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**Jimmy The Greek** · 11-18-2010, 06:39 PM

GoodLuck Bud . . .

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 06:57 PM

Thanks Greek...........Did Ryan get that thing fixed yet ?

Thigpen to start Thursday vs. Chicago
By: Brian Graham - *******
Published: 11/18/2010 at 9:56:00 AM
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CHICAGO BEARS (6-3)
at MIAMI DOLPHINS (5-4)

Kickoff: Thursday, 8:20 p.m. EDT, Line: Miami -1.5, Total: 40

The Bears travel to Miami on Thursday night to take on the Dolphins with their No. 3 quarterback Tyler Thigpen. Due to injuries to Chad Pennington (shoulder) and Chad Henne (knee), Thigpen will start against Chicago. Thigpen might not get the protection he requires because two key offensive linemen might not play. LT Jake Long is questionable with a torn labrum in his shoulder and C Joe Berger’s status is uncertain due to a knee injury. This could allow the Bears to actually tally some sacks for a change. Only Tampa Bay and Cincinnati have fewer than Chicago’s 13 sacks this year.

But despite the non-existent pass rush, the Bears defense has been formidable this year. They lead the league in turnovers forced (24) and rank second in both scoring defense (16.2 PPG) and rushing defense (82 YPG). On the offensive side of the ball, Chicago has not been efficient, ranking 23rd in rushing (95 YPG) and 21st in passing offense (202 YPG). QB Jay Cutler has six touchdowns and seven interceptions in his past five games, while RB Matt Forte has a dismal 170 combined rushing yards and a 3.2 YPC average in his past four games.

Thigpen played very well after Miami’s top two quarterbacks left last week’s 29-17 win over Tennessee. He went 4-for-6 for 64 yards and a touchdown to cap off an 85-yard drive that sealed the win for the Dolphins. For his four-year career, Thigpen has played 19 games and completed 54.3% of his passes for 2,811 yards, 20 TD and 16 INT. Most of his experience came in 2008 with Kansas City when Thigpen played 14 games and threw for 2,608 yards, 18 TD and 12 INT. Thigpen will look to get Brandon Marshall more involved in the passing game. Marshall has been bothered recently with a hamstring injury, but he only has one touchdown in nine games this season. Over the past four weeks, Marshall has a paltry 18 receptions for 185 yards (10.3 average).

These teams have only played twice since 2000, with Miami winning both games easily, 27-9 in 2002 and 31-13 in 2006. The FoxSheets show this trend in favor of Miami to win again on Thursday night.

Play Against - Any team (CHICAGO) - opportunistic team (2.5+ TO/game forced) against a team with <=1.25 TO/game forced, after a game where they forced 3 or more turnovers.(25-5 over the last 10 seasons.) (83.3%, +19.5 units. Rating = 3*).

The FoxSheets also like the Over:

MIAMI is 10-1 OVER (+8.9 Units) in home games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MIAMI 25.4, OPPONENT 26.9 - (Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 06:58 PM

Roy remains out when Portland hosts Denver

DENVER NUGGETS (6-5)

at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (7-5)

Tip-off: Thursday, 10:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Portland -2.5, Total: 203

Denver travels to Portland to take on the Brandon Roy-less Trail Blazers on Thursday night. The Nuggets fell six points short in Phoenix Monday night, despite leading most of the game, but recovered with a 120-118 win over the Knicks the following night at the Pepsi Center. Al Harrington and Gary Forbes, each playing less than half the game, were big off the bench for a combined 15-of-28 for 41 points, 5-for-9 from beyond the arc, and 13 boards. Thursday night’s game in the Rose Garden will feature mostly guards and forwards with injured big men on both teams. Denver’s Chris Andersen and Kenyon Martin are still out with knee injuries while Blazers big men Greg Oden (out for season) and Joel Przybilla also have knee problems. Carmelo Anthony has averaged 32 points in the past four games against Portland and led the Nuggets to win three-of-four meetings (SU and ATS) last season. Denver, which ranks fifth in the league in scoring (105.8 PPG), should look to drop triple-digits in Portland as it is 0-3 when held under 100 points this season.

