. Jimmy Butler is playing elite ball, too, while the Bulls are a stout 14-5 at home this year. Milwaukee won’t stand much of a chance with their weak 5-15 mark away from home.

Pick: Bulls 104, Bucks 97

Sacramento Kings @ Dallas Mavericks

Rajon Rondo enters Dallas for some revenge, while also looking to put his Kings up 2-0 in the season series. It’s likely he gets his individual revenge with a good game, but buying a 2-0 series lead in Dallas is tough, especially with the Mavs being their best at home (10-6). The Kings come in with two straight wins and Dallas has dropped two in a row, but an all-offense battle is just what the doctor ordered for the Mavs in front of their home crowd. If they can get back Deron Williams for this outing, all the better.

Pick: Mavs 109, Kings 106

Golden State Warriors @ Los Angeles Lakers

This has to be the easiest game to call on the schedule, as the Warriors have lost just twice all year and absolutely destroyed the Lakers the last time these two sides faced off. Something similar is likely to happen again.

Pick: Warriors 114, Lakers 87

There have not been many big injuries so far in the young 2015-16 NBA season, but count Brooklyn Nets star point guard Jarrett Jack among them. Jack went down with a knee injury in a Saturday afternoon game, and was immediately ruled out for the remainder of the contest. On Sunday morning, the Nets learned that their starting point guard was done for the year.

Season Over

Per reports, Jack suffered a torn ACL on Saturday and will miss the remainder of the regular season. That puts a huge damper on any reasonable playoff hopes that Nets had, although few had them pegged for an epic turn around after an awful 10-23 start. It also puts more pressure on Brooklyn’s two best players – Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young. Lopez and Young were already producing at a fine rate for the Nets, but with Jack’s scoring now gone, they both got see their offensive roles grow even larger.

Jack’s Replacement

As for replacing Jack at the point, the Nets don’t have many options that feel too appealing. Shane Larkin was the main backup and figures to get the first crack at the starting gig, but he’s more of a defensive ace who can now and again hit an open three. A starting NBA point guard, he may not be. Donald Sloan could also factor into the equation, but he’s been regarded as a replacement level talent since he came into the league. In other words, the Nets have two guys to turn to, but in a sense, they have no one.

One way or another, unless Brooklyn makes a last ditch effort to sign a big name off the street or swing a trade, they’re looking at a serious downgrade at the point. That’s only naturally bound to have a trickle down effect on the rest of the offense, which could make it hard for the Nets to consistently put up points. For a team that was already struggling to put up 97 points per game, losing Jack could be a massive blow.

Tank Time?

The big take away here isn’t that the Nets won’t score as much or that they’re not going to the playoffs. They already had an offensive cap due to a lack of consistent outside shooting and they were already in to big a hole to make a serious post-season run. The key is just how much worse they get from here and if the team just opts to blow up the roster and dive into full-blown “tank” mode. That’s not all that likely considering they just got done locking up Lopez and Young to big contracts this summer, but with the season already looking over, they could very well vie for a bottom-five record.

The one thing NBA bettors probably can bank on moving forward is betting against the Nets. They’ve won 10 games with Jack this year and they’ll be extremely lucky to win another 10 without him.

We usually brace for a heavy schedule on Friday nights, but the NBA clearly took it easy on the league and their families. The new year will do that to you, but we still have five fun pro basketball games to look at and maybe even bet on before the action gets going tonight.

We know early on that Kobe Bryant is out and a few other injuries may end up impacting how we look at some of the matchups. Let’s take a quick look at each one and see where you may want to lean with your bets on the first day of 2016:

Orlando Magic @ Washington Wizards

Orlando heads to D.C. to take on John Wall and the Wizards, who remain without Brad Beal and will look to put an end to a two-game slide. The Wiz won a tight game very early in the year at the Amway Center and later were able to win again in more convincing fashion at home. The Magic have been cooking with gas lately (won 7 of last 10), and even on the road will badly want to take down the Wiz to avoid an 0-3 hole. Washington’s mediocre home record could play a helping hand.

Pick: Magic 104, Wizards 101

New York Knicks @ Chicago Bulls

Carmelo Anthony, Jimmy Butler and Pau Gasol carry some serious star power into this somewhat hyped Eastern Conference showdown, as the Knicks enter the United Center to wage war with the Bulls. Chicago has been the far better team to this point, but they would be wise not to forget a blowout loss to the Knicks in New York earlier this year. While the Knicks won that one, Chicago is far more talented and is a staggering 13-5 on their home floor.

