LOUISVILLE -6
MARQUETTE -7
ARIZONA -5
PARLAY ALL 3
TEASER, 4PT LOU. -4, MARQ. - 3, ZONA -1
Saturday, January 31, 2009
College Basketball Bettor’s Weekend Outlook
College Basketball Bettor’s Weekend Outlook By: Doug Upstone -
How good is Florida, really? That question should start to be answered in their prime time matchup with Tennessee. Having won 18 of first 21 games, the talent is evident and a convincing win in hostile environment might be what bettors need to see, to back the Gators down the stretch. Notre Dame will play their fifth straight ranked team and Pitt is sure to be angry off a loss. Memphis is home trying to extend long C-USA winning streak and UCLA will try to change their luck at home against Stanford, who has had success at Pauley Pavilion. North Carolina and N.C. State used to be the game in the ACC, until Duke came along. The Wolfpack have a huge challenge ahead of them, even at home. On Super Bowl Sunday, a couple of physical Big Ten teams will go at it. Check Bookmaker.com for the last numbers on these contests.
Saturday – January 31
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh 12:00ET, ESPN
Points in the paint - this will be the term that will describe the winner of this Big East matchup. Pittsburgh (18-2, 9-6 ATS) has two space-eaters in Tyrell Biggs and DeJuan Blair, who can fill up a lane all by themselves and they will face Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody and his vast array to shots, heaves and tosses. Last season, the Fighting Irish handled the Panthers 82-70, holding Pittsburgh to 40 percent shooting. The Irish did a great job on the boards outrebounding Pitt by eight and the Panthers didn’t help themselves with 11 for 18 from the free throw line.
Jamie Dixon’s club is steadier this season with Levance Fields back running the point and Sam Young is more than just a jump shooter for team that is 17-7 ATS in January the last two years. The loss to Villanova hurt, however Dixon’s teams have through the years not dwelled on losses.
Notre Dame (12-7, 5-9 ATS) looked like Top 10 material back in Maui in November, however have become stagnant since league play opened and have lost four in a row. The lack of bench means heavy minutes for starters and the defensive prowess of last year has evaporated with teams shooting 43 percent. Coach Mike Brey’s club is 14-5 ATS in road games versus defensive teams with shooting percentage defense of 39 or less percent after 15 or more games on the year.
Power Line – Pittsburgh by 14
Houston at Memphis 1:00ET, CBSC
Conference-USA has reclined back into being a nice, lower level league among the heavyweights with Memphis (17-3, 11-7-1 ATS) no longer considered a national championship threat this season. Still it does leave some intriguing confrontations to consider like Houston (12-6, 9-6 ATS) visiting one of the barbeque hubs. The Cougars have found a combination of players that are 10-4 as starters, with ample firepower, averaging over 78 points a game. Scoring is no issue, but coach Tom Penders has to lean on his squad to play more defense as the shoot-outs against the better teams has led to defeats. Houston is 16-6 ATS on the road versus teams outscoring opponents by eight or points a game after 15 or more played.
Memphis has now won 48 straight C-USA contests and it might be getting harder for this year’s opponents to stop the streak. Freshman Tyreke Evans has moved to point guard and the offense is running smoother. Antonio Anderson is more comfortable in his role in the offense and his defense is as asphyxiating as ever. If there is one area the Tigers have fallen visibly, it is in rebounding, not having a big guy like Joey Dorsey to clean out the lane. The oddsmakers’ numbers this season have been more realistic and Memphis is 7-1 ATS as a home favorite of 10 or more points this season.
Memphis is 15-2 and 10-6-1 ATS as a favorite, winning by 16.9 points per game.
Power Line – Memphis by 16
North Carolina at N.C. State 3:30, ABC
North Carolina State (11-7, 8-5-1 ATS) has a problem preparing for in-state rival North Carolina and it is not something easily cured. The Wolfpack has been getting killed on the boards. They have been out-rebounded in four of their last five ACC games and really crushed in last two, by 15 boards in overtime escape against Miami and by 19 in loss at Boston College. In the loss to the Eagles, they gave up 15 offensive rebounds. The Tar Heels have plenty of athletes to climb on the boards, making it imperative the N.C. State to at least create a stalemate on the glass. The Wolfpack is 10-2 and 5-3 ATS at home.
North Carolina (18-2, 9-10 ATS) almost was administered the five finger death punch by Florida State, but survived 80-77 in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels had problems finding open shots in the second half, scoring just nine field goals after the intermission. The drop in intensity allowed the Seminoles to score 33 points off North Carolina turnovers. Expect Tyler Hansbrough to come to play after scoring only eight points, breaking his streak of 55 consecutive games in double digits. The Tar Heels are 9-1 and 6-4 ATS away from Chapel Hill this season.
North Carolina is 8-3 SU and ATS in Raleigh since 1997.
Power Line – North Carolina by 16
Stanford at UCLA 3:30ET, ABC
Former Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins was patient and waited for the right opportunity to leave the nest and gravitated towards a university that had similar values. The move has paid off thus far with Stanford (13-5, 13-4 ATS) playing good basketball despite the loss of the Lopez twins. Forward Lawrence Hill and guard Anthony Goods have been the bell-cows which Dawkins has leaned on. The win against rival Cal was imperative after losing twice in the State of Washington; however losing to Oregon State at home again raises questions. The Cardinal is 9-1 ATS on the January road this last two years, after losing to USC by a single point as six point underdogs.
It isn’t that UCLA(16-4, 9-10 ATS) is a bad team, their not, they just can be befuddling at times and give uneven efforts. Josh Shipp is a good shooter, but will let poor fundamentals undermine his effectiveness and be streakier than necessary. Darren Collison works hard to set-up teammates and doesn’t look for his shot often enough. One real positive has been Michael Roll settling nicely into his sixth-man role and has scored 10 or more points often since Pac-10 play resumed. The impressive 81-66 win over Cal, showed what UCLA is capable of. The Bruins are 11-1 and 5-6 ATS at Pauley Pavilion this year.
Amazingly, Stanford is 8-3 SU and ATS at UCLA recently.
Power Line – UCLA by 11
Florida at Tennessee 9:00ET, ESPN
This is the third of three very demanding tilts for Tennessee (12-7, 7-8-2 ATS) still trying to find defensive identity. The Vols floundered most of the early part of January and the players were recalcitrant to coach Bruce Pearl’s heedings, but changes were made in schemes and the players did some soul-searching among themselves. If there is a quality about Pearl’s teams, they need to resemble him, full of swagger. Tennessee is built around the talents of Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism. They are the starters and finishers for Orange and White, nevertheless the rest of the players have to contribute in the other parts of the game for the Volunteers to be at their best. They are 21-11 ATS as a home favorite or pick, however that record is quickly falling with four home losses in Knoxville this season.
Can a team with a solid a record as Florida at 18-3 (7-7 ATS) still be a mystery? The answer is yes. Much like the polling process in Florida, receiving the tabulations on the Gators has been slow to come by. Results are being formulated by SEC play and contests like this at Knoxville create a greater understanding. Nobody is wondering about Nick Calathes and his abilities and answers the critics. "We don't mind the doubters,” the sophomore point guard said. “We’re just looking to get better every day in practice." Even with last Sunday’s convincing thumping at Vanderbilt; the Gators are 5-3 and 3-4 ATS away from home.
Florida is 3-8 and 4-7 ATS at Tennessee.
Power Line – Tennessee by 1
Sunday – February 1
Penn State at Michigan State 12:00ET, Big Ten Network
For Super Bowl Sunday, the college basketball action is expectedly light; nonetheless, this should be a Big 10 bruiser. Michigan State (17-3, 9-8 ATS) is well-known for its aggressive nature and dishing out a little mayhem on the hardwood. Goran Suton and Raymar Morgan can play rough under the boards and the Spartans like to bump and grind on the defensive end. What makes them the best club in the Big Ten is shooting ability on the perimeter and exceptional speed, for a team in this conference, with Kalin Lucas running the point. Sparty is 26-9 ATS at home playing good teams (Win Pct. 60% to 80%), after 15 or more games.
Penn State (16-5, 10-4 ATS) is no longer the pushover they have been for the better part of there stay in the Big Ten, with several victories of merit. The Nittany Lions are showing progress on the road also at 3-2 and 4-1 ATS. The team revolves around senior forward Jamelle Cornley, who is there only reliable inside threat and can step out also and knock down jumpers. When other Penn State players make shots, the Lions are dangerous and they will need to be with 0-8 (3-5 ATS) mark at East Lansing.
Power Line – Michigan State by 13
www.me2everyone.com/57237
How good is Florida, really? That question should start to be answered in their prime time matchup with Tennessee. Having won 18 of first 21 games, the talent is evident and a convincing win in hostile environment might be what bettors need to see, to back the Gators down the stretch. Notre Dame will play their fifth straight ranked team and Pitt is sure to be angry off a loss. Memphis is home trying to extend long C-USA winning streak and UCLA will try to change their luck at home against Stanford, who has had success at Pauley Pavilion. North Carolina and N.C. State used to be the game in the ACC, until Duke came along. The Wolfpack have a huge challenge ahead of them, even at home. On Super Bowl Sunday, a couple of physical Big Ten teams will go at it. Check Bookmaker.com for the last numbers on these contests.
Saturday – January 31
Notre Dame at Pittsburgh 12:00ET, ESPN
Points in the paint - this will be the term that will describe the winner of this Big East matchup. Pittsburgh (18-2, 9-6 ATS) has two space-eaters in Tyrell Biggs and DeJuan Blair, who can fill up a lane all by themselves and they will face Notre Dame’s Luke Harangody and his vast array to shots, heaves and tosses. Last season, the Fighting Irish handled the Panthers 82-70, holding Pittsburgh to 40 percent shooting. The Irish did a great job on the boards outrebounding Pitt by eight and the Panthers didn’t help themselves with 11 for 18 from the free throw line.
Jamie Dixon’s club is steadier this season with Levance Fields back running the point and Sam Young is more than just a jump shooter for team that is 17-7 ATS in January the last two years. The loss to Villanova hurt, however Dixon’s teams have through the years not dwelled on losses.
Notre Dame (12-7, 5-9 ATS) looked like Top 10 material back in Maui in November, however have become stagnant since league play opened and have lost four in a row. The lack of bench means heavy minutes for starters and the defensive prowess of last year has evaporated with teams shooting 43 percent. Coach Mike Brey’s club is 14-5 ATS in road games versus defensive teams with shooting percentage defense of 39 or less percent after 15 or more games on the year.
Power Line – Pittsburgh by 14
Houston at Memphis 1:00ET, CBSC
Conference-USA has reclined back into being a nice, lower level league among the heavyweights with Memphis (17-3, 11-7-1 ATS) no longer considered a national championship threat this season. Still it does leave some intriguing confrontations to consider like Houston (12-6, 9-6 ATS) visiting one of the barbeque hubs. The Cougars have found a combination of players that are 10-4 as starters, with ample firepower, averaging over 78 points a game. Scoring is no issue, but coach Tom Penders has to lean on his squad to play more defense as the shoot-outs against the better teams has led to defeats. Houston is 16-6 ATS on the road versus teams outscoring opponents by eight or points a game after 15 or more played.
Memphis has now won 48 straight C-USA contests and it might be getting harder for this year’s opponents to stop the streak. Freshman Tyreke Evans has moved to point guard and the offense is running smoother. Antonio Anderson is more comfortable in his role in the offense and his defense is as asphyxiating as ever. If there is one area the Tigers have fallen visibly, it is in rebounding, not having a big guy like Joey Dorsey to clean out the lane. The oddsmakers’ numbers this season have been more realistic and Memphis is 7-1 ATS as a home favorite of 10 or more points this season.
Memphis is 15-2 and 10-6-1 ATS as a favorite, winning by 16.9 points per game.
Power Line – Memphis by 16
North Carolina at N.C. State 3:30, ABC
North Carolina State (11-7, 8-5-1 ATS) has a problem preparing for in-state rival North Carolina and it is not something easily cured. The Wolfpack has been getting killed on the boards. They have been out-rebounded in four of their last five ACC games and really crushed in last two, by 15 boards in overtime escape against Miami and by 19 in loss at Boston College. In the loss to the Eagles, they gave up 15 offensive rebounds. The Tar Heels have plenty of athletes to climb on the boards, making it imperative the N.C. State to at least create a stalemate on the glass. The Wolfpack is 10-2 and 5-3 ATS at home.
North Carolina (18-2, 9-10 ATS) almost was administered the five finger death punch by Florida State, but survived 80-77 in Tallahassee. The Tar Heels had problems finding open shots in the second half, scoring just nine field goals after the intermission. The drop in intensity allowed the Seminoles to score 33 points off North Carolina turnovers. Expect Tyler Hansbrough to come to play after scoring only eight points, breaking his streak of 55 consecutive games in double digits. The Tar Heels are 9-1 and 6-4 ATS away from Chapel Hill this season.
North Carolina is 8-3 SU and ATS in Raleigh since 1997.
Power Line – North Carolina by 16
Stanford at UCLA 3:30ET, ABC
Former Duke assistant Johnny Dawkins was patient and waited for the right opportunity to leave the nest and gravitated towards a university that had similar values. The move has paid off thus far with Stanford (13-5, 13-4 ATS) playing good basketball despite the loss of the Lopez twins. Forward Lawrence Hill and guard Anthony Goods have been the bell-cows which Dawkins has leaned on. The win against rival Cal was imperative after losing twice in the State of Washington; however losing to Oregon State at home again raises questions. The Cardinal is 9-1 ATS on the January road this last two years, after losing to USC by a single point as six point underdogs.
It isn’t that UCLA(16-4, 9-10 ATS) is a bad team, their not, they just can be befuddling at times and give uneven efforts. Josh Shipp is a good shooter, but will let poor fundamentals undermine his effectiveness and be streakier than necessary. Darren Collison works hard to set-up teammates and doesn’t look for his shot often enough. One real positive has been Michael Roll settling nicely into his sixth-man role and has scored 10 or more points often since Pac-10 play resumed. The impressive 81-66 win over Cal, showed what UCLA is capable of. The Bruins are 11-1 and 5-6 ATS at Pauley Pavilion this year.
Amazingly, Stanford is 8-3 SU and ATS at UCLA recently.
Power Line – UCLA by 11
Florida at Tennessee 9:00ET, ESPN
This is the third of three very demanding tilts for Tennessee (12-7, 7-8-2 ATS) still trying to find defensive identity. The Vols floundered most of the early part of January and the players were recalcitrant to coach Bruce Pearl’s heedings, but changes were made in schemes and the players did some soul-searching among themselves. If there is a quality about Pearl’s teams, they need to resemble him, full of swagger. Tennessee is built around the talents of Tyler Smith and Wayne Chism. They are the starters and finishers for Orange and White, nevertheless the rest of the players have to contribute in the other parts of the game for the Volunteers to be at their best. They are 21-11 ATS as a home favorite or pick, however that record is quickly falling with four home losses in Knoxville this season.
Can a team with a solid a record as Florida at 18-3 (7-7 ATS) still be a mystery? The answer is yes. Much like the polling process in Florida, receiving the tabulations on the Gators has been slow to come by. Results are being formulated by SEC play and contests like this at Knoxville create a greater understanding. Nobody is wondering about Nick Calathes and his abilities and answers the critics. "We don't mind the doubters,” the sophomore point guard said. “We’re just looking to get better every day in practice." Even with last Sunday’s convincing thumping at Vanderbilt; the Gators are 5-3 and 3-4 ATS away from home.
Florida is 3-8 and 4-7 ATS at Tennessee.
Power Line – Tennessee by 1
Sunday – February 1
Penn State at Michigan State 12:00ET, Big Ten Network
For Super Bowl Sunday, the college basketball action is expectedly light; nonetheless, this should be a Big 10 bruiser. Michigan State (17-3, 9-8 ATS) is well-known for its aggressive nature and dishing out a little mayhem on the hardwood. Goran Suton and Raymar Morgan can play rough under the boards and the Spartans like to bump and grind on the defensive end. What makes them the best club in the Big Ten is shooting ability on the perimeter and exceptional speed, for a team in this conference, with Kalin Lucas running the point. Sparty is 26-9 ATS at home playing good teams (Win Pct. 60% to 80%), after 15 or more games.
Penn State (16-5, 10-4 ATS) is no longer the pushover they have been for the better part of there stay in the Big Ten, with several victories of merit. The Nittany Lions are showing progress on the road also at 3-2 and 4-1 ATS. The team revolves around senior forward Jamelle Cornley, who is there only reliable inside threat and can step out also and knock down jumpers. When other Penn State players make shots, the Lions are dangerous and they will need to be with 0-8 (3-5 ATS) mark at East Lansing.
Power Line – Michigan State by 13
www.me2everyone.com/57237
Friday, January 30, 2009
Guide to Las Vegas Super Bowl parties at bars
Guide to Las Vegas Super Bowl parties at bars
Like rock shows and roller coasters, sporting events are best enjoyed in groups. Every February, football fans and those just in it for the commercials crowd around TV sets nationwide to drink beer, eat a smorgasbord of junk food and watch the Super Bowl.
If your home theater project has stalled and those massive plasmas seen at the Consumer Electronics Show aren’t in your budget, you might consider leaving the confines of your couch for a better big game viewing experience. Bars all over Las Vegas will be firing up the big screens, serving football-friendly menus and offering drink specials sure to come in handy when your team or your bets head south. You wouldn’t want to miss a possible Bruce Springsteen wardrobe malfunction just because you don’t have HD at home!
Pre-game parties:
What: Cheerleader Bowl at Lavo
When: Jan. 30, 10 p.m.
The Details: DJ Five will provide the sounds while you pre-party at Lavo to start off your Super Bowl Weekend.
What: Cheerleader Bowl Game 2 at Tao
When: Jan. 31, 9:30 p.m.