Portland is in the midst of a six-game Western Conference stretch and returns home from a 100-99 win in Memphis -- its only win of three on the road. With Brandon Roy out due to a knee injury, Wesley Matthews went 11-of-19 for a career-best 30 points and drained five from three-point range in 43 minutes of play. Marcus Camby led the team in rebounds, grabbing a season-high 17 boards. He could move slower tonight after injuring his ankle in Memphis. Roy’s absence will be a key loss for the Blazers offense in the next three matchups against teams who are all over .500. Roy has averaged 19.0 points and 5.7 assists in his career against Denver. Portland is holding opponents to 97.3 PPG on the season, and defense will be a crucial factor Thursday night for the Blazers, who are 7-0 this season when holding opponents to less than 100 points.

Despite Portland going 3-1 (SU and ATS) at home against Denver in the last three seasons and winning the past matchup in the Rose Garden 107-96, injuries could prevent the Blazers from ending their two-game losing streak to the Nuggets.

These FoxSheets stats favor Denver to cover the spread:

DENVER is 29-16 ATS (64.4%, +11.4 Units) after allowing 100 points or more 3 straight games over the last 3 seasons. The average score was DENVER 108.3, OPPONENT 102.8 - (Rating = 0*).

George Karl is 58-30 ATS (65.9%, +25.0 Units) when playing against a marginal winning team (Win Pct. 51% to 60%) as the coach of DENVER. The average score was DENVER 105.4, OPPONENT 100.8 - (Rating = 2*).

In the last three seasons, three of four meetings at Portland went Under the total. These FoxSheets stats also favor the Under:

DENVER is 31-16 UNDER (66.0%, +13.4 Units) in road games after playing a home game over the last 3 seasons. The average score was DENVER 103.0, OPPONENT 102.6 - (Rating = 1*).

Nate McMillan is 53-26 UNDER (67.1%, +24.4 Units) when the total is 200 to 209.5 as the coach of PORTLAND. The average score was PORTLAND 98.7, OPPONENT 98.9 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 06:59 PM

Locker will start Thursday vs. UCLA

UCLA BRUINS (4-5)

at WASHINGTON HUSKIES (3-6)

Kickoff: Thursday, 8:00 p.m. EDT, Line: Washington -2, Total: 53.5

Washington QB Jake Locker will play through a broken rib in the last home game of his career when Washington hosts UCLA on Thursday night. Locker was unable to play last game (a 53-16 loss at Oregon), but has healed enough with last week’s bye to be ready for the Bruins, who are also well-rested coming off a bye.

UCLA snapped a three-game losing skid in its last game against Oregon State, winning 17-14. The Bruins’ 27th-ranked running game should thrive against Washington’s pitiful 118th-ranked (out of 120 teams) run-stop unit (220 YPG). Leading the ground game is Johnathan Franklin (99 YPG) who rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown against Oregon State. This snapped a three-game skid of being held under 70 rushing yards. UCLA’s passing game continues to be a mess, ranking fifth-to-last in the nation in passing offense (121 YPG). The Bruins are also 100th among FBS schools in scoring (20.8 PPG) and 101st in total offense (315 YPG).

Locker has had a roller-coaster career with many highs and lows. He has played pretty well in two career games versus UCLA (40-for-76, 451 yds, 6 TD, 3 INT; 115 rush yds) but lost both of them, 24-23 in 2009 and 44-31 in 2007. This season, Locker only has one 300-yard passing game and just two games with multiple TD passes. Junior WR Jermaine Kearse is sure happy to have Locker back. Kearse entered last game averaging 90.4 receiving YPG on the season, but only caught two passes for seven yards from Locker’s backup Keith Price. Kearse had a huge game against UCLA last year with seven catches for 114 yards and two touchdowns.

UCLA is 10-3 ATS (11-2 SU) in the series since 1997. However, this FoxSheets trend sides with Washington to win on its home turf.

UCLA is 3-13 ATS (18.8%, -11.3 Units) in road games after a bye week since 1992. The average score was UCLA 22.6, OPPONENT 36.4 - (Rating = 1*).

These two FoxSheets trends expect the game to finish Under the total:

Play Under - Road teams where the total is between 49.5 and 56 (UCLA) - off a home win against a conference rival against opponent off a road blowout loss by 28 points or more.(30-7 since 1992.) (81.1%, +22.3 units. Rating = 3*).

