The Bum's Wednesday's Best Bets NCAAB-NBA-NHL !

[StarDust Bum]

Road Test Wednesday For NCAA Basketball Elite

The Wednesday college basketball schedule has four teams from the top-10 and all will try to avoid getting tripped up on the road.

Road teams have actually covered at a higher rate (51.4 percent) than home teams (48.6 percent) this season. However, road favorites come in lower at 49.8 percent and all four ranked teams should be in that category on Wednesday. These are also all conference games where anything can happen, even an outright upset.

No. 1 Syracuse Orange at Villanova Wildcats - 7:00 p.m. (ET)

Syracuse (17-0 straight up, 11-5 against the spread) has owned the top ranking for almost a month after the December 10 ‘black Saturday’ that saw Ohio State lose at Kansas and Kentucky fall at Indiana. The Orange are deep and 3-0 SU and ATS in true road games this year (the ‘over’ 3-0). Two of those were in the Big East where they went 6-3 SU and 5-4 ATS away last year.

The Wildcats (8-8 SU, 3-10 ATS) were considered a top-35 team in preseason rankings, but haven’t come close to that billing. They did get a big home win (87-71) and cover over DePaul on Sunday and are 2-2 ATS in the Big East after going 1-8 ATS outside. The ‘over’ is 4-0 in their last four games, with their overall scoring defense (68.8 PPG) second-worst in the conference.

The away team won and covered both Syracuse and Nova meetings last year and the underdog is 7-2 ATS in the last nine. The ‘over’ is 4-1 in the last five.

No. 2 Kentucky Wildcats at Auburn Tigers - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

Kentucky (15-1 SU, 3-11-1 ATS) is probably the most talented team in the nation, but is an incredible 0-11-1 ATS in its last 12 games with a number after starting 3-0 ATS. Large spreads have played a big part with only one less than 21 points the last seven games. This is the first SEC road game for the Wildcats after going just 2-6 SU and ATS last year.

The Tigers (10-5 SU, 2-5 ATS) are a perfect 9-0 SU at Auburn Arena, although the competition has been easy with only two games warranting a spread (1-1 ATS). Auburn is offensively challenged overall (66.2 PPG, ranked 217th) and got blown out in its last two games at Vanderbilt (65-35) and Florida State (85-56).

Auburn is 3-0 ATS in the last three games against Kentucky, all as double-digits dogs, including one at home. The ‘under’ is 4-0 in the last four meetings.

No. 9 Missouri Tigers at Iowa State Cyclones - 8:00 p.m. (ET)

The Tigers (14-1 SU, 6-4 ATS) are still smarting from their 75-59 loss at Kansas State on Saturday as 1-point favorites. It was the first time the nation’s fourth-ranked scoring offense (84.4 PPG) was held under 75 points. It was also their first Big 12 road game and they struggled badly away in the conference last year (1-7 SU, 2-6 ATS) with the only win ironically at Iowa State (76-70).

Iowa State (12-3 SU, 6-5 ATS) has won seven games in a row and started to even receive some votes for the top-25 polls. Six games during the winning streak were at home and included covers over Iowa (86-76 as 8 ½-point favorites) and Texas (77-71 as 2-point underdogs). The Cyclones definitely want to slow this game down and keep the score in the 70s.

The ‘under’ is 4-0 in the last four meetings between Iowa State and Missouri.

No. 10 Kansas Jayhawks at Texas Tech Red Raiders - 9:00 p.m. (ET)

Kansas (12-3 SU, 8-6 ATS) is another Big 12 team like Missouri that is trying to prove it can compete with No. 4 Baylor. The Jayhawks have won five straight games (3-1 ATS) since a shocking home loss to Davidson on December 19. Included was a 67-49 win over rival Kansas State. The ‘under’ is 4-0 in the last five games with the defense clamping way down (49.8 PPG).

The Red Raiders (7-7 SU, 3-7 ATS) look like they’re in for another long season. However, they were able to get a home cover over Baylor last Saturday in a 73-60 defeat as 14-point ‘dogs. That was just a 4-point deficit with under six minutes remaining. Texas Tech is another offensively challenged team (66.6 PPG) and the ‘under’ is 7-2 in its last nine with totals.

Texas Tech lost (88-66) and failed to cover at home versus Kansas last year, but was 3-0 SU and ATS the prior three in Lubbock, each as underdogs.

[StarDust Bum]

Miami Heat And Clippers Cap Hump Day Twinbill

NBA betting fans of the Orlando Magic got some good news on Tuesday, as superstar Dwight Howard expects to stay in Orlando for the entire season. Though it could turn out to be terrible news for the Magic when it is said and done over the course of the next several years if Howard just leaves via free agency, at least for this season, he seems conceded to the fact that he will be playing at Mickey Mouse’s house.

Orlando is in the midst of a West Coast swing that continues Wednesday night with a visit to the Rose Garden against the Portland Trail Blazers. Don’t be surprised if this one turns out to be a low scoring game, as the Magic are 3-2 towards the ‘under’ in their last five, while Portland is 4-1 for ‘under’ backers in its last five.

The Trail Blazers have been remarkable against Orlando regardless of where the game is being played. They have won three in a row SU and ATS. To further support the total, the last four have stayed ‘under’ in this series, and none of those games have reached even 190 points.

Tip time in Portland is set for 10:00 (ET), and the game can be seen on Sun Sports and KGW.

The hottest team in NBA betting action right now is Philadelphia. The Sixers are 6-2, and they have won and covered five games in a row. They are the surprising leaders of the Atlantic Division, and they can extend their lead in the division on Wednesday if they can beat the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

Since the start of the 2010 calendar year, Philadelphia has only gone 2-5 SU and 1-6 ATS against the Knicks though, and there is definitely a lot to overcome for the boys from the City of Brotherly Love. This one tips off at 7:30 (ET), and television coverage is set for Comcast Sports and MSG.

On the other end of the spectrum are the Washington Wizards. They enter their game on Tuesday vs. the Toronto Raptors as the only winless team in the league. If Washington doesn’t beat Toronto, don’t expect to see this winning streak go by the boards on Wednesday night. A trip to Chciago's United Center is on deck, and the Wizards are sure to be tremendous underdogs against the Bulls.

Washington isn’t just 0-8 SU this year, but 2-6 ATS as well. Because the offense is only averaging 84.9 PPG, the ‘under’ is a rock solid 7-1 in Wizards games.

The ‘under’ is 18-8 in Washington’s last 26 games against Central Division foes, and in the last 16 games in this series, the ‘under’ is 14-2.

The Bulls are going to try to extend their 6-2 ATS mark in their last eight games, while extending a three-game winning streak both SU and ATS in this series. This duel in the Windy City is set for 8:00 (ET).

There are a number of other fantastic games on the Wednesday night hoops schedule as well. The Atlanta Hawks try to become the first team this season to beat the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse at 7:00 (ET), while their division rivals, the Miami Heat continue their West Coast trip with their date against the Los Angeles Clippers.

The Miami/LA game is the second game of an ESPN doubleheader, which gets started when the Dallas Mavericks meet the Boston Celtics at TD Garden at 8:00 p.m. (ET).

The rest of the games on the Wednesday slate includes Sacramento Kings at the Toronto Raptors, the Oklahoma City Thunder in New Orleans to meet the Hornets, the Houston Rockets making the short trip to play the San Antonio Spurs, the New Jersey Nets at the Denver Nuggets and the Los Angeles Lakers on the raod at the Utah Jazz.

[StarDust Bum]

Capitals Host Rival Penguins On Wednesday

The always-intense rivalry between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins highlights a light two-game NHL schedule on Wednesday night.

