Service Plays Wednesday 12/29/10

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

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[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dunkel

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 29
Time Posted: 10:00 a.m. EST (12/13)
Game 223-224: East Carolina vs. Maryland (2:30 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: East Carolina 79.803; Maryland 89.995
Dunkel Line: Maryland by 10; 65
Vegas Line: Maryland by 7; 68
Dunkel Pick: Maryland (-7); Under

Game 225-226: Illinois vs. Baylor (6:00 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Illinois 92.573; Baylor 90.363
Dunkel Line: Illinois by 2; 66
Vegas Line: Baylor by 2; 62
Dunkel Pick: Illinois (+2); Over

Game 227-228: Arizona vs. Oklahoma State (9:15 p.m. EST)
Dunkel Ratings: Arizona 95.319; Oklahoma State 104.347
Dunkel Line: Oklahoma State by 9; 59
Vegas Line: Oklahoma State by 5 1/2; 65 1/2
Dunkel Pick: Oklahoma State (-5 1/2); Under

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DCI BOWLS


Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Military Bowl
at Washington, DC
Maryland 50, East Carolina 35


Texas Bowl
at Houston, TX
Baylor 40, Illinois 38


Valero Alamo Bowl
at San Antonio, TX
Oklahoma State 41, Arizona 30

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

DOUBLE DRAGON BOWLS

TOP
ARIZONA +5 vs okie state

STRONG
BAYLOR / ILLINOIS OVER 61.5

REGULAR
ECU +7 vs maryland
BAYLOR -1 vs iowa

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Dr. BOB

Arizona 35 Oklahoma St. (-5.0) 34 (at Alamo Bowl)
06:15 PM Pacific, 29-Dec-10
I’ll consider Arizona a Strong Opinion in this game

Illinois 32 Baylor (-1.0) 31 (at Texas Bowl)
03:00 PM Pacific, 29-Dec-10
I’ll lean with Illinois at +1 or more and I have no opinion on the total.


Maryland (-7.5) 38 East Carolina 30 (at Military Bowl)
11:30 AM Pacific, 29-Dec-10

 

[bubblegum]

Glad to have you back cpaw we can get back to business


Thanks bubblegum! We got hit hard with the snow and I lost all access. Everything was shut down. Good to be back. cpaw

 

[PokherPlayher]

Vegasexperts

Murray Hill mike GOY - Baylor bears

 

[tripletsaber]

Small favorites and underdogs of 2 TDs or less have been surprisingly strong despite allowing more than​

21 points in each of its last 5 games.

already 1-0 with tulsa



Play​

​

​

​

[FONT=Verdana,Bold][FONT=Verdana,Bold]ON [/FONT][/FONT]a [FONT=Verdana,Bold][FONT=Verdana,Bold]Conference Championship/Bowl [/FONT][/FONT]team ([FONT=Verdana,Italic][FONT=Verdana,Italic]not [/FONT][/FONT]a favorite of 4+ points [FONT=Verdana,Italic][FONT=Verdana,Italic]or​

[/FONT][/FONT]

underdog of more than 14 points) off allowing 22+ points in each of its last 5 games vs. a non-
Independent opponent.​

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]

SU:​

​

[/FONT]​

[/FONT]13-3-0 (7.6)​

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]

ATS:​

​

[/FONT]​

[/FONT]16-0-0 (10.4) avg line: 2.8​

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]

O/U:​

​

[/FONT]​

[/FONT]4-4-0 (-1.2) avg total: 58.8​

[FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold][FONT=TimesNewRoman,Bold]

Date Day # Season Team Opp Site Final Rest Line Total SUm ATSm SUr ATSr OUr Conf Type Conf. OT​

[/FONT][/FONT]

