After a tough week in which I only managed to correctly pick 50 percent of the games, I'm looking to bounce back strong this week and make it a little more difficult for those playing to take me down. While I did struggle last week, it probably wouldn't have mattered much anyway, as Yale Brown blew away the field by connecting on 12 of 14 picks to win the weekly prize.

Because there will be Thursday night games from here on out, I'll try to post the matchups earlier in the week and I'll always make sure to post my Blogger picks on Wednesdays so you know what you're up against. As always, good luck and spread the word.

Cleveland -3 over Denver
Jacksonville -6.5 over Detroit
Tennessee -3 over Chicago
New England -4 over Buffalo
New Orleans Even over Atlanta
St. Louis +8 over NY Jets
Seattle +9 over Miami
Green Bay +2 over Minnesota
Carolina -9 over Oakland
San Diego -15 over Kansas City
Indianapolis +3.5 over Pittsburgh
Philadelphia -3 over NY Giants
Baltimore +1.5 over Houston
Arizona -9.5 over San Francisco

I've been discussing the recent Allen Iverson trade to the Pistons with some co-workers, and while others think its a bad move on the Pistons part, I tend to disagree. While Iverson has been a me-first scoring machine type for the majority of his career, that mentality was based on necessity not selfishness.

Until his most-recent stint in Denver, Iverson has never been surrounded by enough talent to be anything but a team's No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 scoring options wrapped into one but that won't be the case in Detroit and a new-look Iverson will be born. With Tayshaun Prince, Richard Hamilton and Rasheed Wallace by his side, expect to see a whole new A.I. once he gets established in the Motor City. One who will still do his fair share of scoring when needed, but one who will also draw the double team on drives to the basket only to kick it out to open shooters who can and will knock down the open looks.

I truly believe that the championship-starved Iverson will give up some shots and ultimately watch as his scoring average plummets in favor of a well-balanced attack that will provide him with his best shot at a title since he carried the Sixers on his back during the team's championship run in 2000. You remember that powerful offensive lineup that included Aaron McKie, George Lynch, Matt Geiger, Theo Ratliff and the ever-explosive Nazr Mohmammed. How Iverson led that squad to within three games of a world championship is still one of the biggest mysteries in the history of professional sports not to mention a major accomplishment on his impressive list of credentials.

Only time will tell who gets the better of this trade and if Iverson is ultimately a good fit in Detroit, but my gut feeling is the league will soon be introduced to a new, older, wiser A.I. who is willing to do whatever he needs to do to pick up the elusive ring. Whether it's developing a pass-first, shoot later mentality or becoming the on-court leader they were looking for in Denver, the Pistons version of Iverson could be the best ever. And that's saying something.

Worst-case scenario, the me-first Iverson beast lives on and the Pistons bow out in the conference finals much like they have for the last several years and free up about $30 million after dumping the salaries of Billips, McDyess and free-agent-to-be Iverson. That extra cap space could then be used to land a Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade or perhaps even LeBron James in the free agent market. Like any trade, we'll have to wait and see on who got the best of it. Stay tuned.

After a sizzling week that should get him thinking about a trip to Vegas, Yale Brown picked 12 of 14 games correctly to take down The Blogger (8 picks) and the rest of the pack to win this week's contest. For his efforts Brown will be receiving an authentic 8-by-10 signed photo of Drew Brees.

To try and take down The Blogger yourself, check back on Wednesday to see the matchups and points points spreads for this week's games and make your picks before the start of the week's first game. If you pick more games correctly than the Blogger, you could be the next winner. There is a Thursday night game this week so make sure you get your picks in a half-hour before the start of the Cleveland-Denver game to be eligible. Spread the word and good luck.