Game of the week is Bukhara vs Istanbul. When the schedules came out I bet almost everyone penciled in Istanbul as 0-2 to start. After taking out Islamabad last week, they face a tougher matchup week 2. This should be a great game.

Edited by user Monday, January 17, 2011 7:00:08 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

for every game this week .. there is no clear cut winner .. even baghdad will give mecca a run

Edited by user Monday, January 17, 2011 7:07:28 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Need info on Alat (medina) and Ahmed Hassan (cordoba) before I make my picks

My prediction is that the J.E.T.S....JETS JETS JETS will steamrole the steelers and represent the AFC in the superbowl

#25 [Raied Saleh i think] is going to be a problem and tough this year. Hes probably the youngest guard in the league. Him vs Chris Diaz is going to be a very good match up... looking foward to the game

I think Istanbul will leave with the W

There both great and fundamental players. I cant wait to see them in action Friday night. Great guards and the youngest guards in the league. They both got my love. Jaber runs the show, Raied is dominant and extremely fast.

EVERYBODY has Bukhara to lose.. i just think this will be a good game.. Istanbul has 2 good young players, but so do we, (Khiry and Hanif)... not to forget about the outside shooting from Moose and inside presence of Rajab. and the return of Chris Diaz... Bukhara will be too much for Istanbul.. because im going for 30!

Lines and Pre-Game Analysis:

Medina (-2.5) at Damascus
Two solid teams kickoff a week full of very even matchups. Damascus is full of streaky shooters, so this game has potential for several big runs benefitting either side. Medina is a consistent performer with Alat poised to make his Winterball '11 debut. Look for Alat to control the paint, and Turan and company to play good D as usual - rarely allowing an uncontested shot. This game should be close, and FTs with time winding down will make or break the line.

Cordoba (+1) at Fez
Word from a reliable source is that MB megastar Ahmad Hassans availability for games is largely based on when practice ends at his Institution. Add that to Friday night traffic and it will be difficult - as stated by my source - for him to arrive on time for games prior to 8pm. If he's avaiable, look for Cordoba to have a 6-9 point lead at the final buzzer. Rogers and Tahir form a good low post duo for Fez, with Shamirs explosiveness they should keep the game close. They are turnover prone, looks for Anwar and Hassan to force many and convert to fast break points.

Bukhara (-1.5) at Istanbul
Early in the week, Bukhara was a 9 point favorite, but the guards of Istanbul have had this line creeping closer to even all week. Look for Mus to neutralize one of the two, and I dont think the 2nd with the rest of the Istanbul cast will be able to overcome the most well-rounded team in the league. Hanif, Khiry, Moose and Chris will be too much for Istanbul to handle. This will be a high scoring affair, but i'll take Bukhara to cover. Look for Istanbul Captian to challenge Bukhara in his post game press release to a tackle football match

Kabul (even) at Cairo
Being referred to as the Toilet Bowl, both teams come in with extremely poor performances in week 1. Ranked as 2 of the 3 worst preseason teams, they were unable to prove the critics wrong. Kabul doesnt have an answer for Ali Omar down low, but he cant win this alone. Kabul played well against Bukhara for a good portion of the first half before caving. I'll take Kabul in this even matchup.

Islamabad (-3.5) at Jerusalem
Both teams had bitter losses in week 1, and look to rebound. Its hard to go against the defending champs, especially with Muj back in the lineup. I look for a more energetic performance this week from Islamabad. They hit some meaningless 3's late to make the score respectable against Istanbul. Jerusalem had as bad a loss as you can have, after having a W in the bag. This veteran roster is definitely capable of the cover and the outright win, with the 3 guards they have. But its a tough spot for them, as they are going up against the defending champs, looking to prove that Ardell did not make this team last season.

Baghdad at Mecca (-9.5)
Baghdad went out to prove their critics wrong with a strong performance week 1, and hope to carry that momentum forward into week 2 against (according to Eds official rankings) the top team in the league. Star guard Ahmad R needs another strong performance, but he'll need other guys to step up around him. Mecca brings a veteran roster with a solid offensive crew, but need to buckle down and D-up as they allowed Damascus over 50% from the field in week 1. Look for Mecca to withstand the surge and control the game.

Edited by user Friday, January 21, 2011 7:07:42 AM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Today I was one of 2 people who made it to work on time, so I had some free time on my hands till the rest of the troops made it. And the time stamp on these isnt always ET time, its weird - I havent figured it out because it shows up differently sometimes.

One other thing, almost everything at work is blocked on the internet, I have access to this site so I visit it often.

Edited by user Friday, January 21, 2011 1:10:50 PM(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Pretty accurate prediction O, that's pretty much what happened.