Play Under - Any team against the total (WASHINGTON) - after failing to cover the spread in 5 or 6 out of their last 7 games, when playing on a Thursday. (29-6 over the last 10 seasons.) (82.9%, +22.4 units. Rating = 3*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:00 PM

Pittsburgh favored by 4.5 over Maryland

PITTSBURGH PANTHERS (3-0)

vs. MARYLAND TERRAPINS (3-0)

2K Classic Championship - First Round
Tip-off: Thursday, 7:00 p.m. EDT - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Line: Pittsburgh -4.5

For one night in the Garden, east coast basketball fans can pretend that the old Big East-ACC challenge is back when Pittsburgh takes on Maryland in a semifinal game of the 2K Classic. The Panthers (91.7 PPG in three games) are off to a sizzling start offensively, as they have been led by the starting backcourt of Ashton Gibbs and Brad Wanamaker. Each player is averaging 19.3 PPG. Despite an opening-game scare from the Rhode Island Rams, the Panthers have been generally dominant, winning its first three games by an average of 32 points. In addition to scoring, the 6-foot-4 Wanamaker is also tops on the Pitt’s stat sheet in assists (6.3 APG) and steals (2.0 SPG). Over the past two seasons, Pittsburgh ranked sixth in the nation in rebounding margin, and are picking up where they left off last year. The Panthers are outrebounding opponents by more than 21 rebounds a game so far this season.

Despite those gaudy numbers on the glass, Jamie Dixon’s squad will have a major challenge on its hands in the paint against Maryland. Sophomore center Jordan Williams is off to a phenomenal start. Williams averaged 9.6 PPG and 8.6 RPG last season. So far this year, he is pulling down 13.7 RPG to go along with his 21.0 PPG. The only other ACC player to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game in the past decade was Tyler Hansbrough. While the backcourt of Adrian Bowie and Sean Mosley is still learning the ropes with one another, Gary Williams’ team has gotten a boost from freshman guard Pe’Shon Howard, who had 14 points and the game-winning basket versus Charleston in a one-point win last week. Watching the Panthers team of defenders (six players are averaging at least 5.0 RPG) battle Williams for supremacy on the glass could be the matchup that determines who will step up and take control of this game down the stretch.

The FoxSheets like the Panthers to cover the spread in a very competitive contest.

Play On - Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (PITTSBURGH) - an excellent defensive team (<=63 PPG) against an average defensive team (67-74 PPG), after a blowout win by 20 points or more. (68-33 over the last 5 seasons.) (67.3%, +31.7 units. Rating = 2*).

PITTSBURGH is 14-3 ATS (+10.7 Units) versus teams who average 40 or more rebounds/game on the season over the last 3 seasons. The average score was PITTSBURGH 72.9, OPPONENT 64.7 - (Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:01 PM

Illinois-Texas square off in 2K Classic

ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI (3-0)

vs. TEXAS LONGHORNS (2-0)

2K Classic Championship - First Round
Tip-off: Thursday, 9:25 p.m. EDT - Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Line: Even

After disappointing 2009-10 campaigns, which included a one-and-done in the NCAA Tournament, and a third-round NIT loss, Texas and Illinois are on a mission to prove that last season was a speed bump, and this season will be the express lane that will take them deep into the big dance.

The Fighting Illini returned all five starters from last season’s team, are off to a 3-0 start and are showing several good signs early this season. The guard trio of Demetri McCamey, D.J. Richardson, and Brandon Paul are shooting a combined 47.4% from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, the Illini as a team is shooting over 54% FG on the season. Head coach Bruce Weber has been impressed with his team’s defense, as Illinois is holding its opponents to just 36% shooting from the field. On the interior of that defense, senior center Mike Tisdale is averaging 7.7 RPG to go with 2.3 BPG.

Texas head coach Rick Barnes spent much of the offseason revamping the Longhorns’ offense. Now he has put that new offense in the hands of the new kids on the block in Austin, freshman point guard Cory Joseph and fellow freshman Tristan Thompson. In the November 10 victory over Louisiana Tech, Joseph had eight points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals. Meanwhile, all Thompson did was tack on 17 points coming off the bench. Between the two freshmen, and sophomore Jordan Hamilton, who is averaging 22.5 PPG thru two games, the new offense seems to be working well. Expect Texas to get a major test from the length of Tisdale, Mike Davis and the rest of the Illinois defense. In the backcourt, the challenge of the young Texas guards going against the experienced shooting trio of McCamey, Richardson and Paul from Illinois should be an equally intriguing match-up. Seeing it all play out on the Madison Square Garden stage will be a fitting backdrop for two teams who want nothing to do with returning to the Garden in March for that "other" postseason tournament.