The Details: Check out Game 2 of the Cheerleader Bowl where you can celebrate the best things about the Super Bowl: cocktails and cheerleaders in skimpy outfits.
Super Bowl bashes:
What: The Big Game at Hawaiian Tropic Zone
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: $125
The Details: HTZ offers “best seat in the house” VIP tables are still available, but reservations won’t last. Watch the Steelers and Cardinals on a 36 foot plasma screen video wall while you take advantage of food and drink specials and check out the bikini-clad Hawaiian Tropic Girls.
What: Watch the Big Game at Steiner’s Pub
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: $50-$150
The Details: Steiner’s welcomes the Super Bowl with a special menu and a raffle during the game for cash prizes. $50 gets you a square to win a portion of $5,000 in cash plus a reserved seat, and $100 more will get you unlimited food and drinks during the game and for one hour prior to the coin toss.
What: Sushisamba Big Game Viewing Party
When: Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: At Sushisamba, football fans can enjoy a special menu featuring a Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian twist on all-American favorites like Berkshire Pork Ribs, Mini Kobe Chili Cheese Dogs and Japanese and Brazilian beer options.
What: Super Sunday at Charlie's Lakeside
When: Feb. 1, p.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: Fans can enjoy deals on Super Bowl snacks as well as $2 domestics and $3 bloody marys plus drawings every quarter for gift baskets, hats, shirts and football jerseys.
What: PT’s Big Game Parties
When: Feb. 1, 3 p.m.
How Much: $10 buffet and no cover charge.
The Details: At every PT’s location you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat stadium buffet for only $10! They'll be featuring Bud and Bud Light pints for $2.50, Bud and Bud Light mugs for $3.50 and Red Bull cocktails for $5. The PT’s at 10075 Eastern Avenue is a Steelers bar, so if you’re a Pittsburgh fan, head to this Henderson location.
What: Big Game Viewing Party at Jerry's Nugget
When: Feb. 1, 2:30 p.m.
How Much: $20
The Details: Party goers can feast on $1 jumbo hot dogs, $1 large pizza slices and $1 Coors beverages and enjoy dozens of prize giveaways during the game.
What: Watch the Big Game at McFadden's
When: Feb. 1, 2:30 p.m.
How Much: $100, available through a pre-sale only
The Details: Get your tickets now to enjoy Super Bowl XLIII McFadden’s style with a top shelf open bar, halftime buffet and a guaranteed place to plant your butt to watch all the football action.
What: Hofbrauhaus Big Game Party
When: Feb. 1, 11 a.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: Celebrate an all-American tradition German style by watching the Super Bowl at Hofbrauhaus. In addition to their normal menu, they will feature some American favorites like wings.
What: The Big Game Party at Blondies
When: Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
How Much: $200
The Details: The big price gets you a big haul at Blondie’s where the Big Game buffet will feature chicken, steak, shrimp, hot wings, sausage, salad and more. A Premium open bar includes Grey Goose vodka, Crown Royal whiskey, Bacardi rum, p.i.n.k. vodka, Jagermeister, Monster Energy drinks and more.
What: Arizona Cardinals watch party at Timbers Bar & Grill
When: Feb. 1, 10 a.m.
How Much: No cover charge
The Details: Enjoy $3 domestic pints, $4 import pints, $2.50 domestic drafts, $8 buckets of Bud and Bud Light plus a delicious selection of appetizers for $5 apiece, raffle drawings and an appearance by the Bud Girls.
What: Big Game Viewing Party at South Point
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: Enjoy a quartet of Super Bowl favorites like pizza, nachos, hot dogs, sausage and peppers and some great drink specials on wine, shots of Wild Turkey American Honey and buckets of beer at South Point.
What: Super Bowl viewing party at Quinn's Irish Pub at Green Valley Ranch
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge. $30-$50 for all you can drink and eat specials
The Details: Enjoy all you can drink drafts for $30 or all you can drink drafts and all you can eat wings and chicken tenders for $50 at Quinn’s while you watch the Super Bowl.
What: Big Game viewing party at Drop Bar at Green Valley Ranch
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge, $50 for an all you can drink special.
The Details: Drop Bar will offer you a posh place to watch the game while you enjoy all you can drink Bud and Bud Light bottles and well drinks for $50.
What: Coachman’s Inn Super Bowl party
When: Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
How Much: $9.95 buffet.
The Details: Coachman’s serves a sampling of classic bar food like hot dogs, wings and sliders plus $1 Bud drafts.
What: Big Game Party at Kahunaville at TI
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: $50
The Details: Kahunaville offers a $50 all you can eat buffet with a carving station, pasta, pizza, wings, hot dogs, burgers and sausage and peppers.
What: Big Game action at the Sports Pit at Harrah’s
When: Gaming pit is open daily.
The Details: For those who don’t want to give up precious gambling time to watch the Super Bowl, watch while you play at Harrah’s Sports Pit.
What: Super Bowl Party at Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
The Details: If you are looking to do some serious drinking while you watch football, head to Rockhouse where you can drink 100-ounce “super yard” drinks in honor of the 100 yards the Steelers will barrel down the field.
What: Super Bowl Dining at Spago
When: Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.
How Much: Menu items are priced individually.
The Details: Consider Spago’s game time menu bar-food evolved. Dine on Spago Nachos, homemade popcorn with parmesan reggiano and black truffle salt, chicken wing "Lollipops," prime skirt steak quesadillas, kobe beef chili and fried mac-n-cheese with truffle béchamel while you watch the game.
What: Steelers watch party at J.C. Wooloughan Irish Pub
When: Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.
How Much: $20-$30
The Details: Get on your black and yellow and party with fellow Steelers fans as you dine on a Super Bowl menu of hot dogs cooked in beer, Guinness BBQ wings, pasta salad, chili and kielbasa with peppers and onions.
What: Steelers headquarters at Aces & Eights
When: Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.
How Much: No cover charge
The Details: Tap into $12 buckets of wings and $12 buckets of Miller and MGD, $2.75 Miller Lite draughts and $4.75 Fosters Oil Cans.
Super Bowl post-game parties:
What: Vice Bowl at Lavo
When: Feb. 1, 10 p.m.
The Details: Face it, you’re calling in sick on Monday. After drinking all day keep the party rolling into the night with the sounds of DJ Vice at Lavo.
http://vegas-illuminati.blogspot.com/
Like rock shows and roller coasters, sporting events are best enjoyed in groups. Every February, football fans and those just in it for the commercials crowd around TV sets nationwide to drink beer, eat a smorgasbord of junk food and watch the Super Bowl.
If your home theater project has stalled and those massive plasmas seen at the Consumer Electronics Show aren’t in your budget, you might consider leaving the confines of your couch for a better big game viewing experience. Bars all over Las Vegas will be firing up the big screens, serving football-friendly menus and offering drink specials sure to come in handy when your team or your bets head south. You wouldn’t want to miss a possible Bruce Springsteen wardrobe malfunction just because you don’t have HD at home!
Pre-game parties:
What: Cheerleader Bowl at Lavo
When: Jan. 30, 10 p.m.
The Details: DJ Five will provide the sounds while you pre-party at Lavo to start off your Super Bowl Weekend.
What: Cheerleader Bowl Game 2 at Tao
When: Jan. 31, 9:30 p.m.
The Details: Check out Game 2 of the Cheerleader Bowl where you can celebrate the best things about the Super Bowl: cocktails and cheerleaders in skimpy outfits.
Super Bowl bashes:
What: The Big Game at Hawaiian Tropic Zone
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: $125
The Details: HTZ offers “best seat in the house” VIP tables are still available, but reservations won’t last. Watch the Steelers and Cardinals on a 36 foot plasma screen video wall while you take advantage of food and drink specials and check out the bikini-clad Hawaiian Tropic Girls.
What: Watch the Big Game at Steiner’s Pub
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: $50-$150
The Details: Steiner’s welcomes the Super Bowl with a special menu and a raffle during the game for cash prizes. $50 gets you a square to win a portion of $5,000 in cash plus a reserved seat, and $100 more will get you unlimited food and drinks during the game and for one hour prior to the coin toss.
What: Sushisamba Big Game Viewing Party
When: Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: At Sushisamba, football fans can enjoy a special menu featuring a Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian twist on all-American favorites like Berkshire Pork Ribs, Mini Kobe Chili Cheese Dogs and Japanese and Brazilian beer options.
What: Super Sunday at Charlie's Lakeside
When: Feb. 1, p.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: Fans can enjoy deals on Super Bowl snacks as well as $2 domestics and $3 bloody marys plus drawings every quarter for gift baskets, hats, shirts and football jerseys.
What: PT’s Big Game Parties
When: Feb. 1, 3 p.m.
How Much: $10 buffet and no cover charge.
The Details: At every PT’s location you can enjoy an all-you-can-eat stadium buffet for only $10! They'll be featuring Bud and Bud Light pints for $2.50, Bud and Bud Light mugs for $3.50 and Red Bull cocktails for $5. The PT’s at 10075 Eastern Avenue is a Steelers bar, so if you’re a Pittsburgh fan, head to this Henderson location.
What: Big Game Viewing Party at Jerry's Nugget
When: Feb. 1, 2:30 p.m.
How Much: $20
The Details: Party goers can feast on $1 jumbo hot dogs, $1 large pizza slices and $1 Coors beverages and enjoy dozens of prize giveaways during the game.
What: Watch the Big Game at McFadden's
When: Feb. 1, 2:30 p.m.
How Much: $100, available through a pre-sale only
The Details: Get your tickets now to enjoy Super Bowl XLIII McFadden’s style with a top shelf open bar, halftime buffet and a guaranteed place to plant your butt to watch all the football action.
What: Hofbrauhaus Big Game Party
When: Feb. 1, 11 a.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: Celebrate an all-American tradition German style by watching the Super Bowl at Hofbrauhaus. In addition to their normal menu, they will feature some American favorites like wings.
What: The Big Game Party at Blondies
When: Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
How Much: $200
The Details: The big price gets you a big haul at Blondie’s where the Big Game buffet will feature chicken, steak, shrimp, hot wings, sausage, salad and more. A Premium open bar includes Grey Goose vodka, Crown Royal whiskey, Bacardi rum, p.i.n.k. vodka, Jagermeister, Monster Energy drinks and more.
What: Arizona Cardinals watch party at Timbers Bar & Grill
When: Feb. 1, 10 a.m.
How Much: No cover charge
The Details: Enjoy $3 domestic pints, $4 import pints, $2.50 domestic drafts, $8 buckets of Bud and Bud Light plus a delicious selection of appetizers for $5 apiece, raffle drawings and an appearance by the Bud Girls.
What: Big Game Viewing Party at South Point
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge.
The Details: Enjoy a quartet of Super Bowl favorites like pizza, nachos, hot dogs, sausage and peppers and some great drink specials on wine, shots of Wild Turkey American Honey and buckets of beer at South Point.
What: Super Bowl viewing party at Quinn's Irish Pub at Green Valley Ranch
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge. $30-$50 for all you can drink and eat specials
The Details: Enjoy all you can drink drafts for $30 or all you can drink drafts and all you can eat wings and chicken tenders for $50 at Quinn’s while you watch the Super Bowl.
What: Big Game viewing party at Drop Bar at Green Valley Ranch
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: No cover charge, $50 for an all you can drink special.
The Details: Drop Bar will offer you a posh place to watch the game while you enjoy all you can drink Bud and Bud Light bottles and well drinks for $50.
What: Coachman’s Inn Super Bowl party
When: Feb. 1, 1 p.m.
How Much: $9.95 buffet.
The Details: Coachman’s serves a sampling of classic bar food like hot dogs, wings and sliders plus $1 Bud drafts.
What: Big Game Party at Kahunaville at TI
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
How Much: $50
The Details: Kahunaville offers a $50 all you can eat buffet with a carving station, pasta, pizza, wings, hot dogs, burgers and sausage and peppers.
What: Big Game action at the Sports Pit at Harrah’s
When: Gaming pit is open daily.
The Details: For those who don’t want to give up precious gambling time to watch the Super Bowl, watch while you play at Harrah’s Sports Pit.
What: Super Bowl Party at Rockhouse Bar & Nightclub
When: Feb. 1, 2 p.m.
The Details: If you are looking to do some serious drinking while you watch football, head to Rockhouse where you can drink 100-ounce “super yard” drinks in honor of the 100 yards the Steelers will barrel down the field.
What: Super Bowl Dining at Spago
When: Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.
How Much: Menu items are priced individually.
The Details: Consider Spago’s game time menu bar-food evolved. Dine on Spago Nachos, homemade popcorn with parmesan reggiano and black truffle salt, chicken wing "Lollipops," prime skirt steak quesadillas, kobe beef chili and fried mac-n-cheese with truffle béchamel while you watch the game.
What: Steelers watch party at J.C. Wooloughan Irish Pub
When: Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.
How Much: $20-$30
The Details: Get on your black and yellow and party with fellow Steelers fans as you dine on a Super Bowl menu of hot dogs cooked in beer, Guinness BBQ wings, pasta salad, chili and kielbasa with peppers and onions.
What: Steelers headquarters at Aces & Eights
When: Feb. 1, 11:30 a.m.
How Much: No cover charge
The Details: Tap into $12 buckets of wings and $12 buckets of Miller and MGD, $2.75 Miller Lite draughts and $4.75 Fosters Oil Cans.
Super Bowl post-game parties:
What: Vice Bowl at Lavo
When: Feb. 1, 10 p.m.
The Details: Face it, you’re calling in sick on Monday. After drinking all day keep the party rolling into the night with the sounds of DJ Vice at Lavo.
http://vegas-illuminati.blogspot.com/
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Buy or Sell NBA teams
Sell – Los Angeles Lakers
There’s no denying that the Lakers are one of the NBA’s elite, boasting a league-best 35-8 mark. Part of that success has to be chalked up to the league’s friendliest schedule. Los Angeles has played an NBA-low 17 road games and while it is 12-5 SU in those games, it is only 8-9 ATS.
Weekly Buy or Sell NBA teams
The Lakers embark on their first real road test of this season this weekend with a 6-game East coast swing that is loaded with potential pitfalls.
Los Angeles will no doubt be looking ahead to the trip-closing, nationally-televised games at Boston and Cleveland. That could easily lead to some letdowns in the four games prior. The trip opens at Minnesota against a Timberwolves team that boasts the NBA’s best record in 2009, going 10-2 SU and 9-2-1 ATS.
Games at New York and Toronto could also trip the Lakers up. The Knicks have won four straight at home, five of their last six overall and are a solid 13-9 ATS at the Garden. The Raptors have underachieved this season but they are as healthy as they’ve been all season with Jose Calderon and Jermaine O’Neal both back on the court.
Combined with the emergence of Andrea Bargnani and the All-Star level play of Chris Bosh and Toronto is back to being a dangerous team.
Los Angeles has continued to win but it’s not winning at the same clip it was previously. The Lakers have seen their season point differential drop nearly 1.5 points from +8.83 to +7.30 over the last 10 games and should continue to see that number fall on this trip.
They are just 13-20 ATS as a chalk of 7 points or more and will likely be favored by that amount or more in each of the first four games of this trip. Take advantage by considering the opposition in those games
Buy – Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are in the exact position as the Lakers as they are about to tip off a 7-game home stand. After underachieving over the first half of the season, Philly has regained the touch that led them to a late-season playoff push in 2008. It is 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games.
Prized free-agent signing Elton Brand is back from injury and has agreed to do whatever necessary to keep the team’s winning ways going. Brand provides the Sixers with a low-post presence in the half court, which they’ll need against Boston and Phoenix. Meanwhile, games against Washington, New Jersey, Indiana and Memphis should provide easy wins. Those four teams are a combined 10-30 SU in their last 40 games.
Boston and Phoenix provide the biggest tests but both are winnable games. The 76ers are catching the Celtics just prior to Boston’s game before Lakers so might be able to catch them in a letdown situation.
The Suns are recently coming off a 6-game road trip in which they went just 2-3-1 ATS with an average margin of loss of 14.7 points per game.
Philly is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and are getting the added benefit of playing its next seven at home. Ride the Sixers while they’re hot.
There’s no denying that the Lakers are one of the NBA’s elite, boasting a league-best 35-8 mark. Part of that success has to be chalked up to the league’s friendliest schedule. Los Angeles has played an NBA-low 17 road games and while it is 12-5 SU in those games, it is only 8-9 ATS.
Weekly Buy or Sell NBA teams
The Lakers embark on their first real road test of this season this weekend with a 6-game East coast swing that is loaded with potential pitfalls.
Los Angeles will no doubt be looking ahead to the trip-closing, nationally-televised games at Boston and Cleveland. That could easily lead to some letdowns in the four games prior. The trip opens at Minnesota against a Timberwolves team that boasts the NBA’s best record in 2009, going 10-2 SU and 9-2-1 ATS.
Games at New York and Toronto could also trip the Lakers up. The Knicks have won four straight at home, five of their last six overall and are a solid 13-9 ATS at the Garden. The Raptors have underachieved this season but they are as healthy as they’ve been all season with Jose Calderon and Jermaine O’Neal both back on the court.
Combined with the emergence of Andrea Bargnani and the All-Star level play of Chris Bosh and Toronto is back to being a dangerous team.
Los Angeles has continued to win but it’s not winning at the same clip it was previously. The Lakers have seen their season point differential drop nearly 1.5 points from +8.83 to +7.30 over the last 10 games and should continue to see that number fall on this trip.
They are just 13-20 ATS as a chalk of 7 points or more and will likely be favored by that amount or more in each of the first four games of this trip. Take advantage by considering the opposition in those games
Buy – Philadelphia 76ers
The 76ers are in the exact position as the Lakers as they are about to tip off a 7-game home stand. After underachieving over the first half of the season, Philly has regained the touch that led them to a late-season playoff push in 2008. It is 8-2 SU and 7-3 ATS over the last 10 games.
