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**StarDust Bum** · 01-09-2011, 11:47 AM

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Sunday, January 9Game Score Status Pick Amount

Atlanta - 1:30 PM ET Atlanta +104 500
Carolina - Under 5.5 500

**StarDust Bum** · 01-09-2011, 11:49 AM

Duke looks for payback against Maryland

MARYLAND TERRAPINS (10-4)

at DUKE BLUE DEVILS (14-0)

Tip-off: Sunday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Duke -15, Total: 151.5

Duke looks to extend the nation's longest winning streak to 25 games when it hosts Maryland, the team that last defeated the Blue Devils, on Sunday night.

Duke has won 24 consecutive games since dropping a 79-72 decision to the Terrapins at the Comcast Center on March 3, 2010. The Blue Devils beat Miami in their ACC opener last Sunday, 74-63, and dominated UAB in a non-conference game on Wednesday, 85-64. Nolan Smith (19.6 PPG, 5.6 APG, 4.9 RPG, 40.7% three-pointers) led Duke with a career-high 33 points against the Blazers, including 20 at halftime. He also added seven rebounds and five assists. Smith has been sensational all season, and especially in his past five games, where he's averaging 26.2 PPG on 61.6% shooting, including 12-of-19 from long range. Kyle Singler (17.4 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 39.5% three-pointers) finished with 15 points versus UAB, and became the 11th player in Duke history to reach 2,000 career points. But Singler shot only 5-of-18 from the floor and is 10-for-28 in his last two games. Led by Singler and Smith, the Blue Devils' offense continues to perform at an elite level. They're third in the nation in scoring (89.0 PPG), sixth in FG Pct. (50.1%) and 16th in assists (17.4 APG). They've also scored at least 74 points in every game this season and have topped the 100-point mark twice.

Maryland will have its hands full at Cameron Indoor Stadium, but the Terrapins will present the Blue Devils with a big challenge in double-double machine Jordan Williams (17.6 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 57.6% FG). Williams has compiled eight straight double-doubles and had 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 95-40 rout of Colgate on Tuesday. Cliff Tucker (11.1 PPG, 36.7% three-pointers) and Terrell Stoglin (11.0 PPG, 42.5% three-pointers) are the other two players who score in double-figures. And while Maryland might not be as explosive as Duke on offense, its efficiency and production can't be overlooked. The Terps rank 20th in the nation in points (80.6 PPG), ninth in FG Pct. (49.7%), 10th in rebounding (41.9 RPG) and 17th in assists (17.4 APG). Their four defeats have all been single-digits against quality opponents, losing to Pittsburgh (79-70), Illinois (80-76), Temple (64-61) and Boston College (79-75).

Smith scored 20 points in the last meeting at Maryland, and Singler added 14 for Duke, which had won the previous six games in the series before the Terps' victory last March. Williams finished with 15 points and 11 boards for Maryland in that game. Duke won last season's home game versus the Terrapins, 77-56. Smith had 14 points and Singler had 10 in that victory, while Tucker scored 12 points and Williams was held to just six.

The Blue Devils have won 28 straight contests at Cameron Indoor Stadium, including seven of the last nine matchups with the Terps. Expect that streak to continue on Sunday night. This FoxSheets trend likes Duke to win and cover the spread.

Play Against - Road teams as an underdog or pick (MARYLAND) - good offensive team - scoring 77+ points/game on the season, after 3 straight wins by 15 points or more. (86-42 since 1997.) (67.2%, +39.8 units. Rating = 3*).

Play On - A home team (DUKE) - after 3 straight wins by 10 points or more against opponent after 3 straight wins by 15 points or more. (37-14 since 1997.) (72.5%, +21.6 units. Rating = 2*).

This four-star FoxSheets trend advises bettors to play the Over on Sunday.

MARYLAND is 12-1 OVER (+10.9 Units) after playing 2 consecutive games as favorite over the last 2 seasons. The average score was MARYLAND 83.5, OPPONENT 72.1 - (Rating = 4*).

**StarDust Bum** · 01-09-2011, 12:48 PM

Maryland battles NCAA odds at No. 1 Duke

A rare down season in the ACC finds just one team in either set of rankings nearly nine full weeks into the 2010-11 college basketball schedule. Granted, that team is the top-ranked Duke Blue Devils who will put their No. 1 title and 14-0 record on the line Sunday evening (5 p.m. PT) at home against the Maryland Terrapins.

The defending champions have done nothing so far that would suggest they were anything but the No. 1 team in the country. Duke's 14-0 straight-up mark includes an 8-5 record against the spread, spreads that are no doubt fattened up a bit with the Blue Devils' public following. The 96 voters combined in the AP and coaches polls all agree on who the top team is. While the pollsters aren't all-knowing, it's still a strong statement even if it is a case of voters simply saying that until someone knocks them off, the Blue Devils are No. 1.

Still, at some point this season playing a far weaker conference slate should eventually crack the unanimity in the polls, especially if the Buckeyes, Jayhawks and Orange continue to win their tougher conference assignments.

The Ken Pomeroy rankings suggest that could be very soon. Duke sat just 0.0002 percentage points ahead of No. 2 Ohio State in the Pomeroy Ratings before Saturday's action. Kansas was 0.0023 south of the Blue Devils in third.