Dec 25,
1999
SAT 13 1999 HAW ORST H 23-17 27 +9 6 +15 W W O 0 BG WAC 0
Dec 28,
2000
THU 12 2000 WVA MIS N 49-38 33 +3' 11 +14' W W O 0 BG BE 0
Dec 29,
2000
FRI 12 2000 UCLA WIS N 20-21 40 +5' -1 +4' L W O 0 BG P10 0
Dec 31,
2000
SUN 12 2000 AIR FRES N 37-34 42 +1 3 +4 W W O 0 BG MWC 0
Dec 31,
2002
TUE 13 2002 AIR VTCH N 13-20 37 +11' -7 +4' L W O 0 BG MWC 0
Dec 31,
2003
WED 13 2003 BCOL COST N 35-21 38 0 14 +14 W W O 0 BG BE 0
Dec 31,
2004
FRI 12 2004 AZST PUR N 27-23 34 +8 4 +12 W W O 0 BG P10 0
Dec 30,
2005
FRI 12 2005 UCLA NORW N 50-38 26 -2' 12 +9' W W O 0 BG P10 0
Dec 28,
2006
THU 13 2006 OKST ALA N 34-31 32 -2 51 3 +1 W W O 0 BG B12 0
Dec 01,
2007
SAT 13 2007 CMCH MIAO N 35-10 7 -3' 63' 25 +21' W W U 1 CH MAC 0
Dec 21,
2007
FRI 13 2007 FATL MEM N 44-27 19 -2' 66 17 +14' W W O 0 BG SBC 0
Dec 28,
2007
FRI 13 2007 MCST BCOL N 21-24 40 +4' 56 -3 +1' L W U 0 BG B10 0
Dec 31,
2007
MON 13 2007 FRES GTCH N 40-28 30 +5 54' 12 +17 W W O 0 BG WAC 0
Dec 30,
2009
WED 13 2009 IDA BOWL N 43-42 31 0 68 1 +1 W W O 0 BG WAC 0
Jan 01, 2010 FRI 13 2009 FLST WVA N 33-21 33 +2' 59' 12 +14' W W U 0 BG ACC 0
Jan 02, 2010 SAT 13 2009 CON SCAR N 20-7 27 +4 51' 13 +17 W W U 0 BG BE 0
Dec 24,
2010
FRI 13 2010 TLS HAW N 27 +11 73 0 BG USA 0
Dec 29,
2010
WED 13 2010 BAY ILL N 38 -1' 62' 0 BG B12 0
Dec 29,
2010​

WED 13 2010 ECAR MARY N 32 +7 68 0 BG USA 0

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Military Bowl: What bettors need to know

Military Bowl: East Carolina Pirates vs. Maryland Terrapins (-7, 68)

Most signs point to a pretty easy time for Maryland. The Terrapins (8-4, 8-4 ATS) are in an upbeat mood after bouncing back from a 2-10 record in 2009. They're going against an East Carolina (6-6, 6-6 ATS) team that lost its footing late in the season, falling in four of its last five to barely achieve bowl eligibility.

Maryland also should benefit from something of a home-field advantage at RFK Stadium in Washington. And veteran Ralph Friedgen, the ACC coach of the year in his 10th season at Maryland, is going against rookie head coach Ruffin McNeil. Friedgen is 4-2 bowl games at Maryland, whereas East Carolina has lost four of its past five bowls.

Odds

The spread opened at 7.5 at most books and have been bet down to an even touchdown. The total opened at 69 points and has dropped as low as 67.5 before settling at 68 points.

Fear the turtle

A key to the Terrapins' surprising turnaround was the emergence of freshman quarterback Danny O'Brien, who won the job in the fourth week of the season and went 6-3 as a starter. He threw for 2,257 yards, 21 touchdowns and only six interceptions. His passing accuracy helped the Terrapins tie for seventh in the nation in turnover margin with plus-13, and O'Brien was chosen ACC rookie of the year.

Maryland has a couple of big-play threats in wide receiver Torrey Smith and punt returner Tony Logan. In the season-ending win over N.C. State, Smith caught 14 passes for 224 yards and four touchdowns. For the season, he has 1,065 yards and 12 touchdowns. Logan led the ACC with 18.8 yards per punt return and took two back for touchdowns.

Terrapins' running backs Dave Meggett and Da'Rel Scott share the ball-carrying duties, each with more than 100 rushes and 500 yards. Meggett is averaging 5.5 yards a carry. Senior Travis Baltz has made 13 of 16 field goal attempts and averaged 42 yards per punt.