Prized free-agent signing Elton Brand is back from injury and has agreed to do whatever necessary to keep the team’s winning ways going. Brand provides the Sixers with a low-post presence in the half court, which they’ll need against Boston and Phoenix. Meanwhile, games against Washington, New Jersey, Indiana and Memphis should provide easy wins. Those four teams are a combined 10-30 SU in their last 40 games.
Boston and Phoenix provide the biggest tests but both are winnable games. The 76ers are catching the Celtics just prior to Boston’s game before Lakers so might be able to catch them in a letdown situation.
The Suns are recently coming off a 6-game road trip in which they went just 2-3-1 ATS with an average margin of loss of 14.7 points per game.
Philly is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now and are getting the added benefit of playing its next seven at home. Ride the Sixers while they’re hot.
NBA Cross Sport Props
NBA Cross Sport Props
Cross sport prop wagering is just another shot to risk your money while getting away from the vanilla type moneyline, spread and total options.
As the countdown to Super Bowl XLIII continues to tick away some books are offering unprecedented choices in the prop bet department. In this installment of NFL coverage we’re going to take a look at some interesting cross sport props involving the NBA.
Will you be indulging in these types of bets or does the traditional style of playing the books interest you more? Whichever your poison, here’s what we have for the big game.
Steelers’ Points (+1 ½) vs. LeBron James Points
LeBron James and the Cavaliers will square off against Detroit on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EST on ABC. The Pistons may be defending the hoop by allowing a fourth best, 93.5 PPG but seven defeats in the last nine and scoring just 93.5 PPG (coincidence it’s the same figure on defense) has the club a full 11 games behind Cleveland in the Central division.
January has been fuel to James’ fire. The All Star forward has logged in 28.1 PPG with 8.4 APG and 10 RPG. He’s cracked the 30-plus point mark six times this month, 19 times this season and has scored 30 PPG in the last nine. And while these numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise, the best news to highlight is James’ 49.4 shooting percentage from the perimeter, the best yet of his career.
Pittsburgh finished the regular season, scoring 21.7 PPG. The Steelers also found themselves mustering up 20 points or below a total of eight times in 2008. The playoffs have seen a spike in offensive production at 29 PPG during the playoffs if that helps at all. Combine these numbers against Arizona defending the end zone for 20.8 PPG in the last four victories and the James bet could be worth looking into. Just remember that taking James’ points comes with a minus-1 ½-point handicap for a return of -115 (bet $115 to make $100).
Willie Parker Rushing Attempts (-3 ½) vs. Allen Iverson Points Scored
The Steelers’ running backs have been thoroughly analyzed in the recent breakdown comparing Arizona’s linebacker core. But to rehash quickly, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 back, Willie Parker registered his lowest statistics since logging in 186 yards with no touchdown as a rookie in 2004. Parker finished the regular season, averaging 3.8 YPG for 791 rushing yards. However, his last three outings have seen a surge in production. From Week 17 to the ‘W’ in Baltimore during the Conference Championship, Parker has averaged 103 YPG (gaining 116 and 146 games consecutively).
More importantly, Parker has averaged 20.1 carries per game in 13 contests this season. In those same three games aforementioned, the running back’s carries have risen to 24.7 attempts per game, but since his return from injury he's only seen 19.3 APG (in nine games back). Remember that if you’re taking Parker in this prop you must surrender 3 ½-carries. The price tag for taking the running back in this bet is listed at minus-115 (bet $115 to make $100).
Allen Iverson has been responsible for a sharp decline in his numbers. Averaging a career, 27.2 PPG, the Virginia born superstar has seen his numbers dip down to 17.6 PPG scored in 2008-09. In January, Iverson struggled for his worst monthly offensive average in his career (not counting the months that witnessed the guard out for an extended period of time) at 16.7 PPG scored. In just his last five games, Iverson has driven to the hoop for just 15.6 PPG. On a side note, the nine-time All-Star was placed on the bench at the end of the fourth quarter in Detroit’s, 108-105 loss versus Houston last Sunday.
Heath Miller Receiving Yards (-6 ½) vs. Dwight Howard’s Points plus Rebounds
The final exotic cross sport wager we’ll look at is whether Pittsburgh’s tight end, Heath Miller will work for more receiving yards or if Orlando’s star center, Dwight Howard will score more points.
While the Magic dropped two straight against Boston and Miami last week, Howard has been able to average 18.8 PPG with 14.2 RPG in the last five (combined figure of 33 for this betting purpose) and 20.9 PPG with 14 APG in January (combined figure of 34.9). To put this in perspective, Howard has registered a double-double in 11 of 12 games in January and 34 for the season. Add the 6 ½ handicap that Sportsbetting.com has listed for this bet and there could be enough reasons to wager on this prop.
But before we jump the gun, the Steelers TE, Miller has had just one active game this season without a catch. Minus the two contests that he sat out with an injury, Miller has tallied up 514 receiving yards. In an offensive set that ran the ball 28.8 times per game (and passed it 31.6 times per game), Miller found himself grabbing 29 catches for 329 yards since Week 13.
During the playoffs, Miller has six receptions for 99 yards and one TD. And only seven times has the TE registered under 40 yards of receiving yards (including playoffs).
Other NBA Cross Sport Bets
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Steelers+Cardinals Points -12 ½ (-115) LeBron James (Cavs) Points+Assists +12 ½ (-115)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) Completions -3 ½ (+110) LeBron James (Cavs) 1st Half Points +3 ½ (-140)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Jeff Reed (Steelers) Field Goals Made + ½ (+110) LeBron James (Cavs) Missed Free Throws - ½ (-140)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Cardinals First Downs +2 ½ (-115) Rasheed Wallace (Pistons) Points+Rebounds -2 ½ (-115)
Go to Sportsbetting.com for a complete list of Cross Sport Props
Cross sport prop wagering is just another shot to risk your money while getting away from the vanilla type moneyline, spread and total options.
As the countdown to Super Bowl XLIII continues to tick away some books are offering unprecedented choices in the prop bet department. In this installment of NFL coverage we’re going to take a look at some interesting cross sport props involving the NBA.
Will you be indulging in these types of bets or does the traditional style of playing the books interest you more? Whichever your poison, here’s what we have for the big game.
Steelers’ Points (+1 ½) vs. LeBron James Points
LeBron James and the Cavaliers will square off against Detroit on Sunday at 2:30 p.m. EST on ABC. The Pistons may be defending the hoop by allowing a fourth best, 93.5 PPG but seven defeats in the last nine and scoring just 93.5 PPG (coincidence it’s the same figure on defense) has the club a full 11 games behind Cleveland in the Central division.
January has been fuel to James’ fire. The All Star forward has logged in 28.1 PPG with 8.4 APG and 10 RPG. He’s cracked the 30-plus point mark six times this month, 19 times this season and has scored 30 PPG in the last nine. And while these numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise, the best news to highlight is James’ 49.4 shooting percentage from the perimeter, the best yet of his career.
Pittsburgh finished the regular season, scoring 21.7 PPG. The Steelers also found themselves mustering up 20 points or below a total of eight times in 2008. The playoffs have seen a spike in offensive production at 29 PPG during the playoffs if that helps at all. Combine these numbers against Arizona defending the end zone for 20.8 PPG in the last four victories and the James bet could be worth looking into. Just remember that taking James’ points comes with a minus-1 ½-point handicap for a return of -115 (bet $115 to make $100).
Willie Parker Rushing Attempts (-3 ½) vs. Allen Iverson Points Scored
The Steelers’ running backs have been thoroughly analyzed in the recent breakdown comparing Arizona’s linebacker core. But to rehash quickly, Pittsburgh’s No. 1 back, Willie Parker registered his lowest statistics since logging in 186 yards with no touchdown as a rookie in 2004. Parker finished the regular season, averaging 3.8 YPG for 791 rushing yards. However, his last three outings have seen a surge in production. From Week 17 to the ‘W’ in Baltimore during the Conference Championship, Parker has averaged 103 YPG (gaining 116 and 146 games consecutively).
More importantly, Parker has averaged 20.1 carries per game in 13 contests this season. In those same three games aforementioned, the running back’s carries have risen to 24.7 attempts per game, but since his return from injury he's only seen 19.3 APG (in nine games back). Remember that if you’re taking Parker in this prop you must surrender 3 ½-carries. The price tag for taking the running back in this bet is listed at minus-115 (bet $115 to make $100).
Allen Iverson has been responsible for a sharp decline in his numbers. Averaging a career, 27.2 PPG, the Virginia born superstar has seen his numbers dip down to 17.6 PPG scored in 2008-09. In January, Iverson struggled for his worst monthly offensive average in his career (not counting the months that witnessed the guard out for an extended period of time) at 16.7 PPG scored. In just his last five games, Iverson has driven to the hoop for just 15.6 PPG. On a side note, the nine-time All-Star was placed on the bench at the end of the fourth quarter in Detroit’s, 108-105 loss versus Houston last Sunday.
Heath Miller Receiving Yards (-6 ½) vs. Dwight Howard’s Points plus Rebounds
The final exotic cross sport wager we’ll look at is whether Pittsburgh’s tight end, Heath Miller will work for more receiving yards or if Orlando’s star center, Dwight Howard will score more points.
While the Magic dropped two straight against Boston and Miami last week, Howard has been able to average 18.8 PPG with 14.2 RPG in the last five (combined figure of 33 for this betting purpose) and 20.9 PPG with 14 APG in January (combined figure of 34.9). To put this in perspective, Howard has registered a double-double in 11 of 12 games in January and 34 for the season. Add the 6 ½ handicap that Sportsbetting.com has listed for this bet and there could be enough reasons to wager on this prop.
But before we jump the gun, the Steelers TE, Miller has had just one active game this season without a catch. Minus the two contests that he sat out with an injury, Miller has tallied up 514 receiving yards. In an offensive set that ran the ball 28.8 times per game (and passed it 31.6 times per game), Miller found himself grabbing 29 catches for 329 yards since Week 13.
During the playoffs, Miller has six receptions for 99 yards and one TD. And only seven times has the TE registered under 40 yards of receiving yards (including playoffs).
Other NBA Cross Sport Bets
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Steelers+Cardinals Points -12 ½ (-115) LeBron James (Cavs) Points+Assists +12 ½ (-115)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers) Completions -3 ½ (+110) LeBron James (Cavs) 1st Half Points +3 ½ (-140)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Jeff Reed (Steelers) Field Goals Made + ½ (+110) LeBron James (Cavs) Missed Free Throws - ½ (-140)
Who Will Have More on Feb 1st 2009 Cardinals First Downs +2 ½ (-115) Rasheed Wallace (Pistons) Points+Rebounds -2 ½ (-115)
Go to Sportsbetting.com for a complete list of Cross Sport Props
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
New Legislation Authorizes FEMA Camps In U.S.
“National emergency centers” on military bases to house American citizens
A new bill introduced in Congress authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to set up a network of FEMA camp facilities to be used to house U.S. citizens in the event of a national emergency.
The National Emergency Centers Act or HR 645 mandates the establishment of “national emergency centers” to be located on military installations for the purpose of to providing “temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster,” according to the bill.
The legislation also states that the camps will be used to “provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations”.
Ominously, the bill also states that the camps can be used to “meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security,” an open ended mandate which many fear could mean the forced detention of American citizens in the event of widespread rioting after a national emergency or total economic collapse.
Many credible forecasters have predicted riots and rebellions in America that will dwarf those already witnessed in countries like Iceland and Greece.
With active duty military personnel already being stationed inside the U.S. under Northcom, partly for purposes of “crowd control,” fears that Americans could be incarcerated in detainment camps are all too real.
The bill mandates that six separate facilities be established in different Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions (FEMA) throughout the country.
The camps will double up as “command and control” centers that will also house a “24/7 operations watch center” as well as training facilities for Federal, State, and local first responders.
The bill also contains language that will authorize camps to be established within closed or already operating military bases around the country.As we have previously highlighted, in early 2006 Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root was awarded a $385 million dollar contract by Homeland Security to construct detention and processing facilities in the event of a national emergency.
The language of the preamble to the agreement veils the program with talk of temporary migrant holding centers, but it is made clear that the camps would also be used “as the development of a plan to react to a national emergency.”
As far back as 2002, FEMA sought bids from major real estate and engineering firms to construct giant internment facilities in the case of a chemical, biological or nuclear attack or a natural disaster.
A much discussed and circulated report, the Pentagon’s Civilian Inmate Labor Program, was more recently updated and the revision details a “template for developing agreements” between the Army and corrections facilities for the use of civilian inmate labor on Army installations.”
Alex Jones has attended numerous military urban warfare training drills across the US where role players were used to simulate arresting American citizens and taking them to internment camps.
Read the new legislation in full below.
————————————————————————
National Emergency Centers Establishment Act (Introduced in House)
HR 645 IH
111th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 645To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 22, 2009Mr. HASTINGS of Florida introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Armed Services, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
——————————————————————————–
A BILLTo direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to establish national emergency centers on military installations.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the `National Emergency Centers Establishment Act’.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.
(a) In General- In accordance with the requirements of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish not fewer than 6 national emergency centers on military installations.
(b) Purpose of National Emergency Centers- The purpose of a national emergency center shall be to use existing infrastructure–
(1) to provide temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance to individuals and families dislocated due to an emergency or major disaster;
(2) to provide centralized locations for the purposes of training and ensuring the coordination of Federal, State, and local first responders;
(3) to provide centralized locations to improve the coordination of preparedness, response, and recovery efforts of government, private, and not-for-profit entities and faith-based organizations; and
(4) to meet other appropriate needs, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.
SEC. 3. DESIGNATION OF MILITARY INSTALLATIONS AS NATIONAL EMERGENCY CENTERS.
(a) In General- Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall designate not fewer than 6 military installations as sites for the establishment of national emergency centers.
(b) Minimum Requirements- A site designated as a national emergency center shall be–
(1) capable of meeting for an extended period of time the housing, health, transportation, education, public works, humanitarian and other transition needs of a large number of individuals affected by an emergency or major disaster;
(2) environmentally safe and shall not pose a health risk to individuals who may use the center;
(3) capable of being scaled up or down to accommodate major disaster preparedness and response drills, operations, and procedures;
(4) capable of housing existing permanent structures necessary to meet training and first responders coordination requirements during nondisaster periods;
(5) capable of hosting the infrastructure necessary to rapidly adjust to temporary housing, medical, and humanitarian assistance needs;
(6) required to consist of a complete operations command center, including 2 state-of-the art command and control centers that will comprise a 24/7 operations watch center as follows:
(A) one of the command and control centers shall be in full ready mode; and
(B) the other shall be used daily for training; and
(7) easily accessible at all times and be able to facilitate handicapped and medical facilities, including during an emergency or major disaster.
(c) Location of National Emergency Centers- There shall be established not fewer than one national emergency center in each of the following areas:
(1) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions I, II, and III.
(2) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IV.
(3) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions V and VII.
(4) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region VI.
(5) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Regions VIII and X.
(6) The area consisting of Federal Emergency Management Agency Region IX.
(d) Preference for Designation of Closed Military Installations- Wherever possible, the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, shall designate a closed military installation as a site for a national emergency center. If the Secretaries of Homeland Security and Defense jointly determine that there is not a sufficient number of closed military installations that meet the requirements of subsections (b) and (c), the Secretaries shall jointly designate portions of existing military installations other than closed military installations as national emergency centers.
(e) Transfer of Control of Closed Military Installations- If a closed military installation is designated as a national emergency center, not later than 180 days after the date of designation, the Secretary of Defense shall transfer to the Secretary of Homeland Security administrative jurisdiction over such closed military installation.
(f) Cooperative Agreement for Joint Use of Existing Military Installations- If an existing military installation other than a closed military installation is designated as a national emergency center, not later than 180 days after the date of designation, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense shall enter into a cooperative agreement to provide for the establishment of the national emergency center.
(g) Reports-
(1) PRELIMINARY REPORT- Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated site–
(A) an outline of the reasons why the site was selected;
(B) an outline of the need to construct, repair, or update any existing infrastructure at the site;
(C) an outline of the need to conduct any necessary environmental clean-up at the site;
(D) an outline of preliminary plans for the transfer of control of the site from the Secretary of Defense to the Secretary of Homeland Security, if necessary under subsection (e); and
(E) an outline of preliminary plans for entering into a cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f).
(2) UPDATE REPORT- Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated site–
(A) an update on the information contained in the report as required by paragraph (1);
(B) an outline of the progress made toward the transfer of control of the site, if necessary under subsection (e);
(C) an outline of the progress made toward entering a cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f); and
(D) recommendations regarding any authorizations and appropriations that may be necessary to provide for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site.
(3) FINAL REPORT- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit to Congress a report that contains for each designated site–
(A) finalized information detailing the transfer of control of the site, if necessary under subsection (e);
(B) the finalized cooperative agreement for the establishment of a national emergency center at the site, if necessary under subsection (f); and
(C) any additional information pertinent to the establishment of a national emergency center at the site.
(4) ADDITIONAL REPORTS- The Secretary of Homeland Security, acting jointly with the Secretary of Defense, may submit to Congress additional reports as necessary to provide updates on steps being taken to meet the requirements of this Act.
SEC. 4. LIMITATIONS ON STATUTORY CONSTRUCTION.
This Act does not affect–
(1) the authority of the Federal Government to provide emergency or major disaster assistance or to implement any disaster mitigation and response program, including any program authorized by the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5121 et seq.); or
(2) the authority of a State or local government to respond to an emergency.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated $180,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2009 and 2010 to carry out this Act. Such funds shall remain available until expended.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) CLOSED MILITARY INSTALLATION- The term `closed military installation’ means a military installation, or portion thereof, approved for closure or realignment under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) that meet all, or 2 out of the 3 following requirements:
(A) Is located in close proximity to a transportation corridor.
(B) Is located in a State with a high level or threat of disaster related activities.
(C) Is located near a major metropolitan center.
(2) EMERGENCY- The term `emergency’ has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
(3) MAJOR DISASTER- The term `major disaster’ has the meaning given such term in section 102 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5122).