Pick: Bulls 102, Knicks 97

Dallas Mavericks @ Miami Heat

Opposites clash in this meeting in South Beach, as Dallas likes to push the pace a bit and the Heat are one of the slowest, defensive-minded teams in all of basketball. Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade will probably get theirs, but this one might be decided down in the trenches with Chris Bosh and Hassan Whiteside working on Zaza Pachulia. Normally the Heat would feel like the pick at home, where they’re typically at their best, but Dallas is white hot with four straight wins.

Pick: Mavs 105, Heat 99

Charlotte Hornets @ Toronto Raptors

The story is the same here, as Charlotte looks to score and Toronto keeps things relatively slow. That could keep the scoring a little low in this one, but a hard-fought contest is still to be expected. The real difference should be that Toronto is getting healthy at the exact right time and the Hornets appear to be breaking down. Without Jeremy Lin, Al Jefferson and possibly even Nicolas Batum, the Hornets don’t look prepared to take the Raptors down on the road.

Pick: Raptors 101, Hornets 98

Philadelphia 76ers @ Los Angeles Lakers

This is the toss-up game of the night, as the Lakers play host to the worst team in the league. A few odd tidbits, though: Kobe is out, the Lakers also are bad and Philly even beat the Lakers for their first win of the year earlier this season. That, and the arrival of point guard Ish Smith has vaulted the Sixers into a suddenly competitive team and they’ll enter Staples Center looking for two straight wins.

Pick: 76ers 106, Lakers 102

We’re back from a mini-break to look over the NBA games for Thursday night. Wednesday was quite the busy night of NBA action, so Thursday could be a welcomed sight with just six games on the docket. It’s that perfect “not too many, not too few” slate, and also presents a ton of star power and some very interesting matchups.

We do need to consider some key injuries heading into games tonight, as Damian Lillard, Derrick Favors, Blake Griffin and Stephen Curry are just a few large names that are either already out or could miss tonight’s action. Let’s take a look at each contest and see which may you may want to be leaning with your NBA betting tonight:

Milwaukee Bucks @ Indiana Pacers

The Bucks travel to Indy for the second time this year as they try to snap a rough three-game losing streak. That may not be so easy against a pretty strong Pacers team that crushed them in a blowout earlier this year. Milwaukee is generally not very good on the road (3-15 away from home this year) and the Pacers have kept things under control on their home floor this year (11-4) so it’s tough to see a Milwaukee upset going down tonight.

Pick: Pacers 102, Bucks 92

Los Angeles Clippers @ New Orleans Pelicans

The Clippers and Pellies battle for the second time this season, as New Orleans tries to avenge a blowout loss in L.A. in late-November. The Clippers have been surprisingly strong (won four in a row) despite playing without Blake Griffin, but getting the job done against The Brow on the road won’t be easy. The Pelicans are much healthier now than they were last month and play their best ball (by far) at home. Without Griffin, this looks like a loss for the Clips.

Pick: Pelicans 106, Clippers 102

Portland Trail Blazers @ Utah Jazz

Portland absolutely wrecked the Jazz the last time they visited them in Utah, and that was when center Rudy Gobert was still healthy. The Blazers have actually done quite well with Damian Lillard out of the lineup (foot), having won three straight. Lillard could even be back tonight, which could give them a pretty big boost against a very depleted Jazz team. Derrick Favors is also iffy for this game and Alec Burks is out with a leg injury, so Portland may have a fourth straight win tonight.

Pick: Blazers 99, Jazz 97

Minnesota Timberwolves @ Detroit Pistons

Detroit won a defense battle in Minnesota earlier this year, and now the second (and final) game of this season series shifts to Detroit. The Pistons are quite strong (10-5) at home and are the superior defensive team, so it’s tough to see Minnesota get the win on the road tonight.

Pick: Pistons 95, Timberwolves 90

Golden State Warriors @ Houston Rockets

Stephen Curry is likely out for the second straight game, which could spell disaster for the Warriors, who lost just their second contest of the year in a blowout defeat last night. It was pretty ugly, so if this is a sign of what life is like when Curry sits, he may not be able to rest much this year. Houston isn’t exactly an elite team this year, but they’re at their best on their home court and should be able to take advantage of Curry’s absence and get the win.