The Capitals started the season 7-0 before a November slump led to the firing of coach Bruce Boudreau, replacing him with Dale Hunter. Boudreau had great regular season success, but not in the playoffs, and his spotty relationship with superstar Alex Ovechkin sealed the deal.

The former gritty player Hunter hasn’t set the NHL on fire in his first time as head coach, going 9-8-1 in his 18 games. Hunter has been under a lot of pressure from the get-go, especially with Boudreau instantly hired by Anaheim, although the not-so-mighty Ducks have continued to struggle under his regime (5-9-2).

Note there have been seven league coaching changes this year, the latest with Columbus jettisoning Scott Arniel on Monday for assistant Todd Richards after an NHL-worst 11-25-5 record. Richards had a tough debut on Tuesday night at the Chicago Blackhawks as big 230 underdogs (result pending).

Washington (21-17-2, 44 points) is in third place in the Southeast Division and wouldn’t make the playoffs if it started today, but there is cause for optimism Wednesday. For starters, the team has a 4-game home winning streak and is 14-5-1 overall there compared to 7-12-1 away.

The Capitals are also 8-2 in the last 10 meetings against rival Pittsburgh. They’ve split the two this year with each winning on the other’s home ice. Both were low scoring and the ‘under’ is 6-0 in the last six meetings overall.

The Penguins (21-15-4, 46 points) are on a four-game losing streak, scoring a total of four goals. They have a Tuesday night home game with Ottawa as 160 favorites (result pending) before traveling to the nation’s capital.

Injuries are rarely an excuse in hockey, but an exception can be made in the Penguins’ case. Sidney Crosby’s long term concussion issues are well documented, but left winger James Neal (foot) and center Jordan Staal (knee) are also out several weeks after getting hurt over the weekend. Their best defenseman Kris Letang (concussion) is also out indefinitely and several others are banged up.

Evgeni Malkin (44 points) is tied for seventh in the league in scoring, but Pitt’s second-leading scorer Neal (36 points) will be badly missed and it’s hard to see where the consistent offensive punch will come from. That puts more pressure on goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, currently ranked 12th in the league with a 2.31 GAA.

Pittsburgh is 3-2-1 this year when playing the second half of back-to-back games, but this is an extremely difficult challenge with the current ailments.

Washington does have two key players questionable in defenseman Mike Green (groin) and center Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), but the health factor clearly favors the home team.

Slumping Oilers return home against New Jersey

The young Edmonton Oilers (16-22-3, 35 points) have seen a great start disappear quickly, but they at least return home to face the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.

Edmonton got off to a great start (8-2-2) and its mouth-watering young talent appeared to skip a year or two of its development. Alas, the bottom has fallen out since early November with an 8-20-1 mark, including a grueling 1-6 road trip that just ended Saturday in Dallas.

Injuries have hurt Edmonton badly with center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (shoulder) out several weeks. Hopkins leads all rookies in scoring (35 points) and is second on the team behind Jordan Eberle (43 points). Eberle (knee) is doubtful Wednesday after getting hurt last game.

The back end is also hurting with Ryan Whitney (foot) and Tom Gilbert (ankle) both listed as questionable. Edmonton is respectable on both ends of the ice, tied for 16th in scoring defense (2.83 goals per game) and 13th in offense (2.68). That small negative goal differential would suggest a better record, but a lot of close losses have really hurt.

The Devils (23-16-2, 48 points) have had a solid start after finishing out of the playoffs last year with 81 points. This is the second of a 4-game trip that started with a 3-1 win at Pittsburgh on Saturday. A pending Tuesday affair at Calgary as slight -105 ‘dogs means they could be dragging some for the Oilers.

The Devils are 12-9-1 away this year. The ‘over’ is 10-4-1 in their last 15 road games.

New Jersey has had success at the Oilers, going 4-1 in the last five games, although losing (2-0) the most recent one last March. The ‘under’ is 4-1-1 in the last six meetings in Edmonton.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday Tips

January 10, 2012

The Wednesday NBA card is filled with 11 games for bettors to wager on. Three of the late games involve each team sitting above .500, while the night concludes with the Heat and Clippers hooking up from Staples Center. We'll start in Salt Lake City with a rematch from the third day of the season between a pair of purple squads that are playing with no rest.

Lakers at Jazz - 9:05 PM EST

Los Angeles has rebounded nicely after losing the first two games of the season to win six of their last eight. This hot stretch began with a 96-71 rout of Utah at Staples Center on December 27 as 5 ½-point favorites, as the two teams meet up again Wednesday. The venue shifts to EnergySolutions Arena, where the Jazz owns a perfect 4-0 mark, while coming off Tuesday's matchup with the Cavaliers.

The Jazz attempted 91 shots from the floor in the first meeting, but Tyrone Corbin's club scored just 46 points through the first three quarters. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol combined for 48 points, while Andrew Bynum sat out as part of his four-game suspension to start the season. However, the Lakers haven't been the same team away from Southern California, by losing at Sacramento, Denver, and Phoenix in three road contests.

Utah is 3-3 ATS as an underdog this season, while winning twice outright as a home 'dog against Philadelphia and Milwaukee. The Jazz have turned into a solid 'under' team as of late by cashing in three straight games, as Utah's defense has allowed 87 points or fewer in all three contests. The Lakers started the season as an automatic 'under' club with a 6-0 mark, but have seen the 'over' hit in three of the previous four games.

Magic at Blazers - 10:05 PM EST

Orlando continues its West Coast swing as the Magic heads to the Pacific Northwest for a showdown with the Blazers. In spite of Dwight Howard's trade demands making all the headlines for the Magic, Orlando picked up its sixth win in nine games with Sunday's victory at Sacramento as 6 ½-point favorites. Howard got into early foul trouble and finished with a season-low five points and four rebounds in just 19 minutes of play.

The Blazers are turning into one of the forces inside the Western Conference at 6-2, including a 5-0 record at the Rose Garden. Nate McMillan's team does own several impressive wins early on, including victories over the Lakers, Nuggets, and Thunder. Portland has limited five of its first eight opponents to less than 100 points, including 'unders' in four of the previous five contests.

Orlando faces its first unrested team this season as the Blazers are coming off Tuesday's game against the Clippers. The Magic finished last season at 7-10 ATS against teams playing without rest, while losing in their only opportunity as a road underdog at Oklahoma City, 97-89, as 7 ½-point 'dogs. Portland swept the season series from Orlando last season, including a 97-83 victory at the Rose Garden.

Heat at Clippers - 10:35 PM EST

Miami makes the trip down I-5 from Oakland to Los Angeles on Wednesday for the fourth of a five-game road trip. The Heat takes on the exciting Clippers for the first and only time this season, as Miami plays its fourth game with no rest (1-2 ATS). Los Angeles returns home for just their eighth contest of the season, the least amount of games played by any team through the first 2 ½ weeks.

The Heat's offense continues to roll in spite of Dwyane Wade missing three games, as Miami has eclipsed the 100-point mark in seven of nine games, while the 'over' is 6-3. Miami hasn't fared well at Staples Center by losing each of the last three road meetings with the Clippers, including a six-point defeat as seven-point 'chalk' last January.

The Clippers will be in their first back-to-back spot of the season on Wednesday, as L.A. owns an 0-2 SU/ATS record as an underdog. Los Angeles has been outrebounded in five of six games, while sitting in last place in the league in rebounds per game. The formula is simple for the Clippers as Vinny Del Negro's squad is 4-0 when allowing less than 100 points, as the Clippers have given up more than 114 points in two losses.

[StarDust Bum]

Miami continues road trip at L.A. Clippers

MIAMI HEAT (8-2)

at LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS (4-3)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:35 p.m. ET
Line: Miami -4, Total: 203

There will be no shortage of star power when Miami stops into L.A. for a matchup with the new look Clippers on Wednesday night.