(4) MILITARY INSTALLATION- The term `military installation’ has the meaning given such term in section 2910 of the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (part A of title XXIX of Public Law 101-510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note).
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A new dawn, new fears for Obama presidency
A new dawn, new fears for Obama presidency
Commentary: Finding cures won't be easy for nation's new chief executive
By Todd Harrison
"I don't ask for much, I only want your trust and you know it don't come easy" -- Ringo Starr
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- A new dawn has arrived, full of promises, hope and a fair amount of fear.
Barack Obama was sworn in Tuesday as the 44th President of the United States of America. In the storied history of democracy, there has never been a transfer of power where the fortunes of so many were pinned to the lapel of one man.
I traditionally avoid the perception of political affiliation -- as a financial columnist, my motivation is to offer an unbiased assessment of the global landscape -- but I will share that I support this administration. Sobering socioeconomic seeds were sown long ago and the specter of unified change is our single best hope as we find our way through this process of price discovery. See related column.
After years of reckless spending, conspicuous consumption and mismanaged policy, we, the people, must offer a collective "mea culpa" if we hope to regain respectability on a global stage. There aren't any magic pills, mind you, but humility, diplomacy and cooperative intelligence are intuitive starting points on the road to redemption.
It won't come easy. The incoming President inherits a fragile geopolitical landscape, record budget deficits and massive Treasury debt, more than half of which is held by foreigners whose patience wore thin long ago. Indeed, the single greatest risk to the system -- and our world -- is entirely more profound than trade imbalances or profit margins. See recent MarketWatch column.
We're at a societal inflection point, one where each of us must be accountable for what we do and how we do it. While many of us weren't responsible for the hole in which we find ourselves, pointing fingers and placing blame will do little to dig us out of it. As we're apt to say in Minyanville, if you're not part of the solution, you're likely part of the problem.
Challenging popular perception
The news flow of late has been staggering: An additional $350 billion in Troubled Assets Relief Program funds, the $825 billion stimulus package, another $20 billion for Bank of America (BAC
bank of america corporation com
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BAC) and its newly acquired Merrill Lynch, plus the systematic dismantling of once-venerable institutions such as Citigroup (C
Citigroup, Inc
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C) .
Conventional wisdom dictates that the only solution is to induce fresh spending with fertile credit, a last-ditch effort to shock the economy out of its coma and pave the way to better days. That is a fundamentally flawed assumption, for sustainable growth will arrive by way of debt destruction rather than credit creation.
Interest rates on bank deposits are near zero and the Federal Reserve guided them there for a reason: they want to remove incentive to save and jumpstart the spending cycle. While saving is an intuitive individual solution, it's the death knell of an economic ecosystem measured by the sum of its parts and reliant on the velocity of money.
What we're witnessing isn't a garden-variety, one-and-done recession; it's the cumulative comeuppance of a massive credit bubble rooted in faulty monetary policy aimed at avoiding small, corrective recessions. Conventional wisdom has been wrong about what's been happening the past 20 years, so shame on us if we rely on the same people who never saw the bubble building in the first place to guide us through it.
The answer to a debt bubble isn't to create more debt. That's as absurd as saying we should have created more technology stocks in 2000 or more homes in 2006. As it stands, we'll be adding another $2 trillion to the national debt this year, an obligation that will invariably be passed to future generations.
Our current course has ominous ramifications for the dollar. As the greenback is the world reserve currency, those implications extend throughout the global landscape. A currency holds a nation together and the economy -- perhaps society at large -- assumes more, not less, risk as a function of the path of our attempted fix.
Focusing on Solutions
While efforts at job creation will result in more cash in people's pockets, that cash will be worth less as the government borrows more. Sustainable and realistic solutions require an overall reduction of government influence as we take our free-market medicine of time and price. That is, if the free-market capital structure is to survive.
The underlying problem is that we have no savings to support sound lending. In their desperate attempt to fix the problem, the Federal Reserve created more imbalances and prolonged the inevitable. They are shifting private debt into public debt but their only end game is to print more currency.
A balanced economy needs a savings pool commensurate with its debt pool. Any solution that deviates from that equilibrium will lower the standard of living for our children. It took years to deplete our collective fortunes and it will take years of saving, coupled with painful debt destruction, to establish a stable foundation for economic growth.
Our new leadership should encourage people to save money while rewarding productivity in the private sector. This includes allowing interest rates to rise to reward savers, drastically reducing government spending, investing tax dollars in education and passing tax cuts that rebuild the socioeconomic system from the inside out.
While this approach is a bitter pill to swallow -- most medicine is -- it is the only sustainable path. Remember, we're at a critical crossroads, one that will leave an indelible impression on world history. See recent MarketWatch column.
It's not often you get a second chance at making a first impression. Given how high the stakes are, the onus is on us to stand together as one and affect that positive change.
One step at a time.
Commentary: Finding cures won't be easy for nation's new chief executive
By Todd Harrison
"I don't ask for much, I only want your trust and you know it don't come easy" -- Ringo Starr
NEW YORK (MarketWatch) -- A new dawn has arrived, full of promises, hope and a fair amount of fear.
Barack Obama was sworn in Tuesday as the 44th President of the United States of America. In the storied history of democracy, there has never been a transfer of power where the fortunes of so many were pinned to the lapel of one man.
I traditionally avoid the perception of political affiliation -- as a financial columnist, my motivation is to offer an unbiased assessment of the global landscape -- but I will share that I support this administration. Sobering socioeconomic seeds were sown long ago and the specter of unified change is our single best hope as we find our way through this process of price discovery. See related column.
After years of reckless spending, conspicuous consumption and mismanaged policy, we, the people, must offer a collective "mea culpa" if we hope to regain respectability on a global stage. There aren't any magic pills, mind you, but humility, diplomacy and cooperative intelligence are intuitive starting points on the road to redemption.
It won't come easy. The incoming President inherits a fragile geopolitical landscape, record budget deficits and massive Treasury debt, more than half of which is held by foreigners whose patience wore thin long ago. Indeed, the single greatest risk to the system -- and our world -- is entirely more profound than trade imbalances or profit margins. See recent MarketWatch column.
We're at a societal inflection point, one where each of us must be accountable for what we do and how we do it. While many of us weren't responsible for the hole in which we find ourselves, pointing fingers and placing blame will do little to dig us out of it. As we're apt to say in Minyanville, if you're not part of the solution, you're likely part of the problem.
Challenging popular perception
The news flow of late has been staggering: An additional $350 billion in Troubled Assets Relief Program funds, the $825 billion stimulus package, another $20 billion for Bank of America (BAC
bank of america corporation com
News , chart , profile , more
Delayed quote data
Add to portfolio Analyst Create alert
Insider Discuss Financials
Sponsored by:
BAC) and its newly acquired Merrill Lynch, plus the systematic dismantling of once-venerable institutions such as Citigroup (C
Citigroup, Inc
News , chart , profile , more
Delayed quote data
Add to portfolio Analyst Create alert
Insider Discuss Financials
Sponsored by:
C) .
Conventional wisdom dictates that the only solution is to induce fresh spending with fertile credit, a last-ditch effort to shock the economy out of its coma and pave the way to better days. That is a fundamentally flawed assumption, for sustainable growth will arrive by way of debt destruction rather than credit creation.
Interest rates on bank deposits are near zero and the Federal Reserve guided them there for a reason: they want to remove incentive to save and jumpstart the spending cycle. While saving is an intuitive individual solution, it's the death knell of an economic ecosystem measured by the sum of its parts and reliant on the velocity of money.
What we're witnessing isn't a garden-variety, one-and-done recession; it's the cumulative comeuppance of a massive credit bubble rooted in faulty monetary policy aimed at avoiding small, corrective recessions. Conventional wisdom has been wrong about what's been happening the past 20 years, so shame on us if we rely on the same people who never saw the bubble building in the first place to guide us through it.
The answer to a debt bubble isn't to create more debt. That's as absurd as saying we should have created more technology stocks in 2000 or more homes in 2006. As it stands, we'll be adding another $2 trillion to the national debt this year, an obligation that will invariably be passed to future generations.
Our current course has ominous ramifications for the dollar. As the greenback is the world reserve currency, those implications extend throughout the global landscape. A currency holds a nation together and the economy -- perhaps society at large -- assumes more, not less, risk as a function of the path of our attempted fix.
Focusing on Solutions
While efforts at job creation will result in more cash in people's pockets, that cash will be worth less as the government borrows more. Sustainable and realistic solutions require an overall reduction of government influence as we take our free-market medicine of time and price. That is, if the free-market capital structure is to survive.
The underlying problem is that we have no savings to support sound lending. In their desperate attempt to fix the problem, the Federal Reserve created more imbalances and prolonged the inevitable. They are shifting private debt into public debt but their only end game is to print more currency.
A balanced economy needs a savings pool commensurate with its debt pool. Any solution that deviates from that equilibrium will lower the standard of living for our children. It took years to deplete our collective fortunes and it will take years of saving, coupled with painful debt destruction, to establish a stable foundation for economic growth.
Our new leadership should encourage people to save money while rewarding productivity in the private sector. This includes allowing interest rates to rise to reward savers, drastically reducing government spending, investing tax dollars in education and passing tax cuts that rebuild the socioeconomic system from the inside out.
While this approach is a bitter pill to swallow -- most medicine is -- it is the only sustainable path. Remember, we're at a critical crossroads, one that will leave an indelible impression on world history. See recent MarketWatch column.
It's not often you get a second chance at making a first impression. Given how high the stakes are, the onus is on us to stand together as one and affect that positive change.
One step at a time.
Five Super Bowl stats you should know
Sometimes it is the unknown or smaller stats that can make a difference in locating the Super Bowl winner.
Sacks
When you talk about sacks, you automatically think about the Steelers because that is what the media has thrown at you. You will probably be surprised to know that the Cardinals are +3 in net sacks this season while the Steelers are +2 in net sacks. It isn’t a huge difference but Pittsburgh and its defense are being portrayed as the team that will be able to dominate in that category.
Cardinals left tackle Mike Gandy isn't getting much attention but he's made life a lot easier for quarterback Kurt Warner. He has started 35 straight games since joining the Cardinals in 2007 and this year gave up only 6.5 sacks with just one holding penalty.
Winning the battle of the sacks usually means a Super bowl win. In the last 13 Super Bowls, the sack leader has won 12 of those games and went 8-3-2 ATS.
Edge: Even
Red zone
Red zone scoring is where games are won and lost.
Despite having the third ranked scoring offense, Arizona is ninth in red zone touchdown percentage at a 58.5 percent clip. The Steelers are 15th at 55.1 percent. The difference here is that the Cardinals scored 72 more redzone points while having 16 more possessions inside the 20-yard line.
Defensively, the Steelers were an NFL best, allowing red zone touchdowns only 33.3 percent of the time. Arizona, meanwhile, allowed touchdowns 63.6 percent of the time which was fifth worst. The point differential amounted to 124 more points allowed by Arizona.
Edge: Pittsburgh
Field Position
A shorter field makes it easier on the offense and harder on the defense. These are two of the worst punting teams in the NFL as Arizona finished 31st in net punting while Pittsburgh finished 29th. The Cardinals, however, have the edge in punt returning, averaging 7.2 yards per return compared to Pitt's 6.0 ypr average (31st in the NFL).
In Arizona's 21-14 win last season against the Steelers, Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston ran a punt back for a touchdown which broke a 7-7 tie.
Edge: Arizona
Defense Wins Championships
The last four Super Bowl winners have allowed only 15.5 points per game. The last eight champs allowed 17 ppg. Of the 42 past Super Bowls, the losing team has scored 20 points or fewer 33 times.
What about the offense? The winning team has scored 30 points or more 21 times, but it has not happened since Super Bowl XXVIII. Based on this little bit of history, it's clear a solid defense is a key contributor to any Super Bowl winner.
Edge: Pittsburgh
Passer Rating
Of the 42 winning quarterbacks in Super Bowl history, 15 of those had passer ratings better than 100 throughout their playoff run. This included both Ben Roethlisberger in 2005 (101.6) and Kurt Warner in 1999 (100.0). Looking at this season, Roethlisberger has a passer rating of 90.5 while Warner has a passer rating of 111.9.
Considering Roethlisberger had a regular season rating of 80.1 while Warner had a rating of 96.9, this current pace is not surprising. If Warner keeps it up and wins the Super Bowl, it would be the seventh-highest rating of all time. Keeping that pace will be difficult but achievable.
Edge: Arizona
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Sacks
When you talk about sacks, you automatically think about the Steelers because that is what the media has thrown at you. You will probably be surprised to know that the Cardinals are +3 in net sacks this season while the Steelers are +2 in net sacks. It isn’t a huge difference but Pittsburgh and its defense are being portrayed as the team that will be able to dominate in that category.
Cardinals left tackle Mike Gandy isn't getting much attention but he's made life a lot easier for quarterback Kurt Warner. He has started 35 straight games since joining the Cardinals in 2007 and this year gave up only 6.5 sacks with just one holding penalty.
Winning the battle of the sacks usually means a Super bowl win. In the last 13 Super Bowls, the sack leader has won 12 of those games and went 8-3-2 ATS.
Edge: Even
Red zone
Red zone scoring is where games are won and lost.
Despite having the third ranked scoring offense, Arizona is ninth in red zone touchdown percentage at a 58.5 percent clip. The Steelers are 15th at 55.1 percent. The difference here is that the Cardinals scored 72 more redzone points while having 16 more possessions inside the 20-yard line.
Defensively, the Steelers were an NFL best, allowing red zone touchdowns only 33.3 percent of the time. Arizona, meanwhile, allowed touchdowns 63.6 percent of the time which was fifth worst. The point differential amounted to 124 more points allowed by Arizona.
Edge: Pittsburgh
Field Position
A shorter field makes it easier on the offense and harder on the defense. These are two of the worst punting teams in the NFL as Arizona finished 31st in net punting while Pittsburgh finished 29th. The Cardinals, however, have the edge in punt returning, averaging 7.2 yards per return compared to Pitt's 6.0 ypr average (31st in the NFL).
In Arizona's 21-14 win last season against the Steelers, Cardinals receiver Steve Breaston ran a punt back for a touchdown which broke a 7-7 tie.
Edge: Arizona
Defense Wins Championships
The last four Super Bowl winners have allowed only 15.5 points per game. The last eight champs allowed 17 ppg. Of the 42 past Super Bowls, the losing team has scored 20 points or fewer 33 times.
What about the offense? The winning team has scored 30 points or more 21 times, but it has not happened since Super Bowl XXVIII. Based on this little bit of history, it's clear a solid defense is a key contributor to any Super Bowl winner.
Edge: Pittsburgh
Passer Rating
Of the 42 winning quarterbacks in Super Bowl history, 15 of those had passer ratings better than 100 throughout their playoff run. This included both Ben Roethlisberger in 2005 (101.6) and Kurt Warner in 1999 (100.0). Looking at this season, Roethlisberger has a passer rating of 90.5 while Warner has a passer rating of 111.9.
Considering Roethlisberger had a regular season rating of 80.1 while Warner had a rating of 96.9, this current pace is not surprising. If Warner keeps it up and wins the Super Bowl, it would be the seventh-highest rating of all time. Keeping that pace will be difficult but achievable.
Edge: Arizona
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday's NBA Preview
” A major trend to sweep through the league on Monday was near perfect 6-1 mark on the 'under'. Tuesday night's games will help us determine what's to come on Wednesday.
ESPN will broadcast a solo tip-off between Golden State (14-31 straight up, 20-24-1 against the spread) and Dallas (25-19 SU, 19-25 ATS) to begin the evening.
The Mavericks are coming off a four-game road stint for which they went 2-2 SU and ATS. But they shouldn’t rest just yet as the home contest on Wednesday is short lived. A two-game trip to
Miami and Orlando will roll right into the beginning of February.
Sticking with the contest at hand, Dallas has surrendered 109.1 PPG in its last nine (3-6 SU, 4-5 ATS). This lack of defense has pushed the club down the rankings at 16th, allowing a seasonal 99.4 PPG. The trend to emerge from allowing so many points is an ‘over’ record at 5-1 in the last six. Included was a Sunday, 124-100 loss in Boston which had the Mavs shooting just 42 percent from the field.
On the opposing bench, the Warriors have worked for a 4-3 record in their last seven after falling in five straight. But a 9-25 stretch in the last 34 can be overshadowed by a 7-3 ATS sprint in the last 10. Golden State has won four of the last five ATS games in large part to shooting 49.6 percent from the wood. Its last SU and ATS win over the Clippers came as a 10 ½-point favorite. Led by Corey Maggette (20 points, six rebounds), the Warriors drained 47 percent of its shots from beyond the arc, capturing the victory by the score of 107-92.
Golden state has coughed up 118.2 PPG in its last six losses versus giving up 105.3 PPG in the last four wins. The Warriors will now look ahead to three tough road games after finishing up a seven-game home stand. Golden State is 1-10 SU and 2-8-1 in its last 11 road games and is a disappointing 4-8 ATS away from home against teams playing over .500.
While Dallas is 3-1 in the last four head-to-head matches, the Warriors are a standout, 22-6-1 ATS in the last 29 head-to-head tip-offs.
Nuggets at Hornets – 8:00 p.m. EST
It’s been a roller coaster ride playing New Orleans (27-14 SU, 18-21-2 ATS) against the spread. For starters, the Hornets may be 4-1 in their last five but a 5-5 ATS record in the last 10 provides enough evidence of their unpredictability in returning money. Three of the five ATS losses have resulted as being the underdog on the board in road games. In-fact when books have installed New Orleans as the ‘dog this season, the team has gone 2-8 ATS.