Maryland's offense has been so effective that coordinator James Franklin has been tapped for the Vanderbilt head-coaching job.

Maryland's defense has given up some yardage, but forced numerous key turnovers and held opponents to 22.3 points per game. The leader is Alex Wujciak, a three-time all-ACC linebacker who averaged 9.3 tackles per game in the regular season.

Pirate gold

What the Pirates have going for them is one of the most prolific passing attacks in the nation. They rank seventh in passing offense (319.3 yards per game) and 12th in scoring (38.2 points per game). Junior Dominique Davis has thrown for 3,699 yards, fourth-best in the nation. He has a .649 completion percentage, 36 touchdowns, just 14 interceptions and nine rushing touchdowns. His favorite receivers are Dwayne Harris (1,055 yards, 10 TDs) and Lance Lewis (979 yards, 13 TDs). Also the primary kick returner, Harris is averaging 171.0 all-purpose yards. Jon Williams has rushed for 882 yards, 10 touchdowns and a 5.5-yard average.

The Pirates managed a .500 record despite a porous defense that ranks 118th in the nation, allowing 43.4 points a game, including 76 by Navy. ECU went 1-3 outside Conference USA, knocking off the ACC's N.C. State 33-27 in overtime.

Weather

The forecast in Washington is calling for sunny skies with a slight 8-mph breeze blowing west-northwest from corner to corner. Game-time temperatures will be in the low 40s.

Trends

- This is the fifth consecutive bowl game for East Carolina and its first game against Maryland.
- Pirates are 4-0 ATS in their last four neutral site games as underdogs.
- Terrapins are 4-1 ATS in their last five Bowl games.
- Pirates are 1-6 ATS in their last seven games vs. ACC.
- Over is 5-0 in Pirates' last five games overall.
- Over is 4-1-1 in Terrapins' last six games overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Texas Bowl: What bettors need to know

Texas Bowl: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Baylor Bears (-1, 63)

The Skinny: In four previous games, the Texas Bowl has mustered strong support from the football community in Houston, but the games have not exactly been dramatic, with only one game decided by less than 22 points. That may change this year with Illinois and Baylor in the mix. Both certainly have a flair for the dramatic.

Baylor (7-5, 4-4 Big 12, 5-7 ATS) became bowl eligible after beating Kansas State, then followed that with its first road victory over Texas since 1991, but lost its last three games. Illinois (6-6, 4-4 Big Ten, 8-4 ATS) lost a thrilling triple-overtime game against Michigan, but came back to beat Northwestern 48-27 at Wrigley Field, a victory that made the Illini bowl eligible.

Point Spread: Baylor -1 Over/under – 63

The spread opened at -1.5 in favor of the Bears but has since dropped to -1. The total opened at 61.5 points but has been bet up to 63.

Baylor's edge: The Bears can put points on the board, scoring 32.58 points per game — only once did they score fewer than 24 points. Baylor is a balanced team which averages 200.5 yards rushing and 278 yards passing, leaving it ranked No. 12 in the nation. Running back Jay Finley has rushed for 1,155 yards and 11 touchdowns. Baylor may have an edge in special teams with punter Derek Epperson (44.20 yard average) and kicker Aaron Jones, who has made 19 of 26 field goals and 44 of 45 PATs for 101 points.

Illinois' edge: Coach Ron Zook’s team prefers to keep the ball on the ground. Led by Mikel Leshoure (1,513 yards, 14 TDs), the nation’s No. 8 rusher, the Illini average 242.33 yards rushing per game, which ranks 13th in the NCAA. The Illini hope their dependable defense can rise to the occasion again. Illinois permitted opponents to gain 344.17 yards per game (38th in the nation) and its 24.25 points-allowed average was skewed by the 67-65 three OT loss to Michigan State.

The Quarterbacks: Both teams feature two-way threats at quarterback. Baylor's Robert Griffin III prefers to throw the ball. He completed 274 of 413 passes for 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns, with only eight interceptions. Griffin ran for 591 yards and eight scores. Nathan Scheelhaase of Illinois threw for 1,583 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 815 yards and four touchdowns.