Both teams are traveling from the Pacific Northwest after tough losses: the Heat went to overtime in Golden State while the Clippers lost at Portland Tuesday night. Fatigue is more likely to be a factor for Miami, who has a banged-up superstar and a short bench. The Heat led by 12 after three quarters and by as many as 17 on Tuesday before blowing the game in Oakland. SG Dwyane Wade returned to the lineup for the first time in eight days because of a bruised foot. He played 37 minutes while LeBron James (43) and Chris Bosh (38) played heavy minutes as well. LOS ANGELES is the pick.

The FoxSheets have another trend working in the Clippers’ favor:

Play Against - Road favorites (MIAMI) - after having covered 3 of their last 4 against the spread, a top-level team (>=75%) playing a team with a winning record. (68-34 since 1996.) (66.7%, +30.6 units. Rating = 2*).

Wade (21.0 PPG, 5.9 APG) played well in his return to the lineup, scoring 34 thanks to 16 trips to the line at Golden State. But it’s yet to be seen how his foot will react to a back-to-back. Going with pretty much an eight-man rotation, the Heat got nearly no help from their bench, which scored just 16 points in the loss. Veterans Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem came off the bench and posted atrocious plus/minus numbers, -12 and -15 respectively. The Heat got another big game from James (29.7 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 7.6 APG), who had 26 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. But the return of Wade coincided with the disappearance of Bosh (19.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG), who had just 16 points and four rebounds against a weak Warriors front line.

The Clippers were competitive in Portland, one of the NBA’s toughest road venues. Blake Griffin (23.7 PPG, 10.6 RPG) posted another double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds), but PG Chris Paul (14.6 PPG, 8.4 APG) is still not being assertive. He scored just 11 points on nine shots with three assists on Tuesday. Perhaps the marquee matchup against the Heat will bring out a little more fire in him. He had 13 points and 19 assists in a home win over Miami with the Hornets last year.

The Clippers continued to struggle from behind the arc (6-for-23, now 31.4% on the season). The good news is that they had their best game of the season on the boards. After allowing 11.8 offensive rebounds per game through their first six games, they held Portland to just seven offensive boards on 35 misses on Tuesday night.

[StarDust Bum]

Magic try to hand Blazers a rare home loss

ORLANDO MAGIC (6-3)

at PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (7-2)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 10:05 p.m. ET
Line: Portland -3, Total: 190

The Blazers try to stay unbeaten at home when they invite Dwight Howard and the Magic for a Wednesday night showdown.

Portland is 6-0 at home this season and has won 16 of the past 17 regular-season games (14-3 ATS) at Rose Garden dating to last year. The Blazers are scoring 104.8 PPG (46% FG) at home this year, while Orlando is averaging a paltry 92.7 PPG on 42% FG on the road. In the past six meetings, Portland is 4-1-1 ATS including three straight SU victories over Orlando. And although Howard makes the Magic tough on the glass, the Blazers are 11-2 ATS versus good rebounding teams (3+ RPG margin) in the past two seasons. The pick here is PORTLAND to win and cover the small spread.

The FoxSheets show another trend steering bettors away from the Magic:

ORLANDO is 9-24 ATS (27.3%, -17.4 Units) after playing a game as a road favorite over the last 2 seasons. The average score was ORLANDO 97.1, OPPONENT 95.5 - (Rating = 2*).

The Magic have played five of their past seven games Under the Total and this three-star FoxSheets coaching trend also sides with the UNDER.

Van Gundy is 106-55 UNDER (65.8%, +45.5 Units) after one or more consecutive overs as the coach of ORLANDO. The average score was ORLANDO 100.3, OPPONENT 94.3 - (Rating = 3*).

Howard is coming off his worst game in quite some time, scoring just five points and grabbing four rebounds in 20 minutes of foul-plagued action in a 104-97 win at Sacramento on Sunday. But Howard’s limited production opened the door for others to step up, most notably Glen Davis, who pumped in 20 points (8-13 FG) and eight rebounds. Jason Richardson (22 points, five assists) and Ryan Anderson (19 points, 11 rebounds) also came through in a big way against the Kings. But this offense has been very inconsistent in the 2012 calendar year, scoring 102 points, then 78, then 103, then 83, then 104 on Sunday. The defense has been much more consistent though, allowing just 90.3 PPG (5th in NBA).

The Blazers have also played strong defense this season (93.7 PPG, 11th in NBA), especially on the perimeter where they allow a league-low 24% three-pointers. But the main reason Portland is 7-2 is because of an efficient, balanced offensive attack, averaging 99.7 PPG (6th in NBA) and shooting 80% from the foul line (2nd in NBA). Five players average double-figures in scoring, led by LaMarcus Aldridge (22.1 PPG, 7.7 RPG). His numbers have risen in the past five games (23.6 PPG, 8.0 RPG), but it was Gerald Wallace (15.6 PPG) that led Portland with 20 points in its 105-97 win over the Clippers on Tuesday. He has been incredible in six home games this season, pumping in 21.0 PPG on 65% FG, compared to a putrid 4.7 PPG on 16% FG in three road contests. Wesley Matthews (15.9 PPG) has shot 46% FG at home, and is draining threes at impressive 41% clip in all games this season. But this offense has the ability to be even more potent. Super sixth man Jamal Crawford (12.3 PPG) and PG Raymond Felton (11.1 PPG) have both been in a shooting funk over the past five games. Crawford has a woeful 29% FG over this span, and Felton isn’t much better at 33% from the floor. Felton has done a nice job taking care of the basketball though, with 34 assists and just 11 turnovers in this five-game stretch.

[StarDust Bum]

Celtics try to slow down Mavs Wednesday

DALLAS MAVERICKS (5-5)

at BOSTON CELTICS (4-4)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. ET
Line: Boston -5.5, Total: 184.5

The Mavs look to build on their first road win of the season when they visit a well-rested Celtics team on Wednesday night.

After losing their first three road games of the season (the final two by 17 and 22 points), Dallas cruised to a 100-86 win in Detroit on Tuesday. The Mavs, 4-1 (SU and ATS) in their past five games, continued their excellent team defense. In the past six games, no Dallas opponent has shot above 45% from the floor, averaging 89.2 PPG on 42% FG. The Celtics haven’t played since Friday, an ugly 87-74 home loss to Indiana, but none of the Dallas starters logged 30 minutes in Tuesday’s victory, so fresh legs should not be an issue in this one. And even though Jason Kidd (back) won’t play, Delonte West proved himself more than capable of running the point in Detroit with 10 assists, two turnovers and five steals. Since the 2005-06 season, the Mavs are 9-3 ATS (5-7 SU) against the Celtics, and with a moderate point spread, that trend should hold true again. Boston will likely win outright, but DALLAS, 23-8 ATS (74%) as a road underdog over the past two seasons, is the pick ATS.

The FoxSheets have a pair of three-star trends favoring the Mavericks:

DALLAS is 38-16 ATS (70.4%, +20.4 Units) after having won 4 or 5 of their last 6 games over the last 2 seasons. The average score was DALLAS 99.7, OPPONENT 94.2 - (Rating = 3*).

Play Against - Home favorites (BOSTON) - an average offensive team (92-98 PPG) against an average defensive team (92-98 PPG), after a loss by 10 points or more. (58-25 over the last 5 seasons.) (69.9%, +30.5 units. Rating = 3*).