Supporting the fade play on the Hornets is Denver’s (29-15 SU, 25-18-1 ATS) three-game ATS winning streak for which the team has outscored its opponents, 117-103.7 PPG. This offensive dominance has resulted in an 11-4 SU and 9-6 ATS run in the last 15, all aided by the Nuggets finding the hoop for 114.5 PPG. If you’re a totals player then a 10-5 ‘over’ record through the same 15 games is pertinent evidence that books will continue to tinker with total figures (the last two games have seen totals of 214 ½ and 220 ½-points respectively).
The road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 head-to-head meetings between these two teams.
Philadelphia at Houston – 8:30 p.m. EST
The 76ers (21-22 SU, 21-22 ATS) are coming off a loss in New Orleans (101-86), resulting in their third straight ATS loss in a row. A 4-6 ATS slide in the last 10 road games has backers sitting on the sidelines in the hopes that a positive trend tips the scales in their favor. At least a 7-3 record on the ‘over’ in those same 10 has produced an avenue for bettors to hop on. Philly is also coming off a seven-game winning streak which ended with a loss in Dallas (95-93) on Jan. 19. And there’s no overlooking the 8-3 ATS record in the last 10 (eight of them crafted in a row).
The Rockets (28-18 SU, 21-25 ATS) are best described as damaged good (nothing new for this club). Just as Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest come back from injury, Yao Ming departs with an ailing knee. A good indication of the rough goings in Houston include averaging 20.2 assists per game this season, 22nd worst in the league. The Rockets will be coming back home after playing eight of 13 games on the road (3-5 SU and ATS during the road trip). In its last 14 home games, Houston has put the injury bug behind it, working for a 12-2 SU record. But a 7-7 ATS stint doesn’t warrant heavy support from your bank account.
The team hopes that Ming will return to the lineup on Wednesday.The ‘Sixers dispatched of the Rockets on Jan. 6, 104-96. Philly didn’t need the three-points to cover the spread.
The ‘over’ is 6-0 in the last six head-to-head meetings.
Charlotte at Portland – 10:00 p.m. EST
A 5-13 road record is no way to open analysis on a team which you might be thinking to back. But if we dig just a little deeper we’ll notice that Charlotte (18-26 SU, 26-18 ATS) is 6-1 ATS in its last seven (ending the six-game ATS streak in a 98-93 loss in Indiana). Then again, four of those six ATS victories came from playing at home. Most books have opened the Bobcats as 9 ½-point visiting ‘dogs with a total set at 180 ½. From nine to 14-plus underdogs, Charlotte is just 2-3 ATS this season. On the road versus teams with a winning record, Charlotte has been the play at 5-2 ATS.
Portland (27-17 SU, 21-22 ATS) will attempt to take its eighth win in the last 11 home games in its 11th game installed as the favorite. The Trailblazers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10. Individually, Greg Oden has created a groove for himself, scoring 17 PPG with 10.8 RPG in the last four (3-1 SU and ATS in those four). When Oden has surpassed scoring double-digit figures in the last nine, Portland has gone 7-2 SU and 6-3 ATS. The ‘Blazers have also stepped up their production on defense, allowing 91 PPG in the last four games.
This is a revenge game for Portland which took an overtime ‘L’ against the Bobcats (102-97) on Jan. 17.
ESPN will broadcast a solo tip-off between Golden State (14-31 straight up, 20-24-1 against the spread) and Dallas (25-19 SU, 19-25 ATS) to begin the evening.
The Mavericks are coming off a four-game road stint for which they went 2-2 SU and ATS. But they shouldn’t rest just yet as the home contest on Wednesday is short lived. A two-game trip to
Miami and Orlando will roll right into the beginning of February.
Sticking with the contest at hand, Dallas has surrendered 109.1 PPG in its last nine (3-6 SU, 4-5 ATS). This lack of defense has pushed the club down the rankings at 16th, allowing a seasonal 99.4 PPG. The trend to emerge from allowing so many points is an ‘over’ record at 5-1 in the last six. Included was a Sunday, 124-100 loss in Boston which had the Mavs shooting just 42 percent from the field.
On the opposing bench, the Warriors have worked for a 4-3 record in their last seven after falling in five straight. But a 9-25 stretch in the last 34 can be overshadowed by a 7-3 ATS sprint in the last 10. Golden State has won four of the last five ATS games in large part to shooting 49.6 percent from the wood. Its last SU and ATS win over the Clippers came as a 10 ½-point favorite. Led by Corey Maggette (20 points, six rebounds), the Warriors drained 47 percent of its shots from beyond the arc, capturing the victory by the score of 107-92.
Golden state has coughed up 118.2 PPG in its last six losses versus giving up 105.3 PPG in the last four wins. The Warriors will now look ahead to three tough road games after finishing up a seven-game home stand. Golden State is 1-10 SU and 2-8-1 in its last 11 road games and is a disappointing 4-8 ATS away from home against teams playing over .500.
While Dallas is 3-1 in the last four head-to-head matches, the Warriors are a standout, 22-6-1 ATS in the last 29 head-to-head tip-offs.
Nuggets at Hornets – 8:00 p.m. EST
It’s been a roller coaster ride playing New Orleans (27-14 SU, 18-21-2 ATS) against the spread. For starters, the Hornets may be 4-1 in their last five but a 5-5 ATS record in the last 10 provides enough evidence of their unpredictability in returning money. Three of the five ATS losses have resulted as being the underdog on the board in road games. In-fact when books have installed New Orleans as the ‘dog this season, the team has gone 2-8 ATS.
Supporting the fade play on the Hornets is Denver’s (29-15 SU, 25-18-1 ATS) three-game ATS winning streak for which the team has outscored its opponents, 117-103.7 PPG. This offensive dominance has resulted in an 11-4 SU and 9-6 ATS run in the last 15, all aided by the Nuggets finding the hoop for 114.5 PPG. If you’re a totals player then a 10-5 ‘over’ record through the same 15 games is pertinent evidence that books will continue to tinker with total figures (the last two games have seen totals of 214 ½ and 220 ½-points respectively).
The road team is 10-4 ATS in the last 14 head-to-head meetings between these two teams.
Philadelphia at Houston – 8:30 p.m. EST
The 76ers (21-22 SU, 21-22 ATS) are coming off a loss in New Orleans (101-86), resulting in their third straight ATS loss in a row. A 4-6 ATS slide in the last 10 road games has backers sitting on the sidelines in the hopes that a positive trend tips the scales in their favor. At least a 7-3 record on the ‘over’ in those same 10 has produced an avenue for bettors to hop on. Philly is also coming off a seven-game winning streak which ended with a loss in Dallas (95-93) on Jan. 19. And there’s no overlooking the 8-3 ATS record in the last 10 (eight of them crafted in a row).
The Rockets (28-18 SU, 21-25 ATS) are best described as damaged good (nothing new for this club). Just as Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest come back from injury, Yao Ming departs with an ailing knee. A good indication of the rough goings in Houston include averaging 20.2 assists per game this season, 22nd worst in the league. The Rockets will be coming back home after playing eight of 13 games on the road (3-5 SU and ATS during the road trip). In its last 14 home games, Houston has put the injury bug behind it, working for a 12-2 SU record. But a 7-7 ATS stint doesn’t warrant heavy support from your bank account.
The team hopes that Ming will return to the lineup on Wednesday.The ‘Sixers dispatched of the Rockets on Jan. 6, 104-96. Philly didn’t need the three-points to cover the spread.
The ‘over’ is 6-0 in the last six head-to-head meetings.
Charlotte at Portland – 10:00 p.m. EST
A 5-13 road record is no way to open analysis on a team which you might be thinking to back. But if we dig just a little deeper we’ll notice that Charlotte (18-26 SU, 26-18 ATS) is 6-1 ATS in its last seven (ending the six-game ATS streak in a 98-93 loss in Indiana). Then again, four of those six ATS victories came from playing at home. Most books have opened the Bobcats as 9 ½-point visiting ‘dogs with a total set at 180 ½. From nine to 14-plus underdogs, Charlotte is just 2-3 ATS this season. On the road versus teams with a winning record, Charlotte has been the play at 5-2 ATS.
Portland (27-17 SU, 21-22 ATS) will attempt to take its eighth win in the last 11 home games in its 11th game installed as the favorite. The Trailblazers are 6-4 ATS in their last 10. Individually, Greg Oden has created a groove for himself, scoring 17 PPG with 10.8 RPG in the last four (3-1 SU and ATS in those four). When Oden has surpassed scoring double-digit figures in the last nine, Portland has gone 7-2 SU and 6-3 ATS. The ‘Blazers have also stepped up their production on defense, allowing 91 PPG in the last four games.
This is a revenge game for Portland which took an overtime ‘L’ against the Bobcats (102-97) on Jan. 17.
In America, Speaking the Truth is a Career-Ending Event
In America, Speaking the Truth is a Career-Ending Event
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
"The evidence is sitting on the table. There is no avoiding the fact that this was torture.”
These are the words of Manfred Nowak, the UN official appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to examine cases of torture. Nowak has concluded that President Obama is legally obligated to prosecute former President George W. Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
If President Obama’s bankster economic team finishes off what remains of the US economy, Obama, to deflect the public’s attention from his own failures and Americans’ growing hardships, might fulfill his responsibility to prosecute Bush and Rumsfeld. But for now the interesting question is why did the US military succumb to illegal orders?
In the December 2008 issue of CounterPunch, Alexander Cockburn, in his report on an inglorious chapter in the history of the Harvard Law School, provides the answer. Two brothers, Jonathan and David Lubell, both Harvard law students, were politically active against the Korean War. It was the McCarthy era, and the brothers were subpoenaed. They refused to cooperate on the grounds that the subpoena was a violation of the First Amendment.
Harvard Law School immediately began pressuring the students to cooperate with Congress. The other students ostracized them. Pressures from the Dean and faculty turned into threats. Although the Lubells graduated magna cum laude, they were kept off the Harvard Law Review. Their scholarships were terminated. A majority of the Harvard Law faculty voted for their expulsion (expulsion required a two-thirds vote).
Why did Harvard Law School betray two honor students who stood up for the US Constitution? Cockburn concludes that the Harvard law faculty sacrificed constitutional principle in order not to jeopardize their own self-advancement by displeasing the government (and no doubt donors).
We see such acts of personal cowardice every day. Recently we had the case of Jewish scholar and Israel critic Norman Finkelstein, whose tenure was blocked by the cowardly president of DePaul University, a man afraid to stand up for his own faculty against the Israel Lobby, which successfully imposed on a Catholic university the principle that no critic of Israel can gain academic tenure.
The same calculation of self-interest causes American journalists to serve as shills for Israeli and US government propaganda and the US Congress to endorse Israeli war crimes that the rest of the world condemns.
When US military officers saw that torture was a policy coming down from the top, they knew that doing the right thing would cost them their careers. They trimmed their sails. One who did not was Major General Antonio Taguba. Instead of covering up the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal, General Taguba wrote an honest report that terminated his career.
Despite legislation that protects whistleblowers, it is always the whistleblower, not the wrongdoer, who suffers. When it finally became public that the Bush regime was committing felonies under US law by using the NSA to spy on Americans, the Justice (sic) Department went after the whistleblower. Nothing was done about the felonies.
Yet Bush and the Justice (sic) Department continued to assert that “we are a nation of law.”
The Bush regime was a lawless regime. This makes it difficult for the Obama regime to be a lawful one. A torture inquiry would lead naturally into a war crimes inquiry. General Taguba said that the Bush regime committed war crimes. President Obama was a war criminal by his third day in office when he ordered illegal cross-border drone attacks on Pakistan that murdered 20 people, including 3 children. The bombing and strafing of homes and villages in Afghanistan by US forces and America’s NATO puppets are also war crimes. Obama cannot enforce the law, because he himself has already violated it.
For decades the US government has taken the position that Israel’s territorial expansion is not constrained by any international law. The US government is complicit in Israel’s war crimes in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.
The entire world knows that Israel is guilty of war crimes and that the US government made the crimes possible by providing the weapons and diplomatic support. What Israel and the US did in Lebanon and Gaza is no different from crimes for which Nazis were tried at Nuremberg. Israel understands this, and the Israeli government is currently preparing its defense, which will be led by Israeli Justice (sic) Minister Daniel Friedman. UN war crimes official Richard Falk has compared Israel’s massacre of Gazans to the Nazi starvation and massacre of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. Amnesty International and the Red Cross have demanded Israel be held accountable for war crimes. Even eight Israeli human rights groups have called for an investigation into Israel’s war crimes.
Obama’s order to close Guantanamo Prison means very little. Essentially, Obama’s order is a public relations event. The tribunal process had already been shut down by US courts and by military lawyers, who refused to prosecute the fabricated cases. The vast majority of the prisoners were hapless individuals captured by Afghan warlords and sold for money to the stupid Americans as “terrorists.” Most of the prisoners, people the Bush regime told us were “the most dangerous people alive,” have already been released.
Obama’s order said nothing about closing the CIA’s secret prisons or halting the illegal practice of rendition in which the CIA kidnaps people and sends them to third world countries, such as Egypt, to be tortured.
Obama would have to take risks that opportunistic politicians never take in order for the US to become a nation of law instead of a nation in which the agendas of special interests override the law.
Truth cannot be spoken in America. It cannot be spoken in universities. It cannot be spoken in the media. It cannot be spoken in courts, which is why defendants and defense attorneys have given up on trials and cop pleas to lesser offenses that never occurred.
Truth is never spoken by government. As Jonathan Turley said recently, Washington “is where principles go to die.”
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
"The evidence is sitting on the table. There is no avoiding the fact that this was torture.”
These are the words of Manfred Nowak, the UN official appointed by the Commission on Human Rights to examine cases of torture. Nowak has concluded that President Obama is legally obligated to prosecute former President George W. Bush and former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.
If President Obama’s bankster economic team finishes off what remains of the US economy, Obama, to deflect the public’s attention from his own failures and Americans’ growing hardships, might fulfill his responsibility to prosecute Bush and Rumsfeld. But for now the interesting question is why did the US military succumb to illegal orders?
In the December 2008 issue of CounterPunch, Alexander Cockburn, in his report on an inglorious chapter in the history of the Harvard Law School, provides the answer. Two brothers, Jonathan and David Lubell, both Harvard law students, were politically active against the Korean War. It was the McCarthy era, and the brothers were subpoenaed. They refused to cooperate on the grounds that the subpoena was a violation of the First Amendment.
Harvard Law School immediately began pressuring the students to cooperate with Congress. The other students ostracized them. Pressures from the Dean and faculty turned into threats. Although the Lubells graduated magna cum laude, they were kept off the Harvard Law Review. Their scholarships were terminated. A majority of the Harvard Law faculty voted for their expulsion (expulsion required a two-thirds vote).
Why did Harvard Law School betray two honor students who stood up for the US Constitution? Cockburn concludes that the Harvard law faculty sacrificed constitutional principle in order not to jeopardize their own self-advancement by displeasing the government (and no doubt donors).
We see such acts of personal cowardice every day. Recently we had the case of Jewish scholar and Israel critic Norman Finkelstein, whose tenure was blocked by the cowardly president of DePaul University, a man afraid to stand up for his own faculty against the Israel Lobby, which successfully imposed on a Catholic university the principle that no critic of Israel can gain academic tenure.
The same calculation of self-interest causes American journalists to serve as shills for Israeli and US government propaganda and the US Congress to endorse Israeli war crimes that the rest of the world condemns.
When US military officers saw that torture was a policy coming down from the top, they knew that doing the right thing would cost them their careers. They trimmed their sails. One who did not was Major General Antonio Taguba. Instead of covering up the Abu Ghraib prison torture scandal, General Taguba wrote an honest report that terminated his career.
Despite legislation that protects whistleblowers, it is always the whistleblower, not the wrongdoer, who suffers. When it finally became public that the Bush regime was committing felonies under US law by using the NSA to spy on Americans, the Justice (sic) Department went after the whistleblower. Nothing was done about the felonies.
Yet Bush and the Justice (sic) Department continued to assert that “we are a nation of law.”
The Bush regime was a lawless regime. This makes it difficult for the Obama regime to be a lawful one. A torture inquiry would lead naturally into a war crimes inquiry. General Taguba said that the Bush regime committed war crimes. President Obama was a war criminal by his third day in office when he ordered illegal cross-border drone attacks on Pakistan that murdered 20 people, including 3 children. The bombing and strafing of homes and villages in Afghanistan by US forces and America’s NATO puppets are also war crimes. Obama cannot enforce the law, because he himself has already violated it.
For decades the US government has taken the position that Israel’s territorial expansion is not constrained by any international law. The US government is complicit in Israel’s war crimes in Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank.
The entire world knows that Israel is guilty of war crimes and that the US government made the crimes possible by providing the weapons and diplomatic support. What Israel and the US did in Lebanon and Gaza is no different from crimes for which Nazis were tried at Nuremberg. Israel understands this, and the Israeli government is currently preparing its defense, which will be led by Israeli Justice (sic) Minister Daniel Friedman. UN war crimes official Richard Falk has compared Israel’s massacre of Gazans to the Nazi starvation and massacre of Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. Amnesty International and the Red Cross have demanded Israel be held accountable for war crimes. Even eight Israeli human rights groups have called for an investigation into Israel’s war crimes.
Obama’s order to close Guantanamo Prison means very little. Essentially, Obama’s order is a public relations event. The tribunal process had already been shut down by US courts and by military lawyers, who refused to prosecute the fabricated cases. The vast majority of the prisoners were hapless individuals captured by Afghan warlords and sold for money to the stupid Americans as “terrorists.” Most of the prisoners, people the Bush regime told us were “the most dangerous people alive,” have already been released.
Obama’s order said nothing about closing the CIA’s secret prisons or halting the illegal practice of rendition in which the CIA kidnaps people and sends them to third world countries, such as Egypt, to be tortured.
Obama would have to take risks that opportunistic politicians never take in order for the US to become a nation of law instead of a nation in which the agendas of special interests override the law.