NFL Prospects: Baylor — DT Phil Taylor, OT Danny Watkins, P Derek Epperson. Illinois — DE Clay Nurse, P Anthony Santella, OLB Nate Bussey.

Bowl history: Illinois is returning to bowl action for the first time since it played Southern Cal in the 2008 Rose Bowl, a game it lost 49-17. The Illini are 6-8 in bowl games and have lost five of their last seven bowls. Baylor is 8-8 in bowl games, but will be making its first bowl appearance since 1994, when the Bears played Washington State in the Alamo Bowl and posted a 10-3 victory.

Etc.: Baylor linebacker Chris Francis received the Ok to play Tuesday despite a lacerated liver. ... Illinois dismissed linebacker Evan Frierson from the team after he was arrested for aggravated battery.

Weather: With thunder showers in the forecast for Houston, the roof will likely be close at Reliant Stadium Tuesday.

Trends:

- Fighting Illini are 3-13 ATS in their last 16 non-conference games.
- Bears are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games as favorites.
- Over is 5-1 in Fighting Illini's last six games overall.
- Over is 7-1 in Bears' last eight games overall.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Alamo Bowl: What bettors need to know

Alamo Bowl: Arizona Wildcats vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys (-4.5, 66.5)

The Skinny: Oklahoma State (10-2, 9-3 ATS) has a chance to reach 11 wins for the first time in school history but enters the Alamo Bowl disappointed after squandering an opportunity to play in the Big 12 Championship game by falling to rival Oklahoma in its final regular-season game.

Offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who came over from Houston before the season and turned the Cowboys into the No. 1 team in the nation in total offense and the No. 3 team in scoring offense, did so well he got hired away. West Virginia named him offensive coordinator for next season, with a guarantee he'll be head coach in 2012. Holgorsen will coach the Cowboys in the bowl, though.

Arizona (7-5, 6-6 ATS) will have more than a month to think about its last regular season game, a double-overtime loss to rival Arizona State that included two blocked extra point attempts. That was the latest in a series of disappointments for a promising team, which lost three games by a total of six points.

Point Spread: Oklahoma State -4.5. Over/Under 66.5

The spread opened at -6 in favor of the Cowboys but has dropped to -4.5 as of Tuesday. The total has also moved from its opening post of 64.5 points to 66.5.

Oklahoma State’s Edge: Offense, specifically running back Kendall Hunter. Quarterback Brandon Weeden and wide receiver Justin Blackmon are one of the most dangerous combinations in college football but Hunter, who rushed for 1,516 yards and 16 touchdowns this season, will be going up against an Arizona defense that allowed 205 rushing yards to USC and 398 to Oregon.

The Cowboys are averaging nearly 45 points per game and balance it out with equally impressive rushing and passing numbers.

Arizona’s Edge: Defensive end Ricky Elmore led the Wildcats with 11 sacks and 13 tackles for a loss this season and will be one of the keys to stopping Oklahoma State’s attack. His ability to get to Weeden in the passing game and help his fellow linemen bottle up Hunter on the ground could make the difference.

No slouch on offense itself, Arizona led the Pac-10 in passing yardage this season and will be going up against a secondary that most recently yielded 47 points to Oklahoma.

The Quarterbacks: The Cowboys put 27-year-old Weeden, a former minor league baseball player, under center this season and took off. His 4,037 yards and 32 touchdowns this season not only made their way up school record books but ranked third and fifth in the nation, respectively.

Arizona signal-caller Nick Foles completed 67.6 percent of his passes - eighth-best in the country - for 2,911 yards while tossing 19 touchdowns. He had 10 touchdowns against two interceptions in the last four games.

NFL Prospects: Oklahoma State - WR Justin Blackmon, RB Kendall Hunter, PK Dan Bailey. Arizona - DE Brooks Reed, WR Juron Criner.

Bowl history: Oklahoma State is 12-8 all-time in bowls but has lost its last two, including a 21-7 setback against Mississippi in the 2009 Cotton Bowl. The Cowboys last played the Alamo Bowl in 2004, when they were crushed, 33-7, by Ohio State.