Dirk Nowitzki posted an incredible +42 rating in his 28 minutes of action on Tuesday, finishing with a team-high 18 points (9-10 FG) and seven rebounds. Six other Mavs scored 9+ points during the balanced attack. Nowitzki has always enjoyed facing Boston in his career, pumping in 27.4 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 3.1 APG in 24 lifetime meetings. The scoring average is his highest versus any opponent in his NBA career, helped by 31.2 PPG (57% FG) in his past five meetings with the Celtics. SG Jason Terry continues to provide a lift off the bench, as he’s second on the team with 13.8 PPG. Terry has been the team’s lone marksman from three-point land (44%), as the rest of the Mavs are a pathetic 25% from downtown this year. SG Vince Carter (9.1 PPG) is finally starting to find his rhythm though, connecting on 9-of-18 FG in his past two games. He started the season in a 20-of-58 funk (35%). Dallas is still waiting for offseason acquisition Lamar Odom to get comfortable with his new team. So far Odom is shooting a laughable 28% FG (21-for-75) including 5-of-31 (16%) from three-point range.

The Celtics offense was horrendous in Friday’s 87-74 loss, especially Paul Pierce (3-of-17 FG). Pierce also had five turnovers in the defeat. It’s been a rough season for Pierce (39% FG), but he usually plays well against Dallas in his career with 22.0 PPG on 46% FG. In contrast to Pierce, Ray Allen has been lights-out on the offensive end all season. He leads the team with 20.4 PPG on 58% FG, including an amazing 63% from three-point land. Allen had 23 (7-of-11 FG) of his team’s 74 points in Friday’s loss. Three other Celtics are shooting better than 50% this year -- Rajon Rondo (14.8 PPG, 52% FG), Kevin Garnett (12.9 PPG, 52% FG) and Brandon Bass (12.9 PPG, 53% FG). Rondo continues to be a great ball distributor (10.5 APG), but he’s committed a career-high 4.1 turnovers per game. His decision making will be key against an improving Mavs defense.

[StarDust Bum]

Pens-Caps try to end losing skids Wednesday

PITTSBURGH PENGUINS (21-16-4, 46 points)

at WASHINGTON CAPITALS (21-17-2, 44 points)


Puck drops: Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. EDT
Line: Washington -130, Pittsburgh +110, Total: 5.5

What was once the premier rivalry in the NHL has lost much of its luster as the Penguins and Capitals both struggle to win games due to key injuries this season. Both teams look to snap losing streaks when they meet in D.C. on Wednesday night.

The Caps and Pens split the first two matchups this season, with each team picking up its respective win on the road. Given how tightly contested this rivalry has been, it is a bit shocking that the Caps are 11-1-2 over the past 14 meetings, with the Pens picking up their first regulation victory in that stretch last month. The Penguins have lost five in a row—tying the longest losing winless streak of Dan Bylsma’s tenure as head coach—mustering just one goal in four of the five games. Pittsburgh has been absolutely ravaged by injuries—none more notable than the one to captain Sidney Crosby, out indefinitely for the second time with concussion symptoms. The Caps just can’t seem to get on a roll, dropping their past two after winning four in a row. They will be without leading scorer Nicklas Backstrom (concussion), who was placed on IR Wednesday morning, and top defenseman Mike Green (groin). With so much firepower out of the lineup for both squads, expect a tight-checking, low-scoring game. The UNDER (-130) is the best play as two desperate teams try to eek out a victory.

This four-star FoxSheets trend also favors the Under.

Play Under - Any team against the total (PITTSBURGH) - after allowing 3 goals or more 3 straight games against opponent after allowing 5 goals or more 2 straight games. (34-7 over the last 5 seasons.) (82.9%, +26.7 units. Rating = 4*).

Even without Crosby for all but eight games, the Penguins have been successful finding the back of the net, averaging 3.0 goals per game (8th in NHL). Recent losing skid aside, C Evgeni Malkin (17 G, 28 A) is quietly having a terrific season, leading all Pittsburgh scorers.

The Pens injuries go way beyond Crosby, with third-line C Jordan Staal (15 G, 6 A) out 4-to-6 weeks with a knee injury. Top defenseman Kris Letang (3 G, 16 A) has been out of the lineup since November 26 with a concussion, and has no timetable for a return.

LW Alex Ovechkin (17 G, 16 A) may be the face of the franchise, but no player is more valuable to Washington than Backstrom (13 G, 29 A). The Swedish center leads the team in points and is the steady pivot on a team with little depth up the middle. Although the Capitals have not explicitly labeled the injury a concussion, Backstrom has missed the past two games after taking a cheap shot elbow to the head from Flames forward Rene Bourque.

The Caps’ lack of depth at center should not be overshadowed by the weak defense General Manager George McPhee has assembled; allowing an average of 3.0 goals per game (23rd in NHL). Green has played just 10 games all season, and unless a midseason trade is made to shore up the blue line, the Caps will be in danger of missing the playoffs.

[StarDust Bum]

Kentucky aims for 8th straight win Wednesday

KENTUCKY WILDCATS (15-1)

at AUBURN TIGERS (10-5)


Tip-off: Wednesday, 8:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Kentucky -17.5, Total: 136

No. 2 Kentucky plays just its second true road game of the year when it visits Auburn on Wednesday. The Wildcats have won seven straight games overall and 12 straight meetings with Auburn.

Kentucky doesn’t usually blow out the Tigers (12.5 PPG margin in past 12 meetings), especially at Auburn Arena. The ‘Cats have five straight road wins in Auburn, but these victories have come by the slimmest of margins (7, 9, 9, 3 and 5 points). The Tigers are currently 9-0 SU (1-1 ATS) at home this season, limiting their opponents to a mere 58.8 PPG. The young Kentucky squad is 1-11 ATS in its past 12 games and has played just once on the road all season, losing at Indiana in a game where it committed 16 turnovers. Auburn has the ability to rattle the UK backcourt with its 6.9 steals per game, and should be able to cover what could be a defensive struggle at home. Play on AUBURN for the ATS victory.

This rare five-star FoxSheets trend also backs the Tigers:

KENTUCKY is 0-9 ATS (-9.9 Units) after 3 or more consecutive wins this season. The average score was KENTUCKY 77.0, OPPONENT 60.0 - (Rating = 5*).

The Wildcats have been incredibly efficient on offense this year, ranking 12th in the nation in points (80.9 PPG) and 15th in field-goal percentage (49.1% FG). Six Kentucky players average 10+ points, led by Doron Lamb (14.6 PPG). He has scored at least eight points in every game this year, but has averaged only seven shot attempts over his past five contests. Freshman Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (13.6 PPG, 7.8 RPG) has been attacking the glass lately, with 35 rebounds in his past three games. Fellow frosh Anthony Davis (12.7 PPG) leads the team with 10.6 RPG and has posted five straight double-doubles (15.4 PPG, 12.0 RPG). But his biggest value has come on the defensive end where Davis leads the nation with 4.6 blocks per game. Terrence Jones has seen a statistical drop in his sophomore season (11.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG) as compared to his brilliant freshman campaign (15.7 PPG, 8.8 RPG). This dip is partly due to a finger injury, but Jones scored 20 points on 8-9 FG in Saturday’s win over South Carolina, and dropped a career-high 35 points on Auburn in last year’s 78-54 win. Freshman Marquis Teague (10.8 PPG) and senior Darius Miller (10.2 PPG) are the other Wildcats averaging double-figures.

Auburn also has a balanced offensive attack with five players averaging between 9.2 PPG and 11.9 PPG. Although the team’s offense was dreadful in the past two losses (45.5 PPG on 30% FG), it has been much more efficient at home this year (73.2 PPG on 48% FG), winning all nine games by an average of 14.4 PPG. Senior PF Kenny Gabriel leads the team in both scoring (11.9 PPG) and rebounding (7.8 PPG) and was the team’s best player against Kentucky last year with 13 points and nine boards in 28 minutes of action. SG Frankie Sullivan (11.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG) has struggled with his shot all year (40% FG), and is a dreadful 4-of-20 (1-of-9 threes) in his past two games. Guard Chris Denson (10.7 PPG) had a team-high seven points in the 65-35 loss at Vanderbilt Saturday and is averaging 12.8 PPG in his past four contests. He is the team’s best three-point shooter, connecting at a 39% clip from downtown. C Rob Chubb (9.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG) and PG Varez Ward (9.2 PPG, 4.1 APG) are the other two main contributors for Auburn.

