NBA 2026-7 Predictions

Last year, I picked the Cleveland Cavaliers to win the title, and they lost in the Eastern Conference finals.  Let's see what the new season brings!

Eastern Conference:

1.       Boston

2.       New York

3.       Cleveland

4.       Philadelphia

5.       Detroit

6.       Atlanta

7.       Toronto 

8.       Indiana

9.       Charlotte

10.     Orlando

11.     Washington

12.     Miami 

13.     Chicago 

14.     Brooklyn 

15.     Milwaukee

Playoffs:

·      (play-ins):   Indiana over Toronto; Charlotte over Orlando;  Toronto over Charlotte

·      Boston over Toronto; Indiana over New York; Cleveland over Atlanta; Philadelphia over Detroit

·      Philadelphia over Boston; Cleveland over Indiana

·      Cleveland over Philadelphia

Western Conference:

1.       Oklahoma City

2.       San Antonio 

3.       Houston

4.       Minnesota

5.       LA Lakers

6.       Denver

7.       Portland

8.       Golden State

9.       Dallas

10.     Utah

11.     New Orleans

12.     Memphis

13.     LA Clippers

14.     Phoenix

15.     Sacramento

Playoffs:

·     (play-ins):  Portland over Golden State; Utah over Dallas; Utah over Golden State

·     Oklahoma City over Utah; San Antonio over Portland; Houston over Denver; Minnesota over Los Angeles Lakers

·     Oklahoma City over Minnesota; Houston over San Antonio

·     Houston over OKC

More notes:

·     The East is going to be a nightmare.  There's 12 teams that have a good argument that they should be in the playoffs.  Injuries and/or bad luck can turn anyone from a title contender to out of the playoff hunt.

       In that scenario, I'm sticking with cohesion and coaching for the regular season standings.  New York and Cleveland basically have the same team, and Boston has a track record of constantly finding good players to fill in the holes.  But who does well in the regular season and who does well in the playoffs might be completely different stories.

       Playoffs?  The East is going to be a dogfight, and entirely dependant on health and depth and coaching.  On paper, I like Boston.  But I also think Atchinson will level up as a coach after last year, and I like Cleveland's top 5 more than Boston's.  But I also think it could be any one of six other teams

·     The West is a different animal.  There's a top two, then four other contenders, and then a serious dropoff.  The smart move is to just put OKC and San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals... but I'm not doing that.  I think one of them will slip in the playoffs, and until Wembeyana can play as many minutes as Jokic or SGA, I'll always worry about them.  

       I'm picking Houston as the team to meet OKC in the finals, because they have talent, and missed FVV to drive the team.  And I think Houston has the depth to overwhelm OKC.  

·     MVP?  If I'm wrong about Indiana- if they end up a top 2-3 seed in the East- then I'm going with Tyrese Haliburton.

If I'm right, and Indiana onlys gets to the play-in...  It's hard for SGA to repeat again.  Jokic isn't in a great position.  It might be Wembyana, but I'm going with Jayson Tatum

 

·     The Finals.  I have Houston shocking everyone by beating OKC and San Antonio to make the finals.  And I've got Cleveland surviving the East to meet them in the Finals.

       I also think Cleveland has a very short window- and know it.  Harden's not getting any younger.  Mitchell is over 30.  Cleveland is all in with this team... and after the brutal playoffs last year, they'll either succeed or fall apart.

       I think they pull it off.  Cleveland in 6.

Taskmaster Retrospective: UK Series 19

We have a new #1...

Year:  2025

Channel:  Channel 4

Contestants:  

Fatiha El-Ghorri

Jason Mantzoukas

Mathew Baynton

Rosie Ramsey

Stevie Martin

Number of Episodes:  10

Notes:

I wasn't sure if any series would outrank series 14 as my favorite of the UK Taskmasters.  Series 19 manages to do so.  

What a great series.  It's a great cast- all five of the contestants are clearly having a great time, and it's clear they all like each other.  There is a ton of banter between them and Greg/Alex.  Faitha and Greg spend the series flirting by way of taunting each other.  Matthew is trying very hard to win.  Rosie Ramsey is brilliantly weird; Stevie is both weird and trying hard to win.  All four are great contestants.