Duke continues to simply outshoot and outscore their opponents. The Blue Devils' 89.0 scoring average is second in the country and their 50.1 field goal rate ranks seventh. Senior co-captains Nolan Smith (19.6 PPG) and Kyle Singler (17.4 PPG) are each hitting 53 percent of their shots, better than 40 percent from long range and taking care of business from the charity stripe with a combined mark just under 80 percent.

It was Smith who led the way in Duke's latest triumph, a resounding 85-64 romp as 17½-point chalk over UAB. The 6-foot-2 guard posted a career-best 33 and dished five assists while he continues to direct the Blue Devils offense in place of freshman phenom Kyrie Irving who missed his sixth-straight game.

Irving hasn't played since the Dec. 4 National Championship rematch against Butler when he injured his right foot. A recent Eamonn Brennan blog at ESPN called the frosh's injury "super-evil turf toe," and there's still no date for his possible return.

Sunday's game marks the second conference contest for both Duke and Maryland (10-4 SU, 4-5 ATS). The Terrapins popped their ACC cherry several weeks ago with a 79-75 home loss to Boston College. Gary Williams' club coughed that one up for Maryland backers who had the Terps minus-7½.

They've since reeled off three consecutive wins, but all were unlined games against New Jersey Tech, North Florida and Colgate. The Colgate victory came Tuesday, a 95-40 laugher that found the Terrapins holding an early 22-2 lead over the Raiders. Suffice to say, Duke will be a step up in talent level for Maryland.

Sophomore Jordan Williams is the main man for the Terrapins, leading the team with a 17.6 scoring average and 11.8 boards per game. He brings an eight-game streak of double-doubles into Sunday's matchup, and without a ninth straight Maryland will be hard-pressed to stay within the number.

The two schools split their meetings last season, each winning and covering on their own floors. Duke crushed the Terps by a 77-56 count a Cameron in mid-February as nine-point chalk; Maryland got its revenge two weeks later with a 79-72 win as one-point home pups.

Both teams next hit the court next Wednesday as they continue their ACC schedules on the road. Maryland treks to Winston-Salem to meet Wake Forest while Duke heads to Duke travels to Tallahassee to take on Florida State. The Terps and Blue Devils will meet again this year, Feb. 2 in College Park, MD.

**StarDust Bum** · 01-09-2011, 12:49 PM

NBA Odds: Ailing Lakers host NY Knicks

The ailing Los Angeles Lakers have been grinding out wins lately as they host the New York Knicks in a Sunday night encounter.

Los Angeles (26-11 straight up, 16-20-1 against the spread) suffered a three-game losing streak in late December, going 0-3 ATS with each defeat by at least 15 points. Two of those were much-hyped matchups against Miami and San Antonio. San Antonio (30-6) easily has the conference’s best record after L.A. held that distinction the last three years.

Questions started to be asked and Phil Jackson’s squad was ready to give answers/excuses. Kobe Bryant’s right knee has almost no cartilage left. Lamar Odom’s left shoulder is so bad that he might have to play right-handed. Mind you, those diagnoses were not from team doctors, but the players themselves.

Bryant and Odom didn’t seem too injured in their last game Friday night. Bryant scored 25 points and Odom added 17 points and 13 boards in a 101-97 win over New Orleans as 7 ½-point favorites. L.A. is 5-1 SU since the three-game losing steak, although just 2-3-1 ATS.

The Lakers have had issues scoring points lately. They were one of the NBA’s top scoring teams through November (108.8 PPG in 18 games). The last 19 contests have been completely different at 97.9 PPG.

The ‘under’ is 8-3 in L.A.’s last 11 home games and 19-7 in the last 26 overall.

Bench scoring is a part of the problem with the exception of Odom. Things could look even worse Sunday with reserve Matt Barnes (7.4 PPG) questionable after spraining his knee on Friday. Backup point Steve Blake also twisted his ankle and his status is up-in-the-air.

New York (21-14 SU, 23-11-1 ATS) is just happy to be on the national radar after playing under .500 ball the last nine seasons. Coach Mike D’Antoni’s squad is seven games behind Boston (28-7 SU) in the Atlantic Division standings, but is a comfortable playoff team at this point.

New York started this four-game road trip in great fashion on Friday, a 121-96 win over Phoenix as 2 ½-point ‘dogs. This was a homecoming for former coach D’Antoni and also big man Amare Stoudemire, who burned his old Suns teammates for 23 points.

The Knicks hit a whopping 17 three-pointers against Phoenix. They’re second in the league in three-point attempts (24.4 per game) and ninth in accuracy (37.5 percent).

D’Antoni’s fast-paced offense led to a lot of wins in Phoenix, but never an NBA Finals appearance. That’s why he was allowed to leave for New York. The Knicks are the highest scoring team in the league (108.1 PPG), although third-worst in points allowed (106.2 PPG).

Forward Danilo Gallinari (knee) has missed the last two games and is expected to be out a couple more weeks. The Knicks haven’t missed him offensively, putting up 128 points in their prior game against San Antonio on Tuesday (128-115 home win as 5 ½-point ‘dogs).

The Sunday strategy for the younger New York squad is simple. Push the ball on every possession against the older Lakers and try to get into a shootout. That strategy will work even better if Barnes and/or Blake are out.

This is the first meeting between Los Angeles and New York this year. The Lakers are 4-0 SU and 2-2 ATS since D’Antoni took over in the Big Apple (the ‘over’ going 3-1). However, the Knicks are 2-0 ATS in the SoCal games.

Tip-off from Staples Center will be 6:30 p.m. (PT) and broadcast locally.

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