The FoxSheets like Illinois to edge Texas.

Play On - All teams where the line is +3 to -3 (ILLINOIS) - very good team - outscoring their opponents by 8+ points/game, after 2 straight blowout wins by 20 points or more. (59-27 over the last 5 seasons.) (68.6%, +29.3 units. Rating = 2*).

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:12 PM

Magic and Suns tip TNT Thursday doubleheader

The Phoenix Suns could be a little weary Thursday when they travel to Orlando to play the Magic during the first half of a TNT doubleheader. The Suns will be coming off a Wednesday contest in Miami against the Heat, while Orlando has been off since Monday.

Playing the Magic with plenty of rest is a challenge for any NBA team. But meeting them after a tough road game against Miami the night before could prove too much for a Suns team that relies on its legs to score fast-break points.

Pete Korner, who makes the betting numbers for the majority of Nevada sports books as owner of Sports Club, has opened Orlando as a nine-point home favorite on his overnight NBA lines. The total is set at 207 points.

Thursday’s game against Orlando will be the Suns’ second stop on a four-game road excursion. Phoenix will travel to Charlotte for a Saturday contest against the Bobcats before concluding the trip next Monday in Houston against the Rockets.

Prior to Wednesday’s meeting in Miami, Phoenix was riding a three-game winning streak that raised the club’s record to 6-4 SU and 5-5 ATS.

Those three wins occurred during a four day span, so the Suns seem to be playing games in bunches. The Suns have already played three sets of back-to-back games this season, and have gone 1-2 both SU and ATS in the second game during those situations.

The historically high-scoring Suns have registered triple-digits in eight of their first 10 games, helping the team rank third in the league offensively with a 108.2 points per game average.

The Suns rank fifth in both field goal percentage (47.6) and three-point shooting (39.8 percent), but are just 23rd in free-throw percentage (73.3).

Defense continues to be a problem for the Suns. Alvin Gentry’s troops are allowing a bloated 106.6 points per game, which ranks 29th in the 30-team league. They do rank dead last in rebounding, averaging just 46.8 boards per game.

An injury to Robin Lopez certainly won’t help the club’s rebounding woes. The seven-foot, 255-pound center will be out until at least mid-December with a sprained left knee.

Orlando enters this contest by winning six of its last eight games, including the last two in a row. The recent surge has lifted the squad’s ledger to 7-3. However, the Magic have failed to cover the spread in seven of their first 10 efforts.

That was not the case in Orlando’s most recent outing, which was Monday’s 89-72 victory against Memphis as an 8 ½-point home favorite.

The combined 161 points dipped well below the 200 ½-point closing total, leaving the ‘under’ 5-4-1 in Orlando’s first 10 encounters. However, the ‘over’ is 5-2-1 in its last 10 home games dating to last season.

Vince Carter collected 19 points to lead the offense against Memphis, while center Dwight Howard had 18 points and 14 rebounds. Jameer Nelson added 11 points and nine assists from his point guard position.

Statistically, the Magic are almost completely opposite of the Suns. Orlando ranks second in the league defensively by allowing just 90.8 points per game. The squad is also third in rebounding, hauling down 44.3 boards per outings.

Offense is where the Magic are struggling, as they rank 22nd with a 97.9 points per game average. Most of the offensive woes are occurring at the free throw line where Orlando is shooting a league-worst 66.8 percent.

The Suns and Magic split the two-game series last season, with each squad winning on its home court.

The game in Orlando saw the Magic register a lopsided 122-100 victory as a 7 ½-point favorite. The combined 222 points skipped above the 218-point closing total, enabling the ‘over’ to go 9-4 in the last 13 series meetings.

Orlando will leave town for a two-game road swing after this game against the Suns. They start the trip with a Saturday contest in Indiana against the Pacers before traveling to San Antonio for a Tuesday meeting with the Spurs.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:13 PM

Nuggets battle injury-riddled Trail Blazers

Coming into play on Wednesday night, the Northwest Division standings couldn't possibly get any tighter. There is only one game separating first place and fourth place at this point.