And then there's Jason.  Jason Mantzoukas does an incredible balancing act- he is both an agent of chaos, trying hard to win, alternating between both fantastic successes and amusing failures... all the while still being a great teammate (he and Stevie make a wonderful team; every time he's doing a team task he stops being destructive).  Alex and him are arguing over USA/UK the entire series.  Jason walks in claiming his mission was the destroy the Taskmaster House, but it's obvious he is a giant fan of the show.  

Plus, there are some brilliant tasks throughout the series.  Finding a cheese phone while Alex is playing a French Horn every time you move.  Teaching Alex Horne a lesson he'll never forget.  Pour all of the vinegar into the fish tank.  Freeze on your spot in the most powerful post.  

This isn't a great series in terms of racing to get points- the winner is pretty obvious- but the other four are extremely close in points for the entire series.  

The entire series is a blast to watch, and takes the top spot of the rankings.

Portrait Decor:  

Series 19 had a scientific theme, and portrait showed Greg Davies as Albert Einstein:

Best task of the season:

"Knock over all 10 skittles in 10 minutes. The final skittle should fall exactly when the whistle sounds. If any skittle is left standing after 10 minutes, you have failed. You must stay behind the rope at all times."  Sounds like a basic taskmaster task.  Trust me... it's not.

Worst task of the season:

"Team: Provide the best drive-through experience."  This isn't a bad task- it's just long (10+ minutes)

Trivia:

* The location tasks were at Painshill

* Rosie Ramsey is the spouse of Chris Ramsey, who was in Series 13

Contestant Rankings:

1. Jason Mantzoukas (Series 19)
2. Dara O'Briain (Series 14)
3. Kiell Smith-Boyle (Series 15)
4. Mel Giedroyc (Series 4)
5. Rhod Gilbert (Series 7)
6. Ed Gamble (Series 9)
7. James Acaster (Series 7)
8. Stevie Martin (Series 19)
9. Sarah Millican (Series 14)
10. Wildly Inappropriate Rosie Jones (Series 18)

Series Ranking:

1. Series 19
2. Series 14
3. Series 9
4. Series 7
5. Series 15
6. Series 13
7. Series 18
8. Series 17
9. Series 12
10. Series 16
11. Series 4
12. Series 11
13. Series 5
14. Series 10
15. Series 8
16. Series 6
17. Series 2
18. Series 1
19. Series 3

Taskmaster Retrospective: UK Series 18

Series 18 is a good cast but one contestant stands out.

Taskmaster:  UK Series 18

Year:  2024

Channel:  Channel 4

Contestants:  

Andy Zaltzman

Babatunde Aleshe

Emma Sidi

Jack Dee

Wildly Inappropriate Rosie Jones

Number of Episodes:  10

Notes:

The cast is fun- Andy Zaltzman takes the role of the person trying very hard to win, Emma Sidi is extremely hit or miss on the tasks, Jack Dee does well but acts like the sardonic old guy who doesn't want to be there, and Babatunde Aleshe doesn't seem to be aware of what show he is on.

The standout of the cast is Rosie Jones, who is inappropriate and hysterical.  She is having a blast on the show, and carries the season.  She breaks Greg, Alex and the other contestants a half dozen times.  As funny as the other four are, Rosie takes the spotlight.

Portrait Decor:  

Series 18 had a nautical theme, and Greg Davies was decked out as an admiral in the office portrait:

Best task of the season:

"Wear this outfit throughout one future task and your points will be doubled for that task."  I love this concept- the contestants pick a task and wear a special outfit, and for that task only, the points are doubled.  Of course, they have to choose before finding out what the task is.  

Worst task of the season:

"Create, handle and voice the most charismatic new children's television puppet sidekick for Alex.."

This was going all right until Wildly Inappropriate Rosie Jones...

And I am amazed that the smell task of episode 5 is not here...

Trivia:

* The location tasks were at Thorpe Park

* Widlly Inappropriate Rosie Jones has Cerebal Palsy, and the tasks were adjusted for her condition.

* There's a couple of meta-tasks; one task punishes the players for outside the box thinking, which is unusual. 

Contestant Rankings:

1. Dara O'Briain (Series 14)
2. Kiell Smith-Boyle (Series 15)
3. Mel Giedroyc (Series 4)
4. Rhod Gilbert (Series 7)
5. Ed Gamble (Series 9)
6. James Acaster (Series 7)
7. Sarah Millican (Series 14)
8. Wildly Inappropriate Rosie Jones (Series 18)
9. Mike Wozniak (Series 11)
10. Rose Matefeo (Series 9)

Series Ranking:

1. Series 14
2. Series 9
3. Series 7
4. Series 15
5. Series 13
6. Series 18
7. Series 17
8. Series 12
9. Series 16
10. Series 4
11. Series 11
12. Series 5
13. Series 10
14. Series 8
15. Series 6
16. Series 2
17. Series 1
18. Series 3

Taskmaster Retrospective: UK Series 17

Series 17 is a good series that never quite reaches the heights of the best series.