Pick: Rockets 106, Warriors 102

Phoenix Suns @ Oklahoma City Thunder

Phoenix is in total shambles, as they don’t want Markieff Morris and just lost star guard Eric Bledose (knee) for the year. There is a ton of pressure on Brandon Knight and the Suns as a whole just aren’t right. That’s perfectly evident thanks to an ugly six-game losing streak, and it’s going to be tough for the Suns to turn things around in OKC against a Thunder squad that beat them by 21 points earlier this year. There should be a lot of offense in an up-tempo game, but this one heavily favors the Thunder, who are 8-2 in their last 10 games and a staggering 15-4 at home.

Pick: Thunder 112, Suns 105

The Baltimore Ravens have endured one of the most trying NFL seasons in recent memory, as they watched star player after star player go down with injury on their way to an awful losing season. Through it all, Baltimore remained highly competitive under head coach John Harbaugh’s watch, and if everything falls into place, they could turn right back around in 2016 and be the Super Bowl contender many pegged them as going into 2015.

Getting star wide receiver Steve Smith Sr. back certainly couldn’t hurt. Per reports, Smith has cancelled his pre-decided retirement to come back for one more year. Smith was enjoying what had the makings of a career year through the first eight weeks of the season before tearing his Achilles tendon. It’s a brutal injury for anyone – let alone a so-to-be 37-year old wide receiver – but the gritty Smith intends to play out his contract and retire after the 2016 NFL season.

Wit the blessing of My Family, Friends & Fans!! 2016 Let’s give’em Hell 😂 #SmithWPMOYChallenge #SmithWPMOYChallenge pic.twitter.com/RxBQMHGLT2

— Steve Smith Sr (@89SteveSmith) December 30, 2015

While history suggests Smith faces quite an uphill climb, few would put up money against him making a successful comeback. He wouldn’t necessarily need to be the guy that was ripping off 10-catch and 100+ yard performances in his age-36 season, either. Ideally, he’d be more of a complement to a Ravens offense that would get healthier across the board with the likes of Joe Flacco, Justin Forsett and Breshad Perriman all returning from their own injuries.

If all goes well, the Ravens would once again have the look of a top contender next season, not to mention the talent they could end up adding via free agency and the draft. Baltimore has done a solid job giving opponents tough fights all year, despite losing star pass rusher Terrell Suggs in week one and struggling through a shaky pass defense all year. If Baltimore can bring in another piece to help spark the offense, address what ails the defense and also get healthy again, they could be a real threat to the AFC – and possibly the entire league.

The NBA slows down on Sunday with a light four-game schedule. We could understand if you’d want to pause and catch your breath, too, since Saturday brought us a sick 13-game slate and tonight’s matchups aren’t marquee or easy to call. That being said, there are several stars hitting the court tonight and while these might not be the best games to watch, they just might be easy to pick.

Let’s run through Sunday’s NBA games and see which way you should lean if you plan on laying any bets down tonight:

Los Angeles Lakers @ Memphis Grizzlies

Kobe Bryant and co. kick things off at 6 pm ET, but unfortunately they do so in Memphis against the Grizzlies. Memphis has not been impressive on the year when you compare them to the rest of the league, but they’re at home and are still far better than these Lakers. The Lakers are an atrocious 3-16 on the road, so I doubt they even compete in this one.

Pick: Grizzlies 110, Lakers 94

New York Knicks @ Boston Celtics

This could be the tightest game of the night, or the Knicks do one of their “not even showing up” performances on the road. It’d make sense, as the Celtics are a strong defensive team that can also fill up the basket, while the Knicks need to keep games low-scoring to have a realistic chance. New York isn’t total trash or anything these days, but they’re only 7-9 away from home and are losing steam with three straight losses.

Pick: Celtics 105, Knicks 101

Denver Nuggets @ Oklahoma City Thunder

This is another game likely to be one-sided, as the Nuggets are banged up with Emmanuel Mudiay and Danilo Gallinari out. That’s going to make this a rough game against a healthy and dangerous Thunder team on the road. It doesn’t help that OKC has won 8 of their last 10 and is a very stout 13-4 on their home floor. I expect a blowout, but also a good deal of offense in this one.

Pick: Thunder 113, Nuggets 95

Portland Trail Blazers @ Sacramento Kings

This may shoot for the highest total of the night, as Portland showcased their potential last night be destroying the Cavaliers at home. They’re on the road against DeMarcus Cousins tonight, though, where Sac-town is at their best (8-7) this season. This is a matchup set up for Boogie to feast, so I love Sacramento’s chances at home. This game could be close and involve a good amount of points, so if you’re uncomfortable with a roll of the dice, you may want to avoid it. Tonight’s other three games feel a bit easier to pick, but we’ll stick with the home team for the fourth time to close out the night.

Pick: Kings 111, Blazers 106