Arizona is 6-8-1 all-time and will be playing in a bowl for the third straight season after a 10-year drought. The Wildcats are coming off a 33-0 loss to Nebraska in last year’s Holiday Bowl.

Etc.: Oklahoma State cleaned up in the postseason awards arena, with Blackmon taking the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver and Bailey winning the Lou Groza Award for place-kicking.

Arizona will have to rebuild both lines after the season but won’t have to wait long to see the Cowboys again as they are expected to be the Wildcats’ toughest non-conference opponent in the 2011 campaign.

Trends:

- Cowboys are 40-16-2 ATS in their last 58 games as favorites.
- Wildcats are 1-4 ATS in their last five games following a SU loss.
- Over is 5-1 in Wildcats' last six games overall.
- Over is 4-0 in Cowboys' last four non-conference games.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Pick 'n' roll: Wednesday's best NBA bets

Indiana Pacers at Washington Wizards (-1, 195)

The Wizards are terrible on the road this season, making Wednesday’s home stand against the Pacers a much-needed pit stop. Washington dropped back-to-back road tilts in Texas, falling to San Antonio and Houston this past week.

The Wizards have only one win in their last 10 games, while scoring just under 93 points per game in that span – cracking the century mark only twice. That inability to find the basket has helped Washington post a 3-7 over/under record in those 10 outings, with the past seven games staying below the number.

"For us, it's very similar with how a lot of our games have been," head coach Flip Saunders told the media following the Wizards’ fourth-quarter collapse against the Rockets. "Disappointing how hard we played, controlled momentum for most of the game, and when things went bad, we missed some free throws, had some problems with execution on both ends and they made a couple of big shots."

Washington has a 4-10 over/under count inside the Verizon Center this season and has played under the total in three of its last three games with Indiana.

Pick: Under

Memphis Grizzlies at Sacramento Kings (+4, 195)

Just when it looked like Tyreke Evans was over his nagging case of plantar fasciitis, the star guard is thinking about a laser procedure on his injured left foot that would sideline him for an extended period of time.

"The way I was playing, I was thinking about it. I just tried to push through everything and play like myself ... If I need to get it over with, I'll just do it,” Evans told the Sacramento Bee about his ailing foot.

Evans, who leads the team in scoring with 16.8 points a night, has battled through the pain in recent games. He dropped in 32 points in a 100-99 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, pushing as 1-point underdogs. Sacramento is winless in its last eight games, posting a 1-6-1 ATS mark in that span.

"I talked to coach, and told him, 'If I have to a chance to (fix it), and that is my decision, would it be alright if I just get it done?'" Evans told FanHouse. "He said, 'Yeah, just do whatever it takes to get healthy.' That's my main thing. Do whatever it takes to get healthy. Without my body, I can't perform, so that's the most important thing."

The Kings are 0-3 in their last three against the Grizzlies, going 0-3 ATS, and have only four wins in their last 10 meetings with Memphis, covering in three of those outings.

Pick: Memphis

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Bettors' best friend (BBF): Wednesday's wagering tips

Lines to watch

NCAAF: No. 18 Oklahoma State opened as a 6.5-point favorite over Arizona. The Cowboys now sit around -5 in the Alamo Bowl.

NCAAF: Maryland is now favored by 7. 5 points against East Carolina in the Military Bowl.

Weather to watch

NCAAF: 80 percent chance of thunderstorms with 13 mph winds expected for the Texas Bowl between Baylor and Illinois.

Who’s hot

NCAAF: Oklahoma State has covered in eight of its last 10.

NBA: Minnesota has covered in six of its last seven.

NBA: Miami is riding a 11-3 ATS streak.

NBA: Philadelphia has covered in 13 of its last 16 overall.

NBA: Memphis Grizzlies are 9-2 ATS in their last 11.

NHL: New York Rangers have won 10 of their last 14 against New Jersey.

NHL: Dallas has won its last four meetings against Detroit.

NCAAB: Georgetown is on a 14-3 ATS run.

Who’s not

NCAAF: East Carolina is 1-4 ATS in its last five.

NCAAF: Baylor has dropped its last three against the spread.