Truth cannot be spoken in America. It cannot be spoken in universities. It cannot be spoken in the media. It cannot be spoken in courts, which is why defendants and defense attorneys have given up on trials and cop pleas to lesser offenses that never occurred.
Truth is never spoken by government. As Jonathan Turley said recently, Washington “is where principles go to die.”
Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury in the Reagan administration. He is coauthor of The Tyranny of Good Intentions.He can be reached at: PaulCraigRoberts@yahoo.com
Tuesday's Tip Sheet--CBB
Tuesday's Tip Sheet
After Monday's limited card, gamblers have to be salivating at the chances to cash winners during Tuesday's 15-game slate. Let's touch on three televised tilts before exploring a few Bonus Nuggets.
**Kentucky at Ole Miss**
--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Kentucky (16-4 straight up, 10-4-1 against the spread) as an eight-point favorite with a total of 138. As of early this morning, most sports books had UK at 8 1/2.
--Billy Gillispie's team is absolutely on fire, winning five in a row, 11 of its last 12 and 16 of its last 18. Most notably for our purposes, the Wildcats have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 contests. They shook off an intermission deficit Saturday at Alabama to win a 61-51 decision as six-point road favorites. The ‘Cats got another monster game from Jodie Meeks, who finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Perry Stevenson added 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
--Meeks leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 26.1 points per game. The product of Norcross High School outside of Atlanta has been nothing short of sensational, getting his points in timely fashion and without taking too many shots. In fact, he only hoisted 18 attempts against the Crimson Tide. Meeks also leads the SEC in free-throw percentage (89.9%), 3-point percentage (45.9%), 3-pointers made (3.9 per game) and minutes played (33.9 per game).
--This has essentially turned into a ‘throw-away’ season for Ole Miss, which is 10-9 SU and 9-6 ATS. The Rebels have lost three starters to season-ending injuries, including star sophomore point guard Chris Warren from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.
--Andy Kennedy’s team has lost four of its first five SEC games, but the Rebels have taken the cash in four of those five games. They are off Saturday’s 82-71 loss at South Carolina as 11 ½-point underdogs. David Huertas, who is third in the SEC in scoring with a 19.5 PPG average, had 27 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the losing effort.
--Ole Miss is 5-3 ATS in eight games as an underdog, 1-1 ATS in a pair of home ‘dog spots. Meanwhile, UK is 2-0 ATS as a road favorite this season.
--The ‘under’ has cashed in three straight for UK and is 8-7 overall.
--The ‘over’ is 8-7 overall for Ole Miss, but the ‘under’ is 4-3 in its home assignments.
--Kentucky has won nine in a row over Ole Miss, posting a 6-3 spread record during that stretch. The ‘under’ is 4-0-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings between these SEC rivals.
--Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
**Boston College at Maryland**
--Maryland (13-6 SU, 6-5-2 ATS) is looking to bounce back from its worst loss since 1963 and its worst ACC loss ever. The Terrapins pulled a complete no-show Saturday at Duke, falling behind 40-15 at intermission en route to an 85-44 loss as 15-point road underdogs. Landon Milbourne had a team-high 19 points in the losing effort.
--Might Maryland head coach Gary Williams be on the hot seat less than a decade after leading his alma mater to the national championship? Maybe. If the Terps don’t make the NCAA Tournament this year, it will be the fourth time in five years that they haven’t heard their name called on Selection Sunday.
--After pulling one of the season’s biggest upsets by winning at North Carolina as a 23-point underdog, Boston College (15-6 SU, 9-7 ATS) lost four in a row both SU and ATS. Since then, however, the Eagles have won back-to-back games both SU and ATS, including Saturday’s 79-68 win over NC St. as 5 ½-point home favorites. Tyrese Rice scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field.
--Rice is tied for fourth in the ACC in scoring with an 18.4 PPG average. Joe Trapani, a transfer from Vermont who had 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Wolfpack, is BC’s second-leading scorer (14.0 PPG).
--Maryland’s catalyst is junior guard Greivis Vasquez, who averaged 17.0 points and 6.8 assists per game last season. Those numbers are down this year (16.3 PPG, 4.6 APG), however, and Vasquez was horrible against the Blue Devils. He had just four points, one assist, one rebound and four turnovers on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor.
--Maryland is 11-1 SU and 2-2-2 ATS at home.
--LVSC opened Maryland as a 4 1/2-point 'chalk' with a total of 142 1/2.
--The ‘over’ is 11-5 overall for BC and is on a 5-1 run in its last six games.
--The ‘under’ is 9-4 overall for Maryland, 3-3 in its home outings.
--Since BC joined the ACC in 2005, it has won four of the six head-to-head meetings against Maryland. Even better, the Eagles are 5-1 ATS in those six encounters.
--ESPN2 will provide television coverage at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
**Purdue at Wisconsin**
--After losing its first two Big Ten games, Purdue (15-4 SU, 7-8 ATS) has responded with four consecutive wins. The Boilermakers are 3-1 ATS during this stretch. They collected a 70-62 win Thursday at Minnesota as one-point underdogs. JaJuan Johnson paced the winners with 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots.
--Wisconsin (12-7 SU, 7-9-1 ATS) hasn’t missed the NCAA Tournament since 1998, but the Badgers are in serious danger of doing just that this year. They have lost four in a row (0-3-1 ATS), including a pair of gut-wrenching setbacks in overtime.
--Bo Ryan’s squad is coming off a 64-57 loss Saturday at Illinois as a seven-point underdog. Senior forward Joe Krabbenhoft had 16 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
--Wisconsin has won eight of its 10 home games this year, but it is a mediocre 3-5 ATS.
--The Badgers have seen the ‘over’ go 9-7-1 overall, 5-3 in its home outings. The ‘over’ is 8-7 overall for Purdue, 5-1 in its last six games.
--Purdue has covered the spread in six straight head-to-head meetings against Wisconsin, winning outright in three straight and four of those six encounters. The ‘under’ is on a 5-1 run in this rivalry.
--ESPN will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
**BONUS NUGGETS**
--Just as this space has suggested several times in recent months, Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried has been in hot water at his alma mater. If he had any chance of saving his job in his 11th season, Gottfried needed fifth-year senior point guard Ronald Steele to lead the Crimson Tide back to the NCAA Tournament. Those hopes were smashed when Steele shut it down for the season last week due to plantar fasciitis. Then with Coleman Coliseum packed for the first and only time this year Saturday, Alabama blew a halftime lead and collapsed in the second half mostly due to poor play at the point-guard position. And that was all she wrote. Gottfried met with ‘Bama AD Mal Moore Monday morning and gave him his resignation. (Translation: Gottfried got fired.) The Tide went to five NCAA Tournaments in 10 seasons under Gottfried, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history behind the stellar play of Antoine “Red Shoes” Pettway in 2004. Phillip Pearson, Gottfried’s long-time assistant, will serve as the team’s interim coach for the rest of the year.
--Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com reported Monday that Steele actually quit because of a falling out with Gottfried and implied that Pearson might be able to talk Steele into rejoining the team.
--Where will the Tide turn next? Might Maryland's Gary Williams be interested? I think VCU's Anthony Grant would be a good fit. Remember, he was just hours away from becoming the Florida coach before Billy Donovan changed his mind about the Magic job.
--I'm not saying Tom Crean made the wrong decision in taking the Indiana job, but you know he has to hate not being able to coach this Marquette team.
--It was a rough weekend for the SEC, which is already in the midst of an extremely down year. LSU lost at home to Xavier and Memphis won a nail-biter at Tennessee.
--The next coach to get fired? Don’t be surprised if Georgia gives Dennis Felton a pink slip in the next week or so.
After Monday's limited card, gamblers have to be salivating at the chances to cash winners during Tuesday's 15-game slate. Let's touch on three televised tilts before exploring a few Bonus Nuggets.
**Kentucky at Ole Miss**
--Las Vegas Sports Consultants opened Kentucky (16-4 straight up, 10-4-1 against the spread) as an eight-point favorite with a total of 138. As of early this morning, most sports books had UK at 8 1/2.
--Billy Gillispie's team is absolutely on fire, winning five in a row, 11 of its last 12 and 16 of its last 18. Most notably for our purposes, the Wildcats have covered the spread in nine of their last 11 contests. They shook off an intermission deficit Saturday at Alabama to win a 61-51 decision as six-point road favorites. The ‘Cats got another monster game from Jodie Meeks, who finished with 27 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Perry Stevenson added 16 points, 12 rebounds and four assists.
--Meeks leads the SEC in scoring, averaging 26.1 points per game. The product of Norcross High School outside of Atlanta has been nothing short of sensational, getting his points in timely fashion and without taking too many shots. In fact, he only hoisted 18 attempts against the Crimson Tide. Meeks also leads the SEC in free-throw percentage (89.9%), 3-point percentage (45.9%), 3-pointers made (3.9 per game) and minutes played (33.9 per game).
--This has essentially turned into a ‘throw-away’ season for Ole Miss, which is 10-9 SU and 9-6 ATS. The Rebels have lost three starters to season-ending injuries, including star sophomore point guard Chris Warren from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando.
--Andy Kennedy’s team has lost four of its first five SEC games, but the Rebels have taken the cash in four of those five games. They are off Saturday’s 82-71 loss at South Carolina as 11 ½-point underdogs. David Huertas, who is third in the SEC in scoring with a 19.5 PPG average, had 27 points, seven rebounds and three steals in the losing effort.
--Ole Miss is 5-3 ATS in eight games as an underdog, 1-1 ATS in a pair of home ‘dog spots. Meanwhile, UK is 2-0 ATS as a road favorite this season.
--The ‘under’ has cashed in three straight for UK and is 8-7 overall.
--The ‘over’ is 8-7 overall for Ole Miss, but the ‘under’ is 4-3 in its home assignments.
--Kentucky has won nine in a row over Ole Miss, posting a 6-3 spread record during that stretch. The ‘under’ is 4-0-1 in the last five head-to-head meetings between these SEC rivals.
--Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Eastern on ESPN.
**Boston College at Maryland**
--Maryland (13-6 SU, 6-5-2 ATS) is looking to bounce back from its worst loss since 1963 and its worst ACC loss ever. The Terrapins pulled a complete no-show Saturday at Duke, falling behind 40-15 at intermission en route to an 85-44 loss as 15-point road underdogs. Landon Milbourne had a team-high 19 points in the losing effort.
--Might Maryland head coach Gary Williams be on the hot seat less than a decade after leading his alma mater to the national championship? Maybe. If the Terps don’t make the NCAA Tournament this year, it will be the fourth time in five years that they haven’t heard their name called on Selection Sunday.
--After pulling one of the season’s biggest upsets by winning at North Carolina as a 23-point underdog, Boston College (15-6 SU, 9-7 ATS) lost four in a row both SU and ATS. Since then, however, the Eagles have won back-to-back games both SU and ATS, including Saturday’s 79-68 win over NC St. as 5 ½-point home favorites. Tyrese Rice scored a game-high 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field.
--Rice is tied for fourth in the ACC in scoring with an 18.4 PPG average. Joe Trapani, a transfer from Vermont who had 12 points and 10 rebounds against the Wolfpack, is BC’s second-leading scorer (14.0 PPG).
--Maryland’s catalyst is junior guard Greivis Vasquez, who averaged 17.0 points and 6.8 assists per game last season. Those numbers are down this year (16.3 PPG, 4.6 APG), however, and Vasquez was horrible against the Blue Devils. He had just four points, one assist, one rebound and four turnovers on 2-of-10 shooting from the floor.
--Maryland is 11-1 SU and 2-2-2 ATS at home.
--LVSC opened Maryland as a 4 1/2-point 'chalk' with a total of 142 1/2.
--The ‘over’ is 11-5 overall for BC and is on a 5-1 run in its last six games.
--The ‘under’ is 9-4 overall for Maryland, 3-3 in its home outings.
--Since BC joined the ACC in 2005, it has won four of the six head-to-head meetings against Maryland. Even better, the Eagles are 5-1 ATS in those six encounters.
--ESPN2 will provide television coverage at 7:30 p.m. Eastern.
**Purdue at Wisconsin**
--After losing its first two Big Ten games, Purdue (15-4 SU, 7-8 ATS) has responded with four consecutive wins. The Boilermakers are 3-1 ATS during this stretch. They collected a 70-62 win Thursday at Minnesota as one-point underdogs. JaJuan Johnson paced the winners with 19 points, eight rebounds and five blocked shots.
--Wisconsin (12-7 SU, 7-9-1 ATS) hasn’t missed the NCAA Tournament since 1998, but the Badgers are in serious danger of doing just that this year. They have lost four in a row (0-3-1 ATS), including a pair of gut-wrenching setbacks in overtime.
--Bo Ryan’s squad is coming off a 64-57 loss Saturday at Illinois as a seven-point underdog. Senior forward Joe Krabbenhoft had 16 points and 12 rebounds in defeat.
--Wisconsin has won eight of its 10 home games this year, but it is a mediocre 3-5 ATS.
--The Badgers have seen the ‘over’ go 9-7-1 overall, 5-3 in its home outings. The ‘over’ is 8-7 overall for Purdue, 5-1 in its last six games.
--Purdue has covered the spread in six straight head-to-head meetings against Wisconsin, winning outright in three straight and four of those six encounters. The ‘under’ is on a 5-1 run in this rivalry.
--ESPN will have the telecast at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
**BONUS NUGGETS**
--Just as this space has suggested several times in recent months, Alabama head coach Mark Gottfried has been in hot water at his alma mater. If he had any chance of saving his job in his 11th season, Gottfried needed fifth-year senior point guard Ronald Steele to lead the Crimson Tide back to the NCAA Tournament. Those hopes were smashed when Steele shut it down for the season last week due to plantar fasciitis. Then with Coleman Coliseum packed for the first and only time this year Saturday, Alabama blew a halftime lead and collapsed in the second half mostly due to poor play at the point-guard position. And that was all she wrote. Gottfried met with ‘Bama AD Mal Moore Monday morning and gave him his resignation. (Translation: Gottfried got fired.) The Tide went to five NCAA Tournaments in 10 seasons under Gottfried, advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history behind the stellar play of Antoine “Red Shoes” Pettway in 2004. Phillip Pearson, Gottfried’s long-time assistant, will serve as the team’s interim coach for the rest of the year.
--Jeff Goodman of FoxSports.com reported Monday that Steele actually quit because of a falling out with Gottfried and implied that Pearson might be able to talk Steele into rejoining the team.
--Where will the Tide turn next? Might Maryland's Gary Williams be interested? I think VCU's Anthony Grant would be a good fit. Remember, he was just hours away from becoming the Florida coach before Billy Donovan changed his mind about the Magic job.
--I'm not saying Tom Crean made the wrong decision in taking the Indiana job, but you know he has to hate not being able to coach this Marquette team.
--It was a rough weekend for the SEC, which is already in the midst of an extremely down year. LSU lost at home to Xavier and Memphis won a nail-biter at Tennessee.
--The next coach to get fired? Don’t be surprised if Georgia gives Dennis Felton a pink slip in the next week or so.
Oddsmakers make Pats fave to win 2010 Super Bowl
Parity is so great in the NFL that New England, a non-playoff team, is the odds-on-favorite to win next season’s Super Bowl.
This is according to opening 2009 Super Bowl numbers released by the oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
“It strikes me more than any other year what a difference one call can make,” LVSC senior linesmaker Tony Sinisi said about how equal most of the teams are in the NFL. “A call here or there, can really make a difference.
“Tennessee, for example, lost to the Ravens. The Titans easily could have won that game. Arizona is a classic example. Five weeks ago nobody has the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. But they got hot at the right time.
“It just screams parity.”
The Patriots are 6-1. Pittsburgh is next at 7-1, followed by Indianapolis at 8-1 and last year’s defending champions New York Giants also at 8-1.
New England was LVSC’s choice despite the Patriots missing the post-season and Tom Brady facing an uncertain future after suffering a serious knee injury.
The Las Vegas Hilton also opened the Patriots as the favorites for Super Bowl XLIV to be played in February of 2010. New England is 8-1 at the Hilton. The next closest teams at the Hilton are Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Dallas and the Giants at 10-1.
New England went 11-5,” Sinisi said in defending making the Patriots the top choice. “The Patriots just were in the wrong division. Certainly they had a very solid year without their superstar quarterback.
“Bill Belichick is a brilliant coach. He wins with what he has. Give him the parts and he makes the car run.”
The Patriots hold a lot of credibility, too, with the betting public having reached the Super Bowl in four of the past eight years winning it three times under Belichick. The public likes to back a proven winner with a strong history.
Reserve quarterback Matt Cassel showed enough to make the Patriots worthy of strong respect even if Brady is unable to fully come back.
LVSC has Dallas at 9-1 followed by Baltimore at 11-1 and then Carolina, Philadelphia and Tennessee at 12-1. Next is San Diego at 14-1, a team that Sinisi believes could be dangerous.
“I think they’ll fill in some holes they had defensively,” he said of the Chargers.
One of those holes could be the return to health of dominant pass rusher Shawne Merriman.
Arizona didn’t get much respect opening 15-1. After the Cardinals are the Falcons at 16-1, New Orleans 18-1, Green Bay at 20-1 and Minnesota 22-1.
Miami and Washington are next at 25-1. Then come the New York Jets and Chicago at 28-1. Jacksonville follows at 30-1 and then Tampa Bay minus Jon Gruden at 35-1 and Denver minus Mike Shanahan at 35-1.
Houston and San Francisco are at 40-1 followed by Buffalo at 50-1. Cleveland and Seattle are at 60-1. Judging by how Arizona fared this season, there could be some value taking a shot with the Seahawks.
Seattle, of course, plays in the Cardinals’ weak NFC West Division. The Seahawks had a cluster injury problem in the offensive line and at wide receiver. In addition, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck missed nine games. He figures to be healthy next season.
Cincinnati is 75-1. Three teams are at 100-1. They are St. Louis, Kansas City and Oakland. Winless Detroit has the highest odds at 150-1.