Taskmaster:  UK Series 17

Year:  2024

Channel:  Channel 4

Contestants:  

Joanne McNally

John Robins

Nick Mohammed

Sophie Willan

Steve Pemberton

Number of Episodes:  10

Notes:

You have some good casting- John Robins and Steve Pemberton are working hard on the tasks (one is consistently good; the other is very hit-or-miss), Sophie Willan and Joanne McNally are chaos agents, and Nick Mohammed is both having a blast and takes the Nish Kumar role of being terrible at tasks.  Everyone is good, and the tasks are enjoyable.  What it's missing is an S-tier moment that would put the series at the top of the rankings, IMHO.

One reason Series 17 doesn't quite reach top tier is that the show is so dominated by the eventual winner, who wins half the episodes, ties for the top in another episode, and never finished worse than tied for third.  With two people doing objectively terrible on the tasks, the winner becomes very obvious.

It's a fun season- everyone is having a blast.  And if there's ever a 'Loser of losers' show, with the most entertaining bad contestants, there's two top choices here.  I'd argue that this is the series that separates the good series from the great ones.

Portrait Decor:  

Series 17 went with a Victorian theme, and the portrait of the Greg Davies had him in a long beard, top hat, and suit:

Best task of the season:

"Team: Put the watermelon on this table. The table may not be moved. Once you leave this room, you may not re-enter this room. Also, you may not step on the stage and the watermelon may not touch the stage, floor or ground. Finally, you must speak into your hand-held microphones at all times."  This is a fun task for two reasons- first, everyone is given a secret task that they try to complete while also doing the Team task.  And second, one team is very very good at the Team Task.  And the other is... not.

Worst task of the season:

"Team: Present the best new short-form shiny floor American gameshow. Alex will be the contestant, one of you must be his rival and somebody must win."

Once again, one team does really well, and the other team is awful.  And I really, really, REALLY, do not like disgusting tasks...

Trivia:

* The location tasks were at the Kennel Farm in Buckinghamshire

* It say something about the show that at no time do Alex or Greg ever mention that Nick Mohammed is dressed as Dracula

Contestant Rankings:

1. Dara O'Briain (Series 14)
2. Kiell Smith-Boyle (Series 15)
3. Mel Giedroyc (Series 4)
4. Rhod Gilbert (Series 7)
5. Ed Gamble (Series 9)
6. James Acaster (Series 7)
7. Sarah Millican (Series 14)
8. Mike Wozniak (Series 11)
9. Rose Matefeo (Series 9)
10. Sophie Duker (Series 13)

Season Ranking:

1. Season 14
2. Season 9
3. Season 7
4. Season 15
5. Season 13
6. Season 17
7. Season 12
8. Season 16
9. Season 4
10. Season 11
11. Season 5
12. Season 10
13. Season 8
14. Season 6
15. Season 2
16. Season 1
17. Season 3

NFL Predictions: 2026-2027

As always, remember that I am a casual fan who really doesn't know what he's talking about.  

Rather that be a fan of one team, I pick a different NFL team to root for every year.  In the past, it's been Buffalo and Detroit.  This year, I was torn between three teams- Chicago, Atlanta, and the team I ended up with- the Houston Texans.  On the off chance I really am a sports curse, I apologize in advance to the Texans.

Looking over this season... the separation between the good teams and bad teams isn't that wide.  I think most teams win between 7-10 games.  I don't think anyone will win 13 games or win just 3 games.

In the NFC, there are three divisions that look absolutely brutal, with 3 or more possible playoff teams.  Only the South doesn't have a lot of contenders, and none of them look bad.  The Rams, on paper, look the strongest- and I have them making the Super Bowl.  It won't be easy

I think the AFC is the weaker conference.  The North no longer looks like a powerhouse, Kansas City is getting old, and the East is only a two team race.  I have Buffalo coming out of the AFC, though I have a coin flip between them and Denver.