NBA: Indiana Pacers are 0-6-1 ATS in their last seven.

NBA: Cleveland Cavaliers have covered in just one of their last 11 road games.

NHL: Minnesota has covered in only three of its last 13 games against San Jose.

NCAAB: Illinois has dropped four straight against the number.

Key stat

169 – number of yards Illinois’ junior running back Mikel Leshoure needs in the Texas Bowl to pass Rashard Mendenhall’s single-season team record set in 2007. Leshoure has 1,513 yards on the ground and 14 touchdowns and will be up against Baylor, which allows 160 rushing yards per game.

Injury that shouldn’t be overlooked

Gerald Wallace (ankle), Charlotte Bobcats – Wallace has missed the last five games with a sprained ankle but coach Paul Silas expects him back for Wednesday’s game against Cleveland. Wallace wasn’t quite as eager, saying that he would see how it feels during shootaround, though he was able to practice Tuesday. The 6-foot-7 forward averages 16.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per game.

Game of the day

Alamo Bowl – Arizona vs. No. 14 Oklahoma State (-5, 66)

Notable quotable

"We didn't win (the Big 12). That's disappointing. But we did some things that have never been done around here. There's plenty of things to be proud of. You don't want to sit there and dwell on what didn't happen. Just try to be excited about what did happen and move on from there." – said Dana Holgorsen who will coach his last game as Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator in the Alamo Bowl before he heads to West Virginia.

Notes and tips

The Washington Wizards are said to be shopping both Andray Blatche and JaVale McGee after the two got into a fight and were handed one-game suspensions. The Wizards look to be getting ready to clean house following this latest incident. The club hosts Indiana Wednesday and currently set as a 1-point favorite.

The New York Islanders traded defenseman James Wisniewski to the Montreal Canadiens Tuesday in exchange for a second round pick in the 2011 draft and another pick in the fifth round of the 2012 draft. Wisniewski was tied for the team scoring lead in New York with 21 points in 32 games and should give the Habs a boost on the power play, while this is a big loss for the Islanders, who host the Penguins on Wednesday.

The Utah Jazz have won four straight road games, but could be shorthanded Wednesday night when they visit the L.A. Clippers. Andrei Kirilenko isn’t expected to play after leaving Monday’s game with back spasms. If Kirilenko can’t go, C.J. Miles and Mehmet Okur will see increased minutes. Utah had won three straight before losing to Portland in their last contest.

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

Ice picks: Wednesday's best NHL bets

New York Rangers at New Jersey Devils (-110, 5)

The New York Rangers have won 10 of their last 14 games in New Jersey and look like they mean business.

The Rangers drilled the New York Islanders 7-2 on Monday night, firing 52 shots on goal. Long Island native Matt Gilroy scored twice and AHL callup Mats Zuccarello picked up his first NHL with an assist.

"Especially playing against the Islanders and watching that rivalry growing up in New York and knowing the history of the two teams my whole life, it was even more special tonight,” Gilroy told reporters. “The biggest thing for me is confidence. When you feel confident you can just play your game. And when (the coaches) show confidence in you, it goes a long way."

Marian Gaborik also scored and added an assist after sitting out a couple games with a groin injury, so there are good vibes going for the Rangers right now. Captain Chris Drury has been a calming influence to the lineup since returning from his injury as well.

Meanwhile, the Devils are still dealing with their coaching change that has Jacques Lemaire back behind the bench. Plus, they just sent veteran forward Brian Rolston to the minors hoping that he’d be claimed on re-entry waivers.

Pick: Rangers

San Jose Sharks at Minnesota Wild (+120, 5)

The San Jose Sharks are going to have to realize sooner or later that they’re not going to be able to depend on rookie Logan Couture to carry the offense every night.

Lately the 20-year-old along with linemates Ryane Clow and Benn Ferriero have provided most of the team’s scoring changes, but no Shark could get on the board in Monday’s 4-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Couture leads the team with 18 goals and has 10 of those this month.

San Jose’s top line of Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau, and Dany Heatley have battled inconsistency issues all season.