[StarDust Bum]

No. 1 Syracuse visits Villanova Wednesday

SYRACUSE ORANGE (17-0)

at VILLANOVA WILDCATS (8-8)


Tip-Off: Wednesday, 7:00 p.m. EDT
Line: Syracuse -9.5, Total: 145

Syracuse takes its perfect record on the road to face struggling Villanova in Philly on Wednesday for one of the Big East’s best traditional rivalry games.

The No. 1-ranked Orange have cruised through their first four Big East games, and boast an impressive 4-1 ATS record away from home this year. Syracuse is 3-1 ATS in league play, failing to cover its most recent matchup with Marquette—a 73-66 win with a 10.5-point spread. Opposing defenses have had no success trying to stop the Orange’s potent offense, ranking 12th in the country in FG percentage (49.3%). This mark, surprisingly, is even better away from home, climbing to 54.1%. Villanova is a dreadful 3-10 ATS on the season, and 1-4 ATS in home games. The Wildcats have struggled to find an identity without Corey Fisher and Corey Stokes running the backcourt, and have allowed 70+ points in all four Big East games. That’s a bad recipe leading into a matchup with a scary team as deep as the Orange. SYRACUSE is the pick to win and cover on the road.

This pair of highly-rated FoxSheets trends also favor the Orange:

VILLANOVA is 1-12 ATS (-12.2 Units) versus good 3 point shooting teams - making >=37% of their attempts over the last 2 seasons. The average score was VILLANOVA 69.2, OPPONENT 70.3 - (Rating = 4*).

Play On - Favorites of 3.5 to 9.5 points (SYRACUSE) - an excellent defensive team (<=63 PPG) against an average defensive team (67-74 PPG), after leading in their previous game by 15 or more points at the half. (68-35 over the last 5 seasons.) (66%, +29.5 units. Rating = 2*).

The Orange have overwhelmed opponents with some incredible offensive depth, with 10 different players averaging 10+ minutes. Sophomore guard Dion Waiters (12.5 PPG) is arguably Syracuse’s best scorer—and he comes off the bench. Senior forward Kris Joseph (14.1 PPG, 4.9 RPG) leads all scorers for the Orange, who had six players score in double-figures in an 87-73 road win over Providence last Wednesday. The emergence of 7-foot sophomore center Fab Melo (7.3 PPG, 5.5 RPG) may be the key to Cuse’s success. Melo is an intimidating force on defense (2.9 blocks per game) and has improved his offensive game tremendously since last year.

Villanova junior guard Maalik Wayns (17.4 PPG, 4.8 APG) has jumped into the lead role for the Wildcats, who have yet to beat a quality opponent this season. Wayns led Villanova with 21 points in an upset at No. 3 Syracuse last year, but followed that up a month later with a 1-for-9 shooting day in a home loss to the Orange. Nova’s lone conference win came on Sunday, an 87-71 win over perennial Big East doormat DePaul. If the Wildcats hope to pull off the upset on Wednesday, they must find a way to penetrate the lethal 2-3 zone defense Syracuse employs. Look for Wayns and fellow guard Dominic Cheek (11.8 PPG) to work the ball inside to junior center Mouphtaou Yarou (12.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG). Yarou has the size and experience to post up on Syracuse’s big men, and if he can get Melo into the foul trouble, the Wildcats will have an easier time scoring points in the paint.

[StarDust Bum]

College Betting Notes

January 11, 2012

Northwestern (11-4 SU, 4-6 ATS) at Michigan (13-3 SU, 8-5 ATS) - Big Ten, 6:30 p.m. ET

Possible letdown spot for Michigan, who lost a tight affair to Indiana (73-71) last Thursday and then beat Wisconsin (59-41) at home on Sunday
The Wolverines have been better at home, going 10-0 SU and 4-3 ATS
Northwestern started 10-1 but have gone 1-3 in its last four, but two of the losses came against quality opponents in Creighton (79-87) and Ohio State (54-87)
The Wildcats have won and covered three of four in this series
St. John’s (8-7 SU, 5-7 ATS) at Marquette (12-4 SU, 5-7-1 ATS) - ESPNU, 7:00 p.m. ET


St. John’s started conference play with a 2-2 record, which includes a big upset at Cincinnati (57-55) as a 12-point underdog. When the school stepped up in class, as it does here, they’ve been humbled to UConn (83-69) and Louisville (58-73)
Overall, the Red Storm are 1-4 both SU and ATS outside of Queens
Marquette is laying 13 ½ points against SJU but gamblers might be hesitant to back a team that is 1-3 in its last four and 2-4 in the last six
Marquette has taken four of the last five in this series, but SJU has gone 3-1-1 ATS. The ‘under’ is 4-1 over this span

Syracuse (17-0 SU, 11-5 ATS) at Villanova (8-8 SU, 3-10 ATS) (ESPN2, 7:00 p.m. ET)


It’s hard not to back No. 1 Syracuse this season, considering its talent, depth and consistency on both offense (80.6 PPG) and defense (60.2 PPG)
The Orange opened up as 9 ½-point road favorite. Of their 17 wins, 12 of them have been by 10 points or more
In road or neutral settings, Syracuse has gone 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS
Villanova is coming off a home win against DePaul (87-71) last Sunday, which was its first conference win
Head coach Jay Wright and his young Wildcats have been humbled early and often this season. They have no seniors playing and unlike past years, the team can’t shoot from the outside.
Gamblers fading Wright and the ‘Cats have been making a killing. This season, Villanova is 3-10 ATS which was a carryover from last year when the team closed with a 1-13 ATS run.
Anything is possible in sports betting, however the visitor is 3-1 both SU and ATS in the last four meetings in this series. Total players should note that the ‘over’ is 4-1 in the last five matchups between the pair, but that’s when ‘Nova could shoot
Duquesne (10-6 SU, 8-5 ATS) at Xavier (10-5 SU, 5-8 ATS) - CSTV, 7:00 p.m. ET


It’s amazing how the Musketeers’ season unraveled after the on-court fight with Cincinnati on Dec. 10. Despite beating the Bearcats (76-53), Xavier has gone 2-5 SU and 0-6-1 ATS in its next seven
Xavier is giving up 8 points here and it’s hard to back a team that has gone 1-5 ATS at home
Duquesne is 4-1 SU and 3-1 ATS in its last five, the lone loss coming in overtime to St. Joseph’s (82-84)
Xavier has won and covered three of the previous four encounters
Penn State (9-8 SU, 5-7 ATS) at Nebraska (8-7 SU, 4-7 ATS) - Big Ten, 8:30 p.m. ET


The Nittany Lions (1-3) and Cornhuskers (0-4) both sit at the bottom of the conference, which could make you want to pass on this game
Nebraska has won six of its eight games in Lincoln and is listed as a four-point favorite here
PSU has been beat up on the road, going 2-5 SU and 1-6 ATS
The total in this matchup is hovering around 115 points. Even though the Lions played Indiana (82-88) in a shootout, make a note that both teams combined for 21 treys and 45 made free throws
Kansas (12-3 SU, 8-6 ATS) at Texas Tech (7-7 SU, 3-7 ATS) - ESPNU, 9:00 p.m. ET