The teams currently in third and fourth hook up in the Rockies in NBA betting action on Thursday night, as the Denver Nuggets duke it out with the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Nuggets have been up and down all season long and just really haven't gotten into a flow quite yet. The offense is doing its job, averaging 105.8 PPG, but modest shooting percentages have really given opposing teams some nights where they can just sneak up on Denver. It has already lost twice outright this year as NBA favorites.

Amazingly, the one man that there are no complaints about is F Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, who still demands to get traded and refuses to talk about a contract extension with the Nuggets, has been their most consistent player. He is averaging 24.6 PPG and 9.4 RPG, and he is one of three players in the regular rotation that is shooting better than 47 percent from the field.

Al Harrington is coming off of a pair of great seasons with the New York Knicks, but things really haven't jived for him yet in Denver. He is scoring just 14.5 PPG and is pulling in just 5.6 RPG. Part of his problem has been staying out of foul trouble, as 43 fouls in 11 games is leaving him with just 28 minutes on the average night.

As always when these two teams meet up, it will be Denver that is trying to push the tempo and Portland that is trying to slow it down.

Knee and ankle injuries on the Blazers are claiming a number of players right now that might force the game to an even slower pace than normal if they have their way. The biggest problem right now is G Brandon Roy, who hasn't really played a regular game since last Friday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Since that point, he has been dealing with a knee injury that has kept him in and out of the lineup.

Marcus Camby and Joel Przybilla are both questionable as well with an ankle injury and knee injury respectively. For a team that is already missing C Greg Oden for the next few weeks at minimum, losing all of these big men could be a real catastrophe.

Wesley Matthews, a second year man out of Marquette, has stepped up in Roy's absence. He netted 30 points in a narrow 100-99 win over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. LaMarcus Aldridge also poured in 23 points in his second best scoring game of the campaign.

The Nuggs are historically a terrible road team, especially of late. They are just 3-12-2 ATS in their last 17 road games. To make matters worse, both the home team and the favorite are 7-1 ATS in the last eight clashes in this series.

This is the first meeting of these Northwest Division foes this year. Denver scored a 3-1 victory last season in the series, including stealing a 97-94 victory as 7½-point NBA betting favorites here at the Rose Garden in the first meeting of the season.

The three most recent meetings have also exceeded the 'total.'

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:14 PM

NHL Betting: Canadiens, Price host Predators

The ‘Price is Right’ for the Montreal Canadiens as they host the Nashville Predators at the Bell Centre on Thursday night.

The Canadiens (12-5-1) have a six-point lead over Boston and Ottawa in the Northeast Division standings with 25 points. Only Washington (27) and Philadelphia (26) have more points in the league and Philly has played one more game.

The fast start proves that Montreal’s playoff run last year was no fluke. The Habs finished as the eighth seed (88 points) before upsetting Washington and Pittsburgh in the first two rounds. A conference finals loss to seventh-seed Philly ended the run.

Goalie Jaroslav Halak was the playoff hero, but he was traded in the offseason to St. Louis by new general manager Pierre Gauthier. He felt former starter Carey Price was the goalie of the future and he made the bold, yet unpopular move with the fans.

Fortunately for Gauthier, Price has been terrific with a 2.05 GAA in 17 contests. No other NHL goalie has played in more games. The 23-year-old from Vancouver has all the talent in the world as the No. 5 overall pick in 2005. Now he just has to keep it up.

Price stopped all 41 shots in a 3-0 home win over Philly on Tuesday. It was the team’s fourth-straight win, allowing just three total goals. The ‘under’ is 8-1 the last nine games and 13-4-1 for the season.

The offense is generating 2.71 goals per game (ranked 19th). That’s up slightly from 2.56 last year, ranked 25th.

Thomas Plekanec leads the team in scoring with 20 points. The 5-foot-10 center leads a small, but fast set of forwards that includes 5-foot-7 Brian Gionta, 5-foot-9 Mike Cammalleri and 5-foot-11 Scott Gomez.

The Canadiens are 6-3-1 at home this year and 6-2 away. They’re 1-5 in their last six against the Central Division.