"We still need them to produce offensive points, but I evaluate them as a whole," coach Todd McLellan told reporters. "Jumbo's backcheck has been very good. We can see Patty's game coming. You can see how much more effective he's been the last five or six games than he was prior to that."

McLellan has a point. San Jose was great defensively before the holiday break, allowing only six goals over a four-game winning streak that was snapped by L.A.

The Sharks will get back on track after a holiday hangover.

Pick: Sharks

 

[Can'tPickaWinner2]

College funds: Wednesday's best NCAAB bets

No. 9 Georgetown Hoyas at No. 15 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (2, 144.5)

John Thompson III knows what he wants from the Hoyas this season and so far he’s getting just that.

With a unselfish approach on offense that emphasizes creating easy shots for some hot shooters, Georgetown has won and covered in three straight after picking up their only loss of the season at Temple last month.

"We have good offensive players, guys who trust in how we are doing things and trust in each other, so there is no temptation to take bad shots," Thompson III told reporters. "We realize that if we stick with our systems we are going to get a good shot for someone who is capable of making that shot."

The Hoyas head into this one ranked second nationally in shooting percentage at a little under 53 percent and are averaging 81 points per game – coincidentally the same scoring average as the Irish.

However, Notre Dame just doesn’t have it to hang with Georgetown yet and Irish coach Mike Brey knows he is in for a battle.

“There's not a team playing better than Georgetown right now. [Not] Duke, anybody," Brey told reporters.

Pick: Hoyas

St. John’s Red Storm at West Virginia Mountaineers (-10, N/A)

The Mountaineers have beaten St. John’s 10 straight times and have covered in four of the last six meetings between the two clubs. However, WVU isn’t taking this Red Storm team lightly.

St. John’s is an experienced team that leans on its seniors – eight of the Red Storm’s top 10 in minutes played are seniors – and Steve Lavin’s system seems to be getting through.

Guard Dwight Hardy leads the team in scoring at 15.5 points per game and has gone for at least 24 points in three of his last four games. Plus, they have some big bodies in the paint too.

"I don't think anyone in our league has three centers like they do in (6-foot-10 Dele) Coker, (6-8 Sean) Evans and (6-8) Justin Burrell,” WVU coach Bob Huggins told reporters. "Nobody has that kind of depth there."

With the experience and the size up front, it’s hard to bet against St. John’s on the road. The Red Storm are out to make an impression here and this might be too many points for the start of conference play.

Pick: St. John’s

 

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MIGHTY QUINN

1* Arizona Wildcats
1* Maryland Terrapins
1* Illinois Illini

 

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ATSINSIDER SPORTS HANDICAPPING

DECEMBER 29th, 2010-WEDNESDAY'S HOOPS 3 PACK:
5* 8PM - LA LAKERS -1.5
5* 8PM - MIAMI HEAT -4
5* 9PM - ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI -3.5

 

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John Harrison

4 UNIT* Oklahoma State Cowboys -4.5 (-110)
1 UNIT* Miami Heat -4

 

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BANG THE BOOK

Wednesday's Best Bowl Bets

Texas Bowl: Illinois Fighting Illini vs. Baylor Bears (-1, 63)

The Texas Bowl will see a big game on Wednesday as the Fighting Illini of Illinois will play the Baylor Bears. The latest college football odds for this bowl game has Baylor labeled as one point favorites with the total set at 62.5.

The Baylor Bears come limping into this contest as they lost their last three games, but are still happy to be bowl eligible. The Bears have a record of 7-5 and that is good enough to send them to their first bowl since 1994. The Bears made it to this bowl game on the strength of a talented offense.

Robert Griffin calls the plays under center for the Bears this year. He threw for 3,195 yards and 21 touchdowns and added eight touchdowns s and 454 yards rushing the ball. Griffin has a talented duo at the wide receiver spot in Kendall Wright and Josh Gordan. Gordan is the deep threat and Wright is a possession reciver and together they can put some serious point son the board. They need that type of fire-power on offense to make up for a defense that was exposed throughout the year.