Since the Jayhawks lost to Davidson (74-80) on Dec. 19 at home, the team has won five straight by double digits
Kansas is 4-2 SU and 3-3 ATS on the road
Texas Tech is down this season and it already started conference play with back-to-back losses. However, they covered both as double-digit ‘dogs
KU has beaten the Red Raiders by scores of 88-66, 80-68 and 89-63 in the last three head-to-head battles
The Jayhawks have watched the ‘under’ go 10-4, which could be the reason for the low opening total (134)
Texas A&M (9-5 SU, 2-6 ATS) at Texas (11-4 SU, 3-7 ATS) - ESPN2, 9:00 p.m. ET


The Longhorns haven’t lost in Austin (10-0) this season but their only 2-3 ATS in lined games
Texas opened as a double-digit favorite (-10) and is 1-3 ATS in this role
Rick Barnes’ team has won and covered three straight against A&M, all by double digits
The Aggies enter this game with a 1-4 skid, with the lone win coming against, don’t laugh, the Arkansas Tech Wonder Boys (76-58)
Texas A&M has gone 1-3 both SU and ATS outside of College Station
Temple (10-4 SU, 6-8 ATS) at Saint Louis (13-3 SU, 9-3 ATS) - CSTV, 9:00 p.m. ET


After upsetting Duke (78-73) last Wednesday, the Owls were caught in a letdown loss to Dayton (77-87) on Saturday
Temple is 6-3 SU and 4-5 ATS in games outside of Philadelphia this season
Saint Louis is 9-0 at home, but four of the games were against non-lined opponents. In the other five, the Billikens covered all of them
The Owls have won the last five encounters (4-1 ATS) against St. Louis. The ‘under’ has gone 4-1 during this span
Temple has seen the ‘over’ go 10-4 this season. Tonight’s total opened at 127
Denver (13-3 SU, 9-5 ATS) at Colorado State (10-4 SU, 6-5 ATS) - The Mountain, 9:00 p.m. ET


The Sun Belt meets the Mountain West in this non-conference matchup
Denver is 13-3 SU and 9-5 ATS on the season.
Away from home, the Pioneers have gone 5-1 SU and 3-2 ATS
Denver has won seven of its last eight, which includes three road victories
Colorado State is 10-4 SU and 6-5 ATS
The Rams bring a five-game winning streak (3-0 ATS) into this game
CSU has gone 6-1 SU and 2-3-1 ATS at home
The Pioneers (10-4) and Rams (8-4) have both leaned toward the ‘over’ this season
CSU has won six of the last seven meetings against Denver

[StarDust Bum]

ACC - Buy or Sell

January 11, 2012

As we enter the heart of the conference season in college basketball, there will be a great deal of shuffling in the conference standings and in the national rankings. Well-regarded teams will eventually take some losses as the grind of the conference schedule takes its toll and other teams will rise to prominence with hot starts. It is important to take a look at the whole picture in evaluating teams as some programs will face more difficulty early in the season and others will have a back-loaded schedule that could spell a fall late in the year.

Here are 'Buy' and 'Sell' teams for the ACC, a conference with two clear frontrunners and a muddled middle-of-the-pack. 'Buy' teams are squads that may be undervalued or have recently taken a fall with a few losses but should emerge as quality teams by season's end. Value may be on these squads in the coming weeks as the strength of schedule may have taken an early toll. 'Sell' squads are teams that have shot up the standings and may be moving up in the national consciousness, but these are teams with suspect resumes and likely are due for a fall in the coming weeks.

Buy: Miami (FL) Hurricanes - Opening the ACC season at 0-2 is not the start that former George Mason Coach Jim Larranaga envisioned in Coral Gables, but both games came on the road, losing by one at Virginia and by 17 at North Carolina. Miami is not in the same class as the Tar Heels, but this is a team that can move itself onto the NCAA tournament bubble with a solid conference season as they will benefit from having played a very difficult non-conference slate. Miami already has six losses, but none of the losses will hurt the team's resume. They lost away from home in five of the six losses with non-conference misses against Mississippi, Purdue, and West Virginia, and the lone home loss coming against Memphis. Non-conference wins over Rutgers and Charlotte are the best wins on the resume, as this is a team capable of picking up some quality wins in conference play. The schedule in the coming weeks is favorable with home games in three of the next five and two winnable road games, so this is a team that could get some momentum heading into big February games with Duke and the rematch with North Carolina. Miami has excellent depth with 11 players that have averaged ten or more minutes and it has taken some time for Larranaga's new system to catch on for a team that had a very tough off-season with injuries and suspensions. DeQuan Jones is just getting back into the rotation after his suspension and Reggie Johnson is also just getting his legs back after recovering from surgery. Those are two key players that will eventually be big contributors on this team. It may take a little more time for this team to develop but the Hurricanes should be in several favorable underdog and slight favorite situations in the coming weeks and in an ACC field that looks wide open after the two perennial powers, Miami is a team that can be heard from. On the ATS front, Miami has covered in three of the last five games with one of the losses coming by just a half point and this can continue to be a profitable team in the coming weeks.

Buy: Duke Blue Devils - As one of the most popular and polarizing programs in the nation, Duke is a team that can quickly become overvalued, but this year's Devils squad may be a bit under the radar. Duke lost over the weekend at Temple and also lost at Ohio State earlier this season. Those are both high quality teams and both games came on the road and heading into the ACC season. This is a team that can make a run and quickly climb back to a top-5 ranking. Duke can't be criticized for its schedule as the Blue Devils have taken on one of the toughest slates in the nation. They have wins away from home against Michigan State, Tennessee, Michigan, Kansas, and Washington and that is exactly the type of tournament level gauntlet that this team needed. While there are plenty of experienced veterans on this team, junior guards Seth Curry and freshman Austin Rivers are key players on this team that don't have much experience and they needed to get pushed early in the year. With the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly, Duke has the size and rebounding that most teams dream of and this is a versatile squad has been able to win track meets as well as defensive grinds. The distance between Duke and North Carolina and the rest of the ACC looks fairly substantial this season and while Duke will get every team's best shot, they should be able to deliver strong results in conference play, even against steep favorite spreads. Duke is currently just 6-9 ATS on the season including 0-3 in road games, but with a team that is averaging over 82 points per game, the Blue Devils are capable of putting up big numbers to get past large spreads. This is a very good 3-point shooting team and a team that gets a lot of points in the paint as well so a lot of games could be put out of reach early. The defensive numbers look suspect for this squad, but considering the pace put forth by the offense and the challenging schedule those are figures that will only improve in the coming weeks.

Sell: Virginia Cavaliers - There are only a handful of one-loss teams left in the nation and by default Virginia is rising in the national rankings with a 14-1 record and a 1-0 start in ACC play. Former Washington State Coach Tony Bennett was a hot commodity for several years before taking the leap to Virginia two years ago but the results have been fairly disappointing, going 31-31 in his first two seasons. He has three starters back from last year's team, but that squad went just 7-9 in ACC play and realistically a big jump in the standings should not be expected even with the glowing non-conference record. Non-conference wins over Michigan and LSU bring a little credibility to the non-conference slate but overall the Virginia schedule ranks near the 300's in the nation. The lone loss was somewhat embarrassing, falling to TCU in the Paradise Jam and the ACC opener featured just a one-point win at home over Miami. The ACC does not look overly strong this season and Virginia does only have to play Duke once so an upper-half finish is a strong possibility, but this is a team that will likely struggle in the favorite role against average teams and the late season schedule is difficult with North Carolina twice in February as well as several other challenging road games. This is a team that can probably finish at best 10-6 in the ACC and snag a NCAA tournament berth, but this is not a team that deserves to be in the top-20 in the national rankings. Virginia currently owns a 7-3 ATS mark, but they failed against the number in the first ACC test and could struggle as favorites. However, the Cavaliers may be worth a look as underdogs as this is a disciplined and well-coached team.