The Predators (7-6-3) are in last place in the Western Conference’s Central Division with 17 points. They’re in the second game of a four-game trip that started with a 5-4 loss in Toronto on Tuesday.

Nashville jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but allowed four unanswered goals in the second period. The third period was scoreless and Toronto broke an eight-game winless streak.

The combined nine goals scored easily went ‘over’ the NHL betting total. The ‘over’ is 5-3 in Nashville’s last eight games, with the defense allowing 3.88 goals per game. Nashville’s record is 2-6 in that span with both wins coming via shootout.

The ‘under’ was 5-3 in the first eight games, allowing just 2.13 goals per game. That made for a 5-0-3 start.

Pekka Rinne has been in net 10 of the last 12 games, but the 6-foot-5 goalie is not getting the job done lately.

The Nashville offense was expected to struggle and that’s come to fruition at 2.50 goals per game (ranked 25th). The team was at 2.65 last year, but had to replace one of its leading scorers in Jason Arnott. Center Cal O’Reilly is the only player with double-digit points (12).

Having injured center Matthew Lombardi would help. He’s been limited to two games with a concussion and is out for Thursday. Montreal defenseman Andrei Markov (knee) is out indefinitely and center Jeff Halpern (head) is questionable.

Nashville is 4-5 on the road this year, but just 1-5 in its last six away.

These teams have split the four meetings over the last four years, with three games decided by one goal.

The puck will drop at 4:30 p.m. (PT) and will be broadcast on Canada’s RDS station

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:16 PM

Huskies host Bruins in college betting contest

UCLA and Washington have been two of the most disappointing teams in the Pac-10 this season. But with so many bowl games littering the landscape, the Bruins and Huskies still are bowl-eligible.

That and the anticipated return of Jake Locker make this Thursday matchup (5 p.m. PT on ESPN) at Husky Stadium worth watching.

Washington currently is minus 2 ½ points at the college football betting window with the ‘over/under’ at 53.

The Huskies, at 3-6, need to win out in order to be invited to a bowl game. Locker, linebacker Mason Foster and 15 other seniors shouldn’t lack for motivation as they will be celebrated on what has been designated as “Senior Night.”

Washington closes on the road against California and Washington State. Locker missed the Huskies’ last game because of a broken rib. Both teams were idle last weekend.

Locker is expected to give it a go having had an extra week to recover. He is completing 56 percent of this throws for 1,678 yards with 14 touchdowns and six interceptions. These are decent figures, but not the numbers expected of the man considered to be the preseason favorite for the Heisman Trophy and No. 1 overall draft pick.

Redshirt freshman Keith Price would start if Locker is unable. Price was 14-for-28 against Oregon for 127 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions in his first college start.

The Huskies are off three consecutive defeats – 53-16 to Oregon which pushed on the spread since Washington was a 37-point road ‘dog, 41-0 to Stanford as a seven-point home ‘dog and 44-14 to Arizona as six-point road ‘dogs.

Washington is 18-39-2 ATS in its last 59 home games. The Huskies are 28-61-3 in their last 92 Pac-10 matchups.

UCLA entered its bye week on a high note shading Oregon State, 17-14, as a four-point home ‘dog winning on the final play thanks to a 51-yard field goal by Kai Forbath. The combined 31 points went ‘under’ the 53-point total.

Richard Brehaut is the latest to operate the Bruins’ ‘Revolver’ offense, but UCLA’s passing attack ranks near the bottom at 116th. The Bruins could get back playmaking wide receiver Nelson Rosario, who has been hobbling around the past month due to a high ankle sprain.

Randall Carroll has emerged as UCLA’s top receiver with nine receptions for 136 yards in the last two games.

Washington ranks 110th in total defense and 118th in rushing defense. That’s good news for tailback Jonathan Franklin, who leads UCLA with 892 yards rushing and six touchdowns.

The Bruins have to wary of Washington wide receiver Jermaine Kearse, who leads the Huskies with 682 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

UCLA has failed to cover during 10 of the last 14 times it has been an underdog. The Bruins are 11-28-1 ATS versus opponents with a losing record.

The Bruins nipped the Huskies, 24-23, last year but failed to cover as 5 ½-point home favorites. The combined 47 points dipped ‘under’ the 51 ½-point total. There were five lead changes with the Bruins scoring last on an early fourth-quarter field goal.