It’s difficult to find odds of more than 100-1 on any NFL team these days in Nevada.
“Places aren’t looking to have great exposure,” Sinisi said. “They’re not going to put themselves out there.”
It’s not worth perhaps writing a few extra tickets to put out astronomical odds on a club for a Nevada hotel. Bookmakers are well aware of the parity that exists in the NFL. Many still remember 1999 when the Rams won the Super Bowl. They had odds as high as 300-1 at some books before the season.
A bad team can get good real fast because of an easy schedule, staying healthy, free agent signings, strong draft choices and getting lucky.
Miami won one game just two years ago. The Dolphins went 11-5 this past season, winning their AFC Eastern Division.
It’s become almost the norm that some team that was below .500 will turn it around in just a year and make a Super Bowl run. The key, of course, is coming up with that team.
This is according to opening 2009 Super Bowl numbers released by the oddsmakers at Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
“It strikes me more than any other year what a difference one call can make,” LVSC senior linesmaker Tony Sinisi said about how equal most of the teams are in the NFL. “A call here or there, can really make a difference.
“Tennessee, for example, lost to the Ravens. The Titans easily could have won that game. Arizona is a classic example. Five weeks ago nobody has the Cardinals in the Super Bowl. But they got hot at the right time.
“It just screams parity.”
The Patriots are 6-1. Pittsburgh is next at 7-1, followed by Indianapolis at 8-1 and last year’s defending champions New York Giants also at 8-1.
New England was LVSC’s choice despite the Patriots missing the post-season and Tom Brady facing an uncertain future after suffering a serious knee injury.
The Las Vegas Hilton also opened the Patriots as the favorites for Super Bowl XLIV to be played in February of 2010. New England is 8-1 at the Hilton. The next closest teams at the Hilton are Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Dallas and the Giants at 10-1.
New England went 11-5,” Sinisi said in defending making the Patriots the top choice. “The Patriots just were in the wrong division. Certainly they had a very solid year without their superstar quarterback.
“Bill Belichick is a brilliant coach. He wins with what he has. Give him the parts and he makes the car run.”
The Patriots hold a lot of credibility, too, with the betting public having reached the Super Bowl in four of the past eight years winning it three times under Belichick. The public likes to back a proven winner with a strong history.
Reserve quarterback Matt Cassel showed enough to make the Patriots worthy of strong respect even if Brady is unable to fully come back.
LVSC has Dallas at 9-1 followed by Baltimore at 11-1 and then Carolina, Philadelphia and Tennessee at 12-1. Next is San Diego at 14-1, a team that Sinisi believes could be dangerous.
“I think they’ll fill in some holes they had defensively,” he said of the Chargers.
One of those holes could be the return to health of dominant pass rusher Shawne Merriman.
Arizona didn’t get much respect opening 15-1. After the Cardinals are the Falcons at 16-1, New Orleans 18-1, Green Bay at 20-1 and Minnesota 22-1.
Miami and Washington are next at 25-1. Then come the New York Jets and Chicago at 28-1. Jacksonville follows at 30-1 and then Tampa Bay minus Jon Gruden at 35-1 and Denver minus Mike Shanahan at 35-1.
Houston and San Francisco are at 40-1 followed by Buffalo at 50-1. Cleveland and Seattle are at 60-1. Judging by how Arizona fared this season, there could be some value taking a shot with the Seahawks.
Seattle, of course, plays in the Cardinals’ weak NFC West Division. The Seahawks had a cluster injury problem in the offensive line and at wide receiver. In addition, quarterback Matt Hasselbeck missed nine games. He figures to be healthy next season.
Cincinnati is 75-1. Three teams are at 100-1. They are St. Louis, Kansas City and Oakland. Winless Detroit has the highest odds at 150-1.
It’s difficult to find odds of more than 100-1 on any NFL team these days in Nevada.
“Places aren’t looking to have great exposure,” Sinisi said. “They’re not going to put themselves out there.”
It’s not worth perhaps writing a few extra tickets to put out astronomical odds on a club for a Nevada hotel. Bookmakers are well aware of the parity that exists in the NFL. Many still remember 1999 when the Rams won the Super Bowl. They had odds as high as 300-1 at some books before the season.
A bad team can get good real fast because of an easy schedule, staying healthy, free agent signings, strong draft choices and getting lucky.
Miami won one game just two years ago. The Dolphins went 11-5 this past season, winning their AFC Eastern Division.
It’s become almost the norm that some team that was below .500 will turn it around in just a year and make a Super Bowl run. The key, of course, is coming up with that team.
Tuesday's Tip Sheet
If you’re reading this column, then you're more than likely betting on tonight’s five-game slate in the NBA. And, it’s probably safe to say that you wager on hoops everyday – let’s hope you win more often than not. My days of handicapping with the Experts are long gone, but I still analyze every game every night and attack the books, just like you.
Instead of just providing the pertinent information in tonight’s Tip Sheet, I’m going to shoot from the hip and let you know how I prepare for the card.
In order of rotation, let’s (try to) predict the winners!
Pacers at Magic: After winning four straight on the road against Western Conference, Orlando was humbled with back-to-back losses to the Celtics (90-80) and Heat (103-97) – who were the last two Eastern Conference teams to win championships. Do the Magic bounce back tonight against a comparable jump shooting team in Indiana? You would think Dwight Howard should have his way with the Pacers’ frontcourt but the big fella certainly frustrates you at times, evidenced by his last two outings. Fortunately for Howard and company, they get to face one of the worst defensive squads in the league after tough matchups against a pair of defense-first teams in Boston and Miami. Prior to the losses, Stan Van Gundy’s team had posted six games with at least 100 point per game. Orlando hasn’t lost three straight all year and the only time they suffered two in a row was in the first two games of the season. In the third game, the Magic crushed the Kings 121-103 at home as 10 ½-point favorites. We’re going to back that theory again versus a very similar club in the Pacers. The total is high but if Orlando hits their bombs from downtown, then it’s very doable.
Final Score: Orlando 118 Indiana 100
Kings at Cavaliers: It’s hard to lay double-digits in the NBA but if you want to do it, then you can make a strong case for Cleveland, especially at home. The Cavaliers are 11-4 against the spread when laying 9 ½ points or more this season. At home, Mike Brown and company are 20-0 SU and 16-4 ATS. The Kings have been decent on the road versus the number (13-10 ATS) but the team is still 3-20 SU. Sacramento is a young team and two things stick out to me about this club -- it doesn’t play any defense and trade rumors are starting to circle in the locker room. If you’re backing the Kings in this game, you’re hoping Salmons and Garcia go nuts from downtown and somehow LeBron gets hurt. This will be the third game in four nights for Sacramento, which is also trouble for a young team too. It’s a lot of wood, but Cleveland looks like the right side. You might want to watch the first 24 minutes, and possibly come in with a second-half play if the Cavs are down. It’s the Cavs or a pass for this writer.
Final Score: Cleveland 108 Sacramento 90
Nuggets at Grizzlies: I personally don’t like to think of myself as a chalk eater but I can’t argue against this favorite tonight either. Denver comes into this matchup with two solid wins and they’re facing a Memphis team that has seen the wheels fall off the wagon. The Grizzlies have lost EIGHT games in a row, both SU and ATS. The franchise just fired the coach and I ask why? It’s not Marc Iavaroni fault that team hasn’t scored over 100 points during this slump, is it? The ownership in Memphis is a joke and the talent on the court is years away from being any good – and please don’t send me comments about O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. The Grizzlies don’t have one legit outside shooter on the team and nobody in the paint either. A few weeks ago, I would’ve told you that Oklahoma City was the worst team in the NBA but Memphis won’t crack 20 wins and they’re 11-32 right now. Sorry for the rant, now back to the matchup tonight. Did you know Denver is 6-2 ATS as a road favorite? That should give you a little more confidence with the Nuggets, who have are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in the last five against the Grizz. The one factor that might make me pass on this matchup is the look-ahead – Denver visits New Orleans on Wednesday. And the due factor on the Grizzlies, who are way over due. Staying away from this one is your best bet.
Final Score: Denver 97 Memphis 90
Spurs at Jazz: Easily the best matchup of the night and you can tell just by looking at the opening number. The Jazz have been reeling lately (1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS) and a large part of the decline recently and overall has been the play of the defense. The team has given up 100 PPG or more in seven of the last eight and the only team that didn’t bust the century mark was Memphis (go figure). San Antonio normally likes to slow it down so that could keep the number below the 100-point mark. The Spurs have won four of five (2-3 ATS) but the wins came against the Bulls, Bobcats, Pacers and Nets. Not exactly a quality quartet. When they’ve stepped up in class, they were embarrassed by the Lakers (99-85) on Sunday. Utah isn’t Los Angeles but it is a playoff contender – when healthy. This head-to-head series has been all about the home team, who has won and covered six straight (four by double digits). The Spurs routed the Jazz 119-94 on Nov. 21 and the ‘over/under’ on that matchup was 174. Now, the number opened at 196 by Las Vegas Sports Consultants and is sitting around 194 ½ at most offshore outlets. That tells me a lot, like the ‘over’ is the play.
Final Score: Utah 104 San Antonio 99
Bobcats at Lakers: It’s probably a little much to say the Bobcats are a good team, but they’re certainly not a bad club. They’re on a decent pace to break their franchise-record of 33 wins and might have an outside shot to reach the playoffs. Still early, but you never know what can happen in the NBA, just ask Michael Redd (tough break for him and the Bucks). Tonight, Charlotte has the daunting task of facing the Lakers at Staples Center but the venue hasn’t been unkind for this visitor lately. The Bobcats are 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three road battles against L.A. Also, Charlotte has also covered six of the last seven against Los Angeles, yet the number is always leaning to the Lakers, deservingly so too. The Lakers have ripped four straight (3-1 ATS) and their defense (91.8 PPG) has been good during this stretch. The total for Tuesday is 195, which is lower than all four of the past head-to-head meetings. The ‘under’ has cashed in three straight and another one seems possible, especially with Larry Brown’s slow-it-down tempo. Grabbing the points seems like the right way to go here, since the ‘Cats are 5-2 SU and 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven, with the two losses coming by two and five points. Still, L.A. should be focused tonight with a big six-game road trip on deck. Hard to argue against either team but the obvious trend is defense.
Final Score: Los Angeles 100 Charlotte 92
Instead of just providing the pertinent information in tonight’s Tip Sheet, I’m going to shoot from the hip and let you know how I prepare for the card.
In order of rotation, let’s (try to) predict the winners!
Pacers at Magic: After winning four straight on the road against Western Conference, Orlando was humbled with back-to-back losses to the Celtics (90-80) and Heat (103-97) – who were the last two Eastern Conference teams to win championships. Do the Magic bounce back tonight against a comparable jump shooting team in Indiana? You would think Dwight Howard should have his way with the Pacers’ frontcourt but the big fella certainly frustrates you at times, evidenced by his last two outings. Fortunately for Howard and company, they get to face one of the worst defensive squads in the league after tough matchups against a pair of defense-first teams in Boston and Miami. Prior to the losses, Stan Van Gundy’s team had posted six games with at least 100 point per game. Orlando hasn’t lost three straight all year and the only time they suffered two in a row was in the first two games of the season. In the third game, the Magic crushed the Kings 121-103 at home as 10 ½-point favorites. We’re going to back that theory again versus a very similar club in the Pacers. The total is high but if Orlando hits their bombs from downtown, then it’s very doable.
Final Score: Orlando 118 Indiana 100
Kings at Cavaliers: It’s hard to lay double-digits in the NBA but if you want to do it, then you can make a strong case for Cleveland, especially at home. The Cavaliers are 11-4 against the spread when laying 9 ½ points or more this season. At home, Mike Brown and company are 20-0 SU and 16-4 ATS. The Kings have been decent on the road versus the number (13-10 ATS) but the team is still 3-20 SU. Sacramento is a young team and two things stick out to me about this club -- it doesn’t play any defense and trade rumors are starting to circle in the locker room. If you’re backing the Kings in this game, you’re hoping Salmons and Garcia go nuts from downtown and somehow LeBron gets hurt. This will be the third game in four nights for Sacramento, which is also trouble for a young team too. It’s a lot of wood, but Cleveland looks like the right side. You might want to watch the first 24 minutes, and possibly come in with a second-half play if the Cavs are down. It’s the Cavs or a pass for this writer.
Final Score: Cleveland 108 Sacramento 90
Nuggets at Grizzlies: I personally don’t like to think of myself as a chalk eater but I can’t argue against this favorite tonight either. Denver comes into this matchup with two solid wins and they’re facing a Memphis team that has seen the wheels fall off the wagon. The Grizzlies have lost EIGHT games in a row, both SU and ATS. The franchise just fired the coach and I ask why? It’s not Marc Iavaroni fault that team hasn’t scored over 100 points during this slump, is it? The ownership in Memphis is a joke and the talent on the court is years away from being any good – and please don’t send me comments about O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay. The Grizzlies don’t have one legit outside shooter on the team and nobody in the paint either. A few weeks ago, I would’ve told you that Oklahoma City was the worst team in the NBA but Memphis won’t crack 20 wins and they’re 11-32 right now. Sorry for the rant, now back to the matchup tonight. Did you know Denver is 6-2 ATS as a road favorite? That should give you a little more confidence with the Nuggets, who have are 5-0 SU and 4-1 ATS in the last five against the Grizz. The one factor that might make me pass on this matchup is the look-ahead – Denver visits New Orleans on Wednesday. And the due factor on the Grizzlies, who are way over due. Staying away from this one is your best bet.
Final Score: Denver 97 Memphis 90
Spurs at Jazz: Easily the best matchup of the night and you can tell just by looking at the opening number. The Jazz have been reeling lately (1-4 SU, 0-5 ATS) and a large part of the decline recently and overall has been the play of the defense. The team has given up 100 PPG or more in seven of the last eight and the only team that didn’t bust the century mark was Memphis (go figure). San Antonio normally likes to slow it down so that could keep the number below the 100-point mark. The Spurs have won four of five (2-3 ATS) but the wins came against the Bulls, Bobcats, Pacers and Nets. Not exactly a quality quartet. When they’ve stepped up in class, they were embarrassed by the Lakers (99-85) on Sunday. Utah isn’t Los Angeles but it is a playoff contender – when healthy. This head-to-head series has been all about the home team, who has won and covered six straight (four by double digits). The Spurs routed the Jazz 119-94 on Nov. 21 and the ‘over/under’ on that matchup was 174. Now, the number opened at 196 by Las Vegas Sports Consultants and is sitting around 194 ½ at most offshore outlets. That tells me a lot, like the ‘over’ is the play.
Final Score: Utah 104 San Antonio 99
Bobcats at Lakers: It’s probably a little much to say the Bobcats are a good team, but they’re certainly not a bad club. They’re on a decent pace to break their franchise-record of 33 wins and might have an outside shot to reach the playoffs. Still early, but you never know what can happen in the NBA, just ask Michael Redd (tough break for him and the Bucks). Tonight, Charlotte has the daunting task of facing the Lakers at Staples Center but the venue hasn’t been unkind for this visitor lately. The Bobcats are 2-1 SU and 3-0 ATS in their last three road battles against L.A. Also, Charlotte has also covered six of the last seven against Los Angeles, yet the number is always leaning to the Lakers, deservingly so too. The Lakers have ripped four straight (3-1 ATS) and their defense (91.8 PPG) has been good during this stretch. The total for Tuesday is 195, which is lower than all four of the past head-to-head meetings. The ‘under’ has cashed in three straight and another one seems possible, especially with Larry Brown’s slow-it-down tempo. Grabbing the points seems like the right way to go here, since the ‘Cats are 5-2 SU and 6-0-1 ATS in their last seven, with the two losses coming by two and five points. Still, L.A. should be focused tonight with a big six-game road trip on deck. Hard to argue against either team but the obvious trend is defense.
Final Score: Los Angeles 100 Charlotte 92
Breakdown of a Super Bowl Spread
Breakdown of a Super Bowl Spread
This year’s Super Bowl might not have all the snazzy names from a year ago New England and the New York Giants provided, but this matchup have more intriguing stories than Pittsburgh has rivers and just slightly less restaurants and nightclubs Scottsdale has to visit. Start with Arizona having not won a playoff since 1947, twice removed from the south side of Chicago to present location. While Cardinals and players have been spouting nobody believed in them, what was the basis of any history to do so? Speaking of history, Pittsburgh’s NFL history before drafting Mean Joe Greene and Terry Bradshaw in 1969 and 1970 respectively was of similar failure to the Cardinals. Pittsburgh was on the ground floor of the NFL’s emergence in 1933 and made the post season once before 1972 (ironically 1947) when their run as on the most decorated AFC champion began.
Other storylines include Bill Cowher stepping down as coach and Arizona’s head man Ken Whisenhunt, a Steelers assistant and Russ Grimm (formerly Pittsburgh assistant, now with the Cardinals) were finalists for the job before the Pittsburgh organization went out an hired a relative unknown in Mike Tomlin.
Between now and the start of the game you will have more useless knowledge about players, coaches and teams in the Big Game than a youngster has about each of the Jonas Brothers, nonetheless we’ll try a different approach.
Arizona Running Game vs Pittsburgh Front Seven
After beating a sickly St. Louis squad 34-13 on Nov.2, running the 33 times for 177 yards, Arizona won the NFC West a couple weeks later and lost their way in the process. Over the next seven contests, the Redbirds averaged 16 carries per game. Granted, in several games they fell behind early and were forced to throw the ball to try to score more quickly and abandoned the run. Nevertheless, every game started a 0-0 and even when Arizona trailed 7-0 or even 14-0 in some of those losses, they were all too happy to chuck the run and pass the ball three times for too frequent three and outs. Though the season finale could hardly be described as an awakening, the reinsertion of a fresh and frustrated Edgerrin James yielded a 100+ yard rushing game for the first time in eight tries and set the table for offensive coordinator Todd Haley to rethink playoff strategy. Since their first offensive possession of the postseason, it is obvious “The Edge” is back and the offensive line has improved dramatically, relishing the challenge. Most of the running plays are now one cut and go and though the Arizona linemen are not dominating, there are holes to run thru. One aspect not discussed about the Cards linemen and how they have improved, not one starter has missed a game, which led to chemistry and communication improvements.