Sell: Clemson Tigers - The Tigers could very well start 2-0 in ACC play as they stunned Florida State in the opener and visit a down Boston College team next on the schedule. Against Florida State, Clemson had a 33-13 free throw advantage and also shot 49 percent from the floor while the Seminoles had an off-night, shooting just 35 percent. It was a nice win for a team that struggled in the non-conference season, but it is not likely to be the norm in the conference slate. Clemson has six losses despite featuring a schedule that ranks as the second-easiest of any ACC team to this point and to date the Tigers have played zero top 50 teams. Only a loss to Arizona might look respectable by season's end as the Tigers lost to College of Charleston, Coastal Carolina, South Carolina, UTEP, and Hawaii. The best win of the non-conference slate came at Iowa, but that was before the Hawkeyes were playing well. Clemson does catch some breaks in the ACC slate, but this team may not be good enough to take advantage. Clemson only plays Duke and North Carolina once each, as this looks like a squad that will have a hard time matching last year's 9-7 ACC finish. Only two starters are back from last year's 22-12 team that lost its first NCAA tournament game and the offense has really struggled, scoring less than 65 points per game. Veterans Andre Young, Tanner Smith, and Devin Booker lead the way, but this is a team that has struggled with consistent rebounding and despite lacking size, this is a team that is shooting just 33 percent from 3-point range. Clemson has great defensive numbers at this point in the season, allowing less than 58 points per game. However, that will not hold up as the schedule gets tougher and at 3-7 ATS on the year Clemson has thrown up plenty of red flags that this is not the same team as a year ago.

[StarDust Bum]

Wednesday’s betting tips: Under trend still rolling in NBA

Who’s hot

NBA: Atlanta has covered the number in six of its last seven meetings with Indiana.

NBA: Denver is 38-15-2 against the spread in its last 55 games overall.

NHL: The under is 4-0 in Washington’s last four home games.

NHL: New Jersey is 9-4 in its last 13.

NCAAB: Syracuse is 20-8 against the spread in its last 28 road games.

NCAAB: Kentucky is 3-12-1 against the spread in its last 16 overall.

Who’s not

NBA: Utah is 2-6 against the spread in its last eight meetings with the L.A. Lakers.

NBA: New Jersey is 1-6 against the spread in its last seven games following an ATS win.

NHL: Pittsburgh has lost four straight and is 2-8 in its last 10 games against Washington.

NHL: Edmonton has lost six of its last seven.

NCAAB: Villanova is 3-13 against the spread in its last 16 home games.

NCAAB: The under is 4-9 in Missouri’s last 13 overall.

Key stat

60.62 – Under bettors continue to cash in early in the NBA season with 60.62 percent of the league’s games (97-63 over/under) playing below their respective totals heading into Tuesday’s action.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

B.J. Monteiro, Duquesne Dukes – Monteiro is expected to sit out his second consecutive game Wednesday when the Dukes visit Xavier after he was hit with a bottle during an altercation on New Year’s Eve. The 6-foot-5 guard is averaging 15.2 points and 5.7 rebounds per game.

Game of the day

Dallas Mavericks at Boston Celtics (-5.5, 185)

Notable quotable

“He’s like Magic Johnson. He’s a point forward. He can do so many things. He gets excited by getting his guys shots, but then on the flip side he can still score, and he can drive you, he can post you up. So, he’s a tough guard.” - Missouri coach Frank Haith on Iowa State’s Royce White, who posted 10 points, 10 assists and 18 rebounds in Saturday’s 77-71 win over Texas A&M. The No. 9 Tigers visit Iowa State Wednesday as 4-point favorites.

Notes and tips

Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant has no plans to undergo a surgical procedure on a torn ligament in his right wrist. The Los Angeles Times reported that Bryant will not huddle with the German doctor who treated his arthritic knee with platelet-rich plasma therapy last year. If Bryant underwent a similar procedure to promote healing in his wrist, he would have to fly to Germany and would need at least a week to recover. The newspaper reported that the team is not inclined to allow Bryant to go, given the high level of his play despite the injury. Bryant had 26 points and nine assists in a 90-82 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night. He is averaging 27.6 points, 6.1 assists and 5.8 rebounds.

Baltimore Ravens coach John Harbaugh said he expects linebacker Ray Lewis and Anquan Boldin to be at 100 percent for Sunday's playoff game against the Houston Texans. Lewis missed four games due to turf toe but returned for the final three games of the season, making 27 tackles. "He looks great," Harbaugh said of the former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Boldin sat out the past two games of the regular season while recovering from surgery on the meniscus in his knee. Harbaugh said Boldin has been running and looks good to go. The 31-year-old Boldin had 57 catches for 887 yards and three touchdowns this season. Baltimore is set as a 7.5-point favorite.

Monday’s BCS national championship game between Louisiana State and Alabama was a defensive struggle. Things probably won’t be much different when the SEC rivals meet on the hardwood Wednesday in Tuscaloosa. Crimson Tide fans may still be nursing hangovers when two of the best defenses in the nation clash. Alabama gives up just 55.9 points per game (10th nationally) while LSU yields 59.8 (39th). Alabama is a 11.5-point favorite with a 117-point total.

[StarDust Bum]

Armadillo: Wednesday's six-pack

-- Providence celebrated their 1987 Final Four team Monday night but sent coach Rick Pitino back to Kentucky unhappy, as the Friars waxed Pitino's Louisville team, 90-59. Cardinals are in a funk right now.

-- Bill Callahan is leaving the Jets to replace legendary Hudson Houck as offensive line coach of the Cowboys. Houck has retired.

-- Oakland Raiders will now have had seven head coaches in eight years, as Hue Jackson got the boot after just one season in Oakland.

-- There are five golfers with their PGA Tour card for 2012 that are 22 years old or younger.

-- Robert Griffin III is entering the NFL Draft; not sure where he'll be picked in the draft. I don't think he'll be able to play well right away; he is more of a developmental project, like Steve McNair was.

-- Speaking of Baylor, Bears' basketball team won a great game 75-73 at Kansas State. Baylor is a Final Four team, if they stay healthy.


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Armadillo: Wednesday's List of 13: Nobody asked me, but...........

13) Why its not easy being a network TV analyst: In the past 10 days, I’ve had three people I know, all avid sports fans, complain bitterly to me about Troy Aikman’s analysis on NFL games; weird thing is, two guys say he hates the Giants, third guy complains that he favors the Giants, especially Eli Manning. These three people are all listening to the same broadcast but hearing different things. And I actually like Aikman on TV, but I’m not a Dallas or a Giant fan. Other than that, we all agree.

12) College football is just plain weird; they have playoffs at every level but the top, making you believe that level is extremely corrupt, as far as who pockets what $$$ from all these BCS bowls and their TV money. Imagine how huge an 8-team playoff would be?

11) Former Saints’ QB Bobby Hebert is a talk show host in New Orleans; his son T-Bob is a lineman for LSU. The elder Hebert went off on Les Miles in the postgame press conference for not giving senior backup QB Jarrett Lee a chance to save the Tigers’ season. Pretty tough when you go 13-1 and the most prominent parent in your group rips you publicly.

10) If you live in Albany and like to bet the horses, check out the new OTB betting parlor on Central Ave by Everett Rd, where the teletheater was. Looks like a Vegas sportsbook, as much as something in Albany can look like something in Las Vegas.

9) Most surprising stat from early in the NBA season: Teams playing third night in row are 6-1 SU, 5-1-1 vs spread so far this season. Wolves losing to Chicago Tuesday was the first loss.

8) I don’t think the Knicks are all that great, but they’ve been favored in eight of their first nine games; maybe they’ve just had an easy schedule so far. If so, they could be in trouble, because they haven’t looked that good in these first nine games. 76ers are a good test tonight.