UCLA is 10-3 ATS during the past 13 meetings, including covering five of the last six in Washington. The ‘under’ has cashed in four of the past five games in the series.

The ‘under’ has cashed in nine of the Bruins’ last 10 games in November. The Bruins are 20-6-1 to the ‘under’ in their last 27 Pac-10 games. The ‘under’ is 13-5 the past 18 times UCLA has been an underdog.

The ‘over’ has cashed in six of Washington’s past eight games.

There is a 70 percent chance of rain with temperatures in the high 30s with five mph winds.

**StarDust Bum** · 11-18-2010, 07:17 PM

Pitt Panthers lead quartet into MSG

The 2K Sports Classic Benefiting Coaches vs. Cancer returns to the hardwood Thursday when the four host schools from last week's opening round meet at Madison Square Garden.

Illinois, Maryland, Pittsburgh and Texas each posted 2-0 marks straight up on their home courts a week ago. The Illini, Terrapins and Panthers all played weekend games to move to 3-0 on the young season.

The quartet will pair off Thursday with Illinois facing Texas and Maryland meeting Pitt. Losing teams on Thursday will meet Friday in the consolation game with Thursday's winners squaring off for the early season tournament championship the same day.

Rankings listed below are from the most recent AP poll.

No. 5 Pittsburgh (3-0 SU, 1-1 ATS) vs. Maryland (3-0, 1-1)
Thursday, Nov. 18 - 4 p.m. PT - Madison Square Garden

The Panthers faced the stiffest of opening-round challengers when they took down the Rhode Island Rams in the season opener, 83-75, failing to cover the 11½-point spread. Pitt subsequently topped Illinois-Chicago by a 97-54 count as 25-point chalk before beating North Florida in an unlined game this past weekend, 95-49.

Maryland opened with a 105-76 triumph over Seattle, easily covering the 19½-point line. The Terps then ran into an upset-minded Charleston team, surviving with a 75-74 victory as 13½-point chalk. Gary Williams' bunch then rolled past Maine, 89-59, on Sunday in a contest that had no line.

Pitt is going to have the backcourt advantage 90 percent of the time this season with junior Ashton Gibbs and senior Brad Wanamaker. The pair of guards top the Panthers' early stats sheet with identical 19.3 PPG marks. Pittsburgh's biggest task in Thursday's contest will be finding a way to stop Maryland center Jordan Williams. The 6-foot-10 soph posted a trio of double-doubles last week for the Terps, averaging 21 points and 13.7 boards per game.

Maryland leads the all-time series 5-1, though it's been about 12 years since the two schools last met. Pitt has enjoyed playing at MSG over the years, winning 24 of its last 35 games at the arena. Panthers take this one by eight.

No. 13 Illinois (3-0, 2-1) vs. Texas (2-0, 2-0)
Thursday, Nov. 18 - 6 p.m. PT - Madison Square Garden

The Longhorns just fell short of making this a top-25 matchup with the writers listing Texas 26th on their list. Rick Barnes' club rose from No. 25 to No. 22 in the coaches poll after taking down Navy and Louisiana Tech last week by similar scores. The 'Horns covered 25½- and 21-point lines respectively in the two victories.

Illinois let a rout slip away in its opener, a 79-65 win over Cal-Irvine with the Illini favored by 21. Bruce Weber's bunch then got its first cover of the campaign as 30-point favorites in an 84-45 romp over Toledo before pasting an 85-63 win and cover against Southern Illinois (plus 14½) this past Saturday.

The Illini are led by senior guard Demetri McCamey who leads three players in double-digit scoring with 14.7 per game. Fellow seniors Mike Tisdale and Mike Davis form a strong frontcourt duo for Texas to contend with.

Texas is breaking in a new lineup that features sophomore Jordan Hamilton along with true freshmen Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson. Where the Longhorns have shown a shortcoming in the early going is sinking the three-pointer. Texas converted just eight of its 33 tosses from beyond the arc as well as missing 20 of its 56 free throws (64.3 percent) in last week's pair of wins.

Keys for Texas will be its backcourt defense and keeping Illinois honest on defense by hitting some of the three-pointers. The Illini have to keep the Longhorns from simply dominating on the inside, limiting Texas on its offensive chances. A last-possession game, I like Illinois to take it by two.

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