The Steelers led the league in total defense and points allowed and were second against the run in surrendering 3.3 yards per carry. The setup is simple, the linemen clog gaps and the linebackers swoop in and make tackles. If Pittsburgh can make Arizona one-dimensional, they can dictate the tempo and come after Kurt Warner with less fear of having to worry about running game. This will be as important an issue as any in the Super Bowl.
Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -3
Kurt Warner vs Pittsburgh Secondary
It’s not often a quarterback goes seven years between Super Bowl assignments (John Elway went eight), but Kurt Warner has rewarded the coaches faith in him naming him starter in August. Though the Hall of Fame talk seems premature, no doubting the wisdom and toughness Warner has acquired over what has become a long career. Like most veteran signal callers, Warner has seen it all. As I had mentioned several times this season, given time, the Northern Iowa product is still a top five quarterback. He read every Philadelphia blitz correctly and threw the ball with precision into vacated area. Look for Arizona to go to third receiver Steve Breaston more in this game, since the Pitt defenders beyond Ike Taylor are not great individual defenders. Running back Tim Hightower can also be highly effective for Warner, when they push the Steelers secondary deep with their receivers and force Troy Polamalu into coverage, instead of hanging around the line of scrimmage. How Pittsburgh thwarts the Cardinals passing game is with pressure. Television types are talking about how Warner will pick apart Steelers if they blitz too much, of course the very same talking heads said the Philly blitzes would shutdown Cards passing game. Linebacker James Harrison, DE Brett Keisel and LB Lamar Woodley hold the key. Harrison and Keisel are on the back side of Warner and get to him with speed and quickness and knock the ball loose. Woodley is important as he brings in-the-face pressure on Warner and the Steelers defense is the absolute best in having defenders in passing lanes. Expect DC Dick LeBeau to stay in base defense early to see if rushers can get to Warner and turn up the heat as needed.
Spread Differential - None
Pittsburgh Running Game vs Arizona Front Seven
The second most important part of the Super Bowl will be how these two units matchup. After Minnesota and New England combined to rush for 422 yards against Arizona, defensive coordinator Clancy Pendegrast simplified schemes in front, having more gap control. This put players like Darnell Dockett in better positions to make plays at the line of scrimmage and get better penetration on wide plays to his side. The Pittsburgh offensive line is nothing special, just above average. They are helped tremendously by having a healthy Willie Parker, who doesn’t need much of a hole and can out-run defenders if he can just run to daylight. Though the Steelers did almost nothing against Baltimore running the ball (who does?), Arizona is not nearly as stout and guards Chris Kemoeatu and Darnell Stapleton might have chances to get Parker to second level, where he can deadly. As opposed to the other teams the Cardinals defense has faced in the postseason, Pittsburgh won’t give up on the run.
Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -1
Ben Roethlisberger vs Arizona Secondary
Ben Roethlisberger hangs on to the ball too long and takes too many sacks, yawn, yawn, yawn, tell me something new. When Big Ben is healthy he is slipperier than an eel to take down and finds ways to make plays. Because of his size, he’s an inviting target for defenses to take shots at and defensive coordinators tell there players all week to wrap up Roethlisberger, otherwise he’ll make big plays to win. Guess which one happens more often? Santonio Holmes has been a very good compliment to Hines Ward. The former Georgia product demands coverage help, allowing the speedy Holmes more room to roam. The Arizona secondary won’t be listed among the best in football. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a special talent and Cards coaches had to get him on the field. DRC (that’s insider talk in Phoenix) will still make overaggressive mistakes like any rookie corner and Big Ben will test him. Look for OC Bruce Arians to test Roderick Hood early and often. The best way to exploit Hood is with three receiver sets, making former corner and now safety Antrel Rolle guard somebody else one and one, placing Hood on more of an island. With all this going on, tight end Heath Miller becomes another weapon in Pittsburgh’s arsenal, of which the Cardinals secondary can not lose sight of. The best way to contain Roethlisberger is off the edge, make him step up in the pocket with no escape route. He’s at his best going to his right in open spaces to see the whole field and has the patience to let a receiver run to open area and deliver strike. The Arizona defenders have to keep Big Ben in a U-shaped cup to curtail his effectiveness.
Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -3
Special Teams
Not much to choose from here as both teams are rather undistinguished. In terms of kicks that could be difference makers, Neil Rackers is 8 for 11 beyond 40 yards for the entire season and one of four past 50 or more yards. Jeff Reed has had much tougher conditions to kick in playing half his games in Heinz Field, yet he is 11 for 15 at 40+ yards. Both have average to below return games on kickoffs and punt returns, though game-breakers are returning kicks. Arizona on average has allowed six more yards per return on kickoffs, though this doesn’t seem to be a significant factor. Looking at the numbers, one could surmise neither team places a great deal of emphasis on special teams and they just presume the players on the field to do what is expected of them.
Spread Differential -None
Coaching
This is a rare matchup of coaches in a Super Bowl game. Beyond the two coaches having to spruce up resumes and work on interviewing skills when the Pittsburgh job opened up two years ago, we don’t know much about either one in such a huge moment, even with a Google search. Not since the 2001 Super Bowl, when Brian Billick and Jim Fassel were on the sidelines for Baltimore and the New York Giants, have we had two coaches without deep backgrounds as head coaches. Both coaches have tough-guy mentalities, with reasonable accountability of their players and they don’t stick with one train of thought to just be stubborn and inflexible. Ken Whisenhunt made the call that Kurt Warner was going to give his team the best chance to win and when Edgerrin James was not producing, did not hesitate to go to Tim Hightower. When it was shown the rookie was not ready for every down duty, Whisenhunt went back to James and praised him for be a professional when relegated to the bench.
Mike Tomlin last season ran a ruthless preseason, establishing himself as the head coach and made the players realize Bill Cowher was indeed gone. Tomlin simplified elements of the Pittsburgh offense and defense, yet never strayed far from the strengths of his squad. If any franchise embodies the fundamentals of professional football, it is Pittsburgh, with blocking and tackling at the core.
Both coaches have proven to be secure in their positions hiring top notch assistants, who could go on to heading coaching jobs one day themselves. With two weeks to prepare, both should have strong game plans designed to negate the other and tricks plays will be used. What we don’t know based on their inexperience on the game’s biggest stage, is how they will react under pressure for certain calls and adjustments to be made.
Spread Differential -None
Intangibles
Unless you were among the few thousands that trudged to Tempe, AZ to sit in 90 to 100 degree heat for almost two decades and never wavered in your belief the Cardinals would someday be in the Super Bowl, this has been a complete shock. The game of professional football has followed the same path as college basketball and major league baseball; it’s what you do late that counts. Arizona has essentially been an underdog just like the Giants were last season, though the Cardinals did have the benefit of two home games. The underdog role fits this team perfectly, just fueling the motivation it needs to just keep on playing outstanding football. The Cardinals are just the second Super Bowl team to have seven losses (1979 L.A. Rams, played Pittsburgh by the way in SB XIV) and like the Giants are free of any expectations coming into Tampa. The Cardinals are 9-1 ATS after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored this season.
Pittsburgh is a deserved favorite, having played seven regular season games against teams that made the NFL playoffs, plus New England and Dallas who were post-season caliber. The Steelers were favored 13 times and came away winners on 10 occasions (7-6 ATS), winning by an average margin of eight points. Pittsburgh does have the better team, which has played better all season long. In retrospect, the Giants were hot last year and New England had already peaked and still could have won except for miracle catch. This is not the case with the Steelers who have proven to be a top notch thoroughbred from start to finish. Since Roethlisberger’s arrival, Pittsburgh is 7-0 ATS in the playoffs.
Spread Differential –Arizona -1
Cumulative Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -6
This year’s Super Bowl might not have all the snazzy names from a year ago New England and the New York Giants provided, but this matchup have more intriguing stories than Pittsburgh has rivers and just slightly less restaurants and nightclubs Scottsdale has to visit. Start with Arizona having not won a playoff since 1947, twice removed from the south side of Chicago to present location. While Cardinals and players have been spouting nobody believed in them, what was the basis of any history to do so? Speaking of history, Pittsburgh’s NFL history before drafting Mean Joe Greene and Terry Bradshaw in 1969 and 1970 respectively was of similar failure to the Cardinals. Pittsburgh was on the ground floor of the NFL’s emergence in 1933 and made the post season once before 1972 (ironically 1947) when their run as on the most decorated AFC champion began.
Other storylines include Bill Cowher stepping down as coach and Arizona’s head man Ken Whisenhunt, a Steelers assistant and Russ Grimm (formerly Pittsburgh assistant, now with the Cardinals) were finalists for the job before the Pittsburgh organization went out an hired a relative unknown in Mike Tomlin.
Between now and the start of the game you will have more useless knowledge about players, coaches and teams in the Big Game than a youngster has about each of the Jonas Brothers, nonetheless we’ll try a different approach.
Arizona Running Game vs Pittsburgh Front Seven
After beating a sickly St. Louis squad 34-13 on Nov.2, running the 33 times for 177 yards, Arizona won the NFC West a couple weeks later and lost their way in the process. Over the next seven contests, the Redbirds averaged 16 carries per game. Granted, in several games they fell behind early and were forced to throw the ball to try to score more quickly and abandoned the run. Nevertheless, every game started a 0-0 and even when Arizona trailed 7-0 or even 14-0 in some of those losses, they were all too happy to chuck the run and pass the ball three times for too frequent three and outs. Though the season finale could hardly be described as an awakening, the reinsertion of a fresh and frustrated Edgerrin James yielded a 100+ yard rushing game for the first time in eight tries and set the table for offensive coordinator Todd Haley to rethink playoff strategy. Since their first offensive possession of the postseason, it is obvious “The Edge” is back and the offensive line has improved dramatically, relishing the challenge. Most of the running plays are now one cut and go and though the Arizona linemen are not dominating, there are holes to run thru. One aspect not discussed about the Cards linemen and how they have improved, not one starter has missed a game, which led to chemistry and communication improvements.
The Steelers led the league in total defense and points allowed and were second against the run in surrendering 3.3 yards per carry. The setup is simple, the linemen clog gaps and the linebackers swoop in and make tackles. If Pittsburgh can make Arizona one-dimensional, they can dictate the tempo and come after Kurt Warner with less fear of having to worry about running game. This will be as important an issue as any in the Super Bowl.
Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -3
Kurt Warner vs Pittsburgh Secondary
It’s not often a quarterback goes seven years between Super Bowl assignments (John Elway went eight), but Kurt Warner has rewarded the coaches faith in him naming him starter in August. Though the Hall of Fame talk seems premature, no doubting the wisdom and toughness Warner has acquired over what has become a long career. Like most veteran signal callers, Warner has seen it all. As I had mentioned several times this season, given time, the Northern Iowa product is still a top five quarterback. He read every Philadelphia blitz correctly and threw the ball with precision into vacated area. Look for Arizona to go to third receiver Steve Breaston more in this game, since the Pitt defenders beyond Ike Taylor are not great individual defenders. Running back Tim Hightower can also be highly effective for Warner, when they push the Steelers secondary deep with their receivers and force Troy Polamalu into coverage, instead of hanging around the line of scrimmage. How Pittsburgh thwarts the Cardinals passing game is with pressure. Television types are talking about how Warner will pick apart Steelers if they blitz too much, of course the very same talking heads said the Philly blitzes would shutdown Cards passing game. Linebacker James Harrison, DE Brett Keisel and LB Lamar Woodley hold the key. Harrison and Keisel are on the back side of Warner and get to him with speed and quickness and knock the ball loose. Woodley is important as he brings in-the-face pressure on Warner and the Steelers defense is the absolute best in having defenders in passing lanes. Expect DC Dick LeBeau to stay in base defense early to see if rushers can get to Warner and turn up the heat as needed.
Spread Differential - None
Pittsburgh Running Game vs Arizona Front Seven
The second most important part of the Super Bowl will be how these two units matchup. After Minnesota and New England combined to rush for 422 yards against Arizona, defensive coordinator Clancy Pendegrast simplified schemes in front, having more gap control. This put players like Darnell Dockett in better positions to make plays at the line of scrimmage and get better penetration on wide plays to his side. The Pittsburgh offensive line is nothing special, just above average. They are helped tremendously by having a healthy Willie Parker, who doesn’t need much of a hole and can out-run defenders if he can just run to daylight. Though the Steelers did almost nothing against Baltimore running the ball (who does?), Arizona is not nearly as stout and guards Chris Kemoeatu and Darnell Stapleton might have chances to get Parker to second level, where he can deadly. As opposed to the other teams the Cardinals defense has faced in the postseason, Pittsburgh won’t give up on the run.
Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -1
Ben Roethlisberger vs Arizona Secondary
Ben Roethlisberger hangs on to the ball too long and takes too many sacks, yawn, yawn, yawn, tell me something new. When Big Ben is healthy he is slipperier than an eel to take down and finds ways to make plays. Because of his size, he’s an inviting target for defenses to take shots at and defensive coordinators tell there players all week to wrap up Roethlisberger, otherwise he’ll make big plays to win. Guess which one happens more often? Santonio Holmes has been a very good compliment to Hines Ward. The former Georgia product demands coverage help, allowing the speedy Holmes more room to roam. The Arizona secondary won’t be listed among the best in football. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie is a special talent and Cards coaches had to get him on the field. DRC (that’s insider talk in Phoenix) will still make overaggressive mistakes like any rookie corner and Big Ben will test him. Look for OC Bruce Arians to test Roderick Hood early and often. The best way to exploit Hood is with three receiver sets, making former corner and now safety Antrel Rolle guard somebody else one and one, placing Hood on more of an island. With all this going on, tight end Heath Miller becomes another weapon in Pittsburgh’s arsenal, of which the Cardinals secondary can not lose sight of. The best way to contain Roethlisberger is off the edge, make him step up in the pocket with no escape route. He’s at his best going to his right in open spaces to see the whole field and has the patience to let a receiver run to open area and deliver strike. The Arizona defenders have to keep Big Ben in a U-shaped cup to curtail his effectiveness.
Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -3
Special Teams
Not much to choose from here as both teams are rather undistinguished. In terms of kicks that could be difference makers, Neil Rackers is 8 for 11 beyond 40 yards for the entire season and one of four past 50 or more yards. Jeff Reed has had much tougher conditions to kick in playing half his games in Heinz Field, yet he is 11 for 15 at 40+ yards. Both have average to below return games on kickoffs and punt returns, though game-breakers are returning kicks. Arizona on average has allowed six more yards per return on kickoffs, though this doesn’t seem to be a significant factor. Looking at the numbers, one could surmise neither team places a great deal of emphasis on special teams and they just presume the players on the field to do what is expected of them.
Spread Differential -None
Coaching
This is a rare matchup of coaches in a Super Bowl game. Beyond the two coaches having to spruce up resumes and work on interviewing skills when the Pittsburgh job opened up two years ago, we don’t know much about either one in such a huge moment, even with a Google search. Not since the 2001 Super Bowl, when Brian Billick and Jim Fassel were on the sidelines for Baltimore and the New York Giants, have we had two coaches without deep backgrounds as head coaches. Both coaches have tough-guy mentalities, with reasonable accountability of their players and they don’t stick with one train of thought to just be stubborn and inflexible. Ken Whisenhunt made the call that Kurt Warner was going to give his team the best chance to win and when Edgerrin James was not producing, did not hesitate to go to Tim Hightower. When it was shown the rookie was not ready for every down duty, Whisenhunt went back to James and praised him for be a professional when relegated to the bench.
Mike Tomlin last season ran a ruthless preseason, establishing himself as the head coach and made the players realize Bill Cowher was indeed gone. Tomlin simplified elements of the Pittsburgh offense and defense, yet never strayed far from the strengths of his squad. If any franchise embodies the fundamentals of professional football, it is Pittsburgh, with blocking and tackling at the core.
Both coaches have proven to be secure in their positions hiring top notch assistants, who could go on to heading coaching jobs one day themselves. With two weeks to prepare, both should have strong game plans designed to negate the other and tricks plays will be used. What we don’t know based on their inexperience on the game’s biggest stage, is how they will react under pressure for certain calls and adjustments to be made.
Spread Differential -None
Intangibles
Unless you were among the few thousands that trudged to Tempe, AZ to sit in 90 to 100 degree heat for almost two decades and never wavered in your belief the Cardinals would someday be in the Super Bowl, this has been a complete shock. The game of professional football has followed the same path as college basketball and major league baseball; it’s what you do late that counts. Arizona has essentially been an underdog just like the Giants were last season, though the Cardinals did have the benefit of two home games. The underdog role fits this team perfectly, just fueling the motivation it needs to just keep on playing outstanding football. The Cardinals are just the second Super Bowl team to have seven losses (1979 L.A. Rams, played Pittsburgh by the way in SB XIV) and like the Giants are free of any expectations coming into Tampa. The Cardinals are 9-1 ATS after a playing a game where 50 total points or more were scored this season.
Pittsburgh is a deserved favorite, having played seven regular season games against teams that made the NFL playoffs, plus New England and Dallas who were post-season caliber. The Steelers were favored 13 times and came away winners on 10 occasions (7-6 ATS), winning by an average margin of eight points. Pittsburgh does have the better team, which has played better all season long. In retrospect, the Giants were hot last year and New England had already peaked and still could have won except for miracle catch. This is not the case with the Steelers who have proven to be a top notch thoroughbred from start to finish. Since Roethlisberger’s arrival, Pittsburgh is 7-0 ATS in the playoffs.
Spread Differential –Arizona -1
Cumulative Spread Differential – Pittsburgh -6
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