7) Teams that played the Lakers the night before are 1-6-1 against the spread this season.

6) I know very few people start out famous, but it seems odd that at one time in the early 80’s, Rick Pitino was an obscure assistant coach at Hawai’i; it just doesn’t seem to fit. But he was.

5) Brandon Paul hung 43 on Ohio State Tuesday nite, as Illinois upset the Buckeyes in Champaign, on a night when the Illini honored Lou Henson, their all-time winningest coach.

4) Drayton McLane bought the Astros in 1992 for $117M; he sold them last year for $680M. Must be fun to be rich.

3) Rams can walk from St Louis after the 2014 season, which has people in Missouri nervous, but owner Stan Kroenke is from Missouri, I don’t think he’ll move the Rams unless civic leaders stonewall him on getting improvements to Jones Dome. In a perfect world he’d get a new stadium, but the days of teams getting stadiums handed to them appear to be winding down. I’d like to see the Rams stay in St Louis, though, for sure.

2) Mark Jackson's Warriors beat the Miami Heat to OT without Steph Curry, whose ankle continues to be a problem; Warriors have beaten the Bulls and Miami, but are 1-6 against everyone else. Go figure. .

1) Two days after losing to the Giants and Atlanta has already lost both its coordinators; Brian Van Gorder went to Auburn to run their defense, and Mike Mularkey is Jacksonville's new head coach.

[StarDust Bum]

NCAAB
Armadillo's Write-Up

Wednesday, January 11

Northwestern is 4-3 in its last seven games against Michigan. splitting last four games played here; Wildcats lost three of last four games, with losses by 8-1-33 points- they're 1-4 vs top 50 teams, with best win on a neutral floor over #32 Seton Hall. 13-3 Michigan lost its only true away games, by 12 at Virginia, 2 at Indiana- they won two of three on neutral floor on Maui, beating Memphis/UCLA. Big Dozen single digit home favorites are 4-6 vs spread this season.

St John's (+6.5) upset Marquette 80-68 here LY, ending 8-game series skid; five of Eagles' last eight series wins were by 9 or less points. Red Storm split first four Big East games, losing by 15 to Louisville, by 14 at UConn- they scored 61.3 ppg last three games. Marquette lost four of last six games after 10-0 start; their defense is slipping, allowing 74.3 to last four opponents. Last three Marquette games were decided by 7 or less points. Big East double digit home favorites are 2-5-1 vs spread.

Underdog is 7-2 vs spread in last nine Syracuse-Villanova games, with dog winning six of last eight SU; Wildcats are 4-23 vs spread in last 27 lined games; they're 3-6 in last nine games, 1-6 vs top 100 teams, with five of six losses by 10+ points. Syracuse doesn't go on road whole lot; they're 3-0 on foreign soil, winning by 16-14-19 points. Big East single digit home underdogs are 6-4 vs spread. Orange are #3 in country- they force turnovers on over 27% of opponents' possessions.

Rutgers lost six of last seven games against Pitt, losing last three by 6-3-29 points; underdog is 5-2 vs spread in last seven series games. Panthers haven't won game in 22 days, losing last four games, three by 5 or less points- they're 8th-worst team in whole country at forcing turnovers. Knights lost both true road games, by 15 at Miami, 2 at USF; they're #10 in country, forcing turnovers on 25.9% of possessions. Big East single digit home favorites are 7-6 vs spread.

Home team won five of last six Xavier-Duquesne games; Dukes lost last four visits to Cintas Center by 21-21-27-36 points- they're 1-3 on road, with losses by 8-16-14 points and a win at George Mason. Xavier lost five of last seven games (wins by 10-8 points), as they struggle to regain chemistry after multiple suspensions that are over now. Duquesne won four of its last five games, with only loss in OT to St Joe's. Atlantic 14 single digit home favorites are 4-3 vs spread.

Wake Forest lost seven of last nine games vs Maryland, losing three of last four visits here, with losses by 4-7-21 points; Deacons are on road for first time in 32 days; they're 2-1 on road, losing at Seton Hall by 14, winning at Nebraska/High Point. Underdogs are 7-0-1 vs spread in first eight ACC games this season. Maryland had 7-game win streak ended in ACC opener at NC State; they're 2-4 vs teams ranked #160 or higher. Last three Wake games were decided by 4 or less points.

Buffalo won four of last six games against Ohio, taking two of last three in Athens, with wins by 2-5 points; Bulls are 2-3 on road, losing by 8-2-15 points- they're 2-2 vs top 100 teams, with best win 84-55 at Dayton. Buffalo allowed 93-87 points in losing last two road games. Ohio scored 62 ppg in losing last two games, to Robert Morris (forced 31 turnovers)/ Bowling Green. MAC favorites are 4-3 vs spread, 2-1 at home. Five of last six series games were decided by 7 or less points.

Southern Mississippi lost its last 16 games vs Memphis, but last five were all by 7 or less points; Eagles lost last eight visits here, with five of losses by 14+ (last two were by 7-6). USM won its last 11 games since ; losing to unbeaten Murray State in double OT up at Alaskan Shootout, with four of those 11 wins on road. Conference USA favorites are 4-6 vs spread, 3-3 at home. Memphis won its last four games, allowing average of 53.8 ppg; they're 2-5 vs top 100 teams, beating Belmont/Miami.

Arkansas lost six of last seven games against Ole Miss, losing last three by 2-9-10 points, but Rebels threw leading scorer off team for off-court reasons, then went to LSU and lost SEC opener by 26, their fourth loss in last five games. Rebels make just 28% behind arc, 59.7% on foul line. Son of Arkansas coach Anderson (video guy for team) got second DUI over weekend, so both teams dealing with distractions. Hogs lost only two road games (Oklahoma/UConn). SEC home favorites are 3-1.

Missouri won its last seven games with Iowa State, winning last three in Hilton Coliseum by 14-2-6 points; Tigers lost first game at K-State on Saturday, just their second true road game (won at Old Dominion by 7). Mizzou is down to seven scholarship players, can't afford foul trouble. Cyclones won last seven games, scoring 75.5 ppg in first two games in Big X, beating Longhorns/Aggies. Big X home underdogs are 3-1 against the spread. State is 1-2 vs top 50 teams, losing to No Iowa/Michigan.

Home side is 14-1 in last 15 Texas A&M-Texas games; Aggies lost last eight visits to Austin, by 20-35-13-2-27-9-5-21 points. A&M lost last four games vs D-I opponents, scoring 53.3 in last three, losses by 7-9-24 points. Losing last two home games, to Rice/Iowa State is a big red flag. Longhorns are 1-4 when they allow 70+ points, 10-0 when they do not; they split last four games, all of their wins are by 9+ points. Big X double digit home favorites are 1-3 vs spread.

LSU lost last four games with Alabama by 17-19-24-11 points; they've lost last seven visits here, by 15-5-10-9-6-19-24 points. Tigers are 8-1 in last nine games, losing by 5 to Virginia- they're 1-2 vs top 100 teams, beating Marquette in game they trailed 13-0 early. SEC favorites are 5-3 vs spread, 3-1 at home. Alabama won its last four games, holding foes to 53.5 ppg, with all four wins by 15+ points. Tide will no doubt wheel out the national championship football trophy for a game against LSU.

Denver lost six of last seven games with Colorado State, losing last four visits to Fort Collins by 5-4-12-16 points; Pioneers are 5-1 away from home, with only loss at #19 Cal by 21. Rams won last five games, four by 14+ points; they're 1-4 vs top 100 teams, with best win by a point over #100 Colorado. Sun Belt single digit road underdogs are 10-8 vs spread in non-conference games; Mountain West home favorites of 5 or less points are 2-4 against the spread.