And in the Super Bowl?  The Rams have the defense.  But in one game, after overcoming their demons... I like Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills.  Super Bowl LXI ends the curse for one franchise.

NFC

East:

Philadelphia   10-7

Dallas   10-7 (Wild Card)

NY Giants   8-9

Washington   7-10

North:

Detroit   11-6

Chicago   10-7 (Wild Card)

Green Bay   9-8 

Minnesota   7-10

South:

Atlanta   10-7

Carolina   8-9

New Orleans   8-9

Tampa Bay   6-11

West:

Los Angeles Rams   12-5

Seattle   12-5 (Wild Card)

San Francisco   8-9

Arizona   5-12

Playoffs:

Seattle over Philadelphia

Atlanta over Dallas

Detroit over Chicago

Detroit over Seattle

Los Angeles Rams over Atlanta

Los Angeles Rams over Detroit

AFC

East:

Buffalo   12-5

New England   10-7 (Wild Card)

Miami   6-11

NY Jets   5-12

North:

Baltimore   10-7

Cincinnati   9-8  (Wild Card)

Pittsburgh   9-8 

Cleveland  4-13

South:

Houston   10-7

Tennessee   7-10
Jacksonville   7-10

Indianapolis   7-10

West:

Denver   11-6

Los Angeles Chargers   10-7 (Wild Card)

Kansas City   8-9

Las Vegas   6-11

Playoffs:
Denver over Cincinnati

Los Angeles Chargers over Baltimore

Houston over New England 

Denver over Houston

Buffalo over Los Angeles Chargers

Buffalo over Denver



Super Bowl: Buffalo over Los Angeles Rams, 38-31

Taskmaster Retrospective: UK Series 16

"Portcullis!"

Taskmaster:  UK Series 16

Year:  2023

Channel:  Channel 4

Contestants:  

Julian Clary

Lucy Beaumont

Sam Campbell

Sue Perkins

Susan Wokoma

Number of Episodes:  10

Notes:

I've remarked how some of the Taskmaster series need more of a chaos agent.  Series 16 is NOT short on chaos.

Series 16 reminds me of Series 19- the contestants get along and help each other, but are constantly snarking with Alex and Greg. Two of the contestants (Sam Campbell and Lucy Beaumont) are wonderfully weird throughout the show.  There is a difference between them- Sam is weird but cunning, and is trying to win.  Lucy is just a Cloud Cuckoo Lander throughout the series.

Julian Clary brings the snark (the banter between him and Alex is hysterical, and a highlight of the series), and the Sues are both funny (and work phenomenal together as a team; they could do a show together).  There is not a lack of strangeness throughout the series.

It's not a great series in terms of tasks, and there are a lot of terrible performances.  But the commentary is surreal and odd.

Portrait Decor:  

Series 16 went with an Art Deco theme, and the portrait of the Greg Davies evoked the classic movie Metropolis.

Best task of the season:

"Live: Pass the pineapples amongst you for 15 seconds while the Taskmaster shuts his eyes and has a little think. When the Taskmaster opens his eyes, he will say if he thinks you are holding a pineapple behind your back or not. If he accuses you wrongly, you will get a point."  Sometimes the simplest tasks bring about the best responses...

Worst task of the season:

"Do something shocking but family-friendly with this doughnut."

I really, really do not like disgusting tasks...

Trivia:

* The location tasks were at the Wormsley Park

* At the start, Alex mentioned a 'secret task' for the players to find.  There have been secret tasks, but this was the first time one was mentioned for the players to look for.

* Did you know that the Royal Academy of the Dramatic Arts (RADA) costs 30 grand a year?

* Lucy Beaumont's husband is Jon Richardson, who was on Series 2 of the show.

Contestant Rankings:

1. Dara O'Briain (Series 14)
2. Kiell Smith-Boyle (Series 15)
3. Mel Giedroyc (Series 4)
4. Rhod Gilbert (Series 7)
5. Ed Gamble (Series 9)
6. James Acaster (Series 7)
7. Sarah Millican (Series 14)
8. Mike Wozniak (Series 11)
9. Rose Matefeo (Series 9)
10. Sophie Duker (Series 13)

Season Ranking:

1. Season 14
2. Season 9
3. Season 7
4. Season 15
5. Season 13
6. Season 12
7. Season 16
8. Season 4
9. Season 11
10. Season 5
11. Season 10
12. Season 8
13. Season 6
14. Season 2
15. Season 1
16. Season 3