Illinois also stumbled down the stretch losing games that were very winnable. The loss to Fresno State was particularly disturbing because they ended the season on such a sour note. Illinois has a very talented offense as well led by Nathan Scheelhaase at quarterback. He passed for 1,583 yards, rushed for 660 yards and found the end zone 21 times this season. Illinois has had an easy time moving the football and putting up points in football games, but that has not always translated to a successful campaign for football bettors.

The main reason is because the defense has been susceptible to the big play and gives up big chunks of yardage at a time.

Illinois is 0-10 ATS after allowing 6.25 or more yards per play in two consecutive games.

In a game where offenses are the flavor of the day, the team with the ball last may win the Texas Bowl.

PICK: Baylor Bears -1

 

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DCI NCAA CBB

Season
Straight Up: 1465-388 (.791)
ATS: 535-557 (.490)
ATS Vary Units: 1902-1886 (.502)
Over/Under: 508-532 (.488)
Over/Under Vary Units: 811-920 (.469)

Bank of the West Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational
Final Round at El Paso, TX
UTEP 71, Air Force 55
Cable Car Classic
1st Round at Santa Clara, CA
American 68, Fordham 63
SANTA CLARA 72, Delaware 66
Dr. Pepper Classic
1st Round at Chattanooga, TN
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 67, Georgia State 63
Hardwood Club Holiday Tournament
1st Round at Hattiesburg, MS
Southeastern Louisiana 64, Savannah State 58
SOUTHERN MISS 81, Mississippi Valley State 57
UCF Holiday Classic
1st Round at Orlando, FL
Princeton 64, Northeastern 59
UCF 72, Furman 61
VCU Christmas Tournament
1st Round at Richmond, VA
Cornell 65, New Hampshire 53
VCU 76, Wofford 66
Big East Conference
Georgetown 76, NOTRE DAME 74
WEST VIRGINIA 76, St. John's 61
Big Sky Conference
EASTERN WASHINGTON 75, Sacramento State 65
MONTANA 69, Northern Arizona 62
PORTLAND STATE 79, Northern Colorado 75
Weber State 75, MONTANA STATE 73
Big Ten Conference
Illinois 66, IOWA 64
Missouri Valley Conference
DRAKE 64, Southern Illinois 63
ILLINOIS STATE 62, Creighton 60
INDIANA STATE 65, Bradley 60
NORTHERN IOWA 62, Missouri State 56
WICHITA STATE 74, Evansville 60
Pacific-10 Conference
Washington 74, USC 67
Washington State 71, UCLA 70
Western Athletic Conference
BOISE STATE 78, Louisiana Tech 68
FRESNO STATE 73, San Jose State 71
New Mexico State 72, IDAHO 71
UTAH STATE 72, Hawai'i 55
Non-Conference
AKRON 72, Arkansas-Pine Bluff 54
ARKANSAS 83, North Carolina A&T 63
Army 72, TEXAS-PAN AMERICAN 69
AUBURN 82, Georgia Southern 69
Boston College vs. RHODE ISLAND: TOO CLOSE TO CALL
BOSTON U. 73, Quinnipiac 72
CANISIUS 82, Northwestern State 78
CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE 70, Brown 61
CLEMSON 77, East Carolina 58
COLORADO 92, Umes 65
DAYTON 69, George Mason 61
Duke 93, UNC GREENSBORO 54
GONZAGA 89, Lafayette 60
HARVARD 74, Monmouth 54
IONA 74, Hofstra 68
KANSAS 92, UT Arlington 57
LA SALLE 85, Towson 75
LEHIGH 63, Saint Peter's 61
Lsu 64, RICE 63
MARYLAND 81, North Florida 56
MIDDLE TENNESSEE 75, Tennessee State 69
New Mexico 83, TEXAS TECH 76
Penn 68, MARIST 60
RICHMOND 80, Wake Forest 61
Saint Mary's 78, Mississippi State 63
SMU 73, Southeast Missouri State 58
SOUTH CAROLINA 80, Jacksonville State 56
STEPHEN F. AUSTIN 66, Ulm 52
STONY BROOK 73, Colgate 59
TENNESSEE 88, Tennessee-Martin 55
VANDERBILT 80, Marquette 71
VERMONT 72, Mount St. Mary's 58
William & Mary 78, LONGWOOD 70